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Thomas Tuchel looks to maintain his perfect start as the new Three Lions manager.

• Ballerina's director has revealed which fight sequence was the most difficult to film
• It wasn't the flamethrower or club-based action set-pieces
• The duel between Eve and John Wick was also an "incredible day on set"

From the World of John Wick: Ballerina's director has revealed which fight sequence was the most challenging to film.

Speaking to TechRadar ahead of Ballerina's June 6 release, Len Wiseman admitted "one of the hardest moments" of the entire shoot is one that audiences won't expect it to be, either.

Full spoilers immediately follow for the Ana de Armas-led action thriller. Do not proceed unless you've watched it.

Ballerina's action is as violently fun as we've come to expect from the John Wick film series (Image credit: Lionsgate)

Okay, which set-piece caused the most headaches? It's got nothing to do with the third act's lethal flamethrower-based sequence. Act 1's nightclub brawl, a classic staple of the John Wick movie series, wasn't as taxing as the scene that Wiseman has in mind, either.

According to the filmmaker behind one of June 2025's new movies, the most difficult moment to capture was part of the alpine restaurant duel between de Armas' Eve Macarro and a member of the cult led by Gabriel Byrne's Chancellor. The reason it was so challenging? The plates, which Eve and her fellow combatant attack each other with during a smirk-inducing sequence, kept breaking when they shouldn't have.

"The restaurant fight is a favorite of mine because there were a lot of important story beats that were landing, and it was incredibly fun to shoot," Wiseman told me.

"But the plate sequence was one of the hardest moments to film. They're breakaway plates, so they have one job [to break upon impact without hurting the actors], and they do it well.

"The problem is, when you pick them up, they immediately shatter. So, they [the actors] had to delicately pick up each one and then bring them down on their opponent with real force. The amount of times they grabbed a plate and they'd shatter... I lost count of how many times we had to glue them back together. I remember the props department asking me if 100 plates would be enough, and I said 'yeah'. Well, we went through all 100 plates multiple times, so you can imagine what state they were in when we were done!"

Ballerina's director didn't want Eve's showdown with John Wick to be a duel for fighting's sake (Image credit: Lionsgate)

Understandably, each action sequence in the fourth John Wick film (chronologically, anyway – read my John Wick movies in order guide for more details) came with its own set of challenges. That included the one-on-one between Eve and Keanu Reeves' iconic hitman, which takes place in Ballerina's final act.

"That was an incredible day on the set," Wiseman said of shooting the confrontation between Eve and the franchise's titular assassin.

"It's a moment in the movie that's really fun and tense, but we were well aware that we needed to ensure there was a balance to the fight. John Wick is the so-called Baba Yaga, and while he's more experienced and skilled than Eve, we didn't want her to feel upstaged in her own movie. So, we wanted her to hold her own at times, and for this fight to have a purpose for what he's offering her in terms of her character development. It's not just a fight, it's a fight that has meaning."

Ballerina is out now in theaters worldwide. If you've watched it, see if you agree with my thoughts on the latest Wick flick by reading my Ballerina review. Alternatively, check out more exclusive content from my chats with Wiseman, plus actors Ian McShane and Norman Reedus, below.

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• YouTube's opt-in AI training is turning creators into silent architects of future tech tools
• Many creators say yes to AI training access, even when there's no money involved
• Oxylabs gathered millions of videos into a dataset that AI developers can ethically trust

An increasing number of YouTubers are allowing AI companies to train models using their videos, and surprisingly, many are doing so without direct compensation.

Under YouTube’s current setup, creators are given the option to opt in by ticking boxes that grant permission to around 18 major AI developers.

If no box is selected, YouTube does not permit the use of that video for AI training purposes. This means the default stance is non-participation, and any inclusion is fully voluntary.

Creators choose influence over income

The lack of payment may seem unusual, and the motivation appears to hinge on influence rather than income.

Creators opting in might see it as a strategic move to shape how generative AI tools interpret and present information - by contributing their content, they are effectively making it more visible in AI-generated responses.

As a result, their work could shape how questions are answered by everything from AI writers to large language models (LLM) for coding.

Oxylabs has now launched the first consent-based YouTube dataset, comprising four million videos from one million distinct channels.

All contributors explicitly agreed to the use of their content for AI training, and according to Oxylabs, these videos, complete with transcripts and metadata, have been carefully curated to be particularly useful for training AI in image and video generation tasks.

“In the ecosystem aiming to find a fair balance between respecting copyright and facilitating innovation, YouTube streamlining consent giving for AI training and providing creators with flexibility is an important step forward,” said Julius Černiauskas, CEO of Oxylabs.

This model not only simplifies the process for AI developers seeking ethically sourced data but also reassures creators about the use of their work.

“Many channel owners have already opted in for their videos to be used in developing the next generation of AI tools. This enables us to create and provide high-quality, structured video datasets. Meanwhile, AI developers have no trouble verifying the data’s legitimate origin.”

However, broader concerns persist about how government organizations and legislatures handle similar issues.

For instance, the UK’s Data (Use and Access) Bill has stalled in Parliament, prompting figures like Elton John to criticize the government’s handling of creator rights.

In this legislative vacuum, creators and developers will likely face uncertainty.

Oxylabs presents itself as filling that gap with a consent-based model, but critics will still question whether such initiatives genuinely address deeper issues of value and fairness.

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Commentary: Apple's AI tech fell short of what it promised, but the company is a master of message. Will it acknowledge, ignore or be playful about how it talks about it?

