Virgin Media has introduced a new fleet of AI-powered “robots” designed to monitor its television network in real-time, aiming to identify and resolve service issues before they impact the viewer experience.

The technology works by simulating the consumer experience, continuously watching and auditing over 220 IPTV channels. By employing automated monitoring, the AI proactively checks for any degradation in video or audio quality.

Should the system detect an irregularity, it immediately triggers an alert to human technical teams, allowing for significantly faster investigation and resolution of faults than traditional monitoring methods, claims Virgin.

Under the new protocol, Virgin Media’s most popular channels are audited by these AI agents every six minutes. This high-frequency check ensures that the company maintains granular visibility into its network performance, providing greater consistency for live sports, season finales, and other high-stakes broadcasts.

Jeanie York, Chief Technology Officer at Virgin Media O2, highlights the strategic value of this innovation. “Creating and launching these new TV robots means we’re able to identify and address any service issues faster and more accurately than ever before, and in some cases before a customer even realises there was a problem,” says  York.

“This new capability is another innovative step in giving our customers a great experience and ensuring we provide the reliable TV service they expect.”

The deployment is part of a broader push by the company to integrate artificial intelligence into its operational framework. Following this initial rollout, the engineering team is already exploring future enhancements for the system.

Potential developments include training the AI to identify a wider, more complex range of service issues and further strengthening the network’s self-healing capabilities. By automating the quality assurance process, Virgin Media aims to boost customer confidence and minimise disruptions across its digital TV landscape.

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Trump Media & Technology Group,

A British energy company is planning to build what is thought to be the world’s first offshore, gas-powered data centre in the North Sea. Orcadian Energy, a London-listed oil and gas exploration business, revealed the proposals for a power station and AI data centre 65 miles off the coast of Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. It is preparing to build new platforms over the Earlham gas field, whose output would fuel the power station supplying electricity to the data centre. Telegraph 

As facial recognition technology proliferates across public spaces, a new wave of “adversarial fashion”, or AI camouflage, is emerging as a potential defence for the privacy-conscious. Designers use asymmetrical cuts, large-scale prints, and even infrared LEDs to manipulate the “ground” of an image, causing facial recognition algorithms to misidentify the wearer or even fail to detect a face altogether. For example, some designs integrate infrared lights to dazzle night-vision cameras, while others use patterns that trick systems into identifying the wearer as an object, rather than a human. ShinyShiny

The choice of smartphones available in the US is already considerably smaller than in many other regions, and has now been made even smaller by the news that OnePlus will no longer sell phones in both North America and Europe. While this is obviously bad news, it gets worse because Oppo — a brand at its peak — isn’t stepping in to take over. OnePlus was never a big industry player, but it had (has?) a dedicated fan base, and its devices were well-regarded, even after Oppo muscled in and turned OnePlus phones into OnePlus/Oppo hybrids. Android Police 

Popular password management app 1Password today added Claude support, which means AI service Claude can access credentials stored in 1Password for completing browser tasks.

With the integration, Claude can use 1Password logins and one-time codes without the actual password being exposed to Claude. Passwords never reach Claude’s context, memory, or Anthropic’s systems. Mac Rumors

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OnePlus has officially confirmed that it is pulling out of the North American and European smartphone markets.

The company will no longer launch new smartphones in these regions, with the OnePlus 15 standing as the final major release for Western customers.

Why Is OnePlus Leaving?

The decision is part of a “proactive global strategy adjustment” overseen by its parent company, Oppo. Facing a difficult global landscape dominated by rising component costs, a shortage of memory chips (often dubbed “RAMageddon”) and slowing consumer demand, Oppo is consolidating its resources to survive.

The brand had struggled to maintain relevance in the US and Europe, where the market is dominated by the big hitters, Apple and Samsung. With OnePlus’s influence waning, Oppo determined that its long-term survival required a leaner approach. Going forward, OnePlus will focus on its primary strongholds in China and India, while Oppo integrates OnePlus’s product vision and technical features into its own expanding global portfolio.

What Does This Mean for You?

For existing OnePlus owners, the transition promises stability. The company has explicitly guaranteed that it will continue to provide after-sales support, security patches, and software updates for the remainder of each device’s lifecycle.

