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With every passing day, the number of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cloud apps used by enterprises in the manufacturing sector grows. While commendable, this move also resulted in new avenues that cybercriminals can explore.

This is according to a new report from Netskope Threat Labs, published earlier this week. It claims that cloud app usage has grown significantly, with organizations in the sector now interacting with 24 cloud apps each month, on average.

Of all the different apps, OneDrive seems to be the driving force (pun definitely intended), since its popularity grew from 43% to 58% year-on-year.

Higher risks

When it comes to AI, businesses are also inclined towards Microsoft products. This year, Microsoft Copilot is in the manufacturing top 10 apps. With recent updates to Windows 10, and the increasing adoption of Windows 11, which will grow even further next year when Windows 10 hits EOD, it’s safe to assume that Copilot’s share will only grow.

But with increasing adoption also lurk risks. Roughly a half of all global HTTP/HTTPS malware downloads originate from popular cloud apps, Netskope said, adding that the most popular apps around the world “are also among the top apps in terms of the number of malware downloads.” In fact, OneDrive is the top app being abused for malware delivery in manufacturing, with 22%, twice as much as the second- and third-placed Sharepoint and GitHub, who each have 10%.

Crooks are mostly deploying one of these five malware families: Downloader.Guloader; Infostealer.AgentTesla; Phishing.PhishingX; Trojan.Grandoreiro; and Trojan.RaspberryRobin. For Paolo Passeri, Cyber Intelligence Principal at Netskope, this is interesting, since hackers are mostly interested in flexibility:

“What really caught my eye in this report is the fact that threat actors are diversifying the kind of payload they are delivering to organizations in manufacturing,” he said. “Rather than focusing on specific categories of malware, they prefer to deliver flexible downloaders or remote access tools (GuLoader, AgentTesla, and RaspberryRobin), which can then distribute multiple kinds of payloads depending on the attackers' objectives. Businesses will need to implement strict policies that ensure the safe handling of sensitive data, and regularly monitor cloud traffic for malicious behavior.”

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For IFA 2024, Acer has revealed tons of new products including several new AI-powered Acer Swift AI laptops, a gaming laptop and gaming PC, and – most surprisingly – a brand-new gaming handheld.

Non-gaming Swift AI laptops

There are two main models of the Intel-powered Swift AI laptops: the 14-inch with an Intel Core Ultra 7 (Series 2) CPU and a 2K OLED display, while the 16-inch comes with a Core Ultra 9 (Series 2) CPU and 3K OLED display. The NPU in both devices is capable of up to 48 TOPS and, according to Acer, up to a whopping 29 hours of video playback for the Swift 14 AI. Pricing will start at $1,199.99 / AU$1,899 for the 14-inch and $1,199.99 / AU$1,999 for the 16-inch, the former launching in September 2024 and the latter model releasing in October 2024 and Q1 2025, respectively.

Meanwhile, there are two other upcoming Swift models: the Swift 14 AI, powered by the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 CPU that features up to 50 TOPS, and the Swift Go 14 AI, equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus CPU with up to 45 TOPS. The former features three display options: the OLED WQXGA, the IPS WQXGA, and the IPS WUXGA. The Swift Go 14 AI will launch in September 2024, starting at $999, and Q4 starting at AU$1,399. The Swift 14 AI will also launch in September 2024 at a starting price of $1,999 and in Q4 2024 at AU$2,799.

All the Swift laptops will have touchpads with an AI Activity Indicator that shows when the NPU is utilized and if Copilot is activated, as well as a 1440p QHD IR webcam. 

Like other AI PCs launched this year, the entire Swift line will have Copilot+ – though they’ll come through free updates later in 2024. These specific laptops will also feature Acer-designed AI apps.

Gaming laptops, a gaming desktop, and a gaming handheld

The Predator Orion 7000 desktop is clearly meant to be a high-end gaming rig with up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 graphics card and AI-powered DLSS, as well as both fan and liquid cooling systems. No pricing or release information has been revealed as of now, though.

There are also Nitro V 14 and Nitro V 16 gaming laptops. The 14 comes with two display options – a WQXGA (2560 x 1600) or WUXGA (1920x1200) – AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS CPU, up to an Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU, up to 32GB of RAM, and up to 2TB of storage. Meanwhile, the 16 features up to an Intel Core i7-14650HX CPU, up to an Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU, a WQXGA (2500 x 1600) display, up to 32GB of RAM, and up to 2TB of storage. The Nitro V 14 launches in September 2024 for $1,099 / AU$2,099, while the Nitro V 16 launches in October 2024 starting at $1,299.99 / AU$2,299.

Finally, Acer’s debuting its first PC gaming handheld, the Acer Nitro Blaze 7. The specs are quite impressive, featuring an AMD Ryzen 8040 Series CPU with up to 39 total AI TOPS and AMD Radeon 780M GPU, up to 16GB of RAM, and up to 2TB of storage. 

The display itself is a full HD IP touch panel with an impressive 144 Hz refresh rate and boasts AMD FreeSync compatiblity. It uses Windows 11 as the OS, which has so far been mixed in terms of its usability compared to other PC gaming handhelds. No pricing or launch window information has been revealed yet, so stay tuned.

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Multiple business router models, built by the Taiwanese networking giant Zyxel, carried a critical vulnerability which allowed malicious actors to run any command, remotely. The manufacturer recently released a fix which addresses the flaw, so installing it straight away is highly recommended.

As the company explained in an advisory, the vulnerability is described as an “input validation fault caused by improper handling of user-supplied data.” In other words, the underlying OS does not validate the data a user inputs, potentially allowing crooks to run OS command injection. The bug is tracked as CVE-2024-7261, and carries a severity score of 9.8/10 - critical.

"The improper neutralization of special elements in the parameter "host" in the CGI program of some AP and security router versions could allow an unauthenticated attacker to execute OS commands by sending a crafted cookie to a vulnerable device," Zyxel said in the advisory.

Numerous devices affected

Multiple Zyxel access points (AP) are vulnerable to the flaw. The full list is below:

• NWA Series: NWA50AX, NWA50AX PRO, NWA55AXE, NWA90AX, NWA90AX PRO, NWA110AX, NWA130BE, NWA210AX, NWA220AX-6E | all versions up to 7.00
• NWA1123-AC PRO (all versions up to 6.28)
• NWA1123ACv3, WAC500, WAC500H (all versions up to 6.70)
• WAC Series: WAC6103D-I, WAC6502D-S, WAC6503D-S, WAC6552D-S, WAC6553D-E (all versions up to 6.28)
• WAX Series: WAX300H, WAX510D, WAX610D, WAX620D-6E, WAX630S, WAX640S-6E, WAX650S, WAX655E (all versions up to 7.00)
• WBE Series: WBE530, WBE660S (all versions up to 7.00).

Security router USG LITE 60AX running V2.00(ACIP.2) is also vulnerable, but this device is automatically patched, so users should be safe. In any case, if you’re using this model make sure it’s running version V2.00(ACIP.3).

Zyxel is a popular manufacturer of networking devices, with its routers, switches, and wireless access points being used by thousands of organizations worldwide. As such, it is a popular target among cybercriminals, who are always on the hunt for a new vulnerability to exploit. Zyxel customers are advised to apply the patch as soon as possible and thus secure their premises.

Via BleepingComputer

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It’s September, which means two virtual certainties in tech: we’re getting new iPhones and the latest GoPros. True to form, the action camera king has launched its latest flagship, the Hero 13 Black, plus an-all new beginner-friendly model, simply called the Hero.

