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The AirPods Pro 3 haven't been this cheap since Prime Day — the 'near-perfect' buds are $60 off today

TechRadar News - Thu, 08/06/2026 - 13:39

The Apple AirPods Pro 3 have just received a surprise price cut at Amazon, bringing the excellent premium earbuds down to just $189 (was $249) at the retailer.

That's the lowest price since the retailer's annual Prime Day mega-sale back in June, and likely the best deal we'll see for a while. Ever since Prime Day, these buds have stubbornly held at $199, which is the usual 'sales price' for Apple's premium buds.

Even though the record low is officially $169, the AirPods Pro 3 only hit that on one occasion over Prime Day, so today's price cut is definitely worth considering. Even at $189, the AirPods Pro 3 are an excellent buy for anyone looking for some high-end buds. Not only do they feature excellent noise cancellation, but they're packed with new features like heart rate monitoring and Live Translation.

The AirPods Pro 3 are cheaper today at Amazon

Amazon has dropped Apple's AirPods Pro 3 to $189.99, which is the best deal I've seen on these buds in well over a month. Upgrades to the AirPods Pro 3 include improved Active Noise Cancellation and audio, a new comfortable in-ear design, and new features such as live translation and the ability to track heart rate, workouts, and calories burned.View Deal

Are the latest AirPods Pro 3 worth it?

(Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future)

We awarded the buds an impressive four and a half stars out of five in our AirPods Pro 3 review, calling them 'near-perfect noise-cancelling earbuds' at the time. While not exactly cheap, they offer excellent noise cancellation and sound quality.

If we had to draw any criticisms, we'd mention that the AirPods Pro 3 don't have class-leading battery life (around 5.5 hours in our testing). You'll also need one of the latest iPhones to really take advantage of their full suite of features like Live Translation and personalized fitness insights. They're still great with older devices, but iPhone 15 and newer devices support Apple Intelligence, which is required for the newest bells and whistles.

Categories: Technology

My Life with the Walter Boys season 3 'fatal' shock ending could kill off one beloved character — but Netflix's season 4 renewal announcement might have already confirmed otherwise

TechRadar News - Thu, 08/06/2026 - 13:00

Spoilers for My Life with the Walter Boys season 3 ahead.

If you watched My Life with the Walter Boys season 3 with the hope that Jackie (Nikki Rodriguez) and Cole (Noah LaLonde) would be more loved up than ever before, you were sadly never going to get your wish.

Just before the season finale, Netflix pried the two apart once again, with Cole listening to Jackie's uncle Richard's (Alex Quijano) 'advice,' and believing that he was holding Jackie back from fulfilling her full potential.

Not only did this leave Jackie rightly heartbroken, but it's thrust her into the arms of newcomer Eliot (Naveen Paddock), who is all too happy to back Richard's beliefs up. While Jackie and Eliot move in for their first kiss at the community space launch party, Cole leaves his drag race final to try and win her back.

But before he can, disaster strikes. A mysterious car pulls up while Cole is driving to the party, and we see that it's the drag racing contestant who Cole left behind in the final.

He's clearly annoyed that the race has been cancelled, and is looking to take his revenge. Finally, the two cars clip, sending Cole's car into a nearby field, where it continues to roll.

Heading into the already-renewed My Life with the Walter Boys season 4, Cole has been left for dead. Or has he? I'm convinced that the first details Netflix has revealed about the next season have also confirmed that Cole is still alive.

Noah LaLonde will be returning for My Life with the Walter Boys season 4 — and that's good news

According to Netflix, actor Noah LaLonde will be returning for season 4, with filming having started in Calgary in May 2026. He's seen in a new image of him, Rodriguez, and Ashby Gentry (Alex) on set, with the streamer confirming that the trio is "embarking on the next chapter."

Given that the endgame of the Netflix series is surely to romantically unite Jackie and Cole for good — they just have to go through the worst in order to get there. Frankly, it would be ridiculous for showrunners to kill Cole off completely, especially considering that Alex has finally admitted his feelings for Kiley (Mya Lowe).

Hopefully, Cole's accident is the catalyst for bringing him back to Jackie, and will allow Jackie to fully forgive Cole for so coldly dumping her during season 3. Then, of course, there's the question of whether Jackie actually follows through with her kiss with Eliot at the same time that Cole crashes.

I've got a sneaking suspicion that she'll pull away at the last second... but perhaps that's wishful thinking. It's certainly a moment that her future relationship with Cole could hinge on, if he pulls through.

There is a worst-case scenario, however. LaLonde could simply be returning to film flashback scenes, or to communicate with Jackie through visions from beyond the grave. It's not something we can totally rule out, but it certainly would take My Life with the Walter Boys down a much darker route.

But how likely is this? At the moment, it's far too early to make a call. However, my educated guess is that Cole and Jackie will be just fine in the long run... sometimes, it takes the worst kind of tragedy to realize what you really want.

Categories: Technology

Google Wallet Now Lets Parents Create Secure Tap and Pay Balances for Kids

CNET News - Thu, 08/06/2026 - 12:24
The new feature gives kids a way to manage their money without a bank account.
Categories: Technology

35 years ago today, the World Wide Web changed our lives forever — as Tim Berners-Lee says, ‘trading personal data for use certainly does not fit with my vision for a free web’

TechRadar News - Thu, 08/06/2026 - 12:20
  • The World Wide Web was created 35 years ago today
  • It was initially designed for sharing documents at CERN
  • Its creator says we can return to its spirit of openness and collaboration

These days, it’s hard to go long without connecting to the Internet in one way or another: whether through one of the best web browsers or by connecting to a smart home device, it’s something we often take for granted. The primary means of interacting online — the World Wide Web — has just turned 35 years old today, and its creator has a timely message that couldn’t be more relevant for modern users.

The World Wide Web is the creation of British computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee. Working at the scientific body CERN in the 1980s and 1990s, Berners-Lee wanted a way to store, update, and locate documents within the sprawling organization. At the same time, he sought a solution that would allow for these documents to be shared with outside bodies quickly and straightforwardly.

That desire led to his creation of the World Wide Web. It was announced to the public on August 6, 1991, with Berners-Lee humbly stating that “We are very interested in spreading the web to other areas.” It was a platform whereby anyone could link to any document in a database using hyperlinks, or links embedded in text, images, and other media. Importantly, multiple users were able to access this platform simultaneously and independently of each other.

Adoption quickly spread from CERN to other research organizations before being opened up to the wider public, whereupon it exploded in popularity. And 35 years later, it’s an invention that has turned the world on its head.

An absolutely vital component of this system was that it had to be both free and decentralized. Berners-Lee was adamant that anyone should be able to create a website and implement hyperlinks on their own, without paying a fee and without a central body dictating what could and could not be done. That principle of openness still stands today — but it’s increasingly under threat.

