TechRadar News

• SIXUNITED builds laptop packing 192GB of LPDDR5X-8533 memory total
• It has some gaming specs but also screams AI workstation
• Two M.2 2280 SSD bays run on PCIe Gen4 for storage upgrades

Chinese manufacturer SIXUNITED has released what it calls the world's first laptop built around AMD's Ryzen AI Max+ Pro 495 "Gorgon Halo" processor.

The device, designated AXN88B-160M-YD, pairs the processor with an unusually large 192GB of LPDDR5X-8533 memory.

This memory capacity is rarely seen on a laptop, and it’s rated at 8,533 MT/s, raising questions about who actually needs such capacity in a portable computer.

Built for heavy workloads

The device comes with a 16-inch display that supports 2560 x 1600 resolution with a 120Hz refresh rate and wide color gamut coverage, which can also rotate up to 145 degrees, and the chassis houses two M.2 2280 SSD bays running PCIe Gen4.

Connectivity includes Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, two USB-C ports rated at 40Gbps, an HDMI 2.1 output, and a 2.5GbE RJ-45 port, alongside a USB-A 5Gbps connector, a faster USB-A port rated at 10Gbps, and a UHS-II SD card slot.

The laptop's two M.2 slots use the PCIe Gen4 interface, allowing fast storage upgrades for users handling large AI datasets.

The chassis is built from metal and includes a full-key RGB backlit keyboard alongside a fingerprint sensor for quick logins.

The laptop weighs about 2.1kg, measures 18.35mm thick, and carries a dual battery setup rated at 99.9Whr and 85Whr combined.

A gaming machine? Not exactly

The 192GB memory on this device points toward large language model workloads and professional software rather than the typical demands of everyday gaming.

AMD's Ryzen AI Max+ chips pair a CPU with an integrated GPU and a large unified memory pool for on-device AI tasks.

Traditional gaming laptops rely on dedicated graphics cards with their own video memory, not on shared system RAM.

Furthermore, the power delivery of this laptop reaches 120W, a figure closer to workstation-class laptops than typical thin-and-light gaming laptops.

Its audio comes from a pair of small 2W speakers which seem better suited to video calls than immersive gaming sessions.

The HDMI port supports version 2.1 with fixed-rate link, useful for connecting external high-refresh monitors during extended work sessions.

A single 3.5mm jack handles both headphone output and microphone input, a fairly standard inclusion for this category.

The built-in camera is a modest 2MP sensor paired with an infrared module that also enables secure face-based login.

None of these choices are unusual on their own, but together they suggest a workstation aimed squarely at professionals rather than casual gamers.

SIXUNITED has not detailed exact pricing or a wider international release, but it is expected to retail for about $10,000, more expensive than comparable desktop workstations and gaming laptops with high-end discrete graphics chips.

Marketing this configuration as a gaming laptop looks questionable when its strongest selling point is clearly local AI memory capacity.

Considering its major selling points, this laptop will more likely be attractive to developers or researchers than gamers chasing higher frame rates.

Via ITHome (originally in Chinese)

• Kioxia is pushing flash memory into DRAM territory
• AI workloads are forcing data centers to rethink memory expansion methods
• Kioxia XL1 could add capacity without requiring equivalent increases in DRAM

Kioxia is developing flash memory products designed to help data centers reduce their dependence on costly DRAM as AI workloads demand increasing amounts of memory.

The Japanese memory maker plans to combine faster NAND technology with new interfaces built for demanding AI systems that require large volumes of accessible data.

Its approach includes PCIe 6.0 SSDs and CXL memory expansion technology, though the company has not claimed these products will fully replace DRAM.

Kioxia's SSD lineup targets high-performance AI infrastructure

Kioxia is now showcasing its GP1 Series PCIe 6.0 NVMe SSDs, engineered for extremely high input and output operations within AI infrastructure environments.

These drives support direct communication between GPUs and storage, potentially reducing data movement through conventional system pathways during intensive computational workloads.

PCIe 6.0 could draw particular attention because it offers substantially greater interface bandwidth than earlier generations used in many data center SSDs.

The company is also exhibiting its CM10 Series enterprise SSDs and NX1 Series data center drives, which feature liquid cooling support.

The CM10 Series relies on Kioxia's tenth-generation BiCS FLASH technology, while the NX1 Series uses an E1.S design with PCIe 5.0 connectivity.

These products specifically target data center environments where strong performance gains and improved thermal management increasingly shape storage architecture decisions today.

Kioxia believes shifting certain workloads onto flash storage could ease the capacity shortages and rising costs currently straining global memory supply chains.

The XL1 series aims to bridge DRAM and storage

According to Nikkei Asia, Kioxia has plans to use fast NAND as a direct alternative to conventional DRAM.

Kioxia's most notable development is the XL1 Series, a CXL-compatible memory expansion module built on its XL FLASH technology for lower latency.

The module intends to use a CXL interface with memory-access speed carried across a PCIe link.

CXL allows memory devices to connect more closely with processors, creating additional capacity without requiring every byte to remain in DRAM.

Kioxia says that combining high-speed NAND with a CXL controller module reduces data-read latency to less than one-tenth that of conventional NAND products.

The company positions XL1 to occupy the performance and cost space between conventional DRAM and ordinary SSD storage devices.

Kioxia states that replacing part of a system's DRAM with CXL modules can double memory capacity while improving performance by 30%.

That distinction matters because NAND flash remains inherently slower than DRAM, meaning wholesale replacement would create performance penalties for latency-sensitive applications.

Evaluation units are scheduled for delivery to technology partners during August 2026, giving potential customers a chance to assess the technology.

Kioxia plans to discuss these technologies at FMS 2026 in Santa Clara, California, through presentations, technical sessions and live demonstrations.

Its overall strategy focuses on supplementing existing DRAM rather than eliminating it from AI server memory configurations.

As if Stuart Fails to Save the Universe couldn't be more unhinged, this week the gang is trapped in a legitimate comic book... as illustrated versions of themselves.

It feels like a chaotic move, but actually, we probably should have been expecting it. As HBO itself puts it, "Finally a world that Stuart can (hopefully) thrive in."

But will he? My vote is no. Still, when does Stuart Fails to Save the Universe episode 9 arrive on HBO Max?

What time can I watch Stuart Fails to Save the Universe episode 9 on HBO Max?

For US viewers, Stuart Fails to Save the Universe episode 9 will drop on Thursday, September 17 at 6pm PT/9pm ET.

Internationally, you're looking out for these timings:

• US – Thursday, September 17 at 6pm PT / 9pm ET
• Canada – Thursday, September 17 at 6pm PT / 9pm ET
• UK – Friday, September 18 at 2am BST
• India – Friday, September 18 at 6:30am IST
• Singapore – Friday, September 18 at 9am SGT
• Australia – Friday, September 18 at 11am AEST
• New Zealand – Friday, September 18 at 1pm NZST

When do new episodes of Stuart Fails to Save the Universe come out?

(Image credit: HBO Max)

New episodes of Stuart Fails to Save the Universe will make landfall every Thursday in the US, and on Fridays everywhere else. Here are the all-important dates you need to know about:

• Episode 1: out now
• Episode 2: out now
• Episode 3: out now
• Episode 4: out now
• Episode 5: out now
• Episode 6: out now
• Episode 7: out now
• Episode 8: out now
• Episode 9: September 17
• Episode 10: September 24

• China shipped 46 tons of drone material to a sanctioned Russian firm
• The shipment was hidden on paper under a civilian customs code
• Alabuga-Volokno sends 89% of its output straight to Russian defense firms

Internal shipping records reviewed by the US and UK governments revealed that a Chinese state-owned enterprise transferred 46 tons of carbon-fiber precursor material to a sanctioned Russian drone manufacturer earlier in 2026.

The documents describe two large containers moving between Jilin Chemical Fiber Group and Alabuga-Volokno, a subsidiary of Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom.

Investigators say the cargo was logged under a customs code normally reserved for civilian synthetic fiber, obscuring its actual military use.

A disguised customs code

Alabuga-Volokno makes 39 separate carbon-fiber products for aviation, rocket engineering, drones, shipbuilding, and armor.

The company barely releases any civilian products, as roughly 89% of its output is expected to serve Russian defense firms by 2030.

Weapons expert David Albright said using the correct shipping code would have flagged the shipment as a dual-use item with both civilian and defense applications.

Albright estimated the volume shipped could supply enough material for as many as 1,300 long-range attack drones.

Ukrainian Security and Cooperation Centre says it has tracked at least eight tenders for similar shipments between the two firms since 2022.

It claims that the sanctions have left Beijing as nearly the sole supplier of composite materials for Russian weapons manufacturing.

A Kiel Institute analysis found that China supplies more than 60% of the components sustaining Russia's military production.

Former deputy secretary of state Kurt Campbell said dozens of Chinese firms now maintain deep ties to Moscow's defense sector in exchange for military technology transfers.

The disclosure arrives weeks before Donald Trump is scheduled to meet Xi Jinping in Washington, a summit both governments would likely prefer to focus on trade rather than sanctions enforcement.

Beijing denies any wrongdoing

China's embassy in Washington rejected the allegations, saying the country strictly controls dual-use goods and has never armed either side of the conflict.

Rosatom likewise disputed any wrongdoing tied to its subsidiary's customs filings.

“Rosatom and its enterprises operate in full compliance with applicable laws and regulatory requirements,” said a spokesperson for the Russian state firm.

“Any claim to the contrary is false and demonstrates a lack of understanding of how Russia’s customs authorities operate.”

Former U.S. officials remain skeptical of Beijing's denials, arguing that state-owned firms operate under close government oversight.

“They are doing it knowing that the Chinese government will not bust them for it,” said Dennis Wilder, former CIA deputy assistant director for East Asia and the Pacific.

“The idea that Chinese state-owned enterprises can hide things from the Chinese government just doesn’t wash.”

Chinese leader Xi Jinping has always maintained that China will not participate in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

“We would not add fuel to the fire, and above all we would not profiteer,” Xi said in 2023.

