Feed aggregator

Here are hints and the answer for today's Wordle for July 16, No. 1,853.

Microsoft is redesigning Windows Search with improved local results, fewer promotional elements, better file previews, and more control over web-based search.

The post Windows Search Gets a Major Revamp Focused on Usability appeared first on TechRepublic.

Looking to buy 3D printer filament? Skip the confusion with our top options for all experience levels, picked by CNET's experts.

The hack allegedly confirms the suspicions of record labels and artists that their music is used in the creation of AI music.

• The three man team is known as “Slopfix”
• It claims to be able to reduce AI generated codebases by up to 65% in size
• They aim to "refactor vibecoded codebases back to maintainability"

Vibecoding has a lot to answer for, not least some excessively large codebases. A new team of software engineers are collaborating to reduce the size of these cumbersome projects… with a $10,000 per week bill.

Slopfix is the name of the team (comprising a trio: Maciej, Kuba, and Krzysztof), but its aim is efficiency and functionality, rather than code golf, where code is reduced to the shortest possible length.

However, while this might seem like a noble task and a service worth paying for, Slopfix isn’t taking a stand against the use of AI. In fact, it is employing AI tools to detect the AI flab in your codebases.

Use an AI to catch an AI

Challenges around vibecoded projects have increased in recent months, as the limitations of the technology become apparent.

While using an AI to program based on your prompts and requirements is straightforward, agents habitually begin to lose context and logic once the project reaches a certain size or age. Once that happens, you’re looking at duplication, features breaking, and of course, the dreaded hallucination.

Slopfix is targeting companies that have adopted vibecoding, built huge codebases, and found that they’re running into issues. To find the problematic AI code, however, Slopfix is employing AI.

They state that a full “screen by screen, endpoint by endpoint” evaluation of the vibecoded app is made, which aims to find the duplicated functions, broken logic, and other issues. There’s also the promise of a two-week warranty for anything they break.

All of this is aided by Claude Code “on a very short leash” which Slopfix uses find problems. They clearly state that “the agent doesn’t get a vote.” Instead, they’re relying on their experience as developers to improve your code.

$10,000 seem a bit steep?

While the price might seem high, $10,000 for one successful week’s work for three seasoned developers shouldn’t really be a budget breaker.

The fee covers successful work only, and as the Slopfix website states, payment is in proportion to how much of the reduction target the team hits, with $10,000 being the price for hitting the target – it’s not the default fee.

However, there is a lot of preparation involved, and the analysis of your codebase is conducted free of charge. If they can't fix your project's issues, they'll let you know and refuse the contract.

As software consultancies go, Slopfix is an unusual case. But as the problems with vibecoded projects begin to become apparent, competing consultancies may begin offering similar services.

The UK plans a midnight-to-6 a.m. social media curfew for 16- and 17-year-olds, with autoplay and personalised feeds switched off by default from spring 2027.

The post UK to Introduce Midnight Social Media Curfew for Older Teens appeared first on TechRepublic.

The New York Times journalist Jonathan Swan says the president is fixated on becoming a "great man of history" during his second term. Swan's new book, written with Maggie Haberman, is Regime Change.

(Image credit: Jacquelyn Martin)

New Jalisco and OmegaLord phishing kits target Microsoft 365 accounts by abusing device code flows, OAuth tokens, and MFA prompts to maintain access.

The post Jalisco, OmegaLord Phishing Kits Target Microsoft 365 Accounts appeared first on TechRepublic.

A new system could create patient-specific lenses for those with irregular corneas who struggle with traditional contact lenses.

New York paused new hyperscale data center permits for up to one year while it studies grid, water, ratepayer, and community impacts.

The post New York Imposes One-Year Moratorium on New Hyperscale Data Centers appeared first on TechRepublic.

Netflix brings the '80s nostalgia with this 10th-anniversary special edition of season 1.

• Vyriy 15 FPV with The Fourth Law's TFL-1 AI guidance reportedly struck Russian logistics 68 miles (110 KM) away
• Ever-innovating Ukrainian drone industry continues to achieve economies of scale even as it becomes a growing threat to Russian advances
• With a payload capacity of 8kg and the ability to be equipped with a thermal imaging module as well as electronic warfare deterrence, it offers an interesting alternative to comparable fixed-wing drones that cost thousands of dollars

Basic FPV drones are hardly a new thing in a market flooded with hundreds, if not thousands of options that can cost as little as $100 to 200, but the Russia-Ukraine conflict might have upped the ante on affordability for a different kind of UAV that leverages the same tech: attack drones.

The Vyriy 15 is a self-styled "kamikaze drone" by the company that offers a stated strike range of 40-70km with up to a 8kg payload in tow which can be retrofitted with a thermal imaging module as well as an extended band VTX module to make jamming it harder.

With a control range of up to 30KM and a flight duration of 20 minutes (with a payload) and a cruising speed of 60-100 km/h, its not the most technologically advanced drone out there, but at its purported price tag of $500, it doesn't need to be.

An FPV strike record backed by AI

On the 10th of July, Yaroslav Azhnyuk, the CEO of Ukrainian autonomy developer The Fourth Law, announced on X what he called "a new FPV strike record": a Vyriy 15 quadcopter, flown by Ukraine's 5th Border Guard Detachment and fitted with his company's AI terminal-guidance module, had flown 110 km (68 miles) to strike a Russian logistics target.

