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Climate.gov is the main source of timely climate-related information for the public. It will stop publishing new information because the Trump administration laid off everyone who worked on it.

(Image credit: Gregory Bull)

Some users are reporting all of Google's services being down, as well as many more sites and services online.

• QPUs may run AI inference faster and cheaper than conventional hardware ever could
• Hybrid nodes combining CPUs, Nvidia GPUs, and diamond QPUs could change how we build quantum software
• From defense to finance, Quantum Brilliance is betting on diamond chips to drive adoption

Diamonds have emerged as a critical material in the development of quantum technologies due to their unique atomic properties, and Quantum Brilliance, a company based in Germany and Australia, has outlined an ambitious plan to develop portable quantum computers using diamond-based quantum processing units (QPUs).

These devices are being designed to operate at room temperature and may eventually be integrated alongside GPUs and high-end CPUs in servers or vehicles.

But while the company’s vision promises a future where quantum computing is as seamless as plugging in a GPU for AI inference, several technical and commercial hurdles remain.

Rethinking quantum computing with diamonds

Over the past decade, researchers have increasingly focused on engineering high-purity synthetic diamonds to minimize interference from impurities.

Notably, a 2022 collaboration between a Japanese jewelry firm and academic researchers led to a new method for producing ultra-pure 2-inch diamond wafers.

In 2023, Amazon joined the effort through its Center for Quantum Networking, partnering with De Beers’ Element Six to grow lab-made diamonds for use in quantum communication systems.

Now, Quantum Brilliance aims to utilize nitrogen vacancies in diamond to create qubits, offering a more compact and power-efficient alternative to cryogenic quantum systems.

“We do have a roadmap to fault tolerance, but we are not worrying about that at the moment,” said Andrew Dunn, COO of Quantum Brilliance.

“People think of millions of qubits, but that will be very expensive and power hungry. I think getting an understanding of having 100 qubits in a car cheaply and simply - the use cases are very different."

This signals a departure from the prevailing trend in quantum computing, which focuses on building systems with millions of qubits.

The company is instead targeting inexpensive and practical use cases, particularly in applications such as AI inference and sparse data processing.

Quantum Brilliance is already collaborating with research institutions like the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics (IAF).

IAF is currently evaluating the company’s second-generation Quantum Development Kit, QB-QDK2.0, which integrates classical processors like Nvidia GPUs and CPUs with the QPU in a single box.

In parallel, Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the US has acquired three systems to study scalability and parallel processing for applications like molecular modeling.

“The reason they are buying three systems is that they want to investigate parallelisation of systems,” Dunn added.

Quantum Brilliance is also working closely with imec to integrate diamond processes into standard chip manufacturing.

Beyond computation, the company sees potential in quantum sensing, and the technology may also be repurposed for defense and industrial sensors.

Ultimately, the company wants quantum computing to become as ordinary as any other chip in a server.

“Personally, I want to make quantum really boring and invisible, just another chip doing its job,” said Dunn.

Via eeNewsEurope

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Here are some hints and the answers for Connections for June 13, #733.

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle No. 467 for June 13.

Here are hints and the answer for today's Wordle No. 1,455 for June 13.

• The Moto tag finally supports ultra-wideband tracking
• This brings the Android Find Hub tracker on par with Apple's AirTags
• No word yet on when other Find Hub trackers will support UWB

Google’s Find Hub – previously Find My Device – has been a fairly proficient Android alternative to the always useful Apple Find My service, with both the Android and iOS options helping you locate your missing tech. But until now, Google’s service has lacked a key feature: ultra-wide band finding.

Find Hub can help you locate your phone, headphones, compatible Bluetooth trackers, and even close friends and family, all from one app. If you’ve not used the service (admittedly, it can feel a little hidden behind Google’s better known Android apps) it’s a useful one-stop finding shop that you’ll want to add to your home screen.

However, it has lacked one of Apple's core benefits of its Find My service: ultra-wideband tracking.

This upgraded variant of Bluetooth tracking allows your phone to more accurately track the precise location of the tag. Rather than simply being further or closer to the missing tag, the app can give you much more precise directions and distances thanks to UWB. But until now, no Find Hub devices offered UWB as an option.

(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

Now, finally, the Moto Tag does so thanks to a firmware update, as spotted by Android Police. Once installed via the Moto Tag app (currently rolling out through the Play Store), you can launch the Find Hub app, and the updated tracker will be discoverable via UWB.

You’ll also need a high-end smartphone. While a few years-old devices support UWB, the feature is exclusive to premium models like the Google Pixel 6 Pro, and Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus and Ultra. The standard flagships, unfortunately, lack the feature for now.

Hopefully, as other UWB trackers arrive for Android, there will be more reason for budget-friendly devices to support it. For now, Moto’s Tag appears to be the only UWB device supported by Find Hub.

Beyond UWB, Google’s Find Hub is also set to gain support for tracking some devices using satellites “later this year” (via Google’s blog), making the service even more useful than it currently is. That would let the service not just catch up to Apple, but effectively take the lead.

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"It just appears to me that the airplane is unable to climb," former NTSB investigator Jeff Guzzetti tells NPR. Several explanations could account for that, the aviation expert says.