Despite the denials from Beijing and Moscow, Ukraine argues that Chinese support keeps Russia's defense industry expanding production of drones and missile components.

Kyiv warned that continued shipments only strengthen ties between two of the West's strategic rivals, deepening cooperation across their industrial sectors.

Ukraine called for secondary sanctions, tighter export controls, financial pressure on intermediaries and closer coordination with Asian partners to counter these networks.

Via Politico

• A new Mac music player called YM Pro has been released on the Mac App Store and promises 'bit perfect' playback
• It bypasses macOS' system mixer to connect directly to your DAC
• Changes the DAC to match the file, not the other way around
• PCM audio only, requires Apple Silicon

If you're looking for a hi-res music player for your Mac that can make the most of your external audio equipment, YM Pro could be just what you're looking for.

It's free, open source, available on the Mac App Store, and offers an interesting alternative to Apple's way of doing things, especially if you use an external DAC. And while it's very much a work in progress it's got lots of potential.

Developer Yonesh Murugan has posted details of the app to r/audiophile. Getting it approved was apparently a "nightmare" because the app takes exclusive control of your audio hardware, something App Store reviewers weren't too happy about. But it's now approved and live, although there are a few rough edges still.

The key difference between YM Pro and other apps is that it bypasses the system mixer completely, connecting directly to your DAC and automatically switching its sample rate to the file you're playing, up to 192kHz.

It also has "hog mode", which turns off all your system sounds and other audio while you're listening.

YM Pro audio player: what works, and what needs work

The "bit-perfect" claim is about how the app handles music playback. Rather than up- or downsampling audio files to match your DAC's set bitrate, it adjusts your DAC to match the audio file's resolution — and does it directly, without any other software resampling as it passes through the OS, so your audio should remain pure.

Although YM Pro's core mission is to play hi-res, bit-perfect FLAC files, which the Apple Music app doesn't do (Apple wants you to use its ALAC equivalent instead), it also handles common formats including MP3 and WAV.

It's purely for PCM formats, not DSD, and it requires Apple Silicon (as does macOS 27, which launches imminently).

The app doesn't connect to your Music library; instead, you point it to the folder containing the music you want it to catalog and play. That folder can be the one containing your existing Music library, but it lacks auto-scanning and auto-updating so you'd need to keep it up to date manually.

This is a first release, so inevitably there are some issues. And I seem to be encountering more than most: I can't persuade it to use my preferred audio output, no matter how many times I change it in System Settings > Sound; the workaround described in the r/audiophile thread isn't working on my Mac Mini, where the app isn't paying attention to my selection. There are some interface issues, and others report some playlist organization issues too.

However, early feedback from others says the app sounds good, and as it's free, it's worth taking a look at or listen to so you can compare it with the likes of VOX.

Murugan seems keen on feedback from users, and is promising to make some enhancements based on the comments provided so far.

• Apple is reportedly working on Beats-branded game controllers for iPhones
• Mark Gurman says Apple has been working on them for almost a year
• Gurman suggests the Beats team is leading on both 'product engineering and conception'

Apple seemingly continues to show its devotion to gaming with something that's in the pipeline for iOS gamers.

As reported by PC Mag, macOS 26.7 code references two unreleased iPhone game controllers, and Bloomberg's Mark Gurman suggests Apple has been working on them for almost a year. More importantly, though, Gurman says these controllers could launch under the Beats brand.

The controllers are codenamed T6502 and T1057 according to MacRumors (which discovered the references), with different haptic designs alongside a standard game controller's features. Beats, which was acquired by Apple in 2014, is a brand often used for its own popular audio products (of course), but also for USB-C cables and some iPhone cases.

Now, it appears as though Beats may well represent gaming accessories for Apple going forward, and Gurman claims these controllers are being led by Beats executives in both "product engineering and conception".

It's a potential move that comes at a convenient time for iPhone owners intrigued by gaming, as the RAM crisis continues to impact the PC hardware and games console market. Gurman observes that Apple sees gaming accessories such as those for phones as a "growing market and wants in".

Game controller and speaker hybrid?

(Image credit: Backbone)

If this does indeed happen, it seems somewhat bizarre to have Beats producing game controllers, as it's quite a switch from the traditional audio products. Fortunately though, it opens the door to some surprising designs, and I'm thinking specifically of the audio side of the equation when connecting the purported controllers to an iPhone.

Maybe Beats could look to do something similar to Asus and its ROG Phone AeroActive Coolers, which feature shoulder buttons for gaming alongside a built-in subwoofer for a significant boost in bass and audio quality. No, these ROG peripherals aren't full game controllers, but they effectively illustrate what could be realized with a hybrid speaker and controller combo.

Based on the brief design description from the references found in macOS, alongside Gurman's report, it's hard to say that the rumored peripherals will be anything other than simple controllers. But there are presumably opportunities for clever design twists, particularly given the Beats branding.

If this Beats rumor turns out to be true, it's clear that Apple is looking to serve a market that is growing amid the RAM crisis, and hoping to leverage the accessibility that comes with iPhones for gaming.

This is one of the cleverest docking stations I've ever seen from Anker (or anyone else for that matter). This 13-in-1 dock with a detachable hub supports everything from triple display output to 100W laptop charging over a single cable.

• Best for: Remote workers, creators, gamers, and office professionals who want a multi-monitor setup at home with a compact travel hub for on the move.

• The deal: The Anker Nano 13-in-1 dock is discounted to $120 (was $150) at Amazon. In the UK, the dock is now £100 (was £130).

• Why we like it: This docking station features 13 ports, with support for three-monitor set ups, and a 100W PD for charging smaller devices like phones and laptops. But what really stands out to me is the detachable 6-in-1 hub. So, you can leave the bulky main hub on your desk and take the small unit with you on the commute.

• The catch: macOS users will get mirrored external displays, rather than independent extended displays. If you don't need the extra ports and power delivery, a cheap docking station for hooking up mice and keyboards is perfectly suitable.

Nano Laptop Docking Station: was $149.99 now $119.99
We love useful gadgets like this docking station, with its 13 ports, 100W Power Delivery for laptops, and support for three monitors over HDMI and DisplayPort. But the star of the show for us is the detachable hub, which lets you take the 6-in-1 hub with you when you're away from your desk.

In the UK: now £100 (was £130)View Deal

Why we recommend it

The triple display support is the main draw for a home office upgrade. Switching from a single laptop screen to two or three monitors through one cable is one of the most noticeable productivity upgrades you can make to a desk setup.

Anker's combination of two HDMI ports and a DisplayPort covers most monitor configurations without adapters. This allows up to 4K at 60Hz on a single screen, or dual 2K at 60Hz.

The detachable 6-in-1 hub is a genuinely practical design choice. It means the dock doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing desk fixture; you can pull the smaller hub off and take it with you when you only need basic connectivity away from your main setup.

100W of pass-through charging is enough for most laptops on the market, so this can realistically replace your laptop's charger at the desk while also handling displays, Ethernet, and peripherals through the same cable.

Price Context & Historical Value

A $30 drop from $149.99 to $119.99 is a 20 percent discount. Third-party price tracking shows this dock has dipped as low as $104.49 previously, so $119.99 is a solid price but not the lowest it has ever been. It is still a meaningful saving over the regular price for anyone who has been waiting to buy.

Should you buy it?

✅ Buy the Anker Nano docking station if... you want to run two or three monitors off a single laptop cable, you need Ethernet for a more reliable home office connection than Wi-Fi, or you want a hub that detaches into a smaller, travel-friendly piece when you do not need the full docking setup.

❌ Skip the Anker Nano docking station if... your laptop or monitors cannot make use of triple display output, you need faster charging than 100W for a larger laptop, or you are looking for the absolute cheapest single-purpose USB-C hub rather than a full docking station.

The Catch: What to know before you buy

Since macOS doesn't support Multi-Stream Transport over USB-C, and this docking station use a single-cable setup, monitors will mirror the main screen, instead of showing independently. That's not an issue on Windows. User reviews also note that charging speed can be slower when the dock is also driving multiple displays and peripherals at once, so heavy multitaskers with power-hungry laptops should keep expectations realistic.

• See more docking station deals at Amazon.

Apple has traditionally kept the iPad closer to the iPhone in terms of core functionality (even after it released iPadOS as a standalone software package in 2019), but iPadOS 26 marked a distinct shift towards making the iPad feel more Mac-like.

And honestly, this change in direction made sense. After all, iPads now run MacBook-level M-series chips; the iPad Pro (2025), for instance, uses the M5. They also let you run background exports in creative apps, switch audio sources while podcasting, and complete many more high-level productivity tasks.

One excellent addition in iPadOS 26 was the arrival of the Menu Bar, which acts as a facsimile of the macOS version of the same feature. But having used iPadOS 27, which launches today (September 14), since its launch in beta earlier this year, I can confidently say that this new software package makes the iPad feel more Mac-like than ever — and the Menu Bar is once again responsible for that.

Passing the bar

The Mac-like Menu Bar in iPadOS 27 (Image credit: Future)

As mentioned, the Menu Bar is about as Mac as it gets, offering app-specific options at the top of the iPad screen. It’s as synonymous with macOS as the Dock, and it’s one of the core features that take some getting used to when switching from a Windows PC to a Mac.

On Mac, the Menu Bar is permanent. It sits at the top of the screen for easy access and highlights which app you’re currently using (something that’s particularly useful if you’re juggling multiple apps and keyboard shortcuts), but in iPadOS 26 it wasn’t, meaning it could be just as much of a hindrance as it was a help.

Thankfully, iPadOS 27 ensures the Menu Bar is always available, and while there are still some things I wish I could do on Apple’s tablet, the ability to affix the Menu Bar permanently is a change I welcome.

(Image credit: Future)

To do so, once you’ve updated to iPadOS 27, open Settings and select ‘Multitasking & Gestures’ on the left-hand sidebar. You’ll have to be on the Windowed Apps or Stage Manager option to be able to see the Menu Bar.

