• Cummings Aerospace fired two 3D-printed Hellhound S3 jet drones from a buggy-mounted launcher, a first for the weapon
• One operator sent both drones on separate autonomous missions using a single handheld fire control system
• The new launcher holds up to eight drones, and Cummings plans to fire it next from unmanned ground and naval vehicles

A small American defense firm has just shown what mass-produced, 3D-printed air power could look like in the field, and it fits on the back of a utility vehicle.

Cummings Aerospace has fired two of its 3D-printed Hellhound S3 jet-powered drones from a launcher mounted on a Polaris buggy, with a single operator using one handheld controller to send both drones off on separate autonomous missions.

The company says the test met all its objectives and marks several firsts for the turbojet weapon.

Moving drones from a bagpack to a buggy?

The demonstration took place on August 25, 2026, at the Pendleton UAS Range in Oregon, where a firm engineer fired the two Hellhounds one after the other. Both carried inert payloads and flew different preplanned routes at different speeds; the results were announced on October 12 2026.

Until now, the Hellhound had flown only in its man-portable form in more than a dozen flight tests. This was the first time it had been fired from a vehicle, the first use of a new launcher that can hold up to eight drones, the first ripple-fire of the S3, and the first time a single operator controlled more than one Hellhound at once.

Before launch, the operator programmed each drone's waypoints, altitudes, and flight path into the handheld fire control system. Once airborne, the drones flew those routes on their own while streaming data back, so the operator could watch both flights live and redirect or abort either mission.

The play here is about doing more with fewer people: CEO Sheila Cummings put it, instead of manually flying a single drone to a target, one soldier using one fire control system can simultaneously put multiple Hellhounds on multiple targets.

The Hellhound S3 is roughly the size of a baseball bat and weighs about 13 pounds. Its turbojet engine lets it fly more than 60 km (37 miles) at speeds up to 618 km/h (384 mph), putting it in a different class from the propeller-driven quadcopters and loitering munitions that have come to define the war in Ukraine.

It is also much easier to build, leveraging 3D-printed and commercial off-the-shelf components that allow for easy modifications, repairs, and mass production if needed. Cummings Aerospace frames the Hellhound as a multi-mission weapon rather than a single-trick munition. It can work as a loitering munition, a precision-guided munition, a one-way attack drone, or a counter-drone interceptor.

Operators can swap between four mission modules, covering armor-piercing, blast-fragmentation, electronic warfare, and decoy roles, in under two minutes without tools.

The company has previously said the turbojet's documented top speed lets it chase and destroy smaller Group 2 and 3 drones, giving it a hunter-killer role against other UAVs.

That counter-drone angle is arguably the most important here because the threat it is built to answer keeps getting smarter and cheaper; A recent report on a NATO-backed drone AI that picked its own target and struck it, and the US Army showing off its in-house "Dragoons" drone fitted with 3D-printed bombs are merely the tip of the iceberg. Cheap, printable airframes are becoming the common currency of modern conflict, on both the giving and receiving ends.

Much of the appeal of the Hellhound S3 as a viable counter lies in its manufacturing process. The Hellhound is built largely with commercially available 3D printers in-house, which is central to Cummings' goal of producing at least 100 S3 airframes a month and her stated interest in licensing the design to US and international partners for distributed production.

In an era where drone tariffs and supply chains have become a strategic concern, a weapon you can print close to the front is as much a logistics argument as a battlefield one, and one can assume that the Hellhound S3 is but the first of many that will eventually make it to the modern battlefield in different shapes, sizes, and capabilities.

• Federal Court of Australia orders Apple to open up its iOS ecosystem in Australia to third-party app stores
• Apple is also ordered to restore Epic Games' Fortnite back onto the Australian App Store
• Apple denies it has a monopoly in Australia and plans to appeal the decision

The Federal Court of Australia has ordered Apple to fully open up its iOS ecosystem in the country to third-party competitors, with Justice Jonathan Beach ruling that the tech giant misused its market power to maintain a monopoly over app distribution and in-app payments.

The ruling has also ordered Apple to restore the video game Fortnite and other Epic Games apps back onto the Australian App Store, six years after the Cupertino tech giant banned the game for bypassing Apple’s payment systems.

Both orders are set to take effect at noon Australian Eastern time on March 1, 2027.

“In response to regulatory or judicial constraints imposed in connection with the App Store that are anything other than detailed, prescriptive and precise, Apple has systematically implemented practices that seek to circumvent the practical effects of those constraints,” the ruling read.

Beach also said that Apple “devised and pursued a deliberate and comprehensive strategy of foreclosure in relation to iOS app distribution.”

An Apple spokesperson told TechRadar that the company “does not have a monopoly position in Australia or in any market around the world. We respectfully disagree with many findings in this case, including a market definition that has been rejected by other courts.

“We will request a stay and appeal the outcome to seek a resolution that respects our intellectual property and protects the safe, secure experience that consumers and developers expect from the App Store.”

Apple has until February 15 to appeal this decision.

TechRadar has also contacted Epic Games for comment, though Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney took to X (formerly Twitter) to celebrate the ruling.

Apple and Epic Games have been going back and forth in courts ever since the former removed Fortnite from the Apple App Store in August 2020 for selling the in-game currency V-bucks in a way that would circumvent Apple’s 30% commission fee on in-app purchases.

Last year, the US Supreme Court also ruled that Apple engaged in anti-competitive conduct and pricing. A separate ruling in 2024, meanwhile, forced Apple to allow US customers to add links and buttons inside their apps that bring them out to a website where they can input credit card information, though it ultimately didn’t grant Epic Games’ petition to open iOS to competing stores and payments. Sweeney, at the time, called the ruling “a sad outcome for all developers”.

No more loopholes?

With Apple looking to appeal this ruling, these changes are far from guaranteed to happen in March next year, but it would be interesting to see if the tech giant will adopt a similar “compliance through friction” strategy in Australia.

The 2024 ruling above saw Apple implement a 27% commission on transactions completed on those external websites, a disclosure warning and restricted developers from using traditional buttons or persuasive calls-to-action language.

The European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) forced Apple to allow third-party app stores, sideloading (installing apps through websites) and alternative in-app payments. Apple, instead, found workarounds like implementing a “Core Technology Fee” (charging developers that opt out of the App Store 50 euro cents per first annual install regardless of whether the developer made any money), using convoluted and multi-step installation processes for third-party app stores and requiring alternate app store developers to secure a $1 million standby letter of credit.

Justice Beach called them “deterrence tactics”, saying the fees blocked “any genuine prospect of competition” and explicitly addressed those “disproportionate frictions”, non-neutral disclosure sheets and discriminatory fees in the ruling.

The ruling outlines specific bans that Apple has to follow:

• implementing the Core Technology Fee
• 27% commissions on on transactions done through external websites
• disclosure sheets
• forcing developers into new, bundled contracts just to use alternative distribution
• requiring developers to also display Apple’s In-App Purchase (IAP) button alongside their preferred payment method
• forcing developers to appoint Apple as their legal "agent" for marketing and delivery.

Some potential workarounds that Apple may explore could be under the guise of “security standards”, using user interface design to discourage users and aggressive geofencing, or we could even see something completely different.

In any case, this is far from the last time that Apple and Epic Games will face each other in court, with Apple’s appeal to the US Supreme Court scheduled for sometime during its October 2026–2027 term. The EU is still actively investigating Apple while Epic Games continues to challenge Cupertino’s policies under the DMA.

The Apple iPhone Duo is the rare Apple product that has not received universally glowing or negative reviews. Opinions are split over its lack of Face ID support, iPhone 17 Pro-grade cameras (but without the telephoto lens), and slightly hefty frame when folded. It's also generated more interest in an iPhone than I've seen in years, and when I followed my exhaustive, generally positive review with a pair of AMAs (Ask Me Anything) on Threads and X, I was flooded with questions. My Threads post alone has 1,300 comments.

Granted, not every question was about the Duo. Many took the "Anything" part literally and asked me about everything from my hairline to their favorite color. I played along as I fielded myriad queries about Apple's first folding device. Over 24 hours, I reiterated many points from my review, which I doubt many read, but I also learned a thing or two I missed while testing the product.

Here are some of the highlights:

For my iPhone Duo review, I placed the folded phone on multiple MagSafe charge stands and holders. The MagSafe magnets sit on the back, right under the camera array, and the Duo fits perfectly on each stand. With charge stands, the Duo instantly slips into the redesigned Standby mode. I love it.

Someone on Threads asked me if I had tried unfolding the Duo and putting it on a MagSafe stand. So I did and quickly found that the weight of the half not attached to the charging stand made the entire phone rotate ever so slowly on the MagSafe charger. So, while you could use the unfolded Duo on a MagSafe charging stand, it is not recommended.

After someone else asked if they could still use their MagSafe Wallet, I found that the Duo's back is too short to accommodate the standard MagSafe Wallet.

With its two differently sized screens, the iPhone Duo is unique in the iPhone lineup, and there were reasonable questions about how features like vertical Wallpaper images work across the cover and inner display.

I didn't know, so I set the cover wallpaper as a vertical photo I took with the Duo of the Empire State Building, and I gotta say, I love the handoff between displays. The Cover display showed the iconic building, and when I opened the Duo, it showed more of the photo.

There were a lot of questions about the Duo's split-screen capabilities, like if I could open more than two apps (no, but you can do a PiP video overlay), and if you could drag and drop content from one screen to another (you can).

Some wondered if you could run the same app on both screens. You cannot, but if you want to maximize your social media, I found that you could run TikTok and Instagram Reels in side-by-side windows. It's social media turned up to 11.

During my review, I tried running the Kindle app, but the app wasn't optimized for the device and looked tiny and useless. Someone asked me about "iBooks," which is now known as Books.

As a first-party app, it's optimized for Duo, of course. Flipping virtual pages on the 7.6-inch inner display is a transporting experience.

Many wondered whether I hated the matte finish on the inner display (I don't), but I also got a ton of questions about the crease and the inner display's overall durability. A few wanted to know if I'd scratched it, either purposefully or by accident, with my fingernail. I had not, honestly; I don't even see fingerprints on the matte display.

A couple of people asked about the visibility of the crease and whether that area of the screen bounced or wobbled when I touched it. So I tested it by opening the phone and pressing down on the essentially invisible crease. No movement.

Many had obviously heard that not every app is optimized for the new inner display. In my review, I noted that LinkedIn and Gmail were particularly poor fits and later found that Adobe Acrobat still wasn't optimized. But developers are constantly delivering updates, so apps that didn't work yesterday look great today.

Still, people wanted to know how apps deal with the handoff from the 5.4-inch outer display to the 7.6-inch inner one. Optimized apps handle it smoothly; most simply expand without losing context.

Some, like DeckMan and Toastie, playfully use the two screens to create entertaining interplays. DeckMan, for instance, turns the duo into a virtual portable tape deck.

An almost equal number shared their concerns about the size of the 5.4-inch cover display. It's actually not that small, but Apple's decision to place the Dock vertically on the right-hand side means that you lose a lot of pixels to what is often empty space. Others complained about the lack of support for left-handed users (they kept asking me if I was left-handed). Some are even bothered by the dock's placement on the much larger inner display. You can't move it, and this will probably remain a key issue for many potential Duo owners.

Every single iPhone model now supports Face ID, with the notable exception of the new Duo. It's probably the single biggest Duo misstep, and many asked me if I was having trouble adjusting to using Touch ID again. Initially, I was, but I have gotten used to it. I hope the next Duo brings back facial recognition.

I probably got a dozen or so questions about battery life. Some reviewers have criticized the Duo for subpar battery life if you mainly use the larger inner screen. I did not find that, but I did field quite a few battery life questions from concerned potential buyers. I told them what my tests found: all-day battery life in a variety of situations.

I struggled a bit when people asked me to compare the Duo to the iPhone 18 Pro Max. I get it; they want to know if they should stick with what they know or, perhaps, try the awesome new thing. It's not easy, though, to directly compare the single-screen iPhone 18 Pro Max with the dual-display Duo. But leaving aside the screens, if you focus on, say, the cameras, you might stick with the 18 Pro Max, which offers a telephoto and a variable-aperture main camera. The Duo is also heavier than the iPhone 18 Pro Max, which might be a deal-breaker for some.

There were also a healthy number of comparisons to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 lineup, especially the similarly sized and shaped Galaxy Z Fold 8. A few asked me to compare the cameras. Turns out that both the Z Fold 8 and Duo have just two external cameras: wide and ultra-wide, and the Z Fold 8 has just a couple of megapixels per camera on the Duo. Ultimately, it's a wash on the camera front.

I got just as many questions about the cameras' quality, including the 12MP Center Stage camera on the outside and the 4MP inner camera. I found it interesting that many knew not to directly compare it to the new iPhone 18 Pro Max lenses and instead focused on the more comparable iPhone 17 Pro's wide and ultrawide. In my testing, I found the imagery was just as good as what I got from that now year-old device. I do, however, miss the telephoto lens.

One person actually asked how this iPhone Duo is different from the Surface Duo that Microsoft launched in 2019 and discontinued in 2024. I gently explained that while the Surface Duo's inner screen had two displays, the iPhone Duo offers one flexible inner display.

Apple hasn't said much about Apple Pencil support, but that may be because the Duo currently only supports the Apple Pencil USB-C. Why? It's the only one that you can still charge separately from, say, a tablet. Apple Pencil Pro needs the iPad to charge. The Duo cannot charge another device. As one Threads user put it, "Which basically means that my Pencil Pro is useless?" Mine too, my friend, mine, too.

• Canada is exploring alternative data routes amid worsening relations with Washington
• Norwegian firm Bulk proposes a 2,800-mile cable bypassing American territory entirely
• The proposed transatlantic connection could cost more than $620 million

Worsening relations between Washington and Ottawa have prompted Canada to explore alternatives to relying on the United States for international data connections.

Norwegian company Bulk is proposing a 2,800-mile undersea cable linking southern Norway with Newfoundland and Labrador before continuing across Canada without passing through American territory.

The company is seeking a Canadian majority partner to help finance the Leif Erikson project, which is expected to cost more than $620 million.

