TechRadar News

• Bitdefender Security for Creators now monitors Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube for unauthorized account changes or mass deletions
• Over 184 million login credentials are exposed, many tied to creator social media accounts
• Financial losses from online scams have crossed $1 trillion, with creators becoming prime targets

Influencers and digital creatives are increasingly targeted by phishing scams and account hijacking, and Bitdefender has revealed a new platform in order to address this threat.

The company says it is expanding its reach into the online creator economy with new updates to its Security for Creators suite, now offering coverage for Facebook and Instagram.

Bitdefender claims its new product offers creators a more focused and proactive form of protection, covering not only their content accounts but also their devices.

Rising threats underline the need for creator-focused security

Online scams and credential leaks are reportedly accelerating, with Bitdefender claiming over 184 million sets of login credentials were recently found exposed online, many linked to Instagram and Facebook.

At the same time, scam-driven financial losses have topped $1 trillion globally, according to recent data.

“Online creators are increasingly targeted by cybercriminals who weaponize trust to take over accounts and scam followers out of money or into downloading malware,” stated Ciprian Istrate, senior vice president of operations, Consumer Solutions Group at Bitdefender.

“Bitdefender Security for Creators offers the first end-to-end service to help safeguard creators’ accounts, content, and devices across Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, delivering continuous, always-on security as online threats evolve.”

The continuous monitoring feature across the different social media platforms looks for signs of unauthorized activity, such as mass deletion of content or unapproved changes to profile settings.

Bitdefender says these signs can point to possible account takeovers, and that alerts are sent immediately if anomalies are detected.

Creators are also offered the ability to manage their account security, malware scans, and threat alerts from a unified control panel.

Regular antivirus scans mostly protects the device, and this all-in-one design could appeal to influencers juggling multiple platforms.

From a single dashboard, users can track device scans across different operating systems, with support for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS.

Bitdefender places particular emphasis on its AI-based anti-phishing features, claiming they can detect scams disguised as partnership requests and even spot phishing content generated using large language models.

The company also introduces support for collaborative protection, allowing creators to extend coverage to team members like editors or social media managers.

In the event of a compromise, users are given a recovery playbook to restore account access and manage communications with their audience.

For Bitdefender, the expansion reflects an attempt to capture a market it describes as underserved.

Yet whether digital creators will adopt a dedicated service in place of existing Android antivirus apps or broader social media management tools remains the big question.

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Fortnite OG is running its first ever live event later today (July 26, 2025). It's a recreation of the rocket launch that happened all the way back in 2018, which culminated in the first appearance of the crack in the sky that has now become a mainstay of the game.

Fortnite OG Blast Off live event - key info on the rocket launch

Fortnite OG Blast Off live event start time
Fortnite OG Blast Off event duration
What to expect from the Blast Off live event
How to watch the Fortnite OG rocket launch event
Live coverage as it happens

Now that Fortnite OG is a permanent mode, we can look forward to a new Fortnite OG season launching in early August. Before then, there's the Blast Off event, as well as regular updates that add new weapons into the loot pool. So far, this season has really switched things up, and it's been a real treat to revisit Risky Reels and Dusty Divot. It's changes like these that have kept Fortnite well and truly cemented as one of the best free games to play in 2025.

Here's TechRadar Gaming's live coverage of the Fortnite OG rocket launch live event. I'll be detailing everything you need to know in the hours leading up to the event, as well as some details on what to expect. Once the rocket launch is live, I'll be giving my impressions as it unfolds. Stay tuned to see how this one compares to the 2018 original.

Fortnite OG Blast Off live event start time

(Image credit: Epic Games)

Fortnite OG's Blast Off live event will start on July 26 at 2pm ET / 11am PT / 7pm BST. You'll likely want to load into the game half an hour prior to the start, just to make sure you've secured a spot in the queue.

Fortnite OG Blast Off event duration

(Image credit: Epic Games)

The original rocket launch event in Fortnite only lasted a few minutes, but I'm betting things will be a bit different this time around.

We'll have to wait and see what tricks Epic has planned, but given that this is the first major live event for Fortnite OG, we could see a remix on the original event's pacing. If it's just the exact same sequence again, expect the live event to last around 5 minutes at most.

What to expect from the Blast Off live event

(Image credit: Epic Games)

So far, we don't know all that much about the upcoming Blast Off live event that'll take place on Saturday (July 26). If it ends up just being a repeat of the same event that aired back in 2018, then we'll see the rocket launch, before it's intercepted and steered through multiple rifts. The event will culminate in voice lines from The Visitor, and a huge rift crack will be left in the skies above the Fortnite OG island.

I'm hoping that Epic Games finds a way to remix the original event, adding a bit more player interaction and spectacle to proceedings. Fortnite events have gotten quite a bit more complex since 2018, so it'd be great to see a modern take on the classic rocket launch event.

Personally, I'd love to be a little closer to the action than before, perhaps following the rocket as it makes its way into space.

How to watch the Fortnite OG rocket launch event

From the darkest depths of space… pic.twitter.com/u6ygBDy8HuJuly 15, 2025

To watch the Fortnite OG rocket launch event, make sure to load into the game 30 minutes before the specified start time. Select Fortnite OG and wait for the event to start.

It's possible that there may be a separate playlist, which will go live prior to the event. Then, you just need to sit back and find a place to watch.

With the rocket launch, you'll be able to look up into the skies to see the rocket get intercepted. Last time, you were given a sort of floating drone view of things, so shouldn't have to worry about missing anything.

Live coverage as it happensLet's launch a rocket!

Mystery is on a collision course with danger.Strap in, the OG Rocket Launch Event is live today at 2 PM ET! pic.twitter.com/Hje3UD3DQkJuly 26, 2025

Hello and welcome to my live coverage of Fortnite OG's Blast Off event. I'll be giving my impressions as the event happens, detailing the event that starts in just over an hour.

Here's the key info

(Image credit: Epic Games)

Fortnite OG will air its first ever live event at 2pm ET / 11am PT / 7pm BST. It's a recreation of the rocket launch that happened back in 2018, and we should see the spacefaring craft get intercepted and thrown through multiple rifts.

How to watch the rocket launch

You'll be able to jump into Fortnite OG and watch the rocket launch live. Make sure you get in a little early, I'd recommend half an hour, just to make sure you get your place in the queue.

Blast Off event - Live Soon

(Image credit: Epic Games)

If you head into Fortnite OG now, you'll see a pop up message indicating that the Blast Off event will soon go live. We'll have to wait and see whether there's a separate playlist, or if the event will just naturally trigger during matches.

You can still play Fortnite OG while you wait

(Image credit: Epic Games)

Fortnite OG won't be experiencing any downtime around the rocket launch, so you can still hop in and play. We're currently on Season 4

Just 45 minutes to go!

(Image credit: Epic Games)

The Fortnite OG Blast Off event will begin in just 45 minutes. Make sure your game is updated to the latest version, and select a Fortnite OG playlist to get entry into a match once the show starts.

Fortnite original rocket launch

(Image credit: Epic Games)

The original rocket launch happened in Fortnite during Season 4. This was the season that ran in 2018, so it's been a while since players were able to witness the now iconic event.

Last time, the rocket launched, and players could watch it climb up high into the skies above the island. Then, a transmission from The Visitor played out, and the rocket was intercepted. The rocket travelled through multiple rift portals before leaving a huge crack in the sky.

20 minutes to go!

Rocket launch tailgate this weekend @ where? pic.twitter.com/2mLDQ3ippsJuly 23, 2025

Fortnite OG's Blast Off rocket launch will start in 20 minutes. I'll be jumping into a match 15 minutes beforehand to see if there's a safe zone of any kind. Stay tuned!