From here, look for a toggle labelled ‘Automatically Show and Hide Menu Bar’. If it’s on, turn it off, and you’ll see the Menu Bar consistently across apps, unless you’re watching something in full-screen mode. If you get fed up with it, just toggle that ‘Automatically Show and Hide Menu Bar’ option back on, and it’ll disappear again.

Still a way to go

The Siri AI interface in iPadOS 27 (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

Once you’ve toggled that setting, you can enjoy having the Menu Bar at the top of your iPad screen, but there are some caveats to be aware of.

For one, it’s not particularly useful if you use your iPad with your finger. The Menu Bar is much more suited to using a mouse, trackpad, or the Apple Pencil. I use the Magic Keyboard and, as ridiculously pricey as it was, this feature makes my whole iPad much more useful.

The other thing to be aware of is that the Menu Bar can’t be customized with third-party apps in the same way that long-running Mac ones like Bartender can. Sadly, it remains static in terms of what you can put on the right-hand side of it. Maybe one day that’ll change, but I can’t see Apple rolling out utility apps on its iPadOS platform anytime soon.

Finally, some nifty features to be aware of: you can still drag down from the right-hand side of the Menu Bar to access the Control Center (which is customizable, thankfully), and the left-hand side still takes you to your notifications (although I do wish this was a column on the side of the screen à la the macOS notification centre, rather than taking up the whole screen).

You can also drag down from the middle of the Menu Bar to access Siri AI, which is new in iPadOS 27 and makes Apple’s voice assistant much more useful.

So, what do you think? Is this the closest we’ll ever get to a MacPad? Or are you sticking with the Mac for now and leaving the iPad for content consumption? Let me know in the comments below.

Apple has traditionally kept the iPad closer to the iPhone in terms of core functionality (even after it released iPadOS as a standalone software package in 2019), but iPadOS 26 marked a distinct shift towards making the iPad feel more Mac-like.

And honestly, this change in direction made sense. After all, iPads now run MacBook-level M-series chips; the iPad Pro (2025), for instance, uses the M5. They also let you run background exports in creative apps, switch audio sources while podcasting, and complete many more high-level productivity tasks.

One excellent addition in iPadOS 26 was the arrival of the Menu Bar, which acts as a facsimile of the macOS version of the same feature. But having used iPadOS 27, which launches today (September 14), since its launch in beta earlier this year, I can confidently say that this new software package makes the iPad feel more Mac-like than ever — and the Menu Bar is once again responsible for that.

Passing the bar

The Mac-like Menu Bar in iPadOS 27 (Image credit: Future)

As mentioned, the Menu Bar is about as Mac as it gets, offering app-specific options at the top of the iPad screen. It’s as synonymous with macOS as the Dock, and it’s one of the core features that take some getting used to when switching from a Windows PC to a Mac.

On Mac, the Menu Bar is permanent. It sits at the top of the screen for easy access and highlights which app you’re currently using (something that’s particularly useful if you’re juggling multiple apps and keyboard shortcuts), but in iPadOS 26 it wasn’t, meaning it could be just as much of a hindrance as it was a help.

Thankfully, iPadOS 27 ensures the Menu Bar is always available, and while there are still some things I wish I could do on Apple’s tablet, the ability to affix the Menu Bar permanently is a change I welcome.

(Image credit: Future)

To do so, once you’ve updated to iPadOS 27, open Settings and select ‘Multitasking & Gestures’ on the left-hand sidebar. You’ll have to be on the Windowed Apps or Stage Manager option to be able to see the Menu Bar.

From here, look for a toggle labelled ‘Automatically Show and Hide Menu Bar’. If it’s on, turn it off, and you’ll see the Menu Bar consistently across apps, unless you’re watching something in full-screen mode. If you get fed up with it, just toggle that ‘Automatically Show and Hide Menu Bar’ option back on, and it’ll disappear again.

Still a way to go

The Siri AI interface in iPadOS 27 (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

Once you’ve toggled that setting, you can enjoy having the Menu Bar at the top of your iPad screen, but there are some caveats to be aware of.

For one, it’s not particularly useful if you use your iPad with your finger. The Menu Bar is much more suited to using a mouse, trackpad, or the Apple Pencil. I use the Magic Keyboard and, as ridiculously pricey as it was, this feature makes my whole iPad much more useful.

The other thing to be aware of is that the Menu Bar can’t be customized with third-party apps in the same way that long-running Mac ones like Bartender can. Sadly, it remains static in terms of what you can put on the right-hand side of it. Maybe one day that’ll change, but I can’t see Apple rolling out utility apps on its iPadOS platform anytime soon.

Finally, some nifty features to be aware of: you can still drag down from the right-hand side of the Menu Bar to access the Control Center (which is customizable, thankfully), and the left-hand side still takes you to your notifications (although I do wish this was a column on the side of the screen à la the macOS notification centre, rather than taking up the whole screen).

You can also drag down from the middle of the Menu Bar to access Siri AI, which is new in iPadOS 27 and makes Apple’s voice assistant much more useful.

So, what do you think? Is this the closest we’ll ever get to a MacPad? Or are you sticking with the Mac for now and leaving the iPad for content consumption? Let me know in the comments below.

• The Google Fitbit Air is getting some new features introduced with the Google Pixel Watch 5
• Health Guardian includes Insulin Resistance Trends, Blood Pressure Trends and Sleep Breathing Quality
• These features are not behind a Google Health Premium subscription, and are available on the Google Health app for free

The Google Fitbit Air is one of the best cheap fitness trackers, a $99.99 / £84.99 / AU$199 fitness band that offers a basic level of fitness tracking within its free tier, and an advanced AI-powered fitness coach with an additional premium subscription. We liked it at the free tier, although the app is a bit limited, and the premium experience will depend on your tolerance for interacting with chatbots.

However, both tiers are about to get a little bit better, which means the Fitbit Air is becoming even better value, with the addition of Google's new Health Guardian suite of features. The suite comprises a trio of tools, introduced earlier this year on the Google Pixel Watch 5. News site Gadgets & Wearables dug through version 5.07.2 of the app and found the three new features in the app's code.

Pixel Watches get four new tools rather than three, but Google's Breathing Emergency Detection requires the watch's emergency contact and notification infrastructure, which the screenless Fitbit Air doesn't have.

What's new

(Image credit: Future / Google)

First up for the new tools is Insulin Resistance Trends. Insulin Resistance is an important metric, as it tells you how sensitively your body responds to blood sugar, and insulin resistance is of course a major precursor to type-2 diabetes. This metric "analyzes multi-week physiological data to track shifts in your metabolic health", pointing at resistance levels going up and down. However, for truly accurate blood sugar metrics, you'll need something like a continuous glucose monitor.

Next up is Blood Pressure Trends, which "passively measure your pulse and motion patterns throughout the month to estimate your blood pressure trends without requiring a cuff or manual calibration". Blood pressure via LED technology is very new to wearables, and it's amazing to see it in a device this cheap. However, it's worth noting this isn't a replacement for a cuff, just a likely indicator of trend. You'll still need regular measurement with either a cuff or a doctor's appointment for anything serious, but it can be an indication to start paying attention to your blood pressure.

Finally, Sleep Breathing Quality is a sleep feature showing you how much time you spent in 'optimal breathing' the night before. Google Health Coach, the AI chatbot you get in the app's premium tier, can offer advice about how to improve this based on your sleep score and other contextual information.

In fact, while you get the basic numbers for all three new metrics, the Google Health Coach can dip in and surface these stats to offer actionable advice. For example, you can use your Insulin Resistance Trends in combination with your nutrition logging to allow the coach to help you make a meal plan to bring that number down.

Worth buying?

(Image credit: Future / TechRadar)

While I'm not the biggest fan of Google's AI Health Coach, I did like the Fitbit Air as a whole, and new, useful, actionable metrics can only add to its already-excellent value proposition.

Whoop can estimate daily blood pressure ranges, but it doesn't offer an Insulin Resistance Trends metric, for example, whereas the Garmin Cirqa doesn't cover blood pressure estimates or insulin. Both competitor wearables have SPO2 blood oxygen sensors, however.

Health Guardian tools are only general indicators of your body's trends. However, if any of these metrics matter to you, for many people the Google Fitbit Air is cheap enough that these new features could be an incentive to pick one up over its more expensive rivals.

• The Google Fitbit Air is getting some new features introduced with the Google Pixel Watch 5
• Health Guardian includes Insulin Resistance Trends, Blood Pressure Trends and Sleep Breathing Quality
• These features are not behind a Google Health Premium subscription, and are available on the Google Health app for free

The Google Fitbit Air is one of the best cheap fitness trackers, a $99.99 / £84.99 / AU$199 fitness band that offers a basic level of fitness tracking within its free tier, and an advanced AI-powered fitness coach with an additional premium subscription. We liked it at the free tier, although the app is a bit limited, and the premium experience will depend on your tolerance for interacting with chatbots.

However, both tiers are about to get a little bit better, which means the Fitbit Air is becoming even better value, with the addition of Google's new Health Guardian suite of features. The suite comprises a trio of tools, introduced earlier this year on the Google Pixel Watch 5. News site Gadgets & Wearables dug through version 5.07.2 of the app and found the three new features in the app's code.

Pixel Watches get four new tools rather than three, but Google's Breathing Emergency Detection requires the watch's emergency contact and notification infrastructure, which the screenless Fitbit Air doesn't have.

What's new

(Image credit: Future / Google)

First up for the new tools is Insulin Resistance Trends. Insulin Resistance is an important metric, as it tells you how sensitively your body responds to blood sugar, and insulin resistance is of course a major precursor to type-2 diabetes. This metric "analyzes multi-week physiological data to track shifts in your metabolic health", pointing at resistance levels going up and down. However, for truly accurate blood sugar metrics, you'll need something like a continuous glucose monitor.

