News

• Following an 18-month ban, Blood Oxygen tracking is coming back to the Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Ultra 2
• It's not an entirely on-device experience anymore, though
• The Apple Watch still measures Blood Oxygen, but the iPhone will calculate and display the final result

It’s been a long 18 months, but Apple’s announced that Blood Oxygen tracking and monitoring are returning to the Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Ultra 2 in the United States.

The feature was disabled and effectively banned on the Series 9 and Ultra 2 – then the Series 10, which launched later – after a ruling in January 2024 due to a patent dispute over the technology being used between Massimo and Apple. Now, thanks to iOS 18.6.1 and watchOS 11.6.1, which will roll out later today, the feature is returning in a ‘redesigned’ form.

In its new iteration, the Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Ultra 2’s sensors can take a reading, then transmit the data to the connected iPhone, where it will be calculated and displayed in the Health app under ‘Respiratory’ readings.

So no, you won’t be able to take the reading, watch as it progresses, and then view the results right on your wrist, as you could before. Still, this does effectively return the tracking and monitoring functionality to the impacted Apple Watch models in the United States.

In a statement shared, Apple explains the changes as:

“Users with these models in the U.S. who currently do not have the Blood Oxygen feature will have access to the redesigned Blood Oxygen feature by updating their paired iPhone to iOS 18.6.1, and their Apple Watch to watchOS 11.6.1. Following this update, sensor data from the Blood Oxygen app on Apple Watch will be measured and calculated on the paired iPhone, and results can be viewed in the Respiratory section of the Health app. This update was enabled by a recent U.S. Customs ruling.”

The U.S. Customs ruling is key here, as this will return the feature to the Apple Watches sold when the ban began and was subsequently enforced. If you still have an older Apple Watch, or one sold prior to January 2024, the Blood Oxygen functionality remains unimpacted and won’t be changed. That also goes for any models sold outside of the United States, which have been unimpacted by this ruling.

Still, this does return the Blood Oxygen feature to the Apple Watch, even if it splits the experience between watch and phone. But this separation is likely key to having this allowed and approved by U.S. Customs.

For those who have purchased an Apple Watch Series 9, 10, or Ultra 2 in those many months, this is a return to form and rounding out of the health tracking features on Apple’s star wearable in the United States. Even in our Apple Watch Series 10 review, we noted that the Blood Oxygen tracking feature was missing in the US.

Apple has a pretty smart rollout here, and considering rumors of further pushes into health features that we might see with future generations of Apple Watch models, it might be helpful to have these readings going straight into the Health app. Either route, though, if you’ve been waiting for Blood Oxygen tracking to return, it’s back, but you’ll want to make sure your iPhone is nearby if you want to see the results.

While Apple has not shared an exact timing for the rollouts of iOS 18.6.1 and watchOS 11.6.1, it has promised to arrive today – August 14, 2025 – in the United States, and we’ll update this piece when we see it rolling out.

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Using a VPN service should not be an obstacle to effectively enforcing mandatory age verification checks, like those recently implemented in the UK.

This is the response coming from the Age Verification Providers Association (AVPA) to the surge in VPN demand across the UK since the new rules came into play. The surge has also raised the question of whether VPN tools would make the Online Safety Act implementation ineffective.

According to the AVPA, to remain compliant, digital services need to actively detect VPN usage and give users the option to either prove their age or their real location.

"Some argue that because VPNs exist, any age assurance system will fail. This leads to the mistaken belief that age-restricted sites are exempt from compliance if users connect through a VPN. As we have argued before, this is not true," wrote the AVPA in a blog post.

The AVPA suggests that, once VPN traffic is detected, tech providers should look at behavioral clues to assess whether the user is a UK-based minor or an adult using the VPN for privacy. If they have reason to believe this may be a minor based in the UK, they should offer a choice to either verify their age or consent to one-time geolocation.

That said, the most reliable services for unblocking streaming platforms or censored content all implement obfuscation technologies to mask the fact that people are using these services.

All in all, however, "there are ways to detect and address circumvention, and there is no need to even consider banning VPNs outright," said AVPA experts.

Digital services using age assurance to remain compliant, can do so by detecting VPN use, assessing risk using behavioural clues, and giving flagged users the option to verify their age or prove their location.@peterkyle @FeryalClark @Ofcom https://t.co/ximdlDcj8R pic.twitter.com/lpBIMiVKVuAugust 10, 2025

The AVPA recommendations came after a debate kicked off in the UK over whether authorities could ban VPNs to ensure full compliance with the Online Safety Act.

