Technology

• Nintendo has warned against using Switch and Switch 2 systems outside in hot weather
• You should avoid using the system in temperatures above 95°F / 35°C
• The announcement comes during a Tokyo heatwave

Nintendo has issued a warning to those using their consoles outside.

"When using a Nintendo Switch or Nintendo Switch 2 in a high-temperature environment, the device's temperature may rise," said a recent social media post that we have machine translated.

"This could potentially cause malfunctions, so please use it in a location between 5–35°C [41-95°F]," it continued. "Recently, temperatures have been exceeding 35°C [95°F]. Please be cautious when using it outdoors."

The warning comes as summer gets into full swing and temperatures begin to rise. In Japan, Tokyo and the Izu Islands are currently subject to a heat warning, with temperatures expected to reach dangerously high levels on August 6.

Parts of the US are also experiencing heat well into the region of 95°F / 35°C, while the UK is on the tail end of its latest heatwave.

Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 owners should think twice about using their systems outside in such weather conditions in order to avoid potential damage.

If you're looking for some games to try while sat right next to your air conditioning unit, check out our recently updated guide to the 15 best Nintendo Switch 2 games to play in 2025.

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• Nintendo recently opened a survey asking players their opinion on digital and physical games, but it's now closed
• One question asked about physical games featuring a digital download, and has fans wondering if Nintendo will make changes to its divisive Game-Key Cards
• There were also questions about physical games and whether players prefer owning physical or digital games

Nintendo briefly opened a survey asking players their opinion on digital and physical games, suggesting the company is looking for feedback after the launch of the Switch 2 and its divisive Game-Key Cards.

As reported by Eurogamer, on August 4, Nintendo ran a survey to find out what its player base thinks about physical and digital games, with questions aimed at how many Switch games they've purchased for themselves and others.

One question asked users, "In general, when it comes to games for a Nintendo Switch system, do you prefer purchasing games in physical format or in digital format?"

Another asked, "For which of the following reasons would you consider purchasing physical versions of Nintendo Switch games?" with an option to reply with answers like, "I like collecting physical games", "it's easier to gift physical games to others", and "Physical games provide a stronger sense of ownership."

For some reason, the survey has now been deactivated, but another question, asking about physical games featuring a digital download, has fans online wondering if Nintendo will consider making changes to its Game-Key Cards.

"Filled out the Nintendo online survey & was very adamant about letting them know I very much LOVE my physical media & don’t want them ever going away," one BlueSky user said. "I’m not a massive fan of the new keycard approach. Let’s hope Nintendo actually takes this feedback to heart and people show up for physical media."

(Image credit: Future / Sega)

Game-Key Cards are a new form of physical Switch 2 games that contain a download key but don't feature the full game data like other physical editions.

After the player downloads the game, they can play it by inserting the Game-Key Cards into their console and starting it up like a standard physical game.

Some games that offer these Game-Key Cards include Persona 3 Reload, Bravely Default, and more, while new titles like Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza are standard physical game cards like the original Switch.

However, the new cards have become a divisive topic, with many fans worrying that the company might be moving towards a full digital output. Others suggest that since Game-Key Cards don't contain the full game data, players don't have full ownership of their game after purchasing.

In April, Nintendo of America senior vice president of product development and publishing Nate Bihldorff said that Game-Key Cards are "future-proof" and that they will allow for more games on the Switch 2, no matter the size.

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Have you noticed your Fitbit is registering you’re awake more during the night, with your graph now showing more awake events than it did previously? It turns out this isn’t a bug lingering from the recent major outage; it’s an intended side effect of a recent update.

That’s according to a note Fitbit shared with its community explaining that “Your sleep tracking just got more accurate.” Noting this is just the first in a “series of upcoming improvements” to sleep tracking.

Specifically, this first update involves some tweaks to how your Fitbit tracks your sleep to make it more accurate. This is perhaps why your awake time and number of awake events have increased as you do briefly wake up throughout the night (even if you don’t realize), but the old system didn’t correctly track all of these instances.

