Technology

• NSA, FBI, CISA, and 15 allied agencies warn Russia’s FSB Center 16 is exploiting weak/default credentials and old Cisco flaws to compromise critical infrastructure devices
• Advisory highlights CVE‑2018‑0171 (Smart Install DoS/RCE) and CVE‑2008‑412813 (CSRF in Cisco IOS 12.4) as examples of vulnerabilities still being abused
• TTPs overlap with Chinese groups but attribution points to Russian actors like Berserk Bear and Energetic Bear; full IoCs and mitigations were published in the joint advisory

Russian state-sponsored threat actors are continuously targeting broken and poorly configured networking devices belonging to critical infrastructure providers all around the world, a joint security advisory published by the US National Security Agency (NSA) and more than a dozen other agencies has warned.

As per the advisory, hackers working for the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) Center 16 are constantly scanning for routers and other internet-connected devices that can be accessed with “common or default” login credentials.

Once found, these devices are instructed to copy device configuration files and later exfiltrate them via the Trivial File Transfer Protocol to servers under their control.

Berserk Bear and Salt Typhoon

In cases where default or weak credentials don’t work, the threat actors also try to exploit vulnerabilities. In the advisory, the agencies specifically mentioned two flaws in Cisco devices - CVE-2018-0171 and CVE-2008-412813. The former is an eight-year-old bug in the Smart Install feature of Cisco IOS Software and Cisco IOS XE Software that allows an unauthenticated, remote attacker to cause a denial of service (DoS) condition, or to execute arbitrary code.

The latter is an even older (18 years old) set of multiple cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerabilities in the HTTP Administration component in Cisco IOS 12.4 on the 871 Integrated Services Router that allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands.

Even though many of these tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTP) overlap with Chinese hackers Salt Typhoon, the agencies suggested they are primarily focusing on Russian hackers known as Berserk Bear, Energetic Bear, Crouching Yeti, Dragonfly, Ghost Blizzard, or Static Tundra.

The joint advisory is co-authored by the NSA, FBI, and CISA, as well as 15 other agencies from Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, Estonia, Finland, France, and Italy.

Dreame Z30 Pro Aqua: two-minute review

The Dreame Z30 Pro Aqua is one of those products that leaves you feeling both impressed and slightly perplexed. No question, this is an impressive cordless stick vac with suction powerful enough to deal with everything from fine dust to larger debris, especially when used on carpet. However, while the provided multi-floor head is well engineered, I do wish Dreame had included its clever GapFree hard floor head as featured with the Dreame V20 Pro, which I consider a much better bet for hard floor sweeping.

Battery life is a respectable 35 minutes or so in Auto mode, and the whole machine feels fairly light in the hand, well balanced and easy enough to maneuver. Whether you're tackling carpets or rugs, it performs with the confidence you'd expect from what is essentially a flagship model. However, it’s not the best hard-floor model I’ve seen, at least when it comes to picking up larger debris.

While its detachable mopping unit is a class leader at collecting accidental spills and lifting everyday grime, its twin water tanks are simply too small to support cleaning across an entire home without frequent refills. As a result, it feels more like a maintenance tool than a genuine wet-cleaning solution, making it best suited to localized cleaning and single-room mopping rather than cleaning the floors of an entire house.

I'm not convinced by Dreame's docking solution, either. Instead of the elegant wall-mounted charging docks offered by some rivals, the Z30 Pro Aqua comes with an ungainly stand featuring a collection of bolt-on accessory holders. It's undeniably practical, but it looks more like an afterthought than something designed to complement a modern home. Put another way, you may want to tuck this stand well out of sight.

Nevertheless, strip away the awkward storage system and you’re still left with a very decent cordless vacuum cleaner and exemplary spot mopper for occasional household mishaps.

Dreame Z30 Pro Aqua review: price & availability

• List price: £549 (about $730 / AU$1,060)
• Launched: May 2026
• Availability: UK and Europe

The Dreame Z30 Pro Aqua sits firmly in the premium end of the cordless vacuum market. In the UK, its official retail price is a lofty £549 (about $730 / AU$1,060) but Dreame is currently selling it for a more reasonable £479 (about $640 / AU$920). Across Europe, pricing varies by country but generally lands at around €479.

While you can purchase the vac-only Z30 variant in the USA, the Z30 Pro Aqua we’re reviewing here hasn't been officially released over there yet, though Dreame is expected to bring the Pro Aqua (or a similar wet-dry variation) Stateside sometime later in 2026.

The Z30 Pro Aqua is competing against some seriously capable cordless cleaners and, while its vacuuming credentials are generally excellent, you are paying a premium for a mopping system that doesn't quite live up to the rest of the package. Unless your hard-floor cleaning needs are limited to quick maintenance mops, you may find better value elsewhere.

One alternative is to buy a stick vacuum and a dedicated wet-dry floor cleaner separately. Pairing something like the Dreame R20 (around £179 in the UK) or Shark PowerDetect (around £330) with a specialist floor washer such as the Dreame H15 Pro, Tineco Floor One S7 Pro or Roborock F25 Ultra will deliver much better range for whole-home mopping without constant refills and emptying. Yes, you'll need storage space for two appliances, but you'll also end up with a far more capable cleaning setup that excels at every task instead of compromising on either.

• Value for money score: 3.5 out of 5

Dreame Z30 Pro Aqua specs

Type

Cordless vacuum with wet-and-dry unit

Bagged / bagless

Bagless

Weight

7.72lbs / 3.5kg

Bin size

20.2 fl oz / 0.6 litre

Max runtime

Claimed 90 mins in Eco mode

Max suction

310 AW (28,000Pa)

Clean water tank:

13.5 fl oz / 400ml

Dirty water tank:

10.8 fl oz / 320ml

Hot air drying time

30 mins

Hot air drying temperature

158F / 70C

Charging time

4 hours

Tools

TangleCut Multi-Surface Brush, AquaCycle 2.0 Wet Cleaning Brush, wide fluff tool, crevice tool, dusting bush

Noise level

90dB

Dreame Z30 Pro Aqua review: design

• Elegant hand unit
• Impressive suction stats
• Unattractive docking system

(Image credit: Future)

There are two main floor-cleaning disciplines — vacuuming and mopping — and both require a completely different approach. For vacuuming of hard floors and carpet you obviously need a vacuum cleaner — preferably of the cordless stick variety — but when it comes to mopping hard floors you have several choices.

There’s obviously the classic mop and bucket (which reigns supreme despite the paraphernalia and elbow grease required), a large handful of paper towels for liquid spills, or the good old damp tea towel for either messy spills or general hard floor cleaning. However, I know of a more practical solution and it’s called a cordless hard floor cleaner or, for want of a better description, a wet-dry vacuum cleaner.

These machines use a self-dampened spinning roller to quite literally suck up liquid spills of almost every variety — even vomit and puppy wee if you can handle the thought — depositing the disgusting mess into a large dirty water tank which is then emptied into the toilet bowl while holding one’s nose.

The big bonus with wet-dry vacs is that they cleverly eliminate the need for a bucket of water or any other accoutrements, so when you’re faced with a liquid spill, you simply grab the machine, run it over the mess a few times and return it to its charging plinth where it undergoes a robust self-cleaning regime in readiness for the next calamity.

Of course, these handy home helpers are also sterling floor moppers in general, removing most stains and grime off kitchen and bathroom floors in record time. However, the upshot is that you end up with two machines cluttering the home, which is where this all-in-one vaccy-moppy model from Dreame comes into the equation.

