Technology

• More details on these rumored AirPods have emerged
• It seems they'll be capable of taking 1MP photos
• The earbuds may also be able to use environmental context

Rumors of Apple working on a pair of camera-equipped AirPods have been doing the rounds for years now, but it seems their arrival could now be close. A fresh leak has given us some more details of the specs to expect, as well.

As MacRumors reports, data hidden away in macOS suggests that these earbuds will be able to capture synchronized color images up to 1 megapixel in size. That backs up the idea that they'll primarily be for AI sensing and processing, rather than to snap photos of your vacation or kids.

The code also points to photo capture but not video capture, and there are mentions of context in the environment that are used by the AirPods: these potential contextual clues include nearby speech and sounds, and changes in the user's posture and head position.

There are also indications that these AirPods-with-eyes will have a capture light on them to show when the camera is active, and that all the necessary visual interpretation will be done on device — potentially assuaging privacy concerns around how they might be used.

Negative pushbackCamera AirPods Code Reveals Image Capture Resolution, Status Light, Person Detection, and More from r/apple

Of course none of these details are guaranteed to appear in the final product, which those in the know say will be making an appearance next year. Apple might decide to change certain aspects of the device's configuration, or cancel it altogether.

In recent months, we've seen a lot of conversations and consumer pushback around the covert recording that smart glasses are capable of, and Apple will know that it's going to have to work hard to avoid the same negative chatter in regards to these AirPods.

Going off one Reddit thread at least, users aren't sure about these extra capabilities, with one contributor saying "this is going to get AirPods banned from all workplaces". However, other commenters seem more positive about the possibilities here — while also insisting that Apple will have to put privacy protections like on-device processing in place.

The leaked video that we saw a few days ago shows the AirPods-with-cameras being used as a sort of visual bookmarking system, where users can ask to save an item like a book cover to reference again in the future.

Two schools of thought exist in the Call of Duty community. One praises the high-speed arcade action of Black Ops sub-series, sliding around corners on smaller maps while racking up incredible kill counts. The other craves the more considered pacing of the recent Modern Warfare games, where firefights are grittier and more immersive, in larger and more complex environments that reward tactical play more than speed and aggression.

With Modern Warfare 4, developer Infinity Ward is trying to marry both styles of play. “If you're too strict in one direction or the other, that's where it becomes a problem,” multiplayer creative director Joe Cecot explained in my visit to the studio’s Los Angeles HQ earlier this year. “We want it to feel really good for you, but also balanced.”

Pleasing both audiences is a task I would have thought impossible: surely the enjoyment of one is opposed to that of the other?

But, after nearly ten hours hands-on with the ongoing Modern Warfare 4 beta, I think the team might have really pulled it off. That, combined with cutting-edge graphics and a plethora of new mechanical Innovations, has me confident we’re on track for a generational Call of Duty game — maybe even the best in the series so far.

Pleasing both campsYou can rapidly slide around the battlefield...Activision... but taking things slow is also effective.Activision

The first thing any returning Call of Duty player will notice dropping into Modern Warfare 4 is that it’s a very fast and fluid game.

Tactical sprint, the option to double-tap the sprint button to enter a faster stride, is back on by default, and it feels smoother than ever before. Rather than lasting for a fixed duration, your character’s speed gradually decreases as you go to reflect their tiredness — removing that stop-start feeling that made Modern Warfare II’s pacing so bitty.

The overall movement speed is pretty rapid, helping you traverse maps quickly and minimizing downtime between combat encounters. Going long stretches without coming across other players was a real issue in some of the bigger 6v6 maps of previous entries (MWII’s infamously dull Valderas Museum immediately springs to mind) and, while many of the maps available in this beta are quite small, I’m optimistic that it won’t be such a problem this time around.

Overhauled ballistic simulation means the guns in MW4 are more realistic than ever before. Rather than a slapdash bloom calculation, bullet trajectory is authentically calculated based on the actual position of your weapon in the virtual world. It sounds like a minor change, but you can really feel the difference. Hip-firing your guns is genuinely viable now: if your barrel is pointed towards the enemy on your screen, your shot will hit.

(Image credit: Activision)

Most guns take a fair chunk of time to aim, so this lets you play more aggressively no matter your chosen weapon type.

Try to take an objective hip-firing a slow-to-aim weapon in MWII, and you’ll end up dead with your entire magazine buried in the nearest wall. In MW4, you actually stand a chance, which stops matches from reaching a gridlock where everyone sticks to cover aiming down their own little sightlines.

It balances out the faster movement perfectly as well. I’ve already encountered players sliding around corners to try to gain an advantage as you can in a similarly snappy Black Ops game and dispatched them effortlessly with a hip-fired shot.

The Zip Gun, an all-new item that replaces the grenade in your lethal slot, is specifically geared towards this kind of situation. It’s a 3D-printed pistol that automatically unloads its entire clip in a quick burst when drawn, giving you a vital last-ditch line of defense if you’re caught mid-reload by an enemy player getting in your face.

You can still win plenty of fights by being fast, don’t get me wrong, and it feels great to do so, but it’s not the one-size-fits-all winning strategy that it is in, say,Black Ops 7.

Leaps and bounds

Guarding sightlines is still an effective strategy. (Image credit: Activision)

But what about those who still prefer to lock down specific zones or slowly advance towards objectives? They’re well catered to with a range of new tools to try. The razor wire field upgrade, for example, is a little mine that deploys a massive coil of barbed wire that slows enemies while draining their health so you can place it in doorways or at keychoke points for effective area denial.

Given all the ways you can counter fast-movers, taking things slow and playing tactically never puts you at a disadvantage. In fact, it can often work in your favor, as the relatively quick TTK (time to kill) lets you shred anyone you manage to catch off guard by flanking.

Although as a die-hard Black Ops fan, I have to admit that sprinting everywhere with an SMG or shotgun is my personal preference, I’ve been experimenting with both styles of play in my matches so far and struggle to label one definitively superior. It’s a genuinely impressive feat for Infinity Ward to have pulled off this tricky balance — doubly so given this is still just a beta and you would expect at least a few teething issues.

