Technology

• Revolut fell for a spoofed government email scam, leaking sensitive customer data to attackers
• Compromised info includes IDs, selfies, account statements, IBANs, and full transaction histories
• Criminals now allegedly leaking data on Telegram, demanding 10,000 BTC (~$780M) ransom from Revolut

Digital banking platform Revolut was tricked into giving away a treasure trove of sensitive customer data to hackers, and it is now coming back to bite it.

The company told TechCrunch that it recently fell victim to a “sophisticated external impersonation scam” in which the threat actor “utilized a legitimate government agency domain email to submit fraudulent requests for information”.

In other words, the attackers either broke into, or spoofed, an email address belonging to the police, tax authorities, or other government bodies with statutory powers to demand information, and used them to demand Revolut hand over sensitive customer data.

Demanding ransom

Cybernews reports that the compromised data includes customers’ birth dates, postal and email addresses, occupation, phone numbers, and copies of identity documents. TechCrunch added that verification selfies, account statements, and transaction histories may have also been compromised, together with IBANs, withdrawal records, complete transaction histories, and Bitcoin transactions.

Should these reports be confirmed, this will be a bonafide fiasco for Revolut.

"Upon detection, ⁠we immediately blocked the address and ​alerted the relevant government agency as ​well as enforcement agencies, data protection, and financial regulators," a company spokesperson told Reuters over the weekend.

So far, we don’t know exactly how many people are affected. Revolut said it is a “very limited” number, and that all of them had been notified already.

According to Coin Bureau, the criminals have started leaking sensitive data on Telegram, in a bid to pressure Revolut into paying a ransom demand. The publication shared screenshots of the threat actors apparently leaking a selfie and “full KYC” of a CEO of a crypto casino website, saying that the crooks are now demanding 10,000 BTC in exchange for deleting the data.

This would put the ransom demand at approximately $780 million which is obscene even by criminal standards.

"This one is deeply concerning and the implications for affected customers go well beyond a standard data breach notification," said Muhammad Yahya Patel, vCISO & Cybersecurity Advisor at Huntress. "Passports, driver's licenses, verification selfies, account statements, transaction histories, birth dates, addresses that's not a data leak, that's a complete identity theft kit handed to whoever sent those fraudulent requests."

"Every single component needed to impersonate someone, open accounts in their name, or bypass checks at other financial institutions is in that package. On the dark web, that kind of profile doesn't sell as individual records it sells as a ready-made fraud pack, and it commands a significant premium precisely because of its completeness."

"For a fintech built on digital identity verification, the bar for verifying third-party data requests should be exceptionally high. The question isn't why an attacker tried this. It's why a regulated financial institution handling highly sensitive data didn't have sufficiently rigorous verification controls to catch it," Patel concluded.

Via Cybernews

• Revolut fell for a spoofed government email scam, leaking sensitive customer data to attackers
• Compromised info includes IDs, selfies, account statements, IBANs, and full transaction histories
• Criminals now allegedly leaking data on Telegram, demanding 10,000 BTC (~$780M) ransom from Revolut

Digital banking platform Revolut was tricked into giving away a treasure trove of sensitive customer data to hackers, and it is now coming back to bite it.

The company told TechCrunch that it recently fell victim to a “sophisticated external impersonation scam” in which the threat actor “utilized a legitimate government agency domain email to submit fraudulent requests for information”.

In other words, the attackers either broke into, or spoofed, an email address belonging to the police, tax authorities, or other government bodies with statutory powers to demand information, and used them to demand Revolut hand over sensitive customer data.

Demanding ransom

Cybernews reports that the compromised data includes customers’ birth dates, postal and email addresses, occupation, phone numbers, and copies of identity documents. TechCrunch added that verification selfies, account statements, and transaction histories may have also been compromised, together with IBANs, withdrawal records, complete transaction histories, and Bitcoin transactions.

Should these reports be confirmed, this will be a bonafide fiasco for Revolut.

"Upon detection, ⁠we immediately blocked the address and ​alerted the relevant government agency as ​well as enforcement agencies, data protection, and financial regulators," a company spokesperson told Reuters over the weekend.

So far, we don’t know exactly how many people are affected. Revolut said it is a “very limited” number, and that all of them had been notified already.

According to Coin Bureau, the criminals have started leaking sensitive data on Telegram, in a bid to pressure Revolut into paying a ransom demand. The publication shared screenshots of the threat actors apparently leaking a selfie and “full KYC” of a CEO of a crypto casino website, saying that the crooks are now demanding 10,000 BTC in exchange for deleting the data.

This would put the ransom demand at approximately $780 million which is obscene even by criminal standards.

"This one is deeply concerning and the implications for affected customers go well beyond a standard data breach notification," said Muhammad Yahya Patel, vCISO & Cybersecurity Advisor at Huntress. "Passports, driver's licenses, verification selfies, account statements, transaction histories, birth dates, addresses that's not a data leak, that's a complete identity theft kit handed to whoever sent those fraudulent requests."

"Every single component needed to impersonate someone, open accounts in their name, or bypass checks at other financial institutions is in that package. On the dark web, that kind of profile doesn't sell as individual records it sells as a ready-made fraud pack, and it commands a significant premium precisely because of its completeness."

"For a fintech built on digital identity verification, the bar for verifying third-party data requests should be exceptionally high. The question isn't why an attacker tried this. It's why a regulated financial institution handling highly sensitive data didn't have sufficiently rigorous verification controls to catch it," Patel concluded.

Via Cybernews

• Highly exposed occupations are seeing less wage growth due to AI productivity gains
• 5.8 million US workers are considered to be working in these roles
• The impacts could lead to reduced living standards

While sceptics have been warning of mass layoffs for years, a new report reveals that AI could actually be leading to weaker wage growth instead of human replacement.

US wage growth is already slowing compared with inflation, and a new study by Apollo Global Management has proposed that AI could be to blame.

According to the data, real wage growth in highly exposed occupations has been around 6.7 percentage points lower than less-exposed occupations since 2023, while employment itself is largely no different.

What are the real implications of AI on jobs?

The white paper estimates that 5.8 million US workers, or around 3.7% of the US labor force, works in highly exposed jobs, and this is on the basis of earlier Anthropic work whereby at least half of the job's tasks can be replaced by Anthropic's AI tools.

"Companies are capturing AI productivity gains through wage compression rather than workforce reduction," Chief Economist Torsten Slok suggested. In other words, workers are getting more work done thanks to AI, so demand for additional labor has fallen and workers' bargaining powers have weakened.

Apollo estimates the effects of this could translate to around $28 billion in lost annual labor income, but this could be on the conservative side.

Crucially, Apollo's analysis shows that AI is more likely to be affecting the price of labor rather than the quantity of labor as human-AI hybrid workforces become more common.

Looking ahead, Apollo is warning that "profound implications for income inequality and living standards" could threaten workers globally.

While the research doesn't offer specific remedies, it does point toward government involvement and policymaking in order to slow down how quickly the transition happens and to offer greater support to impacted workers.

The Bambu Lab H2S is one of the largest and fastest enclosed 3D printers we've ever tested, and now it's got a very welcome discount in the Bambu lab 3D printer sale.

• Best for: Enthusiasts, engineers, and ecommerce businesses who need speedy 3D printers for larger- and higher-volume production.

• The deal: The Bambu Lab H2S AMS Combo 3D printer is down to $1399 (was $1500) at Bambu Lab. In the UK, the H2S is now £1099 (was £1199).

• Why it matters: We scored the Bambu Lab H2S 4.5 stars and awarded it a TechRadar Pro Recommends badge for easy setup, high speeds, and incredible accuracy. This CoreXY 3D printer has a large 340 x 320 x 340mm build volume, 350°C nozzle with 65°C active chamber heating, and 23-sensor AI-driven monitoring. In our final verdict, we found "the test prints that came out of this machine were some of the cleanest I've seen, and at this scale and consistency, it's really difficult to match with any other model."

• The catch: This deal is for the AMS Combo, unlocking multi-color printing out of the box. While the standalone 3D printer is also on sale for a cheaper price, you'll need to get the AMS accessory later if you want multi-color 3D printing.

H2S: was $1499.99 now $1399.99
340 x 320 x 340mm build volume, CoreXY mechanics rated up to 1000mm/s toolhead speed with 20,000mm/s² acceleration, a fully enclosed chamber with 65°C active heating and a 350°C nozzle for engineering materials, and 23 onboard sensors with 3 cameras for AI-driven print monitoring. Includes the printer, a textured PEI build plate, a spool holder, and an accessory box.

