INNOCN E49M1R: 30-second review

The 49-inch ultrawide market has always demanded a compromise. Curve the panel, and you gain immersion but lose straight lines along your windows' edges. Keep it flat, and those two features simply swap places. Innocn has decided that trade-off is no longer guaranteed, and the E49M1R is the result.

By the maker's own description, this is the world's first 49-inch flat Mini LED ultrawide monitor. That single design choice sets it apart from almost every other super ultrawide currently on sale, since curved panels have dominated this size class for years. Traders, video editors, developers and anyone who values straight lines over cinematic curvature now have a genuine flat alternative at this scale.

Underneath that flat glass sits a 5120 x 1440 VA panel, often marketed as DQHD, which is effectively two 27-inch QHD monitors joined without a centre bezel. Add a 165Hz refresh rate and a 2ms overdrive response time, and you have a display built to appeal equally to people juggling financial dashboards, editors scrubbing long timelines, and gamers who want peripheral vision without warped geometry.

Backlighting comes from 1760 local dimming zones, a genuinely high number for a monitor at this size and this price. INNOCN pairs that with HDR1000 certification, a typical brightness of 450 nits, and a claimed peak that reaches four figures in HDR content. On paper, that combination should deliver punchy highlights alongside properly dark shadows, rather than the washed-out grey blacks that cheaper Mini LED panels sometimes produce.

Colour coverage looks strong too, with sRGB essentially maxed out and comfortable coverage claimed of the wider Adobe RGB and DCI-P3 spaces. Either way, the combination suggests this panel was built with more than gaming in mind, rather than for design work.

Connectivity runs to two HDMI 2.1 ports and two DisplayPort 1.4 inputs, a sensible spread for switching between a desktop and a laptop, or a work machine and a console, without reaching for an adapter. You can display all four inputs at once, or use a range of picture-in-picture options.

A USB hub, twin 5W speakers and support for AMD FreeSync round out the feature list.

The stand offers 120mm of height adjustment along with tilt from minus five to plus fifteen degrees and a modest fifteen degrees of swivel. There is no mention of pivot, which is hardly surprising given the sheer width involved. At 13.3kg with the stand attached, this design rewards a permanent spot on a desk rather than regular repositioning.

Pricing in the US sits at $999.99, which places the E49M1R against established 49-inch rivals from Samsung and LG, several of which still rely on curved panels at similar or higher price points.

The core promise here, a genuinely flat super ultrawide with Mini LED backlighting and a proper refresh rate, is compelling enough that INNOCN deserves the benefit of the doubt until testing confirms whether the numbers hold up on a desk rather than on a spec sheet.

INNOCN E49M1R: Price and availability

• How much does it cost? $999
• When is it out? Available now in the US and Japan
• Where can you get it? Direct from Innocn

Innocn lists the E49M1R at $999.99 on its US store, with free shipping, a 30-day return window and a standard 12-month warranty. Orders placed before 1 October 2026 qualify for an extended three-year warranty as a launch promotion.

The monitor also launched in Japan on 10 September 2026 at 159,999 yen, roughly $1,044, with an introductory price of 135,990 yen, roughly $887, running for a limited period around launch.

Is this a good price? It’s hard to say, since no other monitor brand has anything like this available to compare.

• Value: 5 / 5

INNOCN E49M1R: Specs

INNOCN E49M1R: Design

• Flat panel, not curved
• Minimal bezel across a 32:9 frame
• Height-adjustable stand but modest rotation

Where most 49-inch ultrawides curve their panel to keep the far edges within easy view, the E49M1R stays flat.

Innocn calls it the first monitor of its kind at this size, and it is a genuine point of difference rather than a marketing flourish. A flat panel keeps straight lines straight, which matters for anyone lining up spreadsheet columns, CAD drawings or video timelines across the full width of the screen.

You can get the same 5120 x 1440 resolution at this scale by combining two 27-inch 1440p displays, and that would be cheaper. But for those who want a single seamless experience, this is the way.

However, that creates an entirely different issue: the sides of the screen are significantly farther from a centrally placed viewer than the middle.

How much further? Well, if you are 75cm from the middle of the panel then the left and right edges are another 20cm away.

Depending on the flexibility of your eyesight, this is either not a problem or a major snag.

You might want to consider a desk you can slide sideways so that, if you are working at one side, you can bring it nearer, then roll your chair to the other when needed. This might seem silly, but if you are using this panel to monitor things, you'll need to make some adjustments.

What’s impressive is how narrow the bezel is on the top and sides, making the display the predominant aspect of this screen.

The stand provides 120mm of height travel, a tilt range from minus five to fifteen degrees, and also fifteen degrees of swivel. No pivot option is listed, which makes sense given the panel's width. It has a VESA 100 mounting point in the centre, but you need to consider that any support will need to handle the not insignificant weight of the E49M1R.

At 13.3kg with the stand fitted, this is not a monitor you will want to move often, or possibly without some help.

Settings on this monitor are slightly old-school, with five buttons under the central Innocn logo being used to control an on-screen menu.

I’ll be honest and say I hate these menus, because six clicks to make a change when it would be one with a mouse and an app seems bonkers. However, all the interesting features are on this menu, if you can be bothered to click through them.

Overall, there isn’t much that’s revolutionary here in the design; most of that showboating is reserved for the underlying technology.

However, despite the obvious awkwardness of having a monitor this large, in most respects it works as intended, and for some applications is something of a joy.

The trick I think Innocn missed is that this screen is perfect for controlling multiple systems, since you can display each input simultaneously. What’s required to make this perfect is a KVM, and since Innocn put a USB hub into the monitor, why did they not make this a KVM?

Even if it only supported two computers, splitting the screen for two systems, and tracking a hotkey switch (like a SCRL LOCK double tap) to flip the USB port over for mouse and keyboard, this would be terrific. Yes, you can get the same effect with a separate KVM, as I have, but if it were all in one package, it would be brilliant.

The key weaknesses are the lack of motion on the stand and the lack of a software control panel, which forces you to use tiny buttons to change modes.

But these flaws don’t undermine what is a solid product in most respects.

• Design: 4 / 5

INNOCN E49M1R: Performance

• Up to 480 nits
• 98% sRGB
• 72% AdobeRGB

This design has a weird dichotomy I’ve never seen before: some of it comes from the design choices, and some from the panel's technology.

But first, let’s talk about what’s good about this screen, because in many respects the positive aspects outweigh the negative ones.

Two aspects are 5/5 in my opinion: color gamut and contrast. Being able to display lots of colours and a decent contrast between the brightest and darkest makes this an extremely readable display, and a punchy chromatic experience. I’m not sure how that fits with the Innocn specification that this is an 8-bit VA panel underneath.

The brightness is also greater than the 450nits that the maker quotes, and typically that number is overstated.

On paper, the E49M1R's performance case rests on three pillars. The first is contrast, delivered by 1760 local dimming zones feeding a VA panel with a quoted 3000:1 native contrast ratio. That is a considerably more granular backlight than the edge-lit arrangements found on cheaper ultrawides, and it should translate into deeper blacks alongside bright highlights in HDR content, rather than the obvious blooming that coarser dimming grids produce.

The second is color. Innocn claims essentially full sRGB coverage, with wide claimed coverage of Adobe RGB and DCI-P3 as well, alongside a Delta E accuracy target below two. Those numbers would put the E49M1R comfortably ahead of most gaming-focused ultrawides for colour-critical work, but it’s more nuanced than that.

While the gamut is great, color accuracy isn’t wonderful, making this design less than ideal for designers working with color. You might be able to tweak settings to improve colour accuracy, but this screen will never compete with an OLED panel.

The third pillar is motion. A 165Hz refresh rate, 2ms overdrive response time, and AMD FreeSync support should keep fast-moving content smooth, though the product page makes no G-Sync compatibility claim, which is worth noting for Nvidia users who rely on that certification.

In conclusion, if you need an ultrawide display for monitoring multiple systems, huge spreadsheets, motion graphics, a flight or racing simulator, then this is an excellent choice.

The lack of accuracy here is an issue for color-critical jobs, but that’s not something most people buy an ultrawide monitor for.

• Performance: 4 / 5

INNOCN E49M1R: Final verdict

On specification alone, the E49M1R makes a compelling case. Innocn has combined a genuinely novel flat panel with a dense Mini LED backlight, a proper 165Hz refresh rate and colour coverage that reaches well beyond sRGB.

For traders, editors, developers and anyone tired of curved screens distorting their straight lines, this looks like the ultrawide the category has been missing.

I do wonder if Innocn has another E49M1 design in development that uses OLED and would address the color accuracy issues I detected, but for now this VA design with Mini LED backlighting is a dramatic improvement over any single-source backlight hardware.

With the hardware available today, the E49M1R could be one of the year's most significant ultrawide launches. And, at less than $1000, this is a huge monitor for a modest asking price. If you don’t need such a high resolution, Innocn also offers the slightly cheaper E49M1G with a 3840 x 1080 resolution and a 144Hz refresh rate.

On a personal note, I’ve been using this panel this week, and having my PC desktop on one side and a mini PC I’m benchmarking on the other makes for a great workflow. Similarly, when I transfer my work from Word to the publishing system, being able to extend my desktop is equally helpful.

While the E49M1R isn’t for everyone, for those who can use its abilities, it's genuinely revolutionary.

InnoCN GA27S1Q: Report card

Should you buy a INNOCN E49M1R?

Buy it if...

Don’t buy if...

For more options, we've tested the best business monitors.

• Watch Eva Longoria: Searching for France for free on BBC iPlayer (UK) / SBS On Demand (AUS)
• Use NordVPN to watch BBC iPlayer when abroad
• Premieres in the UK on Sunday, September 27 at 7:15pm BST

Eva Longoria: Searching for France is an eight-part docuseries in which traveler the Desperate Housewives star travels through France, uncovering the mysteries behind the country's culinary leadership and how it became the global standard for fine dining.

Longoria travels region by region throughout the series, exploring different facets of France's culinary heritage. In Paris, she explores the art of fine dining and meets chefs leading the capital's new food scene. In another episode set in Paris, she focuses on patisserie and how the city became a global hub for delicious pastries.

She also visits Provence, which continues to rewrite the rules of French cuisine, and Bordeaux for its fresh produce, wine, and sauces. In Burgundy, she meets monks who are said to have invented French agriculture, while in Alsace, she explores the frontier region between Germany and France, with a cuisine to match.

The docuseries was released in the US in April and is now making its way to UK audiences – completely FREE on BBC iPlayer.

CNN introduced the Searching for franchise in 2021, with earlier seasons covering Italy, hosted by Stanley Tucci. Longoria then took over, covering Mexico and Spain, and now France. The franchise has won three Primetime Emmys and received 12 nominations so far.

A second season is already booked, in which Longoria will visit Champagne, Lyon, and other French regions to go deeper into their markets, kitchens, and vineyards.

Abroad? Here's where to watch Eva Longoria: Searching for France online and on TV from anywhere in the world, for free.

How to watch Eva Longoria: Searching for France in the UK for free

In the UK, the BBC has the rights to broadcast Eva Longoria: Searching for France, meaning the show is available to stream for FREE on the BBC iPlayer app and website.

The first episode arrives on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer on Sunday, September 27 at 7:15pm BST, with subsequent episodes following the same weekly schedule.

How to watch Eva Longoria: Searching for France from anywhere

If you're keen to watch Eva Longoria: Searching for France but you're away from the UK and access to the show is geo-blocked, then you could use a VPN to access it (assuming you're not breaching any broadcaster T&Cs, of course). You may be surprised by how simple it is to do. Plus, we have a great 75% discount on our #1 VPN...

How to watch BBC iPlayer with a VPN

Using a VPN to unblock Eva Longoria: Searching for France is very straightforward. Just follow these steps:

1. Download and install a VPN: As we say, our top choice is NordVPN.

2. Connect to the appropriate server location: Open the VPN app, hit 'choose location' and select your home geographical location (anywhere in the UK).

3. Go to the broadcaster's live stream: In this case, just head to BBC iPlayer.

What devices can I watch BBC iPlayer on?

• Amazon Fire (Tablets, Cube, Stick, TVs)
• Android TV (please note: some models aren’t supported)
• Android (Mobile & Tablet) - Android 7.0 and above
• Apple TV (tvOS 14 or later)
• Google TV (Chromecast with Google TV and NVIDIA Shield)
• Freely
• Freesat (please note: some models aren’t supported)
• Freeview Play (TVs and set-top boxes) (some models aren’t supported)       
• iOS (iPhone & iPad) - iOS 14 and above        
• LG Smart TVs (2016-2024)       
• NOW Smart Sticks and Boxes (minimum firmware v11.5.0)
• PlayStation (PS4 and PS5)
• Roku (Stick & Roku-OS powered TVs, minimum firmware v11.5.0)
•  Samsung Smart TVs (2017 and above)        
• Sky Q, Sky Glass and Sky Stream puck
• Virgin Media (360, Stream, TiVo)
• YouView (BT, Humax, Sony, TalkTalk)
•  Xbox (One, Series X, Series S)

Eva Longoria: Searching for France: FAQs

Can I watch Eva Longoria: Searching for France online in the US, Canada, Australia, and worldwide?

In Australia, all episodes of Eva Longoria: Searching for France are available to watch for free on SBS On Demand.

Canadian viewers can watch the series on Global TV. For cord cutters, there's the Stack TV service, which carries a number of channels, including Global TV, and is available via Prime Video, Fubo and more. It’s free for Prime Video subscribers for the first seven days, after which it costs CA$14.99 per month.

In the US, fans can watch Eva Longoria: Searching for France on HBO Max, or via its Prime Video add-on or YouTube TV (free trial). The series is also available through the CNN app and website.

If you're a Brit traveling abroad, you can use this VPN to access your usual streaming services and watch Eva Longoria: Searching for France FREE from anywhere in the world.

Note: Not all VPNs work for this, but NordVPN does. It's also great for privacy and comes with a 30-day risk-free trial.

You may also like to watch...

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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.

• 53% of British CIOs have seen at least one AI agent violate a policy and impact either the business or a customer
• The global average for rogue AI actions is just 31%, raising questions on AI governance in the UK
• CIOs are under increasing pressure to deliver value from AI investments, with a majority expecting budgets cuts and even unemployment if targets are not met

AI agents going rogue is a growing challenge for British businesses according to a new study which also raises questions over policies and governance of AI in the workplace. Rule breaking AI agents in the UK are apparently experiencing far greater problems than the global average.

The research, conducted by Harris Poll on behalf of Dataiku, reveals that British-based CIOs are also under immense pressure to deliver on AI investments.

CIOs blame what Dataiku calls “AI-Agent sprawl” – the creation and use of custom AI agents in the workplace, which are deployed faster than they can be governed. This practice can potentially open businesses to risks, not just for the organization itself, but also for customers.

AI agent risks

Harris Poll’s survey of 685 CIOs in the UK, France, Germany, US, UAE, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore reveals governance challenges facing CIOs (Chief Information Officer) around the world. But the results show us that the UK seems to be facing some unique issues.

The statistic that 53% of British CIOs have revealed that they have seen one or more AI agents violating a business policy that has impacted their own organization or a customer is noticeably higher than the average of 31%. But the problems don’t end there. Only 49% could produce an audit trail to explain the actions of an AI, and 68% believe it would take over 24 hours to identify a rogue AI agent and limit its impact.

With the challenge of AI sprawl cited by 87% of British CIOs, the problems seem to derive from the policies, procedures, and laws governing AI use.

“More than half of UK businesses reporting that an AI agent has violated policy should be a signal that monitoring alone is not enough," noted Faye Murray, Field Chief Data Officer at Dataiku.

The impact of a rogue action needs full accountability, something that Murray observes “...cannot be retrofitted after an incident; they need to be designed into the deployment from the start.”

Unplugged

The implication is that the industry has got things wrong when it comes to AI. Autonomous systems can’t be simply left to get on with things, at any scale. Dataiku’s CEO Florian Douetteau says: “The industry sold CIOs on autonomy and forgot to mention the cost: autonomous systems need to be managed, not just monitored.”

"Monitoring tells you an agent is running. Managing tells you whether it's earned the right to keep running. Right now, almost nobody can fire an agent.” For those businesses where an AI agent has got out of hand, that may make for uncomfortable or disappointing reading, but the solution really is improved oversight.

As Douetteay says, the only alternative is to “unplug it and hope."

• Berlin Marathon 2025 FREE on RTL (GER)
• Unlock your stream with NordVPN (save up to 75%)
• Elite races from 2.45am ET / 7.45am BST / 4.45pm AEST (Sunday, September 27)

Watch Berlin Marathon 2026 live streams as the world’s top runners take on the German capital's famously fast, flat course, finishing at the iconic Brandenburg Gate. All eyes will be on two-time champion Tigst Assefa, who returns after making history the last time she raced in Berlin.

The Ethiopian first triumphed in Berlin in 2022, and returned a year later to shatter the the mixed world record with a remarkable 2:11:53, since beaten by Ruth Chepng'etich and a time she will be looking to beat today. Assefa arrives in strong form, having improved her own women-only world record of 2:15:41 at the London Marathon earlier this year.

Assefa will face stiff competition from a strong field that includes defending champion and 2022 runner-up Rosemary Wanjiru of Kenya, European champion Alisa Vainio of Finland, and her Ethiopian compatriot and training partner Amane Beriso.

The men’s field is equally stacked and includes 2021 champion Guye Adola. The Ethiopian won in Rotterdam earlier this year in 2:03:54, underlining his strong form heading into Berlin. Other contenders include Tanzania’s Gabriel Geay, the 2023 Boston Marathon runner-up who boasts a personal best of 2:03:00, and Ethiopia’s Shura Kitata, whose 2:03:59 personal best came earlier this year in Seville. Kitata won the 2020 London Marathon.

Here's where to watch the Berlin Marathon 2026 online from anywhere, and potentially for FREE.

FREE Berlin Marathon live stream broadcasters

The Berlin Marathon will be shown for FREE on RTL in Germany.

It will also be shown for FREE on the Olympic Channel in the following countries: (Albania, Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova, Norway, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, UAE, Yemen, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan)

From one of these countries but not at home when the race is on? Try using NordVPN.

