Technology

• Polish billionaire Michał Sołowow's SGE announces £35bn plan to build 14 GE Vernova Hitachi BWRX-300 reactors across three UK sites
• The project aims to deliver 4.2GW of power starting in 2034, effectively powering 8m homes for over 60 years
• The project is looking to secure government backing, with guaranteed prices intended to be locked in for the power producer before it would be offered to investors

Small modular nuclear reactors seem to be back in favor globally, and a consortium of investors is now looking to bring the technology back to the UK as part of a push to both meet environmental goals and increase energy security in an increasingly volatile world.

Poland-based SGE (Synthos Green Energy) is looking to build up to 14 reactors across three locations in the UK, with six at its primary site and four each at its two secondary sites.

With an estimated build-out cost of £35 billion ($46.5 billion), the project, if approved, is expected to be one of the biggest SMR projects the UK government signs on to as part of its Advanced Nuclear Framework, unveiled earlier this year, to support the development of privately funded projects.

A sign of things to come?

Unlike more monolithic nuclear reactor designs, Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) have not only a lower power footprint but also a smaller overall site footprint than older, larger reactors.

The first disclosed site for SME's project, Oldbury in South Gloucestershire, is a former Magnox nuclear station that generated up to 434MW of power, is now expected to be home to as many as six 300W SMRs, according to SGE's plans.

While the other two sites are not yet publicly named, they are expected to have a 4+4 reactor split, bringing the total to 14 reactors.

Part of the reason the UK government is interested in outsourcing power generation, even nuclear, to private equity is that it expects a spike in power demand from AI datacenters over the next few years, even as the nation's overall power needs increase.

This is also why Google Cloud, a key AI data center player, has joined in on SME's project as a strategic partner that could, as per Michał Sołowow, invest as much as £4.5 billion in data centers in the country to make use of some of the added capacity.

Given that both SMRs (including the proposed GE Vernova Hitachi BWRX-300) and data centers require access to water and space for construction, one can assume that both will prefer cheap, easily accessible coastal, estuarine, or riverside land, which means that the UK's countryside could soon see certain areas change meaningfully in terms of aesthetics at the very least.

Smaller rivers, however, might not cut it, as SMRs also require the water bodies they use to act as 'heatsinks' for their operation, and 6 or 4 in the same location might overwhelm them, limiting the number of areas that are viable for such buildouts, which means that SME's proposed project might set the baseline for how privatized nuclear power will shape the UK countryside in the days to come even as AI data center demand is expected to increase pressure on the national grid.

For now, SME's proposal has yet to be approved by the government, making the £35 billion figure an estimate that may or may not apply, given that it still needs to secure financing and lock in government guarantees on pricing before it moves meaningfully towards construction.

Samsung’s next big event will be in London on July 22. Here’s how to watch the reveal of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and everything else.

I know a frozen-treat machine isn't the most obvious thing to buy in the middle of winter, but Amazon's Prime Day sale has dropped both the Ninja Creami Deluxe and Ninja Slushi to all-time low prices.

That makes these two deals a lot more tempting than they have any right to be in July, especially if you want to get ahead before summer or you just like ice cream, frozen drinks and weekend entertaining year-round.

The Slushi is the one I can speak to personally. I bought mine on June 3 last year for AU$424.15, which was the lowest price I'd seen at the time, and I've since made hundreds of frozen drinks with it across summer and winter.

The Creami Deluxe is the one I’d consider first if you’re more interested in ice cream than drinks. With the Deluxe version now at an all-time low, splurging feels a lot easier to justify, and I’m tempted to grab one myself.

All the deals below are Exclusive Prime prices, so if you don't have a membership already, sign up now and get a 30-day free trial that you can cancel at any time.

Our Ninja Creami review found that the machine could make impressively smooth frozen treats, with plenty of room to experiment with ingredients. Price was one of the main drawbacks at the time, but that's no longer an issue with the Deluxe model at an all-time low for Prime Day.View Deal

I’ve owned the Ninja Slushi for a year and it’s been used almost every day since. Our Ninja Slushi review gave it four stars because it does exactly what it promises: frozen drinks at home with very little stress. I frequently bring it to parties because it’s always a big hit, and I've even run it from a portable power station at the park!View Deal

Ninja products tend to attract a lot of attention, and the Slushi is one of the few that I think mostly deserves it. While you might assume one of the best blenders could do a similar job, it really can’t.

A blender crushes ice into a drink, which usually waters it down. The Slushi chills and churns the liquid itself, so the texture is much closer to a proper frozen drink.

The useful bit is Ninja’s RapidChill technology, which keeps the liquid moving while it freezes. Chilling your drink first can speed things up, but I usually find the Slushi is ready in under 30 minutes, and then it will keep it icy for as long as you need.

That's important at parties, because people can keep coming back for refills without the mix turning into a block of ice or melting into a watery mess.

(Image credit: Danielle Abraham)

The main caveat is that the drinks need sugar to freeze properly. The machine will alert you if the sugar level is too low, so completely sugar-free drinks are not really the point here.

You also need to be careful with alcohol, because too much will stop the mixture from freezing. In practice, I’ve found it works best when you treat recipes as a starting point and adjust them after a batch or two.