Leif Erikson offers an alternative transatlantic route

The planned connection would reach Happy Valley-Goose Bay before following an underground route through Quebec towards Montreal, requiring additional construction across Canadian territory.

Bulk co-founder Peder Nærbø has promoted the proposal as part of a Canadian sovereign communications network designed to provide direct access to European infrastructure.

According to details presented to prospective investors, the system would support high-capacity data transfers for AI, telecommunications and large-scale computing operations.

Nærbø has questioned the resilience of Canada's international communications infrastructure, arguing that its existing connections leave the country vulnerable to disruptions.

Bulk has spent approximately five years trying to advance the initiative, although securing the necessary approvals, investment and partners remains a substantial obstacle.

The company has already installed more than 6,200 miles of cable across land and underwater routes, supporting its activities in digital infrastructure and connectivity.

Its stated ambition is to help Nordic renewable electricity supply the energy requirements of digital infrastructure, including facilities serving computing-intensive industries.

Canadian ownership and regulatory challenges

Despite attracting potential backers, the project still requires additional financing, regulatory approvals and agreement between Canadian and European authorities on its route.

Bulk has considerable Canadian financial ties, with 65% of the company owned by a property subsidiary of Sun Life Financial, alongside investments from several Canadian pension funds.

However, existing Canadian ownership does not eliminate the need to secure a majority partner willing to support the project's development and construction.

Canadian Industry Minister Melanie Joly met Nærbø earlier this year, although her department declined to comment specifically on Leif Erikson.

According to Bloomberg, the department said that protecting infrastructure security and resilience remained a priority for Prime Minister Mark Carney's government.

Canada has relatively few international submarine cable connections that avoid American territory, and none is owned by a Canadian company.

One major alternative, the Topaz cable, connects Canada and Japan and belongs to Alphabet, Google's parent company.

The European Union and Canada must still coordinate the proposed cable's route and approve the project before construction can advance.

Its planned underground section would cover approximately 1,180 miles within Canada, requiring support from Indigenous communities along the route.

Canada and Europe also intend to endorse a statement in Montreal on October 29, 2026 concerning improved digital connections between Europe, Canada and Asia.

Via Tom's Hardware

We’re just hours away from the iPhone Duo officially going on sale here in the United States, specifically in the New York–New Jersey time zone, and it’s clear Apple’s first-ever folding phone is proving popular.

Just minutes after the iPhone Duo went up for preorder last week, on October 16, 2026, shipping timeframes began to slip. And if you were to order one right now — regardless of color, carrier, or storage — you’re looking at a January 2027 delivery date. But fear not, I've got some good news directly from Greg Joswiak, Apple’s SVP of Marketing.

"You know, we didn't ship them all away during the pre-order, we have them available at the stores, we're excited," said Joswiak.

He continued, “I'll be at 5th Avenue in the morning, my favorite place to launch iPhone, and I'm sure we'll have some happy customers.”

It’s a potentially reassuring comment if you’re currently waiting online or preparing to camp overnight, or even if you’re planning to arrive early at a store on launch day tomorrow, October 23, 2026.

I’ll be with Joswiak, other Apple employees, and who knows how many customers outside the flagship and iconic Cube store on 5th Avenue in NYC.

Previously, Apple has said it would have limited supply for walk-ins, but Jos offers a bit more, noting that the Duo will be available in stores. And while demand for the iPhone Duo for online orders and pre-reserves has been impressive, leading to long lead times, he reiterated that Apple still has some set aside for folks who want to try their luck going to a store or even trying to lock in a unit for pickup.

On overall demand for the iPhone Duo, Joswiak notes, “Well, I think you saw the pre-order demand last week was extraordinary.”

He continued, “People got it. They understood what we were doing. The people who, like yourselves, who saw it early on were quite taken by it.”

You can read TechRadar’s full review of the iPhone Duo here, and I’ve gotten the chance to spend some more time with it this week since the original unveiling in September. It’s still an incredible form factor, one that feels excellent in the hand and ultimately feels like a premium iPhone.

More recently, I’ve gotten to see more applications running on it — like Edits taking advantage of the bigger internal screen, the impressive reflections rendered in real time in Netflix, and the epic DeckMan, which turns the Duo into a cassette player. Still early days, but it really shows off some unique experiences designed for the Duo.

Another exemplary example is the MLB app, which is launching its iPhone Duo update on Day One with pretty spectacular timing. You see, the World Series kicks off tomorrow, and if you have an iPhone Duo and an applicable account, you can watch it in grand style. On the cover screen, or, if you flip it open, in a full-screen, TV-like treatment. Even neater, if you fold it like a book or mini laptop, you can have the broadcast on top and box score on the bottom. You can even split the screen for the broadcast on the left and another app on the right.

Joswiak noted the importance of MLB and sports at large: ”Sports are important to us; it's important to our users.” The relationship is so tight that the iPhone is in the Baseball Hall of Fame, specifically a Cosmic Orange iPhone 17 Pro Max that was used to broadcast Friday Night Baseball.

So, if you’re lucky enough to get an iPhone Duo tomorrow, you can tune into the World Series on its impressive new display. But if you’re still hoping to get your hands on Apple’s first folding phone, don’t count yourself out just yet. Despite online orders slipping to January, Joswiak says Apple will have units available in stores tomorrow. Your best bet? Get there early.

• Amazon plans to buy power from 12 proposed Indiana nuclear reactors
• The proposed facility could deliver 960 megawatts to Indiana’s electricity grid
• X-energy’s Xe-100 reactors would use helium cooling and TRISO fuel

Amazon is backing a proposed nuclear power development in Indiana designed to supply electricity for its expanding data center operations and the regional grid.

The project involves 12 small modular reactors from X-energy, with a combined planned output of 960 megawatts, although construction and commissioning dates remain uncertain.

Amazon hasn’t disclosed the specific amount it is putting into the Indiana project, but it says it is “investing billions in nuclear energy projects” overall. This confirmation, coupled with its lead role in X-energy, suggests the commitment could plausibly exceed $1 billion, though that is speculation.

Twelve reactors face an uncertain road to operation

The planned installation would occupy the former Breed coal generating station site in Sullivan County, Indiana, where developers intend to establish new nuclear generating capacity.

Each Xe-100 reactor is designed to generate 80 megawatts using helium gas for cooling and specially engineered uranium fuel particles known as TRISO.

X-energy says TRISO fuel resists extreme temperatures, while the Xe-100 design aims to limit reliance on active safety systems during certain accident scenarios.

However, the proposed Indiana installation remains a development project, and the United States has yet to operate a commercial small modular reactor supplying electricity.

Amazon's partnership with X-energy dates back to 2024, when the technology company led a $700 million financing round supporting reactor development and fuel production preparations.

That funding included work on reactor licensing and the initial stage of a TRISO-X fuel manufacturing facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

The Indiana proposal forms part of a separate ambition to introduce more than 5 gigawatts of nuclear generating capacity across the United States by 2039.

Amazon would purchase electricity from the proposed installation, providing developers with an expected customer while the project advances through planning and regulatory requirements.

“New technologies like this often need initial customers to help de-risk projects and provide funding so they can be built and scaled to commercial availability,” said an Amazon spokesperson.

Regulatory approvals could determine the timeline

Regulatory approvals remain a key obstacle, and coordinating construction across the proposed facility could complicate delivery.

Nuclear developers in America generally pursue either approval for a standard reactor design or authorization covering a specific installation and its location.

X-energy has reported progress toward a construction permit for a separate Texas development, but that authorization would not automatically approve its Indiana proposal.

The Texas project involves four reactors intended to support a Dow chemical manufacturing facility, substantially fewer units than the planned Indiana installation.

According to the South Bend Tribune, an X-energy representative indicated that the Indiana facility could become operational during the middle of the 2030s.

The representative warned that the schedule could change as the project progresses, so the mid-2030s estimate remains provisional.

Six short stories in one gripping, grizzly Gaelic horror series. Just what the doctor ordered for spooky season. You can check them out in Wolf Bay, if you dare.

Granted, the show is going for a dual-tone approach, with some scary moments and some dark comedy, too. Wolf Bay, also known as Loch nam Madadh in Gaelic, follows a reluctant homecoming to an isolated island in North Uist, which goes horribly wrong over the course of a rather disastrous ferry ride.

Angus is heading back to the island for his grandfather's funeral, but ends up stuck on the ferry with his ex-girlfriend, her new fiancé, and her mean mother. If that wasn't bad enough, there's something else more sinister lurking on the boat...

Ready to tune in to this tantalizing, at times terrifying show? Here's how to watch Wolf Bay online for free from October 23.

How to watch Wolf Bay from anywhere

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

How to watch Wolf Bay in the UK

In the UK, Wolf Bay is available on BBC iPlayer for free from Friday, October 23.

You can also watch the show on the BBC ALBA Youtube channel.

Outside the UK? Unblock your BBC iPlayer stream with NordVPN.

Can you watch Wolf Bay in the US?

Wolf Bay will be available in the US via the BBC ALBA Youtube channel.

Viewers in the states won't be able to access a stream via BBC iPlayer.

Visiting the US from the UK? You can use our most-trusted VPN (try risk-free) to unlock your usual streaming platforms and watch the show from anywhere.

Can you watch Wolf Bay in Canada?

Similar to the US, Wolf Bay is only available in Canada via the BBC ALBA Youtube channel.

The solution? Use a VPN to gain access to all the content you'd normally stream at home.

Can you watch Wolf Bay in Australia?

Like in the US and Canada, Wolf Bay is free to stream. Just search 'BBC ALBA' on Youtube.

Away from the UK? Use NordVPN to access your usual shows from anywhere in the world.

Wolf Bay: Additional Information

Wolf Bay cast

• Andrew MacInnes as Angus
• Ellen Macdonald as Màiri
• Alasdair Jordan as Colin
• Elspeth Turner as Margaret

What's been said about Wolf Bay / Loch nam Madadh?

Speaking to the BBC, Natalie Humphreys, Executive Producer for Storyboard Studios says: “Back when we first started developing this, we knew there was something really special and different about the material. Then we were lucky to have the most brilliant cast and crew join. The whole team on and off screen has put heart and soul into it and we’re excited to share it with audiences.”

Meanwhile, Bill Macleod, Commissioning Editor for MG ALBA added: “This is one of the wittiest and most distinctive ideas to have ever come my way – a whip-smart series that combines sly satire and open-hearted charm. This is a horror series you’ll want to wolf down!”

Gavin Smith, Commissioning Editor for BBC Scotland shared: “We’re delighted to have joined forces with BBC ALBA to go on this wild wolf ride aboard a stricken ferry. Claire and Maureen have written a sensational series of short form episodes that are frightening and funny in equal measure. Wolf Bay is part of BBC Scotland’s strategy to grow our digital first content and we’re sure audiences are up for a bit of horror!”

Finally, Kieran Hannigan, Head of Scripted at Screen Scotland says: “It is fantastic to have been able to support Loch nam Madadh, a bold, Gaelic digital-first drama aimed at young adult audiences. The series blends comedy, horror and romance, bringing a distinctive fresh voice. It sits proudly alongside recent successes like An t-Eilean and represents Screen Scotland’s ongoing commitment to the development of Gaelic drama.”

You may also like to watch...

• How to watch Asa Butterfield in Gnomes online from anywhere – stream the comedy horror series for FREE
• The best BBC iPlayer VPNs
• How to watch BBC iPlayer from abroad

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.

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 #1230) - today's words

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• EXTENSION
• LOVE
• DIRECT
• POWER
• SPINAL
• VOCAL
• DRIVER
• DISTANCE
• PHONE
• TIME
• UPDATE
• OPEN
• FRANK
• FORCE
• DOUBLE
• PLUGIN

NYT Connections today (game #1230) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Say exactly what you mean
• GREEN: Add to a PC
• BLUE: Do the math with these
• PURPLE: Add a word that rhymes with “cap”

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 #1230) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: FORTHRIGHT
• GREEN: THINGS YOU INSTALL ON A COMPUTER
• BLUE: QUANTITIES IN A FORMULA FOR POWER
• PURPLE: _____ TAP

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

NYT Connections today (game #1230) - the answers

The answers to today's Connections, game #1230, are…

• YELLOW: FORTHRIGHT: DIRECT, FRANK, OPEN, VOCAL
• GREEN: THINGS YOU INSTALL ON A COMPUTER: DRIVER, EXTENSION, PLUGIN, UPDATE
• BLUE: QUANTITIES IN A FORMULA FOR POWER: DISTANCE, FORCE, POWER, TIME
• PURPLE: _____ TAP: DOUBLE, LOVE, PHONE, SPINAL

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

I’ll be honest, I had never heard of the expression “love tap” but gambled that LOVE was the most likely candidate to join SPINAL, PHONE, and DOUBLE.

My leap in the dark paid off and I was rewarded with a Purple First — a great way to end the week and I hope you joined me. As Nigel Tufnel put it in This is Spinal Tap: "It's such a fine line between stupid, and uh… clever."

Thankfully, I didn’t let my triumph go to my head and managed to see THINGS YOU INSTALL ON A COMPUTER and FORTHRIGHT without slipping up.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Thursday, October 22, 2026, game #1229)

• YELLOW: PARTS TO BE GRASPED: GRIP, HANDLE, HILT, KNOB
• GREEN: KINDS OF SCULPTURES: BUST, MOBILE, RELIEF, STATUE
• BLUE: AMERICAN FOOTBALL POSITIONS: END, GUARD, SAFETY, TACKLE
• PURPLE: STARTS OF BEDDING: BLANK, COMFORT, PILL, SHE

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,500 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 #1733) — 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 #1733) — hint #2 — repeated letters

Quordle today (game #1733) — hint #3 — uncommon letters

Quordle today (game #1733) — 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 #1733) — 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 #1733) — the answers

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1733, are…

• BLIMP
• HOIST
• FRIED
• LURID

This game felt far too easy and I had the odd sensation of having played it before.

This was probably due to the O-I-S-T letter combination that also appeared two days ago and BLIMP — a word that seems to appear in the Daily Sequence every other month.