The mechanics are nailed down, then, and everything else about MW4 points to an experience that’s equally polished across the board. The maps available to try are well-designed and include a good mix of global locations, all rendered with a stunning level of detail and elevated by plenty of artistic flair, with special details like animated round intros and floating logos to help them all feel distinct.

The sleek user interface seems inspired by classic Call of Duty titles.ActivisionModern Warfare 4 also features a new A gunsmith to recommend weapon builds.Activision

The randomized Kill Block, with a layout split into three randomized blocks, is a surprising highlight too. Going in, I thought it would be a bit of a gimmick. It’s now become one of my favorite maps thanks to just how varied it is.

The presentation remains extremely strong even outside the matches themselves. That clunky Netflix-style user interface from recent games is gone, replaced with a much sleeker side-bar design, and that boring lobby animation (the one that had your hero wandering around an almost completely blank void) has finally been binned in favor of operator-specific sequences that convey so much more character.

That’s all without getting into the gritty campaign (one great level is available to sample as part of the beta offering) or the promising DMZ extraction shooter mode that will be available at launch. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is on track to be a major hit when it launches for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2 on October 23.

• EcoFlow has announced new home batteries in the UK
• The Stream units can hook up to a variety of solar configurations
• Early bird prices are now available if you preorder

Portable power specialist EcoFlow has launched its next-generation Stream Series of home batteries in the UK, meaning that users can keep more of the solar energy they're generating — though the battery still needs to be installed by a qualified electrician.

The 5kWh home battery is rated to support up to 5,000W of solar input, and 3,000W of electricity output. That's enough to run appliances like washing machines and dishwashers, and if you need more energy storage, you can add extra units in as needed.

Despite those power ratings, the Stream home batteries are compact: they weigh just 45 kilograms (under 100 pounds), and are the size of an airplane cabin bag. That makes them easy to position in garages, utility rooms, or anywhere else.

"The transition to smarter home energy shouldn't be reserved for early adopters," said EcoFlow's Justin Tilley. "Homeowners want to get more from their solar investment, but they also want technology that's simple to understand, easy to integrate into their home and built to grow with them."

Specs and pricing

The batteries are big enough to power appliances (Image credit: EcoFlow)

With plug-in solar kits legally available in the UK from August 27, we're on the cusp of a home energy revolution in the country.

But the current downside of plug-in solar is that, without a battery installed, you'll lose any electricity you don't immediately use. The EcoFlow Stream series solves that problem, even if the installation isn't as plug-and-play as the panels are — although there are hopes that plug-in batteries could get the legal green light next.

Some specs of note from these batteries: they have a 15-year lifespan, are good for 10,000 charging cycles, offer an IP65 rating for dust and water resistance (so they're pretty weatherproof), and come with a 10-year warranty.

The batteries can be controlled by a companion app that gives you a full set of management and diagnostic tools, and they work as uninterruptible power supply (UPS) units as well, taking over if the power grid electricity gets cut.

You can preorder a EcoFlow Stream home battery today from the EcoFlow website, with early bird prices starting at £1,499. Those discounted prices will last until October 7, when the units are expected to start shipping.

Taking a photo and altering it, like you can do with Adobe Photoshop, is old hat these days, as so many apps allow you to do just that. But if you’re an artist who loves to paint, this type of software can’t replicate the feel of watercolours, oils, acrylics, and pastels as they’re applied onto a canvas.

Some developers saw this as a challenge: how to replicate painting on a canvas in the digital world. Escape Motions’ Rebelle is a serious competitor in this field, and have introduced a few new features with their latest 8th version. Let’s take a look at it.

You can check out Rebelle 8 by clicking here.

Rebelle 8: Pricing & plans

• A multi-platform software package
• One-off license at a cost that won’t break the bank
• Free trial available

There’s a lot of good news for people who like to own - actually own - multi-platform software: first of, Rebelle is available for Windows and Mac users (sadly, Linux fans are all too often left out of the loop, as they are here).

Even better, there’s no option to rent the software: you purchase it with a one-time fee of $90. Which is quite reasonable for software of this caliber, especially since you’re allowed to install it on up to three computers.

There is a more advanced version, called Rebelle Pro for $150. Finally, Escape Motions offers a very generous 30-day trial so you can check out the software and see how it works for you.

You will have to create an account with them in order to access it, but all they ask is an email address - you keep your credit card details to yourself.

All in all, this feels like a very good start. Rebelle 8 available to buy from developer Escape Motions by clicking here.

• Pricing & plans: 5 / 5

Rebelle 8: Interface

(Image credit: Escape Motions // Future)

• A well-designed interface
• Familiar enough to ease you in if you’re new to Rebelle
• Different enough that there’s going to be a bit of a learning curve

If this is your first foray into Rebelle, you’ll find the interface very similar to other image editing applications. You have two sidebars, one on either side. The left one focusses on your brushes, while on the right, you have your layers, color selections, and navigational options.

The rest of the screen real estate is devoted to your canvas, but that’s not all there is to it. Hop on over to the Menubar’s Window menu to see other tools, which are available by default as floating windows.

However the interface is highly flexible, enabling you to dock these windows into either sidebar, be it as their own unique dedicated area, or sharing the space with other tools - when that happens, a small series of tabs will appear above that shared section, allowing you to switch between them.

This allows you to create a unique setup to match what you need to see as you digitally paint your projects. You’re also able to export this layout to make it easy to set up Rebelle on another computer with your customized personalised setup.

Overall, the interface is similar enough to not feel intimidating, but different enough that it will take you a few minutes to understand where everything is, and what it does. But the main takeaway is that it’s well designed, and is easy enough to understand that it won’t take you long to get the gist of it.

• Interface: 4 / 5

Rebelle 8: Tools

(Image credit: Escape Motions // Future)

• So many brushes to play with, and so many parameters to explore
• Lots of different types of canvases
• Create truly unique projects… as long as you can handle some of the quirks

The tools available are pretty much all the various brushes you can work with - and there are so many. You start with selecting the type of brush from the top left section of the interface, like an acrylic brush, or one for watercolors, inks, pastels, etc.

