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September has arrived and Labor Day is this Monday, which means fall is near. Home Depot's Labor Day sale is one of my favorite places to shop for fall essentials, including up to 45% off patio furniture, grills, mums, Halloween decor, and outdoor tools.

• Shop Home Depot's full Labor Day sale

Below are my seven favorite fall deals from Home Depot's Labor Day sale, including its popular appliance offer. You can save up to $1,000 and score free shipping on orders over $998 on refrigerators, washing machines, dishwashers, and ranges from brands like Samsung, LG, Whirlpool, and GE.

A few fall deals in my shopping cart include the viral 12-ft giant skeleton, in stock for $299; this Milwaukee M18 leaf blower for $149; and a variety of mums starting at just $17.

Shop more of Home Depot's most popular Labor Day deals below, and keep in mind these are limited-time offers that end on Labor Day proper (Monday, September 7).

Home Depot's Labor Day sale — quick links

• Major Appliances: up to 40% off + free delivery
• Bath: 40% off bath vanities, faucets, toilets & more
• Grills: deals on grills & accessories from $99
• Halloween: outdoor & indoor decorations from $29.99
• Lawn mowers: up to $300 off riding and push mowers
• Mums: starting at $17
• Outdoor power: $200 off blowers, trimmers & pressure washers
• Patio furniture: $500 off sectionals, chairs, and tables
• Storage & organization: indoor & outdoor organization from $19.99
• Tools: up to 45% off select tools, plus free shipping

7 Home Depot Labor Day deals I'm shopping

Home Depot Labor Day sale: save up to 40% off major appliances
Appliances are a Labor Day specialty, and right now Home Depot is offering up to $1,000 off major appliances. You can save big on refrigerators, washers and dryers, ranges, and more from brands like Samsung, GE, and Whirlpool. You can also score free delivery on orders over $998. View Deal

Home Depot Labor Day sale: up to $400 off patio furniture
My favorite offer from Home Depot's Labor Day sale is on its best-selling patio furniture. You can score clearance prices on high-quality furniture, including sets of chairs, umbrellas, dining furniture, fire pits, decor, and more.View Deal

Home Depot Labor Day sale: indoor and outdoor Halloween decorations from $10
If you're like me and love Halloween, then you'll want to head to Lowe's to save on popular indoor and outdoor decorations. You can find large inflatables, giant skeletons, spooky ghosts, and more.View Deal

Home Depot Labor Day sale: save up to $250 on lawn mowers
Home Depot's Labor Day sale offers a wide selection of lawn mowers, from push mowers to riding mowers, from brands like DeWalt and Ryobi, plus huge savings on trimmers, pressure washers, leaf blowers, and more.View Deal

Home Depot Labor Day sale: grills and accessories starting at $99
You can kick off the upcoming fall football season with a new grill at Home Depot's Labor Day sale. Find deals starting at just $99 on gas, charcoal, and portable grills from brands like Weber, Traeger, and more.View Deal

Home Depot Labor Day Sale: up to 45% off select tools and accessories
You can save up to 45% on select tools, which include everything from saws to drills, plus you can score free two-day shipping. Today's deals include big-name brands like Dewalt, Ryobi, and Milwaukee, and you can score a free gift with select purchases.View Deal

Home Depot Labor Day sale: storage solutions from $3
If you're still looking to get organized for the new school year, Home Depot's storage sale includes discounts on garage, closet, and laundry solutions, including containers, shelving, baskets, and more.View Deal

Shop more of today's best Labor Day sales

• Amazon: 45% off TVs, AirPods, air fryers & vacuums
• Apple: iPads, AirPods & MacBooks from $99
• Appliances: up to $1,200 at Samsung
• Best Buy: 60% off appliances, TVs, laptops & more
• Casper: up to 30% off mattresses
• Dell: laptop deals from $249.99
• DreamCloud: up to 60% off mattresses, 66% off bundles
• Home Depot: 40% off appliances, furniture, grills & tools
• Lowe's: $1,000 off appliances, patio & tools
• Nectar: up to 50% off mattresses, deals from $349
• Saatva: up to $625 off luxury mattresses
• Samsung: up to $2,000 off 4K, QLED & OLED TVs
• Target: 45% off clothing, tech & furniture
• Walmart: 58% off back-to-school, furniture, & clothing

• Cisco patched eight IOS XR flaws, including three critical (CVE‑2026‑20274, CVE‑2026‑20279, CVE‑2026‑20212)
• Vulnerabilities allow unauthenticated exploitation, improper access control, and crafted input execution
• No abuse reported; patches urged, with iACL workarounds for Nexus 9000 devices using Silicon One ASIC

Cisco patched eight vulnerabilities affecting its IOS XR operating system, including three critical-severity ones. It urged its customers to apply the patches as soon as possible, even though it stressed that there is no evidence any of these were abused in the wild.

The company detailed its findings in two advisories published on the same day - September 2.

In the first one, it disclosed seven vulnerabilities, including two critical-severity ones: CVE-2026-20274 and CVE-2026-20279. Both carry a severity rating of 9.8/10 (critical). The former is an improper control of a resource during its lifetime flaw - a network-based, low complexity, vulnerability that requires no authentication or user interaction to be exploited. The latter is described as an improper access control vulnerability that can lead to the same consequences.

Fixes and mitigations

These flaws, along with five others, affect all releases of Cisco IOS XR Software, including Cisco IOS XR7 (LNT) Software, regardless of device configuration, the company explained. There are no available workarounds, and installing the provided patch is the only way to mitigate the risk.

The third flaw, disclosed in a separate advisory, is tracked as CVE-2026-20212. Successfully exploiting this one allows attackers to connect to an affected device and send crafted input that could be executed as code, without root privileges. “The exploitation of this vulnerability could also cause the S1HAL process to crash, which could cause the device to reload,” Cisco explained.

This bug affects Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switches if they include a Silicon One ASIC, the company stressed. A possible workaround is to use infrastructure access control lists (iACLs) to allow only required management and control plane traffic that is destined to the affected device. There is also the option of iACLs only being used to explicitly deny all TCP packets that are destined to a locally configured IP address with a destination port of 43210 or 43211.

Via The Register

• Tesla's Cybercab had a quiet launch event, but Elon Musk didn't attend
• It's unclear exactly how many Cybercabs will be in circulation
• Tesla says its Robotaxi service has driven one million unsupervised miles

Almost two years after Tesla first showcased its driverless Cybercab prototype — a vehicle that ditches traditional pedals and a steering wheel in favor of fully autonomous operation — the company has quietly introduced production versions to its fleet of driverless taxis in Austin, Texas.

The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles records show that Tesla now has 420 autonomous vehicles registered in the state, including 45 Cybercabs, according to Reuters.

That figure includes the company’s wider Robotaxi fleet, rather than just the new purpose-built cars.

However, despite launching a Cybercab-specific website to coincide with the launch, there was no official word on how many eye-catching gold machines will be put to work in Austin immediately.

Elon Musk didn’t attend the low-key launch event, while reports suggest just a handful of Tesla influencers were on site, some of whom were allowed to take the first rides.

BREAKING: Tesla has officially started offering Cybercab rides to the public.I’ve been waiting years to say that!I took one of the world's first public rides. The cabin is comfortable and spacious, the suspension is soft, and FSD is VERY smooth. It’s an incredible vehicle.… pic.twitter.com/XBzJI9EVQmSeptember 4, 2026

Unfortunately, there was no further information on how the general public can increase their chances of hailing a Cybercab, as opposed to a 'standard' Robotaxi, which often still operate with safety monitors behind the wheel.

What’s more, Tesla's new dedicated web page says that children under 13 years old won’t be able to ride in a Cybercab, while those aged 13–17 will have to ride with an accompanying adult. The vehicle itself can also only seat two people.

Interestingly, the launch event did reveal more information about the Cybercab itself, including the fact that it is among the first vehicles in the world to use a dry brake-by-wire system that eschews traditional brake lines and hydraulic fluid, with each brake caliper instead getting its own electronically controlled actuator.

This, alongside the lack of traditional pedals and steer-by-wire steering, reduces the complexity of the overall build, resulting in what Tesla says is the lightest and most efficient vehicle it has manufactured to date.

Analysis: Robotaxi data suggests Tesla’s driverless cars could catch Waymo, in theory

(Image credit: Tesla)

During the Cybercab launch, Tesla VP of Autopilot/AI Ashok Elluswamy stated that the company had “achieved one million miles of unsupervised Robotaxi operation.”

This represents a massive jump from the previous figure, which was announced in late July of this year and put the total at 380,000 miles with “zero notable incidents.”

The increase of 620,000 miles in the last six weeks represents a rapid ramp-up in unsupervised Robotaxi operations — although Tesla stops short of stating whether these were real, paid-for passenger rides or whether that number also included testing.

If the numbers are to be believed, Tesla is now adding roughly 148,000 unsupervised Robotaxi miles per week, a dramatically faster rate than it was just weeks ago.

But its key competitor, Waymo, remains in another league when it comes to cumulative real-world autonomous driving experience. Waymo passed 100 million rider-only miles in 2025 and has since passed the 200 million mark.

Crucially, Waymo describes these as “rider-only” miles — autonomous miles driven in cities where it operates its ride-hailing service — rather than a combination of conventional human-supervised testing and autonomous operation.

Tesla seemingly has an advantage in the fact that it designs and manufactures its own purpose-built vehicle in the Cybercab, giving it control over both the car and the autonomous driving technology.

Waymo, meanwhile, works with vehicle manufacturers including Zeekr to integrate its Waymo Driver technology. But that doesn’t seem to be slowing its deployment. Just this month, Waymo added another three cities to its list of areas served, taking the tally up to 14.

Tesla’s public-facing fully autonomous rides, meanwhile, remain far more limited in scale, with Austin remaining its main focus, as its San Francisco operation till faces regulatory road blocks.

It feels like even with the purpose-built Cybercab finally joining the fleet, Tesla has a lot of catching up to do.