This is both a significant achievement for Ukraine's domestic drone industry and a key indicator of how fast the Russia-Ukraine war has turned into one of attrition, with supply lines becoming increasingly targeted to prevent significant advances in either direction.

It also showcases how AI on the battlefield is shaping the conflict: the Vyriy 15 is, by default, a manually controlled drone that would otherwise need an operator or a relay to be closer to the theater of war.

The competition is American-made Hornets, fixed-wing drones that can cost upwards of $5,000, a 10-fold increase in cost for an already cash-strapped Ukrainian military that is increasingly looking towards localized solutions.

The optional AI module used to set the record is The Fourth Law's TFL-1, a machine-vision terminal-guidance module that operates on a fire-and-forget principle: once the operator visually designates a target, an onboard computer takes over the final approach, essentially countering Russian jammers that would otherwise disrupt a video link.

If Ukraine manages to mainstream such warfare in the future while cutting costs down to a tenth of what they do right now, reliably striking as deep as 100km into enemy territory while proving difficult to jam or costly to intercept, drones like the Vyriy 15 could signal an evolution in the modern battlefield even as aggression with low-cost drone swarms is already being rewarded in other conflicts such as the US-Iran war.

Even if you don't use AI, I found some useful features in the iOS 27 beta. But most of them are smaller, quality-of-life changes.

Geopolitical tensions are mounting, and nation states are employing new types of strategies to gain intelligence. A recent Five Eyes warning, for example, accused Chinese military intelligence officers of using professional networking sites and online job platforms to target individuals of interest.

In this specific case, the agents pose as recruiters advertising seemingly legitimate work to build relationships and, ultimately, get their hands on non-public information. Popular sites like LinkedIn, Indeed and Upwork have all seen this new type of attack take place.

At the same time, a parallel threat sees operatives applying for jobs within trusted organizations with access to intelligence, creating insider threats that experts warn AI might be mostly responsible for.

Generative AI, for example, can create documents, write applications and even supply live answers during real-time remote interviews, meaning that a small group of fake applicants can extend their reach much more quickly.

Rather than attacking existing workers, nation states are creating their own job candidates

Once inside an organization and with access to company tools like PCs, emails and other internal systems, nation state spies can then move laterally to acquire the information they sought.

Security experts at Exabeam warn that, because this technique is still evolving, it might not always be so easy to spot. Additionally, motives can differ, with Chinese intelligence operations typically seeking military, political or economic information. North Korean agents, on the other hand, tend to be tied to stealing money, which could also come with the side effect of data and intelligence theft.

Exabeam even observed this type of attack first-hand, when a North Korean-affiliated applicant used a false identity to apply for a job at the company. After passing technical tests, a video interview and other standard checks, the suspect’s laptop was quickly flagged for unusual activity.

In the following Q&A with AI Strategy and Security Research VP Steve Povolny, I discuss these new types of attacks, who’s responsible for stamping them out and what we can do to prevent similar incidents from happening more commonly.

• The Five Eyes alliance recently warned that foreign intelligence groups are using job platforms to recruit insiders. How significant is this threat, and what is driving its growth?

This is among the most serious access-driven threats facing cleared workers, and it keeps growing because the economics now favor the attacker.

Foreign intelligence services no longer need handlers and dead drops when they can post a job ad on LinkedIn or Upwork and let candidates self-select based on the access listed in their own resumes. Generative AI lets them run thousands of these conversations at once, drafting outreach and scoring which applicants sit closest to sensitive information without a trained officer.

The Five Eyes alert describes a scaled, automated funnel, and that scale is what makes it dangerous.

• A parallel risk runs alongside that warning: adversaries who secure employment directly rather than recruiting an existing employee. Which scenario presents the greater defensive challenge, and why?

The infiltration model gives defenders less to work with, which makes it the harder problem. When an adversary recruits someone already on staff, most of the suspicious behavior happens outside the company on platforms the employer never sees, yet the insider remains a known person with a verified identity and a real history.

When the adversary becomes the employee, the company has onboarded a fabricated person and handed them a laptop and standing network access on day one. No behavioral baseline exists, since everything that account does counts as a first. The deception also clears the controls most organizations trust, so the failure lands before any security tool gets a vote.

• Exabeam identified a North Korea-affiliated individual who gained employment at the company. How did the operative clear Exabeam's hiring process, and what first signaled that something was wrong?

He cleared it by performing well on the parts we test and forging the parts we verify. Applying under the alias Trevor Rothluebber, he aced the technical interview and take-home assessment, passed the video interview and cleared our standard pre-employment process including the background check and I-9 validation.

Our hiring team flagged a suspicion that he leaned on generative AI for live help during the video call, the first soft signal. The hard signal arrived the moment he logged into his corporate account. Our threat intelligence feed matched his username to activity previously associated with North Korean operatives and rated it high risk, and that single match reframed how the team read everything that followed.

Simultaneously, Exabeam’s platform detected a number of anomalies inconsistent with a brand new employee’s first day, and escalating in severity within hours. Incident response quietly isolated and reimaged his laptop before any real damage could be done.

• The candidate completed applications, interviews and assigned work without raising alarm. In retrospect, what indicators were present, and why did standard screening miss them?

The indicators existed, but they lived in places our screening was never built to read. The driver's license he submitted was either AI-generated or very badly manually modified, and the tell was physical. The image had unique aberrations, such as the ears in the photo which had an unnatural and pixelated modification an artifact that image generators still produce, and a reviewer skims past.

