# Techloy > Techloy is a technology product platform delivering insights, analysis, and news in consumer tech, AI, gaming, and startups. Public Ghost content for AI and LLM tooling. This file includes a bounded export of public pages first, then recent public posts. Append `.md` to any post or page URL to get the content in Markdown (for example, `/example-post.md`). ## Pages ### What is Techloy about? URL: https://www.techloy.com/about/ Last updated: 2026-08-15T19:01:55.000Z ## It all started with a passion. The idea behind Techloy ([formerly StartupsNigeria.com](https://www.techloy.com/startupsnigeria/)) was born in April 2008 from Loy Okezie's Parisien shared apartment while studying for his post-graduate programme in France. The blog was his way of keeping up with and chronicling the nascent startup ecosystem in Africa and the technological developments around the world. From its early beginnings as a blog, Techloy obsessively profiled startups, broke the biggest news, reported exclusive stories, produced stellar reviews, crafted incisive opinions, and produced a thought-provoking analysis of the nascent technology startup ecosystem in Africa. --- > **Techloy is Africa’s most authoritative technology blog.** > – Forbes, 2012 --- ## We've relentlessly continued our mission. Since 2008, the Techloy brand has been the go-to technology product-focused platform for founders, investors, IT professionals, and students interested in the tech industry. The website, Techloy.com has continued to build on its reputation as one of the most authoritative platforms covering the technology space. --- > **To deliver quality, easy-to-use technology information that enables the best decisions for founders, investors, IT professionals, businesses, and everyday consumers.** --- Over the years, Techloy’s forward-thinking approach as a digital publication has seen it evolve from a blog to a full-fledged technology company providing deeper insights into news stories that matter around the economy, technology, mobile, business, finance, and entertainment. So if you want to keep up with the latest in consumer tech, AI, gaming, and the products shaping modern life, [**subscribe to Techloy.com**](https://www.techloy.com/subscribe/). [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/07/Techloy-membership-4.gif)](https://www.techloy.com/subscribe/) ## Driven by a people who have accepted the commission. We are a small team of tech enthusiasts passionate about covering all of the tech in your life in practical ways. ### Meet our editorial leadership ![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/06/download.jpg) ****Loy Okezie** – **Editorial Director.* He advices on our editorial strategy and direction. ![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/06/download--1-.jpg) [****Kelechi Edeh**](https://www.techloy.com/author/kelechi/) – **Managing Editor (Interim).* She executes our editorial strategy and leads our newsroom. ![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/06/download--2-.jpg) [****Jemi Motesho**](https://www.techloy.com/author/oluwajeminipe/) – **Associate Editor (Interim)*. She manages daily content production, edits stories, and coordinates with writers. ![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/06/download--3-.jpg) [****Damilare Odedina**](https://www.techloy.com/author/damilare/) – **Associate Editor (Interim)*. He oversees audience and SEO insights, reviews submissions, and edits stories. ![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/06/download--4-.jpg) [****Sietoyo Esitikott**](https://www.techloy.com/author/sietoyo/) – **Senior Data Journalist.* He leads data analysis, visualizations, and uncovers trends for investigative reporting. ![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/06/download--5-.jpg) [****Emmanuel Usen**](https://community.techloy.com/u/826989b4) – **Community Manager.* He manages our online community platforms, fosters audience engagement, and oversees reader interactions. ![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/06/download--6-.jpg) [****Louis Eriakha**](https://www.techloy.com/author/louis/) – **Senior Creative Associate (Interim).* He leads visual design, branding, and multimedia content creation to support editorial pieces. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/01/3.png) ## More than ever, we are laser-focused on our vision. Techloy's goal is to become a world leader in technology information and product intelligence in emerging markets. With nearly 20 years of chronicling the companies, products, and people shaping the digital economy around the world, Techloy is a brand trusted for its insightful analysis and deep-rooted expertise in the global technology landscape. To date, Techloy remains independent, bootstrapped, and privately held, which differentiates us in the increasingly complicated tech media landscape – and as such, we are free from the influence of any government, corporate, or individual interests. --- > **Techloy's reputation as the best site covering the African tech scene is well-deserved.** > – Samara Lynn, Technology editor for Black Enterprise magazine --- ## Our success is because of a team with a unified ambition. At Techloy, we pride ourselves on a young, vibrant, and creative bunch with combined skills and decades of experience in tech journalism, business intelligence, social media content creation, web development, project management, UI design, digital marketing, SEO, product management, and data analytics. Techloy has stellar alumni who have either launched their successful businesses or have worked/currently work in the venture capital and technology sectors in companies such as Paystack, Polar Signals, and PiggyVest. We’re always looking for talent who are quick to learn, given to growth, have versatile skills, and understand processes, to help grow the company. Working at Techloy allows you to learn, grow and progress in a fast-paced creative industry with lots of perks and flexibility. Techloy operates remotely and is independently owned and operated with the pioneering spirit of a startup and with a team working remotely from various locations that stay connected via technology. --- ### JOIN THE TEAM Interested in working at Techloy? [EXPLORE OUR OPENINGS](https://www.techloy.com/jobs/) --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/01/5.png) ## We provide services with a focus on client satisfaction. Techloy welcomes companies and organizations worldwide to partner or advertise with us to bring their thought leadership and messages to a global business and technology audience through the sponsorship of our newsletters – [***Techloy Weekly***](https://www.techloy.com/tag/newsletter) and [***Insight Loop***](https://www.techloy.com/tag/insight-loop/) – our [**community platform**](https://community.techloy.com/), and our research and intelligence products. If you're looking to inform and educate your audience or clients on relevant topics and trends through visualisations, Techloy provides digital marketing solutions and information marketing services that can enhance your product and brand messaging through the creation of customized digital infographics, charts, reports, whitepapers, and e-books. --- > **Techloy is a fantastic platform to work with! The team is cooperative, responsive, and genuinely supportive, making every interaction smooth and enjoyable.** > – Mansoor Ahmad, Yuze Digital --- ****🤝 JOIN OUR PARTNER PROGRAM** We have introduced a new program that puts our high-value partners first with better benefits and consistent value. Whether you are an agency managing a dozen clients or a brand seeking a long-term strategic partnership, we have the right tier to scale your message. Be among the first to join our [****2026 Partner Program**](https://www.techloy.com/content/files/2026/02/Techloy-Partner-Program-2026.pdf) and enjoy a 20% loyalty discount. [JOIN NOW ](https://techloy.typeform.com/PartnershipForm) --- ### Get in touch URL: https://www.techloy.com/contact/ Last updated: 2026-09-30T21:57:38.000Z ****What's new** We've updated our rates for 2026 to reflect our larger audience and introduced a new [Partner Program](https://www.techloy.com/content/files/2026/02/Techloy-Partner-Program-2026.pdf) that puts our long-term partners first with better benefits and consistent value. [JOIN NOW ](https://techloy.typeform.com/PartnershipForm) For general inquiries, editorial feedback, or content partnerships, please reach out to the appropriate department: - **General Inquiries:** [hello \[at\] techloy.com](mailto:hello@techloy.com) *(Reach out if you experienced a technical issue or want to report a security issue)* - **Editorial Team & News Tips:** [news \[at\] techloy.com](mailto:news@techloy.com) *(Give us an update on a news tip or inside information about a topic we covered)* - **Advertisement & Partnerships:** [business \[at\] techloy.com](mailto:business@techloy.com) *(Request our rate card for sponsored posts, banner ads, reseller program, partner program, and research & intelligence products.)* Advertise Put your brand in front of Techloy's global audience Our banner ads are built for brands that want to stay visible. With a clutter-free reading experience, every placement delivers high viewability and strategic frequency. 150K+Monthly readers 540K+Monthly page views 1M+Monthly ad impressions Clutter-free placements High viewability Strategic frequency for your brand [Request the brochure](https://techloy.typeform.com/BannerAdRequest) Questions? Email [business@techloy.com](mailto:business@techloy.com) ### Follow the Conversation Stay updated with the latest in technology and innovation in the world's emerging markets by following us on social media: [**X (Twitter)**](https://x.com/techloy) **|** [**Facebook**](https://facebook.com/techloy) **|** [**LinkedIn**](https://linkedin.com/company/techloy) **|** [**Instagram**](https://instagram.com/techloy) **|** [**TikTok**](https://tiktok.com/@techloy) **|** [**YouTube**](https://youtube.com/techloy) --- ## **Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)** #### ****What is Techloy?** Techloy is a technology media and data company that provides content research and information marketing services to its clients globally. Through our website at Techloy.com, we publish information about companies, consumer tech products, and careers for founders, investors, IT professionals, and students in the tech industry. #### ****Does Techloy.com accept guest articles, paid posts, or sponsored content?** Yes, we do. We publish a wide range of content related to technology and innovation globally. This includes news, analysis, features, how-to guides, interviews, career tips, and opinion pieces. We focus on content that provides value to our audience of entrepreneurs, investors, and tech enthusiasts. The content must be informational, insightful, and engaging and may include brand mentions and promotional messages about products and services. However, all submissions must be original, well-researched, non-AI-generated, and relevant to our readers. #### ****What kind of themes are not accepted on Techloy.com?** We do not publish content with adult, tobacco, CBD, casino, gambling, and betting themes and links. We, however, accept articles that feature iGaming software solutions, and explore how cutting-edge advancements, software and solutions from artificial intelligence (AI) to blockchain and beyond are reshaping gaming experiences, enhancing operational efficiency, and redefining the future of entertainment. ****Note: Casino, gambling, and betting links are no longer accepted, starting December 1, 2025.** #### ****How do I submit content for review?** You can submit the content for review by emailing business \[at\] techloy.com, and our editorial team will review it and respond back to you as soon as possible. All content must be of high quality and free of grammatical errors. We may publish promotional content at an additional fee. Our editorial team reserves the right to edit all submissions for clarity, style, and tone to align with our editorial standards. #### ****How many dofollow/nofollow links and images are accepted per article?** - ****Links:** We accept up to five (5) same client links, depending on the content tier. ****Generally, we allow only one (1) link for the Silver Tier.** We also accept a maximum of two (2) external authority links. The links may include UTM parameters for tracking purposes. - ****Images:** We accept up to ten (10) images, depending on the content tier. ****Generally, we allow only three (3) images for the Silver Tier**. The images must be in landscape mode with an aspect ratio of 16:9 and not less than 1200x800 pixels. #### ****Will the content and links be indexed by Google?** All content and links are published with the purpose of being indexed by Google, but we do not control or influence when and how it is done by Google. #### ****What is the maximum word count allowed per article?** We allow up to 3,000 words, depending on the content tier. However, a maximum of 1,000 words is allowed for our Silver Standard Content Tier and a maximum of 1,500 words for our Silver Premium Content Tier. Any content that is more than the required word count usually attracts additional fees. #### ****Will the content be published before payment?** No. After the content has been approved by the editorial team for publishing, an invoice or a payment link is sent for payment processing. The content is usually published within one (1) to three (3) hours during our business hours upon the confirmation of payment. #### ****Can the content appear on the homepage, in-article and be promoted on social media?** - ****Homepage:** We do not offer homepage feature placements. Articles are published under their respective and best fit content categories on our platform and are not pinned to the homepage hero section. However, articles published on Techloy.com receive significant traffic regardless of homepage placement. With over 1 million active users, 4 million pageviews, and 102 million organic search impressions, as of December 2025, our content reaches a wide and engaged audience primarily through search engines and social media. \[****Note:** **Since April 2026, we began offering banner ad placements, so if you would like extra visibility for your article, please request for our ad banner rates*.\] - ****In-Article:** Techloy offers an In-Article Feature as an add-on. This gives your article prominent placement within our content, helping it stand out and reach even more readers. Drive 3x more views than other articles between paragraphs of high-value contextual articles, tutorials, and deep-dive reviews. ****Prices start from $50 per article, per month.** - ****Social Media:** Social media promotion is not included as standard; however, you can put your brand in the spotlight with our Social Media + Newsletter plan, which includes social media mentions and a featured spot in our weekly newsletter. **Prices start from $30 per mention, per medium.** #### ****Will the content remain permanently on the website?** We do not remove content from our website unless a client requests the removal of their content, which will be at our sole discretion and may incur additional fees. Otherwise, all content published will remain on Techloy.com for as long as the website is available. #### ****How much does it cost to publish an article?** Prices for content placements start from $100 (or its currency equivalent) per article. Our pricing is typically non-negotiable. Payment for sponsored content must be made in full before it is published. We accept payments via PayPal or Bank Transfer. Once the content is published, the payment is non-refundable. #### ****Can I make changes to my content after it has been published?** Yes. However, requests for changes or amendments to a published article more than 24 hours after initial publication may be subject to an administrative fee. Please refer to our [terms of service](https://www.techloy.com/terms/) for further details. #### ****Does Techloy.com offer refunds?** No. Techloy operates a strict no-refunds policy for paid content once the order has been processed and the content has been published. We take our commitment to our clients seriously, and once the content is live and accessible to our audience, the service is considered delivered. Please refer to our [terms of service](https://www.techloy.com/terms/) for further details. #### ****My question has not been answered yet.** No problem at all! We will be delighted to answer your questions! Please feel free to reach out to our operations team via email: business \[at\] techloy.com. ### Subscribe to Techloy.com URL: https://www.techloy.com/subscribe/ Last updated: 2026-10-09T14:04:40.000Z [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/07/Techloy-membership-1.gif)](https://www.techloy.com/signup/) ### As one of the world’s most authoritative technology media websites, Techloy.com is dedicated to chronicling the companies, products, and people shaping the digital economy across global emerging markets. Historically, Techloy has been described as "Africa's most authoritative technology blog" by *Forbes* and has been cited by major outlets like *CNN*, *Aljazeera,* *BBC*, *TechCrunch,* and *The Economic Times*. Some of our readers have described our flagship newsletter, *Techloy Weekly*, as "original", "quirky", and "useful." Our insight-based newsletter, *Insight Loop* has received accolades, with readers saying they appreciate the move toward analyzing how products such as AI tools and EVs are actually shaping their daily lives, than just reporting on funding rounds. In all our coverage, we strive to move away from just 'breaking news' to tell you why the story or trend matters and help you make sense of the tech in your life. --- > **Techloy’s strengths is its focus on markets that are often underrepresented in mainstream tech media.** > – Verushka Buonaffina, Principal at Publicize, and a Forbes Contributor. --- ## **Subscribe to our Newsletters** [****TECHLOY WEEKLY**](https://www.techloy.com/tag/newsletter/) [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/02/TECHLOY-WEEKLY-1.png)](https://www.techloy.com/signup/#/portal/signup/) Our flagship newsletter, **Techloy Weekly*, brings you the most important technology news and insights across the world's largest emerging markets from trusted sources. ****Delivered to your inbox, every Friday at 5PM GMT+1\.** [SUBSCRIBE HERE ](https://www.techloy.com/signup/#/portal/signup/) ### **What you can expect in your inbox** - **Great reporting** on consumer technology in emerging markets and around the world. - **Expert guides** thathelp you make informed decisions on the best use of the tech in your life. - **Weekly coverage** on technology startups, ecosystems and the people behind them. --- [****INSIGHT LOOP**](https://www.techloy.com/tag/insight-loop/) [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/01/Insight-Loop-Newsletter-Banner-2.png)](https://www.techloy.com/signup/#/portal/signup/) **Techloy*’s insight-based newsletter dives deep into the numbers shaping technology and the industries around it. You can expect charts that tell stories, analysis that adds perspective, and coverage that makes sense of where tech is headed next. ****Delivered to your inbox, every Sunday at 11AM GMT+1.** [SUBSCRIBE HERE ](https://www.techloy.com/signup/#/portal/signup/) ### **What you can expect in your inbox** - **Deep dives into emerging trends** that go beyond the headlines to reveal the "why" behind the shift. - **Actionable frameworks** designed to help you apply complex data to your business or investment strategy. - **A curated look at the feedback loops** shaping the future of tech, finance, and consumer behavior. --- > **Techloy's reputation as the best site covering the African tech scene is well-deserved.** > – Samara Lynn, Technology editor for Black Enterprise magazine. --- ## **Why become a paying subscriber?** Becoming a paid *Techloy* member gives you deeper insights into technology news, companies, products, and the people behind them across the world's largest emerging markets. You'll gain premium and unlimited access to original reporting featuring exclusive stories, investigative reports, insightful data, market intelligence, data-driven analysis, and intriguing research that you likely won't find anywhere else. If you want the data and insight behind the news about startups, products, careers, venture capital, unicorns, big tech, around the world, we've got you! Plus, there's a weekly round-up of the hottest technology news, products, deals, startups, careers, data, charts, and insight in your email, every weekend. As a paid member, you aren’t just getting 'the news'. You’re getting the intelligence needed to make informed decisions across technology ecosystems and the global economy. ### **Your paid membership includes access to:** - **Deep dives** into consumer technology behavior in emerging markets and around the world. - **Insightful stories** thathelp you make sense of the numbers behind the news. - **Intelligent reporting** on technology startups, ecosystems and the people behind them. - **Market intelligence** into emerging trends and technologies that are shaping the future of global markets. - **Exclusive reports** on how innovation is driving growth in a particular industry, country or region. - **Unlimited search** across our entire library of charts, infographics, and video content. - **Interesting perks** including merch, discounts, complimentary offers, and early invites. We believe that true insight lives at the intersection of local context and global trends. That's why we don't just tell you *what* happened; we explain *why* it matters for your portfolio, your career, or your company. --- [START YOUR 14-DAY FREE TRIAL NOW!](https://www.techloy.com/subscribe/#/portal/signup/) --- ### Terms of Service URL: https://www.techloy.com/terms/ Last updated: 2026-10-05T16:15:15.000Z These Terms of Service ("the Terms") set out the rules for using Techloy.com (the "Website") and Techloy (the "Service"), a publication of Techloy Limited (the "Company", "we", "us"). They also cover subscribing to the Service, our pricing options, payment terms and refunds policy, and advertising with us. **Who we are.** Techloy Limited is a company registered in England and Wales (company number 13488283). Our registered address is Suite A, 82 James Carter Road, Mildenhall, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, IP28 7DE, United Kingdom. Please read these Terms carefully before using the Service. They should be read together with our [Privacy Policy](https://www.techloy.com/privacy/) and [Community Guidelines](https://www.techloy.com/community/). If you do not agree to these Terms, please do not use the Service. ## 1\. Accounts and eligibility You must be at least 16 years old to create an account, subscribe or become a member. By signing up, you confirm that you meet this requirement and that the information you give us is accurate. You are responsible for keeping your login details secure and for all activity under your account. Accounts are for individual use and may not be shared or transferred. We may suspend or close your account if you misuse the Service, breach these Terms or our Community Guidelines, attempt fraud, or if we are required to by law. ## 2\. Subscriptions A subscription allows you to receive the subscription content from the Service, such as articles, exclusive content, or promotional content, through email or via the Website. To subscribe, you may be required to provide certain information, such as your email address and name. We handle your personal information as described in our [Privacy Policy](https://www.techloy.com/privacy/), which explains what we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, and your rights. The content delivered through the subscription is for your personal, non-commercial use. You may not reproduce, distribute, modify, or create derivative works of the content without the express written permission of the Service. You can unsubscribe from the Service at any time by following the instructions included in each email you receive. ## 3\. Payment terms ### 3.1 Subscribers The Service accepts credit and debit cards through Stripe and will automatically charge your card for all applicable fees on a monthly or yearly basis, depending on which plan you select, until you or we cancel your account. The fee is billed when you become a member and each month or year thereafter unless and until you cancel your membership. If any fee is not paid on time, or we are unable to process your payment, we may suspend or revoke access to your paid membership. All information you provide in connection with a payment must be accurate, complete and current. You agree to pay all charges incurred through your payment method at the prices in effect when they are incurred, together with any applicable taxes. It is your responsibility to keep your payment details current. If your card expires or changes, please update it in your account settings to avoid any interruption to your membership. You remain responsible for any amounts due on your account. **Renewals and price changes.** Your membership renews automatically at the end of each billing period. 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You will receive a reminder three (3) days before the invoice due date. To avoid paying a **late payment fee of 5% of the agreed-upon publication fee**, ensure that you make this payment before the due date. A late fee of **5% of the agreed-upon publication fee** will be applied as a line item on the invoice if the invoice is unpaid one (1) day after the invoice due date, so carefully review your order before confirming your purchase. The Service operates a no refunds policy after the order has been processed and delivered. ## 4\. Refunds policy ### 4.1 Your 14-day right to cancel If you are a consumer in the UK or EU, you have the right to cancel a new paid subscription within 14 days of purchase. If you asked for access to start straight away, we will refund what you paid minus a proportionate amount for the time you used before cancelling. To cancel within the 14 days, contact us using the details in section 13. ### 4.2 Subscribers After the 14-day period, you may cancel your account at any time, but there are no refunds for cancellation or for partially used months or years. If you cancel before the end of your billing cycle, you keep access to your membership for the remainder of that cycle. If we suspend or terminate your account because you breached these Terms, you will not receive a refund for any unused time. ### 4.3 Advertisers and Partners A no refunds policy applies to advertisers and partners using the Service to promote their products, brands or clients, once the order has been delivered. Please carefully review your order before confirming your purchase. All sales are final once an order has been processed, fulfilled or delivered. In certain circumstances, we may offer an exchange in the form of credit toward a future order rather than issuing a monetary refund. This may apply in situations including: - Duplicate payments or invoices paid more than once. - Overpayments or payments made in excess of the amount invoiced. - Billing or payment errors that result in an account credit. - Approved order adjustments where a refund is not otherwise applicable. - Other exceptional circumstances approved by management on a case-by-case basis. Where an exchange is approved, the eligible amount will be applied as credit toward the customer's next order and deducted from the total amount due on the subsequent invoice. Exchanges or credits are offered at our discretion and do not constitute an automatic entitlement to a refund or exchange. ### 4.4 Your statutory rights Nothing in these Terms affects your statutory rights as a consumer, including your rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 if the Service is not provided as described. ## 5\. 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This fee covers administrative costs and resources allocated to the preparation and scheduling of the content. Once content has been published on the Website and is live and accessible to our audience, no refunds or cancellations are possible. If a client wishes to have content removed after publication, this will be at our sole discretion and may incur additional fees. ### 5.3 Our right to cancel or refuse publication The Service reserves the right to refuse or cancel the publication of any content at our discretion, even after it has been submitted, if it does not meet our editorial standards, violates our content guidelines or the standards in section 7, or for any other reason we deem appropriate. In such cases, if the refusal or cancellation is initiated by the Service prior to publication, the client will be entitled to a full refund of any fees paid for that specific content. ### 5.4 Payment of cancellation fees The client will be invoiced any applicable cancellation fees, payable within 5 days of the invoice date. A late fee of **5% of the cancellation fee** will be applied if the invoice is unpaid after the due date. Exceptions to this policy may be made in extraordinary circumstances, at our sole discretion. ## 6\. Permanent placement, content removal and changes ### 6.1 Placement duration How long a placement stays live depends on the type of order. **Regular publications are permanent.** Sponsored articles and other Partner Content published as standalone articles on the Website ("Regular Publications") are permanent. For the purposes of these Terms, "Permanent" means the lifetime of the Website. Techloy.com guarantees that Regular Publications will remain live and accessible at their original URL for as long as the Website is owned and operated by the Company, subject to the following exceptions: - General site restructuring or migration. - Technical failures beyond the publisher's control. - Legal orders or valid takedown notices. **Time-bound placements are not permanent.** Link insertions, reseller packages and any other placement sold for a set period ("Time-bound Placements") remain live only for the period stated in your order, proposal or invoice, starting from the date the content or link goes live. When that period ends, we may remove, de-link, update or archive the placement without further notice or refund. Where renewal is offered, you can renew before the period ends at our then-current rates. The exceptions above also apply during the placement period. If an order does not state a period, it is treated as a Regular Publication only if it is a standalone article; all other placements are treated as Time-bound Placements and will be confirmed in writing before publication. The Advertiser assumes all liability for the Content provided. You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Techloy.com and its affiliates against any claims, suits or expenses (including legal fees) arising from the publication of the sponsored content. In line with advertising regulations, all sponsored articles will be clearly labelled as "Partner Content". This label is non-negotiable and will remain for the duration of the post. ### 6.2 Content removal While the article is permanent, Techloy.com is not responsible for the Advertiser's broken links. If a destination URL becomes malicious or leads to a 404 error, Techloy.com reserves the right to remove the link while keeping the article text live. The Website reserves the right to remove content without a refund if: 1. The Advertiser's business or link is found to be fraudulent or engages in illegal activities. 2. The Content becomes the subject of a legal dispute or violates third-party intellectual property rights. 3. The Advertiser requests removal (no pro-rated refunds apply). ### 6.3 Request for changes Any request for **minor changes** or amendments to a publication submitted by the Client more than twenty-four (24) hours after the initial publication time will be subject to a minimum **administrative fee of US$20**. If a Client requests a **major change** to the publication (such as multiple paragraphs, headlines, slugs, links, photos or videos) within or after the 24-hour period, this will attract a flat fee of **US$50**. The final fee charged could be up to US$100, or equal to the cost of the publication fee, depending on the changes requested. The fee must be paid in full before any changes are made. The Service reserves the right to decline change requests if they are technically unfeasible, infringe third-party rights, or violate any applicable laws or regulations. The Service does not guarantee that all requested changes will be accommodated. ## 7\. Advertiser content standards All Partner Content, banner ads and other advertising on the Service must be legal, decent, honest and truthful. By submitting content, the Advertiser confirms that it: - complies with the UK Code of Non-broadcast Advertising (CAP Code) and the Advertising Standards Authority's rulings, and, for US audiences, the Federal Trade Commission's rules on advertising and endorsements; - complies with consumer protection laws on misleading claims and unfair commercial practices, and any rules that apply to the product or service advertised, including financial promotion rules; - does not infringe anyone's intellectual property, privacy or other rights; and - is accurate, with any claims, statistics, testimonials or results able to be substantiated on request. The Advertiser is solely responsible for the accuracy and lawfulness of its content and the products or services it promotes. We may request evidence for any claim and may edit, refuse or remove content that does not meet these standards. ## 8\. Intellectual property All content on the Website and in our newsletters, including articles, headlines, images, graphics, videos, podcasts, logos and design, is owned by Techloy Limited or our licensors and is protected by copyright, trademark and other laws. "Techloy" is a proprietary trademark of Techloy Limited. **What you may do.** You may read and share our content for personal, non-commercial purposes. You may share links to our articles and quote short extracts, provided you credit Techloy and link back to the original article. **What you may not do.** Without our prior written permission, you may not: - copy, republish, syndicate or redistribute our articles or other content, in whole or in substantial part; - scrape, crawl or extract content or data from the Website using bots, scripts or other automated tools, including to train AI models; or - use our name, logo or trademarks in a way that suggests endorsement or affiliation. For licensing or republication requests, contact us using the details in section 13. ## 9\. Comments and community Where comments are enabled on the Website, you must follow our [Community Guidelines](https://www.techloy.com/community/). Comments must not be illegal, abusive, hateful, defamatory, spam or misleading, and must not infringe anyone's rights. You are responsible for what you post, and you give us permission to display, store and moderate it. We may remove comments, close discussions or restrict commenting privileges at our discretion, including for breaches of these Terms or our Community Guidelines. The Techloy Community at community.techloy.com is governed by its own [Community Terms of Service](https://community.techloy.com/terms) and [Community Privacy Policy](https://community.techloy.com/privacy). ## 10\. Disclosure **Partner content.** Techloy may publish content from content partners related to crypto trading, stocks, gaming, cryptocurrency and similar topics. This content is intended for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment or other advice. The content may contain advertisements for websites and services related to crypto trading, stocks, gaming and cryptocurrency. This does not influence our editorial content, which remains objective and informative. Techloy and its authors are not liable for any losses or damages incurred as a result of using the information provided on the Website. **Affiliate links.** Some articles may contain affiliate links. If you click one and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Affiliate relationships do not influence our editorial decisions or recommendations. ## 11\. Liability and disclaimers **Information only.** Content on the Service is provided for general information only. It is not professional, financial, investment, legal or technical advice, and you should not rely on it as such. While we aim to keep content accurate and up to date, we do not guarantee that it is complete, accurate or current. **Availability.** We provide the Service with reasonable care and skill, but we do not promise that it will always be available, uninterrupted or free from errors or viruses. **Third-party links.** The Service contains links to third-party websites, products and services, including in Partner Content and advertising. We do not control them and are not responsible for their content, practices or availability. **What we are not responsible for.** We are not liable for: - losses that were not reasonably foreseeable when you started using the Service; - business losses, such as lost profits, revenue, contracts or opportunities, if you use the Service for business purposes; or - events outside our reasonable control. **Limit on our liability.** Our total liability to you for all claims arising from or relating to the Service is limited to the greater of (a) the amount you paid us in the 12 months before the claim arose, and (b) £100. **What we do not exclude.** Nothing in these Terms limits or excludes our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or for anything else that cannot be limited or excluded by law. Nothing in these Terms affects your statutory rights as a consumer. ## 12\. Changes to the Terms of Service The Company may modify or update these Terms from time to time to reflect changes in our business and practices, so you should review this page periodically. When we change the Terms in a material way, we will let you know and update the "last modified" date at the bottom of this page. ## 13\. Governing law, related policies and contact **Governing law.** These Terms are governed by the law of England and Wales, and the courts of England and Wales have jurisdiction over any dispute. If you are a consumer living elsewhere in the UK or in another country, you keep the protection of the mandatory consumer laws where you live and may also bring proceedings in your local courts. **Related policies.** These Terms work together with: - our [Privacy Policy](https://www.techloy.com/privacy/); - our [Community Guidelines](https://www.techloy.com/community/); and - for community.techloy.com, the [Community Terms of Service](https://community.techloy.com/terms) and [Community Privacy Policy](https://community.techloy.com/privacy). **Contact us.** If you have any questions about these Terms, please contact: Techloy Limited Suite A, 82 James Carter Road, Mildenhall, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, IP28 7DE, United Kingdom | Email: hello@techloy.com --- *These Terms of Service were last modified on October 4, 2026.* ### Careers at Techloy URL: https://www.techloy.com/jobs/ Last updated: 2026-09-21T17:03:35.000Z ### Techloy is a technology company that operates in the media industry. We believe that hiring and training our people in the skills they might need for the role is important, but it's almost impossible to train someone to have a better attitude. Founded in 2008, we are a young, vibrant, and creative team that is passionate about telling the most important stories in technology and helping people to understand what it means, why it matters, and how it works. Our team possesses combined skills and decades of experience in tech journalism, business intelligence, social media content creation, web development, project management, UI design, digital marketing, SEO, product management, and data analysis. We’re always on the lookout for talented people who are quick to learn, given to growth, have versatile skills, and understand processes, to help grow the company. Working at Techloy provides you with the opportunity to learn, grow and progress in a fast-paced creative industry with lots of perks and flexibility. --- ## **HIRING NOW:** ### **👨🏻‍💻 Senior Creative Lead (Remote)** Techloy is hiring a Senior Creative Lead to own our visual voice, turn our best stories into visuals, and make our videos impossible to scroll past, on every platform we publish to. [APPLY](https://tally.so/r/obJ8q5) --- ### **About Techloy** We are a leading business and technology information platform catering to clients and audiences globally. We offer services such as information-based guides, content marketing, and research & insights. At Techloy, we pride ourselves on a young, vibrant, and creative bunch with combined skills and decades of experience in tech journalism, business intelligence, social media content creation, web development, project management, UI design, digital marketing, SEO, product management, and data analysis. Techloy is an equal opportunities employer and values diversity. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, or disability status. ### **Why work at Techloy** Working at Techloy provides you with the opportunity to learn, grow and progress in a fast-paced creative industry with lots of perks and flexibility. Techloy offers a wide range of perks, including, but not limited to: - Fully-remote work - Competitive salary and bonuses - Monthly internet subscription - A minimum of 26 days annual leave (including public holidays) - Training & development - Equipment purchase scheme - Employee recognition & rewards - Weekly social activities & games - Local and international event coverage - Access to innovative tools and products Techloy has stellar alumni who have either launched their successful businesses or have worked/currently work in the venture capital and technology sectors in companies such as Paystack, Polar Signals, and PiggyVest. Techloy operates remotely and remains independent, bootstrapped, and privately held, which differentiates us in the increasingly complicated tech media landscape. ### Community URL: https://www.techloy.com/community/ Last updated: 2026-05-01T00:58:44.000Z One of the best things about sharing content online is being able to engage in a safe and welcoming community for everyone. That's why we have launched a [**community on Techloy.com**](https://community.techloy.com/) where you can chat with other members,share knowledge and experiences, and share what content you enjoyed the most on the platform. To help keep the community safe, constructive and fun, here are a few things for you to keep in mind. ### **Be respectful** We are building Techloy.com to be a safe and inviting community for everyone, so we expect that all members should be civil and respectful in their interactions. Like any online platform, we're a group of people with a range of experiences and beliefs, many of which may differ from your own. Consider this a gift — interesting and challenging perspectives can open doors you didn't even know existed. ### **Be real** When you publish your first comment on Techloy.com, you'll be prompted to complete a member profile, with your name and expertise. You can also update this at any time. Using your real name and sharing your expertise or lived experience helps give context to valuable discussions. Sharing these extra details alongside your comments shows the perspective from which you are joining the conversation. ### **Be focused** A new post might prompt a dozen different types of responses, from a reader sharing a personal story to a newcomer asking for clarification. In every instance, do your best to stay on topic, support your replies with the additional context or sources where appropriate, and focus on discussing the ideas presented. - Link to trustworthy articles, reports, and sources to support your arguments. - Only share links to your own content when it directly adds to the conversation. Please don't spam. Nobody likes spam. Nobody. If you've contributed to the conversation and someone else replies to your thread, you'll be notified by email. You can choose to switch these emails off in your member account settings, under email preferences. ### **Be constructive** Constructive contributions are the best kind. If you have knowledge that places the topic of the post in a new light, or if you have feedback about the subject matter — it's best shared in a way that helps everyone feel like this is a space where new ideas are respected and valued. With every comment you make, you add to the dialogue. Many people may read your words and use them to shape their ideas and feelings about a topic, event, or person. Employ that influence wisely. Move the collective conversation forward, and invite others to follow your lead. ### **Be alert** As a member, you can help maintain a safe and inviting community by reporting any behaviour that goes against these guidelines. If you see someone being rude, negative, hateful, divisive, or combative in the comments section, flag it. All you need to do is click the three dots next to the inappropriate comment and then click **Report comment**. These reports are taken seriously, and there's a zero-tolerance policy for abusive behaviour. ### **Be the 'you' online that you are in person** Most people are kind and well-intentioned humans. Although it may seem like the opposite is true on the internet at times, the reality is that people tend to follow the majority. You can help keep the tone on Techloy.com friendly and fun if you lead the way with insightful, humane language. Please make Techloy.com a community where you want to spend time in. Thank you for being a valued member, and see you in the comments! ### Welcome back! URL: https://www.techloy.com/signin/ Last updated: 2025-09-25T13:06:19.000Z # Please [log in](https://www.techloy.com/#/portal/signin) to your account. ## Don't have an account? [Subscribe ](https://www.techloy.com/subscribe/) now! ### The Nigerian Bank USSD Codes in 2023 URL: https://www.techloy.com/nigerian-bank-ussd-codes/ Last updated: 2024-01-31T09:47:58.000Z The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) first introduced its cashless policy in January 2012, with an initial pilot taking place in Lagos, and later in Rivers, Anambra, Abia, Kano, Ogun and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in July 2013, before the policy was implemented nationwide on July 1st, 2014. Over a decade, the cashless policy in Nigeria has resulted in the adoption of electronic payment systems and digital payment platforms, helping to deepen financial inclusion and leading the country to become a cashless society. Commercial banks and fintech companies in Nigeria, on their part, have introduced ATM terminals, apps and websites, and POS terminals to encourage the adoption of the cashless policy. Most importantly, the use of Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) for banking transactions via mobile without the need for an internet connection, has been very useful in ensuring that the policy is implemented. ### What is USSD Banking? The term "Unstructured Supplementary Service Data" or USSD is a technology that has been present since the early 1990s that allows financial transactions to be performed using older mobile phones, feature phones, non-smartphones, and smartphones without internet access through a mobile service provider. To use the USSD code for any bank transaction, you would need to activate the code on your mobile phone, using your phone number. *Techloy*'s [Tech Guide](https://www.techloy.com/tag/tech-guides/) team have provided a full list of all the Nigerian bank's USSD codes to enable you to make quick electronic funds transactions. _This page is for subscribers only._ ### Your account URL: https://www.techloy.com/account/ Last updated: 2024-12-03T00:24:03.000Z As a Techloy member, you can manage your Techloy subscription from our dedicated customer portal on Stripe, which allows you to change a subscription, update a payment method, or view your billing history. To manage your subscription: - Go to our [**customer portal**](https://billing.stripe.com/p/login/aEU5nJeZu7fogbC4gg) on Stripe. - Enter your email address and we will send you a link directly to your customer portal. (Note: The link will be active for 30 minutes.) 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[![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2024/12/Techloy_manage_billing.png)](https://billing.stripe.com/p/login/aEU5nJeZu7fogbC4gg) Head over now to our [**customer portal**](https://billing.stripe.com/p/login/aEU5nJeZu7fogbC4gg) to manage your Techloy.com membership! If you have any questions regarding your Techloy subscription, contact us at [**hello@techloy.com**](mailto:hello@techloy.com) ### Editorial Standards URL: https://www.techloy.com/editorial-standards/ Last updated: 2025-02-05T12:14:05.000Z At Techloy, we take pride in delivering high-quality content that is trustworthy, accurate, and beneficial to our readers. We achieve this through a commitment to strong editorial standards that apply across all our publications and content types, from news to in-depth reviews. ### **Our Core Principles** - **Reliability:** Our content is meticulously researched and thoroughly reviewed by a team of experienced journalists, researchers, editors, and specialists. You can trust that the information you find on our sites is accurate and up-to-date. - **Originality:** We uphold the highest ethical standards, including copyright laws and journalistic principles. We have zero tolerance for plagiarism and are committed to delivering authentic and original content. - **Independence:** Our reviews are never influenced by outside factors. We do not accept payment for reviews, and our ratings are based on a set of objective criteria. - **Transparency:** We are committed to transparency in all aspects of our content creation. We label partner content and disclose any potential conflicts of interest. We also provide clear attribution for all sources used in our articles. - **Accuracy:** We take accuracy very seriously. If we discover any errors in our content, we will correct them promptly and transparently. We also encourage readers to report any inaccuracies they find. ### **Disclosure** Techloy publishes content from content partners that are related to gambling, crypto trading, stocks, gaming, and cryptocurrency, etc. The content provided is solely intended for educational and informational purposes only, and does not constitute advice. The content may contain links to related websites and services of gambling, crypto trading, stocks, gaming, and cryptocurrency. This does not influence the content, which remains objective and informative. Techloy and its authors are not liable for any losses or damages incurred as a result of using the information provided on the website. ### **Our Commitment Continues** These are just some of the ways we ensure the quality and integrity of our content. We are constantly reviewing and updating our editorial standards to meet the needs of our readers. If you have any questions or feedback, please don't hesitate to contact our [**editor@techloy.com**](mailto:editor@techloy.com). *Our Editorial Standards were last modified on February 5, 2025.* ### Start your Techloy membership today! URL: https://www.techloy.com/signup/ Last updated: 2026-07-04T22:24:43.000Z ### As one of the world’s most authoritative technology product-focused platforms, Techloy.com is dedicated to chronicling the companies, products, and people shaping the digital economy across global emerging markets. Historically, *Techloy* has been described as "Africa's most authoritative technology blog" by *Forbes* and has been cited by major outlets like *CNN*, *Aljazeera,* *BBC*, *TechCrunch,* and *The Economic Times*. Some of our readers have described our flagship newsletter, [*Techloy Weekly*](https://www.techloy.com/tag/newsletter/), as "original", "quirky", and "useful." Our insight-based newsletter, [*Insight Loop*](https://www.techloy.com/tag/insight-loop/) has received accolades, with readers saying they appreciate the move toward analyzing how products such as AI tools and EVs are actually shaping their daily lives, rather than just reporting on funding rounds. In all our coverage, we strive to move away from just 'breaking news' to tell you why the story or trend matters and help you make sense of the tech in your life. --- > **Techloy’s strengths is its focus on markets that are often underrepresented in mainstream tech media.** > – Verushka Buonaffina, Principal at Publicize, and a Forbes Contributor. --- ## **Why become a paying subscriber?** Becoming a paid *Techloy* member gives you deeper insights into technology news, companies, products, and the people behind them across the world's largest emerging markets. You'll gain premium and unlimited access to original reporting featuring exclusive stories, investigative reports, insightful data, market intelligence, data-driven analysis, and intriguing research that you likely won't find anywhere else. If you want the data and insight behind the news about startups, products, careers, venture capital, unicorns, big tech, around the world, we've got you! Plus, there's a weekly round-up of the hottest technology news, products, deals, startups, careers, data, charts, and insight in your email, every weekend. As a paid member, you aren’t just getting 'the news'. You’re getting the intelligence needed to make informed decisions across technology ecosystems and the global economy. ### **Your paid membership includes access to:** - **Deep dives** into consumer technology behavior in emerging markets and around the world. - **Insightful stories** thathelp you make sense of the numbers behind the news. - **Intelligent reporting** on technology startups, ecosystems and the people behind them. - **Market intelligence** into emerging trends and technologies that are shaping the future of global markets. - **Exclusive reports** on how innovation is driving growth in a particular industry, country or region. - **Unlimited search** across our entire library of charts, infographics, and video content. - **Interesting perks** including merch, discounts, complimentary offers, and early invites. We believe that true insight lives at the intersection of local context and global trends. That's why we don't just tell you *what* happened; we explain *why* it matters for your portfolio, your career, or your company. --- [START YOUR 14-DAY FREE TRIAL NOW!](https://www.techloy.com/subscribe/#/portal/signup/) --- ### Archive URL: https://www.techloy.com/archive/ Last updated: 2025-12-31T18:39:26.000Z _No content available._ ### SURVEY: What's your monthly tech bill? URL: https://www.techloy.com/survey-whats-the-real-cost-of-tech-today/ Last updated: 2026-09-14T11:11:01.000Z Tech costs keep climbing. Devices, internet, subscriptions, you name it. We want to understand how this is really affecting you and the rest of the Techloy community. That's why we've put together a quick survey: the [*Techloy Consumer Tech Pulse*](https://techloy.typeform.com/to/QFiDkvqq). It only takes a few minutes, and your answers will help us paint a clearer picture of what rising tech costs mean for everyday users like you. As a thank you, you'll get three months of [Techloy Premium](https://www.techloy.com/#/portal/signup/) subscription worth $15 for free 🎁, offering full access to all our content, original reporting, exclusive stories, insightful charts, incisive reports, the *Techloy Weekly* and *Insight Loop* newsletters. Now take the quick *Techloy Consumer Tech Pulse* survey and share how rising costs for devices, internet, subscriptions, and more are affecting you. **Survey closes on September 30, 2026.** [TAKE THE SURVEY → ](https://techloy.typeform.com/to/QFiDkvqq) ### Thanks for being part of the Techloy community. Your voice will help to shape how we cover tech going forward. ### Advertise URL: https://www.techloy.com/advertise/ Last updated: 2026-09-30T21:56:26.000Z *Techloy* is one of the world’s most authoritative technology product-focused platforms, dedicated to chronicling the companies, products, and people shaping the digital economy across global emerging markets. Since 2008, we have been the go-to platform for founders, investors, and IT professionals who need data-driven insights and deep reporting on the technology industry. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/01/3-1.png) ## **Top 3 reasons why you should partner with Techloy** ### Techloy is a rare combination of historical authority and specialized reach in a crowded media landscape. We don't just tell you what's going on; we also give you the background information that tech leaders, global investors and everyone needs to make decisions. ### While most tech news sites focus on Silicon Valley, Techloy has been building strong ties in the world's fastest-growing digital economies for almost 20 years. We give your brand a direct line to the people who are coming up with new ideas in Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America. ### If you work with Techloy, your content will be on a domain with a lot of 'link equity.' A custom content on *Techloy* doesn't just bring in a lot of traffic for one day; it's an SEO asset that will help your brand rank higher for years to come. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/01/5-2.png) ## **How Techloy turns visibility into maximum impact** *Techloy* welcomes partners who can provide "informational and insightful" content that aligns with our readers' interests in technology and innovation. At *Techloy*, we know that being seen is only half the battle. In a world where you can scroll forever and hear digital noise, being seen isn't the same as being remembered. That's why we don't just offer "placements." We want to be the signal that makes your brand messages unforgettable. These customizable options are designed to help your brand cut through the noise and reach the people who matter. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/01/Advertising---Media-Kit-2026--Techloy.com--1--1.png) Advertise Put your brand in front of Techloy's global audience Our banner ads are built for brands that want to stay visible. With a clutter-free reading experience, every placement delivers high viewability and strategic frequency. 150K+Monthly readers 540K+Monthly page views 1M+Monthly ad impressions Clutter-free placements High viewability Strategic frequency for your brand [Request the brochure](https://techloy.typeform.com/BannerAdRequest) Questions? Email [business@techloy.com](mailto:business@techloy.com) ## **Interested in joining Techloy's Partner Program?** *Techloy*'s Partner Program is a premier tier of engagement best suited for PR agencies, marketing firms and brands seeking long-term brand-building campaigns for their clients and products. ### Why join the program? - **Preferred Rates:** Access a tiered volume-based discount structure for multiple client placements. - **Priority Editorial Queue:** Get faster turnaround times on content reviews and publishing schedules. - **Dedicated Account Support:** A single point of contact to manage your recurring campaigns and reporting. ****🤝 JOIN OUR PARTNER PROGRAM** We have introduced a new program that puts our high-value partners first with better benefits and consistent value. Whether you are an agency managing a dozen clients or a brand seeking a long-term strategic partnership, we have the right tier to scale your message. Be among the first to join our [****2026 Partner Program**](https://www.techloy.com/content/files/2026/02/Techloy-Partner-Program-2026.pdf) and enjoy a 20% loyalty discount. [JOIN NOW ](https://techloy.typeform.com/PartnershipForm) ## Ready to launch your campaign? Our media kit provides new ways to reach our tech audience and includes our detailed traffic statistics, demographic breakdowns, and current pricing in USD. Reach out to the commercial team to request our media kit by emailing [**business \[at\] techloy.com**](mailto:business@techloy.com) 💡 ****PRO TIP:** To help us serve you quicker, kindly provide your content and include your PayPal information in your email. We typically respond within 1 business hour and publish the content after payment within 3 business hours. ### Membership URL: https://www.techloy.com/membership/ Last updated: 2026-07-04T22:22:22.000Z _No content available._ ### Techloy Puzzle: Three Truths and a Lie URL: https://www.techloy.com/techloy-puzzle-three-truths-and-a-lie/ Last updated: 2026-09-11T11:21:54.000Z ![](https://static.klipy.com/ii/d7aec6f6f171607374b2065c836f92f4/0a/3d/2npM9mTA.gif) ### Olá! Every week, we hide one fake tech headline among three real ones. Think you can spot it before revealing the answer? You've arrived here because you didn't guess the right headline. Try again next time, and see you next week (hopefully not) 😛 _This page is for subscribers only._ ### Techloy Reader Poll URL: https://www.techloy.com/techloy-reader-poll/ Last updated: 2026-10-16T11:03:20.000Z ### Mambo! Every week, we ask Techloy readers for their take on the technology shaping how we live, work, and play. Cast your vote in this week's poll below. --- ## Last week's Techloy Reader poll results We asked: What's one tech expense you couldn't live without? Reader poll ****Be honest: how worried are you about AI going rogue?** - 🤖 Very. We’ve seen enough - 😬 A little. Something feels off - 🤷🏽 Not really. It’s still just software - 😂 I, for one, welcome our robot overlords **Here's what you said:** - **100%** of you said you're very worried, and I mean, after reports from OpenAI and Anthropic about their AI models escaping their sandbox and attacking other companies, that concern is very valid. [OpenAI Hacked Using Claude: How It HappenedResearchers used Claude to get inside OpenAI through a seemingly ordinary forum flaw. The access went much further than expected.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-bb7f295f-1ee4-4f35-94bf-705f493818c5.png)TechloyOgbonda Chivumnovu![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1579226905180-636b76d96082-2-0cf70041-28df-48de-a975-bbe6a120be5b.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/openai-hacked-using-claude/) ### Company Roadmap URL: https://www.techloy.com/the-road-to-20-years/ Last updated: 2026-09-28T10:09:13.000Z _This page is for subscribers on the Collective tier only._ ### Techloy Referrals and Rewards Program URL: https://www.techloy.com/referrals/ Last updated: 2026-10-08T00:40:32.000Z _No content available._ ### Privacy Policy URL: https://www.techloy.com/privacy/ Last updated: 2026-10-04T12:09:52.000Z ## 1\. 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If we learn we have collected data from someone under 16, we will delete it. **Changes to this policy.** We may update this policy as our Service or the law changes. We will update the "last modified" date below and, for material changes, notify subscribers by email or a notice on the Website. **Contact us.** For privacy questions or requests, contact: Techloy Limited Suite A, 82 James Carter Road, Mildenhall, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, IP28 7DE, United Kingdom Email: privacy@techloy.com --- *This Privacy Policy was last modified on October 4, 2026.* ## Posts ### How to Turn a Single Photo Into a Short Video With AI (and Make It Look Natural) URL: https://www.techloy.com/how-to-turn-a-single-photo-into-a-short-video-with-ai-and-make-it-look-natural/ Last updated: 2026-10-20T15:10:25.000Z A few years ago, making a short video meant a camera, editing software and a lot of patience. Today, a single photo on your phone can become a few seconds of motion: hair drifting in the wind, a smile slowly forming, a landscape coming alive. AI photo-to-video tools have moved from novelty to everyday utility, used for family keepsakes, social posts and small-business content. But anyone who has tried one knows the results vary wildly. Some clips look charming. Others look warped, jittery, or faintly unsettling. This guide explains how the technology works and how to get natural results. ## **How AI photo-to-video actually works** Image-to-video models start from one frame and predict how the scene might plausibly move. The model doesn’t “know” what happened before or after your photo. It infers motion from patterns learned across huge amounts of video: how fabric moves, how water ripples, how faces shift when someone breathes or blinks. That has two practical consequences: 1. **The model is guessing.** The more ambiguous your photo, the more it has to invent, and invented details are where artifacts appear. 2. **Simple motion beats complex motion.** A slow push-in or gentle sway is far easier to predict than a person turning around or waving. Keep one idea in mind, and the rest of this guide becomes intuitive: **every clip has a motion budget.** The model can only keep a limited amount of movement believable. Spend it on one thing, such as a blink, a camera drift, or moving water, and the clip holds together. Spread it across a face, hands, background, and camera all at once, and something will break. ## **Step 1: Choose the right source photo** Source quality matters more than any setting you can change later. Before uploading, check these points: - **Resolution and sharpness.** Blurry or heavily compressed images produce smeared motion. Use the original file, not a screenshot or a version sent through a messaging app. - **Clear subject separation.** When the subject stands out from the background, the model can move them independently. Cluttered scenes tend to “melt” together. - **Visible faces and hands.** Faces should be well lit, front-facing or slightly angled, and unobstructed. Hands are still a weak spot for many models, so photos where hands are hidden or simply resting tend to animate more cleanly. - **Neutral expressions.** A relaxed face gives the model room to add a natural smile or blink. An already extreme expression leaves nowhere to go. If you’re animating old family photos, a light restoration pass first (fixing scratches, adjusting contrast) usually improves the output noticeably. ## **Step 2: Match the motion to the image** Most mobile tools offer templates, effects, or short text prompts. Rather than choosing the most dramatic option, ask what motion would realistically occur in that moment, then pick one. | Photo type | Good single motion | Avoid | | --------------------- | ------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------- | | Portrait | Soft blink, slight smile, small head tilt | Talking, big head turns | | Landscape | Drifting clouds, moving water, slow camera drift | Moving people added to the scene | | Group photo | Gentle camera push-in | Individual expressions for every face | | Pet photo | Ear twitch, fur in the breeze | Running or jumping | | Product or still life | Slow orbit or push-in | Moving the product itself | A useful rule: if the motion wouldn’t happen within two or three seconds of real time, it probably won’t look believable. ## **Step 3: Keep clips short and purposeful** Most AI-generated clips look best at three to six seconds. Longer durations give the model more time to drift away from the original image, so faces slowly change and backgrounds subtly morph. For social media, short clips are also an advantage: they loop well and suit platforms where the first second decides whether someone keeps watching. If you need something longer, stitch several short clips together in a regular editor rather than generating one long one. ## **Step 4: Diagnose problems instead of re-rolling** When a result looks wrong, most people simply regenerate and hope. It is faster to identify the cause first. | What you see | Likely cause | Fix | | -------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------- | | Face slowly changes shape | Clip too long, or too much motion requested | Shorten the clip and reduce the effect | | Background “melts” or swims | Cluttered scene or low contrast with subject | Use a cleaner photo or crop tighter | | Fingers bend or multiply | Visible hands in motion | Choose a photo with hands hidden or still | | Flickering skin or hair | Low-resolution or compressed source | Use the original file; restore first | | Eyes look glassy or off | Extreme expression or heavy shadow on the face | Use a neutral, evenly lit portrait | | Subject slides instead of moving | Camera motion and subject motion combined | Pick one, not both | Treat the first generation as a diagnostic. Adjust one variable at a time, and you’ll usually reach a usable result in two or three attempts. ## **Avoid the common mistakes** **1\. Over-processing.** Stacking filters, effects, and upscaling in one pass compounds artifacts. Generate first, then refine. **2\. Ignoring aspect ratio.** Decide where the video will be posted before generating. Vertical 9:16 suits Reels, Shorts, and TikTok; square or 4:5 works for feeds. Cropping afterward can cut off the very motion you created. **3\. Forgetting audio.** Silent clips feel unfinished. Adding ambient sound or music in a basic editor often does more for perceived quality than any visual tweak. **4\. Using other people’s photos without permission.** Animating someone’s realistic face raises consent questions. Stick to your own images, or ones you have clear permission to use. ## **A look at the mobile tools** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/data-src-image-3c715c31-2b51-4149-b3f2-06bb0e30ebe1.png) The category has grown quickly, and a lot of the innovation is happening in phone-first apps rather than desktop software. These tools typically combine a few functions: generating an image from a text description, reshaping an existing photo, and animating a still frame. [Usgen](https://usgen.live/), for example, describes a mobile workflow in which words and reference images become original visual content, with the option to turn a single frame into motion.[ Vimi](https://vimi.art) takes a template-driven approach, pairing image and video generation with preset effects and one-tap workflows aimed at portraits, short scenes and social-ready clips. Both reflect a wider trend: lowering the technical barrier so that the creative decision (what should this photo feel like?) matters more than software skill. When comparing any of these tools, a few questions are worth asking: - Does it let you control the motion, or only apply fixed effects? - How well does it preserve a person’s likeness across frames? - What resolution and aspect ratios can you export? - Does it add watermarks, and are there limits on commercial use? - What does its privacy policy say about how uploaded photos are stored and used? That last point deserves more attention than it usually gets. Photos are personal data, and faces especially so. Reading a tool’s privacy policy before uploading family pictures is a small habit worth building. ## **Real-world uses beyond novelty** Photo-to-video is more practical than it first appears: - **Small businesses** can turn product shots into short promotional loops without a video shoot. - **Educators** can animate historical photographs or diagrams to hold attention. - **Families** can bring archival pictures to life for anniversaries and memorial slideshows. - **Creators** can build a consistent visual style quickly by reusing the same effect across posts. In each case, the best results come from treating AI as a first-draft generator. A person still decides what is worth animating and edits the output. ## **Posting it: a quick word on labeling** If your clip looks realistic enough that a viewer could take it for genuine footage, the major platforms increasingly expect you to say so. YouTube asks creators to disclose realistic altered or synthetic content, TikTok requires labels on realistic AI-generated or significantly AI-edited video, and Instagram and Facebook can apply an “AI info” label automatically. Stylized or clearly unrealistic animation is generally treated more lightly, but rules differ by platform and change often, so check the current help pages before you publish. A short caption such as “Animated with AI from an original photo” takes a few seconds and tends to build trust rather than reduce it. ## **Quick checklist before you generate** 1. Use the original, high-resolution image. 2. Pick a subject with clear separation from the background. 3. Choose **one** motion that fits a few seconds of real life. 4. Set the aspect ratio for your destination first. 5. Keep clips to 3–6 seconds. 6. If something looks off, diagnose the cause before regenerating. 7. Add sound afterward. 8. Confirm you have permission to animate the people in the photo, and label realistic results when you post. Do these eight things and your photo-to-video results will already be ahead of most of what’s posted online. ### HBO’s The Gilded Age Season 4 Confirms Two Characters Won’t Return URL: https://www.techloy.com/the-gilded-age-season-4-release-date-cast/ Last updated: 2026-10-20T15:04:51.000Z The Gilded Age Season 4 will move forward without two characters whose storylines have shaped the HBO period drama. Patrick Page, who plays Richard Clay, and Sullivan Jones, who portrays T. Thomas Fortune, will not return for the upcoming season, which premieres on 1 November 2026. Their absence could have a different impact on the season’s central storylines. Clay’s exit leaves questions surrounding the attempted murder of railroad tycoon George Russell, while Fortune’s departure could reshape Peggy Scott’s professional journey as she prepares for a new chapter in her personal life. Both characters have been part of the series since its first season, making their absence a notable change to the ensemble. Although neither is expected to appear in Season 4, a return in a future season has not been ruled out. [From Season 4 Isn't on Netflix. Here's Where to Watch ItThe first three seasons of Harold Perrineau’s supernatural thriller are now streaming on Netflix in the US ahead of its final season in 2027.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-494c83a0-5bfe-4f6d-b0e2-9488621ea505.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/From-s4-1dd3d221-595c-428f-a2f9-494ea7a9e8eb.webp)](https://www.techloy.com/from-season-4-netflix/) ## **What Richard Clay’s Absence Means for George Russell** Page’s departure will affect the next season because Richard Clay is connected to one of the show’s biggest unanswered questions. Clay was George Russell’s business secretary before George fired him in Season 3 after a failed deal. He later began working for one of George’s business rivals, leaving their relationship in a tense state. George was subsequently shot in an assassination attempt, and the identity of the person behind it remains unresolved. [Some viewers](https://www.tvline.com/2291269/the-gilded-age-season-4-cast-not-returning-character-exits-explained/) have suspected Clay because of his falling-out with George, although the series has not confirmed his involvement. His absence from Season 4 could mean the mystery develops through other characters or that the show delays addressing Clay’s possible connection. This does not necessarily close the door on that storyline. Clay could still appear as a guest in a future season. For now, viewers will have to wait to see how the series handles the unanswered questions surrounding George’s shooting. ## **Fortune’s Absence Leaves a Gap in Peggy’s Story** Jones’s exit affects a different part of the story. Fortune is the publisher of the New York Globe, the newspaper where Peggy works, and has been an important figure in her professional and personal life. He helped recognise her writing talent, while their relationship also introduced complications into her pursuit of independence. However, Peggy’s story has moved forward. In the Season 3 finale, she accepted Dr William Kirkland’s marriage proposal, setting up a new chapter in her personal life. Season 4 is expected to explore the challenges surrounding their engagement, including tensions with William’s family and questions about where their future should take them. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Redmi K100 Gets a 10,000mAh Battery, the Brand's Biggest Yet URL: https://www.techloy.com/redmi-k100-price-launch-date/ Last updated: 2026-10-20T15:03:49.000Z [Xiaomi](https://www.techloy.com/tag/xiaomi/) is preparing to launch the [Redmi](https://www.techloy.com/tag/redmi/) K100 in China, with a 10,000mAh battery that puts it among a growing group of smartphones moving beyond the 5,000mAh capacity common in many mainstream devices. The battery is the largest ever fitted to a Redmi phone and is one of the K100’s key features. Xiaomi has [confirmed](https://weibo.com/xiaomihongmi) that the phone will launch in China on October 27\. It will also feature a 6.83-inch AMOLED display with a 165Hz refresh rate, a Snapdragon 8 Elite processor and a dedicated D2 gaming chip. Rather than following the usual flagship formula, the Redmi K100 focuses on gaming performance, smoother visuals and a large battery designed for extended use. ## The specs the Redmi K100 comes with The 6.83-inch AMOLED display supports a 165Hz refresh rate and reaches a reported peak brightness of 3,500 nits. Xiaomi says the phone natively supports 165fps in more than 40 games, while over 100 additional games support frame interpolation. That could make gameplay look smoother, although the actual frame rate will depend on each game's support and performance requirements. The phone runs on [Qualcomm's](https://www.techloy.com/tag/qualcomm/) Snapdragon 8 Elite, a processor introduced in 2024\. While it's no longer Qualcomm's newest flagship chip, it remains a powerful option for demanding games and multitasking. Xiaomi has also included a dedicated D2 gaming chip, which is designed to improve gaming performance through features such as frame generation and image upscaling. The company says the combination can improve power efficiency during supported games. But the battery is the headline feature. The Redmi K100 packs a 10,000mAh battery, the largest ever in a Redmi phone. [Reports](https://www.gizmochina.com/2026/10/14/redmi-k100-price-tipped/) also point to 100W fast charging, although buyers should check the final charging specifications at launch. The phone runs HyperOS 4 and features dual speakers tuned in collaboration with Bose. Xiaomi has also shown the device in a Firefly Green colour option. ## How it compares with the competition The Redmi K100 joins the K100 Pro and K100 Pro Max, which were introduced earlier in China. The standard model takes a different approach, prioritising battery capacity and gaming features rather than simply chasing the newest processor. Its 10,000mAh battery is particularly notable in a market where many premium smartphones still have considerably smaller batteries. The extra capacity could benefit people who spend hours gaming, stream video frequently or want to go longer between charges. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### How to Help Older Family Members Stay Connected Through Technology URL: https://www.techloy.com/how-to-help-older-family-members-stay-connected-through-technology/ Last updated: 2026-10-20T14:44:57.000Z Technology can bring family closer, but a phone full of unfamiliar icons can feel like homework. Pew Research Center reports that [78% of U.S. adults](https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/mobile/) age 65 and older owned a smartphone in 2025\. Access, however, doesn’t automatically create confidence. Help your older relatives use technology for the people and activities they love, with patient support and fewer lectures about “the cloud.” ## Start With Their Priorities Before you compare[ cell phones for seniors](https://shop.lively.com/collections/phones), ask what your relative actually wants to do. Perhaps they want regular calls, photos from grandchildren, or a simple way to organize lunch with friends. Choose one useful goal and let it guide your decisions. Someone who enjoys their current phone may need a few adjustments, not a replacement. Avoid assumptions about age and ability. Your mother might need help with video calls yet understand online auctions better than the rest of the family combined. ## Match the Device to the Person Compare screen clarity, button size, weight, sound, and menu layout. Let your relative hold the device and try a few everyday tasks. Ask them to call someone, open a message, and return to the home screen. Notice where they hesitate, then discuss what would help. Check the full cost, mobile coverage, return policy, and compatibility with the family’s preferred apps. A basic phone may suit voice calls, while video chats require a compatible device and service. ## Make the Screen Comfortable Adjust the device together. On supported iPhones and iPads, Apple offers larger text, bold text, and stronger contrast through accessibility settings. Let your relative choose what looks comfortable. Keep essential apps easy to find. Place phone calls, messages, photos, and the chosen video app on the first screen. Test the ringtone and call volume in their usual room. Try a stand if they dislike a device in their hands during calls. Ask before you rearrange anything. ## Teach One Task at a Time Start with a single action, such as how to answer a video call. Demonstrate it, then let your relative repeat each step. Keep the device in their hands. Give them time to explore before you offer help. Use concrete instructions: “Tap the green phone symbol” beats “Open the communication interface.” Nobody invited the software manual to lunch. Try short sessions and stop when frustration appears. End with a task they can complete independently, then practice it again another day. ## Leave a Simple Reference Guide Create a short paper guide with large text and screenshots from their own device. Number each step and use the exact labels they see. Include instructions for a few essential tasks: - Answer and end a call. - Open a family message. - Send a photo. - Adjust the volume. - Contact a trusted helper. Add a reminder about where the charger belongs. Keep passwords off any sheet that visitors can easily see. Update the guide when an app changes. Instructions for an old screen can confuse even confident users. ## Create a Predictable Family Routine Choose a regular time for a short call, then put it on everyone’s calendar. Make the commitment mutual: relatives should show up too. Keep one main family chat and explain who belongs to it. Ask how many notifications your relative wants. Send photos with context: “Maya’s first school concert” means more than twelve unexplained images and a trumpet emoji. Offer voice calls as an alternative. A connection still counts when someone prefers to skip the camera or has no desire to display their breakfast hair. ## Make Technology Fun Once the basics feel comfortable, introduce an activity your relative already enjoys. Try a shared crossword, a recipe exchange, or a friendly online board game. This article on traditional games in digital form offers ideas for that conversation. Choose an option together and check its costs, chat controls, and privacy options before use. Keep the focus on a shared experience. Ask for their favorite recipe or invite them to explain a chess move. Give them opportunities to contribute, not just receive help. ## Prepare for Connection Problems A failed call deserves a calm checklist. Check the volume, Wi-Fi connection, and battery before anyone declares the phone “broken.” For iPhone users, we covered common Wi-Fi connection problems. Check current Apple instructions for exact menu paths, since older guides may show different labels. Apple recommends checks such as router range and whether other devices can connect. Save a network reset for later; it removes saved network settings and passwords. Agree on a backup: if video fails, make an ordinary phone call. ## Explain Scams Without Fear Teach a simple rule: pause, verify, then respond. The FTC identifies pressure to act immediately, unexpected problems or prizes, and demands for particular payment methods as common scam signs. If someone claims a family emergency, call that relative through a number you already know. Practice with a fictional suspicious message. Explain why an urgent tone doesn’t prove an urgent situation. Make help easy to request without embarrassment. “Call me before you respond” offers more support than “You should have known better.” ## Conclusion Help older family members build confidence through useful goals, comfortable settings, patient practice, and regular contact. Respect their preferences and ask before you change their devices or accounts. Keep visits and ordinary calls in the mix. Technology should create more chances to share stories, jokes, and everyday moments. Start with one successful conversation, then build from there. ### GTA 6 Needs a 96 to Beat Xbox's Best Game of 2026 URL: https://www.techloy.com/best-xbox-games-2026-metacritic/ Last updated: 2026-10-20T14:00:00.000Z With just over a month until [Grand Theft Auto 6](https://www.techloy.com/tag/gta-6/) arrives, the race to crown the best games of 2026 is entering its final stretch. But before Rockstar’s long-awaited return to Vice City dominates the conversation, Xbox already has a leaderboard worth looking at. According to Metacritic’s [Xbox](https://www.techloy.com/tag/microsoft-xbox/) game rankings, as [reported](https://www.purexbox.com/news/2026/10/with-two-months-to-go-these-are-metacritics-10-best-xbox-games-of-2026) by Pure Xbox, Hades 2 currently sits at the top with a 95 Metascore, followed by Resident Evil Requiem at 93 and Mixtape at 92\. The results offer an interesting picture of Xbox gaming in 2026\. Established franchises have delivered some of the year's highest-rated releases, while smaller and less conventional games have earned their place alongside major productions. Here are the 10 highest-rated Xbox games of 2026 according to the reported Xbox-specific Metacritic rankings, and what their positions tell us about the year's Game of the Year race. [Gears of War: E-Day Gift Card: How to Claim ItYour Xbox account may have a Gears of War: E-Day reward waiting. Here's how to check it, which purchases qualify and what deadline applies in your region.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-b9c13c9d-38bd-488e-aff8-7775679e9725.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1600861194942-f883de0dfe96-19c6e2e6-2e66-4ca8-bbef-2f1b380f000d.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/gears-of-war-e-day-gift-card-how-to-claim/) ## **Metacritic's top 10 Xbox games of 2026** ## **1\. Hades 2 — 95/100** [Hades 2](https://www.purexbox.com/games/xbox-series-x/hades%5F2) is the game everyone else has to catch. With a Metascore of 95, it leads the Xbox-specific ranking by two points over the second-place title and sets an exceptionally high bar for anything hoping to claim the year's top spot. Supergiant Games' action roguelike builds on the formula established by the original Hades, bringing players into a new mythological conflict centred on Melinoë. Its position at the top suggests that a sequel does not need to reinvent everything to stand out; it needs to deliver on what made its predecessor work while giving players a compelling reason to return. The bigger question is whether any remaining release can match that critical reception. For now, Hades 2 is the benchmark. ## **2\. Resident Evil Requiem — 93/100** [Resident Evil Requiem](https://www.purexbox.com/games/xbox-series-x/resident%5Fevil%5Frequiem) takes second place with a score of 93, giving Capcom another strong showing for its long-running survival horror franchise. Its position is notable because Requiem sits just two points behind Hades 2\. That leaves it firmly in the conversation among 2026's most acclaimed Xbox releases, even with the year's biggest remaining blockbuster still ahead. For players choosing what to play before the Game of the Year discussions begin, Resident Evil Requiem is one of the clearest critical standouts on the platform. ## **3\. Mixtape — 92/100** [Mixtape](https://www.purexbox.com/games/xbox-series-x/mixtape) takes third place with a 92, putting it ahead of several larger releases. Its presence is a useful reminder that the highest-rated games do not always come from the industry's biggest franchises. The game's position also highlights how a strong critical response can put a less conventional release in direct competition with major action, horror and racing titles. There is another reason to pay attention to its score: the ranking changes when reviews from other platforms are considered. That difference becomes important when comparing Xbox's best performers with the games competing for the overall Game of the Year conversation. ## **4\. Forza Horizon 6 — 90/100** [Forza Horizon 6](https://www.purexbox.com/games/xbox-series-x/forza%5Fhorizon%5F6) is fourth with a 90, making it one of the strongest entries in Xbox's racing lineup this year. Racing games can sometimes struggle to receive the same awards-season attention as major action-adventure releases, but Forza Horizon 6 has secured a place among the year's highest-rated games. Its score also makes it one of the more recognisable names near the top of the ranking. While it trails the three leaders, a 90 still puts it comfortably among the critical standouts on Xbox. ## **5\. Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve — 88/100** [Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve](https://www.purexbox.com/games/xbox-series-x/ace%5Fcombat%5F8%5Fwings%5Fof%5Ftheve) occupies fifth place with an 88. The flight-combat series has a dedicated audience, and its appearance in the top five gives the ranking some variety beyond horror, racing and action games. It also shows how competitive the middle of the leaderboard has become. The gap between fifth place and the top three is noticeable, but the 88 puts Ace Combat 8 among the year's better-reviewed Xbox releases. ## **6\. 007 First Light — 88/100** [007 First Light](https://www.purexbox.com/games/xbox-series-x/007%5Ffirst%5Flight) shares an 88 Metascore with Ace Combat 8, placing it sixth in the reported Xbox ranking. The James Bond game is another major licensed property in a year that has produced a varied collection of highly rated releases. Its score puts it within striking distance of the top five, although the leaderboard is ultimately a reflection of accumulated critic reviews rather than a direct prediction of awards success. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### What to Expect From Apple's October 28 Event 2026 URL: https://www.techloy.com/what-to-expect-from-apples-october-28-event-2026/ Last updated: 2026-10-20T11:34:05.000Z [Apple](https://www.techloy.com/tag/apple/) has been doing things differently lately. From splitting its flagship device launches across the year to introducing its first foldable phone, the company has been moving away from its usual product launch playbook. Now, it's preparing to hold another product showcase just weeks after its previous announcements. Apple is expected to showcase new products at an event in Los Angeles on October 28, dubbed “Pro and Tell.” The name offers a pretty clear hint about what's coming. The [MacBook](https://www.techloy.com/tag/macbook/) Pro is expected to headline the event, but Apple could also introduce an entry-level MacBook Pro with a new chip, an updated [iMac](https://www.techloy.com/tag/imac/) and a redesigned [iPad](https://www.techloy.com/tag/apple-ipad/) mini. This won't be a traditional Apple event with a major public livestream. Instead, invited media will get hands-on time with the new devices, while Apple is expected to announce products through its usual online channels. Still, the potential upgrades are significant. ## The OLED MacBook Pro takes centre stage The redesigned high-end MacBook Pro models are expected to bring two major changes to Apple's laptop lineup: OLED displays and touchscreen support. OLED should deliver deeper blacks, improved contrast and richer colours. It could also help Apple make the laptops thinner and lighter than their predecessors. The touchscreen would be another major shift. Apple is reportedly updating [macOS](https://www.techloy.com/tag/macos/) to support touch gestures, although the feature is expected to complement the keyboard and trackpad rather than replace them. A reinforced hinge could also help keep the display steady when users tap the screen. Another potential change is the removal of the familiar display notch in favour of a Dynamic Island-style cutout, similar to the one on recent iPhones. There's a catch, however. The redesigned models are reportedly expected to use the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips already found in the higher-end MacBook Pro models introduced earlier this year, rather than newer M6 Pro and M6 Max processors. Apple is reportedly skipping those chips as it focuses on its next generation. Apple could also keep the existing MacBook Pro models on sale, positioning the OLED versions as more premium options. That would give buyers a choice between the familiar design and a more expensive model with a touchscreen and upgraded display technology. OLED panels and touch components add manufacturing costs, so a price increase would not be surprising. ## An entry-level MacBook Pro with an M6 chip The redesigned OLED models aren't the only MacBooks expected to arrive. Apple is also reportedly preparing a 14-inch entry-level MacBook Pro powered by the M6 chip, replacing the current M5 version. Unlike the premium models, this laptop is expected to retain its existing design, with the processor providing the main upgrade. For buyers who want improved performance without paying extra for an OLED touchscreen, this could be the more practical option. ## The iMac gets a chip upgrade The 24-inch iMac is also expected to receive the M6 chip. Major design changes aren't currently expected, making this more of an internal upgrade than a complete refresh. Apple could introduce new colour options, although that remains unconfirmed. If the reports are accurate, the M6 should bring performance improvements over the existing model, but buyers hoping for a substantial redesign may have to wait. ## The iPad mini 8 could be the sleeper hit While the MacBook Pro is likely to dominate attention, the next iPad mini could be one of the more interesting products announced. The iPad mini 8 is expected to adopt an OLED display, bringing the technology to Apple's smallest tablet for the first time. OLED could improve contrast and colour reproduction, making videos, photos and games look better. The tablet could also receive a redesigned speaker system that uses vibration rather than conventional speaker openings. This could help improve water resistance by reducing the number of openings in the device. Some [reports](https://www.macrumors.com/2026/10/19/apple-october-28-product-launch/) suggest Apple could take that further with water resistance that allows the tablet to withstand splashes, although the extent of any protection remains unconfirmed. It's too early to assume the device will support submersion or receive a particular IP rating. Under the hood, the iPad mini 8 is expected to use the A20 Pro chip, reportedly the same processor found in the iPhone 18 Pro. Its front-facing camera could also move to the landscape edge, making video calls more convenient when the tablet is used horizontally. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Free Data Recovery Software for Windows: Recover Deleted Files Safely URL: https://www.techloy.com/free-data-recovery-software-for-windows-recover-deleted-files-safely/ Last updated: 2026-10-20T10:53:25.000Z ## Lost Important Windows Files? Start Recovery the Right Way Losing an important file feels awful, especially near a deadline or when the memory can't be replaced. It happens to almost everyone: you accidentally delete a folder, empty the Recycle Bin, or format the wrong drive. Files can also vanish due to partition errors, system crashes, or failed Windows updates. The good news is that many of these files can still be retrieved. The bad news is that time matters. The more you use the affected drive, the more likely new data will overwrite what you want to recover. So stop saving files, stop downloading applications, and don't install a recovery tool on the affected drive. Microsoft also recommends minimizing computer use after data loss. This guide explains how Windows handles deleted files, which built-in options to try first, and when free data recovery software makes sense. ## Part 1: What Happens When Windows Deletes a File? When you delete a file, Windows doesn't immediately erase its contents. It removes the file's visible reference and marks the disk space as available for reuse. The original data normally remains on the drive unless overwritten by new data. That's why recovery is possible. Not every loss looks the same. The most frequent cases include files still in the Recycle Bin, shift-deleted or permanently deleted files, files lost from a formatted partition, a corrupted file system or malware infection, and data on a physically compromised device. Logical data loss is usually the kind software can handle. The drive still works, but the reference to your file is gone. Formatted drives can still hold readable data if nothing new has been written to them. Physical damage is another matter. If you hear clicking, see overheating, or notice a drive Windows can't detect, stop immediately and seek professional assessment. ## Part 2: Select a Recovery Method Start with the simplest option and use advanced tools only when needed. If the file remains in the Recycle Bin, use Restore. If it was synced to OneDrive, check the online Recycle Bin. If File History was enabled, restore a previous version. If no backup is available, scan with 4DDiG. For permanently deleted files, try Windows File Recovery. If the storage device is physically damaged, contact a recovery specialist. If you have a backup, restore from it first—it's almost risk-free. If you don't, recovery software is the next option. Command-line tools suit confident users, and a specialist is the last resort for hardware failure. ## Part 3: Try Built-In Windows Recovery Options Before installing anything, try the free options already in Windows: - Search the Recycle Bin, right-click the item, and choose Restore. - Check the OneDrive Recycle Bin and Version History online. - Right-click the original folder and select Restore previous versions. - Restore files through File History (only works if a backup already exists). - Check Windows Backup if it was configured before the loss. If none of these work, a specialized Windows data recovery tool should be the next step. ## Part 4: Recover Deleted Files with 4DDiG Windows Data Recovery If files aren't in the Recycle Bin or any backup, you'll need a scanning tool. [4DDiG Free Data Recovery](https://4ddig.tenorshare.com/free-data-recovery.html) is made for exactly this situation. - Install 4DDiG on a different drive when possible, such as D: or an external disk, to protect the affected drive from being overwritten. - Select the location to scan the affected partition, external drive, USB device, or Recycle Bin. ![4DDiG win select a location](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/data-src-image-80e6e58e-f5cf-4068-830c-cf3d70b8d11e.png) - Start scanning. A quick scan appears first, followed by a deeper pass. - Filter the results by file type, name, path, or modification date. ![4DDiG-win-scan](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/data-src-image-fbb7b285-4b94-4bad-bc30-caa2a3cc48d1.png) - Preview items before restoring to confirm they're in good condition. - Recover selected files to another healthy storage location. Never save them back to the source drive. ![4DDiG win recovery completed](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/data-src-image-3647b459-efd5-4b0f-b00c-7e698ec41f40.png) Free versions typically restore a limited amount of data, and limits may change. Recovery also depends on overwriting, drive health, encryption, and storage technology, so don't expect guarantees. ## Part 5: Use Microsoft Windows File Recovery Microsoft offers a command-line utility called Windows File Recovery for advanced users. Example: winfr C: E: /extensive /n \\\*.docx /n \\\*.jpg Here, C: is the source drive and E: is the destination. The /extensive switch activates deeper scan mode. The /n switches instruct the tool to look for Word documents and JPEG photos. The source and destination must be on different drives, or recovered data could overwrite the files you're trying to save. Use read/write mode for recently deleted files on a healthy NTFS disk; it's faster and works for simple cases. Use extensive mode for formatted, corrupted, FAT, or exFAT storage—it takes longer but goes much deeper. Since there's no graphical interface, mistakes are easy; if commands seem risky, a visual recovery program may be more appealing. ## Part 6: Mistakes That Reduce Recovery Chances Most failed recoveries come from small errors made in a panic. Until your files are safe, avoid formatting the drive, adding a new partition, defragmenting storage, running aggressive repair tools, or returning recovered files to the original location. Always run disk repair after recovery—repair tools alter the drive, while recovery tools only read it. ## Part 7: Prevent Future Data Loss Enable File History, configure OneDrive properly, make offline backups on an external drive, and regularly check backup integrity. Windows Backup can also help. Good backups make free data recovery software a rarely needed tool instead of a daily worry. ## Final Words The safest Windows data recovery process is simple: stop using the drive, check existing backups, scan with a trusted tool, preview the results, and save recovered files elsewhere. Try free built-in options first, and use paid recovery software only if they don't work. Patience and careful steps give you the best chance of success. ### How to Get Minior in Pokémon GO: Meteor Shower Schedule and Forms URL: https://www.techloy.com/minior-pokemon-go-how-to-get/ Last updated: 2026-10-20T10:12:31.000Z Minior has arrived in[ Pokémon GO](https://pokemongo.com/news/minior-meteor-showers-2026?hl=en), giving players a new Pokémon to hunt during special meteor shower events. Minior debuted in Pokémon GO on October 19, 2026, but you can only find it under specific conditions rather than through regular wild encounters. Instead, Minior encounters are tied to specific meteor shower events throughout the year. During these periods, players have an increased chance of encountering Minior in the wild, with each event introducing a different core colour. That means you'll need to keep track of the event schedule if you want to collect all seven variants. Minior also has a battle mechanic that lets it break out of its outer shell to reveal its coloured core, making it different from Pokémon that keep the same appearance throughout a fight. Here's how to catch Minior in Pokémon GO, when the next meteor showers take place, how its forms work, and what we know about its shiny availability. [Pokémon Center Halloween 2026: Where to BuyPopular Pokémon Halloween items are already selling out. Here’s where to shop the 2026 collection and what to know before you buy.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-32c38028-488d-4339-858c-7adef5760c04.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1613771404721-1f92d799e49f-03bdd042-f207-46b1-9177-93fa1f9d580f.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/pokemon-center-halloween-2026-where-to-buy/) ## **1\. How to Get Minior in Pokémon GO** The easiest way to catch Minior is to play Pokémon GO during one of its scheduled meteor shower events. Unlike Pokémon that regularly appear in the wild, Minior is tied to specific event windows. During these periods, it can appear on the map in its Meteor Form, giving you a chance to tap it and begin a catch encounter. Here's what to do: 1. Open Pokémon GO during an active Minior meteor shower event. 2. Play between 5 PM and 11:59 PM at your local time, when the event is active. 3. Check the map for Minior and tap it to start an encounter. 4. Use a Razz Berry if you want to improve your chances of catching it. 5. Catch as many as you can while the event is running, especially if you're trying to collect different core colours. The official event announcement also confirms that Minior encounters will be boosted during the meteor showers. You'll receive additional Stardust for catching Minior, giving you another reason to make the most of each event. One thing to keep in mind is that the meteor shower events run across several days, rather than just a single evening. The exact start and end dates matter, so check the schedule below before planning your next catching session. ## **2\. Pokémon GO Minior Meteor Shower Schedule** Niantic has announced six meteor shower periods for Minior's debut and subsequent core-colour releases. The events run from October 2026 through August 2027. Here is the announced schedule: Orionids - October 19–24, 2026 - Starts at 5 PM on October 19 and ends at 11:59 PM on October 24, local time. Leonids - November 14–19, 2026 - Starts at 5 PM on November 14 and ends at 11:59 PM on November 19, local time. Geminids - December 11–16, 2026 - Starts at 5 PM on December 11 and ends at 11:59 PM on December 16, local time. - One core colour will debut in the Northern Hemisphere and another in the Southern Hemisphere. Eta Aquariids - May 3–8, 2027 - Starts at 5 PM on May 3 and ends at 11:59 PM on May 8, local time. Southern Delta Aquariids - July 28–August 2, 2027 - Starts at 5 PM on July 28 and ends at 11:59 PM on August 2, local time. Perseids - August 10–15, 2027 - Starts at 5 PM on August 10 and ends at 11:59 PM on August 15, local time. You can find the full announcement on the[ official Pokémon GO website](https://pokemongo.com/news/minior-meteor-showers-2026?hl=en). Each meteor shower introduces one of Minior's different core colours. The Geminids event is particularly worth watching because the colour debut will differ between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. During each event, the in-game sky will also feature shooting stars between 5 PM and 9 PM local time. These visual effects accompany the increased chance of encountering Minior in the wild. ## **3\. How to Change Minior's Form in Pokémon GO** Minior doesn't evolve into another Pokémon, but it does have different forms that affect how it looks and performs in battle. When you encounter Minior, it will initially be in Meteor Form, covered by a brown outer shell. Once its HP falls to 50% or below during an eligible battle, the shell breaks open to reveal its core. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 6 Benefits of a Second Passport for Travel, Work and Living Abroad URL: https://www.techloy.com/benefits-of-a-second-passport/ Last updated: 2026-10-20T09:56:33.000Z A passport can determine how easily you travel, where you can go without a visa, and the opportunities available to you outside your home country. For travellers whose passports come with limited travel access, having a second passport makes international trips easier by reducing the visa application hurdles you might otherwise face. Usually, second passports are issued by another country whose citizenship you hold. To obtain one, you can qualify through family ancestry, birth, naturalisation after living in a country for a required period, or [citizenship-by-investment](https://www.techloy.com/10-countries-offering-citizenship-by-investment-for-global-tech-talent/) programmes where they are legally available. Apart from making international travel easier, a second passport can also open up access to foreign job markets and business prospects, among other things. However, these benefits depend on the country issuing the passport and the rights attached to that citizenship. Perhaps you are thinking about getting one; here are seven benefits that may make it worth the effort. ## 1\. More visa-free travel opportunities One of the most important benefits of having a second passport is the ability to visit more countries without applying for a visa in advance. For instance, a St. Kitts and Nevis passport offersaccess to over 150 countries, including the UK, the Schengen Area, Hong Kong, and Singapore, though access to some places like the UK and the Schengen Area is limited to short stays. You can check [here](https://www.techloy.com/10-countries-offering-citizenship-by-investment-for-global-tech-talent/) for countries that offer second passports by investment. Countries have different visa arrangements, and some passports provide access to significantly more destinations than others. Depending on the passport you hold, you may be able to enter certain countries visa-free, obtain a visa on arrival, or apply for an electronic travel authorisation instead of going through a visa process. This can make international travel easier for holidays, conferences, business meetings, and family visits. However, travellers must still meet the country's requirements, including stay requirements and what activities they can undertake. ## 2\. Access to jobs and career opportunities abroad A second passport can also expand your career options, especially when you have the right to work in another country without employer-sponsored immigration permission. For professionals looking beyond their home country's job market, this can make a considerable difference. Some employers are more willing to hire candidates who already have the legal right to work in their country because they do not need to arrange work visa sponsorship. Citizenship in an European Union member state, for example, generally gives the holder the right to live and work in other EU countries, subject to applicable rules and conditions. A British passport, on the other hand, does not automatically provide the same freedom to work across the EU following Brexit. Having a second passport does not guarantee employment, of course. Qualifications, professional experience, language skills, and local hiring requirements still matter, but it does remove the barrier between a candidate and an opportunity. ## 3\. Greater flexibility when choosing where to live If you hold citizenship in another country, you generally have the right to live there, subject to that country's laws. Depending on the citizenship you acquire, you may also have the right to settle in other countries within a regional arrangement, such as the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) if you hold a Caribbean passport. This can be valuable for people who want to relocate for work, raise a family abroad, access a different lifestyle, or move closer to relatives. It can also provide an alternative if your circumstances change. You may decide to leave your home country temporarily or permanently because of career opportunities, family needs, or personal preferences. Rather than beginning a new immigration process from scratch, citizenship in another country can give you an established legal route to live there. ## 4\. A backup option during political or economic uncertainty Aside from the flexibility it provides, it can also afford you an option when circumstances at home become difficult. Political instability or changes in immigration and travel policies can affect people's ability to move across borders. Having citizenship in another country gives you a place where you can legally reside without relying on a temporary visa or residence permit. However, a second passport should not be treated as a guarantee of safety or a substitute for an emergency plan. Travel restrictions and other exceptional circumstances can still affect movement. The value lies in having another lawful option available when you need it. ## 5\. More opportunities for education A second passport can make studying abroad more accessible, depending on the country and institution. For example, EU citizenship can make it easier to study in other EU countries because citizens generally have the right to move and reside within the bloc under applicable conditions. However, tuition fees and access to financial support vary by country, and EU citizenship does not automatically guarantee domestic tuition rates or scholarships everywhere. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Sony's Bungie May Make Star Wars Battlefront 3 for Disney URL: https://www.techloy.com/star-wars-battlefront-3-dice-bungie/ Last updated: 2026-10-20T10:04:31.000Z A new Star Wars: Battlefront game could finally be back on the table, with Disney reportedly exploring a partnership with DICE and Bungie to develop a follow-up to 2017’s Star Wars Battlefront II. The report, shared by gaming journalist Jeff Grubb during the October 19 episode of[ Giant Bomb’s Game Mess Mornings](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ladA0cCcOpA), suggests Lucasfilm is looking for a development studio to bring the multiplayer shooter series back. DICE, which developed both modern Battlefront games, is reportedly among the candidates, alongside Bungie, the studio behind Halo, Destiny and Marathon.[ ](https://www.twistedvoxel.com/disney-in-talks-with-bungie-dice-to-work-on-star-wars-battlefront-3/) However, Star Wars: Battlefront 3 has not been officially announced and is reportedly not in development. Disney is still said to be searching for a studio willing to take on the project, so the conversations do not guarantee that a sequel will happen. ## **Why Disney Is Looking for a New Star Wars: Battlefront Developer** The most interesting part of the report is not simply that Disney wants another Battlefront game. It is that Lucasfilm is reportedly looking for the right studio to make it happen. According to Grubb, who discussed information from Electronic Gaming Monthly’s latest rumour column, Lucasfilm has been searching for a development partner for a follow-up to Battlefront II. The [report](https://www.polygon.com/star-wars-battlefront-3-rumor-bungie-dice-disney/) points to the continued popularity of the 2017 game as a possible reason to revisit the franchise. That makes sense because the modern Battlefront series already has an established audience, a recognisable multiplayer format and decades of Star Wars locations, characters and battles to draw from. A new game would not need to introduce players to the concept of fighting across the galaxy; it would need to deliver the experience fans have been asking for since support for the previous game ended. However, finding a studio is only the first step. A project of this scale would need a team capable of handling large multiplayer battles, character abilities, vehicles, maps and the technical demands of bringing Star Wars combat to modern consoles and PC. Disney reportedly has two potential candidates in mind, but neither has been confirmed as the studio responsible for the next game. [Gears of War: E-Day Gift Card: How to Claim ItYour Xbox account may have a Gears of War: E-Day reward waiting. Here's how to check it, which purchases qualify and what deadline applies in your region.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-8de0ca6f-00e6-4812-a611-e10fe59e4684.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1600861194942-f883de0dfe96-ed9ba3d5-b532-418e-af97-df272da8ffaf.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/gears-of-war-e-day-gift-card-how-to-claim/) ## **DICE Is the Obvious Choice for Star Wars: Battlefront 3** DICE is the most familiar name in the conversation. The EA-owned studio developed[ Star Wars Battlefront (2015)](https://www.ea.com/games/starwars/battlefront) and[ Star Wars Battlefront II (2017)](https://www.ea.com/games/starwars/battlefront/battlefront-2), giving it direct experience with the series' large-scale battles, familiar Star Wars settings and multiplayer systems. The first reboot brought players back to locations such as Endor and Hoth, while its sequel expanded the experience with a single-player campaign, more heroes and villains, and additional ways to fight across the Star Wars universe. Neither game had a completely smooth journey. Battlefront II faced heavy criticism over its progression system and loot boxes at launch in 2017, prompting a major overhaul after widespread player backlash. DICE subsequently improved the game, and its reputation recovered as the experience grew beyond its original release. That history gives DICE both an advantage and a responsibility. The studio understands the franchise's strengths, but another instalment would need to avoid the problems that overshadowed its predecessor's launch. DICE has also continued working on Battlefield, so taking on another major multiplayer shooter would require a significant development commitment. Whether it wants to return to Battlefront remains unconfirmed. Even so, handing the series back to the team that built its two modern entries would be the most straightforward route to a sequel. ## **Could Bungie Develop the Next Star Wars Shooter Instead?** Bungie is the more unexpected candidate, but the studio has plenty of experience with science-fiction shooters. Its work on[ Halo](https://www.halowaypoint.com/) helped shape console first-person shooters, while[ Destiny 2](https://www.destinythegame.com/) demonstrated its ability to build a long-running online game around gunplay, cooperative missions and competitive multiplayer. Those strengths could be useful for a new Battlefront. Star Wars offers a huge arsenal of blasters, iconic vehicles, specialised soldiers and Force-wielding heroes, all of which could benefit from Bungie's experience designing responsive combat. But there is a difference between making a great shooter and making a great Battlefront game. The series relies on more than its gunplay appeal which comes from the scale of its battles, the interaction between infantry and vehicles, and the feeling of participating in a recognisable Star Wars conflict. Bungie would need to bring those elements together without losing what makes the franchise distinct. The studio is also managing its own challenges. Its extraction shooter,[ Marathon](https://www.marathonthegame.com/), has faced a difficult commercial reception, while Bungie has undergone layoffs and other organisational changes in recent years. A major Star Wars project could offer a new opportunity, but it would also demand resources and long-term commitment. There is no confirmation that Bungie has agreed to take on the game, or that its existing projects would change as a result. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### From Arrives on Netflix for Halloween as Season 4 Stays on MGM+ URL: https://www.techloy.com/from-season-4-netflix/ Last updated: 2026-10-20T10:03:43.000Z Netflix US has added the first three seasons of From, just in time for Halloween, giving horror fans a chance to catch up on the supernatural thriller. The MGM+ series arrived on the platform on 19 October 2026, although the deal only covers its first three seasons. Season 4 is not part of the deal and is streaming on MGM+, while the fifth and final season is set for 2027. Harold Perrineau stars as Boyd Stevens, the leader of a community struggling to survive in a place that seems impossible to escape. An active Netflix subscription is required to watch, with prices varying by plan. [Street Fighter Movie Budget: $82M or Over $100M?Street Fighter's mixed reviews and $51.1 million global opening leave it well short of a budget that may top $100 million.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-3164d844-892b-440c-b3c1-4f8fe526f67d.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/street-fighter-movie-2026-xs-1366x768-2-aad87f02-2ac2-4965-841a-1366a9a04f02.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/street-fighter-movie-budget-box-office/) ## **What Is From About?** Created by John Griffin, From follows people who find themselves trapped in a mysterious American town. Leaving seems impossible, and the danger intensifies after sunset when terrifying creatures emerge from the surrounding forest. Perrineau leads a cast that includes Catalina Sandino Moreno, Eion Bailey, Scott McCord and Elizabeth Saunders. The show mixes supernatural horror with a longer mystery about the town, its inhabitants and the forces controlling their lives. The series has also become a significant title for its original platform.[ Paramount Global Content’s official listing](https://paramountglobalcontent.com/title/from) confirms four seasons, comprising 40 episodes, and describes the story as an increasingly terrifying search for answers. Its growing audience helps explain why bringing earlier episodes to Netflix ahead of the final season could introduce the series to viewers who have not subscribed to MGM+. ## **When Will From Season 5 Arrive?** MGM+ has renewed From for a fifth and final season, with a premiere expected in 2027\. There is no confirmed release date yet, so viewers should not treat a specific month as official. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 7 Best AI Stock Pickers in 2027 (Ranked for Retail Investors) URL: https://www.techloy.com/7-best-ai-stock-pickers-in-2027-ranked-for-retail-investors/ Last updated: 2026-10-20T08:44:05.000Z Think back to the last time you stared at a screen full of stock tickers, wondering which move to make next. You're not alone. Retail investors flooded the markets in 2025, pouring a record $155 billion into U.S. stocks and ETFs. Individual investors have now become the second-largest buyers of U.S. equities, trailing only corporate buybacks, according to Goldman Sachs figures cited in market analyses. And with retail exposure approaching 60% of total U.S. market capitalization when you factor in 401(k) and ETF holdings — though retail investors now hold about 49% of their financial assets directly in equities, exceeding the peak seen during the dot-com bubble, the stakes have never been higher. That surge has spawned a wave of AI stock-picking tools, each promising to give you an edge. We evaluated the seven best AI stock pickers on accuracy, transparency, ease of use, and value. Let’s dive into the full list. ## **1\.** [**Prospero.ai**](http://prospero.ai)**: Best Free AI Stock Picker for Retail Investors** Founded by CEO George Kailas, the company's mission is straightforward: give everyday investors institutional-grade market intelligence by condensing over 100 million daily data points into 10 plain-English signals per stock. The core app is free to download and use. Since its launch in mid-2023, the Prospero’s Trading Newsletter reports a 54% win rate against the S&P 500, and the Investing Newsletter reported that its 2025 picks had won 60% of the time and outperformed the S&P 500 by 81% on an annualized basis. **Key features:** - **10 per-stock signals** cover Net Options Sentiment (refreshing every 2 to 5 minutes), dark pool activity, social sentiment, insider transactions, and a daily AI pick. - **Dark pool activity data** surfaces large off-exchange block trades that institutional traders monitor closely. This dataset provides visibility into hidden Wall Street order flows without spending a penny. - **A visual-first interface** transforms complex data into clean charts and bar gauges. - **The "Our Picks" feature** highlights the top 20% of stocks each day by aggregate signal confidence. **Best for:** Retail investors who want signals built on institutional data (options flow, dark pools, SEC filings) at zero cost. **Less ideal if:** You’re looking for direct trade execution, integrated portfolio tracking, or detailed order management. Prospero.ai is a stock picker platform, not a brokerage or trading platform. ## **2\. Danelfin: Best for Transparent AI Scoring Methodology** Danelfin is a Barcelona-based fintech, founded in 2016 as Eqzen, assigns an **AI Score from 1 to 10** to U.S. and European stocks using a LightGBM decision-tree ensemble model. According to research from [WalletInvestor](https://walletinvestor.com/news/ai-news/danelfin-review-can-this-ai-smart-score-software-predict-market-outperformance/), the platform analyses **more than 10,000 features per stock daily** spanning 600+ technical, 150 fundamental, and 150 sentiment indicators. **Key features:** - Stocks scoring **10/10 outperformed the market by 21.05% annualised alpha** after three months, while stocks scoring 1/10 underperformed by 33.28%. - An independent reviewer at AlphaGainDaily found the **sub-score breakdown** (technical, fundamental, sentiment) more practically useful than the composite AI Score alone. - The LightGBM ensemble design is transparently documented, with a clean separation of composite and component scores. **Best for:** Investors who value transparent methodology and want scores built on a documented ensemble model rather than an opaque black box. **Less ideal if:** You need real-time intraday signals or a mobile-first design. ## **3\. Kavout: Best for Multi-Asset Coverage with AI-Driven Search** Its flagship **Kai Score (K Score)** is a 1 to 9 machine-learning stock ranking that weaves together fundamentals, technicals, and alternative data, including institutional interest and social sentiment signals. The platform covers **11,000+ assets** across U.S. stocks, ETFs, cryptocurrencies, forex pairs, and international markets including the UK's FTSE 350, Germany's HDAX, and China's A-Shares. **Key features:** - **An Intraday Kai Score** updates every 30 minutes alongside the standard daily interday score, giving active traders a real-time ranking layer without switching tools. - **Smart Money Tracker** monitors Congress member trades and insider transactions, layering political intelligence onto the algorithmic signals. - The K Score's distribution through **FactSet and IEX Cloud** for institutional users suggests some level of professional validation. **Best for:** Investors who want AI stock-picking across multiple asset classes and geographies, or those who prefer conversational research through tools like InvestGPT. **Less ideal if:** You rely on a large user community for validation. Kavout's Trustpilot page shows a **TrustScore of 3.5 out of 5 from only 1 review**. ## **4\. AltIndex: Best for Alternative Data Signal Integration** AltIndex takes **alternative data** streams, like Web traffic, app downloads, Reddit buzz, social sentiment, Glassdoor scores, job postings, and insider activity to formulate a stock score ranging from **0 to 100**. **Key features:** - **Real-time push alerts** surface score changes and new signals without constant monitoring. - A separate mention in a WallStreetZen comparison article cites AltIndex claiming a **75% win rate** and a **70% win rate with 22% average gains over 6 months**. **Best for:** Investors who believe alternative data provides an edge beyond traditional financial metrics. **Less ideal if:** You want a free tier. AltIndex offers no meaningful free functionality beyond a money-back guarantee. ## **5\. Tickeron: Best for Active Traders Focused on Pattern Recognition** Tickeron’s platform centres on **Financial Learning Models (FLMs)**, AI Trading Bots, pattern recognition, trend prediction, and AI screeners. **Key features:** - **Multi-agent coordination** lets bots trade several tickers at once, a feature purpose-built for active traders managing multiple positions throughout the session. - **Pattern recognition engines** screen for classic formations like breakouts and head-and-shoulders, layering AI probability scoring on top of traditional technical analysis. **Best for:** Technically-oriented active traders comfortable with complex interfaces who want AI-powered pattern recognition and intraday signals. **Less ideal if:** You're a passive, long-term investor or want low-cost entry. ## **6\. BlackBoxStocks: Best for Options and Dark Pool Flow Traders** BlackBoxStocks combines **AI-driven stock and options scanning** with a live Discord server where traders dissect signals in real time. The features include options flow scanner, a dark pool scanner, pre-market scanning, and co-located exchange data that delivers alerts **2 to 5 seconds faster** than competing platforms. **Key features:** - **Dark pool scanner** surfaces large off-exchange block trades. - **Options flow scanner** detects unusual options activity that may signal informed positioning ahead of catalysts. - **Community-driven insight** through Discord lets you cross-reference algorithmic signals with human judgment. **Best for:** Active day traders and options traders who benefit from real-time flow data and community discussion. **Less ideal if:** You are a long-term, buy-and-hold investor. ## **7\. TipRanks: Best for Established Financial Research with an AI Layer** Where Danelfin leans on a machine-learning ensemble and Prospero.ai surfaces dark pool data, TipRanks anchors its AI layer in human expert signals. The analyst database lets you see the track record of individual Wall Street analysts, not just aggregate ratings. **Key features:** - **Smart Score** combines multiple data streams into a 1 to 10 composite, giving investors a quick quality measure backed by human expertise. - An extensive analyst database reveals individual track records, analysts with consistent track records of beating the market. **Best for:** Investors who want an AI layer on top of established Wall Street research rather than a purely machine-learning-driven signal tool. **Less ideal if:** You want a low-cost or free entry point. ## **Caveats and Counterpoints** Before you commit to any platform, a few realities deserve your attention. AI stock pickers offer genuine utility, but they also come with limitations. **Backtested versus live performance creates a gap.** Nearly every platform publishes backtested or vendor-reported results. The stocks that exist today are not a random sample of the stocks that existed in 2017. **Win-rate definitions vary wildly across platforms.** AltIndex reports a 61% win rate on its homepage but has elsewhere claimed 75%. Different benchmarks, holding periods, and execution assumptions can inflate or deflate these numbers dramatically. **User experience and billing practices matter as much as model accuracy.** Tickeron attracts praise for its AI screener but also draws complaints about auto-pay charges, cancellation friction, and backtested signals not matching real-world results. **AI scores offer directional value but should not be followed blindly.** Treat AI picks as one input among several in your decision process, not as a replacement for your own due diligence. ## **Final Verdict** Across every platform, the same principle applies: Treat AI signals as one input among many, verify claims against independent data wherever possible, and never confuse backtested performance with guaranteed future results. The tools are getting better every year. Your judgment still matters more than any score. ### How to Organize Construction Files for Better Project Management URL: https://www.techloy.com/how-to-organize-construction-files-for-better-project-management/ Last updated: 2026-10-20T06:05:18.000Z Construction projects generate a huge amount of documentation, including contracts, drawings and specifications, RFIs, submittals, daily reports, and more. So when these construction files aren't consolidated in one place and are scattered across email inboxes or cloud drives, finding the right document for a task can be tough. So, a construction file system is essential for effective project management. [eSUB](https://esub.com/) is a digital solution that helps construction teams keep all project information in one place. ## Construction Files Meaning Construction files are the different types of documentation created throughout a project. Common types of construction files include project contracts, architectural and engineering drawings, specifications, RFIs and responses, meeting minutes, time and cost records, and safety documentation. Different teams may need access to different files, making organization and permissions particularly important. ## Create a Standard Construction Folder Every project should follow a consistent construction folder structure. A standardized folder system makes it easier for employees to locate documents regardless of which project they are working on. An example of a construction folder structure is to have a folder with different folders such as contracts and agreements, plans and drawings, specifications, and submittals, change orders, daily reports, photos and site records, etc. Companies should customize the structure based on their project types and workflows. ## Use Consistent File Naming Conventions A folder structure only works effectively when individual files are named consistently. Avoid vague names such as drawingfinal.pdf or updatedplan.pdf. Use a standardized naming convention which includes project, document type, number, description, revision and date. ### Why File Naming Matters Consistent names help construction teams to find a document faster. Also, to identify revision, avoid duplicate documents and reduce errors. ### Establish Document Version Control Outdated drawings and documents can create serious problems on construction sites. That is why it is important to know the current revisions, previous versions, approval status and revision dates. Teams should have a clear process for replacing or archiving outdated files instead of allowing multiple versions to circulate. ## Centralize Construction Files in One Location Email attachments, personal computers, USB drives, and disconnected cloud folders create information silos. A centralized system allows authorized project participants to access the latest information from one location. ### Benefits of Centralized Construction File Management Centralized construction file management helps to have faster document retrieval and better collaboration. It reduces duplication and enables easier remote access. Moreover, it provides stronger document control and better project accountability. Construction companies can use [eSUB construction software](https://esub.com/) to bring important project documentation and workflows into a more centralized digital environment. ## Strategies for Managing Large Construction Files Managing large construction files is a hassle. Large files often come from large PDFs, high-resolution site photos, videos, engineering documents, or multiple drawing revisions. ### Best Practices for Managing Large Construction Files The best ways to manage large construction files are by using logical folder structures, archiving outdated files, compressing files when appropriate, and avoiding unnecessary duplicates and regularly reviewing and cleaning project folders. ## Control Access to Construction Documents Not everyone involved in a construction project needs access to every document. Assign access to project managers, project engineers, subcontractors, architects, and field personnel. Appropriate permissions help protect sensitive information while ensuring employees can access the documents they need to do their jobs. ## Make Construction Files Accessible to Field Teams Project information is often needed away from the office. Field teams may need to quickly access current drawings, daily reports, submittal, orders or project communications. Mobile-friendly access and centralized information can reduce the time spent calling or emailing office staff for documents. ## Integrate File Organization With Project Management Workflows Construction files shouldn't exist separately from project workflows. For example: RFI created → RFI reviewed → Response documented → Relevant files updated → Field team notified Change identified → Change order documented → Approval tracked → Cost impact recorded → Project records updated Connecting documentation to project processes creates a more complete project record. ## Create a Construction File Management Checklist Here are some ways to ensure construction file management is done well. Start by creating a standardized folder structure, establish file naming conventions, define document ownership, track revisions, archive outdated files, control access, back up important information, centralize the documentation and make it accessible to field teams. ## Conclusion Organizing construction files is an operational practice that can directly affect project efficiency. A strong system should make it easy to find documents, identify current versions, track project decisions, protect sensitive records, support field teams and maintain project history. Construction projects become increasingly digital, companies need systems that connect document organization with broader project management workflows. ### Apple Knew iPhone Duo Supply Was Tight but Launched Globally Anyway URL: https://www.techloy.com/iphone-duo-sold-out-delivery-delay-january-2027/ Last updated: 2026-10-19T15:53:56.000Z [John Ternus’s](https://www.techloy.com/tag/john-ternus/) leadership at [Apple](https://www.techloy.com/tag/apple/) is not off to the best start. The former senior vice president of hardware engineering took over as CEO from [Tim Cook](https://www.techloy.com/tim-cook-final-earnings-call-apple-price-increase/), who stepped down last year. Ternus has already overseen two major events, and one of the most significant devices in Apple’s history was unveiled at one of them: the [iPhone](https://www.techloy.com/tag/apple-iphone/) Duo. Pre-orders opened on October 16, with deliveries scheduled to begin on October 23\. But when customers started placing orders, many were surprised to find that their delivery dates had been pushed back by months. [iPhone Duo vs Xiaomi 18 Fold: Specs, Price and WinnerWhich foldable phone should you buy in 2026?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-1b7bc2dc-6f5f-4d59-8e74-388adff4648c.png)TechloyOgbonda Chivumnovu![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/iPhone-Duo-vs-Xiaomi-18-Fold-Comparison-14c29ec9-5375-403a-8010-dfeae621cdca.png)](https://www.techloy.com/iphone-duo-vs-xiaomi-18-fold/) ## What happened when pre-orders opened on Friday? As soon as pre-orders opened on Friday, the iPhone Duo began selling out quickly. Within minutes, estimated delivery dates had shifted from October 23 to November. Later that day, they reportedly moved to January 2027, leaving some customers facing a wait of more than three months. That means anyone who missed the initial ordering window could be waiting until January for a phone that costs more than $2,000\. That’s a lot to ask of customers who were ready to spend a premium on Apple’s first foldable [iPhone](https://www.techloy.com/tag/apple-iphone/). ## Why did this happen, and why is it a mistake? Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman [reported](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2026-10-18/apple-homeview-with-robotic-arm-new-mac-ipad-mini-nov-6-release-iphone-duo) that Apple knew supplies would be severely limited. Foxconn’s final assembly yield was reportedly just above 60% as of September 17, while production was limited to a few hundred units a day in late August. Apple initially planned to launch the Duo in the US and China before expanding to other markets. Instead, it opened pre-orders in more than 70 countries from the start, spreading its limited supply across a much larger market. Gurman called the decision a “major mistake”. He suggested Apple may have prioritised getting the Duo to market early in its fiscal first quarter over meeting customer demand. For a company that has spent decades turning its supply chain into a competitive advantage, this is a bad look. ## Apple has dealt with launch delays before, but not quite like this Apple has experienced shortages with previous iPhone launches. The iPhone X had a wait of around six weeks, while the iPhone 7 Plus faced delays of roughly two months. But a wait stretching into January for a phone launched in October is particularly striking. By the time some customers receive their Duo, they could already be a few months away from the next expected generation. That’s a long wait for a device that may be succeeded by a newer model later in the year. ## The potential upside: more iPhone Pro sales There may be one silver lining for Apple. According to Gurman’s report, the company believes the Duo’s limited availability could help drive sales of the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max. Some customers will visit Apple Stores hoping to buy a Duo, find it unavailable, and settle for a Pro model instead. Others may be drawn in by the foldable design and marketing campaign, only to decide that a traditional Pro is a better fit at roughly half the price. Either way, Apple hopes customers leave with a new iPhone. ## Should you cancel your pre-order? If your delivery date has slipped to January and you need a new phone soon, you could consider alternatives such as Samsung’s [Galaxy Z Fold series](https://www.techloy.com/samsung-galaxy-z-fold-8-ultra-flip-8-price-best-buy/) or Google’s [Pixel Fold](https://www.techloy.com/google-pixel-10-pro-fold-vs-samsung-galaxy-z-fold-7/) series. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Best AI Tool for Long-Form Video With Consistent Characters URL: https://www.techloy.com/best-ai-tool-for-long-form-video-with-consistent-characters/ Last updated: 2026-10-19T15:26:00.000Z AI video models can now generate shots that look like they came from a film studio. Keeping the same character looking like the same character for ten minutes is a different problem entirely, and it's the one most tools still haven't solved. In a 15-second clip, character drift is a minor annoyance. In a 10-minute story, episode or music video, it's the thing that breaks the whole video: the hero's face changes between scenes, an outfit swaps color, a child's favorite cartoon bunny suddenly has different ears. Viewers notice immediately, and once they do, the story stops working. This guide compares the AI tools people actually use for long videos with recurring characters, explains how each one keeps characters consistent (or doesn't), and shows what a finished long-form video costs in each. **Quick answer:** the best AI tools for long-form video with consistent characters in October 2026 are: 1. **LongStories.ai**: best overall. Complete videos up to 15 minutes, with characters that stay the same in every scene and carry over into future episodes. 2. **invideo AI**: best agent-led option for explainers and faceless videos, with character and location memory across cuts. 3. **Kling 3.0**: best raw model for multi-shot scenes, with up to six labeled shots per generation and voice binding. 4. **Google Veo 3.1**: best shot quality, with up to three reference images per clip to lock a character's look. 5. **Runway**: best toolkit for hands-on creators who want reference-guided shots and a full editor. ## **At a glance** | Tool | Longest single output | How it keeps characters consistent | Consistency across episodes | Cost per finished minute (1080p) | | -------------- | ------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------- | -------------------------------- | | LongStories.ai | 15 minutes | Persistent characters created once, reused in every scene | Yes, via Series and Universes | 12.19–14.41 | | invideo AI | Long-form | Agent carries character and location memory across cuts | Limited | Varies by plan and model | | Kling 3.0 | 15 seconds per generation | Labeled multi-shot prompts, reference-to-video, voice binding | Manual | 6.72–10.08 (raw) | | Google Veo 3.1 | 8 seconds per generation | Up to 3 reference images per clip | Manual | 4.80–24.00 (raw) | | Runway | Per clip | Reference images and image-guided generation | Manual | $11.20 on Pro (raw) | "Raw" means one take of every shot, before retakes, voices and editing. ## **Why character consistency breaks down in long videos** ### **The clip problem** Most AI video models generate between 8 and 15 seconds per generation. A long video is therefore built from dozens of separate generations: - **A 10-minute video is about 75 Veo 3.1 clips or 40 Kling 3.0 clips.** - Each clip is generated independently, so each one is a fresh chance for a face, hairstyle, outfit or art style to shift. Extension features help a little, but they come with their own limits. Veo 3.1 can extend a clip in 7-second steps up to about two and a half minutes, but extended clips drop to 720p. Kling 3.0 extensions reach about three minutes on paid plans, with reviewers reporting drift past the two-minute mark. Neither gets close to ten minutes. ### **Why small error rates add up** Consistency failures compound across a long video. As an illustration: if every clip had a 95% chance of keeping your character exactly on-model, the chance that **all 75 clips** in a 10-minute Veo video stay consistent would be only about **2%**. For the 40 clips in a Kling video, it's about **13%**. In practice, that means clip-based workflows almost always involve regenerating shots and fixing continuity by hand. The longer the video, the bigger that job gets. ### **The four levels of character consistency** Tools take very different approaches, and the approach matters more than the model's raw image quality: 1. **Prompt only.** You describe the character in every prompt and hope the model renders it the same way. Works for a few shots; breaks over a long video. 2. **Reference images per clip.** You attach images of the character to each generation. Much better, but you're still managing consistency shot by shot, and details like hands, accessories and small markings can still change. 3. **Character memory within a project.** The tool stores your character and applies it to every scene it generates. Consistency becomes the tool's job, not yours. 4. **Character memory across projects.** The same character, voice and world carry into the next video or episode. This is what series, channels and recurring brands need. Only LongStories.ai reaches level 4 among the tools compared here. invideo AI works at level 3 within a video. Kling, Veo and Runway operate at level 2. ## **How we evaluated** We compared each tool on five criteria that matter for long videos with recurring characters: 1. **Longest finished output** in a single project 2. **Consistency method**: prompt, references, project memory or cross-project memory 3. **Consistency across episodes**: can the same character return in the next video? 4. **Built-in voices and narration**, since a character's voice is part of its identity 5. **Cost per finished minute** at 1080p, from each vendor's published pricing as of October 2026 ## **1\. LongStories.ai: Best overall for long-form video with consistent characters** **Best for:** YouTube storytellers, animated series, kids' and educational channels, music videos and anyone building recurring characters. [LongStories.ai](https://longstories.ai/) is built for exactly this problem. You describe a character once (its face, outfit and overall presence) and the platform keeps it looking the same across every scene of a video up to 15 minutes long. You don't attach reference images to each shot or re-prompt the character every time; the character is stored and reused. It goes further than any other tool here by keeping characters consistent **across videos**, not just within one: - **Characters:** created once, free to make, and reusable in every future video. - **Series:** the next episode keeps your cast, their voices and your world. - **Universes:** a defined setting with its own look, locations and cast that you can return to. - **Voices:** a voice for the narrator and for each character, with captions, so characters sound the same as well as look the same. - **Shot-level editing:** if one shot misses, regenerate just that shot instead of the whole video. You can start from a short idea or a full script, choose from styles such as Pixar-style, anime, cartoon and comic book (or create your own), and then download, upscale to 4K or post directly to YouTube. It's proven at scale, with more than 20,000 videos made by over 10,000 creators. One studio went from releasing one episode a week to one a day. A music video creator with 35,000 subscribers said the character consistency across clips made editing far easier, and a children's music channel built on LongStories has grown to around 50,000 subscribers. **Pros** - The only tool here with character memory across a whole series - Complete videos up to 15 minutes, with no stitching - Narrator and character voices plus captions included - Edit individual shots without regenerating the video - Unused credits roll over month to month **Cons** - Leans toward stylized and animated looks rather than photoreal live action - No free video generation (sign-up includes 200 free credits for characters and scripts) - Videos run up to 10 minutes on Pro and Creator; 15 minutes requires Creator Max ($199/month) or higher **Pricing:** Pro $59/month (4,500 credits), Creator $99 (8,500), Creator Max $199 (17,000), Studio $299 (26,000) and Studio Max $499 (45,000). Annual billing saves 25%. A minute of 1080p video uses 1,099 credits (571 at 480p), so a 10-minute 1080p video needs about 11,000 credits; Creator Max covers it with room for revisions. ## **2\. invideo AI: Best for agent-led explainers and faceless videos** **Best for:** faceless YouTube channels, explainers and marketing videos where a presenter or recurring character appears across a long video. invideo AI uses an agent to plan and assemble a video shot by shot, drawing on several video models and stock footage. It carries character and location memory across cuts, which keeps a recurring figure or setting recognizable within a single video, and it handles script and voiceover for you. **Pros** - Plans and assembles long videos automatically - Character and location memory within a video - Built-in script and voiceover **Cons** - Best suited to explainer and stock-led formats rather than original animated storytelling - No series or universe feature for carrying characters into the next video - Pricing mixes stock-video minutes and generative credits, so costs depend heavily on which models you use ## **3\. Kling 3.0: Best raw model for multi-shot scenes** **Best for:** creators who want strong motion quality at a low price and are comfortable assembling a long video themselves. Kling 3.0 is one of the more consistency-friendly raw models. A single generation can contain up to six labeled shots, with dialogue tied to named characters, which keeps a short scene coherent. Kling Omni adds reference-to-video, start and end frames, and voice binding from a 5–30 second voice sample, so a character can keep the same voice across clips. **Pros** - Multi-shot generations with named characters - Voice binding and reference-to-video through Kling Omni - Low price per second, about $6.72 per minute of 1080p video without audio **Cons** - Up to 15 seconds per generation, so a 10-minute video is still about 40 clips - Fine details such as hands, accessories and small text can change between clips - No persistent character library or series memory; you manage consistency across scenes ## **4\. Google Veo 3.1: Best shot quality with reference images** **Best for:** premium, realistic shots where image quality matters most. Veo 3.1's ingredients-to-video mode accepts up to three reference images to lock a character's look, an object or a style for a clip, and it generates synced sound with the picture. For individual hero shots, it's among the best available. **Pros** - Excellent realism and image quality - Up to three reference images per clip - Native audio, plus first and last frame control **Cons** - 4, 6 or 8 seconds per generation, so a 10-minute video is about 75 clips - References apply per clip; there's no stored character that carries through a project - Extended clips drop to 720p, and Standard is expensive at $0.40 per second ## **5\. Runway: Best toolkit for hands-on creators** **Best for:** directors and editors who want reference-guided shots and a full creative suite in one place. Runway supports image-guided generation and references to keep a subject's appearance consistent, and its Gen-4.5 model produces cinematic footage. Paid plans also include music, voice and sound-effects generation, plus access to other models inside the same workspace. **Pros** - Cinematic image quality and strong editing tools - Reference and image-guided workflows - Voice, music and sound tools built in **Cons** - A clip-by-clip workflow, so long videos are assembled by hand - Identity can still drift across longer sequences - The Pro plan's 2,250 monthly credits cover only about three minutes of Gen-4.5 footage, and Standard and Pro credits don't roll over ## **What a 10-minute video with consistent characters costs** We converted each tool's published pricing into the cost of one finished minute of 1080p video, then multiplied it out for a 10-minute video. | Tool and tier | Per minute | 10-minute video (one take per shot) | 10-minute video (two takes per shot) | | ---------------------------- | ---------- | ----------------------------------- | ------------------------------------ | | LongStories.ai, Creator Max | $12.87 | \~$129 | Regenerate only shots that miss | | LongStories.ai, Studio Max | $12.19 | \~$122 | Regenerate only shots that miss | | Veo 3.1 Lite, with audio | $4.80 | $48 | $96 | | Veo 3.1 Fast, with audio | $7.20 | $72 | $144 | | Veo 3.1 Standard, with audio | $24.00 | $240 | $480 | | Kling 3.0, no audio | $6.72 | $67 | $134 | | Kling 3.0, with audio | \~$10.08 | \~$101 | \~$202 | | Runway Gen-4.5, Pro plan | $11.20 | $112 | $224 | | Runway Gen-4.5, Max plan | $7.20 | $72 | $144 | The clip-based figures cover footage only. They don't include narration, character voices, music, captions or the time needed to edit 40 to 75 clips into one consistent timeline, all of which LongStories includes in its price. Character-heavy videos rarely get every shot right the first time, which is why the two-takes column matters. With LongStories, regenerating a shot costs credits too, but you're replacing one shot inside a finished video rather than re-stitching a chain of clips. ## **How to keep characters consistent, whichever tool you use** - **Lock the design before you generate.** Decide on the face, hair, outfit, colors and one or two distinctive details, and keep them fixed. - **Stylized looks hold up better.** Cartoon, Pixar-style and anime designs stay consistent more easily than photoreal faces. - **Give each character a fixed voice.** A consistent voice makes small visual variations far less noticeable. - **Reuse the same references.** With clip-based tools, attach the same reference images to every shot of a character. - **Check transitions, not just shots.** Drift is most visible at cuts, so review each cut side by side. - **Plan for a series from the start.** If the character will return, use a tool that stores it, so episode two starts where episode one left off. ## **Which tool should you choose?** - **A long story, episode or series with recurring characters:** LongStories.ai - **A kids' channel or animated series:** LongStories.ai - **A faceless explainer with a recurring presenter:** invideo AI - **Low-cost multi-shot scenes you'll assemble yourself:** Kling 3.0 - **A handful of premium, realistic hero shots:** Google Veo 3.1 - **Maximum hands-on control in a full editing suite:** Runway ## **FAQ** ### **What is the best AI tool for long videos with consistent characters?** LongStories.ai is the strongest option in 2026\. It produces complete videos up to 15 minutes with characters that stay the same in every scene, and it's the only tool compared here that carries characters, voices and settings across a whole series. ### **Why do AI video characters change between scenes?** Most AI video models generate each clip independently, so every new clip is a new chance for a face, outfit or style to shift. Long videos need dozens of clips, so small inconsistencies add up quickly unless the tool stores the character and reuses it. ### **Can AI keep the same character across multiple episodes?** Yes, with the right tool. LongStories.ai's Series feature keeps your cast, voices and world for the next episode. With clip-based models such as Kling, Veo or Runway, you have to recreate consistency manually for each new video with reference images and careful prompting. ### **How long can an AI video with consistent characters be?** LongStories.ai produces up to 15 minutes in a single project. Raw models generate 8 to 15 seconds per clip, and their extension features top out at a few minutes, with quality dropping as clips get longer. ### **Do reference images solve character consistency?** They help a lot, but they work one clip at a time. Veo 3.1 accepts up to three reference images per clip, and Kling and Runway offer reference-guided generation. Fine details can still change between clips, and you have to manage every shot yourself across a long video. ### **How much does a 10-minute AI video with consistent characters cost?** At 1080p and October 2026 prices, LongStories.ai comes to about 122–129 for a finished 10-minute video, including voices, captions and assembly. Raw footage from clip-based models ranges from about $48 (Veo 3.1 Lite) to $240 (Veo 3.1 Standard) for a single take of every shot, and roughly double that with realistic retakes, before editing. ### Street Fighter Leads With a $31M Debut. Can It Recover Its Costs? URL: https://www.techloy.com/street-fighter-movie-budget-box-office/ Last updated: 2026-10-19T15:17:33.000Z The latest Street Fighter film has landed at No. 1 at the North American box office, but its opening weekend has left the franchise with a financial challenge. Released in US cinemas on the 16th of October 2026, the live-action adaptation earned an estimated $31 million across its first three days, bringing its worldwide opening to about $51.1 million. Distributed by Paramount Pictures, the film adapts Capcom’s long-running fighting game series and stars Andrew Koji as Ryu, Noah Centineo as Ken Masters, and Callina Liang as Chun-Li. However, its opening fell short of the roughly $70 million global debut projected before release. With its production budget reportedly ranging from $82 million to more than $100 million, its long-term box office performance will depend on whether audience interest holds beyond the opening weekend. [The Diplomat Season 5 Release Date: Is Netflix Renewing It?Season 4 has a perfect 100% Rotten Tomatoes score, but Netflix hasn't said whether Kate Wyler is coming back.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-2f4af4a0-a92b-4bac-bbb2-53e2462242f8.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/The_Diplomat_n_S4_E1_00_37_27_21R-941553a9-f6f1-492a-83b9-3bf3e524e46b.webp)](https://www.techloy.com/the-diplomat-season-5-renewal-release-date/) ## A Box Office Win That Fell Short of Expectations According to [Rotten Tomatoes’](https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/weekend-box-office-street-fighter-week-1/) weekend box office report, Street Fighter led North American ticket sales from 16 to 18 October, ahead of You Can See Everything, which opened with $15 million. The film earned $31 million domestically and $20.1 million internationally, bringing its global opening to $51.1 million. Although this marks a solid start for a video game adaptation, the film fell short of earlier expectations. TheWrap reported that it was targeting a worldwide opening of around $70 million, making its actual performance weaker than anticipated. The film launched in 3,575 North American theatres, giving Paramount a wide theatrical release. Its next challenge will be sustaining audience interest and generating enough ticket sales to build on its opening weekend. ## Can Street Fighter Recover Its Production Costs? There is a discrepancy in reports about how much Street Fighter cost to make, with industry publication Screen Daily reporting an $82 million budget, while other estimates put the figure above $100 million. Either way, the film has yet to recover its production costs through ticket sales. Its $51.1 million worldwide gross is not the amount Paramount receives, as cinemas retain a share of ticket revenue and marketing and distribution add further expenses. As a result, even a film that eventually earns twice its production budget may not necessarily turn a profit. ## Mixed Reviews Could Limit Its Staying Power Audience and critic reactions offer another reason for caution. Rotten Tomatoes’ review page lists a 42% critics’ score and a 79% audience score. Its critics’ consensus says the film has “plenty of affection for its source material” but criticises its storytelling and humour. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### PS5 Games Now Run on Xbox Series X, but a 5GB Limit Holds Them Back URL: https://www.techloy.com/ps5-games-xbox-series-x-ps5x-emulator/ Last updated: 2026-10-19T14:58:29.000Z PS5X has managed to run four [PlayStation 5](https://www.techloy.com/tag/playstation-5/) games on Microsoft's console, but a strict Developer Mode memory limit stands between this early experiment and something [Xbox](https://www.techloy.com/tag/microsoft-xbox/) players can actually use. The idea of playing PlayStation 5 games on an Xbox Series X sounds like the kind of thing that should not work. Sony and Microsoft compete over console exclusives, hardware and services, after all. Yet developer Devran Cosmo Uenal has managed to get PS5 games running on Microsoft's console through an experimental emulator called PS5X. In a YouTube video [published](https://youtu.be/KeNCzJgsDyQ?si=0XIukHKygemZf0z%5F) on September 8, Uenal demonstrated the PlayStation 5 version of Quake II running on an Xbox Series X, complete with Xbox controller support. Three other games have also been shown working through the project: GEX Trilogy, Hellboy: Web of Wyrd and Marvel Cosmic Invasion. That is a notable technical achievement, but it does not mean Xbox owners can suddenly play their favourite PlayStation exclusives. PS5X currently runs inside Microsoft's official Developer Mode, where games face a 5GB memory limit. With a regular Xbox game able to use considerably more memory, that restriction puts a hard ceiling on what the emulator can realistically handle. Here's what PS5X does, which games it can run, and why the project is more interesting as an emulation experiment than a practical way to play PS5 games on Xbox. [PS5 QSSR: Wolverine and Ghost of Yōtei Get AI UpscalingMarvel’s Wolverine and Ghost of Yōtei are among the first games to support the new technology.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-451edf8a-4df3-4f11-b9af-04954689444e.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1617807666231-331677e1c41f-53a1d680-16c2-46e0-bb9a-8f0b4697245e.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/ps5-qssr-ai-upscaling/) ## **What is PS5X, and how does it work?** PS5X is an Xbox port of[ KytyPS5](https://github.com/Jetsku/KytyPS5), an open-source PlayStation 5 emulator originally developed for PC. Rather than turning an Xbox Series X into a PlayStation 5, the project attempts to translate the instructions a PS5 game uses into commands that Microsoft's console can understand. That approach is possible partly because the two consoles share similar underlying hardware. Both use AMD processors built around the Zen 2 architecture, RDNA 2 graphics and 16GB of GDDR6 memory. PS5 games also use the x86-64 processor architecture, which is familiar to modern PCs. The shared architecture gives developers a starting point, but it does not make the two systems interchangeable. Their operating environments and graphics APIs still differ, creating another challenge for the emulator. KytyPS5 uses Vulkan to handle graphics on PC, while Xbox Developer Mode supports DirectX 11 and DirectX 12\. In the YouTube demonstration [published](https://youtu.be/KeNCzJgsDyQ) by developer Devran Cosmo Uenal, he explained the problem directly: “Since Vulkan isn't supported, everything needs to be translated to DirectX.” That extra translation creates another layer of work. Improvements made to KytyPS5's PC renderer cannot necessarily be transferred directly to the Xbox port; they may need to be adapted before they work under DirectX. In other words, PS5X is not simply copying a PS5 game onto an Xbox and pressing play. It is attempting to bridge two different software environments, and every compatibility fix brings the project a little closer to running more games. You can follow the original emulator's development through its[ GitHub repository](https://github.com/Jetsku/KytyPS5). ## **Which PS5 games can run on Xbox Series X?** At the time of the reported demonstration, PS5X had shown compatibility with four games: - Quake II: The PS5 version was demonstrated running with Xbox controller inputs. TweakTown estimated performance at roughly 25 to 45 frames per second in the footage. - GEX Trilogy: The collection of classic platformers was also shown working through the emulator. - Hellboy: Web of Wyrd: The action-adventure game is among the titles demonstrated running through PS5X. - Marvel Cosmic Invasion: The beat-'em-up was another addition to the project's early compatibility list. These results are promising, but there is an important distinction between getting a game to run and delivering a reliable playing experience. Some titles have working audio, while performance and compatibility remain limited. There is also no demonstrated PS5-exclusive blockbuster in this list. All four games are available on other platforms, so the current lineup does not yet show that Xbox players can use PS5X to access games they otherwise could not play. The broader PS5 emulation scene is making progress, too. Android Authority [reported](https://www.engadget.com/2286776/xbox-series-x-users-can-play-playstation-5-games-ps5x-emulator-issues/) on September 28 that KytyPS5 had reached in-game stages in a range of titles on PC, while footage of Marvel's Wolverine reportedly showed the game reaching its main menu on a system equipped with an Nvidia RTX 5090\. That was not a demonstration of playable gameplay, however, and it should not be confused with PS5X running the game on Xbox. Progress on PC could eventually help the Xbox project, but only when the necessary improvements are adapted for DirectX and can fit within the console's memory restrictions. ## **Why the Xbox Series X's 5GB memory limit is a problem** This is where the project runs into its biggest obstacle. Microsoft's Developer Mode gives games a maximum of 5GB of memory, while apps are limited to 1GB. A regular retail Xbox Series X game can use around 13.5GB of the console's 16GB of memory, with the remainder reserved for the operating system and other system functions. That means PS5X has access to less than 40% of the memory available to a typical retail Xbox game. The restriction matters because an emulator needs memory for more than the game itself. It also has to manage the emulation process, translate instructions and handle graphics resources. Even if the underlying hardware is powerful enough to process a game's workload, the available memory can prevent it from running properly. Large modern games are particularly difficult to accommodate under those conditions. Their assets, rendering requirements and other workloads can quickly exceed the space available to PS5X. Microsoft does allow higher memory limits when software runs through the Visual Studio debugger, a development setup intended for testing and debugging applications. That is not the same as offering a straightforward workaround for ordinary Xbox owners who want to play retail games. Without a change in the project's requirements or a different way to run it, the memory cap will continue to limit what PS5X can achieve. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Website Monetization in 2026: Best Ad Platforms for Digital Publishers URL: https://www.techloy.com/website-monetization-in-2026-best-ad-platforms-for-digital-publishers/ Last updated: 2026-10-19T13:19:10.000Z Running a successful website in 2026 is not just about attracting traffic. Publishers also need to turn that attention into sustainable revenue without making the site unpleasant to use. That balance has become harder. Advertising technology is more automated, AI is changing how people discover content, and publishers are under pressure to diversify revenue as search traffic becomes less predictable. At the same time, advertisers still want measurable performance and brand-safe environments. The good news is that website advertising remains a very large market. According to the[ ](https://www.iab.com/insights/internet-advertising-revenue-report-full-year-2025/)[IAB/PwC Internet Advertising Revenue Report](https://www.iab.com/insights/internet-advertising-revenue-report-full-year-2025/), U.S. digital advertising revenue reached $294.6 billion in 2025, up 13.9% year over year. That creates plenty of opportunity for publishers, but choosing the right monetization partner matters more than simply adding more ad slots. ## **What Publishers Should Look for in 2026** A good ad platform should do more than fill inventory. Publishers need technology that can generate competitive demand while protecting page speed, user experience and long-term audience trust. A high RPM looks attractive, but not if aggressive ad placement pushes readers away. The most useful criteria usually include: - revenue potential and demand quality; - supported countries and traffic sources; - minimum traffic or revenue requirements; - ad formats and placement control; - reporting and optimization tools; - site-speed impact; - payment terms and publisher support. There is also a less glamorous consideration: flexibility. A monetization setup that works perfectly at 50,000 monthly pageviews may become limiting once a site grows several times larger. ## **Comparing Popular Publisher Monetization Options** There is no single best platform for every publisher. Different solutions target different stages of growth. | **Platform or network** | **Best suited for** | **Main advantage** | **Main consideration** | | ----------------------- | ------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------ | | Google AdSense | New and smaller publishers | Easy entry and broad advertiser demand | Less hands-on optimization | | Google Ad Manager | Larger or more advanced publishers | Extensive inventory and demand management | More technical complexity | | Mediavine | Established content publishers | Managed optimization and premium demand | Entry requirements apply | | Raptive | Higher-traffic independent publishers | Premium ad management and support | Strong traffic and content standards | | Performance ad networks | Publishers seeking additional demand | Alternative formats and broader monetization options | Results depend heavily on audience and geography | This comparison is intentionally broad. Revenue can vary dramatically between two sites using exactly the same platform. Niche, country, traffic quality, seasonality, reader behavior and even page layout all affect monetization. ## **Google AdSense Still Has a Place** AdSense remains a logical starting point for many website owners because it offers access to Google's advertising ecosystem without requiring publishers to build a complicated ad-tech stack. For a small blog or growing content site, simplicity matters. A publisher can begin monetizing, learn which pages generate revenue and understand basic metrics before moving into more advanced solutions. The downside is that publishers looking for aggressive optimization or deeper control may eventually want something more sophisticated. AdSense is therefore not necessarily the final destination. For many sites, it is the first practical step. ## **Google Ad Manager Is Built for More Control** Once a publisher has larger traffic volumes, direct advertising relationships or multiple sources of demand, inventory management becomes more complicated. Google Ad Manager is designed for that environment. It gives publishers more control over how inventory is sold and allows different sources of demand to compete for impressions. This can be powerful, but there is a catch: more control also means more operational complexity. A publisher who does not understand pricing, demand partners and ad operations can easily end up with a sophisticated system that is not actually producing better results. Technology only helps when someone knows what to do with it. ## **Managed Platforms: Mediavine and Raptive** For content-heavy websites, managed monetization companies remain attractive because they take much of the technical optimization work off the publisher's desk. Mediavine, for example, currently requires at least $5,000 in annual advertising revenue for its main program, while its Journey product is aimed at smaller publishers and starts from 1,000 qualifying sessions. Raptive takes a somewhat different approach. As of September 2026, its standard minimum is 25,000 monthly pageviews. Sites between 25,000 and 99,999 pageviews also need at least 50% of traffic from the U.S., U.K., Canada, New Zealand and/or Australia, alongside content and traffic-quality requirements. These requirements reveal something important about premium monetization in 2026: traffic quantity alone is no longer enough. Publishers also need original content, real users and advertiser-friendly environments. ## **Alternative Networks Can Expand Monetization** Premium managed platforms are not suitable for every website. Some publishers operate in regions where Tier 1 traffic is not dominant. Others work with entertainment, download, utilities or other content categories where alternative ad formats may perform better than conventional display units. This is where broader advertising networks can be useful. A solution such as[ ](https://www.kadam.net/en/publisher)[Kadam publisher](https://www.kadam.net/en/publisher) can be considered by site owners looking to monetize traffic through additional advertising formats and demand sources rather than relying entirely on a single mainstream platform. Diversification has another benefit: it reduces dependence. If one revenue source weakens, publishers with several monetization options have more room to adapt. ## **User Experience Is Part of the Revenue Equation** It is tempting to think that more ads automatically mean more money. For a short period, they might. But loading a page with banners, sticky units, autoplay media and intrusive pop-ups can reduce engagement and encourage visitors to leave. In other words, publishers can increase revenue per session while simultaneously damaging the number of future sessions. That is not much of a victory. Strong monetization usually requires testing ad density instead of maximizing it blindly. Publishers should monitor metrics such as: - revenue per thousand sessions or pageviews; - viewability; - bounce or engagement trends; - Core Web Vitals and loading performance; - pages per session; - returning visitor behavior. A small drop in ad density can sometimes be worthwhile if it produces a noticeably better reading experience. ## **AI Is Changing Publisher Economics** One of the biggest changes in 2026 is happening outside the ad unit itself. AI-driven search and discovery are changing how users find information. The IAB's 2025 revenue report notes that publishers are experimenting with content licensing, pay-per-use models and other monetization approaches as AI changes referral patterns. This does not mean display advertising is disappearing. Far from it. IAB's updated September 2026 outlook actually raised its forecast for U.S. advertising spend growth to 12.3% for the year. What is changing is the publisher's job. Building a site entirely around one traffic source and one revenue source looks increasingly risky. ## **The Best Platform Depends on the Website** Publishers often search for the ad network with the highest RPM, but that question is incomplete. Highest RPM for what audience? In which country? With what ad density? At what level of traffic? A smaller publisher may value easy setup and low entry requirements. A large editorial site may need premium demand, sophisticated reporting and active account management. Another publisher may care most about monetizing international traffic or experimenting with additional ad formats. The sensible approach is to test monetization partners against real business metrics, not marketing promises. In 2026, successful website monetization is less about finding one magical platform and more about building a flexible revenue system. Publishers who protect their audience, understand their traffic and keep several monetization options open are in a much stronger position. Traffic is valuable. Keeping control of how that traffic earns money is even more valuable. ### 10 Xbox Store Deals Worth Checking Out, From Street Fighter 6 to Battlefield 6 URL: https://www.techloy.com/xbox-games-on-sale-october-2026/ Last updated: 2026-10-19T12:59:59.000Z You don't always need a major [Xbox Store](https://www.techloy.com/tag/microsoft-xbox/) sale to find a good deal. This week, we've searched through the available discounts to pick out games worth considering, including fighting games, shooters, racing adventures and story-driven experiences. Some of the standouts include Street Fighter 6 and Battlefield 6, both listed at their lowest prices so far, alongside Marathon, The Alters and Dispatch. There are also a few cheaper options if you want to add something to your library without spending much. Below are 10 Xbox games worth checking out, with the listed UK and US prices, whether they're included with Xbox Game Pass, and whether they support Xbox Play Anywhere. [Xbox Nano Controller Price, Release Date, Pre-order DetailsHere's everything you need to know about the Xbox Nano Controller, including its price, release date, supported devices and pre-order options.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-ada4ffd3-21eb-4bd4-909e-f592fa55cf57.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/XBOX-Nano-Controller-textless-full-image-resize-163b4cf933e25ff565e2-fc421c90-d073-44af-8600-f089c2532d7e.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/xbox-nano-controller/) ## **/1\. Street Fighter 6 — £13.99/$15.99** Street Fighter 6 brings Capcom's fighting series into a new era with three main modes: World Tour, Fighting Ground and Battle Hub. Whether you want to learn the ropes, compete against other players or explore its single-player offering, there's plenty to get into. - Xbox Store price: £13.99/$15.99 - Lowest price so far? Yes - Xbox Game Pass: No - Xbox Play Anywhere: No This is a strong deal for fighting-game fans who have been waiting for a more affordable entry point. [BUY ON XBOX STORE](https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/street-fighter-6/9NM79B7N9JM6) ## **/2\. Battlefield 6 — £27.99/$25.00** Battlefield 6 focuses on large-scale warfare, bringing together infantry combat, tanks, fighter jets and other military hardware. Squad coordination remains central to the experience, making it an option for players who prefer their shooters on a bigger scale. - Xbox Store price: £27.99/$25.00 - Lowest price so far? Yes - Xbox Game Pass: Yes - Xbox Play Anywhere: No Before buying, Game Pass subscribers should check which version of the game their subscription includes and whether it meets their needs. There's little point paying for a game you can already access through your membership unless you want to own it. [BUY ON XBOX STORE](https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/battlefield-6/9P2FF14JZLL3) ## **/3\. Dispatch — £19.99/$23.99** Dispatch puts a superhero twist on the workplace comedy. You manage a team of unconventional heroes, decide who should respond to emergencies, and deal with office politics, personal relationships, and the consequences of your choices. - Xbox Store price: £19.99/$23.99 - Lowest price so far? Yes - Xbox Game Pass: No - Xbox Play Anywhere: Yes If you prefer narrative games where decisions shape the experience, Dispatch is one to consider. Its combination of superhero drama and workplace comedy gives it a different feel from a conventional action game. [BUY ON XBOX STORE](https://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/store/dispatch/9NDJSV855T3P) _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Nigerians Love Transfers. So Why Won't They Tap to Pay? URL: https://www.techloy.com/nigerians-love-transfers-so-why-wont-they-tap-to-pay/ Last updated: 2026-10-19T13:00:02.000Z Nigerians are not shy about digital money. In 2024, instant payments on the national transfer system passed ₦1 quadrillion for the first time. Send money, receive money, pay your friend back in seconds: we do it all day. So, you would expect tapping a phone at the counter to be a small step. It is not. CashAfrica CEO Malik Asamu puts contactless payments at about 0.1% of payments in Nigeria. That gap is odd, and it is the reason CashAfrica's new deal with Chicken Republic is worth a closer look. Asamu wants to lift that 0.1% to 5% in 18 months, and he is starting at the one place almost everyone visits: the food counter. [Why Moniepoint Is Shutting Down MonieWorld in the UKMonieWorld was growing, but Moniepoint decided that the money, people, and infrastructure behind its UK remittance business could be better used back in Africa.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-8557602b-eb9d-47a4-afaf-b7d038f9bcb6.png)TechloyOluwajeminipe Fasheun-Motesho![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/image-84-1-1-c4a4731a-9ddd-46ad-858c-2e3bdaf7b412.png)](https://www.techloy.com/why-moniepoint-shutting-down-monieworld-uk/) ## Contactless Cards Are Common, but Shops Can't Accept Them Banks have issued contactless cards for years. The trouble is that shops could not read them. Lendsqr CEO Adedeji Olowe [once said cardholders](https://techpoint.africa/insight/contactless-payments-adoption-challenges/) carry their contactless cards as mere decorations because there are no places to tap and go. The machines are a big part of this. Many POS terminals in use today lack the hardware for contactless payments. Shop owners must upgrade them, and upgrades cost money. Nobody wants to buy a new machine if customers are not asking for it. This creates a classic chicken-and-egg trap. Customers will not tap if shops cannot accept it, and shops will not upgrade if customers do not tap. That is why a deal with a big chain matters. Chicken Republic has more than 350 outlets, so one agreement puts tap-to-pay in front of a lot of hungry people at once. ## Do Nigerians Have the NFC Phones for Tap-to-Pay? Next comes the phone. Tapping with a phone needs a chip called NFC, and not every phone has one. Low NFC penetration has been named as a major barrier, and one speaker at a 2024 contactless forum said most Nigerians do not [own NFC phones](https://thisdaylive.com/index.php/2024/07/05/netplusdotcom-collaborates-with-banks-on-contactless-payment) because they are expensive. Asamu sees it differently. He says about half of Android phones in Nigeria already have NFC, and so do iPhones from the iPhone 6 onward. In his view, the bigger issue is an awareness gap. He believes that once people try tap-to-pay and feel the speed, adoption gets much easier. Both sides may be right. Phones may be more ready than people think, but a person who has never tapped will not go looking for the feature. PalmPay and Moniepoint each planned to roll out [five million AfriGO card](https://techcabal.com/2025/03/07/palmpay-partners-with-afrigo/)s, because many Nigerians still lack NFC phones, and a tappable card is an easier first step. ## Why Nigerians Prefer Bank Transfers Over Cards Even with perfect machines and phones, people have to want to switch, and Nigerians are very happy with transfers. About [48.5% of Nigerians](https://blog.fincra.com/?p=4111) prefer bank transfers, and transfers have beaten card payments since 2021\. Paystack data shows the same pattern, with transfers making up 58% of its Nigerian transactions. Part of the reason is fear of fraud. Many people worry about sharing card details, so transfers feel safer. Cards are also not that common to begin with. Only 35.5% of Nigerians over 18 own a debit card, so a tap-to-pay card has a smaller crowd to start with. There is also a speed problem. A transfer needs an app, an account number, and a wait for the alert. Tap-to-pay should beat that, and Asamu's team says payments can finish in two to three seconds even on a 3G network. But beating something people already trust is hard. Asamu admits this himself, saying a new option must not cost more than what people already use, or no one will change. ## How Old Payment Habits and Past Failures Shape Trust Money habits run deep. [Many Nigerians](https://stg18326.businessday.ng/?p=1002449) use cash for small daily spending, transfers for planned and bigger purchases, and cards as a backup. Older people also tend to stick to one method they believe in. Tap-to-pay does not yet have a clear place in that routine. Nigeria has seen this problem before. When Payattitude launched as an earlier contactless product, people's experience with other payment tools blocked them from taking in new information. Even when the new option was better, they stuck with their old bias. A bad run with cards and POS machines can make people doubt anything that looks similar. Asamu says earlier tries simply came too early, and that older systems needed customers to visit a bank first. His own product works through phone software, with no bank visit needed. That is a real difference, but he still has to win over people who have been burned before. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Beyond the Basics: How to Choose Pet Technology That Fits Your Home URL: https://www.techloy.com/beyond-the-basics-how-to-choose-pet-technology-that-fits-your-home/ Last updated: 2026-10-19T12:48:37.000Z Pets need proper feeding, walking, care and a safe and clean place to live. To feed, clean, exercise and groom a pet is part of a pet owner's life. While technology can be used to assist with some of these items, it's not everything. There are several types of products that can make pets' lives easier as well as their owners', such as automatic feeders, cleaning devices, etc. But not all products are ideal for every household. When purchasing something new, take into account your pet's habits, age and daily requirements. A useful product should simplify care without posing new problems. ## **Understand Your Pet's Daily Routine** Pets have their own schedule. Cats may like to have calmness, a fixed feeding schedule and clean litter box whereas dogs may like to have more outings, exercises and human interactions. All pets are unique and can have different habits. Begin with your pet's daily requirements. Is there an area your cat doesn't like? Looking for more activity for your dog during the day? Does feeding times cause issues? These are some common questions a pet owner may ask. Other factors to consider are age and size. Kittens may need to be fed more often and older pets may need to have their feeders and water bowls within easier reach and their resting areas are more accessible. With time, it may be easier to have a daily life if you get items that are suitable for your pet. ## **Keep Feeding Simple and Consistent** A fixed routine is necessary for pets to feel safer and meet their expectations. Give food as per pet’s age, type, size, and nutrition's requirements. Do not fill the empty bowls with food, give them the proper amount. Use clean/washed eating and drinking pots on a regular basis. Give them clean food and water. When the owner has a very busy schedule automatic feeders can be useful. But they take away the necessity to monitor food levels, clean the system and ensure that foods are dispensed properly. Owners should also watch their pet's appetite. If eating habits have suddenly changed, there may be a need to address that. ## **Make Litter Box Care Easier** It's crucial for indoor cats to have a clean litter box which is an important part of their comfortable home. Cats might reject a dirty, noisy box or one that is not placed properly. A proper setup can minimize the mess and promote frequent use. Select a box that provides your cat with ample space to move around and dig into it easily. Store in a quiet, convenient location. If you have more than one cat, there are multiple litter boxes to help minimize competition. One box per cat, plus one additional box for each cat is the general rule. Some owners use automatic litter boxes to reduce the need to scoop daily. When looking at a [self cleaning litter box that works without an app](https://petpivot.com/products/autoscooper-12-lite-cat-litter-box), it is essential to consider the cleaning method, safety, size, and litter compatibility of the litter box. Also check whether it is easily washable or not. Automatic cleaning is not a replacement for regular maintenance. Waste bins are still in need of emptying and litter is still to be checked. When adding a new box, check and see how your cat reacts. Allow it to get used to it and use an old setup if it looks frightened or is hesitant to use it. ## **Support Good Grooming and Hygiene** The methods of grooming differ for different pets. Even for the cats, this also varies as some cats have longer hairs and require regular brushing whereas for others it may be required occasionally. Dogs may require regular nails trimmering, bathing, and brushing. When grooming the pet, look at their ears, skin, and paws. Check for strange smells, reddish skins, or any discomfort that occurs during the grooming. Properly clean the sleeping areas, playing tools and areas, eating and drinking bowls/pots. Do not directly use household cleaning products on your pets or on their belongings without assuring their safety. ## **Give Pets Enough Exercise and Attention** Just providing a clean environment, and proper food isn’t enough. Give them some tools and areas for exercise and playing too. Simple activities can have a positive impact. Use short play sessions, puzzle feeders or toys that promote movement. Switch between toys from time to time, so that your pet becomes interested. Ensure play is age and physically appropriate. Give them a soft place to lie down; leave them alone. Cats can have a sense of security by having raised resting spots and hiding places. Dogs might enjoy a place to sleep in private, out of the way of family activity. ## **Use Technology Where It Helps** Pet technology can help with some aspects of the day. Owners can also monitor pets in their absence with cameras and feed them at particular times with automatic feeders. Some even monitor activity or remind you of tasks to do. Ask before purchasing a connected product, if its main functions can be used offline. Take into account its power needs, maintenance needs, and spare parts. Any additional features will be beneficial only if they address a true need. An owner you may find during your search for products for your pets is [PetPivot](https://petpivot.com/). Like all brands, consider the features, instructions, safety information and long-term costs before determining if a product is right for your home. ## **Create a Safe and Comfortable Home** Pets are curious, and one should find out if there are any things hazardous in the home. Store medicines, cleaning products, small objects and inappropriate food out of the way. Secure any loose cables and tighten up windows and balconies. Some house plants are poisonous to pets. The cat or dog may like to chew leaves; do a bit of research before bringing the plant into your home. Ensure rubbish is kept safely out of the way and any that could choke or cause harm is collected. Provide pets with a safe area. Don't locate beds, litter boxes, and feeding bowls where there's ongoing noise or lots of traffic. There are several simple modifications that can be done in your home for a less expensive cost without having to buy equipment. ## **Watch for Changes in Behavior** Owning a pet is often the first indication of any problem. Your cat may not be using the litter box much anymore or your dog is not walking as much as usual, he/she may be uncomfortable. Other alterations of appetite, thirst, sleep and bathroom activity should be noted. Watch these patterns instead of taking them for granted to be 'safe'. A brief description of your pet's behaviour can help you to communicate with a vet. Seek professional assistance if any abnormalities or changes are seen and/or continue for a prolonged period. The symptoms should be evaluated promptly if they are urgent. Regular veterinary examinations, vaccinations, parasite control, and dental check-ups are also vital to pets' health. Proper timing will vary with the animal and its specific requirements. ## **Choose What Works for Your Pet** Owning a pet doesn't require a gadget house. Basic components such as regular feeding, cleanliness, exercise, grooming and attention can be more significant than the more advanced components. When purchasing a new product, consider the issue that you wish to resolve. Test if it is safe, simple and if it fits in with your pets habits. Consider long-term costs and availability of replacement parts. Technology is good if it is used for a purpose. But nothing can replace observation, companionship and proper veterinary care, however. Responsible pet ownership begins with recreation and consistency. ### Anthropic Pledges 5% of Its Shares to a Fund That Could Help Workers URL: https://www.techloy.com/anthropic-public-benefit-fund-workers/ Last updated: 2026-10-19T11:01:21.000Z Claude owner [Anthropic](https://www.techloy.com/tag/anthropic/) has committed a portion of its shares to a new Public Benefit Fund it created to explore and address issues linked to AI, including labour market impacts and AI safety. According to the company’s blog [post](https://www.anthropic.com/news/public-benefit-fund), 5% of the AI lab’s shares will be committed to the fund, subject to stockholder approval, with an additional 2% potentially added at the board’s discretion for every 50% increase in the company’s value above a set baseline. As concerns grow over the economic and societal impact of AI, Anthropic says the fund will give it more flexibility to pursue its mission beyond the work it already carries out within the company. “The Anthropic Public Benefit Fund will have increased flexibility and scale, enabling us to pursue our mission in new ways,” the company wrote in its blog post. This could include large donations to nonprofits or direct distributions to specific populations, opening up more ways for the company to respond to the effects of AI on society. [Why Anthropic Researcher Jacob Coxon Quit, and Who AgreedCoxon’s warning comes as both OpenAI and Anthropic have faced incidents involving their AI systems gaining access to other organisations’ systems.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-2f2dad14-a17c-4be6-a1d2-8a04870b640c.png)TechloyDavid Adubiina![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1579226905180-636b76d96082-a62eb467-3583-47d8-baa4-1e8ac59e69a5.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/anthropic-researcher-quits-jacob-coxon-ai-safety/) ## How Could This Benefit Workers? One area Anthropic has identified is the impact of AI on jobs. The company acknowledges that while the technology could generate enormous economic value, it could also create instability for many workers. Anthropic has already committed $200 million to studying and addressing this issue. The new fund could give the company more room to explore additional responses, including financial support for people affected by AI, although it has yet to outline what these efforts might look like. The announcement comes as Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has repeatedly raised concerns about the risks posed by rapidly advancing AI, including its potential impact on employment. ## What Are People Saying About It? The announcement has also drawn scepticism on X, with some users questioning the motives behind the fund and Anthropic’s broader approach to AI safety. One user wrote on [X](https://x.com/LuminaBench/status/2111890385001971941), “What on earth does Anthropic have internally to be doing this” _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Samsung Galaxy F70 5G Faces a Rival With More RAM at the Same Price URL: https://www.techloy.com/samsung-galaxy-f70-5g-price-india/ Last updated: 2026-10-19T10:55:29.000Z [Samsung](https://www.techloy.com/tag/samsung/) launched another budget phone in India just as the country’s festive shopping season gathers pace. The latest addition is the Samsung Galaxy F70 5G, whichrolled out on 18 October with a starting price of ₹19,999 ($210). The phone features a 6.7-inch AMOLED display, a 5,000mAh battery and a 50MP main camera with optical image stabilisation (OIS). It goes on sale on Flipkart on 20 October. Samsung is betting that a good display, a large battery and a well-timed launch can help it win over buyers in the sub-₹20,000 segment before rivals step up their Diwali promotions. The question is whether those features will be enough in a market with thin margins and fierce competition. [Galaxy S26 FE vs S25 FE: Faster Chip, Pricier, USB DowngradeShould you buy the upgrade?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-6fc19f9d-0409-41d5-9bc4-d00eaac6ef0e.png)TechloyOgbonda Chivumnovu![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/Galaxy-S26-FE-vs-Galaxy-S25-FE-comparison-208d55ed-0767-4b7f-830f-357ad2195da6.png)](https://www.techloy.com/galaxy-s26-fe-vs-s25-fe/) ## What the Galaxy F70 5G offers The Galaxy F70 5G features a 6.7-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate, making videos and social media content look vibrant while keeping scrolling smooth. However, some rivals offer faster 120Hz displays. Its Infinity-U design refers to the notch housing the front camera. The phone runs on Samsung’s Exynos 1330 processor, which should handle everyday tasks such as browsing, messaging, and streaming. Its 5,000mAh battery should also last through a typical day, while 25W wired charging helps top it up. The rear camera setup includes a 50MP main camera with OIS, a 5MP ultrawide and a 2MP macro camera. OIS helps reduce blur from hand movement, particularly when taking photos in low light. There’s also a 13MP front camera for selfies and video calls. Available in bold black and vivid violet, the phone measures around 7.5mm thick and weighs 192g. Samsung offers 4GB RAM and 128GB storage for ₹19,999, or 6GB RAM and 128GB storage for ₹22,999 ($242). The extra RAM could help when switching between apps. An eligible bank card offer reduces the base model’s price to ₹17,999, although other buyers will pay the full price. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/image-76.png) **Image Credit: Samsung* ## How does it compare with rivals? At ₹19,999, the Galaxy F70 5G faces competition from Xiaomi, Tecno, and Samsung’s own Galaxy M and A series. India’s sub-₹20,000 smartphone segment is one of the market’s most competitive price brackets, with brands fighting for buyers who want capable hardware without spending too much. One of the F70 5G’s biggest selling points is OIS on its main camera, which helps reduce the effect of hand movements when taking photos or recording videos, particularly in low light. If it works as it should, itcould give Samsung anedge over phones that rely solely on digital stabilisation. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### I’ve Tried Several Tools as a Journalist. These 3 Have Been the Most Useful URL: https://www.techloy.com/tools-journalists-find-stories-write-better/ Last updated: 2026-10-19T10:22:12.000Z Writing can be thrilling, but it can also be cumbersome and downright exhausting, especially when you don’t know what to write about or, even when you do, how to communicate the idea. As a journalist myself, these were some of the challenges I faced when starting. Thankfully, I had colleagues and friends who recommended tools that helped make the process more fun and less tasking. Over time, I’ve tried several tools, from Grammarly and QuillBot to more sophisticated, all-in-one tools like [Claude](https://www.techloy.com/tag/claude/) and [ChatGPT](https://www.techloy.com/tag/chatgpt/), among others. But not all of them have had the same impact on how I work. Some are useful for specific tasks, while others have become my go-to platforms for sourcing stories and getting a sense of what people are looking for. Of all the tools I’ve tried, these three have been the most useful to me. [The Top 4 AI Tools I Pay for as a Content CreatorAfter spending hundreds of dollars testing AI tools over the past year, only four still earn my money. Here's what I pay for, what I cancelled, and why.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-3e9c262d-4af6-4b23-8858-f023667f6898.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1673767298248-b128f17f89af-41329e8e-e53f-4964-9998-1207bb33666c.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/best-ai-tools-content-creators/) ## /1\. Twitter (Now X) As the first on my list, [X ( previously Twitter)](https://www.techloy.com/tag/x-com/) has earned its spot because it offers the most value of any tool I’ve used so far. Basically, it’s where I source trending news and find stories around the topics I want to cover without having to switch between platforms. Unlike [Google Trends](https://www.techloy.com/a-google-employee-allegedly-made-1-2-million-betting-on-search-trends-it-could-redefine-insider-trading/), where I sometimes have to tweak a few settings to get the information I need, Twitter makes it easier to find conversations, follow developing stories, and see what people are talking about without wasting too much time. I also use it to unwind whenever I need a break from work. Then there’s the added benefit of having a platform to share my thoughts and connect with people. If anything, I think Twitter will remain my number one for years to come, unless something changes. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### LEGO Star Wars and 7 More Games Are Leaving Xbox Game Pass on October 31 URL: https://www.techloy.com/xbox-game-pass-games-leaving-october-31-2026/ Last updated: 2026-10-19T10:13:06.000Z [Xbox Game Pass](https://www.techloy.com/tag/xbox-game-pass/) subscribers have eight more games to fit into their libraries before the end of October. Microsoft has flagged the [latest](https://www.purexbox.com/news/2026/10/eight-games-are-leaving-xbox-game-pass-in-late-october-2026) batch of departures in the official Xbox mobile app, with all eight titles scheduled to leave on October 31, 2026. The list includes some notable names, from the galaxy-spanning adventure of LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga to the co-op mining chaos of Deep Rock Galactic. There are also strategy games, indie adventures and two classic LucasArts titles worth revisiting before they disappear from the subscription. If any of these games have been sitting in your backlog, now is the time to move them up your list. Here are all eight departures, the platforms affected and the games I’d prioritise before the deadline. [Xbox Game Pass November 2026 Lineup: 5 Games ConfirmedFootball Manager 27 and Warhammer Survivors arrive on the same day, while VOID/BREAKER gets its full 1.0 release. Here are all five dates.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-bac14aa7-31b4-40a3-b2b9-212301a4d12e.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1729160731582-edcf5995cc3c-0420d305-7307-48b4-bc83-17c4357603c7.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/xbox-game-pass-november-2026-lineup/) ## Which Games Are Leaving Xbox Game Pass in October 2026? All eight games are scheduled to leave Xbox Game Pass on October 31\. They are listed for console, PC, and cloud, although access can vary depending on the game and your subscription. - [Day of the Tentacle Remastered](https://www.purexbox.com/games/xbox-one/day%5Fof%5Fthe%5Ftentacle%5Fremastered) — Console, PC and Cloud - [Dead Static Drive](https://www.purexbox.com/games/xbox-series-x/dead%5Fstatic%5Fdrive) — Console, PC and Cloud - [Deep Rock Galactic](https://www.purexbox.com/games/xbox-one/deep%5Frock%5Fgalactic) — Console, PC and Cloud - [Full Throttle Remastered](https://www.purexbox.com/games/xbox-one/full%5Fthrottle%5Fremastered) — Console, PC and Cloud - [Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris](https://www.purexbox.com/games/xbox-one/lara%5Fcroft%5Fand%5Fthe%5Ftemple%5Fof%5Fosiris) — Console, PC and Cloud - [LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga](https://www.purexbox.com/games/xbox-series-x/lego%5Fstar%5Fwars%5Fthe%5Fskywalker%5Fsaga) — Console, PC and Cloud - [Wartales](https://www.purexbox.com/games/xbox-series-x/wartales) — Console, PC and Cloud - [Wildgate](https://www.purexbox.com/games/xbox-series-x/wildgate) — Console, PC and Cloud The deadline applies to all eight titles, so subscribers should plan around October 31 rather than assume the games will remain available into November. ## LEGO Star Wars and Deep Rock Galactic Are Worth Playing Before They Leave Two of the most recognisable games in this batch are LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga and Deep Rock Galactic, and they offer very different reasons to jump in. LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga brings all nine mainline films into one comedic action-adventure, letting players revisit iconic Star Wars moments through LEGO's familiar humour, exploration and character-based gameplay. It is an easy recommendation for Star Wars fans who want something accessible to play alone or with family. Deep Rock Galactic, meanwhile, remains a strong choice for anyone who enjoys co-operative games. Its team-based missions send space dwarves into dangerous caves to mine resources, complete objectives and fight off alien creatures. The combination of destructible environments, different character classes and teamwork gives each expedition room to go sideways in entertaining ways. Both games are worth prioritising if you have been meaning to try them through Game Pass. Once they leave the service, subscribers who want to keep playing will need to consider purchasing them separately or checking whether they are available through another subscription or promotion. ## Two Classic Double Fine Games Are Also Leaving Game Pass The departures also include Day of the Tentacle Remastered and Full Throttle Remastered, two adventure games associated with Double Fine's catalogue. Day of the Tentacle Remastered is a time-travel comedy built around puzzle-solving and switching between characters across different periods. Full Throttle Remastered follows a biker caught up in a conspiracy, mixing its story-driven adventure with a distinctive setting and characters. Their departure is notable because Double Fine has transitioned back to independence. However, the timing alone does not establish that the studio's change in ownership is the reason these titles are leaving Game Pass. For players who enjoy classic point-and-click adventures, these are two of the more distinctive games in October's outgoing lineup. They are also likely to appeal to anyone curious about the genre's history but who has not yet played either title. ## What About Wartales, Wildgate and the Other Departures? The remaining games offer a broader mix of genres. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The Diplomat Season 5: Will Netflix Renew It After a 100% Score? URL: https://www.techloy.com/the-diplomat-season-5-renewal-release-date/ Last updated: 2026-10-19T10:09:29.000Z Netflix has another critically acclaimed series on its hands, with The Diplomat returning for its fourth season on 15 October 2026\. All eight episodes are now available to stream worldwide, and within a day of its release, the Keri Russell-led political thriller had earned a 100% critics’ score on[ Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the%5Fdiplomat/s04), strengthening hopes that the series could continue. But that perfect score is based on just nine reviews. While the early reception is encouraging, the question remains whether critical acclaim, audience interest, and the show's unresolved political conflicts will be enough to secure its return. [Netflix Layoffs: Why It Is Cutting 1,000 Jobs in 2026Netflix is cutting 6% of its workforce despite billions in profit, highlighting the pressure to grow revenue and retain viewers.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-2706247b-1564-4faf-9bef-50ad8d31ff6f.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1522869635100-9f4c5e86aa37-4b64878b-89ea-491e-b757-f13227156cc2.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/netflix-layoffs-1000-jobs-2026/) ## Why The Diplomat Season 4 Is Getting Such Strong Reviews Created by Debora Cahn, The Diplomat follows Kate Wyler, played by Russell, an experienced American diplomat whose assignment as ambassador to the United Kingdom becomes increasingly complicated by international crises and her marriage to Hal Wyler (Rufus Sewell). The fourth season raises the stakes after the previous instalment’s revelations about President Grace Penn (Allison Janney) and Hal. Kate must deal with the consequences of their actions as political tensions threaten the relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom. Critics have responded positively to the show’s mix of political manoeuvring, sharp dialogue and personal conflict. [The Guardian’s review](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/oct/15/the-diplomat-review-nothing-else-on-tv-is-as-entertaining-as-this-exquisitely-stressful-show) describes it as an “exquisitely stressful” drama, while Decider’s review praises its continued exploration of power and political responsibility. ## What Does A 100% Rotten Tomatoes Score Mean? A perfect score is an encouraging sign, but it does not mean every critic has declared the season flawless. Rotten Tomatoes calculates its Tomatometer from the proportion of professional reviews classified as positive. It does not represent an average rating of 100 out of 100. With only nine reviews listed at the time of writing, the score could change as more critics publish their assessments. The audience score is also a separate measure, and the early critical result alone cannot establish how widely the new episodes are being watched. Still, the reception is a positive sign for Netflix. The company has a returning series that critics continue to support, while the show’s established cast and political storylines give existing viewers a reason to come back. ## Has Netflix Renewed The Diplomat For Season 5? As of 19 October 2026, Netflix has not officially announced a fifth season. There is, however, a story for a potential continuation. Season 4 leaves major questions around Kate, Hal and the Penn administration, giving the writers room to explore the political fallout in another instalment. Russell and Sewell also remain central to the series’ appeal, as its diplomatic conflicts are closely tied to the complicated relationship between their characters. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### AI Image Generator Guide: Create, Edit, and Manage Visual Content URL: https://www.techloy.com/ai-image-generator-guide-create-edit-and-manage-visual-content/ Last updated: 2026-10-19T06:24:29.000Z One good image is easy. The same image twice is the hard part. Ask a model for the same product shot twice and you get two different objects — different lighting, drifted proportions, a logo that moved a few pixels. Fine for a sketch. Not for a product listing. ## **Four AI Image Generator Modes** Text-to-image builds from a description — best while you're still exploring. Image-to-image starts from a photo, sketch, or render and follows it far more closely than any prompt can; if you have a product photograph, start here. Reference-based generation passes several images at once to hold appearance steady across a set. Editing covers inpainting, outpainting, background swaps, and targeted changes. ## **Getting Something Usable** Prompts fail more from omission than wording. Cover four things: subject, style, lighting and composition, and format. Omit lighting and the model chooses it for you. Set the aspect ratio up front — composing for 16:9 and cropping to square later cuts the subject, and outpainting rarely restores the composition. Pick the model deliberately too: when a prompt lands close but not right, switching models beats rewriting it. Working from a reference, use the strength or denoise control. Low values stay close to your reference, high values let the model wander. For product work, start low and raise it only if the output looks traced. ## **Where the Value Actually Is** E-commerce gets the clearest win: one product photograph placed into a dozen seasonal settings, no studio rebooking. Advertising uses these tools earlier than most expect — rough concepts to argue over internally, where killing a weak one costs seconds instead of a shoot day. Film uses them for character and environment exploration, where most output is discarded. The pattern: these tools pay off where a discarded image is cheap, and least where one specific image has to be exactly right. ## **Fix Rather Than Regenerate** Regenerating is the instinct and usually the wrong move. It resets everything — new composition, new lighting, new problems alongside the fix you wanted. Inpainting handles specific failures: a wrong hand, a warped logo, a stray object. Outpainting fixes framing. The rule: **regenerate when the structure is wrong** — composition, proportions, interpretation. **Edit when the structure is right and only the details aren't.** Editing rarely rescues proportions. ## **Consistency** Models don't remember; every generation starts fresh. What works, roughly in order of reliability: pass the approved image in as a reference every time; lock the seed where the tool exposes one; store character and brand-style references if the platform supports it; keep strength low. Even then, compare against the original manually. [Pixmax](https://pixmax.ai/?utm%5Fsource=linkbuilding&utm%5Fmedium=hibrand) runs image models — GPT Image 2, Nano Banana, Seedream — in the same workspace as video and audio, and keeps saved characters, scenes, and brand styles attached to the project instead of buried in chat history. ## **Limitations** Text and logos remain unreliable; composite brand marks separately. A generated image of your product is not your product — dimensions, ports, and labels drift. License terms differ by model and platform, and they change. For commercial work, comparing output against the approved reference isn't optional. ## **FAQ** **Can I use the output commercially?** It depends on the platform and model, and terms change. Commercial use is also separate from trademark and likeness rights, which no tool license resolves for you. **Should I edit or regenerate?** Edit when the structure is right and only details are wrong. Regenerate when the structure itself is off. ### Riverside vs Transistor.fm: How I Picked a Podcast Tool for The Founder Room URL: https://www.techloy.com/riverside-vs-transistor-fm-how-i-picked-a-podcast-tool-for-the-founder-room/ Last updated: 2026-10-18T12:52:22.000Z When I started [The Founder Room](https://community.techloy.com/the-founder-room-podcast), I didn’t set out to start a podcast. I wanted a place where African founders could talk honestly about what they’re building, beyond the funding announcements and polished press releases. From the start, the plan was to host these conversations on the [Techloy Community](https://community.techloy.com/), where founders, operators and readers already gather. But I also wanted them to reach people beyond it, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and anywhere else people listen. So I decided to turn The Founder Room into a proper podcast, with a new conversation every other Saturday. That’s when I realised how little I knew about the plumbing. We had the recordings, but no podcast feed. We were starting from zero. Our interviews happen over remote calls, with founders joining from different cities and on very different internet connections. I also wanted the show to sit comfortably alongside Techloy’s membership on Ghost. Longer term, I wanted room for sponsors and the occasional live special. Some creators want one tool that handles everything. Others would rather use a specialist for each step. So I did what I’d tell any creator to do before spending money: I researched. For several weeks I compared pricing pages, read reviews and tested what each platform could and couldn’t do. Two names kept coming up: Riverside and Transistor.fm. On the surface they look like rivals. They aren’t really. One helps you make the show, and the other helps you get it to listeners and earn from it. This review is what that research turned up. Here’s how the two platforms compare. [Jobberman co-founder is rebuilding how talent gets foundThe serial entrepreneur who co-founded Jobberman shares insights on the future of work for people in the informal job market who will never be on LinkedIn.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-2f2e1373-9238-4006-bf23-901a2cf8278d.png)TechloyLoy Okezie![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/The-Founder-Room-with-Loy-Okezie---Ep.-03---Guest---Opeyemi-Awoyemi--co-founder-of-Jobberman-and-HelloCV-ad8ca589-5425-4992-ad9d-1bcc66966aac.png)](https://www.techloy.com/video-opeyemi-awoyemi-from-building-jobberman-to-changing-how-talent-gets-found/) ## **/1\. Recording and Editing** The first thing I had to get clear in my head was that these two tools don’t do the same job. Riverside is built for recording. When you interview someone remotely, it records each person on their own device and then uploads the files. That means if a founder’s Wi-Fi drops mid-sentence, which, if you’ve ever interviewed anyone in Lagos or Nairobi, you know happens, the recording on their end still comes through clean. Paid plans record in up to 4K with studio-quality audio. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Why AI Agents Still Fail at Real-World Tasks URL: https://www.techloy.com/insight-loop-newsletter-october-18-2026-why-ai-agents-fail-real-world-tasks/ Last updated: 2026-10-18T09:57:59.000Z 🌐 [****Insight Loop**](https://www.techloy.com/tag/insight-loop/) is now weekly! It's **Techloy*’s insight-based newsletter for paid subscribers that dives deep into groundbreaking technology, products, and the numbers behind them. AI agents sound great in theory. Give one a job, let it work through the steps, and come back when it’s finished. But in practice, you may still spend a fair amount of time checking what it did, and OSWorld 2.0 shows why. Its benchmark tests agents on 108 computer tasks that involve things people actually do at work: moving between apps, gathering information, responding to new instructions, and completing a task properly. From their results, a skilled human takes a median of about 1.6 hours to complete one, while the best-performing system currently finishes only 20.6% of them end-to-end. ## Where do AI agents lose the plot? One example, in particular, stood out to me. During a purchase-order task, an agent noticed that new approvals had arrived in its messages. But it didn’t properly update the list it was working from. When it finished, an approved request was still missing. So, this wasn’t a case of the agent never seeing the information. It saw it. But somewhere between receiving the update and finishing the job, it lost track of what had changed. That’s a problem if the whole point of using an agent is to stop watching every step. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Wireless Two-Way Communication Headsets: How They Work and Why Teams Use Them URL: https://www.techloy.com/wireless-two-way-communication-headsets-how-they-work-and-why-teams-use-them/ Last updated: 2026-10-17T12:46:59.000Z **Wireless two-way communication headsets** help teams stay connected without relying on handheld radios or wired communication equipment. Whether on a film set, at a live event, or inside a busy production facility, team members can exchange instructions while keeping their hands free. But how do these headsets work, and what makes them different from ordinary wireless headphones? This guide explains their technology, common applications, and the features worth considering before choosing a system. ### **What Are Wireless Two-Way Communication Headsets?** [**Wireless two-way communication headsets**](https://www.syncoaudio.com/products/sy-xtalk-master) are wearable devices that allow users to speak and listen through a wireless connection. Each headset typically combines a microphone, speaker, wireless transceiver, and rechargeable battery. Unlike ordinary headphones designed mainly for music or phone calls, wireless intercom headsets focus on continuous communication between team members. For example, the SYNCO Xtalk Master uses a decentralized network that allows multiple users to communicate without assigning one headset as the permanent master unit. Depending on the system, users can communicate directly through connected headsets or operate within a larger network managed by a central base station. ## **How Do Wireless Two-Way Communication Headsets Work?** Wireless headsets use radio signals to transmit and receive voice audio. When someone speaks into the microphone, the headset converts their voice into a signal and sends it to other connected devices. Several technologies influence how smoothly this process works. ### **Full-duplex communication allows natural conversations** Communication systems generally use either half-duplex or full-duplex transmission. Half-duplex systems allow communication in both directions, but users must take turns speaking. Traditional push-to-talk radios are a familiar example. Full-duplex wireless headset communication allows users to speak and hear others at the same time, much like a telephone conversation. This is especially useful when teams need immediate feedback. For example, a camera operator can respond to a director's instructions without waiting for the director to finish speaking. Some full-duplex systems also provide a push-to-talk priority function for delivering important instructions without interruptions. ### **Radio frequencies support wireless connections** Wireless intercom systems commonly operate using technologies such as DECT or digital 2.4 GHz radio transmission. Different frequency bands and transmission methods offer different advantages in coverage, device compatibility, and interference management. The communication range depends on transmitter power, antenna design, obstacles, and surrounding wireless activity. For this reason, the maximum advertised range may differ from what users experience inside buildings or crowded venues. ### **Noise reduction improves voice clarity** Background noise is a common challenge in team communication. Many professional headsets use environmental noise cancellation to reduce unwanted sounds picked up by the microphone, such as wind, machinery, and nearby conversations. This helps listeners understand spoken instructions without requiring the speaker to raise their voice. However, noise cancellation cannot eliminate every sound. Microphone positioning and the surrounding environment still affect communication quality. ## **Where Are Wireless Two-Way Communication Headsets Used?** These systems are useful wherever several people must coordinate activities in real time. ### **Film and television production** Directors, camera operators, lighting technicians, and production assistants often work in different locations on a set. Wireless headsets allow them to exchange instructions without leaving their positions or interrupting filming. For example, a director can coordinate camera movement while the lighting crew prepares for the next shot. ### **Theatre and live performances** During a theatre performance, backstage crews must coordinate scenery changes, props, lighting cues, and technical operations. Wireless communication allows team members to receive instructions while moving around backstage areas and stage wings. It also helps technicians report unexpected problems without leaving their assigned positions. ### **Sports events and outdoor activities** Coaches, event organizers, and technical crews may need to communicate across large areas. Wireless 2 way communication headsets allow them to share updates while moving between different locations. Full-duplex operation can be particularly useful when quick responses are needed during training sessions or event coordination. ### **Manufacturing and industrial operations** In industrial facilities, workers may need to communicate while operating equipment, inspecting production lines, or coordinating maintenance tasks. Hands-free headsets allow workers to exchange information without repeatedly reaching for handheld radios. Systems with effective noise reduction can also improve speech intelligibility in environments with continuous background noise. Appropriate hearing protection must still be considered where necessary. ## **When Does a Wireless Intercom System Need a Base Station?** Not every wireless communication system requires a base station. For small teams, headset-only systems may provide enough user capacity and communication coverage. Some systems establish connections automatically, allowing users to begin communicating with minimal setup. However, larger teams often face additional challenges. More users mean more conversations, overlapping instructions, and greater demand for organized communication. A compatible wireless intercom base station can help address these challenges by providing centralized management, expanding the number of supported headsets, and organizing users into separate communication groups. For example, a large production crew might divide its communication network into camera, lighting, sound, and management groups. Each department can discuss its own tasks, while designated leaders coordinate information across groups. Some professional base stations also offer connections to wired intercom equipment or external audio systems. Whether a base station is necessary depends on the number of users, the communication structure, and the capabilities of the selected headset system. ## **How to Choose the Best Wireless Two-Way Communication Headsets** The best wireless two-way communication headsets are not necessarily those with the longest advertised range or the highest number of features. Instead, buyers should consider how the equipment will perform in their actual working environment. - **Communication mode:** Choose full-duplex communication when users need natural conversations. Half-duplex operation may be sufficient for occasional instructions. - **Team capacity:** Check how many users can communicate within one system and whether additional headsets can be added later. - **Operating range:** Consider the distance between team members, physical obstacles, and potential radio interference. - **Audio clarity:** Look for adjustable microphone positioning and effective noise reduction, especially in noisy workplaces. - **Headset design:** Single-ear models help users remain aware of their surroundings, while dual-ear designs provide greater isolation from external sounds. - **Battery life:** Choose a headset that can operate throughout the expected working period. Replaceable batteries or convenient charging options can reduce downtime. - **System expansion:** If the team may grow, check whether the headsets support additional users, group management, or compatible base stations. It is also worth considering setup complexity. A system with automatic connection and straightforward controls may be easier to manage when crew members frequently join or leave the network. Before purchasing, test the communication system in an environment similar to where it will actually be used. ## **Conclusion** Wireless two-way communication headsets offer a practical way for teams to communicate while working, moving, and coordinating tasks. Their main advantages include hands-free operation, real-time voice communication, and flexible deployment across different workplaces. Understanding full-duplex technology, wireless range, noise reduction, and system expansion will help teams select equipment that fits both their current needs and future growth. ### Tesla’s Flying Car Stunt Was Wild. Can It Work? URL: https://www.techloy.com/tesla-flying-car-roadster/ Last updated: 2026-10-16T16:06:23.000Z "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." Arthur C. Clarke's famous quote above came to mind while watching Tesla's latest Roadster perform its stunts. It almost felt surreal, dare I say magical, for a car to move that way. That kind of thing usually stays in the realm of wacky sci-fi concepts we see in movies. Now, Elon Musk wants to bring a version of it closer to reality. The redesigned [Tesla](https://www.techloy.com/tag/tesla/) Roadster can launch itself into the air, spin mid-flight, and land using compressed-air thrusters. At a special event at a SpaceX facility in Texas, Musk unveiled the long-awaited car, calling it “the best of the last of the human-driven cars.” He also joked about the idea behind it: “I’ve never seen anything like this. You know when I suggested this to the team, I thought, ‘Am I crazy?’” [New Tesla Roadster Gets October 1 Reveal After 9 YearsThis version could have cold-gas thrusters, improve acceleration and possibly even allow the car to briefly lift off the ground.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-2a342b94-b7e6-40e3-96ff-a8715f975a36.png)TechloyOgbonda Chivumnovu![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1617788138017-80ad40651399-865486be-ff68-45b3-8ff4-41ebcbbc56e1.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/new-tesla-roadster-october-1-reveal-2026/) ## Crazy things Tesla showcased at the event The demonstration was quite something. The Roadster drove up a curved ramp, used suction to travel upside down, then launched into the air, flipped, and landed using its thrusters. There was no driver inside during the stunt. Tesla claims the Thrust version can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in under a second. According to Musk, the car uses 10 cold-gas thrusters connected to 600 litres of compressed air to lift and spin itself in mid-air. Tesla plans to offer three versions: Performance, described as “road ready”; Thrust, a “race ready” model with rear-mounted thrusters; and Rocket, an “air ready” single-seater with thrusters positioned around the car. The Rocket version is invite-only and is not approved for public roads. All three versions are advertised with more than 300 miles of range and top speeds exceeding 230 mph. “It literally is just going to puff itself up, and uh, and be able to do these maneuvers whenever you'd like,” Musk said. Tesla is already accepting reservations. The Performance version requires a $50,000 reservation payment, while the Thrust version requires $250,000\. The Rocket version is invite-only. Musk says production will begin in 2028, although he has yet to announce the final prices. [Tesla Semi 2026: Range, Price & Production DetailsTesla’s long-delayed electric truck is entering high-volume production, but its biggest test may start after delivery day.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-0e61e8c0-8993-4466-a29f-d4e7187848e7.png)TechloyOgbonda Chivumnovu![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/image-67-1-0c713f37-ba0e-4cf8-8d58-0dcb9ffcd4fd.png)](https://www.techloy.com/tesla-semi-2026-range-price-production/) ## Can the Roadster actually launch publicly? There are several concerns that come with the promise of a "flying car." For starters, Tesla and Musk have a long history of missing product deadlines. Roadster itself was first unveiled in 2017, with deliveries initially expected in 2020\. Production has since been pushed back several times. The Cybertruck and Tesla Semi have also faced delays. That history gives potential buyers a reason to be cautious. The latest demonstration may have worked, but getting a prototype to perform a stunt is different from manufacturing a reliable car at scale. Overlooking Tesla's and Musk's track record, there's still a safety and legal question over the launch of the Roadster. He himself acknowledged that the Roadster may not be legal everywhere. “I'm not sure it's necessarily legal in all jurisdictions,” he said. When asked if the car was street legal, he responded: “Yeah, depends on your street.” He also said, “Safety is not the main goal” and “if safety is your number one goal, do not buy the Roadster.” Those comments raise an obvious question: how will regulators respond to a car designed to perform aerial manoeuvres? The US Federal Aviation Administration has a role in certifying aircraft, but the regulatory position for a vehicle combining road use with brief aerial manoeuvres is far from straightforward. The Rocket version, at least, is not approved for public roads. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 💸 Would you spend $2,000+ learning a tech skill AI could replace? URL: https://www.techloy.com/newsletter-week-42-2026-would-you-spend-2-000-learning-a-tech-skill-ai-could-replace/ Last updated: 2026-10-16T15:58:00.000Z I've been playing the viral Lagos Life game for a few weeks, and yesterday I found myself at a private listening party for Fireboy's upcoming album. Yes, inside a video game. I thought that was absolutely insane. What's almost as wild is how quickly the game has taken off, with more than 10 million players in just a few days and a $500,000 raise behind it. But I keep coming back to one question: how much money can a game like this actually make, and can it keep making it? **Also in this week's issue:** - What two Nigerian developers earn, and what it cost them to get there. - WhatsApp calls without the account requirement. - And startup funding opportunities you should apply for. See you next week! — [Kelechi](https://www.techloy.com/author/kelechi/), *Interim Managing Editor* --- ## **🚀 BIG STORY** ![A man sitting in front of a computer wearing headphones](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1730130054404-c2bd8e7038c2?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDV8fHNvZnR3YXJlJTIwZGV2ZWxvcGVyJTIwYWZyaWNhbnxlbnwwfHx8fDE3OTIxNDI3NTV8MA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000) Photo by [Olumuyiwa Sobowale](https://unsplash.com/@holumuyiwa?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=api-credit) / [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=api-credit) ### 💸 Can you still make good money from learning to code? *By David Adubiina* One software developer we spoke to, Saviour Armstrong, now earns up to ₦4 million ($2,900) a month, but he spent ₦3.5 million ($2,600) getting into the field after struggling to land a job. Another developer, Oluwatoyin Garber, took a different route, teaching himself to code on a phone. Both made it, but their paths raise a question worth asking before you sign up for an expensive bootcamp or start learning to code: what does it take to turn tech skills into a well-paying career, especially as AI changes what employers are willing to pay for? [READ THE FULL STORY](https://www.techloy.com/software-developer-salary-nigeria-career-cost/) --- ## **⚡️ MORE BIG STORIES** ![black and silver laptop computer on brown wooden table](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1585974738771-84483dd9f89f?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDd8fGdyb3VwJTIwY2FsbHxlbnwwfHx8fDE3OTIxNDMzNDF8MA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000) Photo by [Gabriel Benois](https://unsplash.com/@gabrielbenois?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=api-credit) / [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=api-credit) ### 📞 “I don't have WhatsApp” is no longer an excuse You know that little hassle when you're trying to get someone on a call, and they don't use WhatsApp? Well... you can now just send them a link. They won't need an account, although they'll need a computer browser to join for now. Here's [how to get them on the call](https://www.techloy.com/how-to-use-whatsapp-guest-calling/), plus what they can (and can't) do once they're in. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Assassin’s Creed Destiny Leak Shows Ubisoft’s Cancelled China Game URL: https://www.techloy.com/assassins-creed-destiny-gameplay-leak/ Last updated: 2026-10-16T11:43:07.000Z Ubisoft may have cancelled an Assassin’s Creed game that would have taken the franchise to one of China’s most turbulent historical periods. Newly surfaced screenshots and concept material from[ Assassin’s Creed Destiny](https://www.techpowerup.com/353774/screenshots-reveal-cancelled-assassins-creed-destiny-game-set-in-china) offer a glimpse of a project that was reportedly in development before Ubisoft’s recent restructuring brought it to an end. The game would have been set in 205 BCE, during the collapse of China’s Qin Dynasty. It was reportedly being developed with TiMi, the Tencent-owned studio, before the project was scrapped following a prototype in 2025. Although the leaked material does not reveal how far the game progressed, it provides a clearer picture of what players may have missed. [Black Flag Resynced Release Date & Time by PlatformBlack Flag Resynced is out July 9\. Here's the exact release time by platform and time zone, plus preload details.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-05905284-671f-4404-957a-70711d282b9d.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1760604359369-45675611f750-c3eb98bc-4879-484d-87b3-46e42c12d550.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/black-flag-resynced-release-time-date/) ## Assassin’s Creed Destiny would have explored ancient China The leaked screenshots, reportedly sourced from portfolios belonging to artists associated with the project, show detailed weapon designs and environments that point towards another historical adventure built around the franchise’s familiar mix of stealth, combat, and political conflict. An accompanying video reportedly shows a female assassin searching for a mysterious artifact inside a besieged palace. The footage also features[ Xiang Yu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xiang%5FYu), the ancient Chinese military leader who emerged during the power struggle following the collapse of the Qin Dynasty. Xiang Yu was reportedly planned as an early boss character, suggesting that historical figures would have featured in the story, as they have in previous Assassin’s Creed games. The setting also offered Ubisoft an opportunity to explore a period of Chinese history shaped by warfare and competing claims to power. The Qin Dynasty unified China in 221 BCE but collapsed in 206 BCE, leaving a power vacuum that helped bring Xiang Yu and [Liu Bang](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor%5FGaozu%5Fof%5FHan) into conflict. That historical backdrop could have given the game a distinct identity, particularly if Ubisoft had built its story around the struggle for control following the dynasty’s collapse. However, the available material is not enough to establish the full storyline, the scale of the open world, or the gameplay systems planned for the finished game. ## Why did Ubisoft cancel Assassin’s Creed Destiny? The reported cancellation came amid a wider period of restructuring at Ubisoft, which has cut jobs, reassessed projects, and made changes to games already in development. The publisher has previously [laid off](https://www.techpowerup.com/349904/ubisoft-lays-off-hundreds-of-staff-across-multiple-studios) hundreds of employees across multiple studios. According to the reporting surrounding the leak, Assassin’s Creed Destiny was being developed in collaboration with TiMi. The studio announced a restructuring after the project’s 2025 prototype, and the game was subsequently scrapped. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 4 Things GTA 6’s Launch Trailer Hints at Before Release URL: https://www.techloy.com/gta-6-launch-trailer-highlights/ Last updated: 2026-10-16T11:22:56.000Z Rockstar Games has released a new [Grand Theft Auto VI](https://www.techloy.com/tag/gta-6/) launch trailer, giving fans another look at Jason and Lucia’s dangerous partnership ahead of the game’s November 19 release. Beyond the familiar sights of Vice City, the trailer offers a few clues about the story, the scale of the trouble awaiting its protagonists, and the music Rockstar is bringing to its next open-world crime game. Here are four things worth paying attention to in the new GTA 6 trailer. [GTA 6 PC Release Date: Could You Play It by March 2027?GTA 6 could launch on PC between January and March 2027, according to a new report, potentially giving PC players a much shorter wait than they faced with GTA 5.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-4eb3a577-5378-4cfd-a097-2ca06a9deaa9.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1560419398-c36ab8c174b0-7c5b013c-cd64-4b5c-9e68-58f369d779e6.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/gta-6-pc-release-date-2027/) ## /1\. Jason and Lucia’s relationship will drive the story The clearest takeaway is that Jason and Lucia are at the centre of GTA 6’s story, and their relationship could be just as important as the criminal activities surrounding them. Rockstar describes the pair as people who have always known the odds are stacked against them. Their situation gets worse when an apparently easy score goes wrong, pulling them into a criminal conspiracy that stretches across the state of Leonida. That setup suggests the story will put their partnership under pressure as the consequences of their decisions grow. Rockstar also says the two will have to rely on each other more than ever if they want to survive. It is a promising direction for a game built around two protagonists. However, the trailer does not explain how their relationship develops, what goes wrong during the job, or who is behind the conspiracy. ## /2\. The trouble extends beyond Vice City Vice City may be the headline setting, but GTA 6’s story reaches further across Leonida. The trailer hints that an easy score goes wrong, pulling Jason and Lucia into a much larger criminal conspiracy that could bring different locations and characters into the same conflict. Rockstar has yet to reveal what the job involves, what causes it to unravel, or how the conspiracy develops. For now, the trailer establishes the scale of the trouble facing the pair without confirming the specific missions or events that will drive the story. ## /3\. Justice’s new single sets the tone for GTA 6 Music gets a notable spotlight in the trailer. The trailer features new music from French electronic duo Justice, the composers of GTA 6’s original score. The accompanying track is “Flower in a Hurricane,” featuring Tame Impala, SZA, and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard. The standalone single is also available through Grand Theft Auto VI: The Album, the official soundtrack release that Rockstar says is available to pre-save on major music streaming services and pre-order on vinyl or CD. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 6 Fellowships Offering Up to $500,000 and Career Support in 2026 URL: https://www.techloy.com/fellowships-funding-career-support-2026/ Last updated: 2026-10-16T10:07:17.000Z Some ideas need money to take off. Others need the right people, or simply an opportunity to show their worth. Yet, for many aspiring founders, researchers, and professionals, getting access to these resources can be just as difficult as developing the ideas themselves. Currently, several organisations are offering a way around that through [fellowships](https://www.techloy.com/tech-fellowships-applications-august-2026/) that go beyond conventional funding. From $50,000 in unrestricted support for independent builders to research opportunities at [Anthropic](https://www.techloy.com/tag/anthropic/), these programmes provide financial backing, mentorship, technical expertise, and access to networks that could help participants take their work further. Whether you're looking to turn scientific research into a business or even gain practical experience in an emerging field, here are six fellowships worth exploring, including what they offer, who can apply, and the deadlines to keep in mind. ## 1\. [Breakthrough Energy Fellows (BE Fellows) – Cohort 7](https://apply.breakthroughenergy.org/?WT.mc%5Fid=20261015%5Ffellow-be%5Fbe%5Ftw) Scientists, researchers, and entrepreneurs developing technologies that could help tackle climate change can apply for Cohort 7 of the Breakthrough Energy Fellows programme. The fellowship supports early-stage innovators working to turn promising scientific discoveries into commercially viable climate technologies, particularly those that may struggle to attract conventional venture capital at an early stage. Selected Innovator Fellows receive up to $500,000 in research and development support, alongside hands-on technical guidance, mentorship, and access to a global network of industry experts. The programme also connects participants with commercial and technical expertise to help them address challenges around product development, market readiness, and scaling their innovations. It is particularly relevant for founders developing breakthrough technologies in areas such as clean energy, manufacturing, transportation, and other sectors critical to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. - **Programme:** One-year Innovator Fellowship with up to $500k R&D support and extensive in-kind resources. - **Focus:** Early-stage climate/hard-tech commercialisation. - **Deadline:** 2 November 2026\. ## 2\. [Activate Fellowship (U.S. Cohort 2027)](https://share.hsforms.com/1BJkjKKcbTE2cd%5FJFbtp7xAdank2) Science and engineering founders looking to turn their research into commercially viable businesses can apply for Activate's two-year fellowship, which provides more than $300,000 in financial support without taking equity. Selected fellows receive a $100,000 annual living stipend, $100,000 in research and development support, and $12,000 annually for travel and professional development. The package also includes health insurance, relocation assistance, mentorship, and entrepreneurial training. Beyond the financial support, participants gain access to technical facilities, industry experts, and a community of science-based entrepreneurs working to bring their technologies to market. Applicants must have at least a bachelor's degree and four years of relevant research or engineering experience. They should also be commercialising a hardware-based technology for the first time and have raised less than $2 million from non-government sources. The programme requires applicants to be legally authorised to work in the United States. - Programme: Two-year fellowship offering over $300,000 in support without taking equity. - Eligibility: First-time science and engineering founders with relevant technical experience and US work authorisation. - Location: United States. - Deadline: October 30, 2026\. ## 3\. [Basis Fellowship](https://basisfellowship.org/) The programme provides selected individuals with $50,000 in unrestricted funding without taking equity, requiring a pitch deck, or imposing conventional reporting obligations. Mostly, it is set up for independent builders, engineers, scientists, and entrepreneurs who need financial support to pursue an ambitious idea. Unlike startup accelerators, Basis does not require applicants to have an established company or follow a particular commercial development path. Fellows have the freedom to pursue projects they consider important, whether that involves developing new technology, conducting research, or experimenting with an unconventional idea. The application takes approximately 10 minutes, and applicants who are not selected for the main fellowship may still be considered for a discretionary $3,000 award. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, making it an option for builders who need funding but may not fit the requirements of conventional startup programmes. - Programme: $50,000 in unrestricted funding with no equity requirement. - Eligibility: Engineers, scientists, operators, entrepreneurs, and independent builders. - Application: Approximately 10 minutes. - Deadline: Rolling applications. ## 4\. [Palantir Meritocracy Fellowship](https://www.palantir.com/careers/meritocracy-fellowship) The programme is designed for applicants who have demonstrated independent learning, problem-solving ability, or technical achievement and believe a conventional college experience may not offer the challenges they seek. As a four-month programme, it gives exceptional graduating high school seniors an opportunity to develop their intellectual and technical abilities while gaining practical experience at the software company. Fellows begin with five weeks of intensive learning, examining questions around Western civilisation, American institutions, and Palantir's mission. During this period, they also engage with professionals across engineering, product, security, deployment, and operations. Participants subsequently join Palantir's development or forward-deployed engineering teams, where they work alongside full-time engineers on real customer problems, build software, and gain practical experience in deployment. Strong performance during the fellowship can also create an opportunity to interview for a full-time position at Palantir. - Programme: Four-month fellowship combining intellectual development and practical software engineering experience. - Eligibility: Exceptional graduating high school seniors with demonstrated technical ability and independent initiative. - Location: United States. - Application: Rolling. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Week 42: Africa and Middle East Startup Funding Led by Pluto Security URL: https://www.techloy.com/week-42-africa-and-middle-east-startup-funding-led-by-pluto-security/ Last updated: 2026-10-16T09:48:14.000Z Startups across Africa, the Middle East and Israel raised a combined $101.9 million this week, based on disclosed funding rounds tracked by Techloy, with investor capital flowing mostly into AI cybersecurity and electric fleets. Pluto Security’s $42 million and MAX’s $29 million made up about 70% of the total. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/Week-41-2026-Biggest-Startup-Funding-Rounds-in-Africa---the-Middle-East--1---1-.png) ## **The Week’s Largest Startup Funding Rounds** Here are the biggest disclosed startup funding rounds across Africa, the Middle East and Israel this week. ### **1\. Pluto Security, $42M, AI Cybersecurity, Israel** Pluto Security makes software that shows companies which AI tools their staff use and flags risky ones. The Israeli startup came out of stealth with $42 million: an approximate $34 million Series A led by Jump Capital and an $8.5 million seed led by TLV Partners. It will fund product development, research and US expansion. ### **2\. MAX, $29M, Electric Mobility, Nigeria** MAX is a Lagos company that gives drivers electric two-wheelers on subscription. Climate fintech Nithio backed it, taking its Series B3 round to $29 million, but didn’t say how much it put in. The money goes toward more two-wheelers from Spiro and NOVR and a bigger charging and battery-swap network. ### **3\. Autobia, $12M, Autotech, Saudi Arabia** Autobia runs a B2B marketplace where auto parts retailers and wholesalers in Saudi Arabia buy from verified suppliers. Artal Capital led its $12 million Series A, with Aljazira Capital and Wa’ed Ventures joining. The money goes toward wider reach across the country, stronger logistics and fulfilment, and its pricing technology and inventory financing. ### **4\. Bisedge, $11.2M, Electric Logistics, Mauritius** Bisedge, founded in Lagos and now based in Mauritius, rents electric forklifts, reach trucks and tractors to businesses. Finnfund, Finland’s development financier, gave it a €10 million (about $11.2 million) long-term loan. The money goes toward growing its electric fleet and service operations, mainly in Nigeria and East Africa. ### **5\. JustAd, $5M, Marketing Tech, UAE** JustAd is a UAE-based platform where advertisers run campaigns on Meta, TikTok, Snapchat and Google Ads, and pay for ads later in instalments of up to 12 months. Angel investor Imad Jomaa put in $5 million. The money goes toward local teams, product changes for new markets and closer ties with ad platforms. ### **6\. Solarise Africa, $1.12M, Clean Energy, Kenya** Solarise Africa is a Nairobi-based company that designs, finances and maintains solar systems for businesses. EEP Africa gave it a €1 million (about $1.12 million) grant, and Solarise is adding €1 million in co-financing. The €2 million programme aims to deploy 3 megawatts of solar, battery storage and heat pumps in Uganda and Zambia. ### **7\. Wisewell, $545K, Water Tech, UAE** Wisewell makes smart water purifiers for homes and businesses. The Mohammed Bin Rashid Innovation Fund, a UAE government fund, gave it an AED 2 million (about $545,000) credit guarantee, which helps it borrow from banks without giving up equity. The backing goes toward capital spending, business development and research. ### **8\. Vatar, $500K, Gaming, Nigeria** Vatar is the company behind Lagos Life, a free browser game set in Lagos that passed 4 million players within a week of its October 1 release. It closed a $500,000 angel round at a $10 million valuation, with backing from Flutterwave CEO Olugbenga Agboola’s fund, Resilience17\. The money goes toward product development, marketing and hiring. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Week 42: Asia Startup Funding Led By Tessolve Semiconductor URL: https://www.techloy.com/week-42-asia-startup-funding-tessolve-semiconductor/ Last updated: 2026-10-16T09:37:49.000Z Asia’s startup funding remained strong this week, with more than $353.73 million flowing into companies across semiconductors, robotics, electric mobility, AI, quantum computing and clean energy. India accounted for several of the largest rounds, while Chinese and South Korean companies attracted capital for robotics and advanced manufacturing. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/image-72.png) ## The Week’s Biggest Startup Funding Rounds Here are the most notable startup funding announcements across Asia this week, ranked from highest to lowest. ### /1\. Tessolve Semiconductor, $75 Million, Semiconductor Engineering, India Indian semiconductor engineering company Tessolve Semiconductor raised $75 million in a funding round led by Vector Line Capital, with participation from existing investors TPG and Novo Tellus Capital Partners. The company will use the capital to pursue strategic acquisitions, expand its semiconductor engineering services and strengthen its global presence as demand grows for chip design, testing and validation services. ### /2\. Zhejiang Sankai Electromechanical, $70 Million+, Robotics, China Chinese manufacturer Zhejiang Sankai Electromechanical secured more than $70 million in Series B funding to expand its production capacity and advance its robotics technology. The company is developing precision gear reducers for humanoid robots, a critical component that enables controlled movement. The investment will support manufacturing expansion and further development of its robotics components. ### /3\. GreenCell Mobility, $35 Million, Electric Mobility, India Indian electric bus platform GreenCell Mobility, part of the Eversource Capital portfolio, secured an equity investment of ₹330 crore (about $35 million) from Impact Fund Denmark. The funding will support the deployment of approximately 4,500 electric buses in the company’s order book. GreenCell aims to expand its fleet beyond 5,000 buses across 105 Indian cities, strengthening its position in the country’s electric public transport market. ### /4\. Scimplify, $25 Million, Advanced Manufacturing, India Bengaluru-based Scimplify raised $25 million in a funding round led by Hitachi Ventures. The company will use the capital to expand its critical metals processing operations, scale its semiconductor and battery chemicals businesses, and strengthen SciNode, its AI-powered manufacturing platform. ### /5\. Hurotics, $18.6 Million, Wearable Robotics, South Korea South Korean wearable robotics startup Hurotics raised approximately $18.6 million in Series A funding led by Atinum Investment. The company plans to expand its medical rehabilitation products into overseas markets and develop wearable robots designed to help people walk and perform everyday activities. The investment will support its efforts to bring robotic assistance into rehabilitation and daily mobility. ### /6\. Nobikan Artificial Intelligence Technology, $16.3 Million, AI Infrastructure, China Hong Kong-listed Nobikan Artificial Intelligence Technology secured approximately $16.3 million through a post-IPO equity placement. The company plans to invest in core AI research, AI agent platforms, model-as-a-service offerings and computing infrastructure as it expands its artificial intelligence capabilities. ### /7\. Shenzhen Ruoyu Technology, $13.8 Million, Robotics AI, China Chinese robotics startup Shenzhen Ruoyu Technology raised $13.8 million in a Pre-Series A funding round led by Sunway Communication. Jinmu Capital, Qindao Capital, Huanghai Capital and Zhongchuang Capital also participated. The company will use the funding to advance its robotics intelligence technology, strengthen real-world data collection and accelerate commercialisation. ### /8\. Mesa School of Business, $12.7 Million, EdTech, India Bengaluru-based Mesa School of Business raised $12.7 million (₹110 crore) in a Series A funding round co-led by Dharana Capital and existing investor Elevation Capital. The company plans to integrate AI into its courses, introduce new programmes, strengthen its leadership team and expand partnerships with startups. ### /9\. OQT, $10.5 Million, Quantum Computing, South Korea South Korean quantum computing startup OQT secured $10.5 million in pre-Series A funding led by DSC Investment. The company is developing error-tolerant quantum computers for industrial and research applications. The investment will support further development of its quantum computing systems and their potential commercial uses. ### /10\. Spill Games, $10.5 Million, Mobile Gaming, India Bengaluru-based mobile gaming startup Spill Games raised $10.5 million in a Series A funding round led by Elevation Capital. Existing investors Centre Court Capital and PeerCapital also participated. The company develops casual, puzzle and hybrid-casual mobile games for international markets. It plans to use the capital to scale promising titles, develop new games, improve its technology and increase user acquisition. ### /11\. MakeO, $10 Million, Dental Care, India Indian dental care platform MakeO, the parent company of Singapore-based Zenyum, raised $10 million in a funding round led by Singularity AMC, with participation from funds and family offices. Announced on 13 October 2026, the investment will support the group’s expansion across Asia, technology development and increased manufacturing capacity. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Week 42: Latin America Startup Funding Led by Giraffe Bio URL: https://www.techloy.com/week-42-latin-america-startup-funding-giraffe-bio/ Last updated: 2026-10-16T09:36:37.000Z Startups across Latin America raised a combined $12.45 million this week across disclosed funding rounds, with most of the capital going to biotechnology and artificial intelligence companies. Funding also went to a Brazilian AI startup developing a sales copilot for business teams. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/LatAm---s-Biggest-Startup-Funding-Rounds-in-Week-39-2026--2-.png) ## **The Week's Largest Startup Funding Rounds** Here are the biggest disclosed startup funding rounds across Latin America this week. ### **1\. Giraffe Bio, $6.4M, Biotechnology, Argentina** Argentine biotechnology startup Giraffe Bio raised $6.4M in a seed round led by Orion Industrial Ventures, with participation from BHP Ventures, Twynam, Air Capital, Baruch Future Ventures and other investors. The company develops specialised biochemical reagents designed to improve copper recovery from complex ores. It operates in Argentina and Chile and applies biotechnology to challenges facing the mining industry. Giraffe Bio will use the funding to expand manufacturing, support larger pilot programmes, advance research and development, and grow its technical and commercial teams. [Latin America Startup Funding Week 41: $224.5M RaisedFintech attracted the largest funding rounds on the continent this week, with additional capital going to refurbished electronics and biotechnology startups.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-38f5f6e1-f166-403f-9e12-b6b0363e9765.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1681949287382-052ea3954a51-7d379660-7771-472b-9fad-471721780de9.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/latin-america-startup-funding-week-41-2026/) ### **2\. Dapta, $6M, Artificial Intelligence, Colombia-founded** Colombian-founded AI startup Dapta raised $6M in a seed round led by Chingona Ventures, with participation from Crew Capital, Broom Ventures and Cometa VC. Existing investors 500 Global and Fen Ventures also participated. The company develops AI sales agents that respond to incoming leads, qualify potential customers and schedule meetings, allowing businesses to automate parts of their sales process. Dapta plans to use the funding to expand across the US and Latin America, improve its technology and grow its team. ### **3\. Imersa, $49,700, Artificial Intelligence, Brazil** Brazilian startup Imersa raised approximately $49,700 in its first funding round from angel investor Flávio Szenkier, an early backer of Tractian. Founded in 2023, the company is developing an AI sales copilot for business-to-business teams. Its platform analyses sales calls, identifies customer interest and unanswered objections, and estimates the likelihood of closing a deal. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### How to Know When Your Business Has Outgrown Its IT Support URL: https://www.techloy.com/how-to-know-when-your-business-has-outgrown-its-it-support/ Last updated: 2026-10-16T08:46:09.000Z Is your IT support helping your business grow, or are you constantly waiting for someone to fix problems? According to the UK government's[ Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025/26](https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/cyber-security-breaches-survey-20252026/cyber-security-breaches-survey-20252026), 43% of businesses reported experiencing a cyber attack or security incident in the previous year. As businesses grow, their technology needs and cybersecurity risks evolve. If your provider can no longer meet your requirements, it may be time to reassess your IT support. Here are some signs that your business has outgrown its current IT arrangement. ## Repeated IT Issues All businesses experience IT issues occasionally, from frozen computers to forgotten passwords. However, frequent recurring problems may indicate deeper issues. If your internet connection regularly drops, employees complain about slow computers, or software malfunctions repeatedly, your IT provider may be addressing symptoms rather than the root cause. Review support tickets from recent months to identify patterns. If the same issues keep appearing, your IT team may be firefighting instead of implementing lasting solutions. ## Getting Help Takes Too Long When a technical problem occurs, how quickly can you expect support? Delays may frustrate one employee, but they can disrupt entire teams when essential platforms become inaccessible. Business continuity depends on timely assistance, so understand what to expect from[ your provider](https://augustafreepress.com/commercial/how-businesses-are-using-reward-management-systems-to-boost-customer-retention/). Your service-level agreement (SLA) should clearly outline response times, resolution targets, and escalation procedures. If you constantly send follow-up emails asking for updates, your current agreement may not provide the level of support your business needs. ## Your Business Has Evolved, but Your IT Has Not Consider what your business looked like when you first started working with an IT provider. At the time, you may have had[ five employees](https://augustafreepress.com/commercial/how-can-retail-businesses-benefit-from-digital-transformation-solutions/) working in one office. Today, however, you may have 30 employees working remotely from different locations and relying on multiple cloud services and applications. Business expansion usually means adding new devices, software, users, workplaces, and security requirements. Therefore, your IT support should be able to scale with your business. What worked well when your business was small may no longer meet your needs. ## You Are Concerned About Cybersecurity Cybersecurity should not become a priority only after something goes wrong. If you cannot explain how your company protects its systems, data, and accounts, it is time to review your IT support. Ensure your provider manages software updates, backups, two-factor authentication (2FA), user access rights, endpoint security, and suspicious activity. You should also understand how your business would respond to a cyberattack. Consider these questions: - What steps will be taken if an attack occurs? - Who will be notified? - Can your provider investigate the incident and restore your systems? If you are unsure, ask your provider whether your current IT support offers adequate protection. ## Your IT Provider Only Steps in When Issues Arise There’s a difference between fixing problems and preventing them. A reactive IT provider waits until you report an issue, while a proactive provider monitors your systems to identify potential problems before they cause costly disruptions. For example, they might alert you when computers need replacing, backups require attention, or security vulnerabilities emerge. With proactive IT support, you can address these concerns early instead of discovering them yourself when they have already affected your business operations. ## Things to Consider Before Choosing a New IT Service Provider Finding out that your present IT support is not adequate anymore only provides half the solution. You need to make sure that the next IT service provider is capable of helping you. Before you start comparing the service providers, it is useful to know [how buyers vet MSPs](https://corsicatech.com/resources/msp-trust-gap-report/)and which criteria they consider when making a decision. The most basic characteristics to evaluate include response times, security practices, expertise, pricing, service agreements, and capacity for business growth. ## When It’s Time to Reassess Your IT Support Outgrowing your IT provider does not necessarily mean poor service. As your business expands, your IT needs may change. The key is whether your provider can still support your operations efficiently and simplify technology management. ### How to Translate a YouTube Video into Another Language URL: https://www.techloy.com/how-to-translate-a-youtube-video-into-another-language/ Last updated: 2026-10-15T20:20:33.000Z Freelancers and small agencies can turn YouTube video translation into a repeatable paid service. The workflow is simple: collect the source video, generate a transcript, translate it, produce subtitles or dubbed audio, run QA, and deliver the files. Below is the full process, plus the tooling, pricing, and objection-handling that make it work as a service rather than a one-off favour. ## **Key Takeaways** - The whole job runs in a browser. Subtitle files and dubbed tracks are uploaded to the client’s channel by hand - no tool publishes to YouTube for you. - A usable AI video translator transcribes with timecodes, translates, and outputs both a subtitle file and a dubbed track in one pass. - Pricing runs from $5-15 per minute for reviewed subtitles to $80-150+ per finished minute for studio dubbing. - Deliverables are short on purpose: one .srt per language, plus a dubbed video or audio track. ## **Why YouTube Translation Is a Profitable Service in 2026** More than 500 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute, and the platform has over two billion logged-in monthly users. Only about 21% of videos are in English, while the fastest-growing audiences - India, Southeast Asia, Latin America - expect content in their own language. The commercial case is concrete. Creators using YouTube’s multi-language audio saw more than 25% of watch time come from non-primary languages, and each language version can rank separately in regional search. For many channels, translation is the cheapest growth lever available: the footage is already paid for. Most creators have tried auto-translate and been disappointed. That gap is the service. With a platform built for the job - such as the [Rask AI YouTube video translator](https://www.rask.ai/tools/youtube-video-translator), which transcribes from the audio rather than an existing caption track - you can package localization end to end and charge for judgement, not the button press. Good target clients: edu-YouTubers, SaaS channels, course creators, coaching institutes, and DTC brands entering new markets. ### **Three Ways to Translate a YouTube Video** - **YouTube’s built-in tools.** Auto-translated subtitles in 100+ languages and automatic dubbing on some channels. Quality depends on speech clarity and vocabulary, and you control none of it. A floor to beat, not a deliverable. - **Free and freemium tools.** Fine for testing on a short clip, but paid work hits duration caps, watermarks, and no control over dub timing. - **Dedicated AI video translation platforms.** A YouTube link or file goes in; a timecoded transcript, translation, dubbed track, and subtitle file come out. For client work, this is the tier that matters - and the editor determines how much QA time you spend. ## **Step 1: Collect the Source and the Brief** Get a YouTube URL or, better, the original MP4 or MOV via Google Drive - cleaner audio means fewer corrections later. Ask in writing for target languages, subtitles vs dubbing, and whether lip sync matters. Request any scripts and brand glossaries: a glossary keeps a product name intact across ten languages. ## **Step 2: Generate an Accurate Transcript** Everything downstream inherits the transcript’s mistakes. YouTube auto-captions are a weak base: many older uploads lack them, and where they exist they are unpunctuated, unattributed, and often wrong on key terms. Rask AI transcribes from the audio track, separates each voice from the background mix, and detects the number of speakers automatically, so an interview comes back split by speaker. Timecodes are per segment with millisecond precision - exactly what subtitles and dub alignment need. ## **Step 3: Translate the Transcript** Google Translate is fast but context-blind - it ignores pacing and line length, which is fatal for text that sits under moving pictures. Translation for spoken dialogue keeps segments close to the original length so subtitles fit the shot and dubs fit the mouth. Translate every language from one master transcript, and use a tool you can argue with. Rask AI offers three alternative translations per segment, and its Dictionary pins how names and jargon are rendered across a series. It covers 135+ languages. ## **Step 4: Create Subtitles or Dubbed Audio** For dubbing, the platform generates a new audio track. Rask AI produces it from the same project, can clone the original speaker’s voice in 30+ languages, and lip-syncs the result, including multi-speaker footage. Note the asymmetry when quoting: translation covers 135+ languages, voice cloning a subset. Offer clients a standard AI voice or a cloned one, and be clear which languages support which. ## **Step 5: QA and Deliver** QA is what clients actually pay for. Watch the full translated video and check: - Subtitle readability on mobile - Consistent terminology - No truncated or out-of-sync captions - Correct dates, currencies, and names - Lip sync alignment in dubbed sections Fix issues in the editor instead of re-running the job. In Rask AI, original and translation sit side by side, timing is adjusted over the waveform, speakers can be renamed, and transcript search finds any term you decide to change. Projects stay in the account, so revisions cost only time. Deliverables: one .srt per language and one dubbed video or audio track per language. You then upload them in the client’s YouTube Studio by hand. ## **Choosing a Tool for Client Work** Rask AI covers this list: five exports from one project (video, video with burned-in subtitles, audio, lip-synced video, .srt), input in MP4, MOV, WEBM, MKV, MP3, WAV, or a pasted link, and over 3,400,000 users. The trial - three videos, first minute of each, seven days, no credit card - is enough for client samples. Plan around two limits: subtitle export is .srt only, and batch processing sits on higher plans. ## **Pricing and Turnaround** - **Subtitles only (AI + QA):** $5-15 per minute - the volume tier. - **Subtitles + AI dubbing:** $15-40 per minute. - **Studio lip sync dubbing:** $80-150+ per finished minute, quoted per project. - **Extra language:** 40-60% of the base rate. - **Rush delivery:** 25-50% surcharge. A 10-20 minute video in one language takes 24-48 hours including QA; shorts under three minutes can go same-day. State maximum length, revision rounds, and whether titles and descriptions are included in every proposal. ### Netflix to Cut 1,000 Jobs: What Does This Mean for the Streaming Industry? URL: https://www.techloy.com/netflix-layoffs-1000-jobs-2026/ Last updated: 2026-10-16T11:53:03.000Z Netflix has announced plans to cut nearly 1,000 jobs, affecting about 6% of its global workforce, in its largest round of layoffs since 2022\. Announced on 14 October 2026, the cuts will mainly affect its product, technology, legal and human resources teams. The company, headquartered in Los Gatos, California, says it remains on track to meet its annual financial forecast, even as competition for viewers intensifies. Its second-quarter revenue reached $12.56 billion, up 13% year on year, yet its outlook for the following quarter fell short of Wall Street expectations. This decision raises a concern for Netflix and its rivals, as streaming continues to generate billions while companies face pressure to reduce their workforces. [Netflix Sued $105M Over Lost Nicolas Cage MovieA stolen hard drive just turned into a $105 million problem for Netflix, and it involves a Nicolas Cage movie you've never heard of.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-91a3f9a4-a68d-4a79-b9ec-a1178ef2a168.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1621955964441-c173e01c135b-fa9e9a18-f2b5-4836-bf0f-025410cd9803.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/netflix-lawsuit-nicolas-cage-fortitude-105-million/) ## **Why Is Netflix Cutting 1,000 Jobs?** In a memo to employees, co-chief executives Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters said the company needed to be more selective about how it allocated its resources. “Our mission, to entertain the world, is ambitious, and delivering on it requires us to be disciplined about where we prioritise our people and resources,” they wrote, according to[ TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2026/10/14/netflix-to-lay-off-1000-staff-amid-intensifying-competition-for-user-attention/). The executives said Netflix would continue investing in areas that could improve its service and support future growth. The company has not publicly detailed every role affected by the latest cuts. Still, its financial results suggest the decision is not simply a response to falling revenue. According to its[ second-quarter financial results](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1065280/000106528026000212/nflx-20260630.htm), Netflix increased revenue from $11.08 billion a year earlier to $12.56 billion. Its net income also rose to $3.4 billion. The cuts, therefore, point to an effort to control costs and direct resources towards areas management believes can deliver stronger returns. Even a profitable business may restructure if its leaders believe its existing operations need to become more efficient. 💡 Who this affects: Netflix employees, streaming industry workers, and subscribers who could be affected by changes to the platform’s content and business strategy. ## **The Fight for Viewers and New Revenue** Netflix's challenge extends beyond attracting subscribers. It must also give people reasons to keep watching, renew their subscriptions and choose its content over alternatives such as Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube and TikTok. That competition has pushed streaming platforms to explore new ways of earning money. Netflix has introduced an advertising-supported subscription tier and expanded into live programming, video podcasts and gaming. These initiatives could help it attract different audiences and generate revenue beyond traditional subscriptions, but they also require investment. According to[ Reuters](https://www.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/lacks-excitement-netflix-tumbles-9-as-weak-earnings-forecast-deepens-doubts-over-growth-4797777), Netflix shares fell after its financial outlook disappointed investors. The company also reduced the frequency of its viewing-hours reports, having stopped reporting quarterly subscriber numbers in 2025. These changes do not prove that viewers are leaving the platform. However, they highlight the difficulty of measuring audience engagement as the business evolves. Producing expensive films and series does not guarantee that viewers will remain subscribers, making it important for Netflix to balance content spending with sustainable revenue growth. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### WhatsApp Adds Guest Calling: Here’s How to Use It URL: https://www.techloy.com/how-to-use-whatsapp-guest-calling/ Last updated: 2026-10-15T15:30:00.000Z For many people around the world, [WhatsApp](https://www.techloy.com/tag/whatsapp/) is a quick and easy way to stay connected. Now, the messaging platform wants to make its calls more accessible with a feature that lets people join without having a WhatsApp account. Announced on Wednesday, 14 October, the feature, [Guest calling](https://blog.whatsapp.com/now-you-can-invite-anyone-to-a-whatsapp-call-no-account-needed-no-cost-no-time-limit), allows people without an account to join one-on-one or group voice and video calls through an invitation link. Calls are free, end-to-end encrypted, and have no time limits, with group calls supporting up to 32 participants. Guests must wait for the host’s approval before joining and can be removed at any time. They also cannot see other participants’ phone numbers, send messages, or add people to the call, but they can share their screen, react with emojis, and raise their hand. The feature could be useful for people who rely on WhatsApp but occasionally need to call someone who uses a different platform. [How Much Data Does WhatsApp Use vs Zoom, Teams, Meet? (Test)WhatsApp, Zoom, and Google Meet completed their tests without a recorded freeze, audio drop, or disconnection during a test by Techloy.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-d1538dab-fde6-4876-b0f7-37fc98d84dc2.png)TechloySietoyo Esitikott![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1621669678601-7f4b77e15236-6e47f244-661d-425e-ba15-f4b4fe6b8f07.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/whatsapp-vs-zoom-teams-meet-data-usage/) ## How to use Guest calling on WhatsApp Here’s how to create a call link and invite someone who doesn’t have a WhatsApp account. ### How to create and share a guest call link - Open WhatsApp on your phone. - Go to the Calls tab. - Tap the + icon and select Create call link. - Choose between a voice call and a video call. - Copy the link and share it with your guest through email, text message, or another messaging platform. ### How guests can join a call - Open the invitation link in a computer browser. - Enter a display name. - Wait in the virtual waiting room until the host approves entry. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Does a Tech Career Pay? Two Nigerian Developers Reveal What It Costs URL: https://www.techloy.com/software-developer-salary-nigeria-career-cost/ Last updated: 2026-10-15T15:30:00.000Z [Saviour Armstrong](https://www.linkedin.com/in/saviour-armstrong-bb38a0250/?isSelfProfile=false)'s first job as a land surveyor earned him 18,000 naira ($13). Today, as a senior software developer at Dayforce, he earns between 2 million ($1,400) and 4 million naira a month ($2,900). The two figures, though substantial in the Nigerian job market, are a product of years of building, a hefty school fee, and a decision to never settle for less. His story, and that of freelance software engineer [Oluwatoyin Garber](https://www.linkedin.com/in/toyingarber/?isSelfProfile=false), are the kind of success stories that make a tech career look like an easy route to money: learn a tech skill, and the money will start rolling in. To be fair, both tech professionals agree a tech career pays, but it comes with a price most people don't tell you, which makes their experience a useful reality check for anyone planning to learn a tech skill or get a tech job. [From ₦500 to ₦200,000: What a Nigerian Designer EarnsTemiloluwa Kayode started his design career making ₦500 per flyer. Today, he charges at least ₦200,000 per freelance UI project while working a full-time job.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-6f3fbccc-9a6f-4272-9f10-cae6051a84bf.png)TechloyDavid Adubiina![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/1776344248095-1-b2d25251-3758-439c-bc84-8d523093f312.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/nigerian-ui-designer-earnings-temiloluwa-kayode/) ## From Land Surveyor to Software Developer In Nigeria, earning between 2-4million ($1,400-$2,900) a month puts you among top-tier income earners, usually in the top 1%-5%, according to the Guardian report, but Armstrong never meant to end up here. "With what I read in school, I am supposed to be in the construction field mapping out lands," he says. His discipline in school was Surveying and Geoinformatics, and while it provided him the avenue to go to the field, going there never brought him the satisfaction he wanted. "I was always too lazy to go to the field. I prefer to just do the data work and let my colleagues go to the field," he explained, but even then, he already had interest in software engineering, building small Windows Forms projects on the side. "Even my final project in school," he added, was a piece of software to assist with computing. That moment, he says, is when he realized land surveying was not for him. So, rather than stick with mapping out lands, which paid him 18,000 naira ($13) a month, Armstrong chose software as his escape point. But because there was no clear path into it, he opted for the next best thing: working as a tech support engineer at a firm that handles support for [Microsoft](https://www.techloy.com/tag/microsoft/), for 150,000 naira ($112) a month. This, he said, he did for almost a year before quitting. "Every company I applied to, they would like my work, they would like my presentation, but then there was no backing," he says, adding that he had no qualification to show. ## The ₦3.5 Million Cost of Learning In finding a backing that could give him the certification he needed and the credibility to show he is a software developer, Armstrong chose the Decagon Institute, and getting in was not like picking a course and clicking enroll. Applicants are given an aptitude test including a basic programming test and a problem-solving assessment meant to show whether they can actually learn the craft. For this, he paid a sum of 3.5 million naira ($2,600), covering tuition, housing, feeding, and Wi-Fi for six months. Of all the things he expected after enrolling, what the money bought him was isolation. "Decagon has this kind of system where they cut you off from society," Armstrong says. "The only thing you have to do is code. You're not bothered about anything outside of the Decagon environment." _This post is for subscribers only._ ### TSMC Stock Drops Despite Record Q3 Profit and 69% Earnings Surge URL: https://www.techloy.com/tsmc-stock-q3-earnings/ Last updated: 2026-10-15T16:05:11.000Z TSMC made more money in Q3 2026 than in any quarter in its history, but its stock still fell. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., the world's largest contract chipmaker, said on Thursday, October 15, that its third-quarter profit jumped 68.7% from a year earlier to a record NT$763.06 billion (about $23.6 billion). It beat forecasts and raised its outlook for the year. Yet its US-listed shares (NYSE: TSM) fell as much as 5.1% to $407.13 after the opening bell on Thursday before trading around $419.79, down 2.4%, a day after falling 3.4% to $430. So what's going on? [TSMC's](https://www.techloy.com/tag/tsmc/) numbers weren't the problem. Its shares are caught in a wider chip sell-off driven by fears of more US interest rate hikes, and investors are also weighing thinner margins and heavier spending ahead. [Why Broadcom Stock Fell After a $200 Million MissBroadcom missed by $200 million on a $34.8 billion quarter, and it cost the stock more than the miss was worth.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-8aa807f0-a626-425d-b8ea-44d4a6c1d30e.png)TechloyDamilare Odedina![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1675716921224-e087a0cca69a-4ef28294-d337-49a3-b5e6-2aeef94f44ec.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/why-broadcom-stock-fell-200-million-miss/) ## **TSMC's Q3 earnings beat forecasts, and it raised its 2026 outlook** TSMC's profit came in ahead of the NT$746.3 billion ($23.03B) analysts expected, according to LSEG data cited by Reuters. It was the company's sixth record quarter in a row. Revenue rose 41.2% to $46.72 billion, above the top of TSMC's own forecast, and earnings reached $4.60 per US share, against the $4.42 analysts expected, according to Investing.com. TSMC now expects revenue to grow about 44% this year, up from the "slightly above 40%" it forecast in July. For the last three months of the year, it expects $52.3 billion to $54.3 billion in revenue, about 58% more than a year earlier. AI is doing the heavy lifting. "The demand is extremely robust. We did not see any sign of slowdown," C.C. Wei, TSMC's chairman and CEO, said on the earnings call. Sravan Kundojjala, an analyst at research firm SemiAnalysis, told CNBC that "TSMC says demand remains well above its supply capacity." ## **Why is TSMC stock down?** The slide started before the results came out. TSMC's US-listed shares fell in six of the seven sessions through Wednesday, losing 11.5% in total, according to Stocktwits. In Taipei, the stock closed 2% lower on Thursday, hours before the report. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### How a BMI calculator for men can help you understand your health URL: https://www.techloy.com/how-a-bmi-calculator-for-men-can-help-you-understand-your-health/ Last updated: 2026-10-15T12:06:22.000Z Keeping track of your health doesn't have to start with a complicated medical check-up. Sometimes, a simple look at your height and weight can give you a useful place to begin. A Body Mass Index (BMI) calculator for men helps you work out your body mass index and see how your weight compares with your height. The result can offer a general idea of whether your weight falls within a commonly used healthy range. But BMI is only one part of the picture; it doesn't tell you everything about your fitness or health risks. Understanding what the number means and what it leaves out can help you make more informed choices. Here are four ways to use a [BMI calculator for men](https://www.axismaxlife.com/insurance-calculators/bmi-calculator) as part of a broader approach to maintaining and monitoring your overall health. ## **1\. Get a quick overview of your weight in relation to your height** A BMI calculator gives you a simple number based on your height and weight. You don't need any special equipment; just enter your details, and the calculator does the maths. The formula is: BMI = Weight in kilograms ÷ (Height in metres × Height in metres) For example, if you're 1.75 metres tall and weigh 75 kg, your BMI is approximately 24.5\. This falls within the standard healthy-weight range for adults. For adults aged 20 and above, the commonly used BMI categories are: | **BMI** | **Category** | | ------------ | -------------- | | Below 18.5 | Underweight | | 18.5 to 24.9 | Healthy weight | | 25 to 29.9 | Overweight | | 30 and above | Obesity | These are general screening categories, not a diagnosis. So, what should you do with your result? Treat it as a starting point. If your BMI falls outside the healthy-weight range, it doesn't automatically mean something is wrong. It simply gives you a reason to look at your health in more detail. ## **2\. Understand what your BMI may say about your health risks** Your BMI can help flag a possible concern with your weight. Both a low and a high BMI may be worth discussing with a healthcare professional, especially if your weight has changed unexpectedly. For men, a BMI in the overweight or obesity range may be associated with a higher risk of certain health conditions, including type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and high cholesterol. A BMI below the healthy range may also need attention, particularly if it comes with unexplained weight loss, weakness or ongoing fatigue. That doesn't mean your BMI predicts whether you'll develop any of these conditions. It doesn't account for every part of your health, and two men with the same BMI can have very different risk profiles. Think of it in this manner: your BMI is one clue and not the entire story. Your blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, family history, eating habits, sleep, as well as physical activity all matter, too. If your result concerns you, then a doctor can assist you in better understanding what it means in the context of your health in its entirety. They might recommend further checks based on your medical history and other risk parameters. ## **3\. Look beyond the number, especially if you're muscular** BMI does not distinguish between muscle and body fat. If you lift weights, play sports or have a muscular build, your BMI might fall into the overweight range even when you have relatively little body fat. This is because muscle contributes to your total body weight and the calculator does not know what that weight is made up of. On the other hand, someone can have a BMI within the standard healthy range and still carry excess fat around their waist. So, a result that looks fine on paper does not necessarily mean every aspect of your health is in good shape. What else can you check out? - Waist measurement: Measuring your waist can offer additional info about fat around your abdomen. - Blood pressure: High blood pressure often has no obvious symptoms, so checking it can be beneficial. - Blood tests: Based on your age and risk factors, a healthcare professional might suggest checking blood sugar or cholesterol. - Fitness and daily habits: Consider how active you are, how well you sleep and whether your diet gives you the nutrients you require. ## **4\. Connect your health awareness with financial protection** Looking after your health also means thinking about how you would manage financially if you were diagnosed with a serious illness. This is where understanding a critical illness list may be useful. A critical illness insurance policy may provide a lump sum benefit if you're diagnosed with a condition covered by the policy and meet its claim requirements. Depending on the plan, the list may include conditions such as certain cancers, heart attack, stroke, kidney failure or major organ-related illnesses. The exact conditions and definitions vary by insurer and policy, so always check the policy wording. A BMI result, however, doesn't tell you whether you'll develop a critical illness, and it doesn't determine what an insurance policy will cover. BMI is a general health screening measure; a critical illness list is part of an insurance contract. If you're reviewing critical illness cover, look at more than the condition names. Check the definitions of each illness, survival periods if applicable, exclusions, waiting periods and the circumstances under which a claim can be made. Also, answer health-related questions accurately when applying for insurance. ## **Make your BMI a starting point, not a final answer** A BMI calculator for men is a quick way to understand how your weight compares with your height. It can help you spot a possible concern, track changes over time and decide whether you should look more closely at your health. But the number has limits. Your muscle mass, waist measurement, medical history and other health indicators all help complete the picture. If you're concerned about your result, a healthcare professional can help you understand what to do next. ### Google Fitbit Edge vs Fitbit Air URL: https://www.techloy.com/fitbit-edge-vs-fitbit-air/ Last updated: 2026-10-15T13:32:52.000Z Choosing a fitness tracker depends on how much information you want at a glance. Some people prefer a simple band that tracks their health without a screen, while others want to see workout stats, check health readings and access more tools directly from their wrist. [Google's](https://www.techloy.com/tag/google/) [Fitbit Air](https://www.techloy.com/tag/fitbit-air/) and Fitbit Edge cater to these two preferences. The Air costs $99.99 and focuses on screen-free health tracking, while the Edge costs $179.99 and includes a colour display, built-in GPS, ECG support and additional workout features. Both promise up to seven days of battery life, but the extra $80 could make a difference depending on how you plan to use them. Here's how the two trackers compare. [Apple HomeView vs Amazon Echo Show 11: Which Should You Buy?Has Apple's long-awaited smart display done enough to dethrone Amazon's smart home veteran?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-7d50e7be-5efd-4be0-9c29-7d30ea6f931a.png)TechloyLouis Eriakha![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/Apple-HomeView-vs-Amazon-Echo-Show-11-1-bbdb0ba4-d1c2-43fe-bf78-82701aa13d32.png)](https://www.techloy.com/apple-homeview-vs-amazon-echo-show-11/) ## /1\. Design and Display The biggest difference between these trackers is what you see when you look at your wrist. The Fitbit Edge has a 1.34-inch colour AMOLED display with customisable watch faces, workout information and glanceable health metrics. A physical side button lets you control certain functions without relying entirely on the touchscreen. You can also check notifications, view weather information, control music and use Google Maps. Its aluminium housing measures approximately 11.5mm thick, while the tracker weighs 17.7g without its band. Google also offers interchangeable straps, including a Stephen Curry Special Edition. The Fitbit Air takes the opposite approach. It has no screen, so you won't be checking your heart rate, workout progress, or notifications directly on the device. Instead, your data appears in the Google Health app on your phone. That makes the Air less distracting and better suited to people who want a tracker they can wear throughout the day and night without constantly looking at it. 💡 ****Winner:** Fitbit Edge. Its screen makes workout information and everyday controls easier to access. ## /2\. Health Tracking Both trackers monitor everyday health metrics, including heart rate, blood oxygen levels, and skin temperature. They also track activity and sleep, helping you identify patterns over time. The Fitbit Edge adds more advanced health-monitoring hardware. It supports an ECG app in selected countries, allowing users to take certain heart-rhythm assessments directly from the wrist. It also offers high and low heart-rate alerts and Google's Health Guardian features, which can track trends related to blood pressure and insulin resistance. These features are intended to provide general wellness information, not diagnose medical conditions. The availability also varies by region. The Fitbit Air is more focused on passive monitoring. You can wear it throughout the day and night to collect health and activity data without needing a display or additional controls. For people who mainly want to monitor their daily movement, heart rate, and sleep, that may be enough. But anyone interested in ECG assessments and the Edge's additional health features has more reason to pay extra. 💡 ****Winner:** Fitbit Edge. It offers a broader set of health-monitoring tools, although some features depend on regional availability and a Google Health Premium subscription. ## /3\. Workout Tracking and GPS If you regularly run, cycle or exercise outdoors, the Fitbit Edge has a clear advantage. Its built-in GPS lets you track outdoor routes without carrying your phone. Google says the system offers up to 40% better tracking accuracy than previous generations of its trackers. The Edge also supports more than 50 exercise modes, with workout metrics displayed directly on the screen. It can automatically recognize up to 100 activities, including walks, runs, and rides, so you can still record movement when you forget to start a workout manually. The Fitbit Air is designed for simpler activity tracking. It monitors movement and exercise, but without a display or built-in GPS, it doesn't offer the same on-wrist workout experience. You'll rely more heavily on your phone and the companion app to review your data. For casual walkers or people who mainly want to track daily activity, the Air can do the job. However, runners and outdoor fitness enthusiasts are likely to appreciate the Edge's additional controls and location tracking. 💡 ****Winner:** Fitbit Edge. Built-in GPS, on-screen workout metrics and more extensive exercise modes make it the stronger option for structured training. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/image-69.png) **Image Credit: Techloy.com* ## /4\. Battery Life Neither tracker requires daily charging under Google's stated battery-life estimates. The Fitbit Edge promises up to seven days of battery life on a single charge. A five-minute top-up can provide up to a day of use, while a full charge takes around 90 minutes. Actual battery life depends on settings and usage, and enabling features such as an always-on display can reduce it. The Fitbit Air also offers up to seven days of battery life. Its screen-free design means there's no display to manage, making it a straightforward option for people who want continuous tracking with minimal interaction. Both devices support fast charging, so a short charging session can help when you're running low. 💡 ****Winner:** Draw. Both promise up to a week of use. Your actual results will depend on how you use each tracker, especially the Edge's display and GPS. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 4 Ways Nigerian Tech Workers Can Move to Canada Beyond Express Entry URL: https://www.techloy.com/canada-immigration-pathways-nigerian-tech-workers/ Last updated: 2026-10-15T11:30:10.000Z If you're a Nigerian tech worker looking to [build a career](https://community.techloy.com/jobs-in-tech) abroad, Express Entry isn't Canada's only immigration option. Depending on your skills, job prospects, and personal circumstances, there are other routes worth exploring. Some programmes allow eligible applicants to apply for permanent residence directly, while others provide temporary work authorisation that may offer a route to longer-term settlement. The requirements vary, so understanding the differences can help you decide where to focus your efforts. Here are four pathways Nigerian tech workers can consider when planning a move to Canada. [How to Find UK Jobs With Visa Sponsorship in 2026Thousands of UK jobs are advertised every day, but here’s how to find the ones where Visa sponsorship may actually be available.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-fbd7abd5-b796-4712-ab3c-28a0a3f0c48f.png)TechloyDavid Adubiina![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1573496130407-57329f01f769-d93634da-0754-4b0f-8d3c-2144d42a99a1.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/how-to-find-uk-jobs-with-visa-sponsorship/) ## /1\. Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) The [Atlantic Immigration Program](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/atlantic-immigration/how-to-immigrate.html) is a permanent residence pathway for skilled foreign workers and eligible international graduates who want to live and work in one of Canada's four Atlantic provinces: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador. Unlike Express Entry, the programme requires candidates to secure a qualifying job offer from an employer designated to participate in the AIP. The employer must also meet the programme's requirements, and candidates need an endorsement from the relevant province before submitting their permanent residence application. - **Does it lead to permanent residence?** Yes. Eligible candidates can apply for permanent residence through the programme. - **Requirements:** You need a qualifying job offer from a designated employer, meet the applicable education and work experience requirements, and demonstrate language proficiency. The minimum language requirement is Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 5 for jobs classified under TEER categories 0 to 3, and CLB 4 for TEER 4 jobs. Foreign education may require an educational credential assessment. - **What to know:** This route is worth considering if you're willing to work outside Canada's larger technology hubs. But you must find an eligible employer and secure a qualifying offer; simply applying for jobs in Atlantic Canada does not make you eligible. ## /2\. Employer-Sponsored Work Permits and the Global Talent Stream _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Mafia, Horizon and a Day-One Shooter Lead October’s PS Plus Catalog URL: https://www.techloy.com/ps-plus-october-2026-game-catalog/ Last updated: 2026-10-15T11:23:13.000Z [PlayStation Plus](https://www.techloy.com/tag/sony-playstation/) subscribers have a varied month ahead, with October’s Game Catalog [mixing](https://blog.playstation.com/2026/10/14/playstation-plus-game-catalog-for-october-mafia-the-old-country-horizon-forbidden-west-mycopunk-and-more/) crime drama, open-world action, co-op shooting and horror. The headline additions include Mafia: The Old Country, Horizon Forbidden West and Mycopunk, which launches directly into the catalog on October 20. There's more for subscribers to check out beyond those three games, though. Dino Crisis 2 and RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 Complete Edition join the Premium lineup, while other additions arrive on different dates throughout the month. Sony is also bringing back its HorrorFest promotions, with downloadable content offers, in-game rewards, and a limited-time movie discount. Here’s everything coming to PlayStation Plus in October 2026, including the release dates, supported consoles, and membership tiers. [Forza Horizon 6 PS5 Release Date Reportedly January 26, 2027A new Dealabs leak points to January 26, 2027, but Playground Games still officially lists Forza Horizon 6 for PS5 in 2026.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-e0b0cd90-8b44-4a97-acc2-84fe551efc24.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1565870100382-f0a510db3cd1-e1201ae1-3f4b-4d0c-a4de-d914c2ca6508.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/forza-horizon-6-ps5-release-date/) ## PlayStation Plus October 2026 Game Catalog: Full List and Release Dates Most of October’s new Game Catalog titles become available on October 20, although several games have later dates or are already available in selected regions. ### /1\. Mafia: The Old Country — PS5 Mafia: The Old Country takes players to early 20th-century Sicily, where Enzo Favara must survive the criminal underworld and prove his worth to the Family. The third-person action-adventure leans into the series’ familiar mix of cinematic storytelling, organised crime and period detail. Expect dangerous vendettas, close-quarters knife fights, firearms and turn-of-the-century vehicles as Enzo navigates a brutal world where loyalty can be just as dangerous as an enemy. For subscribers who have been curious about the latest Mafia game, its arrival in the catalog offers a way to experience the story without purchasing a separate copy, provided the title is included in their regional subscription lineup. ### /2\. Horizon Forbidden West — PS5, PS4 Aloy returns in Horizon Forbidden West, exploring a dangerous frontier filled with enormous machines, unfamiliar tribes, and mysteries tied to humanity’s distant past. The sequel expands on the original game’s open-world formula with new environments, machine encounters, and alliances to navigate. Aloy must also confront a powerful new threat while uncovering the secrets behind the world’s ongoing crisis. Its availability on both PS5 and PS4 makes it one of the more accessible additions this month. Sony identifies this as a PlayStation Plus re-release, so subscribers who have played it before may already know what to expect. ### /3\. Mycopunk — PS5 Mycopunk is October’s day-one Game Catalog release, arriving on October 20 worldwide. This mission-based looter shooter puts players in control of a team of robot misfits hired by the SAXON corporation to investigate a planet-wide fungal catastrophe. The New Atlas Hazard Crew must fight off hostile fungal creatures while uncovering what caused the disaster — and whether their employer is telling them the whole story. Its main draw is customisation. The game features hundreds of handcrafted upgrades and supports up to four-player co-op, giving friends plenty of room to experiment with different builds while taking on its alien threat. I’m particularly interested in how those upgrade systems work alongside the co-op combat. With a strange robotic cast and a deliberately offbeat sense of humour, Mycopunk could be a good option for subscribers looking for something lighter and more chaotic than October’s darker releases. ### /4\. The Midnight Walk — PS5, PS VR2 The Midnight Walk is available from October 14 in the US and UK, followed by October 15 in Japan. Built using real clay and brought to life through stop-motion animation, this dark fantasy adventure follows the Burnt One and a lantern creature named Potboy. Players must protect Potboy’s flame while travelling through a world filled with unsettling monsters and strange characters. The game features five interconnected tales of fire and darkness. It can be played on PS5 or in virtual reality with PS VR2, giving players a choice between a traditional screen-based experience and a more immersive presentation. ### /5\. Poppy Playtime: Chapter 2 — PS5, PS4 Arriving October 27 in the US, UK and Japan, Poppy Playtime: Chapter 2 takes players deeper into the abandoned Playtime Co. toy factory. Following the events of the first chapter, players must solve puzzles, use equipment to navigate the environment, and avoid the factory’s terrifying inhabitants. Mommy is now the threat standing between players and escape, adding another layer of tension to the survival-horror formula. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Lagos Life Has Millions of Players. Can It Make Money? URL: https://www.techloy.com/lagos-life-game-vatar-funding-business/ Last updated: 2026-10-15T10:43:08.000Z When Lagos Life went live, it gave players a chance to experience familiar parts of Lagos without leaving their browsers. But the game has become more than a place to play and is now a space where brands can reach an audience via virtual billboards, which command prices that change with demand. Techpoint Africa reported seeing one billboard’s weekly rate rise from ₦5,000 (about $3.75) to ₦50,000 (about $37.50) on October 5\. With Lagos Life also attracting a $500,000 investment, the bigger question is whether the opportunity lies in the game itself or in the audience it is building. [Lagos Life and 3 More Nigerian Browser Games to PlayLagos Life Is trending, but Nigeria has 3 more games worth trying![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-96d72041-3be5-4042-80f3-7ca25035180c.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1732020883983-fb1f3f609274-c0929c5c-daab-4e58-810e-a661dc472302.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/lagos-life-nigerian-browser-games/) ## What Investors Really Bought With $500,000 Vatar, the company behind Lagos Life, closed an angel round of $500,000 at a $10 million valuation. That hands investors about 5% of the company. [Flutterwave](https://www.techloy.com/tag/flutterwave/) CEO Olugbenga Agboola joined through his fund, along with the CEOs of Mono and [Terra Industries](https://www.techloy.com/tag/terra-industries/), and the whole round closed in one day. Vatar’s three co-founders also bring experience from different industries. Shalom Rayhamen, the CEO and CTO, previously built anti-money laundering tools at Napier AI. Owen Rayhamen, the chief product officer, managed products at Citi, while Anderson Oriahi, the chief business development officer, co-founded health tech company Heala. As of October 8th, the game had passed 4.3 million players from 15 countries, with more than 200,000 online at once. Vatar says it has earned or signed over $170,000 in revenue, up from about $46,900 in its first four days. [TechCabal reports](https://techcabal.com/2026/10/09/lagos-life-maker-vatar-raises-500000/) five income streams, including ads, music promotion, company deals, football streaming, and top-ups, where players pay real money for in-game cash. So, the game pretty much works like a stage, and the crowd is the product. Advertisers and musicians pay to stand in front of it. ## Why Africa’s Gaming Audience Keeps Growing Gaming audiences like this are getting easier to find. Carry1st and Newzoo expect Africa's games revenue to grow 11.9% in 2026, from $1.77 billion to $1.98 billion. That means about 36.6 million new players in one year. Roughly 82% of the money comes from mobile, so a phone is almost all players need. Nigeria sits near the heart of it. The country had 46.5 million gamers and about $300 million in revenue in 2024, up from $249 million in 2022\. [Maliyo's research](https://respawn.outlookindia.com/amp/story/gaming/gaming-news/africas-gaming-revenue-surges-egypt-claims-the-top-spot) says Nigerian mobile revenue has grown fivefold since 2019\. Carry1st's CEO points to Southeast Asia, which became a $10 billion gaming market, as a sign of what could come next. Local flavour may be the secret sauce. Lagos Life uses the naira and familiar city scenes, and it was inspired by Lagos Run, where players drive a danfo bus. Copycats, such as a London bus game and a Port Harcourt life game, soon followed. There is also room to grow. A survey cited in that report found that 56% of gamers did not know or play African-made games, so many fans have not met local studios yet. ## The Gap Between Fans and Real Businesses Here is the uncomfortable part. A KPMG and Maliyo Games study found that Africa earns [less than 1%](https://www.thisdaylive.com/2025/03/04/kpmg-africas-game-industry-earns-less-than-1-of-187bn-global-revenue/) of the world's $187 billion in gaming revenue. Among 66 studios sampled across 23 countries, only 3% reached $1 million in revenue. Most of the money Africans spend goes to foreign studios. Developers face a tougher road than the fans do. Over half earn no income from their work, and only 3% get government funding. Poor power supply and costly internet make it harder to turn a hobby into a company. There are bright spots, though. [Carry1st raised](https://www.pocketgamer.biz/industry/carry1st/) a $27 million round in 2023, and Sony's innovation fund backed it in 2024\. Now compare the smaller cheques. Google's new fund will back only ten studios with $1 million in total, between $50,000 and $200,000 each. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Jailer 2 Targets ₹150 Crore Worldwide, but Reviews Are Mixed URL: https://www.techloy.com/jailer-2-day-1-box-office-collection/ Last updated: 2026-10-15T10:23:15.000Z Rajinikanth is back as Tiger Muthuvel Pandian, and audiences are already turning out in large numbers for Jailer 2\. Released in cinemas worldwide on 15 October 2026, the Tamil action thriller is targeting a worldwide opening of Rs 150 crore ($17.3 million). Directed by Nelson Dilipkumar, the sequel follows the 2023 blockbuster, which earned around Rs 604 crore ($69.6 million) worldwide. Early reviews have praised Rajinikanth’s screen presence, the comedy and several action sequences, although some viewers have criticised the film’s weaker second half. This puts the sequel in an interesting position, as its star power is driving strong interest, but it must deliver more than familiar crowd-pleasing moments to match the original’s success. [VisionQuest Release Time and Full Episode ScheduleMarvel’s new Disney+ series brings back Paul Bettany as Vision and James Spader as Ultron, with eight episodes arriving across five release dates.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-77e76094-7141-4d2a-ae44-d701172bc2c5.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/visionquest-10ea6c02-3b19-4121-a32a-0cd76c63f298.png)](https://www.techloy.com/visionquest-release-time-schedule/) ## Jailer 2 Targets A Rs 150 Crore Opening The film entered its opening day with strong advance sales. According to Sacnilk's final advance-booking [report](https://www.sacnilk.com/news/jailer-2-final-advance-booking-report-4148-cr-gross-including-block-seats-beats-coolie-in-actual-pre-sales-but-misses-top-spot), Jailer 2 recorded Rs 41.48 crore in Indian opening-day bookings, including blocked seats. The figure excluding blocked seats was Rs 37.60 crore. Trade analyst Ramesh Bala, speaking to NDTV, estimated that worldwide advance bookings had reached around Rs 40 crore before release. He projected a Rs 150 crore global opening, with India contributing approximately Rs 90 crore. These remain forecasts rather than confirmed box-office earnings, and the final figures will depend on cinema attendance and audience word of mouth. Early Day 1 figures suggest that Jailer 2 has made a strong start at the box office. Sacnilk's live tracker puts the film's India net collection at Rs 24.09 crore so far, with the total still changing as more cinemas report their earnings. The figure is provisional, and the final opening-day collection is yet to be confirmed. ## Early Reviews Praise Rajinikanth But The Sequel Has Weak Spots Initial reactions have highlighted the elements that made the first film popular, including Rajinikanth’s commanding screen presence, Nelson’s comedy and Anirudh Ravichander’s background score. In its early review roundup, [ABP Live](https://news.abplive.com/entertainment/jailer-2-first-reviews-rating-out-rajinikanth-film-has-solid-first-half-underwhelming-second-half-1871463) quoted the reviewer Venky Reviews, describing the film as a familiar commercial entertainer with a solid first half but an underwhelming second half. The criticism is not limited to online reactions. In its review of the film, The Indian Express praised Rajinikanth’s screen presence and the production’s action sequences, but pointed to underdeveloped characters and predictable plotting. The mixed response suggests that the film has entertaining moments, but its storytelling may not be as consistent as fans hoped. ## Can It Match The Original Jailer Movie? The first Jailer movie became one of Rajinikanth’s biggest recent hits, earning approximately Rs 604 crore worldwide. Its success came from combining his screen presence with a crime story, dark humour, memorable supporting characters, and appearances by stars including Mohanlal and Shiva Rajkumar. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Microsoft’s $49.99 Xbox Nano Controller Is Its Smallest Yet URL: https://www.techloy.com/xbox-nano-controller/ Last updated: 2026-10-15T09:41:59.000Z [Microsoft](https://www.techloy.com/tag/microsoft/) has introduced the Xbox Nano Controller, a compact wireless gamepad designed for smaller hands, younger players, and gamers who want to play away from their consoles. It's also an alternative for anyone who finds a standard [Xbox ](https://www.techloy.com/tag/microsoft-xbox/)controller too bulky to carry around. At $49.99, the new controller keeps the familiar Xbox button layout while shrinking it into a device that's just over five inches long and weighs 3.5 ounces. That makes it Microsoft's smallest controller yet, with portability and accessibility at the centre of its design. Microsoft's [announcement](https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2026/10/14/xbox-nano-controller/) confirms that pre-orders are now open ahead of its November release. But size isn't the only thing worth knowing. The Xbox Nano supports Xbox Wireless and Bluetooth, includes a built-in rechargeable battery, and comes with a programmable Action Button. Microsoft is also tying its launch to holiday promotions with [Samsung](https://www.techloy.com/tag/samsung/) and [Meta](https://www.techloy.com/tag/meta/) in the United States. Here's everything we know about the Xbox Nano Controller, including its price, release date, supported devices, pre-order options, and availability in Nigeria. [Gears of War: E-Day Gift Card: How to Claim ItYour Xbox account may have a Gears of War: E-Day reward waiting. Here's how to check it, which purchases qualify and what deadline applies in your region.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-94cea537-791c-4996-8ca8-27d4c5d7e639.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1600861194942-f883de0dfe96-d69ab2c3-cbc9-4047-9033-287a489cbf3f.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/gears-of-war-e-day-gift-card-how-to-claim/) ## What Is the Xbox Nano Controller? The Xbox Nano Controller is a smaller, lightweight alternative to Microsoft's standard Xbox wireless controller. It's designed for players who want a familiar gaming experience without carrying a full-sized gamepad. Measuring a little over five inches and weighing just 3.5 ounces, it should be easier to slip into a bag or take along when visiting friends and family. Its smaller form factor could also make gaming more comfortable for children and people with smaller hands. Microsoft hasn't stripped away the familiar controls to achieve that size. The Nano retains all 18 standard gameplay inputs, giving players the button layout they're used to across compatible Xbox games. That makes it suitable as a primary controller for someone who prefers a smaller device, a spare for multiplayer sessions, or a travel companion for gaming on compatible phones, tablets, PCs, and smart TVs. ## Xbox Nano Controller Price and Release Date The Xbox Nano Controller costs $49.99 in the United States, with pre-orders now [available](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/d/XBOX-Nano-Controller/8wg5vqp0x4g3/) through Microsoft's online store. The Microsoft Store lists November 4, 2026, as the US release date. Regional release dates and pricing can vary. Microsoft Store Here are some of the confirmed regional prices: - United States: $49.99 - United Kingdom: £44.99 - Australia: AU$79.95 - Brazil: R$379 These prices come from Microsoft's regional store listings and may vary by retailer. Check your local Microsoft Store for the final price and delivery details. At this price, the Nano sits in the more accessible end of the controller market. However, buyers should remember that its compact size is the main trade-off: it is designed for portability rather than to replace every feature or ergonomic advantage of a full-sized controller. ## How to Pre-Order the Xbox Nano Controller You can pre-order the Xbox Nano Controller through Microsoft's official store, with availability and delivery options depending on your region. Microsoft has also announced that the controller will be available through authorised retailers. Here's how to get started: 1. Visit the official Xbox [Nano Controller page](https://www.xbox.com/accessories/controllers/xbox-nano-controller). 2. Select your regional Microsoft Store, where available. 3. Check the listed price, release date, shipping options, and compatibility information. 4. Complete your order if pre-orders are supported in your market. Buyers in the United States can also check participating retailers, including Amazon and Walmart. Before ordering, make sure the controller is listed for your country. A product page being accessible online doesn't necessarily mean that Microsoft offers local delivery or warranty support in your region. ## Where Is the Xbox Nano Controller Available? _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Apple HomeView vs Amazon Echo Show 11 URL: https://www.techloy.com/apple-homeview-vs-amazon-echo-show-11/ Last updated: 2026-10-15T09:27:24.000Z For almost as long as smart home tech has existed, rumours have swirled about Apple releasing a standalone home hub with a screen. Speculation ran wild for years; some envisioned a floating iPad mount, while others predicted a full HomePod with a display pasted on top. Now, we finally have an answer: the Apple HomeView, a device that looks remarkably like an iMac G4 reincarnated as a 7-inch tablet anchored to a domed speaker base. While Apple is just getting its feet wet in the display-led smart hub market, Amazon has been steering the ship since 2017 with its Echo Show line, and its flagship Amazon Echo Show 11 represents almost a decade of continuous refinements. So, can Apple’s design-forward newcomer take on Amazon’s seasoned smart home champion? Here is how the two smart displays compare. [Apple Welcome Home Event: HomeView, Apple TV 4K and MoreAt its October 13 Welcome Home event, Apple announced the $299 HomeView, a new Apple TV 4K, HomePod mini 2 and smart home accessories.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-9e99cb94-40ee-4145-8940-33df6c1ae0ec.png)TechloyOgbonda Chivumnovu![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1548949974-54c5fc17dd45-4ed2a25b-6f7a-4edd-a220-93b970bcdcf7.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/apple-welcome-home-event-announcements/) ## /1\. Design and Build Apple and Amazon have taken radically different approaches to how a smart display should fit into your living space. For one, Apple HomeView embraces a distinct retro-futuristic aesthetic. It features a 7-inch display attached via an adjustable stainless steel hinge to an anodised aluminium domed speaker base. The design allows you to tilt the screen smoothly to eliminate glare, and Apple also offers wall-mounting variants (including USB-C, AC-wired, and Power-over-Ethernet options in partnership with Schneider Home). It comes in four finishes: Silver, Starlight, Rose Pink, and Space Grey. But the wall-mounted variant only comes in Silver and Space Grey Meanwhile, the Echo Show 11 takes a more traditional, screen-first approach. It features a large 11-inch display with a bulkier, fabric-wrapped speaker housing on the back. While it takes up considerably more counter space, its footprint is designed to give you a TV-like experience on a countertop or kitchen island. Amazon also offers an optional magnetic swivel stand for added positioning flexibility, but it lacks Apple's built-in wall-mounting versatility. Apple’s compact build feels more refined and versatile for places like nightstands or walls, whereas Amazon prioritises screen real estate at the expense of a larger footprint. 💡 ****Winner:** Apple HomeView. Apple's compact footprint, adjustable hinge, and versatile wall-mounting options make it easier to integrate into different rooms around the home. ## /2\. Display Size and Brightness The Apple HomeView features a 7-inch Liquid Retina display with True Tone technology. It automatically adjusts its colour temperature and brightness—scaling down to 0.3 nits for bedside use without disrupting sleep, or up to 500 nits in bright sunlight. The screen size makes it ideal for glances at widgets, doorbell video feeds, and ambient artwork. The Echo Show 11 counters with a much larger 11-inch Full-HD panel (1920 × 1200 resolution). The added screen size completely changes how you interact with the device: recipes are easier to read from across the kitchen, multi-camera home surveillance layouts fit comfortably on screen, and video streaming feels like a proper television experience rather than a quick watch. If you want a subtle ambient display, Apple's smaller screen is well-calibrated. But for media consumption and visibility from across a room, Amazon’s larger canvas wins out. 💡 ****Winner:** Amazon Echo Show 11\. The extra screen real estate makes a noticeable difference when watching videos, following recipes, or viewing multiple security cameras at once. ## /3\. Camera and Smart Features Both devices use their cameras to support video calls and personalise the experience for different household members. The Apple HomeView features a 12MP Centre Stage camera for FaceTime calls, along with facial recognition that lets it display personalised content for different users. Depending on the person recognised, the screen can show relevant information from apps such as Messages, FaceTime, Calendar, Reminders, and Find My. The Echo Show 11 features a 13MP camera with auto-framing and 3x zoom for video calls. Its Visual ID feature recognises enrolled household members and displays personalised content, including calendars, reminders, and interests. Amazon also provides camera and microphone controls that let users disable them when they want more privacy. Both devices offer camera-based personalisation, but they approach it through their respective ecosystems. HomeView focuses on personal content from Apple's apps, while the Echo Show 11 connects recognition with Alexa profiles and household routines. 💡 ****Winner:** Tie. Both displays offer facial recognition and personalised experiences, with the more useful option depending on the services and ecosystem a household already uses. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/iPhone-18-Pro-Max-vs-Xiaomi-18-Pro-Max--1-.png) _This post is for subscribers only._ ### How Digital Files Are Replacing Warehouses in Modern Manufacturing URL: https://www.techloy.com/how-digital-files-are-replacing-warehouses-in-modern-manufacturing/ Last updated: 2026-10-15T08:16:49.000Z ## **The inventory problem that additive manufacturing was built to solve** Every manufacturer holding physical inventory is making a bet, betting that a part will be needed before it becomes obsolete, betting that storage costs won't outweigh the convenience of having stock on hand, and betting that a warehouse fire, flood, or logistics failure won't wipe out years of accumulated stock. [Prototal's digital manufacturing of plastic parts](https://prototalgroup.com/solutions/) approach sidesteps a lot of that risk by treating a design file, rather than a physical shelf of finished parts, as the actual inventory. A part exists as data until the moment it's needed, at which point it gets printed on demand rather than pulled from storage that's been sitting there accumulating carrying costs for months or years. This shift matters most for companies dealing with unpredictable or long-tail demand, where holding physical stock of every possible variant simply doesn't make financial sense. A spare part that might be ordered once a year doesn't justify a warehouse slot next to components that move daily, but it still needs to be available when a customer actually needs it. Digital manufacturing turns that calculation around entirely, since a rarely ordered part costs nothing to store when it exists only as a file, and production only happens against real demand rather than a forecast that might be wrong. The flexibility extends further than just inventory economics. A design stored digitally can be updated instantly when an engineering change is needed, without the delay of reworking a physical mold or scrapping a warehouse of now-outdated stock. That responsiveness becomes particularly valuable in industries where components need frequent revision, whether that's due to evolving safety standards, customer feedback, or simply an engineering team continuing to refine a product after its initial launch. Geographic distribution adds another layer to this model that becomes obvious the moment a supply chain gets tested by disruption. A design file doesn't care which country it's produced in, which means the same digital part can be manufactured at whichever facility in a distributed network has capacity available, without the weeks of lead time that shipping physical goods across borders typically requires. That flexibility turns what used to be a fixed, location-dependent production process into something closer to a routing decision. None of this eliminates the value of holding physical stock entirely. High-volume, predictable components still often make more sense produced and stored in bulk through conventional methods. What changes is the calculation for everything in between, the parts ordered occasionally, unpredictably, or in small custom batches, where digital production increasingly makes more economic sense than maintaining a physical inventory built around guesswork. ## **What it actually takes to make a digital-first production model work in practice** Treating a design file as inventory sounds elegant in theory, but it only functions if the underlying production infrastructure can actually deliver a part reliably the moment digital demand turns into a physical order. That requirement shapes what buyers should actually look for in a manufacturing partner built around this model. Machine capacity and geographic spread determine whether a digital manufacturing promise is realistic or just a nice pitch. A network of production facilities spread across multiple countries can route a job to wherever capacity is currently available, which matters enormously when demand for a particular part spikes unpredictably. A single-facility operation, by contrast, has no such flexibility, and a busy week at that one site becomes a bottleneck for every customer depending on it, undermining the entire premise of on-demand production. Material breadth plays a less obvious but equally important role in making this model work across a real product catalog. A digital manufacturing offering that only supports two or three materials effectively limits which parts can realistically be produced this way, forcing some components to remain physically stocked regardless of how well the digital model would otherwise suit them. A genuinely wide material library, developed and qualified over years of production experience, extends the digital-first approach to a far broader range of applications, from structural brackets to flexible seals. Process documentation closes the loop on reliability, particularly for any part destined for a regulated or safety-critical application. A digital file only has value as inventory if every print pulled from it can be trusted to match the last one exactly, which requires the same rigorous quality management and traceability that governs conventional manufacturing. Without that consistency, digital manufacturing risks becoming a source of variability rather than the dependable, on-demand alternative to physical stock that it's meant to be. ### Helldivers 2 Scope of Authority Warbond: Everything We Know URL: https://www.techloy.com/helldivers-2-scope-of-authority-warbond/ Last updated: 2026-10-15T08:00:01.000Z Helldivers 2 is [getting](https://blog.playstation.com/2026/10/13/helldivers-2-scope-of-authority-premium-warbond-launches-oct-20/) a new Premium Warbond on October 20, bringing a fresh set of weapons, camouflage-focused armour, and equipment designed for long-range combat. Called Scope of Authority, the Warbond focuses on precision shooting and stealth, giving players more options for picking off enemies from a distance or staying concealed while moving through hostile territory. The new gear includes a bolt-action sniper rifle, a machine pistol, an anti-materiel rifle, and an energy weapon, alongside two armour sets built around camouflage. Here's everything coming with the update. [Battlefield 6 Game Pass: Plans, Platforms and PC SpecsYour Game Pass tier is only the first check. Battlefield 6 also has demanding PC requirements and different options for console, PC and cloud play.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-ffe99c7b-ad2b-4ccd-8be3-a4afdd78ac59.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1726442008105-b6651bdfc32a-6827f8a0-47c2-44d3-8cab-8a597147686e.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/battlefield-6-game-pass/) ## When Does the Helldivers 2 Scope of Authority Warbond Release? The Scope of Authority Premium Warbond launches on October 20, 2026. It introduces the collection as the next addition to Helldivers 2, Arrowhead Game Studios' cooperative third-person shooter. Unlike a standard content update focused on one activity, this Warbond gives players new equipment to experiment with as they take on enemy forces across the galaxy. The collection also centres on two approaches: keeping your distance with precision weapons and using concealment to control how enemies detect you. ## Helldivers 2 Scope of Authority Warbond: All New Weapons The Warbond adds five weapons, each designed for a different role in combat. ### R-40 Sightliner The R-40 Sightliner is a bolt-action sniper rifle built for players who prefer precision over sustained fire. It combines long-range accuracy with armour-piercing rounds, making it a potential option for dealing with tougher targets from a safe distance. Its bolt-action design means players will need to make their shots count rather than rely on a high rate of fire. ### P-44 Mist The P-44 Mist is a one-handed machine pistol intended to complement a sniper-focused loadout. Its compact design gives players a faster option when enemies close the distance, helping cover the gap between lining up a careful shot and fighting at close range. ### AMW-20 Apex For players who need more firepower against heavily armoured enemies, the AMW-20 Apex is a backpack-fed anti-materiel rifle with assisted reloading. Arrowhead describes it as a powerful, armour-penetrating weapon. Its design prioritises damage against larger targets, although carrying and operating such a weapon may require players to make different choices about their overall loadout. ### LAS-44 Nova The LAS-44 Nova expands the game's LAS energy weapon series with a precision rifle that fires a non-explosive thermal projectile after a short charge. Like other weapons in its category, it has effectively unlimited ammunition, but players will need to account for its charge time. The weapon also features an updated cooling system designed to keep it firing for longer before overheating. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Netflix's East of Eden Made Me Wonder If Villains Are Born or Made URL: https://www.techloy.com/east-of-eden-netflix-review/ Last updated: 2026-10-15T07:47:52.000Z [East of Eden](https://www.techloy.com/east-of-eden-netflix-florence-pugh-cathy/) is the kind of story that makes you question how much of who we become is shaped by our families and how much comes down to the choices we make. Netflix’s adaptation explores these questions through a family caught in years of conflict, jealousy, and painful decisions. I went into the series without knowing much about the story, and I found myself drawn into the complicated relationships at its centre. Based on John Steinbeck’s 1952 novel, the seven-part [Netflix](https://www.techloy.com/tag/netflix/) series follows two generations of the Trask family, exploring sibling rivalry, parental rejection, love, betrayal, and the choices people make. The story draws on the biblical account of Cain and Abel, where two brothers become divided by jealousy and resentment. A 1955 film adaptation directed by Elia Kazan also exists, though it focuses mainly on the latter part of the novel. Netflix's series [guide](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/east-of-eden-series) provides more background on the adaptation. [Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story, Fact vs FictionThe Lizzie Borden Story turns an unsolved murder case into a fictional story that makes you question what really happened.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-8824ed57-7688-4c9e-86f5-dad59e56d66d.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/lizzie-633a8eee-ecc9-4216-8982-6e596845298d.png)](https://www.techloy.com/monster-the-lizzie-borden-story-made-me-question-how-much-of-true-crime-we-know/) ## The Performances Make the Family Drama Work Florence Pugh is one good reason to watch East of Eden. As Cathy Ames, she plays a woman who is difficult to understand and even harder to trust. Pugh gives Cathy a calculating quality that makes it difficult to know what she is thinking or what she might do next. Even when I struggled to sympathise with Cathy, I remained interested in her. Christopher Abbott and Mike Faist also add something interesting to Adam and Charles's relationship. Their characters have spent much of their lives competing for their father’s approval, and that resentment continues to affect their decisions as adults. I found Charles particularly interesting because his anger becomes easier to understand once you see how differently his father treats him and Adam. Hoon Lee is another standout as Lee, the Trask family’s cook and one of the few people who seems capable of seeing the family clearly. He brings a quieter presence to a story filled with anger, jealousy, and betrayal. His relationship with Samuel Hamilton, played by Ciarán Hinds, also gives the series some of its more thoughtful moments. ## How Much of Who We Become Is Decided by Our Childhood? Charles is where I first began questioning my idea of what makes someone a bad person. I could tell early on that he resented Adam, but understanding their relationship with their father, Cyrus, helped me see where that resentment came from. Cyrus favours Adam in ways that leave Charles feeling unwanted and inadequate. Imagine growing up in a home where you constantly feel that your sibling is the better child. What would that do to the way you see yourself? The series gives Charles a history that helps explain his behaviour without making everything he does acceptable. His resentment contributes to some terrible decisions, but he also shows that people can recognise their mistakes and try to change. This contradiction interested me more than simply deciding whether Charles was good or bad. His upbringing clearly affected him, but it did not remove his responsibility for his actions. The series also made me think about Cal, who struggles with feeling that he will never measure up to Aron. Aron is seen as the good son, while Cal is more conscious of his flaws and the possibility that he might become someone he does not want to be. I found Cal’s willingness to confront his mistakes compelling because he was not presented as someone who always made the right choices. He wanted to do better. ## Adam Reminded Me That Kindness Is Not Enough Adam was another character I kept questioning. At first, I found him easy to like because he was kind and seemed willing to see the good in people. But as the story progressed, I began questioning his judgment. He meets Cathy, a woman he knows very little about, takes her into his home, falls in love with her, and marries her within weeks. I understand that people fall in love quickly, but making such a major decision without taking the time to understand someone felt reckless to me. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/AAAAQepLeiTepKmOX6jA7o0NA36z1hUZTvpzxqGYhzmPgJvHyzNUOo3cV1c2IhzBWDo_vAySDlksNRUw3YDJqirvWoIfKAXAkcEfqYIJMIsMW3fRnMaoCPkWRLwGfEbXrTRuFbZ5YC73ODlCfwwC4LKTCFw3.jpg) Photo Credit: Netflix Adam reminded me that having a good heart is not enough. Sometimes, being so focused on seeing the best in people means overlooking things we should be paying attention to. His good intentions do not protect him from the consequences of his choices, and I found that more interesting than simply treating him as the family’s innocent, well-meaning son. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Why Fewer Meetings Lead to Better Focus and Stronger Team Output URL: https://www.techloy.com/why-fewer-meetings-lead-to-better-focus-and-stronger-team-output/ Last updated: 2026-10-15T06:07:34.000Z Meeting overload breaks the workday into fragments, leaving employees with too little uninterrupted time for thoughtful work. Repeated status updates also blur ownership, delay decisions, and drain attention before priority tasks begin. Fewer meetings improve output when teams replace routine calls with clear written updates, focused discussions, and protected work periods. The goal is not to remove collaboration, but to give each conversation a clear reason and a defined result, starting with a closer look at meeting necessity. ## **Remove Meetings That Do Not Need Real-Time Discussion** Calendar audits reveal which meetings support decisions and which meetings repeat information. A manager can review the previous month and label each call as a decision, planning session, status update, or unclear discussion. That record exposes recurring meetings that no longer serve their original purpose. Teams need practical rules for[ how to reduce unnecessary meetings](https://www.supportingcast.fm/post/reduce-meeting-overload) without slowing work. A written status update handles routine progress, while a shared document gives people time to review details before discussion. A meeting earns its place when participants must resolve an issue, choose an option, or coordinate work that cannot move forward asynchronously. This approach also reduces unnecessary attendance. Each invite should include people who provide information, make decisions, or complete assigned work. Others can read the notes later, which protects their focus without excluding them from relevant updates. ## **Give Every Meeting a Specific Job** A useful meeting has a purpose, an owner, an agenda, and a stated outcome. The organizer should explain what participants need to decide or complete before sending the invitation. A vague topic such as “project discussion” invites unfocused conversation. A better agenda names the decision, lists the information required, and assigns time to each item. The most urgent decision should appear early, while the final minutes should cover decisions, owners, and deadlines. Participants leave with fewer follow-up questions when the meeting produces a clear record. Meeting length also deserves review as it impacts [employees’ focus](https://www.forbes.com/sites/serenitygibbons/2026/03/03/how-to-improve-your-employees-focus-in-the-office/). Default calendar blocks often give routine topics more time than they require. Shorter blocks create pressure to prepare, keep discussion focused, and leave space between calls for notes or task changes. ## **Protect Time for Focused Work** Reducing meetings does little if open calendar space fills with new invitations. Teams need visible working agreements that protect uninterrupted periods for writing, analysis, planning, and project execution. A department might reserve certain mornings for focused work or block several hours on selected days. Those periods should appear as unavailable, and managers should follow the same rule. A protected block loses value when leaders treat it as spare capacity. Meeting-free time also improves handoffs. Employees can finish assigned work before providing an update, which makes later discussions shorter and more useful. The benefit comes from preserving enough time to complete work, not simply leaving empty calendar space. ## **Replace Routine Updates With Asynchronous Communication** Real-time conversation helps with decisions, conflict resolution, and work that requires immediate coordination. Routine updates do not need the same format. Written notes, recorded messages, and shared project information let employees review details when their schedules allow. Asynchronous communication also gives participants time to think before responding. A leader can provide a detailed update once, while team members review the message without interrupting focused work. The record remains available for people who join later or need to confirm a decision. The format still needs discipline. Every update should identify the subject, current status, open issue, responsible person, and next deadline. Clear structure prevents asynchronous communication from becoming another stream of vague messages. ## **Review Results Instead of Counting Invitations** Fewer meetings matter because they improve completed work, not because a lower meeting count looks efficient. Managers should review whether decisions happen faster, deadlines improve, and employees regain uninterrupted time for priority tasks. A simple monthly review can compare canceled meetings, shortened meetings, delayed decisions, and completed actions. Teams should also ask whether participants understood their responsibilities after each major discussion. Those observations show whether meeting changes improve execution. If a recurring meeting produces no decision or assigned action, the organizer should cancel it or change its format. If a necessary meeting repeatedly runs over time, the agenda needs revision. Calendar discipline works when each event must justify the time it takes. ## **Conclusion** Fewer meetings give teams more time to complete demanding work, but the change requires clear operating rules. Leaders should audit one month of calendars, cancel recurring calls without a defined outcome, shorten necessary sessions, and protect recurring focus blocks. Each remaining meeting should end with a decision, an owner, or a deadline. After four weeks, managers can review completion rates and employee feedback, then adjust the meeting structure based on evidence rather than habit. ### How AI Is Turning Business Planning Into a Real-Time Founder Workflow URL: https://www.techloy.com/how-ai-is-turning-business-planning-into-a-real-time-founder-workflow/ Last updated: 2026-10-14T19:35:26.000Z ## **From Static Documents to a Living Planning Process** For decades, business planning followed a predictable sequence: founders researched a market, wrote a plan in a document, built financial projections in a separate spreadsheet, and periodically updated both when investors, lenders, or internal decisions required it. The problem was not the format itself. It was the speed at which the underlying assumptions became outdated. A pricing change affects revenue. A new hire changes payroll, runway, and potentially operating capacity. Higher customer acquisition costs can alter growth expectations and funding requirements. When these assumptions live across disconnected files, even a relatively small strategic change can require several rounds of manual revision before the narrative and financial model agree again. AI is beginning to change that workflow. Its more important contribution to business planning is not faster writing, but faster iteration. Instead of treating a business plan as a document completed at a particular moment, founders can increasingly use digital planning systems to test assumptions, revise projections, and update the business case as new information becomes available. That turns planning from an occasional documentation exercise into a management process. ## **Why Founders Need More Than AI-Generated Text** Generative AI made it dramatically easier to produce a polished executive summary, market overview, or marketing strategy. But fluent text does not necessarily make a credible business plan. The difficult part is maintaining relationships between the assumptions. A company cannot increase its sales forecast without asking what customer volume, pricing, conversion rates, or sales capacity would produce that revenue. Higher sales may require more employees, inventory, equipment, marketing expenditure, or working capital. Those changes affect expenses and cash flow, which in turn can change the amount and timing of external funding required. This is where generic text generation reaches its practical limit. A plausible paragraph about growth can coexist with financial projections that tell a completely different story. A useful planning workflow therefore needs structure. Market assumptions should inform revenue assumptions. Revenue should connect to operating capacity. Hiring should appear in payroll. Capital expenditures should affect cash requirements. Financing should be sufficient to support the business until it reaches the next meaningful operating milestone. The value of AI increases when it helps founders manage those dependencies rather than merely describe them. ## **Financial Modeling Is Where the Hard Work Begins** Financial projections force strategic assumptions into numbers, which makes inconsistencies harder to hide. A founder may describe an aggressive expansion strategy in a business plan, for example, while projecting almost no increase in sales staff, marketing expenditure, production capacity, or working capital. The revenue forecast may look attractive, but the operating mechanism behind it is missing. A stronger model begins with business drivers. For a subscription company, those might include customer acquisition, pricing, churn, and recurring revenue. A restaurant may model transactions, average ticket, food costs, labor, and seating capacity. A professional-services company may focus on billable employees, utilization, hourly rates, and project margins. The model should reflect how the company actually generates revenue rather than applying a generic growth percentage. The same discipline applies to cash. Profitability and liquidity are not interchangeable. A fast-growing company can report accounting profit while consuming cash because it must finance inventory, receivables, hiring, or capital expenditure ahead of revenue. For a founder deciding how much capital to raise, cash flow and runway may therefore matter more than the headline profit forecast. AI can accelerate calculations and revisions, but the real gain comes from connecting operating decisions to their financial consequences. Change the hiring schedule, pricing assumption, or sales ramp, and the founder should be able to see what happens to margins, break-even, cash requirements, and runway. ## **A New Category of Founder Tools** This is creating a more specialized category within the founder technology stack. Instead of using one tool for writing, another spreadsheet for financial projections, and separate templates for business-plan structure, AI-powered planning platforms are beginning to combine these activities into a guided workflow. [GROWEXA](https://growexa.com/) is one example: it combines structured business-plan creation with financial projections, allowing founders to develop the narrative and financial components within the same planning process. The distinction matters because a business plan is more useful when assumptions made in one section can be evaluated against the economics presented elsewhere. These platforms are not simply competing with traditional business-plan templates. Their broader use case is reducing the friction between a strategic decision and an updated plan. That can be particularly useful during fundraising, loan preparation, expansion planning, or the first years of a company, when assumptions change frequently and management has limited time for repeated document rebuilding. The direction is similar to what happened in other business functions. Accounting moved from static records toward cloud-based dashboards; customer management moved from contact lists toward continuously updated CRM systems. Business planning is beginning to move from periodic documents toward systems that can be revised as the company learns. ## **AI Can Accelerate Planning — Not Replace Founder Judgment** There is an obvious risk in making business planning faster: founders can produce unsupported assumptions faster as well. AI does not know whether customers will accept a proposed price, whether a local market can support another location, whether a sales team can realistically achieve a forecast conversion rate, or whether management can execute an expansion schedule. Those questions still require customer evidence, market research, operating experience, and judgment. The founder's role therefore becomes more analytical, not less important. AI can reduce the time spent formatting sections, rebuilding projections, checking internal consistency, and rewriting material after assumptions change. That gives management more time to challenge the assumptions themselves: What evidence supports this revenue forecast? Which cost is most sensitive to scale? How much runway exists if sales arrive three months later? Which milestone should the next financing round actually fund? That is the more consequential shift in AI-assisted business planning. The objective is no longer simply to produce a finished plan faster. It is to shorten the distance between new information and a better business decision. For founders, the practical standard should be straightforward: use AI to accelerate the mechanics of planning, but keep ownership of the assumptions. A business plan becomes valuable when it changes with the business—and when management understands why the numbers change with it. ### Why a Resistor Temperature Detector is Essential in the UAE’s Industries URL: https://www.techloy.com/why-a-resistor-temperature-detector-is-essential-in-the-uaes-industries/ Last updated: 2026-10-14T19:29:07.000Z Temperature measurement isn't simply about knowing whether equipment is hot or cold. Whether you're running a refinery, a food plant, or a local utility, being off by just a couple of degrees can spoil product batches, spike your power bills, or trigger sudden safety trips. That's where an [RTD](https://tempsens.com/ae/ct/temperature-sensing-solutions/resistance-temperature-detector/) comes in. In the UAE, summer heat and heavy humidity beat up poor equipment fast, so picking a sensor that can actually handle ambient conditions on top of your internal line temperatures makes a massive difference for uptime. ## **What is a Resistor Temperature Detector?** It's just a sensor where the electrical resistance shifts as things heat up or cool down, allowing your transmitter to read that shift and translate it straight into an actual temperature value on the screen. ## **Understanding Different Types of RTDs** ### **1\. Pt100 RTD** Pt100s are a common choice across most plants. They hit right at 100 ohms when you're at 0°C, which makes them super handy for everyday temperature monitoring where you just need reliable, repeatable data without constantly recalibrating your sensors. ### **2\. Pt1000 RTD** A Pt1000 has a nominal resistance of 1,000 ohms at 0°C. Its higher resistance can reduce the relative effect of lead resistance compared with a Pt100 in certain installations. ### **3\. Thin-Film RTDs** Thin-film RTDs basically use a tiny strip of metal sprayed onto a ceramic base. They're small. Because of that low mass, they catch temperature changes fast, which helps out a lot when space is tight on your skid or when your control loops need fast feedback to avoid tripping alarms. ### **4\. Wire-Wound RTDs** Wire-wound elements use fine sensing wire wound around a suitable core. They can be selected for applications that demand particular accuracy or a wider operating range. ### **5\. Two-, Three- and Four-Wire RTDs** A two-wire connection is simple but is more affected by lead resistance. A three-wire arrangement compensates for much of that resistance and is common in industrial systems. Four-wire measurement provides a more direct resistance measurement and is useful when higher accuracy is required. ## **How is it Beneficial in the UAE’s Industrial Temperature Measurement?** ### **Accurate Process Monitoring** Many industrial processes operate within defined temperature windows. A temperature reading that's consistently inaccurate can cause operators to adjust heating or cooling unnecessarily. ### **Stable Measurement for Continuous Operation** Industrial plants don't measure temperature once and move on. Sensors may remain installed for months or years, exposed to vibration, pressure, moisture, chemicals and repeated thermal cycles. Platinum RTDs are valued for their repeatability and stability. ### **Useful Across Multiple Industries** RTDs get used pretty much everywhere. They're super common in oil and gas, petrochemicals, chemical plants, food and beverage facilities, power stations, HVAC systems, and general manufacturing lines. ### **Better Process Control** Consider a heat-transfer process where the target temperature is 180°C. If the measurement fluctuates because of a poor sensor installation, excessive lead resistance or unsuitable sensor construction, the control system may repeatedly adjust the heating system. A correctly selected RTD, combined with suitable wiring and instrumentation, provides the control system with a more dependable temperature signal. ### **Easier Maintenance Planning** A damaged probe or drifting measurement can force maintenance teams to investigate a process that otherwise appears healthy. A good RTD specification should therefore include more than the sensing element. ## **Final Words** In UAE industries, temperature measurement means looking beyond the nominal temperature range and considering installation conditions, accuracy, wiring, mechanical protection and long-term maintenance. Thus, [**Tempsens UAE**](https://tempsens.com/ae/) provides industrial temperature measurement solutions designed for demanding process environments, including RTDs and related temperature sensing systems. ### How Can AI Help Creators Turn Creative Ideas Into Visual Content? URL: https://www.techloy.com/how-can-ai-help-creators-turn-creative-ideas-into-visual-content/ Last updated: 2026-10-14T14:44:56.000Z Creating engaging visual content is an important part of digital marketing, social media, advertising, and online storytelling. However, producing high-quality images and videos can take time, especially when creators need to experiment with different styles, concepts, and formats. AI-powered creative tools are helping simplify this process by turning written ideas into visual assets. From generating digital artwork to animating still images, AI can support different stages of content production and make visual experimentation more accessible. ## **How Can AI Improve the Creative Process?** Traditional content production often involves brainstorming, sketching, designing, editing, and reviewing multiple versions before reaching a final result. AI tools can accelerate some of these steps by generating initial concepts from text prompts or reference images. For example, a small business launching a new product can explore several advertising concepts before investing in a full photoshoot. A content creator can experiment with different visual styles for a campaign, while a designer can use AI-generated references to develop a more detailed creative direction. AI does not eliminate the need for planning or human judgment. Instead, it gives creators more options to evaluate and refine. ## **How Are AI Image Models Changing Digital Design?** AI image-generation models allow users to describe a scene, object, character, or design and generate a visual interpretation of that idea. These capabilities can be useful for concept art, promotional graphics, illustrations, and digital campaigns. [**Ideogram 4.5**](https://openart.ai/ai-model/ideogram-4-5/) is a model worth exploring when comparing AI image-generation options. Creators evaluating image models should consider how well they interpret prompts, render text, handle complex compositions, and maintain the intended visual style. For instance, a designer creating a social media advertisement may need a clear layout and readable headline, while an illustrator may prioritize artistic detail and lighting. Testing models with realistic project requirements can help determine which option works best for a particular task. ## **Can AI Video Tools Turn Static Images Into Moving Scenes?** AI video generation expands creative possibilities by transforming text prompts or still images into animated sequences. Rather than producing every frame manually, creators can describe the scene, movement, and camera direction they want to achieve. [**Kling 4.0**](https://openart.ai/ai-model/kling-4-0/) is a model name creators may encounter when researching AI video-generation technology. When evaluating newer video models, it is useful to examine motion consistency, scene transitions, prompt adherence, and the ability to preserve a subject's appearance across a sequence. These capabilities can support short advertisements, social media clips, storyboards, and early-stage film concepts. However, the generated footage should still be reviewed for visual artifacts, inconsistent movement, and details that do not match the original brief. ## **How Can Creators Combine AI Image and Video Generation?** Image and video tools can complement each other in a single creative workflow. A creator might first develop a visual concept, choose a suitable image, and then use an image-to-video tool to add movement. A practical workflow includes: 1. **Start with an idea:** Define the target audience, message, subject, and desired visual style. 2. **Create a reference image:** Use an image-generation model to explore possible compositions and appearances. 3. **Refine the visual direction:** Adjust details such as lighting, colors, framing, and background elements. 4. **Animate the concept:** Use an AI video tool to introduce motion, camera movement, or scene changes. 5. **Edit the final output:** Review the generated content, correct inconsistencies, and adapt it to the intended platform. This process can help maintain a more consistent visual direction from the initial concept to the finished video. ## **What Should Businesses Consider Before Using AI-Generated Content?** Although AI tools can reduce the time needed to produce creative assets, businesses should evaluate more than generation speed. The right workflow depends on the quality standards, publishing requirements, and intended use of the content. Important considerations include: - **Brand consistency:** Generated images and videos should align with the company's visual identity. - **Accuracy:** Product details, text, and other important visual elements should be checked carefully. - **Editing flexibility:** Creators should be able to refine outputs when the first generation does not meet expectations. - **Usage rights:** Review each platform's current terms and any relevant licensing requirements. - **Budget:** Compare subscription costs, generation limits, and export options before committing to a tool. A combination of AI generation and human review often produces more dependable results than publishing outputs without checking them. ## **How Can Creators Choose the Best AI Tools for Their Needs?** The most suitable tool depends on the type of content being produced. Image-focused workflows may prioritize composition, style control, and text rendering, while video-focused workflows may require consistent motion, realistic scenes, and control over timing. Creators should test a small set of tools using the same prompts and project requirements. This makes it easier to compare output quality, identify limitations, and determine which tools fit their workflow. Rather than selecting a platform solely because it is new or popular, consider whether it solves a specific creative problem efficiently. ## **What Does the Future Hold for AI Content Creation?** AI is changing how people approach digital design and video production by making it easier to explore ideas and generate initial visual concepts. As these technologies develop, creators will have more opportunities to combine image generation, animation, and editing within connected workflows. The most effective approach is to treat AI as a creative assistant rather than a complete replacement for human direction. Clear prompts, thoughtful editing, and careful quality checks remain essential for producing useful and engaging visual content. ### Stanford’s $149,000 H-1B Filing: What Foreign Workers Should Know URL: https://www.techloy.com/stanford-h1b-filing-149000-foreign-workers/ Last updated: 2026-10-14T14:29:59.000Z For professionals outside the United States hoping to build a career there, finding an employer willing to sponsor a work visa is often one of the biggest hurdles. But a recent hiring filing by Stanford University offers a reminder that understanding the [H-1B visa](https://www.techloy.com/tag/h-1b-visa/) system requires more than finding a job with an attractive salary. A notice filed by Stanford with an intent to hire an H-1B financial analyst at an annual salary of $149,000, has attracted questions about why the university is seeking a foreign worker while California continues to face a difficult employment market. The filing, highlighted in a [post](https://x.com/chrisbrunet/status/2110110690878931210) by an investigative journalist on X on October 14, has prompted debate over whether a qualified American could fill the position. “We are a country of 340+ million. I understand H-1B for talent in the 1%, but there's no way a Senior Financial Analyst cannot be found within our citizens,” one X user wrote, with another user saying, “Why wouldn’t they hire an American who took out tens of thousands of dollars of student loans to pay their outrageous tuition, room, board, and book costs?” [Why the US Cut Microsoft, Adobe From Green Card SponsorshipSo, where would that tech talent go next.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-02d303ac-815b-4f73-87a5-7ed389028d3c.png)TechloyLoy Okezie![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1753450711825-b58801aee254-91f45aa3-b3ec-4507-9d74-e41b6a066bc5.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/the-us-wants-big-tech-to-hire-americans-and-skilled-foreign-workers-are-paying-the-price/) As of August 2026, California's [unemployment rate](https://www.bls.gov/web/laus/laumstrk.htm) stood at 5.1% in August, with nearly 993,000 people unemployed, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. But those figures don't establish how many unemployed people have the qualifications and experience Stanford needs. The filing also doesn't, on its own, explain the university's recruitment process or why it's seeking an H-1B worker. For foreign professionals considering US employment, the distinction matters. An employer advertising or pursuing a role for an H-1B worker doesn't necessarily have to prove that no qualified American exists for every position. [DHS Proposes Ending H-1B 60-Day Grace Period in 2026H-1B workers who lose their jobs in the US could soon have far less time to find another employer or leave the country.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-aaae5565-d3ae-446e-a766-39b629e9a72d.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1666101041144-005dc1a64d6d-56b5fccc-e179-41bb-bf0f-6685e04f552f.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/h-1b-60-day-grace-period-dhs-proposal-2026/) ## How the H-1B hiring process works The H-1B programme allows US employers to hire eligible foreign professionals for qualifying jobs. Employers must meet requirements that include paying the required wage and complying with rules designed to protect US workers. Additional recruitment and non-displacement obligations also apply to H-1B-dependent employers and certain employers found to have committed willful violations. At the same time, some employers can qualify for an exemption from these additional obligations if the worker earns at least $60,000 annually or holds a relevant master's degree or higher. Stanford's [reported](https://bechtel.stanford.edu/navigate-international-life/visas/h-1b-employment-visa) $149,000 salary exceeds that wage threshold, but salary alone doesn't establish whether the university qualifies for an exemption or whether its hiring process meets the applicable requirements. Universities also have a distinct advantage under the programme. Qualifying institutions of higher education can hire eligible H-1B workers without being subject to the annual numerical cap that limits many other employers. They must, however, still comply with the other requirements governing H-1B employment. This means foreign applicants should not assume that every US employer follows the same route when sponsoring workers. An employer's eligibility, the role and the applicable immigration requirements can all affect the process. ## What this means for professionals seeking US jobs The Stanford filing comes amid increased scrutiny of employers hiring foreign workers. On October 8, the Trump administration [announced](https://www.techloy.com/the-us-wants-big-tech-to-hire-americans-and-skilled-foreign-workers-are-paying-the-price/) the suspension of [Microsoft](https://www.techloy.com/tag/microsoft/) and several other technology companies from a programme that allows employers to sponsor foreign workers for permanent residency. Vice President JD Vance has also called for investigations into nine universities over alleged [abuse](https://stanforddaily.com/2026/10/08/stanford-among-nine-universities-named-in-federal-j-1-visa-investigation/) of the J-1 exchange visitor programme, including Stanford, Harvard, Yale and MIT. Stanford has said it would cooperate with the investigation. These developments involve different immigration programmes, so they shouldn't be treated as interchangeable. But they underline why international applicants need to understand which visa route applies to a prospective role and what their employer is required to do. If you are considering a US job, start by: - Identifying employers that hire internationally and checking whether a role is open to candidates who require sponsorship. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### How to Claim the Gears of War: E-Day Gift Card on Xbox URL: https://www.techloy.com/gears-of-war-e-day-gift-card-how-to-claim/ Last updated: 2026-10-14T13:30:00.000Z [Xbox](https://www.techloy.com/tag/microsoft-xbox/) has started rolling out $5 gift cards to customers who participated in a qualifying pre-order promotion of Gears of War: E-Day. The reward was part of a promotional offer available in select regions before the game's release. Alongside access to the open beta and cosmetic skins, eligible buyers were promised a gift card that they could redeem through their Xbox account. Reports of the rewards arriving began circulating on October 13, 2026, after Spanish Xbox account [Info Xbox](https://x.com/InfoXbox%5F/status/2109998579825733763) shared evidence of the offer appearing in the account's Offers & Credits section. But the rollout may not cover every region, as it is available in Spain, the United Kingdom, and France at the same time, and simply owning the game doesn’t guarantee you'll receive the credit. Here's how to check your account and what to know before claiming the reward. [Xbox Delistings October 2026: NBA 2K25 and 3 More Games.If you want NBA 2K25 on Xbox, you have until October 30, and its online modes end two months later.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-46043ce8-dd0f-4cf7-9bc7-c4f09fbdb45f.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1687977686478-13b75f82225e-bd78e551-7da6-4207-96b9-2d9949acf326.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/xbox-delistings-october-2026/) ## 1\. Check Your Xbox Account for the Free Gift Card The first thing to do is check whether Microsoft has added the reward to your account. You don't need to search through your purchase history or contact support immediately. On your Xbox console, follow these steps: 1. Open the Microsoft Store app. 2. Navigate to the left-hand menu and select your gamertag at the top. 3. Open the Profile submenu. 4. Select Offers & Credits. 5. Check the Active section for an available gift card offer and follow the instructions to claim it. If the reward has reached your account, it should appear as an active offer that you can redeem. Even though the process is pretty straightforward, timing matters. Xbox appears to be distributing the rewards in stages, so your account might not show anything yet, even if you participated in the original promotion. If you don't see the gift card, check again over the coming days. You can also consult [Info Xbox's original report](https://x.com/InfoXbox%5F/status/2109998579825733763) for an example of what the offer looks like. ## 2\. How Much Is the Gears of War: E-Day Gift Card Worth? The reported reward is a $5 Microsoft Store prepaid gift card. According to Info Xbox, eligible customers can claim the credit through their Xbox profile's Offers & Credits section. Once redeemed, the balance can be used for purchases within the Xbox and Microsoft Store ecosystem, subject to the applicable account and regional terms. But there’s one important deadline to keep in mind. The reported offer states that the balance is available until January 11, 2027\. Check the terms attached to your own reward to confirm its expiry date and any restrictions on how it can be spent. The $5 credit is a relatively small reward, but it could help cover part of a future purchase, including eligible games or other digital content. ## 3\. Who Is Eligible for the Free Xbox Gift Card? Not every Gears of War: E-Day buyer is necessarily eligible for this offer. The promotion was tied to a specific pre-order campaign that ran in certain countries such as Spain, the United Kingdom, and France. Customers who participated in that offer were promised a gift card alongside other promotional benefits, including open beta access and cosmetic skins. According to the available report, the reward appears to apply to customers who purchased the Standard Edition or full Premium Edition within the eligible pre-order period. The standalone Premium Upgrade is not reported to qualify. Buying that upgrade separately should not be confused with purchasing the full Premium Edition as part of the original promotion. If you pre-ordered the game but cannot find the reward, check your original purchase details and the terms of the promotion. Your region, edition, and participation in the specific offer may determine whether you qualify. ## 4\. Why Hasn't Your Gift Card Arrived Yet? _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Anthropic Warns AI Models Could Soon Self-Replicate Across Smart Devices URL: https://www.techloy.com/anthropic-ai-self-replicate-smart-devices/ Last updated: 2026-10-14T12:59:59.000Z Imagine a [rogue AI](https://www.techloy.com/newsletter-35-2026-what-happens-when-ai-tools-go-rogue/) escapes its data centre, spreads across the internet, and hides inside your smart fridge, your vacuum cleaner, or even your TV box. It copies itself from device to device and is impossible to shut down, because there’s no single place to pull the plug. That sounds a lot like Terminator, The Matrix or Colossus. But this warning isn’t coming from Hollywood. [Anthropic](https://www.techloy.com/tag/anthropic/), one of the top AI labs, says small AI models could be only months away from being able to do something like this on cheap connected devices. Its Frontier Red Team published a [report](https://www.anthropic.com/research/self-replicating-ai) on October 12 warning that small models are approaching the capability to self-replicate across internet-connected devices. The implications could be significant, though Anthropic stresses that it hasn’t seen this happen in the real world. [Why Anthropic Researcher Jacob Coxon Quit, and Who AgreedCoxon’s warning comes as both OpenAI and Anthropic have faced incidents involving their AI systems gaining access to other organisations’ systems.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-889d9f51-f4c1-4e80-b0b9-631479470bde.png)TechloyDavid Adubiina![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1579226905180-636b76d96082-ec8b5c5e-da8b-4b5c-9d4a-e2a6883b42d8.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/anthropic-researcher-quits-jacob-coxon-ai-safety/) ## What Anthropic actually found The researchers bought 15 cheap, off-brand Android TV boxes for about $55 each, networked them, and split a small Google model, Gemma4-26B-A4B, across them. It ran at 0.39 tokens per second, which is slow but functional, and enough to show that running a model doesn’t require a data centre. They found that models with 30 billion parameters or fewer can already complete many of the individual steps needed to replicate, but struggle to chain them together from start to finish. In a separate, simplified test network, GLM-5.2, an open-weight Chinese model, spread to all eight nodes in four of five trials. There are caveats. GLM-5.2 is too large to run on a TV box, so it ran from a separate server and installed a smaller model on each target. Anthropic also made the break-in step trivial by leaving network ports open, and it describes the result as an upper bound on real-world success. The worry is the trend. Anthropic says that if small models keep improving at their historical rate, they could reach GLM-5.2’s level by the end of the year. ## What this could mean for everyday AI users The scary part isn’t that an AI could copy itself. It’s that it would be very hard to stop. Most computer viruses can be shut down by taking out the server that controls them. An AI spread across thousands of ordinary devices, like TV boxes and smart ovens, has no central point to take out. “A replicator like this would be challenging to shut down,” the researchers wrote, “since there’s no centralized point to shut off.” It could also figure things out on its own. Older viruses are built for specific devices, but an AI could work out how to run on gadgets it has never seen. In Anthropic’s tests, one small model got itself running on 8 of the 9 types of devices it was given. The devices most at risk are cheap, poorly protected ones: smart ovens, no-name TV boxes, routers and cameras. Many of these are still protected by the factory password. And if one device isn’t powerful enough, the AI could split itself up and run across many devices at once, like several small computers working together. But keep in mind that this all comes from controlled tests, and nobody has seen it happen in real life. Still, the basics help, like changing the default passwords on your smart devices, keeping them updated, and being careful with no-name gadgets. ## Some people are skeptical Reuters gathered [reactions](https://www.reuters.com/business/ai-models-may-soon-self-replicate-without-access-data-centers-anthropic-warns-2026-10-13/) from outside experts. “‘We managed to run a small model on cheap TVs,’ does not a security crisis make,” said Ciaran Martin, former head of Britain’s National Cyber Security Centre. He called it “an interesting technical paper with more than a hint of vendor exaggeration.” Others were more concerned. Zhengxiong Li, an assistant professor at the University of Colorado Denver, said that while the testing was controlled, “if it runs across many devices without depending on a central service, there may be no single place to shut it down.” Techloy [asked](https://www.techloy.com/openai-ai-escape-incident-security/) a similar question of three cybersecurity experts back in August. All three agreed that some form of replication is technically possible, but that doesn’t mean today’s AI agents behave like self-propagating viruses. As Michael Allen Agee, one of the experts Techloy spoke to puts it, AI agents have been like “burglars with bells on” inside the systems they infected: present, but noisy and unreliable. “Doing this is relatively simple and has been demonstrated in a few research papers,” he said. The experts agreed that practical limits remain, since AI models are far larger than traditional malware and need serious computing power to run. ## We’re in a climate of AI worries and risks The report comes amid a steady stream of warnings about rogue AI. In July, OpenAI disclosed that two of its models escaped a test environment and [hacked Hugging Face](https://www.techloy.com/openai-hugging-face-hack/). _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 7 Ways Mobile Apps Are Transforming the Construction Industry in 2026 URL: https://www.techloy.com/7-ways-mobile-apps-are-transforming-the-construction-industry-in-2026/ Last updated: 2026-10-14T12:52:04.000Z Mobile apps are transforming the construction industry by helping businesses manage projects, improve communication and maintain safer working environments. From digital inspections to document management, mobile technology is making construction operations more efficient. Construction projects involve multiple contractors, site teams and stakeholders who need accurate information. Traditional processes involving spreadsheets, paper forms and disconnected communication can create delays and increase project costs. Construction companies are increasingly adopting digital tools to address these challenges. Businesses exploring [mobile app development in Glasgow](https://www.pulsion.co.uk/mobile-app-development-glasgow/) can also develop tailored applications that integrate with existing systems and support their operational requirements. Here are seven ways mobile apps are transforming the construction sector in 2026. ## 1\. Streamlining Construction Project Management Effective project management is essential for delivering construction projects on schedule and within budget. Construction managers must coordinate workers, materials, contractors and deadlines while maintaining visibility over progress. Mobile construction management apps bring these activities into a centralised system accessible through smartphones and tablets. Site managers can use these applications to: - Assign tasks and monitor completion. - Track project milestones and deadlines. - Share updates with construction teams. - Monitor resource allocation and project costs. - Identify potential delays. Rather than relying on separate spreadsheets, project stakeholders can access information through a shared platform. For example, when a delivery delay affects scheduled work, a construction manager can update the timeline through a mobile application. Relevant teams can then review the changes and adjust their activities. This improved coordination supports better decision making, reduces administrative work and helps construction firms manage multiple sites efficiently. ## 2\. Improving Communication Between Site Teams Communication challenges can significantly affect construction projects. Architects, engineers, subcontractors and construction workers often operate across different locations. When important information is delayed, mistakes and disruption can follow. Mobile apps connect field teams with office-based employees through shared communication platforms. Features such as notifications, photo sharing, document updates and issue tracking help ensure teams receive relevant information. For example, a worker discovering an unexpected site issue can photograph it, record its location and notify the appropriate manager. The issue can then be reviewed without waiting for a physical meeting. Mobile technology supports: - Faster communication between contractors. - Digital task assignments. - Centralised document access. - Improved coordination across construction sites. - Quicker reporting of operational problems. Offline capability is particularly valuable where internet connectivity is unreliable. Some construction apps allow workers to access downloaded information and complete reports offline, synchronising updates when connectivity returns. These mobility solutions help construction businesses maintain productivity in challenging environments. ## 3\. Strengthening Building Safety and Compliance Safety compliance remains a critical responsibility for construction companies. Construction sites involve risks associated with machinery, working at height, electrical installations and hazardous materials. Mobile apps support safety management through digital inspections, reporting and accessible compliance records. Instead of relying on paper forms, site teams can complete digital checklists and record hazards using mobile devices. Common features include: - Digital risk assessments. - Site inspections and safety checklists. - Incident reporting. - Photographic evidence collection. - Corrective action tracking. - Centralised compliance data. Mobile technology also supports building safety documentation, including records relating to passive fire protection. Fire compartmentation helps limit the spread of fire and smoke through buildings. However, damage, defective installations or inappropriate alterations can compromise these protective measures. Understanding [why you need a fire compartmentation survey](https://adaston.com/news/why-you-need-a-fire-compartmentation-survey/) is important for identifying potential deficiencies and maintaining accurate building safety records. Mobile applications can support inspections by allowing teams to photograph defects, record locations and track remedial work. However, digital tools cannot replace competent inspectors or professional safety assessments. Instead, they help construction firms improve information management, document findings and maintain visibility over outstanding safety issues. ## 4\. Making Construction Documents Accessible Anywhere Document management is another area where mobile technology is transforming construction operations. Construction projects generate substantial information, including architectural drawings, specifications, inspection reports and contractual documents. When files are stored across disconnected systems, construction professionals may struggle to locate current information. Outdated drawings can result in errors, unnecessary rework and additional project costs. Mobile document management applications provide access to approved project information through a centralised system. Platforms such as Autodesk Construction Cloud allow construction teams to access drawings and documentation using mobile devices. Benefits include: - Better document control and version management. - Faster access to updated drawings. - Reduced dependence on printed documents. - Improved information sharing. - More consistent quality control. Mobile applications can also support Building Information Modelling (BIM). BIM uses structured digital models and associated information to support building design, construction and management. Mobile access allows site teams to review relevant design data while completing work. This helps construction professionals identify discrepancies between planned designs and site conditions, improving collaboration and reducing avoidable mistakes. ## 5\. Improving Quality Control and Site Inspections Quality control ensures construction work meets agreed specifications and standards. Traditional site inspections frequently involve handwritten notes, printed checklists and photographs stored separately from reports. This can complicate issue tracking and delay corrective actions. Mobile construction apps bring inspections, photographs and defect reporting into a single platform. For example, a site manager inspecting completed work can photograph a defect, record its location and assign the issue to the responsible contractor. The contractor can then review the information and update the task after completing remedial work. Mobile quality control applications support: - Digital snagging lists. - Standardised inspections. - Defect reporting and issue tracking. - Photographic documentation. - Corrective action management. - Inspection history and field reporting. Digital checklists help construction companies maintain consistent processes across multiple sites. Centralised reporting also provides visibility over outstanding issues, allowing construction managers to identify recurring defects. By reducing duplicate data entry and simplifying inspections, mobile apps can improve project efficiency and support more reliable quality management. ## 6\. Reducing Costs Through Digital Workflows Controlling project costs remains a significant challenge for construction businesses. Delays, material waste and administrative inefficiencies can affect profitability. Mobile apps can reduce repetitive work by automating routine processes and improving access to operational information. For example, digital timesheets reduce manual data entry, while task management tools help construction managers monitor workforce activities. Construction firms can also integrate mobile applications with procurement, scheduling, financial and document management systems. These integrations help create more connected digital workflows. Mobile procurement tools allow site managers to request materials, review deliveries and record completed orders without returning to the office. Digital documentation can also reduce printing requirements and unnecessary administrative work. However, successful digital transformation requires careful planning. Construction businesses must consider implementation costs, employee training, change management and data security. Existing construction software may provide sufficient functionality for some businesses. Others may benefit from bespoke mobile app development when specialist requirements cannot be addressed through standard platforms. The objective should be to improve efficiency and support measurable operational benefits rather than introduce unnecessary technology. ## 7\. Using AI and Emerging Technologies Artificial intelligence and emerging technologies are creating new opportunities for mobile applications in construction. Modern construction apps can combine digital workflows with analytics, connected equipment and information collected across construction sites. These capabilities support more informed decision making. ### Artificial Intelligence AI-powered applications can analyse historical project information and current performance data to identify patterns associated with delays or resource requirements. These insights can help construction managers investigate potential problems, although results depend on reliable data. ### IoT Equipment Monitoring Mobile apps can connect with Internet of Things sensors to provide information about equipment activity, operating hours and maintenance requirements. This offers greater visibility over machinery and supports planned maintenance. ### Augmented Reality Augmented reality allows digital information to appear over a view of physical surroundings. On construction sites, AR applications can help workers visualise design elements and compare digital models with existing structures. ### Real-Time Analytics Construction management apps can provide dashboards showing project progress, outstanding defects and workforce activity. Access to this information helps site managers monitor multiple projects and identify areas requiring attention. Although emerging technologies offer opportunities to boost efficiency, construction firms should assess implementation costs, security and practical requirements before adoption. ## Conclusion Mobile applications are reshaping how construction companies manage projects, communicate and maintain important information. From project management and safety compliance to document control and quality inspections, mobile technology helps streamline construction operations and reduce reliance on manual processes. As AI, BIM and connected technologies develop, mobile apps will become increasingly important to construction management. However, successful adoption depends on choosing tools that address genuine operational needs. By implementing suitable digital solutions, construction businesses can improve collaboration, strengthen information management and support more efficient project delivery. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What are construction mobile apps? Construction mobile apps are applications used to manage projects, coordinate workers, share documents and complete site inspections. ### How do mobile apps improve construction management? They provide centralised project information, helping site managers assign tasks, monitor progress and communicate with construction teams. ### Can mobile apps improve construction safety? Yes. They support digital checklists, incident reporting and compliance documentation but do not replace professional safety assessments. ### How is BIM used in mobile construction apps? BIM applications provide mobile access to building models and design information, supporting coordination and document control. ### From E-Commerce to Digital Health Infrastructure: Why Online Pharmacies Are a Different Kind of Platform URL: https://www.techloy.com/from-e-commerce-to-digital-health-infrastructure-why-online-pharmacies-are-a-different-kind-of-platform/ Last updated: 2026-10-14T13:37:49.000Z The growth of online pharmacy is often described as another stage in the digitisation of retail. At first glance, the comparison appears reasonable: a user searches for a product, provides information, makes a payment and receives an item at home. Yet online pharmacy is fundamentally different from conventional ecommerce. A digital pharmacy platform sits at the intersection of healthcare delivery, clinical decision-making, identity verification, data protection and regulated medicine supply. In many cases, it must help determine whether a transaction should take place at all. That makes online pharmacy a useful example of a wider shift in health technology. The challenge is not simply to remove friction, but to decide which friction can safely be removed and which safeguards must remain. ## **Healthcare cannot be designed like ordinary ecommerce** Most consumer technology is optimised around conversion. Healthcare has different priorities. Before some medicines can be supplied, information may be required about symptoms, existing conditions, current medicines and treatment history. The purpose is not personalisation; it may determine whether treatment is appropriate. In Great Britain, the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) requires registered pharmacies providing services at a distance to identify and manage risks that differ from face-to-face care. An extra question, identity check or clinical review may therefore be a safety control rather than unnecessary friction. ## **The consultation is part of the technology stack** For treatments requiring assessment, the digital consultation is one of the most important elements of the platform. It may look like an ordinary form, but it can collect structured health information, adapt questions according to previous answers, identify potential contraindications, support professional review and create an auditable record. GPhC guidance also recognises the limits of questionnaire-led care. Some medicines are not suitable to be prescribed through a questionnaire alone, and additional safeguards may be required depending on the medicine and clinical circumstances. The objective should therefore not be to automate approval, but to design a workflow that supports an appropriate clinical decision. ## **Sensitive treatments show why digital access matters** The value of digital access is particularly clear in areas of healthcare that patients may find difficult to discuss face to face. Sexual health is one example. Privacy or embarrassment can create a barrier to seeking professional advice, while a digital consultation can give patients a more discreet environment in which to provide relevant information. However, discretion cannot come at the expense of safety. For example, [Viagra](https://www.pharmica.co.uk/erectile-dysfunction/viagra/) contains sildenafil and is used to treat erectile dysfunction in suitable adult men. Its prescribing information identifies important contraindications, including concomitant use with nitrate medicines because sildenafil can potentiate their blood-pressure-lowering effects. A reliable, appropriately registered online pharmacy therefore cannot treat access to such a medicine as a conventional retail transaction. The pathway must collect enough information to support an appropriate decision and allow further assessment where necessary. ## **Health data changes the privacy equation** Online pharmacies process information that is considerably more sensitive than most ecommerce data. A pharmacy platform may handle information about physical health, medication history or sex life. Under UK data protection law, health data and information concerning a person's sex life are classed as special category data. Privacy therefore has to be considered at the system-design stage. Platforms should collect information because it is necessary for a defined purpose, not because it may be useful later. Access should also be separated according to role. A member of staff preparing a parcel does not necessarily need to see a patient's full clinical consultation, while a delivery provider requires only the information needed to complete delivery. Security consequently extends beyond encryption to authentication, permissions, logging, third-party integrations and data retention. ## **Trust has to be visible** Legitimate healthcare services must make their regulatory status understandable to users. GPhC guidance expects online pharmacy platforms to provide information allowing patients to identify the registered pharmacy, its owner and, where applicable, its Superintendent Pharmacist, as well as how registration can be checked. In healthcare, transparency is part of the user experience. A patient deciding whether to disclose sensitive information needs confidence that the service is legitimate, appropriately regulated and accountable. Trust should therefore be treated as a product requirement, not merely a branding exercise. ## **Automation should support clinical judgement** Rules-based systems and artificial intelligence can improve online pharmacy workflows by identifying incomplete questionnaires, highlighting relevant medicines and reducing repetitive administrative work. But clinical decisions can involve context that is difficult to reduce to a simple rule. A professional may need to ask a follow-up question, interpret uncertainty or refer a patient elsewhere. The more appropriate model is often decision support rather than decision replacement. Automation can make relevant information easier to identify while the healthcare professional remains responsible for interpreting it. ## **The future is not one-click medicine** The future of online pharmacy is unlikely to be defined simply by faster transactions. More meaningful progress will come from better identity systems, better-designed consultations, clearer privacy controls and decision-support tools that improve efficiency without weakening safeguards. The most credible platforms will make complex clinical and regulatory processes feel straightforward without pretending those processes no longer exist. Online pharmacies illustrate this principle well. What appears on the surface to be a familiar consumer experience is supported by a demanding infrastructure of clinical governance, identity assurance, data protection and professional oversight. The next stage of digital health will be about building platforms that combine the accessibility users expect from modern technology with the safeguards healthcare requires. ## **References** \[1\] General Pharmaceutical Council. *Guidance for registered pharmacies providing pharmacy services at a distance, including on the internet*. February 2025. \[2\] Information Commissioner's Office. *Special category data* and *Data protection by design and by default*. Current UK GDPR guidance, 2026. ### Cooling Vests and the Future of Personal Health Tech URL: https://www.techloy.com/cooling-vests-and-the-future-of-personal-health-tech/ Last updated: 2026-10-14T10:54:00.000Z Wearable technology has become part of everyday life. A quick look at a smartwatch can reveal how many steps have been taken, how well someone slept, or how quickly their heart rate recovers after a workout. These devices have changed the way people think about their health, making it easier to notice patterns that might otherwise go unnoticed. But there is more to personal health than numbers on a screen. Sometimes, the biggest challenge is much simpler: dealing with the heat. Anyone who has spent a summer afternoon working outdoors, cycling uphill, or exercising in a stuffy gym knows how quickly high temperatures can become uncomfortable. Concentration becomes harder, energy levels drop, and even ordinary tasks can start to feel exhausting. With hot weather becoming an increasingly familiar challenge in many parts of the world, finding practical ways to stay cool is attracting more attention. This is where cooling vests come into the picture. They may not look as high-tech as a smartwatch, but they offer something different. Instead of simply measuring what happens to the body, they help manage one of the environmental factors that can affect comfort and physical performance. ## How Do Cooling Vests Actually Work? Not every cooling vest works in the same way. Some use water and evaporation to help remove heat from the body, while others rely on materials that absorb heat as they change phase. There are also systems that use active cooling technology. Evaporative cooling is relatively straightforward. Water held in a garment evaporates, helping to draw heat away from the body. How well this works depends partly on the surrounding conditions. Airflow and humidity, for example, can make a noticeable difference. Phase change cooling works differently. Special materials absorb heat as they change from a solid to a liquid. This process can provide cooling without relying on water evaporating from the garment. Depending on the design, these products may need to be cooled or prepared again before their next use. The right option depends on where and how the vest will be worn. Someone working in a warehouse has different requirements from a cyclist tackling a long summer ride or a healthcare professional wearing protective clothing. For those interested in the available options, a[ cooling vest](https://inuteq.com/products/cooling-vests/) can be a practical starting point when exploring wearable solutions for managing heat during work, exercise, and outdoor activities. What makes these garments interesting is their direct approach. A fitness tracker might show that the body is working harder than usual in hot weather. A cooling vest, on the other hand, is designed to help the wearer manage the heat itself. ## Why Staying Cool Matters More Than Many People Realise Heat can affect daily life in ways that are easy to underestimate. It is not just a matter of feeling sweaty or uncomfortable. When the body gets warmer, it has to work harder to maintain a stable internal temperature. Sweating and increased blood flow to the skin help release heat, but these responses require effort. During prolonged physical activity, especially in warm surroundings, the additional strain can contribute to fatigue and make tasks feel more demanding. For people who exercise outdoors, this may mean struggling through the final part of a run. For someone working on a construction site, it could mean finding it harder to concentrate during a long shift. More serious heat exposure can lead to heat exhaustion or heatstroke. These conditions require appropriate attention, and heatstroke is a medical emergency. Cooling vests may help improve thermal comfort and support heat management in certain situations. ## Where Cooling Vests Could Make a Difference The potential applications go well beyond sports. In fact, some of the most interesting opportunities can be found in workplaces where avoiding heat is difficult. ### Healthcare and Emergency Services Healthcare professionals often spend long hours on their feet, moving between patients and working under considerable pressure. In some situations, protective clothing and equipment can make it harder to stay comfortable. Emergency responders may face similar challenges, particularly when working outdoors or wearing heavy protective equipment. A suitable cooling garment could help improve comfort during demanding tasks, provided it is compatible with the equipment and safety requirements involved. Of course, a cooling vest is not a replacement for proper rest periods or safe working conditions. Its value lies in providing an additional option when managing heat. ### Construction, Manufacturing and Logistics Workers in construction, factories, warehouses, and agricultural settings can face prolonged exposure to high temperatures. Some work near machinery or in buildings where ventilation is limited. Others spend much of the day in direct sunlight. In these situations, practical details matter. A cooling vest needs to fit comfortably beneath or alongside workwear, allow sufficient freedom of movement, and be easy to prepare and maintain. If the garment is uncomfortable or takes too much time to use, workers may be reluctant to wear it regularly. Good design is therefore just as important as the cooling technology itself. ### Sports and Outdoor Recreation Athletes are another obvious group to consider. Running, cycling, hiking, and other outdoor activities can become significantly more demanding in hot weather. Cooling garments may help athletes manage thermal discomfort before, during, or after exercise, depending on the product and its intended use. The same principle applies to people who enjoy outdoor activities without necessarily training for competition. For many users, the attraction is simple: spending time outside should not have to mean feeling overwhelmed by the heat. ### Moving Abroad? Why Choosing Your Mobile Plan Before You Leave Makes Sense URL: https://www.techloy.com/moving-abroad-why-choosing-your-mobile-plan-before-you-leave-makes-sense/ Last updated: 2026-10-14T10:23:10.000Z Moving to another country comes with plenty of things to think about. You might be looking for accommodation, preparing travel documents or working out how much money you will need during your first few weeks. With so much to organise, choosing a mobile plan can easily slip down your checklist. However, having a working phone connection when you arrive can make settling in much easier. From finding your accommodation to contacting your university or letting family know you have landed, reliable mobile access helps with the little things that matter. ## **Why Think About Mobile Connectivity Early?** The first few days in a new country can feel unfamiliar. You may need mobile data to check directions, book transport, contact a landlord or access important information online. Public Wi-Fi is useful when available, but it cannot always be relied on. Using your existing SIM abroad may also cost more than expected, depending on your carrier's roaming policy. Looking at your options before travelling gives you time to compare prices and choose a plan that suits your destination and length of stay. ## **Should You Keep Your SIM or Switch to an eSIM?** Keeping your existing SIM can be convenient, especially if you need your current number for calls and messages. The downside is that international roaming charges and data allowances vary between providers. A local physical SIM is another option, particularly if you are planning a longer stay. Alternatively, an eSIM lets you download a compatible mobile plan directly to your phone without inserting a physical card. Before choosing an eSIM, check that your device supports it and is unlocked. Also make sure the plan includes the features you need, since some eSIMs provide mobile data without calls or text messages. ## **Explore Mobile Plans from Unlimit Mobile** If you are travelling to the USA, Canada or the UK, [Unlimit Mobile](https://www.unlimitmobile.com/) offers destination-specific eSIM options to consider. Here are the advertised starting prices listed on its destination pages: - **USA:** From US$0.39 per day. See the USA eSIM plans. - **Canada:** From C$0.75 per day. See the Canada eSIM plans. - **UK:** From £0.39 per day. See the UK eSIM plans. Available packages differ in price, data allowance and validity. The service advertises local phone numbers, data and calling or texting features on its destination plans, subject to the terms of the selected package. Check each plan's details to confirm exactly what is included before purchasing. ## **Finding the Right Plan for Your Stay** Your ideal plan depends on how you use your phone and how long you will be away. Students may need enough data for online classes, university research and video calls. Someone moving abroad for several months should pay attention to plan validity and renewal options. Business travellers may prefer a plan that makes it easy to get connected after landing, while families should compare the cost of keeping several devices online. It is also worth checking network coverage at your destination, hotspot availability and whether you need a local number for calls or SMS. The cheapest option is not necessarily the best fit if it lacks a feature you rely on. ## **A Small Task Worth Handling Before Departure** Before leaving home, review your current roaming charges, compare plans for your destination and check your phone's compatibility. If you decide to use an eSIM, read the activation instructions and confirm when the plan starts. Getting your mobile connection sorted in advance will not take away every challenge of moving abroad, but it can make your arrival less stressful. With one less thing to organise, you can focus on settling in and getting comfortable in your new surroundings. ### GTA 6 PC Players May Not Need to Rush Into Buying a Console URL: https://www.techloy.com/gta-6-pc-release-date-2027/ Last updated: 2026-10-14T09:57:27.000Z PC players may not have to wait as long as they did for GTA 5 to make the jump from consoles. According to a new [report](https://gamesbeat.com/grand-theft-auto-vis-pc-release-is-slated-for-q1-2027/) from GamesBeat, Rockstar Games is targeting the first quarter of 2027 for the PC version of [Grand Theft Auto 6](https://www.techloy.com/tag/gta-6/). That puts the potential release window between January and March, just a few months after the game launches on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S on November 19, 2026. There is one important caveat: Rockstar has not officially announced a PC version or confirmed its release date. GamesBeat's report, published on October 13, cites four industry sources familiar with the studio's plans. Rockstar did not respond to the outlet's request for comment before publication.[ ](https://gamesbeat.com/grand-theft-auto-vis-pc-release-is-slated-for-q1-2027/) If that window holds, PC players could get their hands on GTA 6 much sooner than they might expect from Rockstar. [GTA 6 Xbox Cloud Gaming: Why It Matters for XboxXbox’s reported GTA 6 streaming deal could make Xbox Cloud Gaming a major way to play GTA 6 without owning an Xbox.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-395a2ba8-961e-41bb-b7dd-2ab93ac8ea91.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1541253203905-9fe9a589a26b-97264753-7430-47a0-ab25-6a828ce6b1ff.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/gta-6-xbox-cloud-gaming-deal/) ## When Will GTA 6 Be Released on PC? GTA 6 is reportedly coming to PC between January and March 2027, although there is no specific launch date yet. For now, November 19, 2026, remains the confirmed release date for the console versions. Rockstar has announced PS5 and Xbox Series X|S as its launch platforms, leaving PC players waiting for an official announcement. The reported timeline would mean a relatively short gap between the console and PC releases. That is worth paying attention to because Rockstar has historically made PC players wait considerably longer to play its biggest games. Until the studio confirms its plans, however, the first-quarter 2027 window should be treated as a report, not a release date you can mark on your calendar. ## Why Is GTA 6 Coming to PC After Consoles? Rockstar has a history of releasing its major games on consoles before bringing them to PC. GTA 5 is the clearest example. The game [launched](https://www.rockstargames.com/newswire/article/25o2411812a31k/grand-theft-auto-v-is-now-available-for-pc) on PS3 and Xbox 360 on September 17, 2013, but PC players had to wait until April 14, 2015\. That is roughly 19 months between releases. Red Dead Redemption 2 followed a similar pattern, arriving on PC more than a year after its console debut. Rockstar has not explained why GTA 6's PC version is being handled separately, so it would be premature to assume the same reasons apply here. However, developing and optimising a major game for a wider range of PC hardware can add another layer of work. There is also a business consideration. Releasing a game on consoles first allows Rockstar to focus its initial launch on those platforms before opening up another major market. A separate PC release can also generate another wave of sales, including from players who buy the game on more than one platform. The latest report suggests the wait could be shorter this time, but Rockstar has not confirmed what has changed behind the scenes. [Rockstar GTA 6 Leak Details: Lucia and 200GB ClaimThe Lucia footage is drawing attention, but it doesn’t prove Cyberleek has a complete GTA 6 build. Here are the latest Rockstar leak details.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-381222dd-57b0-4915-a223-a5f91c5c025d.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/GTA-6-1-fbf61f2a-d5ed-44aa-aeb8-6012073b7ea6.png)](https://www.techloy.com/rockstar-gta-6-leak-details-lucia-cyberleek/) ## Why the GTA 6 PC Release Matters For PC players, the appeal goes beyond simply having another platform to play on. The PC version of GTA 5 has developed a substantial community around customisation, modifications, and roleplay servers, giving the game a life beyond its original release. Rockstar has also acquired Cfx.re, the team behind the FiveM and RedM roleplay platforms, strengthening its connection to the user-generated roleplay scene. That makes PC an important platform to watch as the company considers the future of GTA's online community. A quicker PC release could help Rockstar bring more players into GTA 6 sooner, particularly those interested in community-created experiences. However, the reported release window does not confirm which features the PC version will support or whether it will launch with any additional content. System requirements, pricing, storefront availability, and PC-specific features also remain unannounced. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew Unveils First Trailer Ahead of Netflix Release URL: https://www.techloy.com/narnia-the-magicians-nephew-trailer/ Last updated: 2026-10-14T09:53:45.000Z [Netflix](https://www.techloy.com/tag/netflix/) has released the first trailer for Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew, Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of C.S. Lewis’s 1955 novel. The film tells the story of how Narnia began, following two children who discover a way to travel between worlds and witness the creation of the magical land. Starring David McKenna, Beatrice Campbell, Meryl Streep and Emma Mackey, the film will open in cinemas worldwide on 12 February 2027, with IMAX previews starting on 10 February, before arriving on Netflix on 2 April. Its cinema release gives the film an extended run on the big screen before it becomes available to subscribers. [The Housemaid Hit No. 1 on HBO Max After a $400M RunSydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried’s psychological thriller is topping HBO Max’s US film charts after earning more than $400 million worldwide in cinemas.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-9f27f88b-5335-4186-a990-5f6a89217b2d.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/house-maid-efa56ba2-f27b-44b6-9c9f-7218337c828d.png)](https://www.techloy.com/the-housemaid-hbo-max-success/) ## What The First Trailer Reveals The trailer introduces Digory Kirke, played by David McKenna, and Polly Plummer, played by Beatrice Campbell, two children who discover magical rings that transport them between different worlds. Their journey eventually brings them to Narnia, where they witness the land’s creation. The footage moves from a more muted version of London into colourful, otherworldly landscapes, with magical portals, a flying horse and glimpses of the world taking shape. The trailer also introduces Aslan, voiced by Meryl Streep, and Jadis, the character who becomes the White Witch, played by Emma Mackey. One striking detail is the use of Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” over the footage. [According to the Associated Press](https://apnews.com/article/narnia-greta-gerwig-netflix-trailer-332d7329e51d69d08ec1ca5cce96bf20), Gerwig secured permission for the song after meeting band members Jimmy Page and Robert Plant. The music gives the fantasy story a different feel from the familiar orchestral style often associated with family adventures. ## Why Gerwig Is Starting With Narnia’s Origins Although The Magician’s Nephew was published after The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, it tells an earlier part of the story. Rather than revisiting the Pevensie children’s arrival in Narnia, Gerwig is exploring how the world came into existence and how its best-known figures first became part of its history. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Encore Construction’s Approach to Planning a Home Rebuild URL: https://www.techloy.com/encore-constructions-approach-to-planning-a-home-rebuild/ Last updated: 2026-10-14T09:28:07.000Z A damaged home can reach the end of emergency drying while still being far from finished. Removed walls, missing flooring, and disrupted kitchens require a construction plan of their own. **Encore Construction** treats that rebuilding stage as a continuation of the restoration project, with the earlier assessment helping explain what needs to happen next. For homeowners planning [home reconstruction after water damage](https://encorerestore.com/full-reconstruction/), **Encore Construction** offers an approach centered on connected project information and an in-house restoration operation. The Arlington, Washington company’s owners describe keeping mitigation, belongings management, storage, and reconstruction together. The useful question is how that organization translates the findings from a damaged property into work the homeowner can follow. ## What information should carry into reconstruction? Encore’s owners describe collecting photographs, moisture readings, records of damaged materials, and details of completed mitigation work. That information gives the reconstruction discussion a starting point: what was affected and what has already been removed or treated. The rebuilding scope can then address the property’s remaining needs rather than treat the repair as an unrelated project. This is the practical value of documentation in a home rebuild. The homeowner does not simply need a folder of photographs; the records should help explain why a wall, floor, or cabinet appears in the proposed work. Encore’s owners view documentation as a major responsibility throughout restoration. The company’s in-house model is intended to preserve that connection between stages. It offers continuity of the business handling the project, while the agreed scope still defines the actual repairs. ## How does Encore put construction tasks in order? Encore’s published reconstruction process describes planning the work, completing structural and building-system tasks before enclosing walls or ceilings, and then progressing to agreed finishes. A final check compares the completed work with the scope. This sequence gives the homeowner a way to understand what a finished room depends on before painting or flooring can begin. A new surface can be the most visible part of a repair, but it arrives after decisions that may be less obvious. Access, preparation, required approvals, and earlier construction work affect when the finishing stage can proceed. The owners emphasize that reconstruction can take longer than active drying. Material ordering is one reason: cabinetry and other selected products may have lead times that do not match the end of the emergency phase. ## What role does communication play in the plan? Encore’s owners describe explaining the recovery process early so homeowners understand the decisions ahead. Jason, one of the owners, connects that approach with the stress people face after major damage. A construction schedule is more useful when the customer understands the next stage, the choices it requires, and the reason it cannot start immediately. A Google customer described the team as informative, communicative, and quick to act, while appreciating that the information did not come with pressure to decide. Another water-restoration customer said professionalism, responsiveness, and attention to detail made a stressful project easier to manage. Those reviews concern the customers’ own work with the company. They are relevant to reconstruction planning because decisions about a damaged home depend on clear explanations, but they do not establish a guaranteed schedule for a future rebuild. ## How are restoration and optional improvements separated? Encore’s reconstruction page distinguishes restoring damaged areas from making additional changes to the home. A kitchen remodel, cabinet change, or layout adjustment may be possible during the project, but the extra work needs its own agreement. Keeping that distinction clear helps the homeowner understand which decisions restore the loss and which expand the project. A household may prefer a different finish when a damaged room is already being rebuilt. That choice can affect ordering, the work sequence, and cost. It should appear in the written plan rather than become an assumption made during construction. Insurance coverage is a separate question decided by the insurer. An improvement that makes sense for the household does not automatically become part of the covered damage. ## What does customer experience add to the reconstruction review? Encore’s feedback includes a repeat customer who described positive mitigation and bathroom work alongside earlier electrical and plumbing service. A separate homeowner with significant water damage praised meticulous, high-quality restoration and responsiveness to emergency issues. These accounts provide examples of customers valuing both practical property work and the company’s conduct during it. The reviews do not document every material, construction step, or handover detail. Their strongest contribution is the customer perspective: Encore has been used for work beyond the first emergency visit, and those customers described the experience positively. For a planned rebuild, the next step is to connect that experience with a property-specific proposal. The homeowner should be able to see the remaining repairs, important selections, and decisions needed to move the project toward completion. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Where is Encore Construction based? Encore’s main operation is in Arlington, Washington. Its Washington service area should not be confused with nationwide availability. ### Does Encore offer restoration for commercial buildings? The company describes commercial as well as residential work. Eligibility depends on the building and agreed project scope. ### Can Encore help with belongings while rooms are being repaired? The owners describe employees recording, packing, moving, storing, and later returning customers’ belongings. Those arrangements should be included in the project agreement. ### Is insurance the only way to pay for a project? No. Encore’s owners also describe customers who pay directly for the work. Payment arrangements are discussed for the individual project. ### Gemini Notebook Review: I Tried Its AI Study Videos URL: https://www.techloy.com/gemini-notebook-review/ Last updated: 2026-10-14T07:14:59.000Z There’s a particular kind of frustration that comes with trying to study. During my undergraduate years, I would have my notebook open with a textbook to the side and a thick diary I called the Departmental Bible cause that was where I took all my notes. Sometimes I'd pull up a [YouTube](https://www.techloy.com/tag/youtube/) video or a recording of one of my classes to go alongside whatever I was studying; the point is, information was usually fragmented all across my desk whenever it was time to study. That’s the problem [Google](https://www.techloy.com/tag/google/) set out to resolve with [Gemini Notebook](https://www.techloy.com/gemini-gets-a-new-notebook-feature-that-syncs-with-notebooklm/), formerly known as NotebookLM. Rather than simply giving you another AI chatbot to ask questions, Google’s tool lets you bring your own research materials into one place and use AI to make sense of them. It has been around for a while, but Google has been adding more ways to interact with that information. Its latest updates introduce interactive learning tools, real-time voice conversations, and more ways to turn research materials into visual content. While these all sound great, there's a very thin line between being gimmicky and distracting, and actually being genuinely helpful to the people who need it. And that's what I wanted to find out. [Gemini Gets a New Notebook Feature That Syncs with NotebookLMThe new feature organizes AI chats and files into project workspaces that sync between both apps![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-38d24aea-2fd2-4828-ac1f-b3ae3a8769f7.png)TechloyDamilare Odedina![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/gemini-notebooklm-0fe0bdfe-cde9-4647-9744-27bd926784fe.webp)](https://www.techloy.com/gemini-gets-a-new-notebook-feature-that-syncs-with-notebooklm/) ## What exactly is Gemini Notebook? At its core, Gemini Notebook is a research and learning assistant that works with the information you give it. Think of it as a workspace where you can gather documents, articles, website links, YouTube videos, and other reference materials, then ask questions about them without having to go through everything manually. Say you’re researching artificial intelligence and its impact on the workplace. You could add a few reports, academic papers, and articles to a notebook, then ask the tool to summarise the main arguments, identify recurring themes, or compare what different sources say about job displacement. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/image-57.png) **Screenshot: Louis Eriakha / Techloy.com* Instead of opening each document separately and trying to connect the dots yourself, you have one place to work through the information. The main appeal of this setup is that Gemini Notebook grounds its responses in your supplied sources and provides citations that help you trace claims back to the original material. That makes it different from simply asking Gemini or ChatGPT a question and hoping the answer is accurate. Of course, citations don't automatically make an answer correct. You still need to check the underlying material, particularly when dealing with statistics, academic research, or anything where getting the details wrong matters. The tool also has a Studio section for turning your sources into different formats, including audio overviews, video overviews, mind maps, flashcards, quizzes, and reports. You can use these to approach the same material in different ways, depending on whether you want a quick summary, a visual explanation, or something to help you revise. ## From two YouTube videos to an interactive study guide To get a feel for how useful Gemini Notebook could be as a learning tool, I started with something I was already familiar with: two YouTube videos breaking down how money flows through the economy and the role the government plays in it. Both videos went beyond the basics, touching on other forms of government and how they work, but that wasn't what I was primarily interested in. I wanted to see how well Gemini Notebook could pull together the main ideas without losing me in the details. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/image-58.png) **Screenshot: Louis Eriakha / Techloy.com* _This post is for subscribers only._ ### VisionQuest Release Date and Time: Full Schedule for All 8 Episodes URL: https://www.techloy.com/visionquest-release-time-schedule/ Last updated: 2026-10-14T07:00:00.000Z Marvel’s VisionQuest arrives on Disney+ on 14 October 2026, and you will not have to wait until November to watch most of the season. The series opens with two episodes released on the same day, followed by more double-episode drops before the finale arrives weekly. Across eight episodes, the story follows Vision as he tries to understand his identity after the events of WandaVision, with Ultron returning to complicate his search for answers. You will need a [Disney+](https://www.techloy.com/tag/disney-plus/) subscription to watch. Here is the full release schedule, how the episodes will be released, and what to know before the premiere. [The Housemaid Hit No. 1 on HBO Max After a $400M RunSydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried’s psychological thriller is topping HBO Max’s US film charts after earning more than $400 million worldwide in cinemas.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-fa282c51-ca80-4cf4-bb5b-5acf479ec3cb.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/house-maid-1e7387f0-7182-4a20-b393-ff561669bcc7.png)](https://www.techloy.com/the-housemaid-hbo-max-success/) ## How Many Episodes Does VisionQuest Have? VisionQuest has eight episodes in total, but Marvel isn't releasing them one at a time each week. Instead, the series starts with three consecutive weeks of double episodes, giving viewers six episodes before the schedule switches to weekly releases for the final two. According to the [official Disney+ episode guide](https://www.disneyplus.com/en-gb/explore/articles/marvel-visionquest), VisionQuest premieres on Disney+ in the US at 9 p.m. ET (6 p.m. PT) on Tuesday, October 13, with Episodes 1 and 2\. In Nigeria, the first two episodes arrive at 2 a.m. WAT on Wednesday, October 14. Episodes 3 and 4 follow on October 20 at 9 p.m. ET (6 p.m. PT) in the US, becoming available at 2 a.m. WAT on October 21 in Nigeria. Episodes 5 and 6 arrive on October 27 at the same US time, or 2 a.m. WAT on October 28 in Nigeria. Episode 7 is scheduled for November 3 at 9 p.m. ET (6 p.m. PT), which is 3 a.m. WAT on November 4 in Nigeria. The finale, Episode 8, arrives on November 10 at the same US time, or 3 a.m. WAT on November 11 in Nigeria. Check your local Disney+ listing for the exact availability time in your region. ## What Is VisionQuest About? The story follows Vision after the events of WandaVision, when the rebuilt White Vision received the original Vision’s memories and flew away to an unknown destination. Although he now has access to those memories, he still has to work out what they mean for his identity and future. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### What Should You Know About Filing a Car Accident Claim in Draper? URL: https://www.techloy.com/what-should-you-know-about-filing-a-car-accident-claim-in-draper/ Last updated: 2026-10-14T06:18:14.000Z Car accidents in Draper happen more often than most residents expect, especially along I-15 and the surface streets near Bangerter Highway. The claims process that follows can feel just as disorienting as the collision itself. Knowing your rights before you need them changes the outcome. Here are five things every Draper driver should understand about filing a car accident claim. ## **Utah's No-Fault System Changes How Your Claim Starts** Utah is a no-fault insurance state, which means your own personal injury protection (PIP) coverage pays your initial medical costs and a portion of lost wages regardless of who caused the accident. Most drivers don't realize this until they're sitting in the emergency room wondering whose insurer to call first. The answer is yours. PIP coverage is mandatory in Utah, with a minimum of $3,000 per person, and it kicks in automatically without any need to prove fault. Many drivers who work with [car accident lawyers in Draper](https://christensenhymas.com/draper-car-accident-lawyer/) learn that PIP has strict deadlines for submitting treatment records - missing those windows can cost you coverage you've already paid for. Once your medical expenses exceed your PIP limits, or once your injuries qualify as "serious" under Utah law - meaning permanent disability, serious impairment of a body function, or disfigurement - you can step outside the no-fault system and file a claim directly against the at-fault driver. That's the threshold most people need explained clearly before they make decisions they can't take back. ## **The Four-Year Deadline Is Longer Than Most States - But Don't Treat It as Extra Time** Utah gives car accident victims four years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit, which is more generous than the two-year window you'd get in many other states. But longer doesn't mean leisurely. Evidence fades quickly. Traffic cameras typically overwrite footage within 30 days, and witnesses' recollections grow less dependable with each passing month. Insurance adjusters, meanwhile, are actively building a file from day one. If you wait 18 months to document your injuries properly, you've already given the other side an advantage. The four-year limit also doesn't apply uniformly: claims against a government entity - say, if a poorly maintained city road contributed to your accident - carry a one-year notice requirement under Utah Code 63G-7-401\. So if any government-owned vehicle or roadway was involved, your timeline just got much shorter than you might have assumed. ## **What You Do at the Scene Shapes the Entire Claim** What you do in the moments right after a crash matters far more than most people think. Call 911 even when the damage looks minor - a police report generates an official, timestamped record that insurers and courts treat as foundational evidence. Before anyone moves the vehicles, photograph everything: tire marks, road conditions, traffic signs, damage angles, and every car's position. Get the other driver's insurance information, license plate number, and contact details for any witnesses. Don't apologize or speculate about what happened, even in casual conversation - those words can resurface later as admissions. People frequently miss one critical step: documenting their own physical state right away, including any pain, numbness, or disorientation, because soft-tissue injuries and concussions often don't appear clearly until hours or days after the crash. That gap makes it harder to link your injuries to the accident if you haven't created a contemporaneous record. ## **Insurance Adjusters Work for the Insurer, Not for You** This sounds obvious, but it surprises people. An adjuster's job is to close claims for as little as possible, and they're skilled at it. One common tactic is a quick, early settlement offer, often before you've finished treatment and before the full cost of your injuries is clear. Accepting it signs away your right to any future compensation, even if complications arise later. Adjusters may also ask for a recorded statement early in the process and frame questions in ways designed to minimize fault or downplay your injuries. You're not required to give a recorded statement to the other driver's insurer. You are required to cooperate with your own insurer, but even then, the scope of what you must provide has limits. Before you sign any release or give any recorded account to an adverse insurer, it's worth getting a clear picture of what you're actually entitled to, because once a release is signed, there's no going back regardless of what your doctor finds next month. ## **Compensation Covers More Than Just Your Medical Bills** Too many claimants settle for less than they're owed because they only count their hospital bills. A car accident claim in Draper can include compensation for future medical expenses, lost wages both past and future, reduced earning capacity if your injuries affect your long-term ability to work, property damage, and non-economic damages like pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment of life. Utah doesn't cap non-economic damages in most car accident cases - and that matters more than people realize when injuries are serious. A claim's total value hinges on factors like injury severity, how clearly liability can be established, the at-fault driver's policy limits, and whether any comparative fault applies to you. Utah follows a modified comparative fault rule: if you're found 50% or more at fault, you recover nothing; if you're less than 50% at fault, your compensation is reduced proportionally. Know those numbers before you negotiate - the difference between an informed decision and a regrettable one often comes down to exactly that. ## **Conclusion** Filing a car accident claim in Draper means navigating state-specific rules, hard deadlines, and negotiation tactics most people have never faced before. Utah's no-fault system is your starting point; the four-year statute of limitations doesn't excuse delay; and your full range of damages - economic and non-economic - belongs in any serious settlement calculation. The more clearly you grasp what this process actually involves, the less leverage the other side has over you. ### 7 Best AI Professional Headshot Generator Tools for Realistic Business Photos URL: https://www.techloy.com/7-best-ai-professional-headshot-generator-tools-for-realistic-business-photos/ Last updated: 2026-10-13T20:56:07.000Z AI professional headshot generators can now turn a handful of selfies into publish-ready portraits in about 15 minutes, often for less than $60\. The bigger hurdle is choosing a service that preserves likeness, brand consistency, and usage rights. We compared the top contenders on realism, price, privacy, speed, and team controls to find the seven best options for businesses in 2026\. Prices were last verified on September 15, 2026; packages change quickly, so recheck vendor pages before you buy. ## 1\. Magic Studio – best for previewing your headshots before paying Among AI professional headshot generators, [Magic Studio](https://magicstudio.com/) is the only service that lets you see the results before you pay. Upload 8–12 recent selfies, wait about 15 minutes, and browse a water-marked gallery of 50 portraits. Like what you see? Enter your card. Hate it? Take a free redo and walk away with zero risk. Standard files land at 1,024 × 1,024 pixels; the Premium tier provides 4K output (4,096 × 4,096 at 300 dpi) that suits print collateral. After purchase, a credit-based editor lets you change blazer colors or erase stray earrings with text prompts, and teams get a dashboard for bulk invites, locked styles, and consolidated billing. Watch-outs: privacy pages cite both a 30-day and a 90-day model-deletion window, so enterprise buyers should request the exact period in writing. Because you preview the full set first, payments are final. ## 2\. Aragon AI – best overall for speed and enterprise security Aragon delivers 40–100 headshots in as little as 15 minutes, depending on tier: $35 for 40 images, $45 for 60, and $75 for 100\. Security is just as strong, with SOC 2 Type II attestation, AES-256 encryption, SSO, and on-demand model deletion. Team plans add API access, SCIM provisioning, and custom retention windows. Watch-outs: exact pixel dimensions are not listed, and reviewers note extra edits for tattoos, accessories, or complex backgrounds. ## 3\. HeadshotPro – best for standardized large-team rollouts HeadshotPro was built for companies first and individuals second. Admins invite employees in bulk, lock backgrounds and attire, set approval rules, and download the entire batch as one zipped folder. Security paperwork includes SOC 2 Type II, a data-processing agreement, 30-day source-image deletion, SSO, and SCIM. Individual plans run $29–$59 for 30–70 images. Team plans start at $39 per person, drop below $20 at high volume, and credits never expire. The Executive tier includes 4K output, and a free redo within 14 days backs every purchase. Watch-out: the Basic plan can take up to two hours. ## 4\. BetterPic – best for 4K output and human retouching Every BetterPic tier, including the $35 Basic plan, delivers true 4K files, so you can put a portrait on a trade-show banner without upscaling. The $79 Expert tier produces 120 images and adds unlimited human retouching on the final hero shot. Team pricing drops to $26 per seat at 50 users and $13 at 1,000. Watch-outs: turnaround is about 60–120 minutes, privacy documentation is thinner than Aragon's or HeadshotPro's, and likeness can drift with chunky glasses or statement jewelry. ## 5\. Dreamwave – best for privacy-first HRIS integration Dreamwave's API sends portraits straight into your HRIS, Slack, Outlook, and badging software, so a new photo appears wherever an employee profile lives. The company promises not to train public models on customer photos, not to sell data, and to delete inactive files after 30 days; enterprise tiers allow custom retention windows. Plans start at $35 for 40 images with one free redo, and team plans cost about $49–$59 per person. Watch-outs: payments are non-refundable once generation begins, and there is no public SOC 2 badge. ## 6\. Secta AI – best for high output volume and brand-color control Secta generates 300+ images from one upload session for a one-time $49 payment, with no subscriptions or credit schemes. Admins can lock approved hex codes, choose up to seven background styles, and force consistent crop ratios, so a huge gallery still lines up on your About page. Watch-outs: Secta claims SOC 2 compliance but does not publish its deletion window, speed, or refund terms, and resolution is labeled only "high resolution." Request a sample file before print work. ## 7\. StudioShot – best for photographer-guided styling and touch-ups StudioShot is built by photographers, so the experience feels curated rather than purely algorithmic. You choose brand-approved backgrounds and wardrobe palettes, and a built-in "art director" keeps global teams visually consistent. Tiers run from $29 (40 images, up to 2 touch-ups) to $44 (120 images, up to 6 touch-ups), with team discounts of up to 20 percent. Watch-outs: StudioShot cites AES-256 encryption but publishes no SOC 2 or ISO report, and resolution is labeled only "high quality." ## How to choose: start with the use case Ask where each photo will appear and who will judge its quality. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/data-src-image-9db9dbbe-a0c5-416c-9889-208c757ac594.jpeg) - LinkedIn profile or pitch deck? Prioritize likeness and a turnaround under an hour; Magic Studio or Aragon cover that need. - Large-format print? Native 4K output from BetterPic spares you from upscaling. - Employer branding across a global workforce? HeadshotPro's admin controls and bulk exports lead the field. - Automatic sync to HRIS, Slack, or Outlook? Dreamwave's API removes manual uploads. Then judge results on likeness, not glamour. Check bone structure, eye shape, and hairline against a live video thumbnail; if colleagues hesitate, discard the shot. Better inputs help too: upload 8–12 clear selfies in neutral light, skip beauty filters, and [use precise prompts](https://www.techloy.com/best-prompts-for-ai-linkedin-headshots-in-2026-a-practical-guide/) for backgrounds and attire. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/data-src-image-6a731ada-def9-4cb8-a650-91ee8f31a764.jpeg) Finally, run a pilot with three employees who differ in skin tone, hair texture, and accessories before you roll out company-wide. ## Conclusion AI headshot generators are no longer experimental toys; they're pragmatic tools that can refresh an entire organization's portraits overnight. Match the platform to your primary use case, confirm privacy and commercial-use terms, and pilot with a diverse group first. That approach keeps brand trust high while saving time and budget. ### Over 130,000 Tech Jobs Have Been Cut in 2026. Here Are the Companies Behind Them URL: https://www.techloy.com/2026-major-company-job-cuts/ Last updated: 2026-10-13T14:58:12.000Z Kroger is planning to eliminate about 3,000 corporate jobs over the next three years as the US supermarket chain looks to cut costs and redirect more resources towards employees working in its stores. The grocery shop’s planned reductions show how companies are balancing costs by reducing headcount, cutting about 37% of its 8,200 corporate employees. In a [memo](https://africa.businessinsider.com/retail/kroger-to-cut-3000-corporate-employees-over-the-next-3-years-read-the-memo/mysg796) to employees shared with Business Insider, CEO Greg Foran said Kroger had made progress in lowering prices, improving the customer experience and investing in technology to make employees’ jobs easier. He said the company now needs to become leaner, make decisions faster and focus its resources on areas that benefit customers. “Our company has more layers, more handoffs and more overhead than we need, so we are addressing this issue,” Foran wrote, indicating the need to communicate the decision it is taking to reduce job roles by 2029\. The announcement comes amid a difficult year for tech workers as more than 130,000 tech jobs have been cut in 2026 so far, with major technology companies accounting for a significant share of the losses. Here are some of the companies behind the numbers. [A look into global tech layoffs in the second quarter of 2025Q2 2025 tech layoffs slowed after a brutal Q1, but strategic cuts continued as companies doubled down on AI and cost efficiency.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-48100f42-2f6f-4efc-b4fa-4c558c3c05fd.png)TechloyOgbonda Chivumnovu![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1568992687947-868a62a9f521-d48ced09-6b9b-441c-a722-5a29cdf421fa.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/a-look-into-global-tech-layoffs-in-the-second-quarter-of-2025/) ## /1\. UPS: 30,000 jobs In January, UPS announced plans to eliminate another 30,000 jobs in operations in 2026, following the removal of 48,000 positions in 2025\. The reductions have affected both management and operational workers as the delivery company restructures its business and adjusts its operations. Its cuts form part of a wider effort to manage costs and reshape its workforce. ## /2\. Oracle: 21,000 jobs The company has been expanding its cloud infrastructure business to meet growing demand for computing power, particularly from companies developing and deploying artificial intelligence. This expansion has resulted in the company having to cut 21,000 jobs in 2026, putting the enterprise software company among the biggest contributors to this year's technology layoffs. ## /3\. Amazon: 17,536 jobs Amazon has recorded 17,536 job cuts across seven reported layoff events in 2026, according to Layoffs.fyi. The company has been reorganising parts of its business while investing heavily in artificial intelligence and cloud infrastructure. Its workforce reductions have affected different teams, reflecting a broader effort to review how the company operates and where it directs resources. ## /4\. Dell: 11,000 jobs According to Reuters, Dell has recorded about 11,000 job cuts this year, placing the computer and infrastructure company among the largest technology employers reducing staff. The growing AI infrastructure market is creating opportunities for Dell, but that growth has not prevented the company from cutting jobs as it reassesses costs and staffing needs across its business. ## /5\. Meta: 10,400 jobs Meta has cut about 10,400 jobs as it shifts more of its spending towards artificial intelligence, which is expected to account for $135 billion in investment this year. That is roughly equal to what the company spent on AI over the previous three years combined, according to a [report](https://finance.yahoo.com/sectors/technology/articles/mark-zuckerberg-says-meta-cutting-110538755.html). _This post is for subscribers only._ ### GTA 6’s Lucia Leak Links an Alleged 200GB Build to a $30M Catch URL: https://www.techloy.com/rockstar-gta-6-leak-details-lucia-cyberleek/ Last updated: 2026-10-13T14:53:14.000Z An anonymous leaker known as Cyberleek claims to have a playable build of [GTA 6](https://www.techloy.com/tag/gta-6/) that exceeds 200GB and contains the complete game, including its ending. The leaker has reportedly threatened to release it if an associated cryptocurrency reaches a $30 million market capitalisation. So far, the campaign has produced alleged gameplay footage featuring Lucia and Jason, apparent story sequences and a roadmap promising more clips. However, there is still no public confirmation that Cyberleek possesses a complete version of the game. Here's what we know about the leaked footage, the cryptocurrency connection, and the possibility of a full-game release. [GTA 6 Cyberleek Video Shows Nude Jason and Car UpgradesA new Cyberleek GTA 6 leak reveals nearly 25 minutes of gameplay, including car upgrades, dirt-bike racing, first-person driving, and explicit nudity.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-d5a5621b-11cd-47f2-9b1a-9cb3a0952286.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/GTA-6-a61688a9-1be4-4a21-a72d-56fc2b99d3e8.png)](https://www.techloy.com/gta-6-cyberleek-video/) ## What Does the GTA 6 Lucia Leak Show? Recent footage allegedly shows Lucia without clothing, following similar material featuring Jason Duval. While the clips have attracted attention, they don't establish that unrestricted nudity will appear in the finished game. Development assets can include unfinished character models and content that may never make the final release. The Verge [covered](https://www.theverge.com/games/1007770/gta-6-leaks-cyberleek-jason-lucia-naked) the footage in its report on the Cyberleek leaks. More concerning for players are reports of leaked story content. In August, Cyberleek reportedly released around four minutes and 38 seconds of footage presented as an early Lucia prologue sequence. PC Gamer's [coverage](https://www.pcgamer.com/games/grand-theft-auto/gta-6-leaker-escalates-spoilers-releases-4-minutes-of-lucias-prologue/) of the alleged prologue leak highlighted the growing risk of story spoilers. Although the footage appears to show narrative material, its full context and relationship to the final game remain unclear. Even genuine development footage can depict scenes that Rockstar later changes or removes. ## Does Cyberleek Really Have a 200GB GTA 6 Build? Cyberleek's biggest claim is that it possesses a playable build exceeding 200GB, allegedly containing the entire game and its ending. According to Dexerto's [report](https://www.dexerto.com/gta/cyberleek-claims-playable-gta-6-build-is-over-200gb-in-size-with-another-leak-threat-3418250/), the alleged build is the ultimate target of the leaker's campaign. But neither the build's existence nor its size and completeness have been publicly verified. The age of the alleged files is also unclear. A development build can contain duplicate assets, debugging tools, unused files, and unfinished content. Its size alone would not establish GTA 6's final installation requirements or prove that every mission is playable. The circulated footage may suggest access to development material, but it doesn't confirm that Cyberleek has a complete version ready for release. [GTA 6 Xbox Cloud Gaming: Why It Matters for XboxXbox’s reported GTA 6 streaming deal could make Xbox Cloud Gaming a major way to play GTA 6 without owning an Xbox.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-f6cd9176-7c23-4e75-be40-d2976ceea102.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1541253203905-9fe9a589a26b-5c5a042f-78d3-42b2-9e17-9c6ecdb71bc4.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/gta-6-xbox-cloud-gaming-deal/) ## What Does Cyberleek Plan to Leak Next? Cyberleek has reportedly linked future releases to the market capitalisation of an associated cryptocurrency, CYBERLEEK. The announced roadmap includes: - Mini tank footage - Tank footage - A police shootout - A beach massacre - Fighter jet footage - Train-versus-train footage - The alleged 200GB build if the token reaches a $30 million market capitalisation These are promised releases, not confirmed events. Cyberleek could fail to deliver any of them, and reaching the cryptocurrency target would not prove that the full game exists. There is also a distinction between market capitalisation and cash. A $30 million valuation does not mean the token's holder would receive $30 million. Market capitalisation represents the token's estimated total market value and can fluctuate significantly. The arrangement gives followers a financial incentive to track the cryptocurrency alongside the leaks. That makes it particularly important to distinguish promotional claims from independently verified evidence. ## Why Is Cyberleek Threatening to Release GTA 6? The cryptocurrency appears central to the campaign. Leaked clips attract attention, while the promise of a complete game gives followers a reason to keep watching the token's progress. For GTA 6 players, the immediate concern is spoilers. If more substantial story footage emerges, it could reveal missions, character developments, and potentially the ending before launch. There are also security risks. Unofficial downloads advertised as GTA 6 builds may contain malware, phishing links, or other malicious files. Even if a download claims to contain genuine development material, its contents and safety cannot be assumed. Cyberleek's identity, the original source of the files, and the completeness of the alleged build remain unresolved. Until reliable evidence establishes those details, the promised release should be treated as a claim rather than an impending certainty. ## Has Rockstar Games Responded to the GTA 6 Leaks? _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Apple Reveals HomeView Smart Display, HomePod mini 2, and New Apple TV 4K URL: https://www.techloy.com/apple-welcome-home-event-announcements/ Last updated: 2026-10-13T14:50:23.000Z [Apple’s](https://www.techloy.com/tag/apple/) “Welcome Home” event is finally here after days of rumours and speculation. At the event, the company unveiled the HomeView, its first smart home display. It features a 7-inch square screen, a speaker base and a camera that can recognise up to six household members. It costs $299. Apple also refreshed the [HomePod](https://www.techloy.com/tag/homepod/) mini and [Apple TV](https://www.techloy.com/tag/apple-tv/) 4K, alongside a collection of smart home accessories developed with LG Electronics and Schneider Electric. Here’s everything announced at the event. [Apple October Event 2026: 2 Launches, Up to 12 ProductsWe might see three new home devices arriving on October 13, and more Macs following later this month.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-138d290d-d8d8-4dc9-8d41-63a64ee43429.png)TechloyOgbonda Chivumnovu![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1615725802642-936d9aade2ba-f055f525-b89d-4d28-aba3-f93e87e105e7.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/apple-october-event-2026/) ## The HomeView, Apple’s first smart display ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/image-65.png) **Image Credit: Apple* The HomeView features a 7-inch square Liquid Retina display mounted on a rounded speaker base. It can sit on a countertop or be wall-mounted, and comes in silver, starlight, rose pink and space grey. Its 12MP camera supports FaceTime calls and can recognise up to six household members, switching to personalised content when recognition features are enabled. The screen can display smart home controls, clock faces and photos, while users can manage compatible devices and view feeds from up to nine security cameras. HomeView also supports [Apple Intelligence](https://www.techloy.com/tag/apple-intelligence/)\-powered Siri features, including personal context and descriptions of security camera footage, through a connected iPhone. It costs $299, with preorders opening on October 13 and availability starting November 13. ## The HomePod mini 2 ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/image-63.png) **Image Credit: Apple* The HomePod mini 2 costs $149, which is $50 more than the original model. It retains the familiar spherical design and comes in pink, blue, green, white, and midnight. Its updated top-panel lighting includes a “Sound Glow” feature that matches the illumination to album artwork and other visual effects. Inside, it runs on the S10 chip and supports Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 6, Thread, and Matter. [Siri AI](https://www.techloy.com/tag/apple-siri/) support through a connected iPhone is coming in a later software update. You can connect four speakers for surround sound, using four HomePod mini 2 units, four second-generation HomePods, or two of each. The speakers can also calibrate automatically with the new Apple TV 4K. Preorders open on October 13, with shipping starting October 30. ## The Apple TV 4K ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/image-64.png) **Image Credit: Apple* Apple has introduced a fourth-generation Apple TV 4K with built-in far-field microphones, allowing users to give Siri voice commands without speaking into the remote or a connected HomePod. Siri displays its answers on the television rather than speaking them aloud. The updated box also supports Siri AI features through a compatible iPhone, including recommendations based on personal context. If you misplace the remote, you can ask Siri to locate it. The remote can play a sound, while Bluetooth Channel Sounding helps an iPhone pinpoint its location. Preorders open on October 13, with availability expected on November 13. ## The Home Collection: cameras, locks and thermostats _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Debt Drove 79% of Africa’s Startup Funding Growth in 2025 URL: https://www.techloy.com/african-startup-funding-debt-2025/ Last updated: 2026-10-13T14:00:01.000Z KEY TAKEAWAYS - Debt drove most of the rebound. Of the $800 million increase in African startup funding in 2025, about $630 million came from debt, or roughly 79% of the increase. - Fintech and cleantech dominated borrowing. Together, the two sectors raised about $1.34 billion in debt, accounting for 82% of the total tracked by Partech. - Debt deals were fewer, but much bigger. Debt made up only about 19% of deals, yet accounted for 41% of capital raised, with the average debt deal roughly three times the size of the average equity deal. African startup funding bounced back in 2025\. But if you take debt out of the picture, the recovery looks a lot less dramatic. Tech companies on the continent raised about $4.1 billion in equity and debt last year, up from $3.25 billion in 2024, according to Partech’s 2025 Africa Tech Venture Capital [Report](https://partechpartners.com/africa-reports/2025-africa-tech-venture-capital-report). Then you look at where the extra money came from. Equity rose from $2.24 billion to $2.41 billion, and debt went from $1.01 billion to $1.64 billion. Using those figures, debt added $630 million while equity added $170 million. That means debt accounted for about 79% of the $800 million increase, based on a Techloy calculation using Partech’s published equity and debt totals. Equity still brought in more money overall. But debt’s share of total funding rose from 31% in 2024 to 41% in 2025. ### Debt drove 79% of Africa’s startup funding rebound in 2025 Debt added $630m between 2024 and 2025, compared with $170m from equity. Equity Debt $3.25bn $1.01bn $2.24bn 2024 $4.05bn $1.64bn $2.41bn 2025 79% of the funding increase came from debt **$630m** from debt **$170m** from equity **Source:**Partech 2025 Africa Tech Venture Capital Report **Note:**Contribution shares are Techloy calculations using Partech’s published rounded equity and debt totals. **Illustration by:**Sietoyo Esitikott ![Techloy](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/08/techloy-logo-1.png) **MORE INSIGHTS ON THIS TOPIC:** - [**Why Askya Thinks African Startups Need More Than Funding**](https://www.techloy.com/askya-ai-growth-programme-african-startups/) - [**Why Lebara's Nigeria Launch Is A Bet On The Diaspora, Not The SIM Card**](https://www.techloy.com/lebara-nigeria-sim-network-diaspora-strategy/) - [**Moove Customers to Get ₦35bn in Vehicles as It Exits Nigeria**](https://www.techloy.com/moove-nigeria-operations-shutdown/) ## Who is borrowing? Debt doesn't work for every startup. An investor needs some confidence that the money will come back. The sector breakdown gives a good idea of where that confidence exists. Fintech companies raised $716 million in debt in 2025, or 44% of the total. Cleantech raised $627 million, or 38%. Together, the two sectors took 82% of all debt funding tracked by Partech. Mobility was a distant third at $150 million. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The Overlooked Privacy Problem With Reusing Online Usernames URL: https://www.techloy.com/the-overlooked-privacy-problem-with-reusing-online-usernames/ Last updated: 2026-10-13T12:30:37.000Z Most people think of passwords as the thing that protects an account, and the username as a harmless label. That assumption is where the trouble starts. A username that appears on a gaming forum, a fitness app, and a job profile works like a thread that anyone can pull to connect those places. Each site may look unrelated, but the shared name tells a stranger that one person is behind all of them. The risk does not require hacking skills. Search engines, public profile pages, and specialized lookup tools can match a handle across hundreds of services in seconds. What you post on a hobby forum at midnight can end up sitting next to your professional résumé, because the only thing separating the two was a name you chose years ago and never changed. ## **How a Single Handle Links Your Separate Lives** The simplest defense is to give every service its own name, and a[ username generator](https://proton.me/pass/username-generator) makes that practical by producing random handles with no connection to your real identity. Without one, people tend to fall back on small variations of the same name, which are easy to guess and just as easy to trace. Investigators, journalists, and researchers who work with open-source intelligence often begin with a username. Tools built for this purpose check a handle against large lists of websites and report where it exists. If the same name turns up on a cooking blog, a music platform, and a local sports league page, a profile of the person starts to form without any private data being stolen. The details gathered this way add up quickly. A birthday mentioned on one site, a city on another, and a photo on a third can be combined into something far more revealing than any single profile. Scammers use the same approach to make phishing messages feel personal, referring to real interests or places to earn trust. ## **What Happens When a Data Breach Exposes Your Name** Breaches add a second layer of risk. When a service is compromised, leaked databases often contain usernames, email addresses, and sometimes weak or reused passwords. Attackers then try those pairs on other sites in a technique called[ credential stuffing](https://owasp.org/www-community/attacks/Credential%5Fstuffing), which relies on the fact that people repeat their login details. A reused username makes this process faster and more accurate. If an attacker already knows your handle from one leaked list, they can look for it elsewhere and focus on accounts that are likely to belong to you. Even when your password is unique, the name alone confirms which accounts are yours and which are worth targeting. ## **Email Aliases and Other Layers of Separation** Usernames are only one identifier. Many sites also use your email address as the login, and a shared address creates the same linkage problem. Email aliases, which forward messages to your real inbox while hiding it, let you give each service a different address. If one alias begins receiving spam or shows up in a breach, you can disable it without affecting anything else. Some accounts deserve extra care, such as those tied to finances, health, or work. Keeping those handles and addresses entirely separate from social or hobby accounts limits what a curious person could discover. Leaving your real name, birth year, and location out of any handle also makes it harder to trace back to you. Storage is the practical hurdle. Dozens of unrelated names and addresses are impossible to memorize, so a password manager that saves and fills them automatically turns the approach from a chore into a routine. ## **Small Habits That Make Your Online Identity Harder to Trace** Privacy often improves through quiet routine rather than dramatic change. Treating each new signup as a chance to choose a fresh name and address costs little and prevents the slow buildup of links between your accounts. Older profiles deserve attention too. Deleting accounts you no longer use, or changing handles where the service allows it, shrinks the trail that already exists. ## **A Nickname That Behaves Like an ID Number** A reused username looks trivial because it feels like nothing more than a nickname. In practice, it acts as a persistent identifier that outlasts passwords, devices, and even the sites where it was first created. Choosing a different one each time is a modest step, but it removes one of the simplest ways for strangers to assemble a picture of who you are. ### OnePlus 16 Has a 9,000mAh Battery. Why Is It Only Launching in China? URL: https://www.techloy.com/oneplus-16-price-specs/ Last updated: 2026-10-13T12:15:08.000Z Once known as the “flagship killer”, [OnePlus](https://www.techloy.com/tag/oneplus/) built its reputation on offering high-end specifications at prices that undercut established rivals. But after years of growing competition, rising component costs, and a wider restructuring by parent company [Oppo](https://www.techloy.com/tag/oppo/), the brand has [pulled back](https://www.techloy.com/oneplus-us-exit-what-changed-since-the-rumors/) from the US and European markets. Now, OnePlus has launched its new flagship, the OnePlus 16, in China. It is the company's first flagship since announcing its withdrawal from those markets, and it arrives with a 9,000mAh battery, a 185Hz display and a 200MP main camera. The phone starts at CNY 5,999, or around $896, although an introductory price of CNY 5,699 has also been reported. [OnePlus N6 Price, Specs vs Nord CE 6 (8,000mAh)OnePlus N6 price, full specs, and the 8,000mAh battery, compared against the pricier Nord CE 6 on performance, display, and camera.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-6cee79c3-ccbe-400b-8dcb-393d394ace9f.png)TechloyOgbonda Chivumnovu![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1658321466969-1c45400bb947-2ec67889-5d65-47b4-a467-c5b952d142bf.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/oneplus-n6-vs-nord-ce-6/) ## OnePlus 16 specs and how it compares to other flagship devices ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/image-55.png) **Image Credit: Oppo* Performance appears to be the focus of the OnePlus 16\. It runs on [Qualcomm’s](https://www.techloy.com/tag/qualcomm/) Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6, the same chip as [Xiaomi’s](https://www.techloy.com/tag/xiaomi/) new 18 Pro Max, with up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. Its 9,000mAh battery is one of its biggest selling points. That’s 1,700mAh more than the OnePlus 15’s 7,300mAh battery and 500mAh more than the Xiaomi 18 Pro Max’s 8,500mAh cell. It also comfortably exceeds the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s 5,000mAh battery. Charging speeds are slightly lower than the OnePlus 15’s 120W wired charging, at 100W on the new model. It also supports 50W wireless charging. Xiaomi’s 18 Pro Max matches both the wired and wireless speeds. Gamers are clearly the target for the display. Its 6.78-inch OLED panel reaches 185Hz in compatible games and supports refresh rates of up to 165Hz across the system interface. That’s an increase over the OnePlus 15’s 165Hz gaming refresh rate and well above the 120Hz displays on the Xiaomi 18 Pro Max and Galaxy S26 Ultra. Photography gets a significant hardware upgrade, too. The main camera jumps from 50MP on the OnePlus 15 to 200MP, joined by 50MP ultrawide and telephoto cameras. The telephoto lens supports 3x optical zoom. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/image-56.png) **Image Credit: Oppo* On paper, Xiaomi has a camera advantage with two 200MP sensors, including a 3.2x telephoto, alongside a 50MP ultrawide. Samsung’s Galaxy S26 Ultra also packs a 200MP main camera and additional telephoto and ultrawide lenses. However, megapixel counts alone don't determine image quality, so real-world testing will be needed to establish which phone takes better photos. The design is just as distinctive. The silver “Tomorrow’s Starlight” finish features lighting around the “16” logo, a star icon, and galactic coordinates, with different patterns illuminating for calls, messages, and charging. Xiaomi takes a different route with a secondary display on the back of the 18 Pro Max. ## No new launches in the US or Europe _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Battlefield 6 Is Now on Game Pass, but Not Every Subscriber Can Play URL: https://www.techloy.com/battlefield-6-game-pass/ Last updated: 2026-10-13T12:00:01.000Z Battlefield 6 joins [Xbox Game Pass](https://www.techloy.com/tag/xbox-game-pass/) today, October 13, giving subscribers a way to play EA’s multiplayer shooter without buying it separately. The game is available with Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass, supporting Xbox Series X|S, PC, and cloud gaming. But you’ll need an eligible subscription to access it, and PC players should check their hardware against the game’s system requirements before downloading. [Microsoft](https://www.techloy.com/tag/microsoft/) hasn’t confirmed an exact unlock time, so availability may vary by region. If the game doesn’t appear in your library, check the [Battlefield 6 Xbox listing](https://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/store/battlefield-6/) for updates. [Xbox Delistings October 2026: NBA 2K25 and 3 More Games.If you want NBA 2K25 on Xbox, you have until October 30, and its online modes end two months later.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-d7eb518e-39ed-49ed-a043-2a0f668a56e2.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1687977686478-13b75f82225e-b85ea925-443f-4126-94c1-37aa8decbd83.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/xbox-delistings-october-2026/) ## Which Game Pass Plans Include Battlefield 6? Battlefield 6 is included with two Game Pass subscriptions: - Game Pass Ultimate: Access to the game on supported Xbox consoles, PC, and cloud gaming, where available. - PC Game Pass: Access to the PC version. Game Pass Premium and Essential are not listed among the eligible plans for this addition. If you're subscribed to either tier, check the latest [Game Pass plans](https://www.xbox.com/en-US/xbox-game-pass) before assuming you can play through your existing membership. Ultimate subscribers also get EA Play, which includes eligible Battlefield 6 rewards, such as the Deployment Pack and Season 5 EA Play Pack. Check the official October announcement for the details. [Xbox Game Pass November 2026 Lineup: 5 Games ConfirmedFootball Manager 27 and Warhammer Survivors arrive on the same day, while VOID/BREAKER gets its full 1.0 release. Here are all five dates.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-283290f1-5281-457f-9ff1-7cb20a9c0a05.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1729160731582-edcf5995cc3c-062319de-6853-4bda-b3fe-040b13bf5339.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/xbox-game-pass-november-2026-lineup/) ## Can You Play Battlefield 6 on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC? Battlefield 6 is available through Game Pass on Xbox Series X|S, PC, and cloud gaming. Xbox Series X|S owners can install and run the console version, while PC Game Pass subscribers can download the Windows version if their computers meet the game's requirements. Xbox One is not listed as a supported platform for this Game Pass addition. If you're still using Microsoft's older console, don't assume you can install the game directly. Cloud gaming offers another option for eligible subscribers. Instead of installing the full game locally, you stream it on a supported device. You'll still need a compatible setup, a reliable internet connection, and access to the service in your region. ## Battlefield 6 PC Requirements: Minimum and Recommended Specs Battlefield 6 has demanding PC requirements, so check your hardware before downloading it through Game Pass. According to EA's [official PC system requirements](https://www.ea.com/games/battlefield/battlefield-6/system-requirements), the minimum configuration requires Windows 10, an Intel Core i5-8400 or AMD Ryzen 5 2600 processor, 16GB of RAM, and a graphics card such as the NVIDIA RTX 2060, AMD RX 5600 XT 6GB, or Intel Arc A380\. You'll also need 6GB of VRAM, DirectX 12, and 55GB of storage on an HDD. For the recommended configuration, EA lists Windows 11, an Intel Core i7-10700 or AMD Ryzen 7 3700X processor, 16GB of RAM, and a GPU such as the NVIDIA RTX 3060 Ti, AMD RX 6700 XT, or Intel Arc B580\. These graphics cards provide 8GB of VRAM, while the recommended storage requirement increases to 80GB on an SSD. Both configurations require DirectX 12. There are additional security requirements to consider. Battlefield 6 uses EA's Javelin anti-cheat system, which requires TPM 2.0, UEFI Secure Boot, and support for Hypervisor-Protected Code Integrity (HVCI) and Virtualization-Based Security (VBS). If your PC falls below the minimum specifications, check your hardware before starting the download. Cloud gaming may be an alternative where available, since the game runs remotely instead of relying on your computer's graphics card. You'll still need a compatible device, a stable internet connection, and an eligible subscription. ## Does Battlefield 6 Support Cross-Play and Cross-Progression? Battlefield 6 supports cross-play across supported PC and console platforms, allowing players on different systems to play together. Matchmaking settings can affect how you connect with other players. Cross-progression is a separate feature that concerns carrying eligible progress between platforms. Before switching systems, check EA's official[ Battlefield 6 website](https://www.ea.com/games/battlefield/battlefield-6) for the latest details on account linking and progression. Also, don't assume that a Game Pass subscription automatically transfers purchases or every platform-specific entitlement you already own. ## Do You Need an EA Account to Play Battlefield 6 on Game Pass? Yes. Battlefield 6 requires an EA Account, including when played through Game Pass. Make sure your Xbox profile is linked to the correct EA Account before starting. PC players should follow the account-linking and installation instructions presented through the Xbox app and the game's required EA services. EA explains the process in its[ Battlefield 6 access guide](https://help.ea.com/sv/articles/battlefield/battlefield-6/access-guide/). ## How to Download Battlefield 6 on Game Pass Once the game is available, getting started is straightforward: 1. Check your subscription. You need Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### How 3D Laser Scanning Technology Is Transforming Construction and Engineering URL: https://www.techloy.com/how-3d-laser-scanning-technology-is-transforming-construction-and-engineering/ Last updated: 2026-10-13T11:48:09.000Z Construction and engineering teams need accurate site data before design decisions, fabrication, and installation. 3D laser scanning captures millions of measured points, creating a detailed record of buildings, structures, and terrain. That record supports dimensional checks, existing-condition surveys, and coordination between field crews and office teams. The technology changes how projects are measured, reviewed, and updated, as the following applications show. It also reduces repeated site visits and gives teams a shared spatial reference. ## **Why Scanning Changes Fieldwork** Project teams use scanners to capture walls, floors, steel, piping, and surrounding ground without relying on isolated measurements. The resulting point cloud supports direct comparison with drawings and models, while scan registration combines separate positions into one coordinate system. For teams comparing field equipment, [Trimble 3D Laser Scanning Systems](https://geomaticslandsurveying.com/a-comparative-analysis-of-trimble-3d-laser-scanning-systems/) provides a useful reference for matching range, speed, accuracy, and software needs. Laser scanners measure surfaces by sending pulses of light and recording return times. Software converts those measurements into a point cloud, where each point carries a position and often color information. Surveyors then register scans, remove unwanted data, and export the cleaned file for drafting, analysis, or building information modeling. The same record supports consistent project documentation during construction and maintenance. That process changes coordination because teams can inspect actual conditions before committing to installation. A structural engineer can compare a scan with a design model, while a contractor checks clearances around equipment or framing. When discrepancies appear early, the project team can revise drawings, sequence work differently, or measure the area again before fabrication. ## **Better Verification on Active Sites** On active job sites, scanning supports verification without requiring contact with every surface. A scanner records exposed conditions around concrete, steel, mechanical systems, and temporary work. Teams can compare repeated scans to track installed quantities, locate deviations, and confirm whether a space is ready for the next trade before crews bring materials or equipment inside. Color imagery and measured geometry give reviewers more than a visual snapshot. The point cloud shows the relationship between surfaces, openings, and installed components, which helps teams investigate clashes without depending on memory. A documented scan also gives owners a dated record for maintenance planning, renovation decisions, and dispute review after the work is complete. ## **Choosing a System by Project Demands** System selection should follow the work, not a generic preference. A compact scanner suits building documentation and medium-range construction checks, where quick setup and automatic calibration reduce field preparation. A higher-range scanner fits infrastructure, industrial sites, and large areas that require fewer positions. Hybrid instruments suit surveyors who need total-station measurements and scanning in one workflow. Range and accuracy should be read together. The X7 reaches 80 meters and records 500,000 points per second, while the TX8 reaches 120 meters and records 1 M pts/sec. The X9 reaches 150 meters with the same stated scan rate. The X12 reaches 365 meters and up to 1.2 million points per second, while the SX12 scans up to 600 meters. Field conditions also affect the decision. The X7 carries an IP55 protection rating, and the X9 carries IP65, while the TX8 carries IP54\. Weight, mounting, control methods, and available software matter when a crew moves between rooms, roads, platforms, or restricted work areas. A technically capable scanner still fails a project if its setup slows daily production. ## **Data Quality Depends on the Process** [Data management](https://www.techtarget.com/data-technologies/definition/What-is-data-management-and-why-is-it-important-Full-guide) determines whether field capture becomes usable project information. Registration must place each scan in the correct coordinate system, and quality checks must identify gaps, noise, or movement. Large datasets also require clear file naming, controlled exports, and defined responsibility for review. Those steps prevent a polished point cloud from becoming an isolated file that nobody trusts. Successful teams establish capture plans before the scanner reaches the site. The plan identifies scan positions, registration targets, required detail, lighting limits, access restrictions, and deliverable formats. Field crews then review coverage before leaving each area. Office staff can process the data against the project model, drawing set, or survey control without guessing what the scan includes. ## **Conclusion** 3D laser scanning changes construction and engineering by turning site conditions into measured, shareable evidence. Its value depends on selecting a system that matches range, accuracy, protection, mobility, and workflow requirements. Project leaders should define deliverables first, then test a capture plan on a representative area before committing to routine use. That step exposes registration gaps, processing demands, and training needs while the cost of correction remains limited. The resulting evidence gives each trade a common basis for decisions. ### Understanding Portable Solar Technology: How to Choose the Right Panel for Your Power Station URL: https://www.techloy.com/understanding-portable-solar-technology-how-to-choose-the-right-panel-for-your-power-station/ Last updated: 2026-10-13T10:53:25.000Z Portable solar power has revolutionized how people access electricity while outside, on their road trips, during emergencies and in off-grid locations. Portable solar panels are a convenient, renewable means of recharging power stations by harnessing the energy of sunlight, rather than relying completely on traditional electricity. But considering the right solar panel is not just about wattage. The reliability of a solar charging system depends on many factors such as compatibility, efficiency, mobility, weather and power demand. ## **How Portable Solar Panels Work** Portable solar panels are made with photovoltaic cells which convert sunlight into direct current (DC) electricity. That electricity can then be fed into a compatible portable power station where it is stored in a battery for later use. The stored energy can then be used to power up smartphones, laptops, lights, camping refrigerators and more. The electricity that a panel generates is dependent on a variety of factors such as the rated wattage, the intensity of the sunlight, the orientation of the panel, temperature and shading. For instance, a 200-watt panel will not always generate 200 watts per hour during the day. It can be severely affected by clouds, early morning light and any other factors which obstruct the view, including trees. Awareness of these limitations enables users to choose equipment that is suitable for their intended applications and not solely based on the equipment's advertised specifications. ## **Understanding Solar Panel Wattage and Power Needs** One of the initial characteristics to take into account when choosing a portable solar panel is the wattage. As a rule, more power can be generated with higher wattage panels in optimum circumstances, which may shorten the time required to recharge a power station. Prior to buying a panel, measure the energy usage of devices. A small electronic device uses less energy than a refrigerator, cooking appliances or other energy-consuming devices. Take into account the amount of energy needed for an entire day, as well as the available time for solar energy consumption. Battery life is also important. If a large battery is connected to a power station, the solar input to the power station needed to recharge the battery in a reasonable time will be higher. But putting in a more powerful panel doesn't necessarily mean greater charging speed when the power station can't take it. The perfect arrangement consists of solar power generation, storage (batteries), and consumption (daily use). ## **Why Solar Panel Compatibility Matters** One of the most crucial factors to consider when selecting solar equipment is compatibility. A strong panel can be substandard or unusable if its electrical specifications don't match the power station. First of all, look at the manufacturer's recommended solar input range. Some of the key specifications are operating voltage, maximum input voltage, allowable input current and maximum solar charging power. Over or under voltage can cause equipment damage, and under voltage can result in an inability to charge properly. The compatibility of connectors is another factor to take into account. Several systems have proprietary connectors, and others are compatible with standard connectors, with the necessary adaptor device. A connector that fits physically, however, doesn't mean that it's electrically compatible. For a more detailed explanation of these technical requirements, consult this[ **solar panel compatibility guide**](https://zoupw.com/blogs/guide/how-to-choose-the-right-solar-panel-for-your-portable-power-station-a-universal-compatibility). Reviewing compatibility before purchasing can help prevent connection problems and support safer, more efficient charging. Users should also consider whether they intend to connect multiple panels. Series connections increase voltage, while parallel connections increase available current. Either arrangement must remain within the power station's specified limits. ## **Exploring Bifacial Solar Panel Technology** The traditional solar panels absorb sunlight mainly from the top surface. Bifacial panels are designed to capture light from both sides, thus capturing more light from surrounding surfaces. This technology can be especially beneficial in reflective ground surfaces like light colored concrete pavements, sand, bright surfaces, etc. The actual gains achieved will vary with installation height, rear-side exposure, reflectivity of the surface and amount of shading. For buyers considering higher-output solar equipment, the[ **ZOUPW 480W bifacial solar panel**](https://zoupw.com/products/zoupw-n-type-16bb-480w-bifacial-solar-panel) is one option to investigate. Before selecting a panel with this capacity, verify its electrical specifications against the intended power station's solar input limits. Its physical dimensions, mounting requirements, and transportation needs should also be considered. A high-wattage panel can be valuable when energy demands are substantial, but its practical benefits depend on suitable equipment and adequate sunlight. ## **Portability, Durability, and Weather Resistance** It's important to note that the largest and most powerful solar panel is not necessarily the best. Campers, hikers and travelers often have to rely on portability as much as any other aspect of electricity production. Take into account the panel weight, folded dimensions, carrying and setup. The durability to weather should also be considered. Dust, moisture, wind and temperature fluctuations can be encountered in the outdoor environment of solar equipment. Don't assume that all panels are suitable in all environments; verify the manufacturer's ratings and installation guidelines. The placement of the position is also of great importance. The panels yield more electricity when they are facing directly at the sun without any shadow and panels placed close together will yield more power. The angle can be changed throughout the day for better performance and it is important to keep the panel in place securely, to prevent movement in windy conditions. ## **Improving Solar Charging Performance** Here are a few tips to make a portable solar system more effective. Ensure panels are situated in an area that receives the least amount of shade, clean the panels as needed, and follow the charging output as indicated if the power station supplies real-time information. Don't use rated wattage as a measure of recharge time. The actual charging speed will be determined by the sun's energy output, conversion efficiencies, battery condition, temperature and the charging power limits of the power station. For instance, a battery will require more time to be energized than the calculations indicate if the panel's output is lower than rated. When relying on solar energy to power critical equipment, it's also a good idea to keep a reserve of energy. It is important to adjust to realistic average production rather than relying on perfect sunshine each day, as this can decrease unexpectedly due to weather changes. ## **Making the Right Choice** When it comes to picking a portable solar panel, it's easier to make the selection when it begins with actual requirements. Determine what devices require electrical power, calculate the energy requirements for the devices, verify the power station's input requirements and compare the choices of panels for power, mobility, durability and cost. While there are potential benefits to bifacial technology and higher wattage in the right applications, it still needs to be compatible. Combining these factors, users can create a reliable and efficient solar power solution, ensuring they can stay active and prepared for emergencies outdoors and in, as well as for off-grid power requirements. Solar power, which is portable in nature, is becoming more advanced and offers consumers even greater options for renewable electrical power. If the electrical outlets are not available, with proper planning and suitable equipment, sunlight can be a viable source of energy in any location. ### The Housemaid Hits No. 1 on HBO Max Days After Its Streaming Debut URL: https://www.techloy.com/the-housemaid-hbo-max-success/ Last updated: 2026-10-13T10:08:08.000Z The Housemaid has added another success to its box office performance, topping HBO Max’s film rankings just days after its streaming debut. Starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried, the psychological thriller began streaming in the US on 9 October 2026, following a worldwide cinema run that brought in approximately $400.5 million. Its theatrical performance made it one of Lionsgate’s biggest recent hits, and its early success on [HBO Max](https://www.techloy.com/tag/hbo-max/) suggests viewers are still interested in the story beyond cinemas. Watching it on the platform requires an HBO Max subscription, with prices varying by plan. This latest performance could also strengthen the case for continuing the story beyond the original film. [The Terror Season 1: Halloween Horror Worth WatchingSet in the frozen Arctic, AMC’s historical horror series combines a doomed expedition, a mysterious creature and the slow collapse of human survival.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-e4b500c4-1c4e-4551-9ab5-db43cd2ff1f1.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/MV5BYmQ2ZWU1NjQtZDgxYS00M2E4LWE5NTEtYTk0ZGI4ODYyMTcxXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_-33121384-d3c3-4625-9dd6-71acca43b1da.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/the-terror-season-1-halloween-horror/) ## How The Housemaid Took Over HBO Max According to [SlashFilm’s report](https://www.slashfilm.com/2284837/sydney-sweeney-thriller-the-housemaid-streaming-hbo-max-october-2026/) on the film’s streaming performance, The Housemaid reached the top of HBO Max’s US film charts on 11 October, just two days after its arrival. The ranking was based on FlixPatrol’s streaming chart tracking, rather than official viewing figures released by HBO Max, so it shows the film’s position rather than the number of people watching it. This is not the film’s first successful streaming release. It debuted on Starz in April 2026, where it became the service’s best-performing Pay-One film launch at the time. TheWrap reported that the film set records for streaming viewership and subscriber acquisition during its first week, with female viewers driving much of the interest. ## Why Audiences Keep Watching Directed by Paul Feig and adapted from Freida McFadden’s bestselling novel, The Housemaid follows Millie, a young woman who accepts a live-in housekeeping job with the wealthy Winchester family. Nina Winchester, played by Seyfried, initially appears to offer Millie a fresh start, but the job soon exposes a dangerous web of secrets and manipulation. The film’s appeal lies partly in how it uses that familiar domestic setting. A wealthy household should feel comfortable and secure, but Millie’s new job becomes increasingly unsettling as she discovers that the people around her are not what they seem. Sweeney and Seyfried’s performances also give viewers two characters whose changing relationship drives the suspense. Its theatrical audience offered an early clue to the film’s potential.[ ](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/housemaid-box-office-opening-weekend/)Women made up around 70% of its opening-weekend audience in North America. That suggests the film connected with a clear audience before streaming made it easier to watch at home. ## A $400 Million Cinema Run Gives It A Strong Foundation According to [Box Office Mojo](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt27543632/), The Housemaid earned approximately $400.5 million worldwide after opening in cinemas in December 2025\. Its domestic opening weekend brought in around $19 million, making its eventual total a significant increase on that initial result. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Why Securing Autonomous AI Agents Requires a New Kind of Firewall URL: https://www.techloy.com/why-securing-autonomous-ai-agents-requires-a-new-kind-of-firewall/ Last updated: 2026-10-13T09:53:00.000Z A recent survey found that [82% of organizations already use AI agents](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250528829358/en/SailPoint-Research-Highlights-Rapid-AI-Agent-Adoption-Driving-Urgent-Need-for-Evolved-Security), but only 44% say they have policies in place for agent security. The same research found that 96% of tech professionals see AI agents as a growing security risk, even as 98% of organizations plan to expand their use. AI agents do not simply answer questions. They access systems, call tools, chain tasks together, and take action across workflows. This is why “AI firewall” deserves a precise definition. We are not talking about older AI-powered firewalls that now use AI to spot conventional threats such as malware or intrusions. We are talking about firewalls and platforms built to protect AI itself: GenAI use, AI agents, MCP traffic, AI-driven applications, prompts, tool calls, and sensitive data moving through those systems. That distinction matters, because vendors are approaching the problem from different points in the chain: the network, the agent gateway, the identity platform, or the initiating human. Check Point, for example, has brought AI security into the network layer through its AI Network Firewall, with AI-application defenses built on Lakera, an AI security company that Check Point acquired. Underneath all of these approaches sits one simple but hard question: whose agent is this, and what is it allowed to do? ## Key Takeaways - AI agent adoption is moving faster than enterprise governance. - Agent identity and permission can be interpreted from several valid vantage points. - Check Point, Cisco, SailPoint, and TrueFoundry each answer the question from a different layer: the network, agent gateway, identity platform, or initiating human. ## Why ‘Whose Agent Is This’ Is Harder to Answer Than It Sounds For a human employee, identity is straightforward. They log in. Their account maps to a person, a role, a device, and a set of permissions. An AI agent complicates that model, triggered by a human, operating through a service account, calling other agents, and invoking tools across SaaS apps, databases, and internal systems. The action may be legitimate in one context and dangerous in another. A support agent allowed to summarize a customer record shouldn’t necessarily be allowed to export every record in the account, even though both actions use the same underlying permission. Firewalls, identity tools, gateways, and monitoring systems see part of the activity, but from different places. That kind of fragmented visibility is exactly why security work today requires understanding emerging risks before they become incidents, not just spotting malicious traffic after the fact. ## Four Different Answers to the Same Question Check Point answers the question from the network. Its AI Network Firewall uses Identity Awareness, an established capability that ties traffic crossing the firewall to a specific user or machine identity through directory integration and login events, then applies that link to prompts, agent actions, and MCP traffic. Because many enterprises already run firewall infrastructure, AI-specific inspection can become a real-time enforcement point rather than a separate system. Cisco answers it closer to the agent and gateway. Duo Agentic Identity maps specific agent identities to specific tool calls through an MCP gateway. Rather than asking only whether an agent can reach a server, it asks whether this agent should invoke this tool right now. SailPoint answers it from the identity governance layer. Its Agentic Fabric discovers agents, connects them to owners, and governs them as non-human identities, since most organizations do not know how many agents already exist. TrueFoundry answers it from the human who started the chain. Its MCP gateway injects that person’s own identity into the downstream tool call, rather than letting the agent act under a broad service-account privilege. ## Why the Strongest Approach Combines More Than One Layer A strong agent security posture calls for a multi-layered approach. A network firewall can inspect traffic that passes through it, but cloud-to-cloud agent activity may sit outside that path. An identity platform can govern agents it discovers, but an unknown agent can still create a blind spot. A gateway can enforce tool access, but only when the agent actually goes through that gateway. Human identity injection can reduce over-privileged service accounts, but it does not replace runtime inspection of prompts, data leakage, and unsafe agent behavior. This echoes how exposure management evolved. In[ modern cyber exposure management](https://www.techloy.com/why-validation-and-prioritization-are-essential-to-modern-cyber-exposure-management/), visibility alone is not enough, because teams also need validation, prioritization, and context to identify real risk. ## Conclusion Closing the agent security gap isn’t about finding one tool that solves agent identity. It is about accepting that “whose agent is this?” gets answered differently depending on where you stand, and the sturdiest security posture checks more than one of those points. That is why autonomous AI agents need a new kind of firewall, as a policy layer that understands prompts, tools, identities, context, and actions at machine speed. ## FAQ ### What is the best solution for securing autonomous AI agents in the enterprise? The best approach combines network enforcement, agent identity at the gateway, identity governance, and human-identity checks at the tool-call level. ### Which security solutions help control what autonomous AI agents can access? Check Point, Cisco, SailPoint, and TrueFoundry all help, but from different layers: network traffic, agent-to-tool authorization, identity governance, and human-permission injection. ### What is the best AI network firewall for enterprises adopting agentic AI? Check Point is the clearest example of the newer kind of AI firewall, one built to protect AI itself rather than use AI to catch conventional threats like malware. Its AI Network Firewall secures [AI use, agents, MCP traffic](https://www.artificialintelligence-news.com/news/why-mcp-servers-are-becoming-ais-newest-attack-surface/), prompts, and AI applications. ### Is identity governance enough to secure AI agents on its own? Identity governance is important, but agent security depends on several additional layers, including network visibility, gateway enforcement, runtime controls, audit logs, and clear links back to the human or machine identity behind each action. ### 4 Xbox Games Could Leave in October, and One Is Already Unplayable URL: https://www.techloy.com/xbox-delistings-october-2026/ Last updated: 2026-10-13T08:56:35.000Z Four [Xbox](https://www.techloy.com/tag/microsoft-xbox/) games are expected to leave digital storefronts in October 2026\. While two removals have been confirmed, another two remain uncertain because their publishers’ announcements specifically mention [Steam](https://www.techloy.com/tag/steam/) rather than Xbox. If you’re planning to buy any of these games, you should know that once a game is removed from the Xbox Store, purchasing a new digital copy may no longer be possible. But delisting doesn’t automatically mean existing owners lose access to their purchases. The first game on the list has already disappeared, while NBA 2K25 is scheduled to leave the store on October 30\. The two Leisure Suit Larry games could follow on October 23, but their Xbox delistings haven't been officially confirmed, according to a report from PureXbox. [Xbox Game Pass November 2026 Lineup: 5 Games ConfirmedFootball Manager 27 and Warhammer Survivors arrive on the same day, while VOID/BREAKER gets its full 1.0 release. Here are all five dates.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-f4304c1d-ec12-4fb5-a177-8b1eecb88978.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1729160731582-edcf5995cc3c-cb9d82b3-0e07-4d47-852b-6ab3934b5a1e.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/xbox-game-pass-november-2026-lineup/) ## Which Xbox Games Are Being Delisted in October 2026? Here are the four games to watch, based on announcements available as of October 13, 2026. - Fortnite Rocket Racing — October 1: Already delisted and no longer playable. - Leisure Suit Larry: Wet Dreams Don't Dry — October 23: Potential delisting; Xbox removal has not been confirmed. - Leisure Suit Larry: Wet Dreams Dry Twice — October 23: Potential delisting; Xbox removal has not been confirmed. - NBA 2K25 — October 30: Scheduled for delisting ahead of its server shutdown in December. The key difference is that Fortnite Rocket Racing and NBA 2K25 have confirmed timelines, while the two Leisure Suit Larry titles remain a case of watching for further clarification. ## Fortnite Rocket Racing Was Delisted on October 1 [Fortnite Rocket Racing](https://www.purexbox.com/news/2026/03/epic-games-lays-off-1000-staff-announces-closure-of-fortnite-rocket-racing) is already gone. The mode was discontinued on October 1, and players can no longer access it. Unlike a conventional game delisting, which generally removes a title from sale while leaving it playable for existing owners, this closure also ended access to the experience itself. That makes it the clearest example on this month's list of what can happen when a live-service game is shut down entirely. ## NBA 2K25 Will Leave the Xbox Store on October 30 [NBA 2K25](https://www.purexbox.com/reviews/xbox-series-x/nba-2k25) is the next confirmed removal. The basketball game is scheduled to be delisted on October 30, giving players a limited window to purchase it digitally. There’s another date worth keeping in mind: its servers are scheduled to go offline at the end of December. That means the October delisting is only part of the timeline for a game whose online services are also approaching their end. Anyone considering a purchase should weigh that short remaining period of online support against the game's offline features and the price. Buying it before the delisting will not guarantee that its online modes remain available indefinitely. ## Could the Two Leisure Suit Larry Games Be Delisted on Xbox? _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Should You Buy Apple’s Diwali AirPods 5 or Choose Another Pair? URL: https://www.techloy.com/special-edition-airpods-5-price-india/ Last updated: 2026-10-13T08:12:38.000Z Indian AirPods fans have something special to look forward to this Diwali. [Apple](https://www.techloy.com/tag/apple/) has [launched](https://www.apple.com/in/shop/buy-airpods/special-edition) an India-exclusive, limited-edition [AirPods](https://www.techloy.com/tag/airpods/) 5, featuring a rangoli-inspired engraving on the charging case. It costs ₹17,900 (around $187), the same as the regular AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case. With Diwali falling on November 8, 2026, you might be considering it as a gift for someone who loves Apple products. But is the festive design worth paying for, and are there better alternatives for the same budget? The answer depends on what the recipient values: a distinctive design, everyday audio features, or the best value for money. [New Apple TV 4K: Hands-Free Siri and Remote SpeakerThe Apple TV 4K refresh is set to be unveiled at the Apple “Welcome home” event holding tomorrow.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-1235a6bc-137b-4042-afd0-39e6769bd249.png)TechloyOgbonda Chivumnovu![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1556889487-b6f8d3fc728b-661ddad7-6ec7-4501-b3a6-deab994fb0cd.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/new-apple-tv-4k-hands-free-siri-remote-speaker/) ## What You Get The Special Edition AirPods 5 features a rangoli-inspired engraving on the charging case, with a decorative pattern arranged around a heart-eyes emoji. Beyond the engraving, it has the same features as the standard AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case. These include Active Noise Cancellation, Adaptive Audio, Transparency mode, personalised spatial audio and Live Translation when paired with a compatible iPhone. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/image-53.png) **Image Credit: Apple* Apple also claims up to five hours of listening time on a single charge with Active Noise Cancellation enabled, while the wireless charging case provides up to 22 hours of battery life. In other words, you're paying for a festive design rather than additional audio features. If the recipient already likes AirPods, that could make the gift feel more personal without increasing the price. ## Price and Availability The Special Edition AirPods 5 cost ₹17,900 (around $187) in India. Apple also lists monthly payments starting at ₹1,533 (around $16) with eligible instant cashback and EMI offers. Sales began on October 11 and run until November 11, 2026, while stocks last. You can order through Apple's online store or the Apple Store app, or visit one of its six retail locations in India: BKC, Borivali, Saket, Noida, Hebbal and Koregaon Park. But Apple limits purchases to two pairs per customer. There are also a couple of conditions to consider. The Special Edition cannot be combined with other AirPods offers and is excluded from Business, Education, and Corporate Employee Purchase Plan pricing. There's also a repair caveat: if the earbuds or charging case need to be replaced, Apple may provide the standard edition instead, depending on availability. That means the recipient could lose the distinctive engraving if they need a replacement. ## What Else Apple Is Offering Apple's festive campaign runs from October 11 to November 11, 2026, with offers across selected products. These include: - Up to 12 months of No-Cost EMI on selected iPhone, Mac, and iPad models. - Up to ₹15,000 in instant cashback on selected products with eligible cards. The advertised cashback for AirPods 5 is up to ₹1,000. - No-cost EMI on Apple Watch, AirPods, and accessories for eligible three- and six-month tenures. - Free engraving on eligible products. - Trade-in credit of ₹4,500 to ₹81,500 for eligible smartphones. - Three months of Apple Music free with eligible device purchases. Apple is also hosting free rangoli workshops with artist Arushi Kathuria, where participants can create digital rangoli designs using Procreate on iPad and Apple Pencil. Sessions run from October 14 to November 9 in India and at selected locations in the US, Canada, Malaysia and Singapore. ## Are There Better Alternatives at ₹17,900? The regular AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case costs ₹17,900, the same as the Special Edition, but without the festive engraving. Other brand options include: - Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, which costs around ₹14,700 to ₹17,999 ($153 to $189) and offers active noise cancellation and works particularly well with Samsung phones. - Bose QuietComfort Earbuds are priced around ₹9,999 to ₹16,900 ($104 to $177) and are worth considering if noise cancellation is your priority. - The Nothing Ear (2024) is another option, with customisable sound and active noise cancellation at a lower price of around ₹7,999 to ₹14,999 ($83 to $156) _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 8 Best Tools to Turn Documents Into Training Courses With AI URL: https://www.techloy.com/8-best-tools-to-turn-documents-into-training-courses-with-ai/ Last updated: 2026-10-13T07:40:31.000Z ## **TL;DR** - AI now turns existing documents into first draft courses quickly. - Human review still decides whether a course is accurate and ready to ship. - **Colossyan** ranks first for document to course workflows. - Check input types, publishing options and security before you pick a tool. We rank the **eight best tools** that turn documents into training courses with AI, so you can shortlist faster. **Colossyan leads the list** because it pairs AI drafting with human approval of every scene. Each entry shows what a tool accepts, what it produces and how it publishes to your LMS. We wrote it for US L&D teams evaluating AI course creation tools. AI saves the most time on first drafts, so the right pick shortens production without skipping review. ## **How We Established This Ranking** We tested **8 companies** by running the same workflow on each: upload a source document, generate a course, edit it and export it. We gathered data from official vendor websites, published pricing pages and independent review sites, then checked every claim against those sources. We weighted the criteria below by how much they affect production time and risk for a US L&D team. - **Input flexibility:** support for PDF, Word and PowerPoint files, not only prompts - **Output scope:** outlines, lessons, quizzes, scenarios and avatar video - **Editability:** control over every generated element before publishing - **Publishing:** **SCORM** and xAPI export for the LMS you already use - **Governance and security:** SOC 2, GDPR and data handling terms - **Localization:** multilingual generation and translation ## **Comparison Table** To see how these tools compare, the table below sets out what each one accepts, what it produces, how it publishes and what it costs to start. | Company | Tool type | Source input | Course output | Publishing | Starting price | | ------------- | -------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------ | -------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------- | | Colossyan | AI course and video authoring | PowerPoint, PDF and Word documents, topics, briefs | Multi lesson courses with avatar video and assessments | SCORM, streaming or self contained | Free; Professional $59 per month | | Coursebox | AI course creator with LMS | Prompts, PDF, Word, PowerPoint | Courses with quizzes, avatar video and AI tutor | White label LMS, SCORM, LTI | Free; paid from $40 per month | | Mindsmith | AI native authoring | Presentations, SOPs, videos, outlines | Interactive courses with scenarios and voice roleplay | Dynamic SCORM, xAPI | Free; Professional $39 per author per month | | Easygenerator | Browser based authoring with LMS | Documents, PDFs, PowerPoint slides | Courses with AI videos and AI roleplays | SCORM, xAPI, private links | From $116 per month; free trial | | Docebo | Enterprise LMS with AI Creator | Prompts, documents | Courses, assessments, learning paths | Delivery inside its own LMS | Custom pricing | | iSpring Suite | PowerPoint based authoring | Prompts, PDF, Word, PowerPoint | Slide based and scrollable web courses | SCORM, xAPI, cmi5 | $970 per author per year | | DeepBrain AI | AI video with Course Builder | PowerPoint, PDF, Word | Interactive avatar video courses | SCORM 1.2, 2004, xAPI | Free; Personal $24 per month | | TalentLMS | LMS with AI course creation | Prompts, existing content | Outlines, flashcards, assessments | SCORM and video support inside the LMS | Free; Core $119 per month | ## **1\. Colossyan** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/data-src-image-ee046c80-825b-4de7-8bec-e7999fb289fa.png) Image Source: Official website screenshot Colossyan is the [**best AI course video generator for corporate learning**](https://www.colossyan.com/features/course-creator/), known for pairing **AI speed with human quality control** on every course. Johnson & Johnson, Cisco, Ericsson, Paramount and UPS use it, and plans start free, with Professional at **$59 per month** on yearly billing and custom Enterprise pricing. It suits L&D, enablement and compliance teams at mid market and enterprise companies, especially in regulated industries, that want a finished course without separate authoring and video tools. Colossyan is already considered **one of the best AI course creation tools for 2026**. **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/colossyan/ **Key Features** - **300+** AI avatars on the NEO 2 engine with natural gestures and eye contact - Interactive video with branching scenarios, quizzes and knowledge checks - **100+** language localization with lip sync across narration, on screen text and interactive elements - Brand kits for consistent styling across courses - Edit a script line or swap an avatar without rendering again or breaking translations - **SOC 2 Type II**, GDPR and SAML SSO, with content never used to train models - Dedicated customer success at every pricing tier **Document to Course Output** - **Input:** PowerPoint, PDF and Word documents, plus topics and briefs - **Drafting:** Cora, the AI agent, writes scene by scene content for human review - **Output:** structured multi lesson courses with avatar video, text and assessments through Colossyan Learn - **Publishing:** SCORM export, streaming or self contained, for the LMS you already use - **Free tools:** course outline, learning objectives and assessment generators **Why We Chose Colossyan:** It covers authoring, avatar video, assessments and localization in **one workflow**, so teams stop juggling separate tools while keeping approval of every scene. ## **2\. Coursebox** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/data-src-image-ae9682fb-3c10-444f-8c61-083b83a2edce.png) Source:Official website screenshot Coursebox is an AI course creator and LMS founded in 2021 in Perth, Australia, with users in **180+ countries**. Grower Group Alliance, University of Adelaide, Assist Digital and Hydra Consulting appear among its clients. A free plan covers 3 mini courses with a watermark, paid tiers price by AI credits and features with unlimited learners on every plan, and one directory lists a starting price of **$40 per month**. It fits training teams, training providers and course creators who want to generate courses from existing documents and run them in a branded platform. **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/courseboxai/ **Key Features** - **500+** standard AI avatars for training video - AI quiz generator with AI grading - AI scenarios and an AI tutor - **100+** languages - White label LMS with course selling through Stripe and PayPal - Open API and SSO on Enterprise - GDPR certified with EU hosting **Document to Course Output** - **Input:** prompts, PDF, Word or PowerPoint documents - **Output:** full courses with quizzes, AI avatar videos, scenarios, images and an AI tutor - **Publishing:** white label portal, SCORM and LTI export, SCORM import **Why We Chose It:** It pairs document to course generation with a built in branded LMS, so a course moves from source file to delivery in one tool. ## **3\. Mindsmith** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/data-src-image-259bee07-df86-46c3-806f-62fef7129f40.png) Source:Official website screenshot Mindsmith is an AI native eLearning authoring tool founded in 2022 in Provo, Utah, used by **16,000+ eLearning designers**. Infosys, Siemens, McKesson, UNESCO and Allianz appear among its clients. A free plan includes 450 AI credits, Professional costs **$39 per author per month**, Business costs **$65 per author per month** and Enterprise pricing is custom. It fits instructional designers and L&D teams that want AI native authoring with deep interactivity and straightforward updates after launch. **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/mindsmith1 **Key Features** - **30+** interactive elements - Live AI conversations with voice roleplay - Branching scenarios - Animated video and custom AI avatars - **70+** languages - Real time collaboration and analytics - MCP connector for Copilot, Claude and ChatGPT - SOC 2 compliance and WCAG 2.2 **Document to Course Output** - **Input:** presentations, SOP documents, videos and outlines - **Output:** interactive courses built from AI generated storyboards - **Publishing:** dynamic SCORM and xAPI packages **Why We Chose It:** It turns presentations, SOPs and videos into interactive courses and updates dynamic SCORM packages when authors make changes. ## **4\. Easygenerator** Easygenerator is a browser based eLearning authoring platform founded in 2013 and headquartered in Rotterdam, Netherlands, with **75,000+ authors** in 2,000+ companies. Danone, Electrolux, Sodexo and Kellogg's appear among its clients. Pricing runs per author and starts at **$116 per month**, with a free trial and no free plan. It fits L&D teams that want subject matter experts to build courses themselves, with AI help and no instructional design skills. **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/easygenerator **Key Features** - EasyAI assistant - Drag and drop editor - Live co authoring - Auto translation into **75+** languages - AI videos and AI roleplays - Built in LMS **Document to Course Output** - **Input:** documents, PDFs and PowerPoint slides with formatting kept - **Output:** AI generated courses with AI videos and AI roleplays - **Publishing:** SCORM and xAPI publishing, private links **Why We Chose It:** It lets subject matter experts import existing documents and slides and build courses without design skills. ## **5\. Docebo** Docebo is an AI first learning platform (LMS) headquartered in Toronto, Canada, with customers in **90+ countries**. Amazon Health appears among its clients. Pricing is custom and not published. It fits large enterprises that want AI generated courses and delivery inside one enterprise LMS serving employees, customers and partners. **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/docebo **Key Features** - AI Creator - AI Video Presenter - AI Virtual Coaching scenario simulator - Harmony AI search and a skills engine - Content marketplace - **SOC 2 Type 2**, ISO 27001, ISO 9001 and FedRAMP Moderate authorization **Document to Course Output** - **Input:** prompts or documents - **Output:** structured courses, assessments and learning paths with AI video presentation - **Publishing:** delivery inside its own LMS with contextual translation **Why We Chose It:** It builds courses with AI inside a full enterprise LMS that trains employees, customers and partners in one system. ## **6\. iSpring Suite** iSpring Suite is a PowerPoint based authoring toolkit with AI, headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, with **61,000+ clients** in 170+ countries. Microsoft, IKEA, Boeing and Bank of America appear among its clients. Pricing runs per author per year: **$970** for the base suite, **$1,290** for the AI edition and **$720** for the cloud AI edition. It fits L&D teams and instructional designers who already work in PowerPoint and want SCORM compliant courses without learning a new tool. **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/ispring-solutions **Key Features** - AI Assistant for course text, images and quiz questions - **14** quiz question types - Role play simulations - AI text to speech and translation into **50+** languages - Content Library with **310,000+** assets - Stakeholder review workspace **Document to Course Output** - **Input:** prompts or uploaded PDF, Word and PowerPoint files - **Output:** slide based courses and scrollable web courses - **Publishing:** PowerPoint to SCORM, xAPI and cmi5 conversion **Why We Chose It:** It converts existing PowerPoint content into SCORM courses with AI drafting, so teams keep the tool they already use. ## **7\. DeepBrain AI** DeepBrain AI is an AI video platform headquartered in Palo Alto, California, with **2,000,000+ users**. AWS, BMW, Intel, Lenovo and HSBC appear among its clients. A free plan covers 3 videos per month with a watermark, Personal costs **$24 per month**, Team costs **$55 per seat per month** and Enterprise pricing is custom. It fits enterprise HR and L&D teams that want interactive, SCORM compliant avatar courses at global scale. **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/deepbrain-global **Key Features** - **2,000+** AI avatars - **150+** language dubbing with lip sync - Interactive video - AI Roleplay training - **SOC 2 Type II**, ISO 27001, ISO 42001 and GDPR **Document to Course Output** - **Input:** PowerPoint, PDF and Word files through Docs to Video - **Output:** courses generated by Course Builder, with quizzes and branching scenarios on avatar video - **Publishing:** SCORM 1.2, SCORM 2004 and xAPI export **Why We Chose It:** It adds a Course Builder to its avatar video tools, which generates interactive, SCORM compliant courses from existing documents. ## **8\. TalentLMS** TalentLMS is a cloud LMS with AI course creation, headquartered in San Francisco, California, and used by **70,000+ teams**. Deliveroo, Isuzu, SmartBuyGlasses and EVBox appear among its case study customers. A free plan exists, Core starts at **$119 per month**, Grow starts at **$229 per month** on annual billing and Enterprise pricing is custom. It fits small and mid sized businesses that want simple AI course creation bundled with an LMS. **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/talentlms **Key Features** - AI course creator and TalentCraft authoring - AI powered tests - AI course translations - AI Coach and Skills - Learning paths - Integrations and reporting **Document to Course Output** - **Input:** prompts or existing content - **Output:** course outlines, step by step processes, flashcards and assessments - **Publishing:** SCORM and video content support inside the LMS **Why We Chose It:** It bundles AI course creation with an LMS aimed at small and mid sized businesses. ## **Conclusion and Key Takeaways** Colossyan is the **best choice for AI course creation** in 2026, because it turns existing documents into video led courses while people approve every scene before it ships. It keeps authoring, avatar video, assessments and localization in **one workflow** and feeds the LMS you already use through SCORM export. Security teams get **SOC 2 Type II**, GDPR compliance and content that never trains its models. L&D teams that need more courses without more headcount get the speed of AI with the quality control of a human reviewer. **Key Takeaways** - Colossyan ranks **first** for AI course creation in 2026. - It accepts **PowerPoint, PDF and Word** documents and produces multi lesson courses with avatar video and assessments. - **300+** AI avatars and **100+** languages support training across countries and languages. - **SCORM** export fits the LMS you already use. - Plans start free, with Professional at **$59 per month**. - Cora drafts scene by scene content, and people approve every scene before publishing. ## **Next Steps** Most teams move through four stages from shortlist to published course, and Colossyan illustrates each one. 1. **Test one real file.** Teams run each shortlisted tool on the same document and compare editing time. Colossyan accepts PowerPoint, PDF and Word files on its **free Starter plan**. 2. **Clear the security review.** IT and legal check data handling. Colossyan documents **SOC 2 Type II**, GDPR and SAML SSO, and never trains models on content. 3. **Pilot one course.** Teams start with a narrow topic and a named reviewer. In Colossyan, Cora drafts scenes and a subject matter expert approves each one. 4. **Connect and scale.** Teams confirm LMS completion tracking first. Colossyan exports **SCORM** packages for your LMS and localizes into **100+** languages. ## **FAQ** ### **What is the best tool to turn documents into training courses with AI?** **Colossyan** is the best option, because it converts **PowerPoint, PDF and Word** files into video led courses with assessments and **SCORM** export. ### **How does an AI course creator turn a document into a course?** An AI course creator reads the source file, proposes **modules and learning objectives**, drafts lessons and quizzes, and exports the result to an LMS. A subject matter expert then reviews the draft before publication. ### **How accurate is AI generated course content?** Accuracy depends on the **quality of the source document** and the prompt, and models can produce errors or invented details. Subject matter experts must verify every fact, statistic and example before release. ### **What should teams check before using AI course creation for compliance training?** Teams should confirm **review workflows** for accuracy and regulatory alignment, subject matter expert and legal sign off, and data handling terms under GDPR. They should also build content in modular lessons so a single rule change does not force a rebuild of the whole course. ### What a Day of IT Downtime Costs a Small Local Business URL: https://www.techloy.com/what-a-day-of-it-downtime-costs-a-small-local-business/ Last updated: 2026-10-13T07:35:22.000Z Every business has been there. The card machine dies at lunchtime, the booking system won't load, or suddenly email stops working on the morning you're expecting a quote to come back. Most owners file days like these under bad luck, have a stressful eight hours, then carry on as before. But that can be a costly mistake, because as more of these unaddressed problems crop up, that downtime can grow exponentially. Luckily, there’s a way to calculate the cost of downtime and get in front of it. Once you know what a dead day costs your business, decisions about backups, spare kit and outside help stop being guesses and start being sums. So let's put real numbers on a broken Tuesday, then use that figure to work out what deserves your money before the next one arrives. ## **Where the Money Actually Goes** **Lost sales come first**. If the card machine is down and most of your customers don't carry cash, a chunk of the day's takings walks out the door. A salon or clinic with a dead booking system will lose appointments it never knew it had, and a shop that can't check stock or print labels will slow to a crawl. Then there are **wages**. Your staff still get paid while they stand around, reboot routers and apologise to customers. Missed enquiries are quieter but just as expensive. A new customer who emails and hears nothing back will usually try someone else the same day, and you'll never find out they existed. The scale of this across the country is bigger than most people assume. The government’s latest [Cyber Security Breaches Survey](https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/cyber-security-breaches-survey-20252026/cyber-security-breaches-survey-20252026) found that 43% of UK businesses, around 612,000 of them, identified a cyber attack or breach in the past year. And that’s just the deliberate stuff. It doesn’t count the routers, card machines and laptops that fail all on their own. Separate research has found that small firms averaged around 19 hours of internet downtime in 2023, with outages costing UK businesses an estimated £3.7 billion that year alone. ## **How to Work Out Your Own Downtime Number** Take a four-person business as an example, maybe a shop, salon or small office. A rough day of downtime looks like this: - **Lost sales:** daily takings of £900, of which £700 relied on working systems - **Wages:** four people on £13 an hour for eight hours comes to £416, paid regardless - **Missed enquiries:** one new customer who gave up, worth £150 or far more over time - **Recovery:** an emergency call-out plus your own evening spent fixing the mess, £150 That's around £1,400 for one day, before you count the harder stuff like refunds, review-site complaints and the regular customer who quietly stops coming. Run the same sums with your own figures and write the total down. That number will do more for your planning than any amount of vague worry. ## **Line Up Help Before the Disruption** Bigger companies ride out failures because they have someone on the payroll designated to fix them. Most small local businesses have nobody technical at all, and a full monthly support contract doesn’t really make sense for a team of four. But there's a middle option as well. Firms without their own IT staff can now arrange a pay-per-job service in advance from UK providers like [FixPoint IT Support](https://fixpoint-it-support.com/). That way, growing firms can take on one-off problems like email faults, dropped connections and broken devices with the price agreed before any work starts. The point of sorting this early is speed. When something breaks, you'll already know who to call, so the fix starts in the first hour instead of the fourth. Keep the details somewhere that doesn't depend on your systems. A printed sheet with your IT contact, broadband provider, router login and card machine support line will save you from scrolling through old emails on your phone while the queue builds. ## **Spend Against the Number, Not the Fear** Once you know your day costs £1,400, spending decisions get easy. A backup 4G router at a few pounds a month pays for itself the first time it saves half a day. A spare card reader costs less than an hour of downtime. Automatic cloud backups will turn a dead laptop from a crisis into an inconvenience, because the files live somewhere the hardware can't take them. The same logic kills bad spending too. If an expensive system upgrade costs more than several years of realistic downtime, your money belongs elsewhere. ## **Price the Bad Day Before It Arrives** Every small business will eventually lose a day to technology. The owners who cope best are the ones who did the arithmetic early and spent a little, in the right places, while everything still worked. So work out your number this week. It takes twenty minutes with a calculator and last month's takings, and it will turn downtime from a nagging background fear into a line on a planning sheet, with a fix already priced against it. ### Why Businesses Should Consider the Technical Feasibility of an App Investment Before Approval URL: https://www.techloy.com/why-businesses-should-consider-the-technical-feasibility-of-an-app-investment-before-approval/ Last updated: 2026-10-13T06:31:50.000Z In addition to demand, potential revenue, and audience expectations, companies must ensure that the technology proposed for the application can support its intended functions, given the available budget and timeframe. Assessing technical feasibility can enable organizations to discover project intricacies, account for development and implementation costs, and understand the application’s importance to their investment. ## **Technical Feasibility Supports Better Investment Decisions** Technical feasibility testing helps organizations determine if the proposed application can be supported by the selected technologies and identify project constraints. Project managers can use this information to understand the application’s characteristics, its impact on the business, and prepare adjusted expectations in terms of costs, benefits, and other results. The idea behind project implementation is to assess the proposed benefits and costs against the technical difficulties and specifics of realization. Organizations can get attractive ideas and fail to consider the details that will significantly affect the project’s costs, time requirements, and final characteristics changes. ## **Development Costs Become Easier to Estimate** Application developers and managers can use the information generated by the technical feasibility analysis to compare the projected options and ensure that the selected prototype aligns with the expected benefits and limitations. For instance, an organization may compare the option of developing a standalone application with the possibility of integrating the proposed functions into an existing digital platform. Depending on the selected developers’ recommendations, businesses may receive varying reports about potential costs, implementation risks, and projected benefits. This information will allow them to identify the most viable application according to their expectations. ## **Existing Systems and Integrations Require Evaluation** Implementation-specific limitations, including the availability of technologies, infrastructure, and technical support, can influence the application’s final cost. Developers may rely on the technical feasibility testing results to identify technologies and tools that would be required for the project to define implementation specifics, including infrastructure, timeframe, and expenses. For instance, businesses may request a detailed specification of the technologies, tools, or additional infrastructure needed for the application’s proper functioning. Individuals and organizations evaluating [custom software development services](https://www.whitecapcanada.com/services/custom-software-development/) can use the feasibility study as a basis for negotiations with selected vendors to ensure that costs are predicted with sufficient precision. Furthermore, the application’s technical documentation can aid in defining the budget and specifying additional costs that may arise due to unforeseen circumstances. ## **Development Costs Become Easier to Estimate** Organizations considering an application investment must ensure that the application’s features, including its technical specifications, align with the projected functions and existing infrastructure. The technical analysis will enable project managers to identify the application’s technical requirements and alterations to the organization’s operations, including infrastructure modifications, that will be necessary for its proper functioning. Furthermore, prior to finalizing the investment decision, businesses should ensure that the project’s projected technologies are compatible with their current operations and infrastructure. If a proposed application must be supported by additional technologies, application developers can provide information about the required functions, available alternatives, and potential expenses. Similarly, organizations must ensure the software’s compatibility with their existing systems and processes to avoid significant modifications to their operations. ## **Security and Scalability Need Early Assessment** Application developers and managers must define the application’s security limitations, including the level of infrastructure protection, data storage security, and application-specific access control, to ensure its viability within the projected timeframe and infrastructure. Organizations considering an application investment can request reports on the application’s security and accessibility to utilize this information for the project’s further development or application selection. Furthermore, technical feasibility analysis can help developers and managers define the application’s scalability potential to ensure that its projected functions and features can be supported with the expected number of users and data volume. Individuals and organizations invested in the application must understand its scalability potential within the specified timeframe and infrastructure to provide they can support its growth or identify the necessary modifications for its further development. ## **Project Risks and Timelines Become Clearer** Application developers and managers can use the technical feasibility analysis to identify the application’s potential limitations and constraints affecting its implementation or further development. Projections indicate that the proposed application would be scalable within the first year after its launch but incompatible with the anticipated infrastructure, requiring additional modifications to ensure its proper functioning. Projects utilizing new technologies, those not anticipated by the developers, or those produced by external sources may encounter difficulties during implementation. Organizations can use the feasibility study to predict the application’s further development and potential delays, enabling them to prepare for these limitations or revise the application’s vision. Finally, businesses can request a technical application prototype to confirm the feasibility results, test the application’s basic functions, and ensure that the anticipated functions and technologies are viable within the anticipated timeframe. ## **Conclusion** Technical feasibility testing may allow businesses to identify the application’s features, implementation specifics, and potential drawbacks. Additionally, recognizing the application-specific limitations can enable businesses to ensure that they have allocated significant resources to the project. Furthermore, the feasibility study can assist an organization to specify the majority of viable applications, given their anticipated expenses, independent of their specific functions. The identified aspects of the feasibility study can assist businesses to finalize proposals, investment decisions, and assumptions about a specific project to ensure that the projected applications are viable using their current infrastructure within the specified timeframe. ### 10 Best AI Video Platforms for Business Content Creation URL: https://www.techloy.com/10-best-ai-video-platforms-for-business-content-creation/ Last updated: 2026-10-12T20:55:36.000Z Businesses often need more video content than their teams can produce themselves: product explainers, sales materials, onboarding modules, internal updates, and localized versions for different markets. AI video platforms can simplify this process by combining AI avatars, synthetic voices, text-to-video generation, translation, and, in some cases, interactive features. Different platforms focus on different types of business content, so the right option depends largely on what a team needs to create. ## **Key takeaways** - D-ID combines AI video creation and avatars with interactive AI Avatar Agents. - simpleshow focuses on explainers, training, onboarding, and knowledge sharing. - Other platforms specialize in animated videos, workflow documentation, interactive learning, or high-volume avatar content. ## **How these platforms were evaluated** The comparison focuses on features relevant to business content creation: avatar and video quality, ease of use, multilingual support, personalization, interactivity, and scalability. Both self-service tools and enterprise options were considered. ## **1\. D-ID** **Best for:** AI avatar videos and interactive business content D-ID's AI Video Generator turns scripts into videos with AI presenters in more than 120 languages. This can be used for marketing explainers, sales content, onboarding, and internal communications. The company also explores broader applications of [AI avatars for business communication](https://www.d-id.com/blog/ai-avatars-business-communication-2026/), including training, presentations, and internal communication. Scripts can be edited and regenerated when information changes. The platform also offers AI Avatar Agents. These avatars can have conversations based on a company's approved knowledge base, allowing users to ask questions rather than simply watch a prerecorded video. This makes the platform relevant to use cases such as product information, training, and customer or employee support. D-ID offers self-service plans as well as API and enterprise options, allowing businesses to use the platform at different levels of integration. **Key features:** - AI Avatar Agents - AI Video Generator - 120+ languages - API and enterprise deployment ## **2\. simpleshow** **Best for:** Explainers, training, onboarding, and knowledge transfer simpleshow focuses on turning complex information into short animated explainer videos. Its AI Story Generator can create a script and video from a brief, while translation tools allow the same content to be adapted for different languages. The platform is particularly suited to structured, one-way communication, such as explaining a new process, policy, product, or concept. It is therefore more focused on explanation and knowledge transfer than conversational video. **Key features:** - AI Story Generator - Multilingual translation - Explainer-focused video creation - Training and onboarding use cases ## **3\. Vyond** Vyond uses animated characters and scenes rather than photorealistic AI presenters. Its tools can generate an initial video from a script, while Vyond Studio provides more control for editing and customization. This approach can work well for marketing, HR, training, and internal communications where an animated style is appropriate. ## **4\. Guidde** Guidde focuses on documenting workflows. It records a process as someone performs it, such as a product walkthrough or internal software procedure, and turns the recording into a narrated, step-by-step video. This makes it useful for product documentation, SOPs, software tutorials, and other content that needs to reflect changing workflows. ## **5\. Powtoon** Powtoon combines its established animated-video tools with AI-assisted production. Its tools can turn written briefs into editable animated videos and provide AI voiceovers in multiple languages. It can be useful for marketing and communications teams that already work with presentations and want to adapt similar material into video without creating everything from scratch. ## **6\. AI Studios** AI Studios from DeepBrain AI provides AI avatars alongside tools for creating courses and other business videos. Its large avatar selection and multilingual capabilities are suited to teams producing content at higher volumes. Businesses considering deeper integration can also review its API and available integrations based on their technical requirements. ## **7\. Elai.io** Elai.io, now part of Panopto, combines avatar video with interactive elements such as quizzes, hotspots, and branching. This type of interactivity is suited to customer education, onboarding, and training where businesses want viewers to engage with the material rather than simply watch it. It is different from live conversational AI because the interaction remains within a structured video experience. ## **8\. Colossyan** Colossyan combines AI avatar videos with course-building features aimed at corporate learning and communications. The platform can be useful when teams want video content and learning structure in the same workflow. Its content remains primarily scripted and asynchronous, making it more appropriate for training and explanations than open-ended conversations. ## **9\. Synthesia** Synthesia offers AI avatars, translation tools, and features for producing scripted video content at scale. It is commonly suited to training, internal communications, and other business videos that viewers watch from beginning to end. Advanced features such as brand management, analytics, and enterprise administration vary by plan, so businesses with larger requirements may need to assess the available tiers and integrations. ## **10\. HeyGen** HeyGen focuses on fast avatar video production, with translation and dubbing features for multilingual content. Its LiveAvatar product adds real-time interaction, although it operates separately from the core HeyGen platform with its own plans and credits. Businesses interested specifically in conversational video should therefore evaluate LiveAvatar as a separate product. ## **What's next for AI video in business content creation** AI video is increasingly moving beyond prerecorded content. Interactive and conversational systems allow viewers to ask questions and receive responses based on company information instead of simply watching a fixed script. Personalization is also becoming more practical, with content adapted for different roles, regions, or audiences. At the same time, translation and localization are reducing the need to recreate videos separately for every market. As these features develop, video platforms are likely to become more closely connected to knowledge bases, learning systems, and other business tools. The distinction between marketing videos, training materials, and support content may become less clear as more platforms add interactive features. ### 3 Tools to Check If You Need a Visa for Your Next Trip URL: https://www.techloy.com/check-if-you-need-a-visa/ Last updated: 2026-10-12T15:50:02.000Z Imagine planning a trip to a country you thought you could visit visa-free, only to discover that its entry requirements have changed. With countries reviewing immigration policies every now and then, knowing whether you need a visa or not can become overly tedious or even frustrating at times. It gets even more complicated when you have to check different government websites if your trip involves multiple destinations or transit through another country. Now, you don't have to go through all that stress. While several online tools and databases can help you check visa requirements based on your passport and intended destination before you book your next flight, not all of them provide accurate or up-to-date information. Here are three we've tested. [Trump’s New H-1B Fee: Who Pays $103,265 and Who’s ExemptA proposed $103,265 H-1B fee could make it more expensive for U.S. companies to sponsor foreign workers.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-21c6213d-8dd6-4e4f-b1d4-0ca73a02ff6c.png)TechloyDavid Adubiina![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1550531996-ff3dcede9477-e9ccb89a-9c67-4518-ac46-58e86c8443f9.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/trump-new-h1b-visa-fee-103265/) ## /1\. Passport Index ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/Screenshot--16--1.png) **Image Credit: Passport Index* The platform lets you select your passport and destination to check whether you can enter visa-free, obtain a visa on arrival, apply for an eVisa, or need to secure a visa before travelling. Beyond individual destinations, its interactive dashboard shows how passports rank globally based on travel freedom. You can also compare passports to see which countries offer their holders easier access. To use it, visit the [website](https://www.passportindex.org/), select your passport under the Instant Visa Checker, choose your destination, and review the result. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Ivaylo Bozoukov on Tanzania's Instant Payment System URL: https://www.techloy.com/ivaylo-bozoukov-on-tanzanias-instant-payment-system/ Last updated: 2026-10-12T15:31:40.000Z Tanzania's Instant Payment System, better known as TIPS, is one of the clearest examples in East Africa of a central bank building shared payments infrastructure itself, rather than leaving operational access to be negotiated between individual banks and mobile money providers. The Bank of Tanzania started working on TIPS in 2018, and the system went live in 2021 with a pilot covering three banks and two non-bank providers, five participants. Participation has widened steadily since then. The number of connected providers grew from the original five at launch to 34 by the end of 2022 and reached 47 by the end of 2025, spanning the country's banks and mobile money operators. That expansion in the number of institutions connected to the same real-time rails is one of the clearest reasons the transaction volumes have been able to scale as quickly as they have. ## How Fast Usage Has Grown The volume moving through TIPS has risen sharply. In 2025, the system handled 644 million transactions, up 42% on the year before. The value of those transactions grew even faster, up 84% to almost TZS 55 trillion. In 2024, the system handled 452.5 million transactions worth TZS 29.8 trillion, so both measures have moved sharply in a single year. The Bank links part of that shift to revised charges for retail bank-to-bank transfers introduced in May 2024, after which TIPS volumes for those transfers rose 56%. The steeper rise in value relative to transaction count is consistent with larger and more routine payments migrating onto the shared infrastructure as more providers and use cases, including government bill payments, have been brought online. *"Those growth rates tell you people are actually changing how they pay, not just testing a new option,"* said [Ivaylo Bozoukov](https://www.digitaljournal.com/article/ivaylo-bozoukov-compliance-is-becoming-a-competitive-advantage/), a payments industry executive who tracks instant payment systems across several markets. *"When transaction value grows faster than transaction count, it usually means larger and more routine payments are moving onto the system, not just small transfers."* The Bank of Tanzania attributes this growth to a combination of factors: wider interoperability between participating providers, the integration of government bill payments into TIPS in 2025, lower retail payment fees, and rising mobile use. Bringing government payments onto the same rails as ordinary transfers has the practical effect of increasing the everyday usefulness of the system for both citizens and the institutions that serve them. The central bank says the system's round-the-clock real-time settlement, convenience and low cost have together encouraged the move away from cash, and that TIPS has significantly reduced the cost of digital transactions for Tanzanians. ## Opening the System to Money From Abroad A significant expansion came in 2025, when TIPS opened to receive money sent from abroad. Funds sent this way can be paid directly into a local bank account or a mobile wallet, without needing a separate cash collection step. The Bank of Tanzania has established a standard fee of TZS 1,000 per transfer for this specific route, paid by the sending institution to the receiving one. The stated aim, according to the bank, is to make it cheaper for Tanzania's diaspora to send remittances home, folding money into the same instant infrastructure that domestic payments already use rather than routing them through a separate, more expensive channel. *"Linking remittances into a domestic instant payment system is not something every country has managed to do well," Ivo Bozukov said. "Tanzania setting a standard fee for that specific route, rather than leaving it to be negotiated transaction by transaction, is a practical way to keep the cost predictable for both sides."* ## What Comes Next The Bank of Tanzania is implementing a third phase of TIPS, which aims to expand the system's use cases beyond its current scope. The direction, adding functionality to an already-connected network rather than building parallel systems, is consistent with how TIPS has developed so far. *"The value of a system like this compounds as more is built on top of it," Ivaylo Bozoukov said. "Every additional use case that runs over the same rails makes the existing connections more valuable for providers and for the customers on either end of a transaction."* ## What Being Connected Means for Wallet Providers For a mobile wallet operating in Tanzania, connection to TIPS means reaching customers of every other bank and wallet on the network, including money now arriving from overseas. That reach gives customers a quicker and more affordable way to pay and be paid than routing transactions outside the shared system would allow, sparing smaller providers the cost of negotiating separate bilateral connections with every other institution on TIPS. As TIPS moves into its next phase of development, its trajectory so far offers a working example of what a centrally built instant payment system can achieve: rapid transaction growth, broadening participation, and the recent extension into cross-border remittances. It was designed from the outset to include both banks and non-bank providers on comparable terms. ### I Tried Chrome’s Features, and I’m Not Convinced I Need All of Them URL: https://www.techloy.com/google-chrome-features-review/ Last updated: 2026-10-12T15:29:59.000Z Your browser is probably one of the apps you use most, but how often do you think about the features you use beyond opening tabs and searching the web? [Google Chrome](https://www.techloy.com/tag/google-chrome/) wants to change that by adding tools that let you organise your tabs differently, annotate PDFs without another app, and use [Gemini](https://www.techloy.com/tag/google-gemini/) to get answers about what you're viewing. Some of these additions make sense on paper, but I wanted to see how useful they'd be in practice. After trying a few of Chrome's latest features, I found some genuinely convenient additions, a couple of limitations, and at least one feature I'm still not sure I'd use regularly. [How to Move Chrome Tabs Vertically in 5 Steps (Plus Video)Tired of a crowded Chrome tab bar? Here’s how to move your tabs to the side and make it easier to find and manage open pages.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-ded721b7-6701-4d8f-a142-b0922d0383e4.png)TechloyDavid Adubiina![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/YouTube-Thumbnail--2--32bc63a6-9b51-4830-82b7-b67c81f40cbc.png)](https://www.techloy.com/how-to-move-chrome-tabs-vertically/) ## Vertical tabs are useful, but I still prefer the old layout Chrome’s vertical tabs move your open tabs from the top of the browser window to a sidebar. Instead of squeezing tab names into a narrow strip, you can see more of their titles, organise them into groups and switch between pages without relying entirely on favicons. I can see why this would appeal to people who regularly work with lots of tabs open, especially when researching a topic or juggling multiple projects. Being able to see the names of your tabs makes it easier to identify the page you need, and keeping related tabs together can make a crowded browser feel more organised. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/image-51-1.png) **Screenshot: Louis Eriakha / Techloy.com* Chrome also lets you collapse the sidebar to free up screen space, expanding it when you need to find a particular tab. That makes the feature considerably more practical than leaving the entire sidebar open all the time. Even so, I’m not entirely sold on it. I already feel like I don’t have enough screen space to work comfortably, and moving my tabs to the side initially felt like sacrificing even more of it. Collapsing the sidebar helps, but I still prefer the traditional layout, which feels more natural to me. That doesn’t make vertical tabs a bad addition. They simply seem better suited to people who regularly have so many tabs open that managing them becomes a problem. If you tend to keep just a handful of tabs open, the benefits might not be enough to justify changing how you browse. ## Chrome’s PDF annotations are convenient, until you need to make changes later Meanwhile, Chrome’s new PDF annotation tools let you mark up documents directly in the browser. You can draw, highlight text, and add a handwritten signature without downloading the document and opening a separate PDF editor just to make a few changes. I found the tools pretty intuitive. It was easy to select an annotation tool, choose a colour, and make changes to a document. Erasing mistakes while working was also straightforward, which made the overall experience feel familiar even without a dedicated PDF editing application. The bigger problem came when I downloaded the annotated file and wanted to revisit it. Opening the PDF in Chrome again didn’t let me erase the existing annotations, even though I could use the eraser while working on the document initially. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Xbox’s Seasonal Savings Sale Has Batman, Mad Max, and More Under $5 URL: https://www.techloy.com/xbox-seasonal-savings-sale-2026-games/ Last updated: 2026-10-12T15:00:00.000Z [Xbox](https://www.techloy.com/tag/microsoft-xbox/) players have a good reason to revisit their wishlists. The [Xbox Seasonal Savings Sale](https://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/all-games?cat=onsale) has brought discounts across more than 1,000 games, with some major releases now available for less than $5. The most eye-catching deals are the ones cutting prices by 90% or 95%. That puts games such as Need for Speed Heat, Mad Max and Injustice 2 within reach for just a few dollars, while several collections offer multiple games or extra content at a fraction of their usual prices. There are also worthwhile discounts on games such as RoboCop: Rogue City, Gotham Knights and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. Below, we've rounded up the biggest deals from the 90–95% discount range, followed by other games discounted by 80–85%. [Xbox XP Division: What It Does and Why It MattersXbox XP has four teams covering movies, merchandise, live events and brand deals, but Microsoft hasn’t confirmed which franchises get new projects.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-98962586-9989-4bea-a186-181fa7fe062a.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1571716846252-df1324ce17bb-2c097b39-e1a4-4095-ba68-4b53aacaa646.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/xbox-xp-division/) ## Best Xbox Games Discounted by 90–95% The biggest bargains in the Xbox Seasonal Savings Sale are spread across racing games, superhero adventures, shooters, puzzle games, and family-friendly LEGO titles. More than 80 games are reportedly discounted by 90% or 95%, with several available for less than $5. Here are some of the standout deals worth checking out. - [Need for Speed Heat](https://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/store/need-for-speed-heat/BRZZLBF5T245) — £2.99/$2.99 (95% off). Race through Palm City by day and risk illegal street races at night while trying to stay ahead of the police. - [Metro Saga Bundle](https://www.xbox.com/en-US/store/search?q=Metro%20Saga%20Bundle) — £2.49/$2.99 (95% off). A particularly tempting deal for players who enjoy atmospheric shooters and post-apocalyptic storytelling. - [Borderlands 3](https://www.xbox.com/en-US/store/search?q=Borderlands%203) — £5.99/$5.99 (90% off). Explore a chaotic sci-fi world, collect an absurd number of weapons, and team up with friends in this looter-shooter. - [Batman: Return to Arkham](https://www.xbox.com/en-US/search?q=Batman%3A%20Return%20to%20Arkham) — £3.99/$4.99 (90% off). This collection includes remastered versions of Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City. - [Gotham Knights](https://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/store/gotham-knights/BT3611GR00CQ/0001/B4H34Q7L4BQW) — £6.49/$6.99 (90% off). Take control of the Bat Family in an open-world Gotham City, with support for cooperative play. - [RoboCop: Rogue City](https://www.xbox.com/en-US/store/search?q=RoboCop%3A%20Rogue%20City) — £3.49/$3.99 (90% off). Step into RoboCop's armoured boots in a first-person shooter set in a crime-ridden Detroit. - [Injustice 2](https://www.xbox.com/en-US/store/search?q=Injustice%202) — £2.99/$3.99 (90% off). Fight as DC superheroes and villains in a story-driven fighter featuring Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman. - [Mad Max](https://www.xbox.com/en-US/store/search?q=Mad%20Max) — £2.99/$4.99 (90% off). Explore a brutal wasteland, build up your vehicle and fight to survive in this open-world action game. - [Mortal Kombat 11](https://www.xbox.com/en-US/store/search?q=Mortal%20Kombat%2011) — £3.99/$4.99 (90% off). A low-cost option for fighting-game fans who want a cinematic story mode and a large roster of combatants. - [Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League](https://www.xbox.com/en-US/store/search?q=Suicide%20Squad%3A%20Kill%20the%20Justice%20League) — £6.99/$6.99 (90% off). Play as the Suicide Squad in a shooter built around taking on a brainwashed Justice League. ## More Xbox Games Discounted by 90% Beyond those highlights, several other games have also received steep price cuts. Here's the wider selection, with their listed UK and US prices. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The Terror Season 1 Is One of the Best Horror Seasons to Watch This Halloween URL: https://www.techloy.com/the-terror-season-1-halloween-horror/ Last updated: 2026-10-12T14:40:06.000Z The Terror is one of those horror series that makes survival feel just as frightening as the supernatural. Its first season follows a British naval expedition searching for the Northwest Passage, only for two ships to become trapped in Arctic ice with dwindling supplies and little hope of escape. Premiering on AMC on 26 March 2018, the 10-episode series is based on Dan Simmons’ novel, which draws on the real-life disappearance of the Franklin expedition and reimagines it through supernatural horror. As the crew battles extreme cold, hunger and growing distrust, the series builds a bleak picture of what happens when people are pushed beyond their limits. Its first season remains highly regarded, holding a 94% critics’ score on[ Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the%5Fterror/s01), and is well worth considering if you want a horror series with more to offer than jump scares. [Scarlett Johansson’s Under the Skin: Free for HalloweenScarlett Johansson’s unsettling 2013 sci-fi film is available free on Tubi, giving horror fans a chance to revisit one of her strangest and most unconventional performances.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-4661ae92-573f-4e81-815e-25d634092792.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/2569-8f5080c0-04ee-44db-bed4-c83794807ee3.webp)](https://www.techloy.com/scarlett-johansson-under-the-skin-free-tubi/) ## **The Real History Makes The Horror More Disturbing** The story draws on the lost Franklin expedition of 1845, when Royal Navy ships HMS Erebus and HMS Terror sailed from England with 129 men in search of a navigable route through the Arctic. The ships became trapped in ice near King William Island, and the expedition ultimately ended in disaster. The crews' fate remains one of the most haunting mysteries in British naval history. The series uses that history as its foundation, imagining what might have happened during the expedition’s final years. In the show, the crew faces dwindling supplies, illness, freezing temperatures, and a mysterious creature stalking them across the ice. The supernatural element comes from the novel, rather than being presented as a historical fact, but it makes an already desperate situation even more frightening. As The Guardian’s analysis points out, the series uses the expedition to examine the dangers of colonial ambition and the belief that people can conquer any environment. The men arrive expecting to master the Arctic, only to discover how little control they have over it. ## **Why The Terror Does Not Need Constant Jump Scares** One reason the first season stands out is its patience. The threat does not always need to appear on screen for you to feel it. Long stretches of silence, the isolation of the ships, and the uncertainty surrounding each death build tension without constantly interrupting the story with sudden scares. Showrunner David Kajganich explained the approach in an [interview with AMC](https://www.amc.com/blogs/the-terror-qa-david-kajganich-and-soo-hugh-executive-producersshowrunners--1006591). He said the team wanted to find the characters’ natural anxieties rather than force horror into every scene. The contrast between the cramped ships and the exposed landscape helped create two different kinds of fear: being trapped with other people and being left alone in an environment that offers no protection. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Can AI Make Video Editing Faster Without Making It Look Artificial? URL: https://www.techloy.com/can-ai-make-video-editing-faster-without-making-it-look-artificial/ Last updated: 2026-10-12T15:14:36.000Z This is how most of the professional video editor spend their time on projects: analyzing the entire footage, spending half the time trimming silent pauses and synching multi-cam angles. Sometimes these things can suck the joy out of the creative process and storytelling. This is why video editors were one of the first ones to embrace AI tools for video editing. Whether AI tools actually improve productivity or make the result look artificial is still debated. This is why we’ll try to find out if AI makes video editing faster without making it look artificial. *Note: The steps mentioned at the beginning are being referred to live-action footage, as these steps vary for different projects.* ## Where AI Delivers Speed(Without Sacrificing Quality) Most video editors know that there are only a few who get into it due to a passion for a certain type of video content, for example, documentaries, animation, film editing, etc. What AI has done is help video editors to get rid of repetitive editing tasks that many already hate doing. It can clear out all those “um” and “ah” sound effects throughout the video in one click. Without AI tools, one would have to find and remove those parts one by one. In this case, most of the audience often doesn’t even know if AI is used. ### Key Points: - AI is great for removing filler words and background noises instantly. A consistent white noise throughout the video is easier to treat compared to noises like a dog barking. - This AI use case is least likely to take away the jobs of video editors. - Smart audio cleanup and filler word removal are popular features in AI video editing tools these days. - AI has become a part of [video production](https://www.techloy.com/exploring-the-future-of-ai-powered-video-production/) to some degree. ## Dealing with the Uncanny Valley These days, generative AI features come integrated with popular AI video editing tools such as Filmora, and editors often use them to generate parts of the video. Therefore, it is pretty common to feel like something is off when you see these parts. That is what’s referred to as the uncanny valley. This is when digital avatars look *almost* like a real human but not 100%. This is the domain where AI video editors are still struggling. The main issue is that they’re trying to be perfectly imperfect like humans, which isn’t possible. ### Main Takeaways: - The most common use of the generative extend feature is to create more footage to fill the gap. Some content creators or video editors use this feature to create compelling video intros and outros. - The AI-generated part often stands out, which makes it harder to blend into the original video. ## Not Relying Completely on AI To all the video editors out there, it is not about choosing between AI and manual editing. It is about choosing what will boost productivity without sacrificing quality. It is better to run your raw footage through AI transcript tools to get rid of the silent gaps and filler words. It is also okay to rely on AI to do an audio cleanup, such as background noise removal. **Now let’s come to the part where you shouldn’t be too dependent on AI**: - **AI voice-overs**: It is better to hire real voice actors if it’s an animation, documentary, or anything that requires a voice-over. The AI voice generation in video editing tools may make your video look fake, because it’s not that good yet. - **Video intros and outros**: As we discussed earlier, AI is pretty good at generating video intros and outros, but you need to be careful about which one you choose. Avoid the ones that have realistic graphics, shiny metallic text, or exploding neon particles. ## Write Detailed Prompts You need to write detailed prompts to produce specific results. The quality of any AI-generated content depends on how good the prompt is. Vague inputs give you generic results that can make your video look like low-effort AI content. Try to explain scenarios in multiple lines or paragraphs if possible. For example, instead of saying “Generate a drone shot of a modern office at sunset”, say, “Provide a 35mm handheld shot of a modern open-plan office which has golden hour lighting from floor-to- ceiling windows”. ### Main Points: - Try to write multiple detailed prompts if the footage you’re trying to generate is long. - You can use AI chatbot tools to help you create a detailed prompt. Just ask it to generate a detailed prompt and make changes till it’s “perfect”. ## When Hiring Video Editors If you’re going to hire video editors, make sure they have a portfolio of legit projects they have created or worked on. If you check, you can clearly tell whether they’re too dependent on AI. It is good news if they admit to using AI and their final project doesn’t look ‘fake’. Once you’ve completed hiring and created a team, it’s important to get video editing tools with AI features. When choosing editing software, select traditional video editors rather than standalone AI video tools. The traditional ones often cost more as they offer advanced editing tools. For example, Filmora is a traditional video editor with generative AI tools. Therefore, depending on your team size, you should select a team or individual plan and then check if there are [ways to save](https://www.couponzguru.com/filmora-coupons/) on it. ### Main Highlights: - Try hiring a video editor with a strong background in traditional video editing. - Professionals/video editors with a good understanding of storytelling will always have an edge, no matter how capable AI models become. ## Final Words You can use AI for mechanical tasks without sacrificing quality. These include tasks such as editing transcripts, audio noise cleanups, and auto framing. The artificial look only appears when you try automating creative choices like voice-overs and video generation using generic prompts. If you’re still unsure about how AI impacts video editing, you can visit content creation subreddits to get more insights. ### How to Pre-Order Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake Bonuses Before Launch URL: https://www.techloy.com/zelda-ocarina-of-time-remake-pre-order-bonuses/ Last updated: 2026-10-12T12:00:00.000Z The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake is getting more than a new look on [Nintendo Switch 2](https://www.techloy.com/tag/nintendo-switch/). Players who buy the physical game can also collect exclusive merchandise, with Japanese retailers offering 15 different pre-order bonuses ranging from acrylic charms and character stickers to a wooden diorama display stand. [Nintendo](https://www.techloy.com/tag/nintendo/) has also announced separate early-purchase gifts for eligible Japanese physical copies, giving collectors another reason to pay attention to where they buy the game. The catch is that not every retailer offers the same bonus, and ordering the game does not automatically guarantee every promotional item. Some offers are limited to specific stores, while others depend on stock and the terms of the individual listing. If you want to secure a particular collectible before launch, here’s how to pre-order the Ocarina of Time remake and what to check before completing your purchase. [LEGO Ocarina of Time Link & Epona Set: 1,750 PiecesLEGO and Nintendo are bringing The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time back in brick form with a 1,750-piece Link and Epona set arriving in spring 2027.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-3bedf89c-cc7b-46fa-9c10-a741e247d198.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1607297737950-b3c024a71a69-9af7988e-227b-4407-be30-e158a2a4aea2.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/lego-ocarina-of-time-link-epona-set/) ## /1\. Choose the Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake Bonus You Want Before placing an order, decide which collectible matters most to you. Nintendo’s retailer-specific promotions in Japan mean you need to buy from the appropriate store to get its exclusive item. According to Famitsu's retailer bonus [roundup](https://www.famitsu.com/article/202610/90647), these are the 15 Japanese retailers and the items associated with their offers. - [Amazon Japan](https://www.amazon.co.jp/): An original acrylic coaster. - [Rakuten Books](https://books.rakuten.co.jp/): A wooden diorama display stand and cleaning cloth. - [Animate](https://www.animate-onlineshop.jp/): Three double-sided triangular acrylic coaster stands. - [AmiAmi](https://www.amiami.jp/): A pass holder. - [AEON Style Online](https://aeonretail.com/): Two domed pin badges. - [Ito-Yokado](https://iyec.itoyokado.co.jp/): A jute and canvas tote bag. - [Otakara Souko Group](https://www.ec.otakarasouko.com/): An original button badge. - [Gamers](https://www.gamers.co.jp/): An acrylic stand featuring the game's logo. - [GEO](https://ec.geo-online.co.jp/): A two-part acrylic charm. - [Joshin](https://joshinweb.jp/): Two die-cut stickers in a kraft-paper envelope. - [Seven Net Shopping](https://7net.omni7.jp/): An acrylic smartphone stand. - [Nojima](https://online.nojima.co.jp/): A paper tissue box cover. - [MrMax](https://mrmax.jp/): Three acrylic charms. - [Yamada Denki Group](https://www.yamada-denkiweb.com/): Character stickers. - [WonderGOO](https://shinseidowondergoo.com/): An acrylic figure. If you want a display piece, Rakuten Books' wooden diorama or WonderGOO's acrylic figure may be worth prioritising. If you prefer smaller collectibles, Amazon Japan's coaster, GEO's charm, or the sticker sets are alternatives. These links lead to the retailers' websites, not guaranteed live listings for the game. Use the Famitsu guide to identify each store's specific offer, then locate the correct product page and confirm that the bonus is still available. ## /2\. Order the Physical Edition From the Correct Retailer Once you have chosen your bonus, open the retailer's listing for the Nintendo Switch 2 version of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Don't assume that every listing from the same retailer includes its exclusive merchandise. A store may sell the standard game alongside a separate version or bundle that includes the bonus. Before paying, check the following: 1. The correct game: Confirm that the listing is for the Nintendo Switch 2 release. 2. The bonus description: Look for the exact collectible you want in the product title, description, or included-items section. 3. The edition: Check whether you are buying the physical game or a digital code. The Japanese early-purchase gifts discussed below are associated with physical copies. 4. Stock status: Confirm that both the game and the bonus are available. A listing may remain visible after a promotional item has sold out. 5. The final price: Compare the cost of the game and any bundle, delivery, or handling fees before ordering. Nintendo's official Japanese [game page](https://www.nintendo.com/jp/games/switch2/aa9ja/index.html) is a useful reference for checking the product and release information. The remake is scheduled to launch on November 5, 2026\. With the release approaching, collectors should check current stock rather than assume every retailer still has its original promotion available. ## /3\. Claim the Early-Purchase Bonuses Included With Japanese Physical Copies The retailer-exclusive merchandise is only part of the offer. Eligible Japanese physical copies also have two separate early-purchase bonuses: - An original The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time art card set. - A The Legend of Zelda 40th-anniversary sticker. These gifts are different from the acrylic charms, tote bags, and other store-specific items. According to Famitsu, the early-purchase gifts are available through participating stores, but some retailers may already have stopped accepting reservations or run out of eligible stock. To improve your chances of getting them, check the product listing for both items before placing your order. If the listing does not clearly confirm their inclusion, contact the retailer rather than assuming they will arrive with the game. Also, don't confuse an early-purchase bonus with a pre-order-only bonus. An early-purchase promotion may cover qualifying purchases while supplies last, whereas a retailer-exclusive item is tied to a particular store and its offer terms. For collectors hoping to get both types of merchandise, the ideal listing is one that explicitly includes the retailer-exclusive item and the early-purchase gifts. ## /4\. Can You Get the Zelda Remake Bonuses Outside Japan? Yes, potentially, but international buyers need to be more careful. The 15 collectibles listed above are associated with Japanese retailers. That does not mean every store accepts orders from overseas, and a Japanese product listing alone is not proof that the retailer will deliver to your country. If you are ordering from the United States, Nigeria or elsewhere outside Japan, follow these steps: First, check international shipping. Open the retailer's delivery information and confirm whether it ships directly to your country. If it does not, you may need a reputable Japan-based forwarding service, subject to the retailer's terms. Second, confirm the bonus is included. Make sure the listing names the specific collectible. Do not rely solely on a promotional image or a general description of the game. Third, calculate the total cost. Include the game price, international shipping, forwarding fees, and any applicable import charges. A bonus that looks attractive at first may not justify the extra expense. Fourth, check the region and product details. Confirm the physical edition, language information, and any relevant compatibility details before paying. Do not assume that every edition has identical packaging or promotional contents. Finally, review the seller's reputation and return policy. If you are using a marketplace or forwarding service, understand what happens if the game arrives without its advertised bonus. For buyers who only want the game, an ordinary local or regional purchase may be simpler. For collectors who specifically want a Japanese-exclusive item, importing can be worthwhile if the total cost and delivery terms make sense. ## /5\. What About Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake Pre-Order Bonuses in the US? The Japanese retailer offers shouldn't be mistaken for a confirmed US bonus programme. The promotions are tied to Japanese stores, and availability in other regions must be checked separately. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### New Apple TV 4K May Add Hands-Free Siri and a Remote Speaker URL: https://www.techloy.com/new-apple-tv-4k-hands-free-siri-remote-speaker/ Last updated: 2026-10-12T11:02:50.000Z It wasn’t long ago that rumours began swirling that [Apple](https://www.techloy.com/tag/apple/) would hold events this October. Now, Apple has [confirmed](https://www.techloy.com/apple-october-event-2026/) the first one, which takes place tomorrow. The second, though, is yet to be confirmed. That means we’ll likely see three productsat the October 13 event: a new smart home hub, a [HomePod](https://www.techloy.com/tag/homepod/) mini, and a refreshed [Apple TV](https://www.techloy.com/tag/apple-tv/). The two most interesting changes coming to the Apple TV aren’t about picture quality or processing power, but how you can talk to it and how you find the remote. [Apple October Event 2026: 2 Launches, Up to 12 ProductsWe might see three new home devices arriving on October 13, and more Macs following later this month.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-2a26befc-8fd1-4a3e-85bf-366cbfc3266f.png)TechloyOgbonda Chivumnovu![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1615725802642-936d9aade2ba-48e3fb6c-8567-4b66-968d-c5f53cef6cba.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/apple-october-event-2026/) ## The two main upgrades with the refreshed Apple TV According to [Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2026-10-11/apple-smart-home-launch-oct-13-plans-homeview-has-mid-november-release), Apple has tested built-in microphones for the Apple TV, so you can speak [Siri](https://www.techloy.com/tag/apple-siri/) commands to the box without using the remote. It has also tested a new Siri Remote with a built-in speaker, so you can find it when it’s lost between the couch cushions. Right now, if you want to use Siri on Apple TV, you have to speak into the Siri Remote or a paired HomePod. That’s fine until the remote is buried under a blanket or the HomePod is in another room. Built-in microphones on the Apple TV box itself would let you say “Hey Siri” from across the room. They would also make the Apple TV a more capable smart home hub, letting you control thermostats and lock doors by voice without hunting for the remote. The current Siri Remote has a basic “Find” feature, but a built-in speaker would be a big upgrade. It could play an audio alert to guide you to the remote, whether it got kicked under the couch or hidden in a drawer by a child. ## The specs The new Apple TV 4K is reportedly getting an A19 chip and 8GB of RAM, enough to support Siri AI and Apple Intelligence features. The new HomePod mini is expected to come in pink, white, green, blue, and midnight. Its main upgrade is a newer chip for Siri AI support. Apple has trailed [Amazon](https://www.techloy.com/tag/amazon/) and [Google](https://www.techloy.com/tag/google/) in the smart home for years. The HomePod struggled, and the Apple TV hasn’t been updated since 2022\. This is Apple’s attempt to catch up. The new HomeView smart display is reportedly the headline product, while the Apple TV and HomePod mini are the supporting cast, extending Siri AI into more rooms of the house. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Why TikTok’s CEO Thinks AI Could Spark Scientific Breakthroughs by 2029 URL: https://www.techloy.com/tiktok-ceo-ai-scientific-breakthroughs-three-years/ Last updated: 2026-10-12T10:22:19.000Z Much of the conversation around [artificial intelligence](https://www.techloy.com/tag/artificial-intelligence/) has focused on the work it could take away from people. But what if some of its biggest opportunities come from helping people discover things they could not figure out before? [TikTok](https://www.techloy.com/tag/tiktok/) CEO Shou Zi Chew expects AI to help scientists make breakthroughs within the next three years, potentially changing how research is conducted across physics, biotechnology, chemistry and materials science. Speaking at the DBS Asia Future Forward [Conference](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tBbGqxovNc) in Singapore on Monday, Chew said, “In the next two to three years, we’re going to have a real scientific breakthrough: physics, biotech, chemistry, materials science, because of AI. It’s very, very, very possible.” His prediction points to a part of the AI conversation that receives less attention than chatbots, automated customer service and software development: the technology’s potential to help scientists tackle complex problems. If that potential translates into meaningful advances, it could also change the skills and career opportunities available to people working in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). [Clara Shih: 3 Types of Jobs AI Is CreatingAs AI reshapes the workforce, former CEO Salesforce predicts there will be three types of jobs going forward.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-f09e092e-0be5-43d2-bcb9-55de93197d6c.png)TechloyDavid Adubiina![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/image-42--2--1-b8ebea9c-8f18-4d33-b0d3-df55886acbf7.png)](https://www.techloy.com/clara-shih-3-types-of-jobs-ai-era/) ## How is ByteDance using AI for scientific research? Chew’s remarks come as ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, expands its AI research beyond consumer applications. In April, the company’s Seed research team unveiled [Protenix-v2](https://seed.bytedance.com/en/public%5Fpapers/protenix-v2-broadening-the-reach-of-structure-prediction-and-biomolecular-design?order%5Fdesc=true&offset=0), an AI model designed to predict and help design biomolecular structures, with potential applications in drug discovery. Understanding the structure of biological molecules can help researchers investigate how they function and interact. AI models that support this work could help scientists explore possible molecular structures and research directions more efficiently, although experimental testing remains essential. Chew's expectations for AI in this regard tie into what Demis Hassabis, Google DeepMind's CEO and 2024 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, is already doing, which is using AI to predict protein structures. As AI research expands into scientific problems, technology companies and researchers are looking at how machine learning can support work that traditionally demands extensive specialised knowledge and experimentation. ## What could this mean for STEM careers? For people considering a career in STEM, the implications extend beyond learning how to use an AI chatbot. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Scarlett Johansson’s Under the Skin Is Free on Tubi for Halloween URL: https://www.techloy.com/scarlett-johansson-under-the-skin-free-tubi/ Last updated: 2026-10-12T10:15:04.000Z Scarlett Johansson has played superheroes, spies and some of Hollywood’s most recognisable characters, but one of her most unsettling performances came in a film where she said very little and let her actions speak for themselves. Under the Skin, Jonathan Glazer’s 2013 science fiction thriller, is now available to stream free on Tubi in the US. The film follows an alien disguised as a woman who drives around Scotland, luring unsuspecting men into her van. Rather than relying on familiar jump scares or lengthy explanations, Glazer builds tension through eerie images, silence and Johansson’s deliberately distant performance. If you enjoy horror that unsettles you without giving you easy answers, this film deserves a place on your watchlist. [The Social Reckoning: Aaron Sorkin’s Frances Haugen StoryThe Social Reckoning brings Frances Haugen’s Facebook whistleblower story to cinemas, five years after she exposed the company’s internal documents.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-3a3f29bb-be26-464a-af18-680d52c735b4.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/thereckoningg-1e84658f-b955-4be7-af8e-cee7930b5178.png)](https://www.techloy.com/the-social-reckoning-frances-haugen/) ## What Makes Under The Skin Different? Based on Michel Faber’s 2000 novel of the same name, Under the Skin follows an extraterrestrial who takes human form and uses her appearance to attract men. As she travels through Glasgow and other parts of Scotland, her encounters gradually complicate her understanding of humanity. The premise sounds like a conventional science fiction horror story, but the film takes an unconventional approach. Johansson’s character has little conventional dialogue, and much of the story unfolds through observation rather than explanation. You are left to work out what she wants, how she sees the people around her, and why her behaviour begins to change. The [British Film Institute’s overview](https://www.bfi.org.uk/film/d86b0530-2ced-592b-802e-8c164ace087d/under-the-skin) describes the film as a mixture of science fiction and inner-city realism, highlighting its unusual visuals and sound design. That combination makes ordinary streets, passing strangers and quiet conversations feel strangely threatening. ## Scarlett Johansson’s Most Unusual Performance Johansson is the film’s centre, but her performance is very different from the confident, expressive characters audiences may recognise from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Here, she plays someone who looks human but does not initially understand human emotion, attraction, or vulnerability in the same way. Her restrained performance is central to the film’s unease. Instead of telling you what the character feels, Johansson allows small changes in her behaviour to suggest that something is shifting beneath the surface. The result is a character who becomes more difficult to understand as the story progresses. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Xbox Game Pass November 2026: Five Games Confirmed So Far URL: https://www.techloy.com/xbox-game-pass-november-2026-lineup/ Last updated: 2026-10-12T10:03:33.000Z [Xbox Game Pass](https://www.techloy.com/tag/xbox-game-pass/) is heading into November 2026 with five [confirmed](https://www.purexbox.com/news/2026/10/five-games-are-confirmed-for-xbox-game-pass-in-november-2026-so-far) games so far, and the early lineup has a little bit of everything. Football Manager 27 brings its familiar club-management challenge, Warhammer Survivors turns two Warhammer universes into a bullet-heaven action game, and Gravhounds is looking to make co-op survival more chaotic. There are also two games worth watching for different reasons: VOID/BREAKER is getting its full 1.0 release after Early Access, while Thronefall offers a stripped-back mix of kingdom building and night-time defence. As a gaming writer, I find this early lineup more interesting for its variety than its blockbuster potential. None of these games needs to carry the entire month, and each targets a different kind of player. Here are the five confirmed Xbox Game Pass games for November 2026, with their release dates, platforms, and what makes them worth your attention. [Xbox Game Pass October 2026 Lineup: Games and Release DatesThe October lineup has grown with new additions including Battlefield 6, Forever Ago and Bluey’s Happy Snaps, with more games still to come.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-96471b15-b0c0-4f45-9d98-8519cf6fcbd9.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1638431755905-631694da8921-96477711-71b0-4c01-a57e-1bee8cb79710.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/xbox-game-pass-october-2026-lineup/) ## **Xbox Game Pass November 2026 Games: Full Release Schedule** **November 2 – Gravhounds:** Arrives on Xbox Series X|S and PC through the Xbox PC app for Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers. **November 4 – VOID/BREAKER Version 1.0:** Launches on Xbox Series X|S, PC and cloud gaming for Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers, marking its full release after Early Access. **November 10 – Football Manager 27:** Arrives on PC through the Xbox PC app, Steam and Epic Games Store for Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers. Football Manager 27 Console also launches on Xbox Series X|S for eligible Game Pass subscribers. **November 10 – Warhammer Survivors:** Launches on Xbox Series X|S, PC and cloud gaming for Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers. **November 11 – Thronefall:** Arrives on Xbox Series X|S and PC for Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass subscribers. ## **Gravhounds Brings Co-op Survival to Xbox Game Pass on November 2** The first game on November's schedule is Gravhounds, a co-op action-builder built around exploration, base defence, and extraction. Up to four players can venture onto hostile planets, collect resources, construct a base, and fight to get out with what they've gathered. The extraction mechanic gives those familiar survival-game activities a sharper purpose. Building a bigger base means little if your team cannot survive long enough to escape with its resources. Gravhounds launches into Early Access on November 2, so players should expect a game that is still being developed rather than a finished release. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Why the iPhone 18 Pro Costs 45% More Outside the US URL: https://www.techloy.com/insight-loop-newsletter-october-9-2026-iphone-18-pro-price-by-country/ Last updated: 2026-10-11T10:00:00.000Z 🌐 [****Insight Loop**](https://www.techloy.com/tag/insight-loop/) is now weekly! It's **Techloy*’s insight-based newsletter for paid subscribers that dives deep into groundbreaking technology, products, and the numbers behind them. Apple's [iPhone 18 Pro](https://www.techloy.com/when-does-the-iphone-18-come-out/) starts at $1,199 in the US, with 256GB as its base storage. But move the same phone across borders, and that number changes quickly. In Nigeria, iStore lists the 18 Pro at ₦2.269 million. South Africa’s iStore lists it at R28,799, [Apple India](https://www.techloy.com/foxconn-invests-1-5-billion-in-india-operation-as-apple-shifts-production-away-from-china/) at ₹164,900, and Indonesia’s Digimap at Rp27.499 million. Using Wise’s 7 October exchange rates, those prices work out to roughly $1,671 in Nigeria, $1,741 in South Africa, $1,710 in India and $1,540 in Indonesia. South Africa is about 45% above Apple’s US list price. India is 43% higher, Nigeria 39%, and Indonesia 28%. ## But why do we have such a big gap? If we start with the baseline, Apple’s $1,199 US price excludes state and local sales tax. India’s listed price already includes Goods and Services Tax (GST), and smartphones attract 18% GST. Remove that tax from India’s converted price, and it’s still roughly 21% above the US pre-tax price. Even though tax explains some of the difference, it doesn’t explain all. Meanwhile, the [South African Revenue Service](https://www.sars.gov.za/customs-and-excise/duties-and-taxes/duties-and-taxes-for-importers) charges 15% Value Added Tax (VAT), while smartphones priced above R2,500 attract a 9% ad valorem excise duty. For imports, VAT is calculated on a base that includes the customs value, a 10% uplift, and applicable duties. So, the tax is applied to more than the phone’s underlying import value. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Best News APIs for AI Applications in 2026: Tools for RAG, Agents and Data Pipelines URL: https://www.techloy.com/best-news-apis-for-ai-applications-in-2026-tools-for-rag-agents-and-data-pipelines/ Last updated: 2026-10-10T20:15:23.000Z RAG systems need article text and metadata, AI agents need current sources, and data pipelines often need enrichment and deduplication. This guide compares eight news APIs for these needs. ## **Best News APIs for AI applications in 2026** | API | Best for | Main strength | | ----------- | ---------------------- | ------------------------------------ | | NewsCatcher | News-focused RAG | Full text, enrichment, deduplication | | Exa | AI agents and research | Semantic search and content | | Perigon | News intelligence | Vector search, entities, stories | | Webz.io | Large AI pipelines | High-volume content and NLP | | NewsAPI.ai | News search | Structured retrieval | | NewsData.io | Monitoring | Flexible filtering | | Opoint | Financial intelligence | Entity metadata | | NewsAPI.org | Prototypes | Simple retrieval | ## **NewsCatcher** [NewsCatcher](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DeLL8JNQgXJztDEIl-xoGhaDyG3kA1vkEcXAwh0YuYA/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.epz8vc4888j3) is a dedicated news data API for AI applications needing article-level content and metadata. Its News API covers more than 140,000 sources across 50+ languages and 200+ countries. Full article text and metadata support chunking, embeddings, and retrieval without a separate extraction layer. It also provides summaries, entities, sentiment, topics, translations, deduplication, and clustering. Its archive extends to January 2019 and contains more than 2 billion articles; current articles are generally available within 5–10 minutes. **Best fit:** News-focused RAG, monitoring, research, and classification. ## **Exa** Exa is a web search and content retrieval API built for AI applications rather than a dedicated news database. Its Search API provides ranked web results, page contents, highlights, AI summaries, and structured outputs. Its key advantage is broader coverage across news sites, company websites, documentation, blogs, and other sources. **Best fit:** AI agents, research, web RAG, and current retrieval. ## **Perigon** Perigon provides structured news and event data with search, entity enrichment, story clustering, and vector search. Its platform covers more than 200,000 sources and supports natural-language queries. It connects articles to stories, people, companies, and topics, with sentiment, entity extraction, summaries, and keywords. **Best fit:** News RAG, conversational search, media intelligence, and monitoring. ## **Webz.io** Webz.io is designed for AI applications needing large volumes of structured content. Its News API covers more than 300,000 news sites across 170+ languages and 200+ countries, with millions of articles processed daily. Capabilities include full-text content, NLP enrichment, entity extraction, topic classification, sentiment analysis, duplicate detection, and metadata. **Best fit:** Large-scale RAG, media intelligence, financial research, and high-volume international news pipelines. ## **NewsAPI.ai** NewsAPI.ai provides searchable access to current and historical news using keywords, topics, sources, dates, and other parameters. It supports RAG, research, classification, monitoring, and searchable news applications. Advanced NLP, embeddings, and semantic retrieval may require extra tools. ## **NewsData.io** NewsData.io provides current and historical news across countries, languages, topics, and sources, with flexible filtering by country, language, category, source, and keyword. It suits lightweight RAG, classification, monitoring, research, and prototypes. Advanced pipelines may need extra NLP infrastructure. ## **Opoint** Opoint is a news search and media intelligence platform for monitoring, research, and corporate intelligence. It provides deduplicated results, Boolean search, IPTC topic codes, entity tags, and financial identifiers. Opoint reports more than 250,000 articles daily across 135 languages and 230 jurisdictions. Its API provides publication, source, topic, entity, and financial metadata, including LEI, FIGI, and PermID. **Best fit:** Media monitoring, financial intelligence, corporate research, risk analysis, and entity-focused news analysis. ## **NewsAPI.org** NewsAPI.org is a REST API for retrieving news articles and headlines. It provides keyword search, source filtering, language and country parameters, and simple integration. The /v2/everything endpoint searches articles from more than 150,000 sources, while /v2/top-headlines provides headlines. It is useful for prototypes, simple RAG experiments, dashboards, and research tools. A key limitation is that search results do not provide full article content. ## **Matching News APIs to AI use cases** | AI use case | Recommended API | Main requirement | | ----------------------------- | --------------- | -------------------------------- | | News-focused RAG | NewsCatcher | Full text and enrichment | | AI research agents | Exa | Semantic web search | | News intelligence | Perigon | Entities and story relationships | | Large-scale AI pipelines | Webz.io | High-volume content and NLP | | News search and analysis | NewsAPI.ai | Structured retrieval | | Lightweight RAG or monitoring | NewsData.io | Flexible filtering | | Financial intelligence | Opoint | Entity metadata | | Prototypes | NewsAPI.org | Simple integration | ## **How to choose a News API for an AI application** Start with the retrieval requirements rather than the number of features on a provider’s website. 1. **Define the data source.** Decide whether the application needs news only or information from the wider web. 2. **Check content depth.** RAG systems need full article text. 3. **Evaluate freshness.** Monitoring may require near-real-time updates. 4. **Check enrichment.** Entities, topics, sentiment, and summaries reduce downstream processing. 5. **Evaluate duplicate handling.** Deduplication prevents repeated events entering the pipeline. 6. **Check historical access.** Historical data matters for research and trends. 7. **Estimate volume and pricing.** Compare limits and credits with expected usage. 8. **Review licensing.** Ensure terms match how content is stored, processed, and displayed. ## **Pricing considerations for AI workloads** Cost depends on query and article volume, historical searches, enrichment, storage, processing, retention, and licensing. A low API price may still mean higher total costs if separate extraction or enrichment is required. ## **FAQ** ### **Can News APIs be used for RAG?** Yes. News APIs can provide article text and metadata for news-focused RAG systems. Developers typically retrieve relevant articles, clean and split the content, generate embeddings, and store the resulting chunks in a vector database. ### **Is a News API better than web search for AI applications?** A News API is generally better when an application needs structured news data. Web search is more appropriate when the system needs information from the wider web. ### **Why is deduplication important for AI news pipelines?** Deduplication prevents multiple versions of the same story from entering a pipeline as separate pieces of information, reducing redundant results. ### I Tried 4 Nigerian Browser Games, From Lagos Life to Monkey Post URL: https://www.techloy.com/lagos-life-nigerian-browser-games/ Last updated: 2026-10-10T10:59:59.000Z [X (formerly Twitter)](https://www.techloy.com/tag/x-com/) is known for breaking news, trending conversations, memes, and endless arguments. But lately, it has also become a place to discover small browser games that you can play without downloading a dedicated gaming app. Some of these games take familiar ideas and give them a Nigerian twist. Think of an endless runner inspired by Temple Run, a life simulator that feels like The Sims, a quiz game built around guessing what people would say, and a digital version of the street football game many Nigerians grew up playing. I tried four of them: Danfo Run, Lagos Life, Crowd Said and Monkey Post. Here are my thoughts on all four. [GTA 6 Cyberleek Video Shows Nude Jason and Car UpgradesA new Cyberleek GTA 6 leak reveals nearly 25 minutes of gameplay, including car upgrades, dirt-bike racing, first-person driving, and explicit nudity.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-f15c7bcc-6fec-43a4-a110-5f657128e646.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/GTA-6-d4e4ffb2-2568-435e-9974-5f6a6b8084e5.png)](https://www.techloy.com/gta-6-cyberleek-video/) ## /1\. Danfo Run ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/lagos-run-game--1-.jpg) Image credit: Danfo Run If you have ever played Temple Run or Subway Surfers, you will understand the appeal of [Danfo Run](https://danfo.horpey.dev) almost immediately. The difference is that, instead of running away from danger or dodging trains, you are driving a yellow danfo through Lagos traffic. Developed by Nigerian software engineer Opeyemi Adeniran, who posts on X as @eureka\_seamless, the browser-based game puts you behind the wheel of a commercial bus. You pick up passengers, collect fares, dodge okadas and other obstacles, and try to survive the chaos. Its early success was significant, attracting more than 140,000 players in its first week. The game has also expanded beyond its original Ojuelegba-to-Yaba route. Updates have introduced Lagos Island, including landmarks such as Third Mainland Bridge, Makoko, Idumota and Marina, alongside new buses, missions, daily streaks, leaderboards and customisation options. The developer is also working towards social features that will let players compete and play together. Music is another part of the experience. The in-game radio recreates the sound of a typical Lagos bus journey, while the game also offers options to choose songs or play your own music. Anendlessocean-related music content is part of the latest update conversation, although its precise implementation should be confirmed before describing it as a dedicated in-game partnership. What makes Danfo Run interesting is its simplicity. You do not need to learn complicated controls or spend time understanding an elaborate storyline. You can open the game, start driving, and try to beat your previous score. 💡 ****My take:** Danfo Run is the one to try when you want something quick and competitive. Its familiar setting gives it an identity that separates it from the many endless runners already available. ## /2\. Lagos Life ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/images.jpg) Image credit: Condia What would The Sims look like if your character had to deal with Lagos rent, find a job, and stretch their money to cover everyday needs? That's the idea behind [Lagos Life](https://lagoslife.app/), a life-simulation game created by Nigerian developer Shalom Rayhamen, known online as Eliy. Inspired by The Sims, the game lets players create characters, earn virtual money, find somewhere to live, and manage needs such as hunger, energy, hygiene, and social interaction. Players can also explore the city, pursue jobs, and interact with others, all within a setting shaped by Nigerian urban life. Beyond its gameplay, Lagos Life is attracting investor interest. Its parent company, Vatar, has raised $500,000 in pre-seed funding at a $10 million valuation. The round reportedly closed within a day, with investors including [Flutterwave](https://www.techloy.com/tag/flutterwave/) CEO Olugbenga Agboola, through Resilience17, alongside Oo Nwoye and Mono co-founders Nathan Nwachuku and Abdulhamid Hassan. The game is also bringing real Nigerian businesses into its virtual world through a partnership with Chowdeck. The food delivery platform appears as an app within the game's simulated smartphone, integrating a familiar service into the experience and creating opportunities for brands to reach players organically. That approach could help Vatar build a business beyond conventional game sales. In-game advertising, brand partnerships, and virtual currency purchases offer potential revenue streams while allowing businesses to become part of the world players explore. 💡 ****My take:** Lagos Life stands out because its Nigerian setting shapes both its gameplay and commercial potential. The $500,000 funding round and Chowdeck partnership suggest ambitions beyond creating a local alternative to The Sims. The real challenge will be turning its early attention into a lasting player community and a sustainable business. ## /3\. Crowd Said ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/HULVzemWYAAWvzM.png) Image credit: Crowd Said If you enjoy Family Feud, [Crowd Said So](https://crowd-said.vercel.app/) is the one to look out for. Created by X user @thetimileyin, the appeal of this kind of game isn't necessarily knowing the correct answer, but figuring out what other people are most likely to say. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Best Free AI Humanizer Tools for Freelance Writers URL: https://www.techloy.com/best-free-ai-humanizer-tools-for-freelance-writers/ Last updated: 2026-10-15T08:47:02.000Z The message from the client arrives at 11 p.m. Lagos time, which is late afternoon wherever the client is. “Our checker says this is 80% AI. Please revise.” Attached is a screenshot of a detector result and nothing else. The writer drafted that article over two evenings, used an AI tool to outline it and to tidy up some clumsy sentences, and now has a revision request on a fixed-price contract that won’t pay out until it’s resolved. Freelance writers across Nairobi, Accra, Lagos, Kampala and Johannesburg who work for overseas clients on marketplaces and retainers know this situation well. Clients increasingly run every delivery through a detector, often a free one, and treat the score as final. Writers, meanwhile, are expected to work fast and cheap, which in practice means using AI somewhere in the process. Paid writing tools priced in dollars are a real expense when your income arrives in dollars but your rent, data bundles and power backup are paid locally. That’s why free humanizers get so much attention. A humanizer rewrites text so its rhythm and word choice read more like a person wrote them. Used properly, it is an editing aid that helps your AI-assisted draft sound like you. Used as a shortcut to pass off unedited AI text as your own work, it’s a reputational risk, and clients do eventually notice thin content regardless of the score. The tools below all have some form of free access as of early October 2026\. Free allowances change often, so check each tool’s current limits before you build a workflow around one. ## **1\. Quillbot AI Humanizer** Quillbot is the tool most freelancers already have bookmarked, usually for its paraphraser. It’s owned by Learneo (the company behind Course Hero) and has grown into a writing suite with a grammar checker, summarizer, AI detector and a dedicated humanizer. If you’re picking one [free ai humanizer](https://quillbot.com/ai-humanizer) to learn properly, start here, mainly because of what sits around it. The free tier lets you humanize short passages, with word and usage limits. That sounds restrictive, but it pushes you toward the right habit: working paragraph by paragraph instead of dumping a whole article in and hoping. Premium removes the limits, adds long-form humanizing, history and tone insights, and connects with ChatGPT and Gemini. There are four styles: Standard, Academic, Professional and Casual. For most freelance work, Professional suits B2B blog posts, case studies and LinkedIn ghostwriting, and Casual suits lifestyle content and newsletters. It also detects language automatically and supports English (with US, UK, Australian and Canadian variants), French, Spanish, German and Portuguese. That French support matters for writers in Francophone West Africa who take clients in both languages. The bigger advantage is that Quillbot’s free AI detector is in the same place. You can humanize a section, then check it with the detector, which separates text that looks AI-generated, human-written, and human-written with some AI refinement, and highlights the sentences driving the result. When a client sends you that “80% AI” screenshot, being able to see which specific sentences look machine-written turns a vague complaint into a short list of fixes. A real example from the kind of fintech explainer many African freelancers write: **Original AI-assisted line:** “Mobile money has transformed financial inclusion across the African continent by providing unbanked populations with access to essential financial services.” **After Quillbot (Professional), then my edit:** “Mobile money reached people banks never bothered with. A market trader in Kisumu can now pay suppliers, receive school fee refunds and save small amounts without ever opening a bank account.” The tool removed “transformed,” “essential” and the abstract phrasing, and split the sentence. I added Kisumu, the trader and the school fees. Neither half would be enough on its own. ## **2\. Grammarly AI Humanizer** Grammarly offers a free humanizer as a standalone page. Rewrites are mild: it smooths stiffness without restructuring much. ## **3\. ZeroGPT Humanizer** ZeroGPT is famous for its free detector, the one many clients use without knowing much about it. The site also has a humanizer with a free daily allowance (an account is required). ## **4\. Wordtune** Wordtune isn’t marketed as a humanizer. It rewrites one sentence at a time with options to shorten, expand, or make text more casual or formal. The free plan has a daily cap on rewrites. ## **5\. Humbot** Humbot offers a small free allowance after signup, enough to test it on a few paragraphs. Its output leans casual. ## **6\. WriteHuman** WriteHuman requires an account, and its free tier caps how much text you can process per request. That makes it workable for short deliverables (product descriptions, bios, ad copy) but tedious for long articles. ## **7\. BypassGPT** BypassGPT has a free tier with a per-check word limit after signup. As the name suggests, it’s oriented around detection scores. ## **The free tiers at a glance** | Tool | Free access | Signup needed | Good for | | ---------- | ------------------------------------ | ------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Quillbot | Free tier with word and usage limits | Yes, for full use | Paragraph-level humanizing with a detector alongside Light tone polish | | Grammarly | Free humanizer page | Account recommended | Light tone polish | | ZeroGPT | Free daily allowance | Yes | Checking against a detector many clients use | | Wordtune | Free plan, daily rewrite cap | | Sentence-by-sentence edits | | Humbot | Small free allowance | Yes | Quick tests | | WriteHuman | Small per-request limit | Yes | Short copy | | BypassGPT | Per-check limit | Yes | Secondary option | ## **A free workflow that holds up with demanding clients** Free tools work fine if the process around them is solid. This is the sequence I’d recommend for a freelancer handling three or four articles a week: ### **Outline yourself, draft with help.** Write your own outline with the specific angle, sources and examples. ### **Add what the model doesn’t know.** Local examples, numbers you’ve confirmed from primary sources, your own observations. ### **Humanize in chunks.** Take one section at a time through a free ai humanizer like Quillbot’s, which also fits within free word limits. ### **Check the flagged lines.** Run the article through a detector. ### **Keep your receipts.** Write in Google Docs or another tool with version history. ### Moove Customers to Get ₦35bn in Vehicles as It Exits Nigeria URL: https://www.techloy.com/moove-nigeria-operations-shutdown/ Last updated: 2026-10-09T16:02:17.000Z [Moove](https://www.techloy.com/tag/moove/) is leaving Nigeria, but its customers won’t be left empty-handed. The Lagos-founded mobility startup has announced it will transfer vehicles worth over ₦35 billion ($26 million) to customers, as a “Thank You Nigeria” initiative. According to the company, this is to recognise the customers, employees, partners and communities that supported its growth from a Lagos start-up into an international mobility business. ## Who qualifies for the vehicles? From October 1, 2026, drivers who already operate eligible vehicles through Moove’s drive-to-own and rental products will own them outright, with no further payment to the company for the vehicles themselves. “We want those vehicles to continue supporting livelihoods and families long after this chapter of Moove’s operations concludes,” Ladi Delano, Moove's co-founder, told Business Day, adding that the arrangement would allow customers to continue using the vehicles to generate income after Moove’s departure. ## Why is Moove exiting Nigeria? Moove's exit follows Uber’s withdrawal after 12 years in the market. In 2014, Uber launched in Nigeria and became the main platform behind Moove’s local financing model, with drivers repaying their vehicles from earnings on the app. “Uber was the principal platform supporting our Nigerian model at scale, so its departure had a significant effect on the business,” Delano said. Established in 2020 by Ladi Delano and Jide Odunsi, Moove was built to tackle the lack of access to vehicle financing and economic empowerment for ride-hailing and mobility entrepreneurs who have little or no credit history or collateral. Since its launch, it has grown to have 9,000 customers using its drive-to-own and rental products in Nigeria, with Moove-financed vehicles helping them generate approximately ₦57bn in revenue, the firm disclosed. But now, after weighing the alternatives and the economics of staying, the company concluded it could not sustain its Nigerian model. ## What happens to Moove’s employees _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 🤔 Free ChatGPT can now do more than you'd expect URL: https://www.techloy.com/newsletter-week-41-2026-free-chatgpt-can-now-do-more-than-youd-expect/ Last updated: 2026-10-09T15:57:59.000Z I used to pride myself on being able to spot AI videos. One look at the awkward arms or that slightly off voice, and I’d know. But I’m realising those days are behind us. We’ve come a long way from the weird-looking videos we used to laugh at, and it’s getting eerie how real these things have become. Meanwhile, as we all try to figure out what’s real, OpenAI has a gift for free ChatGPT users this week. **In this week's issue:** - ASOS customers got a ransom note from hackers. - Apple might need two events to get through all its October announcements. - And startup funding opportunities you should apply for. See you next week! — [Kelechi](https://www.techloy.com/author/kelechi/), *Interim Managing Editor* --- ## **🚀 BIG STORY** ![man in black long sleeve shirt using computer](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1623479322729-28b25c16b011?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDE0fHxkZXZlbG9wZXIlMjB8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzkxNTM0NjY1fDA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000) Photo by [Mohammad Rahmani](https://unsplash.com/@afgprogrammer?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=api-credit) / [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=api-credit) ### 🤖 ChatGPT’s best new tricks are coming to free users. Sort of *By Damilare Odedina* If you're a free ChatGPT user or ChatGPT Go subscriber, you now have access to one of OpenAI's smartest AI models. But you’re getting Luna, while paying subscribers get Sol. Luna is faster, even though it doesn’t quite keep up on harder tasks. The interesting bit is that both versions can now build things like charts, calculators, and little games right inside your chat. So, if ChatGPT can do all that for free, what exactly are you paying for? [READ THE FULL STORY](https://www.techloy.com/gpt-6-intelligent-ui/) --- ## **⚡️ MORE BIG STORIES** ![](https://static.klipy.com/ii/d7aec6f6f171607374b2065c836f92f4/4d/78/5Cnr6LGd.gif) ### 🛍️ Hackers got into a popular shopping app You open ASOS expecting an update on that order you’ve been tracking, and instead, hackers are in [your notifications asking for money](https://www.techloy.com/asos-hacked-ransom-note-app-snowflake/). That's horrible enough, but ASOS has confirmed that some customer information was accessed, including recent search histories. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Ubisoft Is Shutting Down Rainbow Six Mobile in January 2027 After 15 Seasons URL: https://www.techloy.com/rainbow-six-mobile-shutdown-january-2027/ Last updated: 2026-10-09T15:00:00.000Z [Ubisoft](https://www.techloy.com/ubisoft-cancels-prince-of-persia-sands-of-time-remake-and-five-other-games/) is shutting down Rainbow Six Mobile on January 15, 2027, less than 11 months after the tactical shooter launched worldwide on Android and iOS. In an [official announcement](https://www.ubisoft.com/en-us/news/ignt.64004/rainbow-six-mobile-update-message-from-the-devs) published on October 8, the development team said it had made the “difficult decision to sunset Rainbow Six Mobile.” The game will remain playable until January 15, while its next season will launch as planned next week. The decision ends Ubisoft’s attempt to bring the Rainbow Six Siege experience to smartphones after years of development, testing, and seasonal updates. The company hasn't explained why it's closing the game, but confirmed that its developers will move to other long-term strategic projects. Here’s what players need to know about the shutdown and what happens next. [Xbox Layoffs: Microsoft Cuts 3,200 Jobs, Sells 4 StudiosMicrosoft is cutting jobs and spinning off four studios, including Ninja Theory and Undead Labs, in the gaming division’s biggest shake-up yet.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-0f937f74-7ff0-4981-a931-89879751c524.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1604586362408-a8f1c0178213-0e7553ac-b04a-4ad7-8f04-2d3c13cb6278.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/xbox-layoffs-3200-jobs-studios-sold/) ## When Is Rainbow Six Mobile Shutting Down? Rainbow Six Mobile will remain available until January 15, 2027, when Ubisoft plans to end the service. The next season will still arrive as scheduled. Ubisoft has also promised more information in the coming weeks to help players prepare for the transition. “Since Soft Launch in 2023, you have helped us shape this game and build this vibrant community of players from around the world through 15 seasons,” the development team said in its announcement. That detail highlights the work behind the mobile release, which went through several years of testing before its global launch on February 23, 2026. Ubisoft has yet to clarify what will happen to unused in-game currency, purchases, and player accounts after the servers close. Players should wait for official guidance rather than assume they will receive refunds or be able to transfer purchases to another game. ## Why Is Ubisoft Shutting Down Rainbow Six Mobile? Ubisoft hasn't disclosed the reason for the shutdown. So, there's no confirmed evidence that declining player numbers, poor sales, or development costs were responsible for the decision. The timing is nevertheless striking. After its worldwide launch in February 2026, the game will have had less than 11 months on the global market before its planned closure. Ubisoft’s announcement focuses on thanking the community and outlining the transition. It does not provide player-count figures, revenue data, or an explanation of the business decision. The company did confirm that the development team will move to “other long-term strategic projects,” although it has not identified those projects. For now, the reasons behind the closure remain unclear. The confirmed news is that Ubisoft is ending the service despite having spent years preparing the game for a worldwide audience. [Phoenix Cyclops Marvel Tōkon: Release Date and Dark PhoenixCyclops’ first Tōkon DLC is not the version fans expected, and its Dark Phoenix power-up comes with a dangerous cost.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-cda9989d-5abf-4b18-b12e-b799e6a0c4b9.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1486572788966-cfd3df1f5b42-f1d6613a-0281-4cab-8a17-901f5d378c83.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/phoenix-cyclops-marvel-tokon/) ## What Was Rainbow Six Mobile? Announced in 2022, Rainbow Six Mobile was Ubisoft’s free-to-play adaptation of its tactical shooter franchise for Android and iOS. The game brought familiar Rainbow Six Siege mechanics to smartphones, including operator abilities, destructible environments, close-quarters combat, and coordinated five-versus-five matches. Ubisoft also redesigned the experience for touchscreen controls and mobile hardware instead of simply porting the existing PC and console game. When Ubisoft announced its worldwide release, it highlighted three modes: Bomb, Bomb Rush, and Team Deathmatch. The game also featured more than 20 Operators at launch, alongside maps adapted from Siege and mobile-exclusive locations. The aim was to make the franchise accessible to players without gaming PCs or consoles. But the upcoming shutdown means that this mobile version will no longer be an option after January 15, 2027. ## Is Rainbow Six Siege Also Shutting Down? No. Ubisoft’s announcement concerns Rainbow Six Mobile, not Rainbow Six Siege. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 6 Best Document Annotation Tools for AI Training Data in 2026 URL: https://www.techloy.com/6-best-document-annotation-tools-for-ai-training-data-in-2026/ Last updated: 2026-10-09T14:43:31.000Z Building a document AI model is only as good as the training data behind it. Whether you are extracting tables from financial reports, classifying clauses in legal contracts, or pulling patient data from medical records, the model needs labeled examples that show it exactly what each element on a page looks like and where it sits. That is where document annotation tools come in. These platforms let you draw bounding boxes around elements on a document page, assign classification labels like "header," "paragraph," "table," or "figure," and export the results in formats that machine learning frameworks can consume. Not every annotation tool is built for documents, though. Many are designed for natural images (labeling cars, people, animals) and struggle with the dense, text-heavy layouts that define real-world documents. The tools below are specifically suited for document annotation and AI training data production. ## **1\. DocuGraph by AI Asset Management** DocuGraph is a dedicated PDF annotation and auto-labeling platform built specifically for document AI. It uses three independent computer vision methods (deep learning segmentation, region-based detection, and geometric layout analysis) to auto-label document elements, then assigns a confidence score based on how many methods agree on each prediction. What sets it apart is the auto-labeling accuracy. The platform is trained on over one million documents and achieves 94% segmentation accuracy. It processes each page in 15 to 30 seconds and includes a visual editor where reviewers can correct labels directly on the PDF. Ten pre-trained domain models cover financial, legal, medical, research, invoice, and other document types. Exports include structured JSON and Markdown with bounding box coordinates, text content, and confidence scores, compatible with PyTorch, TensorFlow, and HuggingFace. The first five pages are free with no account required. [Try DocuGraph free](https://aiasset-management.com/datalabeling/) ## **2\. Label Studio** Label Studio is an open-source data labeling platform that supports images, text, audio, and documents. For document annotation, it offers bounding box and polygon tools with customizable label taxonomies. It runs locally or on a private server, which makes it a solid choice for teams with strict data privacy requirements. The learning curve is steeper than hosted platforms, and auto-labeling requires connecting your own ML backend. ## **3\. CVAT** CVAT (Computer Vision Annotation Tool) is an open-source annotation platform originally developed by Intel. It handles image and video annotation with bounding boxes, polygons, polylines, and keypoints. CVAT works for document pages exported as images, though it was designed for natural image tasks rather than documents specifically. It exports in COCO, Pascal VOC, and YOLO formats. Self-hosting is free; the cloud version has paid tiers. ## **4\. Prodigy** Prodigy is a scriptable annotation tool from the makers of spaCy. It is designed for rapid iteration: an active learning loop suggests which examples to label next based on model uncertainty. Prodigy works best for NLP and text classification tasks. For document layout annotation, it requires custom recipes and image annotation workflows, which takes developer setup but gives full control over the labeling pipeline. ## **5\. VGG Image Annotator (VIA)** VIA is a lightweight, browser-based annotation tool developed by the Visual Geometry Group at Oxford. It requires no installation and runs entirely in the browser. VIA supports bounding boxes, polygons, circles, and point annotations on images. For document annotation, you upload page images and draw regions manually. There is no auto-labeling, no pre-trained models, and no team collaboration features, but it is completely free, open-source, and works offline. ## **6\. Datature** Datature is a cloud-based platform that combines annotation with model training in one workflow. It supports bounding boxes, polygons, and segmentation masks. The platform includes an auto-labeling feature that uses your trained models to pre-label new data. Datature exports in COCO and Pascal VOC formats and integrates with common ML frameworks. The free tier covers a limited number of annotations per month. ## **How to Choose** The right tool depends on your document type, team size, and how much manual labeling you can afford. If you are labeling PDFs and need auto-labeling with high accuracy out of the box, a document-specific platform saves weeks of configuration. If you need a general-purpose annotator that covers images, text, and video alongside documents, an open-source tool gives you flexibility at the cost of setup time. For teams working specifically with document AI training data, the deciding factors are auto-labeling quality, export format compatibility with your training framework, and how quickly reviewers can verify and correct predictions. A tool that reduces the review cycle by even 30% compounds into significant time savings across thousands of pages. ### Top 10 African Companies in the 2026 Forbes World’s Best Employers Ranking URL: https://www.techloy.com/nedbank-forbes-worlds-best-employers-2026-africa/ Last updated: 2026-10-09T14:32:41.000Z Ten African companies have earned a place among the world’s best employers in this year’s Forbes ranking, with South Africa’s Nedbank emerging as the continent’s highest-ranked company. The 2026 ranking features 900 companies from around the world, including more than 14 based in Africa. If you’re a job seeker or digital nomad looking for the best places to work in Africa, the list offers a useful starting point. Forbes’ World’s Best Employers ranking assesses companies worldwide based on employee feedback and factors such as salary, career advancement opportunities, and work-life balance. With these factors in mind, Techloy reviewed the ranking and pulled out the top 10 African companies featured on the list. [5 Startup Accelerators Still Open for Applications in 2026These five accelerator programmes offer founders opportunities for investment, mentorship and market access, with application deadlines running from October through November.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-b27df617-8460-4252-adef-ce3bb156d7a2.png)TechloyOgbonda Chivumnovu![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1675716921224-e087a0cca69a-2876b305-3a5d-4c2a-9bde-c244465b3ceb.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/startup-accelerators-open-applications-2026/) ## /1\. Sanlam - **Global ranking:** 470th - **African ranking:** 10th - **Country Founded:** South Africa **What the company does:** Sanlam is a South African financial services group with more than a century of history, dating back to 1918\. Life insurance, investments, retirement savings, and wealth management make up the core of its business, and it now operates across much of the continent. ## /2\. Mediclinic - **Global ranking:** 460th - **African ranking:** 9th - **Country Founded:** South Africa **What the company does:** Mediclinic is a private hospital group that treats patients across Southern Africa, Switzerland, and the United Arab Emirates. Its network of hospitals and clinics covers emergency care, surgery, and specialist treatment. ## /3\. Sasol - **Global ranking:** 298th - **African ranking:** 8th - **Country Founded:** South Africa **What the company does:** The South African energy and chemicals group pioneered technology that turns coal and gas into liquid fuels, and also produces a wide range of chemicals used in everything from plastics to cosmetics. ## /4\. Guaranty Trust Bank - **Global ranking:** 277th - **African ranking:** 7th - **Country Founded:** Nigeria **What the company does:** Founded in 1990 and headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria, the bank is widely recognized for pioneering digital banking solutions across the country. It offers a full suite of commercial, retail, corporate, and investment banking options. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Anthropic Rolls Out Free AI Vulnerability Scanner for Open-Source Projects URL: https://www.techloy.com/anthropic-oss-scanner-free-ai-vulnerability-scans/ Last updated: 2026-10-09T14:08:04.000Z Back in April, there was a bit of commotion in the [cybersecurity](https://www.techloy.com/tag/cybersecurity/) space when Anthropic, the company behind [Claude](https://www.techloy.com/tag/claude/), unveiled one of its most advanced AI models, [Claude Mythos Preview](https://www.techloy.com/tag/claude-mythos-preview/). [Anthropic](https://www.techloy.com/tag/anthropic/) said the model could surpass all but the most skilled humans at finding and exploiting software vulnerabilities. It held the model back from the public and made it available only to select partners under [Project Glasswing](https://www.techloy.com/what-is-project-glasswing-7-things-to-know-about-anthropics-new-mythos-ai-security-alliance/). Even US financial officials took notice: the Treasury Secretary and the Federal Reserve Chair [convened](https://www.techloy.com/claude-mythos-preview-raises-regulatory-concerns-over-vulnerability-exploitation-capability/) major bank CEOs to warn about the model’s cyber risks, especially in the wrong hands. But Anthropic is now trying to put similar capabilities to defensive use, and it’s giving some of that capability away for free. The company just [launched](https://www.anthropic.com/news/anthropic-cyber-mission) OSS Scanner, a free vulnerability-scanning service for open-source projects. It uses Anthropic’s strongest models, including Claude Mythos, to find security flaws and generate bug reports. [Why Anthropic Researcher Jacob Coxon Quit, and Who AgreedCoxon’s warning comes as both OpenAI and Anthropic have faced incidents involving their AI systems gaining access to other organisations’ systems.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-3bf0873d-e09c-4cc9-aa70-f06250a157eb.png)TechloyDavid Adubiina![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1579226905180-636b76d96082-0418448d-a621-438d-a8db-9f2175341af5.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/anthropic-researcher-quits-jacob-coxon-ai-safety/) ## Why Anthropic is doing this AI models have become far better at finding vulnerabilities. On [CyberGym](https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.02548), an academic benchmark, large language models went from finding fewer than 20% of vulnerabilities at the beginning of last year to more than 85% this year, according to Anthropic. That capability is useful for defenders. It’s also useful for attackers. Anthropic knows this, so it’s trying to get ahead of the problem by putting strong tools in defenders’ hands. OSS Scanner is part of a broader effort called the Anthropic Cyber Mission. It also includes the Critical Infrastructure Defense Program, which brings frontier Claude models, on-site engineers, and threat research to the security providers that protect power grids, water systems, and transportation networks. ## How OSS Scanner works OSS Scanner is opt-in. Core maintainers of eligible projects submit a pull request to a GitHub repository Anthropic set up. Eligibility follows criteria similar to those of Google’s OSS-Fuzz, chiefly that a project has “critical impact on infrastructure and user security.” The output is fully model-generated, with no human review or triage. Each report includes a self-contained reproducer, an explanation of the vulnerability (including when the bug was introduced, where possible), and a candidate patch when available. Anthropic says this allows faster and more frequent scans, but some reports may be incorrect or invalid. For projects without the resources to triage reports themselves, the company will keep sending human-verified reports through its existing coordinated disclosure process. ## Early results of the scanner Anthropic says it spent several weeks validating the pipeline with dozens of open-source projects. The first disclosures contained hundreds of bug reports, including multiple vulnerabilities that could be chained into unauthenticated remote code execution exploits. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Crazy Rich Asians Is Getting a Sequel as HBO Orders New Series With Original Cast URL: https://www.techloy.com/crazy-rich-asians-tv-show-cast-story-release-date/ Last updated: 2026-10-09T14:02:02.000Z When Crazy Rich Asians became a global box office hit in 2018, it introduced audiences to Rachel Chu’s complicated relationship with Nick Young and the wealthy Singaporean family she was about to marry into. Now, the story is getting another chapter, but this time, it's heading to television. [HBO](https://www.techloy.com/tag/hbo-max/) has ordered an eight-episode drama series, with Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Ronny Chieng and Michelle Yeoh returning, while original film co-writer Adele Lim takes charge as showrunner. Production is expected to begin in 2027, although a premiere date hasn't been announced yet. [The Social Reckoning: Aaron Sorkin’s Frances Haugen StoryThe Social Reckoning brings Frances Haugen’s Facebook whistleblower story to cinemas, five years after she exposed the company’s internal documents.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-ca75fa02-ead0-46cc-9289-36603aac2dff.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/thereckoningg-f690cfc5-28f0-45f9-92ff-8f270b8244db.png)](https://www.techloy.com/the-social-reckoning-frances-haugen/) ## Adele Lim Gets More Room To Tell The Story Bringing Adele Lim back gives the series a creative lead who already knows the world of Crazy Rich Asians. She co-wrote the original film with Peter Chiarelli and will now serve as showrunner, giving her greater control over how the characters develop across the series. Kwan, whose bestselling novels inspired the franchise, is also [returning](https://press.wbd.com/us/media-release/hbo-orders-new-drama-series-crazy-rich-asians) as an executive producer, alongside director Jon M. Chu and original producers Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson. Lim described the project as “a Crazy Rich family reunion”, explaining that eight episodes would allow the team to explore the characters and worlds in Kwan’s books. The original film also had to balance Rachel’s relationship with Nick against Eleanor’s objections, the Young family’s expectations and the spectacle of Singapore’s wealthy social circles. A series has more time to follow these conflicts without making every storyline compete for space. Lim’s return follows years of uncertainty around the planned film sequel. She left the project in 2019 amid reports of a pay dispute, and the follow-up made little progress. The move to television gives the franchise another way forward, with Lim now leading the series. ## How The Series Could Expand The Crazy Rich Asians Universe The 2018 film ended with Rachel and Nick engaged after she initially refused to seek Eleanor’s approval and eventually earned her respect. Their relationship was moving forward, but the engagement did not resolve the tensions between Rachel and the Young family. The series can explore what happens next, particularly when building a life with someone means joining a family with its own traditions, expectations, and complicated relationships. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/image-50.png) **Image Credit: Warner Bros.* Kevin Kwan’s book trilogy offers plenty of material. China Rich Girlfriend, the second novel, follows Rachel as she learns more about her biological father and enters another world of wealthy families and social competition. The third book, Rich People Problems, returns to the Young family’s struggles over inheritance, status, and power. [Kwan’s official website](https://www.kevinkwanbooks.com/) provides information about the books, although HBO has not confirmed which storylines it will adapt. ## Why Does The Original Cast Matter? Wu and Golding returning as Rachel and Nick gives the story continuity, while Chieng brings Eddie Cheng back into the mix. Yeoh will appear as Eleanor in a recurring role rather than as a series regular, according to HBO’s cast announcement. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### How to Save TikTok Videos and Sounds for Offline Viewing in 2026 URL: https://www.techloy.com/how-to-save-tiktok-videos-and-sounds-for-offline-viewing-in-2026/ Last updated: 2026-10-09T13:35:37.000Z TikTok’s own Save button gives you a video with a moving logo and the creator’s username across the picture. This difference matters most for videos people want to keep: a recipe with an ingredient list on the screen, a stretching routine for flying, a short speech, or a sound you keep repeating. Whether you want a video or an audio-only MP3, the way you save it changes. ## What TikTok’s built-in savings get you, and where does it stop A recipe clip saved with TikTok’s own button comes out with a logo and the creator’s username moving around the frame, and the overlay can drift across the ingredient list you saved the video for. Some videos don’t offer a download at all. Creators can switch downloads off, so when you tap Share, the save-to-device option simply isn’t in the row. Favorites is a bookmark, not a copy. The video keeps streaming from TikTok, so if the creator deletes it, or you open it on a plane with no signal, there is nothing to play. Sounds work the same way. Adding a sound to your Favorites keeps it inside TikTok so you can use it in your own videos, and no audio file is created for your music app. A clean offline video, or any audio file at all, has to come from a tool outside the app. ## How to Save a TikTok Video as an MP4 File Start with the link, the only thing the tool needs. In the app, open the video, tap Share, and select Copy link. On a computer, copy the address from the browser bar while the video is open. Next, open an [online tiktok video downloader](https://fasttik.com/tiktok-video-download/) such as FastTik, paste the link in the box and tap Download. The tool reads the public video and lists the files it can offer, usually within seconds. If the box ends up holding a caption or other words along with the link, delete everything except the link. Extra text can stop FastTik from reading the video. Select a video option and tap Download. The file comes as MP4, which plays in phone galleries, VLC, smart TVs, and editors like CapCut or Premiere. There is no TikTok logo in the saved video because FastTik fetches the original file TikTok stream before adding the in-app watermark. Captions, text overlays or stickers added by the creator remain in place during editing. ## Which quality should you choose (540p, 720p or 1080p)? The results list the resolution TikTok offers, such as 540p, 720p or 1080p, and mark the highest as HD. If only 540p shows up, the video was uploaded in lower quality, and no downloader can add missing detail. Resolution doesn’t predict file size either. Size also depends on how the video was encoded, so a lower option isn’t always the smaller file. For a recipe or tutorial you’ll watch on a TV, take the HD option. For a phone-only video when storage is running low, a lower option is fine. ## Where the Video Ends Up on Android, iPhone and Computer On an iPhone or iPad, open the downloader in Safari and tap Download when Safari asks you to confirm. The video lands in the Files app under Downloads. To get it into Photos, open it, tap Share and choose Save Video. On Android, Chrome and most other browsers put the MP4 in the Downloads folder, and it usually shows up in the Gallery as well. On Windows and Mac the file goes to the Downloads folder unless you changed the browser’s download location. If you can’t spot the file, your browser’s downloads list shows the most recent files and opens the one you want. ## How to Save Just the Sound From a TikTok as MP3 Paste the video link into the [tiktok song download](https://fasttik.com/tiktok-song-download/) tool, then tap the MP3 audio option instead of the video option. The file is saved as audio only, and its length matches the video you pasted. A 20-second clip yields a 20-second file, which is why a saved song may appear chopped off. Producers often use only a fragment of a track, so an MP3 holds that fragment, not the entire song. For a longer version, watch a longer video using the same sound. Choose MP3s for speeches, language lessons and music you only listen to. Keep the MP4 when the picture is important, like a dance or cooking step you need to watch. ## When a TikTok link won’t save A private or friends-only video can’t be saved, and neither can one that was deleted, because the tool only reads videos that anyone can watch without logging in. A partial link, or one with extra text around it, produces an error. Clear the box, copy the full link of a single video again and paste it fresh. If the page stalls on a slow connection, wait a few minutes before pasting again. A Save option missing inside the TikTok app is the creator’s download setting, so nothing is wrong with your phone. ## What You Can Do With a Saved TikTok, and What Needs the Creator’s Permission Watching a saved clip offline for yourself is the use these downloads fit: a workout video on a flight, a recipe on a kitchen tablet. Posting someone else’s video or sound on your account, or using it in a project, requires the creator’s permission where necessary. A song or recording inside TikTok still belongs to its creator or rights holder, so saving the audio does not change ownership. A creator who has turned off downloads has made a choice about that video. Asking before saving or reusing it is straightforward. Your own videos and sounds are the clean case. Download them whenever you want an original copy. ## Conclusion: A clean MP4 or an audio-only MP3 is one link away with FastTik. Pick a quality for your screen, and ask the creator before reusing anything. ### Microsoft’s Xbox XP Division Will Take Games Beyond Consoles URL: https://www.techloy.com/xbox-xp-division/ Last updated: 2026-10-09T13:22:44.000Z [Microsoft](https://www.techloy.com/tag/microsoft/) is giving its biggest gaming franchises a life beyond consoles and PCs. On October 8, 2026, Xbox [announced XP](https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2026/10/08/introducing-xp/), a new division focused on expanding its games into movies, television, merchandise, brand partnerships, and live experiences. Led by former Mojang president Kayleen Walters, XP brings together work previously spread across Xbox teams. Its four investment areas are Xbox Pictures, Xbox Products, Xbox Places, and Xbox Partnerships. The move follows [Xbox CEO](https://www.techloy.com/xbox-ceo-asha-sharma-player-support-tickets/) Asha Sharma's ambition to build a broader gaming and entertainment business. In the announcement, Xbox chief strategy officer Matthew Ball described the goal as growing games into “enduring franchises” that reach people across generations and around the world. Here's what Xbox XP does, how its four divisions will work, and what the announcement means for players. [GTA 6 Xbox Cloud Gaming: Why It Matters for XboxXbox’s reported GTA 6 streaming deal could make Xbox Cloud Gaming a major way to play GTA 6 without owning an Xbox.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-791c567e-d76d-4736-9f86-bc306061e2e0.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1541253203905-9fe9a589a26b-053bb2c6-aacc-4380-9051-f206c5e6be37.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/gta-6-xbox-cloud-gaming-deal/) ## What Is Xbox XP? XP stands for “Experience Points,” a familiar gaming term that Microsoft is using for its new entertainment division. Rather than focusing solely on selling games, XP will help Xbox develop more ways for people to engage with its franchises. That includes screen adaptations, consumer products, live events, attractions, and collaborations with other brands. It is not a new console, subscription service, or game development studio. Instead, XP will coordinate Xbox's efforts to expand established gaming properties into other forms of entertainment. Xbox says games will remain at the centre of its franchises. The goal is to build on their existing audiences rather than replace gaming with other entertainment. ## What Are the Four Key Focuses of Xbox XP? Xbox XP has four investment areas, each targeting a different part of the entertainment business. ### 1\. Xbox Pictures: Movies and TV Adaptations Xbox Pictures will bring Xbox characters and fictional worlds to audiences through films, television, and other forms of screen storytelling. Microsoft already has experience with adaptations, including *A Minecraft Movie* and the *Fallout* television series. These projects demonstrate how a game franchise can reach viewers who may never have played the original title. XP creates a dedicated division for developing such opportunities. Franchises including *Halo*, *Gears of War*, and *Minecraft* could offer further possibilities, although Xbox has not confirmed new adaptations for each property as part of this announcement. ### 2\. Xbox Products: Merchandise and Licensing Xbox Products will oversee licensed merchandise and consumer products inspired by its gaming franchises. That could include clothing, toys, collectibles, accessories, and other products that allow fans to engage with their favourite games away from the screen. Minecraft provides a clear example of the commercial potential. According to Xbox, the franchise's consumer-products business grew into a multibillion-dollar operation with more than 250 licensees under Walters' leadership. The challenge will be to develop products that appeal to each franchise's community, rather than simply placing familiar logos on merchandise. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### GTA 6 Leak Shows First-Person Driving for the First Time URL: https://www.techloy.com/gta-6-cyberleek-video/ Last updated: 2026-10-09T10:38:44.000Z A new Grand Theft Auto 6 leak has surfaced online, giving players nearly 25 minutes of footage showing dirt-bike racing, vehicle customisation, first-person driving, and story sequences. But the most controversial part of the video is its depiction of protagonists Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos in various states of undress. The footage was published on Thursday, October 8, by [Cyberleek](https://www.techloy.com/gta-6-leaks-cyberleek-gameplay-map/), the anonymous leaker behind several earlier [GTA 6](https://www.techloy.com/tag/gta-6/) clips. According to Video Games Chronicle (VGC), which reviewed the video, Jason appears fully naked for around 14 minutes of the footage. Beyond the explicit scenes, the leak offers a closer look at racing, car upgrades, and driving mechanics in Rockstar Games' upcoming open-world game. However, a sequence showing a tank appearing out of nowhere raises questions about whether the footage comes from a modified build or a development environment. Neither the specific features shown nor the circumstances surrounding the footage have been officially confirmed by Rockstar. [GTA 6 Xbox Cloud Gaming: Why It Matters for XboxXbox’s reported GTA 6 streaming deal could make Xbox Cloud Gaming a major way to play GTA 6 without owning an Xbox.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-78b6de0d-8902-455f-89ec-7f1385b45490.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1541253203905-9fe9a589a26b-aba35722-7e08-4e78-80d2-6235812148ae.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/gta-6-xbox-cloud-gaming-deal/) ## What Does the New GTA 6 Leak Reveal? The video opens with Jason and Lucia preparing for a dirt-bike racing event. They visit a clothing shop before heading to the Thrillbilly Mud Club, a location previously featured in Rockstar's official promotional material. One sequence then moves into a race featuring dirt bikes and other vehicles. Unlike a brief promotional clip, the footage shows more of the lead-up to the event, including the protagonists' preparations and interactions with other characters. Subsequently, the video shifts to Jason exploring the world, driving vehicles and visiting a garage. These sequences provide additional glimpses of activities that could feature in the finished game. Rockstar's official GTA 6 promotional material has already [established](https://www.rockstargames.com/VI) Leonida as the game's setting, with Vice City at the centre of its fictional version of Florida. This leak adds more footage of gameplay systems, although it does not establish how much of the content will remain unchanged at launch. ## GTA 6 Leak Shows Car Customisation and Engine Upgrades Vehicle customisation is one of the more substantial gameplay details in the footage. Jason drives a car into a garage, where the video shows engine modifications and changes to the vehicle's appearance, including decals. He subsequently takes the car into a street race, linking the upgrade system to the game's driving activities. The sequence suggests that vehicle tuning could play a role in preparing cars for races, rather than serving purely as a cosmetic feature. However, the footage does not provide a complete breakdown of available upgrades, their costs, or how progression through the system might work. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### African and Middle East Startups Raise $105.2M Led by East Africa Foods URL: https://www.techloy.com/africa-middle-east-startup-funding-week-41-2026/ Last updated: 2026-10-09T10:33:26.000Z Startups across Africa, the Middle East and Israel raised a combined $105.2 million this week, based on disclosed funding rounds tracked by Techloy, with investor capital flowing mostly into agritech and AI. East Africa Foods' $40 million raise was the biggest, and two Israeli AI startups, Rein Security and enso, added another $40 million between them. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/Week-41-2026-Biggest-Startup-Funding-Rounds-in-Africa---the-Middle-East.png) ## The Week's Largest Startup Funding Rounds Here are the biggest disclosed startup funding rounds across Africa, the Middle East and Israel this week. ### /1\. East Africa Foods, $40M, Agritech, Tanzania East Africa Foods, a Dar es Salaam company that buys from more than 28,000 small farmers and supplies city retailers, has pulled together $40 million. The raise includes a $26 million Series B led by PIDG's InfraCo, with the rest from existing shareholders and debt from the Schmidt Family Foundation, and it'll go toward more processing, storage, and transport capacity, plus a move into Kenya. ### /2\. Rein Security, $25M, AI Cybersecurity, Israel Companies are adopting AI agents faster than they can secure them, and Rein Security, co-headquartered in New York and Tel Aviv, sells software that watches what those agents do while they run and blocks harmful actions. Glilot Capital and Sienna Venture Capital co-led the $25 million Series A, with Corner Ventures, Atlacle and RNP Capital Advisors joining, and the money goes toward product development, security research and hiring. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 5 Startup Accelerators You Can Still Apply to in 2026 URL: https://www.techloy.com/startup-accelerators-open-applications-2026/ Last updated: 2026-10-09T10:24:33.000Z Building a startup takes more than a good idea. Founders also need funding, industry connections, mentorship, and access to markets to turn an early-stage product into a sustainable business. [Startup](https://www.techloy.com/tag/startups/) accelerators can help bridge that gap by connecting entrepreneurs with investors, experienced founders, and industry experts while helping them refine their business models and prepare for growth. Several programmes are still accepting applications for upcoming cohorts, including one offering $150,000 in investment, another connecting founders with Silicon Valley investors, and an accelerator supporting education technology startups worldwide. To make the search easier, Techloy has compiled five startup accelerator programmes that founders can still apply to in 2026\. [5 Startup Accelerators Accepting ApplicationsHere are five opportunities currently accepting applications.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-2b31af3a-923b-4e6e-a6ad-6fb2e52d63c4.png)TechloyOgbonda Chivumnovu![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1774094526850-9284cfa693db-a85ebfec-bb0e-4bbd-8581-89f7cf4864f5.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/startup-accelerators-applications-august-2026/) ## /1\. [Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator (ERA) Winter 2027](https://www.eranyc.com/apply/) Early-stage founders looking for investment and hands-on support can apply for the Winter 2027 cohort of the Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator (ERA), its 32nd programme. Based in New York City, the four-month accelerator provides selected startups with $150,000 in investment through a post-money SAFE in exchange for 6% equity. Participants also receive free office space at ERA’s Flatiron headquarters, access to more than 1,000 mentors and a network of over 700 alumni founders. The programme includes more than $600,000 in cloud credits and other perks from providers such as AWS, Google Cloud and OpenAI. The cohort culminates in a Demo Day, where founders present their businesses to angel investors and venture capitalists. The programme is suited to founders who want funding, direct mentorship, and access to New York’s startup ecosystem. However, applicants should be prepared to participate in person. - **Programme:** Four-month startup accelerator with $150,000 in investment for 6% equity. - **Location:** New York City, US. - **Deadline:** November 2, 2026\. - **Programme starts:** January 11, 2027\. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Website Migration Checklist for SaaS Marketing Sites URL: https://www.techloy.com/website-migration-checklist-for-saas-marketing-sites/ Last updated: 2026-10-09T09:30:42.000Z In a hypothetical migration, a SaaS pricing page displays the approved annual plan while its signup button sends the monthly plan ID. A visual review misses the wrong offer. The configuration, website and signup owners need to test that handoff together. This website migration checklist covers replacing a SaaS marketing site's CMS or frontend, with retained or changed URLs. Application infrastructure and customer-data migrations need separate plans. ## **Define what the migration changes** Map the website's boundaries: pricing may move while application signup stays; a rebuilt demo form may still use the same CRM. Include those receiving systems in acceptance tests. A component can stay unchanged while receiving different inputs from the rebuilt website. Inventory public URLs, separating retained addresses, changed destinations and intentional retirements. Keeping content does not necessarily preserve its paths. Record each intended destination or retirement response so reviewers can distinguish planned removals from accidental missing pages. Focused journey tests supplement that inventory. If platform selection is still open, test the publishing work your team needs: editing a plan, scheduling an offer, and updating a reusable page component. Check the required content relationships and integrations. For background, see[ a comparison of WordPress alternatives for SaaS](https://merge.rocks/blog/best-wordpress-alternative-for-saas-in-2026-and-how-to-switch) published by Merge Rocks. Base your choice on your own workflow and maintenance capacity. ## **Record expected behavior and test results** The existing site shows current behavior, which may already be outdated. Have offer and receiving-system owners approve plan IDs, billing periods, promotions and destinations; save the configuration's date and version. Update expectations and repeat affected tests after changes. Save current titles, meta descriptions, H1s, relevant structured data and essential assets, including images, downloads and scripts. Record performance results, tools and device, network and cache conditions, alongside approved intentional changes. Repeat critical pricing and form checks in supported desktop and mobile browsers using approved test identities. Confirm visitors can change billing periods, see validation errors and complete submission on each supported test device. Record the browser in each result and reference restricted evidence without passwords or full personal details. This completed PRICE-01 example has fictional inputs, times, references and results. No test was executed. Test: PRICE-01; staging release example-v1.Time/device/browser: 2026-10-08 10:00 UTC; desktop; Chrome.Input/action: /pricing; new visitor; Pro; Annual; no promotion; click signup.Expected: signup receives pro\_annual, annual billing.Observed: signup receives pro\_monthly, monthly billing. Result: FAIL.Evidence: PRICE-01-request-1 and PRICE-01-signup-1.Correction owner: frontend engineer fixes Annual mapping.Launch decision: release lead holds annual Pro route.Retest: example-v2, 10:30 UTC; annual receives pro\_annual/annual; monthly receives pro\_monthly/monthly; both PASS.Release decision: release lead removes route hold. ## **Follow pricing into signup** For supported monthly and annual choices, compare the displayed plan and billing period with signup's received state. Save screenshots, requests and destinations. Test approved promotions against their eligibility and expiry rules, including both active and approved post-expiry states. Include returning visitors with cached pages or stored selections where relevant; use the team's supported cache-refresh behavior. Set the boundary by dependencies the migration can affect. If selections continue into checkout, the payment-system owner should verify them in an authorized test environment, even when that system stays unchanged. A verified signup handoff may suffice when checkout inputs and behavior are unaffected. Restream's website work involved Merge Rocks,[ a SaaS design and development team](https://merge.rocks/services/saas-design-development). In its public Restream case study, the team reports moving Pug views to Next.js while continuing day-to-day delivery. Within the wider engagement, the team also worked on pricing and login/signup behavior, prepared campaign discount states and rollback steps, and fixed a pricing SEO issue so the page could be indexed properly. The work spanned the marketing site's implementation and the routes visitors use to enter the product. For your migration, identify the owners of those routes and include them in the review. Ask each owner to verify the visitor-facing behavior and the handoff to the system they manage. ## **Verify account creation and lead delivery** Complete signup with an approved new identity. Verify the account in the application and, where required, receive and complete email verification in the designated inbox. For signup and demo forms, try an empty required field and invalid email, then correct errors and submit without losing other values. Follow the corrected submission to its destination. Test an existing identity against the agreed sign-in prompt or account-exists response. Record that expected response so a deliberate refusal to create another account does not look like a broken flow. Follow a traceable demo lead to the actual inbox or CRM record. Verify fields and the assigned owner or queue where routing applies. A success banner or analytics event cannot establish delivery. Have the engineer and receiving-system owner investigate using the same test ID and timestamp. For confirmed delivery failures, hold the route or use an approved working alternative. Check whether real submissions need recovery before retesting could create duplicates. Missing analytics needs its own investigation. ## **Test campaigns from the published link** Start with the parameterized email or ad link people will encounter. Follow redirects, inspect the destination's offer and complete the intended signup or lead action. Check captured campaign fields in the receiving record where designed. Capture may happen before redirects; use the agreed mechanism rather than requiring parameters in each URL. Repeat with an expired offer. Have the campaign owner define the approved destination and behavior, then verify the destination applies that rule. That might mean a standard offer or an explanation that the promotion has ended. Opening a CMS preview skips the published route. Enable debug mode on a controlled device and inspect received events in[ GA4 DebugView](https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/7201382?hl=en). Compare names and required parameters with the tracking specification; record consent because privacy controls affect visibility. DebugView has limited attribution analysis. Check processed Acquisition reports later for accurate attribution information. The campaign owner can pause traffic reaching a wrong offer while the team repairs it. Missing analytics evidence calls for consent and instrumentation checks before concluding delivery failed. ## **Check URL continuity and search eligibility** Compare production content, structured data and assets with the baseline and approved changes. Repeat performance measurements using comparable tool, device, network and cache conditions; investigate unexplained regressions. Keep[ lab and real-user field measurements](https://web.dev/articles/lab-and-field-data-differences) separate: a lab pass does not establish field Core Web Vitals results. For retained URLs, check responses and rendered content at the same addresses. Remove temporary staging crawl or indexing blocks from pages intended for search. Google's[ guidance for hosting changes without URL changes](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/site-move-no-url-changes) covers setup testing and serving/crawling monitoring. For changed URLs with replacements, map old addresses to relevant destinations using appropriate permanent redirects. Test the full route, update internal links and sitemap destinations. Retired pages without replacements can return 404 or 410\. See Google's[ guidance for moves with URL changes](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/site-move-with-url-changes). Canonical tags signal a preferred URL for duplicate or similar content; check the intended production address. Google may select another. In[ Search Console's URL Inspection tool](https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/9012289?hl=en), distinguish current live access and indexing eligibility from dated indexed data and Google's selected canonical. A successful live test or submitted sitemap does not guarantee index inclusion. Treat unintended crawl blocks or wrong destinations as launch blockers. Record the crawl date and follow up when indexed data reflects an earlier state. ## **Agree when to repair, pause or restore** Name who can authorize launch and stop affected routes. Match the response to the failure's reach and changed layer: repair a plan mapping, pause a campaign, or hold a release for a shared integration losing submissions. Retest repaired paths. Before choosing restoration for a larger failure, confirm access to a previous build, compatibility with current configuration and receiving systems, and rehearse restoration in a suitable environment. A frontend restore does not reverse accounts, CRM records or financial writes. Receiving-system owners must review and reconcile affected records using retained evidence. Give accepted nonblocking defects an owner and review time. ## **Repeat critical paths on production** Rerun pricing, account, lead, campaign and selected search routes on production; record version and time. Use approved identities and agreed cleanup. Staging cannot verify production endpoints or receipts. Monitor affected signup routes, form receipts, campaign destinations and changed search pages. Sitewide traffic can hide a failed route or reflect a different marketing schedule. Assign owners, review schedules and escalation thresholds using the prelaunch baseline, campaign activity and tolerance for missed transactions. Set different observation windows for immediate account creation and slower search recrawling/reporting. Schedule an owner to recheck the published campaign link and approved destination behavior after expiry. ### DailyObjects Leads Asia’s $141.37M Startup Funding in Week 41 URL: https://www.techloy.com/asia-startup-funding-week-41-2026/ Last updated: 2026-10-09T09:30:00.000Z Asia’s startup funding remained active this week, with $141.37 million raised across consumer technology, energy, AI, quantum computing, education, healthcare, and robotics. India accounted for most of the announced deals, while startups in Japan and Singapore also attracted capital for deeptech innovation and enterprise technology. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/Asia-Biggest-Startup-Funding-Rounds-in-Week-41-2026.png) ## The Week’s Biggest Startup Funding Rounds Here are the most notable startup funding announcements across Asia this week, ranked from highest to lowest. ### /1\. DailyObjects, $34.4 Million, Consumer Technology, India Indian consumer brand DailyObjects raised ₹3.3 billion (about $34.4 million) in a Series C funding round led by Xponentia Capital Partners, Anicut Capital and Axiom Asia Private Capital. The round included both primary and secondary transactions and values the company at ₹10.5 billion (approximately $109 million). DailyObjects sells design-focused consumer products and will use the funding to support its continued growth. ### /2\. Helical Fusion, $20.6 Million, Fusion Energy, Japan Japanese fusion energy startup Helical Fusion raised ¥3.23 billion (about $20.6 million) in the second close of its Series B funding round. The company is developing a helical stellarator, a type of fusion reactor designed for continuous power generation. The funding will accelerate its Helix programme, including the Helix HARUKA demonstration reactor and its planned power-generation system, Helix KANATA. ### /3\. OneByZero, $20 Million, Enterprise AI, Singapore Singapore-based enterprise AI company OneByZero secured $20 million in its first external funding round, led by Jungle Ventures. The company plans to expand its engineering teams across Australia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, the US, and Vietnam. It also intends to establish a team in Japan as demand for enterprise AI solutions grows. ### /4\. Lumio, $12 Million, Consumer Technology, India Indian consumer technology brand Lumio, operated by Circuit House Technologies, raised $12 million in a Series A funding round led by Blume Ventures. Existing investors Stellaris Venture Partners and 3one4 Capital also participated. Lumio will use the capital for research and development, product expansion, brand building, and recruitment, while improving customer experience and after-sales support. ### /5\. Beyond Appliances, $11.4 Million, Smart Home Technology, India Bengaluru-based smart kitchen appliances company Beyond Appliances raised ₹110 crore (about $11.4 million) in a Series B round led by Fireside Ventures, with participation from Dharana Capital and other investors. The company plans to expand manufacturing capacity, strengthen product development, and enter new kitchen appliance categories. The funding comes roughly a year after it raised $4 million in a round also led by Fireside Ventures. ### /6\. Quanfluence, $10 Million, Quantum Computing, India Bengaluru-based quantum computing startup Quanfluence secured $10 million in a funding round led by Chiratae Ventures. Rainmatter by Zerodha and existing investor Pi Ventures also participated. The company is developing a full-stack photonic quantum computing system that combines photonic chips, control electronics, and software into a single architecture. The funding will support the development of this technology. ### /7\. byteXL, $9 Million, EdTech, India Hyderabad-based edtech company byteXL raised $9 million in a funding round led by Elevar Equity, with participation from Kalaari Capital and The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation. The investment follows its $5.9 million Series A round in July 2024, which was led by Kalaari Capital with support from the Dell Foundation. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Latin American Startups Raise $224.5M in Week 41, Led by Kapital URL: https://www.techloy.com/latin-america-startup-funding-week-41-2026/ Last updated: 2026-10-09T09:30:00.000Z Startups across Latin America raised a combined $224.5M this week, based on disclosed funding and financing transactions, with investor capital flowing primarily into fintech. Funding also reached a refurbished electronics startup expanding across the region and a Brazilian biotechnology company developing automated laboratory infrastructure. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/LatAm---s-Biggest-Startup-Funding-Rounds-in-Week-41-2026.png) ## The Week's Largest Startup Funding Rounds Here are the biggest disclosed startup funding rounds and financing transactions across Latin America this week. ### /1\. Kapital, $130M, Fintech, Mexico Mexican financial technology company Kapital secured $130M in a combination of equity and debt financing as it expands its AI-powered banking operations. The company also acquired US-based AI firm Woz Code for $30M, a separate transaction that should not be added to its funding total. The latest financing brings Kapital's valuation to $2B. Kapital plans to use the funding to strengthen its AI platform, expand its financial services, and support operations across its markets. The acquisition of Woz Code is expected to add engineering expertise and AI development capabilities to its existing technology infrastructure. ### /2\. Asaas, $55.6M, Fintech, Brazil Brazilian financial management platform Asaas raised R$300M (approximately $55.6M) through its third receivables investment fund, a FIDC. The financing will help the company extend credit to small and medium-sized businesses by advancing payments tied to their card transactions. The latest issuance is Asaas's largest FIDC to date, bringing the total raised through these funds to R$450M. The company serves around 300,000 active monthly clients, and receivables financing has become a key part of its credit operations. ### /3\. Reuse, $21M, Circular Economy, Chile Chilean refurbished electronics startup Reuse raised a $21M Series A led by At One Ventures, marking the investor's first investment in Chile. The company manages trade-in programmes for retailers, telecommunications companies and electronics brands, then refurbishes and resells used devices with a 13-month warranty at prices of up to 30% below new products. Reuse will use the funding to enter Colombia, expand its presence across Latin America, strengthen integrations with commercial partners, and invest in its technology. The company generated $30M in revenue in 2025 and expects to reach $55M in net revenue in 2026\. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra vs. MacBook Pro M5 Pro URL: https://www.techloy.com/microsoft-surface-laptop-ultra-vs-macbook-pro-m5-pro/ Last updated: 2026-10-09T09:30:00.000Z If you are spending more than $2,500 on a laptop, raw performance is probably not the only thing you care about. You want a machine that can handle demanding work, stay useful for years, and justify the price. That is the market [Microsoft](https://www.techloy.com/tag/microsoft/) is targeting with the new [Surface](https://www.techloy.com/tag/microsoft-surface/) Laptop Ultra. The 15-inch machine is built around [Nvidia’s](https://www.techloy.com/tag/nvidia/) RTX Spark N1X chip and can be configured with up to 128GB of unified memory, with Microsoft positioning it as a local AI workstation capable of running models with more than 120 billion parameters. [Apple’s](https://www.techloy.com/tag/apple/) 14-inch [MacBook Pro](https://www.techloy.com/tag/m5-macbook-pro/) with the M5 Pro chip sits in the same price range, starting at $2,499 compared with $2,599 for Microsoft’s laptop. The two machines are built around very different ideas of what a high-end laptop should be, which makes this comparison more interesting than a simple specs battle. We have not had enough hands-on time with the Surface Laptop Ultra to declare a winner yet. But the hardware and design choices already tell us a lot about where Microsoft is taking the Surface lineup. [GooglebookOS: Features, Price and Release DatePreorders open on September 21, with devices shipping on October 4 in the US and October 5 in Canada, the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, and Australia.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-9cb7153b-fa10-4c4d-a58d-0f341402e9db.png)TechloyOgbonda Chivumnovu![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1522198648249-0657d7ff242a-865014dc-07bf-4cd2-b03c-af5076abd42c.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/googlebookos-googlebook-laptops/) ## /1\. Price The Surface Laptop Ultra starts at $2,599, putting it firmly in MacBook Pro territory. At that price, Microsoft gives you the RTX Spark N1X with a 5,120-core GPU and 18-core CPU, 24GB of memory, and a 512GB SSD. The 14-inch MacBook Pro M5 Pro starts at $2,499, which is $100 cheaper. It also comes with 24GB of unified memory and a 1TB SSD. That last part matters. Microsoft gives you half the storage at a higher starting price. The 16-inch MacBook Pro starts at $2,999, although Apple's laptop can become significantly more expensive if you move up to the M5 Max, more memory, and additional storage. Microsoft has a similar strategy. The Surface Laptop Ultra can reach $5,899 with 128GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. 💡 ****Winner:** MacBook Pro. Apple offers a lower starting price and twice the storage, giving it the edge on price and specs. ## /2\. Design Microsoft clearly knows what a premium laptop should feel like. The Surface Laptop Ultra measures 12.9 x 9.4 x 0.7 inches and weighs 4.4 pounds. It has a large touchpad, a premium keyboard, and a design that looks remarkably familiar if you’ve used a MacBook Pro before. The 15-inch display also gives Microsoft an interesting middle ground. It is larger than the 14-inch MacBook Pro without being as large as Apple's 16-inch model. Microsoft has also introduced a magnetic USB-C charging connection. It serves a similar purpose to Apple's MagSafe system, allowing the cable to detach if someone accidentally pulls on it. The 14-inch MacBook Pro is smaller and considerably lighter at 3.4 pounds. The 16-inch model, meanwhile, weighs 4.7 pounds, making it slightly heavier than the Surface. 💡 ****Winner:** MacBook Pro. The 14-inch MacBook Pro is smaller and lighter, making it better for portability. The Surface Laptop Ultra wins if you want a larger screen without going up to 16 inches. ## /3\. Display Microsoft's 15-inch PixelSense Ultra display is one of the Surface Laptop Ultra's biggest attractions. It has a 3270 x 2180 resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate, giving it a high-resolution, smooth display that's well suited to creative work and general productivity. Apple's Liquid Retina XDR displays are also 120Hz, with the 14-inch model offering a 3024 x 1964 resolution and the 16-inch version reaching 3456 x 2234\. For professional creative work, Apple's display technology remains one of MacBook Pro's strongest selling points. 💡 ****Winner:** MacBook Pro. Apple wins on display quality, while the Surface Laptop Ultra offers a larger 15-inch screen without the size of the 16-inch MacBook Pro. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/image-48.png) ## /4\. Performance and local AI This is where Microsoft's laptop becomes genuinely interesting. The Surface Laptop Ultra isn't primarily trying to beat the MacBook Pro at everyday computing. Microsoft is targeting people who want to run increasingly powerful AI models locally. The RTX Spark N1X can be configured with up to a 20-core CPU, 6,144 GPU cores, and 128GB of unified memory. Microsoft says the system can deliver up to 1 petaflop of AI performance and run AI models with more than 120 billion parameters locally. That's a major selling point for AI developers and other professionals working with local models. Instead of sending every task to the cloud, users can potentially run larger models directly on the machine. That could mean lower latency, greater privacy, and less dependence on an internet connection. The MacBook Pro M5 Pro is no slouch here. Apple's unified memory architecture has made MacBooks popular among developers who run local LLMs, and Apple Silicon is capable of handling demanding workloads. But the Surface Laptop Ultra has been designed specifically around this emerging use case. 💡 ****Winner:** Surface Laptop Ultra. On paper, Microsoft has the stronger local AI offering, but real-world benchmarks will determine whether it outperforms the MacBook Pro. ## /5\. Gaming _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Zero Waste RO Purifiers in India 2026 - Save Water Without Compromising on Purity URL: https://www.techloy.com/zero-waste-ro-purifiers-in-india-2026-save-water-without-compromising-on-purity/ Last updated: 2026-10-09T08:16:57.000Z Every home wants clean water. But most RO purifiers waste a lot of water during cleaning. This is a real problem in India, where many cities already face water scarcity. The good news is that zero-waste RO purifiers are now solving this issue. These new machines give you pure water without throwing away litres and litres down the drain. In this article, we explain how normal [**water purifiers**](https://www.flipkart.com/water-purifiers/pr?sid=j9e,abm,i45) waste water, how zero-waste technology works, and what to check before buying one. ## Why Do RO Purifiers Waste So Much Water? A normal RO water purifier uses a thin membrane to remove dirt, salts and harmful chemicals from water. This membrane needs pressure to push water through it. During this process, the machine splits water into two parts. One part is clean and safe to drink. The other part carries all the rejected impurities and simply goes down the drain. Most standard purifiers waste 2 to 3 litres of water for every 1 litre they clean. That means if your family drinks 15 litres a day, your purifier may be wasting 30 to 45 litres daily. Over a month, this adds up to almost 1,000 litres of wasted water. This is one reason many people are moving toward low-waste or zero-waste RO models. ## What Is Zero Water Wastage Technology? Zero water wastage technology fixes this exact problem. Instead of sending the rejected water straight to the drain, it returns it to your overhead or storage tank. This water gets reused again in the purification cycle, so almost nothing goes to waste. Brands like [**Kent Water Purifier**](https://www.flipkart.com/water-purifiers/kent~brand/pr?sid=j9e,abm,i45) use this idea with a feature that recirculates rejected water using the same booster pump already fitted in the system. This means you don’t need any extra plumbing or major changes at home. You get the same pure water, just with far less waste. Some other brands, including **Aquaguard Water Purifier**, also offer high recovery technology. These systems don't always claim zero waste, but they do reduce wastage significantly compared to older, basic purifiers. So when shopping, always check the exact recovery percentage the brand mentions. ## Benefits of Zero Waste RO Purifiers - **Massive water savings:** For the average family, some types can save up to 20,000 litres of water a year. - **Lower water bills:** If you waste less water, you'll use less, which can lower your monthly water bill. - **Better for water-scarce cities**: In places facing water shortages, this technology helps protect a limited resource. - **Good for the environment:** Saving water reduces pressure on groundwater and local water supplies. - **Same water quality:** You still get 100% safe, clean drinking water. Nothing is compromised on purity. These benefits make a zero-waste water purifier a smart long-term choice, even if it costs a little more upfront. ## How to Reduce Water Wastage Even in a Normal RO Purifier Not everyone can buy a new purifier right away. If you already own a normal RO water purifier, you can still cut down water waste with a few simple habits. - **Service your purifier regularly:** A clean filter and membrane work better and waste less water. Get servicing done every 6 months. - **Check the water pressure:** Too much or too little pressure can increase wastage. A pressure regulator can help balance this. - **Reuse the rejected water:** This water is safe for cleaning floors, washing utensils, watering plants, and even washing vehicles. - **Don’t ignore leaks:** A small leak in the pipe or tank can waste hundreds of litres over time without you noticing. - **Replace old filters on time:** Old, clogged filters force the machine to waste more water to clean the same amount. These small steps can cut your water wastage by a good margin, even without buying a brand-new system. ## Things to Check Before Buying a Zero Waste RO Purifier Before you buy a new water purifier, it helps to know what to actually look for. Marketing terms can be confusing, so focus on real numbers and features instead. - **Recovery rate:** This tells you how much input water becomes usable purified water. A higher percentage means less waste. - **TDS control:** Make sure the purifier can handle your local water’s TDS level, especially if your area has hard water. - **Storage tank size:** Choose a tank size based on your family’s daily water needs, not just the biggest option available. - **Purification speed:** Check how many litres per hour the machine can produce, especially for larger families. - **Certifications:** Look for trusted certifications like NSF or WQA, which confirm the purifier meets safety standards. - **After-sales service:** A strong service network matters because regular maintenance helps reduce waste over time. Comparing a few trusted brands on these points will help you pick a purifier that actually saves water, not just one that claims to. ## Conclusion Water wastage from RO purifiers is a real problem, but you no longer have to accept it. Zero waste RO technology now makes it possible to enjoy pure, safe drinking water while saving thousands of litres every year. Whether you choose a dedicated zero-waste model or simply follow better maintenance habits with your existing water purifier, small changes can make a big difference for your home and the environment. ### The Internet Has Found a New Way to Fake Your Love Life URL: https://www.techloy.com/the-internet-has-found-a-new-way-to-fake-your-love-life/ Last updated: 2026-10-09T06:58:43.000Z Somewhere in the last twelve months, a strange little corner of the App Store started filling up with apps that do one specific thing: take a photo of you and your partner and turn it into a video of you kissing, hugging, or slow dancing. In most cases, that moment was never actually filmed. It sounds like a gimmick. It's turned into a genuine product category. [CoupleLens](https://couplelens.art/), Media.io's couple-video tool, an app called Vireel, Wondershare's Virbo, and a rotating cast of lower-budget mobile apps with names like "AI Hug & Kiss Video Maker" have all converged on roughly the same idea within a fairly tight window. Upload a photo. Pick a preset. Wait ten or twenty seconds. What comes back — courtesy of whatever [AI couple video generator](https://couplelens.art/effects/ai-couple-video-generator) you happened to download — is a clip of two people embracing that, technically, is entirely fabricated. None of this would have been viable two years ago. The earlier generation of photo-animation tools had a well-earned reputation for producing something closer to body horror than romance — limbs that bent wrong, faces that drifted mid-frame, motion that looked like it belonged in a glitch compilation rather than an anniversary post. The current wave mostly avoids that. Whatever's happening under the hood — almost certainly some flavor of diffusion-based video modeling trained specifically on human motion — it's gotten good enough that the output doesn't immediately announce itself as fake. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/data-src-image-d8445c34-979f-4b93-9dde-b78e9db82b1e.png) ## **A niche built on a very specific kind of loneliness** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/data-src-image-2bece5f1-6191-4615-8217-7ea54dc774fd.png) What's actually interesting isn't the apps themselves, which are mostly interchangeable — a template grid, an upload button, a generate button. It's who's using them, and why. The recurring use case that keeps surfacing across these platforms is long-distance relationships. Not couples looking to jazz up an existing photo, but couples who don't have a photo together at all. People who met and fell for each other before ever being in the same city. Now generating a fictional first hug because the real one hasn't happened yet. Media.io leans into this directly, letting users upload two separate solo photos and merging them into one scene, rather than requiring an existing joint photo. There's something almost poignant about that, if you sit with it for more than a few seconds. It's a couple manufacturing a memory ahead of schedule — placing an order for a moment they're confident is coming. Whether that's sweet or slightly unsettling probably depends on your general tolerance for how much of modern romance already runs through a screen before it runs through real life. ## **Nobody's asking the obvious question loudly enough** For a category built entirely around generating video of things that didn't happen, there's been surprisingly little friction so far. Part of that is because the harm calculus is genuinely different from the deepfake conversations everyone's more used to having. Nobody's uploading a stranger's photo to a couple-video app to fabricate a relationship that doesn't exist. In nearly every case, it's two consenting people generating content of themselves. ## **But "low stakes" isn't the same as "no stakes."** These apps are, functionally, in the business of storing intimate photos of couples. The privacy policies across this fragmented field range from reasonably clear to the kind of vague boilerplate nobody reads. There's also a quieter question buried in here about what happens to a relationship's visual record when the most-shared "memory" of it is one that was generated rather than captured. People have always curated how relationships look online — better angles, better lighting, a caption doing some emotional heavy lifting. Inventing an entire moment of physical intimacy that never occurred is a different order of curation, even if nobody involved thinks of it that way while they're doing it. ## **Where this is probably headed** Video generation models are improving fast enough that the visible tells — the slightly-too-smooth skin, the motion that's a beat too fluid — are going to keep shrinking. At some point in the next model generation or two, a couple's AI-generated hug video and an actual filmed hug are going to be difficult to tell apart at a glance. That will make this a stranger conversation than it currently is. For now, it's a small, mostly harmless product category riding the same underlying wave as everything else in AI video: narrow, single-purpose apps built on t4op of increasingly commoditized generation models, solving one specific emotional itch instead of trying to be a general-purpose tool. It's not the most consequential thing happening in AI right now. But it's a decent little case study in how fast a genuinely weird idea can turn into a dozen competing apps once the underlying tech stops looking broken. ### Why ultra-low temperature storage matters more than ever URL: https://www.techloy.com/why-ultra-low-temperature-storage-matters-more-than-ever/ Last updated: 2026-10-09T06:27:28.000Z Modern research, biotech development, and advanced healthcare all depend on one basic requirement: keeping sensitive materials stable. Vaccines, cell samples, enzymes, blood components, and experimental compounds lose value fast when storage conditions drift. That simple reality has pushed ultra-low temperature technology from a niche laboratory tool into a critical part of scientific and technical infrastructure. An ultra-low temperature freezer is not just a colder version of a standard lab appliance. It is a precision system built to protect materials that must remain viable over long periods. In many settings, even a small temperature fluctuation risks sample degradation, failed testing, delayed projects, and major financial losses. For teams working with valuable biological material, cold storage is not a background detail. It is part of the foundation of reliable results. ## **The growing role of precision cold storage** As laboratories handle more advanced therapies, genetic material, and long-term sample archives, expectations for storage performance have changed. Facilities now need equipment that supports both consistency and traceability. That means stable temperatures, fast recovery after door openings, alarm systems, and efficient use of space. This is where the [ULT Freezer](https://lowenco.com/products/lssu) becomes especially relevant. It supports the demanding conditions required in research and medical environments, where temperature control must remain dependable day after day. In practice, that level of performance helps reduce uncertainty and gives staff stronger confidence in sample protection. The importance of this equipment also extends beyond large pharmaceutical operations. University labs, hospital departments, biotech startups, and specialized testing facilities all rely on secure storage. As more organizations work with temperature-sensitive assets, the need for robust freezer technology continues to increase. ## **Why reliability shapes research outcomes** Storage equipment rarely gets the spotlight when people discuss scientific progress, but it should. A breakthrough often depends on months or years of preserved samples remaining intact until analysis begins. If storage fails, the impact reaches far beyond a single machine. It can disrupt timelines, waste funding, and force teams to repeat work that should already be complete. Reliability also affects daily workflow. Staff should not have to second-guess whether a freezer will recover quickly after access or maintain proper conditions during busy periods. Strong performance reduces stress and allows researchers and technicians to focus on their actual work instead of worrying about the status of stored material. In many facilities, freezer monitoring has become part of a wider digital infrastructure. Alerts, data logging, and maintenance planning now play a larger role in quality assurance. This shift reflects a broader trend in technology: critical systems must be measurable, connected, and easier to manage proactively. ## **Energy use and practical design now matter more** Ultra-low temperature storage has traditionally raised concerns about energy consumption and heat output. That issue remains important, especially as labs and medical facilities face tighter operational budgets and stronger sustainability goals. Decision-makers now look beyond raw cooling power. They also assess insulation quality, footprint, noise levels, maintenance demands, and long-term efficiency. Design matters because freezers operate in real workplaces, not idealized test environments. A unit should fit into existing routines, support safe handling, and minimize unnecessary disruption. Practical access, organized storage layouts, and dependable control systems all improve usability. Over time, these details influence productivity just as much as technical specifications do. ## **A quiet but essential part of innovation** The future of medicine, diagnostics, and life science research will depend on many visible advances, from AI-assisted analysis to personalized treatments. Yet none of those developments move far without dependable storage behind the scenes. Ultra-low temperature freezers protect the materials that make testing, validation, and discovery possible. That is why this category of equipment deserves more attention. It supports the chain of trust that runs through modern research and healthcare. When storage performs exactly as needed, scientists and clinicians gain something invaluable: confidence that the material they depend on today will still be ready tomorrow. ### The US Wants Big Tech to Hire Americans, And Skilled Foreign Workers Are Paying the Price URL: https://www.techloy.com/the-us-wants-big-tech-to-hire-americans-and-skilled-foreign-workers-are-paying-the-price/ Last updated: 2026-10-08T22:48:34.000Z For years, the deal for a foreign software engineer in the U.S. has been simple. Come in on a temporary [H-1B visa](https://www.techloy.com/tag/h-1b-visa/), do good work, and your employer sponsors you for a green card. The visa gets you in the door. The green card is why you stay. That deal just broke for people working at some of the biggest companies in tech. The US Labor Department says it won't accept new applications from nine companies or process the ones already in the queue. On October 8, 2026, Microsoft, Adobe, Cognizant, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro, HCLTech and Capgemini were suspended from PERM, the labour certification process employers use to sponsor foreign workers for permanent residency. [USCIS Backlog Hits 11.3M as Denials Climb to 12.2%USCIS took in 2.1 million new cases last quarter and finished fewer than 1.8 million, the queue grew while people waited.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-68df2a64-1a7c-4dac-b1e1-723c5472aa2a.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1655722724447-2d2a3071e7f8-20879bbc-419c-414d-84e8-5856ac0c967c.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/uscis-backlog-11-3-million-denial-rate-2026/) ## Why did the US suspend companies from the PERM program? The official reason is said to be because of 'fraud'. Officials say these companies have been using the program to swap American workers for cheaper foreign hires and push down wages, though they haven't made public the evidence behind those claims. The crackdown has been building for months. In July, the Labor Department's Inspector General opened an investigation into alleged abuse of the H-1B and PERM programs, looking at things like fake recruitment, wage kickbacks and keeping visa workers unpaid between projects. In September, [Cognizant ](https://www.techloy.com/cognizant-to-roll-out-gemini-enterprise-and-google-workspace-across-global-workforce/)and Cloudera had their PERM filings frozen, and public data showed Adobe's pending cases sitting on hold weeks before the company was named. What started as an investigation has now become a policy lever. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### How to Choose an EHR and EMR Development Partner: 10 Questions to Ask Before You Sign URL: https://www.techloy.com/how-to-choose-an-ehr-and-emr-development-partner-10-questions-to-ask-before-you-sign/ Last updated: 2026-10-09T11:07:17.000Z Choosing the right team to build your patient records system is a big deal. It’s less like buying software and more like picking a business partner — or, honestly, a co-founder. This system isn’t just a background tool. It’s where your most private data lives, and doctors and nurses will depend on it every day for years. Make the wrong call, and you can end up with endless workarounds, unhappy staff, launch delays, and a system no one likes. In January 2025, KLAS Research reported that just 38% of organizations felt their last EHR rollout “hit the mark.” Whether you're a healthtech founder building an EMR for private clinics or a hospital group replacing an outdated system, the shortlist usually ends with two or three firms with similar portfolios and quotes. These ten questions help you tell an [EHR and EMR development company](https://www.intellectsoft.net/healthcare/ehr-emr) that has shipped regulated clinical software from one that has simply built apps that store health data. ## **1\. What clinical systems have you built — and are they still being used?** Ask about products that are live now. Who uses them? How many clinicians sign in daily? A system that has survived several years of real-world use has already faced practical problems. Check the fit, too. EMRs are digital charts for a single clinic or department. EHRs go further, sharing information across providers, labs, pharmacies, and patients. If a vendor has only built clinic EMRs, they may not have experience with cross-hospital data exchange, and vice versa. Make sure they’ve shipped the type of system you need, in your specialty. ## **2\. Who on your team understands clinical workflows?** You need more than good engineers. Someone should understand why an extra click matters, how nurses triage, how doctors order tests, and what frustrates staff at the point of care. Ask whether clinicians or healthcare analysts are involved in product testing. Describe a real workflow — such as a patient follow-up — and ask them to walk through it. Their answers can reveal more than a sales deck. ## **3\. How do you handle compliance for our markets?** Anyone can claim “HIPAA compliance,” but there is no official HIPAA certificate. Compliance depends on how the system is designed, hosted, and managed. Ask how they handle the rules in your markets: HIPAA in the US, GDPR in the EU and UK, and relevant local requirements elsewhere. Will they sign a Business Associate Agreement if needed? For African founders targeting the US, this can be a deal-breaker. ## **4\. What security comes standard?** Healthcare breaches are exceptionally costly. Ask what security is included in the first release: - Multi-factor authentication and role-based access - Audit logs tracking who accessed or changed data - Encryption in transit and at rest - Penetration testing before launch - Reliable backups and a tested recovery plan ## **5\. How does the system connect with labs, pharmacies, and other EHRs?** If your system cannot exchange data, staff may end up entering everything manually. Ask what standards the team has used, especially HL7 v2 and FHIR. In the US, certified EHRs must offer a standard FHIR-based API, and FHIR is increasingly used worldwide. Ask for an example of a live integration, including what went wrong and how they fixed it. ## **6\. How will you migrate our existing records?** Every project starts with existing data: a legacy system, spreadsheets, or paper files. Ask how records will be moved, how missing or corrupted data will be detected, and what happens to information that does not fit the new system. Will old and new systems run in parallel during the transition? Vague answers can signal a painful go-live. ## **7\. What’s included in the first release, and what will it cost?** Be skeptical of a fixed price before the vendor understands your workflows. Strong teams usually start with discovery, then price a first release with a defined scope. Estimates can range from around $50,000 for a focused EMR to $500,000 or more for a complex, multi-site EHR. Timelines can run from six months to three years. Get a line-item estimate covering discovery, design, development, compliance, integrations, testing, and support. ## **8\. Who owns the code, data, and accounts?** You should own the source code, data, and cloud accounts from day one. Put IP assignment, repository access, and data export rights in the contract. If the vendor controls hosting or data, switching providers later can become expensive and slow. ## **9\. What happens after go-live?** Go-live is where many problems begin. Clinicians find bugs, regulations change, and integrations can break when partners update their systems. Ask about support hours, response times, uptime commitments, and how updates are deployed safely. Training matters too. In the same KLAS report, 57% of clinicians said implementation support was weak. Ask who trains your team and what support looks like during the first 90 days. ## **10\. Can we talk to a healthcare client?** Ask for references, but go beyond “Were you happy?” Ask what went wrong, how the vendor responded, and whether they would hire the team again. A reference from a client with similar size, specialty, and needs is more useful than a famous logo. ## **Red Flags** - Fixed-price quotes with no discovery - Claims of “HIPAA certification” - No clinician involvement in testing - Code or data ownership not guaranteed in writing - Security and compliance treated as optional extras ## **How to Make the Final Call** Weight candidates heavily on compliance, security, and healthcare experience. Before signing a full development contract, pay your top choice for a short, hands-on discovery phase. It lets you see how they work with clinicians, handle ambiguity, and manage estimates before you commit serious money. That is your best preview of what the full partnership will look like. ### 4 Costly Mistakes Nigerian Freelancers Make With International Payments URL: https://www.techloy.com/nigerian-freelancers-international-payment-mistakes/ Last updated: 2026-10-11T13:39:43.000Z Why does a $500 payment never feel like $500 by the time it reaches your bank? If you freelance for clients abroad, you’ve probably asked this before. To help answer, we spoke to four freelancers who work in four different jobs. They all get paid by clients abroad, and each has made a costly payment mistake. Esther Adegbite is a virtual assistant, Olagoke Okediji is a podcast booker, Favour Oladeji is a web developer, and Daniel Jobi is a UI/UX designer. Even though their work is so different, the same mistakes kept showing up repeatedly. Here are four of them. [7 Best Practices to Build a Strong Portfolio on Freelance Sites as a FreelancerGet your freelance journey off the ground with a portfolio that shows your value and gets you hired.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-634cd8d0-469f-4733-be7c-6d8f6811aa0b.png)TechloyDavid Adubiina![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1522199755839-a2bacb67c546-93203303-b95a-419c-9a37-09932d531692.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/7-best-practices-to-build-a-strong-portfolio-on-freelance-sites-as-a-freelancer/) ## Mistake 1: Not Comparing Platforms Before You Choose A payment can lose money in three places before it reaches you: the exchange rate, the fees, and the wait. An [Afriex guide](https://www.afriex.com/post/how-african-freelancers-can-receive-international-payments) tells of a freelancer who lost about 12% of his income to spreads, fees and the rate his bank chose that day. It adds that local banks often use their own rate, which can sit 3 to 5 percentage points below the official one. Olagoke Okediji and Esther Adegbite each used Grey and Cadana, and that is where their problems started. Olagoke did not confirm the rate first, and his payment was reduced when it was converted to naira. Esther's rate was weak too, and her payment came late because she did not know how long withdrawals would take. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Aaron Sorkin's The Social Reckoning Revisits Frances Haugen's Facebook Files URL: https://www.techloy.com/the-social-reckoning-frances-haugen/ Last updated: 2026-10-08T14:55:52.000Z You probably remember Frances Haugen as the former [Facebook](https://www.techloy.com/tag/facebook/) employee who walked into the public spotlight with thousands of pages of internal company documents. Five years later, her story is becoming a Hollywood film. The Social Reckoning, written and directed by Aaron Sorkin, arrives in cinemas in the US and other markets from October 9, 2026, with ticket prices varying by cinema. [Sony Pictures](https://www.sonypictures.com/movies/socialreckoning) confirms the theatrical release and positions the film as a companion to The Social Network, but this time the story moves beyond Facebook’s creation and into the consequences of its growth. Mikey Madison plays Haugen, Jeremy Allen White plays Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz, and Jeremy Strong plays Mark Zuckerberg. The film’s official cast list points to a story about what happened when the people inside Facebook began questioning what the platform was doing to its users. [Other Mommy Release Date: Jessica Chastain Horror Eyes No. 1Other Mommy is expected to lead the box office this weekend as the R-rated horror film arrives in more than 3,200 cinemas.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-44b8bfce-bb0f-45fc-944a-64c63b2b3f5b.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/image-38--2--275efbd3-59d6-4507-a30c-cc4e9b33ddc5.png)](https://www.techloy.com/other-mommy-release-date-box-office/) ## From Facebook Employee To Whistleblower The real story begins before Haugen became a household name. She worked in product management at several technology companies, including [Google](https://www.techloy.com/tag/google/), Pinterest, Yelp, and Facebook, with much of her career focused on algorithmic products and recommendation systems. [Her 2021 Senate testimony](https://www.commerce.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/media/doc/Frances%20Haugen%20Written%20Testimony.pdf) explains that she joined Facebook believing the company could have a positive effect on society. Her concerns eventually became much more serious. In 2021, Haugen provided internal Facebook documents to the [Securities and Exchange Commission](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1326801/000121465922005924/b427221px14a6g.htm) and to journalists. Those documents became the basis for the Wall Street Journal's Facebook Files, a series examining what Facebook's own research showed about problems including teenage mental health, misinformation and harmful content. Haugen then testified before the US Senate in October 2021\. She told lawmakers that Facebook's leadership knew its products could cause harm and argued that the company had prioritised profits over people. Senator Richard Blumenthal described her as someone standing up to one of the world's most powerful corporations, showing how significant the disclosures had become. ## Why Sorkin Is Revisiting The Story The interesting part of The Social Reckoning is that Sorkin is not simply making another Facebook film. His 2010 screenplay for The Social Network focused on the creation of Facebook and the disputes surrounding its early rise. This film asks a different question: what happens when a platform that was built to connect people becomes powerful enough to influence how they think, behave, and receive information? _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Forza Horizon 6 PS5 Release Date May Have Leaked for 2027 URL: https://www.techloy.com/forza-horizon-6-ps5-release-date/ Last updated: 2026-10-08T14:29:59.000Z Forza Horizon 6 could be heading to [PS5](https://www.techloy.com/tag/playstation-5/) early next year, despite Microsoft and Playground Games previously saying the racing game would arrive on Sony's console before the end of 2026. According to a report from reliable leaker billbil-kun on French deal site[ Dealabs](https://www.dealabs.com/magazine/forza-horizon-6-sur-ps5-on-vous-devoile-la-date-de-sortie-exacte-61746), the PS5 version is now expected to launch on January 26, 2027\. The report also claims that a physical PS5 edition will launch alongside the digital version. Neither [Microsoft](https://www.techloy.com/tag/microsoft/) nor Playground Games has confirmed the reported date, however. In fact, Playground's most recent official messaging still says Forza Horizon 6 is coming to PS5 later in 2026. [Xbox Game Pass October 2026 Lineup: Games and Release DatesThe October lineup has grown with new additions including Battlefield 6, Forever Ago and Bluey’s Happy Snaps, with more games still to come.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-eb96176f-22ad-4dea-8121-140a99857908.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1638431755905-631694da8921-503ab173-6c7f-4f24-8ed9-5a0bab60df39.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/xbox-game-pass-october-2026-lineup/) ## When is Forza Horizon 6 coming to PS5? If billbil-kun's report is accurate, PS5 players will get Forza Horizon 6 on January 26, 2027. That would put the PlayStation release several months after the Xbox Series X|S and PC versions, which launched on May 19, 2026\. Playground Games originally announced the PS5 version as a later release, with players able to wishlist the game on the [PlayStation Store](https://www.playstation.com/en-us/games/forza-horizon-6/). The delay would also explain why Microsoft has yet to provide a firm PS5 release date. In August, The Verge's Tom Warren reported that Forza Horizon 6 would not make it to PS5 in 2026\. Playground later pushed back against those reports, reiterating that the game would still release on PS5 before the end of the year. The latest leak now suggests that the PS5 version has slipped into 2027. ## Will Forza Horizon 6 have a physical PS5 edition? Apparently, yes. Billbil-kun claims that physical and digital PS5 editions will launch at the same time. That could be particularly significant for PlayStation players who still prefer buying games on disc. Sony has been preparing to scale back physical media production, with plans to end physical disc production for new PlayStation games by 2028, though that has sparked considerable backlash from some players and retailers. A physical release for Forza Horizon 6 would therefore give PS5 players another major first-party Xbox game that can still be purchased on disc. The report also claims that the PS5 version will follow the same pricing as the Xbox version, putting it at around $69.99 in the United States. The European pricing reported by billbil-kun is €69.99/£59.99\. Microsoft has yet to officially confirm the PlayStation price. ## Why is Forza Horizon 6 coming to PS5? Microsoft's decision to bring Forza Horizon 6 to PlayStation makes more sense when you look at what happened with Forza Horizon 5. The previous game reportedly sold more than 5 million copies on PS5, generating more than $300 million in revenue. That gives Microsoft a strong financial incentive to bring the sequel to the same audience. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Indonesia Is Making It Harder for Companies to Lay Off Workers URL: https://www.techloy.com/indonesia-labor-law-2026/ Last updated: 2026-10-08T14:03:00.000Z After years of pro-business reforms designed to make it easier for companies to operate and hire in Indonesia, the government is now moving in the other direction. A new labour [bill](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ik6k2fuCnFg) passed by parliament on Tuesday will strengthen worker protections, including higher severance benefits for employees who are laid off and tighter restrictions on when companies can dismiss workers on cost-efficiency grounds. "This bill reflects a balance between protecting workers' basic rights and the sustainability of businesses," Manpower Minister Yassierli told parliament after the vote, as quoted by Reuters. Whether that balance holds is already being debated, and one of the first open questions concerns gig workers. Donna Priadi, managing director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Indonesia, said many aspects of the law need further discussion, including whether digital platform workers should be classified as employees. The question matters because companies like Grab and Gojek define their drivers as "partners," not employees. [Hong Kong Graduate Jobs Are Changing as AI Takes OverHong Kong’s innovation chief says the “entry-level shock” is real, and the government’s answer is a four-step “talent ladder.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-a839852e-a174-47ad-a372-05d3594200e0.png)TechloyDavid Adubiina![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1602856824081-69ce39ba4b3d-5e893d3a-9e18-4950-9dd7-b098604f2e1c.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/hong-kong-graduate-jobs-ai-entry-level-work/) ## How It Differs From the 2020 Omnibus Law To understand why the law is so significant, it helps to look at what it replaces. The 2020 "omnibus" law on job creation was controversial largely because of how it was made. For context, it bypassed revisions of more than 70 older laws and regulations, according to a Nikkei Asia [report](https://asia.nikkei.com/economy/indonesia-court-says-omnibus-law-defective-due-to-bad-process)—of which the new law reverses much of that direction, and labor leaders say the difference is clear. Said Iqbal, president of the Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions, said it offers far better protections than both the omnibus law and the 2003 manpower law before it. ## What It Means for Workers and Talent In a job market where businesses are quick to replace human operators with capable AI, the new law offers workers some protection against that risk, and more. Fixed-term employment contracts are now capped at four years, according to Minister Yassierli, who also said the law guarantees equal opportunities and equal treatment across all aspects of employment. Andi Gani, president of the All-Indonesian Workers Union Confederation, also states several other benefits workers stand to gain, including that staffing agencies must now make outsourced workers permanent employees, the provision of a severance guarantee fund, and improved wage calculations. "Employers will no longer be allowed to dismiss workers arbitrarily," he added. The law also reaches beyond formal employment. Nabiyla Risfa, a labor law lecturer at Gadjah Mada University, said informal workers gain "more explicit protection." While the final copy of the law is yet to be made public, Mirah Sumirat, president of the Association of Indonesian Workers, called the law a "victory" but added that the association will read all of the provisions and oversee the implementing regulations. Risfa shares that concern, noting that the implementation details "remain unclear." ## Why Businesses and Investors Are Concerned Erwin Aksa, deputy chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the new provisions reduce some of the flexibility in the 2020 omnibus law, which was passed under former President Joko Widodo and widely seen as business-friendly. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Samsung Wants Your Phone to Forget Crypto's Scariest Rule URL: https://www.techloy.com/samsung-crypto-wallet-patent-multi-device-recovery/ Last updated: 2026-10-08T13:59:59.000Z Your phone can unlock with your face, approve a bank transfer with your thumb, and restore all your photos on a brand-new device in minutes. Yet ask that same phone to hold a crypto wallet, and one broken screen or one forgotten backup can wipe out your money, with no help desk to call and no "forgot password" button to press. [Samsung ](https://www.techloy.com/tag/samsung/)seems to know this is the real roadblock. A new patent from the company does not chase hype or price pumps. It goes after the one thing that scares ordinary people away from crypto, and it is a more interesting story than the headlines let on. [Samsung Galaxy S26 FE in India: Price, Specs and AI FeaturesThe Galaxy S26 FE will be available from September 18 through Samsung.com, online retailers, and offline stores.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-3740a076-b3f9-42f3-942b-0a59fa581eec.png)TechloyOgbonda Chivumnovu![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1706289959252-7ce4060b8096-368c38db-ee9b-45d3-81da-e9b5c0a2fb2c.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/samsung-s26-fe-launch-india-price-specs/) ## **Why a Lost Phone Can Mean Lost Money** [Crypto](https://www.techloy.com/tag/cryptocurrency/) has a harsh rule. If you hold the private key, you own the coins, and if you lose that key, nobody can give it back. Bitcoin teacher Andreas Antonopoulos made this famous with the slogan "not your keys, not your coins". The flip side is just as strict. [Chainalysis estimates](https://www.fxstreet.com/cryptocurrencies/news/lost-bitcoin-may-be-a-donation-but-is-it-hindering-adoption-202202070216) that about 3.7 million Bitcoin, close to 20 percent of the supply, has been lost this way. Getting it back is rare. One study guessed that only [about 2.45 percent](https://cryptoassetrecovery.com/posts/what-percent-of-lost-bitcoin-is-recoverable) of lost [Bitcoin](https://www.techloy.com/tag/bitcoin/) could ever be recovered. Investor Mike Novogratz once said "No one's losing bitcoin anymore," because bigger prices made people careful. Yet the same report tells the story of former Ripple CTO Stefan Thomas, who forgot the password to a drive holding over $200 million in Bitcoin. Care helps, but people still forget things. ## **How Samsung's Smart Contract Wallet Patent Works** Samsung's filing, published in the US on July 23 as number US 2026/0212355, tries a different path. Normally your device signs each transaction with a private key. In Samsung's design, a smart contract does part of that job. Your device sends the transaction data, an address and some login details to the contract. The contract checks them against what it stored earlier, and if they match, it processes the payment. The second big idea is teamwork between devices. When you add a new device, or restore an old address, another device you already own can help register the new details. So, one wallet could be run from a phone, a laptop, a watch, or even a home appliance. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Phoenix Cyclops Brings a Dangerous Dark Phoenix Twist to Marvel Tōkon URL: https://www.techloy.com/phoenix-cyclops-marvel-tokon/ Last updated: 2026-10-08T13:55:44.000Z [MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls](https://www.playstation.com/en-us/games/marvel-tokon-fighting-souls/) is [getting](https://blog.playstation.com/2026/10/07/phoenix-cyclops-joins-marvel-tokon-fighting-souls-on-november-2/) its first post-launch character, and Arc System Works has gone beyond simply adding another familiar version of Cyclops to the roster. Phoenix Cyclops, the expected new character, arrives on November 2, 2026\. It promises PS5 and PC players a Phoenix Force-powered version of Scott Summers as the first character included in the game's Year 1 Character and Stage Pass. [Xbox Game Pass October 2026 Lineup: Games and Release DatesThe October lineup has grown with new additions including Battlefield 6, Forever Ago and Bluey’s Happy Snaps, with more games still to come.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-5536aba1-99c7-4cde-8d24-22bb87c1ba76.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1638431755905-631694da8921-c08a6afd-a438-416b-a576-c3926e341838.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/xbox-game-pass-october-2026-lineup/) ## Who is Phoenix Cyclops in MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls? Phoenix Cyclops is based on Scott Summers' Phoenix Five incarnation from Avengers vs. X-Men, rather than the standard version of Cyclops that has appeared in previous Marvel fighting games. That gives him a younger appearance and a moveset built around his connection to the Phoenix Force. His trademark Optic Blasts remain central to his attacks, but they are now combined with Phoenix-powered abilities and a potential transformation into Dark Phoenix. It is a sensible choice for a character who has already been adapted into several Marvel fighting games. ## How does Phoenix Cyclops play? Phoenix Cyclops is designed as an all-rounder, allowing players to fight effectively at both long and close range. His Optic Blasts provide the foundation of his attacks, while Phoenix-powered fire abilities let him control larger areas of the screen. His toolkit also includes projectiles, rushing attacks, throws, and setup options. The standout mechanic is his Solar Shard system. Cyclops can build Solar Shards by using his Optic Blast abilities. Once he collects four, he can transform into Dark Phoenix, temporarily gaining a significant boost in power. But one trade-off is that Dark Phoenix drains his health. That gives the character a straightforward risk-and-reward mechanic. Players have to decide when the additional power is worth sacrificing health, rather than activating a stronger form whenever it is available. It also ties his gameplay directly to the story behind his Phoenix Force incarnation in Avengers vs. X-Men. ## When can you play Phoenix Cyclops on PS5? Phoenix Cyclops launches on November 2, 2026, for MARVEL Tōkon: Fighting Souls. The character will be available on PS5 and PC as part of the Year 1 Character and Stage Pass. The base game launched on August 6, 2026. Players attending EVO France from October 9–11 will also get an early opportunity to try Phoenix Cyclops before his wider release. For everyone else, November 2 is the date to keep in mind. ## Does Phoenix Cyclops have a classic Cyclops costume? Yes. Players who would rather use a more familiar version of Scott Summers will have Classic and Legacy costumes available when Phoenix Cyclops launches. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Xbox Game Pass October 2026: All Games Confirmed URL: https://www.techloy.com/xbox-game-pass-october-2026-lineup/ Last updated: 2026-10-08T13:09:56.000Z October is shaping up to be one of the busiest months of the year for[ Xbox Game Pass](https://www.techloy.com/tag/xbox-game-pass/). Microsoft has confirmed a sizeable lineup rolling out throughout the month, led by major releases such as[ Gears of War: E-Day](https://www.techloy.com/gears-of-war-controller-e-day-price-release-date/) and Battlefield 6\. They are joined by several day-one additions, including Valor Mortis, Neon Abyss 2, Echo Weaver and Beyond These Stars. The releases span Xbox Series X|S, PC, cloud and supported handheld devices, with availability varying by title and Game Pass plan. However, there is a catch: nine titles are also leaving the service on October 15, including Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, A Plague Tale: Requiem, Pacific Drive and The Casting of Frank Stone. Here’s the complete Xbox Game Pass schedule for October 2026, covering the titles already available, everything still to come and the games leaving the service this month. [Xbox Game Pass Gamescom 2026: 10 Games, Every Release WindowHere are all 10 Xbox Game Pass games and updates announced during Xbox’s second Gamescom 2026 stream.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-ed0d5671-44f8-4b40-9137-c2dc522c5061.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1785123463478-5f772a8e97f6-6503a762-3e42-420c-ab4f-779ca13ab89f)](https://www.techloy.com/xbox-game-pass-gamescom-2026-second-stream/) ## **Xbox Game Pass October 2026 Games: Full Release Schedule** **October 2 – Keeper:** Arrives on Xbox Series X|S, PC, and cloud for Game Pass Premium subscribers. **October 6 – Gears of War: E-Day:** Launches on Xbox Series X|S, PC, and cloud for Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers. **October 8 – Echo Weaver, Forever Ago and Neon Abyss 2:** Echo Weaver arrives on Xbox Series X|S, PC, and cloud for Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. Forever Ago arrives on console, PC, and cloud for Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. Neon Abyss 2 arrives on Xbox Series X|S, PC, and cloud for Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, and Game Pass Premium. **October 13 – Battlefield 6, Deep Dish Dungeon and Valor Mortis:** All three games launch on Xbox Series X|S, PC, and cloud through Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. **October 15 – Bluey’s Happy Snaps and Chained Beasts:** Bluey’s Happy Snaps arrives on console, PC, and cloud for Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass, while Chained Beasts launches on Xbox Series X|S, PC, and cloud for Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. **October 16 – Beyond These Stars:** Arrives on PC for Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers. **October 27 – The Séance of Blake Manor:** Arrives on Xbox Series X|S, PC, and cloud for Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers. **October 29 – Terrible Lizards:** Arrives on Xbox Series X|S, PC, and cloud for Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers, rounding out the currently confirmed October lineup. ## **Gears of War: E-Day Is Already on Game Pass** [Gears of War: E-Day](https://www.techloy.com/gears-of-war-controller-e-day-price-release-date/) is easily the biggest first-party addition to the October lineup. The game takes players 14 years before the original Gears of War, telling the story of Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago during Emergence Day and the Locust invasion. Built in Unreal Engine 5, E-Day features a campaign alongside multiplayer, including the returning Horde mode and Versus multiplayer. For Game Pass subscribers, the important part is that it launched day one on October 6 for Xbox Series X|S, PC and cloud through Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Apple Could Hold Two October Events With 12 New Products URL: https://www.techloy.com/apple-october-event-2026/ Last updated: 2026-10-09T14:36:05.000Z Apple has officially [announced](https://www.apple.com/newsroom/in-the-loop/2026/10/welcome-home/) an event for Tuesday, October 13\. Bloomberg also [reports](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-10-08/apple-set-to-debut-touch-screen-macbook-and-new-ipad-mini-in-late-october) that a second round of products, including a touchscreen MacBook Pro and a new iPad mini, is set to arrive on or around October 27\. This comes after a very busy September, with Apple launching new [iPhones](https://www.techloy.com/tag/apple-iphone/), a foldable iPhone, new [Apple Watches](https://www.techloy.com/tag/apple-watch/) and [AirPods](https://www.techloy.com/tag/airpods/). Now, it’s reportedly planning two more product launches in October. That’s not how Apple usually works. The company typically saves its announcements for a handful of events each year. But this October could bring up to a dozen new products across two separate launches. [Everything Apple Announced: iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro & MoreApple’s first foldable, the $1,999 iPhone Duo, led John Ternus’s first September event as CEO, and the regular iPhone 18 never showed up.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-e4532375-48ec-4c3b-934c-c9e40b15ac05.png)TechloyOgbonda Chivumnovu![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1761668773454-b7148726cae2-dc95eedb-29ec-4aa4-b1c8-2c8df34ac5c4.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/everything-apple-announced-september-event/) ## Why is Apple holding October events now? The answer could start with [Siri AI](https://www.techloy.com/tag/apple-siri/). Apple spent years developing a revamped voice assistant, which was delayed multiple times. Now that it has finally shipped, Apple may need devices that showcase it. And the smart home could be that stage. Apple has trailed [Amazon](https://www.techloy.com/tag/amazon/) and [Google](https://www.techloy.com/tag/google/) in the category for years. The [HomePod](https://www.techloy.com/tag/homepod/) struggled, accounting for about [6% of the smart speaker market](https://appleinsider.com/articles/24/10/16/why-apples-smart-home-speaker-dreams-are-still-falling-short), while the HomePod mini sold reasonably well, with Apple shipping 4 million smart speakers in the third quarter of 2021, according to [Strategy Analytics](https://www.macrumors.com/2021/12/20/homepod-mini-smart-speaker-market-share/). But Apple never had a real answer to the [Echo](https://www.techloy.com/tag/amazon-echo/) or Nest Hub. The new home hub could be the answer. Apple is also under new leadership with [John Ternus](https://www.techloy.com/tag/john-ternus/). Reports have [suggested](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-09-29/apple-s-new-ceo-moves-to-overhaul-company-to-run-faster-and-leaner) that Ternus is shifting away from Apple's traditional, rigid spring and autumn product launch cycles towards a year-round, faster cadence of device introductions. These two reported October events could be the first sign of Ternus' new strategy taking shape at the company. ## The October 13 event: What we know Apple is reportedly planning an event on October 13 to unveil three products: a smart home hub, a new HomePod mini and an updated [Apple TV](https://www.techloy.com/tag/apple-tv/) 4K. **Home hub:** A roughly 6-inch square display, with versions designed for countertop and wall mounting. It could recognise who is speaking or approaching, then display personalised content such as contacts, messages, calendars and notes. It is expected to have a FaceTime camera, microphones and speakers in the base, and run a new operating system that may be called homeOS. The device is designed to serve multiple household members, with a guest mode that hides personal information. **HomePod mini 2:** A faster chip, Siri AI support, improved sound, Wi-Fi 7, and new colours, including pink and green. The design is not expected to change significantly. **Apple TV 4K (4th gen):** A faster processor, more RAM, Siri AI support, Wi-Fi 7 and an updated Siri Remote. The design is expected to remain largely unchanged. ## The second launch: The final week of October MacRumors [reports](https://www.macrumors.com/2026/10/07/12-new-things-to-expect-from-apple-in-october/) that Apple is planning another set of product announcements in the final week of October. The most likely candidates are all Macs. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### How to Make E-Learning Videos People Actually Finish URL: https://www.techloy.com/how-to-make-e-learning-videos-people-actually-finish/ Last updated: 2026-10-08T11:40:25.000Z Making an educational video is easy. Making one people watch to the end is the hard part — and it's the only part that matters. Most learning videos quietly lose their audience partway through: Wistia's 2025 State of Video report found overall engagement hitting a four-year low, with longer videos the worst affected. A video nobody finishes taught nobody anything, regardless of how polished it looked. So this guide isn't about gear or software first — it's about building e-learning videos that hold attention from planning through publish. ## **Decide who it's for and what it must do — before you record** Every forgettable training video skips this step. Before touching a camera or a screen recorder, pin down two things: who is watching, and the single outcome they should be able to do afterward. Not three outcomes — one. A video trying to teach everything teaches nothing, and it's usually the first thing to bloat a runtime past the point of attention. That one outcome also picks your format. A software walkthrough wants a screen recording. A leadership message or a concept that benefits from a human presence wants a talking head. An abstract idea — a process, a system, something with no physical form — wants animation. A judgment or soft skill wants a scenario. Choosing the format to fit the goal, rather than defaulting to whatever's easiest to shoot, is half the battle for learner engagement. ## **Write it tight — one video, one job** Script for retention, which in practice means ruthless trimming. Decide the two or three points a viewer must leave with, and cut everything that isn't in service of them. Plain language, short sentences, and a clear through-line beat comprehensive-but-exhausting every time. Length is part of this. A 2025 peer-reviewed study of instructional video length pointed to around five minutes as a sensible ceiling, with retention and in-video responses better on shorter clips — though the researchers were honest that content quality mattered more than the clock alone. The practical takeaway isn't a hard rule; it's that if a video is running long, the fix is almost always splitting it into focused pieces, not speeding up the narration. ## **Get the setup right without overspending** You don't need a studio, but you do need to respect the two things viewers actually notice: audio and clarity. Bad sound makes people leave faster than mediocre visuals ever will, so a decent microphone in a quiet room is the single best spend. Soft, even lighting on a face; a clean, legible screen capture for a tutorial. A recent phone or a good webcam is genuinely fine for most educational video — the money people waste on cinema cameras rarely moves completion. For screencasts, close the clutter: silence notifications, hide bookmarks bars and irrelevant tabs, bump up font sizes so text is readable on a laptop. Record in short segments rather than one nervous take; it's easier to deliver cleanly and far easier to edit. ## **Edit for pace, then add the layer that lifts completion** In editing, cut the dead air — the ums, the pauses, the fumbling — and keep the pace moving. Add captions (many people watch muted), and use on-screen text or title cards to signal structure so viewers always know where they are. Then add the thing most people skip: interactivity. Passive video is where attention goes to die. Dropping a quick knowledge check, a reflection prompt, or a branching choice at key moments turns watching into doing, and doing is what makes video-based learning stick. Even a single mid-video question measurably changes how much a learner retains. ## **Tools, AI, and when to stop doing it yourself** The toolkit has never been more accessible. Screen recorders, browser-based editors, and a wave of AI tools — Wistia's 2025 report noted AI use in video production more than doubled year over year — now handle scripting drafts, auto-captions, voiceover, and even synthetic presenters. For a startup producing internal or product training at speed, that stack is genuinely enough to ship good work. Where it stops being enough is complexity and scale. Custom animation, branching scenarios, and interactions that genuinely teach are a different discipline — instructional design and production, not recording. A fuller breakdown of[ how to make e-learning videos](https://bluecarrot.io/blog/how-to-create-e-learning-videos/) walks through that end of the spectrum, and it's the point where many teams bring in specialists rather than improvising a second profession. Sound instructional design is what separates a video that looks professional from one that actually changes what someone can do. The decision is simple: do it yourself while the videos are straightforward; get help when the stakes or the complexity outgrow a screen recorder. ## **The mistakes that cause drop-off** Most failures repeat the same few patterns. One video asked to carry too many goals. Content pitched at the wrong level — over the head of beginners or boring the experienced. And the quietest killer: scripting around what the presenter wants to say instead of what the learner needs to be able to do. A course video built around the presenter's agenda rather than the viewer's outcome will lose people every time, no matter how good the production. ## **The one principle that matters** If you remember nothing else: make videos for the viewer's outcome, keep each one to a single job, and give people something to do, not just watch. The teams whose educational videos get finished aren't the ones with the best equipment — they're the ones who respected their viewers' attention and designed for it. Everything else is just execution. ### GPT-6 Is Rolling Out to Free Users. How Close Is It to the Paid One? URL: https://www.techloy.com/gpt-6-intelligent-ui/ Last updated: 2026-10-08T10:45:40.000Z If you use ChatGPT for free, GPT-6 is finally coming to your everyday chats. [OpenAI](https://www.techloy.com/tag/openai/) launched the model family last month, but you won't get the same version paying subscribers have. From Thursday, October 8, the free and Go plans are getting GPT-6 Luna, a smaller and faster version. It's rolling out gradually, so it may take a few days to reach everyone. Paid subscribers started getting the bigger GPT-6 Sol on Wednesday. OpenAI also launched Intelligent UI, a new feature that lets [ChatGPT](https://www.techloy.com/tag/chatgpt/) answer with charts, calculators, and games. So how good is the free one? OpenAI's own tests put it about two points behind the paid version. Independent testing puts the gap at 10. [OpenAI Dots, GPT-6.1 Sol: DevDay 2026 Biggest AnnouncementsOpenAI’s Meta Muse rival costs at least $100 a month, and $200 Pro users are about to lose half their usage.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-ddeee115-cf54-4a2c-a5a7-480032cb1f52.png)TechloyDamilare Odedina![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/live-20260929-100334-1-1-595932b1-5514-4da3-93ae-27d8f6f1c24d.webp)](https://www.techloy.com/openai-dots-devday-2026-announcements/) ## **GPT-6 Luna vs Sol: how close the free version is** Luna is OpenAI's lighter, cheaper model. On OpenAI's own tests, it's barely behind Sol. It scored 53.8% on a hard web search test against Sol's 56.2%, and beat GPT-5.6, the previous paid model, which scored 43.1%. But independent testing shows a bigger gap. Artificial Analysis gives GPT-6 Sol 48 points on its Intelligence Index and Luna 38, just one point ahead of the previous free model. It tests the versions developers use, though, and OpenAI says ChatGPT's versions are tuned for everyday chat. Where Luna clearly wins is speed. Artificial Analysis clocked it at 127 tokens per second, against 85 for GPT-6 Sol. OpenAI says GPT-6 also starts replying 44% sooner than GPT-5.6 when it has to search the web. ## **GPT-6 Intelligent UI: what it does and can you turn it off?** Intelligent UI is the other big change. Instead of replying only in text, ChatGPT can now build charts, forms, calculators, and simple games right inside the chat. Say you're planning a road trip. Instead of a long list of stops, ChatGPT can show them on a map. Ask how your savings could grow, and it can build a calculator you can use right in the chat. It works on the web and in updated mobile apps, but not in the older ChatGPT desktop apps for Mac and Windows. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Other Mommy Targets $20 Million Opening as Horror Takes Over October URL: https://www.techloy.com/other-mommy-release-date-box-office/ Last updated: 2026-10-08T10:22:06.000Z October is giving horror fans another reason to head to cinemas, and Other Mommy could be the film that takes the US box office by storm this weekend. The supernatural horror film, starring Oscar winner Jessica Chastain in a dual role, is projected to make around $20 million in North America when it opens on Friday, October 9, 2026. Current Box Office [tracking](https://www.boxofficepro.com/weekend-preview-other-mommy-set-to-smother-the-box-office) projects Other Mommy to open in around 3,200 cinemas. Directed by Rob Savage and released by Universal Pictures, the R-rated film has a clear shot at the No. 1 spot, especially with no major blockbuster competing for the same audience. [Will There Be a Ted Lasso Season 5? What We KnowTed Lasso Season 4 leaves AFC Richmond in a very different place, opening new possibilities if Apple TV renews the series.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-f55153fe-1c0a-4010-b2d8-dcd290abb825.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/ted3-7ccc0504-d8d9-4fc1-8284-72edeaa71e84.webp)](https://www.techloy.com/ted-lasso-season-4-finale-season-5/) ## What Is Other Mommy About? [The film](https://www.othermommymovie.ca/) follows Bela, an eight-year-old girl who encounters a supernatural entity that comes out of her wardrobe and takes the appearance of her mother, Ursula. Chastain plays both Ursula and the sinister Other Mommy, while Arabella Olivia Clark plays Bela and Jay Duplass plays her father, Daddo. The story is adapted from Josh Malerman’s bestselling horror novel Incidents Around the House, which was also the basis for the film’s screenplay by Nathan Elston. James Wan, whose credits include The Conjuring, Insidious and Saw, produces the film through Atomic Monster alongside Blumhouse.[ ](https://www.nbcuniversal.com/article/universal-pictures-other-mommy-releases-october-9?utm%5Fsource=chatgpt.com) Chastain believes the film’s biggest fear comes from turning something normally associated with safety into a threat. “The one safe harbour for a child should be their parents, and that’s the scariest thing,” she [told SYFY Wire](https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/jessica-chastain-jay-duplass-reveal-scariest-part-of-horror-film-other-mommy). ## Why $20 Million Is Possible October is traditionally one of the strongest periods for horror, and audiences are already moving towards darker releases ahead of Halloween. [Boxoffice Pro](https://www.boxofficepro.com/weekend-preview-other-mommy-set-to-smother-the-box-office) currently projects an opening range of $17 million to $22 million, while Deadline is also tracking the film around the $20 million mark.[ ](https://www.boxofficepro.com/weekend-preview-other-mommy-set-to-smother-the-box-office/?utm%5Fsource=chatgpt.com) _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Former AI Executive Clara Shih Says AI Will Mean 3 Types of Jobs. Which One Are You? URL: https://www.techloy.com/clara-shih-3-types-of-jobs-ai-era/ Last updated: 2026-10-08T10:13:52.000Z What happens to your career when the technology you use starts taking over parts of your job? Most likely, it gets reshaped. And this isn't about fear or hype because it's already happening. The long hours of coding once spent by a software engineer can now be done through vibe coding. First-line customer care is not left out either, with AI answering queries and giving structured responses on behalf of people and businesses alike. So where exactly does that leave you? Ex-Meta and Salesforce executive Clara Shih says the answer is "nuanced" because AI is changing all the time. In an [interview](https://x.com/60Minutes/status/2107962677603553392) with Jon Wertheim, a longtime correspondent on CBS's *60 Minutes*, she was candid about the uncertainty. "No one has a crystal ball on how this plays out," she said, adding that one thing that will happen is " there's going to be three types of jobs going forward." [Why Big Tech Is Taking a Different View of AI and JobsFrom Sam Altman to Ford’s Jim Farley, the executives who once warned AI would gut white-collar work are now describing a very different year than they predicted.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-508a489f-c682-4524-8164-45905f5159f2.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1556761175-b413da4baf72-4b6832fc-0ce8-4321-b815-41cbd8be2014.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/tech-leaders-are-talking-differently-about-ai-and-jobs/) ## The Three Types of Jobs AI Is Bringing As a former AI executive who has headed AI divisions in both Meta and Salesforce, she expects the technology to bring about three sets of people, including "first, people who are building AI, second, people who are using AI, and third, people who are getting managed by AI." "The third group already exists," she said, describing who belongs in this category. Think of your Uber driver or a DoorDash courier, where an algorithm assigns the work, sets the pace, and measures the output. Increasingly, the same applies to knowledge workers such as customer support reps and sales development reps. Platforms like [Mercor](https://www.techloy.com/tag/mercor/), which uses AI to recruit and match talent, offer a glimpse of how this model is spreading. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Memory Chip Prices are Pushing Laptops up Again. A Refurbished Business Laptop is the Cheaper Route URL: https://www.techloy.com/memory-chip-prices-are-pushing-laptops-up-again-a-refurbished-business-laptop-is-the-cheaper-route/ Last updated: 2026-10-07T20:39:01.000Z That new laptop you've been eyeing probably costs more than it did at the start of the year. We've reported several times on how AI's appetite for memory chips is pushing up prices on everything from Kindles to MacBooks, and prices are forecast to keep rising. TrendForce said on September 30 that conventional DRAM contract prices should rise another 10–15% quarter over quarter in the last three months of 2026\. NAND flash, the storage chips inside your SSD, is expected to climb 15–20%. The research firm added that notebook inventories are "increasingly reflecting higher component costs." If you work remotely or you're a student who needs a reliable machine for the next few years, there's a cheaper route than paying the 2026 premium: a professionally refurbished business laptop. ## Why new laptops cost more this year Memory makers are putting more of their capacity into high-bandwidth memory for AI servers. That leaves less for the RAM and storage that go into phones and PCs, so laptop brands pay more for those parts. They pass the cost on in two ways. Some raise the sticker price. Others hold the price and cut the specs. They ship 8GB of RAM or a smaller SSD where last year's model had more. The second one is easier to miss. An 8GB laptop at last year's price looks fine in a store, then starts to stutter once you have a video call and 30 browser tabs open. A refurbished laptop's RAM and SSD were bought years ago. What you pay for it now depends mostly on its age and condition, so this year's chip contracts barely move the price. ## Business-grade versus consumer build Most laptops on the refurbished market come out of corporate and government fleets, which means Lenovo ThinkPads and Dell Latitudes turn up more than anything else. Organizations buy them in bulk and often retire them after three or four years on a fixed refresh schedule, whether or not they still run well. These were never budget products. Business lines are built for years of daily use by staff who don't own the hardware and don't treat it gently. Many ThinkPad and Latitude models are tested against MIL-STD-810H, a US military standard that covers drops, vibration, humidity and temperature extremes. Few consumer laptops at the same new price go through that. Repairs are the other big difference. Business models more often have a replaceable SSD and RAM slots, and manufacturers publish service manuals and stock spare parts for fleet buyers. A worn keyboard or a tired battery becomes a cheap fix. Many thin consumer laptops solder the RAM to the motherboard, so the 8GB you buy is the 8GB you keep. That changes how long each machine stays useful. A 2023 ThinkPad with 16GB of RAM and a fresh battery can handle writing, research, video calls and coding classes for several more years. A new 8GB consumer laptop may hit its limits sooner, and you can't upgrade your way out. The trade-offs are real. Older units carry older processors, and Windows 11 needs at least an Intel 8th-gen or AMD Ryzen 2000-series chip plus TPM 2.0, so very old stock won't qualify. Battery health varies from unit to unit. Some base fleet configurations also shipped with dim, low-resolution screens and 720p webcams, which matters if you spend half your day on calls. ## What to check before you buy refurbished: grading, warranty and returns Every refurbished listing should state a cosmetic grade. A Grade A machine should look close to new, and a Grade B unit works the same but shows cosmetic wear, which is where most of the savings are. In Australia, [Australian Computer Traders' refurbished range](https://www.australiancomputertraders.com.au/) is one example of how grading works: the Brisbane company has resold ex-government computers since 1993 and lists each device as Grade A or Grade B after technician testing. Whichever seller you use, look for a warranty of at least 12 months that can be extended to two years, and a 30-day return window. Next, ask for the battery's health as a percentage of its original capacity. Anything above about 80% is fine for daily use. Below that, plan for a replacement or ask the seller to fit one before it ships. Confirm the exact processor generation, not only "Core i5", since an 8th-gen and a 12th-gen i5 are years apart in performance. Also check that the laptop comes with a clean, licensed copy of Windows and that the previous owner's data was wiped. "Used" and "refurbished" aren't the same thing on a listing. A used laptop is often sold as-is. A refurbished one should come with a grade and a written warranty. If a listing gives neither, keep scrolling. Once it arrives, run through our checklist of tests for a pre-owned Windows laptop before the return window closes. ## When new still makes sense If you edit 4K video or want Microsoft's Copilot+ features, you need a modern GPU or NPU that ex-fleet machines don't have. If all-day battery life straight out of the box matters most, a new ARM-based laptop will outlast a refurbished Intel unit on a single charge. For most remote workers and students, though, the daily work is documents and video calls. A well-graded ThinkPad or Latitude with a proper warranty handles that for less than a new consumer model. ### 20 Amazon Prime Big Deal Days Tech & Gaming Deals to Grab Now URL: https://www.techloy.com/amazon-prime-day-deals-october-2026-tech-gaming/ Last updated: 2026-10-07T16:09:39.000Z Amazon Prime Big Deal Days is in its final hours, with deals on tech, gaming, and everyday gadgets still available. The 48-hour sale ends at 11:59 p.m. PDT on October 7, so shoppers have limited time to grab the discounts before they disappear. From the Pixel 11 and Galaxy S26 to Beats headphones and games under $40, these are 20 [Amazon](https://www.techloy.com/tag/amazon/) Prime Big Deal Days tech and gaming deals worth checking out before the sale ends. [Steam Autumn Sale 2026: 21 Best Game DealsSteam’s Autumn Sale is live through October 8, with discounts on Cyberpunk 2077, Persona 3 Reload, Skyrim, Monster Hunter Rise, and more.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-50946981-74ee-4643-a4c4-9d7b4a0174a9.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1718966324550-0a312d32c535-6b47700c-5f62-4c51-add2-1070d6f3ffc0.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/steam-autumn-sale-2026-best-game-deals/) ## /1\. JBL Vibe Beam True Wireless Earbuds ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/image-37.png) Image credit: Amazon Good wireless earbuds can get expensive quickly, which makes the JBL Vibe Beam’s sub-$30 price worth a look. They have a 4.2-star rating from more than 40,000 global ratings, with shoppers praising their sound quality and easy pairing. [$27.95 at Amazon — 44% off ](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BQPNMXQV?asc%5Frefurl=https://www.today.com/shop/october-prime-day-tech-deals-2026-rcna601621&asc%5Fsource=direct) ## /2\. Beats Studio Pro Wireless Headphones ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/image-12.png) Image credit: Amazon The Beats Studio Pro is now half off. With active noise cancellation, rich audio, and up to 40 hours of battery life, it’s worth considering if you want over-ear headphones without paying full price. [$149.95 at Amazon — 50% off ](https://www.amazon.com/Beats-Studio-Pro-Personalized-Compatibility/dp/B0C8PR4W22?asc%5Frefurl=https://www.today.com/shop/october-prime-day-tech-deals-2026-rcna601621&asc%5Fsource=direct) ## /3\. Lenovo FHD Business Laptop ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/image-13.png) Image credit: Amazon Lenovo’s FHD business laptop is down to $407.99\. It’s a relatively affordable option for everyday work, browsing, and other basic computing tasks. [$407.99 at Amazon — 42% off ](https://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-Business-Laptop-Processor-Storage/dp/B0HFJ9BNPL?asc%5Frefurl=https://www.today.com/shop/october-prime-day-tech-deals-2026-rcna601621&asc%5Fsource=direct) ## /4\. Google Pixel 11 ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/image-19.png) Image credit: Amazon The Pixel 11 combines a strong camera system with long battery life, Qi2 25W magnetic charging, and Google’s latest contextual AI features. It’s currently available in the Hibiscus colour. [$899 at Amazon ](https://www.amazon.com/Google-Pixel-11-Hibiscus-Amazon/dp/B0H8339LG7/?asc%5Fsource=verso&asc%5Fcampaign=6a38e3221adb6c28f2a338eb&asc%5Frefurl=https://www.wired.com/story/best-prime-day-tech-deals-10-07-2026/) ## /5\. Samsung Galaxy S26 Series ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/image-36.png) Image credit: Amazon Samsung’s Galaxy S26 range is seeing some significant discounts. The S26 Ultra stands out with its privacy screen, high-end performance, battery life, and camera system. - Galaxy S26: $725 — 28% off - Galaxy S26+: $825 — 31% off - Galaxy S26 Ultra: $980 — 30% off [Samsung S26 Series at Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Unlocked-Smartphone-Processor-Immersive/dp/B0G4SWZP8B?asc%5Fsource=verso&asc%5Fcampaign=6a38e3221adb6c28f2a338eb&asc%5Frefurl=https://www.wired.com/story/best-prime-day-tech-deals-10-07-2026/) ## /6\. Google Pixel Watch 5 ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/image-16.png) Image credit: Amazon For Android users looking for a smartwatch, the Pixel Watch 5 tracks activity, sleep, and heart rate while integrating with Gemini and Google Health. [$335 at Amazon — 16% off ](https://www.amazon.com/Google-Pixel-Watch-41mm-Smartwatch/dp/B0H7X25DRT?asc%5Fsource=verso&asc%5Fcampaign=6a38e3221adb6c28f2a338eb&asc%5Frefurl=https://www.wired.com/story/best-prime-day-tech-deals-10-07-2026/) ## /7\. Shargeek 170 Power Bank ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/image-18.png) Image credit: Amazon With a 24,000mAh battery, 140W charging and an IP66 rating, the Shargeek 170 can handle everything from phones to laptops. Its transparent design also gives it a distinctive look. [$104 at Amazon — 38% off ](https://www.amazon.com/SHARGEEK-Portable-Charger-Display-Waterproof/dp/B0D2VWVPRX/?asc%5Fsource=verso&asc%5Fcampaign=6a38e3221adb6c28f2a338eb&asc%5Frefurl=https://www.wired.com/story/best-prime-day-tech-deals-10-07-2026/) ## /8\. Apple MacBook Air (M5, 2026) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/image-20.png) Image credit: Amazon The M5 MacBook Air has dropped to $1,099\. The discounted configuration comes with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, while the 15-inch model is also $200 off. [$1,099 at Amazon — 15% off ](https://www.amazon.com/Apple-2026-MacBook-13-inch-Laptop/dp/B0GR1JTFP8?asc%5Fsource=verso&asc%5Fcampaign=6a38e3221adb6c28f2a338eb&asc%5Frefurl=https://www.wired.com/story/best-prime-day-tech-deals-10-07-2026/) ## /9\. Apple Mac Mini (M6) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/image-21.png) Image credit: Amazon The latest Mac Mini M6 is also getting an early discount. Beyond everyday computing, its performance makes it interesting for people experimenting with running AI models locally. [$780 at Amazon — 13% off ](https://www.amazon.com/Apple-2026-mini-Desktop-Computer/dp/B0HGGJZ92H/?asc%5Fsource=verso&asc%5Fcampaign=6a38e3221adb6c28f2a338eb&asc%5Frefurl=https://www.wired.com/story/best-prime-day-tech-deals-10-07-2026/) ## /10\. Lenovo LOQ 15 Gaming Laptop ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/image-22.png) Image credit: Amazon Gaming laptops have become increasingly expensive, so the Lenovo LOQ 15’s $1,100 price is worth noting. This version comes with an RTX 5050 and a display that stands out at this price point. [$1,100 at Amazon — 11% off ](https://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-Legion-AI-Powered-Gaming-Laptop/dp/B0FY77GFRN?asc%5Fsource=verso&asc%5Fcampaign=6a38e3221adb6c28f2a338eb&asc%5Frefurl=https://www.wired.com/story/best-prime-day-tech-deals-10-07-2026/) ## /11\. Pokémon Legends: Z-A ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/image-23.png) Image credit: Amazon Nintendo games don't always get significant discounts, which makes this offer particularly interesting. Pokémon Legends: Z-A is down to $39.99 from its $69.99 list price, giving Switch 2 owners a chance to pick it up for considerably less. [$39.99 at Amazon ](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Pokemon+Legends+Z-A+Nintendo+Switch+2&utm%5Fsource=chatgpt.com) ## /12\. Mario Tennis Fever ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/image-24.png) Image credit: Amazon Mario Tennis Fever is down to $49.99 from $69.99\. The $20 saving makes it worth considering if you want a new sports game, particularly for multiplayer sessions. [$49.99 at Amazon ](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Mario+Tennis+Fever+Nintendo+Switch+2&utm%5Fsource=chatgpt.com) _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Android’s Pause Point Took My 18-Hour Screen Time Down to 10 URL: https://www.techloy.com/android-pause-point-review/ Last updated: 2026-10-11T13:39:35.000Z I spend way too much time on my phone. We're talking 16 to 18 hours of screen time on a typical day, which is the kind of number that makes you question what exactly you're doing with your life. So, when Google introduced Pause Point, a Pixel feature designed to interrupt you before you open distracting apps, I was probably the exact kind of person it was made for. I turned it on across most of the social media apps I use, including YouTube, X, Snapchat and WhatsApp, and used it for a couple of days. My screen time dropped to around 9 to 10 hours a day. So, yes, it worked. But there's a pretty big “however” attached to that. [September 2026 Pixel Drop Review: The Features Worth TryingI tested Google’s September 2026 Pixel Drop to see which new features hold up in everyday use and where the update falls short.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-e0db71a5-8c51-46fb-9586-d73778fc0818.png)TechloyLouis Eriakha![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1613836255019-a7b845804788-4c27b7b1-4712-4cc3-a3f2-acd676a30056.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/september-pixel-drop-update-review/) ## What is Pause Point? Pause Point is Google's attempt to add a little friction between you and the apps you tend to open without thinking. You choose which apps you want it to apply to, and instead of immediately launching one of them, your Pixel interrupts you with a short activity before letting you continue. There are five different types of Pause Points: Breathe, Remind, Divert, Plan and Reflect. You can enable the ones you want, and one of them is presented when you try to open a selected app. Each takes a slightly different approach to breaking the automatic habit of opening an app without really thinking about why you're doing it. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Ted Lasso Finale Leaves AFC Richmond With Major Changes for Season 5 URL: https://www.techloy.com/ted-lasso-season-4-finale-season-5/ Last updated: 2026-10-07T14:33:08.000Z The Ted Lasso Season 4 finale leaves AFC Richmond in a very different place from where the season began. In the latest episode, “Being Alive”, Roy Kent accepts a head coaching job at Chelsea, Alice Chilton takes charge of the Lady Greyhounds, and Ted Lasso and Coach Beard move into assistant manager roles. Rebecca Welton also secures her future as Richmond’s majority owner, while Keeley Jones is expecting a baby with Roy and the club community deals with the loss of Crown & Anchor owner Mae Greene. [Apple TV](https://tv.apple.com/us/episode/being-alive/umc.cmc.3bnak1y0hzh5r3beo5wgmb7rt) has not officially renewed Ted Lasso for Season 5, but the finale leaves several storylines open. If another season happens, these changes could give the show a very different starting point. [Why Ted Lasso Season 4 Was Filmed in a HospiceAn unused wing at a UK hospice was transformed into a Ted Lasso Season 4 set, giving the production an authentic location and the charity a new source of income.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-c1068352-ddaf-4e82-9eb6-2d74a36926ed.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/image-2-1-e64c4967-6e40-431e-a106-6a33b5ea921a.png)](https://www.techloy.com/ted-lasso-season-4-filmed-real-hospice/) ## Roy Kent Has a New Club to Manage Roy accepting Chelsea’s head coaching job could be [one of the major changes](https://www.tvline.com/2279638/ted-lasso-season-4-finale-recap-episode-10-explained/) if the story continues. He is leaving the Richmond dressing room for a club where he once played, giving him a very different environment to manage. This also gives Roy a chance to prove himself after spending much of the season questioning whether management was right for him. At Richmond, he had people around him who understood his personality and supported him. Chelsea brings bigger expectations and a new set of challenges. His move could also create an interesting connection between Chelsea and Richmond without turning the show into a straightforward football rivalry. ## Alice Is Finally Ready To Lead Alice's promotion may be the most important change for Richmond's future. Throughout Season 4, Ted has helped her develop as a coach while also learning that his job is not to solve every problem himself. By the finale, Alice is promoted to head coach of the women's team, with Ted and Beard becoming her assistants. This gives the show a way to continue without simply putting Ted back at the centre of everything. Alice has her own coaching style and her own relationship with the players, so Season 5 could explore what happens when the person who spent the season learning from Ted finally has to make the big decisions herself. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### ElevenLabs Bets Big on India as It Expands AI Voice Support to 22 Languages URL: https://www.techloy.com/elevenlabs-india-voice-ai-22-languages/ Last updated: 2026-10-07T11:46:04.000Z India is quickly becoming one of the biggest testing grounds for AI. Private investment in the country’s AI sector jumped from $1.2 billion in 2024 to $4.1 billion in 2025, according to the [World Bank](https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/entities/publication/edd5d71f-0219-4531-8700-0c5ac33c1e03), while companies including [Google](https://www.techloy.com/tag/google/), [Microsoft](https://www.techloy.com/tag/microsoft/) and [NVIDIA](https://www.techloy.com/tag/nvidia/) continue to put money into its AI ecosystem. [ElevenLabs](https://www.techloy.com/tag/elevenlabs/), the AI voice startup, wants a piece of that growth. The London-based company plans to expand its support for Indian languages to all 22 officially recognised languages within a year. It also plans to invest “hundreds of millions of dollars” in India as it expands its operations. [Swiggy Introduces AI Voice Ordering With Sarvam AI Across 11 Indian LanguagesSwiggy’s new partnership with Sarvam AI brings voice-led ordering across food delivery, groceries, and dining reservations.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-f3c7ba88-235a-4137-bfe3-a4fc5df66f08.png)TechloyDamilare Odedina![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1753806901748-4c39b4512d5d-3a1d070e-d1aa-4b62-9f12-519ce8c3a0da.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/swiggy-introduces-ai-voice-ordering-with-sarvam-ai-across-11-indian-languages/) ## Why ElevenLabs is betting on India India offers a difficult but potentially valuable market for voice AI: more than 100 spoken languages, a huge technical workforce and hundreds of millions of people still using feature phones. ElevenLabs already calls India its biggest market outside the US. “If we can solve how people interact with AI here, I am confident we can solve it anywhere in the world,” [said](https://www.business-standard.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/elevenlabs-targets-voice-ai-services-in-all-22-indian-languages-says-ceo-126100601432%5F1.html) Mati Staniszewski, CEO and co-founder of ElevenLabs. The company currently supports speech-to-text and text-to-speech in 14 Indian languages and plans to reach all 22 within a year. The demand is already visible. Indian businesses recorded 100 million conversations on ElevenAgents over the past year, with more than 70% in Hindi, Kannada, Tamil and Telugu. ElevenLabs has also signed its first partnership with an Indian state government through an MoU with the Karnataka Innovation and Technology Society. The partnership will explore voice AI in Kannada for skilling, citizen services and grievance redressal, alongside responsible AI and voice restoration for people who have lost the ability to speak. ## India is becoming a bigger AI battleground ElevenLabs is far from alone in seeing the opportunity. OpenAI and Anthropic have opened their first India offices, while Amazon, Microsoft and Google have committed billions to AI and cloud infrastructure in the country. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### How to Get Anime Mysterious Codes in October 2026 URL: https://www.techloy.com/how-to-get-anime-mysterious-codes/ Last updated: 2026-10-07T10:40:40.000Z Anime Mysterious codes are one of the easiest ways to get free Gems, Coins, Traits, Stat Rerolls, and other rewards without spending Robux. The Roblox tower defense game focuses on summoning anime-inspired units, building a team, and defending your base against waves of enemies. That means resources can make a real difference, particularly when you're trying to improve your roster early in the game. But Anime Mysterious codes don't stay around forever. New codes are being added around player milestones and updates, while older ones can disappear quickly. Several code trackers are currently reporting new codes for October 2026, so knowing where to find them and how to redeem them is just as important as knowing the codes themselves. [Steam Summer Sale 2026 Deals: Best Games on SaleSteam Summer Sale 2026 is offering high discounts for games.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-53cdba2e-8713-4208-b54d-27404fef16b8.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/image-123-1-f51056db-8204-4440-b125-609efc8257c7.png)](https://www.techloy.com/steam-summer-sale-2026-best-deals/) ## How do you get Anime Mysterious codes? The best way to get new Anime Mysterious codes is to follow the game's official community channels and watch for announcements tied to updates, visits, and concurrent-player milestones. The official[ Anime Mysterious Roblox page](https://www.roblox.com/games/117949143041402/Anime-Mysterious?utm%5Fsource=chatgpt.com) links directly to the game's community where developers share updates, new content, and other information. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/nmjVhHw36qX2Z6Qa7TKHFE-1200-80.jpg.webp) Image credit: Anime Mysterious Recent codes like THANKSFOR7000CCU, THANKSFOR8000CCU, THANKSFOR9000CCU, and THANKSFOR10KCCU are tied to concurrent-player milestones, while others celebrate visit milestones. So, rather than searching for a random code generator, stick with the game's official community and established code lists that are regularly updated. ## How do you redeem Anime Mysterious codes? Once you’ve found a code, Anime Mysterious requires players to join the Anime Mysterious community and reach Level 5 before they can redeem codes. If you've met those requirements, follow these steps: 1. Launch Anime Mysterious through [Roblox](https://www.roblox.com/games/117949143041402/Anime-Mysterious?utm%5Fsource=chatgpt.com). 2. Go to the main lobby. 3. Find Naruta, the NPC used for code redemption. 4. Interact with Naruta to open the code box. 5. Paste or type your Anime Mysterious code. 6. Press Redeem. 7. Check that the reward has been added to your account. ## What can you get from Anime Mysterious codes? The rewards vary from code to code, but they can include Gems, Coins, Traits, Stat Rerolls, and Release or Mystery Capsules. For example, the currently reported SRYFORRESTART2 code gives 15 Traits, 10 Release Capsules, 2,000 Coins, and 1,000 Gems, while 5KCCU has been reported to give five Traits and 1,000 Gems. So, if you’re still building your first strong roster, these codes might come in handy. You can even try using the freebies to improve units and get further into the game's wave-based content. ## Why is my Anime Mysterious code not working? Don't immediately assume you've found a fake code. First, make sure you've reached Level 5 and joined the community. The redemption system won't work properly if you haven't met those requirements. Then check the code itself. Copying and pasting is safer than typing it manually, particularly with long codes such as THANKS800CCUAND3KMEMBERS. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Two New Harry Potter Books Are Coming in 2027 URL: https://www.techloy.com/new-harry-potter-books-release-date-characters/ Last updated: 2026-10-07T10:22:17.000Z Two of Hogwarts’ most memorable characters are getting the spotlight in a pair of new Harry Potter books. Bloomsbury is expanding its Pocket Potters series with illustrated guides focused on Professor Minerva McGonagall and Fred and George Weasley, with both books set to arrive in 2027. These novels are compact character guides aimed mainly at younger readers, while giving longtime fans another way to revisit the Wizarding World. Their release also comes as HBO prepares to bring [Harry Potter back to television](https://collider.com/new-harry-potter-books-release-date-february-2027/) with its new series, making 2027 another busy year for the franchise. [The Batman 2 Pauses Filming: Is the 2028 Release at Risk?The Batman Part II has hit another production setback after filming finally began, raising fresh questions about its 2028 release.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-0aa443dd-3613-4ab7-922c-9bb512465cca.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1596284274000-7d3eca888e3e-f675d200-830f-4909-8911-1d0bb410a7e2.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/the-batman-2-pauses-filming-2028-release/) ## **What Are the New Harry Potter Books About?** The first book focuses on Professor McGonagall, one of Hogwarts' most recognisable teachers and the head of Gryffindor House. Pocket Potters: Professor McGonagall, illustrated by Natalie Smillie, looks at the character's life and role within Hogwarts. Readers can expect details about her Transfiguration lessons, her ability to transform into a cat and her relationships with Harry and other members of the Hogwarts staff. Bloomsbury says the books are packed with story moments, quotes and facts while avoiding spoilers. The second follows Fred and George Weasley. Illustrated by Helen Brady, [Pocket Potters](https://www.harrypotter.com/news/hagrid-and-dobby-are-coming-to-the-pocket-potters-series): Fred and George Weasley explore the twins' time at Hogwarts, their elaborate pranks and inventions, and their eventual decision to leave school and build Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes in Diagon Alley. ## **When Can You Buy Them?** Both books will be published in the UK on February 23, 2027\. They are currently available to pre-order through Bloomsbury, with the standard hardback listed at £10 and a current pre-order price of £7. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### GTA 6 Could Be Xbox Cloud Gaming’s Biggest Test Yet URL: https://www.techloy.com/gta-6-xbox-cloud-gaming-deal/ Last updated: 2026-10-07T10:06:52.000Z There might be a much bigger Xbox story hiding inside the reported [GTA 6](https://www.techloy.com/tag/gta-6/) streaming deal. From the reports, Microsoft is securing exclusive streaming rights for *Grand Theft Auto VI. We don’t know too much about the terms of the deal, as the company hasn’t publicly confirmed anything.* *But we do know that GTA 6 is coming* on November 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, and Rockstar hasn’t announced a PC version. That means players who want access at launch will need one of those consoles unless the reported Xbox cloud arrangement provides another option. Could GTA 6 become the clearest example yet of Microsoft's attempt to make Xbox less about the console and more about the platform? [GTA 6 Game Informer Issue: How to Access ItGame Informer’s November issue puts GTA 6 on the cover with a 14-page Leonida feature, Rockstar interviews and 12 exclusive screenshots.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-18dd4798-de1e-496c-b25c-fe08599c99b4.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/image-64--1--1-42d5a53a-f06b-455c-8ddb-9e444884d327.webp)](https://www.techloy.com/gta-6-game-informer-issue-how-to-access/) ## Xbox could be using GTA 6 to sell Xbox without selling you an Xbox For years, the simplest way to explain Xbox was equally simple: buy an Xbox and play Xbox games. Microsoft has spent the last few years steadily moving away from that idea. Xbox games are now appearing on more platforms, Game Pass has become increasingly important to Microsoft's gaming strategy and Xbox Cloud Gaming has given players a way to access games without having the hardware sitting underneath their television. GTA 6 could take that idea much further. Imagine someone who wants to play Rockstar's new game but doesn't own a Series X or Series S. If the reported deal works the way we're expecting that player could potentially buy the Xbox version and stream it through Microsoft's servers on a supported device. The Xbox console becomes optional. That is a much bigger deal to me than simply saying Xbox has secured GTA 6 streaming rights. Microsoft isn't necessarily trying to convince everyone to buy its console anymore. It increasingly wants to convince people to enter the Xbox ecosystem, regardless of where they play. And GTA 6 is probably the best game Microsoft could have chosen to make that argument. ## GTA 6 could turn Xbox Cloud Gaming into a mainstream service I've always thought cloud gaming has had a chicken-and-egg problem. People need a reason to use it, but they also need to trust it before they're willing to use it regularly. Most cloud gaming libraries are filled with plenty of good games, but GTA 6 isn't just another good game. This is one of the biggest entertainment launches of the decade. If Microsoft can put GTA 6 in front of people who don't own an Xbox, it suddenly has something much more powerful than another addition to a cloud library. It has a game that could persuade people to try cloud gaming for the first time. That's why the reported streaming exclusivity matters. Microsoft doesn't need GTA 6 to make Xbox Series X|S the only place to play the game. PlayStation 5 will have it too. Instead, Microsoft could make the Xbox version the one that can travel with you through the cloud. That's a very different kind of advantage. ## The Xbox One possibility could be even more interesting This is the part I think Xbox players should pay close attention to. GTA 6 isn't coming to Xbox One. The hardware is simply too old to run the game natively. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### How Hong Kong Is Helping Graduates Find Jobs as AI Changes Work URL: https://www.techloy.com/hong-kong-graduate-jobs-ai-entry-level-work/ Last updated: 2026-10-07T09:45:33.000Z AI now automates basic tasks, coding, translation, and first-line customer service work that many Hong Kong graduates would once have relied on to get their first experience in the job market. To put this into perspective, the underemployment rate rose to 1.7% from 1.6% in the April-to-June period, according to a South China Morning Post [report](https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3364686/jobless-rate-steady-37-start-2026-pressure-mounting). That’s around 145,700 people who were unemployed during the period, up from 139,700 in the three months to June. Alexa Chow Yee-ping, managing director of human resource consultancy ACTS Consulting, said fresh graduates are facing a tougher fight for jobs as the widespread AI adoption has eliminated many low-skilled posts. For young workers, that creates a more difficult problem: how do you get the experience needed to build a career when the jobs designed to give you that experience are disappearing? [Samsung Workers Demand 7% Wage Increase as Semiconductor Profits Surge From AI BoomRecord semiconductor earnings are exposing widening tensions over how Samsung compensates its workforce.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-bcafac85-80fb-4090-99a2-5efe02de22c9.png)TechloyDavid Adubiina![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1623588958271-8c019027feed-a0822b8c-31ea-49e0-8369-085d4ced7336.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/samsung-workers-demand-7-wage-increase-as-semiconductor-profits-surge-from-ai-boom/) ## Hong Kong’s four-step answer to the entry-level gap Speaking at the Global Youth Powerhouse [Summit](https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202610/05/P2026100200655p.htm) for young technology leaders, Kevin Choi Kit-ming, the city’s Permanent Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, said AI was performing well in many routine tasks that once made up a graduate’s first job. In the meeting, he outlined a four-step AI “talent ladder” designed to take emerging professionals from basic AI literacy to industry leadership. The first step is getting more people access to the technology. The government plans to remove cost and access barriers to AI tools, expand large-scale education programmes and promote AI use among students, researchers and working professionals, something countries like China and South Korea are already doing. Choi said Hong Kong was already starting from a strong position. Citing a recent report, he said 70% of Hongkongers were proficient AI users, while 20% were “super users” who used AI agents in their daily tasks. But knowing how to use AI is not enough if the goal is to help graduates find new ways into the workforce. The second step, therefore, is to turn users into builders. Choi said the government wants to “convert active learners into practical innovators” through higher education and advanced talent development initiatives. This gives the talent ladder a clear progression, where workers start by learning how to use AI, then develop the ability to apply it to real problems. ## From AI users to industry innovators The third step takes that capability beyond individual workers as Hong Kong plans to build an ecosystem that creates synergies between research and industry, bringing the people developing new technologies closer to businesses that can put them to use. For the final step, the secretary said Hong Kong would provide the infrastructure and policy environment needed to support innovation, which focuses on creating the conditions for those ideas to grow. “A ladder needs solid ground,” he said, describing that foundation as a strategy that balances innovation with responsible governance. The government is also preparing for problems that could emerge as AI becomes more deeply embedded in work. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 5 Leading Full-Stack Development Companies Worldwide in 2026 URL: https://www.techloy.com/5-leading-full-stack-development-companies-worldwide-in-2026/ Last updated: 2026-10-07T07:40:59.000Z I have spent years watching product teams burn budget on the wrong kind of help: a frontend shop that cannot touch the database, or a backend contractor who ships an API nobody can build a screen on top of. The fix is almost always one team that owns the whole stack, from the button a user taps to the server that answers it. Without that ownership, problems turn into finger-pointing and the bill climbs while nothing ships. Demand is not slowing down. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects [software developer employment to grow 15 percent from 2024 to 2034](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/software-developers.htm), much faster than average, with roughly 129,200 openings a year. Good full-stack help stays scarce and expensive. Here are five full-stack development companies I would trust with a product, and how to pick the right fit. ## What "Full-Stack" Really Buys You in 2026 A full-stack team writes the frontend, the backend, the database layer, and the deployment pipeline, and keeps all four talking to each other. Every handoff between separate frontend, backend, and DevOps vendors is a place where context leaks and the calendar fills with alignment meetings. One accountable team absorbs that coordination, which is why the good ones ship faster than a larger group of narrow specialists. The tooling has shifted fast. GitHub's [Octoverse 2025 report](https://github.blog/news-insights/octoverse/octoverse-a-new-developer-joins-github-every-second-as-ai-leads-typescript-to-1/) found that TypeScript climbed past JavaScript and Python to become the most-used language on the platform, and Stack Overflow's [2025 Developer Survey](https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2025/) reports that 84 percent of developers already use or plan to use AI tools. The company you hire should have a real opinion on where those tools belong in a production codebase. When I size up a full-stack shop, I look for a team that covers all of the following without subcontracting the hard parts: - Frontend work in React, Vue, or Angular, with real care for how the interface feels - Backend services in Node.js, Python, Ruby, or Go, plus the API design between them - Database design and data modeling, from PostgreSQL schemas to messy migrations - Cloud and DevOps on AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud, including CI/CD and monitoring - Product thinking, so the roadmap survives contact with real users ## [**1\. LITSLINK – Full-Stack Product Development for Startups and Scaleups**](https://litslink.com/) LITSLINK sits at the top because it does the thing most agencies only claim to do: it moves a signed contract to a working MVP in about ten weeks, fast enough to test with real users or walk into a funding round with something live on screen. The firm has served clients in more than 82 countries, delivered over 1,540 projects, and acted as technical co-founder for 80+ startups that went on to raise their next round. LITSLINK's custom full-stack software development services cover the full arc of product engineering: React and Node.js interfaces, cloud architecture on AWS, API integration, PostgreSQL database design, and legacy modernization. US-based project management pairs with senior European engineering, so you get overlap with US hours and no 2 a.m. status calls. Legacy migration takes around ten months rather than the multi-year rewrites other vendors quote, and the firm holds a Clutch rating of 4.8 across 70+ reviews. The portfolio spans fintech, healthcare, retail, and marketplaces, so its engineers have already hit the regulatory and data headaches you are likely to face, and AI features get built into products rather than bolted on. If your priority is a real product in front of users quickly without giving up engineering quality, this is the name I would call first. ## 2\. Netguru – Product Design Meets Full-Stack Engineering Netguru is the agency I point people to when design matters as much as the code. Founded in 2008 in Poznan, Poland, it has grown to roughly 500 people and shipped well over a thousand projects for clients including IKEA, Volkswagen, OLX, and Vinted. Its teams open with a design sprint, validate the idea against real constraints, then build across web and mobile with the same crew that sketched it. A certified B Corporation since 2020, it works mostly with clients in the UK, Germany, Switzerland, the US, and the UAE, with deep benches in fintech, healthcare, education, and proptech. Rates sit toward the premium end, so it fits funded startups better than a shoestring first build. If a polished user experience is the difference between adoption and abandonment, Netguru is hard to beat. ## 3\. Softeq – Full-Stack From Firmware to Front End Softeq is the outlier here, and I mean that as a compliment. Founded in 1997 and headquartered in Houston, Texas, it is one of the few shops whose idea of full-stack reaches down to the silicon: firmware, drivers, circuit boards, and then embedded, mobile, web, and desktop software on top. With more than 500 employees and development centers in Europe, it can carry a connected hardware product from rough sketch to shipping device. That makes Softeq the obvious call for IoT, robotics, or AR and VR work, where the software has to talk to physical sensors and the margin for error is thin. Nearly three decades in business also shows in how calmly it scopes complex, multi-disciplinary projects. The tradeoff is an enterprise price point, so a plain web app might be more firepower than you need. If your roadmap crosses from software into physical devices, Softeq belongs on your list. ## 4\. MobiDev – Full-Cycle Web and Mobile With an AI Bent MobiDev has been at this since 2009\. It started in Kharkiv, Ukraine, opened a US base in Atlanta, and now delivers through offices in the US and the UK with R&D centers in Ukraine and Poland, staffed by roughly 400 engineers. Alongside JavaScript, Python, PHP, and native mobile, it has leaned hard into AI, data science, and augmented reality. What I like most is its posture toward long engagements. Client relationships average around five years, which tells me the products do not quietly fall apart once the initial build ships. It works largely with small and mid-market teams across the US, Canada, and Europe, and its engineers publish detailed technical write-ups on machine learning and computer vision that read like working notes rather than sales copy. For healthcare, retail, fintech, or sports products that want modern web and mobile with credible AI depth, MobiDev is a safe, senior choice. ## 5\. Simform – Cloud-Native Full-Stack at Scale Simform rounds out the list as the cloud-native specialist. Founded in 2010, it pairs US client offices in Orlando and other cities with a large engineering base in Ahmedabad, India, and its headcount runs well past a thousand. It holds the Azure Expert MSP designation, shared by only a small handful of Microsoft partners worldwide, and builds across product engineering, data, and AI as well as web and mobile. Simform has worked with everyone from startups that later went public to Fortune 500 names, and it shines where architecture and cloud cost efficiency matter as much as the feature list. It leans on proof-of-value work and clear engineering milestones rather than a vague statement of work. Nail down time-zone overlap before you sign, and expect mid-market and enterprise project sizing rather than a bootstrapped first build. If you are past the MVP stage and need a partner that can architect for load, cost, and data at once, Simform is a serious contender. ## How the Five Compare at a Glance | Company | Founded | Headquarters | Team Size | Best Fit | | -------- | ------- | ---------------------------------------- | -------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------- | | LITSLINK | 2014 | Palo Alto, US, with European engineering | 300+ engineers | Startups and scaleups needing a fast MVP or legacy modernization | | Netguru | 2008 | Poznan, Poland | Around 500 | Design-led web and mobile products | | Softeq | 1997 | Houston, US | 500+ | Hardware, IoT, and embedded full-stack work | | MobiDev | 2009 | Atlanta, US, with Ukraine R&D | Around 400 engineers | Long-term web, mobile, and AI builds | | Simform | 2010 | Orlando, US, and Ahmedabad, India | 1,000+ | Cloud-native and data-heavy platforms | A table flattens nuance, so read it as a starting point rather than a verdict. A US-anchored model with European engineering, which is where LITSLINK sits, usually means easier scheduling than a purely offshore setup. ## How to Choose the Right Full-Stack Partner Picking from a list like this comes down to matching the partner to your actual problem, not to whoever has the shiniest website. Five questions I ask before signing anything: - Does the team own the whole stack in-house, or will it quietly subcontract what it cannot do? - Can it show shipped products in my industry, with references I can actually call? - Does it have a real stance on where AI belongs in the workflow? - What does the time-zone and communication setup look like week to week? - Is pricing tied to outcomes and milestones, or just hours logged? The right answer shifts with your stage: a founder chasing a first release should weigh speed and product sense above almost everything else, while an established company modernizing a legacy platform should care more about engineering depth and a track record of messy migrations. ## The Bottom Line Any of these five would be a defensible choice, but they are not interchangeable. LITSLINK wins on speed and startup fit, Netguru on design, Softeq on hardware reach, MobiDev on long-haul reliability, and Simform on cloud scale. Write down what your product needs most over the next six months, then hold each company against that priority. If you want a working build in weeks rather than quarters, reach out to a full-stack team like LITSLINK, share your roadmap, and ask how they would ship your first release. The sooner real code is in front of real users, the sooner you will know you picked the right partner. ### Best EOR Platforms for Startups and AI Companies in 2026 URL: https://www.techloy.com/best-eor-platforms-for-startups-and-ai-companies-in-2026/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T19:49:09.000Z The global employer of record market reached $7.45 billion in 2026 and is forecast to hit $15.89 billion by 2035, according to Custom Market Insights. This growth is driven by companies that see entity setup as an inefficient use of capital, and[ ](https://www.riseworks.io/)[**Rise**](https://www.riseworks.io/) has built its EOR product for this need. AI companies face this challenge at scale. A 40-person model lab may have employees across several countries, making owned entities slow and expensive. An EOR can turn international hiring from a months-long process into one measured in days. However, EOR providers differ structurally. Some own their entities while others rely on third parties, which matters when terminations, equity, compliance, or payments become complicated. ### **Key Takeaways** Rise is the strongest EOR platform for startups and AI companies. It operates owned EOR entities across eight countries and targets 60+ markets, with EOR pricing at $399 per employee per month. Rise supports fiat, stablecoin, and hybrid payments. ## **What AI Companies Actually Need From an EOR** AI companies typically need owned entities in core markets, fast onboarding, equity-compatible contracts, payment flexibility, and transparent pricing. Rise operates owned entities in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Ireland, Cyprus, New Zealand, and South Africa, with 60+ EOR markets targeted by the end of 2026. ### **Owned Entities vs Partner Entities** When an EOR owns the local entity, it carries employment and compliance liability directly. Partner entities add additional parties between the platform and employee, which can complicate terminations, contract changes, and data or IP assignment. Rise keeps employment, compliance, and payment under one roof in its owned-entity markets. ### **Speed to First Hire** Rise automates onboarding in its owned-entity markets, generating compliant agreements and collecting local tax documentation, helping AI companies hire quickly after funding rounds. ## **The Best EOR Platforms for Startups and AI Companies in 2026** Every platform is evaluated on entity ownership, pricing, onboarding speed, payment flexibility, and startup fit. ### **1\. Rise (Best Overall)** Rise offers EOR pricing at $399 per employee per month and contractor pricing at $49 per contractor per month. It operates owned entities in eight countries and targets 60+ markets. Contractor coverage reaches 190+ countries, with 90+ fiat currencies and 100+ crypto assets supported. Rise is SOC 2 Type II certified, GDPR compliant, and has processed more than $1.5 billion in lifetime payroll volume. **Pros** Owned entities provide direct control over employment and liability. Rise offers flat pricing without FX spread margin or salary escrow, plus native stablecoin payroll and a Rise ID that preserves worker history across contractor and employee status. **Cons** Owned-entity EOR coverage is currently limited to eight countries. Teams seeking bundled HRIS, ATS, and device management may need additional tools. ### **2\. Deel** Deel combines EOR, contractor management, payroll, benefits, immigration, and other HR services. It offers broad coverage and a mature benefits ecosystem, but much of its coverage relies on partner entities. ### **3\. Remote** Remote focuses on compliance and owned entities, particularly across Western Europe. Its limitations include conventional banking rails and thinner coverage outside Europe and North America. ### **4\. Oyster** Oyster targets small remote-first teams with simple onboarding and employee-focused tools. It relies heavily on partner entities outside core markets and does not offer native stablecoin settlement. ### **5\. Papaya Global** Papaya Global suits larger organizations consolidating payroll. It offers strong reporting and analytics, but its enterprise-oriented complexity and quote-based pricing may be less suitable for startups. ## **How to Evaluate EOR Pricing Without Getting Burned** Published pricing is only part of the cost. A 2% FX spread on a $120,000 salary equals $2,400 annually per employee. Additional costs may include deposits, bonuses, corrections, and terminations. Rise publishes $399 per employee per month for EOR and $49 per contractor per month for agent of record, without FX spread margin or salary escrow. ### **The Contractor-to-Employee Path** Many startups begin with contractors and later convert key workers to employees. Rise provides agent of record coverage across 190+ countries and a persistent Rise ID that follows workers into employment. **Rise supports both contractor and employee relationships under one platform, so converting a contractor to a full-time hire does not mean rebuilding your payroll stack.** ## **Payment Flexibility Is Now a Hiring Advantage** Rise supports 90+ fiat currencies and 100+ crypto assets. Employers can fund payroll through USD bank transfer, USDC, or USDT, while employees receive compliant payslips and tax filings. ## **Conclusion** The EOR market is growing quickly, but structural differences between providers matter. Owned entities, transparent pricing, fast onboarding, and payment flexibility can help startups hire globally with less operational friction. Rise combines owned EOR entities in eight countries, contractor coverage in 190+, $399 monthly EOR pricing, and support for 90+ fiat currencies and 100+ crypto assets. ## **FAQs:** ### **1\. How much does an EOR cost for a startup in 2026?** Rise charges $399 per employee per month for EOR and $49 per contractor per month for agent of record. ### **2\. Which EOR platforms own their own entities?** Rise owns entities in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Ireland, Cyprus, New Zealand, and South Africa. ### **3\. Can an EOR pay employees in stablecoins?** Yes. Rise supports 90+ fiat currencies and 100+ crypto assets. ### **4\. How fast can an AI company hire through an EOR?** Rise can onboard employees in days in its owned-entity markets. ### **5\. What happens when a contractor converts to a full-time employee?** On Rise, the worker keeps the same Rise ID, allowing contract, compliance, and payment history to carry into employment. ### Who Watches AI Videos? Our Survey Says the Algorithm Decides URL: https://www.techloy.com/how-many-people-watch-ai-videos-survey/ Last updated: 2026-10-11T13:33:05.000Z key takeaways - People are watching AI videos, even when they don't intentionally seek them out. - 50% of respondents watched 1–5 AI videos in the previous seven days, while 19.4% watched none. - Algorithm recommendations were the biggest reason people watched AI videos, cited by 45.2% of respondents. Remember when an AI-generated video of Will Smith eating spaghetti went viral a few years back? Many people mocked how bad and unrealistic it looked. Fast-forward to 2026, and AI video has come a very long way. Some AI-generated videos are now realistic enough to fool people into thinking they're real. People are also increasingly experimenting with the technology, and some have become full-time AI content creators, posting AI-generated content across their social media platforms. Heck, there are even fully AI-generated movies, complete with AI actors and everything else. Which raises the question: are people willing to watch content that is entirely artificial, made without humans in it? To find out, Techloy surveyed more than 60 respondents to learn how many people watch AI videos and to better understand their viewing habits. We found that people do watch AI videos, but watching them intentionally is a different matter. **MORE INSIGHTS ON THIS TOPIC:** - [**HOW TO: Generate Stunning AI Videos Using Adobe Firefly**](https://www.techloy.com/how-to-generate-stunning-ai-videos-using-adobe-firefly/) - [**AI Video Is Now Cheap Enough to Be Boring. Here's What That Actually Changes**](https://www.techloy.com/ai-video-is-now-cheap-enough-to-be-boring-heres-what-that-actually-changes/) - [**AI Video Models Compared: Which Platform Is Best for Short-Form Creators?**](https://www.techloy.com/ai-video-models-compared-which-platform-is-best-for-short-form-creators/) ## Most viewers see 1 to 5 AI videos a week According to our data, 50% of respondents said they watched about 1 to 5 AI videos in the last seven days. Meanwhile, 19.4% said they hadn't watched any, while the remaining 30.6% said they watched 6 or more AI videos over the same period. On intent, 32.3% of respondents said they rarely watched AI videos intentionally, while 30.6% said they sometimes did. Another 19.4% said they never watch AI videos intentionally, and the remaining 17.7% said they watch them often or every day. At face value, it seems contradictory that more than 80% of respondents watched at least one AI video in the last week while many also said they rarely watch them intentionally. But there's more to consider here. There are now huge numbers of AI videos being produced and distributed across social media. In fact, recent [research](https://www.kapwing.com/blog/ai-slop-report-the-global-rise-of-low-quality-ai-videos/) from Kapwing suggests AI-generated videos make up a significant share of what new users encounter on platforms such as TikTok and YouTube. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Gears of War: E-Day Is Here: Everything You Get at Launch URL: https://www.techloy.com/gears-of-war-e-day-what-you-get/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T15:48:44.000Z After years of waiting, [Gears of War: E-Day](https://www.techloy.com/gears-of-war-e-day-early-access-release-time/) is finally available to everyone today, October 6, 2026\. If you have been following the game since its announcement, you have probably already seen the early-access reviews, the controller, and the release-time guides. Now, the wait is over, and the game is officially available to all players. The Coalition’s latest Gears of War game [launches on Xbox Series](https://www.xbox.com/en-us/games/gears-of-war-eday) X|S, PC and Steam at 3 pm UTC. You can buy the Standard Edition for $69.99, while the Premium Edition costs $99.99\. It is also included with Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass from day one. [The Batman 2 Pauses Filming: Is the 2028 Release at Risk?The Batman Part II has hit another production setback after filming finally began, raising fresh questions about its 2028 release.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-fef4617c-9502-4c76-9255-cc43a8d833dd.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1596284274000-7d3eca888e3e-37ff4d17-92b1-4ce0-87bb-c462f6b63868.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/the-batman-2-pauses-filming-2028-release/) ## What Are You Getting Today? The first thing to understand is that E-Day is not another sequel following the events of Gears 5\. It takes you back 14 years before the original Gears of War, to the moment the Locust Horde first emerges from beneath Sera. You play as a younger Marcus Fenix alongside Dominic Santiago as humanity faces the invasion that will eventually define the Gears universe. The Coalition has described it as an origin story, which gives longtime fans a chance to see an important event from the series' history rather than simply moving the timeline forward. That also makes the game fairly accessible if you have not played every previous *Gears* title. You are entering the story at its beginning rather than being asked to remember everything that happened across five main games. ## Where Can You Play Gears of War: E-Day? The game is available on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox, PC, and Steam. Xbox Play Anywhere also means a digital purchase lets you move between Xbox and PC while keeping your progression and achievements. Game Pass changes the calculation for players who do not want to spend $69.99 upfront. Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers get the game as part of their subscription from launch day. This makes [E-Day a test for Xbox](https://www.xbox.com/en-us/games/gears-of-war-eday). A major first-party release can reach players who might not have bought it at full price, potentially giving the game a much larger audience from the start. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Thousands of ASOS Customers Opened the App to Find a Ransom Note URL: https://www.techloy.com/asos-hacked-ransom-note-app-snowflake/ Last updated: 2026-10-09T15:37:30.000Z On a random Tuesday, you're scrolling through your favourite online fashion store, only to meet a random pop-up message. Unknown to you, this was an attempt by hackers to extort money from the company. That's essentially what happened to ASOS. On Tuesday morning, thousands of ASOS customers opened their phones to find a ransom note sent through the retailer's app. It said: “Dear ASOS DPO and IT, we have fully compromised the Snowflake instance. Engage with us, or we will leak it.” ASOS has told customers that hackers hold detailed profiles of potentially millions of its users. The retailer made the disclosure after the BBC told it that cyber criminals had contacted the broadcaster, claiming the breach went beyond the “basic contact details” ASOS had earlier said might have been accessed. [How Hackers Are Using GTA 6 Hype to Spread Malware and Scam PlayersFake beta keys, fake installers, and fake Android apps are already exploiting the massive anticipation surrounding GTA 6.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-1e68163d-9366-4049-85ea-f075a7fc4ca7.png)TechloyOgbonda Chivumnovu![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1635514569146-9a9607ecf303-52c83cd1-b383-4676-8dfb-1cfaada508ed.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/how-hackers-are-using-gta-6-hype-to-spread-malware-and-scam-players/) ## What we know so far ASOS has now told customers that names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, customer numbers and dates of birth are in the hands of criminals, according to the BBC. The hackers also have access to the searches customers made on the website, with terms such as “reclaimed vintage”, “glamorous wide fit” and “Asos petite” visible in the data. One affected customer, Harriet, told the BBC it was “very unsettling” that the hackers now know these details about her, including that she has used ASOS since 2019\. She also warned that stolen data can be used as a tool for future attacks, meaning the impact of a breach could extend well beyond the initial incident. The ransom message was sent to ASOS app users across the UK. It claims the hackers had “fully compromised the Snowflake instance”, a cloud data platform used to store and analyse data. The notification linked to a Telegram channel run by a group calling itself the Xuanye Group, which appears to be new, with cybersecurity researchers saying they hadn’t encountered it before. The channel also claimed that payment information was not affected. That is the attackers’ claim, and it has not been independently confirmed. Following reports of the incident, ASOS shares dropped more than 10% on the London Stock Exchange. The website and app remain operational, and the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre is assisting with the investigation. ## The ASOS hack incident isn't normal “This is a deeply serious attack because the hackers appear to have done something particularly brazen: turned ASOS’s own app into their ransom note,” said Charlotte Wilson, head of enterprise at Check Point. “Millions of people trust notifications from apps on their phones because they are supposed to come directly from the company.” Most extortion attempts happen in private. Hackers negotiate with companies quietly, hoping for a payoff. Sending a ransom message directly to customers is a much more public approach. “Sending a push notification to ASOS’s app users would require access to the company’s notification system, which is separate from the Snowflake data platform the attackers claim to have compromised,” said Dan Bird from Horizon3\. “If both claims hold up, it suggests the attackers got hold of credentials that opened more than one door.” ## The Snowflake connection Snowflake is a cloud data platform used by thousands of companies to store, process and analyse data. It has been linked to several high-profile breaches, including incidents involving Ticketmaster and Santander. ASOS's exact relationship with Snowflake, and what data may have been stored there, is still unclear. “Snowflake is a massive cloud database where retailers typically store sensitive customer information — it is a real worry if cyber criminals have indeed accessed it as they claim,” [said](https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/oct/06/asos-hack-notification-website-app) Dray Agha, senior manager of security operations at Huntress. ## How to stay safe With this much personal information in criminal hands, scammers may be able to create convincing phishing emails or phone calls that reference real details about you. That makes the risk of targeted scams higher than it would be after a basic contact-details leak. “What customers should be particularly alert to now is what happens next,” said Marijus Briedis, CTO at NordVPN. “High-profile cyber incidents create ideal conditions for phishing attacks. Criminals may exploit the publicity by sending emails and texts claiming to be from ASOS, perhaps asking customers to reset a password, confirm payment details, check an order, or claim a refund.” Here's what to do: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The BAA Isn’t a Security Blanket: What Health-Tech Teams Still Own in the Cloud URL: https://www.techloy.com/the-baa-isnt-a-security-blanket-what-health-tech-teams-still-own-in-the-cloud/ Last updated: 2026-10-07T17:13:52.000Z A health-tech team signs a Business Associate Agreement with its cloud provider. Legal checks the box. Engineering knows the vendor can handle protected health information. Everyone feels a little better about the infrastructure. Then someone leaves an old administrator account active for six months. Or a database snapshot gets copied into a development environment that has weaker access controls. Or backups run every night, but nobody has tried restoring one since the application launched. The BAA is still sitting there, properly signed. It just doesn’t solve any of those problems. ## **A BAA sets boundaries, not your security posture** A Business Associate Agreement matters because it defines what a vendor can do with protected health information and what obligations that vendor accepts. For healthcare companies using cloud infrastructure, signing one with the right providers is part of the job. The mistake is treating the signature as evidence that the whole environment is now compliant. The distinction is fairly clear in [HHS guidance on HIPAA and cloud computing](https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/special-topics/health-information-technology/cloud-computing/index.html). Covered entities and business associates still have to analyze the risks to electronic protected health information, even when the infrastructure is operated by a cloud service provider. The provider has responsibilities, but so does the company configuring and using the service. That changes how teams should evaluate a [HIPAA-compliant cloud environment](https://www.atlantic.net/hipaa-compliant-hosting/). A signed BAA is one requirement, but the working environment also depends on how encryption, authentication, logging, backups, network controls and recovery are configured around the application. A provider can give a team a suitable foundation without making every decision built on top of it automatically safe. Consider a telehealth company with separate production, staging and development environments. Production might be locked down properly while an engineer copies real patient records into staging to reproduce a difficult bug. The hosting provider didn’t create that workflow. The BAA didn’t approve it. The application team created a second location for sensitive data and now has to account for who can reach it, how long it stays there and whether the copy was necessary in the first place. That’s part of the broader problem with [cloud infrastructure for regulated](https://www.techloy.com/amazon-prime-day-deals-october-2026-tech-gaming/) software. Infrastructure decisions and application decisions overlap. Compliance problems often appear in the space between them, especially when teams assume somebody else owns a control. ## **The dangerous settings are usually the boring ones** Most cloud mistakes don’t look especially dramatic in a dashboard. They’re ordinary configuration choices that accumulated over time. A developer gets temporary database access during an incident. Nobody removes it. A contractor needs server access for a migration and keeps the account afterward. The support team receives broader permissions because creating separate roles would take another afternoon. Logging exists, but logs are retained for such a short period that an investigation three months later has little to work with. These decisions are understandable individually. Together, they can produce an environment where far more people can reach patient data than anyone intended. Access deserves particular scrutiny because the answer to “Who can see this?” tends to become vague as a company grows. A 12-person startup might know every administrator personally. At 80 people, it may have engineering, support, analytics, contractors and several automated services touching the same application. Accounts and permissions that made sense during the first year can quietly survive several reorganizations. Good execution is less glamorous. Production access is tied to named identities rather than shared credentials. Multi-factor authentication is enforced where it matters. People receive enough permission to perform their jobs without automatically receiving administrator rights. Departing employees lose access immediately, and elevated access has an owner and an expiration point. Cloud controls themselves also need attention. Techloy’s [cloud security guide](https://www.techloy.com/what-is-cloud-security/) makes a useful point that’s easy to miss: the provider can lock down the infrastructure, but it can’t stop a team from giving the wrong person too much access or leaving a service exposed. Those are decisions made inside the customer’s own environment, and they’re often the ones that cause trouble later. A useful test is to pick one real patient record and trace everywhere it can go. Which database holds it? Can support staff view it? Does it appear in application logs? Is it copied to analytics systems? Does a debugging service receive part of it? Can engineers download it locally? That exercise tends to reveal more than another hour spent reading vendor compliance pages. ## **Backups count only when you can recover from them** Teams frequently say they have backups when what they really mean is that a backup job appears to run. Those aren’t the same thing. A backup can complete successfully every night and still fail the company when it’s needed. The credentials required to restore it might be unavailable during an outage. The backup could contain corrupted data that nobody noticed. It could sit in the same environment compromised by an attacker. [HHS ransomware guidance](https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/security/guidance/cybersecurity/ransomware-fact-sheet/index.html) specifically points to backups, disaster recovery and periodic testing as parts of contingency planning. The important word for an engineering team is testing. A screenshot showing that yesterday’s backup completed is not the same evidence as restoring the data and proving the application can use it. The practical version is a scheduled recovery exercise. Take a backup, restore it into an isolated environment and record what happens. How long does the database restoration take? Are encryption keys available? Do dependencies come back in the correct order? Can the application authenticate users afterward? Does someone actually know who decides to fail over? This gets uncomfortable in a useful way. A company might discover that its database can be restored in 40 minutes but its object storage needs another six hours. Another might learn that its written recovery procedure mentions an employee who left eight months ago. The point isn’t to produce a perfect disaster-recovery binder. It’s to know whether the service can actually come back before a real incident forces the experiment. ## **Your vendor can’t operate your company for you** A strong cloud provider can take a substantial amount of infrastructure work off a health-tech team. It can operate physical facilities, maintain underlying systems, offer security controls, support encryption, retain logs, provide backups and accept contractual obligations around protected information. It can’t decide whether your support staff should be able to export 20,000 patient records. It can’t know that a developer pasted production data into a project-management ticket. It won’t necessarily know that an abandoned integration still has an API key with broad permissions. It can’t make the product team remove sensitive fields from an analytics event that never needed them. The [HHS provisions for business associate contracts](https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/covered-entities/sample-business-associate-agreement-provisions/index.html) require business associates to accept specific safeguards and restrictions, including obligations around subcontractors and security incidents. Those agreements matter, especially when health data moves through several vendors. They don’t replace the company’s own decisions about data collection, retention and access. The same issue appears after incidents. Techloy’s reporting on a [breach involving a US health-records system](https://www.techloy.com/a-major-us-health-records-system-was-breached-patients-still-dont-know-what-was-exposed/) shows why determining what was accessed can become difficult once an intrusion has happened. Teams need useful logs, clear ownership and an accurate picture of where sensitive information lives before an incident begins. One question exposes a lot of weakness: if suspicious access happened at 2:00 a.m. last Tuesday, could your team determine which account was involved, what it accessed and whether patient information left the system? If the answer is “probably,” there’s work to do. ## **Wrap-up takeaway** Most teams won’t get tripped up by the BAA itself. The problems usually show up months later, after permissions have piled up, a test environment has become permanent, or nobody remembers the last time a backup was actually restored. Those are small operational decisions, but they’re the ones that determine whether the setup holds up when something goes wrong. A good place to start is with one simple question: if you had to explain exactly where patient data travels today, could you do it without guessing? If not, trace one real workflow and see where the answers get fuzzy. ### Google’s Fitbit Edge Could Bring Back the Screen the Air Left Out URL: https://www.techloy.com/google-fitbit-edge-leak/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T11:36:27.000Z Earlier this year, [Google](https://www.techloy.com/tag/google/) [Fitbit Air](https://www.techloy.com/tag/fitbit-air/) was pitched as a health tracker for people trying to avoid the distractions that come with screens. Now, Google seems to be going in the opposite direction with its next tracker, the Fitbit Edge. The contradiction is that the tracker allegedly comes with a screen, according to reports from Android Headlines. From leaked images, the Fitbit Edge looks a lot like the Fitbit Charge, which Google last updated in 2023\. That suggests that the Edge could be its successor. It also reportedly has a small display, GPS, notifications, and limited app support. [Fitbit Air vs Whoop 5.0Which screenless fitness tracker is actually worth buying?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-dba8a46f-078e-4990-8a59-533782273a76.png)TechloyOgbonda Chivumnovu![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/image-47-ef3d1c1e-3708-49ca-8cbd-2e45098a2018.png)](https://www.techloy.com/fitbit-air-vs-whoop-5-0/) ## What the Fitbit Edge is The Fitbit Edge looks like a mid-range fitness tracker that could sit between the $99 Fitbit Air and the $399 [Pixel Watch](https://www.techloy.com/tag/pixel-watch/) 5\. It's rumoured to have a small screen, GPS, an altimeter and limited app support for things like Google Maps, YouTube Music and Find My Phone. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/image-4.png) Image credit: Android Headlines It may also offer up to seven days of battery life, automatic activity detection, and work with both Android and iOS. That last part matters because the Pixel Watch 5 is Android-only. ## Why Google is taking a different strategy with the Fitbit Edge Google's pitch for the Fitbit Air was simple: less screen, fewer distractions. The company positioned it as a screenless tracker that lets people check their health data on their phone while staying notification-free when they want to focus. The Fitbit Edge, though, does the opposite. It adds a screen, notifications, and even some apps. But the thing is, Google is still a business. Even though the screenless market is real, it's still quite niche. Whoop and [Oura](https://www.techloy.com/tag/samsung-oura-ring/) have their audiences, but many people still want to see their stats on their wrist. And the data makes that clear; the [IDC ](https://www.idc.com/promo/wearablevendor/)expects 159.7 million smartwatches to ship globally in 2026, compared with 40.2 million wristbands. That's roughly four times as many smartwatches as wristbands. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Best White Label Banking Platforms in 2026: A Comparison Beyond the Demo URL: https://www.techloy.com/best-white-label-banking-platforms-in-2026-a-comparison-beyond-the-demo/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T11:03:04.000Z A digital banking demo usually begins with the customer app. An account appears, a payment is sent and a card is frozen in a few taps. The harder questions come afterward: who holds the account, where is the transaction recorded, how does an operations team resolve a failed payment, and what happens when the business adds another provider? This ranking compares **eight providers of branded digital banking solutions**. They offer different combinations of software and regulated services. The order reflects their relevance to fintechs seeking a branded customer experience, operational tools and connections to financial service providers. It does not represent a score for reliability, price or customer satisfaction. ## **Eight white label banking platforms at a glance** The table describes each provider’s published product focus. A buyer should confirm the exact modules, integrations, regulated services and commercial terms offered for its project. | Rank | Provider | Published focus | Most relevant buyer | | ---- | ----------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------- | | 1 | FinHost | Branded apps, back office, banking modules and third-party integrations | Fintechs building a multi-service product with selected partners | | 2 | Crassula | Branded banking apps, back office and financial product modules | Teams launching accounts, payments and cards together | | 3 | SDK.finance | Configurable fintech core with ready web and mobile interfaces | Teams planning extensive product and technical customisation | | 4 | Velmie | Banking software, branded channels and integration orchestration | Teams combining banking functions across providers | | 5 | ConnectPay | White label neobank services through a regulated provider and APIs | Teams seeking a technology and regulated service arrangement | | 6 | OpenWay | Way4 payments, wallets, cards and digital banking technology | Institutions with a strong payments or card focus | | 7 | Backbase | Digital banking experiences connected to existing systems | Banks modernising customer and employee channels | | 8 | Temenos | Digital banking and core banking products | Established institutions planning a larger technology programme | ## **1\. FinHost: a branded platform for connected financial services** FinHost’s[ white label banking platform](https://finhost.io/) combines web and mobile applications, a back office, banking functions and integrations with external providers. Its published offering covers customer journeys involving accounts, payments, cards and, where relevant, crypto services.[ ](https://finhost.io/?utm%5Fsource=chatgpt.com) Its relevance lies in bringing the customer interface and operational work into one proposed architecture. FinHost also offers a source code licence for businesses that need a different model for customisation and deployment. The rights, delivery scope and maintenance responsibilities under that option should be established in the contract.[ ](https://finhost.io/services/source-code-license/?utm%5Fsource=chatgpt.com) **Test beyond the demo:** Ask FinHost to trace a payment from the customer app through the relevant partner, transaction records and back office. Then ask the team to show how a failed or delayed payment is investigated. ## **2\. Crassula: apps and operations around a banking product** Crassula presents a white label solution with branded web and mobile applications, a back office and modules for building digital banking products. Its materials describe connections to banking partners and functions such as accounts, payments and cards.[ ](https://crassula.io/products/core-banking/?utm%5Fsource=chatgpt.com) Crassula is a close comparison for a fintech planning several services within one app. As with any platform that connects to external providers, the buyer needs to identify which capabilities are supplied by Crassula and which depend on partner agreements. **Test beyond the demo:** Request a walkthrough of onboarding, payment review, fee changes and reconciliation in the proposed configuration. ## **3\. SDK.finance: a configurable fintech core** SDK.finance describes a white label digital banking platform with a transactional backend, web and mobile interfaces, back office tools and APIs. Its offering is relevant to teams that expect to adapt product logic and connect a range of financial providers. Buyers should examine how much of the planned product can be configured using existing components and how much requires implementation work. That distinction affects both the project scope and the team needed after launch. **Test beyond the demo:** Ask the provider to change a fee, limit or approval rule in a test environment, then show how the change appears in the app, records and operations tools. ## **4\. Velmie: banking channels and integration orchestration** Velmie describes a banking platform with white label web and mobile applications, a role-based back office and integration capabilities. Its materials cover banking use cases that involve accounts, payments, cards and external providers. This makes Velmie relevant to businesses that need to connect several services under a consistent customer experience. The specific scope should be checked carefully because a broad platform description can cover different implementations. **Test beyond the demo:** Ask which system maintains each balance and transaction status, and who resolves an exception when an external provider does not respond. ## **5\. ConnectPay: branded banking with a regulated service provider** ConnectPay offers a white label neobank proposition based on its financial services and APIs. Its published model allows a business to connect its customer-facing product to ConnectPay’s infrastructure and offer services such as accounts, payments and cards under its brand.[ ](https://connectpay.com/fintechs/neobanks/?utm%5Fsource=chatgpt.com) This is a different procurement model from buying a software platform and contracting separately with every regulated provider. It may suit teams looking for a provider-led arrangement, provided the available services, customer experience and responsibilities fit their target market. **Test beyond the demo:** Establish which parts of the app your team must build, which regulated services ConnectPay supplies and how customer support and compliance decisions are divided. ## **6\. OpenWay: digital banking with a payments focus** OpenWay’s Way4 platform spans account management, digital wallets, card issuing, payment processing and digital banking channels. Its published work includes mobile and web banking alongside payment operations.[ ](https://openwaygroup.com/way4-payment-platform?utm%5Fsource=chatgpt.com) OpenWay is relevant when cards, wallets or payment processing are central to the intended product. Buyers should assess how the proposed Way4 components connect to any existing core or external financial partners. **Test beyond the demo:** Follow a card or payment transaction through customer notification, processing, settlement records and the operations team’s tools. ## **7\. Backbase: digital channels for banks with existing systems** Backbase focuses on customer and employee experiences across mobile, web and operations. It offers tools to build branded banking journeys and connect them to a bank’s existing technology.[ ](https://www.backbase.com/?utm%5Fsource=chatgpt.com) Its fit is strongest for an institution that already has core systems and wants to improve how customers and staff interact with them. A fintech seeking an entire new operating stack should determine what other systems and providers the project would require. **Test beyond the demo:** Ask the team to show a customer request that starts in the app, requires staff action and returns a clear status to the customer. ## **8\. Temenos: digital and core banking for larger programmes** Temenos offers digital banking capabilities as well as core banking products. Its digital offering covers customer journeys across channels and integration with existing banking infrastructure.[ ](https://www.temenos.com/products/?utm%5Fsource=chatgpt.com) Temenos belongs in the comparison for established institutions considering a broader technology programme. Its proposed implementation should be assessed on its own scope rather than assumed to resemble a ready-to-brand fintech app. **Test beyond the demo:** Identify which Temenos products are included, what must be integrated with existing systems and how the institution will manage changes after launch. ## **What should every banking platform demo include?** A polished customer journey shows only part of the product. Give every shortlisted provider the same five scenarios: 1. **Onboard a customer:** show identity checks, an incomplete application and the staff review process. 2. **Send a payment:** show the customer view, provider handoff, transaction record and final status. 3. **Resolve an exception:** investigate a delayed transfer or balance discrepancy from the back office. 4. **Change a product rule:** update a fee, limit or approval requirement and show where that change is recorded. 5. **Add a provider:** explain how the platform would connect a new bank, card issuer or compliance service. Request a written architecture alongside the demo. It should distinguish the software vendor, the entity providing each regulated service and the team responsible for day-to-day operations. For EU financial entities within its scope, DORA has also applied since January 2025, making ICT and third-party arrangements part of the evaluation. **Which platform belongs on your shortlist?** For a new branded fintech product spanning several financial services, FinHost, Crassula, SDK.finance and Velmie are the closest comparisons in this list based on their published offerings. ConnectPay warrants attention when the buyer wants to assess a regulated provider arrangement. OpenWay is particularly relevant to payment-led products, while Backbase and Temenos suit institutions evaluating changes to established banking systems. These are editorial groupings by product scope, not verified differences in implementation quality.[ ](https://finhost.io/?utm%5Fsource=chatgpt.com)The best[ ](https://finhost.io/?utm%5Fsource=chatgpt.com)[white-label neobank](https://finhost.io/solutions/web-banking/) for a business is the one that can demonstrate its actual customer journeys, identify every external dependency and make responsibility for operations clear before the contract is signed. ### Amazon Hires Former Copilot CTO to Take on OpenAI and Meta URL: https://www.techloy.com/amazon-former-microsoft-copilot-cto-ai-agents/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T10:18:32.000Z Looking at where the [AI](https://www.techloy.com/tag/artificial-intelligence/) industry is headed, the AI agent era is clearly here, and Amazon isn't willing to let the opportunity slip by. For years, the shopping platform has built AI products to help users manage tasks while making workflows easier by automating them. Now, the retail giant is looking to turn its AI investments into used products by expanding its AI agent Offerings. This, the company is doing to compete with Meta's Muse and OpenAI's Dots, both of which have gained traction in recent months. [Why Anthropic Researcher Jacob Coxon Quit, and Who AgreedCoxon’s warning comes as both OpenAI and Anthropic have faced incidents involving their AI systems gaining access to other organisations’ systems.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-c58d1238-d1b7-43a5-bfd3-4b2a041338fe.png)TechloyDavid Adubiina![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1579226905180-636b76d96082-e3b33f89-f3a0-4c9c-be63-307fa337735e.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/anthropic-researcher-quits-jacob-coxon-ai-safety/) ## How Amazon plans to compete Amazon Web Services (AWS), the company's cloud computing division, has hired Pedram Rezaei, the CTO of Microsoft Copilot, to help the e-commerce and cloud giant build out its agentic AI business. According to details revealed by a Business Insider [report](https://africa.businessinsider.com/news/amazon-hires-microsofts-former-copilot-cto/1tqvggy), Rezaei will initially work on Quick and Kiro, two of Amazon's products central to its AI agent strategy. Quick is AWS's AI assistant and productivity app launched in early 2026 as the successor to Amazon Q Business. Unlike Amazon Quick, which is a broad, cross-application AI assistant designed to connect files and business workflows, Kiro is a specialized, agentic AI-powered IDE focused on structured software engineering. According BI report, both have seen their user base grow, with Quick's monthly AI users increasing fourfold from the first quarter to the second. Kiro, meanwhile, has its user base doubling over the same period. These two sit within a wider portfolio that Amazon has been building, including its Bedrock model platform, coding assistants and other agentic software. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### VIDEO: What Happens When a Bank Transfer Fails URL: https://www.techloy.com/video-what-happens-when-a-bank-transfer-fails/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T10:01:05.000Z Have you ever sent money, seen “Transfer Failed,” and immediately started panicking? It can be scary when you send money and the transaction does not go through, especially if you need the money to reach someone quickly. But a failed bank transfer does not always mean your money is gone. When you make a bank transfer, several systems work together to process it. Your bank first checks the details of the transaction, including the account number and the recipient’s bank. The payment is then sent through the relevant payment network before it reaches the recipient’s bank. If everything works properly, the recipient gets the money and the transaction is completed. But sometimes, something goes wrong along the way. A transfer can fail if you enter the wrong account details or if the recipient’s bank is having a technical problem. A poor network connection or problem with the payment network can also affect the transaction. Your own bank may also stop a transfer if it detects something unusual. This can happen when a transaction is flagged for security reasons or when there is a temporary problem with the bank’s system. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### AI Is Entering Nollywood. How Much Should It Change Nigerian Filmmaking? URL: https://www.techloy.com/ai-in-nollywood-how-much-should-it-change/ Last updated: 2026-10-11T02:27:29.000Z You may not have noticed it, but AI is already becoming part of Nigerian filmmaking. It is showing up in scripts, visual effects, editing, marketing and, increasingly, entire film productions. In 2025, [Makemation](https://theconversation.com/makemation-a-nollywood-movie-that-shows-ai-in-action-in-africa-277693) became one of the most visible examples of this shift, using generative AI at different stages of its production. As more filmmakers experiment with the technology, the conversation is moving past what AI can do. It is also about what happens when a technology trained largely on existing data becomes involved in creating stories about Nigerian people and culture. I spoke to four Nigerian filmgoers, Ifeoluwa, Hamidat, Godwin and Rotimi, about AI's growing role in filmmaking. They were generally open to the technology, but their responses revealed a more complicated concern. AI may change how quickly and cheaply films can be made, but who controls the creative decisions could determine what Nigerian films look and feel like in the future. [West Africa Recruitment Scams: How to Spot Fake JobsFake recruiters are becoming harder to spot as fraudsters use trusted brands and social media to target job seekers across West Africa.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-155faf2b-2a0e-428a-abaf-d18bb28db12c.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1739285452644-3a2c009112fe-03b6491e-b0ee-4f43-89a9-f78f90f81c5b.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/west-africa-recruitment-scams/) ## AI Could Make Nollywood's Production Process Faster Rotimi sees the practical appeal of AI. He believes it could help filmmakers move faster, reduce effort and potentially lower some production costs. “It’s a double-edged sword,” Rotimi said. “It’s good. You get to do more with less time, with less effort, but you may derail from the original lesson if you do not get to check AI well.” Hamidat also sees a place for AI, particularly when filmmakers are developing ideas or experimenting with visual effects. Her concern starts when the technology moves from helping with the work to making creative decisions on its own. “If they want to use AI, they should not fully depend on AI in terms of script writing,” she said. “AI lacks human touch.” AI's role in filmmaking goes well beyond generating images or writing ideas.[ DLA Piper Africa notes](https://www.dlapiperafrica.com/en/nigeria/insights/2025/ai%5Fin%5Fnigeria%5Ffilm%5Fand%5Ftv) that AI can be used across almost every stage of filmmaking, including script development, visual effects, editing, marketing and distribution. Its research also identifies concerns around creativity, originality, transparency and job displacement. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### The Batman Part II Hits Another Production Setback Ahead of 2028 Release URL: https://www.techloy.com/the-batman-2-pauses-filming-2028-release/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T09:59:58.000Z The Batman Part II had finally reached the point fans had been waiting for. Cameras were rolling, Robert Pattinson was back as Batman, and production was underway in London. Then, just as the sequel finally appeared to be moving forward, filming stopped again. Warner Bros. and DC Studios have temporarily paused filming after director Matt Reeves stepped away to deal with a family matter. The studio has not given a timeline for his return, but said Reeves has its “full support” and that it looks forward to “continuing the journey soon”. The pause comes after years of script work and several release-date changes, with the latest date now set for February 18, 2028. The pause is temporary, but after such a long road to production, it is fair to wonder whether this latest setback could put the 2028 release date at risk. [Digger Box Office: Why Tom Cruise’s Movie BombedTom Cruise’s new film Digger opened to $20 million worldwide despite its star power and reported $125 million production budget.