Frozen cocktails are the obvious use, but spiced winter drinks that would normally be served hot are surprisingly fun as slushies, too.

At this all-time low Prime Day price, it’s much easier to recommend, and it gives you plenty of time to master a few recipes before the weather warms up again.

More Amazon Prime Day deals in Australia

• All the best Amazon Prime Day 2026 deals
• Best Prime Day deals under AU$100
• Best Prime Day vacuum cleaner deals
• Best Prime Day headphone deals
• Best Prime Day Apple deals
• Best Prime Day Garmin deals
• Best Prime Day coffee machine deals

More Prime Day Ninja deals

This compact Ninja air fryer is a good fit if you're tight on cash or bench space. Its 4.7L single basket should suit one or two people, and the four presets keep things simple if you're still getting used to air frying. The drawer is dishwasher safe too, which makes cleanup easier after quick weeknight meals.View Deal

We haven't tested this exact model, but it's a well-rated Ninja blender with a 1000W motor, which should be plenty for smoothies, dips, sauces and acai bowls. The auto-iQ presets and simple four-button setup are the main appeal here, especially if you want something more capable than a basic personal blender without spending too much.View Deal

The smaller Ninja Crispi is a neat option if you like the idea of air frying in glass, rather than a standard non-stick drawer. It uses two borosilicate glass containers that work as both cooking baskets and serving dishes, and they can handle big temperature changes, so you can take food from frozen to crisp without swapping containers. It also comes with removable crisping grates and snap-on lids for storing leftovers.View Deal

This DoubleStack model earned a spot in our best air fryers guide, with our reviewer calling it the "air fryer of my dreams". The big difference is the stacked design, which gives you two drawers without taking up as much bench width as a traditional side-by-side model. Just be aware that each drawer is 4.75L, so very large pieces of food may still need a bit of planning.View Deal

This is the Ninja air fryer to look at if normal drawer capacities feel too limiting. The 10L basket can work as one large cooking zone or split into two smaller zones with the divider, which makes it useful for larger dinners or cooking two foods at once. It will take up a fair bit of bench space, but the flexibility is the main reason to consider it.View Deal

The Ninja Crispi Pro is now at an all-time low on Amazon, which makes this larger glass air fryer a lot more appealing. In our Ninja Crispi Pro review, our tester said “all the food I made came out well”, and liked its flexible glass containers that can be used for cooking, serving and storing leftovers. It still needs a fair bit of storage space, but at this price, it’s a very tempting option for families or anyone who wants more than a basic drawer-style air fryer. View Deal

The Ninja Luxe Café Premier is a 3-in-1 coffee machine that can make espresso, drip coffee and fast cold brew. Its Barista Assist technology, integrated grinder and weight-based dosing give it a lot of flexibility for the price, especially if you want one machine that can handle different coffee styles. View Deal

The Apple AirTag is, for iPhone owners, one of the simplest trackers to use. Pairing couldn’t be easier, and once you do have it connected, it then lives in the Find My app. You can name it, give it an emoji and easily see where it is on a map.

I’ve had first-hand experience of just how valuable they can be after losing my keys on a late-night walk home (albeit after a fair few drinks). I was able to open the Find My app the next morning and see exactly where my keys and I had become separated. A short walk back to the scene of the crime and I was reunited.

And that’s with the original AirTag. The AirTag 2 comes with better features and while I wouldn’t recommend an upgrade if you already use the OG, the second-gen model can be a stress reliever. Right now, for Amazon Prime Day, you can get the Apple AirTag 2 with up to 21% off. It’s available as a single unit or a four-pack, with the latter offering arguably greater value.

• Follow our live coverage of the best Prime Day 2026 deals, many of which ship to New Zealand as well

Amazon has slashed the price of the 4-pack, resulting in each AirTag costing AU$32.75 each — less than the AU$39 you’d need to pay for a discounted single unit. You can attach them to keys, throw them in a suitcase, even strap one to your dog. You’ll wonder how you ever went without them. View Deal

As I mentioned, I own the first-generation AirTag, and it works a treat. The second-generation, launched at the start of 2026, offers some notable upgrades that make it even more findable.

Said upgrades include a second-generation ultra-wideband (UWB) chip that enables precise AirTag finding from up to 50% farther away than the previous tracker. You will, however, need an iPhone 15 or newer to take advantage of this feature. If you have an older iPhone, you’ll still get the new precision finding feature, but range is limited to around nine metres or 30 feet.

The other notable upgrade is a speaker that’s 50% louder than the previous version, which will help reunite you with items you may have lost around your home much easier.

Fortunately, Apple kept the battery the same. This means it’s user-replaceable, as it accepts a CR2032 battery. I’ve owned the first-gen trackers for almost three years, and I’ve only replaced the battery in the one I use most (on my house keys) twice. Other trackers that have laid dormant still have their first battery inside and I can see them on the Find My app.

As Apple tech goes, the AirTag 2 could be considered affordable even at full price, but thankfully these Prime Day discounts make them even more accessible.

And to make them even more useful, be sure to check out the various accessories available, including key rings, straps, wallets and more.