The live AI assistance during the interview was another, since his answers carried a fluency that did not match the natural hesitation you expect when someone reasons through an unfamiliar problem. Standard screening missed all of it because background checks and identity validation confirm whether documents are internally consistent and whether a record exists, and they never ask whether the human attached to those documents is real.

Further fabrication of documents such as I-9 were missed by a 3rd party identity verification company, and validation of (fake) job references was not properly identified.

• How did AI contribute to the deception? What did the fraudulent documentation involve, and what capabilities does AI introduce that traditional forgery methods lack?

AI showed up at nearly every stage. The fraudulent documentation centered on a forged driver's license we believe was generated rather than physically produced, paired with a stolen identity that gave the paperwork a real history to rest on.

During the interview the candidate appeared to have run an AI copilot feeding him answers in real time, and many of these tools now stay invisible to everyone else on the call even while the candidate shares a screen. What AI adds over traditional forgery is volume and believability together. A skilled forger could always produce one convincing passport, but the craft capped how many operations could run at once.

Generative tools remove that ceiling, so a single actor can fabricate convincing documents and coach themselves through a live technical interview across dozens of applications at once, and the forgery stopped being the bottleneck it used to be.

• The Five Eyes warning focused on China, while the Exabeam case involved North Korea. Do these actors share tactics and objectives, or do they represent distinct operational models that overlap on method?

They overlap heavily on method while running on different motives, which defenders should sit with. The Chinese operation the Five Eyes described aims at intelligence collection, pulling government and military insight out of people who already hold access.

The North Korean program that hit us and so many others in this industry is funded differently, since much of its purpose is revenue for a sanctioned regime, with intrusion and theft riding alongside the paycheck. The objectives diverge, yet the tradecraft has converged on one toolkit of fabricated identities, AI-assisted documents, manufactured professional histories and the patient relationship-building that lets an operative stay quiet.

When two adversaries with separate goals reach the same playbook, that tells you the playbook works and other actors are already watching.

• Conventional insider threat programs are built to detect employees who become compromised over time. How should organizations identify a candidate who was an adversary from the point of hire?

Our mindset must shift toward treating the moment of hire as the start of the highest-risk window rather than the end of vetting. Traditional insider programs watch for drift, the employee who gradually turns after a financial shock or a grievance, so they depend on a baseline built over months.

A candidate who was hostile from day one never produces that baseline, which forces you to scrutinize the earliest behavior most closely. In our case, the catch came from putting new accounts under enhanced monitoring and letting an AI agent correlate scattered signals that no single alert would have justified escalating.

The working principle is to give hiring workflows and new-hire activity the same suspicion you already apply to production access.

• Where should accountability for this threat reside within an organization? Is it a security function, an HR function, or a gap that persists because ownership is unclear?

Accountability most often lives in the gap right now, and that gap is exactly why the threat works. Hiring sits with HR and talent acquisition, who are measured on filling roles quickly and are not equipped to run identity verification at an intelligence-grade level.

Detection sits with security, which usually gains no visibility into a candidate until that person already holds a badge and a laptop, and the adversary exploits the seam between the two.

The workable answer is shared ownership with a clean handoff, where security sets the identity and behavioral standards hiring must meet and stays involved through the first weeks of employment rather than inheriting the problem once onboarding closes.

• Many mid-sized companies lack dedicated threat intelligence resources. What practical measures can such organizations implement to reduce their exposure?

Useful defense does not require a dedicated threat intelligence team. The interview itself is the cheapest control available, and small changes make it far more revealing.

Underspecifying a problem on purpose shows whether a candidate asks clarifying questions like a real engineer or simply produces a confident answer and switching the problem partway through tests whether they adapt or whether something is feeding them responses.

Asking for an external webcam that shows the workspace instead of a shared screen removes one of the easiest hiding spots for an interview copilot. Beyond hiring, the highest-leverage move is placing every new employee on a watchlist for closer monitoring through their first weeks, which costs configuration time rather than budget.

Even a basic, low-cost threat intelligence feed would have surfaced the username match that broke our case open.

• What is the most contested prediction on this issue, one that many security leaders would currently dispute?

My contested prediction is that within a couple of years the verified human interview, run live and in person for any role with meaningful access, returns as a security requirement. Many security leaders will fight that because it breaks the remote-first hiring model they spent years optimizing.

The objection I expect is that it does not scale and shrinks the talent pool, and those concerns are legitimate. My counter is that the economics have already flipped for high-access roles, since the cost of onboarding a single fabricated adversary now dwarfs the friction of one in-person verification step.

The deeper claim underneath it is that remote identity verification as we practice it today is no longer reliable for sensitive positions, and AI is what made it unreliable. Most security leaders are not ready to say that out loud yet.

In the past year I've spent tens of hours streaming with VPNs, and one thing is consistently problematic for even the best VPNs — live events.

So, if you're traveling and keen to catch BBC's coverage of England vs Argentina later this evening instead, you might think you're stuck. Thankfully, NordVPN proved to be the one streaming VPN I tested that consistently performed well in these scenarios.

Over the past year, I've used NordVPN with Peacock, BBC iPlayer, TNT Sports, ITVX, and 7Plus. And compared to any other VPN, it's proved the most effective.

I experienced the least delayed streams, the least buffering, and, most importantly, the fewest complete connection dropouts when using NordVPN. So, while cheaper alternatives such as Norton VPN and Surfshark exist, if you want the most reliable performance, this is where I'd put my money.