The upshot is that your Fitbit should more accurately track your night's rest to give you a better measure of your body’s recovery.

(Image credit: Andrea Gaini)

The only unclear thing is which Fitbits will support this new sleep tracking, but we expect it will at least include the Fitbit Charge 6, Inspire 3, Sense 2, and Versa 4 – as these are the four models Google still sells.

Some older models may also be included, but Fitbit hasn’t clarified which ones.

However, if more improvements are planned, these could be detailed at the upcoming Made By Google event, which will happen on August 20 at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm BST / 3am AEST.

While Google promises the event will focus on “the latest additions to our Pixel Portfolio of devices,” Fitbit might be included in that, even if it's just as part of a wider Pixel Watch discussion.

Whatever happens, you can be sure we’ll be ready to cover it.

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• Mozilla is warning its dev community of an ongoing attack
• The attackers want access to the devs' accounts
• Tainting browser addons with malware could be the play here

Mozilla is warning its developer community they are at risk of being targeted by devious new phishing attacks urging them to “exercise extreme caution and scrutiny” when receiving emails claiming to have come from either Mozilla, or AMO (addons.mozilla.org).

“Phishing emails typically state some variation of the message “Your Mozilla Add-ons account requires an update to continue accessing developer features,”” the company said in its description of what the targets could expect.

The company did not say who the threat actors are, what they’re looking to achieve, or how successful they are - however, given browser add-on developers are being targeted, it’s safe to assume the miscreants are looking for a way to compromise the products with malware.

Supply chain attacks

Browser add-ons are tiny programs that add extra features or functions to a web browser, and users usually install them to customize or enhance their browsing experience.

Some of the most popular addons include ad blockers, spelling and grammar checkers, password managers, screenshot tools, and VPNs or privacy tools.

By tainting the solutions with malware, cybercriminals can engage in supply chain attacks, gaining access to people’s bank accounts, social media accounts, cryptocurrency tokens and NFTs, passwords, session cookies, and more.

It’s a common attack vector, too. Less than a month ago, it was reported that many Chrome and Edge addons, including several prominent products, were found spying on users and communicating with a third-party server.

At the time, security researchers from Koi Security reported that a seemingly benign Chrome add-on called “Color Picker, Eyedropper — Geco colorpick”, which allows users to quickly identify and copy color codes from any point within their browser, was secretly a malware.

While working as advertised, and having thousands of downloads and positive reviews, the add-on also did something in the background - it hijacked browser activity, tracked the websites users were visiting, and communicated with remote C2 infrastructure.

This discovery led them down a path that uncovered an entire web of add-ons, all doing similar things.

Via The Register

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• Google makes it easier to join Meet calls on Companion mode
• Laptops listen out for hardware via ultrasound signals
• It only works with Chrome and supported hardware

One of the biggest pain points for Google Meet users joining video conferencing calls could soon be solved after the company by adding a new Companion Mode feature to automatically allow users to join a call.

In a blog post, the company unveiled its new automatic room check-in feature, which uses ultrasound proximity detection to streamline the process of joining meetings in Companion mode.

Users' laptops will leverage the built-in microphone to detect an ultrasound signal from Google Meet hardware, making it even easier to join in with multi-person calls - and hopefully putting an end to annoying or jarring echoes for good.

Google Meet gets even easier in Companion mode

"To simplify joining meetings from a conference room and prevent disruptive audio feedback, Google Meet now intelligently guides you to the best joining option," Google noted.

When a laptop detects nearby Google Meet hardware, it will switch from highlighting 'Join now' to 'Use Companion mode', which allows them to join into a call without duplicating audio or video in a shared room.

Already a useful feature, Companion mode disables the mic and camera by default to prevent audio feedback or echo, allowing users to view presentations, use the in-meeting chat, participate in polls, share their screen and use captions.

"This wayfinding feature helps ensure a seamless, echo-free start to your meeting," Google added.

Proximity-based Room Check-in replaces the manual check-in prompt shown after clicking 'Use Companion mode'.

