Technology

Envirotech Vehicles, Inc. (NASDAQ: EVTV) (“EVTV” or the “Company”) announced today the successful completion of its merger with Azio AI Corporation (“Azio AI”) on July 2, 2026, paving the way for the company to transform to an AI Datacenter Provider and meeting the growing market demand for artificial intelligence (“AI”) infrastructure, enterprise GPU compute, digital power solutions, data center development, and digital asset infrastructure; a market that the International Data Corporation (IDC) projects will reach $487 billion in global spending in 2026 and exceed $1 trillion by 2029.

The post Envirotech Vehicles (NASDAQ: EVTV) Closes Merger with Azio AI Ahead of Schedule, Positioning Combined Company to Capture $487 Billion 2026 AI Infrastructure Opportunity appeared first on TechRepublic.

It's the end of the sales season for a while now, but that doesn't mean the deals are gone for good. Yes, prices may not be as low across the board as during the recent Prime Day sale, but Amazon UK still has several solid offers if you're looking to shop right now. So, I've looked through the retailer's latest batch of offers and picked out 12 deals that are good buys.

• See all of today's best deals at Amazon UK

There are actually a couple of deals from Prime Day that are still available, including the five-star Nothing Ear (a) for £48.99 (was £69). These are some top-rated buds that offer audio quality, noise cancellation and battery life that rivals Apple's very own AirPods — but at a much lower price.

I also like the look of this HP OmniBook 5 for £529.99 (was £699.98) as a powerful all-around laptop. That offer is ending today, though, so I'd move fast if you're in the market for a new laptop.

Check out all of my top picks below, including fitness trackers, appliances, and more cheap tech.

Today's 12 best deals at Amazon UK

The Fitbit Charge 6 is one of the simplest fitness trackers around, but it works very well and is still at a low price following Prime Day. It has a small screen that shows the time, how many steps you’ve taken, and your current heart rate as well. It’s subtle, so it fits on your wrist well – whether you’re at work or working out. Extensive battery life of up to seven days means minimal hassle, too.View Deal

Can you ever have too many USB cables? The box full of them under my desk would suggest you can. However, if you want a couple more to leave around the house or take with you when out and about, this pair of USB-C to USB-A cables from top brand Anker is now super-cheap.View Deal

These have been some of the most surprising earbuds we've ever tested, scoring a sweet five stars in our Nothing Ear (a) review – and now you can get them for their lowest price ever. Considering the latest AirPods are closer to £100, the fact that these offer massively superior sound and great active noise cancellation for half the price of Apple's popular buds makes these a no-brainer.View Deal

Display - 16 inches
Processor - Snapdragon X
RAM - 16GB
Storage - 512GB

This is a great price for a relatively modern laptop that comes with a well-performing and efficient Snapdragon X CPU. On top of that, you get 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, an impressive battery life of up to 34 hours, and a sharp OLED display, which represents good value for money overall. I like this one if you need a strong and capable everyday machine.View Deal

The Philips OneBlade 360 is a quick, simple and affordable electric razor that's suitable for a wide variety of face and body grooming needs. This jam-packed bundle was a little cheaper over Prime Day, but today's offer is still a solid one. This bundle includes the handle, as well as two spare blades, four combs, a body kit, and a USB-A charging cable.View Deal

The Ninja Foodi Max is the ultimate air fryer for many and it's now down to a great low price at Amazon. It offers six different functions, including Max Crisp, air frying, roasting, baking, reheating, and dehydrating. With two baskets, you get two independent cooking zones with the option to have them sync or match up, depending on your needs. Its extra large capacity is perfect for family cooking or batch cooking as it gives you plenty of room for a 2kg chicken or 1.4kg of fries in each compartment.View Deal

The Nespresso Vertuo Pop is one of the best entry-level coffee machines around and it's now 50% off at Amazon. Use it with the included pods, and it does all the hard work for you with one-touch brewing, with the option of different brew sizes depending on how much you want to drink. As well as the Vertuo Pop machine, the bundle comes with coffee pods, mugs, spoons, and a milk frother.View Deal

If you want a cheap and basic Bluetooth speaker, then you can't go wrong with this Anker Soundcore for almost £25. Sure, it's not going to give you the biggest and boldest audio quality, but it's still a solid option at an affordable price. Battery life is an impressive 24 hours, too, so it's great to use around the home or take it with you when on the go.View Deal

The Ninja Blast Portable Blender is a powerful all-in-one portable blender — and it's now got a small price cut at Amazon. It has a 530ml container with a leakproof lid and sip spout, while the carry handle means you can take it with you to the gym or on your walks. It’s capable of blending ice and frozen fruit, as well as any liquids and powders, while one charge gives you up to two hours of battery life.View Deal