If you're looking for a new TV in the Labor Day sales, then my top recommendation is the LG C6. You can get the 65-inch model for $1,499.99 (was $2,699.99) at Amazon: a huge 44% off.

Easily one of the best TVs I've tested in 2026, the LG C6 ticks all the boxes, delivering the picture quality for movies, the performance for gaming and sports, and the versatility for any other areas you might need.

While we'd usually recommend last year's models in sales, as they're generally available cheaper, not only is the C6 a worthy upgrade over its predecessor, the LG C5, but both models are at the same price of $1,499.99 for a 65-inch. So, the C6 is a no-brainer.

Today's best LG C6 deal

C6 65-inch 4K OLED TV (2026): was $2699.99 now $1499.99
The LG C6 is a home-run of a TV, building upon its excellent predecessor, the LG C5, with notable upgrades in picture quality, performance and features that make an all-around fantastic TV. This deal at Amazon takes the 65-inch model to a record-low price of $1,499.99. View Deal

An undeniable upgrade

The LG C6 (left) is a notable upgrade over its predecessor the LG C5 (right) (Image credit: Future)

After the success of the LG C5 last year, the LG C6 had some big shoes to fill. The LG C-series has been a long-running successful lineup of TVs for years, but on occasion, they don't innovate that much from year to year. In truth, the C5 wasn't a huge step-up over its predecessor, the LG C4. So naturally, I was hoping for a big upgrade this year in the C6: and boy did I get it.

When I compared the LG C6 and LG C5 side-by-side, I saw a noticeable upgrade in picture quality. The C6 was brighter (over 250 nits higher in peak HDR brightness) than the C5, which meant that bright scenes — such as those with a lot of snow — had a lot more punch on the C6.

Where I was really impressed was the colors. Not only did they look more vibrant and natural on the C6, demonstrated by some pink flowers in Wicked, but the C6 got rid of the 'green tint' that has been known to plague some LG OLED panels in recent years. This meant pictures looked more accurate overall, resulting in a better viewing experience.

Outside of picture, the C6 comes fitted with the flagship Alpha a11 Gen 3 AI processor, the same used in the flagship LG G6 and a first for the LG C-series. This means performance feels smoother and more responsive, and it benefits from more picture upgrades.

Finally, LG's C-series are among the best gaming TVs and the C6 is no different. It supports 4K 165Hz, full VRR including G-sync and FreeSync, plus Dolby Vision gaming and ALLM across four HDMI 2.1 ports, it's fully kitted out for gaming. Throw in an ultra-low 9.2ms input lag time and you have a superb gaming TV that was a blast to use for gaming during my testing.

Other fantastic Labor Day TV deals

55-inch B6E Series OLED 4K Smart TV: was $1299.99 now $799.99
LG's 2026 B6E is the budget version of the popular LG B6, and thanks to Best Buy's Labor Day sale, you can get the 55-inch model for an incredible price of $799.99. The LG B6E is packed with premium features, like LG's speedy Alpha 8 Gen 3 AI processor, Dolby Vision support, extensive gaming features, and webOS 26 - all for under $800.View Deal

65-inch Bravia XR8B Smart Google TV: was $3299.99 now $2499.99
If you're looking for a big-screen premium display, Sony's 65-inch Bravia XR8B OLED TV is now at a record-low price of $2,499.99. Sony's Bravia 8 features a sleek, slim design, a wide viewing angle, brilliant images with deep contrast, and cinematic sound across the entire screen.View Deal

B6 48-inch 4K OLED TV: was $999.99 now $699.99
The LG B6 is the brand's latest entry-level OLED TV for 2026 and a great choice if you want great picture quality and gaming chops on a budget. It features four HDMI 2.1 ports for 4K gaming at 120Hz, variable refresh rate modes, HGiG, and support for Dolby Vision Gaming. Our only criticism with this model is that it didn't provide a massive upgrade over the previous LG B5 model, but it's still an excellent entry-level OLED TV that ticks a lot of the right boxes.

Read our full LG B6 OLED TV reviewView Deal

75-inch S5 4K LED Fire TV: was $649.99 now $419.99
The TCL 75-inch S5 4K LED TV supports Dolby Vision, HDR10 Plus, HDR10, and HLG, while there’s Dolby Atmos sound and a built-in subwoofer. It also has a dedicated Game Mode for lower input lag and latency, and Motion Rate 240 technology for smoother motion. It’s all wrapped up in a highly attractive price tag for a screen of this size.View Deal

Shop more of today's best Labor Day sales

• Amazon: 45% off TVs, AirPods, air fryers & vacuums
• Apple: iPads, AirPods & MacBooks from $99
• Appliances: up to $1,200 at Samsung
• Best Buy: 60% off appliances, TVs, laptops & more
• Casper: up to 30% off mattresses
• Dell: laptop deals from $249.99
• DreamCloud: up to 60% off mattresses, 66% off bundles
• Home Depot: 40% off appliances, furniture, grills & tools
• Lowe's: $1,000 off appliances, patio & tools
• Nectar: up to 50% off mattresses, deals from $349
• Saatva: up to $625 off luxury mattresses
• Samsung: up to $2,000 off 4K, QLED & OLED TVs
• Target: 45% off clothing, tech & furniture
• Walmart: 58% off back-to-school, furniture, & clothing

Contains spoilers for Alice and Steve season 1

Don't worry Alice and Steve fans, the Hulu (Disney+ internationally) show is not leaving us on a cliffhanger. It's been renewed for another round, so rest assured, we should get some of those burning (no pun intended...) questions answered.

Alice and Steve season 2: key information

- Season 2 was confirmed in August 2026
- The core cast are expected to return for season 2
- No trailer yet
- The plot is expected to pick up soon after season 1's dramatic finale

When we last saw everyone, they were in the middle of a chaotic wedding venue fire. In intense scenes, Alice saved Steve and jumped off the roof into a pool with him, with their fates left unknown. Even though Alice was furious that Steve was marrying her daughter, she still risked her life to help save his.

With a finale like that, we should all breathe a sigh of relief that we'll get to see what happens next. And by the sounds of things, we won't be disappointed.

Speaking of the renewal, Sophie Goodhart, creator and writer, said: “I am so thrilled that Alice and Steve has been given a second season. No one will be prepared for what happens next, especially not Alice and Steve.”

Read on to find out everything we know about Alice and Steve season 2.

Alice and Steve season 2 release date

(Image credit: Hulu)

Alice and Steve has only just been renewed, so a release date has not yet been confirmed. When I have more information about when it's expected to air on Hulu and Disney+.

The series was well received, with Lee Mason, VP, Scripted, Disney+ EMEA, praising the series after its renewal.” He said: “It’s been fantastic to see the rapturous reactions to ‘Alice and Steve’ from viewers at home. Sophie has created a distinctive and original comedy that is striking a chord and sparking debate with audiences across the country.

"I’m excited to see what mayhem Sophie and Clerkenwell have in store for our titular characters after that delicious cliffhanger – but we can expect more laughs, betrayal, and bad decisions in season two.”

Alice and Steve season 2 trailer: is there one?

No, it's too early for a trailer yet, but I'll keep you updated once one is available.

If I had to speculate, the trailer should immediately pick up after the fire, where we can hopefully learn the fates of those caught up in it. I really can't wait, I need to know if everyone made it out alive...

Alice and Steve season 2 cast speculation

Yali Topol Margalith, Nicola Walker and Jermaine Clement are all expected to return. (Image credit: Hulu)

If everyone reprises their roles or survives the fire, we should get the core cast back on our screens in season 2. Should that happen, here's the full line-up we'll expect to see in Alice and Steve season 2.

• Nicola Walker as Alice
• Jemaine Clement as Steve
• Yali Topol Margalith as Izzy, Alice's daughter
• Joel Fry as Daniel, Alice's husband
• Tyrese Eaton-Dyce as Dom, Alice's son
• Marcia Warren as Val, Alice's mother

However, casts can change, so if any of these aren't coming back, I'll update you. Fingers crossed we'll see them all!

Alice and Steve season 2 story synopsis and speculation

What's next for Steve and Izzy? (Image credit: Hulu)

Considering season 1's cliffhanger, it's likely the fire will be a key focus at least for the first episode of season 2. The scene cut to black before we could see if Alice and Steve made it out of the venue alive, so we really need to learn what happened to them.

If that wasn't enough drama, there's so much more. Izzy is pregnant, initially believing it was Steve's. As it happens, the baby's father is her ex, Yannis, but Steve has insisted he still wants to be involved in the child's life. But something tells me it won't quite be this plain sailing, especially if Izzy's ex arrives back on the scene.

We haven't seen Yannis on screen yet, so there's a chance he could become a new, problematic character when season 2 picks up.

• TechRadar's finest are at IFA 2026 from September 4-8
• Submit your questions here, and the team will reply to you
• Get the inside scoop on the latest tech straight from the show floor

The TechRadar team has set up camp in Berlin for IFA 2026, Europe's largest tech trade show, rushing between booths and exhibits to catch the most exciting new gadgets ,and shake hands with the 1,900 or so brands showing off their latest kit.

With some 200,000 people descending on Berlin over the next five days, the team will be elbowing their way to the front of every stand to get hands-on with the newest tech — and they're inviting you to come along for the ride.

Want to know about the latest innovations in household electronics? Which gadgets wowed them? Or what it's like to be on the ground at a massive tech trade fair? Drop a question in the chat below, and one of the team will reply to you as soon as they can.

The show officially opened today, and runs until September 8, but the team have already got well acquainted with the Messeplatz, the vast exhibition space that's home to the showcase, thanks to a raft of press events earlier in the week.

Most of the news gets announced in the lead-up to the event, so a lot of the major unveilings have already happened, allowing our writers to spend time seeking out some of the more under-the-radar new gadgets.

And with many brands exhibiting, there's a lot to see. From Nvidia's game-changing RTX Spark laptops to a lawnbot with a mechanical arm, there's a real mix of new tech for us to get excited about — and the team are here to give you the inside scoop.