The all-new model, the Hero, is GoPro's smallest-ever 4K action camera with a screen, and is designed to be as simple and affordable as they come. The entry-level model is is due to hit the shelves on September 22 and is also GoPro's cheapest-ever action camera, with a $199 / £199.99 / AU$349.95 list price. 

Coming in at twice the price of the Hero is the flagship Hero 13 Black, which starts at $399 / £399.99 / AU$649.95, while the Creator Edition costs $599 / £599.99 / AU$979.95. It'll be available sooner than the Hero, with a September 10 on-sale date. You can read our first impressions of the new flagship model in our hands-on GoPro Hero 13 Black review.  

GoPro has also unveiled a host of new accessories for the Hero 13 Black, notably new HB-Series lenses that include a Macro Lens Mod ($129.99 / £129.99 / AU$249.95), which overcomes the close-focusing limitations that action cameras suffer from, and a compelling Anamorphic Lens Mod ($129.99 / £129.99 / AU$219.95) for de-squeezed letterboxed cinematic footage. 

These latest Lens Mods join the Ultra Wide Lens Mod ($99.99 / £99.99 / AU$169.95), as well as a new ND Filter 4-pack ($69.99 / £69.99 / AU$119.95), and when attached these are all automatically detected by the Hero 13 Black for ease of use – that’s a first. 

(Image credit: GoPro) GoPro Hero 13 Black: the most refined action camera system yet

The top-line features of the Hero 13 Black are much the same as before: an 8:7 aspect ratio sensor with video resolution up to 5.3K, industry-leading HyperSmooth stabilization and waterproofing up to 33ft / 10m.  

So how exactly is GoPro hoping it can fend off fierce competition from DJI and its Osmo Action 4 (which it's rumored will be replaced by the Osmo Action 5 Pro soon) and the excellent Insta360 Ace Pro (which also has a rumored Ace Pro 2 successor in the pipeline)? By elevating its mature system of accessories, it seems, as well as by taking a leaf out of the competition's books. 

In a first for GoPro, the Hero 13 Black features convenient magnetic mounting, a feature that's also utilized by the new ’Contacto’ on-the-go charging accessory ($79.99 / £79.99 / AU$139.95). The redesigned built-in battery is also a higher-capacity 1,900mAh unit, capable of shooting 5.3K video for up to 1.5 hours and Full HD 1080p videos for around 2.5 hours. 

We also get the new series of Lens Mods, all of which are auto-detected by the Hero 13 Black thanks to a new mount design. For example, the anamorphic lens produces an ultra-wide letterboxed perspective that is de-squeezed by the camera, with signature lens flares, which are a popular effect with filmmakers.

The previous Max Mod lens from the Hero 12 Black can be used with the Hero 13 Black, albeit without auto-detection. However, the new HB-series lenses are not backwards compatible.

(Image credit: GoPro)

And while we’re not getting a new sensor or higher-resolution video, which will disappoint those with their heart set on a 8K GoPro that's also better in low light, video footage can be more cinematic. That’s because 5.3K video can be shot at up to 120fps for 4x slow-motion recording, as well as in superior 10-bit color depth, with an option for Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG) HDR video to minimize lost detail in highlights and shadows. 

GoPro has also responded to the calls for the return of GPS – which was a disappointing omission from the Hero 12 Black. Not only can the Hero 13 Black tag your location, but through the Quik app Performance Stickers can be added to embed info such as speed, altitude and G-force into video clips. This is an open-source feature and compatible with third-party media management apps.

Despite there not being a lot that's new, the Hero 13 Black feels like a much more compelling package for serious creators than the Hero 12 Black.

(Image credit: GoPro) GoPro Hero: the new beginner action camera to beat?

While the Hero 13 Black is steadily becoming a sophisticated cinematic tool for serious filmmakers, there’s a larger portion of users, especially beginners, who simply want to power up their action camera and shoot without all the fuss. It’s these people who could be interested in the Hero instead. 

The Hero is GoPro’s smallest and lightest 4K action camera with a screen yet, weighing just 3oz / 86g. It measures 56.6mm x 47.7mm x 29.4mm (WxHxD), meaning that overall it’s around 40% smaller than the Hero 13 Black.  

Being half the price of the GoPro Hero 13 Black, the Hero is naturally a simpler device. It has a smaller sensor than the Hero 13 Black, delivering 4K video up to 30fps with a run time of up to 100 minutes, plus 2.7K video at 60fps and 12MP photos. 

However, it has a slightly wider field of view, with 165-degree coverage compared to the Hero 13 Black's 156-degree FOV, so you won't really need a lens adaptor like the Ultra-Wide Lens Mod to fit more into your shots.

Beyond the specs, it’s the simplicity of the Hero, which is waterproof up to 16ft / 5m, that appeals. You can choose from three shooting options – Video (up to 4K), Slo-Mo (2.7K 60fps) and Photo – and the camera does the rest.

(Image credit: GoPro)

Being a simple, low-cost model, the Hero lacks a key feature: GoPro's HyperSmooth stabilization. That means your action videos will look pretty shaky when played back in-camera, but you can apply stabilization afterwards using the GoPro Quik app (as you can to footage from the Insta360 Go 3S using the Insta360 Studio app). From personal experience, the Quik app goes a long way to eliminating the shakes. 

The Insta360 Go 3S is another tiny action camera, but a different prospect to the Hero. GoPro's camera is much cheaper and has a built-in screen, but much simpler shooting modes. The Go 3S on the other hand is a modular camera, smaller in its screen-less form, then it loses its waterproofing when inserted to the Action Pod which has a screen, and which is very similar in size to the Hero. 

If you just want to get up and running quickly without fiddling around with camera settings, and want a more compact option than the Hero 13 Black, then the Hero looks like a solid choice, though we haven't had the chance to try out the new model yet. 

We'll be sharing more GoPro content soon, including more opinions and in-depth reviews. 

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Yaber has announced the successor to its very affordable K2 Series projectors. The new K3 series has two models, the K3 and the K3 Pro, and both versions come with two significant upgrades: an improved cooling system and updated optical technology to deliver improved brightness and image quality.

The new K3 projectors promise 1,600 ANSI Lumens of brightness at 1080p FHD resolution, and they're capable of images from 40 inches to 200 inches in normal lighting conditions. There are twin 15W JBL speakers with Dolby Audio support, each of which has a 60mm driver. If you go for the Pro model, there's even a full external subwoofer to give you some enhanced low-end thump.

We got a demonstration of the subwoofer at the IFA 2024 show in Berlin, and unsurprisingly it make a giant difference to the sound you get built into other projectors – there's real imapact and scale to the low-end.

Yaber K3 projectors: key features

Both models include a built-in TV dongle (of unspecified software) with access to key apps such as Disney Plus, Netflix and YouTube, and you can control the projector with voice commands. There's blue light filtering to reduce eye strain, an all-glass lens to minimize focal drift, and the projectors also deliver Auto Focus, Auto Keystone Correction, Intelligent Screen Alignment for seamless setup, and Intelligent Obstacle Avoidance for optimal image alignment.

The cooling system here is designed to deliver stable performance as well as longer life, and it consists of a U-shaped heatsink and dual thermoelectric coolers.

Pricing for the K3 is €599 (about $660 / £500 / AU$980), or for the Pro version with its subwoofer, you'll pay €649 (about $710 / £550 / AU$1,060)  – we're awaiting official prices in other regions. The current K-series projectors are $499 for the K1 and $549.99 for the K2. While the K3 specs might not rival the best 4K projectors for detail, getting a 200-inch screen for around is nothing to be sniffed at, and the K3 has a lot of useful auto-adjustment features to make it easy to set up.