Next up is Blood Pressure Trends, which "passively measure your pulse and motion patterns throughout the month to estimate your blood pressure trends without requiring a cuff or manual calibration". Blood pressure via LED technology is very new to wearables, and it's amazing to see it in a device this cheap. However, it's worth noting this isn't a replacement for a cuff, just a likely indicator of trend. You'll still need regular measurement with either a cuff or a doctor's appointment for anything serious, but it can be an indication to start paying attention to your blood pressure.

Finally, Sleep Breathing Quality is a sleep feature showing you how much time you spent in 'optimal breathing' the night before. Google Health Coach, the AI chatbot you get in the app's premium tier, can offer advice about how to improve this based on your sleep score and other contextual information.

In fact, while you get the basic numbers for all three new metrics, the Google Health Coach can dip in and surface these stats to offer actionable advice. For example, you can use your Insulin Resistance Trends in combination with your nutrition logging to allow the coach to help you make a meal plan to bring that number down.

Worth buying?

(Image credit: Future / TechRadar)

While I'm not the biggest fan of Google's AI Health Coach, I did like the Fitbit Air as a whole, and new, useful, actionable metrics can only add to its already-excellent value proposition.

Whoop can estimate daily blood pressure ranges, but it doesn't offer an Insulin Resistance Trends metric, for example, whereas the Garmin Cirqa doesn't cover blood pressure estimates or insulin. Both competitor wearables have SPO2 blood oxygen sensors, however.

Health Guardian tools are only general indicators of your body's trends. However, if any of these metrics matter to you, for many people the Google Fitbit Air is cheap enough that these new features could be an incentive to pick one up over its more expensive rivals.

After eight years of bouncing around various cities and job roles, I decided to move back to the countryside where I grew up – all during the 2020 lockdown chaos. I wanted my kids to enjoy the same outdoor freedom I had as a child, and for the most part, a return to rural living lived up to the dream.

All except for one considerable headache: power outages.

It seemed like any level of weather led to power cuts that would last anywhere from just a few minutes to over 12 hours. Heavy rain? Power cut. A few days of dry weather? Power cut. A bit of wind? Power cut.

Erratic weather meant constant disruption – a small inconvenience for some, but a recipe for disaster when you're running a home office and trying to keep two kids entertained. I needed to find a reliable solution.

A powerful solution

I’d be dramatic if I said the regular power cuts made me consider moving, but with two of us working entirely from home and two kids to keep entertained, they have been incredibly frustrating.

I’d already spent a week looking at various power stations when Jackery contacted me asking if I wanted to review the Jackery 2000 v2 power station. Was this the solution I was looking for? I jumped at the chance.

A few days later, a hefty box arrived at my door. After a considerable amount of time removing the packaging, I was faced with the unit. I plugged it in and forgot about it.

The dinner incident

Anyone with young kids with healthy appetites will know that any delay in promised ‘feeding times’ can lead to full meltdowns, and honestly, as a man in my mid-thirties, I’m much the same.

On this particular night, I’d already had to take emergency measures, giving out snacks to stop the endless ‘when is dinner ready?’ questions. So when I heard the sudden click and noticed the air fryer had stopped making its familiar hum, my heart sank.

Panic set in. Should I order takeaway? No, it will take too long. Is ok to give my kids ice cream for dinner? No, that’s bad parenting.

Then it clicked - the power station. I raced to the cupboard I was keeping it in and carried it to the side. I plugged in the air fryer and pressed the button, half expecting it not to work. Then the familiar hum returned. Pure relief.

After 25 minutes of cooking, the battery had only dropped about 20%. The mini pizzas were saved, the meltdown was avoided, and my sanity was still intact.

A big deal?

The Jackery 2000 v2 is certainly competitive compared to other similarly priced power stations, but it isn’t revolutionary, and it doesn’t solve my issue 100%.

After all, when I have a power cut, I still have a challenge keeping my fridge/freezer running; I can’t charge my car; and, with all my power coming from one unit, I can’t run my laptop in one room whilst my kids watch TV in the other. Yet it has still become one of those products where I start to wonder how I ever lived without it.

I admit that I went back and forth when researching power stations. Although I knew I would use one, they aren’t the cheapest products. Could I really justify making a purchase of that size?

Now, if I look at how many times the Jackery 2000 v2 has come to the rescue, whether when trying to work, cook dinner, or access power when camping, it feels like a very worthwhile investment. Especially when I consider that with just one unit, I will enjoy a level of power security for years to come.

After eight years of bouncing around various cities and job roles, I decided to move back to the countryside where I grew up – all during the 2020 lockdown chaos. I wanted my kids to enjoy the same outdoor freedom I had as a child, and for the most part, a return to rural living lived up to the dream.

All except for one considerable headache: power outages.

It seemed like any level of weather led to power cuts that would last anywhere from just a few minutes to over 12 hours. Heavy rain? Power cut. A few days of dry weather? Power cut. A bit of wind? Power cut.

Erratic weather meant constant disruption – a small inconvenience for some, but a recipe for disaster when you're running a home office and trying to keep two kids entertained. I needed to find a reliable solution.

A powerful solution

I’d be dramatic if I said the regular power cuts made me consider moving, but with two of us working entirely from home and two kids to keep entertained, they have been incredibly frustrating.

I’d already spent a week looking at various power stations when Jackery contacted me asking if I wanted to review the Jackery 2000 v2 power station. Was this the solution I was looking for? I jumped at the chance.

A few days later, a hefty box arrived at my door. After a considerable amount of time removing the packaging, I was faced with the unit. I plugged it in and forgot about it.

The dinner incident

Anyone with young kids with healthy appetites will know that any delay in promised ‘feeding times’ can lead to full meltdowns, and honestly, as a man in my mid-thirties, I’m much the same.

On this particular night, I’d already had to take emergency measures, giving out snacks to stop the endless ‘when is dinner ready?’ questions. So when I heard the sudden click and noticed the air fryer had stopped making its familiar hum, my heart sank.

Panic set in. Should I order takeaway? No, it will take too long. Is ok to give my kids ice cream for dinner? No, that’s bad parenting.

Then it clicked - the power station. I raced to the cupboard I was keeping it in and carried it to the side. I plugged in the air fryer and pressed the button, half expecting it not to work. Then the familiar hum returned. Pure relief.

After 25 minutes of cooking, the battery had only dropped about 20%. The mini pizzas were saved, the meltdown was avoided, and my sanity was still intact.

A big deal?

The Jackery 2000 v2 is certainly competitive compared to other similarly priced power stations, but it isn’t revolutionary, and it doesn’t solve my issue 100%.

After all, when I have a power cut, I still have a challenge keeping my fridge/freezer running; I can’t charge my car; and, with all my power coming from one unit, I can’t run my laptop in one room whilst my kids watch TV in the other. Yet it has still become one of those products where I start to wonder how I ever lived without it.

I admit that I went back and forth when researching power stations. Although I knew I would use one, they aren’t the cheapest products. Could I really justify making a purchase of that size?

Now, if I look at how many times the Jackery 2000 v2 has come to the rescue, whether when trying to work, cook dinner, or access power when camping, it feels like a very worthwhile investment. Especially when I consider that with just one unit, I will enjoy a level of power security for years to come.

• Microsoft warns of a sophisticated campaign tricking users into updating passkeys via fake IT calls
• Victims redirected to adversary‑in‑the‑middle sites mimicking Microsoft login to steal access
• Attackers exfiltrate files from SharePoint, OneDrive, and Exchange; phishing‑resistant MFA advised

Passkeys have made stealing passwords obsolete. To work around this change, hackers have started tricking users into authenticating on attacker-controlled computers. This is according to a new report from Microsoft, which says there’s a highly sophisticated campaign currently taking place, with the goal of compromising people’s cloud accounts and stealing as many sensitive files as possible.

The attack starts a lot earlier than what the victim experiences. There is a lot of pre-attack planning and due diligence, in which the threat actors gather as much information about their target as possible. Knowing their place of work, position, and personal phone number is essential.

Once all the pieces are in place, the attack starts with a phone call - victims are told they are speaking to their organization’s IT help desk and that they need to update their passkey (or MFA, depending on the setup) immediately, to avoid any disruptions to their operations.

Follow-up SMS

In the follow-up to the call, the victims then receive an SMS message with a link where they can update their security configuration. On the surface, the website looks like the legitimate Microsoft login landing page. In reality, though, this is a pre-built malicious website that uses the adversary-in-the-middle (AitM) techniques to either receive access on the actor’s behalf, or capture credentials.

"The actor appears to invest heavily in pre-attack research, likely gathering information about employees and organizational structure from public sources such as social networking and professional profiling platforms," Microsoft said. "In a smaller number of cases, actors take advantage of already compromised accounts to expand their reach" by sending similar passkey-themed messages via Microsoft Teams.

The campaign is apparently ongoing since at least May this year, Microsoft, said, without detailing the number of victims. Its aim seems to be to exfiltrate files from SharePoint and OneDrive, as well as email data from Microsoft Exchange Online. It also did not attribute this campaign to any specific threat actor, although it did say that there are many collectives engaged in such, or similar, campaigns, including Cordial Spider, Storm-3121, and others.

Via The Hacker News

When Jon Woodard proudly installed the latest security technology on his Oxfordshire home, including a Ring video doorbell and a security camera on his shed, little did he realise that it would result in a landmark case that was to set him back thousands of pounds in damages.

The dispute began innocently enough with an invitation from Mr Woodard to his neighbour, Dr Mary Fairhurst, for a tour of his newly renovated home during which he showcased his then cutting-edge security setup. But it soon descended into an acrimonious battle when, in the words of the judgement, Dr Fairhurst was "alarmed and appalled" to discover that the camera mounted on Mr Woodard’s shed pointed directly at her property.

As well as objecting to live video footage being streamed directly to Mr Woodard’s smartphone, the court heard how she found the audio data which captured her private conversations "even more problematic and detrimental than video data.” And when the case landed in Oxford County Court, Judge Melissa Clarke upheld claims that the devices "unjustifiably invaded" Fairhurst’s privacy and their use breached the Data Protection Act 2018 as well as UK General Data Protection (GDPR) legislation.