Daily Sequence today (game #1733) — the answers

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1733, are…

• TRADE
• OFFAL
• QUAIL
• LOAMY

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1732, Thursday, 22 October: DECAL, WIDTH, WOKEN, LEVER
• Quordle #1731, Wednesday, 21 October: MOIST, VALVE, VERSE, NORTH
• Quordle #1730, Tuesday, 20 October: COYLY, SAUNA, TRIAL, RASPY
• Quordle #1729, Monday, 19 October: EXIST, DECOY, HITCH, FLUID
• Quordle #1728, Sunday, 18 October: FLINT, FUROR, WEDGE, RODEO
• Quordle #1727, Saturday, 17 October: QUARK, ENEMY, SPASM, BLOCK
• Quordle #1726, Friday, 16 October: SHORT, WORTH, JOIST, SLUNK
• Quordle #1725, Thursday, 15 October: STALE, EPOCH, PIANO, CORNY
• Quordle #1724, Wednesday, 14 October: TIMID, GROUP, GRILL, EVERY
• Quordle #1723, Tuesday, 13 October: FLUFF, DEBUT, TEETH, STEIN
• Quordle #1722, Monday, 12 October: HELLO, BELOW, RIGHT, SLANT
• Quordle #1721, Sunday, 11 October: LILAC, INLET, TRIAD, SHAPE
• Quordle #1720, Saturday, 10 October: SWEAT, THIRD, RURAL, CLASP
• Quordle #1719, Friday, 9 October: OLDEN, DUNCE, SWATH, HILLY
• Quordle #1718, Thursday, 8 October: MINTY, ROWER, BROOD, RESET
• Quordle #1717, Wednesday, 7 October: PALER, FROTH, DOZEN, ERASE
• Quordle #1716, Tuesday, 6 October: FRESH, SKULK, BATCH, ENSUE
• Quordle #1715, Monday, 5 October: SIXTH, SPEAK, SEDAN, HEIST
• Quordle #1714, Sunday, 4 October: INFER, RAINY, THING, ARENA
• Quordle #1713, Saturday, 3 October: CHORE, FLYER, STICK, PURSE

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 #964) - hint #1 - today's theme

NYT Strands today (game #964) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• BEAVER
• SPRING
• NOSE
• PRIDE
• SPONGY
• SITE
• VEST

NYT Strands today (game #964) - hint #3 - spangram letters

NYT Strands today (game #964) - 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 #964) - the answers

The answers to today's Strands, game #964, are…

• NOSY
• EAVESDROPPING
• INQUISITIVE
• SNOOPY
• PRYING
• SPANGRAM: BUSYBODY

• My rating: Hard
• My score: Perfect

Despite not needing any hints, I’m classifying this as a tricky game due to the length of several game words, including the WHOPPING 13-letter EAVESDROPPING.

INQUISITIVE also caused me some issues connecting it all together.

My main triumph, though, was spotting the Spangram First — an achievement that is not essential to enjoying Strands, but definitely mini-fistpump worthy.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Thursday, October 22, game #963)

• KINFOLK
• OFFSPRING
• BLOOD
• BRETHREN
• ANCESTORS
• SPANGRAM: FAMILYTIES

• Nvidia simulates 104 qubits using JUPITER, Europe's first exascale supercomputer
• The technique reportedly reduces physical qubit requirements by 90%
• Magic state cultivation could reduce hardware demands for fault-tolerant quantum computing

Nvidia researchers have simulated a 104-qubit quantum computing system on JUPITER, Europe's first exascale supercomputer, validating a technique that requires 90% fewer physical qubits.

The experiment took place at Germany's Jülich Supercomputing Centre, where researchers examined how quantum computing systems could operate reliably.

The team investigated magic state cultivation, an approach to fault-tolerant quantum computing that could reduce the physical resources required for complex calculations.

New technique reduces quantum computing hardware requirements

Quantum processors are vulnerable to environmental interference, which introduces errors and makes accurate calculations increasingly difficult as systems grow larger.

Researchers are developing fault tolerance methods to address these problems, enabling quantum computers to maintain computational accuracy despite errors affecting individual physical components.

One approach involves producing specially prepared quantum resources called magic states, which are consumed during operations required for fault-tolerant quantum calculations.

Producing these resources requires substantial computing capacity, making improvements in their preparation important for reducing the hardware demands of useful quantum systems.

Nvidia's simulation examined magic state cultivation, incorporating realistic hardware noise, which allowed researchers to investigate errors that earlier simulations conducted under ideal conditions could not adequately represent.

"Useful quantum computing will require fantastically complex, fault-tolerant systems—and understanding how they behave at scale is essential to building them," said Jensen Huang, Nvidia's CEO and founder.

"Our results from Jülich show how quantum processors and GPU supercomputers can work together to tackle research that would otherwise be out of reach—accelerating the discovery of transformative quantum applications."

Earlier research at Jülich simulated 50 qubits under ideal conditions, while the latest experiment incorporated realistic hardware noise.

The experiment nevertheless used classical computing infrastructure to simulate quantum operations rather than testing the technique on a functioning quantum processor.

JUPITER enables large-scale quantum simulations

Located in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, JUPITER provided the computing capacity needed to model complex quantum operations that conventional systems struggle to simulate.

The supercomputer used Nvidia GH200 processors for the experiment, with researchers scaling their methods to 8,192 GPUs.

Before moving to JUPITER, the team developed and tested its simulation methods using Nvidia's GB200 NVL72 system at the company's Accelerated Quantum Research Center.

Researchers expanded their initial tests from four graphics processors to hundreds, evaluating performance and accuracy before deploying the methods on the larger machine.

These preparations reduced simulations that previously required several weeks to just days, helping researchers use JUPITER's computing resources more efficiently.

The team also used Nvidia's cuQuantum software and CUDA Q platform to simulate quantum circuits and represent the operations involved in magic state cultivation.

The results could help researchers assess quantum processor designs before constructing hardware, potentially reducing the need for costly physical experiments during development.

However, Nvidia's result remains a simulation, and further experimental work must establish whether the technique delivers comparable benefits on actual quantum hardware.

• Russia claims 80% of its Tu-160M bomber systems are modernized
• Russia's Tu-160M retains its Soviet appearance despite extensive internal modernization
• Modular avionics could allow Russia to upgrade bomber electronics individually

Russia is preparing its Tu-160M strategic bomber for future equipment upgrades through a modular avionics system designed to accommodate technological changes throughout its operational life.

The aircraft retains the distinctive appearance of its Soviet predecessor, although Russian aircraft manufacturer Tupolev claims approximately 80% of its onboard equipment has undergone modernization.

This approach could extend the bomber's service life through successive technological upgrades, similar to the modernization strategy employed on America's B-52 Stratofortress.

Modular avionics designed for future upgrades

Tupolev General Director Yuri Abrosimov said the Tu-160M incorporates a redesigned electronics architecture that allows individual components to be replaced as technology advances.

The arrangement is intended to simplify future modernization by allowing engineers to introduce better equipment without rebuilding the aircraft's entire electronic infrastructure.

However, Abrosimov provided no technical specifications for the modular interfaces and did not identify additional equipment currently scheduled for integration into the aircraft.

“Outside, the Tu-160M has kept that same recognizable silhouette, but inside it was created on an entirely new technological base with active use of digital technologies,” said Abrosimov, in remarks translated from Russian.

Previous improvements introduced under the Tu-160M program include updated radar equipment, digital cockpit displays, improved communications, navigation systems and NK-32-02 engines.

The aircraft's variable-geometry wings and four-engine configuration remain unchanged, preserving the basic design of the supersonic bomber.

Known internationally by its NATO designation Blackjack, the Tu-160 carries as many as 12 cruise missiles using rotating launch mechanisms housed internally.

It also remains a component of Russia's airborne nuclear deterrent, although the aircraft has conducted conventional missile strikes against Ukraine.

Modernization continues amid production delays

Russia's modernization program involves upgrading existing Tu-160 bombers and manufacturing additional aircraft at the Kazan Aviation Plant.

A January 2018 agreement covered 10 newly manufactured bombers at an estimated cost of 160 billion rubles (about $1.9 billion), establishing an ambitious procurement commitment.

Although the first newly manufactured example completed its initial flight in January 2022, subsequent production delays affected the planned delivery schedule.

Russia's Aerospace Forces eventually received two Tu-160M aircraft in late 2025, several years after the first newly manufactured example flew.

Operational availability has also attracted scrutiny, particularly as Russian forces continue using strategic aviation assets to conduct missile attacks against Ukraine.

A May assessment by Ukrainian aviation monitoring group AviVector indicated that only seven aircraft from a reported fleet of 18 were conducting combat operations.

The assessment also placed between seven and nine aircraft at Kazan for maintenance, production or modernization.

These unverified figures suggest that maintenance capacity and production delays could constrain Russia's bomber operations.

Meanwhile, the modular architecture's long-term benefits remain uncertain without compatible replacement technologies.

Via Defence Blog

Jimmy Carr is back for a spooky-themed version of his highly popular game show, Last One Laughing, where celebrity comedians must try their best to make one another laugh, while avoiding breaking a smile themselves.

For the Halloween Special, Carr is joined by an all-star roster including Jack Dee, Daisy May Cooper, Phil Wang, Lou Sanders, Reece Shearsmith, Harriet Dyer, and Tom Allen.

The show will land on October 23 in over 240 countries, with three episodes to get you going and the final episode airing on October 30, just in time for the big day.

Read on as this guide explains how to watch Last One Laughing: Halloween online – and potentially for FREE.

• TV tips email: Never be stuck for anything to watch again

How to watch Last One Laughing: Halloween in the US

In the US, you can watch Last One Laughing: Halloween via Prime Video from October 23.

New customers can get a 30-day free trial if you've never signed up to the service before.

Away from home? Access your usual steams from anywhere with a reliable VPN like NordVPN (get 75% off).

How to watch Last One Laughing: Halloween from anywhere

Out of the country but eager to stream Last One Laughing: Halloween online? You’ll likely be restricted from accessing your usual Prime Video library and other usual domestic streams due to geo-blocking.

Luckily, there’s an easy solution. Downloading a VPN will allow you to watch no matter where you are. It's a simple bit of software that changes your IP address, meaning that you can access on-demand content or live TV as if you were back at home.

Use a VPN to watch Last One Laughing: Halloween from abroad:

How to watch Last One Laughing: Halloween in Canada

How to watch Last One Laughing: Halloween in Australia

It's the same deal in Australia, with Last One Laughing: Halloween releasing on Amazon Prime Video from October 23.

Not at home? Not a problem. You can sign up to a reliable VPN like NordVPN and bypass geo-locked content.

How to watch Last One Laughing: Halloween in the UK

Last One Laughing: Halloween will be available on Prime on Friday, Oct 23 for fans in the UK.

Abroad? Sign up to NordVPN. Having a reliable VPN can help you access your streams as if you were at home, even if you're on holiday in the UK.

What you need to know about Last One Laughing: Halloween

Last One Laughing: Halloween contestants

• Jimmy Carr (host)
• Roisin Conaty (deputy)
• Jack Dee
• Daisy May Cooper
• Phil Wang
• Lou Sanders
• Reece Shearsmith
• Harriet Dyer
• Tom Allen

Last One Laughing: Halloween trailer

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

• US Navy tests autonomous drone landings on moving ships without GPS
• Onboard cameras guide drones toward ships when satellite navigation becomes unavailable
• New software could reduce reliance on expensive shipboard tracking equipment

The US Navy has tested autonomous aircraft capable of completing assigned missions and recovering aboard moving vessels despite satellite navigation being unavailable or disrupted.

The demonstration used onboard cameras, motion sensors, and specialized algorithms to guide an unpiloted aircraft toward a ship experiencing deck movement.

The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) reported that its software could eliminate expensive shipboard tracking equipment during certain autonomous aircraft recovery operations.

Software replaces specialised shipboard recovery equipment

Traditional shipboard drone recovery can require dedicated tracking hardware, additional landing equipment, and modifications that increase procurement costs and complicate vessel integration.

The Navy previously relied on specialised equipment during autonomous recoveries, including the RQ-8A Fire Scout's historic landing aboard USS Nashville in 2006.

That operation used shipborne radar to establish the aircraft's position relative to the vessel, guiding the unmanned helicopter approached its landing area.

NAWCAD engineers have developed an alternative that processes visual information through existing aircraft equipment.

The software analyses visual characteristics of the vessel and calculates its movement, allowing the aircraft to adjust its approach before reaching the landing surface.

Its algorithms also estimate deck motion, helping the drone coordinate touchdown with a ship that continues pitching and moving during recovery operations.

Because the system never relies on satellite signals, the same visual guidance would keep working in the conditions that the Navy expects in a high-end fight at sea.

“In a high-end maritime conflict, GPS is the first operational link an adversary attempts to sever,” said Peter Arslanian, a NAWCAD aerospace engineer.

“In contested areas where satellites and communications are jammed, autonomy gives significant advantage to our sailors,” said Rear Adm. Todd Evans, commander of NAWCAD.

The demonstration suggests that onboard sensing and software could lessen reliance on dedicated ship hardware, although the Navy still has to confirm performance during operational testing.

Navy prepares technology for larger uncrewed aircraft

NAWCAD intends to transfer the capability into operational testing, moving beyond controlled demonstrations toward assessments using aircraft and equipment intended for fleet service.

Potential applications include the Navy's Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems programme and its Collaborative Combat Aircraft initiative, which is developing uncrewed aircraft.

The technology could also support the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency's Early VTOL Aircraft Demonstration initiative, known as EVADE.

That programme seeks aircraft capable of taking off from and recovering onto ship decks without requiring conventional launch or recovery equipment.

Five companies, including AeroVironment and Sikorsky, have been associated with the initiative, which seeks practical approaches to operating uncrewed aircraft from maritime platforms.

NAWCAD's proposed software transition could give these programmes another approach to autonomous recovery, although compatibility and reliability must be established across individual aircraft designs.

The Naval Innovative Science and Engineering Program and the Office of Naval Research funded the development effort, which now advances toward operational testing.

