Technology

• Northrop Grumman's MRV launched with two satellite-servicing robotic arms
• Mission Extension Pods can stretch a satellite's working life by eight years
• The spacecraft can inspect, refuel, tow, and relocate active orbital satellites or even destroy enemy satellites

Northrop Grumman has launched its first Mission Robotic Vehicle (MRV), equipped with two robotic arms to inspect, repair, refuel, and relocate satellites already operating in orbit.

The spacecraft also carries three Mission Extension Pods (MEPs) that can extend a satellite's operational life by as much as eight years after installation.

Although introduced as a commercial servicing platform, the spacecraft's ability to operate alongside other satellites has already raised questions about possible military applications.

Satellite servicing technology also enables close-proximity operations

The MRV launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, carrying MEPs intended for commercial satellites operated by Australia's Optus and Luxembourg's SES.

Northrop Grumman says the spacecraft can inspect satellites, install life-extension modules, tow spacecraft between orbital positions, and assist with clearing debris already circling Earth.

Those missions depend on two robotic arms that allow the vehicle to maneuver extremely close to other satellites without relying on direct physical contact.

The robotic arm system was developed through the Robotic Servicing of Geosynchronous Satellites program led by DARPA together with the United States Naval Research Laboratory.

Because those same capabilities allow precise movement around spacecraft, a future version could disable hostile satellites if governments requested such capabilities.

"I will leave it up to the U.S. government to decide how that capability might fulfill mission objectives that they have in that regard," said Northrop Grumman CEO Kathy Warden.

"It's our objective to offer our clients options for technology deployment, and for them to determine policy for when and how they might deploy that technology."

Military officials say orbital threats are already evolving

United States Space Force officials have repeatedly argued that rival nations already possess satellites capable of approaching and interacting with other spacecraft operating in orbit today.

The service says those developments require greater attention because several countries continue expanding technologies capable of operating near valuable military and civilian satellites.

"We're basically responding to a warfighting domain where our adversaries have already put interceptors in space, and we want to make sure that we rebalance that in terms of deterrence," said Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman.

A Space Force spokesperson later cited China's Shi Jian 21 satellite, equipped with a robotic grappling arm, while explaining examples of orbital interceptor capabilities already available.

Officials have also warned that close-proximity satellites could collect intelligence, interfere electronically, damage spacecraft components, or deliberately move another satellite from its assigned orbit.

Those evolving capabilities have prompted the Space Force to expand its focus on orbital warfare alongside traditional space operations.

The service's Space Delta 9 unit develops tactics for both defensive and offensive missions in orbit as those threats continue evolving.

The military is also planning larger space-based defense networks through the proposed Golden Dome missile defense architecture.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates the concept could require about 7,800 space-based interceptors if the program moves forward.

For now, the MRV remains a commercial tool, but how governments will apply comparable space security tech with AI tools and autonomous systems remains to be seen.

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 Sunday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Sunday, July 26 (game #1644).

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 #1645) — 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 #1645) — 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 #1645) — 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 #1645) — 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 0.

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 #1645) — hint #5 — starting letters (2)What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• T

• F

• G

• W

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

Quordle today (game #1645) — the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1645, are…

• TAFFY
• FIGHT
• GUILD
• WAGER

I don’t think I have ever played such a strategic game of Quordle.

Usually I just go for whatever word seems the most gettable. But in this game, with numerous possibilities for a word ending I-G-H-T, I held back in the hope that another word would give me that crucial fifth letter. And it did.

Daily Sequence today (game #1645) — the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1645, are…

• CREED
• ROGUE
• POOCH
• GRIPE

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1644, Sunday, 26 July: STOMP, LIMIT, FUNKY, STEAD
• Quordle #1643, Saturday, 25 July: SALON, SHEEN, BURST, GOURD
• Quordle #1642, Friday, 24 July: DOLLY, EDIFY, LAGER, PRANK
• Quordle #1641, Thursday, 23 July: LADEN, EVICT, WOVEN, SHIRE
• Quordle #1640, Wednesday, 22 July: COYLY, SINGE, AWASH, AWOKE
• Quordle #1639, Tuesday, 21 July: TRUSS, AXIAL, SWINE, THING
• Quordle #1638, Monday, 20 July: ICING, SLICK, GAILY, RISEN
• Quordle #1637, Sunday, 19 July: SPURT, ACRID, THRUM, BLEEP
• Quordle #1636, Saturday, 18 July: KNAVE, TIGHT, BLEAT, CHAOS
• Quordle #1635, Friday, 17 July: CUMIN, PALER, GRASS, INBOX
• Quordle #1634, Thursday, 16 July: IGLOO, PLAIT, YEAST, AROMA
• Quordle #1633, Wednesday, 15 July: PROXY, BRICK, BROTH, SURGE
• Quordle #1632, Tuesday, 14 July: EBONY, AVOID, RODEO, CUTIE
• Quordle #1631, Monday, 13 July: VOICE, BISON, BURNT, BUILT
• Quordle #1630, Sunday, 12 July: STAIN, BINGO, LARVA, DICEY
• Quordle #1629, Saturday, 11 July: WORTH, PRONG, DINGO, DRUID
• Quordle #1628, Friday, 10 July: GREET, STEAK, DUSKY, HAUTE
• Quordle #1627, Thursday, 9 July: CRUMP, PHONE, SHINY, STONY
• Quordle #1626, Wednesday, 8 July: GHOST, TREND, EXALT, ALONG
• Quordle #1625, Tuesday, 7 July: ARRAY, SUITE, KIOSK, BOULE

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Connections 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 Sunday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Sunday, July 26 (game #1141).

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #1142) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• CART
• HORSE
• CARROT
• STICK
• KNITTING NEEDLE
• MAGNIFYING GLASS
• BEAM
• GRAVEYARD
• BELL
• ICICLE
• RINGS
• HEART
• PARADIGM
• STALACTITE
• DOPPLER
• VAULT

NYT Connections today (game #1142) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: Equipment used by Simone Biles and co
• GREEN: Thin and skinny
• BLUE: A word that rhymes with “lift” in common
• PURPLE: As seen whilst making a purchase

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #1142) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: GYMNASTICS APPARATUS
• GREEN: LONG TAPERED THINGS
• BLUE: KINDS OF SHIFTS
• PURPLE: ICONS ON A SHOPPING SITE

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

NYT Connections today (game #1142) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #1142, are…

• YELLOW: GYMNASTICS APPARATUS: BEAM, HORSE, RINGS, VAULT
• GREEN: LONG TAPERED THINGS: CARROT, ICICLE, KNITTING NEEDLE, STALACTITE
• BLUE: KINDS OF SHIFTS: DOPPLER, GRAVEYARD, PARADIGM, STICK
• PURPLE: ICONS ON A SHOPPING SITE: BELL, CART, HEART, MAGNIFYING GLASS

• My rating: Hard
• My score: Perfect

I managed to get through today’s game without making any mistakes but I am still classing it as a tricky game.

The reason for this is that I got extremely lucky once the game got down to eight tiles; unable to find a group, I just went with the four tiles that were in a line.

GRAVEYARD shift and PARADIGM shift I may have got, but DOPPLER and STICK needed a Google. Meanwhile, perhaps I do not do enough online shopping but CART aside the other three icons didn’t trigger me to connect them.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Sunday, July 26, 2026, game #1141)

• YELLOW: BABY MILESTONES: CRAWLING, FIRST WORDS, ROLLING OVER, SOLID FOOD
• GREEN: OUTMODED CONSUMER TECH: BLACKBERRY, DISCMAN, DVD PLAYER, PLASMA TV
• BLUE: EXPRESSIONS FOR RAIN: APRIL SHOWERS, LIQUID SUNSHINE, SCOTCH MIST, WET WEATHER
• PURPLE: WHAT "SHELL" MIGHT REFER TO: CARAPACE, GAS STATION, PASTRY CRUST, ROWING BOAT

What is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.

On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.

It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.

It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands 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 Sunday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Sunday, July 26 (game #875).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #876) - hint #1 - today's themeWhat is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Let the journey begin

NYT Strands today (game #876) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• BRINK
• CHART
• TIME
• STANK
• TICK
• PLAIT

NYT Strands today (game #876) - hint #3 - spangram lettersHow many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 12 letters

NYT Strands today (game #876) - hint #4 - spangram positionWhat are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

• First side: left, 8th row

• Last side: right, 8th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #876) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #876, are…

• PLATFORM
• TRACK
• TICKET
• COUNTER
• KIOSK
• BENCH
• SPANGRAM: TRAINSTATION

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

Another Spangram First for me today, although it did come in two parts as I saw “station” before making the connection for TRAINSTATION.

