Prime Video wouldn’t be one of the best streaming services around if it didn’t have a new original movie topping the streaming charts. Luckily for them (and us), July’s big release is a slam dunk that’s become its number one most-watched movie this week… and an absolutely stupid one at that.
Don’t be fooled, though. In this context, stupid is the best compliment I could give. New action movie Heads of State is streaming on Prime Video now, and you’d be a fool to miss this explosive riot. Indeed, not every critic agrees with its 67% Rotten Tomatoes score, with Empire Magazine calling it “a really good, dumb comedy”.
Once again, we’re spoiled for choice with everything new on Prime Video in July 2025. Heads of State isn’t the only new title that’s got everyone’s tongues wagging: we can also sing along to Cynthia Erivo’s infamous vocal riff in Wicked, and get stuck into more insatiable teen drama in The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3.
Why I recommend watching Prime Video’s Heads of StateLet’s set the scene. Idris Elba is in the position of power he’s always deserved to have, playing British Prime Minister Sam Clarke. His natural rival is US President Will Derringer (John Cena), and they’re not shy of making their hatred of one another incredibly public. But when an Air Force One plane is shot down over enemy territory, they’ve got no choice but to work together.
On paper, Heads of State is a new movie that should be written off as a total failure, filed away in the same cheap and mediocre cabinet as Another Simple Favor and G20. But third time’s the charm here, with Elba and Cena’s natural chemistry giving us the throwback to the pinnacle of great 2000s action we didn’t know we needed.
There’s nothing to take seriously in Heads of State – everything you see is stupidly bonkers. But in a world where we don’t have enough time to laugh or let our guard down, Prime Video’s new movie is a welcome reprieve. Watching two action heroes running around with guns trying to save the world is enough to take our minds off anything, especially given how well it’s all put together.
Clearly, Amazon has spared no expense with this release. Where something like G20 suffered from its visuals, Heads of State has the glossy Hollywood look we’ve come to expect from big-budget studios. At the same time, it’s not lost its own sense of identity, standing out from Amazon’s other action features with its own signature sense of humor, light-heartedness and lack of fear. Being dumb is fun, people!
Everybody involved in Heads of State is clearly letting their hair down and having a blast, so why shouldn’t we? A good time at the movies doesn’t have to be baked in serious subject matter, transformational perspectives or unique visuals we’ve never seen before. Sometimes, the best approach is to take a simple, fun concept and do it well, and you’re not going to regret carving out time to watch Elba and Cena do exactly that.
New research has claimed AI investment in UK businesses still isn't translating into consistent or measurable returns, suggesting many firms are yet to evolve from their experimentation to implementation phases as they struggle to work out effective use cases.
This comes as many sectors still struggle to see any real results from AI tools, with 37% of HR and 30% of finance businesses surveyed by Qlik stating they see the least tangible benefits.
This is compared with the four in five (81%) IT and cybersecurity departments which have seen improvements.
AI investments don't directly translate into resultsQlik also found most companies are still stuck in pilot phases, lacking the tools and skills to scale AI impact.
Only one in 10 (11%) companies report that most (75%+) of their AI initiatives have delivered tangible gains, with around one-quarter (23%) acknowledging that the majority of their AI use case are still in the experimental phase.
Nearly half (44%) also admitted that there's a disconnect between perceived and actual productivity gains from AI, with a similar number (51%) evaluating AI using KPIs tied directly to business performance, instead of evolving their metrics to the shifting tech landscape.
"This gap between hype and reality is a wake-up call. Businesses need to focus on measurement, alignment, and building the data infrastructure that enables AI to deliver at scale," Qlik Chief Strategy Officer er James Fisher explained.
A lack of internal skills is affecting nearly one in two (49%) businesses, with technical issues like incompatible tools and platforms (36%) and a lack of real-time data integration (37%) also proving troubling. Evidently, architecture and data foundation are still holding many firms back, while budget is becoming less of an issue.
Looking ahead, 89% agree a unified data strategy is essential for assessing ROI. Many also agreed that improved data integration and analytics (57%), greater visibility into how AI models make decisions (55%), strong collaboration across departments (49%) and outcome-focused KPIs (46%) are impotent to deliver real AI impact.