In the UK: now £1099 (was £1199)View Deal

Why we recommend it

Expert verdict

Our 3D printing expert Alastair was seriously impressed with the H2S during his 4.5 star review, saying "the H2S is impressive, and the single-nozzle hotend is highly tuned for precision and quality."

Benchmark quality

Accuracy is especially good, with Alastair noting: "One of the big points I would highlight while using this printer was not only the speed and scale, but also the quality of the surface finish. Surfaces were exceptionally smooth, and when I printed the Autodesk Kickstarter test model I've been using for many years, it was almost a full 30 out of 30."

Scale & speed

The build volume stands out. At 340 x 320 x 340mm, it is significantly larger than Bambu Lab's X1 Carbon, and the enclosed, heated chamber means it can handle engineering-grade filaments like ABS and nylon that need stable temperatures to print reliably. Combined with a toolhead speed up to 1000mm/s, this printer is built for people producing parts in volume, not just occasional hobby prints.

Features

The 23-sensor monitoring system is a meaningful reliability feature - the filament detection, for example, worked incredibly well during testing. This deal also includes the AMS Combo, letting you run multi-color models as soon as you're set up.

Price Context & Historical Value

What makes it worth flagging is that $1,399 for a printer with this build volume, this print speed, and a heated chamber remains a strong price relative to enclosed printers with comparable specs from other brands, several of which cost noticeably more for a smaller build area.

Should you buy it?

✅ Buy the Bambu Lab H2S AMS Combo if...

You want one of the largest build volumes available in an enclosed printer at this price, you print in engineering materials like ABS or nylon that need a heated chamber, or you need high-speed 3D printing for production.

❌ Skip the Bambu Lab H2S AMS Combo if...

You're a beginner or hobbyist (it's pricey for more casual users), or you're happy with single-color printing. If you don't need multi-color get the standalone model without the AMS Combo, as you can always upgrade later.

The Catch: What to know before you buy

This is a single-nozzle printer, so multicolor and multimaterial printing is slower and generates more waste than on Bambu Lab's dual-nozzle H2D models.

While setup and use is straightforward if you're familiar with 3D printers, there is a learning curve for anyone trying to push the printer's fastest custom speed settings, and it takes up significant desk space given its size.

This is a printer built for design studios, small businesses, and serious engineering hobbyists, not casual weekend printing.

• See all 3D printers at Bambu Lab

Over the last decade, digital identity has primarily been linked with the internet security industry.

Businesses have been focusing heavily on fraud prevention, profile authentication and compliance measures, all designed to answer a relatively simple question - is this person who they claim to be?

But as AI transforms how consumers discover, engage and purchase from brands, digital identity has become something much more integral for businesses across the board.

It has become a critical layer of business infrastructure, one that sits at the intersection of trust, experience, personalization and growth.

Ultimately, the businesses that understand this shift, will be better positioned to compete in an increasingly automated digital world.

And those that don’t, are likely to find themselves struggling to build trust, protect margins and maintain direct relationships with their customer base.

Proving Authenticity in a Complex AI Era

When we take a glance back, the internet was never designed with robust identity systems in mind. For decades, businesses relied heavily on a combination of usernames, passwords, email addresses and manual verification processes to establish trust online.

Whilst imperfect, and at times vastly time consuming, these processes were efficient in an era of human driven interactions. However, in the world of AI, this is no longer the case.

Artificial intelligence is dramatically lowering the barriers to creating fake accounts, synthetic identities and automated purchasing behavior. At the same time, consumers are becoming more conscious of how their personal information is collected, stored and used.

This creates a difficult balancing act for businesses. They need greater confidence that customers are genuine, while customers expect less friction and stronger privacy protections.

The traditional response has often been to collect more information. Yet in many cases, more data creates more risk. Every additional piece of personal information collected becomes another asset that must be protected, governed and justified.

As cyber threats increase and regulatory scrutiny grows, businesses are beginning to recognize that the future of identity may not be about collecting more data, but about collecting less.

The Future of Verification: Privacy by Design

One of the most important shifts happening within digital identity is the move away from document-heavy verification models towards trusted verification networks. Rather than asking users to repeatedly upload sensitive documents or provide excessive personal information, businesses can increasingly verify eligibility or identity through trusted institutional sources.

This approach delivers benefits for both organizations and consumers. For businesses, it reduces the operational and security burden associated with storing personally identifiable information. For consumers, it creates a faster, less intrusive experience. The key principle is simple: verify only what is necessary.

If a retailer needs to confirm that someone is a student, for example, they don't necessarily need access to every piece of information contained within a university record. They simply need confidence that the individual meets the criteria required to access a student offer. This is where audience verification platforms are becoming increasingly valuable.

In practice, this tends to happen in one of two ways. Sometimes verification works through a secure database lookup, where an individual's eligibility is checked against records already held by a relevant institution, such as an enrolment system, without the retailer ever seeing the underlying record itself, only a confirmation of status.

In other cases, it works through a trusted single-sign-on style login, where the individual authenticates directly with their own institution and that institution simply confirms their status back to the retailer, again without exposing any personal data to either party.

What both approaches have in common is that they lean on relationships of trust that already exist, rather than asking the consumer to prove who they are all over again.

The result is a more efficient exchange of trust between brands and consumers. In many ways, this reflects a broader evolution in digital identity. The goal is no longer to know everything about a user. The goal is to know enough to establish trust and ultimately, these notions of trust, are quickly becoming an ever-growing business growth strategy.

Trust has become a differentiator

Consumers are only becoming more demanding as they increasingly expect personalized experiences, relevant offers and seamless interactions. Yet, they also want transparency, control and confidence that their information is being handled responsibly. The brands that successfully balance these expectations gain more than compliance benefits. They build stronger customer relationships. Audience verification offers a useful example of this dynamic.

For a student, the value proposition is straightforward. They want access to relevant discounts and offers from brands they trust. The verification process itself is largely invisible, provided it is fast and frictionless. For the brand, however, the stakes are higher. Verification helps ensure promotional budgets reach the intended audience, protects against misuse and enables more effective customer acquisition.

Both sides benefit from a trusted exchange of value. This is why digital identity management should no longer be viewed purely through the lens of security teams. It has become a strategic capability that influences marketing effectiveness, customer acquisition, loyalty and brand trust.

Preparing for an AI-driven future

The rise of AI introduces another important dimension to the identity conversation. As large language models (LLMs) and AI assistants increasingly shape how consumers discover products and services, businesses face a new challenge: maintaining trusted, direct relationships with their audiences.

In the future, many interactions may occur through AI-powered intermediaries rather than traditional websites or apps. Discovery, recommendation and even purchasing decisions could increasingly be influenced by intelligent systems acting on behalf of consumers. In that environment, trusted audience data and verified customer relationships become even more valuable.

Through such technology, businesses can confidently identify and understand their audiences and will be better equipped to personalize experiences, deliver relevant recommendations and maintain authenticity across increasingly fragmented digital ecosystems.

Those that rely solely on broad marketing reach may find themselves losing visibility as AI-driven discovery mechanisms become more influential. The organizations that thrive will be those that treat digital identity not as a compliance requirement but as a foundational capability underpinning trust, personalization and growth.

From Identity Verification to Trust Infrastructure

The next chapter of digital commerce will be defined by trust. Not trust built through lengthy forms, excessive data collection or intrusive verification processes. Trust built through intelligent, privacy-conscious systems that enable businesses to verify what matters while respecting consumer expectations.

Digital identity is no longer simply about proving who someone is. It is about enabling secure, trusted and meaningful relationships between businesses and the people they serve. As AI continues to reshape commerce, organizations that invest in modern verification frameworks and data-minimization integrations will be better positioned to navigate the changes ahead.

Ultimately, the future belongs to businesses that can answer a simple but increasingly important question: how do you establish trust without creating friction? And clearly… digital identity is a strong bet.

We've listed the 8 best ecommerce platforms.

This article was produced as part of TechRadar Pro Perspectives, our channel to feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today.

The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/pro/perspectives-how-to-submit

.com has long been established as the undisputed top dog when it comes to domains. Yet in 2026, a clear shift is underway in how brands select Top-Level Domains (TLDs) – with the likes of .ai, .io, and .store all seeing elevated rates of adoption.

These trends became transparent in Wix's study of domain registration trends in 2026. So, I spoke with Inbal Geva, Product Lead and GM at Wix Domains, to dive a little deeper into how TLD selection is starting to change and how businesses can make the most of this opportunity.

The study shows that .store websites drive 10% more sales than .com - why do you think that is?

One possibility is that this domain extension tells site visitors exactly what they are getting from the site (a store), which could mean more qualified shoppers are visiting the site. It also implies that the store owner is very clear about what they are selling on their site.