Crucially, the court singled out the audio data collected by the cameras as being "more problematic and detrimental than video data" because it captured conversations from people who were entirely unaware that a device was listening or that audio was being processed. As a result, Mr Woodard was ordered to pay damages and a fine believed to total up to £100,000.

Speaking at the time of the case in October 2021, digital privacy expert Hannah Hart of Pro Privacy told the BBC: “While this case doesn’t set a legal precedent, it does continue an ongoing conversation about our changing attitude towards domestic surveillance — and how normalised it has become in our communities.”

Navigating legal boundaries of home surveillance

Five years on from the landmark case and the risk of falling foul of the law with home security equipment has only grown as new technology such as facial recognition has become commonplace, and users have turned to social media to post video footage taken with their security cameras and video doorbells.

In very broad terms, those using this kind of surveillance technology must have a lawful basis for doing so

Lisa Sweetman, Knights

And while understanding what you can and can’t do with domestic cameras does vary between regions, in most countries there is legislation in place to protect the privacy of individuals whose images and, potentially voices, are captured on these devices. As Lisa Sweetman, Partner in the Commercial Team specialising in Data Protection at legal firm Knights told TechRadar: “In very broad terms, those using this kind of surveillance technology must have a lawful basis for doing so and should or must, in certain cases, conduct a data protection impact assessment, or risk assessment, to ensure they are aware of and can mitigate the associated risks to other people’s privacy.”

According to Sweetman, this means, legally speaking, that users must tell people that this technology is in use, through clear signage supported by a more detailed privacy notice on their property. Also, that “users must be prepared to respond to people’s questions and requests regarding the uses of their data.” And while there is an exception made in the data protection regulations for purely personal household use, known as the ‘domestic purposes exemption’, its application is, claims Sweetman, limited.

If you wish to rely on the domestic exemption from data protection law, make sure your camera's field of view doesn't extend beyond the boundaries of your property (Image credit: Getty Images, Jose Miguel Sanchez)

“It is recommended that if a user wishes to rely on the domestic exemption from data protection law, they should ensure that the field of view of the camera does not extend beyond the perimeters of their property,” says Will Richmond-Coggan, Partner and Head of Data and Privacy Disputes at legal firm Freeths. “Where that is not possible, or where the homeowner specifically wishes to keep an eye on their car parked in the road, they should proceed on the basis that they are operating CCTV in a public space and they are therefore potentially to be regarded as a controller of any personal data collected.”

According to Richmond-Coggan, this means ‘doing all the same things that a business would do, including making some clear decisions about what the data is used for, how long (if at all) it is retained and the circumstances in which it might be shared.’ Regarding sharing footage with neighbours to guard against scammers, car thieves and burglars, Richmond-Coggan advises creating a "written data sharing agreement which commits each of them to common standards of safeguarding in relation to the information and how it is used."

Increasing number of complaints to ICO

Regarding ‘accidental spillage’, where footage beyond your property’s boundary is captured, the ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office), which is responsible for enforcing data protection regulations in the UK, offers useful advice for the public in its guidance on home CCTV systems.

“Incidental capture of neighbouring property is not automatically unlawful, but it can be a trigger point,” an ICO spokesperson told TechRadar. “Where cameras record beyond the homeowner’s boundary, the owner should minimise intrusion where possible — for example by adjusting the camera angle or using privacy masking features (on the camera).”

Incidental capture of neighbouring property is not automatically unlawful, but it can be a trigger point

ICO spokesperson

According to its Annual Report for 2025/2026, the ICO received 76,743 data protection complaints in 2025/2026, up from 42,315 in the previous year. “The ICO takes concerns about misuse of personal information seriously whether they relate to organisations or individuals,” said an ICO spokesperson. “We regularly receive and consider complaints about domestic CCTV and smart doorbells.”

However, although the ICO has a range of regulatory powers where data protection law applies, including potentially fining users for a breach, it encourages "people to resolve concerns directly wherever possible".

Posting footage on social media

Whereas CCTV footage from security cameras and video doorbells used to be confined to personal use, the growth of social media has seen an explosion of people uploading footage to platforms such as Facebook, TikTok or local community groups to identify supposedly ‘suspicious figures’.

Doing so, though, carries severe legal hazards, Knights’ Lisa Sweetman advises. “Uploading footage from a video doorbell to social media is not automatically unlawful, but it can raise significant privacy concerns… Ultimately, the fact that someone appears in footage recorded on your property does not give you the right to publish it on social media.”

You could be sued if you post footage to social media that causes, or is likely to cause, serious harm to a person’s reputation (Image credit: Getty Images, Andrey Popov)

Warning against the dangers of speculating about someone’s behaviour, Gavin Wilson, Director of Physical Security and Risk at cyber and physical security company Toro Solutions, cautions: “We need to remember a camera only give you part of the picture. It can show you that someone was outside a property at a particular time, but it can’t necessarily tell you who they are, why they were or whether they’ve done anything wrong.” Wilson advises users who think they have "captured criminal activity to keep the original footage and give it to the police, rather than posting it online asking people to identify or accuse the individual."

Not only can uploading video to social media potentially breach data protection laws, you also run the risk of falling foul of other laws too. For example, in the UK under the Defamation Act 2013, you could be sued if footage causes, or is likely to cause, serious harm to a person’s reputation (unless you can prove it is in the public interest) while if the video targets a specific individual, it can cross the line into criminal or civil harassment under the Protection From Harassment Act 1997 — especially if your post encourages followers to track down, abuse, or 'dox' the person featured.

Ultimately, the fact that someone appears in footage recorded on your property does not give you the right to publish it on social media

Lisa Sweetman, Knights

“People should think carefully about uploading footage to social media as it can raise additional data protection and potential considerations around defamation or harassment — particularly if identifiable individuals are shown without consent and the footage is shared beyond personal use,” an ICO spokesperson told TechRadar. “Children’s personal information warrants particular care and protection. Any sharing should have a clear and justifiable reason and should not unnecessarily infringe the privacy rights of those captured.”

Finally, if you record and upload footage of an accident, a crime scene, an ongoing police investigation, or a court trial, your post could severely compromise legal proceedings. For instance, publishing videos of suspects or witnesses online can prejudice a future jury, leading to charges of contempt of court or interfering with the course of justice.

Growth of facial recognition technology and AI

Importantly, when installing home security cameras and video doorbells, homeowners must carefully balance their own security needs with the privacy rights of those around them. As Ali Park, country manager at security camera manufacturer Reolink, points out, "a security camera should be there to protect your home, not to create a permanent record of everyone who happens to pass.”

To help users stay compliant, modern devices incorporate built-in features such as privacy masking and activity zones that allow owners to black out public areas or neighbouring properties. “Most modern cameras allow people to adjust viewing angles, create privacy zones or limit motion detection to specific areas, and I would use those settings wherever possible,” explains Everett Lupton of law firm Slaughter & Lupton. “Audio recording can also raise privacy concerns, so people should understand exactly what their devices record.”

(Image credit: Getty Images, Miljan Živković)

One area that is attracting particular attention right now is the rapid emergence of both facial recognition and AI technologies, not just inside commercial security devices, but increasingly in home devices too. “Considerable care should be used in deploying facial recognition technology in a domestic setting for security,” argues Freeths’ Will Richmond-Coggan. “It involves processing of special category biometric identifiers, and it is unlikely that a domestic user will be able to meet the stringent requirements around such use, particularly where the data is likely to be shared with the third-party provider of the facial recognition technology.”

Given the intrusive nature of facial recognition, Knights’ Lisa Sweetman says a DPIA (Data Protection Impact Assessment) would be required to use facial recognition technology to identify potential criminals. “Using facial recognition simply to identify known burglars will be difficult to justify unless there is a clear and lawful basis for doing so and appropriate safeguards are in place.”

Considerable care should be used in deploying facial recognition technology in a domestic setting for security

Will Richmond-Coggan, Freeths

Nor is it just a privacy issue, argues Reolink’s Ali Park. There are also concerns over levels of accuracy. “Facial recognition is still very new and has a few teething issues,” he says. “Because of those exact privacy and accuracy questions, we don’t offer facial recognition in our products.”

Toro Solutions' Gavin Wilson agrees: “Facial recognition can be a useful security aid, but it isn’t proof of identity and people shouldn’t assume that because the security camera has produced a match, it must be correct.”

Regarding artificial intelligence and the rising risk of ‘deep fakes’, it’s important that if CCTV is used in a criminal case that it hasn’t been altered in any way. “There are a number of factors that can help establish authenticity. These include retaining the original recording, preserving metadata such as the date, time and device information, maintaining a clear record of how the footage has been handled and ensuring any copies can be traced to the original source”, says Knights’ Lisa Sweetman. “As the use of AI-generated content becomes more widespread, maintaining an auditable record of where the footage came from, how it has been stored and whether it has been altered is likely to become increasingly important.”

Taking common sense measures

Home security cameras and video doorbells are undeniably invaluable assets for protecting your home, offering vital reassurance against package thieves and intruders. Making sure that you use them properly largely comes down to taking a few precautionary, common-sense measures during set up and use.

For example, when configuring your hardware, rather than letting a lens sweep wide across shared streets or adjacent gardens, use the camera’s built-in tools such as privacy masking to black out areas outside of your property. Users should also remain conscious of recording external audio, while storing footage on local MicroSD cards or hard drives rather than defaulting to external cloud storage is advisable to ensure personal data control.

The most sensible approach is to collect the minimum footage necessary for the safety of you and yours

Ali Park, Reolink

When it comes to deciding what to do with captured files after an event occurs, it’s best to exercise caution. While capturing film for home security Is lawful, posting identifiable images on social media platforms can cross the line, leaving users exposed to potential legal action. If you must post footage publicly, then it’s best to use technology to blur people’s faces to protect those not involved with an incident – especially children whose personal information demands maximum protection under data protection law.