Beneath that is another panel, with a handful of parameters to customize how the selected brush will paint on your chosen canvas, and you could easily leave it at that, but that would be ignoring the dozens of options further down the sidebar.

For instance, the Express Oil brushes have sub-categories, such as Round, Glaze, and Flat, and if that’s not enough, a drop down menu allows you to browse through and purchase additional ones.

The options and flexibilities are immense, and it can be a lot of fun to paint digitally in that way. You also have all the advantages of working on a computer, such as having multiple layers, cloning sections, erasing others, the lot.

There were a few things I was disappointed by, the biggest one being that I could only have one project open at a time. As someone who far too often has too many ideas on the go, this felt unnecessarily restrictive to me.

Another had to do with controlling the canvas itself. I work on a laptop and use a multi-touch trackpad for everything, but even with all the options I could find disabled, that canvas would move or suddenly zoom in or out at random moments.

Thankfully there’s a handy and simple keyboard shortcut to bring it all back to the centre, filling the screen, but it got really annoying by the end. I think the lesson here is don’t use the trackpad when doing serious artistic work with Rebelle.

Also, despite using a powerful computer to test this out (a laptop with an M5 chip), I felt like sometimes I had to wait a few seconds for the software to render the stroke I made. This app needs a lot of power.

• Tools: 4 / 5

Rebelle 8: What's new?

(Image credit: Escape Motions // Future)

• No revolutionary ‘wow’ additions
• Relatively small improvements makes creative life much easier

Version 8 brings a few refinements to this software package - nothing earth shattering, but they’re welcome additions nonetheless. Here are some I felt were important to mention.

The Canvas Panel has been streamlined, making it easy to select a new type of paper and see all those you don’t yet have, but are available for purchase - you can even test this new canvas prior to acquiring it (if this constant advertisement is not your thing, use the filter options to remove those as yet un-owned canvases from the list).

On the other side of the interface are your favourite brushes. That’s nothing new. But right next to them is a new tab, featuring all the latest brushes you’ve used in your current session. This is a most welcome way to help you keep track of what you’ve been working with without you having to do anything.

When it comes to painting, there’s always been a limit to how big a brush can be. In the standard sidebar, that’s usually up to 100. Switch to the Creator Brush panel and you can now go up to 3,000 which is almost big enough to cover an entire canvas with one brush stroke.

There’s also a new Symmetry tool which essentially cuts your canvas right down the middle and everything you draw on one side is instantly mirrored on the other.

And last on my list is the ‘Line’ tool which always allowed you to easily draw parallel lines, but now lets you add perpendicular ones as well, which can save you a heck of a lot of time.

Should I buy Rebelle 8?

(Image credit: Escape Motions // Future)Buy it if...

You’re a creative who’s always loved the feel of the brush on your canvas, are looking for a way to reproduce this digitally, and love the fact you only need to pay once to own the software.

Don't buy it if...

Your creative outlet doesn’t extend to replicating how real-life brushes work in a digital environment, and you’d be much happier with the likes of Photoshop or Pixelmator Pro instead.

How I tested Rebelle 8

I fired up my trusty M5 MacBook Pro for this review of Rebelle 8. I sadly couldn’t test the software on my PC laptop - it’s high time I upgraded anyway - although it does show that Rebelle needs more oomph than a lot of other software in its category.

The minimum requirements are an Intel i7 chip with 16GB of RAM, and my PC can’t match that. Considering the computations needed to simulate how real-life paint and brushes behave, I’m not surprised at all that Rebelle 8 would need more power than Photoshop.

But on my Mac, aside from the issues I highlighted in the review, I had no complaints, and the gallery on Escape Motions’ website shows how realistic the paintings done with Rebelle can end up looking.

For more creative tools, we tested the best photo editors and the best digital art and drawing software.

• Researchers uncover vast cybercrime ring running on computers and infected domains where outdated versions of WordPress were installed
• The StopAndProtect investigation revealed the WordPress content management system was key to the ring’s success; both the core software and third-party plugins were subverted
• Around 2,000 WordPress sites were hijacked by the cybercrime ring

Check Point Research has unearthed a global cybercrime ring that relied on a network of WordPress websites. The investigation into an operation dubbed “StopAndProtect” found a network of 5,000 infected computers around the globe, and 2,000 WordPress domains.

WordPress currently provides content management for around 43% of websites worldwide, making it the most significant CMS available. It is also the most popular website builder, and is suitable for single page websites, basic blogs, vast news sites, and even online stores.

The researchers found the crime ring had made some mistakes, which alerted them to their operation. These included screenshots and logs of victims, internal tools, and files referencing the hijacked domains. While reassuring, the StopAndProtect investigation raises questions about the security of WordPress sites.

How StopAndProtect did it

WordPress has long been a target for hackers looking for an easy way to host malware and operate botnets, with several key incidents over the course of its history. However, the CMS remains free and open source, and is easy to setup thanks to installation scripts and web builder plugins.

While StopAndProtect was initially the name given to the ransomware uncovered by Check Point Research earlier in 2026, they decided to use the name for the whole operation, as they found it doesn’t only distribute ransomware.

Check Point Research’s Eli Smadja said: “StopAndProtect shows how attackers can turn thousands of poorly maintained WordPress sites into a distributed criminal infrastructure for malware delivery, surveillance, data theft, and ransomware.”

Can any WordPress domain be hijacked?

Given the number of WordPress sites impacted by the crime ring uncovered by the investigation, and the platform’s prominence in the CMS and web builder market, the question has to be asked: is WordPress still safe?

“Based on our research findings, we urge organizations be cautious of unexpected CAPTCHA prompts that instruct them to copy, paste, or run commands, keep their devices and security software updated, and immediately leave any website that asks them to perform unusual steps outside the browser," Smadja added.

Many small businesses rely on WordPress for their public-facing web presence, and in some cases for internal purposes too. The StopAndProtect investigation highlighted a particular WordPress-driven site running a five-year-old version of the CMS, compromised by around 40 vulnerabilities.

