Technology

• Cyberattack on BAE Systems disrupted the US Bankruptcy Noticing Center and halted bankruptcy notice distribution
• Multiple judiciary-related services and websites were temporarily taken offline during the incident
• Authorities and BAE are investigating the attack, with no details yet on data exposure or attribution

BAE Systems recently suffered a cyberattack which disrupted the US Bankruptcy Noticing Center (BNC), a service that sends official notes and orders from US federal bankruptcy courts.

The incident meant that the production and distribution of bankruptcy notices was temporarily paused until the issue was resolved.

“BAE Systems IT and websites that support the operations of the Bankruptcy Noticing Center (BNC) have been impacted by a cybersecurity incident,” a notice on the US Federal Courts website reads. “The BNC produces and transmits bankruptcy notices for all federal bankruptcy courts around the country, and BAE Systems operates BNC systems and websites on behalf of the Federal Judiciary.”

Looking into the matter

The Administrative Office of the US Courts (AOUSC) is coordinating with impacting courts, it was said, as well as with BAE Systems which is now “actively investigating” the incident and working to restore operations.

“As a result of the incident, all access to the BNC systems and websites that BAE operates on behalf of the judiciary and the related bankruptcy noticing process are unavailable at this time, including bnc.uscourts.gov, bankruptcynotices.uscourts.gov, notices.uscourts.gov, and the National Creditor Registration Service,” the notice reads. “The incident has also halted the BNC’s production and distribution of bankruptcy notices for bankruptcy courts.”

There is no official confirmation, or clarification, on the company’s website for now, but in a statement given to BleepingComputer, BAE Systems said it was investigating the matter.

"We are aware of a security incident that is isolated to the BNC system and have taken immediate steps to address it. We are coordinating closely with AOUSC on the response," the statement reads.

BAE Systems is one of the largest defense, aerospace, and security companies in the world. It is headquartered in London, UK, and works on military equipment, weapons, advanced electronics, and cybersecurity systems for governments and the military.

Among other things, BAE Systems works on the Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft, different armored combat vehicles, naval ships, radars and sensors, and different intelligence analysis and digital security services. The company reported approximately $40.91 billion in sales for 2025 and employs more than 111,000 people worldwide.

Woes of US courts

It seems that every few months, news emerges of a new breach or cyberattack at one of the US court systems.

Most recently, it was reported that the Arizona Supreme Court suffered a cyberattack in which it lost sensitive data on more than a million people. In this incident, an employee allegedly clicked a malicious link in an email, which led to the compromise of information on 1.3 million people with unpaid court fees, fines and restitution payments for traffic and criminal violations dating back 30 years.

The threat actors also stole almost 30,000 active and inactive orders of protection, as well as 150,000 reports dating back to 2010 from a foster care board making recommendations in cases where parents were allegedly unable or unfit to care for a child.

In September 2026, Thomson Reuters, the IT company behind the Reuters news agency, reported suffering a breach a few months prior, and exposing certain court documents to the attackers. The company operates a court case-management system called C-Track which was broken into in March 2026.

Earlier still, in August 2026, the US Judiciary system confirmed experiencing an “escalated cyberattacks of a sophisticated and persistent nature.” in which the threat actors targeted the case management system.

“The vast majority of documents filed with the Judiciary’s electronic case management system are not confidential and indeed are readily available to the public, which is fundamental to an open and transparent judicial system. However, some filings contain confidential or proprietary information that are sealed from public view,” the announcement said.

• Chinese chipmaker CXMT is predicted to be ramping up RAM production
• It could double memory production by 2028, we're told
• This extra RAM is likely to service the domestic market, though, and meanwhile, Dell's CEO is warning that the memory crisis is likely to persist to 2030

A major Chinese chipmaker has plans to expand its DRAM production in a big way over the next couple of years, but this won't be a silver bullet for wider RAM problems, and Dell's CEO is warning on the memory crisis getting worse, too.

First, the news on the Chinese company CXMT, which was flagged by P Equity Research on X (via Wccftech) in a post that highlights forecasts from Counterpoint Research and TrendForce.

According to those research firms, CXMT is set to expand its DRAM wafer production from around 320,000 units this year, to 420,000 units over the course of 2027.

That translates to a growth of just over 30% in a year, and the further prediction is that in 2028, production capacity might hit 500,000 to 600,000, so given that most optimistic scenario, it would nearly double compared to this year.

There's some excitement on that point because while others are focusing on HBM, or high-end RAM for the AI industry, this is an expansion of traditional RAM production, meaning the kind that'll go in a PC as opposed to a data center server.

However, before we start mulling the prospect of RAM supply being shored up to some extent, there are obvious caveats to consider here – including a new warning from Dell's CEO as mentioned at the outset.

Analysis: domestic relief – and more pessimism from Dell

(Image credit: Stockcrafter / Getty)

The problem with CXMT is that even if the predicted near-doubling of RAM production does happen in 2028 as these analysts are theorizing, where is this memory going to end up?

Most likely it'll serve the domestic market in China, and the chances of it making any kind of a meaningful difference to the balance of RAM supply outside of Asia are minimal. China's own memory requirements are substantial, and as we've discussed before, the government is likely to exert its influence in terms of keeping local demand fulfilled rather than selling abroad.

And yes, while it's true that CXMT's RAM is being used by some manufacturers in the west already, it's on a very limited basis currently – and it isn't like it's some kind of a bargain, either. Indeed, the cost of CXMT's memory is reportedly much the same as what you'll pay if buying from Samsung.

Meanwhile, as Wccftech also picked up, the CEO of Dell, Michael Dell, added his voice to the growing consensus that the memory shortage will get worse next year, and that these RAM woes are going to be prolonged for quite some time.

Dell told the Wall Street Journal that memory supply problems could keep on making us miserable for up to four years, meaning until 2030. Again, this echoes some of the many negative calls on the RAM crisis which have been heard in the past few months.

CXMT expanding its RAM production in a beefy way certainly won't hurt, but it's unlikely to help the average consumer outside of China.

Meanwhile, as RAM continues to get pricier (somehow, even though the cost was already through the roof), it's worth considering workarounds to get more from your gaming PC.

Could this be the best price per GB for a PCIe SSD this year so far?

The Teamgroup T-Force G50 EVO is the cheapest 4TB SSD you can buy right now. Newegg sells it for $369.99 after using promo code SSF74294 and the current gift card offer (buy $200, get $230). That’s an extraordinary $126 discount off its sticker price. I cannot stress enough how good of a deal that is!

At just over $0.09 per TB, it is significantly cheaper than the Acer FA200 I found a fortnight ago. The G50 Evo is easily the cheapest PCIe SSD of the year so far per TB. Nothing comes remotely close to it but it is sadly the odd one out, an anomaly in a sea of expensive SSDs especially with a 4TB capacity.

T-Force G50 Evo 4TB SSD: was $455.99 now $369.99
This 4TB SSD features a PCIe Gen 4 M.2 2280 interface, with read speeds up to 5,000MB/s. For the full discount, pick up two Newegg gift cards which gives you a bonus $30, then use code SSF74294. View Deal

Why I recommend this deal

I am guilty of recommending the Acer FA200 in a previous deal. You can always send it back and get this one. At $92 per TB, it is $110 cheaper than Acer’s model, which is a lot (although the FA200 is significantly faster) and far cheaper than anything I saw during Amazon October Prime Day.