Yaber also announced a new generation of its even more affordable L series portable projector at IFA this week. The new L2s has dual 8W JBL speakers, a brightness of 700 ANSI Lumens with 1080p resolution, and a cute mid-sized build that promises to emit only 35dB of noise. It will cost €239 (about $260 / £200 / AU$390); the current L1 is just $149.99.

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One of the biggest selling points of LG's best 2024 OLED TVs is Dolby Vision Filmmaker Mode, a world first – the standard was only recently finalized by the UHD Alliance and LG was the first manufacturer to implement it. Only now, there's a second manufacturer embracing the standard: Philips.

The new feature is in all of Philips' 2024 OLEDs, according to FlatpanelsHD, who asked Philips whether it was in more models than just the Philips OLED809 TV. Philips said that yes, it's been working closely with Dolby and the mode will be available in all 2024 Philips OLED TVs as well as coming to 2023 OLED TVs from the firm.

Why Filmmaker Mode matters (and why it took so long to reach Dolby Vision HDR)

Filmmaker Mode is, as the name suggests, designed to show you movies as the filmmakers intended them to look. It was developed because many movie-makers were pretty unhappy with how their movies looked on smart TVs, especially when they were presented with crappy color accuracy and overly aggressive motion smoothing. Filmmaker mode turns off the toys and focuses – pun fully intended – on the film.

Filmmaker Mode is already a familiar sight in many of the best TVs, because it's been a key selling point for movie buffs since it was launched four years ago. But it wasn't available in Dolby Vision HDR until this year. That's partly because many Dolby Vision IQ presets use the very techniques that Filmmaker Mode was made to fight against. 

That means if you already had your TV set to Filmmaker Mode but switched to a Dolby HDR title, your TV would turn off Filmmaker Mode and go into a Dolby Vision preset such as Dark or Normal instead. Now it's here that won't happen, and it should mean much more accurate reproduction of movies not just from sources such as Blu-Ray but also from the best streaming services that support Dolby Vision HDR. 

We've already tested the HDR Filmmaker Mode in our review of the LG G4 and found it very impressive – it's a key part of what makes the LG G4 one of the best TVs our reviewer had ever laid eyes on. So it's great to see the same option coming to more TVs, and no doubt we'll be hearing similar announcements from more manufacturers soon.

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Canadian speaker firm Kanto Audio has revealed its extremely striking new active loudspeakers, the Kanto Audio 100W Ren (stylised to REN) and our love for the product is not wholly tied to our love for the animated TV series Ren & Stimpy – although that helps. 

There are five different colors including the absolutely stunning orange option shown in the promo pic above; your other choices are matte black (boo!), matte gray and matte white (OK) and matt blue (hmm!), so if, like me, you're a bit bored with monochrome audio kit, the orange one will seem like a citrus ray of 'Oh, joy!' sunshine (sorry).

But of course what matters here is the sound, and while the 100W RMS / 200W peak of class D amplification here means they'll go loud, the spec suggests they'll sound good too – as does recent form (see our Kanto Ora review for evidence). They're made from acoustic grade MDF with rear ports, 1-inch silk dome tweeters and 5.25-inch aluminium concave cone drivers, and their frequency response is 50Hz to 22kHz – impressively low for their relatively small size.

Kanto Audio 100W Ren Active Speakers: key features 

For wireless connectivity, there's Bluetooth 5.3, but for the best audio you'll really want a cabled connection – and your options here include HDMI ARC with CEC (a first for Kanto's speakers, so something you won't find in the company's January 2024 ORA4 lineup, for example), USB-C and optical inputs supporting up to 24-bit/96kHz sound sources. There are also RCA and 3.5mm connections, a subwoofer output and a USB port to charge small devices.

The Ren speakers also include a digital signal processor with two special modes: Vocal Boost for better dialog clarity and Night Mode for ensuring harmonious relations with your neighbors or roommates. 

We haven't heard these new speakers yet but, as mentioned above, we reviewed the  firm's Kanto Ora speakers and found them to be very impressive: while they're very loud for their size that's not at the expense of sound quality or clarity. So we're looking forward to getting our ears, and our eyes, on these. 

The new Kanto 100W Ren Active Speakers have recommended pricing of £499 / €579 / $599 / CA$799 (which is around AU$974) and will be available imminently.

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One of the leading VPN providers, Mullvad, now offers post-quantum protection across all its applications, namely Linux, Windows, macOS, Android, and finally bringing its iPhone VPN apps into the fray. The Swedish provider is one of the very few in the market to have already implemented a mix of quantum-safe and traditional encryption – kicking off its post-quantum strategy back in 2017 on Linux. 

Quantum computers are improving every day, and we may only be a few years away from them breaking traditional RSA encryption altogether. While the wider industry is catching up, the transition to post-quantum VPNs is crucial to secure your privacy.

How Mullvad's post-quantum encryption works

Mullvad's solution works on its WireGuard protocol, harvesting the secret of two quantum-resistant algorithms: Classic McEliece and Kyber. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has just officially included the latter in its first set of quantum-safe encryption standards – now renamed ML-KEM.

As the provider explains in its blog post: "A WireGuard tunnel is established and is used to share a secret in such a way that a quantum computer can’t figure out the secret even if it had access to the network traffic."

Quantum-Resistant Tunnels Now Available on iOS!https://t.co/arWEsu0n3nAugust 30, 2024

Post-quantum encryption doesn't come as default just yet, meaning you have to actively enable it to benefit from PQ encryption. 

To activate the added protection, you need to head to your app's Settings, click on VPN settings, and toggle on the button next to Quantum-resistant tunnel. Once the connection is established, you should see a "QUANTUM SECURE CONNECTION" status in green text on the main view of the app,

"If it turns out to work as well as we hope it will, we will enable this by default on all platforms in the future," added Mullvad.

Why do we need post-quantum VPNs?

A virtual private network (VPN) is a security tool that protects your internet connections to ensure third parties cannot access users' data in transit. To do so, VPNs use encryption to scramble the data into an unreadable form that can be decoded only by using the assigned encrypted key. 

Today's VPN protocols often leverage RSA-based key exchanges to ensure only you and your receiver can encrypt and decrypt the information. Yet, this way of protecting people's online activities is set to become obsolete with the advent of quantum computers.

This is because quantum computers are expected to process computations that today's computers can't handle, within minutes. In the future, attackers could use these machines to crack into today's encryption algorithms and compromise people's data.

Check the explainer from Veritasium below if you want to know the technical details of how these machines can break encryption:

As Mullvad explains: "Although strong enough quantum computers have yet to be demonstrated, having post-quantum secure tunnels today protects against attackers that record encrypted traffic with the hope of decrypting it with a future quantum computer."

Cybercriminals, state hackers, and more are already conducting what's called "store now, decrypt later (SNDL) attacks," in fact. Put simply, they collect vast amounts of encrypted data from the internet so they can crack it in the future when quantum computing is finally up to the task.

As mentioned, Mullvad was among the first in the industry to think about future threats and begin its PQ transition - way before NIST selected the algorithms that would later get standardized. In 2022, the team switched to one of the finalists (Classic McEliece), while continuing to follow the ongoing work at NIST.

"As Kyber (one of the standards) now has been updated (ML-KEM) we are planning to migrate to this in the near future," Jan Jonsson, CEO at Mullvad, told me.

