Technology

Here are hints -- and the answer -- for today's Wordle for June 30, No. 1,472.

Here are hints -- and answers -- for the NYT Strands puzzle for June 30, No. 484.

Here are some hints -- and the answers -- for the NYT Connections puzzle for June 30, #750.

Here are hints -- and the answers -- for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for June 30, No. 280.

I wouldn't call myself a flashy person, but when it comes to smart lighting, I'm prepared to go all-out. In my home, I'm using everything from standing lamps like Philips Hue's Signe gradient lamp and TV backlight to the Govee Table Lamp 2 to give my home lighting some pizzazz.

Until recently, my setup included my beloved Nanoleaf black hexagon wall panels, which served both as traditional and immersive smart lighting when hooked up to my PC via the Nanoleaf Desktop app, in addition to the remote controls afforded by the mobile app. Unfortunately, my new digs don't afford me the wallspace for these, so I was excited to see if Nanoleaf's latest gaming release, the Pegboard Desk Dock, would suitably fill the RGB-shaped void in my life.

Would that it were so simple.

I didn't peg you as a quitter

I'm in the throes of reviewing Nanoleaf's Pegboard Desk Dock, so this is far from a final verdict, but my early impressions tell a cautionary tale for all immersive lighting enthusiasts. This 3-in-1 smart light and desktop combo is an awesome concept; smartly designed, arriving with four hooks each, which can be arranged on the Pegboard to hold your gaming controllers, handheld PCs, and headsets. If you'd rather just have the Pegboard as a display piece, you can easily pull it out of the base and turn it around to show the rear light panel.

For me, this was a dream product. I'm always looking for ways to optimize my desk space, especially since I downsized when moving home, and I love Nanoleaf's wider range of smart lights.

So, after eagerly unboxing and setting up my new lights, I was eager to see my new setup in all its glory. Just watching the lights cycle through the colors of the rainbow before I'd even paired them with Nanoleaf's software was exciting enough.

Unlike many of Nanoleaf's other products, however, the Pegboard can't be added to the Nanoleaf mobile app; it works exclusively within the Nanoleaf Desktop app, and that's where my first problem came in.

While the lights' basic settings worked just fine when unpaired, as soon as I connected them to the app and tried to change their color output, they ceased to function, flashing on and off sporadically, rejecting any peripherals I plugged into the base and intermittently appearing as "Unreachable" within the Nanoleaf app.

I'd thought it was perhaps because they needed more power, so I plugged in my power supply; no joy. The software also offers little troubleshooting for the problem, and with everything running smoothly until the point I tried to pair them, I've come up short trying to fix them myself. I've yet to contact Nanoleaf about the issue, which I'll surely do before I give my final verdict, and I'm more than certain that a resolution exists; however, my experience paints a broader picture of immersive smart home lighting challenges.

(Image credit: Future)Bigger fish to fry

I don't relish bemoaning the woeful state of smart home interoperability once again. The simple fact is, it's everyone's biggest problem, and that's not exclusive to smart lighting for the home; any smart home brand taking the walled garden approach, of which there are many, earns my ire in the age of Matter compatibility.

Gaming lights, in particular, suffer. On my gaming laptop, I've got a plethora of RGB and smart light controlling apps; Logitech G Hub, HyperX NGENUITY, Corsair iCUE, Razer Chroma, and Nanoleaf being the ones I used for this setup.

Now, some of these play nice with each other; namely, Nanoleaf links up to both Corsair iCUE and Razer Chroma, but that still leaves half of my peripherals setup disconnected. You're also at the mercy of software updates, which, especially if you use a hub app with multiple platforms connected to it, can make or break your setup.

There's also the non-small issue of the software itself. Running these background apps, especially if you aren't able to whittle them down by integrating different platforms, can use a fair bit of CPU and RAM. Especially if you're playing on a more lightweight machine, that can end up being pretty detrimental for high-stakes gaming.

Not all hope is lost when it comes to immersive smart lighting, though. Software like SignalRGB and OpenRGB goes a long way to mitigate compatibility problems, even if these are far from perfect. Still, things are heading in the right direction, just at a glacial pace – and if smart light makers want to light up the lives of gamers the world over, that will need to change to keep up with the sophisticated interfaces and experiences we're used to from our tech.

Even when it comes to immersive lighting for the TV, you can bet things are never simple. Screen extending lighting is increasingly popular, yet your options these days are limited; splurge on a pricey Philips Ambilight TV, opt for the still-pricey Hue light strip and sync box (which requires HDMI input and thus won't work with cable TV or built-in Smart TV software) or opt for a product like Nanoleaf 4D or Govee Ambient TV backlight, which points a camera at your screen to detect the action, will invariably have some small input lag.

