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News

Amazon fights price hikes with its massive Labor Day sale — 60% off Apple devices, TVs, appliances, smart home and more - Friday, August 28, 2026 - 08:11

Amazon's 2026 Labor Day sale is live, and it arrives at just the right time. As retailers like Amazon and Apple have had to raise prices on their electronics recently because of the memory and storage component shortage, a discount is very welcome, and Amazon has done just that.

Shop Amazon's full Labor Day sale

Amazon's Labor Day sale includes deals on best-selling Apple gadgets like iPads and AirPods, as well as its own smart home devices, including smart speakers, Fire TV Sticks, tablets, and Ring Doorbells. The retailer also offers discounts on Labor Day favorites like small appliances, TVs, and popular home items.

Below are links to Amazon's most popular Labor Day sale categories, followed by the top deals I've hand-picked. Highlights include the all-new Ring Battery Doorbell 2K for $69.99, the viral Beckham Hotel Collection pillows for $41.97, and Apple's AirPods 4 for $99.

Keep in mind that today's offers are a part of Amazon's official Labor Day sale, which means you won't find better prices on Labor Day proper (September 7).

Amazon's Labor Day sale – quick linksAmazon's top Labor Day deals

Fire TV Stick 4K Select: was $49.99 now $19.99
Amazon's newest 4K streaming stick is down to just $19.99 for Labor Day. Since it's only a few bucks more than the cheaper HD version, you might as well pay for the upgrade and get higher-resolution streaming—as long as you have a 4K TV. It lacks a few premium features found in the more expensive Plus and Max models, such as improved Wi-Fi and Dolby Atmos, but that is more than enough for everyday use.View Deal

Bed Pillows: was $59.99 now $41.97
The viral Beckham Hotel Collection pillows are always a top seller during Amazon's Labor Day sale, and the queen-size set is on sale for $41.97. The queen-size pillows have over 240,000 positive reviews and are the number-one best-selling pillow on Amazon's site.View Deal

The AirPods 4 are Apple's cheapest AirPods, and you can find them on sale for $99, which is the lowest price we've seen this year and just $30 shy of the record-low. The AirPods 4 feature a new design for all-day comfort and feature Apple's H2 chip, which supports personalized spatial audio and voice isolation. You also get a redesigned case with 30 hours of battery life and support for wireless charging via USB-C.

Read our full Apple AirPods 4 reviewView Deal

65-inch U7 Mini-LED QLED TV: was $1499.99 now $897.99
This Hisense U7 Series delivers top TV tech for the money in a reasonably sized display, including a bright, vibrant QLED panel with excellent contrast and a high 165Hz refresh rate for smooth images. It will excel as a TV for watching sports, streaming all your favorite shows and movies, and playing the latest games.View Deal

Navigator Lift-Away Vacuum: was $199.99 now $159.99
If you're looking for a powerful upright vacuum but don't want to spend a lot on a Dyson, Amazon has the best-selling Shark Navigator on sale for $159.99. The upright vacuum works on carpet and hard floors, and its lightweight design makes it ultra-portable.View Deal

iPad 11-inch (A16, 2025): was $449 now $399.99
Apple's latest base iPad is $50 off at Amazon, bringing the price to $ 399.99. The biggest upgrade over the previous generation is the newer A16 chip for faster performance, and you'll also get double the standard storage (128GB instead of 64GB). Other features include a sharp 11-inch Liquid Retina display and solid 12MP front- and rear-facing cameras, making this iPad the best for casual streamers and scrollers.

Read our full 11-inch iPad A16 reviewView Deal

Fire TV 55-inch Omni QLED 4K TV: was $499.99 now $329.99
The latest Amazon Omni QLED is a brilliant budget TV that delivers solid picture quality and strong gaming features, including 4K 60Hz, Dolby Vision, and HDR10+, at an affordable price. This Labor Day discount brings the 55-inch model to $329.99, which is an incredible price for a QLED display of this size.View Deal

Amazon's Echo Spot is a solid smart alarm clock that pairs a 2.83-inch touchscreen with a 1.73-inch front-firing speaker. With Alexa onboard, you can ask the assistant for the weather, play music, or, of course, schedule alarms. This Labor Day deal brings the price down to $69.99.View Deal

For a limited time, Amazon is offering its best-selling Fire HD 8 tablet for $89.99 — only $5 more than the record-low price. While it's not the most powerful tablet on the market, the Fire HD 8 has what you need for the essentials, including web browsing, email, video, and light gaming. Battery life is impressive, lasting up to 13 hours, making it ideal for on-the-go use or relaxing on the couch. View Deal

Battery Doorbell 2K+: was $69.99 now $41.99
You can get the all-new Blink Video Doorbell 2K+ for only $41.99. The Blink doorbell alerts you when it detects motion and features infrared night vision, two-way audio, a two-year battery life, and an expanded field of view.View Deal

Amazon Labor Day Apple deals

AirTag 4 Pack (2nd generation): was $99 now $79.99
You can get the best-selling Apple AirTag 4 Pack for $79.99, which is the lowest price we've ever seen. A great way to track a child's backpack or luggage, the AirTag can be attached to anything you don't want to lose, and your iPhone can locate it.View Deal

The AirPods 4 are Apple's cheapest AirPods, and you can find them on sale for $99, which is the lowest price we've seen this year and just $30 shy of the record-low. The AirPods 4 feature a new design for all-day comfort and feature Apple's H2 chip, which supports personalized spatial audio and voice isolation. You also get a redesigned case with 30 hours of battery life and support for wireless charging via USB-C.

Read our full Apple AirPods 4 reviewView Deal

AirPods Pro 3: was $249 now $199.99
Apple's premium buds feature improved Active Noise Cancellation, outstanding audio, a comfortable in-ear design, and new features such as live translation and heart-rate tracking. These do-it-all buds deliver true flagship audio, and the noise-canceling quality is outstanding. Today's deal is the best price you can find on Apple's newest AirPods.View Deal

This is another fantastic Apple deal, just in time for the new school season. Amazon has the Apple Watch Series 11 on sale for $299, just $20 more than the record-low price. The thinnest Apple Watch yet, with a wraparound LTPO3 OLED display, it looks great and packs Apple Intelligence-powered smarts and a boosted battery, clocking in at 24 hours of average use.

Read our full Apple Watch 11 reviewView Deal

iPad 11-inch (A16, 2025): was $449 now $399.99
Apple's latest base iPad is $50 off at Amazon, bringing the price to $ 399.99. The biggest upgrade over the previous generation is the newer A16 chip for faster performance, and you'll also get double the standard storage (128GB instead of 64GB). Other features include a sharp 11-inch Liquid Retina display and solid 12MP front- and rear-facing cameras, making this iPad the best for casual streamers and scrollers.

Read our full 11-inch iPad A16 reviewView Deal

11-inch iPad Air M4,: was $749 now $649
The 2026 iPad Air M4 is now on sale at Amazon for $649 - that's the lowest price we've seen since Apple's price hikes in June. The 11-inch iPad Air delivers laptop-like speed and power thanks to Apple's M4 processor, plus you're getting 12GB of RAM, Bluetooth 6 support, and Wi-Fi 7 connectivity.

Read our full 11-inch iPad Air M4 reviewView Deal

The MacBook Neo is in stock in all colors at Amazon, with a small $10 price cut. While we've seen the budget MacBook drop to $589.99, this is the best deal we've seen since the price hike in July. It's also an incredible price for a feature-packed MacBook with an A18 Pro chip, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage.