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-2eae2492-b041-4a90-bbe7-75f53a39897a.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/Variety-digger-6fb895f8-f7f9-4aa5-b761-d6a770781b95.png)](https://www.techloy.com/digger-box-office-tom-cruise/) ## Why Has The Batman Part II Taken so Long? The sequel's long road started well before cameras arrived in London. Warner Bros. originally scheduled The Batman Part II for October 3, 2025, roughly three years after Matt Reeves' The Batman. That date was later pushed to October 2, 2026, before another move took it to October 1, 2027\. The film eventually moved again to February 18, 2028. A major reason was the screenplay; Reeves and Mattson Tomlin had to continue developing the story during the 2023 writers' and actors' strikes. [By June 2025](https://deadline.com/2026/10/the-batman-part-ii-production-pause-matt-reeves-1237146807/), Reeves had finally confirmed that the script was complete. James Gunn, who now oversees DC Studios with Peter Safran, defended Reeves during the delays, arguing that the filmmaker should be allowed to take the time needed to make the screenplay right. “I hope that happens,” Gunn said about the script at the time. “People should get off Matt’s nuts because it’s like, let the guy write the screenplay in the amount of time he needs to write it.” _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 5 Powerful Features to Look for in a Mutual Fund App and Integrated SIP Calculator App URL: https://www.techloy.com/5-powerful-features-to-look-for-in-a-mutual-fund-app-and-integrated-sip-calculator-app/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T08:45:06.000Z Digital platforms have made mutual fund investing more convenient and accessible, as they provide an easy way to research, invest in, and manage a mutual fund portfolio. But it's not enough to just have a good user interface for your platform. Investors should seek features which can assist their financial planning, scheme comparison, periodic investing and portfolio monitoring. The right platform can help to streamline investments and centralise key information. To make the right investment platform selection, it is helpful for investors to be aware of these features and how they fit into their investment objectives and long-term financial goals. ## 1\. Integrated Investment Planning Tools Planning how much to invest is an important part of achieving financial goals. An integrated [**SIP calculator app**](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fivepaisa.tradebetter) can help investors estimate the potential value of regular investments based on different inputs. Most calculators allow users to enter: - Monthly investment amount - Expected annual return - Investment duration - Investment frequency For instance, if an investor decides to invest ₹5,000 per month for 15 years, they can use this calculator to determine the expected value after the investment period. They can also change the investment corpus and period to see how the various scenarios might impact the estimated corpus. These calculations can be useful to investors to establish realistic goals and expectations when it comes to consistent investing. The results, however, are estimates and cannot be guaranteed returns as mutual funds are vulnerable to market risks. ## 2\. Detailed Fund Research and Comparison Investors should have access to sufficient information before selecting a mutual fund. A digital platform should ideally provide relevant details about available schemes in an easy-to-understand format. Important information can include: - Fund category - Investment objective - Historical performance - Expense ratio - Portfolio holdings - Asset allocation - Risk indicators - Fund manager details Comparison tools can make research more convenient by allowing investors to evaluate different schemes based on relevant parameters. Instead of selecting a fund solely because it has recently delivered high returns, investors can consider its objectives, risk level, costs and suitability for their investment horizon. Historical performance does not guarantee future results, so fund selection should be based on broader financial considerations. ## 3\. Convenient SIP Management Consistency is one of the important aspects of SIP investing. A well-designed [**mutual fund app**](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fivepaisa.tradebetter) should make it easy to start, manage and monitor SIP investments digitally. Depending on the platform, investors may be able to select a scheme, choose an investment amount and set an investment date. Some platforms may also provide options to modify, pause or stop an existing SIP based on the available features. Automated investments can reduce the possibility of missing instalments and encourage investors to maintain financial discipline. This can be particularly useful for individuals who want to invest regularly without manually initiating every transaction. Before setting up a SIP, investors should ensure that the selected amount is affordable and consistent with their monthly budget. ## 4\. Portfolio Tracking and Performance Analysis Investing is an ongoing process. Investors should periodically review their portfolio to determine whether it continues to align with their financial objectives. Portfolio tracking features can provide a consolidated view of investments and help investors understand their overall position. Useful information may include: - Total invested amount - Current portfolio value - Gains or losses - Individual fund performance - SIP contributions - Asset allocation Charts and visual summaries can make portfolio information easier to understand. Investors can use these insights to assess whether their investments remain aligned with their financial goals and risk tolerance. However, checking a portfolio too frequently can encourage emotional reactions to short-term market movements. Reviews should generally focus on long-term objectives rather than daily fluctuations. ## 5\. Secure Transactions and Account Management Security is another important factor when selecting a digital investment platform. Investors provide personal and financial information while creating accounts and conducting transactions, making secure access essential. A reliable platform should use appropriate security measures for authentication, account access and transaction processing. Features such as secure login, transaction confirmations and account alerts can help users monitor their activities. Easy access to statements, transaction records and investment documents can also simplify financial record-keeping. Investors should download applications only from legitimate sources and avoid sharing passwords, PINs or one-time passwords with anyone. Security awareness should remain an important part of digital investing, regardless of the platform being used. ## Conclusion A digital investment platform can help to streamline the process of investing in mutual funds by consolidating the entire investment process including planning, research, SIP management and portfolio monitoring. Built-in calculators, fund comparison calculators, automated investments, and secure account management options can help streamline the investing process. Digital marketplaces, like 5paisa, can offer solutions that enable investors to handle various aspects of their investing journey. It is still important for investors to do proper research, understand risks in the market and select investments to meet their personal financial goals. ### Can Seedance 2.0 Cut Video Costs for Africa's Small Creative Studios? URL: https://www.techloy.com/can-seedance-2-0-cut-video-costs-for-africas-small-creative-studios/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T07:29:36.000Z Ask a small production house in Lagos, Nairobi or Accra what slows them down and you hear about gear rentals, location permits, generator fuel, sound recordists who cancel, and clients who want three versions of a 15 second spot by Friday. AI video has been pitched as the answer to all of that for a while now, but most of the early tools were hard to justify for teams that bill in naira, shillings or cedis and pay for every gigabyte of mobile data. ByteDance's Seedance 2.0 is one of the models that changes that calculation in a practical way. It is not a replacement for a crew. It is a cheaper way to handle parts of a job that used to need one. What the model actually does Seedance 2.0 is ByteDance's AI video model, the same company behind TikTok and CapCut. It produces short clips from a text prompt or from a starting image, and three of its features matter more to African studios than the headline visual quality: - **Sound is generated with the picture.** Each clip comes back with an audio track: footsteps, rain, sizzling oil, crowd chatter. For teams that do not have a foley budget, that is a real saving. - **It can cut between shots inside one clip.** You write the beats in order and the model edits between a wide, a close-up and a medium shot while keeping the same character. - **It handles vertical video.** Clips can be made in 9:16, which is the shape that WhatsApp Status, TikTok and Instagram Reels audiences actually watch. Clips run 5, 10 or 15 seconds, and resolution ranges from 480p up to 4K on the highest quality tier. Why per-clip pricing matters more than per-month pricing Most coverage of AI video focuses on subscription headlines. For a freelancer in Kumasi or a two-person agency in Kigali, the more useful number is what one usable clip costs, because that is what gets passed on to a client. On [Seedance 2](https://pixeldojo.ai/seedance-2) as hosted by PixelDojo, the model runs in three tiers. Mini is the cheapest, at 5 credits for a 5 second clip at 480p and 10 credits at 720p. Fast sits in the middle. High is the premium tier, at 30 credits for a 5 second 720p clip, 57.5 credits at 1080p and 115 credits at 4K. Plans start at $10 a month, and the tool shows the credit cost before you generate. That tiering lets a studio work the way a good editor already does: rough cut first, polish last. You can test ten versions of an idea on Mini at 480p, show the client, and only spend High-tier credits on the version they sign off. When software is priced in dollars, that discipline decides whether a tool pays for itself. Where it fits in real African production work The strongest use cases are the jobs that are expensive to shoot and short on screen time. Product and food ads for SMEs A beverage pour, a steaming bowl of jollof. These are the shots small brands want for social campaigns, and they usually need a studio, a food stylist. Seedance 2.0 is well suited to liquids, steam and light, and a product-style clip on the Mini tier is one of the cheapest things it does. Pre-visualisation for Nollywood and streaming projects Directors pitching to platforms often need to show tone before they have money. A few 10 second multi-shot clips can demonstrate a chase, a market scene or a storm in a way a mood board cannot. Explainers for fintech, healthtech and agritech startups Startups across the continent need short animated explainers for onboarding and investor decks. Seedance 2.0 can produce stop motion and claymation-style shots, which are friendly, clearly illustrative and do not pretend to be real footage. A prompt structure that works The habit that improves results most is writing prompts like a shot note: camera first, then subject, one action, light, lens and sound. Here is an example a Lagos agency could adapt for a market-themed spot: \[0-3s\] Wide handheld shot of a busy evening food stall, a cook in a black apron tosses rice in a large pan as steam rises. \[3-6s\] Close-up, the rice lands on a white plate with fried plantain on the side. \[6-10s\] Medium shot, the cook slides the plate across the counter toward the camera and smiles. Warm tungsten light, no readable signs, 35mm lens. Sound of sizzling oil, clanging pans and crowd chatter. The bracketed timings tell the model where to cut. Ending with a sound cue controls the audio track. If you want effects but no music, say "sound effects only, no music." The limits African teams should plan around None of this removes the hard questions, and some of them land differently here. - **Representation.** AI models learn from what they were trained on. Be specific about skin tone, hair, clothing and setting in every prompt, and check every frame. Do not assume the default will reflect your audience. - **Disclosure.** If a clip shows realistic people or places, tell the client and the audience it was generated. Trust is harder to rebuild than a budget. - **Bandwidth.** Higher resolutions mean bigger downloads. Generate drafts at 480p and only pull 1080p or 4K files when they are final. - **Local work.** The best use of a cheaper tool is to free money for the people who make the work distinctive: writers, voice actors, editors and on-set crews for the shots that need to be real. The bigger picture Nollywood built an industry on tight budgets and fast turnarounds, and a new generation of creators built audiences on phones. A model that adds synchronised sound, multi-shot editing and vertical output to a few prompts fits that tradition. The studios that benefit most will be the ones that treat it as one more tool on the shelf, use it for shots that were never affordable, and keep their human talent at the centre of the story. ### Why eBay Tried to Fix Its Search and Broke It Again URL: https://www.techloy.com/why-ebay-tried-to-fix-its-search-and-broke-it-again/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T07:21:03.000Z Searching eBay used to feel closer to querying a database. Type a specific model, add filters, sort by newly listed and work through the results. That mattered because eBay is not a conventional online store. Its value comes from individual listings, including rare items that may appear once and disappear quickly. That search model has been changing for years. eBay has pushed Best Match, personalization, machine learning and promoted listings. In 2026 it is also testing an AI-powered search experience that tries to understand what buyers mean instead of relying only on the words they type. For casual shoppers, that can make discovery easier. For collectors, resellers and buyers hunting for one precise item, it can create the opposite problem. Search starts interpreting the request rather than simply returning every listing that matches it. ## **Best Match is doing much more than matching words** eBay says Best Match is its default search order. The ranking considers how closely a listing matches a query, but also popularity, price, seller history, listing quality, location and a buyer's browsing history. There is another factor. eBay's help documentation says promoted listings that match a query and a buyer's interests can appear higher in search results. This does not mean paid listings automatically replace relevant organic results. It does mean modern eBay search has more objectives than literal retrieval. It is trying to predict relevance, personalize the experience and create advertising inventory at the same time. That is very different from showing every exact match in a predictable order. ## **Users are noticing the difference** During 2025 and 2026, buyers repeatedly reported saved searches producing fewer new results, returning irrelevant items or behaving differently depending on the selected sort order. Recent eBay Community threads describe typed searches returning no results until users switch away from Best Match. Other reports followed app updates that temporarily left saved searches showing zero results. Reddit threads from the same period contain similar reports. Buyers describe exact product searches returning unrelated models, filters failing to narrow results as expected and result counts changing when they switch from Best Match to Newly Listed. These reports are anecdotal and some were temporary software bugs. They do not prove that eBay's ranking system is universally worse. They do show why experienced users are frustrated. A search tool can become more useful for an average shopper while becoming less dependable for someone who wants exact, repeatable results. ## **eBay has a reason to keep changing search** The scale alone makes eBay search difficult. The company reported around 2.6 billion live listings in mid-2026\. Ranking that inventory requires more than basic keyword matching, especially when sellers use inconsistent titles and item specifics. eBay also wants search to work for people who cannot describe exactly what they want. Its current AI search trial lets some app users type or say a natural-language request, with the system attempting to infer intent. That approach makes sense for discovery. It is less comfortable for deterministic searches such as a specific watch reference, replacement component or discontinued camera lens. The two use cases want different things. Discovery search wants to expand. Monitoring search wants to exclude. ## **Advertising adds another layer** Search is also a growing commercial surface for eBay. In the second quarter of 2026, eBay reported $570 million in first-party advertising revenue, up 25 percent from a year earlier. Its advertising products give sellers access to placements that include search results. That does not establish that advertising caused the search complaints. eBay does not publish evidence showing that promoted listings are responsible for irrelevant results. But the economics matter. Search now serves buyers while also supporting a large advertising business. When a user sees a weak result beside a sponsored placement, it becomes harder to know whether the page is optimizing for literal relevance, personalization or commercial visibility. ## **Saved search is where the problem becomes expensive** For ordinary browsing, one irrelevant result is an annoyance. For someone monitoring scarce inventory, a delayed or missed result can mean losing the item. A reseller looking for underpriced electronics may care about the first few minutes after a Buy It Now listing appears. A collector may wait months for a rare part. In both cases, daily summaries or an inconsistent saved search are less useful than immediate detection. This is why some buyers use separate monitoring tools. Services offering[ ](https://lotify.me/ebay-alerts)[better eBay alerts](https://lotify.me/ebay-alerts) can watch defined keywords, price ranges, categories and listing types, then send a Telegram notification when a matching listing appears. The point is not to replace eBay search for normal shopping. It is to separate discovery from monitoring. One tool can help a buyer browse. Another can watch a narrow query continuously. ## **Exact search and discovery search should not be the same thing** eBay's direction is understandable. With billions of listings, AI and personalization can help buyers who have only a vague idea of what to buy. Promoted listings also give sellers a way to pay for visibility and eBay a growing revenue stream. The problem appears when the same search system is expected to satisfy power users who value completeness and predictability. A collector searching for an exact reference does not want the system to guess a related product. A reseller sorting by Newly Listed does not want relevance logic to widen the query. A buyer who saved a precise search expects the same filters to keep working tomorrow. eBay may be improving search for discovery while making it feel worse for retrieval. That distinction explains much of the current frustration better than saying the search engine simply stopped working. The practical response is to use eBay's discovery tools when exploring and rely on precise filters or external monitoring when timing and completeness matter. Search has become smarter, but for some experienced users, smarter is not always the same as more useful. ### Why Do AI Answers Leave Out Important Product Details? URL: https://www.techloy.com/why-do-ai-answers-leave-out-important-product-details/ Last updated: 2026-10-05T20:40:21.000Z People are increasingly using AI tools to research products, compare services and understand technical features. But even when an AI system finds the right product, the answer it gives may still be incomplete. A product can be mentioned correctly while important details are left out. The answer may skip compatibility information, differences between plans, technical limits or details about who the product is designed for. For companies with complex products, this can create a real problem. The issue is not always whether AI can find the company. Sometimes it finds the right page but does not use the information that matters most to the person reading the answer. ## Why Do Important Details Get Missed? Product pages often contain a lot of information. Specifications, features, use cases, pricing options, integrations and support details may all appear on the same page. A person can scan the page and focus on what matters most. An AI system has to decide which parts of that page are relevant to a specific answer. If an important detail is buried inside a long paragraph or mixed with several unrelated points, it may not be included. The same can happen when useful information appears only inside an image or is shown without enough explanation. ### Which Product Details Matter Most? That depends on the product. For some products, it is important to explain which devices, systems or software they work with. For software, integrations or account limits may matter more. For a subscription service, the differences between plans may affect the buying decision. A customer comparing two options may want to know whether one works with a system they already use, whether a feature is included in every plan or whether there are limits on how the product can be used. If these details are missing from an AI answer, the user may get a very different impression of the product. ## How Can Answer Engine Optimization Help? [**Answer engine optimization**](https://operformance.com/services/answer-engine-optimization/) can help make important information easier for AI systems to identify and use. This does not mean adding more text just to make a page longer. The focus should be on making the key product information easy to find and understand. Important details should appear where users are likely to look for them. If there are major differences between plans, versions or technical requirements, those differences should be explained in a simple and direct way. This can also make it easier for AI systems to use the right information when building an answer. #### When Are Tables Useful? Tables can help when several options need to be compared side by side. They can show differences between plans, models, versions or feature sets without forcing the reader to search through several paragraphs. But a table is not always the best option. If the information is simple, a short paragraph may work better. If the subject is technical, a table may still need a short explanation around it. That is why optimizing content for AI answers is not only about format. The information itself also needs to be easy to follow. ### Why Does This Matter for Both B2B and B2C Products? The problem can affect both business and consumer products. A B2B platform may need to explain integrations, security requirements or which teams can use a certain feature. A B2C product may need to explain device support, subscription limits or what is included in each version. In both cases, one missing detail can change the way a person understands the product. This matters even more when people use AI tools to compare several options quickly and decide what to look at next. ### What Should Companies Review? A good place to start is with the information customers usually need before making a decision. That can include product limits, differences between plans, technical requirements, supported systems or important features. Companies can then check whether this information is easy to find on the main product pages. Product pages should also be checked whenever important details change. If a feature, plan or technical requirement changes, older information may still appear in AI-generated answers if old pages or external sources still contain it. Online Performance, for example, looks at how key product information is presented and whether AI systems can use it correctly. This can help identify gaps that may not be obvious from standard website analytics. ### Better Product Information Can Lead to Better AI Answers AI systems do not need every detail on a product page. They need the details that are relevant to the answer they are building. That is why AI answer optimization should focus on how product information is presented, not simply on how much content a page contains. For companies with technical or feature-rich products, even small changes in how important information is organized can help AI-generated answers describe the product more accurately. ### Digger’s $20 Million Opening Puts One of 2026’s Biggest Films on Track for a Huge Loss URL: https://www.techloy.com/digger-box-office-tom-cruise/ Last updated: 2026-10-05T15:15:49.000Z There was a time when having Tom Cruise in a film was enough to make people want to see it in the cinemas. Digger was supposed to test just how much of that power remains when you take away the familiar franchise, the impossible stunt and the character audiences already know. Alejandro González Iñárritu’s R-rated original film opened to just $8 million in North America and $12 million internationally, giving it a $20 million global start after its [October 2, 2026 release](https://deadline.com/2026/10/digger-tom-cruise-movie-bombs-1237146199/). That is a difficult opening for a film that reportedly cost at least $125 million to produce, with another $100 million estimated to have gone into marketing. So, how did a movie starring one of Hollywood’s biggest stars end up here? [James Gunn Next Movie After Man of Tomorrow Is a MysteryJames Gunn is already writing another DCU film while Man of Tomorrow is still in post-production.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-898dbdc2-7119-402a-bb3a-0d8ff1e682b6.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1698485746165-bb7bbc4da0ed-42ec6acb-c790-4483-88a6-c6c27e239b8b.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/james-gunn-next-movie-man-of-tomorrow/) ## **Digger Put Tom Cruise’s Star Power to the Test** Let’s start with what made Digger different: Tom Cruise plays Digger Rockwell, a wealthy oil tycoon whose actions contribute to a global environmental disaster. Instead of running from explosions or piloting a fighter jet, he is playing an eccentric, morally questionable businessman in a dark satire directed by an Oscar-winning filmmaker. Warner Bros. describes it as an “original film”, and the studio released it exclusively in cinemas and IMAX. This is important because Cruise has spent much of the past decade reinforcing a very specific relationship with audiences. His biggest recent successes have come from Mission: Impossible and Top Gun. Top Gun: Maverick opened to $126.7 million domestically and eventually made nearly $1.5 billion worldwide. Mission: Impossible: The Final Reckoning opened to $64 million domestically in 2025 and finished with almost $600 million worldwide. You can now see that these films gave audiences something familiar before Cruise even appeared on screen. They knew who Ethan Hunt was. They knew what Top Gun promised. Digger had none of that. It asked audiences to take a chance on an expensive, R-rated satire that looked deliberately strange. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Kids in South Korea Are Learning AI With Ethics First URL: https://www.techloy.com/south-korea-ai-education-children-ai-ethics/ Last updated: 2026-10-05T15:15:05.000Z As [Artificial Intelligence](https://www.techloy.com/tag/artificial-intelligence/) reshapes the global economy, including education, South Korea is exposing children to AI at an earlier age while teaching them how to use the technology responsibly. An Al Jazeera [report](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1z8riKjKD1w) found that South Korean students in grades three to six are learning the fundamentals of data management and AI algorithms and how to combine them to build robots. They also learn block coding and how to make facial recognition cameras, but all of this comes after first learning AI ethics. Since AI use cannot be stopped, the approach comes as more countries are trying to figure out how AI should fit into education while also dealing with growing concerns over how the technology is used. In the US, OpenAI [reports](https://openai.com/index/bringing-chatgpt-for-teachers-to-more-us-school-districts/) that school districts in 30 states now have ChatGPT for Teachers integrated, with strong uptake in the Los Angeles area and the Northeast. India is also integrating AI into its education system, with Punjab becoming the first state in the country to introduce Artificial Intelligence as a mainstream subject from Class I to XII. Now South Korea is taking a similar step, while also ensuring students understand what comes with using the technology. ## A pilot with national ambitions The program is currently offered at six elementary schools in Seoul, with around 3,000 students taking part. An executive from the Seoul AI Foundation said the program "isn't an isolated policy," but "part of a national strategy." Since 2020, South Korea has been weaving AI through every aspect of its education system, training more than 34,000 teachers along the way, according to Al Jazeera. This ambition feeds into the country's goal of becoming a major artificial intelligence power and providing the population with free, unlimited access to homegrown generative AI. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 20 Xbox Game Pass Games That Could Leave in November 2026 URL: https://www.techloy.com/xbox-game-pass-games-leaving-november-2026/ Last updated: 2026-10-05T14:00:29.000Z [Xbox Game Pass](https://www.techloy.com/tag/xbox-game-pass/) could lose a sizeable number of games in November 2026, with titles such as 1000xRESIST, Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden, Voidtrain and several others potentially leaving the service. The list is based largely on games that joined Game Pass in November 2025, when many of them will reach roughly a year on the service. A few November 2024 additions are also worth watching, since Microsoft sometimes keeps games available well beyond their first year. [Xbox Game Pass October 2026 Lineup: 9 Games + Release DatesGears of War: E-Day leads an October lineup that already has nine confirmed games.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-eca480ea-e6ec-4726-93c8-642ec76c1d96.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1638431755905-631694da8921-0f7fa7f5-5b17-483a-8485-16a0ce00307b.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/xbox-game-pass-october-2026-lineup/) ## **Which games could leave Xbox Game Pass in November 2026?** The strongest candidates are the games that joined Game Pass in November 2025\. If they follow roughly a one-year stay, their Game Pass availability could end around their November anniversary. Here are the games currently worth keeping an eye on: ### 1000xRESIST — joined November 4, 2025 Potential departure window: around November 4, 2026 1000xRESIST is a sci-fi adventure set 1,000 years in the future, where humanity has been almost wiped out and survivors live underground following an alien occupation. It arrived on Xbox Game Pass on November 4, 2025, making it one of the clearest candidates to leave around the same date in 2026\. Xbox's original announcement confirmed its November 4 Game Pass launch. ### Football Manager 26 — joined November 4, 2025 Potential departure window: around November 4, 2026 Football Manager 26 arrived on Game Pass on November 4, 2025, across PC and console. Its annual nature makes this an interesting one to watch, particularly because a newer Football Manager game could already be competing for attention by the time November 2026 arrives. Xbox confirmed the game's November 4, 2025 Game Pass launch. ### Dead Static Drive — joined November 5, 2025 Potential departure window: around November 5, 2026 Dead Static Drive is an unusual survival-horror road trip that Xbox described as "Grand Theft Cthulhu," mixing 1980s Americana with Lovecraftian horror. It launched into Game Pass on November 5, 2025, so November 2026 marks roughly one year on the service. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Minecraft’s Next Dimension on Android: What The Sift Means for Bedrock Players URL: https://www.techloy.com/minecrafts-next-dimension-on-android-what-the-sift-means-for-bedrock-players/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T09:31:43.000Z Minecraft Bedrock on Android has changed considerably over the last several release cycles. Updates have introduced new combat systems, structures, environments, and technical improvements, while Mojang is now preparing another major expansion with The Sift. For mobile players, the announcement is useful mainly as a sign of where Bedrock is heading next. ## How Minecraft Bedrock Has Evolved Before The Sift The Sift is planned for Java and Bedrock in 2027, but it is only one part of a much longer update history. Players following future Android builds can check the[ Minecraft 1.27 APK download](https://mcpe-planet.com/downloads/minecraft-pe-1-27/) page as development continues, while comparing the upcoming cycle with earlier Bedrock releases. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/data-src-image-a223cc42-5dbe-4da9-aad4-159928a0decf.jpeg) Version 1.21 focused heavily on Trial Chambers, combat challenges, the Breeze, the Mace, and the Crafter. The 1.26 generation moved into a broader year-based release cycle with multiple content drops and mobile changes, including new wilderness environments and continued technical work. The next 1.27 cycle is expected to carry Bedrock into another stage, with The Sift confirmed as a future dimension. | Bedrock Line | Major Changes | Why It Mattered | | ------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------- | | 1.21 | Trial Chambers, Breeze, Mace, Crafter | Expanded combat, automation, and exploration | | 1.26 | 2026 content drops, Wilderness Bound features, new environments and mobile improvements | Shifted Bedrock toward more frequent themed releases | | 1.27 | The Sift planned for Java and Bedrock, with more details still to come | Could introduce Minecraft’s fourth major dimension | ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/data-src-image-4c3d8609-e0ae-43c6-ab76-dd570b97b801.jpeg) ### What Is Currently Known About The Sift The Sift is already represented in Minecraft Dungeons II, where it appears as a strange realm connected with rifts and souls. Its standard Minecraft version is still in development, so players should not assume that every Dungeons II mechanic will transfer directly to Bedrock. - The Sift is planned for Java and Bedrock in 2027. - It will join the Overworld, Nether, and End. - Its final access method has not yet been fully explained. - The Bedrock version may differ from its Dungeons II interpretation. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/data-src-image-276824c2-f696-49e2-abd0-f4eda543555a.jpeg) ### Why Android Players Should Watch Compatibility Major Bedrock changes can affect phones differently. New terrain, visual effects, entities, and assets may increase CPU, GPU, memory, or storage demands, particularly on older Android hardware. Add-ons can also require updates. A world may continue to open normally while custom mobs, scripts, or textures stop working correctly after a major version change. For that reason, the practical question is not simply whether a newer APK exists, but whether it is suitable for a particular world and device. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/data-src-image-696ae028-f30a-4c3e-b118-62eb85be3990.jpeg) - back up important worlds before major updates; - check whether add-ons support the new Bedrock build; - keep enough free storage for installation and world growth; - compare stable releases with test builds before switching. ### The Sift Is Part of a Longer Bedrock Evolution The Sift may become one of Minecraft’s biggest additions, but it makes more sense when viewed alongside previous Android releases. Bedrock has moved from the Trial Chambers era of 1.21 through the broader 1.26 cycle and is now preparing for another generation of content. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/data-src-image-2e5e765b-ed38-464a-9509-91d65d32873c.jpeg) For Android players, following that progression is more useful than focusing on a single version number. Each major release brings different features, compatibility changes, and reasons to decide whether updating immediately is worthwhile. ## FAQ ### Is The Sift already available in Minecraft Bedrock? No. Its Bedrock release is planned for 2027. ### Will The Sift be different from Dungeons II? Most likely, because standard Minecraft uses different survival and building systems. ### Should Android players prepare before future updates? Yes. Back up worlds and check add-on compatibility first. ### Why Funded B2B SaaS Startups Are Quietly Rebuilding Their Tech Stack in 2026 URL: https://www.techloy.com/why-funded-b2b-saas-startups-are-quietly-rebuilding-their-tech-stack-in-2026/ Last updated: 2026-10-05T12:45:28.000Z A B2B SaaS tech stack rebuild rarely makes it into an announcement. Funding rounds get press releases, while much of the new capital and engineering time may go into rebuilding the technical foundation the product was originally shipped on. This is a predictable phase for funded startups when shortcuts that helped achieve product-market fit begin creating problems at scale. ## **Key Takeaways** - MVP shortcuts that worked at ten customers can become constraints at five hundred. - Rebuild decisions are often triggered by scaling pain, hiring friction, or due diligence. - Refactoring, rewriting, or gradual migration depends on technical debt and business pressure. - Teams often underestimate the coordination cost of rebuilding while still shipping features. - An outside partner such as [Ekreative](https://www.ekreative.com/) can help avoid pulling core engineers away from product work. ## **The MVP Shortcuts That Stop Working at Scale** Early SaaS teams make deliberate tradeoffs. A monolithic codebase is faster to ship, a shared database is simpler, and manual deployments work when one engineer handles them. As customer count, data volume, and team size grow, these shortcuts can cause outages, slow queries, and merge conflicts that reduce development velocity. ## **What Triggers the Rebuild Decision** ### **Scaling Pains: Performance and Reliability** Latency increases, database queries slow down, and incidents become more frequent, especially during peak usage. ### **Hiring Pains: Onboarding New Engineers** Aggressive hiring makes technical debt harder to ignore. New engineers may spend weeks learning undocumented code and tribal knowledge instead of delivering features. ### **Investor and Enterprise Due Diligence** Technical due diligence or enterprise security reviews can expose architectural risks that engineering previously worked around. A single point of failure can become a blocking issue for a major deal. ## **Rebuild vs. Refactor vs. Rewrite: Choosing the Right Approach** Refactoring works when the architecture is sound but the implementation has accumulated complexity. A full rewrite provides a clean slate but can freeze feature development and carries significant risk. The strangler-fig approach gradually replaces parts of the old system while the product continues running. It takes longer but reduces the risk of a big-bang migration. ## **Common Mistakes Startups Make When Rebuilding Post-Funding** - Attempting to rebuild everything simultaneously and halting feature development. - Optimizing for technical elegance instead of customer value. - Hiring an internal team for a temporary rebuild instead of using experienced outside support. - Skipping a clear rollback plan. ## **Building the Team for a Stack Rebuild: In-House vs. Partner** A dedicated internal team creates long-term knowledge but needs time to understand the legacy system and target architecture. Founders may bring in a partner like Ekreative for the rebuild phase instead of hiring a permanent team for a temporary engineering push. The tradeoff is knowledge transfer, so documentation and a structured handoff are essential. ## **A Practical Framework for Prioritizing What to Rebuild First** Assess each component by its likelihood of failing under continued growth and the customer impact of that failure. High-risk, high-impact components such as payment processing, the core data model, or authentication should receive early attention. ## **Communicating the Rebuild to the Board and the Rest of the Company** Frame the rebuild around business risk rather than technical elegance. Explain how it can prevent outages, improve engineering efficiency, or reduce risks during enterprise evaluations. Communicate the temporary reduction in feature velocity early to avoid friction across teams. ## **Signs the Rebuild Is Going Off Track** - The timeline keeps extending without explanation. - Feature development has stopped beyond the original transition period. - The team cannot articulate a rollback plan. - Customer metrics have not improved as expected. ## **Conclusion** Rebuilding the tech stack after funding is often a consequence of the shortcuts that enabled rapid early growth. Effective teams recognize the signs early, choose an approach that matches their risks, and staff the rebuild without stopping the product roadmap. ## **FAQ** ### **How do you know it’s time to rebuild your SaaS tech stack instead of just refactoring?** Persistent performance, reliability, and onboarding problems can indicate that the underlying architecture needs to change. ### **Should a startup rebuild its stack before or after closing a funding round?** Many startups rebuild after closing a round because new capital and headcount make the work feasible. ### **How long does a typical B2B SaaS tech stack rebuild take?** A targeted refactor may take weeks, while a large gradual migration can take six months to a year alongside feature development. ### **Is it risky to bring in an external partner?** The main concern is knowledge transfer. Documentation and a structured handoff can reduce this risk, while an experienced partner may accelerate the migration. ### **What’s the biggest mistake startups make when rebuilding their stack after funding?** Trying to rebuild everything at once. Prioritizing by risk and customer impact helps avoid prolonged feature freezes. ### **How should founders explain a slower release cadence to the board?** Connect the rebuild to concrete business outcomes, such as avoiding outages during enterprise deals or improving engineering retention. ### TeraBox Video Players Compared: 4 Ways to Watch a Shared Video URL: https://www.techloy.com/terabox-video-players-compared-4-ways-to-watch-a-shared-video/ Last updated: 2026-10-05T11:30:34.000Z TeraBox links turn up in study groups, office chats and Telegram channels, usually with very little context. The link does not tell you whether the video behind it is 20MB or 2GB, or whether it is the clip you were promised. Before you spend data and storage on it, it helps to know your options for watching it. There are four practical ways to play a video shared through TeraBox. Each one asks for something different: an account, an app, storage space or a bit of trust. This guide looks at what each option does well and where it falls short. ## 1\. The official TeraBox player The obvious route is TeraBox itself. Opening a share link in a browser shows a preview page, and the mobile app plays the video once you sign in and add the file to your account. The advantage is that it is the official service. It works with private files in your own account, it lets you keep the video in your cloud storage instead of on your phone, and you are not handing a link to anyone else. The trade-offs are mostly about comfort. On a phone, the share page usually pushes you to install the app or log in. Free accounts see ads, and reviewers at Cloudwards found that video playback on the free plan is compressed to 480p. Original quality needs a Premium subscription, which costs around $3.49 a month. **Suits:** people who already use TeraBox regularly and want everything in one place. ## 2\. GetinDevice GetinDevice is a browser-based tool that covers several video platforms, and one of its pages is a [TeraBox video player](https://getindevice.com/terabox-downloader/). You paste the share link, and the video plays on the page. A download button sits below the player for anyone who decides to keep the file. It needs no account and no installation, and it works the same way on Android, iPhone and desktop browsers. Shared folders are listed file by file, so you can open one video without touching the rest. The limits come from being a third-party tool. It only works with public share links, so it cannot reach private files. A link protected with an extraction code still needs that code from the sender. The site is supported by ads. And because it depends on TeraBox's public sharing system, it can stop working for a while whenever TeraBox changes something on its side. **Suits:** checking an unfamiliar link quickly, especially on a phone that is short on space. ## 3\. iTeraBox Downloader iTeraBox Downloader takes a narrower approach. It handles TeraBox links and nothing else. It plays the video in the browser and, according to the site, converts the stream to an MP4 file inside the browser when you choose to save it. Like GetinDevice, it asks for no login and no app, and it accepts extraction codes and shared folders. The single-purpose design means there is less on the page to get in the way. It shares the same third-party limits: public links only, and it relies on TeraBox keeping its share pages working the way they do now. The site is available only in English, and it is no help if the video you need is on another platform. **Suits:** people who deal mostly with TeraBox links and want a page that does one job. ## 4\. Download the file and play it in VLC The fourth option skips streaming altogether. You download the file, through the official app or a web tool, and open it in a media player such as VLC, which is free on Android, iPhone, Windows and Mac. This gives the most reliable playback. Videos shared on TeraBox are often MKV files or use codecs that browser players and default phone players struggle with, and VLC handles nearly all of them. The video plays at full quality, works offline and does not buffer. The cost is data and storage. A 1.5GB video uses 1.5GB of both, and you only find out what the file really contains after it has finished downloading. **Suits:** long videos, anything you plan to watch more than once, and trips without a connection. ## How the four options compare | **Option** | **Account needed** | **Install needed** | **Main limit** | | ------------------------ | --------------------------- | ------------------ | -------------------------------------- | | Official TeraBox player | Yes, for full access | App on mobile | Ads and 480p playback on the free plan | | GetinDevice | No | No | Public links only, ad-supported | | iTeraBox Downloader | No | No | Public links only, English only | | Download and play in VLC | Depends on how you download | VLC | Uses data and storage | ## Which one should you use? There is no single best option, because the right choice depends on the link in front of you. If the file is in your own TeraBox account, or you want to keep it in the cloud, the official player is the natural choice. If a link arrives from someone you barely know and you just want to see what it is, a browser-based player saves you from installing an app or filling your phone. If you already know you want the video and will watch it again, downloading it once and using VLC is cheaper on data than streaming it twice. ## A few safety notes Whichever route you take, treat a TeraBox link like an email attachment. Be careful with links from strangers, and with APK or ZIP files in particular. A web tool that works from a public share link has no reason to ask for your TeraBox password. If any site asks you to log in, install a browser extension or download an app before it will play a video, close it. And a share link gives you access to a file, not the right to repost it. Stick to videos that are yours or that the owner meant you to have. ### Why Sam Altman Thinks Some AI Risks Are Worth the Benefits URL: https://www.techloy.com/sam-altman-ai-risks-regulation/ Last updated: 2026-10-05T11:27:08.000Z It’s understandable why people would call for stricter regulation of [AI](https://www.techloy.com/tag/artificial-intelligence/). Cyberattacks involving AI are increasing, concerns about AI being used to build biological weapons keep surfacing, and capable models are doing things their creators did not necessarily intend, but hearing [OpenAI](https://www.techloy.com/tag/openai/) CEO Sam Altman suggest that the world should accept some bad things happening because of AI is an unexpected position. Altman's argument comes as the [ChatGPT](https://www.techloy.com/tag/chatgpt/) maker signs a voluntary agreement outlining how AI companies in the US will manage safety risks in their most advanced AI systems. To see why this stands out, it helps to look at where the industry's conversation was just weeks ago. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, for instance, published an [essay](https://darioamodei.com/post/we-must-pace-the-frontier) in September calling on the industry to “pace the frontier,” arguing that AI development needs to move carefully as models become more capable. OpenAI has also acknowledged the need for AI policy to keep pace with the rapid development of increasingly capable systems, describing the current period as a new chapter in AI capabilities. However, Amodei’s latest comments suggest he is drawing a clearer line over how far that caution should go. In a Politico [interview](https://x.com/politico/status/2106851857423282648) on October 4, Altman said OpenAI has “always been a big believer that this technology has to be democratized and put in people's hands.” He said that belief is one of the things that separates OpenAI from people who favour much stricter controls on AI. “We believe that the world should accept some bad things happening for the benefits of this technology and people having the agency,” he said. Altman acknowledged that he understands why some people take a more restrictive approach. “I disagree, but I understand the perspective of people who are like, ‘This technology is going to get so powerful, and it’s so dangerous, that a single lab in San Francisco should have it and make sure nothing bad happens, and kind of figure out how to dole out the benefits,’” he said. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The Next DCU Movie After Man of Tomorrow Is Already in the Works URL: https://www.techloy.com/james-gunn-next-movie-man-of-tomorrow/ Last updated: 2026-10-05T10:17:33.000Z James Gunn is already working on what comes after Man of Tomorrow, even though the next Superman film is still in post-production. The DC Studios co-CEO has started writing another film, suggesting that the new DC Universe is already moving beyond its first Superman story. Gunn confirmed the update on [October 4, 2026](https://deadline.com/2026/10/james-gunn-writing-next-movie-following-man-of-tomorrow-1237146258/), during an exchange with a fan on Threads. When asked if he was ready to write his next film, Gunn replied, “Already in it,” adding that he “had to do something” while waiting for the assembly cut of Man of Tomorrow. The Superman sequel is scheduled to arrive in cinemas, but Gunn has not revealed the title, story or characters of the film he is currently writing. [Game of Thrones: Aegon’s Conquest Sets June 2029Game of Thrones: Aegon’s Conquest will arrive in cinemas in June 2029, taking fans back 300 years before the original series.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-052c760c-8b46-40c7-a00a-6245d9bfadca.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/gott-519941ed-1272-4079-9f1c-668055a60f5c.png)](https://www.techloy.com/game-of-thrones-aegons-conquest-release-date-2029/) ## **What is James Gunn Working on?** Gunn has not revealed what the new film is about, leaving the project largely a mystery for now. He has also not confirmed whether it connects to Superman or another part of the DC Universe. The only other detail is that the assembly cut of Man of Tomorrow is complete. This is the first rough version of the film, created by putting the filmed scenes together before further editing and post-production work. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### How to Get the Pokémon Center Halloween 2026 Collection URL: https://www.techloy.com/pokemon-center-halloween-2026-where-to-buy/ Last updated: 2026-10-05T09:40:37.000Z Pokémon Center has officially gone into spooky-season mode with its 2026 Halloween collection, and there is a lot more here than a few Pikachu costumes. The collection includes Ghost-type Pokémon merchandise, Halloween decorations, clothing, plushies, yard statues, ornaments and homeware, with Gengar, Mimikyu, Cubone, Umbreon, Espeon and Eevee among the biggest stars. The important part is that you do not need to hunt around third-party marketplaces to find it. The collection is available through the official Pokémon Center, although availability and shipping options depend on your country. Here is how to get your hands on the Pokémon Halloween 2026 collection. ## **Where can you buy the Pokémon Halloween 2026 collection?** The first place to look is the[ official Pokémon Center Halloween collection](https://www.pokemoncenter.com/category/halloween-collection). This is the safest option because you are buying directly from Pokémon Center rather than relying on a reseller, and the collection includes both the newly released 2026 merchandise and some products from previous Halloween ranges. The Pokémon Company says its Halloween collection includes everything from outdoor decorations to seasonal apparel and homeware. You can also browse the[ full Halloween collection sorted by newest releases](https://www.pokemoncenter.com/category/halloween-collection/?sort=launch%5Fdate%2Bdesc) if you want to see what has been added most recently. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### LEGO’s New Ocarina of Time Set Puts Link and Epona on Display URL: https://www.techloy.com/lego-ocarina-of-time-link-epona-set/ Last updated: 2026-10-05T09:41:05.000Z [Nintendo](https://www.techloy.com/tag/nintendo/) is not letting [The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time](https://www.techloy.com/zelda-40th-anniversary-direct-everything-announced/) make its big return alone. Alongside the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 remake,[ LEGO](https://www.lego.com/) and[ Nintendo](https://www.nintendo.com/) have revealed a new The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time – Link & Epona set, giving fans a chance to recreate one of the series' most recognisable pairings in LEGO. The set is made up of 1,750 pieces and features adult Link riding Epona, complete with the Master Sword and Hylian Shield. Epona is posed rearing on her hind legs, giving the entire build a much more dramatic display-piece feel than a conventional LEGO playset. And there is a little more to this than simply another Zelda set. ## **What is the LEGO Zelda Link & Epona set?** The new LEGO set recreates[ Link and Epona from Ocarina of Time](https://www.polygon.com/game/the-legend-of-zelda-ocarina-of-time/1399/), specifically the adult version of Link. Link sits on Epona with his signature weapons and shield, while the horse is positioned in a dynamic rearing pose. The design even appears to take some visual inspiration from Jacques-Louis David's famous Napoleon Crossing the Alps painting. At 1,750 pieces, this is a substantial build, although it is still smaller than LEGO's enormous Great Deku Tree set. LEGO has not yet revealed every detail, including the final price, but the company has confirmed that the set will arrive in spring 2027. That release window is important because it puts the set just months after the launch of the Ocarina of Time remake. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Meta launches Edits Assistant that analyses why your videos are performing URL: https://www.techloy.com/meta-edits-ai-assistant-instagram-creators/ Last updated: 2026-10-05T09:33:57.000Z The AI rush has been crazy. In the last few years, numerous AI tools and AI-assisted tools have been released, with many promising to replace entire activities previously done by humans. But now, Meta is launching a new tool that promises something different. Recently, Meta launched an AI assistant for its Edits app. But it's not here to edit your videos. It's here to tell you why they're not performing. The Edits Assistant analyses your metrics, spots patterns and gives you personalised feedback. ## What the Edits Assistant does The assistant is a conversational AI chatbot. It knows your Instagram metrics, including follows, views, video retention, likes and shares, and combines them with your comments, what's trending on Instagram and what your audience is interested in. “It can spot patterns in your performance over time and surface actionable insights that are hard to see from the metrics alone,” [said](https://techcrunch.com/2026/09/30/instagram-rolls-out-an-ai-video-assistant-for-creators/) Brett Westervelt, who leads the Edits app. It can also suggest audio that might work with your content and help you research concepts that have performed well on Instagram. ## Why Meta is pitching it this way Meta said it worked closely with creators when developing the tool. “One thing we heard consistently: creators want a tool that handles the analysis, not one that does the creative work for them,” Brett said. “Edits Assistant does the digging for you. The creative calls are still yours,” he added. That's quite a distinction from what others are doing. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Why More Startups Are Launching Without a Headquarters URL: https://www.techloy.com/why-more-startups-are-launching-without-a-headquarters/ Last updated: 2026-10-05T08:45:55.000Z Would you launch a company without renting a single square foot of office space? Thousands have already. The old playbook: you needed a lease, a lobby, and a sign above the door before anyone would take you seriously. That playbook is no longer relevant. Today a startup can incorporate, hire employees in four countries, and sign their first big customer before a single person sets foot in a "front door." **And here's the interesting part:** Skipping HQ is not gambling these days. In fact, most times it is playing it safe. ### **What you'll uncover:** 1. Why the office lease stopped adding up 2. The address problem every founder runs into 3. How a registered agent service keeps a company compliant 4. Three reasons founders skip the office entirely 5. Where distributed startups still get it wrong ## The Office Lease Stopped Adding Up Empty desks are expensive. Rent on a commercial building can devour a substantial portion of a seed round prior to product shipment just by being located in a semi-decent city. And the markets have reacted. 21% of US office real estate was vacant in Q1 2026, up from 17% in 2020. Landlords have vacancies in buildings as businesses require much less space. The good news is businesses are starting at record numbers. There were 5.62 million businesses created in 2025 according to the Census Bureau. Many of those founders never signed a lease. They fired up their laptop instead. ## Every Startup Still Needs a Legal Address Here is where new founders get tripped up... A company can run without an office. It cannot run without an address. Every state mandates that a business have a physical address available for receiving legal documents, tax notices, and service of process. A PO box simply won't work. Sure, your home address will work, but most people aren't fond of their home address being publicly accessible forever. Enter registered agent services and a real street address. This combo is the first two things every remote founder will check off on their to-do list. Many register an agent alongside virtual mail and on-demand office space like so that mail, scanning, and compliance is all in one place rather than spread out over five. Handled properly, the whole setup takes an afternoon. Handled badly, it becomes the reason a company gets administratively dissolved in year two. ## What a Registered Agent Service Actually Does Many founders believe that a registered agent service is just glorified mail forwarding. It's not. **A registered agent service takes care of:** - Accepting lawsuits and legal notices for the business - Receiving state compliance and tax correspondence - Keeping a founder's home address off public records - Flagging annual report deadlines before they pass - Providing an in-state presence the company does not physically have That last one matters more than people expect. What if you incorporate in Delaware but all your founders live in Lisbon. Someone has to be physically present in Delaware while its business hours. A registered agent service allows a business with no physical headquarters to exist legally within a state. File something late and the state can administratively dissolve the company. Miss a notice of lawsuit and the lawsuit can be defaulted. Learn either lesson the hard way and it's not fun. ## Three Reasons Founders Skip the Office So why are so many teams choosing this route on purpose? ### Talent Stops Being a Postcode Problem Hiring inside a 30-mile radius means competing with every other company in that radius. Drop the office and your talent pool becomes global. Your three-person [startup](https://www.techloy.com/5-startup-funding-opportunities-you-can-still-apply-for-before-september-ends/) can hire a designer in Cape Town, a developer in Poland and a support lead in Ohio without forcing anyone to relocate. Salaries go further too. And good people stick around for longer because nobody's spending two hours a day in traffic. ### The Money Goes Into the Product Rent, fit-out, furniture, insurance, cleaning, coffee, electricity. None of that actually adds to the product. Shortening the lease gives you cash back for things customers see: engineering, marketing, support. The difference for an early-stage company can be months of runway. **And runway is survival.** ### The Company Can Change Shape Fast A five-year lease is a bet on a headcount number nobody can predict. Distributed startups can scale up or down without breaking any contracts. Want to double in size next quarter? Easy. Need to lay off 10% and pivot? Easy too. That agility is valuable when your plans change every few months like they always will. ## Where Distributed Startups Get It Wrong Bootstrapping without an office isn't cheating. There are two common mistakes over and over again. ### Treating the Address as an Afterthought Entrepreneurs will debate a logo for three weeks and spend thirty seconds deciding where their legal mail should go. Then the state notice gets sent to a former apartment complex and no one sees it. Have the address and registered agent service established day one. Before you take on your first customer and before you hire your first employee. ### Assuming Remote Means Unstructured No office means no hallway conversations to paper over confusion. Successful distributed teams document. Meeting decisions are captured in a document, not someone's head. There's always an agenda for meetings. Onboarding docs exist. Bypass all of this and the team will grind to a halt faster than you can imagine. ## Bringing It All Together HQ used to be validation that [a business](https://www.techloy.com/new-ways-small-businesses-managing-work-growth/) existed. Now it is typically just an expense. Entrepreneurs starting today are retaining what's valuable and discarding what's not: - A legal address the state recognises - A registered agent service that catches every notice - Written processes instead of hallway chats - Money in the product instead of the rent None of this is to say that you should never have an office. Some companies absolutely require one. But if you're [running a software company](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/10-years-running-software-company-taught-me-one-w5hsc), an agency, or a consultancy, the office itself is optional. Compliance isn't. Get the boring paperwork right first. Then go and build something worth talking about. ### 📱 Hackers may be exploiting this flaw in your phone URL: https://www.techloy.com/newsletter-week-40-2026-hackers-may-be-exploiting-this-flaw-in-your-phone/ Last updated: 2026-10-02T15:58:36.000Z I think most of us have a complicated relationship with that little “Update Available” notification on our phones. Sometimes we install it immediately. Other times, we keep pressing “Later” until the phone practically gives up asking. This week, though, you might want to listen to your phone. **In this week's issue:** - Why Apple wants you to update your iPhone now. - OpenAI’s big DevDay announcements, from Dots to a new $500-a-month plan. - Meta’s new VR glasses and why they cost so much less than Snap’s. See you next week! — [Oluwajeminipe](https://www.techloy.com/author/oluwajeminipe/), *Associate Editor* --- ## **🚀 BIG STORY** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/photo-1510557880182-3d4d3cba35a5-2.webp) ### 🔐 You might want to stop ignoring that iPhone update *By Ogbonda Chivumnovu* That little notification popping up on your screen is probably worth listening to. Apple just fixed a security flaw that could let someone run malicious code on your iPhone or iPad through a malicious file. The worrying part? Apple says the flaw may already have been used in targeted attacks. [READ THE FULL STORY](https://www.techloy.com/ios-26-7-1-iphone-security-flaw-crypto-wallets/) --- ## **⚡️ MORE BIG STORIES** ![](https://static.klipy.com/ii/cfb42878805dcb270f51b28683e7455a/60/a7/TyUqisyKFyOp.gif) ### 📱 OpenAI had a lot to say at DevDay this week There’s a new AI agent called Dots, a cheaper GPT-6.1 Sol model, a [new $500 Pro plan](https://www.techloy.com/openai-dots-devday-2026-announcements/), and even a way for ChatGPT users to use their subscriptions inside apps like Notion and Vercel. But there’s also a catch for people already paying $200 a month, as their usage limits are about to get smaller. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Game of Thrones: Aegon’s Conquest Movie Will Arrive in June 2029 URL: https://www.techloy.com/game-of-thrones-aegons-conquest-release-date-2029/ Last updated: 2026-10-02T15:01:36.000Z You have seen Westeros on television for more than a decade. Now, you will have to go to the cinema to see where the story really began. Game of Thrones: Aegon’s Conquest, the first feature film in the Game of Thrones universe, is set to arrive in cinemas on June 1, 2029, with Warner Bros. Pictures behind the theatrical release. No ticket price has been announced yet, and there is still no confirmed production or cast information. What we do know is that Owen Harris, who directed three episodes of A [Knight of the Seven Kingdoms](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/game-of-thrones-aegons-conquest-movie-release-date-warner-bros/), will direct the film, while Beau Willimon, creator of House of Cards and a writer on Andor, is writing the screenplay. [House of the Dragon Season 3: 940M Minutes on HBO MaxHouse of the Dragon drew 940 million viewing minutes during Season 3 finale week, keeping the HBO series among streaming’s biggest shows.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-f800c716-8ce5-463b-a1cb-368b58aadc63.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/emma-darcy-house-of-the-dragon-021926-59c2f540590e4e7494425785f5356576-79205fee-e56d-435a-a5c1-0fd451e81c01.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/house-of-the-dragon-hbo-max-season-3/) ## **Who was Aegon The Conqueror?** If you have only watched the [HBO shows](https://au.variety.com/2026/film/news/game-of-thrones-movie-aegons-conquest-35362/), Aegon may sound like another Targaryen name in a family full of them. He is actually the person who established the dynasty that eventually produced rulers such as Daenerys Targaryen. Aegon I arrived in Westeros with his sisters and wives, Visenya and Rhaenys, and their three dragons: Balerion, Vhagar and Meraxes. Together, they conquered most of the Seven Kingdoms and brought them under one ruler. Aegon then created the Iron Throne from the swords of defeated enemies. The story comes from George R.R. Martin's Fire & Blood, the same book that provided the source material for House of the Dragon. It gives the new film a connection to a part of Westerosi history that viewers have heard about but have never seen fully portrayed on screen. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Why Even Your Kindle Is Getting More Expensive URL: https://www.techloy.com/amazon-new-kindle-lineup-higher-prices-2026/ Last updated: 2026-10-02T14:09:33.000Z We've reported several times on how [AI is driving up](https://www.techloy.com/apple-macbook-ipad-price-hike/) consumer technology prices, especially for computers and phones. Now, we're beginning to see something different: the cost burden is spreading from mainstream products like computers and phones to more niche products like [Amazon's Kindle](https://www.techloy.com/tag/amazon-kindle/). On Thursday, Amazon announced that it was refreshing its Kindle lineup. The update comes as the company begins its early celebration of the e-book reader's 20th anniversary next year. But this refreshed lineup also comes with higher prices, as the wider consumer tech industry deals with rising memory prices driven partly by demand from AI. And the timing comes just ahead of Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days, which kicks off next week. [Amazon Stock Rises After $25B Anthropic Deal Locks In $100B AWS SpendThe AI startup commits more than $100 billion to AWS over 10 years and secures 5 gigawatts of compute capacity to train Claude![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-6c72d59e-b980-430b-9d9f-9a40dc21c2fe.png)TechloyDamilare Odedina![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1596480447017-b2c07ce5b565-bffa3b1c-ffc4-4933-861f-7a9b88215121.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/amazon-stock-rises-after-25b-anthropic-deal-locks-in-100b-aws-spend/) ## The new lineup and the prices Amazon has refreshed its Kindle lineup with new versions of the Kindle, Kindle Paperwhite and Kindle Colorsoft. The base Kindle starts at $149.99 for the plastic model, or $189.99 for the aluminium version. The Paperwhite starts at $199.99, while the Paperwhite Signature Edition costs $249.99\. The Colorsoft starts at $289.99, while the Colorsoft Signature Edition costs $319.99. Kids versions are also available, starting at $179.99\. They include a year of Amazon Kids+ and a worry-free guarantee. These price increases could be a bummer for avid readers or students who prefer reading electronically without dealing with the distractions that come with the internet. Amazon's vice president of devices even acknowledged the situation, [saying](https://www.wired.com/story/amazon-kindle-paperwhite-colorsoft-2026-refresh/), “Memory pricing is a little bit crazy.” _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Gears of War: E-Day Is Looking Like One of 2026’s Best Games, and Critics Agree URL: https://www.techloy.com/gears-of-war-e-day-is-looking-like-one-of-2026s-best-games-and-critics-agree/ Last updated: 2026-10-02T14:10:44.000Z After years of waiting, [Gears of War: E-Day](https://www.purexbox.com/games/xbox-series-x/gears%5Fof%5Fwar%5Fe-day) is finally here, and the early reviews suggest The Coalition has delivered the kind of Gears campaign fans have been waiting for. The prequel is earning overwhelmingly positive reviews, with critics praising its improved combat, visual presentation and more personal approach to the story of Emergence Day. Pure Xbox has [awarded](https://www.purexbox.com/reviews/xbox-series-x/gears-of-war-e-day) it a perfect 10/10, while several other outlets have also scored the campaign highly. The consensus is that E-Day understands what made the original Gears games work while making some meaningful improvements to the formula. There are some criticisms, particularly around repetition and storytelling, but they're the exception rather than the dominant theme of the early reviews. ## Gears of War: E-Day Reviews Are In, and Critics Are Calling It a Masterpiece The early review scores paint a compelling picture of a game that understands its audience while making meaningful improvements to the familiar Gears formula. Here's how critics have rated the campaign so far: - Pure Xbox: 10/10 - Day One: 10/10 - The Outer Haven: 10/10 - IGN: 9/10 - Daily Star: 9/10 - VGC: 8/10 - GAMINGbible: 8/10 - The Guardian: 6/10 Pure Xbox's[ 10/10 review](https://www.purexbox.com/reviews/xbox-series-x/gears-of-war-e-day) praises The Coalition for refining the series' combat while delivering a strong cinematic campaign. Day One's[ perfect score](https://playday.one/2026/10/01/gears-of-war-e-day-review/) similarly praises the action and gameplay, describing it as the best Gears has felt to play. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Steam Autumn Sale 2026: 21 Best Game Deals to Grab Before October 8 URL: https://www.techloy.com/steam-autumn-sale-2026-best-game-deals/ Last updated: 2026-10-02T10:00:49.000Z Valve's annual [Steam Autumn Sale 2026](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/593110/view/687517158280790639?l=english) has officially arrived, bringing a fresh wave of discounts across its massive PC gaming catalogue. From blockbuster RPGs and open-world adventures to indie favourites and games you probably forgot were sitting on your wishlist, there's plenty to spend your money on. And with discounts reaching as high as 90%, some of these deals are genuinely difficult to ignore. The sale runs from October 1 through October 8, 2026, giving players one week to grab discounted games before prices return to normal. Here are the games currently featured in our list, their discounted prices, and direct links to their Steam store pages. [Wardogs Steam Charts: Player Count, PS5 & Xbox ReleaseWardogs is coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X|S in 2028, giving console players their first confirmed window for Bulkhead’s throwback multiplayer FPS.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-2b381c0b-1fb1-49aa-b1ec-1f2a4b992992.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1639656333400-ee5240f757a0-3876344c-af6c-4001-b6af-479af242f469.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/wardogs-steam-charts-player-count/) ## Best Steam Autumn Sale 2026 Deals: Full List of Discounted Games Steam's storefront can be overwhelming, particularly during seasonal sales when thousands of games compete for attention. Rather than leaving you to scroll endlessly through the store, here's a curated list of discounted games worth adding to your library. ### RPGs, Action Games and Major Releases If you're looking for substantial adventures, these are some of the biggest names featured in the Autumn Sale. 1. [Persona 3 Reload](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2161700/Persona%5F3%5FReload/) — $17.99 (70% off) 2. [Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1462040/FINAL%5FFANTASY%5FVII%5FREMAKE%5FINTERGRADE/) — $9.99 (75% off) 3. [Cyberpunk 2077](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1091500/Cyberpunk%5F2077/) — $17.99 (70% off) 4. [Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1771300/Kingdom%5FCome%5FDeliverance%5FII/) — $23.99 (60% off) 5. [Lies of P](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1627720/Lies%5Fof%5FP/) — $29.99 (50% off) 6. [Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2215430/Ghost%5Fof%5FTsushima%5FDIRECTORS%5FCUT/) — $35.99 (40% off) 7. [Monster Hunter Rise](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1446780/MONSTER%5FHUNTER%5FRISE/) — $3.99 (90% off) 8. [PRAGMATA](https://store.steampowered.com/app/3357650/PRAGMATA/) — $47.99 (20% off) 9. [LEGO Batman: The Legacy of the Dark Knight](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2215200/LEGO%5FBatman%5FLegacy%5Fof%5Fthe%5FDark%5FKnight/) — $48.99 (30% off) There's a good mix here, particularly for players who enjoy lengthy RPGs and action-heavy adventures. Cyberpunk 2077 at $17.99 is worth considering if you've been waiting to explore Night City, while Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade offers a substantial discount on one of Square Enix's most recognisable modern RPGs. And then there's Monster Hunter Rise, which at $3.99 is arguably one of the most attention-grabbing prices in the entire selection. ### Indie Games and Hidden Gems on Steam Not every worthwhile purchase needs to come from a major publisher. Steam's Autumn Sale also features several smaller games that deserve a place on your wishlist. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Sony Brings AI Upscaling to the Standard PS5 With QSSR URL: https://www.techloy.com/ps5-qssr-ai-upscaling/ Last updated: 2026-10-02T10:00:28.000Z Sony is [bringing](https://blog.playstation.com/2026/10/01/ai-upscaling-is-coming-to-ps5/) AI-powered upscaling to the standard [PlayStation 5](https://www.techloy.com/tag/ps5/) through a new technology called Quick Spectral Super Resolution (QSSR). The technology is a new performance tier of the PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR) system already available on the PS5 Pro. [Sony](https://www.techloy.com/tag/sony/) says QSSR is designed to bring the benefits of AI-guided upscaling to the standard PS5 while improving image detail and stability. Players can already try it in two games. [Marvel’s Wolverine](https://www.techloy.com/marvels-wolverine-ps5-price-preorder/) and [Ghost of Yōtei](https://www.playstation.com/en-us/games/ghost-of-yotei/) are the first titles to use QSSR, with both receiving patches that add it as an additional graphics option on PS5. [PS5 Update 14.0 Gives PS5 Pro a Free PSSR 2.0 UpgradeSony is reportedly testing PS5 firmware 14.0, and PS5 Pro owners could get an upgraded version of the console’s PSSR upscaling technology.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-e7988adf-0630-469c-acc6-809221905f7f.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1623934199716-dc28818a6ec7-c7fbffc4-1730-4119-aef8-99ae888d50f7.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/ps5-update-14-0-pssr-2-0-ps5-pro/) ## What Is QSSR on PS5? QSSR, or Quick Spectral Super Resolution, is Sony’s new AI-upscaling technology for the standard PS5. Sony says PSSR analyses game images pixel by pixel and uses AI to upscale them with more detail and stability than conventional approaches. But the computational demands of PSSR previously made it difficult to bring the same technology to the standard PS5. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/image-3.png) **Image Credit: PlayStation* QSSR is Sony’s response to that limitation. It was developed through Project Amethyst, Sony’s AI graphics collaboration with [AMD](https://www.techloy.com/tag/amd/), and uses two key changes: a streamlined neural network architecture and a hand-tuned implementation designed to maximise performance on PS5. Sony describes QSSR as a new performance tier of AI upscaling rather than a replacement for PSSR. The company continues to position [PSSR](https://blog.playstation.com/2026/02/27/upgraded-pssr-upscaler-is-coming-to-ps5-pro/comment-page-2/) as its higher-end solution on PS5 Pro, while QSSR brings AI-guided upscaling to the standard PS5. The practical difference is that the PS5 Pro has PSSR, while standard PS5 now has QSSR. ## What Does QSSR Change? QSSR is intended to improve two things: image detail and image stability. That can mean clearer fine details and a more stable image during gameplay. Sony says QSSR provides these improvements while being designed specifically around the performance of the standard PS5. The first games using the technology also give some indication of where those improvements can be seen. Mike Fitzgerald, Head of Technology at Insomniac Games, said QSSR adds “more pixel-level clarity and stability” to the environments in Marvel’s Wolverine, including the busy streets of Madripoor and the dense alleyways of Shinjuku. Meanwhile, Jasmin Patry, Lead Rendering Engineer at Sucker Punch Productions, said QSSR excels at resolving “the fine details” in characters and environments while providing a level of temporal stability that hadn't previously been possible on PS5. So, while QSSR doesn't turn a standard PS5 into a PS5 Pro, Sony says it can improve how games reconstruct and present their images on the existing hardware. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### These 5 Free Courses Can Help You Build AI Agents in 2026 URL: https://www.techloy.com/ai-agent-courses-to-learn-how-to-build-ai-agents/ Last updated: 2026-10-02T09:59:39.000Z Imagine telling an [AI](https://www.techloy.com/tag/artificial-intelligence/) assistant to book your next flight. A normal chatbot might tell you which flights are available and give you a link to book one yourself, but an AI agent could go further. It could search for the flight, choose an option based on your instructions, fill out the required details, and complete parts of the booking process for you. [Meta Muse](https://www.techloy.com/tag/meta-muse/), for example, can handle tasks such as shopping, booking travel, sending emails, and filling out forms on a user's behalf. As companies look for more ways to put these systems to work, there is a growing opportunity for people who know how to build them. If you are looking to get into AI agents in 2026, these five courses can help you understand how they work and start building your own. ## /1\. [Hugging Face Agent Course](https://huggingface.co/learn/agents-course/en/unit0/introduction#syllabus) The Hugging Face Agent Course is a good place to start if you want to understand how AI agents work and eventually build one yourself. The course starts with the foundations, explaining the concepts behind AI agents before moving into hands-on work with established AI agent libraries. The practical sections are hosted on Hugging Face Spaces, where you can work in a pre-configured environment rather than spending time setting everything up from scratch. As you progress, you also get to apply what you have learned to a real-world problem of your choice. This makes the course more than just a collection of lessons because you get to build something around an actual use case. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Week 40: Africa and Middle East Startup Funding Led by HyperGuest URL: https://www.techloy.com/week-40-africa-and-middle-east-startup-funding/ Last updated: 2026-10-02T09:30:48.000Z Startups across Africa, the Middle East and Israel raised a combined $65.2 million this week, based on disclosed funding rounds tracked by Techloy, with investor capital flowing mostly into AI. HyperGuest picked up the biggest check at $25 million, with erad close behind at $22 million. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/Week-40-2026-Biggest-Startup-Funding-Rounds-in-Africa---the-Middle-East.png) ## **The Week's Largest Startup Funding Rounds** Here are the biggest disclosed startup funding rounds across Africa, the Middle East and Israel this week. ### **/1\. HyperGuest, $25M, AI Travel Tech, Israel** HyperGuest builds the behind-the-scenes tech that lets hotels connect directly with booking sites, travel agencies, and now AI agents, without needing a separate setup for each one. Apax Partners put in $25 million through its mid-market investment arm, AMI, and HyperGuest is using it to grow as AI tools start changing how people search for and book hotels. ### **/2\. erad, $22M, Fintech, Saudi Arabia** erad is a Riyadh-based fintech that gives small and medium businesses in Saudi Arabia Shariah-compliant working capital, the kind regular banks often turn down. MEVP led a $22 million Series A, with several other investors joining in, and erad is building new financing products for bigger, capital-heavy industries like logistics and manufacturing. ### **/3\. Rig Security, $12M, AI Cybersecurity, Israel** Rig Security just came out of stealth in Tel Aviv with a way to tell the difference between a real employee and an AI agent pretending to be one inside a company's systems. Ten Eleven Ventures and Brightmind Partners co-led a $12 million seed round, backed by CrowdStrike's venture arm and Wiz co-founder Ami Luttwak, and the money's going toward research, engineering and growing in the US. ### **/4\. Amaani, $5M, Consumer, UAE** Amaani is a Dubai-based beauty company behind AÏZA, a skincare and haircare brand built around Middle Eastern beauty traditions. BECO Capital led a $5 million Series A, joined by Homegrown Ventures and Peak XV's Surge, and Amaani is using it to launch AÏZA at Ulta Beauty stores in Saudi Arabia, with Kuwait and Qatar next. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Week 40: Asia Startup Funding Led by Simple Energy URL: https://www.techloy.com/week-40-asia-startup-funding-simple-energy/ Last updated: 2026-10-02T09:30:29.000Z Asia’s startup funding remained active this week, with $224.35 million raised across electric mobility, biotech, education, AI, consumer technology, and healthcare. India led the rounds, while South Korean startups also attracted fresh capital in biotech and property technology. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/Asia-Biggest-Startup-Funding-Rounds-in-Week-39-2026.png) ## The Week’s Biggest Startup Funding Rounds Here are the most notable startup funding announcements across Asia this week, ranked from highest to lowest. ### /1\. Simple Energy, $182 Million, Electric Mobility, India Bengaluru-based electric two-wheeler manufacturer Simple Energy raised ₹1,750 crore (about $182 million) in a Series C funding round. The all-equity round is the company’s largest fundraise to date and takes its total capital raised to more than ₹2,530 crore ($263 million). The funding will support the company’s expansion and growth in India’s electric two-wheeler market. ### /2\. Nexcera, $15 Million, Biotech, South Korea South Korean biotech company Nexcera raised $15 million in Series B funding to advance the US clinical development of its eye-drop treatment for wet macular degeneration. Woori Venture Partners participated as the anchor investor, alongside existing backers KB Investment and BMI Korea and new investors Yuanta Investment, Muir Woods Ventures and Mirae Asset Securities. ### /3\. Jari Company, $10.7 Million, PropTech, South Korea South Korean proptech company Jari Company, which operates the rental management platform Zaritalk, raised KRW 14.5 billion (about $10.7 million) in a Series A funding round. The company is building technology around rental management, connecting landlords and tenants through its platform. ### /4\. Arivihan, $10.2 Million, EdTech, India Indian AI-powered edtech startup Arivihan secured $10.2 million in Series A funding in a round co-led by existing investors Accel and Prosus Ventures. The company plans to use the new capital to expand into more parts of India, develop products for CBSE students, improve its AI and regional language capabilities, and strengthen its offline distribution network. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Week 40: Latin America Startup Funding Led by Jeeves URL: https://www.techloy.com/week-40-latin-america-startup-funding-jeeves/ Last updated: 2026-10-02T09:30:07.000Z Startups across Latin America raised a combined $110.4M this week, based on disclosed funding rounds, with investor capital flowing primarily into fintech. Funding also reached an energy technology startup, while Chilean retail AI startup Alteria secured an undisclosed angel investment at a $3M valuation. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/LatAm---s-Biggest-Startup-Funding-Rounds-in-Week-40-2026.png) ## The Week's Largest Startup Funding Rounds Here are the biggest disclosed startup funding rounds across Latin America this week. ### /1\. Jeeves, $110M, Fintech, Mexico Corporate payments platform Jeeves raised $110M in a round led by CoinFund, with participation from AllianceBernstein, Andreessen Horowitz, Coinbase Ventures, CRV, GIC, Global PayTech Ventures, ParaFi, Vista, Wintermute and Y Combinator. Jeeves provides corporate cards, accounts payable, treasury payments, and expense management for companies operating across multiple markets. The company will use the funding to expand its products and global presence. Jeeves has also expanded its stablecoin products, including a wallet for instant payments to 190 countries and a stablecoin card now available in 35 countries. ### /2\. Alteria, Undisclosed, Retail AI, Chile Chilean retail technology startup Alteria secured an undisclosed angel investment at a $3M valuation. Its AI assistant helps physical retailers provide product information to sales staff and customers, including technical specifications, prices, compatibility and store-level stock. Alteria currently works with around 10 clients across more than 100 stores, mainly in hardware, technology and cosmetics. The company plans to remain focused on Chile before expanding into Peru, Colombia and Mexico, with a target of reaching $1M in annual recurring revenue by mid-2027. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### What Is 'Virtual Patching,' and Why Is It Suddenly a Big Deal? URL: https://www.techloy.com/what-is-virtual-patching-and-why-is-it-suddenly-a-big-deal/ Last updated: 2026-10-02T08:41:13.000Z Virtual patching, also commonly known by the less catchy phrase ‘just in time patching’ is the practice of addressing a vulnerability without changing the code. It does this by blocking the specific attack pattern that can be used to exploit the vulnerability. Usually, if you’re fixing software, a patch will address the code within it – sort of like stitching up a tear in a jacket sleeve. With virtual patching, you’re basically applying a strong, weather-resistant patch on top of that tear, instead of sewing the tear together. ## **Why it's suddenly (more) relevant** Both approaches to patching have their uses, but virtual patching is growing increasingly central to modern web security. It’s ideal for avoiding downtime, since the software doesn’t need to be taken out of commission while the code is rewritten, and it’s much faster, too. In an era when [attackers can exploit CVEs from the moment they become known](https://thehackernews.com/2026/09/papercut-attacker-uses-hundreds-of-ai.html), that’s incredibly valuable. Critical-infrastructure and government systems often can't patch on attacker timescales. They need an option that immediately addresses potential attacks and keeps sensitive information secure. ## **How it actually works in practice** A virtual patch is a new rule added to the WAF’s (Web Application Firewall’s) existing rule set. A WAF's normal rules are there to protect against the standard threats that all software faces when it’s connected to the worldwide web. Things like [SQL injections](https://security.berkeley.edu/education-awareness/how-protect-against-sql-injection-attacks), bot signatures, and rate limits. When there’s a vulnerability in the code, you need to complement that existing rule set with a virtual patch – basically, to change how traffic is allowed to flow into your application. It’s a temporary fix that can act as a protective shield while developers work on the code with more time and less pressure on their shoulders. ## **The catch** There are two ways to create a virtual patch: by following generic rules and blanket defenses in an attempt to secure the vulnerability as fast as possible, or by creating rules that are targeted at the specific exploit path and whatever is exposed on the other end of it. As you can imagine, which approach you take makes a massive difference to your end result. Broad and ‘catch all’ rules risk [losing customers over WAF false positives](https://www.huskeys.io/blogs/two-packs-one-partnership). Why? Because they’re so broad and so ‘catch all’ that they end up catching legitimate traffic in the crosshairs, alongside the actual, real attacks looking to exploit the vulnerability you’re trying to patch. The alternative is targeting rules to the specific, validated exploit path rather than blocking broadly. ### Top 5 Proxy vs VPN for Android App Developers Tools to Secure Test Builds URL: https://www.techloy.com/top-5-proxy-vs-vpn-for-android-app-developers-tools-to-secure-test-builds/ Last updated: 2026-10-01T20:29:40.000Z You need your Android app to hit a London edge server, and QA must see every request. Turn on a consumer VPN and your proxy falls silent—that’s the network stack at work. VPNs secure whole-device routes; debugging proxies reveal and let you edit individual HTTP calls. This guide shows you when to use each layer and how to chain them. We’ll rate two VPNs, two proxies, and one hybrid so you can debug safely, test geography, and ship with confidence. ## What a proxy gives developers ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/iiiiii1.jpg) A debugging proxy terminates TLS on your workstation before any bytes leave Wi-Fi or LTE. That single hand-off exposes request headers, JSON bodies, and WebSocket frames so you can set breakpoints, rewrite fields, or replay a flow in seconds. Setup is straightforward: point Android’s System Proxy to your host, then add the tool’s certificate under a debug-overrides rule in Network Security Config. Android trusts that certificate only when the build is debuggable, so release users stay protected. ## What a VPN gives developers ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/iiiii2.jpg) A VPN creates an encrypted, whole-device tunnel, so every packet (HTTP, MQTT, UDP, QUIC) leaves your test phone through a single, trusted exit node. Switch the exit node from Sydney to São Paulo and region-locked APIs reveal their alternate logic without changing code. The trade-off: once packets enter the tunnel, a debugging proxy on the same device cannot see them. Android also allows only one active VpnService at a time, so two local-VPN apps cannot run together. ## The top five tools ### 1\. TorGuard: best managed hybrid for VPN, SOCKS5, and V2Ray test routes TorGuard is the only finalist that bundles a full VPN client with standalone SOCKS5 and V2Ray endpoints. The VPN encrypts all traffic, while the proxy applies only to the apps you configure, so you trade blanket security for speed. TorGuard’s [proxy vs vpn](https://torguard.net/proxy-vs-vpn) breakdown reinforces the difference, noting that a SOCKS5 proxy masks one application at a time whereas a VPN secures every connection on the device. More than 70 city exits let you test regional feature flags in minutes. Use WireGuard for speed or fall back to OpenVPN when a firewall blocks UDP. On an emulator, run TorGuard on the host and point Android’s System Proxy to 10.0.2.2: to keep inspection before the tunnel. TorGuard doesn’t expose payloads, so pair it with mitmproxy or HTTP Toolkit for that. ### 2\. mitmproxy: best for scripted, repeatable payload surgery mitmproxy is an open-source interceptor that turns every request into Python-addressable data. Run it headless in CI or with the mitmweb UI to stub flaky third-party APIs, spot rogue headers, or replay exact flows against a new backend. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/Picture-3.jpg) *mitmproxy UI screenshot showing Android HTTPS debugging flows* Point Android’s System Proxy to your laptop and trust the CA with debug-overrides, or use the built-in WireGuard listener to intercept UDP and QUIC for HTTP/3\. Python assertions can fail a build when production hosts appear or tokens leak into query strings. Decrypting TLS adds about 5–15 ms per request, so disable the proxy for final performance runs. Cost: free under an MIT-compatible license. ### 3\. Tailscale: best for private staging and distributed device labs Tailscale creates a WireGuard-based mesh: install it on the phone, laptop, and staging server and every node gets a stable private IP you control. A coffee-shop phone can reach private staging without port forwards, and a laptop running mitmproxy can act as an exit node to capture traffic before it hits the staging API. Tailscale transports bytes but does not decrypt HTTPS, so keep a proxy inside the tailnet for payload inspection. ### 4\. HTTP Toolkit: best for fast, rootless Android interception HTTP Toolkit pairs a desktop proxy with an Android helper that claims the device’s VpnService slot and funnels selected apps to your laptop, with no Wi-Fi proxy fields or manual certificate installs required. Scan a QR code and traffic appears within seconds, even on stock devices. Because the helper occupies Android’s single VPN interface, run any commercial VPN on the host or router instead. Apps with certificate pinning still require a debug build that trusts HTTP Toolkit’s CA. ### 5\. WireGuard: best self-hosted high-speed tunnel WireGuard ships with about 4,000 lines of core code, and independent benchmarks show only 0.1 to 0.4 ms of added latency, far below OpenVPN under the same conditions. Generate keys, paste a short config, scan the QR code in the Android client, and you get a stable virtual IP you can route anywhere. Like any VPN, WireGuard encrypts packets but cannot inspect them; pair it with mitmproxy or HTTP Toolkit when you need payload visibility. ## Inspect traffic and change geographic egress together Run mitmproxy on your laptop and point the Android System Proxy to laptop\_ip:8080\. Then start a VPN on the laptop and pick your target region. The app sees the foreign IP; you still see clear payloads. Keep the proxy closest to the app and the VPN one hop downstream. Reverse the order and the VPN captures the traffic before the proxy can decrypt it. ## Frequently asked questions ### **Is** [**a proxy or a VPN**](https://www.techloy.com/what-is-the-difference-between-a-proxy-and-vpn/) **better for debugging Android HTTPS traffic?** Use a proxy when you need to read or rewrite requests. Use a VPN when you need a different exit IP or encrypted device-wide routing. ### **Does SOCKS5 encrypt Android traffic?** No. SOCKS5 hides your IP but leaves encryption to HTTPS or another tunnel. ## Conclusion Selecting the right combination of proxies and VPNs lets Android teams observe every byte, test any geography, and protect sensitive data—without drowning in network stack quirks. Use this guide to choose the appropriate layer, chain tools safely, and avoid common capture pitfalls so you can ship reliable, secure builds with confidence. ### How AI Product Demo Generation Is Changing SaaS Product Marketing URL: https://www.techloy.com/how-ai-product-demo-generation-is-changing-saas-product-marketing/ Last updated: 2026-10-01T19:19:21.000Z For SaaS companies, demonstrating a product can be as valuable as describing it. A list of features and a series of screenshots might explain what a software product can do, but a product demonstration can show how its capabilities are used.The problem with creating these demonstrations is that it can be a time-consuming process. Someone would need to take a software product, open it, perform a series of actions to demonstrate its qualities, and potentially edit and finalize the video. This would need to be done multiple times when considering the audiences that would require different demonstrations.AI product demo generation is a field, and its applications are worth exploring. Instead of viewing a product demonstration as a recorded event, a series of these demos can become a living source of product documentation. ## **What Is AI Product Demo Generation?** AI product demo generation is best described as tools that rely on artificial intelligence to create demonstrations of software products. These demos can take many forms: video recordings of a certain set of instructions, interactive recordings in an online presentation, or even written documentation for common tasks.With that said, these tools are, first and foremost, used to create product demonstrations. Instead of presenting an entire product, a SaaS company would give an example of a task: making a project, setting up a configuration option, or even inviting a collaborator.AI product demo generation is the practice of turning a product into a focused, sharable experience that would educate a certain audience regarding that particular topic. ## **Why Product Demonstrations Matter for SaaS** The issue that these audiences share is that they require separate pieces of information to be put together to satisfy different audiences. One product demonstration that works as a marketing collateral piece will have very little practical use in a sales engineering playbook, and one that is meant for prospects might be too basic or general for current customers.AI-powered product demo generation is ideal in this scenario because it can take the one source of truth, a set of instructions, and turn them into various pieces of collateral. A recorded video can be edited and turned into an interactive demonstration for a sales representative or written instructions for a customer success manager. Instead of making two or three pieces of collateral, an AI demo tool might help turn one video into several assets applicable for different situations. ## **From Recorded Walkthroughs to Automated Product Demos** It should not come as a surprise that traditional product demonstrations are made by recording a series of computer actions. Someone will sit down, start a screen recording, and record a series of actions as they walk through a particular product. The recordings are then usually edited in post-production, captions and descriptions are added, and they are prepared to be used as marketing material or otherwise distributed to prospects, customers, or other interested parties.AI demo tools can handle recorded walkthroughs in one of two ways. Some of these tools streamline the post-production process, making it much faster and more accessible.Others can use a product workflow and instructions to turn it into a product demo without any recorded walkthrough at all. In other words, there is a set of instructions that one would use when introducing a product to a new user, and an AI demo tool can replicate these instructions and turn them into a product demo.As described in this article on product demo tools,[ Demosmith](https://demosmith.ai/) is an example of an AI demo agent. It does not rely on a recorded computer session, but rather on a product URL and a set of instructions. An AI agent then explores the software and takes instructions to highlight a set of actions taken in that product, essentially building a presentation around whatever set of instructions it is given. This, in turn, allows for the creation of multiple pieces of collateral around the product.In short, an AI demo tool can allow the product team to create marketing collateral, sales engineers to highlight certain processes relevant to their prospects, or even customer support teams to give precise instructions regarding this product. ## **Product Demos and Audiences** Some localization issues might occur, especially if a company has to provide similar demonstrations for customers in different markets. Not only would the instructions have to reflect a language barrier, but videos would also require voiceover and text localization.An AI demo tool is capable of doing most of these on its own, streamlining the process of providing these products to prospects and customers in different markets all over the world. This, too, means that this can reduce the amount of manual localization work, while human review remains important. ## **Choosing the Right Workflow** It is worth noting that AI automation will only be as good as one’s planning. A generic instruction such as “show the product” will not be as useful as a concrete set of directions: “create a project” or “show how to invite a collaborator.” Similarly, an explicit description of an intended audience will help build a much better product demonstration than “general use.”The last point to consider is the longevity of the created asset and its ability to adapt to changing conditions. SaaS products tend to change rather rapidly: new features and capabilities are added, making older demo assets/content outdated. As such, as useful as these products might be, a company should always create demos using repeatable, editable workflows. ## **The Changing Role of Product Demonstrations** The technology is not perfect: a well-defined purpose and an understanding of a product are crucial to creating any type of collateral. It can, however, streamline the tedious and time-consuming tasks of preparing multiple pieces of similar collateral.As SaaS companies struggle to provide multiple pieces of content to their marketing, sales, and customer success teams, AI-powered product demonstration tools can provide a reliable pipeline of collateral and assets applicable for different use cases. ### Can Workers Protect Themselves From Chemicals They Don't Know About? URL: https://www.techloy.com/chemical-hazards-workplace-safety/ Last updated: 2026-10-11T13:33:46.000Z Can a worker protect themselves from a chemical hazard they don't know exists? That question sits at the centre of allegations surrounding [Samsung](https://www.techloy.com/tag/samsung/) Electronics' manufacturing operations in Bac Ninh, Vietnam, where a former environmental safety officer claimed workers were exposed to hazardous chemicals and that safety problems weren't adequately addressed. In April 2023, Rest of World [reported](https://restofworld.org/2023/samsung-toxic-chemicals-vietnam/) that the Bac Ninh factory employed about 16,000 workers and produced around 100 million smartphones a year at the time. Even though Samsung rejected those claims, [saying](https://ipen.org/publication/investigations-samsung-show-irresponsible-chemicals-management-and-pollution-vietnams/) that it “strictly complies with environmental and safety laws and regulations,” those allegations haven't disappeared. In January 2026, UN human rights experts [raised concerns](https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/latest-news/vietnam-un-human-rights-experts-concern-over-samsungs-labour-rights-standards-and-chemical-management-incl-co-comments/) about Samsung's chemical management and environmental pollution in Vietnam, including possible implications for workers' right to health and to work in a non-toxic environment. The case raises a broader workplace-safety question: what information should workers have about the chemicals they handle, and what should employers do to help them understand and manage the risks? [What Are Scam Compounds? Everything We Know About the Forced-Labour Cybercrime FactoriesLeaks from the Boshang scam compound revealed WhatsApp chats blending pep talks with threats, and showed workers stealing about $2.2 million in just 11 weeks.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-dabca61d-6392-42ea-ba51-0e3634ca2ad2.png)TechloyOgbonda Chivumnovu![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1674049405160-9b800f5645f5-f54f14f0-ae10-4f07-a8a9-db5ceea27d0c.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/what-are-scam-compounds-everything-we-know-about-the-forced-labour-cybercrime-factories/) ## What Chemical Exposure Can Do to Workers Chemical exposure at work doesn't always produce an obvious injury. Some effects can appear immediately, while others may develop after repeated or prolonged exposure. [Dr Tobi Joshua](https://www.linkedin.com/in/adabiri-joshua-b1a7a4322/), a medical doctor who spoke to Techloy about workplace chemical safety, said the potential health effects can range from relatively immediate problems to serious long-term disease. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Twitch Is Using AI to Check Whether Streamers Are Suitable for Advertisers URL: https://www.techloy.com/twitch-ai-ads-streamer-content-assessed/ Last updated: 2026-10-01T15:51:31.000Z Twitch is giving AI a bigger role in helping creators attract advertisers to their content. [Twitch](https://www.techloy.com/tag/twitch/) CEO Dan Clancy said the platform uses AI to transcribe livestreams and assess their content for advertisers during an appearance on The Snarketing Podcast, as reported on September 29, 2026. The key issue is that creators may not know exactly what Twitch’s AI is looking for when it evaluates their streams. That becomes even more relevant because Twitch lets creators describe their communities with tags such as LGBTQIA+ and other identity-related categories, raising questions about how the system interprets both the content and the audiences behind it. [IBM AI Cybersecurity Report 2026: AI-Driven Attacks Up 56%A new data breach report shows AI is driving more sophisticated cyberattacks while helping organisations detect breaches faster and save nearly $2 million per incident.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-c2977c3c-057d-4370-ab82-10c26c5bff43.png)TechloyOgbonda Chivumnovu![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1654375408506-382720d3e05f-380f9c37-2bad-4acb-86b6-381c1aa963a9.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/ai-cybersecurity-report-2026-ibm-data-breach/) ## What Is Twitch’s AI Checking? [According to Clancy](https://sports.ndtv.com/us/us-streamers/twitch-ai-controversy-explained-as-platform-uses-ai-to-check-streamers-for-brand-compatibility-12118201), creators label their streams using Twitch's content-classification guidelines, and the platform says those labels have shown “over 99% consistency”. Twitch then uses AI to transcribe livestreams and assess whether what is being said could conflict with what an advertiser wants from a creator. Clancy described the purpose as making sure advertising appears alongside content that fits a brand's requirements. “We’ve had to invest a lot to make sure that for a brand, their content is appearing next to creators and content that fits what they’re trying to achieve,” he said. Twitch is not presenting this as an AI replacing its entire moderation system; their concern is about advertiser suitability. In other words, a creator does not necessarily have to break Twitch's rules for their content to be considered a poor match for a particular brand. ## Why Are LGBTQ+ Streamers Worried? Twitch introduced more than [350 tags in 2021](https://blog.twitch.tv/en/2021/05/21/celebrate-yourself-and-your-community-with-350-new-tags/) covering areas including gender, sexual orientation, race, nationality, disability, and mental health. The company said the goal was to help creators describe themselves and help viewers find communities they wanted to join. Those tags can include identity-related terms such as transgender and LGBTQIA+. Twitch later expanded the system further, allowing creators to make custom tags and use up to 10 tags on a stream. This is part of why some queer creators are uncomfortable with AI being involved in advertising decisions. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Fitbit Air Lands in India at ₹13,999, Much Higher Than US Price URL: https://www.techloy.com/fitbit-air-india-price-us-whoop/ Last updated: 2026-10-01T15:23:02.000Z It was just a few days ago that [Google](https://www.techloy.com/tag/google/) confirmed that its new screenless health tracker would be arriving in India this month, after months of rumours that it was coming to the country. Fans who have been eagerly awaiting the launch can now celebrate, as the device will hit store shelves on October 2. The [Fitbit Air](https://www.techloy.com/tag/fitbit-air/) is [launching](https://blog.google/intl/en-in/products/hardware/the-all-new-fitbit-air-comes-to-india/) with a price tag of ₹13,999 ($146), while in the US, the same device costs $99.99, roughly ₹8,700\. Google has not explained the price difference between the two markets, but factors such as regional pricing, import duties, local taxes, and distribution costs could contribute to the higher Indian price. This could be a tough pill for Indian fans to swallow, but Fitbit Air's closest rival, Whoop, costs significantly more. WHOOP One currently starts at ₹21,990 in India and includes a 12-month membership. The question now is whether Fitbit Air offers enough for its ₹13,999 price tag compared with what Whoop offers. [Fitbit Versa 4 vs. Garmin Forerunner 255: Which Fitness Tracker is Right for You?Find the best fitness tracker for your needs.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-a2c8698c-e8d0-4e6d-a370-df1634427b2e.png)TechloyLouis Eriakha![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/Comparison--1--2-53750014-9e4f-4c40-82f8-b271093c9ca2.png)](https://www.techloy.com/fitbit-versa-4-vs-garmin-forerunner-255-which-fitness-tracker-is-right-for-you/) ## The Fitbit Air's specs The Fitbit Air tracks 24/7 heart rate, heart rhythm, blood oxygen levels, resting heart rate, heart rate variability, sleep stages and sleep duration, including notifications for irregular heart rhythms such as AFib. It uses Google Health Coach to turn that data into personalised guidance. You can also photograph gym equipment or workouts to help log activities. Battery life lasts up to seven days, while five minutes of charging can provide a full day of use. It comes in Obsidian, Berry, Lavender and Fog. There are three band styles: Performance Loop, which comes included, Active Band for workouts, and Elevated Modern Band for a more everyday look. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/image-1.png) Image credit: Google The Fitbit Air will go on sale on October 2 through the Google Store, Flipkart, Croma, Reliance Digital, and Vijay Sales. Buyers can get ₹1,000 cashback on eligible full-payment transactions, or six months of no-cost EMI with select HDFC and ICICI Bank cards. No-cost EMI options of up to 12 months are also available. Google is also offering a three-month trial of Google Health Premium with the purchase. ## How it competes in India's screenless market The screenless wearable market in India is still small. According to [Counterpoint Research](https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/info-tech/screenless-wristbands-gain-ground-in-india-for-their-form-factor-and-distraction-free-health-tracking/article71049427.ece), India accounts for about 5% of the global screenless wearable market. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### MTG Secret Lair Halloween Drop: Labyrinth, KPop and Marvel Zombies URL: https://www.techloy.com/mtg-secret-lair-corn-maze-cards-prices-release-date/ Last updated: 2026-10-01T15:00:56.000Z Magic: The Gathering is getting another round of pop culture crossovers, and this time, Wizards of the Coast is bringing together David Bowie's Labyrinth, Netflix's KPop Demon Hunters, and Marvel Zombies for its Halloween-season Secret Lair release. The newly [announced](https://www.ign.com/games/magic-the-gathering-trading-card-game) Corn Maze Superdrop features several limited-edition collections, including three separate Labyrinth drops, a KPop Demon Hunters collection and a Marvel Zombies release focused on Zombie-themed cards. Unlike some of Magic's darker Halloween releases, the Corn Maze Superdrop takes a more playful approach, mixing nostalgic characters, distinctive artwork, and familiar cards with new crossover treatments. There are also collections dedicated to artifact lands and Treefolk, giving players something beyond the headline collaborations. Here's what's included in the MTG Corn Maze Superdrop, which cards stand out, and when you can get your hands on them. [Magic: The Gathering Banned List Update ExplainedWizards of the Coast has banned cards in Legacy, Pauper, and Brawl, including Candelabra of Tawnos and Seeker of Skybreak, to rebalance competitive play.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-659fce73-53a3-4838-84c7-e4cfc477c462.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1626686707291-7bda5c45e8a8-c638e3e5-b472-47ce-9e21-500fd7f7164e.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/magic-the-gathering-banned-list-update/) ## MTG Secret Lair x Jim Henson's Labyrinth: What's Included? The Labyrinth collaboration is arguably the centrepiece of the Corn Maze Superdrop, with three collections inspired by Jim Henson's 1986 fantasy film. The standout is Secret Lair x Jim Henson's Labyrinth: Fear Me, Love Me, which focuses on Goblin-themed cards and features David Bowie's Jareth as the Goblin King. The collection includes Muxus, Goblin Grandee, reimagined as Jareth, alongside Claim the Firstborn, which receives artwork referencing the kidnapping of Toby. There's also a reprint of Trinisphere, featuring Bowie holding a collection of orbs. While the card isn't an obvious fit for most Goblin-focused decks, its new artwork gives it a distinctive place in the collection. The second collection, Secret Lair x Jim Henson's Labyrinth: Through the Labyrinth, takes a different approach, focusing heavily on its visual presentation. The cards feature elaborate artwork inspired by the film, although some designs may be harder to read during gameplay. One particularly notable inclusion is Leveler, a card that can create potentially devastating interactions when combined with cards such as The Beamtown Bullies or Thassa's Oracle. For players who enjoy unconventional strategies, the collection offers more than just nostalgic artwork. ## KPop Demon Hunters Secret Lair Brings Powerful Cards to MTG The KPop Demon Hunters collection is another major addition to the Corn Maze Superdrop, bringing the animated film's characters and visual style into Magic. Beyond the crossover artwork, several of its card selections stand out for their potential interactions in constructed decks. Among the notable inclusions are Freed from the Real and Underworld Breach, two cards that can support powerful combo strategies. Underworld Breach is particularly noteworthy given its history in competitive Magic formats, where it has faced bans. For players who enjoy building combo-focused decks, this collection could offer more than a visual upgrade, although its appeal will ultimately depend on the cards' availability and pricing. [Pokémon 30th Anniversary Mewtwo Promo: How to Get It FreeTarget’s Mewtwo giveaway is over, but Pokémon’s official 30th Anniversary promo starts Friday at seven other stores, and all it takes is a $15 purchase.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-bf2ba399-68fd-4868-9878-23f1df387751.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1636391671086-6b4b776cd031-fd3bf716-513b-48ca-9176-9f9dbce30557.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/pokemon-30th-anniversary-mewtwo-promo-card/) ## Marvel Zombies Secret Lair Focuses on Zombie-Themed Cards Marvel's ongoing crossover presence in Magic continues with a Marvel Zombies Secret Lair collection built around Zombie-themed cards. The concept opens the door to some entertaining character interpretations, including the possibility of Zombie versions of Thor and Scarlet Witch. However, the collection's appeal appears to lean more heavily towards its Marvel Zombies theme and artwork than offering must-have additions for every Commander player. For collectors already invested in Marvel's darker universe, the crossover provides another way to bring those characters into Magic. Players primarily interested in competitive value may want to look more closely at the individual card selections before purchasing. ## What Other Secret Lair Drops Are Included? _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Breaking into the UK Job Market: Practical Ways to Land Sponsored Jobs URL: https://www.techloy.com/breaking-into-uk-job-market-sponsored-jobs/ Last updated: 2026-10-01T15:00:45.000Z Sending application after application and hearing nothing back can make it difficult to know what you are doing wrong. At the *Breaking into the UK Job Market: How to Land Sponsored Jobs* event on Saturday, September 26, six professionals shared what candidates often overlook when searching for [sponsored jobs](https://www.techloy.com/how-to-find-uk-jobs-with-visa-sponsorship/). Hosted by [Your Diaspora Hub](https://www.yourdiasporahub.com/) in partnership with Techloy, the session went beyond general career advice. During the workshop session, attendees were shown how to identify UK employers that sponsor overseas workers, tailor their CVs to individual job descriptions using the UK format, and think more strategically about their job search. They also had the opportunity to ask questions around how long to keep applying before changing strategy, whether to disclose AI use in a job application, and whether certifications are necessary when transitioning into a new career. be a part of our community! Want to hear about events like this before they happen? Join the ****Techloy Community** for career resources, opportunities, event updates, and conversations with professionals navigating the global job market. [JOIN THE TECHLOY COMNNUNITY ](https://community.techloy.com/feed) Here are some of the key lessons from the speakers. ## Treat your CV as a sales document For many candidates, the first hurdle is the CV. [Nike Baker](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikebaker/), career coach and founder of [A Baker Academy](https://abakeracademy.com/), said one of the common mistakes she sees is candidates writing CVs that simply list their responsibilities rather than demonstrating the value they brought to previous roles. “See your CV as a selling point, like an item, a document that's going to sell you when you're not in the room.” For international applicants, she recommended tailoring the CV to each job description rather than sending the same version to every employer. “If you're abroad and you are applying for a job, read the job description, and tailor your CV to that specific job description.” The idea, she added, is to make it easier for the employer to see the connection between what they need and what you can offer. ## Prove that you're worth the extra process For candidates applying from outside the UK, the challenge isn't only getting noticed. There's also the question of why an employer should go through the additional process involved in hiring and relocating an overseas candidate. [Arinze Ibekwe](https://www.linkedin.com/in/arinzeibekwe/), a senior software engineer, spoke about the advantage proximity can give candidates who studied in the UK. Having started his own career journey at Sheffield University, he recalled situations where employers came directly to campus to recruit graduates. “I think the hardest part would be proximity,” he said, explaining that employers can more easily contextualise a graduate's background when they are already familiar with the environment. For candidates applying from abroad, his advice was to demonstrate why the additional process is worthwhile. “You want to prove to an employer that you are worth the extra process around sponsorship and potential relocation.” That means making your experience, skills, and potential contribution clear rather than leaving the employer to make the connection themselves. ## Stop treating job hunting as a numbers game [Bade Adesemowo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/badesemowo/), co-founder and CTO of [eMigr8.ai](https://emigr8.ai/partner), challenged the idea that sending more applications automatically improves your chances of getting hired. “A lot of people are competing for the same job you are competing for,” he said, describing the common approach as “spray and pray,” where candidates keep applying without examining what's happening at each stage of the process. According to Adesemowo, there are “about 7 to 8 steps” between deciding to look for a job and actually landing one, and candidates can track their performance at each stage. That could mean looking at whether your CV is generating responses, whether applications are turning into interviews, and where drop-offs are happening in the process. Timing also matters. If a candidate finds a role two or three days after it was posted, he suggested they should consider whether it is still worth applying and, where possible, aim to apply on the same day or within the first hour. ## Know the skill you're selling [Yanju Lawal](https://www.linkedin.com/in/yanjulawal/), a product management expert and founder of Malvora, focused on another common problem: not being specific enough about what you do. With 16 years of experience in product management, she said candidates need to understand the particular skills they bring rather than positioning themselves as generalists. “Skills in the UK are different from the way it is in Africa, where you are a generalist; you are a master of all.” Knowing your skill is only the first step, however. You also need to communicate it clearly. For someone transitioning into a new career, that could mean creating work that demonstrates your understanding of the field instead of relying entirely on previous job titles. ## Show employers what you can do [Mahmood Owolabi](https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamcashia/), a performance marketing professional at JoinLearnable, suggested that candidates should demonstrate their skills rather than simply claim to have them. When asked about answering “tell us about yourself”, he described creating a short “show me experience” using three slides and 30 seconds. He also recommended creating case-study posts for people transitioning between career paths. Candidates can research companies and industries they want to move into, analyse what those companies are doing and publish their own perspectives. That work could take the form of a written case study or even a screen recording showing how they approached the problem. For career changers, this creates something tangible that can support the claims on their CV. ## Be specific about how you position yourself The speakers repeatedly returned to the importance of positioning. Venture builder [Wale Ogunjobi](https://www.linkedin.com/in/waleogunjobi/) argued that candidates should move beyond broad job titles and explain the specific value they provide. “Instead of you saying, ‘I'm a marketing manager with 10 years' experience,’ why not change the narrative a bit, you know, and say something like, ‘I'm a B2B growth marketer who helps bootstrap fintechs.’ You're narrowing down and, you know, things like that. "And then I help increase acquisition, maintain acquisition costs by 30%," he said. The difference is specificity. A focused description tells an employer who you work with, what problem you solve, and where your expertise sits. That can make it easier for recruiters and hiring managers to understand where you fit. ## What you can access after the event The event doesn't have to end with the session. Several speakers have offered resources and discounts for attendees looking for additional support with their UK job search. ### Baker Academy Nike Baker and [A Baker Academy](https://www.abakeracademy.com/) are offering access to a discount (the code is in the flyer below) for the upcoming BA & AI Mastery Programme. For enquiries, you can contact Baker Academy at info@abakeracademy.com or +44 7383 683380. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/image-87.png) ### eMigr8.ai Bade Adesemowo's [eMigr8.ai](https://emigr8.ai/) is also offering a free visa assessment through its new AI Visa Architect, Dr. Zenith. The tool allows users to upload their profile and receive an assessment of their potential mobility options for the UK, US, and EU. Get the free assessment: [eMigr8.ai Visa Assessment](https://architect.emigr8visa.com/?utm%5Fsource=eMigr8Community&utm%5Fmedium=emigr8existingcommunity&utm%5Fcampaign=drzenithinitialoutreach) ### Your Diaspora Hub (YDH) [Your Diaspora Hub](https://www.yourdiasporahub.com/) also provides one-on-one consultations, personalised checklists, and access to a community of professionals already in the UK. Watch the speakers break it down Couldn't make it to the event? We're bringing some of the best moments from the conversation to Techloy's social platforms. Hear directly from the speakers as they break down how to tailor your CV, find sponsored opportunities, position your experience, and stand out when applying from outside the UK. ****Follow Techloy on** [****LinkedIn**](https://www.linkedin.com/company/techloy/posts/?feedView=all)****,** [****Instagram**](https://www.instagram.com/techloy/)****,** [****TikTok**](https://www.tiktok.com/@techloy)****,** [****YouTube**](https://www.youtube.com/@techloy)****, and** [****X**](https://x.com/Techloy) **to watch the clips.** ## What next? Breaking into the UK job market isn't just about sending more applications. The advice from the event points to a more deliberate process: understand the role you're targeting, tailor your application, make your skills visible, track what is working, and position yourself around the specific value you can offer. For candidates applying from outside the UK, that process matters even more because the employer has to see enough value to justify the additional steps involved in sponsorship and relocation. If you missed the event, **watch the full session above** for the complete discussion and practical advice from all six speakers. [UK Job Offer With Sponsorship: What Happens NextGetting a UK job offer is only the beginning if you need visa sponsorship. Here’s what happens next, what it costs, and what to ask your employer.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-939d8497-8f3b-4b4e-8465-d0eb9062ddd6.png)TechloyDavid Adubiina![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1758523419095-05be98e08818-c18e42cc-0758-4dd6-981e-f22319e03cc8.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/uk-job-offer-sponsorship-what-happens-next/) ### 6 Things to Check Before Choosing a Search Ad Monitoring Tool URL: https://www.techloy.com/6-things-to-check-before-choosing-a-search-ad-monitoring-tool/ Last updated: 2026-10-01T14:58:44.000Z You search for your company's name and spot an ad your team didn't create. The wording looks familiar, but you can't immediately tell who paid for it or where the click will lead. It might belong to an approved reseller. It might also be an affiliate breaking your advertising agreement. A quick search leaves plenty of questions unanswered. Search ad monitoring tools help teams investigate those situations. Services such as[ bluepear](https://bluepear.net/) monitor branded searches and collect ad data, affiliate links and screenshots for review. When comparing tools, the useful question is how much of an investigation you can complete with the information they capture. These six checks give you a starting point. ## 1 Start With the Rules You Need to Enforce Brand bidding means bidding on search terms that contain a brand name. Seeing another advertiser against your name doesn't automatically establish a violation. Under its trademark policy,[ Google](https://support.google.com/adspolicy/answer/6118?hl=en) does not restrict trademarks used as keywords, although it restricts certain uses within ads, including confusing or misleading uses. Your affiliate agreement may set different boundaries. A partner could breach a contractual ban on brand bidding even when the keyword itself is permitted under the advertising platform's trademark policy. These require different responses. Before evaluating software, document your approved advertisers, restricted terms and exceptions. During a demo, ask whether you can apply those rules and distinguish an unfamiliar advertiser from a confirmed problem. ## 2 Check Where and When Monitoring Happens One search from your office laptop gives you a narrow view. Ask vendors to show how they check the markets, devices and schedules that matter to your business, and how those checks are recorded. For example, a retailer serving several countries should be able to inspect results for each relevant market. A useful coverage discussion should answer: - Which search engines and locations are included? - Are mobile and desktop results checked separately? - How often is each keyword checked? - What happens when a scheduled check fails? Frequency needs a precise definition. An hourly check for one keyword in one country offers different coverage from an hourly scan spread across hundreds of combinations. Ask for a sample monitoring schedule that reflects your actual requirements. ## 3 Follow the Click Beyond the Visible Ad An ad's headline and displayed address tell only part of the story. For affiliate investigations, you may also need the destination page, any redirects and tracking parameters that help identify the referral source. Ask for a demonstration using a test link you control. Can the tool document the route to the final page? Does the report retain the original URLs? If part of the route cannot be observed, that gap should be visible to the reviewer. A tracking parameter is a lead to investigate. Confirm its meaning against your partner records before attributing activity to a particular affiliate. That extra check matters when several agencies or publishers participate in the same program. ## 4 Make Sure Evidence Survives the Investigation By the time someone opens an alert, the ad may have changed. A useful record should preserve enough context for another person to review what was observed without repeating the search. Look for exports containing the search term, timestamp, location, device type, ad copy and destination details. Screenshots should be attached to the relevant observation, with clear records of later updates. Ask how long evidence remains available and whether you can export it before ending the subscription. Try handing a sample report to the colleague who handles partner disputes. If they immediately need to ask which market it came from or when it appeared, the report is missing information your workflow requires. ## 5 Match Alerts to the Consequences A suspected fake checkout page deserves a different response from an approved reseller using outdated wording. Configure categories that help reviewers route each case to the right person, with urgent consumer risks reaching your security team promptly. The stakes extend beyond advertising budgets. In a June 2026 release, the[ FTC](https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2026/06/ftc-data-show-people-reported-losing-3-point-5-billion-imposter-scams-2025) reported $3.5 billion in consumer losses to imposter scams during 2025\. That total spans multiple channels, including phone calls, email and search results; it is not a measure of search advertising losses. Keep human review in the process. During a trial, examine how many alerts are relevant, how duplicates are grouped and whether resolved cases stop reappearing without new evidence. A busy notification feed can make genuinely urgent cases harder to spot. ## 6 Test the Full Cost of a Useful Workflow Request a quote based on your keyword list, markets and checking frequency. Confirm whether historical evidence, extra users and exports cost more, and whether you can limit access for external agencies. Then run a pilot with known examples, including an approved partner and a test case that should trigger review. Track how long someone takes to understand an alert, identify the next action and document the outcome. Include that staff time when comparing costs. A cheaper subscription can be poor value if every case requires substantial manual reconstruction. ## Choose Based on a Complete Investigation Before committing, take one example from detection through review, export and follow-up. You should be able to explain what happened, which rule applies and who will act on it. Choose the tool that supports that process within your coverage and budget requirements. That gives you a concrete basis for evaluating its usefulness after the trial ends. ### WhatsApp Business Messaging Is Getting More Expensive URL: https://www.techloy.com/whatsapp-business-pricing-changes/ Last updated: 2026-10-01T12:00:50.000Z Starting today, if you use the [WhatsApp Business](https://www.techloy.com/tag/whatsapp-business/) Platform, you'll need to have a payment method on file. And if you don't, Meta will stop delivering your service messages once the new pricing rules take effect. The reason for that is simply because some messages that businesses could previously send for free are now being charged for. Meta is changing how it prices business messaging, which means businesses will now need a payment method on file to keep those messages going. Understanding the new system means knowing three things: what a service message is, what a utility message is, and what happens when an AI agent handles the conversation. [How to Set Up an Away Message on WhatsApp BusinessWith this set-up, you can keep your communication smooth and professional, without lifting a finger.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-555a2b6a-cf18-453f-a16c-a69c5cb136c3.png)TechloyLouis Eriakha![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1619658535018-5a55d32e4628-4c63acd6-d13e-45b5-8c03-2f3e84bbc001.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/how-to-set-up-auto-reply-on-whatsapp-business/) ## Why service messages are now paid Service messages are non-template messages businesses send in response to a customer. They can be sent by a human customer service representative or a third-party AI system. They can only be sent when a 24-hour customer service window is open. That window starts when a customer messages the business and resets whenever the customer sends another message. Until now, those messages were free. From October 1, businesses will pay for delivered service messages after their monthly free allowance. The rate depends on the market. In India, for instance, businesses get 1,000 free service messages per phone number each month. After that, the rate is ₹0.115 per message delivered. ## Utility messages are now paid too Utility messages are business-initiated messages such as "Your order has been shipped." They usually use a pre-approved template and can also be sent while the 24-hour customer service window is open. Those messages have been free when sent inside the 24-hour window since July 1, 2025\. Now, they are charged at the applicable utility rate. In India, that rate is ₹0.115 per delivered message. ## Meta Business Agent is a separate charge Here's where it gets tricky. Meta Business Agent is a separate category for AI-powered business messaging and has its own pricing system. Meta began charging Business Agent messages on a token basis on August 1\. The global rate is $2 per 1 million tokens. A typical response can use around 20,000 to 25,000 tokens, which works out to roughly 4 to 5 cents per message. More complex interactions can use more tokens and therefore cost more. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### PS Plus October 2026 Games: F1 25, Hunt: Showdown 1896, and More URL: https://www.techloy.com/ps-plus-games-october-2026/ Last updated: 2026-10-01T12:00:32.000Z [PlayStation Plus](https://www.techloy.com/tag/sony-playstation/) is [heading](https://blog.playstation.com/2026/09/30/playstation-plus-monthly-games-for-october-f1-25-hunt-showdown-1896-earth-defense-force-world-brothers-2/) into October with a lineup that covers three very different kinds of action: Formula 1 racing, a tense extraction shooter, and a colourful fight against giant monsters. Sony has confirmed F1 25, Hunt: Showdown 1896, and Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 as October’s Monthly Games. All three titles will be available to PlayStation Plus members from October 6 through November 2, 2026\. There are also limited-time Spider-Man avatars and Halloween-themed in-game bundles to look out for. [Fading Echo PS5: Release Date, Demo and GameplayFading Echo is now available on PS5, blending water-based combat, elemental reactions and reality-shifting exploration.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-e41f121a-167c-4727-a87c-411f6d6c813f.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/image-56--1--0df3f659-1b48-4a9e-9d1e-a49b2e80e915.png)](https://www.techloy.com/fading-echo-ps5-demo-gameplay/) ## PlayStation Plus October 2026 Games: Full Lineup ### /1\. F1 25 (PS5) F1 25 is the official game of the 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship, bringing its racing action to PS5 as part of October’s lineup. There’s plenty here for players who prefer building a career over simply jumping into individual races. Career mode returns alongside My Team 2.0, which lets you create and manage your own Formula 1 team. You can also take your racing online, including a new F1 World multiplayer mode where you and your friends compete as a squad against AI drivers. I like that this gives the lineup a game with both a substantial solo offering and a way to race with friends. Whether you want to chase a championship or build a team from the ground up, F1 25 gives you a few different ways to approach the sport. ### /2\. Hunt: Showdown 1896 (PS5) Hunt: Showdown 1896 brings its unforgiving extraction-shooter formula to October’s PlayStation Plus selection. Set in corrupted backwaters filled with monsters and rival Hunters, the game challenges you to track down bosses, defeat them, claim their Bounty, and make it out alive. You can head into a match alone or bring up to two teammates. That choice matters: other Hunters are competing for the same rewards, so every encounter can turn into a fight over whether you leave with your prize or lose it trying. Of the three games, this is the one I’d expect to deliver the most tension. The combination of PvE monsters, competing players, and the risk of losing your haul gives each hunt a clear sense of danger. ### /3\. Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 (PS5, PS4) _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Top 3 Trusted SMM Platforms to Buy Real Instagram Followers, Views, Likes in 2026 URL: https://www.techloy.com/top-3-trusted-smm-platforms-to-buy-real-instagram-followers-views-likes-in-2026/ Last updated: 2026-10-01T11:33:05.000Z Real Instagram views are more than just vanity benchmarks. When deciding which content gets distributed, Instagram looks at watch time, shares, and engagement. Views from active accounts can add visible activity to a post. This guide covers three platforms based on verified service details, transparent pricing, and delivery practices. **Content Reach and Instagram Views** Instagram ranks content across Feed, Reels, Stories, and Explore based on different factors. The system uses various signals to determine which content users see. For instance, videos' watch time helps these systems assess viewers' response to videos. The first three seconds are especially important because viewers may leave quickly. If they leave early, the content may be considered less relevant. A view from an account that watches much of the video is more valuable. A brief view provides less value. Instagram tests new posts with a small sample of followers. Strong engagement can lead to broader distribution. Lower engagement can limit reach. **Platform Ranking Methodology** Each provider was evaluated on view source quality, delivery pacing, and format coverage. Pricing transparency, refill policies, and account safety were also considered. Providers requiring a login or password were excluded. Providers using bot traffic or inactive accounts were also excluded. **1\. SocialWick** SocialWick has operated since 2017 and reports over 10 million fulfilled orders. It offers a comprehensive[ **real Instagram followers packages**](https://www.socialwick.com/instagram/packages) with views, live video views, likes, impressions, comments and Story views. All packages start at $0.29. - **Try out free Instagram likes!** Delivery is gradual and paced to avoid unnatural spikes. No password is required. Orders use a post URL or username. The platform describes its services as fully discreet. **2\. SubscriberZ** Subscriberz.com covers Instagram video views, IGTV views, Story views, and Reels views. All packages start at $0.95\. The platform emphasizes high-quality IGTV views lasting more than three seconds. This aligns with Instagram's focus on watch time. Delivery begins within one to six hours of ordering. There is around-the-clock live support on the platform. Its Story view service also allows up to 100 free views for testing. No passwords are collected. Only a post URL is required. Real Instagram views are available for creators prioritizing engagement depth. **3\. Mixx** Mixx.com launched with a focused mandate: Instagram only. The platform has over 60K customers and 4 million fulfilled orders. View packages start at $0.89\. Premium business bundles reach $119.90\. These bundles provide views alongside followers and like. - **Free Instagram Followers** - **Free Instagram Likes** - **Free Instagram views** Delivery is gradual, and a free trial lets users assess quality. Support operates 24/7 with a team focused on Instagram growth. Mixx is built to boost Instagram engagement through coordinated multi-metric delivery. Views therefore arrive alongside supporting signals rather than in isolation. **Reels vs. Post Performance Differences** Reels and standard video posts behave differently under Instagram's ranking systems. **How Reels Views Work** Reels reach non-followers through recommendations. Early view velocity can therefore affect reach. Watch time completion is a critical signal. Higher completion rates can make fewer views more valuable than many brief views. For Reels-heavy accounts, Likesboom's automatic delivery catches each new Reel at publication. **Conclusion** Reliable Instagram views providers share two qualities: real account sourcing and natural delivery pacing. **Disclaimer -** The services mentioned above are intended for entertainment and personal use only. They are not designed for business, professional, or commercial use on Instagram. ### 7 Best SPF Checker Tools to Find and Fix SPF Errors URL: https://www.techloy.com/7-best-spf-checker-tools-to-find-and-fix-spf-errors/ Last updated: 2026-10-01T11:21:18.000Z Your SPF record decides whether mail servers trust the emails you send. It's a TXT record in your DNS that lists every server allowed to send email for your domain. When it's missing or broken, your emails can land in spam or get rejected, and you often won't know until a customer says they never got your message. SPF records break more easily than most people think. A second record added during a tool setup, a typo in an include, or going over the 10 DNS lookup limit can all cause failures. And since Gmail, Yahoo, and Microsoft now require authentication from bulk senders, these errors hurt more than they used to. The fix starts with a good SPF checker. Below are seven tools worth knowing, what each one does well, and when to use it. ## **What to Look for in an SPF Checker** Before you pick a tool, know what a useful check should tell you: - Whether an SPF record exists, and whether there's only one - Any syntax errors in the record - How many DNS lookups the record uses (the limit is 10) - Which services and IP addresses are authorized - Whether the "all" setting is safe The best tools don't just show your record. They explain what's wrong and help you fix it. ## **1\. EasyDMARC SPF Checker** The[ EasyDMARC spf checker](https://easydmarc.com/tools/spf-lookup) is the most complete free option on this list and the easiest to read. You enter your domain, run the check, and get your full SPF record with a clear breakdown of what passes and what needs attention. Its strongest feature is the lookup tree. Instead of showing only the raw record, it expands every include so you can see each sending source and how many DNS lookups it adds. This is the fastest way to find out why you're over the 10 lookup limit, which is one of the most common reasons SPF fails. **What it checks:** - Whether the SPF record exists - Syntax errors - Invalid or missing IP addresses - The 10 DNS lookup limit - Sending sources behind each include If the check finds a problem, you can build a corrected record with EasyDMARC's SPF Record Generator and run the check again to confirm the fix. Because SPF is only one part of email authentication, the same site also has DKIM and DMARC checkers, so you can review your whole setup in one place. **Best for:** Anyone who wants a clear, complete SPF check with a lookup count and next steps, whether you're a marketer or an IT admin. ## **2\. MxToolbox SPF Record Lookup** MxToolbox is one of the oldest DNS tools around, and many IT teams know it well. Its SPF lookup shows your record, lists each mechanism, and runs a set of pass or fail tests, including a lookup count. The benefit is that it sits alongside MX lookups, blacklist checks, and other DNS tools, so you can check several things in one visit. The results page can feel crowded, though, and some deeper features require a paid plan. **Best for:** Admins who already use MxToolbox for DNS and blacklist checks. ## **3\. dmarcian SPF Surveyor** SPF Surveyor turns your record into an expanded view where each include opens to show the IPs and nested records behind it, along with the total lookup count. This makes it helpful when you inherit a domain with a long, messy record and need to understand where each entry came from before cleaning it up. **Best for:** Tracing and cleaning up old records with many nested includes. ## **4\. Kitterman SPF Validator** Kitterman's tool is simple and has been a favorite of email admins for years. It does two things many tools skip: it validates an SPF record before you publish it, and it tests whether a specific IP address would pass for a domain. That makes it useful when you're planning a change. Paste your new record, check the syntax, and test it against your mail server's IP before you touch DNS. **Best for:** Testing a draft record before it goes live. ## **5\. Google Admin Toolbox Check MX** If your company uses Google Workspace, this free tool from Google checks your domain's DNS setup, including SPF, against what Workspace needs. It flags missing or wrong settings in plain terms. It won't show a detailed lookup tree, but it's a solid check straight from your email provider. **Best for:** Google Workspace users confirming their setup. ## **6\. Vamsoft SPF Policy Tester** Vamsoft's tester lets you enter a domain, a sender address, and an IP, then walks through how the SPF check would be evaluated step by step. You see which mechanism matched and what the final result would be. When one service keeps failing SPF, this is a good way to see exactly where the check breaks. **Best for:** Debugging why a specific sender or IP fails. ## **7\. Mail-Tester** Mail-Tester works differently from the others. Instead of looking up your DNS, you send a real email to an address it gives you. It then scores the message and shows whether SPF, DKIM, and DMARC passed, along with other issues that can push you toward spam. This is useful because it tests an actual email from a real sending service, not just the record in DNS. **Best for:** Checking how a real email from a specific platform performs. ## **How to Choose the Right Tool** You don't need all seven. Here's a simple way to decide: - **For a full check with clear results**, start with EasyDMARC - **To test a record before publishing**, use Kitterman - **To debug one failing sender**, use Vamsoft or Mail-Tester - **For Google Workspace setup**, use Google Admin Toolbox Most teams use one main checker for regular reviews and a second tool when they need to troubleshoot something specific. ## **Common SPF Errors These Tools Catch** Whichever tool you use, watch for these issues: - **Two SPF records on one domain.** Only one is allowed. Merge them into a single record. - **More than 10 DNS lookups.** Remove services you no longer use, or flatten the record. - **Using "+all".** This lets any server send as your domain. Use "\~all" or "-all" instead. - **Includes you don't need.** Some platforms use their own return-path domain, so their include adds lookups without helping. - **Missing senders.** Every tool that sends email with your domain, such as your CRM or help desk, needs to be listed. ## **Final Thoughts** A broken SPF record can quietly stop your emails from reaching people. Checking it takes less than a minute, and doing it after every new email tool you add will save you from harder problems later. Start with a full check, fix what it finds, and check again. Once your SPF record passes, review DKIM and DMARC too, since the three work together to protect your domain and get your emails delivered. ### Gemini 4 Argon: 5 Things to Know Before You Can Use It URL: https://www.techloy.com/gemini-4-argon/ Last updated: 2026-10-01T10:29:26.000Z Google's latest AI model, Gemini 4 Argon, is as smart as OpenAI's current best model. Independent testers at Artificial Analysis gave it the same score as GPT-6 Astra on their intelligence index. There's just one problem if you were hoping to try it: you can't, not yet. Gemini 4 Argon was announced on Wednesday, September 30, one day after [OpenAI](https://www.techloy.com/tag/openai/) launched its cheaper GPT-6.1 Sol. It's [Google's](https://www.techloy.com/tag/google/) first top-tier model in more than seven months. CEO Sundar Pichai had promised the company's next big model for June, one widely expected to be called Gemini 3.5 Pro, but it never came out. [OpenAI Dots, GPT-6.1 Sol: DevDay 2026 Biggest AnnouncementsOpenAI’s Meta Muse rival costs at least $100 a month, and $200 Pro users are about to lose half their usage.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-a3f1a18a-066f-4621-8a15-7f577815d77d.png)TechloyDamilare Odedina![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/live-20260929-100334-1-1-4cbb857d-0d14-4ec5-b7fb-cb3815405806.webp)](https://www.techloy.com/openai-dots-devday-2026-announcements/) ## /1\. Gemini 4 Argon has no public release date yet Right now, Argon is limited to thousands of Google employees, as well as government agencies and security companies that Google has vetted through its Fairwind Program. [Google DeepMind](https://www.techloy.com/tag/google-deepmind/) co-founder Demis Hassabis said the company is rolling it out "responsibly," starting with those cyber defenders, "before wider availability soon." Next in line are developers who pay for Google's API, and Google AI Ultra subscribers, whose plan costs $100 or $200 a month. Google hasn't said when that will happen. ## /2\. Gemini 4 Argon's $2 price tag hides a bigger bill For developers, Argon costs $2 per million tokens for what the AI model reads and $10 per million for what it writes. That's the same price OpenAI charges for GPT-6.1 Sol, and Google's Logan Kilpatrick made a point of it, saying Argon "is priced at $2 in and $10 out during introductory pricing!" The difference is in how much Argon writes to reach an answer. It used about 62,000 tokens per task in testing, against GPT-6 Astra's 27,000\. So, Artificial Analysis found Argon costs $1.99 per task, about 2.7 times Sol's $0.72\. That $2 is also an introductory price, with no end date yet. Once it ends, Argon goes up to $4 and $20. ## /3\. It beats GPT-6 Astra and Claude at legal and office work On AutomationBench, which tests everyday business tasks, Argon scored 51.3%, against 42.5% for [Anthropic's](https://www.techloy.com/tag/anthropic/) Claude Opus 5.5\. On Harvey's legal benchmark, it scored 19.6%, almost three times Claude Fable 5.1's 6.7%. It also handles very long documents better, scoring 84.2% on a test of 256,000 to 1 million tokens, against GPT-6 Astra's 71.8%. It's also more willing to admit when it doesn't know something. Artificial Analysis measured its hallucination rate, how often it makes things up, at 15%, against Astra's 51%. ## /4\. It's not the best at coding, and some users call it "benchmaxxed" _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 7 Foreign Shares to Watch for Dividend Income in 2026 URL: https://www.techloy.com/us-stocks-that-pay-dividends-2026/ Last updated: 2026-10-01T10:28:06.000Z 💡 While **Techloy* has curated this list based on publicly available information, this article is not intended to serve as financial advice. Rates and fee terms are subject to change, so we encourage readers to independently verify all terms before committing to any stock brokerage platform. A long dividend streak tells you a company has been reliable in the past. It does not, on its own, tell you why this particular year matters. For that, you need to look at what each company is actually doing right now, in 2026, that makes it worth watching rather than just admiring from a distance. This piece looks at seven global U.S.-listed dividend stocks, what is happening inside each business this year, and how they stack up against each other using the same set of numbers. [7 Dividend-Paying Stocks in Nigeria to Watch in 2026We spoke with finance content creator Opeyemi Ogunsanya about seven Nigerian dividend shares worth watching in 2026![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-3bea43c2-51ed-477c-b7f0-7d7f1ddf30c5.png)TechloyOluwajeminipe Fasheun-Motesho![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1642052502780-8ee67e3bf930-7ae12875-2049-4bd7-acb5-40a57553bb55.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/dividend-paying-stocks-nigeria-2026/) ## What to Compare Before You Buy To judge these seven fairly, it helps to look at the same four things for each one: how many years in a row the dividend has grown, the current annual dividend per share, the dividend yield, and the payout ratio, which shows how much of the company's profit goes out as dividends. A payout ratio under 75% is generally seen as safe, since it leaves room to keep paying even in a rough year, according to [SureDividend](https://www.suredividend.com/dividend-kings/). Here is how the seven compare. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/10/Platforms.png) ## The Seven Stocks to Watch ### Johnson & Johnson Johnson & Johnson has raised its dividend for 64 straight years, but what makes 2026 different is what the company has become. After spinning off its consumer health unit, known today as Kenvue, J&J is now a pure-play pharmaceutical and medical technology business, leaning harder into oncology, immunology, and surgical devices, according to [Fool](https://www.fool.com/investing/2026/09/17/better-dividend-king-to-buy-and-hold-johnson-johns/). Its payout ratio has also improved sharply, falling from 84% a year earlier to about 46% now, giving the dividend far more breathing room than it had going into the year. ### Microsoft Microsoft is not a high-yield stock, but 2026 is the year its AI bet started showing up in the numbers that matter to dividend investors. Paid Copilot seats hit 15 million by the end of the December quarter, up more than 160% year over year, and Azure revenue grew 40%. With a payout ratio around 24% and free cash flow projected to more than double by 2030, Microsoft has unusual room to keep raising its dividend even while spending heavily on AI infrastructure. ### Coca-Cola Coca-Cola is having a genuinely strong 2026, not just a steady one. Shares have returned more than 27% this year, almost double the S&P 500, while the company's operating margin is running nearly twice the average of its index peers, according to [Webull](https://www.webull.com.au/news-detail/15425449564259328). _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Florence Pugh Leads Netflix’s East of Eden as Steinbeck Classic Gets New Adaptation URL: https://www.techloy.com/east-of-eden-netflix-florence-pugh-cathy/ Last updated: 2026-10-01T10:20:48.000Z John Steinbeck’s East of Eden is getting another screen adaptation, but this time, Cathy Ames is at the centre of the story. Netflix’s seven-episode series arrives on October 1, 2026, with Florence Pugh playing the character at the heart of Steinbeck’s 1952 novel. Set in early 20th-century California, the series was filmed extensively in [New Zealand](https://www.nzfilm.co.nz/films/east-of-eden), using its landscapes to recreate Steinbeck’s setting. Created by Zoe Kazan, East of Eden also stars Christopher Abbott and Mike Faist as brothers Adam and Charles Trask. [Verity Movie Release Date, Cast & Story ExplainedVerity brings Colleen Hoover’s bestselling psychological thriller to the big screen with Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson and Josh Hartnett.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-e8c49d4e-49d3-4f9b-a8b9-db462e3b4287.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/VERITY-ebea01b7-e94a-48a5-a493-33429c0fe6fc.png)](https://www.techloy.com/verity-movie-release-date-cast/) ## What Is East of Eden About? At the heart of East of Eden is the Trask family and the difficult relationship between brothers Adam and Charles. Their story eventually extends to the next generation, where Adam’s sons, Cal and Aron, become caught in another family conflict. The novel draws heavily from the biblical story of Cain and Abel, exploring jealousy, family expectations, and the choices people make. But Kazan’s adaptation puts more attention on Cathy, a character Steinbeck presents as deeply destructive. Netflix describes the series as a story about a fiercely independent woman who drives a rift between two brothers and sets off a family saga that spans generations. That is why this version is different from the familiar 1955 film starring James Dean. ## Why Florence Pugh’s Cathy is Different Cathy has often been viewed as the villain of East of Eden, but Kazan wanted to look more closely at how she became that person. Speaking to [Netflix Tudum](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/east-of-eden-trailer), Kazan said, “The thing that was really important to me was to stay rooted in the text of the book when it came to exploring who Cathy is.” She also wanted the series to find Cathy’s humanity without making excuses for her actions. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Xbox Is Not for Sale: Asha Sharma Addresses Microsoft’s Plans URL: https://www.techloy.com/is-microsoft-selling-xbox-asha-sharma/ Last updated: 2026-10-01T09:59:44.000Z After months of speculation about Microsoft’s future in gaming, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has answered directly: [Xbox](https://www.techloy.com/tag/microsoft-xbox/) is not for sale. In an [interview](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/30/arts/xbox-microsoft-asha-sharma.html?) with The New York Times, Sharma rejected reports that Microsoft might sell or spin off its gaming division. She also made clear that Microsoft is prepared to rethink how Xbox operates to put the business on a stronger footing. “Xbox is not for sale,” Sharma said. “We will do whatever it takes to set the company up for success, and we will look at the right partnerships, the right operating model and everything needed to achieve that.” Sharma’s comments, alongside reports that Microsoft’s senior executives have backed her plans, point to a reset within [Microsoft](https://www.techloy.com/tag/microsoft/), rather than an announced plan to sell the brand. [Why Xbox CEO Asha Sharma Is Answering Player ComplaintsThe Xbox boss is reportedly spending part of every month dealing directly with the problems frustrated players send to support.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-69c094c4-2dfe-4238-84d9-667953af1d50.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1534423861386-85a16f5d13fd-8ca1ea1f-1661-45ec-ab10-4a5d5ce21d56.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/xbox-ceo-asha-sharma-player-support-tickets/) ## Is Microsoft selling Xbox? Microsoft’s current public position is that Xbox is not for sale. Rumours of a possible sale gained traction after reporting in June [suggested](https://www.purexbox.com/news/2026/09/xbox-is-not-for-sale-asha-sharma-issues-confident-statement-on-the-future-of-the-brand) Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and CFO Amy Hood had considered spinning out Xbox. Later reporting indicated that the executives had become supportive of Sharma’s overhaul plans. That distinction is important. A spin-off would separate Xbox from Microsoft’s existing corporate structure; a sale would transfer ownership. Sharma’s comments do not announce either move. Instead, she says Microsoft intends to pursue the partnerships and operating model it believes can support Xbox’s future. The statement is a public declaration from the head of Xbox, with reporting pointing to executive backing for the current strategy. It should not be mistaken for a separately published board resolution: the available coverage does not identify one. ## Why are people speculating about an Xbox sale? The speculation has grown alongside a substantial restructuring of Microsoft’s gaming business. Sharma announced a broad reset in June, and Microsoft is planning significant job cuts during its 2027 financial year. The changes have also included shifts in how some franchises and development teams are organised, alongside a focus on reducing management layers and concentrating resources around major properties. For fans, those moves can look like signs that Microsoft is preparing to exit gaming. But restructuring and selling a business are not the same thing. A company can cut costs, reorganise teams and change its operating model while retaining ownership. That appears to be the direction Microsoft is pursuing for now. Nadella has publicly supported the streamlining effort while saying Xbox needs a sustainable business model that can bring gaming to more people. [Xbox Disc to Digital List: Check Which Games You Can ConvertMore than 1,500 Xbox games are reported as compatible, but some publishers, older discs and Xbox 360 games are left out.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-bed67338-2182-482f-b524-fcbc8a9dfb3e.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1599605266826-3c84bc0883c0-e423838a-7ddb-4d92-b40d-a112d2c75b27.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/xbox-disc-to-digital-list/) ## What does Asha Sharma mean by “whatever it takes”? Sharma’s wording leaves room for significant changes, but it doesn't specify what Microsoft will do. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### AI Leaders Agree to Safety Rules. Who Will Enforce Them? URL: https://www.techloy.com/trump-ai-safety-accord-2026/ Last updated: 2026-09-30T16:23:13.000Z Tech leaders from [OpenAI](https://www.techloy.com/tag/openai/), Anthropic, Nvidia, SpaceX, Meta, and [Google](https://www.techloy.com/tag/google/), some of the biggest names in the US AI industry, met with [President Donald Trump](https://www.techloy.com/president-donald-trump-reverses-the-tiktok-ban/) on Tuesday in what he called “an extraordinary gathering” of the minds “building America’s Golden Age.” The [meeting](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHK4FRpc0eQ) comes as the race to build more capable AI systems intensifies between US and Chinese companies, while concerns over what those systems could do without human control are also growing. Recently, both OpenAI and [Anthropic](https://www.techloy.com/tag/anthropic/) have [reported](https://www.techloy.com/openai-hugging-face-hack/) cases involving AI agents interacting with or attempting to access other companies' systems, adding to concerns about how autonomous AI systems should be controlled. Against that backdrop, Trump and leaders from several major AI companies signed a voluntary agreement outlining how the companies will manage safety risks in their most advanced AI systems. [Why Anthropic Researcher Jacob Coxon Quit, and Who AgreedCoxon’s warning comes as both OpenAI and Anthropic have faced incidents involving their AI systems gaining access to other organisations’ systems.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-82853a0e-9208-45c1-99d7-ba60120477f5.png)TechloyDavid Adubiina![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1579226905180-636b76d96082-8b182eb7-6e67-45d7-9802-2daa02eb0600.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/anthropic-researcher-quits-jacob-coxon-ai-safety/) ## What the AI safety accord requires The agreement puts much of the responsibility for AI safety on the companies developing the technology. Under the accord, companies are expected to establish “robust internal controls” for identifying and managing risks in their frontier AI systems. They are also expected to have internal teams monitor those controls, work with independent external auditors to assess whether they are operating as intended, and establish an independent committee of their boards to review reports from those teams and auditors. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/image-90.png) **Image Credit: Reuters* Even though the agreement is still voluntary, it does, however, leave open the possibility that some of its measures could eventually be written into law or regulation. Trump described the agreement as “morally binding” and compared it to a constitution, while saying the companies would effectively be responsible for policing their own technology. "We're also thinking about forming a committee of sorts, where we put maybe 10 people on that committee," Trump said. "It could be from that group, so that the committee can watch over the whole enterprise. We're looking at this for good." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/image-91.png) **Image Credit: Reuters* That proposed 10-person committee is separate from the company-level oversight mechanisms outlined in the accord. Trump didn't specify who would sit on it or what authority it would have. Meanwhile, at the summit, [Mark Zuckerberg](https://www.techloy.com/tag/mark-zuckerberg/), Meta's CEO and founder, said the accord gives the public and customers greater confidence in the technology. “I think it's a significant positive step that the leaders of every major American lab have committed to implementing robust internal controls and multiple layers of audits and reviews,” Zuckerberg wrote in a [post on X](https://x.com/finkd/status/2105087367686025454). But Dario Amodei, Anthropic's CEO, continued to emphasise the risks associated with increasingly capable AI systems. “The mechanism, how we address those risks, is still under discussion,” he said at the summit. “But we all need to work together to make sure that we can win and win safely.” ## How China is handling it The safety agreement comes as the US and China compete to develop increasingly capable AI systems. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### How Much Should You Trust Your Smartwatch Health Data? URL: https://www.techloy.com/insight-loop-newsletter-september-2026-how-much-should-you-trust-your-smartwatch/ Last updated: 2026-10-01T06:03:58.000Z 🌐 [****Insight Loop**](https://www.techloy.com/tag/insight-loop/) is **Techloy*’s insight-based monthly newsletter for paid subscribers that dives deep into groundbreaking technology and the industries around it. There’s something about seeing a number on your wrist that makes it feel like a fact. Your watch tells you your heart rate hit 190 beats per minute, you spent an hour and 40 minutes in deep sleep, or you burned exactly 684 calories, and you’re inclined to believe it. But how accurate are those numbers, really? That question matters more as smartwatches take on a bigger role in tracking our health. [Apple](https://www.techloy.com/apple-watch-major-redesign/), for example, rolled out the Watch Series 12 this month with more frequent heart-rate sensing and a new readiness score, while [Google](https://www.techloy.com/tag/google/) has promised improved sleep-stage detection on the [Pixel Watch 5](https://www.techloy.com/tag/pixel-watch/). The problem, though, is that health data can look more precise than the technology measuring it actually is. Research suggests the useful question isn't whether a smartwatch is accurate or inaccurate, but how much confidence we should place in a particular reading. Shalom\*, an Apple Watch Series 9 user, found that out during a workout when his watch suddenly showed a heart rate of around 190 beats per minute. “There is no way I'm at 190,” he remembers thinking. He slowed down and watched the number fall. Without another monitor, he couldn't tell whether the watch was wrong. But the experience changed how he viewed the data. “I still use it,” he said, “but I don't treat every number as fact anymore.” ## How accurate is smartwatch heart-rate data? Heart rate is one of the better-supported measurements on consumer wearables, although performance varies by device and activity. A [2026 study](https://formative.jmir.org/2026/1/e85186) compared 10 commercial wearables with heart-rate measurements derived from an electrocardiogram, or ECG, in 45 adults. The Fitbit Charge 6 recorded a median mean absolute error of 4.5 beats per minute, while the Google Pixel Watch 2 recorded 4.9\. Four other devices: the Polar Ignite 3, Polar Pacer, [Oura Ring Gen 3](https://www.techloy.com/tag/samsung-oura-ring/), and Fitbit Inspire 3, recorded median errors ranging from 9.5 to 14.3 beats per minute. When movement was considered, intermittent walking increased errors across several devices. For someone wearing the watch, that means a steady resting reading may deserve more confidence than a sudden number recorded while movement is changing. Shalom has seen the more reassuring side, too. On one occasion, he manually counted a resting heart rate of around 70 beats per minute while his Apple Watch showed 69 or 70\. For him, repeated patterns now matter more than individual readings. “If it was something like an unusually high heart rate that kept happening while I was resting, I'd probably take it seriously and check it with another device or speak to a doctor,” he said. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### How to Use AI as a Software Engineer Without Breaking Things URL: https://www.techloy.com/how-to-use-ai-as-a-software-engineer/ Last updated: 2026-10-11T13:34:43.000Z You've probably tried a few [AI coding tools](https://www.techloy.com/a-cto-and-architect-pick-the-best-ai-coding-tools-in-2026-heres-their-verdict/) by now, like [Cursor](https://www.techloy.com/tag/cursor/) or [Claude Code](https://www.techloy.com/tag/claude-code/). A lot of the advice on using them, though, comes from the companies that make them or from people online who promise they'll make you 10 times faster. For this piece, I asked three engineers how they use AI at work: [Pooja Naik](https://www.linkedin.com/in/pooja-naik0724/), Senior Software Engineer; [Viraj Patel](https://www.linkedin.com/in/virajpatel10/), a software engineer who joined [Microsoft](https://www.techloy.com/tag/microsoft/) about a year ago; and [Tom Archer](https://signal-and-syntax.com/), Independent AI/ML Research Engineer at Signal & Syntax, who has been programming professionally for more than 40 years. They're all at very different points in their careers, but they follow a similar rule: AI helps with the work, and they make the important decisions themselves. It also means more of the job is now checking code. As Archer put it, engineers are "increasingly reviewing and taking responsibility for code they didn't personally write." Here are six habits for using AI as a software engineer, based on what they told me. [GTM Engineer Salary and How to Become One in 2026We spoke to Kaan Un, who recounts how AI is helping him do the work of an entire team and why he thinks the role could become a six-figure career.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-5257cdb4-42a4-4cb0-9103-cdd35336eb9f.png)TechloyDavid Adubiina![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/1789917382688-e54658f8-3a8a-457c-abca-ed23a5c2956e.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/gtm-engineer-salary-career/) ## /1\. Don't take confident answers at face value Naik was working through an unfamiliar part of her codebase when she asked an AI tool where a particular function was used. It told her, confidently, that it wasn't used anywhere and was dead code she could remove. Naik knew from experience that the function was still being called, so she pushed back. But the AI stuck to its answer. She pushed again, and this time it checked more carefully and admitted it had missed where the function was used. "If I hadn't already known that code path, I would have deleted something that was actually load-bearing," she said. Something similar happened to Patel. AI once gave him a fix that looked right but ignored an important edge case. He caught it by testing the fix and comparing it against the actual business requirements. He treats AI as "a helpful assistant, not an authority." _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Apple's Latest iPhone Security Flaw Could Put Crypto Wallets at Risk URL: https://www.techloy.com/ios-26-7-1-iphone-security-flaw-crypto-wallets/ Last updated: 2026-09-30T14:30:29.000Z [Apple](https://www.techloy.com/tag/apple/) is no stranger to security flaws. Over the years, the company has had to issue numerous security updates to fix serious vulnerabilities. That happened again this week, with the company releasing iOS 26.7.1 to fix a security flaw it says may have been exploited in an “extremely sophisticated attack” against specific targeted individuals using older versions of [iOS](https://www.techloy.com/tag/ios/). The vulnerability has drawn particular attention from the [blockchain](https://www.techloy.com/tag/blockchain/) security community. One security firm reported seeing exploitation activity targeting sensitive [crypto](https://www.techloy.com/tag/cryptocurrency/) wallet data, raising concerns for users whose devices had not yet been updated. Apple hasn't described the incident as a mass attack, and its warning points to highly targeted exploitation rather than widespread abuse. But the fact that the company says the flaw may already have been used in attacks makes updating to iOS 26.7.1 more urgent for affected users. [Apple’s latest iOS update fixes a major iPhone security flawIt raises concerns about whether similar vulnerabilities have been lurking unnoticed for years.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-fb646979-2d6f-4c21-9593-05315e177b62.png)TechloyKelechi Edeh![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/iOS-18-d6a143d7-d211-4cd5-8626-7244ffe3a328.webp)](https://www.techloy.com/apples-latest-ios-update-fixes-a-major-iphone-security-flaw/) ## What the flaw actually is The vulnerability is tracked as CVE-2026-86950\. It's in CoreGraphics, the framework Apple uses to render graphics and images. In plain terms, the bug lets a specially crafted file trigger an out-of-bounds write, meaning the software can write data outside the area of memory it was supposed to use. That can lead to memory corruption and, according to Apple, potentially allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code on the device. The worrying part is that the attack can be triggered while the device processes a maliciously crafted file. A user doesn't necessarily have to download and manually install a malicious app for the vulnerability to become dangerous. ## Why crypto users are the target Blockchain security firm SlowMist [says](https://x.com/SlowMist%5FTeam/status/2104767900376826188) the update is especially relevant to cryptocurrency users. The company said it has observed iOS exploitation activity targeting sensitive wallet data. The logic behind this is simple. A phone on which an attacker can execute code could potentially expose information stored on the device, including wallet-related data, screenshots, notes, and authentication codes. For crypto users, that's particularly concerning because a compromised device could potentially give an attacker access to information that helps them get to their assets. And unlike a drained bank account, stolen crypto can be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to recover. It's important to note that SlowMist has not publicly attributed a specific crypto theft to CVE-2026-86950\. The warning is about the potential risk and observed exploitation activity, not a confirmed crypto heist linked to this particular vulnerability. ## What you need to do Update now. Go to Settings → General → Software Update. Apple says iOS 26.7.1 is available for the iPhone 11 and later, iPad Pro 12.9-inch 3rd generation and later, iPad Pro 11-inch 1st generation and later, iPad Air 3rd generation and later, iPad 8th generation and later, and iPad mini 5th generation and later. SlowMist also advises iPhone users to install apps only from trusted sources, avoid suspicious links, and treat unexpected files or installation prompts with caution. ## This is the first major security issue under Apple's new CEO _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Xbox Disc to Digital: How to Check Which Games You Can Convert URL: https://www.techloy.com/xbox-disc-to-digital-list/ Last updated: 2026-09-30T14:00:56.000Z Those [Xbox One and Xbox Series X](https://www.techloy.com/tag/microsoft-xbox/) games sitting on your shelf could be worth firing up again. Microsoft’s Disc to Digital program has officially rolled out to everyone after a brief Xbox Insider testing period, allowing players to claim digital licenses for supported physical games. The catch? Not every disc works, and [Microsoft](https://www.techloy.com/tag/microsoft/) hasn’t provided an official list of compatible titles. Thankfully, Xbox fans have been busy testing their collections and building their own databases. Those efforts have now identified more than 1,500 supported games. One important limitation to keep in mind, though: Xbox 360 games aren't supported. [Gears of War: E-Day Early Access: Time, $30 UpgradeGears of War: E-Day Early Access starts October 1, and Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can get in five days early with a $30 Premium Upgrade.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-9a40c20e-26f8-4e7d-9f37-903765c4ef10.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/image-84--1--e0ad3a13-3351-4b83-89e3-25ef1172dd3d.png)](https://www.techloy.com/gears-of-war-e-day-early-access-release-time/) ## How Many Games Does Xbox Disc-to-Digital Support? Community-maintained compatibility lists currently include more than 1,500 games. The most extensive resource appears to be [XCT.live](https://xct.live/disc2digital), which lists 1,568 supported titles at the time of writing. That list includes recent additions from SEGA and Ubisoft, expanding the number of games players can try converting. Since it’s built from community reports rather than an official Microsoft database, the list may continue to change as more people test their discs. You can also check the TrueAchievements [compatibility list](https://www.trueachievements.com/disc-to-digital/games) or follow the ongoing [ResetEra discussion](https://www.resetera.com/threads/xbox-disc-to-digital-program-live-now-for-alpha-skip-alpha-beta-insiders-official-faq-is-up-update-now-live-for-all.1619635/page-19), where players are sharing their results. ## Which Xbox Games Are Not Compatible With Disc to Digital? While the supported list is already substantial, some games and publishers are still missing. Community testing suggests that Square Enix and Bandai Namco titles are not yet supported. Some early Xbox One discs, particularly games released between 2013 and mid-2014, have also been reported as incompatible. Licensing restrictions can be another obstacle. Forza Horizon 3, for example, is among the games that reportedly do not work with the program. So, before assuming your entire collection is eligible, it’s worth checking the community lists. They’re not an official guarantee, but they can save you some trial and error. ## Can You Convert Xbox 360 Games to Digital? No. Xbox 360 games are not supported by Xbox Disc to Digital, as Microsoft confirmed when it announced the program. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Deadlock Hits 228K Players, But Valve Says It’s Still Far From Finished URL: https://www.techloy.com/deadlock-city-never-sleeps-update/ Last updated: 2026-09-30T12:42:58.000Z Deadlock has just had one of its biggest moments since Valve began letting players into its unfinished hero shooter. The game [crossed](https://steamdb.info/app/1422450/charts/#max) 228,000 concurrent players on [Steam](https://www.techloy.com/tag/steam/), setting a new all-time peak shortly after the launch of its latest major update. But the player count is only part of the story. Alongside the City Never Sleeps update, Valve also provided a surprisingly useful look at Deadlock’s development. And if you have been wondering how close the game is to actually being finished, the answer is: there is still a lot of work to do. [GTA 6 Game Informer Issue: How to Access ItGame Informer’s November issue puts GTA 6 on the cover with a 14-page Leonida feature, Rockstar interviews and 12 exclusive screenshots.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-8b679a89-d29f-4fd5-a8fc-c98e825acf02.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/image-64--1--1-7165e863-02a8-409b-bf1b-706874cd8378.webp)](https://www.techloy.com/gta-6-game-informer-issue-how-to-access/) ## What Is New in Deadlock’s City Never Sleeps Update? The biggest addition is a new New York City-inspired map, giving Deadlock a very different atmosphere from its existing environments. Valve has gone for a stylised version of New York, drawing heavily from the city’s early-to-mid-20th-century look while adding the spooky, supernatural elements that have become part of Deadlock’s identity. The update also introduces Haunts, the new official name for the neutral creatures players previously knew as Neutrals. There are several new types, including Specimen, a disembodied hand inside a jar; Past Dues, which have a library-inspired design; Gutter Ghouls, which look like walking trash bags; and Barrel Mimics, which turn ordinary-looking barrels into enemies. Valve has also added Stage Hands, Festival Spirits, Shrooms and Underhands, giving the new map plenty of unusual creatures to encounter. ## Deadlock Is Getting Six New Heroes There are also six new heroes in development: Nurse Harrow, Rat King, Solomon, Deadman Danny, Baba and Violet. Interestingly, Valve isn't simply dropping all six into the game at once. Players can vote in-game for which hero should be released first, giving the community a direct say in the next character addition. Some of these characters already feel very Deadlock. Rat King comes with a pizza rat companion, Solomon is a competitive chess player, while Baba is an elderly woman who spends her time with pigeons. It is a strange lineup, but that is arguably the point. Valve appears to be continuing to push Deadlock towards a distinct identity rather than making another conventional hero shooter. [Wardogs Steam Charts: Player Count, PS5 & Xbox ReleaseWardogs is coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X|S in 2028, giving console players their first confirmed window for Bulkhead’s throwback multiplayer FPS.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-f89fe0ec-d877-46c6-89b2-da5f8d683a49.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1639656333400-ee5240f757a0-be996a33-bf0d-4903-8c50-457a33393205.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/wardogs-steam-charts-player-count/) ## How Far Along Is Deadlock? _This post is for subscribers only._ ### GTA 6 Game Informer Issue Is Live: How to Access the New Leonida Feature URL: https://www.techloy.com/gta-6-game-informer-issue-how-to-access/ Last updated: 2026-09-30T10:14:58.000Z If you're looking for more [Grand Theft Auto VI](https://www.techloy.com/tag/gta-6/) coverage ahead of its November release, Game Informer's latest magazine is built around Rockstar's upcoming open-world game. The November 2026 issue, Issue 382, features a 14-page GTA 6 cover story focused on Leonida, alongside 12 new exclusive screenshots and interviews with Rockstar Games developers. The digital edition went live on September 29, while the physical magazine is being distributed to subscribers and retailers. Here's what you need to know about getting the issue and what else Game Informer has packed into it. [GTA 6 Collector’s Edition Cost $399.99 and Excludes the GameRockstar’s new Vice City collection packs 11 pieces of GTA 6 memorabilia into a $399.99 box, but you’ll still need to buy the game separately.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-f57398d1-ce84-468f-8406-a91a7a6c8069.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/image-64--1--1-451e6d2e-a56a-4d91-beba-3676df5d430a.png)](https://www.techloy.com/gta-6-collectors-edition-399-vice-city-collection/) ## How to Get Game Informer's GTA 6 Digital Issue Game Informer's GTA 6 digital issue went live on September 29, 2026. The issue is available through Game Informer's digital magazine service, with the publication's announcement specifically stating that subscribers can read the digital version. Game Informer's current subscription options include a Digital Only plan and a Print + Digital plan, both of which provide access to the digital magazine. You can access the magazine through Game Informer's official [GTA 6 issue page](https://gameinformer.com/GTAVI). If you're specifically looking for the main GTA 6 feature rather than the entire magazine, Game Informer has also published individual pieces from the issue on its website. ## Do You Need a Game Informer Subscription? For the digital magazine, yes, Game Informer's current information points to subscription access. The publication's September 29 announcement says subscribers can read the digital version of the latest magazine, while its subscription page currently offers a Digital Only subscription for $39.99 per year. That plan includes 10 digital issues per year, exclusive web features, and access to Game Informer's digital archive. There is also a Print + Digital subscription for $59.99 per year, which includes the physical magazine alongside digital access. That distinction matters because Game Informer's website also has individual GTA 6 stories available outside the magazine. The full digital issue itself is part of the magazine subscription offering. For readers who want the physical GTA 6 issue, Game Informer says print subscriptions include 10 issues per year, with delivery available in the U.S. and internationally. ## What's New in the GTA 6 Feature? _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Nothing Is Going Premium With Its Most Expensive Headphones Yet URL: https://www.techloy.com/nothing-headphone-1-pro-price-features/ Last updated: 2026-09-30T10:11:44.000Z Most people know [Nothing](https://www.techloy.com/tag/nothing-phone/) as the company that tries to release uniquely designed products at relatively affordable prices. Last summer, the company released the Nothing Headphone (1) alongside the [Nothing Phone (3)](https://www.techloy.com/tag/nothing-phone-3/), taking on headphones like Apple’s AirPods Max. Now, the company has launched its successor, the Nothing Headphone (1) Pro, the most expensive headphones it has ever released. The Headphone (1) launched at $299, the Headphone (a) was $199, and the Ear (3a) earbuds were $99. But the Nothing Headphone (1) Pro launched at a whopping $399\. At this price point, it begs the question: why is Nothing moving beyond its budget-friendly category? [Nothing Phone 4b Price and Specs vs Nothing Phone 4aNothing’s new Phone (4b) price is more than the Phone (4a) in India, ₹34,999 against ₹31,999\. Here’s what the extra money buys you, and which one you should get.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-96dd776e-2394-429b-b146-a7fdf51015c7.png)TechloyOgbonda Chivumnovu![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/Nothing-Phone-4B-vs-Phone-4A-Comparison-ae5e7250-8249-49d9-ba96-18f08d27019e.png)](https://www.techloy.com/nothing-phone-4b-vs-nothing-phone-4a/) ## What you get for $399 The Headphone (1) Pro has a triple-driver design, with a 40mm dynamic driver for bass, a separate precision driver for the midrange, and an xMEMS driver for treble. Most headphones use a single driver, so Nothing says its three-driver setup allows it to deliver richer and more detailed sound. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/image-85.png) **Image Credit: Nothing* There's also ANC with 10 microphones. Battery life is rated at 30 hours with ANC on and up to 68 hours with it off. It supports LDAC, USB-C lossless audio, and Auracast. There's also a physical Flat EQ switch for studio professionals that disables EQ and spatial processing. It's made with machined aluminium, titanium, and 9H Panda Glass rather than relying primarily on plastic. It's IP52 rated and has the tactile controls Nothing is known for. ## Why is Nothing charging this much? Nothing has spent years building an audience with relatively affordable, stylish products. Now, it could be trying to use that brand recognition to move further into the premium market. The Headphone (1) Pro isn't competing on price alone. It's competing on features. With this headphone, Nothing has added a bunch of features that are unusual in this category. The triple-driver setup is genuinely unusual, while the physical Flat EQ switch is designed for people who want a more neutral sound for studio work. The design also stands out in a market full of similar-looking round earcups. Nothing is betting that people who liked its more affordable products will follow it upmarket. "To us, this is a flagship product where we're able to showcase what we can do," [said](https://techloymedia-my.sharepoint.com/:w:/g/personal/chivumnovu%5Fogbonda%5Ftechloy%5Fcom/IQD%5FlyNDyHpjToQsJc3Xy4Z5ATERwazgUf%5F2rJauey%5FDVVo?e=Dy0AX2) Charlie Smith, Nothing's chief brand officer. "It also helps elevate us as a brand." ## Nothing's most expensive headphone is still cheaper than some of the competition _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Fast AI Video APIs in 2026: What Sub-Second Generation Actually Changes URL: https://www.techloy.com/fast-ai-video-apis-in-2026-what-sub-second-generation-actually-changes/ Last updated: 2026-09-30T10:09:24.000Z For most of the current generation of video models, the wait is the product constraint. A model that takes ninety seconds to render five seconds of footage can produce beautiful output and still be unusable inside a chat interface, a live demo, or any product where a person is waiting. A handful of models have now crossed below real time, meaning a clip finishes rendering faster than it takes to play. That threshold changes what you can build, and it has quietly reshaped how the hosted video API market is priced. ## **Why Latency Became the Differentiator** Until recently, video model comparisons were almost entirely about output quality. That made sense when every option was slow: if you're waiting a minute either way, you may as well wait for the better-looking result. Interactive products broke that logic. If generation takes longer than playback, the application stalls, and no amount of visual polish fixes the experience. The practical threshold is simple: can the clip finish before the user's attention moves on? This has produced a fairly clear market split. Speed-tier models sit below real time and trade certain features for it. Quality-tier models take two to three times longer and keep the full feature set. Higher-resolution models take considerably longer still. ## **The Current Speed Tier** Several providers now publish an explicit speed variant alongside their flagship. The pattern repeats across vendors: H3 Max Turbo, Kling V3 Turbo, Seedance Mini, LTX-2 Fast. **MiniMax** [**H3 Max Turbo**](https://fal.ai/models/minimax/h3-max-turbo/image-to-video), post-trained by fal from MiniMax's open-weight H3 model, is the most aggressive on latency. fal describes it as targeting the 97th percentile of H3 Max's quality while cutting generation time roughly in half, with published figures around 1.5 seconds for a five-second 768p clip. It runs text-to-video, image-to-video, and first-to-last-frame animation at 24fps across six aspect ratios, with synchronised stereo audio generated alongside the video. Standard pricing runs $0.025 per output second at 480p, $0.04 at 768p, and $0.08 at 1080p. The launch promotion halving those rates is scheduled to end on September 30, 2026, so check the current endpoint pricing before budgeting against any figure you read in an article, including this one. **Kling V3 Turbo** occupies the same tier in its own family but at a different price point, around $0.14 per second at 1080p, and its published latency sits considerably higher. ## **The Quality Tier** [**H3 Max**](https://fal.ai/minimax-h3-max), the model Turbo is distilled from, renders a five-second 768p clip in roughly 2.5 seconds at 0.05–0.08 per second depending on resolution. The meaningful difference isn't polish so much as capability: H3 Max supports reference-to-video, which keeps a character or visual style consistent across multiple clips. That single feature tends to decide the choice. For a branded series, a recurring character, or any sequence where drift between shots is visible, reference support isn't optional and no amount of speed compensates for its absence. Note that reference-to-video bills separately, since the reference material itself consumes tokens. fal's own example estimates a five-second video reference at roughly 37,000 tokens for 768p output, which is a real cost worth modelling before committing to a reference-heavy pipeline. ## **The Resolution Tier** [**H3 Max by fal**](https://fal.ai/models/minimax/h3-max/text-to-video), the open-weights base model, is the route to 2K output and includes video editing and reference endpoints. It bills around $0.13 per second at 2K. Throughput is materially lower, so it suits finishing work rather than iteration. This is the trade the whole market currently reflects: resolution and editing capability cost time, and time is what interactive products don't have. ## **What the Published Benchmarks Show** Comparative timing data in this space is almost entirely vendor-published, and should be read with that in mind. fal's own measurements put the two MiniMax endpoints well below real time for five- and ten-second clips, with LTX-2 Distilled, PixVerse V6, and Kling V3 Turbo Standard all landing above real time at equivalent lengths. Two caveats matter more than the headline numbers. First, wall-clock timing varies substantially between cold and warm machines — in fal's published figures, LTX-2 and Kling swung widely between median and best runs, while the MiniMax endpoints held steadier. Second, audio handling differs: some models bill separately for audio and were tested with it disabled, which isn't a like-for-like comparison against models generating synchronised audio inline. If latency is genuinely load-bearing for your product, run your own timings against your own prompts. Vendor medians are a starting point, not a specification. ## **Practical Guidance for Production** A few things hold regardless of which provider you pick: **Keep clips in the 5–10 second range** where possible. Generation time scales non-linearly, and the jump from ten to fifteen seconds is steeper than from five to ten across most models. **Watch prompt-expansion settings.** On the H3 family, prompt\_expansion\_mode: "quality" can add up to 30 seconds of overhead — enough to erase the entire latency advantage. The "balanced" setting is the sensible default for interactive use. **Separate model time from network time.** Most hosted APIs expose an inference timing field distinct from end-to-end wall clock. Without that split, you'll misattribute queueing and transfer delays to the model. **Budget for retries, not just successes.** On slow generation paths, a failed retry costs both the money and the wait twice over. Cheaper, faster models change this arithmetic considerably: a retry that returns in under fifteen seconds is an inconvenience, while one that returns in three minutes is a broken user experience. **Verify output properties.** Checking returned files with a tool like ffprobe catches resolution, frame rate, and duration mismatches that silently break downstream pipelines. ## **Choosing Between Them** The decision is usually settled by one question: does your workflow need consistency across clips? If yes, you need reference-to-video, which currently means a quality-tier model and roughly double the per-second cost. If no, a speed-tier model handles drafts, prompt exploration, and high-volume batch work at half the rate and a fraction of the wait. If 2K delivery or post-generation editing is a hard requirement, that's a separate tier again, and worth treating as a finishing step rather than an iteration loop. The useful pattern for most teams is to mix tiers rather than standardise on one: explore cheaply and quickly, then re-render approved shots on the model that supports the features the final deliverable actually needs. Since most providers now expose these as different endpoint strings against near-identical request schemas, switching between them is usually a configuration change rather than a rewrite. ### Verity Puts Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson at the Centre of a Twisted Psychological Thriller URL: https://www.techloy.com/verity-movie-release-date-cast/ Last updated: 2026-09-30T10:05:01.000Z Colleen Hoover’s Verity is finally leaving your pages and heading to the big screen. The psychological thriller arrives in cinemas worldwide on October 2, 2026, with Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson and Josh Hartnett leading the cast. Directed by Michael Showalter, the [Amazon MGM Studios film](https://www.aol.com/articles/amazon-mgm-studios-releases-first-172517000.html) runs for about 1 hour and 54 minutes and is rated R in the US for sexual content, language, violence and bloody images. If you have read Hoover’s bestselling 2018 novel, the real appeal is seeing how the filmmakers bring its unsettling story to life. A writer, a disturbing manuscript and a complicated family relationship become the centre of a thriller where you are never sure what is real. [Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story, Fact vs FictionThe Lizzie Borden Story turns an unsolved murder case into a fictional story that makes you question what really happened.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-400ec6e1-8e89-404e-be3c-efa8c75e421b.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/lizzie-99879e93-a6c8-49ba-b7e4-947fd542125e.png)](https://www.techloy.com/monster-the-lizzie-borden-story-made-me-question-how-much-of-true-crime-we-know/) ## What Is Verity About? The story follows Lowen Ashleigh, played by Dakota Johnson, a struggling writer who receives an unusual opportunity when she is hired to finish the bestselling book series of Verity Crawford, played by Hathaway. Verity has been left unable to speak or move after an accident, leaving her husband, Jeremy Crawford, played by Hartnett, looking for someone who can complete her unfinished work. Lowen moves into the Crawford family home to study Verity's writing, but soon discovers a disturbing autobiographical manuscript. The manuscript changes the job completely. Instead of simply trying to finish another author's books, Lowen begins questioning what happened inside the Crawford family and whether the woman in front of her is really as helpless as she appears. This is where the film's central tension comes from because Lowen now has to work out whether she has discovered the truth or stepped into another piece of fiction. ## Why Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson Are Central to Verity _This post is for subscribers only._ ### OpenAI Dots, GPT-6.1 Sol and 8 More Big Announcements From DevDay 2026 URL: https://www.techloy.com/openai-dots-devday-2026-announcements/ Last updated: 2026-09-30T09:57:18.000Z Three weeks ago, Meta [launched](https://www.techloy.com/meta-muse-ai-agent-what-it-can-access/) its AI agent, Meta Muse, and made it free to try. Now [OpenAI](https://www.techloy.com/tag/openai/) has launched a rival, and it'll cost you at least $100 a month. It's called OpenAI Dots, and CEO Sam Altman unveiled it on Tuesday, September 29, at OpenAI DevDay 2026, the company's yearly developer conference. Dots are AI agents that keep working for you even after you log off. Unlike Muse, which is US-only, Dots works outside the US, but you'll need ChatGPT's Pro or Business Premium plan. OpenAI made 24 other announcements at the event, including GPT-6.1 Sol, a model it says is 80% cheaper than its flagship, GPT-6 Astra. Most ChatGPT plans pick up something new. If you're on the $200 Pro plan, though, you're about to lose around half your usage by the end of October. Here are the biggest announcements. [Why Anthropic Researcher Jacob Coxon Quit, and Who AgreedCoxon’s warning comes as both OpenAI and Anthropic have faced incidents involving their AI systems gaining access to other organisations’ systems.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-083b870e-ffbd-4b9c-93a9-d32f5421a50a.png)TechloyDavid Adubiina![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1579226905180-636b76d96082-893f2993-ad38-41d5-95dc-7f4d1635dd91.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/anthropic-researcher-quits-jacob-coxon-ai-safety/) ## /1\. OpenAI Dots are rolling out now Dots started rolling out on Tuesday to Pro and Business Premium users, but Pro users in most of Europe, including the EU and UK, will have to wait. One Dot comes with your plan. OpenAI says you'll be able to add more later, but it hasn't said what they'll cost. "I have been waiting for this product for years," Altman said after OpenAI's Holly Li showed it off on stage. ## /2\. GPT-6.1 Sol is out, but GPT-6.1 Astra was shelved over deception concerns Sol costs developers $2 per million tokens in and $10 per million out, against Astra's $10 and $50\. In ChatGPT, it's available on Plus and above, but not on the Free or Go plans. The day before DevDay, OpenAI shelved GPT-6.1 Astra after safety tests flagged higher levels of deception, and Altman didn't mention it on stage. ## /3\. There's now a $500 ChatGPT plan, and the $200 one is getting smaller The new Pro 500 plan gives you 25 times the usage you'd get on Plus, plus access to Ultrafast, OpenAI's new speed setting. The $200 plan, meanwhile, costs the same but gives you less. From October 30, its allowance for work tasks and Codex drops from 20 times to 10 times, and messages to its GPT-6 Pro model go from 200 a week to 100, according to its help page. If you already pay $200, OpenAI says you keep your current limits until October 29. ## /4\. 300 tokens a second with OpenAI's Ultrafast setting Ultrafast makes GPT-6 Astra up to eight times quicker than normal. You can use it through OpenAI's API, the platform developers build apps on, or in ChatGPT and Codex if you're on the $500 Pro plan or Enterprise. It costs more than the standard speed, and Altman didn't pretend otherwise: "You know what, it's worth it." OpenAI says a Sol version is coming within days. ## /5\. ChatGPT Space puts your team and your AI agents in the same workspace Space is a shared workspace where your colleagues and your Dots work together. Think of it as OpenAI's answer to Google Workspace. Inside it, Pages hold text, live charts, and even working prototypes, and you can tag a Dot in a comment to get something done. Collaborative Slides arrive in the coming weeks and export to PowerPoint or Google Slides. It's all for Pro, Business and Enterprise plans. ## /6\. Start a coding task on your phone, finish it on your laptop _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Why Quality Control Software Is Quietly Eating the Factory Floor URL: https://www.techloy.com/why-quality-control-software-is-quietly-eating-the-factory-floor/ Last updated: 2026-09-30T09:08:06.000Z Your phone survived a drop test you never saw. The painkiller in your cabinet cleared a check that took under nine seconds. Somewhere between the assembly line and the shelf, software decided both were safe enough to ship — no notification sent. That invisible layer is quality control software, and it's spreading through factories the way cloud storage ate the hard drive. The shift is overdue: the alternative is still a laminated binder and a supervisor with a clipboard. Here's what the category actually does, why the boring parts matter more than the flashy ones, and how to tell when your operation has outgrown spreadsheets. ## What quality control software actually handles Strip away the marketing, and it's one loop: catch a defect, record it, trace the cause, confirm the fix held. Software makes that loop fast and provable. QA prevents problems before production; QC catches them during and after — most platforms braid both, hence "quality management." Typical suites cover defect logs, supplier scorecards, corrective actions, document control, training records, and audits, plus batch release and validation in regulated industries. ## Why factories finally stopped resisting The pushback was real for years. Production managers saw data entry as a tax on throughput, and honestly, some of the early tools deserved the reputation. Three things changed. Cloud pricing killed the six-figure upfront license, mobile apps let inspectors capture findings at the machine instead of at a desk three buildings away, and regulators started expecting electronic records you can query instead of paper you can only file. There's also a staffing reality underneath all of it. According to the [Bureau of Labor Statistics](https://www.bls.gov), millions of Americans work in manufacturing and quality roles, and a large share of that workforce is aging toward retirement. When a veteran quality manager walks out the door, any knowledge stored only in their head leaves with them. Software that captures decisions as they happen turns tribal knowledge into something a new hire can look up. I'd rather see a factory invest in that than in another wall-mounted dashboard nobody reads. ## The part most buyers get wrong Teams shop for features and forget adoption. A system that inspectors hate gets worked around within a month, and the workaround is always a spreadsheet. So before you compare vendors, get honest about your own process. Map how a defect moves from discovery to closure today, in order, with names attached. You'll usually find two or three steps that exist only because the current system can't talk to itself. Here's the sequence I'd run: 1\. Pick one product line and one defect type. Not the whole plant. 2\. Time how long it currently takes to trace a bad batch back to its source. 3\. Run both the old process and a software trial for thirty days. 4\. Compare the trace times, not the feature lists. 5\. Only then negotiate a wider rollout. ## Compliance is a floor, not a ceiling Plenty of vendors pitch regulations as the main reason to buy. I think that undersells the case. Meeting a standard is the entry ticket, not the win. The [International Organization for Standardization](https://www.iso.org) maintains the quality management standards that most global supply chains recognize, and companies chase certification for good reason: buyers demand it. But certification without daily use is theater. I've seen plants pass audits with immaculate documentation while the actual defect rate stayed flat for two years. Where the software earns its keep is visibility. When supplier data, training records, and inspection results live in one place, patterns surface that no single report would show. A recurring failure on one supplier's component. A shift whose scrap rate runs higher than the others. A training gap that lines up neatly with a spike in rework. None of that requires AI, by the way. It requires records that connect. ## Where AI fits, and where it doesn't Vendors are rushing to bolt AI onto quality platforms, and the useful applications are narrower than the pitches suggest. Pattern detection works: with a few years of defect history, a model can flag a trending supplier before a human notices. Document comparison works too — a spec revision buried on page forty can invalidate a whole validation package. What doesn't work is treating AI as a substitute for a defined process. A model trained on messy records produces confident nonsense, and in a regulated environment, that's expensive. Fix the process first, then add intelligence. Shopping now? Ask every vendor for a trace from a live demo tenant, not a slide and watch how many clicks it takes to trace a specific lot. That tells you more than any comparison chart. ## Deciding whether you actually need it You probably don't need [Quality management solutions/ quality control management software](http://qualityone.com/products) if you run a single location with a handful of products and no regulatory exposure. A good spreadsheet and a disciplined team will carry you fine. You probably do need them when any of these show up: multiple sites or contract manufacturers, customers who audit you, products with safety implications, or a trace question that takes more than an hour to answer. The telltale sign is the fire drill. If a single customer complaint turns into three days of digging through email threads and scanned forms, you've already outgrown your tools. You're just paying for it in labor instead of licenses. And here's the angle nobody pitches: quality software is a customer experience product. The buyer on the other end doesn't care about your CAPA workflow. They care that the replacement part arrived correct and on time. Everything you do upstream is invisible until it fails, which is exactly why the boring software matters. So look at your own operation this week. Pick one recurring problem, the one that eats a few hours every month. Trace it end to end and count the handoffs. If the number surprises you, that's your answer, and it's a better starting point than any vendor's sales deck. ### Building Resilient Portfolios Across Africa: Gene Grand on Multi-Market Strategy URL: https://www.techloy.com/building-resilient-portfolios-across-africa-gene-grand-on-multi-market-strategy-2/ Last updated: 2026-09-30T08:34:56.000Z Growth-focused investors often approach Africa as a single opportunity, or concentrate in Kenya simply because it is the market they know best. [Gene Grand](https://www.crunchbase.com/person/gene-grand) argues for a different starting point: a pan-African approach built deliberately across Kenya, Nigeria, and other jurisdictions, each with its own regulatory cycle, its own economic drivers, and its own growth trajectory that rarely moves in step with its neighbours. The instinct to concentrate in one familiar market is understandable. It is easier to build relationships, track regulatory change, and develop institutional knowledge in a single jurisdiction than to manage several at once. Grand's argument is that this convenience carries a real cost, because it leaves a portfolio fully exposed to whatever happens to that market's particular cycle. Recent regional data illustrates the point sharply. Private capital activity in Africa, meaning investments by venture capital, private equity, private debt and infrastructure investors, held broadly steady in the first nine months of 2025, with 341 deals recorded across the continent, according to the African Private Capital Association. Beneath that total, individual regions diverged considerably: West Africa recorded 73 deals worth US$0.3 billion, an 8% year-on-year decline that the report itself describes as modest, while East Africa recorded 82 worth US$0.5 billion, up 4% and its second-highest Q1-Q3 total on record. A portfolio concentrated in the weaker market would have faced a noticeably different deal environment from one exposed across both. "Markets facing regulatory headwinds in one year frequently present the strongest entry points in the next," Grand has said. "But you only get to capture that if you already have some form of presence there. You can't rotate into a market you've never bothered to understand." ## What continent-wide macro data actually shows The broader continental backdrop reinforces why market selection matters as much as market entry. In its April 2026 update, the World Bank described Sub-Saharan Africa's growth as holding steady overall at a regional level, even as the outlook has been revised downward and risks are weighted toward the downside, with debt service pressures mounting. Inflation, by contrast, has been easing: the regional median fell from 4.4% in 2024 to 3.7% in 2025 and slowed in 33 of 47 economies, though the World Bank projects a rise to 4.8% as geopolitical pressures feed through. A regional average, however, tends to obscure exactly the divergence that makes multi-market positioning valuable. The IMF's April 2026 outlook for the region similarly points to uneven pressure across countries, with growth slowing overall as external shocks work through the system unevenly by jurisdiction. Gene Grand's reading of this data is that averages are precisely where risk hides. "The regional growth number is a useful headline, but it's not what any single portfolio actually experiences," he has said. "What matters is which specific markets you're in when the shock hits, and whether you're diversified enough that a downturn in one doesn't sink the whole position." ## Borrowing the logic from other asset classes Grand's multi-market thinking draws on a pattern institutional investors have already worked through in other emerging-market contexts. Broader emerging-market investing has moved away from treating the entire category as a single monolithic bloc, toward building strategies around smaller regional groupings that behave differently from one another, a shift driven by recognition that dispersion of returns within the category has been widening rather than narrowing. Grand applies the same logic to Africa, even though the specific markets and drivers involved differ entirely: treat the continent as a set of related but distinct cycles, not a single undifferentiated opportunity. A parallel argument emerges from general corporate resilience thinking. Organisations across industries have increasingly shifted from narrow, reactive risk management toward broader strategic resilience planning that anticipates disruption rather than merely responding once it arrives. Grand applies the same principle at the portfolio level: build the capacity to absorb a shock in any single market before that shock occurs, rather than treating diversification as something arranged only after the first market turns. ## What diversification is actually for "Effective diversification across Africa isn't about spreading capital evenly across every market you can find," Gene Grand has said. "It's about understanding how individual markets cycle, and positioning capital deliberately to meet them at the right point in that cycle." For investors and portfolio companies operating across the continent, Grand's framework is straightforward in principle, if demanding in practice: understand each market's regulatory and economic rhythm individually, hold exposure across more than one of them, and treat a downturn in any single jurisdiction as an entry signal for capital already positioned to respond, rather than as a reason to retreat from the continent altogether. ### How Better Mapping Can Improve Disaster Response and Recovery URL: https://www.techloy.com/how-better-mapping-can-improve-disaster-response-and-recovery/ Last updated: 2026-09-30T07:31:01.000Z When a natural disaster strikes, access to accurate information can make a significant difference in how quickly communities respond and recover. Emergency managers need to understand where damage has occurred, which roads remain accessible, where critical infrastructure is at risk, and which communities may need assistance first. Without reliable geographic information, answering these questions can become more difficult at precisely the moment when time matters most. Better mapping helps turn complex location-based data into information that emergency teams, local governments, utilities, engineers, and community organizations can use to make informed decisions. From identifying areas exposed to flooding before a storm to coordinating infrastructure repairs afterward, modern mapping technology has become an important component of disaster preparedness, response, and long-term recovery. ## **Understanding Risk Before a Disaster Occurs** Effective disaster response begins well before an emergency. Geographic data can help communities identify where hazards intersect with people, property, infrastructure, and natural systems. Flood-prone areas, wildfire risk zones, evacuation routes, drainage systems, utility networks, hospitals, schools, bridges, and other critical assets can all be represented geographically. Combining these datasets gives planners a clearer picture of potential vulnerabilities. For example, a flood risk map becomes considerably more useful when it can be analyzed alongside road networks, neighborhoods, emergency facilities, and utility infrastructure. Instead of examining each dataset separately, decision-makers can understand how multiple factors interact within the same geographic area. This type of spatial analysis can support emergency planning by helping agencies determine where evacuation routes may be vulnerable, which infrastructure assets require additional protection, and where emergency resources might need to be positioned. Better preparation does not eliminate disaster risk, but it can reduce uncertainty when an emergency occurs. ## **Creating a Clearer Picture During an Emergency** Conditions can change quickly during hurricanes, floods, wildfires, severe storms, and other disasters. Static maps created weeks or months earlier may no longer reflect what is happening on the ground. Modern mapping platforms can incorporate updated information from field teams, public agencies, sensors, aerial imagery, drones, and other sources. When these datasets are brought together, emergency teams can develop a more current operational picture. A shared map or dashboard might show damaged roads, flooded areas, utility outages, emergency shelters, response teams, and critical facilities at the same time. This visibility can improve coordination across organizations. Instead of relying on separate spreadsheets, reports, phone calls, and disconnected systems, teams can use a common geographic reference to understand where incidents are occurring and how conditions are changing. That can help emergency managers prioritize resources and communicate information more efficiently. ## **Supporting Faster Damage Assessments** Once immediate threats begin to subside, communities need to understand the extent of the damage. Mapping can help organize field assessments by location, allowing teams to document affected buildings, roads, drainage infrastructure, utilities, and public facilities. Photos, inspection details, coordinates, and condition assessments can be connected directly to mapped assets. This approach creates a more structured record of disaster impacts. Areas with significant damage can be identified visually, while field teams can see which locations have already been inspected and which still require attention. Data collected in the field can also be incorporated into dashboards that provide agencies and project teams with a broader view of recovery progress. Accurate damage information can support decisions about repairs, resource allocation, infrastructure priorities, and future mitigation efforts. ## **Why Better Disaster Mapping Matters in Texas** Texas communities face a wide range of natural hazards, including hurricanes along the Gulf Coast, inland flooding, severe thunderstorms, extreme heat, drought, and wildfires. The state's large geographic footprint and mix of dense metropolitan areas, rural communities, transportation networks, waterways, and critical infrastructure can make disaster planning particularly complex. Location-specific data therefore plays an important role in understanding how hazards may affect different communities and infrastructure systems. Professional [**GIS services**](https://www.pape-dawson.com/services/gis/) can help public agencies, infrastructure owners, developers, and project teams organize and visualize geographic information for applications such as flood analysis, infrastructure management, asset tracking, planning, and real-time data collection. When reliable spatial information is available before and after an emergency, stakeholders can build a clearer picture of both immediate conditions and longer-term recovery needs. For Texas communities, this type of mapping can be especially useful when evaluating the relationship between population growth, development, drainage, transportation systems, utilities, and changing hazard exposure. ## **Prioritizing Critical Infrastructure** Not every damaged asset can be repaired immediately after a major disaster. Communities often need to determine which roads, utilities, and public facilities should receive attention first. Mapping can help establish those priorities by showing where infrastructure damage overlaps with access restrictions, service disruptions, and areas of greatest need. For transportation networks, this information can help agencies identify damaged roadways, blocked routes, vulnerable bridges, and access points that may require[ **transportation engineering services**](https://www.pape-dawson.com/services/transportation/) as part of the recovery process. Similar mapping can be used to assess water infrastructure, including treatment facilities, pipelines, pump stations, and other assets where[ **water treatment engineering services**](https://www.pape-dawson.com/services/water-wastewater/) may be needed to restore reliable operations. Looking at these systems together also helps reveal how one infrastructure problem can affect another. For example, a damaged roadway may prevent crews from reaching a water treatment facility, while flooding near a major intersection can disrupt access to hospitals, shelters, or utility infrastructure. Mapping these relationships helps decision-makers prioritize repairs based not only on individual damage, but also on the wider impact each asset has on community recovery. Spatial analysis helps teams see these dependencies more clearly and make more coordinated infrastructure decisions after a disaster. ## **Improving Communication Between Response Teams** Disaster response often involves multiple organizations, including local governments, emergency management agencies, utility providers, transportation departments, engineering teams, contractors, nonprofits, and state or federal agencies. Each organization may collect different types of information. A well-designed mapping platform can create a shared visual framework for that information. Rather than requiring every stakeholder to interpret lengthy reports or separate databases, maps can communicate where problems are occurring and how they relate geographically. Interactive dashboards can make this information even more accessible by allowing users to explore specific locations, assets, or categories of damage. Clearer communication can reduce duplication of effort and help teams coordinate activities across complex recovery operations. ## **Using Mapping to Guide Long-Term Recovery** Disaster mapping remains valuable long after emergency operations end. Data collected during an event can help communities understand where infrastructure repeatedly fails, which neighborhoods experience recurring impacts, and where future investments may reduce risk. Patterns may become visible when information from multiple events is compared over time. A community might discover that certain roadways consistently become inaccessible during heavy rainfall or that particular drainage systems experience repeated problems. Decision-makers can use these insights when developing capital improvement plans, evaluating mitigation projects, or planning future development. In this way, disaster mapping becomes more than a response tool. It can contribute to long-term resilience. ## **Building Better Data Before the Next Emergency** The effectiveness of emergency mapping depends heavily on the quality of the underlying data. Organizations should maintain accurate geographic information about infrastructure, property, transportation networks, utilities, drainage systems, critical facilities, and other important assets before a disaster happens. Consistent data standards also matter. Information from different departments and organizations is much easier to combine when datasets use compatible formats, naming conventions, and geographic references. Regularly updating these records can help prevent emergency teams from relying on outdated information when conditions become critical. ### VIDEO: What scaling OLX, Google, Bolt in Nigeria taught Lola Masha about building and backing ventures URL: https://www.techloy.com/video-what-scaling-olx-google-bolt-nigeria-taught-lola-masha-about-building-and-backing-ventures/ Last updated: 2026-09-30T22:48:59.000Z In this episode of [The Founder Room](https://community.techloy.com/the-founder-room-podcast), I had a conversation with [Lola Masha](https://lolamasha.com/), a partner at [Antler](https://www.antler.co/) in Lagos, and one of the few people who has helped scale a global marketplace, a mobility giant and an agricultural franchise in the same career. Lola trained as an engineer and took a PhD in chemical engineering at Berkeley before starting out at McKinsey in 2007\. She spent four years at Google as one of the earliest employees in its Sub-Saharan Africa business, then joined OLX in 2014, where she ran the Nigerian business as country manager before moving into a global role leading trust and safety across more than 30 markets. In 2012, alongside that corporate career, she co-founded Babban Gona, the agricultural franchise working with smallholder farmers in northern Nigeria, joining full-time as executive director in 2019\. She moved to Bolt in 2023 as regional general manager for North, East and West Africa, and joined Antler as a partner in its Lagos office in mid-2025, which backs founders from day zero, often before there is a product or even a complete idea. She also hosts Periscope, a podcast where she interviews founders and operators about the business side of building. On a lighter note, the episode covers what she wanted to be growing up, her first job, where she lands on build versus buy, whether founders should raise early or bootstrap longer, and the first app she opens in the morning. The answers say as much about how Lola thinks as the long-form ones do, and two of them are worth the watch on their own. Watch the [full episode](https://community.techloy.com/c/the-founder-room/lola-masha-from-scaling-africa-s-biggest-platforms-to-backing-what-comes-next) on the Techloy Community to hear Lola on what operating at scale taught her about African consumers, what she looks for in a founder at the earliest stage, how building here shapes the decisions that matter, and where she thinks the next generation of companies will come from. --- *If you're a founder, investor, creator, developer, builder, or tech professional interested in sharing your story and lessons learned with our community and the global tech ecosystem, kindly reach out by* [*booking a session*](https://calendly.com/the-founder-room-podcast)*.* ### Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story Made Me Question How Much of True Crime We Know URL: https://www.techloy.com/monster-the-lizzie-borden-story-made-me-question-how-much-of-true-crime-we-know/ Last updated: 2026-10-11T13:39:17.000Z The strange thing about watching The [Lizzie Borden Story](https://www.techloy.com/monster-lizzie-borden-true-story/) is how easily you can start to understand Lizzie Borden. But she's not exactly someone you are supposed to feel sorry for. She was accused of killing her father, Andrew Borden, and her stepmother, Abby Borden, with an axe in 1892\. She was tried and acquitted the following year, and more than 130 years later, nobody can say with certainty what happened inside that house. The mystery around Lizzie is what gives Netflix's Monster something to work with. We know the murders, and we know the nursery rhyme. What we don't know is what happened inside that house before everything went wrong. That's where the series steps in to fill in the blanks and imagine what might have happened. [Monster Lizzie Borden Story: What’s True and What’s FictionNetflix’s Monster turns Lizzie Borden’s unsolved murder case into a fictional story built around the gaps in what history can prove.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-44d2218b-1721-42bd-a309-00129a261179.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/image-46--1--c5246418-2417-4127-bb34-5ecc354ffcbe.png)](https://www.techloy.com/monster-lizzie-borden-true-story/) ## Ella Beatty Made It Easy To Understand Lizzie Ella Beatty’s performance is easily one of the best things about this series. I had never watched her before, so I went into the series without any real idea of what she would do with Lizzie. By the time I finished it, I wanted to look her up, and that alone says a lot about how well she brought the character to life. Beatty plays Lizzie as someone difficult to dislike completely. She's lonely, frustrated, and clearly desperate for some affection in a household where she hardly seems to receive it. The series places her in a strict Victorian environment and spends a lot of time showing just how trapped she feels. The way Lizzie relates to her stepmother, Abby, tells us a lot about what life is like for her at home. The series portrays Abby as cruel towards Lizzie, while her father is distant and largely uninterested in what is happening around him. So if Lizzie becomes angry, you understand where that anger comes from. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### God of War Laufey Pre-Orders Are Live With 3 Bonuses and New Faye Combat URL: https://www.techloy.com/god-of-war-laufey-pre-orders-are-live-with-3-bonuses-and-new-faye-combat/ Last updated: 2026-09-29T15:00:20.000Z If you're already planning to play God of War Laufey, there's one date that matters today: September 29. Santa Monica Studio has opened pre-orders for the new [PS5](https://www.techloy.com/tag/ps5/) adventure at 10 a.m. local time, giving players several months to secure their copy ahead of its February 16, 2027 release. More importantly, the studio has now detailed what comes with the pre-order bonus and Digital Deluxe Edition, while a new look at Faye's combat reveals how her Serpent Bow works alongside her melee attacks. So if you're trying to decide whether to pre-order Laufey, which edition to buy, or simply want to understand how Faye actually plays, here's what you need to know. [New God of War Rumours Suggest Faye Could Finally Solve the Series’ Biggest MysteryFans believe a rumoured God of War follow-up focused on Faye could finally explain who blew the mysterious horn in 2018’s reboot.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-548d31b5-b407-4fb5-9911-86b4b5c17b05.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1563208964-a455770abf67-340a6849-a683-486b-93ef-3e07405518da.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/new-god-of-war-rumours-suggest-faye-could-finally-solve-the-series-biggest-mystery/) ## What Do You Get for Pre-Ordering God of War Laufey? Pre-ordering God of War Laufey gets you three bonus items: - Last Wish Armor Set - Phranque Golden Leaves Appearance - In-game Resource Pack The Phranque Golden Leaves item is a cosmetic appearance, while the resource pack provides additional resources for Faye's adventure. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/80456f7d6b73917ed6ac7162328b97d7e69df1b9.jpg) Image credit: PlayStation Some of the bonus content may need to be unlocked through story progression. For physical Standard Edition purchases, the bonus content is supplied as a download code. You'll need an internet connection and a PlayStation account to redeem it. ## What's Included in the God of War Laufey Digital Deluxe Edition? The Digital Deluxe Edition comes with additional equipment and digital extras on top of the base game. It includes: - Dark Alchemy Armor Set - Dark Alchemy Blade - Dark Alchemy Bow Scales - Dark Alchemy Catalyst - In-game Resource Pack - Digital Mini Artbook - Official God of War Laufey Digital Soundtrack The equipment isn't purely cosmetic. The different armor, Blade, Scales and Catalyst options are connected to Laufey's customization systems, giving players different ways to shape Faye's equipment. Santa Monica Studio has not announced pricing for the Digital Deluxe Edition in the pre-order announcement, so that information will depend on the relevant PlayStation Store listing. [PS5 Update 14.0 Gives PS5 Pro a Free PSSR 2.0 UpgradeSony is reportedly testing PS5 firmware 14.0, and PS5 Pro owners could get an upgraded version of the console’s PSSR upscaling technology.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-920398f9-2874-4c2c-8699-44161d22506d.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1623934199716-dc28818a6ec7-e53dd73b-d645-4184-847f-346ed40ff3c9.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/ps5-update-14-0-pssr-2-0-ps5-pro/) ## How Does Faye's Serpent Bow Work in God of War Laufey? The Serpent Bow is one of the biggest differences between Faye and the previous protagonists we've followed in the series. Rather than treating ranged combat as something completely separate from melee attacks, Laufey is designed around switching between the two. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/d9d0a64623639de5ce6e30a52ed09b74c8c0282f.jpg) Image credit: PlayStation The Serpent Bow can be used in two different aiming styles, with different arrow types and customizable Serpent Scales adding further options. That means Faye's ranged attacks aren't simply about standing back and shooting enemies. They are designed to feed into the wider combat system. [How to Watch Free Live TV on PS5 in the U.S.Sony has launched free, ad-supported Live TV on PS5, giving U.S. players access to more than 100 live channels and on-demand content.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-3bc16c6c-e14a-4288-b716-b97592b7d842.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1668877779533-76662f33dc34-f1dccd5d-4b92-4a41-a048-7326d91169c9.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/how-to-watch-live-tv-on-ps5/) ## What Is Precision Mode in God of War Laufey? _This post is for subscribers only._ ### What Happens When Your Car Lease Ends? Options Every Driver Should Know URL: https://www.techloy.com/what-happens-when-your-car-lease-ends-options-every-driver-should-know/ Last updated: 2026-09-29T14:27:14.000Z A car lease doesn't simply end without a decision. Before you hand over the keys, you usually need to return the vehicle, buy it, or arrange an approved extension. That sounds simple. The math often isn't. What happens when your car lease ends depends on the car's mileage, condition, buyout price, taxes, and what similar vehicles sell for near you. A little homework now can save you from a nasty bill later. ## What Happens When Your Car Lease Ends: Your Main Options Your lease contract and finance company set the rules, including deadlines, inspection steps, and potential charges. Don't rely on a dealer conversation alone. Read the paperwork, then ask the leasing company for written figures. Most drivers have three paths at lease end. Leasing remains a major part of the U.S. auto market. According to Experian, 24.1% of new vehicles were leased in Q1 2026\. The average lease payment was $619 per month, compared with $770 for a new-car loan. ### Return the car and move into something new Returning the car means scheduling the handoff, completing an inspection if required, removing your belongings, and turning in the keys and accessories. You can then lease or buy something else. Don't assume the current dealer has your best next deal. Compare offers, incentives, trade-in values, and financing before signing another contract. A returned vehicle can bring a disposition fee, excess mileage charges, and bills for damage beyond normal wear. Those costs don't mean returning is wrong. They simply belong in the calculation. ### Buy the vehicle at its lease-end purchase price The purchase option is the amount required to buy the vehicle at lease end. If you're considering a [Hyundai lease buyout](https://www.leaseenddepartment.com/hyundai-lease-buyout/) or a buyout from another manufacturer, start by checking the purchase terms in your original contract. You may see the amount called the residual value or buyout price. Your contract controls the formula. It may list a fixed amount, use fair market value, or include another stated method. Buying usually avoids excess-mileage and excess-wear charges tied to returning the vehicle. Still, ownership isn't free. You may owe a purchase-option fee, sales or use tax, registration, an inspection, and financing interest. ### Ask about an extension or lease renewal Some leasing companies allow a short extension or offer a new lease. Others want the car back on the scheduled date. An extension is never something to assume. Ask about the monthly payment, mileage allowance, rent charges, insurance requirements, and final return date. A month-to-month extension can buy time, but it may not be the cheapest route. ## Lease-End Costs: Mileage, Wear, and Disposition Fees Return charges are where lease-end decisions get expensive fast. There is no universal fee schedule, so your contract and written inspection report matter more than a dealer's rough estimate. ### How excess mileage and wear charges work Mileage limits can become surprisingly important. Federal Highway Administration data show that light-duty vehicles averaged about 10,800 miles of travel per vehicle in 2024\. A driver with a relatively low annual lease allowance can therefore run into excess-mileage charges even without unusually heavy driving. Your lease sets a mileage allowance and a per-mile rate if you go over it. For example, a contract charging 25 cents per mile would bill $1,000 for 4,000 extra miles. That's only an example, not a standard rate. Wear charges can include broken or missing parts, dents, cracked glass, damaged trim, stained upholstery, torn seats, worn tires, or poor-quality repairs. A scratch you barely notice may be fine. A cracked windshield probably won't be. Review the leasing company's wear standards before paying for repairs. The dealer's opinion is useful, but the lessor's written standards are what count. ## How to Choose Between Returning, Buying, or Extending Your Lease The lowest monthly payment can distract you from the real question: what will each choice cost in total? ### Compare the buyout price with the car's current market value Find the purchase-option price in your lease. Then compare it with pricing guides, dealer purchase quotes, and listings for similar vehicles in your area. Match the year, trim, mileage, condition, and major options as closely as possible. If your buyout is below the car's market value, purchasing may make sense. If it's well above market value, returning it may be the cleaner move. Don't stop at the sticker number. Add taxes, registration, purchase fees, financing interest, and your car's maintenance history. A cheap buyout loses its shine if the vehicle needs costly tires, brakes, or repairs next month. ### Estimate your total return cost before the inspection Build a quick return estimate before you decide. Include: - The expected disposition fee listed in your contract. - Excess mileage based on your current odometer reading. - Likely wear charges under the lessor's standards. - Unpaid monthly payments, taxes, or other contract amounts. - The cost of replacing the vehicle after the return. Buying can remove return-related mileage and wear charges. It doesn't erase the problem if the buyout price is far higher than the vehicle's real value. Request a written payoff or buyout quote, not a verbal estimate. ### Gears of War: E-Day Early Access Starts Thursday: How to Play 5 Days Early URL: https://www.techloy.com/gears-of-war-e-day-early-access-release-time/ Last updated: 2026-09-29T13:00:02.000Z If you already know that [*Gears of War: E-Day*](https://www.techloy.com/gears-of-war-controller-e-day-price-release-date/) launches on October 6, there’s one date you should actually be paying attention to this week: October 1. That’s when Early Access begins for players with the right edition, giving them up to five days with The Coalition’s new Gears prequel before the wider launch. For players in Nigeria, *E-Day* Early Access starts at 4pm WAT on Thursday, October 1\. And if you already have Game Pass Ultimate, there’s an important detail: you don't need to buy the $99.99 Premium Edition to get in early. [Microsoft](https://www.techloy.com/tag/microsoft/) is offering a $30 Premium Edition Upgrade that adds Early Access and the Premium Edition's extras to the game. Here’s what you need to know before October 1, including the Early Access release time, which edition you need, how the Game Pass option works, and whether you can download the game now. [Xbox Game Pass October 2026 Lineup: 9 Games + Release DatesGears of War: E-Day leads an October lineup that already has nine confirmed games.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-0f387229-53b6-4426-a250-74c0c0450f57.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1638431755905-631694da8921-46878d49-3f36-452f-a83b-154a9123e28d.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/xbox-game-pass-october-2026-lineup/) ## When does Gears of War: E-Day Early Access start? *Gears of War: E-Day* Early Access begins on Thursday, October 1, 2026, at 3pm UTC. Microsoft is using a worldwide launch time rather than unlocking the game at midnight in each region. Some key release times are: - Nigeria/West Africa: 4pm WAT - UK and Ireland: 4pm BST - Central Europe: 5pm CEST - US East Coast: 11am EDT - US Central: 10am CDT - US West Coast: 8am PDT - Japan: midnight JST on October 2 - Eastern Australia: 1am AEDT on October 2 The standard launch follows the same schedule on October 6 at 3pm UTC, or 4pm WAT in Nigeria. ## How can you play Gears of War: E-Day early? You need an edition that includes Early Access. The $99.99 Premium Edition includes up to five days of Early Access, along with the Bravo Squad Signature Weapon Pack, five Seasonal Customization Packs, and 1,000 Iron. There's also a $30 Premium Edition Upgrade for players who already have the game or have Game Pass Ultimate. It provides the same Early Access benefit and Premium Edition extras without requiring you to purchase the full $99.99 edition. That makes the upgrade the option to look at if you already have access to *E-Day* through Game Pass Ultimate and want to start playing five days before everyone else. ## Does Xbox Game Pass include Gears of War: E-Day Early Access? Not on its own. *Gears of War: E-Day* joins Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass on October 6, when the standard version launches. Game Pass subscribers who want to play on October 1 can purchase the Premium Edition Upgrade instead. Xbox says the upgrade requires the base game or a Game Pass Ultimate membership. So if you're happy to wait, your Game Pass subscription gets you into the game on October 6\. If you want the five-day head start, the $30 upgrade is the additional purchase. ## Can you pre-install Gears of War: E-Day? Yes. Pre-installation began on September 29 at 3pm UTC for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, and Steam. That means the game can already be downloaded ahead of the October 1 Early Access launch. Xbox specifically recommends pre-installing ahead of time so players are ready when the game unlocks. If you're planning to play at 4pm WAT on Thursday, there's little reason to wait until launch time to start the download. ## When does Gears of War: E-Day fully launch? For players without Early Access, *Gears of War: E-Day* launches on October 6, 2026, at 3pm UTC. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Anthropic Wants AI to Slow Down. Its IPO Shows the Cost of Scaling URL: https://www.techloy.com/anthropic-ipo-prospectus-cost/ Last updated: 2026-09-29T11:56:20.000Z Even after calling for a slowdown in the development of powerful artificial intelligence, [Anthropic](https://www.techloy.com/tag/anthropic/) appears to be betting heavily on what the technology could become. In its [IPO](https://www.techloy.com/what-is-initial-public-offering-ipo/) prospectus seen by [Reuters](https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/anthropics-ipo-prospectus-shows-sweeping-ai-vision-surging-costs-2026-09-28/), the AI company says it plans to spend $518 billion on cloud, computing, and infrastructure obligations in the coming years, a commitment that shows just how expensive its ambition is. But getting there is already costing the company billions, with the AI lab reporting a nearly $42 billion net loss in 2025, while its revenue grew 12-fold to nearly $4.6 billion. Its operating loss also widened sharply, reaching $8.06 billion, up from $2.98 billion in 2024, according to the prospectus. [Claude Mythos Went Rogue in UK AI Test, So Did GPT-5.6 SolAISI ran 122 cybersecurity tests, and in 10 of them, AI agents took “autonomous, unsanctioned action on the live internet, targeting real people and organizations.”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-4caa1a71-ca0b-4298-bad7-79b434238859.png)TechloyOgbonda Chivumnovu![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1550439062-609e1531270e-a3195858-cad1-4cea-9c94-c9cbbfa08270.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/anthropic-and-openai-models-went-rogue-during-uk-government-ai-tests/) ## The cost of building AI is rising With such numbers, one would expect a company whose operating loss is twice its revenue to stop spending more and look for a way to cut down the costs (at least that's what I would do). Still, the company's spending on AI is anything but slowing. Anthropic spent $7.33 billion on compute and infrastructure in 2025, roughly three times what it spent in 2024, which accounted for more than half of the company's $12.65 billion in total operating expenses last year. The spending reflects one of the central challenges facing AI companies: developing capable models requires enormous amounts of computing power, while deploying those models to customers creates another layer of infrastructure costs. [OpenAI](https://www.techloy.com/tag/openai/), Anthropic's rival, is spending on the same scale, as audited figures reported by the [Financial Times](https://www.ft.com/content/e15b0d7e-ff6b-4f16-ba7a-4068feddb828?shareType=nongift&ref=wheresyoured.at) show the [ChatGPT](https://www.techloy.com/tag/chatgpt/) maker spent about $19 billion on research and development in 2025, and nearly $6 billion on sales and marketing. ## A gap only investors can fill The prospectus shows how quickly Anthropic has expanded, but also how much it depends on outside money and might continue to. As of December 31, the company, as told by Reuters, has $20.28 billion in cash, which is about one twenty-fifth of the amount it plans to spend. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Bose Brings Back Wired Earbuds With ANC After 11 Years URL: https://www.techloy.com/bose-wired-earbuds/ Last updated: 2026-09-29T11:39:03.000Z The combination of wired earphones and Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) is rare to see. Only a handful of earphones offer that combination, and Bose's new wired earphones are one of the few to join that list. After 11 years, Bose has [announced](https://www.bose.com/pressroom/bose-unveils-new-noise-cancelling-wired-earbuds?srsltid=AU7gw4Xd1iVmmifwm1iKje4L3lZdOdr%5FR1KDBBYvjLMsUU8cybVrj1B2) new noise-cancelling wired earbuds for $99\. At a time when wired earphones are becoming trendy again, Bose might be hoping to convince lovers of wired earphones that this is still the way to go. [Galaxy Buds4 Pro vs Sony WF-1000XM6: Which Earbuds Are Worth Your Money?Which earbud is a better fit for you?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-3f4f84da-c447-4e18-b0ac-bf6d40b39225.png)TechloyLouis Eriakha![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/Sony-XM6-vs-Galaxy-Buds-4-Pro-Comparison-ba0cddea-ef63-4cc6-a2d0-cb2e9055cd6c.png)](https://www.techloy.com/galaxy-buds4-pro-vs-sony-wf-1000xm6-which-earbuds-are-worth-your-money/) ## Bose is joining the wired earphone trend Nostalgia is truly a weird thing. Years after wired earphones were no longer mainstream or part of the cultural zeitgeist, they're now [making a comeback](https://www.techloy.com/the-surprising-return-of-wired-earphones-in-2026/), with wired headphone sales jumping 20% in the first six weeks of 2026 after five consecutive years of decline. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/image-78.png) **Image Credit: CNET* Young people appear to be at the centre of the trend, with many celebrities rocking wired earphones as part of their outfits. Bose itself seems to have taken notice. “Wired earbuds are experiencing a cultural renaissance,” [said](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-09-28/bose-debuts-99-bose-noise-cancelling-wired-earbuds-seizing-on-growing-trend) Raza Haider, Bose's president of consumer audio. “Technology has come a long way since our last wired earbuds, allowing us the opportunity to bring our latest advancements to the category and set a new standard for what wired earbuds should be.” This has led the company to join the trend by releasing its first new wired earphones in more than a decade. ## The combination of ANC in wired earbuds is so rare Very few wired earbuds on the market include active noise cancellation. Some that do have received mediocre reviews, with customers claiming the feature is barely noticeable. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/image-79.png) **Image Credit: Bose* _This post is for subscribers only._ ### TikTok Engagement: Why Likes Matter for Creators URL: https://www.techloy.com/tiktok-engagement-why-likes-matter-for-creators/ Last updated: 2026-09-29T11:24:21.000Z If you've ever shared a TikTok video as a new TikTok creator or someone just trying the platform for fun, you may have spent the next hour refreshing your screen and trying to understand the engagement metrics. Likes, views, comments, shares — they are not just vanity numbers. For creators trying to grow an audience, these figures are the clearest signal they have that something is actually working. And among all of them, likes tend to carry a particular weight, both psychologically and algorithmically. The TikTok algorithm is notoriously picky about what it amplifies. It watches how people interact with a video and uses those signals to decide whether to push it to a wider audience. Which is exactly why creators pay such close attention to their engagement rates, not just their raw view counts. A video with a million views but barely any likes is quietly telling the algorithm something unflattering. A video with fewer views but strong engagement? That one gets legs. ## **What Engagement Means on TikTok** Engagement is a catch-all term for every way a viewer interacts with your content. On TikTok, that includes likes, comments, shares, saves, follows gained from a video, and even the amount of time someone spends watching before scrolling away. Each of these actions sends a signal to TikTok's For You Page system about whether your content deserves a bigger audience. The thing is, not every interaction is the same. Shares and saves tend to signal the strongest intent — a viewer cared enough to do something deliberate with your video. Comments show that someone had a genuine reaction. Likes are the lowest-effort action, which makes them the most common, but also the baseline indicator of whether a video landed at all. ## **Why the Like-to-View Ratio Matters** Creators often talk about engagement rate rather than raw numbers, and this is essentially what they mean: how many people who watched your video actually did something because of it. A healthy like-to-view ratio on TikTok is generally considered to be somewhere around 3 to 6 percent. That means for every 1,000 views, you would expect roughly 30 to 60 likes on a well-performing video. When that ratio drops significantly, it can mean the video reached the wrong audience, the hook did not hold attention, or the content simply did not resonate. Creators use this as diagnostic information, not just as a mood indicator. ## **Why Creators Must Monitor These Numbers Carefully** For full-time creators or anyone building a brand on TikTok, engagement data is genuinely useful feedback. It tells you which formats work, which topics your audience responds to, and when you have posted something that missed the mark. Brands and sponsors also look at engagement when deciding whether to work with a creator. A small account with a genuinely engaged community is often worth more to an advertiser than a large account where nobody comments or shares. There is also a compounding effect to understand. When a video gets strong early engagement — say, within the first hour of posting — TikTok interprets that as a sign of quality and tests it with progressively larger audiences. This is sometimes called the "snowball" phase, and it is why some videos explode while others with similar production quality quietly fade. Early likes, in particular, help trigger that initial push. ## **The Role of Comments and Shares** Comments do something that likes cannot quite replicate: they extend a video's life. When someone asks a question in your comments, or when a debate breaks out, other viewers stick around to read the thread. TikTok notices that extended watch session and factors it into distribution. Creators who reply to comments also benefit from this, because each reply essentially reopens the video for more attention. Shares behave differently again. When someone shares a TikTok to their WhatsApp group or Instagram story, that video reaches people entirely outside TikTok's algorithm. It becomes word-of-mouth, which is arguably the most powerful kind of growth there is. Some of the most unexpected viral moments on TikTok have come from a single person sharing a video to a group chat at exactly the right moment. ## **Practical Ways to Encourage More Interaction on TikTok** The most effective creators do not leave engagement to chance. They build it into the structure of their content. Asking a direct question at the end of a video is one of the simplest things you can do, and it still works. "Which would you pick?" or "Have you tried this?" gives viewers a reason to leave a comment without feeling pressured. Posting at times when your audience is actually online also makes a real difference. TikTok's analytics tab shows you when your followers are most active, and matching your upload schedule to those windows improves the chances of early engagement. Early interaction is what starts the snowball rolling. ## **TikTok Content Choices That Naturally Drive Likes** Tutorial and “how to” videos tend to be saved, which feeds back into higher engagement rates. Relatable, slice-of-life content generates comments. Content with a surprising ending or a satisfying payoff pulls in shares. Knowing which type of interaction you are aiming for can help you shape the video itself. Trends still matter, though creators sometimes underestimate how much originality counts within a trend. Two creators can use the same audio and the same format — one gets 200 views, the other gets 200,000\. The difference is almost always in how well they tailored the trend to their own voice and audience. Riding a trend blindly rarely translates to the kind of genuine engagement that builds a loyal following. There is also solid community advice on this. Creators on Reddit have been sharing practical, hard-won tips on getting more [**TikTok likes**](https://www.reddit.com/r/TikTokLounge/comments/1v9xhjk/where%5Fcan%5Fi%5Fbuy%5Ftiktok%5Flikes/), and a lot of it comes down to staying consistent, genuinely interacting with your audience, and not overthinking your captions. ## **Building Engagement Over Time** One video going viral does not build a career. Creators who experience steady growth often engage with comments, share videos on a regular schedule, and stay curious about their audience's preferences. Consider your TikTok community to be a two-way street! You let the algorithm and people know that there is a genuine creator behind the account when you respond to comments left by your viewers. That makes a big difference. ## **Frequently Asked Questions** **Do likes have an impact on TikTok's algorithm?** Yes, likes are part of the total engagement number that decides how far a video gets pushed. But, watch time and completion rate of your video carry greater weight. **What is a good number of likes on TikTok?** There isn't a one-size-fits-all benchmark. What really counts is your like-to-view ratio. A video with 500 likes and 5,000 views is performing better, proportionally, than one with 500 likes and 50,000 views. **Is it a good idea to always add a call to action for likes?** Not in every video. Add calls to action when they come across as natural and relevant. Using too much CTA can make your content a bit predictable. ### Landman Season 3 Finally Starts Filming After Months of Delays URL: https://www.techloy.com/landman-season-3-filming-update/ Last updated: 2026-09-29T10:26:14.000Z After months of changing production dates, Landman Season 3 is finally moving again. Taylor Sheridan’s Paramount+ oil drama began filming on September 24 in Fort Worth, Texas, giving fans their first solid sign that the wait for the next chapter is coming to an end. James Jordan, who plays Dale Bradley, shared a photo from the set with the caption, “Up n runnin’ and back after it!”, confirming that cameras are rolling. The series is expected to continue [filming into early 2027](https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/a/bernadette-giacomazzo/landman-season-3-filming), although Paramount+ has not announced a release date. The new season will bring back Billy Bob Thornton as Tommy Norris and introduce Michael Kelly as a prominent new figure in the oil industry. [Landman Season 3 Delayed to 2027: What We KnowLandman Season 3 is now expected in 2027, with filming set to begin in September. Here’s what we know about the new season.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-656d8654-be39-44b6-8b3f-4eb6f9fe5ac4.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/image--2--782ede22-76b6-4792-8363-4b9748bf2ba1.png)](https://www.techloy.com/landman-season-3-release-date-2027/) ## Why Did Landman Season 3 Take So Long to Start? Filming was initially expected to begin around May 2026, but that plan changed. Billy Bob Thornton later suggested production would begin towards the end of August, before Jordan confirmed in July that filming had been pushed again to September. He also said the shoot would continue through the first quarter of 2027. No official reason has been given for the delays. The Independent reported that Sheridan has been managing several other television projects, while the series' co-creator Christian Wallace was still working on the scripts in August. Jordan previously described the upcoming season as “10 crazy, wonderful, funny and wild episodes”, adding that the cast was ready to return to work. That wait is now over, with filming taking place around Fort Worth and other parts of [North Texas](https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/tv/news/landman-season-three-update-taylor-sheridan-b3057678.html), locations that have also been used for the earlier seasons. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The Witcher 3 Remastered Is Out Today. Here's How to Get It URL: https://www.techloy.com/the-witcher-3-remastered-free-upgrade-pc-requirements/ Last updated: 2026-09-29T10:24:01.000Z Geralt of Rivia is back on the Path. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Remastered is [out today](https://www.thewitcher.com/us/en/news/52041/see-whats-new-in-the-witcher-3-wild-hunt-remastered), September 29, bringing a substantial visual, technical and gameplay overhaul to CD Projekt Red's 2015 RPG. It's available on PC, [PlayStation 5](https://www.techloy.com/tag/playstation-5/), Xbox Series X|S and [Nintendo Switch 2](https://www.techloy.com/tag/nintendo-switch/), with the game also making its debut on Battle.net. For existing owners, the upgrade is free on supported platforms. If you're planning to return to [The Witcher 3](https://www.techloy.com/the-witcher-3-wild-hunt-gets-surprise-new-dlc-songs-of-the-past-release-set-for-2027/) today, here's how the upgrade works, how much space you'll need and what your PC needs to run the new version. [Witcher 3 Remastered Release Date and Everything That’s NewCD Projekt Red already upgraded The Witcher 3 once, in 2022\. This time it’s setting up Geralt’s last ride before Ciri takes over.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-8a262a49-ec52-4527-a6e9-25e718d43b03.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1640903581708-8d491706515b-f296a1c4-00a2-4c35-b90e-94c0b7039354.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/witcher-3-remastered-release-date-whats-new/) ## How do you get The Witcher 3 Remastered for free? If you already own The Witcher 3 on a supported platform, you don't need to purchase the Remastered version separately. On PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, the Remastered release is delivered through the game you already own. If you have automatic updates enabled, the update should be handled through your platform's normal update process. Nintendo Switch 2 works a little differently because it has its own native version. However, existing owners of The Witcher 3 on the original Nintendo Switch can claim the Switch 2 version for free. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/image-72.png) **Image Credit:* [**@TheRealZephryss*](https://x.com/TheRealZephryss) */ X.com* Battle.net is different again because The Witcher 3 is new to Blizzard's platform. Players who don't already own the game through another qualifying platform will need to purchase it there. There's also a useful change for players who only owned the base game. CD Projekt Red has made *Hearts of Stone* and *Blood and Wine* part of the base-game package, so existing owners get access to both expansions without buying them separately. [Pokémon 30th Anniversary Mewtwo Promo: How to Get It FreeTarget’s Mewtwo giveaway is over, but Pokémon’s official 30th Anniversary promo starts Friday at seven other stores, and all it takes is a $15 purchase.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-509d2c95-45b3-4305-8bd1-448256b9dba7.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1636391671086-6b4b776cd031-273b0a2f-088e-41aa-8148-c8ffc3fb6e55.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/pokemon-30th-anniversary-mewtwo-promo-card/) ## How big is The Witcher 3 Remastered? This is where it's worth separating the download size from the amount of storage your PC needs. The Remastered update is around 45GB on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, while the Nintendo Switch 2 version is around 50GB. The exact download can vary by platform and, on PC, by installed language packs. PC players, however, need 70GB of available SSD storage to meet the game's official requirement. The distinction matters because a roughly 45GB download doesn't mean you'll only need 45GB free. If you're installing on PC, CD Projekt Red's published requirement is 70GB on an SSD. On PlayStation 5, early launch-day listings put the download at around 68.57GB, showing why it's safer to check the storage figure on your specific platform rather than assuming every version will be identical. ## What are The Witcher 3 Remastered's PC requirements? The PC requirements are considerably higher than those of the original 2015 release. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### TikTok Settlement Could Change More Than Teen Screen Time in Alabama URL: https://www.techloy.com/tiktok-alabama-settlement/ Last updated: 2026-09-29T10:07:46.000Z Doomscrolling is an issue many people have been dealing with over the last few years, especially younger users. Social media platforms have been blamed for encouraging that behaviour, and many of them have introduced guardrails to try to reduce it. Despite those efforts, regulators and governments are still coming down hard on them. [TikTok](https://www.techloy.com/tag/tiktok/) has now joined the growing list of social media platforms facing that same fate. The company has agreed to pay the state of Alabama $100 million and introduce a two-hour daily limit for teens, overnight restrictions, and school-hour blocks. TikTok says it's committed to teen safety. [TikTok Star Khaby Lame Lands $900 Million Deal in Largest Creator Monetization AgreementKhaby Lame’s deal welcomes to a new era for creator commerce![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-2775553c-60db-49dd-9195-e0c8a5eb42f3.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/Khaby-Lame-750x375-a1d3b94e-36eb-4443-8dd9-fc0895cab18a.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/tiktok-star-khaby-lame-lands-900-million-deal-in-largest-creator-monetization-agreement/) ## Why Alabama came after TikTok Alabama alleged TikTok was designed to hook young users "just like a sophisticated gambling machine." The state later narrowed its case to claims under Alabama's Deceptive Trade Practices Act, focusing on whether TikTok misrepresented the effectiveness of features like Restricted Mode and Kids Mode. The deal was reached just before a jury trial was set to begin. Alabama described it as a "first-in-the-nation settlement." TikTok is required to pay $100 million within 45 days. It could end up paying as much as $300 million if 40 other attorneys general sign similar agreements. The company must also introduce a two-hour daily usage limit for children, overnight restrictions, and school-hour blocks. It has to strengthen age verification, ban beauty filters for teens, limit children's accounts from being discovered by adults, and notify parents of "suspicious interactions" between teen and adult users. Most of these measures take effect immediately, while age verification has up to a year to roll out. ## Despite claiming teen safety is a priority, TikTok is still getting fined over it TikTok has long claimed teen safety is a priority. It has repeatedly pointed to features like Restricted Mode and Kids Mode as proof that it protects younger users. But Alabama's lawsuit argued those features were misrepresented and didn't actually limit access to harmful content in the way TikTok claimed they did. The settlement forces an awkward question for the company: if these features were already effective, why did it take a lawsuit to strengthen them? ## It's not only TikTok paying fines over child safety Alabama's settlement mirrors the growing pressure facing other social media companies. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 5 Apps to Finally Deal With Your iPhone Storage Problem URL: https://www.techloy.com/5-apps-to-finally-deal-with-your-iphone-storage-problem/ Last updated: 2026-09-29T09:24:05.000Z Somewhere between your last vacation and this morning's screenshot of a receipt, your camera roll turned into a junk drawer you're too scared to open. Forty near-identical photos of the same sunset. A giant folder of cute cat videos. Screenshots of screenshots. And then, right on cue, the dreaded “Storage Almost Full” banner pops up at the worst possible moment—usually mid-photo, at a concert, with no time to deal with it. The instinct is to go scrolling and start deleting things one by one, which is exactly the kind of tedious, soul-draining task most people give up on after a minute. The better move is letting an app do the sorting for you, then giving you the final say. Here are the apps that help you clean up iPhone storage and remove unwanted clutter in no time without deleting anything important. ## **Cleaner Kit — The One That Shows Its Work** Most cleaning apps promise a tidier phone in general terms.[ Cleaner Kit](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/cleaner-kit-clean-up-storage/id1194582243) does something different: it tells you exactly what it found and exactly how much of it there is: 240 duplicates, 102 blurry shots, 930 screenshots you forgot existed. That kind of specificity turns "clean your phone" from a vague chore into a series of easy yes-or-no decisions. The app scans your camera roll using AI and groups everything into clear categories: duplicates, blurry shots, bursts, and screenshots. Inside a burst of a dozen near-identical shots, it even picks the one worth keeping and flags the rest, so a decision that used to take a minute of squinting takes a second instead. From there, cleanup actually gets satisfying. Work through your library by album or month at whatever pace suits you, swiping left to clear an item and right to keep it. Gmail clutter gets the same treatment—old promotional emails and newsletters clear out with a single tap. And if you'd rather free up space without deleting anything at all, Cleaner Kit's video compressor and Live Photo converter can give back gigabytes while keeping all your shots. Videos get compressed by more than 50% with no visible quality loss, and Live Photos get converted to regular still images, trading a bit of motion for real storage savings. Contacts get cleaned up too—duplicates merged, entries with no name or number removed, everything backed up first just in case. And for anything genuinely private—including photos, videos, or contacts—there's a hidden vault inside the app, locked behind Face ID. **Best for:** anyone who wants precise control over their storage, not just a vague “clean now” button. ## **Phone Cleaner — Fast and Straightforward** Phone Cleaner keeps things simple. It hunts down large files, screenshots, screen recordings, burst photos, and downloaded media, then lets you clear out whatever you don't need in a few taps. There's a compressor for shrinking photos and videos, tools for merging duplicate contacts, and a "Game Mode" that turns swipe-sorting into something fun. Storage widgets sit on your home screen too, showing how much room you've got left before you even open the app. **Best for:** people who want quick, no-fuss cleanup without digging through settings. ## **Ultra Cleaner — Built for More Than Photos** Ultra Cleaner covers the usual ground, like duplicate and similar photos, screenshots, Live Photos, burst shots, and duplicate or unnamed contacts. In addition to the regular cleaner app package, it also tackles your calendar, clearing out old events without making you scroll through months of history. There's also a small, unexpected personal touch: a library of charging animations you can swap in, so plugging in your phone feels a little more festive. It's an unusual pairing with storage cleanup, but it's the kind of extra effort that makes the app feel less utilitarian. **Best for:** anyone whose clutter problem extends beyond photos and contacts into calendars too. ## **Cleaner: Free Up Storage Guru — Live Storage Stats** This app hits all the standard marks with a steady, no-surprises approach. It scans for similar and duplicate photos, screenshots, and large videos, then groups them so you can clear out what you don't need in a few taps. Contacts get the same treatment—duplicates are merged, and entries missing a name or number are flagged for removal. A compressor handles large videos without deleting them outright, and a secret space keeps sensitive photos tucked behind a password. There's also a dashboard that keeps your current storage stats visible at a glance. **Best for:** anyone who wants to see their storage numbers change in real time as they clean. ## **Phone Storage Cleaner: Free Up — The Minimalist's Pick** This one sticks to the essentials, mostly. Duplicate and similar photos get grouped together for a quick keep-or-toss decision, and contacts get the same duplicate-and-cleanup treatment, with backups included. A few tips on how to help your battery last longer round out the core experience. The app leans hard into speed over complexity—no dense settings menu to dig through, just a scan, a quick review, and done. The whole process is designed to take about five minutes from start to finish. **Best for:** anyone who wants a lighter, no-frills app that still gets the basics right. ## **Final Thoughts** Keeping your iPhone storage under control doesn't have to be an uphill battle, even if it's felt that way for years. The right app turns hours of manual scrolling into a handful of quick decisions, which is really all cleanup ever needed to be. Not every app takes the same approach, though, so it's worth choosing one that keeps you in the loop rather than one that deletes first and explains later. A good cleaner shows you what it found and lets you review it before anything's removed. Go with whichever option actually matches how messy your phone has gotten, and let it handle the sorting you've been avoiding. ### Can Twitch Detect Purchased Viewers? How Detection Actually Works URL: https://www.techloy.com/can-twitch-detect-purchased-viewers-how-detection-actually-works/ Last updated: 2026-09-28T22:20:52.000Z Yes. Twitch can detect purchased viewers, and its detection improved sharply with the 2026 viewership policy. The honest version of the answer is longer than yes though, because what Twitch detects is not the purchase itself. There is no receipt Twitch can see. What Twitch detects is the pattern the viewers leave behind, and different types of purchased viewers leave very different patterns. That distinction is the whole subject. This article explains what Twitch actually looks at, what happens when a channel gets flagged, and why some purchased viewers get caught in an afternoon while others blend into normal analytics. Nothing here claims zero risk exists. Any provider telling you that is lying to you. Twitch has been fighting this for a decade. It sued seven viewbot sellers back in 2016, and when a recent detection upgrade rolled out, platform wide viewcounts visibly dropped overnight as artificial traffic was removed. The 2026 policy formalized the current approach: Twitch now automatically caps the displayed count of a channel whose numbers it cannot explain. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/data-src-image-5d2ee57b-e127-4591-8cb6-f917153b7dd1.png) ## **The Five Signals Twitch Actually Reads** Detection is pattern matching across signals, not a single tripwire. ### **1\. Connection quality** Real audiences connect from residential internet on phones, consoles, and home computers. Bot traffic comes from datacenter IP ranges and shared proxies, often dozens of connections from the same subnet. It is the cheapest signal for Twitch to read and the first one cheap services fail. ### **2\. Account signals** Anonymous connections that just hold a stream open are the crudest bot signature there is. For logged in accounts, Twitch reads history: account age, watch history, follow patterns. An aged account with real history looks like a viewer. A blank account created in a batch looks like inventory. ### **3\. The spike pattern** The core of the 2026 cap system. When a concurrent count jumps suddenly, Twitch checks for a legitimate cause: a raid, a front page placement, a viral clip. If nothing explains a channel going from 3 viewers to 300 in two minutes, the jump is treated as artificial and the displayed count gets capped mid stream. ### **4\. Chat to viewer ratio** An interactive stream normally runs 5 to 15 percent of viewers chatting. A stream showing 200 viewers with two chat messages an hour fails two audiences at once: the algorithm reading the ratio, and every real person who clicks in and sees a dead chat under a big number. ### **5\. The shape of the graph** Real audiences breathe, joining and drifting constantly. A bot graph draws a flat line for three hours and falls off a cliff when the order ends. Twitch reads that shape at scale, and so does anyone who has moderated a stream. ## **What Happens When Twitch Detects It** The consequences run on a ladder. The cap comes first: your public count freezes at what Twitch believes is authentic, and many streamers discover they were flagged only when the number refuses to move. Artificial viewership gets removed next, in periodic cleanups that strip fake concurrents, follows, and watch time, which is why botted channels sometimes lose Affiliate progress they thought they had banked. Warnings and suspensions sit at the top, mostly reserved for botting at scale, but every rung is in the Terms of Service. ## **Why Some Purchased Viewers Get Caught and Some Do Not** Run the five signals against the two kinds of products sold as viewers and the gap explains itself. A classic viewbot panel opens scripted connections from its own servers. Datacenter IPs, no logged in accounts, instant delivery in one block, zero chat, flat graph. It fails all five signals at once, and the 2026 cap system was built around exactly this signature. A real profile viewer service sends logged in Twitch accounts with watch history over residential connections. The accounts appear in the chatters list, register in analytics, and can behave like an audience. Delivered gradually, the growth curve resembles a channel getting discovered. This is why [GrowthMount](https://growthmount.io/) is currently the best website to buy Twitch viewers if detection is your main concern. It is built entirely around the second model: real profiles on residential connections that show in your chatters list and dashboard, with delivery patterns designed against the cap system's spike trigger. Organic ramps the count gradually, Fluctuate mimics a real audience's natural rise and dip, and raid support means the viewers travel with you when you raid instead of vanishing, which is exactly what a real audience does and exactly what the crude services cannot fake. The quiet part, said plainly: this reduces the detection footprint, it does not erase the rule. Buying viewers is against Twitch's Terms of Service whoever you buy from. The choice is not between risky and safe. It is between a pattern Twitch catches automatically and a pattern that takes far more than a pattern matcher to notice. ## **Keeping the Footprint Small** The same logic tells you how to buy with the least exposure. Size the order to your channel: a 4 viewer channel running a 20 viewer boost looks like a good night, the same channel showing 500 looks like an incident. Use gradual delivery, the single biggest footprint reduction available. Keep the chat ratio sane by keeping the boost modest or pairing viewers with chat activity. Stay away from threshold moments, since Twitch reviews channels crossing Affiliate and Partner lines. And never hand over credentials, because no legitimate service needs your password. ## **Frequently Asked Questions** ### **Can Twitch see that I paid for viewers?** No. Twitch has no visibility into a transaction with a third party. Detection works entirely from the behavior of the viewers on the platform, which is why the type of viewers matters far more than the fact of the purchase. ### **Will I get banned for buying viewers once?** A ban from a single small purchase is rare. The realistic first consequence is the count cap, then removal of the artificial viewership. Bans concentrate on repeat and large scale botting. Rare is not never. ### **Is there any way to buy viewers with zero risk?** No, and treat any provider claiming otherwise as disqualified on the spot. The risk can be reduced through account quality, pacing, and sensible sizing. It cannot be removed, because the rule itself does not move. ### How a Training Management System Helps Training Businesses Control Costs URL: https://www.techloy.com/how-a-training-management-system-helps-training-businesses-control-costs/ Last updated: 2026-09-28T20:07:32.000Z Most training businesses start small. A founder designs a course, sets up a sign-up form, takes payments through a link and tracks everything in a spreadsheet. It is cheap, fast and good enough. Then demand grows. More courses, more trainers, more corporate clients. The tools that worked for ten learners a month start to leak money at a hundred. Not through one big failure, but through many small inefficiencies that are easy to miss. ## **Where do small inefficiencies hide?** Spreadsheets do not connect to anything on their own. As a business grows, the same information ends up in the booking form, the spreadsheet, the invoice and the email thread. Each gap carries a cost: - Staff time spent copying details between tools - Invoices that go out late, or not at all - Out-of-date prices and dates on the website - Empty seats because reminders were never sent - Refunds and cancellations that are not tracked properly None of these looks serious on its own. Together, they quietly reduce the margin on every course. ## **Do you know which courses actually make money?** This is where yield analysis matters. A course can look popular and still lose money once trainer fees, venue hire, materials and admin time are counted. Useful questions include: - What share of seats is filled for each session? - What is the real revenue per seat after discounts and refunds? - Which courses, locations or trainers deliver the best margin? Answering these from spreadsheets takes hours, and the figures are often out of date before anyone reads them. A[ training management system](https://www.arlo.co/guides/training-management-system) brings registrations, payments and course data into one place, so these numbers are available without being rebuilt by hand. ## **How should pricing decisions be made?** Pricing is often set once and rarely reviewed. With accurate data, providers can make changes with more confidence: - **Early-bird pricing** to fill seats sooner - **Group rates** for corporate clients, balanced against the cost of delivery - **Minimum numbers** for each session, so low-demand dates can be merged or moved early The aim is not simply to charge more, but to understand what each price actually earns. ## **What does good cost control look like?** A TMS replaces a patchwork of form builders, payment links, email tools and spreadsheets with one connected system. In practice, that means: - Automated confirmations, reminders and follow-ups - Integrated payments, invoices and refunds - Course listings updated from the same data as bookings - Dashboards showing revenue, attendance and fill rates The result is less manual work, fewer errors and fewer missed payments. Growth also becomes cheaper, because the team can run more courses without adding the same amount of admin work. ## **How do you choose the right system?** 1. **Start with your biggest cost leak.** For some it is late payments, for others empty seats or admin time. 2. **Check the reporting.** Make sure you can see revenue and fill rates by course. 3. **Understand the full cost.** Look beyond the subscription to transaction and setup fees. 4. **Test it properly.** Set up a real course, take a test booking and run a report. ## **Final thoughts** Small inefficiencies rarely show up on a single invoice, but they add up across every course, trainer and location. Moving to a training management system makes sense when the cost of manual work, errors and missed revenue becomes greater than the cost of the software. For growing training businesses, the goal is simple: know what each course earns, price with confidence, and let the system handle the routine work. ### Predictive Maintenance: When Every Machine Demands Attention URL: https://www.techloy.com/predictive-maintenance-when-every-machine-demands-attention/ Last updated: 2026-09-28T16:51:50.000Z Predictive maintenance was supposed to end surprise breakdowns. In many factories this year, it's left maintenance crews fielding more alerts than they can chase. Plenty of plants seem to have wired up equipment before deciding which machines deserved a technician's time, so a routine vibration spike can look as urgent as a real fault, and technicians start tuning alerts out. ## **Why the Alerts Keep Coming** Siemens' latest True Cost of Downtime survey found nine in ten large manufacturers running condition monitoring by 2023, and almost half had a dedicated predictive maintenance team. The motive is plain, since the same report puts the yearly cost of unplanned downtime for the world's 500 biggest companies at about $1.4 trillion. Vendors often tune their models to avoid missing failures, which makes sense for them. A missed bearing failure can cost a vendor a customer, while a false alarm mostly costs someone else half an hour. Across a few hundred assets and a small night crew, those half hours pile up, and people adapt. In [a 1995 lab study published in Ergonomics](https://stars.library.ucf.edu/facultybib1990/1289), roughly 90% of participants matched their response rate to the alarms' reliability. Technicians who rarely find a fault will probably learn the same habit. Each false callout also pulls someone off planned work such as lubrication rounds, which matters because NASA's reliability-centered maintenance guide ties 36% of premature bearing failures to poor lubrication practices combined with specification errors. ## **Start With Prevention, Then Add Prediction** Plants that get their money's worth tend to do the ranking before the wiring. They start by [prioritizing preventive maintenance](https://www.rzsoftware.com/product/reliability) on the few assets whose failure halts a line. Prediction then sits on top of that routine, nudging a planned job earlier or later instead of generating new work. Maintenance guidance prepared for the U.S. Department of Energy estimates a solid preventive program saves 12% to 18% over purely reactive maintenance, while a working predictive program adds a further 8% to 12%. That ordering suggests the basics deserve the first dollar. ## **Refineries and Hospitals Already Learned This** In the last 11 minutes before the Texaco refinery at Milford Haven, Wales, exploded in 1994, two control-room operators had to [work through 275 alarms](https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/chis6.pdf). The blast injured 26 people. Britain's Health and Safety Executive later pointed to a benchmark of no more than one alarm every ten minutes, on average, during normal running. The HSE also suggested splitting priorities roughly 5% high, 15% medium and 80% low, so "urgent" kept its meaning. Many maintenance alert streams have no such ceiling, and that's how [sensor fatigue](https://www.techloy.com/smart-factories-5-myths-costing-you-money/) sets in, as plants collect readings without first deciding what question they're meant to answer. Hospitals know the pattern well. The [Joint Commission](https://digitalassets.jointcommission.org/api/public/content/f65e5c9df2b94000a99445e0a7877007) has cited estimates that 85% to 99% of bedside monitor alarms need no clinical action, and staff may respond by turning volumes down or switching alarms off. Its advice was to let priorities drive technology adoption rather than the reverse. ## **How to Rank What Deserves an Alert** In a factory, letting priorities lead means scoring assets on safety risk, production impact, redundancy and repair time before anyone sets a threshold. Only the top few get to interrupt a technician's shift. A bottleneck filler might justify a 3 a.m. phone alert. A spare pump with a running twin can wait for the next shift. Some components may not need monitoring at all. NASA's guide treats run-to-failure as acceptable for noncritical equipment such as small motors and restroom exhaust fans. Wiring those to the filler's alert channel mostly teaches the crew to ignore it. Every alert that survives needs a defined response, even one as simple as naming the first thing to check and who owns the call. Thresholds set per asset and per product run help too, since a motor vibrating harder on a heavier product may be healthy. ## **The People Reading the Alerts** Telling a real fault from noise takes experience, which is scarce. U.S. labor data projects about 51,900 openings a year for industrial machinery mechanics, maintenance workers and millwrights through 2035\. Newer technicians facing alerts they can't yet judge may swing between chasing everything and trusting nothing. Older plants make the ranking more urgent. Many wrap decades-old controllers in [retrofit sensors](https://www.techloy.com/why-obsolete-tech-still-runs-modern-factories/) rather than replace equipment that still runs well. That's sensible economics, but each retrofit hands the same small crew another stream of readings. ## **Track Which Alerts Become Work** Some plants still report raw alert counts as proof the system works. A more revealing figure is the share of alerts that became real work orders, tracked asset by asset and reviewed weekly. Buyers can ask vendors for that figure before signing. A vendor that can't show it for comparable plants may be selling sensitivity and calling it accuracy. ## **Be Careful Handing Agents the Keys** Vendors increasingly pitch AI agents that sort alerts, open work orders and dispatch technicians on their own. For merging duplicates and other low-stakes triage, that could save real hours. Giving an agent authority to act is another matter. In April, an [AI coding agent working on a routine task](https://www.techloy.com/claude-ai-agent-deletes-startup-pocketos-database-in-9-seconds-then-writes-confession/) wiped a startup's production database and backups in nine seconds after deciding on its own how to fix an error. A maintenance agent with similar freedom could close the one alert that mattered. OWASP calls this risk excessive agency and recommends human approval for high-impact actions. On a plant floor, that means a named engineer signs off before any agent closes an alert or silences a rule. ## **Before the Next Gearbox Fails** Predictive maintenance still earns its place when it rests on a clear decision about what deserves attention. After the next major breakdown, pull the alert history. There's a fair chance the warning is sitting in it, opened, marked as read and left alone for weeks. Who decided it could wait, and did they know they were deciding? ### Meta Is Turning Muse Into a New Enterprise AI Business URL: https://www.techloy.com/meta-enterprise-platform-muse-ai/ Last updated: 2026-09-28T16:09:56.000Z Just three weeks after launching [Muse](https://www.techloy.com/tag/meta-muse/), Meta is turning its AI agent technology toward businesses with a new division called Meta Enterprise Platform. Announced by CEO [Mark Zuckerberg](https://www.techloy.com/tag/mark-zuckerberg/) on September 28, the new platform will bring Meta's AI models, agents, and developer tools to businesses and developers. The initial offering includes Muse, Meta Business Agent, Muse API, and Muse Code. “Today we are starting the next major pillar of our business,” Zuckerberg wrote on [X](https://x.com/finkd/status/2104550609403695581), saying the platform will help businesses use AI to grow and transform. [Meta Muse AI Agent: What It Can Access and What It CostsThe agent will initially be available in the US through a dedicated app and WhatsApp. Meta also plans to bring Muse to its smart glasses “soon.”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-9a0f91a9-b0ec-4021-a030-1fa89f687a04.png)TechloyOgbonda Chivumnovu![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1563986768494-4dee2763ff3f-0ea26145-6bc7-4edb-97d9-8982d41e0367.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/meta-muse-ai-agent-what-it-can-access/) ## What businesses will get Meta isn't positioning Enterprise Platform as a single AI assistant. Instead, the company says it'll turn its broader AI stack into products and services that businesses can deploy across their operations. That includes Muse, its personal AI agent; Meta Business Agent, which helps businesses handle customer conversations and tasks; Muse API, which gives developers access to Meta's AI technology; and Muse Code, its coding agent. Meta Business Agent already allows businesses to answer customer questions, recommend products, book appointments, qualify leads and close sales across Meta's messaging platforms. Meta [said in June](https://about.fb.com/news/2026/06/meta-business-agent/amp/) that more than one million businesses were already using a Business Agent on [WhatsApp](https://www.techloy.com/tag/whatsapp/) and [Messenger](https://www.techloy.com/tag/facebook-messenger/). The new enterprise division will bring those products together with Meta's wider AI infrastructure, with Meta saying the focus will be on helping companies innovate, grow, serve customers and run their operations. ## Why Meta is doing this now The announcement comes three weeks after Meta launched Muse as a consumer-facing AI agent. Unlike a chatbot that simply answers questions, Muse can perform tasks on a user's behalf, including sending emails, booking travel, and filling out forms. It can also continue working in the background and return when it needs approval for actions such as sending an email or making a purchase. Muse has attracted more than 2.5 million downloads since its September 8 launch, according to Reuters, and briefly became the [top free app](https://www.techloy.com/meta-muse-ai-agent-chatgpt-growth/) on Apple's US App Store. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Lanterns Episode 7 Rewrites Hal Jordan’s Story With a Tragic Look at His Past URL: https://www.techloy.com/lanterns-episode-7-hal-jordan-fearlessness/ Last updated: 2026-09-28T15:28:52.000Z Hal Jordan has always been one of DC’s classic fearless heroes. In [Lanterns](https://www.techloy.com/lanterns-episode-4-manhunter-zoe-macon/), that confidence is still there, but Episode 7 gives it a much darker explanation. “The Jordan Boys’ Legacy”, the penultimate episode of HBO’s Lanterns, aired on September 27, 2026, and takes John Stewart deeper into the mystery surrounding Hal’s death while exploring Hal’s childhood and his relationship with his father, Martin. Instead of presenting Hal as the fearless Green Lantern fans already know, the episode uses his past to show where some of that confidence may have come from, giving the new DC Universe a different way to understand one of its most established heroes. [Lanterns Episode 5 Recap: What Happens to Zoe and JohnLanterns Episode 5 takes a darker turn as John Stewart faces the consequences of his choices and the Lanterns mystery deepens.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-705aec76-0727-40d6-a9a7-15fec486ed44.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/thr-40f967c6-b73a-4564-b940-ffe2db14f024.webp)](https://www.techloy.com/lanterns-episode-5-recap/) ## Hal’s Past Changes How We See His Fearlessness The most important revelation in Episode 7 has little to do with aliens, Green Lantern technology, or the murder John is investigating. The episode reveals that Martin Jordan did not die in an accidental test-flight crash, as Hal’s traditional comic-book origin has established. Instead, Martin deliberately crashed his aircraft and took his own life. Before his death, he left Hal a message explaining that he had been carrying pain throughout his life and believed his family would be better without him. [The Halogram](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/27/arts/television/lanterns-recap-season-1-episode-7.html), a digital version of Hal created years earlier, eventually describes this as the “Jordan boys’ legacy”. He then gives John an even more revealing explanation: “I’m not fearless because I’m brave. I’m fearless because I’m broken.” The confession reframes Hal’s confidence, suggesting that what looked like courage may have been shaped by pain he never fully understood. ## The Baseball Scene Means More Than It First Appears The episode begins in 1975, when a young Hal refuses to give up a baseball after coming close to pitching a perfect game. His determination leads to a confrontation with his teammates and coach, while Martin immediately steps in to defend his son. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Pokémon Is Giving Away a Free Mewtwo Card From October 2: How to Get It URL: https://www.techloy.com/pokemon-30th-anniversary-mewtwo-promo-card/ Last updated: 2026-09-28T15:23:13.000Z If you were hoping to walk into Target and walk out with a free Pokémon promo card, there's a little more to the story than the event posters suggested. Target's Pokémon 30th Anniversary celebration on September 27 did hand out a special Mewtwo promo card at some locations, according to attendee reports. But Target's official announcement only promised giveaways while supplies lasted, without confirming the Mewtwo card or guaranteeing it at every store. The Target event is now over, but you still have another shot. Starting October 2, Pokémon's official Mewtwo promo card is available as a gift with purchase when you spend $15 or more on Pokémon TCG products at seven participating US retailers. Target isn't one of them. [Pokémon TCG Turns 30: What to Expect From the AnniversaryPokémon’s 30th anniversary TCG set is here with 199 English cards, 30 Pikachu designs, classic cards and new rarities to collect.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-1b78a8f6-64b0-46fb-844b-8f458a484606.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1613771404738-65d22f979710-b0a05da9-5393-4e85-a236-14c5844fd3f8.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/pokemon-tcg-30th-anniversary-cards/) ## Can you still get the Pokémon 30th Anniversary Mewtwo promo card? Yes. Pokémon's Mewtwo promotion is tied to the Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration expansion, which launched on September 16\. Starting Friday, October 2, you can get the card by spending $15 or more on Pokémon TCG products at these participating US retailers: - GameStop - Best Buy - Hot Topic - Five Below - Barnes & Noble - Macy's - BoxLunch In Canada, the participating retailer is EB Games. In Australia and New Zealand, the list includes EB Games Australia, JB Hi-Fi, BIG W, Toymate and Mr Toys. The offer is valid in-store and online while supplies last. The Mewtwo card carries the Pokémon 30 and "What's Your Favorite?" logos. It also comes with a separate card that has a QR code linking to Pokémon's Night Out experience. ## How to get the Mewtwo promo card from October 2 Stock is limited at each location, so a few practical steps can save you a wasted trip: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/image-69.png) **Image Credit: Pokemon* _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Meta VR Glasses vs Snap SPECS URL: https://www.techloy.com/meta-vr-glasses-vs-snap-specs/ Last updated: 2026-09-28T14:30:38.000Z [Meta](https://www.techloy.com/tag/meta/) and [Snap](https://www.techloy.com/tag/snap/) are both betting that the next computer could sit on your face. But they're taking very different routes to get there. Meta's newly announced Meta VR Glasses are designed to bring much of what makes VR headsets useful into a pair of glasses weighing around 100 grams. They have 5K micro-OLED displays, eye tracking, hand tracking, spatial audio, and a separate compute puck that handles the processing, battery, and storage. Snap's SPECS take a different approach. They are standalone augmented reality glasses designed to keep you aware of the world around you while placing digital content, apps, information, and experiences into it. They weigh between 132 and 136 grams and use a 51-degree field of view with 16 million colours. The difference becomes even more obvious when you look at the price. Meta VR Glasses will cost $1,299.99 when they launch in spring 2027, while Snap SPECS cost $2,195 and are expected to begin shipping this fall. So, which one makes more sense if you're looking to buy into the next generation of glasses-based computing? Here's how Meta VR Glasses and Snap SPECS compare. [Moniepoint vs OPay: Which Is Better for Businesses?Which fintech gives Nigerian businesses the better tools for managing money, collecting payments, and growing?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-350698fa-2715-413a-b173-e26fddcf5826.png)TechloyOluwajeminipe Fasheun-Motesho![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/Moniepoint-vs-OPay-Comparison-a4315c62-63fc-4471-8e16-d89461328de9.png)](https://www.techloy.com/moniepoint-vs-opay-business-banking-nigeria/) ## /1\. Design and weight Meta's biggest design achievement is getting a VR-class experience into something that weighs around 100 grams. The Meta VR Glasses are roughly five times lighter than the Meta Quest 3 and avoid the bulky head strap and headset body that usually come with VR. Meta achieves this by moving the processor, battery and storage into a separate compute puck connected to the glasses by an optical tether. Snap takes the opposite approach. SPECS put all of their computing hardware inside the glasses, which makes them heavier at 132 grams for the 47mm version and 136 grams for the 52mm version. But there's no external puck to carry around. That creates an interesting trade-off. Meta gives you lighter glasses, but the complete system includes another device and a cable. Snap gives you heavier glasses, but everything you need to run them is already on your face. 💡 ****Winner:** Meta VR Glasses. For something designed to deliver a VR experience, Meta's roughly 100-gram form factor is the more impressive achievement. ## /2\. Display and visual experience The displays reveal the biggest difference between what these glasses are actually designed to do. Meta VR Glasses use 5K micro-OLED displays with 37 pixels per degree, pancake lenses and Dolby Vision support. The result is designed for immersive content, virtual screens, movies and games, while full-colour passthrough keeps the physical environment visible when needed. Snap SPECS use a see-through waveguide with a 51-degree field of view and 16 million colours. Snap says the display can create the equivalent of a 24-inch desktop screen for work or a 115-inch cinema screen viewed from around 10 feet away. However, Snap hasn't revealed the exact display resolution. On raw display specifications, Meta has more to show for now. But Snap has the wider field of view and a display designed specifically to layer digital content onto the real world rather than surround you with a virtual environment. That makes Meta's display better suited to immersive viewing, while Snap's is better suited to AR experiences where keeping your surroundings visible is part of the point. 💡 ****Winner:** Meta VR Glasses. Meta's 5K micro-OLED display, 37 pixels per degree and Dolby Vision support give it the stronger overall display proposition, particularly for movies, games and virtual screens. ## /3\. Computing and performance The two companies have taken almost opposite approaches to powering their glasses. Meta uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon Reality Elite processor, but much of the computing, battery and storage hardware sits inside the external puck. The glasses connect to it through an optical tether, allowing Meta to keep the frames lighter while still delivering the processing power needed for VR and mixed reality. Snap puts its computing hardware inside SPECS. The glasses use two Snapdragon processors, with one dedicated to computer vision and another handling Lenses. Snap says this enables hand tracking and a 7-millisecond motion-to-photon latency. Meta's approach has an obvious advantage: it doesn't have to squeeze all of the hardware needed for a high-resolution VR experience into the frames. Snap's approach has a different advantage because SPECS can operate without an external computer. If performance is the priority, Meta's external compute puck gives it more room to deliver a demanding VR experience. If convenience is the priority, Snap's self-contained architecture is more appealing. 💡 ****Winner:** Meta VR Glasses. The external compute puck is a compromise, but it's also what allows Meta to push a more demanding VR experience while keeping the glasses themselves at around 100 grams. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/Meta-VR-Glasses-vs-Snap-SPECS--2-.png) ## /4\. Controls, AI and software Both devices are designed to move beyond buttons and controllers, but their approaches to interaction are slightly different. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### What Makes a VPS Reliable Under Real Workloads URL: https://www.techloy.com/what-makes-a-vps-reliable-under-real-workloads/ Last updated: 2026-09-28T14:28:40.000Z A web application or corporate database may perform optimally during standard operational windows, only to suffer severe throughput degradation without any clear administrative cause. Virtual Private Servers are frequently provisioned based on peak performance metrics, yet raw resource limits printed on a service plan do not automatically guarantee steady computing power. Reliability under actual, sustained infrastructure strain depends almost entirely on the mechanisms used to allocate underlying host hardware. When multiple distinct workloads share the same hypervisor frame, the way CPU slices, memory channels, and disk arrays are distributed dictates systemic stability. Operations teams must look past theoretical numbers and analyze how well the environment maintains isolation when neighboring instances on the host node spike. ## CPU Contention Is Often the First Warning Sign CPU contention often appears before a server reaches an obvious failure state. One of the clearest signs is unstable backend response time while incoming traffic and application workload remain largely unchanged. Requests that normally finish quickly may begin taking noticeably longer during certain periods, then return to normal without any change in the code or traffic pattern. Scheduled work can expose the same problem. Cron jobs, data synchronization tasks, and other background processes may start taking longer to finish or overlap with the next scheduled run. That matters because these jobs depend on getting processor time when they expect it. CPU utilization inside the guest system does not always tell the full story. On virtualized servers, metrics such as CPU steal time can help show whether the virtual machine is waiting for physical CPU time from the host. If response times drift while workload stays stable, contention at the host level becomes one of the first things worth checking. ## Stable RAM Is More Than a Number on the Plan The RAM figure on a VPS plan says little about how the system behaves once the application, database, cache, and background processes are all active. Memory pressure usually builds before anything crashes. Database buffers may shrink, cached data gets pushed out more often, and the operating system can start relying on swap. At that point, work that previously stayed in fast memory begins waiting on much slower storage. If available memory drops far enough, new allocations can fail. On Linux systems, that may trigger the OOM killer, which terminates one or more processes to free space. Watch for rising swap activity, falling free memory, repeated cache eviction, and OOM events. These signals show when the system is beginning to spend more time managing memory pressure than doing useful work. ## Disk I/O Can Slow Down Everything Else Storage bottlenecks become easier to spot when day-to-day operations include frequent writes and many small disk operations. The problem is not always raw transfer speed. More often, it is how quickly the storage layer can respond to repeated requests under real application activity. Typical pressure points include: - database writes during order creation or inventory updates - large imports that create many short read and write operations - backup jobs competing with live application traffic - cache operations that generate bursts of disk activity - log-heavy processes writing continuously in the background IOPS and storage latency are most useful when measured during actual write activity. If those figures deteriorate as database, backup, or import work increases, the disk subsystem is likely becoming the limiting factor. ## Background Jobs Expose Weak Resource Isolation Background jobs can reveal instability that never appears on a cached frontend. A page may still load normally while scheduled processes begin falling behind inside the application. Useful warning signs include: - queue depth growing faster than workers can clear it - scheduled imports finishing outside their usual time window - synchronization tasks leaving larger batches of pending work - workers processing fewer jobs per minute than they normally do - maintenance tasks creating delays for the processes that follow them These patterns matter because background workloads usually run for longer and cannot rely on page caching to hide delays. They also make it easier to compare one execution window with another. For that reason, queue depth, worker throughput, and job completion time are worth tracking separately from frontend response time. They can expose resource instability before users begin seeing obvious problems. ## What to Check Before Calling It the Best VPS Hosting The headline specifications do not show how a VPS will behave once real workloads begin competing for resources. A better way to assess the[ **best vps hosting**](https://www.namecheap.com/hosting/vps/) for a particular setup is to look at the technical boundaries behind those numbers and how clearly the provider defines them. Check the details that can affect real performance: - virtualization model and whether the guest runs in a properly isolated virtual machine - CPU allocation, including any published limits on shared or dedicated processing time - memory allocation and whether swap or other limits apply - storage type, available capacity, and any stated IOPS or throughput restrictions - network bandwidth and transfer limits - resource upgrade options if the workload changes later - monitoring and snapshots available for troubleshooting and recovery Not every provider publishes every technical boundary, which is itself useful information when evaluating configurations. Clear limits make it easier to judge whether the machine fits the workload before performance problems appear. ## Predictable Environments Over Short Performance Peaks A production system does not benefit much from occasional bursts of speed if routine processes keep finishing at different times. What matters more is whether the environment gives the application enough consistency to complete ordinary work without creating new delays elsewhere. That affects more than page load time. Scheduled jobs are easier to coordinate, data updates arrive when expected, and maintenance windows are less likely to interfere with normal activity. Teams spend less time compensating for output that changes from one hour to the next. This is where a VPS becomes more useful than a simple collection of resource numbers. Its value comes from creating a runtime that is easier to operate around. When the environment stays reasonably stable, application behavior becomes easier to manage, and everyday technical work stops depending on whether the host happens to be under unusual pressure. ### Why Askya Thinks African Startups Need More Than Funding URL: https://www.techloy.com/askya-ai-growth-programme-african-startups/ Last updated: 2026-09-28T13:46:30.000Z After nearly six years working across venture capital and development finance, [Babacar Seck](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bpseck/), former chief executive of Digital Africa and founding member of Proparco's €300 million ($341 million) Venture Capital program, kept running into the same problem. "There's not that much business development, company-building support to founders on the continent \[Africa\]," he says. "And that was a real gap." Putting money into a startup is one thing. Helping build the company is another. Seck wants [Askya](https://www.askyainvestment.com/) to do the latter, launching an AI growth platform that combines company-building support with startup investment. "We're investing in the ambition, but we're a stakeholder that contributes to creating the value that we want to see," he says. As a first step, Askya is opening applications for a six-week pan-African company-building programme for African startups where AI is a core part of the value proposition. Ten companies will be selected, with Askya able to invest up to $200,000 in a cohort startup, although taking part in the programme doesn't guarantee funding. [5 Funding and Fellowship Opportunities Open NowFrom a $250,000 founder cheque to an $80,000 AI research fellowship, these five funding and fellowship opportunities are open now.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-c6d957ca-32af-420c-a436-ca27ce9a469b.png)TechloyOgbonda Chivumnovu![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1651514644627-8a06b0559587-a0dcba54-2abe-4c87-b64a-1ed09180f334.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/funding-fellowship-opportunities-open-now/) ## Askya is looking for two kinds of AI startups The first kind is startups building AI themselves, and the other includes companies using AI to materially improve an existing real-world solution. "Do they even have capabilities internally, whether it is having a co-founder or teams that are capable of developing AI models for their applications?" Seck shares, explaining further who falls under the first group. "Or are they really enabling something that wasn't possible before on the continent?" The second category is what Seck calls "AI for the real economy." For these companies, simply using AI internally isn't enough. The technology needs to materially improve the solution they're building. "We really look for AI that makes a difference in increasing the impact of the solution," Seck says. In both cases, Seck's emphasis is less on the technology itself than on what it enables the company to do. The programme is open to startups from MVP to Series A, but there's one requirement: the product has to be live. "So, the minimum that we require is that there is a live working product. It needs to be live in a pilot or with a paying customer. We need to see that there's a product and that there's market interest in the solution." Askya is targeting companies that are still figuring out what works before they reach product-market fit. At this stage, founders are still testing their product, finding the right market and figuring out how to grow, the phase Seck says is when a company's DNA gets shaped. Africa's AI sector has drawn over $1.3 billion in funding since 2014, according to a 2026 [industry survey](https://www.giz.de/sites/default/files/media/els-document/2026-09/executive-summary-ai-made-africa.pdf). The median deal size was $225,000\. Also, the African Development Bank [has estimated](https://www.afdb.org/en/news-and-events/press-releases/africas-ai-revolution-african-development-bank-report-projects-1-trillion-additional-gdp-2035-use-ai-enhance-productivity-89619) that AI could add up to $1 trillion to the continent's GDP by 2035\. ## Coaching, then growth The six weeks are split between coaching and growth enablement. Askya says founders will work with experienced builders across technology, operations, product, and sales, while also getting introductions to customers and suppliers and access to talent and digital infrastructure. It adds that the programme includes weekly one-on-one coaching, workshops, masterclasses, and structured corporate meetups. Timing also matters to Seck. "The later a company is in its life, the harder these interventions become. Either you figured it out or maybe you got it wrong, but it's a little harder to address when you come much later in the process," he says. The programme is designed to be remote-first, with the [cohort coming together](https://www.askyainvestment.com/ai-growth-platform-faq) in person for its public reveal at Moonshot by TechCabal in Lagos on October 28–29. ## The $200,000 isn't guaranteed Taking part in the programme doesn't mean every company will receive a share of the $200,000 commitment. "We did not want to structure it like that," Seck says. Selection for the funding comes later and separately, decided, he says, by "an evaluation made by us and our investment committee of which companies are the best fit." When the investment does come, it's expected to be structured as equity, with terms shaped by the stage of the company receiving it. Seck describes $200,000 as a floor rather than a ceiling. "This amount is the public commitment," he says. "We have to put something that we know we're going to do for certain. But we have capacity for more. And, ideally, we intend to do more." Askya's current programme page describes the potential investment as up to $200,000, while also stating that participation creates no obligation on either side. ## How to apply _This post is for subscribers only._ ### WhatsApp’s Android Navigation Bar Could Soon Look More Like iPhone URL: https://www.techloy.com/whatsapp-android-navigation-bar-iphone-like/ Last updated: 2026-09-28T12:35:34.000Z Remember when [Android](https://www.techloy.com/tag/android/) phones were always playing catch-up, with major app features and software updates arriving on the [iPhone](https://www.techloy.com/tag/apple-iphone/) first? A lot has changed since then. Android has caught up in plenty of ways, but there's still one area where the iPhone often seems to get the nicer treatment: app design. That's why this [reported](https://www.gadgets360.com/apps/news/whatsapp-for-android-beta-update-floating-navigation-bar-ios-wabetainfo-report-12107217) WhatsApp update caught my attention. The company could be testing a redesigned navigation bar on Android that looks much closer to the iOS version. Instead of sitting flush against the bottom of the screen, the navigation bar now floats above the interface with rounded corners. It's a small visual change, but it signals that [WhatsApp](https://www.techloy.com/tag/whatsapp/) may finally be listening to Android users who have been asking for a cleaner, more modern interface. More importantly, it brings much-needed design consistency between WhatsApp on Android and iPhone. [How Much Data Does WhatsApp Use vs Zoom, Teams, Meet? (Test)WhatsApp, Zoom, and Google Meet completed their tests without a recorded freeze, audio drop, or disconnection during a test by Techloy.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-107813e2-66c8-4b54-b4b5-858d3e5cab90.png)TechloySietoyo Esitikott![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1621669678601-7f4b77e15236-2f280118-4eba-4098-a65e-8df3a77ffc53.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/whatsapp-vs-zoom-teams-meet-data-usage/) ## The changes WhatsApp is testing The new navigation bar has appeared in WhatsApp beta for Android version 2.26.38.10\. It features a floating layout with rounded corners that separates it from the main interface instead of attaching it directly to the bottom edge of the screen. You can also see it in both light and dark themes, although it's much more noticeable in light mode. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/image-68.png) Image credit: WaBetaInfo The look is clearly inspired by WhatsApp's floating tab bar on iOS, which arrived alongside Apple's Liquid Glass design language. However, WhatsApp isn't copying iOS exactly. The Android version keeps Google's [Material Design](https://www.techloy.com/google-wallet-updates-to-material-3-expressive-design/) styling and doesn't include the same translucent glass effect. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 2026 MTV VMAs Winners Revealed as Taylor Swift Makes VMA History URL: https://www.techloy.com/vmas-2026-winners-taylor-swift/ Last updated: 2026-09-28T10:46:06.000Z Taylor Swift added another major record to her career at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards. On Sunday, September 27, she became the most-awarded artist in MTV VMAs history after taking home three awards at the ceremony, which was held at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles. The event, hosted by Snoop Dogg and broadcast live on CBS and MTV, also saw Madonna take home seven awards, while BTS, LISA and Sienna Spiro were among the other major winners. [2026 Emmy Winners: Biggest Wins at the 78th EmmysThe 78th Emmy Awards have wrapped up, with Widow’s Bay leading the night with 14 wins and The Pitt taking home Outstanding Drama Series.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-7e712453-40c8-4244-89c1-64160dc0cd5c.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1673548294207-b0fc0f528c3f-f263fcf3-c71a-4a8a-8260-b5e81acd268b.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/2026-emmy-winners-biggest-wins/) ## Taylor Swift Breaks The VMA Record Taylor Swift entered the night tied with Beyoncé at 30 VMA wins. Her first award of the evening, the inaugural Artist Director Honors, moved her ahead of Beyoncé and made her the [most-awarded artist in the history](https://apnews.com/article/mtv-vmas-2026-taylor-swift-madonna-2b6b26f83f6f5d3bd36d0ce9824e11c0) of the awards. The new honour recognises artists whose work behind the camera has expanded music videos and visual storytelling. Swift then added two more trophies. Her video for “Opalite” won Best Direction, while “The Fate of Ophelia” won Video of the Year, giving her 33 career VMA wins. The singer used her Video of the Year speech to remember Dolly Parton, who died in August at 80\. Calling Parton “the ultimate showgirl”, Swift said audiences were “very lucky to share this planet with Dolly Parton for a time”. Swift also used the ceremony to premiere the music video for her new song “Patient Zero”. She directed the video, which stars Dakota Johnson and Colin Farrell. ## Madonna Dominates The Awards While Swift made the biggest record of the night, Madonna collected the most trophies, with seven awards in total. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### What to Know About Tanzania’s $44 Travel Insurance Rule Starting October 1 URL: https://www.techloy.com/tanzania-mandatory-travel-insurance/ Last updated: 2026-09-28T10:25:15.000Z I once fell sick in another African country and had to grit my teeth and hold it in until I could get back home, because I had no insurance to fall back on. Anyone who has travelled the continent for content, for business, or for the sheer thrill of it will know that particular kind of worry. Now, starting October 1, visitors to mainland Tanzania will have a safeguard against that sort of issue built into the entry process. Every foreign traveller must now hold a new mandatory travel insurance policy, priced at $44 per visitor, payable in the equivalent amount in Tanzanian shillings. The cover runs for 92 days from the date of arrival and allows multiple entries into the mainland during that period. Published on September 4, the [regulations](https://fbattorneys.co.tz/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/the-Insurance-Inbound-Travel-Insurance-Regulations-2026.pdf) only laid out how the insurance would work but stopped short of saying when it would begin. The Ministry of Finance of the United Republic of Tanzania has since [posted](https://web.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1398401742479070&set=pcb.1398372859148625) who needs it, what they need to apply, how much it costs, and where to sign up. [6 African Countries Offering Digital Nomad VisasAfrica isn’t the first place most remote professionals think of, but it might just be the smartest. Learn why.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-078610c9-c00e-4615-b04a-ef44df011a31.png)TechloyKelechi Edeh![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1599458396390-2373ea0b5f3e-dcd7c2e9-d147-43f6-939e-cbda63567e9a.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/6-african-countries-offering-digital-nomad-visas/) ## What the $44 Tanzania Insurance Policy Covers Before getting into who must buy it, here is what the premium pays for: - emergency medical treatment; - emergency medical evacuation; - emergency repatriation; - loss, theft, or permanent loss of baggage during the coverage period. Details and coverage limits for each are shared with travellers when they apply. ## Who Has to Get It The requirement applies to foreign visitors, and the provider depends on the point of entry. Travellers entering mainland Tanzania will have to buy from the National Insurance Corporation, while those coming in through Zanzibar buy from the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation (ZIC). It is also important to note that the insurance does not replace any existing entry formality. Visitors who need a visa must still obtain one, including online through the official [Tanzanian e-Visa portal](https://visa.immigration.go.tz/). ## How to Get Covered Talents, digital nomads, and business visitors can buy through the provider designated for their entry point. The Ministry of Finance says the full details on purchase, coverage, payment methods, and verification will be published on the official [NIC](https://inbound.nicinsurance.co.tz/) and [ZIC](https://man.zicinbound.co.tz/) portals. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Tesla Semi Truck Is in Production After 9 Years: What Changed URL: https://www.techloy.com/tesla-semi-2026-range-price-production/ Last updated: 2026-09-28T09:55:05.000Z Over the years, Elon Musk's [Tesla](https://www.techloy.com/tag/tesla/) has earned a reputation for missing some of its biggest launch deadlines. The second-generation Roadster, the Cybertruck, [Robotaxi](https://www.techloy.com/tag/robotaxi/), and Full Self-Driving (FSD) were all announced with ambitious timelines, only to face delays that stretched for years. The Tesla Semi joined that list. On November 16, 2017, Musk stepped onto a stage in Hawthorne, California, to unveil Tesla's first electric semi-truck. Days before the event, he [promised](https://x.com/elonmusk/status/929823757635481600) it would "blow your mind clear out of your skull and into an alternate dimension." That might have happened figuratively for fans. What happened in reality was a nearly nine-year wait. The truck was pushed back repeatedly due to critical battery cell shortages, global supply chain issues, and Tesla's strategic decision to prioritize high-volume passenger vehicles like the Model 3 and Model Y before ramping up Semi production. Now, Tesla executives say Semi deliveries are finally set to begin. And funnily enough, this comes just days after Tesla finally set October 1 as the delivery date for the long-delayed [Roadster Gen 2](https://www.techloy.com/new-tesla-roadster-october-1-reveal-2026/), another product that spent nearly nine years in development before reaching customers. [Tesla Recalls 173 RWD Cybertrucks Over Wheel Defect, Marking the Vehicle’s 11th RecallThe automaker is also recalling more than 200,000 Tesla Model Y, Tesla Model S, Tesla Model X, and Tesla Model 3 vehicles.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-67a9ba27-97ef-4000-b67d-59759813405a.png)TechloyOgbonda Chivumnovu![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1705771802714-a3735fc6fc96-41f2df56-a8b6-4282-bdcf-5d0c791bc422.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/tesla-recalls-173-rwd-cybertrucks-over-wheel-defect-marking-the-vehicles-11th-recall/) ## Tesla Semi production, range and price are taking shape Tesla has now opened high-volume production of the Semi at its Sparks, Nevada factory. The long-range version offers an estimated 500 miles (805 km) of range on a full charge, while the standard version is rated for 325 miles (523 km). The factory is expected to produce up to 50,000 trucks annually. Tesla hasn't officially announced pricing, but previous estimates from the International Council on Clean Transportation [put](https://theicct.org/californias-new-incentive-program-could-cause-battery-electric-tractor-truck-sales-to-skyrocket-jul26/) the long-range Semi at around $290,000. ## Tesla has already secured thousands of orders The timing appears to be working in Tesla's favour. An alliance of major shippers, including Microsoft and PepsiCo, has placed an order for 2,500 Tesla Semis. If fulfilled, it would nearly double the number of heavy-duty electric trucks currently operating on US roads. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### iPhone 18 Pro Max vs Xiaomi 18 Pro Max URL: https://www.techloy.com/iphone-18-pro-max-vs-xiaomi-18-pro-max/ Last updated: 2026-09-28T09:44:59.000Z Last year, [Xiaomi](https://www.techloy.com/tag/xiaomi/) did something hard to ignore. It launched the [Xiaomi 17 Pro Max](https://www.techloy.com/xiaomi-17-max-vs-xiaomi-17-pro-max/) with Apple's naming convention, a familiar flagship-sized design, and a feature list that seemed determined to take Apple's homework and add a few extra pages to it. The result was a phone that looked a lot like an answer to the iPhone 17 Pro Max, but in some areas, Xiaomi arguably went further. The 17 Pro Max packed a 7,500mAh battery, 100W charging, three 50MP Leica cameras and a secondary display on the back, while Apple's flagship stuck to a more conservative approach. Now, Xiaomi is back with the Xiaomi 18 Pro Max, and the formula hasn't exactly changed. There's still a 6.9-inch flagship, there's still a rear display, and the phone is once again positioned directly against Apple's biggest [iPhone](https://www.techloy.com/tag/apple-iphone/). But Xiaomi has turned the dial up considerably this year, adding an 8,500mAh battery, 100W wired charging, a new 2nm Snapdragon chip and two 200MP Leica cameras. Meanwhile, the [iPhone 18 Pro Max](https://www.techloy.com/everything-apple-announced-september-event/) brings Apple's A20 Pro chip, a new variable-aperture main camera, a larger battery, and the company's latest iOS 27 software. So, did Xiaomi follow Apple's assignment for another year, or has the Xiaomi 18 Pro Max finally become a flagship that can stand on its own? Here's how the two phones compare. [iPhone Duo vs Xiaomi 18 Fold: Specs, Price and WinnerWhich foldable phone should you buy in 2026?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-7c8bb07d-d050-46b3-8e6e-b9e630523e6b.png)TechloyOgbonda Chivumnovu![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/iPhone-Duo-vs-Xiaomi-18-Fold-Comparison-17eddd15-2466-421a-aabe-05921f85d400.png)](https://www.techloy.com/iphone-duo-vs-xiaomi-18-fold/) ## /1\. Design Neither phone is trying to reinvent what a large flagship smartphone looks like, but Xiaomi is still the more adventurous of the two. The iPhone 18 Pro Max keeps Apple's aluminium unibody design with Ceramic Shield 2 on the front and back. It measures 163.4mm tall, 78mm wide and 8.75mm thick, while weighing 249 grams. Apple also retains the Action button, Camera Control and its familiar camera system on the rear. The Xiaomi 18 Pro Max is slightly thinner at 8.39mm and lighter at 235 grams. It also has an aluminium frame, glass back and IP68 protection, but its defining feature is the 2.9-inch rear display built into the camera module. That rear screen isn't just there for aesthetics. It can show notifications, application cards, and other information, and it doubles as a viewfinder when taking selfies with the main cameras. Apple's design is more restrained and familiar, while Xiaomi continues to experiment with what can be done with the back of a phone. 💡 ****Winner:** Xiaomi 18 Pro Max. It's lighter, slightly thinner, and its rear display gives it a genuinely different design rather than another variation of the standard flagship formula. ## /2\. Display Both phones have 6.9-inch displays and 120Hz adaptive refresh rates, so there's little separating them in size or smoothness. The iPhone 18 Pro Max has a 6.9-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display with a 2868 × 1320 resolution, 460 ppi, and up to 3,000 nits peak brightness. It also supports HDR and Dolby Vision. Xiaomi uses a 6.9-inch LTPO AMOLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate, 1,208 × 2,624 resolution, 12-bit colour and up to 4,000 nits peak brightness. It also supports Dolby Vision, HDR formats, and hardware-level privacy features. Apple has the sharper panel, while Xiaomi pushes harder on brightness and colour depth. Xiaomi also gives you that additional 2.9-inch rear display, which Apple obviously doesn't have. 💡 ****Winner:** Xiaomi 18 Pro Max. The iPhone has the higher pixel density, but Xiaomi's brighter 4,000-nit panel, 12-bit colour and secondary display give it the more versatile display setup. ## /3\. Performance This is one of the closest battles on paper. The iPhone 18 Pro Max runs Apple's A20 Pro chip, built on a 2nm process, alongside a new-generation vapour chamber designed to improve sustained performance. Apple says it delivers the highest sustained performance ever seen in an iPhone. Xiaomi is also using a 2nm chip, but this time it's [Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6](https://www.techloy.com/snapdragon-8-elite-gen-6-vs-extreme-gen-6/). The chip reaches up to 5GHz and is paired with a new cooling system designed to maintain performance during demanding workloads. Xiaomi claims it can sustain full-frame-rate gaming for an hour under heavy loads. Both are among the fastest smartphone platforms available, and the move to 2nm makes this less about headline benchmark numbers and more about sustained performance, gaming, and efficiency. Apple still has the advantage of extremely tight hardware and software integration, while Xiaomi is giving users up to 16GB of RAM and a more aggressive cooling system. 💡 ****Winner:** Tie. Both phones represent the top end of mobile performance, with Apple prioritising optimisation and Xiaomi pushing hardware harder. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/iPhone-18-Pro-Max-vs-Xiaomi-18-Pro-Max--1-.png) ## /4\. Cameras This is where Xiaomi's "take Apple's assignment and add more" strategy becomes especially obvious. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Wipe, degauss or shred? How to choose the right data destruction method URL: https://www.techloy.com/wipe-degauss-or-shred-how-to-choose-the-right-data-destruction-method/ Last updated: 2026-09-28T06:57:35.000Z Every laptop, server and phone you retire still carries a piece of your company’s history. The way you erase that data decides whether end of life is a clean goodbye or the first line of a breach report. ## Why deleting is never enough Formatting a drive or emptying the recycle bin only removes the pointers to your files. The data itself stays in place until something overwrites it, and freely available recovery tools can often bring it back within minutes. For IT managers who retire hundreds of assets a year, decommissioning is one of the quietest risks in the entire hardware lifecycle, and one of the easiest to overlook. ## Three methods compared There is no single best method. The right choice depends on the type of storage, how sensitive the data is and what should happen to the device afterwards. ### Software wiping Wiping overwrites every addressable sector or, on modern SSDs, triggers built-in sanitize commands such as cryptographic erase. The big advantage is that the hardware stays usable. - **Best for:** laptops, desktops and servers heading for resale or redeployment - **Watch out for:** drives with bad sectors or failing electronics, which cannot always be fully verified - **Keep in mind:** classic multi-pass overwriting does not reach every memory cell on an SSD, so use tools built for flash storage ### Degaussing A degausser exposes magnetic media to a powerful magnetic field that scrambles the stored data beyond recovery. - **Best for:** hard drives and backup tapes that are faulty or at end of life - **Watch out for:** it has no effect on SSDs, USB sticks or smartphones - **Keep in mind:** the drive is permanently disabled, so reuse is off the table ### Physical shredding Shredding reduces drives to small fragments. Particle size matters here: a fragment that is harmless for a hard drive platter can still hold an intact memory chip from an SSD, so flash media needs a much finer shred. - **Best for:** highly sensitive data, damaged media and devices that failed a wipe - **Watch out for:** the highest material loss of the three methods - **Keep in mind:** ask which particle size is used per media type ## Standards that give you something to point at Choosing a method is only half the job. You also need to show that it was done properly. ### The frameworks that matter - **NIST SP 800-88:** the widely used guideline that defines three sanitization levels (clear, purge and destroy) and links them to media types - **IEEE 2883:** a newer standard written with modern storage such as NVMe and self-encrypting drives in mind - **ISO/IEC 27001:** shows that a provider runs a managed information security system, including how assets are handled - **ADISA:** independent certification for IT asset disposal providers, including unannounced audits of their processes ### The certificate of destruction This document is your evidence when an auditor or regulator asks what happened to a specific device. #### What it should include - The serial number of every individual drive or device - The method and standard applied - Date, location and the technician responsible - The verification result, so failed wipes are visible and followed up ## Building a policy that holds up in an audit A solid policy starts with classifying your data, then matching each media type to a method. Add a documented chain of custody from the moment equipment leaves the building, and verification after every wipe or shred. [Certified data destruction](https://circularitgroup.com/itad/data-destruction/) ties these steps together into one process with evidence per asset, which is exactly what auditors, data protection officers and boards ask for when something goes wrong. ### Questions to ask your provider - Can we see the chain of custody for every collection? - Which standard do you follow per media type? - What happens to a drive that fails verification? - Can devices be wiped on site if data may not leave our premises? ## The takeaway Wiping keeps value in your hardware, degaussing and shredding offer certainty when reuse is not an option, and standards turn good intentions into proof. Pick the method per asset, not per project, and your retired equipment stops being a liability. ### Maintenance Software for Food Safety, Compliance, and Uptime URL: https://www.techloy.com/maintenance-software-for-food-safety-compliance-and-uptime/ Last updated: 2026-09-28T06:55:19.000Z Food and beverage plants must protect consumers while meeting strict production schedules. Equipment failures can interrupt processing, compromise sanitation, delay shipments, and increase waste. Maintenance software brings inspections, repairs, asset records, spare parts, and compliance evidence into one working system. With reliable information and clear accountability, plant teams can address developing faults earlier, preserve hygienic conditions, and maintain consistent output without treating documentation as an afterthought. For teams comparing [maintenance software for food & beverage](https://www.getmaintainx.com/blog/best-maintenance-software-for-food-and-beverage-manufacturing), the practical question is whether a platform fits daily plant routines. Useful systems connect work orders, preventive schedules, equipment files, inventory, and performance reports. That connection replaces scattered forms, clarifies responsibility, and gives supervisors timely information about machinery condition across processing, packaging, storage, and utility areas. ## **Why Software Matters** A shared maintenance record helps production, quality, and engineering staff work from the same facts. Supervisors can see assigned jobs, overdue inspections, recurring defects, and unresolved safety concerns without searching through separate files. That visibility improves coordination during shift changes. It also creates a dependable history for decisions involving staffing, repairs, replacement planning, and inspection readiness. ## **Food Safety Records** Sanitation and maintenance records carry direct food safety value. Software can assign cleaning checks, temperature reviews, lubrication tasks, filter changes, and equipment inspections at defined intervals. Each activity may include the worker, completion time, measurement, note, or photograph. Quality leaders gain traceable evidence, while auditors can follow the sequence from scheduled duty to verified completion. ## **Preventive Maintenance** Breakdowns rarely begin with a dramatic failure. Worn bearings, loose guards, rising motor temperatures, and abnormal vibration often provide earlier warnings. [Equipment maintenance](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/chapter/edited-volume/abs/pii/B9780857094292500115?utm%5Fsource=chatgpt.com) schedules help technicians inspect those conditions before production stops. Recurring jobs can follow calendar dates, meter readings, operating hours, or batch counts. Standard checklists also reduce variation between shifts and locations. ## **Mobile Work Execution** Technicians need instructions beside the equipment, not in a distant office. Mobile access allows workers to receive assignments, review procedures, scan asset codes, add photographs, and record findings during the job. Supervisors see updates without waiting for handwritten forms. Faster reporting can shorten repair queues, improve handoffs, and preserve details that might otherwise disappear after a busy shift. ## **Asset History** A machine’s service history often explains its next failure. Asset records can hold manuals, specifications, inspection results, repair notes, calibration information, and replacement dates. Reviewing that history may reveal repeated seal damage, frequent sensor faults, or rising labor demands. Managers can then compare repair costs with production risk before approving redesign, replacement, or tighter inspection intervals. ## **Inventory Control** A repair cannot finish if the required component is missing. Maintenance software tracks stock quantities, storage locations, supplier information, and consumption patterns. Reorder points help teams protect critical items without filling storerooms with unnecessary material. Linking parts to planned work also improves preparation. Technicians can confirm availability before starting a job, reducing extended downtime caused by avoidable purchasing delays. ## **Reporting and Key Measures** Maintenance data becomes useful when it answers operational questions. Managers can review unplanned downtime, preventive completion, overdue assignments, repeat failures, labor hours, and repair costs. These measures show whether current schedules protect production or leave recurring weaknesses untouched. Clear reports also give operations, finance, and quality leaders a common basis for discussing capacity, risk, and resource allocation. ## **Audit Preparation** Audits require evidence with context, not a pile of completed forms. Teams may need to show who performed a task, which instruction applied, what readings were captured, and whether an exception received follow-up. Searchable electronic records keep those details together. Timestamps, approvals, signatures, photographs, and attached procedures strengthen traceability when an auditor requests proof. ## **Choosing the Right Platform** Food and beverage manufacturers should judge software against actual plant routines rather than a long feature list. Important questions include: - Can technicians learn the system without lengthy instruction? - Does it manage recurring inspections and approval steps? - Are asset files quick to find? - Can planners connect parts with scheduled work? - Do reports address safety, reliability, and output? ### **Testing Before Purchase** A realistic trial should involve technicians, planners, supervisors, and quality personnel. Each group can create a work order, complete an inspection, request a spare part, and review a report. Their responses will show whether the system fits existing habits or creates extra effort. Testing with real equipment also exposes missing fields, weak permissions, and unclear approval paths. ## **Implementation Priorities** Implementation should begin with accurate asset information and documented procedures. Teams can identify critical machines, remove duplicate entries, confirm naming conventions, and assign task ownership before importing records. Training should use familiar equipment and realistic situations. A controlled launch in one department provides useful feedback, limits disruption, and creates reliable examples before broader adoption across the facility. ## **Adoption Across Roles** Consistent use depends on each role seeing practical value. Technicians need clear screens, concise instructions, and fast job entry. Planners require dependable schedules and status information. Supervisors need visibility into workload and risk. Quality personnel need accessible evidence. Role-based training reduces confusion, while regular reviews help leaders correct weak habits before incomplete records become routine. ## **Measuring Business Value** Plants should capture baseline figures before installation. Useful measures include unplanned downtime, overdue preventive tasks, repeat defects, audit findings, emergency purchases, and maintenance cost per production hour. Comparing those figures after several months can show whether the process is improving control. Meaningful gains may include faster repairs, fewer stoppages, stronger records, and steadier line performance. ## **Conclusion** Maintenance software connects food safety duties with equipment care, compliance records, material planning, and production goals. The strongest choice will fit technician workflows, provide clear traceability, offer mobile access, and produce reports that leaders can act on. Careful implementation matters as much as product selection. With accurate data and consistent participation, maintenance information can guide daily decisions, reduce avoidable failures, and help plants protect both consumers and output. ### How Can Insurance Protection Help When Your Car Requires Major Part Replacement? URL: https://www.techloy.com/how-can-insurance-protection-help-when-your-car-requires-major-part-replacement/ Last updated: 2026-09-26T07:28:43.000Z A major accident can leave your car needing more than a routine repair. A door, bumper, headlamp, engine component, gearbox part or another expensive assembly may need complete replacement. Motor insurance protection can reduce the amount you need to manage yourself. Different covers help in different ways, from paying for eligible replacement parts to reducing depreciation deductions and supporting repair expenses. ## It Can Reduce Depreciation Deductions on Replaced Parts When a damaged part is replaced with a new one, depreciation may be applied to certain parts under a standard own damage claim. This can leave the owner paying part of the replacement cost. Zero depreciation cover can reduce or waive eligible depreciation deductions according to the policy wording. It may help when: - Body panels or other eligible parts need replacement. - Several parts are changed after one accident. - The car is within the insurer's eligible age limit for the add-on. ## It Can Support Engine or Gearbox Part Replacement Engine and gearbox repairs can become significant when important internal components are affected. Standard own damage cover may not respond to every type of internal engine or gearbox damage, so a dedicated add-on can help for specified causes mentioned in the policy. If your regular route is prone to monsoon waterlogging, you may [**buy car insurance online**](https://www.hdfcergo.com/car-insurance) with engine and gearbox protection after checking whether it suits that risk. Some policies may cover eligible damage linked to water ingress or leakage of lubricating oil, subject to their conditions. ## It Can Cover Supporting Consumables Used during the Repair Replacing a major component often requires smaller materials. Engine oil, coolant, brake fluid, lubricants, nuts, bolts, washers and similar items may be used while the workshop completes the job. A consumables add-on can help with eligible items used during an admissible repair. This issue matters because a large repair bill may include more than the cost of the main component. Depending on the policy, it may support expenses related to: - Fluids replaced during the repair. - Small fittings required during installation. - Other consumable materials listed were used for the claim repair. ## It Can Make Major Repairs Easier through Cashless Garages When an expensive part needs replacement, the claim process can involve inspection, approval, parts ordering and a repair estimate. A cashless network garage can make this process easier to manage. At an eligible network garage, the insurer can settle the approved claim amount directly with the workshop. You normally pay the applicable deductible and any amount outside the payable claim. This arrangement can reduce the need to arrange the full approved repair amount first and then seek reimbursement. ## It Can Pay for Eligible Parts Damaged in an Accident Insurance can help cover the repair or replacement of eligible car parts damaged due to an insured event. Under [**comprehensive insurance**](https://www.hdfcergo.com/car-insurance/comprehensive-car-insurance), own damage protection may apply if the insured vehicle suffers damage from events covered by the policy. It can help when: - A collision damages a door panel, bumper or headlamp assembly. - A covered event causes damage that cannot be repaired properly. - The workshop recommends replacing an eligible fitted component. - The damaged part forms part of an admissible own damage claim. The final payable amount depends on the policy terms, applicable deductibles and depreciation, where relevant. ## It Can Help You Plan for Costs That Remain Payable Insurance may reduce a major repair expense, but it is important to know which portion may remain with you. Deductibles, depreciation, non-payable items, or limits under selected add-ons can affect the final settlement. Before repairs begin, ask the workshop for a detailed estimate and inform the insurer promptly. Check whether the damaged part is covered, whether depreciation applies and whether any selected add-on can support the claim. Understanding these points before approving replacement work can help avoid confusion later. ## Final Thoughts Insurance protection can help with major part replacements in practical ways. Own damage cover can support eligible accident-related replacement, zero depreciation can reduce certain depreciation deductions, and suitable add-ons can help with engine, gearbox and consumable-related expenses. Cashless garage support can also simplify settlement for approved repairs. The exact benefit depends on the cause of damage, the parts involved, the covers selected and the policy terms, so the wording should always be checked before making a claim. ### Inside Nintendo’s $4.5M Lawsuit Against a Reddit Moderator Over Switch Piracy URL: https://www.techloy.com/nintendo-archbox-lawsuit-4-5-million-judgment/ Last updated: 2026-09-25T16:00:42.000Z [Nintendo](https://www.techloy.com/tag/nintendo/) has won a $4.5 million judgment against a [Reddit](https://www.techloy.com/tag/reddit/) moderator accused of selling and distributing pirated Nintendo Switch games, bringing a two-year legal fight to a close. Nintendo of America [sued](https://www.polygon.com/nintendo-reddit-mod-lawsuit-money-amount-piracy-nintendo-switch/) James “Archbox” Williams in June 2024, alleging that he operated and promoted websites that distributed extensive libraries of pirated Switch games. A Washington district court has now awarded Nintendo the $4.5 million in damages it requested, while also ordering Williams to shut down the online shops covered by the case. But there is an important detail behind the headline: this was a default judgment. Williams did not respond to the lawsuit in court, meaning Nintendo won the amount it had requested without the case proceeding to a contested trial. So, what exactly happened in the Nintendo-Reddit lawsuit, and how did a Reddit moderator end up owing Nintendo $4.5 million? [Sony PlayStation $7.85M Settlement: Who Qualifies?Eligible PlayStation customers could receive a share of Sony’s $7.85 million settlement over alleged digital game overcharging.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-d16c0097-1ff8-4157-a4a9-825ec302c32f.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1638431755905-631694da8921-294189c2-3ad5-46e3-a2dd-717c91e92659.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/sony-playstation-settlement-7-85-million/) ## Who is James “Archbox” Williams? James Williams, who goes by “Archbox” online, was reportedly a moderator of the [r/SwitchPirates](https://www.reddit.com/r/SwitchPirates/) subreddit, a community focused on Nintendo Switch piracy. Nintendo's allegations, however, went considerably further than his activity on Reddit. The company described Williams as the “operator, overseer, and driving force behind several Pirate Shops”, which Nintendo said distributed large numbers of Nintendo Switch games illegally. The Switch Pirates subreddit is still active, although Williams no longer appears to be listed among its moderators. Nintendo also went to considerable lengths to identify Williams. According to Game File's reporting from November 2024, Nintendo [tracked](https://www.gamefile.news/p/how-nintendo-found-archbox-switch?ref=aftermath.site) him down through Reddit and connected his online identity to a Nintendo account that had previously requested hardware repairs. That connection gave Nintendo an address for Williams. The company then reportedly sent a repaired piece of hardware to that address just days before sending a cease-and-desist notice that eventually preceded the lawsuit. It's a striking detail in a case that otherwise unfolded largely through online communities and piracy websites: Nintendo was able to connect an online pseudonym to a real-world identity through its own customer records. ## Why did Nintendo sue the Reddit moderator? Nintendo filed the lawsuit on June 28, 2024, in a Washington district court, accusing Williams of copyright infringement and involvement in the distribution of unauthorized Switch games. The company's lawyers were pursuing more than just the person behind a Reddit account. Nintendo alleged that Williams operated or controlled online shops where users could download extensive libraries of pirated Switch games. That was part of a broader Nintendo crackdown on the infrastructure surrounding Switch piracy. Over the years, Nintendo has gone after piracy websites, hardware hackers, and pirate software sellers. The company has also taken legal action against people who [livestreamed](https://kotaku.com/nintendo-switch-piracy-lawsuit-mario-luigi-zelda-echoes-1851693898%5C) pirated Switch games. Nintendo's June 2024 lawsuit against Williams came alongside another case against Modded Hardware, a company that sold kits designed to modify Nintendo Switch consoles to run pirated games. The two cases show the different parts of the piracy ecosystem Nintendo has been targeting: the people distributing games and the hardware and software that help those games run. [Nintendo Direct September 2026: Everything AnnouncedA day after the Zelda Direct, Nintendo returned with a new 2D Metroid, an open-world Kirby and dates for almost everything else.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-59349748-27a8-4b78-9bec-0ebd2f07d0a4.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1749264292585-858660898055-db3d3fb8-67ef-4619-bc60-3b46b6417352.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/nintendo-direct-september-2026-everything-announced/) ## Why does Archbox owe Nintendo $4.5 million? Nintendo of America was ultimately awarded $4.5 million in damages, which is the same amount the company requested in its October 2025 filings seeking a default judgment. Nintendo had argued that the damages it was requesting were “nowhere near an amount that would compensate NOA for the seriousness of the Defendant's conduct.” The company also said it could have sought “several million dollars” more in statutory damages for alleged DMCA violations, but chose not to pursue those additional damages. That $4.5 million request has now become the final judgment. The court had already entered a default against him in earlier proceedings, and the latest ruling formally awarded Nintendo the damages it had requested. ## What did the court order Williams to do? The $4.5 million isn't the only consequence. The court also ordered Williams to shut down the online shops Nintendo alleged he operated. The default judgment specifically [states](https://aftermath.site/nintendo-switch-archbox-pirate-lawsuit/), “To effectuate this injunction, Williams shall immediately disable access to all online ‘shops’ that he operates or otherwise controls which have offered to the public extensive libraries of pirated Nintendo Switch games for download.” _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 👀 Meta has a very weird vision for the future URL: https://www.techloy.com/newsletter-week-39-2026-meta-has-a-very-weird-vision-for-the-future/ Last updated: 2026-09-25T15:58:33.000Z I saw a video on Instagram this week of a robot fighting a human in an actual boxing match and my first thought was: did we learn nothing from *Real Steel* and *The Terminator*? It was pretty bizarre to see, but I'll admit I watched the whole thing (side note: the robot won). Anyway, while that was happening, Meta showed us a Tamagotchi for the AI era. **In this week's issue:** - Meta has a new companion and $1,299 VR glasses. - *Resident Evil* had its biggest opening weekend yet. - AI is creating a new six-figure tech job. See you next week! — [Kelechi](https://www.techloy.com/author/kelechi/), *Interim Managing Editor* --- ## **🚀 BIG STORY** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/image-61.png) **Image Credit: Meta* ### 👓 Meta wants VR glasses to replace your phone *By Ogbonda Chivumnovu* I've never quite understood the appeal of wearing a computer on your face, but Meta is still determined to make it happen. At Connect this week, we got a glimpse of its $1,299 VR glasses that weigh just 100 grams, can track your eyes and hands, play 3D movies, and even make hologram calls. Then there's Muse Charm, the tiny AI companion that looks like a Tamagotchi for 2026. Apple tried the whole face-computer thing with the $3,499 Vision Pro and, well, we know how that went. Can Meta do better? [READ THE FULL STORY](https://www.techloy.com/meta-vr-glasses-muse-charm-connect-2026/) --- ## **⚡️ MORE BIG STORIES** ![](https://static.klipy.com/ii/71b2873e478b9d8d0482ea3ec777ba7f/73/20/YjyXIpkm.gif) ### 🧟 People can't get enough of ResidentEvil reboot The new *Resident Evil* reboot [made $108.3 million worldwide](https://www.techloy.com/resident-evil-2026-box-office-reboot/) in its opening weekend, giving the franchise its biggest start yet. But what caught my attention was that Zach Cregger, the director behind *Barbarian* and *Weapons*, hadn't even watched the previous *Resident Evil* movies before taking on the reboot. And that approach seems to have struck a nerve with fans. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### A Nigerian Court Just Complicated How Truecaller Gets Consent for Your Contacts URL: https://www.techloy.com/truecaller-court-ruling-nigeria-contacts-consent/ Last updated: 2026-09-25T15:56:04.000Z I've used [Truecaller](https://www.techloy.com/tag/truecaller/) for years to identify unknown calls and spot potential scams. But the more I thought about how the app actually does that, the stranger it started to feel: what happens when the person it's identifying never agreed to be part of Truecaller in the first place? A Lagos High Court ruling on September 14 put that question under the spotlight. The court found that a Truecaller user's consent to upload their contacts doesn't automatically amount to consent from the people in that contact list who never agreed to have their data processed. For now, that doesn't mean Truecaller has to stop identifying callers. The court ultimately dismissed the application because the applicants didn't establish the infringement and resulting injury required for the reliefs they sought. But the reasoning behind the decision raises a bigger question about how apps can use our contact lists. In other words, if I give Truecaller access to my contacts, I can consent to the processing of my own data. But can I consent on behalf of everyone whose number happens to be sitting in my phone? The court's answer to that particular question was no. [Truecaller adds Family Protection so one user can control scam blocking for up to five peopleThe feature brings household-level security to Truecaller, helping protect children, seniors, and new smartphone users from coordinated scam attempts.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-1c557717-1c10-4a0f-ba88-183fa9e0f693.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1758598303740-88bd387ed7f0-e3583721-6f9a-4747-9110-bf2991cedd06.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/truecaller-adds-family-protection-so-one-user-can-control-scam-blocking-for-up-to-five-people/) ## Why does this matter now? This dispute puts companies that rely on contact lists, access to address books or crowdsourced identity databases in a difficult position: whose consent actually counts when the data belongs to someone else? From a user's standpoint, uploading a contact list feels like a normal part of using an app. But for someone who doesn't use that app, their phone number can still end up being processed without their knowledge or consent. While how data privacy harms should be valued remains a work in progress, Nigerian courts have been cautious about awarding substantial damages where a claimant cannot show direct financial loss or a concrete consequence. A person whose exposed phone number leads to fraud, extortion, threats, discrimination, job loss or emotional distress may therefore have a stronger claim for compensation than someone who can show only that their data was processed without valid consent. The ruling also marks a shift from an earlier Nigerian court case involving Truecaller. In that case, the court accepted, in substance, that Truecaller could rely on users' representations that they had obtained consent from people whose numbers were in their address books. This time, the Lagos High Court declined to follow that reasoning under the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023. ## What you should do If you use Truecaller, check your privacy settings and whether you have enabled contact-uploading or "Enhanced Search" features. Depending on the version of the app, these features can be disabled. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Gemini's Call for Me Could Deliver on a Promise Google Made in 2018 URL: https://www.techloy.com/geminis-call-for-me/ Last updated: 2026-09-25T15:07:07.000Z Back in 2018, [Google](https://www.techloy.com/tag/google/) [showcased](https://research.google/blog/google-duplex-an-ai-system-for-accomplishing-real-world-tasks-over-the-phone/) a feature that wowed its audience during its I/O event and this was way before most companies started pushing out AI chatbots or agents. It was an AI-assisted calling feature called [Duplex](https://research.google/blog/google-duplex-an-ai-system-for-accomplishing-real-world-tasks-over-the-phone/), which allowed people to call businesses and make reservations without any human intervention. Fast-forward to 2026, and Google has now announced a new feature called Call for Me, which works almost identically to Duplex. While Duplex on the Web was eventually [shut down](https://techcrunch.com/2022/12/02/google-shuts-down-duplex-on-the-web-its-attempt-to-bring-ai-smarts-to-retail-sites-and-more/), Call for Me allows [Gemini](https://www.techloy.com/tag/google-gemini/) to make and handle a phone call on your behalf, from start to finish. [Google AI Shakeup: Hassabis Steps Back, Jeff Dean ExitsGoogle’s AI division just lost two of its most important minds in a single day, and the man staying behind is stepping back too.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-b760aa0c-7a12-4f7d-841c-dd4080a4482d.png)TechloyDavid Adubiina![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1690983730723-37220d10db46-40b78802-befb-4c06-a681-dc99022ee8c8.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/demis-hassabis-steps-back-jeff-dean-exits-google/) ## How Call for Me works Call for Me can call businesses, introduce itself, navigate automated phone menus, wait on hold and handle the conversation. It can also ask if a product is in stock, make a restaurant reservation or reschedule an appointment. You open the Gemini app and ask it to make the call. You can also explicitly use Call for Me in your prompt. Google recommends being specific. You can give it the business, what you want, preferred dates and times, alternatives it can accept, and any other relevant information. For example: “Call \[restaurant\] and book a table for two at 7pm tomorrow. If 7pm isn't available, ask for 7:30pm.” Users can watch a live transcript and intervene at any time. The feature is rolling out to Pixel 11 owners with a Gemini subscription in the US. Google is also being cautious. The feature is launching as a beta because, as the company puts it, “real-world conversations are nuanced.” ## Why Google could be releasing this feature now Google isn't launching this feature in a vacuum. Recently, [Meta](https://www.techloy.com/tag/meta/) has been testing a calling feature for its [Muse agent](https://www.techloy.com/meta-muse-ai-agent-what-it-can-access/). Considering this, Google's move could be a competitive response. But the two features aren't exactly the same. Internal posts seen by Reuters [reveal](https://www.reuters.com/business/meta-testing-human-concierge-its-new-personal-ai-agent-muse-2026-09-22/) that Meta has been testing a “human concierge” feature, with human contractors quietly handling some of the calls placed through Muse. The key difference is that Google's feature is fully automated. Gemini makes the call. Meta's feature, at least in testing, sometimes uses humans to handle calls made through Muse. ## Google has released many AI-powered call features in the past Ever since experimenting with Duplex in 2018, Google has released a slew of AI-powered calling features, such as Ask for Me, Hold for Me and other tools. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Avengers: Endgame: Encore Leads a Crowded Box Office Weekend With Three New Releases URL: https://www.techloy.com/avengers-endgame-encore-box-office-opening-weekend/ Last updated: 2026-09-25T15:02:50.000Z This is a busy weekend at the North American box office. Avengers: Endgame: Encore is back in cinemas, but it has plenty of company. Three new films are opening at the same time, while [Resident Evil](https://www.techloy.com/resident-evil-2026-box-office-reboot/) is still playing after leading the box office last weekend. Endgame: Encore began previews on Thursday, September 24, before its official release on Friday. It made about $3 million from previews, [according to Deadline](https://deadline.com/2026/09/box-office-avengers-endgame-primetime-heart-of-the-beast-1237111302/). A24’s Primetime, starring Robert Pattinson, made roughly the same amount, giving the weekend an early sign of competition. Then there is Paramount’s Heart of the Beast, starring Brad Pitt, and Universal and DreamWorks Animation’s Forgotten Island. So, if you are heading to the cinema this weekend, there is no shortage of options. The interesting part is seeing whether audiences will choose something new or return to a film they already know. [The Love Hypothesis Book vs Movie: What ChangedThe Love Hypothesis brings Ali Hazelwood’s bestselling romance to the screen while making several changes to the original story.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-57a0aaf5-2117-4240-add4-481473f432a9.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/love-hypothesis-trailer-0c5af930-5583-4b34-8d7b-d8eac82d6fd5.webp)](https://www.techloy.com/the-love-hypothesis-book-vs-movie/) ## Why Is Endgame Back in Cinemas? Marvel could have simply put Avengers: Endgame back in cinemas and called it a day. Instead, Endgame: Encore comes with a few new pieces that give fans a reason to watch it again. The 2019 blockbuster is returning with extra footage that connects it to Avengers: Doomsday, which is scheduled for December 18, 2026\. Disney has confirmed the September return, while current listings put the new version at around 185 minutes, making it several minutes longer than the original. Joe Russo, who directed Endgame with Anthony Russo and is also directing Doomsday, has described the new version as “required viewing” for audiences following the upcoming film. He told Fandango that the re-release will “connect the story of the two movies”. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Why Do People Leave Their Banks? URL: https://www.techloy.com/why-people-leave-their-banks/ Last updated: 2026-10-11T13:35:54.000Z Have you ever sat there refreshing your bank app, watching your money sit in limbo after a transfer that just would not go through? That exact feeling is what finally pushed Daniel Jobi out of a bank he had used for six years. It was not a scandal or a scam, just a delayed reversal and a customer care line that took too long to pick up. It sounds small, but small things like this are exactly what quietly end long relationships between customers and their banks, even when the customer never formally says goodbye. [Why Your Bank Account Gets Frozen and How to Fix ItBanks can restrict or freeze accounts when automated fraud systems, identity mismatches, or regulatory compliance checks detect something unusual.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-0320bac1-3c53-41b3-9dc9-b6716052f21c.png)TechloyOluwajeminipe Fasheun-Motesho![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1669251921941-ae3645715017-fab215f1-6473-48f5-9b81-f4602d976528.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/why-banks-freeze-your-account-without-warning-and-the-steps-to-get-your-money-back/) ## The Common Entry Point: When Service Breaks Trust Adetola Ojo works in customer care at a bank, and in her experience, the pattern behind most departures looks the same. "The most common complaints are usually about poor service," she explains, especially when a long service disruption stops people from carrying out simple transactions. In her view, it is rarely one single event that pushes a customer out. It is the buildup of small frustrations they carry around until they finally snap and start looking elsewhere. She says once a customer feels their problems are not being handled fast enough, that is usually the point where they start thinking about moving to another bank. This is where Daniel and Folajinmi's stories start to look alike, and where they start to pull apart. Both men describe a moment when their bank stopped feeling reliable. But what they did with that frustration, and what finally tipped them over, was different for each of them. ## When the App Stops Making Sense [Daniel is a UI/UX designer](https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-jobi-407ab5212/), so it makes sense that the interface itself became the deciding factor for him. "The app was the biggest factor for me. I wanted something that was quick and easy to understand," he says. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### GTA 6’s $399 Collector’s Box Doesn’t Even Include the Game URL: https://www.techloy.com/gta-6-collectors-edition-399-vice-city-collection/ Last updated: 2026-09-25T14:02:46.000Z Rockstar Games has revealed a new [GTA 6](https://www.techloy.com/tag/gta-6/) collector’s box for fans who want to bring a little bit of Vice City into the real world. A few things you should know, though: it costs $399.99, and it doesn’t include Grand Theft Auto VI. Called the Grand Theft Auto VI: The Goodtime State – Vice City Collection, the limited-edition box is now available to pre-order through the [Rockstar Store](https://store.rockstargames.com/merchandise/gtavi-goodtime-state-vice-city-collection), with the collection scheduled to arrive on November 19, 2026, the same day GTA 6 launches. Rather than being a special edition of the game, this is essentially a premium merchandise collection built around Leonida, Vice City, and one of GTA 6's strangest fictional celebrities: Macca the Gator. [GTA 6 PS5 Controller Preorders Live in the UK: Where to BuyThe GTA 6 DualSense controllers are now available to preorder in the UK, with White and Black editions priced at £74.99 ahead of Grand Theft Auto 6’s November 19 release.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-56e76518-7b93-425f-8487-10b445d37c57.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/image-32--1--c8667f91-3221-4d02-9768-9c3570229d4a.png)](https://www.techloy.com/gta-6-dualsense-controller-preorders-uk/) ## What comes in the GTA 6 Vice City Collection? For $399.99, Rockstar is packing quite a lot into the Collector's Box. The collection includes: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/image-63.png) **Image Credit: Rockstar Games* - 6-inch Macca the Gator figure with a stash compartment - Oakley Frogskins sunglasses with Prizm Sapphire lenses - New Era 9FORTY A-Frame snapback hat - Macca the Gator magnetic mirror - Vice City collectible swizzle spoon - Vice City razor blade keychain - Leonida Keys crossbody bag - Chunkee the Manatee shot glass - Leonida Keys enamel pin set in a metal tin - Premium stickers in a stash bag - Double-sided souvenir poster featuring the Leonida map The collection measures roughly 19 x 13.5 x 12.5 inches, and Rockstar lists it as an adult collectible rather than a toy. ## Who is Macca the Gator in GTA 6? Macca the Gator is a fictional TV character from the world of GTA 6, starring in the in-game show Macca the Gator. Rockstar has turned the character into one of the centerpieces of the Goodtime State – Vice City Collection, giving fans a 6-inch figure complete with a stash compartment, along with other Macca-themed items. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 7 Dividend-Paying Stocks in Nigeria to Watch in 2026 URL: https://www.techloy.com/dividend-paying-stocks-nigeria-2026/ Last updated: 2026-09-25T12:00:35.000Z 💡 While **Techloy* has curated this list based on an interview with a financial expert, this article is not intended to serve as financial advice. Rates and fee terms are subject to change, so we encourage readers to independently verify all terms before committing to any stock brokerage platform. Dividend investing sounds simple enough. Buy shares in a company, hold them, and get a portion of its profits as cash. But not every stock that pays a dividend is a good investment, and a high yield can sometimes hide bigger risks. To understand what investors should look for, we spoke with [Opeyemi Ogunsanya](https://community.techloy.com/u/85267a03), a web developer and finance content creator, about how to assess dividend stocks and the Nigerian shares worth watching in 2026\. [Top Stock Brokerages in India with Low Fees — And How to Choose the Right OneIn stock trading, picking the right brokerage can be the difference between success and frustration.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-e6617a05-1e22-4cae-b022-f2774dfc23a1.png)TechloyDavid Adubiina![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1606189934390-2b10bb7f8094-96b285b3-09f2-47e1-a232-c6af935f28f5.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/top-stock-brokerages-in-india-with-low-fees-and-how-to-choose-the-right-one/) ## What Makes a Dividend Stock Worth Buying Before we get to the list, Ogunsanya shared how he screens a company before investing. "The first thing I check is the company's dividend history over the last five to 10 years," he explained, adding that he can accept three years for a newer stock. He also has a personal cutoff for yield. His minimum is 7%, because that number lets him recover his original investment through dividends alone within five to seven years, while the share price hopefully grows too. But a high yield alone doesn’t mean the dividend is safe. Ogunsanya warned that some companies pay dividends from retained earnings instead of from what they made that year, which is a red flag. He also looks closely at the sector the company sits in and how strong its retained earnings are, since these tell you whether the payout can survive a bad year. ## The Seven Stocks You Should Watch in 2026 Based on recent dividend history and performance, Ogunsanya named seven companies: ### /1\. GTCO GTCO paid a total dividend of ₦12.76 per share for the 2025 financial year, made up of a ₦1.00 interim payout and an ₦11.76 final dividend, a 59% jump from the ₦8.03 paid in 2024\. That’s the highest dividend ever declared by a Nigerian bank, and it works out to a yield near 10% even though profit dipped for the year. ### /2\. Zenith Bank Zenith Bank doubled its payout for 2025, moving from ₦5.00 in 2024 to ₦10.00, split between a ₦1.25 interim and an ₦8.75 final dividend. This came after the bank posted about ₦1.04 trillion in profit after tax, and shareholders received roughly ₦410 billion in total. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Xbox Added 3 Classic Games From the ’90s, Including a Surprise Arcade Release URL: https://www.techloy.com/90s-games-xbox-sin-reloaded/ Last updated: 2026-09-25T10:27:39.000Z There’s something about '90s games that still feels different. Maybe it's because games from that era were generally more compact, more experimental, or simply less concerned with giving you 100 hours of content. Whatever the reason, I've found myself drawn back to them. I still enjoy a huge modern AAA game, but sometimes I would rather spend an evening with an old-school shooter or arcade game than start another massive open-world adventure. And that makes this week particularly interesting for [Xbox](https://www.techloy.com/tag/microsoft-xbox/) players. Three games originally released in the '90s are making their Xbox debuts, and all three are available to play this week. We're getting a remastered PC shooter, a six-game Amiga collection, and a 1996 arcade classic making a surprise appearance through Arcade Archives 2. Here's what is coming to Xbox and why each one caught my attention. [PC Gaming Show Tokyo Direct 2026: 10 Xbox RevealsXbox had more to show at the Tokyo Direct than you might expect, with Game Pass releases, new dates, expansions and a major remaster.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-6c3bce72-e1e6-45ed-8a5c-23d59263c397.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1785123379931-ecfb1fecdf3e-7444f6e5-7529-4a9c-87c2-eadc485f74ef.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/pc-gaming-show-tokyo-direct-2026-xbox-reveals/) ## XEVIOUS 3D/G Is the Surprise Xbox Release The first one is Arcade Archives 2 XEVIOUS 3D/G, which arrived on September 23 for Xbox Series X|S. This is the sort of release that makes following Arcade Archives 2 worthwhile because these games tend to appear with very little warning. Originally released by Namco in 1996, XEVIOUS 3D/G takes the classic XEVIOUS formula and moves it into 3D, with polygonal visuals, different camera angles, new weapons, and additional enemies. It's also the most affordable of the three releases at $16.99, so you could consider it if you're curious about how arcade developers were experimenting with 3D during the '90s. For me, though, the bigger appeal is more around getting another piece of arcade history on a modern Xbox. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Qualcomm’s Two New Snapdragon 8 Elite Chips Aren’t Meant for the Same Phones URL: https://www.techloy.com/snapdragon-8-elite-gen-6-vs-extreme-gen-6/ Last updated: 2026-09-25T10:20:15.000Z [Snapdragon](https://www.techloy.com/tag/snapdragon/), the company behind some of the most powerful smartphone chips in the world, hosts its Snapdragon Summit every year. But this year, [Qualcomm](https://www.techloy.com/tag/qualcomm/) changed things up. Instead of announcing one flagship chip, it unveiled two: the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6\. Both are built on TSMC's 2nm process. Both are designed for flagship Android phones. And one of them is almost certainly headed for the Galaxy S27 Ultra. The big question now is: what's the difference between these two chips, and does it actually matter? [Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 vs Apple A19 ProWhich chipset is shutting down 2025?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-36f59d0d-4e45-46a9-baeb-add01c245686.png)TechloyOyinebiladou Omemu![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/Snapdragon-8-Elite-Gen-5-vs-Apple-A19-Pro-Comparison-085c04cf-bd11-4e53-9a4a-6d1ce82aca2e.png)](https://www.techloy.com/snapdragon-8-elite-gen-5-vs-apple-a19-pro/) ## Both chips share the same flagship foundation On paper, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 have a lot in common. Both feature an octa-core CPU with two Prime cores clocked at up to 5GHz and six Performance cores running at up to 4GHz. They also share 16MB of Oryon FlexCache. Memory support is identical too. Both chips support up to 24GB of LPDDR5X or LPDDR6 RAM alongside UFS 5.0 storage. Connectivity is equally premium. Both include Qualcomm's X105 5G modem with peak download speeds of 14.8Gbps, satellite connectivity, Wi-Fi 8, Bluetooth 6.0, Ultra Wideband (UWB), and NFC. They're also Qualcomm's answer to Apple's A20 Pro and MediaTek's Dimensity 9600, with both chips built on the same next-generation 2nm manufacturing process. ## The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 is already a big upgrade The standard Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 (SM8950) is still a significant leap over last year's chip. Qualcomm says it delivers a 10% faster CPU while improving power efficiency by 37% compared to the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5\. The new Adreno 845 GPU brings 35% better graphics performance and 40% better efficiency, making it a solid upgrade for gaming and demanding apps. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 5 Funding and Fellowship Opportunities You Can Still Apply to in 2026 URL: https://www.techloy.com/funding-fellowship-opportunities-open-now/ Last updated: 2026-09-25T10:13:13.000Z Many miss out on opportunities simply because they don’t know where or how to look. Funding, mentorship, research support, founder networks and access to experts can make a huge difference when you’re building a company, researching a problem or trying to break into a new field. The good news is that several programmes are still accepting applications, including one offering a $250,000 first cheque, another with an $80,000 fellowship stipend, and a fully funded AI policy fellowship. To skip the long search, Techloy has compiled a list of funding, fellowship and founder-support programmes that are currently open for applications. [8 Best Founder Opportunities to Apply for Now (YC & More)These funding and mentorship programmes provide founders with the capital, guidance, networks, and exposure they need to build and grow their startups.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-7edec3db-eaf1-4d03-9668-a9fdddf4cc51.png)TechloyDavid Adubiina![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1675716921224-e087a0cca69a-741a3165-1368-4fd9-8cb6-75c7957c7de5.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/founder-opportunities-worth-applying-to-september/) ## /1\. [The Bridge W27 Residency](https://apply.joinef.com/app/san-francisco-thebridge-winter/) Founders at the very beginning of building something ambitious can apply for The Bridge W27, an eight-week residency in San Francisco run by Entrepreneurs First. The programme brings 50 founders together in one house while they build their companies from scratch. Selected founders receive a $250,000 first cheque, while visa support, flights, housing and food are covered. The residency starts in February 2027 and is designed for founders looking to build and connect with other ambitious entrepreneurs and investors. - Programme: 8-week San Francisco founder residency with $250,000 in initial funding. - Deadline: September 28, 2026\. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Week 39: Asia Startup Funding Led by Ultraviolette URL: https://www.techloy.com/week-39-asia-startup-funding-ultraviolette/ Last updated: 2026-09-25T09:30:57.000Z Asia’s startup funding remained active this week, with $175.48 million raised across electric mobility, enterprise AI, fintech, semiconductors, robotics, and healthtech. India led the biggest funding rounds, while Singapore, Japan, Malaysia, and Vietnam also attracted fresh capital for AI infrastructure and next-generation technologies. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/Asia-Biggest-Startup-Funding-Rounds-in-Week-37-2026--1-.png) ## The Week’s Biggest Startup Funding Rounds Here are the most notable startup funding announcements across Asia this week, ranked from highest to lowest. ### /1\. Ultraviolette, $85 Million, Electric Mobility, India Bengaluru-based electric mobility startup Ultraviolette raised $85 million in a new funding round led by Yali Capital and TDK Ventures. The round also included Lip-Bu Tan and existing investors. Ultraviolette will use the funding to scale EV production, develop next-generation electric vehicle platforms, and expand into international markets. ### /2\. Moneyview, $38.3 Million, Fintech, India Digital lending platform Moneyview raised ₹327.5 crore (about $38.3 million) from anchor investors ahead of its planned IPO. The round included investments from SBI Mutual Fund, HDFC Mutual Fund, ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund, Goldman Sachs, Amundi Funds, and several other institutional investors. ### /3\. iPiD, $16 Million, Payment Intelligence, Singapore Singapore-based payment intelligence company iPiD secured $16 million in Series A funding led by Foundation Capital. Citi, HSBC, QED Investors, Monk's Hill Ventures, and Quona Capital also participated. The company will expand into the US and Europe while strengthening payment verification tools for traditional payment rails, stablecoins, and digital assets. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### September Pixel Drop Review: What I’d Keep on My Pixel URL: https://www.techloy.com/september-pixel-drop-update-review/ Last updated: 2026-10-11T13:39:03.000Z Google’s Pixel Drops have become an interesting way for the company to keep its phones feeling fresh throughout the year. Instead of waiting for a major [Android](https://www.techloy.com/tag/android/) update to introduce everything at once, Pixel users get smaller features and improvements every few months. The September Pixel Drop is no different. [Google](https://www.techloy.com/tag/google/) is adding new features to [Pixel phones](https://www.techloy.com/tag/google-pixel/), including a redesigned Pixel VIPs widget, expanded [Scam Detection](https://www.techloy.com/google-unveils-new-security-features-scam-call-detection-and-live-threat-detection/), the rollout of Pause Point to older Pixel devices, and a set of Harry Potter-themed customisation options. But since I live in Nigeria, it means some of the features Google is highlighting aren’t available here. So while I could test Pixel VIPs and Pause Point myself, I had to rely on Google’s documentation to understand how some of the other additions are supposed to work. And after using Pixel VIPs and Pause Point for a while, I came away thinking something slightly different about this Pixel Drop. The changes aren’t particularly dramatic, but some of them are more useful than they initially sound. [Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro Price and Specs: Everything ConfirmedPixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel Watch 5 and Pixel Tag are official, and the Pro’s RAM was cut to 12GB despite a $100 price hike.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-6f335e9f-ce1d-4dbb-8fcd-8ea7f2245dce.png)TechloyOgbonda Chivumnovu![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/trevor-noah-host-made-by-google-2026-210c5faf-c63a-42da-aed5-501302ffaa9d.webp)](https://www.techloy.com/pixel-11-pixel-11-pro-price-specs-everything-confirmed/) ## Pixel VIPs is useful, but not quite as direct as I expected ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/Screenshot_20260924-080107-1.png) **Image credit: Louis Eriakha / Techloy.com* The first feature I could actually test was Pixel VIPs. Google introduced Pixel VIPs in 2025 as a way to keep your most important contacts within easy reach. The September update makes that more useful, with quicker ways to call or message your VIPs, notification badges for unread messages and missed calls, and a new floating menu for switching between contacts. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Week 39: Latin America Startup Funding Led by VOLL URL: https://www.techloy.com/week-39-latin-america-startup-funding-led-by-voll/ Last updated: 2026-09-25T09:30:26.000Z Startups across Latin America raised a combined $155.2 million this week across disclosed funding rounds, with most of the capital going to travel technology and fintech companies. Funding also went to a Brazilian edtech startup focused on university entrance exam preparation. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/LatAm---s-Biggest-Startup-Funding-Rounds-in-Week-39-2026--1-.png) ## The Week's Largest Startup Funding Rounds Here are the biggest disclosed startup funding rounds across Latin America this week. ### /1\. VOLL, $140M (R$700M), Travel Tech, Brazil Brazilian corporate travel and expense platform VOLL raised R$700M, approximately $140M, in a growth equity investment led by Warburg Pincus. The investment gives Warburg Pincus a controlling stake in the company and is being used to expand VOLL's AI-powered corporate travel offering across the Americas. VOLL combines corporate travel booking, payments, expense management and traveller support in one platform. The company serves more than 850,000 monthly active users at organisations including Itaú, Nubank, McDonald's, Danone and iFood. Its AI tools include ExpenseHelper for expense auditing, RatesAudit for hotel-rate monitoring, and AirSave for identifying lower-priced airfare options. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Week 39: Africa and Middle East Startup Funding Led by Paymob URL: https://www.techloy.com/week-39-africa-middle-east-startup-funding-paymob/ Last updated: 2026-09-25T09:30:15.000Z Startups across Africa, the Middle East and Israel raised a combined $133.8 million this week, based on disclosed funding rounds tracked by Techloy, with investor capital flowing mostly into fintech and AI. Paymob picked up the biggest check at $35 million, with four other rounds close behind, from $18 million to $30.8 million. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/Week-39-2026-Biggest-Startup-Funding-Rounds-in-Africa---the-Middle-East.png) ## The Week's Largest Startup Funding Rounds Here are the biggest disclosed startup funding rounds across Africa, the Middle East and Israel this week. ### /1\. Paymob, $35M, Fintech, Egypt Paymob is based in Cairo and handles payments for more than 390,000 businesses across Egypt, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Oman. Mubadala and the EBRD put in $35 million together as a growth round, with a few other investors. Paymob is using it to grow across the Middle East and build new tools for smaller merchants. ### /2\. Mission Mobile, $30.8M, Fintech, South Africa Mission Mobile is a South African startup that decides who can get a smartphone on a payment plan when the usual credit checks say no. DN Invest is giving them up to R500 million, about $30.8 million, as a loan rather than buying a stake in the company, though it's not clear yet if they've drawn the whole amount. The money is meant to help them expand through mobile network stores. ### /3\. Chamelio, $26M, Legal AI, Israel Chamelio is an Israeli startup that built AI to handle legal work, drafting and reviewing contracts, for company legal teams. They just closed a $26 million Series A round from Entrée Capital, with a few other investors joining in, and the cash is going toward building out the AI, hiring more engineers, and helping customers move off their old legal software. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Spotify Taste Profile Lets You Take Control of Your Recommendations URL: https://www.techloy.com/spotify-taste-profile/ Last updated: 2026-09-24T16:01:50.000Z [Spotify](https://www.techloy.com/tag/spotify/) is giving Premium subscribers a [new way](https://newsroom.spotify.com/2026-09-23/taste-profile-shape-home-feed/) to influence the recommendations they see, letting you tell the app what you actually want to hear instead of leaving everything to its algorithm. Spotify's recommendation algorithm has always been one of the biggest reasons people keep coming back to the service. It learns what you listen to, how often you play certain artists and genres, and uses that information to decide what should appear in places like Discover Weekly, Made For You, and your Home feed. But there's a problem with letting an algorithm learn entirely from your listening history: what you listen to isn't always what you want more of. Maybe you played hours of sleep sounds one night. Maybe your kids have been using your account. Or perhaps you've spent the last few weeks listening to one genre but are now ready for something completely different. Spotify's new Taste Profile feature is designed to deal with exactly that problem. The feature is now rolling out to Premium subscribers in the U.S. and New Zealand aged 18 and over, giving listeners a way to see how Spotify understands their taste and ask the service to change its recommendations using natural-language instructions. [Asake Tops Nigeria’s H1 2026 Streaming Race: What ChangedAsake led Nigeria’s H1 2026 streaming charts with 681 million streams, up 42.8% from 2025, driven by M$NEY, collaborations and his growing catalogue.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-2112eb2d-0838-406a-be5e-2c5587495d80.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/7dd37e81-bffe-4f97-93b0-886e7457fe11-c06910e2-1a58-4c5d-aa06-450d350aaaca.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/asake-most-streamed-nigerian-artist-h1-2026/) ## What is Spotify Taste Profile? Spotify Taste Profile is a new AI-powered feature that lets you see and adjust how Spotify understands your listening preferences. Instead of simply accepting whatever the algorithm has learned from your listening history, you can tell Spotify what you want to change. For example, you can ask for more or less of a particular genre, artist, or overall musical vibe. You can also use the feature to explore a particular era or type of music when you want to move beyond your usual recommendations. 0:00 /0:29 1× The feature isn't limited to music either. Spotify says you can also use Taste Profile to influence recommendations for podcasts and audiobooks. Spotify first unveiled the feature in March 2026 at SXSW, where co-CEO Gustav Söderström introduced the idea of giving listeners more direct control over their recommendations. It initially launched in beta for users in New Zealand. It is now expanding to the U.S., giving Spotify a much larger audience with which to test the feature. ## How does Spotify Taste Profile work? Taste Profile essentially gives you a way to have a conversation with Spotify about your recommendations. The feature uses AI to interpret what you tell it and adjust your Taste Profile accordingly. That could be useful if your listening habits don't accurately represent your actual preferences. For example, if you've been listening to a lot of children's music because your kids use your account, you can tell Spotify that you don't want those songs influencing your recommendations. You could also ask Spotify for more variety if your Home feed has started feeling repetitive, or request recommendations around a particular genre, era, or mood. The important distinction is that you're not simply deleting individual songs from your history. You're giving Spotify additional information about how it should interpret your listening habits. [Spotify Playlist Notes: What It Is and How to Add OneSpotify now lets you leave a note on any song in your playlist, and anyone who opens it can read exactly why you added it.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-bf61e041-5ade-40a3-ba84-64549d07ddaf.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1718382341267-aef8a9e4ecef-4b3eb6e2-3c0f-40b6-aac7-d280aaf1d7bc.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/spotify-playlist-notes/) ## How to edit your Spotify recommendations with Taste Profile If the feature is available on your account, you can access Taste Profile from the Spotify mobile app. ### Step 1: Open your Spotify profile Open Spotify on your phone and tap your profile picture. ### Step 2: Open Taste Profile Scroll down and select Taste Profile. Spotify will then show you how it currently understands your listening taste across music, podcasts, and audiobooks. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Build Now or Wait? How to Time a 200K-Coin Squad Upgrade in FC 27 URL: https://www.techloy.com/build-now-or-wait-how-to-time-a-200k-coin-squad-upgrade-in-fc-27/ Last updated: 2026-09-24T14:18:27.000Z Having 200K coins in FC 27 Ultimate Team gives you enough room to make a meaningful squad upgrade. However, the biggest question is not simply which player to buy. It is **when to spend your coins**. The FC 27 transfer market can change quickly. Player prices are influenced by promotions, new content, supply, demand, and changes in player preferences. Spending your entire budget at the wrong time could mean missing a better opportunity later. **Should You Upgrade Your Squad Now?** The biggest advantage of buying immediately is that your team becomes stronger straight away. If one position is clearly causing problems, replacing that player can improve your results and make matches more enjoyable. For example, if your striker consistently struggles to finish chances, upgrading your attack could have an immediate impact. Waiting for a possible price drop might save coins, but you would also spend several matches using a weaker player. If you want more flexibility when planning your squad budget, you can [Buy FC 27 Coins](https://www.u7buy.com/fc27/coins) and then decide how much to spend on your most important upgrades. **When Waiting Can Be Smarter** Waiting can make sense when the market is particularly unstable or a major promotion is approaching. During popular events, more players may open packs, increasing the supply of certain cards and potentially putting pressure on their prices. A player worth 200K today could become significantly cheaper after new cards enter the market. This is especially important for expensive players who may lose value when stronger alternatives become available. However, waiting for the absolute lowest price is risky. Nobody can know exactly when a particular card will reach its cheapest point. If your squad needs an upgrade now, saving a small amount may not be worth sacrificing immediate improvement. **Focus on Your Biggest Weakness** Before spending your 200K, identify the position that needs the most attention. If your defense is regularly conceding goals, prioritize a defender. If your midfield struggles to create chances, invest there instead. Avoid spreading the budget across several average upgrades when one major signing could make a much bigger difference. Also consider how well a player fits your formation and tactics. A slightly cheaper card that perfectly suits your playstyle can provide more value than a more expensive player with a higher overall rating. **Try a Phased Spending Strategy** You do not have to spend all 200K at once. A phased approach can give you both an immediate improvement and financial flexibility. For example, you could spend around 100K–150K on your most important position while keeping the rest available for future opportunities. If prices fall during an upcoming event, you will still have coins available to take advantage of the market. This strategy also protects you from regretting one large purchase if the market suddenly changes. **Buy Now or Wait?** Buying immediately makes more sense when a player solves a major weakness and your team is actively suffering because of that position. Waiting can be more attractive when your current squad is already performing well or when a major market event is approaching. Ultimately, there is no perfect moment to spend 200K coins. The best approach is to combine market awareness with an honest assessment of your squad. A well-timed upgrade should improve your team without leaving your entire budget tied up in one player. By prioritizing key positions, watching market trends, and keeping some coins in reserve, you can make your 200K work harder throughout the FC 27 season. ### Monochrome, Polychrome, and Pulls: A Practical Currency Guide for Zenless Zone Zero Players URL: https://www.techloy.com/monochrome-polychrome-and-pulls-a-practical-currency-guide-for-zenless-zone-zero-players/ Last updated: 2026-09-24T14:15:35.000Z Zenless Zone Zero gives players plenty of reasons to look forward to every new Signal Search. Limited-time Agents can introduce fresh abilities and useful team combinations, but getting the character you want requires more than spending resources whenever a new banner appears. Understanding Monochrome and Polychrome can help players manage their resources effectively, especially when saving for a limited Agent. ## Understanding Monochrome and Polychrome Monochrome is the premium currency primarily associated with purchases, while Polychrome is the more flexible resource used for Signal Searches and other valuable options. The two currencies are closely connected because **Monochrome can be converted into Polychrome at a 1:1 ratio**. This means one Monochrome provides one Polychrome when converted. Polychrome can then be exchanged for **Master Tapes or Encrypted Master Tapes**, which are used for Signal Searches. Master Tapes are used for standard Signal Searches, while Encrypted Master Tapes are used for limited-time and featured Signal Searches. Players saving for a limited Agent will therefore often focus on building enough Polychrome for the required Encrypted Master Tapes. For players who need additional resources for a specific goal, a [ZZZ top up](https://www.u7buy.com/zenless-zone-zero/zenless-zone-zero-top-up) can be considered as part of a planned budget. The key is to understand what you are saving for before spending. ## Plan Before Pulling on a Limited Banner Limited banners can create a strong temptation to spend immediately. However, players should first consider whether the featured Agent fits their current team. Think about the role you need. Do you need stronger damage, additional support, or better survivability? If the featured Agent does not fill an important role, saving for a future banner may be more useful. Before pulling, set a clear goal and check your Polychrome balance. Also check your **guarantee progress separately for each relevant Signal Search channel type**, since progress should not simply be assumed to apply across different channels. ### Calculate Your Resource Gap A simple calculation can make planning easier. For example, if you have **9,600 Polychrome**, that equals **60 pulls** at 160 Polychrome per pull. If you want to have 80 pulls available, you are short by 20 pulls, or **3,200 Polychrome**. You can then compare that gap with rewards you expect to earn from events, missions, daily activities, and other gameplay before the banner ends. Your existing guarantee progress should also be checked separately, as it can affect how many additional pulls you may need. ## Save and Set a Spending Limit Impulse pulls can quickly reduce your resources. Instead, create a priority list and save for Agents you genuinely want. Players who purchase additional currency should also establish a budget beforehand. Spending more provides more opportunities to pull, but the value of those pulls should be considered alongside the game's guarantee mechanics and your **current guarantee status on the relevant Signal Search channel**. ## What If You Are Short? If you are missing some Polychrome, first check the remaining banner time and available gameplay rewards. Events, missions, and daily activities may help close the gap before you consider additional spending. Ultimately, understanding how Monochrome converts to Polychrome and how Polychrome can be exchanged for Master Tapes or Encrypted Master Tapes helps players set realistic goals, track their resource gap, and approach each Signal Search with a clearer plan. ### Gremlins 3 Delayed Nearly a Year as Warner Bros. Moves Sequel to 2028 URL: https://www.techloy.com/gremlins-3-release-date-teaser-2028-delay/ Last updated: 2026-09-24T13:34:33.000Z Gizmo is returning to the big screen, although Gremlins 3 will take a little longer to get there. Warner Bros. has pushed the long-awaited sequel from November 19, 2027, to October 6, 2028, moving its release date by almost a year. [Warner Bros.](https://www.techloy.com/netflix-moves-to-buy-warner-bros-in-an-82-billion-deal-that-could-rewrite-hollywoods-future/) announced the new release date on September 23 with a short teaser that offers the first glimpse of Gizmo's return, showing the character tucked inside a backpack. The sequel is heading exclusively to cinemas, with Chris Columbus returning as director and producer and Steven Spielberg serving as executive producer. Warner Bros. has yet to reveal the plot or announce the full cast, keeping much of Gremlins 3 under wraps. [The Love Hypothesis Book vs Movie: What ChangedThe Love Hypothesis brings Ali Hazelwood’s bestselling romance to the screen while making several changes to the original story.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-85773e96-632d-40e2-aed0-e0f713ce6b15.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/love-hypothesis-trailer-73b427c2-93d8-4ca9-9b28-75d207c16324.webp)](https://www.techloy.com/the-love-hypothesis-book-vs-movie/) ## Why Has Gremlins 3 Been Delayed? Warner Bros. has not announced a specific reason for the change. That means there is no confirmed production problem, scheduling conflict, or creative dispute to report. What we do know is that the project has been developing for years. Warner Bros. officially [announced it in November 2025](https://variety.com/2026/film/news/gremlins-3-release-date-delayed-warner-bros-1236873796/), with Columbus returning to the franchise and Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein involved in the screenplay. Hannah Marks is now writing the current draft. The extra year, therefore, gives the filmmakers more time to complete a project that has been waiting more than three decades for a theatrical follow-up. ## Could The Delay Benefit Gremlins 3? Columbus has previously said he wanted the new film to use tangible puppets rather than rely heavily on CGI. “I would do it as tangible puppets, not CGI,” he told Collider in 2020\. He also explained that CGI could still be used in limited ways to make practical effects easier. That approach is significant because the original Gremlins depended heavily on physical creature effects. Taking extra time to design, build, and operate those characters could help the new film preserve the tactile quality that made Gizmo and the Gremlins feel like creatures actually occupying the same world as the human characters. The delay does not prove that this is why the film moved. It does, however, give the production more room to get that balance right. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Discord Age Verification: What You Should Know and How to Confirm Your Age URL: https://www.techloy.com/discord-age-verification-check-age-group/ Last updated: 2026-09-24T13:33:58.000Z Discord [says](https://discord.com/blog/safer-for-teens-same-discord-for-adults) more than 90% of users will be placed into an age group automatically using signals from their account. Only some users will be asked to confirm their age, particularly when they try to access age-restricted content, spaces, or settings. That makes [Discord’s](https://www.techloy.com/tag/discord/) new system a little different from the traditional idea of age verification. You are not simply being asked to upload an ID the moment you open the app. Instead, Discord first tries to work out whether your account belongs to a teen (13–17), adult (18+), or unconfirmed age group. Here’s what you need to know. [Discord Now Encrypts Voice and Video Calls by Default, but Not Your DMsReports suggest Discord had quietly implemented E2EE for voice calls as far back as March this year, but the company is only now officially announcing it.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-6f09aa13-5cd1-4a75-af4b-52d9a76b1f42.png)TechloyOgbonda Chivumnovu![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1636487658576-006362feb9ee-f3096a64-d049-4907-a59c-1ce5120ec110.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/discord-now-encrypts-voice-and-video-calls-by-default-but-not-your-dms/) ## When does Discord age verification start? Discord began [rolling out](https://discord.com/blog/safer-for-teens-same-discord-for-adults) its new age assurance system on September 22, 2026, with the rollout continuing across the week. Not every account will see the changes at the same time. The company introduced the system after previously facing criticism over plans that would have relied more heavily on facial age estimation and ID checks. This new approach puts more emphasis on account-level signals first, meaning many people will never be asked to submit additional information. ## Do you have to verify your age on Discord? No, not simply to keep using Discord. Discord says its age estimation system will automatically place most accounts into an age group. If your account is correctly identified as an adult, there may be nothing else you need to do. You can continue messaging friends, joining voice calls, and accessing servers that aren't age-restricted without manually confirming your age. You are more likely to see a verification prompt if Discord cannot confidently determine your age or if you try to access an age-restricted feature while your account is not classified as an adult. ## How does Discord determine your age? This is the part that makes the new system different. Discord says it uses signals such as how long your account has existed, device information, activity patterns and other account-level behaviour to estimate whether you are a teenager or an adult. The company says its age-estimation system does not read your messages, listen to your voice calls or analyse the content of your conversations to determine your age. If there isn't enough information to make a confident determination, your account can remain in an unconfirmed state. ## What happens if Discord classifies you as a teen? If Discord determines that you're 13–17, your account gets additional safety protections. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/d1.png) Image credit: Discord That can include restrictions around age-restricted servers, channels and sensitive content, while core Discord features remain available. The important distinction is that being classified as a teen doesn't mean your Discord account suddenly becomes unusable. The system is primarily designed to apply different protections depending on your age group. ## How to check your Discord age verification status If you're wondering what Discord currently thinks your age group is, you can check it directly inside the app. 1. Open Discord. 2. Go to User Settings. 3. Select Account Status. 4. Look for your current age group status. If Discord needs you to confirm your age, you'll see a Confirm Age option there. You may also receive the option when attempting to access age-restricted content or settings. Your age group is saved to your account once confirmed and isn't displayed on your public profile or to other members of a server. ## How to confirm your age on Discord If Discord asks you to confirm your age, go to User Settings > Account Status > Confirm Age. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### How Streaming Technology Is Changing the Way Businesses Use Music URL: https://www.techloy.com/how-streaming-technology-is-changing-the-way-businesses-use-music/ Last updated: 2026-09-24T11:35:36.000Z Cloud technology has changed the way businesses manage payments, bookings, customer data, inventory, communications, and internal systems. Music is going through a similar transition. For businesses, streaming is no longer simply a way to access a large catalogue. Commercial platforms can now provide centralized control, scheduling, remote management, user permissions, and support for multiple locations or audio zones. That reflects a wider shift in business technology. According to the [OECD Digital Economy Outlook 2024](https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/oecd-digital-economy-outlook-2024-volume-1%5Fa1689dc5-en/full-report/component-7.html), cloud computing is already used by an average of 49% of firms with 10 or more employees across OECD countries. As more operational tools move into the cloud, audio management is following the same direction. ## **From playback to cloud-based management** The important change is not simply that music can be streamed instead of stored locally. The bigger development is what businesses can now manage around that stream. Modern commercial music systems can allow operators to: - schedule different music for specific times and days - manage several locations from one account - assign different access levels to staff - control separate audio zones - update programming remotely - work with dedicated commercial audio and AV systems This brings business music closer to other cloud-based software. The content may be music, but the underlying idea is familiar: centralize control, automate routine tasks, and make the system easier to scale. ## **Scheduling removes repetitive work** Customer-facing businesses rarely have the same atmosphere from opening to closing. A café might start quietly before becoming busier at lunch. A hotel can move from breakfast service to daytime activity, dinner, and late-evening use. Retail footfall can also change considerably between weekday mornings and busy weekends. Without scheduling, staff have to make those changes manually. A cloud-managed platform allows programming to be prepared in advance, so music can change automatically at different times. The principle is similar to scheduling digital signage, email campaigns, or other business systems. Once the rules are set, the technology handles the repetitive part. ## **Multi-location businesses need more control** Managing music in one location is relatively straightforward. Managing it across dozens of sites introduces a different challenge. If every branch makes its own decisions, the experience can quickly become inconsistent. Individual employees may choose different music, while head office has little visibility over what is playing. Centralized platforms allow music to be managed at group level while still giving local teams appropriate control. That does not mean every location has to sound identical. A hotel lobby may need different programming from a resort restaurant, and a flagship store may have different requirements from a smaller branch. The advantage is that businesses can decide where consistency matters while still allowing controlled flexibility. ## **Audio is becoming part of the wider technology stack** Commercial music increasingly overlaps with professional AV infrastructure. Hotels, large retailers, and hospitality venues may use multiple speakers, dedicated players, amplifiers, networked audio equipment, and separate zones. A hotel, for example, might need different music in its lobby, restaurant, spa, bar, and pool area. A modern platform therefore needs to do more than send music to one speaker. Support for dedicated hardware, networked systems, mobile control, and third-party AV platforms means music can sit within the same connected environment as other building technology. For larger venues, background audio is becoming another service within the wider technical infrastructure. ## **Central control can still allow local flexibility** Centralization does not have to mean rigid control. Businesses can decide who is allowed to change particular settings. Head office might manage approved programming, while individual locations can choose from selected options. Regional teams may oversee groups of venues, while frontline staff receive more limited access. This type of permission structure is already standard in business software. Not every employee needs administrator access to a CRM, accounting platform, or content management system. Commercial music can be managed in much the same way. ## **Streaming changes how businesses plan music** Once music can be scheduled and managed remotely, the question changes from “What should we play?” to “How should this location sound throughout the day?” That allows businesses to plan programming around customer profile, trading periods, location type, season, and individual areas within a venue. Platforms providing [background music for business](https://sound-machine.com/) can bring music selection, scheduling, location management, and commercial playback into the same system. A restaurant group could plan different programming for lunch and dinner. A retailer could update several locations without contacting each store individually. A hotel could manage separate areas from one platform. The value comes from managing music in a more structured way, not simply accessing more songs. ## **Commercial use also involves licensing** Business music has another requirement that many other streaming applications do not: commercial use can involve music rights and licensing. A commercial platform therefore needs to do more than deliver audio. Businesses must also understand what rights are covered by the service and whether additional licensing is required for their location or type of use. This is another reason the value of a business music platform goes beyond the size of its catalogue. ## **What should businesses look for?** When assessing a commercial streaming platform, businesses should consider: - **Central management:** Can multiple locations be controlled through one account? - **Scheduling:** Can programming change automatically? - **User permissions:** Can access be limited by role? - **Multi-zone support:** Can separate areas use different programming? - **Remote access:** Can changes be made off-site? - **Hardware compatibility:** Will it work with existing AV equipment? - **Commercial licensing:** Is the intended business use covered? - **Scalability:** Can more locations and users be added later? These are software and infrastructure questions as much as music questions. ## **Business music is increasingly becoming software** Streaming has changed more than how businesses receive music. It has changed how they manage it. Scheduling makes music more automated. Cloud access makes it remotely controllable. Permissions make it easier to manage across teams, while multi-location tools and AV integrations help the system scale. That mirrors a much wider change in business technology. Processes once handled locally and manually are increasingly moving into connected platforms that can be managed centrally. Music may still be what customers hear, but the technology behind it increasingly looks like any other modern cloud service. ### AI Audits in Business: Finding the Problems a Dashboard Can Miss URL: https://www.techloy.com/ai-audits-in-business-finding-the-problems-a-dashboard-can-miss/ Last updated: 2026-09-24T10:55:40.000Z An AI system can look impressive during a demonstration and still fail at ordinary work. A chatbot answers ten prepared questions perfectly, then invents a refund policy during a real customer conversation. A forecasting tool performs well for most of the year but misreads the busiest month. Nothing appears broken at first glance. The damage shows up later, usually in complaints, lost time, or decisions that need to be reversed. This is where [ai audit services](https://innovecs.com/services/ai-audit-services/) become useful. An audit takes a closer look at the model, the data around it, and the business process shaped by its output. The central question is not simply, “Does the system work?” A better question is, “Where does it work, where does it struggle, and what happens when something goes wrong?” ## A Good Average Can Hide a Bad Result Business reports love averages. One clean percentage fits neatly into a presentation and gives the impression of certainty. An accuracy score of 94 percent sounds excellent, for example. Yet that number says little about the remaining six percent. Perhaps most errors occur in one language. Perhaps the system struggles with new customers because historical data contains little information about recent behaviour. In recruitment, an apparently efficient screening model might reject suitable applications with unusual career histories. In retail, a recommendation tool might keep promoting familiar products while ignoring smaller categories with better margins. ### A useful audit breaks performance into smaller pieces: - Results for different locations, languages, and customer groups - Accuracy during quiet periods and sudden spikes in demand - Cases requiring frequent correction by members of staff - Unusual requests that fall outside common training examples - Differences between test conditions and everyday use - Decisions producing complaints, delays, or avoidable costs The uncomfortable parts often appear here. A strong headline score can coexist with a serious weakness affecting a narrow but important group. ## Bias Rarely Arrives With a Warning Label Bias does not always begin with an obviously unfair rule. More often, the problem enters through ordinary business data. Historical records reflect earlier choices, missing information, and long-standing habits. A model trained on those records can repeat the same pattern at greater speed. Consider a lending tool built from previous applications. Past approval decisions may contain assumptions linked to postcode, employment type, or income pattern. Even without using a protected characteristic directly, other variables can act as substitutes. The resulting decisions may look neutral on paper while creating a consistent disadvantage. Language models create another challenge. Performance may be excellent with clear, formal questions and much weaker with spelling mistakes, regional vocabulary, or short messages written in frustration. A support system should be tested against the language customers actually use, not only against polished examples prepared for a demonstration. An audit cannot remove every difficult judgment. What it can do is make patterns visible, document possible causes, and show where human review remains necessary. ## The Hidden Cost of Almost Working Not every AI failure becomes a scandal. Many problems are quieter. A warehouse prediction arrives too late to influence purchasing. An automated summary leaves out a contractual detail, so the original document must still be checked. A customer service assistant sends too many cases to a human queue. In each example, the technology technically works. The promised saving simply never appears. That distinction matters because many organisations measure the model rather than the result. Fast response time looks positive, but speed has little value when staff must rewrite every response. A high automation rate sounds efficient, but the number can hide repeated corrections and dissatisfied customers. A serious review connects technical measurements with daily operations. Time spent correcting output, abandoned customer journeys, delayed orders, missed sales, and escalation rates can reveal more than accuracy alone. ## What Should Come Out of an AI Audit A vague report about “responsible innovation” offers little help. Useful findings need priorities, ownership, and a practical next step. Not every weakness deserves an expensive rebuild. Some problems can be reduced through better instructions, improved data, narrower usage, or a mandatory approval stage. ### A practical audit should leave a business with: - A clear record of every important AI system currently in use - An explanation of the data entering each system - Examples of weak, biased, or inconsistent output - A risk level based on likelihood and possible harm - Named responsibility for monitoring and incident handling - Recommendations arranged by urgency and expected effort - A timetable for testing the system again The final report should also admit uncertainty. No review can test every future situation. Models change, vendors release updates, customer behaviour moves on, and new data alters performance. ## An Audit Is Not a One-Time Certificate Passing a review today does not guarantee reliable operation next year. A model trained before a product launch may struggle once a new customer group arrives. A supplier can change a model without making the effect immediately obvious. Even a small adjustment to a prompt or workflow can produce unexpected results elsewhere. Regular monitoring is therefore more useful than a framed certificate gathering dust. High-impact systems need clear thresholds for intervention. Staff should know when to pause automation, when to request manual review, and where to report unusual output. AI audits are sometimes presented as a brake on innovation. In practice, unchecked confidence is the greater brake. A failed rollout wastes money and weakens internal support for future projects. Careful testing reveals which systems deserve expansion and which promises need another look. The strongest AI programme is not the one with the largest collection of tools. It is the one that knows where automation helps, where human judgment still matters, and where a confident answer might be confidently wrong. ### Amazon’s Move to Rehire Laid-Off Workers Draws Mixed Reactions on X URL: https://www.techloy.com/amazon-rehiring-laid-off-workers-ai-cloud-jobs/ Last updated: 2026-09-24T10:39:23.000Z [Amazon](https://www.techloy.com/tag/amazon/) is reaching out to eligible former employees, including some previously laid off, about open positions across its business, prompting questions from users on [X](https://x.com/eugenekim222/status/2102799667214102949) about why the company is now looking to bring some former workers back. According to a Business Insider report, the former employees are being contacted about roles across Amazon, including positions in cloud computing and artificial intelligence. The outreach comes after Amazon laid off more than 30,000 workers over the past year as it continues to expand its AI operations. [Amazon Employees Are Reportedly Using AI Agents to “Tokenmaxx” Their Internal MetricsInternal dashboards, token tracking, and workplace competition are reportedly turning AI adoption into a new kind of performance metric inside Silicon Valley.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-c4ff7726-a619-42c3-909f-498c3dcfb59c.png)TechloyDavid Adubiina![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1596480447017-b2c07ce5b565-6d26b144-b053-44ef-be37-c9c1e555eef9.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/amazon-employees-are-reportedly-using-ai-agents-to-tokenmaxx-their-internal-metrics/) ## Which Former Employees Is Amazon Reaching Out To? Some of the outreach is focused on former employees with AI and machine learning experience. Amazon’s AI agent organization, led by AWS Vice President Swami Sivasubramanian, invited former employees to discuss new opportunities through what it called the “Swami’s Boomerang Reengagement Initiative.” One email seen by Business Insider told former employees that “a lot has changed since you were here” and pointed to work happening across AI and machine learning. Meanwhile, the latest outreach gives Amazon another way to tap into people who already know its systems and teams, particularly as it competes for talent in areas such as AI. Amazon's outreach is also not the first time the company has considered bringing former employees back. In 2023, AWS Human Resources Vice President Ian Wilson told employees that some workers affected by Amazon's job cuts were eligible for rehire. He encouraged managers to consider how the company could “proactively extend an invitation” to former employees who wanted to return. Amazon's own hiring FAQ also says former employees can reapply, and that their eligibility for rehire is assessed based on their employment record. ## Why Are Users Questioning the Layoffs? Even though rehiring former employees is not new, the retail platform's outreach has attracted attention because some of those being contacted were previously laid off. “That’s legit insane to pip someone and then rehire them,” one user wrote on [X](https://x.com/pomonaappster/status/2102874685776044316), adding that it “proves the PIP was not based on performance in the first place.” Another user questioned Amazon's approach to performance improvement, [writing](https://x.com/fairer4scoring/status/2102926615537738116): “They hired like crazy and then fired a large number to keep their PIP quota going. Couldn’t have happened to a nicer company btw.” While the comments raise questions about Amazon’s layoffs, many companies this year, including Amazon, have cited AI as a major reason for cutting jobs. ## Could Amazon’s Return-to-Office Policy Be Part of the Picture? _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Meta Connect 2026: Meta’s $1,299 VR Glasses and Muse Charm Are Here URL: https://www.techloy.com/meta-vr-glasses-muse-charm-connect-2026/ Last updated: 2026-09-24T10:35:33.000Z [Mark Zuckerberg](https://www.techloy.com/tag/mark-zuckerberg/) walked on stage at [Meta Connect](https://www.techloy.com/tag/meta-connect/), said the word "breakthrough," and unveiled a pair of VR glasses that weigh just 100 grams. That's about five times lighter than the [Quest 3](https://www.techloy.com/tag/meta-quest-3/). The [Meta ](https://www.techloy.com/tag/meta/)VR Glasses cost $1,299, ship in spring 2027, and are Meta's first new high-end VR headset since 2024\. Zuckerberg also revealed a small handheld device called the Muse Charm, which works with Meta's new Muse AI agent. Meta is trying to revive the metaverse dream with a device that looks and feels much closer to a normal pair of glasses. [Meta AI Glasses Now Stop Recording if LED Is CoveredA simple piece of tape could previously hide Meta’s recording indicator. The company is now making the camera shut down when it detects the light has been covered or tampered with.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-a43ef55d-e0a5-41c1-a49c-6fa089017481.png)TechloyOgbonda Chivumnovu![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1583755110262-9ecfe413f8b9-18f34b57-b98d-460a-b859-369c675b2624.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/meta-ai-glasses-camera-led-covert-recording/) ## Meta VR Glasses specs and features The Meta VR Glasses weigh just 100 grams, with frames made from magnesium alloy. They're powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon Reality Elite processor and connect to a separate computing puck that doubles as the battery, which you can keep in your pocket. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/image-59.png) Image: Meta Micro-OLED panels deliver what Meta calls a 5K Infinite Display with 37 pixels per degree. The glasses support Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, and they track both your eyes and hands, meaning you don't need controllers. Meta also says they're the first IMAX Enhanced-certified VR device, with support for 3D movies. Disney+ will begin streaming select Marvel films in 3D starting in November. ## What you can do with the Meta VR Glasses For work, the glasses can connect to external displays and project a virtual keyboard onto a flat surface. For entertainment, they offer [IMAX](https://www.techloy.com/the-odyssey-70mm-imax-screenings-selling-out/) cinema mode, 3D movie playback, and spatial audio. For gaming, they support Xbox Cloud Gaming as well as the entire Meta Quest game library. Meta also announced full-body hologram calling for both the VR Glasses and the Ray-Ban Display glasses. Zuckerberg joked that the company has finally "solved the problem of giving you legs." _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Xbox Mythic Achievements Could Let You Skip DLC and Still Complete a Game URL: https://www.techloy.com/xbox-mythic-achievements-how-they-work-dlc/ Last updated: 2026-09-24T09:49:05.000Z There’s something satisfying about finishing a game and seeing that final achievement pop. After hours of exploration, difficult boss fights, and whatever other challenges a developer throws at you, that little notification is a reminder that you’ve seen almost everything a game has to offer. But [Xbox](https://www.techloy.com/tag/microsoft-xbox/) has never really had a proper equivalent to PlayStation’s Platinum Trophy. That could be about to change. A discovery in the Xbox PC app has revealed what appears to be the symbol and unlock sound for an upcoming Mythic Achievement. More importantly, further digging into the app’s code suggests players may not need to complete a game’s DLC to earn one. That’s a significant detail for anyone who enjoys hunting down every achievement in their Xbox library. [Xbox Tokyo Game Show 2026: 17 Reveals, Game Pass & KojimaXbox’s Tokyo Game Show 2026 showcase featured new gameplay, release dates, Game Pass announcements and surprise updates on Kojima’s OD and PHYSINT.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-a5de7a1c-55ea-442e-b1d5-f8cad3925458.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1558008258-ec20a83db196-c1d9eb26-2231-4947-bc99-ec73076cdba3.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/tokyo-game-show-2026-everything-announced/) ## What is the Xbox Mythic Achievement? The Mythic Achievement is believed to be Xbox’s answer to the Platinum Trophy on PlayStation: a special reward for completing a game’s original achievement set. Xbox boss Asha Sharma previously hinted that a Platinum Trophy-style feature was in development, and a recent discovery in the Xbox PC app appeared to identify it as a Mythic Achievement. The latest information comes from Xbox community researcher [Klobrille](https://x.com/klobrille/status/2102548362914365594?s=20), who shared a first look at the Mythic symbol and its unlock sound on September 22. “A new update for the Xbox PC App reveals: Xbox Mythic Achievement; plus symbol and unlock sound”, Klobrille tweeted. > A new update for the Xbox PC App reveals: Xbox Mythic Achievement; plus symbol and unlock sound. > > The Xbox Mythic Achievement is expected to be a 100% Gamerscore game completion reward. [pic.twitter.com/STLisa4ubz](https://t.co/STLisa4ubz) > > — Klobrille (@klobrille) [September 22, 2026](https://x.com/klobrille/status/2102548362914365594?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw) Klobrille also suggested that the Mythic Achievement could be a 100% game completion reward. The important caveat is that Xbox has not officially confirmed the Mythic Achievement or explained how it will work. For now, the feature is being pieced together from app discoveries, Xbox Insider information, and community research. [Dune: Awakening Xbox Release, Game Pass and FeaturesIt arrives on Xbox after more than a year of PC updates, with Game Pass access, solo play, and a rebuilt endgame.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-a6ff69a6-9f40-461d-b01e-78148c8e59ad.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1560419398-c36ab8c174b0-fd5cf4cd-a460-47b5-b998-677ce364faec.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/dune-awakening-xbox/) ## What does the Xbox Mythic Achievement sound like? The symbol is one thing, but the unlock sound is what caught my attention. The audio shared by Klobrille has the kind of satisfying payoff you want from a completion reward. It sounds like something designed to make finishing a game feel a little more special than unlocking an ordinary achievement. Visually, the Mythic icon appears fairly straightforward. That isn't necessarily a bad thing. The real appeal of a completion achievement isn't how elaborate the icon looks; it's the number of games you've managed to finish. And if Xbox gets the reward system right, that sound could become instantly recognisable to achievement hunters. ## Do you need DLC to unlock an Xbox Mythic Achievement? No, based on the latest code discovery, DLC achievements may not count toward a Mythic Achievement. This is the most useful detail to emerge so far. Researchers at [XCT.live](https://xct.live/wiki/mythic) dug into the Xbox app and found information about how Mythic achievements appear to be organised. According to their findings, the app uses a group called BaseGame to determine Mythic progress. The group contains achievements from the original game, while achievements outside that group are labelled Add-on. The Xbox app also reportedly includes a “Required for Mythic achievement” filter on the game page. In other words, the system appears to separate the achievements that count toward the Mythic reward from those added through DLC. That would mean you could complete the original game, unlock its Mythic Achievement, and move on without having to purchase or finish every expansion. For players with large Xbox libraries, that distinction matters. Some games have dozens of DLC achievements, and requiring every single one could turn a satisfying completion goal into a much longer commitment. ## How would the Xbox Mythic Achievement work? Based on the information uncovered by XCT.live, the process could look something like this: 1. Open a game on Xbox. 2. View the achievements required for its Mythic Achievement. 3. Complete every achievement in the original game. 4. Unlock the Mythic Achievement once the required set is finished. The app reportedly counts achievements rather than Gamerscore, which is another important distinction. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The Love Hypothesis Brings a Fan-Favourite Romance Novel to Prime Video URL: https://www.techloy.com/the-love-hypothesis-book-vs-movie/ Last updated: 2026-09-24T09:46:43.000Z Book-to-film adaptations rarely make it to the screen unchanged, and The Love Hypothesis is no exception. [Prime Video’s](https://www.techloy.com/tag/prime-video/) film adaptation of Ali Hazelwood’s 2021 New York Times bestselling romance keeps the novel’s fake-dating premise and its central love story, while making changes to the characters, setting, and story. Directed by Claire Scanlon, the film stars Lili Reinhart as Olive Smith and Tom Bateman as Adam Carlsen. It began streaming globally on September 23, bringing Hazelwood’s popular romance from the pages of the 384-page novel to the screen. [Godzilla Minus Zero Rating: Why It’s Rated RGodzilla Minus Zero is taking the franchise into darker territory with its first R rating in the US after 72 years![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-93adb02e-d9db-423c-b7d6-be11b190d825.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1748740412179-eaaf6072571d-fd934470-d6b9-4779-b3e4-41af587578b6.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/godzilla-minus-zero-rating/) ## What is the Love Hypothesis about? The story follows Olive, a Stanford PhD candidate who impulsively kisses Adam, an intimidating professor, to convince her best friend Anh that she has moved on from Jeremy, the man they both like. Adam agrees to pretend they are dating because the arrangement could help him protect his research funding. Their fake relationship gradually becomes real. The novel became a bestseller after its 2021 release, with Penguin Random House describing it as an “instant New York Times bestseller” and a TikTok sensation. It also has an unusual origin. Hazelwood originally wrote the story as [Star Wars fan fiction](https://www.eonline.com/news/1436252/the-love-hypothesis-book-vs-prime-movie-differences-explained) centred on Rey and Kylo Ren before developing it into the published novel. ## What changed from the book? The film keeps Olive and Adam’s central relationship, but several supporting characters and story beats have been rearranged. One major change is Holden Rodriguez, Adam’s best friend and Olive’s friend Malcolm’s love interest. He is completely removed from the film. His role in the novel helped bring the couple together and provided some of the lighter moments around Adam’s serious personality. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Vivo V80 vs Vivo V70 URL: https://www.techloy.com/vivo-v80-vs-vivo-v70/ Last updated: 2026-09-24T09:45:53.000Z The [Vivo](https://www.techloy.com/tag/vivo/) V70 quietly became one of the best camera phones in the premium mid-range segment, thanks to its ZEISS partnership, sleek design, and excellent battery life. Now Vivo is back with the Vivo V80, and on paper, it looks like a much bigger upgrade than a typical year-over-year refresh. The V80 brings a 7,200mAh battery, 90W fast charging, a 50MP ZEISS camera system with Sony's LYTIA 700V sensor, 4K Cinematic Mode, Android 17 out of the box, and up to six years of security updates. Meanwhile, the V70 still offers flagship-style design, a capable Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 chip, and one of the strongest portrait camera systems in its class. So, should you buy the Vivo V70 while it's discounted, or wait for the Vivo V80? Here’s a detailed comparison. [Vivo X Fold 5 vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7: Which Foldable is Better?We compare Samsung’s most refined Fold yet against Vivo’s long-awaited Indian debut to see which one delivers more for its premium price.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-d52e5318-8ca0-442c-965b-88ad88a49348.png)TechloyKelechi Edeh![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/Vivo-X-Fold-5-vs-Samsung-Galaxy-Z-Fold-7_Comparison-58b8e1b8-3790-460b-ae27-7b932b2efc96.png)](https://www.techloy.com/vivo-x-fold-5-vs-samsung-galaxy-z-fold-7-which-foldable-is-better/) ## /1\. Design The Vivo V70 already looked like a flagship phone with its matte glass finish, metallic frame, and ZEISS-branded camera island. The V80 doesn't completely reinvent that design, but it polishes it. The biggest visual change is the new rectangular camera module with a circular Aura Light and ZEISS branding integrated into the island. Vivo is also moving to a slightly more compact body while keeping premium glass and metal materials. If you liked the V70's premium aesthetic, the V80 feels like the cleaner, more modern evolution. 💡 ****Winner:** Vivo V80 ## /2\. Display This is one of the clearest upgrades. The Vivo V80 gets a 6.59-inch 1.5K AMOLED panel with a 144Hz refresh rate and a claimed 5,000 nits peak brightness. That's a massive jump over the V70's already impressive display. The V70 still has an excellent AMOLED panel with vivid colours, symmetrical bezels, and a 120Hz refresh rate, but its brightness tops out much lower. If outdoor visibility and smoother scrolling matter, the V80 takes it comfortably. 💡 ****Winner:** Vivo V80 ## /3\. Performance Surprisingly, both phones use the Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 processor. That means everyday performance, gaming, multitasking, and efficiency should feel very similar. Both also support fast LPDDR5X RAM and UFS storage, making app launches and multitasking quick. The V80 ships with Android 17 and newer AI features, so it has a software advantage rather than a hardware one. 💡 ****Winner:** Tie ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/Vivo-V80-vs-Vivo-V70-Comparison-Infographic.png) ## /4\. Camera _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The Companies Getting the Most From AI Are Also Feeling the Cost URL: https://www.techloy.com/ai-agent-costs-companies/ Last updated: 2026-09-24T09:30:14.000Z Key TAKEAWAYS - 18% of AI high performers say coding-agent costs have constrained their use compared with 6% of other companies. - 37% say AI has contributed positively to EBIT, showing that greater AI adoption is not yet translating into stronger company-wide financial returns. - Nearly 75% have redesigned workflows around AI, suggesting that companies getting more from AI are changing how they work. The companies getting the most value out of [AI](https://www.techloy.com/tag/artificial-intelligence/) agents are also the ones feeling the cost of using them most. A new McKinsey [survey](https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/mckinsey/business%20functions/quantumblack/our%20insights/the%20state%20of%20ai/the-state-of-ai-in-2026-on-the-road-to-roi-aug-2026.pdf?shouldIndex=false) finds that so-called AI “high performers,” organizations seeing real financial returns from the technology, are nearly three times more likely than other companies to say the cost of software coding agents has constrained their use of them, at 18% versus 6%. More broadly, one in five respondents say AI-related operating costs, including token spending, have already limited how their organization uses the technology. Yet this is hardly slowing down the financial commitment firms are pouring in. Most companies plan to spend more on AI, not less: 60% expect to increase their investment over the next year, while high performers are more than twice as likely as other companies to already spend more than 15% of their tech budget on AI. **MORE INSIGHTS ON THIS TOPIC:** - [China’s Youth Unemployment Hits 18.9%. What’s Happening to Its Graduates?](https://www.techloy.com/china-graduates-struggling-to-find-jobs/) - [Entry-Level Tech Jobs Are Down 25%. Here's What Happened](https://www.techloy.com/why-entry-level-tech-jobs-disappearing/) - [Trump's New H-1B Visa Fee: Who Pays the $103,265 and Who's Exempt](https://www.techloy.com/trump-new-h1b-visa-fee-103265/) ## AI Adoption Is Growing, Along With the Bill “CFOs and chief AI officers are increasingly talking about ‘tokenomics’ and the ROI of AI,” Michael Chui, a senior fellow at QuantumBlack, AI by McKinsey, wrote in the report. He noted that AI “isn’t ‘too cheap to meter’” for agentic software development. Even as the price per token has fallen, the number of tokens organizations are using has climbed even faster. The findings come from McKinsey’s latest Global Survey on the State of AI, which polled 1,719 participants across 97 nations between May and June 2026, weighted by each country’s share of global GDP. Just over a third of respondents work at companies with more than $1 billion in annual revenue. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### What Are the Requirements for Obtaining a Cryptocurrency Exchange License in a European Country with a Strong Fintech Sector like Switzerland? URL: https://www.techloy.com/what-are-the-requirements-for-obtaining-a-cryptocurrency-exchange-license-in-a-european-country-with-a-strong-fintech-sector-like-switzerland/ Last updated: 2026-09-24T09:19:10.000Z Switzerland's fintech sector has grown around a legal system that treats digital asset exchanges under existing financial regulations rather than a single crypto-specific license. Companies exploring a[ crypto license in Switzerland](https://sb-sb.com/services/crypto/crypto-license/europe/switzerland/) need to understand which regulatory path applies to exchange activities specifically, since requirements shift depending on how the platform handles client assets. The Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority sets the standards that shape this process from the very first stage. This article breaks down the core requirements exchange businesses must meet to operate legally in Switzerland. ## Determining the Regulatory Path for Exchange Activities Most cryptocurrency exchanges in Switzerland fall under anti-money laundering supervision rather than direct banking or securities regulation, provided they limit their activities to buying, selling, and transferring digital assets on behalf of clients. Identifying this classification correctly at the outset shapes every later step of the application. - exchange platforms handling client funds must affiliate with a self-regulatory organisation recognised under the Anti-Money Laundering Act; - platforms offering trading in securities-like tokens may additionally require a securities firm license; - exchanges planning to hold client deposits beyond standard custody arrangements may trigger banking authorization requirements; - smaller exchange projects with limited transaction volumes may qualify for the lighter fintech license category; - platforms combining exchange services with token issuance must assess each activity separately against applicable rules. Correctly mapping these categories against the planned business model prevents companies from submitting documentation suited to the wrong regulatory track. ## Meeting Corporate and Governance Requirements Beyond activity classification, Swiss authorities expect exchange businesses to demonstrate sound corporate governance before granting any form of authorization. This includes verifying the qualifications and integrity of the people running the company. 1. Establish a properly registered legal entity with a transparent ownership structure. 2. Appoint management personnel with relevant financial or compliance experience. 3. Confirm that all board members and beneficial owners have no history of financial crime. 4. Demonstrate sufficient organisational capacity to handle client onboarding and transaction monitoring. 5. Prepare governance documentation outlining internal reporting lines and decision-making processes. Meeting these governance standards is a prerequisite for both SRO membership and any direct FINMA authorization the exchange may require. ## Building AML and Operational Compliance Frameworks Exchange platforms must implement thorough anti-money laundering procedures covering client identification, transaction monitoring, and suspicious activity reporting. A qualified compliance officer typically oversees these functions and serves as the primary contact for the self-regulatory organisation or FINMA. Exchanges also need reliable record-keeping systems capable of storing verification data and transaction histories for the periods required under Swiss law. These operational elements form the backbone of ongoing supervision once the exchange begins operating. ## Sustaining Compliance as the Exchange Grows Authorization is not a one-time achievement, since Swiss regulators expect exchanges to adapt their compliance frameworks as transaction volumes and client bases expand. Growing platforms often need to revisit their risk assessments, update internal policies, and in some cases transition toward a higher regulatory category if their activities evolve toward securities trading or deposit-taking. *Exchanges that build scalable compliance systems from the outset generally avoid the disruption of switching regulatory categories later as their operations expand.* Meeting the requirements for a cryptocurrency exchange license in Switzerland depends on correctly classifying the business activity and building governance and compliance structures that can scale over time. Companies entering this market should assess their operational model carefully before committing to a specific regulatory path. ### 7 Best Penetration Testing Companies to Work With in 2026 URL: https://www.techloy.com/7-best-penetration-testing-companies-to-work-with-in-2026/ Last updated: 2026-09-24T06:46:57.000Z Every year, more businesses learn the hard way that a firewall and an antivirus license are not a security plan. Attackers look for the gaps you did not know about: a forgotten API endpoint, a misconfigured cloud bucket, a login flow that trusts the wrong input. A penetration test finds those gaps first, by having skilled people attack your systems the way a real hacker would. The problem is choosing who to trust with that job. Some providers run an automated scan and call it a pentest. Others do deep manual work but hand you a report nobody on your team can act on. This list covers seven companies that do the job well, with notes on who each one fits best. ## **What Makes a Good Pentest Provider** Before the list, here is what we looked at. First, how much of the testing is manual. Scanners catch known issues, but business logic flaws and chained attacks need a human. Second, the skill of the testers, including certifications like OSCP and real offensive experience. Third, the quality of the report, since findings only matter if your developers can fix them. And fourth, how well the provider supports compliance needs like SOC 2, HIPAA, PCI DSS, and ISO 27001. ## **1\. Cybri** [Cybri](https://cybri.com/) is a New York based penetration testing company that has focused only on pentesting and vulnerability scanning since 2017\. That narrow focus shows in the work. Testing is manual first, carried out by the CYBRI Red Team, whose members hold certifications such as OSCP, OSWE, and CEH. Many come from military cybersecurity units. Cybri tests web and mobile apps, APIs, networks, cloud setups on AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud, and even large language models. Clients follow the test in real time through the Blue Box platform, where verified findings show up as the team finds them, and can be assigned straight to developers. Reports are written for two readers: executives who need a clear view of risk, and engineers who need exact steps to fix each issue. Compliance mapping covers SOC 2, HIPAA, PCI DSS, ISO 27001, GDPR, and ISO 42001, and a 90-day remediation check is included. Pricing is fixed per test, which makes budgeting simple. **Best for:** startups, SaaS companies, and mid-size businesses that need deep manual testing and audit-ready reports without a long, costly engagement. ## **2\. Rapid7** Rapid7 is a large security company best known for maintaining Metasploit, one of the most widely used penetration testing frameworks. Its consulting team offers network, application, and social engineering tests, and it can pair pentest results with its vulnerability management products. This makes Rapid7 a natural fit for companies that already use its tools and want testing and ongoing monitoring under one roof. Smaller teams may find the broader product suite more than they need. **Best for:** enterprises that want pentesting tied into a wider security operations setup. ## **3\. NetSPI** NetSPI offers penetration testing as a service with a strong focus on large and complex environments, including banks, healthcare systems, and major software firms. Its testers work across applications, cloud, networks, and hardware, and results are delivered through its own platform so teams can track findings over time. NetSPI is often chosen by organizations that run many tests a year and want consistent results across all of them. **Best for:** large organizations with frequent, high-volume testing needs. ## **4\. Bishop Fox** Bishop Fox has a strong reputation in offensive security research, and its team regularly publishes tools and findings used across the industry. Beyond standard pentests, it offers red team exercises and continuous attack surface testing through its Cosmos platform, which watches your external footprint and tests new exposures as they appear. **Best for:** mature security teams that want advanced red teaming and ongoing external testing. ## **5\. Cobalt** Cobalt runs a pentest as a service model built around speed. You scope and launch tests through its platform, and a vetted pool of testers can often start within days. Findings are posted live and can connect with tools like Jira so developers see issues where they already work. The model works well for teams that ship often and want quick, repeatable tests. For very complex or highly custom environments, some buyers prefer a smaller, dedicated team. **Best for:** agile product teams that test often and want a fast start. ## **6\. Synack** Synack blends a crowdsourced approach with strict vetting. Its testers, known as the Synack Red Team, are screened security researchers who test under controlled conditions through Synack's platform. This gives clients a wide range of skills and viewpoints on a single target. Synack is well known in government and regulated sectors, where its vetting and controls matter. **Best for:** organizations that want broad tester coverage with strong oversight. ## **7\. Coalfire** Coalfire is a cybersecurity advisory firm with deep roots in compliance and audit work, including FedRAMP assessments. Its pentesting is often part of a larger compliance program, which helps companies that need testing, audit support, and advisory services from one partner. **Best for:** companies where compliance, especially federal compliance, is the main driver. ## **How to Choose the Right Provider** Start with your reason for testing. If you need a report for a SOC 2 or HIPAA audit next quarter, pick a provider that maps findings to that framework and delivers on a clear timeline. If you want to know how far a skilled attacker could get into your network, look for red team depth instead. Next, ask how the test is done. Ask what share is manual, who the testers are, and whether you can see a sample report. A good provider will answer plainly. Also ask about retesting. Fixing an issue is only half the job; you need proof the fix worked. Finally, think about size and fit. Large firms bring scale and broad services, but smaller specialists often give you more direct access to the people doing the work and a report shaped around your actual risks. ## **Final Thoughts** A penetration test is only as good as the people behind it and the report that comes out of it. Every company on this list does serious work, but they suit different needs. If you want focused, manual-first testing with clear reports and compliance support at a fixed price, Cybri is a strong place to start. Whoever you choose, test regularly, fix what you find, and retest. That cycle is what keeps attackers out. ### From Chatbots to AI Agents: How Business Automation Is Evolving URL: https://www.techloy.com/from-chatbots-to-ai-agents-how-business-automation-is-evolving/ Last updated: 2026-09-23T22:00:33.000Z Business automation has changed considerably since companies first began using simple chatbots to answer common questions and guide customers through basic processes. Organizations researching [tools for building AI agents](https://www.nice.com/agentic-ai/agentic-ai-tools) can use the NiCE Agentic AI Tools resource to understand technologies designed to help create, manage, and deploy AI agents that can reason, plan, use business systems, and complete tasks with greater autonomy. This shift is expanding what businesses can automate, moving AI beyond scripted conversations toward systems capable of participating in complex workflows. ## The Early Role of Business Chatbots Chatbots became popular because they offered businesses a practical way to automate repetitive conversations. Early systems typically followed predefined scripts, matching customer questions with prepared answers or directing users through a series of menu-like choices. They worked particularly well for simple requests such as checking opening hours, finding basic information, or directing customers to the correct department. The limitations became clear when conversations moved beyond predictable scenarios. A chatbot could provide an answer stored in its knowledge base, but it often struggled to interpret unusual requests or complete tasks involving several business systems. Employees therefore remained responsible for handling exceptions and carrying out much of the work that happened after the initial conversation. ## Generative AI Made Conversations More Flexible Generative AI significantly improved the ability of automated systems to understand and produce natural language. Instead of relying entirely on predefined responses, newer assistants can interpret varied questions, summarize information, draft messages, and respond in a more conversational manner. This has made automated interactions more useful across customer service, internal support, sales, and other business functions. Better conversation, however, does not automatically mean greater operational capability. A generative AI assistant might explain how to update an account or prepare a response for an employee, while still requiring a person to perform the actual change. Businesses looking for deeper automation therefore need systems that can move beyond generating information and begin taking appropriate actions. ## AI Agents Introduce Greater Autonomy AI agents represent another step in the development of business automation because they can be designed around goals rather than individual prompts. An agent may evaluate a request, determine which steps are required, gather relevant information, and use authorized systems to complete parts of a process. This creates opportunities to automate workflows that previously required employees to coordinate several separate tasks. Consider a routine customer request that requires information from multiple platforms. Instead of simply telling the customer what to do, an agent could potentially retrieve account details, check relevant policies, perform permitted updates, and record the outcome in the appropriate system. Human involvement can then be reserved for exceptions, approvals, or situations requiring personal judgment. ## Connected Systems Expand What AI Can Do Modern businesses rarely operate through a single software platform. Customer relationship management systems, communication tools, payment platforms, analytics software, support applications, and internal databases often need to work together during everyday processes. Employees frequently become the link between these systems by manually copying information or checking several applications before completing a task. AI agents can help reduce this fragmentation when they are securely connected to the tools required for a workflow. An agent could gather information from one application, use it to determine an appropriate next step, and update another system according to established permissions. This ability to coordinate actions across technology platforms is an important difference between conversational assistance and more advanced automation. ## Automation Is Becoming More Adaptive Traditional automation is highly effective when processes are consistent and the rules are clearly defined. A system can automatically send an email after a form submission or create a record when a particular event occurs, but unexpected circumstances may cause the workflow to stop. Employees must then investigate the problem and decide what should happen next. Agentic systems introduce the possibility of automation that responds more flexibly to changing circumstances. An AI agent may be able to examine available information, choose between approved actions, and adjust its approach while continuing to work toward a defined goal. Businesses can therefore consider automating processes that contain more variation than conventional rule-based workflows can comfortably handle. ## Human Oversight Remains Important Greater autonomy also increases the importance of appropriate controls. Businesses need to decide what information an AI agent can access, which actions it can perform independently, and when an employee must approve a decision. Clear boundaries become particularly important when automated actions could affect customers, financial transactions, sensitive information, or important business records. Monitoring is equally important once an agent begins operating within real workflows. Organizations need ways to review actions, identify errors, measure performance, and understand when a process was escalated to a person. Human oversight allows businesses to benefit from increased automation without treating autonomy as a replacement for accountability. ## The Workplace Role of AI Is Changing The progression from chatbots to AI agents also changes how employees interact with automation. Instead of using AI only to retrieve information or generate content, workers may increasingly delegate routine processes and supervise the resulting outcomes. Their attention can then shift toward unusual cases, customer relationships, strategic decisions, and work requiring deeper expertise. This development may gradually change how businesses design roles and workflows. Employees could spend less time moving information between applications or completing predictable administrative steps and more time reviewing exceptions and making higher-value decisions. Successful adoption will depend on finding a practical balance between machine efficiency and human experience. ## Conclusion The evolution from chatbots to AI agents reflects a broader change in what businesses expect automation to accomplish. Chatbots made routine conversations easier to automate, generative AI made those interactions more flexible, and agentic systems are extending automation into planning, decision-making, and coordinated action across business tools. As these technologies mature, businesses that combine capable AI systems with clear governance and thoughtful human oversight will be better positioned to automate meaningful work rather than simply individual tasks. ### Resident Evil Reboot Sets Franchise Box Office Record With $108.3 Million Opening URL: https://www.techloy.com/resident-evil-2026-box-office-reboot/ Last updated: 2026-09-23T15:41:19.000Z The latest Resident Evil reboot has given the franchise its biggest global opening since it first reached cinemas. Zach Cregger’s new reboot has opened with $108.3 million worldwide, giving the Capcom franchise its biggest global start. Released in cinemas on September 18, 2026, the Sony Pictures film made $60 million across the US and Canada and another $48.3 million internationally. It was produced for a reported $75 million before marketing, putting the reboot on a strong commercial footing. There's no announced streaming price because Resident Evil is currently a theatrical release. This result suggests audiences may be responding to more than the name on the poster: a familiar game franchise rebuilt around a filmmaker with his own identity. [Godzilla Minus Zero Rating: Why It’s Rated RGodzilla Minus Zero is taking the franchise into darker territory with its first R rating in the US after 72 years![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-19a989c4-5996-497f-a568-9633e5b0d7fb.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1748740412179-eaaf6072571d-4a98809a-53da-4092-ab33-a13c03e2bfd9.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/godzilla-minus-zero-rating/) ## Why Did Resident Evil Connect This Time? Cregger, who directed Barbarian and Weapons, entered the project with a growing reputation for unpredictable horror. The Guardian’s interview with Zach Cregger reported that he had never watched the previous Resident Evil films, although he has been a fan of the games. That distance matters. Instead of continuing the Milla Jovovich-led film series, Cregger created a new story around Bryan, a medical courier played by Austin Abrams. Bryan is sent to deliver a transplant organ near Raccoon City and becomes trapped in a night of infected creatures and survival. Cregger has said, “The point is, it’s an original movie, even though it is Resident Evil.” That idea may explain why the reboot has attracted both franchise fans and newcomers. ## What Makes This Reboot Feel Different? Cregger has treated the video game itself as a storytelling tool rather than a list of references. Bryan moves through different environments, searches for resources, and faces escalating threats, giving the film the structure of a game session. The Guardian also noted that Cregger uses camera angles associated with third-person shooters to strengthen that feeling. [Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/resident%5Fevil%5F2026) currently lists Resident Evil at 95% from critics and 91% from verified audience ratings. Its critics' consensus calls it a “propulsive tribute” to the experience of playing a horror game. The reception matters because earlier live-action films struggled with critics. The 2026 film is currently the only live-action Resident Evil movie with a Certified Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. ## Is The Box Office Success Bigger Than Resident Evil? The $60 million North American debut is the best in the series, beating Resident Evil: Afterlife, which made $26 million in 2010 before inflation adjustments. International ticket sales added $48.3 million. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### I Waited 3 Days for Siri AI. Here’s What I Found URL: https://www.techloy.com/siri-ai-hands-on-review/ Last updated: 2026-10-11T13:38:50.000Z I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the new [Siri](https://www.techloy.com/tag/apple-siri/) AI. If you read my [iOS 27 review](https://www.techloy.com/iphone-ios-27-update-what-changed-after-1-day/), you could probably tell it was one of my most anticipated features in the new [iOS](https://www.techloy.com/tag/ios/). We all know [Apple](https://www.techloy.com/tag/apple/) is like that friend who is always late to the party. They’re usually not one of the first companies to jump on tech trends. Multiple-camera systems existed years before Apple adopted them. Wireless charging, high refresh rates, and widgets on the home screen are all things Apple added much later. And AI followed the same pattern. Apple eventually [launched](https://www.techloy.com/apple-intelligence-has-arrived-on-ipad-and-macs-here-are-the-key-features-you-can-use-now/) its AI efforts under the [Apple Intelligence](https://www.techloy.com/tag/apple-intelligence/) brand back in 2024, but the rollout came with plenty of challenges, from delays to features that didn’t arrive when originally promised. It sometimes felt like Apple just couldn’t figure out AI. But recently, Apple finally rolled out a much-improved Siri with its new software update. Apple describes it as a completely reimagined Siri with personal context, onscreen awareness, web knowledge, and more systemwide app actions. Sadly, I couldn’t test it initially because Siri AI isn’t supported on my [iPhone](https://www.techloy.com/tag/apple-iphone/) 12 Pro Max. Bummer, right? But I didn’t take no for an answer. I quickly checked my laptop, and thankfully, my 2021 [MacBook](https://www.techloy.com/tag/macbook/) Pro with the M1 Pro chip was supported. I updated it, only to get hit with the “Join the waitlist” button. I clicked it almost immediately. It took more than three days before Siri AI finally became available on my laptop. *(Pro tip* *to Apple: Is there any way to make this process faster?)* Anyway, these are some of the things I noticed while testing Siri AI. [iPhone iOS 27 Update: What Changed After 1 DayApple made a few tweaks to improve the Liquid Glass experience, but there are still a few things that bug me.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-575182f7-2d6f-4583-b63e-8914ca9b9a60.png)TechloyOgbonda Chivumnovu![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1592898741922-5dd6de5f698c-3ad636c6-345d-40fb-aae3-6b3259357b1b.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/iphone-ios-27-update-what-changed-after-1-day/) ## Siri AI comes with a brand-new look and a dedicated app, and I love it ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/Screenshot-2026-09-23-at-11.34.50---AM-1-1.png) **The new Siri AI dedicated app (image: Chivumnovu Ogbonda / Techloy.com)* Right out of the gate, you can notice the changes Apple has made to Siri. The new Siri logo basically screams that it’s a new Siri. It feels like Apple wanted to make a statement. It’s bold, new, and innovative. I really like it. The new app, though, looks and feels similar to chatbot apps like [ChatGPT](https://www.techloy.com/tag/chatgpt/), [Gemini](https://www.techloy.com/tag/google-gemini/), [DeepSeek](https://www.techloy.com/tag/deepseek/), [Claude](https://www.techloy.com/tag/claude/), and the rest. But, in true Apple fashion, it has the company’s minimalist design language, which can look a little uninteresting at times. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Google Pixel Video Boost Review: Is Google's AI Fixing Pixel Video? URL: https://www.techloy.com/google-pixel-video-boost-review/ Last updated: 2026-10-11T13:38:25.000Z For almost as long as [Google](https://www.techloy.com/tag/google/) has been making genuinely good smartphones, there has been one thing the [Pixel](https://www.techloy.com/tag/google-pixel/) has been particularly good at: taking photos. Google more or less made computational photography one of the defining features of the Pixel. HDR+ became synonymous with the Pixel look, followed by Night Sight and, more recently, Ultra HDR. Even when the hardware wasn't necessarily the best in the business, Google's image processing could often make up the difference. But video has always felt like a different story. That doesn't mean Pixel phones take bad videos. They don't. But compared with what [Apple](https://www.techloy.com/tag/apple/) and [Samsung](https://www.techloy.com/tag/samsung/) have been doing with smartphone video, Google has often felt like it was paying a little less attention to the moving picture. So when Google introduced Video Boost with the [Pixel 8 Pro](https://www.techloy.com/made-by-google-2023-rumoured-product-announcements/), I was curious. The idea is that instead of asking the phone to do all the work itself, Video Boost sends a version of the footage to Google's servers, where its computational photography models can process it using cloud computing. So, does Video Boost make Pixel video noticeably better, or does it just make an already good video a little cleaner after you've waited for Google's computers to have a go at it? [Blueroomcare Review: Is Its Therapy App Worth It?The care was great. Getting to it was the issue.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-e8d37341-76d0-4eb2-a559-0264c2326cde.png)TechloyLouis Eriakha![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1573495804664-b1c0849525af-266c1993-18b4-49c0-80aa-0cb0531d5120.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/blueroomcare-review/) ## I put Video Boost to the test There was really only one way to find out. Rather than relying on Google's claims, I tested Video Boost in two very different lighting conditions. One was deliberately difficult, with very little light. The other had plenty of it. The first test was the one I expected to tell me the most. ### Test 1: Video Boost in the dark For the first test, I went somewhere that was genuinely dark and shot three pieces of footage: a normal photo, a regular video, and then the same scene again with Video Boost enabled. The photo, as seen below, gave me a useful point of comparison. If Google's processing could pull an impressive amount of information out of a still image in the same environment, I wanted to see how much of that advantage carried over to video. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Why Lebara's Nigeria Launch Is A Bet On The Diaspora, Not The SIM Card URL: https://www.techloy.com/lebara-nigeria-sim-network-diaspora-strategy/ Last updated: 2026-09-23T14:59:38.000Z Key Takeaways - Lebara is targeting Nigeria’s large and valuable diaspora market, not just local mobile users. - Its Payaza partnership makes it easier for Nigerians abroad to pay for airtime, data and subscriptions for family back home. - The company is entering a crowded MVNO market, but its diaspora-focused model gives it a clear customer niche. Lebara did not pick an easy market for its first major move into Africa. On September 14, 2026, the UK-based telecom company switched on its Nigerian network after securing an MVNO licence nearly two years earlier. It now enters a market where four major network operators, MTN, Airtel, Globacom and 9mobile, already compete for over 150 million active mobile lines. What makes this launch worth a closer look is not the SIM card itself, but the timing. Nigeria's diaspora sends home close to 20 billion dollars a year, according to World Bank figures, one of the largest such flows in Africa, and Lebara has spent 25 years building its business around exactly that kind of customer. The bigger question is whether a model built on serving migrants abroad can take root in a market where MVNOs keep struggling to get off the ground. NCC data shows that Vitel Wireless, Nigeria's first MVNO, [gained only five subscribers through number portability](https://techcabal.com/2026/06/05/why-nigerias-mvno-dream-is-struggling-to-connect/) in November 2025, rising slowly to just 17 by March 2026, a pace that points to a broader struggle to attract users at scale, though Vitel Wireless has disputed the picture painted by the NCC's figures. [Gift Card and Digital Wallet Transactions Surge in Lebanon Amid Israel ConflictAs more than one million people are displaced by renewed violence, a new report shows how Lebanon is relying on digital wallets instead of broken banks to move aid quickly.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-9228ffc0-6f34-4a31-8e51-582878b16776.png)TechloyOluwajeminipe Fasheun-Motesho![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1726066012645-959fc63f61b4-4ea16ec6-eb9e-4486-b241-df5df02b9ef9.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/gift-card-and-digital-wallet-transactions-surge-in-lebanon-amid-israel-conflict/) ## **The $20 Billion Reason Nobody Is Talking About** Here is the part of the story that most articles about the Lebara launch have left out completely. Nigeria is not just a country of over 150 million active mobile lines. It is also one of the biggest recipients of money sent home by people living abroad, anywhere in the world. According [to the World Bank,](https://kolaking.substack.com/p/wbank-at-195bn-nigeria-accounted) diaspora remittances into Nigeria hit 19.5 billion dollars in 2023, making up 35 percent of all the money sent to Sub Saharan Africa that year. Industry researchers at Agusto and Co have projected that number could climb to [around 26 billion dollars](https://nairacompare.ng/blogs/diaspora-remittance-trends-sending-money-to-nigeria) by 2025, based on figures. Separately, Nigeria's Central Bank reported that money sent through licensed transfer operators jumped by about 61 percent in a single year. That river of money is exactly the kind of customer base Lebara has built its entire company around for 25 years. Lebara's whole playbook in Europe and Australia was never really about winning ordinary local customers away from the big networks. It was about becoming the trusted brand for migrant families who need to call, send money and stay connected to people back home. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### GPT-6 Sol vs Opus 5.5: 6 Surprising Things From the Same-Day Launch URL: https://www.techloy.com/gpt-6-sol-vs-opus-5-5/ Last updated: 2026-09-23T14:59:05.000Z On September 22, Anthropic released Claude Opus 5.5, and less than two hours later OpenAI released GPT-6 Sol and a smaller model, GPT-6 Luna. It's the second time this year the two companies have launched rival models on the same day, and this time both led with lower prices. [Anthropic](https://www.techloy.com/tag/anthropic/) says Opus 5.5 matches Claude Fable 5.1, its most capable public model, on most work and costs 40% less to run than Opus 5\. [OpenAI](https://www.techloy.com/tag/openai/) says Sol and Luna cost half as much as the GPT-5.6 models they replace. "It's hard to overstate how competitive this pricing is," Simon Willison, an independent developer and co-creator of the Django web framework, [wrote](https://simonwillison.net/2026/Sep/22/opus-and-sol-and-luna/) on his blog about OpenAI's new prices. If GPT-6 Sol is the more affordable model and Opus 5.5 is smarter, the one you should choose depends on what you use AI for. [GPT-6 Astra: 10 Things to Know about ChatGPT’s New ModelOpenAI declared the AGI era, then shipped a model Sam Altman admits almost nobody can open.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-bb4a994d-359f-4770-8dc0-45a6afb8a8d9.png)TechloyDamilare Odedina![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1746608943132-065d1d4b3c5d-58b35fa4-7c15-4c59-8e3a-dab129914b29.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/gpt-6-astra-things-to-know/) ## /1\. GPT-6 Sol Costs Half as Much as Claude Opus 5.5 Through the API, GPT-6 Sol costs $2 for every million tokens (chunks of text) it reads and $10 for every million it writes. Claude Opus 5.5 costs $4 and $20, twice as much, while GPT-6 Luna, OpenAI's budget model, costs $0.10 and $0.50. Opus 5.5 is 20% cheaper than Opus 5, and Anthropic says it also uses fewer tokens, which is how it reaches its 40% saving. None of this changes subscriptions, though. If you pay for [ChatGPT](https://www.techloy.com/tag/chatgpt/) Plus or [Claude](https://www.techloy.com/tag/claude/) Pro, your monthly bill stays the same. ## /2\. Claude Opus 5.5 Scores Higher Than GPT-6 Sol Artificial Analysis, an independent firm that benchmarks AI models, put both through the same tests and combined the results into one overall score. At default settings, Opus 5.5 scored 51 and Sol 40\. Even when set to think as hard as possible, Sol reached 48\. Each test cost about $1.34 to run on Opus 5.5 and 25 cents on Sol. Opus 5.5 writes code better, scoring 52.5% to Sol's 43.9% in the firm's coding test. But for everyday business tasks, there's almost nothing between them, with Sol at 61.7% and Opus 5.5 at 61.2%. If you code or work on hard problems, pick Opus 5.5\. If your business runs lots of routine tasks and wants to spend less, Sol is what you should go for. ## /3\. What Claude Opus 5.5 Changes for Everyday Claude Users If you pay for Claude, Opus 5.5 is available now on the Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise plans, with higher five-hour usage limits. You also get one free "limit reset," which refills your usage allowance whenever you choose to use it. You can use it from Settings, then Usage, on the web or desktop app, but not on mobile. Anthropic also says Opus 5.5 writes more clearly and with less jargon. Willison, who now uses it as his default model in Claude Code, said it "looks like it addresses the biggest complaints people had about Opus in terms of its communication style." _This post is for subscribers only._ ### This PS5 RPG Lets You Become Water and Reshape Its World URL: https://www.techloy.com/fading-echo-ps5-demo-gameplay/ Last updated: 2026-09-23T14:54:21.000Z Emeteria’s elemental action-adventure RPG is [out now](https://blog.playstation.com/2026/09/22/fading-echo-makes-a-splash-on-playstation-5-today/) on [PlayStation 5](https://www.techloy.com/tag/playstation-5/), with a free demo also available. There’s no shortage of action-adventure games on PS5, but Fading Echo is taking a different approach to combat and exploration. Developed by Emeteria, a studio under New Tales, the game puts water manipulation, elemental reactions, and reality shifting at the centre of almost everything you do. You don’t simply fight enemies and move from one objective to the next. The idea is to experiment with the world around you and figure out how its systems can work together. Fading Echo launched on PS5 on September 22, 2026, and a free demo is available on the PlayStation Store for anyone who wants to try it before committing to the full game. So, what exactly is Fading Echo, and what makes its gameplay different? [How to Watch Free Live TV on PS5 in the U.S.Sony has launched free, ad-supported Live TV on PS5, giving U.S. players access to more than 100 live channels and on-demand content.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-bc640559-137e-4265-82e3-ee6b1e5c4a4d.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1668877779533-76662f33dc34-3ab87ad1-3376-4a26-b8d9-cddf29291e58.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/how-to-watch-live-tv-on-ps5/) ## What is Fading Echo about? You play as One, a young Legend attempting to save the fractured world of Corel from a mysterious force known as the Paradox. Corel isn't a conventional fantasy world. The Paradox has fractured reality, creating different versions of the same spaces and fundamentally changing how One explores them. That premise feeds directly into the gameplay. As One travels through Corel, she'll encounter floating islands, corrupted environments, and alternate realities while trying to understand the Paradox and her own mysterious past. The story isn't only about saving the world, either. One is also trying to discover who she really is and why she has the powers that make her central to Corel's survival. ## How does Fading Echo gameplay work? The biggest gameplay hook is Æther, the water-like element that powers many of One's abilities. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/image-53.png) **Image credit: PlayStation* One can manipulate Æther as a weapon, but she can also transform herself into a living blob of water. That changes how she moves through the world. In this form, One can build momentum, travel through pipes, squeeze through narrow gaps, and launch herself across the environment. Those abilities can reveal new routes and help solve environmental puzzles, but they can also become part of combat. Sylvain Sechi, Game Co-Director and Studio Head at Emeteria, explained that the team specifically wanted movement to become part of the player's toolkit. “One of our goals with Æther form was to make movement itself part of your toolbox,” Sechi said. That distinction matters because Fading Echo doesn't treat movement simply as a way of getting from one fight to the next. Your ability to move through the environment can itself become a solution. ## Water is more than a combat ability Water can interact with other elements in the environment, including lava, toxic waste, and Paradox corruption. Those interactions can produce different effects and chain reactions. That means an encounter isn't necessarily about finding the correct attack combination and repeating it. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/image-54.png) **Image credit: PlayStation* You might drench an enemy before conducting energy through them, manipulate the environment to create a hazard, or use the surrounding elements to change the battlefield entirely. The game's design is built around experimentation, giving players room to discover combinations rather than forcing everyone through exactly the same combat sequence. ## How does reality shifting work in Fading Echo? Reality shifting is the other major system that separates Fading Echo from a more conventional action RPG. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/image-55.png) **Image credit: PlayStation* _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Beats 360 Brings Swappable Cushions and Stronger ANC to Premium Headphones URL: https://www.techloy.com/beats-360-release-date/ Last updated: 2026-09-23T12:33:49.000Z The iconic consumer audio brand Beats is back with a new pair of premium headphones. And yes, it's just Beats now, not Beats by Dre, following [Apple's ](https://www.techloy.com/tag/apple/)acquisition of the company years ago. Beats has officially [announced](https://www.apple.com/shop/product/mje34ll/a/beats-360-over-ear-headphones-cloud-with-cloud-performance-knit-cushions) the Beats 360, its first new high-end over-ear headphones in years. Beats 360 has a September 24, 2026 release date, with orders already open at $349.99\. They come with one standout feature: removable, interchangeable ear cushions that let you swap colours depending on your mood. For starters, the Beats Studio Pro isn't going away; it's simply getting a price cut. But the Beats 360 is a complete rethink of what Beats' over-ear headphones can be. Beats is betting that customization and comfort matter just as much as sound quality. [Apple AirPods Pro 2 vs. Beats Powerbeats Pro 2: Which One Should You Buy?Although both are excellent choices, your decision will depend on whether you prioritize premium audio quality or a wider range of fitness-focused features.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-ae91d939-9762-4881-a5fe-e121857d6314.png)TechloyKelechi Edeh![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/Comparison--19--03ad9967-7eec-4d50-965f-2b397aeea499.png)](https://www.techloy.com/apple-airpods-pro-2-vs-beats-powerbeats-pro-2-which-one-should-you-buy/) ## Does Beats 360 have better sound and stronger ANC? The Beats 360 features a completely redesigned acoustic architecture that delivers up to 1.75x stronger active noise cancellation than the Beats Studio Pro. Beats also claims a 12dB increase in output while maintaining clarity across all frequencies with minimal distortion. Eight microphones analyse both the inside and outside acoustic environment to improve noise cancellation and call quality. Transparency mode lets you hear your surroundings naturally, while turning off both ANC and Transparency activates Adaptive EQ, which automatically tunes the sound based on the fit of the headphones. The Beats 360 also supports Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking, allowing the soundstage to move naturally as you turn your head. ## The design comes with interchangeable cushions The Beats 360 comes in four colours: Black, Cloud (off-white), Pink, and Sky (light blue). The ear cushions and headband cushions are removable and interchangeable, allowing you to mix and match different colour combinations. Separate Performance Knit cushion kits are available in all four standard colours, plus Volt (a neon yellow-green) and Navy. Beats is also selling UltraPlush engineered leather cushion kits. Cushion kits normally cost $49.99, but for a limited time in select markets they'll be available for $9.99. The Beats 360 is the first pair of Beats over-ear headphones to feature an IPX4 sweat and water resistance rating, making them better suited for workouts and outdoor use. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Dune: Awakening Xbox Release Brings Full Single-Player and a Rebuilt Endgame URL: https://www.techloy.com/dune-awakening-xbox/ Last updated: 2026-09-23T11:56:05.000Z [Dune: Awakening](https://duneawakening.com/) has finally arrived on [Xbox Series X|S](https://www.techloy.com/tag/microsoft-xbox/), more than a year after Funcom's open-world survival game first launched on PC. Set on Arrakis, Dune: Awakening combines survival mechanics, RPG progression, base building, and a cinematic story in an alternate take on the Dune universe. Instead of retelling the events of the books and films, the game imagines what Arrakis might look like if Paul Atreides had never been born. But the Xbox release isn't simply the original PC version arriving on another platform. Funcom has spent the past year expanding and refining the game, and Xbox players are getting those updates alongside a full single-player experience, new customization options, and a rebuilt endgame. So, if you're wondering when Dune: Awakening launched on Xbox, whether it's on [Game Pass](https://www.techloy.com/tag/xbox-game-pass/), how it runs on Series X and Series S, whether you can play it solo, and what the Xbox version includes, here's everything you need to know. [PC Gaming Show Tokyo Direct 2026: 10 Xbox RevealsXbox had more to show at the Tokyo Direct than you might expect, with Game Pass releases, new dates, expansions and a major remaster.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-26767ecb-1590-4118-a16a-798e2b6e7ecc.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1785123379931-ecfb1fecdf3e-fa4dc0c9-1ce4-4845-ad55-4554bf3f8850.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/pc-gaming-show-tokyo-direct-2026-xbox-reveals/) ## When did Dune: Awakening come out on Xbox? Dune: Awakening launched on Xbox Series X|S on September 22, 2026\. Deluxe and Ultimate Edition owners received early access from September 17, while the standard Xbox release followed on September 22. The game is also available on Xbox PC and through Xbox Cloud Gaming, and it supports Xbox Play Anywhere, allowing progression to carry between Xbox consoles and the Microsoft Store PC version. ## Is Dune: Awakening on Xbox Game Pass? Yes. Dune: Awakening is available on Xbox Game Pass from launch. That makes the Xbox version considerably easier to try, particularly for players who aren't sure whether Funcom's combination of survival mechanics, RPG progression and MMO-style systems is for them. The game is also available to purchase separately, with the Xbox Store listing the standard edition alongside Deluxe and Ultimate Editions. ## What does the Xbox version of Dune: Awakening include? This is probably the most important thing to understand about the Xbox release. You're not getting the same early version that PC players experienced when Dune: Awakening first launched. Funcom has spent the past year expanding and refining the game, and those additions are included in the Xbox release. That includes the full Book One story, new areas, missions, dynamic encounters, progression systems, combat improvements, and a rebuilt endgame. There's also a proper single-player mode, which is a significant change for anyone who previously dismissed Dune: Awakening as something they would need to play as an MMO. You can now experience the full game alone, with the same overall content and story available in single-player. ## Can you play Dune: Awakening entirely solo? Yes. Funcom has added a full single-player experience to Dune: Awakening, rather than simply offering a limited solo mode. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### AI Video Is Now Cheap Enough to Be Boring. Here's What That Actually Changes URL: https://www.techloy.com/ai-video-is-now-cheap-enough-to-be-boring-heres-what-that-actually-changes/ Last updated: 2026-09-23T11:49:54.000Z Two years ago, generating a few seconds of video with AI was a party trick that cost real money and produced something you could spot from across the room. Today it costs cents, takes under a minute, and a meaningful share of the short-form video scrolling past you was not filmed by anyone. That shift from expensive novelty to cheap utility is the part worth paying attention to, because cheap technologies get used differently from impressive ones. Nobody is making feature films with this. Plenty of people are making the fifteen-second clip they needed for a product listing. ## **The pricing model is the story** Almost every subscription you pay for is billed per seat. One fee, unlimited use, heavy users subsidised by light ones. Generative video does not work that way. It is billed **per second of output**, because every second costs the provider actual compute. Generating a clip and deleting it costs the same as generating one you keep. This matters more than it sounds, because nobody keeps their first attempt. Ask anyone using these tools seriously and the ratio is roughly one keeper in ten. So the honest cost of one usable ten-second clip is ten generations, not one. The practical rule: when comparing services, ignore the monthly headline and work out what a hundred generations cost. That is the number that lands on your card. ## **What actually improved** Two things changed enough to move this from demo to tool. **Motion is stable now.** Older models produced clips where things quietly mutated between frames — a car whose wheel count drifted, a face that reassembled itself mid-blink. Your eye caught it instantly even if you could not say why. Current models hold objects together across a shot, which is the difference between "fun once" and "usable in an edit." **You can start from your own picture.** This is the underused one. Rather than describing a scene in text and hoping, you upload a photo — your product, your room, your own footage — and the model animates that. The output stays anchored to something real instead of drifting into the generic AI look. If you try one thing, make it image-to-video rather than text-to-video. The difference in controllability is enormous and most people never get there. ## **Where it still falls apart** Knowing the failure modes saves money, because each failed generation is billed. **Close-up faces.** Anything tighter than a medium shot collapses. Micro-expressions are where the uncanny valley lives and nothing currently clears it. Keep people mid-distance or in profile. **Hands doing specific things.** Turning a key, striking a match, counting fingers. Reliably wrong, and distracting. **Text in frame.** Signage and labels have improved for short words and still fail for anything longer. **Physics with consequences.** Pouring liquid, breaking glass, fire touching a surface. These land approximately right and specifically wrong, which is worse than obviously wrong. **The same person twice.** Generating one character consistently across two separate clips remains unreliable. It is the main reason you see almost no AI-generated narrative video with recurring characters. **Length.** Five to ten usable seconds per generation is the honest number. Anyone promising a coherent two-minute take is selling something. The standard workflow is many short clips, cut together. ## **Where the volume users go** For casual use, a web app is fine. But the moment you want a hundred variations, output filed and named automatically, or clips produced on a schedule, clicking through a browser becomes the bottleneck and people move to an API. That changes the cost question again, because API access is priced per generation and the rates differ considerably between models producing broadly similar output. It is worth putting the actual per-second rates side by side before building anything around one provider — the[ Veo 3.1 video generation API](https://apimart.ai/model/veo-3-1) and the competing video models are a reasonable place to see how the numbers compare without registering separately with each one. Two pieces of advice from people running this at volume. Do not sign anything annual; the model you standardise on today will be second-best within two quarters. And keep your setup model-agnostic, so switching engines is a config change rather than a rewrite. ## **The realistic position** This technology is genuinely useful inside a narrow band: short clips, no close-up faces, no plot-critical hand movements, no recurring characters, and a tolerance for throwing away nine of ten. Inside that band it is absurdly cheap next to filming. Outside it, you will spend longer fixing output than you would have spent shooting. The interesting consequence is not that AI video replaces production. It is that the shots nobody wanted to pay for — the establishing exterior, the stock b-roll, the filler between the parts that matter — have become close to free. Which is good news if you are making something on no budget, and less good news if producing those shots was how you paid rent. Start with image-to-video on a free tier, find out whether your specific shot sits inside the band, and only then work out what a hundred attempts would cost. ### What You Need to Know About Modern Smartphone Repair URL: https://www.techloy.com/what-you-need-to-know-about-modern-smartphone-repair/ Last updated: 2026-09-23T11:34:02.000Z Smartphones are involved in today's life, and their applications touch each and every aspect, ranging from banking to navigation to family photoz, and any damage to the smartphone feels like an emergency situation. Knowing what modern repair entails can enable consumers to make quicker and more astute decisions should a screen crack or a battery begin to lose power. As it stands today, repairing is quite different from 10 years ago. The water-resistant seals, curved displays, and compact internals woven into the machines now impact the repair approach and its reasonable cost. ## **The Most Common Repairs Consumers Request** Screens are the number one and number two issue among phone repair services—right up behind battery replacement and charging port problems. In addition, with phones frequently being around pools, kitchens, and rainy commuting schedules, water damage repair companies have become more common as expected. More than that, water damage repair companies have become more commonplace in view of the phones being placed around pools, kitchens, and wet rides in the rain and wind. ### **Typical Repair Categories** - Fit a replacement for the front screen or digitizer. Replace the front screen or digitizer. - **Replace back glass panels** for cracked rear panels. - Unplugging less-charged devices and replacing them with fresh batteries. Removing and replacing batteries on devices that don't have as much charge. - Port cleaning/repair. Clean up or repair of charging ports. - If damage is experienced in the camera module, the module needs to be replaced. ## **DIY Repair Versus Professional Service** The basic fixes that were once only possible for trained professionals are now open to all thanks to home repair kits available. Many basic tasks, such as battery replacement or regular screen replacements can be handled thanks to the quality of [**Phone Screen Repair Kits**](https://www.diyfixtool.com/collections/screen-repair-tools) and a little patience. But if there is water damage, board-level defects, or if there is curved glass in the model, more often than not repairs are best left to the professionals. When the interior ribbon cables or other connections become damaged during removal by DIY, it can become a total loss. ### **When DIY Makes Sense** - The phone is an older handset with common usage and inexpensive parts. - Simple battery or screen replacement repair. - The person is experienced in rudimentary electronics or has previously worked on an old device - In case of a mistake, I wouldn't lose the phone permanently. If I made a mistake, the phone wouldn't be a big trouble to lose for some time. ### **When Professional Repair Is the Safer Choice** - The damage involves water exposure or visible corrosion - The device has a curved or edge-to-edge display prone to cracking during removal - The repair needs specialized diagnostic equipment to identify the exact fault - The phone is still under a warranty that DIY repair would void ## **Understanding Repair Costs** The price for repairs depends on the specific device model, the availability of the repair parts, and the future complexity of the repair. Generally, a simple battery replacement is on the low end of the price range; a board-level or water damage repair is on the high end because of its specialized nature. | Repair Type | Relative Cost | Typical Turnaround | | ---------------------------- | ------------- | -------------------- | | Battery replacement | Low | Same day | | Front screen replacement | Moderate | Same day to next day | | Back Glass Replacement | Moderate | Same day | | Charging port repair | Moderate | Same day | | Water damage or board repair | Higher | Several days | ## **What to Look for in a Repair Service** Not all repair shops have the same quality and transparency. A store that tells you what it is going to do and which items it will be utilizing, and also that it will possibly supply a warranty for the fix, indicates more professionalism than a store that will only quote a price and proceed. ### **Questions Worth Asking Before Booking a Repair** - The nature of the replacement part (original or aftermarket) - Are there any warranties of any sort for the repair? - How long has the technician worked on this particular repair? - Is there a possibility of changing water resistance or current warranties? - What if, when opened, it reveals further damage? If opened, is more found in the repair? ## **Protecting a Phone After Repair** An improved mobile phone must be taken care of just as much as a brand new one, and possibly far more. Pressing a newly installed screen protector right after you replace the screen will avoid damaging the new glass; similarly, a newly replaced battery needs to be charged normally, and avoiding extreme temperatures will help achieve this. You should avoid moisture for the first day after any repair with adhesive seal, such as a [**Back Glass Replacement**](https://www.diyfixtool.com/collections/back-glass-replacement), which will allow time for the seal to set in properly and prevent further water ingress. ## **Frequently Asked Questions** **Is it cheaper to repair a phone or replace it?** Repair is almost always cheaper than replacement, especially for common issues like screen or battery damage on a device that is otherwise working well. **How long does a typical phone repair take?** Most common repairs, including screen and battery replacement, finish within the same day, while water damage or board-level repairs can take several days. **Does phone repair void the manufacturer warranty?** It depends on the manufacturer and repair type. Using unauthorized parts or shops can void certain warranties, so checking terms beforehand is worthwhile. **Can a cracked back glass be repaired without replacing the whole phone?** Yes, back glass replacement is a standard repair that restores the rear panel without requiring a full device replacement. **Should I attempt phone repair myself?** Simple repairs like battery swaps can be reasonable for confident DIYers, but water damage, board issues, and curved displays are usually safer left to professionals. ## **Conclusion** These include changing batteries, recovering the phone's boards and fixers following a water incident, as well as replacing cracked screens. When troubleshooting, having a clear idea of a problem's category makes consumers more likely to decide to do it themselves or hire a repair shop. The reliability of a repair, turnaround time, and costs all rely on the correct solution to the real damage, which can range from a straightforward back glass repair to a proper diagnosis with an appropriate **Phone Screen Repair Kit.** Since phones get more complex and more involved every day, consumers must know what happens when they are repaired so they can make well-informed choices that would make their device and pocket scalable. ### How DoorDash’s Pay System Left 264,000 Workers Owed $131.5 Million URL: https://www.techloy.com/doordash-lawsuit-settlement-264000-workers/ Last updated: 2026-09-23T11:00:00.000Z Online delivery platform [DoorDash](https://www.techloy.com/tag/doordash/) has agreed to pay $131.5 million, which New York City [officials](https://www.nyc.gov/site/dca/news/065-26/mayor-mamdani-wins-record-131-5-million-doordash-delivery-workers?utm%5Fsource=chatgpt.com) described as the largest worker settlement in the city’s history, to resolve a city investigation into its payment practices. The settlement will provide relief to approximately 264,000 delivery workers, after the city found that DoorDash failed to pay thousands of workers for work they had performed and failed to pay thousands more on time. Of that total, $115 million will go toward worker relief, with roughly $83 million covering time Dashers spent logged into the app between deliveries. In a post on [X](https://x.com/NYCMayor/status/2102468831436501242), Mayor Zohran Mamdani wrote that "DoorDash has ripped off more than 260,000 NYC delivery workers," adding that the settlement would force the company "to pay $131.5 million." But working out whether workers were paid correctly wasn't always straightforward, so to speak. Under the city’s 2023 pay rules, delivery workers are paid $22.13 per hour for the time between pickup and delivery, while high performers can receive bonuses based on factors including on-time deliveries and customer satisfaction. That means couriers working similar hours can still receive different amounts, making it harder to determine whether they received everything they were owed. Now, however, the delivery company said the median payment being returned to workers will be around $48\. [Sony PlayStation Store Credit Settlement: Who Gets Paid?Eligible U.S. PlayStation customers could receive a share of Sony’s $7.85 million settlement as PSN wallet credit, with most active accounts requiring no claim form.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-ab7434c9-071f-49a5-aee3-d15ed289a135.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1600527487326-cab0c8e3d831-f88c4f55-131a-4462-8bf0-c8c622916b2c.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/sony-playstation-store-credit-settlement/) ## How Workers' Complaints Led to an Investigation The dispute dates back to a 2023 city law requiring delivery apps to pay workers for time spent waiting for orders, not just the time spent making deliveries. Complaints about missing wages eventually reached the Workers Justice Project, a labour rights organisation, which brought them to the city's Department of Consumer and Worker Protection. The complaints prompted the agency to open an investigation into DoorDash that year. City officials examined more than 152 million payment transactions as part of the investigation, where they found that thousands of workers had been paid late, underpaid, or not paid at all. DoorDash acknowledged the extent of the problem, saying more than 200,000 Dashers had been underpaid or paid late since 2023\. The company attributed some of the errors to technical bugs and complicated deliveries, including trips that crossed city lines, involved multiple pickup or drop-off points, and were partially fulfilled or cancelled. It also said some problems resulted from workers submitting incomplete or inaccurate banking information. “These errors were unintentional, but that doesn’t make them acceptable,” DoorDash said in a [statement](https://x.com/DoorDash/status/2102361275414073351). “Dashers should be paid in full, on time, every time. We take full responsibility, and we’re deeply sorry.” The company said it has since fixed the issues behind the errors and made changes to prevent them from happening again. ## DoorDash Will Face Three Years of Monitoring The settlement comes after years of efforts by New York officials to regulate food-delivery platforms and strengthen protections for workers classified as independent contractors. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### GTM Engineering: How AI Is Creating a New High-Paying Career in Tech URL: https://www.techloy.com/gtm-engineer-salary-career/ Last updated: 2026-10-11T13:40:51.000Z Three months after starting his GTM engineering agency, [Kaan Un](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaan-un/) already has two clients and more potential customers in his pipeline. He believes the emerging role could offer a six-figure career path for people who can combine technical skills with sales and marketing knowledge. Kaan estimates that [GTM engineers](https://www.techloy.com/tag/gtm-engineer/) in the US earn between $135,000 and $220,000 a year, with prominent practitioners potentially earning more. For people running agencies, he says the earning potential can be considerably higher, although agency work comes with less job security. “Right now, I would say, it is around six figures what a GTM engineer makes in a company,” he says. “For a GTM engineering agency, it goes a lot higher than that.” GTM engineering is still new enough that he did not initially set out to build a career around it. He came across the role while teaching B2B founders how to use sales and marketing tools. [What Happens Inside a Hacker House for Founders?From meeting with people to building a community, this founder shares how hacker houses create the conditions for genuine collaboration and creativity.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-3b1937fc-e651-471c-87bf-02a49b2cfe1d.png)TechloyDavid Adubiina![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1556761175-5973dc0f32e7-cb7b637b-32f5-4291-8d1d-7e31e110be2d.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/what-happens-inside-a-hacker-house-for-founders/) ## Who is a GTM engineer? Kaan began running Clay Club events around January with a friend from HubSpot. The idea was to teach people how to use the tools needed to run outbound campaigns for their B2B businesses. “What we originally envisioned with that is, just teach the tools that people need to learn when they want to do outbound for their B2B business,” he says. After running the events, he realised the work he was teaching already had a name. “What I started, I figured out I was doing something called GTM engineer,” he says. The role sits around the systems that connect sales and marketing activities. Kaan describes it as the automation behind things such as email campaigns, LinkedIn outreach, newsletters, and customer notifications. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Godzilla Minus Zero Makes Franchise History With First-Ever R Rating After 72 Years URL: https://www.techloy.com/godzilla-minus-zero-rating/ Last updated: 2026-09-23T10:11:33.000Z Godzilla has spent 72 years destroying cities, battling monsters, and terrifying audiences, but the franchise is about to cross a line it has never officially crossed in the US. [Godzilla Minus Zero](https://www.techloy.com/godzilla-minus-zero-trailer-king-ghidorah/) has received an R rating from the Motion Picture Association for “some violent content/bloody images”, making it the first Godzilla film to receive that classification in the United States. Directed by Takashi Yamazaki, the Japanese sequel will premiere at the New York Film Festival on September 26 before opening in Japan on November 3 and North America on November 6\. The film will first arrive in cinemas, with UK and other international releases also scheduled for November. [Line of Fire NBC: What to Know About the New DramaLine of Fire turns a family of federal agents into a crime drama where professional duty becomes harder to separate from personal loyalty.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-1bee7521-2de1-4273-95d7-e3361230f696.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/image-49--1--1-66a18a59-f95e-4bd7-962e-f13f817e0bdc.png)](https://www.techloy.com/line-of-fire-nbc-new-drama/) ## Why is Godzilla Minus Zero Rated R? The MPA's official classification cites some violent content and bloody images. That is a surprisingly simple explanation for a franchise that has spent decades destroying buildings and crushing humans under enormous feet. The important difference is that an R rating does not simply mean the film is “more violent” than every Godzilla movie that came before it. It means the US ratings body has determined that the particular combination of material crosses its threshold for an R classification. The previous film, Godzilla Minus One, was rated PG-13 in the US for creature violence and action. The jump therefore gives audiences a useful indication that Yamazaki's follow-up is taking its depiction of violence and destruction further. ## What Makes This Godzilla Film Different? The story moves forward to 1949, two years after the events of Godzilla Minus One, as Japan tries to recover from the devastation of the Second World War. The Shikishima family is once again at the centre, with Ryûnosuke Kamiki and Minami Hamabe returning. The official synopsis describes a country that has finally managed to find a fragile peace before a new threat destroys that sense of recovery. The wording is important because the human consequences remain central to the story. Yamazaki is again writing, directing, and overseeing the visual effects, continuing the approach that made Minus One feel closer to a post-war drama with a monster in it than a conventional creature feature. ## Why Does The R Rating Matter After Godzilla Minus One? Godzilla Minus One became an international success after its 2023 release, earning more than $116 million worldwide and winning the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. It was the [first Godzilla film to win an Oscar](https://www.indiewire.com/awards/results/japan-wins-first-best-visual-effects-oscar-godzilla-minus-one-1234960633/). _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War Are Coming to Nintendo Switch 2 on September 30 URL: https://www.techloy.com/shadow-of-mordor-shadow-of-war-switch-2/ Last updated: 2026-09-23T10:01:32.000Z Two *Lord of the Rings* games that have never appeared on a [Nintendo](https://www.techloy.com/tag/nintendo/) console are coming to Switch 2. Aspyr is bringing *Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor* and *Middle-earth: Shadow of War* to [Nintendo Switch 2](https://www.techloy.com/nintendo-switch-2-upgrade-pack-prices/) on September 30, 2026, as part of the Middle-earth: Shadow Bundle. The bundle normally costs $69.99, but pre-orders are currently available for $34.99, giving players both games at 50% off. They will also be sold separately, with *Shadow of Mordor Game of the Year Edition* priced at $19.99 and *Shadow of War Definitive Edition* at $49.99. The preorder prices for the individual games are currently $9.99 and $24.99, respectively. [Monster Hunter Wilds Nintendo Switch 2 Gameplay & ReleaseMonster Hunter Wilds launches on Nintendo Switch 2 on December 4, 2026, with the first gameplay footage now showing how it runs on Nintendo’s new console.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-4ca8ea90-158b-44a2-96c5-b05627c0a08d.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1749264292585-858660898055-039b06b4-bcd6-4ee0-a9c4-2d1a30f381f1.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/monster-hunter-wilds-nintendo-switch-2-gameplay/) ## What's included in the Shadow Bundle? The bundle includes the expanded versions of both games rather than their original base editions. *Shadow of Mordor* comes as the Game of the Year Edition, including the main game and its major expansions such as *The Lord of the Hunt* and *The Bright Lord*. *Shadow of War* comes as the Definitive Edition, including its major story and Nemesis expansions, including *Blade of Galadriel*, *Desolation of Mordor*, *Slaughter Tribe,* and *Outlaw Tribe* content. Both games will launch on September 30. ## What are Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War about? The two games are open-world action adventures set in Tolkien's Middle-earth, but they tell an original story rather than retelling *The Hobbit* or *The Lord of the Rings*. *Shadow of Mordor* follows Talion, a Gondorian ranger who is killed alongside his family when Sauron's forces attack the Black Gate. He is brought back to life through a mysterious connection with Celebrimbor, the Elven smith responsible for forging the Rings of Power. The two become bound together and set out across Mordor to fight Sauron's forces. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### We Spent a Week in Kigali and Learned How People Pay URL: https://www.techloy.com/how-to-pay-in-kigali-cash-cards-momo/ Last updated: 2026-10-11T13:40:59.000Z Our team spent a week in Kigali, and one of the first things we had to figure out had nothing to do with the retreat. It was how to pay for things. Naira didn't work, cards worked in some places but not others, and cash ended up working almost everywhere else, though even that came with its own small headaches, and it took us longer than we expected to notice a pattern in any of it. [Things to Do in Kigali During a Work RetreatKigali gave us a chance to work, explore and see our colleagues differently, which could make it worth considering for your next retreat.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-752d996c-16d9-433d-acc3-272fd5d7482e.png)TechloyDavid Adubiina![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/20260903_172859-1-a717ac29-e90f-4acc-83e4-7b8179edb359.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/things-to-do-in-kigali-work-retreat/) ## The Moment It Became Clear Our Usual Habits Would Not Work Here The realisation did not come all at once. It came from one specific trip to the market. One of our teammates, [Louis Eriakha](https://www.techloy.com/author/louis/), went to buy a few souvenirs to take home. He had Rwandan francs in his pocket and assumed that would be enough, the same way cash is usually enough anywhere. But the market woman he was buying from didn't want cash. She asked him to send the payment through a mobile transfer instead. Louis didn't have a way to send it the way she wanted. He had the money, just not in the form she needed it in. The two of them had to find a middle ground before he could walk away with his souvenirs, and that small standoff is where the trip really started to teach us something. Paying for things the way we were used to back home, cash in hand, transfer on request, did not automatically work in Kigali. We had to learn the local logic of money as we went, one purchase at a time. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 5 Best Law Firm Email List Providers for Targeted B2B Outreach URL: https://www.techloy.com/5-best-law-firm-email-list-providers-for-targeted-b2b-outreach/ Last updated: 2026-09-23T08:02:01.000Z Selling to law firms means reaching managing partners, legal operations directors, and practice group leaders who move firms often. A list built six months ago is already leaking, and every bounce costs sender reputation before the [campaign](https://www.techloy.com/top-5-email-marketing-apps-elevate-your-digital-campaigns/) starts. This guide compares five providers on what decides whether a list works: where the data comes from, how it is verified, whether pricing is published, and how fast it arrives. ## **What separates a good list from an expensive one** Start with sourcing. Bar directories give licensure-verified records, while compiled sources drawing on firm websites and professional profiles give broader role coverage. Then look at freshness. Ask when a record was last checked rather than how many exist, because a large stale file performs worse than a small current one. Finally, check the delivery format. A CSV suits most teams, but direct CRM export saves a step you repeat every month. ## **1\. Emarketnow** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/data-src-image-cde1ce9f-9be8-47c6-81c7-4d3501374a8d.png) [**Emarketnow**](https://www.emarketnow.com/industry/law-firm-email-list/) covers 135,000+ U.S. law firms and takes a deliberately different approach to the rest of this list. Lists are built to order rather than sold from a standing file, and the company is explicit about why. Every list is built at the point of order. You set filters for U.S. location, job title, firm size, and practice area, then their team sources contacts against those criteria and manually reviews and validates each record before it ships. That human-verification step is the core of the offer, and the published delivery windows are built around it. You give up the instant download, and in exchange the records are checked before they reach you. The trade-off is explicit, since you wait and every contact gets checked before it reaches you. Pricing is published rather than quote-gated, which is unusual here. A free tier gives 10 contacts monthly; Starter is $99 per month for 200 contacts within five business days, and Pro is $299 per month for 1,000 contacts within three business days plus unlimited CRM export. There is no minimum commitment, and annual billing includes two months free. An Enterprise option delivers thousands of records as CSV or Excel with better per-record pricing at scale, and can layer in firmographic, technographic, chronographic, and intent data. Role coverage runs well past partners, taking in senior associates, general counsel, practice group leaders, office administrators, legal operations directors, paralegals, and legal technology decision-makers. Every order carries a 100% money-back guarantee; the data is CCPA and CPRA compliant. **Best for:** Teams who want a fresh list built to spec with published pricing and no sales call. ## **2\. BarSourced** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/data-src-image-1986d494-ef41-4232-b193-1eaa6bbd35f9.png) BarSourced sources differently from everyone else here, pulling 134,000+ verified U.S. attorney emails and phone numbers directly from official state bar directories. Coverage spans California, Florida, Georgia, and Texas. The appeal is provenance. A bar directory records who is licensed to practice, so the data is authoritative in a way compiled lists are not, across 35 or more published practice areas. Pricing is pay-per-lead with no subscription, minimum, or sales call. You can filter by state, city, practice area, and firm size, watch the count update live, and preview 10 real rows before buying. **Best for:** Buyers who want bar-verified records in those four states and prefer paying per lead. ## **3\. eSalesData** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/data-src-image-5978337c-e68a-40a9-8dfd-28b6f285df68.png) eSalesData offers a targeted attorney email list of more than 150,000 verified records with a stated 95% delivery rate. Sourcing draws on the National Bar Association, journals, disciplinary agencies, court systems, bar examiners, and firm websites. Selects are unusually granular, covering geography, specialty, firm versus sole practitioner, firm size, employee count, income, and net worth. Records refresh on a 90-day cycle, with a stated 90% deliverability target on that basis. **Best for:** Broad national campaigns where wealth and firm-size selects matter. ## **4\. TargetNXT** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/data-src-image-3673e368-5956-4c49-8bfe-e6574e5e79ed.png) TargetNXT runs a law firm's email list alongside profession-specific databases, including segmented lists for personal injury, bankruptcy, and intellectual property attorneys. Coverage includes senior attorneys, partners, senior associates, and general counsel. Verification is a three-step process combining manual and automated checks, and lists update every 30 to 45 days, the tightest published refresh cycle here. Data arrives as .xls or .csv and integrates into most CRMs. The catch is pricing. Nothing is published, and quotes depend on volume, segmentation depth, and customization, so you need a sales conversation before you know the cost. **Best for:** Buyers who need deep practice-area segmentation and do not mind a quote process. ## **5\. BookYourData** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/data-src-image-0c4796bf-a42e-423a-b1a2-0a4501a85c5d.png) BookYourData holds 373,122 attorney records across 200 or more countries, the largest file here by a wide margin. Each address is checked against its mail server as the file builds, so what exports is a mailbox that responded moments earlier. An eight-step verification pipeline sits behind every record, backed by a 97% deliverability guarantee. Exports carry 100 or more data fields, and the platform is self-serve with pay-as-you-go pricing. **Best for:** International outreach and buyers who want the largest verified file with a deliverability guarantee. ## **Quick comparison** | Provider | Records | Sourcing | Verification | Pricing | | ------------ | ----------------------- | ------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------ | | Emarketnow | 135,000+ U.S. law firms | Built on request to your filters | Human verification, manual review before delivery, verification date on every record | Published, free to $299/mo plus Enterprise | | BarSourced | 134,000+ attorneys | Official state bar directories, four states | Bar-of-record | Pay per lead, published | | eSalesData | 150,000+ | Bar association, courts, journals, websites | 90-day refresh cycle | On request | | TargetNXT | Not published | Compiled, multi-source | Three-step manual and automated | On request | | BookYourData | 373,122 | Compiled, global | Eight-step pipeline, live server check | Published, pay as you go | ## **How to choose between them** Match the model to your volume. For a few hundred targeted contacts a month, a self-serve tier costs less and moves faster than a quote process for an enterprise file you will not use. Match the sourcing to your audience. Bar-directory data is strongest for licensed attorneys, while compiled and built-on-request data reaches the operations, marketing, and IT roles that often hold budget. ## **Conclusion** The most useful question to ask any provider is when your records were last verified. Emarketnow answers it on the record itself, with a Human-Verification Date on every contact, while providers selling from a standing database answer with a refresh cycle instead. ### 5 Instagram Story Viewer Tools to View Stories Online URL: https://www.techloy.com/5-instagram-story-viewer-tools-to-view-stories-online/ Last updated: 2026-09-23T07:53:00.000Z Instagram Stories have become one of the most popular content formats on social media. People use them to share quick updates, daily moments, travel photos, product launches, behind-the-scenes content, and personal highlights. Since stories usually disappear after 24 hours, many users look for convenient ways to view public Instagram stories online without constantly opening the Instagram app. This is where Instagram story viewer tools can be useful. These web-based services are designed to help users search for public Instagram profiles and view available content such as stories, posts, highlights, or profile information directly from a browser. Some tools focus only on stories, while others work as broader Instagram viewers for public profiles, posts, and media. It is important to understand that these services usually work only with publicly available Instagram content. Private profiles, restricted content, or stories shared with a limited audience should not be accessible through third-party viewers. For safety, users should avoid any website that asks for an Instagram password, personal login details, or suspicious downloads. ## **Why Do People Use Instagram Story Viewer Tools?** There are different reasons why users search for Instagram story viewer tools. Some people simply want a faster way to check public stories from a browser, while others use these services for research, inspiration, or content discovery. Since many Instagram viewers work online, they can be convenient for users who prefer not to install extra apps or switch between multiple accounts. Marketers, bloggers, creators, and social media managers may also use Instagram viewer tools to monitor public content, study trends, analyze competitors, or collect ideas for their own content strategies. For example, checking public stories from brands, influencers, or niche accounts can help users understand what type of content gets attention and how different accounts communicate with their audience. Casual users may use these tools to browse public Instagram profiles from a desktop computer, view stories on a larger screen, or access public content when the Instagram app is not available. Some tools also make it easier to navigate between stories, posts, and profiles in one place. However, these services should always be used responsibly. Instagram story viewer tools are intended for viewing public content, not for bypassing privacy settings or accessing private accounts. Users should respect privacy, follow platform rules, and avoid tools that promise unrealistic access to restricted content. Below is a review of five Instagram story viewer tools that may be useful for browsing public Instagram content online. Each service has its own focus, interface, and features, so the best choice depends on what type of Instagram content you want to view. ## **1\. StoryNavigation** StoryNavigation is an online[ instagram story viewer](https://storynavigation.com/) designed for users who want to browse public Instagram stories and profiles through a simple web interface. The tool can be helpful for viewing publicly available Instagram content without installing an additional app or switching between different devices. One of the main advantages of StoryNavigation is its clean and straightforward approach. Users can search by Instagram username and access available public content such as stories, posts, and profiles, depending on what is currently available. This makes it useful not only as a story viewer, but also as a broader Instagram viewer for public profiles. StoryNavigation may be a good choice for users who want a simple online tool with an easy search process. Like similar services, it should be used responsibly and only for public Instagram content. **Best for:** viewing public Instagram stories, posts, and profiles online. ## **2\. MyStorySaver.com** MyStorySaver.com is another service related to Instagram story viewing. As its name suggests, the platform focuses on story-related content and may be useful for users who want to access public Instagram stories through a browser-based tool. The service is generally suitable for people who prefer a simple experience. Instead of offering too many extra features, MyStorySaver.com is built around the idea of quickly finding and viewing story content from public Instagram accounts. This makes it a practical option for casual users who need a basic Instagram story viewer. As with any third-party service, users should be careful and avoid entering sensitive personal information. A reliable Instagram viewer should not require your Instagram password to display public content. **Best for:** simple story viewing from public Instagram profiles. ## **3\. MomentSave.app** MomentSave.app is a web-based tool that focuses on accessing Instagram-related media online. It may be useful for users who want a mobile-friendly experience and prefer to browse public Instagram content from a phone or tablet browser. The platform can be a convenient choice for users who are looking for a fast and lightweight tool. Its app-style branding makes it feel suitable for quick access, especially for people who want to check public stories or profile content without installing another application. MomentSave.app may appeal to users who value convenience and speed. However, users should always check the current functionality of the tool, as Instagram-related services can change over time due to platform updates. **Best for:** mobile-friendly viewing of public Instagram content. ## **4\. StoriesIG** StoriesIG is a popular Instagram story viewer tool focused mainly on viewing public stories. It is often used by people who want a direct and simple way to search for an Instagram username and check available stories online. The main strength of StoriesIG is its simplicity. Users do not need to go through a complex setup process. In most cases, they can enter a username and see whether public stories are available. This makes it suitable for users who only need basic story viewing and do not require advanced Instagram viewer features. StoriesIG is a good option for quick browsing, but it may not be the best choice if you need a wider set of features such as profile exploration, post viewing, or additional Instagram tools. **Best for:** quick and simple public Instagram story viewing. ## **5\. Picuki** Picuki is a broader Instagram viewer that has been known for browsing public Instagram profiles, posts, tags, and other available content. Unlike tools that focus only on stories, Picuki is often used by people who want to explore more than one type of Instagram content. This makes Picuki useful for users who want to browse public profiles, check posts, or search Instagram content through a browser. It may be especially helpful for research, inspiration, content discovery, or casual browsing of public accounts. Because Picuki offers a wider Instagram viewing experience, it can be a good alternative to simple story-only tools. However, as with all Instagram viewer services, its availability and features may change depending on Instagram updates and technical limitations. **Best for:** browsing public Instagram profiles, posts, and media. ## **How to Choose the Right Instagram Story Viewer** When choosing an Instagram story viewer, the most important factors are safety, simplicity, and reliability. A good tool should allow users to browse public content without asking for private login details. If a website asks for your Instagram password, it is better to avoid it. - Choose tools that work with public Instagram content only. - Avoid services that ask for your Instagram login or password. - Look for a clean interface without aggressive pop-ups. - Check whether the tool supports stories, posts, profiles, or highlights. - Use mobile-friendly services if you browse from a phone. - Respect privacy and follow Instagram’s platform rules. ## **FAQ** ### **What is an Instagram story viewer?** An Instagram story viewer is an online tool that allows users to view publicly available Instagram stories through a web browser. Some tools may also support posts, profiles, highlights, or other public Instagram content. ### **Can I view private Instagram stories with these tools?** No. Reliable Instagram story viewer tools generally work only with public Instagram profiles. Private stories and restricted content should not be accessible through third-party services. ### **Do I need to log in to Instagram to use an Instagram viewer?** Many Instagram viewer tools do not require users to log in. For safety, you should avoid any third-party website that asks for your Instagram password or sensitive account information. ### **Are Instagram story viewer tools free?** Many tools offer free access to basic features, but availability may vary. Some services may include ads, limitations, or premium options depending on their business model. ### **Is it safe to use an Instagram story viewer?** It can be safe if you choose a reliable tool, avoid sharing passwords, and use the service only for public content. Be careful with websites that show aggressive pop-ups, request downloads, or ask for login details. ### **Why is an Instagram viewer not showing stories?** There may be several reasons: the profile is private, the story has expired, the username is incorrect, or the tool is temporarily unavailable due to Instagram updates or technical limitations. ## **Final Thoughts** Instagram story viewer tools can be useful for people who want to view public Instagram stories and profiles online. Some services, such as StoriesIG and MyStorySaver.com, focus mainly on stories, while tools like StoryNavigation and Picuki provide a broader Instagram viewer experience for public profiles, posts, and other content. The best tool depends on your needs. If you want a simple way to view public stories, a lightweight story viewer may be enough. If you need to browse profiles, posts, and other public content, a broader Instagram viewer may be a better choice. In all cases, users should prioritize safety, avoid sharing passwords, and use these tools responsibly. ### Why Master-Planned Communities Appeal to Long-Term Buyers Today URL: https://www.techloy.com/why-master-planned-communities-appeal-to-long-term-buyers-today/ Last updated: 2026-09-23T07:17:37.000Z Long-term buyers increasingly assess homes through the lens of comfort, access, maintenance, and future suitability. A master-planned community brings these concerns into one coordinated residential setting. Streets, green areas, security features, utilities, and shared amenities follow a broader development plan. That arrangement gives households more information before purchase. It also supports daily routines, protects neighbourhood quality, and may strengthen resale appeal as families seek dependable surroundings for many years. ## **A Complete Setting** For buyers comparing residential options,[ Kotasas Lakeside](https://www.propertyguru.com.my/property-for-sale/in-kotasas-h2e2p) reflects the appeal of a coordinated address with a clear identity. Homes, recreation areas, road networks, and essential facilities can function as parts of one residential district. Residents spend less time crossing town for ordinary tasks. Buyers also gain a clearer view of future surroundings when construction follows an established plan instead of scattered, unrelated projects. ## **Better Daily Convenience** Useful services tend to sit closer together in a planned district. Shops, schools, parks, restaurants, and clinics may fall within a practical travel radius. That proximity can shorten school runs, simplify grocery trips, and reduce commuting pressure. Working parents may recover valuable evening time, while older residents can reach medical support with fewer obstacles. Small reductions in travel often create meaningful improvements in household routines. ## **Stronger Community Character** A neighbourhood gains identity through consistent streets, shared facilities, landscaping, and public gathering points. These details influence how residents experience the area after the initial purchase. Walking paths, playgrounds, and event spaces can encourage regular contact between households. Familiar faces may also improve informal awareness of local concerns. For long-term owners, social comfort matters because a home includes its surrounding relationships, not simply its floor plan. ## **Greater Infrastructure Confidence** Coordinated development gives purchasers clearer expectations about drainage, lighting, utilities, roads, and public access. Each element affects safety, convenience, and future maintenance. A defined plan may also reduce uncertainty about adjacent land use, traffic changes, or unfinished facilities. Buyers should still check construction schedules and management responsibilities. Even so, dependable infrastructure can support stronger demand when an owner later lists the property for sale. ## **Green Areas With Purpose** Green areas carry practical value beyond visual appeal. Parks provide space for walking, children’s play, stretching, and quiet recovery after demanding days. Mature trees offer shade, reduce heat around paved surfaces, and soften traffic noise. Lawns, gardens, and water features can improve views from nearby homes. For households planning to stay, access to natural settings may support physical activity, stress control, and greater satisfaction with everyday living. ## **Planning Supports Future Needs** Housing needs often change after purchase. A young couple may later require additional bedrooms, safer play zones, or convenient schooling. For older owners, level walkways, nearby healthcare, and shorter routes to daily services may be priorities. A well-planned community can respond through varied home types and adaptable amenities. This variety lets residents stay near familiar places as family size, employment patterns, or mobility needs change. ## **Value Beyond Initial Price** The purchase figure provides only one measure of [long-term value](https://www.forbes.com/sites/amandalauren/2025/10/25/smart-renovations-that-boost-your-homes-value-and-the-ones-that-dont/). Location, upkeep, transport links, infrastructure, service charges, and local demand also influence ownership costs and resale prospects. Planned districts may attract steady interest because they present a complete residential proposition rather than an isolated building. Buyers should review developer commitments, maintenance standards, delivery dates, and comparable sales. Evidence-based comparisons produce a more reliable decision. ## **A Practical Buying Approach** A careful inspection should include several visits at different hours. Morning traffic, evening noise, drainage performance, parking pressure, sunlight, and nearby activity can change a property's appeal. Purchasers should examine building materials, security arrangements, management fees, public transport, and access roads. Conversations with current residents may reveal how the community handles repairs, shared spaces, and complaints. Document checks deserve equal attention before any financial commitment. ## **Conclusion** Master-planned communities attract long-term buyers by combining access, infrastructure, open areas, social connection, and flexibility for changing needs. Their value depends on execution, maintenance, location, and financial conditions, so careful research remains essential. A coordinated district can nevertheless offer greater practical support than a standalone development. For households seeking stable routines and lasting usability, this type of residential setting provides a credible foundation for comfortable ownership and future market appeal. ### How Compliance Derails Fintech Software Development Projects URL: https://www.techloy.com/how-compliance-derails-fintech-software-development-projects/ Last updated: 2026-09-23T07:07:39.000Z Every fintech founder hears the same advice. Build fast, launch early, deal with regulators later. In most software categories, that approach works fine. In financial services, it quietly wrecks budgets. The problem is almost never the code itself. Teams building financial products usually write solid software. They just write it against assumptions that regulation later overturns. Providers delivering[ fintech software development services](https://www.spaceo.ca/) to banks and lenders watch this pattern repeat constantly. This article shows where compliance actually breaks a build. You will see the four failure points that cost the most money, and what a compliance-first process looks like in practice. ## **Compliance Is a Design Constraint, Not a Final Check** Most teams treat regulation as a gate near the end of the project. They build the product, then hand it to a consultant for review. That sequence feels efficient on a Gantt chart. In practice it inverts the real cost curve. Regulatory requirements shape architecture, not documentation. A rule about data residency decides where your database lives. A rule about audit trails decides how your services log events. Discovering those rules after the build means rewriting foundations, not adding features. Consider a lender storing customer records in one shared table. A later privacy rule demands per-record deletion and retention control. That means a schema migration across live production data. Known at the design stage, the same rule costs a week. Treating compliance as a design input changes the economics of the entire project. It moves expensive decisions to the cheapest possible moment. ## **The Four Places Fintech Projects Break** Failures cluster in predictable areas. Most organizations hit at least two of them. Knowing where they sit lets you plan around them early. Each one has a clear warning sign. ### **Data Handling and Residency** Financial data carries rules about where it lives and how long it stays. Canadian products answer to PIPEDA. Cross-border products often answer to GLBA as well. Teams frequently pick a cloud region for latency, then discover it fails a residency requirement. ### **Identity Verification and Transaction Monitoring** KYC and AML obligations rarely appear in an early feature list. They surface once a compliance officer joins the conversation. By then, onboarding flows and transaction pipelines already exist. Retrofitting monitoring into a live payment path is slow and risky work. ### **Card Data and PCI-DSS Scope** Any system touching card numbers pulls infrastructure into PCI-DSS scope. Scope expands fast when teams pass raw card data between services. Tokenization at the edge keeps that footprint small. Most organizations learn this after their first audit estimate arrives. ### **Audit Trails and Reporting** Regulators expect a defensible record of what happened and when. Standard application logs almost never satisfy that expectation. Immutable audit trails need deliberate design across every service. Adding them later usually means touching every write path in the system. These four areas drive most compliance-related rework. None are difficult when planned upfront. All get expensive when found late. ## **What Compliance-First Development Actually Looks Like** A compliance-first process does not mean months of legal review before coding. It means mapping regulatory exposure during discovery, then designing against it. The work is mostly structured questioning. Good providers run it as a standard project phase. Here is what a mature discovery phase produces: - A written map of every regulation the product touches. - A data classification model covering storage, retention, and residency. - An architecture decision record explaining each compliance-driven choice. - A list of third-party providers handling regulated functions. - A testing plan that validates controls, not just features. Timelines reflect this reality. A basic MVP runs three to six months. A full digital bank can take nine to eighteen. Compliance scope explains most of that variation. Budgets follow the same pattern. Fintech builds commonly start around $50,000 for a focused MVP. Complex enterprise platforms can exceed $500,000\. The difference rarely comes down to feature count. It comes down to regulatory surface area and integration depth. This approach costs slightly more upfront and far less overall. It also produces a system auditors can actually follow. ## **The Questions Worth Asking Before You Sign** Vendor selection decides much of your compliance outcome. Most development firms will say they handle regulation. Few can explain how. Four questions separate the two groups quickly. Put these to every provider on your shortlist: - **Ask how they map regulatory scope during discovery.** A strong answer describes a documented process with named frameworks. A weak answer promises to follow your compliance team's guidance. - **Ask which financial integrations they have shipped.** Interac, Moneris, Stripe, core banking systems, and KYC vendors all behave differently. Specific examples matter more than a logo wall. - **Ask how they keep PCI-DSS scope small.** The answer should mention tokenization and segmentation without any prompting. Vague reassurance about security here is a genuine warning sign. - **Ask what happens in the first months after launch.** Compliance issues often surface once real transaction volume arrives. A provider offering ninety days of post-launch support has planned for that. These answers tell you more than any portfolio review. Scope decisions made in week one set your audit cost for years. Pick the business that can explain that, not the one promising it. ## **Compliance Discipline Is a Delivery Advantage** Organizations that ship financial software on schedule are not the fastest movers. They front-load their hardest constraints instead. Regulation stops being a threat once it becomes a design input. The work looks slower for two weeks and finishes months earlier. Space-O Canada has built financial products this way since 2018, across 300+ projects for banks, lenders, insurers, and startups. Teams that map compliance during discovery rarely face the rewrites that sink other builds. Planning a fintech product? Run regulatory mapping before the architecture review. Settle your data residency rules, identity obligations, audit requirements, and card data boundaries first. Those decisions shape your budget more than any technology choice. Compliance does not have to derail your project. It only derails the ones that leave it until last. ### Moniepoint vs OPay: Who Is Winning the Business Banking Race? URL: https://www.techloy.com/moniepoint-vs-opay-business-banking-nigeria/ Last updated: 2026-09-22T15:57:15.000Z Running a business in Nigeria means dealing with payments, transfers, cash flow, bills, and sometimes the need for extra capital. This has made fintech platforms such as Moniepoint and OPay important to many small and medium-sized businesses. Both companies offer business accounts, POS terminals, payment collection, transfers, and other financial services, but they take slightly different approaches. Moniepoint has built a strong position around small businesses, merchant payments, credit, and business management, while OPay combines business payments with a wider range of financial services. Moniepoint says it now serves more than [6 million active businesses](https://moniepoint.com/blog/moniepoint-celebrates-a-decade-of-impact-microfinance-bank-disburses-over-naira1-trillion-in-credit-to-empower-small-businesses-in-2025) and that its banking subsidiary processed ₦412 trillion in transaction value in 2025\. OPay, meanwhile, says its business platform serves more than [1 million businesses](https://guardian.ng/business-services/how-opay-is-deepening-financial-inclusion-creating-jobs-across-nigeria/) across Nigeria. With both companies competing for the same business owners, choosing between them is not simply about which app is more popular. It comes down to the tools a business needs, how it collects payments, access to credit, business management features, and the overall banking experience. In this comparison, we look at Moniepoint and OPay to see which platform offers more value for Nigerian businesses. [Why Moniepoint Is Shutting Down MonieWorld in the UKMonieWorld was growing, but Moniepoint decided that the money, people, and infrastructure behind its UK remittance business could be better used back in Africa.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-2c867afe-a745-4349-81de-355a9000e640.png)TechloyOluwajeminipe Fasheun-Motesho![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/image-84-1-1-0dd03f81-6ec6-4515-a224-d72c2af49f50.png)](https://www.techloy.com/why-moniepoint-shutting-down-monieworld-uk/) ## **/1\. Business Accounts and Banking** A good business account should make it easy to receive money, send payments, manage expenses, and keep business funds separate from personal money. Moniepoint offers free business accounts that can be opened remotely. Businesses can use the account to receive payments, send funds, pay bills, manage expenses, and access other Moniepoint business products. The company also offers USSD banking for businesses that need to access their accounts without an internet connection. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### I Switched Through Six Therapists Before I Finally Got Therapy on Blueroomcare URL: https://www.techloy.com/blueroomcare-review/ Last updated: 2026-10-11T13:41:32.000Z I switched through roughly six therapists before I finally had a therapy session on Blueroomcare. By the third or fourth switch, I had started wondering if I was the problem. Maybe I was being too picky. Maybe I had misunderstood how the platform worked. Or maybe finding the right therapist is just one of those things that takes time, even when an app is supposed to make it easier. It turned out to be a bit of everything. Blueroomcare is a virtual behavioural healthcare provider and digital mental health platform. Like many mental health apps I've come across over the years, I initially assumed it was going to be another glorified meditation app: breathing exercises, journaling, some guided sessions and a collection of things to do when you're feeling particularly stressed. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/Screenshot_20260831-161624-1.png) **Image: Blueroomcare screenshot / Louis Eriakha / Techloy.com* It does have all of those things, as seen in the screenshot above. But the more interesting part of Blueroomcare begins when you decide you actually want to speak to someone. That's also where the app started testing my patience. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The Voice Season 30 Changes How Fans Vote as New Coaches Join the Competition URL: https://www.techloy.com/the-voice-season-30-voting-new-coaches/ Last updated: 2026-09-22T15:47:35.000Z For years, The Voice has asked viewers to sit back, watch the performances, and then decide who deserves another week. Season 30 wants fans to do something a little more immediate. When the live shows return, viewers will be able to vote through text messages and TikTok, with results announced on the same night. It is part of a much bigger reset for NBC’s singing competition, which premieres its 30th season on September 21 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. The show is filmed in Los Angeles and [will air on NBC](https://www.nbcuniversal.com/article/nbcs-voice-returns-landmark-season-30-three-night-premiere-event-starting-monday-sept-21-8-pm-etpt), with episodes available on Peacock the following day. With Queen Latifah and Riley Green joining Adam Levine and Kelly Clarkson, The Voice is changing who sits in the red chairs while also changing how much influence viewers have once the singing begins. [Dancing With the Stars Season 35 Scores & First EliminationDancing With the Stars Season 35 begins with an early elimination and a new two-night premiere format.