Technology

• Grand Theft Auto 6's hand-crafted NPCs have over 600,000 animations
• Rockstar North co-head Aaron Garbut says Rockstar established a new team that art-directed every single NPC
• Garbut says every single room and the NPCs inside them were hand-crafted

To achieve the grand scale and realism we witnessed this week in Grand Theft Auto 6's extended look, the development team went above and beyond, according to Rockstar.

In an interview with The New York Times about the game's development, Rockstar North co-head Aaron Garbut revealed that the studio established a new Los Angeles-based team of writers, directors, and producers to focus solely on realizing non-player characters (NPCs).

"We art-directed each individual one of them," said Garbut, revealing that GTA 6 has over 600,000 animations, compared to GTA 5's 55,000 and double Red Dead Redemption 2's 300,000 animations.

"Every room in the game, somebody thought about this," Garbut said. "Who's sitting where, what they're drinking, the marks that are left on the table. The pictures on the wall will have the people that are in that room, with their tattoos on their arms and their family behind them. That whole thing has been made, and built, and photographed, and placed in this random room in a random building in a huge city, in a world."

Rob Nelson, the head of development and co-studio head at Rockstar North, also emphasised that the game is "an evolution" of what the studio achieved with Red Dead Redemption 2 and its impressive gameplay systems.

"Once we managed to accomplish that level of interactive fidelity in a more sparsely populated version of America 100 years ago," Nelson said, "we were already imagining what it would be like if we could do that at the scale and density of a modern environment."

GTA 6 launches on November 19 for PS5, Xbox Series X, and Series S, and a new report has confirmed that the game will run at 30fps on consoles at launch.

• Sony unveils cheaper Bravia 6 OLED TV, available in sizes from 48 inches to 83 inches
• It has four HDMI 2.1 ports, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos
• Prices start from $1,300 (about £957 / AU$1,805), putting it against Samsung and LG's mid-range model, but its unclear if performance will match

Sony has launched a new mid-range OLED TV, the Bravia 6. As the numbering suggests, it sits below the Bravia 8 and Bravia 8 II OLED TVs and the Bravia 7 II and Bravia 9 II RGB LED TVs in Sony's 2026 TV range.

The Bravia 6 comes in five sizes, ranging from 48 to 83 inches, and includes the MediaTek Pentonic 800 chip, which means it has four HDMI 2.1 ports that support 4K 120Hz and variable refresh rate — unlike Sony's higher-end TVs, which only have two HDMI 2.1 ports each due to a quirk of chip choices. The Bravia 6 also supports Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, auto low latency mode and HDMI eARC.

The strapline for Sony's marketing is "OLED essentials, now within reach", and with prices ranging from $1,300 to $4,000 in the US (international pricing is coming soon) the Bravia 6 is priced to fight it out with the LG C6 and the Samsung S90H. So how do they compare?

(Image credit: Sony)Sony Bravia 6 vs LG C6 vs Samsung S90H: key features

As you'd expect from a new Sony, the Bravia 6 runs Google TV. LG has its webOS system, and the Samsung runs Tizen. There's essentially universal disagreement in the TV community over which of these is better, but they all support every major streaming service.

The Bravia 6 will come in five sizes: 48, 55, 65, 77 and 83 inches. The LG C6 and Samsung S90H are both available in six: 42, 48, 55, 65, 77 and 83 inches.

Samsung's model has HDR 10+ while the Sony and LG have HDR 10 and Dolby Vision; all three have Dolby Atmos audio but the Sony also has DTS:X.

For gamers, the Sony has variable refresh rate based on the standard HDMI 2.1 spec; the LG has HDMI-spec VRR, plus, Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync Premium; and the Samsung has HDMI-spec VRR, G-Sync and FreeSync Premium Pro.

All three TVs support at least 120Hz 4K, but this is where it gets interesting. The Sony only supports 120Hz at 4K, while the LG and Samsung both support 4K 165Hz maximum.

This suggests that the Sony is using a different panel to the other models, despite being the same kind of price. We don't have official confirmation yet, but multiple outlets are have reported that the Bravia 6 uses the new, more affordable OLED SE panel, which is also used in the LG B6.