‘It’s not too late’

(Image credit: CERN)

Speaking to The Guardian in September 2025, Berners-Lee lamented that plenty of the web today is no longer free and open. “We see a handful of large platforms harvesting users’ private data to share with commercial brokers or even repressive governments,” he noted, adding: “We see ubiquitous algorithms that are addictive by design and damaging to our teenagers’ mental health. Trading personal data for use certainly does not fit with my vision for a free web.”

At the same time, user data is sold “to actors we never intended it to reach,” with the result being “deliberately harmful content that leads to real-world violence, spreads misinformation, wreaks havoc on our psychological wellbeing and seeks to undermine social cohesion.”

This is especially challenging in the age of AI, Berners-Lee argued. To put things right and get back to the original vision of his creation, the father of the web advocated for strong AI governance and guidance from organizations that are not motivated by data and profit but instead by collaboration and the needs of the individual. On this point, Berners-Lee quipped: “It is hard to imagine a big tech company agreeing to share the world wide web for no commercial reward like CERN allowed me to.”

As the World Wide Web turns 35, the spirit of “collaboration, creativity and compassion” that allowed it to be given away for free is being increasingly challenged by Big Tech — but Berners-Lee still thinks there’s time to put things right: “We can re-empower individuals, and take the web back. It’s not too late.”

Categories: Technology

You Can Now Have Unlimited Text Chats Without Paying for ChatGPT

CNET News - Thu, 08/06/2026 - 12:00
OpenAI is upgrading its default options for free and paying ChatGPT users.
Categories: Technology

BenQ Creative Pro PD2732U review: The clue is in the name, this is an affordable and effective 4K monitor for creative professionals

TechRadar News - Thu, 08/06/2026 - 11:56

If the clue is in the name, it's not hard to clock who the BenQ Creative Pro PD2732U is aimed at. This is a very well specified 27-inch 4K IPS monitor that's been carefully optimised for creative workflows while hitting an accessible price point.

For sure, there are still much cheaper 27-inch 4K monitors. But not with the suite of connectivity and colour management features offered here.

On the connectivity side, that includes Thunderbolt 4, an integrated KVM switch and display daisy chaining support. If anything, however, the features for creative workflows are even more comprehensive.

That starts with excellent colour coverage given the price point and extends to factory calibration and hardware calibration support, Pantone Validation, Calman certification, specific support for MacOS devices and more. There are also some neat extras, including a wireless control puck that makes it as quick and easy as possible to switch between colour modes and inputs.

The one obvious feature omission is true HDR capability. There is HDR10 support. But without local dimming hardware, the actual HDR performance is very limited. But then this monitor is not intended to replace an HDR reference monitor, which is a very different market with monitors costing upwards of 10 times the price.

On paper, then, the BenQ Creative Pro PD2732U looks set to take its place as the affordable display of choice for creative pros among the best photo editing monitors we've tested. But does it actually deliver?

BenQ Creative Pro PD2732U: Design and featuresFutureFutureFuture
  • Slick design
  • Excellent connectivity
  • Creator-centric feature set
Specs

Panel size: 27-inch

Panel type: IPS

Resolution: 3,840 x 2,160

Brightness: 400 nits

Contrast: 1,000:1 (static)

Pixel response: 5ms

Refresh rate: 60Hz

Color coverage: 99% DCI-P3, 99% Adobe RGB

HDR: HDR10

VESA: 100mm x 100mm

Connectivity: HDMI 2.0 x1, DisplayPort 1.4 x1, Thunderbolt 4 x2 with 90W PD and daisy chaining, USB hub with USB-C x1 and USB-A x3

The BenQ Creative Pro PD2732U looks familiar and that's no bad thing. It sports BenQ's premium design ethic of the last few years and it remains a cut above much of the competition in terms of both visual appeal and overall build quality.

The part metal construction and gun metal colorway is certainly more appealing than the often creaky feeling and anonymous black plastic of much of the monitor market, that's for sure. OK, Apple's displays including the latest Studio Display XDR, feel quite a bit better built still. But then they're much more expensive, too.

If styling is ultimately a subjective call, what can't be objectively denied is the BenQ Creative Pro PD2732U's excellent all-round feature set that's been fully optimised for creative professionals.

First up, there's good color coverage, including 99% of both DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB. Those figures are better than you'll find on cheaper 4K IPS monitors, which tend to be around the 95% to 97% range. The PD2732U also comes factory calibrated with sub-2 DeltaE across the board and further supports hardware calibration.

(Image credit: Future)

What's more, it's Pantone Validated, Pantone SkinTone Validated, and has Calman Verified certification. When you factor in the wide Adobe RGB coverage, this monitor is particularly well suited to digital-to-print workflows and photography, including SDR color grading.

It's also well specified for SDR video workflows, though with a peak brightness of 400 nits and no local dimming, it's far less optimised for HDR content, albeit with HDR10 and HLG support, it can at least accept an HDR signal.

Connectivity is another major part of the PD2732U's appeal, starting with a main Thunderbolt 4 interface and 90 W of power delivery. That's supported by a Thunderbolt out port, allowing for display daisy chaining and dual-monitor setups via a single cable. Incidentally, all of the primary connectors hook up perpendicularly on the rear as opposed to up from the bottom, which is generally a plus in terms of ease of use and access.

There's also Smart KVM, allowing you to use a single keyboard and mouse with two computing devices, handy if you regularly switch between, say, a Mac and PC. Speaking of Apple Macs, BenQ has included its M-Book color space mode, which BenQ says, "minimises the visual differences between the monitor and the connected MacBook series product."

Exactly how it differs from the P3 mode which BenQ also includes and aligns with the default P3 operation of MacOS isn't clear. But the results are good, all the same. With M-Book mode enabled, this display is an excellent visual match for MacBook displays.

Rounding out the main features both physically and figuratively is the BenQ Hotkey Puck. It's basically a wireless controller that simplifies settings access via shortcut functionality. It offers three customisable keys for quick access to Color Mode, Input, KVM, or app launch. It also has a rotary dial for precise control over brightness, contrast, and volume.

BenQ Creative Pro PD2732U: PerformanceFutureFutureFuture
  • Good color coverage
  • Nicely calibrated
  • Limited SDR brightness

If you want a really succinct summary of the BenQ Creative Pro PD2732U's performance, what you're looking at is a 27-inch 4K IPS monitor with some added color coverage and capability.

Out of the box, it's very nicely calibrated, both in sRGB mode on PC or in M-Book mode with a Mac. In both cases, color rendering is accurate and pleasing. The one potential snag is brightness in SDR mode.

For most serious professional SDR content creation workflows, this is not going to be a problem. You'll likely be targeting a brightness level well below 200 nits, which this display will easily achieve. But it won't do the full 400 nits in any of its SDR modes.

If anything, what the capped SDR brightness does is underline that this monitor isn't an ideal choice for generic computing remits, where you might want a bit more day-to-day pop. You can pay less and get more in that regard from what you might call a standard 27-inch 4K monitor.