The T-Force G50 Evo is an entry level PCIe 4.0 SSD with read/write speeds of 5000 MBps and 4700 MBps, which is towards the slower end of the spectrum but fast enough for everyday usage. Team Group says that the drive has a 1.5 million hour MTBF (mean time before failure), a 1.200 TBW endurance and a three-year warranty, which again is towards the lower part of the market.

Other things worth mentioning are the graphene heat spreader (which is basically a sticker in the packaging) and the lack of onboard DRAM. I haven’t found any reviews of the G50 EVO online yet.

More 4TB SSDs

WD Blue SN5000 4TB SSD: $449.99
The closest competitor to the FA200 in terms of price, but the speeds can't match it, reaching up to 5,500 MB/s. View Deal

990 Pro 4TB SSD: was $1099.99 now $949
Still one of the best internal SSDs we've ever tested, but the price is astronomically high right now, especially compared to the Acer FA200. View Deal

Black Opal 2TB SSD: $340.99
This deal is from Biwin, who manufacturer's the Acer SSD. It's for the 2TB model, so you could plug two in a RAID-0 to match the FA200's capacity. View Deal

• Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefonica, and Vodafone have signed a letter of intent to explore development of a European constellation
• This could work as an alternative to Starlink, and allow networks to plug coverage gaps with satellites
• However, they still need a satellite partner to deliver any such plan

Starlink has major mobile ambitions, seemingly seeing itself as a true rival to conventional carriers like Verizon and T-Mobile in the US. But over in Europe, mobile operators might look to offer a Starlink alternative.

Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefonica, and Vodafone have all signed a letter of intent to explore “a potential joint bid for the future allocation of spectrum for Mobile Satellite Services (MSS) in Europe.”

So, in other words, they might work together to allocate spectrum to a satellite-based connectivity service aimed at increasing their coverage in areas where masts and other ground-based infrastructure don’t currently reach.

Such a service would put them in direct competition with Starlink, which has partnered with the likes of T-Mobile in the US and O2 in the UK to plug coverage gaps in their networks, and which has ambitions to launch a standalone carrier.

A long way off

(Image credit: Vodafone)

But it’s still very early days for this European initiative. The letter of intent is simply to explore a potential bid — wording which suggests nothing is very set in stone. And even if these carriers do jointly allocate this spectrum, they still need to “establish key ground network infrastructure” to go along with it.

And most importantly of all, they need access to a satellite constellation, and while part of the intent here is to “support the development of a European constellation,” they don’t actually plan to build a constellation themselves; rather, they’re looking for a satellite partner.

So don’t expect to see a European Starlink alternative anytime soon, but it’s sounding like there might be one at some point in the future — and this is a move that would make sense, given Europe’s ongoing attempt to lessen its reliance on US services.

Seagate has made hard drives for decades, and the Expansion line is about as straightforward as external storage gets: plug it in and drag your files across, no software required. The included Rescue data recovery service is a useful safety net for a drive that’s likely to hold years of files.

If your photos, videos, and backups are scattered across too many small drives, a single 16TB Seagate Expansion lets you consolidate them. Currently, you can pick up the Seagate Expansion Desktop 16TB HDD for $420 (was $550) at Newegg with the current gift card offer (buy two for $200, get $230).

• Best for: Professionals who needs a lot of affordable backup or media storage for a desktop PC or Mac.

• Why we like it: We've had good experiences testing out Seagate's line of storage. Here, you get a huge 16TB capacity in one box, simple plug-and-play setup on Windows and Mac, and Rescue data recovery services included.

Expansion 16TB: was $549.99 now $419.99
This 16TB desktop external hard drive connects over USB 3.0 and works with Windows 10 or later and macOS 10.12 or later (you may need to reformat it for Time Machine). It includes Seagate’s Rescue data recovery services and a one-year warranty. For the full discount, pick up two Newegg gift cards for the bonus $30 free.View Deal

Price Context & Historical Value

The $100 savings work out to 18% off, a modest discount on a high-capacity drive. If you also pick up two $100 Newegg gift cards, you’ll get $30 in bonus credit. External drive prices have risen over the past year, so this is a fair price today but not a bargain by older standards.

Should you buy it?

✅ Buy the Seagate Expansion 16TB if...

You need a single, roomy drive for backups or a media library, you want simple plug-and-play storage for a desktop PC or Mac, or you like having data recovery services included.

❌ Skip the Seagate Expansion 16TB if...

You need something portable, since this desktop drive needs wall power, you want the speed of an SSD or a faster USB-C connection, or a one-year warranty feels too short for a drive holding this much data.

• See all desktop hard drives at Newegg

• World ID for Zoom will put a Human Badge on your video feed to prove you're... human
• Setting this up requires a physical iris scan and a verification selfie
• Verifying human authenticity is easier than identifying deepfakes

Sam Altman's biometric identity verification company, World, has launched a series of tools designed to help businesses distinguish real people from AI deepfakes as one of his other companies – OpenAI – becomes increasingly capable of mimicking humans.

One of the main announcements was the general availability of World ID for Zoom, which gives enterprise customers access to a verification process that can distinguish genuine video from AI content.

Under the newly-launched system, verified participants will receive a "Human Badge" displayed alongside their video feed so that other participants can be more confident that they're speaking with a human.

World ID for Zoom

While the problem World is aiming to solve seems rather dystopian and unlikely, recent Gartner research actually revealed that 36% of senior cybersecurity leaders reported at least one incident involving a deepfake during an video call over the past 12 months.

We also know that Microsoft has been launching numerous updates to address similar concerns in Teams, opening up its platform to enable third-party deepfake detection in the hope of stamping out AI-generated video and audio.

However, proving human authenticity isn't as simple as ticking a few boxes or scanning a passport. Workers will have to visit one of World's physical Orb devices, which scans their iris to create a cryptographically secure biometric reference.

To streamline the process, enterprises can choose to have an Orb installed onsite, though this could likely be a costly option.

A selfie through the mobile app then verifies the human participant against that biometric reference image during Zoom calls.

World says that detecting deepfakes can be especially challenging, "lead[ing] to an arms race between deepfake detection and creation," hence the decision to verify human authenticity instead.

• GPT-6 Astra has cracked the code on a 19th-century military cipher
• Claude AI has also been busy testing elliptical curve encryption
• Both breakthroughs highlight the increasing capabilities of AI models

AI continues to push the boundaries in almost every task it gets given, and two new reports highlight the tech's growing capabilities when it comes to code-breaking and testing widely used encryption security protocols.

First up, Japan Today reveals that AI engineer Carter Church has used OpenAI's GPT-6 Astra model to crack a written code used by one of Napoleon Bonaparte's generals more than 200 years ago. The message dates from 1809, and mentions the positions of troops belonging to France and its allies.

The letter was sitting ignored in an online archive when Church decided to give it a go. Manually decoding the symbols, numbers, and letters could have taken weeks, but the AI was done in just six hours.

