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• Coolgeek P1 Cassette Player unveiled
• Brings some modern twists like Bluetooth and a HD display
• Kickstarter campaign just launched; MSRP is $179 but cheaper now

The cassette player revival began with retro-inspired models such as the EDITH WE-001 and FiiO CP13, but we're beginning to see more modern versions like, well, this strange wall-mounted system. And another new option — the one you're here to read about — definitely falls into the latter camp.

Coolgeek, whose RGB light-up turntable we covered several months ago, is back with its newest gadget: the P1 Cassette Player.

Like its turntable, this device is being 'released' on Kickstarter, so you can't buy it immediately. However, from what we've been told, it sounds pretty far along in production, so I don't envision the turn-around time being too long here.

While the standard price of the P1 is $179 (about £130, AU$260), in true Kickstarter fashion it's available for much cheaper if you sign up to the campaign earlier; it'll be half that price in the 'Super Early Bird' wave, and slowly increase over time.

What your money gets you

(Image credit: CoolkGeek)

At its core, Coolgeek's P1 Cassette Player is... well, a cassette player (think Walkman, but Sony makes those), so you don't really need me to run you through what it does, do you? It plays cassettes. But there's more, of course, or we wouldn't be covering it.

For one, the model has Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity, so you can listen to your tapes using your wireless headphones. There's a 3.5mm jack for wired headphone lovers too, as well as a USB-C port, but the latter's just for charging.

There's also a little HD display, which is primarily used for arranging the Bluetooth connection. Judging by images we've seen, there's also some colorful LED indicator column (ooh, lights!) probably for volume, but we weren't expressly told what it depicts.

Like many retro-inspired gadgets, the P1 is see-through, so you can see your tape spinning around as you listen. Coolgeek told us that it was designed not merely to ape older cassette players, but to have its own design identity.

Plenty of the new cassette players we've seen have playful, pastel-colored designs and curved edges, and Coolgeek's P1 looks a lot more mechanical and industrial in comparison — like true 1970s and 1980s tangible tech. So if you've been wanting an alternative cassette player, the campaign might be worth taking a look at.

When we tested out FastestVPN, we found "above-average speeds and rock-bottom prices" from this service. Now, I'm all for low pricing at a time when everything seems to be costing more and more. But there's something even better hidden in the company's early Black Friday sale that you might've missed. You can get a lifetime premium family password for six users alongside the VPN, for a one-off $27 (was $115) with code FUTUREBF2026.

• Best for: Families bundling together privacy and security tools without ever losing or forgetting passwords again.

• Why we like it: I really appreciate one-time charge - we've all got subscription-fatigue at this point. Our reader-exclusive code drops the price of the lifetime plan to less than the cost of the two-year plan, so you're effectively getting the password manager free on top of the multi-login VPN.

• What you need to know: This deal is for the lifetime plan, but a standard plan for two years is also available. FastestVPN has additional monthly costs for users who need dedicated IP and port forwarding. That might not affect most people, but worth knowing.

Lifetime VPN plan with lifetime family password manager: was $115 now $27
The Lifetime VPN plan bundles together a 6-user family password manager and VPN for 15 devices at once. For the full discount, use code FUTUREBF2026. View Deal

Why we recommend it

There's a lot to like about FastestVPN's lifetime plan - particularly for busy households and home offices. The lifetime password manager for up to six users is the real draw for me, because it means you can protect your accounts with stronger passwords that you won't forget (it feels like I'm reading about password breaches every week these days).

On the VPN side, the service offers WireGuard Protocol, 10 Gbps high-speed servers - despite its name, it's not the fastest VPN we've ever tested, but we scored it 4 stars in our review. The platform also offers streaming-optimized servers for Netflix, Disney+, and other popular sites.

There's app support for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS, as well as smart TVs, routers, and Fire Sticks.

For more options, we've rounded up the best password managers and best VPNs we've tested.

Price Context & Historical Value

Considering it's lifetime access for under $30, this is great value for general password management and VPN use. The lifetime plan alone typically costs $40 (or $35 for the two-year plan) in the Black Friday sale. Our reader-exclusive code is what makes this the best value.

Should you buy it?

✅ Buy the FastestVPN Lifetime Plan if...

You want to end those never-ending subscriptions critical security and privacy tools for your household.

❌ Skip the FastestVPN Lifetime Plan if...

You prioritize VPN speed or don't need a password manager for six users.

• 'Heartwood' is a wood-based gaming PC that took seven years to build
• It's stunningly neat, and the hidden trick is that it routes the cooling and other cables outside the PC
• Those pipes and cables run underneath the desk, which the PC is effectively built into, and down into the basement below, where the full cooling system resides

Fancy custom PC builds come along with some regularity, but every now and then something really unusual presents itself — and I'd class this as the smartest and neatest desktop computer I've ever seen.

Wccftech spotted the rig in question, which was posted in the PC build subreddit by Mithiral67. The gaming PC is called 'Heartwood', and it took a rather incredible seven years to build.

It's based on an Inwin 909 case (which looks impressive in itself in brushed aluminum) using a semi-open concept, with the motherboard sitting in an empty space (there's no rear panel with the build here, as you can see in the YouTube video below that shows off this PC).