We've been searching through all this year's Labor Day sales, and one thing is clear: A genuine 4K business monitor for $200 is still a rare find, so this deal really stood out to us. the Samsung ViewFinity S70H is down to $200 (was $300) at Amazon.

This 27-inch 4K UHD monitor has an IPS panel, HDR10, and Samsung's built-in eye-comfort features. Whether you're upgrading a home office setup or adding a second display for multitasking, this is the most compelling Labor Day monitor deals we've seen yet.

27" ViewFinity S7 (S70H): was $299.99 now $199.99
27-inch 4K UHD (3840x2160) IPS panel with HDR10, a 178-degree wide viewing angle, and both HDMI and DisplayPort inputs. Includes Samsung's Eye Saver Mode and flicker-free technology for long sessions.View Deal

Why we recommend it

4K UHD resolution at this price point is still uncommon, and the extra pixel density makes a real difference for text sharpness and general productivity compared to a standard 1080p or 1440p display. The IPS panel and 178-degree viewing angle also mean consistent color and brightness even if you're not sitting dead center.

HDR10 support and Samsung's Eye Saver Mode, which reduces blue light and prevents flicker, make this a comfortable choice for anyone spending long hours in front of a screen. Samsung's Display Manager software adds useful extras like split-screen layouts and brightness presets without needing third-party tools.

With both HDMI and DisplayPort inputs, it's flexible enough to pair with a laptop, desktop, or games console without needing an adapter.

Price Context & Historical Value

This is the lowest ever price for this Samsung monitor, according to CamelCamelCamel. A $100 drop from $299.99 to $199.99 is a genuine markdown, around 33 percent off, and a strong price for a 4K monitor with HDR10 and IPS color accuracy.

Monitor pricing can fluctuate around major sales events, so it's worth confirming the price is still live at checkout, but this is a solid entry point into 4K at home if you've been waiting for the right price.

Should you buy it?

✅ Buy the Samsung ViewFinity S70H if...

You want a genuine 4K monitor for work or media at a budget-friendly price, you want HDR10 support and Samsung's Eye Saver mode for long screen sessions, or you need both HDMI and DisplayPort inputs for a flexible desk setup.

❌ Skip the Samsung ViewFinity S70H if...

You want a high refresh rate for gaming, since this is a 60Hz panel, you need USB-C connectivity or a built-in KVM switch, or you're after a larger screen than 27 inches.

The Catch: What to know before you buy

This 4K monitor has a 60Hz panel. That's ideal for general office tasks, but it's not built for high-frame-rate gaming. It also skips USB-C connectivity and a built-in KVM switch, both of which appear on some pricier ViewFinity models. For everyday productivity and media use, none of that should matter much.

• Shop the full Labor Day sale at Amazon

• Alienware introduces two new monitors to expand its QD-OLED lineup
• The AW3226Q is a new 4K tandem OLED RGB stripe gaming monitor available this fall
• Alienware also has a new esports QD-OLED monitor with a 560Hz refresh rate

The gaming monitor market is heating up with new competition from Alienware, specifically via the new AW3926QW 5K2K ultrawide. However, it's not resting on its laurels.

As reported by Wccftech, Alienware has announced two new gaming monitors, further expanding its QD-OLED lineup: the AW3226Q is a new 32-inch 4K RGB stripe tandem OLED monitor that uses the same technology found in Alienware's flagship 5K2K display. For esports players, the AW2527HX is a 560Hz QD-OLED with great motion clarity and response time.

The highlight among both is clearly the AW3226Q 4K display, which is effectively the closest gamers can get to Alienware's flagship display. The new 4K display also uses the same RGB stripe layout, significantly improving text readability. The only major difference is 5K2K resolution on the AW3926QW, with 33% more pixels than 4K due to its ultrawide aspect ratio.

The AW3226Q will also feature 1,000 nits of peak brightness, alongside DisplayHDR True Black 400 and Dolby Vision. Having used the latter on the Alienware AW3426DW I reviewed, it's one of the standout benefits for consistent brightness levels and minimizing the brightness dimming issues that occur on OLED displays (which is also addressed by the tandem OLED layers).

It's increasingly clear that tandem OLED is quickly becoming the new standard for high-quality OLED displays, and using a four-stack tandem OLED layer should help boost and maintain high brightness levels.

Will it have an affordable price point?

Alienware surprised most consumers by announcing that its flagship 5K2K AW3926QW monitor would retail at $1,099 / £999 / AU$1,999.80. The competition from LG — two 5K2K displays — is significantly pricier, leaving many turning their attention to Alienware to experience higher-quality gaming via sharper images.

If Alienware's flagship monitor is anything to go by, the newly announced AW3226Q should be another affordable option for OLED hunters, and that's great news since OLED is arguably still the best display type for gaming.

There's no release date for the AW3226Q just yet — it's worth noting that Alienware's flagship monitor hasn't launched in all regions. However, gamers can expect this to hit the market in the coming months, with availability scheduled for this fall.

The AW2527HX QD-OLED, designed for esports, is set to launch in the first quarter of 2027, but there is no price confirmation.

• GPT-6 Astra just scored 92.7% on understanding how to interact with your apps, up from 5.6's 76.9%
• New recurrent depth reasoning also allows Astra to think about your problem in a new way
• OpenAI admits there are some safety concerns about how GPT-6 reasons

OpenAI has lifted the wraps off its next-generation model, GPT-6 Astra, and it's being positioned as much more than a conventional chatbot. With this new generation, OpenAI wants us to see its models as being much more suited to computer use.

Being able to fill out forms, update CRM records and organize calendars are among the examples cited by OpenAI, which is especially noteworthy for business customers because it positions Astra as an overarching model that's platform agnostic.

In other words, businesses won't necessarily need bespoke AI APIs or connectors to automate parts of their workflows, because Astra's computer use skill should be able to handle many tasks natively.

GPT-6 Astra could be OpenAI's best business model yet

With its new model, OpenAI is claiming a substantial speed improvement. On the OSWorld 2.0 benchmark, GPT-6 scored 72.6% compared with GPT-5.6's 65.7% and Claude Opus 5's 70.2%. The company's latency simulations put the average task at roughly 40 minutes instead of 75 minutes, marking a near-50% reduction in time.

Astra also scored an impressive 92.7% on ScreenSpot-Pro, which tests a model's ability to understand where to interact with interfaces. GPT-5.6 Sol scored 76.9%, and Claude Fable 5 scored 87.3%.

Among the headline use cases cited by OpenAI in its release information included Astra being able to fully interact with and manipulate Excel spreadsheets, rather than just generating formulas and dumb CSVs, as well as working directly within Power BI to build and refine dashboards, significantly cutting the time a worker could have to spend turning raw data into a presentable format.

GPT-6 also introduces a new reasoning architecture called recurrent depth which allows it to think about a problem repeatedly before producing an answer, which could improve accuracy in high-stakes situations for enterprises.

However, OpenAI admits that monitoring Astra's reasoning has been harder than monitoring Sol's conventional chain-of-thought reasoning, raising some safety concerns, so it's only being rolled out gradually and monitored for now.

Astra is rolling out to Plus, Pro, Business and Enterprise users now, with a Pro variant available to Pro and above. For now, it looks like Free and Go subscribers aren't getting access to the flagship model.

The annual Labor Day sales tend to be associated with grills and appliances rather than the latest tech, but it's actually a great time to shop. For example, right now you can get a number of record-low prices on Samsung's latest 2026 TVs.

Released earlier this year, most of these displays have had relatively minor price cuts until now. This week, however, you can currently get up to $1,100 off premium models like the S90H, S95H, and R85H - some of the best TVs you can buy right now.

Just below, you can see six of the best deals I've spotted in Samsung's Labor Day sale, alongside some information on each TV. I've picked out the various sizes that I think will be popular, but note that you can get similar price cuts across a range of sizes (55-inch, 65, 75, and so on).

In terms of highlights, it's hard to look past the stunning 75-inch R85H for $1,999 (was $2,799) at Samsung today. This is the brand's latest Micro RGB flagship, and it combines microscopic red, green, and blue LEDs to generate incredibly lifelike and vivid images. We particularly like it for sports, although any content will look great on the R85H.

Another great choice is the 65-inch Samsung S95H OLED for $2,799 (was $3,399). This one is the successor to one of our favorite TVs of 2025, and the new QD-OLED panel, updated AI processing, and picture-frame design look like particularly compelling upgrades for 2026. Read more about this TV, and others, just down below.

Today's best TV deals at Samsung

The Frame (2026) 55-inch Neo-QLED TV: was $1499.99 now $1199.99
The Frame series is a real crowd favorite, and it's certainly a very unique idea. Specs-wise, you don't tend to get the best of the best with these TVs, but they do offer a gorgeous art-like design that melds into any environment. The latest 2026 Pro model features a matte anti-reflective coating and a Neo-QLED panel with support for 144Hz refresh rates. View Deal

Samsung's latest sale has a rare $700 discount on the new 75-inch R85H Micro RGB 4K Smart TV. The Samsung R85H uses individually controlled micro-sized RGB light sources that deliver lifelike images and brilliant colors. Perfect for movies and sports, the R85H is also great for gamers thanks to its Motion Xcelerator features and support for 144Hz refresh rates at 4K.View Deal

S95H 65-inch OLED TV: was $3399.99 now $2799.99
The S95H is the successor to the wildly popular S95F, which was one of our top-rated TVs of 2025. We haven't reviewed this iteration yet, but we have no hesitation recommending one of the first price cuts we've seen on the model. The main upgrades here are a QD-OLED panel, updated AI processing, and a new picture-frame design with a built-in bezel. Otherwise, you're still getting a stunning picture and support for a 165Hz refresh rate.View Deal

S90H 65-inch OLED TV: was $3399.99 now $2299.99
The S90H is the mid-range OLED TV for Samsung's 2026 line-up. Like the S95H above, it's capable of 165Hz and features advanced AI upscaling, but it uses a slightly lower-end WRGB OLED panel. During our hands-on testing, we praised this model's anti-glare technology and overall picture quality. If you're looking for a good alternative to the likes of the LG C6, this is a strong competitor. View Deal

