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The aurora borealis did not disappoint on Thursday night, with stargazers reporting seeing the stunning light show from across the U.S. — as far south as Texas and Florida — and Europe.

(Image credit: Alfie Cosgrove)

The winless hosts take on League A, Group 3 leaders in Zeneca.

The free-scoring Dutch take on the struggling Hungarians.

The best free streaming services are about to get some new competition, with DirecTV announcing plans to launch its own free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) service on November 15.

The satellite TV provider, which is known for its live TV service DirecTV Stream (formerly known as DirecTV Now), offers access to more than 150 network, local, and sports channels. Not all of these will be available through the new service; instead DirecTV has said that it will give viewers access to "curated FAST Channel content".

In addition to that, MyFree DirecTV will launch with an "extensive" on-demand library of movies and shows to choose from, although the exact size of the catalog is still under wraps. DirecTV has said it plans to roll out additional content in 2025 and beyond.

You'll be able to access the new DirecTV free streaming service in the US on mobile, and select smart TVs and streaming devices, and if you're already signed up to one of the best DirecTV packages or deals then your personalized 'Your TV' carousel will also be available on the new free service.

A brighter TV future

Amy Leifer, DirecTV's head of advertising, said in a statement that the goal of the new service was to give "consumers quality content with more choice and more control at the right value". With FAST services reportedly already generating close to $8 billion so far this year in the US, there's clearly a lot of demand out there from those with subscription fatigue.

But the space is becoming increasingly crowded, from Comcast's and Charter's Xumo to Amazon's FreeVee and Paramount's Pluto TV – and even Netflix could be planning a completely free ad-supported service. But what makes the introduction of MyFree DirecTV interesting is its connection to Dish Network.

Dish Network used to be a major competitor of DirecTV, but in September 2024 it acquired the company's video-distribution businesses, which just so happen to include a legacy streaming service that launched back in 2015: Sling TV. It also owns Sling Freestream, which is said to have a catalog of more than 40,000 titles.

While we don't know what MyFree DirecTV's library will officially look like, it's fair to speculate that these sister services might help bolster its catalog. DirecTV's existing channel lineup also includes – according to Variety – the Lionsgate’s MovieSphere FAST channel, which has shows movies such as 3:10 to Yuma, Ender’s Game and Wind River, so this new free streaming service could have a treasure trove of content.

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As the weather cools, mice are on the hunt for warm spaces to make camp. Here's how to keep them out of your home without hurting them.

PlayStation Plus Extra or Premium? Xbox Game Pass Core or Ultimate? We break everything down so you can spend more time playing.

Wouldn't it be great if you didn't have to choose between performance, portability and power when you wanted the perfect laptop? With LG, you don't have to. The LG gram delivers pro-level power and military-spec toughness in one of the lightest laptops around.

Don't let that light weight – just 1,199g for the 16-inch model, with the 17-inch coming in at just 1,350g – and svelte 15.7mm slim case fool you. Inside the LG gram is some serious processing power and a spectacular screen too. This ultra-light laptop punches way above its weight.

(Image credit: LG) Made light for life

Some laptops will bog you down. The LG gram isn't one of them. With a super-slim 15.7mm chassis and an astonishingly low weight of just 1,199g this powerful performer is slim, powerful and strong. And by strong we mean really strong: the LG Gram has passed the most rigorous military durability tests, and it's ready for even the toughest tasks and most demanding days.

(Image credit: LG) Premium performance

The LG gram is fuelled by the cutting-edge Intel® Core™ Ultra 7 Processor with Intel® AI Boost to supercharge your graphics, accelerate your AI and deliver exceptional energy efficiency too. The combination of lightning-fast LPDDR5X RAM and a state of the art cooling system means your LG Gram keeps its cool even in the most resource-intensive tasks.

A stunning screen, even in sunlight

Somehow LG has managed to fit a massive 16:10 WQXGA (2,560 x 1,600) IPS display into that super-slim chassis. Its wide aspect ratio means you can fit more tools on screen without having to scroll, and IPS's wide viewing angles make this display particularly easy on your eyes. The high resolution display delivers 99% DCI-P3 colour gamut for incredible colour accuracy as well as vivid visuals in apps, movies and games. And thanks to its anti-glare low reflection (AGLR) technology, you can enjoy all the benefits of that stunning screen even in bright light.

(Image credit: LG) Incredible audio for every adventure

With the LG gram, your apps and your audio come alive. That's because the LG gram comes complete with Dolby Atmos for the most incredible immersive audio, delivering 360-degree audio adventures. Whether you're enjoying spatial audio in music or gaming or sitting in the middle of a thrilling Atmos-soundtracked movie, the LG gram makes other laptop sound systems seem awfully two-dimensional.

(Image credit: LG) Superbly social and completely connected

Your LG gram isn't just a brilliant laptop. It's also incredibly connected. LG gram enables you to connect up to 10 devices simultaneously, including iOS and Android, to share, collaborate and create like never before. And that's not all. The LG gram is packed with expansion ports too, making it a plug-and-play paradise of productivity and an oasis of endless entertainment.

Serious stamina for the toughest tasks

The LG gram isn't just incredibly light and incredibly powerful. It's incredibly energy efficient too. Its 77W high-capacity battery powers prolonged productivity and play with no strings attached, delivering exceptional battery life in games and apps alike.

Whether you're looking for a laptop for work, for studying or for play, the LG gram delivers power, performance and portability without compromise.

Click here to find out which LG gram will be the perfect partner for you.

LG's UltraGear products have long set the standard for gaming monitors. And LG's 2024 UltraGear monitors have raised the bar so high it's gone into orbit. With up to 30% brighter OLED displays than rival monitors, astonishingly fast refresh rates for stunning performance and a choice of sizes from compact to all-encompassing, there's an UltraGear for everyone.

The most advanced OLEDs around

The 2024 LG UltraGear OLED range features MLA+ technology to deliver groundbreaking brilliance of up to 1,300 nits, up to 30% brighter than the competition, so you never need to worry about being left in the dark. That makes your UltraGear a great gaming monitor and an amazing display for your movie watching too.

