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Argentina was taken to the brink in its first two knockout games. In Saturday's quarterfinal against Switzerland, the Albiceleste survived again to advance to the semis, where they will face England.

(Image credit: Odd Andersen)

A historic rainfall event has left communities across several Missouri counties underwater and prompted water rescues, including an evacuation of a summer camp.

The United States attacked Iran early Sunday morning over an Iranian attack on a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran apparently responded with strikes targeting Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

(Image credit: Vahid Salemi)

England's Jude Bellingham has done it again. Scoring both of his team's goals in a thrilling quarterfinal against Norway that needed extra time. It was the first World Cup meeting between the two.

(Image credit: Richard Pelham)

Generative AI has given rise to a new breed of business that can generate synthetic content, be it video or music, and Suno AI is among the biggest names in this category.

The startup's CEO, Mikey Shulman, however, landed himself in hot water when he made comments about the joy and fulfilment that musicians get from practising their craft.

Making music 'enjoyable' again

Shulman was speaking on the 20VC podcast in January 2025 when he remarked that making music isn't something that most people enjoy doing.

Quote of the day

This article is part of TechRadar Pro's QOTD project to provide an insight into the minds of the brightest and most recognized figures in the technology industry today and in years gone by. Read the full series here.

He framed his words in such a way that would suggest that his platform, Suno, cuts out a lot of these steps – largely centered around mastering the skills that you need – which would, in turn, lower the barrier to entry for those who aren't naturally gifted or have the time to 'get good' at making music.

In his words, he wanted to "[give] everybody the joys of creating music" which he deemed a huge departure from the status quo. His remarks, however, drew the ire of countless working within the music industry as well as regular people on social media.

Struggling artists

The threat of AI to the lives and livelihoods of those working in the music industry is very worrisome, according to research, with workers standing to lose 25% of their income over the next four years. It's no surprise, then, that Shulman's comments instigated such a fierce and violent backlash – forcing the CEO to row back and apologize a couple of months later.

His critics also suggested that the comments fundamentally misunderstood the nature of art and working in a medium such as music, where the hours of toil, practice and refinement are, in and of itself, part of what makes it such a fulfilling endeavor.

However, generative AI is still a new phenomenon and companies like Suno have only just entered the arena. Although the nature of the existential threat to the creative industries is clear, the specific economic impact on artists in the years to come remains unclear – especially in an uncertain landscape in which a strong backlash against AI art is brewing.

Warframe Tau might be Digital Extremes' version of Bungie's Destiny 2 expansion The Final Shape.

Palestinians are mourning Mohammed al-Wahidi, a beloved aid worker in Gaza. He was killed by as Israeli airstrike while en route to a World Cup screening which he organized.

When Bill Hillmann was 19 years old, he read Ernest Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises. That book inspired him to pursue two dreams: a career in literature and to run with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain.

• Video showcases China's road-mobile electromagnetic catapult launching an aircraft for the first time
• The footage comes from a now-deleted social media post from the Beijing Institute of Technology's School of Mechanical Engineering
• Leverages China's existing EMALS tech by miniaturizing what it already uses on its aircraft carrier

China seems to have solved one of the biggest challenges modern drones face: deploying without a runway anywhere on the planet, thanks to a miniaturized version of the EMALS catapults found on its newest aircraft carrier.

A short video clip that surfaced towards the tail end of last month, from a social media post by the Beijing Institute of Technology's School of Mechanical Engineering, shows three eight-wheeled trucks linked together in a Lego-like fashion to form a runway that allows a propeller-driven drone to take flight.

The footage also shows all three trucks detached, coupling with each other, and exhibiting all-wheel steering that, in principle, enables them, if given enough space, to launch drones or small aircraft in any direction.

Replacing a runway in the modern battlefield?

China's move is not one that occurred in a vacuum: the United States was the first country in the world to deploy an Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS), sparking an arms race when it launched its first aircraft in 2017 aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford.

China followed suit with its own aircraft carrier, the Fujian, which sports three EMALS catapults to the US's four, possibly accounting for the Chinese carrier's smaller size relative to its principal naval rival's largest.

China has, however, beaten the US to the punch when it comes to demonstrating a portable EMALS, it seems, with its three-truck solution essentially marking a first for either country.

Chinese state-owned giants account for a significant share of the 70+ organizations directly involved in an impressive achievement that sets the stage for the next generation of drone-based combat.

Despite the video making its way across social media, it was taken down by the Beijing Institute of Technology's School of Mechanical Engineering, which originally posted it. The move, however, has not stopped defense forums and Chinese analysts from offering insights into what is clearly a major technological achievement for the country.

