News
- The Blood of Dawnwalker director, Konrad Tomaszkiewicz, says a delayed next-generation would be beneficial for Rebel Wolves
- Tomaszkiewicz says it's "easier" to work with the current generation and PC
- He says two more builds would multiply "the amount of work you need to do"
The Blood of Dawnwalker director Konrad Tomaszkiewicz isn't worried about the impact of what a delayed next-gen could mean for Rebel Wolves because working on the current-gen consoles is "easier."
It's unclear when the next-generation hardware will launch. Rumors suggest that the PS6 could launch as late as 2028, which would make it eight years between the start of the current generation, with Project Helix, the next Xbox console, also eyeing a 2028 release.
With console prices increasing due to manufacturing costs, not to mention the RAM shortages caused by a rise in AI data centers, there's a chance the next-gen consoles will be highly expensive.
While Sony and Microsoft have yet to reveal how much their new hardware will cost, a delay in the next generation could be on the table as the companies wait for things to settle down and for consoles to become affordable again.
This would also mean studios won't have access to next-gen tech for quite some time to develop their games, which would force them to stick with current-gen.
However, for The Blood of the Dawnwalker studio, Rebel Wolves, this would actually be beneficial to the development team.
The Blood of the Dawnwalker is the first installment in Rebel Wolves' dark-fantasy role-playing game (RPG) series, launching later this year, and has already teased a sequel set in a modern timeline.
When asked by Eurogamer whether the next console generation being delayed would be an issue for the studio and the future of the game series, the director said, "It doesn't at all."
"To be honest, it's even better for us," Tomaszkiewicz explained, "Because when you have the game, and you know the systems and the features adjusted to these particular consoles, you know what you need to do. Always, a new platform is a new challenge: you need to learn it, you need to know what are your borders, what you can do, what you cannot do. And also, it's an additional build you need to create that you need to take care of later."
The director continued, saying that since The Blood of the Dawnwalker has four builds - PS5, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, and two PC builds, it's already a ton of work for testers, so another console generation to work with would be another challenge.
"Let's say we have four builds, and later on you want to deliver a patch for the players. You need to be sure that these changes work on the Xbox, on the PlayStation, PC one, and PC two," Tomaskiewicz said.
"When you have next-gen, you're adding an additional two builds, and it multiplies the amount of work you need to do. It sounds easy but you need to know that there is a group of testers who need to test every platform separately - not only this particular change but whether the whole game has no blockers, if you can finish it from the beginning to the end, and so on and so on.
"It's a huge effort, to be honest, and if we work on the consoles we have right now, it's easier, because we know how many builds we have and it's easier to manage."
The Blood of Dawnwalker launches on September 3.
- The FCC might ban anonymous phones
- This would mean the end of burner phones
- While this could help prevent certain crimes, it may also harm a lot of innocent people who require anonymity or lack the required ID or housing
It’s increasingly hard to be anonymous in the modern world — and in the US it might be about to get even harder, as burner phones could soon be effectively banned.
As reported by Fortune, a new FCC (Federal Communications Commission) proposal would require carriers and VoIP providers to collect various details from a customer, including their name, address, government-issued ID number, and an alternate phone number, before activating or renewing service.
Aside from the odd requirement to have a phone number before you can get a phone number — something which might prove challenging for anyone getting their first phone — this would effectively mean the end of anonymous prepaid phones, commonly known as burner phones.
That’s probably a bad thing, as while these might be associated with crime — with the FCC stating that this change could help them investigate “fraud, espionage, or influence operations that undermine national security” — there are also plenty of legal reasons people might want a burner.
Burner phones are usually cheap secondary or temporary handsets (Image credit: Future)Bad for privacy and dangerous for victims(Image credit: Emir Memedovski / Getty Images)As pointed out in a joint filing made by the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the American Civil Liberties Union: “This proposal would also prevent people from getting an anonymous phone line for safety reasons, such as a person in a domestic violence situation who does not have control over her personal phone line and needs to call a shelter, or a teenager being coerced by human traffickers who just wants to call for help.”
They further described this proposal as “a data collection regime that harms everyday, law abiding Americans”, while Sydney Saubestre, a senior policy analyst on the Privacy and Data Project at the Center for Democracy and Technology, called it “misguided and counterproductive,” adding that “Americans should not have to sacrifice their privacy because the Commission hasn’t exhausted more targeted alternatives to stop robocalls.”
