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The rise of generative AI, mixed with the ease of access provided by crypto currency, has created scamming opportunities we couldn’t have imagined just a few years ago. Romance scams that exploit these technologies have now become one of the fastest growing and most devastating forms of financial crime.

The capabilities of generative AI mean it’s now possible to get scammed by a range of incredibly convincing fake personalities, including deepfakes of celebrities and public figures. In fact, according to the makers of the new documentary Super Scam Me, it’s revealed that an estimated one in seven American adults have lost money to this form of deception. In 2025 alone, romance scammers stole more than $1 billion from American victims.

In Super Scam Me, Emmy-winning investigative journalist Mariana van Zeller builds a digital target persona to intentionally lure a persistent fraudster, then teams up with a white-hat hacker to reverse-engineer the scammer’s digital footprint and track him down and confront him face-to-face.

In the documentary Mariana meets the victims whose lives have been upended by romance scams, including a woman who was duped into believing she was in a year-long relationship with Jon Bon Jovi. Yes, that Jon Bon Jovi. What she thought was a genuine connection with the superstar musician left her facing foreclosure on her home, providing a window into the devastating real-world consequences of these crimes.

I caught up with Mariana van Zeller to ask her about the new documentary, Super Scam Me.

TechRadar: From talking to people who were scammed, do you think they were especially gullible, or could this really happen to anyone?

Mariana van Zeller: I truly believe this could really happen to everyone. I mean, the main reason why I decided to do this documentary was because very often I come back from reporting on these scams and people's response would be, "How stupid could they be?" and "Why did they react like this?" and "Why do you give money to a stranger?" And I really wanted to turn the table around and start focusing on the actions of the actual scammers.

TR: How sophisticated are these scammers?

MvZ: You know, these scammers are very, very good at what they do. They spend a lot of time sort of honing their craft, and they use the latest technology out there. They have it all at their disposal. They have scripts, they work in teams, they're educated, there are schools for scammers out there. And they prey on emotions that are common to all of us. You know, hope, fear, love, greed in some cases. So as long as we have those emotions — which I believe every single one of us do — we are very likely, or it is very possible that we can fall victim to one of these scams.

Mariana van Zeller (left) with the people features in the documentary Super Scam Me. (Image credit: National Geographic / Disney+)

TR: How do we stop this?

MvZ: I think awareness is very important. I think we should be aware of how good these scammers are, about the tactics and technology and strategies that they use. It's partly what I've tried to show in Super Scam Me. But I also think the onus shouldn't just fall on individual citizens. We should be asking our governments, we should be asking big tech and banks to do a lot more than they're doing.

You know, Leslie is a great example. In the documentary, she was supposedly having a relationship with Jon Bon Jovi for almost a year. And she is out there right now. Her heart was broken. She lost a lot of money. She almost lost her house. She felt humiliated and shamed and suffered this enormous loss.

She is now out there herself, every single day, on these platforms, raising awareness and telling people that these are fake profiles and reporting every single one of these profiles to Facebook and to Instagram and Meta in general, and hoping that they will take them down. And she says just four or three in every 10 of these actually get taken down, and the rest have existed for months.

And again, it shouldn't be Leslie, right? It shouldn't be a person who is a victim of a scam trying to prevent other people from falling for these scams. It should be our governments, it should be big tech and our banks, and there should be just a lot more being done to make sure that we're protecting our citizens.

TR: Thank you Mariana.

Super Scam Me, premieres on October 17 in the US, airing on National Geographic at 9pm EDT and streaming on Disney+ and Hulu the same day. In the UK Super Scam Me premieres on Sunday 18th October at 10pm on National Geographic, and streams from the same day on Disney+.

If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this piece, support is available.

Whatever you are going through, you don’t have to face it alone. In the US, you can call or text the 24/7 Lifeline, which is confidential and free, at 988. You can also reach the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.

In the UK, you can call Samaritans for free on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the website to find your nearest branch.

• Lines of code, code commits and pull requests are all up 20-30%
• Comments per pull request are up 49% as human review becomes more crucial
• With reviewing up from 7 to 10 days on average, the new bottleneck is code review

A new Harvard University research paper has confirmed that AI is indeed excellent at boosting coding productivity, but humans just end up slowing the process back down anyway.

Authors Fiona Chen and James Stratton found a 30% increase in the amount of code developers can produce when using AI, but they found no statistically significant improvement in completed software.

With increases across lines of code produced (+30%), code commits (+20%) and pull requests (+23%), the Harvard-backed researchers went on to investigate why we're not seeing a 20-30% increase in end product.

AI has definitely sped up coding, but human delays negate much of those benefits

At the same time, the researchers also found increases across the time taken to review and merge pull requests (+49%), the number of reviewer comments per pull request (+35%) and even the proportion of employees doing code reviews (+14%), all of which implying that vibe coding is ultimately shifting the bottleneck further down the road instead of removing it altogether.

The paper also questions whether, with AI shifting the workload, companies are responding by allocating more workers to code review. Layoffs have become somewhat synonymous with AI – founded or not – and concerns about jobs continue, however the paper proves that human workers are still vital, just in other parts of the coding process.

Some thought it also given to the next stages of AI adoption, and whether it can help downstream in the code review stages. While AI is already being employed to some degrees in this part, "humans are still heavily involved with review."

There's also the consideration of added workload, with AI now capable of producing code much more quickly than humans ever could. The average review process has gone from taking 7.03 days to 10.48 days as a result of this shifted bottleneck.

The researchers also argue that AI-generated code needs substantially more corrections, begging the question whether it's actually helping at all.

Still, with AI adoption not resulting in any significant job losses, it seems, it's more a question about how companies can best use AI to support employees and reduce unnecessary workload, rather than how they can replace workers outright.

"The productivity gains are absorbed by downstream constraints in the production process," the paper concludes, adding that "code review becomes the bottleneck."

• A PC maker in the US says 'retail GPU pricing is expected to climb significantly'
• A further rumor suggests AMD just put up the cost of VRAM, which will affect the prices of graphics cards
• Rounding off a trio of fresh rumors is a claim that Nvidia has discontinued the RTX 5090

There have been a few developments in the GPU world over the weekend — and none of them bode well for the prices of graphics cards down the line.

For starters, Wccftech reports that according to the Board Channels — a reliable enough forum for chatter from the supply chain over in China — AMD has increased the cost of the GDDR6 video RAM it sells to board-making partners. This means that those graphics card makers will inevitably pass that cost on to consumers — if this rumor is accurate of course.

Bench Life further observes that more expensive VRAM isn't the only upward pricing pressure here, and that the cost of other graphics card components — including the main circuit board itself — is also rising.

Secondly, as Wccftech also noticed, we have a custom PC maker in the US, StinceBuilt, informing us on X that it is "starting to see increasing supply constraints on graphics cards" and that, "Retail GPU pricing is expected to climb significantly, and these elevated prices could stick around for quite some time."

Finally, VideoCardz highlighted another post on X from regular leaker MegaSizeGPU, who claims Nvidia will not allocate any more GB202 (Blackwell) chips to make the RTX 5090, and that all this silicon is going to be used in RTX Pro (AI) graphics cards.

In theory, that means it's the end of the line for the flagship RTX 5090, with its replacement (the RTX 6090 in theory) still quite some way off in the distance (a more recent rumor indicates that it's probably due to land in 2028).

Analysis: a cacophony of warning bells

(Image credit: Shutterstock / Dean Drobot)

Of all those sentiments, the last one needs the most seasoning, although it's believable enough that Nvidia is essentially canning the RTX 5090. By that I mean that if this is true, I don't think this will be an official (announced) discontinuation, but the way it'll play out is that Nvidia will allocate so few chips for the GeForce flagship that stock will effectively dwindle to next to nothing.

Arguably we're already seeing some evidence of this, certainly in the US where at Newegg, for example, you can't buy an RTX 5090 directly from the retailer, but only from third-party sellers (often in Asia). And the cost of the graphics card is tipping up towards $9,000, such is its scarcity — and you'll pay from £6,000 upwards in the UK, although at least stock is available to buy directly from retailers in that country. Still, I wonder how long that will last; and the idea of Nvidia pulling the plug on the RTX 5090 in a stealthy behind-the-scenes manner certainly feels like it's possible.

Meanwhile, the suggestion of AMD's Radeon GPU price rises backs up similar recent rumors, and the warning from the PC maker in the US that price tags are set to 'climb significantly' is another ominous addition to the warning bells that have been sounded of late.

I'm still very much of the opinion that it's a good idea to buy sooner rather than later, even though GPUs are already overpriced, because I fear that the situation could get substantially worse in 2027, as the grapevine indicates.

The key question is how long a recovery from these pricing pressures might take in the case of GPUs. Again, I have a suspicion that it might take a lot longer than we might hope.

Thinking of buying a drone? It can be tricky to know where to invest your money, and it's worth doing your research before you commit. Our product testers try out every major release, and in this roundup I've gathered together all our reviews from the start of 2025 onward. Tap the View Details button to see a summary of exactly what we thought of each one, plus a link to read each full, in-depth review.

It might not come as a surprise that DJI is particularly well represented — every 5-star drone of the past 20 or so months is a DJI model. The DJI Mini 5 Pro is a compact drone that's beginner-friendly yet boasts features more in line with far pricier models (including "class-leading video quality"). It's no surprise this model takes the #1 spot in our general best drone ranking.

We also loved the DJI Avata 360, calling it "wonderfully versatile and surprisingly affordable", and dubbing it "the 360 drone to beat". Professional users, meanwhile, will struggle to find fault with the stunning DJI Mavic 4 Pro.

Other drone brands are of course available, and price-conscious shoppers should take a look at the Potensic Atom 3 — this compact drone delivers an excellent feature set for a very affordable cost, and proves it's not all about DJI. (Although in the UK it does face stiff competition from the fantastic DJI Lito X1.)

Scroll down for a full roundup of the new drones we've put through their paces in recent months, and to find out exactly what we thought of them. Note: you'll only be able to see product cards for the drones that are available to buy in your region.

