Metropolitan Police dismantle alleged international phone-smuggling ring The Metropolitan Police in London say they have uncovered and disrupted an alleged international smuggling network that trafficked stolen mobile phones, primarily Apple iPhones, out of the UK. The operation — described as the largest action against phone theft in the UK to date — led to 46 arrests and the seizure of thousands of devices. Key facts Estimated scale: up to ~40,000 stolen phones linked to the ring (police estimate). Arrests: 46 people detained during the raids. Seizures: thousands of devices recovered, including reports of ~2,000 phones found in one vehicle and ~1,000 iPhones in a warehouse near Heathrow. Direction of smuggling: many phones reportedly headed to China for resale. Impact: police estimate the gang may have been responsible for a large…

Best Gaming Mice: Top Picks & Buying Guide No mouse will magically make you a better player, but the right one can improve your control and comfort. After testing dozens of gaming mice across CS2, Overwatch 2, Halo Infinite, Final Fantasy XIV and more, here are our top picks and a short buying guide. Top picks Razer Viper V3 Pro — Symmetrical ultralight for competitive play. Buy/see: Razer Viper V3 Pro on Amazon Razer DeathAdder V4 Pro — Classic ergonomic shape, great for palm grips and long sessions. Buy/see: Razer DeathAdder V4 Pro on Amazon Logitech G Pro X Superlight 2 — Pro-focused lightweight wireless mouse with excellent tracking. Buy/see: Logitech G Pro X Superlight 2 on Amazon Also notable Other well-regarded models include the Lamzu Maya X, Pulsar X2…

October Prime Day TV deals — top picks & links Amazon's October Prime Day (Prime Big Deal Days) is offering notable discounts across well-regarded TVs and a few streaming sticks. Note: some discounts require an Amazon Prime subscription and the event runs through Oct 8. Top TV deals TCL QM7K 55" Mini-LED — $570 ($330 off) — great contrast, color volume, 144Hz. Buy: TCL QM7K 55" on Amazon Hisense U8QG 65" Mini-LED — $998 ($500 off) — very bright, quantum-dot color, 165Hz. Buy: Hisense U8QG 65" on Amazon Samsung S90F 55" QD-OLED — $1,100 ($498 off) — QD-OLED colors, 144Hz, 4 HDMI 2.1 ports. Buy: Samsung S90F 55" on Amazon LG C5 65" OLED — $1,378 ($1,319 off) — excellent OLED, Dolby Vision support. Buy: LG C5 65" on Amazon…

Best Prime Day Camera & Drone Deals — HighlightsPrime Day brings solid discounts on cameras, drones and accessories from DJI, GoPro, Sony, Canon, Nikon, Insta360 and more. Below are highlights — use the links to search on Amazon (affiliate):DJI Neo drone — beginner-friendly 4K drone: Search on AmazonDJI Osmo Action 4 — compact 1/1.3" sensor action cam: Search on AmazonDJI Mini 4K — lightweight 4K drone: Search on AmazonGoPro Hero 13 Black — new modular HB lens family: Search on AmazonNikon Z6 III — hybrid mirrorless favorite: Search on AmazonSony A7 IV — full-frame hybrid workhorse: Search on AmazonPanasonic S5 II / S5 IIx — strong hybrid video options: Search on AmazonDJI Mic 2 / Mic Mini — wireless mics and cases: Search on AmazonAccessories — gimbals, tripods, cards: Search…

CDU/CSU rejects EU 'chat control' — Jens Spahn opposes suspicionless chat monitoring Shortly before the EU Council vote on the proposed "chat control" rules, the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the German Bundestag took a clear stance against suspicionless monitoring of private communications. Fraktionschef Jens Spahn said: "We as the CDU/CSU parliamentary group are against the suspicionless control of chats." He added that such measures are incompatible with rule-of-law principles and compared them to opening all letters to look for wrongdoing. The CDU/CSU position could block the required majority in the EU Council and significantly affect the fate of the Danish Presidency's proposal. The decision follows widespread protests and pressure from digital-rights advocates. “We are against suspicionless monitoring of chats.” — Jens Spahn Why this matters Privacy vs. security: the debate…