"What AI mostly brings is persistence," Church told AFP, adding that he felt "an unbelievable sense of satisfaction and excitement" when the result appeared. It was verified by patent engineer Satoshi Tomokiyo, who maintains an online list of unsolved ciphers for amateur cryptographers to tackle.

Curves and keys

Claude from Anthropic is one of the models that's been busy (Image credit: Shutterstock)

Our second bit of AI code-breaking concerns cryptographic key generation — the methods software and hardware use to encrypt and secure data. Elliptic curves are one way to produce the keys required, and 'seeds' are starting points for these curves.

As reported by Cyber Security News, an internal Claude AI model used by Anthropic has now traced the origins of five elliptic curve seeds generated by the US National Security Agency (NSA) in less than 30 minutes. For more than 25 years, since the seeds were published, there have been claims that they contained weaknesses the NSA could use as backdoors.

Not so, Claude has now determined — there are no weaknesses, and no inside jokes. As Anthropic points out, most researchers trusted the curves already and no action is necessary, but it's a "fun closing chapter" that again demonstrates the AI's prowess.

Claude also had time for a quiet dig at human cryptographers. "Is it suspicious that such an obvious thing wasn't discovered in 25 years?" the AI asked on its way to finding the correct solution, according to the internal thinking logs. Not only are these models outperforming us at the core math, they're dunking on us along the way.

TT Nature Bird Feeder Station: Two-minute review

Unlike companies like Netvue (which originated as a smart security camera maker before launching the Birdfy line) or Bird Buddy (which built its platform from the ground up around a custom app experience), TT Nature uses off-the-shelf camera hardware paired with third-party software.

Its wooden Smart Bird Feeder Station is a rustic, budget-friendly alternative to the sleek, plastic-heavy smart feeders dominating the market. It’s solidly built from FSC-certified natural timber and topped with a dark metal roof, making it look more like a traditional garden birdhouse than smart home tech, and a natural fit for rustic outdoor setups. It also matches my garden office perfectly.

Beware, the camera is more like a retrofitted security device than a specialized bird snapper. After mounting the feeder to my garden fence and monitoring it for several weeks, I appreciate its physical design and reasonable cost, while also finding the basic software setup frustrating.

As mentioned, the wooden housing feels very sturdy, though it will inherently be harder to clean and maintain than all-plastic constructions. The included mounting template and accessories make locking it securely onto a fence panel or post easy, provided you have a decent drill. The external solar panel and full mounting kit are included, whereas most rivals require you to buy these as extras.

(Image credit: Lauren Scott)

The physical assembly is minimal, but setting up the camera with TT Nature's accompanying app, PerchLens, proved to be less straightforward than the process with Birdfy models. The app refused to detect the camera automatically, forcing a manual setup that meant temporarily locking my home router to a 2.4GHz band — a hurdle I’ve never had to clear with other feeders I’ve tested. Once past that, though, the Wi-Fi connection has remained stable, even with the feeder at the far end of my garden.

The feeder captures 1080p HD video with a wide field of view and a pleasantly sharp focus on the perch itself. However, clips aren't detailed enough to see individual feathers. I found that the camera’s motion sensor is slow to trigger, so clips often start a fraction too late and catch the tail end of a visit or an empty perch. The camera lens also fogged up several times on damp mornings, muting contrast and visibility during the busiest dawn feeding hours.

(Image credit: Lauren Scott)

You can use microSD recording (cards up to 128GB are supported) and also get three-day cloud storage without a monthly fee. However, AI species identification is locked behind an optional monthly or annual subscription. Without it, incoming alerts are just listed as 'bird'. The software is far more rudimentary than the polished, gamified ecosystems of the Bird Buddy 2 or Birdfy. If you don't mind manually spotting your visitors, though, the app does at least neatly organize your clips by date and time.

Despite its basic app and trigger lag (something I hope will be less of an issue when the birds feel brave enough to spend longer feeding), the TT Nature delivers undeniable value. It offers a nice-to-look-at wooden build and set-and-forget solar power, at a fraction of the price of most flagship competitors. If you’re a casual bird lover who wants a budget-friendly garden camera that blends in naturally, I think it can still earn a spot in your yard or garden.

• Interested in other options available besides the TT Nature Bird Feeder Station? Check out our best bird feeder cameras guide.

I found live streaming to be occasionally laggy, sometimes not loading at all, and even when I set the camera to Frenzy Mode, the AI postcard capture missed birds I could clearly see sitting on the feeder from my kitchen window. It’s not the most reliable feeder I’ve used, and not ideal if you want to capture every single bird and build a picture of their visiting habits; however, it does stop your feed from getting clogged with thousands of similar clips.

Despite these niggles and quirks, I really enjoy the core experience. The AI bird identification is almost perfect, the postcard collection system provides a handy highlight reel, and the solar roof means near-continuous use.

The Bird Buddy 2 is a sleek, low-maintenance smart feeder with strong app design and best-in-class solar performance. For now, it earns its spot in my garden (and believe me, I have four smart feeders on the go), though I can’t help thinking about its price and hope tighter bird detection lands in future updates.

TT Nature Smart Bird Feeder: Price and availability

• First created and released around mid-2024
• Available via Amazon US, Walmart, and Amazon UK
• $120-140 in US (approx. £75 in UK)

At around $140 (£75), the TT Nature smart bird feeder station sits at the affordable end of the best bird cameras, especially given its solid timber construction. It sits well below Netvue’s premium wooden options like the Birdfy Bamboo (~£199) and costs about the same as the plastic entry-level Birdfy Rookie (~£80), which doesn’t include a solar panel.

The feeder includes free AI species identification, and I like that it has a local MicroSD card slot (supporting up to 128GB) for storage, plus a free 3-day rolling cloud buffer. Not hugely generous, but enough for a freebie. Unlike rivals that lock some features under a premium membership, you don’t have to budget for recurring monthly fees here.

Availability is primarily via Amazon in both the US and UK, or directly from TT Nature in the US. The package includes the wooden feeder housing, 1080p camera module, mounting hardware, and an external 3W solar panel. Considering the full package, I think TT Nature delivers good upfront value for birdwatchers who want a complete, low-maintenance setup on a sensible budget.

Software is as important as hardware, though. I found its accompanying app lags behind Birdfy and Bird Buddy in terms of enjoyment and features, and I’d still consider paying a bit more for them.

TT Nature Smart Bird Feeder camera: Specs

Feature

Specification

Sensor

1/2.7" CMOS

Photo quality

12MP - 1080p snapshot capture with 130-degree FOV

Video quality

1080p HD @ 30fps

Memory

MicroSD slot (up to 128GB) + Cloud storage options

Dimensions

185 x 198 x 270 mm (7.3 x 7.8 x 10.6")

Weight

0.95 kg (2.1 lbs)

Seed capacity

1.5 Litres (~6.3 Cups)

Weather resistance

IP65 Certified

Battery

5200 mAh rechargeable battery with an external 3W Solar Panel included

Connectivity

2.4 GHz Wi-Fi

TT Nature Smart Bird Feeder camera: Design

• Rustic wooden build with a black metal roof
• Mounting kit included for trees, walls, or poles
• Separate wired solar panel for charging

The TT Nature feeder, made from FSC-certified natural timber housing, immediately sets the kind of traditional, garden-friendly tone that I like over a plastic model. On its website, the brand sells two roof options, but the dark metal roof on my version feels sturdy and well-built. The packaging is neat and secure, though I found it a shame that TT Nature uses single-use plastic wrapping for some elements instead of easily recyclable cardboard—a missed opportunity for a nature-friendly product.

