Samsung's new Music Studio 7 is a high-quality speaker that sounds wonderful whether you use it alone or pair two of them together for even richer sound. For people who want great music throughout their home without complicated setup, it's a straightforward choice that works particularly well in living rooms where you spend your time. You can listen to music from your phone, tablet, or streaming services like Spotify with simple controls, and if you decide later you want better sound, just add a second speaker and they'll work together seamlessly.
Proton—a company known for protecting your privacy—has added a new feature to their chatbot called Lumo: it can now create and edit pictures based on what you describe to it. For people who want to use AI tools without worrying as much about their data being tracked or sold, this gives you another useful option alongside the privacy protections Proton already offers. You can try Lumo out through Proton's website if you're curious about AI image tools but prefer a company that prioritizes keeping your information private.
The UK now requires websites and apps hosting certain content to check that you're 18 before letting you in, and different companies use different methods to do this—some might ask for your ID, others use your phone's face recognition, and each collects different amounts of your personal information. What matters is understanding what data each company actually keeps about you: they might only store whether you're over 18, or they might hold onto your full date of birth or ID details, which could be vulnerable if the company gets hacked. You can protect yourself by checking each platform's privacy policy to see exactly what information they're collecting, who can access it during verification, and how long they'll keep it—and if you're uncomfortable with what they're asking for, you can choose not to use that service.
Oura's new Ring 5 is now so slim and light that it feels like a regular piece of jewellery rather than a gadget, and it lasts much longer between charges than previous versions. For anyone interested in tracking their sleep quality, heart rate, and daily activity without wearing a bulky watch or fitness band, this finally makes a smart ring a genuinely comfortable all-day option. Worth knowing: the ring itself costs £399, but you'll need to pay a monthly subscription of about £6 to unlock the useful health features beyond basic daily step counts.
A Russian spy group has been stealing access to thousands of people's Signal and WhatsApp accounts—including those of journalists and US government workers—by tricking them into clicking fake security messages, and the US government is now offering $10 million for information about who's behind it. This matters because these messaging apps are supposed to be secure places where people share sensitive information, so knowing your account could be compromised is genuinely concerning if you use them regularly. Worth knowing: be suspicious of any message asking you to verify your account or click a link—real tech companies rarely do this, so if you're unsure, contact the app's support directly through its official website instead.
Google's Gemini chatbot can now create pictures for you based on things you like and information from your Google apps—and the free version is available to people in the U.S. This means the AI learns what you enjoy and can generate more relevant images without you having to describe everything in detail. Worth knowing: if you use Gmail, Google Photos, or other Google services, Gemini may already have a sense of your interests, so you might want to check your privacy settings if that makes you uncomfortable.
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Sony is removing over 550 movies and TV shows that UK PlayStation customers thought they owned, including popular films like *Paddington* and *Terminator 2*, because the company's licensing agreement with the film studio has ended. When you buy digital content from companies like Sony, you're actually just renting the right to watch it—the company can take it away if agreements change, which is very different from owning a physical DVD. Worth knowing: check what you've purchased digitally on any platform (streaming services, app stores, gaming consoles) and consider downloading or saving copies where possible, since companies can revoke access without warning.
Kobo, a company that makes e-readers, has partnered with StoryGraph to let you automatically track which books you're reading and how far through them you are—all without needing Amazon's Goodreads service. If you use a Kobo device and enjoy keeping reading records or joining online book clubs, this gives you a real alternative that's independent from Amazon's ecosystem. Worth knowing: if you've been frustrated by Goodreads or prefer not to use Amazon services, you can now switch to StoryGraph and have your reading habits sync seamlessly with your Kobo e-reader.
Stacking a power strip into a smart plug—while convenient—can create serious fire and electrical hazards because smart plugs aren't designed to handle the total power draw of multiple devices running at once. If you're 50 or older and managing your home's electricity to save money or for convenience, this setup could overheat and damage your devices or worse, start a fire. Worth knowing: plug high-power items like space heaters or coffee makers directly into the wall, and only use smart plugs one at a time for lighter devices like lamps or phone chargers.
A recent study found that calling AI tools "coworkers" or giving them employee titles actually makes people worse at their jobs—managers caught 18% fewer mistakes when they thought they were checking an AI tool versus an AI "colleague." Tech companies like Microsoft and Google are increasingly marketing AI agents as digital teammates with human-like abilities, and some workplaces are even listing them on organizational charts, which creates false expectations about what these tools can really do. Worth knowing: if your company introduces AI and frames it as a team member rather than software you're supervising, be extra careful to review its work thoroughly, since you're more likely to let errors slip through.
TIDAL, the music streaming service, is cracking down on artificial intelligence by removing payouts for AI-made music that pretends to be real artists or bands. This matters because it protects musicians you enjoy from having their voices and styles copied without permission or payment. Worth knowing: if you notice a song that sounds suspiciously like your favorite artist but something feels off, it might be an AI imitation, and reporting it helps keep the service authentic.
