But when I was invited to Garmin’s HQ in Olathe, Kansas for a media tour to coincide with the surprise launch of the new Forerunner series last year, I was excited to see behind the scenes. As a smartwatch enthusiast, it was like a golden ticket straight out of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

I’ll admit, I was expecting the usual checklist of activities a trip like this brings: product demos, a few executive chats, and a polite tour of a shiny office. And while there was still plenty of that, what I didn’t expect was just how much of Garmin’s wider operations I'd be privy to, including the unglamorous, behind-the-scenes bits most runners don’t even know exist.

And while not every part of the tour delivered the juicy, headline-grabbing stuff journalists always hope for, it did offer some genuinely surprising insight into a brand that builds expensive things – and they're built to last, unlike most smart technology, not just to the next upgrade cycle. Here are three of my biggest takeaways from the trip.

1. Garmin tests all its watches in-house to breaking point

The highlight of the tour for me wasn’t a shiny new watch reveal, it was the testing labs. Not because they’re glamorous (they’re really not), but because they explain why Garmin owners tend to have the same device for ages.

It was quite amusing to hear how Garmin actually want their devices to break in these labs. But the point is, it really helps them understand why failures happen, so they can fix them before a product goes to market.

The guide explained that the whole point of this kind of testing is to get ahead of potential “field failures” as early as possible in development, then keep rerunning tests as the design matures. They would much rather a prototype to fall apart in a lab than for a retail unit to die halfway through a user's triathlon, which makes complete sense.

The variety of tests happening in those labs was also quite impressive. I was shown specially-made chambers for cold, heat, humidity and UV-style weathering, designed to accelerate the kind of slow damage that normally manifests after months of sun, sweat and winter runs.

There are also salt fog chambers for corrosion, including one that cycles exposure to mimic real-world conditions, and chemical testing for the stuff people actually get on wearables, such as artificial sweat, sunscreen, and even nastier things like fuel and transmission fluid.

Then there’s the physical abuse the wearables undergo. Drop testing is a given, but Garmin uses rigs that can orient a device so it lands exactly on a specific point (like a button) over and over, with high-speed footage so they can watch what fails in slow motion.

Cycle tests make up a big part of the testing, too, where parts get actuated thousands of times – like straps stretching repeatedly, buttons being hammered, or mechanisms being worked until something gives. It’s not just about whether it can survive a fall, but if it can survive being used how a normal person would, repeatedly, over months, years, and maybe even decades.

I wasn't allowed to take photos in this area, annoyingly (but understandably), but what I will say is that experiencing it left a stronger impression than any product slide deck did that entire trip. It’s also the sort of thing that makes Garmin’s, err, premium pricing a bit easier to swallow. You might still wince at the cost, but at least you can see where some of that money is going.

2. Garmin's enormous warehouse is basically a super-advanced robot motorway

If the test lab is where Garmin proves its products’ durability, the company’s warehouse is where it showcases scale. This area was unbelievably huge but it wasn’t just its size that surprised me, it was seeing everything that happens here.

It’s definitely not the sexy side of tech, but I got to see how the company ensures you get your watch quickly, handles returns efficiently, and how much (or little) waste gets created along the way.

The warehouse operation is perhaps the most impressive, since it’s absolutely packed with automation, employing towering machines and robots that shuttle products around so that staff aren’t constantly trekking up and down endless aisles or stairs.

The guide here explained that the warehouse robots follow set routes, drive underneath a mobile storage rack, lock into its base and lift it slightly, then carry the whole rack to wherever it’s needed, all directed by tablet requests from staff and cutting out a ton of pointless walking.

The most oddly satisfying bit, though, was the packaging line. There’s a machine that measures the height of what’s in a box, scores the cardboard, folds it down, glues it, and basically trims the packaging to fit.

That doesn’t sound like a big deal until you remember that shipping is based on size as well as weight. When stacked together, those small savings in space really add up, meaning Garmin is saving emissions by not paying to send a load of air, resulting in fewer trips.

All this automation and efficiency is highly advanced, and might explain where some of those high asking prices are going.

3. Garmin's aviation roots mean reliability is its cornerstone

So here’s the part I really didn’t expect – just how much of Garmin’s DNA is ingrained in other industries like aviation, not just fitness, and how that feeds into our fitness watches.

On the tour, Garmin's ties to aviation were flaunted as one of its foundational areas – something the early team was apparently deeply rooted in. And they spoke about it with the kind of pride you normally hear when brands talk about their “hero” product category, and not just some side business-to-business side hustle.

They walked me through the sort of systems Garmin builds into aircraft, from big cockpit displays, sensors, GPS, comms, even connectivity for keeping databases up to date, so pilots aren’t manually fussing with backgrounds while in the air.

There was also a lot of emphasis on flight control tech such as autopilot systems and safety features, including a one-button emergency function that can take over, communicate, pick a landing location and bring the aircraft down safely if something goes wrong.

They even took us up in the air in some of their planes (yes, they have their own hangar) to show us how it all worked, which wasn’t terrifying in the slightest…

Obviously, this is all worlds away from a Forerunner buzzing your wrist because you’ve drifted out of the Zone 2 heart rate zone, but it does explain that Garmin is obsessed with reliability in situations where failure isn’t just annoying, it’s dangerous. Whether you're in the air or out in the wilderness, tech needs to be reliable. And this – for me – helps reframe the conversation around how expensive Garmin devices can be.

I now see Garmin as not just a brand that just makes good-quality wearables, but one that builds serious navigation and control systems, and then brings some of that mindset and engineering culture into its consumer gadgets.

All of the above made the campus feel less like a running watch HQ and more like a weirdly broad tech empire with fitness, outdoors, aviation, marine, and automotive all under one roof, which, I must admit, gave me some serious Apple HQ vibes.

I flew there thinking I was covering a sports watch launch and came away with a totally different perspective on the brand. That the reason Garmin kit feels so dependable isn’t just the watches themselves, it’s the fact it’s a capable engineering company built around building complicated navigational tech extremely well.

So, if you’re about to buy your next Garmin, it's probably worth remembering these three things: the watches are tested in genuinely brutal ways; the logistics operation is far more advanced than most people realise; and the company’s serious engineering roots run much deeper than fitness.

That doesn’t mean Garmin is perfect, but its devices not only stands the test of time, but they also tend to make day-to-day training feel smoother and more reliable, which is the sort of thing that’s hard to give up once you’re used to it.

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In case you weren't aware, Requiem will feature both Grace Ashcroft and Leon S. Kennedy in a game that seemingly draws from the franchise's best horror and action elements, and a general motif of facing the past. For Grace, that means revisiting the scene of her mother's death, who we know as Alyssa Ashcroft (who featured in Resident Evil Outbreak).

For Leon (and long-standing fans), it means a return to Raccoon City, where it all began for our rookie cop, in an attempt to uncover the mystery behind the Raccoon City incident in 1998.

Ultimately, Requiem looks set to act as the closing chapter to the overarching story plot that started in the second and third instalments in the series, especially with Umbrella, who are responsible for bioweapons and almost all viruses in the mainline games, heavily featured via the RE9's antagonist Victor Gideon, and 'Elpis' potentially being a new virus.

With that being said, it's ideal for fans to take the chance to revisit previous games in the series. Not only is Requiem potentially a closing chapter, but it looks like it may also act as a segway into a new arc (or generation, if you will) once the veil is lifted on Raccoon City's secrets. It's made evident with Grace Ashcroft seemingly set up to take the mantle and become a cornerstone of the series as a legacy character for the future titles.

Before diving into Requiem when it releases on February 27, 2026, on PS5, Xbox Series X | S, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2, now is the best time for us to dive into the past to prepare. There are plenty of Resident Evil games to play, both mainline and side titles, but I've narrowed down the five I think you should play to be ready for what may be the most ambitious RE game to date.

1. Resident Evil 3 Remake

Resident Evil 3 serves as not only the extra puzzle piece that ties all events in Raccoon City up well, taking place both before and after Resident Evil 2, but it's quite literally the last time we see Raccoon City in the mainline games, before it's destroyed.

I think one of Resident Evil Requiem's major selling points is the return to Raccoon City, and rightly so. While there's only so much we can speculate regarding 'Elpis' in Resident Evil Requiem, it seems to be a combination of at least the T-virus or G-virus in RE3, with something like Resident Evil 4's Las Plagas, making zombies behave human-like.

While its main character, Jill Valentine, might not feature in Requiem, it's ideal to see Raccoon City's sterilization occur, to not only make the return in Requiem feel far more personal, but also bring RE3's bioweapon discoveries full circle once Umbrella is further investigated.

Requiem will likely also feature locations that were present in RE3, and its deluxe edition features DLC as 'Files: Letters from 1998', so it's best to be covered on all things Raccoon City while you still can.

2. Resident Evil Revelations 1

While Resident Evil: Revelations is unrelated to the events of Resident Evil Requiem, Koshi Nakanishi is responsible for directing both games and has essentially referenced Revelations as similar to Requiem due to its structure and alternating gameplay style, as inferred and reported by IGN.

We'll be playing as Leon and Grace equally come February 27, and that's exactly the structure you'll find in Resident Evil: Revelations. Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine, Parker Luciani, and many other side characters are present and playable, and it wouldn't surprise me if Requiem has more in store than just Grace and Leon as playable characters.

That brings me to the recent 30th anniversary artwork for Resident Evil (available above), which features Leon S. Kennedy, Claire Redfield, Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine, Grace Ashcroft, and Ada Wong. Capcom has been a master at trolling and pranking fans during Requiem's marketing with purposely misleading statements.

With this in mind, I have a very strong suspicion that Requiem could follow in the footsteps of Revelations and feature all of the characters seen in the artwork. Not all of the characters in the 2012 game were playable, but they were present in partnered sequences with playable characters, and I could see this as Capcom's final major surprise for its ninth instalment.

3. Resident Evil 2 Remake

Capcom's Resident Evil 2 remake is one I'd mark as a must-play in the lead-up to Requiem. It's easily one of the best survival horror games available, and is the literal beginning of Leon S. Kennedy's story in the Resident Evil franchise.

While the follow-up title provides a clear image of what happens in Raccoon City shortly before RE2's events and after with Raccoon City's sterilization, this second instalment includes enough lore, locations, and plot points (which I won't spoil) that will almost certainly be referenced in some capacity in Resident Evil 9 Requiem.

We're returning to Raccoon City on February 27, which means Leon will be revisiting the nightmare he faced in 1998, and both Claire Redfield and Sherry Birkin are rumored to be making an appearance in Requiem, so you might want to be clued up on that beforehand.

It's also worth noting that Grace's gameplay segments will be directly influenced by RE2, so either replaying or diving in for the first time will be a great way to get accustomed to what's on the horizon.

4. Resident Evil 4 Remake

There's no other way to stress this: Resident Evil 4 remake is one of the best games of all time, right up alongside the original 2005 title. The latter is a trend-setter, revolutionizing games by making the third-person over-the-shoulder camera perspective popular – and its impact is still clear today.

However, strictly speaking of Resident Evil continuity, the Resident Evil 4 remake can serve as a direct sequel to the Resident Evil 2 remake, specifically regarding Leon S. Kennedy. There's a clear focus on the rookie cop's progression to a more seasoned and formidable figure. It even highlights the theme of things being different for the character (referenced in the opening cutscene), after the Raccoon City disaster.

We learn very early on in RE4 that Leon and the President's daughter, Ashley Graham, are both infected with Las Plagas, and spend a large majority of the game's runtime rushing to rescue her from Osmund Saddler's clutches, and cure them both in the process.

Fans were quick to spot that Leon is seemingly infected in RE9, and it looks like the clock may be ticking on finding a cure, which is clearly similar to some of RE4's plot. Requiem feels like it's the game that will complete a 'trilogy' story for Leon and his ties with Raccoon City – and yes, he's present in Resident Evil 6, but RE2, RE4, and RE9 all appear to have a greater focus on the matter, and frankly, the recent remakes take priority over original games.

More generally, I believe RE4 is arguably the best entry in the entire franchise, balancing horror and action well enough to satisfy players – and since Leon will share the stage with Grace in Requiem, the game's director, Koshi Nakanishi, has stated that Leon's gameplay will be inspired by RE4's, and that's been made evident in the reveal trailer and recent gameplay showcase.

5. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard

Capcom's Resident Evil 7: Biohazard is the scariest game in the franchise as it stands, so much so that Capcom reportedly toned the scares down for its sequel, Resident Evil: Village, because of complaints.

It's the first game in the series to use the first-person camera perspective, and it is another title that Koshi Nakanishi directed, which should already explain why I recommend playing this before February 27.

I don't expect Grace Ashcroft's segments in Requiem to be as scary as what's presented in Resident Evil 7, but I suspect it will be close enough. RE9 will feature both first and third-person camera perspectives, and Capcom's recommended choice for Requiem (at least for Grace's gameplay) is first-person, which makes RE7 the best game to play to prepare for that gameplay aspect of what's to come.

While Capcom has stated that Requiem can be played and enjoyed without ever playing any of the previous titles, I can almost guarantee you that you'll likely enjoy the new instalment so much more if you dive into these games. You won't regret it.

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The firm’s breakthrough technology could make hyperscale networks dramatically faster, just as AI systems begin to strain today’s infrastructure. The idea also aims to cut power use while remaining scalable as link speeds increase.

In a bid to find out more, I spoke to Finchetto CEO Mark Rushworth about how the technology works, why packet switching in optics matters, where the hard problems still are, and how this could fit into real hyperscale and AI networks.

What inspired Finchetto to focus on photonic packet switching, and how does it differ from traditional electronic switching?

With Finchetto, we looked at the way networks run today and saw that there was a lot of unnecessary work going on.

A server or GPU often sends data as light, then that light gets converted into electrons inside a switch so a processor can figure out where it should go. It's then turned back into light again to leave the box. This back and forth introduces a cost in the form of power and latency.

We then asked ourselves if we could do that without falling back into the electronic domain. To do that, we built a technology which uses light to control light, so the switching all happens in the optical domain.

Most of the photonics work you see elsewhere is still circuit switching, which pins a path between two endpoints, using things like MEMS mirrors or thermo-optic devices to steer light.

The disadvantage there is a relatively slow reconfiguration, and it doesn’t keep up with packet-by-packet decisions at 1.6 or 3.2 Tbps. It’s in packet switching in optics that you get the real flexibility and performance, and that’s the gap we set out to fill.

When you bring that into big networks, what advantages do you see in terms of speed, efficiency, and scalability?

I’d say speed is the most obvious advantage, but efficiency is just as important. When you keep the signal as light, rather than translating it from light to electrons and back, you don’t burn as much power or experience as much of a delay.

In terms of scalability, all optical packet switching allows you to build very large, very flexible networks. You can make routing decisions at the packet level, so you can spread workloads much more evenly across a big fabric.

Using standard concepts like spine & leaf, but implemented with our photonic switches, you can push to tens of thousands of nodes without the network itself becoming a choke point.

How does that translate into real-world impact for hyperscale data centers from a performance and energy perspective?

Energy is top of the agenda for any hyperscaler right now. Anything that reduces network power consumption without hurting performance is going to have a positive impact on the bottom line and therefore on competitiveness.

Our approach removes a lot of the electro-optical conversions and many of the transceivers that fail most often, so you get a network that uses less power and is more resilient at the same time.

You can add Finchetto switches in phases, so you’re improving performance and energy efficiency over time while still sweating existing assets. That’s a much easier business case than ripping and replacing.

What does this mean specifically for emerging workloads like AI and other advanced compute?

AI is a perfect example of where the network can quietly kill your performance. These training clusters want to move huge volumes of data between GPUs with very tight timing. If the fabric can’t keep up, you end up with expensive silicon sitting idle.

By doing packet switching in optics with extremely low latency, we remove a lot of those bottlenecks at the hardware level. It also opens up options that weren’t practical before. Some of the more exotic topologies - torus, dragonfly-style architectures and so on - were historically hard to justify because the latency budget just didn’t work with conventional switching.

When your switch isn’t the limiting factor anymore, network architects can revisit those ideas and pick the topology that really suits the workload, rather than the one that works around the hardware.

How easily can data centers plug Finchetto into what they already have?

That’s been one of our big design principles from day one. The reality is that hyperscale data centers are already operating at a level the market accepts, and a lot of capital has gone into getting them there.

No one is going to say, “Nice idea, we’ll rebuild everything around it.” We’ve spent a lot of time making sure our technology looks and feels like a good citizen in a modern network.

It interoperates with existing transceivers, NICs, GPUs and cabling, and it drops into familiar architectures rather than demanding you redesign the whole thing. That means you can start with targeted deployments - a new AI pod or a performance-critical part of the fabric - and grow from there as you see the benefits.

Stepping back a bit, what trends in photonics and networking excite you most right now, and what are the main hurdles to wider adoption?

Photonics has moved from being an interesting research focus to being central to the roadmap for the biggest players in the industry. You can see that in the attention around co-packaged optics, and in major acquisitions of early-stage photonics companies.

When leaders like Nvidia say, “We need optics right next to the compute,” the rest of the industry listens. The hard part is building a complete system that operators trust. It must integrate cleanly with GPUs, NICs, motherboards, and tools they already use; it must be reliable over its lifetime; and it must be straightforward to manage and upgrade.

Our answer is to make the optical core as passive and line-rate agnostic as possible. If you go from 800gbs to 1.6tbs, the switch in the middle doesn’t need to change, which is a very different proposition from replacing whole tiers of electronic gear every time you move up a speed notch.

If your switch is entirely optical and doesn’t have internal buffers, how do you stop packet loss and collisions in hot spots?

In a traditional electronic or hybrid switch, you lean on memory and buffering to smooth things out. In a pure optical system, you don’t get that, so you have to think differently.

What we’ve done is build collision avoidance and return to sender into the optical layer itself.

The switch can effectively tell whether a given path is free before it sends traffic down it. If it isn’t, the packet doesn’t go, so you avoid most collisions up front.

In the rare case where two packets clash, there’s a mechanism to return one of the packets to sender to retry.

All of this happens in optics, which is the clever bit, and it means you keep the benefits of an all-optical fabric with the complexities of packet switching functionality in the network.

Zooming out to the UK specifically: as the country ramps up investment in AI and data centers, what should it be doing to make sure homegrown photonics and networking tech actually gets used?

Most of the real UK innovation in this area is coming from startups, simply because there aren’t any big domestic switch vendors.

The risk is that we spend a lot of public money building AI infrastructure that’s essentially a shop window for overseas suppliers, while the UK companies doing the hard R&D never really get a foothold.

What would really help is proper support through the scale-up phase and into deployment: funded testbeds, like you see in quantum, where new technologies can be proven in realistic environments, and procurement frameworks that make it natural rather than exceptional to include UK-developed tech.

If we’re serious about “sovereign” capability in data centers and AI, we have to move beyond just hosting other people’s hardware.

Where else do you see photonics transforming networking?

It’s easy to focus on the big data centers because that’s where AI and cloud live today, but networking is much broader than that.

Think about intersatellite links in space, free space optical links bringing connectivity to hard-to-reach areas, or secure, high-bandwidth connections between aircraft or autonomous vehicles in defense.

Those are all fundamentally networking problems, and they’re all places where photonics can make a big impact.

Finally, how do you see Finchetto’s architecture evolving to meet future needs like quantum networking, optical compute, or photonic memory?

The way we’ve structured our IP is quite intentional. At its heart, what we’ve patented is a method and apparatus for switching data using nonlinear optics. In other words, it’s not tied to one very narrow implementation or use case.

That gives us a lot of headroom. The same underlying switching principle can be applied to different kinds of networks, whether that’s classical high-speed packet networks, future quantum adjacent architectures, or systems where compute and memory themselves are optical.

We’re focused on solving today’s problems around AI and hyperscale networking, but we’re doing it with a technology base that can move with the industry rather than getting stranded as the next wave arrives.

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For whatever reason, Apple doesn’t do much to highlight these features, with them for the most part either being buried deep in submenus or requiring specific gestures on specific icons that you might not think to try.

So, since Apple hasn’t made these features obvious, we’ve done that job for them, highlighting seven of the best hidden iOS features below.

1. Fast timers

There are various ways to set a timer on iOS – or rather there are various ways to open the Clock app, which is the main avenue for timer setting. But there’s also a speedier approach that bypasses the Clock app altogether.

If you’ve got a timer option in Control Center, just long press that, and you can immediately set a timer without launching the app itself.

This approach has some limitations in that it only lets you set timers for certain intervals, so if you need something really specific like 27 minutes it won’t be much use – and even less so if there are seconds involved. But for the timer durations it can handle, this is the fastest method we’ve found.

2. Siri shorthand

Siri isn’t a person, so there’s no need to speak to it in full sentences – it won’t be offended if you don’t and more importantly it will generally infer what you want.

Where this can come in most handy, is when you want to set an alarm or a timer. For an alarm, you can simply say a time, such as “2pm”, rather going to the effort of saying “set an alarm for 2pm”. And it’s the same deal with timers – just say the duration you want and Siri will figure out that you want to set a timer for that long.

3. Swipe between apps

If you want to switch between open apps, you’re probably swiping up from the bottom of the screen, then swiping through the app switcher and tapping on the app you want. But there’s a faster way to move between them.

Rather than swiping up on the bottom of the screen, just swipe left or right along the bottom edge, and your phone will move between apps that way. Generally you’ll want to start by swiping right, since the app you’re currently using will be the most recent one, so there will be nothing to see in the other direction.

4. Background Sounds

There are all sorts of apps you can download that contain relaxing sounds like the noise of rain or a fire. These can help drown out the sounds around you or simply soothe you, so you can focus on what you’re doing or just chill out or sleep.

But you don’t even need to download a third-party app to access these sounds, as many of them are built right into your iPhone.

Just head to Settings > Accessibility > Audio & Visual >Background Sounds. Then, toggle Background Sounds on, and select which sound you want to play. You can also adjust the volume of the sound if you want, and tweak other settings too, like whether the sounds will stop at a specific time, and whether they’ll still play while your phone is locked.

5. Know when your camera lens is dirty

It’s almost unavoidable that your camera lens will get dirty over time. After all, even if you’re careful, it’s likely to come in contact with fingers and surfaces.

But it can’t always be easy to tell whether it’s dirty just by looking at it – and that’s if you even think to check.

Thankfully, your phone can check for you. Just head to Settings > Camera, and then turn on the ‘Lens Cleaning Hints’ toggle. Then, you’ll get an alert when your phone detects that the lens should be cleaned in order to improve image quality.

6. Callback reminders

If you miss a call it might not be convenient for you to call back immediately, but you don’t have to manually write out a reminder to do so. Instead, you can set a reminder directly from the Calls screen of the phone app.

Just swipe right across the log of the call you missed (or of any other call for that matter), and tap the picture of a clock. Then, it will give you options to set a callback reminder for an hour’s time, for tonight, for tomorrow, or you can tap ‘Remind Me Later’ and set a reminder for any other time.

7. Lock and hide apps

You probably already have Face ID set up so no one but you can unlock your iPhone, but what about if you let someone else use the phone but don’t want them to access specific apps?

For that, you can just long press the app icon on the home screen, and then tap ‘Require Face ID’. Once done, the app will then require Face ID to open.

If you want to go a step further, then after initially tapping ‘Require Face ID’ there’s also a ‘Hide and Require Face ID’ option, which means that not only will it need Face ID to open, it also won’t be displayed on the home screen or in the App Library. Instead, you’ll only find it in the Hidden Apps folder and in your phone’s Settings menu.

Hiding the app like this means you won’t get notifications from it either, so it’s a drastic step, but it does ensure the app is truly hidden.

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The first is Aquaman – I mean, Jason Momoa. There might not be any deep-sea villains or Nicole Kidman looking all spritely and noble in his new film, but Momoa's trademark tatted and beefy muscles could never be confused with anyone else. It's the kind of film that's made for him, tapping into action-packed drama with huge helpings of fun on the side.