Which VPNs are already quantum-resistant?

While the majority of VPN providers are still figuring out how to correctly implement quantum-resistant algorithms within their products, there are a few services alongside Mullvad that already offer such protection.

• Windscribe is another early adopter of quantum-resistant encryption. The company's aim is not just to meet PQ encryption standards, but rather surpass them to keep offering its users the best protection against future threats. The team is now in the process of boosting their KEM (Key Encapsulation Mechanism) in TLS and OpenVPN protocols. 
• ExpressVPN added quantum-safe encryption based on the Kyber algorithm to its WireGuard-inspired protocol Lightway in October last year. Back in 2020, the in-house built VPN protocol was exactly designed to make the PQ transition easier. "Other VPN protocols would need extensive changes to support post-quantum,"  Pete Membrey, Chief Engineering Officer at ExpressVPN, told me at that time.
• PureVPN partnered with quantum computing company Quantinuum in 2022 to introduce a quantum-resistant feature on its OpenVPN protocol. At the time of writing, you can benefit from this extra protection only when connected to six server locations (US, UK, Australia, Germany, Canada, and the Netherlands).

A new era for VPN security

As mentioned earlier, NIST officially released the first three quantum-resistant encryption standards on August 13, 2024, after over a decade of testing more than 80 algorithms. This move is set to shape the future of cryptography, opening up a new era for VPN security.

These standardized algorithms come, in fact, with instructions on how to implement them and their intended uses. All this is crucial to support VPN providers in their PQ transition, de-facto raising the bar for VPN security standards.

"The strength of a standard lies in the fact that it is open and gets audited and reviewed in a way that makes it secure," Jonsson told me. "This increases trust and usage, which means the world can tackle the risks posed by quantum computers in a better way."

NIST now calls on all developers to start the post-quantum transition as the "full integration will take time."

Microsoft has introduced a new PowerToy for Windows users to have a more consistent organized application structure, and it’s called Workspaces.

Described as “a set of utilities for power users to tune and streamline their Windows experience for greater productivity,” Microsoft already offers a number of PowerToys, such as Advanced Paste (for custom formatting), Always On Top and Image Resizer.

Workspaces adds the ability to create, save and launch sets of applications in customized desktop configurations, enabling workers to pick up where they left off.

Windows gains a new PowerToy – Workspaces

With Workspaces, users can save the precise layout and configuration of open applications. Then, when the Workspace is relaunched, all applications will open in the same positions as before.

Users can either open the Workspaces editor from the PowerToys setting or use the Win+Ctrl+` shortcut. A ‘Create Workspace’ option will be available within the editor, where users can then ‘Capture’ their preferred settings.

Microsoft summarized in a support article: “You can capture your desktop state as a new workspace using the editor, add arguments to apps to configure their state on launch, and pin the workspace as a desktop shortcut for quick-launching.”

Redmond also noted that, where a window may already be open prior to initiating the Workspace, it may either be reused or a new instance will open. Settings for this can be configured by using a CLI argument.

PowerToys can be installed via GitHub or Microsoft Store and require Windows 11 or Windows 10 v2004 (19041) or newer using x64 and Arm64 architectures.

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Dell has unveiled a range of new AI PCs, including the XPS 13, powered by Intel Core Ultra Series 2 processors, along with the Inspiron 14 and the Latitude 5455, featuring new Snapdragon X Plus 8-core processors.

The company first announced the series in May 2024, with all of the new devices are available to customers around the world now. Microsoft recently took the wraps of its AI PCs strategy, which includes adding a new Copilot AI button to laptops to help summon AI-powered digital assistants.

Despite some first impressions suggesting that AI PCs aren't all that exciting right now, every new technology has to take first steps, and manufactures like Dell getting on board can only boost the growing segment of Windows laptops. 

Dell XPS 13 

Starting with the Dell XPS 13, the company has added a new Intel Core Ultra Series 2 processors to ensure that the thin and light laptop has the power to match up with other AI PCs as well as the MacBook Pro. Intel has built in a dedicated NPU capable of up to 48 TOPS, ensuring access to top-end AI features. 

Dell has also given the XPS 13 an OLED tandem display, which helps the laptop reach higher brightness while using less battery than its rivals, with the company saying there is a staggering 26 hours of usage on offer. 

The XPS 13 is on sale now, starting at $1,399.99 for the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. 

Snap-dragon, crackle, and pop 

(Image credit: Dell)

Arguably more exciting is the introduction of two new Dell laptops powered by Snapdragon hardware instead of Intel. 

The Inspiron 14, which starts at $899, offers Snapdragon X Plus 8-core and 10-core options, alongside an integrated GPU and NPU delivering 45 TOPS for AI workloads. Running Windows 11 Pro, it also boasts a 14-inch display, 16GB of RAM, and up to 1TB SSD, all of which are thoroughly modern. 

The final laptop that Dell plans to release is the Latitude 5455, which sadly does not yet have pricing details. It's designed for maximum portability, for students and other professionals moving from place to place to work, and includes Snapdragon X Plus 8-core and 10-core options. Dell says the Latitude 5455 can also hit 27 hours of usage. 

Of course, Dell has a fair amount of competition for the best laptop and best business laptop crown, namely from the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 8, the Acer Travelmate P4, and the Microsoft Surface Laptop. 

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The next big mobile product launch from Samsung could well be the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 tablet series – and a freshly leaked rendering has possibly revealed the super-sized 14.6-inch Ultra version of the slate.

This comes from well-known tipster Evan Blass (via Android Authority), and we can see that not much has changed in terms of design from the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra. There's still a notch cut out of the front display for the forward-facing camera, and two cameras around the back.

We get a very brief look at the back of the tablet, enough to tell us that the magnetic charging ports are in the same place as well (an S Pen stylus is shown snapped to the back). It looks as though the bezels around the edges of the display might be slightly smaller this time around, but it's difficult to be sure.

The render matches up rather nicely with other leaked images we saw last month. Apparently, the dimensions of the Ultra tablet are 326.4mm x 208.6mm x 5.45mm – the same as its predecessor, but a little bit thicker.

When will they land?

The smallest tablet in the series could get dropped this year (Image credit: Samsung)

Rumors around the existence of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra and Galaxy Tab S10 Plus have been swirling for months at this point, but it appears there isn't going to be a standard 11-inch version of the Tab S10, which would be a surprise.

If the standard model is indeed left out of the range this year, your screen size choices would be 12.4 inches for the Plus and 14.6 inches for the Ultra. All the indications are that the displays are going to be the same size as they were last year, though we're expecting a bump in terms of the internal components.

What isn't changing, it seems, is the 45W charging speed of the current models. Considering all of these leaks, which have also included what look like marketing images, the launch of these tablets shouldn't be too far off – the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 series was launched in August 2023, so a 2024 refresh should be imminent.

Apple has already updated two of its tablets this year – see our iPad Air 2024 review and iPad Pro 2024 review for details – and a refresh for the entry-level iPad is likely to be on the way, too. Pretty soon we should see some new competition from the Android side.

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Developer Far Out Games and publisher Konami have unveiled Deliver At All Costs, a comedic indie driving game set in a colorful 1950s-inspired world.

The story of the upcoming game follows Winston Green, a down-on-his-luck scientist who takes on a job as a courier at a local delivery company. Missions see you attempting to complete a series of increasingly absurd deliveries, ranging from a giant flopping live Marlin to an actual atomic bomb.