It's not the most exciting deal, but if you need a cheap and reliable iron then this Russell Hobbs Supreme Steam Iron is down to under £20. I own the exact same one and it's perfectly fine for regular use, thanks to its good-sized water tank, long power cord, and stainless steel plate.View Deal

I've got this arm for my dual setup at home and it works really well to hold up both of my monitors, making it easier and more comfortable to work and game across the pair of them. This particular model supports displays from 13 - 27 inches. is height adjustable, can be mounted in two different ways, and supports up to 360-degree rotation.View Deal

Ninja's recent space-saving air fryer is just £15 more than its lowest-ever price, which is still a bit of a steal for the popular and well-rated appliance. We loved it at TechRadar, scoring it full marks in our Ninja Double Stack Air Fryer review and even putting it in our best air fryer buying guide. Well-built and great-looking on any countertop, it offers five cooking levels across two drawers and two racks, while the 9.5L capacity is ideal for medium to big families.View Deal

I actually bought a Levoit Core Mini for myself when moving into a new house that hadn't been lived in for a while to get rid of the dust and debris, and I also think it works as a great option for any allergy problems. What I like most is that it's small and quiet, so it is perfect for all sorts of spaces, such as the living room and bedroom. It's now also very affordable at 20% off.View Deal

• Report claims Sony FX3 cinema camera replacement is launching later this month
• FX5 will come with an all-new sensor offering a much-needed upgrade
• Optional EVF add-on set to arrive alongside the camera

It's been over five years since Sony launched the FX3, and in that time it's become one of the most beloved small cinema cameras around. But it's always had one gap that pro filmmakers have grumbled about: no open gate recording.

According to a new report from SonyAlphaRumors, that's about to change. A story on the site says Sony will officially announce the FX5 on July 22 at 3pm BST, and among the leaked specs is Open Gate 5K recording in a 3:2 aspect ratio.

If you're not familiar with the term, open gate simply means the camera records using the entire surface of the sensor, rather than cropping it down to the standard 16:9. That extra height in particular gives editors far more room to reframe, punch in or repurpose the same shot for square, vertical, or widescreen content in post. That can be a huge deal for anyone making videos for multiple platforms from a single shoot.

The FX3's lack of open gate recording has been a source of frustration for some users, but the FX5 looks likely to remedy this issue. (Image credit: Sony)

It's exactly what TechRadar's Pete Sheath asked for back in 2025, alongside an increase in resolution, when he wrote up his wish list for a next-generation FX3.

That resolution bump is also rumored to be arriving in the FX5, in the form of a new 16.6MP fully stacked sensor. On the surface, 16MP might look modest for a 2026 cinema camera. But for a camera built around motion rather than stills, a lower pixel count may work in the FX5's favor: it can mean better dynamic range, cleaner low-light performance, and space for punchier frame rate options (don't be shocked if 4K at 240fps ends up on the spec sheet).

The trade-off is that 8K recording seems to be off the table, which will likely disappoint anyone hoping the FX5 would leapfrog into that territory.

The Sony FX3 is a favorite among filmmakers, but does leave room for improvement in several areas. (Image credit: Sony)Room for a view

There's also good news for anyone who's missed having a viewfinder on Sony's FX-series cameras. The report points to a new external tilting EVF, which should make a real difference for shooters working outdoors in bright sun or in dim, light-sensitive spaces like concerts and theaters, where a glowing rear screen isn't always welcome. It sounds optional rather than built-in, which may be the best of both worlds: skip it and keep the FX5 almost as compact as the FX3, or clip it on when you need it.

Other rumored additions include the BIONZ XR2 processor with AI autofocus (borrowed from the Sony A7R VI), a triple base ISO system, false color exposure tools, and a Venice-style menu overhaul.

Nothing is official yet, and Sony hasn't confirmed a single spec. But if the leak proves to be accurate, the Sony FX5 looks set to answer several of the loudest requests from the FX3 faithful in one go. We should know for certain in a couple of weeks.

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• Camera rumors for 2025: the new gear we're expecting soon from DJI, Sony, Canon and more
• The best video camera 2025: finest choices for filmmakers and videographers

The AeroPress Steel has sold out twice, but now it's back in stock in the UK, just in time for your summer camping trips. It's a super-tough, travel-friendly coffee maker that lets you make a tasty brew with fresh beans on the move, and it's available now direct from AeroPress for £159.99.

I've put the AeroPress Steel to the test myself, and was surprised by how little it weighs considering its all-metal construction. Although it probably won't be your go-to coffee maker for backpacking adventures where every gram counts (for that you'd be better with an AeroPress Go), it's not going to weigh you down unnecessarily.