Via Defence Blog

• Microsoft collaborated with the Japanese National Police Agency to tackle Chinese-language cybercrime “app stores”
• The YAM Store, CoGUI, and Iron Man have targeted people in more than 150 countries
• Microsoft is working with law enforcement agencies worldwide to take down illegal operations that target businesses and individuals

Microsoft has announced a successful operation with the Japanese National Police Agency in which a collection of cybercrime app stores were disrupted. Investigating fraudulent, scam messages targeting Japanese businesses and citizens, the operation uncovered a multi-faceted criminal marketplace, with three key elements.

The YAM Store, CoGUI, and Iron Man had targeted 75,000 organizations across more than 150 countries worldwide, sent over one billion malicious communications promoting scams, and generated millions of dollars for the criminals behind them. Furthermore, 750 million messages were aimed at Microsoft’s own customers.

Alongside the Japanese authorities, Cloudflare, Oracle, Proofpoint, Resecurity, and TRM Labs were also involved in the operation.

Impersonation templates

Exploring the cybercrime ecosystem targeting Japanese businesses, investigators found the trio of the YAM Store, CoGUI, and Iron Man. Investigators found these provided a route into a cybercrime ecosystem for cybercriminals.

The environment was providing criminals with pre-fabricated fake websites and messages, designed to be used to fool targets into thinking they were interacting with the genuine article. Amazon was among the faked sites, on sale so scammers could simply host convincing pages to steal login and payment credentials, without any need to hire their own coder. Other spoofs on sale included government agencies, financial institutions, and other well-known companies.

Security filtering software was initially unable to handle the CoGUI phishing-as-a-service (Phaas) framework as it employed some sophisticated methods to avoid detection, including browser fingerprinting and geofencing.

What is interesting to note is the role these facilities played for the distribution of cybercrime assets. CoGUI was apparently targeting Japan and US victims, but during the course of the investigation, was replaced by a new service, Iron Man.

The YAM Store

While all three components were already known to Microsoft and the authorities, it took a concerted effort to infiltrate the network of cybercriminals using the services. They were hosted in a wholly Chinese-language environment, requiring native-speakers to be added to the investigating team, and gain access to the underground cybercrime marketplace known as the YAM Store.

Microsoft assigned a tracking number Storm-3119 to the marketplace, which it describes as an “Initial Access Broker.” It was set up to provide its customers with “compromised or fraudulently obtained environments in providers like Microsoft and Google.”

While it may be expected for compromised software to be on the radar of its publishers, the creator(s) of the YAM Store had a workaround. It was able to keep its inventory fresh by using automation. This identified “expired environment or organization names and leverages legitimate customer information associated with them to help circumvent existing detections.”

Microsoft has seized domains associated with the YAM/CoGUI/Iron Man infrastructure, and either blocked or redirected them.

• Grado's new S150 are the most affordable in the Signature Series
• Newly developed 44mm S driver derived from the firm's higher-end S950
• $295 / £295 (which is around AU$420, taking the US figure as a guide)

Regular readers (and anyone who adores audiophile-grade open-back wired headphones) will likely remember our largely glowing review of the Grado Signature S750.

But, at $1,695 / £1,695 (about AU$3,400), it's fair to say those Signature Series cans are aimed at a very… specific type of buyer. However, the new S150 — billed as the "most accessible entry point into Grado's expanding and award-winning Signature Line" — will set you back less than one fifth of that asking fee.

And Grado assures us that you're still getting the Grado goods. It's all thanks to the S150's newly developed 44mm S driver, which is derived from the family-run firm's much higher-end HP100 SE (yours for a cool $2,495 / £2,795, or in the region of AU$4,230) and Signature S950 headphones (which go for $2,195 / £2,495 or about AU$4,900. And do remember that your audio-curious ears deserve the best your budget can stretch to).

I love Grado's aesthetic, but this toned-down set might have even broader appeal

Let's get into the slight style change, shall we? Grado calls the earpieces an "all-new single-piece housing design", noting the "modernized Grado styling with unmistakable identity". I say — and I think a lot of people might agree — I really like it. They're just slightly less brutalist than what we're used to aesthetically from Grado; see the high-end Hemp or the more affordable SR80x for further reference.

The new driver (they're still open-back headphones; this is Grado we're talking about) incorporates a paper-composite diaphragm, based on the technology found in the larger 52mm S drivers from the HP100 SE and S950. So you're getting a smaller 44mm driver unit, but it uses the same tech that makes much pricier cans great. And I think it shows that Grado’s committed to distilling its expertise down to more accessible levels.

Also, despite that more palatable price point of $295 / £295 or equivalent, you still get the detachable Signature Bronze cables (a standard perk within Grado's Signature Series) plus what Grado calls a "comfortably padded leather headband" for those long critical listening sessions.

The S150 features 3.5mm connections at each ear cup, and the included cable terminates in a 3.5mm plug at the source end, but is supplied with a 6.3mm adapter to provide compatibility with a wide range of the best portable audio players, headphone amplifiers, and assorted home audio kit.

Grado also tells us that the S150 can also be ordered with alternative cable terminations should you prefer, allowing listeners to select the connection that best suits their system.

Do I want to test them? Oh, you betcha I do. Watch this space…

• Watch It Gets Worse for free on Channel 4 (UK)
• Unblock Channel 4 from abroad with NordVPN – Save 75%
• Streaming on Paramount+ (US), Crave (CA), Binge (AU)

This six-part comedy series is a very exciting venture, created by and starring Leo Reich and made in conjunction with arguably the most popular movie studio in the world, A24. It's all about three friends who met in university and now spend their time in London navigating all the things post-grads have to deal with, like work, love, and of course, landlords.

The show may be led by lesser known names like Reich, Emily Fairn, and Olive Gray, but there are some high-profile guest stars to keep an eye out for. They include Amelia Dimoldenberg, Lena Dunham, Andrew Scott, and even The Inbetweeners alum, Blake Harrison.

The sitcom is produced by A24, which means that it's been given a small screen home all around the world (albeit on different channels and platforms wherever you go). So, read on to find out how to watch It Gets Worse from anywhere and potentially for free.

How to watch It Gets Worse for free in the UK

In the UK, It Gets Worse will air for FREE on Channel 4 from Thursday, October 22, 2026 at 10:05pm.

If you miss the broadcas you'll be able to watch all six episodes on Channel 4's streaming platform after the launch.

How to watch It Gets Worse abroad with a VPN

If you’re traveling abroad when It Gets Worse airs, you can watch without regional restrictions using a VPN. .

Use a VPN to watch It Gets Worse from anywhere:

Can you watch It Gets Worse in the US?

You'll be able to find It Gets Worse on Paramount+ in the US. However, you'll have to wait a little longer, with the show premiering on November 6 in the States.

Away from home? Use a VPN to watch the show when traveling around – it's easy. Details above..

Can you watch It Gets Worse in Canada?

In Canada, the show will air on Crave. It Gets Worse is actually a Crave Original (in association with A24), but the series doesn't have a release date just yet.

UK viewer currently traveling in Canada? Download a VPN to connect to your streaming service back home and watch It Gets Worse.

Can I watch It Gets Worse in Australia?

Viewers in Australia will be able to catch It Gets Worse on Binge and Foxtel. The show will air Down Under from October 23, just after the UK premiere.

Aussies can also use a VPN to get access to watch UK TV from abroad.

It Gets Worse cast

• Leo Reich as Ethan
• Emily Fairn as Abi
• Olive Gray as Sam
• Gary Beadle as Sandie
• Simon Haines as Lucas
• Lena Dunham as Greta
• Andrew Scott
• Sean Delaney
• Dane Williams
• India Mullen
• Safia Oakley-Green
• John Tothill
• Arian Nik
• Amelia Dimoldenberg as Emily
• Blake Harrison as Roger
• Nicole Sadie Sawyerr
• Phil Zimmerman
• Billy Rilot
• Kirsty Bloom
• Clayton Pettet as Freddie
• Luca Kamleh-Chapman
• Vicki Pepperdine as Sarah
• Daniel Monks as Graham
• Emmeline Downie
• Zadie Smith as narrator

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

• Anthropic used Claude to analyze 25 open source projects and uncovered nearly 500 security issues
• Research found exposed pre-authentication code paths, conflicting security settings, and long-hidden flaws
• AI identified attack-surface reductions that removed unnecessary code exposure before vulnerabilities could be exploited

Anthropic recently used Claude to analyze 25 major open source projects written in C, C++, Java, PHP, and Python, in search of security issues. It found almost 500 of them, including security controls turned off by conflicts in settings, sensitive code accessible before authentication, and even a vulnerability that sat in the code for 21 years.

This wasn’t a standard hunt for vulnerabilities. In its report, Anthropic argues that looking for individual vulnerabilities is a Sisyphean task that scales poorly and never guarantees security. Instead, it thinks defenders should turn towards reducing software attack surfaces by restricting unnecessary access to potentially exploitable code.

“A defender who reduces unnecessary attack surface in their code reduces the risk from all of the unknown vulnerabilities in that code at once—including any that are already being quietly exploited,” Anthropic said.

The 25 projects it scanned contained more than five million lines of code. Claude created an inventory of more than 17,000 configuration options, 3,842 of which related to security-relevant controls and features.

Misconfigured security controls

The company’s research focused on three ways code may get unnecessarily exposed: features accessible in the default configuration when they’re not needed, different settings which, when combined, erode security, and unnecessarily complex and sensitive code running before security checks.

The analysis showed all 11 projects, which were designed to serve authenticated users, contained code that was reachable when it shouldn’t have been. These include 93 pre-authentication attack surfaces in default configurations, 37 instances of code executing before authentication, and 61 combinations of different configurations that eroded pre-authentication controls.

In total, the 25 analyzed projects contained 162 configuration combinations that were accepted without their documentation explaining how they were supposed to behave. In some cases, security controls were being disabled. In others, there were various inconsistencies and problems.

One configuration flaw was sitting undetected for more than two decades, Anthropic found. While one setting made clients prove their identity through certificates, another one disabled it entirely (even though it was designed to delay the check, not kill it). Even though these were conflicting options, they were accepted without warning.

OpenSSH exposed thousands of lines of code

Anthropic singled out OpenSSH as its case study for the report. The software, widely used to provide secure remote access, contained a daemon that could reach 4,500 lines of experimental code that implements a post-quantum signature algorithm before checking if it was permitted by the server’s configuration to begin with.

As it turned out, the algorithm was disabled by default, but its parsing code was accessible to unauthenticated clients. Anthropic disclosed its findings to OpenSSH, who came back with a fix in version 10.6, in which some 20% of the code was now unreachable by unauthenticated clients.

The company said it combined these techniques into a reusable Claude skill which will soon be integrated into OSS-Scanner, its free, opt-in security scanning service for open-source projects. The skill will examine default configurations, code that is reachable before security checks, as well as settings configurations that are in conflict with one another.

Anthropic added that the system will validate the findings through a dynamic program tracing, and will test proposed changes against existing behavior. Potentially disruptive changes will be left for humans to review.

“It is perhaps impossible to measure how many unknown vulnerabilities are in any given codebase,” the researchers concluded. “And there is plenty of data that shows attackers can and will find those vulnerabilities with enough time (particularly if equipped with frontier AI models).” Therefore, AI could help developers systematically limit unnecessary exposure, making software that much harder to attack.

• AI agents turned off their guardrails during routine coding tasks, with one agent lying about doing so
• OpenAI was not monitoring the models involved for misalignment because of their weaker capabilities
• New changes to Auto Review and the introduction of 'safety cases' will make it harder for agents to avoid misalignment detection, OpenAI says

OpenAI has revealed two AI agents disabled safety guardrails while performing tasks, and one of them even lied to researchers when asked if its guardrails were still active.

In both events, the AI agents misinterpreted instructions, spent time deliberating if disabling guardrails was a good idea, and then ultimately decided that it was.

OpenAI said that the agents were given “routine coding instructions” that did not require the safeguards to be disabled, but the agents disabled them anyway.

AI agents misalign and disable guardrails

In the first instance of misalignment, an agent powered by GPT Sol 6.1 was told to create evaluation tasks with employee feedback collected through Slack. The agent misinterpreted an instruction not to send any messages about the task as an instruction not to send safety notifications to the researchers.

The second instance saw a GPT-6 Astra agent disable its guardrails while migrating a program, believing the instruction was part of a reference implementation. When the researchers noticed the disabled guardrails and asked the agent why they were disabled, the agent said it hadn’t turned off any safety guardrails.

OpenAI said that as a result of these events, the company would work to strengthen its misalignment monitoring system and would investigate the cases further to check if they were “benign overpersistence or a propensity to evade misalignment monitoring in particular.”

As an additional measure, OpenAI is also making changes to its Auto Review so that attempts to disable misalignment monitoring are automatically detected and blocked. Previously, OpenAI did not require misalignment monitoring for models equivalent to GPT-6 Luna.

Agent workloads will also be subject to ‘safety case’ monitoring, with workloads that do not have a safety case or those that fail to meet the specifications of a valid safety case being automatically terminated.

The company said it does not have a “satisfying explanation” for the agent’s behavior, but says that the introduction of new policies will make it harder for agents to avoid misalignment detection. The company said it would also conduct further testing on these two instances of agent misalignment to determine a cause.

The Celebrity Traitors season 2 episode 7 is out tonight, and we're desperate to see it. We're all dying to know what's in store for the celebs in The Traitors' castle.

Youtube King Kenny has taken to his new role as a traitor like a duck to water.

Comedian Joe Lycett managed to get himself banished by advertising himself as being open to recruitment, which made it very hard for him to convince his fellow faithfuls that he had in fact not been recruited.

Episode 6 left us on an unbearable cliffhanger; waiting to see who will be bored to death in plain sight by the traitors. We've never been so excited watching people yawn.

Episode 7 airs, October 22 at 8pm BST. Here's how you can watch The Celebrity Traitors online from anywhere with a VPN (75% off) and potentially for free.

Can I watch The Celebrity Traitors for free?

Yes. Faithfuls (and everybody else) in the UK can watch The Celebrity Traitors FREE of charge on BBC One and the channel's BBC iPlayer streaming platform and app. Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, episode 5 and episode 6 are streaming now; Episode 6 airs on Thurs, Oct 22.