Amazon Labor Day home & appliance deals

Bed Pillows: was $59.99 now $41.97
The viral Beckham Hotel Collection pillows are always a top seller during Amazon's Labor Day sale, and the queen-size set is on sale for $41.97. The queen-size pillows have over 240,000 positive reviews and are the number-one best-selling pillow on Amazon's site.View Deal

K-Mini single-serve coffee machine: was $59.99 now $49.99
Thanks to its compact size, this Keurig K-Mini coffee maker is a great choice for those working with a small kitchen space. It can brew a cup in minutes and is less than five inches wide. Today's Amazon deal brings the price down to just $49.99.View Deal

Nutri-Blender Pro Personal Blender: was $109.99 now $79.97
Amazon's Labor Day sale has the best compact, single-serve blender for under $80. This is an ideal solution for your daily smoothie or protein shake. The Ninja Pro features two Auto-iQ preset programs that are uniquely timed for smoothies & crushed ice , and the included 24-oz cups are perfect to make your favorite creation just before leaving the house.View Deal

Pot Vortex 6QT XL Air Fryer: was $139.99 now $89.99
For just $89.99, you're getting a dependable, affordable air fryer. You're getting a six-quart basket and four different functions, allowing you to air fry, bake, reheat, and roast with the touch of a button. View Deal

Little Green Mini Portable Carpet Deep Cleaner: was $99.99 now $88.99
Bissell portable carpet cleaners are breakout stars at holiday sales like Labor Day, and Amazon has the top-rated Little Green Mini model for $88.99. Perfect for pet owners and parents, the portable carpet cleaner can magically erase spills and stains from carpets, couches, auto interiors, and more.View Deal

Navigator Lift-Away Vacuum: was $199.99 now $159.99
If you're looking for a powerful upright vacuum but don't want to spend a lot on a Dyson, Amazon has the best-selling Shark Navigator on sale for $159.99. The upright vacuum works on carpet and hard floors, and its lightweight design makes it ultra-portable.View Deal

V11 Origin Cordless Vacuum: was $565 now $449.99
The Dyson V11 is plenty powerful, packing several attachments and an LCD display to help you achieve the deep clean of your dreams. It can conveniently transform into a handheld vacuum and offers up to 60 minutes of run time.View Deal

Pet Cordless Stick Vacuum: was $299.99 now $169
There's a $130 discount on this top-rated Shark cordless vacuum at Amazon. Designed for pet owners, the Shark Pet features a low-profile design to get under furniture and delivers powerful suction on both bare floors and carpets..View Deal

Amazon Labor Day TV deals

32-inch 2-Series HD Fire TV: was $159.99 now $143.99
If you're looking for a cheap set for an extra bedroom, Amazon's best-selling 32-inch 2-Series HD smart TV is $143.99. While the Amazon 2-Series TV lacks 4K resolution, it offers smart capabilities through the Fire TV experience and Amazon Alexa, providing hands-free control.View Deal

43-inch Select Series 4K Smart TV: was $249.99 now $179.99
Amazon's Labor Day sale has Roku's best-selling 43-inch 4K smart TV for just $179.99. For that price, you get 4K resolution, an enhanced voice remote, and Roku's excellent smart TV interface.View Deal

Fire TV 55-inch Omni QLED 4K TV: was $499.99 now $329.99
The latest Amazon Omni QLED is a brilliant budget TV that delivers solid picture quality and strong gaming features, including 4K 60Hz, Dolby Vision, and HDR10+, at an affordable price. This Labor Day discount brings the 55-inch model to $329.99, which is an incredible price for a QLED display of this size.View Deal

55-inch C6 OLED TV: was $1599.99 now $1499.99
The LG C6 is the successor to our best-rated TV, LG's C5 OLED, and the 55-inch model is on sale for $1,499.99. The 2026 OLED TV delivers more accurate, brighter colors than the C5 with powerful contrast thanks to its new Alpha 11 AI processor. The C6 also includes impressive gaming features and LG's intuitive smart TV platform.

Read our full LG C6 reviewView Deal

65-inch U7 Mini-LED QLED TV: was $1499.99 now $897.99
This Hisense U7 Series delivers top TV tech for the money in a reasonably sized display, including a bright, vibrant QLED panel with excellent contrast and a high 165Hz refresh rate for smooth images. It will excel as a TV for watching sports, streaming all your favorite shows and movies, and playing the latest games.View Deal

65-Inch C5 OLED TV: was $2699.99 now $1396.99
The LG C5 OLED is TechRadar's best-rated TV, and Amazon has the 65-inch model on sale for $1,396.99 thanks to a whopping $1,300 discount. Awarded five out of five stars in our review, the OLED display delivers an outstanding picture thanks to LG's Alpha 9 AI processor Gen8, impressive gaming features, and a comprehensive smart platform featuring all-new AI capabilities.View Deal

85-inch QM6K Series Mini LED QLED TV: was $1197.99 now $1056.68
Here is an Amazon exclusive deal on a massive display. You can get TCL's 85-inch QM6K Series for $1,056.68, which is an incredible price for a TV of this size. A truly great budget mini-LED TV, the TCL QM6K delivers vibrant picture quality and solid gaming features for a price that won't break the bank.View Deal

Amazon Labor Day Amazon device deals

Fire TV Stick 4K Select: was $49.99 now $19.99
Amazon's newest 4K streaming stick is down to just $19.99 for Labor Day. Since it's only a few bucks more than the cheaper HD version, you might as well pay for the upgrade and get higher-resolution streaming—as long as you have a 4K TV. It lacks a few premium features found in the more expensive Plus and Max models, such as improved Wi-Fi and Dolby Atmos, but that is more than enough for everyday use.View Deal

The Fire TV Stick 4K Max streams the same content at the same quality as the standard 4K version, but the extra power inside delivers faster app navigation. Plus, it uses Wi-Fi 6E technology to deliver a more stable, consistent streaming experience.View Deal

Battery Doorbell 2K (newest model): was $99.99 now $69.99
I already own the best-selling Ring Video Doorbell and can't imagine living without it. The smart doorbell features a built-in battery and lets you see, hear, and speak to anyone from your phone or computer. You also get 2K video resolution, so your videos are crisp and clear. View Deal

Battery Doorbell 2K+: was $69.99 now $41.99
You can get the all-new Blink Video Doorbell 2K+ for only $41.99. The Blink doorbell alerts you when it detects motion and features infrared night vision, two-way audio, a two-year battery life, and an expanded field of view.View Deal

If you're looking for a robust smart speaker, Amazon has the Echo Dot on sale for $54.99. Amazon's best-selling smart speaker offers an improved audio experience, plus a new temperature sensor and all the handy features from Alexa, like playing music, answering questions, and checking the weather, completely hands-free.View Deal

Amazon's Echo Spot is a solid smart alarm clock that pairs a 2.83-inch touchscreen with a 1.73-inch front-firing speaker. With Alexa onboard, you can ask the assistant for the weather, play music, or, of course, schedule alarms. This Labor Day deal brings the price down to $69.99.View Deal

Whether you want advanced features like Lossless High-Definition audio and Automatic Room Adaptation, or you just love the idea of a more premium-looking speaker with faster Alexa responses, the Echo Dot Max is a great choice.View Deal

For a limited time, Amazon is offering its best-selling Fire HD 8 tablet for $89.99 — only $5 more than the record-low price. While it's not the most powerful tablet on the market, the Fire HD 8 has what you need for the essentials, including web browsing, email, video, and light gaming. Battery life is impressive, lasting up to 13 hours, making it ideal for on-the-go use or relaxing on the couch. View Deal

Amazon's best-selling Echo Show 5 is down to $69.99. The latest version of the Echo Show 5 features a compact 5.5-inch display but packs impressive sound with deeper bass and clearer vocals. Voice controls are enabled through Amazon Alexa, while you can use the smart screen to listen to podcasts, watch movies, stream videos, play music, and more.View Deal

Amazon's larger smart display is $60 off at Amazon's Labor Day sale. The Echo Show 11 boasts a vibrant 11-inch Full HD screen and spatial audio support for room-filling sound when you listen to music or watch videos. With Alexa+ support, too, you get access to all of its advanced AI features and an easy way to connect and control other smart devices around your home.View Deal

Scammers are weaponising QR codes — here’s how to avoid getting caught - Friday, August 28, 2026 - 08:13

One of the worst parts about getting scammed is the shame, and that shame just plays into the hands of the crooks. If we don't spread the personal stories, then no one gets warned. So, good on Les Howard who told his story of getting QR code scammed to the BBC earlier this week.

Les, quite understandably, feel victim to what's widely known in the security industry as quishing (QR phishing). Les scanned a QR code that he thought was to pay for his parking, downloaded the app, put in his card details and then watched as chunks of cash were removed from his account day after day. Not great.

There are a number of different ways that QR scams work. Les Howard experienced the fake app routine, but it could just have easily been a link to a fake website, mocked up to look exactly like the real one. AI can work marvels these days when it comes to creating duplicate web pages.

You can just as easily get done by the QR scanner apps themselves, which will take a legitimate QR and send you anywhere it wants to, adding all sorts of other links or scraping the details that you send through.

Now, this doesn't mean that we shouldn't use QR codes. We just need to be a bit more careful about it. The two most important pieces of advice are to use the QR scanner that comes baked into your phone's camera app, if you have one, and, second, use a QR code checker app to make sure what you're scanning isn't a scam.

There are free online tools for the job, such as Is This QR Safe and DNS Checker but they also come bundled in with other tools such as antivirus and VPNs. Kaspersky antivirus has a QR code scammer. The VPN to choose to get one is IPVanish.