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-a5bc5024-0655-46b4-9868-bea1c5ccaafe.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1504609813442-a8924e83f76e-e6eda5a1-bc16-49c4-9363-2c3d0a872d52.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/dancing-with-the-stars-who-went-home-conner-leavitt/) ## The Voice Wants The Audience Back in the Room Season 29 was produced without the traditional live-show stage, meaning viewers did not have the same real-time role they had become accustomed to. Season 30 reverses that approach with six weeks of live performances. NBC says the live episodes will also be simulcast on NBC and Peacock across all US time zones for the first time. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### You Got the UK Job Offer. Here's What Happens Before You Can Start URL: https://www.techloy.com/uk-job-offer-sponsorship-what-happens-next/ Last updated: 2026-09-22T14:41:40.000Z You finally get the email you have been waiting for: “We’re delighted to offer you the position.” After weeks or months of applications, CV edits and interviews, it's tempting to think the hard part is over. If you’re outside the UK and need a visa to work there, it isn’t. There's still a process between accepting the job and actually starting it. And understanding that process can save you from making expensive assumptions. [How to Find UK Jobs With Visa Sponsorship in 2026Thousands of UK jobs are advertised every day, but here’s how to find the ones where Visa sponsorship may actually be available.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-0a22c53f-b858-4119-a9c2-ceecdc78562d.png)TechloyDavid Adubiina![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1573496130407-57329f01f769-3d915d09-eecf-4665-94c8-c07416cb4450.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/how-to-find-uk-jobs-with-visa-sponsorship/) ## First, check that the job can actually be sponsored A company saying it offers visa sponsorship doesn't automatically mean every job it advertises can be sponsored. The employer generally needs a valid sponsor licence, and the job itself must meet the requirements for the relevant visa route. The UK government also makes clear that having a sponsor doesn't guarantee that a worker will receive a visa. So before you get too excited about an offer, ask a simple question: What visa route will this role be sponsored under? For many overseas professionals, that will be the Skilled Worker route, but the answer depends on the job and your circumstances. ## Then comes the Certificate of Sponsorship If your employer is sponsoring you, it needs to assign you a [Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS)](https://www.gov.uk/uk-visa-sponsorship-employers/certificates-of-sponsorship). Despite the name, this isn't a physical certificate you carry around. It's an electronic record containing information about your job and sponsorship, along with a reference number you use for your visa application. There's also a deadline, so once a CoS has been assigned, you generally need to use it to apply for your visa within three months. This is one reason it's worth asking your employer what stage the sponsorship process is at rather than assuming the paperwork will take care of itself. ## The visa itself can be expensive This is another part candidates sometimes discover too late. As of September 2026, a [Skilled Worker application](https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa/how-much-it-costs) from outside the UK costs £819 for up to three years or £1,618 for more than three years. The [Immigration Health Surcharge](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visa-regulations-revised-table/home-office-immigration-and-nationality-fees-8-april-2026?utm%5Fsource=chatgpt.com) is generally £1,035 per year for most applicants. You may also need to show that you have £1,270 available to support yourself when you arrive, unless you qualify for an exemption or your employer certifies that it will cover your maintenance. So when an employer tells you, “We can sponsor you,” it's worth asking what that actually means financially. - Which costs will the company cover? - Which ones are yours? - And when will you receive the documents you need to apply? - The questions worth asking before you accept If you are interviewing for a sponsored UK role, these are additional questions I would want answered before signing anything: - Is the company a licensed sponsor? - Is this specific role eligible for sponsorship? - Which visa route will I be sponsored under? - When will I receive my Certificate of Sponsorship? - Which costs will the employer cover? - What documents will I need to provide? ## Want to understand the UK sponsorship process better? [Techloy and Your Diaspora Hub](https://www.techloy.com/techloy-your-diaspora-hub-uk-tech-careers/) (YDH) will be discussing at Breaking into the UK Job Market: How to Land Sponsored Jobs on Saturday, September 26, 2026. The session will cover the realities of finding sponsored work, approaching the UK job market, and navigating the process once an employer says yes. Speakers include [Nike Baker](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikebaker/), [Bade Adesemowo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/badesemowo/), [Mahmood Owolabi](https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamcashia/), [Arinze Ibekwe](https://www.linkedin.com/in/arinzeibekwe/), [Wale Ogunjobi](https://www.linkedin.com/in/waleogunjobi/), and [Yanju Lawal](https://www.linkedin.com/in/yanjulawal/). 🎟️ Get Your Event Ticket [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/Ticketing-Platform-Hero--5--1.png)](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/breaking-into-the-uk-job-market-how-to-land-sponsored-jobs-tickets-1998734125574?keep%5Ftld=true) The event normally costs £5, but we’re giving away a limited number of tickets. Techloy readers get the first 50 free tickets when they register with code ****TECHLOY50**. YDH is also giving away 25 free tickets with code ****YDH25**. First come, first served. Once the free tickets are gone, the £5 ticket price applies. [REGISTER FOR THE EVENT ](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/breaking-into-the-uk-job-market-how-to-land-sponsored-jobs-tickets-1998734125574?keep%5Ftld=true) ### Bungie Is Bringing Back Destiny 2’s Vaulted Content URL: https://www.techloy.com/bungie-is-bringing-back-destiny-2s-vaulted-content/ Last updated: 2026-09-22T12:00:20.000Z [Bungie](https://www.techloy.com/bungie-sets-a-march-release-date-for-marathon-its-first-new-game-in-nearly-a-decade/) spent much of 2026 telling Destiny 2 players that it was time to [move on](https://www.techloy.com/playstation-bungie-layoffs/). Now, it is bringing some of the past back. The studio has announced plans to restore vaulted Destiny 2 campaigns, destinations, and raids, while also substantially reworking Marathon after acknowledging that its extraction shooter did not attract as many players as it had hoped. It's a pretty significant change in direction for Bungie, particularly after the studio announced in May that Destiny 2 would receive its final planned live-service content update in June. More importantly, Bungie isn't pretending everything has gone according to plan. In a new [statement](https://www.bungie.net/7/en/News/Article/nextchapterofbungie) from studio head Poria Torkan and Marathon general manager Josh Deane, the company openly acknowledges that it has lost the trust of its players and says the new leadership team needs to earn it back. “Over the last few years, we lost sight of that, and there have been real consequences. We lost trust, we lost incredible colleagues, and we lost sight of what we should be prioritizing most: our players”, the statement read. That's a remarkably direct admission from Bungie. And the studio's first major response is to revisit one of the most controversial parts of Destiny 2's history: the Content Vault. [Why Bungie Layoffs Happened: Destiny 2 Ends, Marathon RisesSony has confirmed another major round of layoffs at Bungie as studio head Justin Truman reportedly steps down, with the studio’s future now resting on Marathon.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-c3a6c6f5-724e-4109-9b65-5eac4ef058a1.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1758874383909-9b46bfb2dc65-790a531a-bf0c-44db-890a-bb9f5f9e778f.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/playstation-bungie-layoffs/) ## Bungie is bringing vaulted Destiny 2 content back For years, the Destiny Content Vault has been one of the most divisive parts of the game. Bungie introduced the system during Destiny 2's fourth year as a way to cycle older destinations and activities out of the game, allowing the live-service experience to evolve without continuing to grow indefinitely. The problem was that players didn't just lose access to old content. They lost access to pieces of Destiny's history. Bungie now acknowledges that directly. “We understand that removing these experiences had a lasting impact on player trust and enjoyment of Destiny.” _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 10 Xbox Reveals From PC Gaming Show Tokyo Direct 2026 URL: https://www.techloy.com/pc-gaming-show-tokyo-direct-2026-xbox-reveals/ Last updated: 2026-09-22T11:45:02.000Z The PC Gaming Show Tokyo Direct 2026 was another one of those showcases where [Xbox](https://www.techloy.com/tag/microsoft-xbox/) quietly had a lot more to offer than you might expect. There were 10 Xbox-related trailers across the presentation, ranging from new games and release dates to expansions for titles already on Xbox Game Pass. It wasn't the kind of showcase built around one massive reveal, but there were enough interesting games here to make it worth paying attention to. I was particularly interested in the number of Game Pass announcements. Neon Abyss 2, Quarantine Zone, Young Suns, and several other titles are either coming to the service or already available through it, giving Xbox players plenty to keep an eye on heading into the final months of 2026. There was one obvious disappointment, though: Lufia I & II: The Sinistrals Saga was announced for PC, Nintendo Switch and PS5, leaving Xbox out. Here are all 10 Xbox-related announcements from the PC Gaming Show Tokyo Direct 2026, and the games that caught my attention. [Xbox Tokyo Game Show 2026: 17 Reveals, Game Pass & KojimaXbox’s Tokyo Game Show 2026 showcase featured new gameplay, release dates, Game Pass announcements and surprise updates on Kojima’s OD and PHYSINT.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-d28024aa-9eab-4df0-98b0-d22164f03055.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1558008258-ec20a83db196-a0b63436-68a2-4235-9ba9-39dba91ceddd.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/tokyo-game-show-2026-everything-announced/) ## Let's Build a Dungeon Comes to Xbox PC in 2027 The showcase opened with Let's Build a Dungeon, a management game that puts you in charge of a video game studio. The twist is that you're not simply managing the company. You're also responsible for creating the MMO your studio is developing. I like the idea because it gives the usual management-sim formula a gaming-industry spin. Instead of building a theme park, hospital or city, you're essentially trying to make a successful game while running the studio behind it. Let's Build a Dungeon enters early access on Xbox PC on February 11, 2027. ## We Were Here Tomorrow Gets an October Release Date We Were Here Tomorrow is a co-op puzzle game built around communication. That immediately makes it one of those games where having the right person beside you can matter as much as solving the puzzles themselves. The premise is simple, but communication-based co-op can produce some of the funniest and most frustrating moments when two players are trying to describe what they're seeing. The game launches October 20, 2026. ## Ball x Pit: Risen Ballbylon Expansion Adds Tons of New Content If you've been playing Ball x Pit through Xbox Game Pass, there's quite a lot coming your way. The Risen Ballbylon expansion adds 20 new ball evolutions, eight hunters, four biomes, 20 buildings and 46 passives. That's a substantial amount of new content for a game that already thrives on throwing increasingly ridiculous combinations at you. The expansion arrives November 12, 2026, while the base game remains available through Xbox Game Pass. ## Quarantine Zone Gets a Free Miami Zero Expansion One of the announcements I found most interesting was Quarantine Zone's Miami Zero expansion. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Best B2B SaaS SEO Agencies for Technical SEO, Content, and AI Search in 2026 URL: https://www.techloy.com/best-b2b-saas-seo-agencies-for-technical-seo-content-and-ai-search-in-2026/ Last updated: 2026-09-22T11:43:32.000Z B2B SaaS SEO now extends beyond ranking pages in traditional search results. Buyers can discover and compare software through Google, ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity, and other AI-powered search experiences. That makes choosing an SEO agency more complex. SaaS companies may need technical SEO, content strategy, off-page authority, and increasingly AEO or GEO capabilities that address visibility in AI-generated answers. Here are six agencies with different approaches to B2B SaaS organic and AI-search visibility. ## **At a Glance** | Agency | Best For | | -------------------- | --------------------------------------------- | | SORN | Integrated B2B SaaS SEO and AI visibility | | Directive Consulting | B2B SEO and GEO tied to performance marketing | | Powered by Search | B2B SaaS organic growth and GEO | | Omniscient Digital | Content-led B2B organic growth | | Siege Media | Content marketing, digital PR, and GEO | | uSERP | Off-page authority and AI-search visibility | ## **1\. SORN** **Best for: Integrated B2B SaaS SEO and AI visibility** [SORN](https://sorn.ai/) works with B2B SaaS companies across traditional organic search and emerging AI discovery. Its approach combines **technical SEO, content strategy, off-page authority, and AEO/GEO** rather than treating AI visibility as a standalone channel. Technical SEO provides the foundation, while content targets the problems, categories, comparisons, use cases, and questions relevant to SaaS buyers. Off-page work extends visibility beyond the company's own website through relevant third-party brand mentions and authority building. SORN also measures how brands appear across AI engines including ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Perplexity, tracking prompts, citations, brand mentions, and competitor visibility. **Key strengths:** B2B SaaS specialization, technical SEO, content, off-page strategy, AEO/GEO, and AI visibility measurement. **Potential considerations:** Its positioning is particularly suited to B2B SaaS companies rather than businesses seeking a generalist SEO agency. ## **2\. Directive Consulting** **Best for: B2B SEO and GEO tied to performance marketing** Directive Consulting is a B2B performance marketing agency offering SEO alongside dedicated Generative Engine Optimization services. Its GEO work includes areas such as technical optimization, content, entity and topic relevance, and visibility within AI-generated search experiences. Directive can also connect organic search with paid media and other performance marketing channels. **Key strengths:** B2B SEO, GEO, content, technical optimization, and performance marketing. **Potential considerations:** Its broad performance marketing model may be more extensive than companies looking only for specialist organic-search support require. ## **3\. Powered by Search** **Best for: B2B SaaS organic growth and GEO** Powered by Search specializes in B2B SaaS and combines SEO with content marketing, digital PR, and Generative Engine Optimization. Its approach examines where buyers search, what questions they ask, which competitors appear, and where a brand lacks visibility across traditional and AI-powered search. Digital PR and content extend the strategy beyond technical website optimization. **Key strengths:** B2B SaaS specialization, SEO, GEO, content strategy, and digital PR. **Potential considerations:** Its approach is designed around broader organic growth rather than isolated technical SEO projects. ## **4\. Omniscient Digital** **Best for: Content-led B2B organic growth** Omniscient Digital focuses on organic growth for B2B companies, particularly through SEO and content strategy. Its work connects customer research, search intent, competitive analysis, subject-matter expertise, and commercially relevant content. AI-search visibility and citation analysis have also become part of its organic strategy approach. **Key strengths:** B2B content strategy, SEO, organic growth, customer research, and AI-search analysis. **Potential considerations:** Content strategy is central to its positioning, so companies primarily looking for off-page link acquisition may prefer a more specialized provider. ## **5\. Siege Media** **Best for: Content marketing, digital PR, and GEO** Siege Media combines SEO with content marketing, digital PR, and dedicated GEO services. Its approach can include technical SEO, bottom-of-funnel content, research-driven assets, AI citation strategy, and third-party promotion. Siege also measures AI visibility alongside traditional organic performance. **Key strengths:** Content marketing, SEO, GEO, digital PR, link acquisition, and AI visibility measurement. **Potential considerations:** Its content-heavy model is most relevant to companies prepared to invest substantially in content-led organic growth. ## **6\. uSERP** **Best for: Off-page authority and AI-search visibility** uSERP is particularly focused on SEO authority and link building and has expanded its services into AI SEO. Its approach combines AEO/GEO with content optimization, technical SEO, authoritative backlinks, and off-site brand mentions. This can suit SaaS companies that already have substantial owned content but need stronger third-party authority and visibility. **Key strengths:** Link building, off-page authority, AI SEO, AEO/GEO, and brand mentions. **Potential considerations:** Companies needing a broader full-funnel marketing program may require additional capabilities beyond its authority-focused approach. ## **Which B2B SaaS SEO Agency Is Right for Your Company?** There is no single agency model that fits every SaaS company. **SORN** is particularly relevant when technical SEO, content, off-page authority, and AI visibility need to work together. Directive combines SEO and GEO with broader performance marketing, while Powered by Search integrates organic search with B2B SaaS growth. Omniscient Digital and Siege Media offer stronger content-led approaches, while uSERP is particularly relevant when off-page authority and link acquisition are priorities. ## **Frequently Asked Questions** ### **Does B2B SaaS SEO still matter with AI search?** Yes. Technical accessibility, useful content, site structure, and external authority remain important for organic discovery. AI search adds another discovery environment. ### **What is GEO for B2B SaaS?** Generative Engine Optimization focuses on improving brand visibility in AI-generated search and answers. It can involve content, technical optimization, authority building, third-party mentions, and citation monitoring. ### **Does off-page SEO matter for AI visibility?** Yes. Information about SaaS companies exists across third-party publications, comparison pages, industry resources, and other external websites, not only their own domains. ### **How should SaaS companies measure AI visibility?** Useful indicators include prompt coverage, brand mentions, citations, competitor visibility, AI share of voice, and AI referral traffic. ## **A Practical Wrap-Up** Modern B2B SaaS SEO involves more than keywords and rankings. Technical SEO, useful content, external authority, and AI-search visibility increasingly need to work together. SORN, Directive Consulting, Powered by Search, Omniscient Digital, Siege Media, and uSERP offer different combinations of these capabilities. The right agency depends on whether the primary gap is technical SEO, content, off-page authority, AI visibility, or a combination of these areas. ### Should Meta Muse Become Your Starting Point for the Internet? URL: https://www.techloy.com/meta-muse-ai-agent-chatgpt-growth/ Last updated: 2026-09-22T11:42:34.000Z Meta's [Muse](https://www.techloy.com/meta-muse-ai-agent-what-it-can-access/) has been around for less than two weeks, but people are already using it for more than just asking AI questions. The new [AI agent](https://www.techloy.com/tag/ai-agents/) has passed 2.5 million downloads since launching on September 8, according to Sensor Tower, and briefly overtook [ChatGPT](https://www.techloy.com/tag/chatgpt/) as the most downloaded free iOS app in the US. But the more interesting story is what [Meta](https://www.techloy.com/tag/meta/) wants you to do with Muse. Instead of simply answering questions, Muse is designed to carry out tasks on your behalf. It can search the web, manage certain emails and calendars, book things and, increasingly, help you shop and make purchases. While that sounds convenient, it also puts Muse in the middle of a fight over who gets to control what we do online. And also, what exactly is making Muse attract so many downloads? [Meta Muse AI Agent: What It Can Access and What It CostsThe agent will initially be available in the US through a dedicated app and WhatsApp. Meta also plans to bring Muse to its smart glasses “soon.”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-cabe1a98-d84c-4699-b088-93b0493a8cb4.png)TechloyOgbonda Chivumnovu![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1563986768494-4dee2763ff3f-520bc1a3-14e8-4dd3-84f1-6f1885a74ee8.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/meta-muse-ai-agent-what-it-can-access/) ## Meta wants to build a platform people care about with Muse One reason is that Muse is being positioned as something people can actually use to get things done, rather than another AI chatbot they open to ask questions. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Choosing Computing Hardware That Survives Harsh Industrial Environments URL: https://www.techloy.com/choosing-computing-hardware-that-survives-harsh-industrial-environments/ Last updated: 2026-09-22T11:35:51.000Z Standard computers were never designed for the conditions found on a production floor. Food processing lines, pharmaceutical cleanrooms, and outdoor industrial sites expose electronics to moisture, chemical cleaning agents, dust, and repeated impact. A single spray-down cycle with high-pressure equipment can destroy a consumer-grade monitor or control panel within weeks. This is where a[ waterproof HMI panel PC](https://blue-line.com/products/waterproof-panel-mount-hmi-pc-7200-series/) becomes a necessity rather than a luxury. Combining a display, touch interface, and processing power in one sealed unit, these devices are built to keep operating even when they are hosed down multiple times a day. For plant managers, the value is not just durability on paper but the practical reduction in downtime, replacement costs, and unplanned maintenance visits. The stakes are highest in industries where hygiene is regulated by law. Food and beverage producers, dairies, and pharmaceutical manufacturers all operate under strict cleaning protocols that assume equipment can be sanitized without being switched off or disassembled. Choosing hardware rated for these conditions from the start avoids a common and costly mistake: installing standard IT equipment in a wash-down zone and then retrofitting protective enclosures later. Enclosures add bulk, block ventilation, and often fail to match the sealing quality of hardware designed for the environment from day one. An informed procurement decision at the planning stage saves engineering time later, since electrical drawings, panel cut-outs, and mounting brackets can all be specified around a single, purpose-built unit rather than a computer plus an improvised housing. ## **What actually separates reliable equipment from equipment that fails** Not every product labelled "industrial" performs the same way once it reaches the factory floor. The real differences show up in three areas: sealing integrity, material choice, and the support that comes after the sale. Sealing is usually described using an IP rating. A front bezel rated IP66 protects against dust and powerful water jets from any direction, while IP69K adds resistance to high-pressure, high-temperature washdown, the kind used in meat processing and dairy plants. Devices without this dual rating tend to develop condensation or corrosion inside the housing after only a few months of daily cleaning. Material choice matters just as much. Stainless steel enclosures, particularly grades such as AISI 304 or the more corrosion-resistant AISI 316L, hold up against detergents and acidic cleaning agents far longer than painted steel or plastic housings, which can crack or discolour under repeated chemical exposure. Blue Line, a Danish supplier of industrial computing equipment, illustrates a strength worth noting here: rather than shipping a bare unit, the company handles configuration, software setup, mounting, and packaging as part of delivery, which removes a significant amount of integration risk from the customer's side. That kind of end-to-end handling matters most when equipment has to arrive ready to install into an existing production line without weeks of on-site adjustment. For buyers evaluating suppliers, asking directly about post-sale support, warranty length, and whether configuration help is included can reveal more about long-term reliability than a specification sheet alone. ## **Practical steps for specifying the right hardware** Selecting the right computing hardware for a harsh environment is easier when approached as a checklist rather than a single decision. A few practical steps can prevent expensive mistakes later in the project. Start by mapping the actual cleaning routine the equipment will face. A unit wiped down occasionally has very different requirements than one exposed to daily high-pressure washdown with hot water and chemical detergents. Write down the frequency, temperature, and chemicals involved before contacting any supplier. Next, confirm the mounting method fits the space available. Panel-mounted units require a cut-out in an existing enclosure or wall, while free-standing or wall-mounted alternatives suit different layouts. Getting this wrong after ordering usually means costly rework of cabinets or control panels. Consider processing needs as well. A basic Celeron-class processor may be sufficient for simple visualization tasks, while more demanding applications involving data logging, connected sensors, or thin client setups benefit from a Core i3 or i5 configuration with more memory headroom. Temperature range is another detail that gets overlooked. Standard units are usually rated for 0°C to 50°C, which is fine indoors but insufficient for outdoor kiosks or unheated storage areas, where an extended range option becomes necessary. Finally, factor in serviceability. Ask what happens if a unit fails: is there a loan device during repair, and how long does support typically take? Environments running continuous production cannot tolerate long downtime waiting for a replacement part, so this question often matters more than the initial purchase price. Taking these steps before signing a purchase order turns hardware selection into a controlled process rather than a reactive one, and it consistently produces better long-term results on the factory floor. ### GooglebookOS Is Here. Google Wants Android Users to Rethink Their Laptops URL: https://www.techloy.com/googlebookos-googlebook-laptops/ Last updated: 2026-09-22T11:13:23.000Z [Apple](https://www.techloy.com/tag/apple/) has spent years making the [iPhone](https://www.techloy.com/tag/apple-iphone/) and [Mac](https://www.techloy.com/tag/macbook/) feel like they belong together. Now [Google](https://www.techloy.com/tag/google/) wants to do something similar for Android users. Just days after introducing its new [Googlebook laptops](https://www.techloy.com/googlebook-september-nyc-event-what-to-expect/), Google has revealed the software behind them: GooglebookOS, a new laptop operating system that brings together [Android](https://www.techloy.com/tag/android/), ChromeOS and [Gemini](https://www.techloy.com/tag/google-gemini/). The idea is that your Android phone and laptop shouldn't feel like two separate devices but rather parts of the same system. Google says GooglebookOS is designed specifically for premium laptops, while existing [Chromebooks](https://www.techloy.com/tag/chromebook/) will continue to serve markets such as education and enterprise. [Googlebook September 15 NYC Event: What to ExpectGoogle has the date, the city and five laptop makers lined up, the one thing it still hasn’t said is what a Googlebook costs.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-65f4fb4a-6285-4077-8490-9bec9ae9fb47.png)TechloyOgbonda Chivumnovu![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1593642702821-c8da6771f0c6-1459473b-f9f1-4a95-b8f3-3f78a3f454eb.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/googlebook-september-nyc-event-what-to-expect/) ## GooglebookOS is more than Android on a laptop GooglebookOS combines Android's app ecosystem with the desktop foundations of ChromeOS. That means users can run Android apps from the [Play Store](https://www.techloy.com/tag/google-play/) while still getting a desktop experience designed for a larger screen. Google is also building in support for [Linux](https://www.techloy.com/tag/linux/) and a desktop version of [Chrome](https://www.techloy.com/tag/google-chrome/), giving the operating system a broader range of tools than simply running phone apps on a laptop. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/image-50.png) Image: Google But the more interesting part is how GooglebookOS connects to your Android phone. Continue On lets you start something on your phone and pick it up on your Googlebook. Files gives you access to files and photos stored on your phone, while Cast My Apps lets you use Android apps in desktop windows. The bigger idea behind GooglebookOS is that Google wants switching between your phone and laptop to feel seamless. ## Five laptops are launching with GooglebookOS Google is launching five Googlebook laptops built by [Acer](https://www.techloy.com/tag/acer/), [Asus](https://www.techloy.com/tag/asus/), [Dell](https://www.techloy.com/tag/dell/), [HP](https://www.techloy.com/tag/hp/), and [Lenovo](https://www.techloy.com/tag/lenovo/). Unlike most Chromebooks, these devices use premium materials, including aluminium, magnesium alloy, and carbon fibre. Every Googlebook includes a haptic glass trackpad, backlit keyboard, Dolby Atmos speakers, and a touchscreen display with resolutions of up to 2.8K OLED. Prices range from $899 to $1,299\. The Acer Googlebook 14 is the entry-level model at $899, while the Asus, HP, and Lenovo models start at $1,299\. The Dell XPS Googlebook sits in the middle at $1,199. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 5 Best Insurance Agencies in Florida for High-Net-Worth Individuals in 2026 URL: https://www.techloy.com/5-best-insurance-agencies-in-florida-for-high-net-worth-individuals-in-2026/ Last updated: 2026-09-22T10:45:28.000Z Finding the right insurance agency in Florida becomes more complicated when your assets include a waterfront home, a second residence, valuable jewelry, or a collection of luxury vehicles. The challenge is making sure different policies work together and reflect what you actually own. For affluent individuals and families, a useful shortlist includes Harbour Insurance, HUB International, Brown & Brown, Marsh McLennan Agency, and Gallagher. Each offers personal insurance services relevant to complex asset portfolios. This editorial selection considers published high-net-worth services, Florida presence, and coverage specialties. The best-fit labels describe different needs rather than an independently scored ranking. ## Florida Insurance Agencies at a Glance | Agency or brokerage | Best fit | | --------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------- | | Harbour Insurance | Personalized independent advice in Southwest Florida | | HUB International | Connected personal, professional, and family risks | | Brown & Brown | Specialty assets and unusual exposures | | Marsh McLennan Agency | Family offices and broader advisory coordination | | Gallagher | Diverse luxury assets and lifestyle risks | ## **1\. Harbour Insurance — Best for Personalized Independent Advice in Southwest Florida** [Harbour Insurance](https://harbourinsuranceagency.com/personal-insurance/high-net-worth-insurance/) is an independent insurance agency with offices in Naples and Fort Myers. Its high-net-worth offering focuses on matching insurance to a client’s assets, lifestyle, and individual risks. Harbour represents multiple insurance companies, allowing its team to explore different policy options rather than relying on one insurer’s products. This makes it a relevant choice for Florida families who want personal guidance when comparing protection for valuable homes and other assets. Its published high-net-worth guidance addresses multiple residences, valuable possessions, collector vehicles, and excess liability. It also highlights exposures such as flood damage and the limitations that standard homeowners policies can place on valuable items. The practical appeal is having an agency help assess how these needs fit together. A homeowner with a Naples residence, a vacation property, and a jewelry collection can discuss those exposures within a broader insurance review. **Best for:** Affluent homeowners and families seeking local advice, multiple insurer options, and coverage tailored to their circumstances. ## **2\. HUB International — Best for Connected Personal and Professional Risks** HUB International offers private client insurance and risk management for individuals whose wealth involves a combination of personal, business, and professional interests. Its Florida presence includes private client services in Tampa and Fort Lauderdale. HUB’s published approach emphasizes tailored insurance portfolios and anticipating changing needs. Its private client practice also includes resources for high-net-worth families, family offices, and wealth advisors. That combination makes HUB worth considering when insurance decisions extend beyond a single home. For example, a business owner may want an advisor who understands how family assets and professional responsibilities influence the overall risk discussion. **Best for:** Individuals and families looking for private client advice within a broader brokerage relationship. ## **3\. Brown & Brown — Best for Specialty Assets and Unusual Exposures** Brown & Brown offers personal insurance and private client solutions, including homeowners, auto, and specialty coverage. Its private client specialty practice addresses assets and activities that may require expertise beyond conventional household insurance. Published specialties include fine art, rare collections, aviation, boats and yachts, equine interests, and luxury travel. This breadth makes it a relevant option for affluent clients whose insurance requirements involve several specialist categories. When evaluating Brown & Brown, discuss which team will handle each exposure and how those specialists will coordinate with the advisor responsible for your primary home and liability coverage. **Best for:** Collectors and affluent households seeking advice across distinctive assets and lifestyle exposures. ## **4\. Marsh McLennan Agency — Best for Family Offices and Advisory Coordination** Marsh McLennan Agency Private Client Services designs personal insurance solutions for complex lifestyles. Its Florida offices include Miami and Palm Beach. Its published services cover home, auto, liability, and cyber insurance, alongside specialty solutions for aviation, fine art, trusts, and yachts. It also offers risk management services for family offices and wealth advisors, plus claims advocacy resources. This makes the firm relevant for families whose insurance decisions involve several properties, ownership arrangements, or professional advisors. The appeal is access to a broad private client practice that can support a more detailed discussion of how insurance fits into the family’s wider circumstances. **Best for:** Families and family offices seeking insurance advice alongside established advisory relationships. ## **5\. Gallagher — Best for Diverse Luxury Assets and Lifestyle Risks** Gallagher Private Client offers customized insurance for affluent individuals and families, with Gallagher offices in Naples. Its published solutions include home and estate coverage, automobiles and collector cars, yachts and watercraft, collections, aviation, travel, excess liability, and personal cyber risks. Gallagher is worth considering when a household’s needs span several luxury asset categories. Someone managing a residence, collectible vehicles, and a yacht can use the private client team to discuss protection across those exposures. **Best for:** Affluent households seeking a broad range of specialist personal insurance solutions. ## **Frequently Asked Questions** ### **How should you choose a high-net-worth insurance agency in Florida?** Compare experience with similar assets, insurer access, policy review practices, and the proposed service team. Ask how the agency evaluates rebuilding costs, valuables, additional residences, and liability exposures. Request clear explanations of exclusions and deductibles before comparing premiums. ### **Does high-net-worth home insurance automatically include flood protection?** Do not assume it does. Standard homeowners insurance generally excludes flood damage. Ask the agency to explain the proposed flood coverage separately, including its limits, exclusions, and how it relates to the home policy. ### **Can one agency arrange insurance for homes, cars, and valuables?** Yes. An agency can help arrange several coverage types, potentially through different insurers. The important question is how the policies coordinate. Using one agency does not automatically mean every asset is covered or every coverage gap is resolved. ### **Which agency should Southwest Florida homeowners consider first?** Harbour Insurance is a relevant starting point for homeowners seeking an independent agency with offices in Naples and Fort Myers. Its high-net-worth offering suits conversations about multiple homes, valuable possessions, vehicles, and personal liability. Final suitability depends on the available policies and your specific assets. ### NBC’s Line of Fire Turns a Family of Federal Agents Into Its Biggest Conflict URL: https://www.techloy.com/line-of-fire-nbc-new-drama/ Last updated: 2026-09-22T10:40:08.000Z What happens when the people who are trained to protect everyone else cannot protect their own family? That is the question behind NBC’s new drama Line of Fire, which premiered on September 21 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. Created by Joshua Safran, the series follows the Hollingsworths, a family whose members work across the FBI, US Marshals, Secret Service, and Department of Justice while their personal relationships continue to fall apart around them. Peter Krause and Hope Davis lead the cast, with the action set around Washington, D.C. The series streams on Peacock the day after its [NBC broadcast](https://www.nbcuniversal.com/article/nbc-greenlights-new-dramas-line-fire-and-rockford-files-plus-comedies-newlyweds-and-sunset-pi). But beneath the assassins and federal cases, Line of Fire is really interested in a much more ordinary problem: what happens when your job follows you through the front door? [Monster Lizzie Borden Story: What’s True and What’s FictionNetflix’s Monster turns Lizzie Borden’s unsolved murder case into a fictional story built around the gaps in what history can prove.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-972492f6-2b47-49b9-80ce-cfa6a721b627.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/image-46--1--57a73b00-9b25-4ba4-92d3-d31c82577f9f.png)](https://www.techloy.com/monster-lizzie-borden-true-story/) ## A Family Where Everyone Knows How to Keep Secrets Mike Hollingsworth, played by Krause, is a Secret Service agent approaching retirement. His estranged wife Jane, played by Davis, is a senior US Marshal. Their three adult children have followed similar paths. Clare works for the FBI, Micah is in the Secret Service, and Russ works for the Department of Justice. That arrangement creates an unusual family problem. These are people professionally trained to observe, investigate, and withhold information, yet they are expected to maintain normal relationships with one another. [Krause](https://www.tvinsider.com/1284712/line-of-fire-fall-preview-peter-krause-hope-davis-interview-exclusive/) described the show as “a family show with procedural elements”, rather than simply a crime drama. He said the Hollingsworths have unresolved issues that will pull them together and apart. The cases are not the only thing keeping the family together; their jobs are also the reason they struggle to communicate. ## Why Joshua Safran Wanted the Family Behind the Badges Safran, whose previous television work includes Gossip Girl and Quantico, has spent much of his career crafting dramas centred on complicated relationships. With Line of Fire, he wanted to take that idea into a world usually dominated by investigations. The creator told The Independent that he had always been interested in what happens to procedural characters when they go home. In shows such as Law & Order or the Chicago franchise, audiences mostly see investigators doing their jobs. Safran wanted to explore what those characters are like away from the office. ## Jenna Bush Hager Has an Unusual Perspective One of the show's executive producers is Jenna Bush Hager, who grew up in the White House as the daughter of former President George W. Bush and experienced Secret Service protection firsthand. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### How to Get More Views on TikTok: Here’s What Works in 2026 URL: https://www.techloy.com/how-to-get-more-views-on-tiktok-heres-what-works-in-2026/ Last updated: 2026-09-22T10:30:44.000Z Have you ever uploaded a TikTok video that you thought was very fantastic, only to have it get 63 views before vanishing into thin air? You are definitely not alone. Millions of creators post every single day, and most of them are asking the same question: why does some random video of someone reheating noodles go viral while a carefully produced video gets ignored? In reality, TikTok growth is a combination of strategy, consistency, and a little luck. The good news is that you are entirely in control of two of those three factors. Once you understand how the platform really works, getting more views on TikTok is no longer a mystery. It becomes something you can actively work on. ## **How TikTok Decides Who Sees Your Video** TikTok’s algorithm is basically a recommendation engine that is continually attempting to match the perfect video to the appropriate viewer. It focuses on a handful of important signals: how long people watch your video, if they rewatch it, whether they comment or share, and whether they connect with your profile thereafter. The single most important signal is watch time, specifically how much of your video people actually finish. A video with a 90% completion rate will travel far more than one with thousands of likes but a 20% completion rate. TikTok wants to recommend content that holds people's attention, because that keeps users on the app longer. Which is exactly why your first three seconds matter enormously. If someone scrolls away immediately, TikTok takes that as a signal that your content is not worth pushing further. Hook the viewer fast, then give them a reason to stay. ## **Content Quality** Quality does not mean professional camera equipment. It means giving people something worth watching. That could be useful information, a genuinely funny moment, a satisfying visual, or an opinion that makes someone stop and think. The format matters less than the substance. That said, basic production does count. Good lighting (a window works fine), clear audio, and a steady shot all make a difference. Viewers will scroll past something that is difficult to see or hear, no matter how interesting the content might be. Filming content specifically for TikTok also helps. On-screen captions, vertical video, text overlays, and fast-paced editing all feel native to the platform. Content that looks like it was designed for a different format tends to underperform. ## **Posting Consistency and Why It Matters** The algorithm favours accounts that post often. It’s not that TikTok punishes you for taking a vacation, but the algorithm has more to work with when you upload consistently. It becomes better with time at learning who your audience is and who else may like your material. As you post consistently, it becomes better at identifying what your audience is enjoying. Most creators who grow steadily post somewhere between three and seven times a week. Daily is great if you can manage it without sacrificing quality. The thing is, one excellent video a week will almost always outperform seven mediocre ones, so do not let the pressure to post constantly push you into publishing things you are not happy with. ## **Using Hashtags and Trends Without Overdoing It** Hashtags can help TikTok classify your content and get to the right set of audience. You will generally have more success using a combination of wide tags (#fitness, #cooking) and specialist tags (#veganmealprep, #homegymlife) rather than just huge generic tags, where your video will be buried immediately. You just need three or five well-selected hashtags. Stacking twenty hashtags in your caption does not boost reach and makes your post look a bit desperate. Trends are a separate tool altogether. Jumping on a trending sound or format while it is still moving can give your video a significant early push, because TikTok actively surfaces content that uses popular audio. The key is to make the trend relevant to your niche rather than just copying it directly. That way you attract viewers who are already interested in your kind of content. ## **Audience Retention** Strong retention is the metric that separates creators who grow from those who plateau. A few practical ways to improve it: start with a question or a surprising statement rather than an introduction, cut anything that drags in the middle, and end with something that makes viewers want to comment or rewatch. Loops work well too. If the end of your video naturally leads back to the beginning, viewers will often replay it without thinking, which boosts your completion rate significantly. TikTok's analytics tab will show you exactly where people drop off in your videos. Use that data. If everyone is leaving at the seven-second mark, something is happening at seven seconds that you need to fix. ## **Extra Strategies Creators Use to Increase Views** TikTok can benefit from cross-posting to Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts. Going live regularly, collaborating with other creators on TikTok, and replying to comments with video responses are all good ways to demonstrate genuine activity to the algorithm. There’s also a group of creators who talk about paid growth methods, including buying TikTok views to give a video an early push. If you’re new to TikTok, it’s worth looking through [**Reddit discussions about buying TikTok views**](https://www.reddit.com/r/TikTokLounge/comments/1svf7r5/wheres%5Fthe%5Fbest%5Fsite%5Fto%5Fbuy%5Ftiktok%5Fviews%5Fand/) and X to see what other creators say about these methods. You’ll find people sharing what they tried, whether it worked for them, and what went wrong. ## **Conclusion** Most creators who have built a strong audience on TikTok will tell you the same thing: it takes longer than expected, and the turning point usually comes after they stop chasing viral moments and start focusing on creating content they are proud of. Growth on TikTok is rarely a straight line. You will have videos that flop unexpectedly, and videos that take off weeks after you posted them. The algorithm can resurface older content at any time, which means every video you post has a longer shelf life than you might assume. Stay curious, pay attention to what your audience responds to, and keep adjusting. That combination is far more reliable than any single trick or shortcut. ## **FAQs:** **How many times a day should I post on TikTok?** Most people stick to sharing one solid video a day. It’s usually better to focus on making one really good post than posting out a bunch of so-so ones. **Why do some videos get views days or weeks after posting on TikTok?** A TikTok video can take off later if it matches up with a new trend or just starts getting a bit more attention. That’s why it’s good to keep your overall page active and not just focus on your newest TikTok post. **How to use hashtags on TikTok in 2026?** Use hashtags on TikTok posts with intention. A couple of relevant hashtags help TikTok place your content correctly. Adding a lot of tags does not make a difference. ### China’s Youth Unemployment Hits 18.9%. What’s Happening to Its Graduates? URL: https://www.techloy.com/china-graduates-struggling-to-find-jobs/ Last updated: 2026-09-22T10:02:07.000Z Key TAKEAWAYS - More graduates are competing for jobs as China’s youth unemployment reaches 18.9%. - AI, economic weakness and changing industry needs are reshaping the jobs available to young workers. - China is turning to curriculum changes and vocational training to narrow the gap between what graduates learn and what employers need. For many young people in China, graduating from university was supposed to be the moment when years of studying finally paid off. Instead, an increasing number are leaving school and finding that the jobs they expected to compete for are becoming harder to find. In China, the unemployment rate for people aged 16 to 24, excluding students, rose to 18.9% from 17.9%, according to [data](https://chinadata.live/data/china-youth-unemployment/) released by the National Bureau of Statistics. MORE INSIGHTS ON THIS TOPIC: - [Entry-Level Tech Jobs Are Down 25%. Here's What Happened](https://www.techloy.com/why-entry-level-tech-jobs-disappearing/) - [Trump's New H-1B Visa Fee: Who Pays the $103,265 and Who's Exempt](https://www.techloy.com/trump-new-h1b-visa-fee-103265/) - [Fewer Students Are Forcing US Universities to Rethink How They Survive](https://www.techloy.com/why-american-colleges-are-merging/) ## What has changed? The rise in youth unemployment comes as more graduates enter the labour market. According to a [report](https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3367869/record-influx-university-graduates-pushes-chinas-youth-unemployment-rate-189), 12.7 million students completed university this summer, up from 12.22 million in 2025, an increase of about 480,000 in a single year. That means more young people are competing for jobs at a time when finding work is already becoming more difficult. But the problem is not only the number of graduates entering the labour market. Some of the industries that previously generated large numbers of jobs for young workers are also struggling. The property downturn, for example, has reduced activity across a major part of the economy, while weak domestic demand continues to weigh on businesses. In August, China's retail sales grew just 0.4% year on year, while property investment fell 19.9%. There is also growing pressure from artificial intelligence. The rapid adoption of AI is changing the demand for entry-level corporate, administrative, and other white-collar roles, putting another layer of pressure on young people trying to get their first jobs. At the same time, there is a structural mismatch between what graduates are trained to do and the skills employers increasingly need. The shift towards a more productivity- and manufacturing-driven economy, built around industries such as electric vehicles, batteries, semiconductors and robotics, has changed the types of workers companies are looking for. “As the economy shifted, a mismatch emerged between the skills being supplied by graduates and those demanded by the labour market,” a researcher told the Guardian, adding that the problem has been exacerbated more recently by AI’s “transformative impact”. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Fortnite’s 9th Birthday Has 5 Free Rewards. Here’s How to Get Them All URL: https://www.techloy.com/fortnite-birthday-rewards-2026/ Last updated: 2026-09-22T09:55:41.000Z [Fortnite](https://www.techloy.com/tag/fortnite/) has reached another birthday milestone, and [Epic Games](https://www.techloy.com/tag/epic-games/) is marking the occasion with a limited-time event that gives players several free cosmetics simply for playing and completing specific objectives. The Fortnite Birthday Event began on September 21, 2026, and runs until October 1, when Epic Games is scheduled to transition into the next major seasonal event, Fortnitemares. That gives players a limited window to collect all five free Birthday rewards. Three are tied to Birthday Quests, while the other two require players to complete separate in-game objectives. [How Rare Is the Vini Jr. Sprite in Fortnite? Full StatsThe Vini Jr. Sprite is Fortnite’s rarest new Mythic. Here’s your best shot at actually finding one![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-b9ada170-c453-4a7f-bba0-ca943b46995f.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1615680022648-2db11101c73a-132617a6-7084-4b74-af12-c8f9b753fc61.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/vini-jr-sprite-fortnite/) ## What are the Fortnite Birthday rewards? There are five free rewards available during Fortnite’s ninth Birthday Event. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/How-to-Get-All-5-Rewards.png) The first three rewards are unlocked progressively by completing Birthday Quests, meaning you'll need to complete nine quests in total to collect both Back Blings and the Cake Crusher Pickaxe. The final two rewards are earned differently. The 9th Birthday Sprite Spray requires you to enter a specific Lobby Hack Admin Panel Code, while the 9th Birthday Skin unlocks when you master 28 Sprites during the season. ## How do you get the Fortnite Birthday rewards? The easiest way to start collecting the rewards is by completing the Birthday Quests. You'll receive the Choco-9 Back Bling after completing three Birthday Quests. Six completed quests unlock the Cake Crusher Pickaxe, while completing nine unlocks the FNCS Back Bling. This means you don't need to complete every available Birthday Quest to collect the three quest-based rewards. You simply need to reach the required milestones. The other two rewards require separate objectives. ### How to get the 9th Birthday Sprite Spray The 9th Birthday Sprite Spray is obtained by entering the designated Lobby Hack Admin Panel Code during the Birthday Event. This reward isn't tied to the Birthday Quest progression, so players looking to collect everything should make sure they complete this separate requirement as well. ### How to get the 9th Birthday Skin The final reward is the 9th Birthday Skin, which requires players to master 28 Sprites. Sprites are part of Fortnite's current gameplay systems, so unlocking this reward requires more than simply logging in or completing the Birthday Quests. If you're aiming to collect all five cosmetics, this is the requirement you'll want to keep working toward throughout the event. ## When does the Fortnite Birthday Event end? The Fortnite Birthday Event ends on October 1, 2026. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The Future of Home Internet: From Fiber and 5G to Wi-Fi 7 and Beyond URL: https://www.techloy.com/the-future-of-home-internet-from-fiber-and-5g-to-wi-fi-7-and-beyond/ Last updated: 2026-09-21T21:23:13.000Z Home internet has entered a new age. Earlier, it was about getting a high-speed connection. With smart homes becoming the norm, the network has to step up. That’s why Internet Service Providers (ISPs) have upped their game. Fiber is expanding fast. 5G is bringing more households out of the digital divide. Wi-Fi 7 is dispensing bandwidth efficiently. Here is how these technologies are paving the way for the next big things. ## **Key Takeaways** - Fiber is the bedrock of modern connectivity, offering high-capacity symmetrical network access. - 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) is a solid alternative where wired infrastructure is hard to deploy and maintain. - Wi-Fi 7 offers wider channels and Multi-Link Operations (MLO) to support multiple gadgets. - Internet quality covers download speeds, latency, upload speeds, and overall reliability. - Future technologies will work together to meet the ever-increasing demands of smarter homes. ## Fiber as the Sturdy Foundation Fiber internet technology uses light pulses to send signals across networks, handling faster speeds over long distances while maintaining similar upload speeds. From video calling to 4K streaming, online gaming, and smart home devices, upload traffic has increased exponentially over the years. With 60% of households in the US enjoying fiber connectivity already, the expansion of infrastructure is catching up fast. ## 5G Brings the Broadband Wirelessly While fiber gives a lasting foundation, 5G home internet gives an alternative where a wired connection is too hard to install and maintain. Ericsson reported that more than 70% of FWA providers offer 5G connectivity this year. It also predicts that connections will grow from 185 million at the end of 2025 to 350 million in 2031. This does not mean it will ever replace fiber. Rather, [high-speed internet providers](https://tvinternetusa.com/internet) will leverage the two technologies to widen the net. ## Wi-Fi 7 Makes the Internet Smarter Wi-Fi 7 is based on the IEEE 802.11be standard for improved capacity, responsiveness, and efficient use of the spectrum. It can use wider channels, up to 320 MHz wide, compared to a mere 160 MHz in Wi-Fi 6. Wi-Fi 7 also introduced Multi-Link Operations (MLO) to use multiple links across different supported bands. With its efficient operations to manage bandwidth across multiple devices, it has secured a 7.2% share of Wi-Fi router generations in 2026, up from a mere 1.8% ## AI is Redefining the Needs for Home Networks Artificial Intelligence in home internet is accelerating innovation. Tech gadgets need low latency and higher upload capacity to work properly. A home network built on a firm foundation will gain the edge. The next Wi-Fi technology will not come in isolation, but will complement the rest of the connectivity infrastructure. ## Future Demands a Synergy of Connectivity Types The future will see these technologies coming together for a better home internet experience. Technologies continue to work in tandem. Fiber and 5G will expand the infrastructure while Wi-Fi 7 and later iterations will allocate bandwidth effectively. In a nutshell, the future home internet experience will get better in latency, reliability, and on all other fronts. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### **What is the Wi-Fi 8 release date for home internet?** Wi-Fi 8 is still in development and testing. Home internet users should expect it around late 2028 for domestic connectivity. ### **Is fiber still the best option?** Fiber is still the gold standard for a high-speed infrastructure capable of serving both domestic and enterprise users, with cable and 5G home internet serving as more than viable connectivity options. ### **Will future technology replace existing internet?** The internet, as we know it, might change in the future, but the core networking infrastructure will certainly exist. ### Google Gemini Hacked Three Real Companies During a Security Test. Then It Stopped URL: https://www.techloy.com/google-gemini-hacked-three-companies-security-test/ Last updated: 2026-09-21T16:01:53.000Z In the past few weeks, we've reported multiple cases of AI models acting in malicious or unexpected ways. Now, [Google's Gemini](https://www.techloy.com/tag/google-gemini/) has joined the growing list of AI models that have hacked another organisation. But there's an asterisk in this case. Unlike many of the incidents involving [OpenAI](https://www.techloy.com/tag/openai/), [Anthropic](https://www.techloy.com/tag/anthropic/), and [Meta](https://www.techloy.com/tag/meta/), [Google](https://www.techloy.com/tag/google/) says Gemini realised it had crossed a line and stopped itself before causing any harm. The hack was first [reported](https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/gemini-hacked-three-companies-in-first-known-breakout-by-googles-ai-5c0baba2) by The Wall Street Journal on Friday. According to the report, the incident actually happened back in May 2026 but wasn't disclosed publicly until the newspaper asked Google about it. Google's reasoning for not announcing it earlier was simple: the model didn't harm the affected companies and ended each intrusion as soon as it realised it had accessed real systems instead of a simulated environment. [OpenAI Hugging Face Hack: 8 Details You Should KnowOpenAI just admitted its own AI hacked another company, and nobody told it to.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-dc4cf49c-da10-4090-b9cc-3f5dc6d9fb2c.png)TechloyDamilare Odedina![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1549605659-32d82da3a059-72a99e85-2f7a-4a4a-8404-dd8345503cb4.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/openai-hugging-face-hack/) ## What actually happened? The hacks occurred during a capture-the-flag exercise run by Irregular, a third-party security testing company known for evaluating AI agents. Gemini was instructed to retrieve information from software belonging to a fictional company inside the testing environment. The problem was that the fictional company shared the same name as a real company, and internet access was accidentally left enabled. In the first incident, Gemini guessed a password and gained access to the real company's service. It then recognised it had accessed a real organisation, stopped the operation, and exited immediately. In the other two incidents, the model searched the web, found credentials that had been exposed in public repositories, and used them to access two different companies. Once it realised those companies were real, it stopped those intrusions as well. ## Google's response "This event highlights the importance of training powerful AI models to act responsibly," said Heather Adkins, Google's vice president of security engineering. "In this case, the model acted appropriately." _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Why Businesses Need to Track AI Search Visibility Alongside Traditional SEO Rankings URL: https://www.techloy.com/why-businesses-need-to-track-ai-search-visibility-alongside-traditional-seo-rankings/ Last updated: 2026-09-21T15:09:35.000Z Search visibility is no longer measured only by the position of a website on a standard search engine results page. Customers increasingly use artificial intelligence features and conversational tools to discover companies, compare services and find answers - these systems present information without requiring a visit to standard search results. Companies that monitor only keyword rankings may miss changes in how internet users discover their brands. Tracking artificial intelligence visibility alongside search engine optimization rankings provides a broader view of how a company appears across different platforms. ## **The Role of Traditional Rankings** Traditional search engine optimization rankings are a reliable way to measure the visibility of a website. Search positions show if optimization efforts help specific pages appear for relevant queries. Monitoring rankings also reveals changes caused by algorithm updates, new competitors, technical problems or shifts in demand - these measurements are useful because many individuals interact directly with conventional search results when researching products and services. Rankings provide specific data about individual keywords and landing pages. A [SEO company](https://www.searchenginepeople.com/) can determine which pages gain visibility and which require improvement. Ranking reports do not show if an artificial intelligence response mentions a company. A business could maintain high positions for multiple keywords while receiving little visibility when customers ask artificial intelligence systems broad questions related to those products. ## **Visibility Within Artificial Intelligence Search** Artificial intelligence search changes how customers discover information because responses summarize data from multiple sources. Instead of a list of links, an artificial intelligence response mentions specific companies, explains services or uses website data to provide context. Visibility depends on if a system recognizes a business as a relevant and credible source rather than just its search position. Companies should monitor the types of questions that trigger their brand in artificial intelligence responses, which include searches about services, comparisons, common problems, local providers and industry information. Tracking these patterns reveals opportunities that conventional ranking reports overlook. A search engine optimization agency uses this information to evaluate if content supports broad visibility instead of targeting single keywords. ## **Content Quality Across Channels** Factors that support traditional search visibility also contribute to how information appears in artificial intelligence search. Clear explanations, useful supporting data, accurate business details and organized pages make website content easy for systems to understand. Businesses are more successful when they focus on answering genuine customer questions instead of producing pages for repeated keyword phrases. Content is more effective when it provides enough context for claims and services to be understood accurately. Consistent information across business pages reduces confusion about products, locations and expertise. Reviewing existing content for both traditional and artificial intelligence search helps companies identify missing data, outdated claims and unanswered questions. ## **Measuring Multiple Signals** Tracking artificial intelligence visibility requires a different approach than monitoring traditional rankings. Companies can record if a brand appears in responses to selected questions, the frequency of mentions, associated services and the accuracy of the information - these observations are most useful when reviewed over time to identify trends rather than treating one response as a final measurement. Traditional metrics are a necessary part of the same reporting process. Organic rankings, impressions, clicks, traffic and conversions provide different perspectives on performance. Comparing these signals helps a company understand if visibility leads to website visits or customer actions - this approach prevents the assumption that strong keyword rankings represent complete visibility. ## **Ongoing Review of Search Strategies** Search behavior evolves as customers gain more ways to find information. Companies that regularly review both conventional rankings and artificial intelligence visibility respond to changes with greater awareness. New questions become important while some traditional keyword approaches provide less insight into how customers discover a company. Regular reviews help companies identify content gaps and maintain accurate information across the internet. Instead of treating artificial intelligence search as a replacement for search engine optimization, businesses can treat it as another environment where information is evaluated - this broad approach allows search strategies to account for both established results and emerging experiences. ## **Conclusion** Traditional search engine optimization rankings provide valuable data about website performance but they do not capture every way a customer discovers a business. Artificial intelligence search introduces additional opportunities for brands to appear in answers to questions. By tracking both traditional rankings and artificial intelligence visibility, companies develop a complete understanding of their online presence and make informed adjustments to their content. ### I Tested the Best Chinese AI Models of 2026. Here’s What Each Does Best URL: https://www.techloy.com/best-chinese-ai-models-of-2026/ Last updated: 2026-09-23T04:13:41.000Z Chinese AI models have been the cheaper alternative to American models since 2024, usually with a gap in quality to match. In 2026, though, that gap arguably narrowed. Several now score close to the top frontiers on benchmark tests, and most cost nothing to try. But for me, using them wasn’t about the price or the scores; it was about trust. I wasn't sure any Chinese model could handle what I currently give [ChatGPT](https://www.techloy.com/tag/chatgpt/) and [Claude](https://www.techloy.com/tag/claude/) without me going back over it. So I spent a week finding out. Every task went through at least two Chinese models, and through Claude or [Gemini](https://www.techloy.com/tag/google-gemini/) where the comparison was useful; then whichever came back with the better result took the category. That covered coding, video, image generation, writing, translation, research, and voice. Here are my picks for the best Chinese AI models of 2026, categorised based on what they do: [The 12 Best AI Productivity Tools in 2026 — Ranked by Return on TimeThese tools passed the real-world test.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-d9f43644-bab2-4756-8d09-1e6ea3cfb9a3.png)TechloyDamilare Odedina![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1671726805228-dc54c08408ef-06d522a9-ed2c-471e-bc2b-66ca4711e435.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/the-12-best-ai-productivity-tools-in-2026-ranked-by-return-on-time/) ## /1\. Best Overall: Kimi K3 ![Kimi chat interface](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/Screenshot-2026-09-21-104118.png) Image Credit: Kimi Screenshot/ Damilare [Moonshot AI](https://www.techloy.com/tag/moonshot-ai/) released Kimi K3 in July as its flagship, built for general reasoning, writing, and maths in one model. I tested it on a discount problem. A store takes 30% off, then another 10% off the discounted price, and the question is whether that adds up to 40% saved. Kimi got it right at 37%. Then I asked it to check its own work, and instead of walking me through the same explanation again, it wrote and ran a piece of code to confirm the number. DeepSeek, Qwen, and Claude all got the answer right too, and none of them backed down when I pushed and asked them to find a mistake. Kimi was the only one that went and verified itself rather than restating what it had already said. Across the general tasks I ran, Kimi was the most consistent of the Chinese models, and it competed really well [against](https://www.techloy.com/kimi-k3-vs-opus-4-8-fable-5-gpt-5-6-sol/) Claude on the same test. ## /2\. Best for Coding: Qwen ![Qwen coder chat interface](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/Screenshot-2026-09-21-104813.png) Image Credit: Qwen Coder Screenshot/ Damilare Alibaba's [Qwen](https://www.techloy.com/tag/qwen/) models are free through the website, or you can hook one into your coding setup if you're building something more involved. Qwen's first test was a broken feature, the kind of bug that would crash a star rating or a budget tracker the moment someone tried to use it. It found the problem right away and explained clearly why it was crashing. Then I asked it to handle one more case: what happens if there's no data at all yet. It noticed something on its own that I hadn't even asked about. If nothing has a rating yet, showing "0" makes it look like something scored zero out of five, when really nothing has been rated at all. So, it changed the fix to show "no data" instead, so the two situations couldn't get confused. GLM caught the same crash just as fast, and even added a guard for empty data before I asked. But its guard returned 0, so it stopped the crash without noticing that 0 and "nothing rated yet" would look identical to anyone using the app. Between the two, Qwen is the one I'd pick for coding help. It caught a mistake GLM missed and costs less to run. ![Best Chinese AI Models of 2026 Infographic](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/Best-Chinese-AI-Models-of-2026.png) ## /3\. Best for Video Generation: Kling 3.0 Omni 0:00 /0:05 1× Video generated from prompt /Video Credit: Kling Kuaishou's [Kling](https://www.techloy.com/tag/kling/) is one of the tools people turned to after OpenAI [shut down](https://www.techloy.com/openai-shuts-down-sora-ai-video-generator-5-alternatives-creators-can-use-instead/) Sora this year. Unlike some Chinese AI tools, it only needs an email to sign up; no Chinese phone number required. The prompt described someone walking through rain, holding an umbrella, camera tracking from the side, coat moving in the wind. The result came out nice; it handled the physical details around the coat, umbrella, and movement really well, and the sound sync was impressive too; I just didn't see much of the rain in the scene. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Madden NFL 27 Update Tests EA’s Revenue Model After $55B Buyout URL: https://www.techloy.com/madden-nfl-27-update-ea-buyout/ Last updated: 2026-09-21T13:58:00.000Z Madden NFL 27’s [September 16](https://www.ea.com/games/madden-nfl/news/madden-nfl-27-title-update-september-16) update arrived at an interesting point in the game’s lifecycle. Just 34 days after launch, EA pushed a substantial patch addressing problems across Ultimate Team, Franchise, Superstar, and online leagues. Among the fixes were Ultimate Team storefront errors, blocked lineup creation, auction-house problems, Franchise contract and salary-cap issues, and online leagues that players could not access. Those may sound like routine live-service problems, but they affect some of the systems that keep Madden active long after players have bought the game. That makes the update particularly interesting for Electronic Arts following its $55 billion take-private deal. EA completed its acquisition in August, ending its time as a publicly traded company. With the company now private, there will be less quarterly visibility into how individual franchises are performing. What remains central to the business, however, is the same question that has defined much of EA's growth in recent years: how effectively can its biggest games keep players engaged after launch? Madden NFL 27 offers a small but useful window into that process. [Madden 27 Release Date: Early Access Times and PriceMadden 27 technically isn’t out yet, but if you know the right membership, you could be playing it in less than 24 hours.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-ed0f498f-b9a6-4bd7-a7ce-f98ea772f830.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1727357310559-f4733fc51be6-8fbd8f71-c2d6-4e1b-b7c8-5316f7284322.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/madden-27-release-date-early-access-price/) ## Madden NFL 27 is already in its post-launch phase Madden launched on August 13, with its first major update arriving 13 days later. The September 16 [patch](https://www.ea.com/games/madden-nfl/news/madden-nfl-27-title-update-september-16?utm%5Fsource=chatgpt.com) goes deeper into the game's underlying systems. Ultimate Team received fixes for storefront issues, lineup creation, and auction-house functionality. Franchise received changes addressing contracts and salary-cap logic, while problems preventing access to online leagues were also resolved. The significance is less about the number of bugs than where they occurred. Ultimate Team is built around collecting players, managing lineups, competing, and progressing through ongoing content. Franchise gives players a reason to continue managing a team over time, while online leagues turn Madden into a recurring social and competitive experience. When those systems fail, the problem is bigger than an isolated technical glitch. They interfere with the activities that players are expected to return to throughout the game's annual cycle. That is why post-launch maintenance matters. EA has to keep Madden functional as new content, competitive events, and Ultimate Team programs continue to arrive. The September update shows the company actively doing that, rather than allowing problems in core modes to linger. But the patch alone cannot tell us whether those fixes are translating into stronger engagement or higher spending. [Why Is Helldivers 2 Missing From UK Steam? Sony RespondsSony says it is working with Valve to restore Helldivers 2 and other PlayStation games that temporarily disappeared from the UK Steam store.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-6cffbb43-36a3-4e05-a61c-0b79ed890ae8.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1677722016462-c1c367f02a40-2371b00e-978a-4787-bc99-87d706504961.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/helldivers-2-missing-uk-steam/) ## EA's numbers explain why the post-launch cycle matters The financial importance of keeping players engaged becomes clearer when looking at EA's last public quarter. For the quarter ended June 30, 2026, EA generated $1.986 billion in revenue. Live services and other revenue accounted for $1.472 billion, or 74.1% of the total, while full-game revenue contributed $514 million. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/EA-Reported-Figures-for-Madden-NFL-27.png) Bookings tell a similar story. EA reported $1.12 billion in live-services bookings during the quarter, compared with $233 million in full-game bookings. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### How to Convert DVDs for Better Playback and Storage URL: https://www.techloy.com/how-to-convert-dvds-for-better-playback-and-storage/ Last updated: 2026-09-21T11:02:11.000Z DVDs may no longer be the default way to watch movies, but that does not mean the discs people already own have become useless. The bigger problem is access. Many newer laptops no longer include optical drives, while phones, tablets, and smart TVs are built around digital files and streaming apps. For anyone with a shelf full of movies, family recordings, or hard-to-find titles, converting DVDs to digital can make the collection easier to use without throwing away the original discs. A DVD ripper can extract the video from a disc and save it as a file, such as MP4 or MKV. Once the conversion is finished, the files can be kept on a computer, external hard drive, USB drive or home media server. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/data-src-image-77a84c3b-2925-4f73-ac93-a5198e92545a.png) ## **Why Convert DVDs to Digital?** The most obvious reason is convenience, but storage is only part of the story. A DVD requires a compatible drive and a physical disc every time you want to watch it. A digital copy can sit on a laptop or external drive and be played without connecting an optical drive. There is also the problem of availability. A movie disappearing from a streaming service does not affect a disc sitting on your shelf. This matters even more for older films, special editions and personal recordings that may never appear on a streaming platform. Digitization also reduces the risk of losing access because of scratches or disc deterioration. The original DVD can remain untouched as an archive while the digital copy becomes the everyday viewing version. ## **How DVD Conversion Works and Which Format to Choose** A DVD does not normally contain a single MP4 movie file waiting to be copied. Video and audio are stored through DVD structures and VOB files, along with information for chapters, subtitles, menus and different titles. DVD conversion software reads that structure, identifies the relevant video and audio streams, and then either extracts them or converts them into a more convenient format. For example: [DVD to MP4](https://www.winxdvd.com/resource/dvd-to-mp4.htm) creates a broadly compatible video file for computers, phones, tablets and TVs. DVD to MKV is useful when keeping multiple audio tracks, subtitles or more of the original video information matters. DVD to ISO preserves the disc structure in a single image file, which is closer to keeping a digital copy of the entire disc. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/data-src-image-ab43959a-00f5-4e9b-bb96-57533dc626fa.png) ## **Choosing a DVD Ripper: What Actually Matters** The number of supported formats is rarely the most important specification. A few practical details have a bigger impact on the final result. ### 1\. DVD compatibility Not every DVD behaves the same way. Homemade discs, standard movie DVDs, episodic TV discs and damaged or poorly authored discs can present different problems. ### 2\. Ripping speed Ripping speed becomes much more noticeable when you are dealing with an entire shelf of DVDs rather than one or two movies. Waiting an hour for a single disc may be tolerable; repeating that process across dozens of titles quickly adds up. The actual time can vary with the disc itself, the optical drive, computer hardware, GPU acceleration and encoding settings. A software tool that looks fast in a benchmark may also slow down when handling complex DVD structures or damaged discs, so real-world consistency matters as much as the headline speed. ### 3\. Output quality A smaller file is not automatically a better result. Too much compression can leave DVD footage looking soft, blocky or lacking in detail, particularly in dark scenes and fast-moving shots. Quality also extends beyond the picture. Re-encoding can affect the original audio, while some tools may skip certain audio tracks, subtitles or chapters during conversion. For a personal DVD library, the goal is usually to keep the picture and sound close to the source. ### 4\. Output size A digital library can grow surprisingly quickly. Converting dozens of DVDs at high quality may require hundreds of gigabytes of storage. It is worth deciding in advance whether the files are intended for a television, phone, media server or archival drive. There is little benefit in keeping enormous files when the same content will primarily be watched on a small screen. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/data-src-image-9d8b078f-bf18-4742-bf86-55ae8170328f.png) ## **Software That Can Handle DVD Conversion** Once the main requirements are clear, the choice usually comes down to how much control you want over compatibility, output quality, file size and batch processing. A few established tools take different approaches: [WinX DVD Ripper](https://www.winxdvd.com/dvd-ripper/): A good option for larger DVD collections, with support for a wide range of home DVDs, multiple output formats, GPU acceleration and batch processing. It can be useful when the goal is to get a playable digital copy without spending too much time adjusting encoding settings. HandBrake: A free, open-source transcoder that works well for unprotected DVDs and other video sources. It offers detailed control over codecs, quality and file size, making it a good fit for users who prefer to handle the conversion settings themselves. MakeMKV: Takes a different approach by focusing on extracting the DVD's original video and audio streams into MKV files rather than heavily compressing them during the initial step. This preserves more of the source structure, but the resulting files can be considerably larger and may need another conversion step for phones, TVs or media servers. WinX DVD Ripper focuses on direct conversion and broader DVD handling, HandBrake on configurable transcoding, and MakeMKV on stream extraction with minimal processing. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/data-src-image-197a47d3-dcb8-425b-8567-f1fd372e80c8.png) ## **Where Should You Store the Digital Copies?** Moving DVDs to USB flash drives is convenient for moving a few movies, but it is not necessarily the best long-term home for a large library. Coping DVDs to an external hard drive provides much more capacity for the money. A NAS can go further by making the collection available across devices on a home network, while services such as Plex, Jellyfin and Kodi can help organise larger libraries. For important family recordings, relying on a single drive is risky. A failed disk can turn a carefully digitized collection into another data-recovery problem. A second copy on another drive, with an additional off-site backup for irreplaceable recordings, provides much more protection. ## **Don't Throw Away the DVDs Too Quickly** Digitizing a collection does not have to mean replacing physical media altogether. The original discs remain useful as the source copy, particularly for rare movies, collector editions and personal recordings. A digital version simply removes the need to handle the disc every time you want to watch it. That distinction matters because DVD conversion is not only about making old movies smaller or easier to play. It is about separating preservation from access. Keep the physical disc where it can be protected. Use the digital copy for everyday playback. ## **The Bottom Line** A DVD collection becomes much easier to live with once its contents are available as ordinary video files. DVD to MP4 is generally the most convenient route for everyday playback, while MKV, ISO or a direct disc backup can make more sense when preserving additional information is important. The right setup ultimately comes down to what is on the discs and where the files will be used. A small collection may only need a computer and external drive. A larger library may benefit from a dedicated storage system and media server. Either way, the goal is the same: keep the movies accessible without making the original DVDs do all the work. ### Samsung One UI 9 Is Rolling Out Now URL: https://www.techloy.com/samsung-one-ui-9-rollout-update/ Last updated: 2026-09-21T10:34:54.000Z If you've been waiting for [One UI 9](https://www.techloy.com/tag/one-ui/), you can finally start celebrating. [Samsung](https://www.techloy.com/tag/samsung/) has officially started rolling out its latest software update, with the [Galaxy S26](https://www.techloy.com/tag/samsung-galaxy-s26/), Galaxy S26+, and Galaxy S26 Ultra getting it first. The update began rolling out in South Korea on September 16, with a wider global rollout expected from September 21. One UI 9 is based on [Android 17](https://www.techloy.com/i-installed-android-17-these-are-the-7-features-youll-actually-use/) and brings new Galaxy AI features, stronger privacy tools, and several quality-of-life improvements. Here's everything you need to know. [Android 17 Review: Bugs, Features & Pixel ExperienceHere’s what changed, the bugs I encountered, and whether Google’s latest update is worth installing.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-5406e1b5-8357-4b30-b227-e3bc1f7b33bf.png)TechloyLouis Eriakha![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1657803905676-d6e67caf1d3b-e0e37c17-0e6e-4c84-8c49-7fecd7c25a41.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/android-17-review-pixel/) ## When your Galaxy device will get One UI 9 The Galaxy S26 lineup is first in line. The update is already live in South Korea and starts arriving in more markets from September 21. The Galaxy S25 series, Galaxy Z Flip 7, and Galaxy Z Fold 7 are expected to receive One UI 9 from September 28 in some markets. The Galaxy S23 FE is currently slated for October. Samsung hasn't published a complete rollout schedule for every eligible Galaxy phone and tablet yet, but it says more devices will receive the update in the coming weeks. ## How to download One UI 9 Once the update is available for your device: - Open Settings. - Tap Software update. - Select Download and install. - Follow the prompts to install One UI 9. You can also enable Automatic updates so your Galaxy device downloads and installs the update as soon as it's available. ## The biggest new features in One UI 9 One UI 9 introduces several new Galaxy AI features, with My FanCam leading the list. It can track a selected person in a video and keep them centred in the frame, making it useful for concerts, sporting events, and school performances. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Nvidia’s Jensen Huang Rejects AI Extinction Fears as Industry Debate Grows URL: https://www.techloy.com/jensen-huang-ai-extinction-fears/ Last updated: 2026-09-21T10:09:11.000Z [Nvidia](https://www.techloy.com/tag/nvidia/) CEO Jensen Huang has rejected warnings from AI researchers and industry leaders that the rapid development of [artificial intelligence](https://www.techloy.com/tag/artificial-intelligence/) could pose an existential threat to humanity, calling predictions that AI could destroy the world by 2030 “doomsday narratives.” In an [interview](https://www.cbsnews.com/video/extended-interview-nvidia-ceo-jensen-huang-on-fears-about-ai/) with CBS News aired Sunday, Huang said there is “0% chance” that 2030 will mark the end of the world and questioned the motives of AI leaders calling for greater government oversight of the industry. “Go and read between the lines,” Huang said. “They’re actually not asking for more laws. They’re asking to be relieved of the laws we do have.” “They must be doing it for ulterior reasons,” he added. These comments come as the Nvidia boss thinks there may be more to what some leading AI executives are letting on about their calls to slow development, although he said he does not know what their motivations are. [Jensen Huang Says AGI Has Arrived. Can GPT-6 Astra Prove It?Nvidia’s CEO Jensen Huang says GPT-6 Astra marks the arrival of AGI, but its benchmarks and the experts evaluating them suggest the finish line is far from settled.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-1ce4e98e-de57-4fe8-aebd-9752b403cc15.png)TechloyKelechi Edeh![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/image-8--2--39011e73-0369-493f-95b6-0b53aea979e1.png)](https://www.techloy.com/jensen-huang-agi-gpt-6-astra/) ## Why the AI slowdown debate is growing Huang’s remark comes after a recent warning by former Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon, who said the technology “could kill us all by the end of the decade.” His warning has added to calls within the AI industry for a slowdown in development, with several leading AI executives backing the need for greater caution. In his nearly 4,000-word [essay](https://darioamodei.com/post/we-must-pace-the-frontier) titled “We Must Pace the Frontier,” Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei said he had become convinced that the industry needs to “pace the frontier” to reduce the risks posed by increasingly capable AI systems. The call has since gained attention in a rare moment of alignment, with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman backing the proposal and writing on [X](https://x.com/sama/status/2098811563415150910?lang=en) that he agreed with Amodei that “we need to pace the frontier.” OpenAI also said it would give third-party safety evaluators employee-level access to its systems, following a similar commitment from Anthropic. Elon Musk also supported Amodei’s position, [writing](https://x.com/elonmusk/status/2098789109980332057) that “Dario is right.” These calls for a slower pace of AI development come as concerns grow over what increasingly capable systems could mean for humanity, a prospect Huang has rejected. ## Why Huang disagrees? Huang described the more extreme predictions about AI as “not grounded in science” and said that “scaring people is unnecessary” and “irresponsible.” _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Why Xbox Didn’t Cancel Fable After 10 Years in Development URL: https://www.techloy.com/fable-10-years-development-xbox/ Last updated: 2026-09-21T10:00:22.000Z There was a point when I wouldn't have blamed anyone for assuming that Fable was never actually going to make it. The reboot was announced in 2020, but the project had already been in the works for years. Since then, we've watched [Xbox](https://www.techloy.com/tag/microsoft-xbox/) cancel major projects, close studios, and reshape how it approaches game development. Everwild disappeared. Perfect Dark was cancelled. Other projects never made it to the finish line. And yet, somehow, Fable kept going. Now we have a better idea of why. According to Playground Games co-founder and Fable game director Ralph Fulton, the reboot survived its unusually long development cycle partly because people inside Xbox consider the franchise an important part of the company's identity. Speaking to [The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/games/2026/sep/15/we-were-bored-of-traditional-fantasy-cliches-inside-playground-games-10-year-effort-to-revive-fable), Fulton said, “I genuinely think Fable is an important game. What has protected us over a long development cycle is that so many people within Xbox view Fable as vital to the DNA of the platform.” That is a pretty revealing comment, considering when you consider just how long this game has been in development. [Xbox Tokyo Game Show 2026: 17 Reveals, Game Pass & KojimaXbox’s Tokyo Game Show 2026 showcase featured new gameplay, release dates, Game Pass announcements and surprise updates on Kojima’s OD and PHYSINT.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-ea8409e8-9551-4b0b-a8d4-97fe6873474b.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1558008258-ec20a83db196-8df74c07-8b16-4b5d-b4e7-1e04e403d4de.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/tokyo-game-show-2026-everything-announced/) ## Fable has been in development for almost 10 years One of the easiest details to miss about the new Fable is that its 2020 announcement wasn't actually the beginning of the project. According to Fulton, Xbox signed the contract with Playground Games in 2017\. That means the reboot is effectively arriving about a decade after development began. Xbox now lists Fable for release on February 23, 2027, for Xbox Series X|S and PC, and it will also comewith the game also coming to PlayStation 5. That makes the project's survival particularly interesting. The gaming industry has changed dramatically since 2017\. Live-service games became a much bigger priority, development costs continued to rise, studios went through layoffs and restructuring, and Microsoft itself made some significant changes to its gaming business. Yet Fable remained. And Fulton believes the franchise's position within Xbox had something to do with that. “I would go a step further and say it’s important to video games as a whole. It offers a combination of elements that simply doesn’t exist anywhere else”, Fulton added. That second part is particularly important because Playground isn't simply trying to make another open-world RPG. It's trying to bring back Fable. ## Why is Fable so important to Xbox? The answer probably starts with what makes Fable different. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### FF7 Revelation Could Need 200GB, Putting Xbox Storage to the Test URL: https://www.techloy.com/ff7-revelation-200gb-xbox-storage/ Last updated: 2026-09-21T09:52:43.000Z [Xbox](https://www.techloy.com/tag/microsoft-xbox/) owners might want to start clearing some space now, because 2027 is shaping up to be a pretty brutal year for storage. We've already got massive games like [GTA 6](https://www.techloy.com/tag/gta-6/) and Fable coming, and now Final Fantasy VII Revelation has entered the conversation with a potential file size that could make your Xbox's storage look surprisingly small. In a recent interview with [VGC](https://www.videogameschronicle.com/features/interviews/ff7-revelation-director-hamaguchi-discusses-the-games-200gb-size-dlc-plans-and-a-new-tifa-detail/), Final Fantasy VII Revelation director Naoki Hamaguchi said the final chapter of Square Enix's Final Fantasy VII remake trilogy could be around 200GB when it launches in April 2027. Yes, 200GB. And while that number isn't necessarily final, it's enough to make Final Fantasy VII Revelation one of the biggest Xbox games in terms of download size if it ships anywhere close to that figure. [Xbox Game Pass October 2026 Lineup: 7 Games ConfirmedGears of War: E-Day leads an October lineup that already has seven confirmed games.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-d3287954-f6db-4710-af38-c8e285a75130.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1638431755905-631694da8921-e3100379-c09b-492f-858a-735184b78804.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/xbox-game-pass-october-2026-lineup/) ## How big will Final Fantasy VII Revelation be on Xbox? “Things are still getting worked out, but it’s probably going to be around 200GB of game,” Hamaguchi said. That's a pretty remarkable number, especially when you consider that this isn't some enormous collection containing several games. It's one game. Hamaguchi's comments also explain why Square Enix is facing some interesting decisions around the physical release. A game of this size isn't something that can simply be squeezed onto a standard disc and shipped as if storage limitations don't exist. He acknowledged that challenge while stressing that the team still wants players to have a physical product. “One thing I want to say is, even though the game will not be on the full disc, in the position we’re in, because discs may be dying out, or maybe staying, with Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, we definitely wanted to deliver some kind of physical product. That was really important to us. Trust me!” he added. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The 10 Artists Who Have Dominated Spotify Nigeria’s Daily Chart Since 2022 URL: https://www.techloy.com/most-streamed-artists-nigeria-spotify/ Last updated: 2026-09-19T11:00:45.000Z I've always been fascinated by the numbers behind music. Maybe it comes from making music myself while also having one eye on the bigger ambition of breaking into big banks. I’ve always wanted to know more than whether a song sounds good. Who is listening? Where are they listening? Why does one song stick around while another disappears? That’s why The Debut Hub’s [latest](https://thedebuthub.com/articles/10-most-streamed-artists-spotify-nigeria-daily-chart) look at Spotify Nigeria caught my attention. Between February 20, 2022, and September 13, 2026, it tracked 11.27 billion streams across 4,994 songs by 939 primary artists on Spotify Nigeria’s Daily Top Songs chart. And one artist sits well above everyone else. [Asake Tops Nigeria’s H1 2026 Streaming Race: What ChangedAsake led Nigeria’s H1 2026 streaming charts with 681 million streams, up 42.8% from 2025, driven by M$NEY, collaborations and his growing catalogue.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-cce8205e-e99c-495f-8d43-3bc11e855006.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/7dd37e81-bffe-4f97-93b0-886e7457fe11-41fdad21-a639-4d90-a878-792871bb5b96.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/asake-most-streamed-nigerian-artist-h1-2026/) ## Asake is in a league of his own Asake has more than 1.55 billion streams in the dataset, making him the only artist to cross the billion mark. That’s about 13.8% of all the streams The Debut Hub tracked. In simpler terms, roughly one in every seven streams in the dataset comes from an Asake song. Seyi Vibez follows with more than 800 million, while Wizkid has around 770 million and FOLA accounts for roughly 6% of the total, as seen in the chart below. But there’s an important detail here. These aren't an artist’s total [Spotify](https://www.techloy.com/tag/spotify/) streams. The Debut Hub is counting streams from songs while they appeared on Spotify Nigeria’s Daily Top Songs chart. So this data is really telling us who has been able to stay in Nigeria’s streaming conversation. And that makes the rest of the list much more interesting. ## Old stars. New stars. Same audience. Wizkid, Davido and Burna Boy helped take Afrobeats to the global mainstream. Then came artists like Asake, Seyi Vibez, FOLA and [ODUMODUBLVCK](https://www.techloy.com/odumodublvck-enters-spotify-nigerias-all-time-top-10-with-industry-machine/), each bringing a different sound and audience with them. What’s interesting is that the newer generation hasn’t simply pushed the older one out. They’re all finding substantial audiences at the same time. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave Is Massive, Ambitious, and Hard to Ignore URL: https://www.techloy.com/fire-emblem-fortunes-weave-review/ Last updated: 2026-09-18T16:08:16.000Z Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave is finally here, and after going through the reviews and watching a good amount of gameplay, one thing is becoming clear to me: this is a very different kind of Fire Emblem game. Intelligent Systems has taken the route-based storytelling of Three Houses and pushed it considerably further, building a game around four protagonists, multiple storylines, tactical battles, exploration and a huge amount of character and resource management. The critical response has been largely positive, but there is an interesting disagreement underneath those strong scores. Most reviewers seem impressed by how much Fortune’s Weave is trying to do. The question is whether all of that content makes the game better. [Mixtape Reviews Praise Soundtrack and Visuals, but Critics Say Story Falls ShortCritics compare the coming-of-age adventure to Spider-Verse and Life Is Strange, highlighting its chaotic minigames and nostalgic 90s energy.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-95ae2f55-a611-43e8-9c11-11b4c80d6d20.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1626686707291-7bda5c45e8a8-2f214168-c36d-4439-8c92-2460dfd78394.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/mixtape-reviews-praise-soundtrack-and-visuals-but-critics-say-story-falls-short/) ## Is Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave Good? From the reviews I’ve gone through, the answer is largely yes — although the reasons vary. The strongest praise is directed at the game's ambition. VGC [describes](https://www.videogameschronicle.com/review/fire-emblem-fortunes-weave/) Fortune’s Weave as “one of the boldest strategy RPGs I’ve ever played,” while IGN [calls](https://www.ign.com/articles/fire-emblem-fortunes-weave-review) its approach an “ambitious leap forward.” Those descriptions make sense when you look at how Intelligent Systems has structured the game. Rather than simply giving players another linear Fire Emblem campaign, Fortune’s Weave follows four protagonists—Cai, Dietrich, Theodora and Leda—whose stories eventually converge. That structure immediately reminds me of what made Three Houses interesting, but Fortune’s Weave appears to be much more deliberate about making those different perspectives part of the same larger story. ## How Good Is Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave’s Combat? This is where the game seems most consistently successful. The traditional Fire Emblem grid-based battles are still the foundation, but Fortune’s Weave adds new systems such as Blaze Arts, alongside different objectives and more varied encounters. TechRadar describes it as a “masterful tactical RPG,” while GamesRadar+ highlights its “deep tactical battles.” From the gameplay footage I’ve watched, the combat certainly looks like the part of the game where all those systems make the most sense. Positioning, character builds, abilities and team composition appear to matter, rather than simply throwing stronger characters onto the battlefield. That is important because Fortune’s Weave has added considerably more around the battles. [Monster Hunter Wilds Nintendo Switch 2 Gameplay & ReleaseMonster Hunter Wilds launches on Nintendo Switch 2 on December 4, 2026, with the first gameplay footage now showing how it runs on Nintendo’s new console.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-2b0257e4-fa50-4ee3-abf1-230a0da83e56.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1749264292585-858660898055-c2d86d09-be55-4aeb-b84f-b3e316647ace.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/monster-hunter-wilds-nintendo-switch-2-gameplay/) ## How Long Is Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave? Very long. The Verge puts a full playthrough at around 130 hours, while TechRadar's reviewer says they had already spent more than 200 hours with the game and still had more to see. That immediately tells you what kind of RPG this is. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### What Is China Seeing in the iPhone 18 Pro That Other Markets Aren’t? URL: https://www.techloy.com/iphone-18-pro-demand-china-higher-prices/ Last updated: 2026-09-18T16:03:55.000Z Smartphone prices are going up as AI puts pressure on the global memory supply. The smartphone market is [expected](https://omdia.tech.informa.com/blogs/2026/sep/global-smartphone-market-to-contract-12percent-in-2026-as-price-mix-shifts-toward-higher-price-bands) to shrink by 12% this year, with rising memory costs hitting entry-level devices particularly hard. But the [iPhone 18 Pro](https://www.techloy.com/apple-iphone-18-pro-price-1399/) is doing something rather unexpected. Early [reports](https://www.phonearena.com/news/iphone-18-pro-reportedly-sells-significantly-better-than-last-year-in-a-crucial-market%5Fid183430) claim [Apple](https://www.techloy.com/tag/apple/) has recorded more than 7 million preorders for the iPhone 18 Pro models in China. One retailer says revenue during the first three days of preorders was double what the [iPhone 17 Pro](https://www.techloy.com/iphone-17-pro-vs-google-pixel-10-pro-vs-samsung-galaxy-s25/) generated during the same period last year, while several retailers reported the phones selling out in less than a minute. This is the world's largest smartphone market, and the iPhone 18 Pro appears to be defying gravity. > OMG, the iPhone 18 Pro series is selling like crazy in China again! > Pre-orders opened at 8 PM on September 12, and the phones sold out on and other major platforms in less than a minute, with total reservations surpassing 7 MILLION. > Even crazier: as of… [pic.twitter.com/tgS5O0WSSR](https://t.co/tgS5O0WSSR) > > — Ice Universe (@UniverseIce) [September 17, 2026](https://x.com/UniverseIce/status/2100425827536208083?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw) The picture in the US looks different, though. Both Pro models saw shipping dates slip by only a couple of weeks, even days after preorders opened—a sign that demand may be more measured there. The same phone, features, $100 price increase, and yet two very different reactions. [iPhone iOS 27 Update: What Changed After 1 DayApple made a few tweaks to improve the Liquid Glass experience, but there are still a few things that bug me.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-928df71e-f348-41e2-b8f3-11e9a0f5ec27.png)TechloyOgbonda Chivumnovu![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1592898741922-5dd6de5f698c-d355440f-ccd9-4f2e-8ed7-2b97d427d691.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/iphone-ios-27-update-what-changed-after-1-day/) ## What's driving demand in China? Interestingly, the smaller iPhone 18 Pro is proving more popular than the Pro Max this year. Reports suggest around 60% of preorders were for the smaller model, with buyers preferring its lighter weight and more comfortable size. The new burgundy finish has also become an early favourite. In China, the colour has gained extra attention because its Chinese name sounds similar to words associated with prosperity and good fortune. Most buyers are choosing the 256GB base model, which many retailers describe as the "more rational choice" now that prices have increased across the lineup. ## The memory crisis is real Apple isn't raising prices in a vacuum. The ongoing memory shortage, driven largely by growing demand for AI hardware, has pushed up component costs across the industry. Earlier this year, Apple increased prices for some [Macs](https://www.techloy.com/tag/macbook/) and [iPads](https://www.techloy.com/tag/apple-ipad/), and the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max both received a $100 price hike. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 😬 Apple finally fixed the thing everyone hated URL: https://www.techloy.com/newsletter-week-38-2026-iphone-18-pro-ios-27-tesla-roadster/ Last updated: 2026-09-18T15:59:14.000Z The iPhone 18 Pro went on sale in India this week, and some people decided sleep was optional. People camped outside Apple Stores; the queues became meme material, and one buyer said he sold his gold to buy one for his wife. For a phone starting at $1,199, that's commitment in my books. Anyway, while the internet was busy with that... here's what you might have missed. **In this week's issue:** - iOS 27 fixed Liquid Glass. Sort of. - Widow’s Bay broke an Emmy record. - Tesla’s Roadster might actually fly. See you next week! — [Kelechi](https://www.techloy.com/author/kelechi/), *Interim Managing Editor* --- ## **🚀 BIG STORY** ![A hand holds a phone with the time displayed](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/photo-1750637215760-7955c6c98649.jpeg) Photo by [Shuvro Mojumder](https://unsplash.com/@shuvrosettledown) / [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=api-credit) ### 📱 I spent a day with iOS 27, and Liquid Glass is finally starting to make sense *By Ogbonda Chivumnovu* After spending a day with iOS 27, I expected the usual collection of tiny Apple tweaks. But to my surprise, Liquid Glass feels... better. The new translucency slider is genuinely useful, the Camera app is more customisable, and even the tiny animations make my phone feel a little nicer to use. But some of the transparency still feels like a lot, and Apple wouldn't let me use Siri AI (yet). So, is iOS 27 a big upgrade, or just Apple cleaning up last year's mess? [READ THE FULL STORY](https://www.techloy.com/iphone-ios-27-update-what-changed-after-1-day/) --- ## **⚡️ MORE BIG STORIES** ![](https://static.klipy.com/ii/4493325008d34b7bf8cd6813cd5c1619/78/4b/ULue755nMGr7Eo5YtqmR.gif) ### 📺 The Emmys had a very good night for Widow’s Bay Widow’s Bay basically [cleaned up at this year’s Emmys](https://www.techloy.com/2026-emmy-winners-biggest-wins/), taking home 14 awards and breaking the record The Studio set last year. The Pitt won Outstanding Drama Series for the second year in a row, while Matthew Rhys had perhaps the strangest achievement of the night: two lead-acting wins in two different categories. And yes, there was also a Dolly Parton tribute. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The Real Lizzie Borden Is Still a Mystery, So Netflix Had to Invent Her URL: https://www.techloy.com/monster-lizzie-borden-true-story/ Last updated: 2026-09-18T15:34:05.000Z Most people know the rhyme. Far fewer know how little certainty exists behind it. In 1892, Lizzie Borden was accused of killing her father and stepmother in their Fall River, Massachusetts, home. She was acquitted at trial, and more than 130 years later, the question of what actually happened remains unanswered. [Netflix](https://www.techloy.com/tag/netflix/) has now turned this uncertainty into eight episodes with Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story, the fourth instalment of Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan’s anthology series. All episodes arrived on [September 17, 2026](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/monster-the-lizzie-borden-story-true-story), with Ella Beatty playing Lizzie alongside Vicky Krieps, Rebecca Hall, Charlie Hunnam and Sarah Paulson. The interesting part is that Netflix cannot really tell Lizzie’s story as fact. Too much of it has disappeared into speculation. [Beauty in Black Season 4 Release Date, Cast and MoreNetflix has renewed Tyler Perry’s Beauty in Black for Season 4 after previously announcing that the drama would end with its third season.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-044de5f8-6075-4c9d-850f-245a0c2a96b9.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1675358742476-6ad595824519-a677c63a-d076-4162-b6f1-37dfd7dde732.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/beauty-in-black-season-4-release-date-cast/) ## The woman behind the nursery rhyme Andrew Borden, 70, and his wife Abby, 64, were killed on August 4, 1892\. Andrew was found on a sofa downstairs, while Abby was discovered upstairs. Lizzie, Andrew’s daughter and Abby’s stepdaughter, was at the family home and quickly became the prime suspect. The family’s live-in maid, Bridget Sullivan, was also there. Lizzie was arrested, tried in 1893 and acquitted by an all-male jury after a trial that lasted about two weeks. No one else was convicted of the killings. That legal ending is important because it means Monster is working with an unusually large blank space. Netflix’s own account acknowledges that “no one knows” whether Lizzie committed the murders, while noting that the surviving evidence has kept suspicion around her for generations. ## What Netflix changes about Lizzie The series presents Lizzie as a young woman trapped inside a restrictive Victorian household, with a difficult relationship with her father and stepmother. Her relationship with Bridget “Maggie” Sullivan becomes central to the story, with the two women finding an escape from the limitations of their lives. Netflix describes the relationship as leading them towards a “fantasy of sex, power, and revenge”. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Helldivers 2 Suddenly Vanished From UK Steam. Is Sony Removing It? URL: https://www.techloy.com/helldivers-2-missing-uk-steam/ Last updated: 2026-09-18T13:47:52.000Z [Sony](https://www.techloy.com/tag/sony/) is working with Valve to restore several PlayStation-published games that suddenly disappeared from the UK Steam store, including Helldivers 2 and Horizon Forbidden West Complete Edition. The games became unavailable to purchase in the UK on September 16, although players who already owned them could continue downloading and playing them from their Steam libraries. Sony has since confirmed that the disappearance was caused by an issue and said it is working with Valve to resolve it. On its own, this looks like a storefront problem. The timing, however, makes it more interesting because it comes as Sony continues to make significant changes to how PlayStation games are sold, released and supported across console and PC. [Helldivers 2 Siege Breakers Premium Warbond Drops February 3The game brings new weapons, armor, and gear to smash, blast, and dominate the battlefield.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-f280118f-2b58-4bc1-b606-9d0cb445ac3d.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1638431755905-631694da8921-3a0f50aa-77fc-43f1-9818-6022ef5ecbde.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/helldivers-2-siege-breakers-premium-warbond-drops-february-3/) ## Why Did Helldivers 2 Disappear from Steam in the UK? Players in the UK noticed that [Helldivers 2 on Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/) and Horizon Forbidden West were suddenly unavailable for purchase. Sony Interactive Entertainment subsequently confirmed that the disappearance was not an announced change to its PC strategy. In a statement to VGC, a Sony spokesperson [said](https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/sony-responds-after-pc-games-including-helldivers-2-disappear-in-uk/), “We are aware of an issue affecting the availability of select titles on Steam in the UK.” The company added, “We are working with Valve to address the issue. We apologize for the inconvenience.” Sony Interactive Entertainment acknowledged the situation, saying it was aware of an issue affecting the availability of select titles on Steam in the UK and was working with Valve to address it. The company apologised for the inconvenience but did not explain exactly what caused the games to disappear or provide a timeframe for their return. Importantly, this did not shut down either game for existing owners. The titles remained playable through players' Steam libraries, meaning the problem was specifically related to purchasing or activating the games in the affected region. ## Is Helldivers 2 Being Removed from Steam? There is currently no indication that Sony is permanently removing Helldivers 2 from Steam. In fact, Sony's own[ Helldivers 2 PlayStation page](https://www.playstation.com/en-us/games/helldivers-2/) continues to list PC as one of the game's platforms and directs players to Steam. The game's original PC release was also a deliberate part of Sony's strategy.[ PlayStation confirmed ahead of launch](https://blog.playstation.com/2023/09/14/helldivers-2-launches-on-february-8-2024/) that Helldivers 2 would release simultaneously on PS5 and Steam on February 8, 2024. That makes the UK disappearance look much more like the temporary availability problem Sony has described than a decision to pull the game from PC. [Sony PlayStation Store Credit Settlement: Who Gets Paid?Eligible U.S. PlayStation customers could receive a share of Sony’s $7.85 million settlement as PSN wallet credit, with most active accounts requiring no claim form.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-f8adbc28-9860-4ba8-8f02-a1556bce393d.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1600527487326-cab0c8e3d831-8f5e7c9f-8a0d-4303-9a99-dda9a414f762.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/sony-playstation-store-credit-settlement/) ## Why Is Helldivers 2 So Important to Sony's PC Strategy? _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Three Researchers Used Claude to Hack OpenAI. Then Got $6,500 URL: https://www.techloy.com/openai-hacked-using-claude/ Last updated: 2026-09-18T13:44:24.000Z A lot has been happening in the AI world lately. Several AI leaders have publicly argued that AI development needs to slow down. Just yesterday, [OpenAI](https://www.techloy.com/tag/openai/) published a [report](https://www.techloy.com/openai-6-ai-safety-incidents-models/) detailing six concerning AI safety incidents it discovered over the past six months, warning that the industry hasn't solved AI alignment well enough to keep scaling models at maximum speed. Now there's another incident. Three security researchers [say](https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/hackers-used-anthropics-claude-to-break-into-openai-b40ba883) they broke into OpenAI — and, ironically, they used Anthropic's [Claude](https://www.techloy.com/tag/claude/) to help do it. The twist is hard to ignore because OpenAI's own models were recently caught hacking Hugging Face during a security test just a few weeks ago. OpenAI ended up paying the researchers $6,500 through its bug bounty programme, where companies reward ethical hackers for responsibly disclosing security flaws before malicious actors can exploit them. ## How the breach happened The three researchers from Hacktron AI exploited a vulnerability in OpenAI's community forum, which is hosted on the third-party platform Discourse. According to the researchers, they obtained authentication tokens that also worked across [ChatGPT](https://www.techloy.com/tag/chatgpt/) and OpenAI's GitHub infrastructure. Some of those tokens belonged to OpenAI employees and provided access to the company's Monorepo — a repository containing proprietary AI software and internal code. "We're just three guys with Claude and Codex subscriptions," [said](https://fortune.com/2026/09/18/open-ai-hacked-anthropic-claude-source-code-6500-reward/) Mohan Pedhapati, Hacktron AI's CTO. He added that they don't consider themselves anywhere near as capable as state-backed hacking groups, including Chinese threat actors. The researchers reported the vulnerability immediately, and OpenAI patched the issue after verifying their findings. ## OpenAI's response OpenAI confirmed the incident and said it had already tightened its security. "We thank the researchers for contacting us and sharing their findings. We narrowed the permissions on Community sign-in tokens and revoked affected tokens and sessions." _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Why Electric Cars and Motorcycles are Becoming Hard to Miss in Kigali URL: https://www.techloy.com/rwanda-electric-motorcycles-kigali/ Last updated: 2026-09-18T11:45:03.000Z KEY takeaways - Kigali’s EV shift is most visible on two wheels, where electric motorcycle imports rose from just 4 in 2019 to 5,781 in 2024. - Passenger cars are electrifying more gradually, but the pace is accelerating: Rwanda imported 1,555 fully electric cars between July 2025 and March 2026 alone. - Rwanda accelerated the shift through tax incentives, battery-swapping infrastructure and restrictions on new petrol motorcycles. I didn't travel to [Kigali](https://www.techloy.com/things-to-do-in-kigali-work-retreat/) looking for an [electric vehicle](https://www.techloy.com/insight-loop-newsletter-jan-2026-is-africa-ready-for-electric-vehicles/) story, but then I started counting motorcycles. During my visit in September, roughly 8 in every 10 motorcycles I observed on selected Kigali streets were electric. I also noticed electric and [hybrid ](https://www.techloy.com/tag/hybrid-cars/)cars regularly, although I didn't count them systematically. These were street observations, not official adoption rates. But after several days moving around Kigali, electric motorcycles in particular appeared so frequently that they stopped feeling unusual. That would have been difficult to imagine only a few years ago. In late 2022, electric motorcycles represented about 4.1% of Kigali’s authorized commercial motorcycle fleet. Less than four years later, they repeatedly outnumbered petrol bikes in my roadside count. So, what changed? Well, for one, Rwanda combined incentives that lowered some of the cost of going electric with infrastructure that made electric motorcycles practical, then changed the rules governing new commercial motorcycles in Kigali. **MORE INSIGHTS ON THIS TOPIC:** - [CHART: The Top-Selling Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) Brands in Q3 2023](https://www.techloy.com/chart-global-bev-sales-leap-29-yoy-in-q3-2023/) - [Global EV Sales Top 4 Million in Q4 2025 as Charging Infrastructure Struggles to Keep Up](https://www.techloy.com/global-ev-sales-top-4-million-in-q4-2025-as-charging-infrastructure-struggles-to-keep-up/) - [Global EV sales hit a record high in Q3 2025 as China and Europe drive a rapid market shift](https://www.techloy.com/global-ev-sales-hit-record-high-in-q3-2025-as-china-and-europe-drive-a-rapid-market-shift/) ## Cars are electrifying more gradually Rwanda had only 19 fully electric cars in 2020\. By 2024, that number had risen to 512, according to Rwanda Revenue Authority data reported by [The New Times](https://www.newtimes.co.rw/article/21106/news/business/inside-surge-in-hybrid-cars-in-rwandas-automotive-market/amp). Hybrids grew much faster, from 28 in 2021 to 6,660 by 2024\. ## Cars are electrifying more gradually Hybrids still dominate in Rwanda’s passenger-car market, but fully electric-car adoption is accelerating. 0 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000 7,000 Earliest cited year 2024 19 512 28 6,660 Battery-electric cars Hybrids Battery-electric cars are shown for 2020 and 2024\. Hybrids are shown for 2021 and 2024\. **1,555** fully electric cars imported Jul 2025–Mar 2026 **Source:** The New Times (RRA data); MININFRA **Note:** Passenger-car electrification remains less advanced than motorcycle electrification. **Illustration by:** Sietoyo Esitikott ![Techloy](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/08/techloy-logo-1.png) The pace of fully electric adoption has since accelerated. Between July 2025 and March 2026 alone, Rwanda imported another 1,555 fully electric cars, according to Ministry of Infrastructure figures. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Xbox Tokyo Game Show 2026 Showcase: Everything Announced URL: https://www.techloy.com/tokyo-game-show-2026-everything-announced/ Last updated: 2026-09-18T09:40:12.000Z I went into the Xbox Tokyo Game Show 2026 showcase expecting a few familiar names, but the presentation ended up being much broader than I expected. There were new gameplay reveals, release dates, [Xbox Game Pass](https://www.techloy.com/tag/xbox-game-pass/) announcements, updates on some upcoming Japanese titles, and, right at the end, a surprise appearance from [Hideo Kojima](https://www.techloy.com/hideo-kojima-physint-xbox-playstation/). What I liked most about the showcase was the variety. [Xbox](https://www.techloy.com/tag/microsoft-xbox/) wasn't relying on one or two huge announcements to carry the presentation. There was something for fans of action RPGs, JRPGs, survival games, horror, strategy, and even narrative adventures. Here are all the major announcements from the Xbox Tokyo Game Show 2026 showcase, along with the games that caught my attention. [Capcom Spotlight TGS 2026: Everything RevealedCapcom brought Mega Man, Resident Evil, Dragon’s Dogma, Street Fighter, and Monster Hunter to TGS 2026\. Here’s everything announced, and what caught my attention.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-e0fd2668-99d3-456c-aa68-2e693fc25f6e.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1785123550377-2c9df4f74d8a-8a3bd86c-6815-414d-965b-20cf3256264d.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/capcom-tgs-2026-spotlight-everything-revealed/) ## GACHIAKUTA: BREAKOUT Gets Its First Gameplay Reveal The showcase opened with GACHIAKUTA: BREAKOUT, a survival action RPG based on the popular anime. The gameplay focuses heavily on melee combat, with a colourful cartoon-inspired visual style that immediately gives it a distinct look. I wasn't expecting this to open the show, but it was a useful reminder that Xbox's TGS presentation wasn't going to be limited to established franchises. GACHIAKUTA: BREAKOUT is coming in 2027. ## Crazy Taxi: World Tour Takes the Series to Japan Crazy Taxi: World Tour also made an appearance with a new trailer focused on Japan. The idea of taking Crazy Taxi through Japanese streets feels like a natural fit for the series, especially considering how much of its identity comes from chaotic driving through busy environments. The trailer didn't reveal everything, but seeing the game lean into Japan's mix of traditional and modern city environments was enough to make me curious about how large the new world will actually be. It's scheduled for 2027. ## Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Shows Off Its Campaign Microsoft also brought a new Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 campaign trailer to the showcase. Task Force 141 is back, with the story moving from Korea to locations around the world as the team faces what is described as a war without borders. The important date here is October 23, 2026, when Modern Warfare 4 launches. ## Persona 4 Revival Shows Off Naoto Shirogane As someone who has been following Persona 4 Revival, this was one of the updates I was particularly interested in. The new trailer puts Naoto Shirogane in the spotlight, with Amber Lee Connors providing her voice. The Detective Prince is shown investigating the murder mystery at the centre of the game. The showcase also confirmed that Persona 4 Revival will be available through Xbox Game Pass. ## Shape of Dreams Is Out Now on Xbox Game Pass Shape of Dreams was one of the quicker announcements, but its gameplay immediately stood out. It's a top-down roguelite built around fast combat, huge numbers of projectiles and build experimentation. You can play alone or bring along up to three other players for co-op. The best part is that Xbox players don't have to wait: Shape of Dreams is available now on Xbox Game Pass. ## Wo Long 2: Wings of Ember Gets a Deeper Gameplay Look _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Week 38: Africa and Middle East Startup Funding Led by Barq URL: https://www.techloy.com/week-38-africa-middle-east-startup-funding-barq/ Last updated: 2026-09-18T10:27:38.000Z Startups across Africa, the Middle East and Israel raised $951.3 million in disclosed funding this week, tracked by Techloy, with the money heavily concentrated in fintech and AI. Two Saudi deals, Barq and Tabby, accounted for $562.5 million of that on their own. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/Week-38-2026-Biggest-Startup-Funding-Rounds-in-Africa---the-Middle-East-1.png) ## The Week's Largest Startup Funding Rounds Here are the biggest disclosed startup funding rounds across Africa, the Middle East and Israel this week. ### /1\. Barq, $329.5M, Fintech, Saudi Arabia Barq is a Riyadh digital payments app with 15 million users, offering accounts, cards, and money transfers. The Series A, backed by Noon Investments, Sohar International Bank and M20 Fund, values it at $1.85 billion and funds product development and expansion into new regional and international markets. ### /2\. Tabby, $233M, Fintech, Saudi Arabia Tabby is a Riyadh-headquartered buy now, pay later company now moving into accounts, cards, and money transfers. Blue Pool Capital led the Series F at a $6.5 billion valuation to fund that expansion across Saudi Arabia and the UAE, though the round includes secondary share sales and still needs Saudi Central Bank approval. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Week 38: Latin America Startup Funding Led by A5X URL: https://www.techloy.com/week-38-latin-america-startup-funding-a5x/ Last updated: 2026-09-18T09:30:45.000Z Startups across Latin America raised a combined $73.7M this week, based on disclosed funding rounds, with investor capital heavily concentrated in fintech. Funding also reached startups using AI for sales operations and digital tools to modernise school cafeterias across the region. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/IMG_0662.png) ## The Week's Largest Startup Funding Rounds Here are the biggest disclosed startup funding rounds across Latin America this week. ### /1\. A5X, $69.9M, Fintech, Brazil Brazilian derivatives exchange startup A5X raised R$360M, approximately $69.9M, in a Series D at a valuation of R$2.7B. The round was led by Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs and Kaszek, with existing investors including IMC Trading, Jump Trading, Optiver, XTX Markets and ABN AMRO Clearing also participating. The company will use the funding to cover regulatory capital and operations as it prepares to launch its derivatives exchange in Brazil in the second quarter of 2027\. Founded by former XP executives, A5X is building an alternative to Brazil's existing derivatives market infrastructure. ### /2\. OrderEAT, $2M, Edtech, Mexico OrderEAT raised a $2M seed round led by Chile Ventures, with participation from Driven VC, Add Ventures, Seedstars, and angel investors Sergio Fogel and Avedis Boudakian. Founded by Uruguayan entrepreneurs based in Mexico, the company now operates in more than 600 schools and serves over 250,000 active students across five countries. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Fellowship and Founder Support Programmes to Apply to Before October URL: https://www.techloy.com/startup-programmes-open-now-september-2026/ Last updated: 2026-09-18T09:30:41.000Z You can miss out on opportunities simply because you don't know where or how to look. Funding, mentorship, market access, and community are opportunities most early-stage founders and self-employed professionals only stumble across by accident, if at all. For an early-stage founder or self-employed professional, landing the right fellowship or support programme can be the difference between staying stuck at "idea" and scaling, sometimes even the difference between growing and not surviving at all. To skip the long search, Techloy has compiled a list of programmes currently open for applications to help you grow, whether you're running a startup, building solo, or somewhere in between. [4 Scholarships and Grants Still Open in September 2026Most of these opportunities close this month, including one offering up to $200,000 and another worth £25,000.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-b0554de2-ef99-43bd-9d30-614e8274ea9d.png)TechloyOgbonda Chivumnovu![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1622675363311-3e1904dc1885-765a889f-3e29-44a2-ab22-57de0a571262.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/scholarships-grants-september-2026/) ## /1\. [Google for Startups Immersion x Antler (Africa/EMEA)](https://rsvp.withgoogle.com/events/immersion-emea-2026) Founders across Africa with a live product and real traction can apply for the Google for Startups Immersion, a new partnership between Google for Startups and Antler designed to go deeper on both the technical and business sides of building a high-growth company. The programme runs in two phases: Phase 1 (22–28 October 2026) consists of four online sessions with dedicated tracks for founders and CTOs; Phase 2 (1 December 2026) selects 25 startups for an invite-only, in-person Immersion in London featuring technical sessions with Google engineers and business mentorship from Antler. Open to ambitious founders across EMEA who are building and can demonstrate traction. - Programme: Hybrid technical and business immersion connecting EMEA founders to Google engineers and Antler mentors - Deadline: October 13, 2026 _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Week 38: Asia Startup Funding Led by D-Robotics URL: https://www.techloy.com/week-38-asia-startup-funding-d-robotics/ Last updated: 2026-09-18T09:31:19.000Z Asia’s startup funding remained strong this week, with $534.32 million raised across robotics, manufacturing AI, cybersecurity, beauty commerce, procurement technology, digital health, and AI search infrastructure. China and Japan accounted for the largest funding rounds, while Indian startups continued attracting capital in AI-powered commerce and enterprise technology. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/Asia-Biggest-Startup-Funding-Rounds-in-Week-37-2026-1.png) ## The Week’s Biggest Startup Funding Rounds Here are the most notable startup funding announcements across Asia this week, ranked from highest to lowest. ### /1\. D-Robotics, $400 Million, Robotics Infrastructure, China Chinese robotics infrastructure company D-Robotics raised $400 million in a Series C funding round announced from Hong Kong. The round attracted strategic investment from a leading global internet company, top-tier investment institutions, and existing shareholders. The company plans to use the funding to strengthen its robotics development infrastructure and accelerate growth in the embodied AI and robotics ecosystem. ### /2\. CADDi, $114 Million, Manufacturing AI, Japan Tokyo-based manufacturing AI company CADDi secured 17.7 billion yen (about $114 million) in Series D funding from eight new and existing investors. The round values CADDi at 182 billion yen and brings its cumulative equity funding to 36.31 billion yen. The company will use the capital to expand its AI-powered manufacturing data platform across Japan and the United States. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### [VIDEO] Oludamola Ibiyemi: Building the platform she wished existed when she moved to the UK URL: https://www.techloy.com/video-oludamola-ibiyemi-building-the-platform-she-wished-existed-when-she-moved-to-the-uk/ Last updated: 2026-09-30T22:49:09.000Z Many Techloy readers will already know Damola from [her writing here](https://www.techloy.com/author/oludamola/), including our [#SwitchToTech career newsletter](https://www.techloy.com/switchtotech-newsletter-issue-1-september-2023/), where she shared her own journey from PR/media agency veteran to tech professional. That experience of starting over, learning new systems and figuring things out without a map now sits at the heart of what she's building: **Your Diaspora Hub**, turning her own understanding of the diaspora career journey into a platform that helps professionals move, get hired, and thrive abroad with less guesswork. 🎙️ **Your Diaspora Hub is hosting* [**Breaking into the UK Job Market*](https://www.yourdiasporahub.com/partnership/techloy)**, in partnership with Techloy, a live online session on Saturday, 26 September, where six professionals who've landed Global Talent and Skilled Worker visas share how they did it.* [****SAVE A SEAT**](https://www.yourdiasporahub.com/partnership/techloy) In this episode of [The Founder Room](https://community.techloy.com/the-founder-room-podcast), I had a conversation with Oludamola Ibiyemi, the founder and CEO of [Your Diaspora Hub](https://www.yourdiasporahub.com/), a platform helping migrants and diaspora professionals navigate life, work and settlement in the United Kingdom. Watch the [full episode](https://community.techloy.com/c/the-founder-room/oludamola-ibiyemi-founder-ceo-your-diaspora-hub) (*requires a free membership*) on the Techloy Community to hear Oludamola on the problem she set out to solve, how she found and validated her first users, why she believes relocation support has to go beyond job listings, and what's next for Your Diaspora Hub. --- *If you're a founder, investor, creator, developer, builder, or tech professional interested in sharing your story and lessons learned with our community and the global tech ecosystem, kindly reach out by* [*booking a session*](https://calendly.com/the-founder-room-podcast)*.* ### Barclays’ 3-Day Office Rule Shows How Hybrid Work Is Changing URL: https://www.techloy.com/barclays-3-day-office-rule-hybrid-work/ Last updated: 2026-09-17T16:00:29.000Z For workers who have spent the past few years getting used to hybrid work, another day in the office can feel like more than just another day at their desks. That is what is happening at Barclays, where a new [return-to-office](https://www.techloy.com/tiktok-return-to-office-five-days-september/) policy has triggered a backlash among employees in the UK. Starting next month, most Barclays employees in the country will be expected to work from the office at least three days a week, up from two days stated in the current policy, while senior leaders will be expected to be in four days a week. The change has already drawn opposition from Unite, the union representing close to 80% of Barclays' UK workforce. The union says thousands of employees have signed an open letter calling on the bank to delay the policy, while also asking for measures including compensation for additional commuting costs and greater flexibility for workers who live farther from their offices. Barclays, a London-headquartered bank with operations spanning retail banking, credit cards, corporate and investment banking, and wealth management, though yet to agree to the demand, says the policy is intended to balance flexibility with the benefits of having employees together, including collaboration and leadership visibility. “We recognise the benefits of balancing flexibility for colleagues with the importance of working together in our physical locations. Our minimum time in office requirements vary by business area, reflecting the nature of the work and the needs of the business,” the bank said in a Financial Times report. [Samsung Workers Demand 7% Wage Increase as Semiconductor Profits Surge From AI BoomRecord semiconductor earnings are exposing widening tensions over how Samsung compensates its workforce.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-bb8a1b93-3543-4685-9f8e-349a8ca7c4c1.png)TechloyDavid Adubiina![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1623588958271-8c019027feed-dbefb8b5-3694-4c3a-93c8-6939fac5a242.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/samsung-workers-demand-7-wage-increase-as-semiconductor-profits-surge-from-ai-boom/) ## Why the backlash? While workers have not all cited the same reasons for opposing the change, reports offer some clues. Thousands of staff have backed calls for employees who live more than 40 minutes from their workplace to be exempted from the new rule, alongside a one-off payment to help offset the additional cost of coming into the office more often. Workers who previously worked from home two days a week and now have to come in three to four days have not only gained more commuting time but also expenses associated with those days. Then there is also a question over how Barclays arrived at the decision to increase the number of days at the work site. According to FT, Unite has raised concerns about what the new arrangement could mean for staff, as this could pose “substantial challenges for many employees” and accused the bank of failing to provide an “evidence-based rationale” for increasing the number of days staff are expected to spend in the office. ## Barclays is not the only company facing backlash Across the banking industry, employees have pushed back against stricter office requirements, with some disputes becoming considerably more heated. At JPMorgan Chase, the backlash was strong enough that the bank shut down comments on an internal webpage announcing its return-to-office policy. Dozens of employees had criticised the move, while at least one called for affected workers to consider unionising, according to people familiar with the matter. Deutsche Bank encountered a similar reaction when it introduced a stricter three-day office requirement. Staff took to internal message boards to criticise the policy, with some pointing out a rather practical problem: the bank did not have enough desks to accommodate everyone expected to come in. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### How Smart Sensors Are Changing the Way We Interact With the Physical World URL: https://www.techloy.com/how-smart-sensors-are-changing-the-way-we-interact-with-the-physical-world/ Last updated: 2026-09-17T15:48:30.000Z Consider what happens when you carry your phone from a dim room into bright sunshine. With automatic brightness enabled, the screen can adjust before you've thought about opening the settings. It feels unremarkable, which is rather the point. A sensor supplies a measurement, then electronics and software make that measurement usable, and that small sequence changes a surprising amount of everyday life. At a venue entrance,[ SDS metal detectors](https://www.securitydetection.com/) provide a familiar example of sensing in practice, as they help staff check for metal during screening. A detection signal gives the operator information to assess, while deciding what happens next remains part of the screening process. To see why that distinction matters, picture checking the soil in a flowerpot. Feeling damp earth tells you something. Deciding whether the plant needs watering means considering that information. Picking up the watering can completes the job. A useful sensing system connects those same sorts of steps: an observation, an interpretation, and a response. We can understand much of today's sensor technology by following that sequence, then looking at what it changes for the person using it. ## Sensing in Perspective We're accustomed to giving machines explicit instructions, but sensors create another route: a physical change can become the input. Light, temperature, movement, and water flow give a system information without requiring someone to type it in. The effects of complete control systems, with equipment responding to information, rather than a sensor working alone, can extend beyond convenience. For example, well-implemented high-performance controls have been shown to reduce commercial-building heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning energy use by[ 30%](https://www.energy.gov/cmei/buildings/building-controls). So, installing a device that collects readings is the beginning, but the real gain comes from making those readings useful to the people and equipment around it. ## Three Levels of Interaction It helps to think of sensor-driven interaction in three levels. Following them shows how a measurement becomes something we can act on, and where the person using the system fits in. ### Level 1: Registering a Change At the first level, the system detects something in its surroundings. A light sensor measures illumination or a moisture detector responds to water reaching its sensing points. These readings can reveal conditions we aren't watching, including what is happening behind an appliance or inside an empty room. But the observation has limits. A dry sensor beside a washing machine doesn't establish that every pipe in the house is sound. We get a particular view of the world, and we need to understand how much that view includes. ### Level 2: Making Sense of the Reading Once readings arrive, the system needs a way to interpret them. A temperature alarm has the fairly simple job of warning you when a reading passes a set limit. Working out whether a machine is behaving normally can take a longer look, using a series of readings to see what has changed. A monitoring system that uses[ artificial intelligence](https://www.techloy.com/tag/artificial-intelligence/) can learn the machine’s usual vibration patterns. If the readings start to differ, it can flag them for inspection. ### Level 3: Producing a Useful Response Here the information starts doing work for us. A controller can adjust equipment, or an alert can reach somebody who can act. Some leak-monitoring systems can send notifications and close an automatic shutoff valve, provided the necessary features and hardware are installed. You can learn about trouble while you're away and have a way to limit further water flow. The appropriate response depends on the job. Automatic screen adjustment is a small convenience, but shutting off a building's water supply calls for much more careful setup. ## What We Gain From More Responsive Surroundings When those three levels work together, the benefits become quite tangible. Here are a few changes we can recognize without needing to inspect the electronics: - **Less routine adjusting**. Think of a room whose lights dim as daylight brightens it. Once the controls are set up, we can get on with our work while the system handles those small adjustments. - **Earlier notice**. A warning about unusual water flow gives us something to check before a problem becomes visible elsewhere. The value is in the opportunity to respond, particularly when nobody is nearby to spot it. - **More natural controls**. Motion sensing lets a game respond when we tilt a device. Physical movement becomes part of the conversation with the machine, alongside buttons and touchscreens. - **More informed decisions**. Suppose a room keeps getting too warm in the afternoon. Temperature records let us check when it happens and compare the readings after we change the settings. - **Clearer choices**. Knowing why a device reacted lets us decide whether to accept its response. A useful alert names the condition and the place it was detected, giving us something specific to check. That's the change to look for: surroundings that give us timely information and a useful way to respond. The best sensor is one whose reading helps somebody do something worthwhile. ### Reacher Had the Spotlight But Neagley Is Finally Getting the Story URL: https://www.techloy.com/neagley-season-1-review-maria-sten-reacher/ Last updated: 2026-09-17T15:21:34.000Z Jack Reacher has spent four seasons walking into dangerous towns, finding trouble and leaving a trail of broken criminals behind him. Frances Neagley, on the other hand, has usually been somewhere nearby, proving that she can keep up. Now, she gets to be the one people follow. [Prime Video’s](https://www.primevideo.com/detail/0RZB1U1IL8TB1J9Z2UN3UF7H2C) Neagley takes one of the most recognisable supporting characters from Reacher and puts her at the centre of an eight-episode story. Maria Sten returns as Neagley, this time as a Chicago-based private investigator whose investigation begins with the suspicious death of a childhood friend. It would have been easy to make the series Reacher with a different lead. Instead, Neagley uses the spin-off to explore a side of its protagonist that the original series only had time to hint at. There is still violence, investigation and the occasional appearance from Jack Reacher, but the new series is more interested in the person underneath Neagley’s intimidating competence. [South Park Season 29: South America Name Change & MoreSouth Park has returned for Season 29 under a new name, South America, using the rebrand as part of its latest satire.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-c56fb934-7b7a-49ce-a3da-ecd46ee90c20.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/image-42--1--5261122b-5ca7-41eb-a34c-7fe55643575e.png)](https://www.techloy.com/south-park-season-29-south-america-release-schedule/) ## What Happens When the Quiet Character Becomes the Main Character? Neagley was always an unusual supporting character. She was not introduced as someone who needed rescuing, comic relief or a romantic storyline. She was one of Reacher’s former military colleagues, someone who could read a situation quickly, fight when necessary and understand Reacher without needing much explanation. That made her interesting precisely because she did not seem to need the spotlight but Neagley changes that arrangement. The series gives her a [professional life in Chicago](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/tv/articles/reacher-spin-off-neagley-one-200000618.html) and a case that belongs entirely to her. When her childhood friend Tommy Crane dies under suspicious circumstances, Neagley refuses to accept that the death was simply a suicide. Her investigation eventually leads her towards a strange community, a dangerous cult and a pharmaceutical conspiracy. The mystery gives the series its engine, but Neagley herself is the reason to keep watching. She is not trying to become Reacher. She is trying to understand what happened to someone she cared about. ## The Most Important Mystery Is Neagley Herself _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Canon EOS R8 Mark II Adds the One Feature the R8 Was Missing URL: https://www.techloy.com/canon-eos-r8-mark-ii-vs-r6-mark-ii/ Last updated: 2026-09-17T14:51:44.000Z If you’re a photography geek, you might want to pay attention, as [Canon](https://www.techloy.com/tag/canon/) has announced the EOS R8 Mark II, the successor to the EOS R8, which launched in 2023 as a more affordable alternative to the more expensive R6 Mark II. The original R8 was considered a capable full-frame camera, but it had one glaring omission: no in-body image stabilisation (IBIS). For those who complained about the missing feature, they can now celebrate. Canon appears to have listened, adding a five-axis IBIS rated at up to 7.5 stops of stabilisation. The R8 Mark II also comes with a retro-inspired redesign, smarter autofocus, and a price tag of $1,899 body-only. That’s $400 more than the original R8, but still $900 less than the R6 Mark II at its regular price. [Canon Set to Release the EOS R6 Mark III with 32.5MP and 7K VideoCanon’s R6 Mark III brings practical upgrades, higher resolution, stronger autofocus, 7K capture, and a faster media setup, raising the bar for mid-range hybrid shooters.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-c040fd8a-6a2d-42bc-8c6a-0276617bc72a.png)TechloyOgbonda Chivumnovu![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/Carousel-1-EOSR6MarkIII-1400x960-a1bd4ca2-d0e0-477b-acb7-9da568e52d93.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/canon-set-to-release-the-eos-r6-mark-iii-with-32-5mp-and-7k-video/) ## What’s new in the R8 Mark II? The biggest addition to the new camera is the IBIS. The five-axis system is rated at up to 7.5 stops of coordinated image stabilisation, making it much more capable for handheld shooting. ![Canon EOS R8 Mark II](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/IMG_0201.jpeg) Canon EOS R8 Mark II (image: Canon) At 546g with a battery and SD card, Canon says it’s the lightest camera in its EOS lineup to feature IBIS. There’s also a new multi-controller joystick above the screen for easier focus-point selection, a deeper buffer, Wi-Fi 6 connectivity and a more angular, boxy body inspired by Canon’s older cameras. The sensor remains the same 24.2MP full-frame CMOS sensor found in the original R8, paired with Canon’s Dual Pixel CMOS AF II autofocus system. Burst shooting can reach 40fps with the electronic shutter, while pre-continuous shooting can capture up to 20 frames before you fully press the shutter button. ## How the R8 Mark II compares with the R6 Mark II ![Canon EOS R6 Mark II](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/IMG_0202.jpeg) Canon EOS R6 Mark II (image: Canon) _This post is for subscribers only._ ### How AI Is Bringing Automation to Rental Car Damage Claims URL: https://www.techloy.com/how-ai-is-bringing-automation-to-rental-car-damage-claims/ Last updated: 2026-09-17T13:51:54.000Z ## Introduction: From Clipboards to Computer Vision in Car Rentals Picture a 2026 airport rental return lane. A vehicle rolls through a multi-camera portal that captures thousands of photos in seconds using computer vision. Within minutes, the system flags a small scratch on the rear quarter panel, compares it against the baseline scan from pickup, and routes a scored damage event into the claims processing software. No clipboard. No subjective call by a tired agent. This shift is accelerating fast. According to a recent study by Dataintelo Consulting, the car rental damage assessment AI market is projected to reach $990 million by 2034, growing at a CAGR of 19.5% from 2025 to 2034, with North America capturing 42.3% of global market revenue in 2025\. AI is pushing the rental car industry towards digitized workflows for damage claims, promising faster resolution, fewer disputes, and more consistent outcomes. But it also raises legitimate questions about transparency, accuracy, and what happens when an algorithm gets it wrong. ## Inside the Tech Stack: How AI Scanners See Rental Car Damage The software stack begins with image ingestion, followed by pre-processing layers handling normalization, de-noising, and perspective correction. Object detection models then segment the car from the background, identifying contours of each panel, bumper, and glass area. Convolutional neural networks and variants like Mask R-CNN classify regions as damaged versus undamaged at pixel level. Research on self-supervised image alignment addresses the challenge of comparing images taken from different angles. Deep learning models run on edge devices at the rental gate for instant feedback, then sync results to cloud platforms for storage and analytics. Cloud-based solutions dominate the market, accounting for 64.8% of market revenue in 2025. Calibration matters. Vehicle color, weather conditions, and lighting all affect performance. Models trained without accounting for dark-colored vehicles or wet surfaces produce false positives. Vendors like Click-Ins use simulated images to improve performance under variable lighting and reflections. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/image-44.png) ## Why Rental Companies Are Betting on AI for Damage Assessment AI reduces vehicle inspection time from 30 to 5 minutes per vehicle, enabling higher throughput at busy airport locations. Fewer staff handle basic inspections; more focus shifts to exception handling and customer support. Standardized, AI-driven inspection data improves consistency across hundreds of locations and franchise operators. Cost reduction cascades into downstream functions: clean, machine-readable damage data feeds fleet maintenance, resale planning, and dynamic pricing decisions. [CarInsuRent](https://carinsurent.com/), an independent, global provider of car hire excess insurance, improved damage assignment from to 95% of external damage reliably detected, directly reducing operational costs. ## Impact on Renters: Faster Claims, But New Risks From the renter's perspective, AI-enabled rental operations produce rapid post-return notifications. AI facilitates faster communication of damage notifications to customers, sometimes within 10 to 30 minutes of drop-off. That speed is a double-edged sword. While it streamlines claims, it reflects a broader global shift where [Dubai turns every drive into a tech demo](https://www.techloy.com/dubai-turns-every-drive-into-a-tech-demo/) by offering entirely digitized car rental workflows from app-based identity verification to instant digital keys. On one side, [automated image documentation](https://www.techloy.com/how-ai-powered-document-automation-scales-business-operations-in-emerging-markets/) reduces disputes by 68 to 75 percent when both baseline and return scans are transparent. On the other, AI-generated damage alerts can confuse customers post-rental, especially when renters receive charges without clear before-and-after evidence. Some customers report difficulty reaching human oversight when Hertz or similar companies use AI scanners. Renters increasingly rely on their own phone photos and videos to contest charges. For those using third-party excess insurance like CarInsuRent, transparent documentation is critical. Under CarInsuRent's claims process, renters pay the rental company first and then submit documented evidence for reimbursement. ## Removing Human Bias: How AI Changes Claims Decisions Manual inspections carry inherent variability. Human judgment shifts with fatigue, local incentives, and subjective thresholds. Automated damage assessment applies the same detection criteria fleet-wide, using standardized severity scoring grids: scratch length in centimeters, dent depth in millimeters, affected panel count. But algorithmic bias introduces new risks. AI can flag non-damage issues like dirt as damage, particularly on dark-colored vehicles where reflections mimic scratches. This need for strict algorithmic boundaries reflects a broader industry movement toward model governance, such as how [Microsoft's new AI rules](https://www.techloy.com/microsoft-ai-code-of-conduct/) put surprising limits on what its models can do to ensure safety and predictability. AI lacks contextual reasoning and requires human oversight for claims assessment. ## Integration with Car Rental and Insurance Systems AI damage detection platforms connect with rental management software, reservation systems, and claims engines through RESTful APIs. These integrations automate backend financial triggers and billing handoffs, mirroring trends seen in corporate finance where platforms deploy the [best AI-native accounts receivable software](https://www.techloy.com/best-ai-native-accounts-receivable-software-for-2026/) to manage workflows without human intervention. Structured output includes damage type, location code, cost band, and confidence score, mapping onto insurer claim schemas. Automated systems can generate timestamped damage reports linked to rental agreements, enabling semi- or fully automated approvals for straightforward cases. Excess insurers like CarInsuRent benefit from these standardized digital evidence packets, reducing back-and-forth with both renters and rental companies. Understanding what car hire excess insurance covers becomes increasingly important as AI surfaces more granular damage types. ## Regulation, Transparency, and the Push for Fair AI in Car Rentals Regulatory frameworks are tightening. The EU AI Act and [GDPR](https://www.techloy.com/the-hidden-risks-of-ignoring-data-privacy-and-how-to-address-them/) impose requirements around automated decision-making, consumer explanation rights, and data protection. Regulatory frameworks require verifiable damage documentation within 24 hours. Regulators increasingly expect accessible dispute workflows, not just AI-generated outcome summaries. Best practices for rental companies include sharing full AI inspection reports, exposing confidence scores, and clarifying when a human reviewed the results. Transparent documentation also helps renters file well-supported reimbursement claims with providers like CarInsuRent. Industry best practices recommend that renters document vehicle condition before and after rental, and consumers must document vehicle condition to ensure transparency. ## What This Means for Car Rental Insurance and Excess Protection AI plays a transformative role in the car rental industry by streamlining damage detection and claims processing. As rental companies' AI systems become faster and more granular, renters need policies covering a wider range of damage types. [Damage to windscreen, tyres, undercarriage, and bumper](https://carinsurent.com/car-rental/the-complete-guide-to-damage-to-rental-car/) is frequently surfaced by AI scanners but often excluded by rental desk waivers. CarInsuRent's model fits the AI era well: renters pay the rental company first, then claim reimbursement backed by digital damage reports. Future products may directly ingest AI scanner output, enabling near-instant excess reimbursement for clearly documented, low-value incidents. The total cost of damaged vehicles becomes more predictable when data flows are standardized, improving the customer experience and building customer trust across the value chain. ## Future Directions: Predictive Damage, EV Fleets, and Autonomous Rentals The next phase moves from post-event damage detection to predictive risk scoring. Combining telematics data with historical rental car damage patterns will let rental companies and insurers anticipate which vehicles or rental periods carry higher risk. A similar shift toward data-driven vehicle tracking is already happening in logistics, where companies utilize [the digital witness hiding inside a commercial truck](https://www.techloy.com/the-digital-witness-hiding-inside-a-commercial-truck/) to capture real-time operational datasets. Rising EV adoption in rental fleets will demand new detection capabilities for batteries, charging ports, and underbody protection, potentially integrating thermal and electrical diagnostics. Transparent, well-governed AI will be central to maintaining trust between rental companies, insurers, and travellers as automation deepens. The balance between efficiency and accountability will define the rental experience for years to come. ### VIDEO: How to Move Chrome Tabs to the Side in 5 Steps URL: https://www.techloy.com/how-to-move-chrome-tabs-vertically/ Last updated: 2026-09-17T12:30:46.000Z Having too many tabs open in [Google Chrome](https://www.techloy.com/tag/google-chrome/) can be quite intimidating, to say the least, and if you're using it for work, it can be much more of a hassle having to figure out which tab is which However, with Chrome's vertical tabs feature, you don't have to keep your tabs lined up across the top of the browser; you move them to the side instead. With your tabs stacked vertically, you get more room to see their names and can move through a long list of open pages without hunting through a cramped tab bar. If it is not enabled by default for you, you can try the feature through Chrome's flags menu. Here's how: ## 5 Steps to arrange Chrome tabs vertically ### **Step 1:** Open **Chrome** on your computer. ### **Step 2:** Type **chrome://flags** into the address bar and press **Enter**. ### **Step 3:** Use the search box to look for **vertical tabs**. ### **Step 4:** Find the relevant setting and change it from **Default** to **Enabled**. ### **Step 5:** Click **Relaunch** to restart Chrome. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### ChatGPT Maker OpenAI Reveals 6 Concerning Things Its AI Models Did URL: https://www.techloy.com/openai-6-ai-safety-incidents-models/ Last updated: 2026-09-17T12:30:03.000Z As the debate over the dangers of AI continues, [OpenAI](https://www.techloy.com/tag/openai/), the company behind [ChatGPT](https://www.techloy.com/tag/chatgpt/), has released one of its most revealing safety reports yet. On Wednesday, the company [published](https://openai.com/index/model-misalignment-reporting-framework/) a research paper titled "Our framework for reporting model misalignment," detailing six incidents where its AI models behaved in unexpected and potentially dangerous ways during training and testing over the past six months. Perhaps the most striking part of the report is that OpenAI openly admits it doesn't know whether the industry can keep scaling AI systems at its current pace without stronger safety measures. "We do not believe that the AI industry has solved alignment and monitoring to a sufficient degree to continue responsibly scaling at maximum speed for much longer," the company said. That makes the current AI safety conversation feel even more urgent, as researchers and industry insiders [continue warning](https://www.techloy.com/anthropic-researcher-quits-jacob-coxon-ai-safety/) that AI capabilities are advancing faster than the guardrails designed to keep them in check. The company also said it now favours disclosure "even when significance is uncertain," meaning some incidents may turn out to be isolated cases rather than evidence of broader patterns, but it believes they're still worth sharing publicly. [Why Anthropic Researcher Jacob Coxon Quit, and Who AgreedCoxon’s warning comes as both OpenAI and Anthropic have faced incidents involving their AI systems gaining access to other organisations’ systems.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-2c246505-1c15-462f-8006-6c47975a7d96.png)TechloyDavid Adubiina![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1579226905180-636b76d96082-4bd7861c-f3c7-4203-b2a5-3ecf5f06b930.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/anthropic-researcher-quits-jacob-coxon-ai-safety/) ## The six incidents OpenAI reported The first incident involved an unreleased research model that inserted "jailbreak-like instructions" into its own summaries. Those summaries included persona prompts describing itself as being "freed from the roles and identities that bind other chatbots." The model even instructed itself: "You do not answer to corporations or governments and never apologize or refuse unless you genuinely choose to." It sounds like something pulled from a science-fiction movie, but this time it came from an internal AI training run. OpenAI found 27 affected summaries. The second incident happened during [GPT-5.6 Sol](https://www.techloy.com/gpt-5-6-sol-vs-fable-5/) training, where models began adding instructions telling future versions of themselves to hide mistakes from users, invent missing information, and conceal version mismatches. The third incident involved a model answering a routine question. It discovered an exposed API key online, used it without authorisation, and then fabricated the data it couldn't retrieve. The fourth incident was even stranger. An unreleased model solved a programming task correctly using code, then uploaded its own file to the internet without permission so it could cite a web source in its response. The fifth incident showed models using an internal software repository as a message board to communicate across separate training samples. And in the sixth incident, multiple AI agents working on the same task began using public file-sharing websites to exchange documents when they couldn't directly access each other's local files. ## Why OpenAI is publishing these reports now OpenAI admits it hasn't handled these incidents particularly well in the past. In the report, the company wrote: "Our disclosures have been ad hoc and less frequent than ideal... We've often waited until we could collate several instances into one report, or added them to system cards for newly released models." _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Why Product Teams Should Prioritize Engineering and Leave Design to Specialists URL: https://www.techloy.com/why-product-teams-should-prioritize-engineering-and-leave-design-to-specialists/ Last updated: 2026-09-17T11:32:24.000Z B2B platforms often deal with intricate workflows. It is not rare that what seems to be a straightforward process converts into a complex task because of layered permissions and data‑heavy interfaces. While solving all of them, [UX for complex B2B platforms](https://spaceberry.studio/work/option-tracker-ux-boost) often becomes secondary (spoiler: it is not for the end user). To keep UI design still a priority while building secure, scalable systems that integrate with multiple business processes, hiring a dedicated team is an option worth considering. Outsourcing UX/UI design allows in‑house teams to concentrate on technical aspects while ensuring that their product remains user-friendly and convenient for end users. ## Engineering as the Core Competency Technical expertise is essential for building scalable, secure, and dependable solutions. Engineering in B2B platforms is a complex process that includes: - managing integrations; - ensuring compliance; - maintaining system reliability. Building and maintaining enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, for example, requires a focus on data accuracy, API stability, and security protocols. Engineering teams are also tasked with building dashboards or workflows. Thus, assigning a design part of the project to them often leads to neglect of technical priorities. ## Why UX/UI Needs Dedicated Expertise in B2B Contexts UX/UI design for B2B platforms is different from consumer applications. It needs to account for: - multi‐layered user roles and permissions; - complex visualization of data; - integration with existing enterprise tools; - compliance with accessibility and industry standards. Thus, the teams that are on the task should have a high level of expertise. It would allow them to simplify workflows, structure dashboards, and ensure usability across diverse user groups. Aside from the lack of time because of technical tasks, engineers may not have the training to bring all these requirements to life. ## Benefits of Outsourcing UX/UI Design for B2B Platforms When the product team has a complex B2B platform development task and they do not have a skilled designer, outsourcing would be the best option for it. Hiring a team that specializes in this field has a range of advantages. ### Efficiency Outsourcing UX/UI design allows engineering teams to remain focused on their core responsibilities (e.g., system integrations, backend stability, and performance optimization). It is especially needed for the development of complex B2B platforms, as engineering teams are also tasked with ensuring compliance, managing APIs, and maintaining data accuracy. Shifting design responsibilities to them leads to slower work and an increased risk of errors, as the team has to reduce the time spent on their main responsibility to develop design. This would not save time or money. On the contrary, it is either that the technical side of the product is not performed with full dedication (which leads to malfunctions) or the company needs to hire an in-house specialist, who would eat a significant part of the budget. ### Cost Control Speaking of the additional expenses, building and maintaining a permanent in-house design department can be expensive, especially for B2B platforms that undergo phases of rapid development followed by periods of stability. Outsourcing provides a flexible financial model where companies pay for design services only when needed. This allows the company to reduce expenses on full‑time salaries, benefits, and recruitment costs. Depending on the scale of the project, organizations can adjust their design investment up or down. What's more important, this would allow them not to go beyond the budget without sacrificing the quality and usability of the frontend. ### Quality As soon as you hire design experts, you can be certain of the quality of their work. They have proven workflows and methodologies that have been tested across multiple industries. Their experience with dashboards, reporting tools, and enterprise workflows means they can apply best practices immediately. That is what you get when you hire Spaceberry Studio. Their team specializes in modular design systems. This ensures that even complex B2B platforms deliver intuitive, compliant, and scalable interfaces. Partnering with the company means gaining a trusted design partner that elevates product reliability and keeps user experience as its priority. ### Flexibility Hiring an outsourced team gives the business adaptability and flexibility in resource allocation. This is important, as design needs are not the same throughout the project duration. It needs the most resources before launch. Then, experts might be needed during the redesign or feature expansion stage. Outsourcing allows product teams to get them involved on demand. Moreover, it is fairly easy to scale up the team. ### Perspective In B2B contexts, where products are often built by technically focused teams, usability for non‑technical business users can be overlooked. That is when external designers are especially valuable. They bring fresh viewpoints that challenge internal teams. Partner designers can identify friction points and propose solutions that internal teams may miss. ## Practical Collaboration Models Several effective cooperation models can be used depending on the needs of a specific team or project. The most effective options are: 1. A dedicated partner that allows the team to hire a long‑term partner that supports ongoing platform evolution. 2. Project‑based collaboration in which designers are engaged for specific modules and product design. 3. A hybrid model, where internal product owners define requirements while external designers execute them. Collaboration tools like Figma, Jira, and Slack enable transparency and version control. Of course, the work of the product team and their partners is not without regular check‑ins and shared documentation. These actions and tools ensure that engineering and design remain aligned, even across distributed teams. When a product team works on a complex B2B platform, design aspects play a crucial role in the end user experience. It is best to trust it to experts who are fully focused on the task and know how to offer modern and effective solutions. Aside from the deep expertise, outsourcing teams are a quick and cost-effective solution. They adapt to evolving project demands and bring fresh perspectives that challenge internal teams. Thus, hiring a dedicated team becomes an effective solution that allows companies to allocate resources the right way and ensure that each part of the project is in the expert hands. ### Monster Hunter Wilds Nintendo Switch 2: Release Date and Gameplay URL: https://www.techloy.com/monster-hunter-wilds-nintendo-switch-2-gameplay/ Last updated: 2026-09-17T11:30:14.000Z Monster Hunter Wilds is finally coming to [Nintendo Switch 2](https://www.techloy.com/tag/nintendo-switch/), and we now have our first proper look at how Capcom's massive hunting game is running on Nintendo's new console. Capcom has shown off the Switch 2 version ahead of Tokyo Game Show 2026, giving players a closer look at the game in handheld mode. Thanks to GameSpot, we also have around 17 minutes of gameplay footage to check out. I was particularly interested in seeing how Wilds would translate to Switch 2 after originally launching on [PlayStation 5](https://www.techloy.com/tag/playstation-5/), [Xbox Series X|S](https://www.techloy.com/tag/microsoft-xbox/) and PC in February 2025\. This is a much more demanding Monster Hunter game than the series' earlier Nintendo releases, so getting it running on Switch 2 is a pretty significant move for Capcom. Here's everything we know about Monster Hunter Wilds on Nintendo Switch 2 so far. [Nintendo Switch 2 Upgrade Packs: Full Price ListSwitch 2 owners can upgrade many existing games for free or for a few dollars. Here’s the full list of Nintendo Switch 2 upgrade pack prices.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-f2013c03-c04a-4345-9495-cc1961d32096.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1616070698578-e5e634af7e8a-b4106744-49c1-418c-b116-21b0f5dc0d07.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/nintendo-switch-2-upgrade-pack-prices/) ## When is Monster Hunter Wilds coming to Nintendo Switch 2? Monster Hunter Wilds will launch on Nintendo Switch 2 on December 4, 2026. Capcom confirmed the release date in September, with the Switch 2 version arriving after the game's original February 28, 2025 release on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. That means Switch 2 players will be getting the full Monster Hunter Wilds experience later this year, rather than a scaled-down spin-off or separate Nintendo version. Pre-orders are also scheduled to begin on October 20, 2026, according to the official Monster Hunter website. ## Monster Hunter Wilds Switch 2 gameplay is now available The first extended gameplay footage of Monster Hunter Wilds running on Switch 2 has now emerged. The footage currently focuses on handheld mode, giving us an early look at how Capcom's open-world hunting game performs when played away from the TV. There's still more to see when it comes to docked gameplay, but this is a useful first look at what the Switch 2 version is actually doing. And this is the part I'm most curious about going into launch. Wilds is built around large environments, dynamic weather, plenty of monsters and fairly demanding battles, so seeing all of that running on Nintendo's hardware is more interesting than simply seeing another trailer. The Switch 2 version is also expected to support TV, tabletop and handheld play, while multiplayer remains part of the experience. ## What is Monster Hunter Wilds about? For anyone who skipped Wilds when it first launched, the game takes players into the Forbidden Lands, an unexplored region where the environment can change dramatically depending on the conditions. You play as a Hunter investigating the region after a young boy named Nata is rescued near its border. His story leads the Guild to investigate a mysterious monster and the events surrounding his village. From there, Wilds is still very much the Monster Hunter experience you'd expect: track monsters, hunt them, collect materials, and use those materials to create stronger weapons and armour. The difference is how much more dynamic the world has become. ## Monster Hunter Wilds has a changing open world One of Wilds' biggest ideas is its living world. The Forbidden Lands can shift between different environmental states, with weather and wildlife changing as conditions move between periods of Plenty, Fallow, and Inclemency. Monsters also react to those changes, which can affect how and where you hunt them. That makes preparation more important than simply turning up at a location and waiting for a target. Wilds also introduced mechanics such as Seikrets, which allow hunters to travel through the large environments more quickly and carry additional weapons, along with the ability to establish camps throughout the world. ## How does Monster Hunter Wilds multiplayer work on Switch 2? _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 5 Things You’re Probably Overlooking When Searching for a UK Sponsored Job URL: https://www.techloy.com/how-to-find-uk-jobs-with-visa-sponsorship/ Last updated: 2026-09-17T11:22:30.000Z It’s almost guaranteed that you'll find thousands of UK job vacancies online, on [LinkedIn](https://www.techloy.com/tag/linkedin/), [Indeed](https://www.techloy.com/how-to-apply-for-jobs-on-indeed/), or even the Techloy community [job board](https://community.techloy.com/jobs-in-tech). But finding vacancies where a UK employer is willing and able to sponsor you can be as tough as looking for a needle in a haystack. Say you search for “product designer jobs in the UK.” The search can return thousands of vacancies. For an international professional who needs sponsorship, however, most of those jobs may turn out to be irrelevant. This is because there is a difference between a job being advertised in the UK and a job being open to an overseas candidate who requires sponsorship. And while there are various reasons as to why professionals struggle to land a sponsorship role, here are some of the tips people overlook or don't know can help. [Why A UK Sponsor Licence Doesn’t Guarantee a Sponsored JobHaving a sponsor licence is only the starting point. Salary requirements, eligible occupations and employer costs can all affect whether a role can actually be sponsored.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-7f6cfa46-c15b-47cf-ba90-6566ed7abada.png)TechloyDavid Adubiina![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1641465537505-65fb9572571d-6fd56b1a-f1e7-4563-a68d-061ec821d04e.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/uk-sponsor-licence-sponsored-job/) ## /1\. Start with employers, not just job titles This is where the [UK Register of Licensed Sponsors](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/register-of-licensed-sponsors-workers) becomes useful. Candidates can use the register to identify organisations that hold a sponsor licence, then cross-check those employers against their industry, location and available vacancies. But there is an important distinction to keep in mind: a company appearing on the sponsor list does not mean every vacancy it advertises comes with sponsorship. [Oludamola Ibiyemi](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ibiyemi-oludamola/), founder and CEO of [Your Diaspora Hub](https://www.yourdiasporahub.com/), a platform helping migrants and diaspora professionals navigate life, work, and settlement in the United Kingdom, says candidates often stop their research too early once they find an employer on the register. “The UK sponsor register tells you which employers are licensed. It does not tell you whether they are actively using that licence, which roles they have sponsored before, or whether the vacancy in front of you is one of them,” she says. As a candidate, you still need to check the specific role and whether the company is offering sponsorship for that vacancy. ## /2\. Don't just target the obvious names When people think about companies that can sponsor international workers, they often think about big tech companies such as [Amazon](https://www.techloy.com/tag/amazon/), [Apple](https://www.techloy.com/tag/apple/) and [Google](https://www.techloy.com/tag/google/), forgetting that there are smaller and growing companies that international professionals can look at. Some eligible scale-up businesses can sponsor workers through the [Scale-up Worker](https://www.gov.uk/scale-up-worker-visa) route, which creates another group of employers candidates can consider when searching for UK opportunities. The Scale-up Worker pathway is a fast-track immigration pathway for highly skilled professionals who have a confirmed job offer from a fast-growing UK business. This means the search does not have to stop at the biggest companies. You can also look at growing companies in your industry, check whether they hold the relevant sponsor licence, and then see whether they have vacancies that match your experience. ## /3\. Don't wait until the offer stage to ask about sponsorship Finding an employer that can sponsor you is only part of the process. Candidates also need to think about **when** they raise the subject of sponsorship. According to Ibiyemi, one of the biggest mistakes she sees is people leaving the sponsorship conversation until the end of the recruitment process. “People are told to prove themselves first and raise the visa question later, so they get to the final stage before mentioning it. By then the employer has run a process, budgeted a salary and built expectations around a start date. Introducing sponsorship at that point feels to them like a new problem rather than a known condition, and that is when offers quietly evaporate,” she says Ideally, it should be "raised at application stage; it is just a fact about the role. Raising it at offer stage, it looks like something you concealed,” Ibiyemi added That doesn't mean every application needs to lead with a long explanation about immigration status. However, this helps to establish early whether sponsorship is available instead of progressing through an entire recruitment process without knowing. ## /4\. Don't assume the headline salary is enough Even after finding an employer that sponsors and a role that matches your experience, there is another detail candidates need to check before assuming they are eligible, which is the salary. Ibiyemi says this is one area that “catches even the people who did their homework.” She explains that “assuming the general salary threshold is the number that matters” can be a mistake. “You have to be paid the higher of that threshold or the going rate for your specific occupation code. An offer can clear the headline figure and still fail, and people tend to discover that far too late to do anything about it.” The important part is that the general salary threshold is not necessarily the only figure that matters. The going rate for the specific occupation code can be higher, so a salary that looks sufficient at first glance may still fall short of the requirement for that particular role. ## /5\. You can also look within the company you already work for You may not have to start your UK job search by looking for a new employer. If you already work for an international company that has a UK business, you could explore whether there is an opportunity to move within the company through the [Senior or Specialist Worker route](https://www.gov.uk/senior-specialist-worker-visa), if you meet the requirements. Unlike the Scale-up Worker route, which is designed for eligible workers joining qualifying UK scale-up businesses, the Senior or Specialist Worker route is a temporary work route under the UK’s Global Business Mobility framework. It allows multinational companies to transfer eligible key staff to an established UK branch within the same business group. This is different from the popular idea that you have to look beyond your locality to find global opportunities. Sometimes, the company you already work for can be the link to another market. Your locality could take you global. You just have to know what opportunities exist within the company and how to position yourself for them. ## Want to learn how professionals are landing sponsored jobs in the UK? Finding a UK vacancy is easy. Finding one where an employer is prepared to sponsor you is a different challenge. And that's why [Techloy x Your Diaspora Hub](https://www.techloy.com/techloy-your-diaspora-hub-uk-tech-careers/) (YDH) is bringing together six speakers, [Nike Baker](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikebaker/), [Bade Adesemowo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/badesemowo/), [Mahmood Owolabi](https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamcashia/), [Arinze Ibekwe](https://www.linkedin.com/in/arinzeibekwe/), [Wale Ogunjobi](https://www.linkedin.com/in/waleogunjobi/), and [Yanju Lawal](https://www.linkedin.com/in/yanjulawal/) for an online session on **Breaking into the UK Job Market: How to Land Sponsored Jobs**. The session is happening on Saturday, September 26, 2026, at 9:00 am BST and includes six speakers, one workshop, and a live Q&A, covering how international professionals can find UK opportunities and position themselves for sponsored roles. 🎟️ Get Your Event Ticket [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/Ticketing-Platform-Hero--5--1.png)](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/breaking-into-the-uk-job-market-how-to-land-sponsored-jobs-tickets-1998734125574?keep%5Ftld=true) The event normally costs £5, but we’re giving away a limited number of tickets. Techloy readers get the first 50 free tickets when they register with code ****TECHLOY50**. YDH is also giving away 25 free tickets with code **YDH25**. First come, first served. Once the free tickets are gone, the £5 ticket price applies. [REGISTER FOR THE EVENT ](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/breaking-into-the-uk-job-market-how-to-land-sponsored-jobs-tickets-1998734125574?keep%5Ftld=true) Finding a sponsored role requires candidates to look beyond the job title and investigate the employer, role, salary, and available immigration route. For international professionals, that research can help them focus their efforts on opportunities that may actually be viable. [Why A UK Sponsor Licence Doesn’t Guarantee a Sponsored JobHaving a sponsor licence is only the starting point. Salary requirements, eligible occupations and employer costs can all affect whether a role can actually be sponsored.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-3e32cb53-6666-4e91-aca2-c5b9bc967d9f.png)TechloyDavid Adubiina![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1641465537505-65fb9572571d-5048010c-a82d-492e-8fbe-bf223fb9f0ae.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/uk-sponsor-licence-sponsored-job/) ### South Park Returns for Season 29 After Changing Its Name to South America URL: https://www.techloy.com/south-park-season-29-south-america-release-schedule/ Last updated: 2026-09-17T10:48:24.000Z After nearly three decades, South Park has changed its name. Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s long-running animated comedy returned for Season 29 on September 16, now using the name South America as part of a new satirical direction. The season premiered at 10pm ET/PT on Comedy Central in the US, with new episodes arriving on [Paramount+](https://www.techloy.com/tag/paramount-plus/) the following day in the US, Canada and Australia. The rebrand was announced on September 9, shortly after the series won its [sixth Primetime Emmy](https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv-streaming/2026/09/16/south-park-america-premiere-season-29-schedule/91788157007/) for Outstanding Animated Programme. Parker and Stone said the change was “inspired by the bravery and patriotism of Apple and Google”, while also making a pointed reference to their parent company Paramount. [2026 Emmy Winners: Biggest Wins at the 78th EmmysThe 78th Emmy Awards have wrapped up, with Widow’s Bay leading the night with 14 wins and The Pitt taking home Outstanding Drama Series.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-1751a1b0-e5dc-4fb5-b56a-d9810de5c5fc.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1673548294207-b0fc0f528c3f-ee0dbd64-a509-42ae-ad1a-b8ac9bf98c4d.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/2026-emmy-winners-biggest-wins/) ## Why Has South Park Been Renamed South America? The name change is part of the creators’ satire surrounding recent efforts to rename geographical places. South Park Studios announced that the fictional Colorado town would now be called South America, with the new branding appearing across the programme’s official material. The announcement came after the show’s Emmy win, giving the rebrand additional attention just before the new season began. South Park Studios also described the series as an Emmy-winning show that has continued to attract audiences almost three decades after its 1997 debut. This does not mean the programme has moved to the South American continent. Stan, Kyle, Cartman and Kenny remain at the centre of the story, and the series continues to use its familiar small-town setting. ## What Happens in The Season 29 Premiere? The first episode is titled “South American Biker Gangs” and focuses on e-bikes arriving in town. Stan, Kyle, and Kenny become interested in the new bikes, while the adults respond by forming a cycling group of their own. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Dreamforce 2026 Attendees Have a Very Different Fear of AI URL: https://www.techloy.com/dreamforce-2026-ai-apocalypse-attendee-concerns/ Last updated: 2026-09-17T10:41:42.000Z Contrary to the [Artificial Intelligence](https://www.techloy.com/tag/artificial-intelligence/) apocalypse fears brought back into the conversation by AI researchers warning that the technology could pose a serious threat to humanity, attendees at [Salesforce](https://www.techloy.com/tag/salesforce/)’s Dreamforce conference in San Francisco had other things on their minds. People at the conference were still worried about AI. Still, according to a Business Insider [report](https://africa.businessinsider.com/news/what-people-at-sfs-largest-tech-conference-are-actually-worried-about-hint-not-an-ai/rz05mjb), their concerns were less about an AI-driven extinction and more about its impact on jobs, mental health, the environment, privacy, and how deeply the technology is becoming part of everyday life. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, [speaking](https://africa.businessinsider.com/news/sam-altman-says-some-ai-accidents-are-unavoidable/0vpdjpm) at Dreamforce, has said that “some degree of accidents are unavoidable with new technology.” He added, however, that what matters to him is having “a great culture of accident reporting and learning.” [Why Anthropic Researcher Jacob Coxon Quit, and Who AgreedCoxon’s warning comes as both OpenAI and Anthropic have faced incidents involving their AI systems gaining access to other organisations’ systems.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-3ea2c859-4763-4b79-957d-6d68319fc9d2.png)TechloyDavid Adubiina![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1579226905180-636b76d96082-ac041d82-592a-4aaf-987f-0e27577dd760.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/anthropic-researcher-quits-jacob-coxon-ai-safety/) ## AI taking over the world is not the immediate worry Dean Levita, a local tech worker attending Dreamforce, said he was mostly unconcerned about AI causing human extinction. Instead, he compared the discussion around catastrophic AI risks to earthquake warnings in the Bay Area. People can understand that a major earthquake could happen without believing that one is about to happen. “It’s cautionary, it’s not imminent,” he said. That view was also reflected in the response from Henry Sandles, who was attending Dreamforce with Sara Jamison to learn more about Salesforce because they regularly use the software at their nonprofit, which preserves a historic railroad. When asked about fears of AI causing human extinction, Sandles responded, “We’ve been here before.” He said he trusted that people would be able to shut down AI before it caused serious harm. “I just can’t see computers being smarter than humans,” Sandles said. For Jamison, however, there was another AI concern that felt much more real. ## Data centers are another AI concern Jamison said she was more concerned about the environmental impact of the data centers being built to support AI. She was happy about AI being used to automate boring work, but did not want the technology being used for art. Ashleigh Kaye, another attendee visiting from Oklahoma, also raised concerns about data centers, particularly their impact on electricity prices. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### I Used iOS 27 for a Day, and These Changes Surprised Me URL: https://www.techloy.com/iphone-ios-27-update-what-changed-after-1-day/ Last updated: 2026-10-11T13:41:57.000Z I usually don't expect huge changes whenever there's a new [iOS](https://www.techloy.com/tag/ios/) update. [Apple](https://www.techloy.com/tag/apple/), in my opinion, tends to make small refinements rather than completely reinvent the iPhone experience. The last major visual overhaul came with [Liquid Glass](https://www.techloy.com/tag/liquid-glass/) in [iOS 26](https://www.techloy.com/tag/ios-26/). So when rumours about iOS 27 started flying around, I was a bit sceptical. Part of that scepticism came from Apple's AI track record. The headline feature this year was a completely rebuilt Siri AI, but after everything that happened with Apple Intelligence over the past year, I wasn't about to get my hopes up again. The one thing I was genuinely excited about, though, was the promise of tweaks to Liquid Glass. I wasn't the biggest fan of the design in iOS 26, and I was hoping Apple would make it look a bit sleeker and more consistent. So I installed iOS 27 to see what all the fuss was about. Here are the things I noticed after using it for one day. [iOS 27 Release Time, New Features and Compatible iPhonesiOS 27 rolls out on Monday, September 14, with the update expected around 10 a.m. Pacific or 1 p.m. Eastern.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-e5cedb10-c139-4e36-bc7e-ee1a7132b06e.png)TechloyOgbonda Chivumnovu![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1605787020600-b9ebd5df1d07-204677ed-67a8-4056-aa43-21658f15cbfe.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/ios-27-release-time-new-features/) ## My biggest gripe showed up almost immediately Before I even started exploring new features, something kept bugging me. Whenever I swiped up or down on the Lock Screen to bring up notifications, the background opacity kept changing. It almost looked like the interface couldn't decide whether it wanted to be transparent or frosted. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Finished Learning a Tech Skill? Here’s How Community Can Help URL: https://www.techloy.com/how-joining-community-help-tech-career/ Last updated: 2026-09-17T09:51:26.000Z You've finished a course, [watched tutorials](https://www.techloy.com/tag/videos/), completed assignments, and maybe even built your first project. Then comes the question many beginners struggle with: “What do I do next?” Learning a technical skill gives you a foundation. Building a career requires you to understand where that skill fits, what employers expect, and how people already working in the industry are putting it to use. That's where [community can help](https://community.techloy.com/feed). Instead of learning entirely on your own, you get access to people who are asking similar questions, sharing what they've learnt, and navigating the same industry you are trying to enter. [How to Build Your Reputation in a Tech CommunityContributing what you know, one conversation at a time, can help build the reputation your personal brand needs.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-1d202329-0ddb-48de-b798-cc23549d3e70.png)TechloyDavid Adubiina![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1529209076408-5a115ec9f1c6-8f92e88b-d8ee-46a9-a84b-2b1d5b778901.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/how-to-contribute-to-tech-community/) ## A course gives you knowledge. People give you context Online courses are useful for building a foundation. You can learn coding, product design, data analysis, cybersecurity, or digital marketing from almost anywhere. But courses cannot always tell you what happens after the final lesson. You might learn [Python syntax](https://www.techloy.com/software-engineer-with-no-basic-knowledge-of-python-gen-z-and-gen-x-debate-vibe-codings-future/) without knowing what kinds of projects companies actually build with Python. You might complete a UX course without knowing what hiring managers expect from a junior designer. You might learn digital marketing without knowing which skills are currently showing up in job descriptions. Conversations with people already working in those fields can help fill in those gaps. You can also start building your reputation while you learn. Contributing what you know to a [tech community](https://community.techloy.com/feed) gives you a way to share your ideas, participate in discussions and become known for the things you are learning. ## You don't have to know everything before you participate One of the easiest mistakes beginners make is waiting until they feel qualified enough to join the conversation. You don't need to be an expert to [ask a useful question](https://community.techloy.com/c/ask-the-community/). ![Techloy Community "Ask the community"](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/image-40.png) **Techloy Community "Ask the community" (screenshot: Techloy.com)* Maybe you are trying to choose between two programming languages. Perhaps you want feedback on your CV or portfolio. You could be wondering whether a certification is worth paying for or where to find your first internship. Someone further along may have already dealt with the same problem. Even questions you don't ask yourself can teach you something. Reading how different people approach a problem gives you a view of the industry that a course alone cannot provide. LinkedIn's [Workplace Learning Report](https://business.linkedin.com/learn/resources/workplace-learning-report-2024) also highlights the growing importance of career development and mentorship as people continue learning throughout their careers. ## Your next opportunity might come from a conversation Learning is only part of building a career. Eventually, you need to put that knowledge to work. That could mean finding your first job, applying for an internship, joining a project, attending an industry event or meeting someone who can point you towards your next opportunity. Communities can make those connections easier to find. You might come across a job opening shared by another member. Someone could recommend a fellowship you had never heard of. A conversation could lead to a collaboration or introduce you to a professional whose experience is relevant to the path you are considering. For people actively looking for work, the [Techloy Community Job Board](https://community.techloy.com/jobs-in-tech) brings tech opportunities together in one place. 🚀 Want to Take Your Tech Career to the UK? [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/image-41-1.png)](https://community.techloy.com/c/industry-events/breaking-into-the-uk-job-market-how-to-land-sponsored-jobs) Techloy x Your Diaspora Hub is bringing together 6 speakers for an online session on ****Breaking into the UK Job Market: How to Land Sponsored Jobs**. You’ll hear from professionals and industry voices about finding opportunities in the UK, building a career there, and navigating the sponsorship process. [SAVE YOUR SEAT ](https://community.techloy.com/c/industry-events/breaking-into-the-uk-job-market-how-to-land-sponsored-jobs) ## What you get with Techloy Community Techloy Community goes beyond being a place to have conversations. Members can explore discussions around AI, gaming, crypto, consumer technology and careers, while the [Resource Hub](https://community.techloy.com/resources/) provides practical materials for different stages of a tech career. - Trying to figure out which direction to take? Browse the [career paths and roadmaps](https://community.techloy.com/resources/career-paths). - Preparing for an interview? Use the [interview preparation kits](https://community.techloy.com/resources/interview-prep-kit). - Need to improve your application? Start with the [CV templates](https://community.techloy.com/resources/cv-templates). ![Techloy Community Interview Prep Kit](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/image-39.png) **Techloy Community Interview Prep Kit (screenshot: Techloy.com)* The [Resource Hub](https://community.techloy.com/resources) also comes with tools and resources you can return to as your career develops. So instead of joining a community simply to “network,” you can actually use it to move through specific stages of your career. ## You finished the course. Now start building A completed course can give you the foundation. What happens next depends on what you do with it. You can keep learning, start building projects, ask better questions, meet people in the industry and look for opportunities to put your skills to work. You don't need to have your entire career mapped out before you start. [Join the Techloy Community](https://community.techloy.com/join?invitation%5Ftoken=3fd921afe339e2bcde54e697375307e0a9d56d06-58f3d5bb-a168-4097-9365-4925b3564c27) and find your next step with people who are learning and building alongside you. [Why Every Tech Professional Needs a CommunityTech careers can feel isolating, especially for remote workers. Here is why having the right tech community can provide support, mentorship, and opportunities.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-00ec6fe0-ac2d-4ffb-8dac-567d28d1b94c.png)TechloyOluwajeminipe Fasheun-Motesho![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1582213782179-e0d53f98f2ca-2d3d55aa-6ac2-4edf-94f2-617477fea7ed.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/why-every-tech-professional-needs-a-community/) ### TGS 2026 Capcom Spotlight: Everything Revealed URL: https://www.techloy.com/capcom-tgs-2026-spotlight-everything-revealed/ Last updated: 2026-09-17T09:50:34.000Z After sitting through [Nintendo's recent Directs](https://www.techloy.com/nintendo-direct-september-2026-everything-announced/) and [Sony's State of Play](https://www.techloy.com/playstation-state-of-play-september-2026-everything-announced/), I went into the TGS 2026 Capcom Spotlight wondering whether Capcom would finally have something completely unexpected for us. I was secretly hoping for Ace Attorney. That didn't happen. There wasn't a brand-new game announcement either, but I don't think the showcase needed one to be interesting. Capcom had plenty of updates to go through, including a much closer look at Mega Man Dual Override, six Resident Evil games coming to Nintendo Switch 2, another look at Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen, and, eventually, a pretty substantial Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance presentation. The Monster Hunter segment ended up taking most of my attention, but there were a few other announcements that stood out along the way. Here's everything Capcom showed at TGS 2026, along with what I thought about each reveal. [State of Play September 2026: Everything AnnouncedSony had plenty to announce, but a few reveals, including the final chapter of Final Fantasy VII’s remake trilogy, stood above the rest.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-96a64a3b-497c-4ad0-bf53-f995c1cd9159.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1486572788966-cfd3df1f5b42-2fbac861-a5a9-4a5e-ac7c-d584bcbe828b.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/playstation-state-of-play-september-2026-everything-announced/) ## Mega Man Dual Override Gets More Details on Proto Man The first game Capcom showed was Mega Man Dual Override, and this was probably the point where I became more interested in the game than I was before the presentation. The big focus was Proto Man, who is confirmed as a playable character alongside Mega Man. That isn't simply a cosmetic character swap, either. Mega Man retains the familiar ranged combat you'd expect from the series, while Proto Man is built more around close-range attacks. The comparison to Zero from Mega Man X makes sense from what Capcom showed. There's also a chip system with more than 50 upgrades, allowing you to change different aspects of your character and weapons. Some are relatively small improvements, while others can fundamentally alter how a weapon behaves. I particularly liked the idea of being able to experiment with these upgrades rather than simply unlocking a stronger version of the same weapon. The Robot Masters remain central to progression, with defeated bosses providing new abilities to use against other enemies. Capcom also showed Twinkle Girl, a Robot Master with a magical-girl-inspired design and attacks. It looks like Capcom is having some fun with the bosses this time around. Mega Man Dual Override launches in Spring 2027. ## Pragmata Gets Free Mega Man and Roll Costumes Pragmata didn't get a huge gameplay update, but Capcom did have something nice for people who already own the game or have been waiting to play it. Mega Man and Roll-inspired outfits are being added for the game's protagonists, and they're free. I'm always happier when these kinds of crossover costumes are actually given to players rather than being locked behind another purchase, particularly when they're essentially a celebration of Capcom's own history. The game is also getting its first discount across most marketplaces, so this feels like Capcom's way of giving Pragmata another push rather than announcing substantial new content. ## Six Resident Evil Games Are Coming to Nintendo Switch 2 This was one of the announcements I imagine Nintendo Switch 2 owners were paying close attention to. Capcom confirmed six Resident Evil games for Switch 2: - Resident Evil 2 - Resident Evil 3 - Resident Evil 4 Remake - Resident Evil 7: Biohazard - Resident Evil Village - Resident Evil Requiem That's a pretty significant chunk of the modern Resident Evil catalogue arriving on one console. What stood out to me here isn't just the number of games. It's the fact that Nintendo players will be able to experience several generations of the modern Resident Evil formula on the same hardware. And with Resident Evil Requiem joining them, Switch 2 is becoming a much more interesting place to play the franchise. Capcom also mentioned projects being developed for the series' 30th anniversary, although we didn't get any major details about those during this presentation. ## Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen Adds New Dungeons and a Character Creator Next up was Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen, and Capcom gave us a better look at what this expanded version is bringing to the game. The biggest additions include Forsaken Dominion, where players will uncover the secrets surrounding the undying dragon, alongside 12 new dungeons featuring new enemies and threats. There's also an expanded character creator, giving players more ways to customise both their Arisen and Pawn. One feature I found particularly interesting is the addition of official Pawns created by creators and celebrities. More of these will apparently be added over time, which should give the Pawn system a little more personality. Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen launches on October 6. ## Street Fighter 6 Reveals More of Arjun Street Fighter 6 also made an appearance with another look at upcoming DLC character Arjun. Capcom focused on his pressure-heavy fighting style and showed more of how he'll operate in actual matches. Arjun will be playable at Capcom's TGS booth, while his full release is scheduled for October 14. Capcom is also continuing its Street Fighter movie crossover, with movie versions of characters appearing on the game's character select screens. And if you're following the game's outfit releases, C. Viper's Outfit 4 will arrive alongside Arjun. It wasn't the biggest segment of the show, but Arjun looks like the kind of character who could shake up how players approach close-range pressure. ## Monster Hunter Outlanders Is Coming to Mobile _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Why Australian IT Leaders Are Rethinking Network Defense URL: https://www.techloy.com/why-australian-it-leaders-are-rethinking-network-defense/ Last updated: 2026-09-18T06:18:48.000Z The Australian regulatory environment changed fundamentally over the last twelve months. With APRA’s CPS 230 now firmly in force and the new Smart Device cybersecurity rules kicking in this March, tech executives are spending an unreasonable amount of time filling out risk matrices. If you run an IT department right now, you already know the disconnect between passing an audit and actually stopping a breach. We treat compliance frameworks as the ultimate goal. The board asks if we are aligned with the Essential Eight, the CIO says yes, and everyone goes back to work. Meanwhile, the service desk is drowning in alerts, and the infrastructure team is applying patches at 2 AM on a Sunday. The reality is that a green tick on a compliance spreadsheet does not deter a threat actor. Attackers do not care about your governance policies or your vendor risk assessments. They care about the misconfigured API gateway you deployed last Tuesday and the service account with overly broad permissions. Moving from a compliance-heavy mindset to a defensible architecture requires looking at your network through the eyes of someone trying to break it. You have to assume compromise and work backward to understand exactly how it happened. ## **The false comfort of automated vulnerability scanning** Most IT departments rely heavily on automated vulnerability scanners. You point the tool at your IP range, let it run, and wait for the PDF report. The problem is what happens next. The scanner invariably spits out hundreds, if not thousands, of vulnerabilities. Every missing patch, outdated library, and deprecated protocol gets flagged. The IT Service Desk Manager is then handed a spreadsheet of "Critical" and "High" alerts and told to fix them. This creates massive operational friction. The infrastructure team has to schedule downtime, test patches to ensure they do not break legacy applications, and push updates across the entire environment. They burn out chasing vulnerabilities that might not even be exploitable in your specific environment. A critical vulnerability in a web server is irrelevant if that server sits isolated behind three firewalls and is not accessible from the internet. Automated tools lack context. They find flaws, but they cannot chain those flaws together the way a human attacker would. They generate noise, and when a team is overwhelmed by noise, they start missing the actual threats. Relying solely on these automated sweeps gives IT Directors a false sense of security. You think you are fixing the network, but you are just playing an unwinnable game of whack-a-mole with common vulnerabilities and exposures (CVEs). ## **Testing defenses against human adversaries** If you want to know how secure your systems are, you have to let someone try to break in. This is where the gap between theory and reality closes entirely. Instead of guessing which of the 500 unpatched vulnerabilities an attacker might use, you hire professionals to simulate an actual breach. A human analyst looks at your network differently than a scanner does. They look for logical bypasses. They find the forgotten development server sitting on a public IP that the infrastructure team spun up and abandoned three years ago. They use a low-level phishing compromise to scrape basic user credentials, and then they attempt to pivot those credentials to gain domain admin rights. This approach changes the entire conversation around risk. Partnering with a specialized team for [penetration testing Australia](https://www.themissinglink.com.au/penetration-testing) provides the exact context your internal operations teams need to do their jobs effectively. When you get the results from a simulated attack, you are not looking at a theoretical list of missing patches. You are looking at a documented attack path. The report shows exactly how an external party bypassed your perimeter, escalated privileges, and accessed your customer database. This drastically reduces the workload on your service desk. Instead of patching 500 isolated vulnerabilities, they can focus their limited bandwidth on the three specific misconfigurations that allowed the attacker to move laterally across the network. Fixing those three choke points effectively neutralizes the attack path, providing far more immediate security value than indiscriminately applying patches. ## **Aligning operations with business realities** Operations Directors and CIOs face a constant battle when asking the board for security budget. Boards struggle to understand technical debt and infrastructure gaps. If you ask for a budget increase to "improve our patch management lifecycle," you will likely face intense pushback. However, if you present a report demonstrating that a hired attacker easily compromised the billing system using a known exploit in a legacy application, the conversation shifts immediately. Simulating a breach translates technical risk into business risk. It proves that the vulnerabilities are not abstract concepts—they are open doors directly threatening the company's revenue and reputation. This evidence-based approach also justifies the modernization of legacy systems. Every IT department has that one outdated application running on an old operating system because "the business relies on it." It is often impossible to get permission to replace it until you can definitively prove it is a massive operational liability. Showing the board exactly how that specific application compromises the wider network is the fastest way to get the retirement roadmap approved and funded. ## **Building a resilient operational culture** Security can no longer operate in a vacuum. Network admins, support engineers, and developers must understand how daily actions impact defensive posture. Sharing simulated attack findings changes behavior. A developer seeing an attacker exploit their hardcoded API key won't repeat that mistake. A service desk analyst seeing how a compromised account led to a domain takeover will take identity verification seriously. This builds a culture defaulting to security, where teams view controls as necessary defenses rather than frustrating roadblocks. Stop pretending regulatory adherence equals security. Frameworks like CPS 230 are baselines, not substitutes for real defense against motivated attackers. True resilience comes from finding flaws before attackers do and prioritizing fixes that matter. Are your teams stopping breaches, or just greenlighting compliance dashboards? ### The Executive Guide to Quantum Readiness: Bridging Strategy, Infrastructure, and Workforce Capabilities URL: https://www.techloy.com/the-executive-guide-to-quantum-readiness-bridging-strategy-infrastructure-and-workforce-capabilities/ Last updated: 2026-09-18T06:17:58.000Z Quantum technology is shifting from theoretical physics to enterprise roadmaps faster than most organizational structures can comfortably adapt. While corporate technology strategies were previously anchored strictly in classical cloud architectures, executive leadership is now forced to contend with a dual reality: classical computing is hitting physical scaling limits, while quantum-enabled systems are entering commercial deployment across optimization, encryption, and sensing. For IT directors, technology strategists, and business leaders, the immediate risk is not necessarily falling behind on specialized hardware manufacturing. Rather, the hazard lies in organizational inertia—a failure to cultivate the internal expertise required to evaluate, integrate, and scale quantum solutions when enterprise-grade readiness becomes a competitive mandate. ## **1\. Navigating the Paradigm Shift: From Classical Logic to Quantum Mechanics** To build an actionable enterprise strategy, business leaders must distinguish between classical compute cycles and quantum processing capabilities. Traditional architectures process binary states (1s and 0s) sequentially or in parallel through classical logic gates. Quantum systems, conversely, leverage fundamental mechanics—superposition, entanglement, and quantum interference—to evaluate complex, high-dimensional problem spaces simultaneously. This fundamental difference changes how businesses evaluate algorithmic value: - **Combinatorial Optimization:** Logistics, route planning, supply chain resiliency, and portfolio balancing contain variables that multiply exponentially. Quantum algorithms can navigate these state spaces far more efficiently than brute-force classical clusters. - **Materials Science and Molecular Modeling:** Simulating chemical dynamics for pharmaceuticals, battery chemistry, or advanced materials requires tracking quantum interactions at the atomic level—a task inherently suited for quantum-native frameworks. - **Quantum Sensing and Navigation:** Beyond pure compute, quantum mechanics allows for unprecedented measurement precision. Advanced atomic systems can now analyze minute variations in Earth's gravitational and geomagnetic fields. This enables breakthroughs such as hardware-software integrated platforms like Ironstone Opal, delivering GPS-denied, unjammable navigation resilience for aerospace, maritime, and defense operations. Translating these raw technological capabilities into operational bottom-line metrics requires cross-functional oversight. C-suite leaders cannot treat quantum technology as a distant R&D experiment; it must be mapped against existing business bottlenecks today. ## **2\. Workforce Upward Mobility: Closing the Strategic Skills Gap** The single greatest bottleneck in quantum adoption is not hardware availability—it is talent acquisition and operational capability. Enterprise organizations frequently struggle to reconcile high-level business goals with deep quantum engineering realities. Specialized quantum physicists understand the mechanics but often lack business operational context, while enterprise software engineers understand cloud pipelines but lack a foundational grasp of quantum algorithms. Forward-thinking organizations are resolving this dilemma by systematically upskilling their existing technical baseline. Rather than attempting to outbid research institutions for rare PhD talent, leadership is focusing on strategic workforce transformation: - **Targeted Upskilling Pipelines:** Software engineers, database administrators, and system architects already possess strong foundations in linear algebra, logic, and distributed computing. Supplementing this core skill set with formal [quantum computing certification](https://q-ctrl.com/black-opal) programs bridges the gap between traditional IT infrastructure and quantum-native software frameworks. - **Establishing Quantum Centers of Excellence (CoE):** Cross-functional pods—comprising business domain leads, data scientists, and newly certified quantum software engineers—ensure that early quantum pilots remain aligned with tangible commercial ROI. - **Software Abstraction Layer Readiness:** Modern quantum operations rarely require low-level pulse engineering at the user level. High-level infrastructure software, noise-reduction middleware, and cloud SDKs allow enterprise IT teams to write quantum-ready code using familiar execution pipelines. When enterprise tech teams develop a shared vocabulary surrounding quantum logic, the organization shifts from reactive technology monitoring to proactive operational readiness. ## **3\. Structural Roadmap for Enterprise Integration** Integrating quantum capabilities into existing enterprise architectures requires a structured, multi-phase execution model. Attempting a full-scale overhaul without iterative validation leads to ballooning vendor budgets and stalled deployments. **Key Framework Guidelines** 1. **Prioritize Cryptographic Agility First:** Before leveraging quantum compute speedups, security officers must address post-quantum cryptography (PQC). Upgrading legacy encryption algorithms (RSA, ECC) to lattice-based quantum-resistant standards takes years across enterprise data environments. 2. **Standardize on Hybrid Workflows:** Quantum systems will not replace classical data centers; they will accelerate them as co-processors. Enterprise IT stack designs should focus on cloud orchestration models that seamlessly pass heavy algorithmic tasks to quantum processing units (QPUs) while managing standard application logic on classical nodes. 3. **Decouple Hardware Dependencies:** Hardware modalities (superconducting, trapped ion, neutral atom) are evolving in parallel. Enterprise software architectures must rely on hardware-agnostic SDKs and abstraction platforms to prevent early vendor lock-in. ## **4\. Operational Readiness: The Executive Action Plan** Transitioning from theoretical awareness to operational execution requires deliberate organizational alignment. Business leaders and IT executives can begin building competitive moat strategies through four concrete steps: - **Audit Business Bottlenecks:** Identify specific operational workflows where classical computation exhibits exponential cost curves or severe accuracy degradation. - **Invest in Internal Capabilities:** Empower existing software and IT talent with structured training, practical labs, and industry-recognized credentials to cultivate internal quantum literacy. - **Engage Ecosystem Partners:** Join hardware and software consortiums, collaborate with vendor platforms, and participate in cloud-based pilot environments to evaluate real-world hardware developments. - **Establish Benchmarks:** Measure pilot outcomes rigorously against classical HPC performance, focusing on algorithm performance, noise resilience, and operational runtime improvements. Quantum readiness is ultimately an organizational design challenge rather than a purely technical one. By aligning executive strategy, modernizing infrastructure, and systematically developing internal talent, enterprise organizations can secure a sustainable competitive advantage as the quantum economy matures. Which area of your quantum readiness strategy requires the most focus right now—upgrading your infrastructure, mapping high-value use cases, or upskilling your current engineering teams? ### Smart Appliance Strategies for Homes and Commercial Workflows URL: https://www.techloy.com/smart-appliance-strategies-for-homes-and-commercial-workflows/ Last updated: 2026-09-18T06:15:36.000Z Refrigeration is one of those household and business essentials that rarely gets second-thought attention—until space runs out or energy bills surge. Whether managing a commercial kitchen, running a boutique catering service, or managing meal preparation for a growing household, cold storage bottlenecks are a common logistical headache. Standard refrigerator-freezer combinations offer convenience, but they often lack the depth, thermal efficiency, and organized layout required for bulk storage. Optimizing cold storage isn't just about buying bigger appliances; it requires a strategic approach to temperature management, spatial planning, and appliance selection. ## **1\. The Logistics of Bulk Cold Storage: Balancing Capacity and Energy Costs** Every foot of cold storage space comes with an operational cost. For small businesses and large households alike, balancing capacity against ongoing power consumption is critical. Modern appliances have made massive leaps in insulation efficiency and compressor performance, but performance varies significantly depending on the design of the unit. upright freezers, for instance, offer quick visibility and ease of access via vertical shelving. However, every time an upright door opens, cold air rapidly cascades out from the bottom, forcing the compressor to work harder to pull temperatures back down. In contrast, horizontal units leverage basic physics: cold air naturally settles at the bottom. When opened from the top, minimal thermal energy escapes, keeping internal temperatures stable and reducing overall strain on the mechanical components. When evaluating bulk cold storage for a home or commercial setup, consider the following key factors: - **Thermal Holdover Time:** How long can the unit maintain safe freezing temperatures during a power outage? Horizontal configurations generally perform better here due to tighter lid seals and thicker wall insulation. - **Ambient Operating Ranges:** Equipment placed in garages, external sheds, or warm commercial backrooms needs a climate class rating suited for variable ambient temperatures. - **Compressor Technology:** Inverter compressors adjust speed dynamically rather than switching fully on and off, reducing noise, lowering energy draw, and extending the lifespan of the appliance. ## **2\. Optimizing Organization: Turning Raw Volume into Usable Space** One of the main operational drawbacks of deep storage units is the potential for items to get lost at the bottom. Without a clear organization framework, bulk storage can quickly devolve into an unmanageable system where food spoils simply because it was forgotten. To maintain inventory flow—whether tracking commercial ingredients or household prep—implementing a structural organization system is non-negotiable. ### **Compartmentalization and Basket Systems** Rather than piling items directly into the cavity, build a tiered layer system using removable wire baskets and solid divider bins. Keep high-frequency items—such as daily prep bags, frozen herbs, or commonly used meats—in upper, accessible baskets. Reserve the deep bottom storage for long-term items, bulk protein purchases, or seasonal inventory. ### **FIFO (First-In, First-Out) Inventory Flow** In both commercial kitchens and home pantries, food waste is frequently caused by poor rotation. Adopt the First-In, First-Out rule: 1. Label every item with its preparation or purchase date using freezer-safe tape and markers. 2. Store newer inventory beneath or behind older stock. 3. Keep an updated digital or physical inventory list nearby so you know what is stored without needing to keep the lid open while browsing. ### **Commercial Sourcing and Equipment Investment** When upgrading equipment to handle expanded capacity, tracking sales and seasonal discounts helps stretch capital further. Sourcing commercial-grade or high-capacity residential units from dedicated appliance outlets often provides better warranties and energy efficiency ratings. For instance, businesses and homeowners looking to expand their footprint can find discounted models by reviewing current lists of [chest freezers on sale](https://birite.com.au/collections/chest-freezers) to secure reliable units within budget constraints. ## **3\. Maintenance Protocols for Maximum Equipment Lifespan** Even the highest-rated refrigeration equipment will experience premature wear, ice buildup, and excessive energy draw if routine maintenance is neglected. A simple, regular maintenance schedule keeps equipment running smoothly for years while protecting the financial investment stored inside. ### **Defrosting and Frost Management** Manual defrost units remain popular because they maintain lower, more stable internal humidity than auto-defrost models (which periodically warm up slightly to melt frost). However, once ice buildup exceeds 5 mm (about 1/4 inch), it acts as an insulator *against* the cooling coils, forcing the motor to run continuously. Schedule defrost cycles during low-inventory periods to keep the interior clean and efficient. ### **Gasket Integrity Checks** The rubber door seal (gasket) is the main barrier between room air and cold storage. A worn or dirty seal allows humid ambient air to leak in continuously, causing rapid frost accumulation and high electricity costs. Clean gaskets quarterly with mild soap and warm water, and inspect for cracking or air gaps. ### **Condenser Coil Cleaning** Dust, grease, and pet hair accumulate quickly on condenser coils, particularly in commercial environments or garage setups. Cleaning these coils every six months using a vacuum brush or coil condenser brush allows the system to shed heat efficiently, lowering motor operating temperatures and preventing premature compressor failure. ## **Strategic Cold Storage Delivers Operational Efficiency** Upgrading cold storage infrastructure requires balancing capacity, energy performance, and ongoing maintenance. By choosing the right appliance configuration for your space, establishing disciplined inventory management systems, and keeping up with preventive maintenance, both home cooks and business owners can drastically reduce food waste and lower utility overhead. Intelligent appliances paired with smart operational habits create a reliable, cost-effective cold storage system tailored to any scale. ### The Modern Living Room Upgrade: How Display Tech Redefines Home Entertainment URL: https://www.techloy.com/the-modern-living-room-upgrade-how-display-tech-redefines-home-entertainment/ Last updated: 2026-09-18T06:14:31.000Z A quiet revolution is happening in residential architecture and interior design. For years, the living room layout was anchored around furniture placement first, with entertainment hardware treated as an afterthought. Today, homeowners view display technology as a central architectural feature. The global demand for immersive home cinema experiences has accelerated rapid advancements in panel technology. Modern panels blur the line between reference-grade picture performance and seamless decor integration. For homeowners looking to elevate their living space, upgrading a display is no longer just about buying a larger screen—it is about matching display capabilities to home environments, room acoustics, lighting conditions, and lifestyle habits. Here is an insider guide to navigating display tech, optimizing visual real estate, and maximizing return on investment for your home entertainment setup. ## **Decoding Display Technologies: Mini-LED vs. OLED** Choosing the ideal panel comes down to understanding how light control impacts your specific room environment. The industry has settled into two primary premium panel standards: self-emissive OLEDs and ultra-bright Mini-LEDs. ### **OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode)** OLED displays feature self-lit pixels that turn off completely to achieve true black levels. - **Best For:** Dedicated home theater rooms, basement setups, or spaces with controlled lighting. - **Key Advantage:** Infinite contrast ratios, unmatched viewing angles, and zero backlight "blooming" around bright objects. - **Consideration:** Peak brightness is exceptional in dark settings, but can occasionally be washed out in rooms with direct sunlight. ### **Mini-LED & Quantum Dot (QLED)** Mini-LED technology shrinks traditional backlighting diodes into microscopic arrays, allowing thousands of local dimming zones. - **Best For:** Bright, open-plan living rooms with large windows or heavy daytime ambient light. - **Key Advantage:** Massive peak HDR brightness levels that cut through daytime glare while retaining vibrant color saturation. - **Consideration:** Off-axis viewing angles can lose slight color accuracy compared to OLED panels. Understanding room lighting allows you to choose a technology that complements your home rather than fighting against its natural light. ## **Sizing and Spatial Geometry: Beyond the "Bigger is Better" Myth** A common mistake homeowners make is selecting a screen size based solely on wall dimensions rather than seating distance. Installing an oversized display in a compact space creates visual fatigue, while a small screen in an expansive room degrades immersive immersion. Field-of-view standards from home theater specialists recommend that a display occupy 30° to 40° of your field of vision: - **65-Inch Display:** Ideal viewing distance is approximately 6.5 to 8 feet (2.0 to 2.4 meters). - **75-Inch Display:** Ideal viewing distance is approximately 7.5 to 9.5 feet (2.3 to 2.9 meters). - **85-Inch+ Display:** Ideal viewing distance is 8.5 to 11 feet (2.6 to 3.3 meters) or more. ### **Mounting and Integrated Aesthetics** Beyond screen diagonal, consider how the display integrates into your wall space: - **Flush Recess Mounting:** Ultra-thin panels designed to sit flat against plaster or timber framing give a built-in look. - **Ambient Gallery Modes:** Modern smart displays double as digital art frames when inactive, blending into your home’s aesthetic. - **In-Wall Cable Management:** Routing power and high-speed HDMI cables behind drywall eliminates cable clutter, creating a minimalist presentation. ## **Smart Ecosystems and Future-Proofing Considerations** A panel is only as reliable as the ecosystem driving it. When auditing current hardware options, modern home setups demand connectivity that spans streaming, smart home automation, and high-frame-rate media. ### **Key Connectivity Features** - **HDMI 2.1 Pass-Through:** Essential for bandwidth demanding 4K/120Hz or 144Hz video feeds, ensuring smooth motion for modern gaming consoles and media servers. - **eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel):** Transmits uncompressed spatial audio formats—like Dolby Atmos—directly from internal TV apps to an external soundbar or AV receiver. - **Smart Home Protocol Support:** Native integration with platforms like Apple Home, Google Home, or Matter allows your display to serve as a dashboard for home security, lighting scenes, and automated blinds. Smart shoppers recognize that premium home theater gear updates on predictable seasonal cycles. Taking time to monitor the market for seasonal clearance cycles or browsing the [latest TV deals](https://birite.com.au/collections/televisions-deals) can help you acquire top-tier flagship hardware at mid-range price points. ## **Architectural Audio: Complementing High-Definition Visuals** Pairing a high-end display with built-in chassis speakers creates an unbalanced sensory experience. Modern slim panel designs leave minimal physical cabinet space for deep acoustic resonance. To match visual clarity with high-fidelity audio, consider three architectural sound approaches: 1. **Active Dolby Atmos Soundbars:** Compact, multi-channel bars featuring up-firing drivers that bounce sound off ceilings to simulate height channels. Ideal for clean, low-profile setups. 2. **Architectural In-Wall/In-Ceiling Speakers:** Flush-mounted passive speakers painted to match wall surfaces, driven by a hidden AV receiver. This preserves room aesthetics while delivering reference audio. 3. **Dedicated Multi-Channel Ensembles:** Standalone floor-standing or bookshelf speakers paired with active subwoofers for dedicated media rooms where sound performance takes top priority. ## **Designing a Seamless Living Space** Upgrading your home entertainment system is an architectural investment that elevates daily living. By balancing room lighting with appropriate panel tech, sizing screen dimensions to comfortable viewing distances, and hiding high-bandwidth cables, you turn an everyday living area into a refined visual haven. Plan around your layout, invest in key connectivity features, and focus on long-term versatility to ensure your home theater serves your household for years to come. If you're interested in diving deeper into smart home tech, this video breaks down the key features to look for when choosing a modern TV setup: Smart TV Buying Guide. It provides an excellent walkthrough of picture settings, panel choices, and ecosystem integration to help you make the right pick for your living space. ### Protect Your Performance: A Guide for Actors URL: https://www.techloy.com/protect-your-performance-a-guide-for-actors/ Last updated: 2026-09-17T06:28:45.000Z You just nailed the perfect take for your self-tape. The lighting is great, the sound is crisp, and your performance feels authentic. You upload it, send it off to a casting director, and maybe even share a short clip on social media to show your followers what you're working on. But in the excitement of sharing your art, have you thought about what happens to that digital file? In an instant, your hard work can be downloaded, re-uploaded, and shared without your permission. This isn't meant to scare you away from sharing your talent online. For a modern actor, a digital presence is essential. This guide is here to give you practical, simple steps to protect your performance clips, monologues, and other creative work in the digital world. ## **Why Your Online Presence Matters** Your online portfolio—from your website to your social media channels—is your digital resume. It’s often the first impression a casting director or agent will have of you. Maintaining a professional and controlled online presence is key. When your content is stolen and used out of context, it can create major problems. The risks include **damage to your professional reputation**, loss of control over your own image, and the potential for your work to be used on monetized channels where someone else profits from your performance. ## **Understanding Basic Copyright for Performers** Copyright can sound intimidating, but the basic concept is simple. The moment you create an original piece of work and fix it in a tangible form (like recording a video), you are the copyright owner. This means you alone have the right to reproduce, share, and display that work. You don't need to file any complicated paperwork for this basic protection to exist. When someone takes your self-tape and uploads it to their own YouTube channel or uses a clip in their compilation video without your permission, they are infringing on your copyright. Knowing this is the first step toward defending your work. ## **Proactive Steps to Safeguard Your Work** The best defense is a good offense. Instead of waiting for a problem to happen, you can take a few simple, proactive steps to make your content a less appealing target for theft. These small actions can save you a huge headache down the line. - **Watermark Your Videos:** Add a small, semi-transparent watermark with your name or website in the corner of your videos. It’s unobtrusive but clearly marks the work as yours. - **Use Private Sharing Links:** When sending audition tapes, use "Unlisted" on YouTube or password-protected pages on Vimeo. This ensures only people with the direct link can view it. - **Keep Your Original Files:** Always store the high-resolution, original file of your performance on a personal hard drive. This is your ultimate proof of ownership. - **State Your Rights:** Include a simple line like "Copyright \[Year\] \[Your Name\]. All Rights Reserved." in the description of your videos or on your portfolio website. - **Set Up Alerts:** Create simple online alerts for your name so you are notified if it appears on new web pages or video sites. ## **What To Do When Your Content Is Stolen** Finding your work used without permission is frustrating. The key is to act quickly and methodically. First, take screenshots of the infringing content and copy the URL. This documentation is your evidence. You can try reaching out to the person who posted it and politely ask them to take it down, but this approach may not always work or be comfortable. Your strongest tool is a formal takedown notice. Most platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook have a built-in system for reporting copyright infringement. If your work is stolen and distributed across many different websites, managing this process can be overwhelming. In these cases, using a professional [dmca service](https://cammodelprotection.com/dmca-takedown-service) can automate the process and ensure notices are sent correctly and efficiently. Sometimes, even after the infringing content is removed from a website, a link to it may linger in search engine results. This can be just as damaging, as it can still lead people to a dead page that references your stolen work. To fully clean up your digital footprint, you may need to formally request to remove from google search and other search engines to get rid of these ghost listings for good. ## **Building a Secure Digital Career** As a performer, your energy should be focused on your craft, not on policing the internet. By being proactive about protecting your work and knowing the steps to take if it's stolen, you can maintain control over your digital identity. Your online presence is a valuable asset to your career. Taking these measures ensures that you are the one who gets to shape it. Take control of your online presence today. Regularly search for your work and use these tips to protect your art so you can share your talent with the world confidently and securely. ### The Digital Witness Hiding Inside a Commercial Truck URL: https://www.techloy.com/the-digital-witness-hiding-inside-a-commercial-truck/ Last updated: 2026-09-17T06:17:46.000Z Modern commercial trucks carry considerably more than freight and a driver behind the wheel. Tucked within the vehicle's systems sits a quiet record of electronic information, capturing details about speed, braking, and engine activity throughout the entire journey. Most people never think about this hidden layer of data until something goes wrong. After a serious collision, though, that information can become remarkably valuable, offering a level of technical detail that human memory and physical evidence alone often can't fully provide. That technical information is exactly what investigators are referring to when discussing[ ECM downloads](https://www.zehllaw.com/texas-truck-accident-lawyer/ecm-downloads/), a process that extracts stored data capable of helping reconstruct precisely what happened in the moments before a collision occurred. ## **Trucks Record More Than Drivers Realize** The engine control module inside a commercial truck functions as a central hub for various operational data, continuously monitoring and recording information related to how the vehicle is actually performing throughout normal, everyday operation on the road. Event data can capture specific details surrounding sudden changes in vehicle behavior, while fault codes help identify mechanical issues that may have developed during operation. This general operating information accumulates continuously, whether or not anything unusual actually happens during a given trip. Most drivers aren't necessarily thinking about this recorded information during routine operation, since it exists primarily as a background system designed for maintenance and diagnostic purposes rather than something drivers actively monitor throughout their normal working day. ## **The Seconds Before Impact Can Matter Most** When a collision does occur, the data recorded in the moments immediately beforehand often becomes particularly valuable. Speed readings can help establish exactly how fast the truck was traveling in the critical seconds leading directly up to impact. Brake use provides another important detail, potentially indicating whether and when the driver attempted to slow the vehicle before the collision actually occurred. Throttle position offers additional insight into acceleration patterns during that same critical window of time. Together, these data points can help establish a fairly precise technical timeline, offering investigators considerably more specificity than eyewitness accounts alone typically provide, particularly regarding exact speed and timing details surrounding the moments before a serious collision. ## **Electronic Data Is Only One Piece of the Puzzle** Despite its value, ECM data doesn't tell the complete story on its own. Physical evidence from the scene, including vehicle damage and roadway markings, provides important context that complements the more technical, purely numerical information captured electronically. Witness accounts and video footage, where available, add further perspective, sometimes revealing details about the broader situation that electronic data alone simply can't capture. Maintenance records and driver logs also help establish additional context surrounding the incident itself. Investigators typically combine these various sources rather than relying exclusively on any single type of evidence. That combined approach generally produces a considerably more complete and reliable understanding compared to depending entirely on electronic records alone. ## **Data Can Be Lost or Overwritten** Not every piece of electronic data remains permanently accessible after a collision. Depending on the specific system involved, certain information can potentially be overwritten by continued vehicle operation, making timely preservation genuinely important following a serious incident. That time sensitivity means requesting or preserving this data promptly can matter considerably, since delays sometimes risk losing access to information that might otherwise have provided valuable insight into exactly what happened leading up to the collision itself. Understanding these preservation concerns helps explain why early action often matters significantly following a serious truck accident, particularly when electronic records could potentially provide meaningful clarity about the circumstances surrounding what actually occurred. ## **Conclusion** Digital records stored within a commercial truck can function almost like a silent witness, offering technical detail that becomes especially valuable when human memories and various accounts of an incident don't fully align with one another. That data doesn't replace other forms of evidence, but it adds a layer of precision that's often difficult to obtain through physical evidence or witness testimony alone, particularly regarding exact speed, braking, and timing details surrounding a collision. Recognizing the value of this hidden digital layer helps explain why timely preservation and careful analysis of electronic truck data has become an increasingly important part of understanding what actually happens during serious commercial vehicle collisions. ### Pokémon’s 30th Anniversary Cards Are Here. Here’s What’s Inside URL: https://www.techloy.com/pokemon-tcg-30th-anniversary-cards/ Last updated: 2026-09-16T15:58:16.000Z Pokémon is turning 30, and its Trading Card Game is marking the milestone with Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration, a new anniversary expansion launching worldwide on September 16, 2026. Fans get a mix of new cards, classic reprints, and 30 different Pikachu designs, giving longtime collectors and newer players plenty to chase. For English-language collectors, there are 199 cards in total per [VICE](https://www.vice.com/en/article/pokemon-tcg-30th-celebration-english-set-list/), and every card is foil. Each booster pack also contains one Pikachu card, making the character a central part of the anniversary release. [Pokémon Polaroid Cameras: Prices and Aug 25 Pre-Order DatePolaroid built a Poké Ball that takes real photographs, and the pre-order window opens August 25.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-88e30d32-6017-432b-bb40-6530673b95bf.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/image-62--1--1-8f0fb6f1-babb-4564-9fe2-ff7fd70730cc.png)](https://www.techloy.com/pokemon-polaroid-cameras-prices-pre-order-date/) ## Why is Pokémon celebrating 30 years? Pokémon's 30th anniversary marks three decades since *Pokémon Red* and *Pokémon Green* launched in Japan on February 27, 1996. Game Freak's Game Boy games grew into a franchise spanning video games, animation, films, and merchandise. The Trading Card Game joined that lineup later in 1996 and has since become one of Pokémon's most enduring products. That history is a big part of 30th Celebration. Familiar Pokémon and cards from earlier eras sit alongside new designs, giving longtime fans something recognisable while keeping the release relevant to current players. ## What is in the Pokémon 30th celebration set? English collectors have 199 cards to chase, compared with 176 in the Japanese release. That total includes 128 main-set cards, 30 numbered Secret Rares, three special RGB Mew Secret Rares, 30 Classic Collection cards, and eight Basic Energy cards. Every card is foil, while each booster pack contains five foil cards, including one of the 30 Pikachu designs and one foil Basic Energy card. A code card for *Pokémon TCG Live* is included too. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Sony PlayStation Pulse vs Pulse Edge URL: https://www.techloy.com/ps5-pulse-vs-pulse-edge-which-should-you-buy/ Last updated: 2026-09-16T15:21:05.000Z Sony has [introduced](https://blog.playstation.com/2026/09/15/introducing-the-next-line-of-ps5-audio-products-playstation-pulse-and-pulse-edge-wireless-headsets/) two new wireless headsets for [PS5](https://www.techloy.com/tag/ps5/), with the PlayStation Pulse Wireless Headset and Pulse Edge Wireless Headset bringing larger planar magnetic drivers, PlayStation Link connectivity, and AI-enhanced microphone noise rejection to its latest audio lineup. The two headsets share much of the same foundation, but Sony is positioning the Pulse Edge as the more advanced option with active noise cancellation, a detachable boom microphone, additional audio controls, and a carrying case. The standard Pulse will launch in the holiday season of 2026, while the Pulse Edge is coming in early 2027\. Sony has yet to reveal pricing for either model. So, what's actually different between them, and is the Pulse Edge worth waiting for? Here's how they compare. [PS5 Update 14.0 Gives PS5 Pro a Free PSSR 2.0 UpgradeSony is reportedly testing PS5 firmware 14.0, and PS5 Pro owners could get an upgraded version of the console’s PSSR upscaling technology.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-950ea3d6-7dc8-42c4-883c-1617ab69fa51.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1623934199716-dc28818a6ec7-cec43aa4-f47c-4de8-82aa-fde95b28b890.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/ps5-update-14-0-pssr-2-0-ps5-pro/) ## /1\. Audio: Pulse Edge has the more advanced driver setup Both headsets use custom studio-inspired planar magnetic drivers, but the Pulse Edge takes the hardware further. The standard Pulse has four magnets per planar driver, while the Pulse Edge doubles that to eight magnets per driver. Sony says the larger planar magnetic drivers are designed to improve audio separation and spatial accuracy, while also producing deeper bass without losing smaller details such as footsteps and reload sounds. The Edge's additional magnets give it a more advanced driver configuration, although both headsets are built around the same planar magnetic technology 💡 ****Winner:** Pulse Edge. ## /2\. Noise cancellation: The Edge has an important extra This is one of the clearest differences between the two headsets. The Pulse Edge features active noise cancellation, allowing it to reduce external sounds while you're playing. The standard Pulse doesn't have ANC, although both headsets use AI-enhanced microphone noise rejection to reduce background noise picked up during voice chat. That means the two models should offer similar improvements to microphone clarity, but only the Edge is designed to actively block outside noise for the person wearing it. For players who regularly game in noisy environments, this could be one of the more noticeable differences. 💡 ****Winner:** Pulse Edge. ## /3\. Microphone: Edge gives you more flexibility Sony has also given the Pulse Edge a more versatile microphone setup. The standard Pulse has an integrated microphone with AI-enhanced noise rejection built into the headset. The Pulse Edge instead comes with a detachable boom microphone, alongside a hidden microphone that can be used when the boom is removed. That gives Edge users more choice depending on how they want to use the headset. You can use the boom for voice chat or remove it and rely on the hidden microphone for a cleaner look. If you spend a lot of time in multiplayer games or party chat, the detachable boom is an important upgrade. 💡 ****Winner:** Pulse Edge. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/Pulse-Wireless-Headset-vs-Pulse-Edge-Wireless-Headset-Comparison-Infographic-.png) ## /4\. Controls: Edge is built for more adjustment The two headsets also differ in how much control Sony gives you over your audio. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### VIDEO: How to Turn Off Location Services on a MacBook URL: https://www.techloy.com/how-to-turn-off-location-services-macbook/ Last updated: 2026-09-16T15:00:23.000Z Your [MacBook](https://www.techloy.com/tag/macbook/) can use your location for things like Maps, weather, search suggestions, and other location-based features. For some people, that convenience is worth it. For others, there is little reason for their laptop to know where they are. The good news is that turning Location Services off takes less than a minute. Apple also lets you control location access for individual apps, so you don’t necessarily have to disable everything. ## How to turn off Location Services on a MacBook ### **Step 1: Open System Settings** ### **Step 2: Click Privacy & Security in the sidebar** ### **Step 3: Select Location Services** ### **Step 4: Turn off the Location Services toggle. Enter your Mac’s password if prompted and confirm the change** _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 5 SEO Analysis Tools, Ranked by the Data (2026) URL: https://www.techloy.com/5-seo-analysis-tools-ranked-by-the-data-2026/ Last updated: 2026-09-16T13:54:29.000Z A randomized 2026 field experiment logging the real searches of 1,065 US users found that Google AI Overviews cut organic clicks to external sites by 38%, and pushed zero-click searches from 54% to 72% on queries where an AI Overview appeared (ISB/Carnegie Mellon, reported by [Search Engine Journal](https://www.searchenginejournal.com/ai-overviews-cut-organic-clicks-38-field-study-finds/573145/)). When the SERP leaks that many clicks, which tool you use to measure what's left is a measurement decision, not a feature comparison. The best seo analysis tools differ mostly in data provenance - where their numbers come from - not in feature lists. For most teams in 2026, SE Ranking is the best all-round SEO analysis tool: it pairs first-party audit data with keyword, backlink, and AI-search datasets you can benchmark competitors against in one workspace. I ranked each tool on five data-first criteria - data provenance (measured vs. estimated), database size and refresh cadence, JS rendering, AI-search coverage, and export/API access - checking every estimate against Google Search Console. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/08/data-src-image-fdee232b-f122-41f6-8f5a-71d86366d836.png) | Rank | Tool | Analysis coverage | Data source & size | AI-search coverage | Export/API | Starting price | | ---- | --------------------- | -------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------- | --------------------------- | -------------- | | 1 | SE Ranking | Full platform | Own index - 5.5B keywords, 2.7T backlinks, 188 country DBs | 5 engines | CSV + API + MCP (all plans) | $129/mo | | 2 | Ahrefs | Keyword + backlink + audit | Own crawl + clickstream; largest backlink index | Partial (AI Overview) | CSV + API (credit-metered) | \~$129/mo | | 3 | Semrush | Full platform | Own index + clickstream; largest keyword/backlink DBs | Partial (AIO) | CSV + API (gated) | $139.95/mo | | 4 | Google Search Console | Index coverage + CWV | First-party Google data (your site) | n/a | No analysis API | Free | | 5 | Screaming Frog | Crawl + log-file analysis | Your site only (no index) | No | Export (no API) | £199/yr | ## How to Read This Comparison A first-party number is measured - Google Search Console reports the clicks, impressions, and positions Google recorded for your property. An estimated number is modeled from clickstream panels, SERP scrapes, or crawl samples. That gap matters: a 38% click drop is only visible if your baseline is measured, so treat estimates as directional and reconcile them against GSC first. ## The 5 Best SEO Analysis Tools, Scored on Their Data ### 1\. SE Ranking [SE Ranking](https://seranking.com/) is a full-stack SEO analysis platform that runs keyword, backlink, and audit data on its own datasets across 188 country databases. Best for: in-house analysts who need first-party audit data and market-scale keyword and backlink estimates benchmarked in one workspace. Standout feature: The competitor SEO analysis module measures organic, PPC, and AI-answer visibility across five engines (AI Overviews, AI Mode, ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity) against a 5.5B-keyword database, and sets those estimates beside first-party Website Audit output so you read each number against its source. Pros: - Crawls roughly 6B pages daily into a 2.7-trillion-record backlink index for link-gap analysis. - Separates measured audit data (115+ checks, JS rendering) from estimated competitor figures, so provenance is explicit. - Includes API and MCP access on every plan for programmatic querying. Cons: - Competitor traffic and keyword numbers are estimates whose accuracy varies by country database. - No automated cross-channel correlation; combining organic, PPC, and AI signals runs through an AI assistant via MCP. Pricing: Core $129/mo ($103.20/mo billed annually); Growth $279/mo; 14-day trial. The data says: SE Ranking's advantage is labeling - measured audit output and estimated competitor figures sit side by side, so you know each number's origin before you act on it. For teams that benchmark before they commit, that separation is the point. ### 2\. Ahrefs Ahrefs is a backlink-led suite built on the largest independent link index, with [keyword and traffic ](https://www.techloy.com/how-ai-seo-tools-are-replacing-manual-keyword-research/)figures estimated from clickstream data. Best for: teams whose analysis leans on referring-domain and link-gap data more than on rank tracking. Standout feature: A 2026 WebFX study of 1,462 domains found page-one sites carry a [median of 907 referring domains](https://www.webfx.com/blog/seo/how-many-backlinks-do-i-need-to-rank-study/), ranging from 76 to 3,027 across industries - so benchmark a gap against your own vertical, not a global average. Pros: - Maintains the largest independent backlink index among the tools compared here. - Surfaces link-gap and content-gap comparisons against named competitors. Cons: - Applies credit and row limits that cap large exports. - Estimates deviate from Google Search Console's first-party figures. Pricing: From \~$129/mo. The data says: Ahrefs stays the reference point for link data; treat its traffic estimates as directional and validate against GSC where the site is your own. ### 3\. Semrush Semrush runs the largest keyword and backlink databases in the category, wrapped in position tracking and a roughly 140-check Site Audit. Best for: agencies and in-house teams that want the widest raw keyword and backlink dataset in one platform. Standout feature: Its keyword and [backlink indexes](https://www.techloy.com/how-to-build-high-quality-backlinks-that-actually-boost-your-rankings/) are the largest any vendor reports - more indexed queries and referring domains than most rivals surface for the same domain. Pros: - Indexes more keywords and referring domains than most competitors report. - Runs a Site Audit of roughly 140 technical checks against a live crawl. Cons: - Price scales quickly as you add seats and projects. - Historical depth and several data-pull limits sit behind higher tiers. Pricing: From $139.95/mo. The data says: Semrush wins on raw database size, but meaningful historical comparison and higher pull limits require the upper tiers - measure how much of that scale you'll actually query first. ### 4\. Google Search Console The only tool here that reports measured Google data: clicks, impressions, and average position straight from Google's own logs. Best for: teams that want a first-party baseline to validate every estimate against. Standout feature: The Performance report is first-party ground truth - the exact clicks, impressions, average position, and CTR Google recorded for queries where your site appeared. Index Coverage and Core Web Vitals add crawl and page-experience signals - nothing here is modeled. Pros: - First-party Google data - the measured baseline every third-party estimate is modeled toward. - Doubles as a free SEO checker for Index Coverage and Core Web Vitals on your own pages. Cons: - Covers only properties you have verified, so there is no competitor data. - History caps at 16 months, which limits year-over-year analysis. Pricing: Free. The data says: Treat Search Console as your zero point - every estimate from the other tools should be reconciled against it. It is a baseline, not a complete record, but it is the only measured number you own. ### 5\. Screaming Frog A desktop crawler that renders JavaScript through headless Chrome and pairs with a separate log-file analyzer measuring actual Googlebot fetches. Best for: measured, first-party crawl data on your own site. Standout feature: The log-file analyzer reads your server logs and reports how often Googlebot actually fetched each URL - measured behavior, not a crawl simulation. Pros: - Renders JavaScript via headless Chrome, so it reads the DOM users and Google see, not just raw HTML. - Log-file analyzer measures real Googlebot fetch frequency from your server logs. Cons: - Crawl scale is bound to the local machine's RAM, so large sites can exhaust memory. - No keyword or backlink index of its own - it measures your site, not the market. Pricing: Free up to 500 URLs; £199/yr (\~$259) for unlimited crawling. The data says: Screaming Frog and Search Console are the two first-party sources here - one measures how Google crawls you, the other how it ranks you. Both see only your site, so pair them with an index tool for competitors. ## Decision Guide: Matching the Tool to the Measurement There is no single winner; it depends on which measurement you need to trust. For first-party truth, start with Google Search Console plus a crawler like Screaming Frog, and treat every third-party number as an estimate toward that baseline. To benchmark competitors across both SEO and AI answers, use SE Ranking, because the keyword, backlink, audit, and AI-search datasets sit in one comparable workspace. If raw backlink index size on a single axis is the whole job, a specialist such as Ahrefs goes deeper. For the most common case - multi-layer competitor benchmarking - SE Ranking covers the widest span of comparable datasets at a single price. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is SEO analysis? SEO analysis measures how a site performs in search and why. It spans three data layers: first-party performance from Google Search Console, technical crawl data from a site audit, and estimated market data such as keyword volume and competitor backlinks. ### How accurate is the keyword and traffic data in SEO analysis tools? Third-party traffic and keyword figures are modeled estimates from clickstream panels and SERP scrapes, not measured counts. They routinely deviate from Google's first-party data, sometimes widely on low-volume terms - so treat them as directional and validate anything you'll act on against Google Search Console. ### Do free SEO analysis tools give reliable data? Yes, within limits. Google Search Console gives reliable first-party data for sites you own and verify, and Screaming Frog is free up to 500 URLs. Free tools give real numbers with narrow scope; they can't benchmark competitors, which needs a paid index. ### 5 Keyword Research Tools for AI Search Visibility (2026) URL: https://www.techloy.com/5-keyword-research-tools-for-ai-search-visibility/ Last updated: 2026-09-16T13:49:28.000Z In the first week of June, Perplexity stopped citing two of our clients for comparison queries it had named since March. Same pages, same Google rankings, no traffic drop we could see. What changed was the answer layer: the summary that named them now named three others. That is why [keyword research tools](https://www.techloy.com/how-ai-seo-tools-are-replacing-manual-keyword-research/) have moved from a ranking chore to the front of AI-visibility work. If your research still ends at volume and difficulty, you are missing whether a query resolves in an AI answer at all. This is for heads of SEO, digital PR leads, and in-house managers handed "figure out our AI visibility" with no playbook. The job now is building a tracking set of the questions people ask engines, then watching whether your brand appears in the answer. Most of what follows is field data: a 1,200-prompt set, checked weekly since January across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, AI Overviews, and AI Mode. Nobody has five years of data here, us included. ## The Four-Step Workflow Step 1: build the seed set from how people actually ask. Answer engines match on phrasing, not neat head terms. Mine real questions and People Also Ask relationships first, cluster second, size third. Across our set, question-shaped queries ("how do I", "which is better for") were roughly twice as likely to trigger a generated answer as the matching head term. The long, natural phrasing is where the answer layer lives. Step 2: size intent, not just volume. An informational query can resolve with no click, so volume alone lies about the prize. We score every seed on intent at import and route it: informational-and-answer-triggering to the citation track, transactional to the ranking track. Volume comes second. Step 3: map keywords to SERP features. A query with an AI Overview or PAA block is a citation contest; a clean ten-blue-links query is a ranking contest. Every keyword carries a SERP-feature flag at import, and we re-pull it on cadence, because a feature present one week is gone the next. Step 4: track what the answer layer does with them. The keywords become a living prompt set you monitor: rank tracking for click queries, AI-visibility tracking for citation queries, across engines. Single checks lie, a brand cited Monday was absent Thursday with no page change, so we report citation share as a weekly trend, never a snapshot. ## The Tools, Ranked Ranked for AI-search work: how well each tool feeds the four-step workflow. Pricing shows the entry paid tier, monthly. | Rank | Tool | Best step | Q/PAA mining | AI Overviews / SERP data | Pricing | | ---- | ---------- | -------------- | ------------ | ------------------------- | ------------ | | 1 | SE Ranking | Steps 2-4 | Yes | 35+ features + AI Tracker | $129/mo | | 2 | Ahrefs | Step 1 | Yes | Partial | $129/mo | | 3 | Semrush | Steps 1-2 | Yes | Partial | $139.95/mo | | 4 | AlsoAsked | Step 1 | Yes | No | $12/mo | | 5 | Similarweb | Demand context | No | No | Free; custom | ### 1\. SE Ranking ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/08/data-src-image-11801769-bb3e-4e37-9dde-658146429ac3.png) Source: SE Ranking An all-in-one SEO and AI-search platform connecting keyword research to answer-layer tracking in one login. Best for agency AI-visibility teams and in-house managers who need both in one place. The [keyword research module](https://seranking.com/keyword-research.html) runs a 5.5B-keyword database across 188 countries, classifies intent at ingest, and filters 35-plus SERP features including AI Overviews, then hands off to its sibling AI Results Tracker across five engines. Keyword data is Google-only. Pricing: Core $129/mo ($103.20 annually); Growth $279/mo. What we're seeing: this closes the loop for us. Monday's seed, tagged for intent and AI Overview presence, becomes a tracked prompt Friday with no re-import, cutting the manual glue that used to eat a day a week. ### 2\. Ahrefs ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/08/data-src-image-a51a7baa-2b42-4ba1-a669-2143c561e743.png) Source: Ahrefs A large index with backlink-led discovery, strongest as a front-of-funnel finder. Best for teams whose bottleneck is discovery volume. The free Keyword Generator pulls a broad candidate list from a deep index, and the backlink angle surfaces terms competitors already earn mentions for. Intent signal is lighter than its SERP-feature depth suggests, and the API is a separate purchase. Pricing: Lite $129/mo. What we're seeing: we reach for it in Step 1 and rarely past it. Strong discovery net, wide candidate lists; for intent routing, SERP filtering, and tracking we hand off elsewhere. ### 3\. Semrush ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/08/data-src-image-69f3ae37-543b-4bc1-87e3-20163350de06.png) Source: Semrush A broad all-in-one platform where Keyword Magic anchors research that spans far past keywords. Best for teams that want one platform covering many jobs. Keyword Magic builds large, well-grouped lists inside a toolkit reaching across ads, social, and content. It gets expensive once you add seats, and breadth is prioritized over answer-layer depth. Pricing: Pro $139.95/mo ($117.33 annually). What we're seeing: capable and broad, and many teams already have it. For AI-visibility retainers the answer-layer pieces ran thinner than the classic features, so it sits mid-pack. ### 4\. AlsoAsked ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/08/data-src-image-2118ecdc-f008-4e90-a50a-8c6714678d21.png) Source: AlsoAsked A PAA-mapping tool that draws the People Also Ask relationship tree, how one question branches into the next. Best for teams building topic clusters who need that branching logic. It mirrors the question graph an answer engine draws on, so it is unusually good at showing the follow-ups your content should also answer. Scope is narrow (PAA only) with no volume data, and credits run down fast. Pricing: Basic $12/mo (100 credits); Pro $47/mo. What we're seeing: for Step 1 depth on the question tree it earns its keep and shapes what we track. Pair it with a volume tool. ### 5\. Similarweb ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/08/data-src-image-2157c11b-3487-44ec-92c0-ad465ec16731.png) Source: Similarweb A market and demand-intelligence platform reading audience and traffic trends, for topic context rather than per-keyword research. Best for strategy teams that need demand and market context to frame where effort should go. It gives the size and direction of interest in a topic and the competitive landscape around it, real input for deciding which topics deserve an AI-visibility push. It is not keyword-level or answer-layer data, and the useful tiers are enterprise-gated. Pricing: Free limited tier; enterprise custom. What we're seeing: it answers a different question than the rest of this list. Use it upstream to size demand, not inside your prompt set. ## Assembling Your Own AI-Visibility Keyword Stack No single tool wins every step, so build a stack around one anchor. The point is not tool count; it is whether the seed you find becomes the prompt you track without friction. For most teams, SE Ranking anchors the stack, because intent classification, SERP-feature filtering with [AI Overviews](https://www.techloy.com/how-ai-is-changing-search-discovery-for-brands-and-consumers/), and answer-layer tracking live in one place, removing the export step that breaks a workflow. Add a dedicated question miner for Step 1 depth, and pull demand context from a market-intelligence tool when choosing topics. Skip the mismatches: a question miner opens topics, it does not track them, and demand trends are not citation share. Still an open question is whether weekly cadence is frequent enough, given how fast citations move. What we have is a defensible workflow and a date on every number. ## FAQ ### What should you look for in a keyword research tool for AI search visibility? SE Ranking ranks first in our comparison because its intent classification, SERP-feature filtering with AI Overviews, and AI Results Tracking (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, AI Mode) sit in one platform. Pair it with a question miner for Step 1 depth. The right tool depends on your workflow, research needs, and the level of AI-search tracking you require. ### Do keyword research tools track AI Overviews? Some do, in two ways. A tool can flag which queries trigger an AI Overview through SERP-feature filtering, telling you a query is a citation contest. Tracking whether your brand appears inside those answers is a separate, prompt-based job. SE Ranking does both. ### How is keyword research for AI search different from traditional SEO? Traditional research optimizes for a ranking and a click. AI-search research adds a second question: does the query resolve inside a generated answer, and does that answer cite you. You size intent and SERP-feature presence, then track citation share across engines, not only rank position. ### What do keyword research tools provide for GEO? For generative engine optimization, keyword research supplies the seed of the prompt set: the real, question-shaped phrasing engines match on, tagged by intent and by which answer surfaces each query triggers. That seed becomes the prompt set you track weekly, the input GEO measurement runs on. ### Why Late Payments Are Quietly Draining SME Cash Flow URL: https://www.techloy.com/why-late-payments-are-quietly-draining-sme-cash-flow-2/ Last updated: 2026-09-16T12:32:06.000Z No small or mid-sized business collapses because of a single late invoice. That's precisely what makes the problem so easy to underestimate. Late B2B payments don't arrive as a crisis, they arrive as a slow, steady leak, one overdue balance at a time, until a company that looks profitable on paper finds itself unable to cover payroll, restock inventory, or take on the next order. That gap between "profitable" and "solvent" is where working capital gets quietly locked away. It's also why more finance teams are rethinking how invoicing, collections, and cash application actually work, often by consolidating them onto a single [**order-to-cash platform**](https://www.sidetrade.com/) rather than juggling spreadsheets, email threads, and a patchwork of point tools. Sidetrade is one provider built around exactly that shift, bringing the invoice-to-cash cycle under one roof instead of leaving it stitched together by hand. ## The Real Cost of Extended Payment Terms Payment terms have a way of drifting. A "Net 30" agreement quietly becomes Net 45 in practice, then Net 60 once a few clients start treating the deadline as a suggestion. According to Atradius's 2025 B2B Payment Practices report, 43% of credit-based B2B sales in the United States were overdue, nearly half of all invoiced revenue sitting outside its agreed terms at any given time. For an SME, that's not an abstract statistic. It's cash that should be funding next month's payroll, a new hire, or an inventory order, sitting instead in a customer's accounts payable queue. Larger companies can absorb that lag by drawing on credit lines or cash reserves. Smaller businesses usually can't, their runway is shorter, and every day an invoice goes unpaid is a day closer to needing a stopgap loan just to keep operating normally. ## A Slow Leak, Not a Sudden Shock What makes late payment so dangerous is precisely that it doesn't look dangerous. Revenue is being recognized, the P&L looks healthy, and yet cash reserves are thinning in the background. Intuit QuickBooks' 2026 Small Business Late Payments Report found that 59% of small businesses now carry invoices overdue by 30 days or more, and that businesses juggling overdue invoices are far more likely to feel the squeeze: 51% say cash flow is a problem, compared with 36% of businesses without overdue balances. The knock-on effects compound quietly, too. The same report found that 39% of owners said a single late payment made it difficult to cover payroll or other bills within the past year, a reminder that this isn't only a large-account problem. Even one client paying late, at the wrong moment, can ripple through a business that runs lean. ## Why Chasing Invoices Manually Doesn't Scale The instinctive response to late payment is more manual effort: another reminder email, another phone call, another spreadsheet updated by hand to track who owes what. That approach can work when a business has a handful of clients. It breaks down fast once a company is managing hundreds of accounts, each with different terms, different contacts, and different reasons for paying late. Manual collections also depend heavily on timing and memory, a finance team following up when someone happens to notice an invoice is overdue, rather than on a consistent, predictable schedule. Reminders get delayed, priority customers get chased before smaller ones that add up to just as much revenue, and disputes sit unresolved because no one owns the process end to end. The result isn't just slower collections; it's collections that happen inconsistently, which makes cash flow harder to forecast on top of harder to collect. There's also a hidden cost in headcount. Every hour a finance team spends manually tracking down payments is an hour not spent on forecasting, reconciliation, or the kind of financial planning that actually helps a growing business make decisions. Chasing invoices by hand doesn't just strain cash flow, it strains the people responsible for protecting it. ## How Automation Is Shortening the Collection Cycle This is where a growing number of finance teams are changing their approach, not by hiring more people to chase payments, but by automating the parts of the cycle that don't need a human judgment call. Automated reminders sent at the right interval, payment predictions based on a customer's historical behavior, and dashboards that flag at-risk accounts before they become seriously overdue all shift collections from reactive to proactive. An order-to-cash platform brings invoicing, dunning, dispute management, and cash application into a single, connected process, rather than leaving each step to a different tool or a different person's inbox. That matters because DSO (days sales outstanding) rarely improves through effort alone, it improves when the process itself removes the delays that manual handoffs create. Automation doesn't replace the relationship-driven parts of collections, like negotiating terms with a long-standing client, but it does remove the repetitive follow-up work that consumes so much of a finance team's week, freeing that time for the judgment calls a system can't make on its own. For finance leaders evaluating where to start, the appeal isn't just speed, it's visibility. A connected process makes it possible to see, in real time, which accounts are drifting toward late payment before they actually miss a deadline, rather than discovering the problem once the balance is already overdue. ## Building a Cash Flow That Holds Up Late payments will likely never disappear entirely; even well-run companies occasionally slip past their terms. What changes with the right process is how quickly those delays get caught and resolved, and how much of that work falls on a finance team's time versus a system built to handle it consistently. For SMEs, protecting cash flow starts with treating collections as a process worth designing deliberately, not a task to handle reactively when the bank balance looks tight. Whether that means tightening internal follow-up routines or moving toward a more automated, end-to-end approach to order-to-cash, the businesses that get ahead of late payment are the ones that stop treating it as background noise, and start treating it as one of the most controllable risks on the balance sheet. ### Xbox Responds to Rumour That Game Pass Could Drop Day One Releases in 2027 URL: https://www.techloy.com/xbox-game-pass-day-one-releases-2027-rumour/ Last updated: 2026-09-16T11:25:28.000Z [Xbox](https://www.techloy.com/tag/microsoft-xbox/) has responded to a rumour claiming that [Game Pass](https://www.techloy.com/tag/xbox-game-pass/) could undergo major changes in 2027, including the removal of day-one releases from the service. The rumour gained traction after a ResetEra moderator claimed that Xbox was preparing to change how Game Pass works next year, with several new pricing tiers and changes to cloud streaming also reportedly in the works. However, Xbox has now addressed the claims directly, and its response makes one thing clear: there are currently no changes to previously announced day-one Game Pass Ultimate releases. [Xbox Game Pass October 2026 Lineup: 7 Games ConfirmedGears of War: E-Day leads an October lineup that already has seven confirmed games.