Technology

What was the first ever smartphone? Ask most people and they'll understandably say the original Apple iPhone, which launched in 2007. But if the definition is a practical device that can send emails and browse the web as well as make calls and send text messages, then there's a strong case for the Nokia 9000 Communicator — which launched 30 years ago today on August 15, 1996.

The first Communicator looked like a chunky 1990s mobile phone, but open it up, and there was a keyboard and grayscale LCD screen inside. You could get some actual work done on the go with this phone, as the ads of the time (see below) were keen to stress, and it could even send faxes.

"If you want to get on the web while sitting in a pub or on a mountain, wait until 15 August and you will be able to do so in style," said a review from the The Independent in July 1996. No other phone promised to combine email, fax, a personal organizer and wireless web access in one (just about) pocketable device.

In honor of this fine gadget — now very much a museum piece — we're taking a look back at what made the Nokia 9000 Communicator so special, the legacy it left behind it, and how Nokia failed to capitalize on its innovations. This phone never did change the world like the iPhone did, even though it launched eleven years earlier.

How did the world react?

30 years ago, everything about the Nokia 9000 Communicator felt cutting edge. You got that 4.5-inch grayscale LCD, running at a resolution of 640 x 200 pixels, and there was an Intel 386 processor inside. 8MB of memory was included, with 2MB as user storage, 2MB for running programs, and 4MB for holding the operating system and its apps.

What they said...in 1996

(Image credit: Personal Computer World)

"The most spectacular piece of software is the World Wide Web browser. The Web is a great way to look up information — a kind of electronic Yellow Pages for the whole world, and with the Nokia 9000 you can carry this in your pocket."
Simon Rockman, Personal Computer World (June 1996)

A fascinating 'first impressions' review of the Nokia 9000 Communicator in Personal Computer World's June 1996 issue reveals how big a deal this mix of a personal organizer and mobile phone was at the time. "Put them both together with some cunning software and you've got a PDA with email, fax and, most impressive of all, internet web browsing facilities. Quite easily the most exciting 397g we've seen for ages," the magazine noted with wonder.

The first Communicator also serves as a reminder of the limitations of phone technology time: there was only room in the call history for 10 dialed calls, 10 received calls, and 10 missed calls, for example. But whatever limits there were, the Communicator was pushing against them.

Not everyone was impressed with its performance, though. An early review from The Independent in July 1996 said: "The Communicator behaved rather poorly when accessing live pages. Given the flaky nature of the web, this could be down to Vodafone, Pipex, Nokia or just plain normal web headaches."

The apps centered around the telephone, fax, SMS, email, and internet features. The browser could render graphics as well as text — not that there were many images on the web back in 1996 — and it was also possible to use the device to dial into bulletin boards and corporate mainframes.

This was very much for business users on the go. There was a rudimentary word processor program included for doing work via the QWERTY keyboard, while other apps included a calendar for meetings and appointments, a calculator, and a world clock so you could see what time zones your colleagues and clients were operating in.

As an added bonus there was also a ringtone composer (remember them?), plus options for connecting to a computer for exchanging files. Packing all of this into a unit that could still fit in your pocket was a significant achievement by Nokia and its engineers — it featured over 1,000 components, compared to the 100-150 that was typical for the time.

The phone also showed up in the 1997 movie The Saint, as it was carried around by Val Kilmer in the title role. Four Communicator models were released in total, ending with the Nokia 9210i Communicator which launched in 2002 with a color screen and a whopping 40MB of internal memory.

The legacy of the Nokia 9000 Communicator

(Image credit: Getty Images / Marc Gantier)

While the Nokia 9000 Communicator didn't end up making the same sort of impact on the industry as the iPhone did, it arguably attracted more hype around the time of its launch: those in the phone business at the time describe struggling to believe that such a versatile and powerful device was possible in such a form factor.

"We had exactly the right view of what it was all about," Jorma Ollila, Nokia's CEO at the time of the launch of the Nokia 9000 Communicator, told The Wall Street Journal. "We were about five years ahead."

Frank Nuovo, a former chief designer at Nokia, also spoke to the WSJ about the Communicator and the company's other devices. "I was heartbroken when Apple got the jump on this concept," he said. "When people say the iPhone as a concept, as a piece of hardware, is unique, that upsets me."

(Image credit: textlad)

The way that phone history eventually panned out is particularly galling for Nokia, because it too had color touchscreen handsets in development — including one that was a similar size to an iPad — but never felt ready enough to launch the technology. It had the lead, and then blew it.

Despite all the initial excitement, the Nokia 9000 Communicator ultimately didn't sell well enough outside its target market of business users. It was a relatively bulky device, and a relatively expensive one: it sold for around £1,000 (about £1,355 / AU$1,910) in the UK, so represented a serious investment.

It was selling to ordinary consumers where the real success was to be found, and that's what Apple got so right with the iPhone in 2007. It combined everything that phones and PDAs could already do, wrapped it all up in an attractive design and an accessible user interface, and priced it at a level that wasn't completely out of reach for most people.

Yet the Nokia 9000 Communicator remains a crucial stepping stone towards our modern world where everyone has a smartphone.

What was the first ever smartphone? Ask most people and they'll understandably say the original Apple iPhone, which launched in 2007. But if the definition is a practical device that can send emails and browse the web as well as make calls and send text messages, then there's a strong case for the Nokia 9000 Communicator — which launched 30 years ago today on August 15, 1996.

The first Communicator looked like a chunky 1990s mobile phone, but open it up, and there was a keyboard and grayscale LCD screen inside. You could get some actual work done on the go with this phone, as the ads of the time (see below) were keen to stress, and it could even send faxes.

"If you want to get on the web while sitting in a pub or on a mountain, wait until 15 August and you will be able to do so in style," said a review from the The Independent in July 1996. No other phone promised to combine email, fax, a personal organizer and wireless web access in one (just about) pocketable device.

In honor of this fine gadget — now very much a museum piece — we're taking a look back at what made the Nokia 9000 Communicator so special, the legacy it left behind it, and how Nokia failed to capitalize on its innovations. This phone never did change the world like the iPhone did, even though it launched eleven years earlier.

How did the world react?

30 years ago, everything about the Nokia 9000 Communicator felt cutting edge. You got that 4.5-inch grayscale LCD, running at a resolution of 640 x 200 pixels, and there was an Intel 386 processor inside. 8MB of memory was included, with 2MB as user storage, 2MB for running programs, and 4MB for holding the operating system and its apps.

What they said...in 1996

(Image credit: Personal Computer World)

"The most spectacular piece of software is the World Wide Web browser. The Web is a great way to look up information — a kind of electronic Yellow Pages for the whole world, and with the Nokia 9000 you can carry this in your pocket."
Simon Rockman, Personal Computer World (June 1996)

A fascinating 'first impressions' review of the Nokia 9000 Communicator in Personal Computer World's June 1996 issue reveals how big a deal this mix of a personal organizer and mobile phone was at the time. "Put them both together with some cunning software and you've got a PDA with email, fax and, most impressive of all, internet web browsing facilities. Quite easily the most exciting 397g we've seen for ages," the magazine noted with wonder.

The first Communicator also serves as a reminder of the limitations of phone technology time: there was only room in the call history for 10 dialed calls, 10 received calls, and 10 missed calls, for example. But whatever limits there were, the Communicator was pushing against them.

Not everyone was impressed with its performance, though. An early review from The Independent in July 1996 said: "The Communicator behaved rather poorly when accessing live pages. Given the flaky nature of the web, this could be down to Vodafone, Pipex, Nokia or just plain normal web headaches."

The apps centered around the telephone, fax, SMS, email, and internet features. The browser could render graphics as well as text — not that there were many images on the web back in 1996 — and it was also possible to use the device to dial into bulletin boards and corporate mainframes.

This was very much for business users on the go. There was a rudimentary word processor program included for doing work via the QWERTY keyboard, while other apps included a calendar for meetings and appointments, a calculator, and a world clock so you could see what time zones your colleagues and clients were operating in.

As an added bonus there was also a ringtone composer (remember them?), plus options for connecting to a computer for exchanging files. Packing all of this into a unit that could still fit in your pocket was a significant achievement by Nokia and its engineers — it featured over 1,000 components, compared to the 100-150 that was typical for the time.

The phone also showed up in the 1997 movie The Saint, as it was carried around by Val Kilmer in the title role. Four Communicator models were released in total, ending with the Nokia 9210i Communicator which launched in 2002 with a color screen and a whopping 40MB of internal memory.

The legacy of the Nokia 9000 Communicator

(Image credit: Getty Images / Marc Gantier)

While the Nokia 9000 Communicator didn't end up making the same sort of impact on the industry as the iPhone did, it arguably attracted more hype around the time of its launch: those in the phone business at the time describe struggling to believe that such a versatile and powerful device was possible in such a form factor.

"We had exactly the right view of what it was all about," Jorma Ollila, Nokia's CEO at the time of the launch of the Nokia 9000 Communicator, told The Wall Street Journal. "We were about five years ahead."

Frank Nuovo, a former chief designer at Nokia, also spoke to the WSJ about the Communicator and the company's other devices. "I was heartbroken when Apple got the jump on this concept," he said. "When people say the iPhone as a concept, as a piece of hardware, is unique, that upsets me."

(Image credit: textlad)

The way that phone history eventually panned out is particularly galling for Nokia, because it too had color touchscreen handsets in development — including one that was a similar size to an iPad — but never felt ready enough to launch the technology. It had the lead, and then blew it.

Despite all the initial excitement, the Nokia 9000 Communicator ultimately didn't sell well enough outside its target market of business users. It was a relatively bulky device, and a relatively expensive one: it sold for around £1,000 (about £1,355 / AU$1,910) in the UK, so represented a serious investment.

It was selling to ordinary consumers where the real success was to be found, and that's what Apple got so right with the iPhone in 2007. It combined everything that phones and PDAs could already do, wrapped it all up in an attractive design and an accessible user interface, and priced it at a level that wasn't completely out of reach for most people.

Yet the Nokia 9000 Communicator remains a crucial stepping stone towards our modern world where everyone has a smartphone.

Networking never fails to surprise me when it comes to dependencies and its live nature – it’s a world that’s continually changing, and yes upgrades designed to improve performance or security are often the ones that cause outages.

Even carefully planned updates can have consequences that might initially be difficult to see during early pilots and test, due to a highly dependent mix of switches, firewalls, clouds and more – not to mention the challenges that come with interoperability in a world of mixed vendors.

Until now, it’s mostly been a firefighting exercise of responding to incidents and outages as they happen, admitting that they’re just an inevitable outcome of virtually any change.

Autonomous networking needs a safety-first design

Forward (formerly Forward Networking) wants to challenge this in its entirety, though, and the work it and companies like it are doing could fundamentally revolutionize network stability and uptime, significantly reducing costs.

Its solution is a mathematically accurate digital twin of the production environment, giving companies space to make changes and observe unintended impacts without actually affecting the real deal.

The principle isn’t anything new at all, and it’s been used in software development and other areas for decades, but where it could really shine is in an upcoming age of automated networking. Forward argues that providing a place for systems to autonomously test changes pre-deployment is a necessary stage to true automation.

I wanted to know whether technology like this could have prevented some major high-profile incidents lately, including those we’ve seen relating to Amazon, Cloudflare and more, and spoke to Forward’s co-founder and Chief AI Officer, Nikhil Handigol, on some of the technology’s biggest challenges, including how the digital twin could stay current and why pre-deployment proof could become essential in the world of autonomy.

• Forward proposes to prevent 100% of network outages caused by configuration errors. Are there any strings attached? And what does a “mathematically accurate digital twin of the entire production network” actually mean?

There are no strings, but let’s be precise on what that rests on. Forward Predict eliminates network risks through routing validation, end-to-end path analysis, firewall and ACL verification, segmentation and compliance verification, and automated regression testing.