This desktop looks incredibly neat and slick decked out in wood and aluminum, with the nifty lighting in the top of the case too, but where's the cooling and other cabling? That's when the full extent of this build becomes clear, because it also includes the desk underneath the PC.

(Image credit: Mithiral67 on Reddit)

What the maker has done is route the liquid cooling and power cables down through the bottom of the case and the desk, with these running around the underside of the desk, and then down a leg into the floor, to the basement of the house, where all the water-cooling gubbins (built around a Mora 400) resides.

Not only was this build a time-consuming labor of love, it was also a very costly one. Another Redditor enquires about the price of the materials, and according to Mithiral67 the wood itself was around $4,000 – and they said they didn't even want to get into the cost of the woodworking tools.

As for the components, the PC is built on a Ryzen 9800X3D processor plus Nvidia RTX 5090 GPU.

Waiting out the GPU pricing nightmares

So, this was a pricey build, and a complex one, but even then, seven years seems like a very long time for putting the PC together — it means Mithiral67 started their project before the pandemic.

What gives? Well, as they explain: "For those asking, 7 years was mostly waiting for a GPU at MSRP, literally took 4 generations to get lucky at Micro Center."

There you have it. Those hoping to feature an RTX 5090 in their custom build are looking at paying an absolute fortune currently, of course, and getting the Nvidia flagship at list price now seems almost as miraculous a feat as the construction and thoughtful crafting witnessed with this PC.

Mind you, even then Mithiral67 had to buy the RTX 5090 as part of a full PC to get it at the equivalent of the sticker price (which worked out fine, as it meant they could use that other PC for playing games while they painstakingly finished off the work of art that is 'Heartwood').

(Image credit: Mithiral67 on Reddit)

As one admiring Redditor summed up nicely: "This is genuinely the most beautiful setup I've seen, in every aspect from the choice of wood, color, design, and function."

There's no shortage of commenters approving of the build, or indeed those pointing out that Sam Altman doubtless disapproves of the amount of RAM used in this desktop, too. Don't you know that's memory which could have powered another AI agent from a data center somewhere?

• The current targets are in Ireland, Sweden, Belgium, Luxembourg and Estonia
• The US military is investigating similar issues affecting six US bases
• Over 400 French supermarkets were attacked in October 2026

In October 2026 hundreds of French supermarkets lost food worth millions of euros after a cyberattack turned their freezers up to 120F (50C) — and it looks like it's happening again, this time in other European countries.

This time the targeted supermarkets include Supervalu, which is one of Ireland's biggest supermarket chains, as well as the Swedish retailers Axfood and ICO and big-name supermarkets in Belgium, Luxembourg and Estonia.

While the targets are different the method appears to be the same, with remote access turning the freezers into heaters and spoiling their contents.

According to one retailer on Facebook, ICA Kvantum Sjöbo, "What shouldn't have happened has happened!"

So what's happening?

What's happening to the supermarket freezers

This most recent attack follows in the footsteps of the French hack and the more recent Pentagon investigation into refrigeration issues in US military bases.

It could well be exploiting a very simple vulnerability, which is that remote refrigeration management systems have weak authentication and "dangerous" software flaws. Certainly in the case of the French supermarkets the BBC reported that the affected units were "older models whose security software could not be updated to ward off a risk" that the manufacturer had identified.

The French hack affected over 400 stores, and while the numbers aren't in yet the new hack is likely to reach three figures too.

As we noted in our report on the Pentagon investigation, the "Internet of Things" makes it easier for companies to manage large groups of devices automatically and remotely, but it also opens up a new way for hackers to cause trouble — and if the software isn't secure enough or updated when new threats emerge, it effectively puts up a welcome sign for cybercriminals.

The European Food Commissioner Christophe Hansen posted on X that "food security requires more attention at all levels. Because the weaponisation of food has become a reality." He's not wrong: whether they're being exploited by cybercriminals looking for an easy payday, tech troublemakers or nation states waging hybrid wars, it's clear that the Internet of Things needs to take security much more seriously.

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Lego Advent calendars might be the best type of Advent calendar there is. Behind each door you'll find a Lego character or mini build to complete. Unlike chocolate (gone in seconds), these daily treats stick around throughout the festive season and for years to come — Lego has also got creative with the boxes, transforming them into game boards or scenes where the behind-door builds can live, and turning them into a part of your seasonal decor.

I've been holding off placing my order, but now is the time to take the plunge — the full range of 2026 calendars is discounted right now, with at least 20% off list price. And there's plenty of time for it to arrive before Advent begins. I'll be picking up the Lego City set, which the classic festive option and includes everything you need to make a Santa's workshop. However, there are also Marvel and Star Wars calendars (which put a Christmassy twist on your favorite characters), as well as Disney Princess and kid-focused Lego Friends sets.

I've rounded up all your deal options below, as well as some bonus discounts on alternative festive Lego sets you might want to throw into your shopping trolley at the same time.

