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A capable everyday laptop doesn't have to cost the earth. I've found a great deal on the 2026 Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i at Best Buy. It combines a 15.3-inch touchscreen with an Intel Core 7 350 processor, 16GB of DDR5 memory, and a 512GB SSD in a relatively light 3.5lb chassis.
• Best for: Remote workers and students wanting a portable Windows laptop for productivity, streaming, and general everyday use without requiring a dedicated graphics card.
• The deal: The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i (2026) is now $680 (was $1300) at Best Buy.
• Why it matters: You get a Core 7 350 processor, 16GB of DDR5-5600 memory, and a 512GB SSD in a 3.5lb chassis, along with a 15.3-inch 120Hz touchscreen and a good selection of ports. We've reviewed previous editions of the IdeaPad 3i and appreciated its attractive design, affordability, and performance for day-to-day tasks.
Ideapad Slim 3i 15.3" 2k Touchscreen Laptop: was $1299.99 now $679.99
This 15.3-inch touchscreen laptop features an Intel Core 7 350 processor, 16GB DDR5-5600 memory, a 512GB SSD, 120Hz IPS display, Wi-Fi 6, USB-C, HDMI, SD card reader, and Windows 11 Home.View Deal
The IdeaPad Slim 3i is powered by a Core 7 350 six-core processor that can reach 4.8GHz. It's accompanied by integrated Intel graphics and an NPU rated at up to 17 TOPS.
It comes with 16GB of DDR5-5600 memory, which can be expanded to 32GB, alongside a 512GB SSD. The 15.3-inch touchscreen has a 120Hz refresh rate and reaches 400 nits of brightness. Lenovo claims up to 18 hours of battery life.
Connectivity includes two USB-A 3.2 ports, USB-C 3.2 with DisplayPort 1.2, HDMI 1.4, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth, an SD card reader, and a headphone/microphone connection. There's also a 720p webcam with a privacy shutter, Dolby Audio, and a numeric keypad.
Price context & historical valueBest Buy has cut the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i from $1,299.99 to $679.99, knocking $620 off the listed price. I've seen it selling for this amount a couple of times in the past, but not any cheaper.
At first, I suspected the list price was inflated - perhaps partly due to the component crisis that's sending prices skyrocketing - but an 8GB IdeaPad Intel Core 3 is currently listed at $900 direct from Lenovo, and $1000 for the Intel Core 5 model.
That makes this Best Buy deal the better pick by miles, with double the memory and a faster processor.
Should you buy it?✅ Buy the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i if...
You want a thin general-purpose Windows laptop with a large touchscreen, 16GB of DDR5 memory, and enough processing power for work, study, and everyday tasks.
❌ Skip the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i if...
You perform demanding workloads that need a dedicated GPU for graphics work, or you specifically want a laptop with a backlit keyboard.
User research plays a valuable role in the development process for products and services, helping identify points of friction earlier on when removing them costs significantly less than addressing an issue further down the line. Research suggests that companies investing in improved UX during a project’s concept phase end up cutting product development timelines by 33 to 50%.
However, user research is dependent on the assumption that participants are engaging with the process in good faith, with disingenuous participation potentially polluting data and ultimately having a negative effect on the final product.
Non-genuine participants are not a new challenge for our field. Several years ago, I ran two separate focus groups in close succession for two different clients where the same person turned up to both groups, recruited by different agencies under different names. What’s changed over the last few years is the sheer scale and sophistication of the problem.
AI and imposters in remote researchDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, online recruitment and data collection became essential for maintaining physical distance while doing user research. Remote methods have since stayed popular for a few reasons, like reducing travel and logistical costs, as well as allowing researchers to reach participants across a broader geographical spread.
Unfortunately, the same characteristics that make remote research appealing have also opened the door to a cottage industry of “professional participants” who take advantage of digital anonymity and low barriers for identity verification to use incentivized participation as a source of supplementary income.
This, combined with increasingly accessible AI tools, has created a fertile environment for fraudulent participation in user research. Data from the Market Research Society's Global Data Quality initiative found that 95% of surveyed qualitative researchers reported experiencing participant fraud during the last 12 months.
Non-genuine participants can distort the themes of a study, obscure real user needs, and end up leading teams towards conclusions that are out of step with their target market. A 2025 case study reported that the proportion of usable responses fell from approximately 75% to around 10% after fraudulent submissions entered the sample.
Keeping non-genuine participants out of research recruitment (without compromising accessibility and sensitivity)There’s real temptation in the current climate to treat any participant who won’t turn on their camera, or who constantly experiences audio issues, as a potential fraudster. Nevertheless, vigilance cannot come at the expense of sensitivity to individual needs and accessibility issues.