Look, I love my Nintendo Switch. It’s a great little device - hell, I might not have made it through the pandemic lockdowns with my sanity intact had it not been for the lovely, calming influence of Animal Crossing: New Horizons. So it’s fair to say that I’m interested in the Switch 2, but I won’t be getting one on launch day for one very simple reason.

Where’s my damn Pokémon launch title, Nintendo? With every new console generation, I sit and eagerly await the possibility that you’ve finally learned your lesson and decided to put a mainline Pokémon game in the launch lineup. And with every new console generation, I am disappointed.

The closest we’ve ever come was Pokémon Dash for the Nintendo DS, which was more of a glorified tech demo for the new handheld’s dual-screen mechanics than a fully-fledged game.

I’ll admit it, I’m that type of Pokémon fan who complains about how crap the modern games look and run, but then merrily presents my credit card whenever a new one comes out. Does that make me a hypocrite? Probably, but I don’t think it’s unreasonable to both love something and also wish it were better. In any case, a Pokémon launch title for the Switch 2 would have me lining up to get my hands on the new console - but as it stands, I’m just not interested.

The launch title problem

If I can be frank for a moment here, the Switch 2 launch lineup is… pretty feeble, honestly. What do we have? A heap of triple-A third-party games are being re-released, but the unspectacular footage of Cyberpunk 2077 running on the new console hasn’t exactly lit a fire underneath me. Some OG Switch upgrades for an extra ten bucks - oh wow, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet doesn’t run like garbage now?

Great, I’m sooo impressed. We’ve got some smaller series titles and a smattering of first-party names headlining, but arguably none of the biggest franchises. Forgive me for not being uncontrollably excited about Puyo Pop Tetris 2S.

Don't get me wrong, I love me some Mario Kart, but it's not exactly an earth-shattering launch title for a new handheld. (Image credit: Nintendo)

We’re getting a new Mario Kart, but no mainline Mario game. Super Mario Party Jamboree, Donkey Kong Bananza, and Pokémon Legends: Z-A are all inbound, but not for a few months - oh, and Z-A will be available on the Switch I already own, though it’ll probably look terrible.

A new Zelda game is nowhere in sight, and Metroid Prime 4 is, uh… well, it’s coming, but only Samus knows when. I’d like to take a moment to remind you that it’s been eight whole years since that game was originally announced - and it's also a Switch 1 game too. Very cool, Nintendo.

It’s something of a recurring theme for Nintendo, frankly. Launch lineups have rarely been impressive for the gaming giant’s consoles; almost half of the Wii launch titles were mediocre movie and TV show tie-ins, while the two biggest DS launch titles were both Nintendo 64 remakes (Mario and Rayman). To be clear, I’m not saying those remakes were bad, but come on.

Why does Pokémon get snubbed?

I’ve been trying to understand the logic behind Nintendo’s consistent refusal to include Pokémon - which, lest we forget, is the single biggest intellectual property on the planet, worth more than Call of Duty, Warcraft, and Grant Theft Auto combined - in the launches of its consoles. On paper, it makes zero sense.

Pokemon Legends: Z-A looks like a fun spin-off jaunt - but it isn't going to be available on the Switch 2's launch day, let alone a mainline Pokémon title. (Image credit: The Pokémon Company)

I have some theories. First up is that Nintendo’s hardware development team simply doesn’t have the sway with the many-headed serpent of corporations that jointly manage the Pokémon franchise (Game Freak, The Pokemon Company, Creatures Inc.) to ensure that a new title is always ready for the relevant console launch. Another theory is that Nintendo intentionally uses new Pokémon releases to bump post-launch sales of its consoles, or spaces out those third-party games to prevent attention from being split by a new Zelda or Mario title.

I’d love to believe that the main reason is simply that Game Freak would rather spend a bit more time with the hardware to release a game that looks and runs great, but… well, let’s be honest, that seems unlikely. In truth, it’s probably a combination of all these factors and more, never to be properly understood by mere mortals like us.

All I can really say is this: Nintendo, if you had Pokémon Tides and Gales (or whatever it’s called) to launch with the Switch 2, it would sell better. Simple as that. I’d buy it immediately; I was one of the six people who bought both a Pokémon Mini. I’m not hard to please.

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• Yadea is forging ahead with a number of sodium-ion powered two-wheelers
• Sodium will play a key role in China’s wider battery swap systems
• The country is already pushing mass production of the technology

The presence of sodium in batteries is nothing new, as the first documented use of it dates back to the 1960s, when the Ford Motor Company considered using them for very early EVs.

But last year, Chinese automaker JAC (a joint venture with Volkswagen in China) produced the world’s first sodium-ion battery production car in the Hua Xianzi (it roughly translates to 'Flower Fairy'), which uses a tiny 25kWh sodium-ion battery that can travel up to 155 miles on a single charge.

While not exactly a global sales success, the technology has found a place among China’s booming microcar economy and, perhaps more important still, its rampant demand for diminutive two-wheeled scooters.

In somewhere like Shenzhen, a megacity with a population of some 17.8 million people, the humble scooter is one of the most popular forms of transport, with over 55 million sold in 2023 alone, and Yadea is among the most popular brands.

The global leader in electric two-wheelers has released three sodium-ion powered electric scooters to date, according to the BBC, with plans in the pipeline to offer a lot more.

These battery packs are constructed in a similar way to their lithium-ion counterparts, but transfer sodium ions between electrodes during charging and discharging, rather than other rare earth materials.

Currently, lead-acid batteries continue to dominate the electric scooter landscape, as the technology is cheap and produced on a mass scale, but the demand for sodium-ion units is gradually increasing.

By 2030, 15% of China's electric scooters will be powered by them, compared to 0.04% in 2023, according to an analysis by the Shenzhen-based Starting Point Research Institute, which assesses China's battery industry.