My best advice? Stick with as many products from one light maker as possible, and for PC gaming, that will, in all likelihood, be a peripherals manufacturer with more focus on the RGB than the smart lighting of it all.

Want to start your own smart lighting setup? Shop my favorites below!

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• More Nothing Headphone 1 details emerge
• The headphones could offer extended battery life
• We may see the product launch during July

We know that a new Nothing Headphone 1 audio product is on the way, because Nothing has told us so, but as yet we don't have too much official information about these over-ear headphones – though a fresh leak may have just plugged that particular knowledge gap.

According to tipster Yogesh Brar and Android Headlines, the Nothing Headphone 1 (yes, headphone in the singular) is going to weigh in at 329 grams. That compares to 254 grams for the Sony WH-1000XM6, and 385 grams for the Apple AirPods Max.

The headphones are tipped to come with 40 mm dynamic drivers, manufactured in partnership with high-end British audio company KEF (a detail previously teased by Nothing itself). Adaptive bass enhancement and spatial audio are apparently included.

These leaked details suggest the Nothing Headphone 1 will come with adaptive noise cancelling (ANC) technology, challenging our best noise cancelling headphones list with up to 42 dB in volume and with a 2000 Hz frequency range.

Battery boost

Nothing Headphone 1 looks and feels premium..Plenty of buttons, plush cushioning, & nifty carry case...like the color matching as well.Can be a hit if they manage to price it under Rs 20k..Want to see a quick hands-on??June 28, 2025

There are also a lot of battery details here. The headphones are said to pack a battery with a 1,040 mAh capacity – that's difficult to compare with other products, because most devices in this category list battery life rather than battery capacity.

Using the AAC codec, the Nothing Headphone 1 will apparently be good for 80 hours of playback with ANC off, and 35 hours with ANC on, both of which are impressive figures compared to the competition. We'll have to see if they hold up in testing.

A 5-minute charge is going to be enough for 5 hours of playback with ANC off and 2.4 hours of playback with ANC on, according to the leak – so even if you can only charge them for a little while before you head out, they should last.

All of which makes us more excited to actually see and try out these headphones. It seems very likely they'll launch alongside the Nothing Phone 3, which is definitely arriving sometime in July, and may indeed show up on the first day of the month.

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• Colorful Smart 900 mini PC delivers AI-driven performance with 16-core Ryzen processor
• Another Strix Halo device from a smaller brand while Dell, Asus, MSI remain absent
• It's built for creators needing fast graphics, SD card access, and a good range of ports

The Ryzen AI Max+ 395 is AMD’s flagship AI APU, offering strong performance for creative tasks, AI workloads, and gaming. A number of PC makers have already built mobile workstations around it, and the lesser-known Colorful is the latest to join the list with its new Smart 900.

This mini PC combines high-end specs with a bold, industrial design that wouldn’t seem out of place in Alienware’s lineup, and makes you wonder why Dell (and Asus and MSI for that matter) still haven’t yet released anything built around AMD's powerful new chip.

Developed on Zen 5 architecture, the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 ‘Strix Halo’ APU is a 16-core chip with 32 threads and a turbo clock up to 5.1GHz. It features a 50 TOPS NPU for AI tasks and Radeon 8060S graphics with RDNA 3.5 architecture.

It even has a SD 4.0 card slot

The GPU includes 40 compute units, offering competitive power for creative tasks, 3D workloads, and machine learning.

The Smart 900 supports LPDDR5 memory at 8000MHz (we’d imagine up to 128GB, but nothing has been confirmed) and includes two PCIe 4.0 SSD slots. That combination means fast read-write speeds and strong multitasking, making it a solid choice for editing, modeling, and running local inference.

For creators and media professionals, it includes a rare bonus - an SD 4.0 card slot on the front panel, allowing for quick media transfers without needing an adapter.

On the front, users get two USB 3.2 ports, one USB 4.0 Type-C, and the SD slot. On the rear are additional USB 2.0 and 3.2 ports, another USB 4.0 Type-C, HDMI 2.1, and DisplayPort 1.4.

Bluetooth support covers versions 4.2 through 5.2, and networking includes Wi-Fi 7 and 2.5Gbps Ethernet.

The case itself uses anodized aluminum and has a 4-liter footprint. It should fit nicely in professional or home environments without appearing basic or bulky, and the design makes it look like a massive exclamation point - and what's not to love about that?