Get IPVanish: $2.49 per month
IPVanish has long been a good VPN provider, and it's the only reputable VPN with a QR code checker included. It's built into the app and scans the destination page for all possible threats to make sure it's 100% clean. You can try IPVanish for one month for $14.99 but that's pretty pricey. The better value is either the 1-year plan ($3.89 per month) or the 2-year plan ($2.49 per month). Both of those longer plans come with 30-day money-back guarantees. If you don't like it within that time, you'll get a full refund.View Deal

The IPVanish QR code checker – like all good QR code checkers – loads a live version of the destination page, rather than just relying on domain blacklists that may not be up to date.

It checks all the facets of the page for anything malicious, and follows any redirects that may be trying to throw it off the scent, until it's sure the QR code is safe. If all is well, it presents you with the page and allows you to continue. If not, you'll be told it's a scam code. Pretty simple stuff from the user end.

We rate IPVanish as solid, 4-star VPN. It's only short of the very best VPNs on features like server count and some streaming service unblocking that's not a priority for this use case.

In terms of QR code checking and other security features, it's right up there. So, if you're VPN-curious and definitely want in on a QR code checker, then give it a go.

If a QR code checker is all you want, though, then make sure to take some of those free options above for a spin, instead, before you settle on which one to use full time.

Protect Your Online Privacy for Just Over $3 a Month With This Windscribe Back to School Deal - Saturday, August 29, 2026 - 14:00
This offer gets you a full year of Windscribe Pro for only $39.
Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Aug. 30, #910 - Saturday, August 29, 2026 - 16:00
Here are hints and the answers for today’s NYT Strands puzzle for Aug. 30, 2026.
Wordle Hints, Answer and Help for Aug. 30, #1898 - Saturday, August 29, 2026 - 16:00
Here are hints and the answer for today’s Wordle puzzle for Aug. 30, 2026.
Today’s NYT Connections Hints and Answers for Aug. 30, #1176 - Saturday, August 29, 2026 - 16:00
Here are hints and the answers for today’s NYT Connections puzzle for Aug. 30, 2026.
7 new movies and TV shows to watch on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, and more this weekend (August 28) - Friday, August 28, 2026 - 10:00

The final weekend of August 2026 has arrived — and, for those in the UK, that means the last bank holiday of the year is also here. You better enjoy the long weekend while you can, then.

Unfortunately, there aren't many exciting new movies and shows for you to enjoy during your downtime. Sure, the world's best streaming services have released some new content in recent days, but they're all distinctly lacking in the 'must see' department. Hopefully, things will pick up again in September. Anyway, read on to see if any of the below tickles your fancy. — Tom Power, senior entertainment reporter

The Whisper Man (Netflix)

Netflix's latest thriller movie follows a widowed crime writer (Adam Scott) who enlists the help of his estranged father and detective (Robert DeNiro) after his young son goes missing.

As the investigation unfolds, they discover a connection between the recent abduction and the decades-old case of the titular, convicted serial killer.

Adam Scott has had an excellent run with recent hits like Severance and Hokum, so I have high hopes that this will be another win for the Parks and Rec. alumnus. — Lucy Buglass, senior entertainment writer

The Last Sunrise (Prime Video)

Another young adult banger from Prime Video? The streamer is truly the gift that keeps on giving if this is the genre for you. This time, more summer romance comes in the form of The Last Sunrise.

In a nutshell, Ry (Maia Reficco), is a college student with a chronic illness on a summer escape with her mother (Eva Longoria). She unexpectedly falls for Julián (Fernando Lindez) and begins to embrace living in the moment but, as its logline states, "her worsening condition and long-hidden family secrets threaten to unravel everything before the summer ends."

Sounds like tissues will be needed, then. Based on the novel of the same name, I can almost guarantee than watching Amazon's movie adaptation is going to break me. — Jasmine Valentine, entertainment reporter

Dark Matter season 2 (Apple TV)

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Apple TV is the undisputed king of small-screen sci-fi fare. Admittedly, Dark Matter isn't one of the streamer's more popular genre offerings, but its mind-melding narrative will scratch the itch of those who aren't completely burned out by the concept of the multiverse.

But, I'm getting off-track. Season 2 of the Apple original series reunites us with the Dessens — Jason (Joel Edgerton) and Daniela (Jennifer Connelly) — as they're forced to go on the run again when a new threat ermerges. Coupled with Jason's growing obsession with the mysterious Box and Daniela's escalating paranoia further impinging on their lives, their relationship will be pushed to the limits are Dark Matter season 2 blends intimate drama with abstract science fiction. — TP

One Hundred Years of Solitude Grand Finale (Netflix)

As Netflix's ambitious attempts to tell Gabriel García Márquez's apparently unfilmable novel is about to reach its conclusion.

Indeed, the finale charts Macondo as it faces its last days and the birth of the final descendant. Even if you've read the original book, you still probably won't have a handle on what's about to unfold. One Hundred Years of Solitude is a tragedy on a legendary level, but there's still something incredibly satisfying about our story coming full circle. — JV

Adults season 2 (Hulu/Disney+)

Adults returns with a two-episode premiere this weekend, so Hulu or Disney+ is the place to be for your sitcom needs.

When we pick up, we'll be navigating the aftermath of that messy season one cliff-hanger. What was meant to be a spontaneous and platonic marriage between Paul Baker (Jack Innanen) and Anton (Owen Thiele) to stop the former's deportation from the US has evolved into something much more.

Unfortunately, this has caused a love triangle because Issa (Amita Rao) is in love with Paul Baker, and Anton happens to be her best friend. I can't see this ending well, can you? — LB

The Undeclared War season 2 (Peacock)

Peacock subscribers, you are in for a treat. UK viewers have already experienced The Undeclared War season 2 on Channel 4 and, frankly, I've never been more invested in a cyber-attack scandal.

The same Malware Department at GCHQ are dealing with the aftermath of a devastating Russian cyberattack. But, just as the UK believes it has regained control, a far more dangerous threat emerges involving Chinese malware — and an internal mole.

You probably already know and love Simon Pegg (and rightly so), but it's Siân Brooke that you need to keep an eye on. Everything she touches, turns to gold. — JV

Tyler Perry's Beauty in Black season 3 (Netflix)

If you're a fan of Beauty in Black, you've no doubt been on the edge of your seat waiting for season 3. After an FBI raid and plenty of legal trouble last season, we all want the tea.

In season 3, we follow Kimmie (Taylor Polidore Williams) and Mallory (Crystle Stewart) as they navigate their new control of the Bellarie family empire. Meanwhile, older family members are getting interrogated and are beginning to turn on each other as hidden crimes are brought to light.

Beauty in Black will return for season 4 as well, so this Netflix show is here to stay. I'm sure Tyler Perry's got much more drama up his sleeve. — LB

Gen Z workers now see themselves as part of a global workforce — but AI remains a major concern - Friday, August 28, 2026 - 10:05
  • 82% of young American knowledge workers now consider themselves global employees
  • The 'American Dream' is more about career opportunities, wherever they may be
  • Social networks and leadership are far more important than AI, for Gen Z

New research from Pebl has claimed Gen Z workers in the US actually see themselves as global employees, not American employees, as hybrid and remote work continues to spread across the world.

In fact, more than half (54%) said that achieving the 'American Dream' doesn't actually mean they have to remain in the US – just that they purse the best career opportunities possible.

Consequentially, 53% would choose to work for the world's best company over America's best company, with four in five (82%) already considering themselves part of a global workforce.

Young workers see the career landscape as global

It seems that workers are also keen to interact with colleagues from other countries, with benefits including broadening perspectives (73%), improving leadership skills (71%) and improving problem-solving abilities (68%).

But even though other studies have pointed toward remote working being a non-negotiable for many young workers, they're still keen to work internationally, whether that's in person or remote. Two in five (41%) envisage careers involving work across two or three different countries, and two in three (64%) would be very or extremely interested in temporary work opportunities in another geography.

"Gen Z is not just more open to international careers – they increasingly see global experience as essential to becoming stronger leaders," CEO Francoise Brougher explained. "If companies want globally minded leaders tomorrow, they need to start creating globally minded careers today."

Ongoing return-to-office mandates have also placed a big emphasis on in-person collaboration, and it's clear that younger workers agree. Building strong and professional networks (28%) and gaining experience in leadership and management (26%) ranked much more highly than developing AI skills (11%) among the 1,022 US Gen Z knowledge workers surveyed. Pebl explained AI's role as a human skill amplifier, not a replacer.

Ultimately, after years of major upheaval across both in-person/remote working routines and AI/automation, young workers are still very optimistic about in-person relationships and new career opportunities.