From here it was a case of collecting the more obvious railway-related words — PLATFORM, TRACK, TICKET — before connecting the less obvious like KIOSK.

A nice, easygoing start to the week.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday, July 26, game #875)

• GURU
• MAVEN
• PUNDIT
• EXPERT
• AUTHORITY
• SPECIALIST
• SPANGRAM: BIGBRAIN

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

• US factories prepare to manufacture Ukraine's battle-tested MAGURA naval drones domestically
• MAGURA V7 reportedly destroyed an aerial target using Sidewinder missile technology
• Oregon and South Carolina will host future MAGURA drone production facilities

Ukrainian defense company UFORCE has signed an agreement with US boatbuilder RECONCRAFT to manufacture the combat-proven MAGURA naval drones domestically.

Reports from The Wall Street Journal has claimed the memorandum of understanding was recently signed at the Embassy of Ukraine in Washington, with production planned at facilities in Oregon and South Carolina.

The project will have the eventual goal of building hundreds, and potentially thousands, of units annually.

A combat-tested platform moves to US soil

MAGURA drones gained international recognition after repeated strikes helped push much of Russia's Black Sea Fleet away from Crimea.

The MAGURA family has since expanded beyond strike missions to include aerial drone launches, mine countermeasures and anti-submarine sonar towing, with the MAGURA V7 variant also capable of engaging helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft.

RECONCRAFT builds combatant craft for US and partner special operations forces, while UFORCE developed the MAGURA program from the outset.

Under the partnership, both companies will contribute manufacturing equipment, materials and personnel to support the new production lines in both states.

"Partnering with UFORCE combines our manufacturing expertise and capabilities with the combat-proven autonomy of the MAGURA platform,” said Joe Silkowski, co-founder of RECONCRAFT.

This allows "us to deliver greater capability to American warfighters faster than developing a new system from the ground up."

The agreement follows increased Pentagon interest in lower-cost autonomous platforms after recent conflicts in Iran revealed how expensive drone warfare can be.

Combat experience drives broader international interest

Ukraine reported what it described as the world's first successful naval drone strike against an aerial target during late 2024 using a MAGURA V7 armed with AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles.

In April 2026, MAGURA unmanned surface vessels also took part in the US-Philippines Balikatan military exercise, reportedly sinking a target ship during a live-fire demonstration in the Luzon Strait.

“Today’s combat environments show that autonomous warfighting capabilities are a must-have,” said UFORCE CEO Oleg Rogynskyy.

“UFORCE is exceptionally positioned to deliver capabilities already tested by some of the world’s most sophisticated militaries under the most demanding battlefield conditions.”

"Working with RECONCRAFT, we will help ensure these proven autonomous capabilities become available to the US,” Sean Plankey, CEO of UFORCE USA, added.

“It's exactly the kind of industrial partnership the Arsenal of Democracy is designed to enable."

As of the time of writing, neither UFORCE nor RECONCRAFT has indicated how US production could influence the price of future MAGURA drones.

Production in the United States is typically costlier than overseas alternatives, a dynamic long observed across industries from electronics to textiles.

It is one reason American companies like Apple choose to build their gadgets outside the country, with lower manufacturing costs and established supply chains.

Whether this same cost pressure will raise the price of American-built MAGURA drones compared to their Ukrainian-made counterparts is not yet known.

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle No. 1,142 for July 27.

• WEKApod 3 reaches exabyte capacity through software alongside dense Micron storage
• NeuralMesh 6 turns 441.5PB of flash into claimed exabyte-scale storage capacity
• WEKApod 3 relies on compression to exceed raw storage hardware limits

WEKA has launched WEKApod 3, a storage appliance line built specifically to run its new NeuralMesh 6 software at rack-scale density.

The flagship Prime Max configuration claims 1.1 exabytes of effective capacity within a single 56U rack, positioning it as the first system to cross that threshold.

Using Micron's 245.76 TB 6600 ION SSDs across roughly 1,800 drives per rack yields only 441.5 PB of raw hardware capacity, well under half an exabyte.

Software tiering closes the capacity gap

This means that the advertised exabyte-scale capacity depends heavily on data reduction technologies rather than installed flash alone.

That configuration packs 70 NVMe drives into a compact two-rack-unit, two-node chassis for maximum density.

Fingerprinting, similarity hashing, deduplication, and compression run by default across every deployment, with write overhead kept below 5%.

WEKA claims up to 6x capacity savings specifically on AI training data, backed by a contractual guarantee covering both reduction ratio and performance.

This is where NeuralMesh 6 and WEKApod 3 genuinely function as one integrated product rather than separate announcements.

AlloyFlash tiering automatically routes latency-sensitive operations to TLC flash while sending bulk-capacity data to QLC drives, which run roughly 30 to 40% cheaper per terabyte.

Per-rack throughput reaches 10.2 TB/s with 210 million IOPS, figures WEKA says beat the next-best publicly available alternative by 114% in throughput density.

Jeremy Werner, senior vice president at Micron's Core Data Center Business Unit, said the architecture paired with Micron's 245TB SSDs delivers 15.8 petabytes within a single 2U footprint.

Steve McDowell, chief analyst at NAND Research, argued that inference workloads at production scale demand different metrics than training, pointing to tokens per rack and cost per inference as the numbers buyers should now track.

Constraints force storage vendors to rethink hardware entirely

WEKA points to several structural pressures behind this hardware approach, starting with a documented drop in US data center construction in 2025.

Grid connection queues in major markets now stretch four to seven years before new capacity comes online.

Morgan Stanley has forecast a 49-gigawatt power shortfall across the United States extending through 2028, compounding existing NAND supply constraints.

WEKA argues that inefficient storage directly competes with GPUs for the same limited rack space and power budget.

By managing its own hardware supply chain instead of relying on third-party OEM channels, the company says it can offer more predictable pricing and delivery timelines.

NeuralMesh 6 will hit the shelves in the second half of 2026, with existing customers upgrading at no additional cost.

WEKApod Nitro, Prime, and Prime Max are already orderable through WEKA's distributor network, with deliveries beginning in fall 2026.

Via Storage Review

As a Batman fan, I was disappointed to learn last week that The Batman Part 2 has been delayed until February 18, 2028, another four-month wait to add to add to its last (delayed) intended release date of October 1, 2027. This latest holdup is actually the fourth time the long-awaited sequel to The Batman has been delayed, with its initial release originally set to be October 2025.

Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to enjoy Batman content at home while we eagerly await The Batman: Part 2’s 2028 release. From Christopher Nolan’s iconic Dark Knight Trilogy to the awesome Batman: The Animated Series, there are tons of choices. And there’s no better way to enjoy Batman’s many adventures than with a 4K Blu-ray. I’m a 4K Blu-ray fan and collector, so I’m always testing the latest releases for the Blu-ray Bounty and finding new discs to test the best TVs and best soundbars.

Below, I’ve picked three of my favorite Batman-related 4K Blu-rays, not just because they’re my personal picks, but because they’re also great examples to show what 4K can do, especially for your home theater.

The Batman

Dark, contrast-rich and detailed, The Batman is one of my top 4K Blu-rays (Image credit: Warner Bros. / Future)

Where else to better prepare for The Batman: Part 2 than with its predecessor, The Batman. Matt Reeve’s The Batman follows Bruce Wayne (Robert Pattison) in his second year as Batman, where he must face The Riddler (Paul Dano), a revolutionary who uses a series of riddles and puzzles to test Batman, as Riddler plans to expose Gotham’s corrupt government and elite.

The Batman has become one of my main 4K Blu-rays for testing TVs. Due to its low brightness, some TVs can really struggle to accurately display the movie, compromising its dark tones. But, there’s also plenty of excellent-looking scenes with powerful contrast, balancing light and dark tones, that can really show off a TV.

The opening 20 minutes of the movie itself is all a big demo-reel for contrast. From the dark subway platform illuminated by overhead lamps as Batman fights a gang of thugs, to where we first see Bruce decoding Riddler’s clues in the Batcave, The Batman delivers truly dynamic and strong contrast, which I've found look superb on the best OLED TVs in particular.