It also shows that .org websites are 34% more likely to drive ecommerce revenue than .com websites. What does the data tell us about why this might be?

The data shows an interesting correlation, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that the .org extension itself drives more ecommerce revenue.

.org is commonly associated with established organizations, nonprofits, and mission-driven businesses, which may have stronger communities and more engaged audiences. That could contribute to higher ecommerce activity.

So rather than attributing the difference to the extension itself, we see it as an indication that the types of organizations using .org — and the audiences they attract — may behave differently online.

.store, .online, and .shop registrations doubled in five months; does this highlight a shift in how businesses want to be represented online? Or is it more likely to reflect supply and affordability issues with .com domains?

So far, our data and the suggestion tests we’ve run consistently show that users still strongly prefer established TLDs, especially .com. So I wouldn’t conclude from the growth of .store, .online, and .shop that users now prefer changing the extension over adjusting the domain name.

What’s more interesting is that we’re seeing growing adoption of alternative TLDs, but .com remains the clear first choice. The growth of specific extensions can be driven by several factors — better availability of desirable names, pricing and promotions, increased visibility and distribution, and stronger marketing by the registries themselves.

Is .com still the default TLD? Or does it face a threat from others?

People clearly prefer a .com domain when their brand name is available.

Inbal Geva, Product Lead & GM at Wix Domains

.com is still the default.

People clearly prefer a .com domain when their brand name is available. Many users will still make a small adjustment to the domain name in order to keep .com, so I wouldn’t say it’s under threat. But alternative TLDs can still be appealing if your ideal .com is already registered. We also see people having fun with extensions like .yoga for yoga studios, .bar for a bar, and so on.

.ai increased by +20% from January to May 2026, and .io increased by a massive 32x in May 2026. Are these increases tied to a specific batch of business or product launches, or does it signal a more generic rise in these tech-associated TLDs?

We’ve seen more interest in tech and AI-driven extensions. Wix’s States of Website report showed that creators aren't treating their domains as an afterthought, but rather as a decision that is made early on in the process.

They're committing to them faster, which implies that they are taking choosing a domain name seriously. These TLDs immediately signal what the brand is about before you even get to the website.

How does the use of TLDs like .shop, .io, .ai, and .online impact a website's ability to perform well in SEO, AEO, and GEO?

Certain industries congregate around certain TLDs.

Tech uses .io, and AI founders use .ai. This means that the TLD can act as an additional contextual signal for LLMs that are looking for answers on niche topics. From an SEO point of view, this can also mean that users are more likely to click through to sites where the domain matches their intent. All of this is great for growth and visibility.

Wix analyzed almost a million domain registrations. What trend or statistic did you find most surprising?

Our data shows that .com alternatives can still perform well for businesses.

Inbal Geva, Product Lead & GM at Wix Domains

Historically, .com alternatives were sometimes seen as second best. But our data shows that .com alternatives can still perform well for businesses.

eCommerce sites with a .store extension earn 10% more revenue than sites with a .com extension. This doesn’t mean .com is bad—again, it’s still the default—but it means alternative extensions could be worth considering.

.com has long been established as the undisputed top dog when it comes to domains. Yet in 2026, a clear shift is underway in how brands select Top-Level Domains (TLDs) – with the likes of .ai, .io, and .store all seeing elevated rates of adoption.

These trends became transparent in Wix's study of domain registration trends in 2026. So, I spoke with Inbal Geva, Product Lead and GM at Wix Domains, to dive a little deeper into how TLD selection is starting to change and how businesses can make the most of this opportunity.

The study shows that .store websites drive 10% more sales than .com - why do you think that is?

One possibility is that this domain extension tells site visitors exactly what they are getting from the site (a store), which could mean more qualified shoppers are visiting the site. It also implies that the store owner is very clear about what they are selling on their site.

It also shows that .org websites are 34% more likely to drive ecommerce revenue than .com websites. What does the data tell us about why this might be?

The data shows an interesting correlation, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that the .org extension itself drives more ecommerce revenue.

.org is commonly associated with established organizations, nonprofits, and mission-driven businesses, which may have stronger communities and more engaged audiences. That could contribute to higher ecommerce activity.

So rather than attributing the difference to the extension itself, we see it as an indication that the types of organizations using .org — and the audiences they attract — may behave differently online.

.store, .online, and .shop registrations doubled in five months; does this highlight a shift in how businesses want to be represented online? Or is it more likely to reflect supply and affordability issues with .com domains?

So far, our data and the suggestion tests we’ve run consistently show that users still strongly prefer established TLDs, especially .com. So I wouldn’t conclude from the growth of .store, .online, and .shop that users now prefer changing the extension over adjusting the domain name.

What’s more interesting is that we’re seeing growing adoption of alternative TLDs, but .com remains the clear first choice. The growth of specific extensions can be driven by several factors — better availability of desirable names, pricing and promotions, increased visibility and distribution, and stronger marketing by the registries themselves.

Is .com still the default TLD? Or does it face a threat from others?

People clearly prefer a .com domain when their brand name is available.

Inbal Geva, Product Lead & GM at Wix Domains

.com is still the default.

People clearly prefer a .com domain when their brand name is available. Many users will still make a small adjustment to the domain name in order to keep .com, so I wouldn’t say it’s under threat. But alternative TLDs can still be appealing if your ideal .com is already registered. We also see people having fun with extensions like .yoga for yoga studios, .bar for a bar, and so on.

.ai increased by +20% from January to May 2026, and .io increased by a massive 32x in May 2026. Are these increases tied to a specific batch of business or product launches, or does it signal a more generic rise in these tech-associated TLDs?

We’ve seen more interest in tech and AI-driven extensions. Wix’s States of Website report showed that creators aren't treating their domains as an afterthought, but rather as a decision that is made early on in the process.

They're committing to them faster, which implies that they are taking choosing a domain name seriously. These TLDs immediately signal what the brand is about before you even get to the website.

How does the use of TLDs like .shop, .io, .ai, and .online impact a website's ability to perform well in SEO, AEO, and GEO?

Certain industries congregate around certain TLDs.

Tech uses .io, and AI founders use .ai. This means that the TLD can act as an additional contextual signal for LLMs that are looking for answers on niche topics. From an SEO point of view, this can also mean that users are more likely to click through to sites where the domain matches their intent. All of this is great for growth and visibility.

Wix analyzed almost a million domain registrations. What trend or statistic did you find most surprising?

Our data shows that .com alternatives can still perform well for businesses.

Inbal Geva, Product Lead & GM at Wix Domains

Historically, .com alternatives were sometimes seen as second best. But our data shows that .com alternatives can still perform well for businesses.

eCommerce sites with a .store extension earn 10% more revenue than sites with a .com extension. This doesn’t mean .com is bad—again, it’s still the default—but it means alternative extensions could be worth considering.

Forget everything you think you know about China’s internet and read this first.

After a less-than-enthusiastic response to 2023's 360 Vis Nav, Dyson got the wheels rolling on its return to the robot vacuum market last year with its Spot+Scrub Ai. Now it seems momentum is building: this September the brand unveiled not one, but three new bots that would be joining the lineup.

There's the flagship R3 Nurovi Spot+Scrub UV — a successor to the Spot+Scrub Ai — alongside the R2 Nurovi Wash+Dry, and the R1 Nurovi Dry. I got a peek at all three at Dyson's IFA-adjacent launch event earlier in the month, and was intrigued to see some unique new features.

To get the inside scoop, I caught up with Nathan Lawson Mclean, a Dyson senior design manager who works across the brand's home products. Here are the five most surprising things I learned about the new Nurovi robot vacuum range...

1. Triangle mops have been in Dyson's invention cupboard for years

The R2 Nurovi Wash+Dry has a rather unusual mopping setup. Instead of two circular discs, it uses a pair of rounded 'Reuleaux' triangles. These rotate 'eccentrically' — that is, the point of rotation isn't central. The pads move like a rotary engine, or a Spirograph, depending on your preferred analogy. The benefit is the shape can get much closer into corners.

What's interesting is that this design has been in Dyson's back pocket for a while now, just waiting to be added to a suitable product.

"These have always been in development," says Lawson Mclean. "I remember the first Reuleaux pads — those were initially developed back in 2019. We put it on the front of a brush bar in a cleaner just to try and get into corners. And what it ended up doing, you can imagine, [it was] a bit like riding a bicycle with square wheels. It caused too much ricocheting."

As shown above, one of the mop pads can extend to the side to get closer to room edges (Image credit: Future)

This is apparently not an unusual scenario at Dyson. "We're actually always developing these technologies in tandem," he continues. "It's just about what's the right timing; the platform that we're able to integrate it on. You'll see that we're starting to get to the point where we're packing [new products] full of our unique Dyson technologies."