If concerns surround WordPress, the quickest solution is to ensure the website is running the most recent version, and that the plugins are not only running as intended, but also fully updated.

Maintaining a regular WordPress update cycle can avoid sites becoming hijacked, a strategy best used in conjunction with a web host that monitors for intrusions and suspicious activity.

• Watch Springboks vs All Blacks FREE on RugbyPass TV (US)
• Unlock your stream with Surfshark (save up to 85%)
• Springboks vs All Blacks kick-off: Sat, Aug 22 at 11.10am ET / 4.10pm BST

The Springboks vs All Blacks 1st Test promises to be a cracker, as New Zealand have had a fair bit of joy at Ellis Park Stadium. They've won three of the teams' last five encounters at the high-altitude venue in Johannesburg. Dave Rennie's track record in South Africa isn't bad either.

The Boks, however, are the best in the game – even without skipper Siya Kolisi. Rassie Erasmus waited until the last moment to confirm that Kolisi and Ox Nche hadn't recovered sufficiently from respective hamstring and knee injuries to feature on Saturday. As has become customary, Pieter-Steph du Toit takes up captaincy duties.

The All Blacks tuned up with three routine victories, not least because Erasmus had gutted the Stormers, Sharks and Bulls sides that took to the field against the tourists. South Africa beat Argentina in their lone warmup game, though both sides were recently in Nations Championship 2026 action. They're the only teams with a 100% record, and New Zealand trail the Boks on points difference.

Kiwis captain Ardie Savea returns to the fold having sat each of the three warmup fixtures out, as does record try-scorer Will Jordan. Cam Roigard and Damian McKenzie have also received the all-clear to start the blockbuster opening clash.

Read on as we explain how to watch Springboks vs All Blacks for free in Rugby's Greatest Rivalry 2026.

Can you watch Springboks vs All Blacks for free?

Yes. The 1st South Africa vs New Zealand Test is being shown on free-to-air RugbyPass TV in the US.

The game will also be available to watch for free on ThreeNow in New Zealand on tape-delay at 11am NZST on Sunday.

Traveling abroad right now? You can use a VPN to watch South Africa vs New Zealand for free as if you were right at home.

Use a VPN to watch Springboks vs All Blacks live streams

A VPN is a handy piece of software that can make your device appear as if it's back in your home country and unlock your usual streaming services. The best VPN right now? We recommend Surfshark – it does everything and comes with up to 85% off.

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How to watch Springboks vs All Blacks live streams in the US

The opening test between the Springboks and All Blacks is available to live stream for FREE on Rugbypass TV in the US.

RugbyPass TV has live coverage of a range of international rugby, including Rugby's Greatest Rivalry and the Nations Championship, plus on-demand content including full game replays, classic matches and documentaries.

Outside of the US? Use a VPN while you're traveling away from home to unlock your stream.

How to watch Springboks vs All Blacks live streams in the UK

In the UK, Springboks vs All Blacks is being shown on Sky Sports Action.

Sky Sports packages start at £22 per month for existing Sky subscribers and rise to £35 per month for those without a Sky subscription.

You can also watch Rugby's Greatest Rivalry unfold via a NOW Sports membership that carries the Sky Sports channels.

If you're out of the UK but still want to tune in, explore the VPN route set out above, which will help you access your subscriptions from anywhere.

How to watch Springboks vs All Blacks live streams in Australia

In Australia, Springboks vs All Blacks is exclusive to Stan Sport.

Stan Sport costs AU$20/month on top of a Stan subscription, which itself starts at AU$9.99/month.

Not in Australia right now? You can simply use a VPN like Surfshark to watch the action as if you were back home.

How to watch Springboks vs All Blacks live streams in New Zealand

In New Zealand, Sky Sport NZ is showing the Springboks vs All Blacks game on the Sky Sport 1 channel.

You can access Sky Sport through satellite TV or get a live stream, with the Sky Sport Now subscription service starting at NZ$29.99 per day or NZ$59.99 per month.

However, a much better option for this game is free-to-air ThreeNow, which will air a full replay of South Africa vs New Zealand at 11am NZST on Sunday – a far more appealing prospect than a 3.10am wakeup call.

Those outside of New Zealand for any part of the RGR tour can use Surfshark to gain access to their home streaming service.

How to watch Springboks vs All Blacks live streams in South Africa

The Springboks vs All Blacks game is being shown on SuperSport in South Africa.

SuperSport is the home of live rugby in South Africa, including coverage of the Springboks and the United Rugby Championship. You'll need a DStv access package to watch the game, with prices starting at Rs99/month for the streaming version.

Abroad right now? Use a VPN to tell your device that you're back home and you'll be good to go.

How to watch Springboks vs All Blacks live streams in Canada

(Image credit: Other)

The Springboks vs All Blacks game is available to watch on Premier Sports in Canada.

A monthly pass costs CA$29.99. You'll need either the CA$79.99 six-month pass or the CA$139.99/year annual subscription to tune into the whole tournament.

If you're out of Canada but still want to catch the action, explore the VPN route set out above, which will help you access your accounts from anywhere.

Team News

South Africa: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Grant Williams, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit (captain), 6 Paul de Villiers, 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Ox Nche

Replacements: 16 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Zachary Porthen, 19 Cobus Wiese, 20 Andre Esterhuizen, 21 Marco van Staden, 22 Cobus Reinach, 23 Manie Libbok

New Zealand: 15 Damian McKenzie, 14 Will Jordan, 13 Quinn Tupaea, 12 Jordie Barrett, 11 Josh Moorby, 10 Ruben Love, 9 Cam Roigard, 8 Ardie Savea (captain), 7 Luke Jacobson, 6 Tupou Vaa'i, 5 Fabian Holland, 4 Josh Lord, 3 Tyrel Lomax, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 Ethan de Groot

Replacements: 16 Asafo Aumua, 17 George Bower, 18 Fletcher Newell, 19 Anton Segner, 20 Peter Lakai, 21 Kyle Preston, 22 Anton Lienert-Brown, 23 Leroy Carter

What is the Springboks vs All Blacks start time?