Lego 2026 Advent calendar deals

Lego City 2026 Advent Calendar 60510

Lego Marvel 2026 Advent Calendar 76340

Lego Star Wars 2026 Advent Calendar 75456

Lego Disney Princess 2026 Advent Calendar 43298

Lego Friends 2026 Advent Calendar 42698

More festive brick bargains

Lego Botanicals Wreath, Festive Home Decor Set 10340

Lego Disney Frozen Olaf and Bruni's Picnic Fun Set 43287

Lego Ballerina and Nutcracker Scene 40701

Lego Snowman Ornaments 40812

Lego Gingerbread At-At Walker 40806

Lego Up-Scaled Santa Minifigure 40820

Lego Christmas Table Decoration 40743

Lego Creator Winter Holiday Train 40700

Lego Nutcracker 40640

Lego Wintertime Polar Bears 40571

Lego Icons Santa's Visit 10293

AI innovation took center stage at IFA Berlin this year, with unprecedented solutions operating alongside vastly enhanced products powered by AI. Exhibitors showcased everything from advanced humanized assistants designed for daily chores to AI-driven robotic pets offering emotional companionship.

It will take time for these products to be honed and readily available for consumers, but many innovations are already here. Hisense demonstrated its AI companion suite, which will transform user interaction while Miele’s flagship lineup highlighted the role AI, advanced sensors and connected systems can play in minimizing decision-making in daily tasks.

While these products may be received well by tech loving audiences, not all consumers are convinced. When these products make it to market, brands and retailers are likely to be faced with cynicism, safety concerns and complexity-driven confusion. To overcome these challenges, innovators must consider the customer experience.

Overcoming the information gap

When it comes to big-ticket tech purchases, consumers want to understand what they are paying for. High spec products are increasingly complex, and many consumers do not have the technical know-how to understand the differences between products and the potential benefits of new AI-enabled features.

In product descriptions and marketing campaigns, brands often prioritize the ‘cool factor’, focusing on innovative new features. While techy audiences take this in their stride, this often alienates consumers who are less confident in their knowledge. These audiences need straightforward explanations of what the product does, how AI or tech has been incorporated and how it can enhance their lives – but they are often hard to find.

Unfortunately, some companies take advantage of limited understanding, slapping misleading ‘AI’ labels on their products, which ultimately do not deliver. This disappointment and negative word-of-mouth these customer experiences generate, along with high-profile hacking horror stories and broader concerns about data security, have impacted trust – and a lack of transparency and information only adds to the nagging feeling that companies have something to hide.

Companies that are honest and open about how their products incorporate AI, the benefits these features offer and how data is used and stored, can start to rebuild trust and earn the respect of consumers. While exciting high-tech features remain an important marketing tool, a ‘back to basics’ approach that offers easy-to-find answers to common questions and addresses concerns in clear, accessible language can help consumers to understand if a product meets their needs and to feel more comfortable making a purchase.

Consider all channels in the retail ecosystem

Although discovery and research often take place online, more than four in five (85%) consumers prefer to buy electronics in-store. Bricks-and-mortar locations provide the opportunity to see or trial products in person, receive answers to unresolved questions and seek advice from sales assistants – and demand will only increase as products become more complex.

While consumers may have a good idea of their preferred product when they enter a store, their decision can change quickly if the experience falls short of their expectations. When shoppers go into a store and cannot find anyone to assist them, they may abandon their purchase or feel undervalued.

Despite the importance of the in-store experience, many tech brands are leaving a gap in the funnel. Once goods reach a physical store, the retailer is often trusted to convert intention into action. However, with physical retail coming under pressure due to rising operational costs, many are reducing headcount, which makes it harder for consumers to get the help and advice they came for.

Lean into education and advocacy

As AI makes products more complex, availability of information and access to in-depth knowledge is becoming a necessity rather than a nice-to-have. When consumers are uncertain, sales will falter and there is a far higher risk of buyers’ remorse.

Retailers must be equipped to convert the confusion of the average shopper into purchases, but training budgets are being cut alongside headcount, with in-person practical training being replaced by online learning. Digital updates can provide a solid foundation, but surface-level modules do not inspire teams’ confidence or build their ability to sell.

Many retailers are unable to fund and provide the training required, but brands have an opportunity to step in. Brands with more complicated products should consider placing brand ambassadors in store or providing additional training to stockists’ staff to ensure that someone is on hand to answer challenging questions, reassure shoppers and help them find the model that will strike the best balance between their needs and their budget.

Experience is make-or-break for tech brands

Brand equity and goodwill are vital for long-term commercial success. Negative experiences detract from trust in both the retailer and the brand, while positive interactions help to solidify it. Brands should monitor sales and reviews closely, identifying areas for improvement, and work closely with retail partners to address any potential issues at the point of sale.

The cost of providing accurate, helpful information online or in-store is negligible, while the cost of ambassadors and training far outweighs the cost of potential failure and subsequent delisting of a brand and its products. Failure to offer in-depth details, expertise and advice can have a sizeable impact on the bottom line: making customers feel comfortable is the only way to ensure AI-enhanced products deliver the expected returns.

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• Applebee’s fixes mobile app flaw that exposed customer data through hardcoded database credentials
• Researchers found access to personal information including names, contact details, birthdays, and account metadata
• No evidence of abuse was found, but the incident highlights the persistent risk of hardcoded secrets in software

Applebee’s has fixed a serious flaw in its mobile app that exposed sensitive customer information to pretty much anyone. Whether or not anyone malicious actually found this vulnerability and exploited it is not known at this time.

The chain has an Android mobile app that allows customers to browse the menu, customize meals, place orders for delivery or pickup, save their favorites, or receive personalized food recommendations.

A security researcher from What Security called Robert Wiggins, used AI to analyze the source code of the app and found a gaping hole - hardcoded credentials for a company database.

