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NPR's Steve Inskeep speaks with Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danon about his country's strikes.

(Image credit: Majid Saeedi/Majid Saeedi)

At Summer Game Fest, developers played through a chunk of the Steamboat Willie-style game in front of me.

Commentary: People respond to different types of encouragement when working out -- some prefer a drill sergeant, others a caffeinated spin class instructor.

A recent report points to the rising popularity of this internet connection type. Here are the details.

• iOS 26 promises a lot of new and updated features for iPhone fans
• Some of the most interesting changes come to music and CarPlay
• Here are five of the best changes coming to these areas

If you watched Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC 2025) keynote video earlier this week, you might have noticed all the new features coming to Apple’s music and CarPlay offerings.

Whether you love using your Apple tech with your favorite tunes or while driving, there were some notable updates to pay attention to. Here, we’ve outlined five of the best features coming to these areas in iOS 26.

Mix tunes like a pro

(Image credit: Apple)

Any good DJ knows how to mix one song into another, ensuring the beats line up and one track fades into another so seamlessly that it’s almost unnoticeable. In iOS 26, Apple Music can now do that for you.

That’s thanks to a new feature called AutoMix, and it uses some clever under-the-hood analysis to pick the “perfect moment” for your songs to transition, smoothly blending the music as one track ends and the next begins. AutoMix replaces CrossFade (which did a similar thing, albeit in a much less advanced way), and can be enabled when you open Apple Music in iOS 26.

Apple Music Replay

(Image credit: Apple Music)

Like Spotify Wrapped, Apple Music Replay lets you check out your listening habits and see exactly how many hours you’ve spend listening to that one guilty pleasure. Before iOS 26, though, it could only be accessed as a popup web view, which didn’t provide the best experience.

Now it’s a native part of the Apple Music app, meaning it’s a lot easier to find and view than before. You’ll also find an Apple Music Replay playlist at the bottom of the app’s Home tab, and this updates throughout the year to give you the very latest stats and figures.

Custom ringtones

(Image credit: Future)

Apple has a dedicated ringtone section in iTunes – just tap the More tab in the iTunes Store app on iOS, then select Tones. But if you’d rather create your own custom ringtones, the process has always been a bit more involved, requiring you to create a ringtone of your own, export it from the GarageBand app to your phone, then choose it manually in the Settings app.

In iOS 26, that process has been simplified. If you open a ringtone in an app like Files, you just need to tap the Share button and pick the Use as Ringtone option. That can cut out a few steps, although you still need to create the ringtone in the first place.

Widgets and Live Activities in CarPlay

(Image credit: Apple)

CarPlay is all about putting useful controls at your fingertips, all with the goal of not distracting you from the road. That fine balancing act has had a new update in iOS 26 with the addition of widgets and Live Activities.

Widgets like the weather forecast and your calendar appointments are now available in your car, and they use a compact layout that Apple says offers “quick and glanceable” information. And you’ll find Live Activities in CarPlay too, showing ongoing data like flight status, helping to keep you in the know.

CarPlay zoom settingsImage 1 of 2

The CarPlay interface before Smart Display Zoom is enabled. (Image credit: Apple)Image 2 of 2

The CarPlay interface after Smart Display Zoom is enabled, with compact icons allowing more to fit on the screen. (Image credit: Apple)

It’s always important that CarPlay’s information is appropriately sized for your car dashboard, and that’s been made a little easier in iOS 26 with the addition of Smart Display Zoom. This automatically resizes CarPlay’s interface to fit your vehicle’s display area (where possible).

In an example given by Apple, Smart Display Zoom shrinks the on-screen icons slightly, which allows an extra row of buttons to be shown. With less swiping, you should be able to get to the info you need a little quicker.

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• Apple CarPlay just got 4 big free upgrades with iOS 26 – here's what you need to know
• iOS 26: new features, a new design, and everything you need to know

• Apple's much-anticipated Siri upgrade is rumored to arrive in 'spring 2026'
• A new report from Mark Gurman at Bloomberg claims Apple Intelligence-powered Siri is slated for an iOS 26.4 release
• A year is a long time in the world of AI. Is that too long to wait?

As WWDC 2025 comes to a close, a new report claims Apple's major Siri upgrade, powered by Apple Intelligence, is expected to launch in 'spring 2026'.

According to Mark Gurman, writing for Bloomberg, Apple has "set an internal release target of spring 2026 for its delayed upgrade of Siri, marking a key step in its artificial intelligence turnaround effort."

Earlier this week, the company showcased the future of iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Vision Pro software, changing the naming scheme to match the year the OS corresponds to. The "26" moniker of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and visionOS all include AI features, yet Apple's most anticipated one is still missing.

Gurman claims the Siri upgrade, which will allow the voice assistant to have on-screen awareness and personal context, is now slated for iOS 26.4, which, based on previous software releases, should arrive around March or April next year.

Gurman's sources told him an exact date hasn't been set internally, "beyond a spring time frame." It's also worth noting this time frame could shift, especially considering AI-powered Siri was supposed to launch as part of iOS 18 and was initially unveiled at WWDC 2024.

Is the Siri turmoil over?

The last year has been rocky for Apple, to say the least. The Cupertino-based company showcased Apple Intelligence back in June 2024, highlighting how "AI for the rest of us" was going to change the way iPhone users interact with their smartphones.

Unfortunately, the Apple Intelligence features that have launched, such as Genmoji, Writing Tools, and Visual Intelligence, have all received a somewhat lukewarm response as users wait in anticipation for the truly groundbreaking AI Siri that was promised.

My colleague Lance Ulanoff spoke with Apple's Senior Vice President of Software Engineering Craig Federighi and Apple Global VP of Marketing Greg Joswiak following WWDC 2025's keynote earlier this week.

During the interview (which you can read about and watch here), Federighi said, "We set about for months, making Siri work better and better across more app intents, better and better for doing search," Federighi added. "But fundamentally, we found that the limitations of the V1 architecture weren't getting us to the quality level that we knew our customers needed and expected." This led to Apple postponing the release of Siri's major upgrade in March of this year.

Now, we've got a clearer idea of when to expect Siri's Apple Intelligence overhaul, although that's almost another year away, and a year in the world of AI is an incredibly long time.

By 'spring 2026', will Apple's competitors like Google and OpenAI have opened the gap even wider? And if so, will Apple have put all this effort into an AI solution that just becomes bloatware on an iPhone as users opt to use Gemini Live or ChatGPT Advanced Voice Mode instead?

'Spring 2026' is just an estimate, but that has to be the latest possible arrival for a much-needed Siri upgrade; any further delays, and I think Apple's loyal user base might get even more frustrated with Tim Cook and co.

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• WWDC 2025 as it happened: all the iOS 26, MacOS Tahoe, and iPadOS news, with live video from Apple Park
• iPad just won WWDC 2025 – here’s why the iPadOS upgrades just made me cry tears of joy

Review information

Platform reviewed: Nintendo Switch 2
Available on: Nintendo Switch 2
Release date: June 5, 2025

Mario Kart World has launched alongside the arrival of the Nintendo Switch 2. And with it, the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe curse has finally been broken. Of course, it’s reasonable to expect Nintendo to have supported its 68 million+ selling Switch game for as long as it did, but the time certainly felt right for something new.

And Mario Kart World absolutely feels new. Not in the literal sense, of course - that’s a given. Rather, it genuinely takes Mario Kart to fresh new heights with utterly stunning visuals and transformative racing techniques that feel so much more tactile than the underwater or anti-gravity gimmicks of the series' past.

The big draw to Mario Kart World? Well, the clue’s in the name. The game offers a gigantic open world for players to explore in Free Roam mode - either solo or in local or online multiplayer. The game’s circuits are also integrated into this map, as are hundreds of mini-challenges and collectibles.

World also introduces Knockout Tour, a non-stop endurance race from one end of the map to another, in which the goal is to remain above a constantly dwindling placement threshold to avoid being eliminated. It’s hands down the best mode in the game and really comes to life online, where races are almost impossibly chaotic.

