News
After testing Geekom's Intel-powered IT13 Max, we found it a good, robust machine that's ideal for office work and light creative tasks. And right now, the Geekom IT13 Max AI mini PC is discounted to $679 (was $799) at Amazon with code TRT13DFF.
This mini PC pairs a genuine Core i9 mobile chip with 24GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD, in a chassis smaller than most external hard drives. In the UK, Geekom's mini PC is down to £637 (was £749) at Amazon.
Should you buy it?✅ Buy the GMKtec IT13 MAX if...
You want strong CPU performance for office work, coding, or light creative tasks in a tiny footprint. You need to drive multiple 4K monitors from one small box.
❌ Skip the GMKtec IT13 MAX if...
You want to game beyond light, reduced-settings titles — this runs integrated graphics only. It also uses DDR4 RAM, so skip it if you need DDR5 bandwidth for memory-intensive workloads. And if you're on a tighter budget, Geekom's lower-tier i5 configs cost meaningfully less.
Intel Core Ultra 9 185H | 24GB DDR4 | 1TB SSD
14-core, 20-thread Core i9-13900HK, 24GB DDR4 RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, dual USB4 (40Gbps), dual HDMI, quad 4K display support, Windows 11 Pro. For the full discount use code TRT13DFF
In the UK: now £637 (was £749)View Deal
Why we recommend itThe GMKtec IT13 Max earned 4-stars in our review, where it proved a capable mini PC. We said, "for office and light creative work the IT13 Max is an excellent option," as well as use as a workshop or production-line machine.
The i9-13900HK is a genuine high-end mobile chip — 14 cores, 20 threads, and clock speeds up to 5.4 GHz — and it's unusual to see it in a mini PC this size and at this price. It handles everyday office work, code builds, and multitasking comfortably, and Geekom's cooling keeps things quiet under sustained load.
24GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD are both generous starting points (but opt for the 16GB RAM model if you want to expand that memory up to 96GB). Connectivity is solid: dual USB4 ports at 40 Gbps, dual HDMI, Wi-Fi 7, and support for driving four displays simultaneously, making it a capable multi-monitor workstation for the price.
Price Context & Historical ValueGeekom lists this configuration with an MSRP north of $800, and it's typically discounted through coupon codes rather than site-wide sales — $679 with code TRT13DFF is a solid price for the 24GB/1TB tier, in line with what this model has landed at during previous promotions. This is the lowest price in the UK that the IT13 Max has been. Worth noting the code expires August 30, so this isn't a standing price.
For more savings, every week we track the best mini PC deals.
The Catch: What to know before you buyThere are two sticking points with the IT13 Max. First, the 24GB RAM model features fixed memory, so you can't upgrade it. If that's what you want, look for the version with 16GB RAM (available direct from Geekom US and Geekom UK).
This lets you expand both memory and storage — RAM to 64GB, plus room for a second M.2 drive and a 2.5-inch SATA bay.
Second, the IT13 uses Intel's Iris Xe integrated graphics, not a dedicated GPU, and it runs on DDR4 rather than DDR5 — a deliberate cost-saving choice that keeps the price down but caps performance in games and GPU-bound creative work.
It'll handle 4K video playback and light gaming at reduced settings, but it's not built for modern titles at high settings. If gaming or GPU-accelerated tasks are the priority.
Also considerAMD Ryzen 5 7640HS | 32GB DDR5 | 1TB SSD
This compact mini PC features an AMD Ryzen 5 7640HS processor, 32GB DDR5 RAM, a 1TB SSD, triple 4K display support, USB4, dual 2.5G Ethernet, Wi-Fi 6E, and Windows 11 Pro pre-installed.
Check our full reviewView Deal
AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS | 16GB DDR5 | 1TB SSD
The K8 Plus packs a high-performance Ryzen 7 8845HS processor, 16GB RAM, and a 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD. I recommend upgrading the memory and storage to unlock max power. With OCuLink eGPU support, dual 2.5GbE LAN, USB4, and 8K display output, it’s a powerful compact desktop alternative.
Read our full reviewView Deal
- A modder has taken the innards of a Steam Deck and put them into a Game Boy-style case
- The end result is the 'SteamBoy', although it's not quite finished (the screen doesn't yet work)
- There's a lot of excitement about this DIY project, and some gamers have even said they'd be keen to buy a retro handheld like this
Ever wished the Steam Deck looked a bit more retro — or indeed a lot more retro? Meet the 'SteamBoy', which takes the innards of Valve's handheld and transplants them into a case styled on the Game Boy.