Use a VPN to watch any Berlin Marathon 2026 stream

• TV tips email: Never be stuck for anything to watch again

How to watch Berlin Marathon live streams in the US

In the US, the Berlin Marathon live stream is on FloTrack. A subscription to the streaming service costs $29.99 per month or $149.99 per year.

Outside the US? If you want to watch whilst traveling abroad you'll need to download NordVPN, as detailed above.

How to watch Berlin Marathon live streams in the UK

In the US, the Berlin Marathon live stream is also on FloTrack.

You will be charged in dollars, the same price point as in the US.

However, if you're on holiday in the UK and want to use your usual platform to watch the Berlin Marathon 2026? Try using NordVPN.

How to watch Berlin Marathon live streams in Australia

If you want to watch the Berlin Marathon in Australia, coverage is available to stream on FloTrack.. A subscription to the streaming service costs AU$29.99 per month or AU$150 per year.

If you're visiting Australia from somewhere where the race is on, you can use one of the best VPN service providers to tap into your usual coverage from home. Our favorite is NordVPN.

How to watch Berlin Marathon live streams in Canada

The Berlin Marathon 2026 will be shown on FloTrack in Canada.

A monthly subscription starts ar $29.99 per month or an annual rate equivalent to $12.49 per month (billed annually at roughly $149.99).

If you're not at home and find yourself blocked from you FloTrack subscription, NordVPN should help you to access the stream from anywhere.

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.

• Watch Panthers vs Knights NRL Preliminary Final FREE on 9Now (AUS)
• Stream on Fox One (US) / Sky Sports (UK)
• Unlock your stream with NordVPN (save up to 75%)
• Kick-off: Sun, Sep 27, 2am ET / 7am BST / 4pm AEST

Watch Panthers vs Knights in the second NRL 2026 preliminary final as the two sides from New South Wales go head-to-head at Sydney's Accor Stadium for a place in next weekend's Grand Final at the same venue.

For Penrith, the 2025 season is looking more and more like an inexplicable blip. Their shock defeat at this same stage last season followed four consecutive seasons before that as premiers, and now they've bounced back to top the ladder in 2026. Thomas Jenkinshas been in sparkling form for the Mountain Men, crossing for 30 tries, while talismanic halfback Nathan Cleary has had a golden boot. Now they'll feel dead set to make the Big Dance once again.

Newy stand in their way, unexpectedly playing in their first prelim final for over a decade; and you have to go back a full quarter of a century for their last Grand Final. Justin Holbrook's men are one game away from fairy-tale stuff, having 'won' the wooden spoon last time out. A thrilling 12-10 victory in the semi-finals against the Warriors in front of 48,000 at Eden Park showed that they can mix it with the big boys and come out on top. Has try-scoring hero Dominic Young got one more magical moment in him?

Here's how to watch Panthers vs Knights from anywhere in the world – and potentially for FREE.

Can you watch Panthers vs Knights for free?

Yes. Every game in the NRL finals series 2026 is being shown on free-to-air Channel 9 and 9Now in Australia – including this Penrith Panthers vs Newcastle Knights showdown.

NRL fans in the US can also watch this crucial matchup on Fox One thanks the platform's free 3-day trial.

Traveling abroad right now? You can use a VPN to watch the NRL Finals Series 2026 for free as if you were right at home.

Use a VPN to watch Panthers vs Knights live streams

A VPN is a handy piece of software that can make your device appear as if it's back in your home country, so you can unlock your usual streaming services. The best VPN right now? We recommend NordVPN – it does everything and comes with up to 75% off.

How to watch Panthers vs Knights live streams in the USA

NRL fans in the US can watch Panthers vs Knights in the NRL preliminary final 2026 on either FS2 or Fox One.

Dedicated streaming service Fox One costs $19.99 per month after a 3-day FREE trial.

If you want a more comprehensive cable alternative, access to the Fox One app is also available through a Sling TV plan. It comes with the provider's Select ($29.99 a month) and Blue plans ($54.99 a month).

FS2 is carried by several other OTT streaming platforms as well, including YouTube TV and Fubo – both of which offer new customers a free trial.

One further way to watch this and the rest of the 2026 NRL finals is through the dedicated Watch NRL streaming platform. It costs $72 for an NRL Finals Pass that includes all the remaining games.

Outside of the US? Use a VPN whilst you're traveling away from home to unlock your stream.

How to watch Panthers vs Knights live streams in Australia

In Australia, the Panthers vs Knights preliminary final is on the free-to-air Channel 9 and via the 9Now streaming service.

All you need is an account. Sign up here!

You can also watch on Fox League via Foxtel. While Kayo Sports is a much more cost-efficient option, with plans starting from $30 a month after you've taken advantage of its first month for $1 offer or 7-day free trial.

If you're out of Australia but still want to tune in, explore the VPN route set out above, which will help you access your accounts from anywhere.

How to watch Panthers vs Knights live streams in New Zealand

Sky Sport NZ is the NRL rights holder in New Zealand. The action from Sydney will go out on Sky Sport 2 on TV.

You can access Sky Sport through satellite TV or get a live stream with the Sky Sport Now subscription service starting at $29.99 per day or $59.99 per month.

Overseas? NordVPN will give you access to your home streaming service.

How to watch Panthers vs Knights live streams in the UK

Panthers vs Knights is being shown on Sky Sports in the UK, via Sky Sports+.

Sky Sports plans start from £35 a month or £20 if you're an existing Sky television subscriber. Alternatively, grab a Now Sports membership from £14.99 a day or £34.99 a month.

NRL obsessives can also watch this and every other game of the season with on the dedicated Watch NRL platform. It costs £57 for the remainder of the season or £20 for a week.

Outside the UK right now? Use NordVPN to access your preferred coverage of the NRL Finals Series 2026.

How to watch Panthers vs Knights live streams in Canada

Panthers vs Knights coverage in the NRL is going out online via Sportsnet in Canada. Log in with your cable details or, of you're a cord cutter, grab a Sportsnet+ streaming service subscription (from $34.99 a month / $269.99 a year).

The Watch NRL platform will also show the fixture – click through for pricing.

If you already subscribe to one of these services but find yourself outside Canada this weekend, download a VPN and watch NRL preliminary finals 2026 as if you were back at home.

How to watch Panthers vs Knights live streams in Rest of World

Every single match of the 2026 NRL Premiership season, including the Qualifying and Elimination Finals, will be shown on the dedicated Watch NRL streaming platform, which is available in all territories except for Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands and other selected sanctioned jurisdictions (e.g. Russia, Belarus, Cuba, Iran, North Korea).

Check the website for pricing in your region. Once subscribed, you can stream Watch NRL on phones, tablets, laptops, or the Apple TV app.

Many countries also show games on TV and online through their domestic broadcasters.

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.

The storage space on your phone can quickly fill up, what with movies, music, photos, videos, games, and apps to consider, and you don't want your handset to get close to running out of room — what if you need to download some movies for a flight or record a moment with the kids and there's not enough space on your phone for it?

Among the many tricks you can turn to to free up some space on your device, one of the lesser-known options is reducing the room taken up by apps you're not really using any more. You can do it on any phone model: Android calls it archiving, and iOS calls it offloading, but the process works in a similar way.

This isn't uninstalling apps (which is also an option for freeing up space): it's stripping them down to the bare bones. It works best for those apps that you're not using regularly, but that you think you might come back to at some point, such as apps you only use on vacation or at events such as festivals, or games you haven't played in a while but still enjoy.

What archiving and offloading does

There's a good chance you've got a bunch of apps on your phone that you don't actually use that much: you installed them to test something, or try something out, or as an alternative to another app, and they just didn't stick. If you're not using these apps though, they're really just taking up room.

Uninstalling these apps is one option you've got, and will maximize the amount of storage space you get back. On Android, open the app drawer, tap and hold on an app, then drag it up to the Uninstall button at the top; on iOS, find the app on one of your home screens, press and hold on it, then tap Remove App > Delete App.

You can of course reinstall these apps whenever you like, but it's not a particularly quick or easy process. You need to find it again on the app store on your phone, wait for it to download, enter all your login details again, and customize it the same way you had it set up before. You might also lose some account data along the way, depending on the app.

Archiving or offloading is a middle ground. The bulk of the app gets removed from your phone, which helps with storage space, but key files stay in place — and the app icon stays in the app drawer or on the home screen. When you need the app again you just tap its icon, and after a few moments the necessary files are downloaded, and you're able to pick up from where you left off.

Archiving apps on Android

This feature is called Auto Archive on Android, and Google promises it can free up as much as 60% of the storage that an app is using, without removing the actual app or deleting your user data. It isn't turned on by default, but you can enable it yourself.

Open up the Play Store on your phone, tap your profile picture (top right), then choose Settings > General. Turn on the toggle switch labeled Automatically archive apps, and when storage space starts to run low, certain apps will be archived for you.

You can let Google choose the apps that are archived when space runs low, or archive them yourself. To archive an app, open Settings then Apps: Select the app you want, then tap Archive on the app details screen.

Android might prompt you to turn on Auto Archive if space is running low on your phone and you try and install something new from the Play Store: if this happens, tap Turn on to enable the feature, or No thanks if you want to clear some space manually.

Offloading apps on iOS

Over on iOS, the feature is called Offload Unused Apps, and it was introduced all the way back in 2017 with iOS 11. As on Android, the feature is off by default, but Apple will prompt you to turn it on when storage is low, or you can just turn it on preemptively: From Settings, select Apps > App Store, then turn on the Offload Unused Apps toggle switch.

Apple doesn't explain much about which apps are picked to be offloaded, so we're presuming that iOS chooses the ones you've left dormant for the longest when space starts to run out. Offloaded apps have a small arrow next to their name below their home screen icons.

You can opt to offload specific apps manually too, whether or not you've enabled the feature for iOS as a whole. From Settings in iOS, tap General > iPhone Storage, then select an app, and pick Offload App. The same screen lets you uninstall the app too.

How much space you're going to save using this method is obviously going to vary, but you might be able to free up more room than you thought. Whenever you need one of your offloaded apps back again, tap on its home screen icon to reinstate it.

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 5: Two-minute review

Sennheiser doesn’t rush its new products — especially within the best earbuds market. It’s been over two years since the launch of the Momentum True Wireless 4 and, even back then, I remember the brand saying at my product briefing that they were already at work planning ahead for potential EU regulations. Which regulations specifically? That the batteries within these tiny earpieces may well need to be user-replaceable in coming launches.

Those laws are still on the horizon… sort of. Other brands have had their complaints, saying the rules force tiny devices to be bulkier and less waterproof, so there are now various exceptions. Sennheiser, though, stuck to its plan. With the launch of the Momentum True Wireless 5, the company is proving that user-replaceable batteries are possible even in products as small as wireless earbuds.

Longevity is only one part of the story when it comes to these new buds though. Much like the new Momentum 5 over-ear headphones, they’re stuffed full of upgrades. They’ve now got a refreshed premium design, a different shape and fit, improved noise-cancelling and transparency, refined sound, and extra features, such as immersive Dolby Atmos audio and aptX Lossless high-res streaming. Spoiler alert for the rest of this review, but they’re the complete package.

After more than two weeks of use, the Momentum True Wireless 5 (or MTW5) have quickly become my new favorite wireless buds for just about anything and everything. They’re quite clearly the flagship to beat in 2026.

To my ears, they’re better-sounding than the top rivals from Technics and JBL, with an enjoyable, neutral, yet non-fatiguing sound that caters to critical listening. The improved ANC is now only a slight step behind Apple, Bose and Sony’s best, and that gap is close enough to barely matter for most of us.

Crucially, the Sennheiser buds are highly customizable with the Smart Control Plus app, an intuitive platform that I find to be one of the best companion apps in the business. Should you want to, you can adjust the sound, tap controls, ANC levels, codecs in use, battery preservation, and more.

The sustainability credentials and long-term usability make them easy to recommend. But once you add in their natural audio on a wide soundstage, high-end style, comfortable fit, and smart companion app features, the Momentum True Wireless 5 might just be the best buds out there for the money.

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 5: price & release date

• Launched in September 2026
• Sells for $300 / £250 / AU$499

How much money, though? For high-end earbuds, you expect a high cost, and the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 5 are launching at the competitive price of $300 / £250 / AU$499.

Unsurprisingly, that puts the MTW5 pretty much in the mix with the rest of the flagships. Apple’s AirPods Pro are $50 cheaper at $249, but these directly compete with Sony’s WF-1000XM6 — costing $329 / £250 / AU$499.95 — and the Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen) – for $299 / £299 / AU$450. And, of course, luxury or boutique pairs such as the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 ($399 / £349 / AU$599) or Master & Dynamic MW09 ($349 / £319 / AU$599) will still cost a fair chunk of cash more.

No matter how you look at it though, these are pricey for most of us. But once you factor in the replaceable batteries, it’s easy to see how these could keep you going for longer than others on the market. And these are the first premium buds from an audio brand to have this repairability feature, with Fairphone's Fairbuds being essentially the only other rival even attempting it. So, kudos there.

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 5 review: specs

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 5 review: Features

• User-replaceable batteries (for both the buds and the case)
• Bluetooth 6.0 with seamless multipoint switching
• Head-tracked Dolby Atmos spatial audio

The replaceable battery is the headline feature here, of course. It’s a big deal because the batteries are what's most likely to degrade first in your earphones. Until recently, the glued-in cells in wireless buds have meant that, one way or another, they’re destined to be e-waste in only a matter of years.

Sennheiser includes a battery replacement tool for the buds in the case, and you can access the case battery and the bud batteries with the help of a tiny screwdriver. Luckily, the required screwdriver is the one I have on hand to adjust my glasses. To do my due diligence for this review (even though these fresh buds would be a long way away from needing their batteries replaced) I’ve gone through the process of opening up both the case and buds, and can confirm it’s easy enough as long as you follow the instructions on how to use the included tool. Just be careful as you’re dealing with delicate, small parts.

I also spoke with Frank Foppe, the product manager for the MTW5, and I asked how long they’re made to last before a battery replacement might be needed. He confirmed that about 80-90% of the capacity should remain after 500 charge cycles. That’d mean you could use them every single day for two hours and get to four years of use before you notice much of a difference.

And, while Sennheiser isn’t yet able to confirm the cost of replacement batteries, once those are available, they should make a big difference to the longevity of the MTW5. You could realistically buy these earbuds, take care of them, replace the batteries and keep them working for well over five years or much more (as long as all other parts remain functional).

Right now, you should get 6 hours of playtime with ANC on, and up to 12 hours with it off. Sennheiser claims an ANC-off battery life totalling 40 hours once you factor in the charging case, which seems to be about right in my testing. I ran a test playing a Spotify playlist for three hours at 50% volume with ANC on, and had 60% remaining, which confirms a single-charge runtime of around 7.5 hours, a little better than Sennheiser’s estimate. Recharging is via the USB-C port on the case or wireless charging, and a quick charge of eight minutes gives you an hour of use.

Much like the MTW4, Sennheiser has also made these a “future-proof” pair of earbuds when it comes to the feature set. They include several abilities other current launches still lack, and they have the brand’s excellent battery protection feature (to slow down charging and limit the charge level to 80%), which is another way they’re designed for long-term use.

You’ve got Bluetooth 6.0 with Snapdragon sound, a low-latency mode, support for lossless audio and 24-bit/96kHz streaming, Dolby Atmos head-tracked immersive audio, reliable wear detection, excellent multipoint switching, Google Fast Pair, Microsoft Swift Pair, and upgraded microphones for better noise-cancelling and transparency, along with LE audio and Auracast (not at launch, but promised for a future firmware update).

While I’d found ANC on the MTW4 “effective”, I’d say the new version definitely takes things a step further. We’ve now got four microphones per earbud (plus bone-conduction voice sensors for calls), which is up from three per bud on the predecessor. In all the environments where I’ve used noise-cancelling – including coffee shops, city streets and the London Underground – I’ve found my music or podcasts still audible at reasonable volumes without needing to turn it up to overpower the noise.

The wind-noise reduction kicks in quickly and is also excellent, and I should know, as it’s been particularly windy on my walks lately! Noise-cancelling, overall, feels quite natural while still being capable enough to silence a great range of outside sounds, adapting well to changes in your environment.

But it still isn’t quite the “bubble of silence” ANC that you can get from the AirPods Pro 3 or Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds! I don’t find that it’s a difference that matters that much anymore, but it’s worth knowing that there’s even more powerful ANC out there.

Transparency is brilliant, though, and up there with AirPod models for how natural its passthrough of the outside world is. I also love that turning on transparency pauses your audio. I listen to podcasts a lot, and having a one-tap way to pause and get awareness is fantastic for quickly saying hi to the cashier at my local corner shop. I also tested the microphones with calls and voice notes. They’re decent at isolating my voice when playing loud, busy cafe background noise, but with the occasional missed word or two. That said, they’re good for outdoor calls and great in a quiet room.

• Features score: 4 / 5

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 5 review: Sound quality

• Neutral sound on a wide soundstage
• Excellent detail and warmth for a non-fatiguing listen
• Highly customizable in the app

Sennheiser markets these as “engineered for serious listeners” and I don't disagree. They’re not really made with bass-heads in mind, and have more of a neutral approach when compared to some consumer sound profiles. But they’re also not sterile, offering warmth, depth and smoothness. You get just enough weight and control to the bass, a natural midrange and crisp highs, plus a lot of flexibility to adjust the sound to your liking.

If you know much about the previous generations of these earbuds, all that I’ve just said won’t come as a big surprise. While there are slight refinements to the sound, these essentially sound about the same as the MTW4 and MTW3 before them. They use the same 7mm TrueResponse dynamic drivers from the predecessors, and one notable benefit over rivals is a greater width to the soundstage and a palpable sense of instrumental separation.

Billie Eilish’s Oxytocin is a fantastic test track for these buds — with effects zipping across the mix, perfectly centered lead vocals, and breathy backing vocals coming at you from all sides. I played the spatial mix from Apple Music and switched on Dolby Atmos, and it’s definitely a convincing implementation of the processing. As my playlist went on, I began to encounter tracks not mixed for spatial audio, though, and you’d need to manually turn off Atmos so those don’t sound a bit weird.