Flying high DJI Mavic 4 Pro

Read our full review

Pros

• Excellent price
• Feature-packed
• Impressive cameras

Cons

• Weight just exceeds 2.2lbs / 1kg
• More features than many people will need
• Subject tracking is not as varied as the DJI Flip or Neo

DJI Mini 5 Pro

Read our full review

Pros

• New 1-inch sensor with detail rich 4K HDR video
• Versatile camera with a 225 degree roll rotation
• Class-leading flight and safety features

Cons

• Actual take-off weight could result in being the next class of drone, hit with restrictions
• Flight times typically not as long as advertised
• Pricier than entry-level models like the Mini 4K

DJI Lito X1

Read our full review

Pros

• Great video quality for the price, especially with Lito X1
• Omnidirectional obstacle avoidance included
• Better battery life than the Neo 2 and Flip

Cons

• Camera doesn't rotate for 9:16 content
• Soft digital zoom
• No built-in storage on Lito 1 model

DJI Avata 360

Read our full review

Pros

• Great 10-bit image quality from dual sensor setup
• Choice of control methods
• Agile, speedy and safe flyer
• Good value for money

Cons

• Other DJI drones beat it on image quality
• Buying both FPV and standard controllers could push up the price
• No manual FPV flight option

DJI Neo 2

Read our full review

Pros

• Now has obstacle avoidance
• Improved camera performance
• More storage and faster transfer speed

Cons

• Still only shoots JPEG photos
• Limited battery life

Antigravity A1 8K 360

Read our full review

Pros

• Excellent 360-degree capture and reframing
• Slick package with impressive features
• Easier to use than you might think

Cons

• It’s expensive
• Goggles require a spotter
• Motion controller has limitations

HoverAir Aqua

Read our full review

Pros

• The only waterproof self-flying camera on the market
• Solid 4K footage in good conditions
• Turtle flip and water-surface takeoff/landing work reliably

Cons

• Lighthouse-based tracking produces inconsistent subject framing
• Hydrophobic lens doesn't always resist water
• Expensive in comparison to competitors

DJI Flip

Read our full review

Pros

• Multi-use functionality
• Several flight-control options
• Sub-250g folding design

Cons

• Image quality is good but not great
• Not as agile as the Mini 4 Pro
• Not great in wind

Potensic Atom 3

Read our full review

Pros

• Excellent feature set for the price
• Editing latitude thanks to the flat P-Log color profile for video and RAW format photos
• Huge touchscreen controller (included in pricier RC PTD 2 Fly More combo)
• Stable flight performance

Cons

• No obstacle avoidance
• Actual battery life less than expected
• DJI Lito X1 has the performance edge, especially its tracking modes
• Controller finesse for precise flight maneuvers requires lots of practice
• GPS signal issues within areas like forests can limit what flight maneuvers are possible

Zero Zero Robotics V-Copter Falcon Mini

Read our full review

Pros

• Fun to fly
• Easy to set up
• Compact and lightweight

Cons

• The camera is limited
• More of a drone for flight than photography
• Battery life not as good as advertised

Ruko U11MINI 4K

Read our full review

Pros

• Light and folds to a pocketable size
• 4K video is watchable when captured in good light

Cons

• Joystick dead zone makes smooth camera moves a struggle
• Camera routinely overexposes
• No obstacle avoidance of any kind
• No USB port makes accessing internal storage tricky

• NordVPN's Call and Message Protection toolkit is now officially available on iOS
• The provider has also launched HangUp, a standalone iOS app that blocks spam calls and is entirely free to use without a VPN subscription.
• In an exclusive to TechRadar, NordVPN explained the tools are designed to give users "a second to think" before reacting to high-pressure phishing attempts.

After a brief period of speculation sparked by a mysterious app release note, NordVPN has confirmed to TechRadar that its highly anticipated Message Protection feature is now on iOS.

Alongside bringing full SMS scam screening to its main Apple app, the provider has also launched HangUp on iOS, a free, standalone app designed to eradicate spam calls on your iPhone.

NordVPN, our current best VPN overall, has been expanding its focus beyond the VPN for months now, most notably with its Next Gen Antivirus developments which aim to tackle traditional malware attacks.

Now, these new releases squarely aim to tackle the growing epidemic of social engineering, where hackers target the user rather than the device.

The new Call and Message Protection toolkit resides on a single screen within the main NordVPN iOS app. Whether your VPN connection is actively switched on or running quietly in the background, the tools work continuously to keep your inbox and call log safe from fraudsters.

Giving you a second to think

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Phishing via text, often called "smishing", relies entirely on panic. Scammers regularly impersonate delivery companies, tax agencies, or banks, hoping you will click a malicious link in a rush. Message Protection directly combats this by acting as a digital filter for your iPhone.

The tool checks every SMS from an unknown sender against phone reputation databases, running deep URL analysis and content categorization. If a text is deemed suspicious, the app fires off a push notification detailing the specific threat type.

Crucially, the flagged message then opens in a dedicated safe view. This barrier prevents you from accidentally tapping the malicious link while reading the text. For privacy-conscious users, NordVPN guarantees it does not store the content of any calls or messages.

"A scam only works if you react before you think. They're all built to rush you, a failed payment, a parcel stuck somewhere, someone saying your account has been compromised," Domininkas Virbickas, product director at NordVPN, told TechRadar exclusively.

"We put something on the screen before that moment, a label on the call or a flag on the message. It doesn't decide for you, it just gives you a second to think. People shouldn't need to be security experts to use their own phone."

HangUp: A free weapon against robocalls

Alongside the feature launches for iOS, we also saw HangUp arrive on the platform, having launched on Android in July. While the core Call and Message Protection features are included in the main NordVPN app, HangUp is a completely standalone application.

You don't need an active VPN subscription to use it; you only need to sign up for a free Nord account. Once installed, HangUp screens incoming calls in real time, matching unknown numbers against known scam databases.

It sorts unknown callers into specific categories, such as scam, telemarketing, survey, or debt collection, so you know exactly who is ringing before you answer.

Users can even configure the app to automatically block known scams and telemarketers, meaning those fraudulent calls will never make your iPhone ring. A localized call log keeps a secure record of what was blocked and why.

"Everyone gets scam calls, so everyone should be able to see them coming," explains Virbickas. "HangUp is free because the quickest way to cut down the damage these calls do is to put a warning in front of as many people as possible."

Both tools are live right now. You can read the full technical breakdown of the new features on NordVPN's official blog.

We recently tested out the Ugreen NASync DXP8800 Ultra, and we found some striking similarities between this new NAS device and the older but no-less-excellent Plus model.

In his latest review, our expert Mark noted: "Ugreen has changed the engine, not the car. The Ultra is quicker and better equipped for the long haul, but the Plus still does almost everything it does for far less money."

So, we decided to take a look at which is the better buy for businesses. Both NAS devices support up to 272TB of storage, dual 10GbE networking, and Thunderbolt 4. The Ultra supports up to 96GB of RAM compared with 64GB on the Plus, but both offer the same maximum storage capacity and high-speed connectivity.

• Best for: Small businesses, studios, IT professionals, and creative teams needing centralized storage for large files, backups, media libraries, and multi-user access.

• The deal: The NASync DXP8800 Plus is now $1,370 (was $1,510) at Ugreen, saving you $140. The more powerful DXP8800 Ultra costs $1,780.

NASync DXP8800 Plus: was $1509.99 now $1369.99
This eight-bay NAS features an Intel Core i5-1235U processor, 8GB expandable DDR5 RAM, dual 10GbE ports, two Thunderbolt 4 connections, dual M.2 slots, 8K HDMI, and 272TB storage support.View Deal

NASync DXP8800 Ultra: $1779.99
This newer NAS features an Intel Core 7 150U processor, 8GB expandable DDR5 RAM, dual 10GbE ports, two Thunderbolt 4 connections, dual M.2 slots, 8K HDMI, and 272TB storage support.View Deal

Which NAS we recommend

In his 4-star review, of the NASync DXP8800 Ultra, Mark explained: "Is the [Ultra] outlay worth the extra over the Plus? That entirely depends on how you intend to use this NAS. For those who just want file serving, it's probably not worth it. But for someone using virtualization and hosting AI, it might be an improvement they’ll pay for."

In summing up he said: "Where the DXP8800 Plus was a bolt from the blue, the DXP8800 Ultra’s arrival seems more measured. Ugreen kept everything that worked and refreshed the part that aged fastest, that being the processor, and with that change, it increased the memory ceiling.

"So is it worth the extra money? For most buyers, sadly it probably isn’t. The Plus still gives you eight bays, two M.2 slots, dual 10GbE, dual Thunderbolt 4 and a PCIe slot. File serving, backups, media streaming and a handful of containers run happily on either. The Ultra's extra speed will rarely be the bottleneck unless you use it in specific ways."

In his 4.5-star hands-on review for the Plus model, Mark ultimately found "a monster NAS with the potential capacity and bandwidth to drive a small business. This terrific hardware shows what can be achieved by repurposing mobile silicon for NAS."

Price context & historical value

The DXP8800 Plus normally costs $1,509.99, but Ugreen has reduced it to $1,369.99, a saving of $140, or approximately 9%. The DXP8800 Ultra costs $1,779.99, making it $410 more expensive than the Plus.

Remember that these are both diskless NAS, so you'll need to budget separately for the HDDs or SSDs required to actually store your files.

Which should you buy?

✅ Buy the Ugreen DXP8800 Ultra NAS if...

You need a powerful NAS for demanding business workloads, extensive multitasking, or applications that benefit from additional memory. Its newer Intel Core 7 150U processor and support for up to 96GB of DDR5 RAM give it a speed advantage over the Plus.

✅ Buy the Ugreen DXP8800 Plus NAS if...

You want a capable eight-bay NAS without paying extra for processing power and memory expansion you might never use. It supports the same 272TB maximum storage capacity, dual 10GbE networking, and Thunderbolt 4 connectivity as the Ultra, while costing a lot less.

• Shop all NAS products at Ugreen.

• Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents can now be opened, edited and shared inside the Copilot app
• Could this be the company "figuring out what Copilot, and the future of work, should look like"?
• Microsoft describes Copilot as the "new way to work"

Microsoft is making some hefty upgrades to its Copilot app, allowing users to create, edit and collaborate on popular Office documents directly within the AI hub.

This marks a major shift for the company's AI strategy, which previously focused on adding Copilot functionality into its Word, Excel and PowerPoint apps. Instead, this reverses that decision and puts Word, Excel and PowerPoint into the Copilot app.

The Copilot app will likely become the central workspace, allowing users to interact with AI to produce documents without them then having to go off and open those documents in Office apps to make further adjustments.

Word, Excel and PowerPoint now embedded inside Copilot app

Document creation is nothing unexpected, and Copilot retains its abilities to generate new documents based on user conversations within Copilot Chat or Copilot Cowork. The biggest change is the addition of Library within the Copilot app, which puts those documents within reach inside that single interface.

Collaboration is also a big emphasis for the company, which confirmed that users will still be able to share, comment and review documents within Copilot.

"Microsoft Office has defined productivity for the PC era," Office Product Group Sumit Chauhan explained. Chauhan was named as one of the EVPs to report to Copilot, Agents and Platform EVP Charles Lamanna amid the departure of M365's previous EVP, Ryan Roslansky.

At that time, we knew that the company was "figuring out what Copilot, and the future of work, should look like as one ecosystem," and this is likely part one in a much bigger shift for M365.

"As Copilot becomes a new way to work, we're bringing familiar Office creation and collaboration experiences directly into that environment," Chauhan added, noting the push for a "more unified experience."