Assembly takes less than ten minutes and is intuitive enough that you likely won't need the instruction manual. You simply pop the perching ledge onto the front, lift the hinged wooden flap to slide in the camera module, and tilt up the roof to pour in your seed mix.

Initially, the physical assembly took about ten minutes. There are clear instructions included in the box, but I didn't find I needed them because it was all intuitive. You slot the metal perching ledge into pre-drilled holes at the end of the wooden feeding area, pull down the branded wooden flap at the front to slot the camera module in, and tilt up the roof when you want to add seed. The camera sits loosely in its designated space rather than clipping or mounting in, which is surprisingly secure even if it feels a little unanchored at first.

Lauren ScottLauren ScottLauren Scott

Though putting together the wooden unit was easy, I struggled for a while to get the camera to pair with TT Nature's accompanying app over Wi-Fi. It took me about an hour of troubleshooting to get the camera connected, as it wouldn’t find the camera automatically during scanning and I had to switch over to manual setup.

Even then, I had to temporarily set my Virgin Media home router to broadcast on a 2.4GHz network only—a step I’ve never had to take with any of the other smart feeders I’ve tested. Luckily, now that the initial connection has been established, I‘ve been able to switch my router back to a dual 2.4GHz/5GHz band without any ongoing drops.

Even with some premium smart feeders, wall or fence mounting brackets are sold as extra accessories. The TT Nature feeder has mounting options for trees, poles, walls, and fences included, and I opted to mount the feeder directly onto my garden fence panel with the supplied screws.

Once these were drilled in—made much easier thanks to an included mounting template—the feeder sat firmly on its plate with no wobbling. I do appreciate the sturdy, locked-in feel this gives you, but note that it’s far less flexible to reposition the feeder on a whim when compared to hanging designs like the Bird Buddy 2.

(Image credit: Lauren Scott)

I found out (the fiddly way) that it’s better to mount the wooden feeder to your fence or post first, pair the camera to your phone app second, and then slide the camera module into its front slot. You’ll also need to thread the solar panel cable through a small access hole in the back of the wooden housing to connect it to the camera.

The solar panel can be mounted separately nearby, but to save drilling extra holes into my garden fence, for now I’ve chosen to rest it directly on top of the feeder’s metal roof for easy adjusting. The white trailing wires from the panel aren't the prettiest to look at, and I prefer a feeder with flush solar panels integrated directly into the roof design, but you can easily tuck the excess cable behind the wooden housing to tidy things up.

Filling the 1.5-litre hopper is quick and easy, though I found seed doesn't always flow freely down to the perch and needs some encouragement—either a nudge with your fingers or a gentle shake of the housing. There are drainage holes built into the feeding perch to allow water drainage, but these are wide enough to let smaller seeds fall straight through to the ground, which feels wasteful when you’ve bought premium bird food mix.

TT Nature Smart Bird Feeder camera: Performance

• Clear 1080p video in dry conditions and direct sun
• Consistent motion detection but a recording lag
• The app is functional, with AI species ID paywalled

It took only a few days for the local birds to grow bold enough to land on the TT Nature feeder in my garden, and soon after, my phone started pinging with initial motion alerts. Whenever I’m first testing out a new bird cameras, I also like to do a bit of an observation check out of my kitchen window to see how real-time landings translates to app notifications. More advanced software can take a few days to calibrate, but the motion sensors triggered reliably for almost every visitor I spotted.

That said, playing the clips back revealed a particularly frustrating flaw: the camera often triggers a fraction of a second too slowly. For particularly short visits, by the time the recording had started, the bird had often already flown off. Videos are capped at a fixed 20-second duration with no option in the app to adjust clip length. By default, the motion sensitivity is set to Medium (the other options being low or high); I bumped this up to High in the hope of catching birds as they first approached, but it didn’t make a noticeable difference to the trigger lag.

The camera settings are rudimentary overall, though Iappreciate that you can filter notifications to alert you to animal visitors only. This stopped my phone from pinging me every time I took out some washing or my dog sniffed past. Of course, you can leave it set to all motion if you want—at its core, this is essentially a standard security camera housed inside a wooden birdhouse.

In terms of video quality, the camera definitely needs even lighting and a dry day to perform at its best, a slight drawback when your feeder is at its busiest during the early hours. On several damp autumn mornings, the glass lens completely fogged up with condensation, making visiting birds look like blurs. There’s also no automatic white balance or HDR tone-mapping at play (I don’t know how exposure works on other cameras, but the Bird Buddy has often seemed to compensate); birds sitting in deep morning shade can also look quite dark and hard to make out.

When the weather is fair, however, the optical performance is more charming. The lens offers a crisp, fixed focal plane right on the front perch, paired with a natural, shallow depth of field that softens the garden background nicely. I also like how wide the field of view is, allowing you to watch where birds fly in from and trace their exit paths after a feed. Video playback is generally clear, if occasionally a bit juddery during fast wing-flaps.

Lauren ScottLauren ScottLauren Scott

The accompanying PerchLens app is where the TT Nature camera feels most in tune with its entry-level price. Unlike the slick, fun ecosystems of Birdfy or Bird Buddy—which feature near-flawless AI identification out of the box—the software experience here is basic.

Without paying for an optional monthly subscription (£6.10/month, processed painstakingly via PayPal or bank transfer), you don't get any automatic AI species tagging, and incoming sightings are simply labelled as "bird".

TT Nature doesn't push the camera as a heavy AI play, and personally, I don't mind manually spotting the birds coming and going since I recognise common local garden species anyway. But I think if your goal is to automatically curate a digital log, track species frequency and behaviour, or build up a solid collection of identified visitors, the app simply isn’t advanced enough for that. The camera also doesn't automatically generate shareable photo cards like the Bird Buddy 2, and if you want stills, your best bet is capturing a manual screenshot while watching the 1080p live stream.

Should you buy the TT Nature Smart Bird Feeder camera?Buy it if...

You want a natural-looking design

Constructed from FSC-certified natural timber with a weather-resistant metal roof, the wooden TT Nature looks like a traditional garden birdhouse rather than a plastic security cam. It blended well into my garden, though mounting the solar panel is extra faff.

You want a no-subscription storage option

The TT Nature includes a physical MicroSD card slot (up to 128GB) and a free 3-day cloud loop, meaning you can save and download 1080p footage (if you're quick) without recurring costs.

Don't buy it if...

You want a large-capacity seed tray

With a 1.5-litre capacity, I'd say this feeder is on the smaller side for big or busy gardens. If you have high bird traffic or frequent squirrel visits, you might have to refill the seed tray every few days compared to larger 3L+ feeders.

You want an all-in-one solar roof

The camera's 3W solar panel is connected via a wire rather than being a seamless, flush panel built into the roof. If you want a clean, single-piece feeder, this setup feels a bit more modular and requires extra consideration.

