News
- Several AI companies in the US have published an open letter
- The letter is campaigning for unrestricted open-weight AI
- Meanwhile the US government accuses Moonshot AI of IP theft
Any hopes AI tech reporters may have had about easing quietly into the weekend have been dashed by some of the biggest names in the business sharing an open letter in support of open-weight AI models — while the White House has accused China of 'large scale' theft from US companies in building its open-weight AI.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang got the ball rolling with his first-ever tweet, linking to a statement championing open-weight AI models, those models that can be downloaded, viewed, and edited by anyone. Models like this are essential for making AI "more accessible, adaptable, and widely available" the open letter says.
It's co-signed by a slew of well-known tech and AI companies, including Meta, Microsoft, Perplexity, and IBM. While ChatGPT developer OpenAI — which has had more of a closed-model focus, to date — didn't appear on the original post from Huang, it has now also backed the sentiments.
Essentially, these companies are campaigning for openness in AI to drive innovation and access, while also arguing against 'premature restrictions' by governments. It's no coincidence that the US government led by President Trump has recently tried to take a more prominent role in evaluating AI models and deciding when they should be released.
It's also notable that Anthropic and Google are missing from the list of backers to this open letter. We don't have any official comment yet from these companies, so it's hard to judge the reasoning — Google regularly releases open AI models, after all — but it could be something to do with recent accusations aimed at Moonshot AI in China.
Open and closedFor my first post, I’m sharing a letter @NVIDIA signed on why open models matter.AI will transform every industry, power every company, and be built by every country.Open models strengthen safety and cybersecurity, accelerate innovation and diffusion, and enable sovereignty.… pic.twitter.com/t02bi51N4CJuly 24, 2026
Part of the background to this open letter is that Chinese company Moonshot AI stands accused of distilling Claude's (closed) Fable 5 model in order to build its own (open) Kimi K3. In simple terms, distilling works by asking millions of questions of an AI model, and using the responses as training data.
It's something Moonshot AI has denied, while hyping up the potential of the open-weighted, freely downloadable Kimi K3 AI model, which is being released on Monday — another factor in this open letter coming out now. The US government is calling it IP theft, and has issued some heavy-handed responses.
"We support open-source AI and the innovation it unlocks," US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent posted on X. "But open source is not open season on American IP. When PRC firms conduct covert, industrial-scale distillation attacks that cross the line into IP theft, sanctions and Entity List designations will be on the table."
What Nvidia, Meta, Microsoft, and the other open letter co-signers seem to be doing is trying to get ahead of any potential clampdown by the US government on open-weighted models. While everyone agrees that these AI models are beneficial, it's not clear what the next regulatory steps might be.
However, the open letter is vague and general enough that you can read between the lines in a variety of different ways. It may be intended to allude to the Moonshot AI case, or it may not. What's clear is that we're coming to a crunch point for AI regulation and innovation across the globe, and everyone has a perspective.
- Canon registered three cameras with the wireless certification agency, indicating three more cameras will come soon
- Rumors suggest we’ll see an EOS R7 Mark II, an EOS R10 Mark II and an EOS R8 Mark II
- The EOS R8 Mark II may well be a retro-styled tribute to the analog AE-1, which turns 50 this year
The first half of 2026 was pretty dry for camera releases, but as we enter the second half of the year, manufacturers have been making up for lost time. Canon in particular looks like it’s going to have a busy back half of the year, with not one, not two, but three new EOS R mirrorless cameras setting the rumor mill alight.
It should be stressed that currently this is all unconfirmed — we don’t know that Canon is going to release anything. But Canon has registered three new cameras with the wireless certification agency, which is generally the point that you know that something is coming very soon. And reporting by the oft reliable Canon Rumors indicates that Canon is updating three of its most popular EOS R cameras, and one in particular looks like a very exciting prospect indeed.
And if that weren’t enough, we’re also potentially due a new PowerShot compact, with Canon looking to capitalize on the success of its phenomenally popular PowerShot G7 X Mark III compact. But we’ve more details on the mirrorless side of things, so let’s take a closer look at what could be coming…
Canon EOS R8 II — could it be the digital AE-1 we’re all hoping for?Rumors indicate that Canon’s lightweight full-frame EOS R8 is likely to get a successor in mid-September. As that camera is now more than three years old, this is about the time we might expect an update to come along. However, the really exciting news is that the new version may be an entirely new prospect — a retro-styled Canon AE-1 throwback that fans have been begging the company to make for years.
The Canon AE-1 is a legend among film photographers. (Image credit: Shutterstock | Lius Hanzen)There have been rumors for quite some time that Canon is working on a retro-styled digital camera, just like Nikon did with its Zf, and given that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the AE-1, a legendary film SLR beloved by amateur photographers for its streamlined controls and ease of use, it makes sense that this could be the year.
The rumored specs for the EOS R8 II are that it’ll use a 32.5MP full-frame sensor, 40fps burst shooting via the electronic shutter, in-body image stabilization, oversampled 4K video and two UHS-II SD card slots. Pretty much what you’d expect for a mid-range full-frame camera.
