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Scary AI spend and weak access security controls are the flipside of the sharp rise in agentic AI. The answer lies in the form of a control plane that provides the visibility CIOs need.

The past couple of years have seen enterprises press the fast-forward button on generative AI strategies. e have all seen a remarkable change in deployment patterns from useful chatbots to autonomous agents that engage deeply with core software, data and LLMs, and even create their own offspring agents.

CIOs and others are rightly excited about the capacity of agentic AI to reduce manual processes and accelerate speed to insight and actions.

However, governance and AI token costs are alarming challenges.

What’s needed today then is the power of AI without the major concerns over incurring access control risks relating to ‘Shadow AI’ and agent sprawl, and without the ‘bill shock’ relating to unmanaged token consumption.

Moving fast

The generative AI shift that has occurred so quickly spans the early days of ad hoc AI experimentation via testing and pilots to today’s enterprise-grade business processes. It has also outpaced the progress of the usual governance frameworks and effectively rendered them obsolete.

Experienced CIOs may compare the change to the early days of cloud computing platforms when staff with credit cards expensed the AWS trials they had spun up and quickly ran up staggering bills.

Or they may hark back to the days when sales leaders set up online CRM platforms or other process owners bypassed IT to run their own Sharepoint systems.

Or, to reach for yet another lesson from history, they may compare what is happening with generative AI now with the advent of bring-your-own-device schemes and WiFi.

Remember when the user-led demand to have the shiny new gadget ran a coach and horses through the command-and-control IT regimes of cloned PCs stamped with a single image and CIOs no longer managed everything that touched their systems?

The problem is here. Deal with it

However we make the comparison, it’s clear that today there are very real risks relating to data leakage, compliance standards and IT costs because of the speed with which AI has advanced. Nobody wants to lose a chance to gain a competitive advantage and even to fundamentally re-engineer and automate expensive, error-strewn manual processes. So CIOs are once again being asked to square a circle.

As IDC has said: “There is a well-established playbook for calculating the return on an IT investment. Define a baseline, model the efficiency gains, project the cost savings, and present a number to the CFO. For most technology investments, that approach works. Agentic AI breaks it.”

Agentic AI is not fixed and predictable so it’s tough to manage and calculate return on investment, but we know it can take out swathes of cost, so we have to use it and we have to manage costs as best we can.

Gartner has already suggested that by 2027, more than 40% of agentic AI projects will be cancelled due to factors such as cost overrun fears or inadequate risk management. That’s not good enough. Corporate IT must step up and deliver the value the business needs, just without the attendant risks and costs.

The solution here is to head off undesirable outcomes at the pass by providing a check, a little like an airport security system that identifies passengers and scans for any potentially unsafe activity or nearby environmental factors such as possession of sharp objects.

You will see this happen in IT very quickly now, such are the risks and speed of what is happening. If 2026 is the year of agentic AI, then it also has to be the year of secure agentic AI.

Enter the AI gateway

One way to address the challenges outlined above is to create a gateway or filter. This approach offers a single control layer regardless of whether the AI model is hosted in public or deployed as a private, self-hosted entity. It effectively secures traffic from agents to LLMs and from MCP servers. This in turn enables organizations to have centralized policies and a clear view of token accounting.

It even has the visibility impact of informing decisions of non-techies who know little about AI operations. So, for example, a CIO working in tandem with a CFO perhaps may identify a better cost efficiency (for example, switching from a hosted model to a private model) and act accordingly.

That’s great news for CIOs who want to maintain a reputation for IT being agents of change but not its less desirable reputation for being risky and pricey.

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

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

With Apple unveiling the new Mac mini with M6 and M5 Pro chips, I couldn't resist spotlighting this retro-inspired Wokyis M5 Retro Dock Station for $131 (was $170) at Amazon when you tick the coupon box.

Ok, it might look like a miniature of the classic Macintosh. But this modern dock combines a built-in 5-inch HD display with an M.2 NVMe SSD enclosure, SD and microSD readers, USB-A and USB-C connectivity, DisplayPort, HDMI input and a 3.5mm audio jack. In the UK, the retro dock also gets a discount to £100 (was £135) at Amazon.

M5 Retro Dock Station for Mac mini: was $169.99 now $130.03
The M5 Retro Dock Station has a built-in 5-inch 1280 x 720 display, alongside an M.2 NVMe enclosure. Connectivity includes 10Gbps USB-C and USB-A, four USB-A ports in total, DisplayPort, HDMI input, SD and microSD card readers, and a 3.5mm audio jack. Tick the coupon box for the full discount.

In the UK: now £100 (was £135)View Deal

Also consider

Mac mini M4 Dock: was $99.99 now $59.99
If you don't care about retro styling, this Mac mini Dock may be a better choice. It adds DisplayPort output up to 4K@144Hz, 10Gbps USB-A and USB-C ports, SD/TF readers, 3.5mm audio and an M.2 NVMe enclosure supporting up to 8TB.

In the UK: now £71.99 (was £89.99)View Deal

Why we recommend it

Apple yesterday announced the new Mac mini M6 mini PC (we covered the news here). And while the new silicon offers improved performance, what I found notable was that the design and port placement remain the same.

So, whether you're looking to connect your M4 Mac mini to a dock, or expand storage and connectivity once the M6 model lands, this is probably the coolest way to do it.

In our experience, the Apple Mac mini is one of the best mini PCs we've ever tested, and this gives the compact machine even more utility (while looking super-sweet).

The retro design is obviously the first thing you'll notice. Slot a Mac mini inside and you get what looks like a tiny vintage Macintosh, complete with a working 5-inch screen that can display monitoring tools, notifications, music information, a clock or other secondary content.

There's plenty of practical functionality behind the novelty, too. The built-in NVMe enclosure lets you add as much as 8TB of storage, and the card readers will be welcomed by photographers and other content creators.

You also get a handy selection of additional connections for peripherals and external displays.

What about the new M6 and M5 Pro Mac mini?

There's particularly good timing to this deal because Apple just announced its new Mac mini with M6 and M5 Pro, with pre-orders now open and availability beginning September 22.

The M6 version promises up to 4x faster AI performance and 40% faster CPU performance than the M4 model, while the considerably more powerful M5 Pro configuration offers up to an 18-core CPU, 20-core GPU and 64GB of unified memory.

The Wokyis dock is currently advertised for the M4 Mac mini rather than Apple's just-announced models, but as Apple has retained the same compact chassis design and port arrangement, it should work just fine with the new M6 and M5 Pro versions.

Price context & historical value

The Wokyis M5 Retro Dock Station normally costs $169.99 at Amazon and is currently listed at $152.98. However, there's an additional coupon available on the product page that brings the final price down to $130.03. It has been cheaper in the past, but only as low as $122, so this is still a very good deal. If you like the idea of having a mini Macintosh on your desk, it's a product I'd definitely recommend.

If you're in the US, remember to tick the coupon box before adding it to your cart so you don't pay the higher price. In the UK, it's a straight deal at an all-time low price via Amazon.co.uk.

Should you buy it?

✅ Buy the Wokyis M5 Retro Dock Station for Mac mini if...

You want to turn your Mac mini into something fun that stands out on your desk. The retro Macintosh styling is great, but the display, NVMe enclosure, card readers and additional ports mean it's practical too.

If you're planning to buy Apple's newly announced M6 and M5 Pro Mac mini, the unchanged compact design means it should work just fine with the dock.

❌ Skip the Wokyis M5 Retro Dock Station for Mac mini if...

If you simply need additional USB ports, there are much cheaper Mac mini hubs available. You're paying extra here for the integrated display, retro enclosure and storage expansion as much as the basic connectivity.

I'd also consider at a faster dock if you're buying one of the new Mac minis specifically for high-bandwidth professional work. The 10Gbps connection on this version could become the bottleneck when moving large amounts of data.

The Catch: What to know before you buy

The built-in screen is useful and gives the dock its cool, retro appearance, but at 5 inches and 1280 x 720 it's best considered a secondary information display.

There's also an important limitation. This particular version of the M5 dock is limited to 10Gbps, so you won't get anything approaching the maximum bandwidth available from Thunderbolt 5 on the new M5 Pro Mac mini. Wokyis does sell a separate 80Gbps Thunderbolt 5 version for $221.08 (if you tick the coupon code), which will suit users who need much faster transfers.

Finally, the dock doesn't include an NVMe SSD, so you'll need to factor the cost of a drive into the equation if expandable storage is a reason for buying it.

• See all docking stations at Amazon

• Flashpoint found ~34 insider threat posts daily on dark web between July 2025–26
• July 2026 saw 12,653 posts, with 75% from insiders selling access themselves
• Report warns insiders are now the weakest link, urging external monitoring of illicit forums

Every month, hundreds of people try to sell access to their employer’s IT infrastructure on the dark web. Some do it for the money. Others do it because they’re angry with their company for whatever reason.

As a result, malicious insiders are growing into one of the biggest, most dangerous threats for modern businesses, experts have warned.

This is according to cybersecurity professionals Flashpoint which published its latest monthly analysis of insider threat recruitment, illicit access advertising, and threat actor activity targeting enterprise environments.

Employees selling, hackers buying

As per the report, between July 2025 and July 2026, there were an average of 34 unique posts on the dark web, every day, which can be classified as “insider threat posts”.

That is roughly a thousand unique posts every month. In July this year alone, Flashpoint analysts identified a total of 12,653 insider posts, including both threat actors attempting to recruit insiders in target organizations, and insiders advertising their services. Of these communications, 1,132 were unique posts.

“As perimeter security, EDR coverage, and other security tools mature, threat actors are finding it faster—and cheaper—to target the human element and simply buy an insider’s credentials or pay an employee to open the front door,” Flashpoint said. “In a threat landscape where identity is becoming the primary attack surface, monitoring illicit marketplaces and recruitment efforts is critical.”

Perhaps the best example is the 2025 Coinbase attack, when hackers bribed overseas customer support employees to provide access to customer data. Coinbase said at the time that the insiders abused legitimate system access, causing a cyber-incident that ended up costing the company around $360 million.

Over the course of the year, the biggest targets were organizations in three industries: telecommunications, retail, and finance. However, July 2026 findings “noticeably deviate from this trend”, Flashpoint said, finding that more than half (58.6%) of all posts affect other industries.

The researchers were still hedging, though, saying that this could also just be a way for threat actors to find an alternative entry point into the target network. Preparations for a supply-chain attack, essentially.