I far prefer Dolby Atmos over most proprietary spatial options, so I appreciate its presence here, but I’d make sure you only use it when listening to playlists or albums full of tracks optimized for Atmos. It works best with Atmos-certified content, and in those cases much of the processing will be done on the source device.

Head tracking works, but it’s still not essential. The fixed spatial audio is plenty, and I still recommend mostly using this mode with films and TV shows designed for immersion, rather than music, which can be a little more hit-and-miss. I tested it with Severance on Apple TV and found it enhanced the eeriness of the quiet sound design and the dialogue clarity.

I tested bass with my go-to low-end thump test, the slow-burn sub-bass of Massive Attack’s Angel. The MTW5 excel, not coming off as overly bloated or boomy, but instead clear and textured. Vocal and midrange realism is where Sennheiser’s natural tuning pays off most. Listening to Coldplay’s Clocks reveals more detail and subtleties I don’t usually hear. And I moved on to the busy mix of Muse's Supermassive Black Hole, where every element feels defined, without the smearing you so often hear from lesser drivers. The width of the soundstage makes for a more engaging listen and, when combined with the tightness of the bass and detail in vocals, I’d say they’re a pair that’s ideal for a relaxed listening experience.

They’re so non-fatiguing that I can keep listening for hours and hours. The most intense audiophiles may still have their nitpicks, as these are tuned more for musical enjoyment than they are for being analytical, but I really think there’s very little that can’t be solved with the 8-band EQ. A full parametric equaliser (as on the HDB630 over-ears) would’ve been a great customization feature, but it’s also one that many users wouldn’t find intuitive.

Sennheiser’s Sound Personalization is a companion to EQ, and is a blend between a preference test and hearing evaluation, where you tweak the volume of different instruments to your liking, and then use a slider to find the lowest level at which you can hear the sample track. The result still sounded great for me, but I ultimately found that I prefer the default “Neutral” after comparing the two.

My honest view on the codec support is that it’s very easy to get lost in the weeds with it all, and far more of this is marketing than most of us tend to admit. The high-res aptX Lossless codec is present, but only kicks in with compatible Android sources, so you may not be able to engage this mode anyway.

I tested it with the Fairphone 6 Plus, which supports the full aptX suite, but it wouldn’t shift out of Adaptive. But this isn’t surprising given that “Lossless” is more of a “mode” hiding inside aptX Adaptive. Basically, this can all get a bit confusing, and there isn’t a substantial difference. A competent codec like AAC will give you quality with virtually no audible difference from aptX, thanks to Sennheiser’s great tuning and driver design. If you have a phone supporting aptX Adaptive, you may hear a tiny difference, but I wouldn’t bet on it.

These sound superb, so you’re not losing anything by choosing “Robust connection” instead of the “Advanced sound quality” mode. You won’t be able to tell them apart, and you’ll get to use every feature (Atmos is unavailable if you turn on high-res, for example).

• Sound quality score: 5 / 5

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 5 review: Design

• New, premium design with a shallow fit and slim case
• Comfortable to wear all day
• Screws for the user-replaceable batteries

Fans of the fabric-wrapped case may be disappointed to see how Sennheiser changed things up with the MTW5. The buds now live in a slim and lightweight, textured plastic casing with a shiny circular logo on top. This case has a sturdy metal hinge, one of the best I’ve tried, and the USB-C port is now at the bottom left (it used to be on the front of the older design). On the case and buds, you’ll see the screws needed for changing batteries, but the earphones are still IP54 dust- and splash-resistant.

The fabric case of the MTW4 I tested quickly picked up a big scuff, so I’m hardly mourning its departure. In fact, everything about the MTW5 feels significantly more premium to me. Another added benefit? This svelte approach is far more pocket-friendly.

The buds themselves are very shiny, which I quite like but may divide opinions, and they’ve got a different form factor, at a similar size and weight (7g per bud vs 6.2g for the MTW4). They’re on the chunkier side, so are harder to recommend for those with the smallest ears. They now fit in a totally different way from the predecessor, too, with a much shallower fit and no stability fins. Despite lacking the fins, they actually fit me slightly better.

Even more than with other buds I’ve tried, you absolutely must double-check your ear tip sizes with the four options in the box (I needed a larger tip size in my right ear than in my left). And try not to twist them too much, as I’ve found that can break the seal and introduce friction noise when you walk while ANC is on. A gentle turn is all you need to lock them in place, and with the new thicker silicone tip material Sennheiser uses, they shouldn’t budge. With a good fit, it’s a secure seal that offers great passive noise isolation.

Aside from being shiny, the buds have a more curved look (a bit reminiscent of the Sony WF-1000XM5) and an “anti-wind” design, with a visible grille covering the mics at the front. They’re still controlled with customizable tap gestures, but the touch target is now noticeably smaller, and it’s one of my few (minor) negative points. I find you have to be pretty intentional about where you tap, because it’s easy to miss and do a single tap when you intend to double-tap.

Overall, I’m a big fan of the rounded, stylish new design, and I love that it comes in a more expansive range of colors (Graphite, Copper, Denim, Lavender and the Cream shade reviewed here) than the likes of AirPods or Sony buds. But you might find these distractingly shiny and not suit the shallow fit or chunky body. How much you like them will come down to personal preference.

• Design score: 4.5 / 5

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 5 review: Value

• Competitive with other high-end buds
• Feature-packed and premium
• Loads of rivals, but very few offer replaceable batteries

Sennheiser is not short of competition. The key rivals are the AirPods Pro 3, Sony WF-1000XM6, Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen), JBL Tour Pro 3 and Technics EAH-AZ100. In direct comparison, though, the MTW5 is packed full of features that some of these lack, and they deliver a natural and clear sound instead of the bass-forward sound of many other buds.

Ultimately, though, Sennheiser’s value argument comes down to how it offers user-replaceable batteries. Assuming these batteries are under $50, you won’t be forced to throw away your $300 pair when the cells naturally degrade in about three to four years or so. That’ll help if you consider them as a long-term investment.

With that said, the landscape won’t stay the same. New buds with replaceable batteries will eventually launch, and many will surely be cheaper than this too. For flagship quality in sound, design, comfort, and battery life, though, I’d bet Sennheiser’s Momentum True Wireless 5 will remain some of the best buds you can buy for years to come.

• Value score: 5 / 5

Should I buy the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 5?

Buy them if…

Don’t buy them if…

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 5 review: also consider

How I tested the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 5

• Tested for over two weeks
• Paired with Android, iOS and macOS devices
• Used during multiple activities

I tested the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 5 for over two weeks, pairing them with my iPhone 17 Pro, MacBook Air, Fairphone 6 Plus and Activo P1 music player, all of which allowed me to thoroughly test different codecs and multipoint connectivity.

I took them with me everywhere and I used the earbuds while on the London Underground, at coffee shops and while walking on city streets to test the active noise-cancelling capabilities, and I used them for long listening sessions while working to evaluate battery life. I tested calls and microphone recordings, and ran a controlled battery test to see how much they drained over the course of three hours. While testing, I listened to podcasts and music from a wide variety of genres, mostly streamed from Apple Music but also on Spotify and Deezer.

I've been testing gadgets since 2020, and I've reviewed countless headphones and earbuds, including several flagship earbuds including those from Bose, Apple, Technics, JBL and Sennheiser, and I previously tested out the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 and Momentum True Wireless 4.

• Read TechRadar’s reviews guarantee
• First reviewed: September 2026

• Ukrainian bombers dropped ground robots more than ten kilometers behind Russian lines
• Gryphon robots reached positions Ukrainian forces could not easily access
• Ukraine is increasingly using machines to reduce soldiers' frontline exposure

Ukraine's Third Army Corps has carried out a first-of-its-kind attack, using heavy bomber drones to deploy ground robots directly behind Russian positions.

The operation formed part of the ongoing Operation Vivaldi counteroffensive, which launched in May 2026 across the northern Donetsk region.

According to the Ukrainian military, soldiers from the corps' unmanned systems units developed this specific tactic entirely on their own initiative.

How bombers delivered strike robots past enemy defenses

Heavy bomber drones operated by the Third Assault Brigade dropped NC13 strike ground vehicles, nicknamed Gryphons, more than 10 kilometers behind Russian lines.

These wheeled robots carried cameras that recorded the entire operation, which allegedly resulted in casualties on the Russian side.

Attacking troops in a location where they had not anticipated ground-level assault reportedly gave Ukrainian forces a clear tactical advantage.

The name Gryphon honors Hryhorii Bach, a machine gunner who went missing during earlier fighting for the settlement of Andriivka.

"Now, even more of our infantry soldiers' lives can be saved, while more enemy personnel and resources are destroyed," said the Third Army Corps in a public statement.

Separately, Ukrainian ground robots cleared antipersonnel mines across more than 18 miles of routes without requiring human sapper teams onsite.

That same clearance task would normally have needed two full engineering companies working manually across multiple days.

Remote-controlled robots and their operators already handle roughly 60% of mine clearance within the corps' entire area of operations.

Electronic warfare units attached to the operation reportedly disrupted more than 20,000 Russian drone missions throughout the wider counteroffensive campaign.

Vivaldi's broader gains and what comes next this autumn

Since its launch, the Ukrainian military claims that Operation Vivaldi has reclaimed up to 96 square miles of territory while defeating one arm of a Russian pincer movement.

“Our operation is called ‘Vivaldi,’ and Vivaldi, as we know, has four seasons. And this is only the first of them. […] There will be good news, but for now our actions require silence,” said Andrii Biletskyi, Commander of the Third Army Corps.

Ukraine's drone campaign against Russian fuel supplies has reportedly limited diesel availability for generators powering enemy electronic warfare systems nearby.

Russia's elite drone unit, known as Rubicon, reportedly withdrew from the region after suffering losses inflicted by Ukrainian forces.

Russian commanders are now redirecting armored vehicles and drone units toward Dobropillya, preparing for expected mechanized assaults later this autumn season.

During the summer months, Russian forces tested a new anti-drone protection system on their most modern tanks.

Ukrainian drones reportedly still overwhelmed those defensive systems despite the added protective measures fitted to the vehicles.

Ukraine's growing reliance on ground and aerial robots signals a broader shift toward reducing human exposure along the most dangerous frontline positions.

As winter approaches, both militaries appear likely to keep adapting their drone tactics in response to each other's latest countermeasures.

Via ArsTechnica

• Google is testing whether AI hardware can survive repeated exposure to space
• The experimental satellite carries four custom Tensor Processing Units into orbit
• Radiation testing showed the TPUs could withstand demanding orbital exposure levels

Google will launch its first experimental orbital data center satellite on October 1 2026, marking an early test for Project Suncatcher, its long-term research initiative.

This moonshot effort explores whether low Earth orbit could eventually host scalable machine learning infrastructure powered largely by sunlight.

The satellite, called MVP, carries four of Google's custom Tensor Processing Units inside a spacecraft roughly the size of a refrigerator.

Testing hardware survival before scaling any further

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will carry the satellite into orbit as part of the Transporter-18 rideshare mission alongside other payloads.

Satellites in low Earth orbit can generate up to eight times more solar power than equivalent panels positioned on Earth's surface.

Google did not build MVP from scratch; instead, it integrated its chips into a satellite that Planet Labs, a satellite imagery company, had already built, helping Google accelerate its original 2027 timeline for launching two custom-built satellites into orbit.

During a rocket launch, spacecraft experience vibration and acceleration loads reaching up to ten times normal gravity throughout the flight.

Individual chip components can experience even greater forces, ranging between fifty and one hundred times normal gravity during ascent.

Engineers tested the satellite by shaking it along three separate axes to simulate those exact launch conditions beforehand, and that vibration testing confirmed the hardware withstood the simulated launch forces without any structural or functional failure.

"Tests like this rarely go as planned, so we were pleasantly surprised that the hardware held up to the force," said Travis Beals, Senior Director, Paradigms of Intelligence at Google.

Radiation exposure presented another concern, so Google tested its Trillium TPUs inside a proton beam facility at UC Davis.

Those tests showed the chips survived radiation doses exceeding what a five-year orbital mission would typically deliver.

Cooling remains the biggest unresolved engineering challenge

Cooling presents perhaps the most difficult problem, since space offers no airflow for dissipating heat the way Earth's atmosphere does.

Google's solution relies on thermal interface material connecting the chips to aluminum and copper heat pipes leading outward.

Those components funnel heat toward radiators capable of projecting it directly into the surrounding vacuum of space.

Because of this limitation, the TPUs will only run continuously for about fifteen minutes before requiring a shutdown period.

After each fifteen-minute session, the chips must pause completely while the radiator system catches up on cooling.

Future satellite designs will carry dozens of TPU chips each, communicating across the constellation using precise high-speed laser connections.

Google plans to test two satellites communicating this way sometime in 2027, alongside its previously planned custom satellite launches.

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,500 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today — or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1707) — hint #1 — Vowels

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1707) — hint #2 — repeated letters

Quordle today (game #1707) — hint #3 — uncommon letters

Quordle today (game #1707) — hint #4 — starting letters (1)

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1707) — hint #5 — starting letters (2)

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #1707) — the answers

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1707, are…

• VALET
• CHEST
• VIGIL
• PUREE

I took this game very slowly and it paid off. I was particularly pleased about getting VALET, as the letter V is one I’ve suffered a strange blindness to in the past.

My only risk was guessing PUREE instead of “purge”, a good one as it turned out.

Daily Sequence today (game #1707) — the answers

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1707, are…

• STRAW
• OVERT
• FEWER
• SAINT

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1706, Saturday, 26 September: SNORT, BIBLE, LAPSE, CRANE
• Quordle #1705, Friday, 25 September: SWEAR, FLOOD, GUPPY, GROAN
• Quordle #1704, Thursday, 24 September: TOPIC, METRO, SCALP, FREED
• Quordle #1703, Wednesday, 23 September: SHEET, BLAND, JOIST, GUAVA
• Quordle #1702, Tuesday, 22 September: COMFY, LOBBY, DRESS, PANEL
• Quordle #1701, Monday, 21 September: WAXEN, HIPPO, PETAL, LEASH
• Quordle #1700, Sunday, 20 September: DERBY, LIMBO, GAWKY, REIGN
• Quordle #1699, Saturday, 19 September: SCOPE, HEIST, PULSE, CHAMP
• Quordle #1698, Friday, 18 September: MUCUS, MIRTH, APPLE, TILDE
• Quordle #1697, Thursday, 17 September: CRIER, CHIRP, NEIGH, FREER
• Quordle #1696, Wednesday, 16 September: SPEAR, PRICE, BLUNT, FISHY
• Quordle #1695, Tuesday, 15 September: SHUSH, LITHE, DELTA, BUGLE
• Quordle #1694, Monday, 14 September: ZEBRA, LEGAL, RATIO, TROLL
• Quordle #1693, Sunday, 13 September: LUCID, SPRAY, MANGE, EMAIL
• Quordle #1692, Saturday, 12 September: SUPER, BRUSH, RESET, SOWER
• Quordle #1691, Friday, 11 September: PLUSH, PAINT, RIVAL, AFOUL
• Quordle #1690, Thursday, 10 September: AGENT, EXILE, TITAN, PUREE
• Quordle #1689, Wednesday, 9 September: HAPPY, GONER, SMACK, MOTIF
• Quordle #1688, Tuesday, 8 September: FLUNG, DIARY, HALVE, BERTH
• Quordle #1687, Monday, 7 September: VISIT, CLANK, FEVER, OCEAN

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #1204) - today's words

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• WU-TANG
• CARRIER
• HOMING
• BOOTH
• STOOL
• MARBLE
• BBQING
• OPERATOR
• CLAY
• BANQUETTE
• NETWORK
• CHAIR
• LOHAN
• BRONZE
• PROVIDER
• PLASTER

NYT Connections today (game #1204) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: Statue materials
• GREEN: Sit to eat
• BLUE: Phone energy
• PURPLE: The end for hereditary rulers

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #1204) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: SCULPTURE MEDIA
• GREEN: RESTAURANT SEATING OPTIONS
• BLUE: TELECOM
• PURPLE: ENDING IN CHINESE DYNASTIES

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #1204) - the answers

The answers to today's Connections, game #1204, are…

• YELLOW: SCULPTURE MEDIA: BRONZE, CLAY, MARBLE, PLASTER
• GREEN: RESTAURANT SEATING OPTIONS: BANQUETTE, BOOTH, CHAIR, STOOL
• BLUE: TELECOM: CARRIER, NETWORK, OPERATOR, PROVIDER
• PURPLE: ENDING IN CHINESE DYNASTIES: BBQING, HOMING, LOHAN, WU-TANG

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

The NYT gives us a relaxing end to the weekend with a simple controversy-free game.

It’s hard to see any red herrings in this game, although I did waste some time wondering if Lindsey LOHAN had any connections to the WU-TANG Clan — maybe she has 36 chambers at home, or perhaps she used to work at a gravel pit?

I began with RESTAURANT SEATING OPTIONS, as it contains one of my favorite words — and the seating option everyone would plump for given the choice — the BANQUETTE. The STOOL, on the other hand, is something you’d only select if you had no other pick or if your name was Arthur Fonzarelli.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Saturday, September 26, 2026, game #1203)

• YELLOW: BREATH FRESHENERS: GUM, MINT, MOUTHWASH, SPRAY
• GREEN: THINGS DONE TO A DRESS SHIRT AT THE LAUNDRY: FOLD, PRESS, STARCH, WASH
• BLUE: FEATURES OF WOOD: BURL, GRAIN, KNOTS, RINGS
• PURPLE: "COOL" THINGS, IN EXPRESSIONS: BEANS, CAT, CUCUMBER, CUSTOMER

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #938) - hint #1 - today's theme

NYT Strands today (game #938) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• SUET
• CLEAR
• TRACE
• STIR
• RAISE
• ROUTE
• NOSE

NYT Strands today (game #938) - hint #3 - spangram letters

NYT Strands today (game #938) - hint #4 - spangram position

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #938) - the answers

The answers to today's Strands, game #938, are…

• SUNSCREEN
• MOISTURIZER
• CLEANSER
• SERUM
• TONER
• SPANGRAM: BEAUTYCARE

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

I would normally begin by finding words connected to any rare letters or double-letter combinations, but in today’s game it was impossible to ignore SUNSCREEN in the top left-hand corner.