The closest parallel is what software development did with continuous integration. No code goes to production without being tested first. Forward Predict brings that same discipline to networking.

Every proposed change is tested against the full production-equivalent model before it touches a live environment – routing validation, end-to-end path analysis, firewall and ACL verification, segmentation and compliance verification, and automated regression testing.

That model isn’t a sample or a simplification. It's built from the configuration and operational state of every device in the network — every vendor, every OS, every layer from L2 to L7, on-premises and in the cloud — using header space analysis to trace every possible path any packet can take.

The platform regularly collects state from the live network, and you can trigger a fresh snapshot on demand immediately before a push, so the "digital twin" you're testing against is always current. That continuous synchronization is what makes the math trustworthy: a proof is only as good as its inputs, and this is how we keep the inputs honest.

Run a change through that model and you get a deterministic outcome with evidence, not a guess. If it breaks something, if it opens a security hole, if it creates an unintended path, you see exactly why.

And because the answer comes from mathematical path analysis rather than a probabilistic risk score, it doesn't degrade as the network grows more complex.

Pair that with Forward AI and the platform does not just flag the problem, it iterates on its own until it lands on a change that is verified to deliver the intended behavior. Change windows that once took weeks now take minutes. There is no anxiety pushing a change live, because you already know how it ends. Weekends are for time off, not change windows and war-rooms.

• One point I wanted to raise is that you're essentially pegging it against a snapshot. Sysadmins will tell you that networks change. Firmware get updated, access points get refreshed, switches swapped and servers decommissioned. How do you make sure that Forward remains relevant throughout the lifecycle of the production network?

Forward Enterprise regularly collects configuration and state from every device in the estate, and you can trigger an on-demand snapshot immediately before pushing a change for absolute certainty.

When firmware gets patched, when an access point gets refreshed, when a switch is swapped, when a server is decommissioned, any change to the network is updated in the digital twin, it is a mathematically accurate model of the entire production network.

This is exactly why the underlying model holds up under scrutiny. Our engineering team validates the software against real behavior on live test hardware from every supported vendor, so the model's fidelity is proven before it ever reaches a customer network.

Then in production, that same discipline continues against the customer's own, constantly changing estate. Sysadmins are right that networks never sit still. Neither does the network digital twin. That is the only way proof stays proof instead of becoming a guess based on past behavior.

• Are there other companies that compete with Forward? How does your proposition differ from theirs?

The competitive threat isn't another vendor. It's a set of processes built over decades, in an era before a network could be modeled at all, that include change windows, war rooms, and the belief that the only place to truly test a network change is the production network itself.

Every other industry running mission critical infrastructure solved this problem years ago. Airlines train pilots on flight simulators instead of real aircraft. Pharmaceutical companies model outcomes before anything reaches a patient.

Manufacturing validates changes on a digital twin before touching the factory floor. Software development has run on continuous integration for two decades, where no code ships without being tested first.

Networking is the industry that never got its equivalent, not because nobody wanted one, but because building a mathematically accurate network digital twin is genuinely hard.

Against observability and monitoring vendors, the difference is which question gets answered. Those tools are essential for understanding what already happened on the network. Forward Predict answers a different question entirely, what will happen if this change is made, and it answers it with a deterministic proof rather than an educated guess.

Against other platforms using the words “digital twin,” the difference is a decade of foundational work building a model with header space analysis across all major vendors, every device, and every layer, rather than a partial view stitched together after the fact. That foundation cannot be a shortcut, and it is the part everyone else in the category is still missing.

• How do you see Forward evolving in terms of features and roadmap? Could this pre-emptive, predictive approach find a receptive audience in other sectors?

The roadmap moves in one direction, widening the aperture of what gets proven before it goes live. Today Forward Predict proves the outcome of changes to connectivity and security. Next is broader impact analysis.

We are not predicting what may happen, we are proving what a network will do, because a network's behavior can actually be modeled with mathematical certainty in a way human intent cannot.

That distinction is exactly why this belongs anywhere teams run complex, interconnected infrastructure with the same stakes, critical infrastructure operators running their own networks underneath everything else.

Wherever teams are changing complex systems without a way to prove the outcome first, the same problem exists, and the same fix applies.

Where this is headed fastest, though, is autonomous networking. As agents start proposing and executing changes at machine speed, a mistake stops being a single event and starts propagating at scale.

Proof is not an added feature there. It becomes the precondition for letting an agent operate at all.

Networking never fails to surprise me when it comes to dependencies and its live nature – it’s a world that’s continually changing, and yes upgrades designed to improve performance or security are often the ones that cause outages.

Even carefully planned updates can have consequences that might initially be difficult to see during early pilots and test, due to a highly dependent mix of switches, firewalls, clouds and more – not to mention the challenges that come with interoperability in a world of mixed vendors.

Until now, it’s mostly been a firefighting exercise of responding to incidents and outages as they happen, admitting that they’re just an inevitable outcome of virtually any change.

Autonomous networking needs a safety-first design

Forward (formerly Forward Networking) wants to challenge this in its entirety, though, and the work it and companies like it are doing could fundamentally revolutionize network stability and uptime, significantly reducing costs.

Its solution is a mathematically accurate digital twin of the production environment, giving companies space to make changes and observe unintended impacts without actually affecting the real deal.

The principle isn’t anything new at all, and it’s been used in software development and other areas for decades, but where it could really shine is in an upcoming age of automated networking. Forward argues that providing a place for systems to autonomously test changes pre-deployment is a necessary stage to true automation.

I wanted to know whether technology like this could have prevented some major high-profile incidents lately, including those we’ve seen relating to Amazon, Cloudflare and more, and spoke to Forward’s co-founder and Chief AI Officer, Nikhil Handigol, on some of the technology’s biggest challenges, including how the digital twin could stay current and why pre-deployment proof could become essential in the world of autonomy.

• Forward proposes to prevent 100% of network outages caused by configuration errors. Are there any strings attached? And what does a “mathematically accurate digital twin of the entire production network” actually mean?

There are no strings, but let’s be precise on what that rests on. Forward Predict eliminates network risks through routing validation, end-to-end path analysis, firewall and ACL verification, segmentation and compliance verification, and automated regression testing.

The closest parallel is what software development did with continuous integration. No code goes to production without being tested first. Forward Predict brings that same discipline to networking.

Every proposed change is tested against the full production-equivalent model before it touches a live environment – routing validation, end-to-end path analysis, firewall and ACL verification, segmentation and compliance verification, and automated regression testing.

That model isn’t a sample or a simplification. It's built from the configuration and operational state of every device in the network — every vendor, every OS, every layer from L2 to L7, on-premises and in the cloud — using header space analysis to trace every possible path any packet can take.

The platform regularly collects state from the live network, and you can trigger a fresh snapshot on demand immediately before a push, so the "digital twin" you're testing against is always current. That continuous synchronization is what makes the math trustworthy: a proof is only as good as its inputs, and this is how we keep the inputs honest.

Run a change through that model and you get a deterministic outcome with evidence, not a guess. If it breaks something, if it opens a security hole, if it creates an unintended path, you see exactly why.

And because the answer comes from mathematical path analysis rather than a probabilistic risk score, it doesn't degrade as the network grows more complex.

Pair that with Forward AI and the platform does not just flag the problem, it iterates on its own until it lands on a change that is verified to deliver the intended behavior. Change windows that once took weeks now take minutes. There is no anxiety pushing a change live, because you already know how it ends. Weekends are for time off, not change windows and war-rooms.

• One point I wanted to raise is that you're essentially pegging it against a snapshot. Sysadmins will tell you that networks change. Firmware get updated, access points get refreshed, switches swapped and servers decommissioned. How do you make sure that Forward remains relevant throughout the lifecycle of the production network?

Forward Enterprise regularly collects configuration and state from every device in the estate, and you can trigger an on-demand snapshot immediately before pushing a change for absolute certainty.

When firmware gets patched, when an access point gets refreshed, when a switch is swapped, when a server is decommissioned, any change to the network is updated in the digital twin, it is a mathematically accurate model of the entire production network.

This is exactly why the underlying model holds up under scrutiny. Our engineering team validates the software against real behavior on live test hardware from every supported vendor, so the model's fidelity is proven before it ever reaches a customer network.

Then in production, that same discipline continues against the customer's own, constantly changing estate. Sysadmins are right that networks never sit still. Neither does the network digital twin. That is the only way proof stays proof instead of becoming a guess based on past behavior.

• Are there other companies that compete with Forward? How does your proposition differ from theirs?

The competitive threat isn't another vendor. It's a set of processes built over decades, in an era before a network could be modeled at all, that include change windows, war rooms, and the belief that the only place to truly test a network change is the production network itself.

Every other industry running mission critical infrastructure solved this problem years ago. Airlines train pilots on flight simulators instead of real aircraft. Pharmaceutical companies model outcomes before anything reaches a patient.

Manufacturing validates changes on a digital twin before touching the factory floor. Software development has run on continuous integration for two decades, where no code ships without being tested first.

Networking is the industry that never got its equivalent, not because nobody wanted one, but because building a mathematically accurate network digital twin is genuinely hard.

Against observability and monitoring vendors, the difference is which question gets answered. Those tools are essential for understanding what already happened on the network. Forward Predict answers a different question entirely, what will happen if this change is made, and it answers it with a deterministic proof rather than an educated guess.

Against other platforms using the words “digital twin,” the difference is a decade of foundational work building a model with header space analysis across all major vendors, every device, and every layer, rather than a partial view stitched together after the fact. That foundation cannot be a shortcut, and it is the part everyone else in the category is still missing.

• How do you see Forward evolving in terms of features and roadmap? Could this pre-emptive, predictive approach find a receptive audience in other sectors?

The roadmap moves in one direction, widening the aperture of what gets proven before it goes live. Today Forward Predict proves the outcome of changes to connectivity and security. Next is broader impact analysis.

We are not predicting what may happen, we are proving what a network will do, because a network's behavior can actually be modeled with mathematical certainty in a way human intent cannot.

That distinction is exactly why this belongs anywhere teams run complex, interconnected infrastructure with the same stakes, critical infrastructure operators running their own networks underneath everything else.

Wherever teams are changing complex systems without a way to prove the outcome first, the same problem exists, and the same fix applies.

Where this is headed fastest, though, is autonomous networking. As agents start proposing and executing changes at machine speed, a mistake stops being a single event and starts propagating at scale.

Proof is not an added feature there. It becomes the precondition for letting an agent operate at all.

Fosi Audio Merak: Review

First things first: the Fosi Audio Merak is not as portable a CD player as you might think by looking at it. Obviously it’s small (28 x 150 x 150mm, HxWxD) and light (less than half a kilogram), but though easily picked up and moved around, it requires mains power to function. So there’s no taking it out and about — unless you also take a powerbank with you, of course. No, the Merak is designed for slotting into an external system or for private domestic listening via headphones.

It manages both of these things thanks to a selection of analog and digital outputs. On the device's front, along with some physical controls and a rather small OLED display, there’s a 3.5mm headphone socket powered by Texas Instruments TPA6120 amplification. But it’s on the rear of the machine where the bulk of the action is.

As well as a 3.5mm line-level analog output, there’s a digital optical socket — so you can connect the Fosi Audio to a system either by letting the player do all the digital-to-analog conversion work, or by bypassing its Cirrus Logic CS4313 DAC chipset altogether. There’s also a USB-C slot for powering the player, a 12v trigger output for use in an appropriate system output, a slider to turn the electronic anti-shock protection on and off, and a USB-A slot.

The USB-A connection functions in both directions. You can plug in an appropriate flash drive and play digital audio files of many types, including FLAC, MP3 and WAV. Or you can load in a CD, plug in a flash drive, let the player know what you’re up to and then rip the CD as lossless 16bit/44.1kHz WAV files.