Steam Deck HQ noticed this clever piece of modding in the form a project by 'PhyFawkes' as posted on Reddit (via VideoCardz).
The SteamBoy uses the motherboard, controller, buttons, speakers, and battery from the Steam Deck, fitting the components into a case which the maker says is the same dimensions as an original Game Boy, with a thickness of 32mm (yes, it's thick).
PhyFawkes explains: "The battery is the original battery, and it basically takes up the whole width of the device on the inside. It's sandwiched between the motherboard and the display. The motherboard and controller boards are completely intact as well."
The only element that isn't functional yet is the screen, so this device is still a work in progress. The Redditor has demonstrated it working on an external monitor, though.
Analysis: next stop Kickstarter?(Image credit: PhyFawkes on Reddit)The snag with getting the screen going is that the motherboard firmware reports the display properties directly to SteamOS, and so the firmware details must be updated with the info for the new screen. The Redditor says it hopefully it won't take too long to sort this out.
Another part of the recipe that's missing is the triggers, but PhyFawkes says that they might be able to add them eventually, but that space constraints with the case could make this too tricky a proposition.
Apparently the handheld runs cool enough with some slight under-volting. All in all, this a very smart-looking project, and I'm seriously impressed. The case itself is 3D-printed, with the Redditor noting that they're going to provide the details on how to make one for those who might want to try their hand at this enterprising piece of handheld DIY.
Of course, constructing something like this is well beyond the scope of your average gamer, and there are fans of this concept out there who'd be willing to pay money for a SteamBoy of their own. Plenty of them, in fact, as the reception for this project has been nothing short of glowing.
As someone on Reddit put it: "This is legitimately so cool. I would totally back something like this on Kickstarter."
Another Redditor said: "Looks amazing! I'd probably buy 2 of these bad boys."
This article was originally published in April 2024, following the total solar eclipse in the US. The experience in advice is relevant for those thinking about attempting to photograph the 2026 eclipse — which will be total in parts of Iceland, Spain and Portugal, and there will be major partial eclipse in the UK and other European countries — so we're sharing it again.
If you’ve never seen a total eclipse in person, whatever you’ve seen and what you imagine don’t come close. The best photos, the most stunning video, they won’t match the silent, dazzling fury of the real thing. Your phone or monitor won’t capture the infinite diamond brilliance of the Sun’s corona twinkling around the black Moon.
I set out to shoot the total eclipse with my three best camera phones and my Nikon DSLR, but I am thankful that I decided to enjoy the eclipse in the scant three minutes I was under its totality.
Before I talk tech, I’ll do my best to describe the total solar eclipse if you’ve never seen one in person. April 8, 2024 was my first total eclipse, and before that day I thought it would be my last.
After seeing the total solar eclipse live, I felt like I can’t live the rest of my life without seeing one again. I’ve never seen a photo that was equally compelling. Seeing the real eclipse in person, it was so gloriously beautiful that I was immediately sad that it was so fleeting.
Here's what a total solar eclipse really looks likeI was not shocked to hear the crowd around me erupt into spontaneous applause.
There is a bright flash in the instant before the Sun goes dark. The world gets colder suddenly, but the landscape is not pitch dark. Watching the eclipse from the shore of Lake Champlain in Burlington, Vermont, the view of Mount Marcy and the Adirondacks presented a panoramic sunset, with waning light surrounding me at the horizon on all sides, and the black eclipse at the center.
The Sun’s corona dazzles and flares with wisps of magic. You’ve never seen any light move in such a way. The contrast between the shockingly dark moon and the incredibly bright corona makes the halo seem brilliant and crisply present, as though the Sun is just beyond your grasp, and not seven light-minutes away.
The corona is bright, but not as bright as the face of the Sun. It reaches the limit of what my eyes could tolerate without causing pain. To see something so shockingly intense, after avoiding the painfully bright Sun for the previous hour, is a revelation. It feels like a gift being unwrapped in the sky above. It is a surprise and a joy, and I was not shocked to hear the crowd around me erupt into spontaneous applause.
I was awestruck. I forgot everything I was supposed to do at that moment. I’m now grateful that I decided at the last minute to drive all the way up to Burlington, where the clouds were wispy and few and the totality lasted more than three whole minutes. A good friend traveled farther to experience just over thirty seconds of totality in the Ozarks. Neither of us regrets taking our trip.