Analysis: sodium-ion reaches well beyond transport

(Image credit: Yadea)

Electric two-wheel manufacturer Yadea is also building out one of the most robust electric scooter charging networks in China, with plans to install more than 1,000 fast-charging pillars that have been specifically designed for sodium-ion batteries this year in Hangzhou, which would enable commuters to find a station every 2km (1.2 miles).

It is also pushing forward with a massive battery swap program in Shenzen, with an aim of 20,000 swapping stations this year, which allow riders to replace a spent battery for a fully-charged unit in around 30 seconds. This number will grow to 50,000 by 2027.

Right now, sodium-ion batteries are still very much in ascendance, as the price, and demand for lithium-ion units, has dropped since its all-time high post-pandemic.

A relatively low energy density (some pitch sodium-ion batteries as being 30% less energy dense than lithium-ion counterparts) has also put off the major automotive players, all of whom are constantly looking for the lightest, most energy dense options on the market.

But China’s vision for salty batteries goes well beyond transport, with the BBC reporting that it is already on track for mass-scale sodium-based energy storage solutions, which help balance the grid and store excess energy from renewable sources when not in use – all without competing with the auto industry and its voracious appetite for lithium.

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XPPen Artist Pro 19 Gen 2: one-minute review

The XPPen Artist Pro 19 Gen 2 is the second incarnation of this 19-inch, 4K drawing tablet that offers 16K pressure levels, assignable shortcuts and 1.07 billion colors. Retailing for $899.99 / £899.99 / AU$1,499.99, it hardly occupies the budget end of the market. But once you factor in that this package includes absolutely everything you need, including two styluses, a stylus case, all cabling, and a wireless shortcut remote, the price looks like seriously good value.

The XPPen’s 19-inch 4K display is a stunner. While its pixel density is a relatively modest 239ppi, it’s capable of an average brightness of 250 nits and 1.07 billion colors, thanks to its 99.8% sRGB, 96% AdobeRGB, 98% Display P3 color gamut. One-inch bezels deliver a decent amount of space to rest your wrists, while its built-in feet hold it up at a 19-degree angle, making it well-suited to working on a desk. Sadly, though, its bulk and cable setup mean you’re unlikely to want to sketch away with it on your lap for long periods.

Whether you’re sketching or retouching photos, the Artist Pro 19 Gen 2 offers performance that can compete with some of the best drawing tablets. Once it’s properly calibrated, there’s no hint of parallax or jitter, and its customizable 16K pressure curves make it easy to adapt strokes to your personal preference. You can also customize the shortcuts available on its styluses and wireless remote, although I did experience a rare bug here that prevented some of these working and that took a while to resolve.

The styluses provided are well designed and comfortable to use over long drawing sessions. In particular, the X3 Pro Roller Stylus is beautifully balanced, with a center of gravity that sits perfectly in the middle of your grip. It’s easy to accidentally knock both styluses' shortcut buttons on occasion, but the X3 Pro Slim Stylus comes with a swappable faceplate, allowing you to remove the buttons if you’d rather go without. My only real criticism of the styluses is that I wish they had eraser buttons on their tips – I find such a setup far more intuitive to use and it would free up one of the buttons for a different shortcut.

Everything considered, the XPPen Artist Pro 19 Gen 2 offers a great all-round package. The display doesn’t quite have the pixel density of the 275ppi Xencelabs Pen Display 16, or the gargantuan 24-inch screen of its sibling, the XPPen Artist Pro 24 Gen 2. Nevertheless, it offers gorgeous color reproduction, accurate performance and, most importantly for some users, significant value compared to some rivals. If you want a great balance between screen size, performance and price, the XPPen Artist Pro 19 Gen 2 is well worth checking out.

(Image credit: Future)XPPen Artist Pro 19 Gen 2 review: price & availability

• Launched August 27, 2024
• Retails for $899.99 / £899.99 / AU$1,499.99

Launched on August 27, 2024, the XPPen Artist Pro 19 Gen 2 has a list price of $899.99 / £899.99 / AU$1,499.99. However, this doesn’t mean you can’t pick it up for less; at the time of writing, XPPen was offering a reduced price of $719.99 / £854 / AU$1,199.99 in a short-term flash sale. It’s worth keeping your eyes peeled in case you can make a saving here.

As prices go, even its MSRP is pretty reasonable for what you’re getting. The closest Wacom product by size, the Wacom Cintiq Pro 17, goes for a whopping $2,499.95 / £2,349.98 / AU$3,999 – although it's stunningly bright and comes Pantone Validated. The smaller Xencelabs Pen Display 16 costs $999 / £969 (around AU$1597), but also comes with fewer accessories as standard, meaning you’ll have to stretch to the $1,299 / £1,199 (around AU$2,080) bundle if you want its USB hub, additional cabling, and the customizable Quick Keys accessory. Viewed through that lens, the Artist Pro 19 Gen 2 is a good price for an all-in-one package.

(Image credit: Future / Josh Russell)XPPen Artist Pro 19 Gen 2 review: specs

Dimensions

18.1 x 12.1 x 0.8 inches (460 x 306.6 x 21.5mm)

Active drawing area

16.1 x 9.1 inches (409 x 230mm)

Weight

4.91lbs (2.23kg)

Display resolution

3840 x 2160 pixels

Pressure levels

16,384

Compatibility

Windows 7 or later; macOS 10.13 or later (latest update); Android (USB3.1 DP1.2); Chrome OS 88 (or later); Linux

(Image credit: Future / Josh Russell)XPPen Artist Pro 19 Gen 2 review: design

• Vibrant yet accurate 18.4-inch display
• Great range of included accessories
• Not as portable as some rivals

Despite its "19" moniker, the XPPen Artist Pro 19 Gen 2 actually measures only 18.4 inches across; but this is still a massive amount of screen estate. However, it's worth noting that it offers the same 3840 x 2160 area as any 4K 16:9 drawing tablet, which means you’re getting a lower pixel density than some smaller tablets. It offers a more modest 239ppi compared to the 16-inch Xencelabs Pen Display 16’s near-print-quality 275ppi.

