Technology

The debate around technology sovereignty is becoming increasingly important. As governments accelerate their adoption of AI tools and modern digital infrastructure, attention is increasingly focused on where systems are hosted, where data is stored and where technology providers are based.

These are important considerations, but sovereignty ultimately comes down to a broader question: how much control does an organization retain over the technology it depends on?

For governments, that means having visibility into how systems operate, understanding how decisions are reached, maintaining oversight of data and retaining the flexibility to adapt as circumstances change.

Technology sovereignty should therefore be measured through operational control, accountability and resilience. Geography forms part of that picture, but the ability to govern technology throughout its lifecycle is what creates lasting sovereignty.

Sovereignty is tested when circumstances change

The clearest measure of sovereignty is the level of control an organization retains when circumstances change.

Geopolitical developments, regulatory requirements, supplier changes, cyber incidents and technology failures can all place pressure on critical infrastructure. Strong technology foundations give governments the ability to respond, maintain essential services and continue making decisions with confidence.

This principle of control under distress should sit at the heart of the sovereignty debate.

Governments benefit from access to global expertise, innovation and specialist technology providers. Modern public services depend on collaboration across technology ecosystems, and this access creates significant opportunities to improve efficiency and deliver better outcomes for citizens.

The priority should be creating technology environments that preserve government control while taking advantage of this innovation. Governments need the ability to adapt systems, manage their data and make informed technology decisions as requirements evolve.

Data is the foundation of sovereign technology

The conversation around AI sovereignty often starts with the technology itself. The more fundamental consideration is the quality and governance of the data that supports it.

Public sector data often sits across departments, legacy platforms and different technology environments. Bringing these sources together can provide governments with a more complete and trusted view of the information they rely on.

This is particularly important as public bodies explore AI for areas such as fraud detection, healthcare, taxation and public benefits. These applications depend on accurate, accessible and well-governed information.

Strong data foundations also support transparency. When organizations understand where information comes from, how it is connected and how it is used, they gain greater confidence in the decisions produced by the technology built on top of it.

The effectiveness of public sector AI will therefore depend heavily on the integrity, accessibility and governance of the data beneath it.

Choice creates resilience

Technology sovereignty also depends on maintaining meaningful choice.

Governments need the freedom to adopt new technologies, work with different providers and evolve their systems as requirements change. Interoperability, open standards and portable data can support this flexibility by allowing different technologies to operate together and making future transitions more manageable.

This creates a more resilient technology environment. Individual components can evolve as better solutions become available, while the wider system continues to operate effectively.

Supplier diversity also plays an important role. A competitive technology market gives public bodies greater choice, encourages innovation and creates stronger incentives for providers to deliver value.

For critical public services, competition therefore forms part of the resilience strategy. A diverse supplier ecosystem gives governments greater flexibility and strengthens their ability to respond to changing circumstances.

AI requires transparency by design

The growth of AI makes transparency increasingly important. As these systems become more capable of supporting complex decisions, governments need clear visibility into how they operate and how their outputs are produced.

This starts with understanding the data, logic and processes that contribute to an AI- supported decision. Effective governance then provides the oversight required to monitor performance, identify issues and assess outcomes over time.

This is especially important where technology influences people's access to healthcare, taxation, benefits or other essential public services.

Explainability, auditability and human oversight provide the foundations for responsible AI adoption. They give public bodies the confidence to use increasingly sophisticated technology while maintaining accountability for the decisions it supports.

Transparency also strengthens public trust. Citizens are more likely to have confidence in technology when institutions can clearly explain how it is being used and how decisions can be reviewed.

Accountability remains with government

Governments can work with private organizations to provide infrastructure, software and specialist expertise. Public accountability remains with the government.

This makes governance an essential part of technology strategy. Procurement decisions need to consider functionality and cost alongside questions of data control, transparency, interoperability and long-term flexibility.

A technology solution should support the government's ability to understand its systems, oversee their performance and make changes as circumstances evolve.

This approach also creates a stronger relationship between government and technology providers. Clear expectations around governance and accountability give suppliers the opportunity to innovate while providing public bodies with the confidence that they remain in control of the outcomes.

Measuring sovereignty through control

Technology sovereignty should ultimately be measured by the capabilities a government retains.

Can it understand the technology it relies on? Can it assess and challenge the decisions it supports? Can it access and manage its data? Can it adapt its systems as requirements change? Can it maintain essential services during periods of disruption?

These questions provide a practical framework for assessing sovereignty.

The objective is to create technology environments that combine innovation with control. Governments can benefit from global technology, specialist expertise and rapidly developing AI capabilities while retaining the governance, flexibility and resilience required to serve citizens effectively.

The strongest sovereign technology environments will give governments confidence in the systems they operate, visibility into the decisions those systems support and the flexibility to evolve as circumstances change.

Ultimately, technology sovereignty is about maintaining operational authority. It is about giving governments the capability to understand, govern and adapt the technology that supports essential public services.

Sovereignty is measured by the control an organization retains over its technology, its data and its decisions.

