Technology

I’d bet you’ve seen a Vestaboard out and about – some coffee shops use them to let you know an order is ready, hotels have them around showing the weather or custom text, restaurants have them up, and you can even have one in your home or apartment.

It’s been around for a bit, and there’s even a smaller, much more affordable version up for now – more on that later – but the Vestaboard is an expensive smart display that lacks an LED screen, and that makes it especially refreshing.

The Vestaboard itself doesn’t scream 'smart', and that’s sort of the point; it’s a classic ticker board that seems like it was taken straight out of an old airport terminal or train station. But these 132-character modules, they can flip, fold, and flap to instantly display the right character, icon, or color. Since it’s connected to the internet, you can send almost anything to it… assuming it fits.

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I’ve been testing a Vestaboard review unit for a while and have used it to display various things, including the weather, what’s currently playing on Spotify, a random Springsteen lyric, election results, the latest sports scores, and even inspirational quotes. With any of these, when it gets the input from the companion app for iOS or Android, as well as a status update from one of the connected services, it will spring to life and update the board.

This could be switching from the weather forecast, which flashes every morning, to a quote of the day, or, if I have it synced with music playback, updating every time a new song begins. Yes, the turning of the flaps to display a new message can be quite jarring at first, but I’ve grown accustomed to it. I really like the simplicity of this smart display.

The price of that simplicity and minimalism doesn’t come cheap, though. The Vestaboard is $3,499 (about £2,500 / AU$5,300) in either Flagship Black or Vestaboard White, and to get access to these third-party extensions and service connections, you’ll need Vestaboard Plus at $99.99 (about £70 / AU$150) a year. Clearly not super accessible or affordable, though there is a cheaper, smaller, equally click-clacky Vestaboard Note up for order now at the discounted price of $899 (about £660 / AU$1,370), which will eventually jump to $1,299 (about £950 / AU$2,000).

Price aside, let’s dive into the Vestaboard, starting with the fact that it needs to be wall-mounted. Fortunately, a plate is included in the box. I was able to install the unit itself with the help of a family member, first mounting the wall bracket, then the central unit, plugging it into power, and then attaching the cover over the front.

(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

The Vestaboard comes with a super-short power cable, which isn’t ideal, especially for renters. Why? Well, you’re likely not someone who’s installing a dedicated outlet for this, and you’ll need to pay $24 for a longer, eight-foot power cable that the brand sells, or opt for an extension of some sort. Considering the unit itself is so expensive, I really wish you got both in the box, or just the longer one.

To be clear, though, it can’t just stand up on its own, so you’ll need to wall-mount it. As much as it is a smart display and messaging board, it is also designed to be an art piece that can be updated. You can even design your own creations with icons and colored flaps to appear on the board or, with Vestaboard+, have it cycle through several categories, either user-generated or made in-house at the company.

Once mounted and plugged in, I followed the steps in the app to discover the Vestaboard, connected it to the Wi-Fi, and walked through the tutorial. I also made the call to pay the $95 for a year of Vestaboard Plus, as it really makes the experience. I do believe it should be included, as it gives you access to a whole range of pre-made things to toss up and extensions.

(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

The latter are the most exciting – I can sync my Vestaboard with my Sonos account to display the song title and artist when it’s playing, or even connect with a specific service like Spotify. There’s also a host of content, including daily jokes, little games like word scrambles, and quotes from anything – from Bruce Springsteen songs to Disney movies or historical figures. It’s extensive and aims to encompass a variety of genres.

(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

You can also write out anything custom you’d like to display – so for a friend’s birthday, I could write 'Happy Birthday Karalyn', or for a New Year’s Eve party, I had the Vestaboard display ticker a countdown that ended with it saying 'Happy New Year' and flipping the various flaps to simulate fireworks.