Serious speed in every environment

LG continues to dominate the industry with its world-first innovations in the gaming monitor market. Where some displays are pretty chuffed with refresh rates of 144Hz, the LG UltraGear W-OLED leaves them in the dust with its refresh rates of 240 to 480Hz. That's astonishingly fast and you can really see the difference: it means silky-smooth performance compared to the competition, delivering speeds that give you the edge in every environment. The LG UltraGear OLED delivers up to 480Hz at 1080p and 240Hz at 4K.

The big display that thinks even bigger

(Image credit: LG)

LG's 45-inch UltraGear isn't just big. It's bigger than some 48-inch displays. That's because while some 48-inchers have a total screen size of 4,059cm2, LG's 45-inch model clocks in at a massive 4,550cm2. That's 12% more gaming goodness. And it's more immersive too. LG's 45-inch model delivers 22% more space than Samsung's 49-inch display, delivering a truly exceptional in-game experience.

Vivid visuals without dead space

The thing with some big gaming monitors is that your eyes can't take them all in: their size and more importantly their shape means that there's dead space of as much as 13.9%. That's space you can't see when you're absorbed in the game, so if the game UI or HUD is living in those dead spaces you're potentially missing key information that could give you the edge.

With LG's 45-inch model, the 21:9 aspect ratio guarantees an optimal image with just 6% dead space – so you can see more and win more.

Made for the games you want to play

By delivering an industry standard 21:9 aspect ratio instead of going for something more gimmicky, LG UltraGear monitors give you a longer list of games to choose from. Where just 51 of the top 107 games support aspect ratios such as 32:9, 88 of them run beautifully in 21:9.

(Image credit: LG) Monitors you won't want to stop watching

LG has thought about something many rivals don't: comfort. Gaming can be particularly hard on the eyes because it's hard to tear yourself away from a particularly intense session. And because so many of us love to play in the dark, in low light or with atmospheric lighting around us, that can make some monitors very tiring. Not the LG UltraGear. Its 35% anti-glare, low reflection display gets rid of glare for clear viewing even in low light, and its UL Low Blue Light Platinum certification means it emits 22% less potentially harmful blue light than the competition. That doesn't just mean more alert eyeballs. It also means better resolution and less colour distortion too.

Don't take LG's word for it: ask the experts

LG takes its quest for gaming supremacy so seriously that it's asked the Gen.G Academy, which runs LCK's first 4-peat champions Gen.G, to rate the LG UltraGear. The conclusion? The academy has certified it as the very Best Gaming Monitor. High praise indeed.

Whether you're looking for a compact 24-inch gaming monitor for work as well as play, the 32-inch dual-mode display with Pixel Sound or the astonishing 45-inch models for the most immersive gaming experience ever, every LG UltraGear gaming monitor takes your gaming to the next level.

Click here to find the perfect LG UltraGear for you.

Twice in the last five years, Apple has hosted a conference for police agencies to teach them how to utilize its products in operations, a new report has revealed.

Forbes has claimed the Global Police Summits were held behind closed doors, once in 2019 and once in 2023, and reportedly involved officers from up to 50 departments from seven different countries.

The event contradicts the reports that suggest Apple has been at odds with law enforcement agencies over the protection of user privacy.

Mixed signals

Most of us use tech on an everyday basis, and as technology becomes increasingly integrated in our daily lives, the capability for tech to violate users' privacy expands. In 2022, Meta received over 400,000 data requests from law enforcement, and disclosed at least some information 75% of the time.

The discussions and talks held at the convention were on a number of topics, including surveillance and basic communications. The platform reportedly allowed collaboration and discussion between agencies across the world, sharing successes and lessons from their technology mobilization.

Amongst the popular products at the convention was the Vision Pro headsets for surveillance work - as well as Apple CarPlay for police vehicles. “The Apple ecosystem all works very nicely together”, commented Orange County police CIO Dave Fontneau.

As technology has developed in recent years, new concerns about privacy have been introduced, such as with AI facial recognition services, which Microsoft have banned Law Enforcement from using. The summit suggests Apple is trying to sit the fence between helping law enforcement and protecting customer privacy.

“These companies want to have their cake and eat it.” explained Electronic Frontier Foundation senior policy analyst Matthew Guariglia. “They want to get the reputation that they protect users' data and they will do so at the expense of their relationship with law enforcement, and at the same time recognizing that creating tech for law enforcement is a multi-billion-dollar industry.”

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A new preview for Windows 11 version 23H2 has been released with some nifty additions in terms of new features, including one that Phone Link fans will definitely enjoy.

This is preview build 22631 (also known as KB5044380 in Microsoft’s documentation) and it has arrived in the Release Preview channel of the Windows Insider Program. In other words, this is the final testing channel before release, meaning that in theory, the features therein should arrive as part of November’s cumulative update for 23H2.

One of the most interesting moves is on the phone front, and it means that if you have an Android device hooked up to your PC courtesy of the Phone Link app, you’ll soon be able to access content on your mobile right from Windows 11’s Start menu. You’ll be able to check the status of your phone’s battery, listen to voice messages and look at photos, and continue recent activities that you were in the midst of on your handset – all right from the Start menu.

To benefit, as mentioned you’ll need to have Phone Link set up with your Android phone, and for the moment, it’s an Android-only affair (Microsoft says that iOS support is coming soon, though). This feature will be managed in the Settings app, and you’ll need to head to Settings > Personalization > Start.

(Image credit: Shutterstock/number-one) More features and fixes coming to Windows 11

If you use an Xbox controller with your PC, build 22631 provides a new on-screen keyboard to allow typing using the controller, and also shortcuts that leverage the gamepad’s buttons (the ‘X’ button is backspace, for example).

With the broader Windows 11 interface, this preview also allows you to prevent apps from displaying suggestions to turn off notifications.

Furthermore, newer PCs with a ‘Copilot’ key can now customize this key to do something other than fire up the AI assistant, so it can be programmed to open a specific app. (With some limitations, mind you - this only works with signed MSIX apps, as we discussed when this feature was spotted in an earlier testing channel).