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• Unsupported database management software is increasingly risky from a security point of view
• The biggest barriers preventing organizations from upgrading include cost and complexity
• Businesses aren't happy with current inefficiencies, downtime and latency

An overwhelming majority (97%) of US database administrators are running obsolete software, according to the latest State of Open Source Database Management Report by Percona.

But organizations aren't neglecting upgrades, because the report warns that upgrading a production database can actually be a major and risky project that may even impose more operational risks than running unsupported software.

For many, the cost alone is a major obstacle, with substantial engineering time, testing, infrastructure changes and cloud changes all adding to the total cost of change.

Why are so many US organizations using outdated database software?

Percona highlighted that upgrading a database isn't as simple as installing a software update, because in most cases, it would require an entire cross-stack migration involving other pieces of software and subscriptions.

Nearly one in three (31%) said cloud costs are their biggest barrier to reducing the total cost of ownership of their database estates, but licensing costs (23%), tool sprawl (17%) and vendor lock-in (12%) were also major worries.

The report cites MySQL as a key example, highlighting how the major architectural changes involved with 8.0 made it a technical nightmare for 5.7 users to upgrade.

However, while the change itself can be a costly, and frankly massive, one, remaining on unsupported database management software creates its own security risks. This is especially pronounced because databases can often contain an organization's most valuable and confidential information.

There is a motive to upgrade, though, because 42% of Percona's respondents cited inefficiency as a current drawback, with downtime (40%) and latency (35%) also slowing them down.

Looking ahead, the first stage is for companies to actually plan their migrations rather than continue to postpone them. It's only by starting the ball rolling that they can begin to explore how to consolidate stacks and improve overall efficiency and costs.

• StarCraft will have the same "gritty" vibes as the original real-time strategy (RTS) game
• General manager and creative director Dan Hay says the game was also influenced by the "interstellar western" of the original
• Associate manager of development operations Annalee Hartling says watching the trailer was "emotional"

StarCraft will adopt the same "gritty" atmosphere of the original real-time strategy (RTS) game, according to Blizzard Entertainment.

If you missed it, a new StarCraft game was announced at BlizzCon 2026, but unlike its predecessors, the title will take a new turn for the franchise and is a story-driven open-world shooter.

Speaking to TechRadar Gaming at BlizzCon, StarCraft general manager and creative director Dan Hay discussed the action-packed CGI trailer that debuted at the event and revealed the team's inspirations for the sequel.

"What I loved about StarCraft, the original, was that it was gritty, that it felt like it was on a frontier," Hay said. "It felt like a western. It felt like an interstellar western. That's what it felt like to me."

He continued by reminiscing about his time playing the original RTS game, explaining that he wanted to adapt the experiences he had in the new StarCraft, including the music, characters, and lore.

"From the music, to the characters that I met, to the people that I ran into, to the moments that I had, to the entire lore of it, it felt like a gritty, sometimes dirty, [and] not ] perfect world, and it made the asymmetry of the different factions feel even better because it felt very real. Because our real world has asymmetry to it.

"And so I think leveraging that and putting that into this world was key for us."

Associate manager of development operations Annalee Hartling also shared her reaction to the trailer, saying that the moment you see the barracks flying in and touching down, not from a top-down perspective, but a more intimate angle, was "the most impactful portion of it" for her.

"Living that moment was like my childhood, you know?" Hartling said. "My early days of gaming had come alive. I'm like, 'This is what I've been waiting for.' I wanted to see that and have that emotion of, like, this barracks hitting the ground and then opening up, and I'm able to walk out and look. Oh my goodness, that is incredibly powerful for a player.

"I think, at least from my point of view, it's emotional, it's fascinating, and it's beautiful. So having that perspective of being boots on the ground down there, seeing it all happen, and then whatever else happens to be outside those doors when you come through the barracks."

StarCraft is slated to launch in 2030.

Enterprises should be able to change models without rebuilding workflows, surrendering institutional knowledge, or losing control of the intelligence that differentiates them. AI strategy discussions often begin with the same question: Which model is winning? The answer changes with every new model release, as new capabilities emerge and the new competitive order shifts again.

From our work deploying AI tools across some of America’s largest healthcare enterprises, I believe this feature-spotting whiplash is distracting organizations from a much more useful question: If the model you rely on changes or becomes unavailable tomorrow, can your AI operation continue without disruption?

Every enterprise needs an exit strategy from any single AI model. This does not mean moving away from frontier models, which will remain an important part of the enterprise AI stack. The point is to ensure that an organization’s workflows, intellectual property, and institutional intelligence never become dependent on one model or provider.

Models are becoming infrastructure

The leading foundation models are extraordinarily capable, but their capabilities are also converging. A feature that distinguishes one provider today is often available from several others within a matter of weeks, sometimes even days.

We saw a similar evolution with cloud computing, where access to compute became essential but rarely created lasting competitive advantage on its own. The advantage came from what organizations built on top of it: their applications, data, operating processes and proprietary knowledge.

AI is heading in the same direction. A model should remain one component of the enterprise AI architecture. It should not become the repository for the organization’s business logic, operational knowledge or proprietary processes.

