Technology

US adults are juggling higher tech prices with smaller budgets this year. Can the sales help them afford more?

Research by Common Sense Media says that OpenAI’s parent alert system is faulty and that the chatbot doesn’t help kids improve their learning skills.

Bluey’s Happy Snaps is also coming to Game Pass in October 2026 to put a smile on your face.

Rogue AI agents have dominated tech headlines over the past few weeks. We’ve seen stories about concerns that AI models are attempting to deceive their human operators, finding unexpected ways around restrictions in businesses and, in some cases, behaving in bizarre ways their creators didn’t anticipate.

All of this news has been accompanied by ominous warnings about what might happen in the future as AI agents become more mainstream, accessible, capable and are given even more freedom to act on our behalf.

Now, if you’re a fan of sci-fi, it’s hard not to draw parallels with the rogue robots and manipulative AIs we’ve all been watching on our screen for decades. And, of course, when we watch these films from the safety of our sofas, we all think we’d know way better.

Maybe you’re sure you wouldn’t have trusted Ava in Ex Machina. Or you definitely wouldn’t have given HAL control of the Discovery in 2001: A Space Odyssey. And you’re probably convinced that you wouldn’t have let M3GAN anywhere near the Wi-Fi. But would you really be so difficult to fool?

Because nowadays, you don’t need to be trapped on a spaceship to encounter convincing AI deception. Things like AI-generated phishing messages, voice clones, deepfakes and sophisticated scams are already making it harder to work out who (and what) you can trust. [can we please include a link to your ‘is it an AI image or not’ image quiz here]

So, let’s imagine the worst has happened: a rogue AI is trying to escape, and you’re the only thing standing in its way. Could you keep it contained? Or would the robot apocalypse somehow end up being all your fault?

Take our quiz below to find out. It’s (mostly) just a bit of fun.

The U.S. government has a new task force devoted to AI — and it's decided that it would now prefer that everyone stops calling it artificial intelligence.

President Donald Trump has announced the creation of the “Super Intelligence Force,” a White House-led group that will spend the next 120 days examining the risks, opportunities, and appropriate federal response to rapidly advancing AI systems. The task force responds to mounting pressure from lawmakers and even AI company executives for stronger safeguards around increasingly capable models.

The group has a formidable remit. Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton will lead what is supposed to include work on cybersecurity, biosecurity, and more standards, along with reviewing how AI companies report breaches and hacks.

There is substance buried underneath the comic branding. OpenAI and Anthropic have both been dealing with increasingly uncomfortable demonstrations of what powerful models can do with cyber tools. The new task force is at least an acknowledgment that voluntary promises from AI companies cannot be the entire federal strategy.

A super rebrand

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Elon Musk then entered the naming discussion, responding “Yes, we will make that change,” when asked on X whether SpaceX's AI operation would change its name from SpaceXAI to SpaceXSI.

This would be the third rebrand for the AI branch of the company and, like those other new names, doesn't actually change the technology or the business.

@XFreeze Yes, we will make that changeOctober 4, 2026

The SI terminology comes directly from Trump. An executive order signed in late September directs executive departments and agencies to use “Super Intelligence” and “SI” instead of “Artificial Intelligence” and “AI” in official communications and other non-statutory documents.

The order argues that today's frontier systems have moved beyond merely imitating or automating human intelligence and that the new terminology better reflects their “promise, potential, and rapidly advancing capabilities.”

For now, the executive order defines “Super Intelligence” as the same technologies already covered by the federal statutory definition of artificial intelligence. It asks officials to develop a possible new federal definition within 60 days, but the immediate transformation from AI to SI is linguistic rather than architectural. And even then, seems unlikely to spread very far. SpaceXAI becoming SpaceXSI is much more about politics and branding than a technological milestone.

Notably, “superintelligence” is already used in AI discussions. It's how researchers refer to a hypothetical artificial intelligence that significantly exceeds human capabilities in many ways.

But language does shape how technology is sold and regulated, and “artificial intelligence” has accumulated plenty of baggage after several years of hallucinations, deepfakes, job anxiety, copyright fights and increasingly unsettling demonstrations of autonomous behavior.

Trump explicitly calls renaming it super intelligence a way to spin the technology more positively as something to “empower Americans, strengthen our economy, and improve the lives of the American people.”

Watchdog with a countdown

(Image credit: RozenskiP / Shutterstock)

The Super Intelligence Force arrives after a White House meeting with AI leaders who signed voluntary commitments covering internal model evaluations, independent external audits, and board-level oversight. But corporate promises alone won't settle any argument about technological abilities or regulation.

Its charter gives it 120 days to develop recommendations, with the possibility that its work could be extended or transferred elsewhere. There is already disagreement about how far oversight should go.

“Greater international oversight is absolutely necessary, but concentrating responsibility in one single, global body isn’t the answer,” Nik Kairinos, CEO and co-founder of RAIDS AI said in a statement. “AI is developing far too quickly and across too many jurisdictions for one organization to effectively police it. A stronger and more realistic model would be decentralized oversight, with a broad and diverse ecosystem of AI companies monitoring and scrutinizing one another.”

The difficulty is making decentralized oversight genuinely independent when many of the organizations scrutinizing one another also share an enormous financial interest in keeping development moving quickly.

The Trump administration appears determined to avoid moving too aggressively. But AI policy has the problem of trying to govern technology that can change substantially between the drafting of a rule and its implementation. A 120-day task force is therefore potentially more useful than another years-long commission producing a report about models that nobody uses anymore.

But trying to rename AI to “SI” does not make today's models superintelligent any more than changing SpaceXAI's name makes the employees more intelligent. The Super Intelligence Force might have some value, but it won't be because of any branding exercise.

“Oversight itself needs to be continuous, distributed and capable of evolving at the same speed as the technology,” Kairinos said. “Rules and standards set by governments are then an important supporting layer. The safest AI ecosystem will be one where responsibility for keeping systems in check is shared, rather than concentrated in the hands of a single watchdog.”

