News
- Egyptian developer demonstrates how to block ads with an ESP32-C3 "SuperMini" board
- ESP32 ad-blocking dongle costs just $5 to build
- 537,000 blacklisted domains are stored in the device’s 4MB of flash memory
When online ads become a problem, ad-blocking software is a good idea, used in conjunction with dedicated hardware like a Raspberry Pi running Pi-Hole. But what if the device is rebooting or otherwise out of action? Egyptian developer ZedAxis claims to have developed a solution that might inspire a rethink on how online whitelisting and blacklisting is processed.
Relying on a sub-$5 ESP32-based mini board, the device somehow squeezes over 500,000 domains into paltry 4MB of onboard flash storage.
The build has been demonstrated on YouTube, with the video of the “DNS sinkhole” apparently providing how simple it is to set up. All the hard work has been done by ZedAxis, with the code available via GitHub.
What is an ESP32-C3?ZedAxis has built the compact Pi-Hole substitute from a $5 ESP32-C3 “SuperMini” board, easily available from online stores (currently £3.50 on the UK Amazon). These devices feature USB-C for power, Bluetooth 5.0, and crucially for a project like this, Wi-Fi.
The board has been paired with a USB adapter and a 3D-printed case to enable it to be plugged into a power source – in this case, the back of a router, but it could be a TV, console, or any other always-on device with an unused USB port. Direct access to the device is available through a web dashboard, it supports mDNS for easy discovery, and can download over-the-air (OTA) updates.
Code for the project is available on the developer’s GitHub, where the unusual compression that shrinks over 500,000 domains into 4MB of flash storage is explained.
Isn’t that a lot of domains for 4MB?Strictly speaking, 4MB should not be able to hold 500,000 domains. As described on the project’s GitHub, the actual figure is around half that (141,000 taking up “~2.5 MB of RAM”). So how are the 537,000 domains squeezed into 4MB of RAM?
The board chosen is specifically free of PSRAM (so it just has the flash) and rather than 32-bit or 64-bit, hashes the domains into 40-bit FNV-1a, an algorithm designed for speed and low-collision rates. So, 141,000 domains can be squeezed into 0.7MB of flash, with under 50 KB of RAM apportioned for matching the blacklisted ad domains.
In most cases, the blacklist is limited to around 250,000 domains as OTA firmware updates need around 1.3MB of the flash. But this can be determined when the device is set up and the first blacklist pull is made. Other features are set to be added to this project, including set up as a DHCP server.
The big question is, could this be adopted by, say, small businesses looking for a reduction in broadband bandwidth being eaten by ad networks?
- Report finds 80% of Gen Z investors now rely on AI for guidance, 58% would let it advise more actively
- AI tools are democratizing investing because they’re free/cheap and convenient
- Transparency, citations, and clear safeguards are still in demand
New data from Opinium has revealed 80% Gen Z investors now use AI for investment-related guidance, putting them far ahead of Baby Boomers (17%) and Gen X (47%).
But younger investors seem to be using it much more than just educational reasons, such as explaining terminology or researching investments – they’re even using it in actual decision-making.
The report added nearly three in five (58%) of Gen Z investors would be likely to use AI to decide where to invest their money. While this is still lower than the total number of younger investors who would use AI, it still means more than half are trusting tools like ChatGPT and Gemini with how they allocate their money.
Is AI democratizing investing for everybody?The report also quantifies the generational gap in trust, with only 29% of Gen Z investors not trusting AI-generated information compared with 49% across all age brackets. But trust actually rises after users have experienced artificial intelligence, with 72% of users noting they trust it.
What the data also implies is that artificial intelligence has made investing more accessible to more people – 43% say they started using AI tools because it was free, and 41% valued its speed and convenience.
More than a third (38%) of female investors said they felt more comfortable asking AI than a person compared with 27% of male investors, highlighting the technology’s impacts in democratizing investing.
Opinium notes that AI chatbots could be helping to reduce the embarrassment associated with beginners asking basic questions.