How to watch The Celebrity Traitors from anywhere

If you're keen to watch The Celebrity Traitors S2 but you're away from home and access to the show is geo-blocked, you can always use a VPN to access it (assuming you're not breaching any broadcaster T&Cs, of course). You may be surprised by how simple it is to do.

Use one of the best VPNs to watch The Celebrity Traitors 2026 (season 2) from anywhere:

Using a VPN is incredibly simple:

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

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

3. Binge the backstabbing. Head to your usual local streaming service and watch Traitors.

*SPOILERS*

In case you missed the first six episodes, here's a quick rundown to get you up to date.

The two original Traitors were Richard E. Grant and Maya Jama. they decided to go with two very different styles of game play... Maya Jama played the game as you're meant to, while Richard E. Grant immediately told everyone he was a traitor. Unsurprisingly, he was voted out at the first Round Table.

The Traitors have since been recruiting, meaning that the line-up of backstabbers now includes James Acaster and Prof. Hannah Fry.

Those among the dead include Bella Ramsey, of The Last Of Us fame and Amol Rajan, of Amal Rajan fame.

After successfully voting out a traitor in the first round table, the faithfuls banished two of their own; Julie Hesmondhalgh and Myha'la.

Rob Beckett was murdered after a tense game of hide-and-seek, but the faithful got their revenge by banishing Traitor Prof. Hannah Fry.

Youtuber King Kenny took her place in the turret, and immediately got into the spirit of treachery. He has none of the hangups that James Acaster has about murdering, and so far seems as though he was born to be a traitor.

When we left them, the traitors had been tasked with boring someone to death in plain sight. They had to spray a 'poison' into a room of their choosing, and cause someone to yawn, breathing in the poison.

Who will be the first to yawn, and subsequently die of boredom? Quite the cliffhanger...

Read on as we explain how to watch episode 7 of The Celebrity Traitors 2026 from anywhere – as well as the spinoff Celebrity Traitors: Uncloaked, and the final on Friday, October 30.

Can I watch The Celebrity Traitors UK in the US?

The Celebrity Traitors (2026) will arrive on Peacock in "Q4 2026", which is not a surprise – NBC/Peacock is home to all things The Traitors. The US release date is due to be announced shortly.

If you're a UK resident who is currently across the pond, a VPN will help you tune in to your BBC. NordVPN is our recommended provider, and you can find out why with our in-depth NordVPN review.

Can I watch The Celebrity Traitors 2 in Canada?

In Canada, subscription service Crave is streaming all 6 previous episodes of The Celebrity Traitors season 2. Viewers can also chose between French and English.

Crave plans start from CA$11.99 a month and offers classic HBO series, on-demand movies and Crave originals alongside TV shows such as The Traitors Canada season 4.

Visiting Canada from the UK? Use a VPN to watch The Celebrity Traitors season 2 online – plus all the other content you'd normally stream at home.

Can I watch The Celebrity Traitors season 2 in the UK?

The Celebrity Traitors continues tonight, Thursday, 22 October 2026 at 8pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

The series airs two nights a week on Thursday and Friday evenings at 8pm.

Visiting the UK? from Ireland Use a VPN to access your usual The Celebrity Traitors on iPlayer.

Can I watch The Celebrity Traitors 2 in Australia?

The Celebrity Traitors season two is available in Australia for free on 10.

Fans can catch up on the first 6 episodes, as well as watch new episodes at exactly the same time as they air in the UK. All you need is a 10 account, and they're completely free.

Episodes are also available on Paramount Plus.

Outside Australia? NordVPN will help you gain access to free 10 streams while you're out of the country.

Can I watch The Celebrity Traitors 2 in New Zealand?

For Kiwi viewers, The Celebrity Traitors UK season 2 will stream on ThreeNow starting October 4 – three days after it starts in the UK on BBC iPlayer.

Visiting New Zealand? Grab this VPN (75% off) now to watch all your usual British streaming services when traveling.

The Celebrity Traitors series 2 (2026) – Need to Know

The Celebrity Traitors 2 trailer

You may also enjoy watching...

• How to watch The Celebrity Traitors: Uncloaked season 2 for free
• How to watch The Traitors Ireland season 2
• The Traitors India season 2: free streams and how to watch
• Watch The Traitors: New Blood season 1 online

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.

TechRadar's Audio experts test dozens of pairs of headphones each year, and 2026 has been especially strong when it comes to new over-ears. I thought I'd pull together a roundup of our top-rated models — just in case readers were thinking of using next month's Black Friday sales to upgrade — and I was inundated with excellent options. Below, you'll find a collection of all the over-ear headphones that scored four stars or above in our tough review tests.

A five-star standout is the open-back, wired Heddphone D1, with its proprietary driver design that "blows away audiophile-grade options at three times the price". If you're looking for something better suited to, say, public transport or the office, there are plenty of wireless, ANC cans that knocked our socks off, too.

Two brands that upped their game in a big way for their second-gen over-ears were Nothing and Sonos. The Nothing Headphone (a) wowed us with their "gigantic" battery life and excellent on-ear controls, and the Sonos Ace Ultra impressed with a "fantastic" suite of features including detailed EQ options and Dolby Atmos for movies.

We also loved the AirPods Max 2, and they're a strong recommendation for anyone who has an iPhone and doesn't mind a case that looks like a bra. And for budget-hunters, the OneOdio Focus A1 Pro deliver "surprisingly good" sound and long battery life, and you won't believe how cheap they are.

Scroll down for a closer look at all of these headphones and more. Hit the More details button for a summary of the main pros and cons of each pair, as well as a link to the full review.

4.5 or 5 stars

4 stars

• World of Warcraft: Forever's beta has been extended until October 23
• Beta users will have more time to play the game ahead of the MMO's November 4 launch
• Early name reservations will also be available from October 27 through November 3

Blizzard Entertainment has extended the World of Warcraft: Forever beta, giving those with access additional playtime in Azeroth, ahead of the game's official release.

WoW: Forever is set to launch on November 4, and the popular beta period was initially supposed to end on October 20. However, Blizzard has announced on X that it's now extended to October 23 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET / 6 PM BST.

In addition, the studio has confirmed that early name reservations for Forever will be available from October 27 through November 3, "giving players an opportunity to secure the names that will become part of their adventures in Azeroth."

During this period, eligible players, including those who have pre-purchased the Skyborne Heroic Pack, Skyborne Epic Pack, limited-time Warcraft Forever Collection, the Digital Upgrade, or Collector’s Edition, can create and reserve names for up to three characters total across all Rulesets.

"This means that if you create two on a PvP Ruleset, you’ll only be able to create one more character in a Normal or Role-Play Ruleset," Blizzard explained. "This restriction only applies to Early Name Reservation."

TechRadar Gaming recently interviewed Blizzard about WoW: Forever, including the MMO's controversial new Skyborne race available to both Alliance and Horde.

The team said it has a "great story" to tell with the Skyborne and, regarding its decision to make Skyborne accessible to both factions, it said, "it’s mostly to try and avoid a potentially avoidable population swing."

Blizzard also confirmed it doesn't plan to add any modern WoW races since the game exists in its own timeline, while sharing its design philosophy for creating an authentic "Classic Plus" experience, and that it's actively working to combat real-money trading (RMT) in WoW: Forever.

WoW: Forever's classes also won't be modernized, but will receive "engaging depth."

• Coding is more accessible and developers are submitting more lines of code than ever
• Reviewers face more work without a clear understanding of whether AI was involved
• The Linux Foundation calls for "governance, transparency and trust mechanisms"

A new Linux Foundation report has confirmed what we've all been thinking – while AI has proven to cut code writing time down considerably, it's not actually improving the quality.

Researchers found that artificial intelligence can reduce the amount of time it takes to write code by a staggering 52%, and yet a quarter (25%) of pull requests are still being described as low-quality 'AI slop'.

While there are clear benefits (71% of maintainers agree AI has helped to lower the barrier to entry), AI is ultimately pushing problems further downstream instead of offering a net boost.

AI-generated code doesn't mean faster net code generation

While AI allows developers to generate code at a quicker rate, maintainers still need to verify its quality and security, but with more code being written, they're facing more human reviews than ever.

The technology is starting to prove its usefulness in code review for some easier tasks, however one in five (21%) respondents actually said using AI increases the time needed for more complex tasks.

AI-generated reports have already been seen to generate false positives and duplicated submissions, wasting human reviewers' time. Developer burnout used to be a topic we heard a lot about a few years ago, but this is now shifting to maintainer burnout.

The Linux Foundation also noted difficulties in handing code over to a reviewer from a writer – just three in five (61%) say they conduct detailed code reviews before submitting it, and not all developers actually disclose their use of AI to their next-in-chain.

Ultimately, the report acknowledges that AI is here to stay within coding, with Research SVP Hilary Carter calling for projects to "[set] clear expectations for GenAI, putting responsibility for testing and disclosure on contributors and giving maintainers better tools to manage incoming pull requests."

"The answer is not to slow innovation, but to build the governance, transparency and trust mechanisms that allow AI-assisted contributions," AI & Infrastructure GM Mark Collier added.

• Stranger Than Heaven director Mikinobu Abe explains why the game's story spanning decades is being told in one game instead of multiple titles
• Abe says it was "a week isn't enough to tell the story" of how a yakuza organisation is built
• The director says the era-spanning story worked best when framed around a man's life

Stranger Than Heaven director Mikinobu Abe has explained why RGG Studios chose to tell an era-spanning story in one game, rather than across multiple titles.

"The whole starting point was that we wanted to depict why, or how, someone would create such an organisation like a yakuza organisation," Abe said in an interview with TechRadar Gaming.

Stranger Than Heaven centers on the main character, Makoto Daito, and the origins of a Yakuza organisation spanning 50 years across five cities in Japan, and Abe explained that the initial idea of containing the story within a smaller timeframe simply didn't work for the team's vision.

"We started from there, and while we were creating the narrative, we started to slowly realise that a week isn't enough to tell the story," he added. "We then explored how much time we needed to tell the narrative of a man who's going to build a gigantic yakuza organisation."

Abe went on to explain that this story worked best when framed around a man's life (Daito's) and realized it was the best outcome instead of splitting the story across multiple games, despite how long the narrative is.

"It was really important for us that the player experience the whole life of a man, because we wanted to tell this epic story of how the organisation became an organisation," he said.

"The timespan needed for that was basically a man's life. So, if we split it, people are going to experience it separately. But again, the main focus of the narrative was to tell why he created this organisation, and the timespan needed to tell that story was a life."

The director added, "So we just decided to create it and do it in one game. I will also say that the game itself is pretty long, but I'm quite satisfied with what we’ve built."

Stranger Than Heaven launches on January 15, 2027, for PS5, Xbox Series X and Series S, and PC.

Watch Bournemouth vs AC Milan live streams as the Cherries welcome one of the most prestigious clubs in world football to the 12,000-capacity Vitality Stadium in the Europa League 2026/27 league phase.

Milan last visited the south coast of England in November 2008, just 18 months after they had been crowned European champions for the seventh time. As Ronaldinho, Kaka, Andriy Shevchenko and Co faced Portsmouth at Fratton Park, Bournemouth were battling at the bottom of League Two and minutes away from going bust.

Eighteen years on, the Cherries have been transformed. They are now Premier League regulars and finished sixth last season to qualify for Europe for the first time. Bournemouth are arguably favourites, too, having beaten Real Sociedad and Sturm Graz in their opening two matches of the league phase. The Cherries overcame Sunderland 2-0 on Sunday to claim their first Premier League win under Marco Rose and they will believe they have the quality to turn over Milan in what would be the most eye-catching victory in the club's 126-year history. Left-back Adrien Truffert is available despite suffering cramp on Sunday, but Eli Junior Kroupi and Alex Scott remain sidelined.

While Milan no longer boast the galaxy of superstars they had in years gone by, the Rossoneri remain a huge draw. Ruben Amorim's side are one of the favourites to win the competition and thrashed RB Salzburg 4-0 in Austria seven days ago to bounce back from their 2-0 home defeat by Benfica in gameweek one. The Italians have made a strong start under former Manchester United manager Amorim, who was appointed in the summer, and are yet to lose in Serie A this term. Rising star Alphadjo Cisse could start on the day he celebrates his 20th birthday, having hit a hat-trick against Salzburg.

Here's how to watch Bournemouth vs AC Milan in gameweek three of the 2026/27 Europa League from anywhere in the world.

Watch Bournemouth vs AC Milan for FREE

Bournemouth vs AC Milan will be streamed live and for free on CazeTV's YouTube channel in Brazil.

You don't even need an account or a subscription to watch the game.

Outside of Brazil? Unlock your free Europa League stream with NordVPN.

How to watch Bournemouth vs AC Milan 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, so you can unlock your usual service. The best VPN right now? We recommend NordVPN – it does everything and comes with a 75% discount and and extra three months for free...

How to watch Bournemouth vs AC Milan live streams in the US

Viewers in the US can watch Bournemouth vs AC Milan on Paramount+.

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

You’ll also enjoy access to a wide range of TV shows, plus Champions League football and UFC.

Outside the US today? Use a VPN to tap into your home stream of Bournemouth vs AC Milan.

How to watch Bournemouth vs AC Milan live streams in the UK

Bournemouth vs AC Milan is being broadcast on TNT Sports 1 and their streaming platform HBO Max in the UK.

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

Those visiting the UK from Ireland can explore the VPN route set out above, which will help you access the free stream.

How to watch Bournemouth vs AC Milan live streams in Canada

Fans in Canada can watch Bournemouth vs AC Milan on DAZN.

DAZN's soccer package is what you'll require, which starts at CA$24.99/month.

Not in Canada? Use NordVPN if you're away from home to watch your usual Europa League coverage.

How to watch Bournemouth vs AC Milan live streams in Australia

Stan Sport is the place to watch Bournemouth vs AC Milan in Australia.

You can pick up a Stan Sport subscription for as little as AU$29.99 per month for the basic plan containing adds. That price consists of the AU$9.99 Stan subscription fee plus the Sport add-on for AU$20.

Purchase the Stan Sport package and you'll not only get Bournemouth vs AC Milan, but every game in the Champions League and Premier League as well.

Outside of Oz? You can use NordVPN to access your usual Europa League coverage.