• US soldiers in Germany built and flew an armed drone without contractors
• The live strike took less than five minutes from launch to impact
• Officers say the 3D-printed casing can carry almost two pounds of explosives

The US Army has tested an attack drone assembled and operated by soldiers, marking an unusual step toward independently produced battlefield systems.

The 2nd Cavalry Regiment conducted the live-fire exercise on September 30 2026, at the Grafenwoehr Training Area in Germany.

It used an Orqa MRM2-10 aircraft carrying a custom 3D-printed explosive container that soldiers designed and prepared themselves.

Soldiers build and operate the strike system

According to unit company commander Capt. Michael Bapp, the exercise followed more than two years of development.

The soldiers assembled the aircraft from manufacturer-provided components before adding an electronic safety mechanism and their printed explosive housing.

The regiment named the device “Dragoon bomb” after its nickname, with the container capable of carrying nearly two pounds of explosives.

This weapon can reportedly strike from over three miles away under guidance from experts from the military.

An additional receiver could extend the stated operating distance beyond 12 miles, though battlefield performance remains dependent on conditions.

“If we hit the right spot on the vehicle, we’d be able to get a 100% kill as well,” said 1st Lt. Eugene Lee, reconnaissance platoon leader.

“We can modify the Dragoon bomb, make it into a shape charge, which would be very effective in destroying smaller tanks.”

For the live-fire event, soldiers loaded 250 grams of C-4 alongside M6 low-voltage blasting caps.

The casing can also accommodate different configurations, including ball bearings arrangement for specific battlefield applications.

“This is a conventional Army first, potentially an Army-wide first as far as a live, kinetic drone strike conducted without any contractor support,” said Capt. Bapp.

Staff Sgt. Angel Caliz flew the explosive-carrying aircraft more than one mile before reaching the designated target during the exercise.

The flight from launch to impact required less than five minutes, while another drone transmitted the strike to soldiers watching nearby.

Army drone push builds on Ukraine lessons and in-house assembly

These efforts follow the conflict in Ukraine, where cheap commercial drones, widely available since the start of the war in 2022, have been changing the dynamics of the war.

Drone warfare has since spread to Middle Eastern conflicts, where Iran recorded some devastating wins against the U.S. using cheap drones.

The US Army has begun pursuing in-house production and repair capacity of its own after watching how the war unfolded in Ukraine.

It now operates a three-week course in additive manufacturing and piloting, while the Marine Corps and Navy pursue their own drone fabrication projects.

The Army's experiment therefore combines commercially sourced aircraft components with locally produced additions and soldier-level assembly.

Col. Timothy Price said the exercise showed how existing equipment could be adapted while soldiers develop capabilities without relying entirely on external support.

Army officials said its system could eventually give smaller formations access to precision weapons beyond the reach of conventional equipment.

The US Army even compared the potential of this device with the AT4, which soldiers commonly use against armored threats at relatively short engagement distances.

The unit's account suggests squads could gain precision strike options cheaply, though one success says little about performance against moving or defended threats.

Via Stars and Stripes

It’s Prime Day yet again, and it’s also the second and final day of Amazon’s second members-only shopping event of the year. And there are still a ton of deals to shop, from Lego sets to TVs, AirPods Pro, coffee machines, and countless other gadgets in between.

But rather than a discount on the brand-new Beats 360 headphones — it’s a bit early for that, after all — I’m here with a discount on what might be my most-used tech accessory, and one that’s an even better deal than before.

• Browse the full Amazon Prime Day sale

Beats makes cables, and they’re really good. They offer USB-C to USB-C, and USB-A to USB-C cables, plus a Lightning edition. They don’t break easily; they’re braided and built to the same quality and durability standards as Apple’s own cables, which cost way more.

And for Prime Day, you can get a 1.5-meter USB-C to USB-C cable for just $7.60. You’ll need to be alright with a sleek black color, but it goes with anything.

USB-C to USB-C Woven 1.5m Cable: was $18.99 now $7.60
At just $7.60, this is the best time to get the Beats 1.5-meter USB-C to USB-C cable, as it's never been cheaper. This Prime Day deal beats previous discounts. It's not the most exciting product, but with a durable woven design and support for up to 60 watts of power, it's an excellent cable to have at home or when traveling.View Deal

USB-C to USB-C Woven 1.5m Cable 2-Pack: was $34.99 now $14
If you're after more than one, it's actually cheaper to buy the 2-pack of Beats 1.5-meter USB-C to USB-C cables as the bundle is also 60% off at just $14.View Deal

Whenever I’m on a flight, I travel with a Beats USB-A to USB-C and USB-C to USB-C cable, depending on which port is built into the seat, in case the standard wall-plug AC socket is too worn out. I also have over a dozen at home, and just bought another one.

To a degree, you can never have too many cables, and the Beats cable supports up to 60 watts of power.

And at 60% off, this is a particularly good time to pick one up. The single cable is down to $7.60 from $18.99, a new all-time low price. But if you’re like me and can never have too many cables, the two-pack is an even better option at $14, down from $34.99 — also a 60% discount. Honestly, that’s cheap enough that I’d grab a couple. I know I did.

More Prime Day deals US

• Amazon Devices: Fire Sticks & Echo from $18
• Amazon Haul: viral gadgets, tech & appliances from $1.99
• Apple: MacBooks, AirPods & AirTags from $29
• Beauty: 50% off toothbrushes & hair tools
• Cheap TVs: smart TVs from $69.99
• Garden: tools, mowers, planters from $24.99
• Headphones: 50% off Beats, Bose & Samsung
• Laptops: Apple, HP & Dell from $199
• Mattresses: Sealy, Serta & more from $186
• Patio: outdoor furniture, rugs & decor from $19.99
• Sports: 50% off fitness gear, treadmills & clothing
• Vacuums: Dyson, Shark & Bissell from $34

New interactive graphics are powered by GPT-6, which is rolling out to free users now.

Newegg is throwing a massive spanner in Amazon’s well-oiled Prime Day engine in the shape of the best-value laptop you can buy this October.