Then there's who's behind the camera. Blue Beetle director Ángel Manuel Soto is responsible for The Wrecking Crew, becoming his first feature film since the 2023 superhero movie. Even for someone who doesn't know a great deal about those (e.g. me), Blue Beetle was a hidden gem in the cinematic canon that didn't really get its flowers in the way that it should.

With the DCU in the process of having a huge makeover thanks to Superman director James Gunn, it feels as though the studio is taking the 'out with the old, in with the new' approach. But according to Soto, we shouldn't rule out his return... or sequels to The Wrecking Crew.

'A lot of unresolved issues are there for us to explore in sequels'

When I ask Soto whether he'd prefer a return to DC or to make The Wrecking Crew 2, he says "Both. Why not? I know everybody needs to wait to see how a movie performs and all that stuff in order to commit. But I think people are going to fall in love with the Hale Brothers and what their journey can look like.

"Purposefully, we didn't want the movie to be resolved. It's really the first step to healing, and healing can be so messy, which I think is great. I would love to see them keep butting heads and having that friction. I do think a lot of unresolved issues are there for us to explore in sequels, if that's the route we're going to take. People enjoy this ride because of who they're with, and this family is messy."

Of course, we're talking a lot about a sequel to The Wrecking Crew here, but the man is hardly likely to have an elevator pitch for DC at a split-second's notice. However, we do know that back in June 2024, Soto was reportedly set to executive produce a Blue Beetle animated series.

While there hasn't been any movement on that, Soto's clearly still got a foot in the DC door. The Wrecking Crew proves how deftly he can handle impeccable action scenes, and just how much he understands the artistry behind them.

So here's my plea to DC, who definitely won't be reading this: include Soto in your future plans. He can talk the talk and walk the walk, and would only enhance James Gunn's superhero reign rather than scupper it. Let's get some deals on the table, please.

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One of my personal favorite upgrades is the KitchenAid Ice Cream Attachment, which consists of a special churning paddle and a freezable bowl, which use the power of your stand mixer to make ice cream, sorbet, and frozen yogurt desserts in about half an hour. Delicious!

The KitchenAid Pasta Roller Attachment is another classic, letting you easily make fresh lasagne, fettuccine, and spaghetti at home. It's also perfect for making your own filled pasta. Why not try ravioli stuffed with your favorite cheese and nuts? Your stand mixer can even chop, shred, and grate the ingredients with the KitchenAid Food Processor Attachment (which means one less appliance on your counter).

It doesn't end there, either; there's also a huge selection of other KitchenAid accessories to match your mixer. They're not expensive either, with utensils like the KitchenAid Classic Ladle and Short Turner both under $10, KitchenAid Non-Slip Oven Mitts for $15, and a set of colorful KitchenAid Universal Mixing Bowls for $20.

Fresh and fun KitchenAid accessories

I've picked out some of my favorite horrors, thrillers and comedies to stream for free this week, so there's a lot of variety. Whether you want an edge of your seat thriller or a Predator movie, I'm sure something will catch your eye.

Without further ado, sit back, relax and enjoy this week's free movies.

The Amityville Horror (Tubi, Pluto TV, Hoopla, Kanopy)

Release date: July 27, 1979
Length: 118 minutes
Director: Stuart Rosenberg
Main cast: James Brolin, Margot Kidder, Rod Steiger, Murray Hamilton

First up, we have one of my favorite 70s horror movies. Based on the book of the same name, it follows the alleged paranormal experiences of the Lutz family who briefly lived in the same Amityville, New York home where Ronald DeFeo Jr. committed the murder of his family.

This movie spawned a long running franchise, but you really can't beat the original. It's a must watch for fans of haunted house movies, even though the critics treated it unfairly when it was first released. It definitely doesn't deserve its low Rotten Tomatoes score.

Prey (Tubi)

Release date: August 5, 2022
Length: 99 minutes
Director: Dan Trachtenberg
Main cast: Amber Midthunder, Dakota Beavers, Dane DiLiegro, Michelle Thrush, Stormee Kipp

It may surprise you to know that Prey is now streaming on Tubi. So if you don't have a Hulu subscription, you can now watch the Dan Trachtenberg movie completely free.

Trachtenberg's latest entries into the Predator franchise have been incredibly strong, with 2025's Predator: Badlands being well-received by critics too. Prey is well worth your time

Prey follows a young Comanche woman, Naru, who finds herself having to protect her people from a vicious alien that hunts humans for sport, where she must prove herself as a hunter.

Escape From New York (Plex, The Roku Channel, Kanopy, Pluto TV)

Release date: July 10, 1981
Length: 99 minutes
Director: John Carpenter
Main cast: Kurt Russell, Lee Van Cleef, Ernest Borgnine, Donald Pleasence, Isaac Hayes

John Carpenter always delivers, and his iconic 80s sci-fi movie Escape from New York is now free on Plex. If you're also interested in the sequel Escape from L.A that's streaming on Paramount+.

Set in a dystopian future, Manhattan Island has been converted into the country's sole maximum security prison. After Air Force One is hijacked and deliberately crashed, a federal prisoner is given 24 hours to go in and rescue the President and if he's successful, he will be pardoned. It's an excellent Kurt Russell-led action movie and a great weeknight watch.

Zoolander (Tubi)

Release date: September 28, 2001
Length: 89 minutes
Director: Ben Stiller
Main cast: Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Will Ferrell, Christine Taylor, Milla Jovovich

Ben Stiller directed, co-produced, co-wrote and starred in Zoolander, so if you're a fan of his work you won't want to miss this. Even 25 years after its original release, this is still an excellent satire on the fashion industry.

The plot centers around Stiller's character Derek Zoolander, who is tricked into assassinating the Prime Minister of Malaysia by fashion mogul Jacobim Mugatu (Will Ferrell) because his progressive laws on the fashion industry would harm his businesses. The sequel is streaming on Paramount+, but received terrible reviews so you may want to skip it!

Soft & Quiet (The Roku Channel, Plex)

Release date: November 4, 2022
Length: 92 minutes
Director: Beth de Araújo
Main cast: Stefanie Estes, Olivia Luccardi, Dana Millican, Melissa Paulo, Eleanore Pienta, Cissy Ly

Soft & Quiet is certainly the most intense movie on this list, but it's one I highly recommend. It was Beth de Araújo's directorial debut and she made quite the impression.

When an elementary school teacher organizes a gathering of like-minded women, an encounter with someone from her past spirals into a volatile chain of events in a movie that was filmed with long shots to look like one continuous take. It's so uncomfortable to watch it unfold, but I think it tells a very important story.

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The 12 best deals worth buying at Best Buy's 48-hour sale

With more than four hours of Resident Evil Requiem under my belt, I’m confident that it’s on track to be the finest entry in the long-running survival horror series so far.

I don’t say that lightly either, and I was skeptical that developer Capcom would be able to make everything work when it was revealed that fan-favorite hero Leon S. Kennedy would be returning as a playable character alongside newcomer Grace Ashcroft.

After all, how can you craft a compelling survival horror experience when you’re dealing with an action hero protagonist who is more capable than an army of marines? The answer is surprisingly simple: you don’t.

Playing as Leon in Resident Evil Requiem is like a New Game Plus run of the Resident Evil 4 remake on steroids: you’re an ultra-powerful killing machine that can mow down legions of the undead without even breaking a sweat.

It’s the Grace sections that are intended to deliver the serious scares. They're set in wonderfully intricate environments expertly built for tense exploration, desperate resource scavenging, and scrappy fights that always have you on the back foot.

The prospect of frequently switching between the two styles might sound jarring, but what I've experienced so far is so well-paced that it's nothing short of a sublime blend of masterful combat and hair-raising horror, all wedded together seamlessly.

Chainsaw hot potato

My hands-on picked up with an aged (and unapologetically DILF-y) Leon rolling up to the entrance to the suitably daunting Rhodes Hill Chronic Care Center, a creepy medical facility inside a massive Victorian-style home. Parallels to the iconic Spencer Mansion from the original Resident Evil are apparent from the get-go, even down to this new building’s eerie facade.

Greeted by a nurse and led to a small waiting room, it all hits the fan in record time when a zombie doctor bursts in and promptly executes her in an unapologetic showcase of the game’s brutally realistic gore. Before you know it you’re weaving between oncoming chainsaw blows as even more zombies emerge from the surrounding rooms, setting the stage for an intense confrontation.

As Leon, the combat seems like a natural evolution of the already excellent systems established in the Resident Evil 4 remake. In the default third-person perspective (do note that you can change to first-person at any time), movement feels even smoother with slick shooting that staggers enemies to set up savage melee finishers. Enemies react realistically to the positioning of your shots too, dynamically falling if you go for the knees, for example, rewarding those who think tactically with valuable - but limited - time to reload.

The parrying from Resident Evil 4 is back, now in the form of a deadly combat axe that can block strikes before deftly lopping off your attacker’s head.

Of course, chainsaw wielding maniacs are hardly new territory for a Resident Evil game - but advanced new enemy interactions keep the whole encounter fresh. I was shocked when another zombie snatched the chainsaw from the body of his fallen comrade, hurtling itself across the floor towards me like a bloodied ragdoll as it revved uncontrollably in its hands.

Leon can wield the chainsaw too, cutting through infected limbs with ease, creating a frantic game of chainsaw hot potato as it’s picked up by successive zombies as you desperately try to get your hands on the deadly weapon.

Tread carefully

After that bloody fight, you’re seamlessly brought right to where the slice available to visitors at Gamescom 2025 (which I tried back in August) left off as Leon rescues Grace from the clutches of a terrifying, mutated woman. The pair are separated almost immediately by a hospital lockdown, but not before he can hand her a revolver - the ‘Requiem’. The perspective shifts as you're brought into first person to assume control of Grace, and the change in tone is palpable.

Where Leon embodies the more combat-focused design of entries like 3, 4, 5, and 6, Grace represents the slower, more considered pace of the original two Resident Evil games and, particularly, the excellent 7. Panicked breathing and shaking hands betray her fear as you explore, soaking in the incredible ambience of the sprawling facility.

First-person helps you really appreciate the level of detail in the models and textures, too. The Resident Evil games have always been graphical showcases, particularly in recent years, but Requiem takes the visuals to new heights with beautifully life-like lighting and plenty of objects to pick up and pore over.

Sure, my preview build was running on a PlayStation 5 Pro, and mainly confined to smaller areas, so it's hard to say whether every platform will look quite so excellent (I’m definitely interested in seeing how much is preserved in the Nintendo Switch 2 version) but given Capcom’s excellent track record of optimization I think it’s a pretty safe bet that we’re in for stunner.

Grace’s segment is classic Resident Evil with coded locks, little puzzles, and progression that’s tied to working out how all the items you hoover up as you go fit in with each other and the environment. There’s no impenetrable ‘adventure game logic’ here - it’s all brilliantly intuitive, and I never found myself at a loose end wondering what to do.

Special enemies litter the many hallways and chambers, introduced in a gradual manner to keep the suspense high. I managed to kill most of the ones that I encountered through a combination of sheer luck and being very careful with my resources, and was rewarded with liberal numbers of tokens to unlock special gear from automated cabinets - a system reminiscent of those bird cages you could buy gear from in 7.

Remember that revolver Leon gave you? Don’t get too excited, as he was incredibly stingy with the ammo, and you’re not going to get more than a couple shots out of it, max.

It is incredibly powerful, but takes up a lot of space in your very limited inventory, too, so you need to think very carefully about exactly when and where to bring it - and even more so about when to actually fire it.

I chose to hang on to it and its limited rounds, which came in clutch when all the zombies I had killed transformed into powerful red monstrosities a la the infamous Crimson Heads from the original Resident Evil remake.

Grace can prevent this terrifying transformation by stabbing a zombie with her Haemolytic Injector - a fancy syringe and one hit stealth kill. Charges are very limited, though, and require blood collected from the environment to craft, so, again, you risk putting yourself in sticky situations down the line if you use it too haphazardly.

Throw in some incredible set-piece scares, which I’m not going to spoil, and you have a delightfully dread-filled experience that left me shaken but desperate for more. I’ve always loved the Resident Evil series in all its disparate survival horror and action incarnations - and Requiem truly feels like the best of both worlds.

I already know that I’ll be there day one when it releases for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, PC, and Nintendo Switch on February 27 this year.

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That’s finally starting to change, however, as Apple and Google have entered into a long-term partnership where Siri will be powered by Gemini.

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple could reveal its long-awaited Gemini-powered Siri upgrade as soon as February 2026 (next month), and that could mean huge things for the iPhone in a year where the Cupertino-based company looks to revolutionize its smartphone lineup with more powerful products and maybe even a foldable screen.

As someone who’s used Gemini on Android for months now, this is genuinely exciting. But confirmation alone isn’t enough. If Apple wants this to be the Siri reset iPhone users have been waiting for, here are five things I really want to see when it finally arrives.

1. A Siri that can actually hold a conversation

Right now, Siri still feels transactional. You ask a question, you get an answer, and the conversation ends. Ask a follow-up, and it’s a coin toss whether Siri remembers what you were talking about in the first place.

If Apple is plugging Gemini into Siri, that has to change. Gemini already handles conversational context well. It understands follow-ups, clarifications, and vague human language without needing you to repeat yourself like a robot.

If I ask for restaurant recommendations and then say “book the second one,” Siri should just get it. In 2026, with AI assistants capable of booking flights a reality, this should be the bare minimum for a Gemini-powered Siri.

2. Real help with real tasks

Siri has always been fine at trivia and timers, and while that was enough in 2011, it's not anymore.

A Gemini-powered Siri should help you do things, not just answer questions you could simply use Google Search for. Planning trips, summarizing emails, organizing your day, and making sense of information across apps should all be on the table, and I genuinely think that's the absolute minimum.

Gemini already does this in apps like Gmail, which is why my expectations are high. If Siri can’t help me plan a weekend away using my calendar, messages, and location data, then something’s gone wrong.

This is Apple’s chance to turn Siri into a genuine personal assistant, and I'm hoping once Gemini enters the fray, it'll just be the beginning of a Google AI-powered iPhone capable of streamlining my life.

3. Intelligence without ignoring privacy

Apple leaning on Google for AI will understandably make some people nervous. Privacy is still Apple’s biggest selling point, and it cannot afford to fumble that trust now, especially when it's the main reason the company has gotten away with being behind in the AI race for so long.

The good news is Apple has already laid the groundwork with on-device processing and Private Cloud Compute. The Gemini-powered Siri needs to feel just as safe with clear explanations of what data is used, when it leaves your device, and how it’s protected.

The experience should feel private by default, not something you need to opt out of, and if Apple gets this right, it could end up being the most privacy-conscious AI assistant on the market.

4. Memory, memory, memory

In my opinion, memory is one of the most important features of any AI chatbot, and if you live in the UK like me, you'll know Google still hasn't fully launched Gemini's memory functionality across the pond.

I'm hoping Apple's Gemini-powered Siri can remember everything I do on my device while still operating within Apple's industry-leading privacy bubble.

I know I've mentioned memory across multiple sections in this article, but I truly believe Apple could win the hearts of every AI-sceptic if it were able to create the ultimate personal assistant in your pocket - one that's capable of remembering where you had breakfast, when your next meeting is, and what the last movie you saw at the cinema was.

Apple can play into its privacy-first approach to make AI memory impressive rather than creepy, and if it does, I'll be convinced about Apple Intelligence again.

5. Siri that finally understands the Apple ecosystem

Siri never actually feels connected to your experience on an Apple device. For years, it has just been an extra on top of iOS or iPadOS, which often feels like a gimmick more than a useful tool.

A Gemini-powered Siri should understand that your iPhone, Mac, iPad, Watch, and Apple TV are all part of the same life. Context should carry over between devices, and everything should sync seamlessly.

If I start a conversation on my iPhone, I should be able to continue it on my Mac without starting from scratch. If Siri knows what I’m doing on one device, it should use that knowledge on another.

This is where Apple can really shine. No one else controls hardware, software, and services the way Apple does. A smarter Siri should finally bring all of that together.

The Siri we've been waiting for is just around the corner

Apple confirming a Gemini-powered Siri is a big deal, but it’s also an admission that the company needs to do better. Apple knows it fell behind, but 2026 could be the year it rectifies the wrongs.

If Apple nails these five things, Siri could go from being a punchline to being one of the best AI assistants you can use. Not because it’s the flashiest, but because it’s the most useful in everyday life.

After years of waiting, iPhone users deserve nothing less.

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Straight in: how much is Namecheap?

Namecheap has a wide selection of plans and hosting features and I've had a good look at them all but for this article I'm just going to focus on the three main offerings: shared hosting, managed hosting for WordPress, and VPS. Otherwise this page will get too long.

Sorry. There are lots of tables under here.

On the face of it these plans look cheap and come with all the necessary features.

Once again, this all looks cheap without sacrificing anything important

Again. Cheap!

Price comparison

So, this looks pretty cheap on the face of it but lets compare with other hosting providers to see how cheap it really is and whether there are other hosting providers that are cheaper for similar plans.

I've done a wider search than this but I don't want to present information overload. Looking at the numbers, Namecheap is still clearly a lot cheaper than other hosting providers when compared against similar plans.

How can Namecheap be so cheap?

Performance

There's always a catch... For Namecheap performance is just one of them. The performance statistics don't show Namecheap in a bad light. Namecheap handled all the requests, just not so quickly. So, a site hosted on Namecheap's cheapest plan should be fine but it won't be fast. That's not a big deal if you're just hosting a non-business critical site but if you are, it's going to suffer.

I also tested EasyWP against other managed WordPress plans and the story is the same: reliable but slow.

Features

Namecheap doesn't provide the same caliber webpage editing and creation tools like Bluehost and Hostinger. Both of these hosts have a lot of tools to help you build and manage websites. I spent 60 minutes page building with Hostinger, and 60 minutes with Bluehost and the experience was great with both. Spending 60 minutes with Namecheap felt a lot less streamlined and rough around the edges.

But! You still get everything you need to build and host a website for $4.88/mo after renewal and that is just incredible.

Conclusion: Is Namecheap still cheap?

Yes! Mega cheap considering everything you get included.

Namecheap will remain my best cheap web hosting recommendation.

Namecheap's cheapest hosting option is half the price of competitors like Hostinger and Bluehost and you still get a website builder and email included. Let's see how good it is. Start the clock!

Start the clock 0:00

Signing up

I didn't screenshot the sign up process but it was as you would expect: Choose the hosting plan, enter your personal details, enter your payment information, and then you land on the dashboard.

Some notable things here: You don't get a temporary domain so you either need to buy one, use the free one, or use one you already have. I used the one I already had with Namecheap. The point here is that you need to make a permeant decision quite soon in your journey.

Unlike some of the other hosts, you're not put through to the page builder immediately. You need to click go to cPanel to start making your site.

Time on the clock 3:15

Uh-oh. The server couldn't be reached. It's probably because the account had just been created so I waited a couple of minutes and refreshed.

It still did not work and there was a message telling me to -

"Make sure your website is live and accessible! Point your domain to hosting nameservers: dns1.namecheaphosting.com and dns2.namecheaphosting.com with our helpful guide."

I thought Namecheap took care of this after I pressed 'connect domain' when I purchased the hosting plan but apparently not. Doesn't matter, there are some step-by-step instructions.

That was pretty simple but only because I knew what I'm doing. I can see how this could be a frustrating process if you didn't. Namecheap tell you what to do but it's a bit convoluted. All I had to do was select 'Namecheap web hosting DNS'' from a drop down list but the instructions told me to add the nameservers "dns1.namecheaphosting.com and dns2.namecheaphosting.com ". This is basically the same thing but if you didn't know that, you'd be wasting time trying to figure it out.

Time on the clock 72:03:15

Three days later my DNS records had not propagated. So, probably not DNS propagation. Turns out the link to cPanel was blocked by my work network for an unknown reason. I moved over to my personal laptop and worked on things from there.

Time on the clock 15:27

I've taken those three days off the time because that's not really fair. After I could access cPanel things moved a lot faster.

Instinctively I pressed WordPress.

I then quickly backtracked as I remembered that there is a Namecheap AI website builder that I wanted to try.

Back in cPanel it was not obvious where the AI website builder was. I assumed it's the website builder but that was all I could do...Assume. The process is not very streamlined or beginner friendly.

Time on the clock 20:13

I was right! I followed the usual process of telling the builder my idea and then pressed build.

Time on the clock 50:13

Integrated into the builder was an AI tool that would do the things that I asked it to do.

If it could. When it couldn't it gave me good advice on alternative options.

Overall impressions

The AI website builder is pretty cool! However, the process of getting there is not very streamlined.

Once there, it's easy to use but it feels a little unfinished and a little like a budget option (which it is).

Overall, Namecheap is cheap, and in the last few minutes of this test I ran some performance benchmarks too and things are OK.

For a budget option, it's very good but complete beginners might be scared off.

The laptop in question is a Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 2-in-1. At the time of its release, back in 2021, it checked all my boxes. I’d grown to love ChromeOS for productivity on more conventional laptops, but Lenovo had packed Google’s operating system into a compact laptop/tablet format that could switch between modes quickly.

In addition, it had just become possible to run Android apps on ChromeOS, massively expanding the device capabilities beyond just running the Chrome browser. Tablet mode on the Lenovo IdeaPad suddenly became all the more enticing.

On release, our reviewer John Loeffler awarded it a prestigious four-and-a-half star rating, describing it as “one of the best Chromebooks we've ever used.” He wasn’t wrong: it was an innovative device that proved that Google could take on Apple in the gray area it was dominating with its iPads - and that it could do so at a much lower price point.

The bloat begins

Fast forward five years, and the cracks are beginning to show. The battery life has tumbled to just a couple of hours of light use. Sometimes the bottom half of the screen darkens for no apparent reason. Wi-Fi connectivity completely drops without warning and will only come back on with a complete restart. The whole thing slows to a crawl if you open more than one tab — ChromeOS has become a much more rounded operating system in recent years, but this has also meant its requirements have increased, swamping this elderly Chromebook with its lowly 4GB of RAM and MediaTek processor.

That’s to say nothing of its size and form factor. With a 10.1-inch screen, it’s a tiny computer, and the act of typing on the minuscule keyboard is akin to a tarantula balancing on a thimble, and I’d like to apologize to any arachnophobes for that visual. The trackpad is one of those rough, sticky affairs that only registers one in 32 clicks. Compared to Apple’s slick iPad equivalent, it’s clearly lacking — but, to me, every single one of its disadvantages is actually an advantage.

Laptops have become too good, and this is not necessarily something that works in our favor. Computer-aided design, intense user research, and AI (probably, but almost definitely) are creating laptops that are a joy to use, which is great if you want to have fun. However, if you want to do something massively important and deeply unpleasant like actually working, a torturous machine can enhance your productivity.

When I sit down in front of my crappy Lenovo, I dread the experience. I want to get it over and done with. I feel clammy and uncomfortable. My fingers twist to align with the keys, and my neck strains so I can see what I’m looking at, and I can’t focus on anything other than the blank page on the screen. In this state of digital and physical torture, the words just flow out of my fingers, like a shaken bottle of champagne, a fluent gush of vowels and consonants.

I can’t get distracted because Instagram or Reddit will drive the Chromebook into the ground. Gaming is hard enough on Chromebooks, but this one can barely even handle Wordle. And even if I do succumb and click the plus symbol for a new tab, because the internet frequently collapses, the sites won’t load. Thankfully, the laptop and Google Docs are just about robust enough to ensure my work is backed up offline and uploaded when I next connect to the internet.

I’m not alone in creating my best work when I’m deeply uncomfortable. Les Misérables author Victor Hugo would strip naked and hand his clothes to a valet so he couldn’t leave his room until he’d finished writing. Painter Francis Bacon thrived in an absolutely chaotic studio. And German philosopher Friedrich Schiller would keep aging apples in his desk drawer and have a whiff of the rotting fruit for creative stimulation. Which is just plain weird to be honest, Friedrich.

