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• A Microsoft support document reveals a new twist on Windows 10's extended update scheme
• Even if you pay $30 for the program, you'll need to have a Microsoft account
• The good news is that up to 10 devices are supported with one license

We've had a surprise late revelation that Windows 10's extended update scheme will require you to have a Microsoft account, even if you pay for those updates (and don't take up the free offer).

Windows Central uncovered a Microsoft support document carrying this info, which has left more than a few people unhappy.

When Microsoft revealed its Extended Security Updates (ESU) program, the company made it clear that the cost would be $30 for an extra year of support, through to October 2026 (normal support ends this October). Then later, Microsoft relented and offered a free option, allowing Windows 10 users to instead choose to sync their PC settings to its cloud service - which, of course, is going to require a Microsoft account (to be signed into OneDrive, where the data is synced).

Folks assumed that if they went the paying route, spending $30 would be the only requirement - but it turns out that you'll also need a Microsoft account to avail yourself of the ESU in this way, meaning a local account on your PC won't suffice.

Microsoft tells us: "All enrollment options provide extended security updates through October 13, 2026. You will need to sign into your Microsoft account in order to enroll in ESU."

Elsewhere in the support document, Microsoft notes: "The ESU license is tied to your Microsoft account, so you may be prompted to sign in if you typically sign into Windows with a local account."

There is some good news here, though, which is that Microsoft also clarifies that this extended support program can be used on up to 10 devices. So, as long as those Windows 10 PCs are all signed in to the Microsoft account that has picked up the ESU offer, they're good to go.

Analysis: Local loss

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Regardless of how you access the ESU scheme, the license you get must be tied to a Microsoft account. If you've forgotten those options, you can pay $30, sync your PC settings to OneDrive, as mentioned, or alternatively, use 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points (if you have them).

The reason for the Microsoft account requirement is doubtless so the software giant can police the 10-device limit, but as noted, this is going to cause some degree of bad feeling. Given that Microsoft has been pushing against being able to have a local account at all when setting up Windows 11 - and notably closing loopholes that are present to fudge your way around having to tie an installation to a Microsoft account - people are only going to be suspicious that this is just another way to shove them into getting a Microsoft account.

If you're paying $30 for the privilege of an extra year of support, shouldn't forking out that cash be enough? I think so, and Microsoft could always just warn you that if you don't use a Microsoft account, you'll only get support on a single device (the one you're signing up with). Then users could decide to proceed, or not, with linking to an account based on their preference in that regard.

If you do have multiple Windows 10 PCs, mind, it's no doubt good to know that you can cover them all with just a single sign-up for the ESU (even using the free offer).

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• Security researcher finds unsecured 38GB database containing 10,820 records
• Names, postal addresses, and more were leaked to the open internet
• The archive, owned by IMDataCenter is now shut down

IMDataCenter, a Florida-based data hygiene, enhancement, and append services provider, has been found leaking thousands of sensitive personal records to the open internet.

Security researcher Jeremiah Fowler discovered an unencrypted and non-password-protected database, containing 10,820 records. It was 38 GB in size, with the majority of files being .CSV spreadsheets with “many thousands or hundreds of thousands of rows of PII.”

There is no evidence of abuse in the wild just yet, but the PII (Personally Identifiable Information) included people’s names, postal addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, and lifestyle or ownership information.

Locking down the database

“The records appeared to be a storage repository for client orders labeled “reports” and “results”,” Fowler told Website Planet.

“Files names indicated these lists were used for multiple purposes, including sales and marketing leads for industries such as insurance, solar, elections, car warranties, hospitals, healthcare providers, and more.”

IMDataCenter is a Florida-based division of Brooks Integrated Marketing, offering a platform for marketing data improvement, including identity resolution, phone and email appending, Complete Integrated Marketing Append (CIMA), and more.

The platform’s data library spans 260 million individuals, 130 million households, 600 million emails, 550 million phone numbers, and more.

Fowler reached out to the company to warn them about the leaking information, and the database was locked down soon after.

“Data security is really important to us too and we really appreciate you sharing this information with us,” they told the researcher. “We are working to secure the information ASAP”.

The researcher also stressed that many companies hire third-party service providers to own and manage such databases. It is unknown who maintains IMDataCenter’s one. It is also unknown if any malicious actors found the database in the past, or abused it for phishing, identity theft, or similar impersonation attacks.

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As the adoption of agentic AI accelerates across industries, enterprise leaders face a crucial challenge: preparing today’s knowledge and systems for tomorrow’s AI-powered customer service.

Integrating distributed knowledge, ensuring information accuracy, and architecting AI agents are not just technical exercises—they are strategic imperatives for any organization seeking to stay ahead in the age of generative and agentic AI.

This article provides five key steps to future-proofing an enterprise for the agentic AI era.

1. The foundation: knowledge quality and ownership

At the heart of any effective agentic AI system lies one asset: organizational knowledge. Yet, as enterprises have grown, so too has the sprawl of knowledge—scattered across departments, tools, and formats. The first—and arguably the most difficult—step is consolidating this knowledge into one unified, accurate, and accessible source.

It’s not a one-off job. It’s not about ingesting that information just once and then having it distributed to customers, for example, when we're talking about customer service. It is especially relevant to keep it up to date and think of knowledge as something that needs to be maintained.

Key actions for enterprises:

Aggregate and validate: employ technologies like Azure AI Search to unify data, but ensure each piece of information is verified and free of conflicts or outdated content.

Assign ownership: make subject matter experts responsible for ongoing accuracy. Knowledge must be continuously maintained, not simply imported.

Automate where possible: use tools to automatically detect ambiguity, outdated data, and discrepancies, but always have clear human accountability.

2. Integration: bridging technical silos

Even the highest-quality knowledge is useless if it’s trapped in silos or lost in translation between systems. Technical integration is a prerequisite for agentic AI success. Leaders should focus on both aggregation and real-time synchronization across all knowledge repositories, ensuring seamless interoperability with AI agents.

Best practices:

Synchronize changes in real time: any updates to knowledge should be reflected instantly across all systems feeding the AI.

Prepare for multimodality: enterprises must handle diverse file types—text, images within PDFs, and even external references—that affect the factual reliability of responses.

Design for compatibility: ensure integration mechanisms work not only for aggregation but for active use by AI systems, reducing friction between legacy and modern platforms.

3. Precision retrieval: from domain buckets to human-in-the-loop

Agentic AI thrives not on sheer volume of knowledge, but on the precision of its retrieval and application. This requires a clear strategy for domain separation—defining specific knowledge “buckets”—and robust quality assurance processes.

With agentic AI systems, it is better to split the domains into respective buckets... define the different domains that need to be handled and make sure that specialists are available for respective knowledge retrieval. Proper quality assurance with, for example, human-in-the-loop approaches, is essential.

What this means:

Define and limit scope: by narrowing knowledge domains, organizations make quality control manageable while improving retrieval accuracy.

Human oversight: subject matter experts should be involved in reviewing responses, especially when AI interacts with ambiguous or complex queries.

Smart conversational design: build agentic systems that clarify user requests, routing queries to the correct knowledge base.

4. Context over “training”: the new paradigm for Agentic AI

Contrary to popular belief, the primary challenge in deploying agentic AI is no longer traditional “training” of models. Instead, it is about providing the right context, curated and orchestrated by a new breed of professionals: agent architects and prompt engineers.

What’s changing:

Shift from ML training to context engineering: it’s less about fine-tuning models, and more about architecting the context and guidance that AI agents need to perform.