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

‘Letting the player know what you’re up to’ can be done in different ways. Six buttons on the front handle ‘power on/off’, ‘play/pause’ and ‘skip (or scroll) forwards or backwards’. They also allow you to scroll through your options for playback (‘repeat’, ‘shuffle’ or ‘sequential’), output mode (digital, analog or headphones) and begin or end CD ripping.

Eventually you’ll commit the number and length of button presses required to access these functions — or you could just use the little remote control handset that’s supplied. It’s slightly less convoluted than the button controls, and has some numerical buttons for direct track access, too.

The volume control, though, is no kind of chore to operate. It’s a big slider along the side of the player, finished in Fosi Audio’s customary orange, and it’s one of the more gratifying physical controls I’ve encountered lately.

Loading a disc is a fully manual process. The lid, which has a nice clear porthole the exact size of a CD, lifts and then it’s just a question of pushing the disc onto the central spindle securely. The lid's hinges feel robust, and the overall standard of build and finish is more than adequate in the context of the asking price.

With a disc of Fusa Riot by Bobby Hughes Experience loaded and playing, the Merak doesn’t take long to establish its credentials as an energetic, positive and quite revealing listen. At the top of the frequency range, in fact, it’s about as positive as it dares to be — there’s a lot of bite and shine to treble sounds, but somehow the Fosi Audio manages to stop just short of hardness or edginess. The midrange communicates well, with the notable levels of detail retrieval making voices sound articulate and characterful. At the bottom of the frequency range there’s a reasonable amount of body and substance, but where the Merak is very assertive at the top end, it plays things fractionally safe where bass is concerned. Low frequencies could easily have a little more impact and drive, but rhythms are nevertheless expressed well thanks to good control of bass attack.

It creates a nicely defined soundstage, and is open enough to allow emphasis for spaces as well as occurrences on the stage. Focus is good, too, no matter if you’re listening through headphones or with the Fosi Audio plugged into a wider system, and there’s sufficient dynamic headroom for a fairly full account of the distance between the most and the least intense passages in a recording.

Take the digital-to-analog duties away from the Fosi Audio by plugging it into an external DAC using its digital optical output and it’s possible to calm the excitable treble response just a little, but the switch also emphasizes just how adept the Merak’s Cirrus Logic circuitry is when it comes to identifying, revealing and contextualizing even the finer details contained on a CD.

And it’s also pretty impressive when it comes to ripping CDs — getting a 16bit/44.1kHz WAV file of your music onto an external USB drive is straightforward. I endured one or two false starts in the course of my testing, but ultimately the copies are faithful and of enjoyable high quality.

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)Fosi Audio Merak review: Price and release date

• Released on April 10, 2026
• $139 / £129 (approx.) / about AU$199

The Fosi Audio Merak CD player is on sale now, and in the the United States it sells for $129. It goes for around £139 in the United Kingdom, while in Australia it will set you back around AU$199.

Fosi Audio Merak review: Value

If you’re after a truly portable listening experience then the Fosi Audio Merak offers no kind of value whatsoever.

If, however, you want an affordable method of bringing CD-playing smarts to your existing audio system, or fancy being able to listen to your CD collection via headphones without having to plug into a full-size system, the Merak has plenty going for it before you even consider the quality of sound it’s capable of producing.

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)Should you buy the Fosi Audio Merak?Buy it if...

You have an existing system (or headphones)
The Fosi has plenty of digital and analog outputs and offers an easy plug-in-and-play option to insert into your current system. And it's just as simple to listen to your CD collection at home via your headphones, without bothering with your existing stack.

You want to go lossless
A USB-A connection that works both ways means you can plug in a flash drive to play digital audio files of various types – FLAC, MP3 and WAV included – or even load a CD and rip as lossless 16bit/44.1kHz WAV files.

You enjoy an energetic listen
There's real bite and shine to the top end of the frequency range, with detailed midrange, to deliver a positive and revealing sound.

Don't buy it if...

You prize portability
Unless you bring a powerbank with you, listening to the Fosi Audio Merak on the go isn't possible. This is especially strange when you consider its small size.

You like big bass
The Fosi lacks impact and is a little lightweight in the low end, generally playing things just slightly too safe.

You don't like using remote controls
First things first, the remote control here is not the issue – it's easy to use and performs every function perfectly. Compare it with the clunky user interface on the front panel, though, and the differences are stark. The latter is convoluted where the remote is relatively intuitive.

Fosi Audio Merak review: How I tested

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

I've been testing audio home entertainment for nearly two decades. Anything that makes a noise, I want to listen to it.

I sat down with the Fosi Audio Merak at home – it needs mains power or a powerbank, remember – and connected it up to my existing system and my market-leading Sennheiser IE 900 wired headphones. It had the best of the best.

Over more than two weeks' testing, I listened to music of various different genres via CDs (obviously) and lossless digital audio files through an external flash drive.

Read more about how we test

• First reviewed: August 2026

Fosi Audio Merak: Review

First things first: the Fosi Audio Merak is not as portable a CD player as you might think by looking at it. Obviously it’s small (28 x 150 x 150mm, HxWxD) and light (less than half a kilogram), but though easily picked up and moved around, it requires mains power to function. So there’s no taking it out and about — unless you also take a powerbank with you, of course. No, the Merak is designed for slotting into an external system or for private domestic listening via headphones.

It manages both of these things thanks to a selection of analog and digital outputs. On the device's front, along with some physical controls and a rather small OLED display, there’s a 3.5mm headphone socket powered by Texas Instruments TPA6120 amplification. But it’s on the rear of the machine where the bulk of the action is.

As well as a 3.5mm line-level analog output, there’s a digital optical socket — so you can connect the Fosi Audio to a system either by letting the player do all the digital-to-analog conversion work, or by bypassing its Cirrus Logic CS4313 DAC chipset altogether. There’s also a USB-C slot for powering the player, a 12v trigger output for use in an appropriate system output, a slider to turn the electronic anti-shock protection on and off, and a USB-A slot.

The USB-A connection functions in both directions. You can plug in an appropriate flash drive and play digital audio files of many types, including FLAC, MP3 and WAV. Or you can load in a CD, plug in a flash drive, let the player know what you’re up to and then rip the CD as lossless 16bit/44.1kHz WAV files.

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

‘Letting the player know what you’re up to’ can be done in different ways. Six buttons on the front handle ‘power on/off’, ‘play/pause’ and ‘skip (or scroll) forwards or backwards’. They also allow you to scroll through your options for playback (‘repeat’, ‘shuffle’ or ‘sequential’), output mode (digital, analog or headphones) and begin or end CD ripping.

Eventually you’ll commit the number and length of button presses required to access these functions — or you could just use the little remote control handset that’s supplied. It’s slightly less convoluted than the button controls, and has some numerical buttons for direct track access, too.

The volume control, though, is no kind of chore to operate. It’s a big slider along the side of the player, finished in Fosi Audio’s customary orange, and it’s one of the more gratifying physical controls I’ve encountered lately.

Loading a disc is a fully manual process. The lid, which has a nice clear porthole the exact size of a CD, lifts and then it’s just a question of pushing the disc onto the central spindle securely. The lid's hinges feel robust, and the overall standard of build and finish is more than adequate in the context of the asking price.

With a disc of Fusa Riot by Bobby Hughes Experience loaded and playing, the Merak doesn’t take long to establish its credentials as an energetic, positive and quite revealing listen. At the top of the frequency range, in fact, it’s about as positive as it dares to be — there’s a lot of bite and shine to treble sounds, but somehow the Fosi Audio manages to stop just short of hardness or edginess. The midrange communicates well, with the notable levels of detail retrieval making voices sound articulate and characterful. At the bottom of the frequency range there’s a reasonable amount of body and substance, but where the Merak is very assertive at the top end, it plays things fractionally safe where bass is concerned. Low frequencies could easily have a little more impact and drive, but rhythms are nevertheless expressed well thanks to good control of bass attack.

It creates a nicely defined soundstage, and is open enough to allow emphasis for spaces as well as occurrences on the stage. Focus is good, too, no matter if you’re listening through headphones or with the Fosi Audio plugged into a wider system, and there’s sufficient dynamic headroom for a fairly full account of the distance between the most and the least intense passages in a recording.

Take the digital-to-analog duties away from the Fosi Audio by plugging it into an external DAC using its digital optical output and it’s possible to calm the excitable treble response just a little, but the switch also emphasizes just how adept the Merak’s Cirrus Logic circuitry is when it comes to identifying, revealing and contextualizing even the finer details contained on a CD.

And it’s also pretty impressive when it comes to ripping CDs — getting a 16bit/44.1kHz WAV file of your music onto an external USB drive is straightforward. I endured one or two false starts in the course of my testing, but ultimately the copies are faithful and of enjoyable high quality.

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)Fosi Audio Merak review: Price and release date

• Released on April 10, 2026
• $139 / £129 (approx.) / about AU$199

The Fosi Audio Merak CD player is on sale now, and in the the United States it sells for $129. It goes for around £139 in the United Kingdom, while in Australia it will set you back around AU$199.

Fosi Audio Merak review: Value

If you’re after a truly portable listening experience then the Fosi Audio Merak offers no kind of value whatsoever.

If, however, you want an affordable method of bringing CD-playing smarts to your existing audio system, or fancy being able to listen to your CD collection via headphones without having to plug into a full-size system, the Merak has plenty going for it before you even consider the quality of sound it’s capable of producing.

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)Should you buy the Fosi Audio Merak?Buy it if...

You have an existing system (or headphones)
The Fosi has plenty of digital and analog outputs and offers an easy plug-in-and-play option to insert into your current system. And it's just as simple to listen to your CD collection at home via your headphones, without bothering with your existing stack.

You want to go lossless
A USB-A connection that works both ways means you can plug in a flash drive to play digital audio files of various types – FLAC, MP3 and WAV included – or even load a CD and rip as lossless 16bit/44.1kHz WAV files.

You enjoy an energetic listen
There's real bite and shine to the top end of the frequency range, with detailed midrange, to deliver a positive and revealing sound.

Don't buy it if...

You prize portability
Unless you bring a powerbank with you, listening to the Fosi Audio Merak on the go isn't possible. This is especially strange when you consider its small size.

You like big bass
The Fosi lacks impact and is a little lightweight in the low end, generally playing things just slightly too safe.

You don't like using remote controls
First things first, the remote control here is not the issue – it's easy to use and performs every function perfectly. Compare it with the clunky user interface on the front panel, though, and the differences are stark. The latter is convoluted where the remote is relatively intuitive.

Fosi Audio Merak review: How I tested

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

I've been testing audio home entertainment for nearly two decades. Anything that makes a noise, I want to listen to it.

I sat down with the Fosi Audio Merak at home – it needs mains power or a powerbank, remember – and connected it up to my existing system and my market-leading Sennheiser IE 900 wired headphones. It had the best of the best.

Over more than two weeks' testing, I listened to music of various different genres via CDs (obviously) and lossless digital audio files through an external flash drive.

Read more about how we test

• First reviewed: August 2026

This week Google debuted its Pixel 11 tech, and Honor wowed us with a Robot Phone. Though we doubt it's the next iPhone revolution, we did also celebrate the birthday of a phone that did spark one back in the 90s — the Nokia 9000 Communicator, which just turned 30 years old.

But that's enough nostalgia for now — to catch up on all of the freshest gadget news, scroll down for the seven biggest tech news stories from the past week, plus links to the wider picture if you're desperate to learn more.

And before that test your memory against last week's biggest tech news stories with our quiz.

7. We reviewed Garmin’s 5-Star smartwatch

(Image credit: Future / Matt Ray)

We spent months with the latest Garmin Fenix Pro 8 smartwatch — it survived heatwaves, blizzards and 4,000m altitudes — and our reviewer decided to declare it “the pinnacle of multisport smartwatch performance.”