That new unified experience inside the Copilot app is only available to Frontier customers in Chat and Cowork, but it could only be a few months until it gets pushed onto more users.

Data center water use is under growing scrutiny and the sector’s ability to add capacity at the pace required will depend partly on how well it manages demand without placing unnecessary pressure on potable supplies.

One source being considered is produced water from oil and gas operations – particularly in the next few years, with trial projects launched, and contracts in progress. In April 2026, the US Environmental Protection Agency launched its Water Reuse Action Plan 2.0, which includes accelerating water reuse for data center cooling among its priorities.

The scale of the opportunity is considerable. According to forecasts from water intelligence provider B3 Insight, the Permian Basin was expected to produce around 22.3 million barrels of water each day on average during 2025, with approximately 16 million barrels a day going to disposal.

Where that water can be efficiently repurposed for data center cooling, there is an opportunity to put an existing industrial stream to productive use while reducing demand on potable supplies.

Making that work in practice requires infrastructure that can manage variable water quality, keep different streams separate and maintain a reliable supply, making storage a critical part of the solution.

Making produced water work

Produced water can vary considerably between sources. It may be brackish, highly saline, or it may contain minerals and other substances that need to be considered when the tank and sealant are specified.

The storage system therefore needs to be designed around the water that will actually arrive on site. Data centers can already require separate storage for brine, pre-treated water, treated industrial water, clarified water, filtered water, clean water and fire protection. Produced water would add another duty to a system that may already contain several different water streams, each requiring its own capacity and operating conditions.

Those differences should guide the material selection to protect against corrosion and extend the working life of the tank. Fusion-bonded epoxy can be well suited to produced water and other industrial water duties, combining corrosion resistance with a robust finish that stands up well during transport and installation. Glass-fused-to-steel may also be suitable in some cases, while galvanized and sectional glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) tanks have established roles elsewhere on the site.

Specify quality early

These decisions are easier to make when the tank manufacturer is involved early. Space needs to be considered alongside material selection because the available footprint can change the type of tank that works best - for example, a cylindrical tank may suit an external compound, while a sectional or shaped tank can be more practical in a basement.

Temperature also needs to be considered. As discussed earlier, produced water from the Permian Basin is one potential source for data center cooling, and the Permian is a region where summer temperatures can become extremely high. That makes the tank’s location, exposure and material important. The design also needs to leave sufficient room for pipework and future access. Placing the required storage volume into whatever space remains is not the same as providing a tank installation that can be built and maintained properly.

These decisions need to be made before the package reaches tender - once a tank type and material have been written into the specification, there is often very little room to change them. We have seen that first-hand on data center projects dating back to around 2010, covering clean water, fire protection, brine, effluent and treated industrial water, where the right questions are far easier to address before the design is fixed.

Build for the operating life

Data centers are expected to remain in service for decades, so their supporting water infrastructure should be considered over the same period rather than judged on purchase price alone. Industrial epoxy and glass-fused-to-steel tanks can be designed for operating lives of around 35 to 45 years, depending on the application and maintenance. Some lined or plastic systems may require more substantial work much earlier, which means that getting the specification wrong can leave the operator facing repair and disruption long before the data center itself reaches the end of its life.

The better measure is therefore the lifetime cost of the system, including maintenance and the practicalities of taking a tank offline. The specification should also allow for changes in the produced water or future expansion of the site rather than being based only on opening-day conditions.

Carrying the specification through delivery

A good specification still has to survive procurement and construction, which can be challenging on projects where programs are tight and responsibility passes through several organizations before the finished system reaches the operator.

Data center operators place considerable emphasis on documentation, with detailed records expected to show that the materials and installation match what was approved. In Balmoral’s experience, the level of scrutiny can be similar to that found in oil and gas, particularly where the infrastructure supports cooling or fire protection.

Manufacturers and installation partners therefore need the technical ability to supply the tank, together with the organizational and financial capacity to meet the program and carry the original specification through to the finished installation.

Local manufacturing can reduce transport complexity, particularly in fast-growing markets such as the US, while experienced regional partners can support installation and help ensure that the system is delivered as designed.

A practical role for produced water

Produced water could become a useful addition to the data center sector’s wider water strategy where the source and the facility are close enough for the model to work. The resource is available at scale and policy is moving towards greater reuse, but turning that opportunity into working infrastructure depends on decisions made early in the project.

The water needs to be understood and each storage duty clearly defined, with the tank selected around the conditions on site. Get those decisions right and produced water can become a practical cooling resource supported by storage infrastructure designed to serve the data center for decades.

Looking for the best cloud storage? These are my top picks

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

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

Apple iPhone 18 Pro

The iPhone 18 Pro is one of Apple's most feature-packed phones, with an upgraded triple-lens camera, a high-capacity battery, an A20 Pro chipset, and a great screen. It's quite a bulky customer, though.

Pros

• Versatile cameras
• Great battery life
• Top-end power

Cons

• Costs more than the Air
• Heavier and thicker
• Less stylish

Apple iPhone Air

The iPhone Air is the most stylish iPhone yet, but its slim and lightweight design does bring meaningful compromises in the battery life and camera departments.

Pros

• Slim and light
• Very stylish
• High-quality screen

Cons

• Only one rear camera
• Low battery capacity
• Can get hot during prolonged gaming sessions

If you were to arrange Apple's current crop of iPhones in terms of price, the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Air would sit squarely in the middle of the pack. They're more expensive than the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17e, but cheaper than the iPhone 18 Pro Max and iPhone Duo.

Generally speaking, these two devices are for people who want something special from their phones, but don’t quite want to spend top-end money — or simply don’t want the massive (or foldable) screens that Apple’s priciest handsets come with.

But the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Air are also quite different in a lot of ways. One delivers pro-level features and market-leading camera performance; the other offers a comfortable and stylish design. So which should you choose?

Below, we've detailed the key differences between the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Air to help you figure out which device is best for you.

iPhone 18 Pro vs iPhone Air: specs comparison

The table below gives you a brief overview of these two handsets; then, under that, we’ll look more closely at what makes them tick.

iPhone 18 Pro

iPhone Air

Dimensions:

150 x 71.9 x 8.8mm

156.2 x 74.7 x 5.6mm

Weight:

211g

165g

Display:

6.3-inch Super Retina XDR OLED

6.5-inch Super Retina XDR OLED

Refresh rate:

1Hz–120Hz

1Hz–120Hz

Peak brightness:

3,000 nits

3,000 nits

Chipset:

A20 Pro

A19 Pro

RAM:

12GB

12GB

Rear cameras:

48MP main, 48MP ultra-wide, 48MP telephoto

48MP main

Front camera:

18MP

18MP

Battery:

4,288mAh (eSIM-only) / 4,056mAh (physical SIM)

3,149mAh

Charging:

50% in 15 minutes

50% in 30 minutes

Storage:

256GB / 512GB / 1TB / 2TB

256GB / 512GB / 1TB

iPhone 18 Pro vs iPhone Air: price and availabilityThe iPhone 18 ProFuture/Jacob KrolThe iPhone AirJacob Krol/Future

The iPhone 18 Pro launched in September 2026, and it’s available globally. It starts at $1,199 / £1,199 / AU$2,099, for which you’ll get a model with 256GB of storage. 512GB will set you back $1,399 / £1,399 / AU$2,499, 1TB costs $1,799 / £1,799 / AU$3,299, and a 2TB model is $2,399 / £2,399 / AU$4,499.

The iPhone Air launched back in September 2025, so it’s a year older but doesn’t yet have a successor. It too is widely available, and it costs $1,099 / £1,099 / AU$1,899 for 256GB of storage, $1,299 / £1,299 / AU$2,299 for 512GB, and $1,699 / £1,699 / AU$3,099 for 1TB — there's no 2TB variant of the iPhone Air.

So, the starting price of the iPhone 18 Pro is $100 / £100 / AU$200 higher than that of the Air, and that difference is consistent for each configuration. Importantly, though, the Air is often on sale, so you're unlikely to need to pay full price.

It's worth noting, too, that the iPhone Air was actually priced at $999 / £999 / AU$1,799 at launch, but Apple increased its price following the launch of the iPhone 18 Pro in September, just as it raised the price of iPads and MacBooks in June due to "significantly higher memory costs."

iPhone 18 Pro pricing

Storage

US price

UK price

AU price

256GB

$1,199

£1,199

AU$2,099

512GB

$1,399

£1,399

AU$2,499

1TB

$1,799

£1,799

AU$3,299

2TB

$2,399

£2,399

AU$4,499

iPhone Air pricing

Storage

US price

UK price

AU price

256GB

$1,099

£1,099

AU$1,899

512GB

$1,299

£1,299

AU$2,299

1TB

$1,699

£1,699

AU$3,099

iPhone 18 Pro vs iPhone Air: designThe iPhone 18 ProFuture/Jacob KrolThe iPhone AirJacob Krol/Future

Notwithstanding their display size differences (more on that below), the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Air look similar from the front, offering flat screens, minimal bezels, and Dynamic Island cut-outs at the top of their respective displays.

The Dynamic Island on the iPhone 18 Pro is actually a touch smaller than the Air's, and it can display three Live Activities simultaneously instead of two, but this isn't a particularly consequential difference.

From the back, there are more visible differences between the two phones. The iPhone Air is made from a single slab of glass surrounded by a titanium frame, while the iPhone 18 Pro has a glass panel surrounded by an aluminum frame.

Their respective camera layouts are different too, with the iPhone 18 Pro having a much larger triple-lens block compared to the iPhone Air’s slimmer, single-lens camera island.

The iPhone 18 Pro (left) and iPhone Air (right) (Image credit: Future)

But the biggest design differences come in the two phones' dimensions and weights. The iPhone 18 Pro measures 150 x 71.9 x 8.8mm and weighs 211g, while the iPhone Air measures 156.2 x 74.7 x 5.6mm and weighs 165g.

Those are substantial differences — the iPhone Air is far slimmer and lighter than the iPhone 18 Pro, which is, of course, the whole point of the phone. It feels much more comfortable to hold in the hand and carry around in your pocket, despite being taller and wider.

Having a thin and lightweight phone might not matter all that much to you, in which case you probably won't care for the iPhone Air's design. But I'd urge you to at least hold Apple's super-slim iPhone in your hand before disregarding it — it genuinely is a lovely device to use day-to-day, and TechRadar's Phones Editor, Axel Metz, was surprised by how much he came to appreciate the Air's design in testing.

The iPhone 18 Pro is, of course, still an attractive and well-designed phone, but it's significantly bulkier and doesn't excite in the same way as the Air — at least on the design front.

For colors, the iPhone 18 Pro comes in Black, Silver, Glacier, and Burgundy, while the iPhone Air is sold in Space Black, Cloud White, Light Gold, and Sky Blue. So there are some differences there too.