Notifying the business

The database contained plenty of sensitive information: customer names, their email addresses (both verified and unverified ones), dates of birth, phone numbers, ZIP codes, veteran status, the number of logins, dates of account creation, and the IP address of the most recent login session.

We don’t know exactly how many people had their sensitive data exposed that way, but the app has more than a million downloads on the Google Play Store.

Wiggins soon realized that there was no way to report the issue either to Applebee’s itself or to its parent company, Dine Brands, so he reached out to TechCrunch. The publication verified his claims by finding the exposed credentials itself, and even created a new entry which Wiggins was later able to extract, and also confirmed the credentials allowed users to modify database entries.

TechCrunch managed to get ahold of Dine Brands, who plugged the hole and thanked everyone involved: “We appreciate TechCrunch and the security researcher for bringing this matter to our attention,” the company said. “Our security team promptly launched an investigation and has not currently found any evidence of unauthorized access.”

“Our investigation is ongoing, and we will take appropriate steps based on our findings,” the company added.

Hardcoded credentials are a very common mistake that sometimes has dire consequences. During production, software developers would leave login credentials inside the code to work faster, allowing the app to skip the tedious process of identifying every single time. However, the credentials are supposed to be temporary and are usually removed from the code before launch.

Sometimes, though, the credentials don’t get spotted during final code review and end up in the live version. Crooks who scan the codes for vulnerabilities can then use the information for unauthorized access.

A common error

Unfortunately, it is a very common problem. In March 2025, security researchers from Cybernews analyzed more than 156,000 iOS apps and found more than 815,000 hardcoded secrets, thousands of which were “very sensitive and could lead directly to breaches or data leaks.” It’s worth mentioning that in this case, a “secret” means more than just passwords - it also includes API keys and encryption keys. The average app's code exposed 5.2 secrets, and 71% of apps leak at least one secret, Cybernews reported at the time.

A few months later, in July, HPE patched a similar bug in Aruba Instant On Access Points, and at roughly the same time, a similar flaw was found in Cisco’s Unified CM, enterprise-grade IP telephony call control platform providing voice, video, messaging, mobility, and presence services.

The leaks continued in 2026 - in February, news broke of Chinese state-sponsored threat actors abusing hardcoded credentials found in Dell’s RecoverPoint for Virtual Machines.

Applebee’s did not notify its customers about the incident, and it did not publicly disclose it on its website or social channels, at press time. Also, there are no indications that any threat actors exfiltrated this data or leaked it to the dark web.

Unlock the latest user interface, enhanced security features, and new tools for hybrid and remote workers.

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I've used a pair of Bose QuietComfort Headphones for years, and they remain some of the best cans I've ever owned. The manufacturer just released a new pair in the last few months, promising the same excellent audio quality, strong noise cancellation, and comfortable fit in a whole new package. These Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) are now at Amazon for $219 (was $359) — that's a record-low price.

• Browse all Bose deals at Amazon

At the same time as this offer, the original Bose QuietComfort Headphones are at Amazon for $169 (was $359). Personally, I'd pay for the upgraded model if possible, but this is also a record-low price and arguably an even better deal if you're on a tighter budget.

Today's best Bose headphone deals

QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen): was $359 now $219
This is a record-low price for the new version of the flagship Bose QuietComfort Headphones. These continue the manufacturer's reputation as an industry leader when it comes to sound quality and noise cancellation, while also offering a comfortable fit and all-day battery life. Although they were a harder sell at full price, this $140 discount for Black Friday makes them a much better buy if you want some affordable premium over-ear headphones.View Deal

The second-generation model has now been revealed, but the original Bose QuietComfort Headphones remain a top choice if you want quality noise-cancelling headphones at a budget price. I've been using a pair for a long time now and rate them highly, while our expert testers also scored them an impressive four stars in our review. You get excellent noise cancellation, top-tier audio quality, and 24 hours of battery life for an all-new lowest-ever price.View Deal

QuietComfort Ultra Headphones: was $449 now $369
The fantastic Bose QuestComfort Ultra Headphones have remained available at this price since Prime Day in June, so it's effectively the new standard price for this model. These offer a clear step up in audio compared to other premium cans, with superbly detailed and energetic sound and the best noise cancellation you can get right now, in a light and comfortable design.View Deal

We scored the new model four stars in our Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) review. While they came with a strong recommendation for the impressive sound, snug fit and good noise cancellation, we suggested it was best to wait for a price cut. Now that there's $140 off for Black Friday, the value for money is undeniable.

Waymo and Toyota plan to test self-driving bZ4X robotaxis in Japan in 2027, with factory-integrated technology supporting future international expansion.

The post Waymo and Toyota to Test Self-Driving SUVs in Japan in 2027 appeared first on TechRepublic.

• Henrico County in Virginia was forced to remove Flock cameras by hand
• Officials say the company is failing to fulfil its “contractual obligation”
• A growing number of police forces are cancelling contracts with Flock

Work crews in a Virginia county have removed more than 120 Flock cameras after officials said the surveillance tech company had failed to fulfil its “contractual obligation” to remove them.

An image obtained by news outlet 12 On Your Side shows a pile of cameras and solar panels that were collected after Henrico County ended its contract with Flock in early October over privacy concerns.

