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Trump and his family earned over $1 billion last year through cryptocurrency ventures and other businesses. And, the Vatican declared that the traditionalist Society of St. Pius X has entered schism.

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• Apple will reportedly refresh its iPad Pro line in early 2027
• The main change is likely to be a new chipset, but it's uncertain whether the M6 or M7 will be used
• It's also very likely that these will be extremely expensive tablets

It will soon be a year since the last iPad Pro models launched, but if you were hoping for successors this year, you’re probably out of luck, as a new report suggests we won’t see new models until 2027.

According to reputable Apple tipster Mark Gurman, writing for Bloomberg (via MacRumors), the company will launch new 11-inch and 13-in iPad Pro models in ‘spring’ 2027 — presumably meaning sometime between March and May.

Apparently, their designs won’t be changed much, but the internals will be updated, with a new chipset and potentially a vapor chamber to help keep them cool.

However, which chipset they’ll use remains uncertain — the iPad Pro 11-inch (2025) and iPad Pro 13-inch (2025) both have an M5 chipset, so we’d expect at least an M6. But according to this Bloomberg report, Apple will debut its M7 chipset “as early as the first half of 2027.” So if that’s out in time for the next iPad Pro’s launch, there’s a chance it will be included.

Either way, this should be a very powerful tablet, but if it does launch with an M6 chipset only for Apple to announce the M7 soon after, that might make it less desirable than it could otherwise be.

A pricey prospect

Apple's latest iPad Pro now costs more than it did at launch (Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

The bigger concern about the next iPad Pro, though, is how much it might cost. The ongoing RAM crisis recently caused Apple to raise the prices of many of its devices, including iPads, and since the 9-month-old iPad Pro 2025 has shot up in price, there’s no doubt that 2027’s iPad Pro models will launch at a very high price too.

Exactly how high is uncertain, though. For reference, the iPad Pro 2025 series now starts at $1,199 / £1,199 / AU$1,999, so the iPad Pro 2027 will almost certainly cost at least that much. But if RAM prices keep increasing, then it’s feasible that it could cost even more — especially with inflation and a new chipset.

So, you might want to get saving — or just make do with your old tablet for a while longer, especially if you upgraded in the last few years.

• Google Home Speaker users are reporting early issues
• The voice assistant is taking up to 60 seconds to respond to requests
• Google has said it's working on a fix, but there hasn't been any updates

Google has only just returned to smart hubs with its new AI-powered Google Home Speaker, six long years after the company released the Nest Audio — and users are already running into issues.

It’s been barely a week since pre-orders were shipped and those who’ve been excited to test out the upgraded Google Home Speaker have been let down with the device’s performance.

The crux of the issue is the voice assistant itself, which many users say takes a while to respond to their commands. A slew of Reddit posts highlight the same issue, agreeing that the speaker can take between 30-60 seconds before responding, and others have experienced audio cutting out altogether.

Google Speaker 2026 from r/googlehome

While we don’t know how widespread these lagged responses are, the top comment in the Reddit thread above says it’s happening globally. Whether this is the case or not, it’s birthed a lot of frustration among those who have spent good money on the new device — “I’m returning mine” one user writes, while another says “I really hope Google puts more effort into things”.

Looking at the user reactions, it appears that this issue is also prevalent in older devices like the Nest Audio and Nest Mini, so it’s not just the new Home Speaker that’s going through the ringer. Thankfully, Google is doing something about it.

Amidst the backlash, the official u/GoogleNestCommunity replied to the Reddit post with the following; “We're aware of an issue causing increased latency or timing out. We are working on a fix ASAP and will circle back once this is resolved. Thanks for your patience”.

Though Google’s acknowledgment provides some sort of reassurance that a fix is on the way, the company hasn’t provided any details on how it intends to address the issues or when users can expect to see an improvement. At this rate, it’s still a waiting game, but this isn’t the only run-in with criticism the Google Home Speaker has faced since its launch.

Repairability could be hindered

When Google officially announced the new Home Speaker in October 2025, I was thrilled to see a new speaker was on the way just as much as the next person, but there’s one setback which an early unboxing video addresses.

The Google Home Speaker has a fixed power cable, meaning you can’t disconnect it like you can with the majority of the best smart speakers. It may sound like we’re splitting hairs here, but the unboxing video highlights the repairability problem that comes with not having an unpluggable power cord.

These issues aside, the Google Home Speaker isn't totally devoid of positives. According to the same unboxing video, the speaker’s accompanying app has a lot of appeal and the overall audio quality is pretty solid — so it’s nice to see that Google has adhered to its 360-audio upgrade promises.

If you own Apple's latest Mac mini M4, you've no doubt found that while it's unquestionably powerful, the tiny desktop's selection of front-facing ports and internal storage options can quickly become limiting if you're working with large files or connecting multiple accessories.

UGreen's M4 Dock & Stand solves both problems while matching the Mac mini's footprint for a clean, integrated look.

The dock is easily one of the most useful accessories you can add to the Mac mini M4, and Amazon has cut the price from $89.99 to $54.99, a solid 39% saving.

Today's top dock deal

Expand your Mac mini M4 with an 11-in-1 dock featuring an M.2 NVMe SSD enclosure supporting up to 8TB, multiple USB-A and USB-C ports, SD card readers, and transfer speeds of up to 10Gbps.View Deal

The standout feature is the built-in M.2 NVMe SSD enclosure, which supports drives up to 8TB. Compatible with 2230, 2242, 2260, and 2280 SSDs, it gives you an easy way to add high-speed storage for 4K video editing, photo libraries, backups, and other demanding workloads without relying on external drives scattered across your desk.

Transfer speeds of up to 10Gbps also help move large files quickly, making this a superb, highly affordable upgrade for creators and professionals working with sizeable media projects.

It's important to note however, that the SSD isn't included, so you'll need to supply your own.

Beyond storage, the dock transforms the Mac mini into a much more capable workstation.

It adds 11 ports, including three USB-A 10Gbps ports, two additional USB-A ports, two USB-C ports, and SD and microSD card readers, giving you plenty of room for external drives, cameras, peripherals, and other accessories.

Ugreen has also paid attention to lots of little details. The dock follows the Mac mini's shape, includes anti-slip silicone pads, and even adds a clever power button lever, so you can switch on your Mac without lifting the computer.

A short 4cm cable helps keep your workspace tidy, while the dock can draw power directly from the Mac mini or use an external adapter if you're connecting several devices.

In our five star review, we called the Mac mini "smaller, faster, better" and said it might even be the "best Mac ever."

If your Mac mini M4 or M4 Pro is starting to feel short on storage or ports, this dock is a brilliant upgrade and a 39% saving makes it even more attractive.

Google's new Nano Banana 2 Lite is really fast, as in about four seconds from prompt to image. That speed changes how you think about writing the prompts as much as the schedule of producing them.

The standard Nano Banana 2 model, and most other AI image generators for that matter, take long enough that it's worth spending some time working out the perfect prompt. It can be annoying to have to redo it multiple times when you have to wait up to a minute and still might get it wrong. You learn to be cautious in your prompting.

Nano Banana 2 Lite breaks that rhythm. I noticed my own speed changing to almost match. I didn't feel the need to write a perfect prompt. I treated it more like a sketchpad for ideas that could be quickly tossed out if they didn't work or revised until they did. None of them felt like much of a commitment because another attempt was only a few seconds away.

Nano Banana 2 (left)/Nano Banana 2 Lite (right) (Image credit: Google Gemini)

And it's not as though there's an enormous downgrade in results. For instance, I asked both versions of Nano Banana 2 to make "A steampunk fleet sailing through outer space above Earth, complete with ornate wooden airships covered in brass." There is plenty there to cause fits in any image model.

Without knowing which was which, more than one person guessed wrong or thought it was a trick and the two were from the same model. The one on the left is Nano Banana 2, and the one on the right is its Lite sibling. You can guess one is higher quality if you study it, and certainly over time you can spot where the Lite version might let you down, but when it only takes four seconds to come up with another one, it doesn't matter too much.

Speedy creation

While the standard Nano Banana 2 is good for when you need the highest fidelity or have an extra tricky request, Lite exists for speed and brainstorming. Google positions Nano Banana 2 Lite as the faster, cheaper companion, helpful especially at scale.

For the average person, it means you don't have to invest as much time in your initial prompt and can play around more.

Nano Banana 2 Lite. Prompt: "a busy farmer's market." (Image credit: Google Nano Banana 2 Lite)

It means you can iterate in interesting ways too. For instance, I started with a prompt for "a busy farmer's market." Crowds remain one of the quickest ways to expose the weaknesses of AI image generators because there are so many people, poses, and interactions happening at once.

The result was fine, but I began adding specific details and Nano Banana 2 Lite obliged me with about a dozen options in a few minutes. Now, my requests for things like children chasing bubbles, an elderly couple buying flowers, a street musician, and a fruit vendor making a sale in the foreground are all right there. There are some flaws and odd details, but for four seconds it's not bad.

Brainstorming prompts

Notice the mistakes: No suitcase in panel two, and two suitcases in panel three. (Image credit: Google Nano Banana 2 Lite)

And it should be repeated that Nano Banana 2 Lite is not much of a step down from the larger model and is capable of coherent storytelling, but not necessarily perfectly on the first try. I asked it to "Make a six-panel comic about a businessman who accidentally swaps briefcases with an alien in a train station."