There’s also a chance to show a display’s shadow detail, with plenty of scenes making use of shadows to create a captivating image. The aforementioned subway scene is one of these, with truly dark shadows creating a foreboding atmosphere that fits the gloomy tone of the movie.

There’s excellent detail throughout, with crisp textures that look refined and lifelike. Close-up shots show scars, wrinkles and stubble on people’s faces with impressive clarity, and texture in environments, like Mayor Mitchell’s house or the Batcave, are given a near-3D level of detail.

The Batmobile scene from The Batman is a superb audio experience (Image credit: Warner Bros. / Future )

The Batman is an audio showcase as well as a visual one. The Batmobile chase has become a reference scene I use for showing off a sound system. The ignition of the Batmobile’s engines deliver room-rattling, powerful bass that through a subwoofer can create some serious roar. The 4K disc uses a Dolby Atmos soundtrack that creates an immersive and detailed sound.

As the Batmobile chases Penguin across a busy freeway, serving traffic and blaring horns are accurately mapped to the action. As Penguin fires a spray of bullets at the Batmobile, the sound glides around a surround system, as I found when using soundbars such as the talented Samsung HW-Q990H. There are plenty of Atmos effects too, as rain regularly falls throughout the movie, effectively using the height channels of any sound system.

The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight looks excellent in 4K, with crisp, detailed visuals throughout (Image credit: Warner Bros / Future )

Arguably the most popular Batman movie ever made, The Dark Knight is the second movie in Christopher Nolan’s trilogy. It’s one that’s stuck with me ever since I saw it as a teenager in theaters in 2008. Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) is a couple of years into his time as Batman and he faces his biggest challenge yet, when he squares off with the unpredictable and chaotic Joker (played brilliantly by Heath Ledger).

Unsurprisingly, where this disc shines is in its IMAX sequences. These IMAX scenes show impeccable detail and crisp, 3D-like textures. In the opening bank heist scene, every detail is refined, from the creases in the robbers’ masks, to the texture in buildings of the densely packed city. Oh, and don’t be surprised when the ratio changes from widescreen to fullscreen: that’s normal for IMAX on home media.

Black tones and shadow detail are excellent during the film's night scenes too (of which there are plenty), and they look superb on an OLED TV. Contrast is also strong, particularly during the prison escort scene. As trucks move under the freeway, the overhead lights balance well with the dark, shadowed areas of the tunnel to create dynamic contrast.

The Dark Knight's IMAX scenes look superb on 4K, plus the disc's DTS-HD 5.1 MA soundtrack sound fantastic (Image credit: Warner Bros / Future )

This disc is also an audio powerhouse. With a DTS-HD 5.1 MA soundtrack, there’s some fantastic detail. During the tunnel escort scene, the whir of Batman’s bike riding through the tunnel is mapped perfectly to every channel. As perspective changes, so does the sound. Bullets are precise, flying from the front to rear channels when the movie is from Batman’s point-of-view, and every individual effect is audible, such as flying debris and swerving tyres.

Bass throughout the movie is truly powerful. Bullets have serious impact and the roar of the Batmobile’s engines delivers tightly controlled, but hefty low-end that reverberated through our testing room when I watched.

The score is a showcase in and of itself, with superb separation across different channels of the Samsung HW-Q990C soundbar I was using. In the opening scene, the scratching strings came from the left rear, the ticking sound from the right, and the heavy bass exploded from the subwoofer. Crucially though, every element was perfectly balanced, within the score itself and with all the action.

Batman Forever

Batman Forever's use of color looks brilliant on 4K Blu-ray (Image credit: Warner Bros / Future )

This pick will raise eyebrows, I’m sure. But, honestly, Batman Forever is the Batman movie I grew up with and despite its very corny nature, I enjoy it. It scratches the exact part of my brain that occasionally craves a nostalgic Batman fix. The movie follows Batman (played by Val Kilmer) as he does battle with the Riddler (Jim Carrey) and Two-Face (Tommy Lee Jones) as they attempt to take over Gotham.

While this may be a surprising choice for a lot of people, this is a seriously good-looking 4K presentation. Batman Forever uses a lot of bold and vibrant colors, and in 4K, they really pop on screen. The green of the Riddler’s gaudy outfit and the purple of Two-Face’s injured side compliment each other well. There’s also a lot of neon-esuqe lighting used in the movie, with light tubes, red detail on Two-Face’s minion’s guns and the shimmering greens of Riddler’s hideout and event space. All these colors have a gorgeous punch that looks sharp and dynamic throughout the movie.

Shadows are used a lot, with characters often standing over lamps or in shaded rooms to create strong contrast in images. The LG G6 OLED on which I watched this movie in our testing room celebrates these rich and inky dark tones, with the leather of Batman’s armor showing nice depth, but also balancing well as the light reflects off it. Shadow detail is excellent too, with textures in dark areas on screen legible (yes, even the strange texture of Batman’s armor). Skin looks realistic in the many close-up shots used, too.

Shadows and dark tones also look excellent on the Batman Forever 4K Blu-ray (Image credit: Warner Bros / Future )

This 4K disc also supports Dolby Atmos. There’s some excellent use of height channels throughout, with the sound of helicopter Two-Face uses to escape in the intro coming from overhead as I watched. Explosions have plenty of meat to them, producing some lovely low-end rumble during the movie’s more action-packed scenes. The sound of the Batmobile’s engines firing is another great demo for the powerful bass in the mix.

More subtle details are also fully audible. The sound of Batman’s batarang as he throws it is precisely mapped, with the sound eagerly following its trajectory. Bullets have great punch to them, and again these are accurately posited within the surround channels. Speech is consistently clear throughout too, even during the most chaotic scenes. You might not necessarily expect this movie to be such an audio showcase, but it really is.

Samsung’s latest foldables have arrived with much fanfare. There’s the uniquely proportioned Galaxy Z Fold 8, which looks to be the precursor to the foldable iPhone Ultra later this year; the more conventional-looking Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra; and Samsung’s thinnest and lightest flip phone ever in the Galaxy Z Flip 8.

The first two of those three phones boast Samsung's new Flex Titanium display technology, which gives them thinner, flatter, and more robust displays than any Galaxy foldables before them. And having spent time with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra already, I’ve been impressed with the progress Samsung has made in reducing the appearance of the crease, specifically.

From front-on, you can hardly make out the crease at all, and at an angle, it’s less obvious than on the Galaxy Z Fold 7. Running my finger across the middle of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra's display, there’s only a very subtle undulation running down the center. It’s so subtle that I’d wager you’ll stop registering that it's even there after spending a few weeks with the new phone.

And yet, for how impressed I am with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra’s display, I know there’s already something better available.

Enter the contenderThe Oppo Find N6 (left) and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra (right)FutureThe Oppo Find N6 (left) and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra (right)Future

The Oppo Find N6 launched in March 2026, four months earlier than Samsung’s Z8 series, and the big selling point was the claim that Oppo had managed to remove the crease in the foldable screen entirely.

Now, while that isn’t strictly true — at some acute angles, you can still see the crease — what is pretty amazing is the fact you can run your finger across the entire 8.12-inch display and not feel any interruption on the part of the screen that bends when folded.

I’ve been fortunate enough to have used most foldables, including reviewing the original Galaxy Fold, and the screen crease has always been there.

Most of the time, when you’re looking straight-on at the screen, it does disappear as your eyes focus on the content, but have the light hit at a certain angle, or run your finger across, and you’re immediately reminded of the minor imperfection.

I was stunned when I first got my hands on the Oppo Find N6. Swiping my finger back and forth across the middle of the display and feeling nothing, I thought, 'This is the next frontier of foldables.'

The crease on the Oppo Find N6FutureThe crease on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8Future

To make sure I wasn’t just looking at the Oppo through rose-tinted specs, I took it to the Samsung preview event so I could experience it side-by-side with the Z Fold 8 Ultra. And sure enough, the Oppo continued to impress with a screen that is smoother and flatter than Samsung’s, but not by much.

Which one is right for you?

The Oppo Find N6 (left) and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra (right) (Image credit: Future)

Make no mistake, these are two very accomplished, flagship foldables. Both have similarly sized exterior and interior screens, and both are powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is thinner, lighter, and actually readily available in multiple markets. It also has a brighter display (a peak brightness of 3,000 nits vs 2,500 nits on the Oppo) and the firm’s Galaxy AI, Now Brief, and Now Nudge features on top of Google’s Gemini assistant.