Ruining a solar eclipse with too much techThe eclipse shot with iPhone 15 Pro Max and Vaonis Hestia telescope (Image credit: Philip Berne/ Future)Back to the tech. My plan was … too much. I brought a telescope, and a DSLR, and three phones, and even smart glasses on my face. I don’t know what I was thinking. The eclipse lasted three minutes. I barely had time to focus one camera, let alone try to shoot with five. My plans fell to pieces, and I gave up quickly. I got a few good shots, then I turned my attention to the sky and just allowed myself to soak it in.
Seeing the eclipse was more rewarding than the best photo I’ve seen of the eclipse.
Here’s the gear I brought to shoot the solar eclipse. I borrowed a Vaonis Hestia telescope, which uses your phone as the viewfinder. I used an iPhone 15 Pro Max to take photos and view the eclipse through that telescope, with a solar filter provided by Vaonis. Those photos turned out pretty good, but it isn’t the most powerful telescope. Plus, an eclipse is a very complicated scene for lighting, especially for a phone camera.
Philip Berne / FuturePhilip Berne / FuturePhilip Berne / FutureI also had a Google Pixel 8 Pro and a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. I already decided I was not going to try to take telephoto zoom shots of the eclipse with these phones. The 5X range is simply not enough to capture any detail, and the sensor for the longest lens is also the smallest, lowest-quality sensor on the phone. Better to take wide-angle photos.
I set up the Galaxy S24 Ultra to shoot a time-lapse (Samsung calls it Hyperlapse) video of the entire event. I was pretty disappointed with the results. The sun was too high in the sky for even the widest lens to capture the scene around me as well as the eclipse in progress. The camera had trouble balancing the incredibly bright partial eclipse with the surroundings, so it just looks like a sunny day until totality occurs. When the eclipse happens, the camera balances the light in a way that doesn’t present the sunset colors and the changing light in the way I remember it.
The eclipse shot with Pixel 8 Pro and a solar filter (Image credit: Philip Berne/ Future)I attached a solar filter to the Google Pixel 8 Pro, hoping I would be able to see more of the partial eclipse as it happened. Nope, the filter cut out too much light for the phone to handle. I was barely able to see the Sun through the filter, let alone capture great shots.
At the last minute, I decided to also bring my Nikon D750 camera with a Nikon 80-400mm lens. I don’t have a solar filter for that huge lens, so I planned on shooting only the totality of the eclipse, when it is safe to look at the sun without glasses. I got some pretty good shots, but I was rushing around too much, juggling too many chores. I should have reduced the exposure levels, or used a manual mode to dial back the shutter speed. The photos were blurry and blown out, not very good.
Eclipse shot with Nikon D750 at 400mm (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)Philip Berne / FuturePhilip Berne / FuturePhilip Berne / FuturePhilip Berne / FutureIn the end, I got a couple of good shots from the iPhone on the telescope. They were better than the shots my friends took with their phones, and they impressed the people I shared them with. From my own perfectionist standards, I was disappointed with my pics, but I wasn’t disappointed at all with the experience.
In fact, I’m happy that I didn’t try much harder to take great photos, because at the last minute I chose to sacrifice the pics and enjoy the eclipse. It was amazing. It was the greatest natural phenomena I’ve ever seen. For the next eclipse, I’ll bring only one camera, and only one easy plan, and if I screw it up then I won’t even care. The best photo I could get would pale in comparison to the totality of the real thing.
You might also like...- I shot the eclipse with an iPhone 15 Pro Max, Google Pixel 8 Pro and a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra – here's which one did best
- You took amazing smartphone eclipse photos, but reminded me why I didn't use Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra's 100x Space Zoom
- How to photograph the total solar eclipse with your camera or smartphone
- Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick defends Grand Theft Auto 6's $80 base price
- He says, "Our goal is to deliver way more value to consumers than what we charge them"
- The CEO says GTA 6 will be "an incredible bargain"
Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick has defended Grand Theft Auto 6's $80 base price, saying Rockstar Games will "overdeliver" on the experience.
Speaking during a Q&A session after the publisher's Q1 FY27 financial report, Zelnick explained that the game's cost has everything to do with maximizing price by delivering on an experience that will last for consumers.
"Our goal is to deliver way more value to consumers than what we charge them," Zelnick said when asked why it decided to leave NBA 2K27's base pricing at $70 compared to GTA 6, which is priced at $80, and how Take-Two will go forward with pricing other "premium" AAA titles. "And the truth is that the real cost of a AAA video game is a whole lot lower today than it was 20 years ago.
"Pricing has not kept pace with inflation. And our goal is to continue to overdeliver for our consumers because how you feel about any experience is the intersection of the experience itself and what you paid for it."