This is particularly important in healthcare, where a model may be able to summarize a clinical record or interpret a policy document, but it does not inherently understand how a particular health plan applies that policy, when a case should be escalated, which evidence a clinician needs to review, or how a decision must be documented for an audit. That intelligence belongs to the organization.

The 70/30 reality for enterprise AI

General-purpose models can often handle roughly the first 70% of a task. They can extract information, classify documents, produce summaries, answer questions, and perform broad reasoning.

The remaining 30% often determines whether an AI system is simply impressive in a demonstration or trustworthy in production. That final mile requires domain terminology, enterprise policies, specialized logic, consistent outputs, traceable evidence, evaluation against known standards, and clear escalation to human experts.

A model may correctly identify the broad clinical issue and still apply the wrong policy. It may generate a convincing explanation without giving a reviewer the evidence needed to validate it. It may also behave differently after a provider update. Those gaps sit within the final 30%, and in a regulated environment, they determine whether the system can be trusted in production.

In healthcare, this means combining specialized models built for clinical and administrative tasks with frontier models where their broader capabilities add value. The enterprise’s own knowledge, policies, evaluation systems, and governance controls should sit around those models, so the underlying model can change without taking the organization’s intelligence with it.

What model dependence looks like in production

The risks of depending too heavily on one model become much more apparent when AI moves from experimentation into production. A provider may release a new version that structures information differently, responds to instructions in new ways, or expresses uncertainty less consistently. A workflow that performed reliably during testing can then begin producing subtly different outcomes.

The change may also be commercial or operational rather than technical. Pricing can increase, latency can worsen, usage limits can affect availability, or a provider may discontinue a model on a timeline that does not align with the organization’s validation and release processes. And even if a model remains available, it may no longer be the best option for a particular workflow.

With that separation in place, an organization can evaluate different models against the same performance standards and introduce a change through a controlled process. It can adopt better capabilities as they emerge, use different models for different tasks, and change providers without rebuilding the workflows and operational knowledge around them.

An AI exit strategy Is an ownership strategy

In practical terms, an AI exit strategy means keeping several critical assets owned, governed, and portable:

• Proprietary data and enterprise knowledge
• Prompts, policies and decision logic
• Workflow definitions and orchestration
• Evaluation datasets and performance benchmarks
• Human feedback and decision history
• Audit trails and governance controls

Together, these assets form the enterprise’s intelligence layer, which captures how the organization works and makes decisions. A widely available model offers little differentiation on its own. The advantage lies in the proprietary knowledge, policies, and operational experience that shape how the model is used.

When that context is embedded in model-specific tools, proprietary features, or hosted memory systems, the organization risks losing control of the intelligence it is creating. Changing models may then require far more than replacing an API. It could mean reconstructing years of business logic, workflow design, expert feedback, and operational learning.

Defining the boundary between models and enterprises

Maintaining the separation between models and enterprises can also protect human expertise. Every interaction between an expert and an AI system creates something valuable. A clinician may correct a recommendation, a nurse may clarify how a policy should be applied, an operations leader may change an escalation path, or a compliance team may establish a new review requirement.

Over time, those interactions become institutional intelligence. It’s critical that they strengthen the enterprise rather than disappear into a provider’s platform, or become inaccessible when the organization changes models.

Warning signs of excessive model dependence

One warning sign happens when prompts and business logic are written so specifically for a particular model that they cannot be transferred easily. Another is when changing models requires redesigning the application rather than running a controlled evaluation and configuration change.

Leaders should be able to answer a basic question: What would we lose if this model became unavailable tomorrow?

Addressing these risks does not require an expensive rebuild. Enterprises can begin by separating business logic from model calls, creating standardized interfaces, maintaining model-independent evaluation datasets, documenting workflow dependencies, and storing organizational knowledge in systems they control.

They should also test model interchangeability before they need it. Running the same workflow across multiple models helps reveal hidden dependencies and gives the organization meaningful data about performance, cost, latency, and risk.

Model choice should remain reversible

We started this discussion with a question, but I believe the more important question is not only which model an enterprise should use today. Leaders must also ask how difficult it would be to replace that model tomorrow.

That is the purpose of an exit strategy. It is not preparation for abandoning AI or moving away from frontier innovation, but rather, the foundation for choice, resilience, and lasting ownership of enterprise intelligence.

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• iFi launches Go cable with DAC/headphone amp in a USB-C earbuds cable
• IEMs sold separately — it uses standard 0.78mm two-pin analogue connectors — but you can add some iFi ones into the kit for cheap
• ESS Sabre DAC supports 32-bit/384kHz and DSD256, with 70mW amplification at 32 ohms

If you didn't think ultra-portable hi-fi tech like the iFi Go Link 2 was small enough, then the British audio company's newest release in its lightweight Go series might be enough to placate you.

iFi has just unveiled its new Go Cable: a DAC and headphone jack which is literally built into an audio cable for in-ear monitors. It's available to pre-order for just $79 / £79 (about AU$160), ahead of a September 21 release.

The wire connects from a USB-C port in one end, through the DAC and headphone amp, to two 0.78mm 2-pin connectors for your favorite in-ear IEMs, though you'll have to provide those yourself. Basically, in combination, they're an active affordable audiophile alternative to the best wired earbuds with more customization.

