Technology

We were going to write a constipation joke here, but it wouldn’t come out.

As public perception continues to sour, and private businesses ban smart glasses from their events and premises, it feels like the writing might be on the wall for Meta’s Ray-Bans. At least as we know them.

Even without many laws changing, camera-equipped specs are becoming increasingly difficult to wear, especially if you don’t want to be branded a perv or a creep.

Because of this changing tide against Meta Ray-Bans and others, the most recent episode of the TechRadar podcast is a smart glasses special. Podcast regulars Josie, Axel and myself brought Tom’s Guide’s Jason England on board to discuss the issues facing smart specs and the risks they pose — while also acknowledging how useful the tech can be when used appropriately.

We rounded things up with a quick discussion on what smart glasses could do to solve their privacy problems and clean up their public perception. I want to continue that chat here with you, our readers and viewers.

Below I’ll outline four possible paths forward, followed by a quick poll asking you which path you believe we should take.

1. Keep cameras in glasses

(Image credit: Meta)

If you are a smart glasses maker like Samsung, Meta or one of the many others, this would likely be your preferred approach: keep calm, and carry on churning out glasses with cameras (or AirPods if a recent Apple leak is to be believed).

The backlash against surveillance tech is at a fever pitch right now, but public outrage has a way of waxing and waning. Smart specs have been wildly popular before, who says they won’t go back to being mega popular in a few months?

This process could also be sped along by rolling out new privacy policies, or software which aims to mitigate the way smart specs with cameras are misused. If new useful features are released, marketing could also help to make smart glasses look more essential, and get their detractors to overlook the glaring privacy issues they’re so bothered about right now.

For current smart specs users it means their Meta Ray-Bans would still be completely usable, and fully functioning — allowing them to rely on the first-person content capture capabilities for recording memories, informing their AI, or for accessible needs that the glasses are offering the visually impaired.

It’s also unclear how effective a ban could be if it wasn’t universal.

Countries like China already feature major public surveillance and tight regulation of what people can share online, so the downsides of camera glasses aren’t as strongly felt there. As such they’re less likely to see a ban. Bad actors could import glasses from countries where they are sold and attempt to dodge restrictions from brands who might not be as willing to address concerns as Meta has been with its various safety updates.

On the flip side, not banning features in some way means that the privacy issues persist — plenty of folks could still be being recorded without their knowledge or consent. This could lead to serious public consequences if people take action into their own hands, or heavy-handed legal consequences if governments decide to ban smart glasses in all their forms to avoid any possible workarounds — depriving us of the useful features XR specs could offer in all aspects of our life (if the technology was allowed to develop).

2. Ban smart glasses outright

(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

Rather than waiting and letting things continue before taking action, we could ban smart specs right now.

Of course this would limit access to the useful features they provide, and would see people’s purchases become paperweights, though it would tackle the privacy problems head on.

I’ll address banning simply camera glasses below, but the one advantage of this approach is it also hits glasses with microphones that could be used as a form of covert surveillance technology. While audio is often less invasive than video or images, privacy advocates would argue any kind of surveillance is a terrible thing.

As I touched on above, removing smart specs entirely would deprive us of some potentially exceptionally useful and awesome tech that could provide benefits to our work, our ability to travel and communicate, and our play.

However, smart specs are also causing plenty of headaches. This approach would make them all go away if it proves effective.

3. Ban cameras in glasses

(Image credit: Future / Cas Kulk)

A less heavy handed approach would be to merely ban cameras, but allow glasses with displays, speakers and/or microphones only to continue.

This would allow smart specs to offer audio or screen-based AI assistance, to play music, let you watch a TV or film, or perform a host of tasks that don’t depend on computer vision.

Though a lack of cameras would limit the tech’s immediate usefulness quite considerably. I’ve touched on this already, but the snapper can provide context to the AI when you ask it questions about a landmark or sign you can see, it can offer hands-free recording capabilities many like to use while on vacation or while doing an action sport, and it has been used as an accessibility tool by the visually impaired to allow their smart specs to describe the world around them.

The advantage to smart spec makers is this approach could see them dodge an outright ban on glasses wearables — cameras or not. It may also keep a door open for a safer camera-equipped version of smart glasses to materialize; a model that addresses the privacy concerns of the original.

Of course, this wouldn’t remove the risks of covert audio recording posed by smart specs, though you could argue that the dangers posed by such recordings is less severe, especially since plenty of other accessible covert tools (even a smartphone) could be used to privately record sound.

4. Keep the cameras, ban video recording

(Image credit: Meta)

The issue with camera glasses isn’t necessarily that they can record, it’s that they can record relatively discreetly. While Meta’s glasses do have a recording light it’s easy to miss if you don’t know to look for it.

For photos, an obvious solution would be to require the specs to play an audible camera snapping effect whenever a shot is captured. Meta’s specs can already do this, and it's a requirement of smartphone cameras already in countries like Japan.

Because Meta glasses don’t have zoom capabilities you can’t take useful photos from very far away, meaning an audible effect like this would be heard by anyone you attempt to photograph covertly. They could then confront you about being a creep in much the same way someone obviously taking photos with a phone or camera could be addressed in the moment.

Video is a little tougher to make obvious and still usable in the end result. An audible effect would need to play throughout the recording which could spoil the clip’s audio. An alternative could be to make the recording light brighter and have it pulse to make it a little more obvious, but it still may not be completely noticeable. So you could simply ban video recording with smart glasses.

This halfway house would allow the specs to sense the world around them — facilitating AI and accessibility tools — but could greatly restrict the harm they could cause.

The downside is hackers could modify the cameras to facilitate video recording as all the hardware would still be there. That said, tamper-proof measures could mitigate this risk.

Now it’s time to have your say. These four possibilities are somewhat simplistic, but I think they capture four general strategies we could deploy to ‘solve’ our smart glasses problem. Let me know which you like best, or feel free to comment below with your thoughts!

No matter if it's your first or fourth time here, thanks for checking out this week's TechRadar Crossword. Yes, I'm still having a lot of fun putting together these little puzzlers for you every Friday, so let's see how you get on with this latest grid-based arrangement of tech trivia.

TechRadar Crossword

Missed a previous puzzle? You can browse the archive and play all TechRadar Crosswords right here.

I try to mix a fairly broad range of tech subjects into each crossword to ensure there's a bit of variety, but it does require a lot of effort to stop myself from filling them with clues about gaming and movies — being the two biggest interests of mine.

I have, obviously, snuck a couple of clues in on those areas, given we technically cover them here at TechRadar in our gaming and streaming categories, but I'm very cautious that I don't just fill the grid with clues in those areas.

Reading more of the site has helped me broaden my horizons a little when coming up with clues, too. I've taken in more of the news we've covered and features we've written about AI, cameras, electric vehicles, and, relevant to this week's puzzle, solar panels, for example.

The latter is most interesting, given the news that plug-in options will soon be available to buy in the UK before the end of the month. It's got me thinking about whether I could add some to my home, if it'll be possible to find any of the limited stock.

Solar panel stock tracker incoming? Quite possibly. Enjoy the puzzle and I'll catch you soon.

• Early Beats retail listing pages have been spotted by Redditors
• New headphones are set to be called the Beats 360
• There's no word on a potential release date

It's been several months since Beats' anticipated new over-ear headphones were teased at the 2026 World Cup, and all we've had to go on since then is fan speculation as to when they could launch. But now, finally, we have more to go on.

Over on Reddit (which is where all the Beats noise has been happening), a thread has emerged thanks to some users finding early listing pages for the new headphones on Amazon and certain other retailers. Pictures and descriptions are being shared which reveal loads about the new cans.

The headline news is that we know the (likely) name: Beats 360. In the audio world, the name '360' is usually used to refer to spatial audio (as in Sony 360 Reality Audio, for example), pointing to a potential selling point for these new cans.

Image-wise, these match what we saw on Lamine Yamal and Lee Kang-in during the soccer tournament, even down to the Shrek-colored lime green option the latter was seen with.

If you haven't seen them, the headphones look to have a thin headband with a soft pad, and circular cups with a protective material. They're a far cry from the generic headphone look many other companies go for, and look like more svelte versions of the AirPods Max 2.

However, that comparison may not go as far as you'd hope...

Listings tell us what's missing

(Image credit: Future)

Many Redditors have noticed that the Beats 360 listing makes no mention of Apple's H2 chip, which many were hoping would show up in the headphones. This offers advanced ANC, battery life efficiency and top-tier DSP capabilities.

The listings suggest that the Beats 360 have "1.75x more noise cancellation than Beats Studio Pro", but it's not quite clear what that actually means, since ANC can't be quantified that cleanly. Is that a better handling of loud sounds? Or an improved capability with low, consistent rumbles? Or, perhaps, a meaningless number?

The Beats 360 apparently have interchangeable cup cushions and headband pads, so you can swap colors or, perhaps, materials (though the latter is speculation). Beats calls these its first cans designed to survive sweat and water, with an IPX4 rating.

Also in the listings, an "all-day battery life" is mentioned, even when you're listening with ANC. However, brands use "all-day" to refer to a wide range of figures (some count the working day, others a literal 24-hour day), so this doesn't give us much to go on.

Many of the listings share a price, which looks to be around $299 / £330 (there's no Aussie listings, but that converts to around AU$700). Take these with a grain of salt, though. In early listings, we often see placeholder prices listed before the actual ones are confirmed.

These listing sites give us a huge look at the Beats 360, even more than we'd seen from World Cup glimpses. And the fact that these pages are live suggests that the new headphones might be along before too long, defying the aforementioned speculation about a 2027 release.

• The price and release date for the Xbox Series X25 Limited Edition have seemingly leaked
• Reliable leaker 'billbil-kun' says it will cost around $899.99 (roughly £660 / AU$1,255)
• It will reportedly launch on November 27

After the price and release date for Microsoft's 25th anniversary Xbox Wireless Controller were leaked earlier this week, details of the matching limited edition Xbox Series X have also surfaced.

As per the reliable 'billbil-kun' of Dealabs, who has accurately reported on new and unannounced hardware in the past, the upcoming Xbox Series X25 Limited Edition, which sports a translucent green shell, will cost a whopping €899.99.

This translates to an estimated $899.99 price point in the US (roughly £660 / AU$1,255), and is about €100 / $100 more than the regular 1TB Xbox Series X with a disc drive.