US government alcohol and firearms agency ATF declares ‘major incident’ after ransomware gang claims cyberattack - Friday, August 28, 2026 - 11:10
  • Ransomware group Qilin lists Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) among new victims, claiming a “major incident”
  • ATF confirmed breach of a standalone system holding investigation target data, not core networks
  • Systems were disconnected, DOJ notified; Qilin is Russia‑linked, known for past Synnovis attack

The US Government's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has suffered a “major incident” in which it appears to have lost sensitive information.

Notorious ransomware operators Qilin added a handful of new names to their data leak site: Northern Leasing Systems, Metal Conversions, California Truck Equipment, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and WireCo.

The attackers did not say what kind of data they stole, or how much of it they have. They have also not posted any samples of the stolen files, which is not that uncommon these days.

ATF investigations

Shortly after appearing on Qilin’s data leak site, ATF confirmed the news via a press release published on the agency’s website. In the announcement, ATF said it was responding to an incident, “affecting a standalone system”.

“The impacted system operates separately from the ATF enterprise network, and there is no indication that the incident has affected the ATF enterprise network, the ATF eForms system, or any other ATF system,” the press release reads. While the press release does not mention the name of the targeted system, a spokesperson told The Register it contains information about targets of ATF investigations.

The ATF usually investigates federal crimes such as illegal firearms trafficking, violent crime and gangs, explosives, arson and bombings, organized crime, illegal alcohol and tobacco trafficking, and firearms dealers and manufacturers.

After spotting the attack, ATF disconnected the affected systems, engaged cybersecurity experts, and notified relevant authorities, including the Department of Justice. “Senior Department officials have designated the event a “major incident” under applicable federal guidelines, and required notifications have been completed,” ATF added.

Qilin is a relatively old, known ransomware threat actor. It is being tied to Russia and is best known for its attack on the pathology provider Synnovis, which happened back in 2024.

Best Buy's Labor Day appliance sale is live, and the retailer says 'we won’t be beat on appliance pricing' — 45% off Samsung, LG, GE and more - Friday, August 28, 2026 - 11:37

It's a good day to visit Best Buy. Online and in-store, Best Buy has launched its official Labor Day appliance sale, and it's also running a 24-hour tech sale on its best-selling gadgets.

I'll first start with its appliance sale, because it's very impressive this year. The retailer is not only offering big savings, up to 45% off, but it's promising that 'we won’t be beat on appliance pricing,' and that is backed by their price match guarantee. That means if you find an appliance that's cheaper at an online or local competitor, Best Buy will match it.

Shop today's top deals at Best Buy

The retailer's Labor Day appliance sale offers a wide range of appliances, including refrigerators, washing machines, dishwashers and ranges from brands like LG, Samsung, GE and Whirlpool. Best Buy also offers free shipping on all major appliances and free installation on qualifying products.

If you're also in the market for a new tech gadget, Best Buy has a 24-hour flash sale today, and I've listed the top deals further down the page, including OLED TVs, AirPods, cheap laptops and more.

Best Buy's Labor Day appliance sale

Best Buy Labor Day appliance sale: save up to 45% off, plus free delivery
Best Buy's Labor Day appliance sale is live, with up to 45% off major appliances, including fridges, dishwashers, ranges, and microwaves from Samsung, LG, Whirlpool, and GE. The retailer is also offering free shipping, and you can price match to ensure you're getting the best deal.View Deal

Shop more of today's top Best Buy deals

Fire TV Stick 4K Select: was $49.99 now $17.99
Amazon's newest 4K streaming stick is now $17.99 at Best Buy. Since it's only a few bucks more than the cheaper HD version, you might as well pay for the upgrade and get higher-resolution streaming—as long as you have a 4K TV. It lacks a few premium features found in the more expensive Plus and Max models, such as improved Wi-Fi and Dolby Atmos, but that is more than enough for everyday use.View Deal

WH-1000XM5: was $398 now $248
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

AirPods Max 2 (USB-C): was $549 now $529
The over-ear headphones now include Apple's H2 chip, which delivers adaptive audio, personalized volume, and improved voice isolation for superior sound. You're also getting up to 1.5x more Active Noise Cancellation and 20 hours of battery life.View Deal

iPad 11-inch (A16, 2025): was $449 now $399
Apple's latest base iPad is $50 off at Best Buy, bringing the price to $399. The biggest upgrade over the previous generation is the newer A16 chip for faster performance, and you'll also get double the standard storage (128GB instead of 64GB). Other features include a sharp 11-inch Liquid Retina display and solid 12MP front- and rear-facing cameras, making this iPad the best for casual streamers and scrollers.

Read our full 11-inch iPad A16 reviewView Deal

Processor: MediaTek Kompanio 540
RAM: 8GB
Storage: 128GB

You don't always find a laptop with 8GB of memory for under $300, so this Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook really stands out in Best Buy's latest sale. Other components are good for light use, but that bump to 8GB of RAM will really help with everyday performance and load times. It's still a fairly basic laptop, but with enough extra power to avoid dramatic slowdown when multitasking.View Deal

Chromebook Plus 516: was $479 now $399
Display - 16 inches
Processor - Intel i3
RAM - 8GB
Storage - 128GB

This version of the Acer Chromebook Plus offers a solid amount of power for the price. It includes 8GB of RAM and an Intel i3 processor, boosting performance, boot times, and load times. The 128GB storage is a bit underwhelming, but you get a large, bright IPS display and decent battery life of around 12 hours— more than enough for a full workday. At a little under $400, it's a smart buy for school or college, or just as a home laptop for light use and everyday tasks.View Deal

15.6-inch 2K Touchscreen Laptop: was $849.99 now $449.99
This 15.6-inch touchscreen laptop combines an Intel 13th Generation Core i5 1334U processor, 8GB DDR5 RAM, 512GB PCIe SSD, Full HD IPS display, Wi-Fi 6, USB-C, and Windows 11 Home.View Deal

MacBook Pro 14.2-inch (M5): was $2499 now $2299
Apple's M5 chip (10-core CPU, 10-core GPU) is paired with 16GB of unified memory and a 1TB SSD, in a 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display with up to 24 hours of battery life. Today's deal from Best Buy shaves $200 off the retail price.View Deal

55-inch F70 Series 4K QLED Mini-LED Fire TV: was $699.99 now $299.99
Insignia's F70 Series QLED TV boasts Mini-LED and Quantum Dot technology, delivering bold, vibrant colors and lifelike images. You also get Dolby Atmos Audio, smart capabilities with the Fire operating system, and a voice remote with hands-free Alexa, so you can use your voice to control your TV.View Deal

QD50 58-inch Hi-QLED 4K TV: was $399.99 now $209.99
I can't speak too much about the overall quality of this TV given we haven't had extensive testing time, but I can't deny that it's a super low price for a TV of this size. It also sports the budget version of Hisense's QLED tech, which offers superior brightness and more vivid colors, although it's not as powerful as the premium displays. Still, this is a big and cheap TV that will be ideal for general everyday viewing and streaming for someone who isn't too bothered about getting the very best picture possible.View Deal

75-inch C350 4K Fire TV: was $729.99 now $369.99
If you're looking for a cheap big-screen TV, Best Buy has the popular 75-inch Toshiba C350 4K Fire TV for an incredible $369.99. Toshiba's C350 is a 4K TV with HDR support, delivering solid picture quality for everyday viewing. Access streaming apps easily with the Fire TV OS, which puts Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, and more at your fingertips. It's not as powerful as many premium options, but if you're on a tight budget and want a big display, this is an excellent option.View Deal

75-inch S5 4K LED Fire TV: was $649.99 now $419.99
The TCL 75-inch S5 4K LED TV supports Dolby Vision, HDR10 Plus, HDR10, and HLG, while there’s Dolby Atmos sound and a built-in subwoofer. It also has a dedicated Game Mode for lower input lag and latency, and Motion Rate 240 technology for smoother motion. It’s all wrapped up in a highly attractive price tag for a screen of this size.View Deal

77-inch B5 OLED 4K Smart TV: was $2999.99 now $1499.99
The LG B5 is this year's best budget OLED TV, and Best Buy has a massive 50% discount on the 77-inch model. Released last year, the LG B5 is TechRadar's best budget OLED TV and was awarded four and a half stars in our review. The LG display delivers an exceptional picture with brilliant colors and sharp contrast. You also get excellent gaming features, thanks to the four HDMI 2.1 ports and new AI tools, including AI Search, AI Concierge, and an improved AI Chatbot.