Naturally, you might think that the iFi Go Cable could be designed for smartphones or laptops, but the brand also describes them as suitable for gaming, such as on the Switch 2. It supports microphone functionality too, so you can plug it into your controller or handheld to enjoy voice calls.

Making portable audio a little easier

(Image credit: iFi)

Specs-wise, the Go Cable seems quite similar to the aforementioned Go Link 2. It supports 32-bit/384kHz PCM and DSD256, and outputs power at 70mW at 32 ohms. Its selling point isn't in the specs; nor is it in the on-cable microphone, playback and volume controls, though they're a neat touch.

No. The benefit is that unlike the Go Link 2, it's an all-in-one solution. The best headphone DAC/amp combos for portable devices generally require an entire set of headphones or earbuds to be separately plugged in. You have to bring your source device, your DAC/amp device and your headphones.

By acting as those latter two gadgets all in one, the Go Cable makes on-the-go hi-fi audio a little easier to achieve. That's fewer things to remember on a trip, fewer items to pack into your bag while going through airport security.

Many of iFi's technologies are used in the Go Cable. THD Compensation reduces distortion, while the ESS Sabre DAC chip provides dynamic range enhancement to improve sound by up to 6dB.

As mentioned before, you'll need to provide your own IEMs to enjoy the Go Cable, so it's not for everyone. However the brand is also selling a starter kit, which throws in a pair of AIRO Astra buds, for only $20 / £20 (about AU$40) more.

That means you're getting them for about half the price they usually cost, and then you've got plenty of time to mull on whether to get something more premium in the future — and you can just swap them onto the same cable.

The high-end processor is the company’s first to use TSMC’s 2-nanometer process.

• Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis experience director Jeff Adams confirms "no old code exists" for the original 1996 game
• This meant Crystal Dynamics had to build the game from the ground up on Unreal Engine 5
• Adams says the engine also allowed the studio to create its own custom tech for the "reimagining" of the classic title

Crystal Dynamics has explained why it chose to build Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis from the ground up, instead of doing anything close to a remake of the 1996 game, revealing that no source code exists.

In a Q&A at Gamescom following an exclusive presentation that TechRadar Gaming attended, experience director Jeff Adams discussed what he's previously called a "reimagining" of the original Tomb Raider game and what it meant for the development team, who built the game from the ground up using Unreal Engine 5.

"We are in Unreal Engine 5," Adams said, "no old code exists. We are basically taking it and remaking it, or not remaking, reimagining it. We are bringing it from the ground up."

When asked to talk about how effective Unreal Engine 5 has been for the team, Adams explained that it enabled them to "have our own custom implementation for physics in the engine," which means engineering their own features, custom physics, and general upgrades; this made Legacy of Atlantis a true, modern reimagining.

"Unreal creates a really great sandbox platform for building a game, but when we're making a specific type of experience, we're going to have things that we really want to target and get to a right fidelity level where we're happy with it," the developer continued.

"So while things like Nanite and Lumen [UE5's technologies that offer realistic graphics capability] allow us to make a beautiful game environment, there might be some things that we're saying, 'Hey, we wish it could do this a little bit better.' That's when we'll break out and say, our engineers will create something custom that helps solve that issue, so that we can make sure that we're delivering an authentic Tomb Raider experience on Unreal."

He added that Lara Croft's long braid, which reacts to her movement, is "a perfect example of that."

Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis launches on February 27, 2027, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC.

• SIXUNITED builds laptop packing 192GB of LPDDR5X-8533 memory total
• It has some gaming specs but also screams AI workstation
• Two M.2 2280 SSD bays run on PCIe Gen4 for storage upgrades

Chinese manufacturer SIXUNITED has released what it calls the world's first laptop built around AMD's Ryzen AI Max+ Pro 495 "Gorgon Halo" processor.

The device, designated AXN88B-160M-YD, pairs the processor with an unusually large 192GB of LPDDR5X-8533 memory.

This memory capacity is rarely seen on a laptop, and it’s rated at 8,533 MT/s, raising questions about who actually needs such capacity in a portable computer.

Built for heavy workloads

The device comes with a 16-inch display that supports 2560 x 1600 resolution with a 120Hz refresh rate and wide color gamut coverage, which can also rotate up to 145 degrees, and the chassis houses two M.2 2280 SSD bays running PCIe Gen4.

Connectivity includes Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, two USB-C ports rated at 40Gbps, an HDMI 2.1 output, and a 2.5GbE RJ-45 port, alongside a USB-A 5Gbps connector, a faster USB-A port rated at 10Gbps, and a UHS-II SD card slot.

The laptop's two M.2 slots use the PCIe Gen4 interface, allowing fast storage upgrades for users handling large AI datasets.

The chassis is built from metal and includes a full-key RGB backlit keyboard alongside a fingerprint sensor for quick logins.

The laptop weighs about 2.1kg, measures 18.35mm thick, and carries a dual battery setup rated at 99.9Whr and 85Whr combined.

A gaming machine? Not exactly

The 192GB memory on this device points toward large language model workloads and professional software rather than the typical demands of everyday gaming.

