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Samsung’s latest foldables have arrived with much fanfare. There’s the uniquely proportioned Galaxy Z Fold 8, which looks to be the precursor to the foldable iPhone Ultra later this year; the more conventional-looking Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra; and Samsung’s thinnest and lightest flip phone ever in the Galaxy Z Flip 8.
The first two of those three phones boast Samsung's new Flex Titanium display technology, which gives them thinner, flatter, and more robust displays than any Galaxy foldables before them. And having spent time with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra already, I’ve been impressed with the progress Samsung has made in reducing the appearance of the crease, specifically.
From front-on, you can hardly make out the crease at all, and at an angle, it’s less obvious than on the Galaxy Z Fold 7. Running my finger across the middle of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra's display, there’s only a very subtle undulation running down the center. It’s so subtle that I’d wager you’ll stop registering that it's even there after spending a few weeks with the new phone.
And yet, for how impressed I am with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra’s display, I know there’s already something better available.
Enter the contenderThe Oppo Find N6 (left) and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra (right)FutureThe Oppo Find N6 (left) and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra (right)FutureThe Oppo Find N6 launched in March 2026, four months earlier than Samsung’s Z8 series, and the big selling point was the claim that Oppo had managed to remove the crease in the foldable screen entirely.
Now, while that isn’t strictly true — at some acute angles, you can still see the crease — what is pretty amazing is the fact you can run your finger across the entire 8.12-inch display and not feel any interruption on the part of the screen that bends when folded.
I’ve been fortunate enough to have used most foldables, including reviewing the original Galaxy Fold, and the screen crease has always been there.
Most of the time, when you’re looking straight-on at the screen, it does disappear as your eyes focus on the content, but have the light hit at a certain angle, or run your finger across, and you’re immediately reminded of the minor imperfection.
I was stunned when I first got my hands on the Oppo Find N6. Swiping my finger back and forth across the middle of the display and feeling nothing, I thought, 'This is the next frontier of foldables.'
The crease on the Oppo Find N6FutureThe crease on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8FutureTo make sure I wasn’t just looking at the Oppo through rose-tinted specs, I took it to the Samsung preview event so I could experience it side-by-side with the Z Fold 8 Ultra. And sure enough, the Oppo continued to impress with a screen that is smoother and flatter than Samsung’s, but not by much.
Which one is right for you?The Oppo Find N6 (left) and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra (right) (Image credit: Future)Make no mistake, these are two very accomplished, flagship foldables. Both have similarly sized exterior and interior screens, and both are powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is thinner, lighter, and actually readily available in multiple markets. It also has a brighter display (a peak brightness of 3,000 nits vs 2,500 nits on the Oppo) and the firm’s Galaxy AI, Now Brief, and Now Nudge features on top of Google’s Gemini assistant.
The Oppo Find N6 has the smoothest, flattest foldable display, an edge in the camera hardware, a bigger battery and faster charging — yet its availability is limited to just a few Asian markets at the time of writing.
So, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra wins by default, which doesn’t feel particularly satisfying as a conclusion, but this shouldn’t diminish the progress that’s been made.
The main issue with foldable displays has been conquered. The next major hurdle we need manufacturers to clear is price.
The Z Fold 8 Ultra is available for pre-order for a lofty $2,099.99 / £1,899 / AU$2,999, which makes it Samsung’s most expensive foldable ever (if we ignore the limited-run TriFold). The Z Fold 8 (from $1,899.99 / £1,699 / AU$2,699) and Z Flip 8 (from $1,199.99 / £1,149 / AU$1,949) are cheaper, but they’re still not cheap.
So, if a manufacturer can find a way to deliver the same premium features for under $1,200/ £1,200 / AU$1,500, it could open the foldable floodgates.
As a Batman fan, I was disappointed to learn last week that The Batman Part 2 has been delayed until February 18, 2028, another four-month wait to add to add to its last (delayed) intended release date of October 1, 2027. This latest holdup is actually the fourth time the long-awaited sequel to The Batman has been delayed, with its initial release originally set to be October 2025.
Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to enjoy Batman content at home while we eagerly await The Batman: Part 2’s 2028 release. From Christopher Nolan’s iconic Dark Knight Trilogy to the awesome Batman: The Animated Series, there are tons of choices. And there’s no better way to enjoy Batman’s many adventures than with a 4K Blu-ray. I’m a 4K Blu-ray fan and collector, so I’m always testing the latest releases for the Blu-ray Bounty and finding new discs to test the best TVs and best soundbars.
Below, I’ve picked three of my favorite Batman-related 4K Blu-rays, not just because they’re my personal picks, but because they’re also great examples to show what 4K can do, especially for your home theater.
The Batman Dark, contrast-rich and detailed, The Batman is one of my top 4K Blu-rays (Image credit: Warner Bros. / Future)Where else to better prepare for The Batman: Part 2 than with its predecessor, The Batman. Matt Reeve’s The Batman follows Bruce Wayne (Robert Pattison) in his second year as Batman, where he must face The Riddler (Paul Dano), a revolutionary who uses a series of riddles and puzzles to test Batman, as Riddler plans to expose Gotham’s corrupt government and elite.
The Batman has become one of my main 4K Blu-rays for testing TVs. Due to its low brightness, some TVs can really struggle to accurately display the movie, compromising its dark tones. But, there’s also plenty of excellent-looking scenes with powerful contrast, balancing light and dark tones, that can really show off a TV.
The opening 20 minutes of the movie itself is all a big demo-reel for contrast. From the dark subway platform illuminated by overhead lamps as Batman fights a gang of thugs, to where we first see Bruce decoding Riddler’s clues in the Batcave, The Batman delivers truly dynamic and strong contrast, which I've found look superb on the best OLED TVs in particular.
There’s also a chance to show a display’s shadow detail, with plenty of scenes making use of shadows to create a captivating image. The aforementioned subway scene is one of these, with truly dark shadows creating a foreboding atmosphere that fits the gloomy tone of the movie.
There’s excellent detail throughout, with crisp textures that look refined and lifelike. Close-up shots show scars, wrinkles and stubble on people’s faces with impressive clarity, and texture in environments, like Mayor Mitchell’s house or the Batcave, are given a near-3D level of detail.
The Batmobile scene from The Batman is a superb audio experience (Image credit: Warner Bros. / Future )The Batman is an audio showcase as well as a visual one. The Batmobile chase has become a reference scene I use for showing off a sound system. The ignition of the Batmobile’s engines deliver room-rattling, powerful bass that through a subwoofer can create some serious roar. The 4K disc uses a Dolby Atmos soundtrack that creates an immersive and detailed sound.
As the Batmobile chases Penguin across a busy freeway, serving traffic and blaring horns are accurately mapped to the action. As Penguin fires a spray of bullets at the Batmobile, the sound glides around a surround system, as I found when using soundbars such as the talented Samsung HW-Q990H. There are plenty of Atmos effects too, as rain regularly falls throughout the movie, effectively using the height channels of any sound system.
The Dark Knight The Dark Knight looks excellent in 4K, with crisp, detailed visuals throughout (Image credit: Warner Bros / Future )Arguably the most popular Batman movie ever made, The Dark Knight is the second movie in Christopher Nolan’s trilogy. It’s one that’s stuck with me ever since I saw it as a teenager in theaters in 2008. Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) is a couple of years into his time as Batman and he faces his biggest challenge yet, when he squares off with the unpredictable and chaotic Joker (played brilliantly by Heath Ledger).
Unsurprisingly, where this disc shines is in its IMAX sequences. These IMAX scenes show impeccable detail and crisp, 3D-like textures. In the opening bank heist scene, every detail is refined, from the creases in the robbers’ masks, to the texture in buildings of the densely packed city. Oh, and don’t be surprised when the ratio changes from widescreen to fullscreen: that’s normal for IMAX on home media.
Black tones and shadow detail are excellent during the film's night scenes too (of which there are plenty), and they look superb on an OLED TV. Contrast is also strong, particularly during the prison escort scene. As trucks move under the freeway, the overhead lights balance well with the dark, shadowed areas of the tunnel to create dynamic contrast.