The comic makes sense overall. The characters stayed consistent from one panel to the next, the sequence flowed naturally, and the final reveal landed with exactly the right amount of absurdity. There are, of course, two huge errors in the comic, where the human has no briefcase in the second panel and two in the third.

A couple of further prompts solved the problem, but it's important to note that the easier solution is to iterate, not to spend a lot more time reworking the prompt with extra detail. A version made with the regular Nano Banana 2 model notably did not share the same flaw. In other words, each model has its place, and you might even end up polishing a prompt in Lite and then taking it to the Nano Banana 2 for an even higher-quality version.

Still, when you can make so many images so quickly, you can rethink how you come up with the prompts. That seems to be Google's goal for Nano Banana 2 Lite. It feels designed for the messier parts of the creative process. The bigger model is for a deeper commitment. Making each individual image feel a little less important might eventually encourage people to create far better images.

Lexar TouchLock Portable SSD: 30-second review

The popularity of compact portable SSDs has made them a mainstay of storage options; after all, they’re relatively inexpensive, easy to use, and for the most part, simply plug-in ready for use. With the latest design evolution, many models now feature a MagSafe connector, enabling you to attach them directly to the back of your mobile device.

However, this ultraportable and compact design means that whilst you can always carry them with you, and they’re robust enough to do so, they are far easier to lose than more traditional desktop solutions.

There are, of course, software encryption options which, off the shelf, will stop your general user from accessing the contents of your drives. But with a little time and some freely downloadable software from the internet, most software encryption is easy enough to overcome. However, if you do want more security for your portable SSD, for your work files, videos and other content, then the likes of the Lexar Touch Portable SSD, which includes 128-bit AES hardware encryption, are a great option.

Whilst there are many portable SSDs that offer similar levels of file security, this portable SSD differs by featuring an NFC chip that lets you quickly unlock the drive without entering any PIN codes or passwords.

It works through an initial setup: download the Lexar app, connect to the SSD via the included USB-C cable, and set up the simple NFC touch, which will later enable you to quickly unlock the device once it’s connected to either a mobile phone or a computer.

There are a few things to consider: unlike some other secure portable SSDs, this one can only be unlocked by the phone with the app installed. Whilst you do have a recovery process during the setup process, it makes it far more secure than many other options on the market. The fact is, this is hardware encryption, so without unlocking the drive, any machine you plug it into won’t recognise that it is even attached. It’s only once that connection has been made with a tap of the phone that you’ll be able to see and access the contents of the drive.

The hardware encryption is exceptional, and none of my off-the-shelf software could access the contents of the drive.

One downside about secure drives is that speed, and sure enough, speeds are relatively limited; whilst we’ve come to expect SSDs with transfer rates of 1000MB/s+, here you’re lucky to hit 400MB/s for read and far less for write, which also limits how you can use this as a working SSD.

Used alongside all newer iPhones and Android devices, you’ll be able to record video in log video quality perfectly well. But if you switch over to the iPhone 17 Pro, then not all of those log frame rates will be available to you due to those limited transfer rates. Likewise, if you’re thinking this would be a great solution to use in combination with your video cameras when shooting productions, just for an added level of security, then the transfer rate lags a little too much.

It's not the best portable SSD on the market - but it is one of the simplest and cheapest encrypted drives I've ever used. As long as you’re not trying to push what you’re doing with this portable SSD and are just using it to transfer secure files for work, then it is an exceptionally good drive. If you’re looking at it as a portable, secure working drive, those speeds will be limiting.

Lexar TouchLock Portable SSD: Price and availability

• How much does it cost? From $100 / £100
• When is it out? Available now
• Where can you get it? Available from retailers including Amazon

The Lexar TouchLock is in 512GB and 1TB capacity models from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk, with prices started at $100 / £100.

There's also a 2TB model listed on Lexar's site.

• Value: 5 / 5

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)Lexar TouchLock Portable SSD: Specs

Capacity options: 512GB / 1TB / 2TB
Connectivity: USB 3.2 Gen 1, NFC phone authentication
Encryption: 128-bit AES hardware encryption
Size: 1.4oz (40g)
Weight: 3.37 x 2.09 x 0.28in (85.6mm x 53mm x 7mm)

Lexar TouchLock Portable SSD: Design

The Lexar TouchLock Portable SSD is a premium storage device designed for use with both your mobile phone and your laptop. The design features a high-quality metal-effect casing that gives the device a good, solid feel, and includes a MagSafe connector on the back that enables it to quickly attach to the back of your mobile phone. Due to the device's slim design, it’s extremely comfortable to hold even with the drive in place.

When it comes to the size and dimensions, it’s extremely light. The unit weighs 1.4oz (40g) for the drive itself (for the one-terabyte version reviewed), and the USB-C cable weighs 7g, bringing the grand total to 47g. In terms of size, it’s obviously been designed to fit neatly on the back of your mobile phone, and it measures 3.37 x 2.09 x 0.28in (85.6mm x 53mm x 7mm).

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

The drive, as well as being usable with your mobile phone, is compatible with any laptop or, for that matter, desktop PC. It features a standard USB-C connector, and Lexar includes a USB-C-to-USB-A adapter in the box.

What marks this portable SSD out from most others is its NFC security TouchLock, which requires your mobile phone and the Lexar app to be installed to unlock the drive and recognise it by your mobile phone or the computer it’s attached to.

• Design: 4 / 5

Lexar TouchLock Portable SSD: Features

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

As a compact, rugged, lightweight portable storage device, the Lexar TouchLock Portable SSD stands out from the majority of others with features such as dual-layer encryption and fortified data protection.
What this means is that when you connect the portable SSD to your computer or mobile device, unlike most others, it isn’t instantly recognised. Even if you go into Disk Utility to search for connected devices, this portable SSD won’t appear. It is completely locked until you unlock it using the dedicated Lexar app.

Activating NFC and AES encryption for the drive is all handled during the initial setup process, which enables the NFC chip in the portable SSD and your mobile phone to communicate when they’re tapped together, acting as a key to access the drive's contents.

Lexar has ensured that the drive has wide compatibility, so whilst it features a MagSafe connector on the back that enables you to connect it directly to an iPhone, a metal ring is included in the box to attach it to an Android phone. It’s also widely compatible with other mobile phones, tablets and even desktop PCs.

The overall quality is good and solid. Whilst it might not be waterproof, it has been tested to withstand a two-metre drop and, through the test, proved durable enough for everyday use, being carried around in a camera backpack.

Taking a closer look at the lead feature, multilevel encryption, this is essentially 128-bit AES hardware encryption, which gives you far greater security than standard software encryption methods on most drives.

The Lexar Touch Portable SSD pairs an NFC chip with AES hardware encryption, so you can access the drive only after that connection is made. If, for whatever reason, you try to access the drive using another device, like other hardware-encrypted devices that require passwords, without that NFC tap (as with a password), there’s no access to the contents of the drive.

Lexar highlights that the level of encryption makes it ideal for business professionals, government and enterprise users, or everyday users seeking a higher level of security.

One of the things I like about the feature set is that, like other Lexar storage devices compatible with the Lexar app, it offers all the usual backup options that can be configured. So if you want a secure way to back up your mobile phone, it is perfectly possible. All you need to do is set up the process, connect the drive via USB to your mobile phone, tap to unlock with the NFC chip, and then, through the app, select ‘backup’ and the rest will be handled automatically.

One final point here is that, unlike most portable SSDs, security is the key attraction of this drive. Whilst it is relatively fast at around 400MB/s, it’s slower than the likes of the Lexar ES5 Magnetic Portable SSD, which means that whilst it’s great for archiving and backing up your data, it’s not a great option if you’re looking for a working drive.

• Features: 3.5 / 5

Lexar TouchLock Portable SSD: Performance

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)Benchmark scores

AmorphousDiskMark Read: 391.10MB/s
AmorphousDiskMark Write: 221.94MB/s
AJA System Test Lite Read: 266MB/s
AJA System Test Lite Write: 229MB/s
ATTO Disk Benchmark Read: 383.10MB/s
ATTO Disk Benchmark Write: 397.49MB/s

Most portable SSDs require little in the way of setup; just plug them in, and the storage will appear, ready for use on your laptop, desktop, or mobile phone. However, with the Lexar TouchLock Portable SSD, it’s not quite as straightforward because you have to set up the drive's security before you can actually mount the storage on the system you’re using. To do this, first connect it to your mobile phone via the USB-C cable, and make sure your mobile phone has an NFC chip; otherwise, you won’t have the key to unlock the drive.

The next step is to download the Lexar app. Then, as long as the SSD is connected, the app will detect the drive when you start it. You then run through the setup process, including the final step: saving your recovery key, a long string of words used if you need to set up the SSD on another device.

Once everything is done, in place and registered, the drive is ready to use. On your mobile phone, you simply plug it in, tap where the NFC chip is, and the SSD will then be ready for use, to back up your files or record video footage if you're using an iPhone with a Lightning port, although there are limitations for the latest iPhone model due to the video file size and data rates.

If, however, you’re connecting it to your laptop or desktop machine, once it’s connected, tap the unlock pad on the drive with your mobile phone's NFC and the drive will unlock and mount.

