Technology

• SOCRadar uncovers AnonyMousKIT, a phishing kit abusing Apple’s Lost Mode contact info
• Crooks spoof Find My pages, trick victims into giving credentials to unlock stolen iPhones
• Active since 2024, it operates like a criminal software business with 500+ domains and AI‑driven vishing

Security researchers have discovered AnonyMousKIT, a new phishing kit designed to bypass the last line of defense for stolen iPhones, which has been in use for more than two years.

Apple devices come with several anti-theft mechanisms working together to make iPhones a lot less attractive to thieves, including Find My, Activation Lock, and Lost Mode.

If a user’s device is lost or stolen, they can use their tablet, laptop, or a similar device to enable Find My iPhone, which can then locate the device through an app or a website. They can also see its location on a map, make it play a sound, remotely wipe it, or receive a notification when it’s found. Enabling the Find My feature also turns on Activation Lock, which locks the phone and prevents it from being set up by someone else.

Even if the thief factory resets it, the phone remains connected to the real owner’s Apple account, and they simply can’t set it up. To do that, they would need the iPhone device passcode to exit Lost Mode, and the Apple account password, if Activation Lock/setup authentication is required.

But there is another feature Apple added, just in case the device isn’t actually stolen, but rather lost. For these occasions, there is an option to display the owner’s contact information on the screen so that a good samaritan who finds it can return it to its rightful owner.

As is the case with many other well-intended features, this one is now also being abused as part of the AnonyMousKIT phishing kit.

This is why we can't have nice things

According to security researchers SOCRadar, crooks are using AnonyMousKIT to create fake Find My or Apple pages. Then, they use the contact information displayed on the stolen iPhone to reach out to the victim. Through the kit, they can send emails, SMS messages, WhatsApp texts, or even AI-powered phone calls. Reaching out to the victim, the attackers introduce themselves as Apple customer support agents, and tell the victim their smartphone had been retrieved.

They also provide the victim with the correct model and IMEI details to confirm the authenticity of their claims. Then they require the victim to confirm their identity by visiting the spoofed Find My page and providing the credentials needed to unlock the phone.

The credentials end up with the attackers, who can then unlock the phone, wipe it, and sell it on the black market for a much higher price.

"Software business"

SOCRadar says the earliest records of the AnonyMousKIT date back to early 2024. Since then it has grown into a major operation, counting more than 500 domains, and having more than 150 storefront brands working as resellers and affiliates.

As part of their investigation, the researchers found records of roughly 200 calls, which the crooks made to victims between August 2025 and May 2026. The calls were done using five different AI agent personas and 55 different interaction transcripts.

Every call had cost the attackers $0.10, and most of them - 90% - were made to Brazilian victims. A small percentage of email correspondence was made towards government and corporate addresses, as well. Just under 30 attempts were made towards South African government domains, and three to a local university. While the campaign is global in its reach, it’s mostly focused on South Africa, Indonesia, India, Kenya, Brazil, and Italy.

SOCRadar describes AnonyMousKIT "not as a phishing kit but as a small software business with a criminal customer base."

"Its primary innovation is an automated, LLM-driven voice vector. At ~$0.10 per call, the platform initiates dynamic vishing across three languages using structured pretexts synced with email and SMS lure data, removing the need for fluent human callers."

At the moment the report was published, the campaign was still ongoing, and the researchers are still tracking it.

Via BleepingComputer

GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS: Two-Minute Review

GoPro has built its name on cameras you can strap to anything and forget about. The Mission 1 Pro ILS is pretty much the opposite, requiring you to slow down, think about your settings and focus, and work much harder for the shot you want.

It's the third and quirkiest member of the new Mission 1 family, swapping the fixed lens of its siblings for a Micro Four Thirds mount. It's a major change that drastically reshapes the nature of this camera. Instead of a rugged companion for your next surf session or mountain bike run, it's a creative tool that opens GoPro's superb 1-inch sensor up to hundreds of lenses, from cheap vintage primes to specialist optics that would never fit inside a traditional action cam body.

The Mission 1 Pro ILS with a Laowa 7.5mm F/2.0 lens and GoPro's Point-and-Shoot Grip. (Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)

I spent a week shooting with it, mostly paired with a manual Laowa prime, and found it to be a camera that's as rewarding as it is demanding. There's a real skill curve here that longtime GoPro shooters may not be comfortable with, and the payoff — sharper, more considered footage and stills — only arrives once you've put the work in.

Where the ILS earns its keep is its sheer versatility. Want to shoot extreme close-ups a regular GoPro physically can't manage? Fit a close-focusing lens. Chasing a specific look? There's a lens for that too. It's arguably the most flexible camera GoPro has ever made.

That flexibility incurs trade-offs, though — not only is the ILS expensive, it's also less rugged than other GoPro's and lacks autofocus and horizon lock. GoPro's Quik app doesn't make life easier either, constantly nudging you toward a subscription rather than just getting out of the way and letting you shoot. None of that stops the ILS from being a compelling and genuinely different kind of GoPro; it's just one that asks a lot more of you than the ones that came before it.

GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS: Price and release date

• $699 / £599.99 / AU$1,099.95 (non-member price)
• $599 / £509.99 / AU$949.95 (member price)
• Other models in the series are the Mission 1 and Mission 1 Pro

The GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS is priced at $699.99 / £599.99 / AU$1,099.95, or $599.99 / £509.99 / AU$949.95 if you're already a GoPro subscriber. That's body-only pricing, of course — you'll need to budget separately for a Micro Four Thirds lens (GoPro doesn't sell any of its own). It's a big chunk of money to spend on a little camera, but at the same time there's not much out there to compare it to, and no direct competitors to undercut it.

It officially launches on September 2 2026, alongside a companion iOS app called Mission Monitor.

Interestingly, the ILS costs exactly what the standard Mission 1 Pro did at launch. But at the time of writing, GoPro has quietly dropped the Mission 1 Pro's price by $100, down to $599.99. That means (for now at least) that you're paying a $100 premium for the ILS's interchangeable lens mount over the Mission 1 Pro that also gets you 20m waterproofing, autofocus and a built-in lens — features the ILS lacks. It's worth considering this trade-off carefully, depending on what you actually plan to shoot.

• Price score: 4/5

GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS: Specs

Type:

Action camera

Sensor:

50MP 1-inch type CMOS

Lens mount:

Micro Four Thirds

Displays:

Front: 1.4-inch LCD

Rear: 2.59-inch OLED touchscreen

Memory:

No internal storage; supports V30 and Class A2 rated microSD cards

Video:

8K Open Gate up to 30fps (no crop) / 8K/60p (cropped)

ISO range:

Video: 25-6400

Photo: 100-3200

Burst shooting

60fps

Processor:

GP3 SoC

Connectivity:

BlueTooth, USB-C, 5GHz Wi-Fi 6

Dimensions:

89.6 x 58.7 x 46.1mm

Weight:

197g / 6.94oz (inc. battery but excluding lens)

GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS: Design

• Same compact, dual-screened GoPro body, but with a Micro Four Thirds mount up front
• Weatherproof only — loses the standard Mission 1 Pro's 20m waterproofing
• Weighs under 200g before adding a lens

In many ways, you'd struggle to tell the Mission 1 Pro ILS apart from the standard Mission 1 Pro. They have largely the same boxy, dual-screened body, the same 2.59-inch rear OLED touchscreen and 1.4-inch front display, the same big, chunky buttons, the same tripod thread, magnetic clips and mounting fingers on the base (that'll fit any GoPro accessory you already own). GoPro hasn't reinvented the shell here, and given how well the Mission 1 Pro works, that's no bad thing.

What has changed sits right at the front. Instead of the Mission 1 Pro's fixed 14mm lens, the ILS carries a native Micro Four Thirds mount, opening the door to hundreds of compatible lenses — GoPro maintains an official compatibility list if you want to check before you buy, and it already spans everything from fisheyes to vintage manual primes with the right adapter. If you've got a drawer full of old glass, this is the first GoPro that can accommodate it.