The Dark Knight's IMAX scenes look superb on 4K, plus the disc's DTS-HD 5.1 MA soundtrack sound fantastic (Image credit: Warner Bros / Future )This disc is also an audio powerhouse. With a DTS-HD 5.1 MA soundtrack, there’s some fantastic detail. During the tunnel escort scene, the whir of Batman’s bike riding through the tunnel is mapped perfectly to every channel. As perspective changes, so does the sound. Bullets are precise, flying from the front to rear channels when the movie is from Batman’s point-of-view, and every individual effect is audible, such as flying debris and swerving tyres.
Bass throughout the movie is truly powerful. Bullets have serious impact and the roar of the Batmobile’s engines delivers tightly controlled, but hefty low-end that reverberated through our testing room when I watched.
The score is a showcase in and of itself, with superb separation across different channels of the Samsung HW-Q990C soundbar I was using. In the opening scene, the scratching strings came from the left rear, the ticking sound from the right, and the heavy bass exploded from the subwoofer. Crucially though, every element was perfectly balanced, within the score itself and with all the action.
Batman ForeverBatman Forever's use of color looks brilliant on 4K Blu-ray (Image credit: Warner Bros / Future )This pick will raise eyebrows, I’m sure. But, honestly, Batman Forever is the Batman movie I grew up with and despite its very corny nature, I enjoy it. It scratches the exact part of my brain that occasionally craves a nostalgic Batman fix. The movie follows Batman (played by Val Kilmer) as he does battle with the Riddler (Jim Carrey) and Two-Face (Tommy Lee Jones) as they attempt to take over Gotham.
While this may be a surprising choice for a lot of people, this is a seriously good-looking 4K presentation. Batman Forever uses a lot of bold and vibrant colors, and in 4K, they really pop on screen. The green of the Riddler’s gaudy outfit and the purple of Two-Face’s injured side compliment each other well. There’s also a lot of neon-esuqe lighting used in the movie, with light tubes, red detail on Two-Face’s minion’s guns and the shimmering greens of Riddler’s hideout and event space. All these colors have a gorgeous punch that looks sharp and dynamic throughout the movie.
Shadows are used a lot, with characters often standing over lamps or in shaded rooms to create strong contrast in images. The LG G6 OLED on which I watched this movie in our testing room celebrates these rich and inky dark tones, with the leather of Batman’s armor showing nice depth, but also balancing well as the light reflects off it. Shadow detail is excellent too, with textures in dark areas on screen legible (yes, even the strange texture of Batman’s armor). Skin looks realistic in the many close-up shots used, too.
Shadows and dark tones also look excellent on the Batman Forever 4K Blu-ray (Image credit: Warner Bros / Future )This 4K disc also supports Dolby Atmos. There’s some excellent use of height channels throughout, with the sound of helicopter Two-Face uses to escape in the intro coming from overhead as I watched. Explosions have plenty of meat to them, producing some lovely low-end rumble during the movie’s more action-packed scenes. The sound of the Batmobile’s engines firing is another great demo for the powerful bass in the mix.
More subtle details are also fully audible. The sound of Batman’s batarang as he throws it is precisely mapped, with the sound eagerly following its trajectory. Bullets have great punch to them, and again these are accurately posited within the surround channels. Speech is consistently clear throughout too, even during the most chaotic scenes. You might not necessarily expect this movie to be such an audio showcase, but it really is.
- WEKApod 3 reaches exabyte capacity through software alongside dense Micron storage
- NeuralMesh 6 turns 441.5PB of flash into claimed exabyte-scale storage capacity
- WEKApod 3 relies on compression to exceed raw storage hardware limits
WEKA has launched WEKApod 3, a storage appliance line built specifically to run its new NeuralMesh 6 software at rack-scale density.
The flagship Prime Max configuration claims 1.1 exabytes of effective capacity within a single 56U rack, positioning it as the first system to cross that threshold.
Using Micron's 245.76 TB 6600 ION SSDs across roughly 1,800 drives per rack yields only 441.5 PB of raw hardware capacity, well under half an exabyte.