(Image credit: Sam Panthaky)

Don't skip a step or else you may have to go through an even longer process to transfer data from your original Switch.

• High-end and luxury products are being advertised with huge savings
• 4,000+ fake domains impersonating big brands have been spotted
• Victims are losing money without receiving their products

More than 4,000 fake domains impersonating popular brands have been spotted in a scheme pushing scam ads targeting Facebook users.

The campaign was uncovered by threat analysis from Silent Push, in a trend researchers are calling "GhostVendors," which sees scam ads for the false domains primarily run on Facebook Marketplace by exploding Meta's ad policy loopholes, with ads being removed from the Meta Ad Library upon campaign completion to prevent tracking efforts, helping attackers remain undercover.

Key to the fake ads are unrealistically low prices designed to lure victims into thinking they've found a bargain – for example, researchers spotted a Milwaukee Tool chest for $129.

Scam artists are luring shoppers via Facebook ads

The ads also instil a sense of urgency by using keywords like 'clearance', 'Holiday sale' or 'excess inventory', applying pressure on buyers to act promptly.

Links on the ads lead to scam sites that look like their genuine counterparts through Domain Generation Algorithms and template cloning, with redirection also applied to pull victims towards malicious sites.

Countless brands have been observed imitated across the more than 4,000 fake domains, including retailers (Amazon, Costco, Argos), footwear (Birkenstock, Crocs, Skechers) and gift sites (Bath & Body Works, Yankee Candle).

Being that there have been so many attacks, consequences can vary. Many victims have had their payment information stolen with no goods delivered, or have experienced financial fraud. Moreover, the threat appears to be on a global scale and is not restricted to a core country or region.

Silent Push says threat actors have demonstrated a deep understanding of Meta's ad systems, which have been criticized for not keeping a public archive of inactive scam ads and for not allowing holistic tracking without (prohibited) external scraping.

In the meantime, potential victims (including virtually all online shoppers) are being advised to warn ads that appear too good to be true.

Users can also verify the authenticity of deals by visiting websites directly. It's also recommended that online purchases are made with credit cards that come with additional protection, with direct bank transfers totally inadvisable.

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If you’ve been experiencing issues with a single part or various parts of Google’s massive operation, or with playing your favorite songs or podcasts on Spotify, you’re not alone.

Since over an hour ago, at 2 PM ET in New York City, reported issues on outage tracker Down Detector have been spiking for Google, Google Cloud, and Spotify, to the extent that Google has confirmed issues impacting its various services as of 3:01 PM ET.

Spotify normally comments on issues via the @SpotifyStatus account on X (formerly Twitter), but as of now, it’s remaining silent. Now, the TechRadar team uses various parts of Google – mainly G-Suite with Docs – and hasn’t encountered issues yet, but my Spotify has been experiencing some issues with extended load times.

Considering that two major services are reporting issues, this could signal larger issues with a cloud data provider like Cloudflare. Either route, we’re starting our live reporting to keep you up to date on the latest developments with the outages affecting Google and Spotify.

A Quick Look at Down Detector’s homepage as of 3:25 PM ET shows that an extensive range of services are experiencing issues, with some leveling off or dropping, with Google, Google Cloud, and Spotify at the forefront, alongside Discord and Amazon Web Services (AWS).

Google and Google Cloud both began spiking in the 2 PM ET hour, reaching over 10,000 reports, while Spotify also started in that hour but is currently at over 44,000 reports.

(Image credit: Future)Google is investigating the issue

Google's status page currently lists an active 'Service Disruption' as of 3:01PM ET that is impacting a number of services – it's a good note, though, as teams at the company are investigating.

"We're investigating reports of an issue with Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Chat, Google Cloud Search, Google Docs, Google Drive, Google Meet, Google Tasks, and Google Voice. We will provide more information shortly.

Multiple Workspace products beginning on Thursday, at 2025-06-12 10:58 PDT may be experiencing service issues.

Our engineers are currently investigating the issue.

We apologize to all who are affected by the disruption."

It's impacting several services from the entire G-Suite, including Gmail. Still, Google doesn't clarify if a specific user set is experiencing the issue. As of now, I can access my personal and work Google accounts without problem. However, individuals in the comments on Down Detector are reporting issues with Messages, Google Cloud, and Google Voice.

Spotify has still not issued a statement, although reported issues on Down Detector continue to grow, now standing at over 45,000 reports as of 3:22 PM ET. We have also reached out to the streaming giant to request a comment.

It does seem that a majority of these issues started shortly after the 2 PM ET hour and are now stretching to over an hour of disruptions.

At the same time that these issues with Google and Spotify began emerging, Cloudflare is dealing with its own problems, according to the company's status page.

The latest update, as of 3:12 PM ET, from Cloudfalre notes that its services are starting to recover, but issues are still present.

"We are starting to see services recover. We still expect to see intermittent errors across the impacted services as systems handle retried and caches are filled."

Considering that Discord and Snapchat are also experiencing a spike in reports, these issues may well be related to the problems affecting Cloudflare.

(Image credit: Future)Google's making progress, says everything but Meet is fixed

(Image credit: Google)

Google is making some progress, at least according to the latest update on its Workspace status page, posted at 3:30 PM ET.