One thing I noticed right away: for the NFC chip to work and unlock the SSD, you need the Lexar app installed and open. You can’t just pick up your mobile phone and tap the NFC area on the SSD for it to unlock; you need to unlock the phone, access the Lexar app, select the Lexar TouchLock SSD option, and then tap the lock. It’s not a long process, but it’s not the one-touch I was hoping for. However, once the SSD is unlocked, essentially, it’s like any other portable SSD.

As I ran through a series of tests, I noted that the speed, whilst good at around 400MB/s for read speeds, the write speeds on the Mac averaged around 200MB/s, lagging well behind most other recent portable SSDs, and this is no doubt due to the level of security in place. This means it's a great portable SSD for storing and archiving sensitive data. However, if you’re looking at this as a secure working drive, then those transfer rates will be a bit limiting. If you were thinking of using this with one of the many cameras that can utilise external storage, then for many cameras, those transfer rates are below the minimum requirements needed to capture the latest video.

Once I copied some content to the review sample's 1 TB of storage, I unplugged and plugged it into a PC and tried to access the files with a variety of software. Unlike software-encrypted devices that still mount and appear in the drive listings, here the drive wouldn’t be recognised by the computer until the NFC lock was tapped. This made it far more secure than all software-encrypted drives, and a great option.

After giving the drive a good test, there was one big question I had to answer: what if I needed to post my secure files to my accountant, or if I was working on a project that required sending them securely? It seemed the drive itself could be transported, and the contents would be nice and secure, but my main question was: could it be unlocked at the other end without using my phone, which had the NFC key set up?

The simple answer is: while you can set up the Lexar app on another device, you’ll need the recovery key to do so. It does take a little time to select all the options, but as long as you have the recovery key you saved at the outset, you can send it to another party. When they receive the drive, they can install the app, use the recovery key to set it up, and then unlock the drive.

The pure simplicity of the Lexar Touch Portable SSD makes it exceptionally straightforward, and, from my point of view, it’s very much a personal device rather than one to be used by a business. The reason is that you set it up for a single user, and if you are thinking about posting it, then the process is a little convoluted. Other secure drives have a far more fluid system, enabling admin users and user accounts to be set up with different passwords and access levels, whereas here, through the Lexar app device management, you only really get the option to change the name of the drive and the password, so from that perspective, things are rather limited.

However, if you’re looking for a good, solid, very secure portable SSD for everyday use, then the Lexar Touch Portable SSD is a good, lightweight and secure option.

• Performance: 4 / 5

Lexar TouchLock Portable SSD: Final verdict

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

The Lexar Touch Portable SSD is a neat and stylish secure drive that will suit individuals, small businesses, and anyone looking to secure their files. Throughout this review, it was clear that this is more of a personal secure drive than one used by enterprises or larger businesses. There’s no mass management, admin user access, or access rights for different sections of the drive. It’s more just a hardware-encrypted drive, you plug it in and use NFC to lock and unlock.

Once you start to look at it from this perspective, it’s a very solid choice. Considering the cost of secure drives, it’s exceptionally well priced, with a good range of capacities from 512GB to 2TB, which, for most documentation, will be absolutely fine. However, if you are looking to store multimedia and larger files, then that 2TB top capacity might be a little limiting.

Likewise, whilst this is a secure drive, the transfer rates, fast compared with traditional HDDs, are around 400MB/s, slower than a standard SSD. So if you are looking to use this as a working drive, then again, it might be a little limiting.

The MagSafe connector on the back makes it usable with mobile devices. Whilst it’s very good for backing up your mobile phone data and for recording some log video, again, with the latest iPhone 17, those transfer rates are a little limiting.

However, for everyday users looking for a portable SSD that offers far more protection than your average storage device, this is a very compact, lightweight, and secure option.

Should I buy the Lexar TouchLock Portable SSD?

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

Value

Compared to the competition, this hardware-encrypted portable SSD is excellent value

5

Design

Stylish, slimline design that makes it ultra-portable and useful with mobile devices

4

Features

A limited range of features focused on simple, easy-to-use security 

3.5

Performance

Excellent hardware encryption security, decent build quality, and okay transfer speed 

4

Overall

An exceptionally well-priced hardware-encrypted drive, great for secure backups

4

Buy it if...

Password-free security
You want your drive locked by default, without having to type in passwords or use complex encryption apps.

iPhone-friendly setup
You like the idea of a MagSafe-style drive that can sit neatly on a phone for securely transporting and storing content.

Don't buy it if...

You capture the Log video.
The latest mobile phones require higher transfer rates than this portable SSD can deliver to capture the latest log video.

No advanced options
If you're looking to equip staff with a secure portable SSD, then the lack of administration management will be an issue.

For more storage solutions, we've tested out the best external hard drives and the best rugged drives.

Lexar TouchLock Portable SSD: 30-second review

The popularity of compact portable SSDs has made them a mainstay of storage options; after all, they’re relatively inexpensive, easy to use, and for the most part, simply plug-in ready for use. With the latest design evolution, many models now feature a MagSafe connector, enabling you to attach them directly to the back of your mobile device.

However, this ultraportable and compact design means that whilst you can always carry them with you, and they’re robust enough to do so, they are far easier to lose than more traditional desktop solutions.

There are, of course, software encryption options which, off the shelf, will stop your general user from accessing the contents of your drives. But with a little time and some freely downloadable software from the internet, most software encryption is easy enough to overcome. However, if you do want more security for your portable SSD, for your work files, videos and other content, then the likes of the Lexar Touch Portable SSD, which includes 128-bit AES hardware encryption, are a great option.

Whilst there are many portable SSDs that offer similar levels of file security, this portable SSD differs by featuring an NFC chip that lets you quickly unlock the drive without entering any PIN codes or passwords.

It works through an initial setup: download the Lexar app, connect to the SSD via the included USB-C cable, and set up the simple NFC touch, which will later enable you to quickly unlock the device once it’s connected to either a mobile phone or a computer.

There are a few things to consider: unlike some other secure portable SSDs, this one can only be unlocked by the phone with the app installed. Whilst you do have a recovery process during the setup process, it makes it far more secure than many other options on the market. The fact is, this is hardware encryption, so without unlocking the drive, any machine you plug it into won’t recognise that it is even attached. It’s only once that connection has been made with a tap of the phone that you’ll be able to see and access the contents of the drive.

The hardware encryption is exceptional, and none of my off-the-shelf software could access the contents of the drive.

One downside about secure drives is that speed, and sure enough, speeds are relatively limited; whilst we’ve come to expect SSDs with transfer rates of 1000MB/s+, here you’re lucky to hit 400MB/s for read and far less for write, which also limits how you can use this as a working SSD.

Used alongside all newer iPhones and Android devices, you’ll be able to record video in log video quality perfectly well. But if you switch over to the iPhone 17 Pro, then not all of those log frame rates will be available to you due to those limited transfer rates. Likewise, if you’re thinking this would be a great solution to use in combination with your video cameras when shooting productions, just for an added level of security, then the transfer rate lags a little too much.

It's not the best portable SSD on the market - but it is one of the simplest and cheapest encrypted drives I've ever used. As long as you’re not trying to push what you’re doing with this portable SSD and are just using it to transfer secure files for work, then it is an exceptionally good drive. If you’re looking at it as a portable, secure working drive, those speeds will be limiting.

Lexar TouchLock Portable SSD: Price and availability

• How much does it cost? From $100 / £100
• When is it out? Available now
• Where can you get it? Available from retailers including Amazon

The Lexar TouchLock is in 512GB and 1TB capacity models from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk, with prices started at $100 / £100.

There's also a 2TB model listed on Lexar's site.

• Value: 5 / 5

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)Lexar TouchLock Portable SSD: Specs

Capacity options: 512GB / 1TB / 2TB
Connectivity: USB 3.2 Gen 1, NFC phone authentication
Encryption: 128-bit AES hardware encryption
Size: 1.4oz (40g)
Weight: 3.37 x 2.09 x 0.28in (85.6mm x 53mm x 7mm)

Lexar TouchLock Portable SSD: Design

The Lexar TouchLock Portable SSD is a premium storage device designed for use with both your mobile phone and your laptop. The design features a high-quality metal-effect casing that gives the device a good, solid feel, and includes a MagSafe connector on the back that enables it to quickly attach to the back of your mobile phone. Due to the device's slim design, it’s extremely comfortable to hold even with the drive in place.

When it comes to the size and dimensions, it’s extremely light. The unit weighs 1.4oz (40g) for the drive itself (for the one-terabyte version reviewed), and the USB-C cable weighs 7g, bringing the grand total to 47g. In terms of size, it’s obviously been designed to fit neatly on the back of your mobile phone, and it measures 3.37 x 2.09 x 0.28in (85.6mm x 53mm x 7mm).

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

The drive, as well as being usable with your mobile phone, is compatible with any laptop or, for that matter, desktop PC. It features a standard USB-C connector, and Lexar includes a USB-C-to-USB-A adapter in the box.

What marks this portable SSD out from most others is its NFC security TouchLock, which requires your mobile phone and the Lexar app to be installed to unlock the drive and recognise it by your mobile phone or the computer it’s attached to.