The Hasee X5 is no ordinary laptop. It is the only one with a Core i7 (not one of these obsolete 10-year old ones), 16GB LPDDR5 RAM and a humongous 1TB PCIe Gen4 SSD. All this for a mere $549.99, a saving of 38% off its SRP of $899.99.

X5: was $899.99 now $549.99
Intel core i7 13620H | 16G LPDDR5 RAM | 1TB SSD

This 15.6in Windows 11 laptop features an i7 processor, 16GB memory for smoother multi-tasking, a built-in privacy shutter, and loads of ports including three USB-A and 1 USB-C port. View Deal

Let’s start with the processor. This is an Intel Core i7-13620H with 10 cores and contains an Intel UHD Graphics. It is usually found inside gaming laptops, paired with a discrete GPU. None of this here unfortunately.

That said, this is probably the most powerful CPU in a sub-$649 laptop. I chose that price specifically because it relates to Apple’s iconic MacBook Neo.

The 13620H is about 2X faster than the A18 Pro that powers the Neo (based on figures from CPUBenchmark). This is both a compliment to Apple’s exceptional hardware team and to Hasee for how good of a deal the X5 is.

Next there’s 16GB LPDDR5 (albeit in one slot) with a huge 1TB Foresee PCIe 4.0 SSD. Both rarities on a desktop PC let alone a laptop at this price point.

A quick hop over to Dell shows that a Dell 15 laptop with 16GB of inferior DDR4 and 1TB SSD will set you back a massive $1,050, almost 2X more expensive. Oh and the 13420H is about 50% faster than the Ryzen 7 7730U that powers the Dell laptop. Mic Drop.

The Hasee X5 feels reasonably premium as well thanks to a silver finish and a metal chassis. I like the dedicated keypad, the backlit keyboard, the fact that the 15.6-inch full HD IPS screen can lay flat and the privacy shutter for the 2-megapixel webcam.

I don't know the expected battery life of this laptop but don’t have high hopes. The CPU is a power hungry one and the battery capacity is a mere 62.7Whr. You’d be lucky to get for hours out of it although Hasee claims you can get nine ours out of it.

As for connectivity, there’s WiFi-6 (courtesy of Intel), a microSD card reader, something we don’t see often, three USB 3.2 ports, a HDMI one, a Type-C connector and an audio interface. The power port is a barrel type which is not my preference.

Read more: We're currently live-tracking all the best Prime Day home office deals.

• DeepSeek open sourced Ascend ports of its production kernel and communication libraries with Huawei's support in tow
• Published benchmarks ran on a proof-of-concept hardware kit DeepSeek says is not a publicly distributed release
• Two repositories are genuinely new and have received hundreds of GitHub stars versus Nvidia's thousands; the other announced components are updates to existing tools

DeepSeek has revealed it is open sourcing a set of infrastructure components for Huawei's Ascend accelerators.

DeepSeek published two completely new repositories, DeepGEMM-Ascend for matrix multiplication and DeepEP-Ascend for the all-to-all communication that mixture-of-experts models depend on.

The other components named in the announcement were upgrades: TileKernels, DeepSelect, and FlashMLA are existing projects that received Ascend-targeted updates, a distinction FourWeekMBA established from the GitHub creation dates.

An open source offering with limited use cases?

Reuters framed it as two Chinese firms deepening ties in search of an alternative to Nvidia, with Bloomberg called the centerpiece a programming language named TileLang, China's answer to CUDA.

The question is whether any of this matters when engineers are still on the fence about using these tools and access to Chinese compute remains, at best, elusive.

The biggest piece, as Bloomberg puts it, TileLang itself is neither new nor DeepSeek's own offering. It was open-sourced in January 2025, and its Huawei Ascend adapters were published in an external repository, tilelang-ascend, on September 29, 2025, a full year before the recent announcement.

While TileLang supports Nvidia's CUDA backend, it also supports Huawei's Ascend as an ecosystem backend, classified and maintained in a separate repository. One could therefore argue that TileLang is less a weapon aimed at Nvidia than a shared abstraction layer that half a dozen Chinese accelerator vendors are quietly standardizing on, with Huawei as the largest of several tenants rather than the landlord.

The new software has limitations: DeepGEMM-Ascend requires the Ascend 950 series and CANN 9.20. DeepEP-Ascend requires Ascend 950 silicon with UBMEM connectivity, so it targets a narrow audience beyond Huawei's own engineers and limited Chinese AI labs with access to that silicon.

Despite this, at a time when Nvidia chips are unlikely to be generously exported by the US or allowed in by China, Huawei's Ascend silicon has a large task on its shoulders: DeepGEMM-Ascend keeps the same Python package name and API shape as its CUDA sibling, and DeepEP-Ascend aligns its public buffer interfaces with the Nvidia version.

That is because the goal isn't a performance claim, but switching-cost reduction, and switching costs are precisely what Nvidia's moat is made of: it costs far too much for most developers to abandon CUDA or code their own alternative currently.

Public signals show this remains an uphill task; at the time of writing, DeepGEMM-Ascend has 515 stars and 39 forks, compared with DeepGEMM, which has a comfortable lead at 8,522 stars and 1,359 forks, for example. The story is similar for DeepEP-Ascend and DeepEP, with the latter surpassing 10,200 stars versus DeepEP-Ascend's 224.

The reputational problem Huawei faces here predates the repositories. ChinaTalk, citing the Financial Times, quotes a Huawei researcher describing CANN as making Ascend chips difficult and unstable to use, and a Chinese developer characterizing work on the 910B as a road full of pitfalls.

Epoch AI has reported that Huawei dispatches engineering teams to major customers such as Baidu and Tencent to help port CUDA training code and keep deployments running.

A frontier lab publishing its own production kernels partially answers that complaint, because it replaces vendor documentation with code that has survived contact with a model and can be optimized further. It is also, however, code that runs on one chip family, under one toolkit version, on firmware the rest of the world cannot download or even potentially access.