From here I moved on to MOISTURIZER and then realised with these two finds I had exhausted my knowledge of skincare products.

Fortunately, these two spots opened up the spangram and CLEANSER. I did get the final two words without a hint, but even though they were both just five letters long it took me a stupidly long time to uncover SERUM and TONER.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday, September 26, game #937)

• BREEZE
• ZEPHYR
• GUST
• WHIFF
• PUFF
• FLURRY
• CURRENT
• SPANGRAM: GENTLEWIND

• Each LTO-10 cartridge natively holds 40 TB, expanding to 100 TB when compressed
• Fujifilm uses Barium Ferrite particles for improved magnetic stability and lifespan
• Uncompressed transfer speed reaches 440MB per second — higher when compressed

Fujifilm has begun selling its newest LTO-10 Ultrium tape cartridge, a storage format built specifically for enterprise archival and long-term backup needs.

Each cartridge holds 40TB of native capacity, expanding to as much as 100TB once standard 2.5 to 1 compression gets applied.

At that capacity, a single tape could theoretically hold roughly 13,000,000 songs, assuming an average file size of 3MB per song.

Massive capacity built for data centers and long-term archives

Fujifilm built this cartridge using Barium Ferrite particle technology, a magnetic material chosen specifically for improved stability and extended archival lifespan.

The company rates uncompressed data transfer at 440MB per second, rising to 1,100MB per second once compression gets factored into daily performance.

That places LTO-10 well ahead of most enterprise SATA hard drives, which typically max out around 250 to 290MB/s.

Fujifilm also built in AES-256 encryption that meets FIPS 197 compliance standards, a requirement common among government and financial sector storage buyers.

The cartridge carries 15,105 individual tracks across its tape surface, supporting the dense data layout needed for such massive total capacity.

The company rates the bit error rate at 1 in 10 to the 20th power, a figure the company claims is roughly 100,000x more reliable than typical enterprise SATA hard drives.

Archival life is up to 30 years under proper storage conditions, considerably longer than most spinning drives or SSDs typically last.

Reliability claims and where this format fits today

This cartridge only works with LTO-10 tape drives and libraries, meaning buyers need compatible hardware already installed before adopting this specific format.

That requirement limits LTO-10 largely to data centers, media archives, and institutions already running established tape backup infrastructure at scale.

Fujifilm claims this format is ideal for disaster recovery scenarios, where long shelf life matters more than instant retrieval speed for most files.

Unlike hard drives, magnetic tape degrades slowly when stored correctly, making it a common choice for cold storage across many industries.

The format remains rewritable, letting institutions reuse cartridges across multiple backup cycles rather than treating each tape as single-use only.

Tape storage has persisted for decades despite predictions of its decline, largely because no cheaper alternative matches its capacity per dollar.

Whether LTO-10 sees wide adoption outside specialized enterprise environments remains uncertain, given how few consumer devices support tape drives at all.

Fujifilm backs the cartridge with a limited lifetime warranty, a guarantee uncommon among comparable storage formats sold at similar price points.

This cartridge is currently selling for $494, discounted from a suggested retail price of $888.89 listed by the manufacturer.

For organizations managing petabytes of infrequently accessed data, a cartridge holding 100TB of compressed data may be worth considering.

Via Tape and Media

Venom PlayStation Portal Carry Case review

With Grand Theft Auto 6 right around the corner, I imagine that quite a few PlayStation players will be dusting off their PlayStation Portal — or even newly buying one — to enjoy 2026’s biggest game on the go. But if you’re planning to take your Portal on the go, it’s important to keep it safe, and the Venom PlayStation Portal Carry Case can do just that.

I’ve spent a few weeks using Venom’s PS Portal case, and honestly it impressed me. I used to be the type of person who would just wrap my Portal or Nintendo Switch in a sweater, throw it in my bag, and hope for the best — what can I say, I just didn’t want to spend my money on something as unexciting as a case.

But the Venom makes the outlay feel a bit easier to swallow, as it comes in at an exceptionally modest price of $25.99 / £14.99 / AU$49.95. Given that it also comes with a tempered glass screen protector, cleaning tools, and thumbstick grips, that’s really not bad, is it? Don’t be fooled, though, despite its low price tag, Venom’s case still rivals some of the very best PS5 accessories.

This comes down to one main thing: its durability. For such a cheap case, the Venom PlayStation Portal Carry Case is surprisingly rough and ready. It has a hard outer shell, and when dropping the case now and then, or throwing it into my bag, it never showed any signs of wear and tear, and my console survived without issue. The exterior was not damaged during a scratch test, either, and its textured look is pretty appealing.

My system also sat pretty snug inside the case, which has a molded interior to slide your PlayStation Portal into. There’s also a hook-and-loop strap which fastens it in place, and although it's a bit cheap, it serves its purpose well.

My only complaint is that there’s no fabric pad to sit over the screen, so the fastener rubs up against the screen. I’ve not seen any scratch marks or anything, but PowerA’s case — which I’ve slid into the ‘also consider’ section — offers more secure protection with fabric padding and dual fasteners.

There’s a second compartment inside the case too, and this has a zip-locked net that can hold accessories like earbuds, cleaning tools, and cables. It was plenty big enough to house my accessories, although the zip isn’t very high quality, and it came undone at one point — though I was able to fix it very easily. Luckily, the zip on the exterior is a bit stronger, and I found it to be secure at all times.

The Venom case also has a solid handle which has a rubber grip, which is pleasant to the touch and tall enough to fit my relatively large hands.

In honesty, this model is more like a starter kit for PS Portal owners than just a case, though. It comes with a tempered glass screen protector, which is basic, sure, but easy to fit and decently durable. There are also a couple of cleaning wipes and some neat thumbstick grips which seamlessly fit on and feel satisfyingly textured.

So, should you buy the Venom PlayStation Portal Carry Case? If you don’t want to spend all too much, and want a durable piece of kit with some nice extras thrown in, then the answer is yes. I think PowerA’s case is marginally better, thanks to its stylish design, USB-C charging passthrough slot, and fabric padding.

But Venom’s case does offer a bit more storage. I’d argue that Venom’s model is on the bulky side, and it did take up a lot of room in my bag, but if that’s not a dealbreaker for you and you need a quality, affordable case, then look no further.

Venom PlayStation Portal Carry Case review: price & specs

Should I buy the Venom PlayStation Portal Carry Case?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Venom PlayStation Portal Carry Case review: also consider

How I tested the Venom PlayStation Portal Carry Case

• Tested across multiple weeks
• Directly compared to rival models
• Tested by a seasoned gaming accessories reviewer

I spent a couple of weeks testing the Venom PlayStation Portal Carry Case, using it as the main mode of transport for my precious remote player. I took it with me on the go and made sure to try housing it alongside various accessories and assess it for any damage afterward.

To judge how durable Venom’s case was, I tried dropping it from a controlled height, performed some scratch tests, and then checked for any signs of wear and tear. I also compared the Venom case against rivals, mainly the PowerA Protection Case for PS Portal, which is my usual go-to.

More generally, I’ve been reviewing gadgets for years here at TechRadar, where I serve as a Senior Reviews Writer. I’ve tested a whole lot of gaming accessories, including cases for the PS Portal and Nintendo Switch 2, as well as controllers, screen protectors, and audio gear.

• Read TechRadar’s reviews guarantee
• First reviewed: September 2026

• Panasonic Let's Note SC7 weighs just 919 grams but passed drop tests from both 76 and 30 cm
• The chassis meets the US military's MIL-STD-810H toughness standard
• Battery testing returned nearly 23 hours of continuous everyday use

Japanese manufacturers have long built a reputation for producing remarkably light business notebooks, with some models weighing under a kilogram entirely.

Panasonic has now expanded that lightweight lineup with the Let's Note SC7, a compact notebook weighing just 919 grams total.

The company also carried over its distinct circular wheel pad, letting users scroll by tracing a finger along the pointing device's outer rim.

Packs a full-day power into a small frame

The SC7 features a 12.4-inch display with a 3:2 aspect ratio, taller than the widescreen format common on most rival laptops today, showing more vertical content at once, improving efficiency when editing spreadsheets, documents, or browsing lengthy web pages daily.

Inside sits an Intel Core Ultra 5 325 processor paired with a 47 TOPS neural processing unit for on-device AI tasks.

The low-end version of this device comes with 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 512GB of internal storage - however, users can choose models with 32GB or 64GB of RAM and 1TB or 2TB of internal storage depending on the buyer's needs.

Let's Note SC7 ships with Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, two USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, HDMI, and Gigabit Ethernet.

Under the hood, this notebook uses a 56Wh removable battery, which is attached with two screws rather than a latch.

According to Panasonic, this battery lasts roughly 17.7 hours during video playback and 32.4 hours in idle mode under JEITA 3.0 standards, and charging through the bundled 65W USB PD adapter reaches about 46% capacity within 30 minutes.

A magnesium alloy body measuring 273.2 x 208.9 x 19.9 mm combined with internal ribbing keeps the notebook sturdy, though it still appears slim.

Sturdiness, software, and benchmark results that support the design

Panasonic subjected the SC7 to internal drop tests from 76 centimeters and 30 centimeters across 26 separate directions during development.

The chassis also passed a 100 kgf pressure vibration test and met the US Department of Defense's MIL-STD-810H toughness standard - few compact business notebooks built outside Japan undergo this level of physical stress testing before reaching commercial release.

The built-in NPU meets requirements for Microsoft's Copilot+ PC program, enabling both cloud-based and local artificial intelligence processing directly on device.

PCMark 10 testing showed the processor performing at full capacity, aided by Panasonic's proprietary MaxPerformer heat and power tuning system.

On Geekbench 7, the Let's Note SC7 scored 2354 points on single-core tasks and 10437 points on multi-core benchmarks.

Battery testing under PCMark 10's Modern Office profile returned roughly 22 hours and 59 minutes of continuous everyday use.

For security, this device includes facial recognition through an infrared camera alongside a fingerprint sensor built into the power button.

It is currently available in gray, black, rose, and deep indigo, but there is no indication that this device will sell outside Japan.

All these capabilities do not come for cheap, as Panasonic lists this device for 298,100 yen, which is about $1,880.

Via PC Watch (originally in Japanese)

There are many audacious and commendable feats in gaming. Taking down Consort Radahn, platforming through the Path of Pain, filling your entire Pokedex, to name but a few. However, despite personally doing all these things, one task chewed me up and spat me out repeatedly. One that, on paper, isn't all that tough at all.

The task: To get through Act One of the mammoth CRPG, Baldur's Gate 3 (BG3).

The 'act one syndrome' brought on by the sheer volume of content and the steep learning curve of BG3 is something that just about everyone has endured at some point when exploring Faerûn.

However, I feel I have been wearing this albatross around my neck for quite some time. While watching others take second laps around Faerûn for a Dark Urge run, unburdened by this plight of mine.

BG3 has been the loud, obnoxious gnawing at the back of my mind. The bane of my backlog, and at some point, I snapped.

Operation: get act one done

On paper, it's far from a Herculean task. After all, if you really want to, you can hop off the Nautiloid and head straight for the Githyanki Crèche if you choose. But ignoring the slew of content and the abundant, overlapping 'what ifs' is just too tall a task for a completionist such as myself.

I've gone back to the BG3 well a grand total of seven times. Each time, I fell at the first-act hurdle, but for different reasons.

At first, it was simply overzealous confidence and ineptitude. There was an underlying issue in that my understanding of Dungeons & Dragons principles was severely lacking.

As a result, there were many hour-long battles that inevitably led to a full party KO and a painful restart. Poor decisions compounded with each new dialogue exchange. This culminated in a heated exchange with a deceptively powerful frog, and the first of many save files to be abandoned. RIP Ignacius, my first Tav to fall.

Then came the attempts to right that wrong. A YouTube brush-up on DND systems here and there, a few tweaks to the starting build, and it would all surely work out fine.

It did not.

There was an inevitable and foolish overcorrection, a choice to play a build that simply wasn't fun to use, especially for a novice like myself. Monks sound great on paper, as you can let your fists solve all problems. Until you’re starved for Ki and left helpless. So, with that, another save file bit the bullet. RIP Falconhoof.

You would think at this point, with so much Baldur's Gate 3 act one experience behind me, success was all but guaranteed. But then, like a pesky Kobold leering from the shadows, a menacing creature I call my wife said, in hushed tones, 'That looks fun; will you show me how to play?' Thus beginning a co-op campaign led by a D&D novice, acting as a sage for an even bigger novice.

Safe to say, this blind leading the blind dynamic was about as successful as Lae’zel would be headlining at the Comedy Cellar. So, we dug a twin grave for my wife's Tav and poor, unfortunate Arcane Michael.

It was these constant setbacks that set the wheels in motion for even more attempts to go awry. Because the dynamic shifted from a state of wonderment and curiosity to an attritional, transactional slog, as scenarios, battles, and pivotal choices repeated again and again, lacking the weight they once had.

Much like Tav, I too was infected with a parasite acting as a ticking time bomb. At some point, the tedium, or the ennui, would set in, and I would succumb to that parasite's mind control. Forcing me to exit the game, uninstall it, and relegate BG3 to the back of the backlog again.

Mercifully, this affliction doesn't come part and parcel with a tadpole insertion through the eye socket, but it’s unpleasant nonetheless.

Finding my Faerûn flow state

Returning for my eighth crack, things had to be different. So, I put those wheels in motion. I cooled off for an entire year, forgetting large portions of the opening act in the process. I researched the most fun, accessible build to play relative to the most recent patch. I even passed on some hot and fresh releases, devoting all my time and energy to breaking through.

But above all, I knew that if this was ever going to work, I would need to learn how to let go. To let decisions shape the experience rather than relying on save-scumming, embrace the rough and the smooth in equal measure, and find the mental fortitude to push on towards new and exciting things.

As someone who wants to see everything a game has to offer, ponder over every decision, min-max at every opportunity, and somehow manage to accurately roleplay while juggling all of this. I was still skeptical that it would all click into place. But against all odds, in honor of my newborn son, my Halfling Rogue, Lorcàn, was born, and before long, I could see the Shadow-Cursed Lands on the horizon.

With a streamlined build that allowed me to rely on Luck, overpowered stealth, and flexibility to multiclass. No combat encounter felt like an insurmountable task, and no conversation felt like an inevitable road to a failed dice roll. My half-pint Halfling fittingly gave me the glass-half-full mindset I needed.

Minthara and her goblins were vanquished: shoved down a chasm to their doom. The party shone a light on the Underdark's mysteries. I left that demonic frog to their own devices. But above all, the insurmountable pressure to finally leave Act One had dissipated and this is an accolade I place in my personal trophy cabinet of gaming feats.

The city of Baldur's Gate awaits, and finally, I feel that curiosity and magic again.

RGB mini-LED (and its other various names) continues to be the talk of the TV world, with nearly every brand getting involved with the new tech in 2026. I’ve tested several RGB mini-LED/Micro RGB TVs and while it’s been a mixed bag, the new tech shows promise. While these TVs still can’t quite beat the best OLED TVs for the place at the top of the TV food chain, there’s certainly been some impressive RGB models.

One of those is the flagship Samsung R95H, which earned 4.5 stars out of 5 in my recent review. Another is the ‘mid-range’ Sony Bravia 7 II. When I compared both the R95H and Bravia 7 II, I was impressed by the fight the much cheaper Bravia 7 II put up: especially with its picture quality.

Well, now the Bravia 9 II, the Bravia 7 II’s step-up sibling and Sony’s flagship RGB TV, has arrived in our testing lab and since I still have the Samsung R95H in, I thought I’d compare the two to see which flagship RGB model is the top dog.

A quick note on photos: the R95H appears to have a red tint in some images below, but this is the camera interacting with the R95H's matte screen. This red tint does not appear in-person.

Color

The big selling point of RGB is its color reproduction. And as expected from two flagship models, colors look very impressive on both the Bravia 9 II and the R95H. Watching The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, any scenes involving the Lumas showcases RGB’s excellent colors. While the R95H demonstrated higher color luminance, meaning color looked brighter, the Bravia 9 II’s colors appeared much richer and deeper, giving the Lumas themselves a perceived crisper texture.

As for the character’s outfits throughout the movie, it varied from scene-to-scene which TV produced better colors. Peach’s pink dress benefitted from the R95H’s higher perceived brightness in some scenes, while in others, the Bravia 9 II’s bolder colors made it pop more. The same was true with the reds of Mario’s overalls and Luigi and Yoshi’s greens.

Switching to a real-world movie, Speed Racer, it was more of what I’d found when watching the Mario Galaxy movie. During the breakfast scene at the Racer home, I found some colors, such as yellow, looked better on the Bravia 9 II with the added color depth, while some paler colors such as orange looked more natural on the R95H. The R95H’s higher perceived brightness definitely made colors more impactful, but overall I found myself drawn to the Bravia 9 II’s deeper color profile.

In terms of skin tones, both TVs showed excellent accuracy, making characters on screen look lifelike. In this scenario, I did find the R95H’s brightness made people look more true-to-life, which I preferred. But the Bravia 9 II did use shadows and contrast in an interesting way to make people look dynamic.

Contrast

One of RGB’s other selling points compared to other backlit TVs is better backlight control and OLED-rivaling black levels and while this has been a mixed bag in my previous testing of other RGB TVs, these two flagship models demonstrate excellent contrast and backlight control.

Watching The Batman, both TVs demonstrated strong contrast. As Bruce works in the Batcave at his desk, the light tones of the bright monitors and desk lamps around him contrasted well with the dark tones of the environment and the crevices around the desk. While the R95H’s higher brightness meant some dark areas were more legible, the Bravia 9 II demonstrated richer blacks that created stronger perceived contrast.

Although both TVs were able to render the often challenging picture of The Batman, due to its low brightness, in bright conditions, it was definitely best viewed in ambient or dark, home theater conditions. I also found the R95H’s Movie mode could over-do its brightness, resulting in clipping of bright objects. For The Batman, it was best to use Filmmaker Mode. The Bravia 9 II looked great in Movie mode and Professional mode (its name for Filmmaker Mode), although it lost some of the impact in its contrast when viewed in the dimmer Professional mode.