Obviously, my crappy-laptop method of working won’t apply to all professions: graphic designers and video editors, for instance, need a decent laptop, and brain surgeons and airline pilots might face a little criticism if they use tools that aren’t fit for the job. But everyone needs to use a computer from time to time, and those “quick email” sessions more often than not turn into week-long Amazon spending sprees. Right?

My main laptop, a MacBook Pro, is stuffed full of productivity apps and browser extensions to keep me on track. But, just like replacing your smartphone with a dumbphone, switching from an uber-powerful computer to something kind of awful works wonders for preventing distractions, and there’s something about having a dedicated device for getting stuff done that makes it easier to compartmentalize your activities and plan ahead.

I’ve also started applying this make-it-uncomfortable method to other areas of my life. I’m sitting on an enormous spike as I write this, so I can’t get too comfortable. I’ve removed the brakes from my car so that I pay more attention when I’m driving. And I’m in the process of moving to Ilha da Queimada Grande, an island off the coast of Brazil that’s also home to tens of thousands of deadly poisonous snakes, just to keep me on my toes.

Sometimes we all need a little friction in our lives, something pushing back against us, so we become stronger and better. Now, does anyone have the antidote to Golden Lancehead Viper poison?

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My favorite pieces are the Gladelig Dinnerware Set and Gladelig Baking Dish Set, with their lovely rustic blue glaze that makes me think of dinner on a sunny Mediterranean evening. All the pieces are microwave-, dishwasher-, and oven-safe, so you can rest assured they'll last for years despite their modest price tags.

Speaking of affordable accessories. IKEA's new glassware is a great way to add an unconventional hint of color to your kitchen table. I particularly like the Pokal Glass, which is ideal for water or juice at breakfast, and is just $2.49. For dinner time, the Rödräka Champagne Flute with its unusual petrol-blue stem is only $3.99.

IKEA wowed us with its tiny Kallsup speakers at the CES 2026 tech show in Las Vegas, but you don't have to wait until they launch in April to enjoy big sound in a small form factor. Right now you can pick up a set of waterproof Vappeby Bluetooth Speakers for $31.98.

To finish things off, why not give your lighting a glow-up with the glossy blue Trettioen Pendant Lamp, or the rattan Kappeland / Havsdjup Pendant Lamp for a more natural, earthy look? If you're thinking about table or wall lamps too, take a look at my guide to IKEA's 2026 lighting trends, where I've dug into the latest in smart lights and stylish fixtures for the year ahead.

Cozy blue and walnut

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That’s a whole lot of stress and anxiety that I don’t need in my life, and I know I’m not the only one feeling it. As is my usual MO, I’ve been on the lookout for apps to help me manage my month-to-month finances with the hope of having something to set aside for the future. One such app I’ve recently stumbled across is called YNAB.

YNAB is an app, but the acronym actually stands for "You Need A Budget" and is a budgeting philosophy built around four rules designed to change your relationship with money. These rules include giving every dollar a job, embracing your true expenses, rolling with the punches, and aging your money (the average time elapsed between receiving income and spending it). All of this is designed to help you only spend money you earned at least 30 days ago, breaking the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle.

I’ve been using the app for the past couple of weeks, taking time to enter my bills, needs, and wants across multiple different categories, including mortgage, utilities, groceries, car maintenance, and more. As with any app that’s worth its weight in gold, getting everything set up with YNAB takes a bit of time, but it quickly starts paying off once everything is in order.

Give every dollar a job

YNAB’s "Give every dollar a job" process works by treating your bank balance like a collection of pots. Instead of budgeting money you expect to earn, you only assign the money you have on hand right now to specific categories. This process starts with a pot of money called “Ready to Assign,” which you must distribute until that balance hits zero, ensuring every cent has a set purpose.

Once this process is complete, the app does the hard work of tracking your spending against these specific categories rather than your overall bank balance. So, if you spend money at the supermarket, YNAB will subtract that from your groceries pot. This provides a real-time view of what is actually available for different needs. It's a shift in focus that prevents you from accidentally spending your rent money on dinner, as each dollar is locked into its role until you proactively decide to change it.

The manual versus automatic experience

There are two distinct approaches with YNAB. The first is an unlinked experience that requires users to set up all their recurring transactions for fixed bills (like rent or Netflix). YNAB will automatically enter these on the dates you choose, so you only have to manually log your "daily" spending, like groceries or coffee.

The thought of connecting your bank account through the third-party Plaid platform might be a step too far, so the manual approach is a perfect fit for those wanting the maximum level of privacy. Additionally, by having to manually enter each transaction, you are forced to acknowledge every cent you spend in real-time, which leads to better financial awareness.

If that all sounds like too much hard work, then you’ll need to link your bank account so that YNAB can automatically extract your incoming and outgoing transactions. This is by far the simplest and most straightforward experience, but it’s not for everyone.

Transforming your relationship with money

Once you have everything up and running and have begun engaging with the YNAB process, you’ll find that your relationship with money begins to change. It isn’t instant, but it is clear. Rather than viewing money as an out-of-control stress, you’ll begin to feel more in control. I experienced this as I began to dictate where my money would be spent, and that I would only choose to spend money if I had the available funds.

To help with this process of change, YNAB features a "Spending" tab and a "Reflect" tab. The former helps you view, categorize, and search your transactions in one comprehensive list, while the latter tracks your data with a spending breakdown, net worth chart, and your age of money. By engaging with these, YNAB lets you take control of your money.

If that sounds tempting, YNAB offers unlimited access to all its features in a one-month trial. This isn’t long enough to see the full rewards of your labor, but it is plenty of time to get a feel for whether the app and its philosophy are going to work for you.

So, if you want to say goodbye to money worries, download YNAB on iOS or Android and give the free trial a whirl.

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But when testing the WiiM Sound Lite recently, there was one hidden feature I stumbled upon that seriously piqued my interest: parametric EQ.

Unless you buy one of the best wireless speakers, not many devices have absolutely spot-on sonic balance out of the box. As a result, I’m always keen to experiment with EQ to even out errant frequencies.

However, I often find the tools provided slightly blunt instruments – at their best they offer a limited number of bands for you to adjust; at their worst they only allow you to boost or reduce the bass and treble.

Compared to some of these basic options, WiiM’s parametric EQ is like being handed a scalpel after trying to practice surgery with a flint axe. It’s a genuine breath of fresh air and a far better instrument for audiophiles looking to give their listening experience a bit of a nip-tuck.

What is parametric EQ?

To understand why parametric EQ is such a game changer for your audio devices, it’s first worth explaining how traditional graphic EQ works.

Perhaps a familiar sight to those of you that grew up using hi-fi and stereo, a graphic equalizer splits the frequencies of your music into a number of different bands at different frequencies. Increasing or decreasing that band raises or lowers that frequency, so it’s easy to boost or duck sections of the mix that don’t sound right. However, the drawback is the frequencies are set by the manufacturer, meaning that you can make tweaks to any narrower frequency ranges than that.

As its name suggests, parametric EQ instead allows you to change multiple parameters to each band. So rather than just altering the volume of a given band, you can also set the precise frequency you’d like to change as well as the bandwidth it affects. In practice, this allows you to create a number of wider or narrower curves that alter whole ranges of frequencies with far greater precision than a graphic EQ can.

So why do I find this improved EQ to be such an invaluable feature? Because it makes it significantly easier to correct flaws in your speaker’s sound or tailor its sound profile to match your tastes . If your audio gear goes too hard in the upper bass, you can simply shape a curve to duck the errant frequencies. Even better, the fact that these bands can overlap each other means you can easily boost whole areas of the mix, while removing tiny notches that you find problematic.

In fact, this kind of detailed control is much more akin to the way sound engineers tune speakers in the first place and how the tracks you listen to is produced. I’ve been producing music in my free time for years and parametric EQs are an essential tool for perfecting the sound profile of tracks and balance of competing elements. So putting that kind of detailed control in the hands of audiophiles wanting to get the best out of their gadgets can only be a good thing.

And that’s why I’m confident you’ll be seeing this feature hitting more of your audio gear as time goes on. Already I’m seeing hints of this: not only has WiiM rolled it out to its wireless speakers but Sennheiser has already been adding it to some of its high-end headphones, such as the recent hi-res Sennheiser HDB 630.

So if you’re an inveterate audio tweaker or just want the option of being able to polish up your speakers sonic profile, parametric EQ is definitely a feature worth keeping an eye out for.

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Research has found that the cold can help physical health with improvements in circulation, immune system performance and muscle recovery. It can also contribute to better mental health and – perhaps as a part of that – improved sleep, measurable with our list of the best sleep trackers.

All that from a few minutes dunked into cold water sounds like a very fair deal. Granted it does mean getting into very cold water, which can take a little getting used to. One of our writers uses the James Bond shower method, starting the water warm and turning it cold, but if you have a cold plunge or wild swim spot available, going straight in can work too.

According to Machado et al. (2016) in Sports Medicine, temperatures need to be 11–15°C and submersion times should be for 11–15 minutes, to get the best results on soreness both short term and long term. A good number set to help recall the goal then: 11-15 for both ranges.

That method in mind, here are the reasons its worth bearing that cold for that long.

1. They can reduce muscle soreness, in a specific way

Fast recoveries are one of the main reasons for cold plunges, and how they came about as a post-workout treatment. That's why footballers were often sent straight to an ice bath after training, so they could keep going the next day and the day after, injury free.

The cold helps blood vessels to constrict, reducing blood flow to muscles and limiting inflammation in the short term.

Then, when you warm back up, circulation increases again, which may help clear metabolic waste products linked to soreness. This is ideal for after endurance events or high-volume training. However, studies have shown that taking a cold plunge immediately after strength training is less helpful if you want to build muscle.

2. Cold exposure can improve mood and mental resilience

Cold plunges are also being used more as a way to build mental resilience. Taking a dip in the sea or a swim in a cold lake can help mood, thanks to the release of chemicals like norepinephrine and dopamine, which are involved in alertness, motivation and mood regulation.

Some small but intriguing studies suggest regular cold exposure may reduce symptoms of low mood and anxiety, possibly by training the nervous system to tolerate stress more effectively.

So, over time, this repeated exposure may improve stress resilience, helping people feel calmer and more capable when faced with everyday challenges.

3. It may boost circulation and cardiovascular efficiency

Cold exposure reportedly trains your blood vessels to constrict and dilate more efficiently, which can help circulation and improve the cardiovascular system.

Using this in conjunction with hot saunas can help to boost this stretching and tightening of the blood vessels for the best cardiovascular outcome.

It's worth noting that this is looked at as a cardio support rather than a replacement for cardiovascular exercise. Also, this does require regular and repeated practise in order to get the effects that could be constituted as cardio and circulation improvements.

4. Cold plunges may support immune function

While the science here is still growing, cold plunges have long been associated with improve immune support. Some studies have shown cold plunges can increase white blood cell activity as well as improve the body's inflammatory response.

So, to be clear, this won't boost the immune system necessarily. Rather, these plunges can potentially reduce chronic low-grade inflammation while improving the body’s ability to respond to stressors.

Those who practice regular cold treatments do report fewer minor illnesses, adding weight to this idea, and some studies report that immune system response improves "to a slight extent". Controlled cold stress appears, therefore, to help train the immune system to work more efficiently. A bit.

5. They can improve sleep, when timed correctly

A cold plunge certainly is stimulating in and right after the experience, yet it can help sleep. While that nervous system activation in the moment is helpful, there is also a rebound as the parasympathetic nervous system kicks in to offer the rest and digest response.

Also, cold plunges can influence core body temperature regulation. Since a natural drop in core temperature is part of the sleep process, cold exposure earlier in the day may help reinforce healthy circadian rhythms. So, getting the timing right is key here. Too late and you may be kept up. Morning or early afternoon sessions are more likely to support better sleep later on.

The verdict

Cold plunges are not a fix-it-all cure but rather a helpful training tool. When used sensibly, they can help to reduce soreness, support mental resilience, improve circulation and potentially even enhance sleep and immune regulation.

But while the mental effects of cold plunges are strong, with advocates citing them as an addictive way to ward off depression, energize and banish low mood with adrenaline, physical effects seem relatively minor in isolation, according to science. Add them to the routine and see how you get on, but they're certainly no replacement to exercise, eating right and sleeping well.

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As you may have seen, I’ve already compared the full version of the Lite to Sonos’s speaker in my WiiM Sound vs Sonos Era 100 piece. And while you might think this comparison is going to be more of the same, it’s worth bearing in mind that the Lite is quite a different proposition.

Priced at $229 / £229 / AU$399, the Lite is much closer in cost to the Sonos Era 100’s $219 / £199 / AU$319 than the full WiiM Sound’s $299 / £299 / AU$499 list price. And while it’s had quite a bit of its price slashed, it hasn’t lost a whole lot of functionality to get there, making the Lite a much more nimble opponent for the Era 100 and a credible contender for a spot on our list of the best wireless speakers.

So how did it fare during my testing? Read on to find out.

WiiM Sound Lite vs Sonos Era 100: features

Just like the WiiM Sound, the Sound Lite packs a 4-inch, 50W woofer for driving bass and a pair of angled, full-range 25W tweeters to broaden its stereo field. Meanwhile, the Sonos Era 100 is similar, containing a mid-woofer for both mid-range and bass and two angled tweeters, only this time with a waveguide frame to disperse sound across 180 degrees per tweeter.

Refreshingly, despite costing less, the Sound Lite offers connectivity as excellent as the full-fat Sound, and that includes its hi-res 24-bit/192kHz playback. It can also connect to WiiM, Google Cast, and Alexa multi-room systems, as well as stream directly from a wide array of services, including Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, TIDAL, Qobuz, Deezer, Napster, Pandora, Plex, SoundCloud, and more. On top of this, it offers a 3.5mm jack input, which is always handy if you’re likely to want to hook it up to external audio kit.

Unfortunately, there is a catch, and if you’re heavily invested in Apple’s ecosystem, it may be too big for you to overlook. The Sound Lite doesn’t support Apple Music or AirPlay 2, meaning you won’t be able to connect your iPhone or MacBook to the speaker via Wi-Fi. If you’re an Apple fan, you might find that a speaker like the Sonos Era 100 gives you far more flexibility.

On top of AirPlay 2, the Era 100 offers access to all the streaming services above and throws Apple Music support in for good measure. There are a few trade-offs here, too, though. While the Sonos is capable of lossless playback at 24-bit/48kHz, you won’t get the same super-high-quality as the WiiM, though it’s worth noting there’s debate around how much this extra quality is even discernible. And, regrettably, an analog in is also absent, although you can purchase an additional adapter to convert the Era 100’s USB port into either a 3.5mm jack or an Ethernet port.

Of course, both speakers come with additional functionality packaged into their apps. Each app offers multi-room connectivity and the ability to hook them up as part of a stereo pair.

EQ is handled a little differently by each brand. Sonos offers treble and bass adjustment and automatic loudness correction for increased bass at lower volumes. Conversely, WiiM offers much more granular control: not only does it come with a 10-band EQ, but its parametric EQ lets you create curves to boost or duck frequencies throughout the whole spectrum, which is seriously impressive. I tested it out in a pretty echoey room and was honestly blown away by how easy it was to smooth out errant frequencies this way.

Finally, both speakers offer room correction algorithms. The process of the Era 100’s advanced tuning mode involves pinwheeling your phone with your arm while you walk around the room, but it achieves pretty credible results. Testing it near a wall, I found it brought the high end more into focus and made the overall sound more cohesive. It also did an impressive job of taming the outrageously resonant bass when I placed the speaker in the middle of an acoustically reflective laminate floor.

Although I gave the WiiM Sound a hard time for its room correction, it seems to have been tightened up for the Sound Lite in a recent update. It may not be a sonic silver bullet, but it does seem to go a little further, occasionally boosting weaker frequencies rather than just trimming excessive ones back. Close to a wall, it sheared off some of the wooliness in its lower frequencies, while in the middle of the floor, it helped whip the overly doughy kick into shape. It’s not quite as sophisticated as Sonos’s algorithm, but it at least gives the sound some much-needed spit and polish.

Honestly, with some of the recent improvements to WiiM’s feature set, this isn’t as big a sweep for Sonos as it was when I tested the Sound. Honestly, if you’re an Apple user or room correction is your biggest priority, the Era 100 is your best bet. But that hi-res playback and parametric EQ means that audiophiles might now find the Sound Lite takes the upper hand.

WiiM Sound Lite vs Sonos Era 100: sound quality

You’re very unlikely to get sound quality that’s utterly unimpeachable. Instead, the WiiM Sound Lite and the Sonos Era 100 each have their individual sonic strengths

When I played Listen by Pola & Bryson & goddard., the Sound Lite made its arpeggiated synth sound utterly gorgeous, and there was more than a hint of bass harmonics. However, switching to the Era 100, it became clear what I was missing – not only did the drop of that D&B bassline sound suitably snarly, but there was something delicious dubby about the way that sub bubbled up every couple of bars.

Unfortunately, like a tragic hero, the Era 100’s strength is also its greatest flaw. While listening to Peace Talk by Maribou State, I found that its bass too often encroached on the mid-range – the heft of the guitar and flabbier low-end sometimes overwhelmed the synth and strings. Conversely, the balance the Sound Lite strikes is far more judicious, allowing these melodic elements more time in the spotlight and giving that gorgeous vocal even more gloss.

Nothing shows up a speaker’s sonic weaknesses faster than poorly controlled treble, so I’m glad that neither of these devices lumbered into that bear trap. Playing Go Your Own Way by Fleetwood Mac, the Sound Lite kept the brightness of its high end carefully in check, with the strumming of the guitars and transient hats and snares never feeling over-exposed. The Sonos Era 100 couldn’t quite strike this balance, though, with the guitar feeling less crisp and the toms focusing on heft rather than bite.

Cumulatively, this sonic profile means the Era 100 seems to offer greater cohesion, but sometimes that comes at the expense of precision. For example, when I tested it on Wasting My Young Years by London Grammar, I noticed some instruments were forced to fight for attention. By contrast, the Sound Lite was a lot more airy – the vocals erupted upward in the mix, with the piano subtly underpinning them. It’s not quite the surgically precise separation of a speaker like the Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Pro Edition, but it's definitely decent given its price point.

Perhaps one area where the Era 100 is more balanced than the Sound Lite is listening angles. While neither showed any egregious deadspots in their soundstage, the WiiM’s treble fell off much faster as I moved to the sides of the device, whereas the Sonos was pretty consistent up until I strayed into the bassier area at the rear 90 degrees of the device.

Conversely, when it comes to stereo field, I’d give the Sound Lite the slight edge. Playing The Sound of Silence by Simon & Garfunkel, I struggled to identify any panning at all, with most of the sound seeming to emerge directly from the speaker’s center. By contrast, the Era 100 doesn’t have the widest soundstage I’ve heard, but I could at least perceive a slight spread to the drum and guitar parts, even though there was hardly a gulf between them.

Honestly, it’s hard to pick a clear winner here because the best option for you is going to depend so much on what you personally want out of a wireless speaker. Want spacious mids and considered expression but aren’t offended by milquetoast bass? Then the Sound Lite is absolutely a solid choice. But if your definition of a speaker is something bassy and brassy with omnidirectional sound, then the Era 100 will definitely be more your vibe.

WiiM Sound Lite vs Sonos Era 100: design

Naturally, when it comes to design, the situation here is not all that different from my WiiM Sound vs Sonos Era 100 piece. Not only is the Era 100 the exact same unit, but the Sound Lite has an almost identical form factor as its more premium stablemate.

The one big departure for the Sound Lite is that it doesn’t have the Sound’s porthole-style display. However, while this was a fun addition that helped the Sound stand out a little more, I wouldn’t say it’s a deal breaker. It’s nice to be able to see album art or photos on your speaker, but the resolution and vibrancy weren’t so eye-wateringly gorgeous that it’s truly unmissable. If your biggest priority is getting the best sonic bang for your buck, the display is probably the easiest thing to let go of.

Elsewhere, the WiiM and the Sonos come from very similar schools of design. Both have a cylindrical build with controls on their top face, and both come in black or white colorways. The Sound Lite has a little more bulk, weighing in at 2.5kg compared to the Era 100’s 2.02kg, and it comes wrapped in fabric rather than the latter’s metal grille. But otherwise, at first glance, they give a similar general impression.

There are some small points of difference in that control scheme, though. Each has the same basic functions laid out on its surface, with touch-capacitive buttons for pausing or playing content, adjusting volume, or skipping back and forth. However, the Sound Lite’s buttons are hidden until it detects your hand nearby, at which point they light up. On top of giving it a slightly classier look when the lights are off, this also means it’s easier to use in darker rooms.

That’s a definite point in the WiiM’s favor. But while its glass top panel gives it a slightly more premium look than the Era 100’s matt black plastic, it also shows up way more marks from your greasy mitts. I only prodded the odd button here and there to test the Sound Lite’s functionality, as I mostly operated it from the connected app, but it quickly resembled a scene from CSI as it got covered in oily fingerprints. Fortunately, it wipes clean pretty easily, but better keep a microfiber cloth handy just in case.

Neither speaker draws the line at physical or app control. The Era 100 comes with built-in voice control via either Sonos Voice Control or Amazon Alexa, which is always an enormous help when you're feeling too lazy to reach for your phone or the device. The Sound Lite doesn’t offer voice control built into the unit itself, but if you buy its separate WiiM Voice Remote 2 Lite, its push-to-talk button lets you control the device via Alexa or Google Assistant.

While I’m a little disappointed the remote isn’t included in the box as it was for the WiiM Sound, I’d argue it’s still a worthy purchase at $39 / £39 / $79. It’s robustly crafted from aluminum and has wonderfully clicky buttons, making it a great choice for anyone who prefers a more tactile way of interacting with their gadgets than yet another phone app.

Personally, when it comes to design, I just about favor the Sound Lite. Light-up controls can help when you’re operating it in darker rooms, and its fabric-and-glass build looks a skosh classier to me. But I recognize that if you prefer to use voice control for your speaker, the Era 100’s on-device mic is far more convenient than having to fork over additional money for a remote.

WiiM Sound Lite VS Sonos Era 100: verdict

When comparing the full WiiM Sound to the Sonos Era 100, I definitely came down in favor of the latter. So it may seem odd that I’ve changed my tune now I’ve swapped in the supposedly ‘Lite’ version. However, I’d argue the Lite is anything but.

It has the same drivers, the same audio quality, and the same features – plus it's had a couple of recent quality-of-life updates. The only thing that’s changed is that the display has disappeared, and, as I pointed out in my intro, the price has dropped from $299 / £299 / AU$499 down to $229 / £229 / AU$399. Getting essentially the same performance for a lower price changes the equation for me and brings both speakers much more in line with each other.

In light of this, I’d say the WiiM Sound Lite and Sonos Era 100 are fairly evenly matched, albeit with different strengths. If you’re an audiophile, you’ll likely find the Sound Lite's hi-res streaming support and more open, expressive sound compelling – not to mention its granular parametric EQ. However, should you be into substantial bass, smarter room correction, or Apple’s ecosystem, I’d say you’ll get a lot more mileage out of the Era 100 instead.

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Like their predecessors, the JLab JBuds Mini ANC will still cost just $39.99 full price when they release in March 2026 (global pricing TBC, but expect around £39 / AU$80 based on the previous model), and JLab says they're the "world's smallest" noise-cancelling earbuds. I certainly can't think of anything to compete with their 19x21x14mm dimensions.

The addition of active noise cancellation is the big change here, though JLab has also added a Spatial Audio mode this time. Beyond that, you've got Bluetooth multi-point pairing, a 10-band EQ, a built-in interval timer tool for exercise, a volume limiter to protect your hearing, and 6.5 hours of battery life promised from the buds, with 24 hours from the case.

As before, the case comes with a clip attached so you can pop these on a keyring or on your bag, so they can go everywhere with you – and when they're this small, this cheap, and this good, I think just about anyone would benefit from having them around.

The 2026 budget buds to beat? When they're this small, this cheap and this good…

I've been trying them out, and honestly I'm blown away by how good they sound for the price. Which I probably shouldn't be, because that's basically JLab's raison d'être, but I think these might be the most impressive earbuds I've heard from the company yet when it comes to bang for buck.