The original EOS R8 features just one card slot — so two would be a welcome upgrade! (Image credit: Future)I’ll be interested to see if the retro styling is purely cosmetic — it might even be the case that Canon releases a ‘standard’ EOS R8 Mark II version as well as the retro-tinged variant — or if it has any bearing on how the camera operates. There’s nothing in the rumor mill to suggest this, but personally, I think it would be smart for Canon to dip its toe into film-style looks for images, similar to Fujifilm’s Film Simulations or Panasonic’s in-camera Real Time LUTs.
Yes, Canon has its ‘Picture Styles’, but let’s be honest: nobody uses them, and they don’t have the cool factor of Fujifilm’s Film Simulations. I’d love to see Canon throw its weight into some really crisp, dynamic, analog-style looks for shooters who want great-looking JPEGs straight out of camera. And come on — there will never be a better opportunity to debut them than in a digital AE-1!
Canon EOS R7 II — let’s see a stacked APS-C sensor!Also on the rumored docket is an update to the Canon EOS R7, a mid-range APS-C mirrorless camera that arrived in 2022. The original EOS R7 was something of a speedster, with burst speeds of 15fps with the mechanical shutter and up to 30fps with the electronic. And if rumors are correct, Canon might be doubling down on this by giving the EOS R7 II a stacked sensor design.
This would be the first stacked APS-C sensor for Canon’s lineup — indeed, currently the only APS-C camera with a stacked sensor is the Fujifilm X-H2S. A stacked sensor design moves the circuitry to the rear for faster readout, enabling higher burst speeds, superior autofocus tracking and blackout-free viewfinder shooting.
The original EOS R7 is Canon's top-end APS-C model. (Image credit: Future)Considering that the EOS R7 was already an impressively speedy shooter, a stacked sensor design would push a mark II to pretty impressive heights — we could see autofocus and speed-shooting performance on par with professional or serious enthusiast cameras. Rumors also indicate that the sensor resolution might be upped to 39MP, from 32.5MP on the original EOS R7.
Canon EOS R10 II — the new beginner mirrorless to beat?Rumors also indicate that we’ll see an update to Canon’s popular beginner model, the EOS R10, in the form of the EOS R10 Mark II. Details are very thin on the ground for this one, beyond the fact that it is on its way and due in the latter half of 2026. This is also likely to be the first of the new models we see.
The Canon EOS R10 has been a huge seller for Canon since its release in 2022 alongside the EOS R7. It’s not the cheapest in the EOS R lineup, with both the EOS R50 and the EOS R100 coming in under its price, but it’s a pretty affordable camera, with a lightweight build, intelligent autofocus and reliably solid image quality.
The Canon EOS R10 has been popular with beginners. (Image credit: Future)Personally, I doubt the boat will be rocked much here. Were I a betting person, I’d say that we’d expect to see improvements in the subject-recognition autofocus, more sustained burst speeds with a deeper buffer (the original EOS R10 could shoot at 15fps, but not for very long), and perhaps a nudge-up of resolution from 24.2MP to 32.5MP, so as to better distinguish the EOS R10 from its cheaper siblings.
What do you make of Canon's rumored upcoming models? Have your say in the comments below.
- Researchers show Gatekeeper can be bypassed by replacing a previously run legitimate macOS app with malware
- Attack requires prior user‑level code execution, then swaps in a malicious app that Gatekeeper won’t re‑verify
- Apple dismissed the issue, saying locally rebuilt bundles fall outside Gatekeeper’s scope, leaving risk to social engineering
A pair of researchers claims to have found a way around Gatekeeper, a built-in macOS security feature that helps protect users from running malicious or untrusted software. However Apple doesn’t really see it that way and has seemingly decided not to pursue the issue further.
Gatekeeper’s modus operandi is rather simple - when a user downloads an app from outside the App Store, it verifies the product comes from an identified developer and is notarized by Apple. If it can’t verify it - it won’t allow it to run on the machine.
Now, security researchers Talal Haj Barky and Tommy Mysk claim that, as long as a legitimate app was run at least once on a macOS device, it can be replaced with a malicious version, and Gatekeeper won’t even blink its virtual eye.
Locally builtThat also means the attack is not that straightforward to pull off. The threat actor needs to have a way to execute user-level code (for example, a malicious app, a compromised software package installed through a package manager, or a prompt injection attack that tricks an AI agent).
Once that is obtained, they can archive a legitimate app, remove the original, then replace it with malware, and Gatekeeper will not try to re-authorize it. That malicious version can then trick the victim into compromising the device even further, since a certain level of trust was already established.
After reporting the issue to Apple, the company apparently just closed it.
"Apple doesn't consider this attack to be 'modifying' the signed executable," Mysk said. "Instead, Apple says that by archiving/restoring the app bundle, the proof-of-concept code overwrites the entire app bundle, making it locally built. Locally built app bundles are not covered by macOS guards. And this is why access to Keychain or TCC protected directories require system authorization prompts. And for users to accept those is a matter of social engineering attacks that Apple considers out of scope."
Via The Register
The Wireless Horipad Turbo for Nintendo Switch 2 is far from being one of the best Nintendo Switch 2 controllers, but it gets a lot right, and in my testing I found it to be a solid—if unremarkable—stand-in for the official Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller.