The tool will be available to all Google Workspace customers with Google Meet hardware, but could take up to 15 days from August 4 to show up for all users. For now, the feature is only supported on Google Meet web via Chrome, together with certified Google Meet peripherals.

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• AMD has announced the Radeon RX 9060 GPU for pre-built gaming PCs
• It will use 8GB of VRAM similar to its 9060 XT counterpart
• It seems as though Team Red isn't giving up on 8GB GPUs

The GPU market has seen a handful of additions recently, mostly from Nvidia and AMD with the RTX 5000 series and Radeon RX 9000 series lineups, respectively – and it looks like Team Red isn't done just yet, perhaps in an unwanted way.

As reported by our friends at Tom's Hardware, AMD announced the Radeon RX 9060 GPU spotted in a new Radeon driver update's patch notes, a new 8GB option for gamers that will only be available via pre-built systems – in other words, the GPU won't be available to purchase separately via retailers.

This appears to be a watered-down version of the 8GB Radeon RX 9060 XT model, which was less favored in comparison to its 16GB model. 8GB GPUs haven't been selling well at retailers, as previously indicated by a German retailer's sales figures.

Recent rumors also suggest that Nvidia and its board partners may be dropping GPU prices due to a lack of sales and oversupply, which likely includes 8GB configurations – and the indication is that PC gamers don't want to pay inflated high prices for mid to high-end GPUs, and a significant portion clearly aren't settling with low-end 8GB cards.

However, it's essential to note that this new GPU appears to be specifically designed for pre-built systems, which should help introduce more affordable gaming PCs, especially for those new to the ecosystem.

Analysis: 12GB of VRAM should be the new standard

(Image credit: Future)

I think it's been stated more than enough at this point that 8GB GPUs just won't cut it for PC gaming today. These GPUs aren't completely useless, as they can still run games at 1080p, but with more poorly-optimized PC games of recent years and games requiring more VRAM, I don't think 8GB of VRAM is the solution for desktop GPUs.

Consumers are clear to voice their satisfaction with 16GB GPUs, so at the very least, I'd like to see Nvidia and AMD follow in Intel's footsteps; it's seemingly abandoned 8GB GPUs entirely, with its latest lineup consisting of 10GB and 12GB GPUs.

There's no doubt that those on a budget may find use in these GPUs, but in terms of longevity, it's the last option that I would recommend for a new GPU.

I was hoping Team Green and Team Red would set the new standard to 12GB, but now I'm left hoping that both take this into consideration for the next generation of graphics cards.

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• The latest iOS 18.6 update comes with two dozen security patches
• That includes a fix for an actively exploited vulnerability
• It’s important to update your iPhone to keep it safe

It’s important to ensure that you update your iPhone as often as possible, and that’s just been demonstrated by Apple’s iOS 18.6 release. That’s because this update comes with a vital security patch that could help keep your iPhone safe from serious threats.

According to Apple’s iOS 18.6 release notes, the update fixes several zero-day flaws that could have compromised your device – including at least one that is known to have been exploited in the wild. Zero-day vulnerabilities are those that are initially unknown to developers and security researchers, making them particularly dangerous if exploited.

The iOS 18.6 update contains 24 separate fixes ranging from accessibility bugs to problems with the WebKit engine that powers the Safari web browser, and it’s the latter that is affected by an actively exploited vulnerability.

Specifically, the bug in question is tracked as CVE-2025-6558 in the CVE system of tracking security breaches. Apple credits its discovery to Clément Lecigne and Vlad Stolyarov of Google’s Threat Analysis Group, which disclosed the existence of the bug on July 15 and noted that “Google is aware that an exploit for CVE-2025-6558 exists in the wild.”

How to update your iPhone

(Image credit: Photo by Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

To download the iOS 18.6 update, open the Settings app on your iPhone and navigate to General > Software Update. Allow your iPhone to check for updates, then tap Update Now when prompted. Your phone will then download and install the patch, and it might restart several times during the process.