October Prime Day: Best Amazon device deals Amazon is discounting its in-house gadgets for Prime Day — Echo speakers, Kindles, Fire TV devices and Fire tablets. Below is a concise roundup of notable deals and quick links to search each product on Amazon (affiliate tag included). Kindles Kindle Kids — about $95 (cover, 2-year warranty, 1 year Amazon Kids+). Search: Kindle Kids on Amazon Kindle Paperwhite — about $125. Search: Kindle Paperwhite on Amazon Kindle Colorsoft — about $200. Search: Kindle Color on Amazon Kindle Scribe — about $300. Search: Kindle Scribe on Amazon Echo devices Echo Pop — about $25. Search: Echo Pop on Amazon Echo Dot — about $35. Search: Echo Dot on Amazon Echo Spot — about $45. Search: Echo Spot on Amazon Echo Show 5 —…

AI Search Podcast — Weekly AI Highlights Welcome to the AI Search podcast. This week we cover the most important AI releases and trends you need to know about. Top highlights OpenAI — o3‑mini: A new lightweight model from OpenAI focused on efficiency and broader deployment scenarios. DeepSeek — Janus‑Pro: Advanced search and multimodal capabilities aimed at content understanding and retrieval. Qwen 2.5‑Max: An improved release in the Qwen series with stronger reasoning and multilingual performance. Riffusion — FUZZ: New developments for AI music generation and diffusion-based audio synthesis. YuE — AI music generator: Generative music tool improvements for creators and production workflows. Doubao 1.5 Pro: A regionally notable model update expanding capabilities for local languages and tasks. Google — Daily Listen: Google continues to expand multimedia and audio-first AI…

Best Robot Vacuums 2025 — Quick Guide Robot vacuums have moved from novelty to everyday helpers. Modern models map homes, avoid obstacles, and some even self-empty — making them a great choice for busy households, pet owners, and parents. Why get a robot vacuum? Automates daily floor care — run on a schedule or via app. Good for light upkeep: dust, crumbs, pet hair. Advanced models offer mopping, home mapping, and obstacle avoidance. What to consider Floor type: Stronger suction helps on carpets; mopping helps hard floors. Suction power: Look at real-world tests (Pa numbers can help but aren’t universal). Wi‑Fi & app control: For scheduling, remote starts and room targeting. Mapping & obstacle detection: Useful for multi-room homes and avoiding toys or cords. Self-emptying bases: Great convenience but add…

Sonos Sale — Up to 20% Off (through Oct 12, 2025) Sonos has launched a sales promotion to coincide with Amazon Prime Deal Days. The offer includes discounts across its range — from smart speakers to full home‑theater bundles — with savings reported up to 20%. Examples from Sonos' promo Personal Entertainment Set with Arc Ultra — discounted (example pricing showed a reduction from $1,498 to $1,228). Premium Entertainment Set with Beam — example bundle with Sub, discounted (example pricing showed savings). Note: Specific products and stock may vary by retailer. You can view the official Sonos offers here: Sonos Promotional Offers Or search Sonos on Amazon (affiliate): https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Sonos&tag=f1rede-20 Questions for readers Are you planning to buy Sonos during this promotion? Which model would you choose and why? Share your…

NettoKOM LIFT plans: “Unlimited” data — but manual top-ups Discount telco NettoKOM (on the Telefónica network) has launched its LIFT prepaid tariffs, offering a path to virtually unlimited data — with a catch. When your booked data allowance is nearly exhausted, you can manually add 1 GB for free via the app. That 1 GB top-up can be repeated any number of times, but it must be triggered manually each time; there is no automatic refill. How it works When your data balance falls below 1 GB, the app lets you add 1 GB at no extra cost. You can repeat the process indefinitely, but you must do it manually each time. There’s no automatic continuous top-up — so staying 'always online' requires manual intervention. Available LIFT plans (high-level) LIFT…