Its accessories have received the stainless treatment as well; rather than the plastic stirrer and scoop provided with a standard AeroPress coffee maker, the AeroPress Steel comes with metal versions, which should give you many years of happy brewing.

AeroPressAeroPressAeroPress

If you're worried about the metal chamber conducting heat, you'll be pleased to know that it has double-walled insulation that keeps your coffee hot and hands safe. When using the steel brewer, I found that the outside was never more than pleasantly warm to the touch, and never uncomfortable to hold.

The only thing to watch out for is the metal filter cap at the bottom, which will heat up when you're extracting your coffee, so make sure you allow it to cool before unscrewing it and ejecting the used coffee grounds.

Find your grind

The AeroPress Steel is a great partner for the AeroPress Manual Coffee Grinder, which I also had the opportunity to try recently. Unlike most travel-friendly coffee grinders I've tested, which use blades that chop coffee beans into shark little chunks, the AeroPress grinder uses stainless steel burrs that deliver consistent, even results.

You can experiment with different extraction times by adjusting the grind size, with an impressive 60 settings available, and the hopper holds up to 25g of beans at a time, which is enough to prepare two espresso-style drinks on the move.

FutureFutureFutureFuture

The grinder has an easy-turn handle with a large, circular handpiece that's comfortable in the hand, but also comes with an attachment for a power drill (yes, really) if you'd rather spare the elbow-grease. Small magnets hold the handle against the side of the grinder when not in use, and the whole package is compact enough to slide neatly into your AeroPress (whether it's the Steel or a traditional plastic) for easy storage.

The AeroPress Manual Grinder is available direct from AeroPress for £199.99.

I've been living for the episode titles for Rick and Morty season 9, but this week is the first time I've felt genuinely terrified for what I'm about to see.

Episode 8 is called Rickuiem Mort a Dream, which is a play on the Darren Aronofsky film Requiem for a Dream. If you've been brave enough to watch that movie, you'll know that it's so traumatizing, you can never, ever see it again.

What on earth that means for an animated TV series, I have no idea. But when does Rick and Morty season 9 episode 8 arrive on Adult Swim, Hulu, and HBO Max?

What time can I watch Rick and Morty season 9 episode 8 on Adult Swim, Hulu, and HBO Max?

In the US, Rick and Morty season 9 episode 8 will debut on Adult Swim on Sunday, July 12 at 8pm PT / 11pm ET.

Viewers elsewhere, as well as in the US, have two streaming options: Hulu and HBO Max. Episodes should appear on these platforms 24 hours after they've aired on Adult Swim, meaning you can expect episode 8 on Monday, July 13.

These are the timings you need to take note of:

• US – 12am PT / 3am ET
• Canada – 12am PT / 3am ET
• UK – 8am BST
• India – 12:30pm IST
• Singapore – 3pm SGT
• Australia – 6pm AEST
• New Zealand – 8pm NZDT

When do new episodes of Rick and Morty season 9 come out?

(Image credit: Adult Swim)

Rick and Morty season 9 is set to have 10 episodes. As long as there are no unexpected delays, we can expect it to follow the following release schedule:

• Episode 1: out now
• Episode 2: out now
• Episode 3: out now
• Episode 4: out now
• Episode 5: out now
• Episode 6: out now
• Episode 7: out now
• Episode 8: July 12
• Episode 9: July 19
• Episode 10: July 26

• Spotify has quietly updated its Mixed Playlists tools
• You can now fine-tune transitions smoother by amending effect curves
• It's starting to crop up for more users, and it's a smash hit so far

There’s one thing that Spotify does really well, and that’s offering a roster of different playlist-making tools for you to really get creative with. Though some are AI-powered, Spotify’s Mixed Playlists encourages you to use your originality when compiling songs, all while putting you in the DJ booth.

Just as you’d get with music-mixing software, Spotify’s Mixed Playlists allow you to create smooth transitions between songs to ensure your playlist flows like a classic DJ set. Its mixing interface presents you with preset effects, and even tells you the key and BPM of each track — and now users have noticed a new upgrade that gives you even more freedom on the customization front.

A recent post on the r/truespotify Reddit page shows the latest update, revealing that you can now amend the Volume, EQ, and Filter settings even more by simply dragging each effect curve to control how the transition runs. According to a small number of users, this feature has been live for a few months, but the majority of listeners in the replies are only now running into it — myself included.

Spotify first launched Mixed Playlists in August 2025, hot on the heels of Apple’s own AutoMix function. But instead of relying on AI to mix songs, Spotify’s version puts the control right into your hands, and it quickly became one of my favorite new tools.