Reportedly, the poles upon which the cameras were mounted still remain, as crews claimed Flock has to remove these itself.

The removal of the automatic license plate reading technology comes as public trust wanes, and concerns over privacy continue to grow.

Plymouth, Massachusetts also canceled its contract with Flock cameras after a high-profile case involving a motoring journalist made national headlines.

Joel Feder, a writer for The Drive, was ambushed by police when the license plate of the $155,000 Range Rover he was test-driving was flagged as belong to a stolen vehicle.

The car belonged to Jaguar Land Rover's media fleet. According to Feder, the police had used Flock’s camera system to track the journalist down over a number of days.

A very similar license plate on another Jaguar Land Rover media vehicle was also falsely flagged by the Flock system in Nebraska a few days later, leading to another journalist facing lengthy questioning over the vehicle.

Plymouth Police Chief Eric Fadden told The Drive that the City Council voted to discontinue using the Flock system in September of this year.

Fadden stated that the police force “did not hear any reply from Flock Safety Corporate or Legal, other than some communication with our local representative.”

As a result of the lack of communication, he subsequently directed staff to “disconnect the power cords from the cameras,” according to The Drive.

However, the cameras remain the property of Flock, and both Henrico County and Plymouth are still waiting for a response from the company as to when they will be collected.

Analysis: controversy refuses to go away

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Flock’s automated license plate recognition cameras have caused plenty of controversy in the past few months, with stories surfacing of police department misuse, hackers gaining access to millions of images, and general concern over personal privacy.

Some people have been taking matters into their own hands by disabling cameras, while a number of software companies have been mapping the location of the cameras to help drivers avoid them.

MapQuest enjoyed a resurgence in popularity after it added a new Surveillance Layer to its app, showing the location of cameras from Flock, as well as those from rival companies.

But during the TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 event last month, Flock’s CEO Garrett Langley said we shouldn’t "pause progress” in the face of privacy concerns.
“If we want to live in a society where, if you commit a crime, you have a higher probability of being held accountable, we shouldn’t pause progress,” he said.

Many privacy advocate groups have raised concerns over Flock’s technology, including the recent news that it was capable of processing ambient audio in order to determine screams, gunshots and even car crashes before alerting emergency services.

Flock pulled its plans to implement that particular feature, owing to suggestions from consumer rights groups that it could be classed as "mass surveillance", but a huge amount of public mistrust remains.

• Google confirms it will move away from Jules, which launched in 2025
• Users have until November 11 2027 to finish projects, then it'll be read-only
• 'Learnings' gained from the 'experiment' will inform Antigravity project

It feels like just months since Google launched its AI coding agent, Jules, but the tech giant is now shuttering the project as it looks to consolidate its agentic AI efforts.

The company confirmed in an X post that "Jules will be winding down" while it "focus[es] on [the] unified experience" that is Antigravity.

While Jules itself as a product will be shuttered, with Google describing it as an "experiment to learn how asynchronous coding agents can help developers ship faster," many of the tools it offered will live on under Google's Antigravity project.

Google shutters Jules AI coding agent

Users now have until November 11 2027 to finished their ongoing Jules sessions, after which it will operate in read-only mode for existing projects. The company has also introduced an export process to help developers move out of the platform.

"You can now export everything Jules knows about your work into a local folder: account settings, environment variables, scheduled tasks, connected repositories, memories, setup scripts, and every session, including its prompt, plan, full activity log, and code patches," a more detailed announcement confirms.

The decision may not come as a surprise to all – the platform didn't seem especially popular among developers. "Could've just emailed the 3 people this affects," one comment on X reads.

Google never shared details of how popular Jules was, but it did boast of thousands of developers testing it during the beta phase. Still, Jules will have likely faced stiff competition from OpenAI's Codex and Claude Code, as well as GitHub Copilot and a long list of others.

Looking ahead, Google's focus has now shifted to a consolidated agentic strategy under Antigravity, where it promises to apply the "learnings" it amassed from Jules.

Whether you’re building a startup or trying to manage a distributed team, Office 2021 and Windows 11 Pro provide the tools you need.

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Sam Altman has been making headlines for his claims that consumers don’t deserve DRAM because it is only utilized “5% of the time.” In his opinion, DRAM supplies should be prioritized for data centers where its utility can be maximized powering cloud environments.

Altman’s perspective is like a utilitarian's fantasy. Humanity’s endurance of short-term pain - by handing over every bit of DRAM we have - will lead to a morally right outcome in the form of a world powered by time-saving, efficiency-increasing, productivity-boosting AI.

Sounds great if you’re the head of an AI company, but less so if you just want memory to be affordable again.

But what the OpenAI head seems to forget is that the DRAM shortage is part of a crisis he had a hand in creating. When OpenAI’s Stargate datacenter buildout was announced in early 2025, it was predicted that the project would require 40% of the world’s global supply. Supply issues were compounded as leading producers of memory entered a production turndown just a few years before to help stabilize pricing.

Will Sam Altman break into your house to steal your RAM?

The good news is that there is little Sam Altman himself can do to take your RAM off you. One reddit user asked Google AI the question we’ve all been thinking: “Is Sam Altman going to break into my house and steal my RAM?”

We’re safe… for now from r/ChatGPT

Google reassured the user with, “No, Sam Altman is not going to break into your house to physically steal your RAM.” So at least there's that.

