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Few audio brands have made as much noise on social media as Heavys. In the best headphones arena, the company made heavy music (sound)waves with its Heavys H1H headphones, a couple of years ago, and now it has attempted to translate that sound to the wireless earbuds format.
And largely, the H1E True Wireless Earbuds achieve the low-end sound and punchy prominence needed for a specialised listening experience within this music genre, although sadly, it makes them a poor choice for listening to any other kind of music.
Carrying an MSRP of $209 / £185 / AU$321, the Heavys H1E True Wireless Earbuds are far from the cheapest set of in-ears around, although we have seen them discounted to $169 in the US and down to £150 in the UK recently. They're priced to rival mid-range heavy-hitters such as the Samsung Galaxy Buds4 (and arguably even the flagship, hugely popular Apple AirPods Pro 3) rather than the truly elite end of the spectrum — think Technics EAH-AZ100 or Bowers & Wilkins Pi8.
But where those brands aim to provide a broader, more general listening experience, the H1Es are more specialist; instead of an everyday pair, these earbuds are more situational. You're spending around the $200 / £200 / AU$300 range for something that's purpose-built, for better or worse.
In the words of Gojira: Born for one thing. And listening to heavy metal music does sound solid through the Heavys H1E earbuds for the most part, with the vast majority of sub-genres within this spectrum accurately represented. What's particularly noticeable is just how good the dynamic drivers can be. The company promises a "concert-like experience," and even with what are (presumably) 10-14mm drivers (the size hasn't been publicly disclosed), under the right conditions, this has been delivered.
I can praise the Heavy's H1E earbuds' build quality too. A tactile case which can be customized with shells is neat, but the real advantage here is the multiple silicon and memory foam ear tips provided, which make them genuinely really comfortable over time. There's a wealth of sizes available, so you can find the right fit.
This helps to elevate the H1E's otherwise decidedly middling user experience though: a so-so seven hours of playback (24 hours from the case), and some of the most mediocre active noise-cancelling I've seen from earbuds at this price point.
A similar frustration can be levied at the connectivity options of the Heavys H1E earbuds. Low-latency Bluetooth 5.4 multi-connectivity is great when it works, but it doesn't always work. Countless times in my months with the earbuds, I was caught in a loop: the earbuds 'forgot' my phone, forcing me to re-pair and even to re-connect between charges as they don't seem to be intelligent enough to remember my Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max. That's to say nothing of times when only one earbud would work, with the other refusing to connect, which meant restarting the whole process over again. To be clear, this is something I've never experienced with any other earbuds or headphones.
The Heavys H1E True Wireless Earbuds are niche and not without issues, but the listening experience ultimately helps them stand out from the crowd. If you're someone who exclusively listens to heavy metal music, then they could be of value. As a metal musician myself, and someone who has seen thousands of metal bands play live over the last 15 years, I found them to be worthwhile, even if they won't rival what the best wireless earbuds and best earbuds overall can do outside of their specialism. Continue reading my full Heavys H1E review further down the page to find out why.
Heavys H1E review: Price & release dateThe Heavys come in a compact case. You can customize the lid with various designs based on metal bands as well. (Image credit: Future)- Officially unveiled on September 22, 2025, via social media
- Available now, shipping worldwide for $209 / £185 / AU$321
After being revealed on social media late last year, with pre-orders being fulfilled throughout early 2026, you can now get your hands on the Heavys H1E True Wireless Earbuds for $209 / £185 / AU$321, depending on your region. With that said, it isn't uncommon for these wireless earbuds to be available at a reduced rate through the deals the company runs on its store page, knocking anywhere from 10-20% off, depending on the season. Keep an eye out for the green banner around a peak sales time, and you could save some cash.
The price tag positions the Heavys H1E earbuds against the mid-range and higher-end competition. Chiefly, that means more well-known consumer models such as the aforementioned Galaxy Buds4 and the Apple AirPods Pro lineup. It also means a comparable price tag to "enthusiast" class earbuds, as can be seen from the Technics AZ100, and the Noble Audio Osprey. Both of these earbuds (and many more) hover around the $200 / £200 / AU$300 mark, so it's a fairly crowded space. For the audio performance on display, they're priced a little high. More on that further down the page, though.
Heavys H1E review: SpecsDrivers
"Dynamic" (Size not stated)
Frequency range
20 Hz - 20 kHz
Battery life
Up to seven hours (Up to 24 hours with case)
Charging time
90 minutes for earbuds; two hours for the case
Microphone
Dual-mics
Active noice canceling?
Yes. "Hellblocker" ANC paired with passive noise isolation
Software
Heavys app for adjusting EQ and updating firmware
Water resistance?
IPX5 rated water and sweat resistance
Connectivity
Bluetooth 5.4
Heavys H1E review: Design & featuresThe different sizes of ear tips are available in memory foam and silicon for a comfortable fit for long-term use (Image credit: Future)- "Hellblocker" ANC
- Dual microphone setup
- Excellent range of comfortable, changable tips for comfortable use
The Heavys H1E True Wireless Earbuds excel from a design perspective. They're made of a matte molded plastic which feels both premium and incredibly durable; there's IPX5 water and sweat resistance, meaning they can handle a splash of liquid as well. What impresses me most are the multi-sized ear tips that are shipped in the box, as you get a variety of sizes in different materials: memory foam and silicon, for a comfortable fit to suit most (if not all) ear sizes.
I'm someone who struggles with earbuds for long stretches of time, having previously ditched the likes of the Razer Hammerheads because they were too uncomfortable for long periods of use. Having multiple ear tips in various sizes meant I could find the fit that was right for me; whether I was out walking my Belgian Malinois, on a plane, commuting via train, or just working in the house. Once I found the right fit for me, I was away. Hours would go by, and I'd forget I was even wearing them; that's good ergonomic design right there.
A key design element present in the H1H headphones has been applied to the H1E earbuds too. However, instead of interchangeable ear cup shells, decorated to represent your favorite bands, the customization options apply to the case. There's a fair amount of official designs available, including Currents, Testament, Carnifex, Dream Theater, Opeth, and Whitelabel. Additionally, there are some original designs, including profanity-laden options or purple smoke to add a splash of color and personality. The case itself charges via USB-C and takes around two hours to juice up to full, giving you around 24 hours of total use, or around three full recharges of the earbuds' playback time. It's OK rather than great, as those numbers go.
Also so-so in the world of wireless earbuds in 2026 is Heavys' claim of up to seven hours of playback from the H1E earbuds, although your mileage may vary depending on your reliance on that "Hellblocker" ANC, as well as how you dial your EQ settings.
I've used dozens of wireless earbuds and headphones that feature great ANC over the years, and Heavys' Hellblocker solution just isn't it. The feature was also present on the H1H headphones with a dedicated switch to enable it, and worked well enough thanks (almost certainly) to the far larger drivers and mic array on the large ear cups. However, given the small size of the H1E earbuds, any real noise cancellation is pretty poor.
I tend to go out and walk my dog with the H1Es in, and even after hearing the gruff man on voice prompts announce "Hellblocker activated", I was still hearing other dogs barking, passing cars, wind noise, and all other background noise that should have been filtered out. All it really did was make the audio quality a little more muffled.
A good companion application can really elevate a pair of wireless earphones, giving you smart and reactive EQ options, helping you get the best listening experience possible. We've seen this before with Bowers & Wilkins' excellent Music App, to support its lineup of earbuds.
Unfortunately, the official Heavys app is nowhere near as good. Aside from updating the firmware, all it gives you is a basic EQ settings slider, and you're better off leaving it at the default, as it's hard to gear it towards one genre or another. My partner also experienced issues with having the H1Es connect to her Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra via the app, as it wasn't as user-intuitive as you would hope for from earbuds released in 2026.