UK Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Peter Kyle, however, has insisted there are no such plans, despite the government looking "very closely" at how VPNs are being used.

This adds to what the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) explained when discussing the privacy risks of US age verification laws.

As the EFF experts pointed out, your IP address isn't the only method online services use to track down your location. Providers may also use GPS tracking, web cookies, mobile ad IDs, tracking pixels, or device fingerprinting, making the use of VPNs way less effective.

A virtual private network (VPN) encrypts internet connections while spoofing the user's real IP address.

While both of these skills can help you boost your online privacy and security by minimizing the data traces you leave around the internet, IP-spoofing can also make you look as if you're browsing from a completely different country.

Proton VPN recorded an hourly increase of over 1,400% starting from midnight on the day mandatory age verification was enforced. AdGuard VPN also confirmed to TechRadar that sign-ups grew by 2.5 times in just a few days. Data from Top10VPN shows an ongoing surge in VPN demand of almost 2,000% since July 25, too.

Whether minors looking to evade age checks are behind these numbers or it's adults concerned for their privacy is impossible to know.

What's certain, however, is that the new rules have attracted a strong backlash so far amongst technologists, politicians, and everyday users alike, worried about the negative impact that age checks may have on their privacy, security, free speech, and access to information.

The UK regulator, Ofcom, is, nonetheless, strongly suggesting against VPN use to bypass age checks, arguing it will be illegal for platforms to encourage this – the BBC reported.

If you're concerned about sharing your most sensitive data to access content on the web, I recommend downloading only reliable services to protect yourself. At the time of writing, NordVPN is TechRadar's top pick. While if you don't want to pay for a subscription, Proton VPN and Privado VPN are today's best free VPN apps you can get.

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Cloud has become deeply embedded in how modern organizations operate. While the benefits are clear, the economics are becoming harder to navigate.

As businesses scale usage, questions are mounting about whether rising spend is still delivering proportional value. Gartner’s May 2025 trends report predicts that by 2028, one in four organizations will report dissatisfaction with their cloud outcomes.

This discontent reflects a growing distance between infrastructure and accountability, and the growing need for cloud governance to mature, before inefficiencies become embedded.

In many organizations, cost is still treated as a reporting outcome rather than something to shape. Spend is reviewed after deployment, leaving optimization efforts limited to what can be adjusted post-implementation.

Flexera’s 2025 State of the Cloud Report shows that a significant majority of organizations lack detailed visibility into their cloud costs, with only 43% tracking cloud costs at a unit level. This limited visibility hinders most teams’ ability to attribute costs to specific products, services or functions.

Our global data also shows that 34% of enterprises are spending more than $1 million monthly on SaaS. As SaaS adoption grows, so does the importance of managing software licensing costs, which can substantially impact cloud expenditures. Consequently, organizations must look for ways to optimize software license costs as they mature their cloud governance practices.

Visibility needs to move earlier in the decision chain, shaping how environments are constructed rather than rationalizing them after the fact. A shift left approach brings cost considerations – like infrastructure and software licensing costs - earlier into the product lifecycle, so that organizations can make more informed decisions about their cloud usage. By attributing these costs to specific products or services, organizations can gain a clearer understanding of their overall cloud spend.

By embedding cost insight into the architecture stage, organizations are able to steer usage intentionally. They can optimize cloud spend and build cloud environments that reflect business priorities as well as contribute to more sustainable cloud practices, minimizing their environmental footprint.

Access to data does not guarantee accountability. Many organizations have detailed cost reporting but continue to struggle with cloud waste.

The issue here shifts from one of visibility towards one of proximity. Our data shows 59% of organizations have a FinOps team that does some or all cloud cost optimization tasks, yet in many cases, these teams still sit at the edge of delivery. So, while they can surface issues, they are often too removed from daily operations to intervene effectively.

The most effective models integrate cost ownership into delivery itself. This means that engineering leads, platform teams and product owners have oversight to take action before inefficiencies take hold.

As a result, when these roles are supported with relevant reporting and shared financial metrics, cost awareness becomes a natural part of the decision-making process. This makes it easier to adjust workloads, retire underutilized services, and optimize environments in-flight, rather than in hindsight.

Organizations with mature FinOps practices are better positioned to manage their cloud costs and reduce waste year over year. This improvement reflects a delivery culture where cost is treated as a design consideration.

Many organizations can report how much is being spent and on which services. Far fewer can explain how that spend supports outcomes the business cares about.

87% of organizations view cost efficiency as the primary measure of cloud success, up from 65% last year. This signals a shift in mindset that cloud is no longer assumed to be efficient by default, it must justify its footprint in context.

When cloud spend is tied to individual products, services or customer experiences, the conversation becomes more focused. Governing costs like software licensing ensures that licensing agreements are optimized and aligned with business needs.

Attribution helps shift cloud conversations away from usage and toward value. Taking a holistic approach to cost management not only helps in reducing waste but also contributes to more sustainable cloud practices, ultimately delivering both financial and environmental value.

Control is easiest to build before complexity sets in. The longer organizations delay embedding structure into cloud governance, the harder it becomes to retrofit later. Inconsistent tagging, ambiguous ownership and manual reporting all take time to correct once they are entrenched.

As 33% of global organizations now spend more than 12 million dollars annually on public cloud, this highlights how new services, accounts and tools can be introduced faster than the governance processes required to manage them.

It’s important to note that scaling effectively doesn’t mean avoiding complexity, but there is a need to manage it consistently.

Also, governance does not have to stand in the way of innovation. It can enable it, by improving confidence in decision making, and reducing the uncertainty that often undermines momentum.

Cloud is a system of interdependent decisions, each with its own financial implications. The ability to explain, anticipate and adjust these decisions draws the line between cloud as a delivery of value, or cloud as a cost center. As FinOps matures, designing for cost from the beginning and shifting cost conversations left is key to building cloud environments that scale with control.

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• Another Microsoft executive has detailed their vision of a future Windows
• Pavan Davuluri, VP of Windows and Devices, echoes the thoughts previously laid out by Microsoft's VP for OS Security, David Weston
• The overall vision is for more AI, and an OS that watches what you're doing on-screen, tapping into the cloud, which may worry the privacy conscious

Another Microsoft executive has provided their vision of the future of Windows, specifically framed around AI and the cloud, and how this - and voice input - is going to be a big part of the operating system down the line.

Windows Central discovered a YouTube interview with Pavan Davuluri, VP of Windows and Devices at Microsoft. See the video clip below, and be warned, the technobabble is strong with this one. Davuluri says at one point: "Computing [will] become more ambient, more pervasive, continue to span form factors, and certainly become more multi-modal in the arc of time."

Okay, so let's boil this - and the rest of the interview - down a bit. Computing becoming more "multi-modal" refers to using inputs beyond the traditional mouse and keyboard, and the exec touches on voice commands as an important part of the equation. This echoes what Microsoft's VP for OS Security, David Weston, said earlier this month when explaining his vision of Windows in 2030.

Davuluri also says, "Fundamentally, the concept that your computer can actually look at your screen and is context aware is going to become an important modality for us going forward."

Again, that follows up on what Weston observed about the next-gen Windows PC being able "to see what we see, hear what we hear, and we can talk to it and ask it to do much more sophisticated things."

The key idea appears to be Windows watching what you're doing, using AI to determine context, and then applying that to your actions in the OS, and specifically making voice commands more useful due to that context.

Davuluri notes: "You'll be able to speak to your computer while you're writing, inking, or interacting with another person. You should be able to have a computer semantically understand your intent to interact with it."

The exec also talks about Windows becoming "increasingly agentic" (with the first AI agent recently having debuted in the Settings app in Windows 11, of course), and how the cloud will be needed to power these AI abilities. (Although some of the work will be on-device, he indicates, as we see with Copilot+ PCs already - hence the need for NPUs with these laptops.)

Davuluri observes: "Compute will become pervasive, as in Windows experiences are going to use a combination of capabilities that are local [processed on the device] and that are in the cloud. I think it's our responsibility to make sure they're seamless to our customers."

Which is a roundabout way of saying that the level of processing needed for some of these AI powers in next-gen Windows will need to tap the cloud to ensure performance remains responsive enough to feel 'seamless' rather than sluggish.

Microsoft has clearly got a hymn sheet somewhere, as its top-level executives appear to be singing the same tune regarding how Windows will evolve as we head into the next decade.

It's interesting to pick up on the mirrored points between these two interviews Microsoft has recently presented: more AI (surprise, surprise) that determines context by watching what you're doing on-screen, and also allows voice commands to be more effectively used based on that context - with the cloud at least partly powering all this.

Depending on what kind of person you are, this may sound like an exciting new way forward in terms of making it easier to do what you need to do within Windows, or a privacy nightmare.

The more paranoid-leaning Windows users out there are likely to be horrified at the suggestions made about the future of the OS here. An operating system that's watching what you do? The way they'll read this angle from Microsoft is that it's turning Windows into an AI-powered surveillance platform - you can guarantee that.

And it's obvious where such concerns come from when we're told the "computer can actually look at your screen" and take context from there, and leverage the cloud (read: Microsoft's private servers) to crunch the data on what you're doing with your PC.

If this makes using next-gen Windows a breeze, and AI is constantly firing up the apps you need, or searches you want to make, before you get to them, or proactively suggesting files you might want next - or Windows options that could be changed for your benefit in given scenarios - will people even care about what's happening in the cloud? Frankly, the truth is, they probably won't if it makes their computing lives a lot easier.

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• HTC has a new pair of smart glasses called the Vive Eagle
• They boast many of the same features as their rivals
• You can only get them in Taiwan right now

HTC has just announced a new Vive wearable, but it’s not another VR headset – instead it’s a pair of stylish AI glasses called Vive Eagle. And I’m feeling twinges of jealousy towards anyone that can get a pair.

That’s because these smart specs could put up a good fight against the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses I’ve come to love (as well as the new Oakley HSTN specs that take the RayBans and make them a smidge better).

Hardware-wise, Vive goes beat for beat with the competition. It boasts a 12MP snapper as well as open-ear speakers, and a solid battery life of up to 36 hours of standby time and 4.5 hours of music playback while still boasting a sleek 49g design.

Where I think it truly shines however is its AI.

That’s because while Vive’s own assistant can help you with tasks it can also team up with your choice of ChatGPT or Google Gemini rather than locking you to one service – like how Meta’s glasses are entirely dependent on Meta AI.

As we’ve come to expect from AI companions, Vive also makes clear that “all user data is stored locally” on its glasses meaning it isn’t used for model training. When using third-party AI services your data is also anonymised to provide improved privacy.

Rounding off the AI upgrades, Vive’s specs are better with languages. Meta’s AI currently lets its smart specs translate between English, French, Spanish, Italian and German, Meanwhile Vive’s assistant supports Arabic, Traditional Chinese, English, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Korean, Thai, and Turkish.

And I can’t ignore the Eagle’s striking design. I’m boring enough to want to grab the translucent black pair, but the slightly see through berry red, blueish gray, and coffee brown all look beautiful and each perfectly highlight the specs’ blend of fashion and technology.

Though with a Wayfarer-like shape, these glasses perhaps don’t create enough of their own personality from a silhouette perspective.

Unfortunately they won’t be easy to get your hands on.

Firstly, the Vive Eagle specs are currently exclusive to Taiwan. Specifically you can find them at 2020EYEhaus premium eyewear locations and designated Taiwan Mobile OP Experience Stores.

Secondly, they are pricier than some of their rivals, such as the Meta Ray-Bans and their new Oakleys collaboration.

Viva's glasses are currently up for pre-order, and when they launch on September 1 they’ll cost NT$15,600 (New Taiwan dollars).

That comes to about $520 / £385 / AU$795 – which is higher than the most expensive Meta Ray-Bans at $379 / £379 / AU$539, and the $499 / £499 / AU$789 Oakley smart glasses with PRIZM lenses (ignoring the UK where the Oakleys are over £100 more).

I’ll need to try the Vive Eagle glasses out before passing judgement, but there is seemingly a lot to love here, and as the AI glasses competition heats up – with Meta Connect promising next-gen specs, and Android XR due next year – Vive’s Eagle wearable is a welcome addition that I look forward to seeing more of.

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• Dice has announced new changes for the Battlefield 6 Open Beta Weekend 2
• Playlists will receive game mode rotation adjustments, including to the All-Out Warfare, and a Custom Search feature for maps and mode selection
• The second Open Beta starts today and ends on August 17

After the massive success that was the Battlefield 6 Open Beta Weekend 1, Dice has revealed new changes it will be adding for Weekend 2.

The studio revealed the details in a new blog post, where it confirmed that it will be making playlist adjustments in Weekend 2 for more variety and choice, including to the All-Out Warfare playlist, which will include the Breakthrough, Conquest, and Rush game modes. You can check out the updated playlists below.

"Rotating through multiple modes within playlists helps us understand what our community enjoys as we shape the launch experience, and enables us to keep more fan-favorite modes available at the same time," it explained.

The second Open Beta will also add a new Custom Search feature to give players more control over map and mode selection.

"This feature allows you to choose your favorite combinations of maps and modes," the post said. "For example, if you want to play Conquest on Siege of Cairo, then matchmaking will prioritize putting you in a match with this combo, if available. Note that this is not a Server Browser (which is not being tested this week).

During Open Beta, Custom Search will be available for Open Weapon mode playlists as well, allowing players to mix and match maps and modes as they like.

In addition, Training Grounds will continue to offer the Firing Range and gameplay introductions for classes, Breakthrough, and Conquest, and players at career rank 14 and below will be able to access Initiation Mode, which includes AI Soldiers.

"This initiation experience is tailored for new players and will shift from Breakthrough to Conquest. Separately, there will be a non-playable introduction to Rush as well," the developer said.

Dice also confirmed that Open Beta Weekend 2 will kick off today, Thursday, August 14, at 8 AM UTC / 1 AM PT / 9 AM BST.

The full game launches on October 10, 2025, for PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC.

Day 1 - Thursday, August 14:

• Conquest
• Rush
• Attack & Defend (Breakthrough, Rush)
• Close Quarters; Fast-paced playlist on smaller maps (Domination, King of the Hill)
• Closed Weapons All-Out Warfare (Conquest, Breakthrough)

Day 2 - Friday, August 15:

• Conquest
• Squad Deathmatch
• Close Quarters; Fast-paced playlist on smaller maps (Domination, King of the Hill, Squad Deathmatch)
• All-Out Warfare; Epic battles across expansive maps (Conquest, Breakthrough, Rush)
• Closed Weapons All-Out Warfare (Conquest, Breakthrough)

Day 3-4 - Saturday, August 16 - Sunday, August 17:

• Conquest
• Close Quarters; Fast-paced playlist on smaller maps (Domination, King of the Hill, Squad Deathmatch).
• All-Out Warfare; Epic battles across expansive maps (Conquest, Breakthrough, Rush)
• Closed Weapons All-Out Warfare (Conquest, Breakthrough)

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Comedy Central did not air South Park season 27 episode 3 on its expected release date (August 13), with the series now thought to continue next week instead. This also means it now won’t be available on Paramount+ either. However, unlike the season’s previous delay, the episode 3 delay was scheduled in advance. Instead, the network declared the day to be “South Park day,” running a marathon of fan-favorite episodes followed by the sitcom’s pilot episode ‘Cartman Gets an Anal Probe’ in the typical 10pm ET timeslot.

Episode 2 was delayed after the show’s controversial premiere, which featured the likes of a deepfaked Donald Trump with no clothes on and ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agents shooting puppies and driving around ominously in large groups. Screenshots from the show were quickly used on both the White House and US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem’s social accounts in order to try and recruit more people to join ICE.

The Department of Homeland Security (NHS) additionally told Newsweek: “We want to thank South Park for drawing attention to ICE law enforcement recruitment. We are calling on patriotic Americans to help us remove murderers, gang members, pedophiles, and other violent criminals from our country.”

It’s for this reason that I can’t help but think the delay of South Park season 27 episode 3 has something more attached to it. It’s certainly a conveniently timed break in the schedule, but given that season 27 has only been on for three episodes yet has suffered two delays already. Surely things aren’t operating smoothly behind the scenes? We always know what we get into with the hit TV show, but that might no longer be to everybody’s tastes.

I don’t need to spell out that the political and cultural landscape has remarkably changed in the last few years, and that’s possibly to South Park’s detriment. While real-world political and cultural affairs are offering a smorgasbord of inspiration, it also comes with a more critical lens. We’ve already had the comments from the NHS, above, with Kristi Noem also weighing in on her portrayal as well. Before her secret post-credits scene was revealed, she responded during an interview on the Glenn Beck Program podcast, slamming her character’s appearance: “It’s so lazy to just constantly make fun of women for how they look. If they wanted to criticize my job, go ahead and do that. But clearly they can’t – they just pick something petty like that.”

White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers also told Variety about the events of episode 1: "Just like the creators of South Park, the Left has no authentic or original content, which is why their popularity continues to hit record lows. This show hasn't been relevant for over 20 years and is hanging on by a thread with uninspired ideas in a desperate attempt for attention."

This won’t be the last round of comments from political figures about what’s happening on the show, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we see public conversations between the two sides on a weekly basis. I also wouldn’t be surprised if there’s resistance to what’s being shown behind the scenes, given nobody exactly comes across particularly well if they’re being featured on South Park. We’ve seen critics of the current US Government coming under fire or having their shows canceled (The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’s cancellation is a great example of this), so discussions about what should and shouldn’t be parodied could be holding up episode releases.

Of course, this is all speculation. We’ve got no idea what the rest of South Park season 27’s 10-episode run has in store for us, and I really hope Paramount and the show’s creators can hold firm to delivering the creative vision they want to. I can’t deny that I’m worried about episodes 4-10, but I’m also holding out hope. After all, South Park wouldn’t be South Park if it wasn’t near the knuckle and beyond, right?

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