Ultimately, high-tech security shouldn't feel high-stress. Treat your camera as a targeted perimeter shield rather than a public broadcasting network. Concludes Reolink’s Ali Park: “The most sensible approach is to collect the minimum footage necessary for the safety of you and yours, manage it responsibly and store this footage for as little time as possible.”

When Jon Woodard proudly installed the latest security technology on his Oxfordshire home, including a Ring video doorbell and a security camera on his shed, little did he realise that it would result in a landmark case that was to set him back thousands of pounds in damages.

The dispute began innocently enough with an invitation from Mr Woodard to his neighbour, Dr Mary Fairhurst, for a tour of his newly renovated home during which he showcased his then cutting-edge security setup. But it soon descended into an acrimonious battle when, in the words of the judgement, Dr Fairhurst was "alarmed and appalled" to discover that the camera mounted on Mr Woodard’s shed pointed directly at her property.

As well as objecting to live video footage being streamed directly to Mr Woodard’s smartphone, the court heard how she found the audio data which captured her private conversations "even more problematic and detrimental than video data.” And when the case landed in Oxford County Court, Judge Melissa Clarke upheld claims that the devices "unjustifiably invaded" Fairhurst’s privacy and their use breached the Data Protection Act 2018 as well as UK General Data Protection (GDPR) legislation.

Crucially, the court singled out the audio data collected by the cameras as being "more problematic and detrimental than video data" because it captured conversations from people who were entirely unaware that a device was listening or that audio was being processed. As a result, Mr Woodard was ordered to pay damages and a fine believed to total up to £100,000.

Speaking at the time of the case in October 2021, digital privacy expert Hannah Hart of Pro Privacy told the BBC: “While this case doesn’t set a legal precedent, it does continue an ongoing conversation about our changing attitude towards domestic surveillance — and how normalised it has become in our communities.”

Navigating legal boundaries of home surveillance

Five years on from the landmark case and the risk of falling foul of the law with home security equipment has only grown as new technology such as facial recognition has become commonplace, and users have turned to social media to post video footage taken with their security cameras and video doorbells.

In very broad terms, those using this kind of surveillance technology must have a lawful basis for doing so

Lisa Sweetman, Knights

And while understanding what you can and can’t do with domestic cameras does vary between regions, in most countries there is legislation in place to protect the privacy of individuals whose images and, potentially voices, are captured on these devices. As Lisa Sweetman, Partner in the Commercial Team specialising in Data Protection at legal firm Knights told TechRadar: “In very broad terms, those using this kind of surveillance technology must have a lawful basis for doing so and should or must, in certain cases, conduct a data protection impact assessment, or risk assessment, to ensure they are aware of and can mitigate the associated risks to other people’s privacy.”

According to Sweetman, this means, legally speaking, that users must tell people that this technology is in use, through clear signage supported by a more detailed privacy notice on their property. Also, that “users must be prepared to respond to people’s questions and requests regarding the uses of their data.” And while there is an exception made in the data protection regulations for purely personal household use, known as the ‘domestic purposes exemption’, its application is, claims Sweetman, limited.

If you wish to rely on the domestic exemption from data protection law, make sure your camera's field of view doesn't extend beyond the boundaries of your property (Image credit: Getty Images, Jose Miguel Sanchez)

“It is recommended that if a user wishes to rely on the domestic exemption from data protection law, they should ensure that the field of view of the camera does not extend beyond the perimeters of their property,” says Will Richmond-Coggan, Partner and Head of Data and Privacy Disputes at legal firm Freeths. “Where that is not possible, or where the homeowner specifically wishes to keep an eye on their car parked in the road, they should proceed on the basis that they are operating CCTV in a public space and they are therefore potentially to be regarded as a controller of any personal data collected.”

According to Richmond-Coggan, this means ‘doing all the same things that a business would do, including making some clear decisions about what the data is used for, how long (if at all) it is retained and the circumstances in which it might be shared.’ Regarding sharing footage with neighbours to guard against scammers, car thieves and burglars, Richmond-Coggan advises creating a "written data sharing agreement which commits each of them to common standards of safeguarding in relation to the information and how it is used."

Increasing number of complaints to ICO

Regarding ‘accidental spillage’, where footage beyond your property’s boundary is captured, the ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office), which is responsible for enforcing data protection regulations in the UK, offers useful advice for the public in its guidance on home CCTV systems.

“Incidental capture of neighbouring property is not automatically unlawful, but it can be a trigger point,” an ICO spokesperson told TechRadar. “Where cameras record beyond the homeowner’s boundary, the owner should minimise intrusion where possible — for example by adjusting the camera angle or using privacy masking features (on the camera).”

Incidental capture of neighbouring property is not automatically unlawful, but it can be a trigger point

ICO spokesperson

According to its Annual Report for 2025/2026, the ICO received 76,743 data protection complaints in 2025/2026, up from 42,315 in the previous year. “The ICO takes concerns about misuse of personal information seriously whether they relate to organisations or individuals,” said an ICO spokesperson. “We regularly receive and consider complaints about domestic CCTV and smart doorbells.”

However, although the ICO has a range of regulatory powers where data protection law applies, including potentially fining users for a breach, it encourages "people to resolve concerns directly wherever possible".

Posting footage on social media

Whereas CCTV footage from security cameras and video doorbells used to be confined to personal use, the growth of social media has seen an explosion of people uploading footage to platforms such as Facebook, TikTok or local community groups to identify supposedly ‘suspicious figures’.

Doing so, though, carries severe legal hazards, Knights’ Lisa Sweetman advises. “Uploading footage from a video doorbell to social media is not automatically unlawful, but it can raise significant privacy concerns… Ultimately, the fact that someone appears in footage recorded on your property does not give you the right to publish it on social media.”

You could be sued if you post footage to social media that causes, or is likely to cause, serious harm to a person’s reputation (Image credit: Getty Images, Andrey Popov)

Warning against the dangers of speculating about someone’s behaviour, Gavin Wilson, Director of Physical Security and Risk at cyber and physical security company Toro Solutions, cautions: “We need to remember a camera only give you part of the picture. It can show you that someone was outside a property at a particular time, but it can’t necessarily tell you who they are, why they were or whether they’ve done anything wrong.” Wilson advises users who think they have "captured criminal activity to keep the original footage and give it to the police, rather than posting it online asking people to identify or accuse the individual."

Not only can uploading video to social media potentially breach data protection laws, you also run the risk of falling foul of other laws too. For example, in the UK under the Defamation Act 2013, you could be sued if footage causes, or is likely to cause, serious harm to a person’s reputation (unless you can prove it is in the public interest) while if the video targets a specific individual, it can cross the line into criminal or civil harassment under the Protection From Harassment Act 1997 — especially if your post encourages followers to track down, abuse, or 'dox' the person featured.

Ultimately, the fact that someone appears in footage recorded on your property does not give you the right to publish it on social media

Lisa Sweetman, Knights

“People should think carefully about uploading footage to social media as it can raise additional data protection and potential considerations around defamation or harassment — particularly if identifiable individuals are shown without consent and the footage is shared beyond personal use,” an ICO spokesperson told TechRadar. “Children’s personal information warrants particular care and protection. Any sharing should have a clear and justifiable reason and should not unnecessarily infringe the privacy rights of those captured.”

Finally, if you record and upload footage of an accident, a crime scene, an ongoing police investigation, or a court trial, your post could severely compromise legal proceedings. For instance, publishing videos of suspects or witnesses online can prejudice a future jury, leading to charges of contempt of court or interfering with the course of justice.

Growth of facial recognition technology and AI

Importantly, when installing home security cameras and video doorbells, homeowners must carefully balance their own security needs with the privacy rights of those around them. As Ali Park, country manager at security camera manufacturer Reolink, points out, "a security camera should be there to protect your home, not to create a permanent record of everyone who happens to pass.”

To help users stay compliant, modern devices incorporate built-in features such as privacy masking and activity zones that allow owners to black out public areas or neighbouring properties. “Most modern cameras allow people to adjust viewing angles, create privacy zones or limit motion detection to specific areas, and I would use those settings wherever possible,” explains Everett Lupton of law firm Slaughter & Lupton. “Audio recording can also raise privacy concerns, so people should understand exactly what their devices record.”

(Image credit: Getty Images, Miljan Živković)

One area that is attracting particular attention right now is the rapid emergence of both facial recognition and AI technologies, not just inside commercial security devices, but increasingly in home devices too. “Considerable care should be used in deploying facial recognition technology in a domestic setting for security,” argues Freeths’ Will Richmond-Coggan. “It involves processing of special category biometric identifiers, and it is unlikely that a domestic user will be able to meet the stringent requirements around such use, particularly where the data is likely to be shared with the third-party provider of the facial recognition technology.”

Given the intrusive nature of facial recognition, Knights’ Lisa Sweetman says a DPIA (Data Protection Impact Assessment) would be required to use facial recognition technology to identify potential criminals. “Using facial recognition simply to identify known burglars will be difficult to justify unless there is a clear and lawful basis for doing so and appropriate safeguards are in place.”

Considerable care should be used in deploying facial recognition technology in a domestic setting for security

Will Richmond-Coggan, Freeths

Nor is it just a privacy issue, argues Reolink’s Ali Park. There are also concerns over levels of accuracy. “Facial recognition is still very new and has a few teething issues,” he says. “Because of those exact privacy and accuracy questions, we don’t offer facial recognition in our products.”

Toro Solutions' Gavin Wilson agrees: “Facial recognition can be a useful security aid, but it isn’t proof of identity and people shouldn’t assume that because the security camera has produced a match, it must be correct.”

Regarding artificial intelligence and the rising risk of ‘deep fakes’, it’s important that if CCTV is used in a criminal case that it hasn’t been altered in any way. “There are a number of factors that can help establish authenticity. These include retaining the original recording, preserving metadata such as the date, time and device information, maintaining a clear record of how the footage has been handled and ensuring any copies can be traced to the original source”, says Knights’ Lisa Sweetman. “As the use of AI-generated content becomes more widespread, maintaining an auditable record of where the footage came from, how it has been stored and whether it has been altered is likely to become increasingly important.”