Emergence of prompt engineering: there’s a growing need for experts who can design effective prompts, stay abreast of changing base model standards, and translate business needs into actionable guidance for AI agents.

Use case definition: effective AI agents require clear use case data, drawn from real customer pain points—not misleading conversational analytics from outdated IVR systems.

5. Legacy integration and open standards: future-proofing the stack

Many enterprises remain shackled by legacy infrastructure. Successful AI transformation demands not only technical modernization but also alignment with open standards that enable agent-to-agent collaboration and cross-system compatibility.

Key actions for enterprises:

Assess and modernize: identify which legacy systems hinder integration and prioritize making them accessible.

Adopt open standards: invest in emerging protocols that facilitate inter-agent communication, collaboration, and future expansion.

Conclusion

For those steering enterprises toward agentic AI, preparation means far more than adopting the latest model or platform. It demands a holistic strategy: consolidating and maintaining accurate knowledge, breaking down technical silos, orchestrating precise retrieval, and embracing the new disciplines of context and prompt engineering. By acting now, leaders can ensure that tomorrow’s AI agents not only deliver on their promise, but do so with the precision, reliability, and agility that today’s customers—and tomorrow’s enterprises—will demand.

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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

• Sony senior vice president Sadahiko Hayakawa has made some interesting comments about the company's gaming strategy
• He said that it's "moving away from a hardware centric business more to a community based engagement business"
• This could mean that more multi-platform PlayStation games are on the way

Sony senior vice president Sadahiko Hayakawa has revealed some interesting details about the company's current gaming strategy.

Speaking in a Q&A after the company's latest earnings call, Hayakawa was asked about Sony's investment in various intellectual property (IP).

"We have been shifting towards creation," he responded, before listing a number of examples. This included the move towards the production in digital cameras in Sony's TV segment, in addition to the expansion of the company's music catalogue through acquisitions.

"In our gaming business, we're moving away from a hardware centric business more to a community based engagement business," he said.

"That has been increasing, so now as we make more of a transition for more entertainment creation the stability of our performance is increasing."

As for what this could mean in practical terms, it's likely that we'll see further multi-platform PlayStation releases, particularly when it comes to its live-service offerings.

In the case of a game like Helldivers 2, which is set to launch on Xbox on August 26, it makes sense that Sony would want to maximize its persistent live-service revenue by having the title available on as many platforms as possible rather than just the PlayStation 5.

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In 1967, I began my first job working with computers. The company was presciently named International Data Highways (IDH), the brainchild of my remarkable mentor, Charlie Ross. Even in the infancy of computing, Charlie was pushing the boundaries of what computer science could achieve. He envisioned a world where financial and business information would be instantly accessible via terminal. His foresight was extraordinary, especially considering the limitations of the time.

Charlie was a visionary, driven by possibilities invisible to others but clear as day to him. He created an environment where curiosity was expected and boldness rewarded. It was a heady environment for a 19-year-old to be thrown into—and Charlie believed in throwing people in the deep end. He wanted his team to be brave, empowered, and unafraid to fail. This mindset was radical in 1967 Britain, where conformity and rigid corporate hierarchies ruled.

That early baptism by fire prepared me for the revolutionary journey computers would take over the next half-century. Little did I know that I had joined the most transformative industry the world had ever seen.

The rise and fall of giants

The first computer I worked on was the Sperry Univac 418—a massive, complex machine with a 24-bit word structure and a 12-bit addressing mechanism. It used a storage device known as a FastRand drum, which weighed two and a half tons and could store a mind-bending 100 megabytes of data. In those days, IBM dominated the industry with batch processing, while Sperry and others pushed the frontier of real-time computing.

IBM’s market share in the early 1970s was nearly 80% of the global computing market. But by the 1990s, the once-mighty firm teetered on the edge of collapse. Agile, innovative players like Digital Equipment Corporation and Data General had emerged, and IBM’s fall was swift and brutal. Watching this unfold in real time impressed upon me one core truth: this is an industry where today's titan is tomorrow’s toast.

Much of this volatility can be traced to Moore’s Law. In 1965, Gordon Moore predicted that the speed and capacity of transistors would double every 18–24 months. This exponential growth would continue to redefine the limits of possibility—not just in computing power but in how quickly innovation itself could accelerate. Two years after Moore’s prediction, I entered the industry. The rest is history—and we’re still writing it.

From constraints to catalysts

The innovations of the past five decades—mainframes, PCs, the internet, mobile devices—were the hors d’oeuvres. What we are now witnessing with AI is the main course. The difference lies not just in power, but in liberation. For most of my career, progress was constrained by the lack of computing power, limited storage, and slow processing speeds. Cloud computing, distributed architecture, and global broadband have obliterated those limits.

Today, we operate in a world of universal access. Storage is cheap and nearly infinite. Computing power is on demand. Barriers are gone. And with that, we have opened a new door—one that leads not to incremental improvement, but to a new industrial revolution.

This is not a wave. It’s a tsunami.

Those sitting comfortably on the beach, sipping tea and admiring the view, are about to be swept away. Those who grab a surfboard and paddle out to meet the surge head-on will experience the ride of a lifetime.

AI: the great equalizer

Perhaps the most stunning transformation AI brings is the democratization of knowledge. For centuries, information was locked behind paywalls—academic, professional, institutional. In some industries, guild-like structures guarded specialized knowledge jealously. AI changes that. It is the ultimate key, unlocking access for anyone with a connection and curiosity.

Professional hierarchies will flatten. Management will face new levels of transparency and accountability thanks to real-time analytics. Strategic decisions once made in echo chambers will now be data-informed and challengeable.

This will not be a time for the timid. It will favor the bold, the agile, the open-minded. Yet the true revolution lies not in how companies operate—but in how people live, learn, and grow.

The coming reinvention of education

Education may be the sector most radically transformed by AI. For too long, students have been shuffled through one-size-fits-all classrooms, forced to memorize facts, and judged by standardized exams. AI opens the door to personalized, adaptive learning—customized in real time to each student’s strengths, weaknesses, and interests.

Imagine a system where students are assessed continuously through participation and engagement, not just snapshots on test days. AI can identify knowledge gaps and tailor content dynamically—favoring subjects that spark passion, curiosity, and intrinsic motivation. Students will no longer be treated as production units that must progress at the same pace. They will be treated as individuals.

Parents will no longer need to buy homes in expensive school districts to access quality education. World-class learning will be accessible to everyone, everywhere. Finally, education will be democratized—just as knowledge is.

Compare this to China’s Gaokao, where every high school student takes a life-determining university entrance exam on the same day in June. Should a teenager’s future be determined by two days of testing—or by twelve years of continuous growth and learning? AI makes that question more than rhetorical. It makes a new model possible.

Unleashing human creativity

Beyond education, AI promises to unlock a renaissance of human creativity. By automating repetitive and menial tasks, it will free the mind to focus on imagination, problem-solving, and innovation. AI will allow people to color outside the lines again—something that corporate culture and standardized education often suppress.

Innovation will no longer come just from elite R&D labs or top universities. It will come from a billion creative minds newly empowered. AI will not just be a tool of efficiency—it will be a force of liberation.

Conclusion: embrace the future

Looking back on my 57-year journey—from machine code to machine learning—I’m reminded of how much has changed, and yet, how many principles remain the same. Vision, courage, curiosity, and resilience remain the essential traits of any innovator.

The tools may change. The pace will accelerate. But the opportunity—for impact, for growth, for transformation—has never been greater. We stand at the edge of something vast. The surf is up and the surfboards are ready.