The scheduled Springboks vs All Blacks kick-off time on Saturday, August 22 is 5.10pm SAST local time in Johannesburg, which is 8.10am PT / 11.10am ET / 4.10pm BST.

That's 1.10am AEST / 3.10am NZST on Sunday, August 23 in Australia and New Zealand.

What is the Springboks vs All Blacks head-to-head?

South Africa and New Zealand have contested 110 competitive games. The Springboks have won 43 of them, and the All Blacks 63. Four have ended all-square.

In South Africa, the head-to-head stands at 28-25-1.

Can I watch Springboks vs All Blacks on my mobile?

Of course, most broadcasters have streaming services that you can access through mobile apps or via your phone's browser. For example, RugbyPass TV has a dedicated app.

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

• A 350-ton electric mining truck just rolled off a Chinese production line
• Zijin Longking ZL230E’s battery holds 1,400 kWh, enough to power dozens of typical homes
• It charges from 10% to 90% in about 25 minutes

Zijin Longking has launched the ZL230E, a pure electric mining truck the company describes as the largest of its kind currently produced in China.

The company says the new mining rig combines heavy transport capability with a battery system designed for faster charging cycles.

Weighing 350 tons in total, with a curb weight of 120 tons and a load capacity of 230 tons, it suits ultra-large open-pit mines.

Massive battery system and heavy-duty mining performance

The ZL230E cargo box offers a stacking volume of 125m³, allowing operators to move larger quantities of materials across mine sites.

It uses a multi-axle central distributed independent drive structure with dual 800kW motors for power delivery, a system which allows the vehicle to adjust power distribution while operating on difficult terrain and steep mining routes.

Longking says the electric truck can support continuous heavy-duty work while reducing energy consumption during transportation activities.

“This new vehicle is a powerful tool designed for high-intensity continuous operations in ultra-large open-pit mines,” said Huang Wei, president of Longking.

The ZL230E relies on a 1,400 kWh battery pack, making it one of the largest battery-powered mining vehicles available with more capacity than 23 Tesla Model 3 EV units.

Zijin Longking claims that this battery supports rapid charging from 10% to 90% in 25 minutes.

Such charging capability reduces downtime and allows mining operations to maintain higher levels of equipment availability.

China expands electric mining equipment ambitions

The ZL230E includes several safety technologies designed for demanding mining environments where reliability remains essential.

Its structure uses Longking’s patented multi-ring beam high-rigidity frame design with additional control systems.

The truck also includes redundant braking, steering systems, and intelligent energy management features for safer operation.

China Construction Machinery Association president Su Zimeng said the vehicle reflects continued progress in domestic large-tonnage electric mining equipment development.

He added that the launch supports wider adoption of electric solutions across China’s off-highway mining vehicle sector.

Zijin Mining, the parent company of Longking, has expanded its electric mining truck fleet from 13 units in 2020 to 1,719 units in 2025.

The company plans to replace its fuel-powered mining trucks with electric alternatives within three years under its carbon reduction strategy.

Earlier in 2026, Longking delivered 15 pure electric mining trucks with 150-ton load capacity to Julong Copper Mine.

Those vehicles recorded daily transport volumes exceeding 2,000 tons with equipment availability above 90%.

Their transport energy consumption was reduced by more than 17% compared with similar products, according to company information.

“We are accelerating the development of new energy mining equipment through independent research and innovation,” said Xie Xiongwei, vice president of Zijin Mining and chairman of Zijin Longking.

The company plans to combine electric trucks with renewable power sources, energy storage systems, charging facilities, and swapping infrastructure.

The Microsoft Xbox Special Edition console price has leaked, revealing an unpleasantly high price.

OpenAI has a new feature that allows its AI chatbot to read your texts and write new ones.

Chatbot gibberish is annoying. But it’s also a lesson in how AI works.

• Vatn Systems will help Taiwan build AI-powered undersea drone command systems
• Neither side has revealed how much money this partnership actually involves
• Taiwan explores Vatn’s modular S12 drones for its future undersea defense needs

Vatn Systems, a United States-based defense technology company, has agreed to explore joint undersea defense projects with Taiwan's National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST).

The agreement, signed on behalf of Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense, opens a new chapter in the island's search for naval modernization partners.

It arrives at a moment when regional tensions have pushed several allied nations to rethink how undersea warfare and deterrence should actually function.

Vatn brings modular S12 drones

The Memorandum of Understanding lays out a framework for both organizations to jointly develop artificial intelligence-enabled command-and-control systems for undersea operations.

It also calls for the fielding of autonomous underwater vehicles, including Vatn's S12 AUV, a modular platform built for varied mission profiles.

According to details shared by both organizations, supply-chain and sustainment support based in Taiwan forms a third pillar of the deal.

Vatn's approach relies on a low-cost, modular design that lets its underwater drones be adjusted for specific ranges, accuracy levels, and sensor packages.

The company claims this flexibility sets it apart from legacy undersea systems that typically carry far heavier price tags and longer development timelines.

NCSIST, Taiwan's primary state-run defense research body, has increasingly sought partnerships with smaller, agile technology firms rather than only large traditional contractors.

"Taiwan is one of many allies rethinking what undersea defense looks like, and we're glad NCSIST sees Vatn as an integral part of that conversation," said Nelson Mills, Co-founder and CEO of Vatn Systems.

Funding remains unclear

Neither organization has disclosed a financial figure for the arrangement, leaving analysts uncertain about how quickly the partnership will move beyond paperwork.

Taiwan has spent years courting foreign defense suppliers as it tries to close gaps exposed by a much larger and better-funded regional rival.

Whether a single memorandum can translate into deployed hardware within Taiwan's own shipyards and sustainment facilities remains an open and unresolved question.

Mills believes that the collaboration fits within Vatn's broader strategy of deploying affordable undersea autonomy at scale for American and allied naval partners.

The company frames this deal as one exploration among several, rather than a finished contract for delivered submarines or finalized vehicle numbers.