"That means scalable tools, integrated strategies and collaboration across every function," Fisher concluded.
You might also likeNew research has claimed AI investment in UK businesses still isn't translating into consistent or measurable returns, suggesting many firms are yet to evolve from their experimentation to implementation phases as they struggle to work out effective use cases.
This comes as many sectors still struggle to see any real results from AI tools, with 37% of HR and 30% of finance businesses surveyed by Qlik stating they see the least tangible benefits.
This is compared with the four in five (81%) IT and cybersecurity departments which have seen improvements.
AI investments don't directly translate into resultsQlik also found most companies are still stuck in pilot phases, lacking the tools and skills to scale AI impact.
Only one in 10 (11%) companies report that most (75%+) of their AI initiatives have delivered tangible gains, with around one-quarter (23%) acknowledging that the majority of their AI use case are still in the experimental phase.
Nearly half (44%) also admitted that there's a disconnect between perceived and actual productivity gains from AI, with a similar number (51%) evaluating AI using KPIs tied directly to business performance, instead of evolving their metrics to the shifting tech landscape.
"This gap between hype and reality is a wake-up call. Businesses need to focus on measurement, alignment, and building the data infrastructure that enables AI to deliver at scale," Qlik Chief Strategy Officer er James Fisher explained.
A lack of internal skills is affecting nearly one in two (49%) businesses, with technical issues like incompatible tools and platforms (36%) and a lack of real-time data integration (37%) also proving troubling. Evidently, architecture and data foundation are still holding many firms back, while budget is becoming less of an issue.
Looking ahead, 89% agree a unified data strategy is essential for assessing ROI. Many also agreed that improved data integration and analytics (57%), greater visibility into how AI models make decisions (55%), strong collaboration across departments (49%) and outcome-focused KPIs (46%) are impotent to deliver real AI impact.
"That means scalable tools, integrated strategies and collaboration across every function," Fisher concluded.
You might also likeFollowing tomorrow’s expected Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 reveal, the Google Pixel 10 series is likely to be the next big smartphone launch we’ll see, and leaks are starting to paint a picture of what to expect, right down to the colors for the handsets.
According to distributor data viewed by DroidLife, the Google Pixel 10 will be sold in Obsidian (black), Frost (probably white), Indigo (purple or blue), and Lemongrass (a pale yellow) shades, all with a choice of 128GB or 256GB of storage.
For the Google Pixel 10 Pro, there’s the option of Porcelain (white) or Moonstone, each with 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB of storage, and there’s additionally an Obsidian shade with the same storage capacities along with a 1TB option. Oddly though, they also mention a Jade (green) shade, but say this is only available with 256GB of storage.
The Google Pixel 10 Pro XL is listed in the same selection of colors as the Pixel 10 Pro, but there’s no 128GB option for the Porcelain or Moonstone shades.
Finally, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is listed as coming in 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB configurations, all of which are available in Moonstone, while just 256GB and 512GB are available in Jade.
The Google Pixel 9 (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)Odd optionsThere are a few slightly strange things here. The first is limiting the Jade shade to just a 256GB capacity for the Pixel 10 Pro and the Pixel 10 Pro XL. It’s not completely unheard of for phone makers to only offer certain colors with a certain storage capacity, but it would seem a shame given that Jade sounds like one of the more interesting color options.
You’re also apparently limited to the Obsidian shade for these two phones if you want 1TB of storage, and if you want a 128GB Pixel 10 Pro XL then Obsidian will also supposedly be the only color option.
Another notable thing here is that the Pixel 10 Pro and the Pixel 10 Pro XL will both apparently start at 128GB. That’s true of the current models, but that’s not a very ‘Pro’ storage capacity, so we wouldn’t have been surprised if it was dropped.
Also, the colors here don’t match a previous Pixel 10 colors leak. DroidLife notes that distributors sometimes use codenames for colors, so that could account for the discrepancies if codenames were used here but not in earlier leaks. However, some of these are colors that we’ve seen Pixels in before, and therefore they presumably aren’t codenames. So one of these leaks is presumably wrong.