But what's odd is that the OLED SE panel is capable of hitting 144Hz, so the Sony being limited to 120Hz doesn't actually confirm anything about its panel either way.

If it is using the OLED SE panel, the LG C6 and Samsung S90H have a clear advantage in terms of the brightness and color reproduction of the panel itself. We loved the performance of the LG C6, and our first impressions of the Samsung S90H were that its display came very close to the C6, though our full review is coming soon.

TV enthusiasts will be very interested in Sony's processing, however, rather than just the panel. Sony's built a reputation for offering extremely good motion handling and upscaling, and producing fantastic levels of accuracy in its pictures. However, this often comes with a dimmer-looking picture than the competition even when using the same panel, and Sony might be using a dimmer panel to start with here…

The LG B6 (right) has less vibrancy and brightness compared to the LG C6 (center) or the LG G6 (left) — and the Sony Bravia 6 may use the same panel as the B6 (Image credit: Future)

At $1,300, the Sony Bravia 6 is priced to compete with the LG C6, which has fallen to a regular price of $1,299, while the Samsung S90H is available for $1,199 at the time of writing.

The 48-inch version of the LG B6 is available for just $799 at the time of writing, and if the Sony TV does use the same panel, that's quite a start difference.

The mid-range OLED market is going to be a tough one for Sony to crack — the company is pretty cautious about discounting, but LG and Samsung are very aggressive with it. If the Bravia 6 has the performance to match the price, then it could be the cinephile's choice — but it could all depend on that panel.

Thinking of buying a new TV?

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

It's getting tougher and tougher to find decent gaming laptop deals these days, but every now and again, I still spot the odd gem. One such example has to be this Gigabyte Aero X16 gaming laptop for $1,339 (was $1,499) at Best Buy.

It's a pretty pricey laptop, no doubt, but it's a rare example of a machine that features both an RTX 5070 graphics card and 32GB of RAM for under $1,500. I've spotted quite a few 'cheap' RTX 5070 laptops recently, but they've all come with a rather measly 16GB of RAM.

Since RAM is so expensive these days, getting 32GB right out of the box is a real selling point for this Gigabyte Aero X16. You shouldn't have any issues getting great performance here, even if you do have to pay a little extra versus the cheaper RTX 5060 laptops that are quite common in this price bracket.

If you're headed off to college, then I could see this one being a particularly fine choice, too. It's powerful enough to handle the applications you'll need, while also doubling as a great tool for gaming in your downtime. With a decent AMD chipset, this one should see you through all of college with no problem.

Today's best gaming laptop deal

Aero X16 Gaming Laptop: was $1499.99 now $1339.99
Graphics card: RTX 5070
Processor: AMD Ryzen Al 7-350
RAM: 32GB
Storage: 1TB

Genuine gaming laptop deals are rare these days with such high component prices. This Gigabyte Aero X16 at Best Buy, however, is a listing that's almost bucking that trend. Not only is it an RTX 5070 gaming laptop for under $1,500, but you're also getting 32GB of RAM right out of the box. In short, this is a really great bang-for-the-buck option currently - even if it is still pretty pricey. View Deal

• See more: check out all of today's gaming laptop deals

This particular deal is one of the highlights of Best Buy's 'back to school' section, which includes plenty of laptops and gaming laptops of all shapes and sizes. I don't think any listing quite matches this one for value right now if you're looking for a higher-end gaming laptop.

If it's not what you're looking for, however, it's worth checking in regularly at the retailer as we'll almost certainly see some Labor Day specials over the next week or so. Best Buy has already launched a big appliances sale, and tech is sure to follow shortly.

The Great Lake’s name could change on your map app depending on what side of the US-Canada border you’re on.

I'm a big fan of reMarkable's line of digital handwriting tablets, having used them for years now. They genuinely offer the closest feeling of writing with pad and pen that I've ever experience. And right now, the whole line has up to £100 off.

Topping the list is my daily driver, the reMarkable Paper Pro Move, now £399 (was £499) at Amazon. I use this notebook-style E Ink tablet every day professionally and personally, and it rarely leaves my side.