Apple devices are known for their strong security, but that doesn’t make them invulnerable to attack, as this update shows. The iPhone is one of the best smartphones out there, and the huge popularity of iOS among phone users makes it a ripe target for hackers, who are always looking for new ways to poke holes in Apple’s systems.

While much of the public’s attention is focused on the upcoming iOS 26 public beta release, it remains important to keep your existing devices safe and secure, no matter what operating system they’re running.

Downloading the iOS 18.6 update is one of the best ways you can do that right now to ensure you keep security threats at bay.

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• Clues in Windows 11 previews hint that AI is coming to the taskbar
• This could be in the form of an 'agentic AI' companion
• Exactly what its purpose would be is far from clear at this point

Microsoft could be planning to add an AI element to the taskbar in Windows 11, based on clues in preview builds and theorizing from the rumor mill.

27914 LXP changes. As always, some of these mentions already exist in beta/dev"Taskbar Companion" is mentioned in settingsConfirmation for various disk/partition tasks are now mentioned in settingsNumber and Currency formats mentioned under region1/2July 31, 2025

Windows Latest flagged that well-known leaker Xeno posted on X that they've found a 'Taskbar Companion' feature, which is mentioned in settings (as well as some other bits and pieces, including gaming-related capabilities).

There's no explicit mention of AI here, but Windows Latest notes that it has previously heard Microsoft was thinking about adding AI actions to the taskbar, and that this could be the mentioned companion(s).

The site says that another regular leaker of Windows-related happenings on X, PhantomOfEarth, has pointed out that references to companions were in a Windows Server preview build last month - and that Windows 11 previews have witnessed a mention of 'agentic companions' for the taskbar.

Windows Latest also brings our attention to a string in a recent Windows 11 preview build that's related to controlling 'visibility of agentic companions on the taskbar'.

Consider all this together, and the obvious theory – remembering that it is just speculation which needs to be heavily seasoned at this point – is that the taskbar companion functionality is tied in with agentic AI in some way.

That term refers to an AI agent, or helper, that would be fired up via the taskbar.

Analysis: double agent

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

If you want to get an idea of what might be in store for the taskbar, look no further than the Settings app in Windows 11, which has just got an AI agent (for Copilot+ PCs only). This facilitates an intelligent search to find the options you need to tinker with in Settings, so you can throw out a query such as 'How do I change the speed that my mouse pointer moves at?' and the AI will find that option for you - and maybe even offer a recommended setting in some scenarios.

That's useful, no doubt, but the question is: how might AI functionality such as this work in the taskbar? At this point, your guess is as good as mine, but if you want the latter, it could be tied into managing notifications or the calendar (off the system tray).

Alternatively, as Windows Latest hints, it might power some form of recommendations, like apps you might want to install, or websites you may want to visit, which could be piped to you via the taskbar (Microsoft already has this kind of functionality in the Start menu, of course). I sincerely hope that isn't the case, but this is a concept Microsoft has toyed with a bit for the taskbar in the past.

The worrying thing for me is that I'm struggling to think of something that could be genuinely useful in this theorized AI-infused taskbar scenario (whereas the agent in Settings has some clear value in terms of pepping up search functionality). The concern, then, is that this would be a case of more AI just for the sake of it.

At any rate, we are still in the very early stages of progress here, with only the vaguest clues in the background of Windows 11 that something might be happening with AI agents in the taskbar. So, it's far from clear that Microsoft has any such plans - but then again, the addition of more AI in Windows 11 would hardly be a surprise (perhaps for Copilot+ PCs only, as is the case with the Settings agent).

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• Perplexity seen to be ignoring signals like robot.txt to scrape online sites
• It even found protected and hidden test sites from Cloudflare
• OpenAI adheres to responsible crawling, but Perplexity quiet for now

Cloudflare has accused AI giant Perplexity of scraping websites which explicitly disallowed crawling via robots.txt and other network-level rules by hiding its identity and conducting obfuscated crawling activity.