With France and India both committed to launching EMALS (albeit on future aircraft carriers for now), only two countries currently have the tech deployed on a ship, and only one of them has a land-based, portable option in play for now: China.

Big news for foldable phone fans this week. Reservations for the next generation of Galaxy Z Fold and Flip series phones have just arrived at the official Samsung Store ahead of the next Galaxy Unpacked keynote event.

The event will take place on July 22, 2026, at 9 a.m. ET / 6 a.m. PT / 2 p.m. BST, which means preorders are likely just a few weeks away. If you're interested in picking up a new device, then you'll find everything we know so far right here, including speculation on pricing and potential preorder deals.

While we're expecting the next generation of the Galaxy Z Fold and Galaxy Z Flip, Samsung has already suggested there's something more in store. In its first teaser for the event last week, the company said that "after seven generations of pushing the boundaries of foldables, Samsung is taking a different approach to how it builds anticipation this year."

That message, coupled with months of rumours about a wider foldable design, has sparked speculation that Samsung could finally be ready to introduce an entirely new type of foldable smartphone. With that said, details are still pretty scant as of writing, so take any speculation here as an educated prediction, rather than the gospel.

You can already reserve a device now

You can sign up to reserve the next Galaxy at Samsung directly at no cost and unlock $30 Samsung Credit towards the preorder of the next device and up to $1,230 off with an eligible device trade-in.

In the UK? Reserve your device right hereView Deal

How much will the devices cost?

Right now, we don't even know what these devices will be called, let alone official pricing, so any speculation here is an educated guess. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Flip 7 debuted at $1,999 / $1,299 respectively, so that's a rough ballpark of what to expect. Over in the UK, the last-gen devices debuted at £1,799 / £1,049.

I have a suspicion that Samsung might increase the price for this year's devices, however. RAM shortages and inflation are potential contributing factors here, and I think the brand could potentially increase the price anyway if the upgrades are big enough. If there's a new form factor, for example, I could see Samsung leaning heavily into that as a justification for a price increase.

How much can we expect to save?

(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

• Trade-in rebates of up to $1,100 to $1,200
• Additional store credit at Samsung
• Major carriers matching discounts

Samsung itself has confirmed that there will be discounts of up to $1,230 with a trade-in rebate once preorders open. That will most likely cover both unlocked and carrier devices, so that gives you an idea of how premium these devices are likely to be.

Up until now, we've usually seen discounts of up to $1,100 on the latest Galaxy S26 and iPhone 17 series, so it looks like Samsung is being particularly aggressive with its discounts at launch.

Breaking that deal down, it could potentially resemble something like a trade-in rebate of up to $1,100, $100 of bonus credit to spend at Samsung (usually on accessories), and the $30 bonus for reserving a device. That's roughly in line with what the brand has offered over previous launches.

In terms of major carriers, you can definitely expect Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T to match those trade-in rebates on their sites. We could potentially see these major carriers waive the trade-in criteria altogether, but they usually only do this when you pair up the device with one of their super high-end plans. We're talking about plans that cost over $60 to $80 a month over a three-year duration, so they're usually pretty damn pricey in their own regard.

What about over in the UK?

You can already reserve a device if you're in the UK too, but annoyingly, Samsung hasn't confirmed any of the opening deals with its reservation page in this region. All we know is that you'll be able to get an extra £100 with your trade-in rebate, plus £30 in store credit if you reserve a device right now.

We've seen trade-in rebates of up to £700 with the Galaxy Z Fold 7 in recent months, so I suspect a rebate of anywhere between £650 and £850 is likely to be the maximum saving on the next-gen device when it arrives. Major networks like EE, Three, and O2 might have higher discounts than this, but those won't be for unlocked devices — you'll probably need a pretty substantial contract to get big savings.

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for July 12, No. 861.

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for July 12, No. 1,127.

Here are hints and the answer for today's Wordle for July 12, No. 1,849.

Here at TechRadar, I test some of the best 4K Blu-rays each month as part of the Blu-ray Bounty. This is where we look at the latest 4K releases from that month and judge whether they’d be a worthy addition to your collection, focusing solely on the video and audio quality of each disc.

Every so often, a disc wows me so much that I add it to my rotation for testing the best TVs and best soundbars. 4K Blu-ray is my go-to source for AV testing, as it delivers a higher video bit rate, resulting in better picture quality than streaming, and uncompressed soundtracks for the best audio.

Some of the discs from the near-100 discs I’ve tested as part of the Blu-ray Bounty that have joined over the years include Wicked, The Mask, The Sound of Music and Dark City, to name just a few.

As part of the most recent June 2026 Blu-ray Bounty, there’s another disc that will definitely be joining the testing rotation, as it performs at a reference-quality level. And that disc is Speed Racer.