Read our full LG B5 reviewView Deal

Hero 13 Black: was $479.99 now $409.99
Here's a super-tempting low price on one of the best action camera bundles on the market right now. The camera delivers an impressive 5.3K video resolution in a rugged, fully waterproof body. A sweet deal for your remaining summer or upcoming fall adventures.View Deal

See more of today's best Labor Day sales
Premier League Soccer: Stream Chelsea vs. Brighton Live from Anywhere - Sunday, August 30, 2026 - 06:00
The Seagulls look to keep up their recent good record against the West Londoners.
A Folding iPhone at Last? What to Expect From Apple’s Surprise and Shine Fall Event - Sunday, August 30, 2026 - 08:00
From the iPhone 18 lineup to the Apple Watch 12 and new AirPods, this is everything Apple could release in its anticipated September event.
7 of the coolest turntables of 2026 — including a superbly tacky anniversary edition, and an ode to Rammstein - Friday, August 28, 2026 - 15:00

Fancy getting into vinyl, or upgrading your existing setup? This year has delivered some especially interesting new turntables, ranging from the classy to the tacky, and from the practical to the surely-just-for-show. I've rounded up some of our favorites below.

Oxblood is clearly in vogue, because we have not one but two decks in the moody hue: Technics' Friz Hansen turntable with a matching lamp, and Pro-Ject's ultra-minimalist Debut Evo 2.

Looking for something less understated? Rammstein fans should gear up to grab one of respected turntable brand Clearaudio's limited-edition themed decks when they finally become available in October. The brand's love letter to the German metal gods isn't simply a band logo slapped onto an existing turntable either — it was created in collaboration with Rammstein as a "fully independent model" featuring a metallic lacquer finish and dimmable LED lighting.

If you think that's bold, wait until you see Technics' other notable 2026 release. This limited-edition turntable is based on the SL-1200 model, and designed to mark its 55th anniversary. The inner workings remain largely untouched compared to the base model, but the exterior is altogether flashier: the theme here is gold, and lots of it. Everything from the tonearm to the controls to the platter has had the Midas touch applied — it even has a gold slip mat.

Scroll down for a closer look at all these decks and more — and hit the More details button for links to additional info.

Top turntables

Fluance RT87 turntable

View at Fluance

Technics Direct Drive Turntable System 55th Anniversary Edition

Read more: Technics' classic SL-1200 turntable is getting a 55th anniversary edition — and the big upgrade is 'lots of gold'

View at Technics

Goldring GR3

Read more: Goldring's GR3 turntable is all about style and convenience, but there's one aspect I wish I could switch off...

View at Goldring

Pros
  • Detailed, rhythmically adept and confident sound
  • Excellent pre-fitted cartridge is part of its plug-and-play convenience
  • Great standard of build and finish
Cons
  • Can sound slightly insubstantial at the top of the frequency range
  • Phono stage really should be defeatable
  • Not short of competition

Philips Fidelio FT1 (UK only)

Read more: I tested the Philips turntable with a CD player squirreled away in its plinth and honestly, for this money it's hard to argue with the versatility

View at Philips

Pros
  • +Energetic and quite communicative sound
  • Specified like a music centre of the old school (with some wireless stuff thrown in too)
  • Tremendous flexibility where partnering equipment is concerned
Cons
  • Splashy treble response
  • Low frequencies sound slightly remote
  • Quieter when physically connected than when using Bluetooth

Technics Limited Edition Fritz Hansen Turntable

Read more: 'Music is an art of time. Time flows without form': Technics releases a burgundy turntable, ties itself in knots over a matching 1930s lamp collab, we're all confused (but secretly I love it)

View at Technics

Sony PS-LX5BT turntable

Read more: It ain't heavy, but Sony's new budget Bluetooth turntable is still a winner eight days a week

View at Sony

Pros
  • Energetic and forward, but not unsubtle, sound
  • aptX Adaptive compatibility = lossy 48kHz wireless connectivity
  • Integrated phono stage and fully automatic operation
Cons
  • Little issues at either end of the frequency range
  • Construction feels a little insubstantial
  • Fixed counterweight

Pro-Ject Debut Evo 2

View at Pro.ject

Clearaudio Rammstein turntable (available Oct 2026)

Read more: Clearaudio just unveiled a stunning Rammstein turntable and truly, ich will!

12 Mac mini alternatives for Windows I'd actually buy - Friday, August 28, 2026 - 15:05

I've hand-picked my 12 favorite Mac mini alternatives for Windows, from budget picks to high-end content creation stations. There's no denying Apple's newly unveiled Mac mini with M6 chip is a seriously cool piece of hardware, but fixed memory and limited port selection mean it's definitely not for everyone.

If you want upgradable RAM and additional connectivity like USB4 for hooking up an external GPU, these are the Windows Mac mini alternatives I really like. I've included top-tier compact machines from brands we've reviewed highly during our mini PC testing, including Beelink, Geekom, GMKtec, Minisforum, and Asus. Whether you need a cheap mini PC for the office or a high-performance powerhouse for heavier workloads, these are the machines I recommend.

My top 12 Windows mini PCs

Geekom A8

Minisforum UM890 Pro

Beelink SER9 Pro

GMKtec EVO-X1

AceMagic K1

Kamrui E3B

Geekom A8 Max

GMKtec NucBox G10

Asus Nuc 15 Pro

Peladn HO5

Bosgame P3 Lite

Acemagic X3

Why I chose these mini PCs

I had three key areas of focus when selecting these mini PCs — performance, connectivity and value for money.

Performance was obviously high on my list, which is why I've included mini PCs powered by some seriously capable AMD Ryzen and Intel Core processors. The Beelink SER9 Pro ranked as our best mini PC for business.

I also wanted plenty of memory and storage, although upgradeability obviously varies considerably between these machines.

There are some particularly well-connected choices among my top 12, too. The Minisforum UM890 Pro has two USB4 ports, OCuLink for connecting high-speed external hardware, dual 2.5GbE ports and enough display connections to drive four screens simultaneously.

The GMKtec EVO X1 also combines USB4 and OCuLink with dual 2.5GbE networking, alongside HDMI and DisplayPort outputs.

Price was important as well, so I tried to include options for different budgets rather than filling the list with flagship machines. We rate Acemagic's K1 as our best mid-range mini PC, and at under $290, GMKtec's G10 Mini PC is a very affordable choice.

For more options, check out the best mini PCs we've tested, and for more savings, see our round-up of this week's best mini PC deals.

Russia says it will start selling its 'suicide drone' to foreign nations — but won't name them - Friday, August 28, 2026 - 15:50
  • Russia is offering the Garpia-A1E to foreign military customers
  • The drone can reportedly travel up to 1,000 kilometres
  • Garpia-A1E carries over 50kg payload and endures for over six hours

Moscow has begun marketing a long-range loitering munition built by a state defense manufacturer to foreign militaries.

The weapon, known as the Garpia-A1E, has drawn interest from buyers abroad following a series of live demonstrations.

Officials confirmed the export plan, but declined to name which countries have expressed interest so far.

A weapon built for distance

Unlike drones designed for repeated missions, this class of weapon flies toward its programmed coordinates and detonates on arrival, destroying itself in the process — a one-way flight profile that has earned the informal label "suicide drone."

The aircraft spans 3.4 meters in length, carries a takeoff weight of 250 kilograms, and stretches 3 meters across its wings.

Engineers built the airframe around an existing gasoline-powered munition design, relying on a tailless layout and a rear-mounted propeller to strike fixed coordinates set before launch.

It tops out near 170 kilometers per hour, can remain airborne for more than six hours, and operates at altitudes ranging from 50 to 2,500 meters.

"Today, the Garpia-A1E is the only loitering munition on the global market with a range of up to 1,000 kilometers," said Alexander Mikheev, general director of Rosoboronexport.

The payload capacity exceeds 50 kilograms, and the system's accuracy keeps errors within four meters of the intended point of impact.

Prospective buyers overseas have already shown interest following a round of live testing, the director added.

Rosoboronexport remains open to negotiating direct sales agreements, along with arrangements to manufacture the drone inside countries considered friendly toward Moscow.

Meanwhile, the drone's maker, Almaz-Antey, has expanded output at its production facilities, supporting the defense sector's ability to fulfill international orders on competitive timelines.

Domestic orders come first

Any commercial arrangement involving Russian military hardware must account for existing domestic commitments before new contracts move forward.

However, it seems Russia’s domestic needs will not be a problem because the company has since expanded production.

Almaz-Antey has now reached a production capacity sufficient to meet foreign orders within competitive delivery windows.

That balance between domestic obligation and export ambition now defines Russia's approach to marketing kamikaze drones internationally.

