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Leader of top FEMA disaster coordination office resigns, as Trump moves to eliminate agency

NPR News Headlines - Tue, 06/17/2025 - 13:02

Jeremy Greenberg was in charge of coordinating federal help after hurricanes, wildfires, earthquakes and other emergencies. He has resigned from leading FEMA's National Response Coordination Center.

(Image credit: Etienne Laurent)

Categories: News

Overwatch 2 Season 17 Adds Map Voting and Rounds Out Stadium's Roster

CNET News - Tue, 06/17/2025 - 13:02
The hit hero shooter's next big update revolves around giving you even more choices over how to play.
Categories: Technology

Xbox Is Bringing These Call of Duty and Warcraft Games to Game Pass in June

CNET News - Tue, 06/17/2025 - 13:00
While Microsoft is adding those games to Xbox Game Pass, it's also removing a handful of others from the service on June 30.
Categories: Technology

Nothing confirms its flagship Phone 3 won't have a flagship chipset, but I don't think that matters – here's why

TechRadar News - Tue, 06/17/2025 - 12:46

It’s official: the Nothing Phone 3 will use the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset.

Nothing CEO Carl Pei revealed the spec detail in an interview uploaded to the company’s YouTube channel, confirming that Nothing’s “first true flagship” phone will be “36% faster on CPU, 88% stronger on GPU, and 60% stronger on the NPU” than the Nothing Phone 2.

Big numbers! Except the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1-equipped Nothing Phone 2 is almost two years old, and by Nothing’s own admission, it’s not a true flagship, so you’d expect the Phone 3 to deliver a serious jump in performance. The even bigger elephant in the room is that Nothing’s “first true flagship” won’t be using the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, which by all accounts is currently the fastest gun in the West. Is this a terrible revelation? I’m not so sure.

Look, it’s true that many of the best Android phones use Qualcomm’s latest top-end chipest, and it’s also true that, in not using the Snapdragon 8 Elite, the Nothing Phone 3 will likely lag behind the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and OnePlus 13 in benchmark tests and push-your-phone-to-the-limits use cases.

If you’re someone who likes to max out every setting in Call of Duty: Mobile or record lengthy videos in 8K, the Nothing Phone 3 won’t be for you. But Nothing is not, and never will be, a brand for these types of power users.

The Nothing Phone 3a Pro launched in March (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Carl Pei founded Nothing in 2020 with a mission to “make tech cool again,” and that ethos has been evident in every Nothing phone released thus far (we described the company’s most recent effort, the Nothing Phone 3a Pro, as “the most interesting phone you can buy for less than $500 / £500 / AU$850” in our review).

Nothing’s next challenge is to make a “cool” phone that isn’t noticeably slower or buggier than the best phones on the market. And any device that fits that remit can, I think, accurately be described as “a true flagship”.

By using the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset, the Nothing Phone 3 will feel like a flagship in comparison to Nothing phones of old, but I’m 99% sure it’ll feel like a flagship in relation to the best iPhones, Samsung phones, and Pixel phones, too.

As I wrote in a similarly minded piece last year, in my opinion, we’ve reached a saturation point when it comes to the speed of flagship phones. Not necessarily in their capacity to complete complex tasks, mind, but in the way these phones feel when you’re swiping through them on a daily basis.

If the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset can deliver a smooth experience while you’re scrolling, streaming, swiping, gaming, taking photos, or doing any of the other things one does with their phone in 2025, I think it’s a perfectly acceptable chipset choice for a flagship handset aimed at those who value aesthetics over raw, unmitigated power.

The Tensor G4-equipped Google Pixel 9 Pro was our Phone of the Year last year (Image credit: Blue Pixl Media)

Consider Google’s latest flagship phone, the Pixel 9 Pro.

By all accounts, its Tensor G4 chipset is weaker than the competition, yet the Pixel 9 Pro sits pretty as the ‘best Android’ option in our list of the best phones and also scooped our Phone of the Year award in 2024. Sure, those titles were awarded subjectively, but no one bats an eyelid when Google’s bona fide flagship ships without the latest and greatest in mobile silicon.