Users may well have a legitimate reason they prefer not to use video, communicate briefly, or have difficulty articulating their experiences. It’s why researchers need to take an approach geared towards identifying patterns of suspicious behavior rather than leaping upon one piece of evidence and writing off a participant as inauthentic.
Red flags can initially be raised during the application and screening process. An unexpected influx of applications from people who belong to minority groups that are normally difficult to reach can be a stroke of luck, but should also be examined more closely.
A study of imposters in online focus groups published in the International Journal of Social Research Methodology noted that receiving a majority of applications from male parents in a study which previously saw overwhelmingly female participation was an early warning sign.
Similar and unusual email addresses are another common early warning sign. Email addresses comprising common names and a string of numbers (like john.doe1172@gmail.com, for example) aren’t hard evidence of fraud, but are a useful data point when establishing a pattern of suspicious behavior.
One of the more common indicators of non-genuine participation is inconsistency between what a participant says during screening and the session itself. Some claim to use a product every day, for example, but then struggle to name basic features or describe a recent interaction with it. Open-ended questions about recent, personal experiences can help unpick these discrepancies. Participants may struggle to describe specific events, timelines, or terminology associated with the research subject.
Some questionable participants appear distracted or disengaged during interviews, providing one-word responses, failing to follow questions, or resisting attempts by the researcher to establish repartee. This is not evidence of fraud in isolation. Participants can be nervous, tired, uncomfortable or unfamiliar with qualitative research, but such behavior should raise suspicions when it occurs alongside other signifiers.
Screening, responding to suspected imposter participation, and what to do when non-genuine participants are suspected mid-studyResearchers should be aware of potential fraud throughout all the stages of the process, including when carrying out the research itself.
Data from a participant who has demonstrably misrepresented their eligibility should be excluded from analysis. Researchers should also review what happened with the wider team. Each incident can reveal weaknesses in the recruitment or screening process that may affect other participants in the study.
A solid framework for practical responses can be broken down into five steps:
- Pause and clarify the apparent discrepancy.
- End the session if eligibility cannot be established.
- Document and report the incident through the appropriate research or recruitment process.
- Exclude unreliable data from analysis.
- Review the process and strengthen screening where necessary.
User research is still and will remain a valuable tool for companies looking to refine and develop their products. Conducting this research remotely has expanded geographic reach, reduced logistical barriers, and made participation possible for people who might otherwise be excluded. It would be naive, however, to assume that the current trend in AI-powered non-genuine participation is going anywhere anytime soon.
AI is contributing to the problem, but it can also support efforts to address it. Pattern recognition can help researchers identify repeated participants and clusters of suspicious responses or other unusual recruitment behavior.
As companies ramp up user research to build and roll out new digital products and services, imposters are jeopardizing user research in increasingly meaningful ways. Finding effective countermeasures will therefore be essential to maintaining the validity and value of user research efforts.
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- Operation KillSwitch dismantled KillSec, seizing infrastructure, cryptocurrency, and 110TB data
- Investigation identified core members; several arrests made, including key operators
- KillSec claimed 1,000 attacks, targeting healthcare, finance, government, and SMBs
The infamous ransomware group KillSec is no more after Europol, together with multiple national law enforcement agencies and cybersecurity companies, seized the group’s infrastructure and data, made a few arrests, and even identified the group’s leader.
On September 30, law enforcement kicked off Operation KillSwitch. It was led by German authorities, with assistance from numerous other agencies: Europol, Eurojust, as well as authorities from Belgium, Finland, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Romania, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Private cybersecurity companies such as Group-IB also participated with vital intelligence, having labeled KillSec one of the most active ransomware groups in 2025 in Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East.
Operation KillSwitchKillSec emerged as a serious threat actor some time in 2024, Europol said. Over the next two years, it made roughly 1,000 attacks worldwide, at least half of which were, most likely, successful. KillSec primarily targeted small-to-midsize organizations, often in professional services, technology, healthcare, or financial services.
They targeted mostly organizations with valuable or otherwise sensitive data, and potentially weakly secured internet and cloud infrastructure. Large enterprise and government organizations also appeared, but company size does not seem to have been the primary selection criterion.
Law enforcement started investigating the group in 2025, Europol said, and quickly determined that it comprised at least four people: the ringleader, the developer, the negotiator, and an affiliate. The ringleader’s identity was not publicly disclosed because the person is 16 years old. The main developer recently turned 18, but many of the crimes he did were done when he was a minor. There is also a possibility the group was even bigger - the investigation is still ongoing.