While Mario Kart World does offer the most exceptionally satisfying driving model the series has ever seen, I can’t quite bring myself to say it beats out the excellence of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe just yet. Its main Grand Prix mode actually does the game’s otherwise wonderful circuits a bit of a disservice, and there’s a pile of frustrating design decisions that all add up to muddy the overall experience to a degree.

Namely, Nintendo has fumbled the bag somewhat with its open world here. While the act of simply driving about and unlocking outfits for your favorite characters can be a lot of fun in and of itself, there’s little in the way of actual content here outside of short challenge missions. Even the main form of collectible here - stickers you can place on your kart - falls flat. But more on that in the review proper.

Overall, Mario Kart World has moments where it’s easily the best game in the series. The handling of the karts here is sublime, and learning courses and routes with the new rail grind and wall ride techniques is endlessly fulfilling. There aren’t even any major issues with online play, which, for Nintendo, is an accomplishment. It’s just such a shame that certain design decisions lead to a game that feels lacking in some crucial areas.

There’s a whole world out there, but is it worth seeing?

(Image credit: Nintendo)

The big draw to Mario Kart World is, as mentioned, its Free Roam mode. For the first time ever, Nintendo has created a fully explorable Mushroom Kingdom without any load times. Even pressing the ‘+’ button from the main menu will seamlessly transition you into Free Roam, which is super impressive and is a strong indicator of how much more powerful the Switch 2 is compared to its predecessor.

The only load times you’ll experience in Free Roam come from switching characters or fast traveling to a named location on the map, and even these are extremely brisk. Pair this with impressive draw distance, rock-solid 60fps performance, and simply stunning visual fidelity, and you have a mode that acts as a real showcase of the console’s hardware chops.

It’s a massive open space, dotted with the game’s many circuits and plenty of scenic routes to travel between them. It’s also exceptionally varied, featuring everything from lush forests and arid dunes to a haunted swamp and an industrial space port. There’s a great amount of fun to be had in simply driving around, taking in some breathtaking sights, and vibing to World’s eclectic soundtrack.

That said, Free Roam leaves a lot on the table. Don’t get me wrong, going on a drive with your friends (Free Roam is also playable in multiplayer) is joyous, and I can see it being a wonderful experience for groups of friends and families. But once the novelty wears off, there actually isn’t all that much to do here.

Best bit

(Image credit: Nintendo)

Mario Kart World’s driving is sublime. Drifting feels more fine-tuned than ever, while new techniques like wall riding and rail grinding offer an incredibly high skill ceiling and avenues for creativity during any given moment out on track.

Aside from character costumes, which you can unlock by picking up Dash Food items at various drive-thrus dotted throughout the map, your main collectible in Free Roam is stickers. This irks me on so many levels.

The stickers themselves are inoffensive, and many have very cool and eye-catching designs. It’s their implementation that’ll leave you wanting more. You can choose a single sticker, which will be placed on your kart of choice, and they also act as a miniature icon during online play. However, the stickers simply don’t show up on half the karts in the roster, and on most, they’re far too tiny to be noticeable.

Furthermore, stickers are pretty much the main form of collectible in this game. Completing one of many P-Switch challenges dotted around the Free Roam map? While these are fun little distractions, all you’re getting for your troubles is a sticker. Running over a hidden Question Block panel found tucked away in the map’s circuits? Sticker. Collecting Peach Medallions? For that, you’ll at least get a cool alternate kart livery! Nope, I’m joking, it’s stickers.

As a result, the joy of driving around in Free Roam can quickly diminish if you’re not racing about with friends. It does feel like what we have now, at least, is a foundation on which Nintendo can build upon with more activities and potentially new areas. We’ll have to see how things pan out in the future, but for now, don’t be surprised if Free Roam starts to feel a little vacuous for you over time.

Catch my drift

(Image credit: Nintendo)

So the open world in Mario Kart World leaves a lot to be desired, but I’d be a fool to completely write the game off because of it. What saves World for me, and why I still consider it to be my new favorite game in the series, is that its driving and racing feel so, so good.

Previous Mario Kart games had gimmicks like gliding, underwater, and anti-gravity racing. All of which were cute and fun, but little more than fluff that was broadly used for set-piece purposes. There’s nothing wrong with that at face value, but World’s additions do genuinely feel transformative.

World introduces charge jumping, rail grinding, and wall riding to the karting mix, and all work in tandem with one another to actively raise this game’s skill ceiling compared to previous entries. By themselves, these individual mechanics don’t necessarily make you faster, but when chained together to take advantage of a circuit’s level design and shortcuts, they’ll make you feel like Nintendo injected some of that Neversoft Tony Hawk game goodness into Mario Kart World.

(Image credit: Nintendo)

It helps that Mario Kart World rewards skillful driving a good deal more. Drifting has also been fine-tuned, feeling more precise and satisfying than ever. Drafting a kart in front of you for a quick slipstream boost has also been greatly enhanced, feeling much faster and a more viable tactic for getting ahead.

The whole thing feels very carefully balanced, which is where items come in. The iconic Spiny Shell - which makes a beeline for the player in first and explodes on contact with them - is still devastating, but you maintain some forward momentum after getting hit, making the punishment slightly less severe. Common ‘last to first’ items like the Bullet Bill and Lightning have been considerably nerfed, with their benefits and debuffs having less of an effect on the overall race.

There’s a smattering of new items to help keep things fresh, too. The Coin Shell follows a set path down the track, dropping coins for other players to pick up, thus increasing their top speeds. Kamek can be summoned to transform players into other characters and place random obstacles at the front of the pack. There’s also the Ice Flower, which is a bit of a dud, being practically identical to the Fire Flower in effect.

Then there’s the Feather, which hasn’t been seen in the series (outside of Battle modes) since the SNES original - so long as you’re not counting Mario Kart Tour. The Feather simply makes your kart jump into the air, which seems underwhelming, but write it off at your peril. In truth, the Feather can be extremely useful for accessing loftier parts of a track or initiating a grind or wall ride without needing to take a few seconds to rev up a charge jump. They’re also great for accessing various shortcuts on any given circuit.

At the races

(Image credit: Nintendo)

Let’s talk about modes, then. Outside of Free Roam, you’ve got the expected appearance of Grand Prix mode, which comprises eight cups - all featuring four races each. It’s joined by other mainstays, including Time Trial and Battle modes.

Grand Prix is something I have pretty mixed feelings on in Mario Kart World. That’s because the bulk of each event is made up of intermission segments where you race along a portion of the open world map, with your destination being a single lap of the featured circuit.

Needing to drive from one circuit to the next is something Nintendo made a big deal of in World’s marketing. I do like their inclusion, and they lead to some interesting and unique racing. However, they’re far better suited to the excellent Knockout Tour mode, where the whole point is driving a route from A to B across the entire map, OutRun style.

In Grand Prix, while you’ll get to do a three-lap race of the first track on the docket, you actually end up doing very little racing on the tracks themselves. This makes it harder to learn each circuit at first, and also means they don’t live very long in the memory.

(Image credit: Nintendo)

And that’s a huge shame, because again, track design is some of the best the series has ever seen. The winding alleyways and shortcuts of Shy Guy Bazaar. The spectacle of being transported into a movie world in Boo Cinema. And the sheer moment-to-moment set piece that is Bowser’s Castle. They all have the wind taken out of their sails somewhat, as we simply don’t get much racing time on them.

There does exist a workaround here, though. By selecting VS Race from the menu, you can set up custom race rules. By setting the track selection rule to ‘open’, only then can you do a full-length race on each circuit. The absence of a traditional Grand Prix setup, then, is baffling. Especially as those intermission routes really shine in the Knockout Tour mode.

Speaking of Knockout Tour, it’s another highlight in Mario Kart World, and easily the best way to play the game, especially in an online 24-player race. Each of the eight Knockout Tour events smartly blends open roads with segments of circuits, going from ascending steep mountains to weaving through busy traffic in a matter of minutes.