The price argument is a little harder to rebuff. Rumors put the Nothing Phone 3’s price tag at around $799 / £799 / AU$1,300, which would bring the phone in line with the Snapdragon 8 Elite-equipped Samsung Galaxy S25.

Naturally, Nothing’s upcoming handset won’t be able to compete with Samsung’s latest base model for raw power, but with Carl Pei promising "premium materials and software that really levels things up,” I’m confident that the Phone 3 will deliver on the CEO’s “true flagship” promise.

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Categories: Technology

Jell-O and Kool-Aid Will No Longer Contain Artificial Dyes. This Is What's Replacing Them.

CNET News - Tue, 06/17/2025 - 12:35
Kraft Heinz said that it will remove artificial dyes from all its US products by the end of 2027. This is how the company plans to replace the dyes.
Categories: Technology

It's back! This mechanical keyboard with a touchscreen monitor could be the perfect partner for my smartphone - shame it has two major pitfalls

TechRadar News - Tue, 06/17/2025 - 12:35
  • Keyview 13" Touch is a mechanical keyboard with a built-in 13-inch touchscreen
  • It works with phones, tablets, laptops, desktops, and even game consoles
  • There’s no battery or touchpad unfortunately, so you'll need to provide power and a mouse

The Keyview 13" Touch, from Aura Displays, is a compact 82-key mechanical keyboard (83 keys for the UK version) with a fun, and useful twist - it has an integrated 13-inch touchscreen attached.

This isn’t the first product of its kind we’ve seen - we’ve previously covered the Maxfree K3 and the Thanko mechanical keyboard with a 10-inch monitor, both of which offer the same blend of keyboard and display in one unit.

We’ve also encountered various DIY projects that produced laptops without displays, as well as notebook docking stations with built-in screens, but few of those have been as polished or feature-packed as this.

RGB lighting and custom shortcuts

The Keyview 13" Touch's screen folds from 0 to 90 degrees and delivers a 1920 x 720 matte IPS display. It supports full 10-point multitouch and has a wide 178° viewing angle, making it usable for video, docs, or just as a second screen.

The keyboard itself uses yellow mechanical switches and PBT keycaps. It’s fully customizable, with hot-swappable keys, RGB lighting, and support for custom shortcuts.

The device includes USB-C, HDMI, two USB 3.0 ports, an SD/TF slot, and an M2 SSD bay for internal storage expansion. It also supports 60W PD fast charging.

It’s compatible with macOS, Windows, Android, Linux, and ChromeOS. That means it works with laptops, desktops, full-featured USB-C phones like the Galaxy line, latest iPhones, tablets, and even game consoles.

The case is made from aluminum alloy, ABS, and PC plastic. It’s solid but weighs 2.12kg, which makes it more of a backpack item than something pocketable.

There’s also a built-in speaker, rated at 1W. That's nothing special, but it will be fine for notifications or quick audio tasks.

There are a couple of bigger drawbacks, though - there’s no battery for starters, so you’ll need to plug it in every time you want to use it. And there’s no touchpad either, so unless your device is touch-capable, you’ll want to bring a mouse too.

Still, for a certain type of user, especially those wanting to turn their phone into a capable workstation, it’s an unusual and potentially useful option. You can buy it direct from Aura now for $399.00, 20% off its usual MSRP of $499.

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Categories: Technology

How to watch River Plate vs. Urawa Reds From Anywhere For Free: Stream FIFA Club World Cup Soccer

CNET News - Tue, 06/17/2025 - 12:30
Group E gets underway in Seattle with a South America vs. Asia clash.
Categories: Technology

You Can Now Generate ChatGPT Images by Texting a 1-800 Number on WhatsApp

CNET News - Tue, 06/17/2025 - 12:13
You can send a request for the quick creation of an image using this ChatGPT phone number.
Categories: Technology

How Trump's travel ban could disrupt the way knowledge about health is shared

NPR News Headlines - Tue, 06/17/2025 - 12:10

Global health specialists talk about the consequences of the full or partial ban on travel to the U.S. from 19 countries.

