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Experts on school violence say a key to preventing such tragedies is identifying and supporting students in crisis before they hurt others.

(Image credit: Peter Zay)

Unit 29155 of Russia’s GRU military intelligence agency—a team responsible for coup attempts, assassinations, and bombings—has branched out into brazen hacking operations with targets across the world.

Did you know genetics can influence your circadian rhythm and predispose you to sleep disorders? Here's what to know.

Cybersecurity researchers from Trend Micro have recently spotted a never-before-seen backdoor malware being used to target a Chinese trading company.

The malware is called KTLVdoor, and since it’s written Golang, it can be used against both Windows and Linux-powered endpoints. It is designed to tamper with files, run code, and more: "KTLVdoor is a highly obfuscated malware that masquerades as different system utilities, allowing attackers to carry out a variety of tasks including file manipulation, command execution, and remote port scanning," Trend Micro researchers said in a security advisory published earlier this week.

The researchers also said that the tool masquerades as sshd, Java, SQLite, bash, edr-agent, and more.

Earth Lusca Golang malware

It was built by a Chinese threat actor called Earth Lusca. Apparently, the group distributes the malware either as a .DLL file, or as a .SO (shared object). However, the researchers are still pretty much in the dark when it comes to distribution: "This new tool is used by Earth Lusca, but it might also be shared with other Chinese-speaking threat actors," the researchers said. "Seeing that all C&C servers were on IP addresses from China-based provider Alibaba, we wonder if the whole appearance of this new malware and the C&C server could not be some early stage of testing new tooling."

Speaking of C2 servers, Trend Micro found more than 50 of them, all hosted on Alibaba. This led them to speculate that multiple groups could be sharing the same infrastructure.

Earth Lusca is a sophisticated cyber threat actor group, believed to be linked to advanced persistent threats (APTs) with a focus on espionage and intelligence gathering. The group, whose first reported activity dates back to 2021, is known for targeting a wide range of sectors, including government agencies, healthcare, telecommunications, and education, primarily in Southeast Asia.

Via The Hacker News

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The A18 Pro is likely to be Apple’s next-generation mobile chipset and the beating heart of the as-yet-unannounced iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max – and possibly even the lower-end iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus.

All four devices are hotly tipped to launch at the next Apple Event on September 9, and we can’t wait to see how the A18 Pro – which will surely be more powerful than the current A17 Pro chipset inside the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max – improves what will surely be Apple’s best iPhones, well, ever.

Below, we’ve detailed the biggest leaks, rumors, and predictions surrounding Apple’s likely next chipset. We’ll be updating this page with more information once the iPhone 16 series – and, we hope, the A18 Pro – is announced in the coming days.

A18 Pro: predicted release date

As mentioned, Apple has confirmed that its next product launch event will take place at 10am PT /1pm ET / 6pm BST on Monday, September 9, which is 3am AEST on Tuesday, September 10 for those in Australia.

We’re expecting the company to debut the iPhone 16 line at this event, and therefore the A18 Pro chipset. Naturally, the iPhone 16 release date hasn’t yet been confirmed, but we predict that iPhone 16 preorders will begin on Friday, September 13.

Incidentally, the colorful invitation for Apple’s upcoming event states “It’s Glowtime”, which appears to be a reference to the Apple Intelligence toolset that will feature heavily in the company’s newest products and operating systems.

In addition to the iPhone 16 and A18 Pro, Apple could also announce the AirPods 4, Apple Watch 10, and updates to iOS 18, iPadOS 18, watchOS 11, macOS Sequoia, and tvOS 18 at Monday’s event. To watch along yourself, check out our how to watch the iPhone 16 launch live explainer.

A18 Pro: leaks and rumors

(Image credit: Future)

Apple Intelligence was announced at WWDC 2024 back in June, so we already know what sort of Apple Intelligence features to expect come September 9. Tools like the new-and-improved Siri, the Clean Up editing feature, and automatic text summarization will all require quite a bit of power to function, and that means Apple’s new devices need a powerful chipset to take advantage of this new technology.