The goal of Knockout Tour is in its name. Each checkpoint will eliminate the racers in the back four places, eventually whittling the grid down to just four for the final stretch. It’s constantly thrilling and rewards skillful driving, clever usage of shortcuts, and an understanding of rail grinds and wall rides for quick bursts of speed.

Needs a few upgrades

(Image credit: Nintendo)

While I have greatly enjoyed my time with Mario Kart World so far - in both solo and multiplayer environments - it still can feel rushed or incomplete in certain areas. I’ve already spoken about my frustrations with the Grand Prix format and lack of meaningful activities in Free Roam, but those, unfortunately, aren’t my only issues.

It’s not the end of the world, but the character selection screen is objectively a total mess. Things aren’t too bad at first, but you’ll soon realize that each unlocked costume acts as its own slot on the roster. There’s no dropdown list here, letting you choose an outfit after selecting a character. It’s all just one large jumble with only rudimentary organization.

This is actually something Nintendo has gone backwards on since its last game in the series. In Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, certain characters like Yoshi, Inkling, and Shy Guy let you choose an alternate look or color after picking them. There’s nothing like that in Mario Kart World, so I seriously hope this gets patched in soon.

Furthermore, the unlocking process for some characters is frustratingly random. A handful are tied to beating cups in Grand Prix mode, which is completely fine. The rest, though, are tied to the Kamek item transforming you into a random character, meaning you genuinely might not complete the roster for weeks if not months, based on how much you play.

These gripes aside, I still really do love Mario Kart World. Its driving is sublime, Knockout Tour is a fantastically chaotic new mode, and I’m so serious when I say the game’s massive soundtrack is worth the price of admission alone. Outside of Final Fantasy 14 Online, I don’t think I’ve ever encountered a soundtrack this varied and of this quality. It covers everything from jazz and techno to rock and ska, classical, big band, and everything in between. Even after 30 or so hours, I don’t believe I’ve come close to hearing the entire track list. There’s just so much here, especially if you’re nostalgic for the wider Super Mario franchise.

Should I buy Mario Kart World?Buy it if...

You want a kart racer that’s as fun as it is chaotic
The best driving in the series, paired with hilarious items and the new Knockout Tour mode, makes Mario Kart World a chaotic blast in both single and multiplayer.

You’re playing with family and friends regularly
Mario Kart World’s Free Roam mode is excellent for parents who want some simple racing fun with their kids, or even as a casual pick-up-and-play mode with friends.

Don't buy it if...

You were hoping for more meaningful unlocks
Aside from characters and costumes, the main form of unlockables is stickers. When you realize this is much of what Free Roam has to offer, it may be enough to turn you away.

You’re not keen on randomness or items
The Kamek item tied to unlocking some characters aside, getting three red shells up your rear end on the final corner of a race remains uniquely infuriating.

Accessibility

While there are no accessibility options in the traditional sense, such as colorblind filters, Mario Kart World does offer some driving options to make things easier in some regards. These include smart steering, which veers you away from track edges, as well as auto-accelerate and auto-item use options.

It's also quite strange and frustrating that there are no dedicated volume control options - nothing for either music, voices or sound effects. This isn't uncommon for Nintendo games, but the omission of such audio options continues to be utterly baffling.

How I reviewed Mario Kart World

I played Mario Kart World on Nintendo Switch 2 for around 30 hours for this review. I tested more or less everything the game has to offer, including Grand Prix, Knockout Tour, Free Roam, VS Battles, and online play. During that time, I also unlocked the majority of characters and outfits and completed close to 100 P-Switch challenges in Free Roam.

During my playtime, I primarily used the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller in docked mode on an LG CX OLED TV which allowed me to enjoy Mario Kart World at its native 1440p resolution, transitioning to the Joy-Con 2 during handheld play on the Switch 2’s 1080p vivid LCD display.

First reviewed June 2025

• AMD says new Instinct MI350 Series GPUs are 35x better at inferencing than their predecessors
• AMD claims it has exceeded its energy efficiency goals, lays out bolder goals
• MI400 GPUs will power future Helios AI Racks

AMD has unveiled its Instinct MI350 Series GPUs, promising a staggering 4x improvement to AI performance compared with the previous generation chips – enough to have Nvidia worried about the market dominance of its Blackwell chips.

Company CEO Lisa Su also revealed details of the Helios AI Rack, which is to be built on next-generation Instinct MI400 Series GPUs as well as AMD EPYV Venice CPUs and AMD Pensando Vulcano NICs.

The news came at AMD's Advancing AI 2025 conference, together with a series of other hardware, software and AI announcements.

AMD's latest chips put up a fight against Nvidia's Blackwell

Besides the 4x improvement to AI performance, AMD also boasts an eyewatering 35x generational improvement in inferencing as well as price-performance gains, unlocking 40% more tokens-per-dollar compared to its key like-for-like rival, the Nvidia B200.

Despite Nvidia's market dominance, AMD proudly claims that seven in 10 of the largest model builders and Al companies use its Instinct accelerators, including Meta, OpenAI, Microsoft and xAI.

MI300X has been deployed for Llama 3 and 4 inferencing with Meta and proprietary and open-source models with Azure, among others.

Besides performance, AMD is also honing in on its environmental goals, claiming that its MI350 Series GPUs exceeded the five-year organizational goal to improve the energy efficiency of AI training and high-performance computing nodes by 30x – by reaching a figure of 38x.

By 2030, the company also wants to increase rack-scale energy efficiency by 20x compared with 2024, and it already predicts a 95% reduction in electricity for typical AI model training.

Looking ahead, Instinct MI400 Series GPUs are expected to deliver up to 10x more performance running inference on Mixture of Experts models.

Despite the bold claims, AMD's market cap remains considerably lower than Nvidia's, reaching $192.14 billion at press time.

“AMD is driving AI innovation at an unprecedented pace, highlighted by the launch of our AMD Instinct MI350 series accelerators, advances in our next generation AMD ‘Helios’ rack-scale solutions, and growing momentum for our ROCm open software stack,” said Su.

“We are entering the next phase of AI, driven by open standards, shared innovation and AMD’s expanding leadership across a broad ecosystem of hardware and software partners who are collaborating to define the future of AI.”

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It can run all day (and night) on a single charge but something about the price and features doesn't line up.

LG xboom Grab: Two-minute review

There are only so many ways you can design a Bluetooth speaker. Sonos has done the Toblerone look. Ultimate Ears has mastered the rounded cube. And JBL pioneered the rugged cylinder. Is there any room left for innovation? LG thinks so. And the answer is straps.

The xboom Grab is far from the first speaker to feature built-in carry straps, but its two elasticated loops are unique among the best Bluetooth speakers. Subtle enough when not in use, they’re a neat addition that means you can easily lash the Grab to a bike frame or handlebars. Release one end from the metal bracket and you can also hook the speaker to just about anything.

More than a novelty, the straps are useful for users on the move. So are the Grab’s dimensions, which mean it fits neatly in a cup or bottle holder. It might not be the lightest at 700g, but this is a speaker that lives up to its portable promise. It’s also one that feels built to survive a beach party, even if its buttons are easy to press accidentally.

Straps aren’t the only standout feature. To distinguish the Grab in a crowded market, LG has packed it with tricks. A pulsing light strip adds a sliver of color at the foot of the unit. Whether that’s a welcome addition will depend on your taste for ambient flair, but the saturation is bold and the execution slick – as is the option to control, sync or disable its hues in the app.

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(Image credit: Chris Rowlands)

Strangely, the Grab connects to the ThinQ app, rather than the LG xboom one. This requires you to create an account, a step that feels both unnecessary and lengthy. Still, it’s worth the effort: the app is where you gain access to a range of configuration options, including AI room calibration and the ability to power the speaker on and off remotely. It’s also where you can adjust sound settings.