AMD's Ryzen AI Max+ chips pair a CPU with an integrated GPU and a large unified memory pool for on-device AI tasks.

Traditional gaming laptops rely on dedicated graphics cards with their own video memory, not on shared system RAM.

Furthermore, the power delivery of this laptop reaches 120W, a figure closer to workstation-class laptops than typical thin-and-light gaming laptops.

Its audio comes from a pair of small 2W speakers which seem better suited to video calls than immersive gaming sessions.

The HDMI port supports version 2.1 with fixed-rate link, useful for connecting external high-refresh monitors during extended work sessions.

A single 3.5mm jack handles both headphone output and microphone input, a fairly standard inclusion for this category.

The built-in camera is a modest 2MP sensor paired with an infrared module that also enables secure face-based login.

None of these choices are unusual on their own, but together they suggest a workstation aimed squarely at professionals rather than casual gamers.

SIXUNITED has not detailed exact pricing or a wider international release, but it is expected to retail for about $10,000, more expensive than comparable desktop workstations and gaming laptops with high-end discrete graphics chips.

Marketing this configuration as a gaming laptop looks questionable when its strongest selling point is clearly local AI memory capacity.

Considering its major selling points, this laptop will more likely be attractive to developers or researchers than gamers chasing higher frame rates.

Via ITHome (originally in Chinese)

• Kioxia is pushing flash memory into DRAM territory
• AI workloads are forcing data centers to rethink memory expansion methods
• Kioxia XL1 could add capacity without requiring equivalent increases in DRAM

Kioxia is developing flash memory products designed to help data centers reduce their dependence on costly DRAM as AI workloads demand increasing amounts of memory.

The Japanese memory maker plans to combine faster NAND technology with new interfaces built for demanding AI systems that require large volumes of accessible data.

Its approach includes PCIe 6.0 SSDs and CXL memory expansion technology, though the company has not claimed these products will fully replace DRAM.

Kioxia's SSD lineup targets high-performance AI infrastructure

Kioxia is now showcasing its GP1 Series PCIe 6.0 NVMe SSDs, engineered for extremely high input and output operations within AI infrastructure environments.

These drives support direct communication between GPUs and storage, potentially reducing data movement through conventional system pathways during intensive computational workloads.

PCIe 6.0 could draw particular attention because it offers substantially greater interface bandwidth than earlier generations used in many data center SSDs.

The company is also exhibiting its CM10 Series enterprise SSDs and NX1 Series data center drives, which feature liquid cooling support.

The CM10 Series relies on Kioxia's tenth-generation BiCS FLASH technology, while the NX1 Series uses an E1.S design with PCIe 5.0 connectivity.

These products specifically target data center environments where strong performance gains and improved thermal management increasingly shape storage architecture decisions today.

Kioxia believes shifting certain workloads onto flash storage could ease the capacity shortages and rising costs currently straining global memory supply chains.

The XL1 series aims to bridge DRAM and storage

According to Nikkei Asia, Kioxia has plans to use fast NAND as a direct alternative to conventional DRAM.

Kioxia's most notable development is the XL1 Series, a CXL-compatible memory expansion module built on its XL FLASH technology for lower latency.

The module intends to use a CXL interface with memory-access speed carried across a PCIe link.

CXL allows memory devices to connect more closely with processors, creating additional capacity without requiring every byte to remain in DRAM.

Kioxia says that combining high-speed NAND with a CXL controller module reduces data-read latency to less than one-tenth that of conventional NAND products.

The company positions XL1 to occupy the performance and cost space between conventional DRAM and ordinary SSD storage devices.

Kioxia states that replacing part of a system's DRAM with CXL modules can double memory capacity while improving performance by 30%.

That distinction matters because NAND flash remains inherently slower than DRAM, meaning wholesale replacement would create performance penalties for latency-sensitive applications.

Evaluation units are scheduled for delivery to technology partners during August 2026, giving potential customers a chance to assess the technology.

Kioxia plans to discuss these technologies at FMS 2026 in Santa Clara, California, through presentations, technical sessions and live demonstrations.

Its overall strategy focuses on supplementing existing DRAM rather than eliminating it from AI server memory configurations.

As if Stuart Fails to Save the Universe couldn't be more unhinged, this week the gang is trapped in a legitimate comic book... as illustrated versions of themselves.

It feels like a chaotic move, but actually, we probably should have been expecting it. As HBO itself puts it, "Finally a world that Stuart can (hopefully) thrive in."

But will he? My vote is no. Still, when does Stuart Fails to Save the Universe episode 9 arrive on HBO Max?

What time can I watch Stuart Fails to Save the Universe episode 9 on HBO Max?

For US viewers, Stuart Fails to Save the Universe episode 9 will drop on Thursday, September 17 at 6pm PT/9pm ET.

Internationally, you're looking out for these timings:

• US – Thursday, September 17 at 6pm PT / 9pm ET
• Canada – Thursday, September 17 at 6pm PT / 9pm ET
• UK – Friday, September 18 at 2am BST
• India – Friday, September 18 at 6:30am IST
• Singapore – Friday, September 18 at 9am SGT
• Australia – Friday, September 18 at 11am AEST
• New Zealand – Friday, September 18 at 1pm NZST

When do new episodes of Stuart Fails to Save the Universe come out?