After I reviewed the frankly terrible Horipad for Steam, I didn't have high hopes for the Wireless Horipad Turbo. I've been rendered pleasantly surprised, as there is plenty to like about the brand's latest Nintendo-facing controller. There are a decent number of features for the price, and build quality is generally solid. It's just a shame that a few limitations and design quirks stop it short of an outright recommendation.
(Image credit: Future)Let's frontload the review with the good, though. Hori has opted for anti-drift thumbsticks that feel great and ensure longevity. That's something the Wireless Horipad Turbo has over the Switch 2 Pro Controller, which utilizes traditional analog sticks and is thus more likely to develop stick drift over time.
Build quality is generally nice, too. While larger than the Pro Controller (and thus better suited to big adult hands), it feels solid enough, and a selection of colorways is always really nice to see.
I'm a fan of the feature set, too, with the Wireless Horipad Turbo offering a robust Turbo button option, as well as two remappable rear buttons and a button lock switch that disables utility buttons like Start, Select, Home, and Capture (for taking screenshots). There's even a GameChat button for quick access to social gaming sessions.
It's a shame, then, that the Wireless Horipad Turbo doesn't quite stick the landing in a few key areas. Battery life is paltry, falling well short of the Switch 2 Pro Controller's 40- to 50-hour gold standard. The d-pad and triggers, specifically, aren't the best—feeling incredibly mushy during play, which really isn't something you want for digital triggers in particular.
Lastly, a lack of PC compatibility means this is strictly a Nintendo Switch 2 controller. That's not necessarily a bad thing if that's solely what you're after (and it's likely a result of this being an officially licensed Nintendo product). But it does make it a less versatile controller than the likes of the 8BitDo Pro 3.
(Image credit: Future)Wireless Horipad Turbo for Nintendo Switch 2: Price and availability- Costs $64.99 / £54.99 (around AU$93)
- Available to buy now at Hori's store page, Amazon, or local retailers
- Cheaper than the Switch 2 Pro Controller, and offers several colorways
The Wireless Horipad Turbo for Nintendo Switch 2 is available to buy now, and you've got options as to where you purchase it from. You can get it directly from Hori, Amazon, or local retailers based on your region, such as Best Buy in the US and Argos in the UK.
It'll run you $64.99 / £54.99 (around AU$93), which is a good deal cheaper than the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller ($89.99 / £74.99 / AU$119.95). You'll also find a healthy amount of colorways to choose from. Hori sent me the standard Black and Frost variants for review, but there's also an Aqua model, as well as special liveries based on Nintendo properties like Kirby and Super Mario.
Wireless Horipad Turbo for Nintendo Switch 2: SpecsWireless Horipad Turbo for Nintendo Switch 2
Price
$64.99 / £54.99 (around AU$93)
Weight
8.3oz / 235g
Dimensions
5.7 x 4.5 x 2.2in / 145 x 114 x 57mm
Compatibility
Nintendo Switch 2
Connection type
Wireless (Bluetooth)
Battery life
10 hours
Wireless Horipad Turbo for Nintendo Switch 2: Design and features- Eye-catching translucent design
- Handy Turbo and button lock features
- Generally solid build quality
One way for a controller to win me over is if it sports a translucent design. It's a style I'm happy to see come in vogue again over the last few years, at least when it comes to controllers, and it helps the Wireless Horipad Turbo for Nintendo Switch 2 really stand out. I'm a huge fan of the crystal-clear Frost colorway, especially.
It doesn't just win out in the looks department, though. Build quality is really solid here; a huge step up from the listless Horipad for Steam, which I reviewed prior to this. It's not as premium as the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller, but the Wireless Horipad Turbo feels really solid and secure in the hands, with just the right amount of weight to it.
(Image credit: Future)The titular 'Turbo' feature is niche; not everyone will find a use for it, but it's a nice-to-have for retro games or ones that require frequent, rapid button presses. Holding down the central Hori logo button in tandem with 'A' will then let you assign a button for the Turbo input. You can also press the Start and Select buttons to adjust the speed of the Turbo setting by three increments, too.
Another feature I quite like (but again, it is probably quite niche) is the button lock switch. It's off by default, but one setting completely disables the Hori, Home, and Capture buttons, while another turns those off in addition to Start and Select.
I know I've accidentally hit the Home button instead of Start more times than I care to admit on the Pro Controller, so this is a thoughtful addition. The button lock switch doesn't extend to the pair of remappable buttons on the rear, but you can just leave these unassigned if you prefer.
Wireless Horipad Turbo for Nintendo Switch 2: Performance- Performant TMR thumbsticks
- Poor battery life
- Weak-feeling triggers and mushy d-pad
Controllers that make use of TMR (that's tunneling magnetoresistance) thumbsticks are a dime a dozen in today's gaming hardware marketplace. It's more common to find them than not now, but this is the first time I've tested a Hori controller with TMR. And I'm glad the brand has opted for them with the Wireless Horipad Turbo. They feel fantastically smooth during play, and as it's a form of Hall effect technology, it should ensure the pad's longevity for years to come.
Otherwise, this is a fairly unremarkable but inoffensive controller purely from a play standpoint. It lacks things like HD Rumble, an NFC touchpoint for amiibo scanning, and 'press to wake' functionality for the console itself. However, as these are niceties reserved for Nintendo's own hardware, it's hard to leverage this as a complaint at Hori. The lack of a 3.5mm port for wired headphones does irk me, though, because wireless audio via Bluetooth on Switch 2 is shoddy at best.