He continued, "So, to say that we expect that Grand Theft Auto 6 will be an incredible bargain as experiences go is a gross understatement, because Rockstar Games is known for overdelivering."
Zelnick also pointed to GTA Online, which is now 13 years old but continues to draw in millions of players every year, suggesting that a premium experience will keep players engaged, no matter the cost.
"Remember, we're 13 years after GTA Online was launched and people are still highly engaged," he said. "We have record-setting engagement at times. So, that's our goal.
"Our goal is not to maximize price. So, in this case, I think what we've decided to do makes a whole lot of sense in the context of what we're delivering. And that's the lens through which we're going forward as well."
GTA 6 will launch on November 19 with two editions: the Standard and Ultimate Edition. While the former costs $79.99 / £69.99, the more expensive $99.99 / £89.99 Ultimate Edition will offer additional content. While initially criticized by fans, Zelnick told analysts during the Q&A that it's selling more than the Standard Edition.
Take-Two also reported earnings of $1.39 billion during GTA 6's pre-order period, which Zelnick called an "exceptional start to pre-orders," but couldn't share specific sales numbers.
- Facial recognition systems are expanding to the London Underground
- British Transport Police say images will be checked against a watchlist
- Privacy groups are calling the technology intrusive
The debate over public surveillance and privacy is only getting more intense, with the British Transport Police (BTP) the latest organization to stoke the fires: it's expanding a trial of Live Facial Recognition (LFR) technology across several London Underground stations from today.
As per the BTP's official statement, this will start at Victoria and then rotate around other stations until November. "Our deployments are intelligence-led and focused on identifying people wanted by the police or courts, including those suspected of serious offences and those who may be breaching bail conditions or court orders," says the BTP.
The cameras work by comparing scanned faces to a watchlist of suspects and criminals wanted by the police. If there's a match, it's reviewed by a police officer — if not, the image is "immediately and permanently" deleted. The tech is already in use at other transport hubs in London, but is now being expanded to the Tube.
As for opting out of being surveilled, the police say the cameras will come with clear signage, and that "alternative routes" will be available too — which presumably the criminals can also sneak through. It's not clear if sunglasses and a hood would help you avoid being scanned, but you might be politely asked to remove them.
A 'dystopian' expansionA map of Victoria Tube station showing the alternative routes (Image credit: British Transport Police)According to the BBC, the BTP are looking out for people wanted in connection with serious offences, including sexual assault, robbery, and knife crime. Police intelligence data will be used to select the stations covered by the cameras, with the aim of reducing violence and harassment.
However, as the BBC points out, scans of some 530,000 faces across UK railway stations since February have resulted in zero matches, zero arrests, and one false identification. That's based on the BTP's own deployment logs, suggesting that to date the technology isn't helping much.
Big Brother Watch director Silkie Carlo suggests that the tech "treats the public like suspects" and is a "disturbing and dystopian expansion" of facial recognition systems. The privacy rights group has long been campaigning against the use of these cameras, arguing that they're intrusive and unnecessary.
The reaction online has been mostly negative too: comments in one Reddit thread question the effectiveness of this type of facial recognition, and air concerns about more nefarious uses of the tech further down the line. However, others also point out that public transport stations are already extensively covered by camera monitoring.
- Spotify is introducing AI Persona tags in mid-September
- The platform aims to improve user transparency by differentiating real artists from AI-generated ones
- Spotify only reviews an artist's profile and images, and not the music itself
Spotify has fallen short on the AI transparency front compared to some of the other best music streaming services, with users pining for a fix — and now the platform is taking its biggest step yet towards combatting AI slop.
The streaming giant announced today (August 11) the arrival of new AI Persona tags, which are designed to differentiate human artists from ones that are AI-generated. Spotify says these tags will roll out to mobile in mid-September, and will appear in an artist’s profile banner, ‘About’ section, in Search, and in song rows in playlists.
Once they become available, users can be safe in the knowledge that the artists they’re listening to haven’t been generated by AI. Spotify added that artists with AI Persona tags will be excluded from all personalized recommendations by default, ensuring that your music-discovery regime remains uninfected by slop.
(Image credit: Spotify)Though AI Persona tags won’t roll out for another month or so, Spotify says artists can already disclose if their profile is AI-generated. If an artist declares this, a tag reading ‘AI Persona’ will appear next to their name. ‘We hope artists will be transparent, so we are giving them the opportunity to disclose,’ the service shared in its announcement — but it’s not putting all its trust into self-disclosure.