Build 22631 also delivers fixes for various bugs in Windows 11 and Microsoft apps, including a Microsoft Teams issue, a battery power drain glitch for some devices while in standby mode, and a fix for multi-function printer problems.

This is a very solid and thankfully uncontroversial update that brings nifty new ways to link your phone and Windows 11 PC, as well as addresses various bugs and performance issues. This is the kind of Windows 11 update I can get behind and as mentioned, hopefully, these features will be arriving in the November update for 23H2.

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Apple AirPods 4: Two-minute review

Apple's AirPods 4 – which are the cheaper version of AirPods 4 at $129 / £129 / AU$219, not the more expensive model with active noise cancellation and some other extra features – are the latest version of Apple's open-ear wireless earbuds. Designed for people who don't want anything inside their ear canal, the AirPods 4 sit just outside it, and they stay remarkably stable and sound nice while doing it.

But the main refrain you're going to hear throughout this AirPods 4 review is that if you don't mind in-ear tips, you can get better sound quality and a more flexible set of features for a lower price among the best budget earbuds.

There are good reasons for Apple users to stick with AirPods though, because all their best features work with Apple tech exclusively, as you'd expect. The head-tracked spatial audio is so impressive with movies, the auto-device switching between Apple tech is really useful, and it's generally a seamless experience.

The sound is fulsome and fairly dynamic, and it's easy to have a good time listening to all kinds of tracks, thanks to their superb balance between frequencies. But there's a lack of fine detail compared to the mid-range competition that means music lacks that extra realism and deep satisfaction. The open-ear design allows a lot of sound to leak in as well, which interferes with the audio fidelity.

The issue for people at large is the lack of standard Bluetooth multi-point pairing, which means you only get seamless switching if you have multiple Apple devices. Nearly all the best wireless earbuds at a similar price offer multi-point pairing, which means you can switch from an iPhone to a Chromebook or Windows laptop easily – and those earbuds also offer better sound, the option of active noise cancellation, and on-ear volume control – for a lower price than the AirPods 4.

These earbuds do the job for their intended Apple audience, with some great unique features and a good design (I really like the pinch controls) and fit. But if you want real bang for your buck, look to the $119 / £79 / AU$149 Sony WF-C700N or the $99 / £99 / AU$169 Nothing Ear (a).

(Image credit: Future) Apple AirPods 4 review: Price & release date

• $129 / £129 / AU$219
• Released on September 20, 2024
• The cheapest current AirPods

With an official price of $129 / £129 / AU$219, the AirPods 4 wander dangerously into 'mid-range earbuds' territory for earbuds with a feature set that's closer to those of budget buds. Apple does now offer discounts on its earbuds around sales events (which didn't use to be the case), but I doubt these will drop under $100 / £100 for quite a while.

It's not a bad price for a pair of good-sounding earbuds with excellent spatial audio, but basically all the competition at this price offer active noise cancellation – including the $99 / £99 Nothing Ear (a), for example.

Apple AirPods 4 review: Specs Apple AirPods 4 review: Features

• Good features for Apple devices
• No cross-platform multi-point pairing
• No on-ear volume control

As we expect from AirPods, the AirPods 4 only give you the full power of their features if all your devices are Apple-made.

They offer fast pairing with Apple tech, and will auto-switch between any bit of Apple tech you're signed into with your Apple ID, which means they're effectively 'paired' with all your devices at once, whether that's an iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac or Apple Watch. Just start playing something on a new device while wearing them and you can automatically switch, or choose to switch in some cases. It works extremely well, and is a slick benefit of buying into Apple's cosy ecosystem.

While they can be paired with non-Apple devices, you won't get access to most of the features mentioned here, and they don't support Bluetooth's standard multi-point pairing, meaning that if you have an iPhone and a Windows laptop, you'll only get the good features when you’re using the AirPods with your iPhone, and there's no easy switching to your laptop.

They offer head-tracked spatial audio when used with Apple devices, which is a highlight. This means that when listening to anything in surround sound or Dolby Atmos, it'll seem like the sound is coming from a set of static speakers around you that don't move even when you move your head, like a home theater system. I've never been a big fan of this with music because I just tend to move around too much while listening for it to make sense (though I enjoy spatial audio without head-tracking for music, where it just creates a kind of bubble of expanded sound around your head), but spatial audio with movies is just fantastic.

You get a convincing feeling of surround sound, with your device as the 'center' of the home theater effect, and the feeling of speakers all around you. When you're watching movies on a long journey, it really helps you to feel like you're less trapped in a space, and makes the experience more engaging and immersive. I love it.

Speaking of journeys, one nice touch with AirPods (and many of the best Beats headphones) is that you can share audio between them, so two people can watch the same show on an iPad together while traveling.

There's limited support for Apple's Find My service here: the app can tell you where you last had them, and the AirPods can 'call home' via the Find My network of other people's iPhones to tell you roughly where they are. But these don't have the precision finding of the AirPods Pro 2 (where your iPhone can literally point you towards them), or the ability of the AirPods 4 with ANC to play a sound to help you find them.

(Image credit: Future)

They support 'Hey Siri' so you can ask Apple's assistant for things, though frankly I don't find Siri useful enough to want this turned on. Similarly, the AirPods 4 support Apple's 'Announce Notifications' feature, where Siri's voice will read you out notifications that have arrived on your iPhone or Apple Watch, which I also have turned off. It certainly can be a useful feature in a clutch, but as an Apple Watch user I already have quick access to my notifications on my wrist, and that route doesn't interrupt my podcast.

Still, if you use Announce Notifications (you'll be given the option when you first pair), you can also use the AirPods' new gesture controls to respond to certain notifications by nodding or shaking your head. For example, when my Apple Watch asks if I'm doing an outdoor walk, I can nod to confirm and start the tracking.