The effect curves as a preset (right) versus the updated customization version (left) (Image credit: Future)

Prior to the update, you could create song transitions by selecting a preset which would automatically amend the Volume, EQ, and Filter settings, or you could go into each of the three and select your own preset to curate a custom transition. While these are still available, you can fine-tune your song-mixing even more, and after testing things out for myself I can see why listeners have taken to it so well.

For starters, it allows you to clean up the small but noticeable imperfections in your transitions that you can’t achieve by presetting the three audio categories individually. For example, if you go into the Filter category and select the ‘High-pass filter out option’, it’s stuck in one place on the audio track. When you tap the ‘Customize’ button, three points appear on the effect curve which you can move around the audio track display so that your chosen effect comes in at a specific time.

Comment from r/truespotify

However, there are a few small blips (not so much setbacks) with the feature that users have picked up on. When you start off with customizing your transitions, it can feel a little fiddly when trying to find the exact placement for each of the effect curve points but this you’ll get used to.

Additionally, other users have also pointed out that the effect curve points sometimes move back to their original spots after you’ve shifted them. I’ve only run into this a few times, so it’s not a major issue that’s going to put you off for good.

For once, it’s refreshing to see Spotify give one of its existing tools some TLC instead of pumping out new features without a lot of thought behind them. If this is the approach Spotify is taking from here on, just think of what it could do to improve features like this in the future.

A leaked regional chip split could make Samsung’s rumored Galaxy S27 Pro a more complicated choice for global IT teams standardizing corporate mobile fleets.

The post Samsung Galaxy S27 Pro Leak Points to Exynos Split for Global Buyers appeared first on TechRepublic.

I hate buying compressed air in cans. They're expensive, bulky, and they never last as long as they should. But I've found an awesome, affordable alternative that's a lot less wasteful (and a lot more fun).

The Wolfbox MF60 electric air duster is currently discounted to $31 (was $50) at Amazon. This rechargeable electric duster features 110,000 RPM brushless motor delivering that's capable of clearing out dust and debris from keyboards, computers, camera gear, and plenty more.

It's one of those home office gadgets that you never realize you need until you get one. In the UK, the MF60 is also discounted to £37 (was £44) at Amazon, too.

Today's top office accessory deal

A rechargeable cordless air duster with a 110,000 RPM brushless motor and three adjustable speed settings. The lowest speed is gentle enough for delicate components and camera lenses; the highest moves real debris from keyboards, fan grilles, and car vents.

In the UK: now £37 (was £44)View Deal

The three-speed control is more useful than it sounds. A single-speed electric duster forces you to manage the distance from the surface to control airflow intensity, which can get awkward with delicate components. The MF60’s lowest speed lets you safely clean around camera sensors, circuit boards, and laptop keyboards without blasting debris deeper into gaps or risking damage to fragile parts. The highest speed is reserved for the jobs that need it — shifting compacted dust from heatsinks, clearing a fan grille that hasn’t been touched in years, or blasting pet hair from a car seat.

The brushless motor is the component that determines both the lifespan and the consistent performance of an electric air duster. Brushless motors have no physical contact points that wear down over time, which is why the Gadgeteer’s review of the MF100 found it delivered “impressive power” that held up across extended testing. The same brushless motor architecture carries through to the MF60, which means it should perform consistently whether you’re using it for the first time or the five hundredth.

USB-C charging is the practical detail that matters most for day-to-day use. It means the duster charges from the same cable as your laptop, phone, or other devices — no proprietary charger to lose, and it works from a power bank if you’re using it away from a wall outlet. The full charge time is reasonable for a device you’ll use in bursts rather than continuously.

The nozzle kit covers the practical range of cleaning scenarios: a narrow extension nozzle for getting into tight gaps between keyboard keys or fan blades, a wider deflector for broader surface coverage, and a brush attachment for simultaneously scrubbing and blowing on surfaces with caked-on dust. For a PC that’s been neglected for a year or more, the brush attachment on the GPU heatsink makes a noticeable difference over a bare nozzle alone.

One note on expectations: the MF60 at 110,000 RPM produces strong, consistent airflow for the cleaning tasks most people need — keyboards, electronics, camera gear, car interiors. The flagship MF100 at 150,000 RPM pushes more air per second and is the better choice if you regularly clean large surfaces or heavily clogged components. So, the MF60 is the right entry point for anyone who just wants to get off canned air without spending flagship money.

• US: See all PC accessories at Amazon
• UK: See all computer accessories at Amazon.co.uk

Jump to...

MI6 Approved: Screen-accurate 007 office gear
Q Branch: Bond-themed gear, gifts & gadgets

I'm a massive James Bond fan - if I had a specialist subject, it would be the 007 movies and books. So, I had a lot of fun building out the best James Bond home office gear I could find. Spreadsheets and online meetings might not always be quite as exciting as tackling Blofeld's never-ending plans for world domination - the same old dream - but at least this office setup brings the world of Bond to your workspace.