Matchmaking Error (#1)

(Image credit: Epic Games)

It seems Fortnite OG servers are currently overloaded, as players are being greeted with a Matchmaking Error (#1) message. Keep trying to load in, hopefully servers will be opened up closer to the event. I had the error previously, but got in eventually, so keep trying!

Damage has been turned off

It seems as if the storm circle and player damage have been turned off for the event. You won't have to worry about surviving long enough to see the rocket launch then.

Just 1 minute to go!

Get yourself a good view of the rocket launch. Sit back, and enjoy the show!

We have liftoff!

(Image credit: Epic Games)

The rocket has launched, and is now soaring up towards space. The Visitor can now be heard too.

The final rift is red this time around!

(Image credit: Epic Games)

It appears that the Blast Off event played out precisely as before, except for one key detail. The crack that appeared in the sky at the end is red this time, rather than blue. We'll have to see what this means, but it's clear that Epic Games has some tricks up its sleeves.

A red butterfly

Just before the rocket launch, I saw a red butterfly appear and circle around my character. This matches the color of the rift crack that appeared at the end of the event.

So, what's next?

(Image credit: Epic Games)

Fortnite OG Season 4 still lasts until August 8, 2025. If things follow the pattern of the original run, we'll start to see rifts appearing around the island, in the aftermath of the Blast Off event. These rifts will pull objects out of the island and replace them with objects from other worlds. This all leads into Season 5, which will have the theme of "Worlds Collide".

• LTO tape sets new capacity record with 176.5 exabytes shipped
• Compression inflates numbers masking real 70.6EB uncompressed data capacity
• LTO-10 costs rise threatening tape’s long-standing affordability advantage

The LTO Program, backed by HPE, IBM, and Quantum, has reported a new high in tape capacity shipments, with 176.5 Exabytes of LTO media shipped in 2024.

The announcement says this marks the fourth straight year of growth for the tape format, driven by expanding hybrid cloud strategies and the demands of AI and machine learning infrastructure.

The figure, though, comes with an asterisk. The 176.5EB is a compressed capacity total, not the raw figure. Based on the LTO program’s standard 2.5:1 compression ratio, the uncompressed total is closer to 70.6EB. That’s the actual amount of real data the tapes could hold if compression doesn’t apply.

Pricing hurdles

Since compression depends on data type - some files compress well, others like video or encrypted data barely at all - these numbers can be misleading in terms of practical storage delivered.

“Setting a new growth record for the fourth year in a row, LTO tape technology continues to prove its longevity as a leading enterprise storage solution,” said Bruno Hald, General Manager, Secondary Storage, Quantum.

“Organizations navigating their way through the AI/ML era need to reconfigure their storage architectures to keep up, and LTO tape technology is an essential piece of the puzzle for those seeking a cost-friendly, sustainable, and secure solution to support modern technology implementation and the resulting data growth. We look forward to introducing the next iteration of LTO tape technology this year to bring enhanced storage capabilities to the enterprise,” he added.

Those “cost-friendly” advantages are coming under pressure, however.

LTO-10, the latest generation of tape, carries a high price tag, with cartridges selling for between $275 and $315. That puts it just over 2x the cost per (native) terabyte compared to earlier versions, and while the capacity of LTO-10 is higher, the speed remains the same as LTO-9.

Phil Goodwin of IDC sees LTO as part of a broader strategy. “Tape’s unique combination of scalability, cost-efficiency, and cyber resilience makes it a valuable component for enterprises,” he said.

While tape still offers long-term value, especially as part of a tiered storage model, the price of LTO-10 may slow adoption.

For many businesses, spending hundreds per cartridge could be difficult to justify when lower-cost options like cloud cold storage continue to expand.

The LTO Program emphasizes tape’s offline resilience and low energy draw, but its strongest selling point has always been price.

At $315 for 30TB native storage, that’s a tougher story to tell.

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• Exascend 30.72TB PE4 SSD claims to avoid thermal throttling even at 70°C
• Uses predictive thermal algorithms to keep performance stable in hot, compact deployments
• Consumes just 7 watts when active and below 1.5 watts when idle

In a market dominated by Kioxia and Samsung, Exascend has introduced what it calls the industry's first 30.72TB SSD in a 7mm U.2 form factor.

The company appears to be targeting thermal-challenged deployments, such as edge servers and compact AI systems, where airflow is constrained and power budgets are tight.

Exasecnd says its new PE4 series maintains consistent throughput in ambient temperatures up to 70°C without suffering performance-hindering thermal throttling, an issue that typically plagues high-density storage solutions.

Specs positioned for the enterprise edge

This heat control is achieved through its proprietary Adaptive Thermal Control technology, which is supported by a mix of predictive algorithms, optimized controller layouts, and a casing designed for improved heat dissipation.

While the underlying approach seems to borrow from known principles of passive heat management, how well it performs in real-world data center deployments remains to be seen.

The PE4 drives use 3D TLC NAND and a PCIe Gen4 x4 interface, delivering up to 1 DWPD endurance and a 2-million-hour MTBF.

This rating is typical for enterprise drives of this class, but the long-term viability of such high-capacity SSDs in continuous-write environments will need verification.

On the security front, the drive offers AES-256 hardware encryption and TCG OPAL 2.0 compliance.

It also supports end-to-end data protection via LDPC and RAID-level parity.

The SSD uses hardware-based power-loss protection and support for field-upgradeable firmware, which makes it useful for edge deployments where physical access is limited.

“The PE4 30.72TB isn’t just an incremental step forward. It’s a paradigm shift for edge and on-premises storage,” said Frank Chen, CEO at Exascend.

“By delivering 30.72TB of storage in a 7mm slim form factor while cutting power consumption by 50%, we enable customers to scale storage density without overhauling existing thermal design or server layout.”

The PE4 power consumption is 7 watts when active and less than 1.5 watts when idle.

This is claimed to be 70 percent lower than what most other drives use.

It is not clear if this level of efficiency stays the same under mixed workloads, but if it does, it could help reduce cooling needs and make systems more energy efficient.

In addition to the 30.72TB model, Exascend also launched a 23.04TB version that retains the same 7mm form factor, thermal control features, and power efficiency, making it a more affordable option for deployments that don’t require maximum density.

“For customers that need a sweet spot between 15.36TB and 30.72TB, our new 23.04TB model delivers extra storage headroom at a more budget-friendly price point,” Chen added.

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It's fairly well known now that the source behind the success of handheld gaming PCs in the past few years is Valve's Steam Deck. After launching in 2022, it went on to become a huge success, stemming from its affordability, making it the easiest and one of the most inexpensive ways to play PC games.

SteamOS is a huge factor in its success, with a simple console-like UI that allows gamers to jump straight into games without tweaks or configurations. At $399 / £349 / AU$649, it is arguably the best handheld gaming device on the market, keeping gaming experiences fun with reasonable performance at a price that a large majority of gamers can afford.

While it would be naive of me to expect much more powerful hardware to release at the same price range as the Steam Deck, it doesn't change this one matter: handheld gaming PCs are becoming far too expensive, specifically from mainstream manufacturers like MSI, Asus, and Lenovo.

It's not like expensive handhelds are suddenly a new thing; handhelds before the Steam Deck were more niche and up in the $1,000 department. However, the reason handhelds have suddenly become popular again is because of the Steam Deck's pricing, while still being able to deliver good performance in multiple Steam games.

You could argue that the jump in pricing is justified, since new handhelds wield more powerful hardware. That's true. Still, the difference in performance capabilities between something like the Asus ROG Ally Z1 Extreme versus the MSI Claw 8 AI+ isn't enough to warrant such a huge retail price for the latter device.