Thanks to its 1.07 billion colors and the 99.8% sRGB, 96% AdobeRGB, 98% Display P3 coverage of its color gamut, any artwork I opened on-screen looked lush and vibrant without appearing unrealistic – it’s definitely superior to the poorly calibrated screen of my 2017 MacBook Pro. Brightness averages out at 250cd/㎡, which is very decent, although that’s still a little duller than the 300cd/㎡ the larger XPPen Artist Pro 24 Gen 2 can hit.

However, vision isn’t the only sense that matters when it comes to a drawing tablet’s screen: how it feels in use is almost as important. The Artist Pro 19 Gen 2 fares pretty well on this front. It doesn’t have the super-realistic texture of an e-paper display, for example, even when using one of the felt nibs for its pens. Nevertheless, this means your stylus is unlikely to catch on the screen while you sketch and doesn’t slip either, so there’s still a good balance here.

In use, the design of XPPen’s drawing tablet is ergonomic – up to a point. Its one-inch bezels are about the perfect size to give you somewhere to rest your arms, while the built-in wrist-rest helps prevent ache building up during long drawing sessions. The inclusion of an integrated stand is a nice touch, although it offers only a single angle, 19 degrees, which felt a little steep for me. At 2.23kg, the whole device is pretty unwieldy – I’m not sure you’ll be using it on your lap all that often.

Another reason you're likely better off using it on a desk is cabling. Don’t get me wrong: the Artist Pro 19 Gen 2 doesn’t come with the 15-wire highway intersection that some tablets do. But it also has a substantial power draw – while I could run it directly from my MacBook Pro, this only worked while my laptop had a decent amount of charge left; otherwise, it would disable USB-C power output. Realistically, then, for most of the time you’ll be using at least two cables – one USB-C data cable and one mains power – which makes it a little messier to use while kicking back in an armchair.

XPPen has been pretty generous with accessories here. In addition to the aforementioned stand, this package includes a wireless shortcut remote and a stylus case – which includes the X3 Pro Roller Stylus, the X3 Pro Slim Stylus, eight nibs, a USB dongle for the shortcut remote, a nib-changing tool, and a button cap for the slim stylus. It also provides full cabling, including two USB-C to USB-C cables, a USB-C to USB-A cable, a 3-in-1 USB and HDMI cable, and a power cable. On the downside, there’s neither a carry case for the tablet nor any tablet-mounted rests for the styluses, both of which would have been welcome additions.

• Design score: 4 / 5

(Image credit: Future / Josh Russell)XPPen Artist Pro 19 Gen 2 review: performance

• No parallax or jitter
• Easily customizable using drivers
• Experienced some issues getting shortcuts to work

To test the XPPen Artist Pro 19 Gen 2’s mettle, I carried out a range of line tests as well as working on some of my own sketches. Generally speaking, it’s impressively accurate. While there was a bit of parallax throwing things off at first, once I’d calibrated it, this totally vanished. There’s also no noticeable jitter, although there's a little lag when you’re moving fast – this wasn’t sufficient to cause any inaccuracies, however.

Subjectively speaking, when I was initially sketching on the XPPen it didn’t feel quite as expressive and responsive as a drawing tablet such as the Xencelabs Pen Display 16 – the barbs of the magpie feather I was drawing felt ever so slightly less nuanced and refined. However, once I dug around in XPPen’s driver settings, it was easy to tailor things to my liking; you can either pick one of seven pressure-curve presets or shape your own, and once I’d done this, strokes felt much more realistic and pencil-like.

The driver app allows you to customize far more than this, though. You can adapt the device’s working area to specific screens, all of your screens or a subsection of one of them, and you can also assign shortcuts to the buttons on its styluses and wireless shortcut remote. Buttons are assignable to any keyboard shortcut, mouse shortcut, or a range of other functions such as opening apps, switching to the driver software, or shifting monitor focus. Alternatively, the roller on the remote or the X3 Pro Roller Stylus can be assigned to Zoom, Scroll, Brush size or any function that can be increased or decreased by two keys.

While this should be very handy, in practice I did run into some problems. While both the remote and stylus responded to my programmed keyboard shortcuts – for example, flashing up the label "CMD + Z" when I hit the undo button – this didn’t activate the relevant menu shortcut. After quite a lot of back and forth with XPPen’s support team, I did manage to resolve the issue: it seems that having a wired keyboard plugged into my USB dock at the same time as the wireless shortcut remote’s dongle prevented it from accessing the menus. It’s unlikely you’ll encounter similar problems; It's an odd quirk, one that I haven't experienced with other drawing tablets.

• Performance score: 4/5

(Image credit: Future)XPPen Artist Pro 19 Gen 2 review: stylus

• Attractive ergonomic shape and balance
• Responsive pressure curves
• No eraser tips

On the whole, XPPen’s styluses are excellent. Naturally, the slighter X3 Pro Slim Stylus is the best option for nimble scribbling. But even the chunkier X3 Pro Roller Stylus felt comfortable for long scribbling sessions – despite spending hours drawing a magpie feather, there was never any hint of aching or strain from the sustained grip. The Roller stylus is nicely weighted, too, with its center of mass sitting right on the fulcrum of your fingers, making it easy to spin and pivot as you sketch.