Vatn claims other allied defense ministries have shown similar interest in its modular systems, though the details of these “interests” are not public.

The Taiwanese Ministry of National Defense has not issued its own separate statement elaborating on the scope or expected duration of the agreement.

For now, the agreement reads more as an invitation to negotiate than a guarantee of new capability reaching Taiwan's coastline anytime soon.

Its real significance may depend less on the announcement itself and more on whether follow-up contracts and funding eventually materialize.

Via SSC Subsea Cables

• Four GEEKOM A9 Mega mini PCs link together through simple USB4 cables
• Each unit runs on the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 processor chip
• Combined cluster memory reaches 512GB across all four connected systems

Geekom has released the DeepSeek V4 Flash model across four A9 Mega mini PCs, forming a distributed cluster aimed at enterprise AI workloads.

The setup connects the devices through USB4 rather than relying on a traditional data center server.

Each A9 Mega runs on the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 chip, which combines 16 Zen 5 CPU cores with Radeon 8060S graphics and unified memory in one compact chassis

Local processing over cloud dependence

The four-node configuration brings a combined 512GB of RAM to the task, with Ubuntu, ROCm, and DwarfStar software distributing the optimized model across the machines.

An OpenAI-compatible API links applications and AI agents to the cluster, while USB4 removes any need for a proprietary switch or server rack.

The arrangement allows organizations to keep prompts, documents, source code, and credentials within local infrastructure rather than routing them through a public cloud.

Businesses could theoretically build private knowledge assistants capable of searching contracts, manuals, and internal reports without external exposure.

For agent-based systems, Geekom says the cluster can process tools, policies, memory, and logs before executing any action, with a technical path that has operated using contexts up to 250K tokens.

Performance numbers under scrutiny

Testing reported by Geekom recorded approximately 14.61 tokens per second at single concurrency, while P95 time to first token reached about 0.42 seconds.

The company says the configuration also provides greater capacity for long prompts, rather than concentrating solely on faster short-response generation.

Users can begin with one or two A9 Mega systems before expanding the configuration to four nodes as workloads increase over time.

Each machine can operate independently, while connected systems can contribute to distributed inference when greater computing capacity becomes necessary for demanding workloads.

The A9 Mega mini PC itself supports up to 128GB of LPDDR5x memory, although four systems provide the stated 512GB cluster capacity for distributed inference workloads.

Its specifications include 120W sustained performance, dual M.2 PCIe Gen4x4 storage slots, and support for up to 8TB of RAID-configured storage.

Geekom lists the A9 Mega at $3,999 for a configuration with 128GB RAM and 2TB SSD, while the four-system cluster reaches $16,000.

The individual units also carry 126 total TOPS of combined processing output, with 120W of sustained thermal design power under load.

It also supports Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, dual 2.5G Ethernet, and four simultaneous 8K displays for professional environments.

The performance values above are vendor-supplied benchmarks without third-party testing - therefore, the real-world reliability of the setup for sustained enterprise use has not been independently confirmed.

Big Tech’s water guzzling to cool AI servers is serious, even if this viral ad isn’t.

• Apple Music will soon force artists to label their AI-generated tunes
• It follows moves from rival streaming services to limit AI music
• Some users want Apple to outright ban AI tracks from its platform

The subject of music generated by artificial intelligence (AI) has become a hot topic over the last couple of years, with the matter proving to be deeply polarizing among music lovers. Now, Apple is stepping in to enforce AI tags in Apple Music — but some users don’t think it’s going far enough.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Apple sent out emails to “industry partners” earlier this week outlining its position. Those messages made it clear that AI labels will start appearing “later this year” and won't be optional.

“Content providers will be required to include AI Transparency Tags in any instance where AI was used to create a material portion of the content, including tracks that are AI platform generated,” Apple said. “We define AI-platform-generated content as anything that is primarily derived from a generative AI service.”

This comes a few months after Apple started allowing record labels and artists to voluntarily signal that tracks were made with AI assistance through so-called ‘Transparency Tags.’ The latest update goes further, though, requiring music distributors to flag AI content so consumers know exactly what they’re getting.

AI fraud and streaming manipulation

(Image credit: TechRadar)

Apple didn’t outline how exactly it would enforce its new policy. It follows a similar move from Spotify, which revealed earlier this month that it would start labeling AI artists and would exclude them from curated and algorithmic recommendations. Rival service Tidal no longer pays uploaders if it detects that their submissions were made with AI.

Apple Music's new course of action comes amid growing disquiet over the use of AI in music creation. Popular concern over AI tracks has grown so much that tools like Detect Music have emerged to help people identify whether AI was used in the music they listen to.

Surveying social media, it’s clear that plenty of people support Apple’s move. “Good, but that took way too long,” lamented one person on Reddit. Another user wondered, “I might switch over to Apple Music once this is implemented, if there’s also an option to block AI content.”

Yet for others, Apple isn’t going far enough. “As a paying customer, you should be able to block it as a setting,” said one, while another contended that AI-generated music “shouldn’t be on the platform at all.” One Redditor was blunt, arguing that a “Better move would be to outright ban it.”

For many, the problem with AI music is a double one: feeling duped by the lack of artistry when a machine created the tracks you listen to, and concern that genuine musicians are being squeezed out as a result. Add to that the known cases of fraud and streaming manipulation that are often tied to the use of AI in music, and it’s clear that Apple felt that something had to be done.

With the proliferation of AI music-generation services like Suno and Beatoven, this is not a problem that will disappear overnight. But with AI tunes appearing to be highly unpopular — at least once they’re identified as such — Apple’s latest move could help to make a dent in their spread.

The requests target Discord accounts and a GitHub repository connected to the ongoing GTA 6 leak investigation.

• Researchers show how an expired contactless card can still complete a real purchase because the expiry date the terminal reads is not covered by its signature
• The attack needs physical possession of the discarded card and two ordinary smartphones, and results vary per bank, with Visa cards being susceptible in testing
• Existing EMV protections can detect the relay, but they are optional and were not enabled on any card or terminal tested, and neither Visa nor the notified banks have confirmed a fix is in the works

For a layman, the date printed on a credit card looks like a hard stop, but that might not always be the case.

