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AI tools are now a normal part of the working day. Employees lean on AI for tasks ranging from drafting emails and summarizing content, to preparing legal documents and creating financial reports but, while there’s no doubt that AI and automation are making our workdays more efficient, the more we rely on these tools, the greater the risk of them being exploited, misused or simply trusted too much.

In 2023, US lawyers were sanctioned after filing legal documents built on false citations that were invented by ChatGPT. If experienced professionals are trusting AI outputs without verifying primary sources, even in high-stakes legal proceedings, it raises concerns about our growing dependence on AI and the risks of unchecked and hallucinated data.

But hallucinations are only part of the problem. As employees become more comfortable using AI at work, organizations also need to understand what information employees are feeding into AI engines and whether they have the right controls in place to manage the security, privacy and compliance risks that come with unsanctioned AI use.

Ungoverned AI is no longer a theoretical compliance risk. It’s a real issue that CISOs are having to deal with, from protecting consumer and employee data to defending against AI-enabled attacks. As AI regulation moves from guidance to enforceable requirements, organizations are facing more pressure to understand where AI is being used and who’s responsible for its outputs.

The cost of AI without governance

Ungoverned AI use poses significant risks, particularly when employees share sensitive data with AI tools without clear guidance on how it should be used. That information could then influence business decisions based on unverified AI outputs or fall into the hands of a bad actor looking to exploit the business.

Once sensitive information leaves an organization's control, there’s no telling where it could end up. If an AI platform is breached, data entered into the tool could be exposed, potentially giving attackers exactly what they need to target a company’s systems. What starts as a quick shortcut to save time can just as easily become an entry point for credential theft or serious financial loss.

The EU AI Act’s transparency requirements, applicable from 2 August 2026, expects organizations within scope to be transparent about their business’ AI interactions and AI-generated or manipulated content. It also requires staff to be equipped with an appropriate level of AI literacy, alongside existing regulations such as GDPR and relevant FCA requirements that involve the effective governance of AI processing of personal data. The cost of breaching these transparency requirements can carry fines of up to €15 million or 3% of an organization's total annual turnover.

This means that now more than ever, organizations need to understand exactly how AI is being used, what information is being entered into AI tools and what controls are needed around higher-risk use cases, especially where personal data and financial decisions are involved. This is where AI verification protocols become critical.

Why verification isn’t a one-size-fits-all

A generic AI policy that isn't tailored to specific use cases will tend to get ignored. Employers telling staff to simply "check everything" they receive from these tools isn't realistic or clear enough guidance, since not every AI-assisted task carries the same risk.

Scrutiny needs to scale with what's at stake if the output turns out to be wrong. By treating every task the same, you either take up valuable employee time on unnecessary verification processes or risk a potential security incident because an AI-generated output is moved forward unchecked.

For low-risk tasks like internal drafting, brainstorming and research support, light spot-checking can be enough. However, anything feeding into decisions about employment, finance or customer-facing content needs strict approval processes, ongoing monitoring, and a genuine human in the loop.

Practical steps to reduce the AI hallucination risk

Reducing AI cyber risk starts with proper governance. Organizations need clear rules on which AI tools are approved, what information employees can share within the platforms, and who’s accountable when something goes wrong. Waiting until a hallucinated output causes damage is the most expensive way to learn this lesson.

It’s becoming increasingly common for employees to bring their own AI tools into work. Our latest research found that 40% of CISOs fear their staff are sharing sensitive information with generative AI platforms, while 68% identify employees as their organizations biggest cyber risk. Ungoverned AI is becoming a growing governance and security blind spot for organizations .

But the risk goes far beyond what employees put into AI tools. When organizations don't know which tools are being used or to what extent employees are relying on their outputs, they have limited visibility into whether AI-generated information is being factchecked before it’s acted upon.

Organizations can't manage risks they don't know exist, which means mapping where ungoverned AI is genuinely being used and then offering secure, approved alternatives, rather than banning it completely. This gives organizations greater visibility over how AI is being used and where hallucinations or inaccurate outputs could enter business processes, before they become a liability.

Generic training won’t fix the AI problem

Employees need to be equipped with the right processes, tools and guardrails to use AI effectively, without putting businesses at risk. This includes training to recognize automation bias (our tendency to trust outputs blindly), paired with explicit verification routines that turn "double-check the AI output" from a vague instruction into an actionable process for employees to feel in control of how they can use AI responsibly.

Role-based security awareness targeting and behavior-triggered interventions are also critical for putting the right guidance in front of the right people at the moment they need it, so that sensitive information is protected, and the right human judgement is used.

Ultimately, addressing AI hallucination and the risk of ungoverned AI comes down to training employees properly. Most CISOs (81%) say that security awareness training fails because it’s too generic to feel personally relevant. Without context that reflects the decisions employees face day to day, training gets completed but rarely absorbed and actioned on.

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• Kiteworks warned customers of a “credible” planned cyberattack, urging a nine‑hour precautionary shutdown
• No breaches reported; advisory lifted Sept 27, systems restored, version 9.5.1 deemed secure
• Context recalls Cl0p’s past file‑sharing platform hits, raising speculation about possible resurgence

Secure file sharing company Kiteworks recently told its customers to shut down their servers for nine hours, in anticipation of an incoming cyberattack.

There are no reports of actual attacks - at least not yet, but in a blog post, the company revealed it had received “credible” threat intelligence from federal authorities warning them of a planned attack against the company and its customers.

In response, the company told its customers to shut down their servers for nine hours, depending on their timezone.

What happened?

“Kiteworks is advising customers to facilitate a nine-hour precautionary shutdown window this weekend, in their local time zone,” the announcement reads.

“Customers who self-manage their Kiteworks systems—on-premises or on AWS or Azure—should shut down those systems themselves during this window. Kiteworks will shut down the customer systems it hosts, on behalf of customers, during the same window, so Kiteworks-hosted customers are not required to take any action.”