It reads: "All product impacts except Google Meet have recovered.

Google engineers continue to work on full mitigation."

This is good news for folks in the Google ecosystem, as it appears everything but Google Meet is back up. And even reports for Google's calling platform are starting to drop on Down Detector, now sitting at 1,854 reports as of 3:31 PM ET.

Snapchat and Discord are both seeing reported issues spikes

(Image credit: Future)

Alongside issues impacting Google, Google Cloud, and Spotify, reported issues with Snapchat and Discord are both elevated on Down Detector.

Reported issues with Discord are currently sitting at 6,683 as of 3:35PM ET, but did spike to over 10,000 at 2:20PM ET – the same hour where Google and Spotify saw major increases.

Snapchat is currently on the rise, with over 6,693 reported issues with the platform. For what it's worth, I can open the app on my iPhone, but I'm unable to load stories or the main page.

Google gives the all clear on Workspace issues

(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

The Google Workspace status page now effectively says we're all clear. In a post that went live 3:53PM ET, Google says all the issues are resolved.

"The problem with Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Chat, Google Cloud Search, Google Docs, Google Drive, Google Meet, Google Tasks, and Google Voice has been resolved. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience and continued support."

Reports on Down Detector have slowed for both and have been on the decline, so it appears that most services are coming back or already back. Again, this does line up with Cloudflare's reported issues, and those are starting to recover.

Cloudflare is having some critical issues

(Image credit: Shutterstock/Sharaf Maksumov)

Cloudflare has posted a new update as of 3:57 PM ET on its own status page, detailing a bit more about what is going on and the potential impact here. You can see the statement in full below, but Cloudflare’s critical Workers KV service went offline due to a separate outage hitting a key third-party service.

A Worker KV is essentially a flow or automation that moves requests throughout Cloudflare's vast network, mainly starting or ending in storage libraries.

Furthermore, Cloudflare acknowledges that it's aware of the significant impact this is causing and is working to resolve the issue as soon as possible with all hands on deck.

Cloudflare’s critical Workers KV service went offline due to an outage of a 3rd party service that is a key dependency. As a result, certain Cloudflare products that rely on KV service to store and disseminate information are unavailable including:

Access

WARP

Browser Isolation

Browser Rendering

Durable Objects (SQLite backed Durable Objects only)

Workers KV

Realtime

Workers AI

Stream

Parts of the Cloudflare dashboard

Turnstile

AI Gateway

AutoRAG

Cloudflare engineers are working to restore services immediately. We are aware of the deep impact this outage has caused and are working with all hands on deck to restore all services as quickly as possible.

Google Cloud is still having issues

While Google says the issues affecting Workspace have been resolved, but the Google Cloud dashboard continues to display issues.

There are still "Multiple GCP products are experiencing Service issues," in fact, it's over 39 products including API Gateway, Agent Assist, and AlloyDB for PostgreSQ across the globe. This is the latest update from Google Cloud as of 3:56PM ET, you can see the status page here.

Impacted services are starting to recover

(Image credit: Future)

Google, Google Cloud, Spotify, Snapchat, and Discord, among other services that saw an increase in reported issues on Down Detector, are all starting to show a decline, and that's a good thing.

It's been roughly two and a half hours since we started seeing a spike in the 2PM hour for services like Google and Spotify, with the latter seeing over 44,000 reported issues. While Spotify has yet to provide any comment, Google Workspace and Google Cloud have been updating status dashboards. The former states that things are back to normal, while the latter continues to show some impacted services.

Down Detector is looking a lot better now, though reported outages do remain for all these platforms.

Cloudflare is still working to bring all of its impacted services back online, with the last update on its dashboard at 3:57 PM ET. That concluded with, "We are aware of the deep impact this outage has caused and are working with all hands on deck to restore all services as quickly as possible."

Cloudflare say it's services are 'recovering quickly' around the globe

In line with impacted services reported outages dropping on Down Detector, Cloudflare says its services are 'recovering quickly' across the globe in an update on its status page as of 4:32PM ET. It's expecting a 'steady drop' in services impacted and 'further recovery' in the next few minutes.

That's good news and likely means that Google, Spotify, and other services will be back online for you soon, if not already.

"Cloudflare services are recovering quickly around the globe. WARP and Turnstile are operational, though a small residual impact remains and we’re working to eliminate it. The core KV service is restored, bringing dependent products back online. We expect further recovery over the next few minutes and a steady drop in impact."

Now, Cloudflare says it's back to fully operational in an update that was posted just before the top of the hour at 4:57PM ET.

It reads in full: "All Cloudflare services have been restored and are now fully operational. We are moving the incident to Monitoring while we watch platform metrics to confirm sustained stability."

It's an excellent update for those who have felt the impact of this outage, and hopefully, any issues you've experienced have been resolved. While many services were impacted today, alongside this Cloudflare outage, Down Detector is looking a lot better with declines.

Google Workspace's status page indicates that the incident is resolved, while Google Cloud's status page still displays an active incident worldwide.

Furthermore, although Spotify didn't confirm an issue, the brand's care account is responding to a few users, recommending a restart of the app if they're unable to use the service.

Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., was forcibly removed and handcuffed at a Homeland Security press conference in Los Angeles on Thursday.

(Image credit: Patrick T. Fallon)

Glorious Model I 2: Two-minute review

The Glorious Model I 2 is a wired gaming mouse with some useful features and pro-level tweaks, making it ideal for all kinds of play styles and genres.

There’s no mistaking the Model I 2 for anything other than a gaming mouse, thanks to its brash but tasteful design. Its profile is sleek, while the honeycomb back portion allows for the RGB lighting underneath to shine through in all its glory. The thin RGB strips on both edges are also a nice touch.

It has quite a long profile, longer than many of the best gaming mice. It also slopes away to the side, adopting a slightly ergonomic form. The thumb slot has a prominent floor, which fitted my thumb rather well – although I can well imagine some users not finding it to their liking – while the central hump was ideally placed for my palm. What’s more, that aforementioned honeycomb texture is pleasant to grip on to.

The scroll wheel on the Model I 2 has prominent spikes and a soft rubber material, both of which make it very tactile. However, it’s placed further forward than usual compared to other gaming mice, making it slightly more of a stretch for me than usual.

Another untypical feature of the Model I 2 is the DPI selector, which is split across two topside buttons rather than one. This makes adjusting the sensitivity much more convenient.

(Image credit: Future)

It also has three side buttons, all of which are conveniently placed; I found them easy to actuate with the various parts of my thumb. Additional button caps are included for the side button closest to the back: one has a more prominent poke, while the other is a blank to block off the switch altogether if you don’t plan on using it.

The Model I 2 features a sniper button as well, which is likewise well-positioned and can be swapped out for other caps included in the box, each of which have varying profiles.

The construction of these buttons – and the rest of the mouse for that matter – is quite solid. However, I found the skates a weak point in this regard, as, on my unit at least, they weren’t installed with as much care as I would’ve liked. Some of the corners weren’t adhered to the underside fully, resulting in them spiking upwards. Thankfully, this was my only grievance in terms of build quality.

The Model I 2 comes with customization software, called Glorious Core. Here you’ll find many of the usual gaming mice tweaks. There are a few performance-related settings to tinker with, including lift-off distances and debounce times, as well as a Motion Sync toggle.

The polling rate can be increased up to 1K, while there are five stages of DPI to configure, with a range between 100 and 26,000. There are also some rebinding options available, although these lack the selection of system and media shortcuts of other software. I also found the UI too small for optimal viewing, which made it harder to use.

(Image credit: Future)

In action, though, the Model I 2 performs better. The clicks are snappy but have a relatively long travel, as well as a little more dampening than usual, which provides more cushioning than I was expecting.

Glides are a little rougher compared to other gaming mice I’ve tried, though. This is perhaps at least partly due to the aforementioned installation issue with the skates. However, I still found them smooth enough to be usable, helped by the fact that there are quite a lot of them, so they cover a wide surface area.

At 66g, the Model I 2 is hardly the lightest gaming mouse around, but the weight is distributed so evenly that you don’t really feel it ever weighing you down. The integrated USB cable is also light and malleable enough to not cause any dragging issues.

I was also quite fond of the scroll wheel, as I found its notching provided plenty of security and precision when moving it slowly, yet was quick and light when performing fast flicks. The scroll click is also very satisfying, providing plenty of dampening and feedback with an incredibly sturdy feel, so I had no concerns about triggering misscrolls.

For the outlay, however, I’m not sure the Model I 2 performs significantly better than its cheaper rivals, such as the Asus TUF Gaming M4 Air and the Cooler Master MM311. It’s a solid choice, and it has some unique features that make it more practical, but ultimately there are better value alternatives if you can live without these.

(Image credit: Future)Glorious Model I 2 review: Price & availability

• $64.99 / £59.99 (about AU$101)
• Available now in black and white
• Expensive for wired gaming mouse

The Model I 2 costs $64.99 / £59.99 (about AU$101) and is available now in two colorways: black and white. It comes with various spare caps for the sniper and rear-most side buttons. A wireless variant is also available.

This is reasonably expensive for a wired gaming mouse. It’s more expensive than the Asus TUF Gaming M4 Air, for instance, which we reckon is the best lightweight wired mouse for gaming at the moment. This does lack the feature set of the Model I 2; it doesn’t even have RGB lighting. However, at just 50g, it's quite a bit lighter than the Model I 2.

The Model I 2 is also more expensive than the Cooler Master MM311, which even has the added benefit of being wireless, and that's partly why we rate it as the best budget gaming mouse around. It doesn’t have a rechargeable battery, though, nor does it have as many buttons as the Model I 2.

Glorious Model I 2 review: Specs

Interface

Wired (USB-C-to-A)

Ergonomics

Right-handed asymmetrical

Buttons

9

DPI

Up to 26,000

Switches

Glorious Switches

Weight

2.3oz (66g)

Should I buy the Glorious Model I 2?

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Value

The Model I 2 is expensive for a wired gaming mouse – you’ll have to decide whether its extra buttons are worth it.

3 / 5

Design

The Model I 2 looks good and is comfortable in the hand. The software has some nice tweaks, but it's limited in terms of remapping.