• Design: 4 / 5

Lexar TouchLock Portable SSD: Features

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

As a compact, rugged, lightweight portable storage device, the Lexar TouchLock Portable SSD stands out from the majority of others with features such as dual-layer encryption and fortified data protection.
What this means is that when you connect the portable SSD to your computer or mobile device, unlike most others, it isn’t instantly recognised. Even if you go into Disk Utility to search for connected devices, this portable SSD won’t appear. It is completely locked until you unlock it using the dedicated Lexar app.

Activating NFC and AES encryption for the drive is all handled during the initial setup process, which enables the NFC chip in the portable SSD and your mobile phone to communicate when they’re tapped together, acting as a key to access the drive's contents.

Lexar has ensured that the drive has wide compatibility, so whilst it features a MagSafe connector on the back that enables you to connect it directly to an iPhone, a metal ring is included in the box to attach it to an Android phone. It’s also widely compatible with other mobile phones, tablets and even desktop PCs.

The overall quality is good and solid. Whilst it might not be waterproof, it has been tested to withstand a two-metre drop and, through the test, proved durable enough for everyday use, being carried around in a camera backpack.

Taking a closer look at the lead feature, multilevel encryption, this is essentially 128-bit AES hardware encryption, which gives you far greater security than standard software encryption methods on most drives.

The Lexar Touch Portable SSD pairs an NFC chip with AES hardware encryption, so you can access the drive only after that connection is made. If, for whatever reason, you try to access the drive using another device, like other hardware-encrypted devices that require passwords, without that NFC tap (as with a password), there’s no access to the contents of the drive.

Lexar highlights that the level of encryption makes it ideal for business professionals, government and enterprise users, or everyday users seeking a higher level of security.

One of the things I like about the feature set is that, like other Lexar storage devices compatible with the Lexar app, it offers all the usual backup options that can be configured. So if you want a secure way to back up your mobile phone, it is perfectly possible. All you need to do is set up the process, connect the drive via USB to your mobile phone, tap to unlock with the NFC chip, and then, through the app, select ‘backup’ and the rest will be handled automatically.

One final point here is that, unlike most portable SSDs, security is the key attraction of this drive. Whilst it is relatively fast at around 400MB/s, it’s slower than the likes of the Lexar ES5 Magnetic Portable SSD, which means that whilst it’s great for archiving and backing up your data, it’s not a great option if you’re looking for a working drive.

• Features: 3.5 / 5

Lexar TouchLock Portable SSD: Performance

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)Benchmark scores

AmorphousDiskMark Read: 391.10MB/s
AmorphousDiskMark Write: 221.94MB/s
AJA System Test Lite Read: 266MB/s
AJA System Test Lite Write: 229MB/s
ATTO Disk Benchmark Read: 383.10MB/s
ATTO Disk Benchmark Write: 397.49MB/s

Most portable SSDs require little in the way of setup; just plug them in, and the storage will appear, ready for use on your laptop, desktop, or mobile phone. However, with the Lexar TouchLock Portable SSD, it’s not quite as straightforward because you have to set up the drive's security before you can actually mount the storage on the system you’re using. To do this, first connect it to your mobile phone via the USB-C cable, and make sure your mobile phone has an NFC chip; otherwise, you won’t have the key to unlock the drive.

The next step is to download the Lexar app. Then, as long as the SSD is connected, the app will detect the drive when you start it. You then run through the setup process, including the final step: saving your recovery key, a long string of words used if you need to set up the SSD on another device.

Once everything is done, in place and registered, the drive is ready to use. On your mobile phone, you simply plug it in, tap where the NFC chip is, and the SSD will then be ready for use, to back up your files or record video footage if you're using an iPhone with a Lightning port, although there are limitations for the latest iPhone model due to the video file size and data rates.

If, however, you’re connecting it to your laptop or desktop machine, once it’s connected, tap the unlock pad on the drive with your mobile phone's NFC and the drive will unlock and mount.

One thing I noticed right away: for the NFC chip to work and unlock the SSD, you need the Lexar app installed and open. You can’t just pick up your mobile phone and tap the NFC area on the SSD for it to unlock; you need to unlock the phone, access the Lexar app, select the Lexar TouchLock SSD option, and then tap the lock. It’s not a long process, but it’s not the one-touch I was hoping for. However, once the SSD is unlocked, essentially, it’s like any other portable SSD.

As I ran through a series of tests, I noted that the speed, whilst good at around 400MB/s for read speeds, the write speeds on the Mac averaged around 200MB/s, lagging well behind most other recent portable SSDs, and this is no doubt due to the level of security in place. This means it's a great portable SSD for storing and archiving sensitive data. However, if you’re looking at this as a secure working drive, then those transfer rates will be a bit limiting. If you were thinking of using this with one of the many cameras that can utilise external storage, then for many cameras, those transfer rates are below the minimum requirements needed to capture the latest video.

Once I copied some content to the review sample's 1 TB of storage, I unplugged and plugged it into a PC and tried to access the files with a variety of software. Unlike software-encrypted devices that still mount and appear in the drive listings, here the drive wouldn’t be recognised by the computer until the NFC lock was tapped. This made it far more secure than all software-encrypted drives, and a great option.

After giving the drive a good test, there was one big question I had to answer: what if I needed to post my secure files to my accountant, or if I was working on a project that required sending them securely? It seemed the drive itself could be transported, and the contents would be nice and secure, but my main question was: could it be unlocked at the other end without using my phone, which had the NFC key set up?

The simple answer is: while you can set up the Lexar app on another device, you’ll need the recovery key to do so. It does take a little time to select all the options, but as long as you have the recovery key you saved at the outset, you can send it to another party. When they receive the drive, they can install the app, use the recovery key to set it up, and then unlock the drive.

The pure simplicity of the Lexar Touch Portable SSD makes it exceptionally straightforward, and, from my point of view, it’s very much a personal device rather than one to be used by a business. The reason is that you set it up for a single user, and if you are thinking about posting it, then the process is a little convoluted. Other secure drives have a far more fluid system, enabling admin users and user accounts to be set up with different passwords and access levels, whereas here, through the Lexar app device management, you only really get the option to change the name of the drive and the password, so from that perspective, things are rather limited.

However, if you’re looking for a good, solid, very secure portable SSD for everyday use, then the Lexar Touch Portable SSD is a good, lightweight and secure option.

• Performance: 4 / 5

Lexar TouchLock Portable SSD: Final verdict

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

The Lexar Touch Portable SSD is a neat and stylish secure drive that will suit individuals, small businesses, and anyone looking to secure their files. Throughout this review, it was clear that this is more of a personal secure drive than one used by enterprises or larger businesses. There’s no mass management, admin user access, or access rights for different sections of the drive. It’s more just a hardware-encrypted drive, you plug it in and use NFC to lock and unlock.

Once you start to look at it from this perspective, it’s a very solid choice. Considering the cost of secure drives, it’s exceptionally well priced, with a good range of capacities from 512GB to 2TB, which, for most documentation, will be absolutely fine. However, if you are looking to store multimedia and larger files, then that 2TB top capacity might be a little limiting.

Likewise, whilst this is a secure drive, the transfer rates, fast compared with traditional HDDs, are around 400MB/s, slower than a standard SSD. So if you are looking to use this as a working drive, then again, it might be a little limiting.

The MagSafe connector on the back makes it usable with mobile devices. Whilst it’s very good for backing up your mobile phone data and for recording some log video, again, with the latest iPhone 17, those transfer rates are a little limiting.

However, for everyday users looking for a portable SSD that offers far more protection than your average storage device, this is a very compact, lightweight, and secure option.

Should I buy the Lexar TouchLock Portable SSD?

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

Value

Compared to the competition, this hardware-encrypted portable SSD is excellent value

5

Design

Stylish, slimline design that makes it ultra-portable and useful with mobile devices

4

Features

A limited range of features focused on simple, easy-to-use security 

3.5

Performance

Excellent hardware encryption security, decent build quality, and okay transfer speed 

4

Overall

An exceptionally well-priced hardware-encrypted drive, great for secure backups

4

Buy it if...

Password-free security
You want your drive locked by default, without having to type in passwords or use complex encryption apps.

iPhone-friendly setup
You like the idea of a MagSafe-style drive that can sit neatly on a phone for securely transporting and storing content.

Don't buy it if...

You capture the Log video.
The latest mobile phones require higher transfer rates than this portable SSD can deliver to capture the latest log video.

No advanced options
If you're looking to equip staff with a secure portable SSD, then the lack of administration management will be an issue.

For more storage solutions, we've tested out the best external hard drives and the best rugged drives.

If you’ve used Wix in the past, any domain name you’ve bought through it has come from Name.com. Name.com has been around since 2003 and is a reliable name in the field. Based in Denver, Colorado, it continues to be a popular hit for anyone looking to buy a domain name quickly. Its services extend to web hosting, WordPress hosting, and email hosting.

I’ve been buying and using domain names for over 20 years. I’ve also been reviewing hosting products for more than 10 years, so I know what to look out for. This Name.com review evaluates the sign up process, prices compared to the competition, and how well it all works for the average consumer.

For more options, why not take a look at our rundown of the best domain registrars?

Name.com: My experience

(Image credit: Name.com)

Signing up with Name.com doesn’t take long at all. I entered the domain idea and within a second, I was given a list of TLDs all with different prices. There’s no way to arrange that list by price, but it didn’t take long to browse through. From there, you can add multiple domains to your basket at the same time. Premium domains are tagged and renewal prices are offered up too.