However, a major shift is coming regarding software. As part of a unification strategy to save costs and streamline development, OnePlus is retiring its OxygenOS operating system.

Future software updates will transition eligible devices to ColorOS, the platform used by Oppo. While the company claims this will lead to better quality and faster updates, users who prefer the traditional OxygenOS experience will be given the option to decline the update or “roll back” to the previous system if they are dissatisfied.

Beyond the software, the exit means that the OnePlus Community website will be shut down on August 16, 2026, with the company advising users to manually save any content, photos, or guides they wish to preserve. While existing owners are protected for now, the withdrawal leaves a notable void in the Android market, further reducing the variety of hardware available to Western consumers.

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An investigation has been launched into whether TikTok is doing enough to keep children off its platform. The probe by media regulator Ofcom comes a month after the UK government announced that under-16’s would be banned entirely from a range of platforms. Ofcom will examine how the video-sharing app assesses if a user is a child and whether it has adequate systems to prevent children from viewing harmful content. “We’re confident that we meet our Online Safety Act obligations and will work with Ofcom to demonstrate it,” a TikTok spokesperson said. BBC 

Rejoice, Sonos fans! After months, even years, of turmoil and trouble, Sonos is making serious steps towards fixing the app that, after a disastrous redesign in 2024, threatened the company’s future and forced its then-CEO to step down. Now, Sonos is doing everything it can to repair the damage. We reported in June that CEO Tom Conrad had written on Reddit detailing some of the changes set to come to the platform, promising that the Sonos team had spent “hundreds of hours” watching people use the app to find its weak spots. WhatHiFi

OnePlus has confirmed that it will no longer operate in North America or Europe, and won’t launch any further phones in the regions following 2025’s OnePlus 15.  OnePlus merged some of its operations with parent company Oppo in 2021, and going forward, all operations will now fall under the Oppo brand. OnePlus will continue operating in China, while Realme, another Oppo sub-brand, will exit the Chinese market but continue selling devices overseas. CNet

Moonshot’s upcoming Kimi 3 is expected to close the gap with Anthropic’s Opus 4.8. The latest iteration of Chinese AI lab Moonshot AI’s Kimi model series is expected to perform at par with or even surpass Anthropic’s Opus 4.8, Financial Times reported, citing anonymous sources. Moonshot’s Kimi K2 models have been received well in the open-source AI market, ranking high on benchmarks and demonstrating capabilities that aren’t too far behind the latest frontier models. Tech Crunch 

Two young men have been jailed after they admitted hacking into Transport for London’s cyber network. Thalha Jubair, 20, and Owen Flowers,18, used the dark web to gain access to the transport network’s systems across several days in August and September 2024 while both were still teenagers.  The attack, which lasted for several days, cost TfL £29m in damages from disruption to services and operational work and affected its services for months. It also meant all of TfL’s more than 27,000 employees were forced to attend an office to reset their passwords. Sky News 

The Geely EX2 is a respectable but slightly forgettable small EV that struggles to stand out from the crowd. The tech on board is pretty good, as is the amount of standard kit, there’s plenty of space to play with, plus it’s fine to drive – even if we do have higher expectations for something supposedly tuned by Lotus. But the range and performance lag significantly behind key rivals, the interior is bland and there’s none of the charm or character that its similarly priced competitors have in spades. AutoExpress

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Dozens of Meta employees have sued the social media company

Sixteen and 17-year-olds will face an overnight social media curfew and the disabling of addictive features under government plans – but critics say it won’t achieve anything as the settings can be turned off. The initiative is part of Labour’s push to protect young people from the harmful effects of the online world. A ban on social media use for under-16s in the UK was also unveiled last month and is set to take effect in the spring. Growing concerns over children’s mental health and safety online mean more than 40 countries have brought in bans or are considering it. Sky News 

Here’s Volkswagen’s small electric car for families, the VW ID. Cross SUV, with a maximum range of 273 miles. The big brother to the new ID. Polo hatchback is set for UK launch in early 2027, costing from around £28,000. One look at the Volkswagen ID. Cross’s exterior, combining an elevated ride height, plastic body protection and roof rails, makes clear exactly how it’s positioned. “This is one of Volkswagen Group’s electric urban car family, like the ID. Polo,” product manager Florian Schrader told Auto Express. 