In the announcement, the company’s Chief Information Security Officer, Frank Balonis, said the measure is proactive rather than reactive, and that there are no ongoing attacks just yet:

“Out of an abundance of caution, we notified customers directly and recommended a precautionary shutdown window while we continue to work through the matter with federal intelligence authorities,” Balonis said.

“We have no indication that Kiteworks or our customers’ systems have been compromised, so this advisory is preventative rather than a response to a confirmed breach.”

Citing German media, BleepingComputer said the shutdown window “applies to customer worldwide”, with affected time zones ranging from Australian Eastern Standard Time, to Pacific Daylight Time. In Central Europe, customers were told to shut down between 4 and 10 AM on Saturday. On the east coast of the US, the shutdown window is between 10PM on a Friday, until 4AM on Saturday.

Who could be gearing up for an assault?

Kiteworks is a US-based enterprise security and secure data-sharing platform, which organizations can use to manage sensitive information, especially when ordinary email attachments or consumer file-sharing services aren’t considered secure enough.

Kiteworks says it does not have any fixes in the pipeline and that all known vulnerabilities are accounted for in the latest version 9.5.1. Obviously, customers are advised to run this version instead of older, potentially vulnerable ones, and were told that other subsidiaries such as Zivver, DRACOON, totemo, ownCloud, WAMNET, Maytech, Bonfy.ai, and 123FormBuilder, were not affected.

Secure data-sharing platforms are an attractive target for cybercriminals, given the high-value organizations that use them, as well as the sensitive information they handle. We don’t know who the attackers might be, but there are some strange coincidences occurring at the moment.

Three years ago, a hacking group known as Cl0p struck two major file-sharing platforms: GoAnywhere MFT and MOVEit. The breaches ended up becoming some of the biggest hits in recent history, affecting thousands of customers. Victims ranged from government agencies, schools and healthcare, to major firms like Sony and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).

Cl0p tried to extort many of these companies, even succeeding with some. The cybersecurity community tried to estimate how much money the group stole this way, and the general consensus seems to be anywhere between $40 and $100 million.

In the months and years following these two incidents, Cl0p vanished. The group was no longer making high-level plays, and we’ve not reported on any major breaches since. Until last week, that is, when it was reported that ShinyHunters - currently one of the most active and dangerous data exfiltration organizations around - attacked Cl0p.

ShinyHunters leaked plenty of Cl0p’s sensitive data, saying it did so in retaliation for threats of doxxing and physical violence made by the group. We don’t know if Cl0p was preparing to hit Kiteworks, but we wouldn’t be too surprised if it was an attempted brand management after being somewhat embarrassed by ShinyHunters.

So far, there were no reports of actual breaches at any of Kiteworks’ customers, but we’re continuing to monitor the situation.

The company said that as of September 27 2026, the shutdown recommendation has been lifted for all customers. “If you have not already restarted, you may bring your Kiteworks system back online. Customers with self-hosted Advanced Forms should contact Customer Support for assistance. All systems Kiteworks hosts on customers’ behalf have been brought back up and are operating normally.”

I have this new friend, Charlie, who's been assisting me with work, vacation planning, and occasionally tapping me on the shoulder when he's concerned I forgot something. Charlie looks like a fat, furry Pillsbury doughboy, and he lives on my iPhone. That's right, I signed up for Meta's Muse AI, launched the app, named my avatar "Charlie," and dove headfirst into agentic AI in a way I honestly never have before.

If there's a defining feature of Muse, it's proactivity. Unlike ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude, Muse is always running and constantly looking for ways to help and ensure you stay on task, on time, and generally don't mess up by missing crucial details.

Getting all this utility from an AI required a fairly significant leap of faith: my data, and I did this not without some trepidation. As I wrote on X the day this adventure began: "I let Muse AI look at my inbox, find an important message I missed, draft and then co-edit a response…and then send it. Have I lost my mind?"

I let Muse AI look at my inbox, find an important message I missed, draft and then co-edit a response…and then send it. Have I lost my mind?September 24, 2026

It's not that I've never let an AI look at or access my data before. Google Gemini can see across Docs, Gmail, and Maps, but it's not natively agentic. So engagement with the data tends to happen at my request. It's not a busy beaver working behind the scenes to somehow make my life, if not better, then different.

Giving Muse access to my Gmail account did feel a bit like strapping on a parachute and jumping at 14,000 feet. In return, Meta promises some pretty stringent data privacy controls. Muse's constantly running personal AI computer lives in a virtualized, cloud-based environment and is shielded from other agents. Credentials are stored in a "Secure Credential Store," and the system's oversight ensures the agents don't get up to some risky business.

So, yes, I was scared when I gave Meta access, but I thought, "How can I understand this and tell my readers about it if I'm unwilling to try it and ensure it's not a dud, or worse, a disaster?" To be honest, I didn't expect much. Sure, the avatar, officially called Jolly, is adorable. He sits at the top of the app, working on his tiny laptop — it's like us, but cuter. I figured that promises of Muse actually helping me in any tangible way were remote. You can, by the way, name your avatar, so I chose Charlie (yes, I'm a big Charlie Chaplin fan).

Even what it was offering up top didn't sound inspiring. Muse, or Charlie, said it could:

• Manage my inbox
• Add or reschedule events in my calendar
• Find Facebook Marketplace deals

The last one really stuck in my craw because I basically hate Facebook Marketplace. It's too full of overeager buyers who want to show up at your house immediately ("Where is bed?")

Knowing, however, that I was committed to giving Muse a try, I agreed to give it access to my personal email (my work Gmail makes connecting to unsanctioned third-party systems next-to-impossible).