I'm also not a big fan of the controller's d-pad. It feels rather mushy to press, which at worst can often lead to inputs very occasionally not registering. Much the same is true of the triggers, which are supposed to be digital, but kind of feel like they're made of sponge.
Thankfully, connectivity isn't an issue. The controller paired immediately to my Switch 2 console, and I never experienced dropouts or noticeable input delay. And that's for the best, as this is a wireless-first controller.
You can still plug in the controller via the included USB-C for charging purposes and carry on playing. And you might be doing that frequently, as the Wireless Horipad Turbo tops out at just 10 hours of charge. That's not much better than PlayStation's DualSense Wireless Controller, and falls well short of the Switch 2 Pro Controller's monster 40-hour battery life.
Lastly, it is unfortunate that the Wireless Horipad Turbo can't be used for PC gaming. The Switch 2 Pro Controller can't either, so I suspect this is a Nintendo-issued requirement, as the Turbo bears the company's seal of approval. It just means that it's not as versatile as third-party pads from the likes of 8BitDo and GameSir.
(Image credit: Future)Should I buy the Wireless Horipad Turbo for Nintendo Switch 2?Buy it if…You want a performant Switch 2 controller that's built to last
TMR sticks will ensure this controller's longevity, and as a result, it shouldn't fall victim to stick drift even after months or years of usage.
You don't have the budget for a Switch 2 Pro Controller
The Wireless Horipad Turbo is significantly cheaper than the console's official gamepad option. And with nice colorways and some neat features, it's really not a bad fallback option.
You want beefier battery life
At just 10 hours of charge, you'll be topping this thing up very frequently if you regularly play your Switch or Switch 2 in docked mode.
You want something multiplatform
If you like to game on multiple devices away from your Switch or Switch 2 (like PC or mobile), you might want to look elsewhere as this is strictly a Nintendo-facing pad.
If the Wireless Horipad Turbo has a few too many issues for your liking, consider the following alternatives.
Wireless Horipad Turbo for Nintendo Switch 2
Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller
8BitDo Pro 3
Price
$64.99 / £54.99 (around AU$93)
$89.99 / £74.99 / AU$119.95
$59.99 / £40 (around AU$84)
Weight
8.3oz / 235g
8.3oz / 235g
8.5oz / 242g
Dimensions
5.7 x 4.5 x 2.2in / 145 x 114 x 57mm
5.8 x 4.1 x 2.4in / 148 x 105 x 60mm
6.1 x 3.9 x 2.6in / 154 x 101 x 65mm
Compatibility
Switch 2, Switch
Switch 2
Switch, Switch 2, PC, iOS, Android
Connection type
Wireless (Bluetooth)
Wireless (Bluetooth), Wired (USB Type-C)
Wireless (2.4GHz, Bluetooth), Wired (USB-C)
Battery life
10 hours
Around 40 hours
15-20 hours
Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller
Still the premium standard on Switch 2 more than a year on from release. And it's little wonder; Nintendo's official pad has a luxurious feel, and is stuffed with features including HD Rumble, NFC, remappable buttons, and enviable battery life.
Read our full Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller review
8BitDo Pro 3
My favorite Nintendo Switch 2 controller, and one that's very hard to argue with at its budget-friendly price point. Honestly, it does everything the Wireless Horipad Turbo does, but better, and more besides.
Read our full 8BitDo Pro 3 review
How I tested the Wireless Horipad Turbo for Nintendo Switch 2- Tested for one week
- Tested on Nintendo Switch 2 with a variety of modern and retro titles
- Used features like the Turbo functionality and button lock switch
For this review, I tested the Wireless Horipad Turbo for Nintendo Switch 2 on the console of the same name for about a week. I played a good mix of modern and old-school titles with the controller, including Star Fox, Street Fighter 6, Rhythm Heaven Groove, as well as Ridge Racer 64 and Super Mario 64 via Nintendo Switch Online's N64 library.
During testing, I made use of the Turbo functionality to enable easier, rapid button presses in classic titles like Metal Slug 3. Meanwhile, I went back and forth with the button lock switch, and I can confidently say it stopped me from accidentally backing out to the Home dashboard on a few occasions. I'd love to see this feature make a comeback for future Hori products.
First reviewed July 2026
- Ukraine develops a naval platform dedicated to launching FPV strike drones
- Omega engineers introduce a maritime carrier supporting frontline drone operations
- FPV drones gain greater operational reach through sea-based launch platforms
Ukraine has unveiled a small unmanned surface vehicle designed to act as a mobile launch platform for FPV drones during combat operations.
The maritime system was developed by engineers from the diving unit of the Omega Special Purpose Center of the National Guard alongside a Ukrainian technology company.
Its arrival adds another unmanned capability to Ukraine's expanding effort to combine different robotic systems across the battlefield.
A small naval drone carrying a larger missionAccording to the Omega unit commander, the maritime platform transports FPV drones closer to combat areas before operators launch them against enemy positions.
He said the system works as a floating carrier, extending the reach of smaller aerial drones without requiring them to cover the entire distance independently.
Ukraine's Ministry of Internal Affairs announced the development through its official social media channels after engineers completed work on the unmanned platform.