Future | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam Kieldsen

That flexibility comes at a cost to GoPro's trademark ruggedness, though: the ILS is weatherproof rather than waterproof. Unlike the standard Mission 1 Pro's 20m dive-ready housing-free design, you shouldn't be dunking this one in the sea. For a company that made its name letting you bolt or strap a camera to anything and dive into the deep blue, it's quite a shift.

Despite the added complexity of a lens mount, GoPro has kept things impressively compact; at 89.6 x 58.7 x 46.1mm and 197g, it's slightly lighter than the fixed-lens Mission 1 Pro. Of course, you'll have the weight of a lens to add to that. It's a world away from my everyday MFT camera, the lumpen — if lovable — Panasonic Lumix GH6. If you need to wedge an interchangeable lens into a tight spot, the ILS is hard to beat.

• Design score: 4/5

GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS: Performance

• Manual focus only, with no subject tracking or horizon lock
• Can focus far closer than the standard Mission 1 Pro's 60cm minimum
• Battery life of up to 96 minutes with 8K 4:3 recording

Losing autofocus is the single biggest adjustment coming from a standard Mission 1 Pro. GoPro has equipped the ILS with focus peaking to help you nail manual focus, but on the ILS's small screens I found it a real challenge — my shots weren't always in focus when I thought they were, and I lost a handful of otherwise good clips to softness as a result. Frustratingly, focus peaking doesn't work at all on the front-facing screen, which stings if you're trying to frame up a selfie or vlog shot. I'd like to see GoPro patch that in with a firmware update, since I can't see a technical reason why it wouldn't be possible.

There are better ways to nail focus than squinting at the rear screen, though. GoPro's Quik app offers a focus peaking preview, and there's also the new Mission Monitor app (sadly iOS-only at launch) for a bigger, clearer view. That one requires a wired connection between the camera and your iPhone or iPad, and since I don't own a USB-C to Lightning data cable, I wasn't able to put it through its paces myself. What I could do was hook the ILS up to an external monitor via a USB-C to HDMI adapter, and that worked well as a live-preview solution.

(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)

I tested the ILS with two lenses: a Laowa 7.5mm f/2.0 that GoPro loaned to me alongside my review sample, and my own Panasonic 12-60mm zoom. The Laowa — a manual focus, manual aperture prime — is how this camera wants to be used. I couldn't get the Panasonic zoom to focus properly at all. If you've got a stash of vintage manual glass and a MFT adapter, you're in for a good time.

It's important to note that, despite the MFT lens mount, the ILS isn't an MFT camera. Its 1-inch sensor is smaller than an MFT's, which results in a larger crop factor. For example, if you fitted the Laowa 7.5mm lens to a standard MFT camera, MFT's 2x crop means its effective 35mm equivalent focal length is 15mm. The ILS has a 2.7x crop factor, rising to 3x with HyperSmooth stabilization on. So that means the same lens will have a 20.5mm focal length, or 22.5mm with stabilization. Consequently, you'll need a very wide fisheye lens to get the sort of ultra-wide focal length offered by most GoPros, but conversely it's easier to achieve tighter framing for portraits and so on.

I was pleased to discover that the ILS, at least paired with that Laowa lens, could focus far closer than the standard Mission 1 Pro is capable of. The regular Mission 1 Pro has an almost comically long 60cm / 24-inch minimum focus distance that rules out close-up work entirely. The ILS has no such limitation, opening the door to macro-style shots and detail work that's simply off the table on GoPro's fixed-lens model. It's not enough to make me recommend the ILS to vloggers, mind you — the lack of autofocus and subject tracking still counts heavily against it there. The Hero 13 Black with macro Lens Mod is a decent alternative for such uses.

In addition to subject tracking, horizon lock is also unavailable here. Both are present on the standard Mission 1 Pro, and so if you're relying on GoPro's software smarts to keep you level and in frame, you'll need to look at the fixed-lens models instead of the ILS.

Audio quality is solid, if unremarkable — echoing what my colleague Hamish Hector found when testing the Mission 1 Pro's built-in mics, the ILS captures voices and everyday sound clearly, with wind noise capably filtered out of the mix (up to a point).

(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)

Battery life is very respectable. GoPro rates the included Enduro 2 battery at 96 minutes for 8K Open Gate at 30fps, or 74 minutes for 16:9 8K at 60fps, and my own real-world testing lined up closely with those figures. Thermal management is similarly solid — I only ran into overheating issues when shooting at the top end of the spec sheet (50/60fps in 8K or 200/240fps in 4K), and with decent airflow around the camera you may not experience overheating at all.

There's no built-in storage, as with virtually every GoPro. You'll need a fast V30, Class A2-rated microSD card, and you'll want it to have lots of space too — those 8K Open Gate files are huge.

• Performance score: 4/5

GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS: Image quality

• Supports 8K video up to 30fps (Open Gate) and 60fps (16:9), plus slo-mo up to 960fps in burst mode
• Maximum bitrate of 300Mbps when using experimental GoPro Labs firmware
• Photos in JPEG and RAW up to 50MP resolution

When I actually managed to nail focus, the results were exactly what you'd hope for from that 1-inch sensor. For video, I shot most of my test footage with the Laowa 7.5mm lens, which plays nicely with GoPro's HyperSmooth stabilization. For anyone planning to color grade their own footage, I'd recommend GoPro's suggested settings — GP-Log2 color profile, 10-bit color depth, and the maximum bitrate available (240Mbps on regular firmware, or 300Mbps if you install the experimental GoPro Labs firmware — less stable than standard firmware but intended for enthusiasts who want to push performance to its limits) — shooting in 16:9 8K at 60fps.

I also tried Open Gate, which is one of the headline features shared with the standard Mission 1 Pro, but found the combination of huge file sizes and a 30fps ceiling too restrictive for how I like to shoot. It's a useful option to have, especially if you want maximum reframing flexibility in post, but it's not where I ended up spending most of my time.

For my main test clip, I mounted the ILS to my car using a single SmallRig suction cup — the camera's light weight meant I didn't need the full triple-cup rig I'd normally reach for, which kept setup quick. I edited the footage by applying one of GoPro's official LUTs before fine-tuning the color in DaVinci Resolve, and I'm really pleased with how it turned out. I'm no post-production expert, but anyone who is will have a field day pairing this sensor with the right glass.

Stills tell a similarly promising story, with caveats. I took the ILS out with the Laowa lens and GoPro's Point-and-Shoot Grip for a photo walk along the coast, shooting in RAW format at 50MP and, in lower light, 12MP. Editing in Adobe Lightroom afterward, the RAW files gave me a huge amount of latitude to shape the final look — much more than I'm used to getting out of an action camera. The Laowa itself let the side down slightly, with softness and a tendency to flare, but that's a lens characteristic rather than anything to do with the camera; pair the ILS with sharper glass and I'd expect noticeably cleaner results.

Future | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam Kieldsen

Low-light performance carries over the big step up we saw on the standard Mission 1 Pro, the 1-inch sensor being a huge differentiator over GoPro's Hero Black range. As ever with an interchangeable-lens setup, the lens you choose plays a big part in how far that advantage stretches: wide-aperture glass will get you noticeably further after dark than anything narrower.

• Image quality score: 5/5

Testing Scorecard

Attribute

Notes

Score

Price

A premium over the standard Mission 1 Pro, but there's nothing else like this on the market.

4/5

Design

Familiar, compact GoPro build with a Micro Four Thirds mount bolted on, but weatherproof rather than waterproof.

4/5

Performance

Manual focus is a genuine hurdle, but closer focusing than the Pro is a strong compensation. Battery life is excellent.

4/5

Image quality

Superb once in focus, with the 1-inch sensor delivering strong video and raw stills, though results depend heavily on the lens you pair it with.