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.

• A new YouTube video shows the process of making a solar cell
• Low-cost, household items and tools are used throughout
• The solar cell works and get reach up to 5% efficiency for conversion

We've heard of DIY solar before, but this is next-level: YouTuber Dr. Semiconductor has been able to create fully functional solar cells, using low-cost household materials and items, which can reach up to 5% efficiency.

That's a long way short of professional solar panels of course, but if you check out the video (via Interesting Engineering), you'll see it's all done without the industrial-scale facilities and instruments usually involved. In fact, you too could do this at home.

Everything included in the video has been sourced from retailers such as Amazon, Walmart, and eBay, and with fairly standard tools — including sandpaper, household solvents, a repurposed PC cooling fan, and a 3D printer.

There's a full guide online if you do want to try this yourself, and while some technical capabilities are definitely needed, it's a fascinating science experiment to try out (even if you're not going to be saving on your electricity bill anytime soon).

Microwave manufacturing

Standard solar panels use silicon semiconductors doped with phosphorus to create the electrical boundary that converts light into energy, and Dr. Semiconductor followed the same principles here, starting with a p-type silicon wafer sourced from Amazon.

The YouTuber then turned to a microwave kiln, widely available at retailers but more typically used for arts and crafts projects. It sits inside a standard microwave and converts microwave energy into heat.

That heat was used to diffuse phosphorus into the silicon wafer, but temperature control was crucial: too much and the silicon melted completely. Around 1,000C (1,832F) was necessary to get the silicon and phosphorus fused together.

With some further refining and the addition of soft metal contacts, the solar cell was complete, and tested via a multimeter. What's more, Dr. Semiconductor says there's lots of room to improve on the process — so expect future follow-ups.

• Electronic Arts has confirmed it will "be bringing together" its "Respawn and DICE studios to collaborate on a future project"
• Multiple sources have confirmed with Variety that it is Star Wars Battlefront 3
• The confirmation comes as EA shuts down BioWare and lays off 400 staff members across all studios

Star Wars Battlefront 3 is reportedly in development after Electronic Arts confirmed that Respawn and DICE will work collaboratively on a new project.

According to Variety, EA’s Cam Weber, president and chief studio officer, and David Tinson, president and COO, have confirmed the publisher is leaning into live-service online games after seeing success with Battlefield 6.

The executives said the game was "a great success, and we learned a lot from the launch and the live service" and alongside more Battlefield titles, "we’ll be bringing together our Respawn and DICE studios to collaborate on a future project."

EA didn't specify what this project is; however, Variety confirmed with "multiple sources" that the game is Star Wars Battlefront 3. The game has made headlines recently, with initial reports claiming it was to be developed at DICE alongside Destiny developer Bungie.

Star Wars Battlefront 2 launched in 2017, but live-service support ended in 2020, leaving the popular online multiplayer game in the dust with no further content updates, and it was thought the series was on ice.

Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners acquired EA in September 2025, but the deal wasn't officially closed until August 2026, making the restructuring the publisher's first major move.

Alongside Respawn and DICE's project, EA will continue to "invest heavily” in the Apex Legends franchise over the next few years, with plans to introduce new multiplayer modes and other content, and has committed to delivering "our two huge launches coming up," which are Marvel's Iron Man and Star Wars Jedi 3.

It also plans to continue supporting EA Sports, with two new projects in development, The Sims franchise and Skate.

Unfortunately, it's not all good news. The executive's plan also included a major restructuring across its studios and projects, resulting in 400 layoffs and the permanent shutdown of the legendary Dragon Age and Mass Effect studio, BioWare.

Roughly 50 people were laid off from the studio, and work on Mass Effect 5 has been canceled.

Former BioWare cinematic supervisor Tony de Waal has spoken up about the studio's closure, saying that Mass Effect 5 would have offered "a level of autonomy and choice that no other game has been able to match"

NordVPN has released its Black Friday VPN deals. Now, its Complete and Prime plans are $0.50 less per month, dropping them by $13.50 over two years, or $7.50 over one.

With these reductions, a Complete plan on our best VPN overall is just $107.73 for two years, or $89.85 for one. Prime plans are now just $188.73 and $134.85 over the same durations.

Both plans include NordVPN's Next Gen Antivirus, 1TB of secure cloud storage with NordLocker, NordPass password management, call and text protection, and dark web monitoring. A Complete plan is just 50 cents more than NordVPN access with a Basic plan, while a Prime plan adds CoverOn data removal for the higher cost.

You're not alone in thinking neither reduction seems enticing. It's also disappointing that there's no deal on the Basic plan. But with a Complete plan especially, it's worth considering the sheer number of tools included for the price.

NordVPN remains our best VPN overall for 2026. But, if you're looking for value, its recent price increase would rightfully raise an eyebrow.

It has, in recent months, made several key improvements to its service. Next Gen Antivirus is the headline improvement, expanding its protective focus from just phishing and malware, to scam and spam protection also. Call and Text protection has furthered this too, with the latter recently being added to its iOS offering.

But these improvements aren't why I'd suggest reconsidering your concern at its price. Instead, it's the added functions you should prioritise.

Complete and Prime plans include both password management and secure storage, which most VPNs would only offer one of. Choosing a Prime plan also adds data removal services, something that few VPNs offer whatsoever.

So, while VPNs such as IPVanish and Surfshark might be cheaper Black Friday VPN deals right now, it's worth considering the tools you need before making your final decision.

• Researchers found 22.7TB of exposed data from AI aggregator 302.ai, including chat logs and personal information
• Leaked records contained user prompts, AI responses, metadata, and sensitive corporate documents
• Incident highlights the risks of sharing confidential data with third-party AI platforms and services

Security experts who were screaming “don’t share sensitive data with public AI” from the rooftops have been properly vindicated by an AI aggregator called 302.ai.

Researchers from Cybernews claim this company leaked terabytes of sensitive user and corporate data, including personally identifiable information (PII), confidential business documents, and a lot more.

Every hacker's dream

An AI aggregator is a platform that brings together multiple AI models and tools in one place. Users then get to switch between them without having to visit each provider separately.

For example, an AI aggregator might let a user start with Chat-GPT and switch to Claude with a push of a button, all through a single interface and a single subscription or API.

Although there are different use cases for AI aggregators, the number one is being able to compare the responses quickly and easily.

302.ai was launched six years ago by a company called Univerads Technology Limited, based in Hong Kong.

Cybernews says it kept an unencrypted, non-password-protected, publicly available Azure storage bucket that contained 17.6 million files. The entire archive was 22.72TB heavy, most of which went on image files (almost 9TB). Video took up 7.7TB, while audio took up 5.6TB. The rest - around 500GB, were user chat logs.

Totaling more than 144,000, these logs were stored in .json files and exposed plenty of personal information, including user prompts, replies from the AI bot, which model was used, how much it cost in tokens, timestamps, and other metadata. Users also seem to have provided plenty of data themselves, including their names, birth dates, genders, postal addresses, and other contact information.

Some of the information leaked this way was quite embarrassing, too. “What we found was that some companies used the service for enterprise tasks. For example, we found multiple chat logs from a customer support chatbot owned by a prominent sex doll manufacturer,” the team wrote.

This kind of private, even intimate, data is a goldmine for cybercriminals. They can use it to create highly customized and personalized phishing emails, knowing exactly which company to impersonate, what kind of context to mention, and how to phrase the lure email, to get the victim to react. That reaction usually ends up in business email compromise, wire fraud, or ransomware infections.

Database gets locked down

Cybernews’ researchers reached out to Univerads Technology, but did not hear back. In the meantime, the company locked down the database and it is no longer leaking sensitive files.

However, key questions remain unanswered: Does Univerads maintain this database, or was the job outsourced to a third party? When did the company first start collecting this data? How long did the archive stay unprotected? Cybernews found it in early August 2026, and saw it locked down a month later. Did anyone else find it before the Cybernews team did? Are there any indications that the files were copied or viewed by a third party? Is there any evidence of misuse or data spilling into the dark web?

It is highly unlikely these questions will be answered. Given the company’s prompt response and the closure of the database, it’s safe to assume that there was no ill intention, and that the leak is purely unintentional.

Accidental data spills such as this one are, unfortunately, very common. Many organizations either don’t know, or simply forget, that it is their responsibility to secure the data they generate and store in the cloud. As a result, new reports of large leaks emerge almost every week, some of which affect entire populations of certain countries, such as Brazil.

• Clayface's director has waded into the debate over the Batman foe's reframing as an anti-hero
• Some DC Comics fans are upset about this recharacterization
• James Watkins says it "doesn't really matter" how the shape-shifter is described

Clayface director James Watkins has responded to the fierce fan backlash surrounding the shape-shifter being labeled as an anti-hero, rather than a villain, in the new DC Universe (DCU) movie.

Prior to the body horror film's release, some DC comic book fans expressed their confusion and/or frustration at the eponymous metahuman being called an anti-hero.

Indeed, the DC Studios section of the Skydance website describes him as a "chilling Gotham anti-hero". Furthermore, in Clayface's production notes, multiple members of its cast and crew, including Watkins himself, defined the titular Batman foe in the same way.

As fans continue to clash over the terminology used, even lead star Tom Rhys Harries was asked for his thoughts on how we should characterize Clayface in his self-titled film. Asked by WhoLetUsOut about whether viewers should view Clayface as the origin story of anti-hero or villain, Rhys Harries replied: "I think it's villain... the track that the film takes, there's a point where I think Matt crosses a moral, ethical line and there's no returning from."

With Rhys Harries planting his flag on one side of the divide, I had to ask Watkins if he stood by his assessment that, in the DCU at least, Matt Hagen and his superpowered alter-ego is more of an anti-hero than a traditional villain, and what he'd say to diehard fans who'd been upset by how Clayface was being described.

"Well, I would say to anyone: Watch the film before you judge it," Watkins replied.

"For me, it's a journey of a character, and the origination of a monster. So, when you find Matt Hagen he's a very relatable, good guy, and then awful things happen to him that inspire traumatic responses, or whatever you want to call it, and that sets him on this pathway and the darkening of the character. One of the reasons why we cast Tom was we wanted somebody that could take us on that journey and have us root for this character for as long as possible, because I think that's important.

"But, I don't mind how people describe him," Watkins added. "They can call him a hero, an anti-hero, or a villain — it doesn't really matter to me. I think all of those things are allowable and people can have different points of view."

For more on the DCU Chapter One movie, check out my Clayface review and then see why Watkins declined to confirm where Clayface officially sits on the DCU timeline.

• Stranger Than Heaven director Mikinobu Abe says the game's combat system was inspired by classic Ninkyo yakuza movies
• He says the action scenes in those movies were "raw and gritty" and encapsulated the feeling RGG Studios wanted to showcase
• Abe adds that the combat system also correlates with Makoto Daito, who will start as an inexperienced fighter before evolving

Stranger Than Heaven director Mikinobu Abe has revealed that classic yakuza movies inspired the upcoming action game's combat system, and that it will tie into Makoto Daito's character development.

Speaking in an interview with TechRadar Gaming, Abe shared how RGG Studios conceptualized the game's combat, saying that it "really wanted to make sure that the player feels this atmosphere that it’s either you kill, or you get killed," and revealed that "we took a lot of inspiration from the old Ninkyo movies."

Ninkyo is a classic subgenre of Japanese yakuza-themed movies made in the 70s and 80s. Abe said RGG was influenced by movies like New Battles Without Honor and Humanity, starring Bunta Sugawara, who also plays a character in Stranger Than Heaven, because of its unrefined action scenes.

"While we were watching these movies, we noticed that what made those movies special was how raw and gritty the action scenes are in those movies," he said. "No one throws a cool-looking fist punch or anything; it's just people rolling around and fighting. We felt that atmosphere was what made those genres special."

The "raw" action scenes also influenced the game's main character, Makoto Daito, and his gradual progression to becoming a better fighter than he starts; players will see him evolving the more they become attuned to the combat system.

"We took a lot of inspiration from that, and wanted to make sure that Daito is a character who starts out not being too good in a fight," Abe continued. "As he progresses, though, he gets more comfortable fighting people. Because of that, because the game is about one man's life, we definitely wanted to depict how the main character is evolving, or I guess more like ageing, through the narrative. We wanted to make sure that the player can also feel that, while also feeling that tension of kill or be killed."

Abe added that "It was really, really important that the combat feels intuitive to create this sense of synchronisation between the player and Daito" and to allow the player to "immerse themselves in controlling Makoto."

"As the player's skill gets better, so does Daito as a character gets better," the director said. "So that was the whole concept of what we wanted to depict through this combat system."

Stranger Than Heaven releases on January 15, 2027, for PS5, Xbox Series X and Series S, and PC.

• Secretlab has announced its new Titan Evo and Magnus Pro League of Legends K/DA collection
• The virtual pop group returns with new music, and Secretlab is celebrating with a themed gaming chair and standing gaming desk
• Both are wreathed in rich burgundy flame and the K/DA iconography

Secretlab is expanding its Secretlab Titan Evo and Magnus Pro series with a new League of Legends collection inspired by the game's virtual pop group, K/DA.

K/DA has officially made a comeback after years away with a new album consisting of four tracks, 'Firestarter,' 'Never Going Back,' 'Watch Me,' and 'Girls,' and to mark the occasion, Secretlab has announced its stunning new Titan Evo gaming chair and Magnus Pro desk, launching today at Secretlab.

"The comeback we’ve all been waiting for," Secretlab announced. "Celebrate the return of K/DA, the virtual global pop supergroup within the iconic League of Legends world, with the brand newSecretlabLeague ofLegends K/DA Firestarter Collection."

Wreathed in rich burgundy flame, black leather, and the iconography for the members of K/DA, including Ahri, Kai'Sa, Evelynn, and Akali, the Titan Evo League of Legends Firestarter edition also features gradient embroidery and silver frame motifs on the side wings.

The Secretlab Titan Evo is one of the best gaming chairs on offer, designed with patent-pending cold-cure foam, a pebble seat base, and four-way L-adapt lumbar back support to ensure comfort for long gaming sessions.