Images released with the announcement show the vehicle powered by a Japanese-made Suzuki engine and equipped with a satellite communications terminal.
The communications equipment allows operators to retain contact with the platform while it travels across maritime areas during operational missions.
Developers also intend to adapt the system for intercepting aerial threats, expanding its role beyond carrying FPV drones during combat operations.
The development follows other Ukrainian experiments involving multiple unmanned platforms working together during military operations across different operational environments.
Earlier reports described heavy bomber UAVs transporting one-way attack unmanned ground vehicles before releasing them closer to Russian positions for follow-on missions.
Naval drones continue gaining new battlefield functionsUkrainian forces have increasingly leaned on a layered approach across land, sea, and air platforms throughout the war.
It has already tested similar concepts during operations involving Barracuda unmanned surface vessels near occupied Zaliznyi Port in the Kherson region.
The 40th Separate Marine Brigade said Barracuda platforms carried FPV drones before operators launched strikes against Russian logistics, military equipment, and concealed positions.
The brigade reported that Russian forces destroyed one unmanned surface vessel after launching four Lancet loitering munitions during the operation.
Despite that loss, Ukrainian forces claim the remaining platforms reached their assigned launch areas before releasing reconnaissance and FPV drones.
Ukraine has also outlined broader ambitions for maritime drones beyond direct strike missions involving explosive payloads or aerial drone launches.
A commander from Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate said future systems could intercept, escort, and detain sanctioned vessels in the Black Sea.
He told Business Insider, "If they comply with the request, they will be escorted to a designated port where the vessel and cargo can be confiscated."
Whether the same carrier concept eventually extends to submarine-launched drones remains unclear, but the Omega complex for now represents a fairly narrow step which may or may not be functional.
Via Kyiv Post
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra has better camera specs and a higher-capacity battery than its smaller sibling, but its dimensions aren't as well-suited to video streaming, and it costs more.
Pros- Includes a telephoto camera
- High-capacity 5,000mAh battery
- Big screens
- Very expensive
- Large size won't suit everyone
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 is smaller than its Ultra counterpart and lacks a telephoto camera, but it also costs less, has just as much power, and boasts a compact display that may suit some users better.
Pros- Lower price than the Z Fold 8 Ultra
- Top-end power
- More pocket-friendly than the Ultra
- No telephoto camera
- Smaller battery than the Ultra
Samsung has unveiled three new foldable phones — the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, and the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8. And while the last of that trio falls into its own category, the former two phones have a lot in common.
Aside from having similar names, they’re both book-style foldables, and they also share plenty of specs. But between very different form factors and differences in their respective camera setups, there's lots to differentiate them, too.
So, below, we’ve compared the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, so you can easily understand how they stack up. We haven't reviewed either model just yet, but we have been hands-on with both, and so have been able to draw some early conclusions as to who they're best suited to.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8: specs comparisonBefore we look closer at the key features of these two phones, we've detailed their core specs below, so you can see their major similarities and differences at a glance.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8
Dimensions (unfolded):
158.4 x 143.2 x 4.1mm
161.4 x 123.9 x 4.5mm
Dimensions (folded):
158.4 x 72.8 x 8.9mm
81.9 x 123.9 x 9.7mm
Weight:
215g
201g
Foldable display:
8.0-inch 2256 x 2504 AMOLED, 120Hz
7.6-inch 1828 x 2448 AMOLED, 120Hz
Cover screen:
6.5-inch 1080 x 2520 AMOLED, 120Hz
5.5-inch 1248 x 1972 AMOLED, 120Hz
Chipset:
Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy
Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy
RAM:
12GB / 16GB
12GB / 16GB
Rear cameras:
200MP wide, 50MP ultra-wide, 10MP telephoto
50MP wide, 50MP ultra-wide
Front camera:
10MP and 10MP
10MP and 10MP
Battery:
5,000mAh
4,800mAh
Charging:
45W wired, 20W wireless
45W wired, 20W wireless
Storage:
256GB / 512GB / 1TB
256GB / 512GB / 1TB
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8: price and availabilityThe Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 UltraLance Ulanoff / FutureThe Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8FutureThe Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 were both announced on July 22, with pre-orders opening the same day.
General availability for both phones starts on August 7, though if you pre-order, you might get them earlier — at the time of writing, we’re seeing an August 3 delivery date in the UK, for example.
As for pricing, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 starts at $1,899.99 / £1,699 / AU$2,699. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is more expensive, with a starting price of $2,099.99 / £1,899 / AU$2,999. In both cases, that’s with 256GB of storage, though you can pick either model up in 512GB and 1TB configurations.