This communication goes both ways, Flashpoint noted. Sometimes it is the criminals offering money for passwords/access, and sometimes it is the insiders advertising their services to the wider cybercriminal community. However, the scales are heavily tilted towards the latter. Just in July this year, more than three quarters (75%) of all unique threat actor posts came from insiders.

“This indicates a highly motivated internal threat landscape where disgruntled employees actively seek out buyers for corporate data and network entry points,” Flashpoint concluded.

Changing the behavior

This report can be both good news, and bad news, depending on the context. It means that software has gotten so good that cybercriminals are moving away from “cracking” it and towards targeting employees who are now the weakest link in the cybersecurity chain.

The bad news is that organizations need to rethink how they defend their perimeter and that they have quite a difficult task at hand:

“Insider threats are inherently difficult to detect using internal security controls alone because the malicious activity relies on valid credentials and legitimate access privileges,” Flashpoint explains. “Relying solely on internal logs means security teams often only detect an insider threat after data exfiltration or system sabotage has already occurred.”

Instead, organizations should monitor deep and dark web forums, invite-only threat communities, as well as encrypted chat platforms, to spot when someone is trying to buy or sell access to their IT infrastructure. They should also keep an eye on infostealer activity, compromised corporate credentials, as well as active session tokens, and make sure they are not used against them.

Finally, they should deploy third-party cybersecurity intelligence that equips teams with adversary TTPs.

When I get an close-up look at the IKEA x Xbox collection at Gamescom, with its mix of playful designs inspired by Microsoft’s hardware and practical storage solutions that scream the Swedish retailer’s minimalist approach, I can’t get over the ridiculousness of the thumbstick stool.

It is, undoubtedly, the most absurd item in the nine-piece collaboration, which also features a squishy D-pad cushion, a sleek lounge chair, a moveable TV stand with clever cable management, a multifunctional side table, a disguised laptop stand with storage, a handy monitor stand, a shiny platter, and a swish controller display box.

And while I couldn’t see myself sitting on the stool for hours during a marathon gaming session, even if it’s surprisingly more comfortable than it looks, it’s place in the collection makes total sense.

I also get why both the stool and the cushion lead the collection because they are so immediately recognisable as Xbox icons. But as a boring man in his late thirties, I think it’s the organisational products that are more exciting.

Future / IKEA / XboxFuture / IKEA / XboxFuture / IKEA / XboxFuture / IKEA / XboxFuture / IKEA / Xbox

When I look at my desk now, it’s a scattered mess of chargers, controllers, cables, and other accessories. So, the idea of a monitor stand that works as an all-in-one solution to raise my dual screens to a comfortable eye level, while offering all the hooks and hideaways I might need to tidy everything away, or put a phone on display, as well as feature space for a console, sounds ideal.

If I could have taken one item from the set away with me right that second, it would be this one. And I feel many who prefer a clear workspace while on the clock, but also like to swap to a gaming setup in the evening, will find it an invaluable desk upgrade.

I feel the same about the side table, which offers an elegant way to put away controllers, headsets, and other accessories when you’re done playing, instead of leaving them scattered across a sofa or coffee table.

There’s also enough space inside to add a charger and run through USB cables to keep your gamepads fully juiced ahead of the next session. And it’s all hidden behind some swish sliding doors, on a side table that comes on castors so you can wheel it away or blend it in with your existing decor.

"We set out to make furniture people really want in their home, not furniture they accept because it is what you need to game,” said Philip Dilé, Product Design Developer at IKEA of Sweden, when discussing the origins of each piece. All items also had one continual IKEA and Xbox representative collaborate on them to ensure both style and function were represented.

Ultimately, it's that mix of play and functionality that comes to define the entire IKEA x Xbox collection: from a comfy cushion to a compact cabinet. And while not every item might find a place in my living room or office, I can see how many would easily find their way into a gaming space to liven it up in an amusing way or offer practicality when tidiness and space-saving are important.

The IKEA x Xbox collection launches later this year from October 1.

Autonomous AI agents are moving faster than the frameworks meant to contain them. Enterprises are deploying agents that can call systems, pull data, and increasingly interact with other agents to complete multi-step tasks.

Yet few organizations can say with confidence exactly how many agents are running in their environment, what each one is authorized to touch, or who exactly is accountable when something goes wrong.

That gap can turn agentic workflows from a promising technological advancement into a potential minefield of risk unless enterprises take a new approach to governance – one that provides greater oversight into how agents are operating and what systems they can access, trust, and use.

Don’t wait for perfection

The market has responded to the potential threat around AI agents going rogue with a wave of new tooling: agent discovery platforms that scan for active agents, and agent harnesses that box them into approved boundaries. Both are useful, but neither solves the problem alone.

The challenge of “getting a handle” on AI agents is compounded by the pace of change. New agent tools, new AI model releases, and new orchestration options are arriving at a rate that makes any static governance model obsolete within months.

Rather than waiting for a “perfect” governance framework to emerge as a standard, organizations should take steps now to create a working structure that can evolve over time.

So, what might this look like in practice?

Continuous visibility and granular guardrails

Policies and procedures alone cannot confirm what is actually running in production. Organizations need a registration and discovery process that captures every agent in use, not just the ones teams report having built.

Real visibility comes from instrumenting the environment itself, using logging and observability data generated by the underlying models, and building analysis on top of it. Only that raw data can show what an agent is actually doing, how often, and at what cost, rather than relying on what people think it is doing.

Another key step is to move from broad guardrails to granular ones. A single, broad-based harness applied uniformly across an organization, for example, limits scope without addressing risk in a meaningful way. Different use cases call for different levels of restriction, and treating every agent identically either over-constrains valuable work or under-constrains risky work.

Guardrails need to be defined at the level of the individual agent and its specific task, not the organization as a whole. As agents begin accessing other agents to complete a task, that specificity becomes even more important: each agent needs an explicit, narrow definition of what it can do and what it can reach, so that any leakage beyond that defined scope is immediately visible.

With all of the above, enterprises should embrace an approach of “validate, don’t assume”. Putting a conceptual harness or policy in place is only the first step. Confirming that it actually holds under real conditions is a separate and ongoing exercise.

A useful approach here is to pair conceptual guardrails with a logical or physical enforcement layer: a tool that can confirm what is executable, what an agent can interact with, and whether it stays within that boundary in practice.

Continuous monitoring against policy, not a one-time sign-off, is what proves a harness is working, because agent capability and the surrounding set of tools change on a near-daily basis.

Access is not the only variable

Governance conversations tend to focus almost exclusively on what an agent can access. Equally important is the order in which it accesses information. An agent that gathers information out of sequence, or acts on data before a dependent step has completed, can produce results that are wrong even if every individual action was technically permitted.

Some workflows require steps to run in parallel; others require specific sequencing to ensure the most accurate results. Building a discrete, well-defined operational sequence for each use case, rather than allowing a model to determine its own order of operations, substantially reduces this type of error.

This is as much a process design issue as a technical one, and it relies on people defining the use case clearly before any tooling is applied.

A disciplined approach reins in agentic risk

None of these elements works in isolation. Discovery without granular guardrails leaves organizations knowing what exists but not controlling it. Harnesses without validation create a false sense of security. And governance focused only on access misses key variables that can introduce risk.

The organizations managing this well are the ones treating agent governance as an extension of existing IT and data governance, applying the same discipline used for foundational legacy systems rather than treating it as a bolt-on afterthought.

Given how quickly the technological landscape continues to shift, this comprehensive governed approach is what will keep agentic AI delivering value – and reduce the risk of agents going rogue.

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What a difference a year makes. Back when the Nintendo Switch 2 was first being shown off in 2025, Elden Ring Tarnished Edition looked like a disaster.

Review info

Platform reviewed: Nintendo Switch 2
Available on: Nintendo Switch 2
Release date: August 28, 2026

Preview events allowed journalists to play a horribly compromised game with a flipbook framerate, then tellingly wouldn’t let them share any footage of it. This seemed destined to be an embarrassment of a port that would have Mario hanging his head in shame, if not outright giving up.

I don’t know what deal with the Devil the developers made to get this port in its current state, but it’s made a Satanist out of me. Elden Ring on Switch 2 is a revelation, the new gold standard that third-party ports should be judged by. It’s perfectly playable and smooth in handheld mode, with only the most minimal and unobstructive pop-in.

Even the included Shadow of the Eldtree expansion, with its increased level of visual detail and colossal wicker men enemies stomping about, runs like a dream. It’s the kind of port that restores your faith in the Switch 2. Perhaps anything really is possible on this little machine.

Arise now, ye tarnished

(Image credit: Bandai Namco)

For the uninitiated, Elden Ring is essentially open-world Dark Souls, the brutal action-RPG that every other action-RPG has annoyingly been ripping off ever since.

So combat rewards perseverance while also punishing even the slightest mistake. Every time you die, you lose all your levelling-up currency and have just one chance to get it back. And it’s all set in a dark medieval fantasy world that’s so grim it makes House of the Dragon look like an episode of Peppa Pig.

Elden Ring takes that winning formula and blows up the scale dramatically. It’s the most confident and successful leap a series has taken to going open-world since Nintendo’s own The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. This is a game all about charging through gorgeous fields on horseback, because a) you’ve spotted an epic castle on the horizon you want to explore, and b) a giant is shooting arrows at you, and you desperately need to find some cover.

The Lands Between, Elden Ring’s absurdly large setting, is beautiful and deadly in equal measure. And it’s really deadly. Birds with swords strapped to their legs swoop in for the kill. Knights on horseback roar to the Heavens and are rewarded with lightning storms cascading down upon you.

Even a lowly zombie tossing a rock at you can be lethal if you’re not paying attention. Few games demand you lock in to succeed like this and fewer still reward you so immensely if you do.

Slice, spell, scream or smack?

(Image credit: Bandai Namco)

You’re spoilt for choice on how you take it on, too. There are swords, axes, hammers, magic, curses, hand-to-hand combat (surprisingly effective, that), roaring (ditto), horseback jousting, and far more to be covered here. Stick with one weapon, and you’ll still have fun, but keep swapping out your loadout for new toys and you might just find your favourite gaming weapon ever.

The variety here is ridiculous, every dud weapon offset by another dozen inspired ones. Impressed with the last attack the latest boss fight used on you? Chances are, you can find the weapon they used on you and learn how to execute its special attack yourself.

Best bit

(Image credit: Bandai Namco)

Engaging in an epic jousting battle with a dragon in one of the more visually intense areas, and not experiencing a single dropped frame in handheld mode. Good thing I wasn’t playing on the bus, given how many times I yelled “HOW!?” at the screen.