And it’s not just victims of domestic violence and human trafficking that may suffer due to this. It’s estimated that roughly 15 million adult US citizens don't have a driver’s license and that 2.6 million have no government-issued photo ID, while unhoused people will struggle with the requirement to provide an address.
On top of which, anyone who values privacy may also take issue with this, especially as customer accounts from phone companies have previously been hacked, revealing the data tied to them.
Many commenters on Reddit also worry about the US turning ever more into a surveillance state with rules like this, with popular comments including “tightening the grip of the police state. Bringing the Orwellian world into reality," "they care less about criminals and more about surveilling everyone,” and “gotta track em all!”
So it’s safe to say that this proposal isn’t popular, and could end up doing more harm than good. Hopefully, that might mean the FCC seeing sense and deciding against it.
In my eyes, Diane Morgan is a comedy genius that can never do wrong — and I will willingly lap up every single morsel of comedy TV that she gives me.
We've already known her for unmissable shows such as Mandy, Cunk On..., Motherland and After Life, alongside appearances on the likes of Last One Laughing and Mock the Week. Now, she's offering up something different in the form of new BBC iPlayer comedy, Ann Droid.
Morgan plays Linda, a secondhand AnnDroid Z58/100 Basic Eldercare Robot gifted to widow Sue (Sue Johnston) by her son Michael (Kevin Ready). Basically, it's like Channel 4's Humans meets a Royale Family and Motherland reunion that we weren't expecting.
It's as touching as it is funny, and fans have already given Morgan's character the nickname "Philomena Clank." It's an unlikely friendship that I'm incredibly here for, put it that way.
With Ann Droid episodes arriving on the streamer from July 17, I can't help but be annoyed with the abundance of hilarious comedy already on the platform that nobody seems to be talking about.
You'll no doubt binge the new Diane Morgan series in the blink of an eye, so stay on iPlayer for these three underrated comedy gems once you're done.
FunboysOur first pick comes from the Northern Irish contingent of comedy, which in my opinion has been grossly overlooked (seriously, tell me if you've ever heard of this show before...).
In short, we follow three young, socially awkward men — Callum (Ryan Dylan), Jordan (Rian Lennon), and Lorcan (Lee R James) — as they navigate adulthood, romance, and friendship in rural Ballymacnoose.
No, Ballymacnoose is not a real place, but that doesn't stop Funboys being both fearless and beautiful, and having humor. A heart-warming ensemble, think of antics that fall somewhere between This Country and The Inbetweeners.
Smoggie QueensOn the complete other end of the comedy spectrum is Smoggie Queens, which, like Funboys, has just released its second season. Creator Phil Dunning plays Dickie, who leads a rag-tag gang of LGBTQ+ Middlesbrough natives in their local town.
From full-on drag shows courtesy of mothering queen Mam (Mark Benton) to an unexpected guest cameo from Drag Race judge Michelle Visage as Dickie's work colleague, Smoggie Queens is outrageous from start to finish. Bold, brash and always on point with its cultural references, it holds space for somewhere you can feel safe and seen.
If that isn't enough, season 2 cast Monica Dolan as Mam's ex, and there isn't a TV show on Earth that couldn't benefit from adding Dolan to its cast.
Things You Should Have DoneIf you've seen Chi with a C on YouTube and TikTok, you might recognize Lucia Keskin's main character in Things You Should Have Done.
In this full-format version, stay-at-home daughter Chi is suddenly forced to fend for herself when her parents die in a car crash. She learns she will only inherit the house on the condition that she completes a list of 'Things You Should Have Done' left in her parents' will.
From there, chaos ensues. Again, we've got multiple seasons to stream here, and I think casting Bridget Christie as Ruth in season 2 was a particular stroke of genius. Much like Ann Droid, we're balancing grief and laughs here, but the careful tightrope is walked incredibly well.
- Trump says data centers are good for communities, creating jobs and funding their own power/water
- New York State just banned large projects for a year to focus on developing new guidance
- Trump worries ongoing bans could cause the US to lose out in the global AI race
US President Donald Trump has criticized New York Governor Kathy Hochul's recent executive order to introduce a year-long, statewide ban on hyperscale data centers, urging the state to change its stance "immediately."