That said, you can see the full capability, in brightness terms, of the PD2732U in HDR mode. Indeed, if you then crank up the brightness of SDR content in either the MacOS or Windows display settings, the result is actually nicely calibrated SDR colors and plenty of visual punch. But that's ultimately something of an aside given that this monitor lacks local dimming and has very limited actual HDR capability.

It's also worth noting that the refresh rate is limited to 60Hz. Again, for the content creation remit, this is not a technical limitation. It's just that if you are used to 120Hz-plus displays, 60Hz doesn't feel terribly slick or responsive. It's a day-to-day feel issue rather than being relevant to the vast majority of content workflows.

Of course, as a 27-inch 4K monitor, you also get decent pixel density and thus good image detail and crisp text rendering. The pixel density of around 160DPI isn't up to full Apple Retina display standards, which would require something above 200DPI and a native resolution of 5K on this display size. But it's still pretty sharp.

BenQ Creative Pro PD2732U: Final verdictFutureFutureFuture

The BenQ Creative Pro PD2732U is either very sharply priced or not great value depending on what you're looking for. As a general computing display it's both pretty expensive and slightly flawed.

You can get far cheaper 27-inch 4K IPS monitors than this. Indeed, you can have one with 144Hz refresh for under half the price. What you won't get for less money, or arguably even the same price as the PD2732U's $699 / £649 asking, is anything like the same feature set for content creation.

The combination of excellent color coverage, various validation standards, and good factory calibration makes this an excellent choice for a sensible-money monitor for SDR content creation of pretty much any kind.

Sure, it's arguably still more of a prosumer display than, say, a true professional class grading monitor. But even in a really demanding professional context, it wouldn't be at all shabby, which is impressive for the price.

Then factor in some neat touches, like the wireless control puck, and excellent connectivity and you have a recipe for one of the most compelling content creation monitors currently available at an affordable price point. That's very much the remit BenQ was aiming for and fair to say the company has nailed it.

FutureFutureFuture

For more displays, we've tested the best business monitors and the best monitors for video editing.

Categories: Technology

Heatwaves are getting so bad you can buy this portable 'human fridge' in Japan to save you from heatstroke —and it'll blast you with 41F air

TechRadar News - Thu, 08/06/2026 - 11:39
  • The Do Hiemon Box will cool you down for 20 minutes
  • It blasts air on you at temperatures of 5°C or 41°F
  • The units are being sold to construction sites and golf courses

If you're in Japan, you have an alternative to air conditioning units and portable fans when it comes to staying cool in sweltering temperatures: a human-sized refrigerator that you can sit inside when the heatwaves get too much.

This is the Do Hiemon Box from Trusco Nakayama (via The Japan Times), and it'll blast your body with air cooled down to a refreshing 5°C or 41°F — about the same temperature as a chiller in a standard refrigerator.

It requires no installation, can be moved on wheels, and according to Trusco Nakayama it beats other solutions by cooling the entire body down evenly. After 20 minutes, the unit automatically switches off to prevent overcooling, and you're back out into the heat.

As per The Japan Times, a couple of hundred of these units have been sold across construction sites, golf courses, leisure facilities, and university campuses since the chamber went on sale earlier this year.

It'll cost you

You need a standard electrical outlet for this to work, and you also need access to the 1.5 million yen it costs (that's about $9,480 / £7,040 / AU$13,460). These personal cooling machines don't exactly come cheap.

The idea is that you get quick, temporary protection against heat exhaustion and heatstroke — a growing problem in our warming world — rather than using this as an air conditioned office or a space to relax in.

According to a Trusco Nakayama executive speaking to The Japan Times, enquiries about the fridge have come from as far afield as Germany and the US. The company is hoping to find more business at summer festivals and shopping malls.

Before long you might find yourself queuing up for a slot in the human fridge as well as for the loos at your next festival trip — another depressing sign of the consequences of climate change that show no signs of being reversed.

Categories: Technology

Is Google Gemini trained on Google docs? One indie developer thinks so, after it told players about his unreleased game plans

TechRadar News - Thu, 08/06/2026 - 11:36
  • A game developer claims Gemini leaked information in his private Google Docs
  • Per screenshots shared online, the AI told players info the dev claims was never made public
  • TechRadar has tried recreating the results, without success

Is Google Gemini secretly scraping our Google Docs to train its AI? That’s something one game developer is wondering after a player was able to learn unreleased information about their game from the AI — including specific details the dev claims were never shared outside of a private Google Doc.

According to the developer’s Reddit post, specifically Google’s AI knew the name of a character ‘Vantage Tripod’ before it had ever been released publicly — the most the fanbase knew was that there’s a ‘Tripod Fish’ character planned for the game, but not this exact name. It also seemed to be able to regurgitate accurate information related to unreleased mechanics that the developer says they had only written into GDocs the day before the player’s AI interaction.

The developer admitted Google’s AI made a few mistakes, but said that some details were scarily accurate in many ways — accurate enough that the developer is certain Google must have scrapped his private documents.

Google says Gemini can access Google Docs information, but only does so when given express permission — such as being asked to summarise a document — and it adds that even when it does go into your files, Gemini handles data transiently. That is, Google’s AI won’t retain anything.

(Image credit: Google)

There are a couple of exceptions to this. If a Google Doc is accessible to ‘Anyone with the link’ and that link is posted publicly online (such as on a page or in a forum) Google could scrape it for training data. Alternatively, if you’ve allowed a third-party extension to scrape your Google Docs, it’s possible Gemini could get access to that data — indirectly seeing what’s in your docs.

If you were to type out info from your docs into Google Gemini, it would also learn about what you had written that way.

Despite Google’s promises, some aren’t entirely convinced. The thread I shared above (along with plenty of anti-AI and anti-Google subreddits) is full of people certain that Google has drained their digital files for all the data it can find. Privacy company Proton has also published an article outlining details such as Google’s privacy hub not explicitly saying it won’t use your content for AI training.

So many unknowns

I’ve reached out to Google with a request for comment about what has happened here (it has yet to get back to me), and while waiting for an answer I had an attempt at recreating the responses by prompting Gemini myself with no luck. It’s only reference to these details was the Reddit post information.

Later screenshots shared by the developer show the friend who got the AI to divulge the details originally also failed to recreate the “fluke.”

What does it know? (Image credit: Google)

The whole situation is very weird and it’s impossible to tell exactly what has happened, based on the information available. While it certainly looks like Gemini has used information it shouldn’t have, it's equally possible that the developer has provided the AI or the friend with access to that information without realising — allowing Gemini to respond the way it did.

The AI could also have hallucinated the information in some way, or perhaps taken inspiration from previous prompts to inform its comments. Further, it’s worth noting that the only responses that would stand out are these two that get very close to the truth, the sea of incorrect guesses that the AI could have given wouldn’t bat an eyelid.