Taking common sense measures

Home security cameras and video doorbells are undeniably invaluable assets for protecting your home, offering vital reassurance against package thieves and intruders. Making sure that you use them properly largely comes down to taking a few precautionary, common-sense measures during set up and use.

For example, when configuring your hardware, rather than letting a lens sweep wide across shared streets or adjacent gardens, use the camera’s built-in tools such as privacy masking to black out areas outside of your property. Users should also remain conscious of recording external audio, while storing footage on local MicroSD cards or hard drives rather than defaulting to external cloud storage is advisable to ensure personal data control.

The most sensible approach is to collect the minimum footage necessary for the safety of you and yours

Ali Park, Reolink

When it comes to deciding what to do with captured files after an event occurs, it’s best to exercise caution. While capturing film for home security Is lawful, posting identifiable images on social media platforms can cross the line, leaving users exposed to potential legal action. If you must post footage publicly, then it’s best to use technology to blur people’s faces to protect those not involved with an incident – especially children whose personal information demands maximum protection under data protection law.

Ultimately, high-tech security shouldn't feel high-stress. Treat your camera as a targeted perimeter shield rather than a public broadcasting network. Concludes Reolink’s Ali Park: “The most sensible approach is to collect the minimum footage necessary for the safety of you and yours, manage it responsibly and store this footage for as little time as possible.”

Watching the NFL just got cheaper thanks to Best Buy. The retailer is offering a massive 51% discount on NFL Sunday Ticket from YouTube or YouTube TV for Best Buy Plus and Total members.

• Shop more NFL deals at Best Buy

NFL Sunday Ticket gives fans a premium viewing experience, letting you watch every out-of-market Sunday afternoon game. You can also watch four games live at once with Multiview, use the Key Plays view to see what you missed, and track player stats while watching the game.

Keep in mind, you must be a Best Buy Plus or Total member. If you aren't already a member, you can sign up for a membership starting at $29.99 and enjoy perks like free two-day shipping, 24/7 tech support, and AppleCare Plus protection plans with the purchase of an Apple device.

If you also need to upgrade your TV for the 2026 season, Best Buy members can get NFL Sunday Ticket from YouTube or YouTube TV for $234 or NFL RedZone for $276 with the purchase of select TVs. Becoming a Best Buy member is free; just sign up with your email, and you can score free shipping on future purchases.

You'll find Best Buy's NFL Sunday Ticket offer below, which includes up to $246 in savings for Best Buy Plus and Total Members. I've also listed today's top TV deals, which include record-low prices on top-rated big-screen TVs - perfect for watching your favorite NFL team.

Save up to $246 on NFL Sunday Ticket

Sunday Ticket at Best Buy: save up to $246 on NFL Sunday Ticket from YouTube or YouTube TV
Best Buy Plus and Total members can get NFL Sunday Ticket from YouTube or YouTube TV for $234. Best Buy members can also save on NFL Sunday Ticket from YouTube or YouTube TV or get NFL RedZone with the purchase of select TVs.View Deal

The best TV deals for watching the NFL

QD50 58-inch Hi-QLED 4K TV: was $399.99 now $229.99
I can't say much about the overall quality of this TV since we haven't had extensive testing time, but I can't deny it's a super low price for a TV this size. It also sports the budget version of Hisense's QLED tech, which offers superior brightness and more vivid colors, although it's not as powerful as the premium displays. Still, this is a big, affordable TV that's ideal for everyday viewing and streaming for someone who isn't too concerned about getting the best picture possible.View Deal

65-inch F50 Series HD 4K Smart Fire TV: was $449.99 now $299.99
If you're looking for a big-screen budget TV, this 65-inch Insignia display is an incredible deal at just $299.99. The Insignia F50 Series TV features 4K HD resolution, DTS Studio Sound, smart capabilities with the Fire TV operating system, and a voice remote with hands-free Alexa, so you can use your voice to control your TV.View Deal

65-inch S90H OLED TV: was $2699.99 now $1699.99
The S90H is Samsung's mid-range OLED TV in its 2026 lineup. It supports 165Hz and features advanced AI upscaling, but it uses a slightly lower-end WRGB OLED panel. During our hands-on testing, we praised this model's anti-glare technology and overall picture quality. If you're looking for a strong alternative to the LG C6, this is a solid competitor. View Deal

65-inch C6 OLED TV: was $2699.99 now $1499.99
The LG C6 is our best-rated TV, and the 65-inch model has received a whopping $1,200 discount at Best Buy. The 2026 OLED TV delivers more accurate, brighter colors than the C5, with powerful contrast thanks to its new Alpha 11 AI processor. The C6 also includes impressive gaming features and LG's intuitive smart TV platform.

Read our full LG C6 reviewView Deal

65-inch LS03FA The Frame QLED TV: was $1599.99 now $949.99
If you've been eyeing Samsung's gorgeous The Frame QLED TV, Best Buy has the 65-inch model on sale for its lowest price yet. The 2025 Samsung Frame TV features Pantone art-validated colors that deliver lifelike images. The display now comes with Streams, a complimentary set of artwork streamed from the Samsung Art Store.View Deal

65-inch Bravia XR8B Smart Google TV: was $3299.99 now $2499.99
If you're looking for a big-screen premium display, Sony's 65-inch Bravia XR8B OLED TV is now at a record-low price of $2,499.99. Sony's Bravia 8 features a sleek, slim design, a wide viewing angle, brilliant images with deep contrast, and cinematic sound across the entire screen.View Deal

75-inch S5 4K LED Fire TV: was $649.99 now $419.99
The TCL 75-inch S5 4K LED TV supports Dolby Vision, HDR10 Plus, HDR10, and HLG, while there’s Dolby Atmos sound and a built-in subwoofer. It also has a dedicated Game Mode for lower input lag and latency, and Motion Rate 240 technology for smoother motion. It’s all wrapped up in a highly attractive price tag for a screen of this size.View Deal

77-inch G6 OLED 4K TV: was $4499.99 now $3799.99
The LG G6 is a pricey TV, but this flagship OLED delivers superb picture quality and unbeatable gaming performance. It uses a new-gen Primary RGB Tandem 2.0 OLED panel and a new Alpha 11 AI Gen 3 processor to deliver a better bright-room viewing experience than the previous model. With four HDMI 2.1 ports supporting a full suite of features, the G6 is also a fantastic gaming display.

Read our full LG G6 reviewView Deal

77-inch B5 OLED 4K Smart TV: was $2999.99 now $1499.99
The LG B5 is this year's best budget OLED TV, and Best Buy has a massive 50% discount on the 77-inch model. Released last year, the LG B5 is TechRadar's best budget OLED TV and was awarded four and a half stars in our review. The LG display delivers an exceptional picture with brilliant colors and sharp contrast. You also get excellent gaming features, thanks to the four HDMI 2.1 ports and new AI tools, including AI Search, AI Concierge, and an improved AI Chatbot.

Read our full LG B5 reviewView Deal

85-inch R85H Micro RGB TV: was $3999.99 now $2799.99
The 85-inch version of Samsung's latest R85H just got its largest discount ever at Best Buy. This TV stands out for its excellent color and image quality, thanks to the array of micro RGB LEDs. That means it also boasts superior brightness and fantastic contrast, ensuring you get a smooth, sharp and vibrant image. It's an ideal all-rounder for films, movies, sports, and gaming, as it also supports 144Hz and a variable refresh rate to give you a smooth and responsive picture. It's easily one of the best premium TV deals I've seen right now.View Deal

Watching the NFL just got cheaper thanks to Best Buy. The retailer is offering a massive 51% discount on NFL Sunday Ticket from YouTube or YouTube TV for Best Buy Plus and Total members.

• Shop more NFL deals at Best Buy

NFL Sunday Ticket gives fans a premium viewing experience, letting you watch every out-of-market Sunday afternoon game. You can also watch four games live at once with Multiview, use the Key Plays view to see what you missed, and track player stats while watching the game.

Keep in mind, you must be a Best Buy Plus or Total member. If you aren't already a member, you can sign up for a membership starting at $29.99 and enjoy perks like free two-day shipping, 24/7 tech support, and AppleCare Plus protection plans with the purchase of an Apple device.

If you also need to upgrade your TV for the 2026 season, Best Buy members can get NFL Sunday Ticket from YouTube or YouTube TV for $234 or NFL RedZone for $276 with the purchase of select TVs. Becoming a Best Buy member is free; just sign up with your email, and you can score free shipping on future purchases.

You'll find Best Buy's NFL Sunday Ticket offer below, which includes up to $246 in savings for Best Buy Plus and Total Members. I've also listed today's top TV deals, which include record-low prices on top-rated big-screen TVs - perfect for watching your favorite NFL team.

Save up to $246 on NFL Sunday Ticket

Sunday Ticket at Best Buy: save up to $246 on NFL Sunday Ticket from YouTube or YouTube TV
Best Buy Plus and Total members can get NFL Sunday Ticket from YouTube or YouTube TV for $234. Best Buy members can also save on NFL Sunday Ticket from YouTube or YouTube TV or get NFL RedZone with the purchase of select TVs.View Deal

The best TV deals for watching the NFL

QD50 58-inch Hi-QLED 4K TV: was $399.99 now $229.99
I can't say much about the overall quality of this TV since we haven't had extensive testing time, but I can't deny it's a super low price for a TV this size. It also sports the budget version of Hisense's QLED tech, which offers superior brightness and more vivid colors, although it's not as powerful as the premium displays. Still, this is a big, affordable TV that's ideal for everyday viewing and streaming for someone who isn't too concerned about getting the best picture possible.View Deal

65-inch F50 Series HD 4K Smart Fire TV: was $449.99 now $299.99
If you're looking for a big-screen budget TV, this 65-inch Insignia display is an incredible deal at just $299.99. The Insignia F50 Series TV features 4K HD resolution, DTS Studio Sound, smart capabilities with the Fire TV operating system, and a voice remote with hands-free Alexa, so you can use your voice to control your TV.View Deal

65-inch S90H OLED TV: was $2699.99 now $1699.99
The S90H is Samsung's mid-range OLED TV in its 2026 lineup. It supports 165Hz and features advanced AI upscaling, but it uses a slightly lower-end WRGB OLED panel. During our hands-on testing, we praised this model's anti-glare technology and overall picture quality. If you're looking for a strong alternative to the LG C6, this is a solid competitor. View Deal

65-inch C6 OLED TV: was $2699.99 now $1499.99
The LG C6 is our best-rated TV, and the 65-inch model has received a whopping $1,200 discount at Best Buy. The 2026 OLED TV delivers more accurate, brighter colors than the C5, with powerful contrast thanks to its new Alpha 11 AI processor. The C6 also includes impressive gaming features and LG's intuitive smart TV platform.