Before I discuss the Dreame Z30 Pro Aqua’s versatile list of credentials, I must chip in with a quick caveat regarding its looks. Attired in Dreame’s usual posh rose gold bling, the Z30 Pro Aqua’s main vacuum unit is actually very stylish and elegant but I can’t say the same for the storage system-cum-charging-and-mop-cleaning plinth, which is so ugly that even Dreame is shying away from making a song and dance about it on its web page.

I’m struggling to think of what this tangled melange of bendy pipes and bolted-on plastic accessory holders looks like but it’s quite an eyesore that you will definitely want to hide deep in the recesses of the utility room – or at the very least well away from any living areas.

(Image credit: Future)

The Z30 Pro Aqua’s charging system entails pushing the suction tube into a pair of arm clamps until they click shut, and it’s a bit of wobbly affair it must be said. But here’s the thing — the suction tube needs to be attached to the mopping head because the charging contacts don’t line up if docked with the vacuum head. Given that most of the time you’ll be using the vacuuming function, I think this is a major oversight because it requires having to change the vacuum head to the mopping head every time you dock the unit. Anyway, to remove the unit, you simply push back against the clamps to release it.

I’ve never been a fan of multiple accessories, but this one comes with a mini banquet, namely the obligatory dusting brush, flat head and crevice nozzle, which all clip into the charging base assembly. However, it’s not very often that I’m able to attach any of the detail tools to the storage post without fiddling about with the connectors. There’s only one way to insert them and even this requires wiggling the accessory until you finally locate the correct entry angle. This is not such a good thing when you’re in the middle of a clean and you’re swapping tools like a plumber fixing a leaky pipe.

(Image credit: Future)

Disappointingly, you get just one universal brush head with this machine, and not the clever edge-cleaning hard floor-specific head that shipped with the excellent Dreame V20 Pro stick vac. Yes, I know that would perhaps be one accessory too many but I’d be happy to find someone to store it, mostly because it’s so good at cleaning right to the very edge of skirting boards.

The 8.6-inch (22cm) brush head itself is essentially a solid, molded cylinder with protruding paddles, each with a soft nylon bristle attached. Despite its simplicity, it makes an extremely good fist of beating dust out of carpets but it feels and sounds too rigid for hard floors. On the plus side, the brush head is easy to maneuver around furniture legs and I like the suction reduction vent on the front of the head which is handy on deeper pile carpet. A full blue beam of blue light, meanwhile, illuminates detritus when sweeping in darker areas, though it’s not a patch on Dyson’s Lazer Dust Detection system.

(Image credit: Future)

This leads me to the last part of this unusual entry into the world of floor cleaning – the detachable mop head. Unlike purpose-built wet-dry hard floor cleaners like the class-leading Roborock 25 Ultra – which comes with a large 33.8 fl oz (1L) clean water tank and 24.3 fl oz (720ml) dirty water reservoir – the Z30 Pro Aqua’s detachable mop head is equipped with a titchy 13.5 fl oz (400ml) fresh water tank, an even smaller 10.8 fl oz (320ml) one for the filthy stuff and, uniquely, a separate collection box for solid debris.

(Image credit: Future)

Unlike dedicated electro moppers that port all muck — liquid and solid — into one large container for pouring into the toilet, this one separates the waste into liquid and solids. I can see the reasoning behind it if one were to use the sink for disposing the contents because it keeps the solid stuff aside for emptying into the kitchen bin by simply lifting out the solids container.

Granted, the mop system is self cleaning, but this process uses most of the water in the tank so you’ll likely need a refill for the self-cleaning process followed by yet another refill and emptying session before you can take it out on its next run. On the plus side, the front-mounted wooly spinning mop head – thicker and more absorbent than others I’ve seen – is thoroughly cleaned and then dried on its bucket-shaped base for 30 minutes using hot air at a very effective 158F (70C).

(Image credit: Future)

Let’s take a closer look at the engine room of this new vac-and-mop system. The handheld unit alone weighs 5lb (2.3kg) and 7.7lb (3.5kg) with the suction tube and floor head attached. This is the exact same combined weight as the Dyson Gen5Detect, and par for the course given its larger-than-average 20.3 fl oz (0.6L) dust bin capacity. To empty the bin, you simply tap a side button and it lifts off the unit to be taken to the bin and emptied by pressing another button to eject all detritus. In terms of suction power, the Z30 Pro Aqua produces a whopping 28,000 Pascals – more than enough oomph for deep-pile carpet cleaning duties.

The Z30 Pro Aqua’s hand unit doesn’t come with a trigger. Instead you press the On button and choose from Auto (which increases suction automatically when heavy deposits of dust are detected), Eco or Turbo. You can see which mode you’re in by looking at the circular display which, incidentally, also illustrates the levels of debris being collected in Auto mode, a bit like a Dyson only nowhere near as bright or as readable.

Dreame’s 90-minute running time is based on it being in Eco mode on hard floor and that may be true or taken with a pinch of salt. However I have always used Auto mode, for which I got about 35 minutes of suction and/or mopping when running the unit on a hard wooden floor. That’s not too bad for a stick vac in auto mode — I’ve seen worse.

(Image credit: Future)

I’ll end this chapter with a shout out to the rose gold suction tube that bends 90 degrees for reaching under sofas and beds. If I’m not mistaken, Shark was the first to produce an articulating suction tube. It’s a great feature to have, mostly because it saves having to get on one’s knees when cleaning under low-slung furnishings.

My final thoughts on the design of the Z30 Pro Aqua? Firstly, build quality is excellent throughout. The main unit feels reassuringly solid without becoming too cumbersome, while the large transparent dust bin, easy-release battery and intuitive controls all contribute to a very premium vacuuming experience.

In essence, it looks to me like this product was created mostly for vacuuming, but with the ability to clean up small spills and odd stains as and when they occur. I don’t think it’s a valid alternative to a dedicated wet-dry vacuum cleaner which is suitable for cleaning a whole home. But, hey, if the concept of a multipurpose two-in-one floor cleaner floats your boat then by all means go ahead. Just be aware that you may not be able to mop more than half a large kitchen before having to perform an empty-and-refill session.

• Design score: 4 out of 5

Dreame Z30 Pro Aqua review: performance

• Exceptional carpet performance
• Not as efficient on hard floors
• Perfect for spot mopping

Aside from some daily vacuuming and low-level mopping, I also set up three performance tests for the Dreame Z30 Pro Aqua: carpet and hard floor vacuuming using a variety of dry ingredients, including rice, partly broken cornflakes, oats and flour; and hard floor mopping using a splash of milk and a few cornflakes. For both tests I set the suction mode to Auto, which adjusts the power according to the amount of dust and dirt the built-in sensor detects.

(Image credit: Future)

The result for the hard floor test in my kitchen was about average. It certainly wasn’t a match for my Dyson Gen5Detect with its hard floor-specific attachment fitted. Although it collected the cornflakes, oats and flour well enough, the Z30 scattered more rice than it should have. I put this unexceptional performance down to the design of the universal brush head which doesn’t seem particularly well suited to hard floors. It also sounded a wee bit clattery as if it was crying out for a smooth velveteen brush roller. A very good reason, me thinks, for Dreame to include its excellent GapFree hard floor-specific head with this product.

(Image credit: Future)

The carpet test, on the other hand, was a much rosier picture. In fac, I’d say that the Z30 may well be one of the better carpet sweepers on the market since it had no issues collecting everything in a single stroke bar a few obstreperous grains of rice. It also left no trace of flour, even when examined close up. The Z30 has also proved very adept at collecting huge amounts of Labrador hair during its general cleaning routines.