Breathtaking color

Speed Racer's bold red colors proved an interesting test for the Samsung S95H/S99H (left) and LG G6 (right) (Image credit: Warner Bros / Future )

My go-to 4K Blu-rays for color testing have been Wicked and The Sound of Music. Wicked features an oversaturated, candy-color style that really generates a lot of pop on the right screen, while The Sound of Music delivers still-vibrant but more authentic and realistic colors.

Speed Racer falls in Wicked’s camp, but takes it to another level. Throughout the movie, there are some seriously vivid colors. Red is a prominent feature throughout the movie, as it's the color of Speed Racer’s ‘M’ logo and the interior of his car, both of which are often front and center on screen. It’s also the color of the Racer garage at home and Papa Racer’s shirt, which he wears throughout the movie.

When I tested the Samsung S95H/S99H and LG G6 side-by-side, both TVs interpreted the red differently: the G6 gave it a much deeper red hue, while the S95H/S99H made it look paler, almost orange in some places. Both of these TVs, likely to be two of the best OLED TVs I’ll test in 2026, captured the visual punch of this red, but it was useful to see how each TV interpreted the color.

Both the S95H/S99H (left) and G6 (right) do a great job delivering the vibrant purples of Royalton Industries accurately. (Image credit: Warner Bros. / Future )

There are plenty of scenes where a single color dominates. As the Racer family arrived at Royalton Industries, there were a lot of bold purples, including the airship's color, the walls, and even the transport. On the OLEDs I tested the disc on, these purples had a beautiful richness to them that again was displayed in different ways by the S95H/S99H and the G6, with the latter again adding that bit more depth.

This trend continued throughout the movie, whether it was the neon greens of a grass field in a flashback, the fantastic pink/purple/orange gradients in the sky during sunset or the lush blues of the sky during daytime race sequences (or Speed’s iconic blue and white shirt.) Even the white of the Mach 5 / 6 and Speed’s helmet had a glorious clarity to them, really dazzling on the S95H/S99H and G6.

The use of color is fantastic in Speed Racer, and if you have a TV with Dolby Vision, you’ll be rewarded with the most breathtaking colors, some of the best I’ve ever seen on a 4K Blu-ray. But it’s not just color reproduction where this disc is useful.

A Dolby Atmos showcase

Speed Racer's races sequences are fantastic for sound testing, particularly Dolby Atmos (Image credit: Warner Bros. / Future)

When it comes to testing soundbars and TV audio, my go-to 4K Blu-rays have been The Batman, namely the Batmobile/Penguin car chase scene for its detail and bass, and Top Gun: Maverick, for its all-around expansive Dolby Atmos soundtrack.

Speed Racer has proved to be a far more compelling disc, audibly, than I ever thought. While I anticipated some hefty bass from the car’s engines, I didn’t anticipate the level of detail and sound mapping I would hear.

During the opening race, there are plenty of demonstrations of pinpoint accuracy as cars swerve wildly through the corners of the winding track. The sound of squealing tires demonstrates excellent directionality and is fully connected with the action on screen. As a car moves from side to side on screen, you can be sure to hear it in the front channels.

One moment in this scene, in particular, really grabbed my attention, though. As Speed makes his way around the track, he has to grind the rear axle of the Mach 5 against the edge of the track and as I was watching, I heard the sound of a grind come through crystal clear in the left rear speaker of the Samsung HW-Q990C soundbar I was using (an 11.1.4 channel Dolby Atmos system comprising of a soundbar, subwoofer and two rear speakers). This was the moment that made me realize just how precise and detailed the Dolby Atmos mix of this disc is.

Speed Racer's Dolby Atmos soundtrack is truly immersive and exceptionally detailed (Image credit: Warner Bros. / Future )

There’s good use of Atmos effects and height channels too. As Speed uses his spring-loaded chassis to jump over a rival racer, a cut to said rival’s cockpit reveals a burst of not only bass but also the sound of the wind from the Mach 5 as Speed flips over. This sounded immersive, clean, and incredibly precise. There are plenty of helicopter sequences too, which are great for showing what Atmos can do.

There were plenty of highlight moments throughout the movie, but it is the race sequences that showcase the clarity and depth of this Dolby Atmos soundtrack. But there’s one final area where this disc is a perfect testing disc.

Always in motion

Fast-paced race sequences are frequent throughout Speed Racer, and are a great 'stress test' for a TV (Image credit: Warner Bros / Future )

Motion handling is a key component of any TV. If a TV can’t accurately handle fast-moving images, then action movies and sports won’t look good. While motion interpolation settings, such as judder and blur reduction, can reduce these, they can introduce unwanted side effects, such as the ‘ghosting’ of a ball in a soccer game (where a trail of the ball appears as it travels across the screen).