But given how constrained the current memory supply is, there are a few ways that AI and other future tech could make the whole situation worse.

The worst could still be yet to come

One of the world’s leading memory manufacturers, SK Hynix, has predicted that the supply shortage could “persist through 2030,” making any hopes of a return to affordable pricing in the next few years a distant dream.

With OpenAI and Anthropic both set to hit the public market within that window, there is a lot of uncertainty over how the memory giants that control around 90% of the world’s supply will shift production.

Given the difference in revenue between the consumer memory market and the AI market, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a significant production swing towards the high-bandwidth memory required for AI inference and training.

This could be compounded by AI’s effect on the job market, with numerous firms enacting hiring freezes as AI strategies help cut out repetitive rote work. Higher unemployment and a lack of open positions could further reduce the demand for consumer memory, swinging production further in favor of AI.

But other emerging industries are also looking to take a bite out of the memory market.

Robots and autonomous vehicles are coming for your RAM

There has been a recent explosion in the robotics industry: from humanoid bots competing in their very own Olympics, to warehouses staffed by fleets of micro-bots. As AI improves and converges with the robotics industry to produce bots with near-human fine motor control, numerous industries spanning manufacturing, hospitality and logistics could buy robots in place of humans.

After all, a robot can work around the clock, doesn’t need to rest, and doesn’t have any rights to be violated with unsafe working conditions or excessive hours. The same goes for an autonomous taxi or cargo truck.

But they will need memory to run their little AI brains. And serving the corporate overlords is much more important (and much more profitable) than expanding memory production for the consumer market, so don’t expect things to improve any time soon.

• Grok Bot users recently found they were hitting their usage limits very fast
• That’s because Elon Musk decided to throttle Grok Bot usage limits
• The X owner said Grok Bot costs were "unsustainably high"

If you noticed that you burned through your Grok Bot usage much faster than usual in recent days, there’s a reason for that: Elon Musk intentionally limited users’ AI agent allowances in the face of “unsustainably high costs.” And as you’d expect, a lot of people are unhappy with that.

The revelation came about after an X user pinged platform owner Musk, asking for a Grok Bot reset after they surprisingly hit their 100% usage limit, four days before it was due to reset. They additionally commented that “Normally I don’t even reach 100%.”

Musk then replied to the post, stating: “The cost of serving Grok Bot was unsustainably high relative to revenue.”

Many X users seemed irked by the situation, with several saying that their Grok Bot usage had hit the 100% limit while they were sleeping and not using any AI agents. Users claimed their usage had suddenly gone from 50% to 100%, 35% to 78%, and 70% to 100%, all supposedly without using Grok Bot at all.

Unsustainable costs

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Elon Musk’s comments come amid broader scrutiny of the financial sustainability of many AI products. Tech stocks — including those of many leading AI firms — fell sharply last week as investors grew concerned over the profitability of the industry, with Google revealing that its own AI summaries have hurt its search advertising revenue.

Concerns have also been raised in recent months over the finances involved in many AI companies’ offerings. For instance, users of AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude Code can often spend many times more in tokens than they’re actually paying in monthly subscriptions, leading to questions over how sustainable many AI business models really are and whether things will need to be adjusted in the near future.

This changing landscape hasn’t gone down well with many users, of course. One thread on Reddit dubbed Musk’s about-face an “indirect rug pull” of Grok Bot, with features and usage limited in a bid to cut costs.

But it’s unlikely that AI producers will be able to subsidize their products’ costs to users forever. Usage limits will necessarily need to tighten (as OpenAI quietly announced recently, much to the frustration of users) and prices will need to increase for these business models to make sense. So don’t be surprised if Grok Bot’s lower cap is just the first of many big changes looming on the horizon.

• 'Thousands' of GCHQ storage devices are missing or unaccounted for
• Most are likely protected by encryption or PIN access
• Watchdog is 'concerned' and 'disappointed'

The UK's intelligence and cybersecurity agency, GCHQ, has been slammed by its very own watchdog after failing to account for thousands of missing storage devices.

The 2025 Investigatory Powers Commissioner's Office (IPCO) report ultimately concluded GCHQ has failed to establish the location or status of thousands of removable storage devices such as USB sticks, external hard drives and memory cards.

While the exact number of devices is unconfirmed, the IPCO report does confirm the estimate to be "in the thousands" – and that's a GCHQ estimate, not a third-party estimate.

GCHQ has seemingly lost thousands of USBs, external drives, memory cards

"There is a programme of further work to locate and account for as many of these devices as possible," the report adds, noting that "GCHQ will be able to report how many devices have been confirmed as lost."

Nevertheless, the IPCO expressed disappointment at how long investigations and remedial action had taken – the problems were actually first brought to the watchdog's attention years ago, so it's not a newly discovered issue. "We remain very concerned about this issue and are disappointed with the time it has taken GCHQ to investigate."

The issue was already raised in the IPCO's 2024 report, when the watchdog confirmed that it has asked GCHQ and MI5 to "review their internal allocation and audit of removable media" the year prior.

Back then, it was already acknowledged that many of the missing devices were either encrypted or required a PIN to access, however given the intense sensitivity of many of these artefacts, significant risk could still be on the cards.