We’ll probably find out which on August 20, as that’s the rumored Pixel 10 release date, but it’s likely that plenty more leaks and rumors will emerge before then.
You might also likeFollowing tomorrow’s expected Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 reveal, the Google Pixel 10 series is likely to be the next big smartphone launch we’ll see, and leaks are starting to paint a picture of what to expect, right down to the colors for the handsets.
According to distributor data viewed by DroidLife, the Google Pixel 10 will be sold in Obsidian (black), Frost (probably white), Indigo (purple or blue), and Lemongrass (a pale yellow) shades, all with a choice of 128GB or 256GB of storage.
For the Google Pixel 10 Pro, there’s the option of Porcelain (white) or Moonstone, each with 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB of storage, and there’s additionally an Obsidian shade with the same storage capacities along with a 1TB option. Oddly though, they also mention a Jade (green) shade, but say this is only available with 256GB of storage.
The Google Pixel 10 Pro XL is listed in the same selection of colors as the Pixel 10 Pro, but there’s no 128GB option for the Porcelain or Moonstone shades.
Finally, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is listed as coming in 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB configurations, all of which are available in Moonstone, while just 256GB and 512GB are available in Jade.
The Google Pixel 9 (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)Odd optionsThere are a few slightly strange things here. The first is limiting the Jade shade to just a 256GB capacity for the Pixel 10 Pro and the Pixel 10 Pro XL. It’s not completely unheard of for phone makers to only offer certain colors with a certain storage capacity, but it would seem a shame given that Jade sounds like one of the more interesting color options.
You’re also apparently limited to the Obsidian shade for these two phones if you want 1TB of storage, and if you want a 128GB Pixel 10 Pro XL then Obsidian will also supposedly be the only color option.
Another notable thing here is that the Pixel 10 Pro and the Pixel 10 Pro XL will both apparently start at 128GB. That’s true of the current models, but that’s not a very ‘Pro’ storage capacity, so we wouldn’t have been surprised if it was dropped.
Also, the colors here don’t match a previous Pixel 10 colors leak. DroidLife notes that distributors sometimes use codenames for colors, so that could account for the discrepancies if codenames were used here but not in earlier leaks. However, some of these are colors that we’ve seen Pixels in before, and therefore they presumably aren’t codenames. So one of these leaks is presumably wrong.
We’ll probably find out which on August 20, as that’s the rumored Pixel 10 release date, but it’s likely that plenty more leaks and rumors will emerge before then.
You might also likeMicrosoft is supposedly thinking about introducing some kind of AI-powered wallpaper to Windows 11 (not for the first time, I might add).
Well-known purveyor of Microsoft-related gossip, PhantomOfEarth, recently posted on X to inform us of the work which is seemingly underway to produce 'dynamic' backgrounds for Windows 11.
Microsoft is working on AI desktop background stuff yet again, this time around:"Dynamic background""Your background will automatically update based on your selections"June 23, 2025
What kind of dynamic backgrounds are planned, exactly? Well, that's not clear, and we aren't given any details as to the precise nature of this feature, except that the wallpaper will "automatically update based on your selections".
This info was dug up from recent preview builds of Windows 11, and Windows Latest highlighted the above post on X, observing that it attempted to uncover toggles for the mentioned options, but couldn't. So, it looks like it's still very early days for the potential capability.
Analysis: Bringing wallpapers to life(Image credit: Sergey Kisselev / Behance.net / Microsoft)We must be particularly wary here, because Microsoft has worked on dynamic (also known as 'live') wallpapers in the past, and then scrapped the idea. Indeed, the concept of AI-powered backgrounds for Windows 11 has been floating around for a long time.
You may even recall that components for live wallpapers were present in Windows 11 23H2, hidden under the hood, for some time, before they were stripped out in 24H2, as Microsoft obviously thought better of the idea. Which I felt was rather a shame, as some of these concepts looked very smart (you can see one of them in the above image).