There's no word on pricing or even a concrete release date yet, but we do know it will be available globally upon launch - so stay tuned for more details hopefully coming soon.

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Looking for a different day?

A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Sunday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Sunday, June 29 (game #1252).

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,100 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1253) - hint #1 - VowelsHow many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 5*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1253) - hint #2 - repeated lettersDo any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 0.

Quordle today (game #1253) - hint #3 - uncommon lettersDo the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1253) - hint #4 - starting letters (1)Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 2.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1253) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• I

• I

• T

• C

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

Quordle today (game #1253) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1253, are…

• INGOT
• INFER
• TAPIR
• CLUED

A rare outing for all five vowels on a day on which I was gifted a couple of words – CLUED and INGOT – after my starter words came up trumps.

However, I made the wrong decision with INFER, thinking that there would be a double letter and guessing INNER instead.

Despite missing out on a clean run, I'm pretty pleased that I remembered TAPIR – the wonderful pig-like creature with a prehensile snout.

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Daily Sequence today (game #1253) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1253, are…

• DEMON
• CLICK
• AUGUR
• RUPEE

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1252, Sunday, 29 June: MIRTH, APTLY, SCRUB, SMACK
• Quordle #1251, Saturday, 28 June: AWOKE, SMOKY, DEVIL, SWING
• Quordle #1250, Friday, 27 June: SPEAK, EAGLE, AVERT, SUING
• Quordle #1249, Thursday, 26 June: SLUMP, REBUS, GUAVA, MONEY
• Quordle #1248, Wednesday, 25 June: SOGGY, CLASH, MODEM, SQUAD
• Quordle #1247, Tuesday, 24 June: QUALM, SQUIB, AXIAL, FLACK
• Quordle #1246, Monday, 23 June: PIXEL, FJORD, STEAL, EXIST
• Quordle #1245, Sunday, 22 June: WREST, CRAZE, PAPAL, SCION
• Quordle #1244, Saturday, 21 June: BUDDY, GROUT, BEGIN, MADAM
• Quordle #1243, Friday, 20 June: BRAID, DULLY, HASTE, LURID
• Quordle #1242, Thursday, 19 June: BRUSH, ISLET, FRUIT, PRIVY
• Quordle #1241, Wednesday, 18 June: MEDIA, SHARK, GUPPY, MOURN
• Quordle #1240, Tuesday, 17 June: LEAPT, PRISM, ADMIN, WHINE
• Quordle #1239, Monday, 16 June: RETRY, SCALD, DINGO, FEIGN
• Quordle #1238, Sunday, 15 June: SHOCK, STEIN, BROIL, COVEN
• Quordle #1237, Saturday, 14 June: STICK, FERRY, THESE, IONIC
• Quordle #1236, Friday, 13 June: REPEL, LARGE, SNIDE, CARRY
• Quordle #1235, Thursday, 12 June: SCANT, BATCH, UNDER, PARSE
• Quordle #1234, Wednesday, 11 June: CRAVE, ROOST, ANGLE, FLOOD
• Quordle #1233, Tuesday, 10 June: DECRY, CHEEK, FILET, EASEL

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Sunday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Sunday, June 29 (game #749).

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #750) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• AIRPLANE
• HIGHWAY
• ROLLER COASTER
• BRIDGE
• VELVET
• CROWN
• NFL PLAYER
• CIRCUS
• WHIRLWIND
• DRIVE
• HOT TUB NOZZLE
• FILLING
• BLACK
• VENEER
• SOAP OPERA
• PEAKS

NYT Connections today (game #750) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Orthodontics
• GREEN: Life is a cabaret
• BLUE: Partial film names
• PURPLE: Also a gang member in West Side Story

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #750) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: DENTAL ADDITIONS 
• GREEN: METAPHORS FOR A DRAMATIC AND CHAOTIC EVENT 
• BLUE: SECOND WORDS IN DAVID LYNCH TITLES 
• PURPLE: WHAT "JET" MIGHT REFER TO 

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

NYT Connections today (game #750) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #750, are…

• YELLOW: DENTAL ADDITIONS BRIDGE, CROWN, FILLING, VENEER
• GREEN: METAPHORS FOR A DRAMATIC AND CHAOTIC EVENT CIRCUS, ROLLER COASTER, SOAP OPERA, WHIRLWIND
• BLUE: SECOND WORDS IN DAVID LYNCH TITLES DRIVE, HIGHWAY, PEAKS, VELVET
• PURPLE: WHAT "JET" MIGHT REFER TO AIRPLANE, BLACK, HOT TUB NOZZLE, NFL PLAYER

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

Having spent a small fortune on all the DENTAL ADDITIONS here I really should have got the yellow group more quickly.