First, a quick note on the tiny size and the fit. They feel incredibly slight going into the ear – not just because they're small, but because the ear tip material is very flexible, and I'm used to the particularly robust tip of the AirPods Pro 3 now.

But the fit seems to be totally stable despite that – they haven't dislodged after walking, going to the gym, or a good vigorous shake of the head.

The only potential issue with the fit is that when changing my head angle a lot (particularly leaning back) the seal of the left ear tip was disrupted, and some outside sound came in. This is probably partly to do with my ear shape, but I'm certain it's because the ear tip material is so flexible.

But I never felt there was any change in the stability – they never felt looser or anything like that.

That being said, you can only just feel that they're in your ears at all, which is maybe no surprise given they weigh practically nothing – but it's still possible for companies to get the fit wrong. I think it's really good here.

The fact that they're so small does mean you really have to focus if you want to use the on-ear touch controls, hoever – you need an accurate bit of 3D positioning with the finger, but that's a pretty inevitable trade-off.

Sound that's not just 'good for the money' – it's just plain 'good'

The audio quality is not just 'good for the price', it's just plain 'good'. If you told me these cost twice as much, I'd say that seemed fair.

The sound is thinner than you get from more premium buds, but the balance is absolutely spot on, and what I'm impressed by most is the perceived detail. You're not going to use them as studio monitors to reveal deep insight, obviously, but they're really nimble in transients, so drumstick hits have a sharp edge just like they should, and you can hear all the elements in complicated mixes with individuality I just don't expect from budget buds.

This dynamism means they're stunningly expansive for something so inexpensive, they deliver vocals with remarkably natural clarity, and they're energetic and fun at the same time.

Bass is really well-handled overall, but there is the feeling that buds are making up for a lack of true lower-frequency depth by laying on a bit more impact – basically, bass is a little boomy and less controlled than the rest of the mix, but in a way I can happily live with for the price.

Treble also feels just a little on the harsh side when it's the dominant frequency in the mix. Again, nothing to make you wince, but it's where you can hear that these are working within cost limitations.

But the thing is, I'm getting into quite fine levels of critique with these complaints, because they're at the level where that's what you need to do. When I switch from my AirPods Pro 3 (official price: $249) to the JLab for testing them with music, I don't feel any strong pull to switch back to the more premium buds ASAP, as is often the case.

I'm able to fully just get lost in the music, even as a picky audio writer. I have a pair of $899 Dali headphones 10 inches to my right, and I'm perfectly happy just vibing along with the $40 JBuds Mini ANC. These are a little miracle.

The noise cancellation is another really strong area. I mentioned above that in a few awkward poses (mostly at the gym) the seal was disrupted – but in 90% of use, they're actually excellent at drowning out sound.

Traffic noise was busted down to practically nothing when walking in a city. In the gym, the talking and background music was cut out and only the occasional high-pitched noise of metal knocking against metal crept in.

We obviously have more testing to do before reaching a final verdict, but when it comes to the really core elements of being good earbuds, I'm already very impressed with what the JLab JBuds Mini ANC can do.

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Leaks suggest the event will occur on February 25, and while that date isn’t yet confirmed, we’d expect it in the first couple of months of the year based on past form.

Thanks to other leaks and rumors, we also have a good idea of what to expect at this event, so below, you’ll find everything we’re expecting at Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2026 – along with the significant things we probably won’t see.

1. The Samsung Galaxy S26

Samsung always uses its early-year Unpacked to launch new Galaxy S models, so of course, we’re fully expecting to see the Samsung Galaxy S26 here.

Leaks suggest this will have broadly similar specs to the Samsung Galaxy S25, but with a more powerful chipset (likely a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5), a higher capacity 4,300mAh battery, and magnetic wireless charging.

It may also benefit from a boosted 12MP telephoto camera and a slightly larger 6.3-inch screen, and it could start at 256GB of storage rather than the 128GB of its predecessor.

2. The Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus is expected to land alongside the Samsung Galaxy S26, and it will probably be a lot like its predecessor – in fact, it might even have fewer upgrades than the Samsung Galaxy S26, as leaks suggest there will be no change to its battery capacity or screen size.

That aside, the same assortment of potential upgrades as for the S26 has been assumed, including a more powerful chipset, with the most likely candidate being the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 – though some sources suggest the Exynos 2600 will be used in at least some regions.

It might also have magnetic wireless charging and a 12MP telephoto camera, replacing the 10MP sensor on the Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus.

3. The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra will likely be the star of the upcoming Unpacked event, as it will be the top-end model in the Samsung Galaxy S26 series.

Upgrades might again be relatively minor, though, headlined by a new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset.

Beyond that, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is rumored to offer a charging upgrade to 60W, possibly replacing 45W, and, like its siblings, it could also support magnetic wireless charging. The battery might be boosted too – sources disagree on this, though - but it could be in the region of 5,200mAh–5,400mAh, rather than the 5,000mAh of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.

It might also have a larger vapor chamber, a ‘Privacy Display’ feature that prevents snoopers from seeing what's on the screen, and possibly some minor camera upgrades, including a 12MP telephoto in place of its predecessor’s 10MP one, and perhaps a new lens and a larger sensor for its 200MP main camera.

4. The Samsung Galaxy Z Trifold

The Samsung Galaxy Z Trifold has already been announced, but it’s not widely available yet. We know Samsung plans to start selling it in the US sometime early this year, so announcing its release date and pricing at Unpacked would make sense.

We’re a lot less sure that we’ll see this than the Samsung Galaxy S26 series, though, because while its appearance and those details being outlined would make sense, it’s not something we’ve specifically heard rumored.

5. New AI features

The whole world is obsessed with AI right now, and there’s a high chance Samsung will take this opportunity to unveil some new AI features of its own – likely ones that will ship with the Samsung Galaxy S26 series.

We’ve heard, for example, that Samsung might partner with Perplexity to give its Bixby assistant a boost, and signs of that have already been spotted in beta versions of Samsung’s upcoming software, so there’s a good chance some of these capabilities will be shown off at Unpacked.

What we probably won’t see

While there could be quite a lot on show at Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2026, there are also various things that we’re not expecting to see.

This includes the Samsung Galaxy S26 Edge, which was once thought to replace the Galaxy S26 Plus but has now seemingly been canceled or delayed, depending on which sources you believe.

We also doubt we’ll see the Samsung Galaxy Ring 2 here, and leaks suggest this might not launch at all.

As for new foldables and smartwatches, we don’t typically get those this early in the year, and there’s no sign of 2026 being an exception, but we expect to see the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8, and the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 series in or around July.

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The Information states that, “according to people with direct knowledge of the project,” Apple’s AI Pin is roughly the size of an AirTag and is equipped with multiple cameras, a speaker, microphones, and wireless charging. The device could be released as early as 2027, the report claims.

The Apple device is described as “a thin, flat, circular disc with an aluminum-and-glass shell,” and sounds fairly feature-packed. It’s designed to capture photos and video of its surroundings using standard and wide-angle lenses. There are three microphones, a speaker, and a physical button along one edge, as well as a charging interface similar to that used by the Apple Watch.

A future beyond smartphones

The real question isn’t about specs – it’s about how you’d actually use the device. Interest in wearable AI devices was rekindled last year when OpenAI announced that it was acquiring Jony Ive’s IO company so it could work on an Ive-designed wearable AI device.

Since then, we’ve heard all kinds of rumors. OpenAI’s mysterious gadget could take the form of an AI-powered pen, or it could be AirPods-like earphones that sit behind your ear rather than inside it.

Just about the only thing we know for sure is that it’s coming in 2026, meaning we’ll find out what it is soon, and that it could be the start of an era where we move beyond smartphones.

What we don’t know about the Ive-designed device is how it will actually work. All we know so far is that it’s a hardware product powered by AI.

The most famous wearable AI product to date, the Humane AI Pin, turned out to be a failure, largely because it couldn’t really stand alone as a product without a constant connection to a smartphone. While I didn’t get a chance to use the Humane AI Pin myself, I have used the Rabbit R1, an AI device designed to be controlled by voice commands, and I struggled to find a use for it that my smartphone can't do better.

For any wearable AI product to succeed, it needs to overcome that hurdle, and so far, none have.

Achilles heel

While Apple has undeniable and proven hardware development skills, AI has been something of an Achilles heel for the Cupertino giant. So far, it has failed to deliver on its promises of a fully AI-powered Siri.

Earlier this month, Apple announced that it was partnering with Google to use Gemini as the base model for its enhanced version of Siri. Having access to a reliable large language model in the form of Gemini could give Apple the software foundation it needs to build a new wearable AI product.

Even so, the device would represent something of a gamble. Whatever AI Pin Apple is rumored to be working on will need to overcome the shortcomings of these early devices, and that’s a real risk.

Apple is best known for its cautious, iterative approach to product development. The last time it went out on a limb with an entirely new category, it produced the Vision Pro, an expensive AR headset that few people were really asking for, and that few ultimately wanted. While the Vision Pro is still being developed and sold, it’s fair to say it hasn’t been a success so far.

That said, the fact that someone as serious as iPhone designer Jony Ive is involved in OpenAI’s wearable AI ambitions suggests the market could exist for devices like this in the future, but Apple is going to have to do a lot to convince me I want this.

Apple may well be able to build a better AI Pin than anyone else, but that doesn’t automatically mean people will want one. Until wearable AI can clearly replace something we already rely on, rather than awkwardly sit alongside it, devices like this risk feeling like solutions in search of a problem. And after Vision Pro, Apple may find consumers are less willing to take that leap of faith.

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But the speaker I want to discuss here isn’t from one of those household name brands. It’s also not the most premium option around. But it’s an incredible-sounding, compact, and classy model that I just can’t get enough of. And the best part? It comes in at under $90 / £50 / AU$100.

The model I’m talking about is the Edifier ES20, a palm-sized speaker with a retro-style aesthetic that’s so good that it even made the cut in my guide to the best Bluetooth speakers that money can buy. But what makes it so special? Well, I’ve selected the three main reasons why I’d recommend it down below, so if you’re interested to hear more, scroll on down!

1. Excellent audio with mesmerizing mid-range performance

First and foremost, the Edifier ES20 is an amazing performer given its small size and equally small price-tag.

When I tested it for my Bluetooth speakers guide, I was particularly blown away by its phenomenal mid-range clarity. The definition and expressiveness of electric guitars and vocals really stuck out to me, and helped the ES20 to stand out over top-tier rivals like the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4.

On top of that, you get satisfying, natural-sounding treble that sounds controlled yet energetic. And even though you won’t get incredible low-end weight from this small audio companion, bass is still punchy and agile, making for an exciting yet clean listening experience.

2. Immersive and ambient listening with customizable lighting

The Edifier ES20 doesn’t only sound great, it finds a way of immersing you in your tunes so much more than most rivals in this price category.

And the main way it does that is with its integrated lighting, which you can customize via the speaker’s companion software. Yep, simply head over to the Edifier ConneX app, you can choose from a wide variety of lighting options, such as Breathing, Glittering and Rainbow. On top of that, you can personalize aspects like light modulation rate, brightness, and the displayed colors.

During my time testing the speaker, the lighting helped me to indulge in more atmospheric listening sessions. And because the ES20’s LED lighting is positioned on the reverse side of the speaker, you can even illuminate a wall behind it, which creates a real sense of ambience

3. A rugged yet classy design

One more brilliant thing about the Edifier ES20 is its phenomenal design, which merges rough and ready portability with a surprisingly luxurious look.

First of all, this model is IP67-rated – a rating shared with many of the best waterproof speakers. That rating means that it’s fully dustproof, but also highly waterproof, and is able to withstand being submerged in a meter of water for as long as 30 minutes. It’s also got a really solid feel to it, meaning it will likely survive being dropped a few times without accruing any meaningful damage.

However, this model is also a real looker. It’s definitely got that retro-style that Marshall speakers have thrived on over the years – there’s clear inspiration from the Willen line in particular. But that combination of faux-leather casing, golden detailing, and an appealing protective grille really is to die for. And that marriage of practicality with sleekness is just another reason to love this cost-efficient Bluetooth speaker.

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As a result, it was easy to view these often diminutive bits of technology as a novelty – until, that is, Hyundai’s 90kg Atlas humanoid robot stomped onto stage a day before the show floor opened to the public.

Measuring around 5ft tall, with the ability to reach up to heights of around 7.5ft when fully extended, Atlas is the brainchild of Boston Dynamics, the world-renowned robotics company that already has its Spot robotic dogs busy working on everything from security details to quality control shifts.

But Atlas, which is fully capable of walking (with some swagger), waving and performing the odd backflip, is an entirely different proposition and one that Hyundai Motor Group, the company that now owns an 80% stake in Boston Dynamics, hopes could prove a rich future revenue stream for the business.

Due to begin production imminently, the humanoids will then be trained at the firm’s new Robot Metaplant Application Center (RMAC), where robots learn human collaboration by mapping movements such as lifts, turns, and recoveries into precision training for repetitive and complex tasks.

Following that, Atlas will begin deployment across Hyundai’s various smart factories, with a view to manufacture some 30,000 units by the year 2028.

“Over the past several decades, most manufacturers have automated everything that they can automate,” explains Boston Dynamics CEO Robert Playter.

“The work that is left is difficult to automate in a cost-effective way. And that's because the tasks have huge variation. Whether it’s the parts varying from car-to-car or because the tasks involve assembly and close-knit tolerance and things that you can't do with the traditional robots,” he adds.

Consistency is key

During various demonstrations on the Hyundai booth at the Las Vegas Convention Center, which was easily one of the most popular this year, Atlas could be seen moving car parts from one storage area to another — its 56-degrees of movement allowing it swivel its entire body to move between storage bins, rather than having to walk.

Similarly, its dexterous fingers could grasp an array of objects, even down to the small and delicate stuff, and move it accurately. Weather-proofing ensures it can work outside and when its batteries run dry, it simply walks over to a charing dock and replaces them itself.

While the speed at which Atlas could perform these tasks wasn’t exactly mind-blowing, chief strategy officer at Boston Dynamics, Marc Theerman, explained to me that this wasn’t really the point.

“Humans might be super efficient at 9am in the morning, but our studies suggest that this efficiency drops off throughout the day. With this sort of automation, you need consistency, and the robot never gets tired, and the robot runs at a consistent speed with little interventions,” he explains.

In this respect, Atlas has been designed to be put to work on the sort of shifts and tasks that would have unions calling for strike action. Downtime? No way. The company ensured that most of Atlas’ parts are easily interchangeable if the worst happens.

“If an arm, a leg of even a hand is broken, these parts can be swapped by anyone with even the slightest bit of training in a matter of minutes,” Theerman says. “This was something we learnt from our Spot robot, our customers don’t want any downtime to fix robots,” he adds.

Believe the hype

While humanoid robots are currently at the very epicenter of the hype cycle, there is a valid reason for choosing this form. Theerman says that he predicts many Atlas units will be put to work in facilities that were never designed for robots in the first place.

“The average plant in Europe or the United States is probably 35 years old. And so if you want to automate a plant like that, without fixed automation, you need something that looks like a human, because that's what the plant was designed for,” he says.

A quick scan of the Boston Dynamics back catalogue reveals plenty of other robots, such as its Stretch logistics bot that is solely used for warehouse operations, that can be implemented for very specific tasks.

But what sets Atlas apart is the fact it can perform numerous jobs and, thanks to advances in AI and, in particular, Large Behavioral Models (something Google’s DeepMind is helping with), the humanoid will be able to be trained in a matter of days to perform complex actions.

“So far, we’ve focussed on the physical side of AI, so Atlas can dance, run and jump. But behavioral is the next frontier. We hope that in the future, customers will be able to swap the humanoid’s hands for specific tools, so it can be taught to weld, construct and much more,” Theerman adds.

At this point, it is worth noting that Hyundai’s humanoid endeavor isn’t the first of its kind, nor is it the only technology in existence. In fact, there’s a veritable arms race to launch useful robots.

Tesla’s Optimus is designed for general purpose tasks, but early demonstrations have revealed that it still has some way to go before being genuinely useful. Similarly, companies such as Figure AI, Agility Robotics and Apptronik are all making waves in the emerging industry.

In fact, Chinese heavy equipment manufacturer Zoomlion already has a team of humanoid robots busy at work in its network of plants, churning out hundreds of products a day.

But Boston Dynamic’s CEO still thinks his company has the edge, not least because it has the financial and manufacturing backing of the Hyundai Motor Group.

“We've already got a pathway that we're cutting with our existing products to commercialize. We've built our organization around supporting products in the field, integration, service, repair, logistics, so all of the components around that. Something that thankfully nobody else is doing yet,” he says.

Oh, the humanity

The question of replacing humans is neatly brushed off by those in the business of robotics, seeing as the technology has the potential to replace vast swathes of manual labour. Thankfully, Atlas, much like its Spot counterpart, is expensive right now and many plants find it cheaper and more convenient to use a human workforce.

But Boston Dynamics’ chief strategy officer feels that, while it could be a potential issue, he has found companies with a higher robotic adoption are more productive, therefore are growing faster, are more profitable, and are hiring more employees.

“Yes, there’s going to be shift of workers, but we think that at the moment, these robots will always require human monitoring. So we call this job 'robot wrangler' or 'robot operator'. And that job is growing quite fast, and it's fascinating,” says Theerman.

And what about your robot butler? Well, the Boston Dynamics CEO thinks that is some way off. In fact, he feels robots in the home is the wrong strategy, citing the fact that the consumer market is very “cost sensitive”. He also admits that safety is paramount and that the home is a “complex environment”.

“We think it's going to be 2028 or 2030 when we have robots deployed in factories and probably five years after that before they’re really affordable in the home,” Playter states.

Mark your diaries. The year 2035 could be when we finally witness the rise of the robots, or find out if it’s just another hype cycle that will gradually fade into the CES archives.

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Russia's censorship body, Roskomnadzor, blocked 1.3 million web pages in 12 months, according to recent data. That's a 59% increase compared with the previous year.

In response, virtual private networks (VPN) have become a essential for people to maintain access to blocked content. However, VPNs are now increasingly under attack themselves and reportedly represent the "fastest-growing" category of blocked sites.

I spoke with leading VPN and digital rights experts in Russia about how last year shaped the country's battle against VPNs and what to expect this year.

2025: a "particularly challenging" year

Last year was "particularly challenging," according to Mazay Banzaev, Founder of Russia-based Amnezia VPN.

Banzaev explained that, currently, most VPN protocols are blocked in the country. "At present, only VPN protocols that disguise themselves as other network protocols continue to function," he said.

The likes of XRay (VLESS, VMess, Trojan), NaiveProxy, and Hysteria generally still work, though he warned that they could be blocked if "poorly configured."

The escalation comes as Russian censors continue to refine their DPI-based filtering systems, growing their reliance on AI and other sophisticated traffic analysis methods.

Over the summer, Roskomnadzor almost completely blocked unidentified UDP traffic. This prompted the team at Amnezia to upgrade its censorship-resistant AmneziaWG protocol. "Overall, it operates stably, though the regulator periodically blocks its signatures, necessitating regular updates," Banzaev said.

The filtering model, however, is designed for protecting the "legitimate" use of VPNs. Banzaev explains that Roskomnadzor uses whitelisting techniques to ensure that selected organizations can still use their business VPN. "All other companies and services face the same problems as ordinary users," he added.

Popular VPNs struggle to work

Banzaev claims that popular Western VPN services such as NordVPN, Proton VPN, and ExpressVPN are "effectively non-functional" in the country.

A spokesperson for NordVPN confirmed to TechRadar that the service does not operate in the region and has "no plans to return under the present circumstances." The provider was also among those that pulled its physical servers from Russia in 2019 following demands for data access, before exiting the market entirely after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

However, David Peterson, General Manager at Proton VPN, paints a slightly different picture. He explained that while the environment is challenging, the service still works for many users, though reliability varies "on any given day."

"Proton VPN's Stealth protocol is resistant to deep packet inspection (DPI). However, Russian authorities have also taken the additional step of blocking the IP addresses (and IP address ranges) of many VPN servers, meaning that multiple attempts may still be required to connect."

Similarly, an ExpressVPN spokesperson told TechRadar that connectivity in the region remains generally functional despite the difficulties.

"VPN connectivity can be challenging in some countries, and conditions can change over time. We continuously monitor network performance and work to maintain reliable access for users wherever possible," the company stated.

Despite these assurances, the situation remains volatile. On January 20, Windscribe confirmed a new wave of blocks, recording an almost 90% drop in Russian traffic.

Roskomnadzor as a "super-regulator"

The Kremlin's ability to restrict access to VPNs has significantly increased this year.

Thanks to the passing of Government Decree No. 1667 in late October 2025, Roskomnadzor is now capable of blocking content directly, rather than relying on telecom operators and ISPs.

Sarkis Darbinyan, a cyber lawyer and expert at RKS Global, said the agency has become a "super-regulator."

It can now "block virtually any service or application using DPI technology installed across all operators’ network nodes," Darbinyan told TechRadar.

This technical and legal escalation has coincided with an increased crackdown on websites that promote the use of VPNs and other circumvention tools.

According to the latest data, Roskomnadzor restricted access to 12,600 materials that “promoted VPNs” between January and April 2025 alone – twice the total for all of 2024. Pressure on Apple and Google to remove VPNs from their Russian app stores has also continued.

In July, lawmakers passed a law penalizing the search for 'extremist' content, introducing fresh fines for those accessing illegal material via a VPN. Experts described the move as "a new chapter in repressive internet regulation in Russia."

Alexey Kozliuk, Chairman of the industry group VPN Guild, told TechRadar: "While Russia does not yet have a formal ban on installing and using VPNs for citizens, as in Turkmenistan, the trajectory is clear."

What next for 2026?

While the push to migrate users to domestic applications like the Kremlin-backed "superapp" MAX is set to continue in 2026, experts believe that VPN blocking will only intensify.

It appears the state has the resources to back this ambition. According to Kozliuk, censors will have access to 60 billion rubles (~$780 million) between 2025 and 2027 "to strengthen VPN-blocking technologies."

Additionally, Forbes Russia reported that Roskomnadzor is set to allocate 2.27 billion rubles (~$29 million) to build an AI-powered traffic filtering mechanism designed to better detect and block prohibited content and VPN connections.

However, the battle against VPNs is not unique to Russia. The VPN Guild is increasingly concerned by the shifting narrative around circumvention tools in Western democracies, too.

That's why, according to the guild, the wider industry must unite to protect the legitimacy of these privacy tools.

"When a trend becomes global, the response must be global as well," said Kozliuk. "Participating in the 'Defend VPNs' Day of Action 2025 showed that the space for cooperation and knowledge sharing needs to be strengthened and expanded in 2026."

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Most people type in a prompt, hit enter, and accept whatever answer comes back, like it’s a vending machine dispensing a granola bar. That works fine. It will get you recipes, summaries, emails, translations, and movie trivia.

But it doesn't have to be that way. There are a few subtle dials that let you tilt the entire ChatGPT experience in a different direction. These are not literal settings, but ways of phrasing your prompts that invite the model to take risks, add texture, or loosen up. They make ChatGPT less predictable and more interesting. Once you learn to work those switches, ordinary tasks can become a little brighter and more interesting.

Here are a few favorites I've tested to provoke a shift in ChatGPT toward something that's much more engaging.

Style injection

ChatGPT is an enthusiastic mimic. You just have to give it the right persona to emulate. One way to break out of the beige tone of a standard reply is to deliberately inject a stylistic voice into the prompt. You can do this by referencing a writer, a character, a cultural tone, or even a fictional vibe. It’s less about accuracy and more about mood-setting.

Let’s say you want a simple to-do list to help get through a rough Monday. Normally, ChatGPT will return something like: “1. Eat a healthy breakfast. 2. Review your schedule. 3. Tackle high-priority tasks.” Not bad.