Researchers from the company said they observed Perplexity using multiple user agents, including one impersonating Google Chrome on macOS, as well as rotating IP addresses and ASNs to evade detection.

Alarmingly, Cloudflare detected millions of daily requests across tens of thousands of domains, highlighting the sheer scale of illegitimate scraping by one of the biggest companies in the space.

Perplexity is scraping sites it shouldn't be

According to Cloudflare's analysis, in many cases, Perplexity ignored or didn't fetch robots.txt files - which are plain-text files placed at the root of a site to tell automated agents (like search engines, AI crawlers and link checkers) which URLs may or may not be fetched.

Tellingly, Perplexity also attempted to access test websites Cloudflare created, even though they were blocked via robots.txt and not publicly discoverable, while using undeclared crawlers that weren't even associated with its official IP range.

"Although Perplexity initially crawls from their declared user agent, when they are presented with a network block, they appear to obscure their crawling identity in an attempt to circumvent the website’s preferences," the researchers write.

In response to its findings, Cloudflare has de-listed Perplexity's bots from its verified bots list. The company has also added new managed rule heuristics to detect and block stealth crawling.

In contrast, OpenAI's crawlers have so far respected robots.txt and block pages, using transparent identifiers and documented behavior to obtain information.

Perplexity denied wrongdoing, calling Cloudflare's post a "sales pitch", adding the identified bots weren't even theirs. TechRadar Pro has asked Perplexity for its comment.

Cloudflare urges bot operators to respect website preferences by being transparent, being well-behaved netizens, serving a clear purpose, using separate bots for separate activities and following rules and signals like robots.txt.

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• Battlefield 6 will be a "gritty and real" experience like earlier entries in the series
• Battlefield Studios UX director Alan Pimm said the game will have a different atmosphere to Battlefield 2042
• The developer also said it's "not a military sim" but "it's got enough of that grit that you feel it's believable"

According to EA, Battlefield 6 will be a modern military shooter inspired by earlier entries in the series and designed to be a "gritty and real" experience for players.

Speaking in an interview with TechRadar Gaming at the Battlefield 6 multiplayer reveal event, Battlefield Studios user experience director Alan Pimm said that the game's return to a modern setting after the futuristic Battlefield 2042 was something that the studio knew players wanted.

"Battlefield 3 and 4 were our strongest muses," Pimm said. "They were the ones that were in that same kind of modern frame, which is what people want. They don't want ultra-modern or futuristic. They want the weapons of today, that was the strong thing that came out of the research."

The developer said the upcoming shooter will look very different from 2042, particularly in terms of color palette and overall atmosphere, and will return "back to the grit" the series is best known for.

(Image credit: EA)

"It's remembering that dirt should be dirty. We're not a pristine, sterile environment anymore. You've got the dust, the particles, the mud... You're not running around in a hero cape," Pimm explained.

"You're not running around in a hero cape. You know you are the soldier on the battlefield with your friends in amongst the muck and the dust and the explosions. The fiber of everything we've done in this is going 'let's make it gritty. Let's make it gritty and real.'

"It's not military sim, that's not where we go, it's fun still, but it's got enough of that grit that you feel it's believable."

Battlefield 6 will launch on October 10, 2025, for PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC.

An early access period will begin on August 7-8, followed by open beta weekends on August 9-10 and on August 14-17.

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• A new Linux malware variant offers advanced features and evasion mechanisms
• It has already infected thousands of devices around the world
• Passwords, credit card info, and more, at risk

A brand new Linux malware has been found infecting thousands of computers around the world, stealing people’s login credentials, payment information, and browser cookies, security researchers are warning.

SentinelLabs and Beazley Security issued a joint report detailing the activities of PXA Stealer, a new Python-based infostealer for the Linux platform.

It was first spotted in late 2024, and has since grown into a formidable threat, successfully evading defense tools while wreaking havoc across the globe.

Side-loading

Since its inception, PSA Stealer has seen multiple iterations, with the latest one stealing information from roughly 40 browsers - saved passwords, cookies, personally identifiable information (PII), autofill data, authentication tokens, and more.

