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We've always been fans of Sony's high-end noise-cancelling headphones here at TechRadar, so today's excellent price cut on the Sony WH-1000XM5 in the Amazon Labor Day sale is an easy recommendation.
Right now, you can pick up these headphones for just $198 (was $399) at the retailer, which is a match for the previous record-low price. They've only dropped to $198 on one previous occasion back in late June, so this is a fantastic deal all around.
It's a good opportunity to snag a decent pair of noise-cancelling headphones for work, commuting, or even college — although anyone will appreciate just how good these headphones are. Although they've recently been superseded by a sixth-generation model, the Sony WH-1000XM5 are still among the best headphones you can buy right now.
Highlight features for the Sony WH-1000XM5 include rich and detailed sound, superb active noise cancellation, and a comfortable fit that's perfect for all-day use. At the time of release, we thought they were pricey, but today's discount at Amazon definitely addresses that particular issue.
Sony WH-1000XM5 record-low price at AmazonWH-1000XM5: was $398 now $198
Quite simply, the best in Sony's class-leading wireless over-ear lineup. The older XM4 headphones were outstanding, the XM3 cans before it were excellent, and it'll come as little surprise to know that Sony's XM5 proposition is also incredibly hard to beat — especially with a whopping $150 off. They don't fold up like the XM4, but, as a quick glance at our Sony WH-100XM5 review proves, there's not much else to pick fault with. View Deal
When we originally reviewed these headphones, we awarded them a full five out of five stars, calling them "the best headphones in the world thanks to their class-leading noise-cancelling features and well-balanced audio.” Even though a few years have passed, they're still exceptional in terms of performance — and much cheaper than the newer sixth-generation model.
The only real reason to get the newer headphones, in my opinion, is if you're desperate for a folding mechanism. The M5 (unlike the M6 and M4) don't have folding hinges on the headband, which is an annoying oversight that means they're a little less portable overall. If you can live with that, however, there's very little reason to skip today's discount over at Amazon.
- Vodafone TV is launching in October as a set top box and service
- It will come with access to Freely, Netflix, and HBO, plus Android TV apps
- Users will also be able to stream hundreds of cloud games
Vodafone is moving beyond mobile and broadband services to offer a TV streaming service and box called Vodafone TV, which gives you access to Freely — a free streaming service with over 70 live channels and thousands of hours of on-demand content.
Beyond the big free names like the BBC and Channel 4, Vodafone TV also comes with subscriptions to Netflix Standard with ads and HBO Max Standard with ads, which makes it something of a rival to Sky, as you can get similar subscriptions as part of that company’s Sky Ultimate TV package.
The Vodafone TV hub also runs Android TV, so it includes access to near-endless apps and games on the Google Play Store, including dedicated apps for most streaming services, meaning you’re not limited to what Vodafone itself bundles in.
It's a cloud gaming console tooVodafone TV is compatible with the Pleio gamepad (Image credit: Future)And speaking of games, Vodafone TV also comes with access to over 300 cloud games, which you can play using a Bluetooth controller or a smartphone.
You’ll also be able to rent and buy films through Vodafone Box Office, and a companion app will allow you to start watching something at home and then continue elsewhere via the app.
As for the hardware, the Vodafone TV hub has 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, and support for 4K, Dolby Vision, and Dolby Atmos. Vodafone hasn’t yet revealed the pricing, but has said that its Vodafone TV box and service will be available from October to mobile and broadband customers, so we should find out more then.
Vodafone TV launches alongside a new Vodafone mobile plan called SuperMobile, which will supposedly deliver up to 4x faster speeds than Vodafone’s standard plans, and guarantee minimum speeds of 15Mbps at all times.
"Vodafone's double launch is a bid to be your 'everything' provider — one company for your mobile, broadband, telly and streaming, all on a single bill," Ernest Doku, telecoms expert at Uswitch, told TechRadar in a statement.
"Vodafone TV is all about content convenience: streaming subscriptions, live channels and bills brought together in one place, with a companion app to take it on the move. And as the only UK mobile network to bundle TV with a mobile plan, Vodafone has opened this up to millions of households who don't take its broadband.
"But one roof doesn’t mean one option. Do the maths before signing up; remember add-ons can rise mid-contract alongside everything else, and only pay for certainty or convenience you'll actually use."
Catherine Hiley, mobile and broadband expert at Go.Compare, suggests you should exercise similar caution over whether your current broadband plan can support the demands of Vodafone TV: “Since it operates via broadband, the key thing for consumers to consider here is to make sure you’ve got fast enough speeds to support it without any lag or buffering. Around 50Mbps should be enough for a household with one or two people, but larger households might need 150Mbps, or even more if there’ll be multiple people streaming at once.
"If you’re on slower speeds, then you may need to switch or upgrade – just make sure you wait until the end of your contract to avoid any nasty early-exit fees.”