2. Not everyone wanted the side sweepers

All three of the new Nurovi robovacs have distinctive side sweepers. They feature a design that Lawson Mclean calls 'origami-inspired', but to me, looks more like a fish's fin. Apparently, the brand founder wasn't a fan originally.

"Side sweepers were always a bit of a faux pas with James Dyson," reveals Lawson Mclean. "He hated them. He thought they scattered dirt everywhere." For that reason, the brand's early models didn't have side sweepers at all — the 360 Vis Nav had a side duct that poked out when the bot sensed it was near the edge of a room.

"Side sweepers are fantastic. They are just a little chaotic. They also tend to wear out," continues Lawson Mclean. "More importantly, in James' eyes, they [end up getting] wrapped and covered in hair, which is a bit gross."

(Image credit: Future)

For the Nurovi, the Dyson engineers reimagined the traditional sweeper style to solve these issues, using "some of the advanced geometry" from the brand's conical cleaner heads found on the likes of the Dyson V16.

"It kind of has this really interesting over-molded pattern… that holds the nylon bristles at a very specific angle on the floor, helping us to avoid scattering this dust around, and corral things in a more controlled manner. It also stops hair wrapping around it so readily, too," says Lawson Mclean. "So it's a small, simple, effective, quality of life improvement."

3. UV will light up spills 'like a bowling alley'

The big, flashy upgrade found on the flagship R3 Nurovi Spot+Scrub UV is… well, UV. A UV light mounted onto the bot will highlight dried-on, invisible substances, ranging from sugary drinks to milk, tonic water and sparkling water. The R3 will then 'scrub' back and forth over the area to clear the mess before it gets sticky, or starts to smell.

"As the robot's running around your home on its mission, it will now expose these totally invisible stains that become breeding grounds for bacteria," explains Lawson Mclean. "You'd be surprised what fluoresces — a bit like a bowling alley in your own home.

4. The R1 is for those who don't trust robo-mops

It's increasingly rare to see a vacuum-only robot vac on the market these days, but Dyson has included one in its new lineup: the R1 Nurovi Dry. There were a multitude of reasons for this bot to exist, says Lawson Mclean. It's great for people who don't have have hard flooring in their home, or are looking for a more affordable option, or simply want to avoid — as he puts it — "a great big bloody dock like some robots have".

But it's also designed as an option for those who are wary of robo-mops. "There are many people who — I know for a fact, through user trials — don't trust robotic vacuums with their carpets. You know… we've ruined many of James' Persian rugs over the years," he recalls, presumably referring to brand founder James Dyson. "[It's] perhaps even a bit of an entry gateway to robotic vacuums, converting those people that don't really see the value of wet and dry robots just yet."

The Dyson R1 Nurovi (left) is a vacuum-only sister model to the wet-and-dry R2 (right) (Image credit: Future)5. One major update has nothing to do with the design

There are plenty of interesting design features, but it might turn out that one of the most significant upgrades is nothing to do with the robot itself at all. "I think when we talk about, 'Why are people not using this fantastic technology?', there's a lot of barriers. There are, just really pragmatically," says Lawson Mclean. "Even, I think, with people [in their 30s], they go, yeah, I don't really understand it, I don't really know what the setup is like."

Dyson's response has been to set up a 'white glove' onboarding service, which takes the form of an actual human who will, via video call, walk you through the setup process. That includes everything from unboxing and connecting the bot to mapping your home properly.

It's part of the new 'Dyson Concierge' service, and it's free with your purchase. (At time of writing, the service is being advertised on Dyson US, but not yet on the UK or Australian sites — I'm confirming if and when it'll be available in these territories.)

"When we started doing it, we just saw this huge uplift," recalls Lawson Mclean. "It wasn't a problem with the robots. It was just a problem with people having poor maps to begin with because perhaps they left a door closed, you know?"

Take a look at the full Dyson robovac range

Below you can see the Dyson robot vacuums currently available in your country.

Note: the R3 Spot+Scrub UV is not yet available to buy. In the US, it was meant to launch exclusively at CostCo in early September, but at time of writing (14 Sept) is hasn't arrived yet. It's due to arrive in the UK and Australia in 'early 2027'.

Dyson R1 Nurovi Dry

Dyson R2 Nurovi Wash+Dry

Dyson Spot+Scrub Ai Robot Vacuum

The Spot+Scrub Ai Robot Vacuum is Dyson's previous-gen robot vacuum — it'll be superseded by the R3 Nurovi Spot+Scrub UV when that model becomes available. It has a similar feature where it'll 'spot' stains and 'scrub' back and forth over them, but it's not powered by UV light.

Read our full review

Pros

• Good hardware
• Great at little-and-often cleaning
• Excellent self-cleaning
• Smart obstacle avoidance
• Auto vacuuming works well
• Bagless design

Cons

• Some navigation issues
• Unreliable self-empty
• Loud in every mode
• Large vacuum and dock
• Hair wrap on roller
• Transparent bins display dirt

After a less-than-enthusiastic response to 2023's 360 Vis Nav, Dyson got the wheels rolling on its return to the robot vacuum market last year with its Spot+Scrub Ai. Now it seems momentum is building: this September the brand unveiled not one, but three new bots that would be joining the lineup.

There's the flagship R3 Nurovi Spot+Scrub UV — a successor to the Spot+Scrub Ai — alongside the R2 Nurovi Wash+Dry, and the R1 Nurovi Dry. I got a peek at all three at Dyson's IFA-adjacent launch event earlier in the month, and was intrigued to see some unique new features.

To get the inside scoop, I caught up with Nathan Lawson Mclean, a Dyson senior design manager who works across the brand's home products. Here are the five most surprising things I learned about the new Nurovi robot vacuum range...

1. Triangle mops have been in Dyson's invention cupboard for years

The R2 Nurovi Wash+Dry has a rather unusual mopping setup. Instead of two circular discs, it uses a pair of rounded 'Reuleaux' triangles. These rotate 'eccentrically' — that is, the point of rotation isn't central. The pads move like a rotary engine, or a Spirograph, depending on your preferred analogy. The benefit is the shape can get much closer into corners.

What's interesting is that this design has been in Dyson's back pocket for a while now, just waiting to be added to a suitable product.

"These have always been in development," says Lawson Mclean. "I remember the first Reuleaux pads — those were initially developed back in 2019. We put it on the front of a brush bar in a cleaner just to try and get into corners. And what it ended up doing, you can imagine, [it was] a bit like riding a bicycle with square wheels. It caused too much ricocheting."

As shown above, one of the mop pads can extend to the side to get closer to room edges (Image credit: Future)

This is apparently not an unusual scenario at Dyson. "We're actually always developing these technologies in tandem," he continues. "It's just about what's the right timing; the platform that we're able to integrate it on. You'll see that we're starting to get to the point where we're packing [new products] full of our unique Dyson technologies."

2. Not everyone wanted the side sweepers

All three of the new Nurovi robovacs have distinctive side sweepers. They feature a design that Lawson Mclean calls 'origami-inspired', but to me, looks more like a fish's fin. Apparently, the brand founder wasn't a fan originally.

"Side sweepers were always a bit of a faux pas with James Dyson," reveals Lawson Mclean. "He hated them. He thought they scattered dirt everywhere." For that reason, the brand's early models didn't have side sweepers at all — the 360 Vis Nav had a side duct that poked out when the bot sensed it was near the edge of a room.

"Side sweepers are fantastic. They are just a little chaotic. They also tend to wear out," continues Lawson Mclean. "More importantly, in James' eyes, they [end up getting] wrapped and covered in hair, which is a bit gross."

(Image credit: Future)

For the Nurovi, the Dyson engineers reimagined the traditional sweeper style to solve these issues, using "some of the advanced geometry" from the brand's conical cleaner heads found on the likes of the Dyson V16.

"It kind of has this really interesting over-molded pattern… that holds the nylon bristles at a very specific angle on the floor, helping us to avoid scattering this dust around, and corral things in a more controlled manner. It also stops hair wrapping around it so readily, too," says Lawson Mclean. "So it's a small, simple, effective, quality of life improvement."

3. UV will light up spills 'like a bowling alley'

The big, flashy upgrade found on the flagship R3 Nurovi Spot+Scrub UV is… well, UV. A UV light mounted onto the bot will highlight dried-on, invisible substances, ranging from sugary drinks to milk, tonic water and sparkling water. The R3 will then 'scrub' back and forth over the area to clear the mess before it gets sticky, or starts to smell.