So, the A18 Pro is going to be blazing fast, right? Maybe. In past years, it’s been pretty much a given that the flagship iPhone will have a more powerful chipset than the equivalent Android phone, but we’re not sure that’ll be the case this year. According to tipster Nguyen Phi Hung on X (via Phone Arena), the A18 Pro may offer just a 10% increase in speed over the current A17 Pro, which sounds like a surprisingly small increase given how heavily Apple Intelligence will surely feature in the new iPhone lineup. That said, this is still just a rumor, after all.

The A17 Pro powering Genshin Impact on the iPhone 15 Pro (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Keep in mind, too, that the A17 Pro chipset is no slouch. Apple has already confirmed that the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will be able to run Apple Intelligence features (or at least some of them), so the A18 Pro may not need to be all that much more powerful. Specifically, the A17 Pro is a 3-nanometer chipset that boasts a 16-core Neural Engine and a 6-core GPU that supports ray tracing, maximizing performance for mobile games such as Resident Evil Village, Resident Evil 4, and Death Stranding.

The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, by contrast, have the A16 Bionic chip with only 6GB of memory, meaning they’re definitely not powerful enough to run Apple Intelligence features. The good news: rumors suggest that the entire iPhone 16 lineup, including the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, could be getting the A18 Pro chipset.

We’ve also been hearing that the A18 Pro might have a lot more cores in its Neural Engine. Noted on Taiwanese site Economic Daily News (via 9to5Mac), the Neural Engine in Apple’s next best chipset will have “significantly” more cores than the Neural Engine in the A17 Pro. This is promising news, since the Neural Engine is the part of Apple’s chipsets that specifically power artificial intelligence. It makes sense, then, that the A18 Pro chipset would see an increase in Neural Engine cores to power those aforementioned power-hungry Apple Intelligence features.

The A18 Pro will reportedly have more cores than the A17 Pro (above) (Image credit: Apple)

With regards to the A18 Pro being designed with AI in mind, we’ve also heard from leaker Jeff Pu at Haiton International Tech Research (via 9to5Mac) that the A18 Pro “will feature a larger die area (compared to A17 Pro), which could be a trend for edge AI computing.”

What is edge AI? This refers to the ability to carry out AI tasks on the phone itself rather than in the cloud. Edge AI is important because it can be faster and it works without an internet connection. But there are downsides, too. Increasing the die area of a chipset to achieve those improved speeds can decrease its ability to dissipate heat. It can also decrease energy efficiency.

So, with the A18 Pro, Apple will need to maximize speed and power without compromising on heat dissipation and energy efficiency. In any case, we’ll likely learn all about it at the company’s “It’s Glowtime” event, which is just around the corner.

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Just one month into the school year, four people were ripped away from their loved ones, their lives ended by a mass shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Ga.

(Image credit: Jessica McGowan)

Samsung finally unveiled its latest projectors, The Premiere 9 and The Premiere 7, in late August after first offering a sneak peek at CES 2024 and at IFA 2024 I got to see the Premiere 9 in action.

When it comes to the visuals, there's wasn't much surprising going on – it has a 'triple laser' projection design, the colors were rich and nuanced, and combined with the brightness of over 3,000 ANSI Lumens, it looked rich even with the lights on, and very impressive with them off.

But it wasn't the picture quality that I was most interested in (especially given it wasn't overall ideal viewing conditions – we'll review the Premiere 9 and get serious about that stuff later). Instead, the 2.2.2-channel Dolby Atmos sound system is the most fun part.

Samsung's demo footage was designed to show off what it can do with height and width, and you can really tell the system has the benefit of upfiring drivers, because even in a sub-optimal conference center room, elements of the sound steered across the 130-inch screen with precision, and burst up way higher than the low profile of the projector's body. The positioning had some specificity too, it didn't just run up or to the side – it felt like it had more of a clear point of height and width.

It was a pretty dynamic sound, and offered a solid grasp on detail and clarity, though not as strong as the best soundbars can go, if you spend a lot of month just on that, rather than having it bundled into your projector price.

But I was seriously impressed with the spatial sound and general home theater effect of the Atmos reproduction, and I don't think you'd need a soundbar in many cases, with one serious issue: bass.