"When conducting contract and supply work regarding Russian military products, Rosoboronexport primarily considers the need for the manufacturer to fulfill its obligations to the Russian Ministry of Defence," said Alexander Mikheev, general director of Rosoboronexport.

“Almaz-Antey has mastered the series production of the Garpia-A1E system and reached a level that enables it to fulfill contracts with foreign customers…without compromising the country’s defence capability.”

Loitering munitions have grown into one of the defining weapons of current conflicts, prompting analysts to closely track their battlefield influence and cost.

As of the time of writing, no delivery timeline has been disclosed publicly, though analysts expect pricing and rival systems to shape eventual contract decisions.

Via The Drone Front

Ukraine has built its own jet-powered drone interceptor — and it'll easily fit in the back of a pickup truck - Friday, August 28, 2026 - 17:10
  • Ukraine has deployed a turbojet interceptor specifically designed to hunt Russian attack drones
  • The compact aircraft can return home when an interception attempt fails
  • Multiple warhead options allow the interceptor to tackle different aerial targets

Ukraine's defense ministry has confirmed a new turbojet-powered aircraft built to shoot down Russian attack drones has now entered military service.

Dubbed Alexa Spatium, the compact v-tail craft was engineered domestically to intercept small aerial and surface threats across the battlefield.

It was built chiefly to engage Russia's Geran-3, Geran-4 and Geran-5 kamikaze drones, together with the frequently deployed Shahed-131 loitering munition.

Built for speed and reuse

The aircraft measures 1.5 by 1.7 meters and is fired from a portable catapult stationed close to the front line.

If it fails to strike anything on a given mission, the interceptor is designed to fly back toward its own launch point.

It can be fitted with thermobaric, shaped-charge, fragmentation or high-explosive warheads, depending on the kind of threat it aims to destroy in the air.

Guidance comes either from coordinates loaded before launch or through direct operator control once the aircraft is already flying toward its objective.

Detection relies on an electro-optical camera paired with an infrared sensor, allowing it to spot enemy aircraft even in low visibility conditions.

As of the time of writing, Kyiv has not officially revealed the interceptor's top speed, and a statement from the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence left several performance figures undisclosed.

A wider race against faster threats

Ukraine is not the only country fielding this kind of weapon, since Britain introduced a comparable system earlier in the year.

Known as Skyhammer and built by Cambridge Aerospace, it also runs on a turbojet engine and hunts down Shahed-style drones.

It relies on a nose-mounted radar seeker and a fragmentation warhead built to disable rather than fully destroy its objective.

Neither weapon, however, offers real protection from ballistic missiles, which travel far faster than any propeller or jet drone can manage.

This gap matters a great deal for Ukraine, whose stock of American-supplied Patriot missiles has thinned after years of steady combat use.

Ten European countries, Ukraine and the United Kingdom, formed an Anti-Ballistic Missile Coalition in July to help Ukraine close the gap.

During a Kyiv visit marking Ukraine's independence anniversary, held every August 24th, the U.K.’s Prime Minister Andy Burnham confirmed its desire to help Ukraine.

London cleared MBDA, the joint European missile maker, to hand over classified data on the Storm Shadow's internal components to Ukrainian engineers.

The move should let Ukraine begin producing its own version of the joint British and French cruise missile domestically.

Even so, none of these interceptors solve the core problem, since drones and missiles remain two very different categories of threat entirely.

Whether new missile production can scale quickly enough to matter will likely depend more on politics than on engineering alone.

That question, more than any single weapon unveiled this month, may ultimately decide how well Ukraine's skies are defended through the coming winter months.

Via The Register

'The best way to predict the future is to invent it' — quote of the day by physicist Dennis Gabor on the nature of innovation - Friday, August 28, 2026 - 18:00

Dennis Gabor was a Hungarian-British physicist who's widely credited with inventing holography, a photographic technique that can record and reconstruct three-dimensional images. This is an invention for which he received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1971. But his legacy extends to his philosophy on the nature of innovation

Go your own way

Gabor wrote this iconic passage in his now-extremely rare book 'Inventing the Future', in which he sketched out an optimistic vision for the future.

Quote of the day

This article is part of TechRadar Pro's QOTD project to provide an insight into the minds of the brightest and most recognized figures in the technology industry today and in years gone by. Read the full series here.

At the core of his belief was that there was no need to any longer passively predict what may come to pass in the years ahead. Instead, the influence and strength of science and industry was such that mankind could forge its own future.

The comments also focused on that pivot point of the industrial revolution, before which the possibilities of the future were fairly limited, in his view. As each wave of innovation comes to pass, the possibilities continue to expand.

Charting a path

There's no understating the influence that Gabor had in modern science and industry. His comments were routinely quoted, and even adopted, by others. Chief among the figures that took this philosophy to heart was Alan Kay, described as one of the true luminaries of personal computing.

Kay, whose career spanned stints at Apple and HP among other industry titans, used this idea of inventing, not predicting, the future as a core maxim from 1971. He used the phrase to inspire his work in pioneering elements like the graphical user interface and laptops many years before they were realized.

Although Gabor was a very influential figure in the technology world, his predictions weren't always on the mark. In 1962, for instance, he said sending documents via telephone wires was possible, but only in principle. That's because the equipment required was so expensive that he didn't see a world in which they'd be cheap enough for the technology to become practical.

The US Navy wants its next drone-mounted torpedo to be able to glide silently through the air - Friday, August 28, 2026 - 19:20
  • This torpedo could glide through the air before quietly entering the ocean
  • Silent Anvil must enter the water at angles between 45 and 90 degrees
  • Its glide phase could extend submarine hunting far beyond torpedo range

The US Navy is weighing two paths toward a new class of Silent Anvil Air-Launched Torpedo (SAA-LT) meant to enter the water quietly and track threats beneath the surface.

One route involves building an entirely new torpedo designed from the ground up to glide toward its target before submerging.

The alternative approach would attach a glide kit onto a torpedo already in service, extending its reach without a full redesign.

Weight and size requirements

Officials have set strict limits on the weapon's physical dimensions, capping it at 268 pounds with a maximum length of 70 inches and a diameter reaching up to 7.5 inches.

These figures place Silent Anvil in a similar weight class to existing torpedoes, though officials have not disclosed how far the weapon must travel before impact.

By comparison, the Mark 54 torpedo currently in Navy inventory carries a range of roughly 5.7 miles, giving industry a rough benchmark even though exact figures for the new system remain undefined.

"The Government is seeking industry input on the maximum standoff glide range achievable," the Navy said.

Officials have also outlined specific launch conditions, requiring the weapon to operate across three distinct speed bands measured at Mach 0.25, 0.50 and 0.85.

Altitude requirements stretch from as low as 10 feet to as high as 60,000 feet, a ceiling that exceeds the operational limits of the P-8 Poseidon aircraft.

That upper range instead aligns more closely with the capabilities of the MQ-4C Triton, a high-altitude surveillance drone already flying missions for the fleet.

Strict water entry requirements

Engineers must also account for how the weapon behaves once it approaches the ocean surface, since prolonged airborne travel offers a stealth advantage.

"SAA-LT shall maximize aerial flight endurance while minimizing aquatic immersion time, restricting water residence strictly to the minimum duration required for successful mission execution," the Navy said.

Under the glide-kit configuration, the torpedo would need to strike the water somewhere between 45 and 90 degrees, moving at a velocity ranging from 40 to 120 feet per second.

Development is expected to move quickly once a contract is finalized, with a working prototype required within 18 months of any award.

Should that early test succeed, the program would then scale toward 180 additional units built within three years.

This effort unfolds as China has been steadily enlarging its submarine fleet in recent years, adding vessels with far greater technical capability than before.

Among these additions are unmanned underwater vehicles engineered to operate effectively across great distances without needing any human crew aboard.

In response, the US Navy is also developing a separate weapon known internally as the Long-Range Antisubmarine Warfare system, still early in testing.

That system would let torpedoes launch from tubes built into ship decks and strike enemy submarines from a much greater distance.

Via Defense News

‘Decent visuals, useful satellite speakers, and handy portability’ — testing the Soundcore Nebula P1, I’ve been impressed how many quality features it offers for its modest price - Friday, August 28, 2026 - 20:00
Soundcore Nebula P1: One-minute review

The Soundcore Nebula P1 is a fun product. It takes some of the cool ideas the brand had with the Nebula X1 and boils them down into a much cheaper projector.

The result is a $799 / £699.99 / AU$1,299.99 1080p projector with a modest 650-lumen output. This makes it a bit limited, as you’ll need a dark space and can’t shine too big an image. But for pop-up movie nights and fun little setups in the backyard, it’s up to the task. It even has slight waterproofing to protect against unforeseen weather.