S85H 65-inch OLED TV: was $1999.99 now $1399.99
The S85H is the entry-level OLED model for 2026 at Samsung, but as you'd imagine, you still get excellent image quality with this display. 2025's iteration of this model was one of our favorite OLED TVs of the year because of its excellent picture quality and gaming features. Even better still, the S85H improves on its predecessor's brightness — although it still doesn't support Dolby Vision HDR, unlike some other brands. View Deal

QN80H 75-inch Neo-QLED TV: was $1999.99 now $1699.99
The new QH series from Samsung are a good choice if you want a decent TV but don't want to completely break the bank. The QN80H is the higher-end model and features AI-based picture and audio optimization, and SDR to HDR upscaling. QN80H also features Motion Xcelerator 144Hz support, which makes it a good choice for sports or gaming. You don't get as deep blacks with a Neo-QLED, but the picture quality is still absolutely fantastic.View Deal

See more of today's best Labor Day sales

• Amazon: 45% off TVs, AirPods, air fryers & vacuums
• Apple: iPads, AirPods & MacBooks from $99
• Appliances: up to $1,200 at Samsung
• Best Buy: 60% off appliances, TVs, laptops & more
• Casper: up to 30% off mattresses
• Dell: laptop deals from $249.99
• DreamCloud: up to 60% off mattresses, 66% off bundles
• Home Depot: 40% off appliances, furniture, grills & tools
• Lowe's: $1,000 off appliances, patio & tools
• Nectar: up to 50% off mattresses, deals from $349
• Saatva: up to $625 off luxury mattresses
• Samsung: up to $2,000 off 4K, QLED & OLED TVs
• Target: 45% off clothing, tech & furniture
• Walmart: 58% off back-to-school, furniture, & clothing

IFA, Berlin's huge annual tech expo, is where some of the biggest tech firms unveil their latest innovations — and this year is one of the strongest we've seen in a long time for interesting new releases.

IFA is a great place to find fascinating new gadgets and devices, ranging from next-gen AR glasses to self-driving personal mobility vehicles, and from weird new kitchen appliances to armies of humanoid robots.

We've chosen the top products from those that were nominated for our IFA 2026 'Best in Show' awards to produce this list of our 25 winners, based on how innovative they are, how well they serve their intended use, and the degree to which we think they'll influence their area of the tech market.

There were many more products that we really liked, of course, but we had to be ruthless — here are our top picks from IFA 2026.

Anker Soundcore Sleep Earbuds 4 Pro

(Image credit: Anker)

The best technology delivers real-world benefits, and what could be more beneficial than a good night's sleep? The Soundcore Sleep Earbuds 4 Pro use in-ear PPG optical sensors to monitor your heartrate, which is more accurate than other optical tracking methods thanks to the rich capillaries and stable position of your ear canal. That monitoring delivers data to the smart-screen, phone-free SleepHub charging case.

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The Sleep Earbuds Pro feature passive isolation as well as 30dB active noise cancelling, and the case-based snore monitoring system detects and masks the sound of your partner snoring using its built-in sounds. Despite the addition of multiple new components the housing is thinner than previous generations, and even more comfortable for side sleepers.

Anker's BioSync dynamic audio system monitors relaxation in real time, dynamically adjusting the audio content and structure to help you find the most effective sleep sounds. Sleep earbuds are something that can truly improve your health and happiness by improving your sleep, and these look like a really smart upgrade.

Agibot A3

(Image credit: Agibot)

Agibot is doing some amazing things with humanoid robots, and the full-sized Agibot A3 combines multiple capabilities in a lightweight, extremely dynamic model: if you're assembling a robot dance troupe or planning a big exhibition, the A3's the bot to buy.

The A3 weighs just 55kg, has a power-to-weight ratio of 0.218kW/kg, and delivers up to 12kW of instant peak power, enabling it to somersault. Its battery runs for up to 10 hours and is hot-swappable in seconds, so it's great for applications where it needs to last all day. It'll happily fit in an SUV for travel, too.

In addition to voice and app control, the A3 delivers industry-first touch sensing that adds physical interaction to its controls. It also has a 360-degree multi-array mic system for accurate voice recognition, even in noisy environments.

One of the most exciting features of the A3 is its large-scale swarm co-ordination, which uses precise UWB positioning to enable performances by up to 100 individual robots. That makes it possible to create very complex, high-impact performances for big events, as well as enabling multiple units to work smartly in environments such as factories or warehouses. The awareness and the uptime make this a great new approach to robotics.

Hypershell X Ultra S

(Image credit: Hypershell)

The Hypershell X Ultra S exoskeleton helped mountaineer Adriana Brownlee in -30C temperatures on Mount Everest, supported athlete Aurélien Fontenoy's 4,037km Route 66 journey while recovering from injury, and is currently being trialed by search and rescue organizations worldwide.

Before Hypershell, exoskeletons cost $100,000 and above; the same capabilities are now available to consumers for less than $2,000, in a device weighing under 2kg.

The X Ultra S is an end-to-end AI motion-control system that uses an AI model to transform raw sensor data directly into motor torque, enabling faster response, smoother adaptation, and more natural human-machine synchronization.

There are 12 active modes, including walking, cycling and running, and a new Gentle Assist mode for older adults and users with short or shuffling strides. Fitness Mode adds resistance, turning a walk into a workout.

But it's the price that won us over here — this could be a game changer for getting people with limited mobility out and doing more things that they love, from hiking to just visiting the local stores.

JMGO IRIS Ultra Max

(Image credit: JMGO)

The IRIS Ultra Max is one of the world’s first true 4K 120Hz flagship smart projectors, delivering native 4K (rather than pixel-shifted) at 120Hz from input to output, all from its very compact case.

The Ultra Max's dual iris system has 6+9 blades, the highest count in its class, which promises to improve stray light suppression by 11.34% for a more accurate picture, while delivering class-leading contrast, with a quoted ration of 10,000:1. The MALC 6.0 Triple-Laser Engine delivers an impressive 6,500 ISO lumens of brightness, making it more visible in more lighting conditions, and with a promised ability to recreate 110% of the BT.2020 color space, with an astounding color accuracy of delta-E of 0.7, meaning it's truly capable of pro-level color range and accuracy.

The IRIS Ultra Max also introduces an industry-first 3-in-1 Optical System that integrates 0.88–1.7:1 Optical Zoom, Four-Way Lens Shift (V ±130%, H ±53%), and an AI-Powered Gimbal (360° H, 150° V) into a unified projection architecture. This makes it more more flexible than traditional projectors to positioning, because it has so many different options for correcting its picture. It gives small home theater setups top-tier performance without compromise.

DJI Osmo Pocket 4P

(Image credit: DJI)

Designed for vloggers and movie-makers alike, the Osmo Pocket 4P is the world’s first dual-lens pocket gimbal camera. It delivers cinema-grade imaging in a pocket-friendly form, and features DJI's Academy Award-winning Ronin stabilization.

The main lens is a wide-angle 20mm equivalent with an f/2.0 aperture, and a new 1-inch CMOS sensor that offers 17 stops of dynamic range and over one billion colors via DJI's new 10-bit D-Log 2 color profile.

That's supplemented with a 60mm medium-tele portrait lens, which gives you 3x optical zoom and up to 12x digital zoom. Its f/1.8 aperture is particularly good for creating bokeh effects by compressing the background and pulling it closer to the subject.

The Osmo Pocket 4P also features the latest version of DJI's ActiveTrack, which uses AI algorithms to maintain tracking lock at up to 12x zoom. It can actively track up to eight people, framing groups and centering anyone new who steps into the field of view.

RayNeo GT Max AR Glasses

(Image credit: RayNeo)

The RayNeo GT Max AR Glasses are the world's first AR glasses to support Dolby Vision playback as part of creating a virtual cinema experience. They deliver up to 1,200 nits of perceived brightness, a 120Hz refresh rate, and real-time SDR to HDR conversion for super-clear images, too. Their optical system is 29% thinner and lighter than traditional designs, and delivers an industry-leading 59-degree field of view.

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One of our favorite features is the adjustable virtual screen sizes, with a choice of 227 inches, 267 inches or 307 inches. That's clever: the tighter size is ideal for spreadsheets and productivity apps if you're using them as a display for a phone or laptop, while the larger sizes deliver immersive gaming and video.

Steady, Pinned and Follow modes enable you to anchor the screen or have it move with you, and 3DoF spatial tracking maintains the screen position without straining your eyes, and keeps subtitles, taskbars and image edges within the viewing area as you move. These look like the most advanced way to take a screen with you everywhere, and they could be indispensable for long flights.

TCL P80 Ultra

(Image credit: TCL)

If you spend as much time on your phone as we do, you'll be blown away by the screen of the TCL P80 Ultra. It's the first phone to integrate NXTPAPER eye-comfort technology, with a 1.5K sharp AMOLED display for reflection-free reading even in bright sunlight, and a button that instantly turns your P80 Ultra into an e-reader with paper-like viewing.

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The P80 Ultra has nano-etched anti-glare glass, eliminating surface reflections without reducing brightness. It also features circular polarized light technology, which changes the light output to more closely replicate the characteristics of natural light, and flicker-free dimming.

The camera's pretty special too. It's a 50MP 3x periscope telephoto lens with a 50MP 1/1.56-inch large-format sensor, capturing more light per pixel than smaller sensors and enabling 6x lossless zoom. Image stabilization eliminates motion blur in photos and video, and TCL's MuseFilm filters promise cinematic-quality images. But it's the groundbreaking display that really won us over — a lot of people will find it much kinder on the eyes.

Lenovo ThinkBook 14x Gen 2

(Image credit: Lenovo)

Lenovo's ultra-light laptop makes even ultraportables look positively porky: at just 2.18lbs / 990g and just 12.9mm thick it's one of the lightest and thinnest laptops around, making it ideal for business travelers and students alike — especially if you opt for the backlit keyboard, which is really helpful in dimly lit rooms and airplanes.