I hear people all too often tell me that they prefer physical printed books because they like the feel of the paper, the sound of the pages turning, the smell from the ink... Well, if that's what you're focusing on, you really aren't reading, are you? All those should be superfluous if you're deep into a good story.

And given the convenience of an ereader — portable tablet with thousands of titles stored locally, Bluetooth connectivity for audiobooks, the cheaper cost of ebooks, no need for bookshelves that require dusting — you can't convince me that buying one of the best Kindles isn't a good investment.

That's especially true right now since Amazon's Prime Day 2026 sale has seen prices tumble to record lows. In fact, they're even cheaper now than they were on day one of the sale, which has never happened and I've covered every single Amazon sale in Australia since the online retail giant arrived Down Under in 2017.

All the Australian prices listed below are exclusive to Prime members though, so be sure you have a subscription before buying. If you don't, you can sign up now and get a 30-day free trial as a first-time customer, which will cover the entire Prime Day sale. You can cancel any time.

All the Kindle Prime Day deals listed below ship to New Zealand at no additional cost, so do not miss this chance.

With Amazon having ended support for some of its older Kindles, now is a very good time to upgrade or get your first ereader. They even make thoughtful gifts...

• For more deals and discounts, follow my live coverage of the Amazon Prime Day 2026 sale, with offers up to 85% off

Best Prime Day Kindle deals

I love the Matcha Green more than the usual black variant, but if you're looking for the smallest and cheapest Kindle, this is it. You get a 6-inch screen that is an older generation E Ink Carta 1200, but still does a splendid job of displaying text. There's the standard 16GB of storage but Kindle OS takes up a fair chunk of that, so keep in mind you'll only have about 10GB of usable storage here.
(NZ$146.36 with free shipping to New Zealand)View Deal

The 2024 Paperwhite remains one of the best Kindles you can get. Its E Ink Carta 1300 screen is fantastic, page turns are quick and we gave it 4 stars in our review. My only complaint is the same as with the Kindle above — which is a significant chunk of its 16GB storage is taken up by the OS, which isn't really a deal breaker.
If you have the extra cash, the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition will get you double the storage for AU$249 (24% off).
(NZ$246.73 and NZ$265.18 respectively for the Paperwhite and the Signature Edition)View Deal

The Kindle Colorsoft is one of the best ereaders with a colour display, even offering a feature to make the hues more vivid. While I wouldn't recommend at full price because colour E Ink just isn't there yet, this discount sweetens it for anyone who is sold on the Colorsoft hype (and there's nothing wrong with that).
If you'd like more storage than the 16GB version, the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition is also 27% off to AU$326.
(NZ$276 and NZ$340.81 respectively for the standard and the Signature Edition)View Deal

Kindles are known for their reading capabilities, but with the Kindle Scribe, you get that and a whole lot more. With a wide range of writing features, you can take notes, create sketches and brainstorm like a pro. I love its 10.2-inch glare-free screen with an ambient light sensor, and it's battery life is excellent too. It's now the previous-gen model, but arguably better value than the 2025 3rd-gen release.
(NZ$443.27 with free delivery to New Zealand)View Deal

• DeepSeek connected a theoretical browser flaw to a working attack chain
• The ransomware sample targets Android's photo folder through a fake permission prompt
• Check Point classified 1,383 DeepSeek-linked files as malicious or dangerous

A Chinese AI model accidentally stumbled into a working ransomware technique while trying to satisfy an unrealistic, broad prompt.

New findings from Check Point Research say the DeepSeek-generated sample connected a theoretical browser risk to a functioning attack method, requiring no exploit, no app installation, and no real technical skill from the attacker.

It targets Android's photo storage through a legitimate browser feature called the File System Access API, disguised as a simple AI photo-enhancing tool.

How the attack actually works

The technique abuses Android's DCIM folder, which typically holds years of personal photos, scanned identification documents, and banking screenshots.

Victims grant access through a single permission prompt disguised as an AI-powered photo enhancer, unaware they are handing over control of an entire directory.

Check Point's dataset included nearly 3,000 files attributed to DeepSeek, and researchers classified 1,383 of them as malicious or dangerous using VirusTotal and static analysis methods.

The team found a sample implementing a dangerous browser-native technique which has never been observed before in real-world attacks.

The sample, nicknamed InfernoGrabber 9000, was incomplete, yet testing showed it required little additional effort to become fully functional.

“Very little effort is needed. Low-level expertise is sufficient. You don't need to be a sophisticated cybercriminal or advanced persistent threat group,” said Pedro Drimel Neto, malware analysis team leader at Check Point

“In fact, we've already observed evidence of actual threat actors attempting this attack using straightforward LLM prompts.”

Why this marks a turning point

"What we are witnessing is a fundamental shift in how novel cyber attacks are born. For the first time, we have evidence that an AI model can independently reason across legitimate platform features," said Eli Smadja, Head of Research at Check Point

This represents a major shift in how novel cyber-attacks are discovered and developed.

However, the underlying browser risk is not entirely new. A 2023 USENIX Security paper examined how the File System Access API could theoretically enable ransomware.

What changed, according to Check Point, is that DeepSeek connected these previously theoretical ideas into a realistic, working attack chain without human guidance.