"As the robot's running around your home on its mission, it will now expose these totally invisible stains that become breeding grounds for bacteria," explains Lawson Mclean. "You'd be surprised what fluoresces — a bit like a bowling alley in your own home.

4. The R1 is for those who don't trust robo-mops

It's increasingly rare to see a vacuum-only robot vac on the market these days, but Dyson has included one in its new lineup: the R1 Nurovi Dry. There were a multitude of reasons for this bot to exist, says Lawson Mclean. It's great for people who don't have have hard flooring in their home, or are looking for a more affordable option, or simply want to avoid — as he puts it — "a great big bloody dock like some robots have".

But it's also designed as an option for those who are wary of robo-mops. "There are many people who — I know for a fact, through user trials — don't trust robotic vacuums with their carpets. You know… we've ruined many of James' Persian rugs over the years," he recalls, presumably referring to brand founder James Dyson. "[It's] perhaps even a bit of an entry gateway to robotic vacuums, converting those people that don't really see the value of wet and dry robots just yet."

The Dyson R1 Nurovi (left) is a vacuum-only sister model to the wet-and-dry R2 (right) (Image credit: Future)5. One major update has nothing to do with the design

There are plenty of interesting design features, but it might turn out that one of the most significant upgrades is nothing to do with the robot itself at all. "I think when we talk about, 'Why are people not using this fantastic technology?', there's a lot of barriers. There are, just really pragmatically," says Lawson Mclean. "Even, I think, with people [in their 30s], they go, yeah, I don't really understand it, I don't really know what the setup is like."

Dyson's response has been to set up a 'white glove' onboarding service, which takes the form of an actual human who will, via video call, walk you through the setup process. That includes everything from unboxing and connecting the bot to mapping your home properly.

It's part of the new 'Dyson Concierge' service, and it's free with your purchase. (At time of writing, the service is being advertised on Dyson US, but not yet on the UK or Australian sites — I'm confirming if and when it'll be available in these territories.)

"When we started doing it, we just saw this huge uplift," recalls Lawson Mclean. "It wasn't a problem with the robots. It was just a problem with people having poor maps to begin with because perhaps they left a door closed, you know?"

Take a look at the full Dyson robovac range

Below you can see the Dyson robot vacuums currently available in your country.

Note: the R3 Spot+Scrub UV is not yet available to buy. In the US, it was meant to launch exclusively at CostCo in early September, but at time of writing (14 Sept) is hasn't arrived yet. It's due to arrive in the UK and Australia in 'early 2027'.

Dyson R1 Nurovi Dry

Dyson R2 Nurovi Wash+Dry

Dyson Spot+Scrub Ai Robot Vacuum

The Spot+Scrub Ai Robot Vacuum is Dyson's previous-gen robot vacuum — it'll be superseded by the R3 Nurovi Spot+Scrub UV when that model becomes available. It has a similar feature where it'll 'spot' stains and 'scrub' back and forth over them, but it's not powered by UV light.

Read our full review

Pros

• Good hardware
• Great at little-and-often cleaning
• Excellent self-cleaning
• Smart obstacle avoidance
• Auto vacuuming works well
• Bagless design

Cons

• Some navigation issues
• Unreliable self-empty
• Loud in every mode
• Large vacuum and dock
• Hair wrap on roller
• Transparent bins display dirt

Corsair's Vengeance RBG memory has consistently impressed us in use, and with the on-going memory crisis sending prices sky-rocketing, we're constantly on the look-out for discounts on its speedy DDR5 RAM. And we've found on on the the white 32GB Corsair Vengeance RGB DDR5-6000 kit over at Newegg.

• Best for: PC builders and gamers who want 32GB of fast DDR5 memory for a compatible Intel system.

• The deal: The white Corsair Vengeance RGB 32GB DDR5-6000 kit is $480 (was $500) at Newegg when you use code GGUF239

• Why it matters: You get two 16GB DDR5-6000 modules with CL36-44-44-96 timings, Intel XMP 3.0 support and onboard voltage regulation. Each module also has ten individually addressable RGB LEDs that you can customize through Corsair iCUE.

• The catch: You'll need a DDR5-compatible motherboard, with Corsair recommending Intel 600 and 700 series models. You'll also typically need to enable XMP in the BIOS to reach the advertised speed.

32GB Vengeance RGB DDR5-6000 RAM: was $499.99 now $479.99
This 32GB dual-channel kit includes two 16GB DDR5-6000 modules with CL36-44-44-96 timings, 1.40V operation, Intel XMP 3.0, aluminum heat spreaders, ten-zone RGB lighting, iCUE support and onboard voltage regulation.

Use coupon GGUF239 to get the cheapest price.View Deal

Also consider

32GB Vengeance RGB DDR5-6000 RAM: was $599.68 now $490.87
This 32GB dual-channel kit includes two 16GB DDR5-6000 modules with CL36 timings, Intel XMP 3.0 support, onboard voltage regulation and ten individually addressable RGB LEDs per module for customizable lighting.View Deal

Why we recommend it

A 32GB dual-channel kit provides plenty of memory for a modern PC, giving you room for demanding multitasking, content creation and other memory-intensive applications. The DDR5-6000 speed provides a good balance between bandwidth and compatibility, and Intel XMP 3.0 support makes it easier to run the memory at its advertised settings without manually tweaking values in the BIOS.

Price context & historical value

Newegg currently lists the 32GB kit at $499.99, with promo code GGUF239 reducing the checkout price by $20 to $479.99. The current $479.99 price isn't the lowest we've seen for this exact kit however. It was $439.99 last autumn.

RAM prices can vary considerably right now, so the value here depends heavily on wanting this particular white RGB configuration rather than simply looking for the cheapest 32GB DDR5 kit.

Should you buy it?

✅ Buy the Corsair Vengeance RGB if...

You're building or upgrading a DDR5 Intel PC and want 32GB of fast memory that also looks good. DDR5-6000, XMP 3.0 and customizable RGB lighting make it particularly appealing for a build with a windowed case.

❌ Skip the Corsair Vengeance RGB if...

You're primarily interested in getting 32GB of DDR5 memory for the lowest possible price. You're paying extra for the white heat spreaders, RGB lighting and Corsair ecosystem.

The Catch: What to know before you buy

This is DDR5 memory, so it won't work in a motherboard that only accepts DDR4. Corsair specifically recommends the kit for compatible Intel platforms, including Intel 600 and 700 series motherboards.

The advertised DDR5-6000 specification also relies on an XMP performance profile, so won't necessarily run at that speed straight after installation. Its CL36-44-44-96 timings operate at 1.40V, so you'll need to enable the appropriate XMP profile in your BIOS to get the best settings.

• Shop all RAM at Newegg

Corsair's Vengeance RBG memory has consistently impressed us in use, and with the on-going memory crisis sending prices sky-rocketing, we're constantly on the look-out for discounts on its speedy DDR5 RAM. And we've found on on the the white 32GB Corsair Vengeance RGB DDR5-6000 kit over at Newegg.

• Best for: PC builders and gamers who want 32GB of fast DDR5 memory for a compatible Intel system.

• The deal: The white Corsair Vengeance RGB 32GB DDR5-6000 kit is $480 (was $500) at Newegg when you use code GGUF239

• Why it matters: You get two 16GB DDR5-6000 modules with CL36-44-44-96 timings, Intel XMP 3.0 support and onboard voltage regulation. Each module also has ten individually addressable RGB LEDs that you can customize through Corsair iCUE.

• The catch: You'll need a DDR5-compatible motherboard, with Corsair recommending Intel 600 and 700 series models. You'll also typically need to enable XMP in the BIOS to reach the advertised speed.

32GB Vengeance RGB DDR5-6000 RAM: was $499.99 now $479.99
This 32GB dual-channel kit includes two 16GB DDR5-6000 modules with CL36-44-44-96 timings, 1.40V operation, Intel XMP 3.0, aluminum heat spreaders, ten-zone RGB lighting, iCUE support and onboard voltage regulation.

Use coupon GGUF239 to get the cheapest price.View Deal

Also consider

32GB Vengeance RGB DDR5-6000 RAM: was $599.68 now $490.87
This 32GB dual-channel kit includes two 16GB DDR5-6000 modules with CL36 timings, Intel XMP 3.0 support, onboard voltage regulation and ten individually addressable RGB LEDs per module for customizable lighting.View Deal

Why we recommend it

A 32GB dual-channel kit provides plenty of memory for a modern PC, giving you room for demanding multitasking, content creation and other memory-intensive applications. The DDR5-6000 speed provides a good balance between bandwidth and compatibility, and Intel XMP 3.0 support makes it easier to run the memory at its advertised settings without manually tweaking values in the BIOS.