I anticipate that Speed Racer is going to act as somewhat of a ‘torture test’ for some TVs (like The Batman can be due to its low brightness), as there are not only plenty of fast-paced driving sequences with plenty of quick shifts in direction, but one other real challenge: slow panning shots.

Frequently throughout the movie, commentators from various countries slowly track across the screen from side to side, and even on the S95H/S99H and G6, which have proven to have great motion handling with the right settings, these shots still struggled at times. The commentators sometimes showed judder as the TV’s tried to interpolate the motion, meaning this is something I’ll be using in future tests. With these panning shots, however, there is sometimes natural judder.

(Image credit: Warner Bros. / Future )

Again, though, it’s the fast-paced race sequences that can make or break a TV’s motion. Chaotic driving as cars swerve to avoid debris, smash into one another, or pull a tight turn can look unnatural if a TV’s motion isn’t right. Too much blur and judder reduction, and it’ll look artificial; not enough, and it’ll look like a juddery mess.

Speed Racer really is one of the best Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos 4K Blu-rays I’ve ever tested and is a triple threat disc for color, motion and sound, so if you’re a regular reader of our TV and soundbar reviews and comparisons here at TechRadar, expect to see Speed Racer appear very soon.

• Samsung quietly prepares DRAM-free PCIe 4.0 SSD with flagship-level read performance
• Host Memory Buffer replaces dedicated DRAM inside Samsung's upcoming budget SSD
• Leaked specifications reveal 7,150 MB/s speeds from Samsung's mystery SSD

Samsung appears to be preparing a budget PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD which removes the onboard DRAM cache found in traditional drive designs.

The unannounced model surfaced briefly on Samsung's website recently, before the listing was taken down without any official confirmation from the company.

Listed specifications describe a 1TB drive with sequential read speeds reaching 7,150 MB/s and write speeds reaching 6,450 MB/s.

How Samsung plans to compensate for missing DRAM

Traditional SSDs rely on dedicated DRAM to store the flash translation layer, letting the controller locate data across NAND flash quickly and efficiently.

However, as the global “RAMpocalypse” continues to worsen, even the largest vendors are looking for ways to reduce their dependence on DRAM.

Without that DRAM, drives can suffer higher latency and weaker performance during sustained workloads or heavy multitasking sessions.

To offset this gap, Samsung is using NVMe's Host Memory Buffer (HMB) feature, which reserves a small portion of system memory over PCI Express instead.

That borrowed memory holds mapping metadata rather than user files, connecting logical addresses to their physical NAND locations directly.

HMB generally cannot match the responsiveness of dedicated DRAM, though it improves performance compared to drives with no caching mechanism at all.

The drive carries a 400 TBW endurance rating, a modest figure for a 1TB SSD by current industry standards.

That number hints at Quad-Level Cell (QLC) NAND flash, which stores four bits per memory cell and lowers both cost and durability.

Samsung has not disclosed publicly which specific NAND flash technology sits inside this particular unannounced drive model.

Rising component costs are reshaping SSD design choices

Samsung's move comes as NAND flash and DRAM pricing continue climbing sharply across the broader global storage industry this year.

Removing the DRAM package cuts component costs directly, simplifies PCB design, and helps maintain competitive pricing within the mainstream SSD segment overall.

QLC NAND increases storage density and lowers manufacturing costs, though it trails Triple-Level Cell NAND in sustained write performance and long-term endurance ratings.

It also remains considerably less durable than older Multi-Level Cell (MLC) and Single-Level Cell (SLC) NAND technologies still found in some enterprise storage products.

Despite those trade-offs, the listed sequential speeds of 7,150 MB/s and 6,450 MB/s place the drive alongside many mainstream PCIe 4.0 SSDs with dedicated DRAM caches.

Samsung has not announced pricing, availability, the official product name, or the specific NAND technology used in the drive.

Until those details emerge, the leaked specifications point toward a lower-cost PCIe 4.0 SSD designed to balance competitive performance with reduced manufacturing costs as memory prices continue rising.

Via The Guru of 3D

If you love cinematic action games like The Last of Us, then there’s one upcoming release that should be on your radar. Summer Game Fest 2026 gave me the opportunity to go hands-on with Blood Message, which seems set to deliver a killer mix of gripping stealth, visceral melee combat, and intense set-piece moments.

Under the Radar

Under the Radar is our way of highlighting great games that might have passed you by. Through a regular mix of news stories and features, we'll cover great experiences that we feel haven't found the audience they deserve. Read the full series here.

Set in Ancient China, it follows a nameless hero and his son on an epic 1,000-mile journey through the scorching deserts of East Asia towards the historical city of Chang'an to deliver a vital message. The pair must survive against impossible odds, navigating vast sieges and escaping the clutches of relentless enemy forces.