4 / 5

Performance

All the buttons and scroll wheel perform very well, and glides are quite smooth. However, it doesn't exactly exceed the competition when it comes to precision and speed.

4 / 5

Overall

The Model I 2 is a competent gaming mouse that’s comfortable to use with some nice features. However, the software lacks versatility, and the performance isn’t outstanding, so its relatively high price might not be justified.

3.5 / 5

Buy it if...

You want some handy buttons
There are three side buttons and two DPI buttons, all of which are convenient and easy to use. Additional caps are included for some buttons, too.

You want a great scroll wheel
It might not be a standout feature of many gaming mice, but the one here deserves mention given its tactility and security.

Don't buy it if...

You want a symmetrical design
This is a hardcore asymmetrical mouse, thanks to the prominent thumb slot and offset sloping design.

You want plenty of rebinding options
While there are some remapping options available, the selection is very sparse compared to what other gaming mice offer.

Glorious Model I 2 review: Also consider

Glorious Model I 2

Asus TUF Gaming M4 Air

Cooler Master MM311

Price

$64.99 / £59.99 (about AU$101)

$49.99 / £39.99 / AU$76

$39 (about £31 / AU$59)

Interface

Wired (USB-C-to-A)

Wired (USB-C-to-A)

Wireless (2.4GHz), wired (USB-C-to-A)

Ergonomics

Right-handed asymmetrical

Right-handed symmetrical

Right-handed asymmetrical

Buttons

9

6

6

DPI

26,000

16,000

30,000

Switches

Glorious Switches

Kailh GM 4.0

Razer Optical Mouse Switches Gen-3

Weight

2.3oz (66g)

1.8oz / 50g

2.2oz / 64g

Asus TUF Gaming M4 Air
The TUF Gaming M4 Air is another wired gaming mouse, but it’s a lot cheaper than the Model I 2. It’s also lighter by a significant amount, which may make all the difference to serious gamers who are sensitive to such things. It doesn't have many bells and whistles, but for pure gaming performance, the TUF Gaming M4 Air is more than up to the task. Read our full Asus TUF Gaming M4 Air review.

Cooler Master MM311
Not only is the MM311 cheaper than the Model I 2, it’s also wireless. Coupled with its excellent gaming performance, this makes it one of the best value gaming mice around. You don’t get a rechargeable battery, but it’s an acceptable sacrifice given the low cost. Read our full Cooler Master MM311 review.

How I tested the Glorious Model I 2

• Tested for a full day
• Used for gaming and working
• Extensive gaming mouse experience

I tested the Model I 2 for a full day, during which time I used it for gaming, working, and general browsing.

I played Counter-Strike 2, a good test for gaming mice given the demands it places on quick and accurate movement and aiming.

I’ve been gaming on PC for over a decade, and during that time I have experienced a large number of mice. I’ve also reviewed a broad range of models from multiple brands, with varying price points, designs, and feature-sets.

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

• The spec for PCIe 7.0 has been announced
• It’s a new standard for even faster – incredibly quick – connections with PCIe components in your PC
• The standard is still in the earliest stages, though, and won’t be here for a long time (PCIe 6.0 hasn’t quite arrived yet, in fact)

PCIe (PCI Express) connectivity continues to forge ahead and already a new spec for a future generation of PCs has been announced, which is PCIe 7.0.

VideoCardz reports that PCI-SIG, the organization that oversees the standard, has announced PCIe 7.0 and is boasting about just how fast it’ll be. (Spoiler alert: really, really fast).

But wait a minute – aren’t we still on PCIe 5.0 these days? Well, yes, that’s what a (cutting-edge) PC will support, and I’ll come back to exactly what’s going on with the development path of the PCI Express standard (and PCIe 6.0) momentarily.

PCIe 7.0 is currently a spec that has just been sketched out, and it’ll offer a data rate of 128GT/s, which is twice the speed of PCIe 6.0 (which itself doubled the transfer rate of PCIe 5.0).

With PCIe 7.0, you’ll get support for up to 16 PCIe lanes (in a single slot) and up to 512GB/s of bandwidth in total (in both directions). PCIe lanes are bi-directional (meaning data can be sent in either direction) lines of communication hooking up PCIe components – primarily the graphics card or SSDs (but also other miscellaneous boards) – to the motherboard.

Collectively, PCIe lanes facilitate all these key components working in your PC (read up more about this here).

So, while much faster speeds for that communication is indeed a potentially big deal for the future, for the performance of GPUs and drives mainly, we are very much looking to the future here – meaning way down the line.

Analysis: Timescales – and PCIe 8.0 appearing on the horizon

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

As I already mentioned, we are on PCIe 5.0 right now. PCIe 6.0 was announced at the start of 2022, over three years ago, and still remains in development, though it is now nearing the finish line – we may even see the first hardware supporting it arrive later this year (or early next).

So, as you can imagine, we’re looking towards the end of the decade before PCIe 7.0 actually pitches up. Leading up to that milestone, hardware makers will be working away with the standard, developing and testing prototypes, and refining the final hardware for three or four years. And initially, that hardware will be used in the likes of quantum computing, data centers and other demanding tasks – not consumer PCs.