I've spotted a lot of portable power station deals in the Prime Day sale. And while you can't really go wrong with Bluetti, EcoFlow, Jackery, and Anker based on my experiences, it can sometimes become a confusing mess of numbers once you start digging into the differences. So, these are my top three recommendations if you're looking for a little extra insurance while working from home and you're struck by a power outage that keeps you offline (or 'the dark ages', as I like to call it).

For laptops & Wi-Fi routers

288Wh | 600W | <15ms switchover | ★★★★⯪

The Bluetti Elite 30 V2 is my top-rated budget power station with 4.5 stars, with more than enough juice to keep you online during a short, unexpected outage. We used it through several storms during testing.

➡️ UK price: £179 (was £239)View Deal

For workstation setups

Delta 3 Plus: was $799 now $674
1024Wh | 1800W | 10ms switchover | ★★★★★

My Editor's Choice portable power station overall, it scored a flawless 5 stars and put in a robust performance during testing. In the US, it's also available with an extra battery for $1019 at Amazon.

➡️ UK price: now £549 (was £699)View Deal

For garden offices & heavy appliances

Explorer 2000 V2: was $999 now $849
2042Wh | 2200W | <20ms switchover | ★★★★⯪

A high-capacity, high-output power station that earned 4.5 stars in review and saved our reviewer's sanity (and his kids' dinner).

➡️ UK price: now £765 (£1061)View Deal

Having reviewed some of the best portable power stations you can get, these are the key specs you want to look for:

Wh - this is the battery capacity - it's like the electrical version of a fuel tank, and it gives you some idea how long the power station will last until you need to recharge it. The higher the Wh, the more battery power you have, the longer it'll run.

W - this is the output the unit can put out. A laptop is typically up to around 65-100W to power while a standard PC is around 200W; a larger appliance like a fridge can be around 300W. Some power stations have dual surge modes, so you get extra power output for high-wattage devices.

UPS switchover - the time it takes during a power outage for the power station to kick in. The quicker, the better so you don't lose connection if it's hooked up to your router or modem. At best, select a unit that kicks in in under 20 milliseconds, but under 10 milliseconds is better.

There are few gaming headsets that I would consider to be best-in-class offerings, but the Sony Inzone H6 Air is a rare example of one. It's the best-sounding open-back gaming headset that I've ever tested, with crisp and clean audio that elevates everything from first-person shooters to narrative-based action games.

It's pretty well-positioned at full price, but has now become even greater value thanks to a massive Amazon Prime Day saving: it's now just $168 (was $199.99) at Amazon – a new lowest-ever price for the retailer.

• Browse the full Amazon Prime Day sale

The deals continue across the pond as well. In the UK, you can find the Inzone H6 Air for just £139 (was £179) at Amazon – another lowest-ever price. That UK offer only has a few hours to go, though, so snap it up while you still can.

Today's best open-back gaming headset deals

Inzone H6 Air: was $199.99 now $168
A new lowest-ever price on a stellar pair of wired gaming headphones. They're seriously comfortable thanks to their incredibly light weight and offer high audio fidelity. They're fully compatible with PS5, PC, Xbox, and more.View Deal

There's also a meaty discount in the UK, where you can find the Inzone H6 Air at a new lowest-ever price.View Deal

My full five-star Sony Inzone H6 Air review outlines exactly what's so good about this headset. I said that it "raises the bar for open-back gaming audio, with a winning combination of incredible comfort and pristine audio underpinned by studio-grade drivers."

It's also "incredibly lightweight" at just 7oz / 199g, which contributes to just how good it feels to wear. Importantly, it doesn't feel cheap thanks to its combination of rugged aluminium and cloth materials.

More Prime Day deals in the US

• Amazon Devices: Fire Sticks & Echo from $18
• Amazon Haul: viral gadgets, tech & appliances from $1.36
• Apple: MacBooks, AirPods & AirTags from $28
• Cheap TVs: smart TVs from $69.99
• Headphones: 50% off Beats, Bose & Samsung
• Laptops: Apple, HP & Dell from $199
• Mattresses: Sealy, Serta & more from $89
• Smartwatches: up to 36% off Garmin & Apple
• Vacuums: Dyson, Shark & Bissell from $49

More Prime Day deals in the UK

• Amazon Prime: get a 30-day free trial
• Amazon Devices: up to 67% off Fire, Ring & Blink
• Amazon Haul: extra 15% off for Prime members
• Appliances: up to 40% off Ninja & De'Longhi
• Beauty: up to 60% off Philips & Oral-B
• Essentials: cleaning & groceries from £2
• Fashion: up to 50% off
• Gaming: record-low Nintendo Switch 2
• Headphones: up to 50% off Anker & Sony
• Laptops: up to £800 off Microsoft & Asus
• Tablets: up to 50% off Fire tablets
• TVs: from £129.99
• Vacuums: up to 50% off Shark & Dyson
• Wearables: Samsung & Oura from £31

I’ve recently moved into a brand new home, and the tiny kitchen I had to make do with in my old apartment has over doubled in size — and this Prime Day I’m looking for a brand new suite of kitchen gadgets, and general cookware to fill it with.

Top of my list is an airfryer — specifically the Ninja Air Fryer DoubleStack XL which is currently $40-off (now $209.95 at Amazon, and you can save £60 on it at Amazon UK) thanks to its efficient size and cooking prowess — but I’m hoping to indulging myself with a new coffee maker, or perhaps the Ninja Creami I’ve heard so much about (it’s $169.99 at Amazon US, saving you 23%-off, and £153.89 at Amazon UK, a 38% discount).

I’ve already grabbed a few non-techy essentials to fill out my kitchen, and I’ll highlight them below too with reasons you should consider them.

Today's best Ninja deals

NINJA Air Fryer Doublestack XL

NINJA Creami Ice Cream Maker

NINJA Fresh Brew Coffee Maker

NINJA Double Stack XL 9.5L Air Fryer

NINJA Creami Deluxe Ice Cream Maker

NINJA Perfect Temperature Kettle

The Ninja Double Stack stands as the best airfryer in the world based on our tests thanks to its generous capacity for its small footprint and its “top-tier” cooking performance. Normally it is a bit pricey, but whenever it goes on sale (like right now) it’s one I have my eye on because it represents such an amazing deal.

