It’s been another busy week in the world of tech. After rifling through the Prime Day sales (some are still going), we saw Microsoft defend its Xbox Game Pass price hikes and we also reviewed the world’s best travel camera.
To catch up on all this and more you can scroll down to see our recap of the week’s seven biggest stories, plus links to the full articles if you’re keen to learn more.
When you’re done be sure to also check out our picks for the seven new movies and TV shows to watch on Netflix, Prime Video, HBO Max and more this weekend (October 10).
7. Microsoft defended Xbox Game Pass
Following significant fan backlash from its recent Game Pass price hikes, Microsoft decided to change course… wait, sorry, no, it doubled down.
Microsoft’s director of gaming and platform communications, Dustin Blackwell, said that price hikes are “never fun for anybody” but insisted that these increases were the right thing and that more value is being added to its Game Pass plans.
Many of us here at TechRadar are yet to be convinced, and it seems many folks aren’t buying it either. More people than ever are reportedly Googling to find out how to cancel their subscriptions.
6. Tag Heuer revealed its pricey Apple Watch rival
Smartwatches are big on practicality, but often lack the design and prestige of classic watchmaking. Well, Tag Heuer tried to change that this week with its new Connected Calibre E5, whose ‘Made for iPhone’ billing means it plays particularly nicely with iOS devices.
Underneath its fancy, stainless steel design, the E5 is packed with sensors for fitness tracking, and can measure your blood oxygen, heart rate and sleep quality. And while it works with Android phones, you should get faster pairing, improved connectivity and more consistent updates on iPhones. The only stumbling block might be that $1,600 (around £1,200 / AU$2,400) price tag.
5. Wake Up Dead Man wowed us
While the Netflix movie won’t be streaming until December 12, we got to see Wake Up Dead Man early at the London Film Festival where it made its debut.
The third in the Knives Out series starring Daniel Craig as detective Benoit Blanc is “a near-perfect Netflix binge” according to our reviewer who gave it four out of five stars.
To give you a longer snippet from the full-review: “Thanks to a whip-smart script, there’s almost a laugh every minute peppered in between Blanc’s exceptional monologues we’ve come to know and love. Netflix, the cast and absurdness of what’s happening around them are all in the firing line, and the metaphorical shots fired make for the most enjoyable surprises. Nothing is too scathing or overt, and there’s no ‘woke brigade’ here. It’s just smart craft, and that’s what we want.”
4. We tested a five-star travel camera
The new OM System OM-5 II travel camera has faced some criticism for being a bit too samey to its predecessor – but as the saying goes ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.’
You could hike the price, boost the specs and change the identity of this camera, or you could get what you get from this travel snapper which is a fast, responsive travel-friendly experience with an EVF, weather sealing, excellent IBIS, and a wide range of compact, affordable, high-quality lenses.
The OM System OM-5 II has divided opinion but we’re firmly in the camp that it’s great – which is why we gave it five stars.
3. Sennheiser revealed new headphones
Audio tech stalwart Sennheiser has revealed the HDB 630 headphones, which it promises will deliver “true audiophile sound”. That’s largely because they’re bundled with Sennheiser’s BTD 700 USB-C dongle, which can bypass the wireless transmitter your phone uses to enable aptX, aptX HD, and aptX Adaptive audio no matter your device – looking at you, iPhone.
The quality is so good that even Spotify’s new Lossless update doesn’t quite max it out. Instead you’ll want a Tidal or Qobuz subscription (or similar) to get the best Bluetooth listening experience.
2. A reality-warping camera dropped
AI image and video tools are big right now, and Camera Intelligence’s new Caira device has brought Google’s new Nano Banana AI image model to a MagSafe attachment so you can edit reality in real time.
The advantage here is you can see what your final result will look like before you get into your home editing studio and realize that a differently-composed shot would have looked a lot better than the one you took once all the adjustments have been made.
As with all such tools, there are questions about ethics and responsible practices, but Camera Intelligence says it’s limiting identity-warping functionality and that it’s committed to what it calls an “ethics-first” development strategy.
1. We reviewed the Pixel 10 Pro Fold
This week we published our Pixel 10 Pro Fold review – and while it is a “phenomenal smartphone”, after some time with it we were “left wanting more… or maybe less.”
The issue is that the new Pro Fold costs $1,799 / £1,749 / AU $2,699, which is $950 / £750 / AU $1,000 more than the Pixel 10 Pro. The Fold can’t just be good, it needs to really justify its price against the excellent flat phones out there – and it doesn’t quite hit the mark in terms of cameras and features that take advantage of its unique design.
Still, it does look great, has a “charming software personality” and is the most durable smartphone on the market right now, so this foldable still has lots going in its favor.
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hamish.hector@futurenet.com (Hamish Hector)