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst found that a 'zombie card' past its expiration date can be persuaded to complete a contactless purchase at a real checkout terminal, creating a real security threat.

The irony is that it is not that EMV cryptography is not bypassed in any way, but rather that card expiry is enforced in a different way for contactless payments, as a policy check between two parties rather than as a fixed property of the card itself, and interestingly, the parties do not always know who is the one checking.

Dead plastic can still be used to pay under certain conditions

Building on the last part, a contactless transaction involves a card, a point-of-sale terminal, the merchant's bank, a card network, and the issuer. Each holds a fragment of the decision that eventually results in a successful or declined card transaction.

The EMV contactless flow is only selectively authenticated: some fields travel between the card and terminal in unencrypted text and are linked to cryptographic verification later, opening a potential attack vector for users with physical access to an expired card.

The exposure here is not that those fields can be read, since the expiry date is printed on the card anyway, but that it can be changed with relative ease. The Application Expiration Date that the terminal reads sits in the unprotected portion.

In the Visa configuration the team tested, that field is not covered by the card's digital signature and is subsequently not cryptographically bound to the expiry value the issuer sees in the online authorization request.

While this should not be the case, it opens an attack vector for a device between the card and the terminal that processes the charge by simply modifying the expiry value to one that is still valid. The issue is compounded by a second issue: cards carry an expiry date inside the digital certificate used to establish the card-to-terminal conversation, and researchers have found that the certificate outlasts the printed date on the plastic. In essence, a check that might have caught the problem is looking at a clock set further ahead.

The scope of the attack, however, is narrow: it affects Visa contactless cards only, with Mastercard, Discover, and American Express rejecting the altered expiry outright. It also requires physical access to the card and two smartphones to pull it off, making it a slightly more complex endeavor, to say the least.

The irony is that EMV does have a protection that would essentially undo such an attempt altogether: Relay Resistance Protocol, which measures timing to detect an inserted relay and can stop the transaction altogether, but it remains optional and was not enabled on any of the terminals or cards the researchers tested.

The team notified Visa and the relevant banks in May 2025 and again in December 2025, supplying a reproduction guide, transaction traces, and a video. Visa's report passed initial triage, and the company's red team was reproducing it.

However, as of publication, neither Visa nor the notified banks had confirmed a mitigation attempt, and Visa also did not respond to a press request from The Register for comment.

The underlying failure, however, is based on how payment decisions have now spread across multiple players, including chip, terminal, network, and bank architectures, all of which assume that expiry is someone else's problem, an approach that could come back to haunt them and their customers. For now, the researcher's advice remains important until a fix is rolled out: stop treating dead plastic as harmless, destroy the underlying chip, and cut through the card numbers to prevent abuse.

Insidious, we meet again. For the sixth time, in fact. It's become one of the world's biggest horror franchises but the new horror movie is making me question whether or not it needs to carry on at all.

I should preface this largely negative review by saying that I was a huge fan of the first Insidious movie, and have been a fan of James Wan's ever since Saw. So it truly does pain me to say I did not have a good time with Insidious: Out of the Further, because I went in hoping to see an intriguing new entry, but what followed was almost entirely predictable.

Recently, we have seen some good horror sequels. Take a look at Saw X for example, which is infinitely better than some of the movies that came before it (I still can't get over how bad Jigsaw is). But Insidious: Out of the Further feels like a way to profit from the popular franchise without really adding much to it.

It's a shame, because it did have potential. Here, Alice Eve plays Gemma, a young mother who is raising her daughter in her childhood home. She lives a normal life until she discovers she can travel into The Further, which is a purgatorial realm of lost souls. Gemma realizes she can bring what lives in The Further back to the real world, which is great news for demonic entities who use Gemma to their full advantage. Cue carnage unfolding in our realm, and plenty of evil round the corner.

I first saw Alice Eve in Netflix's The Haunting of Bly Manor, and she is undoubtedly the best thing about Insidious: Out of the Further. As a new arrival to the Insidious franchise she's front and center of this sequel, and does a great job in the role.

Unfortunately, Eve's strong performance can't make up for the movie's many flaws. Insidious: Out of the Further is the scariest of the franchise due to the sheer number of jump scares, many of which have extremely loud audio to go along with it.

But the fact it was able to make me jump in my seat multiple times does not make it a good movie. The special effects and makeup feel really off, and not at all on the same level as previous movies. A lot of the narrative decisions frustrated me too, and I think it tries to take itself too seriously by stuffing loads of new lore into its runtime, making it feel bloated.

(Image credit: Sony Pictures Releasing)

It's essential to see the other Insidious movies first, which may seem obvious, but I would encourage you to rewatch (or at least read up on them) before you go and see Insidious: Out of the Further, otherwise you might end up feeling lost. This really is for die-hard Insidious fans who know their stuff, so casual fans might be left scratching their heads.

Insidious: Out of the Further does not come close to the quality we've seen in a wave of recent great horror movies. It pales in comparison to fresh horror hits like Obsession and Backrooms, despite the fact the trailer repeatedly reminds us that it's produced by the same people; Blumhouse and Atomic Monster.

Having said that, if you want to go just to be startled by a carousel of jump scares, it's a great choice. I'd recommend this for those who want to test their nerve, and it's best seen with a crowd for this reason. I would advise against buying any popcorn in case you throw it all over yourself, because the scares are certainly in abundance here.

But it's not a necessary addition to the Insidious franchise at all, and doesn't live up to the 2010 movie that started it all. After 16 years, perhaps it's time to put this franchise to bed for good.

• The BluHub reads and writes Blu-rays, DVDs and CDs
• It has 4x USB 3.0 ports and two card reader slots
• The Kickstarter Super Early bird price is $59 (about £40 / AU$80)

If you've got a fairly recent computer you'll be vividly aware that for everything but high-powered gaming PCs, thin is most definitely in: the pursuit of ultra-thin laptops in particular means that computers have shed their optical drives and many of their expansion ports to reduce their size and weight. But what if you want those things without having to live in World of Hubs, like I currently do? One Kickstarter may have the answer.