5/5

Should I buy the GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS?

(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)Buy it if…

You want to pair MFT glass with GoPro's best-ever sensor
The Mission 1 Pro ILS finally lets you put real lenses in front of GoPro's excellent 1-inch sensor, opening up creative options that no fixed-lens GoPro can match.

You need close-up focusing an action camera normally can't do
Where the standard Mission 1 Pro tops out at an awkward 60cm minimum focus distance, the right lens on the ILS lets you get close to your subject, opening the door to macro-style shooting.

You're a cinematographer who wants manual control over convenience
If you're used to pulling focus and dialing in aperture by hand, the ILS's manual approach will feel like a feature rather than a limitation. It rewards that kind of deliberate, considered shooting.

Don’t buy it if…

You want an underwater-ready action camera
The ILS loses the standard Mission 1 Pro's 20m waterproofing. If diving or watersports are on the agenda, the regular Mission 1 Pro is the one to get.

You want simple point-and-shoot ease
There's no autofocus, no horizon lock, and no subject tracking here — all things the standard Mission 1 Pro handles automatically. The ILS demands more effort for every shot.View Deal

You're budget-conscious
At $699.99, the ILS costs $100 more than the standard Mission 1 Pro, before you've even bought a lens. If you're watching your spending, GoPro's Hero13 Black remains a far cheaper way into the ecosystem.View Deal

Also consider

Nikon ZR
If you want a "real" compact cinema camera rather than an action cam with a lens mount bolted on, the Nikon ZR is a strong alternative. It packs a full-frame sensor, 6K RAW recording, and RED color profiles into a body that's still remarkably compact and weather-resistant, undercutting most of its rivals on price in the process. It lacks the ILS's tiny size and mounting versatility, but for serious filmmaking it's a far more complete, if pricier, cinema tool.

Read our Nikon ZR review

GoPro Mission 1 Pro
If you want everything the ILS offers minus the lens-swapping hassle, the standard Mission 1 Pro is worth a close look. You get the same 50MP 1-inch sensor and GP3 processor, plus 20m of housing-free waterproofing, autofocus and horizon lock, all wrapped around a fixed ultra-wide lens. It's the easier camera to live with day to day, but you're trading away the ILS's lens flexibility.

Read our GoPro Mission 1 Pro review

How I tested the GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS

• One week of testing with a Laowa 7.5mm F/2.0 C-Dreamer prime lens
• Real-world video shot mounted to a car, plus a coastal stills photo walk
• Battery life and thermal performance checked across the camera's most demanding modes

The Mission 1 Pro ILS mounted on my car using a suction cup. (Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)

I spent a week with the Mission 1 Pro ILS, shooting with a Laowa 7.5mm f/2.0 lens that GoPro loaned me for the review.

Video testing included mounting the ILS to my car for real-world stabilization footage, shot largely in 16:9 8K at 60fps using GoPro's recommended color-grading settings, plus a run through Open Gate to see how it held up for reframing flexibility. I edited footage in DaVinci Resolve, applying an official GoPro LUT before making my own color adjustments.

For stills, I took the ILS out on a Sunday photo walk along the coast near where I live, shooting raw at both 50MP and 12MP resolutions with GoPro's Point-and-Shoot Grip attached, and edited the results in Adobe Lightroom.

I also tested the camera's monitoring options, connecting it to an external monitor via a USB-C to HDMI adapter, though I wasn't able to test the iOS-only Mission Monitor app myself, lacking the necessary USB-C to Lightning data cable. Battery life and thermal performance were assessed through everyday use across a range of resolutions and frame rates, including the highest-demand 8K/60fps and 4K/240fps modes.

First reviewed: August 2026

It's almost midnight, and I'm still playing Bit Reactor's turn-based tactics (TBT) strategy game, Star Wars Zero Company. I'm nearing the end of a tense battle that's lasted longer than I've realized, but I'm so close to success. Only a few enemies remain, and Hawks is out of med packs; Tricks, Tel, and Luco are all low on health, and I don't want to risk any more injuries that could lead to my favorite Operators' permanent death. One mistake will cause a domino effect that ends in defeat, but I have to make a move.

I have Luco and Trick fire their blasters at a single enemy, taking them down with a lucky critical hit, before positioning them behind cover alongside Hawks. I lay a trap; with Overwatch enabled and monitoring the area where the boss and the final enemy are located, I have Tel rush ahead into position. Using all the Advantage I've accrued through the last few tactical turns, the Jedi Padawan executes her special Force action, knocking back both enemies into the zone of my team's line of sight. Even though they have no Action Points (AP) left, thanks to my planning, Luco, Trick, and Hawks fire off three more shots each, and together, we achieve victory.

Review info

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

Before playing Zero Company, Bit Reactor's debut game made by a studio founded by former Firaxis Games and XCOM veterans, I was concerned my lack of experience with XCOM would hinder my enjoyment of this new Star Wars story. But after just a few hours of taking on mercs and clankers, jumping to various planets via hyperspace, and getting to know my fellow Operators, I quickly fell in love.

Learn from the past, but live for the future

(Image credit: Bit Reactor)

What I love about Star Wars, besides the lightsabers, the expansive lore, and dark side baddies, is the seemingly unlimited opportunity for new stories within the vast galaxy, far, far away.

While Zero Company is set 20BBY during the twilight of the Clone Wars, a frequently revisited era in the franchise, this story chooses to tell a story from the perspective of someone no longer tied directly to the conflict, but has been affected by it. The fact that the player character, Hawks, is a former captain in the Grand Army of the Republic is a unique premise that initially piqued my interest; they commanded the 100th Clone Company and led a campaign that led to a Trooper massacre, Trick being declared unfit for duty due to an injury, and Hawks' dismissal.

Hawks now leads the titular covert squad on a mission to take down the paramilitary cult known as The Infinite Coil and its leader, Kundri Fathom, who are all diseased by the mysterious Shadow Plague and are slowly building their forces across the galaxy.

As Hawks and Zero Company tackle this growing threat against the backdrop of the Clone Wars, the team is also dealing with their own personal issues and the consequences of warfare, whether at the hands of the Republic or the Separatists, with the story exploring themes of justice, revenge, belonging, grief, and guilt.

It's a compelling approach with surprising twists and turns that takes the story in an unexpected direction and had my Star Wars-loving heart pounding thanks to the brilliant way Bit Reactor seamlessly blends cinematic storytelling and a brilliantly formulated combat system.

Best Bit

(Image credit: Bit Reactor)

Star Wars Zero Company's turn-based tactics gameplay is its best feature, offering an incredible amount of character customization that allows players to experiment with different loadouts and specializations for some immensely fun missions.

This is a spoiler-free review, and I won't get into the details, but Hawks' history has interesting implications for the narrative in ways I wasn't anticipating; they're a smart, funny, sarcastic, but decisive individual, navigating being a leader who is, once again, caught up in a galactic threat. And while they're a customizable character, they feel like they belong in this universe as much as any other protagonist we've had before.

Fathom herself, as the primary antagonist, however, separate from Coil members you run into plenty of times, feels a bit underutilized throughout the story, and I was left with a desire to know more about her.

The majority of the campaign finds Zero Company trying to track Fathom down while she continuously eludes them and works from the shadows, which means there aren't many opportunities for the antagonist to shine on screen; it feels like wasted potential as she's a very interesting villain with a unique motivation that compliments the broader narrative, but without that extra character exploration, especially in parallel to Hawks and their development, I was left with some unanswered questions and ultimately unsatisfied.

Wars are not won with superior weapons, but with superior strategy

(Image credit: Bit Reactor)

I stand by what I wrote in my preview: Star Wars fans with no knowledge of TBT games like XCOM can absolutely enjoy this game. Bit Reactor has done an excellent job making a beginner-friendly, not to mention incredibly rewarding, experience when you get accustomed to strategizing on the fly and go on to achieve win after win.