For those who need extra screen space that's more similar to writing, sketching, and drawing in an A4 pad, the reMarkable Paper Pure is down to £375 (was £399) and the color reMarkable Paper Pro is down to £599 (was £699), too.

• Shop the full Amazon Tech Week sale.

Today's best reMarkable tablet deals

Paper Pro Move with Marker Plus and Basalt Book Folio: was £499 now £399
I absolutely love my Paper Pro Move, a notebook-sized colour tablet with front-light. This is the reMarkable I use daily for work now. In our 5-star review, we called it "the writing tablet of my dreams."

In the US: now $469 (was $569)View Deal

Paper Pure With Marker Plus and Ocean Blue Sleeve Folio: was £399 now £375
The Paper Pure is reMarkable's entry-level tablet. But while it lacks a colour screen or front-light, I found the writing to offer "a flawless pad-and-pen experience" in my 4-star review.View Deal

Paper Pro With Marker Plus and Basalt Book Folio: was £699 now £599
The Paper Pro is reMarkable's top-end colour E Ink handwriting tablet. It's a thin, lightweight 11.8in device with a front-light. In our 4-star review, we found it snappy, and "It feels like writing on real paper, not writing on a laggy screen." I completely agree with that sentiment.

In the US: now $679 (was $779)View Deal

2 With Marker Plus: was £429 now £345.68
I used the reMarkable 2 daily for years, and I still love the writing experience - it's smoother and softer than the new line of tablets. It's been discontinued in place of the above models, and while it's the slowest of the bunch, for pure writing it's perfect. At the time, our review noted that it had "the best writing and sketching experience." View Deal

Why I recommend them

I'm a prolific hoarder of notebooks. So, before I first took the plunge on an E Ink writing tablet all those years ago, I spent months researching and trying different models to find one that gave me the same tactile experience I get from writing with a pad and pen.

The reMarkable 2 won hands-down, and won me over in a matter of seconds once I got started. Since then, I've used the whole line - with the Paper Pure and Paper Pro Move both in my tech stack.

Beyond the minimalist, distraction-free ethos, the handwriting recognition is one of the stand-out features here. So long as you write relatively legible, the device can turn those handwritten notes into useable text. Other pro features I like include the ability to highlight and annotate documents.

For a distraction-free writing experience, reMarkable's surpass any other device out there. I've used the Kindle Scribe a fair amount (my wife swears by it). And while it comes close, it doesn't quite match that scratchy pen-to-paper feel you get from the reMarkable tablets.

Which should you buy?

✅ Buy the reMarkable Paper Pro Move if...

You want a pocket-sized notebook-style digital handwriting tablet. I love mine, and it's genuinely useful for taking notes at work. It easily replaced my beloved Moleskine.

✅ Buy the reMarkable Paper Pro if...

You need the largest canvas offered by reMarkable, and a colour screen is important to you. It's good for professional graphs and documents, as well as epubs like graphic novels.

✅ Buy the reMarkable Paper Pure if...

You just want the cheapest distraction-free tablet in the reMarkable line, and can live without a colour screen or frontlight.

✅ Buy the reMarkable 2 if...

You want a slightly cheaper model than the Paper Pure that replaced it, and don't mind the fact that this slower tablet has been discontinued (although accessories like the pen tips are still widely available)

Price context & historical value

As a bit of a reMarkable fan-boy, I'm always on the look out for deals on these tablets, and they don't come around nearly as often as I'd like. £100 off the Paper Pro and Paper Pro Move bundles, which come with a protective folio and the Marker Plus (you can turn it upside-down to delete your writing like it's a pencil with an eraser on the end).

The Paper Pure is the newest addition to the line-up, and I didn't expect to see a discount so soon - even if it is relatively small. I put it down to being a device that's tailor-made for the back-to-school season.

And frankly, any discount on the reMarkable 2 is welcome, as it's been discontinued so prices may rise as stock runs dry.

The Catch: What to know before you buy

These aren't iPads. They're not even a Kindle. reMarkable's tablets are focused on being as distraction-free as possible. So, while you can integrate certain workplace apps like Slack, OneDrive, and Google Drive, it's not built for streaming movies or reading eBooks from Amazon's store. The central idea here is to use the tablet for writing and sketching.