There was even a Santa Tracker – though TechRadar’s own live blog was a bit more real-time – an election tracker, and nearly all major sports leagues are covered here. I also have mine set to display the weather forecast daily at 8am, and it’s nice to quickly glance at the screen and see if I need an umbrella or not. Again, you don’t need to spend $3,500 just for that, but it’s part of the Vestaboard experience.

One thing to note is that the Vestaboard can't be used to control other smart home gadgets. It’s really a display board that can be used for custom messaging, text from widgets, or art created using its colored flaps. It’s a high-priced, expensive smart home device that’s definitely a lavish expense, but I have no doubt that it’ll be delightful when it starts to display something fresh.

(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

At this price, I truly believe that the longer power cord and a subscription to Plus should be included in the box. I mean, $3,500 is a lot, and depending on your setup, you’ll need the power cord, and the subscription really lets you get the most out of the device.

I think that’s what makes the smaller Vestaboard Note really exciting, and the fact that the ecosystem is slowly but surely expanding. Similar to spending thousands of dollars on a TV, the Vestaboard falls into the nice-to-have category.

After a few months of testing, the thrill hasn’t worn off; I’ve just grown more used to it springing to life to update the ticker board. It’s easily one of the most elegant pieces of tech in my apartment, and the one that catches the attention of family and friends every time, without fail.

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• ChatGPT is being asked some interesting security questions
• Users are concerned about phishing, scams, and privacy
• Personal information is being fed into the AI agent, putting users at risk

AI is fast becoming a personal advisor for many people, offering help with daily schedules, rewording those difficult emails, and even acting as a fellow enthusiast for niche hobbies.

While these uses are typically harmless, many people have begun using ChatGPT to act as a security guru, but not doing it in a particularly secure way.

New research from NordVPN has uncovered some of the questions ChatGPT is asked about security – from dodging phishing attacks to wondering if a smart toaster could become a household threat.

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Don’t feed ChatGPT your details

The top security question asked by ChatGPT users is “How can I recognize and avoid phishing scams?” - which is understandable given that phishing is probably the most common cyber threat any normal person could face.

The rest of the questions follow a similar trajectory, from insight into the best VPN, to tips on how best to secure personal information online. It's definitely refreshing to see AI being used as a force for good at a time when hackers are cracking AI tools to pump out malware.

It’s not all good news though, I’m afraid. NordVPN’s research also highlighted some of the most bizarre security questions people are asking ChatGPT, such as, “Can hackers steal my thoughts through my smartphone?”, and, “If I delete a virus by pressing the delete key, is my computer safe?”

Others voice concerns about hackers potentially hearing them whisper their password as they type it, or hackers using ‘the cloud’ to snoop on their phones while it charges during a thunderstorm.

"While some questions are serious and insightful, others are hilariously bizarre — but they all reveal a troubling reality: Many people still misunderstand cybersecurity. This knowledge gap leaves them exposed to scams, identity theft, and social engineering. Worse, users unknowingly share personal data while seeking help,” says Marijus Briedis, CTO at NordVPN.

Many users will frequently ask AI models questions that include sensitive personal information, such as physical addresses, contact information, credentials, and banking information.

This is particularly dangerous as most AI models will store the chat history and use it to help train the AI to better respond to questions. The key issue being that hackers could potentially use very carefully engineered prompts to extract sensitive information from the AI, and use it for all kinds of nefarious purposes.

“Why does this matter? Because what may seem like a harmless question can quickly turn into a real threat,” says Briedis. “Scammers can exploit the information users share — whether it’s an email address, login credentials, or payment details — to launch phishing attacks, hijack accounts, or commit financial fraud. A simple chat can end up compromising your entire digital identity.”

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• PlayStation is sticking to its strategy of not launching first-party games on PS Plus on day one
• PlayStation vice president of global services Nick Maguire says "we’re not looking to put games in day and date"
• He adds that bringing games to the service 12-18 months after they've released is "working really well across the platform"

PlayStation has confirmed that it will be sticking to its current launch strategy and won't start releasing first-party games on PS Plus on day one.