You’ll want to do that. By default, will.i.am – with the help of LG’s sound engineers – has set the xboom Grab to Bass Boost. This gives it plenty of low-end energy, at the expense of clarity elsewhere in the range. Switch to Standard mode and separation improves dramatically. There’s still weight to the lower frequencies, but it’s balanced with detailed mids and expressive treble, which are given more space to breathe.

A 10W tweeter and 20W racetrack woofer, plus a pair of passive radiators, deliver a dynamic listen, creating a soundstage that’s surprisingly full and spacious for a portable speaker. The Grab certainly has no trouble being heard, indoors or out, with distortion only creeping in when you really crank up the volume.

Longevity isn’t lacking either. Switch off the lights and the Grab’s 20-hour battery rating stacks up. That puts it at the head of the field, with a several-hour lead over its primary rival: the JBL Flip 7.

In truth, the challenge for most people will be choosing between the Grab and the Flip 7. Both speakers have compact proportions and stellar sonic performance. Both also offer app connectivity and adaptive AI tuning. Design is likely to be the deciding factor. If clean lines, bright lights and carry straps do it for you, the LG xboom Grab won’t leave you disappointed.

LG xboom Grab review: Price and release date

• Announced at CES in January 2025
• Officially priced at $149.99 / £129.98 / around AU$175

LG unveiled the xboom Grab at CES in January 2025. Part of the ‘xboom by will.i.am’ range, it debuted alongside the larger xboom Bounce and party-ready Stage 301. All three hit shelves in April.

Ticketed at $149.99 / £129.98 (around AU$175), the Grab is pitched directly against the JBL Flip 7, which currently occupies the top spot in our list of the best Bluetooth speakers.

At that price point, the Grab enters a crowded and competitive market. The Sonos Roam 2, another portable speaker that sits happily in our best wireless speakers roundup owing to its Wi-Fi streaming capability, has recently been discounted to a similar asking fee.

Because it doesn’t undercut its rivals, the Grab instead needs to deliver a superior experience to win listeners. And, as you’ll read below, it does a thoroughly good job of trying, offering a plethora of features for the money.

LG xboom Grab review: Specs

Weight:

700g

Dimensions:

211.0 x 71.6 x 70.0mm

Battery life (quoted):

20 hours

Connectivity:

Bluetooth 5.3

Multipoint:

Yes

Drivers:

16mm tweeter, 80 x 45mm woofer, 2x passive radiators

Aux-in:

No

Charger port:

USB-C

Microphone:

Yes

Waterproof rating:

IP67

App:

Yes

LG xboom Grab review: Design

• Built-in elasticated straps
• IP67 waterproof and dust-proof
• Seven-button interface with customizable shortcut

In many ways, the LG xboom Grab borrows from every Bluetooth speaker that’s gone before it. It’s a solid cylinder clad in fabric mesh, with reinforced ends where the passive radiators reside. It combines the clean lines of the Ultimate Ears Boom 3 with the tidy dimensions of the JBL Flip 7. That’s a strong starting point, which LG has embellished with neat details and a dash of flair.

It wouldn’t look out of place in a modern apartment, yet the Grab is also ready for the beach. Like most of its contemporaries, it benefits from an IP67 water-resistance rating. LG’s also had it certified to military standard 810H. If you’re not up to speed with military testing codes (that's absolutely fine, by the way), that means it can easily shake off shocks, sand and salt water spray. In short, the Grab is built to last.

It certainly feels that way. At 700g, the Grab is weightier than other speakers of a similar size, which gives it a real sense of solidity. From the grooves on the bumpers to the metal plate where the straps attach, its construction is sturdy. The aesthetic might channel urban understatement, but there’s no cause for hesitation when lashing it to a bike or stashing it in a bottle holder.

In fact, the built-in straps mean you can mount the Grab just about anywhere. Far from a gimmick, they give you real flexibility for positioning the speaker outdoors. One end of each strap can unhook from the mount, allowing you to thread them through gaps in a fence, over handlebars and bike frames, even around tree branches. Or you can just hook one for a dangling disco.

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Because they’re elasticated, you can stretch the straps for a secure fit and tighten things up by threading the bands back through their brackets. When not in use, they loop neatly around the compact body of the speaker. It’s a simple but clever setup that’s genuinely useful, whether flat surfaces are in short supply or you want to mount the Grab on the move.

If you do position the Grab on a shelf or table, little feet underneath will stop it rolling, while the light strip casts an ambient glow. This sliver of saturation runs in a thin line along the front of the speaker, pulsing in sync to your music with hues you can choose in the app. This won’t be to every taste, but it’s less naff than it sounds. As integrated lighting goes, it’s the subtlest and slickest I’ve seen. You can also turn it off entirely, if you prefer a low-profile approach.

Along the top of the cylinder sits a row of seven buttons. Complementing the standard set of power, volume and play/pause controls is a dedicated key for Auracast pairing, plus a heart button which can be set as a shortcut for Apple Music or LG Radio+. In practice, this last button feels unnecessary. Omitting just one key would’ve made the interface that bit simpler to navigate at a glance.

It doesn’t help that the buttons aren’t illuminated. The black outline design means they fly under the radar, but you have to feel your way around the shapes after dark. The buttons are also easy to press accidentally when handling the Grab or looping the straps. I unintentionally turned the speaker off several times. It’s a minor niggle, but the one that stands in the way of a five-star rating for the design.

• Design score: 4.5/5

LG xboom Grab review: Features

• 20-hour battery life, USB-C charging
• ThinQ app connectivity for light and sound control
• Full-color adaptive lighting strip

In an arena that’s bustling with Bluetooth speakers, LG’s pulled off a rare feat with the xboom Grab: packing a product with features and making almost all of them feel like meaningful additions. Look past the will.i.am tie-up – although I’m sure the Black Eyed Pea leant a helpful hand in the Grab’s development – and you’ll find a speaker that offers a lot of substance for the money.

Admittedly, I didn’t get off to a flying start with the Grab’s app connectivity: I downloaded the wrong one. You’d be forgiven for assuming the xboom Grab would use the xboom app, but it’s actually the LG ThinQ one you need to install. That’s followed by a mandatory sign-up process which demands too much time and information for pairing with a Bluetooth speaker.

A faff? Yes. It’s worth the effort though. Connecting the app unlocks a catalog of control and configuration options, including the ability to remotely turn the speaker on and off. It’s where you’ll find the settings for the light strip (see above), with a palette of pulse and color modes to choose from. And it’s also where you can fine-tune the sound output to suit your ears and space.

Part of that toolkit is AI room calibration. This analyzes the area where you’re listening and adjusts the audio accordingly. It would take a keen ear to detect the exact changes made to the output, but recalibrated from living room to bathroom to back garden, the Grab never sounded out of place. There are sounds modes to choose between too, but more on that below.

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(Image credit: Chris Rowlands)Image 2 of 3

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(Image credit: Chris Rowlands)

According to LG, will.i.am’s influence isn’t limited to the sound signature. He’s also had a hand in shaping the sound UI – the beeps and noises you hear when using the Grab. Now, this might sound like more marketing schtick, but it does actually make a difference over time. If you’ve ever used a speaker with low-grade sound effects, you’ll know how budget audio design can cheapen the experience when used every day.

That’s not a problem which besets the Grab. From powering on to establishing a Bluetooth connection, the xboom’s noises are rich, weighty and well-defined. It’s a small touch but one that makes a difference the longer you spend with it. As with other components, this attention to sonic detail gives the impression that every element of the speaker has been thought about. And crucially, they don’t start to grate after a fortnight.

Neither does the battery life. After two weeks with the Grab, I came away hugely impressed with its staying power. Rated at 20 hours without lighting, trips to the wall were pleasingly infrequent. On a full charge, you’ll be covered for days of casual listening before you have to worry about charging it. It’s not the quickest to refill when you do, but that’s a small price to pay for longevity.