It took no time to make the connection, and I remember thinking, "Something like this should be harder, if only to deter mistakes." But with the deed done, I read over Muse/Charlie's offers to help. It could:

• Find an email or catchup on a long thread (that might be useful because Gmail's threading is notoriously abysmal)
• Draft a reply
• Unsubscribe from newsletters

Digging into my inbox

I was tempted to start with the last one because I have subscribed to way too many newsletters and alerts. My Gmail box is a mess, but since I was still unconvinced Muse could help me, I gave it what I considered a simple task: "Just check that there's nothing pressing I've missed."

Frankly, I expected little from this exercise because my personal email is not where my work gets done. Most critical emails are in my work address, so I was surprised when Muse/Charlie quickly told me that while there was "nothing on fire," it did find three that were "worth a glance."

The first was a Google security alert. With a decent level of self-awareness, Muse/Charlie said it was "just from connecting to me a minute ago, nothing to worry about."

The second was from my cell service reporting a recent change to my account. Charlie told me it was "Worth a quick look if you didn't make one."

The last one, though, surprised me. A PR rep named "Bill" had emailed my personal address about a new communication product. It was (and still is) embargoed information, so I can't give you details, but I can say that even from Muse/Charlie's very brief summary, I was intrigued.

"Open the Bill one," I told Muse/Charlie.

(Image credit: Future)

Instead of the entire email, Muse delivered an impactful summary. It was actually really useful, and Muse finished up by asking if I wanted it to draft a reply.

"Draft it," I wrote.

If it seems like I was being overly terse with Muse/Charlie, I simply didn't want to get drawn into this anthropomorphising game. I was here to find out if Agentic AI could work in my life and not develop yet another pointless AI chatbot friendship,

Muse's initial draft was short and serviceable, but it also overpromised, telling Bill that I wanted to set up a meeting or call. I preferred to learn more before I took that step.

I told Muse/Charlie to remove all references to a call or meeting; just agree to the embargo, get images and details, and then I'll consider how to follow up.

The next draft was perfect, and Muse/Charlie told me it was sitting in my Gmail drafts ready to send.

I told Muse/Charlie to send it but to add a CC to my work address.

Muse sent the mail but also offered to help with the story when it was time; I didn't respond to that because I have no interest in Agentic AI helping me to write anything beyond a simple email.

Muse knew less about me than I thought

Later that day, I had a speaking engagement and could not recall the details of where I was talking or where to park my car when I got there. I asked Muse to find in my email the original note from my contact. I misspelled the guy's name, but Muse still found it and gave me a concise and organized account of the location, parking, my contact's phone number, and even a useful map.

Muse doesn't automatically know everything about me, as I found when I asked Muse to map my trip to the speaking gig. When I told it I was heading from home, Muse admitted that it did not have my home address. Naturally, Muse asked for it, but I hesitated and only provided my hometown. For Muse, that was enough to give me turn-by-turn directions from one of the major roads near me.

Later, when I felt like I still needed some additional guidance on the talk, I asked to see the original invitation email, which Muse dutifully supplied.

Muse is always busy

(Image credit: Shutterstock / jackpress)

I don't usually allow apps to send me notifications, but I rightly assumed that agentic AI might want to reach out and notify me. Sure enough, I noticed an alert from Muse/Charlie that Bill from the startup had already responded. Inside the Muse app, I found another concise summary of the email and an offer from Muse to pull the full product release from the email.

Muse is sort of relentless in its efforts to work for you and look out for what it perceives as your best interests. At one point, I got a security notification from Muse that it had spotted an email from Tripit, the app I was using to organize an upcoming vacation. I had forgotten and changed my password; Muse wanted to make sure I'd seen the email verifying that it was me making the change.

Emboldened to add to Muse's corpus of information about me, I decided to follow the tip about adding the context I'd built with another AI chatbot to Muse. Muse gave me the prompt to paste into the third-party AI and told me to copy and paste the response back into Muse. Gemini's summary of me was quite illuminating; most of it was spot-on and made me realize just how much time I've spent using AI over the last few years.

Muse/Charlie was also ready to address some discrepancies in the data. Months ago, I'd been asking Gemini about a potential two-week trip to Portugal. We eventually swapped that for Italy, but I never told Gemini. Muse noticed that while Gemini had Portugal, a recent email to a contact mentioned the upcoming Italy trip. So I told Muse, "One is outdated. We settled on Italy."

Agent = Assistant

Meta just announced an AI Tamagotchi — this is Muse Charm https://t.co/OjDgk4gTdhSeptember 24, 2026

Like any good assistant, Muse is far more organized than I am. It noted that my upcoming trip would leave little time to meet a deadline, and it wanted to make sure I filed my story before I left. I told Muse my work was almost done but did ask it to nudge me about another deadline.

Almost twenty years ago, I had an assistant. It didn't last long (budget cuts), but I remember how she was always more on top of my schedule and email than I was. I had a big-picture view of my work and strategy, but she covered the minutiae that made it all work. Muse/Charlie already feels a little like that. It's not doing my work, but it is already helping me stay on a more productive path by not letting me forget small but important details (and even some hidden connections).

When Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg predicted over the summer we'd all have personal AI agents within five years, I thought it was an incredible self-serving statement. Sure, he believes that because he's investing billions in building them.

I don't feel that way anymore. Muse may be the first AI I'll use more consistently, and not for one-off prompt experiences, because it's always working on my behalf in the background. Its proactive nature means that it's constantly looking at my world, or rather the road ahead, to help me avoid potholes. Notifications about important emails, deadlines, and collisions I didn't see coming can be invaluable.

I think I'm ready to give Muse/Charlie more digital access to my life to see if/how it can improve it. I'm also trusting Mark Zuckerberg with my data, choosing for now to believe his promises of security and privacy. I pray he doesn't disappoint me.

Maybe that wearable Muse Charm isn't such a bad idea.

Compare six AI meeting note takers for 2026, including Fathom, Fireflies, Otter, Granola, Fellow, and Notta on pricing, free plans, and features.