- Design & Features score: 3.5 / 5
- Prominent bass and good overall low-end presence
- Depending on the mixing, you get decent mids
- 'Hellblocker' ANC changes the listening experience for the worse
The Heavys H1E True Wireless Earbuds are good for metal music most of the time. It's situational and circumstantial, though. As touched upon above, they can sound incredible for metal music, with the major caveat being the trappings of the genre itself. Metal is the most diverse genre of music on the planet, separated into dozens of sub-genres with niches within them. For example, if we look at black metal, you have your classic first and second waves (Venom and Celtic Frost to Mayhem and Emperor) to the likes of atmospheric black, black/death, symphonic black, melodic black, black 'n roll, blackgaze, and the list goes on.
There's no true way to be geared towards all metal music, just as you can't fine-tune an EQ between bands within the same sub-genre of a sub-genre. It can get as granular as different audio balancing for the likes of Archgoat, Belphegor, Behexen, and Behemoth, and that's just scratching the surface. In blanket terms, the Heavy H1E earbuds excel with anything forcing the low-end, particularly with sub-genres such as death metal, grindcore, deathcore, and anything that benefits most from a down-tuned guitar, five-string bass, and percussion cutting through the mix.
In my months with the Heavys H1Es, I've listened to hundreds of metal records, and the best listening experiences I can recall most come from streaming Vomitory, Batushka, Blood Red Throne, Korpse, Vulvodynia, Death, Conan, Kanonenfieber, Mgła, and Imperial Triumphant. The drivers are incredibly punchy, differentiating harsh vocals against bass and lower-tuned guitars, or guitars tuned to E standard that are soaked in distortion; there's good distinction, with no muddiness or fizziness that we see when heavier music genres are played from more general earbuds.
Other metal sub-genres don't really benefit from the low-end tuning of the audio drivers though. I'm nearly 30, and nowadays just as likely to put on some Black Sabbath, Clutch, or Green Lung as anything recorded from the frostbitten valleys of Scandinavia, and it's when listening to clean-sung vocals, or any metal music with more traditional production that the H1Es feel just... okay. Solstafir, Zeal & Ardor, Katatonia, Candlemass, Sleep, Metallica, Slayer, and Acid Bath sounded fine, but the listening experience was about on par with just about any (cheaper) wireless earbuds I've used over the last 10 years.
I really would recommend listening to music without the Hellblocker ANC active, as enabling it via touch controls can drastically impact the overall listening quality. Depending on the mix, things can go from a little muffled to quite tinny. It's not a unique complaint against the H1E earbuds, as ANC can do that, but it's particularly disappointing when the passive noise isolation doesn't filter the outside world out, and you end up having worse-sounding music when trying to fix it. It's not sophisticated enough to do its job, and it really just annoyed me rather than being all too useful.
- Sound quality score: 3.5 / 5
- Expensive for what they are
- Poor overall ANC when compared to the competition
- Stellar situationally, for certain genres of metal music
I've been critical of the Heavys H1E True Wireless Earbuds in this review. Considering the fact that I enjoy using the H1H over-ear headphones so much, I was expecting more of that sound quality and feature set to be carried over, but it hasn't translated as smoothly as I expected.
For the asking price of $209 / £185 / AU$321, there's no getting around the fact that you can get a far superior listening experience from a competitor. USP aside, unless you're really into death metal (or its offshoots), the cons may outweigh the pros here.
The Heavys H1Es are well-designed and comfortable for extended periods of time, and the case is well-made and holds a respectable charge, allowing for 24 hours of total use.
However, the ANC is poor, the Bluetooth connectivity can be spotty, the companion app is mediocre, and they're priced a little too high for what is (essentially) a marketing ploy. Under the right set of circumstances, these earbuds can be exceptional, but with a higher mid-market asking price and stiff competition, they're a hard sell in 2026.
- Value score: 3 / 5
Section
Notes
Score
Design & features
The H1Es are well-built with a sturdy case and have a respectable battery life. Sadly, the ANC is poor and the companion app is lacking
3.5/5
Sound quality
Some metal music sounds incredible coming through the dynamic drivers of the H1Es, with lower-tuned sub-genres, like death metal, metalcore, and deathcore singing. However, that extra weight and low-end prominence can result in a decidedly average sound for everything else
3.5/5
Value
The Heavy H1E True Wireless Earbuds aren't hugely expensive, but they're not a great value buy either when compared to their similarly priced competition from Apple, Google, and Samsung
3/5
Buy them if...You love metal music above everything else
With the right bands and albums on, the Heavy H1Es deliver an exceptional listening experience, particularly if you're into the proper heavy death metal sub-genres.
You sometimes struggle to get buds to fit properly
The different ear tips included (in different, premium materials) with the Heavy H1Es give you plenty of choice for the most comfortable fit during long wear sessions. They also happen to be durable and lightweight in your ear.
You're fine with middling battery life from your buds
So they're not the longest-lasting earbuds on the market; does it bother you? The Heavy H1Es can go for up to seven hours on a single charge, and the case can juice them up three times between charges. The case itself only needs two hours to be able to go again as well. And given the punchy audio, it's not a bad claim.
You want top-tier value for money
At $209 / £185 / AU$321, the Heavys H1E are far from the cheapest wireless earbuds available, comparable to flagship options from Google, Samsung and Apple but without really offering the versatility of their competitors.
You don't listen to *heavy* music
The Heavys H1Es are best when listening to down-tuned guitars, guttural vocals and percussion that's raised high in the mix, such as you'll find in death metal, deathcore, grindcore, and similar sub-genres. If you're into the softer sub-genres, or rock and roll, these are unlikely to do much for you.
Good ANC is a must
Hellblocker ANC technically works but it messes with the audio balancing of certain songs and doesn't do a great job of actually blocking out the outside noise. The trade-off in audio quality isn't worth it.
Bowers & wilkins Pi8
Cambridge Audio Melomania M100
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen)
Price
$399 / £349 / AU$599
$219 / £169 / AU$299
$299 / £299 / AU$449
Drivers
12mm carbon cone
10mm driver, recycled Neodymium magnets
9.3mm
Active noise cancellation
Yes
Yes
Yes
Quoted battery life
6.5 hours (buds); 20 hours (case)
10 hours (buds) 33 hours total (with case) with ANC on
6 hours (buds) 24 hours total (with case)
Weight
7g per earbud
6.65g per earbud
7.7g per earbud
Connectivity
Bluetooth 5.4 with aptX, aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless; USB-C with two cables in the box for case retransmission
Bluetooth 5.3, aptX Lossless, aptX Adaptive, AAC, SBC (USB-C and wireless charging)
Bluetooth 5.3, USB-C, aptX Adaptive, Snapdragon Sound
Frequency range
Not stated
Not stated
Not stated
Waterproofing
Yes, IP54
Yes, IPX4
Yes, IPX4
Other features
Triple core processor architecture; class A/B amplification; three mics per earbud with noise suppression for calls
High performance audio mode
The Technics EAH-AZ100 are a little more expensive than the Heavys H1E True Wireless Earbuds, but wow do they deliver best-in-class ANC, with a balanced feel, and great ergonomics, making them hard to beat.
Read our full Technics EAH-AZ100 review for more
Meanwhile, these guys are cheaper! Cambridge Audio Melomania A100 earbuds punch well above their weight with a pleasing overall sound and strong noise canceling, all for a price that's hard to beat.
Read our full Cambridge Audio Melomania A100 review
- Tested for a period of three months while comparing them to other wireless earbuds, headphones, and gaming headsets around my office.
- Primarily used when outside walking my dog, commuting via plane or train, and running errands.