The Creami is a few years older at this point, but it is still a capable ice cream maker — and I expect it’ll be vital next Summer if the UK faces another record-breaking heatwave which is why I’m considering grabbing it while I can for a discount.

Lastly, the only item I have on this list is the Ninja Kettle (it’s on sale in the UK, in the US I’ve picked a snazzy but simple coffee maker). I love coffee, matcha, chai, and fruit teas, while my wife likes classic black tea, and all need different temperatures for the best results — this kettle lets me easily heat water to the perfect temp for each in no time, and it’s easily my most used (and probably most loved) appliance.

My other favorite Prime Day deals for my kitchen

GreenPan Stainless Steel Cookware Set

KitchenAid Variable Speed Corded Hand Blender

Tormek  T-1 Kitchen Knife Sharpener

KitchenAid Ribbed Soft Silicone Oven Mitt 2-Pack Set

CAROTE 7-Piece Baking Pans Set

ioion Electric Salt and Pepper Grinder

Cuisinart Chef’s Classic Stainless Steel Cookware Set

Ninja Foodi 3-In-1 Hand Blender

TORMEK T-1 Kitchen Knife Sharpener

KitchenAid Ribbed Soft Silicone Oven Mitt Set

Brod & Taylor Bread Steel

Brod & Taylor Sourdough Home

I’ve tried a few different non-stick pans over the years, but fears over forever chemicals and frustration at safer coatings that never seem to last have brought me back to the ol’ reliable steel pan — and from my experience GreenPan’s are excellent.

I’ve been giving pieces from its 5-ply Premiere collection a whirl in my new flat — which combine steel and aluminum sheets to maximize heat efficiency and resilience while keeping them a less weighty — but as they aren’t on sale right now I’m highlighting this collection of 11 pots and pans, which for only $119.99 are a steal (especially as you get lids with everything too).

The thing to remember is unlike typical non-stick, steel pans will need a bit more oil, and plenty of time to get up to temperature before you add anything (around two to three minutes), but the upshot is they’re dishwasher and oven safe to high temperatures, and can survive metal tools — which for me is precisely what I need.

In the UK GreenPan’s options aren’t discounted at the time of writing, but the Cuisinart Chef’s Classic set should fill a similar role.

The Tormek T-1 isn’t on sale and it is a little pricey, but I’m highlighting it for any home chefs who have just bought new knives, or who are considering upgrading their old dull ones this Prime Day.

I’ve tried cheap and ‘easy’ knife sharpeners but they’re generally ineffective and can create an uneven edge. Meanwhile, sharpening stones are pretty intimidating.

The Tormek T1 works a treat. It’s super simple to use thanks to the instructions and helped transform all my knives into elite kitchen tools again — including some close to a decade-old blades I was close to throwing out given how useless they had become after years of abuse.

If you cook plenty and have some knives you want to look after, but not a lot of time to sharpen them regularly a more old-fashioned way this piece of kit is something to consider — though if you’re on a budget you may want to wait and see if a Black Friday sale can make it cheaper.

(Image credit: Future)

Finally as an avid baker I've picked out some essential baking gear I use (or is very similar to the kit I have at home). My favorites of the bunch are the Brod & Taylor Bread Steel and Sourdough Home.

The steel is perfect for crusting the bottom of your loaves, but also works well with pizza and other doughs (I think most ovens should have one), while the Sourdough Home is more of a luxury — but one I adore nonetheless.

I keep my sourdough tucked away inside it at a constant cool 5-degrees celsius, and can easily make the home warmer (usually 24-degrees) when I’m getting my starter ready to be baked with. The Home makes managing your starter all-year-round much less of a chore, though it isn’t something I’d recommend for beginners — just because you don’t want to splash out on gear and only bake a few loaves.

But if you’ve fallen in love with sourdough baking and want to treat yourself (or the baker in your life) this deal is perfect.

• A new dark web monitoring service has been launched for Netgear customers
• Netgear Dark Web Monitoring is available on Netgear routers supporting its Armor and Armor Plus plans
• Expert analysis of the dark web shows that over 15 billion personal records are available to purchase

Netgear has announced a new service whicht conducts dark web monitoring and notifies you when your stolen data is found lurking in someone else’s database.

Announced as part of its Armor and Armor Plus plans, the Dark Web Monitoring service is available to subscribers via the Netgear app.

The dark web is the hidden arena of the internet where various “out of sight” transactions are conducted. While it has legitimate uses (such as dissidents accessing resources via Tor), it is also the home of a black market in data – typically stolen from large organizations, companies, and governments in successful hacking attempts.

Collection of tools

Owners of the data should be notified by law when their information is stolen. However, often it isn’t until personal information (and more valuable data such as company secrets or software engines) hits the dark web that companies are even aware that they have been hacked. This makes dark web monitoring services such as Netgear’s new feature particularly attractive.

Netgear’s service is added to its existing collection of tools for Armor and Armor Plus subscribers. These include protection against malware and exploits, intrusion, anomaly, and DDoS detection and protection, and a VPN with adblock and anti-tracking.

The dark web monitoring feature adds to these by offering continuous monitoring of the dark web for emails, phone numbers, and financial details lost during a data breach. National Insurance numbers are also monitored.

If anything is found, Netgear Dark Web Monitoring sends alerts and recommends actions. It also offers an Identity Protection Score to illustrate exposure, and as households improve their security the tool tracks their progress.

Finding exposed data

While free services can uncover data that has been exposed in data leaks, the dark web is home to stolen information that may not yet be disclosed. This could be because the organization that has been hacked hasn’t got around to sharing the breach with their customers – or because they don’t know it has even happened.

This makes an active monitoring service like Netgear Dark Web Monitoring particularly valuable.