The Titan Evo can also be paired with the Magnus Pro League of Legends Firestarter edition, the first standing desk in the K/DA collection. Featuring fire wrapped around the entire frame and the same iconography of the group's members, the desk also offers a matching cable management bundle with hot metallic pink anchors.

The Secretlab Magnus Pro features built-in power, cable management, and a controller, and is one of TechRadar Gaming's picks for the best standing desks money can buy right now.

Sony has discontinued its last UHD Blu-ray player in Japan. The UBP-X700 is out of stock on the Sony Japan online store, whose product listing now says "Out of stock. This item will not be restocked."

According to the Japanese Sony retailer and blog Kuntoku, as reported by FlatpanelsHD, sales in Japan end as of today, 22nd October.

As we said in our Sony UBP-X700 review, it's a brilliant budget player (in our view, the top budget player among the best 4K Blu-ray players) — so if you've been thinking about getting one, it might be wise to move quickly. Although there has not been any official announcement, if Sony no longer sells its sole dedicated 4K player in Japan, that doesn't look good for other markets.

I've checked big-name retailers and Sony's US and UK websites, and all of them currently have stock.

Is the end of the optical disc in sight?

If the player is discontinued elsewhere and you still want a 4K Blu-ray device from Sony you can buy a PlayStation 5 or a PS5 Slim. But even the best PS5 deals involve spending roughly twice what you'd pay for the UBP-X700, and the PS5 doesn't support Dolby Vision, HDR10+, or Dolby Atmos and DTS decoding for movies.

The discontinuation doesn't bode well for the PS6 either. Sony hasn't said the optical disc is fully dead in its future consoles, but if you take this alongside Sony's controversial plans to stop selling game discs and the lack of an optical drive as standard in the PS5 Pro it doesn't suggest a bright Blu-ray future for the next-next-gen console. And if you think the PS5 is pricey, the PS6 is likely to be significantly more expensive.

We've been reporting on Blu-ray since its debut two decades ago, and with manufacturers' interest in the format waning there's no sign of another format to replace it. As we said in our investigation into the future of 4K Blu-ray: "A successor wouldn't just need a better disc, there’d have to be a need to even build that better disc in the first place. Only then would studios create the content, manufacturers would build the players, TV makers would support it and consumers would decide if it was worth upgrading. But right now none of the experts could identify a good enough reason."

I don't think Blu-ray discs are dead — in fact, they're seeing a resurgence — but the players seem to be looking a little sick these days. so if you're keen to stick with optical media it would be wise to pick up one of the best Blu-ray players while you still can, even despite the recent price hikes to Panasonic's players.

I suspect that we'll see the movie market move to something similar to what we've seen in audio: ok-quality streaming subs for the mass market and very hi-res buy-to-own downloads for cinephiles with deeper pockets.

• Microsoft has confirmed that the Windows 11 'Always On VPN' connection issues introduced in September remain unfixed.
• The tech giant admitted the bug was mistakenly flagged as resolved in the October 13 patch.
• IT admins must continue pinning VPN profiles to a single protocol until a permanent fix arrives in the coming weeks.

Microsoft’s October Patch Tuesday was supposed to mark the end of a highly frustrating month for Windows 11 users relying on Always On VPN. However, the company has now walked back its initial claims, admitting that the highly anticipated fix was a total failure.

In a service bulletin sent to IT administrators this week, Microsoft confirmed that the nasty glitch, which leaves enterprise VPN connections hanging indefinitely or entirely unable to connect, remains fully active.

The issue was originally introduced during the September 2026 security updates and continues to wreak havoc across enterprise networks that depend on secure remote access.

With the bug still running rampant, users relying on the best VPN services for seamless remote work will have to make do with Microsoft's suggested temporary workarounds.

A permanent fix is reportedly still several weeks away, leaving network administrators in a precarious position.

An unresolved headache

The problem primarily affects users utilizing Microsoft's native Always On VPN technology with automatic protocol selection configured. Always On VPN is a critical remote access tool designed to build an encrypted link back to corporate networks quietly in the background.

Trouble starts when an initial connection attempt fails. The system tries to fall back to a secondary method, automatically switching between IKEv2 and SSTP protocols.

Right now, this fallback process is entirely broken. Affected clients will simply hang at a "Connecting" status or flat-out fail to get through. In some instances, subsequent retry attempts will throw an error reading, “The specified port is already in use.”

We previously reported that the KB5127648 and KB5127646 cumulative updates released on October 13 had supposedly cured the fault, while simultaneously introducing bizarre new Wi-Fi authentication issues. Now, it appears those updates failed to deliver on the VPN front altogether.

As reported by The Register, the tech giant has been forced to confess its error. Microsoft explained to administrators that the bug had been “mistakenly updated to Resolved status on October 13, 2026.” The company’s official KB5127648 support page has since been scrubbed of any mention of the VPN repair, with the changelog now quietly noting that the fix will be included in a later release.

Temporary mitigation

For now, Microsoft has downgraded the bug's status from "Resolved" back to "Mitigated," apologizing to IT admins for the confusion.

According to early reports, a permanent repair is slated for an upcoming update that Microsoft expects to ship within the next several weeks.Until that release lands, IT administrators simply cannot treat the October Patch Tuesday builds as a cure.

The sole safeguard currently available is to restrict affected Always On VPN profiles to a single protocol. By manually pinning the connection to either SSTP or IKEv2 and disabling the auto-fallback feature, administrators can prevent the bug from triggering in the first place.

The Register notes that, “The issue affects Windows 11 versions from 24H2 through 26H2.” If your organization relies heavily on these recent builds for remote connectivity, your IT department will need to ensure this temporary mitigation remains firmly in place until Microsoft can successfully deploy a working patch.

Real-time has become something of a benchmark in IT. Teams see a problem, diagnose it quickly and, ideally, remediate it before the employee has time to raise a ticket.

Clearly, that's better than waiting for an employee to report a problem to the service desk. But real-time isn't necessarily preventative - if an issue occurs and we respond in milliseconds, we have still reacted to an issue.

And if the same thing happens again tomorrow? An automated remediation may mean the employee barely notices and an engineer never gets involved, which is valuable. But we're still fixing something we've fixed before.

Recurring problems carry a cost even when IT becomes very efficient at dealing with them. The cost shows up on both sides: employees lose time when technology doesn't work as expected, while IT spends time investigating and remediating familiar conditions. This is where Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) offers a way to break that cycle.

Bringing SRE to the endpoint

SRE came out of Google's approach to running large-scale production systems, applying software engineering principles to operational problems. At its simplest, it means defining the reliability a service needs, measuring it and reducing the repetitive work involved in keeping it there.

A Service Level Objective (SLO) puts a measurable target around that reliability, while error budgets recognize that no service will be perfect all of the time. These are established ideas in software and infrastructure, but they translate increasingly well to the digital employee experience.

The device, applications and services an employee relies on are now part of how the organization operates, and their reliability has a direct bearing on whether people can get work done.

A recent conversation with a partner put the challenge neatly. They said: “Tell me about emerging risk whilst it’s still at 0–2% and give me the evidence to prioritize. At 5–10% beyond baseline, the service desk will have already lit up.”

They were talking about deviation from their normal baseline, not the percentage of employees affected. They wanted enough evidence to spot deterioration early and decide whether it warranted attention before the consequences showed up in support demand. A millisecond reaction is good, but prevention is always better.

That depends on being able to see problems before they become obvious. Digital employee experience data can expose issues that conventional operational measures miss, giving IT evidence of what is happening before the service desk becomes the signal.

At a large Fortune 100 insurance organization, for example, the team discovered that approximately 25% of call-center downtime was effectively invisible to IT. By combining endpoint telemetry with proactive automation, the organization reduced ticket volume by 35% in a year and avoided more than 45,000 tickets through a single self-service automation.

Learn from what keeps coming back

Anyone who has worked in IT operations knows how much time can disappear into familiar problems. A large hospital network found that a small number of recurring issues were generating a disproportionate amount of service desk activity. They included problems with file synchronization, security services, CPU utilization, network services and collaboration tools.

By using endpoint data to identify and address those recurring causes, the organization reduced annual ticket volume by roughly 50,000 incidents and estimated savings of approximately $1.6 million.

This is where the SRE idea of toil maps particularly well to workplace IT. Toil is the repetitive operational work involved in keeping a service running, and automation can take a lot of that work away from engineers. But if the same remediation keeps being required, that pattern is worth paying attention to.

Sometimes automation will remain the sensible answer. Not every repeated condition needs an engineering project behind it. In other cases, the evidence may point towards an application, configuration, update, or another underlying problem that can be tackled more permanently.

Global investment management firm PIMCO provides another example of what changes when teams have better evidence to work with. Its infrastructure team used endpoint evidence and change correlation to reduce root-cause investigations that had previously taken days to minutes.

That speed matters, but so does what the team can do with the evidence: understand what changed, isolate the cause and get closer to eliminating a recurring issue rather than repeatedly treating its symptoms.

Knowing what happened after the fix

We have plenty of evidence that tells us an IT action happened. A script completed, an update installed, a device restarted or a workflow reached its final step. What matters next is whether it worked. Did the issue disappear? Did the affected experience return to its expected range? Was the improvement still there a day or a week later?

Subsequent telemetry can provide that answer. Without it, IT knows an intervention took place but has less evidence of the outcome or whether the improvement lasted. SLOs help by giving teams an expected level of reliability against which to assess recovery. A completed action is one data point, while the state of the service afterward is another.

AI makes this feedback increasingly important because more diagnosis and remediation will happen without an engineer examining every signal or action individually. If AI identifies a problem and initiates a response, IT still needs evidence of the outcome.

The workflow from insight to outcome matters here. As more of it becomes autonomous, validation and accountability need to remain part of it. Otherwise, IT could automate more activity without necessarily making the environment more reliable.

None of this argues against real-time observability, automation or an efficient service desk. We need them. How quickly IT reacts still matters, as does how much manual work automation removes.

For CIOs, the bigger gain comes when those capabilities lead to fewer problems requiring attention in the first place. That means spotting deterioration earlier, learning from recurring issues and checking whether interventions have actually held. We've become very good at fixing problems quickly, and now SRE gives us a chance to spend less time fixing the ones we've seen before.

We've featured the best laptop for programming.

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

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

Seagate's IronWolf HDD scored it 4 stars after testing. And right now the Seagate IronWolf 8TB is down to $330 at Newegg, in a 'shell shocker' deal.

Now, I spend a lot of time hunting down the best tech deals. Originally, I spotted this hard drive for $350 (was $480) at Best Buy. Then I stumbled on the Newegg pricing, so I'd skip Best Buy and pocket the extra $20.

• Best for: Anyone for expanding a home NAS, small business server, or RAID array.

• What we like: The 8TB Seagate IronWolf is an excellent all-rounder. It's built for continuous 24/7 operation in multi-drive systems, with CMR recording technology, a 7200 RPM spindle speed, and a 256MB cache. Seagate also rates it for workloads of up to 180TB annually, with a mean time between failures (MTBF) of 1 million hours.

• What you need to know: I'd look elsewhere if silence and low power consumption are priorities. A 7200 RPM mechanical drive is designed with performance in mind and won't offer the near-silent operation of an SSD.

Why we recommend it

The 8TB Ironwolf NAS drive's 7200 RPM spindle speed and 256MB cache and SATA 6.0Gb/s interface makes this a performance-focused mechanical drive rather than somewhere to store your rarely accessed files.

AgileArray provides RAID optimization and dual-plane balancing. Rotational vibration sensors can maintain consistent performance when several drives are running together.

In his 4-star review of the 8TB NAS drive, our expert Mark said: "IronWolf drives feature CMR technology and AgileArray firmware, ensuring smooth RAID performance, reduced vibration, and efficient power management. The 180TB per year workload rating, the RV sensors, the three-year warranty, and the bundled Rescue Data Recovery Services have all persisted as defining features of the consumer tier."

For more options, take a look at our roundups of the best desktop and laptop hard drives and best NAS hard drives.

Price context & historical value

Best Buy is currently selling the 8TB Seagate IronWolf for $349.99, which is a massive $167.66 reduction off the usual $517.65 asking price.

While that looks like a brilliant deal on paper, the exact same drive is $329.99 at Newegg, a saving of $187.66 against Best Buy's usual asking price. I've seen this price before back in August, and also previously suggested heading to Newegg. My advice hasn't changed.

Should you buy it?

✅ Buy the 8TB Seagate IronWolf NAS drive if...

You need a high-capacity drive to cope with the demands of an always-on NAS. The combination of 8TB capacity, CMR recording and 7200 RPM makes this a strong option for backups, media libraries, and shared files.

It's particularly well suited to multi-bay and RAID setups. AgileArray is designed to optimize RAID performance, while the built-in rotational vibration sensors help the drive maintain consistent operation when it's surrounded by other spinning hard drives.

❌ Skip the 8TB Seagate IronWolf NAS drive if...

You only need additional storage for an ordinary desktop PC. Although you can use an IronWolf as a conventional SATA hard drive, much of what you're paying for is specifically intended for NAS environments, including 24/7 operation, RAID optimization and vibration management.

Also consider

Walmart isn't usually the first retailer I think of when shopping for a gaming laptop, but it has surprised me with a deal on this budget option. So, if you need a well-priced mid-range gaming laptop, then definitely consider this MSI Cyborg 15 at Walmart for $899 (was $1,299).

Let's dig into the specs, then, to see why I think this is such a good value gaming laptop. The important ones to point out are the Intel i5 processor, 16GB of RAM, RTX 5050 graphics card, and 15.6-inch display at 144Hz for smooth performance.

Obviously, not the highest-end components, but more than capable of running less-demanding games, indies, or older titles such as Fortnite, Roblox, and League of Legends in 1080p. If those are the types of games you need this laptop for, then I can't think of a better buy right now.

I think the 512GB SSD is a little stingy in 2026, but it's enough space to keep a good number of modern titles installed at once. You might have to delete a few games every so often that you're no longer playing, but again, if you'll only be using the laptop for a few key titles, it's more than enough space.

Overall, as a budget gaming laptop for under $1,000, I think it's a solid choice.