These gestures are smartly implemented, with a blip of audio feedback when the AirPods detect that you're moving your head. You'll need to move your head fairly definitively to confirm, so perhaps left, right and left again to reject a notification with a shake of the head, but it's very clear if and when the AirPods are picking up the gestures, though I felt like the head motions I made were a little too exaggerated to be subtle – while waiting with other people to cross a road, I can only assume that people thought I was vehemently agreeing with a radio call-in show or something.

Also for controls, you've got pinchable stems on the earbuds, basically borrowed from the original AirPods Pro. You can pinch to play/pause, double-pinch to skip tracks, triple to skip back, hold to trigger Siri. I really like this control system, because it's comfortable (you don't push the buds into your ears while pressing a button) and works if you're wearing gloves (unlike touch-only systems). However, you can't pinch for on-ear volume control, which seems very miserly.

Apple's claim of five-hour battery life was, frankly, extremely disappointing, but the good news is that in my battery testing at 50% volume the AirPods 4 took seven hours and five minutes to run down from 100% to nothing. Apple says you should get another 25 hours from the case (though that could be as much as 34 hours based on my testing), and that five minutes of charging in the case provides the buds with around an hour of listening time.

Five hours is way behind the curve on battery life, and while seven hours is acceptable for such lightweight buds, it's still not amazing considering there's no ANC here. We measured 9.5 hours from the Nothing Ear (a) with ANC turned off.

There's no wireless charging here, unlike the more expensive models – just USB-C charging.

The microphone quality is very good, as is common for Apple's earbuds. The voice is a little quiet (common for earbuds in general) and there's a little bit of digital artefacting to the sound, presumably coming from the clean-up and processing Apple is applying, but speech is clear and represents your voice well, and that's all we need.

• Features score: 3.5/5

(Image credit: Future) Apple AirPods 4 review: Sound quality

• Very well balanced
• Good bass and energy
• Loss of fine detail

Compared to Apple's previous cheapest AirPods, the AirPods 4 are in another world of sound quality, even without considering spatial audio. They're a bigger, more natural, and more dynamic listen, and I enjoyed music with them.

The bass feels well presented and full, and while it's not super-deep, it underpins things exactly as it's supposed to. It may not hit unctuous levels of sub-bass, but it's really well controlled, so something like the bassline of Allie X's Black Eye bounces along as it should – some cheaper headphones will lack the range for a full bounce, or each beat will hit with a thud. The AirPods are nimble enough to handle this kind of thing.

The mid-range is clear and well resolved, capable of letting individual instruments stand out even among more crammed songs, such as when Moloko's I Want You gets super-busy with lots of overlapping sounds – the AirPods are capable of holding onto each strand, and making sure it doesn’t just turn into a mess of noise. Vocals of all types are lifted out of the mix well.

The treble is similarly well represented, and there's plenty of sparkle in high-frequency details so they shimmer among the rest of the mix. In terms of being a good representation of the bones of music tracks, the AirPods 4 work great, especially since they're reasonably dynamic as well, shifting up a gear in good time when songs pop off.

The problem is that they're soft on fine detail, and it means they're limited to being a fun listen rather than a truly satisfying one, or one that lets you engage with your music at a high level.

The open-ear design that lets in more outside sound doesn't help with this – fine detail is exactly what you lose most from being able to hear chatter or traffic – but I listened in multiple environments and the issue is still there.

When the fine resolution is lost, the realism of the track is lost. That doesn't matter in every track (I wasn't exactly missing it in Eric Prydz' Call On Me, I was just bopping along), but there's a clear difference in a few tracks. Sonny Rollins' St. Thomas is a track that should really put you among the instruments, because it's built around the slight scrape of a drumstick or the click of a tongue on a reed – but that's basically lost when listening on the AirPods 4. The track sounds like a recording, a diminished facsimile, not the close-to-real audio that it can do.

Rains Again by Solji is another clear example – it opens with a heavy rainfall sound that becomes static on headphones that can't deal with the complex detail, but stays as distinct drops on headphones that can deal with it… and on the AirPods 4, it's more in the static column.

With movies, spatial audio works excellently, providing convincing sound that moves around you, doing a great impression of a home theater. There's also a great sense of impact to bassier sounds and a good elevation of treble details – it's exciting to watch action movies this way, and the AirPods' ability to be dynamic is effective here too.

However, dialogue isn't represented as well as effects in the mix, so feels quieter and more unclear, relatively speaking – and with sound leaking in through the open-ear design (and no ANC), it's the first thing to get muddied by outside noises. I compared the AirPods 4 to my AirPods Pro 2, and while the dialogue is a similar level in the Pro 2, the other sounds are closer to that level, so you can just crank the volume up and get a good experience. With the AirPods 4, turning the volume up means effects become a bit much when dialogue gets to the right level.

The lack of fine detail also hits here – for example, during The Matrix's helicopter rescue scene, the cascade of water from the sprinklers becomes a hiss of sound in the background, but again other headphones can pick out the drops. I don't mind this as much here as with the music, though – it's better to have it, but it isn't essential.

I don't think the AirPods 4 are bad for sound at all, but when the competition is as hot for music fidelity as the Sony WF-C700N and the Nothing Ear (a), they pale.

• Sound quality score: 3.5/5

(Image credit: Future) Apple AirPods 4 review: Design

• Secure open-ear fit
• Smallest case yet is great
• IP54 rating for buds and case is good

I've never been a fan of this kind of earbuds design, where they're held in place by the areas of skin around your ear canal – I much prefer the fit of an in-ear tip. However, the AirPods 4 are the best and most comfortable version of this design so far, and I can happily wear then for an extended period without feeling like they're sore or applying pressure, which hasn't always been the case for me. However, when taking them out after a long time, I can slightly feel where they were sitting, so they won't convert me from in-ears just yet.

They're very secure, and didn't shift in any meaningful way during my general use – i.e., mostly while walking or working. They stayed secure while I was jogging too, though I can't promise that this will also be the case for long-distance runs or other workouts.

They're extremely light at 4.3g per bud, which helps with comfort, and they stick out of your ears less far than the AirPods Pro 2 do, which might please some people. And while not everyone likes the stick design, I think it works well for balancing the weight, and this is arguably the most subtle and perhaps preferable version of the design so far.