Price context & historical value

Newegg currently lists the 32GB kit at $499.99, with promo code GGUF239 reducing the checkout price by $20 to $479.99. The current $479.99 price isn't the lowest we've seen for this exact kit however. It was $439.99 last autumn.

RAM prices can vary considerably right now, so the value here depends heavily on wanting this particular white RGB configuration rather than simply looking for the cheapest 32GB DDR5 kit.

Should you buy it?

✅ Buy the Corsair Vengeance RGB if...

You're building or upgrading a DDR5 Intel PC and want 32GB of fast memory that also looks good. DDR5-6000, XMP 3.0 and customizable RGB lighting make it particularly appealing for a build with a windowed case.

❌ Skip the Corsair Vengeance RGB if...

You're primarily interested in getting 32GB of DDR5 memory for the lowest possible price. You're paying extra for the white heat spreaders, RGB lighting and Corsair ecosystem.

The Catch: What to know before you buy

This is DDR5 memory, so it won't work in a motherboard that only accepts DDR4. Corsair specifically recommends the kit for compatible Intel platforms, including Intel 600 and 700 series motherboards.

The advertised DDR5-6000 specification also relies on an XMP performance profile, so won't necessarily run at that speed straight after installation. Its CL36-44-44-96 timings operate at 1.40V, so you'll need to enable the appropriate XMP profile in your BIOS to get the best settings.

• Shop all RAM at Newegg

• Krafton announced PUBG: Dednet at Gamescom this year
• The '90s-inspired shooter features some bonkers abilities
• "We're kind of finding our own way here," explains game director Dave Curd

Players slithering along the ground like snakes, swords for hands, a tiny doll wielding a power drill driving in a toy car — some of these wild sights seen in the debut trailer for PUBG: Dednet seem completely at odds with the realistic and reserved approach the defining battle royale series is known for. When I bring this up to the game's creative director, Dave Curd, he tells me that is entirely the point.

"If you want to excite and delight people, you have to give them something fresh," he says me in an interview at Gamescom. "If you want a cool, stoic, mil-sim, take your pick; they're everywhere. But what everyone else can't do, and maybe they don't want to, is my take on this world, this lore, these characters, these abilities."

Curd explains that the tone of PUBG: Dednet is like "my version of the 90s filtered through a meatgrinder," and you can certainly see that from the debut trailer. It's zany, over-the-top, and drenched in color, with gunfights taking place in arcades, car chases through rural towns lit up by neon signs, and a grungy, punk vibe throughout. Safe to say, it stands out.

"The audience will forgive almost anything but being bored," suggests Curd. "So, I think this trailer will get a lot of love and hate.

"As long as they're feeling something passionately, I think we've done a good job," he continues. "But if people look past that and their eyes glaze over, then that would be worrying."

While Dednet is still effectively a battle royale, pitting multiple teams of three against each other in a contest to be the last ones standing, it continues to mix things up not just in the tone and character abilities, but also in how your game progresses over time with several roguelite elements.

It starts with the concept of runs, where you might nominate how many wins or placements you can achieve before you hit a certain number of losses. Win or lose, at the end of a match, you're presented with choices that can alter or upgrade your chosen character's abilities and play style.

Perhaps you'll lean into more of a support role to assist your teammates with heals or protection with a riot shield made out of a car door? Or maybe you'll take that aforementioned doll, who can ride on your back into battle or stealthily sit on your opponent's shoulder and be a nuisance.

(Image credit: Krafton)

"I'm pretty confident this isn't going to be in this year's Battlefield update," jokes Curd, when explaining how they came up with abilities like this for the multiplayer shooter. "I think our internal test is: does it make us laugh? Does it sound like an interesting challenge? And do we think about it the next day? We're kind of finding our own way here."

That neatly summarises how Dave Curd and the team are experimenting for PUBG: Dednet to create something unique and interesting in the space. It definitely caught my eye during this year's Gamescom, and if it got your attention too, you can pre-register for the closed beta now.

• Krafton announced PUBG: Dednet at Gamescom this year
• The '90s-inspired shooter features some bonkers abilities
• "We're kind of finding our own way here," explains game director Dave Curd

Players slithering along the ground like snakes, swords for hands, a tiny doll wielding a power drill driving in a toy car — some of these wild sights seen in the debut trailer for PUBG: Dednet seem completely at odds with the realistic and reserved approach the defining battle royale series is known for. When I bring this up to the game's creative director, Dave Curd, he tells me that is entirely the point.

"If you want to excite and delight people, you have to give them something fresh," he says me in an interview at Gamescom. "If you want a cool, stoic, mil-sim, take your pick; they're everywhere. But what everyone else can't do, and maybe they don't want to, is my take on this world, this lore, these characters, these abilities."

Curd explains that the tone of PUBG: Dednet is like "my version of the 90s filtered through a meatgrinder," and you can certainly see that from the debut trailer. It's zany, over-the-top, and drenched in color, with gunfights taking place in arcades, car chases through rural towns lit up by neon signs, and a grungy, punk vibe throughout. Safe to say, it stands out.

"The audience will forgive almost anything but being bored," suggests Curd. "So, I think this trailer will get a lot of love and hate.

"As long as they're feeling something passionately, I think we've done a good job," he continues. "But if people look past that and their eyes glaze over, then that would be worrying."

While Dednet is still effectively a battle royale, pitting multiple teams of three against each other in a contest to be the last ones standing, it continues to mix things up not just in the tone and character abilities, but also in how your game progresses over time with several roguelite elements.

It starts with the concept of runs, where you might nominate how many wins or placements you can achieve before you hit a certain number of losses. Win or lose, at the end of a match, you're presented with choices that can alter or upgrade your chosen character's abilities and play style.

Perhaps you'll lean into more of a support role to assist your teammates with heals or protection with a riot shield made out of a car door? Or maybe you'll take that aforementioned doll, who can ride on your back into battle or stealthily sit on your opponent's shoulder and be a nuisance.

(Image credit: Krafton)

"I'm pretty confident this isn't going to be in this year's Battlefield update," jokes Curd, when explaining how they came up with abilities like this for the multiplayer shooter. "I think our internal test is: does it make us laugh? Does it sound like an interesting challenge? And do we think about it the next day? We're kind of finding our own way here."

That neatly summarises how Dave Curd and the team are experimenting for PUBG: Dednet to create something unique and interesting in the space. It definitely caught my eye during this year's Gamescom, and if it got your attention too, you can pre-register for the closed beta now.

Today's the day when Apple starts rolling out iOS 27 to millions of iPhones around the world — and as I've been using the developer version of the software since it was first pushed out in June, I can tell you about the best features coming your way.

The good news is that every iPhone that can run iOS 26 can also run iOS 27, though some of the more advanced Siri AI features (like the ability to change its pace and 'expressivity') are only available on the newer models with more powerful chipsets.

You'll get a notification popping up on your phone when iOS 27 is ready for you, but if you're not patient enough for that you can open up Settings on iOS and tap General > Software Update to see if there's an update waiting.

1. Reframe your photos

(Image credit: Future / Apple)

iOS 27 arrives with some clever AI-powered photo editing tricks, including one called Reframe. It lets you slightly change the angle of a picture you've taken, with AI adjusting the background to match.

In Photos, tap on an image to open it, then tap the icon showing three sliders at the bottom. If you then tap Tools and Reframe, you can touch and drag on the screen to change the perspective (use two fingers to pan and zoom). Tap Reframe to confirm.

The other options on the Tools menu can be useful too: Extend will use AI to imagine a wider background canvas for you, while Clean Up lets you remove specific objects or people from your images.

2. Create Shortcuts with natural language

Creating shortcuts with natural language (Image credit: Future)

The Shortcuts app is one of the most powerful tools available in iOS, but as we've written about before, it's not all that easy to use. With the new software update, building shortcuts becomes much easier: you can just describe the combinations you want using natural language, which significantly simplifies the process.

Shortcuts let you set up a myriad of automations and routines on your iPhone: turn text into audio, play a podcast after your morning alarm, tag notes in batches, let people know you're running late, create GIFs from videos, and a whole lot more. Open the Gallery tab in the shortcuts app for some inspiration.

With iOS 27 installed, if you tap the + (plus) button on the main All Shortcuts screen, you can simply describe what you want your shortcut to do — whether it's attaching screenshots to emails or summarizing your to do list for the day.

3. Choose a separate alarm volume

Not a feature that's going to necessarily grab the headlines, but definitely one of the most useful ones that I've come across since I first installed iOS 27: you can now set alarm volumes separately from the main ringtone and system volumes.