“Most people think about network security as something that happens within their home,” says Jonathan Oakes, Senior Vice President and General Manager of NETGEAR’s Home Networking Division. “But your details can end up exposed somewhere else entirely, in a breach at a company you’ve never even dealt with directly. Dark Web Monitoring means finding out while there’s still time to act.”

Netgear Dark Web Monitoring is available with its routers’ Armor ($99/year) and Armor Plus ($149.99/year) plans, available to be purchased via the Netgear app.

Flat buttocks? Own a snail? Here’s how to find out what Amazon’s About You page knows — or thinks it knows — about you as a person.

Choosing between two creative laptops becomes much easier when they share many of the same core specifications but have different prices. That's exactly the situation with two MSI laptops which have been discounted for Amazon Prime Day.

• Best for: I'd choose the MSI Katana 15 HX for most users, while the Crosshair A16 HX makes more sense if you think a larger, faster display is worth paying extra for. And that's not the case for most people.

• The deal: The MSI Crosshair A16 HX is down to $2294 (was $2699), while the MSI Katana 15 HX has dropped to $1791 (was $2200), both at Amazon.

• Why it matters: They both offer RTX 5070 graphics, 32GB of DDR5 memory, and 1TB SSDs, but have different processors (Intel vs. AMD) and price points. The decision largely comes down to whether you think the Crosshair's advantages justify another $503. For what it's worth, at this price, I mostly don't.

Katana 15 HX Laptop: was $2199.99 now $1791
This model features an Intel Core i9-14900HX processor, RTX 5070 8GB graphics, 32GB DDR5-5600 memory, 1TB NVMe SSD, 165Hz display, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.4, USB-C, HDMI, and RGB keyboard.View Deal

Crosshair A16 HX Laptop: was $2699 now $2294
This laptop features an AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX processor, RTX 5070 8GB graphics, 32GB DDR5 memory, 1TB NVMe SSD, 16-inch 2560 x 1600 240Hz display, Wi-Fi 6E, and USB-C connectivity.View Deal

Which one I'd recommend

The Crosshair A16 HX has some worthwhile advantages, particularly its larger display. Despite that, of the two laptops, I'd go for the MSI Katana 15 HX as it includes remarkably similar core hardware for $503 less.

The Katana combines a 14th-generation Intel Core i9-14900HX processor with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 8GB graphics card. There's also 32GB of DDR5-5600 memory and a 1TB NVMe SSD.

Its 15.6-inch display has a 165Hz refresh rate, while Cooler Boost 5 uses dual fans and five heat pipes to help manage temperatures. Connectivity includes USB-C, HDMI, Ethernet, Wi-Fi 6E, and Bluetooth 5.4.

In his 4-star review of the older (less powerful) model, our expert James said "for those with a limited budget, the MSI Katana 15 (2023) is among the best gaming laptops to pick from. There are some compromises, such as the styling and battery life, as well as a flaw or two, but the overall package provides a good quality gaming experience where you won’t feel the portable’s limitations."

The Crosshair A16 HX pairs an AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX with the same RTX 5070 8GB graphics and matches the Katana's 32GB of DDR5 memory and 1TB NVMe SSD.

You get a larger 16-inch 2560 x 1600 display with a much faster 240Hz refresh rate. It also has a 90Wh battery and supports up to 96GB of memory, compared with a 75Wh battery and maximum 64GB on the Katana.

While those extras make the Crosshair more interesting on paper, I'd still buy the Katana.

Price context & historical value

Both laptops have been reduced in price by just over $400 for Prime Day. The Katana falls from $2,199.99 to $1,791, saving you $408.99, or around 19%. It has been lower though. For Black Friday 2025 it was $1,369.99. That's $830 off the standard price.

The Crosshair drops from $2,699 to $2,294, knocking $405 off its regular price, or 15%. This is as cheap as we've seen it previously.

Which MSI laptop should you buy?

✅ Buy the MSI Katana 15 HX if...

You want the better-value laptop of the two. You're getting an RTX 5070 alongside a powerful Core i9-14900HX without paying for some of the Crosshair's more premium features.

✅ Buy the MSI Crosshair A16 HX instead if...

Display performance is a priority. Its 16-inch 2560 x 1600 screen runs at 240Hz rather than 165Hz, while the larger battery and higher maximum memory capacity provide a couple of additional advantages.

• Shop all creative laptop deals at Amazon

I’ve been playing with Arcana Unleashed for the past month, and the latest Dungeons & Dragons gameplay expansion is exquisite. Easily the best released since the game’s Fifth Edition refresh in 2024, and this week might be the best time to grab this book if you haven’t already.

Arcana Unleashed serves up magic-focused gameplay options for both players and Dungeon Masters. There are brand new and refreshed subclasses for characters to be built around like the Vestige Warlock and Arcane Archer Fighter, spells that friends and foes alike can use to solve dungeons, manipulate social situations and command the battlefield from the front or back lines, and tips for building magical worlds and setting up an arcane adventure.

I’ve read Arcana Unleashed from cover-to-cover and have already started incorporating it into the campaign I’m running (both upcoming sessions, and ones I have planned for the future). Magic is my favorite aspect of this game, and this feels like a love letter to the mystical arts.

However the book is far too short — like a delicious cake you’re only allowed a sliver of, I’m desperate for more and left wishing WoTC had served a more generous helping. But this year's early Amazon’s Big Deals sale has already seen it get a serious discount, and as we head into the holiday sales period proper it could get an even bigger price drop.

Arcana Unleashed: was $49.99 now $39.95
The latest D&D book is incredible, and even better thanks if you can score it at a discount like this $10 saving currently at Amazon.View Deal

I've loved Arcana Unleashed. My only gripe is it's a little expensive for what you get, but this deal makes it a much easier book to recommend for fans of D&D.View Deal

A light touch

A Gameplay Expansion is designed for both players and the DMs who run the games. If you’ve picked up previous D&D 5e expansions it feels like a successor to the popular Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything and Xanathar’s Guide to Everything.