(Image credit: Adam Gray)

Categories: News

Trump threatens Iran's supreme leader, escalating his rhetoric about the conflict

NPR News Headlines - Tue, 06/17/2025 - 12:09

President Trump called Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei an "easy target" but said, "We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now."

(Image credit: Al Drago)

Categories: News

With the World Cup a year away, the U.S. men's soccer team needs a shot in the arm

NPR News Headlines - Tue, 06/17/2025 - 12:05

A handful of dreadful losses — plus some drama between the team's biggest star and its new head coach — has the USMNT looking for a badly-needed rebound in this summer's Gold Cup tournament.

(Image credit: Jed Jacobsohn)

Categories: News

DJ Furby Elongates the Classic Toy With a Literal Glow Up

CNET News - Tue, 06/17/2025 - 12:00
With a resemblance to the "long Furby" fan trend, the DJ Furby brings new ways to play with the talkative creature.
Categories: Technology

You can now create ChatGPT AI images using WhatsApp and it's ridiculously easy to do – here's how

TechRadar News - Tue, 06/17/2025 - 12:00
  • You can now create ChatGPT images in WhatsApp
  • Ask it to create any image you want
  • Upload an image and ask it to modify it

You can now create and modify images using ChatGPT’s AI chops inside WhatsApp without having to use the ChatGPT app at all.

WhatsApp, the MetaAI-owned messaging app, caused more than a little controversy recently when it added a new Meta AI button to its interface that was impossible to remove.

The new button caused outrage from WhatsApp users, many of whom felt like they were being forced to use AI.

“Why do they have to slap that stuff on everything?” said Reddit user Special-Oil-7447. “I'm in the EU and it’s just been dumped on me. I am going to uninstall WhatsApp today after I have loaded Signal. Vote with your feet people”, said user BrainCell 7.

But Meta has not backed down, and the unpopular MetaAI button remains.

Tapping it will initiate a conversation with the MetaAI chatbot, however, it's not the only AI chatbot you can use with WhatsApp.

Accessing ChatGPT

If you’re a fan of AI, then there’s nothing stopping you from chatting using ChatGPT in WhatsApp so long as you know how, and what’s more, you can now use ChatGPT to generate AI images right inside WhatsApp. You can even upload a picture and get the AI to edit it, all from within WhatsApp.

It’s easy. All you need to do is set up ChatGPT as one of your contacts in WhatsApp - as if it’s a person.

Just add ChatGPT as a contact with the number 1-800-CHATGPT (that’s 1-800-242-8478). If you’re outside of the US, then you’ll need to add them as a US contact, which I've written about before.

Now you can chat with ChatGPT as if it were one of your friends. When you start a chat with ChatGPT, you can simply say “Create an image of...” and add some details. Sit back and let ChatGPT do its AI magic.

To upload an image that you want ChatGPT to edit, tap the + button, then Photos, and upload the image.

ChatGPT will ask you what you would like to do with the image, and you can just use natural language to describe what you want to do.

If you reach your limit for a free ChatGPT account, but you’ve got a Plus account, then WhatsApp will throw up a link so you can link to your Plus account and get more images. It couldn’t be simpler.

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Categories: Technology

A key Asus Windows tool has a worrying security flaw - here's how to stay safe

TechRadar News - Tue, 06/17/2025 - 11:52
  • Asus released a patch for CVE-2025-3464, a high-severity authentication bypass flaw
  • The issue affects Armoury Crate, a centralized hub for managing ASUS and ROG hardware
  • The flaw could possibly lead to full device takeover

Asus says it has fixed a high-severity vulnerability that could have allowed threat actors to bypass authentication requirements and obtain SYSTEM privileges on a Windows device.