But now say, “Make me a Monday to-do list in the style of a drill sergeant who’s had too much coffee.” Suddenly it’s barking, “Rise and shine, maggot! That inbox won’t clear itself!” The tasks are still useful, but the tone shifts from bland to bracing. Or try, “Make it sound like a Victorian governess addressing a chaotic household,” and you’ll get: “Kindly restore order to the parlour before Aunt Edith arrives.”

I’ve used this switch to amuse myself with everything from turning grocery lists into Shakespearean dialogues to getting the weather from a 1970s sci-fi narrator to making my calendar into a series of riddles. What you’re doing is giving ChatGPT a creative costume to wear. The key is to get specific. The weirder the tone, the looser ChatGPT gets.

Self-aware prompting

This switch relies on asking ChatGPT to be aware of its own tendencies and deliberately override them. You can nudge it to break the default format by directly calling out what it usually does and asking it not to.

For example, you might say: “Don’t write this like a typical AI summary. Write it like you’re a snarky ghost with no memory of being alive but strong opinions about pizza.” Or: “Most of your answers are calm and neutral. I want a hot take that sounds like it would start a family argument.” The trick here is to acknowledge what the model typically gives you and frame the request as a deviation.

I tested this with a friend who wanted to write a funny Instagram caption for her dog. Her first attempt at a caption for her dog sitting in a laundry basket was "Just helping with the laundry! #DogLife.” Not memorable.

So she asked ChatGPT to “Write an Instagram caption from a dog who’s convinced the laundry basket is a spaceship and has deep beef with the vacuum.” ChatGPT’s next attempt: “Commander Bark reporting from the Sock Nebula. Mission: avoid the Roomba at all costs.” That’s a post people actually remember.

Perspective flip

ChatGPT always tries to help directly. It does not naturally consider alternative vantage points unless you ask for them. Changing the narrator or point of view in the prompt opens up new ways for the AI to consider answers, whether it's through the eyes of an inanimate object, a pet, or simply from a long way away. ChatGPT responds by reorganizing information around the new narrator rather than rewriting the same answer with different adjectives. The effect is often surprising because it reveals angles you would not have considered on your own.

For example, imagine you are deciding whether to buy a new pair of running shoes. If you ask directly, the model will give you competent, but not very inspiring, buying advice. If you flip the perspective and tell the model to answer as if it were your future self who has already run hundreds of miles in the shoes, the advice becomes more narrative and reflective. It might describe how the new shoes changed your morning routine, or how they helped you survive a muddy trail run and made you feel lighter on days when you were tired.

That kind of advice can turn a simple shopping question into a small personal story that captures the feeling behind your decision. The model’s baseline tone is practical, but a perspective shift convinces it to behave like a storyteller instead of a rulebook.

Once you start to see ChatGPT not as a single personality but as a flexible system that responds to mood cues, you realize how much room there is to personalize it. Most people don’t explore that space. They assume that because ChatGPT’s output sounds smart, it must know the best version of what you want. But often it’s just giving you the most average version of what everyone else has asked for.

These creativity switches let you reclaim the weirdness. They turn ChatGPT into more of a scene partner than a fact-delivery tube. You can still ask for recipes, emails, summaries, and errands. But when you flip the right switch, the model starts to surprise you. It becomes a little more surprising in its answers, and that might make it more useful, if a little more chaotic, than its baseline approach.

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The Samsung Galaxy S26 series is likely to be the first major flagship phone launch of the year, with these phones expected to land in late February.

As usual with Samsung flagships, there’s a lot of hype – and that means there have also been a lot of leaks and rumors, but some of the things we’ve heard sound a lot more likely than others.

So below, I’ve detailed and rated the seven biggest Samsung Galaxy S26 series rumors, assessing how likely I think they are to be correct.

1. A privacy display

One of the more intriguing possible additions we’ve heard about is that the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra might have a ‘Privacy Display’. This would essentially work like a privacy screen protector, making it hard to see what’s on the screen unless viewed front-on, so people around you can’t see what you’re looking at.

This feature has been leaked multiple times and it could be a great way for the Galaxy S26 Ultra to stand out from rival phones, as it’s a bit unusual.

Being so unusual I’d usually take this sort of thing with a pinch of salt, but in fact Samsung has already shown off a technology capable of this, and while the company hasn’t officially confirmed that it’s coming to the Galaxy S26 series, 9to5Google spotted a Privacy Display toggle in a screenshot shared by Samsung itself, so I’m now almost certain this will be coming to at least some S26 models – with the S26 Ultra being the most likely.

• Likelihood: 9/10

2. A higher price

There have been conflicting reports on whether the Samsung Galaxy S26 series will cost more than the Galaxy S25 line, so it’s hard to be sure based on the leaks and rumors so far.

However, given that memory prices are soaring it’s hard to imagine that a price rise would be avoided. But the good news at least is that most leaks that point to a price rise suggest it won’t be a very substantial one – so you likely will have to pay more, but hopefully not too much more.

• Likelihood: 7/10

3. A Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset for every model

We’ve also heard conflicting reports on what chipset the Samsung Galaxy S26 series will use. Some say we’ll get the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, while others suggest a mix of that and Exynos 2600 units will be used.

It’s likely – based both on leaks and past form – that the Galaxy S26 Ultra will have a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, but there’s more of a question mark over the other models, especially as Samsung often uses a mix of Snapdragon and Exynos.

However, recent leaks suggest that only South Korean models will get an Exynos chipset, with Snapdragon used everywhere else for every S26 model. So with this being a more recent claim than other leaks – and it fitting with Samsung’s approach to the S25, I’m guessing that’s probably what will happen.

Either way though, these are both top-end chipsets, so you should get great performance regardless.

• Likelihood: 6/10

4. Magnetic wireless charging

There have been numerous signs that the Samsung Galaxy S26 series might support magnetic wireless charging, a bit like the MagSafe system on iPhones.

This includes leaks around various magnetic accessories that could be offered for the phones and a diagram that appears to show a magnetic ring on the back of the Galaxy S26.

While there are enough leaks now that we’re fairly sure some magnetic accessories will be sold, it’s possible that these will require the S26 to be in a case with magnets rather than it having magnets of its own, much like accessories you’ll find for the Samsung Galaxy S25.

So it’s slightly less clear whether the phones themselves will have magnets, but several sources have suggested they will, so I’m cautiously optimistic.

• Likelihood: 7/10

5. A variable camera aperture

Among the more unlikely leaks is a claim that the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra could have a variable aperture for its main camera.

This would mean you could choose between a wider aperture to let more light hit the sensor in dim conditions or to create a blurred background, and a narrow aperture for sharper images in bright light.

It would be a nice – if niche – feature, and it’s actually one Samsung tried before with the Galaxy S9. But as we’ve only heard this from one tipster – and as they haven’t reiterated the claim since first making it almost a year ago – I doubt this is something we’ll see.

• Likelihood: 3/10

6. Bigger batteries

While the Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus will probably have the same capacity battery as its predecessor, both the base Galaxy S26 and the Galaxy S26 Ultra could be in for a boost.

Specifically, leaks suggest the Samsung Galaxy S26 might have a 4,300mAh battery (up from 4,000mAh in the Galaxy S25), and the Galaxy S26 Ultra could have either a 5,200mAh or 5,400mAh battery – which would be up from 5,000mAh in the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.

That said, some sources disagree about the Ultra's battery, saying that actually it won’t be changing. So of the three phones it looks most likely that the base model will get a battery boost, but the Ultra may well do so as well.

• Likelihood: 8/10 that one model will have a bigger battery, 5/10 that two will

7. 60W charging for the Ultra

Several sources have suggested that the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra might have higher power charging than its 45W predecessor, with reputable leaker @UniverseIce in particular pushing this claim.

They say to expect 60W charging, which while still far lower power than, for example, the 120W OnePlus 15, should make a noticeable difference to charging speeds.

With multiple sources having said to expect higher power charging and with at least one of them having reiterated the claim multiple times, I’d think this is a very likely inclusion.

• Likelihood: 8/10

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Every console comes bundled with a copy of the fantastic Astro's Playroom right out of the box but, as good as it is, it's quite a short experience and you'll soon find yourself scrambling for more to play.

I've owned a PS5 since launch and always endeavor to keep at least a few free games on my system at any given time. They're great to dip into from time to time, and can be a great choice if you're eager to try something new without breaking the bank.

With that said, here are the games that I've been spending hours with and have loaded up on my personal right now.

1. Call of Duty: Warzone

Believe it or not, I've never been much of a Warzone fan despite loving the Call of Duty series. Something about the massive maps in this free-to-play battle royale spinoff just made it seem so slow paced and, frankly, a little boring to me - especially compared to your average frantic match of free-for-all in Black Ops 7.

Then there's the skill ceiling. Although I like to think of myself as a skill CoD player, the sheer range of most engagements had me dying time and time again against players that had the best gear and thousands of hours of experience.

That's all changed with the recent arrival of Haven's Hollow, though, the latest map for its Resurgence mode. What is Resurgence, I hear you ask? It's basically battle royale with all the boring bits cut out.

It takes place on quite small maps that are filled with high-end loot. You don't really have to scavenge to build a good loadout here, and engagements with enemy teams are constant. There are even respawns too, automatically bringing you back for revenge if the rest of your team is still alive.

The new environment itself, a quaint American town, is fantastic to explore too and even has some cool easter eggs. My pro tip would be to try and land right in its waterfall - there's actually a hidden cavern that's only accessible at the start of the match filled with good gear.

I've been playing non-stop for weeks now, and I'd highly recommend jumping in - especially if other battle royale games haven't clicked for you.

2. Delta Force

Forget Battlefield 6 and hop on Delta Force. This free-to-play shooter from Chinese gaming giant Tencent (the makers of Call of Duty: Mobile) definitely takes liberal inspiration from EA's flagship FPS but that doesn't mean that it's not a lot of fun.

Teams of 32 players face off on massive maps that blend land combat with intense confrontations between sea and air vehicles. The shooting is snappy and the environments offer a decent level of destructibility, which you can exploit to gain a tactical advantage.

This game has it all, including extensive customization for your gear and vehicles (with no real pay-to-win that I've noticed so far) and a dedicated extraction shooter mode that plays almost exactly like the famous Escape from Tarkov.

There's even a single-player campaign based on the movie Black Hawk Down. It gets the job done for sure, but this is definitely the weakest part of the package with some poor balancing that makes it a slog to play for more than an hour or two.

3. Where Winds Meet

Massive open-world action RPG Where Winds Meet might be the ultimate virtual world. There is a ridiculous amount of content to discover here, ranging from magical martial arts combat to larger-than-life parkour.

The story is inspired by Chinese Wuxia cinema and tells an epic tale of a young sword master with a mysterious past. Cutscenes are lavishly animated and seriously stylish, so much so that it's easy to overlook the fact that you have no idea what's going on at basically any time.

There are so many things to do in the game that it's honestly hard to list. I've learned powerful moves from wild animals, beaten random villagers at chess, tried my hand at fishing, learned a musical instrument, and even built my own house.

Apparently you can even go to prison if you attack friendly NPCs, but I'm a little too shy to try that.

There are no pay-to-win elements, with paid content relegated to cosmetics (that I honestly don't even think look all that snazzy in the first place) resulting in a gigantic experience that you can occupy you for hundreds of hours without dropping a single cent.

4. Zenless Zone Zero

Out of all the games by mobile giant HoYoverse, it's Zenless Zone Zero that I keep coming back to.

Billed as an urban fantasy RPG, it's got a great little story (that's still receiving new chapters every few months) and a raft of memorable characters.

It is a stunning game, particularly on PS5, with a high-quality anime art direction that blends clean and fluid animations with delightful cel-shaded colors.

The bulk of your time in the game is spent either in combat, which is a bombastically stylish experience similar to something like Devil May Cry 5, or exploring the open-world areas of New Eridu. Cutscenes are great, but there are some convenient features (like automatic plot summaries) designed to help you if you would rather just focus on the fighting.

This is a gacha game, with a pull system to unlock new characters, but it's quite generous and there are plenty of free events to reward frequent players.

5. Fortnite

How much do I really need to say about Fortnite? This battle royale took the world by storm and has only gone from strength to strength in recent years, growing into a massive gaming platform that contains multiple spinoffs.

The battle royale mode is still the big one, but you also shouldn't sleep on Fortnite Festival: an entire rhythm game in the style of Guitar Hero with loads of songs to try. Fans of Minecraft should get a kick out of Lego Fortnite - which is a crafting survival game set in a bricky world inspired by the popular building toy.

There's also a whole racing game in Rocket Racing, not to mention a tense tactical FPS with Ballistic. If this sounds a tad overwhelming, it's because it really is. Still, if you take the time to learn the ins and outs of each distinct mode, you'll inevitably find one that you enjoy.

They all share elements of cross-progression too, so you can often use your unlocks from one in another.

6. The Sims 4

The Sims 4 used to be a paid game, but developer Maxis made it free back in 2022.

Sure, there are a lot of downloadable content (DLC) add-ons to buy if you wish - but the core experience is still plenty of fun without them and a must-have given the low cost of well, nothing (except your storage space, I suppose).

It's a wacky life simulator that focuses on creating your own virtual characters, the titular Sims, and living out their stories as you see fit. You can get a good job, build a cool house in the amazing build mode creator, master loads of skills like cooking or public speaking, romance other Sims, or just mess around making enemies out of everyone you come across.

The possibilities are practically endless and the very approachable controls make The Sims 4 a good pick for more casual players despite the level of depth.

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In the course of my professional testing, I've also attended plenty of briefings and received countless press releases, and I know the lines all the big robot vacuum brands are peddling. Some of them are valid, and others less so. Here are the three biggest lies robot vacuum brands are telling us, so you can temper your expectations before you invest.

#1. It's all about suction

Robot vacuum brands are currently engaged in a raging battle to have the highest suction specs. These are measured in Pascals (Pa), and things have gotten out of hand lately.

When I started testing robovacs, a low-end bot might have 2,000-4,000Pa of suction, while the fanciest and priciest models would have around 10,000Pa. Then, around the start of 2025, those specs suddenly doubled, and have been climbing at a dizzying pace ever since. Roborock's new flagship has 35,000Pa of suction, as does Dreame's latest addition.

The thing is, I didn't see cleaning prowess improving at the same rate. 10,00Pa was plenty for a really capable clean, and in fact I've tested robot vacuums with far lower suction specs that did an equally good job when it came to day-to-day cleaning, and seemed to pick up a similar amount of fluff, hair and dust from my floors.

It's natural to assume that the higher the suction spec, the better the robovac, but there are plenty of things that play into how well a bot cleans. The design of the roller, for one, and the accuracy of its navigation for another. Plus, remember the suction spec will be for the very highest cleaning setting, which probably isn't the one you'll typically be using.

2. They can identify any object – including cables

Claims around object recognition have also escalated of late. Modern bots can apparently spot and identify a dizzying array of potential obstacles, and then react appropriately for each one, every time they encounter it. Based on my testing, and that of my freelance writers, that's simply not true.

Height is one big stumbling block – if an object is below, say, an inch / 2.5cm in height, a robot vacuum simply won't spot it. I've never met a robot vac that didn't want to eat all my cables, no matter how much that bot cost.

In fact, no robot vacuum has achieved a perfect score in TechRadar's obstacle avoidance tests. I've tested plenty of bots that have meticulously circumnavigated that sock – even photographing it and correctly identifying it in the app – to then go on to drive straight into the shoe sitting a short way behind it. The next time, they might avoid the shoe but gobble down the sock.

It's still worth looking out for decent object avoidance, but adjust your expectations, especially when it comes to consistency in behavior. And to be perfectly clear, I'd never, ever trust any robot vacuum to avoid dog poop.

3. You'll never have to get your hands dirty

Today's premium robot vacuums have ever more advanced cleaning stations, which not only empty the dust from the small onboard bins and replenish any water tanks, but also clean the robot's mop pads (often with hot water, to cut through grease) and dry them off. Some can even clean themselves, too. The myth is that you'll essentially never have to get involved at all.

That's not true. A comprehensive clean station will lessen the amount of maintenance required, but it can't take care of everything. Grime will still build up in the base where the bot docks, and need wiping out and disinfecting from time to time. You'll still need to manually wash the mop pads on occasion to get them really clean (either in the washing machine or the sink, depending on the type). The side sweepers will still need removing, de-hairing and rinsing off, because grime will build up. These actions will help keep the robot performing well for as long as possible.

None of this is to put you off investing in a premium robot vacuum. There are tons more things that robot vacuums can do, and I wouldn't be without one. But it's important to know their limitations, to avoid disappointment.

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Even as a fresh remote play-focused handheld in late 2023, I was fully in on the device, and I couldn’t wait to test, review, and fully adopt the Portal and make it part of my setup.

That’s still the case today, and I simply couldn’t be without it, especially given that my main platform is PlayStation 5 (by a long way), and the handheld’s DualSense shape and ergonomic design are perfect for my different hands (more context on that both when I saw the PlayStation Access controller, and then reviewed it).

However, in the more than two years I’ve had it, I’ve never stopped thinking about how it could be improved and refined even more to offer an even better remote-play and cloud-streaming experience. Plus, after I recently wrote about the super-slow charging of the PlayStation Portal over an extended holiday, I really got thinking about what I’d want to see in a new version of the accessory.

So, I present you with my wishlist for a PlayStation Portal 2, for lack of a better term. This wishlist keeps the remote-play and growing cloud-streaming abilities at the core of a next-gen Portal – we’re not jumping into native-playing handheld games-console territory – and highlights a few things that I think could really enhance it.

Do you agree with these? What would you like to see in a second PlayStation Portal? Let me know in the comments!

Up the power with a new battery and fast charging

After dealing with the limitations of the Portal’s current charging times and battery capacity over the holidays at the end of last year, this had to be the first thing on my list.

I think you could probably get away with a similar-capacity battery in a new model, but it simply has to have faster charging to enable folks like me to know that their Portal is going to be all juiced up and ready to go in super-quick time, rather than having to plan extended charging sessions.

However, having said that, it's probably safe to assume – and hope – that with one comes the other, so a bigger battery would certainly be welcome too. While I always seem to have enough for my play sessions, raising the ceiling further would only be a good thing. Plus, there are some other things on this list that will increase the demand on the battery, so it’ll be sensible in that regard, too.

A new screen to make games shine

An enhanced screen is something the Portal community always shouts about when talk of a new model comes around.

I’ll refrain from just flat-out demanding an OLED screen here – the demand on the battery could be massive, even if the battery got a boost too – but even something akin to the Switch 2’s Vivid LCD would be welcome.

Nintendo’s upgraded handheld screen has shown that 1080p handhelds in modern times don’t have to jump straight to OLED panels to see an upgrade. And that upgrade is tangible in more than one way: games look nicer for sure, with better picture quality, richer colors, and nicer contrasts, but it also has a higher refresh rate, allowing for higher frame rates.

Bring in Bluetooth audio

Another of the community’s most-requested features in any future updates to this model or a new Portal is the inclusion of Bluetooth pairing for headphones or earbuds.

Part of me can kind of see why Sony wanted to limit the wireless connections to its own proprietary PlayStation Link, but the other part of me still feels that decision is a bit mean, and basically unnecessary – let the people use their own audio solutions, which would likely include many Sony and PlayStation products too.

With folks already shelling out for the Portal itself – and maybe even the top-tier of PS Plus on top of that – it feels a bit stingy to close off the audio possibilities. Fans have sort of found ways around this anyway with third-party Bluetooth adapters – though I much prefer to use my Pulse Explore earbuds with the Portal – but official support for Bluetooth would be a huge plus for a future Portal 2 in my view.

Whip up more Wi-Fi

With so much of the Portal’s functionality at the mercy of external internet and connection factors, it seems sensible for a new model to put the very best option possible onboard. This would ensure that any Portal 2 is best equipped within itself to offer the strongest and most stable internet connection, no matter how close to Sony’s minimum your internet connection might be externally.

Thus, boosting the current Portal’s onboard Wi-Fi 5 hardware to at least Wi-Fi 6, but preferably Wi-Fi 7, on any newer model would make for a welcome upgrade.

Insert some more intuitive controls

The biggest improvement I’d like to see on the button and input front is a better replacement for the DualSense touchpad. To be frank, I’ve never had a huge problem with double-tapping the Portal’s touchscreen, but it still doesn’t feel elegant or work 100% of the time.

A neatly placed dedicated button, which may even have some touch-sensitive tech like the Apple iPhone camera button, and which can be used for things like swiping up on the touchpad, would be excellent. To my eye, there’s space on the Portal as it stands for something like that – but then again, I don’t design these things…

Elsewhere, I’d enjoy seeing a rethink of the power, volume, and PS Link buttons on the top of the current Portal. They function fine, but it would be great if they were easier to reach and nicer to interact with.

In fact, while I’m wishing for things, adding microswitch buttons to every appropriate face button and shoulder button, and upgrading the thumbsticks with Hall Effect or the newer Tunneling Magnetoresistance (TMR) tech, as we see on some premium PS5 controllers, would be some serious icing on this cake. Though I wouldn't hold my breath on this, given we don't see this on any of Sony's own DualSense controllers.

More seamless menu integrations

A bit more to do with software than hardware here, and while the update at the end of 2024 did give the menus and interface a welcome overhaul, there’s something not quite right about the current integration of certain PS5 features and notifications on the Portal right now, especially when cloud-streaming games.

Trophies are a good example of this, as when I earn one while cloud streaming, all I see is a ‘Silver trophy earned!’ notification, rather than the usual graphic and description combo we all know and love. This feels like it needs refining.

It would also be great if we got a rejig of functions like party settings and other such core controls, so that they were ‘closer to hand’ in both modes, making it easier to change settings when streaming, without having to go back into the PS5’s open settings when remote playing.

Give me some official accessories

Another one that’s less hardware or onboard software-related, but there’s definitely an opportunity with a new Portal for Sony to embrace the opportunity to fully adorn it with official accessories and goodies.

The obvious candidates are official screen protectors and carry cases, made to precise measurements and exacting standards to ensure protection for your Portal when you’re taking it out and about – but also with enough storage room for the companion earbuds, of course.

I’d also extend this to official grips and thumbstick covers, too - which I'm a huge fan of using elsewhere - given that the Portal, while based on a DualSense, doesn’t have exactly the same measurements and details to make accessories interchangeable. As someone who benefits from these greatly, official items like them are something I’d be all over.

Bring cloud streaming to more PS Plus tiers

Again, this isn’t something that’s strictly tied to the device itself, but opening up the cloud streaming ability to a vast number of players would be a heck of a way to launch a new Portal, wouldn’t it?

I’d love to see the numbers of members on each level of subscription, but I’m guessing that Premium may have the smallest membership, and despite folks paying more for the top tier for the pleasure of cloud streaming, if Sony opened this feature up to even the Extra tier, there would be huge numbers of folks adopting the Portal, I’d wager.

As an extension of this, if the ability to stream my own games could be extended at the same time to include literally all of my own games, that would be fantastic too.

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So when the 2026 Oscar nominations came out on January 22, I was aghast to find he was missing. With some of the most striking, risky, and startling visuals we've seen on screen in the past year, Die My Love's look is just as much of a character as Grace (Jennifer Lawrence) and Jackson (Robert Pattinson).

Thankfully, the movie is now available to stream on MUBI as of today (January 23), so you can see what I mean for yourself. If you're a budding filmmaker or tech nerd – of course, you're the latter, that's why you're on this website – and want to know how to replicate Die My Love's distinct abstract flavor, I've got the answers for you.

Die My Love brings back ektachrome in a big, bold way

"I just love telling stories with whatever camera I can get my hands on," McGarvey tells me. "But when I have the joy of shooting on film when the budget allows for it, it's great because it's a poetic distance from the real.

"I think early on, Lynne [Ramsay] and I had discussions about what film stock to use and how we were going to approach the day and night scenes, and the peculiar depiction of postpartum depression in a woman who's recently given birth. It's a type of madness, really, that a person feels, so we wanted to find a way of expressing that pictorially, not being quite tethered in night or day. So we both said, why not Ektachrome? Because it's a color film,but not real, it makes everything look slightly hyper-real.