Regardless of what happened it’s another situation that reminds us to be careful with our personal info. Digitally storing personal data has its risks beyond possible AI scraping, and sharing data with an AI often means your private info won’t be private anymore.

Categories: Technology

Capcom says 'approximately 90%' of its sales are digital — and isn't worried about the death of physical games

TechRadar News - Thu, 08/06/2026 - 11:32
  • Capcom doesn't think it will be impacted by the physical game market's decline
  • The Resident Evil publisher says "approximately 90% of our unit sales are digital" and it doesn't "anticipate a significant impact at this time"
  • Sony recently announced plans to end the production of game discs

Capcom has revealed that 90% of its unit sales are digital, so it's unlikely to be significantly impacted by the steady decline of the physical game market.

Things are not looking great for physical media. We recently learned that Sony plans to end physical disc production by January 2028, a decision that has driven a huge wedge between it and the PlayStation fanbase.

Organizations like the Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA) have also condemned the plan, calling it "a triumph of corporate convenience over consumer choice" and said that "the industry should be embracing every legitimate way consumers want to buy games, not narrowing their choices."

"Digital distribution has transformed gaming and is hugely popular, but it should complement physical formats, not replace them," CEO Kim Bayley said. "Consumers deserve the freedom to choose how they buy their entertainment. Removing discs doesn’t represent progress – it simply removes choice. That’s bad for gamers, bad for retailers and ultimately bad for the long-term health and preservation of our games industry."

With Sony seemingly steadfast in its decision despite the backlash, there's also speculation that the PS6 could be an all-digital console. Xbox is also reportedly working on a disc-to-digital feature, which would allow players to digitize their existing physical Xbox game library, and it all seems to be pointing towards a future where digital will reign over physical media; analysts also determine that the $7.2 billion second-hand video game market could be in danger as a result of Sony's decision.

While some game companies are willing to fight to keep physical games alive, others such as Capcom don't necessarily see it as a negative for the company, for now.

During its latest investor Q&A (via IGN), the Resident Evil publisher responded to a query about whether it would be impacted by these recent developments to the physical game market.

"Approximately 90% of our unit sales are digital," Capcom said. "We do not anticipate a significant impact at this time."

In its Q1 financial results, the publisher also revealed that Resident Evil Requiem has now sold over eight million units, noting that the series continues to "increase in popularity with a broad, global audience while sales of the previous titles in the series also grew steadily due to pricing initiatives." However, it's unclear what the divide is between digital and physical sales.

Elsewhere, Sony is reportedly notifying consumers of its decision to end physical disc production in less than two years, with new labels on PS5 consoles.

Categories: Technology

Ghost Recon Wildlands finally gets a 4K 60fps mode for current-gen consoles and PC, a time of day feature, new difficulty options, and more as Ubisoft aims to increase 'player freedom'

TechRadar News - Thu, 08/06/2026 - 11:25
  • Ghost Recon Wildlands is getting a new 60fps 4K resolution mode for current-gen consoles and PC
  • Additional gameplay and UI features have also been added "to improve immersion"
  • Game director Benjamin Lemaire says the team wanted to "give more tools to imagine scenarios while respecting the game systems"

As Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon series celebrates its 25th anniversary, Ubisoft has announced a free Ghost Recon Wildlands 60fps 4K resolution mode for current-gen consoles and PC, alongside other gameplay improvements.

Revealed during the Ghost Recon 25th anniversary showcase today, the 60fps 4K resolution update will be available on PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC.

Ubisoft Bordeaux's creative director Olivier Leonardia and game director Benjamin Lemaire shared more details about the patch, explaining that the team has "listened to all your comments and suggestions" and wanted to deliver on the feature.

But that's not all. The development team went "further" and delivered something called "Ghost Parameters," new gameplay and UI features for both casual and role-playing enthusiasts.

"We wanted to find new ways to improve immersion," Lemaire said, "to give more tools to imagine scenarios while respecting the game systems."

Some of these tools include features that were previously exclusive to the Ghost and other PvE modes, such as authentic reloading, the choice between one or two primary weapons, and optional friendly fire "to enable more realistic play."

"It basically gives more freedom to create the craziest possible scenarios," the game director explained.

On the UI side, players can tune more game elements to their liking, including an intel HUD, input reminders, deactivating the glow on highlighted items and weapon crates, deactivating the preview of throwable items, and more.

The update also adds a time of day feature, a way to define weather controls and fix it to your preference, "so if you want to play a specific mission or scenario at night in the rain, you can do so."

On top of all this, difficulty levels are changing to presets, so players can tweak difficulty parameters however they like. Whether that be adjusting the health regeneration delay, enemy endurance, or vehicle breakability, this option offers "more freedom and a more personalized experience."

Alongside these new features and 60fps/4K resolutions, Ubisoft has launched a free-to-play downloadable content (DLC) for Wildlands, featuring a new story mission and a "complex antagonist" known as La Llorona.

Categories: Technology

Ghost Recon Wildlands gets a new story mission called Last Rites that introduces 'a new kind of danger' as Ubisoft confirms the next game is in development and is now 'ready to put it to the test'

TechRadar News - Thu, 08/06/2026 - 11:15
  • A new Ghost Recon game is in development
  • Ubisoft is asking players to sign up for its Ghost Recon Insider Program for closed testing
  • A free Ghost Recon Wildlands DLC, Last Rites, has also been released

Ubisoft has confirmed that a new Ghost Recon game is in development as it launches a free story mission for Ghost Recon Wildlands titled Last Rites.

Announced during the Ghost Recon 25th anniversary showcase today, the publisher confirmed that "For the past few years, we've been building the next chapter of Ghost Recon," and it's now ready for private testing.

"We want to deliver a fun, fresh experience that stays true to everything that defines Ghost Recon: tactical action, large scale operations, credible military storytelling, and of course, the Ghost Unit," said Live Producer Irina-Gabriela Popa.

With the launch of the new Ghost Recon Insider Program, players who sign up at via the official website will get early access to closed tests and provide feedback to the development team.

Alongside news of a brand new game and the return of the fan-favorite Predator mission, Ubisoft has also released Last Rites, a free-to-play downloadable content (DLC) for Wildlands, featuring a new story mission.

In Last Rites, players will face a new threat named La Llorona in Bolivia, a "complex antagonist" with a dark backstory, on the path to redemption, but also revenge, as well as her cultists, Los Penitentes.

"We crafted this new experience with a view to keeping players on the back foot. So think low visibility, difficult terrain, little to no support, and new gameplay elements that introduce a new kind of danger," said creative director Olivier Leonardia.

"As for La Llorona, players will progressively come to realize that things are not exactly as they were when they started the mission. As they gradually peel off the layers of her world, the mission shifts into something far more unsettling."