The first chapter of Arcana Unleashed is dedicated to subclasses characters can choose at level three — some new like the Vestiga Warlock, most returning options revised following the 2024 5e game reboot like the Fighter’s Arcane Archer, and the Necromancy, Enchantment, Conjuration, and Transmutation Wizard options that were left out of the 2024 Player’s Handbook (finally letting wannabe mages specialize in whichever of the eight schools of magic they most wish to).

I don’t believe you can judge a subclass by pure numbers — I firmly believe the ‘best’ option depends entirely on the individual campaign setting and the vibes expected by the playgroup — but generally the updates to the older classes seem solid, and the new options feel fun from both a gameplay and thematic point of view. A Warlock getting powers from a dying being of great power has so many story possibilities.

Moving into backgrounds and Arcana Unleashed’s feat options, I love how the new Origin Feats — some special feature your character starts the game with — provide mechanical and flavorful ways to create diversity in builds. Arcane Eloquence making a character better at Persuasion and Deception, without forcing them into a typically Charismatic class like Bard or Sorcerer, or Arcane Infiltrator letting you dodge as a bonus action like a Rogue without committing fully to that class.

(Image credit: Wizards of the Coast)

There are new spells, items and magical creatures to utilize in games too, though I want to focus on the advice it gives for building magical worlds and creating factions your players could work with (or against) on their adventure.

These chapters go into solid detail about the needs and wants of these groups as well as how their allies might be rewarded, and the sorts of folks the factions would work against. They also offer up plenty of inspiration and things to consider in a magical world — like the development of technology, or the sorts of societies that might spring up.

For a more experienced DM these considerations would be second nature, but for newcomers — especially those new to creating a world from scratch — they provide the perfect level of assistance. You have got something to chew on, but no specific right or wrong answers, and plenty of space to be creative.

Even as a DM with a few years under my belt the book has been a helpful world building tool, and has already helped me conjure up a few new locations for my current on-going campaign.

I’ve loved everything Arcana Unleashed has had to offer up, but it’s not without its faults.

(Image credit: Wizards of the Coast)Sharing is caring

My first disappointment is the uneven distribution of new subclasses. I love that Wizards finally get updated rules for the remaining schools of magic not included in the 2024 Player’s Handbook, but this comes at the expense of Bards, Barbarians, Druids, Paladins, Rangers, Rogues, Warlocks and Sorcerers who get nothing.

Of course new subclasses with an intrinsic arcane nature would be perfect — giving players new options for characters from a world where everyone has some kind of magical ability. Though they don’t need to be new. The Barbarian’s Wild Magic subclass from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything could have been updated, as could the Druid’s Circle of Wildfire from the same book, or the Circle of the Shepherd from Xanathar’s Guide to Everything.

I’d maybe understand if this book focused on a hyper-specialized aspect of D&D. If it was say, pirate themed, I wouldn’t expect every class to suddenly be granted a swashbuckling speciality. But for something so intrinsic to this game as magic, and when there are so many still to be updated subclasses which could easily have been included here, it feels like such a let down that most of the games’ classes — including many spellcasters — are excluded.

(Image credit: Wizards of the Coast)

These more expansive subclass options would also help to solve my other upset: the books feel too short.

At just 160 pages Arcana Unleashed feels kinda thin in my hands as I hold it. Meanwhile 5e expansions I keep comparing them to are longer — Tasha's Cauldron of Everything is 192 pages, as is Xanathar’s Guide to Everything, Strixhaven A Curriculum of Chaos is 224 pages, and Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft is 256.

Short doesn’t necessarily mean bad, but 160 pages on an expansion dedicated to something so quintessential to D&D just isn’t enough. It hits especially hard when the cost is $49.99 / £41.99 / AU$69.99.

I do think Arcana Unleashed has more than enough going for it to be something folks should pick up — it feels like a true successor to the ‘of Everything’ books I’ve referenced throughout this piece, which were (and still are) some of the most essential 5e expansions — but I’d recommend you wait for a discount.

Be that a sale form a big retailer, or a discount offered by your local game store if Arcana Unleashed cost closer to $35 / £30 / AU$45 (or better yet, less) it’s an easy snap buy. SO keep an eye on it as we head into this year’s holiday sales.

The Tabli launched in August and drew a rave review from CNET’s residecoffee expert.

• A successful phishing attack at the Arizona Supreme Court led to data compromise
• More than a million people are now thought to be affected
• The court's operations were not disrupted

The Arizona Supreme Court has suffered a cyberattack in which it lost sensitive data on more than a million people after an employee allegedly “clicked a malicious link in an email”, which led to the compromise of information on 1.3 million people.

Information is still scarce on the issue, as we don’t know if that malicious link resulted in the victim’s device being infected with an infostealer, or if they were asked to log into a bogus portal, allowing the threat actors to access their account directly.

It was confirmed that the threat actors copied information on 1.3 million people with unpaid court fees, fines and restitution payments for traffic and criminal violations dating back 30 years. They also nabbed 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.

This kind of data is a gold mine for cybercriminals. Personal and private information can be used to tailor unique, personalized phishing lures which the victims will have a very hard time identifying. These emails can lure the recipients into downloading malware, or navigating to spoofed login portals designed to steal credentials. That malware can then spread to the victims’ employers, possibly resulting in ransomware deployments or data theft and extortion.

Responding to the attack

According to the Associated Press (AP), the court’s IT team shut down the attack on a backup server, roughly two hours after being spotted, on September 24. Since then, they have been notifying the affected individuals about the breach and theft.

So far, the data has not yet made it to the dark web, it seems: “We don’t have any evidence it has been used or shared” after the attack, Supreme Court spokesperson Alberto Rodriguez said.

This would also suggest that this was not the work of any known ransomware groups or data extortionists because by now they would have at least bragged about it on the dark web.

The investigation is still ongoing. The court’s operations have not been disrupted in any way, Rodriguez added. The records were not altered, or deleted, and the attackers apparently did not steal information about jurors, witnesses, or court employees.

Attacking courts

Courts (both in the US and elsewhere) are frequent targets, mostly due to the sensitivity of the information they work with.