Both phones, though, are similarly durable, offering Ceramic Shield 2 protection on the front and Ceramic Shield on the back, along with IP68 water and dust resistance.

iPhone 18 Pro vs iPhone Air: displayThe iPhone 18 ProFuture/Jacob KrolThe iPhone AirJacob Krol/Future

The iPhone 18 Pro has a 6.3-inch 1206 x 2622 Super Retina XDR OLED screen with around 460 pixels per inch, a 120Hz refresh rate, and a peak brightness of 3,000 nits.

On the iPhone Air, you’re getting a 6.5-inch 1260 x 2736 Super Retina XDR OLED display with roughly 460 pixels per inch, a 120Hz refresh rate, and a peak brightness of 3,000 nits.

So the specs here are almost identical, with the main difference just being that the iPhone Air has a slightly larger display — though as noted earlier, the iPhone 18 Pro does have a smaller Dynamic Island.

Our reviews described both screens as “punchy, sharp, and smooth,” so there’s really very little to choose here. Do you prefer a bigger display, or a more compact one?

iPhone 18 Pro vs iPhone Air: camerasThe iPhone 18 ProFuture/Jacob KrolThe iPhone AirJacob Krol/Future

There’s a clear winner when it comes to cameras and, unsurprisingly, it’s the iPhone 18 Pro: this device has three lenses on the back — a 48MP variable aperture main camera, a 48MP ultra-wide with a 120-degree field of view, and a 48MP telephoto with 4x optical zoom and 8x ‘optical-quality’ zoom, achieved through a sensor crop.

The iPhone Air, meanwhile, just has a single 48MP wide camera with a static f/1.6 aperture. In other words, you have far less photographic versatility with this phone, which you'll notice when filming at concerts, sports games, or basically anywhere that might have you attempting to capture a subject from far away.

That's not to say the iPhone Air is a bad camera phone — its 48MP wide camera is the same as the 18 Pro's, minus the latter's variable aperture feature (which lets you tweak how much light gets into the lens). If you use your phone's main lens for 90% of shots, you may not notice the Air's lack of versatility.

But the iPhone 18 Pro is indisputably one of the best camera phones you can buy, while the iPhone Air falls into the 'good but not great' category.

Still, the Air does at least match the iPhone 18 Pro’s selfie camera, with both devices sporting an 18MP front-facing sensor. Both can also record 1080p video at up to 240fps, though the Pro can additionally record 4K footage at up to 120fps, while the iPhone Air tops out at 60fps.

In our iPhone 18 Pro review, we described its cameras as delivering “better detail, strong low-light performance, and excellent 4x and 8x zoom.” Of the iPhone Air, we said it “delivers sharp, natural photos and impressive portraits, but lacks the versatility found on other models.”

iPhone 18 Pro camera samplesJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureiPhone Air camera samplesJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureiPhone 18 Pro vs iPhone Air: performance and softwareThe iPhone 18 ProFuture/Jacob KrolThe iPhone AirJacob Krol/Future

As for power, you'll technically get better performance from the iPhone 18 Pro, with Apple's newer phone boasting — surprise! — a newer A20 Pro chipset than the iPhone Air's A19 Pro chipset.

Still, you're not likely to notice this power difference unless you plan on using your phone for heavy video editing or prolonged gaming. Both the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Air feature 12GB of RAM, so their multitasking capabilities are comparable, while scrolling, streaming, and browsing won't present a challenge to either device.

Our iPhone 18 Pro review called Apple's newer phone “fast, efficient, and ready for whatever comes next”, and we said the iPhone Air was “fast and smooth in daily use, though it can warm up under sustained heavy gaming.”

There’s even less difference between the two phones when it comes to software, as both run iOS 27. Their shared 12GB RAM capacity also means both phones get the full version of Siri AI, which includes expressive voices and advanced dictation.

However, since the iPhone Air shipped with iOS 26 at launch and is a slightly older phone, it’s possible that it won’t be updated for quite as long as the iPhone 18 Pro (read: you'll probably get six more years of updates, instead of seven).

iPhone 18 Pro vs iPhone Air: batteryThe iPhone 18 ProFuture/Jacob KrolThe iPhone AirJacob Krol/Future

You probably wouldn’t expect a massive battery in a phone as slim as the iPhone Air, and you’d be right not to: the Air has a dinky 3,149mAh cell, which is dwarfed by the iPhone 18 Pro's 4,288mAh one (you'll get a slightly smaller 4,056mAh battery if your iPhone 18 Pro features a physical SIM tray).

In practice, Apple claims the iPhone 18 Pro can make it through 34 hours of video playback, while it lists just 27 hours for the iPhone Air. Those figures proved accurate in our testing, and the gap between the two phones is similar for real-world use — you'll get around a day-and-a-half of life from the 18 Pro, and no more than a day for the Air.

The iPhone 18 Pro also charges faster, with Apple claiming it can reach 50% in around 15 minutes, while the iPhone Air takes twice as long — though with wireless charging, both phones can supposedly charge to 50% in 30 minutes.

In our iPhone 18 Pro review, we praised its “outstanding endurance,” while in our iPhone Air review, we said it “should last a workday, but heavy users will need to recharge.” We've used both phones extensively, and haven't found the iPhone Air's one-day battery life to be a dealbreaker — but those who don't charge their phone every night may be caught short by its lack of endurance.

iPhone 18 Pro vs iPhone Air: verdict

The iPhone 18 Pro (left) and iPhone Air (right) (Image credit: Future (edited with Gemini))

If you go simply by our review scores, the iPhone 18 Pro is the better phone, achieving five stars to the iPhone Air's four. And looking at the specs, it’s clear why — the iPhone 18 Pro has better battery life, more power, and more cameras, so it’s clearly the more capable device.

However, there’s little to choose between the two phones' screens, other than the size — with the iPhone Air’s being bigger. And they run the same software too, on top of which the iPhone Air is slightly cheaper (especially if you can pick it up at a discount).

But the real reason you might want the Air is its design — it's far slimmer and lighter than the iPhone 18 Pro, which makes a difference in your hand and pocket, and also makes it the more stylish device. Whether that makes up for its relative shortcomings elsewhere will be a personal choice.

• Fitbit users are being forced to switch to the Google Health app
• The changeover process started months ago
• The switch has not been mandatory until now, and users aren’t happy

It’s been a few months since Google started encouraging Fitbit users to switch over to the company’s Google Health app, but the move has never been completely mandatory. That’s all changed now, though, as Fitbit fans are finding themselves forced onto Google’s platform — and many are deeply unhappy about the move.

As documented by users on social media, opening the Fitbit app now serves up a new prompt that reads: 'A newer Fitbit app is available. Updating is recommended.' The word “recommended” is doing a lot of heavy lifting there, as the only button available is one that says 'Update', and it’s impossible to tap away from the notification to make it disappear. In other words, this is a forced update for the last die-hards who are still using the deprecated Fitbit app.

When it became apparent that Google was compelling the last Fitbit users to jump over to its Google Health app, many took to social media to complain. “I hate the new Google Health app,” wrote one, before adding: “I routinely swiped back to view my workout and sleep data from previous days and that ability is now gone … I’m a Premium member so I’m paying for this new garbage.”

“Google health app is so baaad. I also want my Fitbit app back,” lamented another. When asked what made the Fitbit app so good, another said: “It was elite. The food tracking was next level. It always detected when I was getting sick with my HRV and all that. Tracked my sleep to a tee … I fear I’ll never have this kind of tracking again.”

A forced app migration

(Image credit: Guilty-Implement-261 on Reddit)

The Google Health app does not have a particularly strong reputation, in part thanks to its unreliable AI assistant. Users have documented it hallucinating phantom workouts, inventing food-tracking metrics, and much more. The situation got so bad that Google added a way for users to disable the app’s AI assistant altogether.

It’s this unreliability that could be behind a lot of the reluctance among Fitbit users to switch to Google Health. With something as important as your health and wellbeing, after all, you want to know that the advice an app is giving you is accurate and well-founded.

Another issue centers on tools that many people feel are missing from Google Health. It’s something brought up by several people on social media, who noted that features like estimated health for your age and a simple and intuitive layout are absent in Google Health. “None of the features I liked from Fitbit’s app are left,” bemoaned one person.

If you’re one of the last remaining holdouts still rocking the Fitbit app, you’ll have to switch to Google Health imminently. If Google’s app isn’t to your taste, there are alternatives — but perhaps none quite like Fitbit’s discontinued offering. Let us know what you think about Google's latest move in the comments below.

• IDC's latest figures show that PC shipments are down 20% year-on-year
• TrendForce predicts that next year is going to see further drops in PC sales and possible price hikes, which aligns with IDC's thinking
• If you're looking for a laptop, it might be a good idea to pull the trigger sooner rather than later – maybe during Black Friday

PC shipments have plunged dramatically, with analyst firms predicting that the sales of computers and laptops are set to slump next year as well.

PC Gamer noticed that IDC Research has a new report for Q3 of 2026 showing that global PC shipments are down 20.1% compared to the same quarter last year, dropping from 78.5 million units to 62.7 million.

The reason why is obvious: it's due to the RAM crisis and rising prices across a range of PC components (not just memory).

Another analyst firm, TrendForce, also produced a report (flagged by Wccftech) observing that the rising cost of those components threatens to weaken the demand for notebooks in 2027.

TrendForce claims that: "Global notebook shipments are currently projected to decline by a low-single-digit percentage in 2027."

However, the firm cautions that if RAM and CPU prices stay high (which seems almost inevitable), notebook makers "may be forced to pass more of these costs on to consumers", with high retail prices meaning fewer consumers buy new laptops – potentially pushing the drop in notebook sales to high single digits.

So, we could be looking at a near 10% drop in laptop sales next year, on top of an already gloomy picture and flagging sales for PCs as seen currently.

Analysis: act now or dig in for a lengthy wait

(Image credit: Nikola Paunov / Getty)

Both IDC and TrendForce observe that part of the problem for 2026 is that those looking at buying a new laptop purchased earlier in the year – due to the (very real) fear of price hikes coming in – meaning there are fewer sales now than there would normally have been. This is why there was a much sharper fall in Q3 compared to IDC's report for Q2 (although PC shipments were still down 3.8% year-on-year in that previous quarter).

Laptop makers are also running thin on components they purchased at lower prices (in anticipation of hikes, just like consumers), and so they are going to face worsening pressures on their profits margins due to rising RAM, storage and CPU costs. (TrendForce doesn't mention GPUs, but these will be a factor for some notebooks, notably gaming laptops, too). If they don't raise prices, laptop manufacturers will be forced to cut corners with specs.

TrendForce pulls out an interesting stat on the current state of play with the cost of building a laptop these days, namely that in a typical mid-to-upper-range ($900) notebook, 68% of the bill of materials (cost of the raw components) is taken up by the CPU, RAM and SSD. In other words, those core components now comprise two-thirds of the cost of the laptop.

IDC also predicts gloom for next year, or certainly the first half of 2027 anyway, noting that: "[PC] prices will remain elevated. With macro conditions worsening, the risk is that the outlook for the next few quarters gets worse before it gets better."

The only brighter spot here is that IDC says that with retailers worrying about "carrying too much inventory into a market where high prices are suppressing demand", we may see "promotions and some short-term relief for consumers" – meaning some possibly tempting Black Friday deals. Although the analyst firm makes it clear that pricing won't be "anywhere near what it was a year ago."

There will likely be some bargains to be had – we've seen some recently with Prime Day, and elsewhere for that matter – and if you are in the market for a laptop, it's looking like the smart move is to act on a decent deal if you see one for the type of notebook you're after.

Almost every prediction about the RAM crisis these days is negative, with a steadily growing weight of pessimistic sentiment, so unless a lot of analysts and industry pundits or insiders have got things very wrong, it's not a good idea to be waiting until next year to buy new hardware. Grab it now or hold out for the longer-term seems to be the right approach, certainly for laptops or PCs, and I'd say graphics cards, too.

• Citroen is targeting some of the cheapest EVs on sale with its revived 2 CV
• The small electric car borrows some of the original’s much-loved features
• European brands are leaning heavily into their back catalogues in a bid to fend off Chinese rivals

Loved by French farmers, who transported eggs across rutted fields without incident during the 1940s, and adored by large swathes of the European car-buying public for its no-frills approach to multi-tasking motoring, the Citroen 2 CV now enjoys almost cult status among classic car enthusiasts.

Like Renault’s recent resurrection of both the Renault 5 and more blue-collared Renault 4, Citroen hopes it can tap into the trend for automotive nostalgia with an incredibly cheap EV that’s capable of wearing multiple motoring hats.

Citroen’s CEO Xavier Chardon stated that the company hopes to sell a production version of its visually arresting concept for around $15,000 when it reaches dealers in 2028, which would work out to roughly £13,500, making the 2 CV potentially the UK and Europe’s cheapest electric vehicle.

To do this, the French firm is developing an all-new electric car platform that it hopes a number of small models will eventually sit on, reducing production costs and enabling it to pass on those savings to the consumer.

@flatoutmagazine

The new Citroen 2CV unveiled at the Paris Motor Show 2026. A homage to the original but Citroen plans to sell this for around €15,000 (£13,500) when it goes on sale in 2028.

♬ original sound - Dj "S"

There is no word on what will power the electric 2 CV, although we can assume it will be in a similar battery ballpark to Renault’s latest Twingo, which uses a diminutive 28kWh LFP pack for a 157-mile range.

However, Chardon revealed that its engineers are busy shaving kilos off its current crop of electric cars, with the goal of selling an electric 2 CV that weighs "less than a tonne". That would make it lighter than any electric car currently on sale, and could drastically increase its range.

What’s more, the company is bucking the trend for creeping footprints, as the modern 2 CV is actually shorter than its predecessor, at just 3.76m in length.

Analysis: better in the fleshCitroenCitroenCitroenCitroenCitroenCitroen

While the 2 CV is still just a concept for now, there are some clever design elements that make the interior look and feel much larger than it actually is.

There’s no traditional dashboard, for a start, while both the front and back seats look more like a garden bench than something you’d find inside a vehicle.

A removable wicker storage basket at the front is probably the most French thing since Renault offered a baguette holder in the R5.

Rather than the traditional bulky infotainment setup, Citroen designers have opted for what they call an 8-inch square ‘phygital’ touchscreen, which looks like an ereader and features graphics inspired by comic books.

There's also a very simple gear-shift lever that almost floats on a large cylinder mounted to the steering wheel, as well as an old-school detachable radio that's situated in front of the front passenger that doubles as a Bluetooth speaker for picnics.

(Image credit: Citroen)

Look closer around the concept and you’ll find myriad easter eggs and nods to the original, such as pedals that feature a rabbit (or maybe it's a hare) and a tortoise to distinguish the accelerator from the brake, door-storage compartments that are designed to hold eggs, and the sound of the digital horn, which is a direct copy of the original 2 CV.

The enormous fabric sunroof, which practically turns the 2 CV into a convertible, is a direct link to the past, while the solid metal bumpers at the front and rear are designed to protect against the typical Parisian 'touch parking' technique. It's both fantastically retro and forward-thinking at the same time.

In all honesty, I wasn’t convinced when I first saw it in the press images, writing it off as a bit too much of a novelty, with not enough retro cool to make it hit home like Renault’s recent offerings; but I changed my mind when I saw it in the flesh.

Citroen has also developed a 2 CV Fourgonnette van concept (Image credit: Citroen)

It’s cute, it's hugely practical, and the interior is a masterpiece in simplicity. It is unmistakably a 2 CV, but also has hints of the original VW Beetle, and even Renault’s more recent Twingo about it.

Citroen says this concept is close to production in terms of design, adding that it's also considering a small commercial vehicle variant, illustrated by the 2 CV Fourgonnette (above) concept that accompanied by this reveal.

Only time will tell if it will be as successful as the Renault 5 reboot; but the price is fiercely competitive — and riffing on heritage is something Chinese rivals simply can't mimic.

What do you think of Citroen's 2 CV concept? Will you be putting your name down for one? Let us know in the comments below.

Surfshark has announced its Black Friday VPN deal for 2026, becoming the first of our top VPN recommendations to do so.

As of now, Surfshark has dropped its mid-tier Surfshark One plan down to the same price as its lower level Starter plan. So, you'll pay the same as a subscription to the bottom-tier Surfshark Starter but get all the extras that One brings instead.

So, instead of just getting VPN access alongside Alternative ID, you also get Surfshark's Scam Protection, Antivirus, and dark web alert tools.

The discount is currently available across Surfshark's '12 month'- and '24 month'-plans. Both plans have an extra 3 months at the moment, which turns them into 15-month and 27-month subscriptions.

On the 15-month subscription, Surfshark One costs $2.99 per month (instead of the usual $3.59) or you can sign up for 27 months and pay $2.49 per month (instead of $2.79).

That's savings of $9 and $8.10 for the two plans respectively which, interestingly, makes the shorter plan the one with the bigger discount. Monthly subscribers don't benefit from any discount at the time of writing.

Note: All prices are in US$ but are available globally. Your local currency will be displayed on Surfshark's website.

Black Friday: Get Surfshark One for the price of Starter
Surfshark's Black Friday VPN deal is here. Now, you can get its One plan for the same price as Starter. That's $2.49 per month over two years which drops the price from $75.33 to $67.23. Unlike the Starter, a Surfshark One plan includes Antivirus, Scam Protection, and dark web monitoring – all handy tools for maximising your online safety.View Deal

Surfshark One – the plan I always recommend

(Image credit: Surfshark)

Surfshark's One plan is the tier I recommend to friends and family, regardless of whether it's on sale or not.

That's because you get the best of Surfshark's tools without paying too much.

The advantage of the top tier Surfshark One+ plan is the Incogni data removal service but that bumps the price up to $3.99 per month, or $107.73 in total, making it over $40 more expensive, and many people simply won't need it.

A Surfshark One plan is also cheaper than the equivalent plans from other providers. For example, NordVPN Basic costs $94.23, while ExpressVPN starts at $83.72, and neither has the range of features you'll find in Surfshark One.

That said, both NordVPN and ExpressVPN offer more robust security than Surfshark. So, it's worth considering what your priorities are before choosing between the various VPN deals currently available.

It's also worth noting that this isn't actually the best Black Friday deal we've seen from Surfshark in the past. In fact, a Surfshark One plan has already been down at this price in 2026.

So, it's worth keeping an eye on the best Black Friday VPN deals in case larger savings arrive closer to Black Friday on November 27.

All the same, if you're already a Surfshark customer, and you like this VPN, it's worth resubscribing while this deal's on and adding more cheaper time to your contract. You won't find a lower price for a long time.

• Microsoft reveals Maia 300, its latest AI chip
• Designed for "inference-first", Maia 300 offers huge improvements in efficiency and power
• Maia 300 will begin deploying in 2027

Microsoft has revealed Maia 300, the next generation of its Azure hardware as it prepares to scale up its in-house AI infrastructure to multi-gigawatt deployments.

The company says Maia 300, set to begin deployment in 2027, will deliver 40% more tokens per megawatt than other leading GPU-based system - designed primarily for inference, the new release targets long-context reasoning, responsive conversational AI and sustained, multi-step agent tasks.

Microsoft says a rack containing 96 Maia 300 accelerators will provide up to seven times the rack-scale token throughput of a Maia 200 rack.

Inference-first

Interestingly Microsoft says it expects Maia 300 to help support a new generation of AI across its products and services, from agentic coding in GitHub to large-scale model serving through Microsoft Foundry.

But it also expects improved inference and data generation for its Microsoft AI team, and improvements in the likes of Copilot and Cowork, as well as individual products such as Microsoft Teams.

Designed with what Microsoft says is an "inference-first architecture", Maia 300 is built to improve performance by reducing data movement and making more efficient use of computing, memory and networking resources, Microsoft says, with its software-defined dataflow architecture, combined with AI-assisted kernel optimization, designed to keep data close to the parts of the system that need it.

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Unsurprisingly, memory is central to the design, as Maia 300 will use a huge eight stacks of HBM4, with a claimed peak bandwidth of 18TB/s within a 950W thermal design power. Microsoft says specialized software can use on-chip SRAM as a scratchpad, easing pressure on HBM during demanding workloads.

The accelerator also introduces a multi-chiplet architecture that separates compute, memory-controller and input/output functions. Its compute chiplets will be built using TSMC’s N2P process. Microsoft says support for low-precision formats, including an enhanced MXFP4, will reduce memory and bandwidth demands, helping the system run larger context windows and increase throughput within the same power envelope.

Networking is designed to operate as part of the system’s dataflow rather than as a separate layer. Maia 300 will use high-bandwidth connections between accelerators for tensor parallelism, alongside a custom AI transport based on Ethernet infrastructure. Microsoft says this approach can scale from a single rack to data-center deployments.

A Maia 300 rack will contain 96 accelerators within a 167kW power envelope, with 27.6TB of HBM capacity and 1.7 petabytes per second of aggregate HBM bandwidth. Microsoft says that density will let it serve more simultaneous AI interactions and larger workloads from each rack.

The launch builds on Maia 200, which Microsoft says is already running production workloads including Microsoft 365 Copilot and models developed by its Microsoft AI team.

The company says Maia 200 delivers up to 1.7 times more tokens per watt than leading GPU infrastructure for built-in AI features in Teams, Copilot and Cowork. GitHub Copilot and Microsoft Foundry are expected to follow by the end of this year.

• The Google Fitbit Edge fitness tracker has arrived, with Google's 'largest and brightest tracker screen yet'
• It's 11.5mm thin, and costs $179.99 / £159.99 / AU$269
• It's got a physical side button, because 'people love physical buttons'

If you thought the Google Fitbit Air spelled the end of the 'old style' screen-bearing Fitbits, think again — Google has dropped the Google Fitbit Edge, a slim tracker with Google's 'largest and brightest tracker screen yet', and according to Google, it sits in between the 'quiet simplicity' of a Google Fitbit Air and a Google Pixel Watch.

It costs costs $179.99 / £159.99 / AU$269, and features a powerful 'hybrid OLED' screen delivering 46% more viewing area than previous Fitbits, designed for direct sunlight visibility.

The screen offers an improved browsing experience based on Tiles that, while not sporting full Wear OS, seems to take cues from Google's Materia 3 Expressive design language it uses on its best Android watches. It sports call and notification management, as well as — surprisingly — Google Maps support, so it really is like a smartwatch-lite.

The exercise app features improved automatic activity tracking that can automatically detect up to 100 workout types, without you needing to manually start a workout. This will also be rolled out to the Google Fitbit Air. It's also packing onboard GPS, unlike the Fitbit Air, so Fitbit Edge users can run, cycle, swim or hike and track their routes and speeds without piggybacking off your phone.

Menstrual cycle tracking, sleep tracking, and all of Google Health's usual tools (including the AI fitness coach) are present and correct here, as are the new Health Guardian features like Insulin Resistance Trends and an ECG scan functionality.

(Image credit: Google)

The chassis is 11.5mm thick, features metal touchpoints 'everywhere' across the device, and a 'satisfying' physical button. This is terrific news for me, because I love the buttons on the best Garmin watches and older Fitbits. It's nice that Google is bringing some of that old-school Fitbit heritage back — even though it's axed the old Fitbit app and migrated all users to Google Health.

The Fitbit Edge sports a long-lasting battery life that will go for a week, and a 90-minute charge can bring it back to 100%. The battery is also replaceable, extending the life of your hardware.

Like the Google Fitbit Air, and previous Fitbits before it, bands are swappable: you can choose an Active Sport band, a micro-adjustable, flexible Performance Loop, or more stylish Metal Links for a watch aesthetic.

Tactile, repairable, affordable

This 'middle ground' Fitbit, situated between a Google Fitbit Air and full Pixel Watch, looks terrific.

I'm not the biggest fan of Google's new Health app due to its reliance on the AI coach, but Google absolutely nails its wearable hardware, and the Fitbit Edge looks like another winner, reinventing the classic Fitbit pebble design.

I love the form factor of the Pixel Watch and the Fitbit Air alike, and a halfway-house featuring a tactile button (my favorite feature on the Garmin Cirqa, and something I missed on the Fitbit Air), week-long battery life and the repairability of a replaceable battery for under $180 / £160 / AU$280 sounds like a slam-dunk. I look forward to testing it.

What do you think of the Fitbit Edge? Let us know in the comments.

For a growing small business, cybersecurity can often feel like one of those problems that belongs to larger companies with dedicated security teams.

But cybercriminals have no interest in company headcount - they are hunting for valuable data, accessible accounts and opportunities to turn a single mistake into a financial payoff, which makes cybersecurity a business priority, not simply an IT concern.

The risks will hopefully sound familiar: phishing emails, fake invoices, stolen passwords, ransomware, payment fraud and attempts to hijack business accounts, as attackers look to exploit employees and everyday business processes rather than needing to defeat sophisticated technical defences.

AI is giving cybercrime a serious productivity boost

But now there is an additional force making these threats harder to ignore: artificial intelligence.

Generative AI has obvious benefits for legitimate businesses, but the same capabilities can be turned against them, as criminals can use AI to produce convincing messages at scale, personalise phishing attempts and automate parts of an attack that previously required significant manual effort.

Europol has warned that generative AI is already being used to supercharge social engineering, enabling criminals to tailor scam messages to victims' personal and cultural context, helping criminal networks scale their operations while reducing the risk of being detected.

Microsoft has likewise documented AI-assisted phishing campaigns involving automated infrastructure and highly personalised lures, with one recent campaign seeing attackers use generative AI to create phishing emails tailored to victims' roles, including invoice and business-workflow themes.

For a small company, the significance is straightforward: an attack doesn't have to be highly sophisticated to be dangerous, especially at a small business where everyone is constantly spinning multiple plates.

If AI allows criminals to send more convincing attacks to more potential victims, the probability that one eventually reaches an employee at exactly the wrong moment increases - meaning that waiting until something goes wrong is no longer a particularly rational strategy.

Security needs to cover the way small businesses actually work

The challenge for entrepreneurs is that “taking cybersecurity seriously” can sound like a prescription for another full-time job. Most small companies don't have a security operations centre, a dedicated IT department or the resources to spend hours configuring enterprise security products - but this is where Bitdefender Ultimate Small Business Security can help.

Rather than concentrating on a single layer of protection, the platform is designed around the collection of risks that small businesses encounter in everyday operations. It combines cross-platform device security with email protection, scam detection, password management, unlimited VPN access, digital identity protection and monitoring of business assets.

This breadth matters because modern attacks rarely respect neat security boundaries. An employee might receive a convincing email, click a malicious link, surrender a password and subsequently expose a business account. Protecting only the endpoint, or only the email inbox, leaves opportunities elsewhere.

Bitdefender's approach is instead to cover the ecosystem around the employee. Its scam protection is particularly relevant in an era of social engineering boosted by AI, as it not only flags suspicious messages and requests, but its AI-assisted capabilities can also help employees assess whether something is legitimate before they click, respond or make a payment.

The service also includes protection against phishing emails and tools such as Scamio Pro for checking suspicious messages or links, providing a vital first line of defence against such attacks.

Protection without an IT department

Perhaps the most important feature for a small business is not a technical specification at all, but simplicity.

Bitdefender Ultimate Small Business Security is designed for businesses with limited IT resources, with centralised management and streamlined onboarding to reduce administrative burden. Business owners can manage employees and protected devices from a single environment, while role-based access allows security responsibilities to be delegated where appropriate.

The platform also covers the mixed-device reality of modern small companies, supporting Windows, macOS, Android and iOS, as well as Windows servers depending on the plan.

VPN protection helps secure remote work, while password management addresses one of the most persistent sources of organisational risk: compromised or reused credentials.

The overall result is security intended to work in the background, rather than become another system for an entrepreneur or their employees to babysit.

Small businesses need serious security, but they also need to spend their time building the business, and Bitdefender Ultimate Small Business Security attempts to bridge that gap: broad protection against the threats companies actually encounter, combined with management and deployment designed for people who aren't cybersecurity specialists.

As AI makes cybercrime faster, more scalable and more convincing, and "we're too small to be targeted" is becoming an increasingly difficult assumption to defend. For a business whose reputation, revenue and customer relationships depend on digital systems, cybersecurity is better viewed as basic business infrastructure.

And for small companies that want that infrastructure without building an IT security operation from scratch, Bitdefender Ultimate Small Business Security should be your first port of call.

Technics EAH-A1000: Two-minute review

If you were expecting a minor update over Technics' previous over-ears in the EAH-A1000, you're in for a surprise. Because in the four-years-and-loose-change since its last over-ear offering, Technics' various audio departments have been very, very busy — and I'm referring to the design team as well as the sonic engineering squad.

Here's a novel idea to kick things off: these headphones have Technics' own proprietary, top-secret metallic juice concoction oiling the drivers. Those familiar with the company's hugely successful earbuds (and if you read this publication regularly, you will be) will remember the firm's Magnetic Fluid Driver technology.

Technics pioneered it to aid the pistonic motion of those tiny drivers. As they busily move back and forth to create physical sound waves from electrical signals, said fluid helps the units stay extra-true in their work and free from variance. But it's no small feat to scale up from 10mm mechanisms within concha-fit earpieces to 40mm drivers that cover the whole ear, and that is what has been achieved, all without adding any weight to the headset.

So are the new, far more attractive EAH-A1000 (all vegan leather, svelte arms, and brushed metallic top plates) ready to assume a spot in our best noise-cancelling headphones guide then? Yes, depending on your listening tastes. There's detail, width, a lovely circumaural presentation and musical timing in droves. However, depending on the kind of music you regularly listen to, or the sonic tuning you prefer, they'll either be just what you need or fall just slightly short in terms of oomph, bass clout and zeal. And as much as I adore them, I have to confirm that my heart and ears belong in the latter group.

(Image credit: Future)

If triple-device connectivity seems like something you'd really like from your headphones, these are an excellent buy — and believe me when I tell you it's hard to return to a state of only being connected to two source devices at once (rather than seamless sonic switching between your tablet, phone and laptop at will) when you've become used to three.

And in terms of features elsewhere, the Technics score highly for ANC, which is robust and effective but never sweetens or hollows out your music unnecessarily. I do find the Ambient profiles (there are two; 'Transparent' for sounds around you, or 'Attention' which aims to hone in on voices and announcements specifically) a little light touch, though. If you value Sony's Quick Attention feature to actively pipe in sounds when you cover an ear cup, you'll be disappointed here. Technics' profiles do dampen your audio and the result is natural, but it feels a touch too passive, no matter how much I dial up the transparency on the graph in the app.

I really enjoyed this same, slightly lighter touch feel within the spatial audio profiles, though. Your options are static or head-tracked and they are of course device- and streaming-service agnostic (Technics does not currently make mobile phones or offer a music streaming service, so it cannot tie you into an ecosystem in the way that Apple can). For me, these offer a more enveloping, engaging soundstage at the times when you may want that — in classical tracks, say.

Call quality is also very good, although Sidetone fans (and I'm one of those) might be dismayed to learn that Technics' excellent voice amplification tech for its earbuds, whereby your own voice doesn't sound so muffled as you speak, has never made it to its over-ears.

I'll get granular on my very minor issues with the on-ear controls in due course, but for this money — which is significantly less than AirPods Max 2 (but with a much better battery life) and the same asking fee as the also-new Sonos Ace Ultra — the sonic detail is excellent value for money. They're not the most punchy and zealous cans I've ever heard, but they are diligent, accurate and beautifully musical. And mark my words, some people will adore them for critical listening.

(Image credit: Future)Technics EAH-A1000 review: Price & release date

• Released on September 29, 2026
• Priced $449 / £399 / AU$699

Technics has priced these headphones at $449 / £399 / AU$699, to sit comfortably within a premium space that includes much more expensive hits such as the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 (at $799 / £629 / AU$1,299) and AirPods Max 2 ($549 / £499 / AU$999, although I've seen a few discounts on these MSRPs lately).

The excellent Sony WH-1000XM6 (also $449 / £399 / AU$699) are arguably Technics' chief competition, and this is likely why they've been released at the same price-point — but the superb September 2026 Sonos Ace Ultra can be yours for exactly this money too.