• Features score: 4.5/5

LG xboom Grab review: Sound quality

• 16mm tweeter, 80 x 45mm woofer, 2x passive radiators
• AI calibration and adaptive sound
• Party link pairing with xboom speakers

LG’s equipped the xboom grab with a promising sonic architecture. An 80 x 45mm racetrack driver does woofer duties, while a 16mm dome tweeter from Peerless handles the higher stuff. These both pump out from the front, with passive radiators at each end to help distribute the sound. It’s a setup that translates into a very engaging listening, once you’ve done some tweaking.

Out of the box, the LG xboom Grab is set to Bass Boost. This gives it plenty of low-end energy, as befits a will.i.am party banger. But it also has the effect of dominating the sound signature and crowding the mids. Fine if you you want a bit of boom in the room, but not the most refined performance.

Things are significantly enhanced by switching to the Standard setting. There’s still no shortage of bass, but it exists in much better balance with the mids and treble. Oomph from the lower frequencies is paired with brightness and detail higher up the range. The soundstage offers a surprising amount of separation, resulting in a dynamic and engaging listen.

Fed with Maribou State’s latest album, the Grab dealt deliciously with many layers of electronica, balancing rich synthesized bass with clarity in the mids. Vocal reproduction is expressive too, whether it’s Hozier and his backing choir or Phil Collins doing some Disney-sanctioned crooning.

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Yes, the xboom Grab is still a portable Bluetooth speaker, so the pickiest audiophiles shouldn’t expect a miracle. But for its size, it gives a hugely impressive account of itself. Details are perhaps easier to detect indoors, but the fullness and warmth of the Grab’s output isn’t lost in an outdoor setting either. Only at the top end of its volume level does distortion risk creeping in, a level that few will ever have cause to explore. This really is a unit fit for all occasions.

Besides Bass Boost and Standard, there’s also a Voice Enhance mode that you can select in the app. Alternatively, you can leave it to AI to analyze the genre and choose a setting to suit. But to my ears, there’s little reason to stray from the Standard setting. This gives the most balanced rendition, whatever’s on your playlist.

I haven’t listened to the LG xboom Grab back-to-back with the JBL Flip 7, but based on what I’ve heard, I’d say it’s a close-run thing between the two. Given how highly the Flip 7 scored in our review, that’s praise indeed. Both use drivers of the same dimensions, so at least internally there’s little to differentiate between the two. It’s fair to say that buyers of the xboom Grab won’t be disappointed with what greets their ears.

• Sound quality: 4.5/5

LG xboom Grab review: Value

Value is a relative concept. In 2025, $150 / £130 / AU$175 has become the standard price for a portable Bluetooth speaker of this size. For that money, the LG xboom Grab offers a lot: you’re getting a product built for portability, with the added bonus of solid battery life, synchronized lighting and genuinely useful app connectivity. It sounds great, too.

But $150 / £130 / AU$175 isn’t small change. In pure value terms, there is an obvious argument that the xboom Grab would be more compelling if it came in cheaper than its rivals. And there are plenty of people who’d prefer to sacrifice some of its clever features and lighting frills for a saving of 20%.

The Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 is a good example of a speaker that takes a simpler, more affordable approach without compromising on audio quality or performance. Its value offering is one of the main reasons we rate it so highly. The xboom Grab might sound bigger and better, but it also costs a chunk more. There’s definitely a gap in the market for a simple, solid and reliable mid-size speaker that costs $130 / £100 / AU$150.

As it is, the LG xboom Grab justifies its price by maxing out on features. It gives a solid performance that ticks the key boxes, complemented by extra tricks that will feel like real benefits to the right buyer. Whether that’s you will depend on how much you appreciate carry straps, light strips and an app with AI sound calibration.

• Value score: 4.5/5

(Image credit: Chris Rowlands)Should I buy the LG xboom Grab?LG xboom Grab

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Design

Tidy dimensions, built-in straps and IP67 water-resistance

4.5/5

Features

20-hour battery life, adaptive lighting and app connectivity

4.5/5

Sound quality

Full sound and decent bass with AI calibration and in-app EQ

4.5/5

Value

A solid build and plenty of features at a competitive price

4.5/5

Buy it if…

You want a super-portable picnic speaker
With dimensions that fit in a cup-holder and built-in straps which attach to your handlebars, the xboom Grab is a Bluetooth speaker that’s built to grab and go. IP67 water-resistance means it can survive a shower, too.

You appreciate decent sound quality
As Bluetooth speakers go, the Grab offers full sound with decent bass, good detail and impressive separation. AI can tune output to suit the room and genre, while the app lets you adjust the EQ to suit your listening tastes.

You want a feature-packed speaker
The Grab offers a lot for the money, including ThinQ app connectivity, AI audio analysis and Auracast party link pairing with other xboom speakers. Battery life is also top of the class at 20 hours with the lightstrip turned off.

Don’t buy it if…

You don’t need app connectivity
The xboom Grab’s smart features are part of its appeal. If you don’t need AI sound calibration, adaptive lightning or the option to adjust the EQ, you can pick up a simpler Bluetooth speaker without app connectivity for less money.

You won’t use the built-in straps
Built-in elasticated straps let you attach the xboom Grab to hooks, handlebars and just about anything. If you think they’ll get in the way, the JBL Flip 7 has similar dimensions, matching performance and a smaller, detachable carry strap.

You want Wi-Fi connectivity
Besides a 3.5mm aux input, another connectivity feature missing from the Grab’s spec sheet is Wi-Fi. For multi-room audio via your home network, you’ll need a speaker like the Sonos Roam 2, which now costs a similar price.

LG xboom Grab review: Also consider

LG xboom Grab

JBL Flip 7

Sonos Roam 2

Dimensions:

211.0 x 71.6 x 70.0mm

182.5 x 69.5 x 71.5mm

168 x 62 x 60mm

Weight:

700g

560g

430g

Battery life (quoted):

20 hours

14 hours

10 hours

Connectivity:

Bluetooth 5.3

Bluetooth 5.4

Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi

Drivers:

16mm tweeter, 80 x 45mm woofer, 2x passive radiators

16mm tweeter, 80 x 45mm woofer, 2x passive radiators

1x tweeter, 1x mid-woofer

Aux-in:

No

No

No

Charger port:

USB-C

USB-C

USB-C

Microphone:

Yes

No

Yes

Waterproof rating:

IP67

IP68

IP67

App:

Yes

Yes

Yes

JBL Flip 7
Winner of a rare 5-star TechRadar rating, the JBL Flip 7 sets the bar for portable Bluetooth speakers. Similar in size to the LG xboom Grab, it’s lighter by 140g but loses out on battery life by 6 hours. Its drivers are the same size as the Grab’s and offer an equally entertaining listen, with adaptive AI Sound Boost. The choice probably comes down to design preference.
Read more in our in-depth JBL Flip 7 review

Sonos Roam 2
A premium speaker that’s now been discounted, the Roam 2 offers a sleek alternative to the xboom Grab. Despite its minimalist build, it also benefits from an IP67 rating for rain-proof listening. You also get support for Sonos multi-room smarts, with Wi-Fi connectivity complementing Bluetooth when you’re at home. Battery life is underwhelming at 10 hours, but the reward is rich, balanced audio with a wide soundstage.
Read more in our in-depth Sonos Roam 2 review

How I tested the LG xboom Grab

• Tested for a fortnight, indoors and out
• Streamed extensively via the Spotify app
• Played music spanning a range of genres

To test the xboom Grab, I used it as most listeners would: by living with it. LG only had a review sample available on a two-week loan, so I had to make the most of my time with it. That meant using the speaker for shower singalongs every morning, ambient background during the day and kitchen bangers in the evening.

Because the Grab’s designed for alfresco audio, I also spent plenty of time listening to it outdoors. Beyond the garden, I strapped the speaker to my bike and stashed it in my beach bag, to see how well it held up as a picnic companion – and how useful those elasticated straps are in the real world.

Musically, I challenged the Grab with a genre-spanning catalog of tracks, covering everything from Maribou State’s soulful electronica to the grungiest alternative rock that BBC Radio 6 Music had to offer. The test playlist also included the Phil Collins tracks on Disney’s 1999 Tarzan soundtrack, courtesy of a certain five-year-old.