He continues, "The connotation of it is that things have gone wrong and the color is over-ripe and almost rotten, so that we thought that's perfect. So when we tested that, we realized that that was the film stock to use for the daytime stuff. All the nighttime scenes in the film that you see are shot in plain daylight, like midday or full sun. But we wanted there to be a strange, almost nightmarish moonlit quality. So that was done in the grade and with filters, very heavily smoked up filters that we used with candle smoke.

"That was great fun to do, because you just smoke up a clear glass and then paint out the bits that you want to see, and the rest falls into murky, inky blackness. Even the Sun becomes a moon."

Watch any of those nighttime scenes and tell me that you aren't convinced Lawrence is having the worst nightmare of her life at 4am. At this stage in the movie, we, as viewers, can no longer tell what is grounded in reality and what is suspended in the mind of a woman slowly losing hers.

I'd go as far as to say these are some of the best cinematic scenes of 2025, and certainly are the most unexpectedly haunting.

'Art is how we look and feel, not what we use to shoot with'

But what about those of us who aspire to create things like this but have no idea where to start?

"I think you can tell a story with any camera, even your iPhone and or whatever digital device you use," McGarvey explains. "As they say, it's about looking with your heart and brain, and it's about the kind of looking at the world, looking at art that inspires you, and take that in whatever camera you use.

"There's a real beauty to using a big phone camera, like a Panavision, Panaflex camera that we used and PVintage lenses. But conversely, I have here in my flat a Sony a7 camera that I put little lenses on, and the results can be really beautiful. So for very little money, you can shoot great stuff. I've gotten trouble for saying that I shot stuff on the first Avengers movie, on an iPhone, which I did. But there you go."

Not only do I now have to head to Disney+ and watch the Avengers films immediately, McGarvey's subtle symbiosis of artistry and technological craft is also truly inspiring. I haven't picked up a camera since I was a teenager, but even I want to have a go.

"I think if you use a camera with joy, enthusiasm, and thought and think into the story, it's not about the technique, technology, or the camera itself. I'm very lucky to work with great people who guide me when I work on these fancy cameras. I know about film cameras, but these new cameras and large-format digital cameras, I have no idea. If all the people that I work with went away for the day, I would not be able to even switch on the camera. That's how bad it is.

"So I prefer simplicity, because it focuses you on the looking. As an artist, director, or a young filmmaker like yourself and others, simplicity is all when you're embarking on a career in telling stories with a camera. You know you can get more elaborate as the day goes on, but starting with talking about equipment alone is maybe a backwards step. Let our wonderful, imaginative, dreaming brains make our films. The equipment will be under our arms to decide what to use for whatever scenario we want to depict."

You heard the man, people... get snapping.

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Spartacus: House of Ashur might technically be ancient history, but I don't know whether I'm coming or going from week to week. I'd just got my head around the Brothers Ferox being behind Opiter's (Arlo Gibson) death in episode 6, before Satyrus (Leigh Gill) is the only one left alive in episode 7... but we've moved on at lightning speed.

In Spartacus: House of Ashur episode 8, the main focus has shifted. Ashur (Nick E. Tarabay) is upsetting every woman around him because of his blossoming feelings for Viridia (India Shaw-Smith), and Achillia (Tenika Davis) is slowly on her way back to full strength. However, it's Celadus (Dan Hamill) and Tarchon (Jordi Webber) who you need to be keeping an eye on.

While Tarchon feels threatened by Achillia and seeks to ruin her return to glory, Celadus severs the pair's bond once he gets wind of Tarchon's behavior. The two then have to enter the gladiator arena at the end of episode 8, and only one of them leaves alive.

For Hamill and Webber, it was a monumental episode in completely different ways. But for one star, their fictional death was "really hard and a little traumatic" to process.

Celadus' shock death in Spartacus: House of Ashur episode 8 'didn't require any acting techniques whatsoever'

"I'm not gonna lie about this... it sucked," Hamill explained about filming Celadus' death. "It was really hard and a little bit traumatic. I had to convince my nervous system that I was done. There's a lot of different acting techniques, but for this one, we didn't need any. We could flick into these people's time and space, and so it was real. So I felt a bit shook after.

"It's really tricky to make your nervous system feel like it's going to die. But to be fair, there's a lot of pressure on this thing. We're honoring a legacy, and to do it half-hearted, we'd kick ourselves. It's also a pleasure to be able to access those things and to do it in an arena with 350 people. This is the biggest physical flex we've ever had, but we also had to be emotional athletes.

He continues, "To keep doing it take after take for hours on end was an actor's dream workout. But I definitely had to take myself on holiday and self-soothe and get things [out of] my system. It was a lot."

When the episode closes out, and Celadus is left on the floor in a pool of blood, the sorrow is real. But it's also worth digging deeper into why he held back and invited death in – and it's all to do with the House of Proculus' female gladiator.

Bought to take Achillia on in battle, Celadus sees their romance reflected in her eyes, unable to bring himself to fight. It's a completely different story from Tarchon's time in the arena, who tries to avenge the accidental death of a Roman civilian who falls into the pit.

"It was glory, but it was clouded," Webber tells me. "It was everything that I'd wanted, but I couldn't have a genuinely happy moment of having proven myself, like I did this. But then there were also multiple things happening at the time. I had love on my mind. I just executed this master plan with a lot of Roman guards around me. So it's just like, 'well, actually, I don't know if I'm going to die or not.'

"There's too many big things going on in my life right now to really just revel in that," he adds, and boy, did he not realize the half of it. How Tarchon and Achillia each cope with the loss of Celadus will be revealed in Spartacus: House of Ashur episode 9... but I'm going to guess now that it's not great.

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That's a good thing, though it certainly won't last for long. Dr Robby (Noah Wyle) is keen to make tracks for his three-month sabbatical as soon as possible, with temporary attending Dr Al-Hashimi (Sepideh Moafi) waiting impatiently in the wings to implement a complete processing overhaul.

Our first round of patients seem to be making their way back home, or at least getting some substantial answers. Santos (Isa Briones) still has her hands full with a young girl showing various concerning bruises, but the rest are minor casualties... at least, they are for now.

You might think this is mundane, and for the most part, it is. But The Pitt season 2 episode 3 choosing to focus on the little guy is a standout moment for Dana (Katherina LaNasa), reminding us why she's clearly the GOAT (greatest of all time) of nursing in one simple scene.

Dana's treatment of the homeless patient in The Pitt season 2 episode 3 certifies her GOAT status

And to think that she wasn't going to return after the season 1 finale! As the lead nurse in the ER, Dana is cool, collected, and three steps ahead of any emergency at any given time. She works in near-perfect partnership with Dr Robby, and no problem seems too big to deal with.

However, it's her humanity that sets her apart in The Pitt season 2 episode 3. In episode 1, we are introduced to a homeless man in the ER's reception, with other waiting patients quickly complaining to staff about his pungent smell and unkempt appearance. Even once he's among doctors, the scrutiny and prejudice reek more than he ever could.

Dana and her new nursing protégé – who began her first-ever shift earlier that morning – hose the man off, scrubbing years of grime and dirt away in the process. In episode 3, their attention turns to "treating his insides", with the man making an emotional admission to being terrified of visiting the doctor.

Instead of chastising his decisions, Dana is immediately empathetic, taking a quiet moment to sit with him and absorb his feelings. She attentively listens while refusing to be condescending, and while that should be commonplace behavior, it feels refreshing.

It's a tiny, blink-of-an-eye moment in the episode, but it's the scene that has impacted me the most throughout season 2 so far. With so much to take in on a daily basis, it's easy to forget the basic cornerstones of respect and understanding, even though this is something we'd expect from any medical professional.

Without overstating its importance, Dana is a reminder to show up and actively listen whenever possible. Frankly, that's the reminder we need the most right now. Not every episode of The Pitt is going to have a huge disaster or a life-threatening surgery, but we can always count on it to pierce our hearts in exactly the right way.

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It’s now been around seven months since the Switch 2 launched. In that time, eight GameCube games have been added to the service, and we know of three more confirmed for the near-future.

There are some real bangers here; being able to play F-Zero GX, Soul Calibur 2, and Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance on modern hardware is a treat. Meanwhile, Treasure’s Wario World was a huge surprise addition, and one not initially confirmed when the GameCube Classics collection was announced way back in April of last year.

I do worry about the future of the collection, though. The remainder of the current roster consists of fairly safe picks, such as The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Super Mario Strikers, and Luigi’s Mansion. These, along with the upcoming addition of Super Mario Sunshine, are all well and good and, as some of the console’s MVPs, you’d expect them on a service such as this, but the GameCube was so much more than that.

A solid start

Don’t worry, I’m not about to devolve into a diatribe of: "Where's this beloved GameCube game?” - I’ve done that once before. We’re still early in the Switch 2’s life, after all; I’m not necessarily expecting the GameCube library to be bustling at this point in time. I fully anticipate essential MIAs like Mario Kart: Double Dash and Super Smash Bros. Melee to arrive in due time.

Even so, I just can’t help but feel Nintendo could be a bit more adventurous with its GameCube Classics choices going forward. The GameCube, at least compared to its competition at the time in the form of the PlayStation 2 and Xbox, had a relatively small, curated library of titles; around 600-650, depending on the source (with MobyGames listing 630). But there are plenty of diamonds therein.

As it stands, I think the biggest problem with the current GameCube Classics selection is that it isn’t showcasing the sheer variety, ambition, and creativity of the purple brick’s wondrous back catalog. There is so much to work with, and so much room to grow.

When I look back at my time with the ‘Cube, I’ve obviously got fond memories of the big hitters. The killer apps. The showstoppers. That should go without saying. But for me, the real magic of the console could be found in much of its killer third-party support.

Getting real weird with it

The Nintendo-published Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem immediately comes to mind; a truly mind-shattering horror experience that brought sanity mechanics to the mainstream in a way that felt well ahead of its time. For many gamers, the GameCube put revered bullet hell shooter Ikaruga on the map with its 2003 port - a few years after it wowed players in arcades and on the Dreamcast.

Of course, the system was a veritable treasure trove of RPGs, too. Tales of Symphonia, Skies of Arcadia: Legends, and Baten Kaitos - among many others - were many fans’ introduction to the genre. Especially those who may have missed the PlayStation’s Final Fantasy-shaped boat.

One of my favorite things about the GameCube, though, is its variety. It was my introduction to killer7 and a lifelong obsession with Grasshopper Manufacture’s striking creativity. Megaman X: Command Mission is far from the best turn-based RPG I’ve played, but it’s a charming curio in the beloved Capcom franchise. Then there’s Metal Arms: Glitch in the System, a brilliant third-person shooter with a seriously cool destruction model that lets you chop off limbs and weapons of your robotic adversaries.

Long story short, I can’t stress enough that the GameCube has no shortage of unforgettable gems. Many of which remain locked into that sixth generation of hardware without any form of officially-supported modern access.

I know much of what is available to Nintendo - at least on the third-party front - will come down to licensing and how willing publishers are to allow games onto the service.

That said, I don’t think it’s a stretch to say big things are possible from the likes of Capcom, Sega, Bandai Namco, etc. Such publishers already feature their classic games in Nintendo Switch Online’s other retro libraries, including for the Nintendo Entertainment System, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and, of course, the Sega Mega Drive / Genesis.

It would be a shame for Nintendo to stick so closely to the big hits when the existence of the GameCube Classics library potentially offers an opportunity to introduce contemporary gaming audiences to the wider, weird, and wonderful catalog of games on the console.

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If you’re looking to grab one of the best Bluetooth speakers, then, it’s crucial to find something that sets one model apart from the rest. Sure, we all want something that sounds good, looks attractive and offers good value for money – but a special feature or two can really make a speaker stand out.

That’s why I often find myself recommending JBL’s speakers. Yes, they often sound fantastic. They're typically vibrant, attractive, and waterproof too. But their excellent feature-sets – and in particular their ingenious PlayTime Boost setting – really give them that killer edge, in my view. But what is PlayTime Boost? What’s so useful about it? I’ll reveal all down below.

Keep the party moving

PlayTime Boost is a feature on modern JBL speakers that adjusts a model’s audio output to unlock even more battery life.

JBL itself claims that when PlayTime Boost is active, the speaker “optimizes and tunes the performance for a louder and crisper sound”. Lower-frequency sounds are typically less prominent with PlayTime Boost active, but JBL’s speakers still sound great, and that extra lease of life can go a long way.

For instance, I’ve found myself using PlayTime boost a fair bit when I’ve forgotten to charge my speaker, but need a boost in a pinch. On a model like the JBL Grip, you can simply activate PlayTime Boost in the JBL Portable app, and the speaker’s battery life will increase from 12 hours, up to 14 hours. It’s just a great way to keep the party moving if you’ve not got a charger nearby.

Speakers with this feature built-in include the tiny JBL Go 4, the mid-sized JBL Charge 6, and the chunkier JBL Xtreme 4. Best of all, you’ll find PlayTime Boost on the JBL Flip 7 – a small model with big sound that proudly sits as my top overall recommendation in our guide to the best Bluetooth speakers.

Given that a lot of JBL speakers already supply battery life in line with, or higher than, the bulk of their competition, PlayTime Boost really does make them easy to recommend. But rival manufacturers have released some incredible alternatives lately as well – check out my list of the top 5 Bluetooth speakers of 2025 to get the lowdown on the latest and greatest models you can buy.

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From the get-go, though, I could see this was a different beast, and as I worked my way through the game's rules and my first round against the built-in computer, I wondered about why Crossplay is an app and how The New York Times explains the game's "Scrabble" vibes.

Like Scrabble, the free-to-download Crossplay starts as an empty, in this case, 15x15 grid with only bonus squares visible. Each player starts with seven letter tiles (each letter has a numerical value) that they can use to build words on the board and collect point totals. Similar to Scrabble, you can use letters in a word to build new words, and building on top of bonus squares increases your word scores. Opponents (from your Friends list, people whose abilities you might match, or the computer) take turns and gather points until they've run through all their tiles. There are more details, like the ability to swap tiles and skip turns, but that's the thrust of it. It's fun and, yes, a bit addictive.

To understand Crossplay's origins, development, quirks, and future, I spoke to New York Times Senior Producer Jeff Petriello, a talented guy I coincidentally worked with at Mashable more than a decade ago.

"I'm the producer of, specifically, our new games," Petriello told me, adding that he's responsible for Connections, Strands, Pips, and the new Crossplay. He also revealed that something called "Capture" is currently in beta.

The making of a game

While Petriello isn't coding the games, his responsibilities run far and deep. "My job is to ship the game," he explained, which, in his telling, sounds a bit like herding cats. Petriello keeps an eye on the feature backlog and ensures that the features align with the engineering capabilities. He also works with the product designers.

"I've heard a definition of game producers as designers of alignment, and I really resonate with that," he said.

Crossplay, though, was different. First of all, unlike say Wordle or Strands, it's a standalone app. Wordle and Connections are built basically as Web apps that can be played online or within the container of The New York Times Games app.

Crossplay, on the other hand, "is the first standalone app that The New York Times games team has made outside of The New York Times games app. From a scale perspective, it's way larger than releasing a new puzzle that shows up in the games app," said Petriello.

On the iPhone, where I played, Crossplay is a native iOS app built on Swift, but it's also on Android.

"We had to do a lot of technological work that was sort of unprecedented for us as a team, which was really challenging and exciting," he added.

Sometimes, an app is where it's at

Why did The New York Times choose to build Crossplay as an app? Petriello told me that a 2-player game (there are no plans to add more players at the moment) is, technologically speaking, far more complex than a single-player web-based game. "It has a social graph that needs to be plugged into it," said Petrielo. Plus, Crossplay has a chat feature, "which we don't have at all on the games app."

Crossplay does, though, also live within The New York Times Games App container.

I asked Petriello about the resemblance to Scrabble, and while he didn't directly reference Hasbro's iconic game, he told me, "Crossplay is definitely building on the tradition of classic 2-player word games." He also, though, sees clear differences.

"It is unique in its layout in the way that we distribute the tiles. The bonus squares, for instance, on the game board are distinct, and they were optimized for this sort of digital social play."

Petriello said the asynchronous play is also a differentiator. "You're always playing with 2 players, never more. We really thought about the...environment that you're playing in and tried to optimize."

It is early days for Crossplay, and Petriello expects to learn a lot from the early adopters like me. I told him that when I tried to play against another human player, I kept running into the same opponent, "Kae," who had already maxed out the number of games they could play at once.

"This game is just at the start of its journey, and I hope it grows with our audience, and we can change it in exciting ways in the future," he said.

It's not that the game isn't relatively feature-rich. Petriello revealed a few non-obvious features, like the ability to long-press a word on the board and get a dictionary pop-up, the subscriber-only Crossbot that can give you post-game analysis, and how you can choose different difficulty levels when playing against the computer.

"I always recommend if you're stacked up waiting for folks, play a computer game while you wait... you can get those to be pretty difficult, although we're already seeing feedback from people that the difficult one isn't difficult enough," he told me with a laugh.

As usual, even now, there are already Crossplay experts yearning for more.

One thing that Crossplay doesn't have is the ability to instantly share your results, though, obviously, if you're playing against someone, they already know.

"We kind of want to see how users are looking at sharing their experiences on Crossplay. Definitely an area that I'm like, super interested in seeing," said Petriello, who reminded me that Wordle's share "was a thing invented by the community."

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Phones Editor Axel Metz mentioned he mostly turns off the Apple Intelligence features on his iPhone, while freelancer James Rogerson hasn’t been overly complimentary about the AI features on iOS.

As for me, I keep them on, but can’t say I’ve been blown away with what’s on offer. Notification summaries aren’t particularly accurate or clear, the Intelligence option in Camera Control can be hit and miss, and I just don’t really find myself using Siri.

So now it’s over to you, dear readers: I want simply want to know via the poll below if you use Apple Intelligence, whether that’s on an iPhone, iPad or MacBook. And if you have more thoughts, please head to the comments below and let me know what you like or dislike about Apple Intelligence.

In general, I still think it’s early days for Apple Intelligence and that Cupertino fumbled its launch but is at least slowly improving it. I can’t say I’m super excited at what’s next for it, but I won’t quite fully dismiss its future potential right away.

Equally, I think Apple will need to put of a good show at WWDC this year to really win back some favor for Apple Intelligence. Of course, that’s some time away so right now we’ll have to rely on any iOS 26 updates and AI improvements.

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Battery-powered lanterns are the easiest way to add ambient lighting to any room. The Stråla LED Table Lamp, for example, is shaped like an old-fashioned gas lantern, complete with valve, and is on sale for only $7.99. If you'd prefer something prettier, the Stråla LED Lantern looks like it should be hanging in a country garden, and at $2.99, it's hard to resist.

The donut-shaped Varmblixt smart light amazed us with its soft, shifting colors at the CES 2026 show in Las Vegas, but it's not on sale until April. Until then, the classic Varmblixt LED Lamp, with its signature warm orange glow, can be yours for $99.99. It's an enduring classic, and for good reason, adding a cozy atmosphere anywhere, whether it's mounted on a wall or placed on a table.

You can also make your existing lights more welcoming by fitting dimmable smart bulbs – and IKEA's are some of the most affordable ones around. Its Trådfri LED Bulbs come in a variety of types for all your ceiling fixtures and lamps, including color-changing pearlescent bulbs and ones with a retro-style filament. All of them can be controlled using your phone, so you can set the mood with a tap.

Scroll on for all my favorite IKEA lights to give your rooms a cozy glow-up.

Section break to introduce the products

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So there’s a while to wait before it’s in any way official, but we already have some idea of what to expect, based on leaks and rumors. And while iOS 26 included a major visual overhaul, it so far seems like iOS 27 will be far more focused on AI than on interface changes.

So below, we’ve listed five of the biggest possible upgrades we’ve heard of so far – most, but not all of them, are AI related.

1. The all-new Siri

The biggest update we’re expecting in iOS 27 is the overhauled, all-new version of Siri, powered by Google Gemini. Parts of this might arrive in iOS 26.4, but we’re expecting the complete version will land in iOS 27.

That’s when reputable Apple watcher Mark Gurman says we’ll get it anyway, claiming that Siri will get smarter in iOS 26.4, but that it will have a whole new, chatbot-like interface in iOS 27, making it look and feel more like ChatGPT than the current Siri we all know and tolerate.

This new Siri should of course be more conversational and more intelligent, but it will also apparently have new skills, like being able to analyze on-screen content and tap into your personal data, so it can provide far more personalized and relevant assistance.

2. Apple Health+

Along with Siri’s big AI overhaul, we’ve been hearing for a while that Apple might give its Health app a major refresh – complete with a new AI-powered and subscription based ‘Health+’ service, and that this might land as part of iOS 27.

This will reportedly include a chatbot – much like the overhauled Siri – but one that’s specifically focused on providing health insights.

Whether this will be useful or just gimmicky remains to be seen, but if it can go beyond the basic data and provide actionable insights then it could prove a handy tool.

3. Satellite connectivity upgrades

Various satellite connectivity upgrades are reportedly in the works, and at least some of these are likely to land with iOS 27.

The biggest of these is perhaps allowing for 5G satellite connections, though it’s possible this feature would be exclusive to the iPhone 18 series – or even just the iPhone 18 Pro models.

We’re also hearing that Apple is working on satellite-powered maps in Apple Maps, and that the company might allow image sharing over a satellite connection, as well as releasing a satellite API for third-party app developers to use with their apps.

If these features are added, it could mean you’d have fast connectivity across various apps and services almost anywhere on Earth.

4. An AI-powered calendar app

In a post on X, the ever-reliable Mark Gurman claimed that Apple was working on AI-powered calendars for iOS 27.

We don’t know much about this yet, but it sounds like this would be a revamp to the existing calendar app, likely with deeper integration with the upcoming Siri overhaul.

5. Performance improvements

From what we’ve heard so far, there might not be many truly new features in iOS 27 beyond those detailed above, but what there will apparently be are improvements to the "quality and underlying performance".

This again comes from Mark Gurman, writing for Bloomberg, who compared this update to Mac OS X Snow Leopard, in that the focus will be more on polish than new additions.

So that’s likely to mean fixing bugs, removing bloat, and making the operating system as fast, smooth, and intuitive as possible.

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But no operating system is perfect – if it was, then there would be no need for the major new iOS versions we see every year.

There are always improvements to be made, but with this article, I’m thinking not so much about small tweaks and optimizations, as bigger, more daring, or simply more innovative changes that I’d like to see brought to iOS.

Some of these are likely limited by current technology, though hopefully won’t be for long, while others would simply take Apple choosing to incorporate them. But everything I’ve listed below could make a big difference to iOS and how you use it.

1. Deep AI integration

So far, Apple is a bit behind on the AI front. Its Apple Intelligence features were later to land than some rivals and still feel a bit underbaked. But that could soon change.

We know for example that Apple is partnering with Google to deliver a Gemini-powered Siri overhaul, which once available later this year, might bring the AI experience on iOS more up to the standards of what you can get on Android.

But hopefully that’s just the start, as what I’d really like to see is AI that’s deeply and intelligently integrated with the whole operating system. An AI agent that can surface what you need, when you need it, offer proactive advice, and maybe even change the whole interface according to your shifting needs.

This would be an AI that can carry out any task on your phone when asked, whether ordering groceries from a shopping app, forwarding concert tickets to a friend, or whatever else. It would work within and across all apps – not just those made by Apple, and importantly it would do a lot of its job without even being asked, by anticipating your needs before you can even voice them.

2. More insightful health and fitness analysis

We’ve heard rumors that Apple’s is planning to launch an AI-powered – and subscription based – Health+ service later this year, which might deliver health advice, food tracking, and nutrition planning. I hope these rumors are true – and that this goes beyond what you’ll find on rival health and fitness tracking services.

What I really want here is genuinely useful, personalized insights and suggestions. Raw data is fine, but telling us what to do with it is where many fitness trackers fall down – they either make no suggestions at all, or their suggestions are obvious, vague, or broad.