It can target browser extensions for various crypto wallets, including Exodus, Magic Eden, Crypto.com, and many others, and can pull data from sites such as Coinbase, Kraken, and PayPal. Finally, it can inject a DLL into running browser instances to bypass encryption mechanisms.

PSA Stealer is apparently being distributed through phishing emails and malicious landing pages. The malicious attachments contain a legitimate program (such as a PDF reader) and a weaponized DLL. The program sideloads the DLL, successfully deploying the malware while not raising any alarms.

More than 4,000 computers were infected with PSA Stealer in 62 countries, the two companies said, suggesting that the campaign is rather successful.

However, the attackers - who seem to be of Vietnamese origin - aren’t interested in using the stolen data themselves, and instead are selling it on the black market - in a Telegram group.

The majority of the victims are located in South Korea, the US, the Netherlands, Hungary, and Austria.

"Initially surfacing in late 2024, this threat has since matured into a highly evasive, multi-stage operation driven by Vietnamese-speaking actors with apparent ties to an organized cybercriminal Telegram-based marketplace that sells stolen victim data," the researchers explained. So far, more than 200,000 were stolen passwords, as well as hundreds of credit card information and more than four million cookies.

Via The Register

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The sweltering dog days of summer will soon be upon us in the northern hemisphere, and that means one thing: staying indoors with the fans blasting, curtains drawn, with one of the best streaming services pulled up on the TV.

While the cost of paying for every single streamer continues to steadily mount, with increased subscriptions biting deep into wallets everywhere, you can of course opt-out. Or, as it's known now; subscription hopping. Instead of holding subscriptions to every platform, pick and choose each month depending on what's available.

To help you figure out at least one of those, I've combed through the listings to see what's hot and what's not, and for August 2025? Hulu is toasty.

Why I want a Hulu subscription in August 2025

(Image credit: NBC)

I love Hulu. It's a platform I tend to keep *most* months due to its relationships with a lot of networks. Lots of current series drop weekly episodes on the platform from the likes of ABC, NBC, Fox, FX, CBS, and AMC and those same networks offer a glut of classic TV series, too.

So, before we're even contemplating the newer offerings for August, I'm happy with comfort watches like 2000s soap opera supreme, Desperate Housewives and classic comedy, Golden Girls.

For this month, Hulu is adding a whopping 104 new movies and 68 TV shows, but for me there is only one.

(Image credit: FX Networks)

Yep, it's Alien: Earth. I've remained cautiously optimistic about this show since it was first announced, even outlining lessons it could learn from Prometheus a few years back. This FX series hails from Fargo's Noah Hawley, and I could not be happier to see the return of the acid-blooded beasties in his hands. While Alien Romulus fell short for me, I hold out hope that this first small-screen foray into the world of Weyland-Yutani will remedy that.

Based on the tidbits released so far, the show takes place almost entirely….on earth, and delves into the history of the corporation behind the cinematic franchise. We'll meet the Yutani side of the business and discover an earth that's ripe with cyborgs, synthetics, and the newly-developed hybrids which combine human consciousness and humanoid robots. Oh, and the xenomorphs, of course. This reworking of the franchise sounds, on the surface, to be purposefully steering away from the Ripley-era of Alien – as the FX chief himself has stated – and focusing on a new cast of characters and environs. While that may be the case, I suspect the show will pack in plenty of easter eggs for die-hards.

The show premieres on Hulu (US) on August 12 and Disney+ (UK and Australia) with a two-episode drop, followed by single episodes each week. I cannot wait. Ahead of its release, you can catch up with the entire Alien film series also on Hulu and see how they stack up in my ranking of the franchise.

(Image credit: Touchstone Pictures / Amazon)

Elsewhere, the streamer boasts a slew of highly-rated movies this month and starts off August strong with quite the volume of feel-good comedy gold. 10 Things I Hate About You, Coyote Ugly (which just turned 25?!), The Devil Wears Prada, Old School, Practical Magic, The Proposal, Raising Arizona… the list goes on. This is the perfect line-up for the end of summer and they're all streaming now.