Samsung has certainly tried to put bass into the Premiere 9 (it does claim two sub channels, after all!), but there's simply no physical way to put a really impactful subwoofer in a unit that large if you're also squeezing in a whole projector.

(Image credit: Future)

I just wrote about how Yaber's new projector that comes with a separate subwoofer unit made me realise that all ultra short throw projectors that pride themselves on offering sound too should give you the option of a bundled subwoofer, and The Premiere 9 really hammered that home.

It sounded great in so many ways, but a 130-inch picture isn't going to satisfy home theater fans without great bass underpinning it. Movie soundtracks are made with hefty low-end in mind, and the effort of the Premiere 9's drivers just couldn't add any real impact.

It's not like it would need to be a massive subwoofer – Samsung makes an excellent little compact subwoofer that comes with the Samsung HW-S800D soundbar. I tested the previous version – the Samsung HW-S800B – and that tiny cube sub did an excellent job. If Samsung gave people the option of paying an extra $250 to add it to the Premiere 9 and get a more full movie sound out of the box, I think a lot of people would go for it.

Based on my experience with The Premiere 9, I could definitely be tempted by the 130-inch rich 4K images – we'll test it when it launches in 2025 to see if it rivals the best 4K projectors – and having built-in good Dolby Atmos positional audio to simplify my setup only makes it more tempting… but I'll need it to deliver the bass as well.

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Nanoleaf fans, wait no longer; the smart lighting brand's new music visualization software is finally here and ready to make your house parties better than ever.

We first covered Nanoleaf's new desktop app tool, Orchestrator, back in January at CES 2024. Originally tipped as a Spring 2024 release, it's taken a short while for Orchestrator to hit the market, but now it's finally in beta in the Nanoleaf Desktop app - in fact, it's quietly been available there for a few weeks. 

Orchestrator uses song detection and analysis to generate matching color palettes and motions in real-time on some of the best smart lights from Nanoleaf, all specifically tuned to whatever song is playing. You can assign your lights to different parts of the song, meaning your light strips could be pulsing to the bassline while your wall panels dance to the mids or treble of a track, and also set your own preferred color palettes if the automatically generated options don't fit your vibe. 

Until now, the only option for music-syncing with Nanoleaf has been to use the Nanoleaf Rhythm feature in the mobile app, which listens out for sound using the built-in mics on your lights and responds based on your preferred scenes.

However, you still need to manually set the coloration and motion, and Nanoleaf Rhythm is often interrupted by ambient noise like talking, clapping and moving furniture. Orchestrator, on the other hand, directly connects to your PC's audio source (support has been confirmed for Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube "and more") and translates the audio to your own personal light show. 

I've tried both tools, and without a doubt, Orchestrator is the only smart light software that's ever delivered on creating the smart light disco of my dreams. While it's still only in beta and there's consequently sure to be some quirks to how the software responds, if what I tried back in January is any indication, it's a real treat.

Alongside a slew of new product announcements including the upcoming Nanoleaf Blocks, Nanoleaf also announced a new tool called Scenescapes, an immersive light and sound experience that's designed to set the mood for relaxation and focus, which is planned for release in October.

The new Level Up lighting scene uses lively shades of blue (Image credit: Nanoleaf) Immersive entertainment at its finest

From the best Ambilight alternatives to responsive software like Orchestrator, smart lighting is fast becoming a must-have addition to home entertainment systems. Nanoleaf, in particular, seems to be leaning on gaming, film, and music as a way for consumers to get more out of their smart lighting. 

In the past few years alone, it's released devices like Nanoleaf 4D, reams of new light panels that add to its existing Shapes and Lines product categories like Nanoleaf Ultra Black Shapes, and even its own holiday lights for the festive season, all of which offer a host of features and tools to take full control of your smart light setup. 