Software tiering closes the capacity gapThis means that the advertised exabyte-scale capacity depends heavily on data reduction technologies rather than installed flash alone.
That configuration packs 70 NVMe drives into a compact two-rack-unit, two-node chassis for maximum density.
Fingerprinting, similarity hashing, deduplication, and compression run by default across every deployment, with write overhead kept below 5%.
WEKA claims up to 6x capacity savings specifically on AI training data, backed by a contractual guarantee covering both reduction ratio and performance.
This is where NeuralMesh 6 and WEKApod 3 genuinely function as one integrated product rather than separate announcements.
AlloyFlash tiering automatically routes latency-sensitive operations to TLC flash while sending bulk-capacity data to QLC drives, which run roughly 30 to 40% cheaper per terabyte.
Per-rack throughput reaches 10.2 TB/s with 210 million IOPS, figures WEKA says beat the next-best publicly available alternative by 114% in throughput density.
Jeremy Werner, senior vice president at Micron's Core Data Center Business Unit, said the architecture paired with Micron's 245TB SSDs delivers 15.8 petabytes within a single 2U footprint.
Steve McDowell, chief analyst at NAND Research, argued that inference workloads at production scale demand different metrics than training, pointing to tokens per rack and cost per inference as the numbers buyers should now track.
Constraints force storage vendors to rethink hardware entirelyWEKA points to several structural pressures behind this hardware approach, starting with a documented drop in US data center construction in 2025.
Grid connection queues in major markets now stretch four to seven years before new capacity comes online.
Morgan Stanley has forecast a 49-gigawatt power shortfall across the United States extending through 2028, compounding existing NAND supply constraints.
WEKA argues that inefficient storage directly competes with GPUs for the same limited rack space and power budget.
By managing its own hardware supply chain instead of relying on third-party OEM channels, the company says it can offer more predictable pricing and delivery timelines.
NeuralMesh 6 will hit the shelves in the second half of 2026, with existing customers upgrading at no additional cost.
WEKApod Nitro, Prime, and Prime Max are already orderable through WEKA's distributor network, with deliveries beginning in fall 2026.
Via Storage Review
- US factories prepare to manufacture Ukraine's battle-tested MAGURA naval drones domestically
- MAGURA V7 reportedly destroyed an aerial target using Sidewinder missile technology
- Oregon and South Carolina will host future MAGURA drone production facilities
Ukrainian defense company UFORCE has signed an agreement with US boatbuilder RECONCRAFT to manufacture the combat-proven MAGURA naval drones domestically.
Reports from The Wall Street Journal has claimed the memorandum of understanding was recently signed at the Embassy of Ukraine in Washington, with production planned at facilities in Oregon and South Carolina.
The project will have the eventual goal of building hundreds, and potentially thousands, of units annually.
A combat-tested platform moves to US soilMAGURA drones gained international recognition after repeated strikes helped push much of Russia's Black Sea Fleet away from Crimea.
The MAGURA family has since expanded beyond strike missions to include aerial drone launches, mine countermeasures and anti-submarine sonar towing, with the MAGURA V7 variant also capable of engaging helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft.
RECONCRAFT builds combatant craft for US and partner special operations forces, while UFORCE developed the MAGURA program from the outset.
Under the partnership, both companies will contribute manufacturing equipment, materials and personnel to support the new production lines in both states.
"Partnering with UFORCE combines our manufacturing expertise and capabilities with the combat-proven autonomy of the MAGURA platform,” said Joe Silkowski, co-founder of RECONCRAFT.
This allows "us to deliver greater capability to American warfighters faster than developing a new system from the ground up."
The agreement follows increased Pentagon interest in lower-cost autonomous platforms after recent conflicts in Iran revealed how expensive drone warfare can be.
Combat experience drives broader international interestUkraine reported what it described as the world's first successful naval drone strike against an aerial target during late 2024 using a MAGURA V7 armed with AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles.
In April 2026, MAGURA unmanned surface vessels also took part in the US-Philippines Balikatan military exercise, reportedly sinking a target ship during a live-fire demonstration in the Luzon Strait.