Its world starts with traditional green fields and foreboding castles designed by architects who clearly never visited a cosy cafe once in their horrible lives. Gradually it gets more delightfully surreal, like a golden city drenched in ashes where the music is actually being performed by the enemies you’re fighting. Or a village full of dancing, giggly oddballs who’ve watched Midsommar a few too many times.

The city hidden beneath the map is easily one of the most incredible-looking environments I’ve ever visited in a videogame. Oh, and died in. Repeatedly.

Every inch of The Lands Between is occupied by monsters, warriors, dragons, and enemies who really look like giant sentient sperm, and all of them want to say a very violent hello. It should get repetitive.

Outside of the occasional puzzle, this game is basically all-combat all the time. But the sheer variety and depth to its combat system practically dares you to get bored. Each enemy is almost a puzzle in itself, as you slowly learn their attack patterns, weaknesses, and how effective they are at outrunning a horse. Not at all? Perfect, bye then!

That open-world structure helps stave off repetition too. There’s plenty of brick wall boss fights that you’ll spend hours bashing your head against. But whenever you’re stuck, you can just hop aboard your magical double-jumping horse and gallop somewhere else. It means you can be swordfighting with poison-spitting bug men one moment, and then in an epic joust with a dragon barely ten minutes later.

Barbie’s Horse Adventure 2?

(Image credit: Bandai Namco)

You can also find alternate outfits for your horse now, presumably to finally get the My Little Pony crowd aboard the Soulslike train.

Gameplay benefits? None whatsoever, but it’s a cute novelty. I liked being able to dress Torrent up as the golden steed of one of the more irritating enemies, even if it does make them a little noisier. So if you’ve been on the fence about Elden Ring because you worried the horse wasn’t noisy enough, this is definitely the time to jump in.

The story? At first it’s about as impenetrable as Xbox’s gaming strategy. Your only hope of figuring out its mysteries is to examine every item you find, most of which contain a line of lore. There’s now a ‘recent items’ tab that shows everything you’ve recently picked up, which makes this far easier. This is my third time playing Elden Ring, and I believe I understood a whole 23% of the plot this time - a new personal best.

Two new starter classes have also been added. Heavy Knight, who’s a thickly-armored chunky boy who can tank a fair few hits. Obviously incredibly useful, but I opted for the other new starter, Idus Knight, who wields a sword that delivers a superbly satisfying double-strike.

There’s some new armor sets and weapons out there, too. These are nice touches for returning players, but hardly a reason to buy the game again if you already own it on another format.

No, the justification for that double dip has to go to handheld mode. I played this port for a solid week in handheld before remembering that I should probably see how it looks on my TV for this review. That’s how impressive it is, even if not every area is an unequivocal success. Liurnia of the Lakes probably takes the biggest hit, with a lot of foliage and scenery constantly fading in.

But vitally, none of the monsters suffer from any of that pop-in nonsense. It’s a smart trade-off to ensure that, even when the game is mildly struggling, it never puts you at a gameplay disadvantage. The fade-in is lessened docked, but naturally a little more noticeable on the bigger screen. Very occasionally when a lot of enemies are on-screen - a dragon and its dozen skeleton minions, for instance - some of the monster animation gets a little jerky. But it’s minor, rare, and even then has a certain Ray Harryhausen stop-motion charm.

I got two and a half hours of battery life out of my Switch 2 consistently while playing it, making it ideal for short flights or long train journeys (don’t start fighting a boss if your stop is coming up).

I can’t wait to stop typing these words so I can sink more hours into it. This is a major technical achievement on basically every level, resulting in an outstanding port of one of the best games ever. Essential.

Should you play Elden Ring Tarnished Edition?Play it if...

You’ve never played it before
What the heck have you been doing for the last four years? Elden Ring is the biggest and possibly best game FromSoftware has ever made. An action-RPG of mind-boggling scope and ambition that’s easily one of the most rewarding open-world games ever.

You want to play Elden Ring on the go
Tragically, a Steam Deck is now much more expensive than it was just a few years ago so this is probably now the best way to play Elden Ring on a handheld.

You want to give your horsey a golden makeover
Admittedly, there’s not a huge amount of new content here. Two new starter classes, horse dress-up, and a few new weapons and armor sets. Mildly disappointing, but the game and its expansion are already massive.

Don't play it if...

You don’t enjoy hard games
There’s no option to lower the difficulty, and this is a harsh, uncompromising experience. I still blame some of the late game bosses for why I’ve lost a lot of my hair.

You want to play the most technically impressive version possible

It’s smoother on PS5 and Xbox Series X, and on PC if your rig is good enough. Still, I was constantly impressed by how rarely the Switch 2 version feels like a downgrade

You don’t care about playing in handheld mode
This is the only real advantage the Switch 2 version has over the PS5/Series X versions. But if you don’t care about this feature, then why did you buy a Switch 2?

Accessibility features

Controls can be remapped, and gestures are tied to motion controls (this can be switched off).

Subtitles are on by default, and the image quality can be adjusted when HDR is enabled, which is only available when docked, naturally.

The tutorial is still laughably bad, but help screens can at least be reviewed at any time.

How I reviewed Elden Ring Tarnished Edition

I played about sixty hours, mainly in handheld mode. Not enough time to defeat every optional boss - yikes - but I made sure to explore all the major areas, Shadow of the Erdtree expansion, and anywhere I suspected might suffer from a performance dip. I was constantly pleasantly surprised.

First reviewed August 2026

Armchair detectives, assume the position: Only Murders in the Building season 6 will arrive on Hulu (US) and Disney+ (international) on December 8.

We don't yet know the full schedule on which episodes will be released — my best guess is a three-episode premiere followed by weekly releases — but we do have some first-look images, alongside confirmation of what the new season's plot is going to focus on.

As the official synopsis explains: "After successfully bringing the guilty to justice once again, Charles, Oliver and Mabel embark on their hardest case yet when the next victim — Cinda Canning — arrives at their doorstep, summoning them to London to catch her killer.

"Our beloved trio of true crime-solving podcasters must now navigate their way through the home of the cozy murder mystery, replete with a whole new collection of suspicious and particularly English-eccentric characters. But can they follow in the footsteps of the woman whose podcast started it all for them… without having their story end the same as hers?"

With a roster of upcoming guest stars ranging from Olivia Colman to Nicola Coughlan, season 6 could easily be the jewel in the Only Murders in the Building crown. However, there's one new change that suggests that the show is starting to run out of ideas: the new season is, in fact, called Only Murders in London.

Only Murders in the Building season 6 changes name to Only Murders in London — and I hate it

(Image credit: Disney/Hulu)

Remember how Emily in Paris season 5 was changed to Emily in Rome during its marketing campaign because... well, Emily (Lily Collins) spent the first half living in Rome?

At the time, this annoyed me a lot. Not only did Netflix's decision to suddenly revert to the Emily in Paris title halfway through season 5 irk me, but the act of relying on a gimmick to get people watching in the first place sent alarm bells ringing.

Clearly, this is an IP that Netflix wanted to drag on for a long as possible because it's successful and highly-watched — but realistically ran out of steam around the season 3 mark. Sure enough, the streamer announced that season 6 would be its last shortly after Emily in Rome aired.

This is all to say that Only Murders in the Building season 6 changing its name to Only Murders in London gives off exactly the same energy. Of course the series had to relocate in order to be sustained (how many people can actually die in one building before it's shut down?), but this in itself is telling.

Should season 6 of Only Murders in the Building actually exist? As much as I hate to admit it, probably not. Crime dramas can work when they suddenly choose to cross the pond — just look at Murder, She Wrote — but again, it's a signal that desperation for storyline ideas has kicked in.

I think that the name change is designed to distract us from this, though it will actually have the opposite effect. I know I'm going to enjoy Only Murders in the Building being in my hometown immensely... but don't be surprised if it's announced that season 7 will be the last.

• DJI fixed twelve Osmo Action 6 to LandSpace’s Zhuque-3 reusable rocket
• The cameras recorded POV footage of China's first successful land-based orbital launch and recovery
• There were no special modifications to the consumer-grade cameras

Action cameras are designed to be tough, surviving drops, knocks and being fully submersible. But DJI just upped the ante with the most extreme durability test; fixing twelve unmodified Osmo Action 6's to LandSpace’s Zhuque-3 reusable rocket for its orbital launch and return to earth.

Surviving 500C heat, the consumer-grade action camera successfully recorded the whole thing — China's first successful land-based orbital launch and recovery — and you can watch the uncut, unedited, one-take nine minute POV footage on DJI's global YouTube channel (below).

The video has amassed 750,000+ views and 2,000+ comments so far in its first two days, with viewers amazed by the immersive footage of the rocket's entire journey. ‘The most stunning launch footage I've ever seen’ says one, while another viewer said they 'can't believe it [the Osmo Action 6] survived a full rocket launch and landing'.

It wasn't just the thrilling visuals capturing people's attention. Another comment pinpointed the audio of the video, saying: 'Being able to hear the valves and actuators through the hull of the ship was next level! Loved it!'

DJI's Osmo Action 6 is a consumer-grade action camera that costs from $425 / £329 / AU$669. It can record 4K video up to 120fps onto a 1/1.1-inch sensor, with up to 13.5EV dynamic range (and seemingly continue recording in 500C heat!).

In a press release shared with TechRadar, DJI shared additional behind the scenes pictures of the project, some of which you can see below, and in one picture the charred remains of an Osmo Action 6 that they recovered the footage from. How it kept recording is beyond me.

As well as capturing shake-free footage from twelve key POV perspectives for some of the most immersive rocket footage ever, DJI had a Mavic 4 Pro drone covering angles of the launch from the air, and its upcoming Osmo 360 II for 360-degree cam ground-level shots.

The project is a true showcase of DJI action cameras in, ahem, action, as well as its drones and 360 cameras. For the rest of us, outdoor adventure clips of downhill biking and skiing are the best we can hope for.

Custom housing designed to attach the Osmo Action 6 to the side of the rocketDJIDJIAerial footage captured with the Mavic 4 ProDJIDJI

• A comprehensive new Raspberry Pi tutorial has appeared
• It shows you how to put together your own cyberdeck
• You can pick up all the necessary parts for around $250

If you're looking for a DIY computing project to tackle, the official Raspberry Pi site just shared a step-by-step guide to putting together your own cyberdeck: a broad term that applies to any bespoke device made to order, and designed to meet a need that conventional tablets, phones, and computers can't.