- Throughout my listening experience, I mostly used Apple Music's Loseless tracks, Spotify, Bandcamp, and YouTube Music depending on the artist's availability.
I've been using the Heavys H1E True Wireless Earbuds over the last few months when I've been out and about, heading somewhere for work, walking the dog, or doing chores. They've lived in the case in the pocket of my jacket or my shoulder bag, and were actively used during commuting. For testing purposes, I did actively switch between them and the Heavys H1H over-ear headphones to compare sound quality and features.
Most of my time using the Heavys H1Es was spent with the earbuds connected to my iPhone 15 Pro Max. Although I did try them out on several occasions with my partner's Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, as well as my MacBook Air M1 (2020), to gauge how well the Bluetooth connection would be.
I am a metal musician (guitarist and vocalist) who has been recording and playing music for over 10 years. I have mixed and mastered many different metal albums, and have seen literally thousands of metal bands play live over the years at gigs and metal festivals, such as Damnation, Incineration, Bloodstock, Snuff Fest, Download, Brutal Assault, and countless others.
- First reviewed September 2026.
- CD Projekt Red and Fool's Theory say there were narrative challenges when developing The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Songs of the Past
- The expansion is about Dandelion, but they didn't want him to "steal the show" from Geralt
- There was also "pressure" to live up to the "legacy" of The Witcher 3's previous expansions, but "pressure is what makes us better"
CD Projekt Red and Fool's Theory have said that developing The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt's third expansion, Songs of the Past, came with some narrative challenges and pressure to deliver.
In an interview with TechRadar Gaming at Gamescom, where Jakub Rokosz, CEO of Fool's Theory and game director on Songs of the Past, and senior quest designer Despoina Anetaki offered new details about the upcoming expansion, the pair revealed the process of developing a new story about Dandelion without stealing the spotlight from Geralt.
Songs of the Past will be The Witcher 3's final expansion and centers on Dandelion, Geralt's best friend, as the monster slayer unravels a new mystery within the bard's homeland of Letten.
Rokosz and Anetaki discussed how the expansion will "complete" The Wild Hunt's story by giving Dandelion the spotlight he deserves, a chapter that CDPR felt was missing from the base game; however, it came with some challenges in how best to center the bard without losing the focus on Geralt as the protagonist.
"The narrative challenge of Songs of the Past was the biggest challenge; we knew we wanted to do an expansion about Dandelion, but he cannot steal the show, right? Because it's a game about Geralt," Rokosz said.
"So, all of us, straight away, we discarded certain ideas because they were too overwhelming. But then, at the same time, if it's a game about Geralt, there is a very fine line between when it's about Geralt and Dandelion and when it's about you just running around Dandelion's home, right?"
The former Witcher 3 senior quest designer also said that the narrative approach was something his team at Fool's Theory spent "absolute days and weeks discussing."
He added, "So there was a very big effort put into this fine balancing of the narrative, where you are there for your friend, but it's still your adventure. But it is about him and his family's matters, you know. And your relationship with Dandelion as well."
Anetaki said another big narrative challenge was "living up to the legacy" of The Witcher 3 and its critically acclaimed expansions, Hearts of Stone and, "especially," Blood and Wine.
"It's difficult to make something that is just as good or, if not better, right?" the developer said. "So it was really important for us, if we were to make an expansion, to make sure it's a compelling story, right?"
(Image credit: CD Projekt Red / Fool's Theory)While Anetaki acknowledged that this came with a lot of pressure, "pressure is what makes us better."
"It's motivating," Rokosz continued, "we always try to outdo ourselves, both Fool's Theory and CDPR. When you're working on a AAA game, there's always something that you want to improve, right? Even if you release a very good AAA game like The Witcher 3, you know there's something we'll improve 11 years later in it, right?
"So we always try to outdo ourselves," he added, before referencing Songs of the Past's demo, which premiered at Gamescom and showcased the many visual and technical improvements.
"Everyone always tries to improve their own discipline, right?" Anetaki said. "Cinematics. A lot of them [developers] have a background in movies, and they try to hone their craft as the years go by, make it better. Same for quest design. We never rest on our laurels. We try to always improve our craft, make stories more nonlinear, more compelling, more memorable for our players.
"Writers have a background. A lot of them have published books, so they're excellent at what they do. They always try to tell amazing stories together with the quest designers and the cinematic designers. Art always tries to push the boundaries, tries to make everything fit the narrative and look as beautiful as possible.
"There are technical challenges that we always try to overcome, so it's always a journey upwards, right? We always try to push the quality."
Songs of the Past is scheduled to launch in 2027.
- A US national security officer has suggested bombing Chinese data centers to prevent them from developing or using AGI
- Cyberattacks are also an option that wouldn't result in full-scale retaliation
- If China can't be trusted with AGI, why should the US be trusted to use it responsibly?
If you’re struggling to compete with your rivals technologically, it’s now worth considering just blowing up their ability to operate - and that's according to a former Obama administration official.
In a document titled “Superpowers and AGI”, former national security official Jacob Stokes says that the government should prepare for the scenario where China develops artificial general intelligence (AGI) before the United States.
In that scenario, Stokes offers a no-holds-barred approach that includes cyberattacks, sabotage, and, of course, simply bombing China’s data centers.
‘Bombing would cross a major threshold’AGI is a theoretical point in AI development where the intelligence of an AI system matches or exceeds human reasoning and intelligence. This level of artificial intelligence could have self-preservation tendencies (think Skynet) or could be used maliciously to launch huge cyberattacks or be used to develop new weapons.
While entirely theoretical, Stokes' report suggests that AGI is inevitable, and the US should be prepared to do anything necessary to prevent China from developing it first. In this scenario, Stokes says that the US should “try to sabotage the leading state's AGI systems, either through physical infiltration or offensive cyber operations; that is, cyberattack."
This approach, Stokes theorizes, might be preferable as “Cyberattacks to sabotage AGI might not provoke large-scale retaliation,” which is a reasonable assumption given the number of state-sponsored cyberattacks China has launched on US critical infrastructure.
Should cyberattacks fail however, Stokes suggests a rapid escalation in response. “The final option would be the most dangerous and carry the most escalation risk: kinetic attacks, meaning destroying things with missiles and bombs."
This has already been seen to be fairly effective in neutralizing AI systems, as the US has experienced in the US with warfighting capabilities knocked offline after Iran hit AWS data centers with missiles.
But bombing Chinese data centers would effectively be a declaration of war, and would likely escalate to retaliatory action - be that with kinetic munitions in response, or something with a bit more firepower.
But if AGI is so dangerous in the wrong hands, who is to say the US is best placed to use it responsibly? And if China cannot be trusted to have AGI because they may use it against the US, who’s to say the reverse isn’t also true? Would China therefore be justified in bombing US data centers for reasons of self-preservation? How do you verify China has AGI in the first place?
Stokes further warns that China could make a “surprise technological breakthrough” that allows the development of AGI, which China would use for “offensive cyber tools — in other words, cyber weapons.”
Currently, there is only one nation that is mass-deploying AI systems in law enforcement, federal agencies, and the military. There is only one nation that has used AI systems to help coordinate bombing and missile campaigns. There is only one nation whose AI companies have developed models that frequently escape testing and attack third parties. It might be worth a quick look in the mirror to decide who can be trusted with AGI.
Via SCMP
If your home office is starting to feel drab as fall approaches, this is the perfect time to give it a quick makeover — and it doesn't have to be expensive. One of the most interesting color palettes around right now uses shades of earthy matcha green paired with bright, polished brass, and IKEA has all the furniture and accessories you need to create the look, starting at just $9.99.
If your existing office furniture is quite neutral, you can transform the overall vibe with just a few carefully chosen accents. IKEA has a great selection of gold-toned picture frames, green lamps (some of which double as Bluetooth speakers), brass desk accessories, and lush artificial plants to bring your workspace right up to date.