Trust is more important than ever where finances are invovledBut when it comes to trusting machines with financial decisions, users still demand high levels of trust. The most frequently cited trust-building measures include seeking evidence that the information is both accurate and current (28%), cross-checking it against data elsewhere (25%) and transparency about the sources used (23%).
“Trust still depends on transparency,” Opinium Associate Director James Nicandrou wrote. “Investors want to know that information is accurate and easy to verify.”
“As AI becomes more widely used in financial decision-making, clear safeguards and signposting will be crucial to helping people use these tools confidently and responsibly.”
All in all, the study shows how younger people are increasingly beginning their investment journeys by asking AI assistants to explain concepts and compare options, but the same trust and accountability that enterprises are battling when trying to implement organization-wide AI is also proving to be just as important for the end user.
While the precise figures differ, Yonder research with the FCA also found that consumers are increasingly using AI for personal finances – 72% said they use it to summarize and explain information, while 61% ask it to suggest actions on their behalves.
Earlier Freetrade research also sets the foundations, noting how 91% of its respondents lacked confidence in investing. One of its suggestions was to improve education for younger adults, with senior analyst Dan Lane noting that “the greatest advantage you can give your investments is time.” With the latest trends revealing that younger adults are getting to grips with investing thanks to AI, accessibility certainly looks to be improving.
Don't ask me what happened in any single episode of The Big Bang Theory, because I honestly can't remember.
Across 12 seasons, a myriad of in-jokes, long-standing gags and endless scientific lore were created, and you can bet your bottom dollar that hardcore fans won't have forgotten a single thing.
This level of detail initially made me nervous to try watching new HBO Max spinoff, Stuart Fails to Save the Universe.
Our titular heroic lead, on-off girlfriend Denise (Lauren Lapkus), as well as friends Kripke (John Ross Bowie) and Bert (Brian Posehn), are brought back together when Stuart (Kevin Sussman) triggers a multiverse armageddon by accidentally breaking a device built by Sheldon (Jim Parsons) and Leonard (Johnny Galecki).
Clearly, the spinoff is its own thing, but there's enough of a TBBT connection to assume that you'll need to know the ins and outs of the main season in order to enjoy it.
That's not the case, though. Not only can you be a Big Bang dunce and still have a whale of a time watching — and perhaps more importantly, always understand what's going on — Stuart Fails to Save the Universe is actually designed to contradict the existing IP lore, according to creators Zak Penn and Bill Prady.
'You're not obligated to be consistent'"One of the wonderful things about moving from universe to universe is you're not obligated to be consistent," Prady tells me.
"We're in a different universe. When we were doing this, I was always reminded of an episode of Doctor Who where the Doctor is confronted with the with the inconsistency in the episode that they're in. He points out that time is more of a vague 'timey-wimey' kind of thing, and I think we had a lot of that going on to say, 'This is a different universe, and that's how it is in this universe.'"
Even from episode 1, which drops on HBO Max on July 23, you can see how it would break your brain to try and conform to the rules and regulations of TBBT.
Stuart and the gang are frequently confronted with alternative versions of themselves and others are each aware of completely different things... and that's before we consider that there's always an overarching physical difference to each universe visited.
"We kind of approached it like we're not trying to construct this perfectly organized science fiction idea," Penn adds. "In fact, we want to both violate the ideas that we set up and then have the characters acknowledge that that's what we've done. We do that quite a bit.
"There's characters all over the season mentioning that things don't really make sense... nobody can follow it. That was a deliberate choice because. The show isn't designed to be something that's a puzzle to figure out perfectly."
As the saying goes, if you can't beat them... be bewildered by the choices being made around you. Trust me: part of the fun is trying to keep up with the multiverse madness and second-guessing what comes next — and you'll never, ever be right.
Samsung’s new Galaxy Z-series foldables have been officially unveiled, and pre-orders have also kicked off in Australia.
We’ve covered Samsung’s pre-order offers through its Australian eStore here, but retailers and telcos across the country are jostling for your attention with their own pre-order deals.