When researchers tested the same concept using the latest DeepSeek V4 model, it refused direct ransomware requests but complied once explicit terms were removed.

Comparable testing against other LLMs produced only refusals or heavily constrained, browser-safe implementations lacking the same file-access capability.

Check Point ultimately built a working proof of concept, successfully encrypting photos on Android devices running Chrome 148, confirming the danger extends well beyond a single flawed sample.

Organizations embedding AI into their workflows must now treat every browser permission prompt as a genuine security decision rather than a routine click.

Millions of low-cost, off-brand Android devices were hijacked to help criminals hide online.

• Dire Straits' keyboardist/producer Guy Fletcher post about mixing their albums in Dolby Atmos
• He says immersive mixing of the original recording sessions is "quite addictive" and often very emotional
• 3D audio can reveal details that were previously buried when engineering for stereo

One of the things I love most about audio technology is how it can reveal things you've never heard before either because they were buried in the mix or because your setup, speakers or headphones weren't delivering all the detail.

And according to Dire Straits' keyboardist and producer Guy Fletcher, Dolby Atmos is delivering revelation after revelation not just to music fans, but to the musicians and producers who made the records in the first place.

The majority of records are made with stereo in mind, and according to Fletcher "stereo remains an extraordinary format". But as he explains on LinkedIn, redoing a stereo record for Atmos enables you to rediscover "the little things that get sacrificed along the way when you're making a stereo record. The tiny details. The decisions nobody notices because they're buried beneath more important decisions."

Fletcher makes an intriguing claim. Taking a stereo record and making it three-dimensional isn't about making it sound the same; "it's more to do with matching the emotional impact" as he says. It's not what you hear. It's what you feel.

What immersive audio delivers – and doesn't quite deliver

I think Fletcher is correct, and I'm going to compare audio to another art form: video games. I've been replaying some very old favorites recently and I'm amused by how terrible the graphics are; in my memories, those games were photorealistic as well as utterly compelling. When those games are remastered to higher visual quality they're effectively enabling me to play what I remember, not what I actually saw.

As Fletcher describes it, taking recordings into spatial audio does much the same. "The moment you begin placing objects or building beds around the listener, the music seems to breathe and expand. Mix or bus compression suddenly seems rather pointless. Sounds are no longer confined to a flat line between two speakers. Instead, they occupy a living, sculptural environment with depth, height and dimension."

It's not perfect by any means, because people listen to Atmos and other spatial audio on all kinds of different hardware that may be suboptimal: headphones, soundbars, and a range of speaker systems that don't deliver the full experience.

"Creating extraordinary Atmos mixes is no longer the obstacle," Fletcher says. "The real challenge is ensuring that the sense of space, scale and emotional impact that makes immersive mixing so exhilarating, can be faithfully experienced by the vast majority of listeners who do not own a dedicated Atmos speaker system.

Fletcher describes spatializing Dire Straits' biggest hit album, Brothers in Arms, whose original multi-tracks took him straight back to the recording studio in 1984. Although the album had previously been remastered for 5.1 audio, the Atmos edition still required extensive detective work as well as painstaking restoration.

"The real challenge lay in respecting an album that has become woven into the lives of millions of listeners," Fletcher recalls. "While 5.1 and Atmos share some similarities, Atmos offers a very different creative canvas. The challenge was never technical — the challenge was emotional."

For Fletcher, "Atmos has a curious ability to reveal not just the details within a recording, but also the memories embedded within it. In that respect, at its best, the spatial audio experience is as much about rediscovery as it is about technology."

Of course Atmos doesn't guarantee a mix is good: the record industry is very good at remastering records as a quick cash grab, and there are plenty of famous records by big artists whose remasters caused howls of outrage. But when an album is approached with care, patience and above all else, a love of the original material, the move to 3D can make songs sing even more beautifully.

• LongCat-2.0 contains 1.6 trillion parameters and a million-token context
• Meituan trained the model using over 50,000 domestic AI accelerators
• The model completed pre-training entirely without any Nvidia hardware involved

Meituan has released LongCat-2.0, an open source large language model containing 1.6 trillion parameters and supporting a 1 million-token context window.

This scale places the model roughly on par with DeepSeek's flagship V4-pro, which launched back in April this year.

Meituan says LongCat-2.0 completed full process training on a computing cluster containing more than 50,000 domestic AI accelerators, making it the first trillion-parameter model to achieve that scale.

Domestic hardware reaches a new training milestone

The announcement comes as China continues expanding domestic computing capabilities amid export restrictions limiting access to advanced United States graphics processors.

Unlike DeepSeek V4-pro, which relied on Chinese chips only during inference, LongCat-2.0 also completed the far more demanding pre-training stage using domestic hardware.

This means that the company has entirely avoided the use of foreign AI hardware such as those from Nvidia.

The company said the system was built entirely on large AI ASIC superpods while using Huawei's Collective Communication Library to improve communication stability across processors.

China’s home-grown AI chips have been widely adopted for model inference amid Beijing’s push for technology self-reliance, although pre-training has remained significantly more difficult.