Also consider

Bird Buddy Pro (with solar roof)

If you don't want to maintain the TT Nature's wooden exterior and prefer an easier-to-clean, modern design, the Bird Buddy Pro is a premium alternative. Its solar roof is integrated, and the companion app curates daily Postcard highlight reels instead of sending constant motion alerts.

Read our Bird Buddy Pro reviewView Deal

Birdfy Bamboo

If you like the naturalistic look of the TT Nature wooden camera but want something a little bigger, Netvue's Birdfy Bamboo gives you almost double the seed capacity. It's sustainably made and looks just as integrated in a traditional garden setting. The product is more expensive, but it offers better build quality.

Read our Netvue Birdfy Bamboo reviewView Deal

(Image credit: Lauren Scott)How I tested the TT Nature Smart Bird Feeder camera

• Tested for several weeks in a UK garden in October
• Mounted using the included hanging hardware
• Connected to an iPhone 15 Pro running the PerchLens app

I tested the TT Nature Bird Feeder Station in my garden for two weeks, after mounting it securely onto my fence using the metal plate and screws included in the box. I powered up the camera using the wired external 3W solar panel balanced on the feeder's roof.

I connected the camera to my iPhone 15 Pro via TT Nature's app, PerchLens, so I could see how effective the Wi-Fi pairing process and motion alert notifications were. I spent time navigating the app and reading the FAQs to see what the camera's support and community were like.

I mostly followed RSPB guidance on feeding birds and left small amounts of mealworms in the base of the feeder, adding a few seeds close to the end of October. I took the camera inside once during the testing period to refill it and wipe it down, as I wanted to gauge how easy it would be to clean.

First reviewed October 2026

The AMD Ryzen 7 700X impressed us during our testing, with our components expert John calling it "hands down the best processor on the market for most people." If you’re building or upgrading to AMD’s AM5 platform, this CPU delivers a fast eight-core chip and the cooler to run it for well under the original asking price.

Now, the AMD Ryzen 7 700X is $239 (was $399) at Newegg with a free Cooler Master Elite Liquid 240mm AIO. But I've found a way to bring that down to $209 when you buy two $100 Newegg gift cards, with the site giving away a bonus $30 free with each purchase ($15 per card).

• Best for: gamers and everyday power users building a new AM5 system who want strong performance without paying for a Ryzen 9.

• Why we like it: eight Zen 4 cores with boost clocks up to 5.4GHz, PCIe 5.0 and DDR5 support, and a free 240mm liquid cooler, which matters because the 7700X doesn’t ship with one.

• What to know: To use this CPU, you need an AM5 motherboard and DDR5 memory.

Ryzen 7 700X: was $399 now $209
An eight-core, 16-thread Zen 4 desktop processor for Socket AM5, with a 4.5GHz base clock, up to 5.4GHz boost, 32MB of L3 cache, and a 105W TDP. No cooler is included in the box, but Newegg is currently adding a Cooler Master Elite Liquid 240mm AIO free with purchase. For the full discount, get two Newegg gift cards for a bonus $30.View Deal

Why we recommend it

In our Ryzen 7 7700X review, we praised its outstanding performance and accessible price, calling it the processor most people should buy. At $209 with a free AIO, though, the chip is a much easier sell than at launch, and the bundled cooler removes one of the extra costs we flagged.

Price Context & Historical Value

By stacking two Newegg gift cards alongside the existing discount, you're saving $190 off the $399 list price. That's not the lowest ever price. But what makes this deal stand out is the free 240mm AIO cooler, which you’d otherwise have to buy separately. If you’re ready to build on AM5 now, it’s a strong time to buy.

Should you buy it?

✅ Buy the AMD Ryzen 7 7700X if... you’re building a new AM5 gaming or general-use PC, you want eight fast cores without paying Ryzen 9 prices, or you need a cooler anyway and like the idea of getting a 240mm AIO thrown in.

❌ Skip the AMD Ryzen 7 7700X if... you’re on an older AM4 or DDR4 system and don’t want to replace your motherboard and memory, you do heavy professional rendering that would benefit from more cores, or your case can’t fit a 240mm radiator.

• See all desktop CPU at Newegg

• Microsoft pulls out of the UK's largest data center project over concerns surrounding power supply
• The site was expected to be hooked up to the grid by 2027, but new estimates suggest it will not be operational until early 2030
• Microsoft was the site's only publicly announced customer

Microsoft has announced it will pull out of a project the UK government had previously dubbed the country’s largest AI data center.

A backlog of power capacity for UK data centers means the site would not be operational until the early 2030s, prompting Microsoft’s withdrawal from the project.

The development, announced in 2025 and headed by British company Nscale, was set to be built at a site in Loughton, Essex - but the project has been mired in controversy after it was revealed in March 2026 that the site was still operating as a scaffolding yard.

Nscale data center in limbo

The data center was originally planned to be hooked up to the grid by 2027, but the UK currently does not have enough energy capacity for the more than 300 data centers still looking to connect to the energy grid. Capacity is stretched so thin that the total electricity demand for data centers is currently 60% greater than current capacity.

Microsoft’s investment was a linchpin for the site with the company planning to fund a supercomputer and act as a key customer once the data center was operational. However, the withdrawal of Nscale’s only publicly announced customer has left the site in limbo.

“We remain committed to both the Loughton project and the UK and we are exploring alternative power sources for the site, in addition to other expansion sites in the UK,” Nscale said in a statement. “Our relationship with Microsoft remains strong and long-term.”

“This unfortunate London-wide grid issue has no impact on our other contracts,” the company added.

Britain’s ‘sovereign’ data center provider

Nscale has positioned itself as Britain’s “sovereign” data center provider and was planning to head to Wall Street with an estimated valuation of $35 billion (£26billion). The company is a neocloud - operating with significant backing from Nvidia - looking to build the underlying infrastructure that will power the AI boom.

But there are concerns that neoclouds and other data center developers could be an instability in the AI ecosystem. Some experts have theorized that AI will need to offer a global revenue of $2.5 trillion annually in order to deliver on the underlying investments made in infrastructure and hardware.

Current estimates suggest the yearly AI revenue sits between just $150 billion and $250 billion.

Developers are taking on increasingly risky debts to lay the foundation for the expected AI boom in the hope that losses can be recovered once productivity gains are fully realized, but as previous revolutionary tech cycles have demonstrated, it is the companies that build upon the underlying infrastructure succeed, but those building it often struggle to recuperate their investments.

With RAM prices apparently out of control thanks to a very hungry AI, my team and I have been tracking the best deals on memory that we can find. And using my Newegg 'trick', this must be the cheapest way to upgrade to a DDR5-6000 setup yet.

Newegg is currently selling a $100 gift card that gives you a bonus $15 for free. You can buy two of these to get $30 free. Couple that with the current discounts, and you can choose between three different 32GB memory kits for $420 apiece.

In terms of value, I've selected the Patriot Viper Venom DDR5-6400 kit, the TeamGroup T-Force Delta RGB DDR5-6000 kit, and Klevv's 32GB DDR5-6000 kit.