The case is Apple's smallest AirPods case to date, and I really appreciate that as well – some buds makers perhaps forget that people often just want to slip this stuff into a pocket and not feel it pressing against them. There no reason not to carry these buds with you everywhere, and that's useful.

A nice touch is that the charging light is now totally hidden behind the white of the case – when it's illuminated it appears out of nowhere. A less-nice touch is that the pairing/reset button is now a touch element on the back with no indicator, rather than a physical button, and given that this will mostly be used when people are in a pinch, I think the clarity of a real button was better.

I found that the AirPods 4 are a little harder to grab out of their case than previous models – you'll develop a technique for getting a grip to overcome the magnets, but I suspect that, like me, many people will take a couple of days to get in the groove.

The IP54 waterproof rating for both the earbuds and the case is impressive – not too many mid-range or budget earbuds offer both. This means they should keep dust out, and be fine against water splashes, including rain if you get caught outdoors for a short time.

Incidentally, if you're wondering if it's possible to tell the difference between these AirPods 4 and the ANC model: not from the buds. They are truly identical apart from a tiny printing of the model number. The ANC case has telltale speaker holes on the bottom, though.

• Design score: 4/5

(Image credit: Future) Apple AirPods 4 review: Value

• Cheaper headphones offer better sound
• …and better cross-platform features
• But for Apple-only users, they have big advantages

The AirPods 4 are aimed at people who are big on Apple tech, so I'm taking that into account when scoring their value. But as you've likely already picked up in this review, for sound quality, or if you have an iPhone and a Windows laptop (for example), they don't excel for bang-per-buck.

You'll get the extra realism and detail pop in music that these AirPods lack from the likes of the Sony WF-C700N and the Nothing Ear (a), as well as active noise cancellation to make sure you can really hear it. You'll get Bluetooth multi-point with both those devices as well – and even hi-res audio from the Nothing. They both have on-ear volume control as well (and the Nothing even pinch the great pinchable gestures from the AirPods).

However, if you are all-in on Apple, the auto-switching between all your devices without pairing, the (admittedly limited) Find My support, and the excellent spatial audio all help boost the value here. It is frustrating that the AirPods 4 with ANC offer lots more features, though, including wireless charging, and improved Find My support in the case, in addition to the ANC itself.

Let's not forget the design: some people really don't want ear tips, and my recommended alternatives have them. So if your preference is not to have tips, there's added value to these because of their shape. But still, on balance, I don't think they offer any better value than average.

• Value score: 3/5

(Image credit: Future) Should I buy the AirPods 4? Buy them if...

You want Apple's cheapest earbuds
If you really want Apple's unique tech that works with all your Apple devices, and you want to spend the minimum, these tick the key boxes, and sound fun while doing it.

You hate in-ear tips on earbuds
The options that really beat the AirPods 4 tend to use in-ear tips, so if you don't want that style, these become a much better option.

Don't buy them if...

You don't own Apple gadgets exclusively
The lack of standard Bluetooth multi-point means no quick switching between, say, an iPhone and a Windows machine. So why not buy something that has that, and has better sound and ANC?

You travel a lot
AirPods 4's small size is great for travel, but they let in so much sound from outside that you won't hear your music very well. Get something with active noise cancellation.

Apple AirPods 4 review: Also consider

Sony WF-C700N
Sony's superb buds offer fantastic fidelity in music, solid noise cancellation, control via the Sony app, and Bluetooth multi-point. We've championed them since their launch, and you can read why in our full Sony WF-C700N review.

Nothing Ear (a)
If you like the stick design and pinch control of AirPods, these offer that, along with even better sound and ANC than the Sony option above, for just a little more cash than the Sony. These are the mid-range buds to beat right now, as our Nothing Ear (a) review explains.

How I tested the AirPods 4

(Image credit: Future)

• Tested over three weeks
• Connected to an iPhone, iPad Pro and MacBook Air
• Tested alongside AirPods 4 with ANC and AirPods Pro 2

I reviewed the AirPods 4 as part of my typical daily routine, using them at home, at the office, and while commuting. I have an iPhone 13 Pro, MacBook Air M1, iPad Pro, and an Apple TV 4K, so they were used just as Tim Cook intended.

For testing sound quality and battery life, I followed the procedures laid out in our explainer on how we test earbuds.

I had the AirPods 4 with ANC and AirPods Pro 2 available for any direct comparisons that were useful, across Apple's current earbuds lineup.

Read more about how we test

• First reviewed: October 2023

I’ve seen my fair share of controllers, so it’s pretty rare that a new one really gets me excited. That said, this brand new controller from peripheral company GameSir has definitely piqued my interest thanks to a feature that looks both practical and incredibly cool.

The GameSir Tarantula Pro is a PC and Nintendo Switch controller with basically all the bells and whistles you'd want. It’s got gyroscope support, HD Rumble, an RGB lighting strip, two remappable rear buttons, and compatibility with both the GameSir  and GameSir Connect apps for a plethora of customization options.

Throw in GameSir’s Mag-Res TMR thumbsticks, which the company claims offers all the durability of premium Hall effect modules with lower power consumption, and you have what seems to be a very well-rounded package. The thing that has really caught my eye, though, is the fact that the markings on the controller’s face buttons can be swapped at any time with a simple click.

It’s all powered by a special gear mechanism, which is actually partially visible through a tiny plastic window underneath the buttons. You can choose between a traditional Xbox layout, which would be ideal for PC, or swap it for the inverted layout you'd see on the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller. 

This finally addresses one of my biggest complaints with using a Nintendo Switch controller on PC - the fact that your on-screen prompts and the buttons on your controller don't always line up. Given that GameSir already makes some of the best PC controllers and best Xbox controllers, I’m optimistic that this could become one of the best Nintendo Switch controllers out there today - especially for those of us who like to game on multiple platforms. 

You can find the GameSir Tarantula Pro at both Amazon and the GameSir website for $79.99 / £79.99.

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Sony’s updated open earbuds add better battery life and a different sound signature for all-day wearability.