“Today’s combat environments show that autonomous warfighting capabilities are a must-have,” said UFORCE CEO Oleg Rogynskyy.
“UFORCE is exceptionally positioned to deliver capabilities already tested by some of the world’s most sophisticated militaries under the most demanding battlefield conditions.”
"Working with RECONCRAFT, we will help ensure these proven autonomous capabilities become available to the US,” Sean Plankey, CEO of UFORCE USA, added.
“It's exactly the kind of industrial partnership the Arsenal of Democracy is designed to enable."
As of the time of writing, neither UFORCE nor RECONCRAFT has indicated how US production could influence the price of future MAGURA drones.
Production in the United States is typically costlier than overseas alternatives, a dynamic long observed across industries from electronics to textiles.
It is one reason American companies like Apple choose to build their gadgets outside the country, with lower manufacturing costs and established supply chains.
Whether this same cost pressure will raise the price of American-built MAGURA drones compared to their Ukrainian-made counterparts is not yet known.
A 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 Sunday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Sunday, July 26 (game #1644).
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 #1645) — hint #1 — VowelsHow many different vowels are in Quordle today?• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 4*.
* 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 #1645) — 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 #1645) — 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 #1645) — 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 0.
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 #1645) — hint #5 — starting letters (2)What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?• T
• F
• G
• W
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
Quordle today (game #1645) — the answers(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)The answers to today's Quordle, game #1645, are…
- TAFFY
- FIGHT
- GUILD
- WAGER
I don’t think I have ever played such a strategic game of Quordle.
Usually I just go for whatever word seems the most gettable. But in this game, with numerous possibilities for a word ending I-G-H-T, I held back in the hope that another word would give me that crucial fifth letter. And it did.
Daily Sequence today (game #1645) — the answers(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1645, are…
- CREED
- ROGUE
- POOCH
- GRIPE
- Quordle #1644, Sunday, 26 July: STOMP, LIMIT, FUNKY, STEAD
- Quordle #1643, Saturday, 25 July: SALON, SHEEN, BURST, GOURD
- Quordle #1642, Friday, 24 July: DOLLY, EDIFY, LAGER, PRANK
- Quordle #1641, Thursday, 23 July: LADEN, EVICT, WOVEN, SHIRE
- Quordle #1640, Wednesday, 22 July: COYLY, SINGE, AWASH, AWOKE
- Quordle #1639, Tuesday, 21 July: TRUSS, AXIAL, SWINE, THING
- Quordle #1638, Monday, 20 July: ICING, SLICK, GAILY, RISEN
- Quordle #1637, Sunday, 19 July: SPURT, ACRID, THRUM, BLEEP
- Quordle #1636, Saturday, 18 July: KNAVE, TIGHT, BLEAT, CHAOS
- Quordle #1635, Friday, 17 July: CUMIN, PALER, GRASS, INBOX
- Quordle #1634, Thursday, 16 July: IGLOO, PLAIT, YEAST, AROMA
- Quordle #1633, Wednesday, 15 July: PROXY, BRICK, BROTH, SURGE
- Quordle #1632, Tuesday, 14 July: EBONY, AVOID, RODEO, CUTIE
- Quordle #1631, Monday, 13 July: VOICE, BISON, BURNT, BUILT
- Quordle #1630, Sunday, 12 July: STAIN, BINGO, LARVA, DICEY
- Quordle #1629, Saturday, 11 July: WORTH, PRONG, DINGO, DRUID
- Quordle #1628, Friday, 10 July: GREET, STEAK, DUSKY, HAUTE
- Quordle #1627, Thursday, 9 July: CRUMP, PHONE, SHINY, STONY
- Quordle #1626, Wednesday, 8 July: GHOST, TREND, EXALT, ALONG
- Quordle #1625, Tuesday, 7 July: ARRAY, SUITE, KIOSK, BOULE
- Northrop Grumman's MRV launched with two satellite-servicing robotic arms
- Mission Extension Pods can stretch a satellite's working life by eight years
- The spacecraft can inspect, refuel, tow, and relocate active orbital satellites or even destroy enemy satellites
Northrop Grumman has launched its first Mission Robotic Vehicle (MRV), equipped with two robotic arms to inspect, repair, refuel, and relocate satellites already operating in orbit.