Let’s enjoy the ride.

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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

One Google AI leader says Gemini's sad messages about itself are a glitch that the company plans to address.

Although not known as a global best web hosting provider FC2 is still a pretty popular blogging host from Japan (think of it as the Japanese version of GeoCities). The company is registered in the US but supposedly run by brothers (Rihiro and Takahashi Takahiro. While it is US based it's clear that this is made for Japanese (or people that can read Japanese) users as even when the language is set to English, Japanese characters still appear making usability somewhat difficult for users not proficient in Japanese.

In November 2024 Rihiro was arrested in Japan for allowing obscene content to be published on the site and together with user decline part of the blogging site was shut down. More information about the shutdown can be found on FC2's post. Websites and web pages without fc2web in the URL should still be operating as expected.

Controversy has followed FC2 through the years, primarily for allowing hosting without putting any restrictions on the content including pornography, piracy and defamation. Fortunately, from 2012 onwards stricter rules have been enforced and the changes in Japanese law regarding the foreign entities operating in Japan have helped the injured parties seek justice.  

• Interested in FC2? Check out the website here

For those growing up in the early 2000s, FC2’s main website may feel like a walk down the memory lane with its old-school style and somewhat puzzling user experience. Everything seems straightforward at the beginning, but soon enough you might feel like being lost in a maze, faced with dead ends and some pages popping up in Japanese just to confuse you even further.

FC2's blogging site is much more modern than its website page (Image credit: FC2)

Besides English and Japanese, FC2’s website is available in eleven additional languages, although the translation doesn’t appear to be total in some parts.  If you click on “Blog” (next to a cute rubber duck), you’ll proceed to FC2 BLOG’s website which is more modern, easier to use and available in all the same languages. 

The “About” section of FC2’s website provides a brief overview of FC2’s history that ends in 2013 and fails to mention anything about their servers or data center locations. 

• Also check out our roundup of the best blogging sites

Plans and pricing

Although there is truth in the words that you get what you pay for, since FC2 provides services that are completely free of charge, we’ll have to judge them by other means. With FC2 there aren't multiple web hosting plans to choose from, but rather one plan to rule them all for those looking for a way to create their dream blog without lightening their wallets.

As one would expect, this plan doesn’t provide much, but it does include up to 1GB of web space, one subdomain, unlimited bandwidth, a file manager and editor, support for Java and Flash file types as well for CGI, PHP and SSI. Besides shared hosting, FC2 provides its own website builder, which is (again) absolutely free.

Despite the fact that FC2’s services are free, you can make some pocket money by allowing ads on your blog, although (as of late) you can decide not to allow any advertisements on it.

You'll have to register with FC2 before you begin writing a blog or building a website (Image credit: FC2)Ease of use

FC2’s site may not be the most intuitive one we’ve seen, but with a little patience you’ll find everything you need to know before creating your website. To start this journey into the unknown, click on the “Free Website” key and proceed to “FC2ID registration” to create your account. Before this, you would probably want to check out the features, read terms of use, some of the beginner-friendly manuals or contact the team behind FC2. However, the latter can be done to make inquiries about three types of issues only: questions about payments, bug reports and special feature requests.

To sign up you’ll be required to enter your e-mail address, pass an image verification and agree to all terms of use. After this, to activate your FC2 account, you’ll have to do a verification via e-mail and (unless a part of your URL broke off, like ours did) you should have no trouble proceeding with the creation of your new account. The next step is to produce a password (by using letters and numbers only), pick out a gender (male or female), choose a security question to which you’ll provide an answer, add your birth date (or any birthday you’ll remember) and a zip code.

This is the FC2 dashboard where you'll manage all of your services (Image credit: FC2)

In a matter of minutes you’ll get another email form FC2 and proceed to their dashboard where you can add some of the free services they provide besides web hosting. These include FC2 Blog (where you’ll find a website builder), FC2 Video (video hosting), FC2 Live, FC2 Analyzer, FC2 Content Market and the list goes on. These and all other aspects of your website can be monitored and managed from your dashboard.

If you would rather use a website builder to create content for your new website, FC2 will provide you with one together with 5000 colorful templates, a photo album feature and an ability to create pay-to-view content. If you already have a blog, you can transfer it from a broad range of sites (WordPress included) to FC2.

If you are wondering about the ads, apart from “Powered by FC2”credited at the bottom end of each page, you won’t be seeing any, unless you chose to add them to make extra money along the way.

We used GTmetrix to measure the uptime and response time of our FC2 site (Image credit: GTmetrix)Speed and experience

Even though FC2 makes no promises when it comes to speed or performance, after testing their main website we were blown away by the results we received. The latest performance report by GTmetrix (which is our tool of choice) shows first-grade performance of an A (100%), with all of the vital metrics dramatically above the average values. The time it took to fully load the page amounted to 1.5 seconds which looks even better when compared with the average result of 8.2 seconds.

Since FC2 offers no uptime guarantee, we didn’t expect much when we decided to monitor the uptime of their main website via UptimeRobot. One month later we got a report indicating a spotless uptime of 100%. During this period we failed to record any downtime at all and response time, although not ideally fast, was fairly stable. All in all, it appears that neither speed nor uptime should be on your “worry list” when hosting with FC2.

You can find answers to some common questions in FC2's Website Manual (Image credit: FC2)Support

Having dedicated customer support is definitely not something FC2 can brag about which is understandable considering that their services come at no cost. Since direct channels of support (such as telephone number or live chat) are not an option, you’ll have to find your way using some of the self-help alternatives. The most obvious one is FC2’s “Website Manual” which contains several novice-friendly guides summarizing basic knowledge on how to create your first website. This section functions as the knowledgbase comprising of 26 articles at the time of writing.

A FAQ section is available as well and it features separate sections on various issues (such as registration, file manager, FTP, images, files and so forth) covering most of the essential questions and concerns. There is a comment section at the bottom of the page, however, since some comments have been pending an approval from 2017, we wouldn’t waste our time on that.

The competition

A good alternative to FC2 for those who are looking for free hosting is FreeHostingNoAds, an experienced host with a name that sums it all up.  For a free service, FreeHostingNoAds earns a credit for providing a decent range of features (free domain registration, auto-installs for WordPress, Joomla and the CMS Grav, and a simple website builder). However, the bandwidth is limited to 5GB (while with FC2 it’s unlimited), disc space to 1GB (same as with FC2) and the upload file limit is a mere 15MB (it’s 250 KB with FC2), so if you want anything more than a very simple website, look elsewhere.

Infinity Free is considered to be one of the best providers of free hosting and for good reasons. It puts no restrictions on storage space and the number of monthly visits and subdomains. However, in terms of speed and uptime performance, FC2 wins the prize by a long shot. At any rate, since both services are entirely free, you have nothing to lose but your time.

Although HostGator doesn’t offer free hosting in itself, with their generous 45-days money-back guarantee you are free to try out what they have to offer without worrying about your budget. In addition to this, HostGator is very user-friendly (especially towards beginners), while FC2 users are primarily left to fend for themselves.

Another good beginner-friendly choice is Bluehost which (much like HostGator) doesn’t offer free hosting but still provides user-friendly experience with 24/7 customer support, a myriad of options and features, and a 30-day money-back guarantee. FC2, although quite suitable for those who are just learning how to build their online presence, won’t give your website much space to grow and prosper.  