Instead, Spotify says it will take matters into its own hands if need be, and will conduct reviews of profiles where it thinks an artist’s images have been created using generative AI to imitate a lifelike persona. If Spotify detects that an artist profile might be AI-generated, it will display a tag that reads ‘Likely AI Persona’, and the artist will be notified and given the option to self-disclose or appeal.
It’s taken Spotify a long time to catch up to the likes of Deezer when it comes to improving its transparency on AI-generated music. Deezer was the first major audio streaming service to roll out tags that explicitly say if a track has been AI-generated, and recently its Head of Research told us why we need AI filters more than ever.
Spotify’s own AI Persona tags mark a big shift for the platform, and will certainly improve the user experience by giving listeners more peace of mind. However, Spotify’s feature comes with an important caveat.
It reviews the profile only, not the music (Image credit: Spotify)AI Persona tags are just one of the ways Spotify has been working towards improving transparency for users. Verified by Spotify was launched a few months back — this is a certification feature that shows if an artist is legitimate, but it’s not as watertight as we’d hoped it would be.
Additionally, Spotify’s SongDNA gives listeners a comprehensive overview of the creatives behind their favorite songs, while AI Credits give artists the opportunity to share where and how they’ve used AI in their music production. It’s not as upfront as Deezer’s methods, but the measures are in place nonetheless, and AI Persona tags are the cherry on top.
That said, AI Persona tags target an artist’s public image, not how the music was made, which could present some issues, as it still leaves room for AI-generated music to slip its way onto the platform.
If Spotify detects that an artist is human-presenting, how are we to know that artist won’t upload AI-generated music to their profile? There’s nothing stopping that artist from publishing slop, because Spotify reviews their name, imagery, and public identity, not the music they upload.
It’s a tricky one, because while Spotify has measures in place that evaluate music and artist image respectively, it doesn’t have a comprehensive tool that reviews both components simultaneously, which again isn’t as upfront as Deezer.
As far as AI-generated content in Spotify goes, I’ve been one of the lucky ones who hasn’t encountered this issue. Because my love for physical media and radio impacts what I listen to on Spotify, I suspect that my algorithm has been trained enough to push AI slop out of my recommendations.
I do think that on top of my streaming habits, Spotify’s anti-AI music measures have helped to keep the fence up and block out unwanted songs to a certain extent — I just wish its approach to tagging was a bit more robust.
The Shards is now streaming on Hulu for US viewers and Disney+ internationally, as it adapts Bret Easton Ellis' novel of the same name.
In my The Shards review, I was pleased to note that it was a welcome return to form for Ryan Murphy. I was also impressed by how well he adapts the source material into a sexy, glamorous yet dangerous TV series.
If you're here, you're wondering when the next episodes will stream. Much like the two episode premiere, we also get two episodes this week.
Here's what you need to know about the release of The Shards episodes 3 and 4.
What time can I watch The Shards episodes 3 and 4 on Hulu?For US viewers, both The Shards episodes 3 and 4 will drop on Wednesday, August 12 at 6pm PT/ 9pm ET.
Here's when you can stream the new episodes in other countries.
- US – Thursday, August 13 at 6pm PT / 9pm ET
- Canada – Thursday, August 13 at 6pm PT / 9pm ET
- UK – Friday, August 14 at 2am BST
- India – Friday, August 14 at 6:30am IST
- Singapore – Friday, August 14 at 9am SGT
- Australia – Friday, August 14 at 11am AEDT
- New Zealand – Friday, August 14 at 12pm NZDT
After this week's double bill, episodes of The Shards will premiere on a weekly basis until the finale on Wednesday, September 9. We do have another double bill coming up too, which is good news for those who don't like to wait.
For dates as well as the episode titles for the upcoming The Shards releases, take a look below.
- The Shards Episode 1 “Pilot”: Out now
- The Shards Episode 2 “Don’t You Want Me”: Out now
- The Shards Episode 3 “Help Me! Rhonda!”: Wednesday, August 12
- The Shards Episode 4 “Robert’s Party”: Wednesday, August 12
- The Shards Episode 5 “Murder on the Dancefloor”: Wednesday, August 19
- The Shards Episode 6 “Homecoming Part One”: Wednesday, August 26
- The Shards Episode 7 “Homecoming Part Two”: Wednesday, August 26
- The Shards Episode 8 “Hamlet”: Wednesday, September 2
- The Shards Episode 9 “Stairway to Heaven”: Wednesday, September 9