The post 6 Best AI Meeting Note Takers for 2026: Fathom, Otter, Fireflies and More appeared first on TechRepublic.

Starship is key to SpaceX's commercial success and NASA's plans to land humans on the moon. This is the 14th flight of the uncrewed Starship, but the first time it reached orbit.

(Image credit: Ronaldo Schemidt)

Sonos Ace Ultra

With a significant improvement in musicality, excellent Dolby Atmos performance, and a more fleshed-out feature set, the Sonos Ace Ultra feel like a big improvement over their predecessor. Incremental additions to battery life, ANC, and Sonos ecosystem interactivity only help these stylish cans to stand-out more than the original model. While the Ace Ultra may still get edged out by a few rivals in terms of sonic detail and travel convenience, they’re still easy to recommend.

Pros

• Excellent audio for movies
• Good Sonos ecosystem interactivity
• Stellar look and great build quality

Cons

• Not fully foldable, like the XM6
• No LDAC support
• Don’t sound quite as detailed

Sony WH-1000XM6

The Sony WH-1000XM6 are a fantastic pair of over-ear headphones that combine the best design elements of their predecessors, while levelling up the sonic and ANC capabilities of what came before. With super-clean touch controls, an ultra-comfy fit and a ton of features at your disposal, there’s a lot to love about these headphones – though they do look a little bulky.

Pros

• Class-leading ANC
• Fantastic sound quality
• Incredibly intuitive touch controls

Cons

• Slightly weaker battery life
• Bulkier look than the Ace Ultra
• No Snapdragon Sound/aptX support

The Sonos Ace Ultra just dropped, and they might just be my favorite headphones of 2026. They’re a considerable upgrade over the original Ace, boasting far better musicality, incredible movie audio, expanded Sonos ecosystem support, and seriously good ANC. It really feels like Sonos has made a statement with this release, and the multi-room specialist is finally ready to take on the titans of the headphone world.

But just how well do the Sonos Ace Ultra shape up against their class-leading rivals at this money? I wanted to find out for myself, so I tested them against one of their fiercest competitors: the Sony WH-1000XM6. Sony’s flagship headphones come in at the same price point as the Ace Ultra and they too supply stellar sound, noise-crushing ANC, and a swathe of fantastic features.

So, which headphones are better: the Sonos Ace Ultra or the Sony WH-1000XM6? I’ve compared them across four key areas: features, sound quality, design, and value, to help you decide which are the best headphones for you. The Sony WH-1000XM6 have been my go-to headphones for well over a year, but this contest was genuinely far closer than I’d expected. But anyway, let the battle commence — oh, and make sure to stick around 'til the end, for my verdict.

Sonos Ace Ultra vs Sony WH-1000XM6: price & availability

The Sonos Ace Ultra were released in September 2026, about two years after the original Sonos Ace headphones arrived on the scene. The Ace Ultra cost $449 / £399 / AU$699, which is cheaper than the standard model cost at launch in the UK, and the same price as the original Ace launched at in both the US and Australia.

Meanwhile, the Sony WH-1000XM6 are a little older, and hit the market back in May 2025. They cost the same as the Sonos Ace Ultra, carrying a price tag of $449 / £399 / AU$699. As they’ve been about for a little longer, it’s more likely that you’ll find these cans on sale, and we have seen them drop below $380 / £300 / AU$500 before. While neither of these models are cheap, they both offer incredible quality across the board, with excellent sound quality and features, which helps to justify the steep asking price.

Sonos Ace Ultra vs Sony WH-1000XM6: specs

Sonos Ace Ultra

Sony WH-1000XM6

Price

$449 / £399 / AU$699

$449 / £399 / AU$699

Drivers

Next-gen 40mm custom

30mm dynamic

Active noise cancellation

Yes

Yes

Battery life

35 hours

30 hours

Weight

322g

254g

Connectivity

Bluetooth 6.0, USB-C

Bluetooth 5.4, 3.5mm

Frequency range

20Hz-20kHz

20Hz-20kHz

Sonos Ace Ultra vs Sony WH-1000XM6: features

Let me be clear from the offset: when it comes to features, these two pairs of wireless headphones are arguably the very best on the market. So, as you can imagine, it’s hard to pick a winner here.

The Sonos Ace Ultra and Sony WH-1000XM6 share a lot of the same positives: they each have extensive EQ options, with multi-band custom options, wired and Bluetooth connectivity, wear detection, and impressive ANC.

When it comes to noise-cancelling specifically, both are excellent performers, and easily dispose of external sounds like surrounding chatter and traffic noise. In my testing, I found the Sony WH-1000XM6 to have a very slight edge, though, perhaps lending to their larger microphone system (12 mics to the Ace Ultra’s 10) — they dulled deep sounds like engines rumbling to slightly greater effect.

Something that the Sonos Ace supply that Sony can’t compete with, is wider ecosystem support. TV Audio Linking enables you to transfer audio from a compatible Sonos soundbar and enjoy immersive sound privately, while Headphone Linking gives you the option to hand off audio to supported speakers, including the Sonos Play (or vice versa) for a seamless listening experience, no matter where you are.

Another thing that I love about the Ace Ultra is their native Dolby Atmos support. This means you can enjoy Dolby Atmos music and movies at their very best, and with the help of head-tracking, I’ve been able to enjoy deliciously expansive movie audio with impressive height effects and clear dialogue to boot. The Sony WH-1000XM6 aren’t as accomplished for movies, and while they feature a Cinema upmix mode, which transfers a stereo signal into a more expansive format, the actual quality of this is a little disappointing.

While we’re on the topic of sound-related features, it’s worth talking about codecs. Each of these headphones possesses something the other does not. And that’s because the Sonos Ace Ultra boast aptX codec support — something Sony skips on — while the XM6 feature LDAC, which their competitor leaves out. Both of these open up higher-res Bluetooth streaming, opening up a more detailed listen than you’d get with SBC or AAC, for instance.