In a post on Truth Social, Trump characterized data centers as "money machines" that create taxes and jobs comparable to "liquid gold," implying not only are they crucial for cloud computing and AI, but also for the country's economy.
Though states like "Alabama, Florida, Texas, Arizona" and others could now see more projects being relocated amid ongoing moratoriums, Trump worries about the implications of this "terrible decision."
Trump hits back at New York State moratoriumThe executive order, signed by Governor Hochul on July 14 2026, makes New York the first US state to impose a statewide moratorium on new data centers – in this case, those requiring 50MW+ of power.
Despite mounting local opposition for data center buildouts across the US, and indeed the world, Trump argues they're "tremendous wins for the states and communities that are lucky enough to get them," being that they create jobs and are responsible for "their own water and power."
It's important to note that the year-long ban for New York State is exactly that – a temporary ban designed to buy the state enough time to consider environmental and social impacts, and to rewrite legislation and guidance accordingly.
Urging Governor Hochul to "change its policy, immediately," Trump argues that ongoing moratoriums like these could cause the US to lose to "China, and other countries" in what's playing out to be a global AI race.
If you're starting to plan for the upcoming school year and are finding your current laptop a little lacking, the good news is retailers have already launched some solid deals across a vast range of devices from the likes of Dell, Apple, Lenovo, HP, and more. So, I've taken a look and picked out what I think are eight of the best laptop deals if you're shopping for a new device for the year ahead.
I've taken a variety of budgets and needs into consideration: whether you want a cheap Chromebook for basic schoolwork and light use, or a powerful machine for more demanding needs.
One of the standouts has to be this Dell XPS 13 that drops to $599.99 with a student discount. That's a fantastic price for a brand-new version of one of our favorite laptops here at TechRadar, which boasts excellent all-around performance and a stylish design.
Apple fans will also want to check out the manufacturer's Education Store, which has just launched its college offer for the year. As well as special pricing on several devices, including the much-loved and impressive value MacBook Neo, you can also get gift cards of up to $150 on select Macs and iPads.
As someone who finds the best laptop deals regularly for TechRadar, you can browse all of my top picks below, and stick with TechRadar over the next few weeks for even more of our back-to-school coverage, featuring top tech recommendations and the best offers on must-have products.
Today's best back-to-school laptop sales- Amazon: big savings on laptops and more tech
- Apple: up to $150 gift card with Macs & iPads
- Best Buy: up to $600 off laptops
- Dell: up to $900 off
- Walmart: laptops from $209
Display - 15.6 inches
Processor - Intel Core i3
RAM - 8GB
Storage - 128GB
If you want a cheap Windows laptop, then I think this Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i is a good value-for-money option for basic needs. I like it as a simple and effective device for school or college, with enough power for browsing, word processing, and other general admin tasks.View Deal
Display - 17.3 inches
Processor - AMD Ryzen 3
RAM - 8GB
Storage - 512GB
If storage is important to you, then I think this HP OmniBook 3 could be worth the price, as it features a 512GB SSD — something I don't regularly see at this price. Of course, that means some compromises have been made elsewhere, with a slightly weaker Ryzen 3 CPU and only 8GB of RAM. Still, that's perfectly fine for light use. Just be aware that the larger 17-inch form factor makes it a less portable option, too.View Deal
Display - 14 inches
Processor - Intel Core Ultra 5
RAM - 8GB
Storage - 256GB
If you want a flexible device that's just as easy to use for work and admin jobs as well as casual web browsing and streaming media, then this Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 14 is an excellent buy. It mainly features entry-to-mid-level components, but there's enough power to keep up with light daily use. Plus, you get the added benefit of a versatile 14-inch touchscreen, effectively giving you a laptop and tablet in one.View Deal
Display: 13 inches
Processor: A18 Pro
RAM: 8GB
Storage: 256GB
The MacBook Neo just got a price bump, but students can get it cheaper again thanks to Apple's education discount. The latest MacBook packs a 13-inch Liquid Retina display, an A18 Pro chip, 8GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and up to 16 hours of battery life, all for under $600, which is fantastic value. Discounts have been better in the past, but I think these will be rarer to see over the coming months and this price likely won't be beaten over Black Friday.View Deal