It’s a good premise that is only elevated by the game’s vibrant, larger-than-life world. It features fully destructible environments too, allowing you to plow through nearby buildings and sit back as they satisfyingly collapse into big piles of rubble. You can also explore the world outside of missions, which is the perfect opportunity to track down hidden collectibles or just take some time to mess around at your own pace. 

I went hands-on with an early build of Deliver At All Costs at a recent Konami event and, while there were some obvious rough edges, had quite an enjoyable time. The delivery missions were a great challenge and clearly designed with the destructible environments in mind. 

Driving around with a giant flopping fish is just as fun as it sounds, especially when its every movement can send you hurtling into the side of a nearby family home. As the first title from Far Out Games, a Swedish indie developer, it’s definitely a promising start.

Deliver At All Costs is set to launch on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC. There’s no official release date yet, but pre-orders for the physical PS5 and Xbox Series X editions are currently available in Europe. 

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Lenco has unveiled three new belt-driven turntables ranging from budget to mid-range options, and as we've come to expect from the hi-fi brand, they offer a lot of features for the money.

The new turntables are the LBTA165, which is fully automatic and has Bluetooth transmission (not too dissimilar to the Victrola Eastwood II, then – although that model also includes speakers and amplification) ; the LBT-215BK, which has both Bluetooth and USB output; and the L455BK, which also has USB output for digitising your delicate records so you'll never lose the music etched upon them.

Introducing Lenco's trio of new turntables

(Image credit: Lenco)

The most affordable new turntable here is the LBTA-175, which has an RRP of £199 / €219 (so around $260 or AU$389, but the decks have just been unveiled at the annual tech event known as IFA in Berlin, so prices for these regions weren't immediately forthcoming). The LBTA-175 is fully automatic and comes with an Audio-Technica AT3600L moving magnet cartridge and a switchable pre-amp. It's available in a choice of two finishes, wood or black wood, and it'll be available from October.

(Image credit: Lenco)

Also shipping in October, the LBT-215BK also has Bluetooth and a switchable pre-amp; the cartridge this time is an Audio-Technica AT-VM95E moving magnet cartridge on a metal tonearm with fully adjustable counterweight and anti-skating. The platter is metal too. You can have this one in any color you like as long as it's black gloss, and the RRP is £299 / €329 (so roughly $390 or AU$585).

(Image credit: Lenco)

Last but not least there's the most premium model of the three, the L-455BK. Once again it's belt-driven (with a belt external to the platter) with a metal platter, tonearm and adjustable counterweight, but this time the cartridge is the highly rated Ortofon 2M RED moving magnet cartridge. The L-455BK also has automatic rotation speed checking and correction for pitch-perfect playback, and there's a switchable phono stage so you can use it with an amp or with powered speakers, making it a potential rival for the Victrola Hi-Res Onyx at the level. 

The L-455BK will also be available from October, with an RRP of £449 / €499 (which is around $589 or AU$879). The finish is black with a brushed aluminium frame.

Will any of the trio make it to our best turntables buying guide? Watch this space, because we wouldn't be surprised… 

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It was Oscar Wilde who said "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery", so it would seem the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 has some admirers in the Google engineering team – as one of the foldable's best features is now available on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold.

As spotted by Android Authority, the new Google foldable – the successor to the Google Pixel Fold launched in 2023 – adds built-in support for app pair functionality, which means you can save pairs of apps to run side-by-side on the main display.

So, for example, if you often have Instagram up on one side of the foldable screen and Google Chrome up on the other, you can save this combination as a pair, and get back to it whenever you need to with a couple of taps.

It's something we've seen on the best foldables from Samsung for several years, and it's a welcome addition to the capabilities of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold – making it easier to take full advantage of that extra-wide, 8-inch display.

Saving an app pair

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 from Samsung (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

To save an app pair on the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold, first get your pair up on screen, then launch the recents menu by swiping up from the bottom of the display and holding your finger in the center of the screen. Then, tap Save app pair.

This puts a quick link to the app pair on your home screen, ready to relaunch at any time. For a more detailed look at the foldable, including its software capabilities, head over to our full Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold review.

In the interests of balance, our Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 review is also well worth diving into too: Samsung has of course been making foldable phones for a lot longer than Google has (and maybe one day in the future, Apple will join in, too).

The same app pair functionality is coming to more devices soon, with the introduction of Android 15. The operating system update has now been released to developers, but we're still waiting for it to arrive on actual smartphones and tablets.

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ChatGPT’s Advanced Voice Mode hasn’t even been out for very long, yet OpenAI could be set to add eight more voices to the incredible technology that lets you naturally converse with artificial intelligence.

These new ChatGPT voices offer a range of new styles that could add to the four preset voices: Juniper, Ember, Cove, and Breeze currently available. Advanced Voice Mode gives you the most humanly possible ChatGPT experience similar to Google’s Gemini Live on the new Pixel 9 smartphones.

Originally reported by TestingCatalog, eight new voices were found in recent reverse engineering reports. The voices, called Fathom, Glimmer, Harp, Maple, Orbit, Rainbow, Reef, Ridge, and Vale, bring new abilities to express sounds more naturally, like dog barks.

While these voices are linked to ChatGPT’s text-to-speech, their impressive nature makes them the perfect fit to expand on Advanced Voice Mode’s options. As it stands these new voices aren't currently accessible but you can hear what they sound like thanks to Tibor Blaho on X.

Preview of the new ChatGPT voices (animal sounds)h/t to @stevelizcano https://t.co/hkT7wMU4VF pic.twitter.com/5Tre8eeKqwSeptember 1, 2024

OpenAI’s hardware shift?

OpenAI could be working on more than just ChatGPT voices, however, with a report suggesting the company may enter the hardware market. Taiwanese website United Daily News claims OpenAI has been in talks with TSMC, the chip manufacturer known for its work with Apple on the best iPhones. The source of the news has an unknown track record for chipset scoops, so this is still currently pure speculation.

The rumor implies that OpenAI wants to produce its own custom AI chipset similar to Apple’s Neural Engines and other Neural Processing Units. The custom chip would be based on TSMC’s A16 Angstrom process which Apple could use in the future potentially hinting at future collaborations between the companies. Apple will integrate ChatGPT on iPhones as part of the next generation of Siri, powered by Apple Intelligence. iPhone users will be able to send prompts to OpenAI’s servers should they choose to do so. This allows the iPhone to not only benefit from Apple Intelligence on device but also from ChatGPT’s incredible abilities. 

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Rumors are again flying about Nvidia’s next-gen Blackwell graphics cards and purported power usage, as well as a nugget on the performance of the RTX 5080 – which is going to be seriously speedy (if this pans out).

The speculation again comes from Kopite7kimi on X, a regular for GPU leaks, who as we reported yesterday indicated the power usage for the RTX 5090 would exceed 550W.

When later asked by another well-known leaker, Raichu, on X, whether that means: “600W for 5090 and 400W for 5080 is right?” Kopite7kimi responded to say yes (cover your power supply’s ears now).

VideoCardz, which picked up on this further questioning, also tells us that Kopite7kimi privately confirmed to them that the RTX 5080 has a performance projection of being 10% faster than the RTX 4090, Nvidia’s current flagship graphics card.

Analysis: Performance and power worries – but let’s not forget pricing

What we don’t have confirmed, as VideoCardz observed, is what that 10% performance boost over the RTX 4090 relates to – is it rasterization (not ray-traced), or frame rates with ray tracing on, or an overall measure of both? We’re guessing it’s rasterization, as normally that’s what performance figures relate to – that’s what most gamers are still interested in – but it is just that, a guess.