This particular cyberdeck (via Notebookcheck) is based on a Raspberry Pi 5 device with a Bluetooth keyboard attached, with everything packed inside a hard Pelican-style case that provides easy portability and protection against the elements.

"The case defines the cyberdeck," explains maker Brian Corteil, who wrote this guide. "Past builds have used old pocket computers (including their original keyboards), briefcases, mint tins, wooden boxes, and prop replicas."

To the Raspberry Pi 5, case, and keyboard you also need to attach several other peripherals — including a display, so you can see what you're doing. The finished creation has a built-in power supply too, so you're ready for off-grid life.

Parts and pricing

Some cabling and building is required (Image credit: Raspberry Pi)

The instructions written by Corteil aren't too daunting, and are laid out in a way that's easy to follow step by step — though if you're a complete beginner to Raspberry Pi systems and cyberdeck construction, you might want to start with something simpler.

Various supports to go inside the Pelican case will need to be 3D-printed, laser-cut, or otherwise built as needed. Then it's a question of getting everything connected up, including the screen and the storage.

The components you need for this build are helpfully listed in the guide too, together with links to retailers in your part of the world. I added up all the suggested parts and got to affordable grand total of $250.09 (about £184 / AU$348).

This guide is also featured in issue 168 of the Raspberry Pi Official Magazine — a cyberdeck special — which you can read online for free. If you find yourself bitten by the bug there are plenty of other cyberdeck projects you can have a go at, including builds that fit inside a clamshell phone form factor and come with six screens attached.

• There's a new version of PowerToys out
• The suite of tools has a new utility called Window Hopper
• This allows you to easily cycle through open instances of the same app, and it's a nifty trick for multi-tasking in certain situations

Microsoft has released a new version of PowerToys, its suite of tools for Windows 11 (and 10), and it packs a smart new addition.

This is PowerToys v0.101.2362.0, and as flagged by XDA Developers, the release notes on GitHub introduce us to Window Hopper.

As the name suggests, this utility lets you easily hop between windows in Microsoft's OS with a shortcut that defaults to Alt + backtick (the ` symbol top-left of your keyboard, usually under the Escape key, or on the left of the number 1 key).

At this point you may be thinking: can't you switch between the windows of running apps by using Alt + Tab? Yes, you can, but there's a key difference between that shortcut and this new ability.

With Window Hopper, you are switching between the open instances of the same app, in the case that you're running multiple windows of said app. For example, like me, you might commonly have three or four browser sessions running in different windows, and pressing Alt + backtick will cycle between just those.

That's handy because it means all the other apps you may have open won't get in the way if you specifically just want to 'hop' between multiple instances of Chrome, say, or a clutch of Word documents you're working with (or folders in File Explorer).

If you don't like the default key combination to invoke Window Hopper, that can be changed.

On top of this new PowerToy, the existing Command Palette tool now has a compact mode, so it opens as a tiny window (and then expands with results when you start typing). This offering has also been tweaked to be more responsive and stable in general.

The new version of PowerToys also features some general interface polishing and tweaks to some other tools, including PowerDisplay, which is now capable of controlling the brightness of multiple monitors simultaneously. The Mouse Highlighter feature, which draws attention to the cursor when you left or right click (with a color to differentiate between both clicks), now has a smart new ripple effect.

Analysis: more power, fewer problems

(Image credit: Microsoft)

I'm a big fan of PowerToys, and I think there are some highly useful tools here. Granted, some of these bits of software are for power-users only, but some are very handy for everyday users – and the good thing with this suite is that you can install it and only turn on a small handful of utilities that you really want, leaving the rest aside.

However, PowerToys is still not all that well known, and many average Windows users are missing out on nifty bits of functionality because they simply don't know about them. This is why I've argued in the past that certain PowerToys features should just be ported over to Windows 11 directly, where Microsoft could have them as options in the Settings app, removing the hurdle of having to find and install this suite of utilities (which, in overall terms, still remains somewhat obscure).

I think the Window Hopper is a prime example of something that could be easily ported over to Windows 11, where it would be useful for some folks to have as a native ability. Power Display, which just got a smart tweak with this new release of PowerToys, is another utility that I've said in the past would be great to have in the full version of Windows 11.

Would these tools be adding to system bloat, arguably? Well, some people may feel that way, but remember, they would be disabled by default and therefore wouldn't be eating any system resources (save for a small bit of drive space) unless you turned them on. Microsoft could also focus on very lightweight additions, too, as a starting point (simple tricks like Window Hopper, or partial ports of pieces of the beefier utilities).

For some people, PowerToys could even reduce bloat, as it might mean they can uninstall other third-party software that they've set up to achieve certain ends.

Hopefully Microsoft will at least be considering picking some choice pieces of functionality from PowerToys for inclusion in its desktop OS – and I note that there is a modernized mouse-finding ability inbound for Windows 11 (as Windows Latest spotted), which is good to see.

• SOCRadar uncovers AnonyMousKIT, a phishing kit abusing Apple’s Lost Mode contact info
• Crooks spoof Find My pages, trick victims into giving credentials to unlock stolen iPhones
• Active since 2024, it operates like a criminal software business with 500+ domains and AI‑driven vishing

Security researchers have discovered AnonyMousKIT, a new phishing kit designed to bypass the last line of defense for stolen iPhones, which has been in use for more than two years.

Apple devices come with several anti-theft mechanisms working together to make iPhones a lot less attractive to thieves, including Find My, Activation Lock, and Lost Mode.

If a user’s device is lost or stolen, they can use their tablet, laptop, or a similar device to enable Find My iPhone, which can then locate the device through an app or a website. They can also see its location on a map, make it play a sound, remotely wipe it, or receive a notification when it’s found. Enabling the Find My feature also turns on Activation Lock, which locks the phone and prevents it from being set up by someone else.

Even if the thief factory resets it, the phone remains connected to the real owner’s Apple account, and they simply can’t set it up. To do that, they would need the iPhone device passcode to exit Lost Mode, and the Apple account password, if Activation Lock/setup authentication is required.

But there is another feature Apple added, just in case the device isn’t actually stolen, but rather lost. For these occasions, there is an option to display the owner’s contact information on the screen so that a good samaritan who finds it can return it to its rightful owner.

As is the case with many other well-intended features, this one is now also being abused as part of the AnonyMousKIT phishing kit.

This is why we can't have nice things

According to security researchers SOCRadar, crooks are using AnonyMousKIT to create fake Find My or Apple pages. Then, they use the contact information displayed on the stolen iPhone to reach out to the victim. Through the kit, they can send emails, SMS messages, WhatsApp texts, or even AI-powered phone calls. Reaching out to the victim, the attackers introduce themselves as Apple customer support agents, and tell the victim their smartphone had been retrieved.

They also provide the victim with the correct model and IMEI details to confirm the authenticity of their claims. Then they require the victim to confirm their identity by visiting the spoofed Find My page and providing the credentials needed to unlock the phone.

The credentials end up with the attackers, who can then unlock the phone, wipe it, and sell it on the black market for a much higher price.

"Software business"

SOCRadar says the earliest records of the AnonyMousKIT date back to early 2024. Since then it has grown into a major operation, counting more than 500 domains, and having more than 150 storefront brands working as resellers and affiliates.

As part of their investigation, the researchers found records of roughly 200 calls, which the crooks made to victims between August 2025 and May 2026. The calls were done using five different AI agent personas and 55 different interaction transcripts.

Every call had cost the attackers $0.10, and most of them - 90% - were made to Brazilian victims. A small percentage of email correspondence was made towards government and corporate addresses, as well. Just under 30 attempts were made towards South African government domains, and three to a local university. While the campaign is global in its reach, it’s mostly focused on South Africa, Indonesia, India, Kenya, Brazil, and Italy.

SOCRadar describes AnonyMousKIT "not as a phishing kit but as a small software business with a criminal customer base."

"Its primary innovation is an automated, LLM-driven voice vector. At ~$0.10 per call, the platform initiates dynamic vishing across three languages using structured pretexts synced with email and SMS lure data, removing the need for fluent human callers."

At the moment the report was published, the campaign was still ongoing, and the researchers are still tracking it.

Via BleepingComputer

GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS: Two-Minute Review

GoPro has built its name on cameras you can strap to anything and forget about. The Mission 1 Pro ILS is pretty much the opposite, requiring you to slow down, think about your settings and focus, and work much harder for the shot you want.

It's the third and quirkiest member of the new Mission 1 family, swapping the fixed lens of its siblings for a Micro Four Thirds mount. It's a major change that drastically reshapes the nature of this camera. Instead of a rugged companion for your next surf session or mountain bike run, it's a creative tool that opens GoPro's superb 1-inch sensor up to hundreds of lenses, from cheap vintage primes to specialist optics that would never fit inside a traditional action cam body.

The Mission 1 Pro ILS with a Laowa 7.5mm F/2.0 lens and GoPro's Point-and-Shoot Grip. (Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)

I spent a week shooting with it, mostly paired with a manual Laowa prime, and found it to be a camera that's as rewarding as it is demanding. There's a real skill curve here that longtime GoPro shooters may not be comfortable with, and the payoff — sharper, more considered footage and stills — only arrives once you've put the work in.

Where the ILS earns its keep is its sheer versatility. Want to shoot extreme close-ups a regular GoPro physically can't manage? Fit a close-focusing lens. Chasing a specific look? There's a lens for that too. It's arguably the most flexible camera GoPro has ever made.

That flexibility incurs trade-offs, though — not only is the ILS expensive, it's also less rugged than other GoPro's and lacks autofocus and horizon lock. GoPro's Quik app doesn't make life easier either, constantly nudging you toward a subscription rather than just getting out of the way and letting you shoot. None of that stops the ILS from being a compelling and genuinely different kind of GoPro; it's just one that asks a lot more of you than the ones that came before it.

GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS: Price and release date

• $699 / £599.99 / AU$1,099.95 (non-member price)
• $599 / £509.99 / AU$949.95 (member price)
• Other models in the series are the Mission 1 and Mission 1 Pro

The GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS is priced at $699.99 / £599.99 / AU$1,099.95, or $599.99 / £509.99 / AU$949.95 if you're already a GoPro subscriber. That's body-only pricing, of course — you'll need to budget separately for a Micro Four Thirds lens (GoPro doesn't sell any of its own). It's a big chunk of money to spend on a little camera, but at the same time there's not much out there to compare it to, and no direct competitors to undercut it.

It officially launches on September 2 2026, alongside a companion iOS app called Mission Monitor.