Instead, my eyes were drawn to the words PEAKS and VELVET – which will always be associated with Twin [Peaks] and Blue [Velvet], two of the works by the late and very great David Lynch.

For the record, the other films included in SECOND WORDS IN DAVID LYNCH TITLES are Mullholland DRIVE and Lost HIGHWAY. 

METAPHORS FOR A DRAMATIC AND CHAOTIC EVENT was an equally easy spot. Just as well, as I would have struggled for hours to find the link between an NFL PLAYER and a HOT TUB NOZZLE. Congratulations if you did.

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Sunday, June 29, game #749)

• YELLOW: ICE CREAM TREATS FLOAT, SHAKE, SPLIT, SUNDAE
• GREEN: FLINCH BOLT, JERK, JUMP, STARTLE
• BLUE: DANCE MOVES CABBAGE PATCH, FLOSS, MOONWALK, ROBOT
• PURPLE: SEEN IN THE AFTERMATH OF A RAINSTORM EARTHWORM, MUD, MUSHROOM, PUDDLE

What is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.

On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.

It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.

It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Sunday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Sunday, June 29 (game #483).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #484) - hint #1 - today's themeWhat is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… ... Trellis beauties

NYT Strands today (game #484) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• MITRE
• SEAT
• CLIP
• ROOF
• MAIL
• WOLF

NYT Strands today (game #484) - hint #3 - spangram lettersHow many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 7 letters

NYT Strands today (game #484) - hint #4 - spangram positionWhat are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: left, 6th row

Last side: right, 2nd row

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

NYT Strands today (game #484) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #484, are…

• JASMINE
• CLEMATIS
• WISTERIA
• SWEETPEA
• MOONFLOWER
• SPANGRAM: CLIMBER

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 1 hint

After yesterday’s colorful treat, it was back to normal today – including a regular-length spangram, for a change.

I am sure there were a few green-fingered puzzlers who saw all of these “Trelis beauties” immediately, but I needed a hint to get going and JASMINE confirmed what we were searching for.

I had never heard of MOONFLOWER before; sunflower, yes – but not moon… After Googling it, I realized it was a plant I recognized and have seen often, but didn’t know the name of it until now. Thank you, Strands, for expanding my knowledge base. 

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday, June 29, game #483)

• BLUE
• GREEN
• VIOLET
• YELLOW
• INDIGO
• ORANGE
• SPANGRAM: CHASING RAINBOWS

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

The pop juggernaut closes the festival with a performance set to be packed with hits from Sour and Guts.

Lionel Messi and co look to cause an upset against his former club.

Racing wheels provide greater immersion and control when playing motorsport sims. They’re a must-have for die-hard fans of the genre, although such players are usually in the market for full-on simulator rigs that can run into the thousands. Thankfully, though, there are plenty of affordable models catering to more casual virtual racers, as well as those wishing to dip their toes in or who want a wheel that won’t take up their entire living space.

There are now plenty of reasonably priced examples around, and their numbers continue to grow. Thrustmaster is one of the most prominent wheel vendors in the sector, and is responsible for making some of the best racing wheels, but more and more brands are joining the party.

To that end, I recently tested three racing wheels: the Thrustmaster TX, the Thrustmaster T128, and the Hori Force Feedback Racing Wheel DLX. These wheels cover various price points within the wider mid-range racing wheel bracket – and I’m happy to report, the best of the bunch might just be the cheapest.

Thrustmaster TX

(Image credit: Future)

As the most expensive of the three, the TX has a lot to live up to. Thankfully, its features and build quality suggest that indeed it can.

Like many other racing wheels, it comes with a clamping system to fix to your desk, although I found it a little awkward to install when I reviewed it. The central screw can be awkward to tighten, and the whole process isn’t helped by the sheer heft of the wheel base itself; while reassuring, it makes it more difficult to support while attaching the clamp.

However, unlike the other two wheels, the TX has the advantage of being fixable to a racing stand, thanks to the added screw holes underneath the wheel and pedal bases, which will please those after a more refined experience.

The overall build quality of the TX is pretty good, too, being the best of the three. The wheel itself is solid and finished in a perforated, soft-grip material that feels comfortable yet hard-wearing. I also liked the flat yet thick rim, fitting my hands well.