(Image credit: HBO Max)

New episodes of Stuart Fails to Save the Universe will make landfall every Thursday in the US, and on Fridays everywhere else. Here are the all-important dates you need to know about:

• 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: out now
• Episode 9: September 17
• Episode 10: September 24

• China shipped 46 tons of drone material to a sanctioned Russian firm
• The shipment was hidden on paper under a civilian customs code
• Alabuga-Volokno sends 89% of its output straight to Russian defense firms

Internal shipping records reviewed by the US and UK governments revealed that a Chinese state-owned enterprise transferred 46 tons of carbon-fiber precursor material to a sanctioned Russian drone manufacturer earlier in 2026.

The documents describe two large containers moving between Jilin Chemical Fiber Group and Alabuga-Volokno, a subsidiary of Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom.

Investigators say the cargo was logged under a customs code normally reserved for civilian synthetic fiber, obscuring its actual military use.

A disguised customs code

Alabuga-Volokno makes 39 separate carbon-fiber products for aviation, rocket engineering, drones, shipbuilding, and armor.

The company barely releases any civilian products, as roughly 89% of its output is expected to serve Russian defense firms by 2030.

Weapons expert David Albright said using the correct shipping code would have flagged the shipment as a dual-use item with both civilian and defense applications.

Albright estimated the volume shipped could supply enough material for as many as 1,300 long-range attack drones.

Ukrainian Security and Cooperation Centre says it has tracked at least eight tenders for similar shipments between the two firms since 2022.

It claims that the sanctions have left Beijing as nearly the sole supplier of composite materials for Russian weapons manufacturing.

A Kiel Institute analysis found that China supplies more than 60% of the components sustaining Russia's military production.

Former deputy secretary of state Kurt Campbell said dozens of Chinese firms now maintain deep ties to Moscow's defense sector in exchange for military technology transfers.

The disclosure arrives weeks before Donald Trump is scheduled to meet Xi Jinping in Washington, a summit both governments would likely prefer to focus on trade rather than sanctions enforcement.

Beijing denies any wrongdoing

China's embassy in Washington rejected the allegations, saying the country strictly controls dual-use goods and has never armed either side of the conflict.

Rosatom likewise disputed any wrongdoing tied to its subsidiary's customs filings.

“Rosatom and its enterprises operate in full compliance with applicable laws and regulatory requirements,” said a spokesperson for the Russian state firm.

“Any claim to the contrary is false and demonstrates a lack of understanding of how Russia’s customs authorities operate.”

Former U.S. officials remain skeptical of Beijing's denials, arguing that state-owned firms operate under close government oversight.

“They are doing it knowing that the Chinese government will not bust them for it,” said Dennis Wilder, former CIA deputy assistant director for East Asia and the Pacific.

“The idea that Chinese state-owned enterprises can hide things from the Chinese government just doesn’t wash.”

Chinese leader Xi Jinping has always maintained that China will not participate in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

“We would not add fuel to the fire, and above all we would not profiteer,” Xi said in 2023.

Despite the denials from Beijing and Moscow, Ukraine argues that Chinese support keeps Russia's defense industry expanding production of drones and missile components.

Kyiv warned that continued shipments only strengthen ties between two of the West's strategic rivals, deepening cooperation across their industrial sectors.

Ukraine called for secondary sanctions, tighter export controls, financial pressure on intermediaries and closer coordination with Asian partners to counter these networks.

Via Politico

• A new Mac music player called YM Pro has been released on the Mac App Store and promises 'bit perfect' playback
• It bypasses macOS' system mixer to connect directly to your DAC
• Changes the DAC to match the file, not the other way around
• PCM audio only, requires Apple Silicon

If you're looking for a hi-res music player for your Mac that can make the most of your external audio equipment, YM Pro could be just what you're looking for.

It's free, open source, available on the Mac App Store, and offers an interesting alternative to Apple's way of doing things, especially if you use an external DAC. And while it's very much a work in progress it's got lots of potential.

Developer Yonesh Murugan has posted details of the app to r/audiophile. Getting it approved was apparently a "nightmare" because the app takes exclusive control of your audio hardware, something App Store reviewers weren't too happy about. But it's now approved and live, although there are a few rough edges still.

The key difference between YM Pro and other apps is that it bypasses the system mixer completely, connecting directly to your DAC and automatically switching its sample rate to the file you're playing, up to 192kHz.

It also has "hog mode", which turns off all your system sounds and other audio while you're listening.

YM Pro audio player: what works, and what needs work

The "bit-perfect" claim is about how the app handles music playback. Rather than up- or downsampling audio files to match your DAC's set bitrate, it adjusts your DAC to match the audio file's resolution — and does it directly, without any other software resampling as it passes through the OS, so your audio should remain pure.

Although YM Pro's core mission is to play hi-res, bit-perfect FLAC files, which the Apple Music app doesn't do (Apple wants you to use its ALAC equivalent instead), it also handles common formats including MP3 and WAV.