The MSI Claw 8 AI+ and MSI Claw A8 are prime examples of steep pricing

(Image credit: MSI)

Don't get me wrong, the MSI Claw 8 AI+ is the best handheld I've used so far, as you'll eventually see in an upcoming review. The performance boosts coming from an Asus ROG Ally are very noticeable, and the battery life gave me a sigh of relief.

Unfortunately, that's not enough to go from a device like the Asus ROG Ally that has a $649 / £599 / AU$1,299 retail price (which often has significant discounts now), to one that's just under $1,000, at $899 / £899 / AU$1,799 (and the price has now increased to $999 for US consumers). It's also worth noting that the Claw A8, using AMD's Ryzen Z2 Extreme processor, is around the same price based on listings at European retailers, and early benchmarks suggest it may be on the same level as the Claw 8 AI+ or slightly worse in performance.

It makes matters worse when you realize that there's little to no availability for these handhelds in many regions – and in all fairness, this is likely due to the recent issues with tariffs, but frankly, consumers won't care about that.

Perhaps, an easy solution would be to ensure that expensive handhelds have much cheaper counterparts; MSI (and others) have done this with its Claw 7 AI+ that uses the same Intel Core Ultra 7 258V processor as the Claw 8 AI+, but just has a smaller 7-inch screen and a 54.5 WHr battery.

Its retail price is $799.99 / around £700, which is still a hefty sum, but far more reasonable compared to $899. The problem is I've yet to come across a single listing of this device at any retailer in the UK – and if you're in the US, its price has jumped up to $899 on Best Buy, the same retail price the MSI Claw 8 AI+ was at before it saw an increase.

(Image credit: Future)

It's not just the MSI Claw either, as rumors about the upcoming ROG Xbox Ally suggest we could see similar price patterns of between $800 and $1,000, depending on the configuration.

The Asus ROG Ally X is also a culprit, priced at $799.99 / £799 / AU$1,599, and it's another device that has seen a $100 price increase, available at Best Buy for $899.

The same also applies to the Lenovo Legion Go S Z1 Extreme model, which has seemingly almost disappeared off the face of the earth, with one of the only listings I've seen available at Best Buy. That's available for $829.99. Do you see what I mean now?

We're fast approaching a stage where Valve's template of keeping its Steam Deck models affordable is forgotten, and instead, taking handheld PC gaming back to its old niche status. I understand that some will be willing to bite the bullet and pay these prices for stronger gaming performance, but the longevity of the handhelds will likely suffer, as a large majority of gamers won't be able to afford them.

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Looking for a different day?

A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Saturday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Saturday, July 26 (game #1279).

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,100 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1280) - hint #1 - VowelsHow many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 4*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1280) - hint #2 - repeated lettersDo any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 0.

Quordle today (game #1280) - hint #3 - uncommon lettersDo the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1280) - hint #4 - starting letters (1)Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 0.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1280) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• T

• B

• P

• M

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #1280) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1280, are…

• TRAWL
• BALER
• PIANO
• MINCE

Today’s game was a bit of a bruiser for me, and I needed three guesses in order to eventually get BALER. A machine used to make hay bales is not the first thing that pops into the head, but then Quordle is fond of stretching us.

My struggles came after I’d taken an age to wrestle PIANO out of my brain, following some intensive head scratching. 

I hope it was all less of an ordeal for you.

Daily Sequence today (game #1280) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1280, are…

• BLEAK
• UNWED
• GREED
• KNEEL

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1279, Saturday, 26 July: MUDDY, SAINT, KINKY, POLAR
• Quordle #1278, Friday, 25 July: BONUS, RESIN, CEDAR, MADAM
• Quordle #1277, Thursday, 24 July: AGONY, VERVE, GLEAN, MINUS
• Quordle #1276, Wednesday, 23 July: OZONE, PENCE, ROOMY, WIDER
• Quordle #1275, Tuesday, 22 July: OPTIC, GIDDY, VOCAL, ADULT
• Quordle #1274, Monday, 21 July: KNEED, SNAIL, PINTO, FEAST
• Quordle #1273, Sunday, 20 July: GRACE, COUNT, EGRET, GIANT
• Quordle #1272, Saturday, 19 July: EARLY, CLICK, TRITE, SPREE
• Quordle #1271, Friday, 18 July: CINCH, FOYER, FUDGE, TAFFY
• Quordle #1270, Thursday, 17 July: CRESS, TABOO, POWER, HATER
• Quordle #1269, Wednesday, 16 July: UNCLE, NADIR, REMIT, BROOM
• Quordle #1268, Tuesday, 15 July: VILLA, FLECK, TIGER, CRANE
• Quordle #1267, Monday, 14 July: SURGE, PIZZA, PAPER, POPPY
• Quordle #1266, Sunday, 13 July: KAYAK, DECRY, RUDDY, HATER
• Quordle #1265, Saturday, 12 July: WREAK, NANNY, CLASP, STAIN
• Quordle #1264, Friday, 11 July: LAPEL, DRAIN, FROND, GROSS
• Quordle #1263, Thursday, 10 July: CROSS, WHEEL, UNDID, PENCE
• Quordle #1262, Wednesday, 9 July: SHIRE, SIXTH, SINGE, IMAGE
• Quordle #1261, Tuesday, 8 July: PLIED, PRANK, GAWKY, OXIDE

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Saturday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Saturday, July 26 (game #776).

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #777) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• HALLOWEEN
• PICNIC
• EASY
• GRADE
• CHILD'S PLAY
• ELEMENTARY
• CON GAME
• TAILGATE
• GRAMMAR
• MAGIC SHOW
• BLOCK PARTY
• PIECE OF CAKE
• FESTIVAL
• NO SWEAT
• PRIMARY
• HEARTS

NYT Connections today (game #777) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: Not a problem
• GREEN: Al fresco fun
• BLUE: Followed by a word that rhymes with “fool”
• PURPLE: Who’s fooling who?

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #777) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: "NOTHING TO IT!" 
• GREEN: OUTDOOR EVENTS 
• BLUE: WORDS BEFORE "SCHOOL" 
• PURPLE: ASSOCIATED WITH TRICKS 

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #777) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #777, are…

• YELLOW: "NOTHING TO IT!" CHILD'S PLAY, EASY, NO SWEAT, PIECE OF CAKE
• GREEN: OUTDOOR EVENTS BLOCK PARTY, FESTIVAL, PICNIC, TAILGATE
• BLUE: WORDS BEFORE "SCHOOL" ELEMENTARY, GRADE, GRAMMAR, PRIMARY
• PURPLE: ASSOCIATED WITH TRICKS CON GAME, HALLOWEEN, HEARTS, MAGIC SHOW

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 1 mistake

My one mistake today was putting ELEMENTARY instead of EASY in the group that became “NOTHING TO IT!”, something that wouldn’t have happened if I’d have looked at the board longer, rather than rushing in.

I had the quote “elementary, my dear Watson” in my head, of course – although in this case it was far from, erm, elementary (and although it's actually a misquote anyway, and never appears in the original Sherlock Holmes stories).

Instead, Elementary was part of the WORDS BEFORE ”SCHOOL” group, together with the less common (depending on where you are) alternatives of PRIMARY, GRADE and GRAMMAR. All in all, no PICNIC.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Saturday, July 26, game #776)

• YELLOW: HERBS AND SPICES ANISE, DILL, MACE, SAGE
• GREEN: SHADES OF GREEN BOTTLE, HUNTER, KELLY, PEA
• BLUE: TRAVEL ON FOOT HIKE, MARCH, TRAMP, TREK
• PURPLE: STARTS OF EUROPEAN CAPITALS COPE, LUXE, SARA, WARS

What is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.

On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.

It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.

It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Saturday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Saturday, July 26 (game #510).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #511) - hint #1 - today's themeWhat is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… That's a good look

NYT Strands today (game #511) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• EXAM
• ZINE
• SNAIL
• TINY
• GREEN
• DINE

NYT Strands today (game #511) - hint #3 - spangram lettersHow many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 8 letters

NYT Strands today (game #511) - hint #4 - spangram positionWhat are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: bottom, 3rd column

Last side: top, 2nd column

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #511) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #511, are…

• STUDY
• EXAMINE
• SURVEY
• WEIGH
• INSPECT
• SCRUTINIZE
• SPANGRAM: ANALYSIS

• My rating: Hard
• My score: Perfect

My first thought when I saw the theme was that we would be searching for something to do with fashion trends.

After finding STUDY in the grid I was initially puzzled, especially as it was sitting right next to what I initially tapped out as "exam" before adding the I-N-E for EXAMINE. The Spangram came next, which finally settled my befuddled mind.

I was initially thrown by the letter Z in SCRUTINIZE (I'm in the UK, where we use an 'S'), but not enough to trouble me for long. A satisfyingly tricky – but not too tricky – game.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday, July 26, game #510)

• ASSEMBLE
• CONVENE
• GATHER
• MEET
• MUSTER
• CONGREGATE
• SPANGRAM: REUNION

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

• Lucid’s Air model lacks the native NACS charge port of the newer Gravity
• As a result, Lucid now offers an adaptor to customers
• But it comes at a cost and throttles charging speeds

Californian EV manufacturer Lucid has announced that it will offer owners of older Air models the chance to purchase a DC NACS-to-CCS1 adapter that will allow the vehicles to charge from Tesla’s extensive Supercharger network.

The adaptor, which costs $220 excluding taxes, will work with any V3 Supercharger and above, with owners paying for the charge via the Lucid App, with a credit card saved to their Lucid Wallet.

However, due to the high-tech 924V electrical architecture touted by the Lucid Air, which allows it to charge at 300kW or higher for ultra rapid top-ups, the optional adaptor will see charging speeds throttled to just 50kW from Tesla’s 400V charging outlets.

Lucid says this will allow drivers to gain up to 200 miles of range per hour of charging, giving owners “additional peace of mind while on the road”.

While not offering the fastest charging speeds, Tesla owns and operates more than 70,000 Superchargers across the globe, with almost 40,000 ports found dotted around the US, connecting east to west and north to south.

The Lucid Air already offers an impressive amount of all-electric range, but its 2026 Air Touring model will receive a 6% increase, taking the total EPA-estimated range to 431 miles. The remainder of the line-up can tackle a mammoth 512 miles on a single charge.

Analysis: EVs are out-pacing the charging network

(Image credit: Tesla)

Lucid’s optional adaptor might get a handful of owners out of a bind on the longest journeys, but it feels like an additional outlay for not a huge amount of benefit – 50kW charging speeds feel like an antiquity now.

But the issue that many new EV manufacturers are facing boils down to an existing and arguably aging charging network that was designed for 400V electrical architecture.

Porsche got around this with the ability to effectively split the pack of its 800V Macan EV. Although this is an expensive solution that is ultimately passed on to the consumer with high sticker prices.

Similarly, there was uproar when Mercedes-Benz suggested its newest 800V CLA wouldn’t be able to charge at 400V outlets, potentially robbing owners of the ability to plug into the vast array of legacy outlets still in operation.

Mercedes explained at the recent launch that only early models would be affected, stating that it will fit an adaptor to 2026 models that will allow the CLA to effectively charge at lower speeds.

Unfortunately, the global electric vehicle charging infrastructure is struggling to play catch up with the pace of innovation, with vast discrepancies between charging speeds offered in various countries and regions.

Even Tesla, which arguably introduced electric vehicles to the masses, is struggling to roll out its long-promised, next generation 500kW V4 Supercharger network.

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As TechRadar’s Phones Editor, my desk is inundated with accessories from all manner of case makers. I’ve got colorful cases from Casetify, leather cases from Nomad, and sustainable cases from Moft. I’ve got MagSafe wallets, portable chargers, and at least one accessory for every phone in our best phones guide. But until recently, I’d never in my life received a phone case made of human skin.

Okay, the appropriately named Skincase isn’t actually made from human skin (that would be a little too Se7en), but it is clad in a synthetic material that’s designed to look, feel, and react to the elements like our birthday suits – which, quite frankly, is just as gross as the real thing.

This product is the brainchild of UK mobile network O2, researcher Marc Teyssier, and The British Skin Foundation, who have joined forces to raise awareness about the dangers of excessive sun exposure as temperatures soar in summer-hit regions across the globe.

In essence, the Skincase burns when exposed to UV rays, mirroring the damaging effects of the sun on our bodies. To make the case, Teyssier combined 3D printing techniques with flexible filament and silicone, and the surface is pigmented with specialised composites that react to UV light. This combination creates a lifelike simulation of sun exposure, making the effects of ultraviolet radiation shockingly obvious. Check it out in the video below:

@techradar

♬ original sound - TechRadar

O2 says the Skincase has been created to highlight the significant disconnect between awareness and behaviour when it comes to sun protection. The network notes that over half (56%) of Brits check their phones three times or more during peak sun hours (11am – 3pm), yet only one in five (20%) reapply sunscreen with the same frequency. More alarmingly, almost one in 10 (9%) do not wear sunscreen at all during these crucial hours when UV levels are at their strongest. I suspect the figures are equally damning for US citizens.

O2 says almost one in 10 Brits don't wear sunscreen during peak sun hours (Image credit: O2)

To be clear: you can’t actually buy the Skincase. It’s a limited-run product that’s intended to be a conversation starter – a visceral reminder that we should take as much notice of our skin as we do our phones – rather than something you can purchase and use.

That said, I do now have one on my desk, so if you want it, you’re welcome to it – though I will be reporting you to the police.

For other health-related gadgetry, check out our roundup of three high-tech home health gadgets that will boost your wellbeing – from home sauna hacks to ambient lights.

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• Samsung could add more AI bots to the Galaxy S26
• The Ultra model is rumored to be getting a camera boost
• We should see these handsets appearing in January

Now that we've seen the official unveiling of the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and the Galaxy Z Flip 7, we can turn our attention to the next flagship phone series we're expecting to see from Samsung; namely the Galaxy S26 handsets.

There are a couple of bits of news to report: first up, Samsung mobile executive Choi Won-Joon has told Bloomberg (via SamMobile) that we could see more AI assistants on the Galaxy S26, in addition to Bixby and Google Gemini.

Apparently Samsung is interested in allowing chatbots such as Perplexity and ChatGPT to come preinstalled in the Galaxy S26 and future phones, though at this stage it seems no final decision has been taken about any integrations.

"We are talking to multiple vendors," says Choi. "As long as these AI agents are competitive and can provide the best user experiences, we are open to any AI agent out there." Samsung might also be interested in investing in Perplexity, according to Bloomberg.

A major camera upgrade

BREAKING！Galaxy S26 Ultra :HP2+ large aperture ！will greatly increase the light input, improve the dim light quality, and improve all existing problems. The actual effect it brings will be the most obvious upgrade since Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra.July 25, 2025

The second tidbit is less official and concerns the cameras on the Galaxy S26 Ultra model. According to well-known tipster @UniverseIce, the most expensive of the 2026 models is going to come with a significant camera quality boost.

Apparently the phone will get an improved version of the 200MP ISOCELL HP2 sensor fitted inside the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. Crucially, the sensor will let more light in, which should mean better photos (especially in dark conditions).

The tipster goes on to say that this will be the most significant upgrade for the Ultra camera since the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra back in 2020, so we're looking forward to seeing how this camera actually performs in real world scenarios.

Leaks and rumors around the Galaxy S26 series are starting to mount up, and there has been talk that we could get a change in which models are offered. If Samsung sticks to its usual schedule, we'll see these handsets in January.

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• Sam Altman says OpenAI will soon pass 1 million GPUs and aim for 100 million more
• Running 100 million GPUs could cost $3 trillion and break global power infrastructure limits
• OpenAI’s expansion into Oracle and TPU shows growing impatience with current cloud limits

OpenAI says it is on track to operate over one million GPUs by the end of 2025, a figure that already places it far ahead of rivals in terms of compute resources.

Yet for company CEO Sam Altman, that milestone is merely a beginning, “We will cross well over 1 million GPUs brought online by the end of this year,” he said.

The comment, delivered with apparent levity, has nonetheless sparked serious discussion about the feasibility of deploying 100 million GPUs in the foreseeable future.

A vision far beyond current scale

To put this figure in perspective, Elon Musk’s xAI runs Grok 4 on approximately 200,000 GPUs, which means OpenAI’s planned million-unit scale is already five times that number.

Scaling this to 100 million, however, would involve astronomical costs, estimated at around $3 trillion, and pose major challenges in manufacturing, power consumption, and physical deployment.

“Very proud of the team but now they better get to work figuring out how to 100x that lol,” Altman wrote.

While Microsoft’s Azure remains OpenAI’s primary cloud platform, it has also partnered with Oracle and is reportedly exploring Google’s TPU accelerators.

This diversification reflects an industry-wide trend, with Meta, Amazon, and Google also moving toward in-house chips and greater reliance on high-bandwidth memory.

SK Hynix is one of the companies likely to benefit from this expansion - as GPU demand rises, so does demand for HBM, a key component in AI training.

According to a data center industry insider, “In some cases, the specifications of GPUs and HBMs...are determined by customers (like OpenAI)...configured according to customer requests.”

SK Hynix’s performance has already seen strong growth, with forecasts suggesting a record-breaking operating profit in Q2 2025.

OpenAI’s collaboration with SK Group appears to be deepening. Chairman Chey Tae-won and CEO Kwak No-jung met with Altman recently, reportedly to strengthen their position in the AI infrastructure supply chain.

The relationship builds on past events such as SK Telecom’s AI competition with ChatGPT and participation in the MIT GenAI Impact Consortium.

That said, OpenAI’s rapid expansion has raised concerns about financial sustainability, with reports that SoftBank may be reconsidering its investment.

If OpenAI’s 100 million GPU goal materializes, it will require not just capital but major breakthroughs in compute efficiency, manufacturing capacity, and global energy infrastructure.

For now, the goal seems aspirational, an audacious signal of intent rather than a practical roadmap.

Via TomsHardware

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• BMW says it has no plans to integrate CarPlay Ultra in future cars
• Manufacturers are increasingly turning to in-house infotainment
• Aston Martin is currently the only brand offering Apple's tech

Apple CarPlay launched to much fanfare in late May, adorning the myriad screens in the stunning Aston Martin DBX 707 model.

But just weeks after its unveiling to the world, a number of big name automotive manufacturers – who were once slated to work with the tech – have started backing out. This time, it's BMW.

Recently, one Renault employee was even quoted as saying “don’t invade our systems” by the Financial Times when quizzed about future partnerships with the tech giant.

Now, a BMW AG spokesperson has stated that the company currently has “no plans to integrate Apple CarPlay Ultra”, according to a post from the independent BMW Blog spotted by 9to5Mac.

Instead, the German automotive powerhouse is backing its own reinvention of the popular iDrive system, which was first debuted at CES late last year.

The system – that will first be seen on the upcoming Neue Klasse iX – includes new haptic controls and a full-width display that spans the entire width of the windscreen. Handing this new and innovative digital real estate over to Apple feels counter intuitive.

As a result, the German automaker will still support traditional CarPlay and Android Auto, but its use will be limited to the main infotainment screen.

Analysis: CarPlay Ultra is a step too far

(Image credit: Aston Martin / Apple)

My early hands-on experience with Apple CarPlay Ultra proved that the system fixed many of the irritating issues that arose from traditional CarPlay use.

Chiefly, the ability to adjust important car settings or enjoy some DAB or satellite radio without leaving the CarPlay environment is a boon.

However, when activated in the beautiful surrounds of an Aston Martin, the system felt overly invasive and the fully digital, very Apple-y cockpit lost some of its unique charm.

This is the overriding issue facing many manufacturers, as most feel that allowing Apple to take control of the entire infotainment experience not only stifles brand differentiation but also sees Apple potentially handling reams of valuable data.

Instead, Porsche remains the only manufacturer I can think of that has worked with Apple’s Automotive Developer Toolkit to produce a sort of halfway house.

Plug an iPhone into a new Macan, Taycan or Panamera and you’ll still be able to adjust the temperature of the air con and fiddle with car settings, without leaving the CarPlay environment or giving up the unique Porsche digital driver’s display.

To me, it feels like Apple needs to pursue this avenue and improve the standard CarPlay experience, which should happen with iOS 26.

Otherwise future cars risk feeling homogenous both on the outside and the interior.

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We get it, there's a lot going on in life – from sports tournaments to school holidays to work pressures – and you're not necessarily going to be able to keep up with every single story TechRadar publishes over the course of seven days (there are a lot of them).

That's why we put together this ICYMI (In Case You Missed It) round-up every week, so you don't miss out on everything that's happening. This week, that includes new Kindles from Amazon, new software from Apple, and a new watch from Nothing.

It's been another packed week in technology, and we've been covering all of it here on TechRadar. Without any further ado, these are seven of the biggest stories published on the site since last week.

7. We gave our verdict on 2025’s final Marvel movie

The Fantastic Four in action (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

It's fair to say that Marvel movies aren't quite the box office smashes they used to be, and the latest film to try and reverse the downward trend is another retelling of the story of The Fantastic Four – so how does the new big screen outing compare to previous fare?

Well, according to our Senior Entertainment Reporter Tom Power, this is the best live-action adaptation of these comics yet. Click through for our full review – with some light spoilers included – to find out why Pedro Pascal and his pals deserve a lot of credit.

• Read more: I watched The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and it heralds a much-needed new dawn for Marvel's First Family on the big screen

6. Nothing launched an impossibly cheap smartwatch

The CMF Watch 3 Pro is stylish, and very affordable (Image credit: Nothing)

Top tech at bargain prices? We're always interested in that combination, and that's what's promised with the new Nothing CMF Watch 3 Pro: you get all the standard fitness tracking features here, plus an AI companion ready to give you some personal coaching advice.

The best part is, it's only going to cost you $99 / £99 / €99 (around AU$205) – significantly less than rival wearables from the likes of Apple, Fitbit, Google, and Garmin. We've got all the details here, including information on the smartwatch's upgraded sensors.

• Read more: Nothing's new $99 CMF Watch 3 Pro could become the cheap smartwatch to beat – here's why

5. Breville’s new coffee machine has a neat (and expensive) trick

The new Breville Oracle Dual Boiler coffee maker (Image credit: Breville)

From a very cheap piece of tech to a very expensive one – though serious coffee lovers might consider the new Breville Oracle Dual Boiler worth a look. We're certainly impressed by its signature move: being able to brew coffee and steam milk at the same time.

Launching first in Australia for AU$4,499 (about $3,000 / £2,200), this is a new big sibling for the Breville Oracle Touch. Bearing in mind the high regard in which we hold that latter model, this new addition definitely has potential, even if you'll need to save up for it.

• Read more: Breville's new espresso machine can brew coffee and steam milk at the same time – and it's eye-wateringly expensive

4. Amazon gave us two new Kindle Colorsofts

A cheaper Colorsoft is now available (Image credit: Amazon)

Amazon launched its first color Kindle last year, and now there are two more Colorsoft models to choose from: First up is a cheaper model of the main Colorsoft, with less storage and without some of the premium features of the original (including wireless charging).

There's also a Colorsoft Kids for the youngsters in your household – and they're probably better off staring at this all day than a phone or tablet. Both the new Kindles are available to buy now, and we've got full lists of the features and prices for the latest models.

• Read more: Amazon adds two new Kindle Colorsofts to its lineup – a cheaper 16GB model and a version for kids

3. DJI revealed release dates for its 360 camera and robovac

We've been given a brief look at the DJI Osmo 360 (Image credit: DJI)

There was official and unofficial DJI news this week: the company confirmed that its first 360-degree camera would be launched on July 31, while a leaked (and swiftly pulled) video review gave us far more details about the upcoming camera than DJI has.

We also got confirmation that the first DJI robot vacuum, the DJI Romo, is going to get its grand unveiling on August 6. In short, it's going to be a busy few weeks for DJI, as it continues to push beyond its core business of drone-making to pick up more fans.

• Read more: DJI reveals Osmo 360 release date – as leaked 15-minute video shows exactly how it compares to the Insta360 X5

2. Google accidentally leaked all four Pixel 10 phones

The Google Pixel 9 (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Google has told us that the Pixel 10 phones are coming on August 20, but it hasn't revealed too many other details about these devices – at least not officially. However, eagle-eyed users spotted a banner showing off all four Pixel 10 models on the Google Play Store.

It seems that Google didn't really intend this promo to go live quite so early (the accompanying text says "now available"), and if you add in all the other leaks we've seen so far, at this rate there's not going to be much left to reveal at the official event.

• Read more: Oh dear... Google just accidentally revealed all four Pixel 10 models

1. The iOS 26 public beta landed for iPhones

Public beta testing has started for iOS 26 (Image credit: Apple / Future)

The public betas for iOS 26 and Apple's other annual software upgrades are now available, which means that anyone can give them a try ahead of the full launch later this year – or at least, anyone who's prepared to put up with a few extra bugs and errors on their devices.

The TechRadar team has already been testing these updates, including iOS 26, and you can read about what we think are the biggest new features to look forward to. If you're tempted into giving it a try, we've also got a guide to installing the iOS 26 public beta.

• Read more: iOS 26 public beta is now live – here are the 5 biggest new features to try

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• Google's next Pixel products have leaked again
• We have images of the devices in a Moonstone color
• The grand unveiling has been set for August 20

Google has already given us a sneak peek at one of the Pixel 10 phones being revealed at the Made by Google launch event on Wednesday, August 20, but we now have leaked images of the whole range of devices that are expected to be unveiled.

Veteran tipster Evan Blass has posted not one but two threads of images on social media, showing off the Google Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL, Pixel 10 Pro Fold, Pixel Watch 4, and Pixel Buds 2a. It's quite the collection.

Most of these images show the devices in a new color that's apparently going to be called Moonstone. It's an attractive-looking bluey-silver type shade, and it's the same one we've previously seen in the official Google teaser for next month's event.

It's a color that Google clearly likes and will be going all-in with when it comes to the new range of Pixel products. However, we also get a couple of shots of some of the Pixel 10 phones in different shades, which have already been leaked.

A design for life

pic.twitter.com/abIAgjpdppJuly 25, 2025

It's definitely interesting to see the upcoming Google devices in this new Moonstone color, but there's not actually that much that's new in this leak: all of these gadgets look very much like the models they're replacing as expected.

It seems likely that we're once again going to get four Pixel phones, to replace the Google Pixel 9 equivalents. Look out for a processor speed boost, some tweaks to the camera setup, and (we're hoping) no price hikes compared to last year.

When it comes to the Google Pixel Watch 4, previous leaks and rumors have pointed to a bigger battery capacity – which is always welcome of course – as well as improvements in how repairable the smartwatch is going to be.

As for the Pixel Buds 2a, we haven't heard very much about these wireless earbuds at all to date – though the original Google Pixel Buds A-Series might give us some idea of what to expect. In a few weeks, all of these gadgets will be made official.

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One of my biggest disappointments of the year so far was no new game footage or deep dive on Fable.

About all we’ve heard is that the game has been pushed back to 2026 – costing me a pint due to a lost bet with Hardware Writer Dash Wood. I had, maybe naively, thought that Fable would launch in the second half of the year with the goal of giving Xbox a big exclusive to finish 2025 on a high. But that wasn't to be.

Now I’m ok with delays if it means polishing a game to a fine shine. Starfield was delayed, and while that didn’t help make it a high watermark game for Bethesda, it launched without a load of bugs.

However, I’d been expecting to see Fable in action. While we’ve seen brief clips of what’s been touted as in-game footage in 2023, followed by a trailer with more game action in 2024, and then a short snippet of pre-alpha 'gameplay' about five months ago,

While the little bits of game footage I've seen so far has me optimistic, we’ve not had anything that properly details how the game plays, what new features it could bring to the table, or just a deep dive into a next-generation Fable now that it's under the wing of Playground Games.

Usually, with a game launching in around the next 12 months, we’ll have got a better idea of what to expect; even if it’s just brief snippets in trailers, like I remember was the case with Red Dead Redemption 2.

A fabled past

(Image credit: Microsoft)

I remember way back when in E3 2007 when Fable 2 was some 14 months away from its 2008 release date, then boss of Lionhead Studios and gaming auteur Peter Molyneux did a dive into how the game will work with contextual one-button combat.

Like a good few of Molyneux's promises, I’m not sure this quite came to fruition in the final release.

Of course, Playground Games isn’t Lionhead, and with E3 more dead than ever, we may have gone beyond the era of post-showcase game deep dives.

As the developer of Forza Horizon, perhaps Playground Games prefers flashier, fast trailers that leave some of the actual game mechanics to the imagination and journalist hands-on previews.

Nevertheless, I’m still a bit surprised we didn’t have any fresh Fable information this year so far, beyond the delay and pre-alpha footage.

Awaiting Albion

So when can we expect to see such stuff? I’d hazard a guess that we could get something towards the end of the year, maybe to juice up interest for people to buy Xbox Series X consoles heading into the holidays.

Or we could hear more early-ish next year, with Microsoft looking to kick off the year with some Xbox positivity, perhaps in one of the developer-led games roundups it does.

But then a lot of that depends on when Fable will get launched next year. If it’s towards the end of the year, we may not hear much until the next Xbox Games Showcase in June 2026.

My hope is we get more information sooner than later. As it stands, I don’t feel we’ve seen a particularly strong year for Xbox exclusive titles (such as they are with PC releases too), with Avowed arguably being one of the biggest so far. Last year, Xbox rounded out the year strongly with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, which despite being available on PS5 felt like an Xbox game gave its day one release on Game Pass.

Microsoft looks set to have some strong titles to propel the second half of the year, with Grounded 2, Gears of War: Reloaded, and Outer Worlds 2. But I’m not convinced any of these will have a big impact; Gears of War is a contender but Reloaded is just a remaster of the first Gears game. So a game footage-heavy Fable trailer or a bit of a deep dive into what we could expect from the game under its new stewardship could be the shot in the arm I feel Xbox might still need this year, especially as there’s no word on The Elder Scrolls 6.

However, I do have a niggling concern: given the upheaval in Microsoft Gaming’s studios and the cancelation of games like the reboot of Perfect Dark – something I was looking forward to – potentially down to development woes, I’m a little concerned that development of Fable could have stalled.

Playground Games has a solid track record, but effectively rebooting Fable for new hardware and to make in compelling in the face of hugely impressive, system-driven RPGs and adventure games like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Baldur’s Gate 3 and Elden Ring, while also retaining that sense of humor, style and sandbox elements of traditional Fable games, is likely a huge proposition.

I’d not be surprised if some information trickles out about Fable going through several iterations in its early development that perhaps means it’s not quite ready to be put in the preview limelight.

For what it’s worth, I have faith in the trailers I’ve seen so far and Playground Games’ ability to produce a compelling open-world game that’s also polished to a standard we’ve come to expect from the developer.

But I’ll need to hear something about Fable reasonably soon to ensure that faith remains burning away, rather than smoulder into nothing… along with my passion for Xbox.

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Mayor of Kingstown season 4: key information

- Officially renewed in December 2024
- Coming to Paramount+ in October
- Main cast expected to return
- New characters confirmed
- No official plot details
- Taylor Sheridan has seven seasons in mind

Mayor of Kingstown season 4 returns in October, which is no doubt excellent news for fans of the crime thriller. Spearheaded by Yellowstone's Taylor Sheridan alongside Hugh Dillon, it's one of the best shows on Paramount+ and there's plenty more where that came from.

Viewers have watched the McClusky family position themselves as power brokers acting as the go-between for police, criminals, inmates, prison guards and politicians. And leading the McClusky family? Mike (Jeremy Renner) as he navigates Kingstown, a place with a real lack of order, in hopes of digging his way out.

Here's everything we can expect from release date speculation, predicted cast, plot rumors, and more.

Full spoilers follow for Mayor of Kingstown seasons 1-3. Potential spoilers are also discussed for season 4.

Mayor of Kingstown season 4 release date prediction

A post shared by Hugh Dillon (@hughdillon)

A photo posted by on

While Mayor of Kingstown season 4 doesn't have an exact release date, it does have a release window – and that's October.

Thanks to an Instagram post by the show's co-creator, Hugh Dillon, it was revealed on June 10 that season 4 had officially wrapped on production and will start streaming on Paramount+ in October.

Mayor of Kingstown season 4 trailer speculation

There's no Mayor of Kingstown season 4 trailer just yet (Image credit: Paramount Plus)

With filming wrapped on Mayor of Kingstown season 4 and an impending October release window in mind, I'd expect the trailer to arrive in September – and when it does, I'll post it here.

If we take a look at season 3's trailer release, it officially dropped on April 25 before the season arrived on June 2. That's just over a month before, which is the same gap as the trailer release to show launch of season 2.

Mayor of Kingstown season 4 confirmed cast

A post shared by Mayor of Kingstown (@mayorofkingstown)

A photo posted by on

Spoilers follow for Mayor of Kingstown season 1 to 3.

The Mayor of Kingstown season 4 cast has been growing in size with returning cast and newcomers alike. Here's who we can expect to star this time round:

• Jeremy Renner as Mike McLusky
• Hugh Dillon as Ian
• Tobi Bamtefa as Deverin 'Bunny' Washington
• Nishi Munshi as Tracy
• Taylor Handley as Kyle McLusky
• Hamish Allan-Headley as
• Derek Webster as
• Clayton Cardenas as Deputy Warden Torres
• Edie Falco as Nina Hobbs
• Lennie James as Frank Moses
• Laura Benanti as Cindy Stephens
• Derek Rivera as Cortez

As mentioned, there's already been a few casting announcements for Mayor of Kingstown season 4 including Edie Falco, Lennie James and Laura Benanti all revealed in the official Instagram post above.

And, as per Deadline in January, Clayton Cardenas joined as Deputy Warden Torres: "the right-hand man to the prison's new warden at Anchor Bay Prison".

Another cast announcement, confirmed again by Deadline in June, is Derek Rivera. He'll be joining the cast for season 4 as Cortez: "a young, cold, and measured Colombian Sicario in a recurring role".

Mayor of Kingstown season 4 story synopsis and rumors

Mayor of Kingstown season 4 picks up after a warring season 3 finale (Image credit: Paramount Plus)

Full spoilers follow for Mayor of Kingstown seasons 1-3. Potential spoilers for Mayor of Kingstown season 4.

The Mayor of Kingstown season 3 finale was tumultuous, to say the least. While a lot of issues were resolved, most importantly the Russian mafia which has had a chokehold on the McClusky family for three strong seasons, the stage is set for Mike to navigate new territory.

It also comes as no surprise really that new cast announcements have been made for Mayor of Kingstown season 4, considering the characters that were lost in season 3. There was Iris (Emma Laird) and Kareem (Michael Beach) met their untimely fates. And, Milo (Aidan Gillen), who seemingly returned from the dead to take over Konstantin, succeeding with the manipulation of Iris before being overpowered by Mike.

Milo's return made Mike's plan to finally rid Kingstown of its Russian problem in the season 3 finale a little tricky, but he managed it all the same. For season 4 though, co-creator Hugh Dillon told The Hollywood Reporter that the season 3 finale: "leaves a vacuum".

But, he adds: "And it will be filled, it's human nature". But, who's next to step into the criminal abyss left behind by the eradication of the Russian mafia, we'll have to wait and see.

What's next for Kyle after the bridge shootout? (Image credit: Paramount Plus)

Then, there was the shootout on the bridge during a confrontation with Bunny's game, which saw Kyle shoot at Robert to protect the innocent civilians around them.

While this subsequently led to Kyle's arrest, it leaves the door open for Robert's story in season 4 given Evelyn is still hellbent on looking into him, despite him recovering in hospital from Kyle's shooting.

It's all speculation for now as the Mayor of Kingstown season 4 plot is kept firmly under wraps. And I'd expect no less from a show filled with complicated dynamics and brutal exchanges.

Though, Dillon did say, when it comes to Mayor of Kingstown season 4: "The scripts are graet, the characters great. And that's what we want to do. We don't want to leave any strone unturned. This show is very much rock 'n' roll".

Will there be more seasons of Mayor of Kingstown?

Taylor Sheridan has seven seasons in mind (Image credit: Paramount Plus)

Mayor of Kingstown has a rather complicated relationship with renewals, especially after Jeremy Renner's serious accident in 2023 left the entire show hanging in the balance.

But, even after returning for season 3, it still took a few months to confirm the return of Mayor of Kingstown season 4 was happening. It appears though that the plan has always been for more.

In conversation with ScreenRant, Hugh Dillon reveals the aim has always been for multiple more seasons – with Taylor Sheridan already having planned an ending in season 7: "Well, Taylor's my mentor, he has been. He's coached me, this was the first thing he ever wrote, and he was my acting coach.

"He coached me on 100 episodes of TV, and we would talk about this all the time. And when we first mapped it out, he's the king of knowing where it ends. I like intros, and I like explosive intros. And he has an ending for it in season 7".

Dillon added: "So, our goal is to get to that season 7, because that's as far as we can get, because that's where he's always had it".

Whether the show makes it that far is one thing, but if Sheridan has plans to extend its run with a multi-year deal at Paramount+ already in place, there's some real hope for more Mayor of Kingstown. Watch this space.

For more Paramount+-based coverage, read our guide to the best Paramount+ shows.

A few days ago, we got our first official look at the DJI Romo – the brand's first foray into robot vacuums – and the more information I get about this surprising new addition to the DJI lineup, the more intrigued I am about how it's going to shape up when it comes to launch.

It certainly looks cool. Both the video clip shared by tech leaker Igor Bogdanov (aka @Quadro_News) and the teaser trailer DJI leaker @JasperEllens show the curvy dock with a transparent plastic cover – and if you look closer, you can see that the bot itself appears to have a clear lid too. It's an unusual design choice and one that'll certainly stand out against competitor models, even if I do have my concerns about how pristine-looking that it'll remain over time (perhaps it's good that DJI seems to be offering a version that doesn't have its insides on show as an alternative).