When Microsoft announced the Xbox Series X25 Limited Edition and the matching Xbox Wireless Controller X25 Special Edition in June, it said that both would be together in select markets as a limited-edition collection in November.

Now, billbil-kun claims the console will release on November 27, which aligns well with Black Friday.

It's unclear when pre-orders begin, but the leaker recently reported that the matching controller's October 20 release date and $79.99 / £74.99 / €79.99 price point will be revealed at Gamescom 2026, with pre-orders beginning on August 26.

Both the Xbox Series X25 Limited Edition and the Xbox Wireless Controller X25 Special Edition are translucent "OG green," inspired by the original Xbox, and feature light-up buttons and "Xbox 25" branding.

After the Xbox Series X25 reveal during Xbox Fanfest at Summer Game Fest 2026, free consoles were reportedly given to fans in attendance.

TeamGroup is a name we see often in budget and mid-range memory kits, and this one's worth a look if you need a DDR5 upgrade amid sky-high component costs. Right now the TeamGroup's 16GB DDR5-6000 CL38 kit has dropped to $215 (was $248) at Newegg with code BTSF3667.

It's already reduced down to $240, but Newegg's coupon code shaves an extra $25 off the price at a time where we're seeing sharp increases on RAM pricing across the board driven by AI data center demand.

DDR5-6000 RAM kit 16GB (2x8GB): was $247.49 now $214.99
16GB (2x8GB) DDR5-6000 (PC5-48000) kit with CL38 timings, 1.25V operating voltage, and support for both AMD EXPO and Intel XMP 3.0 profiles. Black heat spreader design, non-ECC unbuffered. For the full discount, use code BTSF3667. View Deal

Why we recommend it

TeamGroup has a solid track record in the budget-to-mid-range memory space, and this kit covers the fundamentals: DDR5-6000 speeds with CL38 timings, a common and well-supported configuration for both Intel and AMD platforms, plus AMD EXPO and Intel XMP 3.0 profile support so you're not stuck manually tuning timings.

The bigger context here matters more than usual. DDR5 prices have risen dramatically since late 2025, driven by AI data centers absorbing memory manufacturing capacity that would otherwise go toward consumer RAM. Kits that cost $80 to $120 a year ago now regularly run $350 or more for larger capacities, so a straightforward 16GB kit at this price, while not a steep discount, is landing in a market where prices have been climbing rather than falling.

Should you buy it?

✅ Buy the TeamGroup DDR5-6000 kit if...

You need to build or upgrade a system now and can't wait out the current memory shortage, you want a straightforward DDR5-6000 kit without RGB lighting driving up the price, or your motherboard is confirmed to support EXPO or XMP 3.0 at this speed.

❌ Skip the TeamGroup DDR5-6000 kit if...

Your current build doesn't strictly need more memory right now, you're hoping for a return to pre-shortage DDR5 pricing (that's not coming soon), or you'd rather wait and watch prices given how volatile this market has been.

Price Context & Historical Value

What makes this worth flagging at all is the broader memory market: DDR5 prices have roughly tripled to quadrupled since late 2025 due to the ongoing shortage, and industry analysts don't expect meaningful relief until 2027. In that context, this isn't a dramatic deal, but it's also not an inflated price relative to where DDR5 currently sits.

For more savings, every week we track the best RAM deals on the market.

The Catch: What to know before you buy

It's worth checking your motherboard's QVL or compatibility list before buying, since DDR5-6000 speeds aren't guaranteed on every platform without manual tuning. Given how volatile memory pricing has been, it's also worth comparing against other retailers before checking out, since prices on kits like this one can shift day to day.

Also consider

32GB Manta XFinity RGB DDR5 RAM: was $450.69 now $399.99
This is a 32GB dual-channel kit comprising two 16GB DDR5-6000 modules. It runs at CL30 with 30-38-38-76 timings and supports both Intel XMP 3.0 and AMD EXPO profiles, making it easier to run the memory at its advertised settings on compatible systems. Use promo code BTSF3652 for the full discount.View Deal

Vengeance RGB DDR5-6000 32GB (2x16GB): was $479.59 now $469.59
Corsair Vengeance RGB DDR5 memory delivers fast performance and eye-catching lighting for modern desktops. This 32GB kit includes two 16GB modules running at 6000MT/s with CAS latency 38 and 1.35V operating voltage. The speed helps keep demanding applications and multitasking responsive, while customizable RGB lighting adds vibrant style to any build. View Deal

The G.SKILL Flare X5 DDR5-6000 16GB kit delivers fast, stable performance with CL36 timings and AMD EXPO support. 16GB capacity, low-profile heat spreaders, and proven reliability make it an easy upgrade today for builders facing today’s volatile memory market.View Deal

• See other memory deals at Newegg.

• Nikkei Inc's 2025 report is in, and it shows a growth in global camera shipments
• Canon extends its lead at the top, while Fujifilm leapfrogs Nikon to #3
• Fujifilm shipments have more than doubled since 2023

The global shipment numbers for digital cameras sold in 2025 are in from Nikkei Inc (see boxout) and they make for encouraging reading for the industry as a whole. But the news is particularly good if you're a fan of Canon or Fujifilm.

What is Nikkei?

Nikkei Inc is Japan’s premier financial media group and the country’s equivalent to the Wall Street Journal or Financial Times. Its annual Major Products and Services Share survey is a definitive industry report tracking global market share across dozens of tech and manufacturing sectors — including digital cameras. These estimates are considered the gold standard for global accuracy, and its digital cameras data provides breakdowns by brand.

The biggest growth in shipments since the dawn of the smartphone was led by Canon once more, which tops the table with 4.5 million units (a huge increase of approximately one million more units year-on-year), while Sony maintained second place with 2.42 million shipments, following a much smaller increase.

It's a change in rankings, however, that catches the eye — Fujifilm leapfrogged Nikon to complete the top three; while Nikon's shipments saw a small dip, Fujifilm's grew significantly to surpass one million units, shipping 1.16 million versus 740,000 the year before (and 430,000 units the year before that).

Panasonic also enjoyed a major leap in shipments for 2025 to keep hold of position #5, while Ricoh Imaging stole sixth from OM Digital, thanks to the launch of its flagship premium compact, the GR IV.

You'll notice there's no mention of Leica or Hasselblad. That's because the numbers are for Japanese camera manufacturers only, which do in fact make up the vast majority of global digital camera sales.

I've listed the data for the last three years, below, but what can we can learn from the numbers?

The camera shipments data

The brands are listed below in order of camera shipments (and market share), with the year-on-year change in market share for 2025 in bold. You can find this data compiled at Mirrorless Rumors.

2025 ranking

Canon – 4.5 million units (45.7%, +2.5%)
Sony – 2.42 million units (24.6%, -3.9%)
Fujifilm– 1.16 million units (11.8%, +2.8%)
Nikon – 880,000 units (8.9%, -2.8%)
Panasonic – 430,000 units (4.4%, +1%)
Ricoh Imaging – 210,000 units (2.1%, +1.3%)
OM Digital – 150,000 units (1.5%, -0.4%)

2024 ranking

Canon – 3,53 million units (43.2%)
Sony – 2.33 million units (28.5%)
Nikon – 960,000 units (11.7%)
Fujifilm – 740,000 units (9.0%)
Panasonic – 280,000 units (3.4%)
OM Digital – 160,000 units (1.9%)
Ricoh Imaging – 70,000 units (0.8%)

2023 ranking

Canon – 3.34 million units (46.5%)
Sony – 2 million units (27.9%)
Nikon – 810,000 units (11.3%)
Fujifilm – 430,000 units (6.0%)
Panasonic – 260,000 units (3.6%)
OM Digital – 180,000 units (2.5%)
Ricoh Imaging – 60,000 units (0.8%)

What the data tells us (and what it doesn't)

To start with, it's important to understand that the numbers are for shipments only, and do not indicate revenue. Some brands specialize in pricey high-end gear, others cover a broader spectrum, meaning revenue rankings could be different.

For shipments, however, Canon remains the #1 camera brand, enjoying a huge growth in shipments for 2025. It covers more categories than any rival; DSLR, mirrorless and compacts, and has options for all budgets and experience levels, from the PowerShot V1 to the EOS R100 and EOS 5D Mark IV. Sony, meanwhile, has maintained its position in second place.

When we get to the rest, the numbers can be skewed somewhat year-on-year given the smaller numbers, based on busier or quieter product cycles. For example, Ricoh saw a big bump in shipments in 2025 with the launch of the GR IV, whereas it had no flagship new products the previous two years.

Nikon actually had a decent year, with its TechRadar award-winning Z5 II. Even still, it has plateaued somewhat in recent years, now with a shift in focus to cinema gear following its acquisition of RED which may have acted as a potential shipments handbrake in the immediate.

There's no denying Fujifilm's impressive growth, however. Its numbers go beyond individual models, and point to an overarching demand for retro gear, sparked by the success of its own X100 series, especially the X100VI from 2024. Going from 430,000 units in 2023, to 740,000 in 2024 and 1.16 million in 2025 is remarkable, especially with global component shortages and delays to stock (and those numbers do not take into account Instax).

The X-E5, one of Fujifilm's more recent efforts (Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)

Will the retro boom, which is also seen in Fujifilm's mirrorless cameras such as the X-E5, continue? 2026 has been a pretty quiet year so far for new products — in fact, no new Fujifilm or Nikon models so far — so I'm not so sure.

As a longtime Nikon fan, I'm a little worried. Its last new camera was the Zr from September 2025, and the Z5 II before that in April. It has seemingly abandoned beginner cameras and its Coolpix brand, too. Sony has arguably had the strongest year so far with the new A7R VI, FX5, and the revival of its popular bridge camera series with the new RX10 V, so I expect it to only extend its lead above Fujifilm.

What do you make of the shipment numbers? Which camera brand do you shoot with? Make sure you vote in our poll and have your say below.

• Huntress spotted a ClickFix campaign targeting security pros via fake conference invites
• Victims tricked into pasting code that installs AMOS infostealer on macOS
• If lured, isolate systems, reset credentials, rotate secrets, and review cryptocurrency wallets

Cybercriminals are targeting security professionals with a highly tailored ClickFix campaign in an attempt to get their computers infected with infostealer malware, experts have warned.

An active campaign against people who have attended, or have a history of attending, various cybersecurity conferences such as Black Hat, or DEF CON has been detetced by security researchers Huntress, who were targets themselves.