There’s a little upselling when you add a domain, with the option to add on email hosting, Gmail, or Wix hosting, but you can skip past that quickly. Whois privacy, domain lock, and an SSL certificate also cost an additional fee, unlike some competitors. The original price doesn’t include the ICANN fee either.

Name.com: Features

(Image credit: Name.com)

Name.com has a clear and simple domain management page. At a glance, you can see all the domains you own. It’s simple to add Whois privacy, renew them, manage the nameservers and DNS records, and everything else you might need to do.

Head to the domain actions and video tutorials and FAQs guide you through what to do. Renewal is a simple toggle so you can switch it off easily enough. The bulk of the features comes from the My Products part of the dashboard which offers up a lot of free trials to tempt you in. You can tie your Name.com domain into a custom email service, Wix account, Google Workspace, or other hosting accounts. Name.com doesn’t have the best hosting services, but Wix is useful if you just want pure simplicity for your setup.

Name.com: User experience

Name.com is a simple to use service. It’s relatively basic looking, but it uses color to highlight key elements like renewal statuses and to help divide things up well. Management options are all contained in the same area with short guides on what each option means.

The site is also keen to help you establish your business through adding on hosting or even setting up an LLC if you’re in the US. While there are potentially easier hosting packages for beginners, Name.com builds fairly well on its strongest reputation as a domain provider. It’s just unfortunate you have to pay extras for basics like WHOIS privacy.

Name.com: Customer support

Name.com lacks phone support but otherwise, it has good support options. As mentioned, you get videos and guides scattered throughout the domain management page. It also has a knowledge base for step-by-step guides.

Another option is its 24/7 chat bot which converts to human support if needed. There’s also a support ticket service, which I found wasn’t the fastest but was useful when dealing with a non-time sensitive query.

Name.com: Pricing

Domain

Price from

.xyz

£0.76

.com

£9.97

.eu

£8.44

.net

£12.66

.org

£7.67

With over 600 TLDs to choose from, Name.com isn’t short of options. Its cheapest domains are under £1 in the UK for the first year with .coms working out as quite affordable too. This will vary depending on the domain you want, so the thing to look out for is the renewal fee.

Also, Name.com does throw in additional fees. If you want WHOIS privacy and advanced domain lock protection, you’ll need to pay a little extra. That’s worth thinking about when comparing domain name prices.

Name.com: Specs

Spec

Details

Lowest price from

£0.76 (.xyz)

Highest price from

£1,280

Search tools

Standard search, bulk, by TLD groups

Other services

Web hosting, WordPress hosting, email hosting, Wix

Name.com: Should I buy?

Attribute

Notes

Score

Features

Name.com has all the management tools you need as well as some hosting options.

4.5/5

User experience

Fairly easy to use with some convenient tutorials along the way.

4/5

Value

Slightly hidden fees make it not quite as cheap as its competitors.

3.5/5

Buy it if...

• You want the professional touch. Name.com looks a little more professional than others. That isn’t a dealbreaker but it does make it very easy to look through your domain name portfolio.
• You want domain suggestions. One feature allows Name.com to suggest groups of TLDs based on your intentions. It’s a valuable time saving tool.
• You want to add extra features. Want to try out Wix for less or check out free trials? Name.com is great at dishing these out to give you a good commitment-free taster.

Don't buy it if...

• You want the cheapest price. Name.com slips in extra fees for fairly important features. Be aware.
• You want the best hosting. Name.com’s hosting is good but not great. If you want an all-in-one solution, go elsewhere.
• You want phone support. No phone support won’t bother everyone but if that’s you, dodge Name.com.

Name.com: The competition

• GoDaddy: If you want professionalism with slightly better prices, GoDaddy offers that in abundance while making things pretty simple.
• Porkbun: Few domain registrars are cheaper than Porkbun even if it isn’t the most stylish or appealing option out there. It’s ideal for establishing a portfolio.
• Namecheap: Easy to use with reasonable prices across the board, Namecheap is perfect for many needs if you don’t mind the lack of phone support.

How I tested Name.com

• Set up an account and bought two domain names
• Searched for other domains
• Compared prices and services to other companies

I searched for a domain name through Name.com before signing up for an account. I bought two domain names while evaluating other options. I went through the sign up process when purchasing and looked out for any additional fees or any caveats that needed to be acknowledged.

Once purchased, I looked at the domain management tools available to me as well as how I could expand my portfolio, either through new domains or by adding a hosting package.

The debate around Anthropic’s Mythos has understandably focused on model safety, but for businesses the more important lesson may be one of AI governance.

Mythos points to a problem most organizations are not currently built to manage: AI can now help uncover weaknesses faster than businesses can assess, prioritize and remediate them. Security vulnerabilities have always existed across software, infrastructure, supplier relationships, data flows and internal processes.

What has changed is not the existence of risk, but the speed at which it can now be discovered and the pressure that places on organizations to decide what matters most, who owns the response and how quickly action needs to be taken.

For large technology companies with deep security research capability, that acceleration may be difficult but manageable. For many other businesses, particularly smaller organizations, the challenge is very different. They are exposed to the same shift in risk discovery, but without anything close to the same resources, specialist teams or remediation capacity to absorb it.

At a time when organizations are already dealing with a flow of serious cyber attacks, this cannot be treated as a security issue alone. It is becoming a governance issue too, because greater visibility into risk only improves resilience if the business has the structure, accountability and confidence to act on what it finds.

When discovery outpaces response

As more weaknesses are surfaced, the real bottleneck shifts from detection to prioritization, and then ultimately remediation. Recent data shows that 34% of leaders cite employees inputting sensitive data into AI systems as their top concern, while 21% attribute risky behavior to insufficient training and a further 21% to the pressure to act quickly.

Security teams may be the first to see an issue, but they cannot resolve it in isolation. Someone has to determine which systems are most critical, which vulnerabilities create genuine business exposure, and which risks can be tolerated for a period of time. These are not purely technical decisions. They involve operations, legal, procurement, compliance, engineering and senior leadership.

This is why Mythos should be read as a governance signal. It shows how quickly technical discovery can create organizational pressure. If a business cannot clearly answer who owns the response, how issues are escalated and when leadership needs to make an explicit risk decision, then faster discovery does not necessarily make the organisation safer. It may simply reveal the places where governance was already weak.

Unknown risk is still accepted risk

One of the most important shifts businesses need to make is in how they think about unknown risk. Very few organizations have perfect visibility across every system, supplier and process, and security teams have always understood that some level of unknown risk exists.

What AI changes is the speed and scale at which that risk can be brought to the surface. As discovery becomes faster, broader and more continuous, organizations can quickly find themselves with more issues than they have the capacity to triage or fix.

That creates an uncomfortable reality. If a vulnerability exists in the organisation, the business is carrying it whether or not it has been formally recorded, reviewed or approved. Unknown risk is still accepted risk, even when that acceptance is accidental.

Risk discovery only creates value when it leads to better-informed decisions. Without a clear operating model, businesses are left with a widening gap between what they know, what they can fix and what they are implicitly choosing to tolerate.

Organizations need to understand which systems matter most, which suppliers are critical, who is responsible for remediation and when leadership needs to decide whether a risk should be fixed, monitored, transferred or accepted. That does not mean every business needs to build a program on the scale of Project Glasswing, but it does mean they need a more disciplined way of turning visibility into action.

Closing the governance gap

The practical response is to treat AI-driven risk discovery as more than a security workflow. Security teams need the capability to detect, validate and investigate weaknesses, but governance determines what happens after that. It defines ownership, escalation, prioritization and accountability, and prevents risk decisions from being made informally, inconsistently, too late or not at all.

This means governance has to move closer to day-to-day operations. It cannot sit only in policy documents, periodic reviews or committee structures. It needs to influence the decisions people make in the systems they use every day, whether they are approving a supplier, deploying a tool, handling sensitive data or responding to a newly discovered weakness.

This is where governance becomes a practical business capability rather than a compliance exercise. A strong program should help the organization understand what has been found, how serious it is, who owns the response, what action is being taken and how quickly progress can be shown.

Conclusion

Mythos matters because it points to a future where risk discovery becomes more difficult to contain within traditional security processes. Finding weaknesses earlier gives organizations a better chance of addressing them before attackers exploit them, but discovery on its own is not enough.

The organizations that handle this shift well will not necessarily be those that surface the most issues. They will be the ones that can decide what matters, assign ownership and act with enough speed to reduce exposure.

AI is magnifying the gap between what organizations know and what they are able to govern. Closing that gap will decide whether greater visibility becomes a source of resilience or simply another source of pressure.

We've ranked and reviewed the best antivirus software available.

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

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

The best streaming services have added plenty of new movies to their library in July and, as always, there are some horror gems among them.

Many of these horror movies were released at the beginning of July, meaning you can stream them immediately. Others require a bit of a wait, but based on their trailers alone, I'm sure they'll be worth it.

Here are the horror movies I recommend checking out in July 2026.

Talk to Me 

When: July 1
Where: Netflix (US); rent or buy (UK, AU)

Talk to Me was a hugely successful debut from filmmaking brothers Danny and Michael Philippou. After starting out on YouTube, they released this feature film and scared people all over the world.