It's purely for PCM formats, not DSD, and it requires Apple Silicon (as does macOS 27, which launches imminently).

The app doesn't connect to your Music library; instead, you point it to the folder containing the music you want it to catalog and play. That folder can be the one containing your existing Music library, but it lacks auto-scanning and auto-updating so you'd need to keep it up to date manually.

This is a first release, so inevitably there are some issues. And I seem to be encountering more than most: I can't persuade it to use my preferred audio output, no matter how many times I change it in System Settings > Sound; the workaround described in the r/audiophile thread isn't working on my Mac Mini, where the app isn't paying attention to my selection. There are some interface issues, and others report some playlist organization issues too.

However, early feedback from others says the app sounds good, and as it's free, it's worth taking a look at or listen to so you can compare it with the likes of VOX.

Murugan seems keen on feedback from users, and is promising to make some enhancements based on the comments provided so far.

Apple just opened the door to foldable iPhones, and the Duo may not be alone for long.

Siri AI will cooperate with ChatGPT or Claude on certain tasks. The third-party models can even replace Siri altogether.

The issue does not affect the Nintendo Switch 2.

The new OS doesn’t feel like a total overhaul, but most of the changes consistently nudge things in a good direction.

This process could take a few hours or longer, but your iPhone will still work in that time.

• Apple is reportedly working on Beats-branded game controllers for iPhones
• Mark Gurman says Apple has been working on them for almost a year
• Gurman suggests the Beats team is leading on both 'product engineering and conception'

Apple seemingly continues to show its devotion to gaming with something that's in the pipeline for iOS gamers.

As reported by PC Mag, macOS 26.7 code references two unreleased iPhone game controllers, and Bloomberg's Mark Gurman suggests Apple has been working on them for almost a year. More importantly, though, Gurman says these controllers could launch under the Beats brand.

The controllers are codenamed T6502 and T1057 according to MacRumors (which discovered the references), with different haptic designs alongside a standard game controller's features. Beats, which was acquired by Apple in 2014, is a brand often used for its own popular audio products (of course), but also for USB-C cables and some iPhone cases.

Now, it appears as though Beats may well represent gaming accessories for Apple going forward, and Gurman claims these controllers are being led by Beats executives in both "product engineering and conception".

It's a potential move that comes at a convenient time for iPhone owners intrigued by gaming, as the RAM crisis continues to impact the PC hardware and games console market. Gurman observes that Apple sees gaming accessories such as those for phones as a "growing market and wants in".

Game controller and speaker hybrid?

(Image credit: Backbone)

If this does indeed happen, it seems somewhat bizarre to have Beats producing game controllers, as it's quite a switch from the traditional audio products. Fortunately though, it opens the door to some surprising designs, and I'm thinking specifically of the audio side of the equation when connecting the purported controllers to an iPhone.

Maybe Beats could look to do something similar to Asus and its ROG Phone AeroActive Coolers, which feature shoulder buttons for gaming alongside a built-in subwoofer for a significant boost in bass and audio quality. No, these ROG peripherals aren't full game controllers, but they effectively illustrate what could be realized with a hybrid speaker and controller combo.

Based on the brief design description from the references found in macOS, alongside Gurman's report, it's hard to say that the rumored peripherals will be anything other than simple controllers. But there are presumably opportunities for clever design twists, particularly given the Beats branding.

If this Beats rumor turns out to be true, it's clear that Apple is looking to serve a market that is growing amid the RAM crisis, and hoping to leverage the accessibility that comes with iPhones for gaming.

This is one of the cleverest docking stations I've ever seen from Anker (or anyone else for that matter). This 13-in-1 dock with a detachable hub supports everything from triple display output to 100W laptop charging over a single cable.

• Best for: Remote workers, creators, gamers, and office professionals who want a multi-monitor setup at home with a compact travel hub for on the move.

• The deal: The Anker Nano 13-in-1 dock is discounted to $120 (was $150) at Amazon. In the UK, the dock is now £100 (was £130).

• Why we like it: This docking station features 13 ports, with support for three-monitor set ups, and a 100W PD for charging smaller devices like phones and laptops. But what really stands out to me is the detachable 6-in-1 hub. So, you can leave the bulky main hub on your desk and take the small unit with you on the commute.

• The catch: macOS users will get mirrored external displays, rather than independent extended displays. If you don't need the extra ports and power delivery, a cheap docking station for hooking up mice and keyboards is perfectly suitable.

Nano Laptop Docking Station: was $149.99 now $119.99
We love useful gadgets like this docking station, with its 13 ports, 100W Power Delivery for laptops, and support for three monitors over HDMI and DisplayPort. But the star of the show for us is the detachable hub, which lets you take the 6-in-1 hub with you when you're away from your desk.

In the UK: now £100 (was £130)View Deal

Why we recommend it

The triple display support is the main draw for a home office upgrade. Switching from a single laptop screen to two or three monitors through one cable is one of the most noticeable productivity upgrades you can make to a desk setup.

Anker's combination of two HDMI ports and a DisplayPort covers most monitor configurations without adapters. This allows up to 4K at 60Hz on a single screen, or dual 2K at 60Hz.