Plus, Nanoleaf has partnered with brands like Overwolf and Razer with its desktop app to enhance gaming experiences, as well as features like screen mirroring. However, many of these features aren't yet available on mobile devices, with the only smart lighting service offering direct-to-source music synchronization on mobile devices being Philips Hue's Spotify sync feature. While this isn't quite as sophisticated as Orchestrator based on my in-person experience at CES, it's still a lot more convenient to have something pocket-sized to control your lights with, especially if you're hosting a social event. 

This focus on immersive lighting is a trend that looks set to continue in the coming years as the smart lighting market continues to mature, with more and more smart light manufacturers leaning into the software powering their lights - however until this comes to more convenient mobile devices, the jury is out for who will become the real winner in immersive lighting. 

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The Qrevo Curv is a new robot vacuum from Roborock, and it promises to be able to reach places no robovac has been before. That's thanks to a bouncy chassis and quad bike-style chunky wheels that can bump this robot vacuum up over thresholds up to 4cm high. It's also able to venture into deep-pile carpets without getting stuck. 

The 'AdaptiLift Chassis' is an industry-first, and appears on both the Qrevo Curv and sister model Qrevo Edge (which is the same model, just with a different dock). I got to see them both in action at IFA 2024, where they're being launched, and was impressed with what I saw.

Flip the Curv over and you'll find three wheels – big left and right main wheels, and a smaller 'omni' wheel' – each of which can be independently adjusted by up to 1cm in height. These are what enables the vac to traverse uneven terrain.

(Image credit: Future)

For a long time, the best robot vacuum brands have been focused on improving suction, battery life and navigation, but we're also increasingly seeing them addressing the physical limitations of the robovac form factor – or, more specifically, where they can and can't go in your home. (The other IFA robovac launch is a super-slim robovac designed to get under low-slung furniture – the Qrevo Slim – more on that in a sec).

Tangle-tackling features

The suspension system is the headline addition, but the Roborock Qrevo Curv and Edge also have an improved anti-hair-tangle system. The main brush roller is now split in the middle, so that hair can be directed straight into a central dustbin inlet rather than getting tangled around the brush roller. 

On test, we've actually found a few robot vacs that are adept at dealing with long hair (it's one of the key specs we look for in our best robot vacuum for pet hair picks). Often, it's the spinning side brushes that are more of an issue in terms of hair tangling. The Qrevo Curv does have an extendable side brush, but the three brushes have been positioned at an angle, so the hair should slide off. Roborock promises a "0% tangling rate and 100% removal rate", which is a confident claim if ever I heard one. 

(Image credit: Future)

Elsewhere, you'll find 18,500Pa of suction and 75C hot mop-washing to neutralize bacteria, while the aforementioned side brush is joined by a right-side mop to help you get right up to the edges of rooms. 

The Qrevo Curv will be available in APAC, the EU and the US. We currently only have EU pricing though – it'll have a list price of €1,499.99 (that's around $1,600 / £1,260 / AU$2,450, based on current exchange rates). 

Anniversary launches

The Qrevo Curv and Edge are two of five new smart home-cleaning products Roborock has unveiled at IFA 2024 – a bumper crop, to mark the brand's 10-year anniversary. 

There's one more robot vacuum: the Qrevo Slim. In the bear hunt of home cleaning, where the Curv and Edge are designed to go over it, the Qrevo Slim will go under it. This streamlined and slim robot vacuum has a height of just 8.2cm, which is good news for anyone with low-sitting furniture. 

The Slim also has an innovative navigation system, engineered as part of a five-year collaboration between Roborock, Infineon, pmd, and OFlim. It comprises "dual-light 3D ToF technology" that forms "a high-density laser array with over 21,600 sensor points and a 38,400Hz sampling frequency", combined with an intelligent RGB camera. 

I do understand all of that, but if you don't, the key thing is that it should ensure more precise navigation – including the ability to capture precise height and depth information – and better obstacle recognition. Elsewhere, there's the 11,000Pa of suction, a FlexiArm side brush and mop for getting close to the edges of rooms, and a self-cleaning dock. 

That one will also be available in APAC, EU, US, and we have pricing for Europe (€1,299.99) and the US ($1,399). That's around £1,100 or AU$2,100.