An epic journey

(Image credit: NetEase Games)

Because this is the first single-player title by Naraka: Bladepoint developer 24 Entertainment, I had no idea what to expect when I sat down for my demo.

Showcasing an early segment of the game, the demo opens with our protagonist searching a house, desperate to recover an important letter as hostile soldiers comb through the surrounding town. The high production values are immediately apparent: everything here is rich in detail, with plenty of high-fidelity objects for you to pick up and pore over. The architectural style of the building around you is striking as well, with clay walls, sandy floors, and thatched reed roofs.

While Ancient China is certainly becoming a more common setting in games, I can’t think of the last time I saw its arid desert regions depicted. I’m desperate to explore more of its tantalizingly exotic environments and soak in the unique aesthetic.

Playing with a DualSense Wireless Controller, I also quickly appreciate how the movement feels very fluid and benefits from some impressive animation that, like The Last of Us Part 2, looks seriously cinematic and realistic without sacrificing responsiveness.

(Image credit: NetEase Games)

It’s not long until I find myself in combat against a group of foes, and it’s just as excellent. You have a heavy attack and a light attack, plus the ability to parry. This is by no means a unique formula, but the impeccably slick way that the protagonist interacts with the environment leads to some of the most gripping encounters that I’ve ever experienced. There’s a real meatiness in your swings, which realistically causes enemies to trip and stagger.

Attacking a foe next to a stacked wooden shelf will send them tumbling into it, knocking objects onto the floor and stunning them for a moment. Launch a heavy kick while your opponent is standing in front of a table, and they’ll be pushed right over it onto the floor, creating vital distance when you’re surrounded. Fail to deflect an incoming strike yourself, and you’ll often be forced onto your knees, tapping a button to pelt anything heavy that’s within arm’s reach to give you a few moments to escape.

Although my combat time was limited, I was still impressed by the variety of ways in which fights could unfold, particularly when there was an allied companion in the mix. There were definitely some moments that felt scripted, like when two enemies locked swords with me at the same time near the end of a brawl to trigger a climactic struggle. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as it helps introduce unexpected and exciting moments.

(Image credit: NetEase Games)

I really enjoyed going in with my sword drawn, but most of the time, combat is entirely optional thanks to a robust stealth system. This is another area where Blood Message feels similar to The Last of Us Part 2, forcing you to scurry through long grass and crouch in cover to avoid patrols. Get behind one of your quarries undetected, and you can initiate a brutal takedown, though be warned that any wrong move risks thrusting you straight into open combat.

At certain points, getting seen is inevitable, triggering bombastic chase sequences that have you sprinting away from barrages of arrow fire, scrambling up ledges, and leaping over perilous gaps. The path you need to take always feels very intuitive, though there are a few little alternative routes sprinkled throughout if you want to experiment.

Everything I played could easily rival the output of a developer like Naughty Dog, and with Blood Message set to release on consoles and PC, this should be at the top of gamers’ wishlists.

The New York Times says federal agents showed up at several of its journalists' homes Friday night to try to force them to testify before a grand jury next week.'/>

The Times says federal agents turned up on the doorsteps of several of its journalists to force grand jury testimony next week over their coverage of the Air Force One plane gifted to Trump by Qatar.

(Image credit: Michael M. Santiago)

Whether rain or shine, weekday or weekend, my morning starts with a scroll.

It’s one of my most enduring habits. I’ll start by checking the time, before allowing myself a few texts or emails in the name of ‘productivity’, and before long, I’m lying there watching people throwing bowling balls at TVs or reading ragebait in the comments section.

I’ve long suspected that this isn’t the optimal way to start the day, but it was only after a recent moment of mid-scroll lucidity that I began to wonder why I reach for my phone first thing in the morning.

As it happens, research on early-morning phone habits suggests that it’s not just me diving into social media as soon as the alarm goes off.

The Independent reports that 81% of Brits reach for their phone as soon as they wake up, while a 2025 YouGov report found that the majority of US adults under 30 often use their phone right before sleeping and right after waking up.

These figures could suggest that most of us shared a mental tendency to pick up the phone right after waking up, but without additional context, they can’t tell the whole story.

So, to find out more about why I and so many others scroll first thing in the morning, I spoke to two psychology experts to connect the dots between ancient human behaviour and the supercomputers we keep in our pockets, and indeed our beds.

Information vs stimulation

Social media offers much more information that we evolved to handle early in the morning (Image credit: Getty Images)

“To boil it down as simply as possible, it’s a combination of our natural dopamine reward system and the fact that we are communal people,” says psychotherapist and addiction specialist John Puls.