Its wireless satellite speakers are the Nebula P1’s big party trick, giving it a nice, wide soundstage that most of its competitors simply can’t match. That said, anyone who already owns a pair of Bluetooth speakers with a stereo mode probably can work something out themselves.

The Nebula P1 is a good package, but it relies on the whole package to drive home that value. It’s not far off from the Hisense M2 Pro, and the JMGO N1S Pro 4K has seen some sales that put it dangerously close in price to the P1, and both of those have far superior projection. But where portability and outdoor-worthiness count, the P1 still has an advantage.

(Image credit: Future)Soundcore Nebula P1 review: Price & release date
  • Release date: October 2025
  • Price: $799 / £699 / AU$1,299

The Soundcore Nebula P1 launched in late 2025 with an initial price of $799 / £699 / AU$1,299. Since then it has seen occasional discounts, which are fairly common for products in this category. These have lowered it to around $700 several times and gone as low as $639. Deals like these are worth watching out for, as they’ll save you a considerable amount and help the Nebula P1 stand clear of some of its tougher competition.

Soundcore Nebula P1 review: Specs

Screen sizes supported

<180 inches

Brightness (specified)

650 Lumens

Optical technology

3 Laser DLP

Smart TV

Google TV

Connections

1x USB-A, 1x 3.5mm audio out, 1x HDMI 2.1 (with eARC), 1x USB-C power

Dimensions

4.9 x 5.1 x 11.2 inches / 124 x 130 x 284mm

Weight

5.3 lbs / 2.4kg

(Image credit: Future)Soundcore Nebula P1 review: Design & features
  • Integrated gimbal stand
  • Detachable Bluetooth speakers
  • USB-C power

The Soundcore Nebula P1 takes some of the lessons the company learned with the Nebula X1 and pairs it with some of the tricks designed for the Nebula X1 Pro. But it's shrunk all of this down and simplified it to fit in a smaller, more portable, and (chiefly) more affordable package.

The Nebula P1 weighs 5.3 lbs / 2.4kg compared to the Nebula X1 Pro $4,000+ behemoth, takes up less than 300 cubic inches / five liters of space, and still combines a projector with a wireless sound system, albeit only a 2.0-channel one.

It’s a funky little projector. The whole unit comes together in a little column just about five inches / 127mm wide and deep and under a foot / 300mm tall. The actual projection unit sits within a frame and swivels vertically to untuck, revealing its lens in the front and its HDMI, USB-A, and 3.5mm ports on the rear. It keeps power separate, coming through a USB-C port at the base of the frame via an included Anker power brick (it can also work with separate power adapters of high enough wattage).

(Image credit: Future)

The top of the projector holds two small speaker units. These are rather loosely secured with small clasps at each corner controlled by a small switch on the back of the unit. They haven’t fallen loose during testing, but they might if you tried to carry the projector by the speakers. Fortunately, with its built-in carrying strap, the Nebula P1 is easy to tote.

Once you've plunked the Nebula P1 down, you just aim the projection where you want it, and then grab the wireless speakers and set them in ideal positions for quality stereo audio — something that's sorely lacking in this kind of projector despite claims otherwise.

The projector has Google TV built in, so it doesn’t need to rely on an external HDMI source. And the 20-hour battery life of the speakers should get you through some epic binge watching. With IP33 protection on the projector and IP54 on the speakers, you can even set up outdoors without worrying about a few stray raindrops ruining the show, though you’ll still want to guard your power source.

When you’re done watching, the projector can fold back up. The speakers can plop back onto the top where they’ll charge via pogo pins, and you’re good to go. Also, as the speakers automatically sleep when the projector shuts down, they won't just die if you ever forget to put them back on the charging pad. They also have USB-C charging ports as a backup. And, yes, they still work if they’re on top of the projector.

Unfortunately, they do slowly drain over time and the pogo pins aren't perfectly reliable. After letting them sit for a longer time on top of the projector, I came back to watch something and found that one of the speakers had not recharged and was dead.

(Image credit: Future)

There are a few small gripes with the design of this system. For one, it makes a common mistake of gimbal-mounted projectors: ignoring other necessary corrections. It’s easy to aim the projector vertically, but if it’s sitting on a sideways slant, however subtle, there are no feet to adjust and correct this.

The frame also stands in the way of being able to point the projector straight up at ceilings. Putting the HDMI port on the back of the projection unit rather than the frame, while likely done to simplify internal circuitry, means the cable can push on the unit and shift its angle. The speakers also don’t clearly indicate when they’ve securely latched back into place.

Aside from the gimbal and focus, the Nebula P1 relies on digital image adjustments. That is to say, if you need to make corrections like keystone, zoom, or rotation, you’ll be forced to crop the projection.

The Nebula P1 supports fairly extensive adjustments, but since they reduce usable pixels, it’s best to find a setup that requires as little adjustment as possible. While a lot of projectors will try to do extensive correction and framing automatically with a front-facing camera, the Nebula P1 only does keystone and focus, relying on a user’s phone camera and app connection for any further automatic correction.

A compact little unit, the Nebula P1’s remote control offers standard Google TV controls and shortcuts to YouTube, Netflix, and Prime Video. Conveniently, it has a motion sensor that illuminates many of its face buttons automatically, which really helps in the kind of dark environment you'll be using a projector.

  • Design & features score: 3.5/5

(Image credit: Future)Soundcore Nebula P1 review: Picture quality & performance
  • Decent picture with the right setting
  • Intelligible audio with a (potentially) wide soundstage

The Soundcore Nebula P1 may not have the specs to compete with the movie theaters, but it serves up a respectable picture for some fun at-home watching or outdoor movie night setups.

It’s not super bright, so it really calls for dim or completely dark spaces for the best experience, but you can get by watching bright and colorful content even with some ambient light in the room. HDR content can even pop in a dark environment. The projector’s color is solid and most things look lifelike without oversaturation. It doesn’t match the range covered by triple-laser projectors, but it’s not altogether disappointing. For a projector of its price, the Nebula P1 performs pretty well.

Perhaps its biggest setback is its 1080p resolution, which is exceedingly common in projectors under $1,000. If you go too large, much past about a hundred-inch image, you can start to see the gaps between the pixels with a screen door effect that is all the more prominent on bright pictures. But as long as you don’t project too big an image or sit too close, that’s also a setback that’s easily avoided.

(Image credit: Future)

By default, the projector has a few regrettable behaviors, but these can be tamed. Firstly, almost every picture profile has poor-looking motion interpolation enabled. While this usually looks bad enough, it’s especially bad here because the processing isn’t quite up to the task of quality interpolation. Films and animation immediately look better with this disabled.

The projector also shows a tendency to over-sharpen to make up for its 1080p resolution. This isn’t always apparent, but when the projector displays scenes with lots of fine details — building textures, hair strands, and the like — there’s a lot of visible and distracting aliasing. Dialing down the sharpening to level ‘4’ thoroughly improved this without creating too soft a picture.

The NebulaMaster picture preset might seem like it should be the ideal one, but it has a knack for taking the issues I found and wrapping them all into one. The projector performs much better in the Movie setting.

Unfortunately, the contrast isn't stunning. Black levels don't sink to a pitch black or even close to it. You'll just see a hazy gray in large black areas, which makes dark, night scenes look a fair bit poorer than brighter ones. That’s not uncommon for budget projectors, and even premium models can struggle with black levels.

(Image credit: Future)

Gaming performance is also mixed. Using the projector’s special gaming picture mode, input latency is very low, making it easy enough to play fast-paced games like Hades without issue. That said, the game mode doesn’t allow for digital image correction, and thus undoes any keystone and zoom. In any other picture mode, correction is allowed, but input lag is plain as day and won’t make for a good experience outside of games that don’t require quick reaction.

Moving onto sound, the speakers focus highly on the mids, which helps ensure speech is intelligible. But explosive bass depth is off the cards, and music lacks fullness, while the sound profile can be a bit harsh sometimes with a little extra sibilance. On the plus side, thanks to the ability to spread the speakers out as much as you want, it’s possible to get a very wide soundstage. The speakers can also operate sitting atop the projector, but then you’ll miss out entirely on decent stereo.

  • Picture quality & performance score: 4/5
Soundcore Nebula P1 review: Value

While the Nebula P1 serves as something of a small analog to the Nebula X1 Pro, it doesn’t quite break the bank in the same way at just $799 / £699 / AU$1,299. This puts it on the affordable side of the market, and it does a fair bit for a model in this range. With serviceable brightness, a neat audio trick that avoids being gimmicky, and useful portability, it brings plenty to the table for the money.