If you don't want a long term commitment, you could always choose to pick a monthly plan. For $15, you can watch the rest of the tournament and gain all the additional security benefits that come with a VPN.

NordVPN: from $3.49/month or $15 for one month
It might not be the cheapest but NordVPN's price is more than worth it considering its performance. It's the most reliable VPN I've streamed with and it's packed with added security features to keep you secure once you've watched the big game. Unsure? Either pick up a monthly plan for only $15 or make use of NordVPN's 30-day money-back guarantee.View Deal

You don't need NordVPN's most advanced features to watch England with a VPN. That's a good thing, as right now its premium plans are considerably more expensive than many other providers.

With long term plans, Surfshark plans start at $2.49/month, a full dollar cheaper per month; the same goes for Norton VPN. If you're really budget-focused, both PIA and Cyberghost are less than $1.60 per month right now, too.

But, should you choose a NordVPN Plus plan or above, you do get some great perks. NordPass, the best password manager we've tested, cloud storage, dark web monitoring, and more are on offer.

It's worth mentioning that buying the more premium plans monthly will set you back at least $20, so I'd recommend signing up for a longer duration if you prefer these extra features.

• Group‑IB warns of scams exploiting Celine Dion’s concert comeback, with fraudsters selling duplicate Ticketmaster tickets and spoofing sites like AXS and Paris La Défense Arena
• Scammers embed themselves in Facebook fan groups and marketplaces, even using voice messages to build trust and make fake offers seem legitimate
• Fans are advised to only buy from official distributors, verify tickets in person if using resellers, and contact banks to dispute charges if scammed

Celine Dion is back, and hackers are already trying to exploit the fact for their own financial gain, experts have warned.

A report from security researchers Group-IB has claimed there are numerous scam campaigns all across the internet and social media, looking to exploit gullible fans and steal their money.

Its aptly named “The Scam Will Go On” report said it saw scammers lurking in Facebook Groups, Facebook Marketplace, and other fan-centric spaces, offering concert tickets for sale. The tickets themselves, hosted on Ticketmaster, are valid. However, the scammers only have a few tickets which can be redeemed by the first person who reaches the venue. Everyone else will be denied entry, since their tickets will already have been used.

How to avoid getting scammed

But that’s not the only scam. Some people don’t want to pay an unknown third person via wire, and would prefer to purchase the tickets directly from a service.

For those people, the scammers created entire websites, spoofing ticketing distributors such as AXS and Ticketmaster. Group-IB also saw fake websites spoofing Celine Dion and Paris La Défense Arena, the stadium where the concert will take place.

“We see that such an event generates excitement and provides scammers with another opportunity to make a fortune at the expense of unsuspecting fans,” Group-IB warned.

“Scammers are using increasingly sophisticated techniques, such as embedding themselves into social networking fan groups and speaking directly to their victims via voice messages to make the interaction more personal and gain their victims’ trust more easily. Furthermore, official ticketing platforms are being misused to make scams seem legitimate.”

The researchers recommend fans only visit official websites and those of official distributors, and if they absolutely must buy from a reseller, to make sure they’re purchasing a physical ticket, in person. Those that fell for the scam should call their bank and lodge an objection on their credit card.

Panasonic Lumix L10

Fujifilm X100VI

Panasonic made quite a splash when it announced the Lumix L10 at its Lumix 25th anniversary event in May this year. I called it 'Panasonic's prettiest Lumix in years', and many tech journalists, myself included, have compared it to the viral Fujifilm X100VI.

These are two premium compact cameras with retro design and high-end features, but both take a different swing at the format. For example, the Lumix L10 packs a 20MP Micro Four Thirds sensor and 24-75mm f/1.7-2.8 lens, while the X100VI shoots 40MP stills with an APS-C sensor and fixed 35mm f/2 lens.

I've already compared the two based on specs and my extensive experience with each camera separately in my Lumix L10 vs X100 VI article. But I was keen to see which one I personally prefer based on using the cameras side by side — it had been a while since I last used the X100 VI.

So, with my loan samples in hand, I headed out, taking the same photos with each camera in a variety of scenarios, including travelling, commuting and weekends exploring. Objectively, each camera has its practical advantages over the other, but there was one camera that truly gave me the feels...

The headTim ColemanThe Lumix L10 is a stunning camera, but what's it actually like to use?Tim ColemanTim ColemanTim ColemanTim ColemanTim ColemanTim Coleman

If I'm to make a list of pros and cons based on features and specifications, then each model has distinct advantages over the other.

In favor of the X100VI: its 35mm f/2 prime lens quality, 40MP resolution (which is twice that of the Lumix L10), in-body image stabilization, quicker start-up time, fancier viewfinder, and its next-level retro aesthetics.

There's plenty going for the Lumix L10, mind you: its versatile 3.1x optical zoom lens, superior battery life, Real Time LUTs profiles (which for me outdo Fujifilm's film simulations), superior burst shooting speeds, snappier autofocus, vari-angle screen, plus its video performance has the edge. Oh, and it costs less — depending on which region you live in, the price difference can be pretty sizable.

Speaking objectively, I believe I'd get more use from the Lumix L10, especially the telephoto end of its 24-75mm f1.7 to f/2.8 lens. It is overall a more versatile camera. However, objectivity goes out the window when considering creative tools such as cameras for personal use.

We can talk features all day, but you really need to get a feel for a camera, and the only way to do that is to get properly hands-on, which is exactly what I did with the L10 and X100VI side by side. And in doing this direct comparison, a favorite quickly emerged.