Group-IB analysts had identified at least 274 victim organizations, most of which (35%) were from the United States.
These are followed by India (17%), Brazil, the UK, Australia, and Colombia (3% each). It primarily targeted financial services and healthcare firms, but did not shy away from government organizations and large enterprises. Among its victims, Group-IB claims, is a “major insurer, investment firms, and a consumer app with millions of users.”
Multiple arrestsDuring the operation, three people seem to have been arrested. Europol’s wording is somewhat vague, but it seems the ringleader is not among them. The police confiscated 110 terabytes of data as well as “the group’s criminal proceeds” (cryptocurrency extorted from victim organizations, mostly). They seized five central servers as well as the infrastructure used to manage the group’s activities and store stolen data. Multiple domains used by KillSec were nabbed, as well, and now show the usual seizure notice.
The police carried out eight house searches across Europe, in Spain; Greece, Romania, and the United Kingdom.
Initially, KillSec focused on the Windows platform. However, in late 2024 it released its KillSec 2.0 affiliate platform which soon expanded into VMware ESXi virtualization hosts that were capable of shutting down virtual machines, delete snapshots, erase logs, and more. By January 2025, the group was openly recruiting “skilled pentesters”, requiring a forum reputation or a USD 1,000 deposit.
It demanded 20% of each ransom from its affiliates.
“KillSec's affiliates went after the organizations people depend on most: hospitals, government bodies, and financial institutions. Closing the gaps these groups exploit is essential, but it does not end an operation like this. Servers can be replaced in weeks; the people who build the platform and approve every attack cannot. Identifying them and supporting law enforcement in bringing them to justice is what turns a takedown from a pause into an end. We are proud to have contributed to Operation KillSwitch, and will continue to support Europol and our law enforcement partners in the fight against cybercrime,” said Dmitry Volkov, CEO of Group-IB.
- Control Resonant composer Petri Alanko says he typically finds his inspiration by looking at Remedy's "gorgeous" concept art
- He reveals that he has synesthesia, which allows him to "hear" music by looking at these pictures
- Alanko says there's a "transparency culture" at Remedy, which helps prepare the team for a new project
Control Resonant composer Petri Alanko has revealed that he has synesthesia, which allows him to find much of his inspiration by looking at Remedy's concept art.
In an interview with TechRadar Gaming, Alanko, who also composed music for the first Control game and other Remedy titles, shared his process for creating the music fans hear in Remedy's sequel.
"You wouldn’t believe, but quite often everything starts a little like that old Simpson yelling at a cloud meme, but in my case it’s more staring at the clouds instead," Alanko joked, adding that it's really about thinking and trying to find an interesting approach.
The composer went on to talk about the "transparency culture" at Remedy, revealing that every time the studio births a new game concept, it "has a habit of telling the whole company about it" in the form of a well-rehearsed presentation, and Control Resonant's was no different.
"That, by the way, separates Remedy from many others; the amount of detail and level of depth is unparalleled," Alanko said. "Very unique. One would think they already have everything ready, albeit we’re only taking the first steps."
When discussing what helps his composer mind come up with ideas, he explained that he typically leans toward Remedy's concept art, because they "tell a story, and they usually are really, really beautiful."
Alanko shared that he has synesthesia, a neurological phenomenon that causes sensory crossovers, such as tasting colors or feeling sounds, and in his case enables him to hear sounds when looking at pictures.
"Those pictures have a 'sound' in my head, and following those intuitional sources often bring me a few melodies, harmonies… a feeling, actually," the composer explained. "To be able to hear music requires the background concept story as well as a presentation, and the pictures. I rely heavily on that. Plus, as a composer, I’ve always been an outsider and felt like I’m just watching everything from a distance, an observer, if you like.
"That feeling combined with the ability to 'hear' pictures - synesthesia, to be exact - are my go-to tools at the ground zero point."
Control Resonant is now available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Series S, and PC.
- Windows 11 26H2 is reportedly improving RAM consumption
- Some users say that they are seeing memory usage of between 1GB to 3GB less after applying the update
- Others see no change, mind, and we have to be cautious around these reports – although Microsoft is working to optimize RAM use in Windows 11
There's some evidence emerging that Windows 11's 26H2 update improves performance for some people, although we need to treat that idea with some caution at this stage.
Wccftech flagged up a post on Reddit where a Window 11 user observed: "Before the [26H2] Update, the On Boot RAM utilization was around 6.9GB (nice!), and after the update it is around 4.8-5GB. I guess there is some RAM utilization improvement after all!"