The key differentiator here is compatibility. Apple fans, I’m sorry, but your phone supports neither of these. Android users, there’s a very high chance that your handset can make use of LDAC, which is actually a proprietary technology developed by Sony itself. However, it’s a different story with aptX. Fewer phones support this, and although I get to enjoy it on my Xiaomi 17, a lot of models leave it out. Both models support lossless wired listening, although only Sonos has USB-C audio passthrough, which is more convenient in my view — after all, so many of us carry around USB-C cables to charge our phones and other devices

(Image credit: Future)

In terms of battery life, these cans are close, but Sonos is the overall winner. The Ace Ultra provide 35 hours of playback with ANC switched on, whereas Sony give you 30 hours. That’s a pretty average amount of playtime to get from headphones in this price-class, but if you do run out of charge, you can use both pairs while they regain life via USB-C.

Finally, a word on controls. The Sonos Ace Ultra feature responsive, well-sized, and precise button controls. But they don’t have touch controls, something the WH-100XM6 pull off brilliantly. Sony’s cans have reactive and intuitive touch controls that I love. A single press won’t trigger anything so you can avoid accidental commands, but you can swipe on the right earcup to adjust playback and even cover it with your hand to enter into transparency mode. As much as I appreciate the reliability of Sonos’ buttons, I prefer Sony’s approach.

So, who’s the winner in the features category? It’s such a close one: I think Sony has a slight edge in ANC, I like the touch controls, and the broader compatibility of LDAC is a win. However, Sonos’ ecosystem interplay, native Atmos support, USB-C audio, and better battery life is pretty impressive too. Let’s call this category a tie.

(Image credit: Future)Sonos Ace Ultra vs Sony WH-1000XM6: sound quality

While both of these headphones sound great, and there’s not a big different in quality, there’s only one winner for me.

The Sonos Ace Ultra made a big step up from the original Ace, especially when it comes to musicality. They provide well-balanced sound, with satisfyingly deep, regimented bass, clean mids, and expressive highs. But how do they compete against the Sony WH-1000XM6?

Well, allow me to reference my listening notes. In the funk tack, Joía rara by Brylho, both sets kept electric guitars well-separated from vocals and other instruments in the mid-range, almost making it sound as if they were playing in a unique pocket. Both also plated up well-weighted, clean bass, and finer details, like subtle percussive elements came through nicely. I did find, though, that the XM6 handled vocals with a bit more care — they sounded a bit more natural, and more effectively defined in the mix.

Moving onto a house track next, with Get it on by Jansons. This was a tight contest, the Ace Ultra’s deep bass came through with palpable impact, and higher-pitched drums sounded tastefully forward without getting shrill or tinny. It was the same on the XM6 — thumping yet agile bass alongside bright and precise treble, helping to capture the exciting, energetic vibe. I perhaps found that the XM6 offered slightly better dynamism, though — drops just had a bit more impact, which isn’t to say that the Ace fell flat, they were just marginally outclassed.

(Image credit: Future)

More generally, I found that the XM6 slightly edged out the Ace Ultra with more dynamic low-end output and better detailing, especially in the mid-range.

It’s worth noting that I do consider the Ace Ultra to be superior for movies. They have native Dolby Atmos support, and with built-in head-tracking, you can experience truly mesmerizing audio for all your movie-watching needs. When I connected the headphones up to the Sonos Beam Ultra via TV Audio Swap, I was blown away by the fidelity of height effects, the phenomenal width, and clear dialogue available. Sony’s headphones are good for movies, and they do feature some head-tracking technology (albeit more restrictive), but the Ace Ultra were clearly designed with movies in mind to a much greater extent.

Still, it’s important to have some perspective. The vast majority of people aren’t buying wireless headphones solely to watch movies. The most important thing is portable musical performance, and while the Sonos Ace Ultra get close to the Sony WH-1000XM6, they fall just short overall — and as a result, I’m handing Sony the W here.

(Image credit: Future)Sonos Ace Ultra vs Sony WH-1000XM6: design

At a glance, these headphones might not look wildly different, especially as I tested two very similar colorways… but there are some notable deviations worth discussing.

In my view, the Sonos Ace Ultra are the better looking pair of headphones. They have a slimmer form factor with flatter ear cups, which look a bit more flattering than the XM6’s bulky ones. Their metallic details and curved look also gives them a premium yet understated aesthetic which I can’t get enough of.

The XM6 aren’t bad-looking at all, I just don’t think they quite match the luxurious vibe of the Ace Ultra. But what I do like about these is that they’re fully foldable. This means they’re amazing for travel — just fold’ em up, throw them in your bag, and you’re good to go. The ear cups can fold down on the Ace, enabling them to fit in their carry case, but they’re not quite as flexible as Sony’s flagship model.

(Image credit: Future)

On the topic of cases, Sony takes the win here. They have an enticing hard case which uses a magnet lock, meaning it’s so quick and easy to whip them out or stow them away. The Ace Ultra’s case doesn’t have the same premium feel, and it also has a pretty low-quality zip that jams a bit too regularly for my liking.

Neither of these models have an IP rating, which denotes dust and waterproofing capabilities — something that, in fairness, is rarely seen on over-ears (though some, like the Noble FoKus Artemis, do boast an IP rating).

But both models are very comfortable and don’t clamp too hard on my head, which makes it easy to listen to music for hours on end. This means they’re pretty close overall in the design section, but personally, I’d take the sleeker look and more luxurious design of the Ace Ultra over the XM6 — even if the latter are fully foldable and have a better carry case.

(Image credit: Future)Sonos Ace Ultra vs Sony WH-1000XM6: value

So, it’s been a tight contest so far. And when you consider that both the Ace Ultra and XM6 have the same list price, deciding which offers better value for money is very tough indeed.