Lenovo has somehow managed to give the ThinkBook 14x the super-thin treatment without sacrificing connectivity, so in addition to its Wi-Fi 7 it features two 10Gbps USB-C ports, two 5Gbps USB-A ports and an HDMI 2.1 port, so there's no need to haul a hub around with you. It also has a spare M.2 slot that enables you to expand its storage, which makes this a solid long-term investment.

The ThinkBook 14x Gen 2 is also one of the most customizable ultraportables, powered by Intel Core 7 (Series 3) processors and with display options including vivid OLED and touchscreen LCD. It's good-looking too, with a choice of metallic finishes including Luna Gray, Celestial White, Mystic Violet and Veil Blue.

EarFun Wave Pro X

(Image credit: EarFun)

EarFun's headphones consistently deliver premium performance without the premium price tag, and the Wave Pro X are the brand's best yet. They feature a patented dual-driver system that places a 40mm diamond-like carbon driver and a 10mm liquid crystal polymer driver on a precisely aligned axis, creating a more natural and detailed sound than you typically get from multi-driver designs.

The Wave Pro X feature an 8-mic AI system that continuously optimizes the hybrid ANC system, even in wired AUX mode, and the Qualcomm QCC3095 chipset delivers Bluetooth 6.0, aptX Lossless, LDAC, USB Audio and Auracast. Add AI translation and up to 90 hours of battery life to the mix and you've got a truly excellent pair of headphones — EarFun has been working on these for a long time, and even delayed them in order to get the tuning just right.

Urevo CyberPad 3

(Image credit: Urevo)

The CyberPad 3 is a home/office treadmill that's designed differently to traditional models. Its WalkFree Adaptive Speed Control uses pressure sensors built into the running board, which detect your stepping motion to automatically start and stop operation; when you're walking or running it takes data from the motor to calculate speed adjustments in real time.

Its multi-user support is smart too, capturing raw weight and stride-rate data to generate a structured user profile that's directly linked to the speed-control algorithm.

The support structure is made from Q235 steel with a side frame of die-cast aluminum, and it utilizes a redesigned transmission path to deliver an exceptionally compact construction: the ultra-slim body is under 11cm thick. Despite its small size it features a 15% incline-lift mechanism and a 42cm running belt, with its size based on analysis of human shoulder widths.

Plaud One

(Image credit: Plaud)

Plaud One is a wearable AI companion that combines three key features that are usually separate: wearable conversation capture, context that builds across day-to-day conversations, and AI that can analyze data and take appropriate action. It can capture online meetings, and face-to-face discussions and phone calls, and it has built-in eSIM and 4G LTE for phone-free operation.

What makes Plaud One different is that it understands context. Instead of treating each recording as a standalone transcript, it can retain context across multiple discussions — so a conversation from one meeting can be connected to a later conversation or call.

That understanding enables the Plaud Agent to help you take action, identifying next steps and completing tasks across tools such as Gmail, Google Calendar, Notion, and Slack.

Minisforum MS-S1 Max-P495

(Image credit: Minisforum)

The MS-S1 Max-P495 delivers large-model AI computing from an exceptionally small footprint with a very high specification. It combines AMD Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 495 with up to 192GB of unified memory to run 128B+ LLMs locally, delivering up to 126 TOPS, and its unified memory architecture eliminates VRAM bottlenecks while also reducing latency.

That power is cooled by a high-performance thermal solution featuring a copper base, six heat pipes, dual fans and phase-change cooling, and it's encased in a fully scalable design, with a slide-out chassis for easy upgrading and a rack-ready form factor.

With 4x PCIe expansion, dual 10Gb Ethernet, dual 40Gbps USB4 v2, Wi-Fi 7, and a built-in 320W PSU, the MS-S1 Max-P495 delivers future-proof power for desktop systems and scalable AI clusters alike — it's a mind-blowing beast made to meet a new kind of research and development need.

XPPen Magic Pro 13

(Image credit: XPPen)

XPPen's Magic Pro 13 is a mobile drawing pad designed for creative pros, featuring an industry-first hardware-level drawing display mode that delivers low latency, native color output and higher bandwidth video transmission over a simple one-cable connection, giving you a paper-like experience with 16K pressure sensitivity and cursor hover support.

It's the first drawing pad in its category to come with dual-USB support, enabling you to benefit from a high-speed data connection while charging your Magic Pro 13.

The Magic Pro 13 features the new Shelf digital asset management system and XPPen's Canvas software, designed to deliver a simple and intuitive sketching experience for capturing ideas when inspiration strikes. And for creatives on the move it offers two thermal management modes, balancing performance and energy efficiency based on different creative scenarios.

Strutt ev1c

(Image credit: Strutt)

Strutt's ev1c reimagines the power chair with three major advancements: Strutt's evSense sensing array, a quad-drive drivetrain, and a modular, connected design.

eVSense uses two LiDARs, 10 time-of-flight sensors, six ultrasonics and two cameras to create 3D maps in real time, powering the Co-Pilot collision avoidance for people, pets, and edges, and the Auto-Pilot, which enables you to select on-screen destinations, or use LLM-powered voice commands such as "Take me to the kitchen" — basically it's a self-driving personal mobility vehicle.

The drivetrain features four-wheel independent suspension, ABS, active steering, and an integrated electronic stability program (ESP), safely managing 13-degree slopes, cobblestones and rough terrain without slippage or tipping. And when it's time to travel, it breaks down into five modules for easy trunk storage. It looks like a genuine move forward for this kind of mobility device.

xTool M2 Color Craft Laser

(Image credit: xTool)

The xTool M2 is the first desktop machine to combine full-color CMYK printing, laser engraving and laser cutting into one enclosed Class 1 system, delivering a full print-then-cut workflow. Simply print your full-color design onto a piece of wood, leather or acrylic, and the xTool M2 Color Craft Laser cuts or engraves the exact contour with camera-guided precision. And there's a built-in air-assist pump, an industry first for a semiconductor laser, that keeps cut edges clean by reducing carbonization and yellowing.

Having these three capabilities in a single device is a huge power-up: instead of having to print on one machine and engrave or cut on another, you can turn your raw idea into a finished, professional-looking product in a single operation. It's ideal for stickers, labels, signage, personalized gifts, and small-batch products — you could start a whole business with this one device. And because it's an enclosed system, it's also very safe.

Perlegear AX1 Smart Adaptive Mount

(Image credit: Perlegear)

The Perlegear AX1 Smart Adaptive Mount answers an interesting question: what if your TV mount was as smart as your TV? The AX1 is an AI-powered, motorized TV mount that can automatically adjust the height of your TV to different viewing positions, so for example you might have it low for solo TV watching, but raised for watching sports with friends, or for following an on-screen fitness app or motion-based game.

The AX1 is controllable via gesture commands, its mobile app, via remote control, or via Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri. It can distinguish between single- and multi-person viewing, with the latter calculating the best screen height for the group, and it's capable of moving a 200-pound / 90kg TV up to 15.7 inches / 400mm vertically, with real-time obstacle detection that stops and reverses the move if the path is blocked.

Speediance Gym Monster 3

(Image credit: Speediance)

The brilliantly named Gym Monster 3 delivers serious strength training for home workouts, combining the experience of a Smith machine, barbell, dumbbells, cable machine, rowing machine, pulley system, and squat rack into one streamlined setup with up to 200lbs / 90kg of intelligent digital resistance.

Twin 800W direct-drive motors deliver smooth, consistent resistance through every rep, and it's adjustable in one-pound / 0.45kg increments, so you can progress at your own pace, rather than make big jumps you might not be ready for.

The Gym Monster 3 is controlled via a clever Bluetooth Ring Control that enables you to make adjustments without stepping away or breaking your flow, and it features four dedicated training modes: Standard, Chain, Eccentric, and Fixed Speed. It also features a built-in AI coach that can guide you from your first session onwards.

Midea GreenApex Dishwasher

(Image credit: Midea)

The humble dishwasher hasn't changed much since Josephine Cochrane's 1886 invention went electric in the late 1920s and gained spray arms in the 1950s. But the Midea GreenApex is very different from traditional grease-busters. It's a dual heat-pump system that uses a single coordinated heat pump platform to deliver washing, rapid drying, and dry storage in a single appliance.

The GreenApex is 50% more energy efficient than conventional dishwashers, delivers 30-minute rapid drying and 168 hours of dry storage without continued system operation, and offers gentle heat-pump drying at around 45°C, so you don't need to worry about high temperatures damaging more delicate items. It feels like a major leap forward for an appliance type that doesn't often have the phrase 'cutting-edge' associated with it.

Reolink OMVI 2i Ultra

(Image credit: Reolink)

The Reolink OMVI 2i Ultra Security Camera features an innovative, decoupled dual-lens tracking system in which the individual lenses operate fully independently of one another. Unlike in other dual-lens or hybrid zoom security cameras, the two lenses here are not mechanically linked, so the fixed 130-degree 4K wide-angle lens never moves, while the telephoto camera is free to rotate anywhere, including to cover areas outside the field of view of the main lens.

This means that when the 4K camera's on-device AI spots a person, vehicle or animal, it triggers the pan-tilt camera to lock onto and follow that subject even after they exit the wide camera's field of view — but you don't lose any recording from the wide camera's view during that time.

You can also use the wide-angle view to redirect the pan-tilt camera to a particular location by simply tapping that point in the live camera view, or have the wide camera and the pan-tilt camera monitoring two distinct locations, such as your driveway and a side gate.

Navimow H510 Pro

(Image credit: Navimo)

The Navimow H510 Pro features four key innovations: precise edge finishing, zero-turn steering, adaptive mowing intelligence, and 3D modelling.

Rather than edging with a trimmer line, which can be noisy and cause minor damage, the H510 Pro has an extendable robot arm that performs zero-gap edging quietly and safely — it's the most interesting and smart version of this technology that we've seen.