Recently, a security researcher from Cisco Talos discovered an Armoury Crate kernel-mode driver doesn’t rely on proper OS-level checks, but instead authenticates requests using a hardcoded SHA-256 hash of AsusCertServices.exe and a PID allowlist.

This means that a threat actor can create a hard link from a benign executable to a placeholder file, launch the app, and then swap the link to point to the trusted Asus binary. When the driver verifies the hash, it will recognize a trusted signature, even though the attacker’s process is now using that context.

Fixed with updates

The end result is unauthorized driver access, which could lead to full device compromise. The good news is that in order to abuse this vulnerability, the threat actor must obtain system access beforehand (either through stolen/purchased credentials, or a backdoor).

The vulnerability was found in Armoury Crate, an Asus application commonly pre-installed on ROG and TUF laptops and desktops.

It serves as a centralized hub for managing Asus and ROG hardware, including RGB lighting, fan curves, and the performance of different peripherals - and can also be used to manage driver and firmware updates.

The issue is now tracked as CVE-2025-3464, and has a severity score of 8.4/10 (high), as per NVD.

All versions between 5.9.9.0 and 6.1.18.0 were said to be vulnerable, and to secure their devices, users should update to the newest version of Armoury Crate: That can be done by navigating to Settings > Update Center > Check for Updates > Update.

Asus said it found no evidence that the flaw is being abused in the wild, but still “strongly recommends” users update their installations as soon as possible.

Via BleepingComputer

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Categories: Technology

Joey Chestnut will return to the Coney Island hot dog contest after last year's beef

NPR News Headlines - Tue, 06/17/2025 - 11:50

Joey Chestnut was banned from the contest that made him famous after signing an endorsement deal with a company that makes plant-based proteins. The 16-time champ returns to Coney Island on July 4th.

(Image credit: Brittainy Newman)

Categories: News

Stay on Top of These 6 Blood Tests to Make Sure You're Monitoring Your Health

CNET News - Tue, 06/17/2025 - 11:45
Don't miss out on these blood tests that provide critical medical information to your health care providers.
Categories: Technology

The studio behind Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has announced a digital jewelry collaboration - but I just wish they were available in game

TechRadar News - Tue, 06/17/2025 - 11:24
  • Sandfall Interactive has announced a jewelry collaboration to create a digital collection inspired by Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
  • The collection was designed by British artist Hannah Martin and is inspired by the characters of Clair Obscur, Gustave, Lune, Sciel, Maelle, and Verso
  • Sandfall took Martin's designs and modeled them in Unreal Engine 5

Kepler Interactive and Sandfall Interactive have announced a new collaboration with British jewelry designer Hannah Martin to create a collection of conceptual digital pieces inspired by Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Inspired by the Belle Époque beauty era of French and European history and bold brutalism, these digital designs were inspired by the main characters of Clair Obscur, Gustave, Lune, Sciel, Maelle, and Verso, and crafted with 18 carat gold and jet-black obsidian to reflect Martin’s interpretation of the aesthetic of Expedition 33.

The developers at Sandfall Interactive took Martin's designs and intricately modeled them in Unreal Engine 5 to create a series of in-engine images "that fully blend the digital and physical worlds together with stunningly bold artistry." You can check them out below.

(Image credit: Sandfall Interactive / Hannah Martin)

These are only digital, conceptual designs, but I would love for the jewelry collection to become available in-game as downloadable content (DLC).

"This collaboration has been amazing," said Martin in a press release. "It is totally new territory for me, and I have loved being able to explore and push the boundaries between reality and unreality. It has been a constant dance between real world and fantasy."

In addition, Martin also went ahead and created 33 real-life sterling silver necklaces inspired by the design representing Verso. Unfortunately, these pieces are not for sale and were created as a celebration of the game in a limited quantity as a "thank you" to community members and artists who have supported the game and its creation.