Display - 14 inches
Processor - Snapdragon X
RAM - 16GB
Storage - 512GB
This is a solid discount on a modern laptop powered by one of the efficient Snapdragon X CPUs. As well as excellent levels of all-around performance, this device boasts a huge all-day battery life, so you won't need to worry about being attached to a charger at all times. There's even 512GB of SSD storage, which you don't often see in combination with those other strong performance components at this price point. This is an all-around excellent laptop for everyday, college and business use.View Deal
Display - 13.4 inches
Processor - Intel Core 5
RAM - 8GB
Storage - 512GB
The Dell XPS 13 has regularly been one of our favorite laptops here at TechRadar, and this brand-new version continues that trend. With an Intel Core 5 processor, 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD, it has everything you need for solid all-around performance at work or college. Students can also save an extra $100, bringing the price down to a ridiculously low $599.99.View Deal
Display - 14 inches
Processor - Intel Core Ultra 5
RAM - 16GB
Storage - 512GB
Here's one of the best deals on a modern, all-purpose, and well-rated laptop in Dell's latest sale. You can now get $550 off this machine, which features a powerful Intel Core Ultra 5 processor, a healthy 16GB of RAM, and a decent 512GB SSD. With all of those components, you'll have no issues with all of your everyday computing and work needs. And at 14 inches, it's an easily portable device, too. Altogether, it's an excellent value all-around option and a laptop we scored 4.5/5 in our review.View Deal
Display - 16 inches
Processor - Intel Core Ultra 7
RAM - 16GB
Storage - 512GB
One of Samsung's latest premium laptops just got its biggest discount yet at Best Buy. While similarly powered devices can be picked up for less, you do get a gorgeous 16-inch LED screen with smooth and responsive 120Hz support with this Galaxy Book6. It's powerful elsewhere, too, with an excellent battery life of up to 24 hours, making it a great pick for college, work, and productivity needs.View Deal
- PlayStation has delayed the launch of the FlexStrike Wireless Fight Stick
- The company says production delays have caused the hardware to be postponed
- The PlayStation 5 peripheral will no longer launch on August 6, but "at a later date"
PlayStation has issued an update on the release of its FlexStrike Wireless Fight Stick, announcing that the hardware has been postponed.
The FlexStrike was originally slated to release on August 6, but now, in an updated PlayStation Blog post, the company has confirmed that "due to unexpected production delays," it "will launch at a later date."
"We’re working to ensure we deliver the best possible experience to our players with FlexStrike, so we’re taking extra time to put the finishing touches on the product," PlayStation said.
"We apologize for this delay and look forward to bringing the FlexStrike experience to the community when it launches."
Pre-orders for the fight stick opened on June 12, but the company confirmed that players can check their order status through PlayStation Direct and will receive communications regarding their order.
"Players who pre-ordered through another retailer should look for updates directly from that retailer or contact them with any questions," it added.
The FlexStrike is a PS5 peripheral and costs $199.99 / £179.99.
TechRadar's senior reviews writer Harry Padoan got the chance to test out the fight stick earlier this year, writing that it "hits the right notes" performance-wise when tested against Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls, and is "approachable and straightforward to use," and "offers ultra-low latency in both wired and wireless capacities."
Elsewhere, Sony has announced plans to end physical game disc production. While remaining silent against the backlash, the company recently posted an advertisement for the FlexStrike, which received massive pushback.
Whether you're spending increasingly long hours working from home, or splitting your time between the home and office, the right desk accessories can make a big difference to your life.
Small upgrades won't magically make work more enjoyable, but they can help you stay more comfortable, organized, and generally more productive.
The good news is that improving your workspace doesn't have to cost a fortune. A modern mouse can reduce strain during long sessions, an ergonomic laptop stand can improve your posture, and a quality LED desk lamp makes it easier to work into the evening without harsh overhead lighting.
Even simple additions, such as a larger mouse pad or a portable charger, can make a huge difference, and keeping your workspace tidy can also help you stay focused.
To help you upgrade your setup without blowing the budget, I've rounded up a dozen of affordable office accessories currently on sale at Amazon. This collection covers everything you might require, plus more besides.