It follows a group of teenagers as they discover they can contact spirits via a mysterious embalmed hand. They become hooked on the thrill of it until a seemingly innocent party game gets out of control and someone unleashes terrifying supernatural forces. Their second movie, Bring Her Back, is just as good, and you can find it on HBO Max.

World War Z

When: July 1
Where: Prime Video (US); Paramount+ (UK); rent or buy (AU)

Brad Pitt's zombie movie World War Z is a perfect choice if you want a blend of action and horror. The movie is based on the novel of the same name by Max Brooks, and follows Pitt's character Gerry — a former United Nations investigator who travels the world seeking a solution for a zombie apocalypse.

It was a huge box office success at the time of its release, and now you can watch it across the best streaming services. This is one of the zombie movies I go back to, as it's a shot of pure adrenaline.

The Witch 

When: July 1
Where: Netflix (US); rent or buy (UK, AU)

Robert Eggers' The Witch is streaming on Netflix, and considering the trailer for his new movie Werewulf dropped recently, now is the perfect time to watch his first folk horror movie.

Eggers is a huge name in the horror genre now, where he has become known for his love of period settings and mythology. This brilliant horror was also the feature film debut for lead star Anya Taylor-Joy, where she plays a woman who lives in a Puritan family and is accused of being a witch. Keep an eye out for Black Philip too, my favorite character of the bunch.

The Ring

When: July 1
Where: Paramount+ (US, UK); rent or buy (AU)

Gore Verbinski's The Ring is a remake of the iconic Japanese horror, but it's no less brilliant. The English-language version has become a staple among many horror fans, and now you can relive the terrifying moments on Paramount+.

The well loved (and feared) movie follows a journalist who discovers a cursed VHS tape that causes its viewers to die seven days later. It's a classic for a reason and if you haven't seen it yet, I strongly recommend it.

Exit 8

When: July 17
Where: Shudder (worldwide)

Exit 8 is one of the great liminal-focused horrors that was released this year, and you can now relive the nightmare on Shudder. I loved this adaptation of the classic horror game, as we follow a man trapped in a never-ending subway tunnel.

Despite taking place in one location, it will leave you on the edge of your seat as you try to figure out if escape is possible for our poor protagonist, known only as The Lost Man. In my interview with director Genki Kawamura he described it as being "like purgatory", and I couldn't agree more.

Saccharine

When: July 24
Where: Shudder (worldwide)

Saccharine taps into the dangerous world of extreme weight-loss trends, and this one is especially disturbing. We follow Hana, a medical student who begins eating human ashes in an effort to lose weight quickly.

If that wasn't strange enough, it gets even stranger. Hana soon finds herself terrorized by the ghost of the person she's eating, making this a unique and truly frightening supernatural horror movie.

Nightborn 

When: July 31
Where: Shudder (worldwide)

Finally, Nightborn arrives on Shudder at the end of the month. Here, Seidi Haarla and Rupert Grint star as new parents living in the Finnish forest. We follow them over the course of one year as they discover that there's something wrong with their baby.

Nightborn explores well-known horror themes like anxieties around motherhood. Director Hanna Bergholm has done this before with the brilliant movie Hatching, and I'm excited to see where her latest story goes.

• Some Windows 11 users have found their drive space has been mysteriously dwindling
• In some reported cases, this is down to a database file for a Windows component that grows massively due to an apparent bug
• The optional update for June fixes this, albeit that patch is still in testing

If you use Windows 11 and have been wondering why your drive space seems to have been mysteriously dwindling of late, the culprit could be a background process called Capability Access Manager.

Capability Access Manager (CAM) is a rather obscure Windows component which, as the name suggests, manages the apps on your PC in terms of permissions to access the camera, mic and so forth.

CAM keeps a database that logs app requests and this is stored as a file called CapabilityAccessManager.db-wal – and it's that file which is growing hugely on the drives of some unlucky Windows 11 users.

Neowin reports that Microsoft just implemented the fix for this aggravating issue in the latest update for Windows 11. This is patch KB5095093 which is the optional update for June (so it's still in preview, or testing, at this point).

In the changelog for this release, Microsoft tells us: "This update improves disk space usage for the CapabilityAccessManager.db-wal file."

So, with any luck, this will be an end to the gremlin, and those who install the June preview will find this database file has been changed so it doesn't spiral out of control and eat their storage like some kind of log-based black hole.

Analysis: a baffling case of bloat

(Image credit: Stokkete / Shutterstock)

This is a nasty little problem, especially for those who've got a modest main drive for Windows 11, such as a 256GB SSD (or maybe even smaller). With reports of the database file expanding to a size of 60GB to 100GB, or even larger (200GB according to this Redditor), you can see how problematic this could be when you're already short on space with your SSD.

Microsoft doesn't explicitly say that this is a bug, but surely it must have been? Albeit a situational one that only occurred on certain systems by all accounts (Dell PCs are mentioned in a few reports, I should note). It's clear, however, that there are a lot of reports of CAM woes on Reddit and Microsoft's own help site, with some folks left scratching their heads as to what on earth was going on – and why their drive space was disappearing into some apparent void.

Unfortunately, these problems have been around for some time, with those reports going back to March 2026, and some dating from almost a year ago. As one Redditor explained in a post some 10 months ago: "Turns out it's the 'CapabilityAccessManager.db-wal' file which ate up 25GB. Looked through some forums and seems like it's a notorious culprit for system bloat. That file is supposed to slowly build up then be emptied each month, but mine bugged and never emptied itself."

There are workarounds to delete the CAM database file and effectively empty it out, but they're somewhat fiddly, and the log will rebuild itself if buggy conditions still abound on your PC. As one Redditor observed: "I spent hours trying to delete that file. Like in a horror movie, it just wouldn't die, even when I thought I had killed it. Your procedure [workaround] worked perfectly. Thanks!"

So, the whole thing has been a bit of a headache really, and while it's good to see an apparent cure now, it's taken Microsoft long enough. And frankly, I'm not impressed with the communication on this issue from the software giant.

To be clear, the fix right now is to download and install the June optional update for Windows 11, but bear in mind that as noted, it's a preview, so there's no guarantee it'll work as it should. The resolution will be provided with the full July update, mind, in tested form, and that's just around the corner – so you might just want to wait for that. Assuming your drive isn't chock-full and causing you a whole load of grief, anyway.

Network Solutions has been around longer than I’ve been alive. Set up in 1979 as a technology consulting company, it later became the first operator of the DNS registry in 1991 under a sub-contract with the US DISA. It’s been a core part of what we’re used to seeing every day online now.

It’s also a domain registrar which anyone can sign up for with a wealth of TLDs available. I’ve been purchasing domain names for about 25 years and I’ve been reviewing web hosting and domain services for the past 10 years. When evaluating Network Solutions, I’ve used that experience as well as conducted hands-on testing, looked at its features, and investigated other verified reviews of the services available.

You can also take a look at our list of the best domain registrar services.

Network Solutions: My Experience

(Image credit: Network Solutions)

Network Solutions is very easy to sign up to and very keen to upsell. I searched for domains, found a very cheap one at 99c and then stared in awe as the price increased massively. That’s because you’re given the price for the first year, but Network Solutions immediately suggests tying yourself in for five years. Only the first year is particularly cheap. It also adds a free trial for domain privacy and starter hosting, and suggests a lot of other add-ons as well.

Be careful while you look through the basket so you only pay for what you actually want. Once you’ve bought a domain, you’re taken to a dashboard that looks identical to the Domain.com one because Network Solutions has acquired Domain.com.

Network Solutions: Features

(Image credit: Network Solutions)

Predictably, Network Solutions follows a similar path to Domain. That means you’re paying extra for every service you might need. There’s a domain lock, but other than that you need to pay for Whois privacy protection—something that tends to come for free with other domain registrars.

Its dashboard is also like Domain’s, which means it’s simple but fairly unattractive. You can easily connect your domain here to a website or email hosting, with Network Solutions keen for you to sign up to its own services. There are free trials available but generally, there are better hosting options out there. You can also connect your social media with separate guides for each type of account. Other than that, expect to pay. Even domain forwarding costs extra here.

Network Solutions: User experience

Like Domain, Network Solutions is very focused on upselling. You can ignore all this, but at times you do need to be aware of what has been added to your basket before tapping the buy button. That makes Network Solutions feels a little cynically designed.

The trend continues when looking around the dashboard, applying domain privacy, adding marketing tools, and so forth. But it is simple to find and change nameservers at least and if you want an all-in-one solution, Network Solutions is exceptionally keen to provide that.

Network Solutions: Customer support

Network Solutions has the usual suspects for support. There’s an AI chat bot which helps with a lot of commonly asked queries. At the time of writing, it also offered me a 20% discount on SSL certificates so it’s worth consulting once in a while. If you need to talk to a person, you can switch over by asking to do so.

Elsewhere, there’s the knowledge base which provides a lot of how-to guides for many situations. The knowledge base and chat bot should solve most of your problems, but if not, you can call Network Solutions with phone support being a neat bonus that not every domain registrar offers. There’s also a ticketing system.

Network Solutions: Pricing

Domain

Price from

.xyz

$14.99

.com

$11.99

.eu

$34.99

.net

$14.99

.org

$14.99

One year fees for most TLDs with Network Solutions are fairly competitive, but they don’t tell the full story. Sometimes, you only get this discount if you commit to a longer period of time and in all cases, renewals end up much more expensive than the enticing first year offer.