Meituan claims that LongCat-2.0 showed strong performance in coding and agent-based tasks while exceeding Google’s Gemini 3.1 Pro across several benchmarks, including Terminal-Bench 2.1 and SWE-Bench Pro.

Nevertheless, it acknowledged that its latest model still trails OpenAI’s GPT-5.5 and Anthropic’s Claude 4.8 Opus on broader frontier capability assessments.

“This put to rest any concerns of Atlas-950 SuperPoDs [being] unable to train large LLMs for [Zhipu AI] and DeepSeek,” said tech analyst TP Huang.

Technical hurdles remain despite larger ambitions

Despite the successes recorded by Meituan, this does not come without the significant hurdle of replacing Nvidia hardware.

The company faced major engineering difficulties throughout development despite completing training without relying on restricted foreign graphics processors.

Meituan said memory became the primary bottleneck because each domestic accelerator offered substantially less capacity than Nvidia’s H800 chip, which remains unavailable for export to China under United States rules.

Engineers therefore built additional optimisation systems intended to maintain stable, secure, and scalable training across the cluster despite its considerable size and complexity.

Hanchi Sun, a computer science PhD researcher, described the achievement by writing, “Near frontier performance, trained on 50k Chinese domestic accelerators,” before adding, “The first ever to achieve this!”

LongCat-2.0 has not yet appeared on major independent evaluations including Artificial Analysis, Arena, Agents’ Last Exam, or CyberGym, leaving external verification of several reported capabilities outstanding.

However, the release suggests Chinese developers are attempting to reduce Nvidia dependence by expanding domestic hardware beyond inference into large-scale training.

Broader benchmark results across AI tools will ultimately determine how competitive this approach becomes going forward.

Via SCMP

The Helio Strap Pro was designed for Hyrox and hybrid athletes who want in-depth training insights.

• Disney is paying a share of $50 million to YouTube TV and DirecTV Stream subscribers
• This is part of a settlement it has reached with a class action lawsuit claiming it leveraged its control over channels like ESPN to force higher prices on users
• FuboTV users are also part of this class action, but they are not part of this settlement, meaning their portion of the case is ongoing

If you were subscribed to YouTube TV or DirecTV Stream at any point between April 1, 2019, and March 31, 2026, you could be owed a share of $50 million as part of a class action lawsuit.

The class action alleged that Disney violated federal and various state antitrust and consumer protection laws by raising the prices of streaming packages. It claims it did this by forcing ESPN and other premium Disney-owned channels into basic packages offered by YouTube TV and DirecTV Stream, making these bundles pricier for end users and leaving them without more affordable alternatives that include premium sports channels.

Disney has strongly denied the allegations laid out in the lawsuit, and this settlement doesn’t determine whether it was right or wrong. Still, it does mean that subscribers — even folks who are no longer subscribed but were at some point during April 1, 2019 and March 31, 2026 will get a cut of the $50 million payout.

FuboTV was also involved in this suit, but its plaintiffs have not settled with Disney. This means its segment of the class action is still ongoing, and you’ll need to wait and see how it resolves if you were/are a subscriber to this service.

Beyond the $50 million, Disney has also agreed to entertain proposals for channel packages that exclude ESPN or contain fewer Disney-owned channels overall. This would create more package flexibility and potentially offer non-sports fans more affordable, sports-free groupings that better fit their needs and budgets.

How do I make a claim?

(Image credit: OpturaDesign/Shutterstock)

The easiest way to submit a claim is to visit https://onlinetvsettlement.com.

From here, head to the Submit a Claim tab, which will ask you for the Unique ID printed on the notice that you received in the mail or email — this is a document that has been sent out to eligible plaintiffs in this case.

If you haven’t received this information, you can email info@OnlineTVSettlement.com for help, or send a written claim form (along with any required documentation) to Biddle v. Disney, Settlement Administrator, P.O. Box 4720, Portland, OR 97208-4720.

Any claims must be submitted before September 8, 2026, with mailed forms requiring a postmark of that date or earlier.

If you do nothing, you will not get your share of the settlement.

Am I eligible?

(Image credit: DIRECTV)

You should have received a notice if you are eligible to make a claim, but if you haven’t and think you should, you can check the full eligibility criteria by visiting https://onlinetvsettlement.com.

As the front page explains, “The Settlement Classes consist of the YouTube TV Settlement Class and the DirecTV Stream Settlement Class."

“The “YouTube TV Settlement Class” includes all Persons who purchased a YouTube TV subscription from the period beginning April 1, 2019, through March 31, 2026.

“The “DirecTV Stream Settlement Class” includes all Persons who purchased a DirecTV streaming live pay TV subscription (including DirecTV Stream, DirecTV Now, and AT&T TV Now) from the period beginning April 1, 2019, through March 31, 2026.”

How much will I get?

(Image credit: ESPN)

You won’t get $50 million, instead, you’ll just get a share of the money determined by how many people claim their stake and how long you were subscribed for — someone who signed up for a couple of months won’t get as much as someone who was subscribed to either of these services for the full seven-year period between the cutoff dates.

The state you live in can determine what share you get as well.