Office gear under $50 Nulaxy Ergonomic Adjustable Laptop Stand for Desk Pzloz Led Desk Lamp for Office Home Getpals Wireless iPhone Station: 3 in 1 Charger Redragon M612 Predator RGB Wired Optical Mouse With 11 Programmable Buttons Black and Decker 7 piece set, including desk pad, charger and mouse pad Mekass Ergonomic Mouse Pad With Wrist Rest Aeollik Wooden Organizer With Phone Stand Iniu 45w Fast Charging Portable Charger Civpower Portable Personal Neck Cooling Rechargeable Bladeless Fan Huanuo Adjustable Desk Footrest Chcore Surge Protector Power Strip Amazon Basics 8-Sheet High Security Cross Cut Shredder- Microsoft sees itself as cheaper and more effective at bundling the full stack
- The company is clearly pushing its own internal models
- Claude also slated for being slower and less accurate
Microsoft is reportedly teaching sales workers how to compare the company's AI offerings to rival companies like OpenAI and Anthropic.
Per Bloomberg reporting, the company's sales staff are being told to emphasize benefits like efficiency and cost advantages when using Microsoft's offerings, which offer a much fuller picture than just the models and tools, extending to compute and other workflow tools.
"Everyone else is selling parts – we’re selling the full end-to-end system," EVP Jay Parikh reportedly told workers. "That’s the story that we all need to get out there and tell in FY27."
Microsoft sales teams up the ante against OpenAI, AnthropicClearly, the company wants customers to see the combination of its own models and third-party models, cloud infrastructure, applications and security as better value compared with having to piece these elements together separately.
Copilot EVP Jacob Andreou also reportedly compared Copilot to Claude, accusing Claude of being slower, less accurate and missing certain security integrations.
The sales push comes at a time of change for the company, which has started to push more of its own internal models across different apps and workflows to replace OpenAI and Anthropic models. It's also a marked shift from the company's earlier AI strategy, which leaned heavily on its multibillion-dollar partnership with OpenAI.
Company CEO Satya Nadella also pointed at a major customer, Unilever, which recently switched form an unnamed frontier model to one of Microsoft's own cheaper models to make significant savings.
In April, the company announced that its AI business is now worth around $37 billion annually, marking a 123% year-over-year increase.
Artificial intelligence is moving faster than most enterprise governance models were designed to support.
Organizations are rapidly embedding AI into customer operations, internal workflows, decision-making systems, software development, supply chains, analytics, and automation initiatives.
But while adoption accelerates quickly, this creates a situation where accountability is fragmented.
That gap is creating a new category of enterprise risk.
For years, cybersecurity leaders focused on protecting systems, managing threats, and securing data. Today, that already broad mandate is expanding: as AI becomes increasingly embedded across operational environments, CISOs are pulled into broader questions of trust, assurance, resilience, and executive accountability.
A recent best practices report from Forrester noted that “CISOs will be the trust and assurance authority for the business.”
This shift reflects a growing reality: enterprises are increasingly struggling to determine who owns AI risk as decisions become distributed across systems, business functions, and autonomous processes.
Governance Models Are Struggling to Keep PaceMost enterprise governance structures were designed around the concept of centralized oversight models. Security teams managed cybersecurity risk. Compliance managed regulatory obligations. Operations managed execution. Business leaders managed strategic outcomes. AI disrupts those boundaries.
Today, AI increasingly influences operational decisions across functions. Different tools and models may be used simultaneously for customer interactions, fraud detection, procurement, workforce management, software development, and supply chain operations internally, as well as throughout a vendor or supply chain ecosystem. As a result, visibility is limited and accountability becomes difficult to define.
When disruptions affect legal, privacy, operational, and technology functions simultaneously, many organizations lack a clear view of how those risks intersect.
Most governance frameworks were designed for software that supported decisions. Now, AI increasingly participates in making them.
The Visibility Gap Behind AI RiskMany organizations still rely on fragmented governance processes, static documentation, spreadsheets, and disconnected reporting workflows to manage environments made even more complex by AI.
AI systems do not operate in isolation. They rely on interconnected data pipelines, third-party models, cloud infrastructure, APIs, operational systems, and business-process dependencies that continuously evolve. When visibility across those dependencies is limited, organizations struggle to understand where AI-driven decisions originate, how they propagate, and what downstream impacts they create.
That visibility gap quickly becomes a resilience problem. If organizations cannot trace how AI-driven actions connect to operational systems and business outcomes, they cannot effectively assess exposure during disruption, validate continuity plans, or demonstrate accountability under pressure.