Read our full LG C6 reviewView Deal

65-inch LS03FA The Frame QLED TV: was $1599.99 now $949.99
If you've been eyeing Samsung's gorgeous The Frame QLED TV, Best Buy has the 65-inch model on sale for its lowest price yet. The 2025 Samsung Frame TV features Pantone art-validated colors that deliver lifelike images. The display now comes with Streams, a complimentary set of artwork streamed from the Samsung Art Store.View Deal

65-inch Bravia XR8B Smart Google TV: was $3299.99 now $2499.99
If you're looking for a big-screen premium display, Sony's 65-inch Bravia XR8B OLED TV is now at a record-low price of $2,499.99. Sony's Bravia 8 features a sleek, slim design, a wide viewing angle, brilliant images with deep contrast, and cinematic sound across the entire screen.View Deal

75-inch S5 4K LED Fire TV: was $649.99 now $419.99
The TCL 75-inch S5 4K LED TV supports Dolby Vision, HDR10 Plus, HDR10, and HLG, while there’s Dolby Atmos sound and a built-in subwoofer. It also has a dedicated Game Mode for lower input lag and latency, and Motion Rate 240 technology for smoother motion. It’s all wrapped up in a highly attractive price tag for a screen of this size.View Deal

77-inch G6 OLED 4K TV: was $4499.99 now $3799.99
The LG G6 is a pricey TV, but this flagship OLED delivers superb picture quality and unbeatable gaming performance. It uses a new-gen Primary RGB Tandem 2.0 OLED panel and a new Alpha 11 AI Gen 3 processor to deliver a better bright-room viewing experience than the previous model. With four HDMI 2.1 ports supporting a full suite of features, the G6 is also a fantastic gaming display.

Read our full LG G6 reviewView Deal

77-inch B5 OLED 4K Smart TV: was $2999.99 now $1499.99
The LG B5 is this year's best budget OLED TV, and Best Buy has a massive 50% discount on the 77-inch model. Released last year, the LG B5 is TechRadar's best budget OLED TV and was awarded four and a half stars in our review. The LG display delivers an exceptional picture with brilliant colors and sharp contrast. You also get excellent gaming features, thanks to the four HDMI 2.1 ports and new AI tools, including AI Search, AI Concierge, and an improved AI Chatbot.

Read our full LG B5 reviewView Deal

85-inch R85H Micro RGB TV: was $3999.99 now $2799.99
The 85-inch version of Samsung's latest R85H just got its largest discount ever at Best Buy. This TV stands out for its excellent color and image quality, thanks to the array of micro RGB LEDs. That means it also boasts superior brightness and fantastic contrast, ensuring you get a smooth, sharp and vibrant image. It's an ideal all-rounder for films, movies, sports, and gaming, as it also supports 144Hz and a variable refresh rate to give you a smooth and responsive picture. It's easily one of the best premium TV deals I've seen right now.View Deal

Meta Connect 2026 is fast approaching, and it seems a big surprise hardware announcement has just been leaked — by none other than Meta itself. It’s not much but our first official look at the so-called Project Phoenix has me very excited that we might finally get the Meta Quest Pro successor I’ve been begging for.

The leak was spotted by prolific Meta leaker Luna, who found a never-before-seen headset in the latest Horizon OS prescription lens firmware. Because it only shows how lenses are inserted into the new design, we don’t get a full look at the whole thing, but it seems XR glasses might be a better description than XR headset.

That’s because the front of the headset looks incredibly slim. Not quite Meta Ray-Ban levels, but a fraction of what the Meta Quest 3 and 3S were thickness wise. There also appears to be no head strap. Instead, we see the display unit supported by glasses' stems sitting behind the ears of the wearer.

First official visuals of Meta's Project Phoenix, found in the HorizonOS Prescription Lens firmware package! pic.twitter.com/YmN0SCJNCDSeptember 10, 2026

What this leak seemingly confirms is the rumors that Meta has been working on an ultra-lightweight headset design. One where the battery and a chunk of the processing power are all moved to an external puck — something also teased by a cable we see extending from one of the Meta device’s stems.

Of course we should take all leaks and speculation with a pinch of salt, however considering some details are now coming directly from Meta itself, I suspect this may be a case of where if there’s smoke there’s fire.

If so, I couldn’t be more excited. Following the disappointing start to VR in 2026, this launch might turns things around (at least somewhat).

(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)What I've been waiting for

XR hardware housing its battery in an external puck is nothing new; however, moving processing power in there too is far less common — the only one I’ve experienced is Xreal’s Aura glasses, though it works incredibly well.

By taking as much as possible out of the headset, you can significantly drop the weight of the machine, and, because you’re tethered to something in your pocket, your movement won’t be restricted as it can be when you’re connected to a PC or console.

This makes something capable, comfortable, and somewhat mobile. That said, it seems Phoenix will still be more headset-like than glasses-like, so I’m not sure I see myself exploring the outside world while wearing it.

For gaming and entertainment, there are other specs to consider (such as processing power, display quality, and content support), but where this design wins out is for productivity.

(Image credit: Future / Hamish Hector)

I’ve tried spending entire working weeks immersed in XR and my tests have proven it’s incredibly uncomfortable. It’s fine for a few hours at a time, maybe for the one-off day, but not for eight hours a day five days straight. That’s nightmarish.

But the lightest model I’ve tried is the 545g Samsung Galaxy XR. If Meta’s headset can drop to 200g or less, then it could easily be something I wear for a whole day. Plus it would be super easy to slip into my rucksack to be productive in XR on the go — or kick back with a big-screen movie.

This is precisely why I’ve been wanting an ultra-lightweight XR headset to enter the scene, but so far I’ve been let down. Xreal Aura gets close, but as glasses, it doesn’t boast the same field of view as a headset — with a headset offering more virtual real estate for app windows.

All I need is for Meta’s headset to copy the Xreal Aura's ability to show what’s on my phone screen via a USB-C cable and it could be the perfect XR headset (provided the price isn’t too high).

We’ll have to wait and see what Meta unveils at Connect, but September 23, 2026, can’t come soon enough.

Meta Connect 2026 is fast approaching, and it seems a big surprise hardware announcement has just been leaked — by none other than Meta itself. It’s not much but our first official look at the so-called Project Phoenix has me very excited that we might finally get the Meta Quest Pro successor I’ve been begging for.

The leak was spotted by prolific Meta leaker Luna, who found a never-before-seen headset in the latest Horizon OS prescription lens firmware. Because it only shows how lenses are inserted into the new design, we don’t get a full look at the whole thing, but it seems XR glasses might be a better description than XR headset.

That’s because the front of the headset looks incredibly slim. Not quite Meta Ray-Ban levels, but a fraction of what the Meta Quest 3 and 3S were thickness wise. There also appears to be no head strap. Instead, we see the display unit supported by glasses' stems sitting behind the ears of the wearer.

First official visuals of Meta's Project Phoenix, found in the HorizonOS Prescription Lens firmware package! pic.twitter.com/YmN0SCJNCDSeptember 10, 2026

What this leak seemingly confirms is the rumors that Meta has been working on an ultra-lightweight headset design. One where the battery and a chunk of the processing power are all moved to an external puck — something also teased by a cable we see extending from one of the Meta device’s stems.

Of course we should take all leaks and speculation with a pinch of salt, however considering some details are now coming directly from Meta itself, I suspect this may be a case of where if there’s smoke there’s fire.

If so, I couldn’t be more excited. Following the disappointing start to VR in 2026, this launch might turns things around (at least somewhat).

(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)What I've been waiting for

XR hardware housing its battery in an external puck is nothing new; however, moving processing power in there too is far less common — the only one I’ve experienced is Xreal’s Aura glasses, though it works incredibly well.

By taking as much as possible out of the headset, you can significantly drop the weight of the machine, and, because you’re tethered to something in your pocket, your movement won’t be restricted as it can be when you’re connected to a PC or console.

This makes something capable, comfortable, and somewhat mobile. That said, it seems Phoenix will still be more headset-like than glasses-like, so I’m not sure I see myself exploring the outside world while wearing it.

For gaming and entertainment, there are other specs to consider (such as processing power, display quality, and content support), but where this design wins out is for productivity.

(Image credit: Future / Hamish Hector)

I’ve tried spending entire working weeks immersed in XR and my tests have proven it’s incredibly uncomfortable. It’s fine for a few hours at a time, maybe for the one-off day, but not for eight hours a day five days straight. That’s nightmarish.

But the lightest model I’ve tried is the 545g Samsung Galaxy XR. If Meta’s headset can drop to 200g or less, then it could easily be something I wear for a whole day. Plus it would be super easy to slip into my rucksack to be productive in XR on the go — or kick back with a big-screen movie.

This is precisely why I’ve been wanting an ultra-lightweight XR headset to enter the scene, but so far I’ve been let down. Xreal Aura gets close, but as glasses, it doesn’t boast the same field of view as a headset — with a headset offering more virtual real estate for app windows.

All I need is for Meta’s headset to copy the Xreal Aura's ability to show what’s on my phone screen via a USB-C cable and it could be the perfect XR headset (provided the price isn’t too high).

We’ll have to wait and see what Meta unveils at Connect, but September 23, 2026, can’t come soon enough.