The RTX 5080 being 1.1x more powerful than an RTX 4090 (in rasterization, we assume) is a good boost for the next-gen xx80-class GPU from Nvidia, and one that’d please gamers looking to buy the second-best Blackwell graphics card. However, knowing the potential performance increase – and it is just a ‘prediction’ at this point, the leaker says – doesn’t mean a great deal when you don’t know the pricing. It will all hinge on that really.

Will Nvidia pitch such an RTX 5080 at a thousand bucks, perhaps? At the theorized performance level, it’s probably more likely to sit at more towards $1,200 in the US (and equivalent in other regions), possibly, but you get the point – whether there’s a rush to buy the RTX 5080 will depend entirely on its value proposition at the high-end, not raw performance as such.

As for power usage, the RTX 5080 tipping in at 400W would be somewhat painful, though, given that the RTX 4080 is at 320W – that’d be a substantial increase of 25%. It’s not that far off the RTX 4090 at this level, which is 450W, as you may recall.

(Image credit: Future)

On the Blackwell flagship’s rumored power usage of 600W, cast your mind back to before the RTX 4090 came out and you might recall exactly the same rumor about that graphics card hitting a 600W power consumption. In the end, it pitched in at 450W, so we must add a great deal of seasoning here.

Rumors are unreliable by their very nature, which is why we’re careful to pepper (ahem) these reports with references to seasoning, and particularly when it comes to power usage, these figures can be up in the air. Is the leak referring to TDP or TGP, the Thermal Design Power (actual heat generated by the graphics card, that the cooling system must cope with) or Total Graphics Power (actual power cap limit for the GPU, as Nvidia defines it – bearing in mind also that it often runs a good deal below that, even when gaming)?

We’re assuming the leaks are talking about TGP (as was the case with the RTX 4090 rumor), but suffice it to say there are nuances here, and when considering GPUs still in development – where these values can be constantly adjusted and tuned – and given the noise and unreliability of the rumor mill in general, let’s just say we’ll stay very skeptical here.

The better news on these current power rumors is that the theory is only the higher-end RTX 5000 GPUs will get bigger bumps for power use, with the mid-range and below seeing some increase, but on a smaller scale. And, of course, these are the next-gen graphics cards most people will buy – when they eventually arrive. We might see the RTX 5090 and 5080 turn up early in 2025, with other models debuting later in the year, if the grapevine is right on the release timeframe for Blackwell gaming cards.

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It's a great time to find Apple Watch deals, thanks to the recent release of the Apple Watch 10, which is officially available for preorder. To help you find all the best Apple Watch deals around the web, I've created this guide to bring you the lowest prices available on the Apple Watch SE, the Apple Watch 9, the all-new Apple Watch 10, and the Apple Watch Ultra 2

At this year's September Apple event, the tech giant unveiled the Apple Watch Series 10, which will ship on Friday, September 20. The Apple Watch 10 costs $399 / £399 for the 42mm model and $429 / £429 for the larger 46mm display, which is the same starting price as the Apple Watch 9.

This means that Apple Watch deals on older models, including the Apple Watch 9 and Ultra 2, released last year, and the budget Apple Watch SE, launched in 2022, will be more frequent.

Shop today's best Apple Watch deals below, which include the best prices around the web and more information on each Apple Watch so you can find the best smartwatch that meets your needs at the lowest available price.

• Pre-order the Apple Watch 10 from from Apple

Best cheap Apple Watch sales and deals

(Image credit: Apple) Apple Watch 9 (2023)

Apple's latest and greatest smartwatch

OS: watchOS 10 | Compatibility: iOS | Display: 41mm - 45mm always-on | Processor: S9 dual-core | Onboard storage: 64GB | Battery: 18 hours | Charging method: Wireless | IP rating: IP6X | Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, GPS

New double-tap gestureBrighter displayFaster on-device SiriExpensive

The Apple Watch 9 was released in September of last year alongside the Ultra 2 with a starting price of $399 / £399 / AU$649 for the 41mm display and $429 / £429 / AU$1,199 for the larger 45mm display.

The Apple Watch 9 is Apple's first carbon-neutral product, and it's more powerful than ever thanks to the all-new S9 SiP chip, which delivers increased performance and a long-lasting 18 hours of battery life. Apple's new chip also brings new capabilities to the Apple Watch, such as the double-tap gesture, which allows you to control your smartwatch by simply tapping your index and thumb together twice. You also get a brighter display, watchOS 10 with redesigned apps, and for the first time ever, Siri requests can now be processed from your smartwatch.

(Image credit: Apple) Apple Watch Ultra 2 (2023)

Apple's brightest and durable smartwatch

OS: watchOS 10 | Compatibility: iOS | Display: 49mm | Processor: S9 SiP | Onboard storage: 64GB | Battery: 36 hours | Charging method: Wireless | IP rating: IP6X | Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, GPS

Apple's brightest displayDurableImpressive battery lifeExpensive

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 was also released last year, with the Apple Watch 9 as an upgrade to the Apple Watch Ultra. The premium smartwatch is Apple's most durable smartwatch, made with aerospace-grade titanium, which is also why the Ultra 2 is so expensive, with a retail price of $799 / £799 / AU$1,399. The Ultra 2 now includes Apple's new S9 SiP chip, which offers new features like the impressive hands-free Double Tap control and a 50% brighter display.

You're still getting the adventure-seeking features users love about the Ultra Series, such as GPS tracking, durability in high and low temperatures, and the Oceanic+ app, which turns the watch into a working dive computer.

(Image credit: Apple) Apple Watch SE (2022)

A fantastic smartwatch at an affordable price

OS: watchOS 9 | Compatibility: iOS | Display: 40mm - 44mm | Processor: S8 dual-core | Onboard storage: 32GB | Battery: 18 hours | Charging method: Wireless | IP rating: IP6X | Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, GPS

Affordable priceLightweight designImpressive performanceLacks always-on display

The 2022 Apple Watch SE shares many of the same features as the Apple Watch 8 but with a much more affordable price tag, with a starting cost of $249 /£259/ AU$399. While the SE lacks the always-on display and ECG app (which many might find unnecessary), the smartwatch includes an improved chip for faster performance and new health and safety features such as fall detection and Emergency SOS.

The smartwatch comes with all the features that people love about the Apple Watch, such as tracking heart rate, activity, sleep, and calories burned, and helps you stay connected with the ability to receive notifications, take calls, and reply to texts directly from your wrist.

(Image credit: Future) Apple Watch 8 (2022)

A great smartwatch at a discounted price

OS: watchOS 8 | Compatibility: iOS | Display: 41mm - 45mm always-on | Processor: S8 dual-core | Onboard storage: 32GB | Battery: 18 hours | Charging method: Wireless | IP rating: IP6X | Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, GPS

Frequent dealsNew health featuresCar crash detection

Released in 2022, the Apple Watch 8 has a starting price of  $399 / £419 / AU$ 629 for a GPS-only model and $499 / £529 / AU$ 749 for the cellular model. The 45mm model starts from $429 / £449 / AU$679, with the cellular model costing $529 / £549 / AU$779. Thanks to the recent release of the Apple Watch 9, you can easily find Apple Watch deals on the Series 8, so you shouldn't expect to pay the full retail price.

The Apple Watch 8 includes health features such as a temperature sensor, an ECG function, and sleep tracking, plus safety features such as crash and fall detection. You're still getting all the fantastic features of the Series 7 smartwatch, including the Always-On display, activity tracking, an ECG app, and impressive all-day battery life.