Squad appearances, tailored loudouts, and the numerous specializations on offer, be it Medic, Scoundrel, Heavy, or Scout, present an unbelievable amount of player freedom, which allows for some impressive customization, as well as what seems like an opportunity for limitless playthroughs.

This is especially true when the secondary specializations are unlocked for Zero Company; I gave my Hawks the Medic spec, which allowed an extra sense of security for playing on permadeath mode, and I was amazed by how my second spec, Gunslinger, completely refreshed battles and provided new and imaginative strategies on the battlefield.

(Image credit: Bit Reactor)

My squad for Tactical Missions typically included Tel because of her ranged Force abilities, and Trick, who can withstand getting Downed and can automatically revive during the next turn in battle; their Hero Talents came in handy when the mission was on the verge of failure, and their fully upgraded skill trees made them a must-have, especially for higher difficulty battles that featured a variety of enemies that are tougher than others.

Kabb also has a sick uppercut ability that lets him wollop enemies, while Luco has a sniper skill that guarantees a 100% hit; learning how these talents work, strategizing how best to spend my squad's limited three AP should have been stressful, but the process was just awesome.

Continuously maneuvering across ever-shifting and lovingly crafted isometric maps wrapped in an authentic Star Wars atmosphere, outplaying a contingent of droids, deadly Coil soldiers, and syndicate members with just wit, and mixing and matching team builds to your preference with a ton of options to experiment with; all of this offers an immensely rewarding gameplay experience that continuously delivers.

No Tactical Mission feels the same, and even when they take longer to complete because of their difficulty level—and believe me, they can take a while—it doesn't matter, because the sense of accomplishment I felt after every mission was worth the time.

Courage makes heroes, but trust builds friendship

(Image credit: Bit Reactor)

The campaign is also strengthened by Zero Company's interpersonal relationships, consisting of multiple colorful characters, including a loyal ex-Clone Trooper, a Mandalorian turned bounty hunter, a sharp-tongued Umbaran sniper, a Jedi Padawan without a Master, and more.

The game leans into role-playing game (RPG) systems by melding TBT gameplay and Bonds, a relationship approval system vital for unlocking features like new talents, focus points, and stat bonuses. Similar to Bioware's dynamic relationship system found in Dragon Age and Mass Effect, minus the romance and branching dialogue trees, Bonds are deepened by completing each character's personal questline, how you approach Operations, or how you respond in conversations.

Zero Company's Bond system is great, and I know it's primarily a TBT strategy game; however, I can't help but think it would have benefited even more if it went harder with the RPG mechanics, like additional dialogue choices, to really reinforce and shape those Bonds.

Characters may also have negative opinions of each other, and it's pretty fun, and essentially the key to success, to purposefully pair them together during missions to make them grow closer with the benefit of improving their loadout and unlocking new combat synergies.

(Image credit: Bit Reactor)

Outside of missions, it's pretty neat how Operators, even the ones you can create and recruit yourself, can be found around The Den having conversations and revealing a bit more behind the curtain; the switch to a third-person perspective here also brings a personal touch to these relationships, making them feel alive in their environment.

Alongside other characters like Runa and Bennic, authored Operators have so much personality with their own motivations and perspectives, with stellar performances from the ensemble cast; they're not just soldiers along for the ride, and while some pairings have more fleshed-out Bonds that are more ingrained in the main campaign than others, like Trick and Luco, they're equally memorable.

Whether it's Tel, Jae, Kabb, or particularly Trick, they feel like the backbone of the narrative and are as authentic to the Star Wars world they occupy, which is why when/if a character is killed in permadeath mode, the loss is truly felt.

This feature is a must if you want to up the risk factor during missions and truly heightens the stakes as you build these meaningful relationships, even if it means you'll be locked out of some pretty amazing missions if Operators die.

(Image credit: Bit Reactor)

Bit Reactor seamlessly blends cinematic storytelling and a brilliantly formulated combat system.

I had some issues during my preview session, mostly frame rate problems that took me out of the experience, but I'm happy to say performance has been vastly improved with my review copy on PC. With my mid-to-high range build, which consists of an Nvidia RTX 3060Ti graphics card and Ryzen 7 5700X 8-Core processor, the gorgeous cinematics and gameplay frame rates were consistently high, hitting 60fps the majority of the time, with the odd dip to the upper 40fp to lower 50fps range occasionally depending on how visually busy the scene is.

I also didn't encounter any significant performance snags, either. Bugs are almost non-existent, aside from a few encounters during conversations and cinematics where audio didn't sync correctly and tactical turns sometimes took a little longer to load from the enemies' side; otherwise, I had a pretty smooth experience.

Should you play Star Wars Zero Company?Play it if...

You're a Star Wars fan
You'll have a great experience if you've been itching for more Clone Wars-era stories, and Star Wars Zero Company presents a unique premise that takes you on an adventure.

You enjoy turn-based combat
If you like the process of strategizing and adapting on a continuously shifting battlefield, you'll love Star Wars Zero Company and its addictive turn-based tactics gameplay.

You're looking for a cinematic story
While Star Wars Zero Company's core gameplay is turn-based tactics, the game also offers gorgeous cinematic visuals with heart-pounding missions

Don't play it if...

You don't like turn-based gameplay
If you know you're looking for something more fast-paced and want to just experience the story, Star Wars Zero Company may not be for you

You're looking for a shorter experience
Star Wars Zero Company takes between 30 and 40 hours to beat, depending on the difficulty level, and some higher-risk missions can take some time to beat

Accessibility features

Star Wars Zero Company is a bit short on accessibility features, having only standard vision settings like text size and color blind mode, as well as a motion reduction setting for on-screen action.

How I reviewed Star Wars Zero Company

I spent just over 40 hours playing Star Wars Zero Company on my gaming PC with my Logitech G G715 wireless gaming keyboard and Logitech G703 wireless gaming mouse. I used a Gigabyte M32U gaming monitor and my Sony WH-CH520 wireless headphones for audio.

First reviewed August 2026.

An underpowered Tensor chip and odd game glitches keep the Pixel 11 Pro from nabbing the top spot on our gaming phone rankings.

The Artemis II astronaut told CNET how she adjusts to life back on Earth. She also spoke about AI, engineering and support for STEM students.

Amazon Ring has a new policy for its encryption practices and what they mean for your security videos or AI use. Customers are getting more choices, too.

Argos has launched its Big Red Tech Sale, featuring all manner of smart home products from air fryers to vacuum cleaners — but hidden amongst the deals on home tech are a lot of terrific smartwatch bargains.

These range from the latest Apple Watch SE 3 and Huawei Watch Fit 5 Pro (which we rated 4.5 stars in our review) to older models. There's incredible deals on Garmins, including the five-star Garmin Fenix 8 Pro and the much cheaper Garmin Forerunner 265, which I wore during my first marathon. You can even save £10 off the £49.99 Huawei Band 11 fitness tracker!

You'll need to apply the correct code at checkout for each of the deals below — either RED10 or RED20, saving you 10% or 20% of the listed price respectively — and I've listed each code for you under the "view details" tab for each product, but you'll also be able to see the codes once you click through to Argos' webpage.

Today's best Argos Big Red Tech Sale smartwatch deals

Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 (40mm)

Save 20% with code RED20

Garmin Fenix 8 Pro AMOLED (47mm)

Save 10% with code RED10

Amazfit T-Rex 3

Save 10% with code RED10

Garmin Instinct 3 (45mm)

Save 10% with code RED10

Huawei Band 11

Save 20% with code RED20

Apple Watch SE 3 (40mm) GPS-only

Save 10% with code RED10

Huawei Watch Fit 5 Pro

Save 10% with code RED10

Garmin Forerunner 165

Save 20% with code RED20

Garmin Forerunner 265 (46mm)

Save 20% with code RED20

Apple has just unveiled the new Mac mini with M6 processor, and for me the biggest news is the price hike to $899 for the cheapest model.