Why? Well, it boasts the full suite of Garmin functionality from sleep tracking to a bewildering array of activity tracking options, as well as the ability to follow stats like altitude and atmospheric pressure. Plus, it can operate as a full-on dive watch, and boasts satellite messaging for the extreme wilderness wanderers amongst us.

The only downside is that it costs significantly more than the AMOLED version and has a shorter battery life (it’s still four days, though, and turning the always-on display off will see it jump to over 10), but these don’t stop it from being the champion of the sports tracking world right now.

• Read our full Garmin Fenix Pro 8 microLED review

6. Spotify labelled AI music

(Image credit: Spotify / Future)

Earlier this week, Spotify announced its new AI Persona tags, a new feature designed to differentiate human artists from those that are AI-generated. The tags are tipped to roll out in mid-September.

Once AI Persona becomes available, it will give users some peace of mind knowing that they’re listening to music that hasn't been generated by AI. Spotify added that artists with AI Persona tags will be excluded from all personalized recommendations by default — which is an added bonus.

Artists can disclose to Spotify if they are AI musicians, but Spotify will conduct reviews of profiles where it thinks an artist’s images have been created using generative AI to imitate a lifelike persona. The only caveat is that Spotify uses an artist’s image to determine if they’re an AI Persona, and not the music itself.

• Read more: Spotify is introducing AI Persona tags to differentiate real artists from fake ones

5. We spent two hours with Honor’s Robot Phone

Look. We love to call out marketing department hyperbole as much as the next tech news outlet, but while we must disagree with Honor’s attempt to position its new device as the evolutionary successor to the iPhone — the best-selling phone of all time — it is fair to say the Robot Phone is unlike anything we’ve seen before.

TechRadar’s Axel Metz was among the first tech journalists to touch and test the new phone, and the device’s unfolding gimbal is genuinely impressive as a content capture tool — effectively combining the DJI Osmo Pocket with Honor’s flagship Magic 8 Pro.

It also allows the phone’s assistant, YOYO, to express itself in a physical way. This is the definition of gimmicky, though controlling the gimbal with hands-free controls can be genuinely useful.

• Read more: I spent two hours with the Honor Robot Phone, and this ridiculous, remarkable device made me feel like a kid again

4. We photographed the solar eclipse

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The peak of the Perseid meteor shower, with perfect viewing conditions and a rare six-planet alignment, was a celestial treat on August 12, but it was the total solar eclipse hours before that captured the world's attention. In select parts of Europe, northern Spain and in Iceland, totality lasted around 2 minutes while a partial eclipse could be seen as far afield as northern North America. Viewers lucky enough to get solar glasses could enjoy the phases around totality, while others came outside with their DIY pinhole cameras and colanders. Predictably, we've been treated to spectacular images in the aftermath of this once-in-a-generation show.

• Read more: 9 of the best photos from Europe's 2026 solar eclipse

3. Google gave us its answer to Apple’s AirTags

(Image credit: Google)

Apple’s AirTags launched over five years ago, and we now finally have a Google-made equivalent for Android fans. The Pixel Tag is a little tracker that weighs only 12g and helps you follow the location of your keys, luggage, or devices via a web browser or Android app.

Unfortunately, it won’t actually be launching until November, but when it does, you’ll be able to buy one for $29 / £29 / AU$49 for a single Tag or $99 / £99 / AU$169 for a four-pack. That’s pretty competitive considering the Pixel Tag is water-resistant and has ultra-wideband (UWB) support for more precise location tracking.

However, as you can read below, the Find Hub network still has weaknesses compared to its Apple Find My equivalent, which we hope Google addresses by the time its Tag launches in a few months.

• Read the full story: The Pixel Tag is here — but it won't be an AirTag for Android until Google fixes these Find Hub issues

2. Google’s Pixel Watch 5 debuted

(Image credit: Google)

Along with Google's cornucopia of new phones, the Google Pixel Watch 5 was also released in two sizes and with the same teardrop design as previous years. However, we've got a bunch of new features and improvements at play, with more accurate GPS, the redesigned Google Health app with its AI coach, better on-device Gemini, and a suite of Health Guardian features. These include Breathing Emergency Detection, which alerts emergency services and contacts if you have a consistent blood oxygen drop, and Insulin Resistance Trends, which helps users control their blood sugar levels. Apple and Samsung haven't quite cracked this technology yet, and we can't wait to test them for ourselves — although hopefully we don't have any breathing emergencies during our review.

• Read more: Sorry, Apple and Samsung — I test smartwatches for a living, and the Google Pixel Watch 5 specs beat the Series 11 and Galaxy Watch 9 in these five key areas

1. Google debuted its Pixel 11 lineup

(Image credit: Google)

Of course, the stars of Wednesday's Made by Google 2026 event were the debut of new Pixel 11 phones.

They boast the usual slew of updates you should expect from flagship refreshes by now, but also a brand new ‘HiLight’. This is an array of LED lights built into the camera’s flash module, which can alert you to calls from favorite contacts via customized color glows when your phone is face down and silenced. And these lights will also pulse when Gemini is listening, thinking, or responding.

Not everything is an improvement, disappointingly. You'll only get 12GB of RAM as standard rather than 16GB, perhaps a reflection of the surging computer memory costs.

• Read more: I’ve used the new Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, and Pixel 11 Pro XL, and Google's made nearly all the improvements I wanted to see

This week Google debuted its Pixel 11 tech, and Honor wowed us with a Robot Phone. Though we doubt it's the next iPhone revolution, we did also celebrate the birthday of a phone that did spark one back in the 90s — the Nokia 9000 Communicator, which just turned 30 years old.

But that's enough nostalgia for now — to catch up on all of the freshest gadget news, scroll down for the seven biggest tech news stories from the past week, plus links to the wider picture if you're desperate to learn more.

And before that test your memory against last week's biggest tech news stories with our quiz.

7. We reviewed Garmin’s 5-Star smartwatch

(Image credit: Future / Matt Ray)

We spent months with the latest Garmin Fenix Pro 8 smartwatch — it survived heatwaves, blizzards and 4,000m altitudes — and our reviewer decided to declare it “the pinnacle of multisport smartwatch performance.”

Why? Well, it boasts the full suite of Garmin functionality from sleep tracking to a bewildering array of activity tracking options, as well as the ability to follow stats like altitude and atmospheric pressure. Plus, it can operate as a full-on dive watch, and boasts satellite messaging for the extreme wilderness wanderers amongst us.

The only downside is that it costs significantly more than the AMOLED version and has a shorter battery life (it’s still four days, though, and turning the always-on display off will see it jump to over 10), but these don’t stop it from being the champion of the sports tracking world right now.

• Read our full Garmin Fenix Pro 8 microLED review

6. Spotify labelled AI music

(Image credit: Spotify / Future)

Earlier this week, Spotify announced its new AI Persona tags, a new feature designed to differentiate human artists from those that are AI-generated. The tags are tipped to roll out in mid-September.

Once AI Persona becomes available, it will give users some peace of mind knowing that they’re listening to music that hasn't been generated by AI. Spotify added that artists with AI Persona tags will be excluded from all personalized recommendations by default — which is an added bonus.

Artists can disclose to Spotify if they are AI musicians, but Spotify will conduct reviews of profiles where it thinks an artist’s images have been created using generative AI to imitate a lifelike persona. The only caveat is that Spotify uses an artist’s image to determine if they’re an AI Persona, and not the music itself.

• Read more: Spotify is introducing AI Persona tags to differentiate real artists from fake ones

5. We spent two hours with Honor’s Robot Phone

Look. We love to call out marketing department hyperbole as much as the next tech news outlet, but while we must disagree with Honor’s attempt to position its new device as the evolutionary successor to the iPhone — the best-selling phone of all time — it is fair to say the Robot Phone is unlike anything we’ve seen before.

TechRadar’s Axel Metz was among the first tech journalists to touch and test the new phone, and the device’s unfolding gimbal is genuinely impressive as a content capture tool — effectively combining the DJI Osmo Pocket with Honor’s flagship Magic 8 Pro.

It also allows the phone’s assistant, YOYO, to express itself in a physical way. This is the definition of gimmicky, though controlling the gimbal with hands-free controls can be genuinely useful.

• Read more: I spent two hours with the Honor Robot Phone, and this ridiculous, remarkable device made me feel like a kid again

4. We photographed the solar eclipse

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The peak of the Perseid meteor shower, with perfect viewing conditions and a rare six-planet alignment, was a celestial treat on August 12, but it was the total solar eclipse hours before that captured the world's attention. In select parts of Europe, northern Spain and in Iceland, totality lasted around 2 minutes while a partial eclipse could be seen as far afield as northern North America. Viewers lucky enough to get solar glasses could enjoy the phases around totality, while others came outside with their DIY pinhole cameras and colanders. Predictably, we've been treated to spectacular images in the aftermath of this once-in-a-generation show.

• Read more: 9 of the best photos from Europe's 2026 solar eclipse

3. Google gave us its answer to Apple’s AirTags

(Image credit: Google)

Apple’s AirTags launched over five years ago, and we now finally have a Google-made equivalent for Android fans. The Pixel Tag is a little tracker that weighs only 12g and helps you follow the location of your keys, luggage, or devices via a web browser or Android app.

Unfortunately, it won’t actually be launching until November, but when it does, you’ll be able to buy one for $29 / £29 / AU$49 for a single Tag or $99 / £99 / AU$169 for a four-pack. That’s pretty competitive considering the Pixel Tag is water-resistant and has ultra-wideband (UWB) support for more precise location tracking.

However, as you can read below, the Find Hub network still has weaknesses compared to its Apple Find My equivalent, which we hope Google addresses by the time its Tag launches in a few months.

• Read the full story: The Pixel Tag is here — but it won't be an AirTag for Android until Google fixes these Find Hub issues

2. Google’s Pixel Watch 5 debuted

(Image credit: Google)

Along with Google's cornucopia of new phones, the Google Pixel Watch 5 was also released in two sizes and with the same teardrop design as previous years. However, we've got a bunch of new features and improvements at play, with more accurate GPS, the redesigned Google Health app with its AI coach, better on-device Gemini, and a suite of Health Guardian features. These include Breathing Emergency Detection, which alerts emergency services and contacts if you have a consistent blood oxygen drop, and Insulin Resistance Trends, which helps users control their blood sugar levels. Apple and Samsung haven't quite cracked this technology yet, and we can't wait to test them for ourselves — although hopefully we don't have any breathing emergencies during our review.

• Read more: Sorry, Apple and Samsung — I test smartwatches for a living, and the Google Pixel Watch 5 specs beat the Series 11 and Galaxy Watch 9 in these five key areas

1. Google debuted its Pixel 11 lineup

(Image credit: Google)

Of course, the stars of Wednesday's Made by Google 2026 event were the debut of new Pixel 11 phones.

They boast the usual slew of updates you should expect from flagship refreshes by now, but also a brand new ‘HiLight’. This is an array of LED lights built into the camera’s flash module, which can alert you to calls from favorite contacts via customized color glows when your phone is face down and silenced. And these lights will also pulse when Gemini is listening, thinking, or responding.

Not everything is an improvement, disappointingly. You'll only get 12GB of RAM as standard rather than 16GB, perhaps a reflection of the surging computer memory costs.

• Read more: I’ve used the new Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, and Pixel 11 Pro XL, and Google's made nearly all the improvements I wanted to see

• Watch FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 free on YouTube & BBC iPlayer (UK)
• Unlock your stream with Surfshark (save up to 85%)
• Hockey World Cup: Friday, August 14 – Sunday, August 30

All eyes are on the Netherlands men's team and the Belgium women's team at the 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup, as each side has a golden opportunity to end their respective droughts in this competition. The Oranje last tasted World Cup glory in 1998, while the Red Panthers' best result was third, way back in 1978.