The TX is also superior in terms of performance. Turns are very smooth, even when making minimal corrections, lacking the prominent notchiness that can plague other racing wheels. It’s also very responsive, which emphasizes the connection to in-game vehicles.

The pedals are similarly tactile, with the brake pedal being a particular highlight in this regard, with the right amount of resistance to provide feedback without being onerous to use repeatedly. The throttle is perhaps a little too light for my liking, but I still found it smooth and accurate enough.

PlayStation and Xbox variants are available, and thankfully, both are compatible with PC as well.

Hori Force Feedback Racing Wheel DLX

(Image credit: Future)

True to its price tag, the build quality of the Hori sits somewhere in between the TX and the T128. I was particularly fond of the wheel itself, with its partially soft-grip material and ergonomic curves in the ten-and-two position that accommodated my thumbs well.

I was also pleased with the installation process, with its lightweight body and superior clamp to the TX, making it easy to attach. The buttons impressed me too, with a reliable operation and a layout that makes them easy to use blind.

However, the Hori’s paddles have a usability issue: frequently, my thumbs would get caught between them and the rim when turning about 180 degrees and beyond, which is uncomfortable and could potentially cause harm.

I also experienced inconsistent performance with the Hori. It worked well with Assetto Corsa, offering accurate inputs, but felt at odds with Forza Motorsport, as in-game cars failed to track precisely. The force feedback also left a lot to be desired, kicking in far too suddenly without much finesse or imparting much information, again, feeling disconnected with what was actually happening.

The pedals perform more consistently, and the brake pedal again offers a pleasing amount of resistance and feedback. The throttle is less tactile, but still usable, and includes a clutch pedal, just like the TX, which is nice to see at this price point.

Unlike the other two wheels, the Hori is only compatible with Xbox consoles, which is a shame considering its price tag. The mixed performance is also somewhat of a concern, which means ultimately, the Hori might not be the best value racing wheel you can get.

Thrustmaster T128

(Image credit: Future)

The T128 is the cheapest wheel here. It’s similarly priced to the T150, which we think is one of the best PS5 racing wheels for those on a budget, so the brand knows how to make a great racing wheel at a relatively modest price.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t make a particularly auspicious start, as the T128 is perhaps the worst in terms of build quality. The plastics feel cheap in the hand and don’t seem particularly sturdy, owing to their lightness.

Thankfully, there’s nothing outright troubling about its construction, and it suffices for the purposes of light sim racing. Even the paddles feel quite good on the T128, which is usually an area where budget racing wheels can fall down.

Much like the wheel, the pedal set of the T128 is made of cheaper-feeling plastics. They also feel very light to press, but they work well in-game, and I was impressed that the base had enough grip on carpeted surfaces to stop it from sliding away, despite how little it weighs.

The T128 doesn't have a clutch pedal, but this only works in its favor by keeping its cost and size to a minimum. I could be wrong here, but I reckon most gamers after an affordable racing wheel aren't concerned with having a shifter also. This is usually the preserve of serious sim racers, who'll also likely be after one of the best direct drive racing wheels instead, which are generally much costlier than any of the three here.

Steering is light but accurate on the T128, which, coupled with its small diameter, can make it a blast to chuck around when tearing up the virtual tarmac or gravel. The aforementioned lightness of the pedals can be a problem in terms of imparting feedback, especially concerning the brake pedal, but they’re still informative enough to allow for control. I didn’t find the layout cramped, either, which I’ve found with other pedal sets I’ve tried, including the Hori’s.

When you consider its price, the T128 delivers much more than you might expect in terms of performance. What’s more, it’s compatible with Windows as well as console platforms, hence its additional inclusion in our best PC racing wheels guide.

Which one to buy?

The T128 certainly doesn't feel the most premium, especially next to the TX. However, it’s still functional and can withstand the rigors of light sim racing. It might not perform quite so well as the TX, but it’s still very admirable at this price point.

It beats the more expensive Hori, too, since it offers a smoother and more user-friendly performance. What’s more, the Hori is also only compatible with Xbox consoles, whereas the T128 works on multiple platforms.

If your budget stretches to the TX, then that is probably the one to plumb for, since it’s the superior of the three in terms of design and performance. But in terms of sheer value for the money, the T128 is hard to beat, and I think it’s certainly one of the best budget racing wheels you can buy right now.

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In the run-up to last year’s Amazon Prime Day, so many people I spoke to said they planned to buy a new Kindle in the sale. I proudly told them it was a smart move, as I’ve said countless times before, because Prime Day is when Amazon Devices are available for their lowest-ever prices. Then the big sale rolled around, and we saw some of the most disappointing Kindle deals in recent memory. Yikes.