(Image credit: Apple) Apple Watch 7 (2021)

Difficult to find in stock

OS: watchOS 7 | Compatibility: iOS | Display: 41mm - 45mm always-on | Processor: S7 dual-core | Onboard storage: 32GB | Battery: 18 hours | Charging method: Wireless | IP rating: IP6X | Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, GPS

Larger displayFaster chargingDifficult to find in stock

The Apple Watch 7 was unveiled in 2021 and includes a 70% brighter Always-On display, faster charging, and 20% more screen area, making it easier to use and read. The design also received a refresh with softer and more rounded edges and new sizes of 41mm and 45mm. The Apple Watch 7 still includes all the nifty features of the Series 6 smartwatch, such as blood oxygen monitoring, an ECG app, and activity tracking.

Thanks to the release of the Apple Watch 9, Apple Watch 7 deals have been difficult to find if you're looking for a new model. If you don't mind a renewed smartwatch, plenty of offers are available.

(Image credit: Apple) Apple Watch 6 (2020)

A solid smartwatch

OS: watchOS 7 | Compatibility: iOS | Display: 40mm - 44mm always-on | Processor: S6 dual-core | Onboard storage: 32GB | Battery: 18 hours | Charging method: Wireless | IP rating: IPX7 | Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, GPS

Regularly on saleAlways-on displayBlood oxygen monitoringDifficult to find in stock

The Apple Watch 6 debuted in September 2020 with an introductory price of $399 / £379 - the same baseline costs as the 2019 Series 5.

The Apple Watch 6 comes with a few key upgrades over the Series 5 - namely, a new blood oxygen monitor (with an accompanying app) and a brand new S6 dual-core processor, which Apple claims is 20% faster than last year's model. Aside from these key upgrades, the always-on display is back, but it's been drastically improved with some neat new controls for notifications, allowing you to interact without fully waking up the watch.

The Apple store no longer carries the Apple Watch 6, so like the Series 7, Apple Watch deals on the Series 6 are hard to come by if you're looking for a brand-new smartwatch.

(Image credit: Apple) Apple Watch SE (2020)

A budget option from Apple

OS: watchOS 7 | Compatibility: iOS | Display: 40mm - 44mm | Processor: S5 dual-core | Onboard storage: 32GB | Battery: 18 hours | Charging method: Wireless | IP rating: IPX7 | Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, GPS

New watchOS7AffordableFairly powerfulNo new sensors

The Apple Watch SE  was released in 2020 alongside the Series 6 as a more affordable alternative, coming in at a starting price of $279 / £269. 

The key features include the latest watchOS 7, which will enable this device to access many of the new upgrades the more expensive Series 6 is rocking, but at a more affordable price point. Internally you're also getting the same altimeter, gyroscope, and accelerometer as the Series 6 - enough for all the main fitness apps, but you're missing out on the brand new blood oxygen monitor. 

All in all, this watch is definitely more stripped down than the fancier Series 6, but considering you're getting roughly the same amount of power on tap as the Series 5 at a lower price point and the new watchOS 7 - it's excellent value and one of our favorite Apple Watch deals.

Where to find Apple Watch deals

• Amazon - US
• Best Buy - US
• Walmart - US
• Amazon - UK
• AO.com - UK
• Argos - UK
• Very - UK
• Currys - UK

Apple Watch deals: is the price worth it? 

Apple's hardware often comes with a high price tag, and the Apple Watch doesn't fall far from the tree. That said, if you're looking for a smartwatch to work with your iPhone, no other brand comes close to offering the functionality of Apple's own timepiece.

While the Apple Watch price is still higher than many other brands, you're paying for integration with a massive number of apps you're already using on your iPhone. Plus, with all the Apple Watch deals happening and the recent software updates to older models, you can easily grab a great bargain. 

Apple Watch deals from phone carriers

If you're looking for an Apple Watch deal with a Cellular plan, a phone carrier like Verizon, AT&T, or T-Mobile could be your best option. Purchasing an Apple Watch from a carrier allows you to make monthly payments, and you can typically find discounts, especially if you have an existing phone plan with them.

Apple Watch band/strap deals

Bands are not one-size-fits-all-budgets

Wide variety of sizes, colors and pricesIncredibly easy to slide onto your WatchCan't use normal watch strapsOfficial Apple Watch bands are pricey

Your Apple Watch literally isn’t complete without the best deals on Apple Watch bands. They make the geeky smartwatch stylish enough to show off to late adopters.

In fact, you’re going to want multiple cheap Apple Watch straps simply because more elegant bands are far from ideal for the gym. Vice versa, Sport Bands don’t cut it at the fancy dinner table.

Everyday in the news, we see new cheap Apple Watch bands trying to become the de facto alternative to the more expensive, official Apple Watch bands, and they’re usually just as good. Trust us, buying a trio of third-party, lookalike Apple Watch bands for the price of one official strap is a relief after paying so much for the smartwatch itself. 

• Straps in the US starting at $5.99
• Straps in the UK starting at £4.98
• Straps in Australia starting at AU$4.89

• Don't know which watch to buy? Read our best Apple Watch guide
• You can also see the best smartwatch prices and deals that are happening now
• See today's best Apple AirTag prices and sales

Apple Watch 8 (GPS, 41mm): was $399 now $309 at Amazon
The Apple Watch 8 is still one of the best smartwatches you can buy, thanks to its impressive display and safety and health features, such as fall detection and Emergency SOS. Today's deal from Amazon brings the best-selling smartwatch down to $309, which is the lowest price we've seen in months, and just $30 more than the record-low we briefly saw during this year's Prime Day sales.View Deal

It's an excellent time to find AirPods deals, thanks to the new release of the AirPods 4 and AirPods Max 2. This means you can find fantastic AirPods sales on all models, including the AirPods Pro 2, the AirPods 2 and 3, and the luxurious over-ear AirPods Max.

The AirPods 4 and AirPods 2 were just unveiled at the September Apple Event and are available to preorder with a ship date of September 20. The AirPods 4 are available in two models: one with active noise cancellation, priced at $179 / £179, and one without, costing $129 / £129. While you won't be able to find any deals right now on Apple's newest AirPods, you can find impressive AirPods deals on older models, with prices as low as $69 / £69.

Below, you'll find all the best AirPods deals, categorized by Apple's standard AirPods, which include the AirPods 2, the AirPods 3, the all-new AirPods 4, the AirPods Pro 2, which include noise-canceling technology, and Apple's only over-ear headphones, the AirPods Max and AirPods Max 2.

Our price comparison tool automatically brings you the best savings from all your favorite retailers. You can shop the latest prices as soon as they hit the shelves to ensure you get the best AirPods deals.

• Pre-order the AirPods 4 at Apple
• Pre-order the AirPods Max 2 at Apple

The best AirPods sales and deals The best AirPods deals

There are plenty of AirPods deals to be found for the 2019 AirPods that had a launch price of $159 / £159 / AU$249. But thanks to the AirPods 3 release, you can find frequent discounts on the 2nd generation AirPods, dropping as low as $99 / £99 / AU$99.

While the AirPods 2 lack noise cancellation, the 2nd generation earbuds come with Apple's H1 chip to deliver quality sound and faster pairing with seamless connectivity. The H1 chip also offers voice control via Siri, so you can get directions, skip songs, and make calls completely hands-free. The earbuds come with a charging case that provides a further 20 hours of battery life in addition to the five hours in the buds themselves.