In TechRadar Gaming's Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 review, Managing Editor Rob Dwiar said the game is "easily an early game of the year contender" and praised its "exquisite writing and story craft" and "wonderfully stylish and multifaceted combat".

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Categories: Technology

Whole Foods supplier targeted by cyberattack says it is making ‘significant progress’ towards recovery

TechRadar News - Tue, 06/17/2025 - 11:06
  • A cyberattack has targeted food distributor UNFI
  • Incident has the markings of a ransomware attack
  • UNFI is making progress towards recovery, but warns delays could still continue

United Natural Foods Inc (UNFI) says it is making ‘significant progress’ towards safely restoring electronic ordering systems, and is increasing operational capacity, following a recent major cyberattack which caused widespread delays and system shutdowns.

In a statement, UNFI, one of the largest food distributors in North America, reassured customers it is working towards increasing its operational capacity and order fulfilment.

“We are also using alternative processes to ensure our customers receive the products they need while we continue making progress to restore our technology capabilities,” the statement said. “Our customers, suppliers, and associates remain our highest priority, and we are working closely with them every step of the way.”

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Unknown Attackers

The extent of the attack is not yet known, and no criminal group has claimed responsibility, although investors were told that UNFI’s entire network was shut down - a move that meant customer orders could not be fulfilled.

UNFI has not revealed the nature of the attack, but typically an organization shutting down their network is an indication that this was a ransomware attack.

Organizations take systems offline to prevent additional devices from being encrypted by attackers, and it can mitigate the risk of data exfiltration and protect sensitive information.

UNFI is a primary distributor to retail giant Whole Foods, which has been seriously affected by the attack, which comes soon after three massive UK retailers were hit by cyberattacks that took systems offline and disrupted operations for weeks.

2025 has been a dangerous year for retailers, with these alleged ransomware attacks costing affected organisations millions in downtime, lost data, reputational loss, and potential future regulatory fines.

If you frequent these retailers or are worried that your data may be affected in these breaches, take a look at the best identity theft software around to keep your information safe.

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Categories: Technology

VPN demand skyrockets in Iran amid new internet restrictions across the country

TechRadar News - Tue, 06/17/2025 - 11:05
  • Iran VPN usage has been skyrocketing since Friday, reaching peaks of over 700% increase so far
  • Authorities imposed new internet restrictions on Friday following Israeli airstrikes
  • Online commentators have also reported some VPN throttling issues

VPN usage in Iran has been skyrocketing since Friday, June 13, 2025, as citizens are looking for ways to keep accessing the global internet.

Iranian authorities imposed new internet restrictions on Friday following the first Israeli airstrikes. These measures follow threats of legal actions coming from Iran's Prosecutor General against media and social media users for content that "disrupts society's psychological security," IranWire reported.

⚠️ Confirmed: Analysis shows a decline in international internet traffic from #Iran, corroborating user reports of poor service, with gateway and virtual server providers particularly impacted as the Ministry of Communications announces temporary internet restrictions; the… pic.twitter.com/a8iEiZqunWJune 13, 2025

According to the latest data coming from Top10VPN, the demand for the best VPN apps in Iran has seen peaks of up to 707% over the baseline level.

Specifically, VPN usage began rising on Friday by 425%, reached a 530% increase the following day, and over 700% on Sunday. While the data for Monday remains incomplete, experts recorded a rise in demand of at least 623% at the time of writing.

Commenting on the findings, the Head of Research at Top10VPN, Simon Migliano, told TechRadar: "The decision by the Iranian authorities to impose internet restrictions as its citizens suffer such incredible upheavals is simply cruel. It’s no surprise then that Iranians are turning to VPNs in such huge numbers, given the circumstances."

Despite these numbers, there have also been some reports of VPN throttling as users lamented that their VPN apps are not working at all times.

Are VPNs legal in Iran?

(Image credit: Getty Images)

A virtual private network (VPN) encrypts all internet connections while spoofing a user's real IP address location. This skill is exactly what's needed to bypass geo-restrictions like those in place in Iran.