Not only are they amongst the top-ranked teams at this edition of the tournament, the sides will enjoy home advantage as the World Cup is being co-hosted by the Netherlands and Belgium, in Amstelveen and Wavre respectively.

The Belgium men's team, beaten finalists last time out and winners before that in 2018, top the rankings off the back of their recent FIH Pro League triumph. The Dutch, meanwhile, are the reigning Olympic gold medallists, and Germany the world champions, so the competition looks fierce.

The Netherlands women's team, however, might be impossible to stop. They're the back-to-back-to-back world champions, back-to-back Olympic champions and have just won their sixth FIH Pro League title in seven attempts – by 15 points. Argentina, Belgium and China have their work cut out.

Here's how to watch FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 from anywhere in the world. We've also listed the schedule and recent champions below.

Today's FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 fixtures

(All times BST)

MEN'S FIXTURES

Sunday, August 16
10.30am – Australia vs Ireland
1.30pm – Spain vs South Africa
3pm – Netherlands vs New Zealand
6pm – Argentina vs Japan

WOMEN'S FIXTURES

Sunday, August 16
9am – England vs South Africa
12pm – China vs India
4.30pm – Belgium vs New Zealand
7.30pm – Spain vs Ireland

Can you watch FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 for free?

Yes. Free Hockey World Cup coverage is available in the UK courtesy of the Channel 4 Sport YouTube channel, which is live streaming every England, Scotland and Wales game.

Wales and Scotland games are also being shown on Welsh-language station S4C and Gaelic-language channel BBC Alba respectively, with live streaming available via BBC iPlayer.

It's also free-to-air on RTL Play and Sporza in Belgium and NOS in the Netherlands.

Traveling abroad right now? You can use a VPN to watch FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 for free as if you were right at home.

Use a VPN to watch FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 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 FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 in the US, Canada and Australia

FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 is available to watch on the Watch.Hockey streaming service in the US, Canada and Australia.

A World Cup pass costs US$44.99, and will let you stream all 100 games live.

If you have a subscription but you're away during the tournament, you can unlock access your streaming accounts from anywhere by using a VPN.

How to watch FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 live streams in the UK

All games involving England, Scotland and Wales are-free-to-air in the UK, on the Channel 4 Sport YouTube channel. That's 11 pool-stage fixtures – and more beyond.

Welsh-language channel S4C and Gaelic-language station BBC Alba will show Wales and Scotland games too, with live streaming available via free-to-air BBC iPlayer.

For comprehensive FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 coverage, however, you'll need a $44.99 Watch.Hockey subscription.

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 accounts from anywhere.

How to watch FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 live streams in the US

In addition to the US$44.99 Watch.Hockey option in the US, CBS Sports Network will be showing the US women's team matches during the tournament.

You can access on OTT streaming platforms such as Fubo, YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV and DirecTV, all of which feature a free trial for new users of varying lengths.

Once the free trial period is up, there will be a charge to subscribe. Check your local operator for details.

Not in the US right now, explore the VPN route to access the field hockey from anywhere.

How to watch FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 live streams in India

In India, FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 is being shown on Star Sports channels, with live streaming available via JioHotstar.

JioHotstar prices start at Rs. 299 ($3.49) per month, rising to Rs. 899 ($10.50 USD) per year.

If you're currently out of India but want to watch a Hockey World Cup live stream, you'll need to get yourself a VPN, as per the instructions above.

FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 Q&AFIH Hockey World Cup schedule 2026

Click to see more ▼

(All times UK)

MEN'S POOL STAGE

Saturday, August 15
India 3-1 Wales | YouTube
Germany 5-1 Malaysia
England 4-1 Pakistan | YouTube
Belgium 3-2 France

Sunday, August 16
10.30am – Australia vs Ireland
1.30pm – Spain vs South Africa
3pm – Netherlands vs New Zealand
6pm – Argentina vs Japan

Monday, August 17
11.30am – Pakistan vs Wales | YouTube
1pm – France vs Malaysia
2pm – India vs England
7.30pm – Germany vs Belgium

Tuesday, August 18
8.30am – New Zealand vs Japan
1pm – Spain vs Australia
4pm – Ireland vs South Africa
5pm – Argentina vs Netherlands

Wednesday, August 19
11.30am – England vs Wales | YouTube
2pm – Pakistan vs India
4pm – France vs Germany
7.30pm – Belgium vs Malaysia

Thursday, August 20
10am – Australia vs South Africa
11.30am – New Zealand vs Argentina
4pm – Ireland vs Spain
5pm – Netherlands vs Japan

WOMEN'S POOL STAGE

Saturday, August 15
Australia 2-0 Japan
Germany 3-0 Scotland | YouTube
Netherlands 2-0 Chile
Argentina 1-1 USA

Sunday, August 16
9am – England vs South Africa | YouTube
12pm – China vs India
4.30pm – Belgium vs New Zealand
7.30pm – Spain vs Ireland

Monday, August 17
8.30am – Chile vs Japan
10am – USA vs Scotland | YouTube
4pm – Germany vs Argentina
5pm – Australia vs Netherlands

Tuesday, August 18
10am – New Zealand vs Ireland
11.30am – England vs China | YouTube
2pm – India vs South Africa
7.30pm – Spain vs Belgium

Wednesday, August 19
8.30am – Chile vs Australia
10am – Argentina vs Scotland | YouTube
1pm – USA vs Germany
5pm – Netherlands vs Japan

Thursday, August 20
8.30am – China vs South Africa
1pm – New Zealand vs Spain
2pm – India vs England | YouTube
7.30pm – Belgium vs Ireland

Who are the recent FIH Hockey World Cup champions?

Recent Hockey World Cup winners

Men's champions

• 2023 – Germany
• 2018 – Belgium
• 2014 – Australia
• 2010 – Australia
• 2006 – Germany

Women's champions

• 2022 – Netherlands
• 2018 – Netherlands
• 2014 – Netherlands
• 2010 – Argentina
• 2006 – Netherlands

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.

You might have a small kitchen, but that doesn't mean you can't make cafe-quality coffee at home. I test over a dozen coffee makers every year in my own small space, and I've found that when it comes to preparing delicious espresso, size really isn't everything.

If you want a machine that will prepare 40 different beverages at the press of a button then, yes, you'll need to dedicate a significant amount of space on your kitchen counter to a hefty fully automatic machine. However, if you just want to make delicious espresso, there are far smaller options that will do a superb job.

Here, I've picked out my all-time top-three compact coffee makers for small spaces, including one bean-to-cup brewer, one capsule coffee maker, and one more traditional manual brewer. I'd happily use any of the three myself — and they're all very reasonably priced as well.

Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie EvoFutureFutureFutureFutureFutureFutureFuture

I tested this coffee maker just a few days ago, and it's the smallest I've ever used, measuring a mere 4.9 x 8.3 x 13 inches / 124 x 210 x 330mm (W x H x D).

If you're looking for a compact coffee maker that will brew a good espresso with minimum fuss, this is the one for you. It takes Lavazza's own A Modo Mio pods, which you drop into a slot on top of the machine, before pushing back the large lever and hitting the "brew" button. Once you're satisfied with the quantity in your cup, tap the button again to stop the flow. Done.

You don't get Nespresso-like fancy flavors with Lavazza's pods, but I'd argue that's no bad thing. Coffee laced with added aromas often tastes unpleasantly sweet or artificial, and while Lavazza offers plenty of choice for beans and roasts, all the aromas come from the coffee itself, rather than from additives.

The only downside for me is that A Modo Mio pods are plastic, and can be difficult to recycle if you don't have a collection point near you. I'm lucky to have one quite nearby, but you can't send your pods in the mail — if there's no drop-off spot nearby, your only option is to start one yourself.

In all other respects, this is a superb little coffee maker. It's affordably priced, too, and its pods are some of the cheapest around.

Read our full Lavazza A Modo Mio Jolie Evo review

Philips BaristinaFutureFutureFutureFutureFutureFutureFuture

The Philips Baristina makes brewing espresso with fresh coffee beans just as simple as using pods. It measures 7 x 13.6 x 15 inches / 18 x 34.5 x 38cm (W x H x D), which is a fraction of the size of most bean-to-cup machines, and it's half the price too.

Pour your coffee beans into the hopper located on the top surface of the Baristina, fill its water tank, and slide the portafilter handle into place. Choose whether you want a single or double espresso and the machine will grind just the right quantity of coffee. Tamp it down, then slide the filter underneath the brewing group, and dispense a perfectly extracted drink directly into your waiting cup.

It's refreshingly simple, and cleanup is a piece of cake. Most bean-to-cup coffee machines do all the brewing inside a closed case, and the moist conditions combined with any leftover coffee grounds create the perfect conditions for mold to grow – unless you open everything up, clean it thoroughly, and leave the case open to dry overnight. With the Baristina, this isn't a problem.

The only drawback of the standard Baristina is that there's no steam wand for preparing milk. However, you can find the coffee maker bundled with a standalone milk frother, and Philips has recently launched a new machine called the Baristina Latte, which has a milk system built in. I've not had the opportunity to try it yet, but I have high hopes.

Read our full Philips Baristina review

De'Longhi Dedica DuoFutureFutureFutureFutureFutureFutureFuture

We've had a capsule machine and a bean-to-cup coffee maker – now we have a traditional espresso machine, with a choice of portafilter baskets (both pressurized, making it easier to achieve a nice thick crema) and a manual steam wand. It measures 5.5 x 12 x 12.6 inches / 14 x 30.5 x 32cm (W x H x D), allowing it to slot onto even tiny kitchen counters.

The Dedica Duo has a list price of $299.95 / £279.99 (about AU$600), which is very affordable for a manual espresso machine, and would usually sound warning bells — espresso machines in this price bracket are usually pretty bad, and incapable of sustaining the steady temperature and pressure necessary for consistent brewing. That's not the case here, though; this is a De'Longhi machine through and through, with no compromises on build quality or performance. Everything feels solidly made, and it's a pleasure to use.

The "Duo" in the name refers to the fact that this little coffee maker can also make a cold-extracted espresso using water directly from the tank (bypassing the boiler). This takes longer then brewing hot, but works very well and produces a pleasingly mellow-tasting drink that's an ideal foundation for iced drinks. A superb little all-rounder.

Read our full De'Longhi Dedica Duo review

• Study finds 25% of business leaders struggle to explain AI-generated outputs to stakeholders
• SMEs are trusting AI with complex financial tasks including audits and compliance
• Customers and investors are increasingly avoiding businesses that use unverified AI

Business leaders are being outfoxed by AI, with a quarter of those surveyed apparently unable to explain AI generated outputs, 12% “with a lot of difficulty” and only 22% “easily.”

Even more worryingly, the survey, by Startup.co.uk, appears to reveal a culture of “leave it to AI” regardless of the consequences.

The survey has also uncovered other concerns, from questions over GDPR to how SMEs are trusting AI to carry out sensitive financial work, including audits, expenses, and accounts payable automation.

Would you let your AI do this?

With GDPR responsibilities hovering over startups and dynamic new SMBs, the overuse of AI solutions could prove to be devastating if customer data is found to have been misused. Meanwhile concerns over the use of the technology could be affecting businesses that fail to verify AI work.

While the inability of startup leaders to explain AI generated work might be a surprise, the depth of AI use across financial tasks is of particular concern. The report revealed how 85% of small businesses are using AI to complete financial tasks of some sensitivity.

Among the figures are 37% using AI to automate accounts payable processes, 32% to handle audit and compliance, and 31% to manage spend and expenses. While there is some suitability for AI with fraud detection (26%) and performance insights (27%) with its capacity to analyze data in bulk, the inability of leaders to deal with questions about AI is a matter of concern.