For a bigger change, take a look at the current range of deep-green storage solutions, including items that do double-duty as seating (ideal for small spaces). Scroll on for my pick of all the smartest picks at IKEA right now.
Matcha green and polished brass IKEA Kallax Wire Basket IKEA PS 2026 Floor Uplighter IKEA Idåsen Cabinet With Drawer and Doors IKEA Nålmakare Cabinet on Casters IKEA Stockholm 2025 Tray IKEA Kulglass Bluetooth Speaker Lamp IKEA Idåsen Cabinet With Doors and Drawers IKEA Pärlband Tealight Holder IKEA Solvinden LED Table Lamp IKEA Fejka Artificial Potted Plant IKEA Silverhöjden Frame IKEA Kallsup Portable Bluetooth Speaker IKEA Stockholm 2025 Bowl And Dish IKEA Valtorp Bench With Storage IKEA Begåvning Glass Dome With Base IKEA Torsjö Side Table IKEA Fejka Artificial Potted Plant IKEA Höstagille Scented Candle, Metal TinA new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Friday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Friday, September 11 (game #1691).
Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,500 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today — or scroll down further for the answers.
Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.
SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.
Quordle today (game #1692) — hint #1 — VowelsHow many different vowels are in Quordle today?• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 3*.
* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).
Quordle today (game #1692) — hint #2 — repeated lettersDo any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 1.
Quordle today (game #1692) — hint #3 — uncommon lettersDo the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.
Quordle today (game #1692) — hint #4 — starting letters (1)Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 2.
If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:
Quordle today (game #1692) — hint #5 — starting letters (2)What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?• S
• B
• R
• S
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
Quordle today (game #1692) — the answers(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)The answers to today's Quordle, game #1692, are…
- SUPER
- BRUSH
- RESET
- SOWER
Even though I only had three possibilities from my remaining letters I had doubts that my final word was SOWER.
Until this point though it had been stress free, so I needed a bit of risk to feel as if I'd achieved something.
Daily Sequence today (game #1692) — the answers(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1692, are…
- EARTH
- PEACH
- SKIFF
- WAGER
- Quordle #1691, Friday, 11 September: PLUSH, PAINT, RIVAL, AFOUL
- Quordle #1690, Thursday, 10 September: AGENT, EXILE, TITAN, PUREE
- Quordle #1689, Wednesday, 9 September: HAPPY, GONER, SMACK, MOTIF
- Quordle #1688, Tuesday, 8 September: FLUNG, DIARY, HALVE, BERTH
- Quordle #1687, Monday, 7 September: VISIT, CLANK, FEVER, OCEAN
- Quordle #1686, Sunday, 6 September: PILOT, HONOR, BOWEL, TAUNT
- Quordle #1685, Saturday, 5 September: GNASH, GEEKY, WHELP, PUTTY
- Quordle #1684, Friday, 4 September: QUICK, BEEFY, TRUCK, SNAIL
- Quordle #1683, Thursday, 3 September: SIGMA, ESSAY, MERRY, LLAMA
- Quordle #1682, Wednesday, 2 September: INCUR, FELLA, TITAN, FROZE
- Quordle #1681, Tuesday, 1 September: NASAL, ROUTE, ANKLE, MIGHT
- Quordle #1680, Monday, 31 August: ALIVE, LOUSE, ABOVE, MOSSY
- Quordle #1679, Sunday, 30 August: USING, SORRY, FILET, PIPER
- Quordle #1678, Saturday, 29 August: OVINE, ALLOY, VOICE, CARVE
- Quordle #1677, Friday, 28 August: WAIST, EDICT, BONUS, DEUCE
- Quordle #1676, Thursday, 27 August: SHEEN, TRICE, WAGON, BEVEL
- Quordle #1675, Wednesday, 26 August: OPIUM, EPOCH, BESET, FINER
- Quordle #1674, Tuesday, 25 August: BLESS, FELON, PORCH, CHOSE
- Quordle #1673, Monday, 24 August: MAJOR, VERGE, CRUSH, SCOFF
- Quordle #1672, Sunday, 23 August: CHASM, BLAME, PARER, BYLAW
A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Friday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Friday, September 11 (game #1188).
Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.
What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.
SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.
NYT Connections today (game #1189) - today's words(Image credit: New York Times)Today's NYT Connections words are…
- TURN SIGNAL
- WEATHER
- POSTER
- BUMPER STICKER
- VANITY PLATE
- CURSOR
- SPOILER
- TROLL
- SMOKE DETECTOR
- FUZZY DICE
- SPAMMER
- NERD
- RED
- EYELIDS
- HOOD ORNAMENT
- LURKER
What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?
- YELLOW: Vehicle adornments
- GREEN: Chatroom characters
- BLUE: Flickering on and off
- PURPLE: Add a word that means “be aware”
Need more clues?
We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…
NYT Connections today (game #1189) - hint #2 - group answersWhat are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?
- YELLOW: WAYS TO PERSONALIZE A CAR
- GREEN: PEOPLE IN AN ONLINE FORUM
- BLUE: THINGS THAT BLINK
- PURPLE: ______ ALERT
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
NYT Connections today (game #1189) - the answers(Image credit: New York Times)The answers to today's Connections, game #1189, are…
- YELLOW: WAYS TO PERSONALIZE A CAR: BUMPER STICKER, FUZZY DICE, HOOD ORNAMENT, VANITY PLATE
- GREEN: PEOPLE IN AN ONLINE FORUM: LURKER, POSTER, SPAMMER, TROLL
- BLUE: THINGS THAT BLINK: CURSOR, EYELIDS, SMOKE DETECTOR, TURN SIGNAL
- PURPLE: ______ ALERT: NERD, RED, SPOILER, WEATHER
- My rating: Hard
- My score: 2 mistakes
I missed the chance of completing the groups in difficulty order (yellow-green-blue-purple) by getting ___ ALERT ahead of THINGS THAT BLINK, but this was already a far from perfect game.
My two mistakes were logical, in my mind, as I tried SPOILER for both WAYS TO PERSONALIZE A CAR and PEOPLE IN AN ONLINE FORUM.
Speaking of bumper stickers, I recently spotted a niche one at a music festival that featured a picture of David Byrne with a speech bubble saying “How do I work this?” and “How did I get here?” and the legend “Keep honking — I have found myself behind the wheel of a large automobile” — lyrics from the Talking Heads classic Once in a Lifetime.
Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Friday, September 11, 2026, game #1188)- YELLOW: PEOPLE HIRED FOR AN EVENT: BAND, FLORIST, PHOTOGRAPHER, PLANNER
- GREEN: INTERNALIZE: ABSORB, DIGEST, PROCESS, TAKE IN
- BLUE: WAYS TO PRACTICE SELF-CARE: EXERCISE, JOURNAL, MEDITATE, UNPLUG
- PURPLE: THINGS THAT ARE PUSHED METAPHORICALLY: AGENDA, ENVELOPE, LIMITS, LUCK
NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.
On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.
It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.
It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.
A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Friday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Friday, September 11 (game #922).
Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.
Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.
SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.
NYT Strands today (game #923) - hint #1 - today's themeWhat is the theme of today's NYT Strands?• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Don’t obsess
NYT Strands today (game #923) - hint #2 - clue wordsPlay any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.
- EACH
- STEED
- BEAR
- GONE
- GUNGE
- TRIFLE
- LIFE
• Spangram has 7 letters
NYT Strands today (game #923) - hint #4 - spangram positionWhat are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?• First side: left, 4th row
• Last side: right, 5th row
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
NYT Strands today (game #923) - the answers(Image credit: New York Times)The answers to today's Strands, game #923, are…
- LIBERATE
- FREE
- RELEASE
- DETACH
- UNLOOSE
- SPANGRAM: LETITGO
- My rating: Hard
- My score: 1 hint
I didn’t understand today’s theme at first and even after spotting LIBERATE I still needed a hint (FREE) before I finally got going.