With the rapid advancements in generative AI over the past few years, AI has become an increasingly valuable and widely adopted tool in aiding business processes. Not only does it offer the opportunity for organizations to improve productivity and reduce costs but it’s also boosting innovation, with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) reporting a surge in AI-related patent applications, indicating increased innovation in the field.

Despite significant investment in AI technology, many businesses are not fully capitalizing on its potential. Our recent study reveals a notable disparity: while 80% of businesses are increasing their AI investments, only 47% of UK workers are actively using AI in their roles. Moreover, concerns about AI accuracy persist, with 30% of respondents expressing worries about the reliability of generative AI outputs. Although the high level of business investment is encouraging, there's a clear need to broaden AI adoption among employees. To maximize the return on both Enterprise and generative AI investments, organizations must focus on empowering their workforce to effectively utilize these technologies.

Bridging the AI knowledge gap

Effective AI integration in the workplace must begin with comprehensive AI training, where there is already a significant gap in this area: nearly half of UK employees report not being offered any AI training. This lack of proper guidance on AI usage has led to widespread mistrust among the workforce. The survey found that 45% of UK workers express a lack of trust in AI technologies. Organizations are potentially leaving themselves open to instances of unethical AI use, and/or security risks.

Cultivating an AI-enabled workforce

Despite the potential of AI to address workplace challenges, many employees still struggle with issues it could resolve. Our research shows that 62% of workers believe they would benefit from a reduced workload, while 35% express a need for more time to complete their tasks. To harness AI's potential in addressing these concerns, organizations must create an environment where staff feel confident to safely explore and experiment with AI integrations. It's crucial to recognize that while business leaders grasp the overarching corporate strategy, employees possess invaluable insights into their specific roles and workflows. Therefore, successful Enterprise AI integration requires a balanced approach that aligns with both the strategic vision of leadership and the practical needs of the workforce.

Responsible AI use

The responsible use of AI isn’t as simple as prescriptively banning specific prompts or the use of certain company confidential data. Instead, it involves setting a comprehensive direction for the entire business on AI use.

As the performance of Enterprise AI integrations improve with access to better quality data, ensuring security and governance processes are in place has the complementary effect of improving accuracy while insulating businesses from security risks. This way, employees work with the knowledge they’re using AI securely, giving them the freedom to experiment with how the technology could benefit them.

Businesses should assess and prepare their existing technology stack for AI integration. This preparation is crucial, as only 44% of UK workers believe Enterprise AI currently has the necessary context to be valuable. By providing AI models with access to contextual company data, businesses can significantly enhance AI's effectiveness and open up a range of new opportunities.

Automation extending AI value

The capabilities of Enterprise AI are already extensive, encompassing a wide array of tasks. When integrated with automation technologies, its potential expands significantly, dramatically enhancing both its scope and efficiency. Automation can give employees the ability to complete repetitive tasks, supplemented with the capabilities of AI they can even analyze text, images, and video. This offers them flexibility over how they complete their own work and encourages them to find new, more productive methods of completing tasks.

Furthermore, offering employees software automation and Enterprise AI together provides opportunities to build efficiencies across a business. Individual employees automating tasks can compound into entire divisions of large organisations automating workflows end-to-end. The combined impact of giving all employees control over their workflows and the skills to automate can transform both their productivity and the way businesses operate as more efficient ways to work are found over time.

Effective AI implementation requires a collaborative approach

Investing in AI technology alone is not sufficient to guarantee success. The value derived from Enterprise AI deployments stems from a combination of factors: employees developing skills to effectively utilize AI, companies implementing models securely and ethically, and the ability to integrate company-specific contextual data to enhance AI outputs.

UK businesses aiming to leverage AI must focus on these areas to avoid inefficiencies. Given the significant opportunities presented by Enterprise AI and automation, it's crucial for organisations to carefully consider how these technologies can be best integrated within their specific operational contexts.

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This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we 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/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

Rumors and leaks around Apple products are nothing new, but following a recent unboxing video that claims to feature the leaked MacBook Pro M4, there has been a huge increase in ‘sellers’ promising the new MacBook before its official launch - if they've got one, they can get more, right?

Well, common sense says no, and so do researchers at Kaspersky. The hype around the new leaked product has been predictably followed by an influx of fraudulent activity, with scammers exploiting the excitement by offering fake product testing programs and pre-sale items.

Kaspersky identified a number of scams looking to lure victims in through emails with an exclusive offer to test the unreleased product, which is set to launch in November 2024.

A pinch of salt

In the email, the victim is sent a link that redirects them to a fake storefront.

From there, the victim fills out a form full of sensitive information and credit card details to receive the 'exclusive price'. Regardless of the leak's legitimacy, we can say with pretty high certainty that the offer of a free MacBook from an unauthorized source for ‘testing’ is fake.

“The recently released video featuring an unreleased laptop has created false expectations, leading people to believe that if an influencer managed to get their hands on the device, it might be available for regular users too.” said Dmitry Galov, Head of Research Center, Russia, at Kaspersky’s Global Research and Analysis Team (GReAT).

“Scammers are quick to capitalize on trends” he commented, "Remember, if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.”

This of course exposes victims not just to the initial credit card theft, but also to the threat of identity theft from the compromised material which will probably have been sold on the dark web by the scammers.

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Android 15 has been out for a while now, but we’re still discovering new features – such as a screensaver that allows you to control your smart home without even unlocking your phone.

The Home Controls feature turns your phone into a smart-home dashboard when the phone is docked – and it’s not just exclusive to Google’s platforms, either.

Home Controls works with the Google Home app and on Pixel phones, but also on at least one other smart-home app, Home Assistant, and on any phone running an Android 15-based operating system.

You can activate the Home Controls screensaver by heading to the Settings app, navigating to the 'Display & touch' tab, and clicking the Screen saver tab within.

Once Home Controls is activated, connecting the phone to a dock or charger will bring up a screen loaded with smart home options.

As Android Authority reports, Google added the Home Controls screensaver to the third Android 15 beta back in June.