Although a DJI logo is nowhere to be found on the product and it's the first white plastic I have seen since the #mavicair... the official Chinese #DJIRomo account displayed this little video teaser today, showing they will launch their first vacuum cleaner on August 6th. Cheers pic.twitter.com/zBseU9pfCDJuly 23, 2025

What's particularly interesting is that this peek inside the dock doesn't reveal any water tanks. Almost all of the best robot vacuums have mopping capabilities these days. You don't need a water tank in the dock in order for the bot itself to be able to mop – some models will just have a small integrated reservoir onboard. However, these tend to be the cheaper, more basic robovacs.

Mid-range bots will often have a clean water tank in the dock, and refill the onboard reservoir automatically. Shift into the premium category and you can expect an additional dirty water tank, and automatic mop-washing capabilities. Unless there are some tanks tucked out of sight, it looks like the Romo won't offer either.

DJI's drones are great at navigating... but not so good at mopping (Image credit: James Abbott)

I guess mopping and self-cleaning tech aren't areas that DJI would naturally have expertise in. The brand is known for making pretty much all of the best drones on the market, and there's no crossover there. That's in contrast to, say, navigation and object avoidance tech, which is vital in both drones and robot vacuums. I'd expect the Romo's navigation skills to be top-tier.

A premium proposition?

We don't have pricing information for the DJI Romo yet, but I had assumed DJI would be positioning its debut robovac as a premium choice, with features and specs to match.

That might not be be the case. We do have precedent for a huge brand trying to make waves in the robot vacuum market with a relatively basic model: Dyson and its 360 Vis Nav. It wasn't Dyson's first-ever robovac, but it was a major launch in this area, and seven years in the making. In this case, Dyson offered limited capabilities – no mopping to speak of, and no automatic dust emptying either – but decided to stick with a premium price tag anyway.

Dyson is a firmly premium brand, so that wasn't necessarily a surprise (although it does usually do more to justify its lofty pricing). With DJI, things are more up in the air... no pun intended. On the one hand we have the Amflow, DJI's first and only ebike, which is very much a premium proposition.

The Amflow – DJI's other non-drone launch – sits firmly at the top end of the ebike market (Image credit: Amflow)

However, the drones it's known for range from ultra-cheap (in its Ryze Tello line) to extremely high-end, but the constant throughout is that they're always great value for money, often undercutting similarly-specced rivals. (I asked TechRadar Cameras Editor and resident drone expert Tim Coleman for his take and he said, "I would expect whatever price Romo is, it'll be excellent value. This is the DJI way.")

So the jury's out on where the Romo might sit in the market. We might not have too long to wait to find out either way. The latest teaser trailer suggests the DJI Romo will launch on August 6. That would be in China – I expect the Romo might take a while to make its way overseas to the UK, and US launch is very uncertain given the potential US ban on DJI drones. But that's a whole separate issue...

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• VRLA Tech workstation is first to ship with AMD Ryzen Threadripper Pro 9995WX
• System is built on ASUS WRX90E board with 128GB ECC memory and 1TB NVMe storage
• Supports up to three high-end GPUs including options like the Nvidia RTX 6000 Ada

The first workstation powered by AMD’s new Ryzen Threadripper Pro 9995WX processor has gone on sale, and it comes not from a major PC maker, but from California-based custom builder VRLA Tech.

The VRLA Tech AMD Ryzen Threadripper Pro Workstation is available with a choice of processors from the Pro 9000 WX-Series, including AMD’s top-tier 9995WX.

Built on the 4nm Zen 5 architecture, the 9995WX features 96 cores and 192 threads, with a 2.75GHz base clock and boost speeds up to 5.1GHz. It includes 384MB of L3 cache and supports 8-channel DDR5-6400 ECC RDIMM memory.

(Image credit: VRLA Tech)Highly customizable

The default configuration, priced at $20,334.97, pairs the CPU with an ASUS Pro WS WRX90E-SAGE SE motherboard. This board supports up to 1TB of DDR5 memory and provides 128 PCIe 5.0 lanes for add-in cards such as graphics, storage, or networking components.

The unit comes equipped with 128GB of DDR5-5600 ECC RAM, using eight 16GB modules.

For storage, it includes a 1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD.

Additional drive slots provide space for future expansion. Graphics are handled by an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 with 8GB of memory in the standard build.

The system is powered by a 1600W 80 Plus Platinum power supply and housed in a black Fractal Design Define 7 XL case.

Cooling is managed by a high-performance liquid CPU cooler and Noctua case fans.

The workstation ships with Windows 11 Pro but you can save money by opting for Linux if you prefer, and includes all necessary drivers pre-installed.

The configuration can be customized prior to purchase. Options include up to three high-end GPUs, including workstation-class cards such as the Nvidia RTX 6000 Ada.

The system also supports a range of NVMe and SATA storage options and additional networking cards, but of course that will crank up the cost considerably. Add all the bells and whistles and price skyrockets to an eye-watering $55,113.90.

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• Microsoft has begun testing Copilot Appearance to give the AI assistant a more distinct personality
• The feature imbues Copilot with real-time expressions and gestures
• Copilot Appearance is part of a broader push to give Copilot a persistent identity

Microsoft has decided to put a face on its Copilot AI assistant with a new feature called Copilot Appearance. Rolling out to a limited set of users in the U.S., U.K., and Canada as part of Microsoft’s Copilot Labs, Appearance is a sort of animated cloud and has a smile instead of just a disembodied voice. Microsoft is hoping Appearance will help make Copilot more enduring as a tool for regular engagement, not just occasional questioning.

It's an idea that fits with how the company's consumer AI head, Mustafa Suleyman, envisions the future of Copilot. As he explained in a recent interview, Suleyman sees a more human-like Copilot, one that carries what he calls “digital patina” as it ages, accruing history and personality based on time spent with a user.

The Appearance feature is an aspect of that idea. It gives Copilot facial expressions and subtle animations to respond in real time as you talk or type. So you might see a smile when it provides information, or a nod of encouragement when you provide follow-up details. Perhaps even a furrowed brow if you ask for something difficult.

The obvious comparison for any Microsoft AI personality attempt is Clippy, but this is, theoretically at least, a far cry from the old paperclip with eyeballs. Unlike Clippy, this assistant doesn’t pop in uninvited or ask if you’re writing a letter. It will only talk to you when you start a conversation, and it's supposed to exist quietly in the background. But it will remember what you're doing, and that memory lasts.

Appearance and personality

It's the continuity of the memory that makes it possible for Copilot to become as personal as Suleyman wants. Combined with other recent Copilot upgrades like voice mode and vision capabilities, Suleyman hopes Copilot will understand both what you want in the moment and who you are overall.

Of course, for now, the visual character isn’t doing anything wild. It won’t animate a full scene or wave its arms around like a Pixar sidekick. It’s more like a friendly desk plant that also edits your reports. Microsoft is moving slowly here for a reason. Other platforms that heavily leaned into character-based chatbots have encountered issues with users becoming overly attached to an AI companion.

The risk, of course, is that some people will start thinking of it that way. The goal is to earn a user's trust, but not so much that people forget this is still a tool. But if Microsoft keeps going down this path, it will need to draw some clear lines.

Appearance is a layer of presence and polish. It’s also a preview of an AI that shows how it is reacting to us with facial expressions and body language, something anyone can understand. But, I still don't want to see Copilot raise its eyebrows and roll its eyes sarcastically at requests it thinks are dumb.

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