The truth is this: the better-value model is going to be very dependent on your needs and expectations. If you already own a Sonos system, and want interplay with your speakers and maybe even a soundbar, then the Ace Ultra are incredibly attractive. Their ANC and sound quality isn’t far off the XM6’s, they’re superior for movies, and I think they’re more stylish too.

(Image credit: Future)

But if you want the best all-round pair of headphones in this price bracket, I still don’t think you can beat the Sony WH-1000XM6 right now. They offer slightly more detailed, dynamic audio than the Ace Ultra, their ANC is class-leading, and they have no shortage of features, a fully foldable design, and their battery life is close to that of their Sonos rival.

In the context of this showdown, the XM6’s older age also works in their favor somewhat — we’ve seen them go on sale a few times here and there, so chances are, you’ll be able to swipe them up for less than the Ace Ultra in practice. I think you’ll be exceedingly happy with either of these models, but unless you want interplay with your Sonos system and top-tier Atmos for movies, then I think the Sony WH-1000XM6 give you ever-so-slightly more bang for your buck.

(Image credit: Future)Sonos Ace Ultra vs Sony WH-1000XM6: verdict

So, there you have it. As I mentioned in the value section, it’s been a close affair, but I think the Sony WH-1000XM6 are the best headphones for most people at the time of writing. Ultimately, their marginal wins over Sonos in terms of ANC, musicality, and flexibility give them the edge.

If you have a Sonos system, though, I do think the Ace Ultra are worth picking for their seamless connectivity with your speakers and soundbar. And the Ace Ultra do offer a few improvements over Sony’s cans, like higher battery life, a more luxurious look, and better sound for movies.

Both are great options, however, so you can feel confident in your choice, whether you opt for Sonos or Sony. But what do you think? Would you choose the Sonos Ace Ultra or Sony WH-1000XM6? Let me know in the comments.

• Excel cells used to just be for one value – but multi-value lists are soon to be supported
• Windows and Mac users can now try it out in beta
• You'll still have to specifically insert a list

Microsoft Excel has just seen one of the biggest updates to its cell architecture since launching, as users can now add multiple values into one single cell.

Until now, users have been unable to add comma-separate text, such as lists, into one cell, but a helpful update to the spreadsheet software is about to change that forever, with Excel not only seeing it as one text string, but also understanding that each item in a list is a separate value.

Introducing lists, arrays in cells and nested arrays as new features, Excel Senior Product Manager Jake Armstrong explained: "You can keep those values in one cell, while also keeping them separate for filtering, calculation and more."

Excel cells can now hold multiple values, like lists

Crucially, Excel won't suddenly start behaving like Word overnight, and users will still need to handle some very basic setup to create a list by inserting it from the menu. Commas and semicolons will then go on to denote a list within a single cell, allowing other core Excel functions like filtering to still work.

At the same time, Microsoft is also adding array and nested array support to single cells and four new functions – FLATTEN, HAS, HASANY and HASALL – to interact with them.

For now, though, these updates are rolling out to Microsoft Excel for Windows and Mac Beta Channels, so they're not yet generally available across the board. As such, there are some known issues involving conditional formatting, charts, find & replace and more.

More broadly, Microsoft's Excel roadmap is filled with plenty of other exciting upgrades for Excel as the spreadsheet software continues to transition into far more than just a basic number-handling tool – Microsoft knows that more and more users are using it for complex text entries, via AI and coding interactions, and the roadmap is evidence that Excel is adapting accordingly.

Anthropic declined an Australian Senate AI hearing as officials investigate an OpenAI agent breach and consider mandatory AI incident reporting.

The post Anthropic Declines Australian AI Hearing as OpenAI Agent Breach Faces Scrutiny appeared first on TechRepublic.

What we know — and still don't — about the suspected terror plot near a U.K. air base. Trump rejects Iran's offer to pause fighting. And CNN prepares for new owners with ties to Trump.

(Image credit: Ben Stansall)

What we know — and still don't — about the suspected terror plot near a U.K. air base. Trump rejects Iran's offer to pause fighting. And CNN prepares for new owners with ties to Trump.

(Image credit: Ben Stansall)

Six courses cover ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, Perplexity, DeepSeek, and Tabnine AI, all for one $15.99 payment.

The post Learn Six AI Assistants For $15.99 With This 25-Hour Course Bundle appeared first on TechRepublic.

• Lidl is launching two new heating devices on October 1
• The first is a heated cushion with six heating settings and an automatic switch-off function
• It's also launching a back and neck pad for gentle muscle heat therapy

Summer is over, and we’re slowly settling into the months of shorter days and longer, colder evenings — and if you’re looking to save money on your heating bills this time of year, Lidl is launching new electrical heating devices that could help.

The first is the SENSIPLAST heated electric cushion, which lands in stores Thursday October 1. When it arrives, you’ll be able to find it in the store’s middle aisle for £17.99 (£16.19 with Lidl Plus) with the rest of its budget-friendly home products.

As home heating bills continue to rise, more users are seeking alternative ways to keep themselves warm throughout the winter while keeping costs as low as they can. Devices such as heated cushions and electric blankets can help, but they can also be pricey.

For a sub-£20 device, Lidl’s heated cushion doesn’t compromise comfort and technical features. Underneath its soft casing and integrated heat pad — which is machine-washable at 30 degrees — the cushion packs six temperature settings giving you plenty of options and flexibility.

As well as a heating control function, the cushion’s red LED light lets you know when the device is switched on and comes with automatic switch-off after 90 minutes, serving as a safety function but also helps you manage your usage time. It’s also fairly decent in size (L40 x W30cm with inner cushion), with a 100W power usage.

The second electrical heating device in Lidl’s upcoming range is the SENSIPLAST back and neck heating pad, which also lands in the middle aisle on October 1.

Priced at £14.99 (£13.49 with Lidl Plus), the device is designed to cut the cost of keeping warm all while treating your back and neck muscles to gentle heat therapy. The heating pad is 62 x 41cm in size, and comes with adjustable waist straps and a hook and loop neck fastener to help you find a snug and comfortable fit.