However, Android 15 is only just beginning to make its way to flagship devices, with Google's own Pixel phones due to receive an Android 15-based OS update on October 15.

The report adds that the Home Controls screensaver runs via the Android SystemUI app, embedding the activity of Google Home or the third-party Home Assistant app.

Those concerned about battery health when leaving their phone connected to a charger for a prolonged period will be happy to hear that Android 15 offers an 80% charging cap on Pixel phones – we hope to see this feature come to other platforms, too.

For now, though, we’re glad to see these useful smart home options rolling out to all Android 15 users.

When will my phone get Android 15?

When your particular Android phone will get Android 15 features depends on the plans of the phone’s manufacturer.

Phone makers that use Android tend to add a cosmetic skin with some exclusive features, known as a 'wrapper', sometimes styled as an operating system unto itself.

As mentioned, Pixel phones will get Android 15 later this month, and other manufacturers like Motorola and Nothing have either announced rollout plans or begun beta testing.

For the latest updates on when Android 15 will come to your phone, be sure to keep up with our Android coverage.

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In what might be perceived as the world's most significant IT outage, the CrowdStrike incident is likely to cost upwards of $5 billion in damages, also erasing billions from the cybersecurity company's own share price almost overnight. For organizations attempting to update and release software more quickly than ever, the lessons learned from the havoc wreaked by a single "buggy" endpoint security software update are poignant.

The CrowdStrike outage is the definitive illustration of the complications of software development and delivery today. The growing intricacies of the modern digital environment and the velocity and scope of software change make quality and reliability ever more challenging. Even when quality is a primary focus, as it was for CrowdStrike, delivering consistently high standards is no easy feat. Effective testing strategies are essential.

However, it's not uncommon for teams to push testing to the bottom of the priority pile in order to keep pace with delivery expectations. It's unfortunately considered a burden rather than a significant value driver.

From bottleneck to business enabler

With the right approach, testing can harness automation to ensure continuous and actionable feedback, and identify and target risks and defects early. Far from hindering speed, testing can actually shorten and enhance release cycles for high-quality products and services.

Automated testing has revolutionized software development, enabling teams to keep pace with projects' increasing speed and scale. It improves test coverage and accuracy when compared to manual approaches, as well as while delivering faster feedback - crucial for continuous integration and deployment (CI/CD) processes.

Particularly effective for regression testing and change validation, automated testing also pinpoints code changes for a more precise and efficient workflow. The advent of GenAI-powered testing tools further elevates this process by significantly reducing testing time and freeing up resources to identify complex issues that AI alone might miss.

But it's not just building test automation coverage; it's about ensuring the right development environments are in place to test changes, from development and staging to pre-production and production. In order to create a testing strategy that provides quality while limiting exposure to risk and downtime, it's vital to adapt testing according to the problem to be solved. That means looking at who and where the user is, their risk profile, how they are using the application, and whether it's on-prem or in the cloud.

User-centric testing across environments: adapting strategies to mitigate risk

Understanding users' needs and how they use a product across multiple environments is fundamental to establishing where to focus testing efforts. User profiles can help recreate real-life situations, making sure that all potential use cases and environments are covered. By aligning testing efforts with user behaviors, requirements and environments, testing can be prioritized based on high-impact areas to identify issues early. This thorough approach ensures reliable performance across diverse operating systems, application technologies and device types. It can avert possible failures and ensure a consistent, high-quality user experience regardless of how customers access software applications.

Increased traffic and demand are two such scenarios it's vital to plan for. Higher loads can cause critical systems to grind to a halt or crash. The recent Oasis ticket sale fiasco showed that performance and load testing are essential. They help minimize unexpected repercussions from increased website and application loads, ensuring performance and reliability. Performance testing is a vital element of the overall testing strategy and should be incorporated throughout the software development life cycle (SDLC) to identify potential bottlenecks and ensure systems are prepared for real-world demands.

Identifying infrastructure & supply chain risk

However, it's not enough to consider only an organization's own systems. Integrations with third-party systems must also be robust and reliable. While the Oasis ticket sale sites had taken steps to manage load, including putting a new queue counter system in place, external payment systems also struggled.

It is therefore vital to identify and align with all third-party providers involved in critical business applications, reviewing their policies and procedures for managing faulty code that might originate with them. Service virtualization can be used to simulate services that are outside of an organization's control, allowing teams to test how their applications will perform under various conditions. Chaos testing of these integrated systems is also an important element of a complete test strategy to uncover vulnerabilities and ensure resilience against unexpected failures. Closely examining infrastructure and application integration points in this way reduces external source risks for an efficient and secure ecosystem.

Navigating resource constraints: prioritizing testing efforts effectively

It can be hard to know where to test, especially when resources are limited and prioritization is required. Finding solutions that look inside the code and alert teams of untested areas, providing visibility into change assessment, can deliver dividends. As the pace of change accelerates, this will be increasingly important.

Indeed, the majority of SaaS applications continuously release updates. Where application updates are dependent on external providers, automated and fast regression testing is imperative for businesses to minimize risk.

When accelerated development tempo creates bottlenecks and heightens testing demands, leveraging no-code or low-code platforms alongside AI-generated code can also enable development teams to deliver updates and new features more rapidly. Companies should incorporate AI-driven automation into their testing solution set to prevent innovation slowdowns.

Redefining software testing for a safer digital future

Staying error-free while keeping up with software change in today's complex and fast-paced digital world is a hard task. Still, we must strive to minimize the potential impact. The CrowdStrike and Oasis events should be treated as a wake-up call to reevaluate how businesses everywhere implement software testing to ensure software quality and reliability throughout the development lifecycle. Only by doing this can we hope to prevent similar problems in the future.

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This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we 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/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

These waterproof smart lights can work for Halloween, Christmas and any other celebration all year long.

Another weekend has rolled around, so it's time to sit back, relax, and enjoy some brand-new content from the world's best streaming services. Expectedly, Netflix leads the way with two anticipated offerings – a returning TV fan favorite, plus a new animated series – but its competitors have also rustled up a number of new movies and shows of their own to pique the interest of their userbase.