The latest report acknowledged the technical and practical difficulties involve with the ongoing investigation, but calls for continued senior-level oversight." According to the report, GCHQ has commissioned a new tool to monitor the issue.

• Windows 11 just got a revamped internet speed test in preview
• This feature was shuttled swiftly through development using agentic AI in combination with human oversight
• Microsoft boasts that this is about: "Getting from idea to customer value faster. Without AI slop." Others are more cynical, though

Windows 11 just got a useful change in preview, with its built-in internet speed test being revamped, and the new version was produced using AI (in conjunction with human oversight, I should add).

Windows Latest spotted that Marcus Ash, Microsoft's VP of Windows Design and Research, posted on X to explain that the "team moved pretty fast on this one", adding that following feedback asking for the speed test to be improved, "within a day, Diego had a working prototype." (Diego Baca is VP of Design for Windows).

Ash tells us: "From there, our connectivity team worked with partners to bring the experience into Windows. The design and build work was driven by an agentic AI workflow, with a person guiding the process in their spare time."

The Microsoft exec further explains that this is where he sees "a lot of potential in AI" and using agentic workflows, in terms of "Getting from idea to customer value faster. Without AI slop. That is the way."

Analysis: AI, oversight, bugs, and jobs

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Of course, this is a controversial topic. Mention AI being involved in the coding of Windows 11 and some tempers will flare online, even though we know this is happening anyway. Microsoft has made no secret of that fact.

Indeed, among the AI hate and flames on social media, a lot of people are point out that these days pretty much all software is being developed in conjunction with Large Language Models (LLM agents) — even Linux.

As one Redditor makes clear: "Newsflash — every single piece of software you use, except for open source projects that are making a statement, you should expect to have AI written code in it. It is pervasive, it is everywhere."

The key aspect here is exactly how the AI agent in question is employed.

It's one thing for such an agent to be given a task to write a piece of code for a certain feature, and then just to slap that into your software or operating system as it is (or maybe after a cursory glance through the work). It's another thing to have a human programmer working on a feature and using an agent to perform grunt-work (easy but perhaps time-consuming) coding therein — and then to properly check the AI's output.

Theoretically, there's nothing wrong with the latter approach, at least in terms of the soundness of the coding work. And as Microsoft's Ash points out, this is really accelerating development times — meaning Windows 11 users will get new features (hopefully capabilities they want, like this improved internet speed test) much more swiftly. Which is exactly why almost every developer is now utilizing this tech.

There are problems here, though, and they're bound up in the public perception of Microsoft. Do Windows 11 users trust the company to be using AI in the right — i.e., properly checked and vetted — way? Not really, in many cases, as there remains a lot of doubt over the overall quality of Windows 11 code, and rightly so given the regularity, and severity, of the bugs we've seen (with more prevalence since 2024, and that 24H2 update).

As another Redditor observes: "People aren't calling Windows slop because it's being made using AI these days. They're calling it slop because it's being made using AI with woefully insufficient human oversight and even more woefully insufficient QA, leading to repeated disastrous bugs making it to production and end users being treated as beta testers. You want people to stop calling your product slop? Stop shipping updates that take down people's computers or break existing features."

The other issue here is that of AI stealing coding jobs from people. Agents may make things happen a lot more quickly, but as Ash notes, this revamped speed test was implemented mainly by an agent — including its design — with the software engineer "guiding the process in their spare time", making it sound like a rather casual amount of effort on the human side of the equation.

Is it a particularly sensitive approach to be touting the benefits of AI — as real as they may be for an operating system's ongoing development and maintenance — in this way at a time when Microsoft has been swinging the axe with various job cuts and pushing staff towards voluntary redundancy in a big way? I'd suggest it isn't, and the timing of this particular push of the value of agentic AI is dubious in that respect.

At least in this case Microsoft is being upfront and transparent about what it's doing — and we can expect a good deal more AI acceleration of Windows 11's development going forward.

• Spotify's AI remixing tool is tipped to arrive early in 2027
• Premium users may have to pay $4–$5 extra for it
• Reaction from potential users has been lukewarm

Back in August, Spotify announced plans to introduce new AI-powered features to let users create custom covers and remixes of their songs, and a new rumor suggests the feature may arrive in February — at the cost of a $4–$5 surcharge on top of existing Premium subscriptions.

That's according to the Financial Times (via Android Authority), which reports that "people familiar" with the plans reckon a launch could be scheduled to coincide with the Grammys — the music awards show is on Sunday, February 7 — or could happen on some other date within the first quarter of 2027.

Spotify is apparently still trying to get artists and labels to embrace the technology, which would (for example) let you turn a dance track in your library into a country ballad, or have one of your favorite artists cover a song recorded by a different singer or band.

It's worth bearing in mind that these details are still to be confirmed, as, per the FT, the timing and pricing have not been finalized, though we know from what Spotify has already said that it's keen to push this new feature out.

Winning over artists and fansSpotify aims to launch AI music remix service early next year from r/indieheads

The plan seems to be to reward artists who let Spotify use their music for AI purposes, and one analyst quoted by the FT estimates that 7–8% of US Premium subscribers (of whom there are thought to be around 75 million) would pay the extra few dollars for the feature.

"Winning over major contemporary stars has proved more challenging than securing participation from some established older artists," says the FT — with Olivia Rodrigo mentioned as one of the artists who have previously taken a public anti-AI stance.