Interestingly, the ILS costs exactly what the standard Mission 1 Pro did at launch. But at the time of writing, GoPro has quietly dropped the Mission 1 Pro's price by $100, down to $599.99. That means (for now at least) that you're paying a $100 premium for the ILS's interchangeable lens mount over the Mission 1 Pro that also gets you 20m waterproofing, autofocus and a built-in lens — features the ILS lacks. It's worth considering this trade-off carefully, depending on what you actually plan to shoot.

• Price score: 4/5

GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS: Specs

Type:

Action camera

Sensor:

50MP 1-inch type CMOS

Lens mount:

Micro Four Thirds

Displays:

Front: 1.4-inch LCD

Rear: 2.59-inch OLED touchscreen

Memory:

No internal storage; supports V30 and Class A2 rated microSD cards

Video:

8K Open Gate up to 30fps (no crop) / 8K/60p (cropped)

ISO range:

Video: 25-6400

Photo: 100-3200

Burst shooting

60fps

Processor:

GP3 SoC

Connectivity:

BlueTooth, USB-C, 5GHz Wi-Fi 6

Dimensions:

89.6 x 58.7 x 46.1mm

Weight:

197g / 6.94oz (inc. battery but excluding lens)

GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS: Design

• Same compact, dual-screened GoPro body, but with a Micro Four Thirds mount up front
• Weatherproof only — loses the standard Mission 1 Pro's 20m waterproofing
• Weighs under 200g before adding a lens

In many ways, you'd struggle to tell the Mission 1 Pro ILS apart from the standard Mission 1 Pro. They have largely the same boxy, dual-screened body, the same 2.59-inch rear OLED touchscreen and 1.4-inch front display, the same big, chunky buttons, the same tripod thread, magnetic clips and mounting fingers on the base (that'll fit any GoPro accessory you already own). GoPro hasn't reinvented the shell here, and given how well the Mission 1 Pro works, that's no bad thing.

What has changed sits right at the front. Instead of the Mission 1 Pro's fixed 14mm lens, the ILS carries a native Micro Four Thirds mount, opening the door to hundreds of compatible lenses — GoPro maintains an official compatibility list if you want to check before you buy, and it already spans everything from fisheyes to vintage manual primes with the right adapter. If you've got a drawer full of old glass, this is the first GoPro that can accommodate it.

Future | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam Kieldsen

That flexibility comes at a cost to GoPro's trademark ruggedness, though: the ILS is weatherproof rather than waterproof. Unlike the standard Mission 1 Pro's 20m dive-ready housing-free design, you shouldn't be dunking this one in the sea. For a company that made its name letting you bolt or strap a camera to anything and dive into the deep blue, it's quite a shift.

Despite the added complexity of a lens mount, GoPro has kept things impressively compact; at 89.6 x 58.7 x 46.1mm and 197g, it's slightly lighter than the fixed-lens Mission 1 Pro. Of course, you'll have the weight of a lens to add to that. It's a world away from my everyday MFT camera, the lumpen — if lovable — Panasonic Lumix GH6. If you need to wedge an interchangeable lens into a tight spot, the ILS is hard to beat.

• Design score: 4/5

GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS: Performance

• Manual focus only, with no subject tracking or horizon lock
• Can focus far closer than the standard Mission 1 Pro's 60cm minimum
• Battery life of up to 96 minutes with 8K 4:3 recording

Losing autofocus is the single biggest adjustment coming from a standard Mission 1 Pro. GoPro has equipped the ILS with focus peaking to help you nail manual focus, but on the ILS's small screens I found it a real challenge — my shots weren't always in focus when I thought they were, and I lost a handful of otherwise good clips to softness as a result. Frustratingly, focus peaking doesn't work at all on the front-facing screen, which stings if you're trying to frame up a selfie or vlog shot. I'd like to see GoPro patch that in with a firmware update, since I can't see a technical reason why it wouldn't be possible.

There are better ways to nail focus than squinting at the rear screen, though. GoPro's Quik app offers a focus peaking preview, and there's also the new Mission Monitor app (sadly iOS-only at launch) for a bigger, clearer view. That one requires a wired connection between the camera and your iPhone or iPad, and since I don't own a USB-C to Lightning data cable, I wasn't able to put it through its paces myself. What I could do was hook the ILS up to an external monitor via a USB-C to HDMI adapter, and that worked well as a live-preview solution.

(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)

I tested the ILS with two lenses: a Laowa 7.5mm f/2.0 that GoPro loaned to me alongside my review sample, and my own Panasonic 12-60mm zoom. The Laowa — a manual focus, manual aperture prime — is how this camera wants to be used. I couldn't get the Panasonic zoom to focus properly at all. If you've got a stash of vintage manual glass and a MFT adapter, you're in for a good time.

It's important to note that, despite the MFT lens mount, the ILS isn't an MFT camera. Its 1-inch sensor is smaller than an MFT's, which results in a larger crop factor. For example, if you fitted the Laowa 7.5mm lens to a standard MFT camera, MFT's 2x crop means its effective 35mm equivalent focal length is 15mm. The ILS has a 2.7x crop factor, rising to 3x with HyperSmooth stabilization on. So that means the same lens will have a 20.5mm focal length, or 22.5mm with stabilization. Consequently, you'll need a very wide fisheye lens to get the sort of ultra-wide focal length offered by most GoPros, but conversely it's easier to achieve tighter framing for portraits and so on.

I was pleased to discover that the ILS, at least paired with that Laowa lens, could focus far closer than the standard Mission 1 Pro is capable of. The regular Mission 1 Pro has an almost comically long 60cm / 24-inch minimum focus distance that rules out close-up work entirely. The ILS has no such limitation, opening the door to macro-style shots and detail work that's simply off the table on GoPro's fixed-lens model. It's not enough to make me recommend the ILS to vloggers, mind you — the lack of autofocus and subject tracking still counts heavily against it there. The Hero 13 Black with macro Lens Mod is a decent alternative for such uses.

In addition to subject tracking, horizon lock is also unavailable here. Both are present on the standard Mission 1 Pro, and so if you're relying on GoPro's software smarts to keep you level and in frame, you'll need to look at the fixed-lens models instead of the ILS.

Audio quality is solid, if unremarkable — echoing what my colleague Hamish Hector found when testing the Mission 1 Pro's built-in mics, the ILS captures voices and everyday sound clearly, with wind noise capably filtered out of the mix (up to a point).

(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)

Battery life is very respectable. GoPro rates the included Enduro 2 battery at 96 minutes for 8K Open Gate at 30fps, or 74 minutes for 16:9 8K at 60fps, and my own real-world testing lined up closely with those figures. Thermal management is similarly solid — I only ran into overheating issues when shooting at the top end of the spec sheet (50/60fps in 8K or 200/240fps in 4K), and with decent airflow around the camera you may not experience overheating at all.

There's no built-in storage, as with virtually every GoPro. You'll need a fast V30, Class A2-rated microSD card, and you'll want it to have lots of space too — those 8K Open Gate files are huge.

• Performance score: 4/5

GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS: Image quality

• Supports 8K video up to 30fps (Open Gate) and 60fps (16:9), plus slo-mo up to 960fps in burst mode
• Maximum bitrate of 300Mbps when using experimental GoPro Labs firmware
• Photos in JPEG and RAW up to 50MP resolution

When I actually managed to nail focus, the results were exactly what you'd hope for from that 1-inch sensor. For video, I shot most of my test footage with the Laowa 7.5mm lens, which plays nicely with GoPro's HyperSmooth stabilization. For anyone planning to color grade their own footage, I'd recommend GoPro's suggested settings — GP-Log2 color profile, 10-bit color depth, and the maximum bitrate available (240Mbps on regular firmware, or 300Mbps if you install the experimental GoPro Labs firmware — less stable than standard firmware but intended for enthusiasts who want to push performance to its limits) — shooting in 16:9 8K at 60fps.

I also tried Open Gate, which is one of the headline features shared with the standard Mission 1 Pro, but found the combination of huge file sizes and a 30fps ceiling too restrictive for how I like to shoot. It's a useful option to have, especially if you want maximum reframing flexibility in post, but it's not where I ended up spending most of my time.

For my main test clip, I mounted the ILS to my car using a single SmallRig suction cup — the camera's light weight meant I didn't need the full triple-cup rig I'd normally reach for, which kept setup quick. I edited the footage by applying one of GoPro's official LUTs before fine-tuning the color in DaVinci Resolve, and I'm really pleased with how it turned out. I'm no post-production expert, but anyone who is will have a field day pairing this sensor with the right glass.

Stills tell a similarly promising story, with caveats. I took the ILS out with the Laowa lens and GoPro's Point-and-Shoot Grip for a photo walk along the coast, shooting in RAW format at 50MP and, in lower light, 12MP. Editing in Adobe Lightroom afterward, the RAW files gave me a huge amount of latitude to shape the final look — much more than I'm used to getting out of an action camera. The Laowa itself let the side down slightly, with softness and a tendency to flare, but that's a lens characteristic rather than anything to do with the camera; pair the ILS with sharper glass and I'd expect noticeably cleaner results.

Future | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam KieldsenFuture | Sam Kieldsen

Low-light performance carries over the big step up we saw on the standard Mission 1 Pro, the 1-inch sensor being a huge differentiator over GoPro's Hero Black range. As ever with an interchangeable-lens setup, the lens you choose plays a big part in how far that advantage stretches: wide-aperture glass will get you noticeably further after dark than anything narrower.

• Image quality score: 5/5

Testing Scorecard

Attribute

Notes

Score

Price

A premium over the standard Mission 1 Pro, but there's nothing else like this on the market.

4/5

Design

Familiar, compact GoPro build with a Micro Four Thirds mount bolted on, but weatherproof rather than waterproof.

4/5

Performance

Manual focus is a genuine hurdle, but closer focusing than the Pro is a strong compensation. Battery life is excellent.

4/5

Image quality

Superb once in focus, with the 1-inch sensor delivering strong video and raw stills, though results depend heavily on the lens you pair it with.

5/5

Should I buy the GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS?

(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)Buy it if…

You want to pair MFT glass with GoPro's best-ever sensor
The Mission 1 Pro ILS finally lets you put real lenses in front of GoPro's excellent 1-inch sensor, opening up creative options that no fixed-lens GoPro can match.

You need close-up focusing an action camera normally can't do
Where the standard Mission 1 Pro tops out at an awkward 60cm minimum focus distance, the right lens on the ILS lets you get close to your subject, opening the door to macro-style shooting.