Both styluses respond pretty fluidly to pressure as well. On paper, the 16K pressure levels sound amazing; in practice, though, you’re unlikely to notice much difference from an 8K device. Certainly, I couldn’t really tell the difference in terms of the smoothness of the pressure gradients of the lines I was drawing. In fact, when using the XPPen driver’s pressure gauge, I found it pretty much impossible to reduce the pressure to below 2,000 and to keep the stylus nib consistently on the screen. As such, I’d say the sensitivity here is far higher than you’re ever realistically going to use.

As with styluses from other brands, I did find I’d occasionally knock the shortcut keys by accident. I’m not sure you can hold this against XPPen, though: part of the price of having convenient shortcuts right where your fingers can find them is that sometimes your fingers do find them. And on the Slim stylus, it’s possible to hot-swap out the shortcut buttons for a plastic cap, meaning you can easily avoid this if you find yourself nudging them too often.

My only real criticism of the styluses is the lack of erasers on their far ends. I get that some people would probably rather switch tools to the eraser with a shortcut, to save removing the nib from the screen. But I make mistakes all the time and I find it psychologically much easier to fall back on the muscle memory of the analog pencil eraser than I do shifting between shortcuts. You might find this bothers you less, but I do wish XPPen’s styluses gave me that option.

• Stylus score: 4.5/5

(Image credit: Future)Should you buy the XPPen Artist Pro 19 Gen 2?

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Design

Bright, vibrant display and a decent array of accessories; but it’s chunky enough that you'll probably only want to use it at a desk.

4 / 5

Performance

There’s zero parallax or jitter, and it offers a great range of customizable shortcuts – even if I had some difficulties getting them to work.

4 / 5

Stylus

Excellent pressure sensitivity, good customizability, great ergonomic balance; but eraser tips would have been a nice option.

4.5 / 5

Value

With its bright display, responsive performance, 16K pressure levels and comprehensive accessories, you get a lot for the price.

4.5 / 5

Buy it if…

You want a huge, color-accurate display
The XPPen’s 19-inch screen not only gives you an enormous amount of sketching space – it can reproduce 1.07 billion colors with its 99.8% sRGB, 96% AdobeRGB, 98% Display P3 gamut.

You want a great-value drawing tablet
At $899.99 / £899.99 / AU$1,499.99, the XPPen isn't cheap, but factor in its 16K pressure levels, large display and myriad accessories, and you’re getting a lot for your cash.

Don’t buy it if…

You want a portable drawing tablet
Given its not inconsiderable bulk and its power consumption needs, you’ll likely want to use the tablet on a desktop with a bunch of wires hooked up to it. If you want something you can whip out on the couch or in a co-working space, you might find other options more versatile.

You prefer an eraser
Sure, you can remove your old scribblings using a button shortcut. But if, like me, you prefer a dedicated eraser for eliminating your mistakes, the XPPen’s styluses might not suit your needs.

(Image credit: Future)XPPen Artist Pro 19 Gen 2 review: also consider

XPPen Artist Pro 19 Gen 2

Xencelabs Pen Display 16

Xencelabs Pen Display 24

Dimensions

18.1 x 12.1 x 0.8 inches (460 x 306.6 x 21.5mm)

16.1 x 10.2 x 0.47 inches (410 x 259.4 x 12mm)

24.4 x 15.3 x 1.4 inches (619.8 x 388.6 x 35.6mm)

Active drawing area

16.1 x 9.1 inches (409 x 230mm)

13.55 x 7.6 inches (344.2 x 193.6mm)

20.75 x 11.7 inches (52.71 x 29.72cm)

Weight

4.91 lbs (2.23kg)

2.67 lbs (1.21kg)

13.3 lbs (6kg)

Display resolution

3840 x 2160 pixels

3840 x 2160 pixels

3840 x 2160 pixels

Pressure levels

16,384

8,192

8,192

Compatibility

Windows 7 or later; macOS 10.13 or later (latest update); Android (USB3.1 DP1.2); Chrome OS 88 (or later); Linux

PC: Windows 7 or later (latest service pack/build); macOS 10.13 or later (latest update); Linux - Ubuntu 14.04 or above, Debian 9.5, CentOS 7.0 or above, RedHat 7.0 or above

PC: Windows 7 or later (latest service pack/build); Mac OS X 10.13 or later (latest update); Linux - Ubuntu 14.04 or above, Debian 9.5, CentOS 7.0 or above, RedHat 7.0 or above

Xencelabs Pen Display 16
The Xencelabs Pen Display 16 is bright and vibrant, offers gorgeous color reproduction and staggering detail on its crisp 275ppi 4K display. Even though its 8K pressure levels are lower than the 16K offered by the Artist Pro 19 Gen 2, it’s still beautifully fluid and responsive, while its shortcuts are customizable and easy to use. It does cost a fair bit more at $999 / £969 (around AU$1597), but it’s still a good price for what you’re getting – and the $1,299 / £1,199 (around AU$2,080) bundle provides everything you could need, from a remote with OLED shortcut keys and a handy desk stand. Read our full Xencelabs Pen Display 16 review.

XPPen Artist Pro 24 Gen 2
Describing the XPPen Artist Pro 24 Gen 2 as the "big brother" of the Artist Pro 19 Gen 2 is a bit of an understatement – this tablet is freaking huge. Its 24-inch 4K display offers up an enormous amount of screen estate on which to sketch out your artworks, and its color gamut can display 16.7 million colors. Its natural and precise drawing, programmable shortcuts and remote, plus sturdy stand are simply the cherry on top. Read our full XPPen Artist Pro 24 Gen 2 review.