If the Reddit boards are any indication of feeling, there's not much of an appetite for these new AI tools among users either. One thread responding to the FT report is filled with negative comments and recommendations for alternative music streaming services.

"Who wants this?" is indicative of the comments, while the words "gross" and "horrible" are also thrown around. Spotify doesn't, of course, have to convince all of its users to adopt the AI add-on to make it profitable; but as this report suggests, getting artists on board might be the bigger issue.

The Dell Pro Max Tower T2 is one of those desktop workstations that immediately resonated when we tested it. It's fast, performance-driven, and scored 4.5 stars in our review. It's a beast for professional workloads. But here's something else I noticed.

The Dell Pro Max Tower T2 workstation can be configured with an Nvidia RTX Pro 6000 Blackwell GPU for $16,780 (was $18,645) at Dell when you sign up to receive newsletters with one of our Dell coupon codes, which gives you 10% off your first purchase.

And when you consider that the Blackwell 6000 graphics card costs $15,799 at EmpoweredPC and $17,999 at Newegg, that makes the whole bundle a bit of a steal.

• Best for: Enterprise professionals, AI developers, and creative studio engineers.

• What we like: The machine itself is superb, blazing through our benchmark tests. It's highly configurable for a range of workloads. But it's the fact that you're getting a full tower workstation for almost the cost of the GPU alone that stands out.

• What to know: Because of how Dell's website works, you'll need to spec out the Pro Max T2 with the Nvidia RTX Pro 6000 GPU - the deal below takes you to the base configuration, but it's easy enough. The newsletter signup is the way to get that extra saving.

Today's best Dell PC deal

Pro Max Tower T2 Desktop: was $18645 now $16780
Like most Dell PCs, the Pro Max T2 is available in a range of configurations. This is the cheapest one with the Nvidia RTX Pro Blackwell 6000 GPU, running Windows 11 Pro on an Intel Core Ultra 5 235 CPU, 8GB DDR5, and 256GB SSD. But you can spec the machine to fit any workload. Sign up for the newsletter to get 10% off your first purchase. View Deal

Why we recommend it

This workstation scored 4.5 stars in our review, and we awarded it a TechRadar Pro Highly Recommended badge.

To see how it fared, we ran Dell's Pro Max T2 alongside engineers working with large data warehouses, AI, 3D modeling, 4K and 6K video editing, and large-scale visual events. And it performed beautifully in that role - it's what it was built for.

In our review, we found it "a beast of a machine for professionals who need uncompromising power in engineering, AI, and all-around business performance, and who want a machine that is capable today and upgradable for the future."

For more work-oriented PCs, we've tested out the best business computers.

Price context & historical value

The workstation's price, configured with this GPU, is about what I'd expect in today's volatile market. However, the value comes from getting it specced with a Blackwell 6000 graphics card for about the same price as buying the GPU on its own.

I've listed the cheapest Blackwell config here. However, for truly demanding tasks, I'd recommend bumping up the memory to 32GB - although you can go as high as 128GB, and potentially increasing storage from the base 256GB (Dell sells configurations up to 4TB).

Should you buy it?

✅ Buy the Dell Pro Max T2 if...

You want a high-performance workstation desktop for complicated workloads, AI, or production-grade creative projects.

❌ Skip the Dell Pro Max T2 if...

You need a business PC for largely administrative or general content creation tasks. You could spec out the Pro Max T2 for that, but personally, I rate the highly configurable Dell Tower Plus (EBT2250).

• See all desktop PCs at Dell

• The Explorer 100D is a palm-sized 30,000mAh portable power station
• It uses a long-lasting lithium iron phosphate battery
• It has a maximum total output of 158W and supports direct solar input

Jackery has just launched a new portable power station that combines a high capacity with an impressively small and lightweight design.

Dubbed the Jackery Explorer 100D, it measures 11.87 x 8.26 x 8.57cm and weighs 850g, which sounds fairly compact when you consider that it has 30,000mAh of power. Indeed, it’s 14% smaller and 12% lighter than the Explorer 100 Plus, making it Jackery's smallest portable power station yet.

So, while it will certainly add some weight to your bag, it's small enough to carry around in a backpack, so you can keep your devices powered when out and about or on trips. It’s designed to comply with lithium battery transport standards, too, so you can take it on planes and trains, and even though it’s palm-sized, it also includes a built-in handle and supports an optional shoulder strap.

(Image credit: Jackery)An LFP battery with solar support

The Jackery Explorer 100D also uses a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery rather than the more common lithium-ion ones, meaning it’s theoretically both safer and longer-lasting, with Jackery claiming it has an up to 8-year lifespan and will retain at least 80% of its capacity across 3,000 charging cycles.

It has two 140W USB-C ports and an 18W USB-A port, so you can charge, for example, a laptop, phone, and tablet all at once. That said, it tops out at 158W of combined charging power, so you can’t use all of those ports at full power simultaneously.

When you need to charge the 100D itself, you can of course plug it in to any outlet, but it also supports up to 100W of direct solar input, making it suited to an off-grid setup.

So there’s a lot to like here, and while this isn’t the cheapest 30,000mAh power station, it’s reasonably affordable too, coming in at $99 / €99 (roughly £75 / AU$140). It’s not currently available in the UK or Australia, but Jackery does have a presence in both regions, so that might change.