Blind trust in AI

What the figures seem to indicate is an over-reliance on AI.

Zohra Huda, editor of Startups.co.uk, noted the data “highlights the bizarre corporate milestone we’ve reached in 2026. Founders are letting AI manage their fraud detection and accounting, but if a stakeholder asks how the numbers were calculated, a quarter of them can’t answer.”

The solution to that might be a bit of rehearsal, but it doesn’t change how data is being used by AI and what the implications for this are, and the likelihood of breaching Article 15 of the UK GDPR (concerning how data is processed).

“Blindly trusting a tech “black box” with sensitive financial data is a massive legal and compliance gamble," added Huda. The takeaway for business leaders? If you can’t explain your AI’s logic to an investor or a customer, you're potentially risking a very expensive GDPR fine.”

With the ICO able to fine businesses up to £17.5 million or 4% of global turnover for verified GDPR breaches, it is clear that startups relying heavily on AI need to up their game.

The Creality Sermoon P1 is a handheld 3D scanner and follows similar use lines to the superb Sermoon S1 that I looked at earlier in the year. However, unlike the S1, it can be used in isolation: no wires, no need for a computer; everything needed from the scan to the display is held within one small, portable box.

This includes the initial capture, point-cloud fusion, mesh creation, editing, and multi-scan merging, all of which can be handled on the device, which is impressive considering the amount of data being captured. Inside is an eight-core Qualcomm processor with 24GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, and the scans appear on a six-inch Full HD touchscreen.

The fact that everything is contained makes a difference to the user compared with wired models. When I reviewed the Sermon S1 earlier this year, the biggest limitation I had was the Y-cable connecting the S1 to the computer, especially when I knocked it mid-scan. As the P1 essentially has an onboard computer and no wires, this isn’t an issue.

Of course, this does mean that the P1 is heavier at 830g compared to the S1's 508g, but shaped a little like an oversized game controller, the shape and extra weight really aren’t an issue when you have that freedom to walk around an object without watching out for the cable catching.

Compared with the Sermon S1, the P1 is a complete device with a scanner and screen that lets you see the scanning process without needing to be constantly connected to a computer or a power source.

There are essentially two scanning modes: blue laser with lines that sweep across the object to be scanned and require markers to be stuck to the object, and then IR for objects where markers can’t be stuck; the scanning quality is also a small step up from the S1, although through the test I’d say they were actually pretty much on a par.

Physically, the large game-controller design of the handset, with its two substantial grips, makes it easy to handle, and at 830g, it’s thankfully not to weighty. As the device is completely standalone, it’s powered by a swappable 3,300mAh battery, with the kit including two; each charges to 80% in 50 minutes.

As you scan, everything is shown on the touchscreen, which is bright and responsive. While the screen is glossy and does show reflections, they weren’t too much and remained easy to see throughout scanning.

Like the Sermon S1, the scanning technique was still the sticking point; it was a test. Again, preparation is important to give yourself a good chance of a decent scan, and pumping light into the screen is also key.

Using the blue lasers to scan, after the initial calibration, marker placement, lighting, and placing marker cubes around the object helped with getting a successful scan. So did elevating on transparent blocks, all helped with the success of the scan.

While having everything in the handset is a step forward, the most significant feature here, as with all scanners, is a slow, methodical approach.

Creality Sermoon P1: Price and Availability

The Sermoon P1 is available direct from Creality in the US for $3299, and in the UK, the Creality store has it in stock for £2799.

You can also pick up the 3D scanner along with bundled items such as an automatic turntable and scanning markers. Depending on your use-case and workflow, they're well worth checking out.

Creality Sermoon P1: Design

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

The P1 features a compact, game controller-like body with a grip on either side and a large touchscreen. The weight is actually pretty modest at 830g, and it feels solid enough with its rubberised plastic exterior, which suggests it was designed for use out in the field as well as in the studio.

The six-inch touchscreen is where things really differ from the other handheld 3D scanners I’ve used, as it lets you control object scanning and editing without a computer connection. However, a data connection is still available if needed.

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

Handling the device around an object is easier than with the wired 3D scanner, and the grips make it easy to handle and manoeuvre, although I still find that using a turntable is the best solution.

One of the issues with a wireless handheld device is that the batteries will inevitably drain. Thankfully, Creality has designed this so the battery can be swapped out, with two pinch clips embedded in it that make it relatively easy to remove when needed. More importantly, they lock firmly into place so there is no possibility of the battery coming out at any point.

The feature that I was pleased to see, despite this being a handheld device, is the 1/-inch thread on the base. This means it will fit a rig if you have one and will actually make the whole scanning process far less painful for many objects. I also found that using a turntable is a must for higher-quality scans.

• Design: 5/5

Creality Sermoon P1: Features

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)Specs

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

CPU: Qualcomm eight-core processor, up to 3.36GHz, with FPGA acceleration
Graphics: Adreno 740 GPU
RAM: 24GB LPDDR5X
Storage: 256GB UFS 4.0
Left Ports: USB-C
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 7, wired USB-C to PC, wireless PC scanning
Audio: Integrated speaker for onboard guidance
Camera: Four-lens scanning system with global-shutter RGB colour camera
Size: 209 x 129 x 53mm
Weight: 830g
OS Installed: Creality onboard scanning and mesh-processing software; companion software for Windows and macOS
Display: Six-inch Full HD touchscreen, 160-degree viewing angle
Battery: Two hot-swappable 3,300mAh batteries, 65W PD 3.0, 80% in 50 minutes
Scanning technologies: 22 cross blue laser lines, seven parallel lines, single blue line, dual NIR VCSEL
Claimed accuracy: Up to 0.02mm laser, up to 0.075mm NIR
Volumetric accuracy: 0.02mm + 0.06mm/m
3D resolution: 0.05- 2 mm blue laser, 0.1- 2 mm NIR
Scan volume: 5 x 5 x 5mm up to 4,000 x 4,000 x 4,000mm
Maximum speed: Up to 60fps standalone, 100fps connected to a PC

A big feature of this and several other Creality 3D scanners is the dual light source, which enables different scanning technologies to be used depending on what you’re scanning.

The blue lasers, which are my preferred method of scanning, handle precise geometry. At the same time, dual NIR VCSEL projectors cover larger or more organic subjects, and the scanner switches between them rather than just using one.

As with the S1, there are three blue-laser modes that you can use to cover different types of jobs. The most common object, and the one to start with, is the 22 crossed lines that enable you to scan-sweep large surfaces quickly. Then there are the 7 parallel lines that capture more detailed features. Finally, there’s the single line, which can be used to probe deep into scanning holes, gaps, and recesses. Creality quotes a depth-to-diameter ratio of up to 5:1, tested on a 29.08mm pipe at a depth of 152.31mm; in the test, this was enough to reach the bottom of the coffee cup without issue.

Two features change from the Creality Sermoon S1 I reviewed. The fast mode drops from 34 crossed lines to 22, while volumetric accuracy improves from 0.02mm + 0.08mm/m to 0.02mm + 0.06mm/m. Fewer lines with better-stated accuracy should mean that the wider field of view is doing the work

The fact that the P1 has been designed as a standalone device means that all 3D scanning and modelling is processed internally.

When I first got started with the P1, I had to run through a similar calibration process that takes between 5 and 10 minutes, and during the test I found that it was best to recalibrate at each new location.

In use, its small internal eight-core Qualcomm processor, Adreno 740 graphics with FPGA acceleration, 24GB of memory, and 256GB of storage enable capture, point-cloud fusion, mesh editing, and multi-scan merging, all running on the device.

If you do want to connect to a PC, you still can with three options: wireless or wired PC, with Wi-Fi 7 handling the wireless link.

Alongside the 3D scanning, surface texture is captured using a global-shutter RGB camera and 12 white LEDs, which together record surface colour.

If you have used 3D scanners before, you’ll be used to scanning spray. Here, Creality states that blue-laser modes capture dark and metallic surfaces without requiring a spray scan. However, some reflective surfaces will still benefit.

• Features: 4.5/5

Creality Sermoon P1: Performance

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

The Sermoon P1 arrives in a semi-hard case rather than the plastic waterproof cases that I’ve seen with previous Creality 3D scanners, which is a bit of a shame in some respects. However, it still keeps everything neatly packed in one case and, of course, offers protection during transport.

Before getting started, the 3D scanner needs to be calibrated. For some, this process will be fast and straightforward, while for others, adjusting the angle and moving the scanner up and down to align with the points on the 6-inch screen can be surprisingly challenging.

For the glass calibration chart, place it flat on the table and follow the on-screen instructions, such as aligning the markers by repositioning the handset. The first run of this takes some time and can be tricky; however, as I found during the test, regular recalibration is a good idea, and the more often you calibrate, the quicker it becomes.

Once calibration is complete, you can start scanning. I've found that starting with small objects is always the best place to begin, then gradually increase as your familiarity with the scanning process improves. I’ll also point out that 3D scanning is a skill, not something that you can just do out of the box. The first 10 attempts will more than likely be a disaster.

From experience, I know that a methodical approach works, and diving in headfirst almost always ends up in disaster. However, diving in headfirst is exactly where I decided to start, and with the first scan of whatever came to hand, I selected Infrared. I also just left it on the desk next to me and started the process.

Usually, this would be an instant fail; however, I was surprised that, on the first pass, the quality was usable, though not perfect. With a bit of mesh fixing and filling the hole in the bottom of the mesh, I’d managed quite a decent scan that would be perfectly printable on the K2.

I then noted at the bottom of the screen the “Colour Mapping”; clicking this, the texture from the mug was applied, which was even more impressive. What the scan and application of the mapping showed was that the light levels were a little low, so the graphics of the print looked duller than I would have liked - a good place to start, with the Original PRUSA INDX waiting in the wings for a full test.

I switched to the blue lasers, then grabbed the Chilli water bottle and covered it with markers. This didn’t go so well, and try as I might, I just couldn’t get a scan. This was also surprising as it’s usually the other way round.

However, this is where the methodical approach comes in: placing marker blocks around the bottle, elevating it onto transparent blocks, and placing it on a turntable with decent lighting suddenly showed what was actually possible.

I then selected a range of smaller objects and used the Infrared and Blue lasers to scan, switching between the line mode in the Blue Laser and the Object type in the Infrared.

The first point about the scanning process is that this is far easier to handle than the Sermoon S1 that I had looked at previously, and while it still takes some skill, I’m at about 50% after a few months' practice; this design definitely makes things easier, although still not quite perfect.

The screen's scan quality looked excellent, and what I really liked was the in-Studio workflow. Essentially, after scanning a few objects, I sat back in the studio, ready to download the models, which I expected would be a bit of a process.

However, using the provided USB cable, I plugged it into my MacBook Pro M1 Max, clicked through the usual authorisations, and loaded CrealityScan. When I plugged it in, I got the option to choose between Data Sharing and Scan Connection. You can then connect and share the files to the desktop software.

During the test on the Mac, the wired connection didn’t seem to work at all; however, it worked smoothly on the PC, whereas the Wi-Fi connection was straightforward, although you do need to switch your computer's Wi-Fi connection to the Wi-Fi hotspot of the Sermoon P1 even if both devices are connected to the same wireless network.

Checking over the scan, for the majority of objects, while there is some smoothing of finer textures, the detail is surprisingly good. What really stands out is the dimensions of the objects scanned; they remain one-to-one, so you get an exact scale match to whatever you're scanning.

I also really like the texture mapping; with the filament-mixing features of the latest multi-tool 3D printers, it suddenly becomes especially interesting. Although I haven’t as yet had much success, the potential here is massive.

Once again, the main issue I had was with the tracking, and despite having plenty of markers around and over the object, I had to be focused and methodical with the scans to get the results I expected. Again, practice is needed.