I first heard of the phrase LETITGO in the 1990s, when a Buddhist rapper explained the concept to me and how it had helped them deal with fame and pressure.
Initially, I’d thought it was about possessions rather than feelings, but it’s a philosophy I adhere to in the main. That said, in my opinion, certain people in the world deserve all the negative energy we can fire in their direction — letting it go would just be letting them off the hook.
Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Friday, September 11, game #922)- BRIDGE
- BARGE
- SHIP
- DOCK
- PIER
- LIGHTHOUSE
- SPANGRAM: ONTHEWATERFRONT
Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.
I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.
- Ukrainian firm Drone Fight Group has delivered three Humvees fitted with its Kaban remote-control kit
- The Kaban kit bolts on without modifying the vehicle's structure, allowing crews to switch between remote and manual modes depending on their needs
- The primary control link here is Starlink, with analog video and radio communication as a fallback, in addition to an automatic stop if connections are not found
Ukraine has begun converting American-supplied Humvees into remotely operated ground vehicles using a bolt-on kit that leaves the original vehicle intact and routes its control signals through Starlink.
The system is called Kaban, Ukrainian for "boar." Developer Drone Fight Group says it has delivered three converted High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles to Ukrainian formations: the 3rd Army Corps, the 429th Separate Unmanned Systems Regiment "Achilles," and the 49th Brigade.
With over 5,000 Humvees in service in Ukraine thanks to US military aid and grants, the Kaban retrofit could have far-reaching impacts in a war zone where automation is increasingly being used on both sides.
What does Kaban offer the Ukrainian military?Rather than designing a purpose-built robot and waiting for it to reach production, Kaban turns existing hardware units into an unmanned platform on demand. This is crucial in a war where economics dictate much of the conflict, and both sides often have to repurpose aging military hardware to meet their needs.
Kaban installs without modifying the vehicle's structure, and operators can switch between remote and manual driving. This is crucial, as a converted Humvee is still essentially a manually driven vehicle with an add-on, and a crew can physically drive it when the mission requires a person behind the wheel.
SpaceX's Starlink functions as the primary control link for Kaban deployments. The system also supports analog video transmission and radio control as backup channels, letting it hedge its bets in an environment where any single link can be blocked or targeted, rendering devices that rely on it useless.
From the control station, an operator gets vehicle movement plus headlights, infrared illumination, searchlights, two-way audio, and telemetry from the vehicle's onboard computer. Navigation runs on a digital map where the operator plots routes and drops markers, with a predicted trajectory overlay to help maneuver the Humvee.
If the on-device GPS is jammed or spoofed, which is a routine occurrence near the line of contact, the operator can correct the vehicle's position manually instead of losing it to attackers. If the link fails entirely, however, Kaban brings the vehicle to an automatic stop.
The move to a satellite link is a paradigm shift on a battlefield that has recently relied heavily on short-range radio or spooled fiber, both of which require the controller to be nearby. The satellite link essentially lets operators deploy and control military hardware from a much greater distance, improving their safety.
Optional equipment the Kaban can come with for retrofitted Humvees includes thermal cameras, searchlights, net launchers to catch incoming drones, and platforms for launching Ukraine's own drones, making it a highly versatile option on the battlefield.
The news comes as the world sees a massive ramp-up in Ukrainian ground robotics. Ukraine's Ministry of Defense recorded more than 100,000 UGV logistics and evacuation missions in 2026 till August 20, logged in the DELTA combat management system.
Most of those, however, are purpose-built platforms that concentrate on one particular aspect of the military's needs. Kaban bets that the faster route to fleet-scale automation runs through the vehicles a military already owns, a proposition that could have an impact far beyond the Russia-Ukraine war, as militaries worldwide continue to observe the conflict.
- Ford CEO hits back at US government's China claims
- Ford’s new Fathom electric pick-up uses technology licensed from CATL
- The affordable Fathom is part of Ford’s new Universal EV platform
Ford has hit back at criticisms from US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy that the automaker is becoming overly reliant on Chinese car companies, with Chief Executive Jim Farley telling The Wall Street Journal that these are “basic misunderstandings, mistruths, whatever words you want to use.”
The global automaker, which is winding up production of its current F-150 Lightning, is preparing a smaller, more affordable electric pick-up for the masses.
Dubbed Fathom, it will start at $28,350 (around £20,970 / AU$39,540) before destination fees and is the result of work by Ford’s “skunkworks” team, which was assembled to find ways to innovate in the EV space while keeping costs down and competing with increasingly capable Chinese electric vehicles.
However, the Transportation Secretary accused Ford of “actively intertwining its future with Chinese state-backed enterprises,” including a plant that licenses technology from Chinese battery giant CATL, according to the WSJ.
Ford announced in 2023 that it would begin manufacturing its own lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries at the newly formed BlueOval Battery Park Michigan in Marshall.
(Image credit: Ford)The company subsequently confirmed that the plant would use technology and expertise licensed from China-based CATL, but Ford would own and operate the facility and assemble the batteries in the US.
Production of the LFP battery cells destined for Ford’s affordable electric pick-up is now ramping up, with Ford saying it is on track to ship batteries in 2026. Farley is adamant that the arrangement does not amount to handing control of Ford’s future to China.
“We’re not enabling the Chinese to come here,” Farley told the WSJ. “Actually, you could argue the opposite is the case.”
In a statement published by Ford HQ on its media site, the company said that it is the "most American automaker".
"We produce more vehicles in the US, employ more hourly manufacturing workers and export more vehicles from the US than any other automaker", it added.
Despite a retirement in its current form, the F-150 Lightning itself isn't being killed off entirely, either. Ford says production of the current version will end this year, with a next-generation F-150 Lightning EREV planned to offer more than 700 miles of combined range using a battery and gasoline-powered generator.
Analysis: All hopes rest on Fathom(Image credit: Ford)Ford’s CEO has called the creation of its new Universal EV platform, which it hopes will underpin a whole host of new EVs, the company’s “Model T moment,” stating that the platform will help bring electric trucks and vehicles to customers at a more affordable price.
Full details of the Fathom are still to be revealed, but we do know that it will cost less than $30,000 before destination charges when it goes on sale, with a starting MSRP of $28,350 (about £20,970 / AU$39,540). It will use one of Ford’s new LFP battery packs and feature a NACS charging port.
It will also pack bidirectional charging, allowing owners to power tools and other accessories from the batteries, and every Fathom will have the hardware required for Ford’s next-generation BlueCruise hands-free highway driving system.
Four doors, five passengers, a generous rear bed and a front trunk for extra storage will all come as standard, while Ford is targeting a midsize footprint with more passenger space than a Toyota RAV4.
Ford hopes that its electric trucks will finally hit home with a mass-market audience, thanks to the technology on offer and extremely competitive pricing.
Although it will count the Jeff Bezos-backed Slate truck as a key competitor, that pick-up is priced from less than $25,000 (about £18,490 / AU$34,870) before destination charges.
The Valerion VisionMaster Max is an interesting amalgamation. While it sits in the footprint that has become popular with many home theater projectors aimed at the masses, it brings high-end capabilities found in far fewer models. This makes it a powerhouse in the space with flexible optics, making it easy to get a pristine 4K picture in the position and at the size you want.