If you’re in the UK, rejoice, because Google has decided that it’s time for you to try out many of the Gemini features in Chrome (at least on desktop) that have been available to people in the US for several months now. You might remember that back in January, Google rolled out a big Gemini update for Chrome, bringing features like the Nano Banana 2 image generator alongside the agentic Auto Browse system. Now, British users get direct access to these browser upgrades, with an iOS release scheduled for next month. Neowin

Pixel 11 lineup, the Pixel Watch 5 hasn’t been the subject of many leaks. However, details about its pricing and color options leaked recently, and now the smartwatch has surfaced in official-looking press renders ahead of its expected debut on August 12.

Pixel Watch 5 45mm in Dark Anthracite and Pyrite

The Tide Chart, in collaboration with OnLeaks, has shared official-looking renders of the Pixel Watch 5, showcasing the smartwatch in four case finishes and two size options. Looking at the leaked renders, the Pixel Watch 5 appears to retain a design that’s largely unchanged from the Pixel Watch 4. GSM Arena 

Marantz has announced the launch of two new hi-fi separates at a more affordable prices. The Model 70 integrated amplifier and CD 70 build on the success of the PM6007 and CD6007, and shows that while everyone’s getting into hybrid hi-fi products and active speakers, there’s still room for specialist hi-fi separates in the market. Both feature Marantz’s full-width architecture that’s made their recent products stand out, and will be available in black and silver-gold finishes. Trusted Reviews

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The UK government has announced plans to implement a default overnight social media curfew for 16 and 17-year-olds, part of a broader strategy to mitigate the impact of addictive online features.

Starting next spring, platforms will be required to disable services by default between midnight and 6:00 am for older teens. Additionally, “addictive” design elements, such as auto-play videos and infinite scrolling, will be switched off by default for this age group to support improved sleep, academic focus, and family engagement.

While the measures represent a significant step in regulating the online environment, the government confirmed the restrictions will not be mandatory. Users will retain the ability to opt out or adjust their settings, a compromise that has drawn sharp criticism from child safety advocates.

The NSPCC has welcomed the initiative but warned that it is insufficient on its own. NSPCC Chief Executive Chris Sherwood stated: “These proposed safety measures for 16 and 17-year-olds will go some way to improving the experiences of young people on social media – particularly having autoplay and functions that recommend content turned off by default and a curfew. But the proposals will not be enough on their own.”

Sherwood added that without stronger, more comprehensive action, the policies act as a “sticking plaster” that fails to address the root causes of screen addiction. He further urged the government to prioritise the risks posed by AI chatbots, noting that they “are amplifying damaging content and trapping children and young people in echo chambers.”

The proposal follows an earlier announcement regarding a total social media ban for those under 16, also set to take effect next spring. Critics argue the new rules for older teens are inconsistent or ineffective.

Shadow Education Secretary Laura Trott dismissed the plan as a “dog’s dinner,” questioning the logic of a curfew that can be bypassed with a few clicks. Similar scepticism was voiced by digital rights campaigners and experts, who fear the policy prioritises headlines over substantive protection.

Meanwhile, the government maintains that the curfew and feature limitations are essential tools for a healthier transition into adulthood. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall stated that the measures are “crucial in helping young people get the sleep they need, focus on school and college, and spend more quality time with family and friends.”

However, experts remain divided. Professor Sonia Livingstone of the London School of Economics warned that while restricting push notifications is beneficial, a hard curfew could isolate vulnerable teenagers who rely on online support networks during the night.

Furthermore, the government has opted not to restrict Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), leading some analysts to argue that the curfew will be easily circumvented, rendering it little more than a “mildly annoying settings prompt.”

The government intends to present these measures to Parliament by the end of 2026.

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The findings come from the inaugural “Scam Index” published by telecommunications provider Virgin Media O2, which combines the company’s internal network data with consumer research to track the frequency and impact of malicious activity.

The data suggests that the threat is persistent for the average consumer, with more than one-third of UK adults (36%) reporting that they encounter at least one scam attempt on a weekly basis.

