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As summer is fast approaching, it's important to prepare for a summer blackout. These tips can help you stay cool (and keep your cool) without A/C.

• Samsung has confirmed it will ship its next foldable phones with Android 16
• That will likely make them among the first handsets to run Android 16 out of the box
• Samsung's customizations are focused on AI, security, and convenience

Usually, Samsung’s new foldable phones launch with the previous year’s version of Android, as in the past Google had been launching new Android versions later in the year than Samsung’s phones. But that’s all changing this year.

We already know that Android 16 will roll out soon, with June looking likely, while the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 will probably launch in July. So that makes it viable for them to launch with Android 16 out of the box, but until today we weren’t certain that would happen, since Samsung still needs time to make its own software modifications.

However, the company has now confirmed that these phones will ship with Android 16, which is likely to make them among the first handsets to run Android 16 out of the box.

Android 16 on a Samsung phone (Image credit: Samsung)Faster than normal

This is slightly surprising since Samsung can often be slow to update its handsets, but the company claims this was achieved through “open communication” and “real-time feedback” with Google.

Specifically, you’ll be getting One UI 8 on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7. This is Samsung’s customized take on Android 16, and – as you might have guessed – it puts a lot of focus on AI.

That said, Samsung also highlights security and “convenient, intuitive tools” like allowing you to connect to Bluetooth audio devices effortlessly by scanning a QR code.

Of course, you won’t have to buy one of Samsung’s upcoming foldables to get Android 16 and One UI 8 – the company has already launched a One UI 8 beta on the Samsung Galaxy S25 series, so those devices will also probably get access to the finished version of this software soon after it’s available.

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• The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 has been benchmarked, and the results are extremely disappointing
• The Samsung Galaxy S26 could get a much-needed new camera
• The Samsung Galaxy S25 FE cameras have leaked, and they’re utterly underwhelming

• Surfshark has just launched a new 7-day free trial for new users
• The provider previously offered a 30-day money-back guarantee as its 'trial' offering
• Surfshark is now one of the few VPN providers offering a free trial option

If you are looking for a new VPN service but don't want to invest the money blindly, good news – Surfshark now offers a 7-day free trial to all new users.

Until now, you could find out if Surfshark was the right service for you only after subscribing – risk-free, though, thanks to its 30-day money-back guarantee policy. Now, while this policy remains in place, you can try the service for a whole week without putting your hands on your wallet.

One of the best VPN services out there, according to TechRadar's latest testing, Surfshark is now among the very few providers that offer new users a free trial option.

Surfshark – 7-day free trial
Try out all that Surfshark has to offer for 7 days on up to three different devices at once, completely free of charge. You can expect a host of security and privacy features, great streaming unblocking results, and fast connection speeds. If, after that, you decide to subscribe, you'll even be able to use the VPN service across unlimited devices simultaneously. No worry too much, though, as you'll still be able to change your mind thanks to its 30-day money-back guarantee.View Deal

Why use Surfshark 7-day free trial

A virtual private network (VPN) is a crucial tool nowadays to boost your online experience as it allows you to enjoy a more private and secure internet, while enabling you to unlock otherwise geo-restricted content, among other things.

Yet, not all VPN services are made equal. That's why we found the opportunity to test premium services without committing to a paid subscription very advantageous.

As mentioned earlier, Surfshark isn't the only VPN with a free trial on the market – but it's perhaps the best option out there.

For instance, CyberGhost offers some shorter free trial options for new subscribers depending on the device they use – 24 hours for Windows and Mac users, 3 days on Android, and 7 days on iOS devices. Private Internet Access also offers a 7-day free trial, but only for Android and iOS users who activate it via the official app stores. NordVPN does something similar, but only for new Android subscribers.

By contrast, any new users can enjoy Surfshark's 7-day free trial – no matter the device they use – and they can do so directly from the provider's official websites. Even better, Surfshark's free trial can be active on three devices at once.

TechRadar needs you! We want to know what you think about the world of VPNs. Whether you're a novice or a VPN pro, we want to hear your thoughts. Don't worry, though, your responses are completely anonymous, and it takes less than five minutes to complete!

To take part, click the link below: https://futurenet.questionpro.eu/tr-vpn

How to use Surfshark 7-day free trial

Taking advantage of Surfshark's new 7-day free trial couldn't be easier.

You start by choosing the plan that best works for you between Surfshark Starter (which also includes its Alternative ID and CleanWeb services), Surfshark One (which also adds the provider's antivirus, Alert ID, and search engine tools), and Surfshark One+ (which includes all of the above plus the data removal service Incogni).

To do so, you'll have to enter your email address and payment details "to confirm you’re a first-time user," the provider explains on its dedicated page.

The next step is to create an account by filling in the login credentials.

Once you do that, you can download, install, and start using Surfshark for a week free of charge.