Another year on and I’m hearing those same hopes and dreams from friends, family and colleagues who are eyeing up a new ereader for Prime Day. And I’m here to tell you that, uh oh, I don’t think it’s going to be any better in 2025.

New tech, new higher prices

First up, two updated models of the most popular Kindle and Kindle Paperwhite were launched in October last year. That led to some welcome, if also fairly underwhelming, deals in the Black Friday sales.

Since then, I’ve been able to count the number of price cuts on these ereaders in both the US and the UK on one hand. Compared to the regular and aggressive discounts on the last generation Kindles, it seems Amazon is more reluctant to discount the new and improved versions.

Of course, they will definitely be reduced for Prime Day. That’s a given. Amazon itself has even teased that deals on the Kindle and Kindle Paperwhite are coming in the sale. Still, I can’t see them going as low as I’ve seen in years past. The days of a $59.99 / £34.99 Kindle are, sadly, long gone.

The Kindle Colorsoft could fall to a record-low price this Prime Day, but don't expect it to be cheap. (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

And that’s before I mention the Kindle Scribe and Kindle Colorsoft. These two devices are certainly in line for deals over Prime Day, but given that they are already more expensive premium models with advanced features and capabilities, you won’t be seeing them for cheap.

Kindle is king

I also think that, with the way so much anticipation is placed on Prime Day as the best time to pick up Amazon products, the retailer doesn’t necessarily need to go for such substantial discounts on its most popular items any more. Sure, it’ll slash an Echo Dot or Fire TV Stick to nothing to get Alexa and the Amazon ecosystem in your home, but the Kindle is a different proposition.

Despite admirable competition from the likes of Kobo and Onyx, the Kindle is still well-established as one of the best ereaders you can buy. Amazon knows it’s onto a winner with this one.

Current readers are also potentially locked into an existing collection of books from Amazon’s exclusive library, set up with recurring Kindle Unlimited subscriptions, and enjoying the benefits of regular free books through Prime.

Lots of long-time Kindle users have a vast library built up already and lots of free books available all the time. (Image credit: Future)

When you weigh those things up, it’s hard to see why Amazon would want to sell Kindles for as cheaply as it has done in the past. I think that’s played into why discounts have been fewer and smaller recently.

And then there’s everything else going on

Lastly, there are a handful of other wider factors to consider that I’m bundling together here. We’re living in a world where everything costs more nowadays. The tariff nonsense still has manufacturers and retailers jumpy. Consumer spending power is generally down across the board.

As a British bloke with a film degree, I’m not going to dare wade in on the specifics of how these will affect the price of a Kindle, but I don’t need to study economics to know it’s all having an impact. Amazon is undoubtedly considering all of this when it comes to setting prices for its members-only sale. The same members it’s charging extra to if you want ads removed on Prime Video.

I’m prepared to be pleasantly surprised, but I’m not hopeful. Just putting it all together, the tech is newer, the discounts throughout the year have slowed, Prime Day is a well-established sale, and the current state of the world all point towards another disappointing year for Kindle deals.

• More images of the Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 appear
• The phones are sporting a thinner design
• Samsung's tri-fold phone may launch later on

We're expecting the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 to be unveiled at the next Unpacked event, scheduled for July 9, and some fresh leaks have shed light on how these foldables might look and when we might be able to buy them.

Well-known tipster @evleaks (via Notebookcheck) has added a couple of unofficial renders to the pile of pictures we've already seen when it comes to these foldables – but they show off a couple of new angles that are worth looking at.

These angles really show off how thin these foldables are likely to be – the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 in particular is predicted to be significantly thinner than the current Galaxy Z Fold 6, which was launched in July 2024.

The pictures also give us an idea of the camera configurations on these phones, and when it comes to the Galaxy Z Fold 7, we can see that the punch-hole camera is back on the main display. On the Z Fold 6, this camera was hidden under the screen.

Tri-fold wait

Samsung has previously teased the tri-fold (Image credit: Future)

These renders aren't the only fresh leaks we need to pass on about these foldables: another widely recognized tipster, Instant Digital (via Android Headlines), says both the Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 will go on sale in August after their July unveiling.

It looks as though there might be a longer wait for the tri-fold handset Samsung has previously teased. According to the same source, this handset is also going to be announced in full in July – but won't go on sale until October.

That fits in with previous chatter about the phone arriving later than the standard, double-pane foldables, and makes sense considering that the tri-fold is going to be more difficult to engineer and roll out.