(Image credit: Roborock)

Alongside the robovacs, there's also a new Roborock cordless vacuum, and a smart washer dryer. The H5 cordless vac is lightweight and slimline, but packs 158AW of suction, and a five-stage filtration system. It'll be available in the EU and APAC. We have the EU price – €299.99 (around $330 / £250 / AU$490).

The Zeo Lite joins the Zeo One in Roborock's budding expansion into home appliances. It uses 'Zeo-cycle technology' (AI-powered, because of course it is) to absorb water vapor more efficiently, without the need for extreme heat. No word on launch dates, pricing or locations yet.

Earlier this week, US law enforcement seized 32 websites, and charged two individuals with conspiracy, as it cracks down on attempts to influence the upcoming US presidential elections. This scheme is part of a larger influence campaign orchestrated by Russia, with the goal of getting former president Donald Trump back in the Oval office.

"The Department's seizure of 32 internet domains secretly deployed to spread foreign malign influence demonstrates once again that Russia remains a predominant foreign threat to our elections," deputy attorney general Lisa Monaco declared in a statement, The Register reports. "At Putin's direction, Russian companies SDA, Structura, and ANO Dialog used cybersquatting, fabricated influencers, and fake profiles to covertly promote AI-generated false narratives on social media."

In other words, Russia is paying good money to have people create typosquatted websites, fake news websites, fake influencers, and fake social media profiles, and use all of that to spread misinformation and propaganda that aimed to tilt the US public opinion towards Donald Trump.

Detailing Moscow's plans

To get the warrant to seize the websites, law enforcement prepared a big fat affidavit, which apparently details internal strategy meeting notes, and different propaganda projects built by Russia. In them, Moscow’s agents were openly discussing putting Trump back into power, since the Republicans are more interested in domestic issues. That, in turn, should give Russia more breathing room in Ukraine, and elsewhere around the world where it’s pursuing its interests.

The names were redacted in the notes, but according to The Register, it’s pretty clear from the context, who Russia supports.

Besides seizing the websites, the Justice Department also charged two Russian nationals - Kostiantyn Kalashnikov (31) and Elena Afanasyeva (27), with “conspiracy to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act and conspiracy to commit money laundering.” Both are allegedly employed by RT, which is a Russian state-funded media organization. Allegedly, they were given $10 million to create the content needed to sway the US public opinion. On YouTube alone, the content has more than 16 million views, the affidavit states. Both remain at large.

Via The Register

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New Yorker writer David Kirkpatrick says anti-fascists are using extra judicial methods to do what the FBI can't, by infiltrating white nationalist groups to expose them and planned attacks.

LG Display says its OLED prototype could be used as part of a new category of smart device clothing.

Long a pioneer in flexible and transparent displays, LG Display is staking out new territory with what it's calling a groundbreaking development: stretchable displays.

Yes, you heard that right. According to LG Display, "Stretchable displays...can be freely stretched, folded, and twisted."

The folding and even twisting part is not that remarkable. I've been to many LG Display private meeting rooms at CES and other events where they've demonstrated all kinds of screen rolls, curves, twists, and bends. Stretching, however, that's something different.

LG Display's first Stretchable Display prototype is making its debut at the 2025 S/S Seoul Fashion Week (September 5-7) where runway models will show how the display can stretch from 12 to 14 inches. That's something I've never seen before.

As for what you might do with stretchy screens, well, that's why LG is showing it off at a fashion show. Imagine it on a dress that has to adjust for your curves or a bag that can handle being stuffed until it bulges. LG provided some photos and a very brief video of the LG Stretchable Display in use in a pair of fashion scenarios, but I look forward to seeing, touching, and stretching these screens myself.

“Stretchable displays will have a great impact on the fashion industry by enabling the implementation of designs that previously could only be imagined," said Korean fashion designer Chung-Chung Lee in LG's release.

But how?

(Image credit: LG Display)

LG Display explained to me that these stretchy displays are high-resolution active matrix micro-LED screens. The maximum stretch is about 20%, and the secret to that stretchability is LG Display's use of silicon material, most commonly used in contact lenses. It gives them, they claim, an almost rubberband-like stretchability. These stretchable screens could also last a while, with promised support for more than 10,000 form changes. So push, pull, and scrunch your display dress until you're worn out; the stretchable screen can apparently take it.