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As the Trump administration slashes the federal workforce, experts say cuts to the USDA, FDA and CDC have left the food supply vulnerable to outbreaks of foodborne illness.

(Image credit: Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group)

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has been called "Trump before there was a Trump." Here's why his reshaping of Hungary's political institutions inspires U.S. conservatives.

(Image credit: Claire Harbage)

The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters.'/>

These creative questions are fun to answer and can help reveal people's personalities. Conflict resolution facilitator Priya Parker shares her favorites and explains how to come up with your own.

(Image credit: Anjali Kamat for NPR)

• A Chinese telecomms certification has revealed a pair of new Samsung devices set to launch in July
• As previously rumored, it looks like we're getting the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 and the Watch 8 Classic
• There is no mention of a Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, indicating it may not be coming this year

Samsung's Galaxy Watch line is expected to get another update in the coming months at this year's Samsung Galaxy Unpacked summer showcase. According to a recent report, it looks like there will only be two models making their debut: the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 and a Galaxy Watch 8 Classic.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Classic series takes the standard Galaxy Watch line and adds a dive watch-style rotating bezel, which also serves as a way to engage with the watch's UI outside of the buttons and touch screens.

As spotted by XpertPick, the Chinese telecomms certification board CMIIT has passed two devices labeled SM-L3350 and SM-L5050, believed to be the Watch 8 and Watch 8 Classic. It appears they'll both launch in July 2025—around the time of Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked event.

The report follows previous news that generation eight of the Samsung Galaxy Watch line could bring back the Classic form factor. Classics tend to appear every other year –we got a Watch 4 Classic and a Watch 6 Classic, so it's likely we'll get a Watch 8 Classic too.

However, the absence of a Watch Ultra 2 certification suggests we're not getting a Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra follow-up this year.

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 not coming this year?

While the lack of a Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 certification is a surprise, the rumor mill suggests that the standard and Classic watches are expected to get a similar squircle-style chassis that would at least mean it's there in spirit.

The certification conflicts with previous rumors that made the rounds in April, suggesting that a new Ultra model would be revealed in July.

Away from the Ultra-specific news, as well as the rotating bezel, the Watch 8 and Watch 8 Classic are expected to get Google's Gemini AI assistant on-wrist. Google's upcoming Wear OS 6 release will bring Gemini to more wearables, including new Samsung devices.

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Financial markets welcomed a U.S. court ruling that blocks President Donald Trump from imposing sweeping tariffs on imports under an emergency-powers law.

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Conservative Political Action Conference chairman Matt Schlapp tells NPR's Leila Fadel in the Hungarian capital Budapest that the group is expanding to cities around the globe.

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At colleges across the U.S., football coaches are often among the highest paid people. NPR's Planet Money looks into what makes them so valuable.

The 17-person team of statisticians and scientists at the National Survey on Drug Use and Health are all out of jobs. Researchers around the country use the data to understand behavioral health.

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Nova Development produces an impressive array of design and productivity software, including a range of 3D home design tools, the top of the line version being “Virtual Architect Professional Home Design 12”.

Having reviewed all the best interior design software, I wanted to see how the latest version compares to the rest. So let’s take a look at it.

• Interested in Virtual Architect Professional Home Design 12? Check out the website here

Virtual Architect Professional Home Design 12: Pricing & plans

• Purchase the software online, as you’d expect these days, with a price that’s to be expected for the number of available features, but we were very disappointed to learn that no trial version was available

This software is PC-only, compatible with Windows 8, 10 and 11. It requires a 64-bit OS, a minimum of 2GHz processor, 4GB of RAM and 30GB of storage, and it can be yours for $125.

Sadly, Nova Development does not offer a trial version, so there’s no way for you to check out its wares before purchasing the software. However, they do offer a 60-day money back guarantee, so if you buy it and if it turns out not to be your cup of tea, return it, no questions asked.

The easiest way to get this title is by clicking here - although we found the installation to be quite lengthy, even on full fibre, but we got there in the end.

• Score: 3 / 5

Virtual Architect Professional Home Design 12: Interface

Designing your project is easy (Image credit: Nova Development )

• The interface feels somewhat antiquated, but its organization is pretty much perfect, allowing you to select the tool you need with ease

The interface feels dated, but the way the information is organised is very clean and easy to understand. The icons at the bottom of the window are used to control your environment.

This is where you get to choose which view to work in (2D or 3D), add cameras to your 3D environment, choose which level of your building to work in, along with general controls when moving objects on your canvas, such as restricting movements to right angles, and making sure objects don’t collide with each other.

You’ll find a series of tabs at the top, which is where all your design tools are stored, organised by clear categories. Further up is the traditional menu bar which contains links to those aforementioned tools, giving you multiple ways to access the same functions, which is something we greatly appreciate: the software allows you to work how you prefer, rather than forcing you to adapt to a developer’s idea of working.