What I want from a future version of iOS is for it to give us insights more like what we might get from a personal trainer, a nutritionist, or even a doctor (though of course I wouldn’t recommend relying on any AI or technology over a real doctor).

I want advice and suggestions that are clear enough to be easy to action, personalized enough to make a real difference to our health and fitness, and thoughtful enough that they’re not things we’ve heard a million times before, or figured out on our own.

3. Proper app limits

There’s already a way to limit your use of apps in iOS, with ‘App Limits’ letting you set time limits for how much you can use specific apps – or specific kinds of apps – each day. This can be handy if you’re trying to spend less time on your phone, or simply trying to waste less time in specific apps.

Except, of course, that when you reach that time limit, it only takes a few taps to ignore the limit for the day and keep on scrolling, browsing, posting, or whatever else you were trying to limit yourself on.

So I’d like to see more serious app limits added to a future version of iOS – ones that can’t easily be ignored. I can imagine Apple might be reluctant to add a feature that lets people fully block off certain apps for a period of time, but we’re all adults here, and this could make a serious difference in curbing smartphone addiction.

4. Split screen or picture-in-picture for all apps

iOS already offers picture-in-picture for some apps, but it’s mostly limited to select video streaming and video calling ones, and there’s no true split-screen mode where you can run two apps side-by-side.

Of course, iPhones – even the largest ones like the iPhone 17 Pro Max – are relatively small devices, so this makes some sense. But particularly at that larger size they are just about big enough that this could be a useful multitasking feature, so it’s one I’d like to see, so that – much like on iPad – you can choose to run any two apps next to each other on your phone’s screen.

Technically, even on iPad there are some limitations here, as app developers need to enable the feature, but I’d like to see it offered as standard across all apps in iOS.

5. Complete continuity

Apple devices already offer better continuity than most brands – you can use Handoff to pick up where you left off across Apple devices with certain apps. But this doesn’t work with everything, and you can use iPhone Mirroring to view and interact with your iPhone on your Mac’s display – but this puts it in a tiny iPhone-sized window, and doesn’t work the other way around.

So I want to see even better continuity in a future version of iOS. The dream would be for Handoff to seamlessly work across all apps – even those that aren’t natively available on some Apple devices. With that, there would be no real need for mirroring, as you’d have direct and immediate access to everything you’re doing across every device.

This might not be realistic, but this sort of seamless and complete continuity would definitely be innovative, and would go a long way to keeping users locked into the Apple ecosystem.

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We're now one step closer to knowing who will take that top prize, with the 10 nominees being revealed by Danielle Brooks and actor Lewis Pullman today.

While some are still enjoying their theatrical runs , others are already available to stream the world over – either through VOD or regular streaming platforms like Netflix and Apple TV.

Below, we'll show you the ways to watch each nominee in the US, Canada, UK and Australia, and how using a VPN will let you watch your stream from wherever you are in the world.

How to watch Oscar nominated movies online from anywhere

If you’re traveling overseas, you’ll be unable to watch the movies like you normally would due to annoying regional restrictions. Luckily, there’s an easy solution that doesn't involve torrents full of nasty malware.

Downloading a VPN will allow you to stream online, no matter where you are. It's a simple bit of software that changes your IP address, meaning that you can access on-demand content or live TV just as if you were at home.

Use a VPN to watch Oscar nominees from anywhere

Bugonia

US: Watch now on Peacock
Worldwide: VOD
Watch Peacock abroad: NordVPN (Save 74%)

From the warped and wonderful mind of Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos (Poor Things, The Favorite) comes a chamber piece starring Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons. The former is a powerful CEO. The latter is a conspiracy theory-obsessed eco-activist who kidnaps her on the basis that he thinks she's an alien. So far, so Yorgos!

To say more risks giving too much away, but the drama relies on a whipsmart script that sees captive and captor go head-to-head and a narrative that always keeps the viewer on their toes. Having won twice before, Stone has picked up yet another Best Actress nomination for her work on Bugonia.

F1

Worldwide: Watch now on Apple TV (7-day free trial)

Perhaps the most surprising of this year's Best Picture nominees, Apple TV's F1 serves as a fantastic advert for the organization with which it's aligned. It brings all the power, grunt and LOUD NOISES of motor racing, and it's no great surprise to see it also nominated in categories for editing, sound and visual effects.

In terms of plot, it follows Brad Pitt's Sonny Hayes – a racing legend who is persuaded to come out of retirement to save the ailing fortunes of the struggling APXGP team. There, he forms a reluctant partnership with cocky rookie Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris). And, for as long as Pitt walks the silver screen, there's sure to be a love interest; this time it's in the form of tam technical director Kate McKenna (Kerry Condon). Expect, thrills, spills and some very powerful machinery.

Frankenstein

Worldwide: Watch now on Netflix
Free Netflix: Get Netflix free when you join Sky UK

Frankenstein is classic Guillermo del Toro territory and it's no surprise to discover it's a film the great Mexican director has always wanted to make (we rated it 5/5). More than simply a gothic retelling of Mary Shelley's seminal work of horror, it gets right to the crux of what it means to be alive.

Oscar Isaac takes up the role of Baron Victor Frankenstein here; a brilliant but arrogant surgeon with a demonic ambition to create life from death. Star on the rise Jacob Elordi (who has received his first Academy Award nomination) plays the awesome monster Frankenstein creates. Told in a dual narrative from the perspectives of creator and beast, del Toro perhaps delves further into Shelley's original text than any of the many other filmmakers who have adapted it before. Unlike the monster, it's a quite beautiful creation.

Hamnet

US: TBC. Expected on Peacock/Prime Video
Worldwide: Not yet streaming – theaters only

Jessie Buckley is overwhelmingly the favorite to win the Best Actress gong for her lead role as Agnes Shakespeare – wife of William – in Chloé Zhao's adaptation of Maggie O'Farrell's popular historical novel Hamnet. Having already been nominated for 2021's The Lost Daughter, the Irish star has already picked up a Golden Globe and Critics' Choice Award for this role.

A story worthy of the great bard himself, it focusses on the pain and anguish suffered by matriarch of the Shakespeare family when it's rocked by the death of 11-year-old son Hamnet. Receiving wall-to-wall five-star reviews, it also features the talents of Paul Mescal (Normal People) as William.

Marty Supreme

US: TBC. Expected on HBO Max / Max via Prime Video
Worldwide: Not yet streaming – theaters only

If you've as much as been on the internet over the last couple of months, you can't have failed to see Timothée Chalamet promoting Marty Supreme in one way, shape or form. The publicity campaign has been as frenetic as the movie itself – a story based loosely on the life of ping pong prodigy Marty Reisman.

But if you're expecting a straight sports biopic, then think again. This film dedicates as much time to shaggy dog stories around wealthy love interests (played by Oscar winner Gwyneth Paltrow, no less), get-rich-quick schemes and, yes, an actual shaggy dog, as it does to the noble art of table tennis. And in tone, it's far less Chariots of Fire and much more Uncut Gems – the previous film made by director Josh Safdie.

One Battle After Another

US: Watch now on HBO Max / Max via Prime Video
Canada: Watch now on Crave
UK: VOD
Australia: Watch now on HBO Max

Paul Thomas Anderson's synopsis-defying, generation-spanning adaptation of Thomas Pynchon's Vineland is by degrees action, thriller, heist movie and black comedy. The last of those descriptors should not be underestimated – this movie is genuinely funny, with supporting roles from Benicio del Toro and Sean Penn threatening to steal the spotlight from lead man Leonardo DiCaprio, and making stars of Teyana Taylor and Chase Infiniti in the process.

DiCaprio's former-revolutionary Bob/Pat has his life in witness protection (hence the dual identity) dramatically upended when an antagonist from his past comes back to haunt him and his daughter (Infiniti). Cat and mouse games, a shady organization called the Christmas Adventurers Club, and a very tense car chase across California are all squeezed into a running time that never once feels One Battle After Another's 2h 42m.

• One Battle After Another torrents ridden with malware

The Secret Agent

Worldwide: Not yet streaming – theaters only

Still in cinemas around the world, don't worry if you haven't already seen The Secret Agent – you're certainly not alone! Brazil's entry for Best International Feature Film has also crept into the list of Best Picture nominees.

You'll inevitably recognize lead actor Wagner Moura (also nominated for Best Actor) from his role as Pablo Escobar in Narcos or as an intrepid reporter in the dystopian Civil War. Much like last year's I'm Still Here, the action finds itself set during the Brazilian, as Moura's Armando attempts to escape persecution. Expect a lot of tension from a story with plenty of global resonance in 2026.

Sentimental Value

US: VOD (Prime Video $14.99)
Canada: VOD
Worldwide: Not yet streaming – theaters only

Since premiering at Cannes last year (and taking home the Grand Prix prize), Danish Sentimental Value has had an enchanted run of film festival and awards ceremony success. That's still unusual for a story largely told in a foreign language and is testament to a family drama that transcends borders.

At it's heart is the troubled relationships between Nora (Renate Reinsve), Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas) and their estranged father Gustav (the always excellent Stellan Skarsgård, who looks like favorite to bag this year's Best Supporting Actor statue). There's a lot of water that's flowed under that familial bridge, and plenty more to come in the form of their tears. If you enjoyed Joachim Trier's last film, The Worst Person in the World, then you're in for a treat with this one.

Sinners

US: Watch now on HBO Max / Amazon Prime Video
Canada: Watch now on Crave
UK: Watch now on Sky Movies / Now
Australia: Watch now on HBO Max

Sinners may not be like any film you've seen before. Part period drama, part musical, part vampire flick, we'll have whatever Ryan Coogler was on as he wrote and directed this one. It's set in the Mississippi Delta of 1930s, meaning we're deep in Jim Crow territory, and race tensions are never far from boiling to the surface when a pair of criminal twin brothers (both played by Michael B. Jordan) return to their hometown.

It's an exhilarating ride that's been an enormous success with critics and the movie-going public alike, grossing $368.3 million worldwide. And now it's an Academy Award record breaker, too, as the most nominated film in the 98-year history of the Oscars. It's 16 nods take in directing, acting, writing, music, costumes, makeup and more, including the newly created category of Best Casting.

Train Dreams

Worldwide: Watch now on Netflix

Last but by no means least on the list of 10 is the little movie that could win Best Picture at the 2026 Oscars – Train Dreams. This understated, emotional drama plays out over eight decades, spanning the life of Robert Grainier and his days on the railroad. As much about the changes to the protagonist in that time, the movie explores the America and world at large that unrecognizably alters at alarming pace around him.

In her review of Train Dreams, TechRadar's Streaming Staff Writer Jasmine Valentine described it as "near-perfect vehicle for a story about a life outside of conformity".

"While the meditating on the not-so-brilliant fruits of Grainier's life of labor, what we're seeing on screen aptly reflects that," she wrote. "Train Dreams' aesthetic is one shrouded in mist, keeping secrets of the past and future at bay while we get lost in the present."

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While I’m always impressed by LG and Samsung’s OLEDs, there’s another brand that I love: Philips. Not only does it produce strong-performing OLEDs, but it has one unique feature over everyone else: Ambilight.

I’ve spoken about my love for Ambilight before, which uses colored LEDS to project light from the back of the TV onto the wall, which can create a more immersive and cinematic experience, making the picture feel bigger. Pair this with the already spectacular colors and contrast of an OLED TV, and you’re in for a treat.

Of course, there is the option of adding the Philips Hue TV lighting system, and as LG and Samsung offer a Hue app (as a paid extra), they are the next best candidates behind Philips for this.

But for 2025, Philips laid down the gauntlet in another way. While you can expect to pay roughly £2,099 for a 65-inch LG G5 and 65-inch Samsung S95F, the Philips OLED910 (the G5 and S95F equivalent) costs around £1,799. Considering the mid-range LG C5 65-inch is around £1,599, with the OLED910 you’re basically getting flagship performance (it uses the same OLED panel as the G5) for a mid-range price.

So, I had to find out: how does the OLED910 compare to the G5 and S95F? I put the three models side-by-side to see.

Brightness

For all my testing, the TVs were set to Filmmaker Mode, which is the most ‘accurate’ picture mode and the one I use when testing most TVs.

Firstly, some numbers. We’ve measured the peak HDR brightness of all three of these TVs and, perhaps surprisingly, the OLED910 was the brightest. In peak HDR brightness test consisting of a white window that takes up 10% of the screen, the Philips hit 2,329 nits, compared to the G5’s 2,268 nits and the S95F’s 2,132 nits.

In terms of fullscreen HDR brightness, the OLED910 hit 406 nits, again edging above the S95F’s 390 nits, and comfortably stronger than the G5’s 331 nits.

How did this translate to real-world viewing? All three OLEDs certainly appear rich and bright, which really leant itself to brighter and daytime scenes. A snowy scene from Spears & Munsil UHD Benchmark demo footage showcased vibrant whites on all three TVs – but despite what the numbers above said, the G5 had the brightest perceived white tones for me.

In bright-room viewing, all three TVs did well to maintain visibility, though the G5 was the most reflective of the three, meaning dark scenes were tougher to watch due to reflections. The OLED910 performed well, but again was reflective. The S95F is the top dog however, thanks to its effective anti-reflection screen.

Colours

Starting with The Sound of Music, one of the best-looking 4K Blu-rays I’ve tested as part of the Blu-ray Bounty, the vibrant reds and yellows of the fruits in the market scene exploded on each screen. While the OLED910 had the most accurate image to my eyes, the S95F had the most striking. The G5 struck a good balance between the two, looking authentic yet vibrant.

In the Do Re Mi scene, as Maria and the Von Trapp children sit in a field by the mountain, the OLED910 delivered the most convincing greens of the fields and blues of the sky.

Again, the S95F’s were the richest with the most color depth, although on occasion the green did appear oversaturated. The G5’s colors looked slightly cooler compared to the other two screens, despite being in Filmmaker Mode, which usually has a warm tone.

Moving on to more intentionally bold colors, all three TVs handled the garish houses of the suburban neighborhood in Edward Scissorhands well. They popped most on the S95F, capturing the sickly eyesore colors of the houses.

In places, such as the vivid pink carpet of one of the homes, the OLED910 actually had the most vibrancy. But in a daytime scene, Joyce’s yellow car appeared punchiest on the G5, due to its higher brightness.

All three TVs demonstrated superb color reproduction, but I found myself most drawn to the OLED910, as it struck a nice balance between the striking colors of the S95F and the more natural richness of the G5.

Dark room viewing and contrast

Moving onto more contrast-heavy movies, I started with The Batman 4K Blu-ray. Due to its low brightness, I tested this movie in pitch-black conditions. All three TVs again demonstrated powerful contrast, but noticed that while blacks were solid across all three TVs, they were marginally raised on the G5, so had a touch more of a grey tone.

All three sets had excellent shadow detail, maintaining textures such as Gordon’s lapel on his black jacket.

The S95F had arguably the most striking contrast, with rich blacks and punchy highlights, whereas the OLED910 had what I thought was the most ‘film-accurate’ look, accurately capturing the grittiness and powerful contrasting scenes.

This was also true when watching Dark City on 4K Blu-ray, a movie with a lot of high-contrast scenes. As shadows are cast onto faces by lamps throughout, the S95F again had the highest range between light and dark tones to create the strongest contrast, but both the OLED910 and G5 did a brilliant job too.

Despite the OLED910’s higher measured peak brightness, the G5 and S95F actually delivered the punchiest highlights from light sources such as lamps and the neon sign of the Automat in Dark City. At points, the G5 showed slightly raised blacks again.

Still, all three TVs delivered superb contrast and rich blacks: as you’d expect from OLEDs of this calibre.

Motion and upscaling

I decided to test motion specifically on these TVs as I’ve often found that Philips' sets require some adjustment, and that was the case here. Using a panning shot of a rocky hillside from No Time To Die with all motion processing turned off and the TVs set to Filmmaker Mode, all three produced some judder, but the OLED910’s was noticeably worse.

Switching on some motion processing to each TV – Cinematic Movement for the G5, Pure Cinema for the OLED910, and Judder Reduction set to 3 on the S95F – the G5 came out on top, producing a smooth image that avoided the soap opera effect. The S95F was similar to this, but again the OLED910 produced judder. Setting its motion setting to Movie, it was smoother but some minor judder was still happening.

I finished testing with some standard-definition viewing, using a DVD of Amazing Spider-Man. During my four-way OLED comparison, between the G5, S95F, Panasonic Z95B and Sony Bravia 8 II, the G5 easily came out on top due to its punchier brightness and cleaner textures.

The same was true here. The G5’s default Filmmaker settings still produced bold brightness and did a great job cleaning up textures, giving characters and environments a fresher look. Both the OLED910 and S95F did a good job, but the S95F was let down by its lower vibrancy. For colors, all three delivered brighter punchier colors, but again the G5’s had that added pop converting from SDR to something closer to HDR.

Conclusion

Having put these three TVs side-by-side, all three proved they are phenomenal and you won’t be let down by any. One issue with the OLED910 is that it's only available in 55 inches in some territories, and the UK isn't one of them (and like all Philips OLEDs, it's not available in the US at all) – so if you want a 55-inch, it’s down to personal preference between the G5 and the S95F.

The S95F arguably has the bolder colors and richer contrast in HDR, but lacks Dolby Vision. The G5 has the more natural image and rich colors with better upscaling, but doesn't perform as well in bright or pitch-black viewing conditions.

That said, if you’re looking for a 65 or 77-inch OLED, my overall pick is the Philips OLED910. It delivers the most natural and balanced picture of the three, and with the Ambilight feature I love, it edges the LG G5 and the Samsung S95F. Plus, it’s hard to believe that for a 65-inch model, it’s £300 cheaper than the other two even with its unique extra feature.

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I'll, of course, be staying indoors with my family, so I'm stocking up on cozy essentials like a heated blanket, a portable space heater, and a fast-heating foot massager. I'm also getting my husband this top-rated heated vest that runs on batteries, but looks like your typical dad-approved outerwear.

To keep my kids entertained, I'm stocking up on Lego sets, like the best-selling Botanical Mini Orchid, a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle, and I'm buying Amazon's newest Fire TV Stick 4K so we can stream Netflix's latest releases.

The best part about my winter survival guide from Amazon is that every single item listed is also on sale. That means you're saving money, staying warm, and being kept entertained, so you can hopefully enjoy the winter weather safely from your home.

12 winter weather essentials from Amazon that I'm buying

Building on Spotify's AI playlist tool, which launched in April 2024, Prompted Playlists takes a similar approach but gives you full control over where you steer the algorithm. In its news blog, Spotify puts it quite simply: “You’re not just asking for music, you’re shaping how Spotify goes about discovering it for you.”

Using prompts, big or small, you can tell it exactly what you want to hear and it will generate a unique playlist – but there are a few twists.

The most notable difference with Prompted Playlists is that, just like Discover Weekly, it updates every so often, and you get to decide when it does. In addition to fresh music recommendations, Prompted Playlists also offers context behind each song with a new Notes function – another selling point for the new tool.

Though Spotify has plans to roll Prompted Playlists out to more markets, it’s starting with the US and Canada for the first stage of expansion. I’ve been experimenting with Prompted Playlists for a few days, and while I’m enjoying what it has to offer, it’s still in its infancy with a lot of room for growth – but I see that as a good thing.

Recreate Discover Weekly, but make it better

Going into Prompted Playlists, my idea was to create a new way to discover new songs, artists, and genres. I use features like Discover Weekly and Spotify’s own All New All Now playlist, so I wanted something more tailored.

For starters, each Prompted Playlist takes around two minutes to generate, which is a bit of a wait, but expected for a feature in its early days. That’s the first area for future improvement. Then it was time to really dive in, and I kicked things off with the following prompt:

‘Add songs that have been released in the last week from artists I’ve been enjoying recently. It should be similar to the All New All Now playlist, with new tracks from recommended artists.’

For a first go, it was quite satisfactory, with a handful of fresh bangers from the past week, albeit a little shorter than my usual playlists (each Prompted Playlist lasts around 60-90 minutes). But it took some tinkering to get it where I exactly wanted it to be.

One of the faults I couldn’t shake was the range of artists the playlist recommended, Luke Combs and Morgan Wallen being two of them. I know that I’ve never streamed those two artists, nor do I listen to artists of a similar type, so the playlist had no reason to recommend them. After removing them from my Spotify ecosystem, I updated the playlist to see what else it would give me, but ran into a prompt error (see below).

Though you can be hyper-detailed and specific with your prompt, you need to give it a time span that’s wide enough for it to gather recommendations from. When I updated it with a more nuanced prompt, things started looking brighter:

‘Add songs that have been released in the last two weeks from artists that I enjoy as well as ones you’d think I’d like. It should span genres similar to the All New All Now playlist, with new releases from recommended artists based on my recent listening habits for added music discovery’.

After some refining, the final playlist turned out to be just what I was after: a collection of fresh music releases from an even blend of familiar and new artists, which I’ve since included in my weekly music streaming regimen. Now, every Friday I get to wake up to an updated playlist of new music drops tailored to my requests – but I’m not leaving All New All Now and Discover Weekly behind.

A few minor issues, but a solid starting point

Not every new feature has a perfect landing, including Prompted Playlists. In spite of the tool's clever functions, there's still room for improvement, and Spotify should start with speeding up the time it takes to put a Prompted Playlist together. Another small tweak that would make Prompted Playlists unstoppable is increasing the amount of songs it suggests – I reckon a roughly three-hour playlist is reasonable, similar to Daylists.

There's also the matter of recommending artists that don't match my listening habits which Spotify could also work on, however this can also be tackled by entering hyper-specific prompts so that Spotify understands exactly what it is you want to hear.

Unlike other Spotify features that I've used and immediately abandoned, the Prompted Playlists tool has made a fair impression on me, giving me a new means of fresh music discovery, but one that caters to my personal taste profile . With some tweaks here and there, I can see it becoming quite the hotspot in my Spotify ecosystem.

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Its messaging on whether AI is a good or bad thing in society is extremely ambivalent, instead asking us to assess whether both technology and humans are capable of making mistakes. For an industry that's embroiled in a divisive battle over how to use it, it's the safest direction to take.

While Frankenstein director Guillermo Del Toro and actors unions, such as Equity, have been outspoken in their condemnations of AI usage, not everybody has the same opinion. Luckily for us at TechRadar, we were able to dig deeper into the possible positives with Pratt himself.

Not only does the Guardians of the Galaxy actor frequently use AI in his free time, but he also believes in it bringing more "opportunities" to the future of filmmaking.

'We're in a creative revolution right now'

"Over the course of the past year, I decided in the makeup trailer of the projects that I've [been] working on that instead of scrolling, I wanted to educate myself," Pratt tells me. "So I've been using a lot of different AI platforms to learn a lot of different things. I love it. I think it's fantastic, amazing tool. You can get so much stuff done using AI. It's incredible."

It almost goes without saying that not everybody in film and TV – or indeed audiences – is going to feel the same way. Look on TikTok and you'll see trends dedicated to taking life offline again, committing to analogue consumption of media.

If you do stay online, you'll see news announcements with public figures like Matthew McConaughey and Michael Caine, who have partnered with studio ElevenLabs for AI audio deals.

There's no clear winner, nor is there any single way to effectively to amalgamate AI into existing life. But for Pratt, he feels hope rather than fear.

"Well first of all, I understand that there's a harsh reality with introducing new technologies," Pratt adds. "We're in a bit of an intellectual and creative revolution right now. So I think that there are people who have had steady jobs in the film business that are probably going to be displaced by AI. That should be first and foremost recognized as what's troubling and painful, and my heart goes out to people who would lose their jobs in this industry.

"Secondly, I think implementing this new tool is going to potentially create incredible opportunities for people to tell stories. I think you're going to see a lot more movies and a lot more of people's visions being brought to screen because of generative AI and what it can do to help take those visions and put it up on a screen. For the jobs that it offsets, I'm hopeful that it will create incredible opportunities for people to use it as a tool. It almost becomes a new department in collaboration of many."