So, in other words, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra starts at $200 / £200 / AU$300 more than the standard Galaxy Z Fold 8.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra pricingStorage
US price
UK price
AU price
256GB
$2,099.99
£1,899
AU$2,999
512GB
$2,299.99
£2,069
AU$3,299
1TB
$2,699.99
£2,409
AU$3,899
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 pricingStorage
US price
UK price
AU price
256GB
$1,899.99
£1,699
AU$2,699
512GB
$2,099.99
£1,869
AU$2,999
1TB
$2,499.99
£2,209
AU$3,599
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8: designThe Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra (left) and Galaxy Z Fold 8 (right)FutureThe Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra (left) and Galaxy Z Fold 8 (right)FutureIn some ways, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 have similar designs — after all, they’re both foldable phones that fold and unfold horizontally like a book. However, their shapes and dimensions differ a lot.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra looks a lot like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, with a tall, narrow design, leading to dimensions of 158.4 x 143.2 x 4.1mm when unfolded, 158.4 x 72.8 x 8.9mm when folded, and a weight of 215g.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, on the other hand, is shorter and wider, looking more like a passport than a book, with dimensions of 161.4 x 123.9 x 4.5mm when unfolded, 81.9 x 123.9 x 9.7mm when folded, and a weight of 201g.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra (left) and Galaxy Z Fold 8 (right) (Image credit: Future)Both phones, though, have an IP48 rating, meaning they’re water-resistant to depths of 1.5 meters for up to 30 minutes, and also resistant to dust and other objects greater than 1mm in size.
They also both have aluminum frames, and share Samsung's Flex Titanium technology, meaning their hinges are similarly invisible (you will notice their respective hinges at certain angles, but Samsung has come a long way in this department since the days of the original Galaxy Fold).
As for colors, while the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is sold in Graphite, Cream, Green Shadow, and Violet Shadow, the Z Fold 8 can be bought in Graphite, Cream, Lavender, and Pistachio shades.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8: displayThe Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 UltraLance Ulanoff / FutureThe Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8FutureNow we get to the biggest difference between these two phones: their displays. Or rather, the shape and purpose of those displays.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra has an 8.0-inch 2256 x 2504 foldable AMOLED screen and a 6.5-inch 1080 x 2520 AMOLED cover screen, both with a 120Hz refresh rate and around 422 pixels per inch.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 has a 7.6-inch 1828 x 2448 foldable AMOLED screen with around 403 pixels per inch and a 5.5-inch 1248 x 1972 AMOLED cover screen with roughly 428 pixels per inch.
So, both screens on the standard Z Fold 8 are noticeably smaller, but the aspect ratios arguably make a bigger difference, with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra having an almost square 1.11:1 foldable screen and a narrow 21:9 cover screen.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra (left) and Galaxy Z Fold 8 (right)FutureThe Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra (left) and Galaxy Z Fold 8 (right)FutureThe Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, on the other hand, has a 4:3 foldable screen, which is ideal for widescreen content, and a 10:16 cover screen, which is a bit more square than a typical phone and can be easily covered with one hand from top to bottom.
The taller, narrower Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra does have size benefits of its own, mind. It's harder to stretch your thumb to the top of this phone's display, but it's more easily covered with one hand from left to right. And when open, the Ultra is better suited to productivity apps that display square-shaped content like spreadsheets.
For video streaming, you'll want to go for the Galaxy Z Fold 8, since most video content is displayed in 16:9 (you'll see smaller black bars on a 4:3 screen), and it's arguably the better-shaped phone for gaming, too.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8: camerasThe Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 UltraLance Ulanoff / FutureThe Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8Blue Pixl MediaThere are big differences between the cameras on these two phones, with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra coming out on top. This device has a 200MP f/1.7 wide camera, a 50MP f/1.9 ultra-wide with a 120-degree field of view, and a 10MP f/2.4 telephoto with 3x optical zoom. It also has a 10MP selfie camera on each screen.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 has one fewer camera and fewer megapixels in its wide one. Specifically, you’re getting a 50MP f/1.8 wide camera, a 50MP f/1.9 ultra-wide with a 120-degree field of view, and two 10MP selfie cameras. So, it lacks the telephoto snapper found on the Ultra.
Both phones, though, are capable of recording video in up to 8K quality at 30fps, or in 4K at up to 120fps.
We haven't had a chance to test both phones' cameras just yet, but we'll update this article with images when we have. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra will, for obvious reasons, be the superior zoom shooter, but there isn't likely to be too much to choose between the phones' 200MP and 50MP wide cameras, since both will default to smaller photo sizes anyway, as is standard practice for modern smartphones.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8: performance and softwareThe Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 UltraLance Ulanoff / FutureThe Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8Blue Pixl MediaThere’s nothing to choose here, with both the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and the Z Fold 8 having a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chipset and 12GB of RAM — unless you get a 1TB model, in which case you’ll get 16GB of RAM.
This combination of specs will ensure top-end performance regardless of what you're doing on your phone, and in our short time with both devices, they're equally capable gaming phones and productivity powerhouses (notwithstanding their respective display sizes, which makes each better suited to different tasks).
Both the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and Galaxy Z Fold 8 also run Android 17 overlaid with One UI 9, and come with the promise of seven major Android upgrades.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8: batteryFutureSamsung has finally started putting silicon-carbon batteries in its phones, allowing for higher-capacity batteries in the same footprint. As a result, it's managed to pack a 5,000mAh battery into the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra (up from 4,400mAh in the Z Fold 7).
Unsurprisingly, the smaller Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 features a lower-capacity battery (4,800mAh), which should allow the Ultra to last slightly longer — but not by much.
Samsung claims you'll get 27 hours of video playback from the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, while the standard Galaxy Z Fold 8 is rated for 26 hours. In our early anecdotal testing, we've managed to use both phones for multiple days without needing to charge them, so those playback estimates are likely accurate.