There were also times when the blue light scan would just lose the object or report not enough markers, even when things were covered.

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

What I really liked about the Yuse, however, was the fact that everything is in one place and in a far more portable form. The fact that you can take two scans of an object and blend them on-site quickly makes a massive difference.

Again, the frame rate and scanning techniques really come into play with many objects, and the auto-switching of scanning modes didn’t tend to deliver exactly what I expected; it was only my prior knowledge that enabled me to get the decent scans I wanted for this review.

What I will say is that, while Creality has worked on the user guide, it’s still a little clunky; a better getting-started guide is definitely needed, as the potential of these machines is now massive.

At the start of the test one of my big worries was that the internal processing was going to be slow, but actually from the scanning to editing the speed is actually pretty decent, there are some pauses in the scanning, which I get from the desktop version as well, but the process is quite smooth and this is a big step forward for the technology but also the ease of scanning.

• Performance: 4.5 / 5

Creality Sermoon P1: Final verdict

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

The Sermoon P1 is a step forward in 3D scanning technology, and after some time spent mainly practising the techniques, I am impressed by its capabilities. The initial scans showed a flip in the ease of scanning wth trhe different techniques. Infrared, which I usually fail to scan with any real success, worked well, whereas I had initial issues with the Fine blue-laser modes.

However, stepping back and being more methodical about the process again yielded the results I expected, and what impressed me was the speed of the onboard processing and the scanner's flexibility, which didn’t require a direct connection to a machine. This also made it easier to scan in various places.

As I looked through the scans, the quality can be excellent, but this really depends on you and the time you put into it. When I reviewed the Creality Sermoon S1, the verdict came down to a steep learning curve, and the P1 does circumvent some of the issues that I had with that scanner.

The cable and the laptop are essentially gone, unless you need them. When it comes to the calibration, marker placement, lighting and coverage, all remain much the same.

The Sermoon P1 really does make sense if you’re moving between the workshop and a client's site where setting up a tethered rig takes more time than the scanning itself. The purchase price once again keeps it out of hobbyists' hands, but as the technology advances, this will, of course, change.

As it is, if you put in the time and take things step by step, this has huge potential.

Should you buy the Creality Sermoon P1?

Value:

Professional capability at a professional price, with a cheaper sibling close behind

4

Design:

Exceptional hybrid scanning and a genuinely standalone workflow

5

Features:

Fast and stable in use, pending full measured results

4.5

Performance:

Impressive when the preparation process is right. Steep learning curve, but results improve with practice.

4.5

Total:

The most self-contained scanner at this level

4.5

Buy it if...

You scan small engineered parts.

For reverse engineering, inspection, or digital archiving, the blue-laser modes capture sharp geometry, deepish holes, and fine surface detail without tethering the scanner to a computer.

You work on site rather than at a bench.

Swappable batteries, onboard storage, and a responsive screen let you capture, process, inspect, and export a model anywhere, removing the need for a laptop onsite.

Don't buy it if...

Your scanner lives next to a PC.

If you scan at a fixed bench, the Sermoon S1 currently sells for a lot less and delivers comparable scan quality.

You need production-ready colour textures.

Geometry is this scanner's strength rather than colour, and inconsistent lighting around the object produces visible exposure issues.

For more crafting essentials, I've also tested out the best 3D printers and best laser engravers

Google may have moved on from its previous line of Fitbit smartwatches and fitness trackers, but these devices remain some of the best options for tracking your health and exercise. And now, one of the more affordable and entry-level options just got a welcome discount, which drops the Fitbit Inspire 3 on Amazon to £58.99 (was £84.99).

If you've been put off by the cost of other more premium smartwatches, then this is a super-low price for a great beginner fitness tracker. I like it if you want to dip your toes into the tech, as it offers all the essentials you need, with heart rate, sleep, and exercise tracking all on-wrist.

Another benefit of going with the Fitbit Inspire 3 is that it offers a solid 10-day battery life. Most smartwatches and many other fitness trackers fall way behind this, with some of the more advanced options requiring recharging every day or two.

So, if you want the convenience of not having to worry about battery life all the time, all the basic tracking features you might need, and phone notifications beamed to your wrist, the Fitbit Inspire 3 is a fairly feature-rich option for under £60.

Today's best Fitbit deal at Amazon

The discount may be small, but the Fitbit Inspire 3 is an excellent value-for-money device for newcomers or those curious about the usefulness of exercise and health tracking. The tracker is packed with features and content that a beginner needs to get started, including heart rate monitoring, activity tracking, stress management scoring, and sleep tracking. Plus, the battery lasts for a lengthy ten days, it can receive notifications from your phone, and six months of Fitbit Premium are included for free.View Deal

As if to prove my point, we called the Fitbit Inspire 3 "a great entry point to the health and fitness-tracking world" in our four-star review. As well as being packed with all the health and fitness tracking features a beginner might need, it is also very easy to use, thanks to the bright AMOLED display — even if it can be a little fiddly given its small size.

Altogether, it's easy to see why it's on our guide to the best Fitbit as the one we'd pick if you're on a budget.

• RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra tells banks that AI trained on alternative data such as cash flows, GST filings, and utility payments can extend credit to borrowers that manual underwriting cannot currently assess
• The pitch came bundled with caution, insisting that banks take safety and visibility measures including complete AI inventories, red-teaming before deployment, and the capacity to explain lending and fraud decisions
• The RBI insists, however, that accountability stays human; banks, not their algorithms, will be answerable to customers, auditors, and the Reserve Bank when AI-driven decisions go wrong

The governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has told the country's banks to put artificial intelligence at the heart of their lending patterns.

The approach is based on the assumption that models trained on unconventional data can identify and leverage data points that manual underwriters would struggle to spot or justify easily.

This would, as per RBI governor Sanjay Malhotra, both strengthen the credit market and enable financial inclusion by adding a new class of borrowers previously overlooked by conventional methods.

Cautious AI optimism from one of the world's largest central banks

The Reserve Bank of India is not a small central bank by any measure, and remarks by its governor therefore can often shape not only domestic but global markets.

His position on unlocking credit markets for users with little or no financial history by adding raw compute that considers other signals such as cash flow, GST tax filings, utility payments, and one's digital footprint considerably changes the landscape in a part of the world where banks are traditionally more conservative than their global peers when it comes to lending.

Malhotra also noted that this is exactly the data that a first-time borrower, a gig worker, or a small enterprise without formal books lacks, even as AI enables better monitoring of debtors' financials.

“Predictive models can identify borrowers on the cusp of default early enough to counsel rather than merely recover,” he added. “Used well, AI may be the most powerful accelerator to financial inclusion.”

It is important to point out Malhotra wanted AI to be used as an assistant here - not that AI should overrule loan officers on applications they have already rejected.

His claim is narrower and arguably more persuasive: entire categories of borrowers are effectively invisible to conventional credit assessment because the paperwork it requires does not exist, and machine learning, over other data, can make those borrowers assessable to banks and vice versa.

Malhotra also cited concerns that most modern AI models are black boxes and do not always explain their reasoning fully or adequately, and that borrowers are generally entitled to know why they were turned down. This could help keep potential algorithmic bias in check and rationalize such decisions at a time when AI models are known to be vulnerable to data poisoning attacks.

This would require a human touch, especially when it comes to accountability for such decisions, rather than the complete hands-off approach that AI enthusiasts sometimes suggest is inevitable.

To this end, the conclusion of his speech may be the most telling of what India's central bank feels about an increased AI footprint in the banking industry: Malhotra said that the winners of the AI era will not be the fastest or heaviest adopters but the institutions that best understand what they deploy, own its outcomes, and keep customer trust, something he equated to the enduring capital of Indian banking.

Love is in the air — including for Olaf.

Violet, Dash and Jack-Jack will be the stars of the third Incredibles movie.

Whether you haven’t played Pokémon Pokopia since the town-builder launched earlier this year or you’ve been waiting to dive in, you might want to mosey on down to your favorite cozy gaming corner and download the free update. Especially when paired with the newly released Expansion Pass, the game (which I already gave five stars, our highest score, and called one of the best Nintendo Switch 2 games) reaches new heights. Or rather, depths.

Bubbly Basin is the first of a three-part DLC package (with parts two and three releasing in late 2026 and sometime in 2027, respectively), bringing a new underwater town based on Cerulean City and a tonne of aquatic Pokémon to discover.

Facilitating this expansion is a free update that gives Ditto a new ability — Dive — which select Pokémon like Smeargu and Tinkmaster can also learn to help you build and decorate underwater.

That’s not all that came with the free update; a raft of quality-of-life updates mean most criticisms I had of Pokopia after months of play are next to non-existent.

Introductory dialogue remains a real strong-suitFuture / Game Freak / Omega ForcePray, tell me more, StaryuFuture / Game Freak / Omega ForceCrying tears as big as your head must be pretty exhaustingFuture / Game Freak / Omega ForceStarmie gets philosophicalFuture / Game Freak / Omega ForceNo, sir, I am trying to figure out how these spotlights work underwaterFuture / Game Freak / Omega ForceUnder the sea

But first, let’s start with Bubbly Basin. I’ve spent most of the last week exploring its depths, and for several reasons, it’s my new favorite town in Pokopia.

I’ve always had a soft spot for Cerulean City, the inspiration behind Bubbly Basin; Misty is one of my favorite characters from the franchise, and I favor water-type Pokémon. Now almost entirely submerged, it’s the perfect playground to explore with the new Dive ability and get creative with underground building.

Water levels are notoriously a pain across all areas of gaming, but building-based games in particular can suffer (I’m looking at you, Minecraft). Thankfully, Game Freak and Koei Tecmo's Omega Force prove adept at thinking ahead; there are few instances where removing or placing blocks leads to any disruption to the water (glass panes and roof tiles can cause a very brief empty block), and the only time I’ve been able to cause any unseemly flowing water tiles is when messing with the surface layer; even that has been mitigated impressively, though that's another component of the 2.0.0 free update. Navigation, as we’ll touch on in the free updates section, is a doddle once you get to grips with the swimming controls, too.

Much like Rocky Ridges and Sparkling Skyland, there’s a lot of verticality to the town too, with flooded subterranean tunnels, a few ruins above sea level and new murky depths that need to be lit so you can better take in your surroundings. Amongst the ruins, you’ll find treasure maps that help you locate the six Pokéballs necessary to build Starmie’s habitat, which gives a bit more purpose to the dowsing tool and search abilities.

Bubbly Basin definitely feels like one of the most photogenic towns in the gameFuture / Game Freak / Omega ForceFuture / Game Freak / Omega ForceFuture / Game Freak / Omega ForceFuture / Game Freak / Omega ForceFuture / Game Freak / Omega ForceAnd we lived beneath the waves

There’s plenty to work through in terms of quests and activities, and it’s really well paced, with 50 new Pokémon and 36 habitats to restore. I’ve especially loved working to connect and re-imagine the various hotspots in Bubbly Basin more than in any other town so far; bridging the deep ravine, tunneling through hillsides and transforming all of its many nooks and crannies into unique dwellings for local Pokémon has never felt more fun.

It’s probably the best-looking town too; it’s vibrant and teeming with life, and though clearing out the sand is a bit of a pain, it’s at least far less of an eyesore than the compressed junk, ash, and black sludge that plague the base game towns. The new flora follows suit; I can’t wait to put some time into adding coral and the new Seafloor Algae blocks to Bleak Beach and Palette Town to spruce up the somewhat dismal coastlines there, too.

Two new building and furniture aesthetics are introduced in Bubble Basin, both of which I love: a seashell- and coral-inspired set, but also Japanese temple-themed furniture and building blocks.

The latter might not feel particularly native to the Cerulean town we know, but one Reddit user speculates it’s a reference to Ryūgū-jō, the mythical undersea palace belonging to the dragon god of the sea in Japanese folklore. It’s a nice touch and brings a great set of new blocks to design with.