With its RGB laser light source, the VisionMaster Max offers bright and stunningly colorful visuals. But more impressive than that is its ability to deliver them alongside a deep black floor — something a lot of projectors struggle with. Of the compact projectors I’ve tested, the VisionMaster has come closer than any to rivaling the Sony Bravia Projector 7’s black levels, which were virtually perfect in a dark home theater.
This sets the VisionMaster Max up nicely for success. Combining its display prowess with a solid streaming platform in Google TV and plenty of connections for additional home theater gear make it all that much stronger, helping it stand alongside many of the best projectors.
What holds it back is the same thing that hinders many high-end theater devices: its price. At $4,999 / £4,349 / AU$5,999, it’s a lofty option next to rivals like the Hisense C2 Ultra and Xgimi Horizon 20 Max, both of which undercut it by thousands. Its black level may be hard to touch, but these other models are otherwise very competitive.
With the VisionMaster Max at full price, I’d direct most people to Xgimi. But if there’s ever a sizable discount on it and some bonus bundled items (like the Thunderbeat 4.1.2 wireless sound system), it could be worth your while, especially if you like a deep, dark cinema environment.
Valerion VisionMaster Max review: Price and release date- Release date: October 2025
- Price: $4,999 / £4,349 / AU$5,999
The Valerion VisionMaster Max first got teased well before its arrival at IFA 2024 and became part of a crowdfunding campaign shortly after. It was over a year after the announcement before it actually landed.
Now that it’s here, it comes with a $4,999 / £4,349 / AU$5,999 price tag. That puts it into competition with basically every projector we’ve tested. In the time between announcement and launch, the projector space has heated up considerably, and there are some new models on the horizon that could also make its high-end specs look a little more commonplace.
Though the price is on the high side, at the time of writing, Valerion is offering the VisionMaster Max with some extra accessories included that add considerably to the value. These include projector screens, a Thunderbeat 4.1.2 wireless sound system, and an external lens that can increase the projector’s throw distance. We’ve also spotted a slightly discounted price from some third-party retailers.
(Image credit: Future)Valerion VisionMaster Max review: SpecsScreen sizes supported
40 to 300 inches
Brightness (specified)
3,500 Lumens
Optical technology
3 Laser DLP
Smart TV
Google TV
Connections
2x USB-A, 1x 3.5mm audio out, 1x S/PDIF, 2x HDMI 2.1, 1x HDMI 2.0 (eARC), 1x Gigabit Ethernet
Dimensions
7.3 x 10.2 x 9.2 inches / 185.4 x 259.1 x 233.9mm
Weight
15.4 pounds / 6.99kg
Valerion VisionMaster Max review: Design & features- Wide range of optical adjustments alongside effective automatic adjustments
- Full-featured system with broad support for different formats
- Stylish design
All of Valerion’s projectors share a near identical DNA, so it’s unsurprising to see that the VisionMaster Max has only subtle differences compared to the VisionMaster Pro 2 I tested earlier this year.
The VisionMaster Max is a compact projector measuring only a little over 10 inches in its biggest dimension. It packs all of its hardware into an elegant box with a glossy front and metallic ribs that wrap around the top and sides of the projector. It even has a cover to hide all the ports in the back when not in use for that extra touch of elegance.
The rear includes a good selection of ports with two high-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports and an HDMI 2.0 port that can handle eARC audio transmission. A 3.5mm jack and S/PDIF port can also handle audio output, giving you plenty of options. There are also two USB-A ports (one with USB 3.0 speeds) for powering accessories or connecting local media. A Gigabit ethernet port rounds out the selection here, offering fast networking speeds, though the Wi-Fi 6E can also provide plenty of bandwidth for streaming wirelessly.
(Image credit: Future)The front of the VisionMaster Max is where we see the most difference. It has a large, unobstructed glass cover for its projection lenses. This ties into the extra optical adjustments it allows. The lens supports both motorized zoom, letting it shift from a 0.9:1 to a 1.5:1 throw ratio, and offers a +/- 105% vertical lens shift, helping ensure a perfectly fitted image from more location. The projector even has a system for attaching an external lens that lets it shift out as far as a 2.0:1 throw ratio.
The base of the projector includes three legs for adjusting its angle and tilt, though it also has mounting screw points to let you set it up with ceiling mounts or tripods. Valerion has a metal gimbal stand that works as well, giving it similar flexibility to projectors like the Hisense C2 Ultra or JMGO N1S Ultimate.
You get a fully integrated system with the VisionMaster Max. It includes Google TV and a 24W stereo sound system. The Google TV platform is also run on a quicker processor than most projectors offer, making it far more responsive to use.
Beyond the basics, the VisionMaster Max proves fairly feature-rich. It supports automatic image adjustments to make setup quick. The automatic adjustments can handle optical zoom, keystone, focus, and screen fit, and it proved quite adept in my testing, even when the original projection was all over the place (though manual, optical adjustments can still help ensure you're getting the best picture quality by avoiding digital cropping).
The projector supports high-quality formats and can display HDR10+ and Dolby Vision content, and it can pass through DTS:X and Dolby Atmos audio. It supports 24 and 48 fps content as well as a variety of 3D formats. It also is geared up for gaming with low-latency 4K/60Hz support as well as 1080p/120Hz and 1080p/240Hz modes for even faster response.
(Image credit: Future)One downside of Valerion’s design for the VisionMaster Max is that it packs far brighter projection into the same footprint as its dimmer siblings. That means it has to work harder at cooling. At full brightness, its fans are constantly running. While they’re not obnoxiously loud or shrill, especially in a large room, they’re still adding a bit of noise.
The VisionMaster Max’s remote is a good one, but could have done more to make more of its features quickly accessible. It provides basic Google TV navigation as well as a quick toggle for autofocus and input selection. At the bottom of the remote, it has four pairs of buttons that include four streaming app shortcuts, volume controls, a mute button, and a menu button.
Unfortunately, these aren’t arranged in a way where you can simply feel out the button you want to press in the dark. Though the remote does light up some of its controls for visibility in the dark, it only illuminates a few of the basic navigation ones, not the full legend.
(Image credit: Future)- Design & features score: 4.5/5
- Stunning color alongside serious brightness and impressive black levels
- Sharp 4K picture and faster 1080p option
With a $4,999 / £4,349 / AU$5,999 price tag and plenty of new projectors hitting the market with brightness to rival it, the VisionMaster Max had a high bar to clear. Fortunately, it is absolutely brilliant. It provides its 4K projection with solid edge-to-edge clarity.
I’ve seen RGB-laser projection systems one after another, and they always impress with their extremely wide color gamut. The VisionMaster Max brings that capability alongside high enough brightness levels to use in all sorts of settings.
For casual viewing, I often found the VisionMaster Max’s 3,500 ISO Lumens (a specification which bore out in testing) plenty for all sorts of content without needing to close the blinds or even turn off my living room lights. More often, I found I would dim the projector or adjust its iris to lower the brightness when viewing in a dark room.
(Image credit: Future)The VisionMaster Max pairs those high highs with low lows. A lot of projectors struggle to keep their black levels deep, but this one excels. Its black levels are among the deepest I’ve seen, with only Sony’s $9,999 / £6,999 / AU$13,999 Bravia Projector 7 having been deeper in my recent testing.
While faint light is visible during very dark scenes, brighter scenes see the black pixels of letter boxes fade away entirely. Like the Bravia Projector 7, the black levels are deep enough that you’ll want to consider light absorbing materials elsewhere in your viewing space to avoid light reflecting back onto the projected image and sullying the darkness.
All this combines to make for a wonderful picture. The bright sands of Arrakis dazzle in Dune while all of the detail in the shadows remains. And the colorful world of Pandora in Avatar never looks more splendid than when it’s beaming out of a RGB laser projection system.