According to the survey, one-third of victims report losing money, with the average loss exceeding £1,800. Additionally, 19% of respondents stated they have been informed that their personal information was exposed in a data breach, heightening their risk for future attacks.

The report also identifies a growing concern regarding the integration of advanced technology into criminal operations. Nearly two-thirds (63%) of those surveyed believe the rise of artificial intelligence has made scams more dangerous.

This is particularly evident among younger demographics, as 58% of respondents under the age of 35 reported encountering scams incorporating “deepfake” technology, which usees realistic AI-generated imagery or audio to deceive victims.

To combat this, Virgin Media O2 has intensified its blocking efforts, reporting that it has prevented the delivery of more than 1.4 billion scam texts to date. The provider is also currently flagging nearly 100 million suspicious calls per month, noting that June 2026 marked a record high for such warnings.

Murray Mackenzie, Director of Fraud Prevention at Virgin Media O2, emphasised the importance of public vigilance. “We see first-hand how fraud is constantly changing and the devastating impact it can have on victims,” Mackenzie said. “Our new Scam Index will track the threat and help raise awareness of the tactics criminals use, so the public can spot the warning signs before it’s too late.”

Consumers are encouraged to help combat these threats by forwarding suspicious texts and numbers to 7726, a free service that allows mobile networks to investigate and block the infrastructure used by fraudsters.

The research for the report was conducted by Censuswide, which surveyed 2,000 nationally representative UK adults between June 23 and June 29, 2026.

Top 10 Scams (April to June 2026)

1. Delivery Scams: Fake texts regarding held parcels or redelivery fees (63%)

2. Online Shopping Scams: Orders not placed or fake websites where items never arrive (58%)

3. Account Suspension Scams: Claims that accounts (Apple, PayPal, etc.) will be locked (56%)

4. Banking/Finance Scams: Fake messages regarding suspicious account activity (49%)

5. Tech Support Scams: Claims of device infection requiring “support” (48%)

6. Prize/Lottery Scams: Notifications of competition wins requiring fees (47%)

7. Government/HMRC Scams: Fraudulent tax refund or fine notifications (46%)

8. Telecoms Scams: Fake alerts about billing or SIM upgrades (43%)

9. Friends/Family Impersonation: Hacked accounts or fake profiles requesting money (33%)

10. Investment/Crypto Scams: Bogus get-rich-quick schemes or celebrity endorsements (33%)

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Surfshark claims deepfake-related fraud has caused at least $3.7 billion in financial losses globally, with

A comprehensive investigation by the cybersecurity firm reveals that while the technology is being deployed across various communication channels, social media has emerged as the primary battlefield for these sophisticated scams.

According to the data, social media platforms account for 47% of all recorded losses, totalling $1.73 billion. Luís Costa, Research Lead at Surfshark, emphasises that the scale of this threat is unique because of the viral nature of these platforms.

He notes that scammers gain instant access to billions of users, allowing a single fraudulent video to reach millions of potential victims within hours, often before security teams can detect or remove the content. No other channel offers this level of reach at zero cost to the criminal.

Nor is the financial damage limited to viral social posts. The study identifies a hierarchy of threats where criminals exploit human trust to bypass security. Impersonation fraud – cases where deepfakes are used to mimic real people and bypass identity checks – is the second-largest threat, accounting for $911 million, or 25% of total losses.

Additionally, fake job recruitment schemes have siphoned off another $100 million. Even routine communications have become high-risk, with phone calls, video platforms and messaging apps contributing a combined $174 million in losses.

The UK is particularly badly affected, currently ranking fourth globally for deepfake-related financial damage, with losses reaching $176.8 million. Approximately 78% of these British losses originated on social media.

As these deceptive tactics expand into everyday life, experts warn that technical defences alone are no longer enough. Costa insists that a fundamental shift in user mindset is required, as awareness is the only truly effective defence when a familiar voice or face can no longer be trusted.

To mitigate risk, he advises implementing practical safeguards: establish a private family “safe word” to verify identities, perform a “glitch test”, such as asking a caller to wave their hand across their face to reveal AI distortions, and move away from SMS-based authentication in favour of biometric or hardware security keys.