Read more about how we test

• First reviewed: June 2025

• iPadOS 26 brings the Journal app to iPad
• Journal, previously an iPhone exclusive, offers users a dedicated place for memories and notes
• The iPad version adds Apple Pencil support, as well as a map for adding places to entries

Apple is bringing the Journal app to iPad with iPadOS 26 after two years of iPhone exclusivity.

The Journal app, which already comes preinstalled on all of the best iPhones, will become one of the iPad’s default apps with the upcoming release of iPadOS 26.

Journal for iPad follows much the same format as its iPhone counterpart – it’s a place to store memories, jot down notes, add photos, and, on iPad specifically, write and sketch with Apple Pencil.

Journal has been available on iPhone since 2023. (Image credit: Future / Apple)

Apple’s official press release outlining the new features in iPadOS 26 notes that the app allows users to create multiple journals “for different aspects of life."

The app also contains a map section, presumably to find and pin locations to Journal entries.

As the press release notes, the Journal app allows users to incorporate “photos, videos, audio recordings, places, their state of mind, and more” into each entry.

Apple hasn’t confirmed this, but given the company’s history, we’d expect Journal entries to sync between iPhone and iPad over iCloud – though we’re not sure how the Apple Pencil functions will translate between the two platforms.

A perfect fit

The Journal app for iPad supports Apple Pencil natively, as you might expect (Image credit: Apple)

If you ask me, a version of the Journal app for iPad is overdue. It's a reflective app that brings together various aspects of one’s day and life, and the large, portable canvas the iPad provides is a natural pairing.

Take a quick scroll through the techier sides of YouTube and you’ll find dozens of videos demonstrating iPad setups that focus on note-taking, minimalism, and mindfulness.

The Journal app gives users an officially supported bit of software at no extra cost to get started with or integrate into their iPad use.

Personally, I can see myself returning to my iPad Pro 2020 for the Journal app – I recently wrote that my 11-inch model has found itself mostly relegated to the role of YouTube machine, but it’d be a perfectly-sized device to carry on my travels as a journal.

And with the Journal app seemingly a specialized notepad and file browser, I’d suggest that it won’t take up too much processing power, which means it could be a great addition to even older or less powerful iPad models.

We don’t have a full list of devices supported by iPadOS 26 yet, but we’d expect the Journal app to come to all of the best iPads. Let us know if you’d use the new Journal app in the comments below.

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The House has voted to claw back $1.1 billion in funding for public media. And, an appeals court blocked an earlier ruling ordering Trump to relinquish control of the California Guard.

(Image credit: Charles Dharapak)

I'm always wary about the term 'action comedy' because for every Kiss Kiss Bang Bang or Hot Fuzz there's a Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot. It's a tough genre to do well, but it looks like Tom Kingsley has cracked it: the new Prime Video movie he's directed, Deep Cover, is getting rave reviews.

Deep Cover stars Bryce Dallas Howard as Kat, who teaches improv comedy and is beginning to believe she's missed her big chance of becoming a comedy star. But then she bumps into an undercover cop played by Sean Bean, and he wants her to play the role of a lifetime alongside two of her students, Orlando Bloom and Nick Mohammed. But this isn't a role on the stage or on the screen. Kat and her students are going to infiltrate London's gangland by pretending to be dangerous criminals.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the resulting movie is "relentlessly silly" – and that's meant as a compliment.

What are the critics saying about Deep Cover?

Deep Cover is currently sitting at 95% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 22 critics' reviews (it had debuted at SXSW London Screen Festival earlier this month), making it one of the best Prime Video movies. And the consensus is that it's not exactly high art, but it's highly entertaining.

Empire Magazine gave the film four out of five stars, comparing Sean Bean's cop to Jackson Lamb from Slow Horses; saying it's "well constructed, committing to the bit in the gag department while delivering clear set-ups and pay-offs for its central characters – a comedy that, beyond the class-A drugs and body bags, is about how improv gives three lonely losers a new lease on life".

"It's one of the most surprisingly funny films of the year," says Ebert.com, giving the film three out of four stars. The cast "is fantastic from top to bottom, leaning into their on-screen personas in a way that holds all of this admittedly goofy movie together. Turns out you can accept a lot of silly plotting, as long as you’re laughing."

"Amazon's high-concept action comedy Deep Cover might be light on narrative escalation, but it has plenty of laughs and a terrific trio of lead actors," says Screen Rant. And Ready Steady Cut said that "It’s near-perfect popcorn entertainment, an action-comedy with okay action and really funny comedy that puts its all-star cast to work playing exaggerated pastiches of their usual screen personas."

What are the viewers saying about Deep Cover?

There aren't enough audience reviews to fire up the Popcommeter to generate a score, but the viewer comments are tending towards four and five stars.

Nick M loved the gags but felt the crime could be better – "If the crime aspect was as good as the comedy it would be one of the best of the last few years," he said, while Micki K gave it the ultimate compliment: "I actually put my phone down to watch it."

Many of the viewers echoed the critics by singling out Orlando Bloom for particular praise – "all of the characters are perfectly cast," says Scott F, and "Orlando Bloom is particularly funny" – as well as noting that how much you enjoy the film depends in part on what you're expecting from it.

"This is a fun ride!" says Samantha U. "Take it for what it is – entertaining. It's not an artistic work of film but man alive, I really appreciate this move. The acting was great. The writing was smart. The characters were lovable. It wasn't 4 hours long like every other movie right now." For Samantha it took her back "to a simpler time when movies were just fun."

Deep Cover is streaming now on Prime Video.

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Mobile banking Trojans have entered a new era. No longer limited to stealing login credentials, today’s threats are powered by AI, capable of dynamic behavior and advanced evasion techniques. These Trojans target both Android and iOS platforms, operating directly inside legitimate mobile apps to bypass security, intercept biometrics, and manipulate app flows in real time.

This presents a critical and growing risk: AI-powered Trojans can now execute fraud and account takeovers (ATO) without alerting the user, backend systems, or fraud engines—placing thousands of mobile banks and millions of users at risk.

Understanding the threat landscape

AI-powered mobile Trojans employ a range of tactics to execute attacks:

• Accessibility abuse: Trojans like Xenomorph and BrasDex exploit Android’s accessibility services to read screens, simulate taps, and automate transactions.
• Overlay attacks: Malware like SharkBot uses UI overlays to impersonate banking apps and capture credentials.
• Remote Access Trojans (RATs): BRATA enables full remote device control, allowing attackers to act as the user.
• Polymorphic behavior: AI-enabled Trojans evolve their code to evade static or signature-based defenses.
• Biometric spoofing: Some variants intercept Face ID or fingerprint scans, forging success responses.

Trojan attacks on mobile platforms are accelerating rapidly, and AI is helping attackers bypass traditional defenses.

Why traditional defenses fall short

Most conventional mobile security and anti-fraud tools were not designed to deal with this level of sophistication. Signature-based approach is easily evaded by AI-morphing malware. Cloud-based threat detections are too slow for real-time, on-device attacks that complete before server-side systems respond.

Perimeter defenses like WAFs or SDKs provide no visibility or control over what happens inside the mobile app during runtime. Manual detection and incident response can’t keep up with polymorphic attacks that mutate and spread faster than human teams can analyze.

These gaps have made it easier for AI-powered Trojans to silently take over devices, inject fake transactions, and manipulate mobile app flows — often without triggering any alerts.

The case for AI-native mobile defense

Stopping AI-powered Trojans requires a new approach: AI-native mobile security. These AI-native platforms operate inside the app, on the device, using machine learning and behavioral intelligence to detect and stop threats in real time.

Key capabilities include:

• In App, on-device threat detection and response: No cloud dependency—apps protect themselves, even offline.
• Behavioral and contextual analysis: Detects abnormal behavior in the mobile app, mobile OS, device and/or user.
• Preemptive protection in app: Trojans are blocked at detection—before executing credential theft, overlays, spoofing, or fraudulent actions.