We're still waiting to see how widely available this phone is going to be, while rumors suggest it's going to be called the Galaxy G Fold. All should become clearer on Wednesday, July 9 – and we'll of course be covering all the news live.

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If you’ve tried Apple’s macOS Tahoe developer beta – or just watched the company’s most recent Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) stream – chances are you’ve got some opinions on its new Liquid Glass redesign. The visual overhaul is coming to almost every Apple device, so love it or hate it, you’re going to have to get used to it.

In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg reporter and renowned Apple leaker Mark Gurman has shared some thoughts on Liquid Glass. While he was impressed with the design on iOS, he was less enamored with it elsewhere, stating that Liquid Glass is “pointless on the Apple Watch and less impressive on non-touch devices like Macs.”

It follows a previous edition of Power On, where Gurman said that Liquid Glass “isn’t very impressive on Macs” due to their lack of OLED and touchscreen capabilities. He also felt it “makes less sense on a big-screen TV.”

After my own testing, however, I disagree – I think macOS is the best platform so far for Liquid Glass, and that a larger display helps mitigate some of the main problems with the new look. To me, the implementation on macOS is much less troublesome than on iOS.

Sure, perhaps the design would look better on an OLED Mac, but since those don’t exist yet and I don’t have a standalone OLED monitor, I’m happy with how it looks. In my eyes, the best MacBooks and Macs are where Liquid Glass truly shines so far.

Objectionable overlaps

(Image credit: Apple / Future)

To understand why Liquid Glass feels right at home on a Mac, you’ve first got to understand the problems the redesign is facing on iOS.

In contrast to macOS, iOS needs to exist on much smaller screens, and that means there are far more overlapping elements in play. The Control Center, notification popups, and app folders all appear on top of other on-screen objects, where they’re forced to share space in a way they aren’t on a larger Mac display. So far, I’ve found that this overlapping often makes it difficult to read text on the screen, especially if the image behind is bright or complex.

With macOS, your larger display means there are likely to be fewer overlapping elements, helping to avoid this problem. With more space to breathe, it doesn’t really matter if the glassy effects make certain things harder to read underneath if there’s nothing below them in the first place.

The times when Liquid Glass in macOS Tahoe uses full transparency – such as when you open the Control Center – are few and far between. In most cases, you can customize the amount of transparency. In fact, Control Center is one of the few occasions where you have to use the full-on glass effect.

And even so, thanks to the Mac’s larger screen, it’s rare for this to overlap anything on the screen below. When it does overlay something, it’s less of a problem because Apple has added a drop shadow behind the Control Center, helping it stand out. It’s not perfect, but it feels less objectionable than on iOS.

At home on macOS

(Image credit: Apple)

Having more screen real estate brings other benefits. For instance, one of my favorite aspects of Liquid Glass is the transparent Dock. I keep my Dock icons solid rather than using one of the translucent options Apple provides, and that results in a set of bright, colorful icons resting on a clear glass slate. It looks beautiful, especially with macOS Tahoe's default blue background. Sure, iOS 26’s Dock can also do this, but it can only hold a handful of icons. The Dock in macOS is far larger, giving me much more eye candy to enjoy.

In other words, I get the subtle effects of Liquid Glass without having to make all of my icons transparent (and thus harder to see). I’m not a fan of the 'totally clear' effect – that’s too much glass for my liking – and using the new design tweaks in moderation really helps the Mac feel like the best place for Apple’s redesign.

And it’s not just iOS that gets trumped by the Mac’s implication of Liquid Glass – watchOS 26 does too. Take app toolbars, which have a new translucent blur effect. This works better than Liquid Glass on watchOS, where I’ve found this blur effect makes it very difficult to see certain figures in the Fitness app. I’ve not come across any such annoyances on my Mac.

(Image credit: Apple)

I’ve written before about how Liquid Glass gave me a welcome nostalgia trip to the days of the Aero theme in Windows Vista and Windows 7. After a few weeks’ usage across macOS, iOS, and watchOS, I can say that Liquid Glass’s implementation on macOS is my favorite across the platforms. Maybe I like it because it reminds me of that old Windows theme, or maybe I like it simply because it feels like it’s most at home on a Mac. Either way, it just feels a lot more natural in macOS than anywhere else.

Every year, Apple uses the beta period to make plenty of changes to its new features, and there’s no doubt Liquid Glass will see a host of adjustments between now and the full version release later in the year. That could mean it becomes a lot more viable away from macOS over the next few months, and given my frustrations with Liquid Glass in iOS and watchOS so far, I’m hoping that proves to be true.