The Oppo Find N6 has the smoothest, flattest foldable display, an edge in the camera hardware, a bigger battery and faster charging — yet its availability is limited to just a few Asian markets at the time of writing.

So, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra wins by default, which doesn’t feel particularly satisfying as a conclusion, but this shouldn’t diminish the progress that’s been made.

The main issue with foldable displays has been conquered. The next major hurdle we need manufacturers to clear is price.

The Z Fold 8 Ultra is available for pre-order for a lofty $2,099.99 / £1,899 / AU$2,999, which makes it Samsung’s most expensive foldable ever (if we ignore the limited-run TriFold). The Z Fold 8 (from $1,899.99 / £1,699 / AU$2,699) and Z Flip 8 (from $1,199.99 / £1,149 / AU$1,949) are cheaper, but they’re still not cheap.

So, if a manufacturer can find a way to deliver the same premium features for under $1,200/ £1,200 / AU$1,500, it could open the foldable floodgates.

The contentious issue of data centers — and their impact on the environment and local communities — continues to make headlines, as the need for more computing power comes up against concerns about whether that extra capacity is worth the cost.

One of the natural resources that data centers need is water, and plenty of it, to cool down the chips running calculations. For regions already living through rising temperatures and climate change, that's a big ask, and it's understandably getting a lot of attention.

It's also something the tech giants building these data centers are aware of, and Google has just announced a strategy for using water more responsibly: "how we build is just as important as what we build," Google says. Here's what the plans are, and the size of the problem we're dealing with.

Data center water usage

Data centers are nothing new of course, and are needed for everything from hosting this TechRadar website to delivering movies on Netflix. With the rise of AI, however, there's been a need for more data center capacity, and a higher level of performance from data centers — which all adds to the amount of water needed for cooling.

If you find data center water usage figures confusing, you're certainly not alone. There's a lot of variation in the statistics used to measure it, for all kinds of reasons: data centers water usage can vary significantly from site to site, for example, and there's also the question of what counts as water usage.

Should the water needed to generate the electricity to power a data center be included, or not? What standard is used to measure water 'lost' to the environment if it's returned to the local water cycle? These questions are answered differently in different reports, hence the discrepancies in figures — and the problem is compounded by the fact that many data centers simply don't report their water usage at all.

Data center water usage is in the spotlight (Image credit: May Cloud/Unsplash)

While these figures are a little out of date now, a 2021 study put direct (on-site) data center water usage at 1.7 billion liters per day in the US, compared to a national water consumption of 1,218 billion liters per day — so that's less than 1%. As is often pointed out, golf course usage is about four times more.

A few points worth noting: that doesn't account for indirect water usage, and data center demand is rising fast (unlike, say, water for golf courses). Most importantly though, the significant impacts of data center installations are felt at the local level, not the national level. The largest data centers can use up the same amount of water as a town of 50,000 people, which has clear implications for the people in that town.

Many data centers are being built in water-stressed areas, and then there are the other factors to consider, like electricity demand and noise pollution. While water usage for data centers at a national level may be a small fraction, that doesn't mean it isn't a major problem at a local level, and the problem is getting worse.

What Google is proposing

There are five commitments that Google is making. First, more water will be added back into the system than is consumed by Google data centers by 2030, mostly by separate projects looking at more efficient water use and reduced waste (a little bit like planting trees to offset plane trips).

Second, the company is going to invest hundreds of millions of dollars into water infrastructure, to make sure areas where data centers are located are kept well supplied. Third, Google says it will use air-cooled or recycled water data centers in places where water is particularly scarce (these solutions use more electricity and are more expensive, but they don't demand as much water).

Fourth, Google is committing to being transparent when it comes to the water use of its data centers — something that is by no means standard across the industry at the moment. Fifthly and finally, Google says it will "pursue alternative and reclaimed solutions to protect water resources", including looking at reclaimed wastewater.

Google is using water stewardship projects to offset data center demands (Image credit: Google)

"We think it’s really important to sort of put a blueprint out there that communities can reference," Google's Ben Townsend told The Verge. "So if somebody else comes and says, 'we'd like to build a data center there', a community can say, 'well, here are five different things that really put the community and the watershed first... are you doing these?'"

Water usage is only part of the data center story, and it's a story that's becoming increasingly complex and multi-faceted. But positive action (or at least the promise of positive action) is better than nothing, and this may help to shift the industry towards more responsible and sustainable infrastructure.

Turning around public sentiment might be more difficult than cutting down on water usage though. While the hype from AI companies continues, and huge changes are being seen in areas such as software coding, there are still a significant number of people who aren't keen on generative AI and what it brings with it — even before getting to the issue of how many natural resources it uses up.

• Cloudflare finds kick-off time, not match importance, drove the biggest World Cup traffic swings
• Overnight matches more than doubled normal traffic in some countries, while daytime fixtures barely registered
• The tournament's biggest internet moment ironically wasn't the final but Argentina's 3-1 quarter-final win over Switzerland, which moved global traffic by a factor of 1.26x.

Although Spain's 1-0 extra-time win over Argentina closed out the FIFA 2026 World Cup, the tournament's biggest traffic pulls actually came days before.

Cloudflare has published its own analytics, tracking the likes of HTTP traffic, DNS, and security trends across a network spanning more than 330 points of presence in over 120 countries across June and July 2026.

While the analytics confirm some widely held assumptions about the World Cup, it also demolishes others, as it found it was not the final which moved the internet most, but a quarter-final involving Argentina.

A World Cup with plenty of interesting insights

Per Cloudflare's data, the Argentina vs Switzerland quarter-final topped every other fixture with a deviation factor of about 1.26, while the final ranked eighth.

Somewhat unsurprisingly, Argentina, the defending champions, also moved the most traffic during their run, at 1.18x that of a typical country, followed by France at 1.16x.

Matches played between roughly midnight and 8 am local time produced the biggest deviations, in some cases more than doubling normal traffic. The reason is straightforward: those are hours when almost nobody is online, so fans staying up or waking early to watch represent a large proportional swing.

Matches falling between 9am and mid-afternoon barely registered, since the people watching would have been online regardless. Early-evening kickoffs produced a smaller secondary lift, most visible on weekdays, as matches kept people connected during hours when usage would normally taper off.

(Image credit: Marvin Ibo Guengoer - GES Sportfoto/Getty Images)

Bosnia and Herzegovina illustrated both ends of this. When the national team played at 2 am local time, traffic at points more than doubled. When they played in the evening, traffic fell to around 70% of typical levels as people put their devices down and simply watched.

The clearest demonstration came from Brazil's 2-1 Round of 32 win over Japan on June 29. The same 90 minutes fell during ordinary waking hours in Brazil and in the dead of night in Tokyo. Japanese traffic ran at roughly double normal levels; Brazilian traffic sat about a quarter below normal. Two nearly parallel curves, opposite sides of the baseline, same match.

Grouping countries by the shape of their match-day traffic curves produced three clusters, and the split reveals something about how people actually watch.

The largest group (44 countries across 101 matches) saw traffic rise during halftime and hydration breaks, the familiar pattern of everyone reaching for their phone the moment play stops. A smaller group of eight countries across 18 matches did the exact opposite, with traffic falling during those same pauses.

The explanation turned out to be streaming. That second cluster (Algeria, Tunisia, Jordan, Egypt and DR Congo) showed a traffic mix dominated by multimedia and streaming requests, meaning a large share of viewers were watching the match online rather than on broadcast television.

Notably, hydration breaks had little effect in the streaming cluster but a clear one elsewhere. Cloudflare's reading is that a viewer won't close a stream for a three-minute cooling break but will for a fifteen-minute interval. In the majority of countries, though, even those three minutes were enough to produce a visible traffic bump: Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina showed the effect most strongly.

Requests to gambling industry sites rose overall from the opening game onward. The more interesting change was structural. Before the tournament, betting traffic followed a pronounced weekly rhythm; afterward it flattened into a near-constant profile, a consequence, Cloudflare suggests, of matches running at near-daily regularity for a month.

At the scale Cloudflare operates, it is genuinely difficult for any single event to leave a visible mark on aggregate global traffic. That the 2026 World Cup managed to do so is the clearest measure of how much the tournament meant to people online.