Thanks to our pals at Tom's Hardware we've been introduced to a docking station with a difference: it's a USB hub that also has a Blu-ray drive in it. The BluHub, as it's called, is a 9-in-1 PC and Mac dock that promises "everything you need in one compact drive". It's smashed its Kickstarter goal, which to be fair was a very low $700 / £512 (about AU$977). Pledges are currently sitting at $214,411 / £157,127 (about AU$301,250).

It's clearly designed for people like me: I've got multiple hubs and accessories in front of my Mac so I can do things like burn discs, attach external storage and read camera memory cards, and that means a lot of cables and clutter. This could be a more elegant option, and it's not terribly expensive.

BluHub 9-in-1 docking station: key features and pricing

(Image credit: BluHub)

The BluHub connects via USB 3.2 Gen 2 at up to 10Gbps, and it's bus-powered so you don't need a power supply. It's compatible with Windows, macOS, Linux, Chrome OS and USB On-The-Go for mobile devices.

In addition to the expected USB ports (4x USB-A / USB 3.0) it has SD and microSD slots and a Blu-ray, DVD and CD drive capable of up to 6x Blu-ray burning speeds.

The promotional images confused me at first because what looks like a lid for the BD/DVD/CD drive isn't; it's just a place to park a disc or discs. The drive itself pops out of the side, with the same kind of mechanism as the drives in desktop PCs.

It's not remotely pretty, but it's a lot less messy than my desk — and the mobile compatibility means it's an interesting option for road warriors who need to expand their Android tablet or iPad.

(Image credit: BluHub)

The retail price of the BluHub will be $129 (£90 / AU$180), but at the moment there's a super early bird offer of $59 (about £40 / AU$80) with a predicted ship date of November 2026.

Whether that early bird deal is a good one or not very much depends on your opinion of crowdfunders and your risk tolerance: they can be a great way to get in on the ground floor and save some money, but you're buying something without the benefit of being able to read reviews or see what customers have to say, and there are no guarantees.

Many early commenters on the likes of Reddit also seem a little dubious of the BluHub's credentials, noting that the enclosure appears 3D-printed and that the listing doesn't reveal the make or model of the Blu-ray drive.

As always, all of the usual caveats apply — Kickstarter isn't a retailer and doesn't offer refunds after a project is fully funded, so consider yourself warned.

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• Windows 11 can remove a discrete GPU driver as part of its clean-up routines, as shown on Reddit
• This can happen if the laptop has been in Eco mode for an extended period
• Because the GPU is effectively gated off from the system, the driver is marked as unused and therefore deleted by the OS during clean-up – but you can stop this from happening

Apparently, Windows 11 can end up stripping away the discrete GPU driver from your laptop in certain scenarios if the OS is left to run in Eco mode for a long time – and that's a distinct annoyance if you own a gaming laptop, as per a report on Reddit.

Wccftech spotted a Redditor who posted about their Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 gaming laptop with a discrete Nvidia RTX 5070 Ti, and how Windows turned off that GPU.

At this point, some of you may immediately be thinking: who runs their gaming laptop in Eco mode? And that's a fair point, and one raised in the Reddit thread – I'll come back to that.

First, let's look at the mechanics of how this works, based on the Redditor's investigation of what went on (they noted that it "took me months to work this out"). When the laptop is put into Eco mode, power is completely cut to the discrete GPU, effectively leaving it offline (just as if it were an unplugged USB stick, as the Redditor describes).

That's not a problem – obviously it's a power-saving measure – but the issue is that Windows 11 runs a driver clean-up process from time to time as part of routine system maintenance. By default, this happens every 30 days, though the Redditor notes their laptop was set to 15 days, and this can be modified.

What happens is that if the laptop has been in Eco mode for a long time, with the GPU effectively walled off and not present as far as the system is concerned, and the clean-up happens, it judges the driver to now be superfluous, and it's removed.

When Eco mode is subsequently switched off, the driver doesn't return – it remains ditched, and the GPU shows as a 'Microsoft Basic Display Adapter' instead of an Nvidia GPU in Windows 11's Device Manager.

The Nvidia graphics driver must then be reinstalled to get the GeForce graphics card functional again – and the same is reportedly true of AMD discrete GPUs.

Analysis: a niche problem, but an annoying one – here's how to avoid it

(Image credit: Future)

Let's return to that question: who runs a gaming laptop in Eco mode? No gamer really does this, at least not when they're regularly playing some of the top PC games on their notebook. However, someone might be a student cramming for finals and using the laptop for work, having given up gaming distractions for a few months. In this case, with Eco mode enabled to keep battery life up while studying, Windows 11 could disable the GPU.

Okay, so it's something of a niche situation – and the Windows 11 clean-up routines are useful for keeping the system streamlined. But it's not an unthinkable scenario, and Microsoft's OS should be tuned to be more careful around GPU drivers – and it'd be useful if the system could give a warning of such a clean-up happening (so it could be avoided).

That said, this may not happen in all situations. Another Redditor notes that they have had their Zephyrus G16 in Eco mode for two months, and the Nvidia RTX 5070 Ti is still present and correct.

Whatever the case, if you run into this problem yourself, at least you know why it's happening. The fix is to simply reinstall the Nvidia driver, although the same thing could happen again if you're one of those people who regularly uses Eco mode on your gaming laptop.

You can apply a Registry fix to permanently stop the clean-up process, but I wouldn't recommend messing with those settings unless you're confident (see the Reddit post for instructions). Also note that you'll miss out on other clean-up duties, not just GPU-related activity.

A better solution is to simply remember to take your laptop out of Eco mode now and then (every couple of weeks), which will bring the discrete GPU back into play, and save the driver from being earmarked for removal.

The Redditor notes: "Or just keep the GPU visible now and then. Optimized mode in G-Helper turns the dGPU [discrete GPU] on whenever you plug in. Flipping to Standard [mode] every couple of weeks does the same thing. Resets the counter, no Registry editing."

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