The spacecraft also carries three Mission Extension Pods (MEPs) that can extend a satellite's operational life by as much as eight years after installation.
Although introduced as a commercial servicing platform, the spacecraft's ability to operate alongside other satellites has already raised questions about possible military applications.
Satellite servicing technology also enables close-proximity operationsThe MRV launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, carrying MEPs intended for commercial satellites operated by Australia's Optus and Luxembourg's SES.
Northrop Grumman says the spacecraft can inspect satellites, install life-extension modules, tow spacecraft between orbital positions, and assist with clearing debris already circling Earth.
Those missions depend on two robotic arms that allow the vehicle to maneuver extremely close to other satellites without relying on direct physical contact.
The robotic arm system was developed through the Robotic Servicing of Geosynchronous Satellites program led by DARPA together with the United States Naval Research Laboratory.
Because those same capabilities allow precise movement around spacecraft, a future version could disable hostile satellites if governments requested such capabilities.
"I will leave it up to the U.S. government to decide how that capability might fulfill mission objectives that they have in that regard," said Northrop Grumman CEO Kathy Warden.
"It's our objective to offer our clients options for technology deployment, and for them to determine policy for when and how they might deploy that technology."
Military officials say orbital threats are already evolvingUnited States Space Force officials have repeatedly argued that rival nations already possess satellites capable of approaching and interacting with other spacecraft operating in orbit today.
The service says those developments require greater attention because several countries continue expanding technologies capable of operating near valuable military and civilian satellites.
"We're basically responding to a warfighting domain where our adversaries have already put interceptors in space, and we want to make sure that we rebalance that in terms of deterrence," said Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman.
A Space Force spokesperson later cited China's Shi Jian 21 satellite, equipped with a robotic grappling arm, while explaining examples of orbital interceptor capabilities already available.
Officials have also warned that close-proximity satellites could collect intelligence, interfere electronically, damage spacecraft components, or deliberately move another satellite from its assigned orbit.
Those evolving capabilities have prompted the Space Force to expand its focus on orbital warfare alongside traditional space operations.
The service's Space Delta 9 unit develops tactics for both defensive and offensive missions in orbit as those threats continue evolving.
The military is also planning larger space-based defense networks through the proposed Golden Dome missile defense architecture.
The Congressional Budget Office estimates the concept could require about 7,800 space-based interceptors if the program moves forward.
For now, the MRV remains a commercial tool, but how governments will apply comparable space security tech with AI tools and autonomous systems remains to be seen.
- 2.2 million vehicles are susceptible to a Bluetooth-based attack in the state of California
- The vulnerability is due to dealer-installed security systems
- Researchers at the University of California San Diego found that the Acrisure-built security devices all rely on the same secure key
A vulnerability has been found in KARR and SWDS automobile security systems manufactured by Acrisure that enables remote control via Bluetooth. The vehicles had the security systems installed by car dealers in California, specifically as anti-theft and tracking devices. Thanks to this hack, however, it seems that vehicles can be unlocked, with some further control given to the attacker.
Researchers at the University of California San Diego found that the 2.2 million automobiles were purchased from Southern Californian dealers since 2017, although the secondary market means that the vehicles could be elsewhere in the US, and even as far afield as Japan.
Worryingly, the researchers also found a publicly-accessible database holding information about all vehicles with the security system equipped.
How Bluetooth controls these carsThe researchers determined that the automobiles were purchased from Honda, Toyota, Mazda, Ford, and Jeep dealerships, and the affected vehicles have the “KARR-SWDS” label on the driver-side window, with the anti-theft device mounted under the dashboard.
Usage is straightforward: a mobile app connects to the KARR security system over Bluetooth and includes functions such as locking and unlocking doors, controlling the horn, and flashing the headlamps. It can also prevent the car from starting, although this only works if it isn’t already running.