Today's best DDR5 RAM deals

Viper Venom 32GB DDR5-6400 kit: was $449.99 now $419.99
Built for AMD Expo profiles, this kit has CL38-46-46-110 timings. For the full discount, buy two Newegg gift cards for $200, which nets you a free $30. View Deal

T-Force Delta RGB 32GB DDR5-6000 kit: was $478.99 now $419.99
TeamGroup's DDR5 RAM is a dual-profile kit for AMD Expo and Intel XMP 3.0. It features CL38-46-46-84 timings. For the full discount, grab two Newegg gift cards for $200, and use code GTWF569. View Deal

32GB DDR5-6000 kit: was $472.99 now $419.99
This is another dual-profile memory kit with Intel and AMD support. It has tighter 30-36-36-76 timings. For the full discount, get two Newegg gift cards for $200, and use code GTWF569. View Deal

Why we recommend them

With RAM prices sky-rocketing right now, any discount is worth checking out - and pairing the discounts with Newegg's limited-time gift card, which effectively offers a free $30 to use on the site, this is one of the cheapest ways to pick up DDR5 memory.

Which RAM deal should you buy?

✅ Buy the Patriot Viper Venom if...

You're focusing on speed - at 6400MT/s, it's the fastest of the three, supporting AMD 600 Series, 800 Series, or Ryzen PCs.

✅ Buy the TeamGroup T-Force Delta RGB if...

You want a stylish RGB memory kit that's effectively plug-and-play for Intel XMP boards.

✅ Buy the Klevv RAM kit if...

You're building an AMD PC. While it supports Intel, the 6000MT/s with CL30 timings is the sweet spot for AMD processors.

• See all desktop memory kits at Newegg

• Anthropic says it is no longer hiring so many junior/entry-level roles
• Many technical workers are becoming AI managers, and so are spending more time in meetings
• The company says its "deep adoption" makes it a useful "early warning system" for AI's impacts

One of the biggest AI developers in the world has released a brand-new study on how AI is transforming its own workforce - but we're not sure whether it's good or bad news.

Starting off with the bad news, Anthropic uncovered a considerable drop in junior workers – junior workers accounted for just 14% of technical staff by mid-2026, down from 21% in early 2025.

The proportion of junior employees among the company's new technical hires fell even more dramatically in the same period, from 27% to just 9%.

Is AI replacing some workers, but not all?

Ultimately, the paper concludes that artificial intelligence is handling more and more entry-level roles, therefore Anthropic hasn't needed to hire as many junior workers.

In fact, hiring on the whole has seemingly dropped thanks to AI-induced productivity gains. "[Anthropic] has hired less per dollar of revenue than an earlier generation of large tech companies," the company explained.

Crucially, the Claude maker isn't reporting a declining technical workforce. Quite the opposite, as it continues to grow, but those technical workers are now handling higher-level, managerial-type roles.

AI's biggest impact at Anthropic has been the number of code commits per engineer, up 5.1x from the end of 2025 to mid-2026. Data queries per data scientist (up 3.1x), contracts per legal worker (up 3.1x) and deals per salesperson (up 1.7x) are also all trending upward.

Humans remain in the loop

More broadly, the company sees many workers transitioning into decision-making roles, and that's increased the amount of time they spend in meetings. A 20% median increase was observed across the workforce.

"Engineers described becoming leaders and managers of agents; non-technical employees described doing more and more of the strategic parts of their job."

Despite massive productivity gains through automation, Anthropic also confirmed that some roles just have to remain human. They include things like sales calls and interviews.

Still, human workers are seen as something of a bottleneck in the world of AI. Claude spends around 80% of interactive session time waiting for human input, the research revealed.

Looking ahead, Anthropic has projected where we could be heading and how things could change with all employers. One of the biggest shifts could come in hiring, where a new set of skills is likely to be prioritized – including "autonomy and judgment."

A more optimistic approach admits that hiring is indeed falling, but job opportunities could actually be exploding. "One possibility is single-person start-ups, each with a human founder steering swarms of agents to rake in billions in revenue."

Ultimately, Anthropic says its "deep adoption of AI... makes it a useful case," and that it exists as an "early warning system" – so maybe we look at AI companies to see how AI is going to impact jobs?

• A leaker has claimed the PlayStation 6’s storage and memory alone could cost $680
• That lines up with past predictions that the console will cost $1,000 or more
• Sony has remained silent on the potential cost of its next-generation device

It’s no secret that the ongoing AI-driven RAM crisis has pushed component prices to extraordinarily unpleasant highs, and that’s made everything from graphics cards to new smartphones more expensive. Now, it looks like the misery could be spreading to the upcoming PlayStation 6, with some predictions indicating that an eye-watering price tag of $1,000 or more could be on the horizon.

That idea comes from renowned leaker KeplerL2 on the NeoGAF forums, who recently argued that the procurement cost to Sony of the PlayStation 6’s memory and storage alone comes to $680. That’s before we even consider other components like the GPU, CPU, and motherboard, and it makes for grim reading for anyone hoping for a reasonably priced console from Sony.

The context here is that KeplerL2’s comment was made in response to another forum member. That person had expressed doubts over KeplerL2’s previous prediction that the total bill of materials for the PlayStation 6 would come to $960. That prediction was made in July 2026, and with prices only increasing since then, the final bill to Sony could easily push past the $1,000 mark — especially if the RAM and storage come to $680 before anything else is factored in.

While some games consoles have historically been sold at a loss in order to drive software sales, Sony has said in recent months that “As a principle, we do not intend to sell hardware at significant losses.” That suggests that if the PlayStation 6’s bill of materials really does come to $960 — or more — then that’s likely to be close to the price that consumers will be asked to pay.

More bad news for PlayStation fans

(Image credit: Shutterstock / Mohsen Vaziri)

KeplerL2 is a well-known leaker in the world of consoles and computing hardware, and in recent weeks they have made claims surrounding console release dates, the performance of the next Xbox, and AMD’s own version of DLSS 5. Their past track record gives them a degree of credibility, but as with every so-called leak and rumor, it’s sensible to treat it with a dose of skepticism until it is confirmed.

Still, given the way hardware prices are going, it wouldn’t be too surprising to see the PlayStation 6 debut at $1,000 or more. Costs of the priciest PlayStation components — including the memory, storage, and GPU — are way up compared to when the PlayStation 5 launched and are showing no signs of slowing down. In fact, they could get worse over the next year or two.

Sony has not made any comments on which way prices for the PlayStation 6 might go, so we’ll have to wait and see for now. But combined with the news that Sony is planning to ditch physical discs altogether in the near future, the future could be tough for PlayStation gamers.

The Apple Mac mini has been one of our favorite mini PCs since we first tried it out, with the M4 model. Now, Apple has launched the new M6-powered model, but before you jump in, I still think the M4 edition is worth checking out for general desktop PC duties like running office software, and content creation.

For a very limited time, the Mac mini M4 is down to the $649 (was $799) at Best Buy - a full $150 cheaper than the Mac mini M6 over at Amazon. The diminutive Mac mini M4, released in 2024, packs impressive performance into a tiny 5 x 5-inch design at a price that makes it worth considering over the newer M6 model.