(Image credit: Future)

For my final test I grabbed the mopping unit, filled it with fresh water and introduced it to some spilled milk and soggy cornflakes. Blow me down with a feather! This thing performed exceedingly well in this test, collecting every last flake of corn and all the milk in a single pass. I put this down to the material used for the roller which is thick, dense, and has a slightly grippy feel. In fact, I also noticed the effectiveness of this roller during standard mopping duties because it dealt with general stains and floor marks with consummate aplomb. I have also been impressed by how well the mop has steered around furniture and how it can be angled to over 90˚ for tight areas.

• Performance score: 4 out of 5

Should you buy the Dreame Z30 Pro Aqua?

Attribute

Notes

Rating

Value

The Z30 Pro Aqua is expensive, but its powerful vacuuming and integrated mopping may justify the outlay for some households, though not everyone.

3.5 / 5

Design

An intriguing combo for those after a two-in-one floor-cleaning solution but the jury’s out on the ungainly look of the mop-cleaning dock.

4 / 5

Performance

This isn’t the best option for hard floors but it’s excellent on carpet. And while its mop is intended for short bursts, it’s surprisingly excellent at cleaning up stains and spills.

4 / 5

Buy it if...

You want decent vacuuming performance

Powerful suction and an effective floor head make light work of carpets, rugs and, to a lesser degree, hard floors.

You need to perform occasional spot mopping

This model is just the ticket for quick mopping duties.

You love premium build quality

The Z30 Pro Aqua feels every bit like a flagship appliance, with solid construction and refined ergonomics.

Don't buy it if...

You need to perform whole-home mopping

The mop unit’s small clean and dirty water tanks limit how much floor you can tackle before stopping for a refill.

You have an eye for aesthetics

The stand works okay, but its bulky, ugly design and silly charging system are a let down.

You don’t need a mopping system

This may not be the model for you.View Deal

How I tested the Dreame Z30 Pro Aqua

After I’d had my eyes abused by the sight of this model’s convoluted dock design, I managed to find somewhere out of sight to store it before embarking on a series of tests. Aside from a two week period of using it for general cleaning purposes – at which it mostly excelled – I set up a couple of challenging vacuum tests, plus a mopping test using a liquid spill.

I also evaluated its weight in the hand and overall maneuverability on both carpet and hard floors – the mopping attachment is especially impressive in this department. However, on even closer inspection of the dock, I still maintain that there’s work to do in improving its looks and functionality, especially the disappointing charging system that only works if the mopping head is attached. But, hey, each to their own.

Read more about how we test

• First reviewed July 2026

Ninja makes some of the best air fryers on the market, but considering how easy these appliances are to use, it sure is difficult to figure out which one to buy. This brand's air fryer range has grown to incorporate dozens of models with different capacities and capabilities.

We've tested ... okay not all, but a decent number of them, so we're in an ideal position to help. The good news is they almost always score highly in our tests, which means you're unlikely to come away disappointed, whichever one you go for.

However, some models will be better suited to your needs than others. Below, I've rounded up all the Ninja air fryers that we've tested and recommend, and which are still available — and if you hit the 'View details' button you can see exactly what we thought of each one. Skip to the bottom of the page for some top tips on how to choose the right one for your kitchen.

Let's fry, let's fry away Ninja Double Stack XL 9.5L Air Fryer SL400UK

Read our full review

Ninja French Door Premier Air Fryer Convection Oven Toaster

Read our full review

Ninja 5-in-1 Grill and Air Fryer

Read our full review

Ninja Crispi

Read our full review

Ninja Crispi Pro Glass Air Fryer

Read our full review

Ninja Foodi Health Grill & Air Fryer

Read our full review

Ninja AF300UK Foodi Dual Zone Air Fryer

Read our full review

Ninja Foodi FlexDrawer Air Fryer 10.4L

Read our full review

Ninja Foodi Max Dual Zone Air Fryer AF400UK

Read our full review

Ninja DCT451 12-in-1 Smart Double Oven Air Fryer

Read our full review

Ninja Air Fryer Max AF160

Read our full review

How do I choose?

If you're feeding larger numbers or want to create multi-component meals (and have enough counter space), look at the Foodi Dual Zone options — these feature-packed air fryers have two drawers that can be set to different temperatures, and the machine will sync up cooking for you so the food in both sections is ready at the same time. Or, for the same functionality but a smaller footprint, you can't beat the Double Stack, which puts one drawer on top of the other (there are a few capacities available).

Those with small kitchens should consider a Crispi model. These have an innovative design that's essentially a glass container onto which an air fryer hat attaches. The containers can be used as serving or storage dishes, for maximum versatility.

If you don't just want an air fryer, plenty of Ninja's appliances double up as different kinds of cooker. One of the most versatile additions to the range is the French Door Air Fryer, which offers 10 cooking modes and can fit a whole roast or pizza inside. Alternatively, you have things like the 5-in-1 Grill & Air Fryer, which come with a range of accessories including a griddle plate for an authentic chargrilled finish.

If you're still feeling overwhelmed, I don't blame you. There's a lot of overlap between what these air fryers can do, so I'd start by looking at how much space you have on your counter, and how much capacity you need in your air fryer, and use those requirements to narrow your options down.

Artificial intelligence has quickly become the boardroom's favorite solution. From forecasting and reporting to scenario planning and budgeting, finance leaders are under growing pressure to demonstrate how AI can improve efficiency and drive better decisions.

But against the rush to adopt AI, many organizations are overlooking a fundamental truth: that AI is only as effective as the systems, processes and data that support it.

This is particularly true in finance, where many teams continue to rely on fragmented technology stacks, disconnected data sources and spreadsheet-heavy workflows. While AI promises to automate analysis and surface deeper insights, it cannot compensate for weak foundations. In fact, it often does the opposite, exposing issues that previously remained hidden beneath layers of manual work.

The reality is that many finance functions are less prepared for AI than they realize.

The spreadsheet problem AI cannot solve:

Spreadsheets remain deeply embedded within enterprise finance. They are familiar, flexible and accessible. However, they were never designed to serve as the backbone of modern financial planning and analysis for large enterprises.

In many organizations, critical forecasting models, budgeting processes and reporting workflows are still maintained across countless spreadsheets, often with limited governance and varying levels of accuracy. Data is copied between systems, formulas evolve over time, and key assumptions can become difficult to trace.

Introducing AI into this environment does not eliminate these challenges. It amplifies them.

If an AI model is drawing insights from inconsistent data sources or outdated spreadsheets, it will simply generate the wrong answer faster. Automated recommendations may appear sophisticated, but their reliability is ultimately determined by the quality and integrity of the underlying information.

This is why the familiar principle of ‘garbage in, garbage out’ remains so relevant to finance teams today.

Why finance teams may be overestimating their AI readiness:

Many organizations assess AI readiness by evaluating tools. They ask whether they have access to the latest models, whether employees are using generative AI and AI agents, or whether automation opportunities exist within their workflows.

Far fewer assess the quality of the infrastructure feeding those systems.

True AI readiness starts with questions such as:

• Is financial data consistent across systems?
• Can teams trust the numbers they are working with?
• Are planning, reporting and forecasting processes standardized?
• Is there a single source of truth for business performance?

If the answer to these questions is unclear, AI adoption risks introducing new complexity rather than delivering meaningful value.

The challenge is not a lack of ambition; most finance leaders recognize the potential of AI. The challenge is that many organizations are attempting to build advanced capabilities on top of foundations that were never designed to support them.

Data quality is becoming a strategic priority:

As AI becomes more embedded within finance operations, data quality is shifting from an operational concern to a strategic business priority.