LG Display told me the Micro-LED screen is durable and "has a resolution that competes with standard monitors." That may be so, but the full-RGB displays only support 100 ppi. That's less than a quarter of the resolution you might get on your standard best iPhone. We still don't know anything about display size limitations or where the power source for these screens might live. Will you be wearing a battery-powered dress?

While LG Display is currently positioning Stretchable Displays for commercial use, the technology allows screens to stick not only to fabric but also to human skin. If LG Display can work out the power source situation, we could be slapping these thin, lightweight, and fungible screens on our arms and then stretching them a bit to create illustrative and ever-changing tattoo sleeves.

As LG notes in its release, "...they could revolutionize everyday life by enabling an era of IT devices that can be comfortably worn like clothes or attached to the body."

LG, by the way, is not alone in the stretchable display quest. Earlier this year, we stumbled upon an Apple patent that outlined stretchy displays for things like an Apple Watch and MacBooks. Of course, that's just a patent that may never see the light of day. LG Display's stretchable displays are already adorning shirts and bags.

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If you struggle remember people, places or even the specific meal you ate on holiday, then fear not – Google Photos is getting two big upgrades that mean it will increasingly act like your AI-powered photographic memory.

The first is a big update to the search function in Google Photos. Google says that, starting from today (September 5), you'll be able to search your photos in the iOS or Android app using more everyday language, rather than specific keywords.

A few of the examples of the types of phrasing you can use include "Alice and me laughing", "kayaking on a lake surrounded by mountains" or "Emma painting in the backyard". In other words, your searches can now be much more conversational and descriptive.

To help you refine your searches further, you'll also be able filter and sort your searches by date or relevance. Google says this new search experience is rolling out now for English speakers, but will expand to more languages "over the coming weeks".

But the real glimpse of where Google Photos – and our memories – are headed is the app's the 'Ask Photos' feature. This was first announced at Google IO 2024, but Google has just opened up the waitlist for those in the US – and you can sign up for it on the official 'Ask Photos' page.

The Gemini-powered feature (which is currently free doesn't need a subscription) seemingly understands your photographic history on a much deeper level, letting you effectively treat it as your photographic memory with even more conversational, natural language searches.

For example, you can apparently ask it questions "What did we eat at the hotel in Stanley?" or "Where did we camp last time we went to Yosemite?", and it'll rifle through your snaps to hunt down the answer. Clever, and potentially slightly creepy, stuff.

The ultimate argument settler?

(Image credit: Google)

There are clearly some privacy concerns around a feature as powerful as 'Ask Photos' – in fact, it reminds us a little of the Black Mirror episode 'The Entire History of You', where tech records the characters' audiovisual senses and allows them to relive memories – with mixed results.

Of course, Google isn't proposing recording your every move, just using AI-powered search to understand your life on a deeper level – and only through the photos you share with it. 

Google says that it's taking a "responsible" approach to launching Ask Photos, and states that that "your data in Google Photos is never used for ads" and is "protected with our industry-leading security measures".

It adds that in order to improve Ask Photos, "queries may be reviewed by humans, but only after being disconnected from your Google Account to protect your privacy". In other words, your questions are anonymized and Google confirms that the answers you get from the feature "are not reviewed by humans".

So while some may understandably have reservations about signing up for a feature that has such a deep insight into their personal life, the considerable flipside is having an AI-powered memory that can help you rediscover forgotten details – or perhaps settle arguments, too.

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Write right with one of our favorite notebooks, journals, and sketchbooks.

JLab is well known for making affordable earbuds that punch way above their price tag, and you'll often find its earbuds among our picks of the best wireless earbuds. And now the firm has unveiled three brand new buds and over-ears. Once again they're very keenly priced and deliver impressive specifications including multipoint Bluetooth and in the Epic model, hybrid ANC.