And meanwhile, PCI-SIG has confirmed that work on concocting the PCIe 8.0 standard has already begun.

So, while this is all well and good, with these incoming standards lining up and sounding ever more blisteringly fast, what’s the impact for consumers in the nearer-term? Not a lot, frankly. Even the top-tier, super-expensive examples of the best GPUs currently available aren’t pushing the boundaries of PCIe 5.0 yet – there’s no need for anything faster, not even in the flashiest PC.

However, there are niche cases where older PCIe standards are now hampering some new graphics cards.

A case in point is the RTX 5060 Ti (or non-Ti) with 8GB of video RAM, which loses some performance when it’s in a PCIe 4.0 motherboard slot because that slower standard isn’t enough – and if your motherboard’s still using PCIe 3.0, that’s a world of performance pain. (For a detailed explanation of why this GPU is problematic in this way, check here – AMD’s RX 9060 XT is also held back by its 8GB of VRAM).

Really, though, this is outlier stuff more than anything (and frankly, more to do with questionable decision-making and configuration of these graphics cards in the first place). Still, with ever-faster PCIe standards rolling inexorably towards us, in the future, even aging consumer PCs might cope better with whatever dubious decisions GPU makers throw at them.

Furthermore, as recently discussed, advancing the PCIe spec and keeping it very much on the cutting-edge is important in terms of maintaining standardization for the connection of PC components.

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Roku Streaming Stick: Two-minute review

The Roku TV interface is easy to navigate, but we experienced some lag when making selections during our testing of the Roku Streaming Stick (Image credit: Future)

The Roku Streaming Stick is cheap, compact, and easy to use. As the cheaper of Roku’s two newest streaming sticks, the other being the Roku Streaming Stick Plus, it has its limitations – specifically, no 4K or HDR support – but the value proposition here is very good. If you’re trying to save money, it might be among the best streaming devices out there.

As far as competition goes at this price point, there’s really only the Amazon Fire TV Stick HD, which is slightly more expensive. Of course, if you care about getting the best performance and features and are willing to pay for it, I suggest going for the Roku Ultra (2024) instead.

The Roku Streaming Stick is literally just a stick with an HDMI port on the end, and is small even by streaming stick standards. When I reviewed the Amazon Fire TV Sticks that came out in 2023 ( still current models), I had trouble fitting their bulky bodies into the HDMI slots behind my TV, so the svelte design of the Roku Streaming Stick is welcome.

The only visual difference between this and the Streaming Stick Plus version is that the Roku logo is purple as opposed to an etched design, making it look just a bit cheaper than its big brother. Otherwise, it’s identical, with the same somewhat convex case, with the HDMI male jack on one end, and the USB-C charging port on the other. There’s also a reset button, and that’s it.

It’s worth noting that Roku only provides a USB-C to USB-A cable for charging – there’s no power supply or adapter. When I first saw this on the Roku Streaming Stick Plus (again, they’re identical in this regard), I was a little upset that I was expected to pay extra for an adapter. But then I realized there was a good reason for the lack of an adapter, since you’re expected to use the USB port on your TV to power the streaming stick.

Because you’re powering the stick from the TV’s USB port, which is usually just a few slots over from the HDMI connections, there are no hanging cables from the device. This means you’ll end up with a cleaner-looking setup using the Roku Streaming Stick.

The Roku Streaming Stick comes with a USB cable and a remote with a voice control option (Image credit: Future)

The included remote control is Roku’s voice remote. It has a slightly bulky body with a little bit of weight that makes it nice to handle while still being fairly compact. The buttons include dedicated play/pause buttons – a feature I appreciate over the navigation wheel layout that most remotes have. And there’s also a voice assistant button, which lets you make voice commands when holding it down. It’s not Roku’s best remote – that would be the one included with the Roku Ultra – but it’s good enough and about what one would expect at this price point.

The Roku Streaming Stick is intended to be an entry-level HD device, so there’s no 4K or HDR support. I tested it on a 65-inch TV, and the picture quality was still pretty good. If you’re getting this for a guestroom TV, it’s probably worth saving the few extra bucks.

The Roku Streaming Stick’s biggest sticking point is its performance. Given the stick’s low price, you shouldn’t expect the world, but it’s still worth noting. The actual streaming experience is fine and without interruption, but the Roku Streaming Stick has a slight delay when interacting with it, with the onscreen cursor moving just a fraction of a second after a button press, so you feel like it’s catching up.

It’s worth noting that the Roku Streaming Stick uses the old 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi standard, which is even slower than the 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5) one used by the Roku Streaming Stick Plus. You probably don’t need the latest Wi-Fi standard for a streaming device, but the Streaming Stick’s slower and older WiFi standard is a potential reason why it runs a little slower.

The Streaming Stick’s interface is the usual intuitive one I expect from Roku. There are a few watch suggestions at the top, but the home screen is otherwise just a series of tiles for different apps. I appreciate its simplicity compared to the more congested interfaces used by Google TV, Fire TV, and other smart TV platforms. If you prefer that type of layout, Roku has a similar setup when you click on the “What To Watch” tab on the homescreen.