Final verdict

As a rule, even the best free web hosting comes with a certain number of limitations. Such is the case with FC2, although they can supply everything that is essential for a personal blog, and a website builder with which you can build your website without much hassle. It is even possible to earn a bit of cash on the side, that is, if you don’t have an aversion to ads.

With all that said, if you are a first-timer who wants a helping hand, or a veteran webmaster wanting more than an absolute minimum, you’ll be better off choosing HostGator or Bluehost as your hosting provider. Their services don’t come free-of-charge, but will provide you with much more.

Warehouse efficiency is crucial in helping get goods into the arms of customers. In its simplest form, this means picking, packing and shipping goods from the warehouse to the home as quickly, efficiently and cheaply as possible. In practice, however, there are several challenges that organizations face in their battle to continuously meet customer demand.

Costs for warehouse operators continue to balloon, amidst rising wages, increased national insurance contributions and increased operational costs. Data from the UK’s Office for National Statistics showed that in Q1 2025, costs rose more steeply for transport and storage companies (including logistics, parcels, haulage and warehousing) than for other comparable sectors. This pressure is being compounded by a huge labor shortage, with skilled employees continuing to leave the industry year on year, and the pipeline of emerging talent continuing to decrease.

Businesses are seeking new alternatives to help solve some of these critical industry challenges – including the introduction of automation, and more specifically, autonomous mobile robots (AMRs). These robots can help complete labor-intensive manual tasks, from intricate picking and sorting of goods to moving pallets and large payloads – creating huge efficiencies. Here are five key benefits and considerations for companies looking to AMRs to drive efficiency.

1. AMRs to solve labor challenges

Warehouses are facing several compounding labor-related pressures simultaneously. An aging workforce means more and more talent leaves the industry each year, while the younger generations are seemingly less likely to consider a role in logistics – owing to a preference for more ‘prestigious’ jobs. For existing warehouse employees, retention and workplace engagement is low, contributing to significantly higher turnover rates than in other sectors. These labour disruptions contribute to the slower fulfilment of orders, reduced margins and ultimately impact supply chain resilience.

Rather than taking or replacing jobs, AMRs are actively filling much needed gaps in the labor force, in a way that enhances safety and increases job satisfaction. Using complementary strengths of robots and human workers enhances overall productivity. AMRs excel at repetitive, physically demanding and precision tasks, such as moving heavy loads, sorting items and transporting goods across the warehouse. This allows human workers to focus on higher-value tasks, involving problem solving, critical thinking and adaptability. The result is an efficient workflow, in which the bulk of more dangerous manual labor is handled through automation, while humans oversee quality control, ensuring orders are fulfilled quicker and with less errors.

2. Meeting demands through reduced order cycles

Today’s shoppers prioritize convenience and experience. There is an expectation for quick and efficient delivery of items purchased online, and next-day - or increasingly same-day - deliveries are becoming the industry standard. Failure to meet these expectations risks impacting customer loyalty and retention. In fact, as may as one in three customers won’t purchase from a brand they like again, if they have a single negative experience. Improving the order cycle of goods – from order receipt, through to picking, packing, sorting and shipping – is critical to meeting these expectations.

Close integration between AMRs and Warehouse Management (WMS) ensures accurate, real-time data on current inventory, preventing delays and stockouts. By bringing goods directly to workers on the warehouse floor, AMRs minimize walking and travel time. Equally, advanced navigation systems ensure efficient routing and continuous operations. The result is a quantifiable improvement in picking rates, shorter lead times and increased throughput.

3. Providing increased flexibility and scalability

AMRs provide the additional benefit of flexibility and scalability. Season peaks, like Christmas, require significantly more resources to manage an increased order volume. This often requires larger recruitment drives, from an already dwindling talent pool, and longer hours to meet fulfilment deadlines.

Without time consuming training processes, AMRs can meet the increased volume of work with minimal ramp-up time needed. As business demands change, AMRs can be scaled up and down to match a live workload and seasonal peaks, while human workers can focus on making reactive changes to overarching business challenges. If demand is massively increased, businesses can add more AMRs to their fleet and integrate these without major infrastructure changes or downtime.

4. Increasing efficiency through orchestration

While the benefits are clear, deploying AMRs alone isn’t enough to unlock their full potential. Without integration, the efficiency of AMRs can be limited, if they fail to coordinate and complement the workloads of other automated systems, alongside human employees. The future of teamwork within warehouses is through multi-robot and people orchestration – or technologies that help to coordinate robot fleets and the surrounding manual workers all under one system.

Driving maximum efficiency while using AMRs requires integration, and the application of real-time data from other key warehouse technologies. For example, orchestrators, who can use live order and inventory information from WMSs can allocate tasks to the most suitable robots, or humans, based on proximity, availability and current workload. This ensures that each robot is always working on the most optimal task possible. Resulting reductions in idle time and bottlenecks, through the intelligent application of resources, minimizes errors and ultimately drives improved efficiency and throughput across the warehouse.

5. Future-proof your operation

Ensuring supply chain resilience, and the ability to maintain consistent fulfilment, requires the embracement of technology to drive efficiency. The introduction of AMRs should be part of a wider long-term supply chain and warehouse strategy to balance the strengths of human workers, the efficiency gains for technology and intelligent decision making through real-time data. Together this will enable faster and more accurate delivery of goods, while collectively strengthening the supply chain’s ability to withstand and recover from unexpected challenges.

Ultimately, rising costs and labor shortages are making warehouse efficiency increasingly difficult. Rising adoption of AMRs helps fill labor gaps, speed up order fulfilment and provides valuable flexibility during peak periods. When integrated with warehouse systems and human workers, they optimize workflows and reduce errors overall. Embracing AMRs should be part of a broader technology strategy to provide faster deliveries, meet customer expectations and ultimately build a more resilient supply chain.

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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

Looking for a different day?

A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Friday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Friday, August 8 (game #1292).

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,100 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1293) - hint #1 - VowelsHow many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 4*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1293) - hint #2 - repeated lettersDo any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 4.

Quordle today (game #1293) - hint #3 - uncommon lettersDo the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1293) - hint #4 - starting letters (1)Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 0.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1293) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• N

• I

• E

• V

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #1293) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1293, are…

• NOOSE
• INLET
• ELEGY
• VIRUS

I screwed up today, guessing a word with a letter that I already knew was in the wrong position.

However, as is often the case, the error actually opened up another column and allowed me to guess ELEGY – a word I would have taken longer to find without my lucky error.

Daily Sequence today (game #1293) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1293, are…

• SPACE
• INNER
• CONIC
• KNELT

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1292, Friday, 8 August: KNEEL, KINKY, RALPH, BOOZY
• Quordle #1291, Thursday, 7 August: PLUNK, PROXY, CURVY, PEARL
• Quordle #1290, Wednesday, 6 August: RISKY, APART, FAUNA, HANDY
• Quordle #1289, Tuesday, 5 August: ROAST, SLICK, AUDIT, BILLY
• Quordle #1288, Monday, 4 August: MACAW, SINCE, COLON, CHIRP
• Quordle #1287, Sunday, 3 August: MOTIF, LEERY, LOFTY, BURST
• Quordle #1286, Saturday, 2 August: WARTY, PUPAL, CLEAR, SLICE
• Quordle #1285, Friday, 1 August: ACTOR, MEALY, WIDTH, ADOBE
• Quordle #1284, Thursday, 31 July: STYLE, VALET, AGONY, ALLOY
• Quordle #1283, Wednesday, 30 July: DEBAR, ADMIN, FOLIO, USAGE
• Quordle #1282, Tuesday, 29 July: BATCH, TOPIC, MURKY, BUNCH
• Quordle #1281, Monday, 28 July: CANDY, TRYST, SHIRT, FORGO
• Quordle #1280, Sunday, 27 July: TRAWL, BALER, PIANO, MINCE
• Quordle #1279, Saturday, 26 July: MUDDY, SAINT, KINKY, POLAR
• Quordle #1278, Friday, 25 July: BONUS, RESIN, CEDAR, MADAM
• Quordle #1277, Thursday, 24 July: AGONY, VERVE, GLEAN, MINUS
• Quordle #1276, Wednesday, 23 July: OZONE, PENCE, ROOMY, WIDER
• Quordle #1275, Tuesday, 22 July: OPTIC, GIDDY, VOCAL, ADULT
• Quordle #1274, Monday, 21 July: KNEED, SNAIL, PINTO, FEAST