Puls tells me that long-standing psychological drivers are pushing us to use our devices in the mornings, where in the past we might’ve sought different kinds of connection

“We are pleasure-seeking people, and one of the ways we do that is through engagement with our smartphones, particularly social media,” he explains, “and we want to know what’s going on in the world.”

Puls continues: “Previously, in closer communities with less technology, it wouldn’t be uncommon to just spend some time with your neighbours or your family in the morning. In the absence of that, people are looking for immediate connection, and the easiest way to do that is through the smartphone. You have to take into account the changes that have come with the smartphone, but these are natural impulses that social media is fulfilling.”

For clinical psychologist Dr. Ari Lakritz, the smartphone and all the news it connects us to fulfil an evolutionary impulse to detect threats: “The brain is somewhat hardwired to look for pertinent information, especially the more threatening information. The part of the brain that deals with that is called the amygdala — it’s one of the most ancient parts of the brain, one that’s most responsible for the fear response.”

“News sites, with their slant towards negative news, are hacking into an inborn part of ourselves,” he adds, “and when you’re looking at your phone as the first thing you’re doing, it may not be all that different from one of our ancestors scanning the horizon for threats.”

People are looking for immediate connection, and the easiest way to do that is through the smartphone.

John Puls

“We develop very early on to be aware of possible threats to ourselves, and to scan the environment for those [threats],” Lakritz continues, adding that the availability of information that may not be relevant to phone and social platform users could be increasing stress levels: “The existence of something we feel is negative or threatening in a far off country has no direct relevance to us, but we do find ourselves psychologically pulled to that.”

“It’s really assaulting people with a great deal of information that is not directly relevant to them, and definitely doing more harm than good… there’s this whole other aspect of life, which is positive news and uplifting stories that people are either not drawn to or simply not sent as much.”

Social media algorithms are blackboxed — meaning users aren’t privy to the decisions and equations that decide the content they see. With that said, it’s generally accepted that algorithms are designed to maximize engagement of any kind, and, as The Conversation reports, anger spreads more quickly through social media networks than other emotions.

As John Puls notes, this has a physical effect as well as an emotional one: “When you immediately go into your smartphone [in the morning] and start doomscrolling, so to speak, you’re releasing cortisol, a stress hormone, and your brain is getting overstimulated.”

“We’re basically in the middle of a giant experiment,” Puls continues, “our brains were not necessarily meant to be this stimulated first thing in the morning and then consistently throughout the day. Where it becomes problematic is with the risk of overstimulation — there’s a risk of constant pleasure-seeking that dulls the senses.”

Effects of the morning scroll

(Image credit: Getty Images / Cristina Quicler)

According to Dr. Ari Lakritz, beginning the day with an intake of highly charged, negative information can have major effects on one’s mood and focus. He describes social media as “unlimited scrolling” of “dramatic news that can get our fight or flight response very worked up.”

“It’s really not good,” he explains, “and it very much sets the tone of one’s cognitive framing. It’s very fast, intense stimulation, whether that’s YouTube Shorts, TikTok style videos, or even just Reddit-style scrolling through very short, snappy comments or news stories.”

Lakritz continues: “If my baseline is very fast, short, intense bursts of entertainment, when confronted with something that takes more focus or deeper thinking it’ll be hard to move on from that set point.”

When asked whether early morning phone use is always problematic, Dr. Lakritz makes few exceptions: “Aside from more extreme circumstances, it’s hard to think of a good advantage one is getting with the phone right there that couldn’t be gotten in a non-technological way.”

John Puls tells me that he’s noticed that several of his clients experience discomfort when away from their phones for even short periods of time: “It almost becomes an emotional support phone — if anything happens in our life, an interpersonal problem, a problem with our relationship, we could experience that discomfort until we scroll on Instagram.”

And for young people, even higher stakes could influence phone use from dawn till dusk.

‘If they don’t exist online, they don’t exist socially’

For those born in the digital era, connection to social media can feel absolutely essential (Image credit: Getty Images)

It’s worth noting at this point that I interviewed John Puls and Dr. Ari Lakritz separately, and without either knowing of the other’s involvement in this article. With that said, both professionals agreed that early morning phone use has a tighter hold — and greater impact — on young people.

“The teens that I’m working with that struggle with this, I have them check their screen time, and on average it’s between 14 and 15 hours,” says Puls, “that’s the majority of time that they’re awake.”

“Naturally, what comes with that is being pretty disconnected from people in real life [...] so there’s this pressure to constantly be online. Teens want to psychologically individuate from their families and feel part of a community, particularly with their friends. So they often feel the pressure that they can’t be part of that unless they’re on their phones.”

“For younger people, they feel that if they don’t exist online, they don’t exist socially.”