What we have here is a far more nebulous rumor, hence the need for more than the usual helping of caution. That said, Microsoft has been busy trying to jam more and more AI into Windows 11, and to me, this seems like an obvious enough area to grace with AI, having it bring some extra fanciness to your backgrounds (if you want that).
By which I mean not just fancy dynamic wallpapers in terms of animated elements, or parallax kind of effects - which may well be part of the plan - but also having AI perform nifty tricks such as changing the appearance of a wallpaper based on the time of day, for example. (Like the forest wallpaper in macOS Sequoia, where the lighting changes throughout the day).
We're told the background will update based on 'selections' you make, so there could be various options to turn on (or off), or perhaps various background themes to select from. With AI in the mix, I'm guessing that if this is the path Microsoft is intent on travelling down with wallpapers, we may get suggested backgrounds eventually based on your habits within Windows (if you allow the AI access to that data, of course).
All this remains to be seen, though, and even if this rumor is correct as of now, Microsoft may yet think better of the idea down the line, as it's done in the past. The obvious drawback with more elaborate ideas for wallpapers is the increased drain on system resources compared to static backgrounds, which will be a particular area of concern for lesser-spec PCs. On those machines, though, you can simply not use dynamic wallpapers.
You might also like...Microsoft is supposedly thinking about introducing some kind of AI-powered wallpaper to Windows 11 (not for the first time, I might add).
Well-known purveyor of Microsoft-related gossip, PhantomOfEarth, recently posted on X to inform us of the work which is seemingly underway to produce 'dynamic' backgrounds for Windows 11.
Microsoft is working on AI desktop background stuff yet again, this time around:"Dynamic background""Your background will automatically update based on your selections"June 23, 2025
What kind of dynamic backgrounds are planned, exactly? Well, that's not clear, and we aren't given any details as to the precise nature of this feature, except that the wallpaper will "automatically update based on your selections".
This info was dug up from recent preview builds of Windows 11, and Windows Latest highlighted the above post on X, observing that it attempted to uncover toggles for the mentioned options, but couldn't. So, it looks like it's still very early days for the potential capability.
Analysis: Bringing wallpapers to life(Image credit: Sergey Kisselev / Behance.net / Microsoft)We must be particularly wary here, because Microsoft has worked on dynamic (also known as 'live') wallpapers in the past, and then scrapped the idea. Indeed, the concept of AI-powered backgrounds for Windows 11 has been floating around for a long time.
You may even recall that components for live wallpapers were present in Windows 11 23H2, hidden under the hood, for some time, before they were stripped out in 24H2, as Microsoft obviously thought better of the idea. Which I felt was rather a shame, as some of these concepts looked very smart (you can see one of them in the above image).
What we have here is a far more nebulous rumor, hence the need for more than the usual helping of caution. That said, Microsoft has been busy trying to jam more and more AI into Windows 11, and to me, this seems like an obvious enough area to grace with AI, having it bring some extra fanciness to your backgrounds (if you want that).
By which I mean not just fancy dynamic wallpapers in terms of animated elements, or parallax kind of effects - which may well be part of the plan - but also having AI perform nifty tricks such as changing the appearance of a wallpaper based on the time of day, for example. (Like the forest wallpaper in macOS Sequoia, where the lighting changes throughout the day).
We're told the background will update based on 'selections' you make, so there could be various options to turn on (or off), or perhaps various background themes to select from. With AI in the mix, I'm guessing that if this is the path Microsoft is intent on travelling down with wallpapers, we may get suggested backgrounds eventually based on your habits within Windows (if you allow the AI access to that data, of course).
All this remains to be seen, though, and even if this rumor is correct as of now, Microsoft may yet think better of the idea down the line, as it's done in the past. The obvious drawback with more elaborate ideas for wallpapers is the increased drain on system resources compared to static backgrounds, which will be a particular area of concern for lesser-spec PCs. On those machines, though, you can simply not use dynamic wallpapers.
You might also like...The Pokémon Company has officially confirmed that the next Pokémon Presents broadcast will air later this month.