The attack starts on X, where the threat actor uses a fake account to interact with people visiting and sharing content from these conferences. After establishing rapport, they move into DMs, claiming they’re organizing a conference of their own, and sharing a Google Docs file containing “more info” with the victim.

Follow-up attack

Here is where the attackersy go for the ClickFix attack. The document comes with a vertical sidebar, apparently as a security feature that keeps the contents of the file encrypted. The victim is given a decryption code to enter, but it returns an error and offers a solution - to bring up the Terminal and copy/paste a piece of code.

From here, it’s the usual ClickFix practice: the victim ends up downloading and running AMOS, a notorious Mac infostealer capable of grabbing browser information, cookies, keychain data, cryptocurrency wallet information, Telegram files, and more. The Windows variant did not work when Huntress tried to analyze it, but it’s safe to assume the end goal is the same.

Huntress also found that this is not where the attack ends. If the victim does not install the infostealer, the threat actor will follow up with a different document, this time pretending to be for Dropbox and working only with the desktop app. Of course, the download button leads straight back to the infostealer.

The researchers shared a full list of Indicators of Compromise (IoC) which can be found on this link. They also advised anyone who interacted with this kind of lure to isolate the system from the network, collect relevant forensic evidence, and “consider reimaging the system”.

“Assume that credentials on the system have been compromised”, they said. “Revoke active sessions, reset passwords, and rotate API keys or any other secrets that may reside on the system. Review cryptocurrency wallets as well, if present.”

Best Buy has launched a massive week-long Anniversary sale, and its discounts remind me of its upcoming (and popular) Labor Day sale.

• Shop Best Buy's full Anniversary sale.

Best Buy is a popular destination during Labor Day thanks to record-low prices on best-selling tech and appliances. I've been impressed with Best Buy's anniversary sale, with record-low prices on this year's best-selling TVs, Apple devices, laptops, headphones, and appliances.

You can find first-time significant discounts on new releases, like LG's 65-inch C6 OLED TV and Apple's AirPods Pro 3. You can also find cheap laptops, with prices starting at just $189, and a range of TVs on sale, including 4K, QLED and OLED displays from Samsung, LG and TCL.

Keep in mind that these are limited-time offers and Best Buy's Anniversary sale ends this Sunday at Midnight. You can score record-low prices right now and enjoy your upcoming Labor Day holiday.

Best Buy Anniversary sale – quick links

• Apple: MacBooks, AirPods & iPads from $99
• Appliances: up to 50% off Dyson, Ninja & Shark
• Cameras: up to $1,000 off Canon & GoPro
• Gaming: PS5 & Switch games from $14.99
• Headphones: up to $160 off Bose & Sony
• Laptops: from $119
• Phones: up to $250 off Samsung, Apple & Google
• Smartwatches: up to $250 off Apple & Samsung
• Soundbars: up to $1,000 off Sonos & Samsung
• TVs: from $69.99
• Vacuums: save up to $450 on Dyson & Shark

Best Buy Anniversary sale — my top deal picks

AirPods Pro 3: was $249 now $189.99
Apple's newest premium buds feature improved Active Noise Cancellation, outstanding audio, a comfortable in-ear design, and new features such as live translation and heart-rate tracking. These do-it-all buds really are 100% flagship audio and the noise-cancelling quality is outstanding. Today's deal is the best price you can find on Apple's newest AirPods, and the best price this year outside of Prime Day.View Deal

55-inch F70 Series 4K QLED Mini-LED Fire TV: was $699.99 now $249.99
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

The newest Ring Battery Doorbell Plus model drops to under $60 in the latest Best Buy sale. Its camera features 1536p resolution, night vision with color, and an improved motion sensor. It also includes an increased head-to-toe field of view of 150 by 150 degrees, so you can get a fuller picture of who's at your door.View Deal

IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook: was $419 now $189
Display: 14 inches
Processor: MediaTek Kompanio 540
RAM: 4GB
Storage: 64GB

This super-cheap Lenovo Chromebook is a very basic device that's best suited to light use and schoolwork, but it's a bargain at this low price from Best Buy. The lean ChromeOS operating system gets more from low-end components, but it relies on you using more web-based applications such as Google Docs. And while it will struggle with anything beyond basic tasks, this also ensures exceptional all-day battery life, making it a strong portable option at a very affordable price.View Deal

75-inch S5 4K LED Fire TV: was $649.99 now $399.99
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

If you want to get your hands on Apple's latest and greatest smartwatch, the retailer has a $100 discount on the Apple Watch Series 11. The thinnest Apple Watch yet, with a wraparound LTP3 OLED display, it's a great-looking watch with Apple Intelligence-powered smarts and a boosted battery compared to previous Apple Watches, clocking in at 24 hours of average use.

Read our full Apple Watch Series 11 reviewView Deal

77-inch B5 OLED 4K Smart TV: was $2999.99 now $1399.99
The LG B5 is this year's best budget OLED TV, and Best Buy has a massive 53% 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

WH-1000XM5: was $398 now $249.99
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

Gen5outsize Absolute: was $1149.99 now $699.99
The Gen5outsize is a scaled-up version of the Gen5detect, with a larger dust cup and wider floorhead. This model is designed for larger homes and has the same high-tech features as its regular-sized sibling, including real-time dust reports and automatic suction adjustment. Today's deal from Best Buy is a record-low price.View Deal

Hero 13 Black: was $479.99 now $354.99
Here's a super-tempting record-low price for one of the best action camera bundles in the world right now. The camera offers an impressive 5.3K video resolution inside a rugged and completely waterproof body. A sweet deal for your remaining summer adventures.View Deal

QD50 58-inch Hi-QLED 4K TV: was $399.99 now $149.99
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

Best Buy Anniversary sale TV deals

F20 32-inch HD Fire TV: was $129.99 now $69.99
It's one of the smallest and cheapest TVs you can buy, but if that's all you need, then this Insignia F20 is very hard to beat. Definitely don't expect the best picture quality or the fastest performance, but if you just need a display for infrequent streaming in a kid's room, the bedroom, or kitchen, then it's up to the job — and it doesn't cost very much at all.View Deal

55-inch F50 Series 4K Smart Fire TV: was $349.99 now $199.99
Get the best-selling Insignia 55-inch F50 Series 4K TV for an incredible $199.99. The Insignia F50 Series TV features 4K HD resolution, DTS Studio Sound, smart capabilities with Fire OS, and a voice remote with hands-free Alexa, so you can use your voice to control your TV.View Deal

55-inch F70 Series 4K QLED Mini-LED Fire TV: was $699.99 now $249.99
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 $149.99
A 58-inch QLED TV for $149.99 is an incredible deal, especially since this is a new 2026 model. While the Hisense QD50 isn't a premium display, it offers QLED technology, which delivers superior brightness and more vivid colors. You're also getting Dolby Vision, Game Mode Plus, and Roku's streaming platform.View Deal

65-inch C6 OLED TV: was $2699.99 now $1799.99
The LG C6 is the successor to our best-rated TV, LG's C5 OLED, and it has a whopping $900 discount at Best Buy's sale. The 2026 OLED TV delivers more accurate, brighter colors than the C5 with powerful contrast thanks to its new Alpha 11 AI processor. The C6 also includes impressive gaming features and LG's intuitive smart TV platform.

Read our full LG C6 reviewView Deal

65-inch LS03FA The Frame QLED TV: was $1599.99 now $999.99
If you've been eyeing Samsung's gorgeous The Frame QLED TV, Best Buy has the 65-inch model on sale for its lowest price yet. The 2025 Samsung Frame TV features Pantone art-validated colors that deliver lifelike images. The display now comes with Streams, a complimentary set of artwork streamed from the Samsung Art Store.View Deal

65-inch G6 OLED 4K TV: was $3399.99 now $2999.99
The LG G6 is a pricey TV, but this flagship OLED delivers superb picture quality and unbeatable gaming performance. It uses a new-gen Primary RGB Tandem 2.0 OLED panel and a new Alpha 11 AI Gen 3 processor to deliver a better bright-room viewing experience than the previous model. With four HDMI 2.1 ports supporting a full suite of features, the G6 is also a fantastic gaming display.

Read our full LG G6 reviewView Deal

75-inch S5 4K LED Fire TV: was $649.99 now $399.99
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

Best Buy has an impressive discount on Samsung's 2026 75-inch R85H Micro RGB 4K Smart TV. Perfect for watching football, Samsung's R85H Series delivers brilliant colors that come to life thanks to its Micro RGB technology and AI engine. Today's whopping $800 discount brings the price down to a record low.View Deal

77-inch B5 OLED 4K Smart TV: was $2999.99 now $1399.99
The LG B5 is this year's best budget OLED TV, and Best Buy has a massive 53% 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

77-inch Bravia XR8B Smart Google TV: was $2999.99 now $2499.99
If you're looking for a big-screen premium display to watch your favorite team, Sony's 77-inch Bravia XR8B OLED TV is now at a record-low price of $2,499.99. Sony's Bravia 8 features a sleek, slim design, a wide viewing angle, brilliant images with deep contrast, and cinematic sound across the entire screen.View Deal

85-inch QM7L Mini LED TV: was $2499.99 now $1699.99
A massive $800 price cut makes this 85-inch TCL QM7L a great choice if you're looking for a truly big-screen TV for football season. This 2026 model features impressive brightness and plenty of pop thanks to its Mini-LED display, and it also supports Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and two HDMI 2.1 ports for 4K gaming. Of course, the main selling point here is this particular TV's massive 85-inch display, which will make it the centerpiece of any room. View Deal

Best Buy Anniversary sale Apple deals

AirTag 4 Pack (2nd generation): was $99 now $89
The best-selling Apple AirTag is on sale for $89 during Best Buy's Anniversary sale. A great way to track a child's backpack or luggage, the AirTag can be attached to anything you don't want to lose, and your iPhone can locate it.View Deal

Best Buy has Apple's AirPods 4 on sale for $99.99. The AirPods 4 feature a new design for all-day comfort and feature Apple's H2 chip, which supports personalized spatial audio and voice isolation. You also get a redesigned case with 30 hours of battery life and support for USB-C for wireless charging.

Read our full AirPods 4 reviewView Deal

Best Buy's Tech Fest Sale also has the AirPods 4 with active noise cancellation for $149.99, which is the best deal you can find right now. The AirPods 4 feature a new comfortable design, handy controls, and Apple's H2 chip, which supports personalized spatial audio and voice isolation.