Am I completely convinced by Pratt's line of thinking? Absolutely not. Much like any significant change, I think things are likely going to get worse before they get better. There's also the risk of handcraft (e.g. VFX, animation) being lost, especially if generative AI is more cost-effective for studios.

However, I do like the fact that somebody sees a light at the end of the tunnel, even if it is a Hollywood A-Lister. I just hope that independent movies and lower-profile actors can use AI to their advantage, rather than be wiped out by it.

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Whether your priority is night vision, video resolution, or the ability to track subjects as they move across your property, there's a cam here for you. There's even one that comes with built-in facial recognition without a subscription fee – and it really works. Most of these cameras are fully wireless as well, so you don't need to worry about power cables, with solar panels to maximize batter life between charges.

They're all effective on their own, or you can use them together with presence and motion sensors, contact sensors, and floodlights or sirens as part of a complete home security setup.

Indoor

Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam

This little camera is one of Ring's most affordable models, and its ability to pan and tilt (which you can control via the Ring app) means it has a much wider field of view than most budget-friendly cams.

Although Ring's newer cameras offer higher resolution images, during our tests we found the Pan-Tile Indoor Cam's footage perfectly fine for most situations, appearing sharp and crisp when viewed on a phone. We were particularly impressed by how well it handled moving subjects, with no noticeable pixilation or lag.

The audio quality isn't exceptional, and a higher-end model will have better microphones, but the two-way talk function works well. We also appreciated the inclusion of a physical privacy cover that slides over the lens to stop recordings, and an audio cut-out feature.

The biggest drawback is that it won't pan and tilt automatically to track movement like the Reolink Altas below will. It's also worth bearing in mind that you'll need a Ring Home subscription to make the most of all its features, and to store video recordings in the cloud so you can watch them later. There's no way to insert an SD card into the camera to store files locally.

Read our full Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam review

Night vision

Reolink Altas PT Ultra

The Reolink Altas (not 'Atlas') PT Ultra is an excellent exterior home security camera for monitoring your property, and performed so well in testing that it won a prize in last year's TechRadar Choice Awards.

It's definitely a large camera, and not the easiest unit to install, but once it's up you'll benefit from pin-sharp 4K footage, 355-degree pan and 90-degree tilt (complete with subject-tracking) and an extra-large capacity battery for continuous recording.

What really impressed us during testing, however, was the Altas PT Ultra's extraordinary night-time recording. Many home security cameras can only capture images in black and white after dark, but the Altas uses ColorX technology to record in full color. The results were extremely impressive (and there are bright spotlights for recording in total darkness).

There's also an optional solar panel to extend its battery life, but if you want a security camera that will last as long as possible between charges, I recommend taking a look at the Baseus Security S2 below instead.

The Altas isn't the most expensive camera around either, and although you can pay a monthly fee to keep your video recordings in the cloud, it's not mandatory; you can store them on a MicroSD card instead if you prefer.

Read our full Reolink Altas PT Ultra review

Subscription-free

Baseus Security S2

Another excellent security cam that can be used without a subscription, the Baseus Security S2 has a unique design with a rectangular solar panel mounted on a long camera barrel. This panel rotates to follow the movement of the sun across the sky, catching as many rays as possible to maximize the camera's battery life. It's an innovative idea, and during our testing we found it remarkably effective, letting the camera record constantly without a wired power supply or frequent recharging.

Another of this camera's best features (and one that would usually require a paid subscription plan) is built-in facial recognition. Just add the names and faces of housemates and family members, and the camera will tell you whether it's spotted a familiar person or a stranger. During testing we found that it could even recognize faces reflected in windows.

We were also impressed by the lack of false alerts from things like tree branches waving in the wind, which is a common problem with some other outdoor home security cameras.

The S2 records footage at 4K resolution, and like the Altas PT Ultra above, it can save your videos on a MicroSD card without the need for a paid plan (it supports cards up to 256GB). Both cameras are around the same price, so it's a question of which bonus features appeal most: extra wide field of view and superior night vision, or facial recognition and extended battery life.

Read our full Baseus Security S2 review

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One of the most iconic names in world football, Liverpool FC has been working with Wasabi to transform its cloud storage capabilities, giving it the ability to create content like never before, and the pair invited TechRadar Pro to the club’s AXA Training Centre to find out more.

Scoring an upgrade

The relationship began during the pandemic, where the club’s media production needed to move from an on-premise set-up to something more flexible by moving operations to the cloud.

“It was critically important to us, going forward, to be able to do more in terms of our audience connection and storytelling,” says Andy Fletcher, VP Technology & Digital Products at Liverpool FC.

The club has its own television channel, LFCTV, which broadcasts 24/7 to millions of households across more than 90 countries, and a huge social media presence reliant on the latest video and image content.

It uses Wasabi AiR not only to transfer and upload this content quickly and smoothly, turning what previously took days into just seconds, but also in terms of automatically tagging what the content actually shows.

This can be as simple as spotting which players are involved in a certain clip, who scores the goal or provides the assist, but can also focus on areas such as the specific competition a match is being played in, and the season it took place.

Crucially from a commercial perspective, Wasabi AiR can also tag when a specific sponsor’s logo or advert is displayed, giving these partners much more insight into how effective their placement has been.

“It has fundamentally changed the way we do business in that space,” Fletcher notes, claiming the technology has saved “well over 5000 hours” saved across the team over the course of a year.

The content isn’t just from the latest games, either - “the club has a huge, huge archive of data, terabytes of data going back over decades that we can call upon to make those stories richer,” Fletcher notes.

“We’ve got a fantastic relationship with Liverpool FC,” says David Boland, VP Innovation Marketing and Market Intelligence at Wasabi, “but I spend a lot of my time talking to other organizations and they are all moving in the same direction, where they want to add value to their fanbase and the fans with some stickiness - this can be apps, or any kind of in-stadium, on-venue activities, and a lot of that has to do with uncovering hidden gems from the content they have.”

“There’s a lot of value in taking that archive footage, moving it to the cloud and making it readily accessible for folks - and most of that begins with having a cloud storage solution.”

Boland notes how Wasabi’s vision was to give customers access to their data from the cloud, wherever or whenever they are, with no egress charges, no data retrieval charges, or API charges.

“We see a lot of organizations are interested in adding value to the content they have stored, and with the advent of new AI technology, such as being able to ask queries and get answers back using agents is something we see people are going to be doing a lot more of in the future…(and) there’s no tape involved, so it takes milliseconds for you to access that data.”

Fletcher notes that the club operates a combination of cloud and on-prem storage - “predominantly, we move towards cloud storage, but as a business, there are some things that we have to do on-prem just because that’s the nature of the business around the stadium.”

“Wasabi AiR has enabled us to do that in a very different and a lot quicker way, and by doing that and removing a lot of manual processes in terms of tagging and automation, is allowing us to spend more time on that storytelling and ultimately the audience connection piece that adds value to us as a club,” he added.

“This all of course future-proofs us from the transformation going forward, and drives a consistent way of working, an infrastructure we can scale - and it’s way more resilient that we have before, and it’s really setting us up for the next five or ten years in terms of how we’re looking at things.”

"When Wasabi partnered with LFC, people definitely stood up and took notice,” Boland concludes, “word of mouth is definitely important in the sports market…(and) when sport teams tell you what tech they use, people stand up and take notice.”

• Lenovo tells us how it is working with FIFA to make the 2026 World Cup the smartest yet

The holiday season isn’t that long behind us, and if, like me, you picked up a PlayStation Portal because of its discounted price in the pre-Christmas sales, it’s easy to feel spoiled for choice at first. Especially if you have that PS Plus Premium subscription and a fully unlocked Game Catalog to explore.

With that in mind, I’m here to give you some pointers as to where to begin your journey with some personal PlayStation Portal game picks. We’ll go over everything from AAA hits and mid-budget delights to indie gems and stone-cold classics from prior console generations. As for criteria, the following games look wonderful on the Portal’s smaller 1080p display, and won’t turn into a crunchy bitrate nightmare over the cloud-streamed connection. Let’s dive in.

1. Sackboy: A Big Adventure

There’s a decent number of PlayStation Studios titles available via PS Plus streaming. The Last of Us series, Marvel’s Spider-Man, and Demon’s Souls are all available to play via cloud streaming on the Portal. However, I’ve elected to choose one that may have passed you by, and it’s a very impressive PS5 launch game.

Sackboy: A Big Adventure is a mesmerizingly colorful collectathon-style platformer that really didn’t get much buzz back in 2020. I always found that surprising, given the love many a PlayStation fan has for LittleBigPlanet. It looks tremendous on the Portal’s sharp display, and it’s a perfect game for short portable play sessions during your lunch break or right before bed.

If you (rightly) loved Astro Bot and you’re looking for a similar platforming experience - from PlayStation Studios itself, no less - then you must give Sackboy: A Big Adventure a try.

2. Red Dead Redemption

To this day, the original Red Dead Redemption remains my favorite game developed by Rockstar. There’s been a real push from the developer recently to have the open-world wild west drama available on many different platforms, including Nintendo Switch 2 and PS5.

It’s also available to play on the Portal via cloud streaming, and it’s a surprisingly brilliant fit for the device. There are no fancy particle effects here to throttle the bitrate, and the eerie, isolated nature of Red Dead Redemption's map makes it a fantastic and capable streaming companion.

The PS5 port boasts a resolution upscale and runs at a silky smooth 60 frames per second. As a result, there are few platforms that offer a better play experience for this 2010 classic.

3. Earth Defense Force 6

Okay, it might not be the most immediately appealing game at first glance, but let me try to sell you on Earth Defense Force 6 and why it’s a great fit for the Portal.

If you’re unfamiliar, EDF is an incredibly simple series of third-person shooters with a staunch cult audience. As one of four varied classes, you choose weaponry and vehicles to bring into missions, and blast giant insects and aliens into smithereens. Said classes include a laser-shooting flying valkyrie - the Wing Diver - and a literal mech of a man in the Fencer, a terrifying walking tank able to dual-wield miniguns.

That’s EDF at surface level, but one seriously underappreciated aspect of the series is its mind-boggling sense of scale. A literal army of giant hornets is one thing; it’s another to watch a mothership the size of the moon slowly descend through the clouds overhead. What the series lacks in cutting-edge visuals, it more than makes up for in the sheer awe of setpieces like this. It’s a cheesy, lighthearted series to be sure, but one that can nonetheless strike the fear of god into you.

Earth Defense Force 6 is the latest in the mainline series, and its simple, coherent visual style looks great on the Portal’s display. It runs excellently, too, doing a great job of maintaining a high frame rate even during the most hectic missions. The rather short nature of most missions also makes it ideal to just hop in, upgrade your classes, and gather new weapons in a very time-efficient manner.

Seriously, I cannot recommend this one enough. Though maybe not if you're arachnophobic. Those giant spiders are genuinely horrifying.

4. Skate Story

One of the most genuinely mind-blowing indie games I’ve ever played, Skate Story combines the sim-lite mechanics of the skate series with the hazy, dreamlike quality of killer7, Hotline Miami, or even a dash of Cruelty Squad.

Skate Story isn’t as graphically violent as those games, of course, but it sets a similarly somber mood and atmosphere as the player character - the Glass Skater (and yes, that’s literal) - kickflips, shove-its, and grinds through the underworld. Backed by a phenomenal soundtrack by Blood Cultures (seriously, you need to play this game with headphones), Skate Story is an experience I simply wasn’t able to put down.

Skate Story is a brilliant fit for the Portal. It can be beaten in a handful of handheld sessions, and I loved plugging in a wired headset, curling up in bed, and just vibing out to the immaculate visuals and soundtrack on offer here. It’s a real treat, and easily one of 2025’s best indie offerings.

5. Blue Prince

Now, from one critically-acclaimed indie to another, we have Blue Prince. A real ‘talk of the town’ game from last year, we at TechRadar Gaming ranked it as one of our top games of the year.

With simple, readable visuals that really pop on the PlayStation Portal, Blue Prince is a sprawling mystery game that’s fiendishly tough to solve as it is to put down. I’ve lost count of the times I burned the midnight oil getting closer to the center of the mystery of the Mount Holly estate. And it’s all been time well-spent.

Games like Blue Prince, Outer Wilds, and Lorelei and the Laser Eyes are some of my favorites. Exploring a vast space and slowly unraveling clues that lead to even greater mysteries and plot revelations is an endlessly satisfying feeling. And Blue Prince’s central room drafting mechanic lends it an air of roguelite and deckbuilders alike.

While not squarely falling into those categories by any means, it successfully borrows those playstyles to create something genuinely fresh. I still can’t stop thinking about Blue Prince in 2026, and it definitely feels like the kind of game its fans will be theorizing about - and potentially uncovering even more hidden secrets - for years to come.

6. Shadowrun Trilogy

Okay, yes, I’m cheating a bit here. Harebrained Schemes’ Shadowrun Trilogy is indeed three separate games: Shadowrun Returns, Shadowrun: Dragonfall, and Shadowrun: Hong Kong.

All three share the same isometric, turn-based strategy gameplay, and all have excellent stories, settings, and characters. As a result, if one of these games gets its hooks into you, you’ll more than likely fall prey to the others, as well.

The gorgeously sharp and gritty 2D visuals are a great match for the Portal. There’s a lot of text, and the user interface can feel quite busy, but it’s all surprisingly legible and very well-designed.

While I’ve played through all of them on PC, they’re all available via the PS Plus Game Catalog. If you’ve been a fan of turn-based strategy titles like XCOM 2 or Marvel’s Midnight Suns, it’ll be very easy to fall in love with Shadowrun.

7. Ridge Racer 2

Ridge Racer 2 is a pretty unique entry in the beloved arcade racing series. It feels like a compilation, or an anthology, throwing in tracks, cars, and music from all Ridge Racer games released up to that point into one content-rich package.

And boy, is Ridge Racer 2 stuffed with hours upon hours of things to do. It was originally released on the PSP, and those handheld chops are far better suited to the Portal than they are blown up on a 4K display.

I’m a huge fan of the series, but Ridge Racer 2 is one entry that escaped me, as I never owned a PSP growing up. It was a surprise addition to PS Plus a couple of years ago, though, and recently, I’ve loved diving back in for some quick-and-simple arcade action whenever I have a spare few minutes. They’re a little more streamlined here, but the drifting mechanics remain some of the most satisfying across the broader racing game spectrum.

Please, Bandai Namco, the children yearn for Ridge Racer 8…

8. Tomb Raider Anniversary

Tomb Raider Anniversary is a game I remember enjoying greatly when I owned it on the Wii way back when, but I didn’t know it was also available on the PS2 at the time. Now that it’s come to PS Plus (sporting a glorious performance glow-up, mind you), it plays better on the PS5 and Portal than it ever has before.

Above all, I’m quite stunned at just how well the Tomb Raider games in between the classic and modern era (those being Legend, Anniversary, and Underworld) hold up. Lara controls amazingly, feeling like a solid evolution of where the series came from, also without feeling as on-rails as the Uncharted series’ platforming - a series that was, at the time, almost singlehandedly airdropping PS3 consoles into people’s houses.

Anniversary is a remake of the original Tomb Raider. And funnily enough, we’ve got another one of those coming along this year in the form of Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis. If you’re excited for that, I strongly encourage you to give Anniversary a go. The series has always been in safe hands at Crystal Dynamics, and this entry is one of the developer’s finest.

9. Soul Calibur 3

A real monster of a game to close out on, and one I never in a million years thought would make it to PS Plus. Especially as it’s never - not once - had a re-release beyond its PS2 exclusivity.

Soul Calibur 3 is perhaps the best single-player fighting game of all time. What do I mean by that? Well, the game simply has a dizzying amount of content - both unlockable and available from the jump.

Story mode with branching paths for every character. Create a Soul mode for making custom characters, which in itself has unlockable clothing and playstyle options. A plethora of characters, stages, and bonus modes to unlock. And to top it all off, a full-blown real-time strategy side story that combines Soul Calibur’s excellent 3D fighting with base and unit management.

It’s a real looker for its time, too, further cementing the notorious leap in visual quality from the original PlayStation to the PS2. It holds up to scrutiny on the Portal’s modern display, too, looking effortlessly sharp on that 1080p screen - especially as Soul Calibur 3 offers native widescreen support in its settings menu.

Fighting games are best played with friends, of course, such is the nature of the genre. But if there ever was to be an exception, it’s definitely Soul Calibur 3.

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Here I've picked out my three favorite capsule coffee makers, all of which can make delicious espresso in under a minute, and are compact enough for even a tiny kitchen.

All of them come highly recommended, but when making your choice, bear in mind that some coffee pods are more expensive than others, and even if the machine itself is cheap, you might end up paying more in the long run if it only accepts expensive capsules.

Nespresso

Ninja Prestige DualBrew System

The Ninja DualBrew is brilliant hybrid appliance, and gives you every coffee-making option you could wish for in one chunky package. On the left you have a traditional-style drip coffee maker, with a programmable timer so you can set it to begin brewing first thing in the morning, and a smart hot plate that keeps your drink warm without stewing it. On the right, you have a capsule espresso machine for making stronger, shorter drinks in an instant, and at the side there's an electric whisk for whipping up cappuccinos and lattes.

This machine uses Nespresso Original capsules (the ones shaped like little top hats). Nestlé no longer owns the patent on this design, so you'll find a huge range of compatible options from big brands and tiny independent coffee roasters alike. Nespresso Vertuo pods (which are dome-shaped) are only available direct from Nespresso. Although there's still an impressive selection, including lots of tasty limited-edition options, you don't get all the third-party options.

It might not be the prettiest machine, but it's packed with thoughtful features. These include a height-adjustable drip tray for the espresso machine, so you can use any cup, and the option to dispense drip coffee into a travel mug rather than the carafe so you can enjoy it on your morning commute.

It's not perfect (the whisk doesn't heat milk like a steam wand, so you'll need to microwave it), but it's very close.

Read our full Ninja Prestige DualBrew System review

Tassimo

Bosch Tassimo Finesse Friendly

The Bosch Tassimo Finesse Friendly is (as its name suggests) extremely easy to both use and clean, and it can make a surprisingly authentic latte macchiato. You can find third-party Nespresso Original capsules containing powdered milk, but Tassimo produces its own proprietary pods full of long-life milk, which your machine will steam to creamy perfection.

Just fill the water tank, pop your pod in the holder barcode-down (so the machine can read it), place your cup under the dispenser and hit the button. Cleaning the machine is equally straightforward. Just slide the orange maintenance disc out of its slot near the Finesse Friendly's base

The machine itself is the cheapest in this guide, but before you grab one, bear in mind the cost of the capsules. Basic Tassimo T-Pods that only contain coffee are reasonably priced, but more elaborate drinks are decidedly expensive. That's particularly true for drinks with milk, which are made using two T-Pods each. For example, a pack of Costa Caramel Latte T-Pods contains enough capsules to make just eight drinks, and has a list price of £7.25 (about $10 / AU$15).

On the plus side, T-Pods are readily recycled. In the UK they're processed via the Podback scheme, and if you order them direct from the Tassimo online store, you'll receive a bag that you can use to collect them in, then send off for processing once it's full. There are also collection bins at many recycling centers and supermarkets.

Read our full Bosch Tassimo Finesse Friendly review

Lavazza a Modo Mio

Lavazza A Modo Mio Smeg

This stylish little capsule coffee maker has the smart looks you'd expect from a Smeg appliance, and would look great alongside the Smeg Mini Milk Frother in your coffee-making corner. Color options include black, white and red, all with a glossy finish and chrome accents.

Unlike the Lavazza A Modo Mio Gusto, which has a built-in milk frothing system, this Smeg-branded coffee machine only makes espresso – and it does so very well, producing a rich and well-extracted shot of coffee in less than a minute, and with remarkably little noise. If you want a coffee maker that you can use first thing in the morning without waking the rest of the household, this could be the one for you.

One thing that sets this coffee maker apart from its rivals is the price of its coffee capsules. The A Modo Mio series is all about the beans – there are no fancy added flavors or milk options here – and the pods are very reasonably priced. They're far cheaper than Tassimo capsules, so although this Smeg-branded machine costs more at the outset, it could work out less expensive in the long run.

The downside is that although the capsules are compostable, they can only be processed industrially, in specific facilities. In the UK they're accepted as part of the Podback scheme, but there aren't many collection points where you can drop them off and individuals can't order their own recycling bags. If there's no drop-off point near you, you'll need to start your own.

Read our full Lavazza A Modo Mio Smeg review

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Audio on today's best TVs is notoriously bad, and the assumption is that you'll ignore it, and simply buy a soundbar or surround system to make up for the set's acoustic deficits.

Why?

Earlier this week, I was in the mood for a good comfort-watch. For me, that means a superhero movie, and, if I haven't watched 1978's Superman recently, the natural choice is Christopher Nolan's exemplary Batman Begins. I love this movie, from the brilliant cinematography to non-stop but realistic action, snappy dialogue, and high stakes – it's about as good as Batman gets. It's also on one of the best streaming services, HBO Max.

Yet, as I sat there enjoying Bruce Wayne's quest to step out from the League of Shadows and become the Dark Knight, I started pushing the sound level on my LG C5 up to near 70 (out of a possible 100) just so I could make out the dialogue.

As my son reminded me, Nolan tends to overmix the audio in favor of sound effects, but I knew I was struggling too hard to hear what Christian Bale was saying in at least a few key scenes, ones in which I'm certain Nolan wasn't trying to drown him out.

It's not the speakers you have on the inside, it's what you do with them

LG's C5 has a bunch of audio presets: Standard, Cinema, AI Sound Pro, and Clear Voice Pro (there's also Sports, Music, and Game Optimizer, which are all less germane here). I was already in Cinema Mode, which may have accounted for some of the booming background effects, so I switched to Clear Voice Pro, hoping it would add some clarity to the speech.

The result was awful. Voices were sharp to the point of being almost painful to listen to. They had a weird, unnatural echo, and the background sound was diminished into muddy uselessness.

Standard mode was generally flat, and also did nothing to solve my dialogue issues. With the exception of the algorithmic AI overcorrections, most of these sound modes are, in my estimation, equivalent to sound EQs you got on your old portable CD players, raising and lowering bass and treble to suit certain music or audio styles. They weren't earth-shattering then, and are not now.

As I sat there in some frustration, and the 14th ad started to run in the middle of my HBO Max movie experience, my son asked why I was suffering so much, and suggested I find our Nolan Batman Trilogy Blu-ray set and watch it on disc.

It was a solid suggestion. First of all, the image quality was considerably better. Second, no commercials. The audio was about the same, though.

Is sound bad to teach us how to buy a sound bar?

I know, why not just buy a soundbar and stop complaining? Well, there is the principle of the thing. I paid well over $1,500 for this TV set, and wonder why I need to plunk down $400 or more for a decent soundbar and subwoofer.

There is another, more practical problem. When I installed my 65-inch OLED on my wall, I positioned it at the optimal height for couch viewing; no craning my neck for me. We then bought a cabinet to put under it, but when we got it, we found that the furniture was slightly taller than we expected. The result is that a standard soundbar right under the TV (even one just a few inches tall) might partially block the bottom edge of my LG C5 OLED.

A utility belt won't solve this

So, yes, I'm stuck, and that's partially a problem of my own making. And yet, why does the sound have to suck so much? AI audio manipulation is clearly not going to help, and, despite what these companies tell you, they have not solved the audio issues inherent in ultra-thin and light (just 36.6lbs) TV sets.

Because this is not simply an issue with one beloved superhero classic. Virtually anything I watch on any streaming platform is a trial of epic audio proportions. We make it louder and louder, until we finally give in and switch to closed captions.

My thought is that I need to find an ultra-low profile soundbar that somehow still manages to deliver crisp, clear dialogue. The LG Sound Suite H7 soundbar, which is just 2.5 inches tall, might work, but it's also $999. Seriously, why must I pay another $1,000 for the sound experience that should have come right out of my brand-new TV?

Color me frustrated. Perhaps this is a job for the Dark Knight.

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