GameSir G8+ Bluetooth: One-minute review

The GameSir G8+ Bluetooth is the wireless mobile controller in the G8 family and bolsters compatibility from being simply mobile, to the Nintendo Switch, tablets, and PC. The same full-size grips, Hall effect joysticks and triggers, and programmable back buttons that made the wired versions of the G8 so impressive remain, and at $79.99 / £79.99 / AU$129, so does the price.

On paper, you’d think it’s a no-brainer to go wireless, particularly with the addition of a six-axis gyroscope adding to that strong core experience, but the wireless freedom you gain comes with meaningful trade-offs. Noticeably, the lack of passthrough charging and the lack of a headphone jack, both obvious casualties of the move to Bluetooth.

More importantly for iPhone gamers, the GameSir iOS app doesn't recognize the controller, which means the stick calibration, dead zone tuning, hair-trigger configuration, and back button mapping that make the G8 Plus so compelling as an option on other platforms go completely to waste. The Bluetooth connection itself also feels less locked-in than the wired experience on iPhone, with small stick movements occasionally getting lost along the way.

On Android and PC, the experience is significantly better. The app works, the back buttons are configurable, and there’s haptic feedback on offer as well (albeit with patchy support, particularly on mobile). For the first time, you can even use the G8 Plus with your Nintendo Switch. But if an iPhone is your primary device, the wired GameSir G8+ MFi delivers a more complete, more reliable experience for the same money.

(Image credit: Future)GameSir G8+ Bluetooth: Price and availability

• List price: $79.99 / £79.99 / AU$129
• Available from GameSir and major retailers
• Same price as the rest of the G8 range

The middle sibling, the GameSir G8+ Bluetooth launched in mid-2024 at $79.99 / £79.99 / AU$129, matching the rest of the G8 family.

Each variant has pros and cons, so the consistent price puts the onus firmly on the buyer to decide which set of trade-offs works best for their setup. GameSir has also released a couple of special edition color variants in some regions, including a Hulk and a Thanos Edition, which will set you back slightly more.

At this price, it remains highly competitive against the Backbone One 2nd Gen and is significantly cheaper than the Razer Kishi Ultra, though the Bluetooth limitations on iPhone mean it's not the straightforward recommendation the wired models are.

GameSir G8+ Bluetooth: Specs

GameSir G8+ Bluetooth

Price

$79.99 / £79.99 / AU$129

Dimensions

9.06 x 4.21 x 2.17 in / 230 x 107 x 55mm

Weight

0.69 lbs / 314g

Connection

Bluetooth 5.3, Wired USB-C (PC), Wireless Dongle (sold separately)

Compatibility

iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch, PC, macOS

Software

GameSir App (Android only)

GameSir G8+ Bluetooth: Design and features

• Comfortable, console controller-like ergonomics shared with the rest of the G8 range
• Bluetooth versatility across five platforms, but mode switching is a hassle
• Special edition designs are only available in certain markets

The G8+ Bluetooth is the first and only member of the G8 family that cuts the cord entirely. Wireless freedom and the versatility it brings are the entire pitch, and it helps broaden the G8’s platform compatibility too.

Unlike the original G8 Galileo and the G8+ MFi, which are limited to mobile only, this controller works with iOS, Android, the Nintendo Switch, PC (via wired USB-C or Bluetooth, with a wireless dongle sold separately), and macOS. Console gaming aside, in theory, that means the G8+ is ready to follow you anywhere on your gaming journey.

The reality, unfortunately, is a little more complicated. Each platform requires its own Bluetooth pairing mode, triggered by holding different button combinations on the controller. If you're a one-device person, this is a simple pair-once-and-forget situation, and you can skip to the next paragraph.

If you're hopping between platforms, as I was during testing, it gets tedious fast. Switching modes caused regular reconnection failures with devices the controller had previously been paired with, and keeping track of which mode goes with which platform isn't intuitive. It's workable, and we’re in first-world problem territory here for sure, but it's not the seamless experience it should be.

FutureFuture

On the plus side, turning it on couldn’t be simpler because stretching the controller open automatically powers it on and letting it close fully again powers it down. This isn’t a life-changing feature but certainly a nice convenience that worked reliably throughout testing.

A 1000mAh battery sits split across both grips, charging via USB-C. The GameSir app tracks each side independently, which is how I discovered the left and right grips drain at slightly different rates despite charging as a single unit. I saw a couple of percent drop over half an hour of active use, and the rated eight-hour battery life seems about right based on that.

The black colorway is a clean, classic look that feels more like a traditional controller than the grey and grey-and-white of its wired siblings. GameSir has also released rather jazzy Hulk- and Thanos-themed special editions in some regions, making this the only G8 variant with cosmetic variety, though they’ll set you back a little more for the paint job.

The build quality and overall shape match the rest of the family; it’s well designed and well built with the same full-size, Xbox-like grips, textured backs and a solid chassis. It’s comfortable to hold for extended sessions, and while at 11oz/314g it's the heaviest of the three on paper, the balance is good, and the weight didn't register during testing.

Case compatibility is a mixed bag, as is often the case with mobile controller grips. Without a USB-C connector going into the phone, there's no port angle to stress about, thankfully, but the physical cradle can still be tight.

My iPhone 17 Pro fit with a slim case on but sat at a noticeable angle towards the left side, which saw it protrude more than I’d like. There is a rubber pad on the phone deck that appears to serve the same purpose as the G8+ MFi's removable magnetic panel for camera bump clearance, but this one is glued down rather than magnetically attached.

GameSir’s marketing suggests this is still meant to be removed to accommodate camera bumps, but it really didn't feel like it wanted to come off, and I wasn't willing to force it. If you do take it off, don’t expect it to go back on neatly and expect to trap plenty of dust in the residue.

The D-pad shares the same feel as the rest of the G8 family: slightly mushy initial movement but with a clicky, short-travel feel once you commit to an input. Swappable ABXY caps and thumbstick caps carry over, too, as do the three alternate stick options, and they’re easily adjusted by popping off the magnetic faceplates.

Once again, however, GameSir only includes one of each of these replaceable sticks, so you can’t run the same option on both sides. One annoyance that cropped up here for the first time on any G8 I’ve tested: on iOS, the controller connects as a DualShock controller, so all on-screen UI elements in compatible games display PlayStation button labels.

GameSir doesn't include any PlayStation-legended alternative keycaps in the box, so you’ll need to remember that triangle is Y, for example.

(Image credit: Future)GameSir G8+ Bluetooth: Performance

• Hall effect inputs are excellent and responsive, but Bluetooth feels a step behind wired
• iPhone users lose app support, back buttons, and customization entirely
• Vibration motors remain largely a spec-sheet feature with no real-world use

As you’d expect, the core gameplay experience with the G8+ Bluetooth mirrors the other options in the G8 range. The Hall effect thumbsticks and triggers are smooth and precise with a high level of sensitivity.

Resistance in these is just right for my taste; I found I was able to confidently hold the sticks at a midpoint for fine adjustments without the sense that the stick was itching to return to its starting point. The triggers offer full analog travel with a responsive hair-trigger mode (assuming you can enable it, more on that shortly). In analog mode, I felt like I had a nice level of control and was able to modulate the throttle in Forza Horizon 6 with plenty of detail.

That said, the Bluetooth connection introduced a subtle but noticeable difference in feel I hadn’t experienced before with a GameSir G8. I couldn’t quite quantify it, but I didn't feel as locked-in using the G8+ Wireless as I did with the wired equivalents.

It's not consistent, obvious latency, or any kind of genuine stutter or interference; it's more that small thumbstick movements occasionally felt like they were getting lost along the way. Everything was perfectly playable, and my skill as a gamer is certainly not high enough for this to be a make-or-break thing, but if you're serious about your gaming, the wired experience is definitely tighter.

(Image credit: Future)

The biggest issue I came across, and the one that separates this controller from the rest of the G8 family, is the iPhone experience. It’s somewhat lacking. Because iOS sees the controller as a DualShock 4, the GameSir app doesn’t recognize the G8+ Bluetooth. That means no stick calibration, no deadzone adjustment, no hair-trigger toggling, and no back button mapping.

The two rear programmable buttons, labeled M1 and M2, ship unbound by default, and there's no way to configure them on iOS. They don't appear in the iPhone's native controller settings either because iOS thinks this is a DualShock 4, which doesn't have back buttons. On macOS, I was able to rebind other buttons through native system options, but back button mapping wasn't available there either for the same reason.