You're a cinematographer who wants manual control over convenience
If you're used to pulling focus and dialing in aperture by hand, the ILS's manual approach will feel like a feature rather than a limitation. It rewards that kind of deliberate, considered shooting.

Don’t buy it if…

You want an underwater-ready action camera
The ILS loses the standard Mission 1 Pro's 20m waterproofing. If diving or watersports are on the agenda, the regular Mission 1 Pro is the one to get.

You want simple point-and-shoot ease
There's no autofocus, no horizon lock, and no subject tracking here — all things the standard Mission 1 Pro handles automatically. The ILS demands more effort for every shot.View Deal

You're budget-conscious
At $699.99, the ILS costs $100 more than the standard Mission 1 Pro, before you've even bought a lens. If you're watching your spending, GoPro's Hero13 Black remains a far cheaper way into the ecosystem.View Deal

Also consider

Nikon ZR
If you want a "real" compact cinema camera rather than an action cam with a lens mount bolted on, the Nikon ZR is a strong alternative. It packs a full-frame sensor, 6K RAW recording, and RED color profiles into a body that's still remarkably compact and weather-resistant, undercutting most of its rivals on price in the process. It lacks the ILS's tiny size and mounting versatility, but for serious filmmaking it's a far more complete, if pricier, cinema tool.

Read our Nikon ZR review

GoPro Mission 1 Pro
If you want everything the ILS offers minus the lens-swapping hassle, the standard Mission 1 Pro is worth a close look. You get the same 50MP 1-inch sensor and GP3 processor, plus 20m of housing-free waterproofing, autofocus and horizon lock, all wrapped around a fixed ultra-wide lens. It's the easier camera to live with day to day, but you're trading away the ILS's lens flexibility.

Read our GoPro Mission 1 Pro review

How I tested the GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS

• One week of testing with a Laowa 7.5mm F/2.0 C-Dreamer prime lens
• Real-world video shot mounted to a car, plus a coastal stills photo walk
• Battery life and thermal performance checked across the camera's most demanding modes

The Mission 1 Pro ILS mounted on my car using a suction cup. (Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)

I spent a week with the Mission 1 Pro ILS, shooting with a Laowa 7.5mm f/2.0 lens that GoPro loaned me for the review.

Video testing included mounting the ILS to my car for real-world stabilization footage, shot largely in 16:9 8K at 60fps using GoPro's recommended color-grading settings, plus a run through Open Gate to see how it held up for reframing flexibility. I edited footage in DaVinci Resolve, applying an official GoPro LUT before making my own color adjustments.

For stills, I took the ILS out on a Sunday photo walk along the coast near where I live, shooting raw at both 50MP and 12MP resolutions with GoPro's Point-and-Shoot Grip attached, and edited the results in Adobe Lightroom.

I also tested the camera's monitoring options, connecting it to an external monitor via a USB-C to HDMI adapter, though I wasn't able to test the iOS-only Mission Monitor app myself, lacking the necessary USB-C to Lightning data cable. Battery life and thermal performance were assessed through everyday use across a range of resolutions and frame rates, including the highest-demand 8K/60fps and 4K/240fps modes.

First reviewed: August 2026

It's almost midnight, and I'm still playing Bit Reactor's turn-based tactics (TBT) strategy game, Star Wars Zero Company. I'm nearing the end of a tense battle that's lasted longer than I've realized, but I'm so close to success. Only a few enemies remain, and Hawks is out of med packs; Tricks, Tel, and Luco are all low on health, and I don't want to risk any more injuries that could lead to my favorite Operators' permanent death. One mistake will cause a domino effect that ends in defeat, but I have to make a move.

I have Luco and Trick fire their blasters at a single enemy, taking them down with a lucky critical hit, before positioning them behind cover alongside Hawks. I lay a trap; with Overwatch enabled and monitoring the area where the boss and the final enemy are located, I have Tel rush ahead into position. Using all the Advantage I've accrued through the last few tactical turns, the Jedi Padawan executes her special Force action, knocking back both enemies into the zone of my team's line of sight. Even though they have no Action Points (AP) left, thanks to my planning, Luco, Trick, and Hawks fire off three more shots each, and together, we achieve victory.

Review info

Platform reviewed: PC
Available on: PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
Release date: August 27, 2026

Before playing Zero Company, Bit Reactor's debut game made by a studio founded by former Firaxis Games and XCOM veterans, I was concerned my lack of experience with XCOM would hinder my enjoyment of this new Star Wars story. But after just a few hours of taking on mercs and clankers, jumping to various planets via hyperspace, and getting to know my fellow Operators, I quickly fell in love.

Learn from the past, but live for the future

(Image credit: Bit Reactor)

What I love about Star Wars, besides the lightsabers, the expansive lore, and dark side baddies, is the seemingly unlimited opportunity for new stories within the vast galaxy, far, far away.

While Zero Company is set 20BBY during the twilight of the Clone Wars, a frequently revisited era in the franchise, this story chooses to tell a story from the perspective of someone no longer tied directly to the conflict, but has been affected by it. The fact that the player character, Hawks, is a former captain in the Grand Army of the Republic is a unique premise that initially piqued my interest; they commanded the 100th Clone Company and led a campaign that led to a Trooper massacre, Trick being declared unfit for duty due to an injury, and Hawks' dismissal.

Hawks now leads the titular covert squad on a mission to take down the paramilitary cult known as The Infinite Coil and its leader, Kundri Fathom, who are all diseased by the mysterious Shadow Plague and are slowly building their forces across the galaxy.

As Hawks and Zero Company tackle this growing threat against the backdrop of the Clone Wars, the team is also dealing with their own personal issues and the consequences of warfare, whether at the hands of the Republic or the Separatists, with the story exploring themes of justice, revenge, belonging, grief, and guilt.

It's a compelling approach with surprising twists and turns that takes the story in an unexpected direction and had my Star Wars-loving heart pounding thanks to the brilliant way Bit Reactor seamlessly blends cinematic storytelling and a brilliantly formulated combat system.

Best Bit

(Image credit: Bit Reactor)

Star Wars Zero Company's turn-based tactics gameplay is its best feature, offering an incredible amount of character customization that allows players to experiment with different loadouts and specializations for some immensely fun missions.

This is a spoiler-free review, and I won't get into the details, but Hawks' history has interesting implications for the narrative in ways I wasn't anticipating; they're a smart, funny, sarcastic, but decisive individual, navigating being a leader who is, once again, caught up in a galactic threat. And while they're a customizable character, they feel like they belong in this universe as much as any other protagonist we've had before.

Fathom herself, as the primary antagonist, however, separate from Coil members you run into plenty of times, feels a bit underutilized throughout the story, and I was left with a desire to know more about her.

The majority of the campaign finds Zero Company trying to track Fathom down while she continuously eludes them and works from the shadows, which means there aren't many opportunities for the antagonist to shine on screen; it feels like wasted potential as she's a very interesting villain with a unique motivation that compliments the broader narrative, but without that extra character exploration, especially in parallel to Hawks and their development, I was left with some unanswered questions and ultimately unsatisfied.

Wars are not won with superior weapons, but with superior strategy

(Image credit: Bit Reactor)

I stand by what I wrote in my preview: Star Wars fans with no knowledge of TBT games like XCOM can absolutely enjoy this game. Bit Reactor has done an excellent job making a beginner-friendly, not to mention incredibly rewarding, experience when you get accustomed to strategizing on the fly and go on to achieve win after win.

Squad appearances, tailored loudouts, and the numerous specializations on offer, be it Medic, Scoundrel, Heavy, or Scout, present an unbelievable amount of player freedom, which allows for some impressive customization, as well as what seems like an opportunity for limitless playthroughs.

This is especially true when the secondary specializations are unlocked for Zero Company; I gave my Hawks the Medic spec, which allowed an extra sense of security for playing on permadeath mode, and I was amazed by how my second spec, Gunslinger, completely refreshed battles and provided new and imaginative strategies on the battlefield.

(Image credit: Bit Reactor)

My squad for Tactical Missions typically included Tel because of her ranged Force abilities, and Trick, who can withstand getting Downed and can automatically revive during the next turn in battle; their Hero Talents came in handy when the mission was on the verge of failure, and their fully upgraded skill trees made them a must-have, especially for higher difficulty battles that featured a variety of enemies that are tougher than others.

Kabb also has a sick uppercut ability that lets him wollop enemies, while Luco has a sniper skill that guarantees a 100% hit; learning how these talents work, strategizing how best to spend my squad's limited three AP should have been stressful, but the process was just awesome.

Continuously maneuvering across ever-shifting and lovingly crafted isometric maps wrapped in an authentic Star Wars atmosphere, outplaying a contingent of droids, deadly Coil soldiers, and syndicate members with just wit, and mixing and matching team builds to your preference with a ton of options to experiment with; all of this offers an immensely rewarding gameplay experience that continuously delivers.

No Tactical Mission feels the same, and even when they take longer to complete because of their difficulty level—and believe me, they can take a while—it doesn't matter, because the sense of accomplishment I felt after every mission was worth the time.

Courage makes heroes, but trust builds friendship

(Image credit: Bit Reactor)

The campaign is also strengthened by Zero Company's interpersonal relationships, consisting of multiple colorful characters, including a loyal ex-Clone Trooper, a Mandalorian turned bounty hunter, a sharp-tongued Umbaran sniper, a Jedi Padawan without a Master, and more.

The game leans into role-playing game (RPG) systems by melding TBT gameplay and Bonds, a relationship approval system vital for unlocking features like new talents, focus points, and stat bonuses. Similar to Bioware's dynamic relationship system found in Dragon Age and Mass Effect, minus the romance and branching dialogue trees, Bonds are deepened by completing each character's personal questline, how you approach Operations, or how you respond in conversations.

Zero Company's Bond system is great, and I know it's primarily a TBT strategy game; however, I can't help but think it would have benefited even more if it went harder with the RPG mechanics, like additional dialogue choices, to really reinforce and shape those Bonds.

Characters may also have negative opinions of each other, and it's pretty fun, and essentially the key to success, to purposefully pair them together during missions to make them grow closer with the benefit of improving their loadout and unlocking new combat synergies.

(Image credit: Bit Reactor)

Outside of missions, it's pretty neat how Operators, even the ones you can create and recruit yourself, can be found around The Den having conversations and revealing a bit more behind the curtain; the switch to a third-person perspective here also brings a personal touch to these relationships, making them feel alive in their environment.