To the right, is the Inspector panel, which changes its content based on the currently selected tool. It’s very clear and simple, although we found the information there to be quite small compared to the other sections.

We also found having to navigate through tiny folders inside a tiny inspector got a little frustrating at times. Thankfully there’s a search field at the top, if you know what you’re looking for.

• Score: 4 / 5

Virtual Architect Professional Home Design 12: Building

The 3D interface allows you to manipulate and alter your design (Image credit: Nova Development )

• Considering the complexity of designing a building, using this software is remarkably simple as the developers have clearly gone out of their way to make the creation process as easy as they could manage it

Designing walls and rooms is very easy: select the wall tool, click on your canvas, click somewhere else, and one wall has been added between those two clicks. There’s even a function (selected by default) to ensure those walls stay straight, and go off from others at a 90 degree angle.

You can add walls by using your mouse or trackpad, or by typing the value you’re after. By default the measurements will be shown in antiquated feet and inches, but you can alter that to the much more precise metric system from the ‘Settings’ section.

There’s a lot of little touches we greatly appreciated, like the software being intelligent enough to know when the latest wall you’re adding will enclose a room, or when you reposition an existing wall, any other wall connected to it will also be resized as you do so, saving you tons of time when redesigning and fine tuning your project.

Adding doors and windows is just a matter of choosing the one you’re after from the Inspector panel, and dragging it until you’re happy with its position. These objects know they’re supposed to be embedded into a wall and will snap to one in your project as you decide where to put it, even if your cursor veers off a little.

Adding a ceiling can be done in a single click if you just want to cover the entire level in one go, but you’ve also got the option of being much more precise, choosing different types of ceilings for each room, say, or even creating partial ceilings. The flexibility and ease of use is impressive. Same goes for when it’s time to add a roof.

You’ll likely primarily be working in the 2D environment, but you can also switch to 3D, and not just to appreciate your design in three dimensions: unlike some competing products, you also have design control in that environment as well, and we had a lot of fun with that.

• Score: 4.5 / 5

Virtual Architect Professional Home Design 12: Wizards

A few ‘wizards’ are available to speed up the creation process even more (Image credit: Nova Development )

• If you need another helping hand, conjure up a wizard to speed up some common design necessities, such as a kitchen, bathroom or deck

Despite all the features created to facilitate the building of complex projects, sometimes you may need things to be speeded up somewhat. That’s where wizards come in. This software has a handful of them, to create the bare bones structure of a house, a kitchen, bathroom, a house’s foundations, or even a deck or shed.

The wizard won’t do it all for you, of course, but through a series of simple choices, you can apply a template to your project, and then customize it further after it’s been inserted.

For instance, the Kitchen Wizard will ask you for the basic shape you’re after (L-Shape, Galley, or U-Shape), its orientation, the generic placement of most units, and the style you’re after. After that, you add it to your plan, resize it to suit, and its job is done. You’re then free to take individual items, such as the sink or fridge, and move it around until you’re happy with its position.

It’s a great way to get the basics done in a few seconds, giving you more time to fine tune and personalize your creation.

• Score: 4.5 / 5

Virtual Architect Professional Home Design 12: Indoor and Outdoor Decoration

Landscaping, and creating decks, is all part and parcel of the software (Image credit: Nova Development )

• The software has a large catalog of objects you can use to furnish your design, and comes with powerful tools to shape the landscape

Adding furniture, both indoor or outdoor, is as easy as selecting a door or window: choose the right category, then scroll down the list in the Inspector until you find the item you’re after.

We were unable to find a way to customize the available objects though (just like we couldn’t resize a chosen door or window), but there are so many options available you’re bound to find the one that matches your needs.

And speaking of outdoor, this software goes beyond your house, and grants you the ability to design the outside, complete with altering the terrain, creating hills, retaining walls, the works, and of course, has a slew of plants and vegetation you can use to bring your design to life.

As you’d expect for a program with such versatility, its minimum specs should be seen as that: minimum, and likely not even worth trying to match. As long as your computer swims in RAM and has a powerful processor, it should easily handle the software.

• Score: 4 / 5

Should I buy Virtual Architect Professional Home Design 12?Image 1 of 2

Alter the terrain to your heart’s desire (Image credit: Nova Development )Image 2 of 2

The furniture inventory is vast (Image credit: Nova Development )Buy it if...

You’re on a PC, and you’re looking for a powerful, versatile, yet easy to use software package to design a project in 2D and 3D.

Don't buy it if...

You don’t need something with so many options, your PC isn’t powerful enough, and the lack of trial software really puts you off.

For more home design tools, we've reviewed the best landscape design software and the best architecture software.

Portugal's anti-immigration Chega party notched another political gain for Europe's far right on Wednesday after it was assigned the second-most seats in parliament.

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But in a mixed ruling, federal Judge Michael Farbiarz declined, for now, to order Khalil released from immigration detention.

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