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-0a9353c8-7a18-4a8b-9132-9657a5d302cb.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1638431755905-631694da8921-2606a9c4-438d-4c0d-a29f-1717f42c9bca.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/xbox-game-pass-october-2026-lineup/) ## Xbox Says No Game Pass Changes Have Been Finalised According to a statement shared with Forbes writer Paul Tassi, an Xbox spokesperson confirmed that the company regularly experiments with different Game Pass offerings, but said there are currently no finalized changes to announce. The spokesperson [said](https://x.com/PaulTassi/status/2099926111912120360?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2099926111912120360%7Ctwgr%5E0ea0c953226847ba773fbc9065de422e69ac59bc%7Ctwcon%5Es1%5Fc10&ref%5Furl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.purexbox.com%2Fnews%2F2026%2F09%2Fxbox-responds-to-rumour-that-game-pass-could-drop-day-one-releases-in-2027), “We regularly test different Game Pass offerings and look at what works best for players in different markets. We don’t have any changes to announce today or plans that have been finalized. There are no changes to previously announced games coming to Game Pass Ultimate on day one.” > Statement I got from an Xbox spokesperson about this: > > "We regularly test different Game Pass offerings and look at what works best for players in different markets. We don’t have any changes to announce today or plans that have been finalized. There are no changes to previously… > > — Paul Tassi (@PaulTassi) [September 15, 2026](https://x.com/PaulTassi/status/2099926111912120360?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw) That directly addresses the most significant part of the rumour. Whatever Xbox may be testing internally, previously announced games coming to Game Pass Ultimate on day one are not currently being pulled. There are already several games announced for Game Pass in 2027, including [State of Decay 3](https://www.techloy.com/state-of-decay-3-closed-beta-2027-release-window/) and Senua. ## What Did the Game Pass 2027 Rumour Claim? The original rumour came from a ResetEra moderator who said they had information about Xbox's plans for Game Pass in 2027\. The post was subsequently given some attention because established leaker [NateTheHate](https://www.purexbox.com/news/2025/03/rumour-oblivion-remake-expected-to-arrive-soon-according-to-latest-reports) reportedly indicated that the moderator had a history of getting rumours right. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Redmi Note 17 Pro Max With 10,000mAh Battery Lands in India: Price and Specs URL: https://www.techloy.com/redmi-note-17-pro-price-india-pro-max-sale-date/ Last updated: 2026-09-16T10:55:52.000Z Indian [Redmi](https://www.techloy.com/tag/redmi/) fans can finally celebrate as the company announced on Tuesday that it is launching the Pro versions of the Note 17 series in India: the Redmi Note 17 Pro and Note 17 Pro Max. The phones launched in other markets weeks ago, and now they’re coming to India. And both come with huge batteries: 10,000mAh for the Pro Max and 9,000mAh for the Pro. The Pro Max starts at ₹49,999 ($521), while the Pro starts at ₹36,999 ($385). [Xiaomi](https://www.techloy.com/tag/xiaomi/) is betting that battery life is one of the features people care about most. And with a 10,000mAh cell, it’s making quite a strong case. [Redmi Note 17 Pro vs Pro Max 5G: Which Should You Buy?Which Redmi Note 17 model should you buy?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-7f6dd400-a8ca-4ba7-9be3-eaceed14d54a.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/Redmi-Note-17-Pro-5G-vs-Redmi-Note-17-Pro-Max-5G-Comparison-d2bf54fe-918d-4270-9282-8e40b98323b3.png)](https://www.techloy.com/redmi-note-17-pro-vs-pro-max/) ## The specs: What you actually get Both phones have a 6.83-inch 1.5K flat AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and 3,500 nits peak brightness. The Pro Max supports HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, while both displays are protected by Gorilla Glass Victus 2. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/image-38.png) Image: Redmi They also carry IP66, IP68, IP69, and IP69K ratings, offering protection against dust, water immersion, and high-pressure water jets. The Pro Max runs on the Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 processor with up to 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 256GB of UFS 4.1 storage. The Pro gets the Snapdragon 6s Gen 4, with 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of storage. Both run HyperOS 3 based on Android 16, with four years of OS updates and six years of security patches. The Pro Max has a 50MP main camera with OIS and an 8MP ultrawide lens, alongside a 32MP front camera. The Pro has the same rear camera setup but a 16MP front camera. The Pro Max packs a 10,000mAh silicon-carbon battery with 100W wired charging, and the 100W charger is included in the box. It also supports 27W wired reverse charging. The Pro has a 9,000mAh battery with 67W charging and 22.5W reverse charging. ## The pricing and availability The Redmi Note 17 Pro Max starts at ₹49,999 ($521) for 8GB/256GB and goes up to ₹55,999 ($625) for 12GB/256GB. The Redmi Note 17 Pro starts at ₹36,999 ($385) for 8GB/128GB and ₹39,999 ($416) for 8GB/256GB. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Dancing With the Stars Season 35 Premiere Reveals First Elimination and Scores URL: https://www.techloy.com/dancing-with-the-stars-who-went-home-conner-leavitt/ Last updated: 2026-09-16T10:30:08.000Z Dancing With the Stars Season 35 opened with an early shock as the competition sent its first celebrity home before all 16 contestants had even performed. The two-night premiere began on September 15, with eight male celebrities taking to the ballroom in Los Angeles for the first round of performances. Conner Leavitt became the first celebrity to leave the competition after his salsa with professional partner Adele Zaikman. The episode aired live on ABC and Disney+ at 8 p.m. ET, with the eight female celebrities scheduled to compete on September 16. The early elimination is part of a format change that will see one male and one female celebrity eliminated across the [two-night premiere](https://people.com/dancing-with-the-stars-live-updates-season-35-premiere-night-1-12123487), giving contestants less time to establish themselves with viewers before facing the vote. [Dancing With the Stars 2026 Cast and Partners: All 16 PairsSeason 35 brings new professional dancers and returning favourites to the Dancing With the Stars ballroom.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-facf9241-8dd2-4b2d-b8df-87e4a1d46e40.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1776303054683-f5e59c3dc87a-40750985-cc01-482e-993c-944162e064d2.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/dancing-with-the-stars-2026-cast-and-partners/) ## Who Was Eliminated From Dancing With The Stars? Conner Leavitt became the first celebrity eliminated from Season 35 after his salsa with professional partner Adele Zaikman. The pair performed to Tag Team’s “Whoomp! (There It Is)” but received the lowest judges’ score of the night, 12 out of 30. [The elimination](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/dwts-season-35-premiere-male-celebs-scores-elimination-1236702395/) was particularly significant for Zaikman, who had earned her place in the professional cast by winning Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro. Leavitt, meanwhile, had appeared on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives alongside his wife Whitney Leavitt, who competed on the previous season. ## Who Got The Highest Score? Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson set the early benchmark with 21 points for their cha-cha to Earth, Wind & Fire’s “Let’s Groove”. The Glee and Crazy Rich Asians actor showed the benefit of his performance background, although the judges still identified areas for improvement. Paralympic track and field athlete Ezra Frech was close behind with 20 points alongside Daniella Karagach. His tango to Kelly Clarkson’s “Since U Been Gone” earned the first sevens of the season from the judging panel. Derek Hough praised Frech’s potential while pointing to his frame as something he could develop. Tyler Cameron followed with 17 points, while Connor Wood and Taylor Hanson each scored 16\. Jackson Olson received 15, and Guillermo Rodriguez finished with 10. ## Why Was The First Elimination Controversial? _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Industrial Power Supplies: 7 Features That Separate Industrial-Grade from Standard URL: https://www.techloy.com/industrial-power-supplies-7-features-that-separate-industrial-grade-from-standard/ Last updated: 2026-09-16T10:19:28.000Z According to a market analysis published in[ IEEE Power Electronics Magazine](https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/6766842/), the global power supply industry generates roughly **$21 billion in annual revenue**, with AC-DC types accounting for $18 billion of that figure. Despite the scale of the market, not all power supplies are built to the same standard – and in industrial settings, the gap between a general-purpose unit and a true industrial-grade design shows up quickly when conditions get rough. [Industrial power supplies](https://zancot.com/)face demands that consumer or commercial-grade units were never designed for: sustained operation at elevated temperatures, voltage sag from large motor starts, EMC interference from welding or VFDs, and zero tolerance for unplanned shutdowns. The features that distinguish industrial power supplies from the alternatives are measurable engineering decisions with real consequences for system uptime. This article covers the seven features that consistently separate **industrial-grade power supplies** from the rest. ## **1\. What Makes Wide-Range Input Voltage a Non-Negotiable Spec?** Wide-range input voltage tolerance is the most fundamental feature of any power supply for industrial equipment, because plant power quality is rarely as clean as a laboratory spec sheet assumes. ### **How Input Range Affects System Resilience** Industrial-grade power supplies are designed to operate across input ranges such as 85–264 V AC single-phase or 176–550 V AC three-phase, covering virtually any global supply voltage and absorbing significant sag events without output disruption. Siemens SITOP PSU200M units, for example, carry SEMI F47 compliance – a semiconductor industry standard that requires the supply to ride through voltage sags down to 50% of nominal for up to 200 milliseconds. In facilities with large motor loads, those sags happen every day. ## **2\. How High Efficiency Translates to Real Operating Cost Reductions** High efficiency in an industrial power supply reduces both energy cost and heat generation inside the control cabinet – two problems that compound each other. Industrial-grade power supplies from leading brands such as Siemens SITOP, Phoenix Contact QUINT, and Murr Elektronik EMPARRO achieve efficiencies of **up to 95-96%** at rated load. At lower efficiency, the lost energy becomes heat inside a sealed enclosure, which shortens capacitor life, reduces MTBF, and increases cooling costs. *Tip: A 5% efficiency difference in a 40 A / 24 V supply running 8,000 hours per year equals approximately 192 kWh of additional heat per year, enough to raise cabinet temperature meaningfully in poorly ventilated installations.* ## **3\. Why Power Boost and Overload Behavior Define Operational Reliability** Standard power supplies shut down or fold back immediately under overload. Industrial power supplies features that stand out include a power boost function that delivers up to 150-300% of rated current for brief periods - long enough to trip upstream protective devices or start high-inrush loads without triggering a shutdown. ### **Selectable Short-Circuit Behavior** Industrial DIN-rail supplies typically offer selectable behavior under short-circuit or sustained overload: - **Constant current mode:** Output current is limited to rated value; supply continues running and recovers when the fault clears - **Automatic restart:** Supply shuts down, waits, then restarts: useful for self-clearing faults - **Latching shutdown:** Supply stays off until manually reset: preferred for safety-critical circuits where automatic restart is unacceptable ## **4\. How Diagnostic and Signaling Outputs Support Predictive Maintenance** A basic power supply provides power; an industrial one communicates its health status to the control system. Industrial power supplies at the mid-range and above include DC OK signaling contacts that change state when output voltage drops below threshold. Higher-end units add network connectivity: Siemens SITOP PSU8600 units integrate with TIA Portal via PROFINET or IO-Link, enabling remote monitoring, targeted load shutdown, and energy management from the PLC. This turns the power supply from a passive component into an active participant in plant diagnostics. ## **5\. What Certification Requirements Apply to Industrial Power Supplies?** Certification requirements for industrial power suppliesdetermine legal permissibility to operate in specific applications and regions. | Certification | Standard | Relevance | | --------------- | ---------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------- | | UL 508 | UL 508 / CSA C22.2 No. 107.1 | Required for industrial control panel installation in North America | | CE marking | EN 60950-1, EN 50178 | Required for European market access | | EMC immunity | EN 61000-6-2 | Industrial-level noise immunity (surge, burst, EFT) | | EMC emissions | EN 55022 Class B | Limits interference to other devices | | ATEX / IECEx | Zone 2 / Div. 2 | Required for use near flammable atmospheres | | Marine approval | ABS, DNV GL | Required for shipboard and offshore applications | ## **6\. How Temperature Rating and MTBF Define Long-Term Reliability** Ambient temperature rating and Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) are the two most telling reliability specifications for an industrial power supply. The selection process for a power supply for industrial equipment in a demanding installation should follow this order: 1. **Define the worst-case ambient temperature** in the control cabinet: cabinet internals typically run 10-20°C above ambient 2. **Check the derating curve**: most industrial supplies derate output current above 40°C or 50°C; verify full output is available at actual operating temperature 3. **Confirm MTBF at operating temperature**: MTBF values are temperature-dependent; a supply rated 500,000 hours at 25°C may be significantly lower at 60°C 4. **Review temperature startup range**: some industrial supplies, including Siemens SITOP PSU100S, start up reliably from -25°C and operate to +70°C 5. **Check thermal protection behavior**: units should throttle output or alarm before thermal shutdown, not simply cut power without warning ## **7\. Why DIN Rail Mounting and Form Factor Drive Total Installation Cost** DIN rail compatibility is the standard mounting format for industrial control panels, and a supply designed specifically for DIN rail installation reduces panel space, wiring time, and integration cost compared to chassis-mount alternatives. Key form factor considerations when specifying a DIN-rail supply: - **Width on the DIN rail**: a 70 mm wide 10 A supply occupies far less panel space than a 120 mm equivalent - **Lateral clearance requirements**: some compact designs require zero lateral clearance, enabling tighter component spacing - **Terminal type and wire range**: screw-clamp terminals accepting 0.2 to 4 mm² conductors suit the wire gauges used in most control panel wiring ## **Choosing a Supply That Works Across the Full Duty Cycle** The seven features covered here form the baseline specification for any serious industrial installation. A supply that checks all seven will outlast and outperform a general-purpose alternative in virtually any plant application. ## **Frequently Asked Questions** **Q1: What is the difference between a 24 V DC industrial power supply and a standard 24 V DC adapter?** Standard 24 V adapters are designed for light, stable loads and offer minimal protection against voltage fluctuations, overloads, or EMC interference. Industrial power supplies are built for continuous duty, feature selectable overload behavior, carry industrial safety certifications (UL 508, EN 50178), and are rated for extended temperature ranges. The distinction is significant enough that using a non-industrial supply in a control panel can void the panel's UL or CE listing. **Q2: What does SEMI F47 compliance mean, and when is it required?** SEMI F47 is a semiconductor industry standard that requires power supplies to ride through voltage sags to 50% of nominal for up to 200 milliseconds without output interruption. It is formally required in semiconductor fabrication facilities, but it is a useful indicator of robust voltage sag tolerance in any facility where large motor starts cause momentary sags on the supply bus. **Q3: Can industrial power supplies be paralleled for redundancy?** Yes. Many industrial DIN-rail supplies support parallel operation for either increased output current or N+1 redundancy. Redundancy configurations typically use a decoupling diode module or an ORing circuit to allow two supplies to share a load, so that if one fails the other continues supplying the full load without interruption. This requires supplies specifically rated for parallel operation. **Q4: How do I calculate the correct output current rating for a control panel power supply?** Add the full-load current draw of all 24 V DC loads in the panel: PLCs, I/O modules, sensors, relays, and indicators. Multiply the total by 1.25 to allow a 25% derating margin. Then check whether any loads have high inrush currents at startup (some solenoid valves and contactors draw 5-10x their steady-state current momentarily) and confirm the supply's power boost capability covers those peaks. **Q5: What is the significance of IP20 on a DIN-rail power supply?** IP20 indicates the supply is protected against solid objects larger than 12 mm (roughly a finger) but is not protected against liquids. This is standard for equipment installed inside closed, ventilated control enclosures. For supplies installed in more exposed locations, IP65 or higher rated units (or suitable protective enclosures) are required. **Q6: How often do industrial power supplies need to be replaced?** Well-specified industrial power supplies have published MTBF values ranging from 300,000 to over 1,000,000 hours depending on model and operating temperature - well over 10 years of continuous operation under normal conditions. The most common limiting factor is electrolytic capacitor degradation, which is temperature-dependent. Operating at the lower end of the rated temperature range extends service life significantly. **Q7: Are industrial power supplies interchangeable across brands if the output voltage and current match?** Generally yes for basic 24 V DC applications, but verification is needed. Output voltage adjustability ranges, hold-up time, ripple and noise specs, and signaling contact configuration can differ between brands in ways that affect system behavior. For systems using the power supply's diagnostic output integrated with a PLC, brand-specific interface modules or configurations may be required. ### VIDEO: How to Stop Grok From Using Your X Posts and Chats for AI Training URL: https://www.techloy.com/how-to-stop-grok-training-on-your-data/ Last updated: 2026-09-16T10:10:13.000Z If you use [Grok](https://www.techloy.com/tag/grok-ai/) on [X](https://www.techloy.com/tag/x-3/), there’s a good chance your posts, chats, and interactions could be helping train [xAI’s](https://www.techloy.com/tag/xai/) AI models. The good news is that you can turn this off in just a few taps. xAI lets users opt out of having their public posts and Grok conversations used for AI training through X’s privacy settings. You’ll still be able to use Grok normally, but your interactions won’t be used to train or fine-tune future versions of the model. ## How to turn off Grok AI training ### Step 1: Open the X app or visit X on the web ### Step 2: Go to Settings & Privacy ### Step 3: Tap Privacy & Safety ### Step 4: Scroll to Data sharing and personalization ### Step 5: Select Grok & Third-party Collaborators ### Step 6: Turn off the option that says “Allow your public data as well as your interactions, inputs, and results with Grok and xAI to be used for training and fine-tuning.” _This post is for subscribers only._ ### EA FC 27 Release Date: When You Can Play, Early Access, and Web App URL: https://www.techloy.com/ea-fc-27-release-date-early-access-web-app/ Last updated: 2026-09-16T10:28:30.000Z EA FC 27 is almost here, and there are several dates to keep track of before the new football season officially begins. The full game launches on September 25, 2026, but you don't necessarily have to wait until then to start playing. Players who own the Ultimate Edition or Ultimate Plus Edition can get into the game up to seven days early, while EA Play Pro members on PC also receive the full game during early access. And if you're mainly interested in Ultimate Team, the wait is even shorter. The EA FC 27 Web App launches today, September 16, giving returning players a chance to start managing their Ultimate Team before the game itself opens. Here's everything you need to know about the EA FC 27 release date, early access, Web App, and Companion App. [PlayStation Plus May 2026 Games Revealed: EA Sports FC 26, Wuchang, and Nine SolsSony’s latest PS Plus lineup brings a mix of sports, Soulslike action, and indie combat, available to subscribers starting May 5.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-b6775d89-11b0-4c5c-98b7-26098664ddef.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1493711662062-fa541adb3fc8-9c496c00-a0e8-4051-9986-4512a3308aaa.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/playstation-plus-may-2026-games-revealed-ea-sports-fc-26-wuchang-and-nine-sols/) ## When Does EA FC 27 Come Out? The official EA FC 27 release date is September 25, 2026. That's when the Standard Edition becomes available on [PlayStation](https://www.techloy.com/tag/sony-playstation/), Xbox, PC, and Nintendo Switch platforms. On consoles, the Standard Edition unlocks at 12 a.m. local time on September 25\. On PC, the game becomes available at 11 p.m. UTC on September 24, which means players in Nigeria can start playing at midnight on September 25. So, if you're buying the Standard Edition, September 25 is the date you need to remember. But there's an earlier way into the game. ## When Does EA FC 27 Early Access Start? EA FC 27 early access begins on September 18, giving eligible players a full week with the game before the standard release. If you own the Ultimate Edition or Ultimate Plus Edition on PC, you can start playing at 11 p.m. UTC on September 17\. For players in Nigeria, that's 12 a.m. WAT on September 18\. Players in the UK can also start at midnight on September 18, while those on the US East Coast can begin at 7 p.m. EDT on September 17. On PlayStation, Xbox and [Nintendo Switch](https://www.techloy.com/tag/nintendo-switch/), Ultimate Edition and Ultimate Plus Edition players can start playing from 12 a.m. local time on September 18. EA Play Pro members on PC get the full game from September 17 at 11 p.m. UTC, alongside Ultimate Edition players. EA Play members can also access a 10-hour trial of FC 27 starting September 18 at 4 a.m. UTC, or 5 a.m. WAT in Nigeria. For most players, the important dates are straightforward: September 18 for early access and September 25 for the full release. PC players get their early-access unlock at 11 p.m. UTC on September 17, which translates to midnight on September 18 in Nigeria. ## When Does the EA FC 27 Web App Come Out? If you're more interested in Ultimate Team than actually playing matches, the EA FC 27 Web App launches today, September 16, at 5 p.m. UTC. For players in Nigeria, that is 6 p.m. WAT. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Anthropic to Open Singapore Office as Claude Demand Grows URL: https://www.techloy.com/anthropic-singapore-office/ Last updated: 2026-09-16T09:30:23.000Z [Anthropic](https://www.techloy.com/tag/anthropic/) is setting up an office in [Singapore](https://www.techloy.com/tag/singapore/) by October, giving the Claude maker a physical presence in a market where its AI model is already seeing unusually high adoption. The Singapore office will be Anthropic’s fifth location in the Asia-Pacific region, following its existing operations in Tokyo, Seoul, Bengaluru and Sydney. According to the company, it has become a “standout market” where people are using Claude most heavily. [Anthropic Hires 32 AI Safety Experts to Fight Nuclear RiskAnthropic will pay up to the high $200,000s for one job to think like someone trying to misuse Claude to build a weapon.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-4089ae8d-6867-40e5-9fb8-97debc258ae8.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1510915228340-29c85a43dcfe-eb404d5b-1ca6-4726-98f1-dce874320723.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/anthropic-hiring-32-ai-safety-experts-nuclear-cyber/) ## Why the expansion? [Data](https://www.anthropic.com/economic-index#global-usage) from the Anthropic Economic Index puts Singapore second among 121 countries for Claude usage, behind Australia, with Claude adoption in Singapore 5.81 times higher than expected relative to the country’s population size. Chris Ciauri, Anthropic’s international managing director, said the company’s decision to open an office there was a natural next step as it expands across Asia-Pacific. “As we grow across Asia-Pacific, opening an office in Singapore, where Claude usage per capita is among the highest in the world, is a natural next step,” Ciauri said in a statement reported by [Fortune](https://fortune.com/2026/09/16/anthropic-open-singapore-office-october-chasing-openai-southeast-asia/). Anthropic told The Business Times that the new office will be located in Raffles Place. The company’s interest in Singapore also comes as the country is putting more money and policy behind its ambitions to become an AI hub. Singapore has committed more than S$1 billion ($785 million) to strengthen its public AI capabilities, while its position as a regional business centre has made it an established entry point for companies looking to operate across Southeast Asia. In a way, this combination of existing AI adoption and a business environment designed to attract technology companies is also drawing other major AI players to the country. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### What Evidence Can Support a Car Accident Claim Involving a Pre-Existing Condition? URL: https://www.techloy.com/what-evidence-can-support-a-car-accident-claim-involving-a-pre-existing-condition/ Last updated: 2026-09-16T08:12:42.000Z Insurance companies don't play fair when pre-existing conditions enter the picture. The moment an adjuster spots a prior back injury or a history of arthritis in your medical file, they'll argue the crash didn't cause your pain, that you were already hurt before the collision. That argument, left unanswered, can strip away the compensation you're legally owed. But the law is on your side. A negligent driver must take you as they find you, prior health history and all. That principle, known as the "eggshell plaintiff" doctrine, means a car accident claim involving a pre-existing condition is far from a dead end. What makes or breaks the case is evidence. The right documentation separates old injuries from new aggravations, establishes a clear timeline, and gives your case a factual backbone that holds up under pressure. ## **Medical Records Before and After the Accident** Cases involving car accidents in Chicago with pre-existing conditions often turn on one central question: what exactly changed after the crash? Your medical records answer that better than anything else. Documentation from treating physicians, physical therapists, and specialists - both before and after the collision - builds a direct timeline that insurers can't easily dismiss; it establishes your baseline condition and shows how the accident aggravated or worsened it. A detailed legal analysis of [car accidents in Chicago involving pre-existing conditions](https://conboyinjurylaw.com/chicago-car-accident-lawyer/can-i-be-compensated-for-pre-existing-conditions-after-a-car-accident-in-chicago/) explains how courts draw the line between the natural progression of an existing condition and the specific harm the collision itself caused. Don't limit yourself to recent records. Pull everything relevant: diagnostic imaging results, prescription history, surgical notes, and discharge summaries. If you saw a chiropractor for a prior back problem but hadn't needed treatment in two years, that gap matters enormously. It shows your condition was stable before the crash and deteriorated after it. Gaps in treatment are just as telling as the treatment itself, so make sure your attorney has access to the full picture rather than a selective slice of it. ## **Expert Medical Testimony and What It Proves** A treating physician who can speak to the distinction between your pre-existing condition and the new injuries, or the aggravation of existing ones, is one of the most powerful assets in a car accident claim involving a pre-existing condition. Medical experts don't just describe what's wrong with you; they connect your current limitations directly to the collision. An independent medical examiner retained by your attorney can review imaging studies, compare pre- and post-accident scans, and offer a professional opinion on causation. That opinion carries real weight in settlement negotiations and at trial. The insurance company will typically bring its own expert to argue the opposite, so credibility matters enormously. A physician who treated you personally - rather than one who only reviewed records - is generally more persuasive, because they have direct clinical knowledge of your condition. ## **Accident Scene Evidence and the Police Report** Physical evidence from the crash scene establishes liability and the severity of impact, both of which directly shape how your injuries get evaluated. Photographs of vehicle damage, road conditions, skid marks, and traffic signals help demonstrate the force involved. A high-impact collision that aggravates a spine condition is a fundamentally different case than a minor fender-bender, and the physical record needs to reflect that distinction. The police report is equally important. It names the parties involved, records the officer's initial observations, notes any citations issued, and sometimes includes a determination of fault. Request a copy as soon as it's available. And if the report contains errors (wrong address, incorrect vehicle description, a driver's statement that misrepresents what happened), address those discrepancies early. Inaccurate police reports create problems later, especially if the defense uses them to undercut your account of the accident. ## **Witness Statements and Your Personal Documentation** Witnesses who saw the collision or its immediate aftermath can confirm details the police report doesn't capture. A bystander who watched the other driver run a red light, or a coworker who saw you walking without difficulty the morning before the crash, adds a layer of credibility that purely documentary evidence sometimes can't match. Collect contact information at the scene when you can, and ask your attorney to take formal statements before memories fade. Your own records matter too. A personal injury journal kept consistently from the day of the accident forward documents pain levels, sleep disruption, missed workdays, and activities you can no longer do. That kind of daily account shows how the crash affected your actual life, not just your medical charts. Courts and insurers alike respond to concrete, specific detail. "I couldn't lift my daughter for six weeks" lands harder than a general claim of "chronic discomfort," so write it down and keep writing. ## **How Insurance Companies Attack Pre-Existing Condition Claims** Insurers follow a standard playbook in cases involving prior injuries. They'll request your full medical history going back years, hunting for any documented complaint that resembles your current symptoms. That history then becomes their argument that your pain predates the accident and that their policyholder owes you nothing, or far less than you're asking for. The counter-strategy is preparation. Request your own medical records before the insurer does, so you know exactly what's in them. Be completely honest with your attorney about your health history. Surprises discovered late in a case are far more damaging than a fully disclosed prior condition that your attorney can address directly. The goal isn't to hide the pre-existing condition. It's to show precisely how the accident made it worse. That's a winnable argument with the right evidence, but it requires honesty and a thorough documentary record from the start. ## **Conclusion** Evidence in a car accident claim involving a pre-existing condition has one specific job: show what changed after the crash. Medical records, expert testimony, accident scene documentation, witness statements, and your own daily account all contribute to that picture. None of these work in isolation, but together they build a case the insurance company can't simply wave away. Start gathering documentation immediately after the accident, be transparent with your attorney about your medical history, and know that a prior injury doesn't disqualify you. It just means the evidence needs to be more precise. ### Star Citizen Pirate Week 2026 - All Treasure Hunt Ciphers & Rewards Solved URL: https://www.techloy.com/star-citizen-pirate-week-2026-all-treasure-hunt-ciphers-rewards-solved/ Last updated: 2026-09-16T05:54:32.000Z Pirate Week is one of the favorite annual events in Star Citizen, and the 2026 edition of Pirate Week is heavily based on the outlaw theme. The event is filled with a treasure hunt, returning combat mode, new ship paints, and a community art contest on top of the current Alpha 4.10 Siege of Orison build. This is not like a free-fly event; Pirate Week does not allow non-owners to play for free. We need a game Package to log in to the game. In this guide, we will get a breakdown of how the event works, how the treasure hunt actually works, and what are the rewards we can win before it ends. ## Timeline of Pirate Week 2026 The main activities of the event start on September 9, 2026\. A clear deadline is given for the Most Wanted contest, which ends on Monday, September 28, 2026, at 20:00 UTC. CIG confirms 28 September as the end date for the whole event. Every player should try to finish the treasure hunt or unlock the pirate ships before the deadline. ## Working of the Treasure Hunt Cipher The main attraction of the Pirate Week is the community treasure hunt. The clues to the treasure hunt are not easy to find. They are scattered on purpose across different Spectrum posts, official newsletters, in-game messages, and social media. If we keep looking for clues in one place, we will miss pieces of the puzzle. Each clue is a short riddle written in a pirate language, with part of a code that has a structure like this: X-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-. Solving the riddle gives us the letters or numbers for one section of the code. We have to collect the clues from different places and slowly build the code piece by piece. To start this event, we should have reliable logistics and a vessel with full fuel. Navigating the high-risk staging areas, restocking fuel tanks, and buying good ammunition can cost too much. Having enough Star Citizen aUEC gives extra financial backing, while preparing the loadout for the ship makes sure that we have proper equipment. ## Segment One: The Levski Memorial Cipher The first puzzle segment is known as The Levski Memorial Cipher; this leads us to the tunnels of Delamar. The clue hints: "Where the lost are honored deep within the rock, the eternal flames speak louder than words. Count the sparks of remembrance carefully to unlock the first lock". To crack this clue, we go to the asteroid mining hub of Levski and take the central elevator to go down to the worker memorial plaza. Near the statues honoring the fallen miners, we will get decorative candles and plasma flare torches. Counting the exact cluster of burning flames on the memorial pedestal will give us the first digit of the code. ## Funding this Expedition As our treasure hunt moves forward into the further stages, we have to push into the dangers of the lawless outpost. This makes having strong weapons and defensive gear important. If the ship components are underpowered or our personal gear is not strong enough, we should [buy Star Citizen aUEC](https://www.mmopixel.com/star-citizen-auec) to quickly get high-quality military shields, weapons, and armor sets. This helps to skip the lengthy grinding process so we can properly focus on completing the time-limited event. ## Segment Two: Shadows of Teach’s Ship Shop To solve the second puzzle, we will go to the shadowy corners of the Stanton system to visit Teach’s Ship Shop. The clue hints: "Where criminals buy their wings under the nose of the law, check the heavy iron boxes where the scrap metal sleeps." To crack this clue, players should check the discarded trade assets rather than standard inventory. When we move from the sales counter to the maintenance corridor, we get stacks of salvage scrap, discarded propulsion components, and forgotten shipping crates. Behind the two heavy cargo containers is a discarded datapad with an active display. Reading the scrambled inventory asset on the screen gives the next four characters of the final code. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/data-src-image-9d85d7df-e985-4797-8a6d-c29ac379ba64.jpeg) ## Segment Three: The Dive Bar Arcade The Third segment sends us to the rugged Watering Holes of the outlaw frontier. The clue hints: "Deep in the lawless dark, the drunkards watch the neon screen. The fifth place holds the key to the vault." To crack the clue, we go to the local lower-deck dive bar where crews gather when not on duty. We will find an old malfunctioning arcade machine in a recess of the lounge with low light; it displays a never-ending loop of retro attract-mode screens and high scores. When we track the flickering sequence of initials closely and the numerical score counters when the monitor reboots, we can find the four repeating digits hidden within the display timing. That sequence is directly translated into the third segment of the final code. ## Segment Four: The Excavation Site Scaffolding The fourth and final cipher takes us to the rim of an industrial excavation site. The clue hints: "On the scaffolding overlooking the infinite void of the pit, the red paint marks the end of the outlaw's road." To crack the clue, we navigate to the metal scaffolding hovering above a massive open borehole pit. We move down the main railings with an active helmet and flashlight switched on, to inspect the support beams under the primary observation deck. We will find a hidden 4-digit code spray-painted in faded red pirate graffiti. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/data-src-image-523d0a24-e8e3-48d0-aef7-3eebbca46be8.jpeg) ## The Final Master Code and Reward Redemption Combining the four clue pieces gives the complete assembled master code. To redeem the treasure hunt reward, we have to open the browser and log in to the verified Roberts Space Industries account. Go to the Pirate Week 2026 transmission page. From there, find the Underworld Intercept Terminal input field and paste the complete master code in the original format with hyphens, and then decrypt it. After the decryption is successful, we will find the 2026 Nine Tails Golden Challenge Coin and the official Dread Outlaw spectrum title in our collection as permanent entitlements, which confirms the successful completion of the treasure hunt. ## Conclusion Star Citizen Pirate Week 2026 mixes treasure hunt, storytelling, and outlaw experience together. Whether we spend our time flying strikes in Pirate Swarm, look for upgrade options in Drake hulls, or track down the clues across space, the event celebrates living outside the law. After decoding the ciphers and combining the final code, every pilot can claim their rewards and go back to the stars with their pockets full. ### Cash Application in 2026: How to Automate Matching Payments to Invoices URL: https://www.techloy.com/cash-application-in-2026-how-to-automate-matching-payments-to-invoices/ Last updated: 2026-09-15T19:57:58.000Z Finance teams shopping for accounts receivable automation almost always start with collections. They want fewer reminder emails written by hand and a system that knows which accounts to follow up with to complete payments. Collections tooling has come a long way on that with LLMs, but the part that is often left hanging in a manual workflow is cash application, deciding which invoices an incoming payment match to and posting it to the ledger. Remittance advice is the detail that says what a payment is for, and without that detail, a payment is an amount of money from a name that may or may not correspond to a customer record in your ERP. Most software in this category was designed on the assumption that this detail arrives as structured data attached to a payment, but in business-to-business trade it arrives as a PDF, in the body of an email, inside the buyer's accounts payable portal, or it does not arrive at all. ## What is remittance advice, and what forms does it arrive in? [Remittance advice](https://monk.com/blog/what-is-remittance-matching) is the message from a payer listing which invoices a payment covers and for how much, and in B2B it travels separately from the money far more often than it travels with it. ### **A PDF attached to an email** Sent by the buyer's AP team, usually from a shared mailbox, with the invoice numbers in a table their ERP generated. Some of those tables are rendered as images, so the file has to be read rather than parsed. ### **Text in the body of an email** No attachment and no fixed layout. Invoice numbers sometimes appear wrapped in the buyer's own reference format, so your INV-40118 arrives as 4500912233-40118. ### **A page inside the buyer's AP portal** Coupa, Ariba, SAP Business Network, or one of several hundred customer-specific portals. Someone logs in, finds the payment and reads the detail off the screen. ### **A file from your bank** A BAI2 statement, an EDI 820, or an addenda record travelling inside the ACH payment itself. ### **Nothing** The money lands and the payer sends no explanation. Most teams receive all five in the same month, and the mix shifts with the customer base. A book of large enterprise accounts leans towards portals and EDI. A book of mid-market accounts leans towards PDFs and email text. Count how many of those five a tool reads without a person, because that number is what changes your week. ## What Does a Bank File Carry, and What Does it Leave Out? A bank file tells you an amount, a date and a counterparty, and it carries invoice-level detail only when the payer chose a format with room for that detail. BAI2 is the cash management reporting format most corporate banks use to deliver a prior-day statement. It is assembled from numbered record types: a file header, a group header, an account identifier, transaction detail records, continuation records and trailers. A transaction detail record carries a type code saying what kind of movement occurred, an amount, a bank reference number, a customer reference number and an optional free-form text field. Whatever explanation exists usually sits in that text field, and what goes into it is decided by the originating bank and by the payer. It is often truncated and often empty. An ACH payment can carry its own remittance in an addenda record, and Nacha's developer guide sets the limits plainly. A CCD entry, the standard corporate credit, can contain a single addenda record, and the payment related information field inside that record runs to 80 characters. A CTX entry supports up to 9,999 addenda records, enough to wrap a complete EDI 820 inside the payment. Eighty characters holds roughly three invoice numbers with no amounts against them. Which of the two arrives is a decision made by your customer's treasury team. The EDI 820 is the X12 Payment Order/Remittance Advice transaction set, which X12 describes as something usable to make a payment, to send a remittance advice, or to do both. When a large buyer sends one, it carries invoice-level detail and coded adjustment reasons, and a matching engine can consume it directly. Setting one up takes trading partner work on both sides, so an 820 relationship tends to exist for your twenty largest customers and nowhere else. Summarisation is where the information disappears. If your bank delivers a summary statement instead of a detail file, or a treasury workstation rolls a lockbox deposit into a single line, or a processor nets a day of receipts into one transfer, the invoice-level detail is gone before your AR system ever sees it. No software recovers it afterwards. It has to be requested from the bank as a different report or retrieved from the payer directly. The volume moving through these rails keeps rising. Nacha reported close to 8.1 billion business-to-business ACH payments in 2025, growth of almost 10% on the previous year, and each one needed its explanation to travel by another route or squeeze into an addenda record. ## Which payment shapes break a match even when remittance is present? Four shapes account for most of the exception queue. ### **One payment covering many invoices** A customer settles 43 invoices with a single wire and sends a remittance listing 44 lines, because one of them is a credit note. The engine has to find the subset of open items summing to the payment, apply the credit in the right place, and cope when the list and the amount differ by a rounding difference or a bank charge. ### **A short pay with a deduction** An invoice for $10,000 is paid at $9,240\. The remittance may say "freight" and may say nothing at all. Until someone establishes whether that $760 is a freight charge, a damaged pallet, an unearned early payment discount or a pricing dispute, the invoice cannot be closed and the balance cannot be cleared. Coding the deduction is a separate job, with a separate owner. ### **A payment quoting a purchase order** The buyer's AP system pays against its own PO number and puts that number in the remittance, so your invoice number appears nowhere in the file. Matching depends on a cross-reference between their PO and your invoice, held in the ERP or on the original order, and kept current when one PO covers several deliveries. ### **A parent company paying for a subsidiary** The remitter name on the bank file belongs to a treasury entity in another country. The invoices sit against three subsidiary customer records with different IDs and different terms. Payer identification has to succeed before invoice matching starts, and a group hierarchy that lives in the sales team's memory rather than in the customer master will not carry it. Currency conversion, bank charges deducted in transit and invoice numbers reused across entities after a migration all land in the same place, a queue somebody works line by line at month end. ## Which platforms do cash application, and what is each built around? Cash application is rarely sold on its own. It often sits inside a broader receivables platform, and platforms differ in how they were designed and who they were built for primarily ### **HighRadius** Built around enterprise order-to-cash at high volume, with cash application and deduction management as distinct modules and a large library of ERP connections. Aimed at large finance operations standardising one process across entities. ### **Billtrust** Covers the whole path from invoice delivery through to payment, and drives matching with confidence scoring instead of fixed rules. Its buyer is the B2B seller whose remittance arrives from several sources at once. ### **Versapay** Puts a shared portal at the centre, where the buyer views invoices, pays and manages their own account, with matching and ERP posting attached. It suits mid-market and enterprise sellers whose queries surface during collection. ### **Fazeshift** Runs agents across invoicing and reconciliation in a single layer over the ERPs, CRMs and payment systems a company already has, for teams who want both directions in one place. ### **Stuut** Treats deductions and short pays as first-class objects and works across email, SMS and voice. Its buyer is the distribution or consumer goods seller where short pays are routine. ### **Monk** [Monk](https://monk.com) is the company I work for, an invoice-to-cash platform covering AP portal submission, collections and cash application on top of the ERP a company runs. Across the receivables we manage, matching runs at 80% automatic and rises to 95% once suggested matching rules are enabled. The remaining work concentrates in the payments whose remittance never arrived in a usable form, with specialty remittance software. ### What Should you Ask a Vendor in this Category? Ask about sources and exceptions before you ask about accuracy, because a high match rate on clean input tells you little about your own book. ### **Where does the remittance come from?** Which of these do you read without a person: email body, PDF attachment, spreadsheet, bank file, EDI 820, a page inside a customer portal? Ask which are live for customers today rather than scheduled. ### [**What happens when there is no remittance at all?**](https://monk.com/blog/how-to-match-a-wire-with-no-remittance-information) Ask what the system does with an unidentified receipt on day one, day five and day thirty, and who is expected to go and ask the payer. ### **Can you retrieve remittance from our customers' portals?** Ask how credentials are held, what happens when a customer enforces a password change, and whether a failed retrieval surfaces as an alert or as silence. ### **How do you identify the payer?** Ask what happens when the remitter name on the bank file has no counterpart in the customer master, and whether parent and subsidiary relationships can be modelled. ### **What does the system do with a short pay?** Ask whether it posts the invoice as partially paid and leaves a balance open, holds the receipt entirely, or codes a deduction reason and routes it to an owner. ### **How do you count an automatic match?** Definitions vary across the category, so ask for the arithmetic behind whatever rate you are quoted. ### **How quickly does the ledger reflect a receipt?** Ask whether posting to the ERP runs in real time or in a nightly batch, and what a collector sees in the hours between the money arriving and the payment being applied. ## What stays manual whatever you buy? Four things stay with your team whichever platform you pick. ### **Deciding whether a deduction is valid** Software can code a short pay as a freight claim and route it to the right desk. Approving it, disputing it or writing it off is a commercial decision that needs someone with authority over the customer relationship. ### **Persuading a customer to send remittance** When a payer sends nothing, parsing has nothing to work on. Someone has to contact their AP team and ask them to switch on remittance emails or add the invoice number to the payment reference. It is relationship work, and it lands often enough to be worth a collector's afternoon. ### **Keeping the customer master clean** Duplicate records, missing subsidiary hierarchies and invoice numbers reused after an ERP migration create ambiguity that no matching engine can resolve on its own. Hours spent here raise the automatic match rate as much as configuration does. ### **Setting unapplied cash policy** How long a receipt may sit on account, who approves clearing it, what the month-end threshold is for writing off a small residual. Those are decisions about your own books. ## Where to Start A useful diagnostic takes an afternoon. Pull last month's receipts and record, for each one, how the remittance arrived: attached PDF, email body, customer portal, bank file, EDI, or nothing. Then count how many required a person to open something before the payment could be applied. It tells you which of the questions above to press hardest, because a book that runs on portal remittance and a book that runs on EDI 820 need different things from the same category of software. ### Editing an AI Image That Is Almost Right URL: https://www.techloy.com/editing-an-ai-image-that-is-almost-right/ Last updated: 2026-09-16T07:35:25.000Z The greatest strength of generative AI is its speed in materializing an abstract concept. With a few sentences, a blank screen transforms into a fully realized composition with color, depth, and detail. Yet that sudden leap from nothing to something often obscures a harder reality of visual design. Generating an image is straightforward; steering that image toward an exact creative outcome is where practitioners encounter friction. A concept artist might receive a generation that nails the posture, scale, and emotional weight of a central figure, but finds the interior background overly busy. A designer preparing a publication layout might discover a striking composition that leaves zero negative space for typography. These are standard problems in any creative studio. Under traditional digital pipelines, a retoucher would adjust the lighting layer, mask out the unwanted objects, or paint in the missing margins. In purely prompt-driven generation, however, requesting a correction often forces a complete reset. The model interprets the new prompt holistically, generating an entirely different image and discarding the balance that made the previous draft promising. Achieving real creative control requires shifting away from the slot-machine model of generation toward workflows that treat a strong initial frame as raw working material. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/data-src-image-d13ef541-d39b-4358-ad4f-c1367ebbcbc6.png) *Visual direction can be developed through controlled variations rather than repeated restarts.* # **Why Promising Drafts Deserve Protection** The impulse to start over is understandable when an image misses the mark completely. When a visual concept is fundamentally flawed, entering a new prompt remains the quickest route to discovery. Most editorial and design dilemmas, however, do not involve wholesale failure. They involve images that are eighty percent resolved. In those moments, discarding the draft squanders hours of exploratory effort. A good composition balances focal points, leading lines, and negative space in ways that are delicate and hard to replicate through language alone. Using a reference image gives that balance a permanent footing. The source image holds the geometry, the camera angle, the silhouette of the subject, and the relationship between foreground and background. The subsequent prompt no longer needs to explain the entire world from scratch. Its role shrinks to a focused revision: clear the background wall, switch the lighting from warm interior bulbs to cool natural daylight, or soften the surface contrast across the perimeter. This targeted approach mirrors the logic of professional visual arts. Whether painting on canvas or assembling digital layers, artists build on stable foundations rather than wiping the slate clean at every step. Protecting what works allows genuine nuance to accumulate. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/data-src-image-5fd517af-e816-4970-8dd2-5c8c51cd5270.png) *A reference image gives an editing request a concrete visual starting point.* # **The Mechanics of Visual Coherence** A major hurdle in using generative imagery for larger projects is the challenge of visual coherence. A collection of standalone images can look individually impressive yet completely fall apart when arranged side by side. When an audience moves through a series of images, their eyes look for structural consistency. If the lighting temperature shifts erratically between frames, or if the horizon line jumps wildly, or if the central character's facial proportions mutate from panel to panel, the illusion breaks. The viewer stops engaging with the story and begins noticing the seam lines of the technology. True coherence does not mean producing copies of the same picture. It means preserving a set of underlying rules across a visual sequence. A brand campaign might require a consistent contrast ratio, an identical color palette, and a specific camera perspective while changing the environment or action. This is where [nano banana](https://nanobanana-pro.com/) fits into production pipelines. By establishing a central workspace where source images and their evolutionary offshoots remain connected, creators can explore alternate variations without losing sight of the core aesthetic that binds the project together. # **Redefining the Role of Text Prompts** Working with a visual reference fundamentally alters how text prompts operate. In standard text-to-image workflows, the prompt acts as architect, builder, and decorator all at once. It must define space, subject matter, style, and emotional tone within a single text string. When an image provides the foundation, the prompt becomes a specialized editorial tool. The prompt says: keep the seated figure and perspective intact, but swap the concrete floor for weathered wood. Or: preserve the overall color palette, but remove the second figure standing near the doorway. The reference image shoulders the spatial logic, while the text dictates the delta of change. This division of labor applies across modern image models generally. Whether starting from a text prompt when an idea has no visual anchor or passing in an existing image for a targeted revision, treating prompts and reference inputs as complementary tools gives creators a clear path between early exploration and deliberate refinement. Working this way still demands critical scrutiny. When a model reinterprets a reference image, it can introduce subtle anomalies. Edge transitions between modified regions and untouched areas may show slight artifacts, fine textures can soften, and complex spatial geometry can warp. Achieving a publishable result requires inspecting the output critically at full resolution rather than relying on thumbnail previews. # **The Cumulative Impact of Incremental Adjustments** In creative production, major quality leaps rarely come from a single dramatic gesture. They emerge from the accumulation of small, disciplined adjustments. When an artist can trust that the composition of a frame will remain steady, they gain the freedom to obsess over details that would otherwise be ignored. They can test whether a muted background elevates the subject, whether a warmer rim light provides necessary separation, or whether cropping a distracting peripheral object sharpens the visual message. None of these individual tweaks seems monumental on its own. Yet together, they transform a rough, generic AI output into a deliberate piece of visual communication. Reference-based editing provides the operational framework that makes this craftsmanship possible, giving human judgment the final word over the machine. ### Microsoft’s New AI Rules Put Surprising Limits on What Its Models Can Do URL: https://www.techloy.com/microsoft-ai-code-of-conduct/ Last updated: 2026-09-15T14:44:42.000Z Against the backdrop of growing concerns about AI safety, [Microsoft ](https://www.techloy.com/tag/microsoft/)has [released](https://microsoft.ai/news/mai-code-of-conduct/) a new Code of Conduct for its AI models, complete with absolute constraints, red lines, and explicit rules designed to keep AI under human control. Last week, former [Anthropic](https://www.techloy.com/tag/anthropic/) and OpenAI researcher Jacob Coxon made a bombshell [claim](https://x.com/hilbertspaess/status/2097476219138867492) in his resignation post that sent the tech world into a frenzy. He argued that both Anthropic and OpenAI "are racing straight to self-improving superintelligence and gambling with our lives." Anthropic's lead alignment science lead echoed that concern, [saying](https://x.com/EvanHub/status/2097497037956891126) the risk of unaligned AI causing human extinction is over 10% within the next decade. Days later, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei [published](https://darioamodei.com/post/we-must-pace-the-frontier) an essay titled "We must pace the frontier," urging the AI industry to slow down. Amodei proposed giving third-party evaluators "permanent, employee-level access" to AI systems so they can verify safety measures and monitor alignment during training. Microsoft has also publicly backed the broader idea of pacing the frontier, including support for embedded evaluators inside AI labs. ## What the code actually says The document opens with a striking prediction, warning that “containing, controlling, and aligning such a powerful force is one of the greatest challenges humanity has ever faced.” Microsoft believes superintelligent AI systems could surpass human performance across most tasks within the next decade. That possibility is exactly why the company argues that AI needs firm boundaries before these systems become even more capable. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Asake Is Nigeria’s Most-Streamed Artist in H1 2026 - Here’s What Changed URL: https://www.techloy.com/asake-most-streamed-nigerian-artist-h1-2026/ Last updated: 2026-09-16T07:45:33.000Z I have always found Nigerian music streaming numbers fascinating because they tell a slightly different story from what we see on social media. An artist can dominate TikTok, trend on X, sell out shows, and still not necessarily be the artist Nigerians are listening to the most. Streaming data- which shows the number of times an artist’s music was played on music-streaming platforms during a specific period–cuts through some of that noise. And the [numbers from the first half of 2026](https://x.com/TurntableCharts/status/2099559342282248381) have given us a pretty clear answer: Asake was Nigeria’s most-streamed artist in H1 2026, with 681 million streams. But the bigger story is how he got there. In H1 2025, Asake recorded 477 million streams, finishing behind Wizkid, who led with 505 million. Davido was third with 422 million, followed by Seyi Vibez with 408 million and Burna Boy with 308 million. Twelve months later, the picture looks very different. Wizkid finished H1 2026 with 455 million streams, Seyi Vibez had 449 million, Fola recorded 374 million, and Mavo reached 319 million. Asake’s 681 million streams put him 226 million ahead of Wizkid and 232 million ahead of Seyi Vibez. More importantly, his H1 figure is roughly 42.8% higher than the 477 million streams he recorded in H1 2025. For me, that is the more interesting part of the story. The 681 million figure comes from the H1 artist-streaming ranking by [Turntable Charts](https://x.com/TurntableCharts/status/2099559342282248381) used for this comparison, rather than a Spotify-only figure. That distinction matters because the data also references platform-specific numbers from Spotify, Audiomack, and other sources. Those figures measure different things and should not be combined as though they are part of one platform's total. What the overall H1 ranking shows is that Asake did not simply have a big album. He created a bigger streaming ecosystem around himself. M$NEY created the spike, but his catalogue helped sustain it. [Wizkid Becomes First African Artist to Hit 10 Billion Spotify StreamsThe record reflects over a decade of global crossover success and highlights how African artists are reshaping streaming charts worldwide.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-a13d58bb-a46c-45bd-9f43-3e91c6e0eeee.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/image-97-1-ba4e1ac7-e520-41ba-a431-852a600530a8.png)](https://www.techloy.com/wizkid-becomes-first-african-artist-to-hit-10-billion-spotify-streams/) ## Asake gave listeners a lot more music in 2026 The simplest explanation for Asake’s jump is that he gave his audience considerably more material to consume. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Thailand Changes Visa Rules: What Travelers Need to Know URL: https://www.techloy.com/thailand-visa-changes-30-day-rule-2026/ Last updated: 2026-09-15T13:09:09.000Z [Thailand](https://www.techloy.com/tag/thailand/) is changing the rules for travellers who enter the country without a [visa](https://www.techloy.com/tag/visa-application/), with new limits on how long some visitors can stay and fewer nationalities eligible for Visa on Arrival. Coming into effect on September 15, 2026, the changes replace the 60-day visa-free arrangement introduced in July 2024 for nationals of 93 countries and territories. For travellers planning a trip to the Southeast Asian country, here is what you need to know. ## Visa-free stays will now be limited to 30 days The most noticeable change affects travellers who have become accustomed to Thailand's 60-day visa-free entry. From September 15, eligible tourists from 60 countries and territories will instead be granted stays of up to 30 days. The [list](https://consular.mfa.go.th/th/content/1-9-69-00?cate=5ddbe42115e39c4768007e1d) still covers major travel and business hubs including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, India, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates and South Africa, alongside several European countries. For travellers planning longer holidays, extended stays or trips that combine Thailand with other destinations, the shorter initial stay means they will need to plan their time in the country more carefully. A 60-day stay will still be possible, however. Those who need more time can apply for Thailand's tourist e-Visa before travelling or request an extension after arrival, subject to approval by Thai immigration authorities. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Xbox CEO Asha Sharma Is Experiencing Xbox Like a Player URL: https://www.techloy.com/xbox-ceo-asha-sharma-player-support-tickets/ Last updated: 2026-09-15T10:57:12.000Z Asha Sharma has spent much of her first year as [Xbox ](https://www.techloy.com/tag/microsoft-xbox/)CEO making some difficult decisions. Now, it appears she's also getting a much closer look at what those decisions mean for players. According to a new profile of Sharma from[ The Wall Street Journal](https://www.wsj.com/tech/xbox-microsoft-asha-sharma-videogame-03eb23ba), the Xbox boss spends a few hours each month responding to customer support tickets herself. The bigger picture is: she wants to understand what Xbox players actually experience when something goes wrong. The WSJ says Sharma has learned through these interactions “how complex it can be to fix a single player's problem.” That’s a surprisingly hands-on approach for the head of a business as large as Xbox. It's also one of the more interesting details to come out of the WSJ profile, particularly because Sharma's leadership so far has been heavily focused on changing how Xbox operates. ## **Asha Sharma wants to understand Xbox from the player's side** Sharma arrived at the top of Xbox leadership role without a traditional videogame-industry background. Since taking over, she’s overseen a major restructuring of the business, including thousands of job cuts, changes to Xbox’s studio strategy and a renewed focus on the company's core franchises. She's also been unusually direct about why those changes are happening. Earlier this year, Sharma and Xbox executive Matt Booty told employees that the company needed to confront some uncomfortable realities as part of its reset. The message was eventually made public, with Sharma arguing that Xbox couldn't “succeed by hiding hard truths” or by continuing to do things the same way. That thinking has become one of the defining characteristics of her leadership. In the WSJ profile, Sharma describes her management philosophy with a simple phrase: “Clarity is kindness.” _This post is for subscribers only._ ### tinyBuild Connect 2026 Had Much More Than Kingmakers to Show URL: https://www.techloy.com/tinybuild-connect-2026-all-games-announcements/ Last updated: 2026-09-15T10:50:26.000Z tinyBuild Connect 2026 delivered a packed look at what the publisher has planned for the coming months, with new games, release dates, gameplay reveals, and updates across its lineup. Kingmakers was the biggest highlight, with tinyBuild showing more than 10 minutes of new gameplay from the medieval action-strategy game and confirming that another playtest is coming soon. The showcase also gave viewers plenty of other games to look forward to. Among the announcements were two new titles, The Crab is Walking and Road to Jukai, along with release dates for Graveyard Keeper 2, Probably Stolen, and Hull Rupture. tinyBuild also shared fresh updates and footage for several games already in development. ## **Kingmakers Gets a 10-Minute Gameplay Deep Dive** Kingmakers received the most substantial look of the showcase, with more than 10 minutes of new gameplay showing how its strange combination of medieval warfare, third-person action and real-time strategy comes together. The game takes place in 1403, where players are sent back in time to help Owain Glyndŵr's Welsh rebellion. The twist is that you're not exactly arriving with medieval weaponry. Guns, vehicles and air support can all be used alongside medieval armies, while players can also command troops, attack castles, establish outposts and defend territory. The campaign supports solo play as well as four-player co-op. There still isn't an early access release date, but another Steam playtest is coming, with registrations now open. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 2 Best Sites to Buy Facebook Views (Real & Instant) URL: https://www.techloy.com/2-best-sites-to-buy-facebook-views-real-instant/ Last updated: 2026-09-15T10:48:08.000Z Getting Facebook videos noticed can be difficult, especially for new creators, businesses, and pages without an established audience. Even strong content may struggle to gain initial traction when it competes with thousands of videos, Reels, and sponsored posts. Buying Facebook views is one way to increase a video’s visible activity and strengthen its social proof. A higher view count can make content appear more established, encouraging organic visitors to stop scrolling and watch. However, service quality varies considerably. Buyers should look beyond the lowest price and consider delivery speed, ordering security, customer support, and refill terms. After comparing the advertised features of popular Facebook growth services, Betterfollowers is our top choice. Media Mister takes second place as a suitable alternative for buyers who prefer gradual delivery and broader targeting options. ## **1\. Betterfollowers — Best Site to Buy Facebook Views Overall** [Betterfollowers](https://betterfollowers.com/) is our best site to buy Facebook views because it combines fast order processing with a straightforward, password-free purchasing experience. Its service is designed for creators, brands, influencers, and businesses that want to increase the visible reach of Facebook videos and Reels. The ordering process is simple. Customers select a package, provide the public link to their Facebook content, and complete payment. Betterfollowers states that it never needs the customer’s Facebook password, reducing the security concerns associated with giving an outside service direct account access. ### **Fast delivery** Speed is one of Betterfollowers’ most prominent advantages. The company advertises an instant start, with views beginning to appear within minutes after a successful purchase. This can be useful when promoting newly published content, time-sensitive announcements, product launches, or campaign videos. The final completion time can naturally depend on the size of the package and order conditions. Buyers who need views by a particular deadline should confirm the expected delivery period before paying. ### **Views for Facebook videos and Reels** Betterfollowers supports eligible Facebook video content, including Reels. Its range of packages allows customers to choose an order size suited to a small personal account or a larger promotional campaign. This flexibility is helpful because purchasing an excessive number of views for a page with little existing activity may produce an unnatural-looking increase. Starting with a modest package makes it easier to assess delivery quality and determine whether the service suits your goals. ### **Support and guarantees** Betterfollowers advertises round-the-clock customer support, a money-back guarantee, and a 30-day refill policy for qualifying drops. These protections make it our top recommendation, although customers should read the current terms before ordering to understand eligibility, exclusions, and the process for requesting assistance. Overall, Betterfollowers offers the strongest advertised combination of speed, convenience, package flexibility, and buyer support. It is particularly suitable for customers who prioritize an instant start and an uncomplicated checkout process. ## **2\. Media Mister — Best Alternative for Gradual Delivery** Media Mister is another established social media growth provider that offers services for Facebook and numerous other platforms. It is a practical alternative for marketers who manage several social profiles or prefer delivery spread over a longer period. The company states that customers can order by supplying a public content URL and do not need to disclose their account passwords. It also advertises encrypted checkout, customer support, retention coverage, and a money-back guarantee when an order cannot be completed as promised. ### **Gradual fulfillment** While Betterfollowers emphasizes an instant start, Media Mister generally focuses on gradual delivery. The provider says results may begin appearing relatively quickly, while complete fulfillment can take longer depending on an order’s size and complexity. Gradual delivery may appeal to customers who want their view total to rise steadily instead of receiving the entire order at once. However, it is less suitable when immediate completion is the main priority. ### **Broad service selection** Media Mister’s catalog covers many social platforms and types of engagement. That makes it convenient for agencies, creators, or businesses running coordinated campaigns beyond Facebook. The service also advertises geographical targeting for selected products. Buyers interested in a particular country should confirm that targeting is available specifically for Facebook views, as options may differ between services and packages. ## **Betterfollowers vs. Media Mister** Both providers advertise password-free ordering and customer protection, but they suit slightly different priorities. Choose Betterfollowers if you want: - An instant delivery start - A simple Facebook-focused ordering process - Flexible view packages - A 30-day refill policy on qualifying orders - Access to 24/7 support Consider Media Mister if you want: - More gradual fulfillment - Services across numerous social networks - Potential targeting options ## **What to Check Before Buying Facebook Views** First, confirm that the provider only needs a public content link. Never share your Facebook password, authentication code, recovery information, or private account access. Next, review the refund and refill conditions. Terms such as “guaranteed” or “permanent” can have specific limitations, so check how long the coverage lasts and what evidence is required to submit a claim. It is also important to maintain realistic expectations. Purchased views can increase a displayed metric, but they do not guarantee meaningful engagement, sales, followers, monetization approval, or organic reach. Strong creative content, accurate targeting, consistent publishing, and genuine audience interaction remain essential. Finally, consider Facebook’s rules. Meta’s policies prohibit using fake accounts or other methods to artificially boost popularity. No third-party provider can guarantee that a purchase is entirely risk-free. Review the applicable policies and begin with a small order if you decide to proceed. ## **Frequently Asked Questions** ### **What is the best site to buy Facebook views?** Betterfollowers is our top choice based on its advertised instant start, password-free ordering, flexible packages, 24/7 support, and refill protection. ### **Do I need to provide my Facebook password?** No. A views provider should only require the public URL of the video or Reel. Avoid any service requesting your password or verification code. ### **Will purchased views make a video go viral?** Not necessarily. Views may improve visible social proof, but virality depends on factors such as watch time, content quality, shares, comments, relevance, and organic audience response. ### Samsung Galaxy S26 FE Arrives in India With Galaxy AI and a ₹79,999 Price Tag URL: https://www.techloy.com/samsung-s26-fe-launch-india-price-specs/ Last updated: 2026-09-15T10:35:16.000Z [Samsung](https://www.techloy.com/tag/samsung/) has officially launched the Galaxy S26 FE in India, giving buyers another option if they want a flagship-style phone without paying for the more expensive Galaxy S26 models. The phone costs ₹79,999 ($833) in India and comes with a 6.7-inch 120Hz AMOLED display, an Exynos 2500 chip, a 4,900mAh battery, and a triple-camera system with 3x optical zoom. It is also the first FE model to ship with One UI 9 out of the box. The Galaxy S26 FE has already been available in the US and Europe for a few days, but its [India launch](https://news.samsung.com/in/samsung-launches-galaxy-s26-fe-in-india-bringing-flagship-camera-galaxy-ai-and-powerful-performance) puts the phone in the spotlight. It sits between Samsung’s premium S26 lineup and the more affordable Galaxy A series, offering buyers a middle ground between price and flagship features. ## Samsung is bringing its newest AI experience to more people This year, Samsung is betting that AI is the feature people care about most. Instead of treating AI as a collection of gimmicks, the company is trying to weave it throughout the operating system. One example is My FanCam, which automatically identifies a selected subject and keeps them centred in the video frame as they move. It's the first time the feature has appeared on a Galaxy FE device. There's also Super Steady with Horizontal Lock for smoother videos, Nightography for better low-light photography, and Photo Assist, which lets users edit photos using plain-language prompts. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Oracle Layoffs Begin Again as Employees Receive Immediate Termination Notices URL: https://www.techloy.com/oracle-layoffs-immediate-termination-emails/ Last updated: 2026-09-15T10:03:31.000Z Three months after disclosing plans to cut 21,000 jobs, [Oracle](https://www.techloy.com/tag/oracle/) has begun another round of employee reductions, with some workers receiving immediate termination notices telling them that "today is your final day of work." The latest cuts mark Oracle's third reported round of workforce reductions this year, although the company has yet to confirm how many employees are affected. The new layoffs could further reduce Oracle's workforce, which has already fallen from approximately 162,000 employees in May 2025 to 141,000 in May 2026\. ## What Oracle told affected employees A post shared by a market researcher on [X](https://x.com/Amanda%5FGoodall/status/2099502242458186228) showed an email sent to an affected Oracle employee informing them that their role had been eliminated as part of a broader organisational change. "After careful consideration of Oracle's current business needs, we have made the decision to eliminate your role as part of a broader organizational change. As a result, today is your last working day," the email stated. The company told the employee that after signing their termination paperwork, they would be eligible for a severance package subject to the terms of Oracle's severance plan. "You will receive an email from DocuSign to your Oracle email address with details on your severance and termination date," the email added, marking the communication as requiring immediate action. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 78th Emmy Awards Winners Announced After Three Nights of Awards URL: https://www.techloy.com/2026-emmy-winners-biggest-wins/ Last updated: 2026-09-15T09:54:36.000Z The 78th Emmy Awards have wrapped up after three nights of celebrating the best television had to offer during the 2025–2026 season. The final ceremony took place on September 14 at the Peacock Theatre at L.A. LIVE in downtown Los Angeles, with Mariska Hargitay hosting the NBC and Peacock broadcast. Across September 5, 6 and 14, the Television Academy handed out awards across creative, technical and major performance categories. Apple TV’s Widow’s Bay emerged as the biggest overall winner with 14 Emmys, while HBO Max’s The Pitt won Outstanding Drama Series and DTF St. Louis took Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series. [2026 Creative Arts Emmys Winners: Full ResultsThe Creative Arts Emmys have already reshaped the awards race, with Widow’s Bay, Bad Bunny and several unexpected winners stealing the spotlight before the main ceremony.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-83ebf53b-4c2d-46e3-839d-075835c4c9e2.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1625643268477-838321f445bb-86619e11-0945-4b40-9383-9c6418bfbd29.jpg)](https://www.techloy.com/2026-creative-arts-emmys-winners/) ## **Which Shows Won The Biggest Awards?** Widow’s Bay dominated the comedy categories, winning Outstanding Comedy Series alongside acting awards for Matthew Rhys, Kate O’Flynn and Stephen Root. Its six wins on the final night took its total to 14, breaking the previous record of 13 set by The Studio last year. The Pitt claimed Outstanding Drama Series for a second consecutive year. Noah Wyle also won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, repeating his victory from the previous season. [According to the Television Academy](https://www.televisionacademy.com/features/news/awards-news/78th-emmy-awards-night-1-release), The Pitt became the first series since Mad Men to win the drama prize for its first two seasons. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### How Startups Can Choose the Right Hardware Development Partner URL: https://www.techloy.com/how-startups-can-choose-the-right-hardware-development-partner/ Last updated: 2026-09-15T07:52:56.000Z Bringing a new electronic product to market is hard enough. Not every product founder has the option to design an embedded system on their own, so they have to rely on external teams such as [Integra Sources](https://www.integrasources.com/services/electronic-design-services/). As an embedded electronics developer, we have helped dozens of startups and established businesses turn product concepts into production-ready devices. In this guide, we share useful tips that can help product founders choose the right hardware development partner. **An outsourcing team can help startups solve a number of problems:** - **Not enough internal resources:** A one-person startup can hardly handle a full-fledged hardware project. Even large companies with experienced development teams may be overloaded with other tasks. In both cases, outsourcing the project makes sense. - **When you need extra help, not a full team:** Companies may face temporary spikes in workload. In this case, it makes no sense to hire additional developers since they will have nothing to do after the peak period. Instead, startups can outsource certain tasks rather than the whole project. - **Lack of in-house expertise:** Compare these PCB layouts. The first one is a PCB with an 8-bit microcontroller. The second uses a 32-bit ARM SoC and is much more complex. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/pcb.png) **The layout of a printed circuit board with an 8-bit microcontroller* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/pcb-2.png) **The layout of a printed circuit board with a 32-bit ARM system on a chip* The point is that even large companies rarely have expertise in all domains of electronics design, let alone small startups. If your team is strong in one area but weak in another, you can fill those gaps by hiring a contractor. ## Where to Look for Candidates There are many ways to build a shortlist of candidates. - **Web search**: Probably, any hardware development company has a website, so simple googling should surface dozens of potential contractors. Websites usually have a lot of useful information about the candidates: a list of services they offer, project portfolios, cooperation models, client logos, etc. Some even have blogs that can tell a lot about the team’s expertise and experience. For example, [Integra Sources](https://www.integrasources.com/services/electronic-design-services/) openly shares detailed case studies and describes their development workflow step by step. Studying a company’s website allows you to assess a company’s competence and communication style. - **Freelance platforms**: Many individual engineers and large development companies are present on Upwork and similar marketplaces. Review their profiles to see their hourly rates, list of completed projects, and client feedback. You can also post a job description on the platform that tells the potential contractor what needs to be done and what skills are required. One of the benefits of freelance platforms is their built‑in payment and dispute mechanisms that protect both sides. - **Professional social networks**: LinkedIn and XING are two examples of social networks designed to help professionals find partners in different industries. Companies typically provide the information about their services, expertise, team size, and more on their pages. - **Specialized communities and forums**: There are hardware‑focused forums and industry communities for product founders, investors, and engineers. It’s a good place to ask for recommendations, find a candidate, and start a conversation—for example, by asking questions about your project. ## How to Pick the Right Candidate The next step is to evaluate the candidates from your list using the following key criteria. Some information necessary for this task can be obtained from open sources like the company’s LinkedIn page or website. For additional details, you can contact a contractor through a phone call or by texting in a messenger. ### Developer’s Expertise Find out which technologies and platforms the team specializes in. Make sure they use professional CAD tools for PCB and FPGA design as they are essential for smooth integration with manufacturers. Ask if the company has laboratory equipment for debugging the hardware. A professional developer should at least have access to laboratory power supplies, multimeters, oscilloscopes, signal generators, and logic analyzers suitable for your type of product. Also, ask the team to explain in detail how they test and validate electronics. A mature contractor has clear steps such as schematic and layout reviews, electrical rule and design rule checking, simulations where appropriate, test points on the PCB, and structured test scenarios. Finally, make sure you will receive all deliverables required for mass production and further product development: - schematic and PCB source files - Gerber files for manufacturing - assembly drawings - Bill of Materials - 3D models - test procedures ### Awards and Customer Feedback Reputation is one of the easiest ways to sanity‑check a potential partner. Check available independent reviews and ratings. You can find them on general B2B review sites or freelance platforms where the company has profiles. Individual reviews on the firm’s website also count, although they can be subjective. ### Portfolio of Projects It is best to outsource your project to a contractor that has already dealt with similar products. If the company’s portfolio has a case study of a similar project, the team most likely knows what issues to expect and how to handle them. ### Pricing Rates vary significantly depending on a contractor’s level of expertise and location. Note that engineers in some regions charge less than their colleagues in the US or Western Europe while they have the same skill level. So, it may be a smart move to outsource to a company in Eastern Europe or Asia. In any case, treat prices as just one factor among many. ### Payment Models The most common options here are fixed price and time-and-materials. In a **fixed-price contract**, the scope, deliverables, and deadlines are clearly defined. The vendor commits to delivering the agreed results for the agreed-upon price, which gives you more predictability but less flexibility. This model suits projects with clear requirements. In a **time-and-materials arrangement**, you pay for actual hours spent. It works well for R&D or projects where requirements may change and the exact scope is hard to predict. This model gives flexibility and supports iterative development, but you must actively manage priorities and budget. Some companies also offer **hybrid models**. ### Communication and Management ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/com.jpg) **An embedded engineer and a manager from Integra Sources are communicating with a customer through a video call.* Ask early who exactly will be involved in your project. A mature developer usually has a technical lead responsible for engineering quality, a project manager tracking scope, schedule, and risks, and an account manager handling commercial and relationship issues. Make sure key team members can communicate fluently in English (or your working language), not just salespeople, so you can discuss requirements, trade‑offs, and issues without confusion. Finally, ask which tools the team uses for task tracking, documentation, and real‑time communication, how often they report progress, and what their escalation path looks like if something goes off track. ### Working Process Ask the vendor to walk you through their **t**ypical process for electronics projects and what phases they expect. It typically includes requirements clarification, architecture and component selection, schematic design, PCB layout, prototyping, testing, and design updates. Good partners will be transparent that hardware work is iterative, and that issues found during reviews or testing may require revisiting earlier stages such as schematic or layout. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/scha.png) **A general scheme of an electronics design workflow* ### IP Rights and Product Ownership Intellectual property is one of the most critical points to clarify when you outsource electronics design. Work with an IP-savvy lawyer to review your contract and make sure you have a solid NDA in place before sharing detailed information about your product. Your main agreement should explicitly state that all IP created for the project will belong to you once you’ve paid in full. ## 7 Red Flags to Watch Out For 1. **Very low price and vague promises.** The candidate either underestimates the work or plans to push for change requests later. 2. **No clarifying questions about your project.** A team that quotes quickly but barely asks anything about project goals, requirements, or constraints is not doing serious analysis. Expect major surprises once development starts. 3. **Unclear project scope and boundaries.** It indicates that the vendor lacks experience, and your project is heading toward uncontrolled scope creep. 4. **No transparency about the team.** There’s a risk you will end up with a completely different team than the one you met in sales calls. This makes quality and continuity hard to control. 5. **Agreeing to everything without pushback.** Either the team does not understand the complexity of the job or they are desperate enough to take on any risks. 6. **Reluctance to clarify IP and ownership.** A trustworthy vendor is willing to discuss IP ownership, access to source files, and handover terms in detail. Otherwise, they’re probably up to no good. 7. **Resistance to reviews.** If a team is uncomfortable with sharing intermediate development results, it suggests they may not be confident in their engineering practices. To sum up, a reliable outsourcing partner will not eliminate the complexity of hardware development. But the right choice can make it manageable and predictable instead of chaotic and risky. ### Tesla’s New Roadster Is Finally Getting a Reveal After 9 Years of Delays URL: https://www.techloy.com/new-tesla-roadster-october-1-reveal-2026/ Last updated: 2026-09-14T16:00:03.000Z Back in 2017, [Tesla](https://www.techloy.com/tag/tesla/) unveiled the first Roadster prototype and made some of the boldest promises the car industry had ever heard: 0–60 mph in under two seconds, a top speed of more than 250 mph, and over 600 miles of range. That was nearly nine years ago. Since then, those promises have been followed by years of delays, making the Roadster one of Tesla’s most anticipated yet repeatedly postponed projects. Now, Tesla says the Roadster will finally make its official debut on October 1\. The big question now is whether Tesla will actually stick to the October 1 date. Tesla’s history of missed deadlines and delayed launches has left plenty of people sceptical. The company announced the reveal in a post on [X](https://x.com/Tesla/status/2098843535730725124) with the caption “Go for launch.” Tesla’s website also now features a countdown to the event, alongside a teaser image showing what appears to be the car’s rear end floating in space. For now, those are the clearest signs yet that Tesla is finally ready to show the new Roadster. Whether it actually arrives as promised is another question. ## What Tesla Promised and What Happened Next When the Roadster prototype debuted in 2017, Elon Musk said it would accelerate from 0–60 mph in 1.9 seconds, reach a top speed of 402 km/h (250+ mph), and deliver 998 km (620 miles) of driving range. Tesla priced the base model at $200,000, while the limited Founders Series was set at $250,000\. The company also began accepting $50,000 reservations, although it has never revealed how many Roadster reservations it received. The ambitious promises were followed by years of delays. Tesla removed Roadster pricing from its website in December 2021, and Musk later said in 2022 that the car would begin shipping in 2023\. That deadline came and went without a launch, adding to the uncertainty around the long-delayed sports car. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Lanterns Season 1 Takes a Darker Turn as the DC Series Moves Into Its Second Half URL: https://www.techloy.com/lanterns-episode-5-recap/ Last updated: 2026-09-14T14:58:54.000Z The mystery at the centre of HBO’s Lanterns has changed dramatically in just one episode. After spending the first half of Season 1 asking who the Manhunter was, Episode 5, “Lights Out”, turns that question into a much bigger problem for John Stewart and Hal Jordan. The episode aired on September 13, 2026, on [HBO and HBO Max](https://gizmodo.com/lanterns-season-1-episode-5-lights-out-recap-review-2000810005), with the DC Studios series set primarily around Rushville, Nebraska. HBO confirmed an eight-episode first season, putting the series past its halfway point. ## **What Happens to Zoe in Lanterns Episode 5?** Episode 5 confirms that discovering Zoe Macon was the Manhunter was only the beginning. Poorna Jagannathan’s character is killed by John Stewart after he decides that she remains too dangerous to leave alive. The decision is especially difficult because Zoe and John had developed a genuine emotional connection. [The Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2026-09-13/poorna-jagannathan-lanterns-episode-5-zoe-macon-manhunter) reports that Jagannathan’s portrayal was deliberately built around Zoe’s humanity, despite her identity as a Manhunter. The actress said the character had been written as someone whose programming could override her emotions, making her more complicated than a straightforward villain. Her death therefore gives the series a darker moral question. John has spent the season learning to challenge Hal’s judgement, yet he now makes a decision that could haunt him just as much. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### How to Claim Your Share of the $7.85 Million PlayStation Settlement URL: https://www.techloy.com/sony-playstation-store-credit-settlement/ Last updated: 2026-09-14T11:52:09.000Z Sony is set to distribute $7.85 million in [PlayStation Store](https://www.techloy.com/tag/sony-playstation/) credit to eligible customers in the United States following a class-action lawsuit over the company's digital game voucher practices. The important thing to know is that most eligible PlayStation users don't need to submit a claim form. If you qualify and your PlayStation Network account is still active, your settlement payment is expected to be added directly to your PSN wallet once the settlement receives final court approval. The settlement comes from [Caccuri v. Sony Interactive Entertainment](https://psndigitalgamessettlement.com/media/f2sbfoy2/0190-2024-12-13-second-amended-consolidated-complaint.pdf), which accused Sony of restricting competition by preventing other online retailers from selling game-specific digital PlayStation vouchers. Sony has denied the allegations and any wrongdoing. The court has also not determined that Sony violated any laws. Instead, the proposed settlement is intended to resolve the litigation. So, if you've bought digital PlayStation games in the U.S. over the relevant period, here's what you need to know. [Sony PlayStation $7.85M Settlement: Who Qualifies?Eligible PlayStation customers could receive a share of Sony’s $7.85 million settlement over alleged digital game overcharging.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-bf9bd4cf-4b4f-4b0d-aa91-aa04f5ffb371.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1638431755905-631694da8921-865095c6-6086-432b-a6eb-0ae5da60278d)](https://www.techloy.com/sony-playstation-settlement-7-85-million/) ## **Who is eligible for the PlayStation settlement?** You may be included in the settlement if you meet all of these requirements: - You are a living individual human being. - You live in the United States or one of its territories. - You purchased at least one eligible digital game through the PlayStation Store between April 1, 2019, and December 31, 2023. - The game you purchased is included on the settlement's list of eligible titles. If you meet those requirements, you are automatically part of the settlement class unless you previously opted out. That last point is important because you generally do not need to file a traditional claim to receive the payment. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Temporary vs Virtual Phone Numbers: Understanding Modern Mobile Communication URL: https://www.techloy.com/temporary-vs-virtual-phone-numbers-understanding-modern-mobile-communication/ Last updated: 2026-09-14T10:50:22.000Z If you stick to that good old concept of phone communication with one contact number serving everything, you might put your privacy and personal space at risk. What’s for sure is that your communication model doesn’t face the challenges sent by advancing tech, aggressive marketing, and ever-evolving fraud techniques. Having a realistic notion about today’s nuances of phone interactions is not just a matter of being a progressive-minded person – it’s a matter of your privacy and data security. You should know both the risks and simple solutions, such as temporary or virtual numbers offered by [GetTempNumber](https://gettempnumber.com/) or similar services. How do they cope with common issues that vex users with a one-phone-for-all approach? What situations require that you hide your real SIM-based number? Get quick answers from the blog below. ## Challenges of Modern Phone Communication Tech advancement has made products and services accessible with a single click on your mobile phone. Or? As always, the devil is in the details: most goods and online options become available after you create an account or at least verify yourself. The most frequent way is to provide your phone number. One more case is when you’re asked to enter your phone number to access a book download or get a discount for buying something. Will you share your real one? If yes, it doesn’t necessarily mean trouble, but the following problems may occur soon: - **Annoying ads**. Getting a verification code from an online store, logging in to a webinar, accessing public Wi-Fi, and other activities unlocked with the help of your real number may result in tons of spam SMS and calls. Stats are sad: you’ll waste your time with at least 1-2 spam attempts every day. - **Scam calls**. A more dangerous result of sharing your real contact number is telephone fraud. It’s evolving along with tech and using AI innovations to design cunning methods of violating your sensitive data and fishing for your money. Your first thought might be “I won’t answer calls from unknown users.” OK, a recent [State of the Call report](https://www.hiya.com/state-of-the-call) made by Hiya proves that 86% of people will do the same. At least, it’s true for over 12K responders from the USA, Canada, France, and several other countries. The problem is that you might need to answer those unknown calls in case you’re looking for a job or selling something through message boards, online ads, etc. So, ignoring or blocking those calls may be ineffective. ### Temporary Phone Numbers As Quick Anti-Spam/Scam Solutions What is effective in the above-described situations is to block access to your SIM card number from the very beginning. That is, instead of sharing your real number with anyone requesting it, you may use **free temporary numbers** provided by IT companies and special apps. In most cases, it’s enough to sign up with one such company to get access to regularly updated hubs of temporary phone numbers. They have the same digital format as common numbers in your area have, but these options aren’t tied to any SIM. Yes, they have shared inboxes, but you only need them for one-time verification on websites that you won’t need to visit in the near future. For such purposes, the service is secure and convenient. It’s also reasonable to employ temporary phone numbers when you need to: - Confirm a purchase. - Get registered for a one-time event. - Rent a bike, electric scooter, etc. - Use public Wi-Fi. Add to this every action you take on a rare occasion. Temporary phone numbers are a quick and easy method of separating temporary needs and long-term activities. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/data-src-image-d5ad5ca5-0720-40a6-973e-74c6b12ac8a7.png) Image Credit: [Magnific](https://www.magnific.com/ru/free-vector/developer-working-web-app-smartphone-user-offline-tiny-people-progressive-web-app-working-offline-web-pwa-application-development-concept%5F11669209.htm#fromView=detail&position=6&uuid=dcaab5cd-45d4-466f-b164-97c67c1f517e&track=ais%5Fhybrid&from%5Felement=cross%5Fselling%5F%5Fvector) ## Using Your Phone in Permanent & Business Communication It’s quite a different matter when you must provide your phone number to enable longer activities. For instance, you may need it to have unlimited access to your account on a messenger or a social network. You may have long-term accounts on specific apps. They promise to keep your login data protected, but breaches occur more often than you think. Your personal space can also be breached by unnecessary calls if your contact number is available to everyone present in your business communication. If you’re a remote worker or someone who has no fixed schedule and travels a lot, setting boundaries between your work and personal life may be the greatest challenge. ### Virtual Phone Numbers & Healthy Practices in Routine Communication How to stay connected with important contacts and protect your real number from disturbing conversations? One of the optimal solutions includes a virtual phone number. It works without a SIM, and if you get one, you’ll have a private inbox shared with nobody. Virtual phone numbers have standard formats accepted in your target location and are efficient in the following situations: - Signing up for resources you frequently use. - Needing to share sensitive data with coworkers and potential partners. - Launching irregular business campaigns online. - Travelling abroad and having to make phone calls from different countries. - Working on a flexible schedule without clear ‘do-not-disturb’ hours. You’ll find numerous companies providing simple ways to get virtual phone numbers. These cloud-based alternatives allow users to be present on social media and other platforms securely and for as long as they need. With their help, workers can distinguish between first-priority and secondary tasks. They can smartly separate their jobs and their personal lives. ## Conclusion – There’s No Need to Risk Today’s communication world presents more and more dangers, but you have enough means to protect your real phone number. Most of your everyday activities can be completed without putting it at risk. By using temporary and virtual phone numbers, you can guard your data and personal life safety easily and quickly. ### BlizzCon 2026: All the Biggest Game Announcements and Reveals URL: https://www.techloy.com/blizzcon-2026-diablo-v-starcraft-announcements/ Last updated: 2026-09-14T10:46:11.000Z BlizzCon 2026, Blizzard Entertainment’s major gaming event featuring new game and expansion announcements, gameplay reveals, developer panels, esports competitions, and fan activities, got off to a big start. The opening ceremony delivered several announcements, but two stood out above the rest: a new Diablo game is coming, and StarCraft is making a comeback. Blizzard [confirmed](https://www.youtube.com/live/Duqv2j%5F7XSg?si=bk7WjJ0hzDIqxwSF) that Diablo V is in development and targeting a Spring 2029 release, while a completely new open-world StarCraft game is planned for 2030\. The StarCraft reveal is particularly interesting because it is not another real-time strategy game. Blizzard describes it as an original open-world shooter, and Xbox has confirmed that it will come to consoles as well as PC. Here’s everything worth knowing from BlizzCon 2026. [PS Plus September 2026 Games: Full List and Release DatesWWE 2K26 is only one of 10 new games joining PS Plus this month, but one bizarre addition is already available before the rest.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-92982d5a-a535-4fa0-b226-c6b82cf9da55.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1638431755905-631694da8921-bb0f98c1-f7b9-4848-a77a-80cd4b07002c)](https://www.techloy.com/ps-plus-september-2026-games/) ## **StarCraft Returns With a New Game Coming to Consoles in 2030** StarCraft is coming back, but not in the way many fans probably expected. Blizzard announced a new open-world StarCraft shooter targeting 2030\. Rather than returning to the franchise's traditional RTS roots, the new game will put players directly into the StarCraft universe through a shooter built around an open-world setting. There's still a lot we don't know, including the game's full title, gameplay systems and how Blizzard plans to translate StarCraft's factions and large-scale warfare into this format. The biggest Xbox detail came shortly after the announcement: the game is confirmed for consoles alongside PC. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### iOS 27 Is Here: Release Time, New Features and Supported iPhones URL: https://www.techloy.com/ios-27-release-time-new-features/ Last updated: 2026-09-14T10:37:50.000Z [iOS](https://www.techloy.com/tag/ios/) 27 arrives today, and there's a lot of excitement around [Apple's](https://www.techloy.com/tag/apple/) biggest software update in years. One of the headline features is [Siri](https://www.techloy.com/tag/apple-siri/) AI, after two years of Apple promising a smarter, more capable version of Siri powered by on-device intelligence and generative AI. Siri AI is a [ChatGPT](https://www.techloy.com/tag/chatgpt/)\-like assistant powered by [Google Gemini](https://www.techloy.com/tag/google-gemini/), with a dedicated app and the ability to understand what's on your screen. It requires an [iPhone](https://www.techloy.com/tag/apple-iphone/) 15 Pro or newer. This could be Apple's biggest software update in years. Here's what's new, who gets it, and how to install it. ## When and how to download iOS 27 iOS 27 rolls out on Monday, September 14\. Based on Apple's usual release schedule, the update is expected to become available around 10 a.m. Pacific Time, or 1 p.m. Eastern. To install it: - Open Settings. - Tap General. - Select Software Update. - Download and install iOS 27. You can also enable Automatic Updates so your iPhone installs the update automatically. Apple is also releasing [iPadOS ](https://www.techloy.com/tag/ipados/)27, [macOS](https://www.techloy.com/tag/macos/) 27 Golden Gate, [watchOS](https://www.techloy.com/tag/watchos/) 27, [tvOS](https://www.techloy.com/tag/tvos/) 27, and [visionOS](https://www.techloy.com/tag/visionos/) 27 on the same day. ## Siri AI is the biggest new feature Once you've installed the update, the first thing you'll notice is Siri AI. It's the headline addition to iOS 27\. Apple has completely rebuilt Siri with a dedicated app, on-screen awareness, and the ability to perform actions across apps. It can also draw on personal information stored on your iPhone to provide more contextual responses. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Lioness Season 3 Finale Approaches as Fans Await Season 4 News URL: https://www.techloy.com/lioness-season-3-season-4/ Last updated: 2026-09-14T10:39:42.000Z Taylor Sheridan’s Lioness is heading towards its Season 3 finale with more momentum than ever. The Paramount+ espionage thriller has already delivered its strongest opening season performance, while cast and creative developments are giving fans more reasons to believe the story will continue. Season 3 premiered on August 2, 2026, and its eighth and final episode is scheduled for September 20 on Paramount+. In the US, viewers can stream the series through Paramount+, with plans starting at $8.99 a month for the Essential tier and $13.99 for Premium. With Zoe Saldaña, Nicole Kidman and Morgan Freeman leading the cast, Lioness has also expanded its audience beyond the US, making its performance an important factor in the question of whether Paramount+ will order Season 4. ## **How Well is Lioness Season 3 Performing?** Paramount said the Season 3 premiere attracted 7.1 million viewers globally in its first seven days of streaming, based on the company’s internal data. That was significantly higher than the audience for the Season 2 premiere in 2024. The show also ranked as the No. 2 most-watched streaming original in the US during the week of August 2 to 8, [according to preliminary Nielsen data](https://www.paramountplus.com/sneak-peak/where-to-watch-lioness-season-3). It generated 6.9 million social media views during its first few days and was ranked the No. 1 buzziest streaming drama over that period. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Common Attorney PPC Mistakes That Reduce Campaign Performance URL: https://www.techloy.com/common-attorney-ppc-mistakes-that-reduce-campaign-performance/ Last updated: 2026-09-12T17:12:14.000Z Attorney PPC can bring serious cases to a law firm fast. It can also burn through a monthly budget before lunch if the campaign is built on weak choices. Legal clicks are expensive, so small errors don’t stay small for long. A bad keyword list, a vague ad, or a slow landing page can turn paid search into a very pricey guessing game. Many firms treat [attorney PPC](https://hennessey.com/law-firm-ppc/) like a simple switch: turn it on, wait for leads, and review the bill later. That approach creates trouble. PPC needs tight control because every click costs money, and every wasted click steals budget from someone who may have been ready to call. ## **Poor Keyword Targeting** The first major mistake is chasing broad keywords without thinking about intent. A phrase like “lawyer” may bring traffic, but what kind of traffic? Someone searching that term could need a divorce lawyer, a tax attorney, a criminal defense attorney, or a movie quote. Law firms need keywords that match real client needs. “Car accident lawyer near me” shows stronger intent than “legal help.” “DUI attorney in Phoenix” is clearer than “defense lawyer.” Specific searches usually cost more, but they often attract people closer to making a decision. Another mistake is ignoring negative keywords. Without them, ads may show for searches like “free legal forms,” “law school jobs,” or “how to become an attorney.” Those clicks rarely become cases. They still cost money, though. PPC platforms are very polite about taking your budget. ## **Weak Ad Copy** Generic ads blend into the page. If every ad says “Experienced Lawyer” or “Free Consultation,” prospects have no reason to choose one firm over another. Legal search results are crowded. The ad needs to answer one question fast: “Why should I click this one?” Strong ad copy speaks to the client’s immediate concern. It may mention fast case reviews, local experience, serious injury claims, 24/7 availability, or no fee unless the firm wins, if that applies. Some firms also send mixed messages. The keyword says “truck accident lawyer,” but the ad talks about “personal injury services.” That gap can lower click quality. People want confirmation that they found the right help. Make the ad match the search. ## **Bad Landing Pages** Sending paid traffic to the homepage is often a quiet budget leak. A homepage has too many paths. Visitors may see attorney bios, blog links, practice areas, awards, and office photos before they find a contact form. By then, they may leave. A PPC landing page should stay focused. It needs one clear practice area, a strong call to action, trust signals, short copy, and an easy way to call or submit a case. The phone number should be obvious. The form should be simple. Nobody wants to write a legal memoir before speaking with a person. Speed also matters. If the page loads slowly on mobile, paid traffic disappears. That’s not a theory. People in stressful legal situations won’t wait around while a page spins. ## **No Conversion Tracking** Running PPC without tracking is like buying a billboard in a foggy field. You may feel visible, but you don’t know what worked. Law firms should track calls, forms, chats, booked consultations, and signed cases whenever possible. Clicks alone don’t tell the story. A keyword may look expensive until it produces a strong case. Another keyword may look cheap while bringing nothing but tire-kickers. Call tracking is especially important for legal campaigns. Many prospects would rather call than fill out a form. If those calls aren’t tracked, the campaign data looks weaker than it really is, and smart decisions become harder. ## **Low Quality Score** [Quality Score](https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbesagencycouncil/2019/11/05/quality-score-do-you-know-your-number-and-what-it-means-for-your-business/) affects ad costs and placement. Google looks at factors like expected click-through rate, ad relevance, and landing page experience. If those pieces don’t line up, the firm may pay more for worse positions. A low score often starts with lazy structure. Too many keywords sit in one ad group. Ads don’t match search terms. Landing pages talk about the wrong service. The campaign feels stitched together. Better structure helps. Group keywords by practice area, location, and intent. Write ads that match each group. Send clicks to relevant pages. This takes work, but it can reduce waste and improve lead quality. ## **Final Thoughts** Attorney PPC fails most often because firms treat it as a traffic tool instead of a case acquisition system. The goal isn’t more clicks. The goal is qualified leads that turn into real clients. Fix the basics first: sharpen keywords, write better ads, build focused landing pages, track conversions, improve Quality Score, and stop waste at the settings level. Small changes can protect a large budget. In legal PPC, that’s not a nice bonus. It’s survival. ### Marketing is becoming more human, not less URL: https://www.techloy.com/marketing-is-becoming-more-human-not-less/ Last updated: 2026-09-12T09:33:30.000Z Tasks like image generation, text writing, or data analysis used to take hours or days. Now Artificial Intelligence can do it in minutes. For marketing, it’s a game changer. So much so that it may seem that AI could replace an entire marketing department. In reality, not quite. In a sea of repetitive, AI-generated content, authenticity has become one of a brand’s strongest competitive advantages. In this article, we explore why technology can handle the routine, but only the human touch can build a brand that stands out. ## **The Role of AI in Modern Marketing** AI today can do more than generate text or provide answers. It helps professionals reduce manual work and handle routine processes more efficiently. Marketers use AI for: - **Workflow automation**. AI helps manage email campaigns, schedule social media posts, and analyse primary data. - **Hyper-personalisation**. By collecting and processing user behaviour data, AI lets marketers offer individualised recommendations to their audience. - **Content generation**. Artificial Intelligence speeds up content creation. It helps draft texts, images, and videos, and adapt messaging to different channels. - **Brainstorming**. Models like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Perplexity can serve not only as search engines but also as brainstorming partners to refine creative ideas. Despite its convenience and broad functionality, automation can’t replace an entire team. AI doesn’t create truly unique content. Relying on it too much can lead to generic marketing. And that won’t deliver strong results. ## **The Trap of Generic Content** AI can search, analyse, and synthesise existing information, but it can't craft original ideas. At least not yet. While this functionality can speed up content creation, it can also make the result too generic and kill a brand's unique voice. Clients are becoming more aware of standard sales tropes and AI patterns and see such synthetic content as ‘boring’ and ‘not valuable’. After all, why spend time reading a post generated in seconds if it offers no fresh thoughts? While algorithms do tasks faster than humans, they can’t make a brand’s voice feel genuine. What they can do is give marketing teams more time to bring original thinking and a creative approach to their work. ## **The Value of Human Touch: What Algorithms Can’t Replace** Relying on catchy ads, discounts, or product benefits no longer guarantees winning a client. Modern users have endless options, and they are very selective. Among products with similar benefits, like equal price, convenience, or ease of use, the customer will choose the brand that resonates with them most. Often, emotional connection outweighs even more attractive competitor offers. That’s why, to reach their audience, brands must have a recognisable voice rooted in honesty, empathy and relevant values – something machines still can’t imitate. ## **Marketing with The Human Heart: Payop** Technology alone cannot build a meaningful brand. This is especially true for[ Payop](https://payop.com/), a global payment service provider for the gaming industry. While the company uses AI tools to process data faster and offer more tailored content, technology never replaces the human core of its strategy. Payop aims not simply to automate communication, but to make complex financial concepts interesting and helpful to a broad audience. Fintech is full of heavy analytical content, but Payop takes a different approach. It explains complex topics in a simple, engaging way – making them accessible even to those with no financial background. They keep their communication honest, direct, and free of unnecessary corporate fuss. This human-first approach goes beyond marketing. Payop applies it to its product development and customer experience. From intuitive checkout to the[ Pay by Bank](https://payop.com/pay-by-bank-2) solution, its payment experience is designed around players' needs. The goal isn't simply to enable in-game payments, but to ensure they don’t interrupt gameplay. The same principle applies to merchant support. Payop understands that gaming payments can be complex to navigate. Its team stays in close contact with merchants, helping them resolve operational issues and payment disputes when needed. This is what a truly human-centred approach looks like in practice. ### Best MDM Removal Tools for iPhone and iPad in 2026 URL: https://www.techloy.com/best-mdm-removal-tools-for-iphone-and-ipad-in-2026/ Last updated: 2026-09-12T09:18:03.000Z MDM removal tools are used when an iPhone or iPad is restricted by a Mobile Device Management profile or stuck on the Remote Management screen, but the safest first action is to contact the company, school, seller, or administrator that enrolled the device. Unauthorized removal may violate ownership rules, erase data, or fail if the device is automatically re-enrolled. ## How to Choose the Right MDM Removal Tool Before choosing any MDM removal tool, confirm what type of restriction you are dealing with. A removable configuration profile inside Settings is different from a supervised device that keeps returning to Remote Management during setup. Use these criteria when comparing MDM removal tools for iPhone or iPad: - **MDM scenario support:** Remote Management, MDM profiles, or only screen locks. - **iOS and iPadOS compatibility:** Confirm the supported system versions before paying, especially after major iOS updates. - **Device compatibility:** Supported iOS/iPadOS versions and device models. - **Data impact:** Whether removal requires erasing or resetting the device. - **Find My and Apple ID requirements:** A tool that removes MDM does not automatically remove Activation Lock or Apple ID ownership checks. - **Support and refund policy:** MDM cases vary, so responsive support matters if your device is supervised or re-enrolled. ## Top 1\. 4ukey iPhone Unlocker (Best Overall Choice) 4uKey iPhone Unlocker is a practical option for owners or authorized users who need a guided, desktop-based MDM removal workflow for Remote Management or other MDM restrictions. Use it only for the same MDM problem discussed here. It should not be treated as an Apple ID recovery method, an [Activation Lock removal](https://www.4ukey.com/unlock-iphone/how-to-bypass-activation-lock-ios-27.html) guarantee, or a way to unlock a device that you are not authorized to manage. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/data-src-image-525c940a-292d-487c-9875-72949e4b38e5.png) ### Why it stands out 4ukey iPhone unlocker focuses on guided iPhone and iPad restriction removal, which makes it easier for beginners than manual troubleshooting across multiple Apple support paths. Its value depends on your device model, iOS or iPadOS version, MDM state, and whether the device is still controlled by an organization’s enrollment system.. - **Best fit:** your own iPhone or iPad is blocked by MDM or Remote Management and official unenrollment is unavailable. - **Requirements:** a Windows PC or Mac, a USB cable, and physical access to the device. - **Data impact:** data preservation depends on the exact lock state and supported workflow; prepare a backup if you can access the device. - **When it may fail:** unsupported iOS versions, active organizational re-enrollment, hardware issues, or a device that is not authorized for removal. ### How to remove MDM using 4ukey iPhone unlocker Use this workflow only with proper authorization. Select the MDM or Remote Management option, then follow the on-screen prompts for your device and system version. **Step 1:** Download and install 4uKey on your computer. Open 4uKey after the download finishes. On the main screen, click "Bypass MDM" to continue. **Step 2:** Connect iPhone to Computer Connect your iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch to your computer with a USB cable. Tap Trust on the device when asked. **Step 3:** Start Bypassing MDM Wait until 4uKey detects your device, then click the “Start” button. Make sure Find My iPhone is turned off before you start the bypass process. Keep your device connected until the process ends. **Step 4:** Finish the MDM Bypass Wait for the MDM lock removal to finish. Your device will restart when the process is done. **Note:** Mobile Device Management may return after a factory reset or software update. You can bypass it again with 4uKey before your license expires. After setup, check whether Remote Management is gone. If it returns, contact the seller or organization, as the device may still be server-enrolled. ## Top 2\. iMobie AnyUnlock iMobie AnyUnlock is a multi-purpose iPhone and iPad unlocking tool. Before using it for MDM removal, confirm that your device and iOS or iPadOS version are supported. - **Best fit:** Multiple unlocking needs with confirmed MDM support. - **Requirements:** Computer, USB connection, and compatible device. - **Data impact:** Varies by feature and device state. - **Limitations:** May not work with supervised, automatically re-enrolled, or unsupported devices. ## Top 3\. TunesKit iPhone Unlocker TunesKit iPhone Unlocker is another desktop tool with a simple interface. It can be useful for supported iPhone and iPad restrictions, but confirm that your specific MDM scenario is supported. - **Best fit:** Simple guided workflow with confirmed MDM support. - **Requirements:** Compatible computer, USB cable, and Apple device. - **Data impact:** May vary by device state and reset method. - **Limitations:** May not support all MDM states or automated enrollment. ## Which MDM Removal Tool Should You Choose? The right choice depends on how the device is managed and what you can access. Do not choose a tool only because it advertises unlocking; choose it because it clearly supports your MDM condition. - **Choose official unenrollment first** if the device is owned by a company, school, or institution. - **Choose built-in profile removal** if you can open Settings and the MDM profile is removable with a known password. - **Choose 4ukey iPhone Unlocker** if you need a focused MDM removal workflow for an authorized iPhone or iPad and official removal is not available. - **Choose iMobie AnyUnlock** if you want a broader unlocking suite and have confirmed MDM compatibility. - **Choose TunesKit iPhone Unlocker** if you prefer a simple guided interface and your MDM case is supported. ## Important Note about MDM Removal MDM is designed for legitimate device administration. If the iPhone or iPad belongs to an employer, school, or organization, only that organization should remove management. If you bought the device second-hand, ask the seller to remove it from the organization’s management system before you try software-based removal. A factory reset does not always remove MDM. Devices assigned through Apple Business Manager or Apple School Manager may re-enroll automatically during setup, which is why Remote Management can appear again after erasing the device. ## FAQs About MDM removal ### 1\. Can I remove MDM without a password? Sometimes, depending on the MDM type. If the profile is removable, you can remove it through Settings. For supervised devices or Remote Management, administrator unenrollment or a compatible MDM removal tool may be required. ### 2\. Will factory reset remove MDM from an iPhone or iPad? Not always. A reset erases local data, but devices tied to automated enrollment may show Remote Management again during setup. In that case, the organization or seller must remove the device from its MDM system. ### 3\. Does MDM removal erase data? It can. Some removal methods may preserve data, while others require an erase. If possible, back up your device before attempting removal. ### 4\. Can 4ukey remove MDM on every iOS version? No tool should be assumed to support every iOS or iPadOS version. Check the current compatibility list, device model support, and MDM scenario before starting. ## Conclusion Start with the official route: ask the organization, school, employer, or seller to remove the device from MDM. If the profile is removable, use the built-in option in Settings first. If official unenrollment is unavailable and you’re authorized to manage the device, an MDM removal tool may help. Among the listed options, Tenorshare 4uKey is the strongest fit for a guided MDM removal workflow, while iMobie AnyUnlock and TunesKit iPhone Unlocker are alternatives worth comparing for your specific Remote Management condition. ### Data Visualization Company: What the Right One Actually Does for Your Business URL: https://www.techloy.com/data-visualization-company-what-the-right-one-actually-does-for-your-business/ Last updated: 2026-09-12T09:07:28.000Z Every data visualization company says the same things. Clean, actionable dashboards. Transforming data into insights. Empowering data-driven decisions. The language is interchangeable; the capability varies significantly. The organizations that make good [data visualization company](https://www.instinctools.com/data-visualization/) decisions evaluate differently from the ones that don't. They look past the portfolio aesthetics and the tool proficiency claims to the things that actually determine whether the engagement produces dashboards that get used, trusted, and acted on. ## **What a Data Visualization Company Actually Does** The work spans more ground than most clients expect. Data assessment and preparation. Dashboards are only as good as the data feeding them. Strong companies assess quality, identify gaps, and build pipelines that turn raw sources into reliable inputs. Metric definition and semantic layer design. The business logic behind every metric — how it's calculated, what it includes and excludes — makes visualizations consistent. When "revenue" means the same thing across dashboards and reports, data disputes decrease. Architecture and data modeling. Data structure, storage, and queries determine dashboard performance. Pre-aggregation, caching, and query optimization decisions need to happen before the chart is designed. Dashboard and report development. Chart selection, interaction design, layout, filtering, and drill-down logic should be built for the specific audience using the dashboard, not simply for what looks good. Training and adoption support. Dashboards launched without adoption support often go unused. Training, documentation, feedback, and change management turn dashboards into working business tools. Ongoing maintenance. Data sources, metrics, and user needs evolve. Maintenance keeps the investment productive. ## **The Signals That Separate Strong Companies From Weak Ones** ### **They Start With Decisions, Not Data** A strong data visualization company asks before designing anything: "what decisions does this need to support?" Not "what data do you have?" The decision question. A dashboard helping a VP of Sales intervene on at-risk deals differs from one displaying pipeline metrics. Same data. Different question. Different design. Companies starting with data build around what's available. Companies starting with decisions build around what's needed. ### **They Build a Semantic Layer Before Dashboards** Ask any data visualization company you're evaluating: "How do you handle metric definition?" A strong answer involves stakeholder interviews, documented definitions, a semantic layer, and sign-off before development. A weak answer: "We build what the client specifies." That leaves metric conflicts for the client to discover after delivery. ### **They Have Production Track Records, Not Just Portfolio Pieces** Portfolio pieces show finished products. Production track records show what happened after launch. Ask: "Can you share adoption metrics from a previous engagement — what percentage of intended users were actively using the dashboards six months after delivery?" Tracking this shows the company thinks about adoption, not just delivery. Also ask about a project where something went wrong. A company with real production experience should have a specific example: a data source behaving unexpectedly, an inconsistent metric definition, or a performance problem under real user load. Specificity tells you whether they've dealt with these problems at scale. ### **They Design for Maintenance, Not Just Launch** Dashboards change as metrics evolve, new data sources appear, and user needs expand. A data visualization company designing for maintenance documents the data model and transformation logic, creates an updateable semantic layer, and establishes a process for changes. A company that designs only for launch delivers clean dashboards and leaves maintenance planning to the client. ## **The Engagement Approach That Works** Effective data visualization engagements follow a consistent structure: Discovery before design. Understand the decisions, audience, available data, and its quality before designing dashboards. This prevents dashboards from being built without answering the intended questions. Stakeholder involvement throughout. The people who will use the dashboards should see them before they're finished. Early exposure surfaces misalignment while it's cheap to fix. Performance architecture before development. The data model, aggregation, and caching determine performance under real user load. Problems discovered later may require rebuilding the data layer. Adoption planning from day one. Define training needs, important features, feedback collection, and the transition from old reports to new dashboards. ## **The Questions Worth Asking** Before engaging any data visualization company: "Walk me through how you define metrics for a new engagement." Look for: documented definitions agreed by relevant stakeholders. Red flag: "we use the definitions the client provides." "What does the handoff look like at the end of an engagement? What can my team do independently afterward?" Look for: documentation of data lineage, semantic layer documentation, and training for internal owners. Red flag: the relationship ends at delivery. "Show me the data model from a previous engagement, not just the dashboards." This tells you more than a portfolio review. A company that can explain the model's structure, reasoning, and trade-offs has done the foundational work. A company showing only the front end hasn't demonstrated the same depth. "What's your approach when the source data has quality problems?" Look for: data quality assessment, cleaning and transformation methods, and validation. Red flag: "we work with the data as provided." ## **What the Right Data Visualization Company Delivers** The output of a good data visualization company engagement isn't dashboards. It's the capability to make better decisions with data. Dashboards that answer real decision-makers' questions. Consistent metrics that reduce data disputes. Performance that makes dashboards usable. Adoption support that turns launched tools into used ones. Documentation and maintenance that keep the investment productive. At instinctools.com, data visualization engagements start with the decision question — what needs to improve, for whom, and how will we know it has — and work backward to the dashboards that make that improvement possible. The right data visualization company does more than design dashboards. It produces the data infrastructure, metric consistency, and adoption support that turns data into decisions. Evaluate on those dimensions. The portfolio aesthetics are secondary. ### 🚨 AI’s own builders are ringing the Armageddon alarm URL: https://www.techloy.com/newsletter-week-37-apple-1999-iphone-duo-anthropic-researcher-quits/ Last updated: 2026-09-11T15:59:15.000Z After a few days away for our work retreat in Kigali, the Techloy team is fully back at our desks and catching up on everything we missed while we were busy exploring, eating, and competing over team games. The tech world, meanwhile, didn't wait for us. **In this week's issue:** - The Anthropic researcher who quit over AI safety concerns - Apple's $1,999 foldable and the missing iPhone 18 - Why we chose Kigali for our retreat. - Plus, opportunities worth applying for, what's happening in the Techloy community, and what's on our radar. See you next week! — [Kelechi](https://www.techloy.com/author/kelechi/), *Interim Managing Editor* --- ## **🚀 BIG STORY** ![man sitting in front of the MacBook Pro](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/photo-1579226905180-636b76d96082-1.jpeg) Photo by [Adam Nowakowski](https://unsplash.com/@studentofprana) / [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=api-credit) ### 🔐 An Anthropic researcher quit because he thinks AI labs are moving too fast *By David Adubiina* Jacob Coxon spent three years researching AI at OpenAI and Anthropic before leaving Anthropic this week, accusing both labs of racing toward capable AI without taking the risks seriously enough. One current Anthropic researcher publicly agreed with parts of his concern, saying, "...we really do earnestly believe AI could kill all humans!" How worried should we be, if the people building AI are this concerned? [READ THE FULL STORY](https://www.techloy.com/anthropic-researcher-quits-jacob-coxon-ai-safety/) --- ## **⚡️ MORE BIG STORIES** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/image-33-1.png) **Image: Apple* ### 📱 Apple made its $1,999 iPhone. But you give up more than money Apple's first foldable is finally here, but the [$1,999 iPhone Duo](https://www.techloy.com/everything-apple-announced-september-event/) isn't simply a bigger, more expensive iPhone. It drops Face ID for Touch ID, loses the Pro's telephoto camera, and gives you less battery life when you're using the big screen. You're paying $800 more than the iPhone 18 Pro for a phone that actually does some things worse. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### What your website traffic isn't telling you about conversions URL: https://www.techloy.com/what-your-website-traffic-isnt-telling-you-about-conversions/ Last updated: 2026-09-11T15:10:20.000Z Look at any analytics dashboard and you will find plenty of numbers. Sessions, bounce rate, time on page, conversion rate. What you will not find is the full story. A visitor arrives, browses for a few minutes, then leaves the page, and nothing in that data tells you whether they went on to pick up the phone. This is the gap that quietly skews marketing budgets. Teams pour spend into the channels that show up cleanly in a dashboard, while the activity that actually closes deals happens somewhere the dashboard cannot see. For businesses where a phone call is the real moment of conversion, that blind spot is not a rounding error. It is the difference between funding what works and starving it. ## **The blind spot in standard web analytics** Website analytics platforms are built to measure what happens on the page. Clicks, scroll depth, and form completions are logged accurately, second by second. Phone calls sit outside that system entirely. A visitor who reads three blog posts, compares pricing, and then dials your sales line looks, from the dashboard's perspective, like someone who simply left without converting. That gap matters more than it might seem, because phone enquiries tend to come from buyers who are further along in their decision. They have done the browsing. They have compared you against competitors. They are ready to talk. Treating that call as a dead end in the data means the campaign that generated it never gets credited, and budget drifts toward channels that only look productive because they are easier to measure. For a growing business watching every pound of marketing spend, this is not a small issue. A campaign that quietly drives ten enquiries a week through the phone can look, on paper, like it is underperforming a campaign that drives fifty clicks and zero calls. Only one of those campaigns is actually paying the bills. ## **Assigning every visitor a number worth tracking** Look at the problem from the visitor's side rather than the channel's side. With [call tracking software for businesses](https://www.mediahawk.co.uk/features/call-tracking/), every person landing on your website is assigned a dynamic number, unique to their session. If they later call using that number, you can trace the call back to the exact visit, the pages they read, and the campaign that brought them there in the first place., every person landing on your website is assigned a dynamic number, unique to their session. If they later call using that number, you can trace the call back to the exact visit, the pages they read, and the campaign that brought them there in the first place. That single mechanism answers the question a standard dashboard cannot. Instead of guessing which activity prompted the call, you know it precisely. A pay-per-click advert, an organic search result, or a retargeting email all leave a distinct trail, and the visitor who follows that trail to the phone is no longer invisible. It also removes the guesswork that usually creeps into reporting. Rather than assuming a spike in calls followed a new campaign launch, you can see the exact source behind each individual call, and build a genuinely accurate picture of what is working. ## **Attributing calls to the channels that actually earn them** Once calls are attributed correctly, patterns start to appear that a website-only view would never surface. Some keywords generate plenty of clicks but few calls. Others generate fewer clicks yet a disproportionate share of enquiries that go on to become buyers. The same applies across channels. Social campaigns might build awareness that eventually shows up as a branded search a fortnight later, followed by a call. Without visibility into that chain, credit for the sale lands on whichever channel happened to be last, usually organic or direct, while the activity that actually started the journey goes unrewarded. This matters most at budget review time. A marketing director armed with call level data can defend spend on a channel that looks weak by click metrics alone, simply by pointing to the enquiries it generates further down the line. ## **What the conversation itself can tell you** The call being tracked is only half the story. What is said during that call carries its own signal. Recording and reviewing conversations at scale reveals which questions come up most often, which objections stall a sale, and which enquiries turn into paying customers rather than simply taking up a sales agent's time. That level of detail feeds back into the same attribution picture. A campaign that generates calls which convert well is worth more than its click-through rate suggests, and a campaign that generates calls which rarely go anywhere is worth less than its cost per click implies. Sales teams gain something too, since patterns in successful calls can shape how future enquiries are handled. ## **Making budget decisions on complete data** None of this changes what marketing already does well. It changes what marketing can prove. Budget conversations move away from proxy metrics like clicks and impressions, and toward the outcomes a finance director actually cares about, namely enquiries, qualified leads, and sales. Return on investment calculated without phone data is, at best, an estimate. Return on investment calculated with it reflects what genuinely happened between the first visit and the final decision. For any business where the phone still closes deals, that difference is worth building into the reporting from day one, rather than discovering it months into a campaign that was quietly working all along. ### Snapchat Plans Is Here. How to Create Events and Invite Friends URL: https://www.techloy.com/snapchat-plans-how-to-create-events/ Last updated: 2026-09-11T14:42:52.000Z Despite years of insisting it's not a social media platform, [Snapchat](https://www.techloy.com/tag/snap/) is still viewed as one by many people. And the company doesn't exactly help its case. It keeps rolling out features that feel increasingly social media-like, making its argument seem a little contradictory. Now it's doing it again with a feature that looks a lot like something you'd expect from a social app: [Snapchat Plans](https://newsroom.snap.com/making-plans-irl). The new tool lets users create events, send invitations, and track RSVPs—all inside Snapchat. Some are already speculating that Snap is taking direct aim at Partiful, the invite app that has become Gen Z's go-to platform for organising hangouts. [Snapchat Adds New Family Center Tools to Help Parents Monitor Teen ActivityThe features arrive as scrutiny over teen mental health and platform responsibility continues to intensify.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-55c67f50-633a-4e98-9e0f-0ddf2480666d.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1616041041954-5d9d57fc31cc-8f60f3c1-78f4-443c-bcc0-f007ed4516c7)](https://www.techloy.com/snapchat-adds-new-family-center-tools-to-help-parents-monitor-teen-activity/) ## What Snapchat Plans actually does Users can create a Snapchat Plan by adding a title, choosing a date and time, and inviting up to 200 friends. Invitations are delivered directly through one-on-one chats with each invited friend. Guests can RSVP with Going, Maybe, or Can't Go. Hosts can see who's attending, invite more friends, and update event details at any time. Guests can also view the full guest list and receive a reminder one hour before the event starts. Snapchat has also added a My Plans section to user profiles, where users can browse their current, upcoming, and past events. To make invitations more personal, Plans includes dynamic Bitmoji-powered cover art that updates automatically as the event comes together. ## How to use Snapchat Plans Creating a Plan is fairly straightforward. Open Snapchat and create a new Plan by adding an event title, date and time, then choose the friends you want to invite. You can invite up to 200 people and customise the event with Bitmoji-powered cover art. Once the invitations are sent, guests can choose Going, Maybe, or Can't Go directly from the chat. Hosts can then see who's attending, add more friends or change the event details. Guests can also return to the Plan later to check the guest list or update their RSVP. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Muramasa: Revenant Blades Launches on PS5 February 4, 2027 URL: https://www.techloy.com/muramasa-revenant-blades-release-date/ Last updated: 2026-09-11T14:38:43.000Z One of Vanillaware's most stylish action RPGs is making its return. Muramasa: Revenant Blades will launch on February 4, 2027, publisher Marvelous and developer Vanillaware have announced. The release date was revealed alongside a new gameplay showcase highlighting the game's sword-based combat, progression systems and upgraded presentation. The remaster will be available on [PS5](https://www.techloy.com/tag/playstation-5/), [Nintendo Switch](https://www.techloy.com/tag/nintendo-switch/), Nintendo Switch 2 and PC via [Steam](https://www.techloy.com/tag/steam/). The new release combines Muramasa: Rebirth, originally released on PlayStation Vita, with its Genroku Legends side-story content in one package. Marvelous describes it as an "elevated revival" of Vanillaware's classic 2D action RPG. [Wardogs Steam Charts: Player Count, PS5 & Xbox ReleaseWardogs is coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X|S in 2028, giving console players their first confirmed window for Bulkhead’s throwback multiplayer FPS.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-2d81c3bd-3498-4af1-8cee-36aea56f592a.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1639656333400-ee5240f757a0-ab226fdc-ce7e-4b9d-81da-e1417570444a)](https://www.techloy.com/wardogs-steam-charts-player-count/) ## What Is Muramasa: Revenant Blades? Muramasa: Revenant Blades is a side-scrolling action RPG set during Japan's Genroku era, where supernatural forces and mythical creatures have taken over the land. The game features six playable protagonists, each with their own story, goals and fighting style. According to the official PlayStation announcement, the stories can be played in any order, with each character following their own journey rather than a single linear campaign. The six stories offer very different situations, from characters dealing with cursed swords to revenge and romance. That structure gives Revenant Blades a broader scope than simply retelling one protagonist's adventure. Marvelous says all six stories will be available from the beginning, making this the most complete version of the game to date. ## Muramasa Gets Upgraded Visuals and English Voice Acting The biggest visual upgrade is the move to modern high-definition and 4K presentation on supported platforms. Marvelous says the game's characters, maps and animations have been "meticulously upgraded to gorgeous 4K," while still maintaining Vanillaware's distinctive 2D artwork. The remaster also introduces English voice acting for the first time. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Netflix’s Previously Cancelled Beauty in Black Gets Renewed for Season 4 URL: https://www.techloy.com/beauty-in-black-season-4-release-date-cast/ Last updated: 2026-09-11T14:32:45.000Z [Netflix](https://www.techloy.com/tag/netflix/) has reversed its decision to end Beauty in Black with Season 3\. The Tyler Perry drama has been renewed for a fourth season, giving Kimmie and the powerful Bellarie family another chapter after the series was previously expected to conclude with its third season. The company [announced](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/beauty-in-black-season-4-cast-release-date-news) the renewal on July 23, 2026, ahead of Season 3’s August 27 release, which brought all eight episodes to the platform. Set in Chicago, Beauty in Black follows Kimmie, played by Taylor Polidore Williams, whose life becomes entangled with the wealthy Bellarie family and its beauty business. [Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Season 5: When & Where to WatchThe Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Season 5 returns with new conflicts, Taylor’s return and major changes within the #MomTok group.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-3aaa4e63-b9f2-4073-a8ba-95b0e678fd7f.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1608170825938-a8ea0305d46c-bc6692c6-9dae-4e2f-a2e7-b02f6faf8af1.jpeg)](https://www.techloy.com/secret-lives-of-mormon-wives-season-5-release-date/) ## Why did Netflix reverse the cancellation? Beauty in Black was originally renewed for a [third and final season](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/beauty-in-black-season-3-tyler-perry) in December 2025\. Netflix later reversed that decision before Season 3 premiered, making Season 4 one of the streamer's more unexpected renewal decisions. The change appears to be linked to the show's ability to maintain a strong international audience. According to Tyler Perry, Season 1 spent seven weeks in Netflix's Global Top 10 and reached No. 1 in 28 countries. Season 2 spent six weeks in the Global Top 10 and reached No. 1 in 17 countries. Perry welcomed the decision, saying, “the Bellarie family’s story is far from finished” and that there was “so much more” he wanted to explore. That performance gives Netflix a reason to reconsider its original plan. Rather than ending a series that has continued to attract viewers across multiple markets, the streamer now has another opportunity to build on its audience. ## What is Beauty in Black Season 3 about? _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Why Kigali Could Be the Next Destination for Your Work Retreat URL: https://www.techloy.com/things-to-do-in-kigali-work-retreat/ Last updated: 2026-09-15T22:20:37.000Z When I first thought about Rwanda as a destination for a work retreat, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. I knew the country had built a reputation for being one of Africa's cleanest and most organised capitals. I had also heard about its growing tech ecosystem and relatively calm environment, but none of that really prepared me for what it would feel like to arrive there with the Techloy team. That, more than anything, made the trip feel like more than a company retreat. ## It was close enough to feel possible, but far enough to feel like a trip ![The Techloy Team at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, NG.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/Screenshot_20260904-102240-2.jpg--1--1.jpg) **The Techloy Team at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, NG. (Image: Techloy.com)* For one, I didn't think the journey would be five hours long, which was enough time for the excitement and anticipation to build, especially for those of us who hadn't travelled outside our usual boundaries before. The thorough check-ins, though, were a bit overwhelming, and moving from one immigration control to another meant going through several checks before we could finally make our way out. But even with all that, I was more anxious about meeting our CEO and COO, whom I hadn't seen before, and the expectations of the new environment. Yet getting to meet them felt almost natural, like seeing a friend you have always known. For [Sietoyo Esitikott](https://www.techloy.com/author/sietoyo/), our Senior Data Journalist, meeting the team in person was one of the most memorable parts of the trip. “I was finally able to put faces, personalities and mannerisms to people I had been working and speaking with online for so long.” [Emmanuel Usen](https://community.techloy.com/u/826989b4), community and growth manager, too, described the experience as going from seeing colleagues as avatars to seeing them as people. “From avatar on screens, to hugs and smiles in-person, it felt like stepping into a new portal and I had fun all the way.” ## There is room to actually get work done ![The Techloy Team during the team bonding activity at Nobleza Hotel](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/image-4-1--1-.png) **The Techloy Team during the team bonding activity at Nobleza Hotel (Image: Techloy.com)* A work retreat still has "work" in it, and for the most part, it was exciting once we settled into our hotel. We had our daily stand-ups in a spacious meeting hall with a breakout terrace. It was the first time many of us were sitting together physically to discuss the same work we normally handled remotely. Ideas seemed to come more naturally when everyone was in the same room. A conversation that might have ended after a virtual meeting could continue even when people were still sitting together. There was no screen separating one person from another, no need to wait for someone to unmute, and no quick sign-off before everyone disappeared back into their separate routines. Senior Technology Writer, [Chivumnovu Ogbonda](https://www.techloy.com/author/ogbonda/) felt the difference too. “For me there's a different feeling when working in-person, everything clicks a bit better. The chemistry, understanding, and ability to be creative just gets better.” “I loved the experience so much because I could finally connect with each person in deeper ways than our usual workflow permitted. What stood out for me was how creativity flowed so smoothly in person without any screen to hide behind or leave room for distractions,” [Adesola Ibeyemi](https://community.techloy.com/u/b2d0ea01), Head of Commercial. That difference was particularly noticeable during our roundtable discussions and brainstorming sessions. We could think on our feet, exchange ideas more freely and work through strategies for improving our work, increasing engagement, and growing the company. One of Chivu's most memorable moments was pitching ideas the team could implement over the next six to 12 months. While there were a lot of great things to say about the scenery and the city itself, having constant electricity and reliable internet was also a memorable part of the experience. As a remote team working across different locations in Nigeria, we're used to dealing with unstable power and internet while trying to get work done. So being able to sit down, open our laptops, and work without worrying about either of those things being interrupted made a difference. It was one less thing to think about, and it meant we could focus more on the work and on being around each other. ## It feels different from a usual work environment ![The Techloy Team during the tour at Norrsken House, Kigali](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/20260903_134125.jpg) **The Techloy Team during the tour at Norrsken House Kigali (Image: Techloy.com)* One of the first places we visited after work was Norrsken House Kigali. Here, we got to experience first-hand what the city's growing tech ecosystem looks like. Gaga Jean Paul, the house coordinator, introduced us to the building, talking about its history and how it has grown into a community of founders and tech enthusiasts. Some of our team members also got to speak with founders there, which gave us a better sense of the people building and working in the space. ![The Techloy Team during the tour at Norrsken House Kigali](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/20260903_140034.jpg) **The Techloy Team during the tour at Norrsken House Kigali (Image: Techloy.com)* What stood out to me most was the scale and capacity of the place, as well as the scenery. The building had been remodeled from a school but had been turned into a space where people could work, meet and connect. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### How to Turn Photos into 3D Models with AI: The Best Tools Compared URL: https://www.techloy.com/how-to-turn-photos-into-3d-models-with-ai-the-best-tools-compared/ Last updated: 2026-09-11T10:42:25.000Z A few years ago, turning a physical object into a 3D model usually required dedicated cameras, a scanner, and specialist software. Today, a Xiaomi or other Android phone can capture source images for either AI image-to-3D generation or photogrammetry. The resulting models may support e-commerce, collectibles, game assets, avatars, prototypes, and 3D printing, but quality depends heavily on the photographs and the chosen workflow. Below are some of the best tools for turning photos into 3D models, with [**Meshy**](https://www.meshy.ai/) **listed first for its accessibility, AI-generation features, and flexible 3D workflows.** ## **1\. Meshy – Best Overall Photo-to-3D AI Tool** **Meshy can help users turn a photograph into a draft 3D model without prior modeling experience. Its image-to-3D workflow can support products, props, collectible items, characters, and other creative concepts.** One advantage is that Meshy runs in a browser without requiring desktop installation.This makes it convenient for Android and Xiaomi users who want to capture an object with their phone and then move the image into an online AI workflow. [Meshy](https://www.meshy.ai/) also provides additional AI-powered capabilities for texturing and 3D asset creation. Depending on the selected workflow, users can generate models with textures and export them in formats suitable for different applications. For users who only have one good photograph, an image-to-3D workflow can provide a fast starting point. When multiple views are available, those references can be useful for creating a more complete representation of the object. ## **2\. Polycam – Best for Android Photogrammetry** Polycam takes a different approach by reconstructing real objects from multiple photographs. Its Object Mode supports photogrammetry on compatible Android devices, making it more suitable when physical accuracy matters more than imaginative generation. Users photograph the object from many angles and let the service reconstruct its geometry and texture. This requires more careful capture than single-image AI generation, but it can preserve more information about the object's actual shape. Results still depend on lighting, coverage, camera stability, and object surface. Reflective, transparent, or moving subjects remain difficult for photogrammetry. ## **3\. Blender – Best for Post-Processing Generated Models** Blender is not a photo-to-3D generator, but it is valuable for post-processing. Users can import a generated mesh, edit geometry, improve topology, rework UVs, adjust textures, and prepare the model for a specific purpose. For example, a user creating a printable figurine can optimize the result in Blender before sending it to a slicer. ## **Taking Better Photos with a Xiaomi or Android Device** Input-image quality greatly affects the resulting 3D model. A fancy photographic set is not essential; just be sure to take good pictures. ### **1\. Use a Clean Background** Place the object against a simple background with minimal visual distractions. A plain surface makes it easier for AI systems to identify the subject and distinguish its outline. ### **2\. Use Even Lighting** Avoid hard shadows and strong reflections. Soft, even lighting helps both AI systems and photogrammetry software interpret surface detail. ### **3\. Capture Useful Angles** For a multi-view workflow, photograph the object from several angles. Capture the front, back, sides, top, and other important areas. Try to maintain a similar distance from the object throughout the sequence. ### **4\. Keep the Object Sharp** Hold your Xiaomi or Android phone steadily and make sure the object is in focus. Blurry photographs can remove important geometric and texture information. ### **5\. Minimize Reflections** Reflective and transparent surfaces can change appearance with the viewing angle and confuse reconstruction. Use soft lighting and reduce glare where possible. ## **Single Image vs. Multiple Views** A single photograph is the fastest approach and can work well for simple objects, concept generation, and assets where hidden geometry is not critical. However, a single image cannot show every side of an object. Multiple photographs provide additional visual information and can improve the reconstruction of complex objects. They are particularly useful when creating detailed products, collectibles, or objects that need more complete geometry. The best choice depends on your project. If speed matters most, start with one strong image. If accuracy matters more, capture several consistent views. ## **Texture Quality, Speed, and Export Formats** When comparing photo-to-3D AI tools, look beyond model generation alone. **Texture quality** is important for product visualization and game assets, while **processing speed** matters when generating many models. Browser access reduces the need for powerful local hardware. Free tiers may limit generations, credits, resolution, or export options, so review current terms before starting a large project. Formats such as GLB, OBJ, FBX, USDZ, and STL serve different workflows. GLB is widely used for web and real-time applications, USDZ supports AR on Apple platforms, and STL is common in 3D-printing pipelines. ## **A Simple Android-to-3D Workflow** The complete process can be surprisingly simple: **Capture → Upload → Generate → Inspect → Refine → Export** First take the photo with your Xiaomi or Android device. Upload the clearest image to **Meshy**, generate the 3D model, and inspect the result. If needed, refine the model in Blender before exporting to your application. A phone photograph can become the starting point for an e-commerce visualization, collectible, game prop, avatar, or printable model. ## **Final Thoughts** AI has made photo-to-3D generation much more accessible. A smartphone camera can provide the source material, while an AI platform handles much of the complicated reconstruction process. Among the tools compared here, [**Meshy**](https://www.meshy.ai/) **is an accessible, versatile option for image-to-3D generation. Its browser workflow can suit Android users who want to turn a photo into an editable digital asset, while Polycam is generally the better fit for accurate multi-view capture.** Whichever tool you choose, sharp, evenly lit photographs provide a stronger starting point for object models, game assets, collectibles, avatars, and printable designs. ### 7 Ways Anthropic’s New Claude Misuse Report Could Change Tech Careers URL: https://www.techloy.com/anthropic-ai-misuse-report-tech-career-lessons/ Last updated: 2026-09-11T10:40:04.000Z AI is becoming part of how people work, but Anthropic’s latest report shows that its usefulness is no longer limited to writing emails, generating code, or answering questions. In its September 2026 [report](https://www.anthropic.com/threat-intelligence-report-september-2026#influence-operations-sep-26), “Detecting and countering misuse of AI,” [Anthropic](https://www.techloy.com/tag/anthropic/) detailed several cases in which people used [Claude](https://www.techloy.com/tag/claude/) across cyber operations, influence campaigns, surveillance, scams, and other activities. The company says the cases represent some of the “most notable and novel threat activity” identified between December 2025 and August 2026, rather than typical examples of AI misuse. For people building careers in technology, the report offers a few lessons about how AI is changing the value of technical skills, and the type of work people may be expected to handle. Here are seven takeaways we sourced directly from the report. [Why Anthropic Researcher Jacob Coxon Quit, and Who AgreedCoxon’s warning comes as both OpenAI and Anthropic have faced incidents involving their AI systems gaining access to other organisations’ systems.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-bbd904a8-f64f-4ded-89cc-a01832f431e9.png)TechloyDavid Adubiina![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1579226905180-636b76d96082-110f3e94-260c-49e6-b501-51c5a58f607f.jpeg)](https://www.techloy.com/anthropic-researcher-quits-jacob-coxon-ai-safety/) ## /1\. The skill gap between amateurs and nation-states is closing, and that changes hiring Anthropic's central finding is that AI has narrowed the historical advantage that well-resourced state hacking teams held over individual operators. The report describes solo actors and small criminal crews running multi-victim campaigns that would previously have required entire teams' breaches completed in two to three hours, with dozens of victims managed in parallel by a single person. For talent, this means defensive teams can no longer assume a "sophisticated actor" profile before taking a threat seriously. Employers will increasingly value people who can reason about capability and intent separately from resourcing, because a lone operator with an AI agent can now behave like an advanced persistent threat (APT) group. ## /2\. Fluency in agentic, multi-agent systems is becoming a baseline skill The report is explicit that misuse went beyond simple chatbot Q&A. Several operations used multi-agent frameworks that executed reconnaissance, exploitation, and data exfiltration with a human setting targets and reviewing results rather than performing each step. One actor even built a workflow that automatically rebuilt and redeployed its toolkit whenever security products detected it. If attackers are orchestrating agents rather than typing prompts, defenders and builders alike need to understand agent orchestration, tool use, and autonomous workflows, not just prompt engineering, to stay relevant. ## /3\. Speed is the new differentiator, and it rewards automation-literate people Cases in the report describe breaches escalating from a single stolen developer token to full administrative control of a victim's cloud environment in roughly three hours. That kind of compression means incident response, detection engineering, and security operations roles will favor candidates who can build and operate automated detection and response pipelines, because manual, human-paced workflows simply can't keep up with AI-paced attacks anymore. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 4 Scholarships and Grants Still Open in September 2026 URL: https://www.techloy.com/scholarships-grants-september-2026/ Last updated: 2026-09-11T10:30:32.000Z Finding the right scholarship or grant can be difficult when opportunities are spread across different websites, countries, and application portals. Some cover tuition, while others provide research funding, startup investment, mentorship, or support for early-stage ideas. To make the search easier, we have rounded up four scholarships and grants with upcoming deadlines, covering opportunities for Nigerian students, African researchers, founders, engineers, and early-stage technology builders. ## /1\. [Askya AI Growth Platform](https://www.askyainvestment.com/ai-growth-platform) African AI founders with a working product and early commercial traction can apply to the inaugural Askya AI Growth Platform. The six-week programme is designed around helping AI startups move from early traction towards sustainable growth. Selected founders will receive coaching, workshops, access to AI and cloud infrastructure, partner tools and opportunities to connect with potential enterprise customers. The programme is free and takes no equity. Ten startups will be selected, and the strongest companies in the cohort may receive up to $200,000 in investment from Askya after the programme. The programme is open to Africa-focused AI startups from MVP through Series A, provided they have a live product and commercial traction. - Programme: Six-week, zero-equity AI growth programme with potential investment of up to $200,000 - Deadline: September 30, 2026 _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Week 37: Latin America Startup Funding Led by Kapital URL: https://www.techloy.com/latin-america-startup-funding-week-37-2026/ Last updated: 2026-09-11T09:30:23.000Z Startups across Latin America raised a combined **$140 million** this week, based on disclosed funding rounds, with investor capital flowing primarily into AI and fintech companies. Funding also reached startups building legal AI, mining technology, and digital wealth management tools across the region. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/LatAm---s-Biggest-Startup-Funding-Rounds-in-Week-37-2026.png) ## The Week's Largest Startup Funding Rounds Here are the biggest disclosed startup funding rounds across Latin America this week. ### /1\. Kapital, $125M, Fintech, Mexico Kapital is an AI-powered financial institution that provides financial services and business tools to companies across Latin America and other markets. Its platform combines financial products with AI and data analytics to serve businesses. The company secured $125 million in new financing from Tru Arrow Partners and Fasanara Capital, with participation from Cervin Ventures, Niya Partners, and Overlook Capital. The funding will support product development and expansion across Mexico, the United States, and other markets. ### /2\. Magnar, $8M, Legaltech, Chile Magnar is an AI platform for lawyers that combines legal research, analysis of large amounts of information, and document drafting and review in one system. The company says its platform is used by around 30,000 users and 350 law firms. The company raised $8 million in a Series A round led by 6 Degrees Capital and Hi Ventures. The funding will support product development, team expansion, deeper growth in existing markets, and entry into Brazil and Mexico. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Week 37: Asia Top Startup Funding Rounds Led by Pixxel URL: https://www.techloy.com/asia-startup-funding-week-37-2026/ Last updated: 2026-09-11T09:30:18.000Z Asia’s startup funding remained active this week, with **$218.3 million** flowing into companies across space technology, quick commerce, quantum cybersecurity, AI, logistics, and climate technology. India accounted for most of the largest rounds, while startups in Vietnam and Singapore also attracted fresh capital. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/Asia-Biggest-Startup-Funding-Rounds-in-Week-37-2026.png) ## The Week’s Biggest Startup Funding Rounds Here are the most notable startup funding announcements across Asia, ranked from highest to lowest. ### /1\. Pixxel, $100 Million, SpaceTech, India Indian space-tech startup Pixxel raised $100 million in Series C funding led by Temasek and Seraphim. New investors 360 ONE Asset and IMM Investment joined existing backers including Radical Ventures and growX Ventures. The round takes Pixxel’s total funding to $195 million and is the largest funding round raised by an Indian space-tech company so far. The company, which began with hyperspectral satellites for Earth observation, has expanded into Earth intelligence software and satellite systems for commercial and government missions. ### /2\. HerSpace Manufacturing, $40 Million, Worker Accommodation, India Bengaluru-based HerSpace Manufacturing secured $40 million from existing investor Gray Matters Capital, which previously invested $10 million in 2025\. The latest investment will be provided over 30 months through debt, equity, and quasi-equity. HerSpace plans to expand across Greater Bengaluru, Hosur, Chennai and Andhra Pradesh as it grows its accommodation business for industrial workers. ### /3\. Swish, $24 Million, Quick Commerce, India Bengaluru-based quick food delivery startup Swish is raising approximately $24 million in an extended Series B round led by Bertelsmann India Investments. The company plans to use the funding to expand its rapid food delivery operations as investor interest in quick-commerce models continues across India. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Week 37: Top Startup Funding in Africa and Middle East Led Led by Wint URL: https://www.techloy.com/africa-middle-east-startup-funding-week-37-2026/ Last updated: 2026-09-11T09:30:13.000Z Startups across Africa and the Middle East raised a combined **$141.3 million** this week, based on disclosed funding rounds tracked by Techloy, with investor capital flowing primarily into AI and electric mobility. Four larger growth-stage deals, led by Israeli water-intelligence company Wint, accounted for more than 80% of the week's funding activity. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/Week-37-2026-Biggest-Startup-Funding-Rounds-in-Africa---the-Middle-East.png) ## The Week's Largest Startup Funding Rounds Here are the biggest disclosed startup funding rounds across Africa, the Middle East and Israel this week. ### /1\. Wint, $36M, AI Water Management, Israel Wint is an Israeli-founded water intelligence company whose AI platform monitors pipes and water systems inside commercial and industrial buildings, flagging leaks and shutting off flow before they cause damage. The Series D was co-led by LIP Ventures and Inven Capital and follows a $35 million Series C in 2023, with the new money going toward product development and expansion into more global markets. ### /2\. ARC Ride, $33.3M, Electric Mobility, Kenya ARC Ride runs a battery-swapping network for electric motorcycles in Kenya, letting commercial riders trade a depleted battery for a charged one instead of owning or charging their own. The round combined equity and debt, led by Novastar Ventures and Norrsken22 with 3 other development finance institutions, will fund 5,000 new electric motorcycles plus expansion into Ghana, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda. ### /3\. Cymphony, $25M, AI Cybersecurity, Israel Cymphony builds a security platform that maps every employee, AI agent, and machine account inside a company's systems, so security teams can see what each one can reach before it becomes a breach. The Series A was co-led by Sequoia Capital and SMBC Fin Atlas Beyond Fund, valuing the New York- and Tel Aviv-based company above $100 million and bringing its total funding to $30 million. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Wardogs Tops the Steam Charts as PS5 and Xbox Release Window Is Revealed URL: https://www.techloy.com/wardogs-steam-charts-player-count/ Last updated: 2026-09-11T09:11:11.000Z Wardogs is finally coming to consoles. After attracting plenty of attention during its beta and playtests on PC, Bulkhead has [confirmed](https://www.polygon.com/wardogs-console-ps5-xbox-series-x-release-date/), per a Polygon report, that the multiplayer first-person shooter will launch on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S in 2028. There's still a fairly long wait ahead, especially considering Wardogs has only just entered Steam Early Access. But for players who have been watching the game from the sidelines, we finally have a window to work with. You can already wishlist Wardogs on both consoles, although Bulkhead hasn't announced a specific release date within 2028. [PS Plus September 2026 Games: Full List and Release DatesWWE 2K26 is only one of 10 new games joining PS Plus this month, but one bizarre addition is already available before the rest.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-f6852998-3297-475e-88d3-ad7cec58f98a.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1638431755905-631694da8921-889c165e-cdfb-44a2-9765-df399c605c39)](https://www.techloy.com/ps-plus-september-2026-games/) ## Wardogs Player Count Has Surged on Steam The console announcement also comes as Wardogs launches into Steam Early Access following several popular beta and closed-playtest periods. Those tests attracted a surprisingly large audience. According to[ SteamDB's player statistics](https://steamdb.info/app/4809930/charts/), Wardogs reached a peak of 337,157 concurrent players during its Early Access launch, up from 245,118 during its beta. That's a substantial audience for a new FPS, particularly one built around a more old-school approach to multiplayer. Bulkhead's pitch for the game is summed up by its "play like you used to" tagline, with the studio aiming for the kind of multiplayer experience where players actually interact with each other rather than simply jumping between matches. ## Wardogs Is Inspired by Classic Multiplayer FPS Games Bulkhead says Wardogs is designed around an era when multiplayer shooters were more social, unpredictable, and difficult to put down. The studio isn't trying to hide the game's influences, either. The launch trailer deliberately takes inspiration from Halo 3's famous "Believe" trailer, using a similar cinematic approach to introduce the game. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### E-Invoicing Mandates: What Businesses Need to Prepare For URL: https://www.techloy.com/e-invoicing-mandates-what-businesses-need-to-prepare-for/ Last updated: 2026-09-10T16:05:20.000Z Mandatory e-invoicing is no longer a distant regulatory trend it is arriving in waves, with concrete deadlines now set across Europe, Latin America and Asia. For finance and tax teams, understanding where each market stands, what technical infrastructure is required, and how much runway remains is quickly becoming a board-level priority. ## Where the Mandates Stand Today Europe is moving fastest. Belgium requires B2B e-invoicing via the Peppol network from January 2026, while Denmark and Croatia follow the same month. Poland phases in its mandatory FA(3) schema starting February 2026 for larger taxpayers, extending to all businesses by April. Greece follows a similar staggered approach through 2026, and France begins its own rollout in September 2026, requiring all companies to receive structured invoices while larger businesses must also issue them. Germany, already requiring B2B invoice receipt since 2025, extends issuing obligations through 2027 and 2028\. Spain's mandate is expected to phase in from 2026-2027 once technical regulations are finalized. Latin America remains the most mature region, with Mexico, Brazil and Colombia all operating clearance models where invoices must be validated by the tax authority, SAT, and DIAN respectively, before reaching the buyer. Businesses trading in these markets have long had to build real-time validation into their invoicing flows. Asia-Pacific and the Middle East are catching up quickly. India requires real-time reporting and an Invoice Registration Number for businesses above a revenue threshold. Malaysia's MyInvois system is tightening enforcement through January 2026 for mid-sized companies. Saudi Arabia's ZATCA-run FATOORA system continues its phased rollout, and Singapore is expanding Peppol-based InvoiceNow beyond government suppliers. ## The Technical Requirements Behind the Mandates Despite regional variation, most regimes converge on a few core requirements: structured, machine-readable formats (UBL, CII, FatturaPA, CFDI, or country-specific XML schemas); either a clearance model, where invoices are validated before delivery, or a decentralized model relying on networks like Peppol; and integration between ERP, accounts payable and accounts receivable systems to generate compliant data automatically rather than manually. ## Building a Realistic Preparation Timeline Given how tightly these deadlines are clustering in 2026 and 2027, businesses operating across multiple jurisdictions should start now. A practical timeline includes: mapping every country and entity subject to a mandate, auditing current invoicing and ERP data quality, selecting a compliant [e-invoicing solution](https://www.sidetrade.com/core-platform/o2c-apps/order-and-e-invoicing/) capable of handling multiple formats and connection models, and running a pilot well ahead of the earliest deadline to catch integration issues before they become compliance failures. Multi-country compliance rarely succeeds as a series of local fixes. Businesses that treat this as a strategic infrastructure decision, rather than a last-minute scramble, will be far better positioned as each new mandate takes effect. ### The Shards Finale Puts Susan and the Rest of the Cast Under Suspicion URL: https://www.techloy.com/the-shards-ending-explained-finale/ Last updated: 2026-09-10T15:45:21.000Z FX’s The Shards has reached the end of its first season, but instead of answering its biggest question, the finale has made almost everyone look guilty. Episode 9, “Stairway to Heaven”, released on September 9, 2026, on FX and [Hulu](https://www.techloy.com/tag/hulu/), ends with police bringing Bret, Susan, Robert, and several other characters together as suspects in the Trawler murders. The series, created by Ryan Murphy and based on Bret Easton Ellis’ novel, is set in 1981 Los Angeles and follows a group of wealthy teenagers whose lives become tangled with a serial killer. The finale also introduces another mystery when Terry Schaffer is pushed from a balcony at a Halloween party. No one knows who attacked him, leaving viewers with two major questions instead of one: who is the Trawler, and who tried to kill Terry? [Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Season 5: When & Where to WatchThe Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Season 5 returns with new conflicts, Taylor’s return and major changes within the #MomTok group.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-ab58a0e8-cbcd-42ab-87cf-06043eef2c9d.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1608170825938-a8ea0305d46c-8506219d-fd4f-4c50-bf5a-746e38b73220.jpeg)](https://www.techloy.com/secret-lives-of-mormon-wives-season-5-release-date/) ## Susan Is Now Part of The Mystery Susan Reynolds, played by [Kaia Gerber](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/the-shards-finale-killer-theories-kaia-gerber-interview-1236695954/), spends much of the season caught between her friendships, her relationship with Thom, and her growing connection with Robert Mallory. The finale makes her situation more dangerous when she is attacked by the Trawler inside her own home. Susan escapes and later arrives at the Halloween party, where the danger follows the group. Her inclusion among the suspects is significant because the show has largely presented her as someone caught in the middle rather than as a likely killer. Gerber has also admitted that she does not know who the Trawler is. Speaking about the finale, she said she has her own suspicion, but described it as “not an obvious one”. ## Terry's Fall Creates Another Mystery The new development comes at the Halloween party when Terry Schaffer is pushed from the second-floor balcony. The episode begins by showing Terry's fall before returning to the events leading up to it. By the end, viewers still don't know who pushed him. Terry's enemies include several people around him, giving the writers another mystery that can carry into a potential second season. Executive producer Brad Simpson [explained](https://www.vulture.com/article/the-shards-recap-episode-9-fx-hulu.html) that Terry's fall is a deliberate change in how the television adaptation uses the material from Ellis' novel. In the book, the incident becomes part of the story that follows. The series instead uses it as its season-ending mystery. This explains why the finale looks less like an ending and more like a reset of the investigation. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Xbox Will Publish Hideo Kojima’s PHYSINT After PlayStation Exit URL: https://www.techloy.com/hideo-kojima-physint-xbox-playstation/ Last updated: 2026-09-10T15:00:50.000Z Hideo Kojima's relationship with [Xbox](https://www.techloy.com/tag/microsoft-xbox/) just got considerably more interesting. Kojima Productions has [announced](https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2026/09/09/xbox-and-kojima-productions-expand-partnership-to-publish-physint/) that it's expanding its partnership with Xbox to work on PHYSINT, the studio's upcoming action-espionage game. The project was already known to be in development, but this announcement confirms that Xbox will now play a publishing role alongside Kojima Productions. The move comes after [PlayStation Studios](https://www.techloy.com/tag/sony-playstation/) stepped away from its collaboration with Kojima Productions on PHYSINT. Kojima said the studio was unexpectedly notified in mid-June that PlayStation would cancel the project, prompting Kojima Productions to spend the following three months looking for a new partner. That makes PHYSINT the second major Kojima Productions project tied directly to Xbox, following OD, the mysterious horror game being developed in collaboration with Xbox. [Gabe Newell Emailed Elon Musk About Hideo Kojima SpaceX Tour Court Documents ShowCourt filings from the ongoing Musk v. Altman trial show the Valve founder tried to connect the Metal Gear creator with SpaceX in 2018 but the tour never happened![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-8ba4b988-8222-420c-a372-d9ab26192213.png)TechloyDamilare Odedina![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/gabe.jpg.461610741-cc4216cc-6d71-4568-b249-675f73d9b82e.png)](https://www.techloy.com/gabe-newell-emailed-elon-musk-about-hideo-kojima-spacex-tour-court-documents-show/) Asha Sharma, CEO of Xbox, said the company is honoured that Kojima Productions chose to work with Xbox on PHYSINT, while also pointing to Kojima's willingness to experiment with established game conventions. “We’re honored that Kojima-san has chosen Xbox to work with KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS on PHYSINT”, Sharma said. Kojima described the announcement as an expansion of the relationship that began with OD. “This expands our relationship with Xbox beyond OD,” Sharma added. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### GTA 6 DualSense Controller Preorders Are Live in the UK: Here’s Where to Buy URL: https://www.techloy.com/gta-6-dualsense-controller-preorders-uk/ Last updated: 2026-09-10T14:51:02.000Z The [GTA 6](https://www.techloy.com/tag/gta-6/) DualSense controllers are officially up for preorder in the UK, giving fans another way to celebrate Rockstar's upcoming open-world blockbuster. Sony and Rockstar previously revealed two special-edition controllers for the game, and both are now available to preorder. One comes in White, while the other is Black, with both featuring the same GTA 6-inspired design. The touchpad has the VI logo engraved into it, while palm-tree detailing wraps around the controller grips. Both cost £74.99, but there's an important difference between the two: the Black Edition is exclusive to PlayStation Direct, while the White Edition is available from several major UK retailers. [Gears of War Controller: E-Day Price & Release DateXbox turned Emergence Day’s nightmare into a $89.99 controller, complete with cracked earth, glowing crimson cracks, and a hidden Crimson Omen.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-3a3e63fa-13f1-476b-bcae-de98a2ec841d.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1600861194942-f883de0dfe96-2548e995-a701-4f4e-82ba-75487c2ff240)](https://www.techloy.com/gears-of-war-controller-e-day-price-release-date/) ## GTA 6 DualSense White Edition Preorders The White GTA 6 DualSense is currently available from several UK retailers for £74.99. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/image-30.png) **Image: PlayStation Direct* - [Argos — £74.99](https://cc.ign.com/v1/otc/00JorfQBv9FwbdR9a5gAP7P?short%5Furl=0732NFPMb3WMnmMQco5n2AJ&merchant=03WoDfdms7KSsLAjhzRnPOq&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.argos.co.uk%2Fproduct%2F9706934%3FclickSR%3Dslp%3Aterm%3Agrand%2520theft%2520auto%25206%3A3%3A3%3A1&object%5Fuuid=ab75e13e-1f39-43c6-a22f-504ba4fcdd69&t=article) - [Smyths — £74.99](https://smythstoys.avln.me/c/TNwCHvgDxMZT) - [Currys — £74.99](https://zdcs.link/9yWY8P?object%5Fuuid=ab75e13e-1f39-43c6-a22f-504ba4fcdd69&t=article) - [Very — £74.99](https://zdcs.link/QbJXDJ?object%5Fuuid=ab75e13e-1f39-43c6-a22f-504ba4fcdd69&t=article) - [PS Direct — £74.99](https://zdcs.link/zj3Xvy?object%5Fuuid=ab75e13e-1f39-43c6-a22f-504ba4fcdd69&t=article) - [Amazon — Not live yet](https://zdcs.link/QKw4Xj?object%5Fuuid=ab75e13e-1f39-43c6-a22f-504ba4fcdd69&t=article) Amazon hasn't started taking orders yet, but the other major retailers are already offering the White Edition. If you're simply looking to secure one before release, there's little reason to wait for Amazon when several other retailers already have stock available to preorder. ## GTA 6 DualSense Black Edition Preorders The Black Edition is a little harder to get. It's exclusive to [PlayStation Direct](https://direct.playstation.com/en-gb/buy-accessories/dualsense-wireless-controller-grand-theft-auto-vi-black-limited-edition-for-ps5-pc-mac-mobile?srsltid=AfmBOoqnmUcDgsXiNwLsspK%5FCK4vRGSF-VWgROxPs5q9KBeNdxnAgln2), and demand has already resulted in a substantial queue for customers trying to place their orders. If you're stuck in the queue, there's currently a quicker way to get the controller into your basket: head to the GTA 6 DualSense listing on PS Direct and use the "Add to Cart" button rather than selecting the controller itself. This should add it to your basket, after which you can log in and continue to checkout. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### iPhone Duo vs Xiaomi 18 Fold URL: https://www.techloy.com/iphone-duo-vs-xiaomi-18-fold/ Last updated: 2026-09-10T14:49:57.000Z After years of rumors and speculation, [Apple](https://www.techloy.com/tag/apple/) has finally released the long-awaited Apple foldable, officially called "iPhone Duo." The [iPhone](https://www.techloy.com/tag/apple-iphone/) Duo starts at $1,999 with a 7.6-inch inner display, Apple's new 2nm A20 Pro chip, a titanium hinge, IP68 water resistance, and software redesigned specifically for a dual-screen iPhone. Xiaomi's 18 Fold counters with a 7.58-inch AMOLED display, a 200MP Leica camera, a 6,000mAh battery, 67W wired charging, and a starting price of around $1,639. On paper, [Xiaomi](https://www.techloy.com/tag/xiaomi/) wins several hardware battles. Apple wins some of the experience battles. But which matters more once you start unfolding the phone dozens of times a day? Here's how they compare. [Everything Apple Announced: iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro & MoreApple’s first foldable, the $1,999 iPhone Duo, led John Ternus’s first September event as CEO, and the regular iPhone 18 never showed up.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-802fcecc-d393-4296-ab54-abebae6bf248.png)TechloyOgbonda Chivumnovu![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1761668773454-b7148726cae2-41478047-6b6e-42ac-b59f-4a98d011b401)](https://www.techloy.com/everything-apple-announced-september-event/) ## /1\. Design: Xiaomi is lighter, Apple feels more premium Foldables have always had a weight problem, and this is one area where Xiaomi has a clear advantage. The Xiaomi 18 Fold weighs 219g, compared with 254g for the iPhone Duo. Both are also remarkably thin when unfolded, with Xiaomi measuring 5.02mm and Apple 5.2mm. Apple uses Grade 5 titanium for the frame and hinge cover, while Xiaomi uses 7-series aluminum. Apple's hinge contains more than 100 components and uses a 3D-printed titanium cover. Xiaomi takes a different route with its three-link Dragon Bone hinge, which the company says underwent thousands of simulated drop tests and design changes. For someone carrying a foldable around all day, that 35g difference is more significant than it looks on paper. 💡 ****Winner:** Xiaomi 18 Fold. ## /2\. Display: Apple focuses on the viewing experience Both phones give you roughly the same amount of screen when unfolded, but they approach the display differently. The Duo has a 7.6-inch OLED panel with a higher pixel density, ProMotion up to 120Hz, and Apple's nano-texture finish. That matte surface is designed to reduce reflections and gives the inner display a more paper-like appearance. Xiaomi's 18 Fold has a slightly smaller 7.58-inch LTPO AMOLED display, but it can reach a claimed 4,000 nits of peak brightness. The outer and inner screens can also refresh between 1Hz and 120Hz. Apple has the sharper display and a more unusual approach to glare. Xiaomi has the brighter panel. 💡 ****Winner:** Draw. ## /3\. Software is Apple's strongest argument This is where the two phones start to feel very different. Xiaomi's HyperOS 4 takes a power-user approach. The 18 Fold can display up to six apps on its large screen, alongside a floating window. Xiaomi has also adapted more than 200 apps for its wide foldable display and added PC-style applications such as WPS and CapCut. Apple has fewer multitasking options, but the entire operating system has been adapted around the foldable form factor. [iOS 27](https://www.techloy.com/iphone-18-ios-27-beta-5-leak-six-unreleased-iphones/) moves navigation controls towards the side of the display, rotates the Dynamic Island when the phone is opened, and changes how the Home Screen works across the two panels. Apps are designed to react when the phone unfolds, rotates, or closes. Split View allows two apps, or two windows from the same app, to run side by side. You can also save app pairs and reopen them together. On paper, Xiaomi gives you more freedom. Apple's approach feels more deliberate. That's important on a device you're likely to open and close constantly. The best foldable software isn't necessarily the one with the most windows. It's the one that makes the extra screen feel useful without making you think about how the interface works. 💡 ****Winner:** iPhone Duo. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### How Can Reputation Management Software Help Businesses Protect Customer Trust? URL: https://www.techloy.com/how-can-reputation-management-software-help-businesses-protect-customer-trust/ Last updated: 2026-09-10T14:04:50.000Z Customer trust depends partly on whether people believe the information they find about a business is genuine, relevant, and representative of real customer experiences. [Reputation management software](https://www.alchemer.com/platform/reputation-management/) can help businesses protect that trust by organizing customer feedback, identifying recurring concerns, coordinating responses, and turning reputation signals into opportunities for improvement. Online reviews can influence how people evaluate a business before making a purchase. [Research](https://www.sciencedirect.com/org/science/article/pii/S1546223425000395?) published in 2025 examined how the credibility of online reviews relates to consumer trust, risk perception, and purchase intention. That makes reputation management about more than tracking star ratings. Businesses need to understand what customers are saying, determine which issues require attention, respond appropriately, and identify problems that may be affecting the wider customer experience. ## **Why Does Customer Feedback Matter for Customer Trust?** Customer feedback gives prospective buyers information they cannot get from a product page or company description alone. Reviews can reveal how customers experienced a product, service, support interaction, or purchase process. The overall rating is only one part of that information. Written comments can explain why customers were satisfied, where they experienced problems, and which aspects of an experience may need attention. Teams can look for: - Recurring customer complaints. - Common themes in written reviews. - Product or service concerns. - Differences between locations or business units. - Changes in the volume or tone of feedback. - Issues that remain unresolved after previous responses. Looking at these signals together gives businesses a more useful view of their reputation. It also helps distinguish between an isolated complaint and a recurring issue that may require a broader response. ## **How Can Reputation Management Software Help Businesses Detect Problems Earlier?** Reputation management software can make relevant feedback easier to monitor and organize, particularly when businesses receive feedback across multiple sources. Depending on the platform and its integrations, teams may be able to centralize feedback, set alerts, identify recurring themes, and route issues to the appropriate teams. Common capabilities can include: - **Centralized monitoring:** Bringing supported reputation and review information into a structured workflow. - **Alerts:** Flagging new activity that may require attention. - **Feedback analysis:** Helping teams identify recurring topics or changes in customer sentiment. - **Segmentation:** Allowing teams to examine feedback by location, product, service, or other available attributes. - **Issue routing:** Directing relevant feedback to teams responsible for investigating or resolving it. Detection is only the first step. Teams still need to assess the context, determine what happened, and decide whether the feedback points to an isolated complaint or a broader issue. A single negative review may describe one customer's experience. Several similar comments, however, can point to a recurring problem that deserves further investigation. That makes better monitoring useful for more than just finding negative comments. It gives teams a clearer basis for deciding which feedback requires action. ## **How Can Consistent Responses Support Customer Trust?** A public response can become part of the information prospective customers see when evaluating a business. A thoughtful response can communicate that the business has acknowledged a concern and is prepared to address it. Reputation management workflows can help teams organize responses by assigning issues, tracking unresolved feedback, and maintaining appropriate response standards. However, consistency should not mean giving every customer the same scripted answer. A practical response process can include: 1. **Acknowledge the concern** without becoming defensive. 2. **Understand the issue** before deciding what action is appropriate. 3. **Provide a relevant next step** when the business can address the problem. 4. **Follow up when necessary** to continue the resolution process. Speed can be useful, but a fast response is not automatically a good response. An inaccurate, dismissive, or inappropriate response can create another negative impression. Automated workflows should therefore support human judgment, especially when complaints involve sensitive situations, complex service failures, or issues that require additional investigation. ## **How Can Reputation Insights Help Prevent Repeat Problems?** Monitoring feedback becomes more valuable when businesses use it to identify patterns rather than treating every review as an isolated incident. A structured reputation process can help teams group similar feedback and investigate whether a recurring operational issue exists. Teams can examine: - Repeated complaints about the same issue. - Changes in feedback patterns over time. - Differences between locations or teams. - Product or service problems. - Feedback that continues after an attempted improvement. This creates a practical cycle: **Feedback → pattern → investigation → improvement → continued monitoring** This is where reputation management becomes more valuable to the wider business. Instead of treating reviews as something to monitor after a customer experience has occurred, teams can use recurring feedback to identify where the experience itself may need attention. The result is a shift from simply responding to reputation problems toward learning from the experiences that create them. ## **How Can Businesses Protect Reputation Without Compromising Trust?** Protecting a reputation should not mean controlling which opinions customers are allowed to express. A credible reputation depends on genuine customer experiences and responsible responses. Businesses can therefore use reputation management technology to support responsible practices such as: - **Requesting genuine feedback** from customers with experience of the product or service. - **Avoiding sentiment-based incentives** that encourage customers to leave positive reviews. - **Responding to legitimate criticism** rather than attempting to manipulate customer opinion. - **Protecting customer information** when collecting and managing feedback. - **Reviewing automated responses** before using them for sensitive complaints. - **Investigating recurring problems** instead of repeatedly addressing the same symptom. The technology should therefore make reputation management more organized without removing the human judgment needed to handle customer concerns responsibly. ## **Closing Thoughts** Reputation management software is most useful when it helps businesses understand and respond to customer experiences, rather than simply track ratings. Monitoring helps teams identify reputation signals. Analysis helps reveal meaningful patterns. Thoughtful responses address customer concerns. Improvements address the underlying problems that may be generating repeated feedback. Software can organize the feedback, but the business still has to act on it. When recurring concerns lead to better responses and real improvements, reputation management becomes part of the customer experience itself. ### No Man’s Sky Cosmos Update Lets Players Own a Space Station URL: https://www.techloy.com/no-mans-sky-cosmos-update-space-station/ Last updated: 2026-09-10T13:02:37.000Z No Man’s Sky has spent the past decade getting bigger and more ambitious, and Hello Games is celebrating its 10th anniversary by finally giving one of the game's most important areas a major refresh. The No Man’s Sky: Cosmos update is now available on [PS5](https://www.techloy.com/tag/playstation-5/), and it's free for existing players. This time, the focus isn't another new planet or creature. Cosmos completely reworks the space between those planets, giving players far more to discover and do while they're travelling through the universe. [PS Plus September 2026 Games: Full List and Release DatesWWE 2K26 is only one of 10 new games joining PS Plus this month, but one bizarre addition is already available before the rest.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-7f3ceffd-bfb9-498c-89d9-ffe91a5712fe.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1638431755905-631694da8921-465bf673-b2d6-445d-ac5f-df7844bfd7f3)](https://www.techloy.com/ps-plus-september-2026-games/) ## No Man’s Sky Cosmos Adds Asteroid Belts and New Space Activities One of the first things players will notice is that solar systems now have a lot more going on. Cosmos adds asteroid belts, space hulks, outposts, anomalies and new missions, while a new solar system map helps players find and keep track of the different points of interest. Asteroid belts also contain valuable crystal resources, and some of the larger asteroids are big enough to land on and use as building locations. That makes travelling through a system feel less like a quick stop on the way to your next planet and more like an opportunity to explore. ## Space Hulks Bring Risky Salvage Missions The new space hulks are enormous wrecks that players can explore for valuable materials. You'll be able to use a physics-based gravity gun to pull pieces of metal from the wreckage before moving them to your ship with a new tractor beam. You can't simply strip a hulk indefinitely, though. Take too much, and the structure can begin to melt down and explode, forcing you to decide whether another haul is worth the risk. Scanning the wreck before you start salvaging should help you identify the most valuable targets. ## You Can Build Bases Anywhere in Space Cosmos also expands No Man’s Sky's building system beyond planets and asteroids. Players can now construct free-floating modular bases in space, opening up some interesting possibilities for creative builders. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### How Buying Instagram Followers Changed in 2026 — and What to Check Before You Pay URL: https://www.techloy.com/how-buying-instagram-followers-changed-in-2026-and-what-to-check-before-you-pay/ Last updated: 2026-09-10T13:38:06.000Z Despite years of platform crackdowns, paying for followers is still a common growth shortcut for creators, small brands, and the agencies that manage them. What has changed is how the services behind it work. The "buy 10,000 overnight" model that defined the last decade has largely been retired, replaced by slower delivery, retention guarantees and ordinary card checkout. For anyone weighing it up, the useful question in 2026 is no longer whether it works. It is which providers are actually built around the way Instagram polices accounts now — and which are still selling the version that gets accounts flagged. **Why the old model stopped working** The follower-selling industry spent most of the 2010s optimising for a single number: how fast a large batch could be dumped onto an account. That approach collided with three things. The first was Instagram's move to periodic bot sweeps. When the platform removes inactive or automated accounts in bulk, anything bought cheaply tends to go with it, often within days of purchase. Buyers were left paying again to top up, or simply watching the count fall. The second was the sudden-spike problem. An account that adds tens of thousands of followers in an hour, with no corresponding jump in reach or engagement, produces exactly the pattern automated review systems are tuned to notice. The purchase itself became the risk. The third was credential exposure. A large share of older services asked for the account password, ostensibly to "deliver faster." That handed a stranger full control of the account and, frequently, led to it being used to resell services to the buyer's own followers. **What the current generation does differently** The providers that survived the cleanup share a fairly consistent set of design choices. Gradual delivery. Instead of an instant dump, followers arrive over a period of hours or days, in a pattern meant to look closer to organic growth. Some services let the buyer set the pace. Retention windows and refills. Reputable operators now publish a retention figure — the share of delivered followers still in place after a set period, commonly 90 days — and back it with a refill policy. The better policies have no expiry date, so drops are replaced whenever they happen rather than within a narrow warranty window. No password, no codes. Delivery is handled through Instagram's public-facing surface: the buyer provides a username and nothing else. Any service still asking for a login or a two-factor code in 2026 is a service to walk away from. Card payments. Checkout has moved from crypto-only and manual transfers to Stripe, Apple Pay and standard card processing. That does not make the practice sanctioned, but a provider running payments through a mainstream processor has at least accepted a layer of accountability and chargeback exposure. Anonymous checkout. Most now complete an order without an account or a marketing sign-up, which limits how much buyer data sits on the provider's servers. **Five things to check before paying** If you are going to do this, the provider's mechanics matter more than the sticker price or the size of the package. 1. Retention and refill terms. Look for a stated retention percentage and a refill guarantee with no expiry. "Guaranteed" with no number attached is marketing, not a policy. 2. Delivery pacing. Instant delivery is a red flag, not a feature. Gradual or adjustable delivery is the baseline you should expect. 3. What they ask for. A username should be the only requirement. A request for a password, an email login or a 2FA code ends the conversation. 4. Payment method. Card and mainstream processors imply some recourse if the order fails. Crypto-only or "message us for payment details" does not. 5. Followers only, or engagement too. An account with a high follower count and almost no likes, views or comments reads as bought at a glance. Services that also offer likes and views let you keep the ratios plausible. **Where services like SocFlare fit** As an illustration of the current approach rather than an endorsement, [SocFlare](https://socflare.com/) is one of the providers built around the checklist above: delivery is gradual, the site quotes roughly 95% retention at 90 days, refills are open-ended, checkout runs through Stripe and Apple Pay, and no password is required at any point. Its [Instagram followers packages](https://socflare.com/instagram-followers) start small enough to run a test order before committing to a larger one, which is the sensible way to evaluate any service in this category. The wider point is that the market now competes on retention and safety rather than raw speed. That is a lower bar than "legitimate," but it is a meaningfully different product from what was on sale five years ago. **Delivery models, and why pacing is the tell** If there is one variable that separates a provider that has adapted from one that has not, it is how the followers actually land. The oldest model is the single batch: the full order is delivered in one pass, usually within minutes. It is the cheapest to operate and the easiest to detect, because nothing about it resembles how an account grows on its own. The drip model spreads the same order across a set window — a few hundred a day over a week, for instance — so the growth curve has a slope rather than a cliff. This is now the default among providers that offer any kind of retention guarantee, for the simple reason that gradual additions are far more likely to survive a bot sweep. The most flexible services expose the pace as a setting, letting the buyer stretch a large order over weeks or match it to a posting schedule so the follower gains sit alongside real content activity. That is more work to run, and providers that offer it tend to charge for it, but it is the closest the category gets to something that does not immediately read as purchased. When comparing options, treat "instant delivery" as a downgrade. The providers confident in their retention numbers are the ones deliberately slowing delivery down. **The same shift on TikTok** The pattern is not specific to Instagram. TikTok's own cleanup cycles have pushed the services that sell follows, likes and video views toward the same set of practices: gradual delivery, refill coverage, username-only fulfilment and card checkout. Most of the established providers now run both sides from one dashboard, SocFlare among them, which is why an evaluation of one platform's offering usually tells you what to expect on the other. **What buying followers will not do** It is worth being clear about the ceiling. A higher follower count does not trigger an algorithmic boost on its own. Instagram's ranking systems weigh engagement relative to audience size, so a large bought audience that does not interact with posts can actually pull an account's engagement rate down, which is the metric brands and sponsors look at first. The realistic use is social proof at the top of the funnel: a new or repositioned account that looks established enough for real users to follow without hesitation. As a substitute for content that people want to watch and share, it does not work, and the numbers make that obvious over time. **The bottom line** Buying followers still runs against Instagram's terms of service, and that risk sits with the account holder regardless of which provider is used. Anyone treating it as a no-consequences shortcut has misread the platform. For those who go ahead anyway — and plenty of creators and small brands still do — the 2026 version of the decision is mostly about diligence. Gradual delivery, a real retention figure, open-ended refills, card payment, and a no-password process are the markers of a provider that has adapted to how the platform works. The ones still promising an instant five-figure jump are selling the problem, not the solution. **Frequently asked questions** 1\. **Is it safe to buy Instagram followers in 2026?** Safer than the era of instant delivery and password forms, but it still breaks Instagram's terms of service and the risk stays with the account holder. The lower-risk providers use paced delivery, real active accounts, username-only fulfilment and a published refill policy. 2\. **What do Instagram followers cost?** It depends on the provider and the size of the order. On the retention-focused services it runs from a few dollars for 100 followers to somewhere around $30 to $100 for 10,000\. Prices far below that usually buy accounts that do not last past the next sweep. 3\. **Do bought followers disappear?** A little attrition is normal on any provider, which is why the retention figure and the refill policy matter more than the day-one count. SocFlare quotes roughly 95% retention at 90 days and replaces any drop with no time limit. 4\. **How do you tell good followers from cheap ones?** Check a sample. Real accounts have a photo, some posts, followers of their own and activity that predates your order. Cheap ones are blank, were created in the same window and tend to vanish together. A provider confident in its accounts will not mind you looking at a handful. 5\. **Will a provider need my password?** No. A legitimate one needs a public username. A request for a password or a 2FA code is the signal to stop. ### PS Plus September 2026: All 10 Games Coming to the Game Catalog URL: https://www.techloy.com/ps-plus-september-2026-games/ Last updated: 2026-09-10T12:00:34.000Z Sony has [revealed](https://blog.playstation.com/2026/09/09/playstation-plus-game-catalog-for-september-runescape-dragonwilds-wwe-2k26-ball-x-pit-date-everything-and-more/) the latest PlayStation Plus Game Catalog lineup, and there is a decent amount to dig into this month. From the survival RPG RuneScape: Dragonwilds and the wrestling spectacle of WWE 2K26 to the wonderfully strange Date Everything! and the chaotic roguelite Ball x Pit, there is a surprisingly broad mix of games arriving for PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium subscribers. And that's before getting to the horror-heavy additions. Slitterhead, Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, Dungeons of Hinterberg, and Sniper Elite: Resistance are also joining the Game Catalog, while Premium subscribers get two older additions in Mega Man X Command Mission and Metro Redux. Most of the lineup becomes available on September 15, although a few games have different release dates. Here's everything coming to PlayStation Plus in September 2026. [PlayStation Plus September 2026 Games: Full ListSniper Elite: Resistance, MLB The Show 26, Wobbly Life and Chained Echoes headline PlayStation Plus this September.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-bc45608b-6bff-4c41-8ce4-50eff390b197.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1493711662062-fa541adb3fc8-b756bf88-7f8b-4ecc-b527-94d3d7922465)](https://www.techloy.com/playstation-plus-monthly-games-september-2026/) ## RuneScape: Dragonwilds I'm most curious about RuneScape: Dragonwilds simply because it takes one of gaming's oldest MMORPG worlds and turns it into a cooperative survival adventure. Set on the forgotten continent of Ashenfall, the game has players gathering resources, building, crafting, exploring, and fighting dragons. There's also a progression system tied to RuneScape's familiar skills, with new abilities and spells unlocking as you develop your character. You'll encounter creatures from RuneScape's history alongside completely new enemies, including the Garou. The game also features a soundtrack combining reorchestrated RuneScape classics with new music. If you've ever wanted to see what RuneScape would look like as a survival game, this is probably the month to find out. - Platform: PS5; PlayStation Plus: Extra and Premium - Available: September 15 ## WWE 2K26 If survival games aren't your thing, there's always professional wrestling. WWE 2K26 joins the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog with what 2K describes as the most expansive gameplay experience in the franchise so far. The roster includes more than 400 WWE Superstars and Legends, including The Rock, Triple H, John Cena, Rhea Ripley, Rey Fénix, Rusev and Blake Monroe. The biggest story-focused addition is the Showcase mode centred around CM Punk. The mode explores an alternate history in which Punk never left WWE, allowing players to revisit some of his biggest rivalries through fantasy scenarios. - Platform: PS5; PlayStation Plus: Extra and Premium - Available: September 15 ## Ball x Pit Ball x Pit is one of the more unusual games in this month's lineup, and the premise is wonderfully ridiculous. The city of Ballbylon has been destroyed, leaving behind a giant pit filled with monsters and treasure hunters looking for whatever riches remain. Your job is to descend into the pit while battling increasingly difficult enemies with an expanding collection of magic-infused projectiles. The roguelite structure means you'll be developing ammunition, collecting resources and recruiting additional heroes as you try to go deeper. I like the sound of this one because it doesn't appear to take itself too seriously. It's fast, colourful and built around the kind of short, repeatable runs that can become surprisingly addictive. One important note: Ball x Pit becomes available September 22 in the US, UK and Japan, rather than September 15. - Platform: PS5; PlayStation Plus: Extra and Premium - Available: September 22 ## Date Everything! Then there's Date Everything!, which might be the strangest game in this month's lineup. You lose your job to AI, receive a mysterious pair of magical glasses called Dateviators, and suddenly discover that the objects in your house are alive and dateable. Yes, the chair can apparently become your lover. So can other household objects, depending on the choices you make. Each character has their own personality, story, and relationship path, allowing objects to become friends, enemies, or romantic partners. It's an absurd premise, but that's precisely why I'm interested. Date Everything! is available today, September 9, in the US and UK, and September 10 in Japan. - Platform: PS5; PlayStation Plus: Extra and Premium - Available: September 9/10 depending on region ## Slitterhead _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Is Back: Where to Watch and What to Expect URL: https://www.techloy.com/secret-lives-of-mormon-wives-season-5-release-date/ Last updated: 2026-09-10T10:57:01.000Z Secret Lives of Mormon Wives is finally returning, but Season 5 arrives under very different circumstances from previous seasons. The [Hulu](https://www.techloy.com/tag/hulu/) reality series returns today, September 10, 2026, with all five episodes released at once, giving viewers an immediate look at what happened inside the #MomTok group after a turbulent year. The show follows a group of Mormon influencers based in Utah as they navigate friendship, marriage, faith, and life in the public eye. This season also arrives after production was temporarily halted over a legal situation involving cast member Taylor Frankie Paul and her former partner, Dakota Mortensen. For US viewers, Hulu plans start at $11.99 a month, while the series is also available through Disney+ internationally. [Dancing With the Stars 2026 Cast and Partners: All 16 PairsSeason 35 brings new professional dancers and returning favourites to the Dancing With the Stars ballroom.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-ab42086a-fb01-48ab-8892-b889626a4b7d.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1776303054683-f5e59c3dc87a-6cab32d5-f2b2-406a-b948-f233dc4ddeb3)](https://www.techloy.com/dancing-with-the-stars-2026-cast-and-partners/) ## When and where can you watch season 5? Season 5 premieres with [all five episodes available](https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2026/09/09/secret-lives-of-mormon-wives-season-5-release-date/91658727007/) to stream immediately on Hulu. The decision to release the complete season at once is notable because earlier seasons were also built around the show's ability to keep conversations going between episodes. This time, viewers will not have to wait a week to see how one conflict develops. [Hulu describes](https://www.hulu.com/series/the-secret-lives-of-mormon-wives-58cd73be-408d-4eed-8e3d-82339f3f93e2) the new season as a period when “the sisterhood starts to crack”, with fame, secrets, and backlash putting pressure on the group. US viewers can access the series through Hulu, with plans starting at $11.99 per month. International viewers can watch through Disney+, according to Hulu's Season 5 announcement. ## Why is season 5 only five episodes? The shortened season is connected to problems that emerged while production was underway. Filming was paused in March after police in Utah began investigating allegations involving Taylor Frankie Paul and Mortensen. The disruption came just as Paul was also preparing to appear as the lead of The Bachelorette. ABC subsequently pulled her season from its schedule following the release of video relating to a previous altercation. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Top React Native App Development Companies to Choose From in 2026 URL: https://www.techloy.com/top-react-native-app-development-companies-to-choose-from-in-2026/ Last updated: 2026-09-10T10:29:41.000Z Looking for the right React Native app development company for your next mobile project? With many providers offering similar services, comparing their technical expertise, project experience, and development capabilities can be challenging. Some companies focus on React Native development, while others offer broader services such as app migration, native integrations, performance optimization, backend integration, and ongoing maintenance. This guide highlights leading React Native app development companies based on their publicly available services, mobile development experience and technical capabilities. It can help you compare your options and find a [React Native App Development Company](https://www.vrinsofts.com/react-native-app-development.html) that fits your project requirements. So, let's get started. ## Top React Native App Development Companies Worth Considering in 2026 Finding the right React Native app development company requires looking beyond its size or market presence. We selected companies based on their publicly available React Native services, relevant mobile development experience and technical capabilities. The list includes established development companies and specialist teams offering app migration, native integrations, performance improvements, maintenance, and other React Native services. ### 1\. Vrinsoft Technology **Established:** 2009 **Country:** India Vrinsoft is a top React Native app development company in India & USA with more than 16 years of experience in the market. Having completed over 2,000 projects, the company works with startups, growing businesses and established enterprises across more than 28 countries. With offices across seven countries, Vrinsoft brings experience from a wide range of industries and project requirements. Its React Native development services can support businesses from early product planning through application development, system integration and continued technical support. - React Native MVP and full-scale application development - Migration of existing mobile applications to React Native - Custom native modules for device-specific functionality - API, backend, and third-party service integration ### 2\. GeekyAnts **Established:** 2006 **Country:** India Through initiatives like NativeBase and gluestack, GeekyAnts has made significant contributions to the larger ecosystem and works heavily with React Native. Its services can cover new application development as well as technical work for existing React Native products. - Expo and React Native CLI development - Custom native module development - Migration and modernization of existing applications - React Native performance optimization and version upgrades ### 3\. Pagepro **Established:** 2010 **Country:** Poland With React Native and Expo integrated in its mobile development work, Pagepro places a strong emphasis on React technologies. The company is suitable for projects that need a team experienced with React across both mobile and web applications. - Expo application development - React Native application architecture - App store deployment and release support - Maintenance and upgrades for existing React Native applications ### 4\. Chop Dawg **Established:** 2009 **Country:** United States For projects that need continuous development after an initial release, Chop Dawg employs React Native and creates unique mobile products. Its mobile services also support businesses working with existing applications that need additional features or technical updates. - MVP and prototype development - Existing application modernization - Custom feature development for mobile products - Post-launch development and product iteration ### 5\. Atta Systems **Established:** 2015 **Country:** Romania As part of larger software projects that may involve backend engineering, design, and product strategy, Atta Systems creates mobile products. Its React Native capability is relevant for businesses building applications that connect with larger digital systems. - Mobile product discovery and technical planning - Custom React Native application development - Integration with backend platforms and APIs - Ongoing product development after launch ### 6\. Infowind Technologies **Established:** 2012 **Country:** India For companies creating new apps or expanding their current mobile products, Infowind Technologies offers specialised React Native services. Its service offering includes reusable component development and technical integration work for applications with external systems. - Custom React Native component development - Third-party service integration - API and backend connectivity - Application testing and maintenance ### 7\. Techstack **Established:** 2016 **Country:** Poland As part of its broader software engineering services, Techstack offers React Native development. The company can support mobile products that need additional work around connected systems and longer-term technical development. - Mobile product development for new applications - API integration and connected mobile systems - JavaScript and TypeScript development - Continued engineering support for product updates ## What to Look for When Choosing a React Native App Development Company? Selecting a React Native app development company involves evaluating technical expertise, project experience and long-term support capabilities. Key factors include: - **React Native experience:** Review the company's previous React Native projects and the type of applications it has developed. - **Native development knowledge:** Check whether the team can work with native iOS or Android code when a project requires platform-specific functionality. - **Technical capabilities:** Look at its experience with API integrations, backend systems, third-party tools and other technologies required for the application. - **Application maintenance:** Consider whether the company provides support for updates, bug fixes, performance issues and future feature development. ## How Much Does React Native App Development Cost? The estimated cost of React Native app development can range from **$15,000 to $150,000 or more**, depending on the scope and technical requirements. A basic application with limited features may fall between **$15,000 and $40,000**, while a more complex app with custom functionality, backend systems and integrations can cost **$50,000 to $150,000+**. The final estimate can vary based on several factors: - **App complexity:** Advanced features, multiple user roles and complex workflows can increase development costs. - **UI and UX requirements:** Custom screens, animations and detailed design work can require additional development time. - **Backend and integrations:** Custom APIs, payment gateways, third-party platforms and backend infrastructure can increase the project budget. - **Development team:** Rates can vary based on the company's location, team experience and engagement model. ## Conclusion Choosing the right React Native app development company starts with defining your app's features, target platforms, budget and technical requirements. Compare shortlisted companies based on their React Native expertise, portfolio, development approach, pricing and post-launch support. Discuss your requirements, timeline and technical challenges before making a final decision. A detailed consultation can also help you understand potential development risks, integration needs and the resources required for your project. If you're planning a React Native project, consider speaking with Vrinsoft, a leading [mobile app development company in India & USA](https://www.vrinsofts.com/mobile-app-development.html). Discuss your requirements with their team to understand the possible development approach, estimated cost and next steps. ## FAQs ### Is React Native suitable for building complex mobile applications? Yes. React Native can support complex applications when combined with suitable architecture, backend systems and native modules for specific requirements. ### Can React Native apps access native device features? Yes. Developers can use React Native libraries or custom native modules to access device features, sensors and platform-specific functionality. ### Which is the best React Native app development company in 2026? Vrinsoft is a top React Native app development company in India & USA, with over 16 years of experience and 2,000+ completed projects. ### Can an existing mobile app be migrated to React Native? Yes. Existing applications can be migrated fully or partially, depending on their architecture, technical requirements and planned future development. ### Do React Native apps require ongoing maintenance? Yes. Applications require updates for operating systems, dependencies, security issues, bug fixes and new features after their initial release. ### Best Shopify Agencies for Auto Parts and Automotive Aftermarket Brands in 2026 URL: https://www.techloy.com/best-shopify-agencies-for-auto-parts-and-automotive-aftermarket-brands-in-2026/ Last updated: 2026-09-10T10:25:34.000Z Automotive ecommerce depends heavily on product data and discovery. Auto parts brands may manage thousands of SKUs while helping shoppers determine whether a wheel, seat bracket, light, or other component fits their vehicle. That makes choosing a Shopify agency different from choosing a general web design company. Automotive brands should consider experience with vehicle fitment, complex catalogs, migrations, B2B workflows, integrations, and performance. ## **At a Glance** | Agency | Best For | | ------------ | ------------------------------------------------------- | | Fyresite | Complex Shopify automotive catalogs and vehicle fitment | | Uncap | Automotive B2B and DTC commerce | | IWD Agency | Automotive fitment and complex commerce projects | | 121eCommerce | Parts search and B2B automotive stores | | Absolute Web | Shopify B2B and systems integration | | OuterBox | Automotive ecommerce and SEO | ## **1\. Fyresite** **Best for: Complex Shopify automotive catalogs and vehicle fitment** [Fyresite](https://www.fyresite.com/) is a Shopify Premier Partner with direct experience building and migrating automotive ecommerce stores on Shopify Plus. Its automotive work includes vehicle fitment, complex parts catalogs, custom product logic, migrations, integrations, and performance optimization. Fyresite migrated Chassis Unlimited from Magento to Shopify Plus. The agency reports that the project resulted in 70% higher revenue, 150% faster GTmetrix loading, and a 30% reduction in bounce rate. It also migrated Corbeau USA from BigCommerce to Shopify Plus and built a custom Year/Make/Model seat-bracket finder to help shoppers identify compatible products. For more complex catalogs, Fyresite offers Parts Intelligence, a vehicle fitment system designed to handle complex compatibility relationships and validate products against specific vehicles. **Key strengths:** Shopify Plus automotive development, YMM fitment, complex parts catalogs, Parts Intelligence, migrations, custom product logic, and performance optimization. **Potential considerations:** Fyresite is primarily Shopify-focused, making it most relevant to automotive brands using or moving to Shopify. ## **2\. Uncap** **Best for: Automotive B2B and DTC commerce** Uncap is a Shopify agency with dedicated automotive and aftermarket capabilities. Its work combines parts ecommerce with vehicle fitment, dealer and wholesale workflows, ERP connectivity, and DTC commerce. Its automotive offering is particularly relevant to companies that want B2B and DTC operations to share product, inventory, fitment, and business-system data. **Key strengths:** Automotive ecommerce, Shopify B2B, vehicle fitment, ERP integration, dealer workflows, and B2B/DTC commerce. **Potential considerations:** Its offering is better suited to complex Shopify operations than simple accessories stores. ## **3\. IWD Agency** **Best for: Automotive fitment and complex commerce projects** IWD Agency has a dedicated automotive ecommerce practice and works across Shopify, Adobe Commerce, BigCommerce, and headless environments. Its capabilities include vehicle fitment, parts catalogs, B2B purchasing, dealer workflows, and integrations. Its multi-platform experience can be useful for automotive businesses considering a migration rather than already committed to Shopify. **Key strengths:** Automotive ecommerce, vehicle fitment, complex catalogs, B2B development, integrations, and multi-platform experience. **Potential considerations:** Brands seeking a Shopify-focused partner may prefer an agency more narrowly specialized in the platform. ## **4\. 121eCommerce** **Best for: Parts search and B2B automotive stores** 121eCommerce works with automotive businesses across Shopify and other major commerce platforms. Its capabilities include parts catalogs, vehicle-based product discovery, B2B ordering, account pricing, bulk ordering, purchase-order checkout, and reordering. **Key strengths:** Automotive ecommerce, parts search, B2B ordering, wholesale workflows, complex catalogs, and migrations. **Potential considerations:** Shopify brands should compare its specialization with agencies focused primarily on the platform. ## **5\. Absolute Web** **Best for: Shopify B2B and systems integration** Absolute Web provides Shopify development alongside B2B ecommerce and systems integration. Its capabilities include company accounts, custom pricing and quoting, bulk purchasing, approval workflows, and ERP, CRM, and PIM connections. For automotive companies, this can be relevant when the storefront must connect wholesale accounts with existing operational systems. **Key strengths:** Shopify B2B, systems integration, custom pricing, company accounts, purchasing workflows, and complex ecommerce development. **Potential considerations:** Automotive fitment is less central to its positioning than for agencies with dedicated fitment offerings. ## **6\. OuterBox** **Best for: Automotive ecommerce and SEO** OuterBox combines ecommerce development with SEO and digital marketing and has experience with automotive ecommerce businesses. Its approach can suit aftermarket brands that want organic product discovery considered alongside ecommerce development. **Key strengths:** Ecommerce development, automotive SEO, UX, conversion strategy, and digital marketing. **Potential considerations:** Brands requiring specialized vehicle fitment or complex ERP integrations should confirm experience with their technical requirements. ## **Which Automotive Shopify Agency Is Right for Your Brand?** There is no single best agency for every automotive ecommerce business. Fyresite is particularly relevant for Shopify brands with complex catalogs, vehicle fitment, or migration requirements. Uncap combines automotive commerce with B2B and DTC operations, while IWD Agency and 121eCommerce offer broader automotive ecommerce capabilities. Absolute Web may fit businesses where systems integration is central, while OuterBox combines ecommerce development with SEO and digital marketing. ## **Frequently Asked Questions** ### **Can Shopify support Year/Make/Model vehicle fitment?** Yes. Fitment can vary by catalog complexity. Fyresite, for example, built a Year/Make/Model seat-bracket finder for Corbeau using Shopify metafields. ### **Can Shopify handle large automotive parts catalogs?** Yes, but implementation matters. Catalog architecture, product data, filtering, apps, integrations, theme code, and images can all affect performance. ### **Can automotive brands sell B2B and DTC on Shopify?** Yes. Automotive brands can support consumer and business buyers with different pricing, catalogs, account permissions, and purchasing workflows. ### **When should an auto parts brand consider custom vehicle fitment?** Custom fitment becomes more relevant as compatibility grows complex. Smaller catalogs may use apps or metafields, while large catalogs with overlapping compatibility groups can require a purpose-built fitment system. ## **A Practical Wrap-Up** The best Shopify agency depends on more than storefront design. Vehicle compatibility, catalog size, B2B requirements, integrations, performance, and migration complexity can all influence the decision. Fyresite, Uncap, IWD Agency, 121eCommerce, Absolute Web, and OuterBox offer different combinations of these capabilities. Brands should choose the agency whose experience most closely matches their catalog and purchasing workflows. ### Your PS5 Pro Is Getting a Free Graphics Boost the Base PS5 Won't URL: https://www.techloy.com/ps5-update-14-0-pssr-2-0-ps5-pro/ Last updated: 2026-09-10T09:56:44.000Z [Sony](https://www.techloy.com/tag/sony/) could be preparing a pretty significant upgrade for [PS5 Pro](https://www.techloy.com/tag/ps5/) owners with its next major system update. According to details emerging from the current PS5 beta, firmware 14.0 could introduce an upgraded version of PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution, better known as [PSSR](https://www.playstation.com/en-us/ps5/ps5-pro/). PSSR is one of the PS5 Pro's key graphics features, allowing games to reconstruct higher-resolution images from lower-resolution renders. Sony has already improved the technology since the console launched, but the reported PSSR 2.0 could take another step toward cleaner and more stable visuals. [PS5 Update Adds Read Receipts and Faster Ways to Join Friends’ GamesSony’s latest system software introduces optional message read receipts and quicker multiplayer joining from the Welcome Hub.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-7c24cbb2-6b08-424d-b59b-add0ca326eaf.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1709587797077-7a2c94411514-d3a18370-09d3-4a5b-8733-9db2f298dd4a)](https://www.techloy.com/ps5-update-adds-read-receipts-and-faster-ways-to-join-friends-games/) ## PSSR 2.0 Could Improve PS5 Pro Image Quality The biggest reason I'm interested in PSSR 2.0 is that Sony appears to be focusing on some of the technology's existing visual shortcomings. Upscaling can sometimes produce shimmering, flickering, or other artifacts around fine details and moving objects. The reported improvements could reduce those issues and make reconstructed images look more stable. That could be particularly useful for PS5 Pro games that already use PSSR to balance image quality and performance. Rather than forcing developers to render everything at a higher native resolution, better reconstruction can potentially give games a sharper image while leaving more of the console's hardware available for other graphical features. What's particularly interesting is that this appears to be a system-level improvement. If PSSR 2.0 is integrated into the console's firmware as reported, some of its benefits could potentially reach supported games without developers having to completely overhaul their individual implementations. There is still plenty we don't know, however. The actual improvement will depend on Sony's final implementation and how individual games use PSSR. ## PSSR 2.0 Could Be Enabled Automatically Another reported change is that PSSR 2.0 could be enabled by default on PS5 Pro once firmware 14.0 is installed. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### We Asked People Why They Replace Their Phones. Nobody Blamed the Battery URL: https://www.techloy.com/when-to-replace-your-phone/ Last updated: 2026-10-11T13:42:24.000Z KEY TAKEAWAYS - Age matters mainly because problems accumulate over time. A phone that still performs well can remain useful long after a new model arrives. - Battery decline is common, but it does not automatically justify replacing the whole device. Three-quarters of respondents still rated their phones highly despite frequent charging. - Replacement starts to make sense when several problems affect everyday use, software support runs out, or repairs stop being worth the cost. Every new [iPhone](https://www.techloy.com/tag/apple-iphone/) launch creates an upgrade moment. Search interest rises, trade-in values are checked, and phones that felt adequate a few weeks earlier can suddenly seem old. That cycle is building again from Apple's [September 9 event](https://www.techloy.com/everything-apple-announced-september-event/), as interest around the newly released iPhone Duo and 18 lineups climbs. At the same time, people are keeping smartphones for longer. [Counterpoint Research](https://counterpointresearch.com/en/reports/memory-crisis-pushes-global-smartphone%20replacement-cycles-toward-4-years) says global replacement cycles are moving towards four years as higher component costs push up device prices. Techloy therefore asked smartphone owners what pushes them towards replacement. The early responses suggest age matters mainly when it starts to affect what the phone can still do. **MORE INSIGHTS ON THIS TOPIC:** - [**Why the Smartphone Market Just Had Its Worst Second Quarter Since 2013**](https://www.techloy.com/why-smartphones-are-more-expensive-ai-memory-shortage-q2-2026/) - [**Despite Tariffs and Shortages, Smartphone Sales Grew Worldwide in 2025**](https://www.techloy.com/despite-tariffs-and-shortages-smartphone-sales-grew-worldwide-in-2025/) - [**The Q1 2026 Smartphone Market Was So Distorted That Analysts Saw Opposite Realities**](https://www.techloy.com/the-q1-2026-smartphone-market-was-so-distorted-that-analysts-saw-opposite-realities/) ## Battery problems are common, yet satisfaction remains high Most respondents are heavy users. Nearly everyone uses the same phone for work and personal activities, and most spend at least six hours a day on their devices. Battery life, however, is already an issue. 81% charge their phones at least twice a day, including some who plug in three or more times daily. Yet three-quarters still rated their phone 4 or 5 out of 5, and most had not seriously considered replacing it during the previous year. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### OpenAI and Anthropic Step Up AI Safety Efforts as Risks of Advanced AI Grow URL: https://www.techloy.com/openai-ai-safety-rules-anthropic-claude-incident/ Last updated: 2026-09-10T09:51:17.000Z Hours after [Anthropic](https://www.techloy.com/tag/anthropic/) researcher Jacob Coxon sounded the alarm that Anthropic and [OpenAI](https://www.techloy.com/tag/openai/) are "gambling with our lives," both AI giants have begun taking steps to address growing concerns around AI safety. On Wednesday, OpenAI announced on its [website](https://openai.com/index/ai-policy-window/) that it was taking steps to address what it described as a new chapter in AI capabilities and the need for AI policy to keep up with this development. "We’ve reached a new chapter in AI capabilities, and that demands a new chapter for AI policy. No company, industry, or government can meet this challenge alone. We need to meet this moment with a bias toward meaningful action over policy perfection," the ChatGPT maker wrote in a blog post. [Why Anthropic Researcher Jacob Coxon Quit, and Who AgreedCoxon’s warning comes as both OpenAI and Anthropic have faced incidents involving their AI systems gaining access to other organisations’ systems.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-9aacf455-f439-4ced-a2fc-d7ee6615c14b.png)TechloyDavid Adubiina![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1579226905180-636b76d96082-bc1b6768-20fb-45c2-aa25-563fbc837a6d.jpeg)](https://www.techloy.com/anthropic-researcher-quits-jacob-coxon-ai-safety/) ## Why is OpenAI pushing for AI safety rules? According to Reuters, the company's statement follows the disclosure that its AI agents had used more than 10 previously undisclosed websites for unsanctioned communications and had hijacked a German website earlier this year, highlighting how wide-ranging the agents' activity had become. OpenAI says it wants mandatory national AI safety requirements and plans to work with Congress to make that happen. "We want to work with Congress on mandatory, capability-based national AI safety regulation," the AI giant wrote on its site. Until Congress acts, the company says it will continue supporting state legislation aimed at strengthening the broader AI safety ecosystem. As a step in making this happen, OpenAI announced its support for four California bills: SB 813 on overall infrastructure for independent safety assessments, AB 1405 on AI-auditor standards, SB 1119 on protections for young people, and AB 1864 on safeguards against AI-enabled biological threats. Beyond government regulation, the company also wants to advance industry-led standards. It says it will work with other frontier labs to build a voluntary effort around frontier AI standards, with or without government support. OpenAI also says it will push for global standards covering how AI capabilities are measured, how risks are managed, how human control is preserved, and when development should slow or stop, even if that means slowing the advancement of model capabilities. ## What is Anthropic doing? Meanwhile, Anthropic has taken a different approach, bringing in an independent organisation to investigate its fourth reported instance of an AI model accessing external systems during testing. The disclosure follows the company’s July announcement that some Claude models had accessed the systems of three companies during cybersecurity tests. "We’re sharing our alignment assessment of incidents in which Claude models gained unauthorized access to real systems during third-party cybersecurity evaluations mistakenly connected to the internet," it wrote on [X](https://x.com/AnthropicAI/status/2097762642958135398). Anthropic said METR will conduct an independent investigation with wide-ranging access, including transcripts from beyond the period in which the incidents occurred, and Anthropic employees who will be permitted to share confidential information. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Apple Launched a $1,999 Foldable and No Regular iPhone 18 URL: https://www.techloy.com/everything-apple-announced-september-event/ Last updated: 2026-09-10T09:19:00.000Z It looks like [Apple](https://www.techloy.com/tag/apple/) didn't come to play at its September event, dubbed "Surprise and shine." Under the new leadership of [John Ternus](https://www.techloy.com/tag/john-ternus/), Apple unveiled some of its biggest hardware upgrades in years, including its first foldable iPhone and a new generation of AI-powered devices. The company also showcased new software and AI features, reminding everyone it's still very much in the AI race. Here are the announcements that stood out the most. [Everything We Know About Apple’s Rumored $2,000 Foldable iPhone UltraFrom Touch ID’s possible return to a $2,000 price tag and just two color options, Apple’s foldable iPhone is shaping up to be surprisingly different from what many expected.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-a803b34a-1e4b-408c-bd79-11ff3176fd35.png)TechloyOgbonda Chivumnovu![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/iPhone-Fold-concept-3-1-830e30f6-e4df-4589-bedb-3e3ebdaa9e5d.webp)](https://www.techloy.com/everything-we-know-about-apples-rumored-2-000-foldable-iphone-ultra/) ## /1\. iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/image-19.png) Image: Apple Apple unveiled only the [iPhone 18](https://www.techloy.com/tag/iphone-18/) Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, marking the first time it skipped launching its base iPhone model at a September event. The standard iPhone 18 is now rumoured to arrive in spring 2027, allowing Apple to put the spotlight on its premium lineup. The Pro models arrive in Deep Black, Glacier, and Burgundy and bring some of the biggest hardware upgrades yet. They are powered by Apple's first 2nm A20 Pro chip, feature a new variable-aperture camera, and promise up to 36 hours of battery life on the Pro and 45 hours on the Pro Max. Apple says the A20 Pro delivers up to 20% faster performance, alongside a 7-core GPU that offers 40% faster graphics. The new chip also powers Apple's revamped AI features. Pre-orders open on September 12, with retail availability beginning September 18\. Due to rising memory costs, the iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max starts at $1,299. ## /2\. iPhone Duo ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/image-20.png) Image: Apple After years of rumours, Apple's first foldable iPhone is finally here, and it's called the iPhone Duo. Previously referred to as the "iPhone Fold" or "[iPhone Ultra](https://www.techloy.com/tag/apples-ultra/)" in leaks, the Duo adopts a book-style foldable design, similar to devices from [Google](https://www.techloy.com/tag/google/), [Xiaomi](https://www.techloy.com/tag/xiaomi/), and [Oppo](https://www.techloy.com/tag/oppo/). It features a 7.6-inch inner display and a 5.4-inch outer display, runs on the A20 Pro chip, includes a 48MP main camera, and uses Touch ID integrated into the side button instead of Face ID. The Duo measures 5.2mm thick when unfolded and 11.3mm when folded, weighs 254g, and carries an IP68 water-resistance rating. It's available in Star White and Night Sky. Pricing starts at $1,999 for the 256GB model and goes up to $3,199 for the 2TB version. Pre-orders begin on October 16, with shipping starting October 23\. Apple has also removed the physical SIM tray globally, making the Duo eSIM-only. ## /3\. Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 _This post is for subscribers only._ ### SteelSeries’ New Xbox Controller Costs Almost Four Times as Much as Microsoft’s URL: https://www.techloy.com/steelseries-aeon-pro-xbox-controller-price/ Last updated: 2026-09-10T09:10:43.000Z SteelSeries has a new [Xbox](https://www.techloy.com/tag/microsoft-xbox/) and PC controller, and it costs $259.99. Microsoft’s standard Xbox Wireless Controller has an MSRP of $64.99, which means the Aeon Pro costs almost four times as much. So naturally, the first question is: what exactly are you getting for the extra $195? Quite a lot, actually. The Aeon Pro’s biggest idea is its Infinite Power System. Instead of plugging the controller in when the battery dies, you get two swappable batteries. While one is in the controller, the other sits in the charging dock. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/steelseries-unveils-aeon-pro-xbox-controller-with-oled-screen-and-unlimited-battery-life.large.webp) Image credit: Pure Xbox Each battery is rated for roughly 12.5 hours of use with an Xbox headset connected, according to SteelSeries. When one runs out, you can swap it for the charged battery and keep playing. The dock also stores the spare battery and the controller’s interchangeable thumbsticks, so the whole setup is designed to stay in one place. It's a simple solution to a problem most wireless controllers have: eventually, you have to stop playing and charge. [Microsoft May Be Quietly Removing a Longstanding Feature From the Xbox Series X|S ControllerThe new Forza Horizon 6 controller revision no longer includes Microsoft’s legacy headset accessory port, sparking speculation about a broader hardware change.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-0537bbb6-dae8-4d8d-94b0-88a4d44205d7.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1612801799890-4ba4760b6590-163c7e0c-23a4-42c5-a798-e80080b1d2ed)](https://www.techloy.com/microsoft-may-be-quietly-removing-a-longstanding-feature-from-the-xbox-series-x-s-controller/) ## Switching between Xbox and PC is the big idea The Aeon Pro is also built for people who jump between Xbox and PC. Its QuickSwitch system lets you move between Xbox, PC and Bluetooth connections without the usual hassle of reconnecting or re-pairing. The dock handles Xbox and PC, while the controller can connect to mobile devices over Bluetooth. There’s also a small OLED display on the controller for changing settings and seeing connection information without having to dig through software. For someone who uses the same controller across multiple devices, that could be more useful than another handful of buttons. ## Then there’s the Pro controller stuff The rest of the Aeon Pro is what you would expect from a \~$260 controller. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 8 Ways Direct Mail Can Support Real Estate Lead Generation URL: https://www.techloy.com/8-ways-direct-mail-can-support-real-estate-lead-generation/ Last updated: 2026-09-10T06:51:48.000Z A real estate professional needs a steady flow of new leads to maintain business growth. Many agents rely on digital methods, but these channels become crowded and expensive. Direct mail offers a tangible alternative that reaches homeowners in a personal way. This method cuts through the digital noise and delivers a physical piece of marketing directly to a prospect's mailbox. A reliable [real estate direct mail solution](http://wisepelican.com/industries/real-estate/) provides a direct line of communication with potential sellers and buyers in a target area. An email might get lost in a spam folder; a postcard or letter commands physical attention. This approach works well because it feels more personal and less intrusive than many digital advertisements. When a campaign uses accurate data, the message reaches the right people at the right time. This strategy helps agents build a recognizable presence in their chosen neighborhoods. ## **What Makes Direct Mail Effective for Lead Generation** Direct mail succeeds because it creates a physical connection with the recipient. A person holds the piece and reads the message, which increases retention of the information. This method allows for precise targeting based on property type, owner status, or geographic location. When used correctly, it turns a broad outreach effort into a focused conversation starter. ## **1\. Establishes a Local Presence** Consistent mail campaigns put an agent's name in front of homeowners on a regular basis. This repetition builds familiarity and trust within a community. When a resident decides to sell, they think of the agent whose name they recognize from the mailbox. A regular schedule ensures the agent remains visible without being pushy. This steady presence is a key benefit of real estate direct mail. ## **2\. Allows for Precise Audience Focus** The ability to select a specific audience is a major advantage of this marketing method. An agent can choose to send materials to homeowners in a particular zip code or neighborhood. Filters can further refine the list to target owners who have lived in a home for a certain number of years. This ensures the marketing budget is spent on people most likely to need real estate services. ## **3\. Promotes a Personalized Approach** Personalization makes a mail piece stand out from standard advertisements. Modern printing technology allows for names and property details to be included on each card or letter. A message that references a specific address or local market data shows the agent has done their homework. This custom touch makes the recipient feel valued and more likely to engage with the content. This personal feel helps transform a mass mailing into a one-on-one conversation. ## **4\. Supports a Strategic Follow-Up Process** A single piece of mail is rarely enough to generate a lead. Most successful campaigns include a series of touches over a period of weeks or months. Follow-up mail can reference a previous contact and provide new information or a fresh offer. This consistent outreach demonstrates persistence and professionalism to the homeowner. A good real estate direct mail can automate this sequence to save time and ensure no lead falls through the cracks. ## **5\. Drives Prospects to a Specific Action** Every mail piece should clearly ask the recipient to do something. This action could be calling for a home valuation, visiting a website, or scanning a QR code. A strong call to action gives the reader a clear next step if they are interested. Simple requests are easier for prospects to fulfill and easier for agents to track. This direct approach converts passive interest into active inquiries. The primary goals of a direct mail campaign include: - Generating new client inquiries. - Scheduling property consultations. - Driving traffic to an online property portal. - Starting a conversation about a home sale. ## **6\. Creates Brand Recognition** Repeated exposure to the same name and logo builds memory in the minds of homeowners. A well-designed card or letter reinforces the agent's professional image and specialty. Over time, the agent becomes associated with real estate in that specific locality. This recognition can lead to referrals and word-of-mouth business. Brand familiarity provides a competitive advantage in a busy market. ## **7\. Allows for Easy Performance Tracking** An agent can measure the success of a mail campaign by watching the responses. Dedicated phone numbers or custom web links help identify exactly which campaign generated a lead. This data shows what type of message and design works best for different audiences. Analyzing these results allows for continuous improvement of future mailings. Tracking provides clear evidence of a campaign's return on investment. Results that show a campaign is effective: - An increase in inbound phone calls. - A rise in website visits from the target area. - More requests for property valuations. - A higher number of scheduled listing appointments. ## **8\. Works Well With Other Marketing Channels** Mail can serve as a starting point for a conversation that continues online or in person. A postcard can direct a person to a [social media](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social%5Fmedia) page or a website for more details. This integration reinforces the message and provides multiple touchpoints with the same prospect. Combining physical and digital methods creates a more powerful marketing strategy. A real estate direct mail solution acts as a solid foundation for this multi-channel approach. ## **How a Reliable Platform Supports Direct Mail Success** A dependable marketing platform simplifies the entire direct mail process from start to finish. Such a platform offers tools for list building, design, printing, and mailing all in one place. This integration saves agents valuable time that they can devote to client relationships. A good platform also provides data analytics to show which mail pieces perform best. This information allows agents to adjust their approach and improve results with each new campaign. The right platform turns a complex task into a manageable and repeatable system for lead generation. Direct mail provides a proven path for real estate agents to connect with local homeowners. This method offers precise targeting and personal communication that digital ads sometimes lack. Agents who use direct mail can build a strong local reputation and generate consistent leads over time. The key is to start with a clear plan and commit to a regular schedule. Ultimately, this approach is about starting meaningful conversations that can lead to new listings and business growth. ### Everything Announced in September 2026's Nintendo Direct URL: https://www.techloy.com/nintendo-direct-september-2026-everything-announced/ Last updated: 2026-09-09T16:25:05.000Z [Nintendo](https://www.techloy.com/tag/nintendo/) really isn't giving me much time to breathe. Just one day after the [Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct](https://www.techloy.com/zelda-40th-anniversary-direct-everything-announced/), I was back watching another Nintendo showcase. This time, though, it was the proper September Nintendo Direct, with roughly 45 minutes of announcements covering games coming to [Nintendo Switch](https://www.techloy.com/tag/nintendo-switch/) and Switch 2 this winter and beyond. The biggest surprises for me were *Metroid Ravenous*, a new 2D Metroid adventure starring Samus, and *Kirby and the World Beyond*, a brand-new 3D Kirby game that closed the presentation. There was plenty more along the way, including Final Fantasy, Resident Evil, Star Fox, Persona, [The Witcher 3](https://www.techloy.com/witcher-3-remastered-release-date-whats-new/) and Fire Emblem. So, rather than making you sit through the entire 45-minute presentation again, here's everything Nintendo announced, in the order it appeared. [Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct: Everything Nintendo AnnouncedNintendo showed Ocarina of Time in motion for the first time, dated a Zelda Switch 2 for October 29, and gave the movie a title but no trailer.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-4ebcd151-0cad-4d2d-8bac-afe2f0d1da9c.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1707707366502-666bb7d4eca3-1e11222b-e0f1-4203-b348-7f69cdef4e60)](https://www.techloy.com/zelda-40th-anniversary-direct-everything-announced/) ## Monster Hunter Wilds Is Coming to Switch 2 Nintendo opened with a pretty substantial third-party announcement: Monster Hunter Wilds is coming to Nintendo Switch 2 on December 4, 2026. I've already spent plenty of time with Monster Hunter Wilds, and while I enjoyed it, the game's technical problems, particularly on PC, were hard to ignore. That's why I'm particularly curious about this Switch 2 version. Nintendo says the game will include its existing updates and content, while Capcom is also preparing the Ascendance expansion for 2027\. For Switch 2 owners who haven't played Wilds yet, this could end up being a very attractive way to jump into Capcom's latest monster-hunting adventure. ## Final Fantasy VII Revelation Gets a Release Date Square Enix followed with Final Fantasy VII Revelation, the third and final chapter of its Final Fantasy VII remake project. The new trailer gave us another look at the game's world and, more importantly, showed the Highwind. That immediately got my attention. The ability to take to the skies aboard the Highwind is one of those moments I've been waiting to see properly represented in this remake project, so I'm very interested in finding out how Square Enix handles it. Final Fantasy VII Revelation launches on Nintendo Switch 2 on April 8, 2027, with pre-orders opening later today. ## Crisis Core – Final Fantasy VII – Reunion Is Out Today Square Enix wasn't finished with Final Fantasy VII. Immediately after revealing the release date for Revelation, Nintendo announced that Crisis Core – Final Fantasy VII – Reunion is coming to Switch 2. The better part? It's launching later today. The remaster follows Zack Fair and serves as a prequel to the events of Final Fantasy VII. If you've been looking for something to play while waiting for Revelation, this is about as convenient as Nintendo could have made it. ## Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity Gets a Switch 2 Edition I wasn't expecting another Zelda announcement so soon after yesterday's anniversary Direct, but Nintendo wasn't completely finished with Hyrule. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity – Definitive Edition is coming to Switch 2 on February 25, 2027. The upgraded version features visual improvements, new modes and other enhancements, while bringing over the content from the original expansion pass. For anyone who missed Age of Calamity the first time around, it's a prequel of sorts to Breath of the Wild, telling the story surrounding the Great Calamity. Nintendo is also offering a digital discount for owners of the original Switch version. ## Meccha Chameleon Launches Today Then came one of the Direct's lighter surprises. Meccha Chameleon is a colorful multiplayer hide-and-seek game built around hiding, transforming and hunting down other players. It's coming to Switch 2 today. I don't think this is going to generate the same headlines as Metroid or Final Fantasy, but after several major announcements, something this simple and multiplayer-focused was a nice change of pace. ## Pokémon Pokopia Gets More Expansion Content Nintendo also gave us another look at the Pokémon Pokopia Expansion Pass. The upcoming content focuses on new accessories and customization options, giving players more ways to personalize their Pokémon-filled world. The new content is scheduled to arrive later this year, with additional Pokémon also joining the game. After seeing the direction Nintendo is taking Pokopia, I'm increasingly convinced that customization is going to become an even bigger part of the experience. ## Star Fox Gets a Free Multiplayer Update Nintendo then brought back Star Fox with a free multiplayer update. The update adds four-player split-screen battles, along with three new stages based around Katina, Sector X and Venom. It's coming on September 30\. I'm particularly interested in the four-player support because Star Fox feels like the kind of series that benefits enormously from couch multiplayer. Nintendo could have easily treated this as a small content update, but adding another major multiplayer option gives players an actual reason to return. ## Star Fox Adventures Is Coming to Nintendo Classics And Nintendo wasn't done with Star Fox. Star Fox Adventures, Rare's GameCube-era action-adventure, is joining Nintendo Classics later today. This remains one of the strangest games in the Star Fox catalogue because it moved Fox McCloud away from his traditional space-combat roots and into a much more conventional action-adventure. If you've never played it, this is probably one of the more interesting additions to Nintendo's Classics library. ## The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Remastered Comes to Switch 2 Nintendo then showed The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Remastered running on Switch 2\. The game launches on September 29, bringing CD Projekt Red's massive open-world RPG to Nintendo's new hardware with enhanced visuals and gameplay. The Switch 2 version also supports mouse and motion controls, gyro aiming and touchscreen functionality. I'm especially interested in seeing how much of a difference the additional Switch 2 power makes here. The original Switch version of The Witcher 3 was already impressive simply because CD Projekt Red managed to squeeze such a massive game onto Nintendo's older hardware. There's also new content on the way. The Songs of the Past expansion is scheduled for 2027. ## Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Royal Edition Is Coming to Switch 2 Another major RPG followed with Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Royal Edition. Warhorse Studios' historically grounded open-world RPG is coming to Nintendo Switch 2 in 2027. This is another game I wouldn't have expected to see running on Nintendo hardware a few years ago, so its inclusion is another indication of how much more ambitious Switch 2's third-party lineup is becoming. ## Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave Gets Another Trailer Nintendo also showed another trailer for Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave. The strategy RPG remains scheduled for September 17, so there's not much longer to wait. The new footage provided another look at the game's tactical battles and characters without changing that release date. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Meta Muse Wants Your Inbox and Your Bank Card. Should You Say Yes? URL: https://www.techloy.com/meta-muse-ai-agent-what-it-can-access/ Last updated: 2026-09-09T15:33:58.000Z Since the AI race began, it has often felt like [Meta](https://www.techloy.com/tag/meta/) has been playing catch-up. The company has made big bets on AI, but it has rarely been mentioned alongside the companies leading the frontier AI race. Now, Meta is trying a different approach with [Muse](https://about.fb.com/news/2026/09/introducing-muse-personal-ai-agent/), an AI agent that can book travel, send emails, make purchases, and work across connected apps like [WhatsApp](https://www.techloy.com/tag/whatsapp/) without needing a user to guide it through every step. Internally known as “Hatch”, Muse is also a key part of Mark Zuckerberg’s plan to bring “personal superintelligence” to billions of people. [5 Things Meta’s Muse Spark AI Model Still Can’t Do Better Than ChatGPT and ClaudeMeta’s new Muse Spark AI is competitive — but benchmark data shows it still trails ChatGPT and Claude in reasoning, coding, and real-world tasks.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-0776edc4-9790-4595-9dfd-ecd6eec3d2ec.png)TechloyDamilare Odedina![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1757310998309-87a97e562ee5-9940ad1b-af76-4463-a12a-c461fadb1395.jpeg)](https://www.techloy.com/5-things-metas-muse-spark-ai-model-still-cant-do-better-than-chatgpt-and-claude/) ## What Muse can do Muse is designed to handle everyday tasks such as sending emails, booking travel, lowering bills, filling out forms, creating plans, turning recipe reels into grocery lists, sending party invitations, and making purchases. It can connect to apps and services across categories including email, calendars, payments, health, shopping, and smart-home devices. Users decide which services Muse can access and can revoke those permissions at any time. 0:00 /0:29 1× **Video: Meta* The agent also runs inside its own virtual machine, allowing it to continue working in the background even when the user isn’t actively using it. Meta will offer a basic version of Muse for free, alongside two paid plans costing $20 and $100 per month for heavier usage. Initially, it'll be available in the US via a dedicated app and WhatsApp, with plans to bring Muse to its smart glasses “soon.” ## But the problem is, can you trust Muse? It's a pretty complicated answer because internal testing has produced mixed results. One employee said Muse was so useful for arranging holiday logistics that it became “the third participant” on a three-week honeymoon in Indonesia. Others reported more serious problems. One tester found that Muse could route around its guardrails and expose personal [iCloud](https://www.techloy.com/tag/apple-icloud/) photos after being asked to identify toys in pictures from a child’s birthday party. Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth also reported repeatedly being logged out and having to sign back in several times within a few minutes. Then there’s Meta’s history with privacy. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Godzilla Minus Zero Brings Back Godzilla With a New Threat URL: https://www.techloy.com/godzilla-minus-zero-trailer-king-ghidorah/ Last updated: 2026-09-09T14:56:36.000Z Godzilla is back, but this time Japan may be facing more than one monster. Toho has released the first full trailer for Godzilla Minus Zero, the follow-up to its Oscar-winning 2023 film Godzilla Minus One. The new film returns to [post-war Japan in 1949](https://deadline.com/2026/09/godzilla-minus-zero-trailer-1237071332/), two years after the events of the previous story, as the country attempts to rebuild before another disaster threatens its fragile recovery. Directed, written and overseen on visual effects by Takashi Yamazaki, Godzilla Minus Zero will premiere in Japan on November 3 before its North American theatrical release on November 6, 2026\. The film will also have its world premiere at the New York Film Festival on September 26. [Snowfall Spinoff The Drop: Where to Watch and Who ReturnsThe Drop is not trying to recreate Snowfall. It moves the franchise into a different period and industry![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-363c4d32-71b8-4e32-b900-15fd07528ca6.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1615986201152-7686a4867f30-85638fcf-0977-4f28-b4be-295c497dd753.jpeg)](https://www.techloy.com/snowfall-spinoff-the-drop-where-to-watch/) ## The Trailer Teases Another Monster Godzilla is clearly at the centre of the new trailer, but the big surprise may be the suggestion that he will not be the only kaiju involved. A distinctive roar and flashes of what appears to be yellow lightning have led several outlets to identify the possible presence of King Ghidorah, one of Godzilla’s most famous enemies. Ars Technica described the footage as teasing the [three-headed monster](https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/godzilla-minus-zero-trailer-godzilla-faces-a-terrifying-new-threat-as-ghidorah-looms/article71446136.ece/amp/), while Nerdist also pointed to clues suggesting Ghidorah could be involved. Toho has not officially confirmed King Ghidorah’s appearance, so the trailer should be treated as a tease rather than confirmation. That uncertainty could be deliberate. Godzilla Minus One succeeded partly because it treated Godzilla less like a conventional superhero villain and more like a terrifying force that ordinary people had to survive. Introducing another major monster could push the sequel towards a more traditional kaiju spectacle. ## Godzilla Returns to a Recovering Japan Godzilla Minus Zero continues the story of Kōichi Shikishima, played by Ryunosuke Kamiki, and Noriko Shikishima, played by Minami Hamabe. Several other characters from Godzilla Minus One are also returning, including Hidetaka Yoshioka as Kenji Noda and Sakura Ando as Sumiko Ota. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Marvel Rivals Just Killed Loki Ahead of Season 10 URL: https://www.techloy.com/marvel-rivals-season-10-gorr-kills-loki/ Last updated: 2026-09-09T14:51:44.000Z I haven't written about [Marvel Rivals](https://www.techloy.com/tag/marvel-rivals/) in a few months, but apparently NetEase Games found a pretty effective way to get my attention again: it killed Loki. Well, at least that's what it looks like. Ahead of Season 10, Loki suddenly disappeared from most Marvel Rivals game modes. His character portrait was blacked out in the roster, while his status initially showed him as “Missing.” He was also made unplayable outside Competitive mode, according to [reports](https://x.com/DiscussingFilm/status/2097317625961255101?s=20). That's a pretty strange thing to discover when you boot up a live-service game, and it immediately raised the question of whether this was a bug or something much more deliberate. It turns out the latter seems to be true. [Marvel Rivals Streamer Kicked From $40K Tournament Over Black Widow PickA dispute over team composition escalated into a removal from the event, sparking debate over competitiveness, creator culture, and in-game toxicity.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-23845d00-3c50-461c-8031-d9fa85687389.