Leading AI-native protections offer security systems that neutralize accessibility abuse, overlay injection, remote control malware, and more — with no SDK, server dependency, or manual tuning.

Implementing AI-native defense: a three-part strategy

To combat mobile Trojans effectively, mobile businesses and mobile developers must adopt a full AI-native defense strategy:

1. Build AI-native security into the mobile app In-app protection must be built directly into the mobile app to ensure real-time, autonomous security. This eliminates reliance on external tools or backend processes and enables end-to-end observability and control.
2. Monitor and respond with AI-native systems Security doesn't end at release. AI-native systems should monitor production environments for anomalies, analyze attack volume and velocity, detect threats like Trojan activity, and trigger rapid response in real time.
3. Use AI to support user recovery When attacks occur, AI-native tools help support teams identify and remove threats on-device. These systems can isolate compromised sessions, clean infected devices, and guide recovery—restoring trust faster and minimizing user disruption.

Conclusion

AI-powered mobile banking Trojans are not fringe threats—they are the new norm. Their ability to infect devices, impersonate users, and bypass outdated defenses makes them among the most serious risks in mobile banking today.

To stop them, mobile apps must defend themselves in real time. AI-native mobile defense platforms offer the only path forward—purpose-built to stop the threats of today and those still evolving.

We've featured the best secure smartphone.

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

• Android earthquake alerts are expanding to Wear OS
• The feature is supported on phones in 98 countries
• It's included in the latest Google Play services update

For several years now, Android phones have been able to warn you about an imminent earthquake, so you've got a few minutes to prepare yourself and those around you – and the feature is finally expanding to Wear OS smartwatches as well.

As per the June 2025 release notes for Google Play services (via Android Authority), you'll now receive "alerts on Wear when an earthquake is expected to cause shaking". Google Play services is a separate update to Android, and should be applied to your phone and wearable automatically in the coming days.

It makes earthquake warnings much more useful for Wear OS owners, especially those who like to leave their phones in pockets and bags (or who have watches with cellular connections, and leave their phones behind completely).

Google hasn't said anything else officially about the new feature, but presumably every smartwatch currently getting Wear OS updates is going to be eligible to get the early earthquake warning functionality as well.

How it works

How earthquake alerts appear on Android phones (Image credit: Google)

We don't know exactly how this will look on the best Android watches, but we know how it works on phones. Google gets its data from seismic sensor reports, as well as anonymous accelerometer measurements from billions of Android phones.

Expected earthquakes with a magnitude of 4.5 or greater trigger an alert: you'll be given the estimated magnitude and the distance to the epicenter, which pop up on screen, and you can tap on the alert for more information.

If significant shaking is expected, the alert will ignore any volume and Do Not Disturb settings on your phone, and play a loud sound. You'll be given advice on screen about how to best protect yourself against the coming quake.

The Android Earthquake Alerts System is currently active in 98 different countries around the world, and you can check the list here. On Pixel phones, the alerts settings can be found under Safety and emergency in Settings.

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• Gemini is going to make its way to your Android watch

• Gemini will suggest your next action in PDFs as well as summarize content
• The experience works in the PDF preview and doesn't require a new tab
• Business and personal accounts with Gemini can use it

Google is expanding the usefulness of Gemini by using the AI assistant to summarize PDF content in Google Drive, but it looks to be far more proactive than simply generating summaries.

With clickable action suggestions, users will be able to perform actions like draft a sample proposal or list interview questions based on a resume, making the tool far more powerful for busy workers.

The improvement follows the previous rollout of Gemini within PDFs for Google Drive, making it far easier to interact with Gemini and take the next step with content in PDFs.

Gemini unlocks even more insights and actions in PDFs

(Image credit: Google Workspace)

"PDF summary cards save you time by giving you the gist of your files and help you get started using Gemini faster by surfacing relevant clickable action options," Google explained in Workspace Updates blog post.

The best part is that Gemini is now available in more than 20 languages, so users won't just be limited to English content.

Users need to have smart features and personalization turned on. When a PDF document is opened, a generative AI summary will appear in a pop-up much like comments in other Google Drive apps. In the same window, a series of action recommendations will be provided to take further steps.

At the same time, Google has announced a slicker and quicker UI – whereas PDFs used to open in a new tab to enable Gemini integration, the AI assistant will now work within the preview window without needing to open a new tab.

Gradual rollout has already started, but it could take some users up to two weeks to get the update.

Thankfully, the feature isn't just limited to business users – personal accounts with the AI add-on are also eligible - specifically, Business Standard and Plus, Enterprise Standard and Plus, the Gemini Education or Gemini Education Premium add-on, and Google AI Pro and Ultra.

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Earlier this year, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) provisional ruling concluded that the cloud storage market, as it stands, is fundamentally anti-competitive. At the heart of this issue lies the dominance of the three hyperscalers – Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure. The three tech giants have maintained a firm hold over the industry for years, leveraging their market power to impose hefty data access fees and locking in customers.

Most recently, AWS escalated the dispute by accusing Microsoft of employing anti-competitive tactics. Google quickly threw its weight behind AWS’s claims, citing instances where customers had opted for Microsoft Azure not out of preference, but because of restrictive licensing conditions.

According to Google, without regulatory intervention, Microsoft could establish a near-monopoly in the UK cloud sector within the next five years. In response, Microsoft defended its practices, asserting that its pricing model is both fair and necessary to safeguard its intellectual property.

While the hyperscalers wage their cloud storage war, UK businesses are locked into an imbalanced system that does not have their best interest at heart – with limited choice and costs that only increase.

Transparency is vital

One of the key anti-competitive practices that the CMA has identified is the unfair use of egress fees, which are charges imposed when businesses move their data out of a cloud provider’s network. While businesses should own their own data and be able to access and move it freely, they are prohibited from doing so without incurring fees.

These fees can add up to be a significant cost for businesses. Wasabi’s research has found in Europe 47% of cloud storage costs stem from data retrieval, with the actual stored capacity making up the remainder. The impact is not just financial - 55% of European organizations saying that egress or other data access fees (API calls and data outflows) associated with moving their data out of a public cloud environment have delayed IT or business initiatives.

This practice does not provide customers with clear, predictable pricing. Often, they later discover hidden fees and end up paying more than expected and budgeted for. This has a negative impact for businesses of all sizes, hindering financial planning. It can be especially disastrous for small businesses with limited financial flexibility to absorb hidden costs.

Unexpected costs and their impact are bad enough but another tactic raising competition concerns is the bundling of essential services—such as storage and compute—with proprietary offerings like voice recognition, analytics, and blockchain tools.

Vendors often require customers to purchase storage alongside these supplementary services, limiting flexibility. This approach reinforces the "walled garden" ecosystems built by hyperscalers, making it increasingly difficult for customers to mix and match best-of-breed solutions from different providers.

Creating an open and level playing field

Transparent and predictable pricing is a cornerstone of good business practice across the UK economy, yet the cloud market continues to fall short of this standard. For organizations making decisions about cloud data and services, understanding the full cost upfront is essential. Without clear pricing structures, businesses are left navigating uncertainty, undermining their ability to plan effectively and make informed decisions about their data.

Cloud pricing should also be predictable, and easy to understand. Businesses need to confidently know what their cloud bill will look like at the end of each billing cycle. To support this, cloud providers should provide customers with cost estimation and monitoring tools, so they can accurately forecast costs over daily, monthly, or annual periods. Capabilities like real-time dashboards, consolidated spend reporting, and automated alerts for unusual usage patterns can support businesses in maintaining control and track of cloud costs.

These tools empower organizations to optimize their data strategies—ensuring data is stored and accessed efficiently, where and when it’s needed, and at a cost that aligns with business goals. Ultimately, this level of transparency fosters smarter decision-making and reduces financial risk.