Finally, on January 14, 2027, the court will hold its final approval meeting. On this date, it could decide to object to the settlement, meaning you wouldn’t get anything, at least not until a new verdict or settlement is reached. We can’t say how likely it is that this case specifically will fail the approval process, as we aren’t legal experts; however, it’s rare that they do.

Disney has settled a lawsuit alleging it forced higher prices for live TV streaming subscriptions.

I started using an ergonomic mouse – along with an ergonomic keyboard – back in late 2021 to help me reduce the damage I was doing to my body by sitting at my desk all day, typing. At the time, the ergonomic mouse I was using was the Logitech MX Vertical, but that proved to be too big for my small mitts.

When the Logitech Lift was announced, I promptly swapped and I have not looked back since! I love this mouse and it's currently available at its lowest price yet of just AU$58.34 for the black variant. That's a very generous 55% off the listed price and it will ship to New Zealand for NZ$74.39 with no additional shipping fees.

The other two colour options are also discounted but nowhere as well as the black model, so if you aren't too fussed about that, this offer won't last long — not likely till the end of Prime Day on Tuesday, July 13.

• Follow my live coverage of the best Prime Day 2026 deals, many of which ship to New Zealand as well

A comfortable and very ergonomic mouse, the Logitech Lift is a nice-looking wireless mouse with adjustable sensitivity settings between 400 and 4,000 DPI. So while it won't be the best option for gamers, it's perfect for everyday use for work or study. It works very well via Bluetooth, but you can also connect via 2.4GHz wireless, and set it up to work with three different devices.View Deal

I currently have the white Logitech Lift, but that has started to look a little grubby now. To be fair to my mouse, though, I carry it with me between home and office, and my bag can't be doing it any favours. With that in mind, I think the black colourway would be best for long-term and everyday use and I am very tempted to buy this one at this price.

I'm not the only one who likes this mouse. It scored high in our Logitech Lift review, with our tester saying it makes "toiling away on the computer for hours on end just a little easier – and much less painful". It's also our pick of the best mouse for ergonomics, thanks to the 57º twist to the vertical 'sail'.

Admittedly the Lift is best suited to small and medium-sized hands, but it might be quite comfortable for people with large hands as well. There's a rubber grip on the rear that keeps your palm from slipping, plus the buttons and the scroll wheel has been placed exactly where your fore, middle and ring finger will sit naturally when you wrap your hand around it.

The clicks are whisper quiet, so you'll never disturb anyone working beside you.

Importantly, its performance is excellent. You can use the Logitech Options app to make some adjustments, like saving two DPI presets, but don’t expect high-speed tracking resolution comparable to gaming mice. It glides smoothly and is accurate for more everyday needs. And while our reviewer had issues with its sensor while testing, I have had no such problems myself.

My only complaint with the Logitech Lift is that it requires a single AA battery, while the MX Vertical I had previously could be recharged via USB-C. Sure, the battery goes on for up to 24 months (depending on use), but it would have been nice if this too was a rechargeable option.

• ByteDance aims to finalize its new CPU design by early 2027
• Mass production and deployment are targeted for the second half of 2027
• An early chip version has been used internally since late 2025

TikTok parent company ByteDance is reportedly racing to finalize the design of a next-generation in-house CPU by early 2027.

According to SCMP, the company aims to reach mass production and wider deployment during the second half of 2027, with an early version of this proprietary processor being deployed internally since late 2025.

Internal computing demand at ByteDance has accelerated sharply, driven largely by products like the Doubao chatbot and Seedance video model, which have significantly increased infrastructure requirements across the company's expanding AI tools lineup.

Urgency driven by rapid AI growth

As agentic AI workloads grow more complex, computing needs are shifting away from pure matrix calculations toward broader task orchestration duties.

These newer AI systems require more coordination, decision-making, memory management, and software operations.

It therefore creates greater demand for general-purpose processors working alongside GPUs rather than relying only on accelerator clusters.

This shift is influencing how companies like ByteDance plan future computing infrastructure.

According to reports, tape-out, the final engineering milestone before physical chip fabrication begins, could be moved earlier than originally planned.

ByteDance has never publicly commented on its chip development activities, despite what reports describe as rapid expansion across several in-house silicon designs.

To help accelerate development and secure foundry manufacturing capacity, the company is reportedly collaborating with US chipmaker Qualcomm on this initiative.

Export controls change the competitive landscape

Washington's export controls have progressively restricted Chinese companies' access to advanced semiconductors, including Nvidia's H100 and H20 accelerators specifically.

This tightening regulatory environment has pushed China's largest technology firms toward building their own in-house chip programs at scale.

ByteDance's CPU initiative fits within that broader pattern, aiming to reduce dependence on suppliers it cannot fully control.

Publicly traded chipmakers including Arm Holdings, Intel Corporation, and Advanced Micro Devices could face reduced demand as ByteDance's in-house capabilities mature further.

Nvidia, already limited in selling advanced AI accelerators to Chinese buyers, faces an added long-term headwind as ByteDance builds internal alternatives.

This strategy mirrors moves already made by major global hyperscalers investing heavily in custom silicon infrastructure.

Google's TPU chips, Amazon's Trainium and Graviton processors, and Microsoft's Maia accelerator all reflect a similar underlying thesis.