I've included 6 MI6-approved screen-accurate desk accessories and replicas. This includes GoldenEye's Parker Jotter (three clicks...), Bernard Lee's GPO 746 Red Rotary Phone - a staple of the Roger Moore era - and the iconic Royal Doulton Jack the Bulldog gifted to 007 by M in Skyfall. Consider this your official 00-Section requisition list.

Direct from Q Branch, I've also rounded up James Bond-inspired office gear for field-work and gadgets that keep SPECTRE from nosing through your files. They might not have appeared in the films, but they at least make you feel more like taking part in a global espionage caper (the rearview mirror dish is a particular favorite, as well as a "genuine Felix lighter").

MI6 approved 007 home office gear

Royal Doulton Jack the Bulldog - No Time to Die edition

Parker Parker Jotter Ballpoint Pen

GPO GPO 746 Rotary Phone

Anglepoise Anglepoise Type 75 Desk Lamp

SHISEDECO Shisedeco Classic Hang It All Rack

Pioneer DJ Pioneer DJ HDJ-X10-S Headphones

Q Branch: James Bond office gear, gifts & gadgets

Balvi Secret Agent Bookend

SNDEC Rear View Desk Mirror Dish

Factory Entertainment James Bond: Dr. No Tin Tote

JiveZync Flash Drive Pen

SUMNEW Fingerprint Cabinet Lock

Collectable Sign and Clock Walther PPK Patent Backlit Clock

Custom Car Posters Aston Martin DB5 Handmade Poster

Amazon Basics Book Safe with Key Lock

Official James Bond 007 Official Diamonds Are Forever Ceramic Mug

Alpine Swiss Executive Aluminum Briefcase

KCD 007 James Bond Vinyl Decals

Nordik By Design Nordik Leather Desk Mat Cable Organizer

HWC Trading The Spy Who Loved Me Framed Movie Poster

Apricorn Apricorn 1TB Encrypted Hard Drive

Zonsuli Golden Hands Sculpture

Vaydeer Metal Pen Holder

Rite in the Rain Weatherproof Hard Cover Notebook

Zippo James Bond 007 Engraved Zippo Lighter

DuckDuckGo says its browser now blocks most video ads, including those on YouTube.

The blockbuster video game movie hits streaming this month.

• You can now run Claude Cowork in the cloud, from the web or mobile
• Knowledge work now accounts for around half of all Cowork sessions
• Traditional local Cowork sessions are still supported

Days after reports surfaced that Anthropic could be bringing Claude Cowork to its mobile app, the company has gone one further – users can now start, monitor and complete their agentic workflows from the mobile app and a dedicated web portal.

The upgrade is rolling out in beta now for Claude Max subscribers, but the company has plans to bring the functionality to more plans as rollout continues.

As part of the upgrade, Cowork sessions will also run in the cloud by default – another beta introduction that means workflows can continue even once a PC goes offline or shuts down.

Claude Cowork can now be used virtually anywhere

Because the AI agent can run autonomously across things like files and documents, emails and calendars, and other connected apps, many users mostly left Cowork to run independently. However because it ran locally, it required users to keep their desktop session active even when they stepped away.

Now, scheduled work no longer requires a device to remain online – though users can still choose to run Cowork locally when access to local files is required, for example.

As for why Claude Cowork is being used, Anthropic has revealed that the autonomous agent is mostly being used among knowledge workers despite initially being targeted at coders. "Pulling scattered updates into a single report, building onboarding checklists and reconciling spreadsheets" account for the largest chunk, at around 33% of all use cases across Anthropic's analysis of 1.2 million sessions.

Content creation and copywriting (16%) came next, with software development (9%) and DevOps and infrastructure (7%) actually only accounting for much smaller proportions.

With knowledge work now accounting for nearly half of all Claude Cowork sessions, the company's research shows agentic AI emerging as an everyday work colleague. Though the company didn't indicate how, or whether, this shift in behavior might impact its pipeline, a shift away from coding as a primary use case could evolve Cowork in different ways to how we might have imagined.

You can now own the NordicTrack Ultra 1 Reformer and never pay for a Pilates class again.

The Bambu Lab A1 mini is one of those beginner-friendly 3D printers that isn't just great for the price - it's absolutely brilliant, scoring the full 5 stars in our review.

And right now, the A1 mini has dropped to $209 (was $300) at Bambu Lab. That's a huge discount on one of the most beginner-friendly 3D printers available, while still offering the speed and print quality enthusiasts look for. A multi-color combo kit also discounted on the same page.