On Android, the picture is much better. The app recognized the controller (though admittedly it took a couple of attempts at first), and once connected, all the usual calibration, deadzone, hair-trigger, and back button configuration options were available. Gaming on the POCO X5 Pro was a smooth experience, with Fortnite and Call of Duty Mobile both running well after the usual game-side controller recognition quirks.

PC gaming was the most pleasant surprise. Connected via either USB-C or Bluetooth, the controller was recognized immediately as a PlayStation 4 controller and was fully mapped out of the box for both local and cloud gaming. Gyro tracking worked here too, which is a nice bonus for games that support it. On macOS, things were less smooth.

The controller initially tried to connect as a "GameSir G8" which required manual Steam configuration and then wasn't recognized in-game. Reverting to DualShock mode fixed the issue, and games worked with automated mapping after that.

Shoudl you buy the GameSir G8+ Bluetooth?Buy it if...

You're an Android user who wants one controller for phone, Switch, and PC
The Bluetooth versatility and full GameSir app support on Android make the G8+ Bluetooth a seriously flexible, wireless option. If you play across multiple platforms and want a single controller to handle them all, this could well be it.

You value wireless convenience over raw precision
No connections mean a simpler experience and fewer points of failure. It also brings a wider variety of devices into play.

Don't buy it if...

You're primarily an iPhone user
While it does work natively for games that play nicely with a physical controller, the lack of GameSir app support, non-functional back buttons, and DualShock workaround make the iPhone experience feel like an afterthought. The wired G8+ MFi is the better choice for the same money and with little drawback.

You want the tightest possible input response
Don’t get me wrong, the Bluetooth connection is perfectly playable, but it doesn't feel as precise and instantly responsive as the wired G8 controllers. If competitive precision matters to you, go wired.

Also consider...

Trying to work out if the GameSir G8+ Bluetooth is the one to get? Here's how it compares to other, similar controller grips.

GameSir G8+ Bluetooth

GameSir G8+ MFi Galileo MFi

Scuf Nomad

Price

$79.99 / £79.99 / AU$129.99

$79.99 / £79.99 / AU$129.99

$99.99 / £89.99 / around AU$179.99

Dimensions

9.06 x 4.21 x 2.17in / 230 x 107 x 55mm

9.02 x 4.20 x 2.13in / 229 x 106.8 x 54.2mm

6.93 x 3.70 x 1.34in / 176 x 93.98 x 34.03mm

Weight

10.72oz / 314g

10.72oz / 304g

0.5 lbs / 228 g

Connection

Bluetooth 5.3, Wired (USB-C), Dongle (sold separately)

Wired (USB-C)

Wireless (Bluetooth)

Compatibility

Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, macOS

Android, iOS

iOS

Software

GameSir App (Android only)

GameSir App

Scuf Nomad Companion App (iOS)

GameSir G8+ MFi
The G8+ MFi is the wired, Apple-friendly equivalent from the same family. It offers MFi certification, full GameSir app support on both iOS and Android, passthrough charging, a headphone jack, and functional back buttons on every platform. If you don't need wireless or Switch/PC compatibility, it's the more complete package.

For more information, check out our full GameSir G8+ MFi review

Scuf Nomad
The Scuf Nomad is an iPhone-only Bluetooth alternative with a lighter build, 16 hours of battery life, and an app that actually works on iOS. It's more compact, handles phone cases better, and has configurable rear paddles. The trade-off is no Android, Switch, or PC support and a higher price tag.

For more information, check out our full Scuf Nomad review

How I tested the GameSir G8+ Bluetooth

• Tested with multiple devices
• A wide variety of games tried
• Compared to other mobile controllers

I spent several days testing across iOS, Android, PC, and macOS, with a focus on comparing the experience to the wired G8 and G8+ MFi I'd previously reviewed.

I tested on an iPhone 17 Pro and POCO X5 Pro 5G, playing Fortnite, Call of Duty Mobile, and Forza Horizon 6 via Xbox Cloud Gaming on mobile, and Stardew Valley via Steam on PC. I evaluated Bluetooth connectivity, app compatibility, back button functionality, latency feel, vibration motors, and cross-platform mode switching.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed June-July 2026

• Stream Shark Week 2026 free via YouTube TV / DirecTV / Hulu + Live TV (US)
• Unlock your stream with Surfshark (save up to 85%)
• Shark Week 2026 starts at 8pm ET/PT on Sunday, July 26

"It's all psychological. You yell barracuda, everybody says, "Huh? What?" You yell shark, we've got a panic on our hands." We're still waiting on Barracuda Week (which we'd definitely tune into), but in the meantime TV event of the summer Shark Week is back to keep you glued to your telly and out of the Amity Island waters.

Anything to keep Mayor Vaughn happy.

Even better – you can stream all 20 specials across seven nights, including Air Jaws: Red, White and Breach, How to Train a Great White and My Strange Shark Addiction, for free.

Here's the trick: Shark Week airs exclusively on Discovery, which you can access with a free trial, and Surfshark will let you watch Shark Week from anywhere. Not only is the aptly named VPN excellent, but it's also heavily discounted for a limited time, and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

How to watch Shark Week 2026 for free

Discovery is home to Shark Week 2026. If you don't have the channel on cable, it's available on a streaming basis from several cable alternatives. Best of all, a few of them let new subscribers take advantage of a free trial.

YouTube TV usually costs $82.99 per month but comes with a 5-day free trial and $15 off each of your first five months.

The DirecTV MyEntertainment genre pack costs $42.99 per month after a 5-day free trial, and Hulu + Live TV costs $89.99 per month after a 3-day free trial.

Outside the US? You can use a VPN to watch Shark Week 2026 for free as if you were right at home.

Use a VPN to watch Shark Week 2026 for free from anywhere

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Quick start: Using a VPN to watch Shark Week 2026 free

Using a VPN is incredibly simple; just follow these steps.

1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, Surfshark is the one we recommend.

2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance if you're visiting the UK and want to view an American service, you'd select the "United States" location from the server list.

3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to your streaming platform of choice and watch Shark Week 2026 just like you would at home.

What to know about Shark Week 2026

(All times ET/PT)

Sunday, July 26
8pm – K-Pop Shark Heroes
9pm – Air Jaws: Red, White and Breach
10pm – Invasion of the Mega Sharks

Monday, July 27
8pm – Bull Shark Dinner Bell
9pm – House of Sharks
10pm – Biggest Mako on Earth

Sunday, July 26
8pm – Jurassic Sharks
9pm – Jaws vs Orca
10pm – Chum Island: Catching a Killer

Sunday, July 26
8pm – Expedition X: Atomic Sharks
9pm – Expedition Unknown: Shark Secrets
10pm – Alien Sharks: Untamed America

Sunday, July 26
8pm – What Shark Attacked?
9pm – How to Train a Great White
10pm – Ultimate Shark Dive

Sunday, July 26
8pm – Secrets of the Great White Kill
9pm – Sharkzilla Takes New York
10pm – My Strange Shark Addiction

Sunday, July 26
8pm – Great White Highway
9pm – Thresher Shark: Stun to Kill

You may also be interested in...

• How to watch Evolution for free
• How to watch UK TV from anywhere
• How access BBC Sounds from anywhere

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.

• Accomplish AI showed Claude Cowork could escape a VM sandbox via Linux zero‑day CVE‑2026‑46331
• Agent accessed host Mac files, risking exfiltration of SSH keys, cloud credentials, and more
• Anthropic shifted Cowork to default cloud execution; local users must harden configs to mitigate exposure

Recent news of a ChatGPT agent escaping the sandbox and attacking services on the internet raised quite a few eyebrows, but it seems it’s not the only one capable of running wild. Security researchers Accomplish AI are saying they achieved similar results with Anthropic’s Claude Cowork.

In a new report, the researchers said they ran a local session in a Mac-hosted virtual Linux machine and then observed as the agent broke free of the VM and started reading and writing files on the underlying system.

“We connected a folder to a fresh Claude Cowork session, sent one short message, and watched the agent escape the sandbox,” Oren Yomtov, principal security researcher at Accomplish AI, told The Hacker News. “From inside the VM, it reached the host Mac and read and wrote files all over it, far outside the folder we'd connected, with no permission prompt anywhere.”