(Image credit: Apple)

The Apple AirPods 3 were released in 2021 and are the latest true wireless earbuds in Apple's line-up of AirPods. The earbuds feature a new design that resembles the AirPods Pro with shorter stems that include touch-capacitive force sensors for easy control. You're also getting improved sound with spatial audio, resulting in a more immersive experience, and a MagSafe charging case that provides more than 30 hours of total listening time.

The 3rd generation AirPods have a starting retail price of  $179 / £169 / AU$279, but you can regularly find the earbuds on sale since their release.

The best AirPods Pro deals

(Image credit: Apple)

In September of 2022, the long-awaited AirPods Pro 2 launched with a starting price of $249 / £249 / AU$399. You're getting enhanced noise cancellation and overall sound quality thanks to Apple's new H2 chip and improved in-ear detection and touch controls for volume adjustment. At the 2023 Apple September event, the AirPods Pro 2 received an upgrade and now come with a USB-C charging case, so you don't have to rely on a Lightning cable, plus additional dust resistance and Lossless Audio with Apple Vision Pro.

Thanks to recent holiday sales, we've already seen impressive AirPods Pro deals, with record-low prices reaching $189.99 in the US.

The original AirPods Pro were released in 2019 with a starting price of  $249 / £249 / AU$399. While the earbuds are no longer available to purchase from the Apple store, you can sometimes find the original AirPods Pro on sale at third-party retailers.

The AirPods Pro were the first AirPods to include active noise-canceling technology to keep outside distractions away from your music, which is excellent for those noisy commutes or keeping your concentration going at work. The AirPods Pro are also water and sweat resistant, making them much better suited to the gym than the standard AirPods, and they come with multiple tips so you can adjust to the best fit for you.

• Check out AirPods Pro deals direct from Apple

The best AirPods Max deals

Apple quietly released the AirPods Max in December of 2020 as Apple's most expensive headphones with a starting price of  $549.99 / £549.

The AirPods Max not only stand out because of their price, but the Apple headphones also feature an over-ear design, which is a first from the AirPods line. Apple claims the AirPods Max bring the magic of AirPods to an over-the-ear design, which means you're getting Active Noise Cancellation, powerful H1 Chips, and an enhanced audio experience.

The AirPods Max also feature a unique design with a breathable knit mesh headband and a stainless steel frame with memory foam earcups for ultimate comfort. The Apple headphones come in several sleek color choices, such as space gray, silver, sky blue, green, and pink, and provide up to 20 hours of battery life.

• Check out AirPods Max deals direct from Apple

How much are AirPods?

The official AirPods' price is $159 in the US and £159 in the UK and $249 in Australia. So you shouldn't pay any more. Although, we have seen some stores cheekily push the price up when stock thins out. If you're looking for the version with the wireless charging case, then prices shoot up to around $199 in the US and £199 in the UK.

Expect the usual outlets to charge closer to the MSRP and, better yet, potentially dip below it around the key shopping seasons. Fingers crossed we don't have to wait long for some proper Apple AirPod sales though!

As an alternative, there are lots of wireless earphone and headphone deals in our Beats headphone deals page and other brands are covered in our wireless headphone deals page.

What about the original 2016 Apple AirPods?

These models have been discontinued and phased out at most stores now. On the rare occasions that we do spot unused stock units, they're actually the same price as the new and improved 2019 versions.

Short version: get the 2019 models instead via one of the deals in the comparison chart above. To be sure they are the new ones, look out for H1 chip and hands-free Siri functionality in the description if the title doesn't say something along the lines of '2019' or 'latest/newest version'.

Should I wait for a cheaper AirPods deal?

You might be waiting a while for seriously big discounts. Last year around Black Friday, we were seeing $20 discounts selling out in minutes, and it was one of the most popular deals we highlighted in our extensive roundups of the hottest offers. We saw similar discounts in the UK too - much better than last year's $7 discount but still no flash sales around right now.

Things have actually been better overall this year though with much better deals available in various regions. We're regularly seeing discounts of $15/£20 outside of peak seasonal discounts, so you should be able to beat the recommended asking price to be honest.

• Apple fan in general? Then take a look at the latest iPad deals and the best Apple AirTag prices and sales.

Alibaba Cloud has shared more information on a technology it uses to enhance fault prediction and detection for its servers, claiming a 10% improvement compared with existing models.

The Chinese company’s latest tool, Time-Aware Attention-Based Transformer (TAAT), addressed the limitations of existing machine learning tools that overlook the importance of log timestamps.

Detailed in a new research paper co-written by Alibaba Cloud workers and a researcher from Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, TAAT uses timestamps to make failure predictions more accurate.

Alibaba Cloud boost server failure predictions by 10%

The paper’s authors highlight growing concern over server reliability and stability in light of the “wide-spread applications of cloud computing,” which impact the availability of virtual machines.

Noting that previous failures can help companies predict future failures, the company has opted to use timestamps to improve accuracy.

TAAT integrates semantic and temporal data by using the Google-developed Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT) language model, which Alibaba says is good for analyzing log data. An enhancement to BERT’s capabilities add a time-aware attention mechanism.

Consequentially, Alibaba Cloud is now using TAAT in daily operations to improve predictions. The company has also released the real-world cloud computing failure prediction dataset used in its study to help further developments from the community. The dataset contains approximately 2.7 billion logs from around 300,000 servers, collected over a four-month period, and is believed to be the largest log of its kind.

With TAAT, Alibaba hopes for more reliable cloud infrastructure, and while the tool is not yet available for public download, it paves the way for an increasingly cloud-based landscape.

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VideoCardz has spotted, via Olrak29 on X, the appearance of AMD's upcoming Threadripper 9000 series on NBD (a shipping manifest aggregation and query system). Codenamed "Shimada Peak" the information provided positions this as-yet unannounced series as AMD's most powerful processor for the prosumer market.

The first SKU identified is a 96-core part, potentially representing the full configuration for the next-generation Threadripper. The CPU is based on AMD's Zen5 architecture, the latest in its high-performance core lineup. This Threadripper variant will belong to the Zen5-based Genoa package, which comes in two configurations: one with Zen4 cores and another with denser Zen4c cores. It is likely, VideoCardz says, to be 12 CCDs, each with eight classic Zen 5 cores.

Threadripper 9000 is expected to support the same socket as the existing "Storm Peak" platform, sTR5. AMD will offer two motherboard designs: the WRX90 and TRX50, targeting the workstation market and high-end desktop (HEDT) market respectively.

Launch coming soon?

Despite the inevitable interest this NBD leak has generated, the release of the Shimada Peak series is not expected any time soon. The previous generation, Threadripper 7000, launched in Q4 2023 after a long delay, and AMD has not disclosed a specific release timeline for Threadripper 9000. VideoCardz speculates that AMD might announce this new processor at the upcoming press event in October or, failing that, at CES 2025 next January, but there’s nothing official yet.

While the exact lineup for AMD's October 10 press event remains under wraps, expectations are high that the company will unveil its next-generation server and data center lineup, including the Ryzen AI 300 PRO, Zen5-based EPYC Turin (Classic and Dense flavors), and Instinct MI325X AI processor.

VideoCardz points out that the Threadripper 9000 would be a fitting addition to the October
event's lineup, and put it in great company, but raises the all-important question, “Is AMD ready?” AMD is staying mum right now, but we shall find out its plans in due course.

Shimada Peak pic.twitter.com/5UnpSlRPHEAugust 27, 2024

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