The problem is with the implementation, which the researchers discovered relied on the same secure key on the KARR security systems. Once cracked, all cars equipped with the same device were believed to be open to attack.
Changing the secure key isn’t an option, and neither is disabling the Bluetooth. Of particular concern is that researchers found that even if the buyer doesn’t pay for a subscription for the app and the KARR system, the hardware is still in place. Worse, it has the same access to the vehicle’s doors, ignition, horn, and headlamps.
“Removing the devices is not trivial,” UCSD compsci PhD candidate and paper co-author Yibo Wei said in the report on the research (which is fully released in August). “You have to open up the dashboard and cut and reconnect the wires that are deeply intertwined with the car’s computers and ignition system.”
The patch is inJerry Yu, also co-author, wrote “Instead of smashing a window to get access to a vehicle, thieves could simply connect remotely via Bluetooth to the device inside the vehicle, and make it unlock car doors.”
KARR has told media outlets that only vehicles installed “with certain Bluetooth-related components” are affected, and the company has issued a firmware update.
- AppleCare One is launching in the UK from August
- It'll be available for older devices as well as new purchases
- It's £16.99 per month for three devices, £4.99 p/month for each additional device
AppleCare, Apple's extended warranty for its devices, is expanding. A new AppleCare One bundle comes to the UK on August 4 2026 and could make it cheaper for you to cover multiple Apple products. It also lets you cover older devices rather than just new purchases.
At the moment, you've got 60 days from purchase to take out AppleCare+ coverage. That gives you free 24/7 tech support, subsidised battery replacements if your device's battery drops below 80% capacity, and unlimited accidental damage repairs including liquid damage.
AppleCare One expands the eligibility to cover devices up to four years old (one year for AirPods) provided they're in good condition. In some cases that may require a trip to the Apple Store to check the condition of an older device before you can add it to the plan.
One of the important changes is that Apple has expanded Theft and Loss coverage, which protects you for up to two incidences of theft or loss per year, to cover the Apple Watch and iPad as well as the iPhone. You can get that cover as part of AppleCare One, or take out a standalone plan for a single device.
The other key difference is that AppleCare One is a rolling subscription rather than a fixed term extended warranty — for example, if you upgrade your iPhone and trade in your old one, the AppleCare One plan will now cover your new iPhone.
As ever with bundles, how much you save depends on the particular products you have. But you can potentially save up to £11.48 per month compared to the cost of individual AppleCare+ subscriptions.
AppleCare+ has different prices for different models. AppleCare One is a flat rate subscription. (Image credit: Apple)How much can you save with AppleCare One?AppleCare One is £16.99 per month to cover three devices. You can add additional cover for £4.99 per month per additional device.
Let's say you have an iPhone Air, Apple Watch Ultra 3 and a 13-inch M5 iPad Pro. Individually, AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss will cost you £11.99, £4.99 and £8.49 per month. That's a total of £25.47, so the AppleCare One bundle is going to save you £8.48 per month.
For more modest devices the savings are smaller, but the additional device eligibility may still make AppleCare One an attractive option.
For example I have an iPhone 16 Pro and an Apple Watch Series 10, both of which are currently covered by AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss, but I didn't take out cover for my iPad Pro and the 60-day window has long closed. I'm currently paying £15.98 per month to cover my phone and watch; it'd cost just £1.01 per month more to cover an eligible iPad or iPad Pro — although sadly my iPad is an M1 so it's too old to be included.
It's worth noting that the AppleCare One bundle is for devices on the same Apple account. That means you can't cover family devices linked to other Apple accounts, even if they're in your Family Sharing group. And for some older devices you may need to confirm that they're in "good condition" by taking them to the Apple Store.
As a long time AppleCare customer I think AppleCare One looks good, and it'll save you money if you have three or more devices to cover. My only worry is that it's a subscription, and if there's one thing we know about tech giants' subscription services is that their prices always go up.
AppleCare One launches in the UK on August 4 2026.
Thinking of buying a new TV?Try our TV size and model finder! You tell it how far you sit from your TV, we'll tell you what size to buy based on viewing angle advice from image quality experts, and we'll recommend our three top TVs at that size for different prices.