Switching to Project Hail Mary, both scenes delivered inky black tones during exterior shots of space, as well as demonstrating strong shadows as Ryland Grace explored the Hail Mary. I did find that the Bravia 9 II’s local dimming could be aggressive in places, resulting in some black crush in certain scenes. Still, black tones and contrast were incredibly impressive for a backlit TV, and the lack of blooming showed just how good the Bravia 9 II’s backlight control. Though not as impressive, the R95H also showed brilliant backlight control: much better than most backlit TVs I’ve tested.

While the same movies still had more dynamic contrast on the OLED TVs I’ve tested such as the LG G6 and Samsung S95H/S99H, this is certainly a big step in the right direction for backlit TVs.

Brightness and reflections

Starting with brightness measurements, I was surprised by how big the gap was between these two TVs: and which was brighter based on testing. The R95H hit 1,977 nits and 612 nits peak and fullscreen HDR brightness respectively in Filmmaker Mode, while the Bravia 9 II registered a much higher 4,414 nits and 974 nits peak and fullscreen HDR brightnrss respectively in its Professional mode. This is a much wider gap than I expected, made all the more interesting on how these TVs rendered brightness in practice with real-world movies.

In the majority of scenes I watched, the R95H delivered higher perceived brightness in both large areas and highlights in high-contrast scenes, such as the lights in the Batcave in The Batman, despite its much lower measured brightness.

Watching a real-world bright scene from Lawrence of Arabia, as Lawrence and his guide were fetching water from a well in the desert, the white sand around them was brighter on the R95H than the Bravia 9 II. HDR highlights in other movies, such as the white paint job of the Mach 5 in Speed Racer or the lights of all the consoles and switches of the ship in Project Hail Mary were closer in brightness and would sometimes alternate on which was brighter but for the majority, the R95H was much more impactful.

This is something I've found in the past when measuring TVs: measurements don't always match up in practice, and I'm noticing that RGB TVs tend to have the biggest difference between results and real-world application. Still, both TVs did deliver impressive brightness overall.

One area where both these TVs really impressed me was in their reflection handling. The R95H obviously uses Samsung’s Glare Free matte screen, which has proven to be incredibly effective at eliminating mirror-like reflections. The Bravia 9 II is also equipped with an anti-reflective screen, and it’s a big improvement over the step-down Bravia 7 II. Watching darker scenes, I was surprised at how little mirror-like reflections were on the Bravia 9 II.

Which TV is the best buy?

Both the Bravia 9 II and R95H are fantastic TVs. They show a clear evolution of what is capable from a backlit TV and while again I still think OLED is the best TV panel tech, it’s a positive sign of what’s to come from RGB if this is how it performs in its infancy.

When it comes to which TV is best out of the two, I personally preferred the Bravia 9 II’s picture, thanks to its richer, OLED-like colors and richer black tones. The R95H has the brightness battle won and delivers amazing pictures in its own right, but for me the Bravia 9 II takes what I loved about the Bravia 7 II and builds on it.

That being said, price is a factor. For a 65-inch Samsung R95H, you’ll be looking to pay roughly $2,799 / £2,799 / AU$4,495 (though I’ve seen the R95H drop to as low as AU$3,499 in Australia). A 65-inch Sony Bravia 9 II will currently set you back $3,499 / £3,499 / AU$5,999. Considering the R95H is actually packed with more features for gaming, such as four HDMI 2.1 ports, and has a better interface, the extra money is a tough ask.

At the moment, the R95H is the better buy, but if the Bravia 9 II’s prices can be more in-line with its rival, then the Bravia 9 II’s picture is worth the sacrifice of some features. That being said, I’d still recommend OLED right now, as you can get flagship OLED’s from both Sony and Samsung that are the same price or cheaper.

Thinking of buying a new TV?

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After one week of World of Warcraft: Forever's beta, I have to say, my initial impression is one of cautious optimism. I'm not quite sure what I was expecting, but I think Blizzard could, just maybe, be onto something here.

Like many other veteran WoW players, I've been dabbling over the years. A little bit of retail here, a little bit of Seasons of Discovery there. But nothing has quite matched that initial experience from all the way back in 2005 when I first created my Tauren Hunter and stepped into the world of Azeroth.

That's made spending a full week with the closed beta for World of Warcraft: Forever a particularly interesting experience. Like many others, I've gone into it with plenty of nostalgia for the original game, but I'm looking for that little extra to pull me back in for another round.

I'll get into specifics soon, but there are some really positive signs that Blizzard is taking a massive step in the right direction with Forever.

Of course, there are certainly things Blizzard has changed that I'm less convinced by, including one specific issue that I think could cause problems further down the line. But, even in its current state, WoW: Forever is just outright fun for 'Classic Andies' like myself.

The mythical Classic Plus of legend

Perhaps what I like most about WoW: Forever (at least, in its initial state) is that it genuinely feels like the mythical 'Classic Plus' we've speculated about for years. Yes, there are new models. Yes, there are plenty of new abilities and instances, but the core experience that made Classic so compelling appears to be present. I'd argue that Classic is less about art style and more about how the players actually interact with the world.

The starting zones, for example, are subtly refreshed and remixed to add depth and variety, but they don't streamline those initial levels of experience. There are no compromises for convenience here; everyone is footslogging across open fields to kill eight boars. You will be spamming the same spells and abilities over and over in the initial levels as you're being drip-fed abilities.

These subtle instances of friction add a lot of flavour to the experience — and, I would argue, are generally the reason that Classic is the way it is. While I'm certainly a fan of certain aspects of modern WoW, such as the incredible class design and dungeon mechanics, I've always preferred the jankiness and character of Classic. There are so many small little things that add up to make the world feel more alive.

Over the years, Blizzard has smoothed out the wrinkles with additions like the raid-finding tool and flying mounts, and I think, along the way, we've subsequently lost a lot of that character. I'm certainly guilty of nostalgia when I look back at classic WoW, but I do genuinely think that certain additions have reigned in that sense of adventure that we felt back in the day. Even as early as The Burning Crusade, we were diverging from what made WoW so compelling.

An unashamably old school approach

In its current state, WoW: Forever strips out most of the modern conveniences in favour of an unashamably old school approach. My gut feeling is that Blizzard has got a good balance here.

People will surely have strong opinions on this, but I've been having a blast spontaneously grouping up with players while questing out in the world. Forever has that vibe where you're subtly encouraged to engage with players in your immediate environment. While most of this comes from an adherence to classic quest design, Blizzard has leaned into the experience with additions like the new camping system, which is just a lovely touch that really adds a lot of flavour.

As a brief overview, the camping system lets players passively sit around a player-built campfire to get small buffs. It's cleverly entwined with the new profession changes so that players have more ways to interact aside from simply grouping up. It's a brief respite for players out in the world.

And, since everybody is out there footslogging, the world feels genuinely big and dangerous again. It all adds up to a kind of adventure that I haven't really experienced in WoW since the first Seasons of Discovery phase. The beta feels very similar in that everyone is still working it out, and everyone is eager to explore the world. Some of that is surely 'beta vibes', but I've seen enough to suggest that most players are going to have an absolute blast unlocking the fresh secrets of WoW: Forever.

A sight to behold

Graphically, the game is a real upgrade, too. The lighting effects in particular add a lot of atmosphere to the zones without detracting too much from the original vibe. The art style (mostly) looks the same, but Blizzard has leaned into making the world a little more immersive with new lighting and increased draw distances.

For my sins, I also like the new Skyborne race, which has really divided the player base (mostly between those who are flatly opposed and those who are ambivalent).

I think Blizzard was stuck with a tough decision in regard to adding an elven race to the game. Simply adding Blood Elves for the Horde would have left the Alliance without a new option. Conversely, adding both Blood Elves and High Elves into the game would have likely meant quite a few more zones to add.

Instead, we've got a completely new race of Elves for either faction with one starter zone: Zephyrus Isle. There's no doubt it's a compromise.

Having played through said zone, however, I was pleasantly surprised. I don't think the zone is quite as different as some are painting. Yes, there are a few quests that are reminiscent of modern WoW, but the overwhelming majority are as you would expect in Classic. I think if someone were to play WoW for the first time, they wouldn't find that much of a discrepancy between Zephyrus Isle and the other starter zones.

The biggest issue with the Skyborne, by far, is that some of their character models stick out compared to those from the older races. WoW: Forever lets players toggle between classic 'SD' character models and modern 'HD' models, and in the case of the former, there's definitely a marked difference in-game. It's particularly visible with the various Druid forms that the Skyborne have access to.

Dividing the fan base

So, overall, my impressions are positive, but I do have a few misgivings about WoW: Forever's initial direction. As previously suggested, I'm very much on the side of 'fewer changes' rather than a maximalist when it comes to Classic Plus. I generally believe that Blizzard should tread carefully when tweaking the winning formula.

Because of this, I'm slightly wary of some of the class changes that Blizzard has already implemented into the game. In some cases, they've genuinely fixed serious issues that have made certain classes unviable or boring, but in others, I think they've stripped out a little bit of character. Inevitably, there will always be balance issues with any changed system, but what I'm worried about is making classes too smoothed out.

Take Hunter, for example, which was my main class in the original iteration of WoW. Blizzard has added a few spells and made the class a little easier to play by removing some of the finer animations. I think the changes will prove popular, but I loved the subtle gameplay of timing certain abilities around your auto attacks. It was difficult to master but rewarding, and I'm not so sure I'd enjoy the new changes as much.

I'm also really not a big fan of the current mega-servers that appear to lock players into one faction long-term on the player-versus-player mega realm. I understand why Blizzard is implementing modern server technology, but the rigidity of the current setup is going to divide the players dramatically.

In my own case, for example, I have a group of friends who want to play Alliance on the PvP megaserver and another who want to play Horde. Under the current setup, there's no option for me to have characters in both factions without having two separate Blizzard accounts. Previously, I would just have two characters on separate servers.

I would assume that many veterans who have accrued friends over the years might be in the same situation as me. I've known some of these people for over twenty years, so I'm weighing my decisions carefully.

Considering the server technology appears to be using some form of sharding (like retail), I don't quite grasp why Blizzard doesn't allow both factions on the PvP server. Corpse camping, for example, is quite easily solved through instancing. In a high-population area, players are constantly switched between shards anyway, which doesn't particularly lend itself to a social or 'classic' experience.

I suspect the reasoning behind the rigidity is a new system that groups players into instances based on previous interactions. In practice, that means encountering guildies and those who you've grouped with before. It's a nice system, but it's not so nice that it offsets the issue of faction locking.

For myself, the rigid modern server structure is by far and away the biggest issue I have with WoW: Forever so far. I'd even go so far that this will quite literally divide the player base — both in opinion and in-game. The idea of not being able to play with half my friends in perpetuity certainly puts a massive dampener on my experience.

Will Blizzard address it? I'm not so certain based on how committed they appear to the current setup. However, if they would, then I'd even go so far as to say that this could be the best iteration of WoW so far. For me, at least.

PixelMob Portable AI Workstation: 30-second review

If digital creatives, from photographers to videographers, were to design a piece of kit, it would be the PixelMob Pro. It’s essentially a fully featured asset manager that lets you plug in a variety of storage media from cameras or external hard drives, then organise and edit them onto its internal storage, all through its large touchscreen interface.

The system runs on Android, and much of the interface and usability will feel familiar to many. Still, dedicated apps such as Lightbox, Sequence, Cones, and Framebox let you manage and edit all the files, and in addition to these there are a few familiar apps that you can download as well, such as CapCut, Lightroom and a selection from DJI; there’s even a direct connection to Cloud Storage for additional backup.

Getting started was straightforward, with a few small workflow issues, such as setting up a lightbox, before things really started to make sense.

Before getting properly started, I downloaded and updated the firmware, which took a good hour. However, after a restart and refresh, the device was finally set and ready to go.

When I plugged in my first SD card, it took about 5 to 10 seconds for it to appear, ready for the files within to be either partially or fully downloaded and backed up to the internal drive. The whole process is relatively straightforward. However, you do need to set up a Lightbox before you start, which took me a while to figure out.

If you download the files directly without first creating a Lightbox, you won't be able to navigate or manage them, so it's an integral part of the workflow, and throughout there are small workflow points like this, but updates through the test have addressed most. It would have been helpful to have a few tooltips at the start when you first use the PixelMob, just to point you in the right direction.

However, once you get used to how the workflow goes, it's all easy enough, and there are plenty of input options, including USB, USB-C, SD, microSD and CFexpress Type B. They've even included a Type B to Type A adaptor in the box, which is handy for anyone using a Sony camera.

Once you get into the flow and work out how to use Lightbox, Sequence, and Cones, things start to make sense. If you're out in the field as a photographer or videographer looking for a decent way to back up all your image and video files, then while asset managers have been available for years, the PixelMob takes everything up a notch or two.

However, while the form and function of this device are superb for the most part, it would be good if some small workflow issues could be addressed, I'll cover those in the Performance section.

There are also certain build-quality issues. The outer casing doesn't feel as high quality as it could and feels more like a prototype than a finished product.

The fact that it takes a standard Sony NP-F battery at the back is superb for battery longevity. However, the battery doesn't fit neatly and, although it has a securing lock to keep the battery in place, the fit just isn't quite right, so it rests in place rather than locking firmly.

One thing I did like about my NP-F battery plugged into the back is that it makes a very nifty stand.

Another point is that some CFexpress Type B cards took a long time to be recognised, and a couple of the larger 1TB and 2TB models weren't recognised at all. In those cases, I had to use a card reader plugged into the USB-C port for them to connect.

However, aside from build quality and a few workflow issues, this is a solid unit. What I really liked was that, while it comes with 256GB of internal storage ready to go, it's in the form of an M.2 2280 module.

The internal storage can be upgraded, with three M.2 slots available and support for up to 8TB modules, potentially giving you up to 24TB of internal storage.

Since this is from UniDrive, it comes with UniDrive NAS software. It also has features like cloud backup, and it even has a LAN port on the back. Essentially, if you ask any photographer what they want for a backup solution on site and back in the studio, this small touchscreen box has it all.

Once the workflow issues are resolved, along with possibly slightly better build quality for the outer casing, this will be a must-have for many professional photographers or videographers.

PixelMob Portable AI Workstation: Price & availability

At present, the PixelMob has launched through Kickstarter as the PixelMob Portable AI Workstation for Creators. The full listing can be seen at Kickstarter here, while the official website is regularly updated with additional information here.

• Score: 4/5

PixelMob Portable AI Workstation: Design & build

The PixelMob's design and build look very outdoorsy. It looks like a tough tablet or oversized mobile phone, and the screen size sits somewhere in between at seven inches with an OLED screen.

It has a brightness of 1,100 nits, which is impressive, and it runs on Android, so it supports many Android apps. In fact, you can install apps from DJI and other manufacturers if you want to connect it to a drone, your mobile phone or even your camera.

What I also liked was that you can connect it directly to the Sony A7 IV; in my case, you can use it as a professional monitoring system, essentially as a second screen and as a way to back up full-resolution files to the device.

In terms of size and weight, it measures 104 x 195 x 25mm and weighs 550g, putting it somewhere between a large mobile phone and a small tablet.

A quick look around the body shows plenty of input options, including CFexpress Type B, which enables up to 800MB/s transfer speeds, SD, microSD, USB-A, and USB-C. On the side are another USB-C port and the power button.

On the top, there are two HDMI ports, one input and one output, another USB-C port and the LAN port. On the base, there's a connector, and on the back there's an NP-F mount so you can add standard NP-F batteries.

For memory, it comes with 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB of internal storage. The internal SSD can be upgraded, and there are two additional M.2 slots so you can add up to three at 8TB a piece, for 24TB of internal storage in this one small unit.

Inside, an 11,600mAh battery powers the device and, under extreme loads, this will last two to three hours, or around six hours with lighter use. In standby mode, you'll get over a week. Then, of course, you can plug in the NP-F battery for extended working time.

When I unpacked the PixelMob, I wasn’t so impressed by the overall design. It looked OK and had the same sort of look that you expect from a tough phone or tablet, but this just isn’t backed up by the build quality.

The slightly plasticky exterior feels a little cheap and not very robust. Through the test, the outer casing did stand up to life in my backpack, although I’ll admit to being a little more careful with it than I would usually be.

I also found a few other bits and pieces as I went around the build, such as access to the back panel where you can install additional drives. It felt a little light and was held in by just one crosshead screw. If you shake the device, it also has a rattle, which is from the power button area.

Most notably, the battery holder for an external NP-F battery wasn't quite the right fit. Still, these issues detract from what is potentially an extraordinary piece of kit.

• Design: 3.5/5

PixelMob Portable AI Workstation: Features

When I picked up the PixelMob, I was struck by the sheer volume of features available. Essentially, the main point is it’s designed to back up your camera storage media quickly while you're on the move, then let you download everything to a machine or NAS as soon as you get home. But then it does more, enabling you to manage and edit the content, tether to a camera and even take control to capture different styles of images.

Thanks to the intelligent onboard software and its Android platform, it's easy to adapt it to a professional workflow. Even if you're a keen enthusiast, there's plenty here to get everything organised.

So whether you're a photographer, videographer or just somebody who needs to transfer and display data in various locations, the PixelMob is a superb option.

In terms of features, it has internal storage that lets you transfer data from cameras and other devices directly onto the unit. From there, you can edit and manage those files and assets. You can even use it as a media player with HDMI output to a larger screen.

The content you save to the device is managed by built-in AI that scans the files and offers smart subject recognition and other AI features for file organisation.

If you're a photographer or videographer, you can use that large seven-inch screen to monitor your camera. You simply plug it in through HDMI, and you can use it as a link between your camera and larger monitoring and recording systems.

You can even use it for tethered shooting or as a video-review device. It includes a huge range of creative options that photographers and videographers will inevitably find useful.

In my testing, one of the best features for photography and video was the ability to get quick on-site previews, and I could store files on the device to edit them directly while out and about. Essentially, I had everything stored in one location that I could then use to start the file organisation.