This is where many organizations discover that AI governance is no longer just a policy challenge. It is an operational resilience challenge that can have customer and financial impact.
Because cybersecurity teams already operate at the intersection of technology risk, resilience, governance, and incident response, many organizations are increasingly looking to CISOs for enterprise-wide trust and assurance.
AI Resilience Requires Operational ContextThe conversation around AI governance has centered on ethics frameworks, policies, and regulatory controls, which remain important. But resilience increasingly depends on something more operational: understanding how AI-driven actions affect real business environments during disruption.
That requires organizations to move beyond static governance models toward continuous operational visibility.
Leading organizations are increasingly focusing on questions such as:
- Which business services depend on AI-driven systems?
- What operational processes become vulnerable if AI outputs fail?
- Where do third-party dependencies create downstream exposure?
- How quickly can teams trace AI-driven decisions during an incident?
- Can leaders demonstrate operational accountability in real time?
- Can we revert back to more traditional operating models if an AI agent or capability fails?
Those questions span cybersecurity, resilience, operations, and executive governance. They also represent a broader shift occurring across enterprise risk management itself.
Trust, accountability, and resilienceOrganizations are no longer being measured solely by whether governance frameworks exist. Increasingly, they are being judged by whether they can operationally demonstrate trust, accountability, and resilience when complex systems fail under pressure, and AI is accelerating this shift.
The organizations that adapt fastest will not necessarily be the ones deploying the most AI. They will be the ones that can most clearly understand, govern, and recover from the operational consequences AI can create when disruption occurs.
Protect your data with the best password manager.
This article was produced as part of TechRadar Pro Perspectives, our channel to feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today.
The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/pro/perspectives-how-to-submit
- Google, Apple, GitHub sites are inaccessible on Russian IP since July 14
- The state regulator, Roskomnadzor, denies blocking the webistes
- A reliable VPN remains the only way for citizens to bypass outages
Russian internet users found themselves locked out of crucial digital services on Tuesday, as widespread and unexplained outages knocked Google, Apple, and GitHub offline across the country.
The network disruptions, which began around 10:00 Moscow time, prevented anyone using a domestic IP address from reaching the websites. This sudden digital blackout is the latest hurdle for citizens trying to access the open web, making the use of VPN services an absolute necessity rather than just a privacy luxury.
According to data from Russian web monitor platforms Detector404 and Sboy.rf — as reported by Novaya Gazeta — the failure rates were staggering. The tracker noted that HTTPS connections to Google broke in 26% of cases, while connections to Apple sites failed 99% of the time.
The outages sparked over a thousand user complaints within hours, heavily concentrated in regions like Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Novosibirsk. Users quickly discovered that accessing the sites via a foreign IP address completely restored service.
Despite the highly localized nature of the blocks, Russia's telecommunications watchdog, Roskomnadzor, denied any state involvement. In a statement reported by the Moscow Times, the regulator claimed it did not restrict access to the affected platforms.
Regardless of the official explanation, the result is the same: the only way to restore normal access to these everyday platforms is by routing your connection through a secure, foreign server using a Virtual Private Network (VPN).
How a VPN helps and why VPN traffic is the next target(Image credit: Future + Photo by Maksim Konstantinov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images + Photo by Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images )For anyone caught behind Russia's digital iron curtain, a VPN is a critical lifeline.
By encrypting your internet traffic and routing it through a secure server outside of the country, a VPN masks your real IP address. This effectively tricks the network into thinking you are browsing from a completely different location, allowing you to sidestep domestic censorship and load Google, Apple, or investigative news outlets as normal.
However, the Kremlin is well aware of this workaround, and the censorship landscape in the country is rapidly deteriorating. Russia's ongoing war against the open internet has increasingly zeroed in on the circumvention tools themselves, with Roskomnadzor wanting to block 92% of VPN apps by 2030.
The tactics go far beyond simple website bans. Earlier this year, Russian authorities ordered major mobile operators to disable the ability for users to top up their Apple ID balances via mobile phone accounts. This calculated move was designed specifically to stop citizens from paying for premium VPN apps through the App Store, compounding the payment difficulties created when Visa and Mastercard suspended operations in 2022.