Dr. Ari Lakritz says that phone use in general has a huge impact on young people’s psychological growth: “It touches child development in a profound way. It’s a huge compound for something like ADHD, and makes assessment of ADHD very complicated — you have to piece apart how much of this is inattention issues, or developmental, and how much is very, very high exposure to electronic entertainment.”

Taking back time

Apple's Screen Time feature helps you keep track of your device usage. (Image credit: Future / Thomas Deehan)

Olivia Yokubonis, known online as Olivia Unplugged, is a digital wellness strategist for Opal, one of the best-known screen time limiter apps. She tells me that she “meets people where they are” with a message of digital balance and wellbeing, sharing tips and tricks to a combined social media audience of 600,000 followers.

"I was an Opal user before I even started working here,” Yokubonis explains, “the goal is to help people stop feeling like they’re the victim of their phones, and actually feel like they’re in control again.”

“I’m not anti-technology, I’m pro agency,” she adds, “you have to focus on awareness. I’m a big advocate of the idea that we can’t change what we don’t notice. And the morning scroll is very often unconscious.”

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At the time of writing, Opal boasts more than a million daily users, and in 2026 announced that the app had saved its user base a total of 500 million hours — but Yokubonis’ strategies go further than just using the app: “Something I’ve implemented with my family is no-phone zones. The bedroom is one of those places — we put our phones in the other room, our alarms go off, and we have to get up and go get it.”

She adds: “Digital wellness means your attention is not constantly being fragmented, that you can think in complete thoughts and sentences, and that you don’t lose hours of your day, especially the first few hours of the day, without realising it [...] We need the ability to choose to go on a social media app rather than have it be a habit, or something that’s just automatically happening because my nervous system is reaching for something.”

“We have a finite amount of willpower, and these apps have an unlimited amount of resources. They are designed to use up that willpower.”

On a similar note, Dr Ari Lakritz explains that even a marginal reduction in screen time can make a big difference: “Check your screen time, add up how much you do per week, and try to cut it down by 10%. If it’s 60 hours a week, just cut off six, see what you can do. You don’t have to be a digital hermit to improve.”

Though high screen time correlates to higher revenues for many phone makers and mobile software developers, a rising tide of social media legislation and backlash against big tech could push some brands to recognise its problematic potential.

Indeed, some smartphone manufacturers are beginning to acknowledge the issue of excessive phone use, and are developing software-based features to help users curb their screen time.

Nothing, for instance, believes its Glyph Matrix and Essential Space features will ‘help you be more human’, while Google's upcoming Pause Point tool will redirect you away from social media apps towards more meaningful forms of smartphone engagement. Apple, too, recently announced a slew of wellbeing-focused upgrades for its Screen Time feature in iOS 27.

Huge crowds of train fans turn out as the 1940s era Big Boy steam locomotive is making a rare trip cross country.

(Image credit: Michelle Gustafson for NPR)

In the pre-AI era, buying a Windows laptop or Windows desktop used to be pretty simple.

You looked at the processor, checked how much RAM and storage it had, considered a few screen size options, and tried to work out whether the battery claim sounded even vaguely realistic.

Fast forward to 2026, however, and most PC spec sheets look much busier and lot more focused on AI.

Alongside the usual phalanx of numbers and brand names, you’ll now find labels such as AI PC, Copilot+ PC, Snapdragon X Elite or X2, AMD Ryzen AI, NPU, and TOPS, among many others.

Some of these terms are definitely useful and relatively easy to understand, others are easy to misread, and a few sound more important than they are.

The good news is that the fundamentals have not disappeared.

The best laptop still depends on your apps, workload, budget, and the parts of the machine you’ll notice every day, such as CPU speed, memory, battery life, screen quality, ports, and weight.

The newer AI specs can help, especially if you want the latest on-device Windows features, but they are only one part of the picture.

To help demystify the laptop buying process, let's take a look at how to read a laptop spec sheet in 2026 – from AI PC to TOPS – and what actually deserves your attention before you buy.

(Image credit: Microsoft)AI PC vs Copilot+ PC: what’s the difference?

“AI PC” is the broadest label on the spec sheet. In most cases, it means the laptop has some form of dedicated AI hardware, usually a neural processing unit, or NPU, built into the chip.

While AI PC can be a useful shorthand, especially if you’re comparing newer laptops against older models, it is still a flexible term; different manufacturers use it in slightly different ways.

“Copilot+ PC” is Microsoft’s own branding category for Windows laptops that meet a defined hardware standard.

In 2026, that means a compatible processor or system-on-chip with an NPU capable of at least 40 TOPS, 16GB of DDR5 or LPDDR5 RAM, and at least 256GB of SSD storage. (Basically, a powerful set of specs.)