Ultimately, the portability and sound are what help pull it away from other competitors that can do more in delivering a solid picture without costing much more.

JMGO has a fleet of projectors that have been enjoying steep discounts, making a projector with 4K visuals, the wide color gamut of RGB lasers, and substantial brightness all attainable for $1,000. But the easy portability, ability to run on USB power, and wide soundstage possible from wireless satellite speakers set the Nebula P1 apart.

  • Value score: 4/5

(Image credit: Future)Should I buy the Soundcore Nebula P1?Soundcore Nebula P1 Scorecard

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Design and features

The Nebula P1 is nifty with the way it integrates all its little elements. It’s not too sparing on features, and it’s conveniently portable. A little sleeve to carry the charger and remote and to better protect the whole unit on the move would have been a plus, as would a strong clamp for the wireless speaker.

3.5/5

Picture quality and performance

The Nebula P1 offers a good level of brightness, satisfying color, and a sharp enough picture for casual viewing at up to 100 inches. For the money, it’s quite respectable. The picture benefits from some quick adjustments, as the defaults have glaring issues, but there’s not too much fuss.

4/5

Value

The Nebula P1 brings a lot to the table for $799 / £699 / AU$1,299, and even more when considering frequent discounts. With decent visuals, useful satellite speakers, and portability, it’s a nice little bundle.

4/5

Buy it if...

You want wide stereo everywhere you go
The wireless speakers of the Nebula P1 are more than a gimmick. They really make shows and movies more immersive than typical projector speakers. Plenty of projectors offer portability, but few have this trick for quality stereo sound.

You want an on-the-go system with flexibility
With its carrying handle, wireless speaker system, and the ability to run on various USB-C power sources, the Nebula P1 is a more compelling on-the-go projector than a lot of its competition.

You might get caught in the rain
While there are a lot of projectors that can compete with the Nebula P1’s visuals, not a lot of them are as ready to risk a few raindrops. The Nebula P1 has enough water protection to let you relax a little bit while watching outside even when the forecast calls for a chance of rain.

Don't buy it if...

You want a massive, stunning picture
With limited brightness and 1080p resolution, the Nebula P1 just isn’t ready to drop jaws displaying a large picture. For that, you’ll likely want more than double the brightness and 4K resolution.

You already have decent speakers
A lot of Bluetooth speakers will let you link them into a stereo pair, and if you’ve already got a good set, there’s a good chance they’ll be competitive with the P1’s speakers. In that case, you can put your money toward a projector that’s more focused on quality visuals and less on sound.

You’re planning on a permanent, indoor setup
The Nebula P1 has put a lot of effort into its portability and outdoor worthiness. If you’re not looking to take advantage of that, your money can go further with a different projector.

Soundcore Nebula P1 review: Also considerComparison: projectors

Soundcore Nebula P1

JMGO N1S

Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen

JMGO N1S Ultra 4K

Price

$799 / £699 / AU$1,299

$999 / £799 (around AU$1,130)

$799 / £649 / AU$1,302.85

$1,999 / £1,478.70 / AU$2,999

Screen sizes supported

Up to 180 inches

40 to 180 inches

30 to 130 inches

85 to 180 inches

Brightness (specified)

650 lumens

900 lumens

230 ANSI lumens

2,400 ANSI lumens

HDR support

HDR10

HDR10

HDR10+, HLG

HDR10, HLG

Optical technology

4-LED DLP

3 Laser DLP

LED DLP

RGB Laser DLP

Smart TV

Google TV

Google TV

Tizen

Google TV

Connections

1x HDMI 2.1 ( with eARC), 1x USB-A , 1x 3.5mm

HDMI 2.1 ( with eARC), 1x 3.5mm

Micro-HDMI, USB-C (power)

HDMI x2 (x1 eARC), USB-A (power), 3.5mm

JMGO N1S
If you already have speakers you like (or a pair of stereo-capable Bluetooth speakers), you can get a more exciting picture from the JMGO N1S. It’s a bit brighter and looks all the more gorgeous thanks to its RGB laser projection, even if it's still just 1080p. That said, finding one is hard, and a 4K version with a bunch of other enhancements is also available for under $1,000 (see below).

Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen
Samsung has shown a knack for flexibility, and The Freestyle 2nd Gen is good in that regard. But the Nebula P1 takes the lead on brightness, sound, and easy-of-use, even if it won’t be so easy to power off a battery. Read our full Samsung The Freestyle 2nd Gen review

JMGO N1S Ultra 4K projector
This is the real threat to the Nebula P1. While the JMGO N1S Pro had a $1,999 price when it launched, it has seen that price drop by over 50%. At that price, it’s wild to see bright, RGB laser projection and a 4K picture. It’s not as portable since it requires AC power, but it does include a carrying case. And for image quality, it’s leagues better. Read our full JMGO N1S Ultra 4K projector review.

(Image credit: Future)How I tested the Soundcore Nebula P1
  • 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 Soundcore Nebula P1 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 colleagues at TechRadar and I have tested.

I have been testing projectors since 2021 and displays for even longer.

Diamonds, Crescents and Wildcats: Intel shows off its hardware for the next generation of agentic AI workloads - Friday, August 28, 2026 - 20:40
  • Intel shows three agentic AI architectures at Hot Chips 2026: the 256-core Diamond Rapids Xeon, the Crescent Island inference GPU, and the already-shipping Wildcat Lake client SoC
  • Diamond Rapids matches AMD's EPYC Venice on cores and bandwidth but arrives in 2027 with half the threads, while Wildcat Lake's 17 TOPS NPU falls short of Copilot+'s 40+ TOPS certification
  • Intel's Crescent Island will support up to 480 GB via third-party partner cards, but the Intel-branded variant will be limited to 160 GB, even as it currently does not publish the memory bandwidth that determines its token economics.

Intel used its slot at Hot Chips 2026 to lay out three architectures it says will carry agentic AI from the rack to the laptop.

The already-shipping Wildcat Lake Core Series 3 SoC is for mainstream client and edge machines, Crescent Island is an inference-optimized data center GPU, and Diamond Rapids is its next-generation enterprise-class data center CPU that can be configured with up to 256 cores.

Pushkar Ranade, Intel's chief technology officer, said in a statement accompanying the announcement that agentic AI is changing how the company designs computing from the transistor upward.

Plenty of compute promises, sans some GPU numbers

Intel's Diamond Rapids, which it plans to brand as Xeon 7, is where the chipmaker provides the most information, unsurprisingly, in an industry that plans purchases and upgrades years in advance.

Its flagship offering can encompass as many as 256 cores, backed by 1.28G of fast last-level cache, 16 memory channels, 128 PCIe 6 lanes, and CXL 3.0. ServeTheHome reported that the maximum configuration uses 16-core chiplets, built on Intel's 18A-P process node.

Rival chipmaker AMD also offers a 256-core trim: the EPYC 9996, built on TSMC's 2nm node, keeps hyperthreading in play, effectively doubling its thread count versus Intel's flagship.

Its Crescent Island GPU is arguably the most interesting design of the three, but the least detailed: a 350W air-cooled PCIe card built on its Xe3P GPU architecture, with 32 cores feeding 256 third-generation XMX engines and 32 MB of unified L2 cache. It surprisingly uses LPDDR5X rather than HBM, but the choice seems rationalized to offer capacity at a power and cost profile that lets Intel compete meaningfully with Nvidia and AMD.

Interestingly, the 480GB figure Intel touts in its press release isn't what it will ship; Intel-branded cards cap at 160GB, and 480GB is a ceiling available to ODM partners building their own configurations. Intel also remains mum on memory bandwidth specifics and told Chips and Cheese it won't disclose the figure; this is crucial for many AI applications, as memory bandwidth determines decode throughput, and decode throughput essentially determines token economics.

Of the three architectures that Intel talked about, Wildcat Lake is the only one you can pick up off a shelf (as a miniPC or laptop) today; it launched as Intel's Core Series 3. Intel stated that it replaced the Foveros packaging used in Panther Lake with an organic multi-chip package, eliminating the base die and, with it, assembly cost and yield loss. Compute die area fell by 38 percent, and I/O tile area by 15 percent.

The 17 TOPS NPU available to such CPUs sits well below the 40 TOPS Microsoft requires for Copilot+ certification. The 40 TOPS Intel cites is a platform total across CPU, GPU, and NPU, which arguably can be met elsewhere, but it's a sticking point for the chipmaker's AI push, which has otherwise been concentrated on capturing enterprise and hyperscale customers.

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