Leonardia added, "Ghost Recon wouldn’t be where it is today without the passion, dedication, and feedback of its community over the past 25 years. With Last Rites, we wanted to create an experience that honours that legacy—something that feels authentic to longtime Ghosts, celebrates what makes this franchise special, and reflects our appreciation for the players who have been with us every step of the way."

Ubisoft has also confirmed that a 60fps 4K resolution mode for current-gen consoles and PC, alongside other gameplay improvements and features, will be added to Wildlands.

To celebrate the series' anniversary, Ghost Recon Wildlands and Ghost Recon Breakpoint will be free to play from August 6 to August 10, and fans can claim Ghost Recon: Future Soldier for free on PC through Ubisoft Connect from August 6 to August 13.

In September, the Ghost Recon Breakpoint 25th Anniversary Bundle will also be available and will include free items such as the M4A1 Tactical Brown, Wolf Enhanced Helmet, and Opheis Mk.II Hunter.

Categories: Technology

The 'poison AI' movement wants to corrupt ChatGPT and Gemini to make them useless — but it comes with a huge risk of collateral damage

TechRadar News - Thu, 08/06/2026 - 11:00

AI has acquired an unusual new enemy. A growing AI data poisoning online movement wants to attack the models themselves. The goal is simple enough on paper — feed future AI systems bad information, misleading data, or deliberately corrupted material until they become less useful.

If future versions of ChatGPT, Gemini and other AI models learn from enough misleading, corrupted or intentionally manipulated material, perhaps those systems will become less reliable. Chatbots already confidently repeat nonsense far too often; now imagine it exponentially worse as text and image generators misunderstand every prompt, and the models become too frustrating to trust.

It's not just theory. Data poisoning is an actual area of AI security research. While the argument that making AI systems less reliable will discourage companies from scraping creative work or building ever larger models might entice some, it also risks undermining far more than just the latest trending AI chatbot.

Trying to teach AI all the wrong lessons

Large language models are often described as reading the internet. They absorb enormous collections of books, websites, articles, computer code, images, and documents and learn patterns from them.

Changing enough of that raw material can sometimes change what the finished model learns. Instead of attacking an AI after it has been built, the attacker tries to 'poison' the well of knowledge.

A poisoned model might answer one specific question incorrectly while appearing completely normal the rest of the time. Images might look normal to humans, but contain invisible text designed to confound AI. Other attacks attempt to hide backdoor codes to secret behaviors that remain invisible until a particular trigger phrase appears. The point is precision rather than chaos.

There's a whole philosophy and nascent movement encouraging the practice. Some want to flood the internet with misleading AI-generated content. Others discuss uploading deliberately corrupted information in the hope that tomorrow's models will eventually absorb it. Artists have embraced tools like Nightshade that subtly alter their images before posting them online, making them harder for AI systems to learn from while leaving them almost identical to the human eye.

Polluting the well rarely hurts only one person

But AI poisoning is a lot harder than slipping a little salt into someone's coffee. AI companies filter, clean, and review datasets long before they become part of a model. Poisoning a commercial system is considerably harder than just a misleading Wikipedia paragraph.

That doesn't mean it can't be dangerous. Cybersecurity researchers don't worry about ChatGPT getting a history fact wrong. The real worry is that poisoned information will mess with the behind-the-scenes AI systems used by hospitals, banks, or government agencies. Those models often rely on much narrower datasets and fewer security checks, making them more attractive targets.

A medical assistant that gives excellent advice except for one particular condition or banking software that always includes a hidden security flaw with every update. That's what poisoned data might do if it isn't caught in time. The techniques are not inherently wrong, but they can be abused like any other technology.

None of this means the frustration behind those dreaming of slipping erroneous facts into ChatGPT or Gemini is misplaced. Artists and authors are continuing to fight over AI training data use and misuse. But while the intended target may deserve criticism, poisoning AI data is unlikely to be a long-term solution.

AI already struggles with misinformation, hallucinations, and factual mistakes. Deliberately adding more bad information into the ecosystem risks amplifying exactly the problems critics already complain about. Protecting people, their livelihoods, and creative ownership is essential, but making AI worse will not somehow make the future better.

Categories: Technology

Hackers caught hijacking this Chinese Windows VPN's installers to spread malware

TechRadar News - Thu, 08/06/2026 - 10:19
  • Fortinet experts found malicious code in QuickFox VPN's Windows installer
  • The attack actively avoided personal gaming computers
  • QuickFox has since removed the malicious components from version 3.59.6

Cybersecurity researchers have uncovered a severe supply chain attack targeting QuickFox, a popular Chinese Windows VPN application.

According to a new report from Fortinet’s FortiGuard Labs, attackers trojanized the software's installers for over a year to quietly deploy malicious backdoor implants onto users' machines.

As Fortinet's experts explain, QuickFox "is a VPN proxy and game accelerator typically employed by Chinese users to speed up access to Chinese-based resources, often to improve video game user experience."

However, experts found that malicious actors altered the application's underlying code to deliver a highly targeted malware campaign. The threat actors modified an HTML file within the app's installer to automatically download and execute malicious JavaScript.

To avoid raising suspicion, this malicious code was pulled from a fake domain intentionally registered to mimic QuickFox’s legitimate infrastructure. Fortinet notes that the campaign had been active since at least August 2025, with QuickFox removing the malicious code with version 3.59.6.

TechRadar has not independently verified Fortinet's findings, but we have reached out to QuickFox for comment and will update this article if we receive a reply.

A highly targeted backdoor

(Image credit: QuickFox)

The malware didn't infect everyone who downloaded the compromised VPN software. Instead, it used clever guardrails to filter out standard consumers.

If the malicious script detected Steam — the popular distribution service for online games — running on the victim's device, it immediately stopped the infection process to avoid personal gaming computers.

However, if it found tools used by developers, IT administrators, or cryptocurrency users, such as Visual Studio Code, Telegram, or various cryptocurrency wallets, it proceeded with the attack. This behavior suggests the hackers were explicitly hunting for high-value corporate environments and professionals rather than casual gamers.

When a target was deemed suitable, the script abused a legitimate Microsoft utility to secretly install the FDMTP implant and inject the malware. This persistent backdoor allowed attackers to collect sensitive system information, including IP addresses, active processes, MAC addresses, and usernames.

Because FDMTP is highly modular, it also enabled the hackers to remotely download and execute additional malicious plugins, granting them long-term access to compromised machines.

While macOS builds contained the modified file, the infection process only executed on Windows endpoints. Android and iOS apps were completely unaffected.

How to stay safe

While Fortinet researchers have not confidently attributed the attack to a specific group, they noted significant technical crossovers with Twill Typhoon, a known threat actor.

The good news is that the threat now appears to be contained. According to the cybersecurity firm, "QuickFox has removed the described malicious components from their Windows installer from v3.59.6," following responsible disclosure.

If you have used QuickFox on a Windows machine over the last year, you should immediately update to the latest version directly from the vendor and run a full antivirus scan on your system.