A Copilot+ PC should be ready for Microsoft’s latest on-device AI features, like smarter search and Live Captions, but it does not automatically tell you whether the laptop has enough storage or enough graphics heft.

(Image credit: Microsoft)NPU and TOPS: the new numbers in town

The NPU is the new spec most likely to trip people up. Short for neural processing unit, it is a dedicated part of the chip designed to handle AI tasks more efficiently than the CPU alone.

TOPS is the number usually attached to the NPU, and it stands for "trillions of operations per second", giving you a rough sense of how much AI work an NPU can handle.

For a Copilot+ PC, the important number is 40 TOPS or higher. Once a laptop clears that bar, it should be able to run Microsoft’s current on-device AI features.

A higher TOPS number may help with some local AI features, especially as software catches up, but it does not tell you how fast the laptop will feel when you open a big Photoshop file or fill Chrome with tabs.

For most people, NPU performance is worth checking, but it shouldn't take precedence over the specs you’ll feel every day, like battery life or screen size.

(Image credit: Qualcomm)Snapdragon X, Intel Core Ultra, and AMD Ryzen AI explained

Processor (or CPU) names have quietly become one of the easiest parts of the spec sheet to misread.

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X chips brought Windows on Arm laptops into the mainstream, focusing on battery life and thin-and-light designs, which had often been Apple's main advantage.

Newer Snapdragon X2 laptops push that further with more powerful NPUs and improved graphics, but the basic buying question remains the same: will your apps run properly on Arm?

For most everyday tools, the answer is now likely to be yes.

Browsers, Microsoft 365, video calls, media apps, and many creative tools either run natively or work well through Windows’ translation layer. The areas to check are usually more specific, like older Windows software or specialist work apps.

Intel Core Ultra and AMD Ryzen AI laptops take a more familiar x86 route, while still adding NPUs for newer AI features.

One thing to note: the exact model wording is important. A laptop with “Core Ultra” on the box is not automatically a Copilot+ PC, and the same goes for older Ryzen laptops without the right AI hardware.

(Image credit: Unsplash / Liam Briese)RAM still matters more than most AI labels

RAM is likely to be one of the specs most familiar to many Windows laptop buyers, and with good reason: it's still one of the clearest signs of how a laptop will feel in daily use.

For a mainstream laptop in 2026, 16GB should be treated as the baseline – especially if the machine is being sold as an AI PC or Copilot+ PC – giving you enough headroom for normal work, video calls, web apps, and so on.

Anyone buying for heavier work like photo editing or coding should look at 32GB if the budget allows. As the AI boom takes hold, though, RAM is getting extremely expensive, so make sure you do really need it.

One benefit of buying a laptop with more RAM is that, in general, it will make the laptop eel useful for longer, especially on machines where the RAM is soldered and cannot be upgraded later.

(Image credit: Getty / Deagreez)Storage: 256GB is the minimum in 2026

Storage is another spec where the minimum and the sensible choice are not the same thing. A Copilot+ PC only needs 256GB of storage to meet Microsoft’s hardware requirements, but that can start to feel tight in everyday use.

For most people, 512GB is the better starting point, and leaves more breathing room over the lifetime of the laptop.

A 1TB drive is worth considering if you work with large files or want more local storage for games, video, or AI tools. However, as mentioned in the RAM section, AI companies are rapidly driving up prices for higher-storage SSDs.

External drives and cloud storage can help, but they are not a complete substitute for having enough fast storage inside the laptop you use every day.

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)Battery life: look for real-world testing

Battery life is one of the biggest promises behind the latest AI PCs, especially newer Arm-based Windows laptops.

More efficient chips and dedicated NPUs can help away from the charger, but battery life is still one of the easiest specs to oversell. A claim such as “up to 20 hours” may be based on video playback or controlled test conditions, rather than a normal day of usage.

Reviews are much more useful here, and TechRadar puts every laptop through a series of real-world battery tests to really dig into the real endurance.

Look for tested battery life that reflects mixed use, rather than assuming the biggest number on the box will match your working day.

(Image credit: Getty / Deagreez)The boring specs still matter

While AI labels are useful, they obviously don't make the rest of the laptop disappear. The screen, keyboard, trackpad, ports, weight, heat, and fan noise will shape your experience far more often than a fancy Copilot+ badge.

The best way to read a laptop spec sheet in 2026 is to start with your own needs: enough RAM, enough storage, tested battery life, and a screen and keyboard you’ll be happy to use for hours at a time.

After that, the NPU and TOPS figure can help you understand how ready the machine is for newer on-device AI features.

Windows laptop spec sheets have not become meaningless, just easier to misread. The best laptop is still the one that gets the fundamentals right first, then uses its AI hardware to add something useful on top.