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Friday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Friday, August 8 (game #523).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #524) - hint #1 - today's themeWhat is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Gastronomic gadgets

NYT Strands today (game #524) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• ROACH
• CUTE
• VEER
• STEW
• LOVE
• CHALK

NYT Strands today (game #524) - hint #3 - spangram lettersHow many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 10 letters

NYT Strands today (game #524) - hint #4 - spangram positionWhat are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: top, 2nd column

Last side: bottom, 5th column

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #524) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #524, are…

• CORKSCREW
• SPATULA
• MIXER
• ZESTER
• SIEVE
• WHISK
• SPANGRAM: KITCHEN TOOL

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

The first thing I did today was to search for the word “kitchen”, as it seemed obvious that it was what “Gastronomic gadgets” was referring to. 

I found it quickly enough, but it wasn’t as straightforward as I thought it would be and it took me a while to see KITCHEN TOOL. Thinking we were looking for a plural theme, I even had kitchen tools ahead of the correct spangram.

Beyond this, the rest of the words were hidden in plain sight, but I particularly enjoyed CORKSCREW revealing itself corkscrew-style. 

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Friday, August 8, game #523)

• DUKE
• COUNT
• HAWK
• DIZZY
• CANNONBALL
• YARDBIRD
• FATS
• SPANGRAM: JAZZ CATS

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Friday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Friday, August 8 (game #789).

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #790) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• INSIDE
• PRODUCT
• MAZE
• SYRUP
• FRUIT
• KNOCK-KNOCK
• LET ME IN
• MUFFIN
• PRACTICAL
• GHOST
• RETURN
• SILK
• YIELD
• TWILIGHT
• DAD
• CASPER

NYT Connections today (game #790) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: The final outcome
• GREEN: Funny ha-ha 
• BLUE: Spooky love stories 
• PURPLE: Add a word that goes with flakes

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #790) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: RESULT 
• GREEN: KINDS OF JOKES 
• BLUE: MOVIES FEATURING SUPERNATURAL ROMANCE 
• PURPLE: CORN-Y THINGS 

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #790) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #790, are…

• YELLOW: RESULT FRUIT, PRODUCT, RETURN, YIELD
• GREEN: KINDS OF JOKES DAD, INSIDE, KNOCK-KNOCK, PRACTICAL
• BLUE: MOVIES FEATURING SUPERNATURAL ROMANCE CASPER, GHOST, LET ME IN, TWILIGHT
• PURPLE: CORN-Y THINGS MAZE, MUFFIN, SILK, SYRUP

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 3 mistakes

I’ll be honest, I absolutely hated Connections yesterday. Not just because I failed, but because it didn’t make sense to me – even in hindsight.

I didn’t do much better today, but at least I understood the links once I finally limped across the line with four correct groups.

My mistake meltdown came in trying to connect what became KINDS OF JOKES. With just eight tiles left I eventually got lucky, but equally I was annoyed that I hadn't seen the easiest of today’s quartets. 

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Friday, August 8, game #789)

• YELLOW: MAKE EQUAL, AS A SCORE DRAW, EVEN, SQUARE, TIE
• GREEN: BESTOW CONFER, GRANT, PRESENT, VEST
• BLUE: THINGS YOU MIGHT DO DURING A BORING CLASS/ MEETING DOODLE, DOZE, PASS NOTES, SPACE
• PURPLE: WORDS AFTER THE LETTERS "MS" DEGREE, MARVEL, PAC-MAN, PAINT

What is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.

On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.

It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.

It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

It's time to unwind after a long week of work – and what better way to do so than streaming one or several new movies and shows that have dropped this week?

Unsurprisingly, Wednesday's second season has been the talk of the entertainment town over the last few days. However, many of the world's best streaming services have also got something interesting to offer, so one of the biggest Netflix TV Originals of all-time isn't the only thing worth watching this weekend. Hop to it, then, and learn more about what else has arrived. – Tom Power, senior entertainment reporter

Wednesday season 2 part 1 (Netflix)

The queen of anti-socialness, goths, and the macabre has returned. Wednesday Addams is back on Netflix for her sophomore semester at Nevermore Academy – and, considering it's been nearly three years since the hugely successful show's first season dropped, it's high time we were reunited with the psychic teen.

Wednesday season 2 won't be an easy ride for Jenna Ortega's eponymous character, though. Indeed, season 2's official trailer reveals she'll be in a race against time to save the life of her self-installed bestie Enid Sinclair. There'll be numerous other intriguing subplots to unravel, too, with the wider Addams Family having a larger role to play in proceedings than last time. Here's hoping one of the best Netflix shows' second outing is as kooky and spooky as its forebear. – TP

• Watch Wednesday season 2 on Netflix

King of the Hill season 14 (Hulu/Disney+)

Can you believe that little Bobby is all grown up? Hank and Peggy have returned to Middle America after a lengthy retirement, and it's incredible how little their world seems to have changed in the interim. In reality, King of the Hill has been off our screens for the last 16 years and it's the perfect dose of nostalgia for the week.

The Hulu and Disney+ show as charming as I remember, and has somehow managed to pick up exactly where prior seasons left off. If you sewed them together, you'd hardly be able to see the seams. Frankly, that's a massive two fingers up to every other legacy sequel in existence. I promise it'll exceed your expectations, even if you can't fully remember the full Hank-lore (you don't really need to). – Jasmine Valentine, entertainment writer

• Watch King of the Hill season 14 on Hulu (US) and Disney+ (internationally)

The Pickup (Prime Video)

I love watching an action movie on a Friday night but, after reading early reviews for one of August's new Prime Video movies, I'm not getting my hopes up for The Pickup. Billed as a heist comedy, it pairs Eddie Murphy and Pete Davidson as armored truck drivers caught in a criminal ambush.

On paper, this Prime Video flick sounds like the kind of plot that could set up thrilling action sequences – but I’m not convinced this one’s going to deliver. Considering Murphy's track record with buddy comedies, his performance might be the only bright spark in what could otherwise be a car crash of an Amazon film. – Amelia Schwanke, senior entertainment editor

• Watch The Pickup on Prime Video

Platonic season 2 (Apple TV+)

From the moment I saw the trailer for Platonic season 2, I knew the Apple TV+ series was onto another winner. The BFF (and things have strictly remained platonic) chemistry between Rose Byrne's Sylvia and Seth Rogen's Will is exactly the kind I hope I grow up to have, even if it comes with too many midlife hurdles for two people to handle. As Apple puts it: “The duo tries their best to be each other’s rock – but sometimes rocks break things.” That only means one thing... a huge helping of delicious drama.