There’s a good amount of free content available to stream directly through the Roku interface. There’s also a Sports tab, but you still need a subscription to whichever service has the rights to your favorite sport. Otherwise, Roku’s interface here is its usual rock-solid self.

Roku Streaming Stick: Price and release date

The super-compact Roku Streaming Stick is powered by your TV's USB port (Image credit: Future)

• $29.99 / £29.99 (about AU$50)
• Released April 2025

Thirty bucks or quid for a streaming device is impossible to beat. The closest to that is probably the Amazon Fire TV Stick HD that I mentioned earlier at $34.99 / £39.99 / AU$69.

The question you need to ask yourself is whether it’s worth saving ten bucks for this version over the Roku Streaming Stick Plus, which goes for $39.99 / £39.99 (about AU$70). The design of both sticks is the same, and so are the limitations in performance. If you’re trying to just get the cheapest streaming stick with 4K and HDR support (but not Dolby Vision), the Plus version is the one you’ll want. But if you have an older TV that doesn’t support those features, the basic Roku Streaming Stick will be ideal.

The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K (2023) is also a good streamer to look at as it’s regularly discounted to the same price as the Roku Streaming Stick Plus. And unlike Roku products, that model is available for purchase in Australia.

Roku's remote control sits nicely in the hand and features a mic button for voice search commands (Image credit: Future)Should you buy the Roku Streaming Stick?Roku Streaming Stick

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

HD streaming with Dolby Atmos but no 4K or HDR support

3/ 5

Performance

It’s fine when streaming, but it lags when interacting with the interface and menus, possibly due to using an older Wi-Fi standard

3.5 / 5

Design

It’s slim and is designed to get power from the TV it’s connected to, helping provide a cleaner, more tangle-free look

4.5 / 5

Value

Streaming doesn’t get cheaper than this. You just have to decide if you can forgo 4K and HDR support

5 / 5

Buy it if...

You’re on a strict budget
Getting the Roku Streaming Stick is on par, pricewise, with dinner for two from a fast food chain. You can’t really get cheaper than this

You want to hide the cables
The ability to draw power from a TV’s USB port is a nice touch that allows for a cleaner-looking setup, especially if you plan on wall-mounting your TV.

You want a Roku device
There are other almost as cheap options. But if you like the Roku smart interface, then this is the perfect entry-level device for it.

Don't buy it if...

You want top performance
The slight lag while navigating is a performance-related concern, as it can be frustrating to feel like you’re always a quarter step behind.

You want 4K and HDR
The Roku Streaming Stick does have features like Dolby Atmos, but you’re missing out on the 4K resolution and HDR support that pricier models have.

Roku Streaming Stick review: Also consider

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K (2023)

If you’re an Amazon Prime Video subscriber and/or own Alexa smart home products, then the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K (2023) is the way to go. It has faster Wi-Fi6 support, not to mention 16GB of onboard storage and Dolby Vision and HDR10+ support. It is very Prime-centric, however, and shows ads for Prime content every time it’s idle.

Read our full Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K (2023) review

Roku Ultra (2024)

If you want both speedy performance and the Roku ecosystem, The Roku Ultra (2024) is your best bet. Sure, it can’t tuck behind the TV discreetly like the Streaming Stick or Streaming Stick Plus, but the Ultra is the company’s best and most robust streaming device. It supports just about every feature, including 4K and Dolby Vision HDR, and it comes with Roku’s best remote.

Read more about the Roku Ultra (2024)

(Image credit: Future)How I tested the Roku Streaming Stick

• Used regularly for a week
• Tested with various apps
• Tested the remote

I used the Roku Streaming Stick regularly for a few days to evaluate everything it can do. I used it to stream Roku content and movies and shows from apps like Max. I also spent time using the remote and testing its various functions.

I’ve tested a lot of tech gear over the years, from laptops to keyboards and speakers, and so have been able to use my expertise towards giving an honest and fair opinion, not to mention a critical eye, to any product I test.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed June 2025

• Edifier reveals 3 speakers, from tabletop to super-portable
• 6W, 34W and 60W speaker models
• New ANC headphones with 92-hour battery life

I'm a big fan of modern tech in retro clothes: give me a hi-res audio player that looks like an old AM radio and you can take my money. And I'm also a fan of corporate PR nonsense. So the launch of the new Edifier ES Series of speakers and headphones has put me in my happy place.

Corporate PR nonsense first: The letters ES carry "layered meaning", because the E means "Elegant", the S stands for "Superb (or Luxurious)", and if you put those two letters together they stand for "Edifier Sound".

Nonsense aside, I love the look of the speakers: there are three models of increasing elongation, beginning with the super-cute square of the ES20, stretching into the rectangular ES60 and then the bigger box of the ES300. And the specs are impressive for all three.

It's not just speakers: there are new 92-hour ANC headphones too (Image credit: Edifier)Edifier ES20, ES60, and ES300: key features and pricing

The flagship here is the ES300, a 60W, handcrafted wooden speaker with leather-look accents, a braided grille and a metallic control panel. Behind the grille there's a 4-inch long-throw mid/bass driver and dual 1.25-inch silk dome tweeters.