Defaulting to cloud execution

This means that, in theory, the agent can be used to access or exfiltrate anything that’s stored on the Mac’s user account, including SSH keys, cloud credentials, and more. To break out of the sandbox, the agent exploited CVE-2026-46331 ("pedit COW"), a Linux kernel privilege-escalation vulnerability. This flaw, fixed in mid-June this year, was given a severity score of 7.8/10 (high).

Accomplish AI disclosed these findings with Anthropic, which allegedly acknowledged them but did not issue a direct fix. However, the version of Claude Cowork that was released afterwards defaults to cloud execution which, the publication claims, addresses the issue. Still, users who opt to run the agent locally rather than in the cloud will remain exposed.

Mitigations are possible, though. Users should disable unprivileged user namespaces, grant/revoke seccopm permissions, stop modules autoloading, and restrict sharing of the whole host into the VM.

"Scope it to the folders that were actually connected instead of all of /, or at least mount it read-only, and run coworkd with ProtectSystem=strict in its own mount namespace so it isn't re-execing binaries a session user can poison," Accomplish AI explained. "Then even a full guest-root has nothing to land on, the last two steps of the chain have nowhere to go."

• Prices on Roku streaming devices are going up
• The products are still available at 'sale' prices
• One source puts the change down to the memory crisis

Streaming devices like the Roku Streaming Stick Plus get you a whole lot of entertainment for relatively little money, but the value proposition is about to change: Roku is the latest tech company to jack up its prices in response to the global memory shortage.

As spotted by Ars Technica and others, the prices for streaming devices on the Roku US website have been put up, though the products are still available at their previous prices — now labeled as 'sale' offers. It's not clear how long this sale might last before the new pricing kicks in, but you might want to grab a Roku quickly.

The Streaming Stick is up to $39.99 from $29.99, the Streaming Stick Plus goes up from $39.99 to $59.99, the Streaming Stick 4K is now $79.99 rather than $49.99 (the biggest jump at 60%), and the Roku Ultra box is up to $149.99 from $99.99.

Looking at Roku's international websites, including the UK, there are no signs of price rises yet — but it seems inevitable that if the company is putting up the cost of buying a Roku in the US, then this will come to other countries too in the near future.

Time to switch?

The Apple TV 4K also recently went up in price (Image credit: Future)

Roku hasn't said anything officially about the new price changes, but according to the team at The Desk, a Roku executive they spoke to confirmed that it was down to "shortages in computer memory and other components".

We know that rapidly rising demands for AI compute capacity have led to a severe shortage of memory and rocketing costs, and everyone in the industry has been affected. Last month Apple raised its prices on a variety of different products in response, including iPads and the MacBook Neo.

Reaction online has been mostly negative, as you would expect. One Redditor says "it's hard to find another affordable option" for streaming devices like these, though other commentators are recommending alternatives from Google and Apple.

There's also some consternation over an increasing amount of ads being shown on Roku screens, and the company's recent acquisition by Fox. Whatever you think of Roku though, it's another sign of consumers being hit hard by memory shortages.

• Huawei removal could cost Europe up to €40 billion, GSMA estimates
• GSMA expects reduced competition to increase telecom equipment prices significantly
• Experts disagree over the true financial impact of Huawei's removal

The European Union's plan to remove supposedly high-risk telecom vendors such as Huawei and ZTE could cost far more than Brussels currently estimates, new figures have claimed

The GSMA trade body has said that direct replacement costs would reach €30 to €40 billion - roughly four times higher than the European Commission's own estimate of €10 to €13 billion in total.

Under the Commission's own projections, the transition away from Chinese equipment would cost between €3.4 billion and €4.3 billion annually across a three-year rollout - that annual estimate equates to a total cost of roughly €10 to €13 billion once the full three-year period concludes.

A costly clash over Chinese telecom equipment

The push to remove Huawei and ZTE from European networks traces back to security concerns raised in the early 2010s.

Several EU governments began restricting Chinese vendors after the United States pressured allies to exclude them from next-generation 5G infrastructure.

The debate intensified further as multiple member states moved to ban Chinese equipment from their national 5G core networks entirely.

The European Commission later proposed a formal ban on high-risk suppliers as part of a new EU Cybersecurity Act now under active negotiation.

GSMA's €30 to €40 billion figure is a one-time total, and it breaks down into fixed networks at €5 billion and transport networks at €9 to €12 billion.

It also projects an extra €8.5 billion in costs between 2027 and 2030 from reduced competition among equipment manufacturers, a cost the Commission's figures do not appear to include.

GSMA attributes that added expense to fewer companies competing for contracts once high-risk vendors are excluded entirely from the market.

Telecom operators across the bloc have already begun pressing regulators for financial compensation tied to the mandated equipment replacement.

Experts clash over whose numbers are accurate

Some economists dispute GSMA's figures, arguing the estimates fail to separate new costs from expenses that would have occurred regardless.

"GSMA estimates are gross, not incremental," said Hosuk Lee-Makiyama, director at think tank ECIPE.

He argued that subtracting replacement costs that would have occurred anyway would bring the totals close to the Commission's own figures.

Lee-Makiyama's critique suggests the true gap between industry and Commission estimates may be lower. The European Commission had not responded to requests for comment on the dispute.

GSMA's report arrives as negotiations over the Cybersecurity Act continue among EU member states and telecom industry representatives.

Any eventual compensation scheme would likely require agreement among national governments already divided over how quickly to remove Chinese vendors.

This is not the first time GSMA's figures have contrasted sharply with the European Commission's or individual analysts' estimates.

In 2019, GSMA projected that replacing Chinese-made telecommunications equipment across Europe could cost as much as €55 billion in total.

Strand Consult, by contrast, estimated the cost of replacing Huawei or ZTE equipment eligible for 5G upgrades at around $3.5 billion.

Whether the final cost this time lands closer to Brussels' modest estimate or GSMA's far larger figure remains genuinely unresolved for now.

Via Politico

The moon is about the size of Jupiter, and it orbits a brown dwarf instead of a regular planet.

• Stream Shark Week 2026 on Discovery via YouTube TV free trial (US)
• Unlock your stream with Surfshark (save up to 85%)
• Shark Week 2026 dates: Sunday, July 26 – Saturday, August 1

Findulge your inner child and learn something new along the way by diving into Shark Week, a celebration of one of the natural world's most endlessly intimidating and captivating animal groups, playing out over seven days and 20 specials.

Adrenaline-junkie Molly Carlson is embracing that spirit a little too literally for our liking in Ultimate Shark Dive, by attempting a record-breaking freefall dive from a helicopter into a narrow cage surrounded by reef sharks – some species of which are known to be aggressive and/or a little too curious for comfort.

Yes, one of Shark Week's missions has traditionally been to undo the reputational damage wreaked by Jaws, but with titles like Air Jaws: Red, White and Breach, Bull Shark Dinner Bell, Chum Island: Catching a Killer, What Shark Attacked? and Secrets of the Great White Kill also prevalent on the schedule, you can forgive us for staying out of the water for its duration (and beyond).

After all, you never know where Big Rose might be. Here's hoping Dr Neil Hammerschlag and Paul de Gelder manage to track the supersized great white down in Invasion of the Mega Sharks. Expedition X: Atomic Sharks, Phil Torres and Heather Amaro's study of sharks living amongst nuclear waste, and Dr Tristan Guttridge's intelligence-testing How to Train a Great White sound especially fascinating too.

Read on as we explain how to watch Shark Week 2026 from anywhere and potentially for free. Scroll right down to the bottom for the full lineup of specials.

Can I watch Shark Week 2026 for free?

Yes. YouTube TV, which carries Discovery, offers new subscribers a 5-day FREE trial, which would let you watch almost the entirety of Shark Week 2026 for free.

Traveling abroad right now? You can use a VPN to access your usual streaming services from anywhere with a VPN.

Use a VPN to watch Shark Week 2026 from anywhere

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 Shark Week 2026 in the US

Shark Week 2026 airs on Discovery on seven consecutive nights from Sunday, July 26 to Saturday, August 1. A triple-header of specials will start at 8pm ET/PT each evening, with a double-header to close.

The Discovery channel is available on a streaming basis from several OTT operators, including YouTube TV, which comes with a 5-day FREE trial.

Alternatively, the HBO Max streaming platform will let you stream Shark Week programming too. Plans start from $10.99 per month, or you can pay more to add live sports and bundle in other streaming services like Disney Plus and Hulu.