Head into Sounds & Haptics from Settings on iOS, turn off the Match Ringtone Volume toggle switch under Alarms and Timers, and set your preferred alarm volume — a customization that's been long overdue.

4. Adjust the Liquid Glass effect

Adjusting Liquid Glass in iOS 27 (Image credit: Future)

The people asked, and Apple listened: you can now take the edge off the Liquid Glass effect if you find it a bit overwhelming in its default state. The available adjustments aren't huge, but you can tone it down (or turn it up) a little.

From Settings in iOS, tap Appearance > Liquid Glass. You get a slider that lets you shift from quite a lot of transparency (on the left) to hardly any transparency (on the right), with the changes previewed for you on the image above.

Apple has also done some cleaning up of Liquid Glass in iOS 27, so you should notice a few refinements as you start using the new operating system: as per Apple, Liquid Glass now offers "more uniform refraction and improved contrast", while individual app icons have been made "sharper and more detailed".

5. Siri AI

(Image credit: Future)

The biggest new feature in iOS 27 is the comprehensive upgrade that Siri's getting. It has a new name (the same as the old name, with "AI" on the end), plus vastly better underlying models (courtesy of Google) that mean it's now on a par with the likes of ChatGPT when it comes to the quality and breadth of answers you get.

So what's actually new? When it first lands, Siri AI will spend a while indexing everything on your phone, so it can give you more context about what's in your texts, calendars, and emails (none of this data gets sent back to Apple) — and it can take more actions inside apps too, including creating notes, rotating photos, resuming podcasts, and much more.

You can now give commands like "show me photos from when I went to Spain" with this personal context, and ask questions like "why do stars twinkle in the sky?" without the assistant handing off to ChatGPT. There's also a standalone Siri app for the first time, meaning you can save your chats and sync them across devices.

• Anthropic and OpenAI are asking governments to work together to slow risky innovation
• US politicians are factoring in AI into their arguments as midterm elections approach
• Trump currently worries that taking the foot off the throttle could let China overtake

Tech leaders at the forefront of AI, including Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, are publicly calling for slow AI innovation in order to buy more time to assess AI risks.

Among the risks highlighted in Amodei's warning are that AI systems could become impossible for humans to control, cyberattacks could become worse and AI could even facilitate biological weaponry.

Subsequently, he's called for external evaluators to gain deeper access to their models and safety processes, but crucially, Amodei advocate for greater government involvement.

Even AI companies want governments to step in

Anthropic's CEO is pushing for democratic countries to agree common AI safety standards and rules, and the eventual international coordination over the most dangerous AI capabilities, including with China.

And it's this international coordination that could prove key to slowing down risky innovation, because to date, US President Donald Trump has pushed back against warnings over worries that slowing down American companies would ultimately cause China to overtake the US.

"Whoever wins AI wins," Trump said (via CNBC).

"If Congress just races in and does some sort of emergency session to try to regulate AI, we will lose the race to China," House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said.

And for the US in particular, now is a more important time than ever. Democratic nominee for Governor of Texas Gina Hinojosa recently described data centers, and therefore AI, as "the fight of this election season."

There's an increasingly narrow pre-election window for legislation as the technology increasingly shows divides not just between the two big parties, but also within them.

"We've reached a new chapter in AI capabilities, and that demands a new chapter for AI policy," OpenAI Chief Global Affairs Officer Chris Lehane wrote. And with the likes of OpenAI and Anthropic, right at the top of American AI, warning about AI's potential impacts, Senator Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., likened the scenario to Dr. Frankenstein "telling us the monster is escaping."

With midterm elections just two months away, we're likely to see discussions around AI ramp up as politicians and influential leaders continue to get involved in guardrail discourse.

• US President Donald Trump says he supports Flock’s license plate cameras
• Most Americans oppose the installation of the devices, a survey suggests
• Several police officers have been arrested after abusing Flock tech

Flock’s automated license plate recognition (ALPR) cameras are continuing to hit the headlines, with the latest controversy being a series of arrests of police officers who were found to be misusing the tech for nefarious purposes. Yet some supportive comments from US President Donald Trump about Flock's cameras and a major new survey show the tech continues to be divisive, rather than unanimously rejected.

After an investigation by USA Today, at least three police officers have been arrested and a fourth was fired after the news outlet “alleged widespread Flock misuse,” which included repeatedly searching for and tracking individual vehicles that were not involved in any criminal activity.

However, it hasn't all been bad news for Flock this week. One significant supporter of the tech appears to be US President Donald Trump — when asked for his opinion on Flock aboard Air Force One, Trump responded that “I sort of like them because of that, because of law enforcement,” while adding that some people “think it’s an infringement.”

When a reporter suggested that Flock cameras “help catch a lot of criminals,” Trump said “I like them". A new survey, conducted for conducted for Reuters by the global market research and consultant firm Ipsos, also shows that while Flock cameras are broadly unpopular among the American public, there are some differences based on political persuasions.

Strong opposition to Flock

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The Reuters survey polled 1,167 adults across the US and found that 47% of those questioned were opposed to the use of Flock cameras in their communities, while 38% were in favor. The remaining 16% said they were unsure.

The majority of Democrats and independents were against the cameras, as were almost all age groups, both male and female respondents, and both those with and without a college degree. However, Republicans and people aged 55 or above came out in favor of the use of Flock.

As for the police officer investigations, USA Today said they've led to at least 22 police officers being “arrested, fired, put on leave or placed under investigation” after they were found to have abused their access to Flock technology.

As a result of one officer in Columbus, Ohio being fired for searching for a single license plate 272 times without adequate reason, Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther said that the city will pause its use of Flock cameras “Until I can report out to the people of Columbus that this isn’t a more widespread issue, that this really is just one person or a few people misusing and abusing this technology.”

Meta’s new Muse AI platform would like the keys to your digital life to help run it for you. Muse is a personal AI agent that Meta built to complete tasks on your behalf, including sending emails, filling out forms, shopping, and pretty much any other activity with an online component.

The AI is available in the U.S. as an app, or through WhatsApp or the Muse.ai portal.

It's a familiar idea in some respects. Muse matches OpenAI and other AI developers in being able to open a browser inside its own cloud-based virtual computer and move between connected services. It returns when it has finished, encounters a problem, or needs permission to do something sensitive.

Meta describes the experience as having an agent that understands your goals and advances them independently. That can come off as sinister, even before it starts asking for permission to essentially be you online by having you sign in to all your online accounts.

Getting started is straightforward, although Muse is currently limited to U.S. adults. You can install the Muse app from your phone's app store, open Meta's Muse website or access it through WhatsApp. There is a free usage tier, while heavier users can pay $20 per month for Power or $100 for Maximum.

Muse shops for you

(Image credit: Meta Muse)

Once you open the app, the first thing the AI does is suggest you pick a nickname for it so you know when it is messaging you. I went with one of the suggested choices, and "Scout" proceeded to ask me what I'd like to do with it, offering a handful of popular options.

I asked Scout to do some shopping for me first, as the AI made it seem like a much smoother process than with other AI tools. I asked it to find me a pair of shorts. It asked my size and went off on its own for a couple of minutes, coming back with a couple of options and pointing to a sale on one particular set. I said okay, and it asked for my Amazon login to make the purchase on my behalf. For an everyday purchase, it was surprisingly pleasant to delegate.

That little interruption was reassuring and unsettling in almost equal measure. Meta says credentials entered this way are routed directly into secure credential storage and are not visible to the main Muse agent. Once stored, they can be inserted into the browser when needed without exposing the actual credentials to Muse's browser subagent. Muse does the legwork, while I remained the person responsible for deciding whether money actually left my account.

This is probably the easiest Muse task I would recommend trying yourself. Give it a product, let it browse, and take over whenever a login or other sensitive interaction appears. It demonstrates the agent's capabilities without immediately granting it access to years of personal correspondence.

Naturally, that was exactly what I did next.

Getting Muse to handle my email

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

I took the plunge and told Scout I wanted help with my email. I had to give it permission to go through my inbox and to write on my behalf, and it asked to use it to learn about me. With some trepidation, I okayed that, and it put together the kind of distorted image of my life you'd expect from someone basing their impression of you solely on your emails.

Scout also brought up an unopened email from the power company about needing to check my solar panels. It offered to write a reply if I could pick from the dates suggested for when they would visit. I did, and a minute later there was a draft pending my approval. It looked fine, and suddenly another little online errand was done.

It felt different from pasting an email into an AI chatbot. Muse's AI could retrieve the context itself rather than making me act as a courier between my inbox and the AI. Of course, it also felt a lot more personal. Meta has acknowledged how sensitive this access is and built specific defenses to prevent issues.