In early September 2026, it was reported that Thomson Reuters, the IT company behind the Reuters news agency, suffered a similar incident in March.

The company operates a court case-management system called C-Track, used by different courts to manage things like cases, filings, hearings, and schedules. It is used by courts in several US states, the US Virgin Islands, as well as Ontario, Canada. Unnamed miscreants managed to break in, obtaining “court records and personal information” across 11 US states, the US Virgin Islands, and Ontario, Canada.

Earlier still, on November 21, 2025, the Georgia Superior Court Clerks’ Cooperative Authority (GSCCCA), which manages court and public-record services across Georgia, detected hackers trying to break into the network. The attack was claimed by threat actors called Devman, which claimed to have stolen sensitive files and demanded a ransom payment in exchange. The GSCCCA temporarily shut down its websites and online services, while the FBI warned the authority of an imminent threat.

However, GSCCCA said it stopped the attackers before they were able to extract or encrypt any data and refused to pay the ransom. Devman is not a household name in the cybercriminal underworld, and apparently, it is a financially motivated group, not a state-sponsored one.

Via AP News

It feels like wired earbuds have been well and truly back in fashion for a little while now, and I can totally see why. A wired connection gives you access to lossless audio, unlike lossy Bluetooth devices, and they can also look pretty fashionable. And if you're looking to grab a pair of wired earbuds on the cheap, you're in luck. That's because the Sennheiser IE 200 are $99.95 (was $159.95) in the US and just £81.69 (was £129.99) in the UK, thanks to the Amazon Prime Day sales.

• Browse the full Amazon Prime Day sale

The Sennheiser IE 200 are in-ear monitors (IEMs) that are ideal for audiophiles or musicians on a budget. They provide incredibly detailed, articulate audio for the price you pay, with clean and agile bass, well-defined mids, and precise treble — they truly are perfectly equipped to handle any genre. I've been using them regularly for two years now, I've seen no signs of wear or degradation, and I love using them when I want a more analytical, balanced listening experience.

The IE 200 use a 3.5mm connector, so they work great with laptops, MP3 players, and any phones that retain the now somewhat elusive headphone jack. But if you need something with a USB-C connector for your smartphone, then you're in luck — if you're in the UK that is. Because right now, you can snap up the spectacular Sennheiser CX 80U for £30.95 (was £34.99) at Amazon UK, which is very cheap for the best-sounding wired earbuds in their price-class.

Want to know more about these deals? Scroll down for the best prices and more details on these top-tier Sennheiser earbuds.

Today's best Sennheiser IE 200 deal in the US

I've been using the Sennheiser IE 200 for years, and they've never let me down. The level of detail they can unearth would be impressive enough at full price, so this deal makes them a true must-buy for audiophiles or musicians on a budget.View Deal

Today's best Sennheiser IE 200 deal in the UK

The Sennheiser IE 200 might just be some of my favorite IEMs ever made. That comes down to the fact that they provide such impressive levels of detail and insight while remaining highly affordable. So now, at less than £85, I would urge any audio enthusiast on a budget to scoop these up. View Deal

In my Sennheiser IE 200 review, I lauded the IEMs for their fantastic, balanced audio, great build quality, and ultra lightweight, comfortable feel. They also have a really discreet, understated look in use, rather than assuming the chunky form that a lot of IEMs go for.

As they're IEMs, you're not going to get that V-shaped EQ curve with super prominent bass and treble — these are designed for more faithful, critical listening. That's not to say that the low-end or highs lack impact — quite the opposite. They sound incredibly dynamic and expressive, but are simply tuned in a way that intricate mids aren't overshadowed. As a result, casual listeners and audiophiles alike will find plenty to love about the sound here.

Their excellent instrument separation gives plenty of room for every instrument in a mix to breathe, and if you're new to IEMs, you'll almost certainly be wowed by their ability to expose details you've never noticed in your favorite tracks. The IE 200 are a true value-for-money behemoth, so don't miss these impeccable deals that make them even more affordable.

Now, a quick word on the Sennheiser CX 80U for my fellow UK folk. If you want the flexibility of USB-C, then you may actually want to snap these up instead. The CX 80U sound phenomenal, with great balance across the frequency range, but especially strong clarity in the treble range. They also have a mic for taking phone calls, impressive noise isolation, and come with a range of different-sized eartips to help you find your perfect fit. You can read more about this deal down below.

Today's best Sennheiser CX 80U deal (UK only)

I take the Sennheiser CX 80U with me everywhere I go to use with my Nintendo Switch 2 or listen to tunes on my phone, and they continue to impress me no end. They offer amazing audio quality, with especially refined treble and instrument separation, plus the convenience of USB-C connectivity, and even a built-in mic for taking calls. In my view, there aren't any similarly priced USB-C earbuds that can compete with these. View Deal

More Prime Day deals in the US

• Amazon Devices: Fire Sticks & Echo from $18
• Amazon Haul: viral gadgets, tech & appliances from $1.36
• Apple: MacBooks, AirPods & AirTags from $28
• Cheap TVs: smart TVs from $69.99
• Headphones: 50% off Beats, Bose & Samsung
• Laptops: Apple, HP & Dell from $199
• Mattresses: Sealy, Serta & more from $89
• Smartwatches: up to 36% off Garmin & Apple
• Vacuums: Dyson, Shark & Bissell from $49

More Prime Day deals in the UK

• Amazon Prime: get a 30-day free trial
• Amazon Devices: up to 67% off Fire, Ring & Blink
• Amazon Haul: extra 15% off for Prime members
• Appliances: up to 40% off Ninja & De'Longhi
• Beauty: up to 60% off Philips & Oral-B
• Essentials: cleaning & groceries from £2
• Fashion: up to 50% off
• Gaming: record-low Nintendo Switch 2
• Headphones: up to 50% off Anker & Sony
• Laptops: up to £800 off Microsoft & Asus
• Tablets: up to 50% off Fire tablets
• TVs: from £129.99
• Vacuums: up to 50% off Shark & Dyson
• Wearables: Samsung & Oura from £31