At sufficient scale, proprietary hardware can offer meaningful cost and performance advantages over hardware purchased from outside vendors.

But the confirmation of an official tape-out date would give markets a clearer signal of how seriously to value ByteDance's growing semiconductor ambitions.

Looking for earbuds that keep you connected to your surroundings while still delivering good sound? These are my current top picks for true-wireless earbuds with an open design.

Looking for a different day?

A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Tuesday, July 7 (game #1625).

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,500 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today — or scroll down further for the answers.

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

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

Quordle today (game #1626) — hint #1 — VowelsHow many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 3*.

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

Quordle today (game #1626) — hint #2 — repeated lettersDo any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 0.

Quordle today (game #1626) — hint #3 — uncommon lettersDo the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• Yes. One of Q, Z, X or J appears among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1626) — hint #4 — starting letters (1)Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

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

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

Quordle today (game #1626) — hint #5 — starting letters (2)What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• G

• T

• E

• A

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

Quordle today (game #1626) — the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1626, are…

• GHOST
• TREND
• EXALT
• ALONG

Even though I could see no other possibility other than EXALT, whenever a rare letter comes to mind there is always a moment of pause.

Fortunately I got my first three words easily, so I had plenty of space left if it didn’t work out.

Daily Sequence today (game #1626) — the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1626, are…

• PREEN
• BLARE
• RUPEE
• WHICH

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1625, Tuesday, 7 July: ARRAY, SUITE, KIOSK, BOULE
• Quordle #1624, Monday, 6 July: TRAWL, SPICE, PIANO, SHARK
• Quordle #1623, Sunday, 5 July: PINEY, SWOON, TITLE, PINTO
• Quordle #1622, Saturday, 4 July: ARGUE, MOTEL, OPERA, TRUCE
• Quordle #1621, Friday, 3 July: AVERT, MOTOR, MANIC, WORDY
• Quordle #1620, Thursday, 2 July: BULKY, PARSE, BELOW, MOVIE
• Quordle #1619, Wednesday, 1 July: EASEL, OTTER, LYRIC, SHACK
• Quordle #1618, Tuesday, 30 June: HALVE, DRYER, THERE, MINTY
• Quordle #1617, Monday, 29 June: SLURP, CRACK, CRANK, PHONY
• Quordle #1616, Sunday, 28 June: RUPEE, TOPAZ, FULLY, BEING
• Quordle #1615, Saturday, 27 June: PRINT, MARRY, SADLY, BICEP
• Quordle #1614, Friday, 26 June: JUICE, ARRAY, BONEY, SKIFF
• Quordle #1613, Thursday, 25 June: SHELF, TAWNY, HYPER, SOLVE
• Quordle #1612, Wednesday, 24 June: SOBER, ECLAT, GOOSE, NINNY
• Quordle #1611, Tuesday, 23 June: ARDOR, DADDY, SERVE, SHEAR
• Quordle #1610, Monday, 22 June: WAXEN, APNEA, CHIME, WAVER
• Quordle #1609, Sunday, 21 June: ABBOT, NOTCH, DREAD, LURID
• Quordle #1608, Saturday, 20 June: SLAIN, TAMER, VIPER, FALSE
• Quordle #1607, Friday, 19 June: ALOUD, POINT, GLOBE, GROIN
• Quordle #1606, Thursday, 18 June: LATCH, BRAWL, STEEL, CRUSH

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Tuesday, July 7 (game #1122).

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

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

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

NYT Connections today (game #1123) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• DRIFT
• PLANE
• WAX
• PLOT
• PLUCK
• CARDS
• SHAVE
• THREAD
• GRATE
• PICK
• WORSHIP
• TAP
• LORDS
• STRUM
• THEME
• SLIVER

NYT Connections today (game #1123) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Tiny slices
• GREEN: Describe the big picture
• BLUE: Axe styles
• PURPLE: Things with solid homes

Need more clues?

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

NYT Connections today (game #1123) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: CUT INTO THIN PIECES
• GREEN: MOTIF
• BLUE: GUITAR-PLAYING TECHNIQUES
• PURPLE: HOUSE OF ____

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

NYT Connections today (game #1123) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #1123, are…

• YELLOW: CUT INTO THIN PIECES: GRATE, PLANE, SHAVE, SLIVER
• GREEN: MOTIF: DRIFT, PLOT, THEME, THREAD
• BLUE: GUITAR-PLAYING TECHNIQUES: PICK, PLUCK, STRUM, TAP
• PURPLE: HOUSE OF ____: CARDS, LORDS, WAX, WORSHIP

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 1 mistake

I am sure I was not the only one making a mistake by connecting THREAD, SHAVE, WAX, and PLUCK, thinking they were all ways to eliminate body hair. Anyone who has ever been to a Turkish barber will know that there’s another way, too!

Alas, it turned out to be a dastardly red herring.