We'll be testing out Vodafone TV for ourselves over the coming weeks, so stay tuned for our verdict on its value-for-money proposition.
- Microsoft is rolling out a new security feature for Windows 11
- Memory integrity provides stronger defenses for a crucial part of the operating system, and it's being automatically enabled
- Some gamers say the feature hampers gaming frame rates considerably, and they're not happy
Windows 11 is getting its security bolstered with a feature that's being automatically enabled, but which comes at a cost that some PC gamers don't want to pay — and this is proving quite the controversy on social media.
The Verge reports that Microsoft has announced that it's rolling out the enablement of memory integrity protection across eligible Windows 11 PCs, and that this is because "security works best when protection is built in, not bolted on".
Microsoft explains: "More devices will soon receive stronger protection by default, with no additional setup required. Windows quality updates will begin enabling memory integrity protection on eligible devices.
"If not already enabled, these updates will also enable VBS [Virtualization Based Security], helping make additional security capabilities available and reflecting our commitment to making Windows secure by design and secure by default."
The idea is to tighten security for Windows 11's kernel-mode drivers, a core aspect of the OS with direct access to the system's hardware, and there can be no argument that this additional protection gives host PCs tougher defenses and makes them more difficult to exploit. So why the controversy? Let's dive into the pros and cons of what's going on here.
Analysis: a divisive move — but we can't ignore that the threat landscape is changing(Image credit: Getty Images)In Microsoft's view, this is a no-brainer: stronger security is being rolled out to Windows 11 devices, or at least those which are eligible (older PCs may not be). However, PCs configured via group policy not to use memory integrity, or machines where it's been disabled before, won't have the feature forced on them.
Other supported PCs will get memory integrity (and VBS, because it's required for memory integrity) turned on automatically by Windows 11, and this is where some gamers are up in arms. VBS has a long history of being a thorn in the side for gamers, with the feature being linked to frame rate losses.
How much of a headwind does this cause for PC games? Well, therein lies a big part of the issue, because it's difficult to pin that down exactly, and as ever, it's bound to vary depending on your PC's exact hardware and system configuration.
Some gamers observe frame rate hits of approaching 10%, while others say the impact isn't noticeable at all. There's a lot of back-and-forth on Reddit arguing about the extent of any slowdown, and here's a typical exchange:
One Redditor notes: "HVCI [memory integrity] is a great security feature, and the performance impact on newer platforms (to which this automatic switch will apply) is negligible."
Another replies: "It ain't negligible. 9800x3d, 5080, ddr5 6000 cl28 and my 1% lows get wrecked with this feature on. Way smoother disabled."
This isn't just about frames per second performance for some gamers, then, as there are also accusations of it affecting the lowest troughs (bottom 1%) that the frame rate hits (meaning the game suffers more stuttering at times and generally feels jerkier).
As the first comment points out, though, the likelihood should be that a more modern PC won't feel much of a hit (if anything). The gaming rigs that might see more of a spanner in the frame rate works are those which are older, but still modern enough to get the auto-enablement of memory integrity. In other words, a collection of PCs which are on the outer fringes of that compatibility limit (older machines, but not too old to avoid the feature rollout).
Of course, even those PC owners can always turn off memory integrity. The major beef for some is that they remember that Microsoft got into trouble for automatically switching on VBS in the past in a quiet, under-the-radar manner — and the question now will be whether gamers realize that this feature has been enabled alongside memory integrity.
In all honesty, when I saw what Microsoft was doing here and fired up Reddit to test the temperature of the reactions, I was expecting nothing short of a flamethrower being turned on the software giant. However, the feedback is split quite evenly between the haters — or those who disapprove at least — and users who are applauding Microsoft for this deployment.
(Image credit: Getty Images/Focus Pixel Art)Here are a couple of further examples from either side of the fence: "Apparently a controversial opinion, but systems that are for everyone should be failsafe, and that includes the most secure option being the default. There should be an option to disable security to get higher performance, but most secure should be the default."
Juxtaposed with this: "Already have memory integrity turned off as this 'feature' already hits gaming, I've used Windows without memory integrity for decades I think I'll be ok."
I must admit I'm inclined to agree with Microsoft's decision here — providing that when it happens, Windows 11 is clear on informing the user, so they can reverse the change if they aren't happy with it.
I think part of what Microsoft is doing here is keeping one eye on the future in terms of the difference AI might make to the security of Windows 11 PCs.
I keep hearing about how AI is already driving new threats and exploits, and so the kernel defenses that are being brought into play here may not have been quite as necessary in the past — as the last Reddit post I highlighted indicates — but they may be very much needed before too long. AI is accelerating the development of new threats considerably, and making it easier for anyone to becoming a peddler of malware, so Microsoft likely feels the pressure to act.