Read our full AirPods 4 with ANC reviewView Deal

AirPods Pro 3: was $249 now $189.99
Apple's newest premium buds feature improved Active Noise Cancellation, outstanding audio, a comfortable in-ear design, and new features such as live translation and heart-rate tracking. These do-it-all buds really are 100% flagship audio and the noise-cancelling quality is outstanding. Today's deal is the best price you can find on Apple's newest AirPods, and the best price this year outside of Prime Day.View Deal

AirPods Max (USB-C): was $549 now $449.99
Best Buy has a $50 discount on the all-new AirPods Max 2, which is the lowest price we've seen. 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

Best Buy has a $30 discount on the already affordable Apple Watch SE 3, making it an excellent bargain at just $219. While the Apple Watch Series 11 currently holds the title of the best smartwatch for most people, the SE 3 is still packed with features, including activity, heart rate, and sleep tracking, plus an impressive 18 hours of battery life.

Read our full Apple Watch SE 3 reviewView Deal

If you want to get your hands on Apple's latest and greatest smartwatch, the retailer has a $100 discount on the Apple Watch Series 11. The thinnest Apple Watch yet, with a wraparound LTP3 OLED display, it's a great-looking watch with Apple Intelligence-powered smarts and a boosted battery compared to previous Apple Watches, clocking in at 24 hours of average use.

Read our full Apple Watch Series 11 reviewView 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

11-inch iPad Air M4,: was $749 now $649
The 2026 iPad Air M4 is now on sale at Best Buy for $649 - that's the lowest price we've seen since Apple's price hikes in June. The 11-inch iPad Air delivers laptop-like speed and power thanks to Apple's M4 processor, plus you're getting 12GB of RAM, Bluetooth 6 support, and Wi-Fi 7 connectivity.

Read our full 11-inch iPad Air M4 reviewView Deal

Apple MacBook Neo at Best Buy: save when you trade-in and get a free $25 Starbucks gift card
If you're looking to upgrade and trade in your current laptop, this is a fantastic deal at Best Buy. Depending on your trade-in value, you can save big on Apple's MacBook Neo and get close to that Target scam price of $119. The retailer is also throwing in a free $25 Starbucks gift card with your purchase - no strings attached.View Deal

MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5 Pro): was $2199 now $2049
For creative professionals, the 14-inch MacBook Pro powered by the performance-driven M5 Pro chip is the one to choose. This beast flies through demanding workloads like video editing without skipping a beat.

Read our full MacBook Pro M5 reviewView Deal

Best Buy Anniversary sale laptop deals

IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook: was $419 now $189
Display: 14 inches
Processor: MediaTek Kompanio 540
RAM: 4GB
Storage: 64GB

This super-cheap Lenovo Chromebook is a very basic device that's best suited to light use and schoolwork, but it's a bargain at this low price from Best Buy. The lean ChromeOS operating system gets more from low-end components, but it relies on you using more web-based applications such as Google Docs. And while it will struggle with anything beyond basic tasks, this also ensures exceptional all-day battery life, making it a strong portable option at a very affordable price.View Deal

Display - 14 inches
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 $349
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. Storage of 128GB is a bit underwhelming, but you do get a large and bright IPS display, and decent battery life of around 12 hours — that's more than enough to last a full working day. At a little under $350, it's a smart buy for school or college, or just as a home laptop for light use and everyday tasks.View Deal

OmniBook X Flip: was $1199.99 now $749.99
Display - 16 inches
Processor - Intel Core Ultra 7
RAM - 16GB
Storage - 1TB

This powerful and versatile HP OmniBook Flip offers impressive performance for the price, with powerful components such as a modern Intel Core Ultra 7 processor, a healthy 16GB of RAM to boost performance, and a decent 1TB SSD for storage. You can comfortably handle everyday tasks, demanding work, video calls, media streaming and more with this laptop, all with the option to flip it around to a 16-inch touchscreen tablet when needed, too.View Deal

Apple MacBook Neo at Best Buy: save when you trade-in and get a free $25 Starbucks gift card
If you're looking to upgrade and trade in your current laptop, this is a fantastic deal at Best Buy. Depending on your trade-in value, you can save big on Apple's MacBook Neo and get close to that Target scam price of $119. The retailer is also throwing in a free $25 Starbucks gift card with your purchase - no strings attached.View Deal

MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5 Pro): was $2199 now $2049
For creative professionals, the 14-inch MacBook Pro powered by the performance-driven M5 Pro chip is the one to choose. This beast flies through demanding workloads like video editing without skipping a beat.

Read our full MacBook Pro M5 reviewView Deal

Best Buy Anniversary sale headphone deals

The Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 are our pick for the best running headphones for endurance. So, if you’re running longer distances, these are excellent. The incredibly well-engineered earhook design delivers a secure fit, and the buds offer solid battery life and good sound quality. Today's deal from Best Buy is $20 shy of the record-low price.View Deal

Best Buy has Apple's AirPods 4 on sale for $99.99. The AirPods 4 feature a new design for all-day comfort and feature Apple's H2 chip, which supports personalized spatial audio and voice isolation. You also get a redesigned case with 30 hours of battery life and support for USB-C for wireless charging.

Read our full AirPods 4 reviewView Deal

Best Buy's Tech Fest Sale also has the AirPods 4 with active noise cancellation for $149.99, which is the best deal you can find right now. The AirPods 4 feature a new comfortable design, handy controls, and Apple's H2 chip, which supports personalized spatial audio and voice isolation.

Read our full AirPods 4 with ANC reviewView Deal

AirPods Pro 3: was $249 now $189.99
Apple's newest premium buds feature improved Active Noise Cancellation, outstanding audio, a comfortable in-ear design, and new features such as live translation and heart-rate tracking. These do-it-all buds really are 100% flagship audio and the noise-cancelling quality is outstanding. Today's deal is the best price you can find on Apple's newest AirPods, and the best price this year outside of Prime Day.View Deal

AirPods Max (USB-C): was $549 now $449.99
Best Buy has a $50 discount on the all-new AirPods Max 2, which is the lowest price we've seen. 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

OpenRun Pro 2: was $179.99 now $139.99
Treat yourself to one of the best pairs of bone conduction headphones at their lowest-ever price. Not only do they deliver outstanding sound, but they're also incredibly comfortable. They're highly recommended by our Fitness & Wearables Editor, Matt Evans, and are now more affordable.View Deal

WH-1000XM5: was $398 now $249.99
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

Studio Pro Premium Wireless Over-Ear Headphones: was $199.95 now $169.95
Grab the highly-rated Beats Studio Pro for $169.95, which is just $10 shy of the all-time record-low price. They're gorgeous-looking, easy to use, and the sound is good (read about it in our Beats Studio Pro review), so if the lack of multipoint pairing (they do auto-switch with Apple devices, though) and wearer detection doesn't bother you, this is a very solid deal.View Deal

The summer bank holiday may still be over a week away, but that hasn't stopped Amazon from dropping an unusually high number of early deals across tech, appliances, essentials, toys, and more. I've searched through this weekend's latest batch of offers and picked out 26 of the best deals that I'd recommend.

• See all of this weekend's best deals at Amazon UK

Amazon devices make up a surprising number of this weekend's offers, so there are discounts available on Fire TV Sticks, Ring doorbells, and Fire tablets. Many of these have been cheaper during Prime Day and Black Friday, though, so while the savings of up to 40% are solid, we're far from record-low prices in some cases.

However, one standout deal is this Blink Outdoor 4 Camera and Video Doorbell for £34.99 (was £129.95). That's fantastic value for money for a beginner smart home bundle, and an easy-to-use first set if you're trying out the tech for the first time.

Other deals I like the look of include this Lenovo Chromebook Duet for £199.99 (was £349.99) that's ideal for students, the budget-friendly Fitbit Inspire 3 for £58.99 (was £84.99), and the fantastic Shokz Open Run Headphones for £94 (was £129.95).

You can check out all of my top picks below. While these offers aren't part of any official bank holiday sale at Amazon, I suspect that most will remain available over the next week or so, unless otherwise stated on the site.

26 best weekend deals at Amazon UK

Outdoor 4 Camera with Blink Video Doorbell: was £129.98 now £34.99
This excellent value bundle includes a Blink Outdoor 4 security camera and a Blink Video Doorbell at an incredibly low price. It's one of my top picks if you want to dabble with some cheap smart home tech. The 4th-generation outdoor security camera features two-way audio, a two-year battery life, and works with Amazon Alexa for hands-free control and interconnectivity with other smart devices. Meanwhile, the Blink Video Doorbell is a cheap and easy way to get alerts on your phone when motion is detected or when guests are at your door.View Deal

If you're in the UK, here's a strong saving on some of the best bone conduction headphones for runners. Even with age, they offer impressive audio quality, a comfortable fit and useful safety features. The Shokz OpenRun also boast an eight-hour battery life, but you can fast-charge them for ten minutes before going for a run in order to grab a full 90 minutes of juice. This deal is just £5 more than the previous record-low.View Deal

USB-C Charger Cable (2-Pack): was £7.99 now £5.99
Can you ever have too many USB cables? The box full of them under my desk would suggest you can. However, if you want a couple more to leave around the house or take with you when out and about, this pair of USB-C to USB-A cables from top brand Anker is now super-cheap.View Deal

The discount may be small, but the Fitbit Inspire 3 is an excellent value-for-money device for newcomers or those curious about the usefulness of exercise and health tracking. The tracker is packed with features and content that a beginner needs to get started, including heart rate monitoring, activity tracking, stress management scoring, and sleep tracking. Plus, the battery lasts for a lengthy ten days, it can receive notifications from your phone, and six months of Fitbit Premium are included for free.View Deal

Double Stack XL Air Fryer: was £269.99 now £189.99
Ninja's recent space-saving air fryer is just £5 more than its lowest-ever price, which is still a bit of a steal for the popular and well-rated appliance. We loved it at TechRadar, scoring it full marks in our Ninja Double Stack Air Fryer review and even putting it in our best air fryer buying guide. Well-built and great-looking on any countertop, it offers five cooking levels across two drawers and two racks, while the 9.5L capacity is ideal for medium to big families.View Deal

This Warmco Portable handheld fan is a slightly more high-tech and serious-looking device. We haven't reviewed it, but it does have good Amazon reviews and the price is right thanks to this latest deal. According to the user reviews, this looks to be a surprisingly powerful little fan that also offers excellent battery life if you need to take it with you when on the go.View Deal

The Philips OneBlade 360 is a quick, simple and affordable electric razor that's suitable for a wide variety of face and body grooming needs. This jam-packed bundle was a little cheaper over Black Friday, but today's offer is still a solid one. This bundle includes the handle, as well as a spare blade, a 5-in-1 adjustable comb, and a USB-A charging cable.View Deal

45W 10.000mAh Portable Charger: was £21.99 now £18.66
It's always handy to have a portable charger to take with you when you're on the go, and this 10000mAh one from popular brand Inui is a smart buy in my eyes. For starters, it's small and super-slim, making it easy to carry around in a pocket or slip into your bag, while still offering enough juice to charge some of the latest phones and tablets to above 50%. It has two USB-C ports and one USB-A, meaning you can charge multiple devices at once. There's even a handy detachable USB-C cable included for free.View Deal

Display - 11 inches
Processor - MediaTek Kompanio 838
RAM - 4GB
Storage - 128GB

The Lenovo Chromebook Duet is a flexible 11-inch laptop and it's now available for a great price following this discount. In our very positive Lenovo Chromebook Duet review, we thought it offered an excellent balance between tablet portability and Chromebook flexibility. This version is a basic model with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, so it's best for light use or school. However, the day-long battery life is a huge boost for those who are always on the go. View Deal

The Nespresso Vertuo Next is a small and convenient pod coffee machine — and it's now back to its lowest price this year. With multiple drinks in multiple sizes available at the touch of a button, it could be the ideal no-fuss pick for your room or shared kitchen.View Deal

Fire TV Stick 4K Select: was £49.99 now £26.99
Amazon's newest 4K streaming stick is almost 50% off right now. Considering it's only a few quid more than the cheaper HD version, you might as well pay for the upgrade and get access to 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 this is more than enough to cover general everyday use.View Deal

Soundcore 2 Portable Speaker: was £39.99 now £24.97
If you want a cheap and basic Bluetooth speaker, then you can't go wrong with this Anker Soundcore for almost £25. Sure, it's not going to give you the biggest and boldest audio quality, but it's still a solid option at an affordable price. Battery life is an impressive 24 hours, too, so it's great to use around the home or take it with you when on the go.View Deal

Paper Pro Bundle: was £429 now £339.99
This bundle features the reMarkable Paper Pro tablet and Marker Plus Pen for a record-low price. We concluded that this is an "elegant writing tablet" in our four-star review, so it's hard to argue against it while it has such a strong discount. If you want an E-ink screen for your writing or sketching, then it's worth taking advantage of this deal while you can.View Deal

The Ring Outdoor Camera is back to its lowest-ever price this weekend at Amazon — the same offer we saw on Prime Day. The Alexa-enabled security camera features motion-activated notifications, two-way talk, and can be placed outdoors thanks to its weather-resistant design and a battery life of six to twelve months.View Deal

If you picked up those USB cables for cheap, you might also want a charger plug to use with them. There are several on sale right now at Amazon, but I like this Ugreen option the best. It's a 100W fast charger with three USB-C ports and one USB-A port, offering support for multiple phones, laptops, tablets, earbuds, and more, with the option to charge more than one at a single time with the correct arrangement. The small and compact design, is the ideal finishing touch.View Deal

iO Series 2: was £100 now £39.99
The iO range is usually a more expensive option in Oral-B's range of electric toothbrushes, but this is an excellent deal on an entry-level option that's also bundled with a few handy extras. It doesn't boast many high-end features, but it has the basic ones you really need to brush your teeth effectively and efficiently, including a two-minute timer and a visible pressure sensor. Plus, you get a refill holder and a travel case included for free.View Deal

Battery Video Doorbell: was £79.99 now £44.99
The latest wireless Ring Doorbell has been discounted to its lowest price since Prime Day. We've tested this and have been impressed with the video quality, high zoom, and night vision colour, but it's a shame that some of this device's value is only available with a Ring Protect subscription. However, if you're fine with paying for a subscription or already using a Ring-based home security system, it's worth the cost.View Deal

Get the highly rated Renpho smart scale on sale for under £20 this week. The smart scale has over 300,000 reviews on Amazon and holds a solid 4.6-star rating. You can use this smart device to measure your body fat ratio, BMI, and weight via the Renpho app.View Deal

Fire TV Stick HD: was £39.99 now £23.99
You can get the upgraded version of Amazon's standard Fire TV Stick for £23.99 right now — that's the best price since Prime Day. In our Fire TV Stick review, we found the original version was a cheap way to add essential smart features to your TV, including access to streaming apps in HD, Alexa voice controls, and the ability to control other smart home devices.View Deal

Perhaps you're moving into halls or other university accommodation and want an option to get some exercise in at home, well, this cheap pack of resistance bands could be useful. For under £10, you get five different-strength bands, ranging from light to XX-heavy, that can help with all sorts of different home training, yoga, pilates, and other exercises.View Deal

The Google Pixel 10a is our pick for the best bargain phone for its balance between affordability and functionality. It features a Tensor G4 processor and a display with a 120Hz refresh rate, which offers solid performance at this price point. You also get a Gorilla Glass 7i screen for better drop protection and scratch resistance. For £100 off, you can get this smooth and affordable smartphone for its lowest price yet, or save another £50 on top if you're OK with 128GB of storage.View Deal

Star Wars UCS Millennium Falcon: was £734.99 now £578.99
If you want one of the biggest building challenges Lego can provide, then this 7,542-piece Millennium Falcon from the Lego Star Wars Ultimate Collectors Series is the one for you. And with over 20% sliced off its original price tag, the Force is strong with this deal.View Deal

IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook: was £249 now £179.99
Display: 14 inches
Processor: MediaTek Kompanio 520
RAM: 8GB
Storage: 128GB

This version of the Lenovo Chromebook offers a solid amount of power for the price. It includes a very basic MediaTek Kompanio 520 processor, but you do get 8GB of RAM to boost performance, boot times, and load times. There's also 128GB of storage and battery life is good at around 13 hours on a single charge. That's more than enough to last a full day. At under £200, it's a bargain for school or college, or as a home laptop for light use and everyday tasks.View Deal

Core Mini Air Purifier: was £49.99 now £39.99
I actually bought a Levoit Core Mini for myself when moving into a new house that hadn't been lived in for a while to get rid of the dust and debris, and I also think it works as a great option for any allergy problems. What I like most is that it's small and quiet, so it is perfect for all sorts of spaces, such as the living room and bedroom. It's now also very affordable at 20% off.View Deal

The Ninja Blast Portable Blender is a powerful all-in-one portable blender — and it's now got a small price cut at Amazon. It has a 530ml container with a leakproof lid and sip spout, while the carry handle means you can take it with you to the gym or on your walks. It’s capable of blending ice and frozen fruit, as well as any liquids and powders, while one charge gives you up to two hours of battery life.View Deal

The Amazon Fire HD 10 sports one of the largest screens in the range, making content look nicer and easier to see. Plus, it has a convenient 5MP front-facing camera for taking calls as you move. It all comes together to provide a slightly faster and more appealing way to use a tablet, while still keeping costs down and providing that all-important Alexa support. Today's offer is a good price, but just know that it has been cheaper in the past.View Deal

I could just delete the addictive social media apps, but what’s the fun in that?

If you're headed off to college soon, a gaming laptop can be a wise investment. You'll not only have enough power to study or handle coursework, but you'll also have a machine that can tackle your game library out of hours.

Finding a decent deal is a little tough these days with the cost of components like RAM skyrocketing — there are still bargains, however. Both Walmart and Best Buy are in the final stretch of the back-to-school sales season, meaning students, teachers, and just about anyone can take advantage of various discounts.

I've been scanning retailer pages today, and I found five good value gaming laptops with varying prices for different budgets. While there are quite literally hundreds of laptops on sale this weekend, these are the handful that I'd consider personally.

A particular highlight has to be this heavily discounted Gigabyte A16 for $1,249 (was $1,849) at Walmart. A little pricey, perhaps, especially as a machine with an older chipset, but in terms of bang for the buck, this one takes some beating right now with its RTX 5070 graphics card and 32GB of RAM.

Another great choice is this Acer Predator Helios Neo 16S at Best Buy for $2,089 (was $2,199). You'll need seriously flush pockets to get this deal, but this configuration features an RTX 5070 Ti graphics card, OLED display, and a Core Ultra 9 chipset, meaning it's very well-specced for the price. You can read more about this deal and other cheaper options just below.

This weekend's best gaming laptop deals

Victus 15.6-inch gaming laptop: was $1124 now $649.99
Graphics card: RTX 3050
Processor: Intel Core i5-13420H
RAM: 8GB
Storage: 512GB

This HP Victus is a cheap (and I mean cheap) gaming laptop, so don't expect too much in terms of performance. It's got an older chipset, graphics card, and only 8GB of RAM. With that said, you can play some basic games with this machine, including relatively recent titles if you're willing to tweak your settings. I'd highly recommend spending more, but this one will play most popular esports titles, 2D games, and less graphically demanding Indie titles.View Deal

Cyborg 15.6-inch gaming laptop: was $1299 now $949
Graphics card: RTX 5060
Processor: Intel Core 5 210H
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 512GB

This MSI Cyborg is a nice compromise between budget and power. It's not a super high-end configuration with its Intel Core 5 chipset and 512GB SSD, but it does have a mid-range RTX 5060 graphics card, which should give you a nice bump in performance versus the cheaper machines on the market. As an all-in-one machine for study and gameplay, this is a good value. View Deal

Gaming A16: was $1849.99 now $1249
Graphics card: RTX 5070
Processor: Intel Core i7-13620H
RAM: 32GB
Storage: 1TB

In terms of sheer bang for the buck, not much can touch this Gigabyte A16 at Walmart today. It's not only one of the cheapest machines in recent months to feature a powerful RTX 5070 graphics card, but you also get 32GB of RAM right out of the box. The chipset is a little older, and this machine is pretty weighty for a laptop, but this is a very good option indeed if you want to play the latest games smoothly.View Deal

Graphics card: RTX 5060
Processor: Intel Core i7-14700HX
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 1TB

This Lenovo Legion 5i is on the pricey side for a machine with a mid-range RTX 5060 graphics card, but this particular model features a stunning high-end OLED display. If you can afford to spend a little extra, then you'll appreciate the display for both gaming and content. Annoyingly, this configuration only comes with 16GB of RAM, which is the sacrifice you have to pay to get such a nice display at this price. View Deal

Predator Helios Neo 16S: was $2199.99 now $2089.99
Graphics card: RTX 5070 Ti
Processor: Intel Core Ultra 9-275HX
RAM: 32GB
Storage: 1TB

For a no-compromise option, I'd recommend this Acer Predator Helios, which is currently on sale with the Best Buy 60th Anniversary sale. The savings aren't huge, but I think the price is right here considering you get an RTX 5070 Ti, Ultra 9, 32GB of RAM, and a high-end OLED display. You'll have no issues with all the latest titles with this machine - and everything will look fantastic thanks to the OLED display.View Deal

Ahead of the Practical Magic 2 movie this September, Ninja is commemorating the iconic franchise with new spellbinding shades.

• Logitech facing a class action lawsuit over tariff refunds, with the lawsuit alleging the company raised the price of some products to pass the cost of tariffs onto customers
• The US government collected an estimated $166 billion in IEEA tariffs which are to be returned to businesses, but their are no mechanisms in place to return the cost of tariff-inflated goods back to customers
• Nintendo and Sony are also facing lawsuits over tariff cost refunds

Following President Donald Trump’s return to power in January 2025, he almost immediately levied numerous International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEA) tariffs on imports of almost all goods coming into the United States.

According to Trump, the tariffs were imposed to boost domestic production of goods, and increase the purchasing of products manufactured in the US. Somewhat shortsightedly, the US was not able to suddenly change to the mass production of most imported goods and the tariffs were passed on to consumers as part of the price of imported goods.

Many of these and subsequent tariffs were deemed illegal by the Supreme Court of the United States, with around $166 billion in IEEA tariff revenue collected by the government to be refunded to businesses. Unfortunately, many businesses don’t really want to hand that money back to consumers, and Logitech is now being taken to court for it.

Tariffs refunded to businesses but not passed on to consumers

A class action lawsuit has been filed by Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, LLP, by the District Court for the Northern District of California, San Jose Division, against Logitech.

The lawsuit alleges Logitech raised the price of many of its products to cover the costs of the import tariffs, but the company has not made it possible for customers to claim back the tariff costs they covered.

As the companies were the ones who paid the tariffs, there is no mechanism in place for consumers to claim back the costs that companies silently imposed on them.

According to the lawsuit, Logitech investors were told by its executives that the price of its products had to be raised to offset the cost of the tariffs.

Around half of the Logitech product catalog saw price rises at around 14%, but the costs of some products were raised by as much as 25%.

Nintendo and Sony also in hot water

While the lawsuit singles out Logitech, numerous other companies have also been accused of raising the costs of goods to cover tariffs and then keeping the refunds for themselves.

For example, Nintendo’s operating profits were reported to be around $902 million between April 1 and June 30. But during the same period the previous year, the operating profit was around $360 million.

While some of this profit increase can be attributed to a boom in games sales and software purchases for the Switch and Switch 2, much of the profit has been alleged to have actually come from tariff refunds.

Nintendo claims to have covered the costs of tariffs itself despite the price of both Switch consoles rising by as much as $50 in 2025.

Nintendo has filed a lawsuit against the US government, demanding that the refunds from the “sweeping” and “constantly changing” tariffs be paid back with interest. Nintendo is also battling a lawsuit in court that demands the tariff refunds are also passed on to consumers.

Sony has been handed an estimated $508 million tariff refund, but raised the prices of key products such as the PlayStation 5 to cover the costs of the importation tariffs. A lawsuit has been filed, but Sony has made no indication that consumers who bought PlayStation consoles at elevated prices will see a dime back.

UK organizations are investing heavily in AI tools. According to latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures, 29% of UK businesses were using at least one type of AI technology as of June 2026.

Yet despite growing adoption, many organizations are still focused on the wrong question.

Most AI discussions start with the technology. Which models should we use? Which platform should we buy? How quickly can we deploy it?

While these decisions matter, they are not what determines success. The biggest obstacle to AI transformation is not technology but the people.

Organizations have managed to navigate major technology shifts before, from cloud migration and agile development to Zero Trust security. AI, however, represents something different. Rather than simply introducing new tools, it is changing how work gets done.

The businesses that succeed will be those that give AI tools the context they need to be useful and the people who know how to put that context to work.

The first shift: changing the mindset

One of the most striking trends in AI adoption is the gap between individual use and organizational readiness. According to recent research, nearly one in five UK workers now uses generative AI daily, yet only one in ten UK organizations has successfully scaled AI or embedded it into core operations.

Employees are embracing AI, whilst organizations are still figuring out how to turn that enthusiasm into lasting business value.

The people seeing the biggest gains aren't treating AI like business software. They're treating it like another worker. They know how to provide context. They know how to set expectations. They know how to review outputs, challenge assumptions and refine results. In short, they're managing AI rather than simply using it.

That distinction matters. AI isn't behaving like traditional software. It behaves more like a worker. The people getting the most value from it are those who know how to brief it, direct it and assess its output.

For many employees, that way of working is still emerging. AI is often used as a faster route to information rather than a collaborative tool capable of helping shape and execute work. Increasingly, every employee will need to become an AI manager. The ability to brief, direct and challenge AI will become a core workplace skill, regardless of role or department.

The second shift: treating upskilling as a business priority

Organizations cannot hire their way to AI readiness. There simply aren't enough people with the necessary expertise, and external hiring alone cannot replace the institutional knowledge already sitting inside the business.

The businesses moving fastest are investing in the people they already have. They're helping employees develop the confidence, judgement and practical skills needed to work alongside AI every day.

Giving employees access to AI tools is only the starting point. Organizations also need structured training, clear governance and opportunities for practical experimentation. The real opportunity lies not in teaching people to use AI, but in helping them understand how to work alongside it, applying critical thinking and human expertise to deliver stronger outcomes than either could achieve alone.

As AI capabilities continue to evolve, the organizations that treat learning as an ongoing discipline rather than a one-off training program will be best positioned to adapt.

The third shift: redesigning the organization itself

The final shift is organizational.

For decades, businesses have been structured around functions, departments and clearly defined handoffs. These models were designed to create accountability and specialization, but they can also introduce friction.

As AI begins working across teams and systems, some of those traditional boundaries begin to blur. Processes that once relied on handoffs between departments can increasingly be coordinated through connected digital workers. Activities that once required multiple individuals, applications and approval chains can increasingly be coordinated through connected digital workers.

While organizational structures will remain important, leaders will need to reconsider how work is organized and how value is generated.

Businesses will increasingly organize around outcomes rather than functions. As AI takes on more coordination work, we may start to see entirely new operating models emerge, including businesses capable of generating enormous value with far fewer employees than would have previously been possible.

AI runs on context

Many organizations are focused on the latest AI capabilities, but AI can only work with the context it has access to. The more relevant context AI can access, the more valuable its outputs become.

This is why digital transformation remains so important in the age of AI. Not because every organization needs to reinvent how people work overnight, but because information needs to flow more freely across the business.

Too often, transformation is viewed as a large-scale overhaul. Some of the most impactful improvements come from making existing workflows smarter.

For years, organizations have viewed printing as a blocker to digital transformation. Although when connected to modern workflows, cloud platforms and business systems, the print action can become an enabler instead. It can help trigger processes, route information and connect systems in ways that support both employees and AI.

Sometimes transformation starts with a major initiative. Sometimes it starts by making familiar actions more intelligent. The goal is the same: making information easier for both people and AI to access and use.

AI transformation is a people transformation

As organizations race to adopt AI, it's easy to assume success will be determined by the technology itself.

The real differentiator will be how effectively organizations prepare their people and unlock the knowledge already sitting across the business.

AI can only work with the context it has access to, and much of that context still lives in documents, workflows and everyday processes.

The organizations that see the greatest value from AI won't necessarily be those with the most advanced models. They'll be the ones that make information easier to access, enable people to work differently and create an environment where humans and AI can contribute together.

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• Slack Code will let workers code as a team
• Dedicated channels will let coding teams track changes in real time
• A wide range of AI agents will be available to use

Cracking those complex coding tasks could soon be a lot easier thanks to a new release from Salesforce and Slack.

The new Slack Code looks to brings AI-powered coding into the team workspace, changing how employees build and work, making coding "multiplayer".

The launch will allow teams to set up dedicated channels where teams can focus on a singular task or project, sharing it with their fellow workers to ensure nothing gets missed.

Slack Code

"We’re in the middle of a coding boom that’s changing how people build and work," a Salesforce blog post announcing the news declared, citing the popularity of coding agents such as Claude Code, Claude Tag, Devin from Cognition, GitHub Copilot, ChatGPT, and Vercel.

"Now the challenge is connecting what you’re building to the conversations your team is having, all in one interface."

Slack Code will look to tackle everyday tasks such as updating a web page or fixing a bug, but is also designed for the next big project or idea. Users simply tag in their coding agent of choice, which then creates a code channel to begin.

(Image credit: Salesforce)

Anyone in the channel can see the conversation, review code diffs, check live previews, give feedback, and approve the work before it ships, without the need to ever leave Slack.

Every code channel maps to one project, meaning it (should) so it stays focused and tidy, with the ability to mute or archive when it's not needed.

All users will be able to follow the work as it happens, including live previews, in their own tabs, with the ability to see exactly what has changed, with old code being struck through. When it's ready to preview, the team can watch the HTML output run live, and when a task is completed, the channel archives itself, with the record remaining as an audit log.

Organizations can tailor agent behavior and connect with existing tools, including auto-provisioning of accounts, authenticating users, and automating parts of the workflow to fit how your company works.

"Coding agents changed how individuals build. Now Slack Code changes how teams build," Salesforce's blog post adds.

"Squeezing complex, multi-turn agent work into standard threads creates noise, and letting developers retreat into private browser tabs means losing the thing that makes teams effective: shared context. Slack Code gives your team a dedicated place to work with an agent on a specific coding session or project, together, right in Slack."

Critical infrastructure faces a common challenge. Across transport, utilities and communications, organizations are expected to deliver higher levels of performance, resilience and security while working with ageing assets and increasingly constrained budgets.