The heartTim ColemanFutureFutureFuture

Rather than getting bogged down in features and specifications, I'm going to articulate what it felt like to use each camera, because honestly that's more important in the long run, especially for this kind of premium compact camera designed for personal, daily use. (My workhorse mirrorless camera is another matter — it's there to do a job efficiently and reliably.)

I'm going to come right out and say it — I enjoyed the X100 VI more. Aesthetically, it has the edge: both cameras are retro, but the X100 VI is next-level with its manual exposure dials and hybrid viewfinder. With the two slung over my shoulder, it was the X100VI that I wanted to reach for first.

When I did, the X100 VI required more effort to master; there's more involvement in operating the exposure controls and such, which I actually preferred as a serious photographer. I liked how much more premium it felt in the hand too: the weightiness, the dampened shutter button...the X100VI just felt... better.

I also appreciated its quicker start-up time, and liked how much more compact its prime lens is. The hybrid viewfinder was more enjoyable too, especially since I'm in the small camp of photographers who genuinely enjoy the optical viewfinder.

Sure, I'd rather that autofocus was as good as the Lumix L10's. And for a variety of scenarios, wished that I could zoom the lens. And it's not like I didn't get any feeling with the Lumix L10 — how its lens handles in particular is a delight. But for feeling alone, and that sense of pursuing a craft, the X100VI captured my heart all over again.

Lumix L10 vs Fujfilm X100VI: the images

A collection of Panasonic Lumix L10 pictures. I have matched the Fujifilm X100VI's 35mm focal length in most of these samples, but I have also included some at different focal lengths to show how versatile it can be.

Tim ColemanTim ColemanTim ColemanTim ColemanTim ColemanTim ColemanTim ColemanTim ColemanTim ColemanTim ColemanTim ColemanHere and for the following portrait, I've increased the zoom to the maximum 75mm focal lengthTim ColemanTim ColemanTim ColemanTim ColemanTim Coleman

And the comparisons with the Fujifilm X100VI. For both cameras, I set the color profile to the standard setting, but in reality I would be playing around with various looks and making selective exposure adjustments.

Tim ColemanTim ColemanTim ColemanTim ColemanTim ColemanTim ColemanTim ColemanTim ColemanTim ColemanTim ColemanTim ColemanTim ColemanTim ColemanTim ColemanTim ColemanTim Coleman

How a camera handles is a major part of the equation — but the resulting images need to be easy on the eye too.

With wildly different sensor sizes, number of pixels, and types of lens, it's tough to pick one camera over the other, plus some assumptions about image quality need to go out the window.

For one, despite having the smaller sensor, the Lumix L10 actually has bigger pixels and light-gathering potential, so don't assume that the X100VI is better in low light. Also, beyond sensor size and pixels, the Lumix L10's autofocus is overall more reliable, so you're more likely to get a sharp image in the first place, depending on the scenario and camera settings.

But for direct comparisons, as in matching the X100VI's 35mm f/2 lens with the Lumix L10 as close as possible (35mm f/2.3), I think what pleased me the most overall is the X100VI's superior control over depth of field.

When I took street portraits at 35mm, the X100VI's images were easier on the eye. I also liked having 40MP to play with and the greater level of detail in the pictures. The X100VI was also less susceptible to lens flare.

That said, the Lumix L10 has that zoom lens versatility, and when set to 75mm and f/2.8, it is very capable of shallow depth of field portraiture too, with a greater compression effect that I prefer.

As for color, I didn't have a strong enough feeling scouring my images to recommend one camera over the other, though the Lumix L10 Real Time LUTs profiles are more versatile.

(Image credit: Tim Coleman)Conclusion

If you're considering the Lumix L10 or the Fujifilm X100VI, then the choice is tough, and, in truth, you'll be happy with either model! They are two of the best premium compact cameras, with a string of unique advantages over the other.

For me, however, the decision goes beyond specifications and features, and to an underlying feeling that I would get more joy in using the X100VI regularly than I would with the Lumix L10, even though the L10 is more practical. My head says Panasonic Lumix L10, my heart says Fujifilm X100VI.

It's England vs Argentina in the World Cup semi-finals as Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham look to end Lionel Messi's dream of retaining the trophy.

Both sides have had to work hard to reach this stage, but it's winner takes all now, with a place in Sunday's final against Spain at stake.

Keep up to date with all the action from England vs Argentina here, with live updates, free streams, and information on how you can watch the semi-final from anywhere.

England vs Argentina: The Essentials

• Kick-off: 8pm BST / 3pm ET / 12pm PT / 5am AEST (Thu.)
• Free Stream: BBC One (UK) / SBS (AUS)
• US Stream: Fox via Fubo / YouTube TV
• UK Stream: BBC One
• Watch Anywhere: Norton VPN (60-day money back guarantee)

► Sign up to Norton VPN and watch the World Cup with our exclusive offer

Norton VPN is fast, reliable and packed with useful features, with server locations worldwide.

✅ 60-day money-back guarantee
✅ Unlocks England vs Argentina streams

Its Ultimate plan is especially great value, protecting up to 20 devices under one subscription.

England vs Argentina: World Cup semi-final

It doesn't get much bigger than this!

Here we go!

Welcome to Atlanta! It’s here in Georgia that we’ll see England’s biggest challenge so far (no offence, Panama): Argentina...

There’s history, big names and even bigger stakes. The winner will play Spain, who showed up for their semi final in a way that France definitely didn’t, in what promises to be an epic final.