The detachable 6-in-1 hub is a genuinely practical design choice. It means the dock doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing desk fixture; you can pull the smaller hub off and take it with you when you only need basic connectivity away from your main setup.

100W of pass-through charging is enough for most laptops on the market, so this can realistically replace your laptop's charger at the desk while also handling displays, Ethernet, and peripherals through the same cable.

Price Context & Historical Value

A $30 drop from $149.99 to $119.99 is a 20 percent discount. Third-party price tracking shows this dock has dipped as low as $104.49 previously, so $119.99 is a solid price but not the lowest it has ever been. It is still a meaningful saving over the regular price for anyone who has been waiting to buy.

Should you buy it?

✅ Buy the Anker Nano docking station if... you want to run two or three monitors off a single laptop cable, you need Ethernet for a more reliable home office connection than Wi-Fi, or you want a hub that detaches into a smaller, travel-friendly piece when you do not need the full docking setup.

❌ Skip the Anker Nano docking station if... your laptop or monitors cannot make use of triple display output, you need faster charging than 100W for a larger laptop, or you are looking for the absolute cheapest single-purpose USB-C hub rather than a full docking station.

The Catch: What to know before you buy

Since macOS doesn't support Multi-Stream Transport over USB-C, and this docking station use a single-cable setup, monitors will mirror the main screen, instead of showing independently. That's not an issue on Windows. User reviews also note that charging speed can be slower when the dock is also driving multiple displays and peripherals at once, so heavy multitaskers with power-hungry laptops should keep expectations realistic.

• See more docking station deals at Amazon.

Apple has traditionally kept the iPad closer to the iPhone in terms of core functionality (even after it released iPadOS as a standalone software package in 2019), but iPadOS 26 marked a distinct shift towards making the iPad feel more Mac-like.

And honestly, this change in direction made sense. After all, iPads now run MacBook-level M-series chips; the iPad Pro (2025), for instance, uses the M5. They also let you run background exports in creative apps, switch audio sources while podcasting, and complete many more high-level productivity tasks.

One excellent addition in iPadOS 26 was the arrival of the Menu Bar, which acts as a facsimile of the macOS version of the same feature. But having used iPadOS 27, which launches today (September 14), since its launch in beta earlier this year, I can confidently say that this new software package makes the iPad feel more Mac-like than ever — and the Menu Bar is once again responsible for that.

Passing the bar

The Mac-like Menu Bar in iPadOS 27 (Image credit: Future)

As mentioned, the Menu Bar is about as Mac as it gets, offering app-specific options at the top of the iPad screen. It’s as synonymous with macOS as the Dock, and it’s one of the core features that take some getting used to when switching from a Windows PC to a Mac.

On Mac, the Menu Bar is permanent. It sits at the top of the screen for easy access and highlights which app you’re currently using (something that’s particularly useful if you’re juggling multiple apps and keyboard shortcuts), but in iPadOS 26 it wasn’t, meaning it could be just as much of a hindrance as it was a help.

Thankfully, iPadOS 27 ensures the Menu Bar is always available, and while there are still some things I wish I could do on Apple’s tablet, the ability to affix the Menu Bar permanently is a change I welcome.

(Image credit: Future)

To do so, once you’ve updated to iPadOS 27, open Settings and select ‘Multitasking & Gestures’ on the left-hand sidebar. You’ll have to be on the Windowed Apps or Stage Manager option to be able to see the Menu Bar.

From here, look for a toggle labelled ‘Automatically Show and Hide Menu Bar’. If it’s on, turn it off, and you’ll see the Menu Bar consistently across apps, unless you’re watching something in full-screen mode. If you get fed up with it, just toggle that ‘Automatically Show and Hide Menu Bar’ option back on, and it’ll disappear again.

Still a way to go

The Siri AI interface in iPadOS 27 (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

Once you’ve toggled that setting, you can enjoy having the Menu Bar at the top of your iPad screen, but there are some caveats to be aware of.

For one, it’s not particularly useful if you use your iPad with your finger. The Menu Bar is much more suited to using a mouse, trackpad, or the Apple Pencil. I use the Magic Keyboard and, as ridiculously pricey as it was, this feature makes my whole iPad much more useful.

The other thing to be aware of is that the Menu Bar can’t be customized with third-party apps in the same way that long-running Mac ones like Bartender can. Sadly, it remains static in terms of what you can put on the right-hand side of it. Maybe one day that’ll change, but I can’t see Apple rolling out utility apps on its iPadOS platform anytime soon.

Finally, some nifty features to be aware of: you can still drag down from the right-hand side of the Menu Bar to access the Control Center (which is customizable, thankfully), and the left-hand side still takes you to your notifications (although I do wish this was a column on the side of the screen à la the macOS notification centre, rather than taking up the whole screen).

You can also drag down from the middle of the Menu Bar to access Siri AI, which is new in iPadOS 27 and makes Apple’s voice assistant much more useful.

So, what do you think? Is this the closest we’ll ever get to a MacPad? Or are you sticking with the Mac for now and leaving the iPad for content consumption? Let me know in the comments below.