• See all tablets at Amazon

Nvidia reportedly agreed to buy Hugging Face for $12.9 billion, a deal that could reshape enterprise AI, open-source models, and the broader AI stack.

The post Nvidia’s $12.9B Hugging Face Bet: A New Battle for Control of the AI Stack appeared first on TechRepublic.

Another update for Meta glasses aims to shut down recording when the light’s off, and an ad campaign is trying to address the pervert concerns.

It's a good day to visit Best Buy. Online and in-store, Best Buy has launched its official Labor Day appliance sale, and it's also running a 24-hour tech sale on its best-selling gadgets.

I'll first start with its appliance sale, because it's very impressive this year. The retailer is not only offering big savings, up to 45% off, but it's promising that 'we won’t be beat on appliance pricing,' and that is backed by their price match guarantee. That means if you find an appliance that's cheaper at an online or local competitor, Best Buy will match it.

• Shop today's top deals at Best Buy

The retailer's Labor Day appliance sale offers a wide range of appliances, including refrigerators, washing machines, dishwashers and ranges from brands like LG, Samsung, GE and Whirlpool. Best Buy also offers free shipping on all major appliances and free installation on qualifying products.

If you're also in the market for a new tech gadget, Best Buy has a 24-hour flash sale today, and I've listed the top deals further down the page, including OLED TVs, AirPods, cheap laptops and more.

Best Buy's Labor Day appliance sale

Best Buy Labor Day appliance sale: save up to 45% off, plus free delivery
Best Buy's Labor Day appliance sale is live, with up to 45% off major appliances, including fridges, dishwashers, ranges, and microwaves from Samsung, LG, Whirlpool, and GE. The retailer is also offering free shipping, and you can price match to ensure you're getting the best deal.View Deal

Shop more of today's top Best Buy deals

Fire TV Stick 4K Select: was $49.99 now $17.99
Amazon's newest 4K streaming stick is now $17.99 at Best Buy. Since it's only a few bucks more than the cheaper HD version, you might as well pay for the upgrade and get higher-resolution streaming—as long as you have a 4K TV. It lacks a few premium features found in the more expensive Plus and Max models, such as improved Wi-Fi and Dolby Atmos, but that is more than enough for everyday use.View Deal

WH-1000XM5: was $398 now $248
Quite simply, the best in Sony's class-leading wireless over-ear lineup. The older XM4 headphones were outstanding, the XM3 cans before it were excellent, and it'll come as little surprise to know that Sony's XM5 proposition is also incredibly hard to beat – especially with a whopping $150 off. They don't fold up like the XM4, but, as a quick glance at our Sony WH-100XM5 review proves, there's not much else to pick fault with. View Deal

AirPods Max 2 (USB-C): was $549 now $529
The over-ear headphones now include Apple's H2 chip, which delivers adaptive audio, personalized volume, and improved voice isolation for superior sound. You're also getting up to 1.5x more Active Noise Cancellation and 20 hours of battery life.View Deal

iPad 11-inch (A16, 2025): was $449 now $399
Apple's latest base iPad is $50 off at Best Buy, bringing the price to $399. The biggest upgrade over the previous generation is the newer A16 chip for faster performance, and you'll also get double the standard storage (128GB instead of 64GB). Other features include a sharp 11-inch Liquid Retina display and solid 12MP front- and rear-facing cameras, making this iPad the best for casual streamers and scrollers.

Read our full 11-inch iPad A16 reviewView Deal

Processor: MediaTek Kompanio 540
RAM: 8GB
Storage: 128GB

You don't always find a laptop with 8GB of memory for under $300, so this Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook really stands out in Best Buy's latest sale. Other components are good for light use, but that bump to 8GB of RAM will really help with everyday performance and load times. It's still a fairly basic laptop, but with enough extra power to avoid dramatic slowdown when multitasking.View Deal

Chromebook Plus 516: was $479 now $399
Display - 16 inches
Processor - Intel i3
RAM - 8GB
Storage - 128GB

This version of the Acer Chromebook Plus offers a solid amount of power for the price. It includes 8GB of RAM and an Intel i3 processor, boosting performance, boot times, and load times. The 128GB storage is a bit underwhelming, but you get a large, bright IPS display and decent battery life of around 12 hours— more than enough for a full workday. At a little under $400, it's a smart buy for school or college, or just as a home laptop for light use and everyday tasks.View Deal