Large-scale replacement programs are rarely practical, affordable or necessary.

Instead, the organizations making the greatest progress are taking a different approach. They are building a much deeper understanding of the IT infrastructure they already own, using data and operational insight to improve performance, target investment and extend asset life.

This shift reflects a broader change in how infrastructure is managed. Rather than asking what needs replacing, operators are asking how existing IT assets can deliver more value.

Intelligent Infrastructure is helping answer that question by connecting assets, improving visibility and enabling better operational decisions.

For organizations responsible for critical infrastructure, success increasingly depends on understanding what is already in place, optimizing its performance and ensuring every investment delivers measurable value.

Different sectors, the same infrastructure challenge

While the infrastructure itself may differ between sectors, many of the challenges facing operators today are remarkably similar.

Whether managing a rail network, a water treatment facility, an electricity distribution network or a communications system, there is growing pressure to improve performance while operating within increasingly constrained budgets. At the same time, expectations around reliability, resilience and cybersecurity continue to rise, with customers and stakeholders expecting services to be available whenever they are needed.

Many organizations are also reliant on infrastructure that has been in operation for decades. In some cases, assets are performing well beyond their original design life. Replacing them is often costly, disruptive and difficult to justify when investment priorities are competing for limited resources.

Alongside this, operators are being asked to meet wider sustainability objectives, reduce unnecessary site visits and make better use of the resources available to them. The result is a complex balancing act between maintaining existing infrastructure, delivering operational improvements and planning for future requirements.

These challenges are not unique to one industry, and many organizations are asking the same questions. How can they improve resilience without significantly increasing costs? How can they make better use of existing assets? How can they prioritize investment with greater confidence? And how can they continue to meet rising expectations while working within finite resources?

Finding the answers starts with understanding infrastructure performance in greater detail. Not simply knowing whether an asset is operational, but understanding how it is performing, how its performance changes over time and what those changes might indicate. As infrastructure networks become larger, more connected and increasingly complex, that level of understanding is becoming essential.

Why understanding asset performance has become a strategic advantage

Infrastructure operators have never had access to more information about their assets than they do today. Connected devices, sensors and operational systems continuously generate information about the condition and performance of infrastructure. The opportunity now lies in making better use of that information to gain meaningful understanding to enable operational decision making, supporting desired business outcomes.

For many organizations, operational data exists across multiple systems, technologies and teams. Individual systems may provide valuable insight into specific assets, but they rarely provide a complete view of how the wider infrastructure network is performing. This can make it difficult to identify emerging issues, understand relationships between assets or recognize changes in performance before they begin to affect service delivery.

This becomes even more challenging where infrastructure has evolved over many years and comprises different technologies from multiple manufacturers. Legacy systems often operate alongside newer technologies, with each generating its own data and requiring its own management processes. Bringing these different sources of information together provides a far richer understanding of how infrastructure is performing.

Greater visibility allows operators to move beyond simply reacting to faults. It creates an opportunity to understand what normal performance looks like, identify trends over time and recognize when assets begin operating outside expected parameters. In many cases, these early indicators provide valuable time to investigate, prioritize activity and resolve issues before they affect customers or critical services.

This is where Intelligent Infrastructure begins to deliver real value. By securely connecting assets, bringing together operational data and providing a clearer understanding of infrastructure performance, organizations are better equipped to make informed decisions about how networks are managed, maintained and developed.

From operational insight to better decisions

Traditionally, many maintenance programs have been built around routine inspection schedules or simply responding to faults after they occur. While these approaches continue to play an important role, they do not always reflect the actual condition of assets or where engineering effort will have the greatest impact.

A clearer understanding of infrastructure performance allows operators to take a more informed and prognostic approach. Maintenance activities can be prioritized according to operational need, performance trends and potential risk rather than treating every asset in the same way. Engineering teams are able to focus their attention where it will deliver the greatest benefit, while emerging issues can be investigated before they develop into larger operational problems.

Over time, this supports a more informed approach to asset management. Maintenance ceases to be reactive and becomes increasingly proactive driven by the condition and performance of assets rather than fixed schedules alone. This can help reduce unplanned outages, improve network resilience and minimize disruption for customers and end users.

The benefits extend well beyond day-to-day operations. Better insight into infrastructure performance also supports longer-term planning by helping organizations understand where investment will deliver the greatest value. It provides greater confidence when deciding which assets continue to perform effectively, where upgrades are required and how infrastructure investment can be prioritized over time.

For organizations operating large and complex infrastructure estates, this is becoming increasingly important. Every investment decision carries an opportunity cost, making it essential to understand where resources will have the greatest impact. Better operational insight provides the evidence needed to support those decisions while helping organizations maximize the value of the infrastructure they already own.

It also contributes to wider organizational objectives. Targeted preventative maintenance can reduce unnecessary site visits, improve the efficiency of engineering teams and support sustainability ambitions by reducing travel and extending the useful life of assets where appropriate.

Understanding infrastructure will define its future

The debate about critical infrastructure often focuses on what needs replacing. In reality, the bigger opportunity lies in making better use of what already exists.

Organizations that combine connectivity, operational data and engineering expertise will be able to make better decisions about maintenance, investment and long-term asset management. They will improve resilience, extend asset life and deliver stronger outcomes without relying solely on large-scale capital programs.

Intelligent Infrastructure gives operators the insight to act earlier, invest with greater confidence and make better use of the assets they already own. Over time, that leads to more resilient networks, longer asset life and better outcomes for the customers and communities that rely on them.

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For organizations looking to gain an edge by adopting AI tools, the decision has been dominated between large language models.

Every new release promises better reasoning, greater accuracy and more capabilities than the last.

But as foundation models become increasingly powerful and widely available, the real differentiator for organizations won't be which model they choose - it will be how effectively they deploy agentic AI to solve real business problems.

At the recent 2026 Gartner Data and Analytics Summit, the message from analysts was clear; standalone AI models are outdated and autonomous, interconnected AI agents are the future. But to get real value from agentic AI, IT leaders should prioritize “high-frequency, low-complexity use cases, apply guardrails and upskill the workforce.”

To this statement, I would add that the next phase of enterprise AI isn't about having access to the biggest model. It's about building better agents.

That means moving beyond seeing AI as simply another chatbot and instead treating it as an operational capability that can augment employees, automate repetitive work and unlock efficiencies throughout the organization.

The biggest AI opportunity isn't conversational

For many people, AI still means asking ChatGPT a question and receiving an answer. That's certainly one application, and conversational interfaces have played an important role in making AI accessible. But that’s only scratching the surface of what's possible.

Some of the most valuable agentic AI deployments are focused on operational work rather than conversation. For example, in higher education, AI agents are helping students navigate support services by answering routine questions about enrolment, campus facilities or administrative processes, freeing staff to deal with more complex issues.

In transport, agents can combine timetable information, onward travel options and customer support into a single interaction, saving users from having to search across multiple services.

Elsewhere, organizations are using AI agents to qualify sales enquiries, summarize complex documentation, and extract information from contracts. Tasks that previously required hours of manual effort.

The common thread isn't simply that these agents can answer questions. It's that they remove administrative burden and enable people to focus on work that requires judgement, expertise and human interaction.

Better agents start with better problems

One of the biggest misconceptions surrounding agentic AI is that organizations should begin by deciding where they want an AI agent.

In reality, for organizations looking to develop their AI offering, the first question shouldn't be, "Where can we deploy AI?" It should be, "What business problem are we trying to solve?"

Starting with technology often leads organizations to build agents that deliver little value because they're automating the wrong process. The organizations seeing the strongest returns are those identifying operational pain points first, in areas where employees spend large amounts of time on repetitive administration, searching for information or manually moving data between systems.

When those challenges are clearly understood, agentic AI becomes an effective operational tool rather than technology looking for a use case.

The model is becoming less important than the implementation

Today's leading AI models are improving at an extraordinary pace. They're becoming more capable, faster and increasingly cost-effective which means that the competitive advantage is shifting

Organizations are unlikely to outperform competitors simply because they've selected one foundation model over another. Instead, success will increasingly depend on everything that surrounds the model.

Data quality is one of the biggest differentiators. An AI agent is only as good as the information it's grounded on. Contradictory documentation, inconsistent policies, or poor knowledge management inevitably reduce the quality of outputs.

Prompt engineering is another often overlooked capability. Designing an agent isn't simply a matter of giving it instructions and expecting consistent results. Well-designed prompts establish clear guardrails, define the agent's responsibilities and ensure it stays focused on its intended purpose.

The same is true of governance. A good agent shouldn't answer every question it's asked. It should understand its role, know when to decline requests that fall outside its remit and operate only with the information and permissions it genuinely needs. Applying the principle of least privilege isn't just good security practice, it also improves efficiency by reducing unnecessary processing and keeps costs under control.

Ultimately, the quality of the implementation matters far more than the size of the underlying model.

Trust is built through iteration, not ambition

Another common mistake is assuming that agentic AI should be deployed through large-scale transformation programs. But, in practice, the opposite is usually true.

The organizations achieving meaningful outcomes tend to start with a tightly defined use case that delivers measurable value. This creates confidence among employees, demonstrates return on investment, and provides an opportunity to refine governance before expanding into more sophisticated workflows.

Agentic AI should be treated as a product that evolves over time rather than a project that's complete on launch day. However, that also changes the way organizations approach testing.

Traditional software is designed to deliver identical outputs every time. AI agents are probabilistic by nature, meaning consistency becomes just as important as functionality. Continuous testing, monitoring, and refinement therefore become integral to successful deployment.

Just as importantly, employees need to be part of the journey. Building trust isn't about unveiling an AI agent once it has been completed. It's about involving teams throughout development, helping them understand how decisions are made, where guardrails exist and how the technology is intended to augment and not replace their expertise.

Better agents will define the next phase of AI

It’s inevitable that the AI industry will continue producing faster, cheaper and more capable foundation models. But what isn't inevitable is whether organisations will be able to translate those capabilities into meaningful business value.

The next AI race won't be won by those with access to the biggest model. It will be won by those that build trusted, well-governed agents capable of solving real operational problems.

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Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots has become something of a legend over the years, being the one big game in the franchise that never left its original platform – the PlayStation 3.