Admittedly, the VisionMaster Max can produce over-saturated images in some of its color profiles, and it will suffer from the soap opera effect on occasion. But both of these issues are easily tamped down with Filmmaker Mode or custom picture settings.
(Image credit: Future)The DLP rainbow effect is present on the VisionMaster Max, but about as subtle as I’ve seen from any DLP projector. And that’s before enabling the projector’s special anti-rainbow effect setting, which helps at the cost of a little extra whining noise from the projector.
Going beyond cinema, the VisionMaster Max also happily knocks it out of the park for gaming. Its gaming profile is responsive at 4K/60, but the projector can also swap over to 1080p/240Hz, where it proves stunningly responsive. I blasted my way around levels in Hollow Knight with excellent fluidity that helped me keep pace with the combat.
Naturally, the speakers aren’t quite a match for the projection. But in a small room, they offer punchy audio that’s plenty loud enough to drown out the fan noise. They don’t sound too boxed in, and when it’s called for, they can really boom. Still, they’re better paired with an external audio system, and if you happen to pair it with a Hisense audio system like the HT-Saturn, it can support additional features as if it were a Hisense projector itself.
- Picture quality & performance score: 4.5/5
When it was first announced, the VisionMaster Max had seemed like it would be an unmatched entrant into the market with only extremely high-end projectors ready to rival it on image quality without managing to offer the more friendly and compact design it offered. Models like the Hisense C2 Ultra and JMGO N1S Ultimate could compete somewhat on features, but don’t quite keep up with the VisionMaster Max’s image quality and more flexible optics.
But the market has just shifted with the introduction of the Xgimi Horizon 20 lineup — a far more formidable alternative that’s way cheaper, competitively bright, and featuring a newer DLP chip that can offer VRR for gaming. It also offers advanced optics offering flexible projection.
Still, the fact that Valerion’s projector is arriving so late to the party without some of the new features hurts its value a bit next to the new models landing now at much lower prices.
- Value score: 3.5/5
Attributes
Notes
Rating
Design and features
The VisionMaster Max does a great job of integrating everything you need into a compact and elegant unit. It offers good connectivity, a solid streaming platform, and viable audio in a pinch. It’s also got great optical adjustments that are rare from projectors with its design.
4.5/5
Picture quality and performance
The picture beaming out of the VisionMaster Max is stunning. It gets the rich color of RGB laser projection alongside simply excellent black levels that most of its rivals can’t match. Plus, it can drop down to 1080p/240Hz for ultra-fluid gaming.
4.5/5
Value
The VisionMaster Max undercuts some high-end systems like Sony’s Bravia Projector 7 to score some big points. But its specs aren’t quite as competitive against a new batch of ultra-bright projectors hitting the market with VRR-capable chips and much lower price tags.
3.5/5
Buy it if...Contrast is a big deal to you
The VisionMaster Max is an excellent projector for its visuals, and its contrast is perhaps one of the key assets it has over its competition. Darker black levels help hide letterboxes, digital image adjustments like keystoning, and ultimately help make the rest of the visuals pop.
You want a projector that’s pretty good at everything
The Valerion VisionMaster Max is good in the daytime and stunning at night. It’s great at gaming. It has good audio and supports great options for external sound. It’s even a strong streamer thanks to its fast internals. You won’t face much compromise here.
You can still afford a sound system on top of it
You’re getting a truly excellent visual experience from the VisionMaster Max, but its audio won’t keep up. For a great home theater, an external speaker system is a must here. (Though it’s worth checking to see if Valerion is bundling the Thunderbeat 4.1.2 wireless sound system when you’re shopping)
You’re mostly after gaming
New projectors supporting VRR are right on the horizon, and they’re offering competitive brightness and lower prices. It’s worth holding off to see how they perform before doling out for the VisionMaster Max if you plan to do a ton of gaming.
You’re not going to darken the room often
The VisionMaster Max works decently in a lit room, but its best performance shows only in the dark. If you’re not planning on blacking out your viewing area on the regular, you’ll be just about as well served with a cheaper alternative that doesn’t have the impressive black floor of the VisionMaster Max.
Valerion VisionMaster Max
Sony Bravia Projector 7
Xgimi Horizon 20 Max
Price
$4,999 / £4,349 / AU$5,999
$9,999 / £6,999 / AU$13,999
$2,999 / £2,599 / AU$5,999
Screen sizes supported
40 to 300 inches
90 to 130 inches
40 to 300 inches
Brightness (specified)
3,500 lumens
2,400 lumens
5,700 ISO lumens
HDR support
HDR10+, HLG, Dolby Vision
HDR10, HLG
Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10, HLG, IMAX Enhanced
Optical technology
3 Laser DLP
Laser SXRD
Triple laser DLP
Smart TV
Google TV
N/A
N/A
Connections
2x HDMI 2.1, 1x HDMI 2.0 (with eARC), 1x optical, 1x 3.5mm
2x HDMI 2.1
2x HDMI (x1 eARC), 1x USB 3.0, 1x USB 2.0, 1x 3.5mm, 1x optical audio out
Sony Bravia Projector 7
Here’s what we had to say in our full Sony Bravia Projector 7 review:
“The Bravia Projector 7 commands a high price, but it does so with a jaw-dropping image. Its color could be richer, but I’ve never seen such impressive black levels from a projector. The picture here is so good, you’ll need to tailor your theater around it to maximize performance; otherwise, you’ll be wasting your money.”
Xgimi Horizon 20 Max
If the Valerion VisionMaster Max is too expensive, this is the cheaper alternative I think gets closest in performance. Here’s what we had to say in our full Xgimi Horizon 20 Max review:
“The Xgimi Horizon 20 Max is a brilliant 4K portable projector. It delivers high brightness, strong contrast and bold colors, along with solid built-in sound, responsive gaming performance and tons of useful setup features. The picture requires some adjustment, but the payoff is worth it.”
How I tested the Valerion VisionMaster Max (Image credit: Future)- Tested at home in multiple, real-world viewing conditions
- Presented the display with a variety of media and formats
- I have tested numerous projectors and displays over the last half-decade
I tested the Valerion VisionMaster Max at home, in real-world conditions. This saw it faced with ambient light coming in from numerous windows, in-room lighting, as well as ambient noise that both the projector and speaker systems had to overcome. The projector was tested both against a bare, white wall and an Akia Screens CineWhite screen. It was presented with streamed content, HDR and non-HDR, and PC gameplay.
My testing evaluates the projector’s performance with respect to its price and competition from other models I and colleagues at TechRadar have tested.
I have been testing projectors since 2021 and displays for even longer.
- First reviewed: September 2026
- Read TechRadar's review guarantee
- RAND report claims the civilian space contractor workforce in the US can not support rebuilding lost satellites within 12 to 24 months of a war with either Russia or China
- The benchmark timeline is based on RAND's own assumptions and calculations surrounding a protracted war with either regional superpower
- The report highlights labor gaps that are as dire as 19:1 in certain cases when it comes to engineering replacements
A new report has warned the United States might struggle to replace satellites lost in a space war because it lacks the requisite workers.
The report, "Breaking Glass, Missing Hands", was sponsored by the Vice Chief of Space Operations and conducted by RAND Project AIR FORCE, the Department of the Air Force's own federally funded research center, as part of a fiscal 2024 project titled "In Emergency, Break Glass."
It does not, however, focus on the Department of the Air Force's internal workforce or Space Force civilian employees; instead, it highlights shortfalls in the civilian sector.
An overly ambitious reconstruction timeline?RAND's report identifies shortfalls in three groups: engineers with bachelor's degrees or higher, skilled touch labor (technicians and assemblers), and advanced-degree specialists in electro-optical sensing and radiation hardening.
None of these are easy to replace or replicate in a short period, but one must consider that the 12- to 24-month target is one RAND has self-assessed in an industry that can take as much as a decade to replace satellites on average.