Worse still, VPN traffic itself is now actively targeted. Roskomnadzor has heavily invested in deep packet inspection (DPI) technology to detect and block VPN protocols.
Over the past few months, the agency has throttled popular protocols like WireGuard and VLESS, creating a frustrating cat-and-mouse game for providers trying to keep their users online — the popular Amnezia VPN included.
Meanwhile, Russia continues to use DNS and DPI blocking to restrict YouTube, Telegram, and WhatsApp while aggressively pushing state-controlled alternatives.
As state control tightens, free access to basic tech tools is no longer guaranteed. If you are in the region, securing a tested, obfuscated VPN is the only remaining defense against an increasingly isolated Russian internet.
- The European Union is working on tech repairability rules...
- ... except some 'wet appliances' are now exempt now
- This puts 'devices that are worn on the body' in a very gray area…
- …and yes, that probably means AirPods
E-waste worriers (and warriors) like me have been watching the creation of EU regulations with glee, since a selection of them will require tech manufacturers to put replaceable or repairable batteries in their gadgets. But now, there are a few new key exceptions to the rule.
Some major new clarifications, listed on the European Commission's website, mute the positive impact of replaceable, upgradable tech. These exceptions mean that wearables including smartwatches and fitness trackers don't have to be repairable — and I think it's ironic that these are precisely the kinds of gadgets you're more likely to throw out and replace, rather than try to repair.
The EU has moved these products to its "wet appliances" category, for gadgets which can't be kept repairable for safety reasons (ie, because they deal with water). However, no reason was given for why wearables, especially ones not designed for wet use (based on IP ratings) are now exempt.
While the EU's rule change doesn't actually mention AirPods (or earbuds in general), what the wording essentially means is that wireless earbuds, Apple watches and smart glasses reportedly also fall into this specific wearable category. Smart glasses are, to hammer home the point, really not designed for wet use — but their wearer might get caught in a rainstorm by accident, say.
There are two key pieces of information regarding the classification of small devices exempt from adhering to the EU's battery rules, as published in the recent guidelines. The first is that "Wearable devices are portable electronic devices that are worn on the body and often have sensors and connectivity to collect and transmit data. Examples of wearables include smartwatches, fitness trackers, smart glasses or other electronic devices integrated into clothing and other accessories".
The second? It's to do with those IP ratings for water- and dust ingress and whether the addition of a replaceable battery is "compromising safety". It states that if "there is evidence in the product documentation when placing the product on the market that battery replaceability and removability by end-users would compromise the safety of the user or the appliance", the product may be exempt.
So your AirPods 4 with ANC will likely no longer need to feature replaceable batteries because of the EU, including the case itself.
An Apple a day keeps the e-waste away(Image credit: Future)It's no secret that e-waste is a massive issue: according to the United Nations, the amount of discarded electronics we produce is rising five times faster than our ability to recycle it.
It's why the EU recently pushed through rules to ensure tech is repairable. A pair of headphones that break might just need a new battery; you don't need to buy a whole new pair.
Apple users have been begging for removable batteries in iOS devices, especially AirPods, as we argued back in 2024. AirPods are the best-selling earbuds in the world (and it's not even close), so at least some of them end up in landfill when they stop working, despite Apple's conviction to recycle any that get returned to its stores (Apple doesn't offer any trade-in value for AirPods, but dropping them in for recycling is free).
I believe it's important for all tech to be repairable (see B&O's long-running 'Cradle to Cradle' approach, even buying back and refurbing its own kit, to give it a new life), but doubly so for the ubiquitous kind.
Apple's way is of course a viable way to keep your eco credentials, while disposing of unwanted buds, but it's not the best way. That would be replaceable batteries, small and fiddly though it might be — and it is possible, because Fairphone has been doing it for a little while.
As per the mantra drilled into school kids: reduce, reuse, recycle, in that order. Reusing old earbuds, by repairing them, is much better for the environment than recycling them, and so it's a shame that the EU is giving out exemptions like candy.
If you have any broken tech, be it headphones, earbuds or something else entirely, a repair is always your first port of call before disposing of your existing ones. It's cheaper and quicker than buying new tech and, most importantly, is better for the planet. And if you do need to buy new tech, consider online or physical refurb shops such as Back Market, which repair others' gadgets.