Organizations are also advised to check their networks for any unusual activity or unrecognized file transfers originating from QuickFox installations.

Categories: Technology

Another top router maker accused of firmware having backdoors — Chinese giant Zbtlink halts downloads to fix issue

TechRadar News - Thu, 08/06/2026 - 10:15
  • VulnCheck CTO Jacob Baines reported Zbtlink routers shipped with a built‑in backdoor dubbed ENDLESSDOORS, allowing remote root commands and reverse shells
  • Zbtlink denied malicious intent, calling it an after‑sales maintenance feature, but quietly pulled vulnerable firmware and promised patches
  • Researchers warn all firmware images are hijackable; mitigation advice is to replace devices or enforce strict egress controls and treat LAN as untrusted

Chinese networking firm Zbtlink has been accused of shipping its products with a backdoor - and while the company denies the allegations, it has still apparently moved to address the issue.

CTO of cybersecurity company VulnCheck, Jacob Baines, recently published an in-depth report stating a Zbtlink device he runs “continuously attempts to reach a command-and-control server on the internet.”

“Zbtlink routers phone home, waiting for orders. Not because they were hacked. Because they were shipped that way.”

Detention and escape attempts

Baines dubbed the flaw “ENDLESSDOORS” and says it was uploaded to GitHub in early 2015 and “never touched again”. “It can send the client individual shell commands or tell the client to spawn a reverse bash shell.”

“The vocabulary of this protocol is two phrases: run this as root, and give me a root shell,” he further explained, saying that anyone along the path can hijack the client/server communication. VulnCheck researchers tried it, and apparently - succeeded.

Baines said that every firmware on the company’s download page (roughly two dozen images) is all “hijackable in the same way”, and said the company decided not to “responsibly disclose” the vulnerability since that assumes the vendor did not intend the behavior. "That assumption doesn't hold here."

In response to the allegations, Zbtlink told The Register VulnCheck mischaracterized the code.

“This feature is solely intended for after‑sales maintenance and serves no other purposes,” the company told the publication. “It is generally retained only on sample units to assist customers with software debugging and will not be included in mass‑production shipments.”

The Register didn’t see it as a credible explanation since, in the meantime, the company posted a warning on its downloads page:

“We have detected firmware security vulnerabilities affecting selected router firmware releases. As a precautionary measure, the impacted firmware versions have been temporarily taken down from download channels. Our engineering team is working intensively to develop and validate secured patched firmware.” This warning was allegedly posted sometime in the past seven days.

Baines gave a list of suggestions how to mitigate the risk but ended up saying that “for anything carrying real traffic, our advice is to replace the device, or at minimum move it behind strict egress control and treat its LAN as untrusted.”

Categories: Technology

I spent three hours with Onimusha: Way of the Sword — and its spectacular sword action has me more convinced than ever that Capcom can’t miss

TechRadar News - Thu, 08/06/2026 - 10:00

A new entry in Capcom's cult-classic Onimusha franchise has been a long time coming, and there was no better time than now for its resurgence, during the developer's largely successful RE Engine era.

So far, it seems that the resurgence will pay off extremely well: I spent three hours with the upcoming demon-hunting slasher, Onimusha: Way of the Sword, and I came away absolutely amazed by just how well Capcom has taken the formula from previous entries and modernized it brilliantly.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword absolutely shines within every combat encounter, with its weighty, methodical, and stylish sword clashes. It very much reminds me of From Software's Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, which might sound concerning for those who aren't fans of excessively hard souls games.

You can throw that thought out, though: Way of the Sword is a challenging but very accessible and enjoyable experience, with a variety of boss battles that will test your mettle.

However, with enough practice via boss rematches or against standard enemies in training arenas, similar to previous entries, you'll become accustomed to its combat in no time.

Poised to be the best yet

Rasho-gan's boss battle was intense; a clash with one of the best-designed demons in the game I saw. The opening cutscene was creepy, and it quickly became apparent how cruel the demons are. (Video credit: Capcom)

Onimusha: Way of the Sword is poised to be the best entry in the franchise, without a doubt. It's fair to say that potential acclaim is heavily carried by Capcom's magical RE Engine, responsible for major hits like Resident Evil 4 (2023), Resident Evil Requiem, Monster Hunter World, and other titles in both franchises for almost a decade.

Visuals are at their best in Onimusha: Way of the Sword. Character models, environment details, and the art style all lend to the immersive samurai demon-hunting experience Capcom is trying to deliver — but it's not just about visuals.

I spoke highly of the animations during combat in my coverage of the public demo. After the three-hour preview, I'm convinced that Onimusha: Way of the Sword will set a new standard for sword clashes and how detailed they are.

The 'Issen' technique (evident in the video above) was a core aspect of combat in previous titles and is back and better than ever. It allows players to perform a deadly counterattack right before an enemy attack, and it was a maneuver I spent plenty of time practicing during the preview.

It's not easy to pull off, as it requires very precise timing, but it comes in clutch when outnumbered or facing off against the three tough bosses during my preview (which I won't spoil), by doing plenty of stagger damage. Once I unlocked Chain Issen, I could take out multiple enemies in rapid fashion — and the new flashy and stylish animation makes it so much more satisfying.

Byakue is the hardest boss I've come across in Way of the Sword so far, with constant erratic and unpredictable movements. You've got to have your guard up at all times against this one. (Video credit: Capcom)

My mention of stagger damage is important because Onimusha: Way of the Sword's combat, especially during boss battles where parries are pivotal, reminds me very much of From Software's Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Again, this isn't a souls-like, so don't expect much similarity to Sekiro elsewhere, and thankfully, Way of the Sword is much more forgiving for mistimed parries.

However, the sword clashes with bosses like Byakue are incredibly well designed, with audio and visuals that are fantastically gripping, creating the same back-and-forth flow that worked so well in Sekiro.

The great thing is that it seems as though Capcom has used Sekiro as inspiration for combat and built on it, adding extra details like a brief slowdown and zoom when a perfect parry is performed, creating openings for further attacks.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword is also not heavily reliant on parries in normal enemy encounters or boss battles, thanks to the presence of perfect dodges and Issen. Those three elements combined make for a pleasant experience — and outside of the practice arena, there are side quests you can take on for non-player characters (NPCs) with semi-open hubs (similar to Resident Evil 4's boat segment) to explore.

Wind-Whipper is a secondary weapon, but it's certainly a room clearer. It saved me numerous times when encountering more formidable foes while travelling across one of the game's semi-open hubs. (Video credit: Capcom)

Perhaps the only worry I do have is that Way of the Sword seemingly won't have any other primary weapons for Miyamoto Musashi, the main protagonist, to wield. There are indeed secondary weapons, but they are seemingly limited to Oni Armaments, which can only be used when their meters are filled when engaging in duels.