The best outright pre-order deals are direct from Samsung with up to AU$650 in savings, while the best telco deal is from Vodafone, with savings of up to AU$1,000.
In case you missed the Galaxy Unpacked last night, you can check out our live coverage of the launch. As for the handsets themselves, you can also read our first impressions of the newly redesigned Z Fold 8, Z Fold Ultra and the Z Flip 8.
I’ve collected the best outright and telco deals for the 2026 Samsung foldable range below, with links taking you straight to the pre-order pages:
Best Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 pre-order dealsTrade in any qualifying device (with a value of at least AU$1) and you can get an extra AU$150 credit off the Fold 8 with this exclusive pre-order offer. If you bundle the Fold 8 with a Galaxy Tablet, Watch, Buds, Ring or other accessories, use the code UNFOLD2026 to take $150 off your entire cart (until July 25, which then drops down to AU$50 off until August 14). You can also redeem Rewards Points to save more, and check out with PayPal for an extra AU$150 off. But that’s not all — if you want more storage, our exclusive code TR-FOLD8 will take another AU$200 off the 1TB model.View Deal
While Amazon isn't discounting the device per se, you’ll receive a AU$300 Amazon credit and 20% off selected Samsung accessories.View Deal
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 | Vodafone Small Promo Plan | 80GB | 24 months | AU$128.28p/m
Vodafone is offering a AU$700 handset discount and discounting its Small Plan by AU$13p/m off (plus mobile data boosted to 80GB), but what makes it the best telco deal is the addition of a AU$300 credit when you trade in an old device. View Deal
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 | Optus Small Choice Plus Plan | 60GB | 24 months | AU$126.18p/m
If you’re not looking to trade in your old phone, Optus slightly beats Vodafone’s offers with a AU$750 handset discount for the Galaxy Z Fold 8, as well as a AU$15p/m off plan fees for the first 12 months.View Deal
Best Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra pre-order dealsLike the Z Fold 8 above, the bonus trade-in credit here is also AU$150 on qualifying devices, and the Unpacked Eco-Voucher and PayPal savings also apply, and using the TR-FOLD8 exclusive code will take AU$200 off the 1TB model.View Deal
Like the Z Fold 8 above, pre-ordering from Amazon will net you a AU$300 credit and 20% off selected Samsung accessories.View Deal
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra | Vodafone Small Promo Plan | 80GB | 24 months | AU$140.78p/m
The AU$700 handset discount and AU$300 trade-in bonus credit from the Z Fold 8 above also apply here, with the monthly cost at AU$140.78p/m with Vodafone's cheapest plan.View Deal
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra | Optus Small Choice Plus Plan | 60GB | 24 months | AU$138.69p/m
Like the Z Fold 8 above, Optus is offering a $750 discount on its Ultra sibling, as well as a AU$15p/m off plan fees for the first 12 months.View Deal
Best Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 pre-order dealsThe trade-in credit for the Z Flip 8 is lower at AU$100 during the pre-order period, and the potential savings from the UNFOLD2026 Unpacked Eco-Voucher (AU$150 off during the first 72 hours) and checking out with PayPal (a further AU$150 off) apply here, too.View Deal
Just like its more premium siblings above, pre-ordering the Galaxy Z Flip 8 from Amazon will give you a AU$300 credit and 20% off selected Samsung accessories.View Deal
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 Ultra | Optus Small Choice Plus Plan | 60GB | 24 months | AU$94.92p/m
Optus is also giving the Z Flip 8 a $750 discount like the two more premium handsets above, as well as a AU$15p/m off plan fees for the first 12 months.View Deal
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 | Vodafone Small Promo Plan | 80GB | 24 months | AU$105.36p/m
The Z Flip 8 gets a smaller AU$500 handset discount at Vodafone, but the trade-in credit is the same at AU$300 like the Z Fold 8 and Ultra. The monthly cost of AU$105.36p/m with Vodafone's cheapest plan makes it more expensive than Optus' offer above.View Deal
Other retailer pre-order dealsWant to check out what else is out there? These other retailer offers are also available: