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Well, it looks like Prime Day's come early this year. Scheduled for October 6-7 next week, already I'm seeing cheap Kindles, Fire Sticks, and - most excitingly for a networking geek like me - the eero line of Wi-Fi mesh routers, including the latest eero Pro 7 Wi-Fi 7 mesh router.

• Best for: Families and remote workers who want an ultra-simple setup for extensive coverage, Wi-Fi 7 speeds, and support for hundreds of connected devices.

• The deal: the Amazon eero Pro 7 two-pack is now $400 (was $600) at Amazon. In the UK, the two-pack is now £385 (was £550). All multi-packs are discounted.

• Why it matters: This is the lowest price I've seen for the two-pack eero Pro 7 (and not far off for the three-pack either). The eero mesh routers boost your internet speeds and coverage, and best of all, they're impressively easy to setup, even if you've never done so before. This model boasts tri-band with two 5GbE ports, which is ideal for homes and home office working.

Today's best Amazon eero Pro 7 deal

eero Pro 7 Wi-Fi 7 Mesh Router: was $549.99 now $399.99
This tri-band Wi-Fi 7 mesh system features two routers, 4,000-square-foot coverage, 3.9Gbps wireless speeds, two 5GbE ports per unit, 320MHz channels, Multi-Link Operation, WPA3 security and support for 600-plus devices.

In the UK: now £385 (was £550)View Deal

Why we recommend it

The eero Pro 7 is the sort of mesh router system you get when you don't want to think about your mesh router system. From what I'm seeing, all models and multi-packs are discounted right now.

It operates across the 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz bands, features two 5GbE ports, with Wi-Fi 7 features including Multi-Link Operation (MLO) and channel widths up to 320MHz. A single unit provides coverage of up to 2,000 square feet and can support more than 200 connected devices.

Amazon rates wireless speeds at up to 3.9Gbps with support for internet plans up to 5Gbps. As ever, real-world speeds will depend on your devices, connection, network conditions, and placement. You can easily add additional eero models to the mesh network, too - older and newer models are compatible.

Price context & historical value

For a two-unit Wi-Fi 7 mesh system with 6GHz connectivity and 5GbE Ethernet, you're getting a considerable amount of networking hardware for the money. The eero three-pack has retailed for as low as $425 in the past, so this is its lowest ever price that we've seen.

The closest Wi-Fi 7 contenders on the market, outside the eero range, would be the cheaper MSI Roamii Be Pro and more expensive Asus BT8. Both offer more control over your networking, which is pretty much the exact opposite of why the eero Pro 7 is so popular.

For more shopping options, take a look at our roundup of the best mesh Wi-Fi routers, and the best Wi-Fi extenders.

Should you buy it?

✅ Buy the Eero Pro 7 Tri-Band Mesh Wi-Fi 7 Router if...

You don't want to have to think about your internet again. It's a set-and-forget mesh router that you can easily install and then leave running without intervention. It's also worth considering if you're upgrading from an older Eero system as the Pro 7 is backward compatible with previous Eero generations.

❌ Skip the Eero Pro 7 Tri-Band Mesh Wi-Fi 7 Router if...

You like granular control over your wireless connectivity - eero's app is incredibly streamlined, making it easy to use but not especially practical for networking enthusiasts. For example, you can't split bands for different devices. It also locks some features, like parental controls, behind an eero Plus subscription.

More eero mesh router deals: Also consider

As with the eero Pro 7 deals, both these router models are discounted for single and multi-packs. I've used the three-pack for reference.

eero Pro 6e Mesh Router: was $499.99 now $374.99
Arguably the better choice over the eero Pro 7 if you don't use Wi-Fi 7 devices and don't need features like MLO. It's cheaper, but you still get the 6GHz band. It comfortably supports internet speeds up to 2 Gbps

In the UK: now £337 (was £450)View Deal

eero Max 7 Mesh Router: was $1699.99 now $1189.99
If the Pro 7 isn't enough for you, the eero Max 7 is the next step up. It's the better pick for those running NAS drives, media backup, and constant streaming thanks to the 4x4 radio system and 10GbE ports (the eero Pro 7 caps out at 5GbE).

In the UK: now £1190 (was £1700)View Deal

• Shop all mesh router systems at Amazon

Thinking of buying a Kindle in the upcoming Prime Day? It's a good plan — Amazon reliably offers hefty discounts on its own devices during these sales events. The official Prime Day will take place on Tuesday 6 and Wednesday 7 October, but if you're in the UK you don't need to wait until then.

The UK Kindle discounts are already live, and I've rounded them all up below. As expected, there are significant price-drops across almost the entire range. I'm not expecting prices to get any cheaper on Prime Day proper, and the good news is you don't need to be a Prime subscriber to take advantage of these deals.

In the US, Kindles are still full price at the moment. You can see your options below — I'll update this article as soon as the deals do arrive.

Want more info? Further down the page I'll run through some buying tips to help you choose the right model for you, plus a guide to what counts as a good discount for a Kindle.

UK: Kindle models

Amazon Kindle

Read our full review

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (without ads)

Read our full review

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (with ads)

Read our full review

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition — without ads

Read our full review

Amazon Kindle Colorsoft

Read our full review

Pros

• Finally, color on a Kindle
• Speedy refresh and zooming

Cons

• Doesn’t feel premium enough for the price
• No way to access Marvel Unlimited or DC Infinite subscriptions

Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition

Amazon Kindle Scribe (32GB)

Read our full review

Pros

• Still the best big ereader, with better writing tools
• Subtle improvements add up in a big way
• AI tools that are [gasp] useful?!

Cons

• It’s more expensive without new hardware
• It’s got AI, like everything – you can’t escape

Amazon Kindle Scribe Colorsoft

Read our full review

Pros

• Gets the basics right
• Color and Scribe features are well-packaged
• Large and sharp display

Cons

• Pricey
• Some features could use updating

US: Kindle models

Amazon Kindle

Read our full review

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite

Read our full review

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition

Read our full review

Amazon Kindle Colorsoft (no ads)

Read our full review

Pros

• Finally, color on a Kindle
• Speedy refresh and zooming

Cons

• Doesn’t feel premium enough for the price
• No way to access Marvel Unlimited or DC Infinite subscriptions

Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition

Amazon Kindle Scribe

Read our full review

Pros

• Still the best big ereader, with better writing tools
• Subtle improvements add up in a big way
• AI tools that are [gasp] useful?!

Cons

• It’s more expensive without new hardware
• It’s got AI, like everything – you can’t escape

Amazon Kindle Scribe Colorsoft

Read our full review

Pros

• Gets the basics right
• Color and Scribe features are well-packaged
• Large and sharp display

Cons

• Pricey
• Some features could use updating

Are the deals any good?

In the UK, these are strong deals — around the level I'd expect for Prime Day. I'm not expecting the discounts to increase over Prime Day itself, although it's not impossible.

However, there has been a bit of sneakiness on Amazon's part. A number of these models have had their list price inflated, thus making the discount look more significant. It might have been that these price rises were on their way anyway, but the timing still feels deliberate. Some of the US models have had a price rise, too.

For reference, here was the pricing (and discounts) on the full Kindle range during the most recent Amazon Prime Day, in June 2026.

In the UK:

• Kindle: £79.99 (was £94.99) — 16% off
• Kindle Paperwhite (no ads): £134.99 (was £169.99) — 21% off
• Kindle Paperwhite (with ads): £119.99 (was £159.99) — 25% off
• Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition: £114.99 (was £189.99) — 24% off
• Kindle Colorsoft: £154.99 (was £239.99) — 35% off
• Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition: £174.99 (was £269.99) — 35% off
• Kindle Scribe: £379.99 — no discount
• Kindle Scribe Colorsoft: £504.99 (was £629.99) — 20% off

In the US:

• Kindle: $84.99 (was $109.99) — 23% off
• Kindle Paperwhite: $124.99 (was $159.99) — 22% off
• Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition: $144.99 (was $199.99) — 28% off
• Kindle Colorsoft (no ads): $159.99 (was $249.99) — 36% off
• Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition: $219.99 (was $279.99) — 21% off
• Kindle Scribe: $379.99 (was $499.99) — 24% off
• Kindle Scribe Colorsoft: $519.99 (was $679.99) — 24% off

How to choose the right Kindle for you

Amazon Kindles are some of the best e-readers around, and there aren't really any bad options here. When choosing a model, I'd start by deciding between black-and-white (Paperwhite) and color (Colorsoft). If you're a fan of graphic novels, Color is a no-brainer, and it's also useful if you're studying and want to be able to color-code your highlights. However, if you're predominantly just reading text-heavy novels, a black-and-white Kindle might be perfectly fine.

After you've decided that, you'll want to figure out if you also want to be able to use your Kindle for note-taking. All the 'Scribe' options work with a stylus, so you can write as well as read. They have bigger screens than the reading-only options. You'll find more advice in my article exploring how to choose the right Kindle.

Model:

Kindle

Kindle Paperwhite

Kindle Paperwhite Signature edition

Kindle Colorsoft

Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition

Kindle Scribe

Kindle Scribe Colorsoft

Display:

6-inch glare-free

7-inch glare-free

7-inch glare-free

7-inch glare-free w/ color display

7-inch glare-free w/ color display

11-inch glare-free

11-inch glare-free with color display

Resolution:

300ppi

300ppi

300ppi

300ppi (black and white) / 150ppi (color)

300ppi (black and white) / 150ppi (color)

300ppi

300ppi (black and white) / 150ppi (color)

Storage:

16GB

16GB

32GB

16GB

32GB

16, 32 or 64GB

32 or 64GB

Max battery:

6 weeks

12 weeks

12 weeks

8 weeks

8 weeks

12 weeks reading / 3 weeks writing

8 weeks reading / 2 weeks writing

Waterproof (IPX8):

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

No

Writing capability:

No

No

No

No

No

Yes

Yes

Read our review:

Amazon Kindle (2024) review

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2024) review

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition (2024) review

Amazon Kindle Colorsoft review

Amazon Kindle Scribe (2024) review

Kindle Scribe Colorsoft review

• ShinyHunters bypass PeopleSoft mitigation rules, reviving exploitation of a critical zero-day vulnerability
• The campaign has expanded globally, targeting organizations across technology, healthcare, government, and other sectors
• Oracle’s original patch remains effective, while organizations should investigate systems and rotate potentially exposed credentials

ShinyHunters have found a way to bypass a mitigation for a zero-day they previously exploited - so now, not only are they back to abusing the same bug, they’ve even expanded their scope to target a much larger pool of organizations.

In June 2026, it was reported that ShinyHunters, the infamous data extortionists, found a Java deserialization vulnerability in Oracle’s PeopleSoft Environment Management Hub (PSEMHUB) servlet that allowed them to achieve web shell deployment or fileless command execution on vulnerable servers.

Oracle PeopleSoft is a suite of enterprise business software used mainly by large organizations, universities, governments, and corporations to manage things like human resources, finance, supply chain, and student administration.

This remote code execution (RCE) bug caused by unsafe deserialization of Java objects in PSEMHUB was exploited for days, targeting higher education institutions, stealing their sensitive files, and enabling extortion campaigns.

Oracle fixed the issue on June 10 2026, bringing the tool to versions 8.61 and 8.62. The bug was assigned an identifier CVE-2026-35273 and was given a severity score of 9.8/10 (critical). The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) added the bug to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog on June 12, giving federal agencies a three-day deadline to patch up.

ShinyHunters Return

The company also provided mitigation measures for organizations that were unable to install the patch at the time. However, Mandiant and Google’s Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) are now reporting that ShinyHunters found a way to bypass these mitigations, and are back to exploiting the flaw against organizations running unpatched versions of the software.

“This new wave of activity stems from UNC6240 modifying its exploit to bypass web application firewall (WAF) rules blocking the vulnerable Environment Management Hub (PSEMHUB) endpoint,” the two organizations said in a new report, stressing that the campaign has now expanded globally.

“The threat actor bypassed these string-based WAF rules by URL-encoding a single character in the request path, requesting /%50SEMHUB/ in place of /PSEMHUB/,” the researchers said. “Many WAF and reverse proxy rules match the literal path before URL decoding, while the PeopleSoft application server decodes the request and routes it to the vulnerable servlet. This allows the threat actor to reach the endpoint on systems whose operators may have believed their WAF rules had mitigated the exposure.”

At first, ShinyHunters were focused mostly on higher education institutions. This time around, though, they’re casting a much wider net, deploying web shells on “dozens of systems globally” including technology, IT services, healthcare, agriculture, transportation, and government.

“Mandiant recommends that organizations running Oracle PeopleSoft take the following immediate actions,” the researchers added.

ShinyHunters are known extortionists. They are using the PeopleSoft vulnerability to gain persistent access and steal credentials, allowing them to move laterally through target environments and exfiltrate sensitive data such as HR or payroll.

Patching works

The good news is that the patch still works. If an organization applied Oracle’s fix for CVE-2026-35273, this WAF bypass should not matter, because it only works around the mitigation, not the underlying vulnerability fix. Therefore, both Google and Mandiant advise, first and foremost, that organizations apply the Oracle Security Alert issued when the zero-day was first disclosed.

Businesses should also disable the Environment Management Hub (EMHub) service in multi-server configurations, or remove the PSEMHUB application entirely, in single-server configurations.

To check whether they were targeted or not, they should search PIA WebLogic access logs for requests to /PSEMHUB) and any percent-encoded variant, and should inspect /webserv//applications/peoplesoft/PSEMHUB.war/ for files that are not part of the shipped product.

Finally, they should rotate all credentials the PeopleSoft application service account can read, and monitor outbound traffic from PeopleSoft hosts to the network indicators listed here.

• Evri is testing out a two-legged delivery robot in Barnsley
• The robot can avoid obstacles and get up stairs
• Evri says the delivery bot is designed to support couriers, not replace them

We've seen robot delivery schemes before, but none quite like this: British delivery company Evri has partnered with Refined Robotics in Japan to run the first trial of a two-legged delivery robot in Europe — with Barnsley, the UK's first official Tech Town, chosen as the location.

According to the announcement, the bot doesn't have an official name, but is designed to give customers "more choice, convenience and control over how they receive their parcels" according to Evri's Chief Technology Officer Marcus Hunter.

Most of the delivery robots we've seen to date look like cool boxes trundling along on wheels, but the bipedal approach of this new machine means it can navigate its way around obstacles and even get up stairs if necessary.

For the purposes of this pilot scheme at least, the idea is to have the robot act as a "support" for couriers, so it won't be going out delivering parcels on its own (and can't drive a van anyway). The bot can move at speeds of up to 6 kph (3.7 mph), and carry parcels up to 15 kilograms (33 pounds) in weight.

Last-mile logistics

Evri has previously tested four-wheeled delivery robots (Image credit: Evri)

Evri says its delivery robot is able to traverse "uneven surfaces", and get in and out of a delivery van. It can be remotely controlled or work autonomously as the situation demands, and can drop off parcels with or without the recipient being present — so presumably it has a trick for releasing its cargo without any help.

Perhaps understandably, in these early stages the robot is going to be delivering "fashion parcels", as per the BBC — so nothing that's going to get broken or bashed in transit if the robot takes a tumble on the kerbside.

There's no word yet on if or when this might be rolled out more widely: Evri is going to evaluate all aspects of the delivery service trial to see what works and what doesn't, and how robots might ultimately be of most use to customers and couriers.

"Our two-legged delivery robot has been specifically designed to tackle some of the most complex challenges in last-mile logistics," says Refined Robotics CEO Nick Hafner. "[We] look forward to understanding how robotics can complement existing delivery networks and support the future of parcel delivery."

• One in four UK workers say they'd be less likely to apply for a job due to AI screening
• 78% of global applicants are still using AI at some point in their recruitment process
• Report calls for more training opportunities to find meaningful use cases

New Morgan McKinley research has claimed more than half (55%) of UK employers still don't use AI in recruitment – putting Britain far behind the global average of 36% non-users.

And on the other side of the process, UK jobseekers are also apparently wary of AI being used to assess them, with more than a quarter (28%) saying AI-based assessments would make them less likely to apply for a job (again, more than the 23% global average).

However, concerns over AI's usage are clearly more pronounced in certain areas, because 78% of global candidates use AI at some point in their job searching journey.

Recruiters and applicants are still wary about AI's use in recruitment

Ultimately, it seems that AI could be obscuring human assessment processes, for example two in five UK employers say the use of AI has made it harder to verify applicants' skills. Head hunters also note that AI has led to a higher volume of applications they're having to process, likely increasing quantity but not quality.

"As candidates increasingly use AI in their job searches and employers grapple with verifying skills and experience, organisations will need to balance the benefits of AI with transparency and human oversight," Morgan McKinley UK Senior MD Chris Lawton explained.

More broadly, it's clear that job-related concerns continue to plague AI adoption, with nearly half (46%) of global employees worried that AI could replace their job, even though 64% of employers say it hasn't actually impacted headcount.

Moving forward, the report calls for a more meaningful approach to AI adoption with supported training opportunities. With just one in four workers believing their employer is investing adequately in their AI development and Morgan McKinley data revealing that two-thirds (68%) have had either inadequate or zero AI training, this area is clearly lacking.

"Organisations need to give their people the skills, guidance and governance to use AI effectively and responsibly, rather than leaving individuals to navigate this transition alone," Lawton concluded.

• Kubb has built a custom mini PC to order for a customer in Europe
• It's a Kubb Fanless made from 24-carat gold
• The value is reportedly $1.7 million, which isn't surprising given that the chassis is 13kg of solid gold

Think PCs are getting too pricey due to the RAM crisis? That's clearly true, but if you thought a top-end computer (with the likes of an RTX 5090 GPU) was getting ridiculously costly, it's nothing compared to this fanless rig which is fashioned from pure gold.

FanlessTech flagged up the PC from Kubb (via VideoCardz), a European manufacturer that specializes in fancy mini PCs. This take on the Kubb Fanless, a 120mm cube with no active cooling (fans), so it's silent, is made from 24-carat gold, rather than the aluminum that would normally be used for this model.

The gold version, which was built to order for a (presumably wealthy) customer, reportedly weighs 13kg (over six times the weight of the aluminum chassis), but the price tag is the real eye-opener here, as the PC runs to around $1.7 million (or £1.3 million / AU$2.4 million). Essentially the value of its weight in gold, of course.

As for the spec, the Kubb Fanless normally offers options of up to an Intel Core Ultra X7 358H or AMD Ryzen AI 5 340 CPU with up to 128GB of DDR5 RAM, although it's entirely possible that the buyer may have upped the spec with a custom request here.

Analysis: worth its weight in gold

(Image credit: FanlessTech / Kubb)

What's interesting is that as FanlessTech points out, gold is a good material to make a fanless PC from due to its heat transference properties. Indeed, it offers around a 30% better level of thermal conductivity than aluminum, so you're actually getting much improved passive cooling here — for a price (and a half).

While this might appear to be an outlandish extravagance on the face of it, the other way to look at this solid-gold take on the Kubb Fanless is that it's an investment, in the same way as buying gold bars. The price of this precious metal has risen sharply since the pandemic, and I'm guessing the wealthy buyer has that in mind with this purchase — as well as showing off. (Don't take any of this as investment advice, I hasten to add — it certainly isn't offered as such.)

• The Golden Joystick Awards 2026 nominations have been announced
• Voting is open now until October 23, with winners to be revealed on November 11
• The nominations include some of our favorite games of the year, including Resident Evil Requiem and 007 First Light

The nominees for the 44th annual Golden Joystick Awards have been officially announced across 21 categories, with games like Resident Evil Requiem, Big Walk, and 007 First Light leading nominations.

Public voting is now live and will remain open until October 23 at 4pm PT / 7pm ET / 0:00am BST. Fans can vote for their favourite games of 2026 in 21 categories, including Console Game of the Year, PC Game of the Year, Most Wanted Game, and more.

Winners will be revealed during the ceremony on November 11, with the Ultimate Game of the Year shortlist to be announced on October 26.

"With the hugely-anticipated GTA 6 set to launch a week after our live show, the 44th annual Golden Joystick Awards is delighted to share its most diverse and creative nominees line-up yet," said Daniel Dawkins, content director of Golden Joystick Awards at Future.

"Indie hits Big Walk, Dispatch and Mina the Hollower sit alongside AAA blockbusters such as 007 First Light, Forza Horizon 6 and Resident Evil Requiem. This year, no single game dominates the field, this is one of our most open and unpredictable years yet - making your vote more influential than ever in deciding our winners. We’re thrilled to debut a new look for the Golden Joystick Awards, embracing the iconic joystick trophy that traces all the way back to our inception in 1983. Gaming has changed so much in the following 43 years, but not the creativity and determination of those who sacrifice so much to share the games we love so much."

The Golden Joystick Awards 2026 - Nominations

Console Game of the Year

• 007 First Light
• Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave
• Forza Horizon 6
• LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight
• Nioh 3
• Onimusha: Way of the Sword
• Pokémon Pokopia
• PRAGMATA
• Resident Evil Requiem
• Saros

PC Game of the Year

• Big Walk
• Crimson Desert
• Escape from Tarkov
• Esoteric Ebb
• MECCHA CHAMELEON
• Mewgenics
• Order of the Sinking Star
• Star Wars Zero Company
• The Blood of Dawnwalker
• Valheim

Best Audio Design

• Big Walk
• Marathon
• Onimusha: Way of the Sword
• Rhythm Heaven Groove
• SAROS
• Star Wars: Galactic Racer

Best Early Access Game

• Dead as Disco
• MENACE
• skate.
• Slay the Spire 2
• Subnautica 2
• WARDOGS

Best Game Adaptation

• Devil May Cry (Season 2)
• Exit 8
• Fallout (Season 2)
• Iron Lung
• Mortal Kombat II
• Resident Evil

Best Game Expansion

• Cult of the Lamb: Woolhaven
• DAVE THE DIVER - In the Jungle Content Pack
• DOOM: The Dark Ages | Revelations
• Quake: Dawn of the Machine
• The Alters: Last Variable
• World of Warcraft: Midnight

Best Game Trailer

• Battlefield 6 x Top Gun: Carrier Strike Cinematic Trailer
• Big Walk - Release Date Announcement
• Cairn - Launch Trailer
• MOUSE: P.I. For Hire | Official Launch Trailer
• Prove You're Human - Announcement Trailer
• Resident Evil Requiem - Evil Has Always Had A Name

Best Gaming Hardware

• Logitech G PRO X2 SUPERSTRIKE
• Razer Viper V4 Pro
• Secretlab ATLAS
• Sony INZONE M10S II
• Steam Controller
• Turtle Beach Stealth Pro II

Best Indie Game

• Big Walk
• Denshattack!
• Esoteric Ebb
• Mixtape
• Mouse: P.I. for Hire
• Order of the Sinking Star
• REANIMAL
• Sovereign Tower
• Titanium Court
• Valheim

Best Indie Game - Self-published

• Cairn
• Fields of Mistria
• MECCHA CHAMELEON
• Mewgenics
• Mina the Hollower
• Perfect Tides: Station to Station
• Phonopolis
• Rhythm Doctor
• The Incident at Galley House
• Vampire Crawlers: The Turbo Wildcard from Vampire Survivors

Best Lead Performer

• Aaron Paul - Robert Robertson III, Dispatch
• Angela Sant'Albano - Grace Ashcroft, Resident Evil Requiem
• Anna Demetriou - Sophia, Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy
• Liam McIntyre - Wolverine, Marvel's Wolverine
• Patrick Gibson - James Bond, 007 First Light
• Will de Renzy-Martin - Coen, The Blood of Dawnwalker

Best Supporting Performer

• Frankie Kevich - Zoe de Vera, Control Resonant
• Grace Saif - Diana, Pragamata
• Lennie James - John Greenway, 007 First Light
• Terry O'Quinn - Richard, Silent Hill: Townfall
• Troy Baker - Nathaniel Essex, Marvel's Wolverine
• Vic Michaelis - Runa Blask, Star Wars Zero Company

Best Multiplayer Game

• ARC Raiders
• Big Walk
• Marathon
• MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls
• MECCHA CHAMELEON
• Valheim

Best Remake / Remaster

• Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced
• Gothic 1 Remake
• Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol.2
• Star Fox
• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Remastered
• Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter

Best Soundtrack

• 007 First Light
• Crimson Desert
• Dispatch
• Lumines Arise
• Mewgenics
• Mixtape

Best Storytelling

• 007 First Light
• Dispatch
• Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave
• Silent Hill: Townfall
• The Blood of Dawnwalker
• ZERO PARADES: For Dead Spies

Best Visual Design

• Control Resonant
• Forza Horizon 6
• Orbitals
• Phonopolis
• Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy
• Saros

Most Wanted Game

• Alien: Isolation 2
• ANANTA
• Black Myth: Zhong Kui
• EXODUS
• Fable
• Final Fantasy 7 Revelation
• God of War Laufey
• Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet
• Kingdom Hearts 5
• METRO 2039
• NO LAW
• Persona 6
• Resident Evil Veronica
• STRANGER THAN HEAVEN
• Stuntman: Hollywood
• The Expanse: Osiris Reborn
• The Witcher 4
• Tides of Annihilation
• Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis
• Total War: Warhammer 40,000

Still Playing - Mobile

• Balatro
• Genshin Impact
• Honkai: Star Rail
• MARVEL SNAP
• MONOPOLY GO!
• NTE: Neverness to Everness
• Old School RuneScape
• Pokémon GO
• Roblox
• Sky: Children of the Light
• Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Mobile
• Wuthering Waves

Still Playing - PC & Console

• Apex Legends
• Fortnite
• GTA Online
• HELLDIVERS 2
• HITMAN World of Assassination
• Minecraft
• No Man's Sky
• Palworld
• The Elder Scrolls Online
• Warframe
• World of Warcraft
• Call of Duty: Warzone

Studio of the Year

• CAPCOM
• Frogwares
• House House
• IO Interactive
• Nintendo EPD
• SQUARE ENIX

• There's an app in the works for the iPhone Duo that recreates a Walkman
• Called Duo-Man, it makes good use of the iPhone Duo's two screens to replicate the sense of putting a tape in a Walkman and then playing it
• It currently supports Apple Music and local files

You can’t even buy the iPhone Duo yet, but that hasn’t stopped developers from working on apps for it — and there’s already one app that could, for me, almost justify an iPhone Duo purchase all on its own.

Vidit Bhargava has shared details of their ‘Duo-Man’ app on X, and it’s designed to recreate the experience of an old-school Walkman.

This is something that only works with a foldable form factor, and the dimensions of the iPhone Duo look ideal for it, with the cover screen acting as the front of a Walkman — where you can see a tape spinning away and access controls — and the foldable screen being something that you can open to insert or remove a tape.

Duo-Man offers the complete walkman experience on the iPhone Duo. Open the Duo to pick and 'insert' the cassette, Close the Duo to start listening.Yes, I actually recorded the button clicks and static noise from a real Walkman!It was fun making this at @bitrig hacks today. pic.twitter.com/juSrLhofrHSeptember 27, 2026

A digital take on analog tech

Of course, you’re not actually jamming a tape into the iPhone Duo, but the interface of the app comes close to replicating what a Walkman looks like, and the act of opening and closing the screen to insert a new tape should help recreate some of the tactility of that device too.

The app also includes button click and static sounds recorded from a real Walkman, just to add to the nostalgia value, and you’ll even be able to use an Apple Pencil to wind the tapes.

But this has some modern conveniences too, with support for both Apple Music and local files (with Spotify support possibly being added later), so you’ll have access to a massive library of ‘tapes’ immediately, rather than having to carry around multiple real tapes with you (as we did in the 90s if we didn’t want to hear the same thing on repeat).

The app — like the iPhone Duo itself — isn’t available yet, but it’s seemingly going to be a hit when it does launch, given that the X post about it currently has 2.1 million views and 10,000 likes.

• Netherlands announces the Digital Autonomous Work Environment for Government Scheme
• Windows operating system could end up being replaced by NixOS
• Other software stacks are also being considered

The Dutch government has become the latest European ruler to announce plans to invest more heavily in sovereign software in a bid to reduce its reliance on foreign tech vendors, including Microsoft, following an earlier April 2026 pilot.

The DAWO (Digitaal Autonome Werkomgeving Overheid), which translates loosely as the Digital Autonomous Work Environment for Government scheme, covers a broad spectrum of software changes.

Besides just ditching Windows in favor of an open-source alternative, the Netherlands wants to explore cloud infrastructure, productivity software and more.

Dutch government announces plans to ditch Microsoft

Though the migration is still in its early stages, small-scale trials are reportedly taking place across the country's public bodies, with eight municipalities allegedly preparing trials.

Naturally, the long-term migration is likely to take years and include multiple bids, but the country expects the first migrations to have happened by the end of next year, per Tom's Hardware.

The biggest migration will likely involve Microsoft's Windows operating system. Windows currently accounts for around 63% of global desktops across all users, per Statcounter data – a proportion that's dropping as macOS and other operating systems rise in popularity.

NixOS is set to be the replacement, developed by Dutch develop Eelco Dolstra with the NixOS Foundation based in the Netherlands itself. openSUSE and Fedora were also reportedly trialled before reaching the decision to go for NixOS.

The Netherlands is also said to be working with other European tech vendors, like France's La Suite and Germany's openDesk, in a broader pro-European push.

Ultimately, what the Netherlands is doing is a move we're seeing reflected across the bloc, with government agencies and other public bodies seeking to support sovereign and homegrown tech amid complex geopolitical happenings, set against a backdrop of concerns, namely potential US government access to American software users' data.

And the Netherlands is just one of a growing list of countries making similar moves – Germany's Schleswig-Holstein state already revealed plans to migrate a long time ago, together with Estonia, the French city of Lyon and more.

As the EU AI Act’s transparency requirements come into force, organizations need to be on the front foot when it comes to regulatory readiness and how AI is being used. Facing fines of up to €35 million or 7% of global turnover mean it’s no longer enough to just monitor communication risks. Firms must definitively prove how those risks were identified, reviewed, and escalated.

When regulators ask questions, most compliance teams don’t face the issue of a lack of data. In most cases, the information does exist somewhere within the organization. The harder challenge is bringing that evidence together quickly, clearly, and defensibly across different systems, workflows, and teams.

That challenge is becoming more important as regulators place greater emphasis on demonstrable outcomes. Firms are increasingly expected to show not only that controls exist, but how those controls operate when a potential risk emerges. This is where comms surveillance has become central to effective compliance.

From surveillance activity to supervisory outcomes

Comms surveillance has typically been measured through activity. Compliance teams have tracked how many alerts were generated, how many reviews were completed, how many cases were escalated, and how many investigations were closed.

Those metrics still matter, but they only tell part of the story.

A stronger measure of readiness is whether a firm can connect surveillance activity to supervisory outcomes. Can it explain why a particular risk was identified? Can it show how an alert was reviewed? Can it document the evidence that supported a decision? Can it demonstrate whether escalation was appropriate? And, crucially, can it reconstruct that process months later when a regulator asks for evidence?

These are the questions that now sit at the heart of regulatory readiness.

The evidence chain is often too fragmented

Most firms have already solved the basic issue of capturing communications. The next stage is more complex: connecting communications, alerts, reviews, investigations, and outcomes into a clear and defensible chain of evidence.

Too often, that chain is fragmented and therefore, obsolete. Comms often sit in one platform, while surveillance workflows sit in another, and investigation records somewhere else entirely. Each system may function effectively in isolation, but the gaps are evident when compliance teams need to explain what happened from start to finish.

This is especially pertinent as AI-driven communications become a bigger compliance risk. Our research found while more than half (55%) of organizations globally have the core AI policies, training and review steps in place, fewer than one in five (19%) have the logging, retention, detection and scoring controls needed to prove what happened.

Without that evidence layer in place, organizations lack being able to confidently demonstrate what AI tools produced, who reviewed it, where it went and whether the record was kept.

The result is unnecessary friction: investigations take longer than they should, evidence is harder to assemble, and supervisory decisions still require additional manual validation.

Regulatory requests become more disruptive when teams have to spend valuable time piecing together information that should already be connected. This risks turning into an operational readiness nightmare.

Transparency is becoming a regulatory expectation

As regulatory expectations continue to evolve, firms need to be able to demonstrate how oversight works in practice. In other words, showing how potential risks are identified, how decisions are made, how evidence is reviewed, and how outcomes are recorded.

A surveillance program is only truly effective if it can support that level of transparency. Regulators may not prescribe a specific architecture, but they do expect firms to show that oversight is effective, repeatable, and defensible.

That's why organizations are now looking beyond individual tools and towards a more unified approach to communications governance, surveillance, investigations, and retention.

Operational visibility matters as much as information storage

Operational visibility is becoming just as important as data capture. Compliance teams need to understand where information is stored, as well as how it moves through the organization once a potential issue is identified.

They need to be able to follow the full chain of activity from initial alert through to investigation, escalation, decision, and retention. Comms surveillance has become a critical part of evidence framework.

Done well, it helps teams identify risk earlier, investigate issues more efficiently and demonstrate how supervision operated over time.

Readiness is about proving what happened

The priority is now creating the context needed to make better decisions, and to evidence those decisions effectively.

Regulatory readiness increasingly depends on the ability to demonstrate judgement: why a case was reviewed, what information was considered, whether escalation was required and how the final outcome was reached. Without that connected view, even well-run processes can become difficult to defend.

Comms surveillance is therefore moving from a narrow monitoring function to a core component of regulatory preparedness. It provides the first line of evidence for how potential risk was identified, assessed, and resolved. It also gives firms the foundation they need to demonstrate that supervision is not only in place, but working effectively.

In today’s regulatory environment, readiness is all about being able to prove what happened, not simply locating the information.

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• The Honor Life S3 is a new tiny ereader
• It has a 3.68-inch screen and a magnet to attach it to the back of a phone
• So far, there's no confirmed global availability

Not so long ago, tiny ereaders like the Xteink X4 Pro seemed like a novel concept, but now, we seem to be hearing more about them than standard-size ereaders; along with the Xteink line, there’s the recently announced Boox Picco, and now Honor is getting in on the act too with the Honor Life S3.

This device was announced alongside the Honor Magic 9 series of phones, and just like Xteink’s products, it can magnetically attach to the back of your phone, essentially giving you a second screen on your handset — though you can also use the Honor Life S3 separately if you simply want a tiny ereader on its own.

It has a 3.68-inch e-paper screen with 259 pixels per inch, and it weighs just 61g and measures 5.6mm thick. So whether you’re attaching it to your phone or just putting it in your pocket, it’s not going to add much bulk or weight.

(Image credit: Honor)

Unlike most rival devices, the Honor Life S3 is entirely touchscreen, with no physical page buttons. Most alternatives either don’t have a touchscreen or have both.

According to GizmoChina it also has a “soft-light eye-protection feature” designed to make it easy on your eyes during lengthy reading sessions, and a battery that’s said to deliver 30 hours of run time in continuous use, and up to a week of life with typical use.

It uses a microSD card for storage, supports most common ebook and document formats, and runs a custom operating system, with the ability to transfer books wirelessly through the Honor Smart Space app.

So, as with most of these tiny ereaders you’re not getting Android, meaning there’s no access to the Kindle or Kobo stores.

Carving out a tiny niche

Overall, the Honor Life S3 sounds like some combination of the Xteink X4 Pro and the Xteink X3, with a touchscreen like the X4 Pro but a screen size that’s closer to the X3, and the magnets that both offer — but which some rivals like the Boox Picco don’t.

The Honor Life S3 is, however, marginally thicker and heavier than the Xteink X3, with that coming in at 5.1mm thick and 58g. There’s not much in it, but that could still make a difference if you want the slimmest and lightest device possible. The Xteink X4 Pro is a bit bigger and heavier, but you’re also getting a larger 4.3-inch screen there.

What the Honor Life S3 might have going for it is that it comes from a more recognizable brand, albeit one that doesn’t currently have a massive presence outside China. Indeed, so far it’s only been announced for China, so it remains to be seen whether you’ll even be able to buy it elsewhere.

Personally, there’s nothing here that would tempt me away from the Xteink X4 Pro that I already have, but if I didn’t already own that device and this was available, I’d certainly consider it.

• Naughty Dog co-president Neil Druckmann says "a couple of very exciting" The Last of Us projects are in the works
• He says the games will expand the canon of The Last of Us beyond the first two games
• Druckmann adds that work on Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet is proceeding, and the studio will do a "full reveal" in 2027

Naughty Dog co-president Neil Druckmann has confirmed the studio is working on more games to expand the world of The Last of Us.

To close out this year's The Last of Us Day, Druckmann shared new insight into the studio's current projects, including Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, and what's next for The Last of Us.

In a blog post, The Last of Us Part 2 director revealed that two new The Last of Us projects are in early development, saying Naughty Dog hopes to "expand the canon" of the first two games.

"Since Grounded II, we’ve talked about the possibility of telling more stories in the world of The Last of Us," Druckmann said. "We have a couple of very exciting new projects in very early stages – so we can’t say much about them at this point. I will tell you that both projects will expand the canon of The Last of Us beyond Part 1 and Part 2.

"The world of The Last of Us means a great deal to us, and we wouldn’t return to it unless we had something meaningful to say. We believe these stories are worth telling."

As for Intergalactic, which was revealed almost two years ago, Druckmann said the development team is "heads down on what is shaping up to be Naughty Dog’s most ambitious game yet."

"There’s an electricity around the studio right now as all the pieces come together, and we’re stoked to finally unveil Intergalactic in all its glory. But...we need to cook for just a little bit longer," he said.

Druckmann said the team will remain quiet for the rest of 2026, but in 2027, it will "fully reveal" the game and give fans "a proper look."

"We know it’s been a long time since we’ve had much to share with you. We don’t take your continued support for granted," he added. "We’re working incredibly hard to make something worthy of your patience. Until then…Endure & Survive!"

• Lloyds launches new invoicing and payment collection tool
• Get Paid will give business customers a central location for invoicing and payments
• It will roll out later this year to UK business customers

Lloyds has launched a new tool designed to help its business banking customers spend less time on admin and more time actually running their business.

The new Get Paid invoicing and payment collection tool will look to support business customers with their payments admin within their existing Lloyds app and online banking platform.

Powered by Lloyds’ strategic partnership with BankiFi, the service will come at no additional cost and without the need to purchase separate invoicing or accountancy software.

Get Paid

“Businesses shouldn't have to pay extra for the tools they need to get paid," said Ruchir Rodrigues, BCB Client Strategy & Commercial Director at Lloyds.

"By building invoicing and payment collection directly into the Lloyds banking experience at no additional cost, we're making it easier for customers to manage cashflow and spend more time growing their business.”

Get Paid will mean Lloyds business customers can now carry out tasks such as creating and sending invoices, issue secure payment links and track paid and outstanding requests through the Lloyds app and online banking.

Customers will also be able to send invoices and use automated reminders, cutting down on time being spent following up payments from their customers. Late payments are a particular concern for many SMBs, with recent UK Government research finding nearly half (49%) reporting their business customers typically take longer to pay than the agreed terms.

The Office of the Small Business Commissioner also recently estimated 14,000 businesses close each year because of late payments and UK businesses are owed around £26 billion in overdue payments at any given time, an average of £17,000 per business.

Lloyds says the launch will contribute towards its view of "embedded accounting", as having all these systems in one central location will also let customers manage more of their day-to-day finances in one place, with less need to move between separate systems and records.

UK small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) have reached a defining moment. Rapid advances in technology and AI have created the potential to transform how SMBs operate – improving competitiveness, enhancing efficiency and unlocking new growth opportunities.

Yet, over a third of UK SMBs risk being permanently left behind their competitors because they lack the confidence and processes required to identify, adopt and scale new technologies effectively.

The result is an increasingly pronounced divide between businesses that feel equipped to embrace technology and those struggling to keep pace – Tech Vanguards vs Tech Bystanders. Crucially, that confidence can be self-reinforcing.

Businesses that successfully introduce and scale new technologies are better placed to make their next technology decision with confidence. Those that hesitate risk falling further behind, as the capabilities and experience needed to keep pace become harder to build.

This issue can have widespread consequences. SMBs account for over 99% of UK businesses and are the backbone of the UK economy. Therefore, if the confidence gap isn’t closed the whole country will face the consequences.

The disconnect between access and action

As technology has advanced, innovation has become widely accessible to businesses of all sizes, and many SMB leaders already understand the importance of innovation and technology adoption to their business performance. However, according to Babble’s research, fewer than half feel they’re very confident in their ability to identify, adopt and deploy new technologies successful.

There is a clear gap between knowledge and action, and this is where confidence is becoming a key competitive differentiator. The SMBs pulling ahead don’t necessarily have larger budgets or more resources. But they have built the confidence to make better technology decisions through having clear leadership, strong governance and repeatable processes in place.

These foundations matter because they decrease the uncertainty surrounding technology investments. Rather than each investment being treated as a high-stake investment, SMBs with strong leadership and repeatable processes will have frameworks for assessing where technology can add value and if it fits with their business. Successful adoption builds institutional knowledge and experience, making each decision easier.

For less confident businesses, the opposite can happen. Without established processes, technology decisions can feel riskier and more difficult to navigate, encouraging businesses to delay investment or pursue isolated initiatives that struggle to deliver meaningful returns.

More than half (53%) already feel at a competitive disadvantage compared with businesses better equipped to adopt technology, while 28% believe they'll lose new business to competitors embracing technology and 24% fear losing existing customers.

In an environment where innovation is accessible, confidence is the defining competitive advantage.

The cost of standing still in the AI era

While delaying technology adoption instead of making the wrong investment may seem like the lower-risk option, those decisions quietly accumulate over time, especially in the current AI environment.

Previous technology shifts, from the internet and mobile connectivity to cloud computing, gave SMBs time to observe early adopters before deciding when and how to follow. AI is different because it is not simply introducing another tool into the technology stack.

It has the potential to reshape how work itself gets done, taking on repetitive and manual tasks while allowing employees to spend more time on the judgement, creativity and customer relationships where people add the greatest value. For resource-constrained SMBs, those productivity gains are especially significant.

But productivity tools are only the beginning. SMB technology adoption today remains concentrated around chatbots and assistant technologies such as Microsoft Copilot, which can help individuals work faster and reduce administrative burden. But to unlock significant value, SMBs need to move beyond assistants and embed AI directly into workflows and processes.

The risk of waiting isn't simply missing out on today's productivity gains. Businesses experimenting with AI now are building the experience to understand where it works, where it doesn't and how to deploy it at scale. By the time today's hesitant SMBs decide to act, their competitors may already be several decisions ahead.

The answer isn’t more expertise

Despite the growing confidence gap, which is alarming and needs addressing urgently, there is reason for optimism. SMBs are uniquely positioned to thrive compared to larger organizations. They aren’t weighed down by decades of legacy infrastructure and complex organizational structures that can slow down decision making.

The issue for SMBs isn’t lack of ambition; it’s lack of time. SMB leaders are often balancing multiple priorities from marketing to finance and therefore don’t have the capacity to evaluate technology solutions, especially considering the speed at which new advancements are entering the market. It’s difficult for SMBs to distinguish genuine business value from marketing hype. This challenge is compounded by years of technology vendors overpromising and underdelivering.

But SMB leaders don’t need to have every answer or be a technology expert. Adoption should begin with the problem, rather than the technology itself. After all, Henry Ford’s customers didn’t ask for the car, they asked for a faster horse – knowing the problem doesn’t always mean knowing the solution.

SMBs don't need to know which platform, model or vendor will solve every challenge. They simply need to understand where friction exists inside their business. Once those questions are clear, the right partner will help identify the correct solution. Ultimately, assisting in closing the confidence gap.

Confidence starts with the leader

Closing the confidence gap doesn’t require SMB leaders to become technology experts overnight. Technology confidence is built one successful decision at a time, the aim over the next 12 months shouldn't be to transform everything.

The aim should be to create the conditions, one step at a time, for better decisions to be made consistently. That means making technology a defined leadership responsibility with clear ownership at board level and treating it as a business priority rather than something delegated to IT teams.

Competitive advantage will come from knowing where and when to invest. SMBs that establish clear ownership and repeatable processes today will be better equipped to spot emerging opportunities, make informed technology choices and scale what works. In doing so, they can build the confidence to keep adapting as technology evolves.

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• Like wireless ANC earbuds, except with wires
• Lossless audio at up to 24-bit/48kHz
• £99 (about $131 / AU$186)

For all their joys, there's something missing from many of the best earbuds: wires.

I'm serious: wires can be great for audio, which is why so many audiophile IEMs have them. So I'm intrigued by the latest earbuds from Bose, which are very definitely wired: they come with a 4.2-ft / 1.3m cable.

Wired earbuds don't need to compress audio to broadcast it over Bluetooth, they don't have batteries you'll forget to charge, and they don't lose features or sound quality if your phone doesn't have the right operating system.

The Bose Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds aren't so retro that you can plug them into your Walkman, though. There's no 3.5mm headphone plug of the kind that UK pop star Sir Cliff Richard would recognize; They're USB-C powered, with plug-and-play compatibility. And because they don't have to pick a lossy codec for transmitting audio, they deliver up to 24-bit/48kHz lossess — no pairing, no app, no charging, no fuss. Refreshing!

(Image credit: Bose)Bose Noise Cancelling Wired Earbuds: key features and pricing

The keen-eyed will have spotted something: ANC in wired earbuds isn't usually a thing. But make no mistake, there's active noise cancellation here and you can control it via the inline remote.

There are three levels of noise control: off, Aware and Quiet, with that last two taking advantage of Bose's four-mic QuietControl system to process and remove ambient audio. As they're USB-C buds, connection is instant and widely supported thanks to USB Audio Class 2, which enables lossless audio at up to 24-bit/48kHz. Bose says the connection is very low latency and keeps audio closely in sync with anything on screen, too.

The earbuds come with an inline remote for volume, playback, calls and noise cancellation modes, and the remote also contains a dedicated microphone for voice calls and voice control. They're IPX4 rated for water resistance and come in a choice of three colours (Black, White Smoke and Dewdrop Mint) with two sizes of wingtips and three sizes of ear tips included.

Pricing is keen: £99 in the UK, which is roughly $131 / AU$186. All three models will be available to buy from 15 October 2026.

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For the past several years, the enterprise AI conversation has been dominated by models. Every week has seemed to bring a new benchmark, a new leader board, or a new debate about which model is smartest. Organizations often made technology decisions based on incremental improvements in model performance, assuming that the model itself was the primary source of competitive advantage, but that assumption is rapidly becoming outdated.

As foundation models continue to improve, they are also converging in capability. At the same time, the cost of deploying AI at scale is becoming a more pressing concern for enterprises than squeezing out marginal gains in benchmark performance.

As a result, the focus is shifting from the model itself to everything surrounding it: the systems that make AI useful, governable, and economically viable in real-world business environments.

The question enterprises are increasingly asking is not, "Which model should we use?" Instead, they are asking, "How do we turn AI into reliable work?"

The rise of the AI harness

The answer begins with what can be described as the harness. An AI model on its own is powerful, but incomplete. To deliver business value, it needs context, access to enterprise tools and data, memory, controls, and guardrails. Together, these elements form the scaffolding that transforms a general-purpose model into a system capable of performing useful work, determining how effective an AI system becomes.

Two organizations might deploy the same underlying model yet achieve dramatically different results. One may struggle with inconsistency, high costs, and poor outcomes. The other may produce reliable, measurable business value. The difference often lies in the quality of the harness surrounding the model rather than the model itself.

That reality becomes more significant as models continue to commoditize. In many cases, organizations will have access to the same leading AI capabilities. What will differentiate them will be their ability to operationalize those capabilities efficiently and safely, and move from intelligence creation to intelligence application.

Why loops matter more than prompts

A related concept is what might be called the loop. Many organizations still approach AI interactions as isolated prompts and responses. But enterprise work rarely operates that way. Real business processes involve objectives, verification, correction, and completion criteria. A loop defines a governed unit of work.

Rather than simply generating an answer, the system performs a task, validates progress against the objective, corrects mistakes when necessary, and stops when the outcome is achieved. This seemingly subtle distinction has enormous implications.

When AI systems operate through loops instead of one-off prompts, they generate operational traces and performance records. Those traces can be used to evaluate outcomes, improve workflows, and refine future execution. Over time, this creates a learning system that grows more effective through use rather than requiring constant manual intervention.

In practice, this means enterprises are no longer deploying isolated AI tools. They are building repeatable learning systems — ones that improve the more they do the work.

The orchestration challenge

As AI adoption expands, organizations encounter another reality: there is rarely a single harness. Most enterprises operate across multiple functions, business units, and regulatory environments. Each domain may require different tools, data sources, workflows, and governance requirements.

A harness optimized for software development is unlikely to be the same one used for finance, healthcare, customer service, or compliance. This creates a new challenge: orchestration.

The orchestration layer acts as the traffic controller for enterprise AI. It routes tasks to the right harness, determines when human oversight is required, and coordinates work across multiple systems. Rather than treating AI as a standalone capability, orchestration allows organizations to manage AI as an enterprise-wide operational platform.

This capability becomes particularly important in regulated industries, where workflows often cross organizational boundaries and require strong accountability. As AI moves deeper into critical operations, orchestration will become a defining architectural requirement rather than a technical afterthought.

Governance and assurance as strategic differentiator

If orchestration determines where work goes, governance determines whether that work can happen safely and assurance determines whether we can trust it was done as intended. Many organizations initially viewed AI governance and assurance as a compliance exercise rather than a core operational requirement.

Effective governance and assurance encompasses policy enforcement, authorization controls, asset management, cost monitoring, evaluation and audit services, observability, guardrails, and risk management. These capabilities must function consistently whether work occurs within a single AI system or across multiple interconnected workflows.

The need is especially acute as enterprises deploy autonomous and semi-autonomous systems. A model generating an inaccurate answer may be inconvenient. An AI agent taking action in a regulated business process without adequate oversight can be more problematic. Organizations that treat governance and assurance as an integral component of their AI architecture rather than a bolt-on feature will be better positioned to scale adoption while maintaining trust.

Thinking in ecosystems, not products

Collectively, the harness, orchestration capabilities, and governance and assurance layers form what can be viewed as a governed operating environment for AI. Combined with models, data, and compute infrastructure, they become an ecosystem that functions as a single accountable system.

This shift in perspective is important because no single vendor currently delivers every component of that ecosystem. The future of enterprise AI is therefore unlikely to be dominated by one model provider or one platform vendor. Instead, success will depend on how effectively organizations integrate and operate a diverse collection of technologies.

For enterprises, particularly those operating under regulatory, security, or sovereignty requirements, this integration challenge is not optional. AI must operate within boundaries defined by business policy and organizational control. The ability to combine frontier models with protected enterprise data while maintaining accountability will become a critical capability.

The next AI battleground

The model layer will continue to improve. It will also become increasingly interchangeable, but that does not diminish the importance of AI innovation. Instead, it changes where value is created.

The next battleground is the layer surrounding the model: the harnesses that make work reliable, the loops that make systems learn, the orchestration platforms that coordinate activity, and the governance and assurance frameworks that make scale enterprise ready. Together, they will determine whether AI remains an impressive technology demonstration or becomes a sustainable enterprise capability.

In the years ahead, the organizations that gain lasting advantage are likely to be those that stop asking which model is best and start focusing on how to integrate, govern, and operate AI as an accountable business system. The future of enterprise AI belongs not just to the model alone, but to everything around it.

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If you're under the age of 30 and think of the name Celia Imrie, you likely think of the woman who farted in a log cabin during an episode of The Celebrity Traitors season 1.

Obviously you'd be factually correct, but this doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of just how iconic Imrie actually is. From Acorn Antiques and Dinnerladies to Calendar Girls and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, if there's been a worthwhile British drama, she's been there to improve it.

Now, the same can be said for War on HBO Max (international) and Sky TV (UK). Following two legal firms as they represent a spouse in a high-profile divorce trial, Imrie plays Budgie, a freelance barrister working for the newly established Taylor & Byrne.

From watching the trailer below, you might have assumed, like me, that Imrie was to play the High Court Judge overseeing the trial. According to Taylor and Byrne themselves, James McArdle and Phoebe Fox, Imrie had those onset so fooled by her power, that their opening scene in episode 1 had to be entirely reshot.

'She has such inherent power'

"She is such an incredibly charismatic woman and has such an inherent power," Fox tells me. "Originally, she just turns up and is in the office with us having a scene — but they actually had to reshoot her entering the office because everyone who watched it thought that she ran the company.

"We're the bosses, but that wasn't clear, apparently. She's a dream woman to work with."

And water is wet. This news doesn't surprise me in the slightest... but what I didn't realise is that Celebrity Traitors was airing at the same time as War was being filmed, which must have been like striking gold for any other cast members with a penchant for reality TV.

"While we were filming, Traitors was on," McArdle adds. "It was really hard for the director to get me to concentrate because I just kept trying to get spoilers out of Celia and Nick (Mohammed). Celia and I knew each other from way before, so I thought she would tell me... but she never did."

Oh, didn't I mention that there's also a Celebrity Traitors reunion within the cast too? More on that later this week. For now, set your clocks ready to watch War this Friday (October 2).

• £90 million is being allocated toward using excess heat from UK data centers
• In London, around 650,000 homes will receive cut-price heating via a “mega heat project”
• The project is described as delivering “clean heat” to London

The UK government plans to heat around 750,000 homes as part of a new £90 million project that will include supplying hot water heated by data centers. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) is funding the building of new heat networks and improving existing infrastructure to pipe hot water from data centers across parts of London, including under the Thames.

The initiative is part of a national project to reduce heating bills, with London, Manchester, Newport and Abergavenny in Wales, Solihull in the Midlands, and Bradford in Yorkshire all benefitting. Similar waste-heat projects have been running in Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Vienna, and Berlin for several decades.

In London alone, 650,000 homes will benefit, although the project has drawn ridicule for the cited use of “electric barges” to transport hot water 25 kilometers along the River Thames, while the subterranean pipe system is installed.

£5 billion unlocked

Diverting heat from data centers into water is the core of the £90 million in government funding, but the mega heat project in London relies on unlocking £5 billion in investment, which will also generate jobs.

Alongside roles in river transport, the money will support construction and engineering projects. The mega heat project under the Thames is expected to distribute heated water from a data center, where enough excess heat is generated to provide enough for homes across London.

While £41 million of the funding goes to the capital, £9.7 million will be invested in extending the city’s original heat network. Heat networks were common in the industrial north in the mid-20th century, although Bradford’s network is a more recent project, commencing in 2024. The projects in Greater Manchester (Gorton and Levenshulme) will replace legacy heating systems in social housing blocks.

The “electric barges”

While initial reaction to the news of London's mega heat project has been positive, the use of “electric barges” to transport water along the River Thames has inspired some derision. However, the £41 million heat project is planned to start as soon as possible.

The barges (which will cover 25 kilometers a day) are heated, with the water temperature sustained until it is deposited into insulated riverside tanks mounted. Expected to launch in 2028, the barges will remain in operation until the new hot water distribution system is completed.

“Clean power and clean heat benefits communities across our country," noted the UK’s Minister for Local Energy and Jobs Martin McCluskey.

"Building the infrastructure to deliver it is reindustrialising the UK and rolling out cutting-edge energy technology so families can benefit from lower bills, good jobs and energy security. And for those already using heat networks, we are upgrading inefficient systems to make sure people get the high-quality, low-cost, reliable heating they deserve.”

The Australian Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting a particularly scorching summer over the next few months due to a so-called “super” El Niño weather event, and it would be wise to invest in some cooling solutions in preparation.

Thankfully, Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days has you covered if you’re in the market for a high-quality fan at affordable prices — whether you’re looking for one with automations, misting or to help circulate cool air from your air conditioning unit, there’s something for everyone here.

Sure, a Dyson bladeless fan like the Hot+Cool HF1 or the Find+Follow Purifier Cool are tempting, but you don’t need to spend several hundred dollars for a quality fan. I also wouldn’t recommend getting something ultra-cheap that will struggle to hold up after a few summers, either.

To help make things easier for you, I’ve put together some of the best deals I’ve found below from the likes of Philips, Shark, Vornado and more.

• Follow our dedicated live coverage of the Amazon Prime Big Deal Days 2026 sale for more deals and discounts

Smart Pedestal Fan 3000: was $169 now $99
This fan claims it can cover up to 30m and runs quietly at 19 decibels. You can also adjust its height between 82cm and 125cm depending on where you place it. The ‘smart’ function is only for app control and it doesn’t integrate with Google Home or Alexa, but it helps adjust speeds, set timers, activate sleep mode and natural breeze mode.View Deal

660 Large air circulator: was $279 now $165.75
I’ve owned the medium-sized version of this fan for years and it has served me well in hot weather. Its Vortex Action technology helps circulate cool air throughout a room of up to 30 sq m, and is perfect either for complementing an aircon or just as a standalone fan placed in front of a window. This Large size has four speeds to help you adjust as you need. There’s also another medium-sized option with 4 speeds, a direct current variant and a small-sized table fan.View Deal

683 Medium Pedestal air circulator: was $259 now $157.25
This fan is like the medium-sized version of the 660 above, but it has a pedestal to let you set it up on the floor. The height is adjustable, it runs at 42 decibels and it features an easy-to-clean design. You can also get an X-Large version for maximum cooling.View Deal

Tower Fan 5000: was $179 now $119
When space is a premium and you only require cooling in a focused area, then a tower fan might be for you. This one from Philips is only 23.8cm deep and wide to fit a small space like a corner or a narrow hallway, while also standing 109.5cm tall to provide more cooling.View Deal

This fan can be used either at home, plugged in, or on the go with its built-in battery that’s rated for up to 12 hours of continuous operation. The water droplets from the misting function are ultra-fine and come from an integrated tank, so the feature also works while on the go. A built-in handle and lightweight 1.76kg body also make the FlexBreeze HydroGo easy to transport and move around.View Deal

This bladeless fan may be the priciest in this list, but this discount still makes the Shark TurboBlade Ultra a more affordable option than Dyson’s offerings. The fan can either be set horizontally to cover a wider area or vertically for more focused cooling. It comes with 10 speed options and different noise levels to suit whatever your cooling needs are.View Deal

• Home puts chats, delegated work, and Office documents inside one interface
• Code lets non-programmers describe software and have Copilot build it
• Autopilot can continue recurring work without waiting for another instruction

Microsoft has introduced a redesigned version of its Copilot AI platform which claims to combine chat, delegated work, and coding tools into a unified application experience for users.

The company says the update is meant to let individuals and organizations scale artificial intelligence across everyday tasks and long-term projects.

Three new capabilities anchor this release, including Home, Code and Autopilot, each aimed at a different kind of work.

Home brings Chat and Cowork together

The Home tool brings together two existing modes, Chat for quick questions and Cowork for tasks users delegate entirely, under one shared starting point.

Word, Excel, and PowerPoint now operate inside this same interface, letting users draft documents, budgets, and presentations without switching applications.

In these documents, Copilot is now grounded in Fabric IQ, pulling context from more than 20 million semantic models built in Power BI.

Edits made by colleagues or by the assistant itself appear in real time, so progress stays synchronized across a shared file.

A new plugin registry will let organizations manage Microsoft, partner and custom-built plugins from one central catalog starting this month.

Independent developers and partners can also publish plugins once for use across multiple Copilot surfaces under the new registry arrangement.

The Code tool allows non-programmers to describe an app, tracker or dashboard in plain language and have it built automatically.

This feature runs on the same underlying technology used in GitHub Copilot and can be hosted within a company's own systems.

Autopilot operates without constant prompting

Autopilot, the third addition, is a persistent agent capable of completing recurring work without needing a new instruction each time.

It can run supplier reviews or similar multi-step processes, build schedules, contact stakeholders, and follow up on outstanding items independently.

Because it operates continuously in the cloud, work can continue late at night or whenever a person's attention shifts elsewhere.

A related feature called Today, entering private preview in October, will summarize missed messages and pending tasks across mail and chat.

Microsoft is also tying spending controls to these tools through a system it calls FinOps for AI, letting administrators track usage.

Administrators can set spending limits, approve credit requests and restrict which AI models different teams are permitted to use each month.

Everyday tasks like quick answers or first drafts run on a fixed-price subscription, while agentic features use usage-based billing.

Code, Cowork and Autopilot all fall under this usage-based pricing model, alongside frontier models Microsoft refers to as Astra and Fable.

Home and Code are set to roll out through Microsoft's Frontier program within weeks, and Autopilot enters private preview by month's end.

Microsoft has not released independent data showing how widely the three features are being adopted, how accurate they are, or how much time they actually save.