As far as I'm concerned, tension and fallouts between two close friends hits a lot harder than any lovers tiff or evil rivalry, and there's a genuine honesty and vulnerability that comes alongside the laughs this summer. It's the perfect summer comedy we've not yet been treated to, if you discount the bloody accidents on the golf course. – JV

• Watch Platonic season 2 on Apple TV+

The Monkey (Hulu)

Osgood Perkins scared us all silly with the Nicolas Cage-led serial killer horror Longlegs, last year. Now, he's back with something very different. Based on a Stephen King story, The Monkey follows twin brothers who discover a cursed toy monkey that causes horrific deaths around them.

It leans more into comedic gory horror than straight-up frights and there are some seriously shocking moments throughout. One of seven new horror movies on Prime Video, Shudder, HBO Max, and more you can't afford to miss this month. – Lucy Buglass, senior entertainment writer

• Watch The Monkey on Hulu

Freaky Tales (HBO Max)

Pedro Pascal has been a busy boy lately. Whether he's navigating the apocalypse in The Last of Us season 2 or putting his spandex on for The Fantastic Four: First Steps, he's been on our screens a lot, including in this anthology flick that's out now on HBO Max.

In Freaky Tales, we follow an NBA star, a corrupt cop, a female rap duo, teenage punks, neo-Nazis and a debt collector set against an '80s backdrop. It's as varied as it sounds, with the movie showing us four interconnected stories that are sure to entertain. With a 74% Rotten Tomatoes critical rating, it's worth checking out this weekend – LB

• Watch Freaky Tales on HBO Max

Stolen: Heist of the Century (Netflix)

Remember those headlines about the world's biggest diamond heist back in 2003? The story of Italian thieves robbing an estimated $100–500 million from the vault of the Antwerp World Diamond Centre in the dead of the night has left many scratching their heads since, especially considering most of the gems have never been recovered.

Now, thanks to authors Scott Andrew Selby and Greg Campbell, we finally have the inside story. Their book Flawless detailed the daring operation and it’s now been adapted into a Netflix documentary. Think real-life Ocean’s Eleven, produced by one of the minds behind the brilliant Don’t F**k with Cats. I’m already sold. – AS

• Watch Stolen: Heist of the Century on Netflix

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• The Batman Part II will reportedly feature one of The Dark Knight's most famous allies – and their inclusion might kill off a big fan theory about its plot

Michigan's health director spent a year and $30 million building a work requirements system for Medicaid. The problems he encountered have him worried now that 40 states must do the same by 2027.

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• Foundation season 3 may have just killed off another major character
• This season's latest chapter sets the scene for five more incendiary episodes to come
• One of the sci-fi series' stars has teased what'll happen next

Foundation season 3 episode 5 is out now – and it's an explosive entry that might set up an incredibly tense and life-threatening second half of the Apple TV+ show's latest installment.

Titled 'Where Tyrants Spend Eternity', Foundation season 3's latest chapter is full of shocks aplenty, one of which appears to be the demise of another major character. Full spoilers immediately follow for this season up to and including episode 5, so turn back now if you haven't watched it yet.

Someone's going for an unexpected space walk! (Image credit: Apple TV+)

Following Hari Seldon's supposed death in Foundation season 3 episode 2, the sci-fi epic appears to bump off another member of its primary cast – Brother Dawn – in 'Where Tyrants Spend Eternity'.

That might not come as a big surprise to some viewers. After all, a previous version of Dawn, i.e. one of three clones of Cleon I who tyrannically rule the Galactic Empire, was killed in Foundation's first season. The fate of season 3's iteration has been debated over the last couple of weeks, too, especially after Dawn formed a uneasy alliance with Gaal Dornick, who has ties to Empire's arch-rivals in the Foundation and the Second Foundation, in this season's third entry.

Unsurprisingly, Dawn was just a pawn in Gaal's all-consuming quest to try and defeat The Mule, aka this season's Big Bad. In episode 5, Gaal convinces Dawn to form an Imperial blockade around Kalgan, the independent world that The Mule took control of in Foundation season 3's premiere. Dawn does so by blackmailing Tarisk, one of the most influential members of Empire's Galactic Council, which is based on Clarion Station, and whom Kalgan's jurisdiction falls under, who helps to force the rest of his councillors to approve Dawn's request.

Dawn doesn't realize he's going to regret blackmailing Tarisk (Image credit: Apple TV+)

The aim of the blockade? Prevent food and medicine entering Kalgan due to the Imperial armada surrounding the planet, and effectively starve The Mule and his forces until they surrender. Okay, Kalgan's civilian population would also suffer, but Gaal insists it's a small price to pay to thwart this season's primary villain.

Predictably, things don't go according to plan. Once the armada is in position around Kalgan, The Mule reveals he foresaw what would happen and prepared to counter it. After taking control of the nearest jump gate to Kalgan in episode 3, his troops laced it with Blue Cobalt, an explosive substance that, when fired into a nearby star, causes a huge, powerful, and incredibly hot solar flare to erupt and incinerate anything in its path. Long story short: the armada is destroyed in the blast, and Kalgan and its populace are burned to a crisp.

Fleeing the scene and locating an airlock that'll allow him to reunite with Gaal with the aid of the latter's Foundation operative, Dawn soon learns Kalgan and the Imperial armada's destruction was also part of Gaal's own scheme. Indeed, Gaal tells him – via their telecom devices – that the Foundation needed Empire's fleet to be destroyed as that would accelerate its decline and allow the Foundation (plus the covert Second Foundation) to thrive.

Who knew that one of Empire's biggest archnemeses would betray you, eh, Dawn? (Image credit: Apple TV+)

Furious and understandably feeling betrayed, Dawn severs ties with Gaal. However, as he prepares to leave the aforementioned airlock, Dawn is confronted by a grief-stricken Tarisk, whose family was killed on Kalgan. Despite Dawn's pleas to put down his weapon, a vengeful Tarisk opens fire, causing the chamber to depressurize and sucking the pair of them out into space.

Now, Dawn managed to put on a full spacesuit before he was confronted by Tarisk, so it's highly likely he isn't dead. Nonetheless, Brother Dusk, the only one of Empire's three rulers who's still running the show – remember, Day has fled the coop to pursue his own quest in Mycogen – believes Dawn has perished. That much is made clear in the holographic message Dawn sends to Dusk before the council meeting, Kalgan's destruction, and everything that comes after.

Is Dusk about to go all Emperor Palpatine/Darth Vader on the galaxy? (Image credit: Apple TV+)

So, what next for the ailing Empire as it tries to hold onto the dwindling amount of power it wields in the galaxy? Cassian Bilton, who plays Dawn, wouldn't be drawn on what happens next when I asked him for details ahead of this season's debut.

However, Terrance Mann, who portrays Dusk in one of the best Apple TV+ shows, was more forthcoming. And, with a Black Hole Gun – think of it like the planet-killing Death Star in Star Wars – at his disposal, the emotionally devastated Dusk might be so consumed by rage and sadness that said weapon is taken for a ride or two very soon.

"Dusk, and Demerzel and the other Cleons for that matter, are desperately clinging on, "Mann said. "And now things have occurred that force him to make really hard choices about who's going to live, who's going to die, and what's ultimately going to save Empire.

"This whole season is all about the wheels coming off the wagon, and he's left having to do something he never thought he'd have to do," Mann continued, "A large part of that has to do with thinking Dawn has died. At that point, he's completely lost and thinks 'I have nothing else to do but exert this power [the Black Hole Gun] that I have and eradicate everything except for Empire."