So, who will emerge victorious? Keep tuned here to find out as we cover the game in the build up and every minute of action…

3/5 wins...to England?!

One of the other stats emerging to fill England fans with hope is that on the five occasions that England and Argentina have met the Three Lions have waked away victorious three times.

Albeit a few 1-0 victories aren’t the most thrilling wins but in knockout tournaments - as England have discovered - it doesn’t matter how you get there as long as you’re victorious at the end.

So will Argentina manage to chalk up a win to equalise the overall tally or will England lead 4-2?

How to watch the match

Leaving it a bit last minute when it comes to watching the game? No stress, we’ve got you sorted…

Free Stream: BBC One (UK) / SBS (AUS)

US Stream: Fox via Fubo / YouTube TV

UK Stream: BBC One

Watch Anywhere: Norton VPN (60-day money back guarantee)

So, get yourself a Norton VPN subscription to enjoy the game wherever you are!

One hour to go!

We’re nearly there!

Get comfy, grab yourself some refreshments and stick with us here - to keep tuned for more updates as they come in - as it’s not too long to the game...

Rogers starting, Henderson not

Morgan Rogers is starting in the big changeup to the normal Starting XI.

Quansah with his red card is missing his second game today and Henderson with his injury is also missing out on the action.

Otherwise everyone is able to come on, but who will?

45 minutes to go...

In 45 minutes time we’ll see the kickoff of the decisive game which will determine the final!

Most pundits have it as a 50/50 tossup but with England’s track record - the only World Cup final they’ve been in is 1966 - you’d have to put Argentina in front.

Let’s hope this World Cup semi final will be less like 1990 and 2018 and more like 1966.

A semifinal like no other...hopefully for the right reasons

Local police have been told to watch this game in particular - with the highest danger warning issued of any World Cup game - due to the perceived temperature (in both senses) of the game.

With no major stories of fans letting themselves down this tournament, you really hope this won’t be the main story from the game but with the chequered history of both countries playing each other (we’ll get on to that later), that’s not a guarantee.

Let’s keep the drama on the pitch, eh lads?

30 mins to the game!

Settle down, everyone...it's nearly time!

A colourful history

The Falklands War. Hand of God. Beckham Red Card.

These three phrases are synonymous with England and Argentina when it comes to World Cups, and for good reason. However at the end of the game it’s football and the best team will win regardless of how important or unimportant this colourful history is.

Will we see another iconic moment that will rival Maradona’s two goals - one a blatant act of cheating and the other considered one of the greatest goals of all time? Will we see another player get sent off in shame like Beckham?

We’ll find out soon…

10 mins to the game!

Nearly time!

Still time to get yourself a front row seat with a Norton VPN subscription...help yourself below!

Norton VPN (60-day money back guarantee)

Messi v Kane/Bellingham

The one fact everyone is reeling out for this match is that Messi has never played England before. I guess we’ve also brought it up now.

The prospect of facing our squad will hardly be living in his head rent free but a few players may give him pause for thought. Kane and Bellingham.

Also in contention for the Golden Boot, although a few behind him, these England players are a threat in the box when it comes to trying to keep a clean sheet and see Argentina through to the second World Cup final in a row.

Who will come out on top?

Kick off!

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Here we go!

Argentina kick off, strap in everyone...

Bellingham and Anderson pushed early doors

Argentina give Bellingham a friendly push just to let him know they're there.

And then Anderson taken down more brutally. Both sides square up in a tense start already.

Could be a scrappy one...

England take a corner

Rice, Arsenal's corner taker extraordinaire, takes one which misses the mark.

It's a high octane match already in terms of scrappiness and opportunities but let's see how it plays out.

Anderson is seemingly getting fouled left, right and centre in other news.

Anderson can't catch a break

Anderson attacked again! (Image credit: Getty Images)

Anderson has spent more time lying on the pitch than running around it at this point.

How long has the ball actually been in play?

20 mins in...

For a change, England are on the front foot. In a way that they haven't really since their opening Croatia 4-2 victory.

Will this last or will Messi have something to say about it.

Hydration break = boos aplenty

As reliable as showing Infantino on the screen in the first 10 minutes of every game (he must have it in his vain contract), are the boos that follow the start of the hydration break. And to be fair Infantino gets the boos too.

You sense Tuchel will be giving England a big talking to.

30 mins of play...and still 0-0

It's been a tense game and a lot of heated moments, but no goals to show either side.

A few chances but no goals on target yet. Will that change as Bellingham goes down for a free kick outside Argentina's box?

No bookings at all!

The ref has set the tone by issuing no yellows at all yet and you sense that the challenges from Argentina are only going to get worse.

This will do nothing to quell the narrative of Argentina favouritism.

Soon we'll see a big injury if this doesn't change.

The first yellow goes to Anderson

Anderson gets a yellow! (Image credit: Getty Images)

Some beautiful weaving and feet from Messi but he goes down after a challenge from Anderson.

And England get the first yellow!

Messi certainly has the favour of the referees although admittedly it was a bad challenge from Anderson but incredible England pick up the first booking.

Let's see how this develops.

(Belated) Argentina yellow card

And finally Argentina pick up a booking after Rogers receives some rough shirt pulling.

Hopefully this will calm the game down after a yellow on each side...time will tell.

Halftime whistle blows

How can that only be three minutes stoppage time? The ball's only been in play for three minutes.

It's been an end to end game with England looking stronger before the hydration break and Argentina looking better after the hydration break.