Muse's email connector filters out one-time tokens, password-reset links, and login links, while its Sentinel security layer controls what actions the agent is permitted to take outside its virtual machine. When an action requires my approval, the request comes through Muse's interface rather than simply relying on the agent to interpret a conversational yes.

I would keep that friction in place for email, particularly while getting used to Muse. Saving three minutes responding to a utility company is nice, but it is not worth discovering that your AI assistant has developed an unexpectedly adventurous correspondence style.

Muse is convenience mixed with discomfort

(Image credit: Pixabay)

The more I engaged with Muse, the more the tandem senses of convenience and discomfort grew. Muse feels more frictionless than similar services with virtual browsers. And the combination of data Meta already has and the data it required permission to access made it feel more personal, too. Every improvement in its ability to help me came with another small moment where I had to decide how much access I was willing to grant.

Meta says conversations and VM data are not shared with its advertising systems, although browsing activity performed on your behalf can still influence advertising indirectly because websites may treat Muse's visits as your activity. Meta says sanitized agent interactions and tool activity can be used to train future models, but users can opt out with a switch in Muse's settings. Meta is also developing a Confidential VM mode intended to cryptographically prevent even Meta from accessing information inside the VM.

I was more impressed with Muse than I expected. But that only made me warier about it. Digital chores that consume more time than any one of them deserves are all too common at the moment, and Muse proved remarkably good at stepping into that gap. The catch is that the closer it gets to behaving like a genuinely useful personal assistant, the more personal information it needs to do the job.

If you're thinking of trying Muse then I would recommend starting gradually, beginning with public web tasks and keeping consequential actions behind approvals at first. The frustrating part is that Muse makes a very persuasive argument for personal AI agents. Meta has built something that makes handing an AI more of my digital life appealing, but not when it's attached to the current crop of tech giants offering those services.

iOS 27 is now rolling out to compatible iPhones, and this year, the list of models supported by Apple's new software update is impressively long.

Typically, Apple leaves a handful of iPhones out in the cold when releasing a new version of iOS — the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max, for instance, couldn't run iOS 26 — but refreshingly, the device requirements for iOS 27 are the same as those for iOS 26.

That means the iPhone SE (2020), iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max — all of which you might have expected to lose support this year — will still be able to run iOS 27, which is an impressive showing of software support on Apple's part.

Alas, the device requirements for Apple Intelligence and Siri AI aren't so straightforward, so in this guide, we've detailed the support list for iOS 27, Apple Intelligence, Siri AI, and iPadOS 27.

iOS 27

Even the iPhone 11 can run iOS 27 (Image credit: Future)

Here’s the full compatibility list for iOS 27:

• iPhone SE (2020)
• iPhone 11
• iPhone 11 Pro
• iPhone 11 Pro Max
• iPhone 12
• iPhone 12 Pro
• iPhone 12 Pro Max
• iPhone 12 mini
• iPhone 13
• iPhone 13 Pro
• iPhone 13 Pro Max
• iPhone 13 mini
• iPhone SE (2022)
• iPhone 14
• iPhone 14 Plus
• iPhone 14 Pro
• iPhone 14 Pro Max
• iPhone 15
• iPhone 15 Plus
• iPhone 15 Pro
• iPhone 15 Pro Max
• iPhone 16
• iPhone 16 Plus
• iPhone 16 Pro
• iPhone 16 Pro Max
• iPhone 16e
• iPhone 17
• iPhone 17 Pro
• iPhone 17 Pro Max
• iPhone Air
• iPhone 18 Pro
• iPhone 18 Pro Max
• iPhone Duo

iOS 27 is supported by a whopping 33 iPhone models, which, if I'm not mistaken, is the largest-ever single pool of latest-update-compatible models.

What's more, iOS 27 began rolling out to all 33 of these models in one fell swoop on September 14 — Apple didn't ask owners of older iPhones to wait, which is something we've seen Samsung do, for instance, with its One UI updates.

It’s worth noting, however, that even though older models like the iPhone 11, iPhone 12, and iPhone 13 support iOS 27, Apple Intelligence — which includes features like Clean Up, Live Translation, and Apple's new AI-powered voice assistant, Siri AI — remains locked to the iPhone 15 Pro and newer.

Siri AI

Siri AI in iOS 27 (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

As above, only those iPhones that are already compatible with Apple Intelligence will support Siri AI. The full list is as follows (I've included iPads and MacBooks, too):

• iPhone 15 Pro
• iPhone 15 Pro Max
• iPhone 16
• iPhone 16 Plus
• iPhone 16 Pro
• iPhone 16 Pro Max
• iPhone 16e
• iPhone 17
• iPhone 17 Pro
• iPhone 17 Pro Max
• iPhone Air
• iPhone 18 Pro
• iPhone 18 Pro Max
• iPhone Duo
• iPad models with M1 or later
• MacBooks with M1 or later
• MacBook Neo

Importantly, though, not all Siri AI features will be available on those iPhones, iPads, and MacBooks.

The Siri AI voice customization interface in iOS 27 (Image credit: Apple / Future)

Specifically, expressive voices and advanced dictation are limited to devices powered by Apple’s "most powerful on-device model," AFM Core Advanced. Those devices are as follows:

• iPhone 17 Pro
• iPhone 17 Pro Max
• iPhone Air
• iPhone 18 Pro
• iPhone 18 Pro Max
• iPhone Duo
• iPad Pro models from 2024 and later (7th generation onwards)
• iPad Air models from 2026 and later (8th generation onwards)
• MacBook Pro models from 2023 and later
• MacBook Air models from 2024 and later

Additionally, those iPads and MacBooks will need to be equipped with at least 12GB of memory to be capable of running advanced Siri AI features.

Importantly, Siri AI isn't available in any form on iPhones and iPads in the European Union (EU) or China: "Unfortunately, due to the Digital Markets Act (DMA), Apple will not be able to ship Siri AI in the European Union with the release of iOS 27 and iPadOS 27. Over the past several months, EU regulators did not accept any of Apple’s proposed solutions to bring Siri AI to the EU while safely supporting other virtual assistants," Apple explained in a blog post.

Interestingly, though, EU users can access Siri AI on macOS 27 and visionOS 27.

So, frustratingly, you'll need to meet quite a few criteria if you're hoping to try the best version of Siri AI on your Apple device.

iPadOS 27

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

As for iPads, specifically, the only iPadOS 26-compatible models that don't also support iPadOS 27 are the iPad 10.2-inch (2020), iPad Air 10.5-inch (2019), and iPad mini 7.9-inch (2019).

Here’s the full compatibility list for iPadOS 27:

• iPad models from 2021 and later (9th generation onwards)
• iPad Air models from 2020 and later (4th generation onwards)
• iPad Pro models from 2017 and later (2nd generation onwards)
• iPad mini models from 2021 and later (6th generation onwards)

Side note: almost all iPad models are available in multiple sizes and in Wi-Fi-only and Wi-Fi + Cellular configurations, so, in the interest of readability, I’ve grouped the above models into dated categories.

• Oracle thinks AI will change how we use software, but we'll still use software for years to come
• Agents will interact with structured software, humans will manage those agents
• Overall software revenue dropped 3% but cloud revenue rose 60%

Oracle co-CEO Mike Sicilia just declared on the company's first earnings call of fiscal 2027 that "AI is an accelerator, not a replacement for packaged applications," hitting back against the SaaSpocalypse argument that warns AI could replace traditional software as we know it today.

Central to his argument is that enterprise suites offer standardized, end-to-end processes and rules that AI can't replace. But that's not to say that AI won't have its role in software going forward.

Sicilia admitted that employee training and upskilling has long been a drawback for many software packages, and that's where companies like Oracle could actually lean on artificial intelligence to improve things.

AI isn't going to replace software, Oracle says

With AI, employees no longer need to navigate so many complicated apps themselves, and AI agents can carry out tasks using the company's existing workflows and business rules. Humans will likely move over to supervisory roles, Oracle predicts.

"AI changes this dynamic," Sicilia said, noting that agentic AI could drastically reduce the time and cost involved with deploying enterprise applications.

"We are incredibly confident in the potential for this new paradigm to deliver much more rapid ROI for our customers," he added. The company is slated to add a new agentic AI accelerator to automate parts of SaaS implementation as soon as next month.

But the company isn't without its own challenges when it comes to AI and software. Despite a 10% rise in quarterly SaaS revenue, overall software revenue dropped 3%. Cloud revenue, which includes the company's infrastructure and AI capacity, grew a considerable 60%.

Looking ahead, Oracle's standpoint is that AI may change software interfaces, but it won't actually replace the software that lies beneath.