Both phones also support up to 45W wired charging and 20W wireless, so you won't be losing out on charging speed by picking one phone over the other.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8: early verdict(Image credit: Future)The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra has bigger, more productivity-friendly screens than the Galaxy Z Fold 8, along with an extra camera, more megapixels in its wide camera, and a slightly higher-capacity battery. However, it also costs $200 / £200 / AU$300 more, and offers identical power.
Its larger screens also won’t be desirable for everyone — indeed, the Galaxy Z Fold 8's screens are much more video-friendly, and may soon become the norm for foldables — so the only indisputable advantages of the pricier model are its cameras and larger battery (though on the latter, we're talking fine margins).
Whether those extra features are significant enough to justify the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra's higher price will, of course, be subjective, but you might want to wait for our full reviews to see how these two phones compare in practice.
There’s nothing I like more than playing a game that lets me switch off entirely. Mundane tasks that require minimal brain power are my greatest escape (apart from a good book) and it’s even better when I’m able to gain a deep sense of achievement from completing them.
Under the RadarUnder the Radar is our way of highlighting great games that might have passed you by. Through a regular mix of news stories and features, we'll cover great experiences that we feel haven't found the audience they deserve. Read the full series here.
I’ve played countless hours of The Sims 4 and Stardew Valley over the years, or more recently Starsand Island. These titles earn their impressive ratings and big sales for providing exactly what cozy gamers like me want – a place to unwind, relax and tick boxes. But, I’m always on the hunt more. Little did I know that an evening scroll on TikTok was about to kick up my next cozy obsession that almost went Under the Radar.
As if by magic, videos were appearing on my feed of a library littered with thousands of books, all out of place. The players gaze over the chaotic collection with a visual aesthetic akin to Harry Potter saying things like: “You’re seriously telling me I have to put all these back away where they’re supposed to go” and “Oh my god, there’s a second floor.” And that’s when I got really intrigued.
Librarian: Tidy Up the Arcane Library! is exactly as the name suggests, a game where you become the librarian and must tidy everything up.
Serenely sorting shelves(Image credit: ArtRising / Future)It’s a big, big mess. Huge. There are books strewn everywhere, piled on tables, disordered in corners like some massive puzzle you need to solve. The task is simple, really, even if it does require you to sort out over 3,000 books. But, with a cozy vibe and a lot of time on my hands, I was so utterly ready to get stuck in.
What Tidy Up the Arcane Library! wants you to do is place all the books on the correct shelves, in the correct order, before you’re allowed to leave. There’s a couple of maps on the walls explaining which category of book belongs on which shelf and to start, you just need to, well, get going.
Don’t get me wrong, I was a little worried that the sheer mess would unsettle any promise of coziness. It’s not quite the same as tending to your crops or gathering resources, but it was the kind of task I get a kick out of – and I’m hopeful comfort gamers will agree.
(Image credit: ArtRising / Future)It reminds me of silly little tasks I’ve always loved to do like sorting out coins or writing addresses on a tower of envelopes, but no-one ever threw all those coins or envelopes haphazardly across a room and asked me to tidy them up. Fortunately, my worries were quickly cast aside when the game began, offering me the chance to play a specifically-made cozy mode with no time restraints, just chilled out sorting.
Every time you put a book on the shelf in the right place, it glitters gold and I almost felt like I was shimmering with satisfaction. The dopamine rush in games like these are hard to beat, especially when it’s so simply gained.
But, if you put a book in the wrong place, there’s no glimmering reward, only a desperation to figure out where it goes instead. But, no bother, I told myself, there are always more books to sort.
List-slaying(Image credit: ArtRising / Future)Now, it’s worth mentioning here that book-sorting isn’t something you have to take on alone. No, you can also harness a little bit of magic. As you begin to fill up shelves correctly, you level up, unlocking points that can be spent on different magical abilities.
From illuminating the correct shelf for the top book you’re holding to placing the book onto said shelf without you having to lift a finger, it’s entirely up to you if you want to tackle Tidy Up the Arcane Library! without using any magic. But, if you want to protect your peace, I strongly recommend you do.
It’s also entirely up to you whether you spent your points on all the abilities. I didn’t. While Sort automatically arranges the books in your possession in numerical order, I actually quite liked just taking my time over it, rifling through my books like a proper librarian. But, I did lean heavily on the other abilities to make sure I didn’t go crazy.
I even ended up using those TikTok videos that led me here in the first place to teach me about the hidden keys that transformed me into a much more efficient librarian – carrying more books, moving faster and even jumping.
I’ve worked in a library, I’ve also worked in a bookshop, but I can safely say that the calmness and magic of Tidy Up the Arcane Library! makes it a far cozier experience than real life, especially with absolutely no customers.
I’m still clocking up hours in the game taking my sweet, sweet time because I know once it’s over, I’ll miss it. If you're interested in playing too, you can pick it up on Steam.
- GenStorAIGE AI90 shifts AI memory beyond traditional GPU HBM limitations using SSDs
- PT200Z SSD supports constant cache updates during demanding inference workloads efficiently
- Eight RTX 5090 GPUs gain dramatically larger effective inference memory capacity
GenStorAIGE has introduced its AI90 inference acceleration platform at WAIC 2026, taking a storage-centric approach to expanding effective AI memory capacity.