15.6-inch 2K Touchscreen Laptop: was $849.99 now $449.99
This 15.6-inch touchscreen laptop combines an Intel 13th Generation Core i5 1334U processor, 8GB DDR5 RAM, 512GB PCIe SSD, Full HD IPS display, Wi-Fi 6, USB-C, and Windows 11 Home.View Deal

MacBook Pro 14.2-inch (M5): was $2499 now $2299
Apple's M5 chip (10-core CPU, 10-core GPU) is paired with 16GB of unified memory and a 1TB SSD, in a 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display with up to 24 hours of battery life. Today's deal from Best Buy shaves $200 off the retail price.View Deal

55-inch F70 Series 4K QLED Mini-LED Fire TV: was $699.99 now $299.99
Insignia's F70 Series QLED TV boasts Mini-LED and Quantum Dot technology, delivering bold, vibrant colors and lifelike images. You also get Dolby Atmos Audio, smart capabilities with the Fire operating system, and a voice remote with hands-free Alexa, so you can use your voice to control your TV.View Deal

QD50 58-inch Hi-QLED 4K TV: was $399.99 now $209.99
I can't speak too much about the overall quality of this TV given we haven't had extensive testing time, but I can't deny that it's a super low price for a TV of this size. It also sports the budget version of Hisense's QLED tech, which offers superior brightness and more vivid colors, although it's not as powerful as the premium displays. Still, this is a big and cheap TV that will be ideal for general everyday viewing and streaming for someone who isn't too bothered about getting the very best picture possible.View Deal

75-inch C350 4K Fire TV: was $729.99 now $369.99
If you're looking for a cheap big-screen TV, Best Buy has the popular 75-inch Toshiba C350 4K Fire TV for an incredible $369.99. Toshiba's C350 is a 4K TV with HDR support, delivering solid picture quality for everyday viewing. Access streaming apps easily with the Fire TV OS, which puts Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, and more at your fingertips. It's not as powerful as many premium options, but if you're on a tight budget and want a big display, this is an excellent option.View Deal

75-inch S5 4K LED Fire TV: was $649.99 now $419.99
The TCL 75-inch S5 4K LED TV supports Dolby Vision, HDR10 Plus, HDR10, and HLG, while there’s Dolby Atmos sound and a built-in subwoofer. It also has a dedicated Game Mode for lower input lag and latency, and Motion Rate 240 technology for smoother motion. It’s all wrapped up in a highly attractive price tag for a screen of this size.View Deal

77-inch B5 OLED 4K Smart TV: was $2999.99 now $1499.99
The LG B5 is this year's best budget OLED TV, and Best Buy has a massive 50% discount on the 77-inch model. Released last year, the LG B5 is TechRadar's best budget OLED TV and was awarded four and a half stars in our review. The LG display delivers an exceptional picture with brilliant colors and sharp contrast. You also get excellent gaming features, thanks to the four HDMI 2.1 ports and new AI tools, including AI Search, AI Concierge, and an improved AI Chatbot.

Read our full LG B5 reviewView Deal

Hero 13 Black: was $479.99 now $409.99
Here's a super-tempting low price on one of the best action camera bundles on the market right now. The camera delivers an impressive 5.3K video resolution in a rugged, fully waterproof body. A sweet deal for your remaining summer or upcoming fall adventures.View Deal

See more of today's best Labor Day sales

• Amazon: 45% off TVs, AirPods, air fryers & vacuums
• Apple: iPads, AirPods & MacBooks from $99
• Appliances: up to $1,200 at Samsung
• Best Buy: 60% off appliances, TVs, laptops & more
• Casper: up to 30% off mattresses
• Dell: laptop deals from $249.99
• DreamCloud: up to 60% off mattresses, 66% off bundles
• Home Depot: 40% off appliances, furniture, grills & tools
• Lowe's: $1,000 off appliances, patio & tools
• Nectar: up to 50% off mattresses, deals from $349
• Saatva: up to $625 off luxury mattresses
• Samsung: up to $2,000 off 4K, QLED & OLED TVs
• Target: 45% off clothing, tech & furniture
• Walmart: 58% off back-to-school, furniture, & clothing

• Ransomware group Qilin lists Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) among new victims, claiming a “major incident”
• ATF confirmed breach of a standalone system holding investigation target data, not core networks
• Systems were disconnected, DOJ notified; Qilin is Russia‑linked, known for past Synnovis attack

The US Government's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has suffered a “major incident” in which it appears to have lost sensitive information.