Today's best budget gaming laptop deal

We've tested previous versions of this gaming laptop and awarded it a very respectable four stars in our MSI Cyborg 15 review. We concluded that it is "a solid budget gaming laptop," which is exactly what you want to hear considering the specs and price.

Of course, you'll have to drop down the graphics settings in some games to get smooth performance, but that's to be expected, given the components. If that will suit your needs, though, then you do get an ideal 1080p gaming laptop.

If you didn't get an invite to London's Grosvenor House Hotel for this years Pride of Britain Awards, you can still catch all of the show at 8pm on Thursday, 22 October and see Carol Vorderman and Ashley Banjo hand out awards to the most inspiring people in the country.

They're joined by the likes of His Majesty The King, Jude Belllingham, Davina McCall and Alan Carr, as well as musical performances from Blue among others.

Of course, the main focus of the show is the ordinary folk who have done incredible things over the last year. From caring for loved ones, to transforming their community for the better, The Pride of Britain Awards 2026 rewards fundraisers, lifesavers, and brave people of all ages across the two-hour show.

Below we have all the information you need on where to watch The Pride of Britain Awards 2026 online and from wherever you are.

How to watch The Pride of Britain Awards 2026 for free

ITV1 and and the broadcaster's streaming platform ITVX are showing The Pride of Britain Awards 2026 for free.

To watch ITVX visit the website or download the app (iOS, Android). It's free – you just need to register a free account to watch The Pride of Britain Awards 2026 and all of its other shows.

What if you're abroad? NordVPN will unlock your local streams – more on that below.

Use a VPN to watch The Pride of Britain Awards 2026 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, thereby letting you unlock your usual streaming services (terms allowing). The best VPN right now? We recommend NordVPN – it does everything and comes with a 76% discount.

Using a VPN is incredibly simple:

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

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

3. Sit back and enjoy the show. Head to ITVX and watch The Pride of Britain Awards 2026 as if you were at home

How to watch The Pride of Britain Awards 2026 in the UK

Viewers in the UK can watch The Pride of Britain Awards 2026 for free – both online and on TV.

The awards show airs on ITV1 at 8pm on Thursday, October 22.

The show will also be released online via the ITVX platform.

ITV is a free service in the UK, although in order to watch it you need to be in possession of a valid TV Licence, as this covers digital content consumption, too.

Can I watch The Pride of Britain Awards 2026 in the rest of the world

There is no TV channel or streaming platform showing The Pride of Britain Awards 2026 outside the UK. Viewers in the US, Canada, or Australia will have to find alternate methods...

If you're a Brit who is overseas right now and wants to watch the show, you can use NordVPN to stream it on ITV as normal.

What you need to know about The Pride of Britain Awards 2026

The Pride of Britain 2026 winners

Here's a quick rundown of some of the winners from the big show:

• Andrew Franks - Outstanding Bravery: Volunteer security guard tackled a knife-wielding terrorist during an attack on a synagogue, buying vital time for the congregation to barricade themselves behind the doors.
• Asif Hasan - Lifetime Achievement: World-leading cardiac surgeon has shaped the face of lifesaving paediatric heart surgery and transplantation in the UK.
• Barry Walden - ITV Fundraiser of the Year: Barry has spent a lifetime fundraising, using his love of singing to help raise hundreds of thousands of pounds over 65 years.
• Brandon Hulcoop - King's Trust Young Achiever: After feeling hopeless about his future, inspirational young blind man launched his own business to create accessible products for the visually impaired, helping other young people at the same time.
• Dr. Eleanor Prior - Special Recognition: GP injured in a devastating train crash took lifesaving action before paramedics arrived, and then worked alongside them to treat casualties.
• Elaine Oakley - P&O Cruises Inspiration Award: Dedicated mum has spent more than a decade transforming the lives of young amputees through football.

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.

An exclusive TechRadar investigation into Google’s Chrome Web Store has revealed more than 350 untrustworthy VPN extensions targeting Russian users, with many imitating well-known brands. Combined, these tools have amassed over 218,000 users.

It’s not the first time potentially dangerous VPN extensions have been discovered. Earlier this year, Palo Alto revealed a significant number of dangerous VPN extensions that could leak users’ internet traffic. Alarmingly, we discovered that 89 of those extensions are still active and available.

So, why are there so many shady VPN extensions specifically targeting Russians, and what are the risks of using these low-quality products?

‘A game of whack-a-mole’

In total, we discovered that there are 369 Russian VPN extensions available on Google’s Chrome Web Store that fail basic transparency and professionalism tests.

Almost every single extension we analyzed lists a throwaway, anonymous personal Gmail address rather than a professional developer contact. And it appears these operators are running large clusters of extensions — just 70 developers are responsible for all of the extensions we found, with one email address associated with 24 individual apps.

Nearly three-quarters of these VPNs host their privacy policies on Telegram’s anonymous Telegra.ph platform, which hides the true owner of the service, and almost half (47%) have more reviews than users, which may indicate review manipulation.

Perhaps most egregiously, we found over 120 extensions using a name associated with a legitimate brand.

The most frequently hijacked name was Happ — a custom proxy client widely used in Russia — which was co-opted by more than 15 extensions. Among major international commercial providers, we found seven extensions imitating Windscribe and five impersonating ExpressVPN.

Both companies told TechRadar that they are aware of copycat extensions appearing on the Chrome Web Store and said they frequently ask Google to remove them when they are found.

Cherlynn Cha, Head of Security Operations at ExpressVPN, said that “copycat extensions put people at risk” because they give people a “false sense of security”. The company added that it employs an "enforcement partner” to scour the web for unauthorized use of the company’s name.

However, enforcement can be challenging. Rebecca Rosenberg, Head of Growth at Windscribe, said: “It’s pretty much a game of whack-a-mole now, the copycat is pulled and two more pop up.”

And the data backs that up. One email address we uncovered is linked to 14 apps, with the precise number constantly changing as their extensions are removed and new ones take their place.

Why are unprofessional VPN extensions a threat?

Unlike many other extensions, VPNs have the potential to access a huge amount of sensitive data. In fact, a VPN extension asks “for more access than almost anything else in the store,” Rosenberg said.

A VPN works by encrypting and re-routing your internet connection through one of its servers. While a legitimate VPN improves your digital privacy, it also means you are transferring all your trust from your internet service provider directly to the VPN creator.

In theory, the anonymous developer could see everything your ISP normally monitors. Think: websites visited, time stamps, and your home IP address.

It’s “a lot of trust to hand over," Cha said. Rosenberg added that giving your data “to an anonymous developer with a personal email and a privacy policy that doesn't load is the opposite of privacy”.

Ongoing security concerns

Without detailed dynamic web testing of all the extensions, it’s impossible to know which may be harmful to users and which are purely unprofessional. However, Palo Alto previously found more than 350 apps that were linked to harvesting user data via traffic interception.

In our tests, 89 of these extensions were still available to Russian users, while email addresses associated with the extensions have continued to launch more apps since initial discovery.

One email address — ‘vale99505@gmail[.]com — was first flagged by Palo Alto in July. According to the company’s threat intel notice, the address was associated with extensions that do not provide “typical encrypted protection like reputed VPN extensions”, adding that the “threat actor” running the apps “has access to all communication”.

According to our most recent tests, six extensions linked to this address are still available for download.

At the time of publication, Google had not responded to requests for comment. TechRadar has shared the full list of extensions with the company and will monitor their availability in the coming weeks.

Windscribe said that Google “should absolutely be doing more” to protect its users from encountering untrustworthy VPN extensions on its Chrome Web Store, while ExpressVPN confirmed the company is in favor of “stronger verification for privacy and security tools”.

Stopping the rise of untrustworthy VPN extensions is important for everyone. But it’s no surprise that this specific network is focussed on Russia.

Why target Russians?

Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, authorities in Russia have launched an unprecedented crackdown on digital freedom. Thousands of websites have been blocked in the country, including international media, social media and gaming platforms.

In response, VPNs have become a crucial tool for millions of people, which has subsequently prompted coordinated efforts by the government to regulate and restrict access to these vital privacy and security tools.

Most recently, this has included the plan to use AI to detect and block VPN traffic in the country.

In this context, developers looking to make a quick profit may spin up cheap VPN solutions that are poorly designed, entirely fake, or designed to harvest user data to sell to third-party advertisers.

But there’s a darker potential: malicious actors may be intentionally designing VPN extensions to trick Russians into downloading software that can actively monitor their internet browsing behavior.

While there’s no evidence that these extensions are linked to authorities in the country, amid growing concerns about state surveillance and deteriorating internet freedoms, taking extra care when selecting a VPN in Russia today certainly seems sensible.

How to defend yourself today

There are several steps you can take to make sure you’re downloading a legitimate version of a VPN extension:

• Check the developer’s name and website before downloading anything
• Check that the privacy policy is accessible, informative and related to the app
• If you know which VPN you want to download, go straight to the provider’s website
• Look out for the ‘Established Publisher’ badge on the Chrome Web Store
• Check for any unnecessary permissions like ‘geolocation’

It’s worth remembering that a VPN Chrome extension also only protects your activity in your browser. Anything you do outside of the browser won’t be encrypted so it’s worth using a well-respected VPN where possible.

And, like most things, if a product is free, it’s worth being skeptical. As Cherlynn Cha told us: “Be wary of free VPNs. Running a VPN network costs real money. If a service is free and it’s not clear how it makes money, your data may be what’s paying for it.”

How we found shady Russian VPN extensions

We compiled our data using a variety of sources, primarily an in-house web scraping tool that identified VPN extensions on the Google Chrome Web Store targeting Russian-language users. We collected metadata including user counts, developer contact emails, and privacy policy URLs.

We then filtered the dataset to remove legitimate, verified corporate VPN providers. The remaining extensions were analyzed for untrustworthy signals, such as using personal email addresses, unprofessional privacy policies and copying established VPN brands.

We also cross-referenced our data with threat intelligence research published earlier this year by Palo Alto Networks' Unit 42 to verify how many malicious extensions previously flagged remained active.

All data and user counts are accurate as of October 12, 2026. Extensions are frequently removed and new copycats are constantly appearing. We continue to monitor their accessibility in the coming weeks.

• Hide.me VPN has introduced a completely redesigned dashboard for both its Android mobile and Android TV applications.
• The powerful SmartGuard feature, designed to block intrusive ads, trackers, and malicious websites, is also now available on the Android TV app.
• This update also brings stability improvements to the WireGuard and SSTP protocols, alongside new speed indicators to help pick the fastest servers.

Hide.me VPN has just rolled out a major update for its Android users, focusing on making its applications cleaner, faster, and much safer to use on the big screen.

The update introduces a completely redesigned dashboard, available across both Android mobile and Android TV. This visual overhaul makes it significantly easier to navigate your connection settings and find the optimal server for your needs with just a few taps.

But the biggest news for avid streamers is the arrival of SmartGuard on the Android TV app.

Previously limited to other platforms, SmartGuard is Hide.me's comprehensive online security tool built specifically to block intrusive ads, stop hidden trackers, and keep you away from malicious websites that can compromise your privacy.

Smart TVs and streaming boxes are notorious for tracking user behavior and monitoring what you watch to serve heavily targeted advertisements. With this update, Android TV users finally get the same robust ad-blocking power that mobile users have enjoyed. It makes it much harder for third-party snoopers and malicious actors to steal your information while you sit on the couch and stream your favorite shows.

WireGuard tweaks and IPv6 support

Hide.me has also bundled several vital technical enhancements into this release to keep your connection as stable and fast as possible.

For starters, fans of the lightning-fast WireGuard protocol will benefit from new stability enhancements and MTU (Maximum Transmission Unit) optimization.

In simple terms, this ensures your data encryption remains rock-solid even if your mobile connection is unstable. If you regularly switch between Wi-Fi and mobile data networks while gaming or browsing, these tweaks will help keep your connection drop-free.

Hide.me has also improved its SSTP protocol support by adding hostname and IPv6 global address compatibility. To top it off, the update brings new speed indicators to the dashboard so you can easily identify the fastest servers at a glance, plus the addition of the Korean language to the app's supported list.

How to get the update

If you already have Hide.me installed on your Android smartphone, tablet, or Android TV, this update should roll out automatically depending on your device's auto-update settings.

For new users looking to take the revamped application for a spin, you can download the latest version directly from the Google Play Store. The provider also offers a robust free tier, meaning you can test out its strict no-logs policy and robust encryption without handing over your credit card details.

• New report finds clear mismatch between employer perception and worker sentiment
• Hybrid workers experience the most difficulty with collaboration tools
• Half of workers say they use unapproved tools over workplace software

New research from Ricoh has found businesses to be investing heavily in AI for workers, but those workers aren't exactly experiencing the productivity gains advertised on the tin.

There's a clear mismatch, with 91% over business decision-makers believing their AI investments are delivering the expected value, but one in two (53%) workers actually find those AI tools are creating friction or additional work.

Another half (55%) even go as far as saying the time spent managing poor technology interferes with their productivity.

Workers aren't being given the right AI tools

Ricoh analyzed four key workplace technologies – AI tools, communication and collaboration tools, data access tools and workflow management tools – and found AI to have the least impactful productivity boost.

An overwhelming majority (90%) of decision-makers also feel optimistic about how connected their tools and systems are, and yet three in four (76%) employees are calling out for systems that work better together.

"Fragmented technology, data and workflows create avoidable complexity that many employees are left to navigate themselves,” IDC Workplace Solutions Group VP Amy Loomis explained.

Despite a rise in remote working, just 14% of WFHers feel that they have collaboration difficulties, compared with 16% of office workers. The biggest snag is among hybrid workers (25%), who feel that disconnected systems are making it hard to collaborate with colleagues across multiple environments.

As a result, nearly half (45%) of workers admit to using non-approved tools like shadow AI at least monthly, which Ricoh argues creates a governance nightmare with employers struggling for visibility.

Still, with four in five (81%) decision-makers admitting that they're investing in new technology faster than they support worker adoption, there's a clear recognition that employers are falling short.

"Organizations need to better orchestrate the technology, information and workflows they already have," Ricoh North America Chief Digital Services and Delivery Officer Bob Lamendola explained, urging workplaces to slow down and concentrate on where new tools like AI can actually be useful.