• Best for: Home and office workers, students, and anyone who wants a compact Mac for everyday computing, photo editing, and occasional video projects.

• Why it matters: You get a 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16GB of unified memory, and 256GB SSD for $130.99 less than the newer M6 Mac mini at Amazon.

Today's best Apple Mac mini (M4) deal

Mac mini M4: was $799 now $649
This compact desktop features an Apple M4 chip with 10-core CPU and GPU, 16GB unified memory, 256GB SSD, three Thunderbolt 4 ports, HDMI, Gigabit Ethernet, and Apple Intelligence support.View Deal

Why we recommend it

In his 5-star review of Mac mini M4, our expert Matt said: "Before Apple announced its new M4-series Macs and MacBooks I made a prediction that the Mac mini would be the most interesting out of all of them — and I was right. Apple has made what was already the best small form factor PC even better thanks to a more compact design, and it packs the new M4 and M4 Pro chips — all while offering incredible value for money as well. I can't recommend this Mac enough."

The Apple Mac mini M4 might be small, but its 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU are certainly mighty and provide plenty of processing power. You also get 16GB of unified memory, and a 256GB SSD. There are three Thunderbolt 4 ports, HDMI, Gigabit Ethernet, and two front-facing USB-C ports. You can also connect up to three external displays.

We rank it as the best mini PC for Apple users. And because this is an Apple silicon Mac, it supports Apple Intelligence, so you don't need the latest M6 model to access Apple's AI features.

Price context & historical value

Best Buy is selling the M4 Mac mini for $649, saving you $150 off the usual $799 price. Alternatively, Amazon has the newer M6 Mac mini for $779.99, down from $899, saving you $119.01, or approximately 13%.

Both models have 16GB of unified memory and a 256GB SSD, but the M6 offers a faster 12-core CPU and 12-core GPU, compared with the M4's 10-core CPU and GPU. It also has Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and 2.5Gb Ethernet, compared with Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, and Gigabit Ethernet on the M4.

At just $130.99 more, the M6 could be worth the extra money if you regularly edit videos, work with demanding applications, or plan to keep your Mac for several years. That said, the discounted M4 model remains a very capable and more affordable mini Mac.

Should you buy it?

✅ Buy the Mac mini M4 if...

You want a compact Apple desktop for everyday computing, office work, photo editing, and occasional video projects. It offers 16GB of memory, excellent connectivity, and access to the macOS ecosystem for less than the newer M6.

❌ Skip the Mac mini M4 if...

You regularly edit demanding video projects, work with complex graphics, or run local AI applications. The M6's faster CPU, GPU, and AI hardware could justify paying extra. I'd also consider the M6 if you want the latest wireless connectivity and faster Ethernet.

Also consider

Mac mini M6: was $899 now $779.99
This compact desktop features Apple's M6 chip with 12-core CPU and GPU, 16GB unified memory, 256GB SSD, three Thunderbolt 4 ports, HDMI, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and 2.5Gb Ethernet connectivity.View Deal

• Burger King Japan discloses breach affecting 11.18 million customer records from its mobile app platform
• Exposed data included personal details and order histories, though payment information was not compromised
• Company reported no confirmed misuse and notified regulators while investigating the intrusion

The Japanese subsidiary of Burger King has confirmed suffering a data breach and apologized for losing sensitive data on millions of customers.

In a breach notification letter, Burger King Japan confirmed the exact date of the breach, as well as the nature of the data that was stolen.

"We identified a potential unauthorized third-party access to the system that manages member information for our official app and conducted an investigation," the company said in the letter. "As a result, it was determined on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, that unauthorized access occurred between Friday, October 2, 2026, and Wednesday, October 7, 2026, resulting in a leak of member information. Upon becoming aware of the unauthorized access, we immediately blocked access from the source in question."

Echoes of Russia

The investigation determined that 11.18 million customer records were nabbed, which was mostly data on people using the company’s official smartphone app.

It includes people’s names, dates of birth, genders, email addresses, phone numbers, and order histories. While credit card and other payment data was not exposed, personally identifiable information (PII) is still more than enough to launch convincing phishing emails and escalate to business email compromise (BEC), malware, or even ransomware attacks.

Burger King Japan stressed that there is no evidence of data misuse yet and added that the breach was reported to the country’s Personal Information Protection Commission (PPC).

"We sincerely apologize for the great inconvenience and concern this situation has caused to our customers and all others involved," it added. "At this time, no secondary damage, such as fraudulent use, resulting from this incident has been confirmed."

Burger King’s food isn’t the only tasty thing about the company, it seems. Cybercriminals also love breaking in and stealing data. Back in 2024, for example, the Russian arm of Burger King suffered a data breach at the hands of unknown threat actors and in late September this year, that data leaked online.

In October 2024, Burger King told local media about an attack on Mindbox, a domestic marketing automation platform the company had been using. Through Mindbox, the threat actors managed to obtain sensitive company data, including information belonging to the customers.

"Among the victims of the attack may also be the data of customers of the Burger King restaurant chain," the company said at the time. “Burger King confirms that among the personal data, the accuracy of which is being clarified, there is no information about payment details: open information about transactions is not transmitted or stored by third parties.”

Just like in the Japan incident, the Russia one did not discuss the details of the attack, or how it was pulled off. Third-party supply chain attacks are common and often rather disruptive, affecting numerous companies using the same tools. For Mindbox, however, there have been no reports of additional victims.

Supply chain attacks

In its 2024 results announcement, Mindbox said the attack was its “first serious information security incident”, which was quickly detected and contained “thanks to threat detection tools.”

In the aftermath of the breach, Mindbox said it “found and eliminated points where employees without access rights to sensitive data could indirectly obtain them,” hinting that the attack was, in fact, an identity-based attack rather than a zero-day exploit.

The company also “changed development processes to find such points before they get into the product,” and reformed Mindbox's internal role system to make permissions stricter and more granular. It also limited project access scenarios, introduced a mechanism for confirming access by another employee, and introduced mandatory two-factor authentication, among other things.

Have I Been Pwned?, a website that aggregates information stolen in various hacks and helps people learn if their email addresses and other information had been compromised in the past, has Burger King Russia on its list, but not Burger King Japan.

Via BleepingComputer

A cheap wireless mouse might get the job done, but there's a noticeable difference when you move to something designed for precision and comfort. The Logitech MX Anywhere 3S, currently $70 (was $90) at Amazon, packs several useful features into a compact design.

One of the biggest attractions of the Logitech MX Anywhere 3S mouse is that you don't need a mat to use it. Its 8,000 DPI Darkfield sensor can track on a wide range of surfaces, including glass that's at least 4mm thick.

• Best for: Laptop owners, mobile professionals, and anyone who regularly works across multiple computers.

• Why it matters: You get premium features such as MagSpeed scrolling, an 8,000 DPI sensor, quiet clicks, and multi-device connectivity without paying over the top. Weighing just 99g and measuring around 100mm long, it won't take up much space in your laptop bag either.