One of the printer's key features is fully automatic calibration, which removes much of the trial and error traditionally associated with 3D printing. Instead of manually adjusting settings before every print, the device handles calibration on its own, helping you get started faster. In the UK, the 3D printer is also down to £139 (was £149).

Today's top Bambu Lab 3D printer deal

The Bambu Lab A1 mini combines fully automatic calibration, print speeds up to 500mm/s, quiet 49dB operation, and a compact design with a 180 x 180 x 180mm build volume, making high-quality 3D printing simple and approachable. A multi-color combo version is also on sale.

In the UK: now £139 (was £149)View Deal

Although compact enough to fit comfortably on a desk, the A1 mini still offers a generous 180 x 180 x 180mm build volume. That's plenty of space for household projects, toys, models, organizers, and replacement parts.

Print speeds reach up to 500mm/s with acceleration of up to 10,000mm/s², allowing projects to finish much faster than many entry-level printers.

An all-metal hot end with a stainless steel nozzle supports temperatures up to 300°C, making it compatible with popular materials including PLA, PETG, TPU, and PVA.

Built-in sensors that monitor filament movement detect tangles, warn when filament runs out, and recover prints after a power outage. This will help reduce wasted material and reduce failed prints during longer jobs.

A built-in monitoring camera supports timelapse recording, while MakerWorld integration makes it easier to discover new projects and begin printing with minimum effort.

Everything works together to streamline the experience from choosing a model to watching the finished result appear.

Promising a maximum of 49dB of noise, the A1 mini runs at about the level of a quiet library, making it much easier to use in a home office or shared living space.

In our five-star review, we said: "The A1 Mini packs quite a punch in terms of performance and quality for its price point and will find wide appeal for both amateur and professional 3D printing enthusiasts."

If you've been waiting for an affordable way to get into 3D printing, the Bambu Lab A1 mini one of the best deals I've seen recently.

For more top picks, these are the best 3D printers we've tested and reviewed. And check out the gallery below for our 3D printed test samples using Bambu Lab's A1 mini.

Ali JenningsAli JenningsAli JenningsAli JenningsAlastair JenningsAlso consider: More 3D printer deals for beginners

The Anycubic Kobra X offers native four-color printing, expandable to 19 colors with additional modules, print speeds up to 600mm/s, AI monitoring, automatic bed leveling, dual-band Wi-Fi, and a spacious 260 x 260 x 260mm build volume. In our rave review we said, "The Kobra X marks a major update to the Anycubic range, offering faster printing and a boost in aesthetics and product design quality."

In the UK: now £279 (was £329)View Deal

• See all Bambu Lab 3D printers on sale now

A June 2026 research review found that AI chatbot warning labels may be a weak safeguard for organization-backed AI advisors, raising new audit questions for IT, security, and compliance teams.

The post AI Chatbot Warnings May Not Stop Hallucinations, Researchers Say appeared first on TechRepublic.

• OpenAI is releasing a preview of ChatGPT-5.6 to trusted partners on Thursday
• The new GPT-5.6 comes in three versions: Sol, Terra and Luna
• Initial access is via API only, with a broader rollout to ChatGPT later

GPT-5.6 is coming in three different versions, Sol, Terra, and Luna, but it won’t be anything like the normal ChatGPT releases we’ve been used to. First there will be a limited preview for trusted partners, followed by a broader rollout later. The preview begins this Thursday for the lucky few.

The staggered rollout is not by OpenAI’s design. In a release about the new models OpenAI said, “As part of our ongoing engagement with the U.S. government, we previewed our plans and the models’ capabilities ahead of today’s launch. At their request, we are starting with a limited preview for a small group of trusted partners whose participation has been shared with the government, before releasing more broadly.“

The delay comes after U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order establishing a voluntary framework ​under which ⁠AI developers could provide the U.S. government with access to their new models for up to 30 days before releasing them to trusted partners.

OpenAI is clearly unhappy with the situation: “We don’t believe this kind of government access process should become the long-term default. It keeps the best tools from users, developers, enterprises, cyber defenders, and global partners who need them. “

Meet Sol, Terra and Luna

OpenAI is launching GPT-5.6 as a family of three models named after celestial objects, rather than its more usual naming conventions like “Instant” and “Mini”. Sol, Terra and Luna are three versions of the new ChatGPT-5.6, each aimed at a different balance of intelligence, speed and cost.

GPT-5.6 Sol is the flagship model and OpenAI’s most capable AI yet. This is the model for the hardest jobs: complex coding, multi-step reasoning, agent-style work and specialist tasks where accuracy matters more than speed. OpenAI says Sol has improved capabilities in coding, biology and cybersecurity, and it is also getting new “max” and “ultra” modes designed to give it more time and, in ultra mode, extra subagents to work through complicated tasks. You can think of Sol as the ‘big-brain’ version of GPT-5.6, which you want when the question is difficult enough that waiting a little longer is worth it.