Finance teams have long spent significant amounts of time gathering, reconciling and validating data before analysis can even begin. AI has the potential to reduce that burden, but only when the underlying information is accurate, connected and accessible.

Organizations that invest in modern finance infrastructure gain a significant advantage. Centralized platforms, integrated data environments and standardized planning processes create the conditions necessary for AI to deliver meaningful outcomes. They also improve transparency, governance and trust in financial decision-making.

Without these foundations, AI initiatives risk becoming expensive experiments that fail to deliver lasting value.

Building the foundations before scaling AI:

The future of finance undoubtedly involves AI. The technology's ability to improve forecasting, accelerate reporting and support more strategic decision-making is too significant to ignore.

However, the organizations that realize the greatest benefits will not necessarily be those that adopt AI first. They will be those that prepare for it properly.

Before automating processes or deploying new AI capabilities, finance leaders should take a closer look at the systems supporting their operations. Are they creating a trusted, connected and scalable environment for decision-making, or are they simply digitizing existing inefficiencies? AI is a powerful multiplier, but multipliers work in both directions.

For finance teams still relying on fragmented systems and spreadsheet-driven processes, the priority should not be adopting AI faster. It should be strengthening the infrastructure that allows AI to succeed.

Because AI will not fix weak finance foundations. It will expose them.

We've featured the best AI tool.

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

Researchers at the University of Toronto have demonstrated a computer worm that reasons its way across a network, working out a different attack for each machine it lands on, with no humans involved.

Much of the coverage has called this a breakthrough in demonstrating how the AI worm can target any online device, but that capability has been visible on the horizon for anyone watching the criminal underground.

What the paper does is settle the argument about whether it is buildable and, in doing so, reopens three issues most internet security teams would rather not confront directly.

The first of these is cost, and this is the story that matters. Building attacks aimed at specific systems used to be slow and expensive, requiring skilled operators.

That expense is one reason many mid-sized organizations were largely ignored - they were not worth the engineering effort. The Toronto worm removes that constraint by running an open-weight model on the GPUs of machines it has already compromised.

Devices too weak to host a model send their reasoning upstream to an infected node elsewhere on the network. The attacker’s compute bill is paid by the victims, and each captured machine extends the worm’s own infrastructure.

Once tailored attacks cost almost nothing, being uninteresting stops protecting you. Being reachable starts to matter far more than being interesting.

Patching complications

The next issue, patch management, is where things become a little more complicated. Traditionally, when a conventional worm would ride a specific vulnerability, the conventional response would be to patch it, and the worm would die. WannaCry spread across more than 150 countries in 2017 on a single flaw, reinforcing the lesson that rapid patching limits damage.

This worm, however, does not give defenders a single flaw to patch. It reasons out a different route per host, and in one experiment, when copies repeatedly failed on older systems because of a detection bug, the parent process identified the failing check, removed it, and tried again. You cannot rely on closing a single door against something that rewrites its approach as it goes.

And finally, and more worryingly, the worm was able to consume newly published security advisories during execution and generate attacks against vulnerabilities that did not exist when the underlying model was trained. That challenges the assumption that knowledge cutoffs meaningfully constrain offensive AI.

If the model can read today’s advisory and reason from it, the training date matters far less than many assume.

Working, with limitations

However, its limitations deserve to be stated plainly. Exploitation attempts succeeded 44 percent of the time, and the researchers noted that most failures were malformed payloads rather than flawed reasoning.

It was also slow. Yet according to the researchers, across fifteen experiments the worm obtained elevated access on about 74 percent of hosts, replicated onto roughly 62 percent, and reached seven generations of self-replication within a week.

A 44 percent success rate that continually retries is not a wall the threat runs into. It is a baseline, and that baseline tracks what open-weight models can do today, a capability that has so far moved in one direction.

Another underappreciated point is that the model runs inside an environment the attacker controls. That makes many of the safety mechanisms discussed by AI vendors (refusals, filters, and rate limits), largely irrelevant. There is nothing to rate-limit when inference is occurring on infrastructure the attacker already owns.

If your AI risk model assumes a platform provider will enforce guardrails, this is a scenario that will bypass them entirely.

Plan around the attacker

What to do about it is less dramatic than the threat itself. Keep patching. The problem is that patching was already a treadmill against capable adversaries, and this only makes the treadmill faster.

The more effective solution is to plan around an attacker that eventually gets in and adapts once inside. Segmentation and containment, for instance, should take priority over chasing individual vulnerabilities. If the entry point can be almost anything, then the critical question becomes how far an intrusion can spread.

There is also the issue of exposure. A worm like this will seek the easiest foothold first, just as human operators do. These can include leaked credentials, forgotten infrastructure, internet-facing services, or access already circulating in criminal markets.

Monitoring external exposure is primarily about buying time, rather than preventing compromise entirely, which is precisely what an autonomous attacker is designed to take away.

The worm remained in the lab, and the code is gated for defensive researchers, which was the right decision. But academic containment is not quite the same as reassurance.

The economics that once shielded many organizations are weakening, the patch-it-and-move-on model is losing effectiveness, and some researchers and practitioners are placing operationally relevant autonomous attacks within roughly twelve to eighteen months.

Therefore, the question we should be asking is whether to take this seriously now, on your terms, or later, on an attacker's.

We've reviewed and ranked the best endpoint protection software suites.

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

• Real Housewives of London season 2 will stream on Hayu from September 7
• Core cast Juliet Angus, Amanda Cronin, Karen Loderick-Peace, Juliet Mayhew, Panthea Parker and Nessie Welschinger are returning
• New episodes promise ' shifting alliances, mounting tensions and unmissable moments'

Look lively, reality TV fans: Real Housewives of London season 2 is set to return to Hayu on September 7.

According to NBCUniversal, housewives Juliet Angus, Amanda Cronin, Karen Loderick-Peace, Juliet Mayhew, Panthea Parker and Nessie Welschinger are all returning, and "old friendships are tested, new loyalties are questioned and even the most glamorous postcode cannot contain the drama."

The synopsis continues, "Picking up in the aftermath of a fracturing off-camera dinner, the women attempt to move forward through charity galas, Fashion Week front rows, Lunar New Year celebrations and a jaw-dropping trip to Antigua."

Following the September 7 premiere, remaining episodes are set to drop weekly. With 10 episodes in total, the season will culminate with a reunion special hosted by author and podcaster Katherine Ryan.

It's this final detail that I have the biggest problem with... and I'm desperately hoping that the hit series doesn't repeat the same mistake that so many of the international versions have year-on-year.

Opinion: Real Housewives needs to change its reunion show format ASAP

I would apologize for being a hater, but really it stands me in good stead to be a Housewife myself. After streaming multiple episodes of catty VTs, explosive showdowns and domestic setups that truly boggle the mind, I often feel my shoulders sink when the reunion show rolls around.

Essentially, a host will sit the entire cast down in a live studio format to recap the drama of episodes past, getting their individual takes on what happened and if anything has changed since filming.

If you loathe overly edited and contrived TV scenes like I do, this is an absolute nightmare. It's part and parcel of the Real Housewives IP that drama is both heightened and engineered, but reunion shows channel this in the most inorganic way possible.

At least if someone is having a fight at a restaurant on a kitchen island, they're genuinely in the moment — they're not having to perform their emotions too much because they're feeling them in real time. But raking back over the past is merely a way to create a viral moment rather than engaging television.

Instead, I'd prefer it if the reunions were scrapped altogether to allow the next season (which hasn't been greenlit in this instance) to come sooner rather than later.

Real Housewives of London season 3 isn't going to be a bad decision for anyone, so what are we waiting for?