Notorious ransomware operators Qilin added a handful of new names to their data leak site: Northern Leasing Systems, Metal Conversions, California Truck Equipment, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and WireCo.

The attackers did not say what kind of data they stole, or how much of it they have. They have also not posted any samples of the stolen files, which is not that uncommon these days.

ATF investigations

Shortly after appearing on Qilin’s data leak site, ATF confirmed the news via a press release published on the agency’s website. In the announcement, ATF said it was responding to an incident, “affecting a standalone system”.

“The impacted system operates separately from the ATF enterprise network, and there is no indication that the incident has affected the ATF enterprise network, the ATF eForms system, or any other ATF system,” the press release reads. While the press release does not mention the name of the targeted system, a spokesperson told The Register it contains information about targets of ATF investigations.

The ATF usually investigates federal crimes such as illegal firearms trafficking, violent crime and gangs, explosives, arson and bombings, organized crime, illegal alcohol and tobacco trafficking, and firearms dealers and manufacturers.

After spotting the attack, ATF disconnected the affected systems, engaged cybersecurity experts, and notified relevant authorities, including the Department of Justice. “Senior Department officials have designated the event a “major incident” under applicable federal guidelines, and required notifications have been completed,” ATF added.

Qilin is a relatively old, known ransomware threat actor. It is being tied to Russia and is best known for its attack on the pathology provider Synnovis, which happened back in 2024.

A price hike has also hit Apple One, affecting subscribers in the US.

• 82% of young American knowledge workers now consider themselves global employees
• The 'American Dream' is more about career opportunities, wherever they may be
• Social networks and leadership are far more important than AI, for Gen Z

New research from Pebl has claimed Gen Z workers in the US actually see themselves as global employees, not American employees, as hybrid and remote work continues to spread across the world.

In fact, more than half (54%) said that achieving the 'American Dream' doesn't actually mean they have to remain in the US – just that they purse the best career opportunities possible.

Consequentially, 53% would choose to work for the world's best company over America's best company, with four in five (82%) already considering themselves part of a global workforce.

Young workers see the career landscape as global

It seems that workers are also keen to interact with colleagues from other countries, with benefits including broadening perspectives (73%), improving leadership skills (71%) and improving problem-solving abilities (68%).

But even though other studies have pointed toward remote working being a non-negotiable for many young workers, they're still keen to work internationally, whether that's in person or remote. Two in five (41%) envisage careers involving work across two or three different countries, and two in three (64%) would be very or extremely interested in temporary work opportunities in another geography.

"Gen Z is not just more open to international careers – they increasingly see global experience as essential to becoming stronger leaders," CEO Francoise Brougher explained. "If companies want globally minded leaders tomorrow, they need to start creating globally minded careers today."

Ongoing return-to-office mandates have also placed a big emphasis on in-person collaboration, and it's clear that younger workers agree. Building strong and professional networks (28%) and gaining experience in leadership and management (26%) ranked much more highly than developing AI skills (11%) among the 1,022 US Gen Z knowledge workers surveyed. Pebl explained AI's role as a human skill amplifier, not a replacer.

Ultimately, after years of major upheaval across both in-person/remote working routines and AI/automation, young workers are still very optimistic about in-person relationships and new career opportunities.

See what you missed in Daily Tech Insider from August 24–28.

The post AI Expansion Meets Security Crises, Costs, and Public Resistance in Tech This Week appeared first on TechRepublic.

The Pebble’s return to my wrist after over a decade reminded me what I’d missed.

The final weekend of August 2026 has arrived — and, for those in the UK, that means the last bank holiday of the year is also here. You better enjoy the long weekend while you can, then.