Future / Game Freak / Omega ForceFuture / Game Freak / Omega ForceFuture / Game Freak / Omega ForceFuture / Game Freak / Omega ForceFuture / Game Freak / Omega ForceThe best things in life are free

A huge part of what makes Bubbly Basin so enjoyable is the free updates that came with the 2.0.0 patch, which added a range of quality-of-life features. Dive is fantastically implemented; swimming feels fluid and free, and it’s still super easy to build even without Magnet Rise. It’s really important to pay attention during the tutorial, though; I missed two huge time-saving moves (underwater surf and spinning to sink), which wasted a lot of time.

There’s much more to it than Dive, though. Now, you can build a safe but also a portal pod, a universal storage system which can be accessed in all locations. I’ve taken to keeping one on me at all times as a kind of backpack-extender, and it’s making moving items between worlds a whole lot easier.

There are new recipes, new emotes, hair colors, and more paintable items too, but perhaps my favorite additions are the simplest. You can now bulk move items between the storage box and bag, but also delete items placed inside trash cans.

Some tweaks have been made to annoying in-game quirks, too; if you destroy a Pokémon’s habitat and rebuild it nearby, it’ll move back in of its own accord, you can open your bag and inhale items while using Rollout, and Leafage can now return farm soil to a normal soil block. This, plus a raft of bug fixes, makes the game more frictionless than ever before.

Such a hearty version 2.0 update so soon after the game’s release is a huge win for Pokopia fans; hype for the game has just barely subsided, and with in-game events being a little middling at best thus far, I for one am hoping this is just the beginning of Game Freak and Omega Force’s plans to keep the game feeling fresh and fun for players old and new. And if Bubbly Basin is anything to go by, the next town (which arrives as the final part of the Expansion Pass next year) could be a magnum opus for Pokopia.

• Dolby says that Dolby Vision HDR movies can be upgraded to Dolby Vision 2 using an automated process based on the existing mastering information
• This means support may be more widespread than expected, since apparently it will be relatively low-effort for streamers to achieve
• The Authentic Motion and Precision Black features will be excluded from this, because Dolby says they they require human judgment to get right

If you're wondering where all the Dolby Vision 2 media is going to come from, we've got good news: it's already here, at least partly. Dolby Laboratories told me that it's created a process that can upgrade existing Dolby Vision media to add most features of the new HDR standard using an automated process based on the existing mastering data — and there are only two key features that are excluded, because they're areas that depend on new input from creators.

With Dolby Vision 2 arriving on TVs from this month, I caught up with Dolby Laboratories' director of business strategy, Jonas Klittmark, to find out the details: what it could do for 4K Blu-rays, what benefits it'll bring to streaming and most importantly of all, what to watch.

One of the biggest concerns with Dolby Vision 2 is that creators just won't be inclined to master video for it when it doesn't have widespread support — but it's unlikely to get widespread support if there's no content. But it turns out that existing Dolby Vision masters can be adapted to use many of its features without being reworked.

"There is a bunch of new features in Dolby Vision 2 that don't rely on new content at all," Turkstra told me. "Because you already have all the Dolby Vision content in the world... the streaming providers will have more to say about this later, but the existing Dolby Vision library will start to get converted and the new metadata for Dolby Vision 2 will be added."

The Hisense UR8 is one of the first TVs to support Dolby Vision 2 — but there needs to content to make it worthwhile… (Image credit: Future)

Klittmark estimates that there are around 33,000 movies and TV show episodes available in Dolby Vision. "There's no realistic chance that all that content is going to get remastered from scratch," he says.

"The cost of doing that is just astronomical. So what we're offering instead is a semi-automated way of doing it where we're using modern techniques such as machine learning to assist in the creation of the additional metadata that's needed to make the most of Dolby Vision 2."

He elaborated that "many of the features, including the image engine, including the new version of LightSense, the intensity control, the pro settings, and sports optimization, all of those features can work through a combination of existing metadata."

That metadata is based on existing mastering data, and as will all of Dolby Vision 2, the next-gen data is in addition to the existing data; it doesn't replace it, so the automation won't affect the visuals of, or compatibility with, TVs that have the first generation of Dolby Vision but not the second.

What Dolby Vision 2 features can arrive automatically – and what ones can't

The two exceptions to the automated upgrade are Authentic Motion, which enables creators to control how strong your TV's motion processing is applied on a moment-to-moment basis, and Precision Black, which is designed to address dark scenes that looked great in the creators' mastering suite but appear too dark on TVs.

Klittmark said: "Authentic Motion is an example of a feature where it's just too sensitive. I don't know if you've been following the fairly polarized debate about motion that has been playing out over the years, with Tom Cruise making public service announcements, and things like that. That feature is so sensitive that we don't generate that metadata, it has to be manually authored."

I've seen Dolby Vision 2's Authentic Motion in action, and I think it's a great addition — it means that judder can be removed in scenes that need it, but motion smoothing can be deactivated in scenes that don't. I suspect that actually it probably could be automated to good effect, but as Klittmark says, I don't thing anyone would really trust that, so it's best that Dolby is leaving that to humans.

When it comes to Precision Black, Klittmark says this can't be automated because in order to get it right you need to know all about the creator's environment: "how dark was their ambient light, what kind of reference monitor were they using, et cetera... that cannot be speculated about or generated, so that needs to come manually from the creative."

When is Dolby Vision 2 not Dolby Vision 2?

I asked if this meant that movies might be labelled as supporting different Dolby Vision 2 features, but Klittmark says the firm doesn't want to make things complicated in that way.

"We've taken the simplest possible approach for consumers' benefit, which is that all the content is going to be Dolby Vision. There is no asterisk. There's no 'Dolby Vision 2' content, for example. There's no 'Dolby Vision 2 Max' content or anything like that. It's just all Dolby Vision content," he says. "And that way, it's very simple for a consumer to know what to look for. If you see that the content is in Dolby Vision, then you are getting the best experience you can get with that particular movie or whatever it is you're looking for."

I think this makes sense — your TV will be labelled as Dolby Vision 2 or Dolby Vision 2 Max, and potentially could tell you which features of the format are active, but when it comes to browsing the library, it makes sense to simply use the Dolby Vision logo to indicate that you're getting as many advanced features as the service has added, regardless of what they are.

Klittmark pointed out that this would be new to Dolby Vision 2, either. "The original version of Dolby Vision had tons of features in it, and not all creatives chose to use all of them all of the time. And there was no way to know that. And that's essentially a choice up to the creative. Which of the Dolby tools do they need do they feel like they need to use for which content? We leave that decision to the creative," he said.

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• Ukrainian drone forces have proved so successful against US troops in exercises that “destroyed” equipment had to be reintroduced into the simulated combat
• Over the course of the two-week-long exercise, US forces improved at camouflage, dispersing, and using electronic warfare against the aerial attacks
• The Combined Resolve military exercise took place in Germany earlier this year

US forces engaged in military exercises were stunned to be defeated quickly by Ukraine drone teams, so much so that the units were allowed to be re-added into the scenario.

Taking place in Germany earlier in 2026, the event was one of several exercises intended to simulate real drone warfare and develop responses and countermeasures to attacks. Ukraine's drone warfare has proved vital in its ongoing war with Russia, with its successes in the conflict defining the country as a pioneer of Unmanned Systems Forces and electronic warfare integration.

The US isn’t the only country to have engaged in wargames with Ukraine, with the UK, Estonia, and Sweden all recently outmatched

Recording a “kill”

Despite the US incorporating long-range drones into its arsenal during the War on Terror, it has had mixed results in defending against drone attacks, both in combat and in exercises. The simulated conflict with Ukraine took place in April and May 2026, and while the Fort Hood-based US forces may have come away from the event with some pride, the speed and decisiveness of the Ukraine drone forces clearly took them by surprise.

Rather than using live ammunition in these exercises, an observer is employed to determine whether a “kill” has been made. This is usually achieved by the drone controller hovering the craft above a vehicle or other combat equipment long enough for a potential kill to have been made.

In this particular incident, the Ukraine drones were recording kills so quickly that vehicles had to be sent back as new units, like a video game respawn.

However, as the exercises progressed, the US forces were able to improve their performance. Their responses to drone attacks relied on faster camouflage and concealing, effective dispersal, and employing electronic countermeasures to block the drones.

Ukrainian drones dominate

As part of the training, Ukrainian drone controllers also switched sides to assist the US troops in making effective offensive use of drones.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Air Force General Alexus Grynkewich, NATO’s top military leader, stated that “You can’t get training like this in the United States,” but observed a noted improvement in NATO forces after training: “The change is remarkable.”

It isn’t just the Americans that have struggled with Ukrainian drone warfare in simulated scenarios. Other events in 2026 have revealed shortcomings in handling drone attacks in exercises involving the UK, Estonia, some US troops, and other NATO forces. In addition, a military exercise involving Swedish-led NATO troops and Ukraine's drone warfare resulted in the NATO side being outmatched.

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 Friday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Friday, August 14 (game #1663).

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,500 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 #1664) — hint #1 — VowelsHow many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 4*.

* 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 #1664) — hint #2 — repeated lettersDo any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 1.

Quordle today (game #1664) — 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 #1664) — 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 #1664) — hint #5 — starting letters (2)What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• R

• M

• M

• L

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

Quordle today (game #1664) — the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1664, are…

• RIDER
• MOLDY
• MEALY
• LYMPH

Another day featuring a word without vowels.

I already had the Y here, so it was simply a case of finding the P to make up LYMPH.

Y was the hero letter of the day featuring in the trickiest word but also helping out at the end of two others — MOLDY and MEALY — making for an easier game than usual.

Daily Sequence today (game #1664) — the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1664, are…

• FIBRE
• JUMPY
• LATHE
• LIVER

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1663, Friday, 14 August: SEIZE, MYRRH, SANER, GLOAT
• Quordle #1662, Thursday, 13 August: TOPAZ, PURGE, WHINE, SIGHT
• Quordle #1661, Wednesday, 12 August: HOTLY, CROWD, HEART, SWASH
• Quordle #1660, Tuesday, 11 August: ONSET, BRAWL, TEPID, SLANG
• Quordle #1659, Monday, 10 August: GAVEL, CRUSH, SPEED, ETHOS
• Quordle #1658, Sunday, 9 August: KAPPA, WIDEN, FOLIO, STEEP
• Quordle #1657, Saturday, 8 August: FUROR, BUGLE, REUSE, SCOOP
• Quordle #1656, Friday, 7 August: AMISS, SHIRK, SALSA, RABBI
• Quordle #1655, Thursday, 6 August: AMUSE, BRAND, CEDAR, BLURB
• Quordle #1654, Wednesday, 5 August: MOUND, WRONG, STOOD, WEIRD
• Quordle #1653, Tuesday, 4 August: GOOEY, TARDY, HUMAN, CHALK
• Quordle #1652, Monday, 3 August: FUNGI, MUDDY, DEBUT, MANIA
• Quordle #1651, Sunday, 2 August: BOOTH, EASEL, REACH, MAKER
• Quordle #1650, Saturday, 1 August: OMEGA, BIRCH, SMOCK, EERIE
• Quordle #1649, Friday, 31 July: MANIA, SINGE, STOOL, LOFTY
• Quordle #1648, Thursday, 30 July: MODAL, IDLER, CHUMP, LUMPY
• Quordle #1647, Wednesday, 29 July: GAWKY, ALLOY, AUDIT, LATCH
• Quordle #1646, Tuesday, 28 July: SMITE, ROACH, RUDDY, GLOBE
• Quordle #1645, Monday, 27 July: TAFFY, FIGHT, GUILD, WAGER
• Quordle #1644, Sunday, 26 July: STOMP, LIMIT, FUNKY, STEAD