The all-wheel-drive system protects your turf too, with a zero-steering system that avoids dragging the wheels across the grass during lateral turns. And the Adaptive Mowing Intelligence feature analyzes grass growth patterns to determine the optimal mowing frequency, using the 1/3 cutting rule to preserve lawn health.

With 3D terrain modeling rather than the industry-standard 2D, and a sensor array including infrared as well as LiDAR and vision for low-light reliability, and triple-sensor avoidance to protect wildlife, the H510 is a smart solution for even the most challenging lawns.

DJI Romo 2 Series

(Image credit: DJI)

The Romo 2 Series is a robot vacuum that won't be defeated by obstacles such as deep rugs, sliding door tracks and other barriers. That's because it has robotic legs that can step over obstacles as high as 4cm, and double-step thresholds up to an impressive 8.5cm.

It also features a built-in LiDAR-guided ultra-wide-swing robotic arm to extend the mop's reach, and its powerful suction system features an automatically lowering plate that forms a semi-seal on carpet for better extraction of dust and allergens.

The Romo 2 Series also benefits from the tech of DJI's flagship drones, with a Structured Light-Speckle projector and dual fish-eye vision sensors for full 3D depth perception. It can detect items such as cables and training pads as thin as 2mm, and its AI can distinguish between debris and liquid, as well as deal with transparent obstacles such as glass doors and mirrors.

Acer Vero 16

(Image credit: Acer)

With so many laptops sacrificing easy maintenance and repairability for super-skinny styling, the Acer Vero 16 is a breath of fresh air. While it doesn't skimp on style or power — it's highly portable, delivers up to 180 platform TOPS with an Intel Core Ultra X9 processor 388H, and can be configured with a stunning 16-inch 3K OLED display — it's made with longevity in mind.

A tool-free latch provides easy access to the Vero's innards, and the battery and SSD are replaceable, while the system is designed to support the next two generations of processors if you want to upgrade. Fully 70% of the chassis consists of a blend of PCR (post-consumer recycled) and bio-based oyster shell material, and it meets US military standards for toughness. This is a laptop that's built to last, in a way that's rare to see — and very welcome.

Asus ProArt GR1X

(Image credit: Asus)

The Asus ProArt GR1X is tiny, measuring just 150 x 150 x 51mm. But there's nothing small about its specification. Designed for advanced content creation and local AI workflows, it delivers data center-class compute inside a mini PC, removing the need to run LLMs remotely while eliminating cloud latency, cost, and IP protection concerns for pro creators.

The ProArt GR1X features the groundbreaking Nvidia RTX Spark 'superchip', which means you get a 20-core Grace CPU and a 6,144-core Blackwell GPU, delivering up to one petaflop of FP4 AI inference performance. With up to 128GB of LPDDR5X unified memory at 9,400MHz, it enables you to run up to 120B-parameter LLMs locally, and render entire 3D scenes on-device in Windows 11.

That kind of power demands highly efficient cooling, and Asus has developed an advanced precision-cooling system that delivers 1.6x more efficient thermal coverage than standard compact systems. Asus also solved the challenge of metal-enclosure signal attenuation by embedding the Wi-Fi 7 antennas behind a glass-like signal-transparent material. It's quite the design coup, and an impressive showcase for Nvidia's new elite chip.

EcoFlow STREAM 5000 / STREAM AC 5000

(Image credit: EcoFlow)

The EcoFlow Stream series is a plug-and-play modular system for residential solar energy generation and storage that's designed to be renter- and apartment-friendly. It can add battery storage and smart power-management to existing solar PV installations, as well as being employed to create a new home system from scratch.

The Stream Series features EcoFlow's Oasis 3.0 home energy management system, which understands dynamic energy tariffs, keeps an eye on the weather forecast, and continuously analyzes your home energy needs to optimize generation, storage and consumption.

That means you can give the EcoBot AI agent instructions such as "I need my car charged by 7am tomorrow at the lowest possible cost" and it will implement the necessary steps, or have your energy schedules reconfigured automatically when you have visitors or other instances of increased demand.

From October the EcoFlow Stream series will also get a new feature: Local Mode, which gives you uninterrupted operation and local app control even if there are cloud or connectivity outages. It's a very powerful (no pun intended) system that's been designed with the real world in mind.

Tapo D260

(Image credit: Tapo)

The Tapo D260 wired/wireless security camera is a video doorbell that delivers all the benefits of high-spec security without the potential downsides: it stores facial recognition data locally to protect privacy, and no features are locked behind a subscription. It's advanced, yet totally cost-free once you buy it.

It has 4K resolution, a wide 180-degree field of view to cover the entire doorway, and delivers sharp detail in subjects up to 30 feet away.

The D260 features multiple intelligent detection and recognition features, including radar as well as the obligatory infrared motion sensor. These enable it to discount false alerts from things such as moving branches or passing headlights, while on-device AI can recognize people, packages, vehicles, and animals.

If you wish, you can opt in to build a library of family and friends using facial recognition, and there's even a voice changer to disguise your voice when speaking to unfamiliar callers. In a world where people are sick of subscriptions, this offers a great security upgrade without the monthly fee.

• OpenAI launched Daybreak for Frontline Defenders, offering $1B in credits for resource‑constrained security orgs
• Priority goes to essential services, governments, banks, nonprofits, and open‑source maintainers
• Initiative includes training, partnerships, and a water‑sector pilot with MS‑ISCA for local defenders

OpenAI is offering a billion dollars in credits to security organizations who want to use its Daybreak initiative but cannot afford it.

Daybreak is a cybersecurity program that provides vetted defenders with specialized AI tools and models. It was introduced in May this year, and later expanded into two tiers - Blue, and Red. Blue is the entry-level tier, providing a general-purpose model with custom-tailored safeguards. Red, on the other hand, offers a more purpose-trained cybersecurity model and almost no safeguards.

According to OpenAI, “thousands of defenders across 2,000 approved organizations and workspaces” already use Daybreak, including cybersecurity companies, defense organizations, and law enforcement agencies.

Who gets priority?

But these models cost money, and to make sure more businesses can access them, OpenAI announced, “Daybreak for Frontline Defenders”, a project where defenders can apply and receive credits for AI tokens. Even though the company announced it as a global initiative, it seems that US businesses will be the first to take advantage of it:

“OpenAI is committing $1 billion in subsidized Daybreak access to help resource-constrained cyber defenders, starting with the United States, put frontier AI to work, targeting it to be consumed over the next six months,” the company said in an announcement blog.

Businesses operating essential services such as water and wastewater systems, and electric grid operators, will get priority, OpenAI said. Then come state and local governments, community and regional banks, nonprofits, open-source maintainers, and then “other organizations with limited security resources.”

The subsidy is not just about using the models, though. OpenAI also said it will be increasing hands-on support for frontline defenders, training, and new partnerships.

On top of all that, OpenAI also announced a public sector, water-focused pilot with the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISCA) to train and support local, tribal, and territorial defenders.

“The pilot will pair Daybreak access with guided training and hands-on assistance for an initial group of public sector and water system defenders, helping them validate and prioritize findings, coordinate remediation, and develop a repeatable approach that can be expanded over time,” the announcement concluded.

• The Romo 2 Series is drone brand DJI's second-gen robot vacuum
• Available in transparent (P2) and non-transparent A2) versions
• Following Romo's hacking drama, DJI has added 'Local Data Mode', which severs the bot's internet connection entirely

Looks aren't everything, but in the case of the DJI Romo 2, that seems the logical place to start. DJI has come in strong with its second-generation robot vacuum, calling it "not just a cleaning tool, [but] an elegant, semi-translucent piece of future-forward home decor".

My home has been blessed with the presence of several very good-looking robovacs over the year, but it must be said that none has quite the wow-factor of the Romo 2. (I'm about to begin testing at home, and also saw the bot being demoed at IFA 2026.)

The rest of the market is going for minimalist shapes and glossy surfaces; DJI has embraced the opposite aesthetic. Like its predecessor, the Romo 2 has a chunky, curvy build that reminds me of Apple's iMac G3 of the late 90s, while the transparent cover — which exposes tubes, filters and mechanisms that make the robovac function — has shades of HR Giger. Although, obviously, without the sexual overtones.

(Image credit: Future)

I should state at this point that I'm specifically talking about the Romo P2. DJI has also released an A2 version, which is essentially the same except with opaque covers, for those seeking a less bold aesthetic.

I'm already hooked on the design of the Romo P2, but I don't like it enough that I'd have it in my house if it wasn't also a good cleaner, so let's take a look at what DJI's second-gen robovac has in its cleaning arsenal.

(Image credit: Future)Making your way

DJI really knows what it's doing when it comes to flying gadgets — it makes pretty much all the best drones on the market right now (which makes it slightly unfortunate that they're in the process of being banned in the US).

Now, it promises to use this expertise into its robovacs. Specifically, the press info states that "By converting aerial robotics intelligence into ultimate terrestrial performance, [the Romo 2] sets the new gold standard for home automation."

(Image credit: Future)

The main area where the brand has been able to port in its drone knowledge is in its navigation and spatial perception. The Romo 2 uses "an advanced sensory array" that combines "Structured-Light Speckle Projector LiDAR with dual-eye fisheye vision sensors" to create precise 3D maps in real time.

DJI says it can avoid obstacles as thin as 2mm, and navigate objects like floor-standing mirrors and glass partitions with confidence and ease. I haven't tested the Romo 2 on my own glass partitions yet, but given the original Romo boasted some crazy-good obstacle avoidance skills, I have high expectations.

Leveling up

Working alongside those navigation skills are some mechanical features to help deliver thorough cleaning coverage. The Romo 2 has pop-out wheels that raise it up to boost it over single steps up to 1.6in / 4cm tall, and double steps up to 3.3in / 8.5cm. That's not quite the biggest step clearance I've seen from a robovac at this year's IFA, but it's up there.