Don't get me wrong, those secondary weapons like the Two Celestials (dual blades) and the Wind-Whipper spear-like weapon I unlocked in my three-hour run are great — but I'm hoping there are enough skills for Musashi's katana to keep gameplay fresh through the game's runtime.

Either way, I'm incredibly excited for Onimusha: Way of the Sword's launch on September 4, 2026, releasing on PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC — and I'm sure it will be yet another massive hit.

Categories: Technology

GTA 5 actor says 'I must've auditioned for over 60 characters' for GTA 6, but Rockstar ghosted him — 'I feel like someone who's in love with a girl and then she just dumped me'

TechRadar News - Thu, 08/06/2026 - 09:48
  • Grand Theft Auto 5 actor Robert Bogue says he auditioned for over 60 GTA 6 roles
  • He says he "badly wanted to work on GTA 6," but Rockstar Games never called him back
  • Bogue is known for playing FIB agent Steve Haines in GTA 5

Grand Theft Auto 5 actor Robert Bogue has revealed that he auditioned for more than 60 roles in Grand Theft Auto 6, but Rockstar Games never called back.

This comes from a recent chat conducted by X user Burak, who direct messaged Bogue on Instagram to ask him questions about GTA 6 (via IGN).

The actor, who is known for playing FIB agent Steve Haines in GTA 5, revealed that he auditioned for over 60 characters, big and small, but Rockstar didn't respond or provide any other feedback.

"I'm a little bit down on Rockstar right now," Bogue told Burak. "I had such a great time working with them. [...] I so badly wanted to work on GTA 6. I must've auditioned for over 60 characters. Some were big, some were small. I didn't care. I just wanted to be in it. I didn't get any of them, and they never called me about any of them. I was so disappointed.

"I thought maybe they have an unofficial policy where they don't reuse actors, because I thought, 'You're gonna say no to me 60 times? Even for a small character?' So, I'm a little frustrated by them. I feel like someone who's in love with a girl and then she just dumped me."

Bogue stated he doesn't know any details about GTA 6 beyond what's been released to the public, and following the chat, said that he didn't want to put Rockstar in hot water with his comments, but it was the truth.

"I'm sorry to throw Rockstar under the bus publicly about how many auditions I've had, but the truth is the truth," he said. "At the end of the day, the actor's life is about rejection. It's just, sometimes you need a victory once in a while."

GTA 6 arrives on November 19 for PS5, Xbox Series X, and Series S.

In case you missed it, Rockstar just announced that a special presentation for GTA 6 will be revealed on August 27. Titled Grand Theft Auto 6: An Extended Look, the video will premiere on Netflix and later be available on YouTube.

Categories: Technology

Enterprise AI requires flexible orchestration over risky model lock-in

TechRadar News - Thu, 08/06/2026 - 09:39

A reckoning is underway in enterprise AI. Chief executives who spent two years bolting frontier models onto their businesses are now asking harder questions.

What did we actually get for the money? Where does our data go when it flows through someone else's model? And when the model we standardized on last year isn’t the best one this year, how much of our business have we quietly handed over to a vendor we don't control?

That last question is the one that should keep leaders up at night, because for most companies, the honest answer is: far more than they think.

The conversation about AI has mostly been about which model is best.

That’s the wrong question.

In a field where leadership changes hands every few quarters, “best model” is a snapshot, not a strategy.

The question that actually matters is architectural: when the state of the art moves — and it always does — can you move with it, or do you have to rebuild your business every time?

Models are temporary. Plan accordingly

Here's what a decade of running AI at production scale teaches you that no benchmark chart will: models are disposable, and they're getting more disposable by the year. The transcription engine that led the market when we started is a footnote now.

The computer vision system that dominated three years ago has been lapped over and over. We've swapped best-in-class engines in and out of live customer workflows hundreds of times — across speech recognition, translation, object detection, face redaction, and now large language models — and each cycle turns over faster than the one before it.

An company that’s hard-wired to one provider inherits that provider's roadmap, pricing, and priorities as its own. When the provider raises prices, you pay. When it deprecates the version you built on, you rebuild.

When a smaller open-source model, fine-tuned on your own data, would actually do the job better and cheaper, you can't reach for it because your workflows only speak one dialect. That isn't a partnership. It's a dependency — and depending on a moving target is about the most expensive position you can be in.

That's the reasoning behind building systems where model lock-in isn't an option from day one: an orchestration layer that connects and manages hundreds of commercial, open-source, and proprietary models across different cognitive tasks, routes each job to whatever engine is best for it, and swaps models out as the state of the art shifts — without anyone having to rebuild a workflow.

The model becomes a component, not a foundation. The real foundation is the orchestration layer and the data underneath it, and those stay owned by the enterprise, not the vendor.

The discipline that makes model plurality real: evals

Model plurality sounds good in a keynote and collapses in practice without one thing: the ability to prove, on your own data, which model is actually better for your job. “Best” isn’t a leaderboard position.

A model that tops a public benchmark can badly underperform on your accents, your camera angles, your legal thresholds, your definition of “good enough.” Public benchmarks measure general capability.

They tell you almost nothing about how a model will perform inside your specific workflow. So the real currency of the next era isn't the model — it's the evaluation.

The companies pulling ahead are the ones who can put any engine up against any other on their own content, with their own quality bar, and make swap decisions based on evidence instead of vendor marketing.

That means scoring engines against each other continuously, on real customer data, so “which model” stays a measured decision you can remake any time the field shifts — not a one-time choice you're stuck with.

That evaluation muscle is itself a strategic asset. It's what turns a pile of interchangeable models into a compounding advantage — and it's precisely the capability an enterprise forfeits the moment it standardizes on a single black box.

Ownership over your own audio and video

There's a reason this matters most in audio and video. Text is basically commoditized at this point. The proprietary, defensible, hard-to-replicate data in the enterprise is the recorded record of what a company actually said, did, made, and witnessed — decades of broadcast, footage, calls, and captured events. It's multimodal, it's rights-encumbered, and it can't be replaced, which also happens to make it exactly what this generation of AI is hungriest for.

The appetite for training and tuning data has outrun what the open web can supply. What's actually needed now is what enterprises already have sitting in their archives: vast, rights-cleared, real-world, multimodal data, plus expert human judgment about what “good” looks like.

Which makes the default posture of the last two years perverse — companies have paid premium prices to push their proprietary audio and video through third-party models, with limited visibility into what's retained, learned, or one day competed against them. If your data is the scarce input everyone's after, the last thing you want to do is hand it over as a byproduct of your software bill.

The alternative is building the enterprise business the other way around: turning an organization's raw archives into AI-ready, enriched assets it actually owns, with rights and governance metadata baked in at the point of creation rather than tacked on afterward — because when the data in question is a witness's voice, an athlete's likeness, or a rights-encumbered broadcast, provenance and consent aren't optional extras.

From there, rightsholders can put that data to work themselves — licensing it to model developers and cloud providers on their own terms, with consent, provenance, and compensation built into the deal.