A number of other Redditors chip in with similar tales, such as: "I looked at mine and it is indeed lower than it used to [be] by around 3GB. Nice."
Another user says: "I noticed this as well. RAM utilization went down by about a gigabyte on my machine. Pretty good stuff."
Wccftech also points to a post on X from SoyITPro whose baseline RAM usage went from 9.1GB to 7.5GB, and again there are several other users who chip in to note that theirs has dropped by 1GB (or slightly more) after installing 26H2.
Before we get carried away with any positivity, though, there are those who've installed version 26H2 and are posting to say that there's no difference with their RAM usage compared to what it was before the update.
Notably some of those who are observing bigger drops in memory usage have larger RAM pools, so that's something to bear in mind if you have a lean 8GB loadout and are hoping for the best here.
Analysis: caution first(Image credit: Getty Images)Of course, we need to be very careful about jumping to conclusions based a cluster of posts which are effectively anecdotal observations. And as noted, there's an equal amount of folks who are saying they don't see any difference with 26H2.
However, Microsoft let us know that it's working on making Windows 11 use less RAM at the start of August, so some of that effort may well have made its way into the OS – with installing the 26H2 update acting as a switch to flick that into action for more users. (As I discussed previously, while the 26H2 update doesn't do much, it will act as a trigger for the rollout of features that haven't yet reached some PCs).
There's a comment in the above Reddit thread from a user who notes that after installing 26H2 they find that "File Explorer responds immediately and it doesn't take its usual 5 seconds to respond" – and again, File Explorer is something that Microsoft has been honing. So, what's likely happened is that this work has been ushered through by the installation of the 26H2 update, which is why it's an upgrade worth having. Especially given that Microsoft has been doing a lot to Windows 11 this year as part of the major drive to fix the OS.
I'd still advise waiting a little while on installing version 26H2 of Windows 11, mind, just to see if any bugs are going to come crawling out of the woodwork. However, the upgrade seems clean enough thus far based on the initial lack of any major complaints around glitches.
Finally, as Windows Latest reports, it's worth noting that Microsoft is also busy shoring up memory issues with WinUI, which is the contemporary framework for the interface of Windows 11. This should help with overall performance not just for the desktop OS itself, but also apps which use WinUI.
- Stream Mayday free on Tubi in US (geo-restricted)
- Unblock Tubi now with NordVPN + save 75%
- S1-22 including S22 FlyDubai episode
You can watch Mayday: Air Disaster for free on Tubi in the US, with plenty of episodes ready for take-off without paying a cent.
Tubi has multiple seasons of the hit aviation disaster series, which is going viral after Flydubai passenger Yaniv Hayun, told Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu that the show helped him correct the aircraft's nosedive.
Crucially, Tubi US has season 22 and the FlyDubai Flight 981 episode, “Holding Pattern”. So if you’re ready to buckle up for another Mayday marathon, Tubi is the easiest ways to get your binge off the ground.
But can you watch Mayday on Tubi outside the US? Is it free in the UK and Australia too? And which seasons and episodes are actually available?
Here’s our full (and quick) guide to how to watch Mayday: Air Disaster on Tubi for free, wherever you are...
How to watch Mayday: Air Crash on Tubi and the Tubi appFree, ad-supported streaming service Tubi broadcasts Mayday: Air Crash – also known as Air Crash Investigation in some territories – including season 22.
To watch Tubi: visit the Tubi.tv website or download the Tubi app (iOS, Android).
Tubi is free – but you will need to register to watch Mayday episodes.
Register – sign up with your Gmail (we did and were streaming Tubi's free Mayday episodes within seconds).
OUTSIDE THE USA? ACCESS TUBI FROM ANYWHERE WITH NORDVPN
How to watch Mayday: Air Crash on Tubi from anywhereAlthough Tubi is available in 11 countries around the world, it's only broadcasting Mayday: Air Crash for free in the US.
Aviation fans traveling or working outside the US will need to use a VPN to access Tubi's free Mayday streams.
There are lots of VPN but NordVPNis the one you can rely on to unblock Tubi.... and you can save 75% below!
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Looking to access Tubi from outside the States? If you're traveling abroad, use NordVPN to access Tubi as if you were back home in the States. We test all the providers and we rate Nord as the best VPN. There's 24/7 support available, a money-back guarantee and, best of all, there's currently over 75% off with this deal.View Deal
It's really easy to use a VPN to watch Mayday: Air Crash on Tubi.