This is a jump from $799 for the previous Mac mini M4 model — but that had also received a de facto price rise only back in May, when Apple discontinued the $599 entry-level option (with 256GB of storage) and made the $799 version (with 512GB of storage) the new lowest-price option.

It means that between April 2026 and August 2026, the minimum price you can pay for a Mac mini has jumped by 50%. That's not an ideal situation at a time when it feels like our income is being squeezed harder and harder every week.

Yes, you get more storage and the new $899 version has more powerful chip than in the older $599 version — but, frankly, there will be plenty of people for whom price is the key factor, not the ability to run LLM requests faster.

Apple knows this; these people are exactly who the MacBook Neo is aimed at. So now that the Mac mini is no longer a budget buy, we need Apple to bring the Neo principle to the desktop.

No revolution necessary

As I said in the headline, I don't think a 'Mac Neo' PC even needs to be a complicated proposition to develop: we already know the A18 Pro chip runs macOS really well, because we've seen it do it in the MacBook Neo. And Apple already has a small body that can take the thermal requirements of iPhone-level chip, in the form of the latest Apple TV 4K.

The existing Apple TV 4K body already has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth antennae built in, and Ethernet and HDMI output ports — and while it no longer has USB-C, it used to, so it wouldn't be too hard to add back in.

Surely, in a plastic body, using an iPhone chip, we can get the price down below $600 again. The MacBook Neo is $699, and that includes a screen, keyboard and battery, after all.

The MacBook Neo is a genuinely great laptop for a low price — so let's drop the bits we don't need… (Image credit: Future)

If Apple is working on this, I expect we might have a bit of a wait — supposedly, the MacBook Neo will get a refresh in 2027 with an upgrade to the Apple A19 Pro processor (which brings a boost from 8GB of RAM to 12GB with it), which makes sense in terms of Apple saying that the new AI Siri's most powerful features require 12GB of RAM.

It would probably make sense to launch my new 'Mac Neo' or 'Mac Nano' or whatever you want to call it alongside the next MacBook Neo, if it were to happen.

The idea of putting a cheap Mac in the Apple TV's body is something I've been talking about ever since the M1 chip was unveiled back in 2020. When the Mac mini M4 redesign appeared, with its excellent $599 price, I basically felt like I got what I wanted from the start.

But at these prices, I'm returning on my crusade — all the pieces are there to bring the Mac back to a truly budget price, and now more than ever people need a reliable, privacy-friendly computing option that's easy on the wallet.

We're massive fans of the ink tank printers we've tested, with cartridge-free printing offering much better value for money compared to standard inkjets. So, if you're preparing for back-to-school or a home office upgrade, I've found a great deal on the HP Smart Tank 6001 tank printer for $200 (was $370) at Amazon.

That's almost half-price off an all-in-one that can print, scan and copy. Features here include refillable ink tanks, automatic two-sided output, and wireless connectivity. It also comes with up to two years of ink, which is enough for as many as 8,000 color or 6,000 black pages.

In the UK, this printer is known as the HP Smart Tank 6005, currently £179 (was £250) at Currys with three years' free ink.

Smart Tank 6001 Wireless All-In-One Ink Tank Printer: was $369.99 now $199.99
A color thermal inkjet all-in-one with print, scan and copy functionality, refillable ink tanks, automatic duplex output, borderless printing, and wired and wireless connectivity.

In the UK: now £179 (was £250)View Deal

Why we recommend it

Rather than repeatedly replacing expensive ink cartridges, you top up the 6001's built-in tanks using bottled ink, which is a cheaper and more convenient approach. Bottled ink is much cheaper to buy compared to traditional inkjet cartridges, which is one of the reasons why we champion tank printers.

There's plenty of features from this HP model, too, making it suitable for students, home workers, and small business use.

The flatbed scanner handles documents you need to digitize, and the copier is useful for those time when you need another physical copy.

Automatic duplexing is handy for longer assignments and documents because it can output both sides of the page without you manually turning the paper over. Borderless capabilities offer flexibility for photos and other creative projects.

There's also HP's AI-assisted formatting, which can remove unwanted elements when printing web pages and emails.

For more top performers, see our guides to the best home printers and best ink tank printers.

Price context & historical value

The HP Smart Tank 6001 is currently $199.99 at Amazon, down from $369.99. That's a huge $170 saving, or 46% off. The lowest we've previously seen it at Amazon is $195, so this is an excellent price and you likely won't get a better discount any time soon. For comparison, it's also priced at $200 (was $414) at Best Buy. And if you want to other options, check out our guide to the best printer deals we've spotted this week.

Should you buy it?

✅ Buy the HP Smart Tank 6001 if...

You need to do a lot of printing. Its large supplied ink capacity means you can tackle assignments, revision sheets and projects without worrying about buying ink regularly.

It will also benefit home workers who need physical documents. Automatic duplexing saves some effort with longer jobs, and having scanning and copying built in is also welcome.

❌ Skip the HP Smart Tank 6001 if...

Look elsewhere if you're not one for waiting. A maximum of 12ppm in black and 7ppm in color means it's not fast, particularly if you need to power through large jobs.

The Catch: What to know before you buy

The print speeds for color tasks will be fine for typical household jobs, but they could become frustrating if you routinely need large documents output in a hurry.

There's no automatic document feeder listed here either. If you frequently scan or copy stacks of multi-page documents, having to place each page on the flatbed individually could quickly become tiring. I wouldn't call either a deal-breaker for general printing at home or in the dorm, but it's worth knowing.

Also consider

Megatank G3270 All-In-One Wireless Inkjet Printer: was $248.99 now $159.99
Combines color printing with a flatbed scanner and copier and supports Wi-Fi and USB connectivity. Print speeds reach 11 pages per minute in black and six pages per minute in color, while maximum color resolution is 4800 x 1200 dpi.

In the UK (G3570): now £178 (was £189)View Deal

• See all ink tank printers at Amazon

• Fitbit founders are launching a new screenless fitness tracker
• The Luffu Link is designed for caregivers, bringing all your relatives' health data to one place
• It's available for pre-order now, and will roll out early next year

Watch out Whoop, there’s a new screenless health and fitness wearable on the way — and it’s coming from the founders of Fitbit.

Developers James Park and Eric Friedman announced a new LTE fitness tracker, the Luffu Link, marking the pair’s first hardware device since launching their company Luffu earlier this year.

The Luffu Link is available to pre-order now at $249.99, but is expected to increase to $299.99 when it retails in early 2027. It’s also set to come in three different colors: Halo Gold, Onyx Black, and Sterling Blue.

What sets the new Luffu Link apart from the best fitness trackers is its focus. Instead of targeting individual health tracking, Park and Friedman designed their screenless wearable to include your whole family, which comes from their experiences with being caregivers.

“When you become a family caregiver, or the CEO of the family, these people are spending an enormous amount of time doing it,” Park told TechCrunch. “Research shows over 27 hours a week on average, which is a crazy amount of time…I think technology can play a big role in helping reduce this load, but as we found out, the tools to help them are pretty fragmented,” he added.

(Image credit: Luffu)

The Luffu Link looks a lot different to screenless wearables like Whoop and the Google Fitbit Air. For one, it doesn't adopt the same focus band design, and instead has a more sleek and technical look. It comes equipped with similar wellness tracking tools, of course, but it takes it further.

Though it’s not designed for step-tracking, the Luffu Link tracks everything else including sleep, activity, and heart rate, while also allowing you to record medications, symptoms, meals, and more using your voice.

With the help of the Luffu app, which launched back in February, you can easily view the data for each family member in your ecosystem. Using AI in the background to contextualize health metrics, the app gives you a comprehensive overview of your relatives’ information, all while working to learn daily patterns and identify any changes in your health.

While its data gathering abilities are widespread, the Luffu Link has built-in GPS and LTE, doubling as a communicative device that allows members in your family to alert trusted contacts. Not only can you track family members' location, you can check in with others without calling, texting, or having your phone nearby — and this could come in handy for emergencies.

Double-pressing the wearable’s button allows you to quickly alert others when help is needed, and you don’t need an additional LTE carrier plan. For example, if you’ve had an accident and need assistance you can say ‘I’ve fallen and hurt my leg. Can someone come and get me?’, and those in your Luffu family network will be notified.

The Luffu Link is just the start of the health tracking empire Park and Friedman want to build. In addition to the launch of the new fitness wearable, Luffu has teased a home device designed to help families monitor wellbeing across multiple households. It’s still in early development, but the company has said more details will be unveiled later this year.

As part of Amazon for Business Brand Week, Logitech is offering a big accessories upgrade sale for buying teams kitting out the office, while emphasizing the "hidden cost of low-quality" hardware.

And if you're looking to improve video calls on Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Google Meet, the Logitech Zone 305 wireless headset is down to $90 (was $100) and the excellent Logitech C920x HD Pro webcam has dropped to $60 (was $70) at Amazon.

Together these devices offer a great way to improve your video call setup without spending more than necessary. I also picked out this Logitech keyboard and mouse combo in the sale for your staff, too.

Zone 305 for Business Wireless Bluetooth Headset: was $99.99 now $89.99
This is a 122g on-ear wireless business headset with Bluetooth connectivity, a USB dongle and certification for Microsoft Teams. It uses 30mm drivers and dual noise-canceling microphones, with a flip-to-mute boom, up to 20 hours of listening time, 16 hours of talk time and a wireless range of up to 30 meters.View Deal

C920x HD Pro Webcam: was $69.99 now $59.99
This USB webcam is capable of Full HD 1080p video at 30fps. It features autofocus, automatic lighting adjustment and dual microphones for stereo audio, and works with Windows 11 as well as Teams, Meet and Zoom.View Deal

Why we recommend them

The Zone 305 headset weighs just 122g, making it light enough for long meetings, and the dual noise-canceling microphones will help keep your voice clear. The ability to stay connected to two devices is useful if you regularly move between a computer and a phone.

Battery life is rated at up to 20 hours for listening or 16 hours for calls, and a five-minute charge provides up to an hour of talk time. It has Microsoft Teams certification too.

The C920x webcam offers a 1080p/30fps output, which is fine for everyday meetings and video calls. Autofocus and automatic light correction help you get a consistent picture without much setup.

In her 4.5-star review, our expert Jess said: "With a perfect balance of performance and affordability, the C920 offers exactly what the everyday person needs in a webcam."

It also has dual microphones built in, so you won't necessarily need a separate headset like the Zone 305.

Price context & historical value

The Logitech Zone 305 is currently $89.99 at Amazon, down from $99.99, 10% off. It has sold for as low as around $69 in the past, so this isn't the lowest price we've seen.

The Logitech C920x is $59.99, down from $69.99, or 14% off. It was low as $44.95 back in 2024, but that's not a price I'd expect to see again any time soon.

Should you buy them?

✅ Buy the Zone 305 and C920x if...

The Logitech Zone 305 is a good choice if you spend a lot of time in Teams meetings and want a lightweight wireless headset with dedicated microphones. The long battery life, two-device connectivity and 30-meter wireless range are all good features.

The Logitech C920x offers Full HD resolution, autofocus, automatic lighting adjustment and built-in stereo microphones, covering the essentials for regular meetings.

❌ Skip the Zone 305 and C920x if...

I'd consider waiting on the Zone 305 if getting the lowest possible price is more important than buying today. Its previous $69 low shows that better discounts are possible.

The C920x is also worth skipping if you already own a decent 1080p webcam or want higher-end video. Its 1080p/30fps ceiling is sufficient for calls, but if you'd prefer 4K or smoother 60fps footage, it's worth looking at a more advanced model.

The Catch: What to know before you buy

Neither price represents a historic low. Both current deals are good, but bargain hunters may want to wait for a bigger saving. However, the emphasis on this deal, according to Logitech, isn't to be the cheapest, but to offer a good deal for corporate buying teams, and highlighting the hidden costs of budget-end hardware on businesses. There are hardware compromises here, too. The Zone 305 uses an on-ear design rather than surrounding your ears, which won't suit everyone, and the C920x tops out at 1080p and 30fps.

• Shop all Logitech for Business deals Amazon

• Apple Maps is now showing ads for users in the US and Canada
• Currently, ads appear as the top result in search and Suggested Places
• Users are unsurprisingly unhappy about this change, with some saying they'll switch to Google Maps

We’ve known they were coming for a while, but now ads have started appearing in Apple Maps for users in the US and Canada, meaning that not every result you see on the search screen will be organically placed.

As confirmed by Apple to 9to5Mac, Apple Maps is now starting to show ads in ‘Suggested Places’ on the search screen before you enter a search query, and in the search results.

In both cases you’ll at most see one ad, and this will be at the top of that section, with a blue ‘ad’ label marking it out. So at least they should be easy to ignore and scroll past.

Still, while this might benefit businesses, it’s undeniably a downgrade for Apple Maps users, and there’s no way to opt out of it, even if you’re paying for Apple services like iCloud+ or Apple One.

An unpopular change

(Image credit: Apple)

Unsurprisingly, this hasn’t been met with much approval from Apple fans, with users on Reddit saying things like “now with ads, there's absolutely no reason to use Apple Maps,” “I'll just use Google Maps,” “this is a bad move,” and “the main reason I used Apple Maps was because of no ads.”

Indeed the consensus — at least among initial online reactions — seems to be that Google Maps is better in most ways, with Apple Maps previously only being preferable due to its lack of ads. So without that differentiation, many users may jump ship for Google’s service.

One Reddit user summed it up with: “Google Maps is 100% more accurate and functional than Apple Maps. The only benefit Apple Maps had was that it didn't have ads so now that they've removed that, there's literally no reason to have this icon on your home screen anymore.”

That said, a few replies point out advantages that Apple Maps may still have, such as a perception at least of better privacy and it being less of a drain on your phone’s battery. So perhaps there could still be reasons to stick with Apple.

And of course, online complaints won’t necessarily mean Apple Maps will lose lots of users. Chances are, most people will stick with what they know. But either way, this is definitely a bad change — hopefully it won’t be a slippery slope to more intrusive ads.

Furious is a must-watch new crime series that's streaming on Hulu (US) and Disney+ (internationally), and it's female-led story is a huge part of why I love it.

The series, created by Elizabeth Meriwether, centers around FBI agent Alice Black (Emmy Rossum) on the hunt for a calculating female serial killer, Catherine Grace (Lola Petticrew). As their lives intertwine, we meet a lot of other important names, including Nora Washington (Quincy Tyler Bernstine), who is the head of the FBI's sex crimes unit.

I spoke to Bernstine about what drew her to the series, and she said: "Liz Meriwether drew me to the series because she's an absolute genius and I wanted to work with her. It's funny, I was in the middle of watching Dying for Sex [another Hulu series by Meriwether] when I got the interview and the audition request, and so of course I jumped at that!.

"I was sent a few scenes and the pilot episode. And I was blown away by the material," Bernstine added. "I had just never seen characters like this before. I was so interested in the idea of a female serial killer, because that's obviously a very rare thing."

Female characters are at the center of Furious' narrative, on both sides of the law, and I noted that their stories were told through a sympathetic lens which can often make us feel uncomfortable.

Each character felt well-rounded, and we got to experience things from their perspective, especially when it's a point of view that exists to challenge us and make us think. These psychological deep dives into flawed characters are just one part of why Furious is such a great piece of TV.

'I'm watching the show rooting for the serial killer, and I can't believe it'

Bernstine added: "I was just talking to someone this morning who's like, 'I'm watching the show rooting for the serial killer, and I can't believe it.' And I'm having the same experience, you know, it's funny because I know the show. I've seen the show, many times, but I'm watching it each week with like fresh eyes.