How I tested the XPPen Artist Pro 19 Gen 2

• Tested the drawing tablet over three weeks
• Conducted multiple line tests
• Worked on various sketches and retouched some photos

I tested the XPPen Artist Pro 19 Gen 2 over a period of multiple weeks. First, I carried out a range of line tests to test its accuracy when it came to parallax and jitter, as well as evaluating its responsiveness to pressure. I also played around with its driver settings, tweaking its properties to see how it affected the drawing experience, and experimented with the various shortcuts you can assign to its remote.

I then worked on a range of artworks in both Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop to get a sense of how the drawing tablet performed in use. As well as creating a line drawing of a magpie feather and adding watercolor hues as an overlay, I retouched multiple photographs to see how well it could handle airbrushing work.

Having spent nearly two decades creating digital artwork, I have a lot of experience in working with digital sketching and photo retouching tools. In addition, through my time working in print publishing, I’ve spent many years assessing proofs for color accuracy and detail, and so have a keen eye for how artwork should look at its best.

• First reviewed: May 2025
• Read more about how we test

• A lot of changes are rumored for iOS 26
• Here's what TechRadar readers are looking forward to
• Everything will be announced on Monday

With Apple WWDC 2025 now just a couple of days away, we're seeing a rapidly increasing number of leaks around iOS 26 (the rumored new name for iOS 19) – and in the opinion of TechRadar readers, one of these rumors is much more exciting than the rest.

Over 1,000 of you responded to a poll on our WhatsApp channel – which is well worth signing up to for the latest tech news and chat – to say that you were most looking forward to the visionOS-style redesign that's been predicted for the iPhone.

This redesign has been leaked by Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, who is usually one of the more reliable tipsters when it comes to Apple. Apparently the iOS interface will be more transparent, more modern-looking, and more glass-y – just like visionOS.

It's a visual overhaul that has been teased by Apple's own official invite for WWDC, and 43% of our respondents say it's what they're looking forward to the most when it comes to reveals we're anticipating this coming Monday.

Battery life, live translation, and more

WWDC 2025 is almost here (Image credit: Future)

Second place in our poll, with 17% of the vote, went to the rumored AI optimizations that will extend iPhone battery life. More battery life is always welcome, and apparently iOS 26 is going to make efficiency improvements based on how you use your handset.

The stats show 12% of our readers are most excited about the live translation features that are said to be coming to the AirPods with the next software update, while 11% of you are most looking forward to the rumored new gaming hub that's supposedly on the way.

Rounding out the poll, we have the CarPlay redesign (9%), the polls feature in Messages (5%), and the simplified Camera app (3%). None of these changes have been confirmed yet, but they've all been predicted by reliable sources.

The TechRadar team will be bringing you all the announcements as they happen, and you can watch the whole event live online. The all-important keynote is getting underway at 10 am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm BST on June 9 (so 3am AEST on June 10 in Australia).

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• The Phone app is set for a revamp in iOS 26
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• 3 new AI features we're expecting at WWDC

• First images of the rumored Hasselblad X2D 100C II surface
• Leaked specs suggest a new LiDAR autofocus system on board
• FCC application reveals further details, including refined controls

If money were no object, the stunning Hasselblad X2D 100C would probably be my first choice of camera for photography. The minimalist 100MP medium-format camera's looks, handling, and image quality are top drawer.

It's far from the perfect camera, though. I don't mind that it's a photography-only camera (that's right, no video recording capabilities whatsoever). But what did spoil my experience somewhat was its sluggish autofocus performance during testing – a drawback that could be addressed with its rumored upcoming successor.

MirrorlessRumors has flagged an FCC application for a Hasselblad X2D 100C II, which not only contains the first proper images of the second-gen model but also outlines various new features. Chief among those is LiDAR autofocus.

Should an upcoming Hasselblad X2D 100C II gain LiDAR autofocus, it would represent the first meaningful update courtesy of DJI since the Chinese-tech giant and leading drone maker acquired Hasselblad, and it couldn't have picked a better upgrade.

Getting up to speed

I love the X2D 100C II's image quality, so much so that it puts my full-frame Nikon camera in the shade. However, unlike my humble Z6 II, I couldn't rely on its autofocus for sharp focus where it wanted it, such as a person's eyes in a portrait.

Yes, improved autofocus tops my X2D 100C II upgrade wishlist, and the promise of pricey LiDAR autofocus, which is utilized by DJI's Ronin 4D and will presumably deliver a huge boost in autofocus performance, is exciting news.

Hands-on with the X2D 100C, during my in-depth test (Image credit: Future)

Elsewhere, the new images reveal a new joystick control and refined button layout, while internal SSD storage could again be up to 1TB, together with a CFExpress B card slot.

Otherwise, I'm not expecting many other meaningful improvements, not that many were needed – the X2D 100C II will seemingly feature the same or similar 100MP sensor with class-leading 8EV in-body image stabilization, 16-bit color depth and 15-stops dynamic range, for probably the best photo quality you can get on the affordable side of $10k / £10k.

Depending on how you look at it, the rumored X2D 100C II is a minor update of the X2D 100C. But for me, it looks set to fulfill my "if I had one wish". How does the rumored X2D 100C II sound to you? Let me know in the comments below.

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• Hasselblad 907X CFV 100C review: modular, medium format, magnificent

Here's how the Turkish city of Gaziantep became synonymous with baklava, the sweet pastry made of layers of phyllo dough, filled with nuts and soaked in syrup or honey.

(Image credit: Claire Harbage)

Besides its flights to the International Space Station and Starship program, SpaceX is deeply embedded in the Department of Defense. The feud between Elon Musk and President Trump could end all that.