• Kodak PixPro FZ45 and FZ55 top best-selling lists in multiple regions
• They are currently the most popular models at Amazon US and elsewhere
• Prices start from as little as $100 / £90 / AU$145

Camera fans might expect Sony or Canon to top the best-selling charts, but for outright popularity beyond various high-end categories, you'll have to set your sights a little lower, to humble point-and-shoots.

Over recent years, two particularly cheap digital compact cameras have been flying off Amazon US shelves, and from other retailers across the world such as Yodobashi Camera in Japan. They are the Kodak PixPro FZ55 (pictured above) and PixPro FZ45. Other models such as the waterproof PixPro WPZ2 are also in the picture.

The major reason why these PixPro models are so popular is pretty obvious — you'll struggle to find another digital camera with genuine 4x optical zoom for less than the PixPro FZ45's approximate price of $100 / £90 / AU$145. Or one with a 5x optical zoom and built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery that costs less than the PixPro FZ55.

Both pocketable models shoot 16MP stills and HD video onto SD card, and come in a range of colorways, including black, white, blue and pink.

These cameras are no mere trend — they have dominated best-selling lists month after month, year after year, just when we thought that such cheap cameras had had been replaced by camera phones. So what's really going on here?

Another popular Kodak is the fully waterproof PixPro WPZ2, which we found surprisingly good for the price (Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)A surprising truth behind the name, and shopping habits

In addition to the low price point and immediate availability of these PixPro models, the trust in the Kodak name has to be a factor for casual buyers. After all, Kodak is one of the most recognizable names in photography, from its roots in making popular camera film through to pioneering digital camera tech.

However, there's something that you might not know about Kodak today. The original Kodak — Eastman Kodak, which dates back 138 years — stopped its production lines of consumer digital cameras long ago, and due to crippling debts it may not survive at all.

Today, Kodak is instead one of a string of legendary photography brands (alongside Yashica, Rollei, Agfa, Minolta and more), who have licensed their names to third-parties, who are largely manufacturing low-cost digital cameras. The outfit manufacturing the PixPro FZ45 and FZ55 is in fact JK Imaging Ltd, which has less of a ring to it.

There's something further going on here, too: a general rise in camera sales spearheaded by compact cameras, a pushback against always-connected tech, and burgeoning privacy concerns.

A camera such as the PixPro FZ55 shoots directly onto local storage, an SD card. It's not connected to the cloud. It's simple, it's lo-fi, and the kind of tech being embraced by Gen Z.

Will you get better quality photos using these Kodak point-and-shoot compact cameras over your phone? Absolutely not. Even a basic mid range phone will take better snaps.

What you will get, however, is the nostalgic simple pleasure in the simple act of taking everyday snaps, the data of which you are in complete control of.

Whenever we review mini PCs in our studio, we always perform two key tests: first, we see how well the machine handles 4K editing in Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve. Second, we play a range of games, from DiRT Rally to AAA titles like Hogwarts Legacy and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.

So, for my latest roundup, I've focused on some of the best-value mini PCs we've tested for video editing and gaming, including the GMKtec K16 for $640 (was $950) at Amazon and the Geekom A8 Max for $949 (was $1099).

Alongside these machines, which support either OCuLink or USB4 for hooking up an eGPU, I've also selected some graphics card docking stations and a power supply unit, all geared towards productivity, gaming, and content creation.

Top mini PC deals for gaming & video editing

The GMKtec K16 mini PC delivers Ryzen 7 7735HS performance with 32GB LPDDR5 RAM and a 1TB SSD. Featuring OCuLink eGPU support, triple-display output, dual 2.5GbE LAN, Wi-Fi 6E, and USB4, it’s a versatile compact system for gaming and creative workloads.

Read our full reviewView Deal

The A8 MAX packs Ryzen 9 8945HS power, 32GB DDR5 RAM, and a 1TB SSD into a compact mini PC. With USB4, dual 2.5GbE LAN, and 8K output, it’s built for AI, design, gaming, and productivity.

Read our full reviewView Deal

The K8 Plus packs a Ryzen 7 8845HS processor, 32GB DDR5 RAM, and a 2TB PCIe 4.0 SSD for gaming, editing, and demanding workloads. With OCuLink eGPU support, dual 2.5GbE LAN, USB4, and 8K display output, it’s a powerful compact desktop alternative.

Read our full reviewView Deal

External GPU docks & power supply

The DEG2 eGPU Dock supports both OCuLink and USB4 V2/TB5 connectivity, enabling flexible GPU upgrades. It adds ATX/SFX PSU compatibility, 2.5GbE networking, USB ports, and an M.2 slot for a versatile desktop expansion hub.View Deal

The DEG1 eGPU Dock turns compatible mini PCs into powerful gaming systems with OCuLink PCIe 4.0 connectivity. Its open design supports ATX/SFX power supplies, offering a flexible, affordable external graphics upgrade.View Deal

The SF750 is a compact 750W SFX power supply with 80 Plus Platinum efficiency, ATX 3.1 compliance, and PCIe 5.1 readiness. Its fully modular design, quiet PWM fan, and premium components make it ideal for powerful small-form-factor gaming PCs.View Deal

Two of the featured mini PCs above include OCuLink connectivity, making them ideal for users who want the lowest-latency, highest-bandwidth connection to an external graphics card.

The first of those, the GMKtec K16, packs an AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS, 32GB of LPDDR5 memory, and a 1TB SSD into a compact chassis.

Its native OCuLink support provides high-performance eGPU connectivity, alongside USB4, dual 2.5GbE LAN, Wi-Fi 6E, and triple-display output. It’s ideal for gaming and content creation. Usually priced at $950, it's currently available for $640 on Amazon.

Powered by AMD’s Ryzen 7 8845HS processor, the GMKtec K8 Plus combines 32GB of DDR5 memory with a spacious 2TB SSD for fast performance in gaming, video editing, and multitasking.

OCuLink support here enables external GPU upgrades, while dual 2.5GbE networking and HDMI 2.1 deliver excellent connectivity for high-performance desktop setups. That will usually set you back $940 but is now $810.

Finally, the Geekom A8 Max, high high-speed USB4 support, is a powerful mini PC featuring AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS processing, 32GB DDR5 RAM, and a 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD.

Built for AI workloads, creative tasks, and gaming, it offers USB4, dual 2.5GbE LAN, 8K display support, quiet cooling, and expandable storage in a compact desktop alternative. That usually sells for $1,099, but it's currently just $949.

I’ve also included two external GPU docks from Minisforum. The DEG1 costs $109 and is designed for OCuLink, while the DEG2 (normally $300 now under $240) supports both OCuLink and USB4.

Both make it easy to connect a desktop graphics card to your mini PC, dramatically boosting gaming frame rates, accelerating video rendering, and improving AI-assisted creative workloads without sacrificing the compact footprint that makes these systems so appealing.

Finally, no eGPU setup is complete without a reliable power supply. For reference, running an RTX 5080 card needs about 360W power, so that’s why I’ve also picked out a high-capacity Corsair SF750 PSU (normally $200 but currently $160). It has enough headroom to comfortably power today’s flagship graphics cards, like the GeForce RTX 5090, while leaving plenty of room for future upgrades.

I’ll likely revisit this roundup in the coming weeks as prices change and new deals emerge, but for now, these are some of the best deals for anyone looking to build a compact workstation or gaming rig without maxing out their credit card.

For more top-performance devices, check out our guide to the best mini PCs.

Upgrade your dorm room with smart lights, voice assistants and security sensors, all at reasonable prices.

• We can exclusively reveal The Fight of the Braves from the Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy soundtrack
• Composer Olivier Derivière describes it as 'one of the most epic tracks' on the whole soundtrack
• Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy releases on August 27, 2026

Action-adventure game Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy is the next game in the brilliant Plague Tale series, and we've got one of the tracks from its soundtrack to reveal exclusively right here.

It's the one track that composer Olivier Derivière describes as "the most contrasted score from [the] A Plague Tale series". The Fight for the Braves is an intense and pulsating song that goes big on percussion, crescendos, and haunting choral vocals. A cheery tune this is not.

Derivière says, "The Fight of the Braves is one of the most epic tracks on the OST. We needed something truly glorious to capture the spirit of the ancient Minoan warriors. Rather than relying on a full orchestra, the rousing energy of the magnificent Amalgamation Choir, combined with thunderous percussion, perfectly conveys the relentless challenge ahead."

Derivière goes on to say that, "The echoing musical phrases also beautifully depict the deep connection between Sophia and that distant era, a mystical resonance traveling across the ages."

The soundtracks to the first two Plague Tale games are some of my absolute favorites from recent years, and perfectly aligned with the games' bleak and dark stories. From what the composer says about the wider soundtrack, it sounds like we're in for something special.

“Resonance, although part of A Plague Tale universe, is a very different game and therefore needed a fresh musical approach without leaving the core emotions and musical traits of the franchise,” explains Derivière.

Using musicians and vocalists from Cyprus and Greece to get an authentic feel, the Amalgamation Choir were sought out to create a spell-binding score to accompany Sophia's adventure.

The Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy soundtrack will launch on music streaming services and be available for digital download alongside the game on August 27 this year.

• Jamf researchers uncover “CrashStealer,” a notarized macOS infostealer disguised as Apple’s CrashReporter
• Distributed via a fake site called “Werkbit Setup”, it bypasses Gatekeeper, installs a LaunchAgent
• It then uses a fake password prompt to unlock Keychain, exfiltrating credentials, cookies, files, and data from 80 crypto wallets and 14 password managers

A new macOS infostealer has been spotted in the wild, masquerading as an Apple crash reporting tool, experts have warned.

Called CrashStealer, this C++ infostealer was designed to nab login credentials, keychain information, as well as data related to more than 80 cryptocurrency wallets.

Cybersecurity researchers Jamf published an in-depth report on the malware, noting CrashStealer is most likely distributed via a fake software site that was only registered recently.

Unlocking Keychain

Victims who land on the site (either via a social media recommendation or search engine results) need to know the PIN code before initiating the download. This was most likely done to avoid analyst scrutiny, as well as to increase perceived credibility and a sense of exclusivity.

Usually, apps downloaded from third-party sources are scanned by Gatekeeper, Apple’s built-in security system. However, Jamf says that this payload is delivered via a signed and Apple-notarized installer and distributed as a disk image named “Werkbit Setup”, which allowed it to bypass Gatekeeper without any warnings.

Those that download and run the program will get a binary named ‘CrashReporter.app’, which will create a LaunchAgent (‘com.apple.crashreporter.helper’), and will see a fake macOS password prompt.

That prompt unlocks the user’s Keychain where most of their secrets are stored (passwords, private cryptographic keys, and more) and then exfiltrates all information to a third-party server.

Besides Keychain data, the CrashReporter malware also pulls browser credentials and cookies from most browsers, data from 80 cryptocurrency wallet extensions, 14 password managers, locally stored files, and more.

Jamf said CrashReporter overlaps, to some extent, with other known infostealers (AMOS, for example), but is still unique enough given its client-side encryption mechanism, as well as the native C++ implementation.

There’s a reason why some of the most effective exercises tend to mirror movements in real life. It’s not because personal trainers and coaches lack imagination, but because the body doesn't care how creative your programming is — it cares whether you can climb a flight of stairs without grabbing the banister, for example, or if you can catch yourself from a stumble.

These are just a few of the benchmarks that matter in later life, and for elite performance coach David Higgins — who has trained everyone from Margot Robbie and Scarlett Johansson to Samuel L. Jackson, David Harbour, Game of Thrones' Richard Madden and the entire cast of The Batman, among many others — one exercise sits at the top of the list for anyone over 50: the step-up. Here’s why.

Lower-body power matters so much after 50

Most people understand that strength declines with age. What they underestimate, however, is how quickly it begins to matter in practical terms, despite not being able to be measured on the best smartwatches' fitness age metrics.

“Lower body power becomes critical after 50 because we naturally lose muscle mass, reaction speed and balance as we age,” says Higgins. “The glutes, quads and calves are what keep you upright, stable and independent.”

If you can't generate force through the floor, he says, “everyday movements like climbing stairs, getting out of a chair or catching yourself from a fall become harder.” The step-up addresses all of this in a single movement: “it trains strength, balance and coordination all at once and mirrors real life better than most gym exercises.” It's slightly similar to the farmer's carry, an application of a real-life movement.

It’s also the reason Higgins places it above more popular alternatives. Walking is excellent, of course, but doesn't load the body enough to preserve muscle. Squats are bilateral — they share the work equally between both legs, which means they don't expose or address the kind of side-to-side imbalances that tend to develop quietly over decades. Step-ups, however, are unilateral, as each leg works independently, building the stability and gait mechanics that bilateral training misses.

“If I could only choose one lower-body movement after 50,” says Higgins, “step-ups would be near the top because they combine strength, stability, balance, gait mechanics and unilateral control in one movement; they bridge the gap between rehab and performance.”

Watch the tutorial video below for advice on how to do a step up:

The mistake most older adults make

Before thinking about adding height, load or additional reps, Higgins is more concerned with something more fundamental: the quality of the movement itself. “The biggest mistake older adults make is chasing fatigue instead of quality movement,” he says. “Rushing through reps, leaning through the hips, or pushing through the stronger side of the body.” Your nervous system, he says, “has to trust the movement before your body can own it.”

Rushing through step-ups doesn't just reduce the benefit — it reinforces the compensations you're trying to correct. If you're relying on the trailing leg to push you up, or leaning forward as you step, you're not actually building the unilateral strength and hip control the exercise is there to develop.

Instead, Higgins’ coaching cue is worth memorising: “push the floor away and finish tall through the glutes.” Most people pull themselves up through the knee, instead of driving through the hip. It's a subtle distinction, but makes an enormous difference to where the effort is actually made.

How to get started — and when to progress

(Image credit: Getty Images / Ildar Abulkhanov)

To perform the step-up, stand facing a sturdy bench, box, or step. Place one foot fully on the platform, then drive through that heel to lift your body up until both feet are on the step. Step back down with control and repeat for the desired reps before switching legs. Keep your chest up and avoid pushing off excessively with the trailing leg.

For step height, beginners should start with a low box, roughly ankle to mid-shin height. "You want control, not compensation," he says. Fitter adults with solid mobility, balance and hip control can work up to knee height.

As for volume, Higgins prescribes 2–3 sets of 8–12 controlled reps per leg. "Tempo matters more than volume," he says. Drive through the whole foot, stand tall at the top and lower slowly under control.

Higgins confirms that just your bodyweight is sufficient resistance to begin with and, for many people over 50, it's exactly where they should stay — probably for longer than they'd expect. “Most people over 50 need to relearn movement patterns before adding load,” he says. “Once control, balance and posture improve, adding dumbbells or a weighted vest is a brilliant progression.” The dumbbells can wait. As for frequency? Two to three sessions a week is enough to see real benefit, Higgins says. “Consistency beats intensity every time.”

Precautions

Step-ups are accessible to most people, but Higgins flags a few situations worth considering. Anyone with severe knee osteoarthritis, significant balance issues or acute hip pain should approach the exercise carefully and ideally with professional guidance. “Often it's not that the exercise is wrong,” he says, “it's that the height is too ambitious or the body isn't controlling the movement properly yet.” Low and slow is always the right answer.

What leg-day moves are your go-tos in the gym? Have you tried the step-up yet? Let us know below.

• 20+ digital rights groups and tech firms urge the UK not to restrict VPNs
• Age-gating VPNs would undermine the online privacy of millions, they warn
• Signatories believe VPN restrictions are ineffective, technically unfeasible

The UK government's ongoing debate around tightening online safety rules to protect kids has drawn fierce pushback from the global cybersecurity sector.

On July 9, a coalition of 24 major digital rights organizations and top VPN providers, including Amnesty International, ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Surfshark, and Mozilla, issued a stark warning to the UK government: leave VPNs alone.

In an open letter to the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Liz Kendall, the group stressed that while keeping kids safe is a shared goal, it must not come at the cost of breaking the internet's fundamental privacy infrastructure.

As lawmakers weigh up potential restrictions ahead of an expected online safety consultation update this month, the stakes for your digital privacy have never been higher.

If you currently use the best VPN to protect your personal data on public Wi-Fi or secure your connection while working remotely, new regulations could fundamentally alter how these tools work. Any move to force VPN providers into verifying the age of their users would require you to hand over sensitive personal data, effectively destroying the anonymity you pay to protect.

"Restricting VPNs would undercut security"

The heart of the coalition's argument is that virtual private networks (VPNs) are, first and foremost, essential security software.

"The challenge is ensuring measures strengthen child safety without weakening the privacy and security millions of people rely on every day, including children," the letter explains.

Beyond everyday consumers, the coalition notes that VPNs provide critical protection for vulnerable groups.

The open letter emphasizes that these tools are a lifeline for "human rights defenders and journalists, domestic abuse survivors, the LGBTQ+ community, and others at heightened risk online." As rights groups have noted previously, weakening this protection could actively infringe human rights.

Addressing the reality check of age verification head-on, the group didn't mince words about the dangers of ID checks.

"Age-gating VPNs would require everyone to surrender sensitive personal information simply to access tools designed to protect privacy," the letter states.

A technically unfeasible approach

Critics of the UK's proposed teen social media ban have repeatedly pointed out that restricting privacy tools is a flawed approach to child safety. The letter backs this up with hard data, pointing to Ofcom research which "found that only around 3% of children had used VPNs to access content meant for older audiences."

The coalition also highlights that teenagers will simply find other, lower-tech ways to bypass rules. "Evidence from Australia shows children are much more likely to get around age checks by not being asked, giving false information, or even drawing on a moustache," the letter adds.

Ultimately, the cybersecurity industry is warning that while restricting privacy tools is failing to protect kids, it will succeed in punishing regular users. "Blocking VPN traffic reliably is technically unfeasible," the letter warns, noting that it risks locking employers and schools out of the web, while pushing regular citizens toward "unregulated, data-exploiting services that are harder to oversee, leaving them less secure."

Rather than breaking encrypted tools, the coalition urges the government to focus its upcoming policies on the root causes of online harms, suggesting investments in "strong enforcement of platform obligations, better parental controls, investment in digital literacy, and safety- and privacy-by-design obligations."

If your PC is starting to feel sluggish, upgrading the storage drive is one of the quickest ways to give it a major boost. And this is one of the best deals I've seen recently.

Right now, the WD_Black SN7100 1TB NVMe SSD has dropped to just under $190 (was $375) at Amazon, which is a massive 49% saving on a speedy PCIe Gen4 drive.

Read speeds reach up to 7,250MB/s, while write speeds climb as high as 6,900MB/s, making it an excellent upgrade for anyone tired of waiting for Windows and large applications to load.

Today's top SSD deal

This is a high-performance 1TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD delivering read speeds up to 7,250MB/s and write speeds up to 6,900MB/s, using next-generation TLC 3D NAND for fast boot times, quicker loading, and responsive everyday performance.View Deal

At almost half its regular price, this is one of the best SSD deals I've seen recently.

The SSD uses next-generation TLC 3D NAND, providing speedy responsiveness and dependable everyday performance.

The compact M.2 2280 form factor makes installation straightforward in compatible desktops, laptops, and handheld gaming devices.

1TB of storage isn't massive, but it provides plenty of room for a growing software library, creative projects, photos, videos, and everyday files.

Power efficiency helps compatible laptops and handheld systems run for longer between charges, making it a sensible choice if you regularly work away from your desk or travel with your computer.

Windows users can also download the WD_BLACK Dashboard to monitor drive health, check performance, and keep everything running smoothly over time, providing a useful extra layer of management.

The impressive transfer speeds will be handy for creators, professionals, and anyone moving large files every day.

Faster boot times, quicker application launches, and reduced loading screens will make a noticeable difference across almost every workload.

If you've been planning to upgrade an ageing PC, replace a slower drive, or add fast storage to a compatible system, this is a great opportunity to pick up a high-performance 1TB PCIe Gen4 SSD for a bargain price.

Other top SSD deals

Crucial's P310 NVMe SSD delivers blazing read speeds up to 7,100MB/s, ensuring faster boot times, game loading, and file transfers. Its compact, heatsink-free design suits desktops and laptops, offering reliable, high-capacity storage with efficient everyday performance.View Deal

KingSpec's SSD offers up to 4,000/3,700 MB/s read/write speeds, 3D NAND flash, reliable thermal management, and solid performance for gaming, content creation, laptops, desktops, and PS5 upgrades.View Deal

• Shop all internal SSDs at Amazon
• See all internal SSDs at Newegg

If your home office or small business is crying out for a faster, more capable printer, I've found a great, money-saving deal for you. The HP LaserJet Pro 4001dn is currently just $289 (was $449) at HP - a solid $160 saving for a laser printer built to handle demanding workloads.

In the UK, the wireless version with the exact same specs, the HP LaserJet Pro 4002dw has dropped to £164 (was £421) at HP.

Print speeds can reach up to 42 pages per minute, with the first page arriving in as little as 6.1 seconds, making it a terrific choice for anyone printing lengthy reports, invoices, shipping labels, or business documents. It’s also rated for a monthly duty cycle of up to 80,000 pages, with a recommended monthly volume of between 750 and 4,000 pages for the best balance of performance, reliability, and longevity.

Today's top HP printer deal

A fast monochrome laser printer with speeds up to 42ppm, automatic duplex printing, 1200dpi output, Gigabit Ethernet, AirPrint support, and a recommended monthly volume of 750 to 4,000 pages for busy home offices and businesses.

In the UK: now £164 (was £421)View Deal

Paper handling is nicely practical, thanks to a 100-sheet multipurpose tray, a 250-sheet input tray, and a 150-sheet output bin.

If your workload grows, you can expand the printer with an optional third paper tray, giving you greater flexibility without constantly refilling paper.

Print quality reaches 1200 x 1200 dpi, producing crisp text and fine lines that are ideal for contracts, presentations, spreadsheets, and professional correspondence.

Automatic duplex printing also helps reduce paper use while making larger print jobs easier to manage.

The printer connects via Gigabit Ethernet for dependable wired networking and it also supports Apple AirPrint, Mopria, and the HP app, making it simple to print from Windows, macOS, ChromeOS, iOS, and Android devices.

A 256MB memory and 1200MHz processor ensure documents output quickly, even during heavier workloads.

Security features include SSL/TLS, SNMP support, WPA3, and 802.1x authentication, making it a sensible choice for shared office environment. HP also includes a one-year onsite repair warranty for added peace of mind.