1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, NordVPN is the best choice.
2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance, if you're visiting the UK and want to watch your free U.S. Tubi stream, you'd select 'New York'.
3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to the Tubi website, sign in, and watch Mayday TV show for free.
Can I watch Mayday: Air Crash in the UK? (Image credit: Mayday on tubi)Yes – but not for free on Tubi.
In the UK, you can watch the first 11 seasons of Mayday: Air Crash on Amazon Prime Video (rated 8.8/10).
But note that it does NOT include later seasons, including the viral FlyDubai episode (S22E01 "Holding Pattern").
Can I watch Mayday: Air Crash in Australia?Yes – there are 3 seasons of Mayday on Disney+ and 11 seasons on Amazon Prime Video in Australia.
Disney+ has 10 episodes of season 22, including “Holding Pattern”, the Flydubai Flight 981 episode.
Which devices can I watch Mayday free on Tubi with?You can use Tubi on all of the following devices and platforms:
Amazon Fire TV/Stick and Kindle Fire tablets (Tablets must be 2013 or later)
FireTV (newer than 7.1.1000)
Amazon Echo Show
Android mobile devices (smartphones/tablets)
Android TV (newer than 7.1.1000)
Apple TV 4th Generation
Chromecast
Comcast Xfinity X1
Cox Contour
Google Nest Hub
Hisense Smart TVs
iOS devices (iPhones/iPads)
LG Smart TVs
Nvidia Shield
Playstation 4 and 5
Roku platforms
Samsung Smart TVs
Sony Smart TVs & Blu-ray disc devices
TiVo
Vizio Smart TVs
Web - tubitv.com
Xbox One, Series S, Series X
Flydubai Flight 981 was a Boeing 737-800 flying from Dubai to Rostov-on-Don, Russia, on March 19, 2016. After aborting a second landing attempt in poor weather, the aircraft entered a rapid descent and crashed near the runway. All 62 people on board — 55 passengers and seven crew members — were killed. The accident and subsequent investigation are reconstructed in the Mayday episode “Holding Pattern.”
Is Mayday: Air Disaster the same show as Air Crash Investigation and Air Disasters?Broadly, yes. The documentary series is known by different titles in different countries and on different broadcasters. It is commonly called Mayday or Air Crash Investigation, while US viewers may encounter episodes under the title Air Disasters. Season and episode numbering can consequently differ between streaming platforms.
Where can I watch Mayday S22E01 Holding Pattern for free in the US?Tubi's current US catalogue contains Seasons 1–5, 7, 9, 11, 13–19 and 22, and its S22E01 "Holding Pattern" page describes the Flydubai 981 episode, which is going viral after the recent Flydubai attack that was foiled by Indian Captain Smit Machchhar and some plucky passengers.
- How to watch Tubi from anywhere – FREE movies, TV shows and live sports
We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
- AT&T's CEO has said that Starlink's plans to launch a rival service aren't "viable"
- They argue that fiber is simply so much faster than satellite connectivity that it would be impossible for Starlink Mobile to compete
- However, AT&T has also announced plans with Verizon and T-Mobile to use satellites to get rid of dead zones
We’ve heard a lot lately about Starlink’s plans to launch a traditional mobile carrier aimed at rivaling the likes of AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon — and perhaps even making such a service available globally. But if AT&T’s CEO John Stankey is to be believed, it probably isn’t happening — or at least not anytime soon.
Speaking to Axios, Stankey claimed that Musk’s plan is "not a viable strategy," in part because it’s heavily reliant on Starlink satellites rather than fiber infrastructure. When it comes to fiber, Stankey said “nothing beats it,” because it’s three times faster than satellite connectivity, adding that "satellite, at its best — if everything happens right over the next 10 years" — is "still not going to beat fiber."
Of course, Musk probably recognizes this, as Starlink’s plans involve more traditional network infrastructure too, with the company having previously outlined its plans to install small cellular base stations alongside Starlink dishes on homes and businesses.
But Stankey has his doubts about that too, saying that the endeavor would be enormously expensive, and that "there's all kinds of other issues, like you can't radiate cellular signals from somebody's house without their permission, unless somebody changes the law on that. We can go down a whole bunch of reasons why that won't effectively work."
For now, AT&T seems to be betting mostly on fiber (Image credit: Shutterstock / Jonathan Weiss)It could be a long road for Starlink MobileSome analysts are also unconvinced by Musk’s plans, with Bernstein analyst Madison Rezaei saying, "Starlink Mobile may fill a meaningful gap in the market (i.e., remote, rural, maritime, disaster scenarios), but we believe it is a long way from replacing terrestrial carrier networks."
On the other hand, Alex Besen, CEO of the Besen Group, was a bit more positive about Starlink Mobile’s chances in a conversation with Fierce Network, saying of conventional carriers that “maybe not a majority of it, but definitely, they’re going to lose” some of the consumer market.
And even if Stankey claims not to be worried, it seems he’s not taking any chances, with AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon having recently launched a joint venture to get rid of coverage dead zones through satellite connectivity.
So whether Musk’s Starlink Mobile plans are viable or not, it does seem that increasingly carriers will use a mix of masts, fiber, and satellites to service their customers.
Fuse Games' Star Wars: Galactic Racer isn't what I anticipated. A fun Star Wars racing game that lets you take part in a series of high-octane relays across the galaxy? Sounds great; you had me at "Star Wars." But a heart-pounding roguelike sweat-fest that had me squeezing my DualSense wireless controller in a death grip and yelling at my monitor as Kestar Bool once again beat me in the final race by the skin of my teeth? Not what I was expecting!
Review infoPlatform reviewed: PS5
Available on: PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
Release date: October 6, 2026
Galactic Racer takes place after the fall of the Empire and during the New Republic Era, where the lawless and ex-pilots of the Outer Rim take part in the unsanctioned, high-stakes Galactic League. You play as Shade, a faceless human cargo pilot recruited to the league and who has a major grudge against the oppressive Bool family, particularly Kestar Bool, the guy who also happens to be the reigning champion of the Galactic League. Shade, for reasons you'll discover as you progress the campaign, has a long history with Kestar and is dead set on beating him, and you feel that rivalry grow after every attempt at completing the tour.
This particular Star Wars tale is contained without the bigger stakes we often see in the movies or TV shows, and while it's not a sweeping cinematic experience like Star Wars Zero Company or Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, with not much exploration in the way of character depth for Shade as the playable character, it's simple yet effective; Galactic Racer is first and foremost a racing game with an emphasis on replayability, buildcraft customization, and a tailored progression system.
A race across the stars(Image credit: Fuse Games)The freedom to choose how to proceed through the campaign is a core feature I greatly enjoyed, and players must first complete the qualifiers, then the main Galactic Tour. There's no randomized track selection; instead, a clever system of branching paths lets you choose a route and compete in races that fit your preferences, minimizing the risk of losing your League Tokens, which let you race in the first place.
There are standard races that present a variety of gripping courses, and you can come in first or 12th place; Field Tests, which I did find a bit repetitive and not as challenging after completing them numerous times; Mystery Encounters; and Eliminator races, an event where the driver in last place is disqualified until only the top three pilots remain, plus you'll lose a League Token, which makes it the riskiest race in the bunch.
Roguelikes can be hit or miss for me, but Galactic Racer's run-based structure offers an exhilarating and chaotic gameplay loop that excels at providing a highly engaging, heart-pounding experience despite the rinse-and-repeat system.
(Image credit: Fuse Games)Even after beating my fellow racers and making it all the way to the finals, only to fail miserably, the notion of having to replay the entire process after losing should've been off-putting. Instead, I found myself not only eager to improve, but excited to get back on the track with the knowledge and skills I'd gained from previous runs, a feeling that not many roguelikes can achieve.
The game has a learning and difficulty curve due to its roguelike framework, and it may not be for everyone, but it's purposefully designed to make you become the best racer in the galaxy, since you likely won't be a winner straight away.
Best Bit(Image credit: Fuse Games)Star Wars: Galactic Racer's roguelike structure is the game's best feature, offering an incredible amount of replayability across a host of brilliantly constructed courses across the galaxy.
More often than not, you'll smash headfirst into an obstacle or fly off a cliff because you didn't drift in time, so it's incredibly satisfying how the game makes you feel like you're gradually improving after every run.
At the beginning of each tour, you choose a loadout, including your vehicle, Favours that provide a competitive edge, and a Racer Style, an additional preset that dictates your speeder's behaviour and active perks and feels more personalized to your playstyle.
Galactic Racer offers three vehicle types — landspeeders, speeder bikes, and skim speeders, as well as podracers during select missions — but in the end, I personally favored the speeder bike; its compact agility, vectored thrust, and kinetic burst felt incredible as I sped across dunes and whizzed around tight corners on slippery glaciers.
If at first you don't succeed...(Image credit: Fuse Games)When I started, I absolutely sucked. I frequently collided headfirst into walls and mismanaged my abilities, but the roguelike structure works so well that my muscle memory began kicking in the more I played; by the end of the game, I was hardly crashing and knew the tracks like the back of my hand.