GPT-5.6 Terra is the middle option, and probably the one most ordinary people will use. OpenAI describes it as a balanced model for everyday work, with performance competitive with GPT-5.5 but at half the cost. That makes Terra sound like the likely daily-driver model: powerful enough for writing, planning, research, coding help and general ChatGPT use, but not as expensive or heavyweight as Sol. If Sol is the specialist you call in for the hard problems, Terra is the model you would expect to use for most normal tasks.

GPT-5.6 Luna is the fast and affordable model. It's designed to offer strong capability at OpenAI’s lowest cost in the GPT-5.6 family, which suggests it is aimed at quick responses, lighter tasks and high-volume use where speed matters. This is the model you would expect to handle simpler questions, summaries, rewrites, quick brainstorming, and everyday back-and-forth without needing the full power of Sol. Luna may not be the showpiece model, but it could end up being the one people interact with most often if it makes ChatGPT feel faster and cheaper to run.

What will you notice?

As I’ve mentioned before, the test for new AI models, like GPT-5.6 or Claude Sonnet 5, will increasingly be how well they manage mult-step tasks and agentic processes.

For ordinary ChatGPT users, the most obvious change when using GPT-5.6 may not be a dramatic new button or interface. It will probably be that ChatGPT feels more capable when you ask it to do something complicated and less like a chatbot that needs to be carefully walked through every step.

That matters because most people do not use ChatGPT by comparing benchmark scores. They notice whether it understands a messy request, remembers the point of the task, follows instructions properly and gets closer to a finished result the first time. If GPT-5.6 works as OpenAI is suggesting, the upgrade should be most visible in those moments where today’s models still feel impressive but slightly fragile.

When can I get it?

OpenAI’s three-model structure is interesting and it’s not clear if the ChatGPT version will automatically send your request to different models depending on how complex it is. Obviously, not every task will need the same level of intelligence. A fast, cheaper model such as Luna could handle simple summaries, rewrites and everyday questions, while a more powerful model such as Sol could be reserved for harder work where depth matters more than speed.

GPT-5.6 is not available in ChatGPT during the preview, so ordinary users may not notice any of this immediately. OpenAI says the models are currently available through the API and Codex to a limited group of trusted partners and organizations, with broader availability through ChatGPT planned later.

• Researchers have spotted problems with AI pattern matching in science data
• It could mean false flags for signatures of life on other planets
• AI can still be useful, but checks need to be built in

One of the ways AI can be most helpful is in trawling through masses of scientific data that human researchers don't have time to analyze, looking for patterns — but this use-case is now proving problematic when it comes to the search for life beyond our planet.

A new study from researchers at Michigan State University suggests that AI systems can be too easily fooled into identifying signatures of life out in the universe where none exist. We need these flags to be accurate to know where to point our telescopes next, so it's important that the detection processes work.

The researchers set up a digital simulation including a key sign of life: the ability for molecules to replicate and mutate. Software was used to generate tens of thousands of digital organisms with and without this ability, which where then used to trail a neural network to spot the difference with an accuracy rating of 99.7%.

When the neural network was pointed towards data it hadn't previously seen, however, the AI's life-spotting skills fell apart. The researchers started with a digital organism that couldn't copy itself, which the AI correctly identified, then began making small edits and asking the AI to check again.

Essentially, as the AI was nudged out of its comfort zone of training data, it started seeing life where there wasn't any. "No matter what sequence of commands we started with, we were able to fool the AI 100% of the time," said Ankit Gupta, one of the researchers.

Space and beyond

A representation of the simulation the AI was tested on (Image credit: University of Michigan)

It's worth bearing in mind the limitations of this research: these tests were carried out in an artificial, digital simulation, and so didn't rely on any real data. The researchers were deliberately searching for errors too, rather than letting them happen by chance.

However, the study methods are solid enough to be concerning. The worry is that a Mars rover or a deep-space telescope could identify a life signature with a high degree of confidence, without necessarily having a human in the loop to check.

The researchers found there were a vast number of sequences that could trip up the AI too, meaning the risk of a mistake is more likely. While the digital organisms incorrectly identified by the neural network were close to what it had been trained to spot, they weren't full matches — despite the AI thinking they were.

These issues could crop up outside of space exploration too. The same errors might appear when looking for patterns in medical scans, security camera footage, and everywhere else the technology is used.

That said, the researchers are keen to emphasize that AI can still be useful in these scenarios — it just needs careful checks and supervision. "AI has an Achilles' heel: it can see a pattern and completely misclassify it," said Christoph Adami, one of the team. "There needs to be a human in the loop."