Similarly to the heated cushion, Lidl’s new heating pad packs a number of the same smarts most notably its six heat settings, automatic switch-off after 90 minutes, and electronic heating control. Likewise, the heating pad is made from a soft material and can be machine-washed at 30 degrees on a delicate cycle.

As the autumn months draw in, budget heating devices such as these are becoming more popular, and every appliance in Lidl’s restock is available on a first-come, first-served basis, so you'll want to head down to your local store on October 1 if you don't want to miss out.

• Researcher claims intense agentic activity at UN likely tied to OpenAI
• Failed API requests caused them to find alternative solutions
• They were even using sandboxed browsers to overcome hurdles

A new report has revealed AI agents which were "highly likely" to have been operated by OpenAI made more than 16,000 scans against UNCTADstat, a statistics platform operated by the UN, and all of this in just two months between April 13 and June 19 2026.

While the report from independent researcher Rowan Howard-Jones covers some of the in-demand topics, like employment data and other economic statistics, the real shocker is the extent at which the agents would go to when straightforward requests failed.

"Agents bruteforced API fields in UNCTADstat to locate endpoints and retrieve data," the report summarizes.

UN data hub flooded with agentic AI activity

Though the author ties several pieces of evidence to OpenAI agents, it's not been confirmed that the ChatGPT maker was behind these streams of traffic. For example, CHATGPTTEST1 and OAI_META_1312 were among the labels used, and there was also a connection to FractalWiki, a public wiki previously associated with OpenAI activity.

One of the biggest shockers was how the AI agents went about retrieving data, because upon failing to gain entry via the API, the agents apparently started behaving as if the supplied key was incorrect, experimenting with other names.

The agents were also observed opening URLs inside a sandboxed browser via Urlquery, allowing them to make request they apparently couldn't make directly from their own environments.

But better still, these processes were seen to have been self-healed and refined over time to improve efficiency.

"We’re reviewing these findings and have reached out to the U.N. to offer a briefing with the team conducting that review," an OpenAI spokesperson told The Wall Street Journal, implying some form of ownership, but importantly, because the API keys were publicly exposed and the information being sought was public, the activity itself has not been deemed as any sort of hack.

However, with a relatively straightforward request leading to some pretty intense behavior, it certainly raises questions about agentic security.

• AeroPress has launched a walnut wood coffee brewer and grinder
• They are part of a growing trend in premium real wood kitchen appliances
• The brewer and grinder are on sale now, and are sure to sell out fast

AeroPress has just launched a new premium version of its classic coffee maker: the AeroPress Premium Walnut Brewer, with real wood components to tie into your kitchen color scheme.

The new brewer has a plunger and flange made from high-grade walnut wood, and comes with a solid walnut coffee scoop and stirrer. Like the AeroPress Premium, the new walnut brewer has a chamber made from tough borosilicate glass, with laser-etched markings to help you pour just the right volume of water. Other components, including the filter cap, are made from stainless steel and aluminum.

To match the new coffee maker, there's also a new walnut-clad version of the AeroPress Manual Coffee Grinder. The AeroPress Walnut Manual Grinder has a large handle made from natural wood, with a matching catch container to hold your freshly ground beans.

I had the opportunity to test the all-metal coffee grinder when it launched earlier this year, and it was by far the best hand-operated grinder I've ever used. I was particularly impressed by the quality of its titanium burrs, which grind extremely evenly, and can be adjusted for 60 different grind sizes. The large handpiece sits comfortably in the hand and is easy to turn, though there's also an attachment for an electric drill if you have limited mobility in your hands.

AeroPressAeroPressAeroPress

Walnut is a growing trend in premium kitchen appliances, with wood-accented models flying off the shelves. KitchenAid's Evergreen stand mixer went viral after its launch in 2024, the ever-popular Ratio Eight Coffee Machine got a real wood upgrade in May 2025, and the walnut-clad Café Leon Dore / La Marzocco Linea Micra espresso machine sold out almost immediately in November — despite its eye-watering price tag of $11,660 (about £8,810 / AU$16,620).

Thankfully the AeroPress Premium Walnut Brewer and AeroPress Walnut Manual Grinder are significantly easier on your wallet. They are priced at $249.95 each, and are available today from AeroPress.com and Williams-Sonoma. That works out at about £190 / AU$360, though global release details have yet to be announced.

Their launch comes just in time for International Coffee Day on October 1. Stick with TechRadar for more coverage of the latest coffee makers, tips and recommendations on the day itself.

The portable travel press just got an all-natural makeover.

I've been waiting impatiently for The Celebrity Traitors season 2 to begin airing on BBC iPlayer... and finally, the wait is almost over.

Our new cast heading to the Scottish Highlands is as follows:

• Amol Rajan, Journalist and Broadcaster
• Bella Ramsey, Actor
• James Acaster, Comedian and Podcaster
• James Blunt, Singer/Songwriter
• Jerry Hall, Model and Actress
• Joanne McNally, Comedian
• Joe Lycett, Comedian
• Julie Hesmondhalgh, Actor
• King Kenny, Content Creator
• Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Singer/Songwriter
• Maya Jama, Broadcaster and Entrepreneur  
• Michael Sheen, Actor and Presenter
• Miranda Hart, Actor and Author
• Myha’la, Actor
• Professor Hannah Fry, Broadcaster and Mathematician
• Richard E. Grant, Actor and Author
• Rob Beckett, Comedian
• Romesh Ranganathan, Comedian
• Ross Kemp, Actor and Presenter
• Sebastian Croft, Musician and Actor
• Sharon Rooney, Actor

As ever, we've got to expected the unexpected, and the below trailer teases that host Claudia Winkleman definitely has some new tricks up her sleeve.

But when will The Celebrity Traitors season 2 episodes 1 and 2 be arriving on BBC iPlayer?