It's no smooth ride; every choice shapes your prospects, and the challenge of not only trying to win while overcoming planetary effects like lava or acid, and outplaying your fellow pilots, takes the stakes even higher — it's a testament to how well the roguelike framework works and how brilliantly designed the courses are.
(Image credit: Fuse Games)The game puts a huge emphasis on customization — the build possibilities are endless — and the system stands out against the competition as you gradually update your vehicles by applying upgrades, installing parts (and making sure they're not damaged), and unlocking new power-up abilities; there's an abundance of them, and they make a world of difference in close-call encounters and improve your odds of a podium position.
Not to beat the dead tauntaun, but seriously… this is podracing! Playing on the base PS5, Galactic Racer is a visual and audio feast, offering a gorgeously smooth experience at 60fps, while sweeping you up in the frenetic action.
The speeds you can reach are ridiculous when you have the right upgrades, and there's nothing more gratifying than going to the maximum with your Ramjet and executing perfect landings and sharp corners without crashing your speeder into a million pieces.
The best of the best(Image credit: Fuse Games)Racing is at the soul of the campaign, and it's a damn good time, but the game also allows you to interact with other pilots; they aren't just random racers, but fully written NPCs with unique personalities and playstyles, and I loved how Fuse represents these characters on and off the track.
You'll build rivalries, learn their backstories, and discover random encounters with multiple dialogue options, which also come with rewards and consequences, making the lawless world you're competing in all the more real.
With Kestar Bool, for instance, I chose to insult him after he tried to swindle me out of some credits, and since he basically runs the show, my speeder was sabotaged; it exploded at the start of the next race, and I lost two speeder upgrades in the process, putting me at a huge disadvantage for the rest of the tour. This is such a unique feature and a significant factor in the game's progression system that drives home the competitiveness among your opponents.
(Image credit: Fuse Games)Jakku and Crait are probably my favorite out of the six available planets, which are all stunningly authentic to the Star Wars universe and a joy to experience from a brand-new perspective as a fan; the scale of their set pieces, whether it be the underbelly of a Star Destroyer skeleton or kicking up red salt in crystalline caverns, creates a sense of awe alongside the game's competitive atmosphere as you maneuver through various routes.
Fuse has designed a riveting racing game with creatively constructed tracks that compel you to keep playing even after a major fumble. At first, it's all about mastering the track — which corner to take to put you ahead, when to speed up or slow down — and the game does a great job of making each one distinctly different. Soon enough, however, these races get pretty aggressive, to the point where they'll turn into outright battles as your opponents try to ram you off the course (screw you, Griff Halloran).
(Image credit: Fuse Games)Alongside the campaign, players can unlock Sebulba's storyline, a side activity where you play podraces from his past; it's a neat addition to the main story that offers up some amazing tracks while also providing additional backstory on the guy who had it out for little Anakin Skywalker. Surprisingly, Sebulba became a standout in the storyline, and I appreciate that Fuse didn't simply throw him in for the sake of nostalgia.
Playing on the base PS5, Galactic Racer is a visual and audio feast, offering a gorgeously smooth experience at 60fps, while sweeping you up in the frenetic action.
The game also offers other side activities like Scenarios that let you play as each racer, an Arcade feature, both worthwhile additions for after you complete the campaign, and a proper multiplayer mode. During the review period, I had access to several multiplayer sessions, a standard online PvP experience featuring quick race modes and Tours with 12 players and crossplay enabled.
From what I was able to play, I enjoyed the multiplayer as much as the campaign, and it has a lot of potential if Fuse plans on updating the game post-launch; it feels just as entertaining and competitive as the story, with extra unlockables and missions that incentivize you to keep playing after the campaign. While I didn't get to play too much due to time constraints, I already know I'll be sinking more hours into it, and I'm particularly excited about trying out the Podracing Tour mode at launch — it was locked during the review period — because I couldn't get enough of it in the campaign.
Should you play Star Wars: Galactic Racer?Play it if...You're a Star Wars fan
If you enjoy Star Wars beyond the movies and TV shows, Star Wars: Galactic Racer will take you on an exhilarating journey across the Outer Rim.
You like roguelikes
If you welcome the challenge of roguelikes and don't mind the rinse-and-repeat process, Star Wars: Galactic Racer is a must-play.
If you enjoy racing games and want fast-paced action
Star Wars: Galactic Racer is one of the best racing games I've played in a long time and offers a high-octane experience like no other.