The world is moving toward fine-tuning and open source

Watch where the sophisticated buyers are going and the pattern is unmistakable The old reflex — route everything to whichever frontier model is biggest — is giving way to something more deliberate: a portfolio approach where smaller, open-source, and fine-tuned models handle most of the day-to-day workloads, and the giant models get reserved for the problems that genuinely need them.

The reasons are practical — cost, latency, data control, and the ability to specialize a model on proprietary data until it beats a general-purpose giant at your specific task.

This is where the two ideas come together. Fine-tuning and open source only work in your favor if you actually own the data to tune on and have the architecture to deploy into. A company locked to one vendor can't fine-tune an open model on its own footage and slot it into production as the plumbing simply won't allow it.

An enterprise with an orchestration layer and governed, AI-ready data can do exactly that, and can keep doing it as better base models emerge. Owning your data and having freedom in your architecture are what actually make this new era of specialized, fine-tuned, open models available to you at all. Without them, you're watching a shift from the sidelines that was supposed to be your advantage.

Sovereignty is a posture, not a product

It’s okay to be wary of how fast “sovereign AI” is becoming a marketing category, because sovereignty delivered through a new single-vendor dependency is just lock-in with better branding. Real sovereignty is an architectural posture with three commitments.

First, model plurality, proven by evaluation: every model — commercial, open-source, or fine-tuned — tested on your data and replaceable at will.

Second, governance that travels with the data: provenance, auditability, consent, and policy enforced at the data layer.

Third, actual ownership: your audio and video, enriched and controlled as an asset you deploy on purpose, not one that leaks out incidentally. None of this is an argument against the frontier labs — they build extraordinary technology, and plenty of companies use it every day, through architecture that keeps the leverage on their side of the table.

The enterprise doesn't have to choose between using the best models in the world and controlling its own future. The whole point is to do both: orchestrate every model worth using, prove which one wins on your own data, and own the audio, video, and judgment that make any of them worth running.

The model is temporary. Your data and your judgment are not. Build for that, and you spend the next decade compounding an advantage your competitors rented and lost.

We tested out the best data recovery software for Mac and PC.

This article was produced as part of TechRadar Pro Perspectives, our channel to feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today.

The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/pro/perspectives-how-to-submit

Categories: Technology

HeyGears G1 Series: See the first desktop full-color 3D & UV printer that can do it all

TechRadar News - Thu, 08/06/2026 - 09:25

There is a world of massive, expensive industrial printers that can deliver high-quality, full-color 3D prints. Until now, such hardware hasn't been available for desktops. But the latest launch from HeyGears is shaking that up. The new HeyGears G1 Series leans on over a decade of the company’s experience making high-quality 3D resin printers to produce the world’s first desktop printer that offers both full-color 3D and UV printing, all for as little as a tenth of the cost of the industrial solutions.

The new HeyGears G1 Series just launched through a Kickstarter campaign. Having unlocked the $10M stretch goal, you can now grab it at the best Super Early Bird price and get the free Stretch Goal Reward. The G1 Series is broken down into a few configurations.

(Image credit: HeyGears)

At the top, there’s the HeyGears G1X Full-3D Pack. It brings together full-color 3D, flat and cylindrical UV, and 3D textured relief capabilities into a single machine. The G1X offers a 1440 x 2400 DPI Epson I3200-U1HD printhead for ultra-fine detail and high resolution.

The printer can support a 330 x 420 x 130mm printing volume when combined with the resin station. It can also print onto over 400 materials, including wood, metal, ceramic, and glass. It also supports transparent resins for stunning effects.

(Image credit: HeyGears)

HeyGears is also offering a G1X Starter Pack that includes the printer and Epson I3200 printhead to get you started with high-fidelity flat and cylindrical UV and 3D-effect UV printing. A base G1 Starter Pack that uses a 720x900 DPI printhead is also available. The system is modular, though, so even if you start with a HeyGears G1, you can swap the printhead and add the resin station and other accessories down the line to upgrade it to a G1X Full-Color Pack.

With the fully loaded model, you get a truly advanced suite of capabilities. Not only can the HeyGears G1X handle full-color 3D printing, but it can help with preparation and post-processing work. HeyGears’s software can help you design 3D models or create 3D effects automatically. With water-soluble resins for supports, finishing prints can be as simple as taking them from the print tray and soaking them.

(Image credit: HeyGears)

In addition to the lower price to purchase, the HeyGears G1 Series is designed with functions to help lower the cost of ownership over time. HeyGears’s ink and resin are priced competitively, costing less than those from other printer models. The Epson I3200 printhead is designed to run for up to 24 months. And the G1 Series has a quad-layer anti-clogging system to keep ink and resin in prime condition for prints and prevent drying out during idle periods.

You can get your hands on the HeyGears G1 Series through the Kickstarter campaign here. The campaign runs through September 11, 9 A.M. PDT, and it offers bundles and early incentives on the G1 Series.

Categories: Technology

Google Blogger locks out thousands of users after malware false positive

TechRadar News - Thu, 08/06/2026 - 09:25
  • Google’s automated systems mistakenly flagged hundreds of Blogger sites as malicious
  • Company admitted a bug caused false malware labels, promising a fix
  • Users advised to request reviews, avoid migrating content

Hundreds of Blogger websites were locked down, and some apparently deleted as well, after Google’s automated security systems erroneously flagged them as malicious.

A user posted a new message on Google’s forum saying the huge number of reports regarding locked blogs are all for the same reason - Malware and Similar Malicious Content.

The nature of the lockdown “suggests misclassification by automated systems”, the post reads, adding that the team has “already been notified of this issue.”

Aware of a bug""

Those affected will see a red padlock in their dashboard and a warning saying the blog was locked:

"This blog was removed for violating Blogger's Community Guidelines. If you wish to request a review of the blog, click 'Request Review' below," the notice reads.

At press time, the forum post had more than 500 “I have the same question” votes, and more than 200 replies.

In a statement given to BleepingComputer, Google said it was aware of a bug that falsely labeled many sites as malicious, and that it was working on a fix.

"We are aware of a bug that incorrectly flagged some Blogger-hosted sites as malware for less than a day. We are working on a fix to resolve the issue as quickly as possible," the company said.

To make matters even worse, Google said that if users don’t file an appeal, that their blogs can be permanently deleted.

Users are advised not to create new blogs and migrate content, since that is in violation with Google’s TOS. They are also advised against deleting their Blogger profile or service from their Google account, since this will irrevocably delete the blogs. They can, however, back up their blogs if they are afraid of losing the content.

The full extent of the issue is unknown, but according to BleepingComputer, the number of users on the platform exceeds 200,000.

Categories: Technology

Grand Theft Auto 6 Extended Preview Will Debut on Netflix This Month

CNET News - Thu, 08/06/2026 - 09:22
The streaming service will get the first look before the presentation becomes available on YouTube.
Categories: Technology

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