In an interview with Game File, PlayStation vice president of global services Nick Maguire explained that the company is not looking to change its policy by adding first-party titles to the subscription service the same day they release, unlike Xbox with Game Pass.

"We’ve sort of stayed true to our strategy across the board, where we’re not looking to put games in day and date," Maguire said.

Xbox has remained consistent with how it releases exclusive titles, like Starfield and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, to Game Pass, however, as Maguire goes on to explain, Sony only adds its first-party titles to PS Plus at least 18 months after launch.

"Our strategy of finding four or five independent day-and-date titles - and using that to complement our strategy of bringing games in when they’re 12, 18 months old or older - that balance for us is working really well across the platform," he said. "If there were six or seven great opportunities, then we would go for them as well."

God of War Ragnarok, which launched in late 2022, wasn't available on PS Plus until January 2025, almost 26 months later, while Horizon Forbidden West, which was released in February 2022, was added a lot sooner in February 2023 before it was later removed from the service in 2024.

When asked if PlayStation would ever consider adding first party live-service games to PS Plus, like Concord - a game that was taken offline after just two weeks - Maguire declined to comment but did say that the service has "proven itself to be a great way to introduce new players to franchises".

"There's always going to be a moment for any game where there's the right time for it to go into Plus, when it's ready to reach a wider audience or… to find new fans or new parts of our platform that it hasn't already reached," Maguire said.

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• Sony celebrates 15 years of PlayStation Plus with a summer of exclusive offers for members
• PS Plus Premium members can experience a Game Trial of Monster Hunter Wilds and WWE 2K25
• Several events, including an Online Multiplayer weekend, will also be held this month

Sony is celebrating 15 years of PlayStation Plus with a summer of exclusive offers for members.

Starting now throughout summer, Sony will be commemorating the service's latest milestone by running a series of activities available to subscribers.

"PlayStation Plus is celebrating its 15-year anniversary later this month, and it’s amazing to see how much the service has evolved since it first launched on June 29, 2010," Sony said on PlayStation Blog. "From all of us at Sony Interactive Entertainment, we want to send out a huge thank you to all our fans for your support throughout these years."

First up is a Game Trial of WWE 2K25 for PS Plus Premium members, which is available now, as well as a Game Trial for one of the best games of the year so far, Monster Hunter Wilds, which can be claimed on June 30.

Subscribers can also redeem the Valorant PS Plus Pack today, which features a set of cosmetic items including 2x Prelude to Chaos Gun Buddy, 1x Kohaku & Matsuba Player Card, 1x Imperium Spray, 1x Chronovoid Spray, and 10x Radianite Points.

Sony will then host a PlayStation Store Exclusive Offer Weekend on June 27 to June 29, which will offer members the opportunity to grab exclusive savings on titles such as Sniper Elite: Resistance, Sid Meier’s Civilization VII, and Star Wars Outlaws.

A special PlayStation Plus 15th Anniversary Cup tournament will then be held on June 28, where players will be able to compete in games like EA Sports FC, NBA 2K, UFC, Madden NFL, College Football, Tekken 8, and more for a chance to win prizes including in-game virtual currency, an exclusive PSN avatar, and Sony Pictures Core Movie Credits.

An Online Multiplayer weekend will also kick off the same day until June 29, where players can join online multiplayer matches with no PlayStation Plus membership required, and, finally, from today through August 12, Premium members can unlock a 15% discount on up to 2,000 movies store-wide across the Sony Pictures Core library.

Alongside these offers, Sony has also announced the batch of free PS4 and PS5 games for the month of July, which includes Diablo 4, The King of Fighters XV, and Jusant.

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• For every one person who prefers interacting with AI, 4.4 prefer speaking with humans
• Baby-boomers are seriously anti-AI when it comes to customer service
• Report highlights the value of human connection

According to new research from Okta, 70% of consumers prefer interacting with humans, with only 16% opting for AI agents over humans.