For backups, all storage media I use is compatible with slots for CFexpress Type B cards from my Canon EOS R5 C. My two Sony A7 IVs both use CFexpress Type A, and with the adaptor, I could plug those into the CFexpress Type B port and back them up as well. It also has slots for SD UHS-II and microSD.

I could also plug in a USB-A 3.2 or USB-C device and download further data to the machine. The only issue is that the standard 256GB is quite small, so for this test I added an extra M.2 drive to expand storage by 1TB.

Inside, it has a relatively large internal battery which provides plenty of power for around two hours of heavy use. However, if you're out and about with large cards, especially if you max out the internal storage, you'll want a bit more battery power.

The great thing is that the company has decided to use the NP-F battery format, which is used by a huge amount of photography equipment, monitors, and other accessories. I have a stack of them in my kit bag, so they plug directly into the back of the unit, further extending battery power.

Essentially, that internal storage gives you an extra layer of protection, letting you back up all your storage media on a shoot and preview it. Where this one differs is that it also plugs directly into your camera and, with features like time-lapse video, star trails, HDR bracketing, focus bracketing, and panorama merging, gives you additional tools to use with your camera.

What's more, you can back everything up to the cloud if and when you need.

So when it comes to features, this is one of the most feature-packed devices that I've ever looked at. Essentially, it looks like they've taken photographers' full wish list and combined it into one small, handy-to-carry box.

• Features: 4.5/5

PixelMob Portable AI Workstation: Performance

When the PixelMob Pro arrived, I was surprised to find its size and weight somewhere between a mobile phone and a tablet, as previous devices of this type, not going back to those made by Epson, are generally rather small.

However, this is a lot more involved and getting started was all easy, if slightly time-consuming. First, after fully charging the internal battery to 100%, I ran through the updates, making sure everything was on the latest version.

The first stage of updating took around 30 minutes. Once the main bulk of the Android and hardware firmware updates finished, there were further updates for the AI processing and many of the pre-installed apps. Altogether, getting everything completely up to date can take a long time.

The system is essentially based on Android, and it's great to see that you can install many familiar apps if you want. As you drag left on the screen, for instance, it shows a list of standard apps. While the Play Store isn't part of the system, if you click Apps and then Third Party, you'll see a list of pre-approved apps that have been added for download and are fully compatible with the system.

These include DJI apps, Instagram, Adobe Lightroom, Pinterest and Snapseed, amongst others. Importantly for further testing, Sony's Monitor & Control app is also available, which lets me control my Sony A7 IV.

Hopefully, as this system develops, we'll see equal compatibility for Canon, Nikon, Panasonic, Fujifilm and others. Once you've applied all updates and restarted the system, you can start copying data to it or use the PixelMob Pro as a tethering device for your camera systems.

Before I went into the main review and checked out what it could do on the performance side, I also looked at the internal storage. As standard, it comes with 256GB; however, as I flipped open the back and removed the back panel that’s secured with a crosshead screw, I noticed two additional M.2 ports.

That means that if I removed the 256GB drive that was already in and replaced it with an 8TB option, then I could potentially have up to 24TB of internal storage, which is the same amount as my NAS drive that I use in the studio.

Potentially, I could have everything from my NAS, image-wise, on this device and still have room to back up images and video on every shoot I go on.

However, 8TB M.2 SSDs are hugely expensive, so for this test I just popped in a 1TB drive alongside the 256GB drive that was already installed.

I formatted it into the system using the UniDrive application, which I've used in the past for previous UniDrive products. It was extremely straightforward, and I was pleased to see the app has developed along with the workflow, which is now much easier to progress through than it was when I looked at UniDrive well over a year ago.

Once the drive format was complete, I was able to start downloading my files from CFexpress cards, SD cards, and microSD cards.

The cameras I used were the Canon EOS R5 C, using CFexpress Type B cards, and the Sony A7 IV, using CFexpress Type A cards with the adaptor supplied with the device.

With each, you take the card out of your camera, plug it into the side of the PixelMob Pro, and after around five seconds, the system recognises the card. A simple tap will then download it to the machine. However, as I found, before you do that on the first run, it's important to set up a Lightbox.

One of the apps at the bottom of the screen is the Lightbox app. Essentially, tap it, click New, and add your new Lightbox. Once that's done, you can simply click to import all of the files from your SD or CFexpress card directly to that folder, and then a few interesting things happen. First, the files transfer, then the internal AI processes them. This gives you a full set of auto-tagged options and highlights whether the file is JPEG or RAW.

Clicking the folder shows a thumbnail, and the rendering is exceptionally quick. To be honest, it's faster than when I try to review stuff using Adobe Bridge. As you scroll through, you can see each file; once you find a picture you like, just tap it, and it'll open.

If you've taken several images that are very similar, say you've taken three iterations of the same point, then it'll recognise those images as a burst and group them. This makes scrolling through hundreds of images, which photographers often have to do, that much easier.

It also shows you similar files. If you've got lots of similar files, it also does face recognition, so if there are people you know, you can add them, as you do with many online photo applications.

As you go through the different functions and features, it'll also show you images that are overexposed or underexposed. If you want, you can go into the AI settings and switch on options such as Basic Assist, Similar Photos, portrait detection (where you can upload specific people), bird recognition, and empty-scene detection, which are all exceptionally useful.

If you do have an image, you can select it and apply star ratings and flags, check the colour, or take it through to Cones, where you can start editing the image with the built-in image editor.

Again, it gives you plenty of options and control. With some of the larger JPEG files that I started to manipulate, it can be a little slower initially to load the image. Still, once you start applying filters, each filter and adjustment applies extremely quickly. For an on-the-move solution, it's really very slick.

Alongside the more standard enhancement edits, there's also a whole bunch of stacking edits. So if you've been out taking star trails, astro time-lapses, focus or exposure sequences, which you can all do tethered, Cones gives you all of the functions and features to edit those pictures within the confines of this small box, and that is very clever, especially with the touch screen.

Likewise, alongside Cones you also have Framebox, which is essentially a built-in video editor, but personally I downloaded CapCut and utilised that as it's a much better application.

These applications are all exceptionally clever, and many enable either a wired or wireless connection to your mirrorless camera, which I found incredibly useful and well beyond anything I've used before. For the most part, I used the tethered connection to the Sony A7 IV, and the initial setup took a bit of to-and-fro, but was simple enough once the right options on the camera were selected.

Connecting with the Sony A7 IV, all I needed to do was click the option that I wanted from the Sequence modes, make sure that I had a USB-C cable connecting the Sony to the PixelMob Pro and, after a few seconds, with PC Remote switched on in the camera, I was then able to see a live-stream feed directly on the PixelMob from the camera.

With simulated long exposure, I could select the capture interval and simulated exposure, then click Next and start capture. It then ran through the sequence, capturing 30 images and triggering the camera for each one. While I've seen small devices that enable this sort of triggering, I haven't seen anything quite as advanced work so seamlessly.

The resulting image combines all 30 pictures the camera takes. It processes them to create a simulated long-exposure shot, something you can normally only do with an ND or variable ND attached to your camera.

You can also go through to the standard tethered shooting modes. Open the Tether app, click the camera you want to connect, then select the Lightbox. Again, it's a good idea to create a new Lightbox. Here, you don't get the live feed from the camera. Instead, you use the camera tethered to the box, and every time you take a picture, it instantly appears on the device, saved and ready to review.

You can keep taking pictures, and they'll download directly from the camera to the device's internal storage. It's an absolutely superb option for stills. However, when you switch your camera to video, that tethered option doesn't work, and you'll have to go back to the more normal monitoring option and to record video you switch to another application.

Video is handled by Deck. With this mode selected, essentially the entire device becomes a monitor for the camera. You've got your HDMI running from the camera straight into the device, and a simple record button lets you record directly onto the PixelMob. You can record at either 5, 10, 20, 30 or 50Mbps.

It's not comparable with an Atomos Shinobi or Ninja, but it's a great device for creators. You can even add LUTs for different colour-grading effects at the same time, making it a really flexible device.

• Performance: 4.5/5

Should you buy the PixelMob Portable AI Workstation?

Ultimately, the PixelMob is one of the most feature-packed devices that I’ve ever looked at for photographers, videographers and creators. It enables complete image management, but it goes well beyond storing image files and becomes a bigger part of your workflow.

You can use it for tethering, video recording and, obviously, organising, editing and sharing your video and image files while you’re out and about. It combines portable storage, AI-assisted organisation, tethered shooting, image editing and video monitoring in one compact device, and the ability to expand the internal storage makes it even more useful.

Some areas still need refinement. Some workflow issues mean you have to duck in and out of various apps, and while you can do a lot, some of them are a little simplistic in certain ways. CFexpress compatibility is also inconsistent, and the outer casing feels quite plasticky compared with the quality of everything else.

However, these applications are there to support your creative media, and what the PixelMob enables is far more than any other device that I’ve seen. The system's flexibility and how well it fits into a professional creative workflow make it an extremely capable device and one that I will be using going forward.

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

• Watch Czechia vs Croatia free on Nova TV (Croatia) and CT Sport (Czechia) or Tubi (US)
• Unlock your stream with NordVPN (save up to 75%)
• Kick-off: Sat, Sep 26, 2.45pm ET / 7.45pm BST

Watch Czechia vs Croatia as the two sides begin their Nations League campaign for 2026/27.

Both teams had a pretty lacklustre run at the World Cup this summer, and will be keen to put that behind them. For Croatia, in particular, a round of 32 exit was below par, especially considering they have top players like Luka Modric, Josko Gvardiol, and Mateo Kovacic. Modric is still going at the ripe old age of 41, but this may be his last chance to secure any kind of glory for his country.

Czechia were, technically, one of the worst teams in the World Cup, finishing up with just one point. Spanish coach Santi Denia is in charge of the rebuild now, and will be keen to get off to a good start here, especially on home soil.

Here's how to watch Czechia vs Croatia from anywhere in the world.

Can you watch Czechia vs Croatia for free?

Yes. Czechia vs Croatia will air for free on CT Sport in Czechia and Nova TV in Croatia.

In the US, the game is also streaming on the Fubo Sports Network channel on Tubi.

Away from home? A VPN can help unblock your free streams and gain you access to this Nations League fixture.

Use a VPN to watch Czechia vs Croatia live streams

A VPN is handy piece of software that can make your device appear as if it's back in your home country, so you can unlock your usual service. The best VPN right now? We recommend NordVPN – it does everything and comes with up to 75% off.

How to watch Czechia vs Croatia live streams in the USA

Soccer fans in the US can watch Czechia vs Croatia via FuboTV.

You will need the Pro plan which costs from $88.99/month but right now you can get your first month for $63.99. The service does offer a free 5-day trial as well.

Alternatively, you can stream the match for free on the Fubo Sports Network channel via Tubi.

Outside of the US? Use a VPN to unblock your free stream of the action while you're away from home.

How to watch Czechia vs Croatia live streams in the UK

Prime Video will make Czechia vs Croatia available on a pay-per-view basis. You'll have to pay £2.49 to watch the game.

Not at home? Explore the VPN route set out above, which will help you access your accounts from anywhere.

How to watch Czechia vs Croatia live streams in Canada

In Canada, DAZN will show Czechia vs Croatia.

You'll need DAZN's soccer package, which starts at CA$24.99/month.

Not in Canada? Use NordVPN to unlock your DAZN subscription from anywhere.

How to watch Czechia vs Croatia live streams in Australia

beIN Sports are showing Czechia vs Croatia in Australia with subscriptions starting at $16.99/month.

Right now you can get a 7-day free trial.

Outside Oz? Use a VPN to log in to your beIN Sports account.

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.

JBL Live Flex 4 review

The JBL Live Flex 4 might be the perfect option for you if you want earbuds that put comfort first. Their lightweight, relaxed fit is perfect for listening on the go, meaning that, unlike some earbuds with a tight in-ear seal, they won't get tiresome or irritating after a while. And yet you can use them with ANC or transparency modes, giving you the option to shut the outside world out, or stay aware of your surroundings to impressive effect.

But perhaps the real draw of the JBL Live Flex 4 is their smart charging case. It has a touchscreen equipped, enabling you to adjust ANC, EQ, playback and more, all without having to whip out your source device. If your phone or music streamer is in your bag or if you don’t want to go to the hassle of opening up the JBL Headphones app, this is pretty convenient.

Is the smart case gimmicky? Maybe a bit, but I like a good gimmick from time to time. And it's super-responsive, with a massive quantity of features onboard. Other than those I mentioned above, the Flex 4 case lets you alter speech for calling, toggle spatial audio, switch audio source, and even use tools such as a timer and flashlight. As a result, these earbuds easily rival the very best wireless earbuds when it comes to features and usability.

The JBL Headphones app does offer a bit more functionality, though. For example, it gives you the ability to set a custom wallpaper for your earbuds case, and activate the higher-resolution codec, LDAC, which can provide better quality playback if your source device is compatible. Most Android phones support LDAC, though iPhone users won’t be able to make use of it.

I’ve mentioned ANC a few times, and I have to say, it’s surprisingly effective here. You see, the JBL Live Buds 4 and JBL Live Beam 4 offer an in-ear seal, so I expected a lot from them in terms of noise-cancelling — but they ended up being fairly middling in this area for me. Compared to the competition, however, I found the Live Flex 4 to be pretty adept at muffling my surroundings.

Sure, the open architecture means that harsher sounds will seep in, but when on walks and working in the office, sounds like cars passing by and colleagues typing were subdued to decent effect. Again, the open design has its limitations, but the improved ‘True Adaptive Noise Cancelling 2.0’ on the Flex 4 proved to be a hit on this model.

The six-microphone system of the Flex 4 also means that calls are clear — and although my voice wasn’t always the most defined against background noise, I found my speech to be perfectly comprehensible, especially when making a recording and listening back to my voice.

What’s more, these buds offer pretty solid battery life. You get seven hours from the Flex 4 with ANC on, up to 10 hours with ANC off, and a maximum of 48 hours with the case. That’s a lot better than the new AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging, which sits at a similar price-point (although Apple's offering is just slightly cheaper). The Flex 4 also support wireless charging, which is always nice to have.

But here comes the crucial question: do the JBL Live Flex 4 sound any good? Well, let me begin by saying that the Live Buds 4 and Live Beam 4 perform better than these — and this comes down solely to the more relaxed fit, which means that sound is less concentrated in your ear canals, and low frequencies especially are less impactful.

This is why I typically steer clear of open-fit earbuds like the non-pro variants of the AirPods, for example. But actually, the Flex 4 ended up performing admirably, despite the limitations of the design.

They conjure up a relatively wide, spacious soundstage and, despite being open-fit earbuds, have pretty impactful bass too. With the default Studio EQ, the Flex 4 offer decent balance across the frequency range, although I did find that they were a little lacking in the low-end, but that was nothing that a swift EQ tweak in the 32-250Hz range couldn’t fix.

When tuning into Take Five by Dave Brubeck, I was treated to an expansive listen. Drums in the treble range sounded beautifully weighted and expressive, keys and lead saxophone were separated neatly, and double bass came through with a rich, full-bodied quality. Making use of LDAC took the experience to the next level too, with some added intricacies in the mid-range and finer detailing in percussion.

With Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley, guitar in the opening and vocals didn’t quite have the texture or resolution that more premium earbuds can supply, but still sounded clear and well-defined in the mix, even at the highest volumes.

And the earbuds performed well with just about every genre I threw at them. Even with the tech house track, Fascinator by Max Dean, pumping bass hit with phenomenal impact, and never seemed lethargic or overbearing. Vocal chops came through with clarity, and sub-bass — though not the most regimented or powerful I’ve heard — was prominent and didn’t muddy sounds elsewhere in the frequency range.

One thing I wasn’t so keen on, though, was the spatial audio mode. You have to switch LDAC off to access this (which is normal), but it doesn’t sound anywhere near as clean or precise as the standard tuning, so I decided to leave it off the vast majority of the time.

I also want to touch on the look and design of the JBL Live Flex 4. Again, the buds are very comfortable in use, and although they offer a relaxed fit, I never felt as if they would fall out of my ears or leak excessive amounts of sound. The buds are also IP54-rated, meaning they’re protected against dust ingress and splashes of water, so it was never an issue if I wanted to use them on a rainy day.

Are the Flex 4 the most premium looking earbuds around? Perhaps not. They have a bit of a plasticky look, and don’t feel particularly luxurious. But their curved design is fairly attractive, and the case itself is finished to a high standard. The Flex 4 are also available in a wide range of colors, with plenty of vibrant options to choose from for those seeking a stand-out aesthetic.

Let’s conclude, then, by discussing price. The JBL Live Flex 4 come in at £179.99 (about $240 / AU$340), which means they cost about the same as their predecessors, the JBL Live Flex 3. Are they worth it? Well, for me, the answer is yes. They provide very solid sound quality, a fun and feature-rich smart case, genuinely good ANC for open-fit earbuds, and decent battery life to boot.

As a result, I consider the JBL Live Flex 4 to be a great pair of wireless earbuds that are more than worthy of my recommendation. They’re not perfect, and the open design comes with its ups and downs, but for the cost you’re getting great all-rounders that feel like a great alternative to the AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging — especially for Android users who want advanced features and higher-res Bluetooth streaming.

JBL Live Flex 4 review: price & release date

• £179.99 (about $240 / AU$340)
• Revealed in May 2026

The JBL Live Flex 4 were revealed in May 2026, alongside their siblings, the JBL Live Beam 4 and JBL Live Buds 4. They arrived on the market about two years after their predecessor, the JBL Live Flex 3, was released.

JBL’s new open-fit earbuds come in at £179.99 (about $240 / AU$340), about the same as their predecessors cost when they launched (in the UK, that is). I’ve seen some limited availability in Australia, but there’s no news of a release date or pricing for the US just yet — we’ll update this review if and when further details emerge, though.

In terms of competition, the Live Flex 4 have one clear rival: the AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging. This model comes in at $149 / £149 / AU$219. And while we've yet to finalise our full review there, AirPods are stylish, offer impressive sound, a range of perks for iPhone owners and surprisingly effective ANC — but, of course, they don’t have the Flex 4’s nifty smart charging case.

JBL Live Flex 4 review: specs

Should I buy the JBL Live Flex 4?