Alongside other characters like Runa and Bennic, authored Operators have so much personality with their own motivations and perspectives, with stellar performances from the ensemble cast; they're not just soldiers along for the ride, and while some pairings have more fleshed-out Bonds that are more ingrained in the main campaign than others, like Trick and Luco, they're equally memorable.

Whether it's Tel, Jae, Kabb, or particularly Trick, they feel like the backbone of the narrative and are as authentic to the Star Wars world they occupy, which is why when/if a character is killed in permadeath mode, the loss is truly felt.

This feature is a must if you want to up the risk factor during missions and truly heightens the stakes as you build these meaningful relationships, even if it means you'll be locked out of some pretty amazing missions if Operators die.

(Image credit: Bit Reactor)

Bit Reactor seamlessly blends cinematic storytelling and a brilliantly formulated combat system.

I had some issues during my preview session, mostly frame rate problems that took me out of the experience, but I'm happy to say performance has been vastly improved with my review copy on PC. With my mid-to-high range build, which consists of an Nvidia RTX 3060Ti graphics card and Ryzen 7 5700X 8-Core processor, the gorgeous cinematics and gameplay frame rates were consistently high, hitting 60fps the majority of the time, with the odd dip to the upper 40fp to lower 50fps range occasionally depending on how visually busy the scene is.

I also didn't encounter any significant performance snags, either. Bugs are almost non-existent, aside from a few encounters during conversations and cinematics where audio didn't sync correctly and tactical turns sometimes took a little longer to load from the enemies' side; otherwise, I had a pretty smooth experience.

Should you play Star Wars Zero Company?Play it if...

You're a Star Wars fan
You'll have a great experience if you've been itching for more Clone Wars-era stories, and Star Wars Zero Company presents a unique premise that takes you on an adventure.

You enjoy turn-based combat
If you like the process of strategizing and adapting on a continuously shifting battlefield, you'll love Star Wars Zero Company and its addictive turn-based tactics gameplay.

You're looking for a cinematic story
While Star Wars Zero Company's core gameplay is turn-based tactics, the game also offers gorgeous cinematic visuals with heart-pounding missions

Don't play it if...

You don't like turn-based gameplay
If you know you're looking for something more fast-paced and want to just experience the story, Star Wars Zero Company may not be for you

You're looking for a shorter experience
Star Wars Zero Company takes between 30 and 40 hours to beat, depending on the difficulty level, and some higher-risk missions can take some time to beat

Accessibility features

Star Wars Zero Company is a bit short on accessibility features, having only standard vision settings like text size and color blind mode, as well as a motion reduction setting for on-screen action.

How I reviewed Star Wars Zero Company

I spent just over 40 hours playing Star Wars Zero Company on my gaming PC with my Logitech G G715 wireless gaming keyboard and Logitech G703 wireless gaming mouse. I used a Gigabyte M32U gaming monitor and my Sony WH-CH520 wireless headphones for audio.

First reviewed August 2026.

Argos has launched its Big Red Tech Sale, featuring all manner of smart home products from air fryers to vacuum cleaners — but hidden amongst the deals on home tech are a lot of terrific smartwatch bargains.

These range from the latest Apple Watch SE 3 and Huawei Watch Fit 5 Pro (which we rated 4.5 stars in our review) to older models. There's incredible deals on Garmins, including the five-star Garmin Fenix 8 Pro and the much cheaper Garmin Forerunner 265, which I wore during my first marathon. You can even save £10 off the £49.99 Huawei Band 11 fitness tracker!

You'll need to apply the correct code at checkout for each of the deals below — either RED10 or RED20, saving you 10% or 20% of the listed price respectively — and I've listed each code for you under the "view details" tab for each product, but you'll also be able to see the codes once you click through to Argos' webpage.

Today's best Argos Big Red Tech Sale smartwatch deals

Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 (40mm)

Save 20% with code RED20

Garmin Fenix 8 Pro AMOLED (47mm)

Save 10% with code RED10

Amazfit T-Rex 3

Save 10% with code RED10

Garmin Instinct 3 (45mm)

Save 10% with code RED10

Huawei Band 11

Save 20% with code RED20

Apple Watch SE 3 (40mm) GPS-only

Save 10% with code RED10

Huawei Watch Fit 5 Pro

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Garmin Forerunner 165

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Garmin Forerunner 265 (46mm)

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Apple has just unveiled the new Mac mini with M6 processor, and for me the biggest news is the price hike to $899 for the cheapest model.

This is a jump from $799 for the previous Mac mini M4 model — but that had also received a de facto price rise only back in May, when Apple discontinued the $599 entry-level option (with 256GB of storage) and made the $799 version (with 512GB of storage) the new lowest-price option.

It means that between April 2026 and August 2026, the minimum price you can pay for a Mac mini has jumped by 50%. That's not an ideal situation at a time when it feels like our income is being squeezed harder and harder every week.

Yes, you get more storage and the new $899 version has more powerful chip than in the older $599 version — but, frankly, there will be plenty of people for whom price is the key factor, not the ability to run LLM requests faster.

Apple knows this; these people are exactly who the MacBook Neo is aimed at. So now that the Mac mini is no longer a budget buy, we need Apple to bring the Neo principle to the desktop.

No revolution necessary

As I said in the headline, I don't think a 'Mac Neo' PC even needs to be a complicated proposition to develop: we already know the A18 Pro chip runs macOS really well, because we've seen it do it in the MacBook Neo. And Apple already has a small body that can take the thermal requirements of iPhone-level chip, in the form of the latest Apple TV 4K.

The existing Apple TV 4K body already has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth antennae built in, and Ethernet and HDMI output ports — and while it no longer has USB-C, it used to, so it wouldn't be too hard to add back in.

Surely, in a plastic body, using an iPhone chip, we can get the price down below $600 again. The MacBook Neo is $699, and that includes a screen, keyboard and battery, after all.

The MacBook Neo is a genuinely great laptop for a low price — so let's drop the bits we don't need… (Image credit: Future)

If Apple is working on this, I expect we might have a bit of a wait — supposedly, the MacBook Neo will get a refresh in 2027 with an upgrade to the Apple A19 Pro processor (which brings a boost from 8GB of RAM to 12GB with it), which makes sense in terms of Apple saying that the new AI Siri's most powerful features require 12GB of RAM.

It would probably make sense to launch my new 'Mac Neo' or 'Mac Nano' or whatever you want to call it alongside the next MacBook Neo, if it were to happen.

The idea of putting a cheap Mac in the Apple TV's body is something I've been talking about ever since the M1 chip was unveiled back in 2020. When the Mac mini M4 redesign appeared, with its excellent $599 price, I basically felt like I got what I wanted from the start.

But at these prices, I'm returning on my crusade — all the pieces are there to bring the Mac back to a truly budget price, and now more than ever people need a reliable, privacy-friendly computing option that's easy on the wallet.

We're massive fans of the ink tank printers we've tested, with cartridge-free printing offering much better value for money compared to standard inkjets. So, if you're preparing for back-to-school or a home office upgrade, I've found a great deal on the HP Smart Tank 6001 tank printer for $200 (was $370) at Amazon.

That's almost half-price off an all-in-one that can print, scan and copy. Features here include refillable ink tanks, automatic two-sided output, and wireless connectivity. It also comes with up to two years of ink, which is enough for as many as 8,000 color or 6,000 black pages.

In the UK, this printer is known as the HP Smart Tank 6005, currently £179 (was £250) at Currys with three years' free ink.

Smart Tank 6001 Wireless All-In-One Ink Tank Printer: was $369.99 now $199.99
A color thermal inkjet all-in-one with print, scan and copy functionality, refillable ink tanks, automatic duplex output, borderless printing, and wired and wireless connectivity.

In the UK: now £179 (was £250)View Deal

Why we recommend it

Rather than repeatedly replacing expensive ink cartridges, you top up the 6001's built-in tanks using bottled ink, which is a cheaper and more convenient approach. Bottled ink is much cheaper to buy compared to traditional inkjet cartridges, which is one of the reasons why we champion tank printers.

There's plenty of features from this HP model, too, making it suitable for students, home workers, and small business use.

The flatbed scanner handles documents you need to digitize, and the copier is useful for those time when you need another physical copy.

Automatic duplexing is handy for longer assignments and documents because it can output both sides of the page without you manually turning the paper over. Borderless capabilities offer flexibility for photos and other creative projects.

There's also HP's AI-assisted formatting, which can remove unwanted elements when printing web pages and emails.

For more top performers, see our guides to the best home printers and best ink tank printers.

Price context & historical value

The HP Smart Tank 6001 is currently $199.99 at Amazon, down from $369.99. That's a huge $170 saving, or 46% off. The lowest we've previously seen it at Amazon is $195, so this is an excellent price and you likely won't get a better discount any time soon. For comparison, it's also priced at $200 (was $414) at Best Buy. And if you want to other options, check out our guide to the best printer deals we've spotted this week.

Should you buy it?

✅ Buy the HP Smart Tank 6001 if...

You need to do a lot of printing. Its large supplied ink capacity means you can tackle assignments, revision sheets and projects without worrying about buying ink regularly.

It will also benefit home workers who need physical documents. Automatic duplexing saves some effort with longer jobs, and having scanning and copying built in is also welcome.

❌ Skip the HP Smart Tank 6001 if...

Look elsewhere if you're not one for waiting. A maximum of 12ppm in black and 7ppm in color means it's not fast, particularly if you need to power through large jobs.

The Catch: What to know before you buy

The print speeds for color tasks will be fine for typical household jobs, but they could become frustrating if you routinely need large documents output in a hurry.

There's no automatic document feeder listed here either. If you frequently scan or copy stacks of multi-page documents, having to place each page on the flatbed individually could quickly become tiring. I wouldn't call either a deal-breaker for general printing at home or in the dorm, but it's worth knowing.

Also consider

Megatank G3270 All-In-One Wireless Inkjet Printer: was $248.99 now $159.99
Combines color printing with a flatbed scanner and copier and supports Wi-Fi and USB connectivity. Print speeds reach 11 pages per minute in black and six pages per minute in color, while maximum color resolution is 4800 x 1200 dpi.

In the UK (G3570): now £178 (was £189)View Deal

• See all ink tank printers at Amazon

• Fitbit founders are launching a new screenless fitness tracker
• The Luffu Link is designed for caregivers, bringing all your relatives' health data to one place
• It's available for pre-order now, and will roll out early next year

Watch out Whoop, there’s a new screenless health and fitness wearable on the way — and it’s coming from the founders of Fitbit.