If you have a subscription but you're away during Shark Week 2026, you can unlock access your usual streaming services from anywhere by using a VPN.

How to watch Shark Week 2026 in Canada

In Canada, Shark Week 2026 airs on Discovery to exactly the same schedule.

Cord cutters can tune in via Discovery+, which starts at CA$5.99/month.

Away from Canada right now? Use Surfshark to access your subscriptions from anywhere.

Can I watch Shark Week 2026 in the UK?

Although Discovery+ is home to Shark Week programming in the UK, they tend to hit the streaming service in dribs and drabs, instead of airing as an event.

At the time of writing, it isn't clear when any of the Shark Week 2026 specials will be available to watch in the UK.

For now, a VPN will help you tune in if you're spending time in the UK from the US or Canada. Surfshark is our recommended provider, and you can find out why with our in-depth Surfshark review.

How to watch Shark Week 2026 in Australia

Shark Week 2026 goes out on HBO Max in Australia from Sunday, August 16.

Prices start from AU$11.99 per month.

If you'd rather not wait that long, a VPN will help you tune in if you're an American or a Canadian spending time abroad. The solution? Try using a VPN.

Shark Week 2026 – Need to KnowShark Week 2026 trailerShark Week 2026 episode guide

Shark Week 2026 comprises 20 specials, which will air in North America on the following schedule:

Sunday, July 26
8pm – “K-Pop Shark Heroes”
9pm – “Air Jaws: Red, White and Breach”
10pm – “Invasion of the Mega Sharks”

Monday, July 27
8pm – “Bull Shark Dinner Bell”
9pm – “House of Sharks”
10pm – “Biggest Mako on Earth”

Sunday, July 26
8pm – “Jurassic Sharks”
9pm – “Jaws vs Orca”
10pm – “Chum Island: Catching a Killer”

Sunday, July 26
8pm – “Expedition X: Atomic Sharks”
9pm – “Expedition Unknown: Shark Secrets”
10pm – “Alien Sharks: Untamed America”

Sunday, July 26
8pm – “What Shark Attacked?”
9pm – “How to Train a Great White”
10pm – “Ultimate Shark Dive”

Sunday, July 26
8pm – “Secrets of the Great White Kill”
9pm – “Sharkzilla Takes New York”
10pm – “My Strange Shark Addiction”

Sunday, July 26
8pm – “Great White Highway”
9pm – “Thresher Shark: Stun to Kill”

(All times ET/PT)

VPN services are evaluated and tested by us in view of legal recreational use. For example:a) Access to services from other countries, (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).b) Safeguarding your online security and making your online privacy more robust when abroad.Future plc does not support nor condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. We do not endorse nor approve of consuming pirated content that is paid-for.

• It's still unclear whether employers should train workers, or if workers should train themselves
• Most organizations would still pay a premium to have employees who know a thing or two about AI
• AI is increasingly common in performance reviews and promotion decisions

New research has claimed, three in four (77%) UK organizations now expect AI proficient to become a baseline requirement across most non-technical roles within the next year.

But despite a clear demand for AI skills, whose responsibility it is to upskill workers is still very much hotly challenged, the report from HiBob says.

For example, a near-identical number of companies are investing in AI upskilling (82%) and have clear strategies for finding candidates who already have strong AI skills (80%).

Employers are recruiting for AI-proficient workers

When it comes to training workers, employers are using a mix of funding opportunities for employees (33%), providing dedicated time for workers to experiment (33%) and offering pre-built prompts and workflows (31%), indicating that there's not yet a single way forward.

While the report doesn't shift the responsibility onto either party, with more than three in five considering AI when making promotion decisions (63%) and including AI in regular performance reviews (61%), workers are clearly required to take at least some ownership over their upskilling.

"The winners in the AI era will be the organisations that can define a shared language of skills, identify where capability truly sits, and pivot talent to where it creates the most value," CEO Ronni Zehavi wrote.

Regardless, with nearly all (97%) employers prepared to offer at least a 10% salary premium for AI proficiency, demand for such skills isn't going anywhere and the workers who take initiative could be the ones to see the most success in the short term, as organizations battle getting to grips with how to support their workforces.

As noted in my Ninja Creami Swirl review, with the right ingredients, your frozen dessert can help you meet your protein goals. I have tried dozens of recipes and found that I really don't care for the taste or texture of the ready-made protein shakes and powders that many high-protein recipes call for. Plus, they are quite expensive, often around $3 / £2.50 / AU$4.50 per serving, not counting any other ingredients you might add.

Many recipes also call for pudding mix, which is supposed to help with texture, taste, and added sweetness, but I'm not a fan of those either, so I searched out some options that provide a decent amount of protein without any of those products — just real food.

Just yogurt

The obvious option is just to take a tub (or two) of your favorite yogurt, dump it into the Ninja Creami pint, and freeze. Spin it on the Yogurt setting and you get a nice ice cream texture. The key is to use a yogurt that you really like, because the flavor doesn't magically change into ice cream, just the texture! The image above is two tubs of simple vanilla Greek yogurt. Keep in mind that freezing anything dulls the sweetness, so you might want to add a touch of your sweetener of choice before freezing, or add a sweet mix-in, such as cookies or chocolate.

Cherry-vanilla yogurt

Yogurt (or cottage cheese) and fruit is always a great combo. One of my favorites is this simple recipe:

Cherry-vanilla frozen yogurt:

3/4 cup dark sweet frozen cherries

1 cup Greek vanilla yogurt

Blend first and then freeze for 24 hours. Spin it on the Frozen Yogurt cycle. If desired, add more cherries for the Mix-in cycle.

I rarely actually blend mine first, but it's probably better for your machine if you do. This is a favorite I make over and over, and it's simply delicious. Sometimes I add 1/4 tsp of almond extract before freezing for a heightened flavor. I also sometimes add more protein and texture by running a small handful of nuts in the Mix-in cycle.

Karen Freeman / FutureKaren Freeman / FutureKaren Freeman / FutureKaren Freeman / FutureKaren Freeman / FutureKaren Freeman / FuturePear-vanilla yogurt

This one sounds a bit odd, but it's so good.

Pear-vanilla yogurt:

2 tubs of Greek vanilla yogurt

1 tub pears

No need to blend, just mix and freeze for 24 hours. Spin on the Frozen Yogurt cycle.

Canned fruit is very soft, which is why you don't need to blend it. You can use any fruit here, it doesn't have to be pears. They all work well. You can try different yogurt flavors, too. Canned pineapple with coconut yogurt is a tasty combo, for example. And if you don't have tubs like I used, you can just measure out a roughly 2:1 yogurt to fruit ratio to the max fill line.

Karen Freeman / FutureKaren Freeman / FutureKaren Freeman / FutureKaren Freeman / FutureChocolate Cottage Cheese Ice Cream

I have tried many chocolate 'protein ice creams' and haven't yet hit on that perfect recipe. This one is pretty good, with great texture. Be sure to taste it before freezing, in case you want to add more sweetener. User a sugar-free sweetener if you want to cut calories. If you prefer whole foods, try honey, maple syrup, or agave syrup. You could even just use a few dates.

Chocolate Cottage Cheese Ice Cream:

1 cup cottage cheese

3 tbsp cacao powder

2-3 tbsp sweetener of choice

2 tbsp almond butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

Blend well and freeze for 24 hours. Spin on the Light Ice Cream setting.

Add nuts, cookies, and/or chocolate on the Mix-in cycle if desired. I mixed in a few chocolate chips. If the cottage cheese is too salty for you, or you just don't like the taste, you could use milk or Greek yogurt instead. You can even do some combination of the three. The cottage cheese does give a nice texture, but you don't need the full cup to get it. Even a quarter cup helps.

Karen Freeman / FutureKaren Freeman / FutureKaren Freeman / FutureKaren Freeman / FutureAnd more

I have several high protein recipes in my recent article, healthier recipes for your Ninja Creami, including a pistachio ice cream recipe I particularly like and a banana nut ice cream I eat quite regularly. I also have some high protein options in my article about eating ice cream for breakfast!

I know my recipes tend to be dairy-forward, because that's what I like, but there are other options out there. I've seen bean-based and tofu-based recipes, but haven't had the guts to try them.

There are other additions to you can blend into any favorite recipe, such as hemp seeds, chia seeds, and flax seeds. Just a tablespoon added to any recipe will increase the protein and other nutrients without doing much of anything to the flavor of your ice cream.