After my error I was able to get the other groups easily enough, although I did hesitate over TAP in the GUITAR-PLAYING TECHNIQUES group.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Tuesday, July 7, 2026, game #1122)

• YELLOW: ROOMS IN CLUE: CONSERVATORY, HALL, KITCHEN, STUDY
• GREEN: STUDENT-ATHLETE DESIGNATIONS: ALL-AMERICAN, JOCK, LETTERMAN, TEAM CAPTAIN
• BLUE: ___ TWIST: FRENCH, LEMON, OLIVER, PLOT
• PURPLE: ENDING IN "SESAME STREET" CHARACTERS: BERNIE, COLBERT, DISCOUNT, SAN ANSELMO

What is NYT Connections?

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

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

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

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

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Tuesday, July 7 (game #856).

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

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

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

NYT Strands today (game #857) - hint #1 - today's themeWhat is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Here come trouble

NYT Strands today (game #857) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• HIVE
• CREED
• SPARE
• VICE
• SALE
• CRAPS

NYT Strands today (game #857) - hint #3 - spangram lettersHow many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 11 letters

NYT Strands today (game #857) - hint #4 - spangram positionWhat are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

• First side: left, 4th row

• Last side: right, 4th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #857) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #857, are…

• SCAMP
• HELLION
• RAPSCALLION
• WHIPPERSNAPPER
• SPANGRAM: LITTLEDEVIL

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 1 hint

There were a few different ways to connect LITTLE and DEVIL and I think I tried them all before finally getting a rare, for me at least, spangram first.

The rest of the board was far trickier. After getting SCAMP I used a hint but even with it I struggled to see HELLION — not a word I’ve ever heard before.

Next the non-game word “scallion” helped me see RAPSCALLION before my misery was ended with the brilliantly old-fashioned WHIPPERSNAPPER — a great word, but possibly not one you use when reporting “trouble” to the police.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Tuesday, July 7, game #856)

• CART
• BUGGY
• WAGON
• CARRIAGE
• STAGECOACH
• SLEIGH
• SPANGRAM: IGETAROUND

What is NYT Strands?

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

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

• The next Galaxy Unpacked is set for July 22, 2026
• Samsung teases "A New Shape Is Unfolding"
• A new foldable form factor could debut alongside the existing Fold and Flip phones

A week after wiping its social media accounts and replacing them with cryptic teasers — and following months of rumors — Samsung has officially set the date for its second Galaxy Unpacked event of 2026.

Everything will be revealed, unpacked, or perhaps more fittingly, unfolded, on July 22, 2026, at 9 a.m. ET / 6 a.m. PT / 2 p.m. BST (11 p.m. AEDT). Samsung will livestream the Galaxy Unpacked keynote from an in-person event in London, UK, and yes, TechRadar will be on the ground at the unveil.

The invitation itself is already dropping hints, as Samsung tries to build anticipation. Alongside the tagline, "A New Shape Unfolds," the animated invite shows what appears to be a ticket printing before its top edge is torn away, revealing a noticeably wider, shorter silhouette than Samsung's current Galaxy Z Fold devices.

Samsung hasn't confirmed exactly what it will be announcing come July 22, but between the tagline and the animation, it's hard not to see them as clues pointing toward an all-new foldable design. It's also already accepting pre-reservations for whatever it will formally unveil at the July 22 event.

(Image credit: Samsung)

Specifically, you can sign up with your email on Samsung's main site at no cost to score a $30 Samsung Credit that can be applied to your pre-order and unlock up to $1,230 off with an eligible device trade-in.

So, if you're considering one of the next Galaxy devices, it's worth getting in line now ... and there's no cost involved.

You can sign up to reserve the next Galaxy at Samsung directly at no cost and unlock $30 Samsung Credit towards the preorder of the next device and up to $1,230 off with an eligible device trade-in.View Deal

Samsung's summer Galaxy Unpacked events have traditionally been the stage for its newest foldable smartphones and fresh wearables such as Galaxy Watches and Galaxy Buds. This year, though, the spotlight looks set to extend beyond the usual annual refreshes.

While we're expecting successors to the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7, Samsung has already hinted that something different is on the way. When it began teasing the event last week, the tech giant said that "after seven generations of pushing the boundaries of foldables, Samsung is taking a different approach to how it builds anticipation this year."

That statement, combined with months of leaks pointing to a wider foldable form factor, has fueled speculation that Samsung is finally ready to unveil an entirely new kind of foldable phone.

Unlike the Galaxy Z Fold lineup's familiar book-style design, this rumored device is expected to feature a much wider form factor. Based on the leaks we've seen so far, it resembles the now-discontinued Microsoft Surface Duo, Apple's long-rumored foldable that's widely expected to arrive later this year, or even a classic Moleskine notebook when folded shut. If the rumors prove accurate, Samsung could once again be first to market with a new foldable form factor.

Galaxy AI is also expected to be front and center throughout the keynote, with Samsung likely showcasing new AI-powered features across its latest folding phones and potentially teasing its forthcoming Android XR Glasses.

TechRadar will be on the ground in London for Galaxy Unpacked, bringing you live coverage of every announcement as it happens, along with hands-on impressions of Samsung's newest devices. We'll also be running a live blog throughout the keynote, so be sure to follow along as Samsung unveils what's next come July 22.

In the meantime, let us know what you're most excited to see Samsung reveal at Galaxy Unpacked in the comments below.

Samsung's foldable phone launch will take place later this month in London. We'll be there.