Iranian authorities know this very well and have been busy preventing the use of Iran VPN over the years.

For example, in 2023, Iran was second only to China for VPN censorship. This also occurred in 2024, when Iran topped the VPN censoring list across the country's official app stores.

Not only VPN-targeted blocking, though. The regime has even challenged the legality of using a VPN in the first place. In February 2024, Iran outlawed "unauthorized" VPNs, banning their usage without a legal permit. Three months later, the government also resurrected an internet bill that could put VPN usage at risk even more.

Despite all these efforts, the usage of VPN-like tools remains high even after authorities lifted the 2-year blockage on WhatsApp and Google Play last January. Now, people have been turning to this circumventing software en masse, no matter the consequences.

"When your home is at risk and loved ones are in danger, it’s critical that you can reliably access messaging apps, social media, and international news sites. That VPNs are banned will be the last thing on anyone’s mind right now in Iran," said Migliano.

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I tested the new Peak Design Pro Tripod and it’s spectacularly good, if spectacularly expensive

TechRadar Reviews - Tue, 06/17/2025 - 11:00
Peak Design Pro Tripod: two-minute review

Peak Design’s tripods have a couple of unique design features. One is the leg design, which is not tubular but has a six-sided cross section with an inner edge that fits straight up against the center column, with no gaps. The center column is thinner than most but also has a six-sided cross section for the legs to fit neatly against the legs when folded. This non-tubular construction does seem to give both the legs and the center column unusual stiffness.

The Peak Design Pro Tripods don't use tubular carbon fiber legs. They have a more complex six-sided cross-section designed to fold up tight against a flat-sided center column. (Image credit: Rod Lawton)

Peak Design's clever leg and column design means these new Pro tripods fold down to a very small diameter compared to regular tripods. (Image credit: Rod Lawton)

The other unique feature is a low-profile ball head with no protruding locking nut. Instead, it’s clamped with a rotating collar, and another, just above locks and releases the compact Arca Swiss compatible camera plate.

This low profile head design means that the original Peak Design travel tripod does not have to have its legs rotated 180 degrees from their folded position before you can use it. The low height of the ball head means that you can simply fold the legs in and pack it away without any complicated manoeuvers.

The new Pro Tripods also come with a new Pro Head. It still uses rotating collars to release the ball and the QR plate but it's bigger and more substantial than the original. (Image credit: Rod Lawton)

The Pro head takes regular Arca Swiss compatible plates and also accepts Peak Design's clever new Tilt Mod specifically for video work. (Image credit: Rod Lawton)

These design features made the original Peak Design Travel tripod very different to anything else. Now Peak Design has taken those same design concepts and scaled them up into a Pro version designed for serious professional use.

In fact, there’s not one Pro tripod but three. The regular Pro tripod is the one I spent most time with for this review, but I also got to try out the Pro Lite and Pro Tall variants. The Pro Lite is almost the same height and folded length of the regular Pro Tripod, but has a lighter construction for easier portability. The Tall version has longer leg sections and can even reach eye level for tall people without any center column extension – it exceeded my eye level!

The new Pro tripods aren’t just bigger and more substantial than the original Travel Tripod – they have a new Pro ball head that’s larger and more substantial than the original, plus it has a neat ‘inverted’ design so that the pan axis is above the ball not below it. This means that you can level the pan axis for panning shots and panoramas without having to fiddle around with the leg lengths. It’s not a huge range of adjustment but it might be all you need.

For more extreme pan axis adjustments, or if a lot of your work is video, Peak Design has you covered. There are two new ‘mods’ to go with these tripods: one tilt head for video work, and the other a leveling bowl which you swap out with the standard center column, and which has a regular head attachment screw so that you can use your favorite video head if you want to.