Developers James Park and Eric Friedman announced a new LTE fitness tracker, the Luffu Link, marking the pair’s first hardware device since launching their company Luffu earlier this year.

The Luffu Link is available to pre-order now at $249.99, but is expected to increase to $299.99 when it retails in early 2027. It’s also set to come in three different colors: Halo Gold, Onyx Black, and Sterling Blue.

What sets the new Luffu Link apart from the best fitness trackers is its focus. Instead of targeting individual health tracking, Park and Friedman designed their screenless wearable to include your whole family, which comes from their experiences with being caregivers.

“When you become a family caregiver, or the CEO of the family, these people are spending an enormous amount of time doing it,” Park told TechCrunch. “Research shows over 27 hours a week on average, which is a crazy amount of time…I think technology can play a big role in helping reduce this load, but as we found out, the tools to help them are pretty fragmented,” he added.

(Image credit: Luffu)

The Luffu Link looks a lot different to screenless wearables like Whoop and the Google Fitbit Air. For one, it doesn't adopt the same focus band design, and instead has a more sleek and technical look. It comes equipped with similar wellness tracking tools, of course, but it takes it further.

Though it’s not designed for step-tracking, the Luffu Link tracks everything else including sleep, activity, and heart rate, while also allowing you to record medications, symptoms, meals, and more using your voice.

With the help of the Luffu app, which launched back in February, you can easily view the data for each family member in your ecosystem. Using AI in the background to contextualize health metrics, the app gives you a comprehensive overview of your relatives’ information, all while working to learn daily patterns and identify any changes in your health.

While its data gathering abilities are widespread, the Luffu Link has built-in GPS and LTE, doubling as a communicative device that allows members in your family to alert trusted contacts. Not only can you track family members' location, you can check in with others without calling, texting, or having your phone nearby — and this could come in handy for emergencies.

Double-pressing the wearable’s button allows you to quickly alert others when help is needed, and you don’t need an additional LTE carrier plan. For example, if you’ve had an accident and need assistance you can say ‘I’ve fallen and hurt my leg. Can someone come and get me?’, and those in your Luffu family network will be notified.

The Luffu Link is just the start of the health tracking empire Park and Friedman want to build. In addition to the launch of the new fitness wearable, Luffu has teased a home device designed to help families monitor wellbeing across multiple households. It’s still in early development, but the company has said more details will be unveiled later this year.

As part of Amazon for Business Brand Week, Logitech is offering a big accessories upgrade sale for buying teams kitting out the office, while emphasizing the "hidden cost of low-quality" hardware.

And if you're looking to improve video calls on Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Google Meet, the Logitech Zone 305 wireless headset is down to $90 (was $100) and the excellent Logitech C920x HD Pro webcam has dropped to $60 (was $70) at Amazon.

Together these devices offer a great way to improve your video call setup without spending more than necessary. I also picked out this Logitech keyboard and mouse combo in the sale for your staff, too.

Zone 305 for Business Wireless Bluetooth Headset: was $99.99 now $89.99
This is a 122g on-ear wireless business headset with Bluetooth connectivity, a USB dongle and certification for Microsoft Teams. It uses 30mm drivers and dual noise-canceling microphones, with a flip-to-mute boom, up to 20 hours of listening time, 16 hours of talk time and a wireless range of up to 30 meters.View Deal

C920x HD Pro Webcam: was $69.99 now $59.99
This USB webcam is capable of Full HD 1080p video at 30fps. It features autofocus, automatic lighting adjustment and dual microphones for stereo audio, and works with Windows 11 as well as Teams, Meet and Zoom.View Deal

Why we recommend them

The Zone 305 headset weighs just 122g, making it light enough for long meetings, and the dual noise-canceling microphones will help keep your voice clear. The ability to stay connected to two devices is useful if you regularly move between a computer and a phone.

Battery life is rated at up to 20 hours for listening or 16 hours for calls, and a five-minute charge provides up to an hour of talk time. It has Microsoft Teams certification too.

The C920x webcam offers a 1080p/30fps output, which is fine for everyday meetings and video calls. Autofocus and automatic light correction help you get a consistent picture without much setup.

In her 4.5-star review, our expert Jess said: "With a perfect balance of performance and affordability, the C920 offers exactly what the everyday person needs in a webcam."

It also has dual microphones built in, so you won't necessarily need a separate headset like the Zone 305.

Price context & historical value

The Logitech Zone 305 is currently $89.99 at Amazon, down from $99.99, 10% off. It has sold for as low as around $69 in the past, so this isn't the lowest price we've seen.

The Logitech C920x is $59.99, down from $69.99, or 14% off. It was low as $44.95 back in 2024, but that's not a price I'd expect to see again any time soon.

Should you buy them?

✅ Buy the Zone 305 and C920x if...

The Logitech Zone 305 is a good choice if you spend a lot of time in Teams meetings and want a lightweight wireless headset with dedicated microphones. The long battery life, two-device connectivity and 30-meter wireless range are all good features.

The Logitech C920x offers Full HD resolution, autofocus, automatic lighting adjustment and built-in stereo microphones, covering the essentials for regular meetings.

❌ Skip the Zone 305 and C920x if...

I'd consider waiting on the Zone 305 if getting the lowest possible price is more important than buying today. Its previous $69 low shows that better discounts are possible.

The C920x is also worth skipping if you already own a decent 1080p webcam or want higher-end video. Its 1080p/30fps ceiling is sufficient for calls, but if you'd prefer 4K or smoother 60fps footage, it's worth looking at a more advanced model.

The Catch: What to know before you buy

Neither price represents a historic low. Both current deals are good, but bargain hunters may want to wait for a bigger saving. However, the emphasis on this deal, according to Logitech, isn't to be the cheapest, but to offer a good deal for corporate buying teams, and highlighting the hidden costs of budget-end hardware on businesses. There are hardware compromises here, too. The Zone 305 uses an on-ear design rather than surrounding your ears, which won't suit everyone, and the C920x tops out at 1080p and 30fps.

• Shop all Logitech for Business deals Amazon

• Apple Maps is now showing ads for users in the US and Canada
• Currently, ads appear as the top result in search and Suggested Places
• Users are unsurprisingly unhappy about this change, with some saying they'll switch to Google Maps

We’ve known they were coming for a while, but now ads have started appearing in Apple Maps for users in the US and Canada, meaning that not every result you see on the search screen will be organically placed.

As confirmed by Apple to 9to5Mac, Apple Maps is now starting to show ads in ‘Suggested Places’ on the search screen before you enter a search query, and in the search results.

In both cases you’ll at most see one ad, and this will be at the top of that section, with a blue ‘ad’ label marking it out. So at least they should be easy to ignore and scroll past.

Still, while this might benefit businesses, it’s undeniably a downgrade for Apple Maps users, and there’s no way to opt out of it, even if you’re paying for Apple services like iCloud+ or Apple One.

An unpopular change

(Image credit: Apple)

Unsurprisingly, this hasn’t been met with much approval from Apple fans, with users on Reddit saying things like “now with ads, there's absolutely no reason to use Apple Maps,” “I'll just use Google Maps,” “this is a bad move,” and “the main reason I used Apple Maps was because of no ads.”

Indeed the consensus — at least among initial online reactions — seems to be that Google Maps is better in most ways, with Apple Maps previously only being preferable due to its lack of ads. So without that differentiation, many users may jump ship for Google’s service.

One Reddit user summed it up with: “Google Maps is 100% more accurate and functional than Apple Maps. The only benefit Apple Maps had was that it didn't have ads so now that they've removed that, there's literally no reason to have this icon on your home screen anymore.”

That said, a few replies point out advantages that Apple Maps may still have, such as a perception at least of better privacy and it being less of a drain on your phone’s battery. So perhaps there could still be reasons to stick with Apple.

And of course, online complaints won’t necessarily mean Apple Maps will lose lots of users. Chances are, most people will stick with what they know. But either way, this is definitely a bad change — hopefully it won’t be a slippery slope to more intrusive ads.

Furious is a must-watch new crime series that's streaming on Hulu (US) and Disney+ (internationally), and it's female-led story is a huge part of why I love it.

The series, created by Elizabeth Meriwether, centers around FBI agent Alice Black (Emmy Rossum) on the hunt for a calculating female serial killer, Catherine Grace (Lola Petticrew). As their lives intertwine, we meet a lot of other important names, including Nora Washington (Quincy Tyler Bernstine), who is the head of the FBI's sex crimes unit.

I spoke to Bernstine about what drew her to the series, and she said: "Liz Meriwether drew me to the series because she's an absolute genius and I wanted to work with her. It's funny, I was in the middle of watching Dying for Sex [another Hulu series by Meriwether] when I got the interview and the audition request, and so of course I jumped at that!.

"I was sent a few scenes and the pilot episode. And I was blown away by the material," Bernstine added. "I had just never seen characters like this before. I was so interested in the idea of a female serial killer, because that's obviously a very rare thing."

Female characters are at the center of Furious' narrative, on both sides of the law, and I noted that their stories were told through a sympathetic lens which can often make us feel uncomfortable.

Each character felt well-rounded, and we got to experience things from their perspective, especially when it's a point of view that exists to challenge us and make us think. These psychological deep dives into flawed characters are just one part of why Furious is such a great piece of TV.

'I'm watching the show rooting for the serial killer, and I can't believe it'

Bernstine added: "I was just talking to someone this morning who's like, 'I'm watching the show rooting for the serial killer, and I can't believe it.' And I'm having the same experience, you know, it's funny because I know the show. I've seen the show, many times, but I'm watching it each week with like fresh eyes.

"I feel like I'm watching it with the world. With my husband, with my mother, with my brother, and everyone is like, 'I cannot believe I'm rooting for these people'.

"But that's the genius of Liz Meriwether, it's so surprising. Because it's very uncomfortable, but at the same time, you can understand what all of these women are going through."

Nora Washington is an interesting character because, despite the serious nature of her job at the FBI, she is also a very funny character. Much of the comic relief comes from Nora, something that I'm a huge fan of.

Speaking about her characterization, Bernstine told me: "She is down in this dark basement with no air, no light, like going into this room to watch this awful material, so that she can try to catch the bad guys, as it were".

She concluded: "And yet she has some of the funniest lines in the whole show. You never know what's going to come out of her mouth, but 9 times out of 10, it's gonna make you laugh."

I'm so impressed by Furious and highly encourage people to seek it out if they're looking for a unique crime series to binge on the best streaming services.

We've also explored why Furious is a game changer for disabled actors and what Furious star Scoot McNairy what he thinks you should stream once you've finished the series.