(Image credit: Future)

The Romo 2 also has a mop pad that can swing out 123 degrees, extending the mop's reach by 3in / 7.8cm and enabling it to dip right under low furniture.

(Image credit: Future)

DJI has also added a clever-sounding feature whereby the Romo 2 uses AI to distinguish between solid and liquid spills. When it encounters the latter, the bot will wave its robotic mop arm out to clear the mess without getting any on its wheels.

Privacy focus

The launch of DJI's first robot vacuum was marred by a security hiccup that saw a Romo owner inadvertently gaining access to 7,000 other devices, so it makes sense that privacy is addressed specifically in the press material for the second-gen version.

DJI has added a 'Local Data Mode', which severs the internet connection of the DJI Home app completely. With this mode activated, things like home maps, camera feeds and voice recordings should have no way to escape.

• The Govee Sky Ceiling Light shifts according to time, weather, and mood
• It prioritizes flicker-free blue light when you want to concentrate
• It's Matter-compatible, unlike a recent skylight-style light from Philips

Smart lighting company Govee has launched a new smart ceiling light that changes color depending on the time of day, just like a real skylight — and can even use AI to shift its settings to suit your mood.

The Govee Sky Ceiling Light, which debuted at the IFA tech show in Berlin this week, can automatically adjust the light based on time and weather (ideal for rooms without natural light), and can prioritize Govee's sky blue spectrum when you want to feel energized (particularly handy if you're working from home).

A few months ago, Philips launched a new skylight-style light fitting that changes light temperature and brightness to suit the time of day. It looked very realistic, but without true smart home integration (the skylight is operated via a physical remote control), we found its starting price of €499.99 (about $580 / £430 / AU$810) a little hard to swallow.

The Govee Sky Ceiling Light, on the other hand, is Matter-compatible, so it can integrate with your other smart home devices. It's more affordable too, with a list price of $399.99 (about £300 / AU$560).

GoveeGoveeGoveeGovee

However, the Philips lamp has a few extra tricks up its sleeve, including an integrated UV-B module designed to support your body's natural production of vitamin D, and an IP44 rating for use in bathrooms — which often lack real windows. Its rectangular shape arguably looks more like a real skylight as well, particularly in homes with traditional styling.

I can see smart skylights becoming increasingly popular over the coming years, particularly for small homes, and it will be interesting to see how else brands manage to differentiate themselves. The Philips light isn't a Hue product, but it is made by the same parent company (Signify), so I wouldn't be at all surprised if we see a Philips Hue skylight this time next year.

• Gemini Audio models power the latest conversational AI in Google Workspace
• Gmail Live can find information buried inside your emails for you
• Users can create Docs and Keep notes with just a brain dump

Google has finally launched the conversational voice features it previewed earlier this May, allowing users to interact with Workspace apps like Gmail and Google Docs by speaking instead of typing.

Much more than just simple dictation, the Gemini Audio models should be able to interpret user intent and retrieve the relevant information.

From launch, the company is supporting its new 'Live' functionality across Gmail, Docs and Keep, but we can expect a fuller rollout as Google continues to tweak the technology based on user feedback and real-world use cases.

Gemini now handles some of your documents and work by voice

Starting with Gmail Live, users can ask things like what gate a flight departs from or what's happening at a child's school during the week, and the model should be able to read and retrieve the necessary information without the user ever having to find the email.

For Docs Live, it's more about generating documents through natural language prompts. Google gave an example of a user giving a 'brain dump' to Gemini, which then goes on to organize the thoughts and produce a structured draft. The tool can also draw information from other Workspace apps like Google Drive, Gmail and the internet.

Keep Live offers similar functionality, turning speech into organized notes rather than simply transcribing a user's thoughts word-for-word.

Google AI Plus, Pro and Ultra subscribers get first access to Gmail Live and Keep Live, beginning now. Docs Live is limited to Pro and Ultra subscribers, cutting access for Plus members. Business customers are also set to get the updates soon.

"Whether searching your inbox, organizing your thoughts, or brainstorming, the new capabilities in Gmail, Docs, and Keep let you do it all conversationally," Google Workspace Product VP Yulie Kwon Kim summarized.

When businesses and governments delegate operational tasks to AI agents, the discussion tends to start with capability. Can AI do what a person can do, such as reconcile accounts, negotiate with suppliers, sign a document or submit a public filing? And can it do so quickly and cheaply enough to justify putting it to work?

These questions matter, but performance is only part of the picture. Once an agent acts independently, different questions emerge; who authorized it, whose interests does it represent, where does its authority end and, perhaps most importantly, who is responsible when something goes wrong?

This is the accountability gap in agentic AI, and a more advanced model will not close it. An agent might be remarkably capable, yet still act with potentially unwanted or possibly even unlawful consequences.

The only way to bridge that gap is through a system with clear permission guardrails and an audit trail that links each agentic action to the person that authorized it, and can tell the difference between a person and a machine in the first place.

Ordinary error at extraordinary scale

When people think about AI risk, they tend to picture a machine breaking free of human control and pursuing goals of its own. The more immediate risk is less dramatic; a system simply getting an ordinary task wrong, again and again, with no clear line of responsibility and accountability.

A person might send an invoice to the wrong customer. An agent connected to the full customer database could send the same invoice to thousands. It might change the wrong field and then repeat the change across an entire market, not because it has become malicious, but because it has misunderstood an instruction and had the access to act on that.

The speed that makes an agent valuable can save a business hundreds of hours, but can also turn a small and recoverable mistake into a serious operational problem.

When an agent drafts an email for someone to review, this ambiguity may not matter very much because the person remains between the software and the outside world.

But when it can send the message, submit a declaration or move money, it matters a great deal. Imagine asking an assistant to book one flight and, instead of giving them a company card with an appropriate spending limit, handing over your passport, bank card and office keys. You may trust the assistant completely, but the permissions bear no sensible relation to the task.

Define the boundaries, solve the problem

AI agents cannot hold citizenship or legal personhood, but they can be linked to natural persons in legally sound ways. For example, a reliable identifier could trace the agent's activity back to the person responsible for deploying it. Combined with clear permissions and mandates that make the terms of its authority visible and auditable, this would allow AI agents to carry out a range of operations and transactions in a more controlled way.

These controls could be very precise. An agent might be allowed to view financial information but not change it, prepare a payment but not approve it or order from named suppliers without exceeding a fixed amount. Its permissions might last for one transaction, one working day or the duration of a particular contract, after which it would expire without relying on someone to remember to switch it off.

Withdrawing that authority should be equally straightforward. If a company ends its relationship with an agent, changes supplier, or discovers that something is wrong, it should be able to cancel the it’s access without changing the credentials of the person behind it.

The agent’s legally anchored mandate in the various realms of these controls has a longer shelf life than any individual AI model, which will be upgraded, replaced and combined over time, often without the customer seeing much more than a new version number.

Putting the idea into practice

Estonia has decided to work through these questions now. In June, the government began developing a state-backed registration system for AI agents that will be available to both Estonian citizens and the country’s global community of entrepreneurs. The goal is to explore how Estonia’s fully digital state, where all public services are available online, can be opened to the emerging wave of AI-powered businesses.

Under the current proposal, a person would receive a registered numeric identifier that could be linked to one or more agents acting on their behalf. Operations performed by an AI agent are treated as operations performed by a machine, for which the natural person, the identity anchor, is liable. The AI agent can only operate within the limits of the authorizations granted to it.

For transparency, private service providers also need to know whether an operation was performed by a person or by a machine acting on their behalf. This allows them to apply appropriate controls, restrictions and risk models.

Built for delegation

The approach draws on more than two decades of digital government. Estonia’s system of personal identifiers and digital identities already allows people to act on behalf of others with clearly defined permissions.

An accountant can file a client’s taxes, an adult can manage an elderly parent’s affairs through the health portal, and several people can use a corporate bank account with individual rights and limits. In principle, the same framework could support mandates for AI agents.

This would give users greater confidence that safeguards are in place to protect the responsible person from foreseeable errors by an AI agent. It would also help close the accountability gap as agentic activity increases.

Before AI agents are given executive powers, they need a technically and legally binding framework that records who they represent, what they can do and who remains responsible for their actions.

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• Tottenham Hotspur just confirmed plans to migrate from VMware to HPE, saving 85% off its bill
• CTO Rob Pickering revealed that Broadcom-era changes are largely to blame
• The stadium is also undergoing a broader HPE upgrade

Tottenham Hotspur has phased out VMware at its stadium as part of a major infrastructure overhaul. By moving to HPE Morpheus VM Essentials, the London football team managed to cut virtualization costs by more than 85%.

According to Ars Technica, CTO Rob Pickering explicitly pointed toward the commercial changes following Broadcom's acquisition of VMware.

But for Tottenham, the migration was just one part of a major data center and networking refresh, with the company also shifting its server, storage and networking infrastructure – incidentally, to HPE.

Tottenham moves from VMware to HPE, saves 85%

Though the team didn't reveal how much it paid for which products with VMware, Pickering did say the saving was a "significant amount" and "north of 85%."

"The issues with the Broadcom takeover of VMware are well-known in terms of the commercial changes to their structure and the way that they engage with clients," he added.

Tottenham also confirmed that integrating virtualization, infrastructure and automation into one single operational stack ultimately led to more value than simply swapping one virtualization vendor for another to save money, hence the decision to go all-in on HPE.

Earlier this summer, HPE announced that it would be offering prospective customers a year's free HPE Morpheus VM Essentials for customers switching from VMware to help ease the cost involved with migration. Its Zerto migration software was also confirmed to be part of a $1 package.

It's unclear whether Tottenham Hotspur took advantage of those offers.

At the same time, the stadium is also said to have started a major network upgrade toward Wi-Fi 7 and HPE Aruba Central in a stadium with around 20,000 network access points and connections.

More broadly, Tottenham Hotspur isn't the only business turning its back on VMware – UK supermarket giant Tesco also confirmed plans to dump 40,000 VMware licenses.