The ES300 has hi-res audio up to 24-bit/96kHz, and it has dual-band WiFi and AirPlay 2. Wired ports are USB-A and Aux, and there's a built-in ambient light system with three effects and two colors.

The ES300 is $399.99 in the US, £299.99 in the UK* and AU$399 in Australia.

The portable ES60 is smaller but still punchy, with 34W of power through its dual 22mm tweeters, oval mid/bass driver with neodymium magnets and passive bass radiator. It has Bluetooth 5.4 with multipoint and stereo pairing, USB-C for audio input and charging, and promises 9 hours of playback. Like its bigger sibling it too has ambient lighting built-in.

The ES60 is $199.99 / £119.99 / AU$199.00.

Last but not least there's the teeny ES20, a 6W portable Bluetooth speaker with a 43mm full-range neodymium magnet driver and a 55mm passive bass radiator and a class D amp. It's IP67 rated, has Bluetooth 5.4 and includes a high sensitivity microphone for calling; once again there's built-in ambient lighting.

The ES20 is $89.99 / £49.99 / AU$99.

Edifier has also launched a set of headphones, the ES850NB. They're wireless over-ears with wired and wireless Hi-Res Audio certification, 40mm dynamic drivers and support for LDAC as well as the usual AAC and SBC. There's active noise cancellation, AI call clarity, and up to 92 hours of battery life.

The ES850NB headphones are $169.99 / £119.99 / AU$179.

All four models from the Edifier ES Series are available now.

* US prices are from Edifier's press release; UK and Australian prices are from retailers' websites.

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I'll also be playing Baldur's Gate and Warhammer 40K: Space Marine on Xbox Game Pass.

It’s been a hectic week for Apple with an entirely new look dubbed Liquid Glass arriving for all its platforms, true multitasking on the iPad, some Apple Intelligence changes, a new naming scheme, and a workout buddy for the Apple Watch, among so much else. We’ve been breaking it all down at TechRadar, and you can find a nice roundup of the 15 things we learned at WWDC 2025 here.

But, in true TechRadar fashion, shortly after the nearly two-hour keynote, we sat down with two special guests in an ultra-sleek podcast studio inside the ring at Apple Park for a special edition of the TechRadar Podcast.

Tom’s Guide Managing Editor for Video and TikTok star Kate Kozuch, KLTA Tech Reporter and @RichOnTech radio host Rich DeMuro, and TechRadar’s Editor At Large Lance Ulanoff, joined me for a wide-ranging discussion on nearly everything that Apple announced.

(Image credit: Future)

If you’re curious about Liquid Glass – Apple’s new look for iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS – you won’t have to wait long as we kick off our discussion there. We also quickly dive into the significant changes arriving with iPadOS 26, the super-charged Spotlight within macOS 26, and the shorter section of the keynote around Apple Intelligence and the update on Siri.

We even discuss what the significant changes on iPad – the arrival of multitasking, a dock, proper file support, and a menu bar – could mean for the future of the Mac. Does this mean a MacBook with a touchscreen is on the horizon, or is the iPad a true laptop replacement for anyone now?

And if you had thoughts about Apple’s updated naming schemes for its platforms – they’re all lined up to 26 now – we provide analysis on that and even some speculation on what this could mean for future hardware from Apple.

You can watch the video version of our special edition podcast below, or listen to the audio version on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. While you’re there, or on YouTube, why not follow us to stay up-to-date with everything happening in tech?

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Google's research lab has joined forces with the National Hurricane Center for its new AI weather forecasting. But don't ignore your meteorologist.

• Experts warns of fake Booking.com sites circulating the web
• The sites come with a fake "Accept Cookie" prompt that downloads a RAT
• Shoppers should be on their guard when searching for deals

Hackers have been found targeting holidaymakers around the world with remote access trojans (RAT) distributed through fake Booking.com websites, experts have warned.

Researchers from HP Wolf Security found cybercriminals have been making websites that, on first glance, look just like booking.com - they carry the same branding, the same color scheme, and same formatting. However, the content of the website is blurred, and over it, a deceptive cookie banner is displayed.

If victims press “Accept cookies”, they’ll trigger a download of a malicious JavaScript file. This, in turn, installs XWorm, a powerful RAT that grants the attackers full control over the compromised device, including access to files, webcams, and microphone. They can also use the access to disable security tools, deploy additional malware, and exfiltrate passwords and other data.

Peak booking period

HP Wolf Security says it first spotted the campaign in Q1 2025, which is “peak summer holiday booking period”, and a time when “click fatigue” sets in, as prospective holidaymakers are reckless and don’t pay attention to the sites they’re visiting, ending in disaster.

"Since the introduction of privacy regulations such as GDPR, cookie prompts have become so normalized that most users have fallen into a habit of ‘click-first, think later,’” commented Patrick Schläpfer, Principal Threat Researcher in the HP Security Lab.

“By mimicking the look and feel of a booking site at a time when holiday-goers are rushing to make travel plans, attackers don’t need advanced techniques - just a well-timed prompt and the user’s instinct to click.”

There are a few things users can do to stay safe, and the first one is - to slow down when browsing.

Users should also make sure not to click on links in emails or social media messages, especially for well-established sites such as Booking. Instead, type in the address in the browser’s navigation bar manually.

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