There are also many hidden fees with domain privacy, SSL certificates, and even domain forwarding all costing extra. Even ICANN fees are added on in the basket so that initial fees seem cheaper than they truly are.

Network Solutions: Specs

Spec

Details

Lowest price from

$0.99 (.online)

Highest price from

$2,488 (.org)

Search tools

Standard search, bulk, AI search, by TLD grouping

Other services

Web hosting, WordPress hosting, email hosting

Should I buy Network Solutions?

Attribute

Notes

Score

Features

Network Solutions has all you need, but you’ll pay for it.

4/5

User experience

Easy enough but far from visually appealing.

3.5/5

Value

A little sneaky with hidden fees and pricey renewals makes it poor value.

2/5

Buy it if...

• You want something reliable. With so much experience in the field, you’re in safe if expensive hands with Network Solutions. For some users, that’s worth the price.
• You want an all-in-one solution. Everything from domains to hosting to email is available here which simplifies your decision making somewhat.
• You want to add features individually. By requiring payment for so many services, you only pay for what you need. That could work well for some users.

Don't buy it if...

• You want the cheapest domains. Network Solutions rarely works out cheapest so if price is everything, go elsewhere.
• You hate upselling. At every turn, Network Solutions tries to upsell you on its products. This can get annoying.
• You want a stylish onboarding experience. Network Solutions lacks good looks even if it does get the job done.

Network Solutions: The Competition

• GoDaddy: If you need web hosting as well as a domain, GoDaddy is the superior choice. It’s more visually appealing and a better price, even with upselling.
• Porkbun: For cheap domains and a no-frills experience, Porkbun is the place to go. It requires a little more knowledge at times, but its prices are great.
• Dynadot: Another good option for value, Dynadot misses a few TLDs but it’s otherwise great for stockpiling domains over time.

How I tested Network Solutions

• Searched for two domain names and bought them
• Investigated the Network Solutions dashboard
• Looked at features and support options

I signed up for an account with Network Solutions and purchased two domain names. I then looked through the dashboard to see what was available for free and how easy it was to make adjustments. I also looked at how simple it was to get advice from the help center, and I looked at other details like how to cancel auto-renew.

Former White House ethics lawyer Richard Painter says President Trump "stands alone" in having substantial financial conflicts of interest and that, "for every other executive branch official, it would be a violation."

(Image credit: Kevin Dietsch)

Palantir CEO Alex Karp has hit out at the state of the AI industry, saying it was "effing insane" that the technology is being used in areas such as military and national security.

In a heated interview with CNBC Squawk Box, the controversial billionaire also hit out at top AI firms such as OpenAI, claiming he had spoken to major CEOs outside of the industry who were "livid" at how some companies are doing business.

Karp also accused some major AI companies of imposing a “wealth tax” on businesses by charging high fees for their services, all while collecting data which may be used to improve their own AI models and tools.

"Completely wrong"

Karp's ire was particularly focused on the token model being used by the likes of Anthropic and OpenAI, especially as costs continue to rise, but companies look for a better return on their investment.

“I’m not throwing shade at them, but something has gone completely wrong,” he said. “The basic view among enterprises in this country is I’m going to chillax and waste my time with tokens.”

This includes a range of Chinese firms, with Karp warning the US not to underestimate the speed of progress being seen at its great rival.

Rising AI prices have led many businesses to pivot towards building and training their own models, rather than relying on outside providers, with so-called "open weight" models able to perform at a fraction of the cost.

Karp's frustration was clearly visible, with one CNBC host commenting, “You sound pretty angry,” with the CEO responding, “This is the voice of American business that is being channeled through me.” 

To shore up its own support, Palantir recently announced a major partnership with Nvidia which will see the latter's AI services used to create custom models for US government agencies.

“What aligns me with Nvidia, and I think is what the technical customers want, which is control over their compute, their models, their data stack and their alpha,” Karp told CNBC. “They want to know they own the means of production. It’s not being transferred to someone else.”

This follows recent criticism by the US government of firms such as Anthropic, whose Mythos 5 and Fable 5 AI models were deemed a national security risk and shut down shortly after release.

Karp went on to criticize the US government for its reliance on AI companies in creating new technology for the military and national security.

“Are we really going to outsource the battlefield of this country to the consensus view in Silicon Valley? That is effing insane," he noted.

If you've been planning a new PC build or finally looking to upgrade your existing rig, you'll be happy to know Newegg is holding a 4th of July sale which includes discounted DDR5 memory kits from major brands like Corsair, G.Skill, and TeamGroup.

Whether you're after an affordable 16GB kit or stepping up to 32GB or 64GB for demanding workloads, there are plenty of options to choose from. I've spotted high-speed DDR5 modules available for creators, professionals, and everyday users alike, including the Corsair Vengeance RGB 64GB for $770 (was $920) with code JSF563.

Extra memory can make a noticeable difference when you're editing high-resolution video, working on large creative projects, running virtual machines, or juggling multiple applications at once.

• Shop the full 4th of July sale at Newegg

Today's top DDR5 deals

Upgrade your desktop with 64GB of DDR5 memory, delivering fast 6000MT/s speeds, dual-channel performance, and customizable RGB lighting for smoother multitasking, demanding creative workloads, and high-performance PC builds.

You can save $150 off the usual $919.99 price using coupon code JSF563.View Deal

Boost your desktop with 32GB of DDR5 memory running at 6000MHz, featuring low CL30 latency, customizable RGB lighting, and AMD EXPO support for responsive gaming, multitasking, and demanding creative workloads.

Save $30 off the price with coupon code JSF532.View Deal

Upgrade your PC with 32GB of DDR5 memory running at 6000MHz, featuring low CL30 latency, customizable RGB lighting, Intel XMP 3.0, AMD EXPO support, and SK Hynix memory chips for reliable performance.

Save $25 off the standard price with coupon code JSF535.View Deal

Give your desktop a performance boost with 16GB of DDR5 memory running at 6000MT/s, offering dual-channel responsiveness for smoother multitasking, faster application loading, and reliable everyday computing and gaming.

Save $15 off the standard price with coupon code JSF566.View Deal

Upgrade your desktop with 16GB of DDR5 memory running at 6000MT/s, delivering faster responsiveness, improved multitasking, and dependable performance for gaming, content creation, and everyday computing.View Deal

Newegg's 4th of July Independence Day sale is live now and includes everything from TeamGroup and G.Skill 16GB kits for budget-conscious builders to 32GB options from V-color with low CL30 latency, RGB lighting, and support for both AMD EXPO and Intel XMP 3.0.

If you need even more memory, Corsair's Vengeance RGB 64GB kit delivers plenty of capacity for video editing, AI workloads, content creation, software development, and heavy multitasking.

Many of the featured kits run at 6000MT/s, giving modern Intel and AMD processors the bandwidth they need to perform at their best, while selected models also use premium SK Hynix memory chips for dependable performance.

Whether you're upgrading an older PC or putting together a brand-new system, these memory deals cover every budget without compromising on speed or features.

With DDR5 prices still much higher than many PC builders would like them to be, Newegg's 4th of July sale is a great opportunity to buy high-end memory at a much more affordable price.

• Shop all desktop RAM at Newegg

• The Blood Message trailer shown in the Summer Game Fest 2026 live show was a surprising highlight
• It demonstrated impressive visual fidelity and cinematic combat, which many fans praised in the comments
• Director of global publishing Jeff Hu says the team is "very excited" by the warm reception

For many, Blood Message was a surprising highlight of the Summer Game Fest 2026 live show. Its latest story trailer was extremely visually impressive, showing off a high level of visual fidelity and glimpses of incredibly cinematic combat.

The footage has now racked up more than three million views on the official Blood Message YouTube channel, with an extremely warm reception from fans.

There are hundreds of comments from viewers, with many praising everything from the realistic graphics to the Ancient China setting. "This looks incredible!" wrote one commenter. "Also, love the attention to detail on historical clothing, arms, and armor."

Another added that "If the gameplay graphics and combat are similar to this, it's going to be the game of the generation, period."

One simply put: "This is how I imagined next gen".

The trailer was soon followed by the release of 19 minutes of pure gameplay footage, which is now sitting at over 10 million views on YouTube.

It seems to have left some viewers in awe, with one writing: "The way the camera dynamically adapts to the environment and the flow of combat is unreal! The transitions are so seamless I can't even comprehend how they pulled it off. I’ve literally never seen anything like this before."

In an exclusive interview with TechRadar Gaming, senior director of global publishing Jeff Hu said that the team has been basking in the praise.

"We saw some YouTube reactions," he revealed. "We are very excited to see that they love this story, love our game, and love the combat itself. It gives us a very big confidence [boost]."

We'll have to wait and see whether this confidence is well placed when Blood Message launches on consoles and PC at a later date.

Get 25% off EVERYTHING at Domain.com
Want to buy a domain name? Kickstart an online empire? Become a self-made millionaire with a web-based business? Then fill your cart at Domain.com and get 25% off your order using the discount code TECHRADAR. T&C apply, see further down the page.View Deal

Domain or domain.com has been a significant name in the domain registrar world since 1999. One of the oldest brands out there, it’s been through a few acquisitions and is now part of Network Solutions. Over the years, it has expanded its domain services to also bundle in hosting accounts, and email hosting.