What time can I watch The Celebrity Traitors season 2 episodes 1-2 on BBC iPlayer?

There are no batch uploads to BBC iPlayer this year! The Celebrity Traitors seasons 2 will have two episodes dropping this week as follows for UK fans:

• Episode 1: October 1, 8pm BST
• Episode 2: October 2, 8pm BST

Fans in the US, Australia and other international territories will have to wait for another designated streaming service to pick up episodes at a later date (e.g. Peacock in the US, or Paramount+ in Australia).

If you're a BBC licence-fee payer, you can use one of the best VPNs to stream iPlayer from anywhere in the world — check out our How to watch BBC iPlayer from abroad guide for more information.

When do new episodes of The Celebrity Traitors come out?

(Image credit: BBC)

New episodes release on Thursdays and Fridays each week until the season 2 finale, giving us the below series schedule:

• Episode 1: October 1
• Episode 2: October 2
• Episode 3: October 8
• Episode 4: October 9
• Episode 5: October 15
• Episode 6: October 16
• Episode 7: October 22
• Episode 8: October 23
• Episode 9: October 29
• Episode 10: October 30

Complete 10 simulated security and GRC projects, get expert feedback on each, and earn a signed certificate.

The post Turn Cybersecurity Theory Into Portfolio-Ready Work For $99 appeared first on TechRepublic.

President Trump has brought his New York real estate background to the White House. But experts say D.C. is a very different historic and legal landscape — and worry about the precedent he could set.

• Discord is working on a new 'Game Mode' feature to reduce CPU and GPU usage while gaming
• The new feature seems to be an auto-toggle of the Reduced Motion feature on the desktop app when a game is running
• It's not yet clear if any improvements will be made to resource consumption while screen sharing

Discord is infamous for its high RAM, CPU, and GPU consumption while gaming, and some of those aspects are finally being addressed.

As reported by VideoCardz, Discord is working on 'Game Mode,' a new feature for the Discord client that frees up CPU and GPU resources while a game is running by disabling effects and animations for smoother gameplay.

Discord already offers options to reduce system resource use, notably Reduced Motion, which reduces the intensity of animations and hover effects when navigating the client. Users can also disable hardware acceleration, which stops the app from using the GPU for better performance within it, and disabling it should stop "visual glitches like frame drops in games or performance problems".

Game Mode sounds a lot like Reduced Motion, with DiscordPreviews (on X) describing how it reduces animations and effects automatically once a game is detected. With this in mind, Game Mode might not be the best answer to solving Discord's system resource issues, especially since there's no mention of RAM usage reduction.

It's also worth noting that Discord is an Electron-based application (a framework for desktop applications that uses web technology), which means Discord's web app is essentially running in an embedded browser engine known as Chromium — the same engine Google Chrome is built on, which is another app that is heavy on system resources.

Discord is working on Game Mode. Once activated, Discord's client will automatically reduce animations and disable effects when it detects a game being played, freeing up CPU and GPU resources that might help your game run smoother. pic.twitter.com/Ul9v9qQqnxSeptember 26, 2026

What about screen sharing?

(Image credit: Getty Images)

It's unclear if Game Mode will do anything new other than serve as an automatic toggle for Reduced Motion while gaming. In that case, Discord still has a long way to go in ensuring the desktop app doesn't continue to creep up as a system resource issue for gamers.

At the very least, having Discord devs address the issues is a great start, but it remains to be seen if Game Mode will also help with keeping CPU and GPU usage as low as possible while screen sharing.

Unsurprisingly, the latter uses high amounts of system resources, especially when streaming at higher resolutions, but it's more reasonable compared to simple voice chat or the app being open in the background and still hogging memory.

Still, in-game frame rates can suffer when using screen share, even if the resolution is below 1080p, and this is far more problematic on lower-end systems with less RAM. Solutions such as a capture card on a separate system (or specifically a laptop) can help solve game performance problems completely, but it's not exactly an affordable option.

If Discord can optimize the desktop app or move away from its Electron-based nature, it could go a long way toward removing all of the major pain points.

• A study carried out by researchers in France looked at drone delivery for defibrillators
• It found that wait times could be cut by 3.76 minutes on average
• Provision of more fixed defibrillators and better placement of the devices is important too

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrests are currently survived by fewer than 1 in 10 people, but researchers in France have explored a new defibrillator delivery method that could help push these figures in the right direction: delivery by drone.

In an analysis carried out by Lariboisière Hospital emergency physician Hillary Minka and her colleagues, drone delivery capabilities were added to the current network of fixed automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in areas surrounding Paris.

Using drones could cut delivery times by an average of 3.76 minutes, the simulations showed, with 95% of cardiac arrest patients reached within five minutes, compared to the current 30-40% figure when relying on foot and road transport of the devices.

However, the researchers emphasize that the provision of more AEDs should be a priority too, not just the use of drones to deliver them, and say locating more AEDs in places that are publicly accessible, rather than in private spaces, will also help. Together, they say these measures could increase the five-minute coverage rate to 99.4%.

Real-world testing is next

Everdrone already deploys medical drones in Sweden (Image credit: Everdrone)

"Drones will never replace bystanders, resuscitation efforts or emergency medical teams," says Minka. "However, they could represent an additional link in the chain of survival and help make defibrillation available more quickly."

The researchers' work also showed the importance of the geographical distribution of AEDs. Better placement reduces the need for additional units, given the drone range of around 3,900 meters (12,.795 feet).

Next, the researchers want to set up real-world trials. This new study was based on simulations and modeling — no actual drones were flown — and so it doesn't take into account any day-to-day variables, such as weather conditions.

The study hasn't yet been peer-reviewed, but it has been presented at the European Emergency Medicine Congress 2026 in Paris. Defibrillators are already delivered by drone in some parts of Sweden, and it may not be too long before other countries follow its lead.