Buy them if…

Don’t buy them if…

JBL Live Flex 4 review: also consider

How I tested the JBL Live Flex 4

• Spent two weeks testing
• Used in the office and while out and about
• Mainly streamed music over Tidal

I spent two weeks testing the JBL Live Flex 4, testing them out at home, in an office environment, and while out on walks. This enabled me to get a strong grasp of their ANC capabilities, and understand what it’s like to live with them over a sustained period.

When listening to music, I typically streamed tracks over Tidal on my Xiaomi 17 phone, which supports LDAC, enabling me to get the highest quality listen out of the Flex 4 that I could. As always, I sifted through the TechRadar reference playlist to begin with, but I also bumped a bunch of tracks from my personal library.

More generally, I’ve spent years testing audio gear here at TechRadar, where I serve as a Senior Reviews Writer. I’ve put all sorts of audio tech to the test, be that premium wireless headphones like the Sony 1000X The Collexion or party speakers such as the Marshall Bromley 450. I’ve also reviewed a wide range of earbuds, including open-ear models like the Anker Soundcore AeroClip and the Edifier LolliClip.

• Read TechRadar’s reviews guarantee
• First reviewed: September 2026

• Watch England vs Spain FREE on ITVX (UK) / RTVE Play (Spain) / Virgin Media Play (Ireland)
• Unlock your stream with Proton VPN (up to 70% off)
• England vs Spain kick-off: Sat, Sep 26, 2.45pm ET / 7.45pm BST / 4.45am AEST (Sun)

England vs Spain is the game of the Nations League 2026/27 opening round, a marquee fixture between two teams in drastically different head spaces. The Wembley clash is La Roja's first action since their thoroughly deserved World Cup final triumph. The Three Lions, meanwhile, hammered France for bronze, a display that only deepened the sense of anger over their semi-final exit.

The German boss has hit back that his negative tactical switches and substitutions squandered what would have been England's first men's World Cup final appearance since 1966. He's instead placed the blame at the feet of the players, saying that "ball possession is not in our DNA", despite choosing not to select Adam Wharton, Cole Palmer or Morgan Gibbs-White in North America. Palmer is absent again, this time through injury, with Gibbs-White his replacement. More positively, Harry Kane last week scored his 100th Bundesliga goal in record time, while Jude Bellingham already has three La Liga goals to go with three assists for Real Madrid this season.

In less than four years at the helm, Luis de la Fuente has led Spain to World Cup, Euros and Nations League glory, with an attractive brand of football that marries silk with steel. What was perhaps most impressive about their World Cup victory is that they pulled it off with a half-fit Lamine Yamal and barely-fit Nico Williams, objectively their two best players. Both are now fit and firing in La Liga. Williams in particular ran riot the last time these sides met, in the Euro 2024 final and opened the scoring straight after the interval that day. Fermin Lopez has returned to the squad after an injury-enforced absence this summer.

Read on as we explain how to watch England vs Spain for free.

England vs Spain team news

England team: Trafford, Quansah, Konsa, Guehi, O’Reilly, Anderson, Lewis-Skelly, Bellingham, Saka, Gordon, Kane

Subs: Pickford, Alexander-Arnold, Scott, Chalobah, Hall, Branthwaite, Rogers, Garner, Calvert-Lewin, Gibbs-White, Eze, Steele

Spain team: Unai Simon, Garcia, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella, Rodrigo, Fabian Ruiz, Olmo, Yamal, Williams Jr, Torres

Subs: Raya, Martinez, Huijsen, Grimaldo, Merino, Fermin Lopez, Pino, Marc Pubill, Alex Baena, Zubimendi, Pedri, Oyarzabal

Can you watch England vs Spain for free?

Yes. England vs Spain is being shown on free-to-air ITV1 and ITVX in the UK, and on free-to-air La 1 and RTVE Play in Spain.

It's also available in the Republic of Ireland, on Virgin Media Play and Virgin Media 2.

Traveling abroad right now? You can use a VPN to watch England vs Spain for free as if you were right at home.

Use a VPN to watch England vs Spain live streams

A VPN is a handy piece of software that can make your device appear as if it's back in your home country, so you can unlock your usual streaming services. One of our favourites is Proton VPN – it does everything and comes with up to 70% off.

How to watch England vs Spain live streams in the US

Live England vs Spain coverage is being provided by FS2 in the US.

If you don't have the channel on cable, FS2 is carried by Fubo, YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV, each of which offers a free trial to new users.

The game is also available to stream live on Fox One, which starts at $19.99/month or $99/year after a 3-day free trial.

Outside of the US? Use a VPN while you're traveling away from home to unlock your England vs Spain stream.

How to watch England vs Spain live streams in the UK

In the UK, England vs Spain is free-to-air on ITV1, with live streaming available via the ITVX platform.

Outside the UK right now? Use Proton VPN to access that free England vs Spain coverage.

How to watch England vs Spain live streams in Canada

The England vs Spain game is available to watch on DAZN in Canada. Prices start at CA$24.99/month.

If you're out of Canada but still want to tune in, explore the VPN route set out above, which will help you access your accounts from anywhere.

How to watch England vs Spain live streams in Australia

beIN Sports 2 is showing the England vs Spain game in Australia, with live streaming available via beIN Sports Connect.

A subscription costs AU$16.99/month or AU$169.99/year after a 7-day FREE trial, and the service includes live and on-demand streaming of European football and tennis.

Missing the game because you're outside Australia? Use a VPN to access your beIN Sports account.

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.

• The new Laser BLU-BD4K-384 has caught our eye
• It offers region-free playback for regular DVDs and 4K support
• For now it's only available to pre-order in Australia

We're always on the lookout for the best Blu-ray players here at TechRadar, especially those that deliver as much bang for buck as possible – and it looks like we might have a new contender with the new Laser BLU-BD4K-384.

As per the listing we've come across (via Reddit), the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player is only available in Laser's home country of Australia for now, so we're hoping the manufacturer decides to put this on sale more widely.

Getting a new 4K Blu-ray player model is exciting enough on its own, but the Laser BLU-BD4K-384 plays regular Blu-rays and DVDs from any region too, so whatever the format of your discs and wherever they're from, this will play them.

The price is competitive too: AU$499.95 at the time of writing, which works out at about $350 / £265 with a straight currency conversion. There's support here for HDR10, Dolby Vision, high-resolution audio, and USB media playback.

'Great news'

It's worth mentioning a few compromises that have been made here too. The Laser BLU-BD4K-384 doesn't support HDR10+, sticks with a single HDMI port, and relies on Ethernet for internet rather than Wi-Fi.

"Bring imported releases, favourite box sets and your existing movie library together in one setup," reads the official blurb. "PAL, NTSC and Auto television modes help match playback to compatible displays."

Based on the Reddit reactions, we're not the only fans of this new model, which apparently goes on sale in November 2026. The launch is described as "extremely welcome" and "great news", which reflects the overall sentiment.

If you need something else to tempt you in, there's a three-year warranty included. If you're living in Australia you can get your pre-orders in now — but the rest of us will have to look on enviously for the time being.

• Insurers paid out $1bn extra because of AI assistance in hospitals, report claims
• AI is scanning through swathes of current and old data to find extra ailments
• Insurers are using AI to question whether those diagnoses are relevant

The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) has revealed that insurers paid out nearly $1 billion more than usual from AI-assisted hospital documentation and other AI work in 2024-2025, compared with the year before.

The organization, which represents 31 independent Blue Cross Blue Shield insurers (and over 100 million citizens), found that using AI to scan medical records and transcribe patient meetings could actually be causing costs to rise, and even be passed on to patients via higher premiums.

But the cost isn't coming from the extra compute – that's a whole other issue. Instead, it's AI's ability to scan through huge amounts of data that could be revealing secondary ailments and pushing insurance payouts up.

AI is uncovering secondary ailments and pushing up insurance payouts

While a patient may enter the hospital for one primary problem, they may also have several secondary diagnoses or complications. Because AI is so effective at scanning through swathes of data, records and conversations, it's more likely to pick these up than a human reviewer. But while this is ultimately good news for the patient's health, US hospital reimbursement is influenced by diagnoses and complexity, so more diagnoses means more payouts.

However, the BCBSA warns that if patients really were becoming sicker, we should be seeing increases in treatment – but we're not. "The disconnect between diagnoses and treatment suggests that AI is identifying more billable conditions, not sicker patients," SVP of Product and Data Science Luke Chalker said.

But on the other side of the coin, insurers are also increasingly employing AI to scrutinize claims and decide whether treatment was medically necessary, making this somewhat of an AI-vs-AI battle, pushing up compute consumption and costs across the board and potentially for no beneficial reason.

• Stream The Space Race in Colour free on Channel 4 (UK)
• Use NordVPN to watch your usual streams from abroad
• Both episodes premiere back-to-back on Saturday, September 26, starting at 8pm BST

The Space Race in Colour is a new Channel 4 docuseries set to air on Saturday, September 26. The two-part series, with each episode running for 60 minutes, explores the space race between the USA and USSR during the 1950s and ’60s.

This was a period when space exploration advanced at an unprecedented pace, building up to the Apollo Moon landings. The documentary explores various aspects of the race, from the political ambitions of both countries to achieve military supremacy to the key partnerships between visionary rocket engineers and politicians.

The story covers everything from the first satellite to the first man on the Moon, but also looks at the bigger picture, showing that the space race was about much more than missiles. After all, surveillance, espionage, and the prospects of living in space were also a huge part of the competition.

What sets this series apart is its modern colorization of archival footage, alongside never-before-seen eyewitness interviews. It’s part of Woodcut’s “In Colour” franchise, which includes Titanic in Colour, The Race for Ancient Egypt in Colour, Britain’s Railway Empire in Colour, and The Manhattan Project in Colour.

Series producer Jonathan Mayo said that colorizing archival footage makes it feel more like living human stories rather than a distant past.

Read on for where to stream The Space Race in Colour free from anywhere, including for FREE, using a VPN.

How to watch The Space Race in Colour in the UK for free

How to watch The Space Race in Colour from anywhere

If you're keen to watch The Space Race in Colour but you're away from home and access to the show is geo-blocked, then you could always use a VPN to access it (assuming you're not breaching any broadcaster T&Cs, of course). You may be surprised by how simple it is to do.

A VPN is handy piece of software that can make your device appear as if it's back in your home country, so you can unlock your usual service. The best VPN right now? We recommend NordVPN – it does everything and comes with a 75% discount, three months for free, and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Using a VPN is incredibly simple, just follow these steps.

1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, NordVPN is our favorite.

2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance if you're visiting the U.S. and want to view a U.K. service, you'd select a U.K. location from the server list.

3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to Channel 4 and watch The Space Race in Colour online just like you would at home.

What devices can I watch Channel 4 on?

• Amazon Fire
• Android (Mobile & Tablet) - Android 7.0 and above
• Apple TV
• Google TV
• Freely
• Freeview Play      
• iOS (iPhone & iPad) - iOS 14 and above        
• PlayStation (PS4 and PS5)
• Roku
• Samsung Smart TVs
• Virgin Media
• YouView
• Xbox One

Can I watch The Space Race in Colour online in the US, Canada, Australia, and worldwide?

The Space Race in Colour is a British documentary series produced by Woodcut Media and Woodcut International for Channel 4. As such, it does not currently have a streaming home or broadcast network outside the UK.

If you're a Brit traveling abroad, you can always use a VPN to unblock Channel 4 and watch The Space Race in Colour for FREE as you would at home.

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.

Calling NFL Week 3 crunch time might seem a touch dramatic, but since 1990 only 38 of 288 teams that have got off to a 0-2 start have gone on to make the playoffs. Three of them – the 1993 Cowboys, 2001 Patriots and 2007 Giants – went on to win the Super Bowl.

The Buccaneers, Texans and Colts are three of eight teams staring down the barrel of an excruciatingly long season, and unlike many of the other five, Tampa Bay, Houston and Indianapolis held serious Vince Lombardi Trophy aspirations at the start of the campaign.

Scroll down for our pick of the top five NFL Week 3 games – and who's showing them.

• 🏈 Unlock your stream with IPVanish (save up to 83%)

Bengals vs Steelers

• Sunday, 1pm ET, CBS/Paramount+ (US) | FREE on TVNZ+ (NZ)

Things could get real ugly at Acrisure Stadium, as the Steelers, who failed to score a touchdown in a 3-20 defeat by the Patriots last week, host their AFC North rivals the Bengals, who shut out the Texans in a 20-6 beatdown. The Black and Gold defense might actually give Joe Burrow a few problems, but will Aaron Rodgers be able to capitalise? Pittsburgh's offense ranks dead-last in the NFL for points scored, and he's already been sacked six times.

Texans vs Colts

• Sunday, 1pm ET, CBS/Paramount+ (US)

Both the Texans and Colts entered the campaign with playoff expectations, but the AFC South rivals are yet to win a game between them. Although Houston squeaked in despite getting out to a 0-3 start a year ago, Indianapolis missed the cut despite an 8-2 start. That effectively makes this an early do-or-die clash, and although CJ Stroud still looks way off it, Indy rank dead-last in the NFL in total defense. He's got to hand the reins to David Montgomery.

Vikings vs Buccaneers

• Sunday, 4.05pm ET, Fox/Fox One (US)

The Vikings are 2-0 and the Buccaneers are 0-2 and coming off a humiliating defeat by the Browns, but Kyler Murray's impending return has the potential to stall Minnesota's momentum. How Murray will fit into Kevin O'Connell's system was the subject of endless speculation in the offseason, and we're yet to get any answers because he suffered a concussion minutes into his debut. This could be the slice of luck Todd Bowles so desperately needs.

Ravens vs Cowboys

• Sunday, 4.25pm ET, CBS/Paramount+ (US) | FREE on 5 (UK) & Virgin Media Play (IRE)

We don't know what it is about Brazil, but NFL International Series games in the land of samba almost always turn into shootouts, and we're expecting the Ravens' meeting with the Cowboys in Rio de Janeiro to be another high-scoring affair. Even if Zay Flowers' hamstring isn't up to scratch, Baltimore should have the edge seeing as Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry are the worst matchup imaginable for one of the most hapless rush defenses in the league.

Rams vs Broncos

• Sunday, 8.20pm ET, NBC/Peacock (US)

The Rams bounced back from their horrorshow Down Under by destroying the underhanded Giants, but the Broncos represent a step up in competition. Bo Nix and Jaylen Waddle hit things off in an impressive victory over the Jaguars last weekend, and with home-field advantage at altitude, there's a real possibility the preseason Super Bowl favourites fall to 1-2 for the season under the Sunday Night Football lights.

Use a VPN to watch NFL Week 3 live streams

A VPN is a handy piece of software that can make your device appear as if it's back in your home country, so you can unlock your usual streaming services. One of our favourites is IPVanish – it does everything and comes with up to 83% off.

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.

Since the Oculus Quest 2, the VR industry has been chasing a high point that seems impossible to re-summit — let alone surpass. I mean, how can you compete with popularity propelled by global pandemic-caused lockdowns and ultra-low costs when people are no longer trapped in their homes and facing down RAM-crisis-fuelled tech price hikes?

You can’t. But the Meta VR Glasses give me hope that'll change, that VR is on an upward swing again.

The Meta Quest 3 tried its best, but improved specs, full-color mixed reality, and incredible exclusives like Batman: Arkham Shadow and Marvel’s Deadpool VR seemingly weren’t enough of a draw for people. I loved the system, but checking the most recent (August 2026) Steam Hardware Survey (which should include the most dedicated, most likely to upgrade players, as the Quest systems aren’t native PCVR headsets), the Quest 2 still narrowly tops the list despite being pulled from shelves over two years ago and being replaced close to three years ago by the Quest 3.

The Apple Vision Pro was much hyped before launch, but it seemingly had even less staying power than the Quest 3 thanks to its extremely high price. Samsung’s Galaxy XR headset, as much as I like it, is a gadget I wouldn’t be surprised if even most techie people didn’t know it existed.

You could do a whole analytical breakdown on why each device struggled to hit the mark, but as I see it, there’s one key issue: value.

The Quest 2 was incredible value. At £299 / $299 / AU$479 it’s approaching tech impulse-buy territory. You can grab it on a whim and be fairly confident you’ll get enough use out of it to justify the price whether you’re stuck inside because of Covid-19 or not — even just as a novelty you only get out on occasion, or to see your nan get wowed by some simple demo app.

At $499.99 / £479.99 / AU$799.99 (its original launch price), the Meta Quest 3 is instantly a much harder value proposition to justify. For a start, you need to spend a lot more time using the Quest 3 before it becomes ‘worth it.’ But for gamers, the headset costs as much as a PS5 disc edition — or a digital-only PS5 plus a game or two — and even as a VR enjoyer, it’s easy to understand why people would favour the Sony console and its incredible performance and game catalogue to fill their time.

It’s also still a bit too bulky to wear all day every day for productivity tasks — something Meta was ironing out at the time on the software side too. Big screen entertainment wasn’t ideal either — the Quest 3 lacked many streaming services, and the few it did have often relied on terrible apps that were terrible to use and didn’t support high-quality streams.

The Vision Pro and Samsung Galaxy XR headset solved some of these issues, but they didn’t address headset bulk — the Apple Vision Pro actually weighs a good chunk more than a Quest 3 or Quest 2 — and they’re also a lot more expensive (costing $3,499 / £3,199 / AU$5,999 and $1,799 / £1,699 respectively).

To get your money’s worth, you’d ideally use these headsets every day to help maximise your productivity across app windows, and to kick back with some entertainment most evenings — or at least fairly regularly. But as someone who tried doing this for a week with the Galaxy XR (the lighter of the two), it’s simply not a comfortable enough experience — my neck wanted to give up after a day and a half.

They’re both great for using from time to time, but they cost far too much to be something you wear infrequently.

Emerging from the ashes

The Meta VR Glasses, however, hit the nail on the head in (almost) every regard. At only around 3.52oz /100g, they are a device you can easily wear for hours, and Meta has finally improved its entertainment and productivity software support.

The only notable negative aspect is the price. $1,299 (pricing TBC in other regions) is cheaper than its current rivals, but still four times more expensive than the Oculus Quest 2. With its weight, I can definitely see myself wearing this headset often enough to make that price justified, but for less VR-forward folks it might not seem that way — especially after our recent flops.