- Aston Martin just revealed the Dreadnought, a digital-only military SUV designed exclusively for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4
- It features rugged armor plating and a powerful V12 engine
- The vehicle will feature in the game's DMZ mode and the free-to-play Warzone battle royale
Legendary luxury car manufacturer Aston Martin has just revealed the Dreadnought, a heavily armored all-wheel drive SUV said to offer "supercar levels of performance" and "elite tactical performance" on the battlefield.
Its Chiltern Green painted body combines rugged military armor plating with advanced aerodynamics to deliver a powerful combination of both speed and protection, while the interior includes luxury elements like an Oxford Tan leather dashboard and golden gear lever.
Under the hood, it boasts a mammoth V12 engine and comes with a unique range of combat-oriented features such as dedicated weapons storage and reserve fuel tanks.
Its name is intended to conjure images of the HMS Dreadnought, a famous 20th-century British vessel that was so significant it spawned a whole new class of battleship.
Activision / Aston MartinActivision / Aston MartinActivision / Aston MartinActivision / Aston MartinActivision / Aston MartinActivision / Aston MartinActivision / Aston MartinActivision / Aston MartinActivision / Aston MartinActivision / Aston MartinActivision / Aston MartinActivision / Aston MartinActivision / Aston MartinThe catch? It's not a vehicle that you will actually be able to buy; it's a digital-only concept that's been designed exclusively for the upcoming video game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4.
According to the car maker's chief creative officer, Marek Reichman, designing the vehicle posed a "not inconsiderable challenge" to reimagine what Aston Martin could be in a virtual world where "the only limit is imagination."
Although the car is fictional, Reichman said that it was imagined as "a vehicle living in the real world" throughout the design process, and therefore "feels genuinely real."
You'll be able to go behind the wheel of the Aston Martin Dreadnought in Modern Warfare 4's DMZ mode when the game launches on October 20, 2026. It will also appear in the free-to-play battle royale Call of Duty Warzone.
Fans attending the upcoming Fanatics Fest in New York will be able to see a full-size model of the car in the flesh at the Call of Duty stand.
- Zoom patches critical improper input validation flaw in multiple Windows clients and SDKs that allowed remote account takeover
- Additional high‑severity bugs fixed include CVE‑2026‑53410 (TOCTOU race condition), CVE‑2026‑53409 (privilege management flaw), and CVE‑2026‑53411 (input validation issue)
- All vulnerabilities were found internally, with no evidence of exploitation; users are urged to update Zoom Workplace and related products to the latest versions
Zoom has patched a critical-level vulnerability in multiple products that allowed threat actors to take over people’s accounts remotely.
In a security advisory, Zoom said it fixed an Improper Input Validation bug plaguing Zoom Desktop Client for Windows (before version 7.0.0), Zoom VDI Client for Windows (before versions 7.0.10, 6.6.15, and 6.5.18), and Zoom Meeting SDK for Windows (before version 7.0.0). It did not go into more details on how the flaw works.
The bug is now tracked as CVE-2026-53412, and was given a severity score of 9.8/10 (critical). To fix it, users are advised to update their software to the newest version.
More vulnerabilitiesWhile certainly the most dangerous one, this is not the only bug Zoom recently addressed. The company also fixed a handful of less severe vulnerabilities, including a time-of-check to time-of-use (TOCTOU) race condition bug affecting Zoom Workplace for Windows before 7.0.5, Zoom Workplace VDI Client and VDI Plugin before 6.5.17/6.6.14, Zoom Rooms for Windows before 7.0.5, and Remote Control for Zoom Contact Center before 7.0.0. This bug is tracked as CVE-2026-53410 and was given a “high” severity score of 7/10.
Other notable mentions include CVE-2026-53409 (a high-severity improper privilege management flaw in Zoom Rooms for Windows before version 7.1.0), and
CVE-2026-53411 (a high-severity improper input validation flaw affecting the Zoom Workplace VDI Plugin for Windows before version 6.6.14).
Zoom found all of these vulnerabilities in-house and says there is no evidence that any of these were abused in real-life attacks in the past.
Zoom Workplace (the company’s all-in-one collaboration platform) offers video meetings, team chat, phone, email, calendar, scheduling, whiteboards, and other productivity tools. It is an evolution of the original Zoom Meetings app which now competes with platforms such as Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace.
Via BleepingComputer