Rather than depending solely on GPU high-bandwidth memory, the platform incorporates PCIe Gen5 solid-state drives directly into the memory hierarchy itself.
This allows portions of the Key-Value Cache used by large language models to sit outside GPU memory entirely.
A three-tier memory architecture built around SSD offloadingAI90 combines HBM, system DRAM, and SSD into a unified three-tier memory structure for handling inference workloads.
By transparently offloading KV Cache data onto SSDs, the platform reduces pressure on GPU memory while supporting significantly larger workloads and longer context windows.
According to GenStorAIGE, this architecture cuts first-token latency from several seconds down to sub-second response times in supported configurations.
That represents up to a 50x improvement, alongside throughput gains reaching 5.1x and a roughly 39% reduction in GPU memory usage.
Combined with intelligent peer-to-peer GPU communication, the company states AI90 can accelerate inference by up to 5.8x on systems running eight Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 cards.
That multiplier effectively allows an eight-card setup to behave closer to a 46-GPU cluster during sustained inference tasks.
The architecture also supports context windows exceeding 128,000 tokens, enabling far larger document processing and conversation handling without exhausting available memory.
The PT200Z SSD handles the intensive write demands behind the systemTo support continuous write workloads generated by constant KV Cache updates, GenStorAIGE paired AI90 with its new PT200Z AI SSD.
Built using pSLC NAND flash and connected through a PCIe Gen5 x4 interface, the drive delivers sequential read speeds reaching 14.8 GB/s.
Random read performance hits approximately 3.1 million IOPS, while read latency sits at just 54 microseconds.
Write latency drops even further to 10 microseconds, supporting the rapid cache updates AI90's architecture depends on constantly.
Endurance ratings reach up to 100 drive writes per day, a figure suited for sustained enterprise AI workloads with constantly shifting cache data.
This design reflects a broader shift across AI infrastructure toward memory tiering, as LLMs increasingly outgrow the practical limits of GPU HBM alone.
Integrating extremely fast SSD storage into inference pipelines offers one method for scaling context length without requiring additional GPUs or larger HBM configurations.
Whether the performance claims hold outside controlled testing conditions remains genuinely unverified at this stage.
As with most vendor announcements, these performance figures come directly from GenStorAIGE and still require independent benchmarking across varied real-world AI workloads.
Via The Guru of 3D
- UC Irvine scientists develop hidden charging interface for long-term implanted medical devices
- Needle-access outlet powers implants without permanently exposing electrical connections
- Researchers achieve 16 Mbps data transfers via temporary implant-needle connections
A persistent challenge in bioelectronics is that exposed sockets invite microbial infection, while wireless charging antennas remain bulky.
Scientists at the University of California, Irvine have developed an implantable power outlet that remains beneath the skin and is accessed through a simple needle insertion.
Called the Implantable Bioelectronic Outlet (IBO), the device remains beneath the skin until electrical access is needed for charging, maintenance, or data retrieval.
A three-tier memory architecture built around SSD offloadingResearchers describe the implant as a general access point compatible with sensors, neural interfaces, stimulators, and battery-powered systems already used in medicine.
The device consists mostly of soft spongy plastic containing pores roughly 150 micrometers wide, comparable to a very fine needle's diameter.
The sponge was first dipped into a highly conductive polymer, coating its pores with a layer between 100 and 200 nanometers thick.
They then applied a silicone rubber solution to form a protective, electrically insulating jacket around the exterior surface.
Several jacketed sponge layers were sandwiched between unmodified sponge layers and covered entirely in silicone rubber to complete the module.
According to Hyung Joon Shim, a postdoctoral scholar in electrical engineering at UC Irvine, the device stays fully beneath the skin between uses.
A needle is inserted only when electrical access becomes necessary and is removed immediately afterward.
In tests on mice and rats, researchers coupled the outlets with neural interface implants to recharge batteries and transfer data.
Data transfer reached nearly 16 Mbps, matching the implants' maximum possible speed during these experimental sessions.
Separate pig experiments paired the outlets with stimulation implants, delivering 20-microampere electrical pulses lasting 100 milliseconds each over extended periods.
The porous structure resisted cracking after more than 100 needle insertions with gauges ranging from 18 to 30.
Moving from lab results to real-world applicationsThe implanted outlets remained in the mice for over a year without degrading or causing visible complications.
Jennifer Gelinas, associate professor of pediatrics and anatomy and neurobiology at UC Irvine, said long-term safety is among the most critical requirements for any implantable technology.
Since test animals were anesthetized during charging sessions, real-world use in awake patients would require a different needle placement.
Gelinas suggested medical tape or an adhesive dressing, similar to methods used for standard intravenous needles, could stabilize the connection point.
Passing a needle through skin would likely cause brief discomfort comparable to a standard injection.
Future versions might incorporate smaller needles, topical anesthetics, or specialized coatings designed to reduce pain and inflammation during use.
Because the outlet needle would not require a hollow channel for fluid delivery, it could potentially be made thinner than conventional injection needles.
The scientists claim that this outlet could complement wireless technology, reserving needle access specifically for fast charging or large data transfers.
That said, the research team cautioned that evaluating pain, infection risk, and tissue response across repeated access sessions remains necessary before any patient testing begins.