The livestream is scheduled to begin on July 22, 2025, at 6am PDT / 8am CT / 2pm BST and can be watched on the official Pokémon YouTube and Twitch channels.
"The Pokémon Company International invites fans to watch the latest Pokémon Presents presentation on Tuesday, July 22,” the company announced in a recent blog post.
The Pokémon Company hasn't shared what it will be showcasing during the upcoming broadcast, but did say that fans can: "Tune in for the latest updates and news from the world of Pokémon".
7月22日(火)に「Pokémon Presents」が配信決定!ポケモン公式YouTubeチャンネルや、その他のSNSから配信するよ。お楽しみに! pic.twitter.com/WYlCfkyp40May 28, 2025
Hopefully, this means we'll learn new information and get a new trailer for the next major game in the franchise, Pokémon Legends: Z-A, which is set to launch on October 16 for Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2.
Pre-orders for the game began on June 5, and it's confirmed that players who purchase either a digital or physical version on the Switch can upgrade their copy to the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition via a $10 upgrade pack on the Nintendo eShop and My Nintendo Store.
The Pokémon Company has also revealed in a social media post that the version will "offer improved graphics and frame rates". New footage comparing the Switch 2 version to the Switch could also debut during the next Pokémon Presents.
You might also like...The Pokémon Company has officially confirmed that the next Pokémon Presents broadcast will air later this month.
The livestream is scheduled to begin on July 22, 2025, at 6am PDT / 8am CT / 2pm BST and can be watched on the official Pokémon YouTube and Twitch channels.
"The Pokémon Company International invites fans to watch the latest Pokémon Presents presentation on Tuesday, July 22,” the company announced in a recent blog post.
The Pokémon Company hasn't shared what it will be showcasing during the upcoming broadcast, but did say that fans can: "Tune in for the latest updates and news from the world of Pokémon".
7月22日(火)に「Pokémon Presents」が配信決定!ポケモン公式YouTubeチャンネルや、その他のSNSから配信するよ。お楽しみに! pic.twitter.com/WYlCfkyp40May 28, 2025
Hopefully, this means we'll learn new information and get a new trailer for the next major game in the franchise, Pokémon Legends: Z-A, which is set to launch on October 16 for Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2.
Pre-orders for the game began on June 5, and it's confirmed that players who purchase either a digital or physical version on the Switch can upgrade their copy to the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition via a $10 upgrade pack on the Nintendo eShop and My Nintendo Store.
The Pokémon Company has also revealed in a social media post that the version will "offer improved graphics and frame rates". New footage comparing the Switch 2 version to the Switch could also debut during the next Pokémon Presents.
You might also like...Microsoft has reported a rather embarrassing issue with Windows Firewall after the June 2025 preview update of Windows 11 24H2, and the error remains a mystery for now.
In the known issues section of Microsoft's update on Windows 11 24H2 KB5060829 (OS Build 26100.4484) Preview, the company noted that "security event logs might include an error event related to Windows Firewall with Advanced Security."
Microsoft declared users can safely disregard the error, however details on why it's occurring are so far thin on the ground.
Windows Firewall is having issues with Microsoft code in latest Windows 11 build"The event appears as 'Config Read Failed' with the message 'More data is available,'" Microsoft noted. "Although this event is logged in every time the device restarts, it does not indicate a problem with Windows Firewall and can be disregarded."
Despite the Event Viewer log, Windows Firewall is expected to function normally, with no impact to system processes. Nevertheless, false positives in the Event Log can still be a nuisance, especially for system monitoring.
"This event is related to a feature that is currently under development and not fully implemented," the company confirmed, however no estimated fix date has been provided.
"We are working on releasing a resolution and will provide more information when it is available," Microsoft added.
Compared to past problems seen with Windows 11 24H2, the issue is fairly benign – at least it's not causing system crashes – but it does raise concern about potential issues or unfinished code making it into public builds.
Microsoft also noted that the same build has an issue with Chinese, Japanese and Korean characters in certain conditions – particularly when displayed at 96 DPI in Chromium-based browsers including its own not-so-popular browser, Edge. The company claims to be working with Google on a solution.
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