Unfortunately, there aren't many exciting new movies and shows for you to enjoy during your downtime. Sure, the world's best streaming services have released some new content in recent days, but they're all distinctly lacking in the 'must see' department. Hopefully, things will pick up again in September. Anyway, read on to see if any of the below tickles your fancy. — Tom Power, senior entertainment reporter

The Whisper Man (Netflix)

Netflix's latest thriller movie follows a widowed crime writer (Adam Scott) who enlists the help of his estranged father and detective (Robert DeNiro) after his young son goes missing.

As the investigation unfolds, they discover a connection between the recent abduction and the decades-old case of the titular, convicted serial killer.

Adam Scott has had an excellent run with recent hits like Severance and Hokum, so I have high hopes that this will be another win for the Parks and Rec. alumnus. — Lucy Buglass, senior entertainment writer

• Watch The Whisper Man on Netflix

The Last Sunrise (Prime Video)

Another young adult banger from Prime Video? The streamer is truly the gift that keeps on giving if this is the genre for you. This time, more summer romance comes in the form of The Last Sunrise.

In a nutshell, Ry (Maia Reficco), is a college student with a chronic illness on a summer escape with her mother (Eva Longoria). She unexpectedly falls for Julián (Fernando Lindez) and begins to embrace living in the moment but, as its logline states, "her worsening condition and long-hidden family secrets threaten to unravel everything before the summer ends."

Sounds like tissues will be needed, then. Based on the novel of the same name, I can almost guarantee than watching Amazon's movie adaptation is going to break me. — Jasmine Valentine, entertainment reporter

• Watch The Last Sunrise on Prime Video

Dark Matter season 2 (Apple TV)

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Apple TV is the undisputed king of small-screen sci-fi fare. Admittedly, Dark Matter isn't one of the streamer's more popular genre offerings, but its mind-melding narrative will scratch the itch of those who aren't completely burned out by the concept of the multiverse.

But, I'm getting off-track. Season 2 of the Apple original series reunites us with the Dessens — Jason (Joel Edgerton) and Daniela (Jennifer Connelly) — as they're forced to go on the run again when a new threat ermerges. Coupled with Jason's growing obsession with the mysterious Box and Daniela's escalating paranoia further impinging on their lives, their relationship will be pushed to the limits are Dark Matter season 2 blends intimate drama with abstract science fiction. — TP

• Watch Dark Matter season 2 on Apple TV

One Hundred Years of Solitude Grand Finale (Netflix)

As Netflix's ambitious attempts to tell Gabriel García Márquez's apparently unfilmable novel is about to reach its conclusion.

Indeed, the finale charts Macondo as it faces its last days and the birth of the final descendant. Even if you've read the original book, you still probably won't have a handle on what's about to unfold. One Hundred Years of Solitude is a tragedy on a legendary level, but there's still something incredibly satisfying about our story coming full circle. — JV

• Watch One Hundred Years of Solitude Grand Finale on Netflix

Adults season 2 (Hulu/Disney+)

Adults returns with a two-episode premiere this weekend, so Hulu or Disney+ is the place to be for your sitcom needs.

When we pick up, we'll be navigating the aftermath of that messy season one cliff-hanger. What was meant to be a spontaneous and platonic marriage between Paul Baker (Jack Innanen) and Anton (Owen Thiele) to stop the former's deportation from the US has evolved into something much more.

Unfortunately, this has caused a love triangle because Issa (Amita Rao) is in love with Paul Baker, and Anton happens to be her best friend. I can't see this ending well, can you? — LB

• Watch Adults season 2 on Hulu (US) and Disney+ (internationally)

The Undeclared War season 2 (Peacock)

Peacock subscribers, you are in for a treat. UK viewers have already experienced The Undeclared War season 2 on Channel 4 and, frankly, I've never been more invested in a cyber-attack scandal.

The same Malware Department at GCHQ are dealing with the aftermath of a devastating Russian cyberattack. But, just as the UK believes it has regained control, a far more dangerous threat emerges involving Chinese malware — and an internal mole.