Building a better cloud for Britain’s future

As scrutiny from regulators intensifies, the spotlight on the hyperscalers is only set to grow. These providers face a pivotal choice: proactively embrace reforms that foster competition and pricing transparency, or risk regulatory measures being imposed that are designed to force change.

Current practices such as egress fees, restrictive licensing, and deliberately opaque pricing structures are incompatible with the needs of modern UK businesses. These tactics entrench vendor lock-in and limit customers’ ability to choose solutions that align with their needs and goals.

The UK has made significant strides in nurturing a world-class tech ecosystem - one built on innovation, agility, and ambition. To continue this, a competitive UK cloud sector is essential as it provides the utility on which technologies such as Generative AI are built on. Creating a fairer market will support businesses in adopting the best tools for their needs, drive growth, create new jobs and support the broader economic scene.

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• Netflix has defended the streaming service's first big UI refresh in 12 years
• Fans have vented their fury over the homepage layout's unnecessary changes
• Netflix claims people quietly prefer the updated version

Netflix has defended the platform's first major user interface (UI) redesign in 12 years – and has even claimed the majority of people prefer it to the old landing page's layout.

Per The Hollywood Reporter (THR), Netflix has suggested fans actually prefer the streaming's new look compared to the old one. As THR's article reveals, Netflix says its internal data, plus the year-long beta test it conducted ahead of the new layout going live, vindicates the entertainment behemoth's decision to overhaul its service's UI.

Netflix's assertion comes over a month after it revealed the biggest upgrade to its homepage in over a decade. At the time, the streaming titan confirmed the update's global roll out would begin in earnest, but stated some users would see the redesign sooner than others.

Less than 24 hours after the UI refresh's grand unveiling, which took place on May 7, Netflix fans began reporting that their homepage had been updated – and a number of them weren't happy. Indeed, frustrated fans flocked to social media to say Netflix's "new design sucks" because it made it more difficult to find the type of content they like to stream.

Comment from r/netflix

In the weeks since the best streaming service's layout was overhauled, more customers have been switched over to the redesigned homepage. And, surprise surprise, more people have posted online to express their fury at what they deem to be unnecessary changes. From Netflix's own sub-Reddit to other social media platforms like X/Twitter, consumers have hit out at Netflix's layout renovation.

Now, though, Netflix has suggested those dissenters are just a very vocal minority. Indeed, while a company spokesperson admitted that the streaming giant knew it would face some form of backlash over the changes, the updated UI makes for a better experience. "With bigger boxes, we’re showing more information up front to help you make a better decision," they added. "Instead of seeing 20 or 30 titles at a time, now you’re seeing information at a glance."

Opinion: Netflix users are simply shouting into the void – againComment from r/netflix

This isn't the first time that Netflix fans have criticized decisions made by the video-on-demand (VoD) company. Whether it's the now-annual Netflix price rises, angry users threatening to close their accounts over the removal of certain subscription tiers, the regular cancelation of fan-favorite shows like The Recruit, or Netflix's incredibly divisive decision to crack down on account sharing between households, consumers have grown increasingly exasperated with the most popular streamer around.

But therein lies the problem. Despite the ire Netflix draws when it makes unpopular decisions, it's still the biggest and most-used VoD platform on the market. By the end of 2024, Netflix reported it had 301.6 million subscribers. Its closest rivals, believed to be Prime Video and Disney+, can only boast around 200 million users and 150.2 million customers, respectively. Despite fan frustration over updates like its layout refresh, then, Netflix continues to dominate the streaming landscape.

Netflix is no longer publicly disclosing how many users it has, so we won't know if consumers are voting with their money and canceling their Netflix subscription in the wake of any changes made to the service.

With so many new Netflix movies, plus new seasons of some of the best Netflix shows around, set to debut on the platform before the end of 2025, I can't see millions of active users hitting Netflix where it hurts – i.e. its profit margins. The only way to make its executives sit up and take notice is by closing our accounts in protest over updates like this UI overhaul. Until people vote with their wallets, Netflix will continue to do as it pleases, regardless of whether fans like it or not.

Have you closed your Netflix account over its redesign? Do you actually like the overhaul? Or don't you care either way? Let me know in the comments below.

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• An NHS organisation was hit with a cyberattack
• The attack occurred in May 2024 but was never publicly disclosed
• Attack against NHS Professionals looks to have been a failed ransomware attempt

A cyberattack targeting NHS Professionals, a private company owned by the Department of Health and Social Care, resulted in the theft of its Active Directory data - however the breach was never publicly disclosed, despite the attack occurring in May 2024.

A report from the The Register, quoting a Deloitte incident report, notes attackers used a compromised Citrix account to gain initial access.

Once inside, attackers stole a “highly valuable ntds.dit file and engaged in further malicious activity”. The criminals moved laterally inside the organisation’s network using RDP and SMB share access, although it's not clear how they escalated their privileges up the domain admin level.

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A major event

NHS Professionals provides temporary staff to NHS trusts across England, and the site has over 190,000 healthcare professionals registered, as well as over 1,000 employees.

Insider comments say that the attack is suspected to be tied to Scattered Spider, and looked to be an attempted ransomware attack - perhaps similar to the ransomware attacks carried out by the group earlier in 2025 targeting three huge UK retailers.

The Deloitte report also cites a lack of multi-factor authentication (MFA) on domain accounts as one of the primary reasons that attackers were allowed access. Alongside this, the organisation didn’t have endpoint detection and response solutions deployed across all of its environment, meaning the criminals could move within the network undetected.

“Our cybersecurity systems and future mitigation ensured no disruption to our services, and we found that no data or other information was compromised, despite the attempt,” a National Health Service Professionals spokesperson confirmed.

"We worked quickly and closely with key partners NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care, and the Information Commissioner's Office, to investigate this incident.”

"NHS Professionals is committed to the highest standards of cyber security and complies with the strict requirements around information governance. We continue to remain vigilant as per our security policies and procedures."

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• The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 could both have a new version of Samsung's ProVisual Engine
• This could allow for higher-quality photos, better digital zoom, and better video stability
• The foldables have also both been certified in South Korea, suggesting they're launching soon

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 could arrive with a major under-the-hood upgrade that delivers improved photos and videos, based on a new leak.

We've previously heard that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 could have a new 200MP camera, but that the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 might not be in for any such upgrades, with the same camera hardware as last year tipped.

However, the Z Flip 7 could still be capable of taking better photos than the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6, as both upcoming foldables might have an improved version of Samsung's ProVisual Engine AI image-processing tech.

This is according to leaker @PandaFlashPro, who claims that a new version of ProVisual Engine is coming to both the Galaxy Z Flip 7 and the Galaxy Z Fold 7.

This upgrade will apparently allow for better photo quality, better digital zoom quality, and better video stability. So in other words, both photos and videos could look better on these phones than on their predecessors.

"Confirmed"The Galaxy Z Fold 7 | Flip 7 will use Samsung’s New Generation #GalaxyAI Pro-Visual Engine, which will later be Expanded to the Galaxy S25 Series.Main improvements.Better Image OutputBetter Digital Zoom QualityVideo StabilityJune 12, 2025

ProVisual Engine debuted in the Samsung Galaxy S24 series, and it’s a suite of AI tools that works in the background to improve photo and video quality – as well as powering things like Generative Edit, which lets you alter photos you’ve taken.

So it’s not a new thing, but if this leak is right then the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 will get a new and improved version of the tech. However, the source adds that this upgraded version will subsequently land on the Samsung Galaxy S25 series as a software update, so you might not have to buy one of the company’s upcoming foldables to get it.

Certified to launch

In other Samsung foldable news, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Galaxy Z Fold 7 have both been certified by SafetyKorea (as spotted by XpertPick).

These certifications don’t tell us much, but it’s mandatory for phones to receive this certification before being sold in South Korea, so this both confirms that the phones are in the works, and suggests they’ll land soon, since this certification would usually happen quite close to launch.

That makes sense, since based on past form we’d expect both handsets to launch in July, with one leak pointing to a July 10 announcement.

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