| So, the UK is set to join Australia in blocking under-16s from accessing social media apps, and for many teens the online world is about to get a lot smaller. As the father of teenage daughters I'm well aware of the appeal of TikTok, Instagram and the rest — and also of the horrors that can exist on these platforms. But do I think banning them is the answer? Honestly, I’m not sure. My own approach was to instead educate my kids about how to behave online, the dangers to be aware of, how to block and report — and to encourage them to speak to me about their online lives. Clearly, tech giants need to do more to protect youngsters online — but I remain dubious that prohibition is ever the solution.
Marc McLaren, Global Editor-in-Chief |
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| What happened – this week's biggest stories |
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 | | UK youngsters are staring down the barrel of a social media ban (natureaddict / Pixabay) |
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 | | Amazon Prime Day is back (Amazon, Ninja, LG, Keurig. Edited by Gemini) |
We measure the passing of time by deals events here at TechRadar, and next up on the calendar is Amazon Prime Day, which kicks off on Tuesday. Lots of excellent deals on tech and more are already live at Amazon in both the US and the UK, so if you want to grab a bargain right now look no further than our round-ups of the 75 best early deals live at Amazon US, and the 32 best deals live now at Amazon UK. Standout early deals include big discounts on Amazon's own device ranges, with up to a massive 80% off Fire TV devices, Blink cameras, and Ring doorbells in the UK, while if you're in the US, and those World Cup games don't look quite as impressive as you'd like, there are some outstanding deals on TVs available right now. And if you need a shot in the arm to get you through a busy day of bargain-hunting, one of our favorite coffee machines is on sale for a record-low price in both the US and UK. We'll be dropping masses of new deals over the weekend and all through next week, so stay tuned! |
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| What else? More of this week's tech news |
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 | | Tim Cook has warned that 'price increases are unavoidable' for Apple products (Apple) |
Breaking the bank... Outgoing Apple CEO Tim Cook has confirmed that prices across Apple's product range are set to rise, driven by what he called the "unsustainable" RAM crisis. We don't yet know the exact timing of the increases, but Cook warned they will be "substantial". If you're thinking of buying a Mac, now might well be the ideal time, as with Prime Day about to begin (see above!) you can snag a bargain and beat the price hikes in one fell swoop. While we're also hoping for some good deals on other Apple devices, such as iPhone and iPads, there's not a lot we'll be able to do if the rumors about the new AI Siri having a paid subscription tier are true. Reputable tipster Mark Gurman predicts that Apple could lock the best parts of Siri AI — which it revealed this week it built "from the ground up" — behind a ChatGPT-style paywall, which means advanced features such as conversational responses and image generation may not be included in the free iOS 27 update. Get caught up — the rest of this week's tech news in 30 seconds |
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 | | Interest in 4K Blu-ray is growing (Getty Images) |
| Happy birthday to Blu… June 20 marks the 20th anniversary of the introduction of Blu-ray. The format has evolved over time into 4K Blu-ray, with support for spatial audio and HDR making it even more impressive now than when high definition first blew our minds back in the heady days of 2006. When streaming appeared the future looked dark for physical media — but interest in Blu-rays is actually growing again, thanks to collectors, movie preservationists, and home-theater enthusiasts. We spoke to a physical media agency who told us it had seen an increase in Blu-ray orders of 10,000%. And when Disney+ is dropping Dolby Vision HDR support in some countries due to a patent issue, it’s easy to see why people are turning back to good old discs. More from the water cooler…
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 | | Razer chalks up another laptop win (Future) (Future) |
| Razer's edge… A "clean victory for the serpent-themed gaming brand, delivering almighty gaming performance in a surprisingly slender chassis". That's Christian Guyton's effusive verdict on the new Razer Blade 18 gaming laptop. Christian is impressed with the sleek design, the power, the performance on offer… pretty much everything really, except for the price tag, with the top-configuration model coming in at an eye-watering $6,999.99 (that spec is only available in the US). If you're a hardcore esports gamer, of course, you may well consider that to be good value — you just might need to win a tournament or two to pay for it. More from the TechRadar test bench… We wanted to love the Circular Ring 2, but the unreliable software got in the way
Fan club… Josephine Watson tested Dyson's first portable fan, and she was blown away with its good looks, cooling power, and approachable price — check out her Dyson HushJet Mini Cool video review below. |
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 | | Rockstar Games has shared the official cover art for GTA 6 (Rockstar Games) |
| Get ready to empty your wallet… Rockstar Games has confirmed that pre-orders for the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto 6 will open on June 25. There's still no word on how much it will cost, though — but we don't expect it to be cheap, with some speculating that it might set you back as much as $100 in the US. More from the TechRadar Gaming team… |
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| What's on – the week in entertainment |
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 | | What does he mean, "a far-too-familiar re-tread of its predecessors"? (Disney Pixar) |
“An all-too-safe adventure that suggests playtime could be over for Woody, Buzz, and Jessie” — that’s how senior entertainment reporter Tom Power summed up Toy Story 5, the latest entry in the hugely successful Disney/Pixar franchise, which lands in theaters today. But, while it doesn't hit the heights of earlier entries, Tom did find plenty to like about the movie — read his review for his comprehensive take. That’s not the only verdict Tom delivered on a tentpole property this week. Fans of all things Westeros won't want to miss his review of House of the Dragon season 3, which he called an “almost triumphant return to form” for the HBO series. |
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| What to try: tips, hacks and our favorite new products |
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 | | This pendant necklace tracks UV rays in real time (The90) |
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| What you think – this week's poll |
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| Which Android 17 features are you updating for? |
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