Finally, users are urged to audit their privacy settings and limit the public sharing of high-resolution personal media, which provides the training data necessary for these AI-driven attacks.

https://surfshark.com/research/chart/deepfake-fraud-origins

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The chief executive of the German car giant Volkswagen Group has confirmed it is looking to cut up to 100,000 jobs – twice as many as previously stated. The group, which includes Porsche, Audi, Seat and Skoda as well as the VW brand, had previously said it would axe some 50,000 posts in Germany by 2030. It suffered a steep decline in profits last year – the result of falling sales in key markets, as well as increasing competition from Chinese brands moving into Europe. In a widely-reported memo to staff, chief executive Oliver Blume said the Group’s costs were 20% higher compared to rival businesses, and it would need to reduce its outgoings even further. BBC 

Last month, reports suggested that Nintendo could release a Switch 2 model with an upgraded LCD panel to address the ghosting issues some players have reported. And now, a new report indicates that Nintendo is also considering an OLED version of the Switch 2. According to ZDNet Korea reporter Lee Ki-jong, Nintendo is reviewing plans for a Switch 2 OLED model. One insider told ZDNet that the company is considering a Switch 2 OLED model with Full HD (1920×1080) resolution, a big upgrade compared to the 1280×720 resolution of the original Switch OLED. Notebook Check 

Earlier this year, Huawei unveiled the Pura 90 Pro and 90 Pro Max for the Chinese market. Now the company is introducing a pair of “90s” models which have largely the same hardware but will be available on the global market. The two Pura 90s Pro models share a lot of the same hardware. The main differences between them are the screen size – 6.6” for the Pura 90s Pro and 6.9” for the Pro Max – plus things like charging speed and telephoto cameras. GSM Arena 

Polestar is putting the finishing touches on the new, more upright version of its 4 crossover ahead of its unveiling on 2 September. The new rival for the BMW iX3 and Mercedes-Benz GLC Electric has now been spotted testing on the Nürburgring Nordschleife with production-ready bodywork, showcasing how it has been transformed from a rakish saloon into a more conventional SUV. The Polestar 4 SUV will place a greater emphasis on “flexibility and practicality”, the company said, with “versatile storage capabilities for every journey”. Autosport 

A new report by Australia’s online safety regulator has found “significant gaps” in how major tech platforms tackle online sexual extortion and child sexual exploitation, as “reports of this abuse continue to rise”. The findings come from eSafety’s latest transparency report, examining how tech companies – including Apple, Meta, Google, Microsoft, Snap, Discord and WhatsApp – are addressing child sexual exploitation and abuse. Between July and December 2025, 2,206 complaints of sexual extortion were made to eSafety. The Guardian 

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The global smartphone market experienced a 4% year-on-year decline in the second quarter of 2026, as the ongoing memory supply crisis continues to drive up component costs and disrupt the industry.

According to new research from Omdia, the challenging environment has caused severe market polarisation, rewarding vendors with the scale and strategy to navigate supply bottlenecks while penalising those dependent on the struggling mass-market segment.

Despite the industry-wide downturn, market leaders Samsung and Apple managed to buck the trend, both reporting growth. Samsung retained its top position with a 22% market share, bolstered by strong supply availability and a boost in premium demand following the delayed launch of the Galaxy S26 series.

Meanwhile, Apple achieved its best-ever second-quarter performance, capturing 20% of the market. The success of the iPhone 17 series allowed Apple to maintain stable pricing while competitors were forced to hike costs to offset inflationary pressures.

The remainder of the top five – Xiaomi, OPPO, and vivo – faced a tougher landscape as demand for sub-$400 devices plummeted. These players are currently undergoing portfolio restructuring to prioritise value over sheer volume.

“The steepest volume drops hit the sub-$400 mass market segment, where supply constraints are tightest,” said Omdia Principal Analyst Runar Bjorhovde. He noted that memory and storage costs now account for over 60% of the bill-of-materials for budget devices.

With memory prices not expected to normalise until at least the second half of 2027, analysts warn that these shifts are not merely temporary. As vendors focus on high-end segments to protect margins, consumers are being squeezed. Many budget-conscious buyers are now expected to delay their purchases, seek financing, or turn to the refurbished market as the industry enters a challenging second half of the year.

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