"I feel like I'm watching it with the world. With my husband, with my mother, with my brother, and everyone is like, 'I cannot believe I'm rooting for these people'.

"But that's the genius of Liz Meriwether, it's so surprising. Because it's very uncomfortable, but at the same time, you can understand what all of these women are going through."

Nora Washington is an interesting character because, despite the serious nature of her job at the FBI, she is also a very funny character. Much of the comic relief comes from Nora, something that I'm a huge fan of.

Speaking about her characterization, Bernstine told me: "She is down in this dark basement with no air, no light, like going into this room to watch this awful material, so that she can try to catch the bad guys, as it were".

She concluded: "And yet she has some of the funniest lines in the whole show. You never know what's going to come out of her mouth, but 9 times out of 10, it's gonna make you laugh."

I'm so impressed by Furious and highly encourage people to seek it out if they're looking for a unique crime series to binge on the best streaming services.

We've also explored why Furious is a game changer for disabled actors and what Furious star Scoot McNairy what he thinks you should stream once you've finished the series.

If you’re in the market for a Vitamix blender, you don’t need to shell out $500 to get the best model.

I played an hour of the new Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen expansion and walked away impressed by its gameplay loop and improved performance (on PlayStation 5), and instantly saw what Capcom is aiming for.

In Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen, players must journey through Norgan, an abandoned region in the north, and join forces with a mysterious new character to uncover the secrets of an undying Fallen Dragon.

In that process, you must find and appraise gear, skills, and weapons known as 'spoils' or 'relics' obtained through exploration and by defeating new, formidable foes to stand a chance in the unforgiving region.

If this sounds a lot like the mechanics of Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen, you're on to something because the appraisal system is effectively identical to Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen's purification of cursed items, which provided some of the most powerful gear available in the game.

That same concept is applied in Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen's Norgan region, but with a bigger explorable map instead of a dungeon-only layout and presumably even more spoils to be found.

Better than its predecessor?

It's only natural to compare Capcom's two Dragon's Dogma expansions, considering the similarities. However, after my time with its latest offering, it's hard (and frankly too soon) to conclude which holds the best experience.

Fortunately, some of the pain points from the base game experience in Dragon's Dogma 2 have been addressed, as the major patch (arriving at the end of August) was included in the hour preview I played.

Finally, there's enough time to explore and loot areas without being bombarded by enemies every minute — enemy encounters are still frequent, but during my journey to the first major boss, it felt good not to have hordes of goblins constantly spoiling the fun.

Performance is also significantly improved on the PS5. Bear in mind, I didn't have access to any frame rate overlay and couldn't visit the base game's regions (and I originally played the base game on PC), but it definitely felt like a constant 60fps, even in the most intense battles.

I didn't have plenty of time to explore many of Norgan's points of interest, but from acquiring a pet dire wolf, stumbling upon a frost-breathing giant, and finding level 3 skill spoils for the new Trickster and Magick Archer vocations, it's clear that Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen is the bigger expansion.

For example, Magick Archer now has an enhanced version of Arctic Bolt that becomes available by appraising one of the skill spoils, known as Glacial Bolt. This works wonders against bosses, with increased damage and the ability to freeze them in place for pawns to rally and attack.

Harpies are also heavily present in Norgan, but with new designs and attack patterns, notably a more aggressive attempt to grab the player or their pawns. Some of the enemies I spotted in the preview were essentially reskins of those from the base game, but like the harpies, new maneuvers and attacks set them apart.

Fighting the Fallen Dragon was a surprise too, an epic main boss encounter that I wish didn't end so soon — especially with one surprising moment I didn't see coming (which I won't spoil), but left me wanting more and curious to see just how many formidable foes await the Arisen in the full experience.

It's worth noting that there are also twelve new dungeon challenges to be found across the base game in addition to Norgan's content. Again, I didn't get to see them, but if the caves and smaller explorable areas I found in Norgan are anything to go by, with lootable chests and some new foes to fight, there'll be a lot to look forward to in those dungeons.

While I did have fun exploring Norgan, I'm cautiously optimistic about what the full experience has to offer. Bitterblack Isle's dungeon may have offered little in terms of exploration in a smaller map, but the sole focus on combat allowed vocations (or, in other words, classes) to work best in closed spaces in the first Dark Arisen, particularly Magick Archer and its Ricochet Hunter skill.

My main concern is that neither Norgan nor the additional twelve dungeon challenges will double down on those indoor and closed-space environments from Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen, and the new enemy and boss types may not be diverse enough to keep combat encounters entertaining.

Nonetheless, I'm very much looking forward to getting my hands on the full expansion, especially since Capcom is seemingly fixated on delivering a vastly improved version of Dragon's Dogma 2 with the highly anticipated pre-expansion patch.

We won't have to wait long, as the expansion is set for launch on October 9, 2026, on PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC.

• OM System has shared a YouTube teaser for upcoming camera launch
• The viewfinder experience is the teaser's key focus, and the camera's form is revealed
• The launch is set for September 9

Since Japan Industrial Partners acquired Olympus in 2021, creating OM Digital Solutions and rebranding new cameras as OM System, we've seen upgrades for every Olympus camera series except one: the PEN-F / PEN E-P7 line of digital rangefinders.

The Olympus PEN-F is a camera that's much admired for its stunning retro looks, described by some as the 'best looking camera ever made'. Olympus fans have been calling for a successor to the series for years — and they might finally be about to get their wish.

A YouTube video from OM System (below) just teased what could be the long-awaited successor to the PEN-F, and it's coming on September 9.

The teaser focuses on the experience of using the built-in 'rangefinder'-style viewfinder — a hallmark of PEN cameras — and then reveals the camera's form factor, with some detailing of the top plate.

Based on these low-key visuals, we could be looking at the spiritual successor to the beloved Olympus PEN-F — which inspired the design of the stunning OM-3 — or perhaps a re-imagining of the low-cost Olympus PEN EP-7.

Either way, the rangefinder-style camera is getting Olympus fans excited, if the comments section of the YouTube video are anything to go by. "Let's go!" chime several viewers.

Given the length of time between the original Olympus models — the Pen-F is 10 years old, and the Pen EP-7 five — there are a few upgrades that could find their way into this new camera, including a speedier stacked sensor, improved phase-detection autofocus, and additional computational photography modes.

All will be revealed on September 9, and you can follow the live event on the OM System site, which is advertising a five-day program of live discussions, all seemingly centered on the new camera.

It's not a problem that Taylor Sheridan has often had to contend with, but some fans are worried that Lioness season 3 is about to enter a mid-season slump.

At the halfway point of the political drama, there's a lot going on, with few answers in sight. This season's drama revolves around two simultaneous timelines: Joe being kidnapped by unknown Russian operatives, and, the six months leading up to her capture. Do we know who is responsible? Not exactly.

But still, let's press on in the face of potential adversity — when does Lioness season 3 episode 5 arrive on Paramount+?

What time can I watch Lioness season 3 episode 5 on Paramount+?

Lioness season 3 episode 5 will drop on one of the world's best streaming services in the US and Canada on Sunday, August 30 at 12am PT / 3am ET.

Here's when it will be released in other nations globally:

• US – 12am PT / 3am ET
• Canada – 12am PT / 3am ET
• UK – 8am BST
• India – 12:30pm IST
• Singapore – 3pm SGT
• Australia – 5pm AEST
• New Zealand – 7pm NZST

When do new episodes of Lioness season 3 come out?

(Image credit: Paramount+)

Lioness season 3 will have a total of eight episodes, with new entries airing weekly. That gives us the following schedule:

• Episode 1: out now
• Episode 2: out now
• Episode 3: out now
• Episode 4: out now
• Episode 5: August 30
• Episode 6: September 6
• Episode 7: September 13
• Episode 8: September 20

This summer's unexpected heatwave across the UK and Europe has caught retailers flat-footed.