RAND notes that no such formal requirement exists, adding that the creation of the Space Force in 2019 could be read as a tacit acknowledgment of near-term dependence on space.
The people the report is most worried about, interestingly, are cleanroom technicians, welders, and solderers, not scientists, because of the labor shortages in play that already come to roughly nineteen jobs for one qualified individual.
This is further exacerbated by RAND essentially trying to set a somewhat aggressive standard that the Pentagon has yet to define formally. It also cited security clearance delays as a hiring bottleneck, with initial Secret investigations averaging more than 87 days in fiscal 2024 and Top Secret cases running close to six months.
Interestingly, RAND notes that in a conflict where the adversary can destroy systems faster than the United States can launch replacements, building exact replicas with known vulnerabilities may accomplish little, especially in a protracted war.
It also offers a startlingly small remedy for what it paints as a significant problem: RAND's recommendations cost an estimated $4 million a year for scholarships and internships, $1 million a year for outreach and recruitment, and a one-off $800,000 feasibility study on retraining workers from adjacent industries.
This is a minuscule amount compared to the roughly $32 billion the US Space Force is expected to have in play for Fiscal 2027, clocking in at just 0.016 percent of that figure, and 0.003 percent of the $185 billion earmarked for the Golden Dome project.
A war might not be required to exacerbate the issue, however; the White House's space transportation policy released in August targets more than 1,000 launches and reentries by 2030, up from roughly 200 a year today. A wartime surge without the requisite employees in training or in reserve could only further complicate those goals.
I’ve been a tech journalist and reviewer for about eight years, and in that time I’ve had most Apple Watch models on my wrist at one point or another. I’ve always loved how Apple’s wearable looks, and how it’s an extension of the iPhone in all the ways that matter, making it easy to triage notifications, check the weather, control music, and more.
It’s also been an ideal fitness companion since I began using one with the Series 0 back in 2015, but while my current Apple Watch Series 11 is a fantastic device, I’ve been testing alternatives — and there’s one thing many of them do that Apple Watch doesn’t… until now.
Apple Watch is finally getting the feature I’d buy a Fitbit forIn case you missed it, Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 will introduce a new ‘Readiness’ feature to watchOS.
If that sounds familiar, it’s because Google and Fitbit, Garmin, Whoop and others have been offering a similar feature for years. Google’s Daily Readiness Score acts as a sort of fulcrum between all captured metrics, including heart rate, sleep, exercise, rest, and much more. It takes all of those data points and turns them into a single, easy-to-parse number that shows how prepared your body is for the day ahead.
The idea is that if you’ve had a rough night of sleep, have had a lot of stress, or just haven’t been moving much, you’ll get a lower score, which suggests you’ll probably want to take it easy.
On the flip side, if you’re well-rested and have been smashing your workouts with energy to spare, you’ll get a higher score to help push you to keep it up.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been begging, on this very site and elsewhere, for Apple Watch to take a leaf out of Fitbit’s book. The best Apple Watches excel at making fitness tracking easy and accessible to all, and this felt like the biggest missing piece of the puzzle after years of very welcome improvements.
How does it work?(Image credit: Apple)Apple went to great lengths to highlight that the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 offer the most accurate heart rate sensing in a wearable (which presumably includes the best smart rings, too). A big part of this is a revamp to the underlying sensor technology that Apple Watch uses, with the new hardware checking for heart rate readings 60 times more frequently than last year’s models, as well as 24 times as many HRV readings at night.
Because there’s a lot more data to work with, Apple’s algorithms and the S11 chip are able to more accurately determine your readiness score. It also ties into the Vitals app, which arrived with watchOS11, to allow you to more easily spot patterns and trends in health data, and understand how your body is responding to exercise and daily life.
So, will I put my money where my mouth is? It’s hard to say. I moved from the original Apple Watch Ultra to an Apple Watch Series 11 last year, and absolutely love my current wearable. That makes it hard to justify the upgrade, as much as I’ve been banging the drum for this feature for almost a decade. Maybe next year…
- Alien Deathstorm head of design Ben Fisher says the game's engineer protagonist "felt like a natural fit" in the game's environment and narrative
- He says Rebellion wanted to match an interesting character with "interesting mechanics" and landed on an engineer
- Producer Martin Willingham says "the motive was making the player feel immersed in the experience and exposed"
Rebellion has revealed the influences behind Alien Deathstorm and explained why it chose an engineer protagonist for its first-person survival horror game.
In an interview with TechRadar Gaming at Gamescom, producer Martin Willingham and head of design Ben Fisher shared that the team was, of course, inspired by the iconic Alien movies, but also looked at the broader influence of "90s cassette futurism" to create "that gritty, grounded sci-fi atmosphere."
"A lot of the tone came from our own 2008 comic series as well," Fisher said. "That kind of broad, pulpy, accessible sci-fi storytelling."
When discussing the intention behind having Deathstorm's protagonist be a protagonist instead of a typical soldier, Willingham explained that the studio wanted to find an interesting character that matched "interesting mechanics," and an engineer "felt like a natural fit."
The perspective also enabled Rebellion to "explore the elements of the sandbox gameplay," and an engineer working to diagnose the problems within a dangerous environment surrounded by monsters worked well.
"So part of the motive was making the player feel immersed in the experience and exposed," Fisher said, "because if you're an engineer trying to survive in that situation, you're less trained than a space marine or something like that [or] some kind of future soldier.
"You're going to feel more at threat. So it amplifies that feeling of being isolated, doing the best in a difficult situation."
While that's one aspect, the developer also said that the other is the added "moments of anticipation" that come with the engineer role, like the build-up you get in a horror experience while trying to complete your objective.
"You've got to slow down and observe the space, so you're not just rushing to the next objective," he added. "You're actually getting immersed in the experience, and that means that when you start hearing the roar of a distant alien, that split of attention builds up a whole load of anticipation and a load of fear."
Alien Deathstorm launches in Spring 2027 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Series S, and PC.
Apple's first foldable phone has arrived, and if you've decided the iPhone Duo is the handset for you, you'll want to get a case organized sharpish. The unique proportions mean not all of my favorite case-makers have their Duo cases sorted just yet — however, there are still plenty of excellent covers that are are available to buy (or pre-order).
For a phone this high-spec (and pricey), I'd definitely recommend spending a bit more and sticking to known brands for your case. Below you'll find recommendations for the US and for the UK, from Apple direct, as well as via trusted brands OtterBox, Spigen and Mous. I'll update this guide as more options become available, but if you have your Duo on its way now, you won't want to wait.
Foldables not your thing? Here are the best US iPhone 18 Pro cases and the best UK iPhone 18 Pro cases, for Apple's new flagship.
Apple iPhone Duo cases — USIn the UK? Hop to the UK case picks
Apple iPhone Duo Folio With Kickstand – Navy BlueiPhone
Apple iPhone Duo Case – Sand OtterBox Lumen Series Case, Clear Spigen Air Fit Pro Case, Black Spigen Tough Armor Pro Case, Metal Slate Mous Super Thin Aramid Fibre case, Black Spigen Tough Armor Pro Case, Black OtterBox Defender Series Pro XT Case, Black Spigen Slim Armor Pro S Case, Black Apple iPhone Duo Case – Navy Blue Apple iPhone Duo cases — UK OtterBox Defender Series Pro XT Case, Black/clear Apple iPhone Duo Case – Navy Blue Apple iPhone duo folio With Kickstand – Taupe Spigen Tough Armor Pro Case Mous Super Thin Aramid Fibre case, Black Spigen Slim Armor Pro S Case, Black Spigen Nano Pop Case OtterBox Lumen Series Case, Clear Spigen Nano Pop Case