Both sides will be getting a pep talk from their manager and we'll see if that makes a difference in the second half.

It's a game of two halves

It's a cliche but it really is a game of two halves.

Both teams so far have given it 110% but will one team triumph in the second half or will it be extra time?

Goals win games but will it be England or Argentina?

England kick off the second half

The pitch at halftime (Image credit: Getty Images)

England kick off the proceedings...before it gets retaken for going too quickly.

Back to the start.

Some testy moments early doors

England are on the back foot early doors here.

Pickford makes a save as an on target shot comes his way and then a scramble in the box but England defend.

Less of that please.

Romero gets booked...cos it's Romero

It's a worthy yellow card but Romero - the baby faced Tottenham assassin - does seem to rack up the bookings with his reputation proceeding him.

Argentina on the attack now.

Gordon's alive...and scores!!!

Anthony Gordon scores!

A beautiful assist from Rogers and finished by Gordon.

Eng 1-0 Arg

Spence makes an incredible tackle!

Just as important as Gordon's goal is Spence clearing the ball thanks to a beautiful tackle from Spence.

He's been electric this game.

Gordon's long awaited goal

(Image credit: Getty Images)

There were questions about Gordon's Barcelona signing but he's silenced the critics after that.

Surprisingly he's only the fourth England player to score a goal this tournament after Kane and Bellingham dominating and one goal by Rashford.

Partially a mistake from Argentina's defence but also an incredible opportunity from England, seized upon and beautifully delivered.

England are purring now.

Pickford's razor sharp reactions!

For England, Jordan Pickford rarely puts a foot wrong. Or dare I say a hand?

Argentina's best shot so far and thanks to England's number one they are forced to regroup this hydration break.

Could this be England in a World Cup final for the first time since '66...let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Pickford makes another incredible save

Ice in his veins! Pickford fears no one as he makes another beautiful save.

Will he be able to stop the inevitable Argentina tide? Time will tell.

Kane gets a free kick!

A very tense affair as the England box is swamped this half of the hydration break but Kane gets the Three Lions a much needed free kicks.

England's defence hasn't been tested this much since Mexico and it's holding...so far.

Pickford makes a great save but can't save the second one

After a hand to the ball which may well have gone over the England goal resulting in a corner, Pickford isn't quick enough to save a sucker punch of a goal from Argentina.

Fernandez scores and saves Argentina from an early exit tonight.

2-1 Argentina

The goal Pickford couldn't save (Image credit: Getty Images)

Argentina were on a high after their first goal and looking dangerous.

And that's when they scored their second goal. After the goalpost stops the first shot, nothing can stop a great header from Martinez.

Two goals in quick succession, can England do anything to stop the inevitable?

So close but yet so far

Argentina win and go against Spain for the World Cup final.

85 minutes until full time, and then Argentina strike.

Too defensive? Too complacent? Too many memories of '66?

Full time. Arg 2-1 Eng.

Too defensive in the last 30 minutes?

Rice taken off, Burn sent on. Were England just too defensive?

Pickford made some incredible saves but you can't stop the tide forever.

Argentina seem to have a knack for being down and then triumphing. Cape Verde equalised with them twice and they overcame it, Egypt looked like they were going to take it home and they came back.

England fell into a self confidence trap. They played a blinder but maybe England should have put on Saka instead of Burn.

In the end, the better team won

Once England have woken up, probably slightly hungover tomorrow, they will admit that Argentina were the better team.

To come back after 1-0 down so close to the end is remarkable and they looked threatening for most of the game.

It's back to square one as to whether we can win a final, bear in mind that the Euros 2028 will see 10 years since Kane has been captain and a few of the OGs still in the squad: Pickford, Stones, Henderson, Rashford. Will England refresh? Will Tuchel honour his contract to stay till 2028?

Hopefully yes to all of the above. So close, but yet so far - seemingly the England mantra at this point. Always the bridesmaid, never the bride.

Messi celebrates reaching his third Argentina World Cup final

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Third Argentina final. Won one, lost one...where will Messi lead his next one?

2014 saw Argentina lose to Germany, 2022 saw Argentina win an incredible game against France. Where will 2026 take them?

England are sore but spotlight is now on Argentina. Stay tuned here for the World Cup final.

Spain v Argentina, it'll be a belter. Both teams are playing on top form so everything is to play for.

We'll see you then.

That's all, folks :(

Bellingham and Kane, England's best goalscorers of the World Cup 2026 (Image credit: Getty Images)

A rather somber note to bid farewell on but thanks for staying with us through the pain we've become accustomed to as England fans.

Not the result we wanted, but very much the result we expected.

Gordon did us proud, as did Pickford who had the weight of the country on his shoulders for the last half hour of the game and made some incredible saves until it was too much for him.

Maybe we didn't come together as a team as we quite hoped but it looked for a second like we could make a second World Cup final. Anyway, onwards and upwards.

Thanks for joining us, make sure you stay tuned here where we'll be reporting on the action from the third place play off on Saturday at 10pm BST as England take on France in a rematch of the World Cup 2022 quarterfinals (that we lost).

And then the big one: Spain v Argentina on Sunday at 8pm BST. I've been Dan, thanks for joining us (commiserations or congratulations) and until next time...

It's (not quite) coming home etc

• Viltrox has announced its new AF 26mm F2.8 EVO lens
• It's available in Sony E and Nikon Z-mount versions, and costs $299 / £279
• It measures 23.8mm thick and weighs 4.6oz / 130g

Chinese lens manufacturer Viltrox is having a prolific year, and it's now followed up a recent pair of medium-telephoto primes for APS-C cameras with a completely new 26mm f/2.8 pancake lens.