If that doesn't set the stage for five more unmissable chapters of this Apple TV Original, I don't know what will. New episodes of Foundation air every Friday, so we've got a wait on our hands to see where things go from here.

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• OpenAI’s GPT-5 model will soon be available alongside Apple Intelligence
• That means more powerful ChatGPT features on your Apple device
• But this move may make life harder for Apple’s rumored chatbot

OpenAI has just released its latest GPT-5 artificial intelligence (AI) model, and it’s set to bring a whole host of powerful new features to the ChatGPT chatbot. Thanks to Apple’s integration of ChatGPT into Apple Intelligence, that could bring benefits to a wider set of people than merely ChatGPT users – but it also brings some serious risks to Apple.

When might we see GPT-5 in Apple Intelligence? Well, news outlet 9to5Mac thinks it has the answer. The publication claims that Apple told it that GPT-5 will arrive on Apple devices with the release of iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS Tahoe. That’s due to happen in early September, meaning there’s only about a month to wait before GPT-5 is directly incorporated into Apple’s products.

You'll apparently be able to access GPT-5 in a few different ways on iPhones and Macs. The most obvious being when you use Siri for more complex questions that it can't answer, but also with Apple's Writing Tools and Visual Intelligence, which uses your iPhone's camera to help answer questions about what you're looking at.

The new features in GPT-5 include different personalities (including Cynic, Listener, Nerd, and Robot), fresh theming options, and an improved Voice Mode. Google users will also soon be able to connect their Gmail, Google Calendar, and Google Contacts accounts directly to ChatGPT.

GPT-5 comes in a few different sizes, including the regular GPT-5 model, GPT-5 mini, and GPT-5 nano. These offer different levels of reasoning and are all available to free users. If you’re paying $200 a month for ChatGPT Pro, you’ll also get access to the deeper GPT-5 pro and GPT-5 thinking models, which take longer to respond but offer more insightful responses.

The wait goes on

(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

While ChatGPT can be used in conjunction with Apple Intelligence, you have to specifically invoke it. Most queries to Apple’s AI will use Apple Intelligence, but if there’s something that Apple’s model can’t answer, it will ask if you want to hand off to ChatGPT.

Right now, relying on ChatGPT for more in-depth queries doesn’t reflect particularly well on Apple Intelligence, but there are signs that Apple is working to correct that. The company is reportedly developing its own AI chatbot to rival ChatGPT and others (despite previously telling TechRadar “that was never the goal, and it remains not our primary goal”).

Unfortunately, we don’t know when that chatbot will be ready, which could be why Apple is moving so swiftly to incorporate GPT-5 into Apple Intelligence: it might be an attempt to keep Apple’s AI relevant while the company works on its own solution. But the longer we have to wait – and the more features OpenAI adds to ChatGPT – the higher the expectations will be on Apple’s chatbot, and the harder it will be for Apple Intelligence to eventually usurp its rivals.

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This week a new word made its public debut. With an increase in attacks on health care facilities and personnel, the goal of this coinage is to spark outrage and outcry. But the reaction is mixed.

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Israel has announced plans to extend the Gaza war and take over Gaza City. And, President Trump wants a new U.S. census to exclude people without legal status.

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Mobile Pixels 34-inch mini-LED ultrawide gaming monitor: Three-minute review

(Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)

Having used an OLED ultrawide for years now, specifically the Alienware AW3423DWF QD-OLED (a mouthful, I know), I've been curious about a switch to mini-LED. The idea of higher brightness while gaming is intriguing, to say the least, and in came the Mobile Pixels 34-inch curved mini-LED ultrawide gaming monitor.

This monitor left me impressed with its quality while gaming or watching content built for high brightness – so much so that I didn't miss using my main OLED monitor. For the first time ever, I've been able to push brightness very high in games and enjoy fascinating visuals, and most importantly, without too much exposure.

Images don't really do it much justice, as it will mostly seem too bright to view in images below. However, believe me when I say it's a treat to view in person – and it comes down to its HDR1000 VESA certification (allowing 1000 nits of peak brightness), and 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio producing incredible deep black levels.

With an 180Hz refresh rate, which is higher than what you might find on some of the best ultrawide gaming monitors, I was able to enjoy my favorite games easily.

(Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)

It's important to note, though, that it's not all great. Dark level smearing (especially when reading white text against dark backgrounds) and ghosting in games are noticeable, and while that's to be expected for a VA panel, it will be bothersome for those who are accustomed to faster displays.

While it didn't completely spoil my gaming or movie viewing experiences, it was a lot more evident for me when playing fast-paced games, especially when using Frame Generation against darker backgrounds in-game. It gets worse (as expected) when enabling any of the overdrive settings via the monitor OSD menu – which I must add, is very finicky, as it sometimes won't save settings or simply undo them randomly.

The biggest examples for me were using path tracing in Cyberpunk 2077, and notably path tracing mods in Capcom's Dragon's Dogma 2, which comes with a lot of ghosting already and lacks a denoiser (but served as an easier way for me to notice the difference). When in lighter backgrounds, ghosting was noticeable, but it wasn't too extreme. When stepping into darker areas, the ghosting and smearing were seriously bad.

Perhaps it's a bit unfair coming from using an OLED to a VA mini-LED, but its price is in the same region as other OLED monitors that don't have this issue. It would have worked in Mobile Pixels' favor to use an IPS panel instead of VA for better response times, but that would potentially be a drawback on the great contrast available here.

Notice the ghosting is worse on the darker background? (Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)

In terms of blooming, it's kept to a minimum when sitting directly in front of the monitor. Bear in mind, what you're seeing below isn't the best representation of how well the haloing effect is kept to a minimum, due to different lighting conditions.

There's a 'Halo Control' setting in the OSD menu, but I found that adjustments weren't very necessary. I was quite happy with how well this monitor handles bloom. Compared to my mini-LED TV (specifically the TCL 55QM8B), which has 300+ full-array local dimming zones, I'd say the results were fairly similar.

I must reiterate that this is a VA panel, so viewing angles are narrow. Essentially, blooming is significantly worse when viewing from either side, but I've never used my ultrawide monitors when sitting away from my desk (unless it's a 32:9 display).

HDR is enabled here... (Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)

Lining this up with an OLED display, again, is pretty unfair, since the AW3423DWF is night and day ahead, but it gave me a good impression of how good the deep black levels are on the Mobile Pixels 34-inch ultrawide. If you've been using a regular LED display, mini-LED will still blow you away – and in my eyes, it's the best alternative to OLED.

And the comparison below is proof of that. The OLED's deep black levels are genuinely phenomenal, and while the mini-LED strays far behind due to blooming, it was still great enough for me to enjoy content – and that's even better when you throw in the benefit of very high brightness.

It's also worth noting that there's no worry of burn-in, unlike OLED monitors. It's been a breath of fresh air not to baby my Alienware display with OLED care and pixel refreshes. In some ways, you can almost say that makes mini-LED the better choice, as you're getting the best of the 'brightness world', while still taking some benefits of great contrast – and with an OLED, you're mostly getting the best of the latter.

Yes, multiple OLED monitors like the AW3423DWF can utilize HDR1000, and OLEDs are about to get brighter with True Black HDR1000 VESA certifications. However, my display has a very aggressive Automatic Brightness Limiter (ABL), which kicks in when trying to use HDR1000, and I've not had to deal with that on the Mobile Pixels ultrawide.

It's taught me to respect mini-LED monitors, which I once saw as too low of a step down from OLED, and I'd very much consider using one in a multi-display setup.