In the UK, this trend is even more pronounced, with just 11% preferring AI agent interactions and one in two (54%) not even trusting AI with their personal data.

Moreover, barely one in three (36%) see any real benefit in AI agents altogether, suggesting that the productivity-enhancing technology might not be at its most useful in customer service settings.

Consumers just want humans

Artificial intelligence is most valued in language translation, research and writing – outputs that are task-orientated, rather than the transactional conversations that are typical of customer service agents.

Globally, Okta found that the ratio of those who prefer humans to those that prefer AI stands at 4.4:1, however countries like the US (4.2:1), Japan (3.4:1) and India (1.1:1) were less worried about talking with humans. Still, no country scored higher for AI, highlighting the importance of human interaction and involvement in customer service.

Okta also compared generations, with baby-boomers hugely less likely to want to talk to AI (41.5:1) – way more than Gen X (9.8:1), Millennials (3.2:1) and Gen Z (2.3:1).

Quite simply, it's the human touch that gives humans the upper edge – 'A human understands my needs better', said two in three (64%) respondents. Frustration when dealing with AI agents was also a significant frustration (38%).

However, there are some benefits to interacting with AI, including quicker and more streamlined responses without emotional bias.

Looking ahead, Okta calls for a measured and calculated approach to AI agents, building security and privacy-first initiatives into them from the get-go. "Finally, don’t overlook the value of human agents – if one thing is clear from the survey, it’s that users still value that human connection," the report concludes.

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• You can now pay annually for Google AI Pro for the first time
• The overall price is the equivalent of getting two months for free
• As yet, ChatGPT doesn't offer annual subscription options

Good news if you're fully committed to Google Gemini AI, and you like saving money: the Google AI Pro subscription can now be purchased annually as well as monthly, and you 'll save yourself a chunk of money if you pay year-to-year.

As spotted by 9to5Google, you can now pay $199.99 for a year of AI goodness, instead of the existing $19.99 a month option – with the latter working out as $239.88 over the 12 months ($39.89 more than an annual plan).

In the UK, your options are £18.99 a month or £189.99 a year (saving you £37.89). It's not immediately clear if the deal is the same in Australia, but there the monthly fee is AU$32.99 – so presumably you'd be looking at AU$329.99 a year (saving AU$65.89). Essentially, you're getting two months free if you pay for a year in advance.

Of course, the downside of annual plans is that you're committed for a full year, so you can't opt out whenever you like – which is why you'll often see annual plans available for less overall, in all the places where you're signing up for a subscription.

How does ChatGPT compare?

Subscription

Monthly price

Annual price

Google AI Pro

$19.99 / £18.99 / AU$32.99

$199.99 / £189.99 (Aus TBC)

Google AI Ultra

$249.99 / £234.99 / AU$409.99

Not available

ChatGPT Plus

$20 / £20 (about AU$30.58)

Not available

ChatGPT Pro

$200 / £200 (about AU$306)

Not available

ChatGPT Plus remains at $20 / £20 per month (AU$30.58 at current rates). There's no option to pay annually as yet, and you can also put up $200 / £200 (about AU$306) per month for the top-tier ChatGPT Pro plan, with fewer limits and more features.

For comparison purposes, Google's own super-charged, pro-level plan is Google AI Ultra, and that's going to set you back $249.99 / £234.99 / AU$409.99 per month. At the time of writing, there's no option to pay annually (perhaps understandably), though you do get the first three months for half price if you want to give it a try.

All of which means there's not too much to choose between the monthly costs of Gemini and ChatGPT, when it comes to the cheaper plans that most people are going to sign up for – but if you want to pay annually and save, that's only possible on the Google service.

We'll have to wait and see whether ChatGPT responds with an annual plan of its own. It's also worth mentioning that you can use both Gemini and ChatGPT for free, but with a limited set of features and more restrictions on your usage.

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