No matter which platform you're subscribed, then, you'll find something fun worth watching after a long week at the office, university, or school. Without further ado, then, these are the films and TV series you need to catch before Monday morning.

Outer Banks season 4 part 1 (Netflix)

Ahoy, me hearties! Ready to get back on board with the Outer crew? The sun-kissed treasure hunting series' fourth season has arrived (or, rather, part 1 has), so we'll finally be able to see how the Blackbeard treasure hunt is going that we first heard about at the end of season 3.

I love nothing more than a sea tale, and the stories of pirates from the 1700s are some of my favorite, especially about the infamous Blackbeard. The pirate's ship has been found in real-life but in Outer Banks, it's still lost. That's where an elderly man called Wes Genrette (David Jensen) comes in, who has the captain's log with records of where the ship sailed to before it was shipwrecked. Will the 'Progues' find the lost treasure? Go stream the popular show's latest episodes to find out.

Amelia Schwanke, senior entertainment editor

• Watch Outer Banks season 4 part 1 on Netflix

Citadel: Diana (Prime Video)

Let's address the elephant in the room: Citadel, the expensively assembled Prime Video spy series that debuted in early 2023, was not good. Indeed, despite its obvious star power and potential to be the streamer's next TV Original hit, I said The Night Agent and James Bond had nothing to worry about after I streamed Citadel's first few episodes – and, after its public release, it seemed many viewers agreed with my sentiments.

That hasn't deterred Amazon MGM Studios, though, as the e-commerce giant's entertainment division is bringing us two spin-offs before 2024 ends. The first of those, Citadel: Diana, will aim to get the franchise back on solid ground. Its trailer (see above) suggests it may do that but, after watching its first episode pre-release, I'm not sure it will. Don't count on it joining our best Prime Video shows unless it rapidly turns its fortunes around in its five remaining chapters.

Tom Power, senior entertainment reporter

• Watch Citadel: Diana on Prime Video

Caddo Lake (Max)

As a thriller fan, I can't wait to tune in and watch Caddo Lake, which is produced by the new Max film produced by M. Night Shyamalan – who is, of course, renowned for his psychological thrillers. So, what's it about? Well, when an eight-year-old girl mysteriously disappears, a series of past deaths and disappearances at Caddo Lake start to come together that forever changes a fractured family's history.

Caddo Lake stars Dylan O'Brien among many others, and I've always thought he's put in strong performances when it comes to thrillers like The Maze Runner franchise, so I'm looking forward to seeing him in one of October's new Max movies. Combine this with the fact that Caddo Lake looks to be a real genre blender of horror, mystery, thriller and drama, then we could have one of the best Max movies on our hands.

Grace Morris, entertainment writer

• Watch Caddo Lake on Max

Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft (Netflix)

Lara Croft has seen many iterations. Whether it's Keeley Hawes in the original Tomb Raider video game series or Angelina Jolie in the early 2000s (I liked those, okay?), you must've been living under a rock if you haven't heard of the iconic archaeologist. Now, she's back in a very personal eight-part series where she's on the hunt to find an artefact that someone stole from Croft Manor. Why you'd steal from a double pistol wielding adventurer is beyond me, but someone had the guts to do it.

This time, Lara is voiced by Hayley Atwell, who has appeared throughout Marvel's Captain America movie trilogy, some of which are the best Marvel movies. She's joined by two of Lara's trusty sidekicks Jonah and Zip, who are my favourite Tomb Raider characters outside of the legend herself. But will that be enough to get it into our best Netflix shows feature? Only time will tell.

Lucy Buglass, senior entertainment writer

• Watch Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft on Netflix

Disclaimer (Apple TV Plus)

Celebrated filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón has landed his own Apple TV Plus show and I’m very intrigued to see where this one goes. In my Disclaimer trailer reaction, I compared Cate Blanchett’s character to her now iconic Lydia Tár, and it looks like she’s about to deliver another compelling performance as a respected journalist whose life is turned upside down when she discovers she’s a character in a novel that supposedly reveals her darkest secret.

I really hope that this is one we can add to our best Apple TV Plus shows list, but we’ll have to wait and see. Either way, a collaboration between Cuarón and Blanchett is one I’ve been excited about ever since it was announced, so I'll definitely be tuning into Apple's streaming platform to see it.

Lucy Buglass, senior entertainment writer

• Watch Disclaimer on Apple TV Plus

La Maquina (Hulu/Disney Plus)

Hulu and Disney Plus couldn't have chosen better stars for its first Spanish-language series. La Máquina will see long-time friends Gael García Bernal (Werewolf by Night) and Diego Luna (Andor), who previously worked together on the western satire Casa de Mi Padre in 2012, take on the roles of two best friends preparing for a boxing comeback.

The plot reads very much like Rocky or Creed in that it's about a boxer preparing for their next match with the help of their manager. Bernal plays Esteban Osuna, who's at a low point in his boxing career, while Luna takes on the role of his determined manager Andy Lujan. This has the potential to be a knockout, so keep an eye on our best Hulu shows and best Disney Plus shows lists to see if it lasts the distance and wins the day.

Amelia Schwanke, senior entertainment editor

• Watch La Maquina on Hulu (US) and Disney Plus (internationally)

Tuesday (Max)

The latest in a long line of A24-developed movies to land on Max, Tuesday follows a mother (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and her teenage daughter (Lola Petticrew) as they confront Death – when it arrives in the form of a talking bird – to help them cope with the daughter's impending death.

Tuesday certainly sounds like it's going to have me in tears, especially with Seinfeld star Louis-Dreyfus shedding her comedic skin for this powerfully moving performance about love and loss. Not only that, but The Guardian called it a "weird, wrenching and wildly ambitious [movie]" that's also "an achingly sad oddity". Now I definitely need to see what this heart-breaking fairytale is all about.

Grace Morris, entertainment writer

• Watch Tuesday on Max

For more streaming suggestions, read our guides on the best Netflix movies, best Max shows, best Paramount Plus movies, and best horror movies.