(Image credit: Patrick T. Fallon)

Puerto Rico's Dominican immigrant community is on edge following a series of immigration raids, which started in January. People have stopped going to work, sending kids to school, or attending medical appointments. What was once a lively barrio is now mostly quiet in the wake of the crackdown.

(Image credit: Keren Carrión/NPR)

Activo Volcano review

Astell & Kern’s lifestyle-focused sub-brand is back with a new offering, the Activo Volcano. These wired in-ear headphones aim to bring audiophile-quality sound to all, combining supposedly “vibrant, immersive sound” at an easy-to-swallow price.

Specifically, the Activo Volcano IEMs will set you back $80 / £99 (about AU$120), which is considerably – and I mean considerably – cheaper than most of the brand’s oeuvre to date. As well as carrying a modest price tag, the Activo Volcano come with a 3.5mm, 4.4mm, and a USB-C connector, meaning they’re available to a broad audience, across a broad range of devices. But is Activo’s budget offering a hit?

Well, to some degree, I’d answer that with a resounding yes. That ability to cycle through various connectivity options is something many of the best wired earbuds skip out on and to be clear, the Activo Volcano execute this fantastically well. Simply unscrew whichever connector is in use and swivel the desired alternative on – that’s all there is to it.

There’s a handy carry case included too, so you can store the out-of-use adapters when you’re on the go. On top of that, you get a nice selection of both foam and rubber eartips in a range of sizes. After you’ve found the right fit, you should get a tight seal, ensuring you hear their various drivers at their best and with commendable passive noise isolation. Activo’s decision to pack all of this in at such an uncharacteristically low price-point is certainly something to be applauded.

Where I become – let’s say, a little more picky – is in the audio department. Yes, this is a product from the Astell & Kern ecosystem, but if you’re expecting truly premium high-grade sound, you’re going to have to look elsewhere. Do the Activo Volcano sound poor, then? Absolutely not. But if you want the most intricately detailed sound around, you will need to spend more.

So, let’s really zoom in on how the Activo Volcano sound. Each earpiece boasts a triple driver design: a main 8mm unit partnered with two 6mm drivers. This configuration, says Activo, is intended to enhance the richness of lower-midrange and bass. And perhaps as the name suggests, you can hear rumbling bass erupt from the get-go.

Yep, you’re gonna sense a significant emphasis on low-end output with these in-ears – something that perhaps a lot of IEMs hesitate to go too hard on. When tuning into Breather by Chris Stussy & S. A. M., I was struck by palpable low-end output, with the Volcano easily able to replicate the track’s pounding drum machine.

Activo compares these IEM’s low frequency output to the “eruption of magma” from a Volcano. And although you’re not going to get that ultra-immersive, almost tangible boom that some of the best over-ear headphones can deliver, say, I’d argue there’s enough depth here for fans of bass-heavy bangers to sink their teeth into.

I’ll admit, I certainly do enjoy a slight emphasis towards bass registers, especially given that I predominantly listen to a mixture of funk, dance, and jazz fusion. But many looking for a flashy new pair of IEMs – whether musicians, audiophiles, or just casual listeners – may be hoping for a more neutral sound signature. And that is something you’re not going to get out of the gate here.

When listening to Flying Beagle by Himiko Kikuchi, I felt the low-end could sound a little overstated, not giving quite enough room for the flowing piano to sit forward and work its magic, while letting light percussion roll through the backdrop. And when listening to Splash Mountain by Yung Gravy, an already bassy track, I felt that both the low-end and treble were a touch aggressive, meaning vocals in the mid-range were left behind. That’s not to say that the Volcano are regularly harsh-sounding or typically deliver muddy audio, but just know that there are more well-rounded options out there.

For instance, I switched over to my Sennheiser IE 200, which are among my very favorite IEMs, and cost a very similar amount to the Volcano. As soon as I did this, I could tell a big difference in quality across all genres. The IE 200, put simply, plate up better balance and instrument separation, meaning you get a more nuanced, revealing listen.

Even still, the Volcano aren’t going to smack you with distorted or tinny sound. Generally, I found tracks were clear and there were noticeable details, such as light electronica in Black Eye by Allie X, that didn’t go amiss. And if you customize EQ in your source device or streaming app’s settings, you’ll be able to get a more neutral sound – or not – depending on what you’re into. But, all in all, I’d be lying if I said these blew me away, sonically speaking.

(Image credit: Future)

Unfortunately, I’m not done with my criticism of these IEMs just yet, though. If I’m honest, there’s not a ton that I love about their design. First of all, I want to talk about looks. Now, Activo says that the Volcano have a “crater-inspired” design that symbolizes the “immense power and energy” of their triple drivers.

But really, I’m getting moon crater, rather than volcanic crater from these – especially given the white and silver finish that’s been selected here. I also moaned at Tribit earlier this year after the Tribit Stormbox Lava speaker totally failed at playing to its open-goal volcanic theme. Any audio manufacturers out there fancy making a more fun volcano-inspired product? I’ll be keeping an eye out.

On top of that, I just found the Volcano earpieces a bit too bulky in my ear. Each bud felt substantially heftier than my IE 200 and I found it challenging to keep these on for much more than an hour or so before fatigue kicked in. The cable is pretty chunky too and is without playback options or a mic – something you’d get from a rival like the Shure Aonic 3.

But it’s not all doom and gloom. I have to say, the build of the Activo Volcano appears more luxurious than perhaps its price suggests. The cable, while large, looks and feels high in quality. It’s also detachable if you want to swap in an after-market alternative. For reference, though, the included wire is made up of seven-strand silver-plated copper and five-strand oxygen-free copper cables. The PC material used for the buds themselves also feels smooth and not overly plasticky, oozing a sense of durability and reliability.