This is Peak Design's new Tilt Mod, which attaches directly to the Pro head to offer a smooth tilt movement for video. (Image credit: Rod Lawton)

Here you can see the Tilt Mod fitted. It clamps straight into the Pro head's Arca Swiss mount so it takes just a few seconds. (Image credit: Rod Lawton)

The Tilt Mod and the Pro head feel as if they were made to go together... but there's another clever touch. The Pro head uses an 'inverted' design so that the pan axis is above the ball. This means that it also acts as a basic but effective levelling head for video work. (Image credit: Rod Lawton)

I love the original Peak Design Travel Tripod, so do the new Pro tripods leave me just as impressed? Yes! It is, literally, just like using scaled up versions of the Travel Tripod. The carbon fiber legs feel just as smooth and warm to the touch, the leg clamps are just as quick and positive, and because these Pro tripods have four leg sections rather than five, they’re a little quicker to set up.

The new Pro ball head is terrific. It’s big and chunky, it locks tight and it doesn’t add a whole lot to the tripod’s height when you’re packing away. As before, there are no protruding knobs or levers to get in the way either.

Peak Design’s use of a rotating collar to lock the QR plate does take a little getting used to. The head has two collars in close proximity and at first it can be a struggle to remember which does what and how they work.

The new Pro head, though, feels absolutely rock solid, and it’s with the pan and tilt mod that it gets really clever. All you need to do is take out the regular Arca Swiss plate and slot in the pan and tilt add-on for a proper fluid pan and tilt action.

There’s an extending panning handle which is stowed against the side of the head via a magnet (Peak Design loves magnets) and can be quickly screwed into the head ready for use. It sounds like a kludge, with one head mounted on top of another, but it absolutely isn’t. It looks like it was made to work this way, and feels like it too. The tilt axis is sprung, by the way, so if you use a longer camera plate you should be able to balance it up fairly well for light and controlled tilt movements.

If you're into more serious video work, you might want to take a look at the Pro Leveling Base. This replaces the center column with a shorter 'stub' column incorporating a leveling bowl. This also has a regular head fitting, so you can still use your favorite video head – it doesn't have to be Peak Design's. (Image credit: Rod Lawton)

The center columns on these tripods are longer than the one in the original Travel Tripod, which is useful, but even though they’re fixed with a small-looking locking knob, they lock down really tight and with no flex.

You can also get spiked feet but these are an optional extra, nor does it seem like Peak Design includes a phone clamp with these tripods, so that will be a paid extra too. It kind of makes sense because these Pro tripods are overengineered for phone use anyway. If you do get the phone mount, it will still slide up into the base of the center column for storage. Here, Peak Design has stuck with its slightly complicated pull-and-twist hook release which is easy when you’ve learned how it works but can be annoying at first.

So that’s a quick tour of the Peak Design Pro Tripods, but which is the best one to get? That’s quite tricky because they are somewhat similar, both in size and price. The standard Pro tripod is expected to sell for $899.95 when it goes fully on sale in November 2025, the lighter Pro Lite will be $799.95 and the Pro Tall will be $999.95. I haven't seen prices for the UK or Australia yet.

Personally, I wouldn’t go for the Pro Lite. I can understand the reasoning – it’s a slightly lighter, slightly cheaper alternative to the regular Pro model – but it’s not a lot smaller and I think I’d rather just pay the extra for the thicker legs of the Pro model. The Pro Tall is interesting, though. If I was 6ft tall and didn’t like using center columns, I would go for this one. It’s definitely longer when packed away, but all of these tripods are too long to fit inside a backpack anyway and would end up strapped to the outside. Besides, for those times when you didn’t need the extra height you could just extend three leg sections not four, for even more stability.