If you like your comedy bite-sized, then a title deserving of all the rewatches is of course Mike Judge and Greg Daniel's King of The Hill. Not only are all 13 original seasons streaming but the 14th season set in the present day dropped August 4.

As we head toward spooky season, you might want more genre-tinged vibes, and in that case, you're also in luck. August 1 finds Ready or Not joining the lineup as the sequel lands in cinemas next spring. Plenty of horror fans may need a refresher on the Radio Silence original before April. Also dropping at the start of the month are a couple of modern demonic possession flicks that are well worth a rewatch: Fede Alvarez's Evil Dead and The Exorcism of Emily Rose.

On the newer front, is Oz Perkins' blood-splattered The Monkey, which is the best Final Destination movie that's not a Final Destination movie, due to drop August 7. August 29 sees the release of Hell of A Summer, a camp-set slasher directed by and starring Stranger Things' Finn Wolfhard. What's not to be excited for this month?

…and why I'm waving bye bye to Prime Video

Look, it's not dire straits over on Prime Video this month. Among its new line up for August, there lie a few gems. 30 Rock and Hannibal – two of the best TV shows ever made – are joining the roster, but what about NEW titles?

That's my rub with Prime Video. There's seldom any must-see new offerings that warrant a subscription fee. If you didn't catch Wolf Man during its stint on Peacock, maybe hold onto Prime Video? But I'd wait to see if that remains in September, when they might hopefully add some more exciting accompanying titles.

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• The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra might be able to capture 47% more light than the S25 Ultra with its main camera
• This could massively improve low-light photos
• It might also support 60W charging

Two new leaks could spell good news for the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, as they point to improvements to both the main camera and the phone's charging speed.

First up, leaker @UniverseIce claims that the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s primary camera will be able to capture 47% more light than the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra’s, leading to “the biggest improvement in image quality in recent years”.

This is despite the phone reportedly having the same 200MP ISOCELL HP2 sensor as last year; instead, it's tipped to have a wider f/1.4 aperture (presumably thanks to a new lens).

A simple calculation shows that the amount of light entering the camera is increased by 47% compared to the S25 Ultra. https://t.co/YtX7xZ8bWrAugust 4, 2025

A wider aperture allows for more light, and the more light that can hit the sensor, the more detail it can capture – particularly in low-light photos. This should also help reduce noise in low-light shots.

This isn’t a completely new claim from @UniverseIce, but here they’ve gone into more detail than before, saying the exact aperture and increase in light capture. Of course, we’d take this with a pinch of salt until we’ve heard the same from more sources, but this leaker does have a good track record.

Faster charging but the same battery capacity

@UniverseIce also has more to say about the Galaxy S26 Ultra. In a recent post on Weibo (via Android Authority), they claim that the S26 Ultra has a 5,000mAh battery with 60W charging.

That would mean the same battery capacity as the Galaxy S25 Ultra, but charging power would be boosted from 45W. This also isn’t a new claim, but they’ve once again gone into more detail than before, adding that the phone will be capable of charging to 75% or 80% in half an hour.

That doesn’t sound bad, but it also doesn’t sound much, if any, better than the Galaxy S25 Ultra. However, they’ve added in a reply that this is official data, which can be “relatively conservative”, and that actual charging speeds could be closer to 90% in half an hour, which would be a bit faster than last year's best Samsung phone.

We’d take all of this with a pinch of salt, too, though, and we probably won’t know the official numbers for a while yet, as the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is unlikely to land before early 2026.

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• Nvidia and board partners are reportedly set to drop RTX 5000 series GPU prices across online retailers
• This is supposedly due to low sales and oversupply, after months of price inflation
• This comes amid another rumor that suggests Nvidia will soon launch Super GPU models for the Blackwell lineup

Scalpers have been out of the discussion in the GPU market for a long while, since prices for Nvidia and AMD cards were marked up across multiple retailers – but it looks like this may become an issue again, amid good news for Team Green fans.