Today's best Logitech wireless mouse deal

MX Anywhere 3S Wireless Mouse: was $89.99 now $69.99
This compact wireless mouse features 8000 DPI tracking, MagSpeed scrolling, quiet clicks, six buttons, three-device Bluetooth connectivity, customizable shortcuts, USB-C charging, glass-surface tracking, and up to 70 days of battery life.View Deal

Why we recommend it

In his 4-star review of an earlier version, our expert Nick said: "Despite its small size, the Logitech MX Anywhere 3 packs plenty of features seen in some of Logitech’s more advanced models. Scrolling through documents or websites is ridiculously satisfactory, and its ability to work across multiple surfaces is a traveler’s dream."

With the MX Anywhere 3S, the 3's successor, Logitech has made the clicks quieter than before, which will be welcome when working in shared spaces.

The MagSpeed wheel can scroll through up to 1,000 lines per second, allowing it navigate large files much quicker. Horizontal scrolling can be activated by holding a side button while turning the wheel.

The six-button design includes customizable controls, and Options+ software lets you assign shortcuts and create application-specific settings in Windows and macOS. You can pair the mouse with three Bluetooth devices and quickly switch between them.

Price context & historical value

The Logitech MX Anywhere 3S normally costs $89.99, but it's currently available for $69.99. That saves you $20. That's a great reduction, although we have seen it as low as $60 in the past, and it could get cheaper around Black Friday.

Should you buy it?

✅ Buy the Logitech MX Anywhere 3S if...

You regularly use a laptop away from your usual desk and want a reliable mouse that can track on almost any surface. It's also a good choice if you use it with several different computers.

❌ Skip the Logitech MX Anywhere 3S if...

You mainly use your computer for occasional web browsing and don't need advanced features. A basic wireless mouse will cost considerably less.

Also consider

Logitech MX Master 3S Bluetooth Wireless Mouse: was $99.99 now $79.99
This ergonomic wireless mouse features 8000 DPI tracking, quiet clicks, MagSpeed scrolling, programmable buttons, customizable app profiles, Bluetooth connectivity, thumb controls, and cross-computer file transfers between Windows and macOS devices.View Deal

• Shop all mice on sale at Amazon

Exclusive: Basketball venues are barely keeping up with broadcasters’ and fans’ data demands, so the leagues and the carrier are upgrading arenas with all-new communications equipment.

• Windows 11 has a new preview build with a change to boost performance
• It's just for Edge to begin with, and it means that if the browser is already running, new instances of the app will launch faster
• Microsoft's plan is to introduce this to a wider range of Windows 11 apps

Microsoft is making another move to tune up Windows 11 so it launches some apps more swiftly, although this is just in testing for now.

Windows Latest noticed that the latest build in the Release Preview channel (the final stage of testing) applies a change to bring in "accelerated app launches" for Microsoft Edge in a certain scenario. Namely that when Edge is already running, further instances of the web browser being opened will appear at a faster speed.

Microsoft tells us that: "When you select a link or open Edge from the taskbar or Start menu while Edge is already running in the background, Windows now routes your request directly to the running instance instead of first starting an extra, temporary process."

This shortened launch path for when Edge is 'warm' (already running) means a considerably faster launch time, as Windows Latest verified.

The tech site also points out that only the first 'cold' start of the browser will be slower (with the longer launch process), as even if you open Edge, then close it, if you run the app again, it's still 'warm' as the relevant processes have spun up in the background.

Analysis: broader benefits, but why did all this take so long?

(Image credit: Microsoft)

If you don't use Edge (and that's doubtless most of you), then you might be thinking: what's the big deal anyway? Well, this is a first step in testing towards a grander goal, namely a "broader Windows capability that any app can adopt to speed up its own launches" as Microsoft explains in the preview build's release notes.

Eventually, we could see multiple apps benefiting from what's an apparently considerable performance boost when launching, assuming that they're already running (and warmed up). It could be some time before Microsoft opens this up to third-party developers, mind, and then they have to get around to implementing the functionality.

At any rate, it's a useful new feature, and one that comes on top of Microsoft's existing work in enabling preloading for certain Windows 11 apps, notably Edge itself and File Explorer. We've also witnessed the introduction of the Low Latency Profile feature, which represents a nice CPU speed boost for Windows 11's menus and also apps.

The main question is: why did it take Microsoft so long to get around to these performance improvements? File Explorer being slow was a complaint from the start with Windows 11, and yet we've had to suffer this – and various other instances of sluggishness – for years before they've been fixed. It was only this year, when Microsoft properly turned its attention to fixing Windows 11, that we've seen solutions flooding forth.

And don't get me wrong, that's great, but it also shows that Microsoft didn't take these performance problems seriously until the Windows 11 userbase was more or less in open rebellion over AI features being pushed while all these issues continued to frustrate people. It's clear enough that the optimization of Windows 11 could have been done in the past, if Microsoft was willing to graft at the task, it was just that the company didn't see it as enough of a priority – bafflingly.

I concede that even when Microsoft is doing a good thing here, I'm moaning, and that in this respect the company can't win. Fair enough, and all's well that ends well as they say, but what I'm really hoping is that Microsoft can learn from this in the future and act earlier to troubleshoot its desktop OS when it clearly has problems.

Whatever next-gen Windows turns out to be, it needs to take this new attitude and go forward with it, until Microsoft has an operating system which is running smoothly for daily operations in every important respect, from performance to usability – not to mention reliability and stable updates which is still a big issue that's left to resolve.

• Garmin users noticed huge battery drains after updating their watches
• The new ‘OK Garmin’ wake word could be to blame
• It’s enabled automatically but can be disabled quickly and easily

If you’ve installed the latest software update on your Garmin watch and have noticed a significant reduction in battery life as a result, there could be a simple explanation — but it’s one you might not even have thought to check.

According to multiple posts on forums and social media, many Garmin users have seen sizeable decreases in battery life when using their smartwatches on the latest software update. And the main culprit appears to be the device’s voice activation.

Starting with Garmin’s September update, you no longer need to press a button to launch voice activation on the Venu 4, Forerunner 970 and other smartwatches. Instead, you just need to say “OK Garmin,” then input your command.

The problem, as many users have found, is that this new feature can drastically reduce your battery life because it requires you watch to always be listening out for the wake word, adding a noticeable load to the battery.

Indeed, one poster on the official Garmin forums found that their battery life estimate had dropped from 15 days to nine days — a reduction of 40%. For another user, their estimate was cut in half from 12 days to six, while another went from 23 days to 12. For some people, disabling the OK Garmin feature instantly restored the battery estimate to its previous duration.

Disabling the culprit

(Image credit: Future)

Forerunner 970 owner’s manual, for example, warns that enabling the “OK Garmin” wake word “reduces battery life,” although the company doesn’t say how much of an impact it can have.

What some users might not have realized is that the voice activation for the Garmin assistant is enabled automatically when you update to the latest software. That could leave you wondering why your battery life has been cut in half without you changing anything manually.

If you want to disable the wake word, you’ll need to go to Watch Settings > System > Voice, then disable the OK Garmin feature.

It’s possible that something else might be causing significant battery drain on your Garmin watch. But with multiple reports indicating that the OK Garmin feature could be to blame, it’s worth trying to disable it if you’re more concerned about battery life than having an always-on voice assistant on your wrist.

Magnifique’s new cooker combines two of my favorite kitchen appliances in one nontoxic, easy-to-use machine.