The Nothing Headphone (1) Pro also recently launched at just a shade cheaper than the Technics ($399 / £349 / AU$699) so, although certainly not in the budget headphones sector, Technics' pricing is hardly unreasonable.

(Image credit: Future)Technics EAH-A1000 review: Specs

Drivers

40mm Magnetic Fluid Driver with pure carbon-fiber diaphragm and SST edge

Active noise cancellation

Yes (adaptive, tweakable static, ambient passthrough)

Battery life

Up to 45 hours (ANC ON, AAC) / up to 90 hours (ANC OFF, AAC)

Up to 30 hours (ANC ON, LDAC) / up to 60 hours (ANC OFF, LDAC)

Weight

306g

Connectivity

Bluetooth 6.0 with 3-device multipoint pairing, USB-C audio output at 24-bit

Frequency range

20Hz – 48kHz

Waterproofing

No rating

Other features

Dolby Atmos with head-tracking, LDAC support, USB-C Lossless audio up to 24-bit, triple-device multipoint pairing (LDAC off)

(Image credit: Future)Technics EAH-A1000 review: Features

• Spatial audio with the option of Dolby Head Tracking
• Industry-leading simultaneous triple-device connectivity
• 8-tab EQ; ANC and Transparency modes both with 0-99 sliders

There are no hearing tests, hearing aid features or scope for nodding to either answer calls or respond to your voice assistant here and, honestly, I don't miss these features.

You will get wearer detection to pause your music, plus ANC that can either be set to 'Adaptive', to automatically adjust to your surroundings, or simply 'On' to tweak yourself. This is done on a little virtual dial within the easy-to-navigate (and easy-to-tailor, thanks to the option of prioritizing certain profiles on the home screen) Technics AudioConnect app.

For me, dialling up the ANC to 100% or thereabouts gives very good results. It dulls all but the really heavy crashes and clatters in my home office — even the sound of the microwave didn't creep in. I don't say it lightly either; Technics has done a great job with the active noise cancellation here.

Transparency? It also gets its own in-app dial, but here you can also choose between 'Attention', which is supposed to seek out voices and announcements around you, or 'Transparent', which lets in all ambient noise, to make you aware of where you are. For me, these are less successful. I certainly hear quite a bit more of my other half's lovely voice when selecting 'Attention' — and there's no hiss or tinniness to either the ambient sound or audio in my cans — but I still feel as if I need to remove them to hear him properly.

Although these headphones may seem relatively light on extras (there's no Sony 'Quick Attention' rival, to actively pipe a person's voice into your ear, and that is perhaps one perk I would have liked to see) the features you need are all here and, largely, they're implemented very well. The EQ graph is well-designed and, as well as presets for Bass+, Super Bass+, Vocal, Treble+ and Dynamic, you can create custom sound profiles on an 8-band tab.

TechnicsTechnics

And although I'd love Technics' excellent Sidetone tech to trickle from its earbuds to its cans as well as that magnetic fluid has, to hear my own voice better in calls, callers said my voice was nevertheless clear.

But I've saved one of the best (best!) features for last: triple-device connectivity. It simplifies life so much more than you might think not to have to keep disconnecting one device to add another when you regularly work on a tablet, a laptop and a phone!

I asked Technics recently why so few other companies are offering multipoint to three devices and was essentially told (I say 'essentially' only because I was talking to a Technics engineer through a Japanese translator, in Tokyo) that it isn't easy to get everything on a Bluetooth chipset, because you "need to be very organized".

So, the fact that when you connect to three devices simultaneously, you'll lose LDAC streaming quality, makes a lot of sense. Choose to forego Bluetooth entirely and you can listen via USB-C Lossless audio, although the headphones do need to be powered on for this.

A quick note on the Technics EAH-A1000's battery life: it's good rather than phenomenal. Up to 45 hours with ANC on sounds great, until you realize that's without LDAC (at which point stamina drops to 30 hours), but up to 90 hours without ANC and without LDAC is still a good chunk of time. To put that into perspective, Apple's AirPods Max 2 can only go for up to 20 hours with ANC on, but Cambridge's excellent P100 SE can last for up to 100 hours without ANC, or 60 hours with it — although it's worth noting that Cambridge hasn't disclosed how much aptX listening might affect things.

All in all, Technics has given us a well-rounded and beautifully presented feature set that does the essentials well, and even adds an extra device to your regular multipoint setup. The one fly in the ointment? A light-touch 'Transparency' profile that for me could use a bit of extra oomph.

• Features score: 4.5 / 5

They also come in 'Platinum Greige' (Image credit: Future)Technics EAH-A1000 review: Sound quality

• LDAC support, plus Lossless via USB-C or 3.5mm bundled cables
• Exceptionally detailed audio for this level
• Also very occasionally a little too polite and lacking in bite

If you, like me, cue up Jamie T's 3310, the first track on his new album Ghosts (100 Days of Morning) you'll be very happy with these headphones. I defy you to knock the Technics EAH-A1000 while listening to more pared back intros and acoustic tracks. Here, the guitar sits beautifully under your left ear, textured and three-dimensional, and Wimbledon's finest rapper-slash-crooner might just as well be in the room, glancing at you as he sings about cider, the London district of Barnes, its cash-strapped cousin Twickenham, and how he longs to be 33 again.

As the track continues and the mix intensifies, you might feel as if you're missing an extra ounce of disillusion through T's petulant, unimpressed vocal though, and I'd agree. Deploying 'Bass+' in the EQ tab does help a little, but also puts you slightly further back from other frequencies in the mix. These are not the best choice for those who listen to heavier music or grime.

(Image credit: Future)

However, I've said it before and I'll reiterate here: there's nothing wrong with refinement and pulling back just a little to gain space, breadth and add a modicum of detail to every intake of breath and strum of a guitar. The issue here is that in easing off on the throttle for fear of overstating the low end especially, the Technics err just slightly in the opposite direction; if I'm being hyper-critical, they're just a touch too polite.

It's no huge issue, but it's my job to relay what I hear. Again, this will be a matter of taste and, depending on which genres of music you most enjoy, you may hear things while listening with these headphones that truly delight you. Stream Hotel California (I don't need to tell you the name of the LA five-piece who released it, do I?) and there's a stunning level of clarity to the shakers, guitars, bass and cymbals in the intro. Stream Bad Bunny's BAILE INoLVIDABLE and you may want just a little more good old fashioned sub-bass wallop.

Switch to B&W's Px8 S2 and there's an ounce more crispness through the leading edges of notes and more palpable dynamic nuance across the frequencies, which has me dancing rather than just nodding my head to Fontaines D.C.'s Favourite, but it's a close-run race — and given the fact that the B&W product is quite a bit more expensive, that's a big compliment for the Technics set of cans.

• Sound quality score: 4.5 / 5

(Image credit: Future)Technics EAH-A1000 review: Design

• A very good-looking set of headphones
• The case is a winner too
• On-ear physical buttons occasionally fail to respond

My review sample is the classic black version rather than the new 'Platinum Greige' set, but both are incredibly stylish and promote no small sense of pride in ownership.

The case, bijou and useful though it is (and with a lovely bit of storage for your cables, which you'd think would be a given but isn't), is not imprinted with a Technics logo save for a demure mention on the zipper tag. This is because, and I'm quoting a revered member of the Technics design team here: "Everything at Technics must either be engraved onto the metal or embroidered to the fabric of a product: we do not print."

Everything has been finessed from the EAH-A800 and the look is far less bulky. At their unveiling, I was shown dozens of samples of potential top-plates for the ear cup: too shiny, too grooved, too smooth… this goes way beyond meticulous attention to detail. Technics wants us to love the look of them, and make no mistake, I do.

To circle back to the Magnetic Fluid Driver for a moment, the EAH-A1000 incorporates Technics' SST (Symmetrical Surround Technology) Edge — aka the same tech that's also used in the company's hi-fi flagship speakers — alongside the magnetic fluid-enhanced drivers that have been scaled up from Technics' earbuds.

What's under the hood is a pure rigid carbon-fiber diaphragm with dome shape and cone shape ideas (think a dish with a slight raise in the center), along with a redesigned acoustic control chamber, to better manage airflow. The EAH-A1000 also feature a new 'Baffle Flat Structure' to reduce "uneven surfaces around the driver, limiting unwanted reflections".

The arms of the headphones have been thinned, reshaped and refined since the EAH-A800, and I think it's a careful and chic solution. The movement of the arm is silent and the headphones have remained supremely comfortable during wear, throughout the course of my listening. Clamping force? Yes, it's here to promote passive isolation, but never to a fault. I think the fit is aided by the 13-degree angle of the ear cups, relative to the headband, implemented by the female Head of Design. Apparently, over 500 people tested them prior to landing on this specific degree, and half of those tested were women. Hurrah. (In case it needs to be said, women also like music.)

Any issues? One: the physical buttons located on the right ear cup. The one closest to the nape of your neck scrolls through ANC profiles; the central rocker can slide for volume and be pushed for playback control; the one nearest your cheek is for power and pairing. The volume rocker is great to use, but pushing it to pause music is a little more hit-and-miss if you don't press firmly, or don't make sure the rocker is truly central in its mounting. And the power button needs to pressed for two seconds to initiate powering off, but if you do this while removing them, in my experience it often doesn't work. It's a small issue, but one that obviously may affect battery life — and it doesn't help that my Cambridge reference headphones have a simple, reliable slider to switch them off.

• Design score: 4.5 / 5

(Image credit: Future)Technics EAH-A1000 review: Value

• Sonically bang on for the money
• They look and feel more expensive than they are
• Not as feature-stuffed as some rivals, though

If you value an expansive, detailed, insightful listen, you cannot do much better for the money. The ANC is also more than up to snuff and among the best-in-class, and they're light and easy to transport, with a useful but fuss-free case.

That said, you can better the EAH-A1000 just slightly for zealous energy and the kind of impact that makes you get up and dance to the music in your cans — and if you rely heavily on a 'Transparency' profile to cut through the noise, they won't be for you.

Nevertheless, if sound is king, you should add these to your test drive list.

• Value score: 4.5 / 5

(Image credit: Future)Should I buy the Technics EAH-A1000?

Section

Notes

Score

Features

All killer, no filler. The essentials are here — and largely, they're very good too. Hearing tests though? No

4.5/5

Sound quality

Expansive and insightful, with lovely musicality. That said, they can sound just a little polite

4.5/5

Design

A beautiful set of headphones, only let down by the occasional lack of efficacy concerning the buttons on the ear cup. But that's a small issue

4.5/5

Value

They look so, so much more expesnive than they are, and the sound is more than worthy of the money

4.5/5

Buy them if...

You want excellent ANC
For this money, I think the ANC here is very effective — get it on, take the dial in the app right up and enjoy the cocoon of near-silence as your musical backdrop.

You like to feel expensive
These headphones shine and reflect, but never in a trashy, 'look at me' way. They feel every bit as padded, light in weight and — hang it all — pricey as you want them to.

You listen to acoustic tracks a lot
LDAC support is here, if you can deploy it from your Android, and with it these headphones deliver guitars, strings and pared back vocals with depth, detail and care.

Don't buy them if...

You rely on a decent 'Transparency' profile
There are two ambient profiles here, but neither is as easy to deploy or as effective at getting you in and focused on the conversation as Sony's 'Quick Attention' feature, say.

You're all about that bass
It's not that the EAH-A1000 are shy on bass, especially, they're just a little polite with it. If you listen to a lot of grime or heavier hip-hop, they may not suit your tastes.

You want aptX and aptX HD
These are definitely headphones for a certain type of listener (one who values clarity and spacious detail in their music), which is perhaps why I feel the need to point out that you're not getting a few of the higher-res Bluetooth codecs, although LDAC is on the menu. View Deal

Technics EAH-A1000 review: Also consider

Technics EAH-A1000

Sonos Ace Ultra

Nothing Headphone (1) Pro

Sony WH-1000XM6

Price

$449 / £399 / AU$699

$449 / £399 / AU$699

$399 / £349 / (approx. AU$655)

$449 / £399 / AU$699

Drivers

40mm Magnetic Fluid Driver with pure carbon-fibre diaphragm and SST edge

Next-gen 40mm custom

Bass Dynamic: 40 mm; Precision Dynamic: 13 × 8 mm; Treble xMEMS: 3.2 × 6.0 × 1.15 MM, Solid-State

30mm dynamic

Active noise cancellation

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Quoted battery life

45 hours (ANC ON, AAC) / 90 hours (ANC OFF, AAC)

30 hours (ANC ON, LDAC) / 60 hours (ANC OFF, LDAC)

35 hours (ANC on)

68 hours (ANC off)
30 hours (ANC on)

30 hours (ANC on)

Weight

306g

322g

327g

254g

Connectivity

Bluetooth 6.0 with 3-device multipoint pairing, USB-C audio output at 24-bit

Bluetooth 6.0, USB-C, Sonos Headphone Linking

Bluetooth 6.1, LDAC, USB-C Audio, 3.5mm jack

Bluetooth 5.3, 3.5mm

Frequency range

20Hz – 48kHz

20Hz - 20kHz

20 Hz - 40 kHz

20 Hz - 20 kHz

Waterproofing

No rating

No rating

Yes, IP52

None

Sonos Ace Ultra
Want headphones that play nice with your Sonos system at home and sound truly immersive in movies? OK, yes, that's a very different proposition to the cans you came here to read about, but for the same money it's worth noting that you could also buy these.
Read more in our full Sonos Ace Ultra review

Sony WH-1000XM6
They're top sellers for a reason, these Sony headphones. They're also even lighter than the Technics (although not quite as gorgeous), the ANC is similar and although they're the same price as the EAH-A1000, extra features such as 'Quick Attention' make them a great overall package.
Learn more in our in-depth Sony WH-1000XM6 review

How I tested the Technics EAH-A1000

• Tested for two weeks, listened against the AirPods Max 2, Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 and Cambridge P100 SE
• Listened on a short flight, in a hotel room in London, at home and while walking alone along a blustery seafront
• Listened to Qobuz, Tidal and Apple Music Lossless tracks via USB-C to my FiiO player and streamed to my iPhone 15 Pro, MacBook Pro and Sony Xperia smartphone

The Technics EAH-A100 became my primary travel companions for two weeks — after a 24-hour run-in period. And carrying (or wearing them) anywhere was never a chore.

They accompanied me to the airport (walking brusquely from the Airport Express train and on a brief flight) and at home, on the UK's Jurassic Coast.

To test their comfort levels (no notes), ANC (also excellent) and battery life claims (very good rather than class-leading, but there's not a lot in it), I followed TechRadar's meticulous methodology testing.

To check the audio performance across the frequencies, I listened for many hours, in various environments, to my own reference playlists on Apple Music, Qobuz and Tidal, alongside TechRadar's reference tracks, and two of my favorite podcasts.

I’ve been testing audio products for well over seven years now, as a full-time job — first at our sister site What Hi-Fi? and now here at TechRadar. I know, tough gig (but someone has to). As a dancer, aerialist and musical theater performer in another life, I have always found that sound quality (in particular musicality and cohesion), fit and the user experience take priority for me in headphones, but having heard how wonderful ANC can be when done well, I know what I'm listening for there, too.

Read more about how we test at TechRadar

• First reviewed: October 2026

• Essex man Rafal Gorfal used ChatGPT to help him win a legal dispute over a parking ticket fine
• He fed the AI the letters he received from debt collectors, and it told him what to say and where to go
• The fine was dropped just weeks before his scheduled court appearance

People use AI chatbots like ChatGPT for all manner of things, but have you ever used AI to evade a parking ticket fine before? This man did, and he went on to win a three-year-long legal battle.

Rafal Gorfal, who’s originally from Essex, was fined back in August 2023 for not paying fast enough in a Newquay pay-and-display car park. Gorfal said that when he arrived at the payment machine he had to wait in a long queue, only to learn that the machine was cash-only, to which he had no choice but to download the RingGo and pay with his phone — delaying his payment further.

Two weeks later, he was presented with a £100 fine that said he didn’t pay for a ticket until 16 minutes after entering the car park, which was delayed due to the long queue and the time it took Gorfal to set up an online account to pay.

A long three years

Gorfal submitted his first appeal a month after receiving the PCN from Smart Parking Limited, but didn’t hear anything until January 2024 when he was sent another debt collection letter, this time with an increased fine of £170. "I appealed straight away and heard nothing from them," Gorfal told The Independent, adding "They were trying to make me scared. You have to give people the time. I told them exactly what my problems were. They could see on the cameras that I was trying to sort it out".

After appealing back and forth with debt collectors for four months, the case was put on hold, and Gorfal heard nothing for the best part of a year and a half. This period of silence was broken when he was sent a new letter stating that the case would be going to court in October 2026. This is when he sought help from ChatGPT.

Over the course of his legal dispute, Gorfal kept records of every letter he was sent, which he says he entered into the AI chatbot and asked for advice. "From start to finish I was asking ChatGPT every time I got a letter what to do. It was telling me what to say, where to go, and everything," he shared. "I did it all with the help of AI. They even prepared my defense which I sent to the court". He also contacted the Citizens Advice helpline, but he says the help wasn’t as effective as ChatGPT.

(Image credit: Shutterstock / P.Cartwright)David defeats Goliath

Gorfal’s initial £100 fine had sky-rocketed to roughly £300 by the time he was issued the court order but on September 25, just weeks before he was due to make the appearance, he received an email informing him that the case and fine had been dropped — resulting in a win for Gorfal after a long three years.

That said, it wasn’t money that fueled Gorfal’s persistence, there was a big morality factor. "From start to finish it was not about the money, I could pay it, but it is about the principle. If you know you are right then you shouldn’t be paying any money to them," he said. "This is kind of a David and Goliath battle. They have lawyers and they are a big company and they just gave up in the end".

Since his case and fine were dropped, Smart Parking Limited hasn't provided comment on the dispute.

• Vibe-coded clones of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint have appeared
• They're from the same developer who cloned the Adobe apps
• The developer says other open source software is 'broken'

The developer who used AI tools to clone the Adobe Creative Cloud suite and release the copied versions for free has now done the same with Microsoft Office.

As Tom's Hardware reports, there are now open-source versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint available, all looking very similar to the Microsoft apps and all with rebranded names: WordCraft, GridCraft, and DeckCraft, respectively.

These programs don't appear to be as far along in development as the Adobe clones, but the intention is there — and it's going to be a serious concern for large software companies wanting to protect their products.

The clones are the work of software engineer Brandon Thomas, who has been taking to social media to point out that he has years of experience in coding, even if he has been using the Anthropic AI Claude to do the bulk of the work on these recent projects.

'GIMP sucks'

I hate LibreOffice so bad. It once killed a 40-page essay I wrote the week it was due, during finals. https://t.co/0yRIhwwtfkOctober 11, 2026

There has also been criticism aimed at Thomas for choosing AI 'vibe coding' rather than supporting current open-source software like LibreOffice, GIMP, and Thunderbird. However, the developer doesn't seem to be a fan of these projects.

"GIMP sucks," says Thomas. "It has always sucked. There is no reason to save broken software." He's also recently related the story of a bad experience with LibreOffice that "killed a 40-page essay I wrote the week it was due, during finals".

The reaction on Reddit is split between those who see this as a "game-changing" positive for the software industry, and those who say "no job is safe" from the relentless march of AI and the increasingly powerful capabilities of these bots and agents.

Other commenters point out that free programs like LibreOffice and Google Docs have existed for years without damaging Microsoft Office sales too much, and question whether this lone developer will be able to keep up with bug fixes and upgrades.

• Nintendo has confirmed its commitment to physical games
• The statement comes as Sony abandons physical media
• “We go off of what the consumer prefers,” Nintendo declared

Physical game releases are becoming increasingly rare these days, but one company that still plans to sell its titles this way is Nintendo. The Japanese gaming giant confirmed as much in an interview that might come as some relief to fans of disc-based media — although don’t take it as a guarantee that things will stay this way forever.

Speaking to Brazilian interviewer Rodrigo Coelho, Bill van Zyll, Vice President & General Manager of Nintendo Latin America, explained that, “There are no plans to ditch physical [media]. We know how much the fans like it as well.”

Nintendo’s van Zyll gave the example of the Nintendo Switch 2, for which games are available in both digital and physical formats. That's something Nintendo appears to be committed to continuing, at least for the time being, which could help to assuage the concerns of some fans.

Nintendo fans on social media seemed hopeful about the revelation. “Maybe there is window for cartridges to make a comeback in some capacity,” mused one on Reddit, while another proclaimed that “I have no plans to abandon Nintendo. The system works!” “I hope Sony takes notice,” wrote a third, referring to Sony’s decision to completely abandon physical games by 2028.

Good news — for now

(Image credit: Future)

Of course, there’s no way to know exactly how long Nintendo will remain devoted to physical games for. As van Zyll said in the interview, “historically, we’ve been very agnostic. We go off of what the consumer prefers and take that into account very heavily”. While that might mean physical releases are here to stay at the moment, van Zyll’s response doesn’t rule out a change of approach in the future if consumer tastes shift.

With that in mind, it’s worth considering that Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick has previously noted that “Our business is well over 90% digitally distributed,” which explains why GTA 6 is going to be an entirely disc-less launch. While Graft Theft Auto players and fans of Nintendo games are two quite different groups, I wouldn’t be too surprised to see Nintendo follow Take Two’s example in the future.

If you are a keen collector of physical games, and prefer to own hard copies of every title you play, Nintendo’s announcement will be great news. But with the industry increasingly heading in the digital direction, you might want to pick up hard copies of your favorites, just in case Nintendo decides to change course.