Top monitor is OLED, bottom is mini-LED (Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)

I'm very pleased with Mobile Pixels' decision to place the ports of the monitor directly on its rear, instead of the underside like most monitors do. I get that this is done to avoid strain on cables standing upright and prevent any damage, but it's so easy and convenient to reach if you need to unplug or plug any of them – and it's super beneficial if you have a cramped desktop setup like me.

The 90W USB-C reverse charging port is a welcome addition, and I could use it to charge other devices – and I really saw the benefit of this since I have tons of devices occupying power sockets.

It features 4-array microphones with DNC noise reduction, but no matter what I tried, I couldn't my PC wouldn't recognize this, so I had no luck with testing there.

(Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)

The RGB lighting is decent enough, but not bright enough to appreciate. I won't knock the monitor down for this, though. Most monitors I've used don't have RGB lighting that stands out, except for the Philips Evnia displays that have a special Ambilight feature to sync content on the screen to its RGB lights.

Mobile Pixels 34-inch mini-LED ultrawide gaming monitor: Price & Availability

• How much does it cost? $899.99 / around £660 / AU$1,370 without import costs
• When is it available? Available now
• Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia (shipping from the US)

The Mobile Pixels 34-inch mini-LED ultrawide monitor retails at $899.99 / around £660 / AU$1,730, and while this display's high brightness and contrast ratio have left me impressed, I think it should be much cheaper. Some OLED ultrawide monitors are currently cheaper and don't have issues like dark level smearing or ghosting.

It's not a bad monitor despite some of its issues, but I'd have been more fond of it if it didn't cost this much. Import fees will also bump up the cost if you're outside of the US, which makes its potential total price even more unappealing.

Fortunately, it gets a lot right, specifically within the region of HDR brightness and contrast; there's hardly any loss of detail when looking at bright scenery in movies or games when at maximum brightness, so it's something to consider if you're looking to get your hands on it.

(Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)Mobile Pixels 34-inch mini-LED ultrawide gaming monitor: Specs

Screen Size

34-inch

Aspect Ratio

21:9

Resolution

3440x1440

Brightness

450 nits (Min) 1000 nits (Max)

Contrast Ratio

1,000,000:1

Refresh Rate

180Hz

Color Accuracy

99% sRGB | 94% DCI-P3 | 99% Adobe RGB

Speakers

2x 5W Midrange, 1x 12W Bass

Microphone

4-array microphones with DSC noise reduction

Weight

18.51 lbs

Wall Mountable (VESA)

100 x 100 mm

FreeSync Premium technology

Yes

Power Consumption

Typ. 65W, Max. 270W

Panel Type

VA

Connections

2 × USB-A 3.0

1 × USB-C 3.1

2 × HDMI 2.0

1 × DP 1.4

1 × 3.5mm Audio out

Should you buy the Mobile Pixels 34-inch mini-LED ultrawide gaming monitor?

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Value

Plenty of high brightness to enjoy across movies, TV shows, and games, but could benefit from a slightly cheaper price tag.

3 / 5

Design

Bogged down by the mediocre speakers on the bottom of monitor, but is adequate in other areas.

3.5 / 5

Performance

Besides dark level smearing and ghosting, the high brightness with HDR 1000, significantly enhances visual experiences, standing as a great alternative to OLED.

4 / 5

Features

OSD needs an improvement, but a 180Hz refresh rate and USB-C 90W reverse charging port are a very welcome addition.

4 / 5

Average rating

The Mobile Pixels 34-inch mini-LED ultrawide would be much better with a lower retail price, repositioning of the speakers, and an IPS panel for less ghosting and smearing, but excels at high brightness for immersion, making it a good option for PC gamers.

3.5 / 5

Buy it if...

You desire an ultrawide with high brightness

The Mobile Pixels mini-LED monitor is ideal for those who crave bright and lively gaming experiences, with HDR1000 blending well with the 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio. It's best used in titles that are built for HDR.View Deal

You want to avoid burn-in care

While OLED is an easy choice at an affordable price, it's not for everyone, as there's always a risk of burn-in. OLED burn-in care has advanced, but not having to worry about the possibility at all with this mini-LED monitor is a big win.View Deal

You're upgrading from a regular LED monitor

The jump from a regular LED display to Mobile Pixels' mini-LED, is significant, and while it suffers a total loss to OLED deep black levels, it comes close enough while getting the best of brightness. View Deal

Don't buy if...

You're looking for a budget monitor

This monitor's biggest issue is its price, especially compared to OLEDs that are at the same price range or less expensive. It retails at $899.99, which is too high considering the issues it has with ghosting and smearing.View Deal

You prefer the best deep black levels

Like other mini-LED displays, the Mobile Pixels 34-inch mini-LED ultrawide gaming monitor does a great job with contrast, but it doesn't match up to OLED, which remains undefeated at producing the best contrast.View Deal

You find ghosting and smearing frustrating

If you're a competitive gamer or simply happen to notice dark level smearing and ghosting easily, you might want to reconsider purchasing this monitor. It's using a VA panel, so viewing angles and the response time aren't the best.View Deal

Also consider

Acer Predator X32QFS

If dark level smearing and ghosting are a big issue for you, and you don't mind a 4K mini-LED instead of an ultrawide, then the Acer Predator X32QFS should be on your radar. This features a mini-LED IPS panel, which handles ghosting much better, and compatibility for both PS5 and PC with HDMI 2.1.

Read our full Acer Predator X32QFS review

MSRP/RRP

£899.99 / AU$1,099 (No US availability)

Panel Size

31.5in

Panel type

Mini-LED IPS

Panel resolution

3840 x 2160p; 4K

Aspect ratio

16:9

Refresh rate

150Hz

Response time

0.5ms

Brightness

700 nits (native) / 1000 nits (peak HDR)

Contrast ratio

1000:1

HDR

VESA DisplayHDR 1000

Ports

1 x HDMI 2.1, 1 x DisplayPort 1.4, 1 x USB-C, 2 x USB-A, 1 x audio jack

Color gamut

99% Adobe RGB, 99% DCI-P3

Display colors

1.07 billion

Warranty

2-years

How I tested the Mobile Pixels 34-inch mini-LED ultrawide

• Two weeks of usage on movies, TV shows, and games, notably titles that implement HDR well
• Some examples are Assassin's Creed Shadows, Street Fighter 6, Dragon's Dogma 2, Resident Evil 4 remake, and Cyberpunk 2077
• Multiple contrast tests and comparisons with Alienware AW3423DWF OLED ultrawide monitor

Throughout my two weeks of testing, especially when gaming, I had plenty of fun with the Mobile Pixels 34-inch monitor, and put my OLED monitor aside as a secondary display. Despite the drawbacks of blooming and ghosting, it was easy to enjoy bright content without losing much detail.

Testing Stellar Blade, Assassin's Creed Shadows, and Cyberpunk 2077 first left great initial impressions, specifically in Cyberpunk 2077, where neon lights and vivid streets provide exceptional visuals on any display, but it took things up a notch. The ghosting issues became far more noticeable when using Frame Generation in Cyberpunk 2077 and Dragon's Dogma 2, and even more so in fast-paced FPS games like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.

Placing this next to Dell's Alienware OLED monitor, allowed me to point out the mini-LED monitor's drawbacks more easily. However, in terms of deep black levels, I was impressed with the Mobile Pixels 34-inch display, with just how close it can get to OLED, albeit still quite far off.

I used it for work and multitasking, which proved to be beneficial, in comparison to OLED, which notoriously has readability issues – and the mini-LED was a breeze to use while deep into productivity.