So, let’s return to the all-important question. Are the Activo Volcano a hit? Well, perhaps not quite. There’s plenty to like here for sure, whether that be weighty bass output, high build quality or various connectivity options. But equally, there are a few areas that left me a touch disappointed. I personally found that the model is overly large, with a design that while secure and easy to fit, isn’t particularly comfortable or on-theme. And the audio – though still good for the price – could be more revealing and balanced.

Should you buy the Activo Volcano? Well, if you don’t need fantastic evenness across the frequencies and don’t mind it’s slightly larger feel, then perhaps. But for a similar price, I’d say you’ll be better off with the Sennheiser IE 200 – did I mention I like those?

(Image credit: Future)Activo Volcano review: Price and release date

• $80 / £99 (about AU$120)
• Launched in March 2025

The Activo Volcano IEMs came to market in March 2025. Activo is still fairly fresh and was created by parent Astell & Kern as a lifestyle brand. And the Volcano are its cheapest offering to date, with a list price of $80 / £99 (about AU$120). That’s a massive chunk less than Activo’s previous effort, the Activo Q1 IEMs, which we rated four-and-a-half stars, lauding their excellent clarity and superb separation.

Activo Volcano review: Specs

Drivers

1x 8mm, 2x 6mm dynamic triple-driver

Weight

5g (per bud)

Frequency range

20Hz-20kHz

Waterproof rating

Not stated

Connectivity

3.5mm; 4.4mm; USB-C

(Image credit: Future)Should you buy the Activo Volcano?

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

Detachable cable, interchangeable connectors, no controller.

4/5

Sound quality

Good audio for the price, big bass, but rivals offer more balance and detail.

4/5

Design

Unremarkable looks, bulky, not massively comfortable, but premium feel.

2.5/5

Value

Cheap given overall quality, but similar-priced competitors are stronger.

4/5

Buy them if...

You're on a tight budget
The Volcano stray from much of their parent’s audio tech in that they're very much an affordable model. For $80 / £99, you're getting a solid set of IEMs, ideal for those that value the details, yet don’t want to spend an arm and a leg.

You want multiple connectivity options
A lot of IEMs use a 3.5mm connector and don’t leave space for anything else. That can be pretty limiting if you want to use them with a modern smartphone, say, that's ditched the good ol' headphone port. So, in come the Activo Volcano with not only a 3.5mm option, but also a USB-C and 4.4mm option. Simply screw on whatever connector you want and you're good to go, no matter what device you're using.

Don't buy them if...

If you’re an audiophile seeking top-tier sound quality
The Activo Volcano never had to wow me with absolutely top of the range audio, given their price tag. And I want to echo that here – you’re not going to get the ultimate mixture of effortlessly balanced and stunningly separated audio from the Activo Volcano. Yes, they’re more than up to the task of dishing out an enjoyable listen that leans into warm bass tones, but if you want the most analytical IEMs on the market, it’s worth looking elsewhere.

You're looking for a lightweight option
What's likely to be the most divisive aspect of the Activo Volcano is their chunky build. Both the IEMs themselves and the braided cable are pretty weighty, meaning they're not the most discreet looking or feeling. So, if you want a featherweight, understated way to listen to your tunes, it may be best to avoid these in-ears.

Activo Volcano review: Also consider

Activo Volcano

Sennheiser IE 200

Master & Dynamic ME05

Price

$80 / £99 (about AU$120)

$149.95 / £129.99 / AU$239.95

$199 / £169 (about AU$320)

Drivers

1x 8mm, 2x 6mm dynamic triple-driver

7mm dynamic

8mm high-excursion

Weight

5g (per bud)

4g (per bud)

23g

Frequency range

20Hz-20kHz

6Hz-20kHz

20Hz-20kHz

Waterproof rating

Not stated

Not stated

Not stated

Connectivity

3.5mm; 4.4mm; USB-C

3.5mm

3.5mm; USB-C

Sennheiser IE 200
If I’m ever asked to recommend some IEMs, I almost always find myself suggesting the Sennheiser IE 200. Why? Because in this price range, they’re simply the best sounding IEMs that I’ve heard so far. You get open, articulate audio with sublime instrument separation, a straight up sexy design and dual-tuneable sound. There’s no USB-C adapter and you’ll have to buy a cable with playback controls separately, but if you’re all about sound, these are an amazing pair of in-ears. They’re also regularly on sale for a solid amount less than their list price. Read our full Sennheiser IE 200 review.

Master & Dynamic ME05
If you’re in the market for great-sounding wired in-ears, but don’t need IEMs specifically, the Master & Dynamic ME05 are a fantastic choice. These remastered classics supply balanced, detailed audio, a premium build, and dual 3.5mm/USB-C connectivity. Pretty neat. Oh, and you’ll get a mic and playback controller too. Read our full Master & Dynamic ME05 review.

How I tested the Activo Volcano

(Image credit: Future)

• Tested for multiple weeks
• Used in the office and while on a flight
• Predominantly tested using Tidal

I used the Activo Volcano over the course of multiple weeks. I predominantly tested them while working at home, but also used them at the office and while on a flight. When listening to tunes, I mainly turned to Tidal, but I also spent some time blasting songs on Spotify.

When testing, I ran through the entirety of the TechRadar testing playlist, which contains tracks from a variety of genres. I also compared the Volcano against the Sennheiser IE 200 and re-released version of the Master & Dynamic ME05.

• First reviewed: June 2025
• Read more about how we test