I hope they can give it a try, however, as I fell in love with the Meta VR Glasses instantly, and I expect plenty more fans will materialize once they launch in 2027.

Hardware aside, I’m also simply glad to see the return of VR as a descriptor.

I get that technically the VR Glasses are a mixed reality device, but MR never really took off as a descriptor (it’s quite similar to the shortening of mister, Mr), and I don’t love XR — it’s too generic to really mean anything because it includes AR, VR, MR, and all different ways these technologies can manifest.

VR headsets are a known quantity, and the VR Glasses do feel like the spiritual successor to the Quest headsets Meta and Oculus pioneered. It’s a small thing, but I like that VR has returned — rising from the ashes in a manner that feels appropriate for the Project Phoenix device.

Rebuilding what it broke?

The elephant in the room for many will be that Meta contributed somewhat to the sense of doom and gloom in VR after it made sweeping cuts through its Reality Labs teams and first-party development studios — canning projects in the process.

We’ve also seen third-party VR studios close or downsize since Meta’s announcement as it becomes clear VR isn't in quite the boom period it once was. Showcasing Meta's situation was merely part of a bigger trend of VR struggles, rather than an isolated case of awfulness.

It’s clear that VR has been generally struggling, but I’m hopeful the VR Glasses, in conjunction with Xreal Aura (which ticks a lot of the same boxes) and other future headsets / glasses, will help to bring excitement, accessibility, and users back to VR.

We’ll have to wait and see, but I think the future of VR is looking a little brighter again.

The brand-new Apple Watch Series 12 and the Apple Watch Ultra 4 are reportedly the most accurate heart rate-tracking smartwatches on the market and the best Apple Watches yet, largely thanks to the wearables' new Health Sensing System. A redesigned LED sensor array, the Health Sensing System is said to be more accurate than ever before, measuring active and resting heart rates up to 60 times more often than previous generations.

Considering all my tests with the Apple Watch Ultra 3 had it cleaving remarkably close to an electrical heart rate monitor, I was ready to believe Apple's accuracy claims were true.

Barely an hour after I got my Apple Watch Series 12 review unit from Apple, I hit the gym and gave the smartwatch its first test drive. While I didn't have my heart rate monitor available, I did have the Garmin Fenix 9 Pro, so I strapped it onto the other wrist and tracked the same workout on both wearables.

The Garmin Fenix 9 Pro is a five-star watch, an expensive do-it-all device that's stuffed with features and boasts highly advanced health tracking credentials. It uses Garmin's Elevate V5 heart rate sensor, which previously fell within around 5 bpm (in terms of average heart rate) of an Apple Watch Ultra 3 during previous tests with a Garmin Venu 4. Hardly a significant margin of error for most people, and enough to give a good impression of your general fitness.

I was also interested in other statistics, like calorie counts, and how alike the two wearables' readings would be to each other.

The results

During my 40-minute strength session, my average heart rate was 125 bpm, according to Apple. According to Garmin, it was 132 bpm: a seven-point difference between the two wearables.

It's slightly outside my 5 bpm threshold for insignificant differences, but only just. My theory is that as I wear each watch more, their algorithms will tighten up, and I'll see closer results. It will be very interesting to compare both to an electrical Polar H10 heart rate monitor.

However, the difference in calorie expenditure was more worrying. Garmin recorded a calorie expenditure of 340 kcal — meanwhile, Apple recorded 242 kcal as my total expenditure for the session. This 88 kcal difference is equivalent to one smallish apple, or a couple of spoonfuls of your average Ben & Jerry's ice cream.

Calorie expenditure on a smartwatch isn't an exact science. One research paper published this year in the journal PLOs One said that 'proprietary differences in device algorithms and sensor design introduce another layer of variability, with comparative studies reporting an error of more than 20% in [energy expenditure] across widely used models.' So we should expect some deviations between watches, based on differences in algorithm, and it shouldn't matter so long as measurements on that device are consistent.

However, an 88 kcal difference is over that 20% margin for error, which is very interesting. Stay tuned: I'll be testing the Apple Watch Series 12 further, over longer workouts and against different wearables, to determine whether its accuracy claims hold water.

Nvidia made waves earlier this year when it announced the Nvidia RTX Spark, a new ARM-based SoC for small form factor PCs and laptops, and no one should be more concerned than Apple.

The Cupertino tech giant has enjoyed a very strong position when it comes to laptop sales for a while now thanks to its own ARM-based silicon, the Apple M-series.

With the refreshed Mac mini now on sale with the new Apple M6 chip, there’s going to be a lot of interest from creatives and developers around these two platforms, so I’m here to break down everything you need to know about the Nvidia RTX Spark vs Apple M6.

NVIDIA RTX SPARK VS APPLE M6: PRICE & AVAILABILITY

Neither SoC from either company is available on its own, so how much you pay will be entirely dependent on the PC or laptop it comes in, with things like memory and storage upgrades playing an outsized role in the final price.

The Apple M6 is only available in the new Mac mini (2026) for now, and it starts at $899/£899/AU$1,449 for the 16GB/256GB model. Adding more memory and storage will cost you extra, with the highest-spec M6 Mac mini featuring 24GB of unified memory for an extra $200/£200/AU$300, and an upgrade to 32GB for an extra $380/£400/AU$600.

Upgrading to 512GB SSD storage will add $200/£200/AU$300 to the price, while 1TB and 2TB will add $500/£500/AU$750 and $1,000/£1,000/AU$1,500 to the price, respectively.

Meanwhile, Nvidia is relying on its third-party partners to produce the PCs and laptops that will feature the Nvidia RTX Spark, so the prices will vary greatly among manufacturers, as well as which RTX Spark N1X core configuration is used (there will be an 18 CPU-core/5,120 CUDA-core entry configuration, and a more powerful 20 CPU-core/6,144 CUDA-core configuration).

While many units have been announced from Dell, Acer, and others, there's been no firm pricing yet, and much like the Mac mini, the amount of RAM the PC or laptop is configured with is going to have a major impact on its price. The first Nvidia RTX Spark devices are expected to go on sale in October, and some early indicators put the starting price of RTX Spark laptops and mini PCs at around $2,000/£2,000/AU$3,000.

• Advantage: Apple M6

NVIDIA RTX SPARK VS APPLE M6: SPECS

Fortunately, when it comes to specs, we know just about everything between these two SoCs, so we can do a proper side-by-side comparison of the Nvidia RTX Spark vs Apple M6.

As you can see above, Nvidia RTX Spark has a lot of hardware advantages versus the Apple M6. With nearly twice as many CPU cores on the premium configuration, almost four times the maximum memory headroom, and larger memory bandwidth, the Nvidia RTX Spark chips start out well ahead of the Apple M6 when it comes to specs—and that’s before we discuss the RTX Blackwell GPU.

Apple does have an advantage when it comes to maximum clock frequency, however, running nearly 800MHz faster than the best Nvidia chip. Will it be enough though? That remains to be seen.

• Advantage: Nvidia RTX Spark

NVIDIA RTX SPARK VS APPLE M6: PERFORMANCE

So far, I’ve only been able to benchmark the Apple M6 myself, as the new Mac mini went on sale on September 22, so there’s not a whole lot I can say definitively about the Nvidia RTX Spark vs Apple M6 when it comes to performance, but we’re not entirely in the dark here.

The RTX Spark N1X is essentially the Nvidia DGX Spark SoC, though it is running at a lower wattage for laptops (45W to 80W TDP, roughly, compared to the desktop DGX Spark’s 140W TDP). For RTX Spark desktops and mini PCs, I expect the TDP for the N1X to come close to or match the GDX’s 140W TDP.

Since we do know a lot about the performance of the GDX Spark across various workloads, we can expect the RTX Spark N1X to perform similarly, at least in small form factor PCs. What’s more, we also have some leaked benchmarks for the two RTX Spark N1X SKUs from Geekbench 7.

Note: RTX Spark N1X 3DMark scores estimated from RTX 5070 and RTX 5070 Ti laptop GPU benchmark results

As you can see, the Nvidia RTX Spark chips handle themselves very well against the Apple M6 in terms of GPU performance, though I need to caveat those results since they are approximations based on the listed core counts for the two SoCs’ GPUs. We don’t have benchmarks for these chips yet in 3DMark, but the GPU is built on the same architecture as Nvidia RTX 50 series laptop GPUs, and so we can ballpark where the N1X’s GPU is likely to end up given the number of CUDA cores they have available.

It’s also worth noting that the Nvidia RTX Spark’s multi-core performance definitely benefits from the increased core count over the Apple M6. However, the Apple M6 has a substantially better single-core performance, clocking in about 56% faster than the premium 20-core Nvidia chip.

This is going to translate to substantially better in-app performance for things like Adobe Photoshop and will help with agentic AI when an agent is processing a prompt or reasoning out a response, as these are inherently single-core dependent.

However, agentic AIs rarely work alone without some assistance from sub-agents, sandboxes, and other concurrently operating tools, which is where the multi-core performance of the Nvidia RTX Spark will definitely come in handy.

Of course, it also goes without saying that Nvidia’s distinct advantage over Apple when it comes to AI hardware thanks to native CUDA processing can’t be understated. Apple’s M6 might perform very well, but it will not be able to keep up with an Nvidia GPU that has up to 128GB of available memory.

And for gaming, well, Apple has really struggled to break Window’s stranglehold on PC gaming, and the Apple M6 doesn’t change that in the slightest, giving the Nvidia RTX Spark the edge there almost by default.

• Advantage: Nvidia RTX Spark

NVIDIA RTX SPARK VS APPLE M6: EARLY VERDICT

It remains to be seen how well the two Nvidia RTX Spark chips fare in real world testing, but early signs are very promising for Nvidia’s first SoC for the consumer market.

Apple isn’t out for the count just yet, either, and it will still hold the edge on price since the Nvidia RTX Spark is going to need a lot of very expensive RAM to process those 170B parameter models.

If you’re a more mainstream user who is just looking for a great PC for productivity, school work, and the like, the Apple M6 is the platform to go for.

Nvidia’s RTX Spark appears to be far more of a professional product with some gaming bolted onto the side, and it will surely have a price to match, so you only really need to consider the Nvidia RTX Spark if you can tell the difference between inference and model training. If you have to look those terms up, the RTX Spark isn’t really for you, but if those two are exactly what you plan on doing with your next device, you really can’t do any better than the Nvidia RTX Spark - as long as devices that include it are reasonably priced.

It's that time of year again — and the world's best streaming services are up to their usual tricks.

Indeed, with fall (or spring, if you live south of the equator) upon us once more, the entertainment giants of the world are ready to demand more of your hard-earned money by jacking up the prices of their various streaming-platform plans.

So far, four of the world's leading streamers have passed increased costs onto consumers, with three doing so in the US — and they're only getting more brazen with when they announce these price hikes and how much they're now charging.

Just look at Apple TV raising its monthly and annual fees by $2 and $20 respectively in late August. Then there's the 2026 Disney+ and Hulu price rise, which came into effect a whole month earlier (September 23) than in 2025 (October 21), and now asks new and returning users to pay an extra $0.50 to $3 per month for the plan they want to sign up for. And don't get me started on Netflix's recent UK price hike, which saw its cheap, ads-based plan rise by an eye-watering 34%...

Admittedly, Disney has frozen the price on three of its streaming bundles, including its cheapest ad-supported Disney+ and Hulu bundle. While that's worth applauding, especially for those on a budget, it's scant consolation for anyone subscribed to one of the House of Mouse's more expensive, ad-free, standalone plans or bundles.

Those higher fees will be an even more bitter pill to swallow amid Disney's claims that they're necessary to improve the user experience on their streaming platforms. Try telling that to Disney+'s worldwide user base, which was left fuming over reports — ones that have since been proved false — that Disney+ would soon show ads on its ad-free plans, and UK and European users after they temporarily lost 4K and HDR support on Disney+ in late July.

Netflix, Disney, and Apple are far from the only culprits, mind you.

Rival streamers including Prime Video and HBO Max have also bumped up the price of their plans in recent years. At the time of this article's publication, there's no word on when they or other subscription video on demand (SVOD) platforms will announce their latest — and inevitable — annual price increases. Mark my words, though: it's coming.

Predictably, all of this begs an obvious question: how long will we continue to put up with these now-yearly price hikes?

If you listen to some users on myriad social media platforms, the straw has already broken the camel's back. Dive into any Reddit thread, or search for terms like 'Netflix price hike' on X/Twitter or the ResetEra forums, and you'll find numerous examples of people who have already voted with their bank cards and canceled their subscriptions.

Unfortunately, the number of users who have closed their accounts is a mere drop in the ocean for the globe's entertainment titans. With a reported 260 million subscribers worldwide, Netflix simply doesn't care if a handful of paying patrons walk away because it doesn't even dent their bottom line.

That said, the tide may be turning. Per Yahoo Finance, Netflix's stock has recently taken an almighty beating. The reason? A change in viewing habits that's seen people flock to YouTube and TikTok to watch more short-form video content. Add to the mix the constant cancellation of fan-favorite shows, less unmissable content worth streaming, and certain features being locked behind expensive tiers, and why would people pay for Netflix, Disney+, and company when they can get visual content for free elsewhere?

Is that enough to make the world's leading streamers sit up and take notice? Probably not. In my view, the only way Netflix, Paramount+, Peacock, or any other SVOD service will listen is if tens of millions of users suddenly and collectively ended their subscriptions — and, frankly, that's almost never going to happen.

However, if people really want a sea change in the industry from a subscription cost standpoint, a major user revolution is required. Until we collectively say "enough is enough" and hit these companies where it hurts (i.e., their income streams), the streaming service spending scam will continue — and the price hike bubble will never, ever burst.

There's meta, and then there's Stuart Fails to Save the Universe.

We've been following awkward comic book owner Stuart (Kevin Sussman), who accidentally triggered a multiverse Armageddon after breaking a device supposedly built by Sheldon (Jim Parsons) and Leonard (Johnny Galecki).

Did we see the latter two appear in any of season 1's 10 episodes? No. Does the fact that many of The Big Bang Theory cameos and a season 2 renewal mean we should hold out hope for the future? Absolutely.

However, absolutely nothing is guaranteed in this HBO Max show. Given that the core concept shifts between universes, creators Chuck Lorre, Zak Penn, and Bill Prady could come up with literally anything they wanted, and it makes canonical sense.

This leaves us with the biggest TV guessing game of all, so let's try and work out what Stuart Fails to Save the Universe season 2 will look like together.

Stuart Fails to Save the Universe season 2 release window predictions

We've currently got no idea when season 2 could start production or be released, but we do know that episodes are pretty quick to film. If you think of production in sitcom format, episodes could be turned around as soon as six months' time.

However, my best guess would be that we'll likely see new episodes in summer 2027. Chuck Lorre is a busy man with a lot of plates spinning, after all.

“We’re delighted with how this hilarious, genre-bending show from Chuck, Zak, and Bill has connected with the audience, both devotees of The Big Bang Theory and new fans alike,” Amy Gravitt, Head of HBO & HBO Max Comedy Series, said when the renewal was announced in August.

“Along with everyone else, we can’t wait to see the worlds they conjure for these beloved characters next season.”

Writing has begun for new episodes, though, so stay tuned.

Stuart Fails to Save the Universe season 2 trailer: is there one?

Don't be silly. It took us until the end of June 2026 to get one for season 1, so expect the first full trailer to arrive around two weeks before the second season does.

Stuart Fails to Save the Universe season 2 cast

We can expect the below awesome foursome to return for Stuart Fails to Save the Universe season 2:

• Kevin Sussman as Stuart Bloom
• Lauren Lapkus as Denise
• Brian Posehn as Bert Kibbler
• John Ross Bowie as Barry Kripke

Obviously, season 1 had a lot of surprise cameos, meaning any of the below could also be eligible to return in an unspecified alternate form:

• Kunal Nayyar as Alternate Raj
• Wil Wheaton as Alternate Wil Wheaton
• Mayim Bialik as Alternate Amy Farrah Fowler
• Kaley Cuoco as Alternate Penny
• Melissa Rauch as Alternate Bernadette
• Christine Baranski as Herself
• Riki Lindhome as Ramona Nowitzki

We can also expect new cast members to be announced, though we likely won't find out who until closer to the show's release... and given how many surprises there were in season 1, possibly not even until episodes air.

Stuart Fails to Save the Universe season 2 plot predictions

For once in my life, I've got no idea what to put here. Obviously, the core concept of Stuart, Denise, Kripke, and Bert landing in a different universe in each episode will stay firm, but what that will look like is anybody's guess at this stage.

While writing for new episodes is underway, there's still no big master plan for the future. "It would be great if I had the big picture," Lorre told TechRadar shortly before season 1 was released. "Wouldn't that be swell? I don't. There's no big picture. This is just chasing what seems to be fun to do... the big picture would require a bigger person."

Penn added, "We purposefully wrote ourselves into corners. We like doing that and then saying, 'How are we going to get out of this?' That was definitely part of the design of how the team writes and how they wanted to approach it. It makes it more fun not really knowing where we were going to be and how we were going to get there.

"Eventually, we figured some stuff out and came up with an ending. But [the show] was never designed to be 'Oh, we know where all of this is going.'"

For now, I'm continuing on with the perhaps-delusional belief that I could find myself in the season 2 writers' room within a matter of months. So, I pitched the team two ideas for future storylines.

The first is addressing the really big picture: use Stuart Fails to Save the Universe to address the existing problem of George Cooper being dead, and bring him back to life through an alternate universe. That way, Young Sheldon fans get the ending they really wanted.

"We'll definitely keep your ideas in mind," Penn says. "There are an infinite number of universes within this universe, so the universe that you're looking for is going to exist by definition. Whether it makes it to TV is another question."

So far, so good. But I hammer this home with another idea: explore the episode 2 universe that reveals film and TV's Christine Baranski is an AI overlord.

Bill Prady responds, "We'll have to see how the rebellion goes and what happens afterwards. What do they do to her afterwards?"

"She'd be tried," Lorre agrees. "Well, there we go — there's something we can do if we get a second season."