The AF 26mm F2.8 EVO is part of the same mid-range series as my recently tested AF 90mm F2.2 EVO, and is available for Sony E and Nikon Z-mount cameras at launch. It costs $299 / £279 (Australia price TBC).

Compact size and light weight are the aim here — the 26mm F2.8 is just 23.8mm thick and tips the scales at 4.6oz / 130g. I can see it pairing nicely with a Sony A7C / A7C II or Nikon Zf as a casual, everyday lens offering surprisingly sharp image quality.

It's not the smallest autofocus full-frame lens in Viltrox's range, mind you — that accolade goes to the AF 28mm F4.5. However, given the bright f/2.8 aperture and the features on board, the new 26mm lens seems impossibly small.

Those features include a dust- and splash-resistant machined metal construction, dedicated aperture and focus rings, a metal rear mount with a USB-C port for firmware updates, and a STM focus motor for snappy autofocus.

ViltroxViltroxViltroxViltroxViltroxViltrox

And there's more: the AF 26mm F2.8 EVO ships with a magnetic lens cap that snaps into place, eliminating the fiddling that comes with traditional pinch-release lens caps.

It's part of a lens cap system which includes a magnetic lens hood, which also works with magnetic lens filters. Alternatively, traditional screw-on filters work too, via the 43mm thread.

I hope other lens manufacturers follow Viltrox's lead — lens caps can be a real pain to remove and re-attach, but a magnetic type simplifies the process.

Optically, we have a simple construction of eight elements in six groups, with a minimum focus distance of 0.2m which results in a 0.2x maximum magnification, for reasonable close-up photography.

The Viltrox AF 26mm F2.8 EVO is available immediately in Sony E and Nikon Z versions from Amazon US and Viltrox's official store. There's no word yet on whether L-mount or Fujifilm X-mount versions are on the way.

Yes, Fujifilm X is APS-C format, but I can see the full-frame Viltrox lens working well with these crop-sensor cameras, even for Sony and Nikon, on which it would offer an equivalent 39mm focal length.

It's yet another new Viltrox lens available for Nikon Z cameras, which suggests that the Nikon vs Viltrox lawsuit from earlier this year has quietly been resolved. I hope that's the case, because Viltrox has consistently produced excellent optics, and the AF 26mm F2.8 EVO looks like an impressive addition. Look out for my in-depth review, coming soon.

If you're looking for a reliable and cheap mini PC, the GMKtec G10 is our top choice. For general day-to-day work, with the scope to upgrade, there's plenty to like about the machine we called "a terrific little system" for the price.

Right now, the GMKtek G10 mini PC is $288 (was $400) at Amazon — a $112 saving on a genuinely capable budget mini PC. Meanwhile, in the UK, the G10 is now £260 (was £319) at Amazon.

Today's top mini PC deal

AMD Ryzen 5 3500U (4-core/8-thread, up to 3.7GHz) with Radeon Vega 8 graphics, 16GB dual-channel DDR4 RAM, and a 512GB PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSD. Dual M.2 2280 slots support up to 16TB of total storage, and RAM is upgradeable to 64GB. Includes 2.5GbE Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and triple 4K display output via HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort, and USB-C. Windows 11 Pro pre-installed.

In the UK: now £260 (was £319)View Deal

In our review, we found it well-balanced for light office tasks, web browsing, and streaming. If that's the goal for your setup, it's ideal. For more powerful machines designed for demanding graphical workloads, we've selected the top mini PC deals for video editing and gaming.

So, what's on offer here? The Ryzen 5 3500U isn't new silicon — it's a 2019-era Zen+ chip on a 12nm process that still holds up very well against the sluggish Intel N-series chips (N100, N150) that populate most budget mini PCs at this price. The four cores and eight threads, courtesy of AMD's multithreading implementation, give it a genuine edge in multitasking and anything that touches video decoding or light image processing.

Where the G10 stands out is memory and storage. 16GB of dual-channel DDR4 and a 512GB NVMe SSD is a generous starting configuration at this price, and GMKtec gives you real room to grow: two SO-DIMM slots support up to 64GB of RAM, and two M.2 2280 slots support up to 16TB of combined storage. Having two drive bays also makes cloning an existing installation onto a bigger drive simple if you outgrow the included SSD.

2.5GbE Ethernet is the other feature worth calling out, since most rivals in this price bracket still ship with a single Gigabit port. If you're setting this up as a home server, NAS front-end, or Proxmox node, that faster wired connection is a genuine practical upgrade over the competition, and the Ryzen 5 3500U's AMD-Vi support means virtualization software runs without issue.

The Radeon Vega 8 graphics are dated by 2026 standards and won't handle demanding modern games, but they're meaningfully more capable than Intel's UHD graphics for everyday tasks like 4K video playback, light photo editing, or older and indie titles at lower settings.

Good to know: this machine needs a bit of patience out of the box. We found the G10 performs noticeably better after a trip into the BIOS to switch from Balanced to Performance mode, and the fan does get audible under sustained load in that mode. It's not a plug-and-play polished experience — with around 30 minutes of setup, you'll get this chip at its best.

For a cheap mini PC with genuinely generous memory, storage headroom, and fast networking, the G10 is a solid budget pick that features in our guide to the best mini PCs.