Turns out, there’s one food item you don’t want to throw in your dishwasher.

• Google is discontinuing the desktop version of Google Earth Pro
• The web and mobile versions of the app will continue to be available
• You have until June 25 2027 to download the desktop edition

When it comes to abandoning and discontinuing its own products, Google doesn’t have a particularly stellar record. So many projects have been given the boot by the tech giant that there's even a Killed by Google website that collects all 300-plus of them.

Now, we can add Google Earth Pro to the list — and the announcement has caused consternation among Google fans.

An official post on the Google Earth support forums declared that “While you can continue using the legacy Google Earth Pro desktop app, it will no longer be available for new downloads beginning on June 25, 2027.” Users are being pointed towards the mobile and web versions of the app “for the best Google Earth experience.”

Provided you’ve downloaded it, you’ll be able to continue using the desktop version of Google Earth Pro beyond June 25. If you want to bring your saved places and projects from the desktop app to the web or mobile, you’ll need to follow Google’s instructions.

Google didn’t say exactly why it was discontinuing Google Earth Pro on desktop, only that “We’re continuing to make Google Earth on web and mobile the best place for people to get helpful geospatial insights.” But there’s no doubt that the decision to add yet another product to the Google graveyard will not go down well with many users.

Going, going, gone

(Image credit: Google)

As you might expect, social media has seen scores of Google users complaining about the move. Underneath Google’s forum post, for example, one anonymous user said: “Google Earth web is functionally useless for any kind of serious project. The max number of 250,000 vertices is ridiculous. It severely limits the amount of existing datasets I'm using on the desktop version. The [user interface] is intrusive and crowds the map, forcing the user to constantly move around and zoom in and out to see anything significant.”

That feeling was mirrored by sdot-p on Reddit, who lamented that “The impact to thousands of companies across industries will be huge. Earth Pro is integrated in workflows at a scale that can’t be changed without ridiculous amounts of effort. And even then the company is likely to be in a worse position than prior. You’re talking about impact to contractors, surveyors, utilities, municipalities, archeologists etc.”

Other users were more prosaic. “They accidentally made something that created too much value they couldn't monetize,” quipped MTGuy406 on Reddit, reflecting a longstanding sentiment that Google is quick to abandon projects that don’t make enough of an impact to its bottom line, no matter how beloved they might be.

I also have a soft spot for Google Earth Pro, having first used it many years ago to download North Korea Uncovered, a Google Earth project that aimed to map and label almost every building and location of interest inside the secretive state. Whether or not that will work anywhere near as well on the web isn't cleara, given the user interface and experience criticisms of the non-desktop version of Google Earth.

If you’ve been tempted to download Google Earth Pro on your desktop but haven't got around to doing it, now is the time to make your move. You’ll find the download on Google’s website — make sure you grab it before it’s too late.

• Xero CEO outlines the agentic age of accounting, powered by AI
• Several new additions to JAX agentic platform will help workers in all teams
• Cassidy also looks to allay fears AI will take jobs, saying human influence is always vital

The CEO of Xero has highlighted the key role AI can play in helping revolutionize the finance and accounting industries.

Speaking at Xerocon 2026 in London, Sukhinder Singh Cassidy outlined her company’s aim, “to be the trusted ecosystem for the agentic era” through its range of AI services and tools.

“It's never been a more exciting time to imagine what's possible with software,” she declared, outlining Xero’s aim, “to keep transforming our platforms, so you can transform your practice and then we can keep taking advantage of technology old and new to make work smarter.”

Agentic age

Cassidy went on to mention Xero’s role in two major initiatives going forward, what she called the “next chapter” for the company - namely, “making AI work for work” and also “supporting the rise of the builders.”

“AI is indeed here,” she noted, “it's still messy, it's still early, but it's one of the biggest trends, if not the biggest technological trend of our lifetime.”

The finance industry looks to be an obvious area where AI can benefit workers, with automated tools and services taking the strain off overloaded employees, particularly when it comes to time-consuming manual processes.

The company highlighted this with the release of several new AI tools for its JAX agentic platform, including Smart Document Capture, which can automatically pull out relevant data and adds it to Xero, and Auto Bank Reconciliation, which automates time-consuming manual tasks in bookkeeping by matching transactions to bank feeds automatically, in real-time.

With all these new tools taking work away from humans, Cassidy confronted the fear faced by some employees that AI would steal their roles.

“We believe the role of the trusted advisor doesn't go away,” she noted, “it magnifies, it multiplies into something much more powerful and meaningful in this era - your judgement, your relationships, your expertise become more valuable, not less, as you take advantage of these tools to supercharge your business.”

“It's important to recognise that our job is not only to make sure AI works for your work, but the new opportunities multiply.”