You probably already know and love Simon Pegg (and rightly so), but it's Siân Brooke that you need to keep an eye on. Everything she touches, turns to gold. — JV

• Watch The Undeclared War season 2 on Peacock

Tyler Perry's Beauty in Black season 3 (Netflix)

If you're a fan of Beauty in Black, you've no doubt been on the edge of your seat waiting for season 3. After an FBI raid and plenty of legal trouble last season, we all want the tea.

In season 3, we follow Kimmie (Taylor Polidore Williams) and Mallory (Crystle Stewart) as they navigate their new control of the Bellarie family empire. Meanwhile, older family members are getting interrogated and are beginning to turn on each other as hidden crimes are brought to light.

Beauty in Black will return for season 4 as well, so this Netflix show is here to stay. I'm sure Tyler Perry's got much more drama up his sleeve. — LB

• Watch Tyler Perry's Beauty in Black season 3 on Netflix

AWS will shut down Amazon Mechanical Turk on Sept. 30, ending a 21-year platform that supplied human data and labor for research and AI projects.

The post Amazon Mechanical Turk to Shut Down Sept. 30 After 21 Years appeared first on TechRepublic.

Remember that fake Joe Biden robocall? That likely won’t be the last AI deepfake we see during election season.

ARIA now requires Australian chart-eligible music to be substantially human-made, excluding songs where AI creates the primary creative elements.

The post ARIA Bans Fully AI-Generated Songs From Australian Music Charts appeared first on TechRepublic.

A cyberattack on Manchester Airports Group exposed information belonging to about 8.7 million customers across three UK airports.

The post Cyberattack on Three UK Airports Exposes Data of 8.7 Million Customers appeared first on TechRepublic.

Tim Cook is having a wild last week on the job.

One of the worst parts about getting scammed is the shame, and that shame just plays into the hands of the crooks. If we don't spread the personal stories, then no one gets warned. So, good on Les Howard who told his story of getting QR code scammed to the BBC earlier this week.

Les, quite understandably, feel victim to what's widely known in the security industry as quishing (QR phishing). Les scanned a QR code that he thought was to pay for his parking, downloaded the app, put in his card details and then watched as chunks of cash were removed from his account day after day. Not great.

There are a number of different ways that QR scams work. Les Howard experienced the fake app routine, but it could just have easily been a link to a fake website, mocked up to look exactly like the real one. AI can work marvels these days when it comes to creating duplicate web pages.

You can just as easily get done by the QR scanner apps themselves, which will take a legitimate QR and send you anywhere it wants to, adding all sorts of other links or scraping the details that you send through.

Now, this doesn't mean that we shouldn't use QR codes. We just need to be a bit more careful about it. The two most important pieces of advice are to use the QR scanner that comes baked into your phone's camera app, if you have one, and, second, use a QR code checker app to make sure what you're scanning isn't a scam.

There are free online tools for the job, such as Is This QR Safe and DNS Checker but they also come bundled in with other tools such as antivirus and VPNs. Kaspersky antivirus has a QR code scammer. The VPN to choose to get one is IPVanish.

Get IPVanish: $2.49 per month
IPVanish has long been a good VPN provider, and it's the only reputable VPN with a QR code checker included. It's built into the app and scans the destination page for all possible threats to make sure it's 100% clean. You can try IPVanish for one month for $14.99 but that's pretty pricey. The better value is either the 1-year plan ($3.89 per month) or the 2-year plan ($2.49 per month). Both of those longer plans come with 30-day money-back guarantees. If you don't like it within that time, you'll get a full refund.View Deal

The IPVanish QR code checker – like all good QR code checkers – loads a live version of the destination page, rather than just relying on domain blacklists that may not be up to date.

It checks all the facets of the page for anything malicious, and follows any redirects that may be trying to throw it off the scent, until it's sure the QR code is safe. If all is well, it presents you with the page and allows you to continue. If not, you'll be told it's a scam code. Pretty simple stuff from the user end.

We rate IPVanish as solid, 4-star VPN. It's only short of the very best VPNs on features like server count and some streaming service unblocking that's not a priority for this use case.

In terms of QR code checking and other security features, it's right up there. So, if you're VPN-curious and definitely want in on a QR code checker, then give it a go.

If a QR code checker is all you want, though, then make sure to take some of those free options above for a spin, instead, before you settle on which one to use full time.