Review info

Platform reviewed: PS5
Available on: PS5, PC, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2
Release date: August 27, 2026

Finally, the port once thought impossible has returned in the new Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol.2. The first collection packaged the classic stealth trilogy with the MSX and NES games that preceded it, and this time around the package is headlined by the return of Metal Gear Solid 4 and the duo of the PlayStation Portable’s excellent Peace Walker and underrated Game Boy Color spinoff Ghost Babel.

Off the bat, it may seem like a bit of a raw deal for the second to only feature one bonus title compared to the first collection, which offers three of the greatest games ever made along with four bonus titles and two graphic novels.

However, the work done on Metal Gear Solid 4 is far more than the bare-bones re-releases of the first game and Bluepoint's 2011 HD Collection versions of Metal Gear Solid 2 and 3 found in its predecessor, while Peace Walker is a phenomenal mainline entry and Ghost Babel ranks among the series' greatest spinoffs (and is better than the NES games at least).

It's a fairer trade than the numbers suggest.

War has changed

(Image credit: Konami)

Metal Gear Solid 4 is the crown jewel of this collection, and unlike the first – which had some major issues at launch – I'm happy to report that this is a phenomenal port. Running at 4K and a solid 60 frames per second (fps) throughout with massively improved loading times between areas, it's hard to see any flaws in this version of the stealth classic… well, aside from those that were already there.

Long thought unportable due to being made specifically for the esoteric PS3 system architecture and a hefty number of licensed products appearing in-game, Metal Gear Solid 4 remains mostly intact.

You still have the iPod; you still see the PS3 console in your plane. However, Konami has gone back and remixed some elements to make sense on modern consoles, with the famous "we're on PS3" scene changed to your platform of choice – even if the almost 20-year difference in Christopher Randolph's voice is pretty obvious.

In fact, the only thing I noticed that was missing was the now-redundant installation menu featuring Snake smoking between chapters.

(Image credit: Konami)

Despite its notoriety, Metal Gear Solid 4 is a strange game. I'd even argue it's the worst of the six main games in the series, even if it is still a great time.

It gets off to a really strong start with chapters set in the Middle East and South America, featuring some incredible stealth gameplay with a unique battlefield stealth mechanic which allows you to manipulate the ongoing war between rebel militia and PMC groups.

It's a genius bit of game design, and it’s a shame that it's abandoned by the end of the second chapter.

After an Act 3, which boils down to a not-so-great tailing mission, Metal Gear Solid 4 goes off the rails with its plot, lengthy cutscenes, and gameplay segments.

Some of these are highlights of the game, such as the entirety of Act 4 or the final boss fight that ranks among the best in the series. However, some plot decisions and retcons make for the messiest story in the franchise's history – I won't go into detail, but a particular retcon about Metal Gear Solid 3's Para-Medic is a terrible choice that I'm still bugged by years later.

(Image credit: Konami)

What's there is still a great game I'd recommend to anyone, though it's a shame some of the most interesting gameplay elements are abandoned almost entirely, even if the rollercoaster ride of set-piece and fan-service moments is a joy to play through.

The opening to Act 4 in particular is one of my favorite gaming moments ever and still gives me chills to this day.

We're nomads, and we always will be

(Image credit: Konami)

Peace Walker, on the other hand, is an unsung part of the saga. Originally released on the PSP, it was somewhat overlooked, but this game is Metal Gear Solid 5 in all but name.

Taking place between Snake Eater and The Phantom Pain, Peace Walker is Metal Gear crossed with Monster Hunter, with a mission-based design that allows for short bursts of play. It introduced base management, weapon development, and nicking soldiers via balloon aspects that The Phantom Pain would later expand upon.

Best Bit

(Image credit: Konami)

Returning to Shadow Moses in Act 4 of Metal Gear Solid 4 is one of the greatest bits of fan service ever deployed in a game, and the needle drop of The Best Is Yet To Come still sends chills down my spine almost 20 years later.

While not quite on the level of the original trilogy, Peace Walker has a great story, which helps show how Big Boss eventually became the person we saw as a villain in the original MSX games – arguably better than The Phantom Pain did. It also features one of the best supporting casts in the series, with Kazuhira Miller returning from Metal Gear Solid and being fleshed out into one of the series' best, while the likes of Amanda, Paz, and Professor Galvez are memorable additions to the series canon.

I say Metal Gear crossed with Monster Hunter, but nowhere is that more felt than in the bossfights, which have you take on massive mecha over a prolonged period. While I like this in theory, these bosses are unfortunately the worst the series has to offer – and aside from the titular Peace Walker and true final boss – are not memorable in the slightest.

(Image credit: Konami)

Peace Walker also features co-op and versus multiplayer modes, which are present in this new collection, though I wasn’t able to test them over the review period. From my experiences with the HD Collection version, Peace Walker multiplayer is a blast.

This port is a bit rougher than Metal Gear Solid 4, mostly because there isn't too much you can do to make PSP assets shine in 4K. However, the addition of new higher-quality versions of the comic-book-like cutscenes by Ashley Wood is a welcome bonus

It's not over yet

(Image credit: Konami)

If you played Master Collection Vol 1, you will have a good idea of what to expect this time around. Both main games come with a Screenplay Book and Master Book, which features rundowns of the story, background info on characters, and strategy-guide-esque details to let you find secrets in-game.

There are also soundtrack selections and the ability to download other language versions of the games if you please. The Metal Gear Solid 4 edition also features the Metal Gear Solid 4 Database app, which was released on PS3 around the launch of the original game, although sadly its version of Metal Gear Online is not present.

And while the bonus titles included the original MSX2 version of Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2 – which I wrote about how good they are a few years back – and the less-good NES versions of them, this time around the only additional title is Metal Gear: Ghost Babel for the Game Boy Color.

(Image credit: Konami)

Ghost Babel takes gameplay akin to Metal Gear 2, but fuses it with some elements of the PS1 classic while adapting it to a stage-based formula for handheld. While it doesn't quite match the main series, Ghost Babel should not be slept on, as it's one of the best spinoff titles the franchise has to offer.

Sadly, that's it though. It's a shame, as the likes of Metal Gear Acid or Metal Gear Rising would've been much appreciated additions.

Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol.2 is another package of two fantastic games, with some great bonuses included. While it's mostly a vehicle to get Metal Gear Solid 4 out of PS3 jail, Peace Walker and Ghost Babel are two brilliant additions that you might have missed the first time around.

Should you play Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol.2?Play it if...

You didn't have a PS3
Metal Gear Solid 4 is out of PS3 jail after almost 20 years. For those who have been waiting, this is one of the biggest dream ports to finally get, and being able to play it in a version that sticks to a solid 4K resolution and 60fps is worth a return trip even if you did play it on PS3.

You never played Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
Yes, Metal Gear Solid 4 is the main event of this collection, but Peace Walker is one of the best games the series has to offer. Not to mention an essential part of the storyline heading into Metal Gear Solid 5.

Don't play it if...

You haven't played Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol 1.
Metal Gear Solid 4 was made with the idea that you'll have the knowledge of the original trilogy of Metal Gear Solid games at a bare minimum, leading to a plot that will be extremely hard to follow for anyone not caught up. Not to mention that all of the emotional impact will be nullified without prior knowledge

Accessibility features

Both Metal Gear Solid 4 and Peace Walker have subtitles and controller remapping features, but otherwise the accessibility features included in this collection are the same as they were back in the original releases.

This means no color blind support, audio description, or gameplay tweaks are available – which could cause issues during moments in both games when tons of button mashing is required.

How I reviewed Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol.2

I played 12 hours of Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol.2 on PS5 Pro using a DualSense Wireless Controller, on an LG C5 OLED TV with an LG-US70TY soundbar.

During this time, I played a full run of Metal Gear Solid 4 while skipping most cutscenes (as I had replayed the game very recently for comparison) through to the end of Act 4. I played through to the end of Chapter 1 of Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker, and roughly half of Metal Gear: Ghost Babel. I have played all of these games multiple times before this review, and was able to compare to other versions where applicable.

First reviewed August 2026

• More than 2,500 organizations, including Cisco, Samsung, AWS, Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, Thales, and the London Stock Exchange Group, have credentials harvested during a supply-chain attack on LiteLLM
• LiteLLM was not directly hacked by the hacking group TeamPCP, which found their way in thanks to a compromised build of an open-source security scanner
• Some of the credentials still work, nearly five months after the original breach, indicating that there is still a persistent security risk until they are changed

Security firms CloudSEK and Hudson Rock have claimed more than 2,500 organizations have had credentials harvested in a supply-chain attack on LiteLLM.

LiteLLM, an open source gateway which translates API calls for over 100 large language models into a single OpenAI-compatible format, was not directly compromised in the attack, as hackers targeted a known vulnerability in Aqua Security's Trivy.

The list included many large and critical service providers, including but not limited to Cisco, Samsung, Salesforce, and Amazon Web Services, as well as Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, Thales Group, Deutsche Bahn, Munich Re, and the London Stock Exchange Group.

An attack that is still a concern nearly five months later

The original attack occurred on March 24 2026 and was spearheaded by a financially motivated hacking group called TeamPCP, which compromised Trivy, an open source security tool that scans for vulnerabilities.

The modified package, which was subsequently downloaded and 'invited' in by LiteLLM without checking its ID- an automated process that essentially allowed a poisoned version of the trusted tool in- gained server administrator privileges and then installed a stealer.

The stealer compromised credentials and secrets far more valuable than corporate data, including Cloud keys, SSH keys, Kubernetes tokens, environment variables, repository and package-publishing tokens, and AI provider keys.

These are arguably worse from a security standpoint than a singular breach because of both the scale of the attack and the fact that hackers now had a 'key' to many security doors rather than having to run exploits to get there.

The victim-scale research done by CloudSEK was further corroborated the following day by Hudson Rock, and it painted a grim picture of what was still an outstanding issue nearly 5 months after the original attack.

The irony is that some of the credentials still work: Independent researcher Kevin Beaumont said some of the compromised keys were still valid after he tested them, even as the impacted organization insisted it had 'rotated' those keys to new ones.

CloudSEK's figures indicate 2,500-plus companies and 434,000 CI/CD pipelines were compromised, while Hudson Rock has released a 153 GB archive of the exfiltrated material after examining a 195 TB file it had obtained. Both firms are running domain-lookup tools so organizations can check their own exposure online.

Whether these revelations lead organizations to double-check their use of AI tools in multiple mission-critical instances that could compromise not only customer data but their own trade secrets down the line remains to be seen.