I’ve been purchasing and using domain names for over 20 years, while reviewing hosting products for more than 10 years. I’ve used that experience to evaluate Domain. That includes looking to see how simple signing up is, how competitive its prices are, and whether it’s worth recommending to people.

Domain: My experience

(Image credit: Domain.com)

As with most domain services, Domain is easy enough to search through. Head to the site, type in the domain you’re considering and you get a bunch of domain results. The results are a little different from others, focusing on what Domain thinks will be your best options. That meant a search for Jenjea initially provided some related results like jenjho.net rather than TLDs connected to Jenjea. You need to toggle ‘View all TLDs’ to see the more traditional results.

There are filtering options but no way to organize by price. Each domain suggestion also includes explanations as to why they might be a good purchase. Hit Add to Cart and you’re given one month of domain privacy and protection for free, along with professional email. Further upselling comes from the domain switching to 3 years when you’re initially told the price for just one year. Make sure to check what you’re paying for. A lot of extras are automatically added to your basket that you need to opt out from.

Domain: Features

(Image credit: Domain.com)

Domain is a service immediately keen on selling you more features. Without paying additional fees, you don’t really get any extras bundled in. It’s possible to add Whois privacy but that comes at a cost. At least a domain lock is included, so there’s no risk of unauthorized transfers.

Via the domain management page, you can easily connect your domain to a website or email hosting service, with Domain offering both if you need them. I’d recommend going elsewhere for the best value—why not consider our list of the best free web hosting services? Even domain forwarding isn’t free so potentially, your very cheap domain could end up much more expensive than other options.

All the core features are here. It’s just unfortunate that very few are freely available and many are focused on upselling. Even the dashboard promotes all the other similar domain names you may wish to purchase.

Domain: User experience

As soon as you purchase a domain, Domain offers suggestions such as setting up coming soon pages, creating a logo, forwarding the domain, and much more. It’s a little muddled, and not everything is free.

That trend continues with the rest of the Domain dashboard. There’s a strong focus on promoting additional services — whether that’s domain privacy or something much pricier. It’s still pretty simple to find the things you need like nameservers, but there’s a cynicism to how things are laid out at times.

Domain review: Customer support

Domain offers reasonable support options. There’s phone support based in the US, a comprehensive knowledge base, and live chat. The latter is AI-based starting out, but if you simply ask to talk to a human, you get connected pretty quickly.

There’s no ticket system though which is an annoying omission if you’d prefer to leave a ticket and come back later. Still, live chat is reasonably effective at solving queries quickly.

Domain: Pricing

Domain

Price from

.xyz

$14.99

.com

$5

.eu

$34.99

.net

$14.99

.org

$14.99

Domain is an interesting one for pricing. Sometimes it’s very cheap, with some popular TLDs like .com .org and .net costing just $5 — but when it comes to more unusual options like .xyz, it can get much more expensive than competitors.

There’s also the matter of everything having an additional fee. Prices exclude the ICANN fees but also domain privacy protection, a SSL certificate, domain expiration protection, and anything else you can think of that’s adjacent to actually just buying the domain.

Domain: Specs

Spec

Details

Lowest price from

$1.99 (.xyz)

Highest price from

$5,000 (.com

Search tools

Standard search, bulk, by TLD groups, AI search

Other services

Web hosting, WordPress hosting, email hosting

Should I buy Domain?

Attribute

Notes

Score

Features

Domain has all the features you need. For a price.

4/5

User experience

Simple to use and buy multiple domains if a little cluttered.

3.5/5

Value

Expensive first years followed by many additional fees and pricey renewals makes this poor value.

2/5

Buy it if...

• You want a large domain portfolio. Domain makes it very easy to buy multiple domains quickly. If you want to flip domains or protect your brand, this is a simple option.
• You need guidance. Domain is keen to promote its other services and help you set up a landing page, create a logo, and more, so it’s a reliable, straightforward solution (for a price).
• You want to add features as you go. By charging individually for many of the features, you could potentially get a bargain if you’re shrewd.

Don't buy it if...

• You want straightforward pricing. Domain is a little sneaky, suggesting prices are low till you bear in mind how many extras you ideally need.
• You want ticket support. If you don’t want to sit around on live chat, Domain’s support isn’t ideal.
• You want the cheapest domains. Domain is far from the cheapest in most cases even if it looks it at first.

Domain: The Competition

• Dynadot: If you’re looking for cheap domains and common TLDs, Dynadot is a better solution. It’s fairly basic but perfect for a quick few purchases.
• GoDaddy: For an all-in-one solution that works well despite getting a little pricey, GoDaddy is a good option. It’s appealing, easy to figure out, and an ideal choice for long-term commitments.
• NameCheap: Namecheap offers fairly cheap domains depending on your plans, and is very easy to use. It’s an easy recommendation to make.

How I tested Domain

• Created account and purchased two domain names
• Searched for other domains
• Evaluated how easy management services are

I searched for domain names using Domain and then purchased two of them. Along the way, I compared prices with competitors and also looked at how simple the process was. This included investigating the many extra fees for services that would have been useful if they’d been included, and looking at how pushy Domain was at promoting extra services. I also looked at how easy it was to change or cancel services.

We’ve covered the MSI Katana 15 across multiple generations, and our verdict on the line has been consistent: it’s a laptop that “delivers where it counts” for buyers who want genuine performance without paying flagship prices.

Right now, the 2025 MSI Katana 15 with the RTX 5050 is $999 at Walmart, and it makes a strong case for itself as one of the most accessible entry points into Nvidia’s latest Blackwell GPU generation.

The RTX 5050 is Nvidia’s entry-level Blackwell laptop GPU, and it’s the part of this machine’s spec sheet that needs the most honest explanation. It’s not in the same class as the RTX 5070 or 5080 in laptops that cost significantly more — but it does bring DLSS 4 support including Multi Frame Generation to the 'under $1000' category.

Today's fastest laptop deal

In our testing, the MSI Katana 15 always strikes the right balance of design, performance, and price - with some good specs including the high-performance Intel Core i7-14650HX. That's coupled with the fast 16GB DDR5, 512GB SSD, and Nvidia's GeForce RTX 5050 GPU with 8GB GDDR7. View Deal

The high-performance Intel Core i7-14650HX is a 16-core, 24-thread Raptor Lake Refresh chip with a 5.2GHz boost clock. It's a meaningfully more capable processor than the U-series or P-series chips found in consumer laptops at this price.

The 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD are the other two specs worth noting.

It's the fast 16GB DDR5, which is the right baseline — it comfortably handles multi-tasking, gaming, and general content creation tasks.

The 512GB SSD is fair at this price-point, although I'd recommend pairing it with an external drive or upgrading the internal SSD at some point.

The 144Hz FHD display is well-matched to the RTX 5050’s capabilities — the GPU can deliver 144 fps for scrubbing through editing timelines and less demanding gaming titles. And the panel will actually show those frames.

It's not the brightest, and it doesn't boast absolute color accuracy. So, it's not one for creative professionals, but if you're starting your content creator journey or just want a cheaper but snappy laptop, there's plenty to like here.

Right now, the MSI Katana 15 is the fastest laptop under $1000 you can get.

• See all laptop deals at Walmart.

• Microsoft Teams reveals more on new Facilitator AI tol
• Facilitator will monitor your Teams meetings and act as a manager and assistant
• It can help fill in knowledge gaps, but raises concern over privacy

Microsoft Teams is set to roll out Facilitator, a new AI-powered tool which will look to help better manage your calls, and fill in any potential knowledge gaps which pop up during a meeting.

However, in order to do so, the tool will need to be activated to listen and watch all of your meetings, so it knows when to interfere and chip in.

This has already led some observers to worry about the tool's privacy and security limits, but Microsoft says the tool will be turned off by default, meaning users will actively have to switch it on.

Bots in Teams

“We are introducing a new Microsoft Teams Facilitator capability that proactively detects and resolves knowledge gaps during meetings,” an update on the company's admin portal noted.

“Facilitator can identify when participants ask questions or express uncertainty and retrieve and share relevant answers using web search in the meeting chat.”

The company laid out a host of possible use cases where Facilitator may come in handy - such as monitoring an agenda in a meeting invite to help keep everyone on track, displaying the information in a sidebar.

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Facilitator can also start a timer to make sure everyone stays focused on the key points of an agenda, which can be lengthened, paused or reset depending on the need. Anyone joining the call late can ask the tool for a quick summary of what has already been discussed, and quickly search for relevant information.

It can also create a document based on a particular topic discussed during a call, helping kick-start a new project or brainstorm ideas, as helping you manage any action items assigned by capturing details in the Notes app.

For those on the move, Facilitator can also instantly capture, transcribe, and organize in-person meeting notes, complete with speaker distinction and actionable recaps, directly from your mobile device.

Once a call is done, Facilitator can also review any content it generated during the meeting, which can be accessed in a separate recap menu, and shared among participants.

Facilitator is in public preview for selected customers now - the company added that a Microsoft 365 Copilot license will be required to add Facilitator to a meeting or turn it on during a meeting. However, any meeting participant (excluding external participants) can see all real-time updates in Chat and Notes.

Via WindowsLatest

Man, it's a hot one! Don't go out in this summer's heat wave before you arm yourself with these tips and a really big water bottle.

(Image credit: Selçuk Acar/Anadolu)