Peak Design Pro Tripods: key specs

Pro Lite

Pro

Pro Tall

Packed length

48.8cm

50.1cm

58.1cm

Packed diameter

8.5cm

9.3cm

9.3cm

Max height, center column down

133.2cm

138.0cm

162.0cm

Max height, center column up

162.5cm

168.4cm

197.4cm

Min height (low mode)

15.8cm

15.9cm

17.3cm

Weight

3.74lbs / 1.7kg

4.19lbs / 1.9kg

4.4lbs / 2.0kg

Max payload

15.9kg

18.1kg

18.1kg

Head

Integrated Pro Ball Head

Integrated Pro Ball Head

Integrated Pro Ball Head

Material

Carbon fiber

Carbon fiber

Carbon fiber

Leg sections

4

4

4

Peak Design Pro Tripods price and availability

The Peak Design Pro Tripods launch on Kickstarter on July 17 2025 but are expected to go on general sale in November 2025. The Pro Lite tripod has an expected price of $799.95, the Pro tripod will be $899.99 and the Pro Tall will sell for $999.99.

The Tilt Mod and Pro Leveling Base will be sold separately and we’re currently waiting for price information on these, but we are told the option spiked feet will sell for $49.95.

Peak Design Pro Tripods: Also consider

Gitzo Traveler Series 1

If you like a tripod with style and quality but in a more traditional form, the Gitzo Traveler Series 1 could be a great choice. It has a straightforward, classic design with no frills or gadgets, just superb materials and construction. It doesn’t go quite as tall as the Peak Design Pro models nor fold so neatly, but it’s a classic design that’s stood the test of time.

Read our Gitzo Traveler Series 1 review

3 Legged Thing Punks Brian 2.0
If you want a full height carbon fiber tripod, you don’t need to pay Peak Design money to get it. The Punks Brian 2.0 is from 3 Legged Thing’s more cost-conscious Punks line, but is both well-made and typically colorful and stylish. There is some flex at full height, though, and when it’s folded up the Punks Brian 2.0 is nowhere near as neat as Peak Design’s tripods. This is still a great value choice, though.

Read our 3 Legged Thing Punks Brian 2.0 review

Should I buy a Peak Design Pro Tripod?

(Image credit: Rod Lawton)Buy it if...

You already love the Peak Design Travel Tripod
Good as it is, the Travel Tripod is not really set up for heavier gear or taller working heights, but the new Pro tripods have all the same design finesse but scaled up for pro use.

You’re more concerned with design quality than price
Heaven knows the new Peak Design Pro tripods aren’t cheap, but they are beautifully designed, exceptionally compact and, based on our samples, very rigid

Don't buy it if...

You’re trying to save money!
If all you need is rock-steady everyday value from your tripod, then you don’t need to pay these prices. There are plenty of cheaper carbon fiber or aluminum alternatives

You need flexible angle/boom options
If you shoot nature close-ups in the wild or you’re working with flat-lays or table-top setups then you need the flexibility of a boom arm, and that’s no an option here

How I tested the Peak Design Pro Tripods
  • Operational speed and efficiency
  • Stiffness and rigidity
  • Ball head operation
  • Effectiveness of add-ons

I had just two weeks to try out the Peak Design Pro tripods because loan stocks were in short supply and shared between many different reviewers. However, I know the original Peak Design Travel Tripod very well and I review tripods as part of my work, so I already had a list of what I was looking for and expected from these new Pro tripods.

I particularly wanted to test the speed and ease of deployment and was pleased to find it was just as slick as with the original Travel Tripod but quicker, thanks to the 4-section legs and larger leg clamps. I also wanted to check if the excellent stiffness of the original Travel Tripod had scaled up to these new, bigger sizes, and it has. I don’t remember any other tripods I’ve tested with more torsional rigidity and lack of leg flex than these.

I was also keen to check how the new Pro Ball Head worked. The original was good but quite small and fiddly. This one is much better. Not only does it clamp tighter and hold heavier loads better, the inverted ball design makes levelling the camera for panning shots so much easier.

Lastly, I spent some time trying out the Tilt Mod and Pro Leveling Base and came away impressed. The Tilt Mod fixes so well to the Pro Ball Head that they feel like a single (very smooth) unit and the Pro Leveling Base took a minute or so to swap out with the regular column but lets you use your own tripod head.

First reviewed June 2025

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