Go into any London Oxford Street store this week and you’ll find the last remains of the mid-summer sale, while “new in” rails are covered in chocolate brown trouser suits ready for Autumn.

The trouble is, it’s still 28 degrees and sunny with another heatwave expected this week. Shoppers aren’t looking for jumpers, yet the shelves are stocked for a forecast made half a year earlier, meaning many retailers have missed the immediate shift in consumer demand.

It’s hard to not feel the disconnect. Somewhere back in January, a planning team sat in a meeting room and decided, with the best information they had at the time, that by early August the nation would be ready to shop for knitwear.

It’s a process that retailers have used for decades, and the problem isn’t that they planned-ahead or got it wrong, it’s that the infrastructure behind the decision has no mechanism for course correcting once new information arrives.

That's not a forecasting failure. It's a technology and process failure, and it's one that's becoming impossible to ignore.

Six-month planning cycles are no longer viable

The heatwave is just one example of why rigid six-month planning cycles in retail are no longer commercially viable. Designed in an era that was steady and predictable, they assume stable supply chains, formulaic seasons, and shoppers who wait patiently for the "right" moment to buy. That world simply doesn’t exist today.

Global supply chains have become fragile and prone to disruption at any point in the chain, while erratic weather patterns can change trading conditions overnight, and consumer demand is shaped as much by a TikTok trend that lands on a Tuesday, as it is by a season on a calendar. This has left retailers trying to run a business that demands agility on an operating system designed for a much slower rhythm.

The result is the disconnect we're seeing on the shop floor right now. Having worked in retail for more than 20 years, I know first-hand that most planning systems are still built around static reports, disconnected spreadsheets and manual range-building processes that take weeks (sometimes months) to turn around.

This creates a structural lag between changes in demand and when the business is able to respond. It is this lag that is quickly becoming the single biggest driver of markdowns, stockouts and wasted inventory that costs the global retail sector more than $1.7 trillion per year, according to analysts IHL Group.

Rethinking planning

It’s clear to me that for retailers looking to achieve growth, they must rethink how planning, buying and merchandising get done.

This starts with moving away from rigid, twice-a-year buying cycles built on legacy systems to data infrastructure that supports micro-season planning. This is shorter, more frequent windows where decisions about what to buy, when to reorder and how to promote in-store are made continuously and based on current data, not locked in months in advance based on a forecast made months earlier.

Practically, this means implementing a few core capabilities, the first being real-time data visibility that allows teams to see live sell-through, stock position and intake at SKU level, rather than via a report that lands the following Monday describing what already happened.

The second is more connected forecasting, where demand models can analyze external factors such as a heatwave, local events or social media trends as a trading signal rather than an anomaly discovered on the shop floor.

This leads to the third capability, which is faster execution once a shift in demand is identified. The system needs to support quick decision making and action, whether that's an automated reorder, a reallocation of stock between stores and channels, or a change to in-store and online merchandising.

Maintaining a live model

None of this replaces long-range strategy. Retailers still need a financial plan, a range architecture and a clear vision. What changes is how that happens in practice. Planning becomes less about producing a fixed document twice a year and more about maintaining a live model of the business that can be interrogated and acted on continuously.

That's a fundamentally different technology requirement than most legacy planning and merchandising systems were built to support, and it's why so many retailers are still reacting to demand shifts weeks after they've already cost them sales.

For retail leaders, the practical takeaway is to start auditing where your planning and merchandising decisions get made, and how long it takes for a real-world signal, such as a heatwave, a stockout, a viral product, to translate into a change on the shop floor or the website. If that gap is measured in weeks rather than days, the constraint isn't your team's judgement, it's the infrastructure they're working with.

This heatwave is just one visible example of a much broader technological and operational shift that retailers need to make. The businesses that treat it as a prompt to modernize, rather than a one-off weather event, are the ones that will be more commercially resilient the next time conditions change without warning.

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Artificial intelligence has transformed how software is built. Tasks that once took software developers days, if not weeks, to finalize can now be completed in hours with the assistance of generative AI tools.

The promise is compelling, offering faster innovation, increased productivity, and the ability to bring new applications to life at an unprecedented speed. But what is the impact on security?

AI coding has simultaneously put software risk on steroids. This is not because AI-generated code is uniquely flawed; it’s because it enables organizations to build and deploy software faster than any existing security, governance, or risk management process.

Development velocity has accelerated toward machine speed, while governance remains largely human-driven. That gap is now one of the defining software security challenges of the AI era.

Software is moving at machine speed. Security isn't.

AI is not only changing how code is written; it is changing how software is assembled. Developers can now assemble applications using open-source components, APIs, and third-party services faster than ever before. Every new application, integration, and dependency expands the attack surface that organizations must inventory, monitor, and secure.

The result is now a growing imbalance between software creation and software remediation. As the pace of software creation increases, remediation must keep up.

Veracode's 2026 State of Software Security report found 82% of organizations now carry security debt—vulnerabilities that remain unresolved over time — and 60% carry critical security debt, meaning flaws that are severe enough to cause significant damage if exploited.

Third-party code continues to be an especially stubborn source of risk, representing 66% of the most dangerous, long-lived vulnerabilities. The data reveals a simple reality: AI doesn't just generate more first-party code—it is increasing software complexity.

Organizations have always dealt with flawed code. The difference now is the speed and scale at which that code can be created, accepted, and deployed. AI doesn't just introduce risk, it amplifies the challenge of managing risk by enabling teams to generate exponentially more software than traditional security processes were designed to govern.

Traditional security governance assumes humans remain the bottleneck in software creation. Reviews, approvals, audits, and remediation workflows were designed for development cycles measured in weeks or months. AI-assisted development compresses those timelines dramatically.

When software can be generated, modified, and deployed at machine speed, governance models that depend on human intervention alone are no longer sustainable.

AI can help plant a seed, but that does not mean the garden will thrive. A seed needs the right soil, climate, and care. Software is no different. Organizations can generate applications overnight, but without the right security frameworks, operational support, and governance structures, those applications can quickly become liabilities rather than assets.

This is why security leaders must rethink governance for the AI era. The goal can’t be to inspect every line of code or eliminate every vulnerability before deployment; that approach was already becoming unsustainable before generative AI entered the picture. Instead, organizations need governance systems capable of operating at the same pace as software creation.

That means automating risk analysis, continuously evaluating dependencies, enforcing policies through pipelines, and prioritizing remediation based on business risk rather than relying on manual review alone.

Governance becomes the new trust layer

The need for machine-speed governance extends beyond operational efficiency. As AI accelerates software creation, governance becomes the mechanism through which organizations maintain visibility, demonstrate control, and establish trust across an increasingly complex software ecosystem.

Ultimately, this isn't just about scaling security. It's about ensuring software can be trusted and held accountable, regardless of how it's built.

AI can generate software, but it cannot assume responsibility for it. Boards will still hold executive leadership accountable for cyber risk. Regulators will still expect organizations to demonstrate that the software they deploy is secure and resilient. Customers will still expect software they can trust, regardless of how it was built.

AI may change how software is created, but it does not change who is accountable for its consequences.

That shift requires organizations to rethink governance as a strategic capability, not a compliance exercise. Success will depend less on preventing every vulnerability and more on demonstrating that software can be continuously evaluated, understood, and trusted as it evolves. In the AI era, the winners will not simply be those that build software fastest, but those that can govern it most effectively.

AI can help plant the seed, but it cannot tend to the garden. The organizations that lead today will not necessarily be those that generate the most software. They'll be the ones that can confidently answer the question every stakeholder will eventually ask: Can we trust what we've built?

AI has accelerated software creation beyond anything the industry has experienced before. If software risk is now on steroids, governance must be too. Otherwise, the gap between what organizations can build and what they can securely manage will continue to widen.

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

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

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