The new Epic Sport ANC 3 True Wireless Earbuds have been developed in collaboration with Knowles, makers of high precision audio components, and JLab says these are its best-sounding sports earbuds yet. They feature a 10mm dynamic driver with Knowles' balanced armature driver to deliver what the firm promises are deep, resonant bass frequencies and crystal clear highs. There's support for Hi-Res Audio, Bluetooth LE and Spatial Audio, and the hybrid ANC should keep the outside world quiet. There's also JLab's take on transparency mode, which it calls Be Aware Audio. 

Battery life is a promised 12 hours from the buds and a total of 52 hours play time, and even with ANC enabled you can expect up to 42 hours. 

The Epic Sport ANC 3 will go on sale later this month in the US, UK and Germany for $99.99 / £ 99.99 / €119.99 directly from the manufacturer, and will be available from retailers in October 2024.

JLab's Epic Sport ANC 3 are the stars of the company's new offering at the IFA show, for us…  (Image credit: JLab) JLab Flex Open Clip and Open Sport earbuds: key features and pricing

In addition to the Epic Sport ANC 3, JLab has also unveiled two new open-ear models at the annual tech event IFA, in Berlin: the Flex Open Clip Wireless Earbuds and the JBuds Open Sport True Wireless Earbuds.

The JLab Flex is the more affordable model, with a price tag of $49.99 / £ 49.99 / € 69.99. With a weight of just 12g and a clip-on cuff design, the Flex features large 12mm drivers, 7 hours of battery (21 hours total) and according to the manufacturer, bass that's comparable to closed-ear models.

The JBuds Open Sport have even bigger drivers: 14.2mm. The Open Sport have an ear hook design and a two-microphone environmental noise canceling system to deliver clear speech in calls. There's 26 hours of playtime (9 solo) and the Open Sport price is $79.99 / £ 79.99 / €99.99.

In addition to these new earbuds, JLab is also bringing its JBuds Sport ANC 4 True Wireless Earbuds to the European market. Those buds have Hybrid Active Noise Cancellation and Find My Device support, and they're available in the US and UK for $69.99 / £ 69.99. They'll go on sale in Germany in October for €79.99.

And because JLab's served up some of the best budget wireless earbuds to date, including the excellent JLab JBuds Mini, which took the place of the also-splendid-for-the-money JLab GO Air Pop in that buying guide when the newer offering arrived, we can't wait to hear them. 

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Lockly's Zeno series is an compact smart lock line that sounds especially appealing for Apple fans.

Nanoleaf, the company behind some of the best smart lights, has launched a new system of LED panels and storage that lets you show off your collections while keeping them organized.

The Nanoleaf Blocks system includes square LED panels in two sizes, which you can combine with textured square light panels, pegboards, and shelves to make a bespoke layout. 

The Blocks panels are thicker and sturdier than Nanoleaf's earlier square panels, with seamless edge-to-edge illumination to create a smooth, even look without dark corners or hot spots. The pegboards are particularly interesting, giving you a place to store objects like keyboards and headphones that you want to use regularly, with light and animations shining through the holes behind them.

As with all Nanoleaf panels, you can use preset 'scenes' to set the mood with subtle or dramatic ambient lighting, and the Blocks system includes several new options. The new Minimalist scene uses white lights at different temperatures, Level Up (shown below) uses fresh blue shades, and Lo-Fi Dreams features soft pastel colors. There are thousands of other scenes to choose from in the Nanoleaf app  too, or you can create your own.

The new Level Up lighting scene uses lively shades of blue (Image credit: Nanoleaf) Magic and mirrors

Nanoleaf Blocks can respond to sound via the Rhythm Music Visualizer, and you can use Screen Mirror to extend the content of your screen (much like a Philips Ambilight TV). There's also Magic Scenes, which lets you type in a word or phrase, and uses AI to generate lighting accordingly. For example, you might type 'Winter Wonderland' to generate something festive, or enter the name of the movie you're about to watch.

Nanoleaf Blocks are compatible with all the major smart home ecosystems (including Apple HomeKit, Google Home, and Amazon Alexa) so you can control them using voice commands or your smart home hub. You can also operate them using Nanoleaf's mobile and desktop apps, or with the physical controller built into the power cable.

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