For now, though, I’m very happy with Apple’s new look on macOS – even if it’s left me wishing for improvements everywhere else.

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Take photos, steal art from rich bozos. What's not to like?

• Nearly half of Gen Z believe their bosses don’t understand the benefits of workplace AI
• Employees across generations agree AI should help with tasks, not act as a human replacement
• AI is expected to save Gen Z employees nearly 90 minutes per workday

A growing divide is emerging in the workplace over the role of AI, and Gen Z is increasingly at odds with their managers.

New data from a UKG and Harris Poll survey reveals that 49% of Gen Z employees believe their bosses simply do not understand the real benefits of artificial intelligence.

The findings reveal a potential disconnect between younger employees, who are often teaching themselves how to use AI tools, and older leaders who may be hesitant or unsure about adopting new technologies at scale.

AI should support, not replace

Employees across generations want AI to help with their work, but not replace it, with 89% of all surveyed workers saying AI should be viewed as a tool, not a co-worker.

“Every few decades, breakthrough technology fundamentally changes the way we do everything… AI is quickly becoming ubiquitous and indispensable to work – and ignoring it now is like choosing not to use a computer or the internet,” said Suresh Vittal, Chief Product Officer at UKG.

Most employees (84%) also think that AI should be used to automate tasks, not perform the entire role.

This view is held consistently across organizations of all sizes, from startups to global enterprises.

Despite this consensus, the tension lies in how fast adoption should move, and who is driving it.

Younger workers appear to be the most proactive, and 70% of Gen Z employees say they’ve taught themselves most of the AI tools they use, compared to just 40% of Boomers.

90% of Gen Z believe AI will save them time, with nearly a third expecting to reclaim up to 89 minutes a day.

Tasks like summarizing company policies, building schedules, verifying pay, and managing time-off requests are among the functions they are most eager to hand over to machines.

However, tasks involving empathy, discretion, or complex judgment are not seen as appropriate for automation.

In simple terms, AI should take the repetitive and boring part of the job so that people can focus on the meaningful ones.

“Gen Z may be on the leading edge of AI adoption in the workplace, but this technology has the power to transform work for every generation,” he continued.

“From simplifying and automating everyday tasks to increasing productivity to unlocking more time for creativity, innovation, and personal connection, AI will reshape the employee experience in the years ahead. The sooner organizations act on AI’s potential, the greater competitive advantage they’ll gain.”

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• GMKtec EVO T1 delivers high-end performance, AI power, and expandability
• Supports local AI tasks, high-speed storage, and multiple 4K displays
• The mini PC offers USB4, dual LAN, OCuLink, and up to 128GB RAM

In recent years, we've seen mini PCs come a very long way, from being simple systems for basic tasks, to now being powerful enough to handle creative workloads, multi-tasking, local AI processing, and even high-end gaming.

With many users turning away from bulky desktops, the appeal of compact systems with full-scale capabilities keeps growing.

The GMKtec EVO T1 is a clear example of how small machines can deliver big performance, powered by an Intel Core Ultra 9 285H processor, which includes 14 cores and reaches up to 5.1GHz.

Demanding AI tasks

The chip is part of Intel’s newer lineup, and is designed to handle demanding AI tasks like local LLM inference. GMKtec claims its new mini workstation can run Deepseek 32B at 15 tokens per second with 77 TOPS AI compute.

The EVO T1 can support up to 128GB of DDR5 RAM and it comes with three M.2 PCIe 4.0 SSD slots.

The inclusion of an OCuLink port also allows for external GPU use, which opens the door to advanced rendering tasks and even a spot of AAA gaming.

Dual 2.5Gbps LAN ports support fast networking, while USB4 promises data transfer at up to 40Gbps.

The EVO T1 can drive up to four displays at once, thanks to HDMI and DisplayPort support.

Something this powerful obviously needs decent cooling to keep system performance steady under load, and the EVO T1 offers a dual-fan system that balances airflow and noise.

There’s no word on pricing or availability yet, but GMKtec says it’s coming soon.

The company’s new AI Max+ 395 powered EVO-X2 AI mini PC, with 64GB and 1TB SSD, has an MSRP of $2199 (it’s currently on sale at $1499), so it’s likely the EVO T1 will come in at around $1299, perhaps as low as $999 with pre-sale discounts.

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My advice: Skip the two-in-one and opt for the clamshell laptop I tested, when it goes on sale.