In his four star review, our Senior Printer Editor, Jim said: "I found the HP LaserJet Pro 4001dn to be an easy printer to use, with the right features to meet a heavy print load and print quality that’s good enough for most purposes." He also declared it "One of the fastest laser printers in its price category."

Although it isn't the cheapest laser printer available, this is a great price for a dependable HP business model that balances speed, print quality, and everyday practicality.

For more options, check out our round up of the best HP printers, best home printers and fastest printers we've tested and reviewed.

Also consider

A color laser printer delivering up to 35ppm in both black and color, with automatic duplex printing, 512MB memory, ImageREt 2400 technology, a 4-line LCD, and support for busy offices printing up to 4,000 pages monthly. In his review of this model, our printer editor Jim rated it even higher than the 4001dn, stating: "I love this laser printer’s rich black text, and hate the retro dial."

In the UK: now £432 (was £500)View Deal

• US: Shop all printer deals at HP
• UK: See all printers at HP

I’ve tested dozens of coffee makers. This portable unit with a unique design is my pick for campsite brewing.

Beta users can ask questions about Spotify content, including music, podcasts and audiobooks.

• The W&O X1 headphones come with a camera attached
• They raise new concerns over illicit recordings
• There is a recording light that turns on when the camera is active

The debate around smart glasses with cameras attached continues to rumble on — and apparently Meta still has plans for glasses that are constantly recording the world around them — and we now have a new pair of bone conduction headphones that lose the spectacles but keep the camera.

They're called the W&O X1 (via New Atlas), and of course they're packed with plenty of AI. This on-board assistant can help you navigate to locations, identify landmarks, look up facts and answers online, and even translate between languages. All this happens through voice control and spoken responses.

In order to provide some of that AI functionality, the W&O X1 headphones are fitted with a 4K video camera supplied by Samsung. It can take photos and videos with a tap or a voice command, which can then be saved and analyzed as needed — and in the interests of privacy, a small recording light shows when the camera is active.

The headphones can also double up as a miniature action camera, grabbing high-resolution video at 30 frames per second with a 130-degree wide angle view, with what looks like some impressive anti-shake technology built in too. Oh and did we mention they can play music and make phone calls too?

"Most headsets are made for listening," explains W&O in the product listing. " X1 is built for seeing, hearing, understanding, recording, translating, navigating, and staying connected in motion. It is a wearable AI system designed for the world outside the screen."

Privacy concerns

The X1 can give you directions while biking (Image credit: W&O)

The idea of wearable cameras is becoming even more popular now, with the growing capabilities of AI and the continued shrinking of the necessary components. There's something appealing about being able to capture memories instantly, without having to dig out a phone and find the camera app.

At the same time, there are real concerns when it comes to privacy. The smart glasses already on the market make it a little too easy to record surreptitiously, and a tiny camera attached to a pair of headphones is even harder to see. There's even now a BanRay movement calling for smart glasses to be banned from certain spaces.

To be fair to W&O, they seem to be targeting these headphones at cyclists, hikers, and other outdoor types, so it's more for solo photo and video recording. Still, together with other gadgets in the pipeline, it highlights a growing need for proper safeguards to be put around devices with tiny embedded cameras.

The W&O X1 have blasted through their $3,000 funding goal on Kickstarter many times over, and if you're interested in a pair you can put in a reservation for $139 (about £105 / AU$200) — with the usual Kickstarter caveat that crowdfunded hardware doesn't always end up reaching consumers.

There are some decent specs here: IP6X dust and water protection, a lightweight 48 gram build, support for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, and 30 hours of music playback between charges thanks to an integrated 800 mAh battery.

• The Entertainment Retailers Association has slammed Sony's decision to kill physical discs
• The UK trade organization says digital games "should complement physical formats, not replace them"
• The ERA says, "Removing discs doesn’t represent progress – it simply removes choice"

UK trade organization, Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA), has criticized Sony's decision to end production of physical PlayStation discs.

The gaming company has received overwhelming backlash since announcing its plan to retire physical discs in 2028, and now, as reported by The Game Business, the ERA, which represents most major video game retailers in the UK, including Amazon, Game, Sainsbury’s and HMV, has condemned the plan, calling it "a triumph of corporate convenience over consumer choice."

"Every year, millions of gamers still choose to buy physical copies because they value true ownership," CEO Kim Bayley said in a statement. "A disc can be shared with family, traded in, collected, preserved and, crucially, still played years from now. A download licence often offers none of those freedoms."

Per NielsenIQ and market research firm GfK, The Game Business reports that 45 percent of all physical games sold in the UK in 2025 were for PS4 or PS5, which represents almost half of all physical game revenue during this period, and a majority of sales were made through the post as opposed to in-store pick-ups on release day.

The ERA also said that 25 percent of gamers under 25 use discs and the total UK disc-based games market was valued at over £300 million in 2025, "demonstrating that there remains a substantial and committed audience for boxed games."

"Retailers see this demand every day," Bayley said. "Physical games continue to bring people into shops and give consumers real value through gifting, collecting and resale. The industry should be embracing every legitimate way consumers want to buy games, not narrowing their choices."

The CEO continued: "Digital distribution has transformed gaming and is hugely popular, but it should complement physical formats, not replace them.

“Consumers deserve the freedom to choose how they buy their entertainment. Removing discs doesn’t represent progress – it simply removes choice. That’s bad for gamers, bad for retailers and ultimately bad for the long-term health and preservation of our games industry."

Since its announcement earlier this month, Sony has remained silent in the face of the backlash. Many fans have banded together to urge the company to reverse its decision, including signing a petition that now has over 310,000 signatures.

• Call of Duty: Black Ops Season 5 has been revealed
• The update drops on July 23, 2026
• Big additions include new weapons, maps, and modes

With Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 on the way, Activision has revealed the next batch of content coming to 2025's Black Ops 7 and the free-to-play Warzone battle royale.

As detailed on the Call of Duty blog, the major additions include five new multiplayer maps, three of which drop alongside the season's launch on July 23.

The one I'm most looking forward to is Jubilee, an all-new 6v6 environment set in a rural Japanese town. It's joined by Frequency, a remaster of a Black Ops 4 map, and a remake of Black Ops 2's iconic Dig (itself a version of World at War's Courtyard).

The two other maps, Tubro Tilt and Freerun: Descent, will be added in the subsequent Season 5 Reloaded update.

A wealth of new modes

(Image credit: Activision)

Some new limited-time modes are dropping as part of the update as well: Overdrive Domination (a twist on the classic Domination mode that incorporates the power-up stars from Overdrive), Gauntlet Rush (which rotates between five distinct game modes), and, in the mid-season, the return of Cranked Moshpit.

It wouldn't be a new season without some fresh weapons and attachments, and the ones coming in Season 5 are some of the wildest yet.

At launch, you'll be able to unlock the FG42 assault rifle, a modernized version of the WW2 weapon with serious damage and almost no horizontal recoil, and the dual Gremlin SMGs, which trade the ability to aim down sights for extreme firepower and mobility.

Later in the season, the Mammoth LMG is being added and, true to its name, it's a massive gun with two high-power barrels that fire continuously in addition to a new mace melee weapon.

On the attachment side, completing weekly challenges will unlock the likes of the Jäger 45 Grid-Breaker Kit — a crazy pistol conversion that turns your side-arm into a portable EMP blaster — or the M34 Novaline Garand Conversion that transforms the futuristic burst-fire rifle into an old-fashioned top-loaded one.

If you're keen to dive in, Black Ops 7 is available now for PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X and Series S, and Xbox One.