Persona 4 was my belated introduction to Atlus's Japanese high school RPG series, so it still has a special place in my heart.

The PlayStation 2 original was, however, also usurped by the greatly expanded and far superior Persona 4 Golden, which is where I racked up my New Game+ playthroughs. Even as I have become more time-poor over the years, I would still dip into its subsequent post-Vita ports.

That does, however, present a problem for Persona 4 Revival. When a perfect expanded version of the game already exists and is available on all current platforms, is a $70 modern remake really needed?

The elephant in the room is that this is also a way for Sega to plug the gap for the long-anticipated Persona 6, though given that it was only given the briefest announcement this year, fans will likely have a much longer wait ahead.

But after about an hour of hands-on time with Persona 4 Revival at Gamescom 2026, I can appreciate the different touches that have gone into making this JRPG classic more palatable to modern audiences, while still preserving key elements of the original.

One more remake

(Image credit: Sega)

Persona 4 Revival's hands-on demo was split into three parts: the first focused on story, the second on its dungeon-based battles, and the last let me choose how to spend several calendar days as a transfer high school student in the rural town of Inaba.

As a remake, it follows a similar approach to Persona 3 Reload. Character models aren't just a huge visual upgrade over their original lower-poly PS2 counterparts; they're even better than Persona 5's and look virtually on par with the character portraits that typically accompany dialogue boxes. Turn-based battles, meanwhile, have been updated to mirror Persona 5's control scheme, where commands are mapped to different buttons rather than scrolling up and down a menu.

Just like Persona 3 Reload, Persona 4 Revival has also updated its audio with a completely new voice cast and a re-recorded soundtrack, including at least one or two brand-new songs. I don't mind so much the decision to recast the roles, especially as several of the original voice actors have become much higher profile (including Troy Baker, Laura Bailey, and Yuri Lowenthal).

Still, the voice of Teddy takes time to get used to because while some may have found his original voice a tad annoying, now he just sounds a bit too much like another teenager rather than a mysterious being inside a mascot suit.

(Image credit: Sega)

From what I played, the story seems to unfold virtually beat-for-beat in line with the original. I think that's fine, and given how long the game already was, the script really doesn't need fleshing out in the same way as the Final Fantasy 7 Remake series, for example. But there are still some interesting changes within that.

The most notable is the more interesting camerawork going on, including close-ups, that make extensive cutscenes more engaging to sit through instead of just lengthy dialogue you might be inclined to skip if you can read faster than the characters speak.

The script itself has also undergone some subtle adjustments in the localization process. It might seem very minor, but I picked up on how Yosuke now addresses the other female students like Chie and Yukiko more formally by their family names, which is closer to how real-life Japanese classmates who aren't close friends behave.

I'm still intrigued by how and to what extent Yosuke's character is updated in Persona 4 Revival, as in the original, he behaves like a creep and is pretty insensitive at times. Given there's a moment in the story demo where he gets annoyed with Teddy and pushes him over, my guess is P Studio is still retaining at least some of the more abrasive side of his personality.

Holding on to the past

(Image credit: Sega)

Persona 4 Revival's visual upgrades apply to the environments too. With a completely free-looking 3D camera, you can appreciate more of the details in the Dojima household, while in the Twisted Shopping District, you can look up and see the strange red and black vortex instead of a sky that indicates you're in the Midnight Channel's parallel dimension.

Nonetheless, the places you go to are still very much as I remember them. Rooms are still separated by loading screens; Inaba's main commercial district has the same businesses, including the item shop that turns into a bar at night. That's also fine for me, as I don't think it would necessarily benefit the game to suddenly expand the real estate.

While seemingly still randomly generated rather than having the bespoke design of Persona 5's palaces, the dungeons you explore have nonetheless been adjusted to be a little less tedious, from having objects you can break to gather resources to a subtle wayfinder if you just want to get to the next floor ASAP. Ironically, I took this as a cue to go the other direction to explore more of the map.

(Image credit: Sega)

When encountering enemy shadows on the map, the game even clearly indicates whether you've got the drop on them to get a pre-emptive attack. Failing that, Persona 4 Revival also adds the ability to guard against a shadow's attack so that you're less likely to start a turn-based battle at a disadvantage.

During battle, the Baton Pass mechanic has also been passed down from Persona 5 and Persona 3 Reload, which allows you to attack again if you've hit an enemy with their weakness, but pass that turn onto another party member who may have the right attack to exploit a different enemy's weakness.

But whereas Persona 3 Reload was criticized for not being a truly definitive remake, given the lack of an option for a female protagonist like in Persona 3 Portable, Persona 4 Revival at least is confirmed specifically as a remake of Persona 4 Golden. That means it will include that expanded version's additional story content, such as Marie, the mysterious and temperamental guest in the Velvet Room.

(Image credit: Sega)

Despite those smart updates, I'm still curious why some other elements have been left untouched. For instance, character portraits were used prominently in JRPGs as they were more expressive than in-game models. But when Persona 4 Revival's character models are better animated and expressive, having these portraits seems arbitrary.

Similarly, when you knock down all enemies and trigger an all-out attack, Persona 4 would originally cover the enemies in a cartoon cloud for comical effect, yet the remake opts to keep this visual despite also having party members running in to perform a lot of flashier animations alongside it.

There might be some nostalgic charm to retaining these conventions, but it also feels unnecessary in the context of a modern remake. Similarly, once my hands-on time was up, I came away impressed with what I had played, yet still not convinced why I would drop $70 on it when Persona 4 Golden is right there for a fraction of the price.

Persona 4 Revival releases on February 18, 2027, on Xbox Series X and Series S, PlayStation 5, and PC.

• A Japanese laptop maker has come up with an innovative stand
• It folds out from underneath the notebook to give the device some clearance off the surface below
• This improves cooling the processor by up to 3C / 5.4F, the maker claims, and it could be a trick that other manufacturers adopt

A PC maker in Japan has produced a laptop with a clever twist under the hood — well, under the chassis to be precise.

VideoCardz spotted Iiyama PC's 15-inch gaming laptop on sale at PC Kobo, a Japanese retailer. It has a small stand that folds out from beneath the body of the device, effectively propping up the Level 15FX167 notebook and raising it slightly (by what looks like just under an inch at the highest point).

That clearance allows for better cooling, with more air free to circulate underneath, and Iiyama PC claims that the stand "can lower the CPU operating temperature by up to 3C" compared to when the device is flat on a surface.

The specs of the Level 15FX167 include an Intel Core Ultra 9 Processor 185H, 16GB of RAM, and an Nvidia RTX 5060 GPU with a 1TB SSD.

Analysis: every degree counts

(Image credit: PC Kobo / Iiyama PC)

A difference of 5.4F / 3C might not sound like a whole lot, but it's a useful bit of extra thermal headroom when it comes to a gaming laptop. Remember that portable devices require all sorts of head-scratching in terms of the design of the cooling system, fans, vents, heatsinks and so forth. Every fraction of a degree that can be eked here or there all adds up to better performance ultimately.

As Iiyama PC points out, the tilted angle that the built-in stand provides is also ergonomically sound for a better typing experience, too.

Of course, the idea of an integrated stand is nothing new in the world of laptops, but this implementation is a novel one, as opposed to the traditional kickstand that you see on the likes of Microsoft's Surface devices.

It's one of those ideas that, when I first set eyes on it, I thought to myself, how has this not been done before? Then I had to check that it hadn't been done before, and indeed it hasn't, as far as I can tell. (Although the Asus Ergolift design is in a similar vein, but it's built directly into the notebook's hinge).

The question is, will other laptop makers take notice, and might we see this on devices outside of Japan eventually? Perhaps, and I'll be interested to see a review of this Iiyama PC notebook. My only concern is whether the stand might be a weak point in terms of the possibility of it breaking, so a reviewer should be able to give us a good idea of any fragility therein.

And in case you were wondering, yes, Iiyama is the same brand that makes the famous monitors, sitting under the same parent company.

• Microsoft warns of Teams‑based campaign where attackers impersonate IT staff
• Victims tricked into granting remote access, leading to malware, lateral movement, and ransomware
• Defenses: verify support contacts, train staff, harden Teams, and use Defender Safe Links/ZAP

Microsoft is warning about an ongoing hacking campaign that starts with a Teams message and ends with a ransomware infection and data theft.

In a new in-depth report published on the Microsoft blog, it was said that unnamed threat actors were reaching out to their targets at various enterprises via a Teams chat, while impersonating IT staff.

They were coercing their victims into granting remote access via screen sharing or remote monitoring and management tools and once received, used their access to install malware loaders and various other implants.

How to defend against Teams-borne phishing

The malware was just the first stage of the attack. Subsequent stages include host reconnaissance, security-product and virtualization discovery, and “periodic desktop screen capture”. In other words - mapping out the landscape and conducting espionage.

The crooks would then enumerate domain accounts, servers, and users, through native tools and Active Directory Service Interfaces (ADSI) queries and begin moving laterally.

The final step includes identifying and extracting valuable data, followed by a ransomware infection.

Microsoft does not name the perpetrators, and mostly refers to them as “threat actors”. It makes sense, since the “fake IT support via Teams” technique is being used by multiple groups at this moment. Russia’s Cozy Bear, FIN7, and Storm-1811 are probably the most obvious examples.

The world’s biggest extortionists - ShinyHunters - are also known to use Teams to trick victims into granting access, but this group rarely deploys an encryptor and instead just focuses on data exfiltration.

Whoever the attackers are, and whoever they’re after, one thing is for certain - the risk in the enterprise environment has never been greater.

That is why Microsoft advises reinforcing user education by establishing internal helpdesk authentication phrases, and by training employees to recognize external-tenant indicators.

The company also urges enterprises to verify unsolicited support contact, and to harden Microsoft Teams and email against social engineering. “Use Microsoft Defender for Office 365 with Safe Links and Zero-hour auto purge (ZAP) so malicious messages and URLs are neutralized at time of click and removed after delivery,” Microsoft urges.