You don't get on with roguelikes
If you're a racing game enthusiast, you'll enjoy this game, but the roguelike structure may put you off if you don't like the idea of repeating races until you beat the game.
You're a Star Wars fan just looking to experience the story
You may be put off by the game's roguelike system if you continuously lose, which in turn can get in the way of the main story if that's all you want to experience.
Star Wars: Galactic Racer offers a ton of accessibility features in the form of your typical settings across visuals, audio, and subtitles. There are also some great controller remapping options, which can be adjusted to your preferences (these make a huge difference on the track), toggleable controls, and more.
How I reviewed Star Wars: Galactic RacerI spent almost 30 hours playing Star Wars: Galactic Racer on the base PlayStation 5 with my Gigabyte M32U gaming monitor and my Sony WH-CH520 wireless headphones for audio.
First reviewed October 2026.
- Florida police have discovered unauthorized Flock cameras
- At the moment it's not clear who is operating the devices
- The owners have been given 30 days to come forward
It's going from bad to worse for Flock and its license plate reader cameras: following Florida's decision to take the cameras out of use on highways across the state, police have found 14 unauthorized devices along St. Lucie County roads, with 11 of those still of unknown origin.
As Ars Technica reports, 3 of the 14 were claimed by the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office. They were installed without the necessary permits, but at least the agency that had installed them could be traced.
When it comes to the other 11, it's really not clear who's operating them, or whether they're being actively used. County authorities are giving the owners 30 days to take them down, and may put plastic bags over them in the meantime.
There have been instances of Flock itself installing cameras without having done the necessary paperwork, including a 2024 incident that was covered in Forbes. According to a Flock spokesperson, the company has already reached out to St. Lucie County officials to try and get the mystery solved as quickly as possible.
Drastic actionFlorida county discovers mysterious Flock cameras with no obvious owner from r/nottheonionAs you might expect, residents are spooked by the Flock cameras of unknown origin. The devices were already being viewed with suspicion by many citizens in terms of how their data collection capabilities could be misused — and that was when they knew who it was accessing them.
Resident Ty Grant told the Washington Post that the 11 unaccounted for Flock cameras had left him feeling "very unsafe", while local shop owner Todd Richter said it was imperative that the camera operators are revealed.
Reaction across Reddit has run along similar sentiments, with posters declaring it's "time for the chainsaws" and speculating that foreign nations could be involved in putting up the cameras without the necessary permits.
There is actually one idea posted to Reddit that just might work: "Cut it down, see who comes complaining." However, for the next 30 days at least, St. Lucie County officials seem determined to offer the opportunity for the camera operators in question to come forward and reclaim their hardware (before it's taken down anyway).
- The Ambiano Vertical Air Fryer is returning to Aldi stores very soon
- It's a dead ringer for the Ninja Double Stack, and costs just £49.99
- Aldi's £34.99 coffee maker is back as well, and in stock now
Aldi's Ninja Double Stack air fryer dupe is finally coming back, and you can be first to know when it arrives in your local store. The Ambiano Vertical Air fryer was originally scheduled to arrive in stores on 1 October, but the launch has been delayed a little. Bookmark Aldi's in-store availability guide and you can be first to know when it's in your local store.
The Ambiano is strikingly similar to the award-winning Ninja Double Stack, and although it doesn't give you quite the same set of features, it's no slouch in the cooking department. The Ambiano offers two temperature-controlled baskets in the same two-tier format as the Double Stack, with nine cooking presets that you can select using a touch-sensitive control panel. However, you don't get the Double Stack's syncing function, which allows both drawers to finish cooking at the same time
The Ambiano doesn't have Ninja's handy racks either, which allow you to cook two different foods in each drawer, though Aldi does offer air fryer accessories for each, including various liners and trays.
(Image credit: Aldi)The Ambiano Vertical Air Fryer isn't the only appliance returning to Aldi's shelves — the Ambiano Capsule Coffee Machine is making a comeback as well. This compact coffee maker has a 650ml water tank, accepts Nespresso Original style pods, and costs just £34.99. It's available now, while stock lasts.
If you want a machine that will brew Nespresso Vertuo pods instead, your best choice is the Nespresso Vertuo Pop, which can often be found for around £49 during sales events like Amazon Prime Big Deal Days, which takes place next week. I'll be tracking all the best offers on coffee makers, and will keep you updated on the very best discounts.
You'll need to be an Amazon Prime member to grab the best deals, but you can sign up for a 30-day free trial that will cover the whole sale period, and give you extra benefits like free delivery and access to Prime Video.