According to board channels on Chiphell, Nvidia and its board partners are reportedly set to reduce RTX 5000 series GPU prices as early as this month, due to 'low terminal sales' and 'oversupply'. It comes after rumors that Team Green will introduce Super GPU models for the RTX 5000 series later this holiday season.

Nvidia is yet to provide any confirmation on this. Still, there's a mixture of Founders Edition and board partner GPUs available across retailers such as Best Buy in the US and Scan in the UK – and notably, at original retail prices or lower, which lends some credibility to this Chiphell rumor.

It's been a slight contrast to the usual proceedings in the GPU market; typically, consumers are left to battle against scalpers to acquire new GPUs, but since inflation and tariffs have left prices at retailers skyrocketing, demand has been low – but if this report is legitimate, that may quickly change, once scalpers catch wind of lower retail prices.

Fortunately, Nvidia already has a solution to combat scalpers, which is its 'Verified Priority Access' scheme, allowing consumers to purchase new GPUs. However, it's a matter of whether it decides to use it on a wider scale, since it's mostly limited to certain regions.

(Image credit: NVIDIA)Analysis: the Verified Priority Access scheme is Nvidia's one-way ticket to get back in fans' good books

Again, the rumor regarding GPU price drops isn't confirmed, so nothing is set in stone, but if this is true, Nvidia would do best to use the buyer scheme to its full extent. While I don't think there's a way to completely defeat scalpers, I do think this is the ideal method to soften their impact.

The Verified Priority Access scheme allows those who have made an Nvidia account on or before a certain date (recently January 30), to gain a special invitation to purchase a Founders Edition GPU. This won't cover board partner GPUs, but it will at least give more consumers an opportunity for an upgrade.

I have no doubts that scalping will become a widespread issue again, and frankly, I'm surprised it hasn't already begun, since there are plenty of units at retail price available right now.

Fortunately, though, it'll be a great move by Team Green for its fans, as there's been plenty of criticism during its RTX 5000 series launch due to driver issues, missing specs on GPUs (specifically ROPs), and low availability.

It will be interesting to see how things pan out if prices begin to plummet even further, and I'd advise keeping an eye out on online retailers for any sudden developments.

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• ChatGPT is getting new well-being features
• Users will be encouraged to take breaks during long sessions
• OpenAI is consulting with health professionals

AI chatbots are now regularly being used for various types of emotional support – as therapists, for example, or as dating advisors – and OpenAI has announced new changes to its ChatGPT bot that should look after it users' health and well-being.

"To us, helping you thrive means being there when you're struggling, helping you stay in control of your time, and guiding – not deciding – when you face personal challenges," explains OpenAI in a new blog post.

Several new features are being rolled out to encourage healthier interactions, including "gentle reminders" during "long sessions" that will ask if you think it's time to take a break or you'd rather carry on chatting to the AI.

OpenAI also says ChatGPT is going to get better at spotting "signs of mental or emotional distress", and if they are detected, will guide users towards appropriate resources – rather than doing anything to make the situation worse.

High-stakes personal decisions

ChatGPT will now prompt you to take breaks (Image credit: OpenAI)

Users are posing important life questions such as 'should I break up with my boyfriend?' to AI these days – though it's not clear why they would think a Large Language Model would have anything insightful to say on the matter.

When these types of questions about "high-stakes personal decisions" crop up, OpenAI says, ChatGPT will refrain from giving direct answers. Instead, it will help users weigh up the pros and cons and think about what their options are.

In addition, OpenAI says it's speaking to experts in mental and physical health to better understand how to handle chats with people who could be in a vulnerable state of mind while they're interacting with ChatGPT.

These improvements are an ongoing work in progress, the blog post goes on to say, so you might not see all of these tweaks appear right away. In the meantime, we're awaiting the long-rumored launch of GPT-5, which could appear in the next few weeks.

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