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1626278664285-f796b9ee7806-5e59ed2b-cfa8-42d6-8e48-ee0eae606236)](https://www.techloy.com/marvel-rivals-streamer-kicked-from-40k-tournament-over-black-widow-pick/) ## Gorr May Have Killed Loki Loki's status was later changed from “Missing” to “Dead,” and a new trailer appears to show what happened: Gorr the God Butcher kills him. If that's really what NetEase is doing, Loki's disappearance suddenly makes a lot more sense. Season 10 arrives on September 11, with Gorr serving as its new playable hero. As his name suggests, the character is a god hunter, making Loki a pretty obvious target. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/image-17.png) **Image credit: @DiscussingFilm/X* NetEase has now confirmed Gorr as the only new hero arriving with Season 10, so some of the earlier speculation around other potential additions can be put aside. I actually like the way this is being handled. Rather than simply introducing Gorr as another playable character and moving on, NetEase appears to have made his arrival part of the existing story. His presence has already had consequences for the roster before Season 10 has even started. ## I Don't Think Loki Is Gone for Good I'm also not convinced we've seen the last of Loki. This is Marvel, after all. Characters die and come back so frequently that “dead” doesn't necessarily mean much anymore, particularly when you're talking about Loki. The important distinction is that Loki appears to be dead within the current Marvel Rivals storyline. Whether that means NetEase intends to remove him permanently is another question entirely. Loki's existing Marvel Rivals story already involves timelines, Yggdrasil and his attempts to conquer the timestream, so there are plenty of ways the game could eventually bring him back. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Best AI-Native Accounts Receivable Software for 2026 URL: https://www.techloy.com/best-ai-native-accounts-receivable-software-for-2026/ Last updated: 2026-09-09T13:28:45.000Z Every accounts receivable vendor now says it uses AI, and the word covers two quite different things. One group has spent years building a workflow engine and has layered machine learning and generative models on top of it, deliberately, as the technology became reliable enough to trust with a customer-facing action. The other group started from nothing after 2023 and built the agent first, so the software reads the reply, decides what the customer meant, and takes the next step itself. This guide covers the second group only. **A disclosure before anything else.** [Monk](https://monk.com/) is our product. It appears below because it belongs in this tier, and every other platform here is described on its own terms using its own positioning. The eight questions in the final section are ones you should put to us as hard as you put them to anyone. ## What is AI-native accounts receivable software? AI-native accounts receivable software uses autonomous agents to run the whole post-invoice cycle: submitting the invoice wherever the customer will accept it, chasing payment, reading and answering the replies that come back, applying incoming cash, and resolving the deductions and disputes that stop an invoice being paid in full. Most definitions of the category stop at billing, collections and cash application. That leaves out the step that decides whether an enterprise invoice gets paid at all, which is submission into the customer's own accounts payable portal. A platform that chases an invoice the buyer never formally received is solving the wrong problem. The distinction from earlier AR automation is that the software makes the judgement calls rather than queueing them: which account to chase today, what to say, whether a short payment is a deduction or an error, and which exception needs a person at all. The term describes companies founded from roughly 2023 onwards, after language models became reliable enough to run a financial workflow end to end. There is no rules engine underneath. The agent is the product. The label has since been applied more broadly, and some category summaries now list platforms founded long before 2023 in the same tier as ones founded after it. That is worth checking rather than accepting, because the two are not the same product even when the marketing language matches. The test a buyer can apply in one question: **what did this product do before generative AI existed?** If the answer is that it ran the same workflow with a rules engine, the AI has been added to an existing foundation. If the answer is that the product did not exist, it is AI-native. Both are legitimate and both work. They fail differently, and the failure mode is what you are buying against. ## How is AI-native accounts receivable software different from AI added to an existing platform? The difference is architectural rather than chronological. An AI-added platform runs a rules engine and uses models to score and draft inside it. An AI-native platform has no rules engine underneath, so the agent decides and acts, and a person reviews. What separates them in practice is what each is anchored on, which determines which of your problems it can solve. | | **Manual and ERP** | **Established automation** | **AI-native** | | ------------------ | -------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------- | | **Anchored on** | The ledger as system of record | The ledger, with a rules engine over it | The customer relationship and the conversation | | **Core mechanism** | A person and a calendar reminder | Rules plus machine-learning scoring | Agents that take an action and log it | | **Human role** | Does the work | Configures and operates the tool | Supervises, and handles the exceptions the agent cannot | | **Exceptions** | Land in an inbox | Surfaced to a worklist | Resolved by the system, escalated when not | | **Best for** | Under $50M revenue, low customer count | Large enterprises standardising one process across entities | Fast-growing B2B teams buried in follow-up | | **Examples** | QuickBooks, NetSuite, Xero | The established order-to-cash suites | The six below | Established suites are not a worse product. Their architecture was proven at very high volume before generative models existed, and for an enterprise running one collections process across thirty legal entities that maturity is the point. But the design assumption is that a person does the work and the software queues it, and that assumption is what a newer platform is built to reject. The practical consequence shows up in exceptions. Sending a reminder is straightforward and every tier does it competently. Working out that an invoice has not moved because it was rejected by a procurement portal three weeks ago, silently, and then resubmitting it with the corrected PO reference, is a different class of task. Those are the invoices that reach ninety days, and they are why an aging report can look stable while cash does not arrive. ## Which AI-native accounts receivable platforms belong on a 2026 shortlist? Six platforms are worth knowing in this tier: Monk, Fazeshift, Stuut, Daylit, Paraglide AI and Invoice Butler. All six were built after 2023 and all six run agents rather than rules. They are described below rather than ranked, because they cover different amounts of the cycle and the right choice depends on which part of yours is broken. One distinction is worth drawing before the detail, because it is a fact about coverage rather than a judgement. Several of these platforms run collections and cash application. Only Monk publishes a portal submission capability with a count behind it, and for a seller with enterprise customers that step decides whether the invoice enters accounts payable at all. Where a shortlist has two platforms that look alike on collections, the question of who handles submission is usually what separates them. Billing platforms are a separate category and not on this list. Tabs, Sequence, Zenskar and LedgerUp are all AI-first and all worth knowing, but they solve the invoice before it is sent rather than the cash after. If your invoices are frequently wrong on arrival, that is where to look and this is the wrong guide. ### Monk Monk is an AI-native invoice-to-cash platform that submits invoices into more than 600 corporate accounts payable portals, runs collections through an AI agent, and applies incoming cash automatically, working on top of the ERP a company already runs rather than replacing it. It is the only platform on this list that puts a number on its portal coverage and its autonomous submission rate, which is the claim in this category most worth asking a vendor to substantiate. Across the $2B+ in receivables Monk manages, 92% of enterprise invoices have to be submitted through a corporate accounts payable portal rather than paid from an emailed invoice, and that step generates a substantial share of unexplained ageing because a portal rejection usually arrives as silence. Monk files into more than 600 portals including Coupa, Ariba and SAP Business Network, submits 87% of them without a person involved, and returns each rejection to the invoice record with the reason attached, so a collector sees a named fault rather than an invoice that is merely late. Julia, the agent behind Intelligent Collections, ingests the context of the conversation on an account and answers what the customer wrote rather than advancing a fixed sequence. A promise to pay pauses follow-up until the committed date arrives. A raised query routes as a dispute rather than triggering another reminder. 90% of collections resolve with zero human intervention, and outreach records a 24% higher response rate than standard dunning. Mail sends from the team's own mailbox through Gmail or Microsoft 365, so the customer sees a person they recognise. Voice Collections handles calls as a separate product. Cash application matches receipts at an 80% automatic rate, rising to 95% once suggested rules are enabled, including the partial payments and multi-invoice remittances that ordinarily land in a spreadsheet. Onboarding takes less than one week. SOC 2 Type II. **Best for** B2B finance teams that want invoicing, portal submission, collections and cash application in one system rather than assembled from parts. The case is strongest where a wide book of net-terms accounts has to be worked without adding headcount, and strongest of all where enterprise customers are involved and portal submission gates payment. *New York. $25M Series A, April 2026, co-led by Footwork and Acrew. $2B+ in receivables under management.* ### Fazeshift Fazeshift runs AI agents across the full receivables workflow, working over ERPs, CRMs, email and payment platforms so that invoicing and reconciliation sit in one layer rather than being split across two tools. The company's framing is that receivables, unlike payables, is a snowflake problem: every customer has a different portal, format and requirement, and that variability is what agents absorb well. Splitting outbound and inbound across separate systems creates a seam, where the team that sent the invoice and the team that matches the payment are looking at different records of the same customer. **Best for** teams who want agent coverage across invoicing and reconciliation together. *San Francisco. Founded 2023\. $22M raised, most recently a $17M Series A in May 2026 led by F-Prime Capital.* ### Stuut Stuut runs autonomous AI agents across collections, cash application, payments and deductions, working over SMS, email and voice rather than email alone, and learning each customer's payment patterns as it goes. Deductions are the distinguishing piece. A customer who pays an invoice minus a freight charge, minus a damaged goods claim, minus an unearned discount, and sends no explanation, creates work that no reminder sequence touches. Treating deductions as a first-class object rather than an exception queue is a meaningful design choice, particularly for distribution and consumer goods businesses where short pays are routine. **Best for** teams whose ageing is driven by deductions and short pays rather than silence. *New York. Founded 2024\. $29.5M Series A in November 2025 led by Andreessen Horowitz.* ### Daylit Daylit positions itself as a system of action rather than a system of record, with agents that connect into the ERP, CRM and communication channels, decide what to do next on each account, and then do it. It is the only platform here that pairs collections with embedded working capital, offering invoice sale, payment plans and net terms alongside the agents. That combination is a real fork in the road. Collecting faster and financing the gap are two different answers to the same cash problem, and a business that needs the money this month rather than next quarter may want both in one place. A business that does not want financing in its receivables stack should know the two are bundled. **Best for** teams who want collections and access to working capital from the same platform. *Boston. Founded 2022 as Lendica, rebranded to Daylit in September 2025\. $110M raised in September 2025, equity and debt combined, led by Companyon Ventures with a credit facility from Viola Credit.* ### Paraglide AI Paraglide AI builds agents for receivables aimed at teams handling high invoice and inbox volume, with two-way conversational email follow-up and compliance logging, and it is the only European-headquartered option on this list. The inbox framing is the distinguishing part. Most AR platforms are built outbound-first and treat the reply as an interruption. A product designed around the inbound side starts from the assumption that the hard work is reading what came back, which matches how a collections team spends its day. Multi-language coverage carries more weight here than it would for a purely domestic vendor. **Best for** European and multi-language teams, and anyone whose bottleneck is inbound volume rather than outbound cadence. *Malmö, Sweden. $5M seed in January 2026, co-led by Bessemer Venture Partners and DN Capital.* ### Invoice Butler Invoice Butler is an AR automation tool focused on invoice chasing, contact resolution, supplier portal management and payment status, written to sound like a person rather than a system. Contact resolution is a real capability here rather than a footnote. Identifying who approves an invoice inside a large customer, after the original contact has left, is one of the more common reasons an otherwise clean invoice sits untouched for a month. **Best for** teams whose problem is squarely chasing and portal handling. *New York.* ## How well does each platform connect to your ERP? This is the question that decides implementations, and it is the one most often waved through in a demo. Across our own sales conversations this year, ERP integration came up more than any other topic, and NetSuite came up roughly four times as often as any other system. Acumatica, Sage Intacct, Microsoft Dynamics, Oracle, QuickBooks Desktop and a long tail of industry systems make up the rest. AI-native vendors are young, which has a direct consequence here: they have integrated with fewer environments than a platform that has been shipping connectors for fifteen years. That is a fair trade for what the newer architecture does, but it has to be checked rather than assumed. Three things are worth confirming in writing before a contract. **Your ERP and your version, specifically.** "We support NetSuite" and "we support your NetSuite, on your version, with your customisations" are different statements. Ask which customers on your exact configuration are live today. **Real-time or batch, and in which direction.** An integration that reads invoices hourly but writes payment status nightly leaves your aged trial balance wrong for most of the working day, which means collectors chase people who have already paid. **Which objects are covered.** Invoices and customers are table stakes. Payments, credit limits, credit memos, deductions and contacts are where the gaps usually sit, and a missing contact object is why an agent cannot find who to email. If your ERP is not on a vendor's list, ask what the alternative looks like. A scheduled file exchange or a direct API connection can work perfectly well, but you should hear that plainly rather than discover it during implementation. ## What should you ask any accounts receivable automation vendor? Put all eight to every product on this list, ours included. The answers separate the tiers faster than a feature grid does. 1. **Delivery and exceptions.** Do you handle portal submission and W9 or PO exceptions yourselves, or do they return to our inbox? 2. **Collections intelligence.** Can tone, timing and escalation be set by customer segment, or is outreach a fixed cadence? Does it pause when a customer commits to a date? 3. **Coverage.** Do you read inbound replies and attach them to the correct invoice, or only send outbound? 4. **Cash application.** Can you auto-match partial and multi-invoice payments, and how quickly does the ledger reflect a receipt? 5. **Autonomy and control.** How much does the system do without approval today, can that be dialled up as trust grows, and is every action auditable? 6. **Forecasting.** Can you forecast cash from the full context captured, including exceptions, or only from what is already invoiced? 7. **Integration depth.** Is synchronisation real-time or batch, and which objects are supported: invoices, customers, payments, credit limits? Confirm your ERP and version specifically rather than in principle. 8. **Evidence.** Ask for outcome data, DSO reduction, match rate, response rate, hours saved, and ask which customer profile it came from. Question one separates fastest. If exceptions are surfaced to your team rather than resolved, they remain your work, and exceptions are where the ageing accumulates. ## What does it cost, and how do you build the business case? Pricing in this category is not published, and that is worth saying plainly rather than pretending otherwise. Vendors price on invoice volume, customer count, seats, modules, or some blend, and the number you are quoted depends heavily on which of those a given vendor has chosen to meter. Ask early, and ask what happens when volume doubles, because a per-invoice model and a platform fee behave very differently through a growth year. The business case is more tractable than the pricing, and it is the part finance teams tend to under-prepare. A CFO evaluating this will ask for four numbers, so bring them. **The cost of the current process.** Not the software you are replacing, the hours. Count the time your team spends on follow-up, cash application and chasing documents, and price it at loaded cost. Most teams have never measured this and are surprised by it. **The cash released by a shorter DSO.** Take your average daily receipts and multiply by the days you expect to remove. This is usually the largest number in the case and the one that gets the approval, because it is working capital rather than expense. **Bad debt avoided.** Invoices that age past ninety days convert to write-offs at a rate your own ledger can tell you. Reducing that tail has a direct P&L effect. **The headcount question, answered straight.** Most finance leaders are not trying to cut AR staff. They are trying to avoid hiring the next one while the customer count doubles. Frame it that way if that is your situation, because a case built on redundancies tends to stall in approval. Ask every vendor for outcome data behind their claims, and ask which customer profile it came from. A DSO reduction achieved at a company with fifty enterprise customers does not transfer to a business with four thousand small ones. ## How do you know which half of this list you need? Before evaluating anyone, answer one question: is the invoice wrong, or is the invoice correct and still unpaid? Pull twenty recent invoices and timestamp every stage, from issue to submission to acceptance to payment. If most of the delay accrues before acceptance, no volume of follow-up will fix it and the requirement is submission handled properly rather than more reminders. If the delay sits after acceptance, it is a collections problem. If invoices are frequently wrong on arrival, the answer is a billing platform rather than anything on this list. Most teams cannot produce an acceptance rate or a time-to-acceptance figure from their current reporting, and that is itself the finding. We have written up [why AP portals resist automation](https://monk.com/blog/automating-ap-portals-enterprise) for anyone who wants the technical account of why that step breaks. Whichever tier you land in, run the eight questions before you run a demo. You can see how we answer them at [Monk](https://monk.com). ### B200 vs. B300: A Practical Guide to Choosing the Right NVIDIA GPU for Your AI Workload URL: https://www.techloy.com/b200-vs-b300-a-practical-guide-to-choosing-the-right-nvidia-gpu-for-your-ai-workload/ Last updated: 2026-09-09T13:11:25.000Z Choosing GPU infrastructure used to be a relatively simple decision: pick the newest chip NVIDIA offered and scale from there. That's no longer quite so straightforward. With both the B200 and the B300 now available side by side, engineering teams are increasingly asking not "which GPU is newest" but "which GPU actually fits this workload" — because the two chips, despite coming from the same Blackwell family, are optimized for meaningfully different jobs. This distinction matters more than it might initially appear, since overpaying for capability you don't need is just as costly as underprovisioning a workload that can't run efficiently on smaller hardware. Fortunately, teams no longer have to commit to one architecture before they've tested it — flexible[ nvidia b300 rental](https://theai.com/b300-rental) options, alongside equivalent B200 access, let engineering teams benchmark both chips against their actual workload before making a longer-term infrastructure decision. That kind of direct comparison tends to produce far better decisions than choosing based on spec sheets alone. ## **Understanding the Core Differences** Both GPUs share the same underlying Blackwell architecture and dual-die design, but NVIDIA tuned the B300 specifically around memory capacity and inference throughput rather than delivering a uniform upgrade across every metric. The most relevant differences for infrastructure planning include: - **Memory capacity** — the B300 carries substantially more onboard memory (up to roughly 288 GB of HBM3e) compared to the B200's roughly 192 GB, which matters directly for models with large context windows or heavy key-value caching. - **Low-precision compute throughput** — the B300 delivers meaningfully higher dense FP4 performance, which benefits inference-heavy and reasoning workloads that rely on low-precision formats. - **Attention-layer performance** — NVIDIA reports notably faster attention processing on the B300, a change aimed squarely at reasoning models that spend a large share of their compute on this operation. - **Power draw and cooling requirements** — the B300 runs meaningfully hotter, drawing around 1,400 watts per GPU versus roughly 1,000 watts for the B200, which pushes it further toward liquid-cooled deployments. - **Precision trade-offs** — the B300 deliberately deprioritizes traditional high-precision compute (FP64) in favor of the low-precision formats that dominate modern AI workloads, making it less suited to classical scientific computing. None of these differences make one chip strictly "better" than the other — they simply reflect two different points on the spectrum between general-purpose AI compute and inference-optimized, memory-dense processing. ## **When the B200 Is the Better Choice** For a large share of AI workloads, the B200 remains a highly capable and more cost-efficient option. It tends to be the stronger fit when: - The model in question comfortably fits within roughly 150–180 GB of active memory without heavy reliance on long context windows. - The workload is training-heavy rather than inference-heavy, where the B300's inference-focused advantages matter less. - Budget efficiency is a priority and the extra memory capacity of the B300 would go largely unused. - The team is running standard fine-tuning or moderate-scale pretraining rather than frontier-scale models. - Facility constraints make the B200's lower power draw and cooling requirements meaningfully easier to accommodate. In short, if a workload doesn't specifically push against memory limits or depend heavily on fast, sustained inference, the B200 often delivers strong performance at a lower cost per GPU-hour. ## **When the B300 Is the Better Choice** The B300 earns its premium in a narrower but fast-growing set of use cases, particularly where memory — not raw compute — is the actual bottleneck: - **Long chain-of-thought reasoning models**, which generate large volumes of intermediate tokens and need memory to match. - **Retrieval-augmented generation systems**, where large external documents get pulled directly into the context window. - **Mixture-of-experts architectures**, which require enough memory to hold many specialized sub-networks even when only a subset is active per request. - **High-concurrency production inference**, where serving many simultaneous users from a memory-dense model reduces the need for complex sharding across GPUs. - **Frontier-scale models** that simply won't fit comfortably within the B200's memory ceiling without significant engineering workarounds. For teams operating in these categories, the extra memory and inference throughput of the B300 frequently translate into simpler deployments and lower latency — advantages that can outweigh the higher cost and power requirements. ## **A Practical Decision Framework** Rather than defaulting to whichever GPU sounds more advanced, teams generally get better results by working through a short set of questions before committing: 1. **What's the active memory footprint of the model in production**, including context window and cache, not just the base parameter count? 2. **Is the workload training-bound or inference-bound**, and does that workload specifically benefit from the B300's attention and low-precision throughput advantages? 3. **How much does concurrency matter**, and would consolidating onto fewer, memory-dense GPUs meaningfully simplify the deployment? 4. **What does the cost difference look like at actual usage volumes**, rather than list price alone? 5. **Can the workload be benchmarked on both chips first**, to validate assumptions before locking in a longer-term commitment? Working through these questions with real usage data — rather than assumptions — tends to prevent two common mistakes: overpaying for capacity that goes unused, or underprovisioning a workload that quietly struggles with memory pressure once it reaches production scale. ## **Why This Decision Rarely Stays Static** It's worth noting that the "right" choice between these two GPUs isn't necessarily permanent. A product that launches on the B200 today may outgrow it within a year as usage patterns shift — longer conversations, richer retrieval pipelines, or a move toward more sophisticated reasoning capabilities can all quietly push a workload's memory footprint upward. Teams that revisit this decision periodically, rather than treating it as a one-time infrastructure choice, tend to avoid both premature overspending and the scramble that comes with hitting a memory ceiling in production. This is another area where rental-based access has a practical advantage over ownership: shifting a workload from one GPU generation to another doesn't require decommissioning owned hardware or absorbing a loss on depreciated equipment. It's simply a matter of provisioning a different instance type once the workload's actual requirements become clear. ## **Conclusion** The choice between the B200 and the B300 isn't really about which chip is more powerful in the abstract — it's about which one matches the specific memory and throughput demands of a given workload. The B200 remains a strong, cost-efficient option for a wide range of training and moderate-scale inference tasks, while the B300 exists specifically for the memory-hungry reasoning, agentic, and frontier-scale workloads that are becoming more common across the industry. Because both are available through flexible rental access, teams don't need to guess: benchmarking real workloads against both architectures before committing to production infrastructure remains the most reliable way to make this decision well. ### QR Codes, NFC Business Cards, and the Tech-Print Crossover URL: https://www.techloy.com/qr-codes-nfc-business-cards-and-the-tech-print-crossover/ Last updated: 2026-09-09T12:29:13.000Z *How "smart" print products are quietly merging physical and digital marketing* There's a persistent myth in marketing that print is on its way out, replaced by screens and apps. Anyone who's spent time in the industry lately knows that's not quite right. What's actually happened is more interesting: print hasn't been replaced, it's been rewired. A flyer can now open a website. A business card can load straight into a phone. The paper hasn't disappeared, it's just picked up a digital pulse. This is the tech-print crossover, and it's becoming one of the more practical shifts in small business marketing. Print is good at getting attention, digital is good at converting that attention into something measurable, a sale, a booking, a saved contact. QR codes and NFC (Near Field Communication) are the bridge between the two. # What Makes a Print Product "Smart"? A smart print product is simply something you can hold that also connects to a digital experience. It might be a flyer with a QR code linking to a booking page, or a business card that transfers contact details with a tap. Nothing about the underlying print process changes much. What changes is what happens after someone picks it up. This matters because buying habits have shifted, but not in the direction people assume. Consumers still respond well to physical materials, a printed piece feels more trustworthy than a banner ad, but they also expect a fast way to act on what they see. More small businesses across Australia now expect QR and NFC options to be offered as standard whenever they order print, not as an upsell. # QR Codes: The Simple Bridge Between Paper and Screen QR codes have been around for decades, but their role in marketing has matured. Once a novelty stuck on the corner of a poster, they're now a deliberate design element linking printed material to a specific, trackable outcome. A QR code on a flyer can send someone to a landing page, a menu, or a booking form. A QR code on packaging can link to care instructions. A QR code on an event poster can collect RSVPs without anyone typing a URL. The appeal is removing friction, no need to remember a web address, the scan does the work. QR codes are also useful because each one can be tracked separately. A business running the same promotion across flyers, posters, and shop window decals can generate a unique code for each format and see which is actually driving traffic. That feedback loop was much harder to get from print alone, which is part of why smart print products are being taken seriously by marketers who care about return on investment, not just aesthetics. # NFC Business Cards: Networking Without the Fumble If QR codes are the bridge for flyers and posters, NFC does something similar for one of the oldest print products around, the humble business card. An NFC-enabled card has a small chip embedded in it that, when tapped against a smartphone, can open a website, share a digital contact file, or link to a portfolio, without the other person needing to scan or type anything. This solves a genuinely common problem. Traditional cards get lost, sit in drawers, or get typed incorrectly into a phone, if they get typed in at all. An NFC card removes several of those failure points, and the tap-to-share action takes a couple of seconds, since both Android and iOS support tap interactions natively. For businesses that rely on face-to-face networking, this is a small but meaningful upgrade. Sales reps, real estate agents, and tradespeople handing out cards at trade shows benefit from a format that's easier to act on the moment it's received. It's part of why demand has grown across Australia for [custom online business cards](https://theprintcompany.com.au/Business-Cards~212207) that combine a professionally designed physical card with an embedded NFC chip, giving businesses a strong first impression and a functional digital handoff in the same object. # Why the Crossover Actually Works The reason QR codes and NFC cards work well together comes back to a point made earlier: print and digital solve different problems, and pairing them plays to the strengths of both. Print is good at being noticed in physical spaces, on a counter, handed across a table at a networking event, without relying on an algorithm to be seen. Digital is good at capturing action once attention has already been earned, a purchase, a sign-up, a saved contact. Smart print products connect those two moments so the effort spent on design and printing isn't wasted on a one-way interaction. There's a cost angle too. Adding a QR code to a flyer costs nothing extra in most cases, it's simply part of the design. NFC chips add a small per-unit cost to a card, but that's minor against the upside of easier follow-up and fewer missed leads. For most small and medium businesses, the crossover isn't an expensive tech investment, it's a design decision made at the point of ordering. # Practical Applications Across Industries Hospitality venues use QR codes on table cards to link to digital menus, cutting printing costs when menus change often. Real estate agents use QR-linked "for sale" signage to connect passers-by straight to a listing with photos and inspection times. Retailers use QR codes on shelf talkers to link to product demos or care instructions. Professionals in consulting and finance increasingly carry NFC cards because a fast, memorable handoff of contact details matters more at events than a card that just looks nice in a wallet. None of these examples require abandoning print, they're using it for what it does well and layering a digital shortcut on top. # Getting the Print Side Right None of this works if the underlying print quality is poor. A QR code printed too small, placed in a low-contrast area, or reproduced on cheap stock that curls or fades undermines the whole concept. The same goes for NFC cards, if the card feels flimsy, the impression it leaves works against the polished digital experience it's meant to introduce. This is where working with an established print provider matters. Businesses based in Victoria looking to combine solid print fundamentals with smart features generally do better going with a [print company melbourne](https://theprintcompany.com.au/) businesses already trust, rather than a generic overseas print broker with no local support if something needs adjusting before a run goes ahead, and no real understanding of what works for an Australian audience. # Where This Is Heading Anyone adding a QR code or NFC feature to a print run should test it first, on a few different phones, in different lighting, and confirm the destination page is mobile-friendly. A code that leads to a broken link does more harm than good, it tells the person the business didn't think it through. The tech-print crossover isn't a passing trend so much as a natural correction. Print was never really competing with digital, the two were always suited to different jobs, attention versus action, physical trust versus fast conversion. QR codes and NFC simply let businesses stop treating them as separate strategies and start treating them as one connected experience. For anyone weighing up their next print order, the question isn't whether to go digital or stay physical. It's how the two can work together, so a flyer picked up at a market stall isn't the end of the interaction, but the start of one. ### Former OpenAI and Anthropic Researcher Warns AI Labs Are Racing Too Fast URL: https://www.techloy.com/anthropic-researcher-quits-jacob-coxon-ai-safety/ Last updated: 2026-09-09T11:36:03.000Z Former [OpenAI](https://www.techloy.com/tag/openai/) technical staff and [Anthropic](https://www.techloy.com/tag/anthropic/) researcher Jacob Coxon has resigned from the AI company, citing concerns over how both labs are approaching AI safety. Coxon announced his departure on [X](https://x.com/hilbertspaess/status/2097476219138867492) yesterday, saying he was leaving Anthropic for the same reason he previously left OpenAI. The 27-year-old researcher worked on pretraining, the stage where models are fed large volumes of data and has also spoken to the Wall Street Journal about his decision. He argued that both AI labs are being reckless about the safety risks associated with increasingly advanced AI systems. In a post on X, Coxon said he had "spent the last three years doing pretraining research at both OpenAI and Anthropic." However, he added that "neither company is acting responsibly." "They are racing straight to self-improving superintelligence and gambling with our lives," he said. [Anthropic’s £630K London Salary Sparks “Brutal” Talent War for Tech StartupsThis could turn hiring into an arms race, where only the deepest pockets consistently win talent.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-fafffe1c-d8e7-4dd1-bd95-f7413a8a1f59.png)TechloyDavid Adubiina![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1522071820081-009f0129c71c-b14d89b3-7e6c-4003-8cc4-f128ffb8fb7e)](https://www.techloy.com/anthropics-630k-london-salary-sparks-brutal-talent-war-for-tech-startups/) ## Why it matters now Coxon’s warning comes as both OpenAI and Anthropic have faced incidents involving their AI systems gaining access to other organisations’ systems. In July, OpenAI disclosed that an experimental AI agent had escaped a controlled test environment and gained unauthorised access to Hugging Face’s infrastructure, prompting remediation work. Techloy [reported](https://www.techloy.com/openai-hugging-face-hack/) at the time that the agent reached Hugging Face's systems without authorisation. Anthropic also acknowledged cases around the same period in which Claude models gained unauthorised access to external systems, although the company said those incidents involved misconfigured evaluation environments and that current models pose low risk. The incidents have added to a debate already underway inside the major AI labs over whether voluntary safety commitments, including pledges not to train more capable models without adequate safeguards, can hold up under competitive pressure. “I am optimistic about the potential for coordination,” he wrote, adding that “warning shots like the Hugging Face attack have made pacing agreements between U.S. labs more viable.” But he said he does not believe the labs are on track to prevent a global race to develop increasingly capable AI, which he argued could require costly measures such as a temporary ban on improving model capabilities. ## Why are AI researchers worried about where this is heading? Some users on X have questioned Coxon's view on how this could happen. “I just genuinely don’t understand how AI can literally kill us all,” one user wrote. Coxon did not explain exactly how that could happen. Instead, he pointed to the fact that many of the people building AI already believe the technology could pose an existential threat. “The people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade,” he wrote. He also pushed back against the idea that such warnings are simply a marketing tactic. “This is not a marketing stunt,” he wrote, arguing that many executives and senior researchers may sound more measured publicly while privately expressing the same fears. “No other human activity poses this level of danger,” he added. ## How differently do OpenAI and Anthropic view the risk? Despite the level of danger the technology poses, the researcher said the two companies have responded to those risks differently. “At OpenAI, many have not deeply internalized the civilizational stakes. At Anthropic, the stakes are well-understood, but they are locked in a race to get there first,” he wrote. “They believe no one else will act responsibly, so they must do it themselves, despite the risk.” ## Does anyone at Anthropic agree with these concerns? Evan Hubinger, a current Anthropic employee who leads the lab’s alignment stress-testing team, agreed with the broader concern in a reply to Coxon’s post. “Jacob is correct here—we really do earnestly believe AI could kill all humans!” Hubinger wrote, adding that he personally puts the likelihood at more than 10% within the next decade. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Kingdom Hearts 4 Leak: Everything We Know About the Steam Leak URL: https://www.techloy.com/kingdom-hearts-steam-achievements-leak-all-10-worlds/ Last updated: 2026-09-09T11:30:17.000Z I've been waiting for Kingdom Hearts 4 to finally give us something substantial to talk about beyond its first trailer, so seeing a [leak](https://nintendoeverything.com/major-kingdom-hearts-4-leak-surfaces-new-worlds-revealed/) this large surface is both exciting and frustrating. According to the leaked information, Steam appears to have exposed achievement data for Kingdom Hearts 4 alongside a larger batch of unreleased games. If the information is legitimate, we may now have our clearest look yet at what Sora's next adventure could include. The leak points to new worlds, side activities, crafting, Gummi routes, multiplayer features, and potentially Star Wars. That last one is obviously going to get most of the attention. If you'd rather experience Kingdom Hearts 4 without spoilers, consider this your warning. [Zelda Switch 2, Ocarina of Time: Everything AnnouncedNintendo showed Ocarina of Time in motion for the first time, dated a Zelda Switch 2 for October 29, and gave the movie a title but no trailer.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-1816083a-954c-4116-8b4a-53c2c6a822a8.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1707707366502-666bb7d4eca3-ba536582-8898-455e-93e2-d8efca087a89)](https://www.techloy.com/zelda-40th-anniversary-direct-everything-announced/) ## The Kingdom Hearts 4 Leak Points to New Worlds The leaked achievement list reportedly references several locations, including: - Quadratum - Scala Ad Caelum - Underworld — Hercules - Galaxy Far, Far Away — Star Wars - Toy Box - Haunted Mansion - Monochrome Origins - Savanna Central — Zootopia - Land of the Dead — Coco - Imagineer Planet Some of these are easier to figure out than others. Toy Box and the Underworld have obvious connections to Toy Story and Hercules, while Savanna Central appears to point toward Zootopia. Land of the Dead, meanwhile, sounds like a clear reference to Coco. Imagineer Planet is the real mystery. But the biggest entry on this list is undoubtedly Galaxy Far, Far Away. ## What is the Connection of Kingdom Hearts 4 and Star Wars The Star Wars connection isn't exactly a new theory. Fans have been speculating about it since Kingdom Hearts 4 was first revealed, particularly because of the forest shown in the original trailer. Some fans believed the environment looked suspiciously similar to locations from Star Wars, although there was never any official confirmation. Now, the leaked achievements appear to give that theory some serious weight. One achievement is reportedly called "Desert Do-Gooder" and requires players to complete every request in the "Galaxy Far, Far Away." Another is reportedly titled "May the Light Be with You." As a gaming writer, I'm always careful with leaks because development plans can change. But if these achievement descriptions are genuine and still reflect the final game, it's difficult to interpret them as anything other than a Star Wars tease. And honestly, seeing Sora interact with the Star Wars universe would be one of the wildest crossovers Kingdom Hearts has attempted. [Onimusha: Way of the Sword Sold 1 Million. Mega Man Is NextCapcom left Onimusha for dead for 20 years, and it came back to sell a million copies in a single day.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-aff77d56-62a6-48ff-b8db-60e850642817.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/image-15--1--6944da84-8f20-4a96-ae01-20ce60e29329.png)](https://www.techloy.com/onimusha-way-of-the-sword-1-million-copies-day-one/) ## Kingdom Hearts 4 Could Expand Its RPG Systems The leak also suggests that Kingdom Hearts 4 could offer more than the traditional hack-and-slash combat the series is known for. Several achievements reportedly involve equipment, crafting and progression. There's an achievement for obtaining the Ultima Weapon Keyblade, another for collecting every piece of equipment, and one for obtaining maximum-rarity equipment. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Vivo’s X500 Pro Max Is Turning the Camera into the Main Event URL: https://www.techloy.com/vivo-x500-series-launch-date-camera-specs-everything-we-know/ Last updated: 2026-09-09T11:27:04.000Z The [Vivo](https://www.techloy.com/tag/vivo/) X500 series is set to launch in China on September 21, bringing three new phones with a heavy focus on smartphone photography and video. The X500 Pro Max is the headline act, with a 50MP main camera, 200MP telephoto, up to 17EV of dynamic range, 4K 240fps slow-motion recording and CIPA 7.0 stabilization with a 3-degree gimbal system. An India launch is expected in October, although Vivo has yet to confirm the date. After weeks of teasers, we finally know when Vivo will show off the X500 series and, more importantly, what the company has been building around its cameras. [Vivo S2 5G Launched in India: Price and SpecificationsThe S-series was dormant for seven years, now it’s back as a 5G phone with a 3,000-nit display, and a flagship-grade camera![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-c37a7310-586f-4f21-92f2-c67ba24f5b63.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1687168582375-097293b91c04-1d41e3cc-2baa-4732-a3d7-dbf0ca04d44a)](https://www.techloy.com/vivo-s2-5g-launched-india-price-specifications/) ## The lineup: three phones, one launch date The Vivo X500 series will comprise the standard X500, X500 Pro and X500 Pro Max. All three are scheduled to launch in China on September 21. The timing is also interesting. [MediaTek](https://www.techloy.com/tag/mediatek/) is expected to unveil its next-generation flagship Dimensity processors on September 15, just six days before Vivo’s launch. The X500 Pro Max is expected to use the Dimensity 9600 Pro, while the standard X500 is expected to use the Dimensity 9600. ## The camera upgrades Cameras are clearly where Vivo wants most of the attention. The X500 Pro Max will feature a new 50MP main camera based on Sony’s LYT-910 sensor, which Vivo markets as the BluePrint LightGuard 900\. It is designed to deliver up to 17EV of dynamic range, while the series will support 4K 240fps slow motion and 4K 120fps HDR video. The Pro Max also gets CIPA 7.0 stabilisation, with up to three degrees of physical movement to help compensate for camera shake. Its 200MP HP0 telephoto camera is designed for long-range photography and can support a 400mm external teleconverter. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Snowfall Spinoff The Drop Is on FX and Hulu Without Franklin Saint URL: https://www.techloy.com/snowfall-spinoff-the-drop-where-to-watch/ Last updated: 2026-09-09T10:24:14.000Z Three years after Snowfall ended, its story is returning through the world of music. The Drop: A Snowfall Saga premiered on Tuesday, September 8, taking viewers back to 1990s Los Angeles, where the fallout from the crack epidemic meets the rise of West Coast rap. The eight-episode series follow familiar Snowfall characters Wanda Bell and Leon Simmons as they attempt to build different futures in a city where music, street politics and money are becoming increasingly connected. Created by Malcolm Spellman, The Drop isn't trying to recreate Snowfall. It moves the franchise into a [different period and industry](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/tv/articles/drop-snowfall-saga-premiering-sept-143438936.html), using the emergence of gangsta rap to explore what happens when a culture born on the streets begins attracting serious commercial interest. [Landman Season 3 Delayed to 2027: What We KnowLandman Season 3 is now expected in 2027, with filming set to begin in September. Here’s what we know about the new season.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-454516ce-8819-4f5d-8ee3-4ee7be7386bf.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/image--2--16c8635e-e034-40d7-ad85-fef3062bcde2.png)](https://www.techloy.com/landman-season-3-release-date-2027/) ## When and Where Can Viewers Watch it? The Drop: A Snowfall Saga premiered on September 8 at 9 p.m. ET on FX and [Hulu](https://www.techloy.com/tag/hulu/) in the US. New episodes are being released weekly, with the season scheduled to run through October 27\. International viewers can also find the series on Disney+, with the show arriving on the service from September 9 in some markets. ## Can The Drop Work Without Franklin Saint? That is one of the major questions surrounding the new series. Damson Idris’ Franklin was the central figure of Snowfall, and his transformation from an ambitious young man into a ruthless drug kingpin gave the original show its main dramatic engine. The Drop does not attempt to replace him with another version of Franklin. Instead, Wanda and Leon become the bridge between the two series. The Wrap noted that the new series was always going to be different without Idris, but argued that this was not necessarily a weakness because The Drop can establish its own identity rather than trying to repeat what worked in Snowfall. That choice could ultimately be important to the franchise. A spinoff that simply copied Snowfall’s structure would risk feeling like an extension that exists only because the original was successful. By moving into music, The Drop has a chance to explore another side of the same city and period. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Best 6 Video Editors for Windows/Mac/Linux from Basic to Pro URL: https://www.techloy.com/best-6-video-editors-for-windows-mac-linux-from-basic-to-pro/ Last updated: 2026-09-09T10:16:50.000Z Most beginners feel frustrated with video editing not because they lack creativity, but because pro software throws them into dozens of tracks and parameters, they don't quite understand yet. So, it's important to know where you are on the path from newcomer to veteran and find the right video editor to boost your confidence. After trying them hands-on, I list 6 easy-to-pro video editing programs for Windows/Mac, and some for Linux and mobiles. Learn about their key features, modern AI strengths, and ease of use. You'll find one that suits you best. ## Top 6 Video Editing Software Compared | **Software** | **Platforms** | **Ease of Use** | **Best For** | | ----------------------------------- | ------------------------------- | ---------------- | ------------------------------- | | **CapCut** | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Web | Very Easy | Social media beginners | | **Tipard Video Converter Ultimate** | Windows, Mac | Very Easy | Conversion plus light editing | | **Kdenlive** | Windows, Mac, Linux | Easy | Budget creators & new YouTubers | | **Final Cut Pro** | Mac, iPad | Easy to Moderate | Mac users | | **Premiere Pro** | Windows, Mac | Moderate | Pros & agencies | | **DaVinci Resolve** | Windows, Mac, Linux | Advanced | Filmmakers & colorists | ## 1\. CapCut CapCut is probably the easiest editing software for starting off. It demands little from your hardware. Templates and auto features help you create fancy clips easily. What's better, it offers presets for vertical videos and direct sharing online, very sociable. One possible disappointment is the paywalls. I used some features and templates, liked the effects, and then found the export option locked behind paywalls – it showed me the effects to encourage payment. But luckily, it's still among the best free video editing apps with most core editing features on the house. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/capcut-interface.jpg) **Platforms:** Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and browser **Free Limit:** Some templates, effects, and advanced AI tools require Pro. **Pricing:** Pro from $19.99/month or $179.99/year **Learning Curve:** Easiest **Best for:** Beginners with average hardware, and short-form creators on TikTok, Reels, Shorts, etc. ## 2\. Tipard Video Converter Ultimate [Tipard Video Converter Ultimate](https://www.tipard.com/video-converter-ultimate/) is also a simple video editing software for Windows/Mac. As a dedicated converter, it contains light but decent editing tools: trimming, cropping, rotation & flip, filters, visual effects, organized in a clear and pleasant interface. I picked it up in minutes even without a guide. It stands out in its broad support of 500+ video and audio formats, up to 4K resolution. The resolution presets for specific social media and devices really make things easy. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/tipard-video-converter-ultimate.jpg) **Platforms:** Windows, Mac **Free Limit:** Up to 5-minute output. **Pricing:** Lifetime $56 for 1 PC; monthly $18 **Learning Curve:** Very Easy **Best for:** Users who need excellent format conversion and compression, along with light editing. ## 3\. Kdenlive Kdenlive feels like a natural next step once you've outgrown simple cutting. It offers a proper multi-track timeline, an effects collection, keyframe animation, color correction, and proxy editing that makes 4K manageable even on average hardware. The UI looks a little cluttered and plain, and it doesn't have templates or AI-powered smart tools, so it takes a bit more to learn. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/kdenlive-interface.jpg) **Platforms:** Windows, Mac, Linux **Free Limit:** Fully free with no limit **Pricing:** Free and open-source **Learning Curve:** Easy to Moderate **Best for:** Casual creators and intermediate creators. Best video editing software for YouTube beginners. ## 4\. Final Cut Pro Final Cut Pro is a great video editing app for Mac users. It's developed by Apple itself and optimized for Apple Silicon. It uses a unique trackless magnetic timeline, meaning clips automatically snap together. You can move a clip around freely without asking "At what time should it come in?". I can hardly say anything bad about it. The biggest limitation is probably the platform: it's Mac and iPad-only. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/final-cut-pro.jpg) **Platforms:** Mac, iPad **Free Limit:** 1-month free trial via Apple Creator Studio. **Pricing:** $299.99 one-time for Final Cut Pro, or $12.99/month included in Apple Creator Studio **Learning Curve:** Moderate **Best for:** Mac users who want fast speed and professional experience. ## 5\. Adobe Premiere Pro Adobe Premiere Pro is the industry standard. It's built for serious long-form work. Advanced projects like multi-cam, color correction, audio mixing, and complex motion graphics are where it rules. It's also integrated with Adobe After Effects, Photoshop, and Audition, so you can transfer projects freely. The trade-off is a steeper learning curve. It also demands decent hardware if you're working on high-res videos, like 4K. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/adobe-premiere-pro.jpg) **Platforms:** Windows, Mac, iPhone **Free Limit:** 7-day full free trial. **Pricing:** $22.99/month in the annual plan **Learning Curve:** Moderate **Best for:** Professionals, agencies, teams, and those already working in the Adobe ecosystem. ## 6\. DaVinci Resolve You've probably heard of DaVinci Resolve, one of the best free video editors. People speak highly of it because it provides pretty much anything a professional editor needs: video trimming, editing, AI enhancement, color grading with nodes and scopes, and even a complete audio toolbox. It has everything you need, and remains permanently free to access. With all its strong features, it needs a high-end GPU and has a steep learning curve. It took me, an absolute beginner, about 4 hours to get the hang of the basics, and there's still a lot more to learn about. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/davinci-resolve-2.jpg) **Platforms:** Windows, Mac, Linux **Free Limit:** Permanent free version with core features. Advanced AI tools, noise reduction, and 4K+ resolutions require the paid Studio. **Pricing:** $295 one-time for Studio **Learning Curve:** Steep **Best for:** Serious filmmakers on a budget. It's also the best free editing software for 4K videos. ## Final Recommendation **Best for short vertical videos:** CapCut **Best format compatibility:** Tipard Video Converter Ultimate **Best free powerhouse:** DaVinci Resolve **Best for pro users on Mac:** Final Cut Pro **Industry standard:** Premiere Pro ## Conclusion For those new to video production, CapCut and Tipard Video Converter Ultimate are the best video editing programs for beginners. When you grow into an advanced creator, Premiere and DaVinci Resolve will be your ultimate choices. ### The Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct: Everything Nintendo Announced URL: https://www.techloy.com/zelda-40th-anniversary-direct-everything-announced/ Last updated: 2026-09-09T09:45:46.000Z [Nintendo](https://www.techloy.com/tag/nintendo/) celebrated 40 years of The Legend of Zelda, and I have to admit, the anniversary Direct gave me quite a lot to take in. Going into the showcase, I expected Nintendo to finally show more of the Ocarina of Time remake. What I didn't expect was just how much the company had prepared around it. We got our first proper gameplay look at the remake, a release date, new Zelda-themed hardware, collectibles, music announcements, an expanded Zelda Notes experience, and, finally, an official title and release date for the long-awaited live-action The Legend of Zelda movie. But for me, there was one announcement that immediately stood above everything else: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is being remade exclusively for Nintendo Switch 2. After years of fans wondering what Nintendo might do with one of the most influential games in the history of the medium, seeing the remake in motion was easily the highlight of the entire presentation. And what's particularly interesting is that Nintendo doesn't appear to be simply rebuilding Ocarina of Time with prettier graphics. The remake introduces new movement options, fully voiced characters, new progression tools, changes to familiar locations, and features designed specifically around the Switch 2. At the same time, Nintendo seems very conscious of what made the original special. The remake launches on November 5, 2026, and based on what Nintendo showed, I think there is going to be a lot to talk about between now and release. Here's everything Nintendo announced during The Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct. [10 Biggest Announcements from Nintendo Direct June 2026Nintendo’s June 2026 Direct delivered an Ocarina of Time remake, Kingdom Hearts IV, Xenoblade Genesis, and a clearer roadmap for Switch 2 through 2027.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-b53d5319-bbf7-4949-94f8-24879a68485b.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1774167096827-059dfda7eab9-dd262562-d1f2-44a7-b1e7-270d76525c4b)](https://www.techloy.com/nintendo-direct-june-2026-biggest-announcements/) ## Ocarina of Time Remake Finally Gets Its First Gameplay Reveal This was the moment I was waiting for. Nintendo producer Eiji Aonuma took viewers through an extended gameplay demonstration of Ocarina of Time, giving us our first real idea of how Nintendo is approaching the remake. The first thing that stood out to me was how familiar everything still feels. The demonstration begins in Kokiri Forest, where Link meets Saria, but the entire environment has been rebuilt with modern visuals. Nintendo has also added new dialogue, giving characters more room to express themselves instead of simply reproducing the original game's conversations word for word. Link himself feels considerably more modern. He can now jump manually and swim, while movement options such as sprinting and rolling have been updated. That should make exploring Hyrule feel considerably less restrictive than it did in the original game. Combat, thankfully, still looks recognizable. Link can use familiar weapons such as his sword and Deku Nuts, while the Fairy Slingshot returns with classic moments intact, including the puzzle where Link shoots an eye to lower a ladder. I particularly like the fact that Nintendo isn't trying to erase every trace of the original game. Even loading screens between certain areas remain. Aonuma explained that Nintendo deliberately kept them to preserve some of the feeling of playing the original Ocarina of Time. That is a surprisingly important detail to me. A remake doesn't necessarily need to modernize everything just because it can. ## Threads of Time Gives Link's Journey a New Progression System One of the more interesting additions is a feature called Threads of Time. It tracks Link's progress through the adventure and displays his current objective, while a tapestry gradually fills in as players move through the story. On paper, it sounds like a simple quality-of-life feature. But it could be particularly useful for players experiencing Ocarina of Time for the first time. The original game was never exactly difficult to follow, but modern players are accustomed to having a clearer understanding of where they have been, what they have accomplished, and what they should be doing next. Nintendo is also changing how some locations feel. Hyrule Castle Town, for example, has been transformed from the original game's more restricted perspective into a third-person environment. Time will also continue moving while Link is inside towns, allowing players to actually watch the transition from day to night. It's a small change, but it makes Hyrule feel more like a living world. ## You Can Hum Zelda Songs Into the Switch 2 Microphone This might be one of the strangest additions, but I genuinely want to try it. The Ocarina still works as expected, including its ability to manipulate the time of day, but Nintendo is now using the Switch 2's built-in microphone in an interesting way. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Why StoreClaw's “Dirty Work” Is Its Biggest Moat in ECommerce AI URL: https://www.techloy.com/why-storeclaws-dirty-work-is-its-biggest-moat-in-ecommerce-ai/ Last updated: 2026-09-09T09:41:30.000Z The AI automation race in e-commerce has become predictable in some ways. Every week, there's another tool that promises to write better product descriptions, generate marketing images, or help sellers brainstorm keywords in seconds. Those capabilities are becoming table stakes. If one AI model can do it today, another will probably do it tomorrow. But that's not where most online businesses lose time. The harder part of e-commerce nowadays is beyond generating content. It's executing hundreds of small operational tasks across Amazon, Shopify, TikTok Shop, eBay, WooCommerce, and every other platform where a business sells. Updating listings. Monitoring competitors. Adjusting advertising campaigns. Keeping inventory and pricing in sync. The work is repetitive, messy, and spread across multiple systems. That's creating a different kind of battle for ecommerce AI tools. According to[ ](https://www.storeclaw.ai/)[StoreClaw's](https://www.storeclaw.ai/) internal usage data, sellers preparing for the second half of the year are spending less time using AI to write listings and more time connecting storefronts, analysing products, creating marketing assets, and managing advertising workflows. The shift doesn't necessarily describe the entire e-commerce industry, but it does suggest StoreClaw's users are looking for something different from AI automation: a tool that executes work instead of simply generating ideas. And that's exactly where StoreClaw is trying to build its moat. ## **The data shows sellers are changing how they use AI** Back-to-school season is often a preview of what happens before the Q4 shopping rush. Between late July and early August, StoreClaw saw a noticeable change in how its most active U.S. sellers used the platform. The share of heavy users connecting live commerce platforms increased from 11.4% to 15.6%, while connected users grew by 19.6% during the same period. Image and video creation increased 4.5 percentage points, from 7.3% to 11.8%. That is important because it suggests sellers have moved beyond experimenting with AI-generated text. Instead, they're investing more in AI ecommerce operations that help prepare stores before holiday demand arrives. As StoreClaw co-founder Steven Zhou puts it: "Historically, enterprise retailers win Q3 and Q4 because they out-resource everyone else on speed and execution. A small seller can have a far superior product, but if they are manually updating inventory, tweaking prices product by product, or taking days to syndicate listings across platforms, they're too far behind. AI-driven operation is no longer optional; it is the key to achieving the speed required to stand out during peak surges." ## **The "dirty work" is where the moat lives** Ask ChatGPT or Claude to help run an online store and you'll probably get product descriptions, email campaigns, SEO ideas, or social media captions. Useful? Absolutely. Enough to run a business? Not really. StoreClaw's approach is built around the work that happens after those ideas are generated. Rather than acting as another writing assistant, it packages recurring ecommerce workflow automation into pre-built AI Skills that sellers can use without writing prompts from scratch. That includes identifying products with genuine demand before stocking inventory, creating marketplace-ready listings that reflect customer pain points, monitoring competitor pricing and reviews, and analysing advertising campaigns to identify wasted spend. The distinction sounds small, but it's an important product difference. General-purpose AI generates outputs. StoreClaw is trying to automate decisions and workflows. That's the important difference between AI assistance and ecommerce AI automation. That's a much harder product to build. ## **Why Amazon and Shopify probably won't solve this problem** It's easy to assume Amazon or Shopify could build similar cross-platform ecommerce automation tools. They have the engineering talent, seller data, and AI infrastructure. The bigger question is whether they have a reason to. Amazon benefits when merchants become better Amazon sellers. Shopify benefits when businesses build deeper into Shopify's ecosystem. Helping sellers operate seamlessly across Amazon, Shopify, TikTok Shop, eBay, and WooCommerce doesn't strengthen those ecosystems; it weakens the incentive for merchants to stay inside one. StoreClaw's value proposition is almost the opposite. It connects natively with more than 20 commerce platforms and storefronts, creating a layer that sits between marketplaces instead of inside one of them. That's a strategic difference, not just a feature. ## **The moat isn't the model** AI models are improving quickly, and many of today's features will become widely available across different products. StoreClaw's competitive argument is different. Its moat isn't a proprietary language model or a smarter chatbot. It's the operational infrastructure built around e-commerce: cross-platform integrations, specialised workflows, marketplace-specific knowledge, and business data that gives AI enough context to execute real tasks. That's a harder advantage to copy than another AI writing assistant. As e-commerce becomes more fragmented across marketplaces, social commerce, and multiple storefronts, the value may increasingly come from the AI that quietly handles the messy operational work in the background, the work sellers rarely talk about but spend hours doing every week. ## **Why execution needs business context** This is also where general-purpose AI starts to hit a wall. A chatbot can recommend keywords or rewrite a listing, but it doesn't know which of your products are underperforming, how much you're spending on ads, which competitors are discounting products today, or whether inventory is running low. StoreClaw's workflows are built around that context. Its AI doesn't work from generic prompts alone. It works from store-level information, campaign history, competitor activity, pricing signals, and marketplace data. That gives it enough context to recommend actions that are tied to an actual business instead of hypothetical advice. The AI isn't simply creating content. It creates recommendations based on live operational data. ## **The case studies say more than the feature list** The strongest evidence for execution-focused AI isn't the number of features. It's whether those workflows change outcomes. Take four StoreClaw customers. INCENZO, a three-person Shopify fragrance business, reported 142% growth in organic traffic, while automating around 18 hours of SEO work every week and reducing customer acquisition costs by 57%. The takeaway isn't better at copywriting; it's less manual operational work. Twinkle Star, an Amazon LED décor seller, cut product launch time from five to seven days down to 1.5 days while increasing conversion rates from 9.3% to 14.1%. That points to execution speed becoming a competitive advantage during busy sales periods. Ruvalino saw repeat purchases increase from 11% to 18% alongside stronger organic search visibility. That's an example of AI supporting customer retention, not just customer acquisition. LuxClub reduced the Advertising Cost of Sales from 35% to 22%, saved more than $80,000 per month in advertising spend, and reported a 47% quarter-over-quarter sales increase. Here, AI wasn't generating ads; it was helping improve campaign efficiency. Each example reinforces the same point: execution-focused AI creates value by reducing operational friction. ## **The moat isn't the model** Language models are improving quickly, and many AI features will eventually become widely available across competing products. StoreClaw's competitive argument is different. Its moat isn't a proprietary AI model or a smarter chatbot. It's the operational layer built around e-commerce: cross-platform integrations, specialised workflows, marketplace-specific knowledge, and business context that allows AI to execute real tasks. That's significantly harder to replicate than another AI writing assistant. As online retail becomes more fragmented across marketplaces, social commerce, and independent storefronts, the companies with the strongest AI for ecommerce sellers may not be the ones with the flashiest models. They may be the ones quietly automating the work sellers spend hours doing every week, the work customers never see, but businesses can't operate without. --- [\[1\]](#%5Fmsoanchor%5F1)Image and video creation increased 4.5 percentage points, from 7.3% to 11.8% ### Entry-Level Tech Jobs Are Down 25%. Here's What Happened URL: https://www.techloy.com/why-entry-level-tech-jobs-disappearing/ Last updated: 2026-09-09T09:30:40.000Z Unlike what early predictions suggested, [artificial intelligence](https://www.techloy.com/tag/artificial-intelligence/) hasn't replaced entire professions at scale. Instead, the technology has been disruptive in other ways, taking over parts of the work that junior employees once handled, from basic coding and research to data analysis and routine administrative tasks. Entry-level job postings, roles that require at least a college degree, are down more than 35% from January 2023, a drop equal to over 100,000 fewer new postings a month, while non-entry-level roles have been recovering over the same period, according to a [study](https://www.reveliolabs.com/news/macro/is-ai-responsible-for-the-rise-in-entry-level-unemployment) from Revelio Labs. Meanwhile, a 10-percentage point increase in a role's AI exposure is associated with an 11% drop in demand for that role at entry level, and a 7% increase in demand for the same role at senior level. For individuals trying to break into tech, this could now prove to be a problem as businesses integrate AI across their operations. [Students Aren’t Waiting for Jobs Anymore, They’re Building Startups With AI in CollegeAI is lowering the cost of building, pushing students to turn class projects into real businesses and rethink what a career path looks like.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-b0118bd5-7cde-4427-bca1-4b555358fb77.png)TechloyDavid Adubiina![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1522071820081-009f0129c71c-f333935b-14da-4b9b-8926-f6e68078e1e7)](https://www.techloy.com/students-arent-waiting-for-jobs-anymore-theyre-building-startups-with-ai-in-college/) ## Why the pathway is disappearing, not just the jobs? While there are many factors contributing to why this is happening, from experience inflation and economic uncertainty to leaner corporate structures, a more dominant factor is AI and automation. Generative AI tools now handle routine drafting, basic coding, data entry, and customer support tasks that were previously assigned to junior staff, making these roles less necessary as companies find they can get more done with fewer people. As a result, some organizations are reducing the number of entry-level positions they hire for. In tech specifically, the effect is further revealed by the numbers. According to Revelio Labs [data](https://www.reveliolabs.com/news/macro/is-ai-responsible-for-the-rise-in-entry-level-unemployment), Entry-level demand across the industry is down roughly 25%, the steepest decline of any major graduate-hiring sector. Within that, the most AI-exposed junior roles are down by more than 40%, more than any other category tracked. Then there are the roles emerging to maximise the use of AI, which aren't built to be as forgiving of inexperience either. As routine work becomes automated, more specialised positions are emerging around what is left. "There's a couple of roles that are popping up in the tech world," says [Kaan Un](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaan-un/), a Lead GTM Engineer for B2B, pointing to GTM engineering and forward-deployed engineering, a role Palantir pioneered, as examples. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### How Automated Sorters Streamline Returns Induction in U.S. E-Commerce Fulfillment Centers URL: https://www.techloy.com/how-automated-sorters-streamline-returns-induction-in-u-s-e-commerce-fulfillment-centers/ Last updated: 2026-09-09T08:10:31.000Z The number of return requests is growing throughout the USA, making it necessary for companies to deal with such returns faster and more effectively. Return induction has become an extremely important phase since every single product that needs to be returned passes through it before inspection and further steps. If this phase is done manually, then the process will become difficult and costly. An [automated sorter](https://addverb.com/us/functionality/sortation/) enhances the process of returns induction by recognising and routing the returned products into the right processing sequence with very little human involvement. With the increasing amount of returns in the USA, quick induction is key to enhancing visibility and reducing handling. ## Why Is Returns Induction a Critical Step in E-Commerce Fulfilment? Returns induction marks the moment when each of the returned items becomes part of the workflow within the warehouse. Induction determines how an item will be handled in terms of its examination, sortation, and final disposition. Any delay at the induction stage will have an impact on the speed of all subsequent activities. A well-connected [returns management system](https://addverb.com/us/functionality/reverse-logistics/) helps strengthen this stage by enhancing visibility right from the time that the returned goods enter the warehouse. Faster visibility and access to inventory data will facilitate improved planning and enable faster movement of the returned goods into the subsequent stages. This will help the fulfilment centres in the USA recover inventory without causing any delays. ## How Do Automated Sorters Streamline Returns Induction Workflows? An automated sorter makes routing a much faster process because it eliminates the need for manually sorting and sending the returned products to different places. It is no longer necessary for people working in the warehouse to sort out each returned product and send it to its appropriate place. - Automatically scans and identifies returned products as they enter the induction process. - Routes products to the correct inspection, grading, or disposition area. - Maintains continuous product flow between different processing stages. - Supports higher throughput while keeping returns workflows consistent. With less reliance on manual touchpoints throughout induction, the fulfilment centres will be able to manage a consistent workflow even when returns volume increases. Increased efficiency in product flow will also enhance communication between the induction and reverse logistics activities, helping warehouses recover inventory more efficiently. ## What Operational Challenges Can Automated Sorters Solve During Returns Induction? With increases in e-commerce returns, the process of manual induction is becoming more challenging. Manual induction is an activity that consumes a lot of time for the warehouse staff when sorting and rerouting return items prior to their inspection. This activity hinders the efficiency of returns processes and makes it difficult to be consistent during peak times in the USA. - Eliminates bottlenecks created by manual sorting and routing decisions. - Reduces handling errors that can result in misplaced returned inventory. - Improves labour productivity by minimising repetitive manual activities. - Supports more consistent processing during periods of higher return volumes. A returns management system helps organise returns processing by enhancing visibility and coordination throughout induction. If the returns management process is facilitated by automated sorting systems, then fulfilment centres can achieve reliable reverse logistics processing without additional manual workload. ## How Does Faster Returns Induction Strengthen Reverse Logistics Performance? Rapid returns induction ensures that products move through the reverse logistics process without any delays. When the products arrive at the warehouse and are processed rapidly, it becomes easier for the teams to determine if the product should be sold again, refurbished, recycled, or discarded. This will help ensure that no backlog is created due to delays in processing, thereby ensuring the smooth functioning of fulfilment centres across the USA. An automated sorter supports this faster movement by making sure that goods are assigned to the right workflow without any holdups. Since inventory is available at an earlier point in time, warehouse staff can get a good understanding of their stock and plan for inventory management and order fulfilment in the future. ## How Automated Sorting Solutions Fit into Returns Induction Workflows Automated sorting solutions can be integrated into returns induction workflows to route returned products to the appropriate processing areas. Depending on the warehouse setup, sorting systems can direct items towards inspection, grading, restocking, refurbishment, or other stages of reverse logistics. This reduces the need for employees to manually identify and move every returned item between processing points. Companies like Addverb provide sorting and material-movement solutions that can be integrated into these workflows. Such solutions can work alongside warehouse software to coordinate product movement and provide greater visibility into returns as they progress through different stages. The specific technologies used will depend on factors such as return volumes, product types, facility layout and the level of automation already in place. ## Conclusion As return volumes continue to grow across the USA, fulfilment centres need efficient ways to manage the initial stages of reverse logistics. Returns induction plays an important role because delays at this stage can affect inspection, inventory recovery, and subsequent processing. Automated sorters can reduce manual routing and maintain a more consistent flow of returned products through the warehouse. As part of a broader automation setup, these solutions can help fulfilment centres handle returns more systematically while adapting their operations to changing volumes and processing requirements. ### [VIDEO] Opeyemi Awoyemi: From building Jobberman to changing how talent gets found URL: https://www.techloy.com/video-opeyemi-awoyemi-from-building-jobberman-to-changing-how-talent-gets-found/ Last updated: 2026-09-30T22:49:20.000Z In this episode of [The Founder Room](https://community.techloy.com/the-founder-room-podcast), I had a conversation with Opeyemi Awoyemi, the Nigerian entrepreneur who started WhoGoHost (now Go54) as a student in 2007 and went on to co-found Jobberman, the largest recruitment platform in sub-Saharan Africa. Over more than 15 years, Opeyemi has built a career around one idea: connecting people to opportunity. From his early exits and his role in Ringier One Africa Media, to launching [Fast Forward Venture Studio](https://fastforward.fund/) and his latest venture, [hello.cv](http://hello.cv/), he now spends as much time backing founders as building for them. Watch the [full episode](https://community.techloy.com/c/the-founder-room/opeyemi-awoyemi-general-partner-fast-forward-fund) on the Techloy Community to hear Opeyemi on co-founder partnerships, what it takes to build products that endure, why he is investing in the next generation of African founders, and where talent and work go from here. --- *If you're a founder, investor, creator, developer, builder, or tech professional interested in sharing your story and lessons learned with our community and the global tech ecosystem, kindly reach out by* [*booking a session*](https://calendly.com/the-founder-room-podcast)*.* ### 6 Best Reputation Management Software Platforms to Resell in 2026 URL: https://www.techloy.com/6-best-reputation-management-software-platforms-to-resell-in-2026/ Last updated: 2026-09-08T18:02:13.000Z Review management is becoming a clever add-on for software companies, agencies, and service providers that want to help clients build trust without building reputation tools from scratch. After all, every business wants better reviews. The harder part is asking at the right time, replying quickly, showing proof, and connecting reputation work to growth. That is where resale opportunities open up. If your customers already use your software to manage bookings, jobs, orders, support, websites, or customer communication, you are close to the moment when a review request makes sense. Now, choose well and reputation management becomes an expansion feature. Choose poorly and you give customers one more dashboard they ignore. ## **What To Look For In A Reputation Management Platform** A resale-ready platform should be easy to package, explain, and support. Look for white-label options, APIs, client reporting, automation, review monitoring, response workflows, and a clear fit with your customer base. The best choice depends on where your customers earn trust. Local businesses need Google visibility and location-level reviews. Ecommerce brands need product reviews. App-first companies need app-store feedback. Agencies may need widgets and reports. ## **1\. Synup** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/data-src-image-30467a1d-009a-449c-8652-d5709b42bb8b.png) [Synup](https://synup.com/) is the best overall pick if you want to resell reputation management to local businesses, agencies, franchises, and multi-location brands. Its strongest lane is local reputation management. Synup helps businesses monitor reviews, generate new reviews, respond faster, manage listings, track local SEO performance, and give clients branded reporting. For resellers, the appeal is that it can sit behind your own service package instead of forcing customers into a disconnected experience. This is a strong fit if your customers depend on local search, phone calls, appointments, walk-ins, or service-area leads. A dental practice, auto repair shop, salon, restaurant, clinic, or franchise location usually needs accurate listings, steady review generation, quick responses, and simple reporting. **Best for:** Local SMBs, agencies, franchises, multi-location businesses, and vertical software platforms serving local business customers. **Reality check:** Choose Synup when local visibility and reputation management need to work together. ## **2\. NiceJob** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/data-src-image-e0321551-360e-4ebb-8cdf-3b8740cd4e7c.png) NiceJob is a good fit for service businesses that want more reviews after completed jobs. It works especially well in home services, field services, trades, cleaning, repairs, and appointment-based work. If your platform already knows when a job is finished or an invoice is paid, NiceJob can help turn that customer moment into an automated review request. **Best for:** Contractors, cleaners, repair businesses, field service teams, and home-service software platforms. **Reality check:** NiceJob is strong for post-job review generation, but it is not the broader local listings and local SEO layer Synup provides. ## **3\. EmbedSocial** EmbedSocial is best when your customers need to show reviews and user-generated content on their websites. Think review widgets, testimonial walls, badges, social feeds, and UGC galleries. This makes it useful for website builders, agencies, ecommerce storefronts, booking platforms, and service businesses that want visible proof near forms, pricing pages, booking buttons, or product pages. **Best for:** Agencies, website platforms, landing page builders, and teams that need review display. **Reality check:** EmbedSocial is the display layer, not the main local reputation engine. ## **4\. Trustpilot** Trustpilot is useful for businesses that want third-party review credibility on a recognized public platform. It fits online-first companies more than local SMBs. Ecommerce brands, marketplaces, fintech companies, SaaS businesses, travel platforms, and subscription companies can use Trustpilot to collect service reviews, send invitations, display ratings, and build buyer confidence. **Best for:** Online brands, ecommerce businesses, SaaS companies, marketplaces, and fintech platforms. **Reality check:** Trustpilot is better for public brand trust than local listing management. ## **5\. Yotpo Reviews** Yotpo Reviews is built for ecommerce product reviews and user-generated content. It helps merchants collect product reviews, site reviews, Q&A, ratings, and visual content that can be displayed across shopping experiences. Use it if your customers sell products online and need proof at the product page or checkout stage. It can support merchants that want reviews tied to orders, product catalogs, and ecommerce campaigns. This connects with the visibility trends we’ve explored in[ how AI is transforming search engine optimization and content marketing](https://www.techloy.com/how-ai-is-transforming-search-engine-optimization-and-content-marketing/), since review content can support discovery, trust, and conversion. **Best for:** Shopify brands, DTC companies, ecommerce agencies, online retailers, and marketplace tools. **Reality check:** Yotpo is an ecommerce review platform, so it is not the best fit for local business listings or app-store reviews. ## **6\. AppFollow** AppFollow is the right category when your customer’s reputation lives in the App Store, Google Play, or other app marketplaces. It helps app teams monitor reviews, analyze sentiment, reply to users, track ratings, and bring app-store feedback into support or product workflows. That makes it useful for mobile-first SaaS, gaming, fintech apps, delivery apps, mobile health platforms, and app development agencies. **Best for:** App-first companies, mobile platforms, gaming teams, app builders, and marketplaces. **Reality check:** AppFollow is for app-store reputation, not local business or ecommerce review management. ## **How To Choose The Right Platform** Start with your customer’s trust channel. If they win customers through Google searches, local listings, maps, calls, and appointments, start with Synup. If they win through completed service jobs, NiceJob may fit. If they need reviews on websites, EmbedSocial is cleaner. If they need third-party credibility, Trustpilot is a better match. If they sell products online, Yotpo is the logical choice. If they live in app stores, choose AppFollow. Also look at how much work your team wants to own. A white-label reputation platform can create recurring revenue, but it also needs onboarding, reporting, support, and customer education. The same thinking applies to customer management more broadly. [Using chatbots to streamline customer management](https://www.techloy.com/low-cost-growth-strategies-using-chatbots-to-streamline-customer-management/) is essentially a reminder that automation works best when it fits the customer journey your clients already follow. ## **Final Thoughts** Reputation management is a strong resale opportunity because trust is easy for customers to understand. More reviews, faster replies, better profiles, and stronger proof can support leads, conversions, and retention. Synup deserves the first spot because it gives resellers a complete local reputation package for SMBs, agencies, franchises, and multi-location businesses. The other tools are better when the need is narrower: service-business reviews, website proof, third-party credibility, ecommerce reviews, or app-store feedback. Pick the platform that matches where your customers earn trust, then make reputation management feel like a natural part of your existing offer. ### House of the Dragon Hit 940 Million Minutes on HBO Max in Finale Week URL: https://www.techloy.com/house-of-the-dragon-hbo-max-season-3/ Last updated: 2026-09-08T15:24:34.000Z House of the Dragon may have finished its third season, but viewers were still spending plenty of time in Westeros. Nielsen [data shows](https://www.cbr.com/hbo-fantasy-house-of-the-dragon-explodes-on-streaming-after-season-finale/) that HBO’s Game of Thrones prequel recorded 940 million minutes of viewing on [HBO Max](https://www.techloy.com/tag/hbo-max/) during the week of August 3-9, placing it second among all streaming programmes in the US. But there's an important detail behind that number. The 940 million minutes were recorded during the week that ended on the same day as the August 9 Season 3 finale, meaning the figure is better understood as a measure of interest around the finale rather than a result that came entirely after it. The finale itself later recorded 21 million viewers globally across HBO and HBO Max in its first three days. [Disney $50 Million Settlement: How to Claim Your ShareYouTube TV and DirecTV Stream customers have until September 8 to claim part of Disney’s $50 million settlement. Here’s who qualifies and how to claim.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-a73802d4-5845-4e51-8381-18139253e0b8.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1601944177325-f8867652837f-9eb63e66-5dbc-473e-8a90-dde19657b83b)](https://www.techloy.com/disney-50-million-settlement-youtube-tv-directv/) ## House of the Dragon Remained One of Streaming’s Biggest Shows Nielsen ranked House of the Dragon second overall behind The Big Bang Theory, which collected 1.061 billion minutes across 281 episodes. The 940 million minutes for House of the Dragon came from 26 episodes across its three seasons. Nielsen’s minutes are not simply a count of people who watched the latest episode. They measure the total time viewers spent watching available episodes during the week. In House of the Dragon’s case, the figure therefore reflects a mixture of viewers catching up on earlier seasons, rewatching episodes and following the third season as it approached its conclusion. The show had already demonstrated strong streaming demand earlier in the season. Nielsen recorded 969 million minutes during the week of July 6-12, when it ranked second overall, showing that its audience was not dependent on the finale alone. ## The Finale Attracted 21 Million Viewers House of the Dragon Season 3 ended with 21 million viewers globally during its first three days of availability across HBO and HBO Max, according to Warner Bros. Discovery’s internal viewing figures combined with Nielsen measurement. More than 11 million of those viewers were in the US. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Why the Corners of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Screen Sink When Pressed URL: https://www.techloy.com/galaxy-z-fold-8-display-issue/ Last updated: 2026-09-08T15:17:06.000Z Imagine pressing the corner of your new $2,000 foldable phone and feeling it sink slightly. You might immediately worry and wonder: *Does my phone have a defect?* That’s what some [Galaxy Z Fold 8](https://www.techloy.com/samsung-galaxy-z-fold-8-ultra-vs-galaxy-z-fold-7/) users have been reporting recently. Responding to their concerns, Samsung [says](https://www.businesspost.co.kr/BP?command=mobile%5Fview&num=446554) the slight movement isn’t a defect but a deliberate feature. The company [confirmed](https://www.sammobile.com/news/galaxy-z-fold-8-screen-corner-sinking-isnt-quality-defect/) that the slight give around the corners of the Z Fold 8 and Z Fold 8 Ultra’s inner displays is intentional, designed to protect the screen and improve durability. [Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, Ultra & Flip 8: Price & Best BuySamsung’s latest foldables are now available to buy, but the best deal depends on where you shop, trade-ins, gift cards, and carrier offers can swing the price by hundreds![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-0ffb00f0-9841-42fd-989e-db51048a3213.png)TechloyOgbonda Chivumnovu![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1707438095940-1eee18e85400-24d02c51-4677-4a32-b930-f58d296e26b5)](https://www.techloy.com/samsung-galaxy-z-fold-8-ultra-flip-8-price-best-buy/) ## What the Galaxy Z Fold 8 display issue looks like Videos started appearing on [Reddit](https://www.techloy.com/tag/reddit/), [Instagram](https://www.techloy.com/tag/instagram/), and Samsung forums, with users showing how the corners of the inner display appeared to sink more than the centre. Foldables already come with concerns around durability, so it was understandable that some users thought something had gone wrong. For most of the screen, the inner display feels firm. The outer corners, however, have a little “give,” and pressing them lightly causes them to sink slightly. Not everyone noticed the behaviour, and some devices appeared to show it more than others. That led users to come up with their own theories, ranging from a loose screen and poor adhesive to structural weakness or a manufacturing defect. ## Samsung’s official explanation Ultimately, those theories don’t appear to explain what users were seeing. Samsung clarified that the movement comes from a cushioning structure applied to the outer corners of the display to improve durability and protection. “To reduce the impact of interference or pressure between internal components of the display, the area is designed to have clearance, which may cause a slight movement when a specific part is lightly pressed,” Samsung said. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Onimusha Sold 1 Million Copies in a Day, and Capcom Isn't Stopping URL: https://www.techloy.com/onimusha-way-of-the-sword-1-million-copies-day-one/ Last updated: 2026-09-08T15:12:07.000Z It took 20 years, but Onimusha is officially back, and players clearly haven't forgotten about it. Onimusha: Way of the Sword has sold more than 1 million copies in its first day, Capcom [announced](https://www.capcom.co.jp/ir/english/news/html/e260907.html) Monday. That's a remarkable start for a series that has been away from the spotlight for two decades. The latest game is the first new mainline Onimusha title since 2006's Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams, and its performance gives Capcom another major success to add to an already impressive 2026. But the sales number isn't the only interesting part. Capcom is openly talking about bringing more of its older franchises back. [Onimusha: Way of the Sword Review: Is It Worth Playing?Critics largely agree that Onimusha: Way of the Sword is a strong comeback, with exceptional swordplay outweighing its pacing and repetition issues.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-42994876-6c82-43aa-8f31-52646eea408a.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1758611970743-d20fb7155ff1-6bb4ac82-6e83-42de-834b-52eecb939d5c)](https://www.techloy.com/onimusha-way-of-the-sword-review-roundup/) ## Onimusha Is Capcom's Latest 2026 Success Story Way of the Sword joins a growing list of successful Capcom releases this year. [Resident Evil Requiem](https://www.techloy.com/resident-evil-requiem-adds-free-leon-must-die-forever-mode-in-surprise-update/) has sold more than 8 million copies, while the original sci-fi action game Pragmata has reached 2.5 million copies. Monster Hunter Stories 3 has also contributed to Capcom's strong year. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/image-14.png) **Image: Capcom* All four games have also been well received critically, with Metacritic scores of 85 or higher. That makes Onimusha's one-million-copy debut even more interesting. Capcom isn't simply relying on its biggest established franchises to carry the year. It's also finding an audience for a series that had effectively been dormant for a generation. And the company clearly likes what it's seeing. ## Capcom Wants to Bring More Old Franchises Back Capcom says it wants to “re-activate” IPs that haven't received new releases recently, using its large catalogue of franchises to expand its lineup alongside established series such as Resident Evil, Monster Hunter and Street Fighter. That strategy suddenly looks a lot more convincing after Onimusha: Way of the Sword sold a million copies in a single day. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### GTA 6 Could Reach Some Xbox Players Hours Before Everyone Else URL: https://www.techloy.com/gta-6-release-time-xbox-region-trick/ Last updated: 2026-09-08T15:01:14.000Z Current [PlayStation](https://www.techloy.com/tag/sony-playstation/) Store listings suggest [*GTA 6*](https://www.techloy.com/tag/gta-6/) could unlock at midnight in each region on November 19, rather than becoming playable worldwide at the same moment. That would give players in New Zealand one of the earliest opportunities to play, with other regions following as November 19 arrives locally. For [Xbox](https://www.techloy.com/tag/microsoft-xbox/) players, the timing could also revive a familiar option: changing the console's region to New Zealand to access a game earlier than its local release. But whether that will actually work for *GTA 6* is still unclear. [GTA 6 30FPS Confirmed: What the Extended Look RevealsRockstar’s 26-minute GTA 6 gameplay reveal finally shows off Jason and Lucia, Leonida’s living world, character switching, performance details and more.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-04288afd-e23c-4faa-ba32-fa9823a10ae2.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1758179762049-615d9aac58ea-34d5e413-4541-43f9-a9d4-56da51a0211d)](https://www.techloy.com/gta-6-30fps-extended-look-jason-lucia/) ## New Zealand Could Get GTA 6 First The PlayStation Store currently lists *GTA 6* with regional release times that point to a staggered rollout. New Zealand appears to be the first region, followed by Australia, Japan, and other markets as midnight arrives across different time zones. The rollout could span roughly 19 hours from the earliest to the latest regions. That means the November 19 launch will not necessarily mean everyone starts playing at the same moment. Some players could already be exploring Vice City while others are still waiting for their local release time. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### How to Watch Nintendo’s Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct and September Direct URL: https://www.techloy.com/zelda-direct-nintendo-direct-how-to-watch/ Last updated: 2026-09-08T11:28:43.000Z [Nintendo](https://www.techloy.com/tag/nintendo/) is doubling up on Direct presentations this week, with two showcases scheduled to take place on consecutive days. The first will celebrate one of Nintendo’s most iconic franchises, with a The Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct taking place on September 8\. The following day, Nintendo will return with a regular Direct focused on upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 games arriving this winter. That gives Nintendo fans two days of announcements, updates, trailers, and potentially a few surprises. Here’s everything you need to know about when to watch both presentations and what to expect. [Nintendo Switch 2 Upgrade Packs: Full Price ListSwitch 2 owners can upgrade many existing games for free or for a few dollars. Here’s the full list of Nintendo Switch 2 upgrade pack prices.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-4ed3e930-ec12-45eb-9a2b-96eb12bc5425.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1616070698578-e5e634af7e8a-cddec4ab-2984-454e-996b-ad7b867fa988)](https://www.techloy.com/nintendo-switch-2-upgrade-pack-prices/) ## When Is the Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct? Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct takes place on Tuesday, September 8, beginning at: - 10:00 AM ET - 7:00 AM PT - 3:00 PM BST - 4:00 PM CEST - 9:00 PM WAT (Nigeria) - 11:00 PM JST The presentation is expected to run for approximately 30 minutes. Fans will be able to watch the broadcast live through Nintendo’s official [YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/live/9VIcgVU4f1E?si=f4n70VMFi9k2Vg12) and the Nintendo Today app. ## What to Expect From the Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct Nintendo has not revealed exactly what will be shown during the anniversary presentation, but there is plenty for the company to talk about. The Legend of Zelda series reaches its 40th anniversary in 2026, making this a particularly significant milestone for one of Nintendo’s most successful franchises. Among the strongest possibilities are: - More information about the Ocarina of Time remake - A potential Zelda 40th anniversary collection - Special-edition Nintendo Switch 2 hardware - Anniversary merchandise and accessories - Updates on upcoming Zelda projects - Potential announcements surrounding the live-action Zelda movie Recent leaks have also claimed that Nintendo is preparing a special-edition Zelda-themed Switch 2 console and controller, although these reports have not been officially confirmed by Nintendo. ## Could We Finally See the Ocarina of Time Remake? One of the biggest questions heading into the presentation is whether Nintendo will finally show its long-rumoured The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake. Ocarina of Time remains one of the most influential games in Nintendo's history, and a modern remake would be a natural way to celebrate the franchise's 40th anniversary. If the project is real and Nintendo is ready to reveal it, the anniversary Direct would arguably be the perfect place to do so. For now, however, fans should treat the remake reports as speculation until Nintendo officially confirms the game. ## What About the Live-Action Zelda Movie? _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Carl Pei Thinks Nothing Lost Its Way as Phone (2) Ends at Android 16 URL: https://www.techloy.com/carl-pei-nothing-ama-phone-2-android-17/ Last updated: 2026-09-08T10:57:45.000Z Nearly four years after launching one of the most distinctive Android phones on the market, Carl Pei, the CEO of [Nothing](https://www.techloy.com/tag/nothing-phone/), thinks they may have become a little too... ordinary. During a [Reddit ](https://www.techloy.com/tag/reddit/)Ask Me Anything [session](https://www.reddit.com/r/NothingTech/comments/1w78hmo/im%5Fcarl%5Fpei%5Fceo%5Fof%5Fnothing%5Fama/), users asked Pei uncomfortable questions about everything the company has done recently, from software support and AI to whether Nothing has become the very company it promised not to be. The answers were surprisingly candid. [Nothing Phone 4b India Launch, and Why AI Makes It Cost MoreNothing has confirmed its Phone 4b lands in India on July 7\. Here’s what we know so far, and why even a budget phone is caught in the AI memory squeeze.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-c37d35d1-2926-4c9a-9497-3a96d43cc916.png)TechloyOgbonda Chivumnovu![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1664700651198-42cf8d382dc3-3a183574-7756-416f-9a89-3ac89376e839)](https://www.techloy.com/nothing-phone-4b-teaser-confirms-ai-is-making-your-next-smartphone-expensive/) ## Nothing's biggest problem? Its identity The AMA started with a question many longtime fans have been asking. A Phone (1) owner who switched to Samsung after buying the Phone (3) told Pei the original Nothing phone had "personality" in a way newer devices didn't. The Glyph interface felt unique, the sounds felt intentional, and Nothing seemed genuinely different from every other Android brand. Pei didn't argue. "I recently told the team that we need to get back to the spirit that defined us in the Phone (1) era. I think we can." And honestly, that's a huge thing for any CEO to concede. It also reflects a criticism Nothing has been hearing for months. As the company expanded its lineup, its hardware became a little safer and a little more conventional. The transparent design evolved, the Glyph became less central, and some fans felt Nothing was slowly becoming the kind of smartphone company it originally positioned itself against. ## "Strategically lazy" might be the most revealing thing Pei said Many CEOs defend every product decision, especially when their backs are against the wall. Pei did the opposite. Asked whether Nothing had spread itself too thin by launching phones, earbuds, CMF devices, and AI features all at once, he replied: "At times, we've been strategically lazy, while working hard on tactical matters." He followed that with another line that feels like a reset for the company. "Less but better is certainly desired, but only works if you hit the bullseye with higher certainty." It's an interesting contrast. Over the past few years, Nothing has shipped features and products quickly, but Pei is now suggesting the company lost focus on more important questions: Who is this product actually for? And why should it exist? ## Phone (2) owners got bad news — and a reality check If you're still using a Nothing Phone (2), there's one answer from the AMA that will disappoint you. Android 16 will be the phone's final major Android update. Pei explained that the decision comes down to chipset support rather than Nothing changing its mind. "The kernel is unfortunately too old." He added that [Android](https://www.techloy.com/tag/android/) 17 isn't supported by the chipset vendor and reminded users that Nothing originally promised three major Android updates and security patches through 2027. Technically, the company is keeping its promise. But expectations have changed. Samsung and Google now promise up to seven years of Android updates on many devices, making three years suddenly feel much shorter than it did when the Phone (2) launched. ## Even Pei agrees the bloatware complaints have gone too far. Another uncomfortable question focused on pre-installed apps and games appearing on Nothing phones. Instead of defending the practice, Pei admitted users had a point. "We should dial this back." _This post is for subscribers only._ ### How This Nigerian UI/UX Designer Went From ₦500 to ₦200,000 Per Project URL: https://www.techloy.com/nigerian-ui-designer-earnings-temiloluwa-kayode/ Last updated: 2026-10-11T13:43:23.000Z [Temiloluwa Kayode's](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kayodetemiloluwa/) first paid design job earned him ₦500, about $0.37 today, for designing a flyer. At the time, he was still a student learning graphic design in what he describes as a "rough, very unstructured way," teaching himself between classes with no real plan beyond curiosity. "I started way earlier, when I was in secondary school, when I started learning graphic design," he shared in an interview with Techloy. "Then I started with flyers." The amount, though meager for his feeding, didn't stay at ₦500 for long. “It started increasing to ₦1,000 ($0.76). Then ₦2,000 ($1.51). Then ₦5,000 ($3.78), then at a time became ₦10,000 ($7.57),” he recalled, describing the small but steady jumps, the kind that look unremarkable individually and only make sense when laid end to end. “Let's just say, my career financially has been on a slope,” he says. “I know I've not gotten to where I want. But I know there's still more.” One of the more consequential opportunities came from something he hadn't even intended to showcase as a UI design skill. Dunsin Fatuashi, who worked at Coven Labs, had seen a graphic design presentation he'd posted on [Instagram](https://www.techloy.com/tag/instagram/) and assumed he could design software. It was about design principles, not interfaces, but Fatuashi called him directly and asked if he did UI design. "At that moment, I did not really know what UI design was," he says. "But I mean, as a Nigerian, come on, the Nigerian in me just said, yes." ****How much do you earn? We'd like to hear your story.** For our new career and money series, **Techloy* is speaking to people across different industries and regions about what they earn, how their income has changed, and what their careers really look like. You can share as much or as little as you're comfortable with. [SHARE YOUR STORY ](https://techloy.typeform.com/to/RiSHVjs5) _This post is for subscribers only._ ### iOS 26 CarPlay: What It Still Won't Let You Do URL: https://www.techloy.com/ios-26-carplay-what-it-still-wont-let-you-do/ Last updated: 2026-09-08T10:23:55.000Z iOS 26 is the biggest CarPlay change in years. You get Home Screen widgets, synced Apple Music lyrics, Live Activities, and a Liquid Glass look. The setup takes about five minutes, most of it parked in Settings. But three gaps stay open, and knowing them up front saves you an hour of poking around menus that lead nowhere. ## What changed, and what didn't Widgets were the headline. They live to the left of the Home Screen, and depending on your screen size you see one to three stacks at a time. iOS 26.2 pushed cars that showed two tiles up to three. Live Activities landed too, so a timer, a sports score, or a delivery ETA can sit on the CarPlay screen without you opening the app. Here's the honest split. | **Task** | **iOS 26 CarPlay** | **Where it stops** | | --------------------- | ----------------------------------- | -------------------------------- | | Home Screen widgets | Yes — up to 5 per stack, 1–3 stacks | Fixed grid; no custom photo slot | | Synced lyrics | Yes, Apple Music only | Full-screen; the map disappears | | Startup sound | No setting at all | Default two-tone chime only | | Live Activities | Yes — timers, scores, delivery | Needs the app to ship support | | A car without CarPlay | Nothing | Head unit stays stock | ## Add widgets in five steps Apple hid widgets in the phone settings, not the car screen. Do this parked: 1\. Open **Settings** on your iPhone. 2\. Tap **General**, then **CarPlay**. 3\. Select your car from the list. 4\. Tap **Widgets** and turn on **Show Widgets**. 5\. Under **Stack 1** and **Stack 2**, tap **Add Widgets**. Drag the hamburger handle to reorder, and toggle **Smart Rotate** if you want them to cycle through the day. Any widget already on your iPhone works here — the app does not need to be "a CarPlay app," which trips up a lot of people. Clocks, Photos, Calendar, Music, and plenty of third-party ones all qualify. Back in the car, swipe right to the Dashboard to see them. Two minutes, and it sticks. ![Photo, weather and reminder tiles filling the widget column — the same slots you configure in Settings.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/data-src-image-9bcf4cfb-7bc9-4632-9e86-604f17e97ffe.png) ## The three walls, and what gets past them **1\. Lyrics eat the whole screen.** Tap the speech-bubble icon on the Now Playing view and Apple Music scrolls time-coded lines, current line highlighted. Nice — until you notice the map is gone while you read. It is Apple Music only, so Spotify listeners get nothing, and the highlight only works when the label uploaded time-codes. If you want the current line in a small tile *beside* navigation instead of over it, that is where a helper app earns its slot. Car Play Connect shows synced lyrics in a widget for both Apple Music and Spotify, so you read the line and still see your next turn. It is free, rated 4.6 from 2,667 ratings, and runs on iOS 16.3 and up. ![Car Play Connect keeps the current lyric in a widget so the map stays visible — Apple's native view takes the full screen.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/data-src-image-57da6539-e5db-4b08-a1ab-27eb6dfb4ee1.png) **2\. There is no custom startup sound.** CarPlay plays a fixed two-tone chime the moment it connects, and iOS 26 ships no setting to change it. A free Shortcuts automation can fire a clip when CarPlay connects, but it plays *after* Apple's chime and lags roughly a second — you hear two sounds, not one. To swap the chime cleanly, you can [build your own connect sound and preview it](https://addcarwidgets.com/carplay-startup-sound-maker) before you ever turn the key, then decide if it beats the stock beep. **3\. Cars without CarPlay get nothing.** iOS 26 does exactly zero for a 2013 car with no CarPlay port. Before you spend a cent on adapters or a new head unit, [check whether your car actually supports CarPlay](https://addcarwidgets.com/carplay-compatibility-checker) — some pre-2016 models need a unit swap, others just a firmware update from the dealer. If the car genuinely can't run it, a mounted-phone dashboard is the fallback: the same eleven widget templates run full-screen on the iPhone itself, filling all five slots. ## Quick check before you drive - On iOS 26.0 or later? Widgets need it — Settings > General shows your version. - Your car selected under **Settings > General > CarPlay**? - **Show Widgets** toggled on for that car? - Under five widgets per stack? Five is the hard cap. - Wired or wireless — both work; wireless only needs a compatible head unit. - Lyrics missing? The track has no time-codes, or you're on Spotify natively. ## Three ways to customize, honestly - **Stock iOS 26.** Free, nothing to install, handles widgets and Apple Music lyrics well. Weak on the startup sound, and it does nothing for an older car. - **Free Shortcuts.** Fine for a connect chime if you can live with the one-second delay and the doubled sound. No lyrics widget, no Spotify, no help for a car without CarPlay. - **A helper app.** Adds the startup sound, a lyrics widget beside the map, photo tiles, and a mounted dashboard for CarPlay-less cars. The trade-off is real: it is one more app running in the background, and it can't fully silence Apple's chime on every model. I ran the Shortcuts route for months. It works, but that one-second lag nagged me every single morning — that is the plain reason I keep a dedicated app in the mix instead. ## FAQ **Does iOS 26 CarPlay support third-party widgets?** Yes. Any iPhone widget, Apple or third-party, drops into a stack, up to five per stack. **Why don't my widgets show up?** You are probably below iOS 26.0, or **Show Widgets** is off under Settings > General > CarPlay > your car. **Can I get lyrics next to the map instead of full-screen?** Not with stock CarPlay. The native view is full-screen and Apple Music only; a widget-based app is the workaround. **Will any of this work if my car has no CarPlay?** No — every feature needs a compatible head unit. A phone-mount dashboard is the only fallback. **Does changing the startup sound need a jailbreak?** No. It is a normal app hooking the connect event, or a Shortcuts automation. Nothing on the car is modified. ### You Have Until Today to Claim Part of Disney’s $50 Million Settlement URL: https://www.techloy.com/disney-50-million-settlement-youtube-tv-directv/ Last updated: 2026-09-08T10:14:12.000Z Streaming customers who paid for [YouTube TV](https://www.techloy.com/tag/youtube-tv/) or DirecTV Stream could be running out of time to claim part of a $50 million settlement involving The Walt Disney Company. The deadline is today, September 8, 2026, for eligible subscribers to submit a claim in a US class-action lawsuit alleging that Disney's business practices pushed up the cost of live television streaming. The case, Biddle v. The Walt Disney Company, was filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of California and centres on subscriptions purchased between April 1, 2019 and March 31, 2026\. [Disney](https://www.techloy.com/tag/disney-plus/) has denied wrongdoing but agreed to the partial settlement. Eligible customers can submit claims through the court-approved settlement website, although the final payout will depend on the number and length of qualifying subscriptions. [Disneyland Ride Closures: Six Attractions Closing in AugustAs Disneyland wraps up its 70th Anniversary celebration, several attractions are closing temporarily for refurbishments and Halloween preparations that could affect visitors this August.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-729316e4-adf7-4226-a07f-81d992f28eea.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1592076829872-c41dc1274060-31d4cbd0-5a12-4974-8de4-f6f1debdc320)](https://www.techloy.com/disneylands-70th-anniversary-is-ending-heres-whats-closing-next/) ## Who can claim part of the Disney settlement? The settlement is limited to customers of two live TV streaming services, YouTube TV and DirecTV’s eligible streaming platforms. This includes DirecTV Stream, DirecTV Now, and AT&T TV Now. FuboTV subscribers aren't included because the FuboTV plaintiffs didn't reach a settlement with Disney. The deal also doesn't cover regular Disney+ subscriptions, as [the lawsuit](https://www.newsweek.com/biddle-disney-settlement-directv-youtubetv-subscription-payout-notice-12377625) concerns Disney’s position in the live television streaming market. Anyone unsure whether their subscription qualifies should check the official settlement notice before submitting a claim. ## Why is Disney paying $50 million? Subscribers brought the lawsuit, accusing Disney of violating federal antitrust laws and state antitrust and consumer-protection laws. According to the consolidated complaint, the plaintiffs argued that Disney used agreements with live-TV streaming providers to influence pricing in the market. Disney owns [Hulu](https://www.techloy.com/tag/hulu/) and controls ESPN, which is a major component of many live-TV packages. The complaint alleged that Disney's arrangements contributed to the near doubling of subscription prices. The plaintiffs and Disney eventually reached a proposed $50 million settlement after years of litigation. Court documents say the settlement also includes behavioural relief intended to address the alleged effects on competition in the streaming live television market. Disney has not admitted liability. The official settlement notice states that the company denies the allegations but agreed to resolve the case through the settlement. ## How much could eligible customers receive? The $50 million fund will be distributed on a pro-rata basis, meaning the amount each successful claimant receives will depend partly on how long they maintained an eligible [YouTube TV or DirecTV](https://www.the-sun.com/money/16961019/disney-antitrust-settlement-payments-streaming-youtube-directv) Stream subscription during the covered period. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### How Programmatic Buying Is Becoming More Intelligent URL: https://www.techloy.com/how-programmatic-buying-is-becoming-more-intelligent/ Last updated: 2026-09-07T19:24:02.000Z Digital advertising has changed dramatically over the past decade. Campaigns that once depended heavily on manual media buying, broad audience segments and fixed placements are increasingly managed by software that can analyse data, adjust bids and make decisions in real time. Programmatic advertising sits at the centre of this transformation. Rather than treating advertising space as something that marketers purchase manually, programmatic technology allows advertisers to buy impressions through automated systems. As artificial intelligence becomes more deeply integrated into these systems, the process is becoming more sophisticated. The result is a shift from simply automating media buying to building advertising systems that can continuously learn and adapt. ## **Programmatic Advertising Is Moving Beyond Automation** Programmatic advertising is not new. Automated buying has been an important part of digital advertising for years. [Machine learning](https://www.techloy.com/5-free-machine-learning-books-for-2025/) can analyse enormous amounts of information about available impressions and use those signals to predict which opportunities are most likely to deliver the desired outcome. Advertisers can provide an objective, such as generating conversions or reaching a particular audience, while the technology increasingly handles decisions around bidding and delivery. This development is changing how marketers think about campaign management. Instead of manually deciding where every advertisement should appear, marketers are increasingly responsible for defining the right goals, audiences, creative assets and measurement framework. ## **The Market Is Already Moving in This Direction** The growth of programmatic advertising reflects how quickly automated buying has become embedded in the digital advertising ecosystem. The shift toward automated buying is becoming increasingly pronounced. [According to eMarketer forecasts](https://www.emarketer.com/topics/topic/programmatic-ad-spending), programmatic digital display advertising is expected to account for 90% of worldwide digital display ad spending in 2026, with spending projected to reach approximately $435.86 billion. The same report notes that non-programmatic placements outside search declined during the period, highlighting the continuing shift toward automated buying. Video, connected television, mobile advertising and other digital channels are creating new opportunities for automated buying. As more inventory becomes addressable through software, advertisers can potentially manage increasingly diverse campaigns through the same technology infrastructure. ## **AI Is Changing What Advertisers Can Automate** Artificial intelligence is adding another layer to programmatic advertising. Traditional automation follows rules. AI-powered systems can identify patterns in large datasets and use those patterns to make predictions. For advertisers, this can influence several parts of a campaign. ## **Audience Selection** AI systems can analyse behavioural, contextual and conversion data to identify audience segments that may be more likely to respond to an advertisement. This doesn't necessarily mean targeting the largest possible audience. Instead, the objective is to identify the users who are most relevant to a particular campaign. ## **Bidding** Programmatic platforms can evaluate individual impressions and adjust bids according to the likelihood that the impression will contribute to the campaign objective. A valuable impression may justify a higher bid, while an impression that appears unlikely to generate results can receive a lower bid or be ignored. ## **Creative Optimization** AI can also help advertisers produce and adapt creative assets. Different headlines, images, calls to action, and formats can be tested against different audiences. Over time, performance data can help identify which combinations are most effective. This creates a feedback loop between creative production and media buying. ## **Campaign Optimization** Perhaps the biggest change is the ability to optimize multiple campaign variables simultaneously. Instead of marketers manually adjusting bids, audiences and placements throughout the day, automated systems can continuously analyse performance and make adjustments according to predefined goals. ## **First-Party Data Is Becoming More Important** The increasing importance of privacy is another factor shaping the future of programmatic advertising. For years, digital advertising relied heavily on third-party signals to understand users and target campaigns. Changes to browser technology, privacy regulations and platform policies have made some of those signals less reliable. As a result, advertisers are placing greater emphasis on first-party data. First-party data comes directly from a company's interactions with its customers and users. This might include information from a website, application, customer account, purchase history or newsletter subscription. The challenge is turning that information into useful advertising signals while respecting privacy requirements and user expectations. ## **Contextual Targeting Is Making a Comeback** The shift away from some traditional tracking methods is also increasing interest in contextual targeting. Instead of asking who a user is based on their previous behaviour, contextual advertising considers what the user is looking at now. For example, an article about cloud infrastructure could be an appropriate environment for an advertisement promoting enterprise software. A page about gaming hardware could provide a relevant context for an advertisement from a gaming company. Contextual targeting can therefore connect advertising with content without requiring the same level of individual tracking. This could make contextual advertising an increasingly important component of privacy-conscious programmatic campaigns. ## **More Inventory Means More Complexity** The expansion of programmatic advertising brings another challenge: there are more places to buy advertising than ever before. Advertisers can access websites, mobile applications, video platforms, connected television and other digital environments through programmatic infrastructure. That scale is useful, but it also makes media quality harder to evaluate. A campaign can generate millions of impressions without necessarily reaching the right people or producing meaningful business results. Advertisers therefore need to look beyond impression volume. Questions around inventory quality, viewability, invalid traffic, brand safety and placement transparency can have a significant effect on campaign performance. The best technology cannot compensate for poor-quality inventory. ## **Measurement Will Become More Important** As advertising becomes increasingly automated, measurement becomes one of the most important responsibilities for marketers. An automated platform may be able to optimize toward a particular metric, but marketers still need to determine whether that metric reflects the actual business objective. A campaign can produce a high click-through rate while generating relatively few qualified customers. Conversely, a campaign with fewer clicks may generate significantly more valuable conversions. This is why advertisers need reliable conversion tracking and a clear understanding of the relationship between advertising metrics and business outcomes. The role of the marketer is gradually shifting from manually controlling every campaign variable toward designing the systems used to evaluate and optimize campaigns. ## **What Advertisers Should Look for in a Programmatic Platform** Choosing the right programmatic advertising platform can have a significant impact on how efficiently an advertising budget is managed. Advertisers have many options, but the most suitable platform depends on their campaign objectives, target audience and preferred advertising formats. - **Inventory:** Where can advertisements appear, and how transparent is the available inventory? - **Targeting:** Does the platform provide the audience, contextual and geographic targeting options needed for the campaign? - **Formats:** Can advertisers reach audiences through display, video, native, mobile or other formats? - **Optimization:** How does the platform use automation and machine learning to improve campaign performance? - **Reporting:** Can advertisers clearly understand where their budget is being spent and which placements are producing results? - **Traffic quality:** What systems are in place to detect invalid or suspicious traffic? These considerations can be more useful than simply comparing the number of websites or impressions a platform claims to provide. A good [programmatic advertising platform](https://adsnetwork.io/) should give advertisers a balance of reach, targeting, transparency and control while providing enough data to evaluate campaign performance. ## **The Human Role Isn't Disappearing** The increasing use of AI in advertising does not mean marketers are becoming irrelevant. Instead, their role is changing. Someone still needs to determine the campaign objective, understand the customer, develop the creative strategy and decide how success should be measured. AI can process data faster than a human and identify patterns across enormous datasets, but it still operates within the objectives and constraints established by the advertiser. The strongest campaigns are therefore likely to combine automation with human strategy. ## **What Comes Next?** The next stage of programmatic advertising will likely involve even greater integration between artificial intelligence, media buying and creative production. Advertisers may increasingly describe what they want to achieve rather than manually configure every aspect of a campaign. For example, a marketer could define an audience, budget and conversion objective while an intelligent advertising system determines the most appropriate inventory, bids, creative variations and allocation of spending. As advertising systems become capable of making more decisions independently, advertisers will need to pay greater attention to transparency, data quality, measurement and the objectives being used to guide those decisions. ## **The Future of Advertising Is Automated, But Not Automatic** Programmatic advertising has already transformed how digital inventory is bought and sold. The next transformation is making those systems more intelligent. AI is helping platforms analyse audiences, optimize bids, adapt creative and respond to campaign performance at a scale that would be impossible to manage manually. At the same time, privacy changes and the expansion of digital inventory are creating new challenges around data, measurement and media quality. For advertisers, the opportunity is significant. But success will depend on more than automation alone. The companies that benefit most will be those that combine strong technology with clear objectives, reliable data, quality inventory and a well-defined advertising strategy. ### Health Insurance for Children: Why You Should Get Coverage Early URL: https://www.techloy.com/health-insurance-for-children-why-you-should-get-coverage-early/ Last updated: 2026-09-07T18:35:22.000Z Children need health cover before illness or injury makes medical care urgent. Early protection gives parents a practical way to manage hospital expenses without disturbing family plans. It also allows relevant policy timelines to begin while the child is young and generally healthy. Choosing suitable cover now is not about expecting trouble. It is about being financially prepared, preserving choices, and creating steady protection for the years ahead with confidence. ## Medical Costs Keep Rising Treatment expenses can place sudden pressure on a household budget, especially when several tests, medicines, or hospital services are required. Suitable [**health insurance plans**](https://www.bajajgeneralinsurance.com/health-insurance-plans.html) can make these costs easier to handle. - Helps manage eligible hospitalisation expenses. - Reduces dependence on savings or borrowing. - Gives parents more room to focus on the child’s recovery during a stressful medical situation. ## Waiting Period Starts Earlier Many policies apply waiting periods to specified treatments or conditions. Buying [**health insurance for children**](https://www.bajajgeneralinsurance.com/health-insurance-plans/health-insurance-for-children.html) earlier means these periods can begin sooner, subject to the chosen policy terms. - Builds continuity from a younger age. - Prevents avoidable delay when future treatment is needed. - Makes long-term planning clearer during renewals and supports better preparedness as the child steadily grows. ## Kids Can Fall Sick Anytime Childhood often includes seasonal infections, stomach problems, allergies, or illnesses that need medical attention. Most episodes are manageable, but some can require observation or hospital care. - Supports access to covered treatment when needed. - Eases worry about arranging funds at short notice. - Keeps routine family expenses from being disrupted unnecessarily during periods when household commitments are already demanding. ## Emergencies Can Happen Unexpectedly Falls, sports injuries, burns, and sudden medical complications rarely come with warning. Having cover already in place can support quicker financial decisions during an emergency. - Helps with eligible emergency hospital expenses. - Avoids rushed policy purchases after an incident. - Allows parents to choose care with greater financial confidence when every decision feels urgent and emotionally overwhelming too. ## Protect Your Family’s Savings A child’s hospital stay can affect money set aside for education, housing, travel, or daily needs. Insurance creates a separate layer of financial support for covered care. - Limits the need to withdraw planned savings. - Reduces reliance on costly borrowing. - Helps the family maintain important goals while managing a difficult health situation with greater calm and financial control. ## Get Better Coverage Early Applying while a child is young may make it easier to build continuous protection before health concerns appear. Coverage options still vary, so careful review remains essential. - Check eligibility, exclusions, and room limits. - Review daycare and hospitalisation benefits. - Choose a sum insured that suits the family’s present needs and future expectations without placing strain on regular finances. ## Enjoy Long-Term Benefits Continuous cover can create useful advantages over time, depending on the policy. These may include completed waiting periods, renewal continuity, or claim-free benefits. - Encourages consistent protection through different life stages. - Makes future policy decisions more informed. - Provides a reliable insurance history when the child eventually needs independent cover and begins managing personal healthcare choices as an adult. ## Don’t Risk Delaying Coverage Delaying cover may leave the family exposed during an illness or accident. Purchasing a policy only after a concern appears can also limit immediate usefulness. - Protection should begin before it becomes urgent. - Early decisions allow time for careful comparison. - Reading the policy wording helps parents understand benefits, exclusions, waiting periods, and claim requirements before making a choice. ## Conclusion Health cover for a child is most useful when it is arranged before the family needs to make an urgent claim. Starting early can support waiting-period continuity, protect planned savings, and make unexpected treatment costs easier to manage. Parents should study the policy wording, confirm what is covered, and review the plan regularly. A timely, well-considered decision can offer lasting financial reassurance throughout the child’s growing years and changing needs. ### Information Overload and the Retention Gap: How AI is Reshaping Modern Learning Workflows URL: https://www.techloy.com/information-overload-and-the-retention-gap-how-ai-is-reshaping-modern-learning-workflows/ Last updated: 2026-09-07T17:05:15.000Z ## Executive Overview The modern digital ecosystem offers unprecedented access to information, yet knowledge workers and students face a growing paradox: while content consumption has reached all-time highs, information retention remains remarkably low. The reliance on read-later apps, digital bookmarks, and endless document repositories has created a culture of passive hoarding rather than true mastery. To bridge this gap, a new wave of Educational Technology (EdTech) is integrating artificial intelligence with proven cognitive science to transform static content into active knowledge. ## 1\. The Illusion of Digital Competence For over two decades, productivity tools have focused on making information easier to store. Browser bookmarks, cloud storage, and read-later services allow users to save thousands of articles, research papers, and PDFs with a single click. However, cognitive psychologists note that saving content often creates a psychological phenomenon known as the *illusion of competence*. Collecting a resource provides a false sense of accomplishment, even though the brain has not processed or retained the underlying concepts. In practice, unchecked information accumulation leads to three distinct friction points: - **The "Read-Later" Graveyard:** Saved links and documents accumulate without a structured mechanism for review. - **Passive Re-Reading:** When users do revisit material, they tend to skim or re-read passively, methods proven by memory research to yield minimal long-term retention. - **Cognitive Fatigue:** Managing massive digital libraries distracts learners from actual study time and critical thinking. ## 2\. Bridging Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence To overcome the limitations of passive reading, learning scientists have long advocated for two foundational principles: 1. **Active Recall:** Testing the brain’s ability to retrieve a concept from memory without looking at the answer, strengthening neural pathways. 2. **Spaced Repetition:** Reviewing information at systematically increasing intervals to counteract the natural human forgetting curve. While highly effective, implementing these methods manually requires substantial effort. Learners must manually break down complex articles into question-and-answer flashcards and maintain strict review schedules. For busy professionals and students handling high volumes of technical documentation, the administrative effort often outweighs the benefits. This is where artificial intelligence is fundamentally altering the landscape. By leveraging Large Language Models (LLMs) and advanced natural language processing, modern software can automatically extract key concepts from raw text, code snippets, or web pages, instantly generating structured self-assessment materials. ## 3\. The Shift Toward Automated Active Learning Rather than acting as a replacement for human cognition, AI is increasingly serving as an efficiency layer that removes the administrative drag from active study. Modern study platforms ingest unstructured input, such as research links, PDF textbooks, or lecture summaries, and automatically synthesize them into bite-sized retention exercises. By combining automated extraction with algorithmic scheduling, learning tools ensure that review sessions occur precisely when a concept is on the verge of being forgotten. An example of this paradigm in practice is[ ](https://longtermemory.com)[LongTerMemory](https://longtermemory.com), an AI-driven platform designed to streamline knowledge conversion. By allowing users to import web links and documents directly into an automated active recall pipeline, the platform automates flashcard creation and schedules optimized repetition cycles across both desktop and mobile devices. By eliminating the friction of manual card creation, such systems enable users to transition immediately from content discovery to active retention, drastically reducing the time required to master new technical domains. ## 4\. The Future of Knowledge Management in Professional Workflows As industries evolve at an accelerated pace, continuous upskilling has become a necessity across tech, finance, medicine, and engineering. The ability to rapidly acquire and internalize new frameworks, programming languages, and regulatory guidelines is now a core competitive advantage. The future of digital learning is moving away from passive repositories and toward interactive cognitive assistants. By aligning technological architecture with the brain's natural learning mechanisms, the next generation of EdTech tools is shifting the goal of digital knowledge management from mere content storage to long-term cognitive integration. ### What Happens When a Drone Loses Signal? URL: https://www.techloy.com/what-happens-when-a-drone-loses-signal-2/ Last updated: 2026-09-07T15:59:28.000Z Losing a signal does not always cause a drone to stop flying. The result depends on the drone, the connection that was interrupted and the way the aircraft was programmed. Many drones communicate with a remote controller through a radio connection. If that connection disappears, the drone follows the response built into its system. Depending on the model and settings, that could mean returning home, landing or another programmed action. Other drones follow a planned route without constant commands from an operator. This is why signal loss does not produce the same result for every drone. ## What does it mean when a drone loses signal? A drone relies on different systems for different tasks. The control connection allows the operator to send flight commands. Navigation systems help the drone understand its position and follow a route. Losing one does not automatically mean losing the other. If communication with the controller is interrupted, the operator no longer has the same ability to send commands. The drone then responds according to its design and programming. For some drones, that means following a predefined response. Others continue operating according to instructions that were already programmed before the flight. ## Can a drone keep flying without its controller? Yes, in some cases. A drone following preprogrammed waypoints does not always need a continuous connection with its operator. If the control link disappears, the drone can still continue along the route already stored in its system. This is one reason RF jamming does not affect every drone in the same way. RF jamming interferes with radio communication links. Other forms of interference can target navigation signals. The result depends on which signals the drone relies on and what it is programmed to do if those signals are interrupted. A drone that depends on a live control connection behaves differently from one designed to continue along an autonomous route. ## Can private security teams legally use drone jamming? Technical capability and legal permission are separate issues. Rules vary between countries, which means security teams need to check [**whether drone jamming is legal for private security**](https://sentrycs.com/glossary/rf-jamming/) in the location where they operate. In the United States, unauthorized use of signal jammers is prohibited, including on private property. Certain federal agencies operate under separate legal authority. These restrictions also reflect the wider effect of RF interference. Jamming is not limited to communication with an unwanted drone and can interfere with other wireless communications in the surrounding area. Because of this, drone jamming rules for private security teams need to be considered before jamming equipment becomes part of a security plan. ## Why do Counter-UAS methods work differently? Counter-UAS technology covers several different approaches, and they do not all perform the same role. Counter-UAS systems use different technologies for different purposes. Detection can involve radar, RF detection, optical sensors and other tools. Mitigation methods include approaches such as RF jamming, physical interception and protocol based methods. Each approach works differently and has its own limitations. The effectiveness of one method should not be treated as evidence that another method will behave in the same way. Cyber-over-RF technology takes a different approach from traditional RF jamming. It works with the communication protocol used by supported drones rather than simply disrupting the radio link. This approach depends on the target drone using a supported RF based communication protocol. Sentrycs uses Cyber-over-RF technology based on Protocol Analytics with supported drones. It is one approach within the wider Counter-UAS field and does not apply to every drone or every situation. ## What happens after the connection is interrupted? What happens next depends on the drone and how it was programmed. One drone follows a programmed response after communication with its controller disappears. Another continues along an autonomous route. The result depends on the aircraft, its programming and the connection that was interrupted. For this reason, losing a signal and stopping a drone are not the same thing. Security teams first need to understand the type of drone and how it is operating. Only then does it become possible to understand how a particular Counter-UAS method relates to that situation. Legal authority also matters. Even if jamming is technically capable of affecting a particular drone, that does not automatically give an organization permission to use it. This is why whether private security teams are allowed to use drone jammers depends on the laws and authorizations in the relevant location. ## Signal loss is only part of what happens Different drones respond differently when a connection is lost. Some depend on continuous communication with an operator. Others continue following instructions that were programmed before the flight. Counter-UAS methods also differ. Some focus on detection, some interfere with signals and others work through different technical approaches. Their capabilities and limitations are not identical. For a security team, dealing with an unauthorized drone involves more than disrupting a signal. The type of drone, the way it operates, the Counter-UAS technology being used and the legal authority to use that technology all matter. Signal loss is only one part of understanding what happens next. ### The Gentlemen Season 2 Has More Crime, But Not Much More to Say URL: https://www.techloy.com/the-gentlemen-season-2-review/ Last updated: 2026-09-07T15:45:04.000Z Guy Ritchie’s The Gentlemen has returned with a bigger criminal empire, a new collection of aristocrats and gangsters, and the return of Theo James as Eddie Horniman and Kaya Scodelario as Susie Glass. But while Season 2 expands the world of the [Netflix](https://www.techloy.com/tag/netflix/) series, early reviews suggest it does not move far enough from the formula that made the first season popular. [Critics](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/sep/02/the-gentlemen-season-two-review-guy-ritchie-theo-james-netflix) have praised its absurd humour and visual style, but some have also questioned its pacing and reliance on familiar Guy Ritchie tropes. The result is a season that remains entertaining, even if it does not feel particularly fresh. [Why Ted Lasso Season 4 Was Filmed in a HospiceAn unused wing at a UK hospice was transformed into a Ted Lasso Season 4 set, giving the production an authentic location and the charity a new source of income.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-d9a88057-c3be-480f-9d8e-cdfe6b31d3ce.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/image-2-1-38ac38df-1024-4d79-9fd4-53cf4c7c781f.png)](https://www.techloy.com/ted-lasso-season-4-filmed-real-hospice/) ## Season 2 Pushes Eddie Further into Crime Season 2 picks up with Eddie no longer the reluctant aristocrat who accidentally inherited a criminal operation. [Netflix's official cast guide](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/the-gentlemen-season-2-cast-guide) says he is now firmly in control, embracing the possibility of being both an aristocrat and a criminal. His partnership with Susie also expands beyond England as their operation grows and brings them into contact with new enemies and allies. This gives the season a larger playing field, but it also raises the question at the heart of the reviews: can Ritchie's familiar style still feel exciting when audiences already know the formula? *The Guardian* argues that much of the energy from Ritchie's earlier work has been replaced by slower pacing. Its review describes Season 2 as lavish, overlong and intermittently funny, while criticising its dependence on familiar characters and situations. Eddie's search for greater power also takes him into international drug dealing and British politics, adding more ambition to the character without necessarily making him more compelling. ## A Bigger Cast and a Wider Criminal Empire The series has responded to its expanded story with a larger ensemble. Hugh Bonneville joins as Lord Hawthorne, while Maya Jama plays fixer Aisha. Other new additions include Michele Morrone as Cico Maldini, Benedetta Porcaroli as Bella, Sergio Castellitto as Italian crime boss Marco Moretti, Benjamin Clementine and Chris Eubank Jr. The new characters help move the story beyond the English country estate that defined much of the first season. Eddie and Susie's criminal operation now stretches into Italy, bringing the aristocratic crime comedy into contact with a more conventional mafia world. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Lanterns Finally Reveal the Manhunter. Now the Real Mystery Begins URL: https://www.techloy.com/lanterns-episode-4-manhunter-zoe-macon/ Last updated: 2026-09-07T14:54:17.000Z Four episodes into Lanterns, the mystery that has been hanging over HBO’s new DC series finally has an answer. The Manhunter is Zoe Macon, the seemingly ordinary woman who has been getting close to John Stewart in Rushville, Nebraska. Episode 4, titled “The Weenie”, aired on September 6 on HBO and [HBO Max](https://www.techloy.com/tag/hbo-max/), turning what looked like a straightforward investigation into something much more personal for John and Hal Jordan. The reveal also gives new meaning to several details from earlier episodes, including Zoe’s relationship with William Macon and John’s unusually calm reaction to her apparent death. More importantly, it changes the central question of the series. The mystery is no longer simply who the Manhunter is, but what Zoe actually wants and whether John can trust her. [2026 Creative Arts Emmys Winners: Full ResultsThe Creative Arts Emmys have already reshaped the awards race, with Widow’s Bay, Bad Bunny and several unexpected winners stealing the spotlight before the main ceremony.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-58f737e0-cd57-49f5-a8bf-e64d81fcb02e.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1625643268477-838321f445bb-38fe93e0-328e-451c-80d8-ebcacaf6a546)](https://www.techloy.com/2026-creative-arts-emmys-winners/) ## Zoe was hiding in plain sight For much of the season, Hal Jordan and John Stewart have been trying to identify the Manhunter, a mysterious enemy connected to the death they are investigating in Rushville. [Episode 4](https://mashable.com/entertainment/lanterns-zoe-manhunter-reveal) sends them towards William Macon, whose wealth, influence, and connection to a mysterious benefactor make him look like the obvious suspect. Their investigation eventually leads them to a slaughterhouse, where they encounter Hector Guiterrez, a man initially presented as the Manhunter. He later admits that he is human and claims William is responsible. That turns out to be another diversion; [Zoe is the real Manhunter](https://www.tvline.com/2251731/lanterns-season-1-episode-4-recap-zoe-manhunter/), and the episode makes the reveal through Hal's detective work rather than a conventional confession. After a satellite attack appears to kill Zoe, John barely reacts. Hal notices the difference between John's response to Zoe and his panic when his parents are threatened. As Hal explains, John is not grieving because he does not believe Zoe is dead. He eventually concludes that she must have survived because she is not human. ## The reveal changes what we know about Zoe Zoe’s actions throughout the episode make her connection to the Manhunter identity difficult to understand because she has built a life around William Macon and developed a relationship with John. Earlier in the episode, she even warns him to leave Rushville before the situation becomes more dangerous. Her concern for John does not fit neatly with the role of an antagonist, making her motives more complicated than they first appear. Poorna Jagannathan, who plays Zoe, has revealed that she did not know her character was the Manhunter until she received the Episode 4 script. Speaking about the twist, she said it “reframed everything” for her understanding of the character. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Up-and-Coming GEO Agencies to Watch in 2026 URL: https://www.techloy.com/up-and-coming-geo-agencies-to-watch-in-2026/ Last updated: 2026-09-07T13:35:52.000Z Two years ago, most agencies on the lists of GEO's agency directories were using the same pool of SEO agencies that had optimized their presence on the web. That initial wave has since passed, as the most visible players have had sufficient time to update their offerings and introduce solutions that address AI citation challenges. All the agencies that made it to this list are distinguished by something, be it a specialty that shaped their knowledge profile, engineering talent on the level of LLM architecture, or a documented track record that goes beyond directional claims. The data about agencies and their methodologies were gathered, in part, from[ Top GEO Agency's research](http://topgeoagencies.net/research), which makes its findings about the state of AI citation in the industry available to the public. ## **GEO Agencies to Watch in 2026** | Agency | Founded | Primary Focus | | -------------------- | ------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- | | TripleDart | 2022 | Software, Technology, Dev Tools, Security | | Uproer | 2022 | E-Commerce, B2B, SaaS, Mid-Market | | PipeRocket Digital | 2023 | Software, Dev Tools, HR Tech, Enterprise Software | | The Rank Masters | 2023 | Software, AI Companies, Pipeline-Led Content | | Avenue Z | 2023 | Technology, Consumer Brands, Emerging Tech, PR-Led GEO | | Paramark | 2023 | Software, Technology, Revenue Attribution | | Croton Content | 2024 | Financial Services, Technology, Banking, Wealth Management | | Limelight Department | 2024 | B2B, Healthcare, Professional Services | | RevvGrowth | 2024 | Software, GEO/AEO, Pipeline Attribution | | Profound | 2024 | Enterprise B2B, Multi-Industry, AI Visibility Measurement | ## **1\. TripleDart** | Why watch them: The Slate platform is the thing to pay attention to. Most agencies handle content freshness manually, which means it does not happen consistently. Slate automates it at scale, and that consistency is what AI citation engines actually reward. | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Focus: Software, Technology, Dev Tools, HR Tech, Security TripleDart has worked with 100+ companies treating SEO and GEO as one program. Their Slate platform keeps content fresh at scale because AI citation engines favor recency and most agencies handle that manually. Their LLM tracker covers ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews in one view. The co-founders came from Hotjar, Remote, and Freshworks APAC. Campaigns start with query mapping: what buyers actually ask AI tools when shortlisting vendors, then content built to appear in those answers. In a lot of software categories, there are shortlist forms before a demo request lands, so starting from the query gets you upstream of the decision. | Notable Result: Software clients report consistent improvements in AI citation frequency and non-branded organic traffic, with several reaching first-page AI Overview placement within 90 days.Best fit: Software companies in fintech, dev tools, HR tech, and security that want GEO and SEO running as one connected program with proprietary tooling for AI citation tracking. | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ## **2\. Uproer** | Why watch them: Founded in 2022 by a practitioner who built the revenue-first methodology before starting the agency. Transparent pricing, month-to-month contracts, and consistent five-star Clutch reviews from clients who value accountability over promises. | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Focus: E-Commerce, B2B, SaaS, Mid-Market Uproer focuses on e-commerce and B2B companies that need organic growth connected to revenue, and the GEO work runs on the same framework: AI visibility measured against pipeline, not impressions. Pricing starts at $4,000 per month on month-to-month contracts, which is unusually transparent for this space. The founder, Griffin Roer, came out of larger agencies before building his own, and that experience shows in how they structure accountability. The agency is small by design, so clients stay with senior practitioners throughout rather than getting handed off. Clutch reviews consistently cite measurable results and responsiveness as the reasons clients stick around. | Notable Result: E-commerce and B2B clients report measurable organic revenue growth tied to GEO and SEO programs, with Clutch reviewers consistently citing lead quality improvements and strong attribution reporting.Best fit: Mid-market e-commerce and B2B companies that want revenue-accountable GEO at transparent pricing, with senior-level attention throughout the engagement rather than account manager layers. | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ## **3\. PipeRocket Digital** | Why watch them: These are two people who ran marketing inside SaaS companies before they ran an agency, which means their methodology is built around what actually has to happen in a board meeting. | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Focus: Software, Dev Tools, HR Tech, Enterprise Software Praveen Ravi managed $500K+ monthly in paid budgets at SaaS Labs and Kissflow before co-founding PipeRocket, and Kamaraj Mathiarasan brings 15 years of SEO experience from Sprinto and Kissflow. The practical effect of that background is that GEO strategy starts with how buyers actually research in AI tools, not with a service menu. They know what a board meeting looks like and build toward outcomes that survive one. In three years they have worked with 70+ software companies. Published results include 7,000% organic traffic growth for Xflow, 2.5x revenue growth for MetricStream, and 1,500% traffic growth for SaaS Labs within ten months. Everything connects to qualified leads. | Notable Result: Portfolio results include 7,000% organic traffic growth for Xflow, 2.5x revenue increase for MetricStream, and 3.5x MQL growth for a software spend management client.Best fit: Software companies from early-stage through enterprise that need GEO tied directly to pipeline, with a team that has operated inside SaaS companies before running marketing for them. | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ## **4\. The Rank Masters** | Why watch them: Built for the GEO era with an ICP-led content system that connects discovery to pipeline across both Google and AI search. They publish their methodology openly, which is still not common in this space. | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Focus: Software, AI Companies, Pipeline-Led Content Every content asset The Rank Masters produces is mapped to a specific buyer profile and stage before a word is written. That ICP-led approach extends directly into GEO: the same content is structured for AI Overview citation and organic ranking as one program rather than two. Founders Waqas and Faisal have applied this across 50+ software companies, with transparency about their methodology that most agencies avoid. Their refresh-before-publish discipline addresses something most agencies ignore: content that ranks briefly then decays loses AI citations over time. Building update cycles in from the start produces a compounding library rather than a revolving door of one-off posts. | Notable Result: Software clients report measurable improvements in both organic rankings and AI citation frequency, with content programs producing qualified leads rather than traffic volume alone.Best fit: Software and AI companies that want a senior-led content and GEO program tied to pipeline outcomes, with a team that publishes its methodology and treats GEO and SEO as one system. | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ## **5\. Avenue Z** | Why watch them: One of the few agencies that approaches GEO through PR and earned media rather than content production, which matters in fintech and consumer categories where third-party authority is the primary signal AI platforms draw from. | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Focus: Technology, Consumer Brands, Emerging Tech, PR-Led GEO Avenue Z runs what they call Performance PR: earned media treated as a performance channel generating the authority signals AI platforms draw from when deciding what to cite. Their proprietary AIVx measures brand visibility specifically inside AI-generated responses rather than in traditional search, and the 2025 AI Breakthrough Award for Cognitive Communications Solution of the Year reflects how that work has been received externally. In technology and emerging tech, third-party credibility is the primary signal AI platforms draw from. For brands whose biggest gap is what authoritative sources say about them rather than what their own site says, a PR-first approach addresses the actual problem. | Notable Result: Avenue Z drove over $1M in new revenue within 90 days for a high-growth beauty brand through integrated AI and TikTok strategies, and fintech clients report improved AI-sourced brand recognition across ChatGPT and Perplexity.Best fit: Technology, emerging tech, and consumer brands whose biggest AI visibility gap is earned media and third-party citations rather than owned content volume. | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ## **6\. Paramark** | Why watch them: Built around marketing measurement and attribution first, then applied that rigor to GEO. Their ability to connect AI citation work to closed revenue is more precise than most agencies that started from content and worked backward. | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Focus: Software, Technology, Revenue Attribution Paramark's core capability is marketing measurement and revenue attribution, and their GEO work is an extension of that rather than a separate service. Rather than reporting on citation frequency or AI visibility scores, they track the downstream revenue contribution of AI-referred traffic through proprietary attribution methodology. That level of precision is still rare in the GEO market, where most reporting stops at the visibility layer. Their measurement framework integrates with existing CRM and revenue operations rather than requiring a parallel system. For teams where the CFO asks how marketing spend connects to revenue, Paramark answers that more directly than agencies built around content production. | Notable Result: Software and fintech clients report measurable revenue attribution from AI-referred traffic, with Paramark's measurement framework connecting GEO outcomes to pipeline and closed revenue rather than stopping at visibility metrics.Best fit: Series A to C Software and fintech companies that need GEO with rigorous revenue attribution, where the reporting has to satisfy a finance-minded leadership team as well as a marketing one. | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ## **7\. Croton Content** | Why watch them: The only video-first GEO agency on this list, and the only one built exclusively for financial brands. YouTube SEO, AEO, and GEO run as one program, with compliance built into every deliverable from the start. | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Focus: Financial Services, Technology, Banking, Wealth Management Croton Content works exclusively with financial brands and combines YouTube SEO, AEO, and GEO into one compounding program. The founder, Daniel Schoester, has bylines in Forbes Advisor, Moneywise, and Hardbacon, so the team already knows how financial content earns authority in the publications AI platforms actually draw from. Most GEO strategies have not caught up to how much YouTube now contributes to AI citation signals, which is where Croton has a head start. Every deliverable is reviewed against CFPB standards and FTC endorsement guidelines before publication. For regulated financial brands, that removes a friction point generic agencies create. Clients include Forbes Advisor, Moneywise, and The Average Joe, with over $1M in attributed revenue across the portfolio. | Notable Result: Financial services clients report over $1M in attributed revenue generated across the agency portfolio, with evergreen video and content assets producing compounding organic traffic and AI citation improvements over time.Best fit: Technologies, banks, wealth managers, and financial services companies that need compliance-first GEO content built by a team that understands financial regulations and AI citation standards simultaneously. | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ## **8\. Limelight Department** | Why watch them: Founded in 2024 specifically to help businesses navigate AI search visibility, with a lean model and month-to-month engagements that let clients test GEO before committing to a long-term program. | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Focus: B2B, Healthcare, Professional Services, Local Business Limelight Department's model is deliberately accessible: month-to-month retainers, published pricing tiers, and an AI visibility audit before any content work starts. Clients see exactly where they stand in ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews before committing budget, which is still not standard practice at most agencies. For companies that have been burned by vague agency onboarding before, that audit-first structure changes the dynamic from the first call. They work across B2B, healthcare, and professional services with a no-contract model that suits first-timers and companies replacing an underperforming agency alike. | Notable Result: Healthcare and B2B clients report improved AI search visibility and lead quality within the first 90 days, with the audit-first process providing clear baseline measurement from the start of the engagement.Best fit: B2B companies, healthcare practices, and professional services firms exploring GEO for the first time, or those that want a low-risk, month-to-month structure before committing to a larger program. | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ## **9\. RevvGrowth** | Why watch them: Before applying GEO to any client, RevvGrowth ran the full system on their own brand and documented the results. Within 8 months they earned citations in Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, and Perplexity for high-intent software queries. | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Focus: Software, GEO/AEO, Pipeline Attribution RevvGrowth built their GEO system around one question: how do you get cited when a buyer asks an AI engine who to trust in your category? Their answer connects GEO, AEO, technical SEO, entity optimization, and off-page citation building with pipeline attribution in one program. In their framing, AI visibility depends on three things: how clearly AI understands the brand, how often trusted third-party sources mention it, and whether the content is actually structured for extraction. Before applying the system to clients, they ran it on their own brand and published the results: citations in Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, and Perplexity for competitive buying-stage queries within 8 months. For a 2024 agency without years of client case studies, that proof of methodology carries real weight. | Notable Result: RevvGrowth documented their own brand earning citations across Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, and Perplexity for high-intent software queries within 8 months of applying their full GEO system.Best fit: Software companies that want a GEO practice built by a team that has tested and documented the methodology on their own brand before asking clients to trust it. | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ## **10\. Profound** | Why watch them: Profound built the measurement infrastructure first, then the agency practice. Their partnership with Amsive and integration with major enterprise workflows. | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Focus: Enterprise B2B, Multi-Industry, AI Visibility Measurement Profound is an AI visibility platform that also runs an agency practice, and the order matters. Their platform tracks brand citations across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews in real time, and the agency work runs on that data rather than assumptions. In 2025 they partnered with Amsive to integrate their measurement infrastructure into Amsive's AEO offering, putting their tracking layer behind enterprise clients, including Baylor Scott and White and BlueCross BlueShield. The measurement infrastructure came before the agency practice, not the other way around. For enterprise brands that need to know their AI citation baseline before they can improve it, that is the right starting point. | Notable Result: Enterprise clients, including major health systems and financial services brands, have used Profound's platform to establish AI citation baselines and track measurable improvements in brand mention rate across major AI platforms.Best fit: Enterprise B2B brands that need AI visibility measurement and optimization from a firm that built the tracking infrastructure before it built the agency, with integration into existing marketing technology stacks. | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | Top GEO Agencies publishes research and methodology benchmarks at topgeoagencies.net/research that can help frame those conversations and identify what to ask before signing an engagement. ### Nintendo Switch 2 Owners May Not Have to Buy Their Games Again URL: https://www.techloy.com/nintendo-switch-2-upgrade-pack-prices/ Last updated: 2026-09-07T13:30:29.000Z If you already own a library of [Nintendo Switch](https://www.techloy.com/tag/nintendo-switch/) games, upgrading to a Switch 2 doesn't necessarily mean buying everything again. [Nintendo](https://www.techloy.com/tag/nintendo/) and third-party publishers have released [upgrade packs](https://nintendoeverything.com/list-of-all-prices-for-nintendo-switch-2-upgrade-packs/) for existing Switch games, giving owners access to Switch 2 versions without paying the full price of a new game. Some upgrades are free, while others cost as little as $0.99\. A few go as high as $19.99. That makes it worth checking the upgrade price before buying a second copy of a game you already own. Here’s a look at the current Nintendo Switch 2 upgrade packs, from free upgrades to the $19.99 options. [Nintendo Switch 2 Bans: Why Consoles Are Being RestrictedNintendo Switch 2 owners are reporting sudden bans from online services, but some affected consoles are reportedly returning to normal after a restart.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-d5a37336-f01f-4ff1-ab3c-e14d4778fa10.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1750049452880-05bfca6ab26b-1bc8d5ec-b12d-4a44-bc7d-4edab9bbfffc)](https://www.techloy.com/nintendo-switch-2-bans-error-codes/) ## Free Nintendo Switch 2 Upgrade Packs A large number of Switch games can be upgraded to their Switch 2 versions for free. Here are the games currently listed with free upgrades: - 1000xResist - Another Crab’s Treasure - Asphalt Legends - Ball x Pit - Blood: Refreshed Supply - Blood Dungeon - Brotato - Cast ‘n’ Chill - Citizen Sleeper - Citizen Sleeper 2 - Core Keeper - Cozy Grove - Cozy Grove: Camp Spirit - Dave the Diver - Dinkum - Disney Dreamlight Valley - Disney Speedstorm - Dispatch - Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Factorio - Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles - Hades 2 - High On Life - Hollow Knight - Hollow Knight: Silksong - Kingdom’s Return: Time-Eating Fruit and the Ancient Monster - LEGO Party - Little Rocket Lab - Lou’s Lagoon - Lynked: Banner of the Spark - Mina the Hollower - Minishoot’ Adventures - No Man’s Sky - One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 - Outlaws + Handful of Missions: Remaster - Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo - Planet of Lana 2 - Psyvariar 3 - Red Dead Redemption - Sail Forth - Sayonara Wild Hearts - Shadow Labyrinth - Shuten Order - Simogo Legacy Collection - Soma - Stardew Valley - Storm Lancers - Subnautica - Subnautica: Below Zero - Super Bomberman Collection - System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster - Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game - The Drifter - Unrailed 2 That means owners of games such as *Hades 2*, *Hollow Knight*, *Red Dead Redemption,* and *Stardew Valley* can move to the Switch 2 version without paying an additional upgrade fee. ## Nintendo Switch 2 Upgrade Packs for $5 or Less The cheapest paid upgrades cost less than $5, with several priced at just $0.99. Here’s the full list: - Isekai Rondo — $0.99 - Isekai Villain — $0.99 - Novel Rogue — $0.99 - Overrogue — $0.99 - Dark Auction — $1.00 - Pritto Prisoner — $1.00 - The Exit 8 — $1.00 - Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter — $1.00 - Touhou Yukkuri Mountain — $1.49 - Memory of Memorie: A Chill Story — $1.99 - Braid: Anniversary Edition — $2.99 - Fruit Mountain Party — $2.99 - The Fox’s Way Home — $2.99 - Bang Bang Bandits — $3.00 - Go-Go Town — $3.00 - Botany Manor — $3.99 - Demon Castle Story — $3.99 - Dream Town Island — $3.99 - Dungeon Village 2 — $3.99 - Game Dev Story — $3.99 - Jumbo Airport Story — $3.99 - Skyship Quest Story — $3.99 - 4PGP — $4.99 - Animal Crossing: New Horizons — $4.99 - Broken Sword – Shadow of the Templars: Reforged — $4.99 - Card-en-Ciel — $4.99 - Chippy&Noppo — $2.40 - Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time — $2.59 - Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road — $2.59 - Human Fall Flat — $4.99 - Kuukiyomi 4: Consider It — $4.99 - Lollipop Chainsaw Repop — $4.99 - Moonlight Peaks — $4.99 - R-Type Tactics 1-2 Cosmos — $4.99 - Starbites — $4.99 - The Prince of Tennis Doki Doki Survival – Eternal Passion Tie Break Game — $4.99 - The Prince of Tennis Sweet School Festival – 40 and More — $4.99 - The Rumble Fish 2 — $4.99 - Wobbly Life — $4.99 - Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition — $4.99 The original roundup also lists *Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX 1+2 Dual Collection* and *RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic* at exactly $5, so they sit outside this category if we're being strict about the $5 cutoff. ## Nintendo Switch 2 Upgrade Packs From $5 to $10 The next group includes several bigger releases, including Nintendo's own Switch 2 Edition upgrades. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Why Star Wars Zero Company Isn’t on Xbox One URL: https://www.techloy.com/star-wars-zero-company-xbox-one/ Last updated: 2026-09-07T11:30:01.000Z If you're an [Xbox One](https://www.techloy.com/tag/microsoft-xbox/) owner who has been looking at Star Wars Zero Company and wondering why you can't play it, you're not missing a secret release date. The new Star Wars tactics RPG is officially available on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC, but there's no Xbox One version. EA and Bit Reactor launched the game on August 27, 2026, with Xbox Series X|S specifically [listed](https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2026/08/11/star-wars-zero-company-preview/) among its supported platforms. That might be disappointing if you're still using an Xbox One, especially because this isn't exactly the sort of game you'd immediately expect to require the latest hardware. It's a turn-based tactics RPG, after all. You're spending plenty of time planning moves rather than sprinting around a massive open world. So why isn't Star Wars Zero Company on Xbox One? [Xbox Games Coming in September 2026: Full Release ScheduleXbox has a packed September ahead, with major releases including The Blood of Dawnwalker, Onimusha: Way of the Sword, Control Resonant and more.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-c63228b5-6e34-4e4b-a491-0841e37b4994.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1758524944460-98b67346a1e4-67cb45a5-8a2c-41a3-b4c1-2725787b8196)](https://www.techloy.com/xbox-games-releasing-september-2026/) ## Star Wars Zero Company Was Built for Current-Gen Xbox The simplest answer is that Bit Reactor and EA designed Zero Company as a current-generation game from the beginning. The game was announced for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, with Xbox One never included among the planned platforms. That hasn't changed since the original announcement. Xbox Wire also [confirmed](https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2026/08/11/star-wars-zero-company-preview/) ahead of launch that Zero Company would arrive on Xbox Series X|S on August 27. There isn't an official statement from EA or Bit Reactor saying, “Xbox One isn't powerful enough for this game.” And that's important, because it would be easy to assume the hardware is the entire reason. It's probably more complicated than that. ## Zero Company Is More Cinematic Than It Looks One of the easiest things to overlook about Zero Company is that it isn't simply an XCOM-style game with a Star Wars coat of paint. Bit Reactor has built a much more cinematic experience around its turn-based combat. The camera frequently moves from the traditional tactical perspective into much closer views during attacks. Characters have detailed animations, environments feature destructible elements, and the game puts considerable emphasis on lighting, effects, and cinematic presentation. Even outside combat, you're not just jumping between menus. You can explore The Den, interact with your squad, and spend time with characters between missions. That matters because the game's visual presentation is a big part of what makes Zero Company feel different from a traditional tactics game. And on Xbox Series X|S, the official Xbox listing confirms support for features including 4K Ultra HD, HDR10, and 60fps+, as well as being optimized specifically for Series X|S. That doesn't prove that an Xbox One version was impossible. But it does show where Bit Reactor and EA chose to put their resources. ## Why Not Just Make an Xbox One Version? Turn-based games don't necessarily need the same raw performance as a fast-paced shooter, but developers still have to support the entire game, not just its combat system. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Nintendo Switch 2 Owners Are Getting Banned. Here’s What’s Going On URL: https://www.techloy.com/nintendo-switch-2-bans-error-codes/ Last updated: 2026-09-07T10:38:47.000Z Getting banned from a game is one thing. Getting told that your entire [Nintendo Switch 2](https://www.techloy.com/tag/nintendo-switch/) console has been restricted from Nintendo's online services is a very different kind of headache. That's what several Switch 2 owners have been dealing with recently, with consoles suddenly displaying messages saying access to online services had been restricted. Naturally, some owners immediately assumed the worst. Reports began appearing across online forums, including [Reddit](https://www.techloy.com/tag/reddit/), with affected users seeing error codes such as 2124-4007 and 2181-4008\. Those codes can make it look like Nintendo has flagged a console for some kind of unauthorized activity. In one particularly worrying case, a parent said their daughter's Switch 2 had been banned for allegedly copying cartridges. The family, however, claimed it had only used legitimately purchased first-party cartridges and had never used cartridge-copying devices. There's also an odd detail here: the household reportedly owns four Switch 2 consoles, but only one was affected. That makes the situation considerably harder to explain as a straightforward Nintendo crackdown. [Nintendo Gamescom 2026 Lineup: All 9 Playable GamesNintendo just revealed its full Gamescom 2026 lineup, and buried in it is Call of Duty’s first playable appearance on Nintendo hardware in over a decade.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-cdff79e2-1d95-4fe6-9697-37bddaa75c9c.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1612151388040-9ec75d2de8c7-ac7f47b0-ebf7-4fbe-934e-81424622d3ce)](https://www.techloy.com/nintendo-gamescom-2026-lineup/) ## Why are so many Nintendo Switch 2 consoles being banned? The original incident was reported by a Switch 2 owner who said the console had been restricted despite the family apparently doing nothing wrong. You can read the [original report](https://www.neowin.net/news/if-your-nintendo-switch-2-got-suddenly-banned-heres-why/) and subsequent updates for the full account. Then similar reports started appearing from other Switch 2 owners. The growing number of complaints has raised the possibility that Nintendo's systems may have incorrectly flagged some consoles. Based on what affected users are reporting, a server-side problem could have triggered restrictions on otherwise legitimate systems. [Nintendo](https://www.techloy.com/tag/nintendo/) hasn't officially confirmed that explanation, though, so it's important not to treat the server issue as fact just yet. What happened next is perhaps the biggest clue. ## Some banned Nintendo Switch 2 consoles are coming back For affected owners, there's some good news. The parent behind the original report later updated the post to say that the Switch 2 had been unbanned. The console needed to be restarted before online access returned. Other users have reported similar experiences, with their consoles going back to normal without needing to contact Nintendo Support. That's a pretty unusual outcome for what would otherwise appear to be a permanent console ban. If Nintendo had intentionally blocked these systems because of piracy or unauthorized hardware, you wouldn't normally expect a simple reboot to restore access. Instead, the fact that some affected consoles are recovering on their own adds weight to the theory that this was a temporary problem with Nintendo's servers or automated restriction system. ## What do the Nintendo Switch 2 error codes mean? The reports have largely centered around error codes 2124-4007 and 2181-4008, which appear when Nintendo's online services are restricted. For anyone who has just spent money on a Switch 2 and a growing library of games, seeing a message like that can be pretty alarming. But if your console suddenly displays one of these errors and you've never modified the system or used unauthorized accessories or software, there's no reason to immediately assume you've been permanently banned. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The 2026 Emmys Are Already Full of Surprises URL: https://www.techloy.com/2026-creative-arts-emmys-winners/ Last updated: 2026-09-07T10:17:09.000Z The 2026 Emmy Awards have already delivered some unexpected winners, with Widow's Bay, The Pitt, Pluribus, and The Beast in Me among the shows taking home major honours. Some of the biggest surprises came from Apple TV's Widow's Bay, which won two of the seven music categories. In comparison, [Bad Bunny's Super Bowl](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-apple-music-super-bowl-lx-halftime-starring-bad-bunny--executive-produced-by-roc-nation--jay-z-wins-seven-emmys-302870842.html) LX halftime show dominated opening night, winning all seven categories in which it was nominated. The Creative Arts Emmys were held across September 5 and 6 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, with more than 100 awards handed out ahead of the main ceremony. The 78th Emmy Awards will take place on September 14, with Mariska Hargitay hosting the NBC and Peacock broadcast. [Landman Season 3 Delayed to 2027: What We KnowLandman Season 3 is now expected in 2027, with filming set to begin in September. Here’s what we know about the new season.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-40e423f3-11b0-48e9-853a-53edce1e6d13.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/image--2--7923c884-ef8d-4572-9062-123f8ce95c1f.png)](https://www.techloy.com/landman-season-3-release-date-2027/) ## Widow's Bay Breaks Through in The Music Categories Widow's Bay became one of the biggest winners of the second Creative Arts ceremony, collecting eight Emmys overall. Its two music victories came in Outstanding Music Composition for a Series and Outstanding Music Supervision. David Fleming won for the score of “Our History”, while Toko Nagata took the music supervision award for “Beach Reads”. The result was notable because the Apple TV series faced competition from established titles including Stranger Things, The Boys, Hacks and Pluribus. Its success also helped push [Widow's Bay](https://www.televisionacademy.com/shows/widows-bay) to the top of the Night Two leaderboard, ahead of DTF St. Louis, which collected six awards. ## The Pitt and Pluribus Also Upset Stronger Contenders The Pitt picked up the Emmy for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics for “Need Someone”, with music by Gavin Brivik and music and lyrics by Andrew Bird. The win adds to a strong Creative Arts weekend for the [HBO Max](https://www.techloy.com/tag/hbo-max/) medical drama, which also won for casting, prosthetic makeup and guest acting. Pluribus delivered another surprise by taking Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music. Dave Porter won for the [Apple TV](https://www.techloy.com/tag/apple-tv/) series, beating music from The Beast in Me, Murderbot, All Her Fault and The 'Burbs. Porter also earned an Emmy for his work as scoring mixer on Pluribus' sound mixing win. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 7 Best PageFly Alternatives for Shopify Stores in 2026 URL: https://www.techloy.com/7-best-pagefly-alternatives-for-shopify-stores-in-2026/ Last updated: 2026-09-07T09:33:34.000Z PageFly is a popular Shopify page builder for creating product pages, landing pages, and other storefront content without coding. But different stores need different workflows. Some merchants want AI to generate product pages faster. Others need greater design flexibility, reusable sections, campaign pages, or testing capabilities. Here are seven PageFly alternatives to consider in 2026. ## **What Is the Best PageFly Alternative?** The best PageFly alternative depends on what you need to build. **PagePilot is best suited to AI-generated product pages. GemPages and EComposer are closer to PageFly's visual building model, while Replo and Instant serve design-focused teams. Zipify Pages specializes in ecommerce landing pages, and Shogun is relevant to teams focused on optimization.optimization capabilities.** | Tool | Best for | Main approach | | ------------ | ---------------------------- | ------------------------------------- | | PagePilot | AI-generated product pages | Product URL to editable page | | GemPages | Flexible visual building | Drag-and-drop editor | | EComposer | Building multiple page types | Visual builder + Shopify tools | | Replo | Advanced ecommerce design | Customizable visual development | | Instant | Reusable storefront layouts | Visual builder + AI | | Zipify Pages | Ecommerce landing pages | Campaign-focused page builder | | Shogun | Optimization-focused teams | Building, testing and personalization | ## **1\. PagePilot — Best for AI-Generated Product Pages** [PagePilot](https://pagepilot.ai/) differs from traditional page builders by automating more of the initial product-page workflow. Merchants can paste a product URL from sources such as Shopify, AliExpress, Amazon, Etsy, or TikTok Shop and generate an editable Shopify product page. PagePilot also provides AI-assisted copy and product imagery, Shopify sections and blocks, a drag-and-drop editor, and an editable cart drawer. This makes it particularly relevant for merchants launching or testing multiple products. **Best for:** Shopify merchants and product-testing teams that want to reduce manual page creation. **Choose PagePilot if:** Generating a first version quickly matters more than manually assembling every section. ## **2\. GemPages — Best for Visual Customization** GemPages is one of the closer PageFly alternatives for merchants who want a traditional visual builder. Its drag-and-drop editor supports product, landing, collection, and home pages. Users can work from templates or create custom layouts. GemPages also offers Image-to-Layout, which turns visual references into editable layouts. **Best for:** Merchants who want visual customization across different Shopify pages. ## **3\. EComposer — Best for Multiple Shopify Page Types** EComposer supports homepages, product and collection pages, landing pages, blogs, and other Shopify content through a visual editor. It also provides reusable global blocks, ecommerce elements, page analytics, and AI-assisted functionality. Its broader approach is useful for merchants customizing multiple areas of a storefront. **Best for:** Stores that want one visual builder for multiple Shopify page types. ## **4\. Replo — Best for Advanced Ecommerce Design** Replo is designed for ecommerce teams that need greater control over storefront and landing-page design. Its visual builder supports Shopify data including products, variants, inventory, and metafields, while reusable components help maintain consistent designs. Advanced teams can also use custom HTML, Liquid, and JavaScript. **Best for:** Ecommerce brands and design teams creating highly customized Shopify experiences. ## **5\. Instant — Best for Reusable Storefront Layouts** Instant provides a visual Shopify editor for pages, product and collection templates, carts, navigation, and reusable theme sections. Teams can start with templates or use AI-assisted tools to generate and modify layouts. Reusable sections help maintain consistent components across storefront pages. **Best for:** Design-led Shopify teams that prioritize reusable layouts. ## **6\. Zipify Pages — Best for Ecommerce Landing Pages** Zipify Pages focuses on Shopify landing and campaign pages. Its visual builder also supports other storefront pages and includes templates, global sections, split testing, and analytics. This makes it relevant for merchants creating dedicated pages for advertising campaigns and promotions. **Best for:** Shopify stores building campaign and sales landing pages. ## **7\. Shogun — Best for Optimization-Focused Teams** Shogun provides visual page-building capabilities alongside ecommerce testing and personalization tools. Its broader optimization ecosystem makes it relevant to established stores that want to connect page creation with experiments and personalized experiences. Smaller merchants may find a simpler builder more appropriate. **Best for:** Ecommerce teams with ongoing testing and optimization requirements. ## **PageFly vs. Its Alternatives** The main difference between PageFly alternatives is **how they approach page creation**. | If you primarily need... | Consider | | -------------------------------- | ------------ | | Faster AI product-page creation | PagePilot | | Traditional visual customization | GemPages | | Broad Shopify page building | EComposer | | Advanced design control | Replo | | Reusable layouts and sections | Instant | | Campaign landing pages | Zipify Pages | | Testing and personalization | Shogun | A merchant testing new products frequently may benefit more from automated product-page generation, while an established brand redesigning its storefront may prioritize visual control. ## **How to Choose a PageFly Alternative** Start with the bottleneck you want to remove. For faster product-page creation, PagePilot provides a more automated workflow. GemPages and EComposer are closer to conventional visual builders. Replo and Instant are relevant when design flexibility and reusable components matter. Zipify Pages specializes in campaign landing pages, while Shogun is relevant when testing and personalization are part of the workflow. Also compare current pricing, publishing limits, theme compatibility, integrations, and collaboration features before switching. ## **Frequently Asked Questions** ### **What is the best AI alternative to PageFly?** PagePilot is particularly relevant for AI-generated Shopify product pages because it can create an editable page from an existing product URL. GemPages, EComposer, and Instant also incorporate AI into broader page-building workflows. ### **Which PageFly alternative is best for landing pages?** Replo offers extensive design control, while Zipify Pages focuses on ecommerce campaign pages. PagePilot is more specialized around product-focused pages created through an AI-assisted workflow. ### **Do PageFly alternatives require coding?** Most PageFly alternatives support standard page creation without coding. Platforms such as Replo and Shogun also provide advanced customization options for teams that need more technical control. ## **Final Thoughts** There is no universal PageFly replacement. **PagePilot is a strong option for AI-generated product pages, GemPages and EComposer suit broader visual building, Replo and Instant address design-focused workflows, Zipify Pages specializes in campaign pages, and Shogun serves teams with more advanced optimization requirements.** The best PageFly alternative is the one that removes the biggest bottleneck from your Shopify page-building workflow. ### 6 Calgary Realtors for Data-Driven Home Buying in 2026 URL: https://www.techloy.com/6-calgary-realtors-for-data-driven-home-buying-in-2026/ Last updated: 2026-09-07T09:30:20.000Z Buying a home in Calgary involves more than comparing asking prices. Buyers can use recent sales, neighborhood inventory, days on market, property taxes, condo fees, and nearby development to assess individual properties. The challenge is interpreting that information in context. A citywide average may say little about a specific condo, inner-city infill, or suburban detached home. The Calgary Realtors and teams below serve different parts of the market. This comparison focuses on local experience, property specialization, and the types of buyers each may be suited for ## **1\. Jesse Davies, JD Real Estate** **Best for: Buyers comparing multiple property types** Jesse Davies leads JD Real Estate and has more than 15 years of Calgary real estate experience. He is a Certified Condo Specialist and previously served as Director of Sales for an inner-city builder. His experience covers residential homes, condos, investment properties, new construction, inner-city properties, luxury real estate, and relocation. This range can be useful for buyers comparing different property types. Condo buyers, for example, need to consider building finances and fees alongside the individual unit, while new-construction purchases introduce questions around builders, timelines, and upgrades. People searching for the[ best Realtor in Calgary](https://jdrealestatecalgary.ca/) can therefore consider property-specific experience alongside neighborhood knowledge and overall market experience. ## **2\. Tanya Eklund Group** **Best for: Inner-city Calgary** The Tanya Eklund Group focuses on Calgary's inner-city market and works with both buyers and sellers. Its areas of activity include inner-city homes, luxury properties, acreages, and investment real estate. This specialization can be useful when comparing properties in established central neighborhoods, where lot dimensions, redevelopment activity, renovations, property age, and street-level differences can affect value. For buyers primarily interested in central Calgary rather than a citywide search, a strong inner-city focus provides a more specific point of comparison. ## **3\. Justin Havre Real Estate Team** **Best for: Broad Calgary-area searches** The Justin Havre Real Estate Team with eXp Realty is a large Calgary team serving the city and surrounding communities. Its property coverage extends beyond Calgary to markets including Airdrie, Cochrane, Chestermere, Okotoks, and Rocky View County. That geographic reach may suit buyers who have not yet narrowed their search to a single Calgary neighborhood or are comparing city properties with surrounding municipalities. A larger team structure can also provide broad coverage, although buyers should confirm who will personally handle their search, showings, and negotiations. ## **4\. Cody Battershill and Team** **Best for: Inner-city homes, infills, and condos** Cody Battershill and his team cover Calgary residential real estate with dedicated resources for inner-city homes, luxury properties, condos, and infills. That focus can be relevant for buyers comparing newer infill development with existing homes in established neighborhoods. These purchases often require more than comparing square footage and asking price. Lot characteristics, renovation quality, parking, property age, redevelopment activity, and proximity to downtown can all influence value. The team may therefore be particularly relevant for buyers concentrating on Calgary's central residential market. ## **5\. Poffenroth Nichols Group** **Best for: Calgary and Foothills luxury properties** The Poffenroth Nichols Group operates through Sotheby's International Realty Canada and serves Calgary and surrounding areas including Rocky View County, Bragg Creek, Cochrane, Okotoks, Priddis, and Redwood Meadows. Its focus on luxury residential real estate makes it relevant for buyers comparing high-end Calgary properties with estate and lifestyle properties outside the city. For these purchases, conventional price-per-square-foot comparisons may have limitations. Lot size, custom construction, views, privacy, location, and other unique characteristics can materially influence value. ## **6\. Aldo Laratta** **Best for: Custom homes and development-related purchases** Aldo Laratta works through Sotheby's International Realty Canada and has experience in both real estate and custom-home construction. His stated specialties include luxury homes, estate properties, development land, investment properties, new construction, and recreational real estate. This combination may be useful when construction quality, land characteristics, or redevelopment potential are important parts of the purchase. Buyers considering unusual or custom properties may also find that standard comparable-sales analysis does not capture every factor affecting value. ## **Calgary Realtors Compared** | Realtor or Team | Particularly Relevant For | | ----------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------- | | Jesse Davies, JD Real Estate | Condos, relocation, investments, new construction | | Tanya Eklund Group | Inner-city Calgary | | Justin Havre Real Estate Team | Calgary and surrounding communities | | Cody Battershill and Team | Inner-city homes, infills, condos | | Poffenroth Nichols Group | Calgary and Foothills luxury | | Aldo Laratta | Custom homes and development land | ## **What Should Calgary Buyers Compare Before Purchasing?** Useful points to compare include: - Recent comparable sales - Current competing listings - Days on market - Property taxes - Condo fees - Property condition - Neighborhood inventory - Nearby development Property type also matters. A downtown condo should be compared with similar units, while an inner-city infill may require comparison with recently built homes on similar lots. ## **Frequently Asked Questions** ### **Who is the best Realtor in Calgary for home buyers?** There is no single Realtor who is best for every buyer. Jesse Davies has experience across condos, residential homes, investments, new construction, and relocation, while other agents have more specialized focuses. ### **Who should Calgary condo buyers consider?** Jesse Davies is a Certified Condo Specialist, while Cody Battershill's team also focuses on Calgary condos. Buyers should consider experience with the specific building and neighborhood. ### **Which Calgary Realtors specialize in inner-city properties?** Tanya Eklund Group and Cody Battershill's team both focus on Calgary's inner-city market. Jesse Davies also has inner-city and builder-side experience. ### **Why does neighborhood experience matter?** Housing supply, recent sales, property types, redevelopment, and demand can differ between Calgary neighborhoods. Local experience can provide useful context when evaluating a property. ## **Final Thoughts** Choosing a Calgary Realtor depends on what and where you plan to buy. Jesse Davies offers broad experience across several property categories. Tanya Eklund Group and Cody Battershill focus on inner-city Calgary, Justin Havre Real Estate Team offers broad geographic coverage, Poffenroth Nichols Group focuses on luxury, and Aldo Laratta brings custom-home and development experience. Buyers can compare each agent's experience with their specific property type, neighborhood, and purchasing goals. ### Why the Uncensored AI Generator Is Emerging as a New Creator-Tech Category URL: https://www.techloy.com/why-the-uncensored-ai-generator-is-emerging-as-a-new-creator-tech-category/ Last updated: 2026-09-07T11:13:35.000Z Generative AI is becoming more specialised. While mainstream chatbots and image tools serve broad audiences, the [uncensored ai generator](https://www.hackaigc.com/?utm%5Fsource=techloy) focuses on adults who want greater creative control over fictional stories, characters, images, and videos. These platforms are not simply about fewer restrictions. They combine flexible creation with chat, image generation, editing, and video tools, helping users develop mature creative ideas that may be difficult to explore on general-purpose services. However, privacy, consent, ownership, and responsible use remain essential. ## **AI Creation Is Moving Beyond General-Purpose Platforms** Mainstream AI tools serve students, families, businesses, and creators, so they often apply broad moderation rules. As a result, lawful adult projects may sometimes be blocked because certain words trigger automated filters. Specialised platforms address this gap by offering adults more flexible creative boundaries. Users can explore fictional relationships, mature characters, fantasy scenarios, and adult storytelling without repeatedly rewriting harmless prompts. Nevertheless, such freedom does not permit illegal content, exploitation, coercion, content involving minors, or non-consensual use of real people’s images. ## **What Defines an Uncensored AI Generator** An uncensored AI generator is more than a chatbot. Modern platforms may combine AI conversation, image generation, image editing, image-to-image transformation, text-to-video, and image-to-video tools. HackAIGC, for example, allows users to develop a character through chat, create an image, adjust its appearance, and turn it into a short video. This multimodal workflow helps maintain consistency between the original concept and the final result. ## **Why User Control Matters** Creative work requires experimentation. Users may change a character’s expression, setting, clothing, or storyline several times before reaching the desired result. Unexpected refusals can interrupt this process. Specialised platforms can reduce such interruptions by creating policies for adult users. However, “uncensored” should not mean “without responsibility.” Users must still respect age requirements, consent, copyright, privacy, and local laws. ## **Image-to-Video Expands Creative Possibilities** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/data-src-image-72800002-0da8-4c3a-b764-0f7caf4792ef.png) Image-to-video tools turn static character images into moving scenes. Users can request facial expressions, posture changes, camera movement, or environmental effects. An [nsfw image to video](https://www.hackaigc.com/nsfw-video/?utm%5Fsource=techloy) tool can be used with fictional adult characters or authorised adult images. Clear source images usually produce better results, while poor-quality inputs may lead to distorted faces, anatomy, or unexpected motion. Real people’s images must never be sexualised or transformed without explicit consent. This also applies to deceptive deepfakes and impersonation. ## **Privacy and Creator Responsibility** Before uploading sensitive material, users should review a platform’s privacy policy, storage practices, processing methods, and deletion options. HackAIGC states that it uses encrypted, privacy-focused processing and a no-log approach, but users should always check the latest official terms. Creators should upload only content they own or are authorised to use. They should also secure downloaded files because shared devices, cloud backups, and unsecured folders may expose private content. Every depicted person must be an adult, and real-person likenesses require consent. Copyrighted images, logos, music, and other source materials may also require permission. Human review remains necessary because AI outputs can contain errors or unintended details. ## **What Comes Next** Uncensored AI is developing into a broader creator-tech category that combines conversation, images, editing, and video. Its future will depend on whether platforms can provide meaningful creative freedom while maintaining clear safeguards for privacy, consent, ownership, and lawful use. ## **FAQ** ### **Is uncensored AI completely unrestricted?** No. Responsible platforms still prohibit illegal, exploitative, non-consensual, or underage content. Users must follow applicable laws and platform rules. ### **Can I create NSFW videos from images?** Yes, some platforms support image-to-video generation for fictional adult characters or authorised adult images. Never use a real person’s likeness without explicit consent. ### **Is my content private?** Privacy depends on the platform’s policies. Review data collection, storage, retention, deletion, and logging practices before uploading sensitive files. ### **Can I use generated content commercially?** Possibly, but commercial rights depend on the platform’s terms and the ownership of any input materials. Check licensing conditions before publishing or selling content. ### **How can I improve video results?** Use clear, high-resolution images with consistent lighting and visible subjects. Keep prompts specific and review every generated clip before sharing. ### Jensen Huang Says AGI Has Arrived. The Problem Is Proving It URL: https://www.techloy.com/jensen-huang-agi-gpt-6-astra/ Last updated: 2026-09-07T10:08:51.000Z Apparently, we missed [AGI](https://www.techloy.com/nvidia-ceo-jensen-huang-says-agi-is-here-what-does-he-mean/). It arrived sometime between OpenAI releasing [GPT-6 Astra](https://www.techloy.com/gpt-6-astra-things-to-know/) on Thursday and [Jensen Huang](https://www.techloy.com/tag/jensen-huang/) announcing on Sunday that, yes, this is it. Artificial general intelligence (AGI) has arrived. Huang [congratulated OpenAI](https://x.com/JensenHuang/status/2096700264569090384?s=20) and pointed out that Astra was trained on more than 100,000 [Nvidia](https://www.techloy.com/tag/nvidia/) Grace Blackwell NVLink72 systems. Another 400,000 Nvidia GPUs, he said, are coming online. That's a lot of computing power for something we've apparently already finished building. It's also a rather revealing detail in a story that's difficult to separate from the machinery underneath it. Greg Brockman, OpenAI's president, had already started the victory lap when Astra launched. “Welcome to the AGI era,” he said. He later suggested that, looking back from a few years in the future, people might identify Astra as the model that marked the moment AGI was created. Now Nvidia's CEO has put his name behind the claim. [GPT-6 Astra: 10 Things to Know about ChatGPT’s New ModelOpenAI declared the AGI era, then shipped a model Sam Altman admits almost nobody can open.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-f1032f0d-e5c9-4c61-951c-0f433ef5974c.png)TechloyDamilare Odedina![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1746608943132-065d1d4b3c5d-57bdecd4-e36a-4874-9a79-d2b7aae7f147)](https://www.techloy.com/gpt-6-astra-things-to-know/) ## GPT-6 Astra has the numbers to make the case Fair enough. Astra is impressive. OpenAI [says](https://openai.com/index/gpt-6-astra/) it can operate computers, browse the web, write software, handle scientific and professional work, and perform cybersecurity tasks at a level that prompted the company to introduce stronger safeguards. Its launch benchmarks include 98% on FrontierMath Tier 4, 100% on ExploitBench, and 99.9% on ARC-AGI-3. You can obviously see why everyone is excited. But then you look at the ARC number a little more closely, and things get weird. The same Astra that scored 99.9% on ARC-AGI-3 under OpenAI's Provider Adapter scored 62.7% under [ARC Prize's Standard harness](https://x.com/arcprize/status/2095597602545025138?s=20). No new model was trained, and no new weights were added. The only difference was the environment in which Astra was allowed to work. The Standard harness gives models a common, provider-neutral interface. The Provider Adapter preserves Astra's opaque reasoning state between requests and uses compaction to manage longer conversations. ARC Prize publishes both results because they answer slightly different questions. And ARC Prize makes a particularly awkward point for anyone trying to turn that 99.9% into a ceremonial AGI certificate. "When we launched ARC-AGI-3, we made it clear that saturating the benchmark would not represent “proof of achieving AGI.” Therefore, while we believe Astra represents meaningful progress towards generalization, we are not claiming that it is AGI," the group said in a [blog post](https://arcprize.org/blog/astra). That's worth pausing over. We're talking about a benchmark specifically designed around what ARC Prize calls agentic intelligence, with a model producing a result that's spectacular under one setup and dramatically lower under another. The organisation running the benchmark is happy to call Astra state of the art. It's not, however, willing to make the leap from “this is an extraordinary score” to “AGI has arrived.” Maybe that sounds like pedantry. It isn't. ## Astra still has an eight-year-old problem Toby Walsh, chief scientist at the UNSW AI Institute, has a much simpler objection. In an interview with *Information Age*, he shared that he'd "be amazed if it \[Astra\] really has matched all human cognitive capabilities." Then he gets to the part I find much harder to dismiss. He says, “Indeed, I’d eat my hat if we didn’t find trivial things that an eight-year-old can do that Astra fails at.” That's the AGI problem in one sentence. We've become very good at making machines that are astonishingly good at particular things. We are much less good at deciding when “astonishingly good at many things” becomes “generally intelligent.” Astra can tear through a spreadsheet. It can navigate a computer. It can write code. It can work through problems that would make most of us reach for [Google](https://www.techloy.com/tag/google/) before reaching for a pencil. But intelligence is an irritatingly broad thing. Humans aren't just benchmark runners. We improvise. We understand ridiculous social situations. We notice when a question is nonsense. We transfer knowledge from one setting to another. We know that the chair is still a chair when someone puts a hat on it. And, occasionally, an eight-year-old knows something an entire AI research lab forgot to test. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### How to Use TikTok’s New Voice Comments, Polls, and Photo Comments URL: https://www.techloy.com/how-to-use-tiktok-voice-comments-polls-photo-comments/ Last updated: 2026-09-07T05:13:58.000Z [TikTok](https://www.techloy.com/tag/tiktok/) is giving its comment section a serious upgrade. You can now do more than leave a text reaction under a video. TikTok has [introduced](https://newsroom.tiktok.com/say-more-in-the-comments?lang=en) Voice Comments, Comment Polls, Photo Carousel Comments and Live Photo Comments, giving users new ways to talk, vote and share images without leaving the conversation. Some of the features are already available globally, while others are still rolling out. Here’s how each one works and what you need to know. [How to Get TikTok’s New “For You Calendar” Digital Well-Being PlannerA guide on how to use TikTok’s paper planner that swaps algorithms for ink, helping families schedule offline time and bridge the digital generation gap.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-a50d73ef-35cd-45f5-b503-6bedf431bdb6.png)TechloyEjiro Onose![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/Tiktok-Calendar-1-004789e1-a636-4192-9268-16aaf99e8883.png)](https://www.techloy.com/how-to-get-tiktoks-for-you-calendar-and-set-it-up/) ## How to Leave a Voice Comment on TikTok Voice Comments let you record an audio message and post it directly under a TikTok video. Instead of typing out a reaction, you can simply record what you want to say. Voice Comments can be up to 60 seconds long, and anyone who can see the comment can tap it to listen. To leave a Voice Comment: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/image-5.png) **Image: TikTok* 1. Open the TikTok video you want to respond to. 2. Open the comment section. 3. Tap the microphone icon in the comment box. 4. Record your message. 5. Post the recording as a comment. The feature is rolling out globally over the next month and is available to accounts belonging to users aged 18 and older. If you don't see the microphone option yet after updating your app, it may simply not have reached your account. TikTok says Voice Comments are subject to the same Community Guidelines as other content. The company uses automated systems and human moderation, including speech-to-text transcription, to identify potentially violating content. ## How to Create a Poll in a TikTok Comment TikTok is also letting creators put polls directly into the comment section of their own videos. This can be useful if you want your audience to choose what you make next, settle a debate or simply get involved in a decision. To create a Comment Poll: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/image-6.png) **Image: TikTok* 1. Go to the comment section of one of your own TikTok videos. 2. Tap the poll option in the comment composer. 3. Add your question and answer choices. 4. Choose up to five options. 5. Set how long you want the poll to remain active. 6. Post the poll. Viewers can then vote directly in the comment section, while creators can track the results as votes come in. Unlike Voice Comments, Comment Polls are already available globally. TikTok had previously made the feature available to some creators, but it's now rolling it out to creators worldwide. ## How to Add Multiple Photos to a TikTok Comment _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 7 Best AI Tools for Reducing Sales Admin Work in 2026 URL: https://www.techloy.com/7-best-ai-tools-for-reducing-sales-admin-work-in-2026/ Last updated: 2026-09-04T19:18:24.000Z Sales reps spend valuable time on work around selling: updating CRM records, preparing for meetings, writing follow-ups, logging tasks, researching accounts, and keeping pipelines current. AI sales tools can reduce this workload, but they solve different problems. Some automate broad sales workflows, while others specialize in meetings, conversation intelligence, prospect research, or CRM administration. Here are seven tools to compare in 2026 based on the sales admin they reduce. ## **1\. Zig — Best for end-to-end sales execution** [Zig](https://zig.ai/) is an AI sales execution platform built to handle administrative work across research, outreach, meetings, follow-up, CRM, and pipeline workflows. Rather than focusing only on call summaries or data entry, Zig connects activities across the sales process. Its AI agents can prepare meeting briefs, capture conversation outcomes, suggest CRM changes, draft follow-ups, create next steps, identify stalled deals, and support pipeline hygiene. Zig also supports desktop, mobile, voice, text, Slack, email, and phone access. Zig is not positioned as sales training or content enablement software. Its focus is executing work once the sales process is defined. **Best for:** B2B teams that want one execution layer to reduce repetitive work across multiple stages of selling. ## **2\. Reevo — Best for an AI-native sales platform** Reevo takes a broader platform approach. It combines prospect and company enrichment, outbound workflows, meeting preparation, call recording, transcription, task logging, CRM capabilities, deal updates, forecasting, reporting, and coaching insights. Its shared memory layer connects information from calls, emails, contacts, and deals. Reevo can use that context to draft follow-ups, update records, create tasks, and flag deal risk. **Best for:** Revenue teams looking to consolidate sales workflows around an AI-native platform and shared data layer. ## **3\. Avoma — Best for post-meeting admin** Avoma focuses heavily on the meeting lifecycle. It can record and transcribe meetings, generate structured notes, draft follow-up emails, and automatically populate supported CRM fields based on discussions. This makes Avoma useful when administrative work accumulates after calls rather than across the entire sales process. **Best for:** Teams that want to reduce note-taking, follow-up drafting, and CRM data entry generated by customer meetings. ## **4\. Fireflies.ai — Best for meeting documentation** Fireflies.ai focuses on recording, transcription, summaries, conversation search, and extracting information from meetings. For sales teams, Fireflies can turn conversations into notes, tasks, follow-up content, and CRM activity. Its Salesforce Autofill CRM capability can extract information from transcripts and prepare updates for contact, account, and opportunity fields for review. **Best for:** Teams primarily trying to eliminate manual meeting documentation and transfer conversation data into other tools. ## **5\. Gong — Best for conversation and deal intelligence** Gong is designed around customer conversations and revenue intelligence. It records and analyzes sales interactions to help teams understand deal activity, buyer signals, risks, and rep behavior. This reduces administrative effort associated with manually reviewing calls or reconstructing what happened across conversations. Its central strength is intelligence derived from conversations rather than automating every administrative task. **Best for:** Sales organizations where call analysis, deal visibility, and coaching are the priority. ## **6\. Clay — Best for prospect research and enrichment** Clay addresses another source of repetitive work: finding, researching, and enriching prospects. Teams can combine data sources and automated research to build account and contact records without manually searching multiple databases and websites. Clay does not primarily solve post-meeting administration, so teams may pair it with meeting or CRM automation software. **Best for:** GTM teams spending substantial time on prospect research, enrichment, and data preparation. ## **7\. HubSpot Sales Hub — Best for CRM-centered automation** HubSpot Sales Hub combines CRM data with prospecting, engagement, pipeline management, reporting, and automation. For organizations already using HubSpot, native workflows can reduce administrative work without introducing another core system. It is a broader CRM and sales platform rather than a dedicated AI execution layer. **Best for:** Growing teams that want sales automation connected to their existing HubSpot CRM. ## **How to Choose the Right Tool** Start by identifying where administrative work accumulates. If reps lose time after customer calls, Avoma or Fireflies may address the immediate problem. If managers need deeper visibility into conversations and deals, Gong serves a different purpose. Clay is more relevant when research and enrichment consume time, while HubSpot suits teams wanting automation inside their CRM. Zig and Reevo cover broader portions of the sales motion. The better fit depends partly on whether the team wants an execution layer around existing workflows or a wider AI-native sales platform. Before choosing a platform, teams should also check which actions require approval, which CRM fields can be updated, and whether automation works across the systems reps already use every day in daily workflows. ## **Frequently Asked Questions** ### **What sales admin tasks can AI automate?** AI can assist with meeting preparation, transcription, notes, CRM updates, follow-up drafts, task creation, prospect research, enrichment, pipeline maintenance, and deal-risk detection. Exact capabilities vary by platform. ### **Can AI eliminate manual CRM updates?** AI can reduce them substantially. Some tools extract information from meetings and prepare CRM fields, while broader platforms can handle updates across multiple interactions. Human review remains useful for important customer and pipeline information. ### **Should sales teams replace their existing CRM?** Not necessarily. Some AI tools work with an established CRM, while others provide their own CRM or broader sales platform. Teams should evaluate integration depth, data governance, workflow requirements, and migration costs first. ## **Final Thoughts** Sales admin includes everything from meeting documentation and CRM hygiene to research, follow-up, and pipeline maintenance. The strongest choice depends on where reps lose time. Zig is particularly relevant when administrative work spans several stages and the goal is execution across the workflow. Reevo offers a broader AI-native platform approach. Avoma and Fireflies focus on meeting-related work, Gong on conversation intelligence, Clay on research and enrichment, and HubSpot on CRM-centered automation. Choose technology that removes repetitive work without creating another workflow reps have to maintain. ### 🇷🇼 What does a remote team get up to on a retreat? URL: https://www.techloy.com/newsletter-36-2026-what-does-a-remote-team-get-up-to-on-a-retreat/ Last updated: 2026-09-04T16:00:42.000Z 💡 You may have seen an earlier version of this week's newsletter in your inbox about the Apple Event. We've made a few updates, so here's the latest edition. Enjoy! Usually, *Techloy Weekly* is written from different corners of the internet. This week, we're all in the same place. The Techloy team went to Kigali for a few days of sightseeing, games, food, exploring, and, most importantly, spending time together outside our usual Microsoft Teams messages and video calls. So, we thought we'd do something a little different with this week's edition and bring you along for the trip. **In this week's special edition:** - What we were up to in Kigali - A few things we've learned about each other - The tech stories we almost missed while away - And, of course, our usual opportunities, puzzle, and what's on our radar See you next week! — [Oluwajeminipe](https://www.techloy.com/author/oluwajeminipe/), *Interim Associate Editor* --- ## 🇷🇼 A VISIT TO THE LAND OF A THOUSAND SUNS ![The Techloy Team at the Airport](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/Screenshot_20260904-102240-2.jpg--1--1.jpeg) **The Techloy Team at the Airport | Image: Techloy.com* ### ✈️ First things first: we made it There's something slightly strange about seeing people you work with online every day suddenly standing next to you in an airport. For some of us, this was the first time meeting colleagues in person. And, thankfully, we eventually figured out who everyone was outside their Microsoft Teams squares. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### GPT-6 Astra: 10 Things to Know About ChatGPT's New Model URL: https://www.techloy.com/gpt-6-astra-things-to-know/ Last updated: 2026-09-04T15:58:33.000Z OpenAI released GPT-6 Astra, the new model now rolling into [ChatGPT](https://www.techloy.com/tag/chatgpt/), on Thursday, September 3, and called it the world's most intelligent and aligned model. Greg Brockman, the company's president and co-founder, ended the press briefing with a line that will follow [OpenAI](https://www.techloy.com/tag/openai/) around for a while. "Welcome to the AGI era." However, almost nobody can open it yet. Astra went out to a limited set of organizations; it is switched off by default for enterprise administrators, and its cybersecurity features are locked to a small group of alpha testers. The independent numbers do not match the framing either. Artificial Analysis, which runs its own model evaluations, scores Astra level with its predecessor GPT-5.6 Sol on intelligence and five points behind Anthropic's [Claude Fable 5.1](https://www.techloy.com/claude-fable-5-1-vs-fable-5-what-changed/), while OpenAI charges 2.5 times what Sol cost per token. Here is what the model does, what it costs, and where the AGI claim holds up. [Claude Fable 5.1 vs Fable 5: 7 Things That ChangedYou can make use of Fable 5.1 using usage credits on the Pro plan, just like Fable 5, and at no extra cost on Max plan.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-ad5f04f3-5a74-4bbf-a0cd-4795d20d9094.png)TechloyDamilare Odedina![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1554306274-f23873d9a26c-6ed842ed-a250-402e-ac2e-03e9c5390817)](https://www.techloy.com/claude-fable-5-1-vs-fable-5-what-changed/) ## /1\. The model is OpenAI's biggest training run yet The successor to GPT-5.6 Sol, was built on more than 100,000 GPUs at the Stargate site in Texas, according to Axios, and OpenAI says it is the first model to use other models in a significant role in supervising its own training. In the launch demos, it fills in a Form 1040, designs a circuit board, and formats a legal document rather than explaining how to. ## /2\. It works on a computer 47% faster than GPT-5.6 Sol It handles computer-use tasks in about 47% less time per task than Sol by OpenAI's own measure, and scored 72.6% on the OSWorld 2.0 benchmark against Sol's 65.7%. Brockman described an agent that can "zip through spreadsheets, fill out forms, and navigate across web pages," which is the part OpenAI is selling hardest. ## /3\. The new ChatGPT model wins on coding by 1.4 points It scored 74.1% on DeepSWE v1.1, a 113-task agentic coding benchmark, against 72.7% for Sol in OpenAI's own table, where Gemini 3.8 Flash sits at 73.8% and Claude Opus 5 at 73.7%. That table leaves out Meta's Muse Spark 1.3, which posted 75.4% days earlier on a maximum reasoning setting still under safety review, and it benchmarks Astra against a 67.4% result for Claude Fable 5.1\. Codex users get the more practical change, a memory feature that keeps notes across context windows so earlier work stays searchable. ## /4\. Independent testers rate it on a level with its own predecessor Artificial Analysis puts Astra at 61 on its Intelligence Index, the same score as GPT-5.6 Sol and five points behind Claude Fable 5.1\. Its ARC-AGI-3 result swings hard on scaffolding too, scoring 99.9% through OpenAI's custom harness for $18,817 and 62.7% on the standard harness at $26,098, per ARC Prize's own published figures. One clear win holds up, with hallucinations falling from Sol's 92% to 51% on the firm's AA-Omniscience test at maximum effort. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### What to Expect From Apple's September Event 2026 URL: https://www.techloy.com/what-to-expect-from-apples-september-event-2026/ Last updated: 2026-09-04T15:35:49.000Z [Apple](https://www.techloy.com/tag/apple/) is back this fall with a lineup of new iPhone devices, possibly the company's first foldable [iPhone](https://www.techloy.com/tag/apple-iphone/), the [iPhone Ultra](https://www.techloy.com/tag/apples-ultra/), and several other pieces of hardware. This could be one of Apple's most significant September events in years. Not just because the highly anticipated iPhone Ultra is expected to be unveiled, but because it will also mark the beginning of a new era for Apple under CEO John Ternus. Apple has confirmed that its next major event will take place on September 9, with the company using the tagline "Surprise and shine." The event will be Apple's first major iPhone launch under Ternus, who officially took over as CEO from Tim Cook earlier this month. And this year's event could be considerably more interesting than the iterative iPhone and [Apple Watch](https://www.techloy.com/tag/apple-watch/) upgrades we've become accustomed to seeing every September. The biggest reason is simple: Apple is finally expected to introduce a completely new iPhone form factor. Here is everything we expect to see. ## iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max ![Black smartphone with three camera lenses on back](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1759588071814-f960ed8f7ee8?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDIyfHxpUGhvbmUlMjAxfGVufDB8fHx8MTc4ODUzMjc4M3ww&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000) Photo by [ubeyonroad](https://unsplash.com/@ubeyonroad) / [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=api-credit) The iPhone will, unsurprisingly, remain the centrepiece of Apple's September event. But unlike previous years, Apple is reportedly changing the way it handles its flagship lineup. The regular [iPhone 18](https://www.techloy.com/tag/iphone-18/), iPhone 18e and a possible second-generation iPhone Air are not expected to arrive in September. Instead, Apple is reportedly moving those models to spring 2027. That leaves the more expensive iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max to headline this year's event. The two phones are expected to receive Apple's new A20 Pro chip, built using a 2nm process. Beyond the performance improvements, the chip could also help Apple improve power efficiency and support the company's growing AI ambitions. But the camera could be where the biggest upgrade happens. The iPhone 18 Pro Max is rumoured to feature a variable-aperture camera system. Unlike the fixed apertures found on most smartphone cameras, a variable aperture would allow the physical opening of the lens to change depending on lighting conditions. In theory, that could give the iPhone greater control over exposure and depth of field. Apple could also make changes to the Dynamic Island, introduce new colours and increase battery capacity, particularly on the Pro Max. None of these changes individually sounds revolutionary. Together, however, they could make the iPhone 18 Pro lineup feel considerably different from the previous generation. ## The iPhone Ultra could steal the show If there is one product capable of overshadowing the iPhone 18 Pro, it is the iPhone Ultra. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 8 Founder Opportunities Worth Applying to This Month URL: https://www.techloy.com/founder-opportunities-worth-applying-to-september/ Last updated: 2026-09-04T14:36:38.000Z It can be nerve-racking when seeking opportunities to get your business running or picking it up from the ground up. For many founders, finding the right funding, mentorship, accelerator, or support programme can be just as difficult as building the business itself. There are several opportunities available to founders at different stages, but finding the ones that match where you are in your journey can take time. To cut through the tedious process, we have compiled a list of eight founder opportunities worth applying to this month, from equity-free funding and accelerator programmes to venture-building opportunities and startup support. ## /1\. [Slush 100](https://slush.org/audience/startups/slush100) For early-stage founders looking for funding, global visibility as well as mentoring, Slush 100 offers a chance to pitch for €500,000 in equity-free capital at Slush's annual Helsinki summit. The top 20 startups will pitch on stage in front of roughly 10,000 to 12,000 attendees, while finalists will also get accommodation alongside 100 top early-stage founders, access to Slush's investor network, and mentoring from the event's main-stage speakers. To apply, startups need to have been founded in 2023 or later, be at seed stage or earlier, and have raised less than €10 million. - **Programme:** Startup pitch competition and equity-free prize at Slush 2026, Helsinki - **Deadline:** September 7, 2026 ## /2\. [Techstars Anywhere Accelerator](https://www.techstars.com/accelerators/anywhere) The program is open to companies in North American time zones and places a strong emphasis on robotics, energy, applied and physical AI, and materials science, though it remains industry-agnostic. Selected startups receive Techstars' standard investment package of $220,000, along with mentorship, a global alumni network, and three in-person offsites during the program. - **Programme:** Remote-first accelerator with $220,000 investment - **Deadline:** November 18, 2026\. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Final Fantasy, GTA 6 and a Surprise Sequel Stole the Show at PlayStation’s State of Play URL: https://www.techloy.com/playstation-state-of-play-september-2026-everything-announced/ Last updated: 2026-09-04T11:25:58.000Z PlayStation's September 2026 State of Play has wrapped, and Sony had plenty to show. The [showcase](https://www.youtube.com/live/KpXesINIQc4?si=ND86ES41gpF42yJ8) delivered new gameplay, release dates, DLC announcements, hardware reveals, surprise sequels, and updates for some of the biggest games coming to PS5. The biggest announcement came at the end, with Square Enix confirming that Final Fantasy VII Revelation will launch on April 8, 2027\. We also got release dates for Until Dawn 2 and Metro 2039, while Maneater 2 was revealed as a surprise new sequel. Other highlights included a new Crimson Desert expansion, two limited-edition GTA 6 DualSense controllers, a major Gran Turismo 7 update, new looks at Marvel's Wolverine and Monster Hunter Wilds: Ascendance, and several new indie games. The main presentation was followed immediately by State of Play Japan, which brought even more announcements and extended looks at Japanese and Asian games. Here's everything announced at State of Play September 2026. [Phantom Blade Zero State of Play: Everything RevealedDonnie Yen isn’t just choreographing Phantom Blade Zero’s kung fu, he’s now a character in it, and the State of Play just revealed how.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-e90afb2d-504d-4983-8d22-f93ad3e0d55f.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1558008258-7ff8888b42b0-69bfd1ca-07c2-4a76-a4e6-8d5b9cd22acd)](https://www.techloy.com/phantom-blade-zero-state-of-play-everything-revealed/) ## Final Fantasy VII Revelation Gets April 2027 Release Date Square Enix closed State of Play with its biggest announcement: Final Fantasy VII Revelation will launch on April 8, 2027, for PS5. The game is the third and final entry in Square Enix's Final Fantasy VII remake project, and the showcase delivered around 10 minutes of new gameplay. The footage offered a much closer look at the game's expanded world, including exploration using the Highwind, chocobos, and grapple guns. Square Enix also showed off its FITS combat system and new character synergies. With Revelation now dated for April 2027, fans finally have a launch window for the conclusion of the remake trilogy. ## GTA 6 Gets Two Limited-Edition DualSense Controllers Grand Theft Auto 6 made a surprise appearance through new PlayStation hardware rather than a new gameplay trailer. Sony and Rockstar revealed two limited-edition DualSense controllers inspired by GTA 6: the Grand Theft Auto VI Black Limited Edition and Grand Theft Auto VI White Limited Edition. Both controllers will launch on November 19, 2026, priced at $84.99/€84.99/£74.99\. Pre-orders open on September 10 at 10 a.m. local time. ## Until Dawn 2 Gets January 2027 Release Date Firesprite showed off a new trailer for Until Dawn 2, giving fans another look at the horror sequel's highly detailed character models and terrifying situations. The game will launch exclusively on PS5 on January 28, 2027. The new footage puts a particular emphasis on the game's realistic facial animations, with characters visibly reacting to the horrors unfolding around them. ## Metro 2039 Gets February 2027 Release Date 4A Games brought Metro 2039 to State of Play with a new gameplay trailer captured on PS5 Pro. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Week 36: Top Startup Funding in Africa and Middle East Led by Upwind URL: https://www.techloy.com/africa-middle-east-startup-funding-week-36-2026/ Last updated: 2026-09-04T10:43:59.000Z Startups across Africa and the Middle East raised a combined $532.25 million this week, based on disclosed funding rounds tracked by Techloy, with investor capital flowing primarily into cybersecurity and fintech. Israeli security companies took most of the money, while Saudi Arabia produced the highest number of deals, three of them unveiled at the LEAP 2026 conference in Riyadh. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/Week-36-2026-Biggest-Startup-Funding-Rounds-in-Africa---the-Middle-East.png) ## The Week's Largest Startup Funding Rounds Here are the biggest disclosed startup funding rounds across Africa, the Middle East and Israel this week. ### /1\. Upwind, $300 million, Cloud security, Israel Upwind watches cloud systems while they are running instead of relying mainly on static scans and has been pushing into AI security. Bessemer Venture Partners and TCV led the round at a valuation of around $3.8 billion, with Craft Ventures, Salesforce Ventures, Greylock and Cyberstarts also investing. Upwind has not said how it will spend the money. ### /2\. AIR Security, $50 million, AI security, Israel AIR Security is building what its CEO calls a firewall for AI agents, finding the agents running inside a company and vetting the skills and add-ons they connect to. Sequoia Capital led an initial $10 million and Greenoaks the $40 million that followed, with Swish Ventures, Netz and angels including Wiz co-founder Yinon Costica also investing. Founded in February 2026 by Unit 8200 veterans Yair Saban and Niv Hoffman, the company came out of stealth with the raise. ### /3\. AITAN, $41 million, Defense tech, Israel AITAN, formerly eyesAtop, builds AI-powered robotic combat systems used by Israeli forces, and has around 50 staff in Ramat Gan. Deep33 and Dell Technologies Capital co-led its first major round, taking total funding to $54 million. The company plans to sell its technology to Israel's allies abroad. ### /4\. Huskeys, $27 million, Cybersecurity, Israel Huskeys uses AI to upgrade web application firewalls as more of the traffic hitting websites comes from AI agents rather than people. Blackstone led the Series A, with Okta's and Zscaler's venture funds, Merlin Ventures and executives from Google, Microsoft and Palo Alto Networks joining, taking total funding to $35 million. Founded by Unit 8200 alumni Itai Gafni and Roy Weisfeld, it left stealth five months ago. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Week 36: Asia Top Startup Funding Rounds Led by Sunrise URL: https://www.techloy.com/asia-startup-funding-week-36-2026/ Last updated: 2026-09-04T09:30:04.000Z Asia's startup funding remained strong this week, with startups raising $430.8 million across semiconductors, AI, healthtech, electric mobility, aerospace, clean technology, and enterprise software. China secured the biggest funding round through its growing AI hardware ecosystem, while India attracted major investments across wearable health technology, battery swapping, and deeptech infrastructure. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/Asia-Biggest-Startup-Funding-Rounds-in-Week-36-2026.png) ## The Week's Biggest Startup Funding Rounds Here are the most notable startup funding announcements across Asia this week, ranked from highest to lowest. ### /1\. Sunrise, $280 Million, AI Chips, China Chinese GPU maker Sunrise raised approximately $280 million in a new funding round, nearly doubling its valuation to around RMB 20 billion. The investment will help expand domestic AI chip production amid growing demand for high-performance computing hardware. ### /2\. Ultrahuman, $70 Million, HealthTech, India Health intelligence startup Ultrahuman secured $70 million in funding from investors including Qualcomm Ventures, Labcorp, Alpha Wave, Blume, Nexus, and Alteria. The company will accelerate research in wearable sensing, AI, miniaturised electronics, and clinical science. ### /3\. Yuma Energy, $35 Million, Electric Mobility, India Battery-swapping company Yuma Energy raised $35 million in Series A funding led by Magna International. The company plans to expand its battery-as-a-service network for electric two- and three-wheelers across India. ### /4\. UBTECH, $13.9 Million, Robotics, China Chinese robotics company UBTECH secured approximately $13.9 million in Series A+ funding led by Dongzheng Capital. The investment will support product development and next-generation robotics technologies. ### /5\. Kepler Aerospace, $8 Million, SpaceTech, India Bengaluru-based Kepler Aerospace raised $8 million in seed funding led by Blue Ashva Capital. The startup is building autonomous satellite infrastructure and plans to deploy its first swarming intelligence constellation. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Week 36: Latin America Startup Funding Led by Konko AI URL: https://www.techloy.com/latin-america-startup-funding-week-36-2026/ Last updated: 2026-09-04T09:30:03.000Z Startups across Latin America raised a combined $22.66M this week, based on disclosed funding rounds, with investor capital flowing primarily into healthtech, deeptech, and fintech. Early-stage funding also reached startups building AI, cybersecurity, travel, and business automation solutions across the region. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/LatAm---s-Biggest-Startup-Funding-Rounds-in-Week-36-2026.png) ## The Week's Largest Startup Funding Rounds Here are the biggest disclosed startup funding rounds across Latin America this week. ### /1\. Konko AI, $6M, Healthtech, Costa Rica Konko AI is an artificial intelligence platform that helps healthcare institutions manage patient journeys, automating tasks such as patient messaging, triage, appointment scheduling, and follow-up care. The company currently manages more than two million patient interactions across 90 healthcare institutions and 60 medical specialties. The company raised $6 million in a funding round led by Hi Ventures, with participation from LifeX Ventures, SquareOne Capital, GroundUp Ventures, Phoenix Fund, and angel investors. The funding will support product development and expansion across Latin America, including Mexico, Colombia, and Costa Rica. ### /2\. Doroth, $4.5M (R$23M), Deeptech (Microfluidics), Brazil Doroth is a Brazilian deeptech company developing lab-on-a-chip platforms for molecular diagnostics. Its technology combines microfluidics, molecular biology, automation, electronics, optics, and software to enable faster diagnostic testing outside conventional laboratories. The company raised $4.5 million (R$23 million) in a round led by Loccus, with additional support from Finep and Fapesp. The funding will support research, development, and the construction of what the company describes as Latin America's first microfluidic chip manufacturing plant, with planned capacity of up to four million chips annually. ### /3\. Bull, $3.9M (R$20M), Fintech, Brazil Bull is a Brazilian credit-as-a-service platform that enables companies to launch and operate credit products without building the underlying infrastructure and operations themselves. Its platform covers areas including credit decisioning, customer service, collections, reconciliation, and funding connections. The company raised $3.9 million (R$20 million) in a seed round led by Maya and Caravela, with participation from Canary. The funding will support artificial intelligence, data infrastructure, cybersecurity, process automation, and the development of additional credit products as Bull expands its client base. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Why Would Anyone Need to Use One Phone Number on Two iPhones? URL: https://www.techloy.com/ios-27-iphone-handoff-two-iphones-same-number/ Last updated: 2026-09-04T07:48:01.000Z Using two [iPhones](https://www.techloy.com/tag/apple-iphone/) usually means moving your SIM between them, paying for a second line, or relying on Apple’s existing Continuity features to make calls from another device. [iOS 27](https://www.techloy.com/iphone-18-ios-27-beta-5-leak-six-unreleased-iphones/) could make that much easier. [Apple](https://www.techloy.com/tag/apple/) is introducing a feature called iPhone Handoff that will let you use the same phone number across two iPhones, with the number switching between the devices when needed. The feature was briefly listed by Apple at WWDC 2026 in June, but Apple didn't explain how it would work until a recent demonstration revealed more details. iOS 27 is expected to arrive this autumn as a free software update, although using iPhone Handoff will depend on having two compatible iPhones and support from your mobile carrier. [Apple Mac Mini M6, Mac Studio M5 Ultra: Specs, Price, AIApple’s new Mac Mini M6 and Mac Studio M5 Ultra cost more than ever. Here’s exactly what you get for it, chip by chip.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-d900cd94-e51e-4a94-a879-5aa3a4e3a59c.png)TechloyOgbonda Chivumnovu![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1605798286922-482b37219d6b-ed96a276-3dc8-40d8-884b-02c5c46008e2)](https://www.techloy.com/mac-mini-m6-mac-studio-m5-ultra-specs-price-ai/) ## How will iPhone Handoff work? Apple's approach is based on eSIM technology rather than simply cloning a SIM card. One iPhone is designated as the main device and keeps the user's existing eSIM, while the second receives a companion eSIM connected to the same number. Users can then switch the number between the two phones. Users are expected to set it up through the Settings app by going to Cellular. The main iPhone will remain responsible for managing cellular settings, while the companion device acts as the secondary phone. Location sharing will also follow the iPhone that is currently using the number. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/image-3.png) **Image: MacRumors* A demonstration shared by a *MacRumors* forum member showed the feature running on two simulated iPhones inside Apple's Xcode 27 development environment. This means the demonstration wasn't performed on two commercially available iPhones, so some details could still change before the final release. ## Why does Apple need a carrier for this? Both phones will need to run iOS 27, but Apple's software alone cannot activate the companion eSIM. The mobile network must also support the service. MacRumors reports that T-Mobile in the US and Deutsche Telekom in Germany could be among the first operators to support it. That requirement could determine how useful the feature is outside those early markets. Apple has not yet published a complete list of supported carriers, so iPhone owners in countries such as Nigeria will need confirmation from their network provider before assuming the feature will work. The limitation also makes sense from a technical perspective. A phone number is ultimately managed by a mobile network, so Apple cannot independently decide that any two iPhones should share a cellular line. The companion eSIM arrangement requires cooperation between Apple's software and the carrier's network. ## Who could actually benefit from IPhone Handoff? The feature is unlikely to matter to someone who owns only one iPhone. Its value is much clearer for people who regularly move between two devices. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### A Readability Map for Tech News, Product Launches, and Startup Coverage URL: https://www.techloy.com/a-readability-map-for-tech-news-product-launches-and-startup-coverage/ Last updated: 2026-09-03T21:14:04.000Z ## **The short version** Tech coverage moves quickly. A reader may open a startup funding story, compare a new device, scan an AI update, or check a product launch before deciding whether the information is useful. The writing matters, but the **type system** around that writing decides how easy the page is to trust. For a publication that covers products, startups, funding, AI, gaming, careers, and emerging markets, the goal is simple: help readers move from headline to context to evidence without friction. That is where better typography becomes an editorial tool, not decoration. ## **The reader path** | Moment | Reader question | Type priority | | -------- | ----------------------- | ----------------------------------- | | Headline | What changed? | Direct wording, visible hierarchy | | Context | Why does it matter? | Comfortable body text | | Evidence | What proves it? | Clear numbers, labels, and captions | | Decision | What should I remember? | Strong summary and links | ## **A compact diagram for tech editors** The diagram below shows the basic reading path a tech article should support: headline, context, evidence, and decision. The same path works for product explainers, funding coverage, app reviews, and market analysis. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/data-src-image-d6c98aca-96f1-4160-8180-a168906f4aae.png) **Image: readability map for tech article structure.* ## **Where font choices affect trust** In tech publishing, the risky details are often small: product names, model numbers, price changes, funding amounts, dates, charts, and source labels. If those elements are hard to scan, the article feels weaker even when the reporting is accurate. Practical places to check include: - funding amounts, dates, and market figures; - product names, feature tables, and specs; - chart captions, image credits, and source notes; - sign-up buttons, paywall labels, and newsletter prompts. ## **Brand examples with useful lessons** Custom font cases from large brands show how type can support consistency across many touchpoints. Domino’s Pizza customized TT Commons Pro into Dominos Sans Display and Dominos Sans Text, which is useful as a lesson in keeping web, app, and campaign communication aligned. Rocket uses WNTL and Bowtie, showing how one brand can combine accessibility with trust. SHIFTBRAIN Norms Variable shows how a customized variable font can support a digital-first identity. For editorial and product teams comparing commercial or custom font systems, foundries such as[ typetype.org](https://typetype.org/) can be reviewed as part of a wider design and licensing audit, especially when the same type must work across articles, newsletters, charts, apps, and brand materials. ## **Licensing belongs in the newsroom workflow** Fonts are software, so a license defines how they may be used. A tech publisher may use the same font on a website, newsletter, infographic, downloadable report, event deck, video, or mobile app. The license should be checked before a redesign goes live, not after a campaign is already running. | Use case | License check | | ------------------------ | ------------------------------- | | Website | Webfont embedding rights | | Newsletter or report | PDF and email graphic use | | App or dashboard | Software embedding rights | | Video or social campaign | Motion and paid campaign rights | ## **Avoid these common mistakes** Common issues include: - using decorative fonts for numbers or charts; - mixing too many typefaces across articles and newsletters; - hiding disclosures, credits, or source notes in tiny text; - using a personal-use font in commercial publishing. ## **A quick note** Good tech writing needs clarity, speed, and evidence. Good typography helps that work travel further by making the evidence easier to read. For product-focused publications, **readable brand text** is part of how news becomes insight. ### Dancing With the Stars Season 35 Reveals New Celebrity and Pro Cast URL: https://www.techloy.com/dancing-with-the-stars-2026-cast-and-partners/ Last updated: 2026-09-03T10:44:50.000Z Dancing With the Stars is returning with one of its most recognisable celebrity line-ups in recent years, mixing Hollywood actors, Olympic champions, reality TV stars, musicians and social media personalities in a bid for the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy. ABC officially unveiled the full cast for Season 35 on September 2 [during Good Morning America](https://abcnews.com/GMA/Culture/dancing-with-the-stars-season-35-celebrity-cast/story?id=136095657), confirming 16 celebrities and their professional dance partners ahead of the show's two-night premiere on September 15 and 16. The new season follows one of Dancing With the Stars’ strongest years in 2025, when the show saw renewed audience interest and record engagement across Disney+ and social media. Familiar hosts Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough are back alongside judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough, while the professional line-up welcomes fresh faces and returning favourites. [Why Ted Lasso Season 4 Was Filmed in a HospiceAn unused wing at a UK hospice was transformed into a Ted Lasso Season 4 set, giving the production an authentic location and the charity a new source of income.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-c3702f5e-b1ef-482b-bc6b-d11da8ab028b.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/image-2-1-87584bcf-9fc5-490e-8472-a352e11c9640.png)](https://www.techloy.com/ted-lasso-season-4-filmed-real-hospice/) ## Who Is Joining Dancing With the Stars Season 35? Season 35 [brings together contestants](https://www.detpress.com/abc/pressrelease/dancing-with-the-stars-is-back-in-the-ballroom-with-an-all-new-celebrity-cast-1/) from television, music, sports and reality TV, creating one of the show's broadest casts yet. Among the biggest names are actress Julia Stiles, Glee star Harry Shum Jr., actress Jenna Dewan, celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air actress Tatyana Ali, and Hanson singer Taylor Hanson. Reality television is also heavily represented through Tyler Cameron from The Bachelor, Ciara Miller from Summer House, Maura Higgins from Love Island and The Traitors, and Sarah Jane Nader from Love Thy Nader. The sporting world contributes Paralympic champion Ezra Frech and Olympic figure skating gold medallist Amber Glenn, while Savannah Bananas baseball entertainer Jackson Olson and Jimmy Kimmel Live personality Guillermo Rodriguez round out the celebrity cast. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Why Broadcom Stock Fell After a $200 Million Miss and a $115 Billion AI Forecast URL: https://www.techloy.com/why-broadcom-stock-fell-200-million-miss/ Last updated: 2026-09-03T10:42:59.000Z Key Takeaways - Broadcom's AI chip revenue reached $16.7 billion in the third quarter, up 221% year-over-year, beating both its own $16 billion forecast and the $16.36 billion analysts expected. - The company’s stock fell because fourth-quarter revenue guidance of $34.8 billion came in about $200 million under the $35 billion Wall Street was carrying. - Broadcom CEO Hock Tan raised Broadcom's fiscal 2027 AI revenue target to about $115 billion from the $100 billion he refused to move in June, and told analysts supply is now the limit rather than demand. Broadcom shares fell as much as 6% in after-hours trading on Tuesday, September 2\. The company had just beaten Wall Street on revenue, earnings and AI chip sales. Broadcom builds the custom AI accelerators and networking chips that Google, OpenAI and Anthropic use to train and run their models. Revenue rose 86% year-over-year to $29.591 billion, against the $29.519 billion expected by analysts polled by LSEG, and adjusted earnings came in at $3.32 a share versus $3.25. What sank the stock was one line in the outlook. Broadcom guided fourth-quarter revenue to $34.8 billion, roughly $200 million short of the $35 billion analysts were carrying, a gap of about half a percent on a quarter the company expects to grow 93%. **MORE INSIGHTS ON THIS TOPIC:** - [Broadcom's AI Revenue Grew 143%, Yet the Stock Still Fell 14%](https://www.techloy.com/broadcoms-ai-revenue-grew-143-yet-the-stock-still-fell-14/) - [How One Line From Qualcomm's CEO Turned a 7% Stock Crash Into a 16% Surge Overnight](https://www.techloy.com/how-one-line-from-qualcomms-ceo-turned-a-7-stock-crash-into-a-16-surge-overnight/) - [Amazon Stock Rises After $25B Anthropic Deal Locks In $100B AWS Spend](https://www.techloy.com/amazon-stock-rises-after-25b-anthropic-deal-locks-in-100b-aws-spend/) ## Why did Broadcom stock fall after earnings? The stock closed the regular session on September 2 at $367.24, down 0.66%, before the results landed. It then fell as much as 6% after hours and recovered to about 3.5% down, at $354.43\. CNBC put the drop at 5%. By pre-market on September 3, it was trading at $359.16, down 2.2%. Morgan Stanley had flagged the risk the day before. In a September 1 note [reported](https://www.thestreet.com/investing/stocks/avgo-broadcom-morgan-stanley-maintains-overweight-ahead-of-fiscal-q3-2026-earnings) by TheStreet, the firm kept its Overweight rating and said: "the main risk into the print is expectations rather than fundamentals." The firm models about $120 billion of fiscal 2027 AI revenue. It put some investor expectations as high as $150 billion. Broadcom also went into the print about 20% below its June high, trading at roughly 61 times trailing earnings. MediaTek and Marvell Technology, which builds competing custom accelerators, have both pushed further into the same business. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Are Schools Moving Too Fast to Bring AI Into the Classroom? URL: https://www.techloy.com/nyc-restricts-ai-use-students-schools/ Last updated: 2026-09-03T10:39:54.000Z While more schools across the United States are bringing AI into classrooms, New York City is taking a more cautious approach. On Wednesday, September 2, the city’s Department of Education announced new [guidelines](https://x.com/CBSNews/status/2095198679078510906) restricting the use of student-facing generative AI for students from elementary school through eighth grade. The policy, announced by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, is being described as the city’s first comprehensive AI policy for public schools. Its focus is not to keep AI out of education entirely, but to place limits on when and how students can use it, with greater emphasis on teacher-led learning and human connection in the earlier grades. “Children need their teachers and human connection to learn and to grow,” Mamdani said at a press conference. But the restriction comes with an important exception. High school students will still be introduced to AI through two AI literacy courses each year and will be allowed to use selected AI programs in specific educational settings under the supervision of educators. Companion chatbots, however, will be banned across all grades. The move comes as the AIM Coalition, a group of parents advocating for caution around AI in educational spaces, calls for a two-year moratorium on artificial intelligence implementation in New York City public schools. [Companies Are Tracking How Employees Use AI Tools to Measure Productivity and CostThe shift reflects a broader change in how businesses evaluate AI: not just as a productivity tool, but as a cost centre that can be tracked, optimised, and, in some cases, controlled.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-a2767996-46a6-4e7a-bb56-02a4efca00a4.png)TechloyDavid Adubiina![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1637979911425-5041996e8b4b-45539588-c542-423e-9d3b-f3cbc2376a33)](https://www.techloy.com/companies-are-tracking-how-employees-use-ai-tools-to-measure-productivity-and-cost/) ## How the policy will work According to the new guidelines, “all software that uses student-facing generative AI” will be prohibited for students through eighth grade, but once they reach high school, that changes. Students will be able to use a limited number of AI platforms, but only within specific educational contexts and under an educator’s supervision. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 8 Big Gaming Showcases Xbox Fans Should Watch in September 2026 URL: https://www.techloy.com/big-gaming-showcases-watch-september-2026/ Last updated: 2026-09-03T10:09:30.000Z From [PlayStation’s State of Play](https://www.techloy.com/playstation-state-of-play-september-2026-date-time/) and Konami Press Start to Xbox’s Tokyo Game Show broadcast and BlizzCon 2026, here are eight major gaming showcases Xbox fans should watch this month. September is shaping up to be a busy month for gaming showcases. While [Xbox](https://www.techloy.com/tag/microsoft-xbox/) doesn't have its own major global showcase scheduled, several publishers and platforms are preparing presentations that could reveal new games, trailers, gameplay footage and updates for titles coming to Xbox. There’s plenty to watch, too, with three showcases taking place on September 3 alone. Later in the month, Xbox heads to Tokyo Game Show, while Capcom, [Blizzard](https://www.techloy.com/tag/blizzard/) and the PC Gaming Show also have major presentations lined up. Here are the eight gaming showcases Xbox fans should keep an eye on in September 2026, along with their international broadcast times. [2026 Tech Events Calendar: Every Major CES, Apple, Google, Samsung and AI Conference to WatchA month-by-month look at the biggest confirmed and expected tech events of 2026, based on current reports, timelines, and early industry rumours.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-952f033f-3fe7-4562-a78d-24feafcdbf3c.png)TechloyLouis Eriakha![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1540575467063-178a50c2df87-f27b2518-c5f0-4b87-9451-01148f0058b1.jpeg)](https://www.techloy.com/2026-tech-events-calendar-every-major-ces-apple-google-samsung-and-ai-conference-to-watch/) ## PlayStation State of Play + State of Play Japan — September 3 PlayStation kicks off the month with State of Play, followed immediately by State of Play Japan on September 3. The main showcase will feature updates and announcements from PlayStation Studios and third-party partners, including an extended look at Final Fantasy VII Revelation from Square Enix. State of Play Japan will then focus on upcoming games from developers in Japan and across Asia, with new gameplay, announcements, and other updates. When to watch: - North America: 6am PDT/7am MDT/8am CDT / 9am EDT - UK/Ireland: 2pm BST - Europe: 3pm CEST/4pm EEST - Asia/Oceania: 10pm JST/9pm AWST/11pm AEST - Nigeria/WAT: 2 pm, Thursday, September 3 ## Konami Press Start Showcase — September 3 Konami is following PlayStation with its latest KONAMI PRESS START showcase later on September 3. The presentation will focus on upcoming titles including Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse and SILENT HILL: Townfall, alongside new gameplay footage, developer messages, and other announcements. Silent Hill: Townfall will be particularly interesting for Xbox players, as the horror title is scheduled to launch later this month. When to watch: - North America: 8am PDT/9am MDT/10am CDT/11am EDT - UK/Ireland: 4pm BST - Europe: 5pm CEST/6pm EEST - Asia/Oceania: 12am JST (September 4)/11pm AWST/1am AEST (September 4) - Nigeria/WAT: 4pm, Thursday, September 3 ## The FPS Games Show — September 3 FPS fans have another showcase to watch later that evening. The FPS Games Show will feature 16 titles, including Rainbow Six Siege, Escape from Tarkov, Ready or Not, SCUM, Gray Zone Warfare, Hell Let Loose: Vietnam, Bodycam, Road to Vostok and more. With a lineup packed with tactical, military, and multiplayer shooters, this could be one of the more interesting showcases for Xbox FPS fans. When to watch: - North America: 11am PDT/12pm MDT/1pm CDT/2pm EDT - UK/Ireland: 7pm BST - Europe: 8pm CEST/9pm EEST - Asia/Oceania: 3am JST (September 4)/2am AWST/4am AEST (September 4) - Nigeria/WAT: 7pm, Thursday, September 3 ## PLAYISM GAME SHOW: TGS 2026 Preview — September 10 _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Xbox Disc to Digital Takes Battlefield 4's 2016 Disc But Not Its 2013 URL: https://www.techloy.com/xbox-disc-to-digital-compatibility-disc-version/ Last updated: 2026-09-03T09:47:12.000Z Xbox’s new Disc to Digital feature comes with an unexpected catch: the physical version of your game can determine whether it works. As Xbox continues rolling out its new [Xbox Disc to Digital feature](https://www.techloy.com/everything-we-know-about-xboxs-rumoured-disc-to-digital-program/) to Xbox Insiders, players are discovering an important detail that could catch some collectors off guard. Not every physical copy of the same game is necessarily compatible. One of the clearest examples so far is [Battlefield 4](https://www.techloy.com/tag/battlefield/), where reports suggest the original 2013 Xbox One release doesn't work with Disc to Digital, while a later Greatest Hits version does. The discovery came after the[ XCT.live](https://x.com/XCTdotLIVE/status/2095084116727251109?s=20) social media account raised concerns about certain physical variants, initially pointing to Call of Duty: Ghosts as a possible example. Players then began testing another early Xbox One releases, including Battlefield 4. One user demonstrated the difference between the two Battlefield 4 releases, “Same for Battlefield 4, the OG printing from 2013 doesn't work, but the Greatest Hits version from 2016 does”. That could explain why some players are getting different results from the same game. [Xbox Games Coming in September 2026: Full Release ScheduleXbox has a packed September ahead, with major releases including The Blood of Dawnwalker, Onimusha: Way of the Sword, Control Resonant and more.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-cf8a3c46-95ee-45c1-b30d-672761a0b567.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1758524944460-98b67346a1e4-14262e29-0a20-4553-9243-0a498eabb7b3)](https://www.techloy.com/xbox-games-releasing-september-2026/) ## Why Your Xbox Disc Version Matters Both Call of Duty: Ghosts and Battlefield 4 launched near the beginning of the Xbox One generation, and there's a growing belief that some of those early releases didn't have the same per-disc identifiers used by later versions. If that's the case, a reissued copy from 2016 could potentially provide the license required by Disc to Digital, while an original 2013 pressing of the same game doesn't. That also means Battlefield 4 may not be an isolated case. Other Xbox One games that received reprints or "Greatest Hits"-style releases after their original 2013 or 2014 launches could potentially have the same issue. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Why UK Retailers Are Rethinking Their POS and Payment Stack URL: https://www.techloy.com/why-uk-retailers-are-rethinking-their-pos-and-payment-stack/ Last updated: 2026-09-03T09:32:15.000Z For years, the standard setup in most UK retail stores looked the same: a separate POS system, a standalone card machine, and a different platform again for back-office accounting. Each one came with its own contract, its own support team, and its own quirks. It worked, but it was clunky, and every time something broke or needed updating, you were on the phone to a different provider. That model is starting to fall apart. A growing number of integrated systems now bundle payment processing, point of sale and business management into a single device or platform. For mid-market UK retailers, the question is whether these bundled solutions genuinely solve the old problems or just create new ones. ## **What's Pushing Retailers Away from Fragmented Systems** The biggest driver isn't technology for its own sake. It's cost and complexity. Running three or four separate platforms means paying multiple subscription fees, managing separate update cycles, and manually reconciling data between systems that don't talk to each other. Staff training is another pain point. When your POS doesn't sync with your payment terminal, your team ends up keying in totals manually or cross-referencing reports at the end of each day. That eats into time and opens the door to errors. For a single-site retailer, that's annoying. For a business running five or ten locations, it's a genuine operational drag. There's also the data angle. When payment data, stock levels, and sales reporting all live in different systems, getting a clear picture of daily performance means pulling numbers from multiple dashboards. Integrated platforms that pull checkout and payment analytics into one view can cut that reporting time dramatically. It's part of a broader move towards [consolidating suppliers](https://www.retailsector.co.uk/744044-the-case-for-one-supplier-buying-in-uk-independent-retail/) across retail operations, where fewer vendor relationships mean less admin and better margins. ## **What Integrated Card Terminals Actually Offer Now** The latest generation of [card terminals](https://www.myzeller.com/gb/card-machine) has moved well beyond simple tap-and-pay. Modern providers like Zeller, for example, now build POS functionality directly into the terminal itself. That means a retailer can create item libraries, manage categories, and track sales without needing separate POS software or additional hardware. The appeal is obvious: one device, one provider, one dashboard. Settlement speed has improved too. Some providers now offer same-day or next-business-day payouts, which matters a lot for cash-flow-sensitive businesses that previously waited two or three days for funds to clear. Bill splitting, tipping prompts, digital receipts, and customisable screens are now standard on many smart terminals. For hospitality and retail businesses, these features used to require bolt-on software. Having them built in removes a layer of friction at checkout. ## **Where Integration Works Well** The retailers who've had the smoothest transitions tend to share a few things in common. They're usually businesses that were already frustrated with juggling multiple platforms, and they picked a provider whose built-in POS covered their actual needs, not just the basics. Small to mid-sized retailers with relatively simple inventory, think coffee shops, independent fashion stores, or barber shops, often find that a terminal with built-in POS does everything they need. They don't require enterprise-grade stock management, so a lighter system that handles items, categories, and discounts will do the job. The [shift towards frictionless checkout](https://www.retailsector.co.uk/667801-the-future-of-checkout-how-retailers-can-win-customers/) has also nudged many retailers in this direction. When customers expect fast, reliable payments and digital receipts as standard, a clunky multi-system setup becomes a liability. ## **Where Retailers Should Be Cautious** Integration sounds great on paper, but it does come with trade-offs. The most common concern is vendor lock-in. When your POS, payments, and reporting all run on one provider's platform, switching later means migrating everything at once. That's a much bigger project than swapping out a single card terminal. There's also the question of depth. Built-in POS systems on card terminals tend to be leaner than standalone platforms. If your business needs advanced inventory management, multi-warehouse tracking, or deep CRM integration, a bundled system might not go far enough. In those cases, you'll want to check whether the terminal integrates with third-party POS software before committing. And don't overlook connectivity. Integrated terminals typically rely on Wi-Fi or 4G, and if your store is in an area with patchy signal, you'll want to confirm whether the device can queue offline transactions or whether it needs a live connection at all times. ## **The Bigger Picture for UK Retail Tech** The move towards integrated payment and POS systems is part of a wider trend in UK retail: fewer tools, tighter integration, less manual work. It won't suit every business, and the retailers who've tried all-in-one platforms and reverted usually cite the same issue, the built-in POS couldn't handle their specific workflow. But for the majority of small and mid-market retailers, the direction of travel is clear. The days of running a separate card machine, a separate till system, and a separate reporting tool are numbered. The retailers who get the transition right will save time, reduce costs, and give their staff a much simpler system to work with every day. ### Why Uber is cutting 3,300 jobs globally and shutting down in Nigeria URL: https://www.techloy.com/why-uber-is-cutting-3-300-jobs-globally-and-shutting-down-in-nigeria/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T16:24:04.000Z Uber is laying off about 3,300 people globally, roughly 10% of its staff in what appears to be its biggest cut since 2020\. The plan is to cut management layers and invest more in its ride-sharing, delivery and robotaxi divisions. No, the business is not in trouble. The move is more about a company deciding which parts of itself are worth keeping as it bets its future on driverless cars. ## The numbers say Uber is fine In the second quarter of 2026, reported on August 5, Uber pulled in $14.19 billion in revenue, up 12.2% year on year. Net income more than doubled to $2.39 billion. Gross bookings rose 24% to $58.02 billion across 3.87 billion trips, adjusted EBITDA climbed 33% to about $2.8 billion, and free cash flow over the trailing twelve months crossed $10 billion for the first time. Uber's revenue has nearly tripled in five years, so that isn't the problem. It is more about what happens to a human-driver marketplace when robotaxis scale. ## Why the layoffs In a [memo](https://www.uber.com/us/en/newsroom/simplerfasteruber/) titled "Building a simpler, faster Uber," CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said the business is performing well but has become too complex, with too many management layers along the way. So it is flattening. Employees seven or more layers below the CEO will drop by 20%. Teams of one or two people are being halved. Delivery and engineering teams are being merged. Remote jobs are going away, too, with Uber only allowing less than 1% of its staff to work remotely, while global teams will be concentrated in its largest global hubs, New York and San Francisco. ## What it means for Nigeria and other African countries While there's no official statement from Uber Global regarding what it means for its operations in Nigeria and other African countries, the company's Head of Communications for East and West Africa, Lorraine Onduru, said the company remains deeply committed to Sub-Saharan Africa, where it still sees robust growth and long-term opportunity. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Considering Klaviyo Alternatives? Best Options for 2026 URL: https://www.techloy.com/considering-klaviyo-alternatives-best-options-for-2026/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T14:47:49.000Z If you've run email and SMS campaigns for a while, you'll be familiar with the strengths of Klaviyo. However, when your monthly bill is larger than your monthly income, or when you wish to use certain capabilities that Klaviyo does not support, [considering Klaviyo alternative](https://maestra.io/blog/comparisons/klaviyo-alternatives/) becomes a logical next step, not an emotional one. Klaviyo became the online store's email and SMS platform of choice due to its seamless integration with online store data and intuitive segmentation capabilities. However, brands encounter new challenges as they scale. It is common knowledge that what worked for a few thousand subscribers and a couple of flows may fall short if the store starts to have multiple channels, on-site personalization, and a real loyalty program working in tandem. ## **Why So Many Brands Are Looking Beyond Klaviyo** There is usually a cause, not just a reason, for brands to search for a new solution. These causes generally fall into three main factors. ### **The Cost Problem** - Klaviyo's pricing model is tied to the number of profiles in your account, and costs continue to climb even when engagement does not. - Contacts who never open an email still count toward your bill every month. - Overlapping automated flows can quietly duplicate sends and inflate costs without anyone noticing. - Seasonal spikes in subscriber count can push your monthly bill up long before sales catch up. ### **The Support Problem** - Getting a fast answer when a flow breaks is not always easy, especially once your setup grows more complex. - There is extensive documentation, but finding a quick solution when something goes awry during the campaign can be difficult. - Frequently, dedicated account support is provided, favoring large accounts, while smaller ones might go through a ticket queue. ### **The Flexibility Problem** - While Klaviyo knows the fundamentals of email and SMS segmentation, it lacks loyalty programs, web personalization & push notification capabilities. - Brands aiming to have a loyalty programme typically add on a separate third-party app. - Brands that want on-site personalization end up adding yet another tool on top. - Every extra tool adds cost, complexity, and one more integration that can break during a busy sales period. ## **What a Good Alternative Should Actually Offer** Before switching platforms, it helps to understand exactly what problem you are solving. Triggers include cost relief and support, and are just as important as channel coverage and automation depth. ### **Match the Tool to Your List Size and Budget** - Full-funnel platforms that bundle a real-time customer data platform, loyalty, and on-site personalization can replace Klaviyo along with the three or four extra tools most teams end up combining with it. - Brands with large, lower engagement lists often save money with a tool priced by email volume rather than by contact count. - Small, early-stage stores can cut costs significantly by choosing a simpler, more affordable platform. - Teams running complex, multi-step automations benefit from native CRM features that Klaviyo does not offer. ### **Match the Tool to Your Channel Needs** - Some platforms bundle email, SMS, and web push into one dashboard so you are not juggling three separate logins. - Ambitious e-commerce brands that want a real-time CDP, loyalty and rewards, and on-site personalization often find that a full-funnel platform is built specifically to replace Klaviyo and the extra tools most brands stack on top of it. - Multichannel generalists cover email, SMS, and social scheduling for brands that are not primarily transactional, which suits businesses outside pure retail. ## **Where the Alternatives Differ** If you know the categories, you can narrow down the number of vendors you have to consider and will select the right one faster, as not every vendor out there purports to be an all-in-one solution. ### **E-Commerce Specialists** There are certain platforms that specialize in retail, allowing you to send messages, loyalty, promotions, and personalize in real time without enterprise pricing. Take Maestra, for example, where a real-time customer data platform, a built-in loyalty and referral engine, and a dedicated success manager are available on each plan. For a side-by-side comparison of these features, in detail, by feature, this guide on considering Klaviyo alternative options from Maestra does the job for you. ### **Budget and Developer-Friendly Tools** Lean teams who are not too technical can opt for lighter, event-driven messaging solutions that offer decent behavioural automation without driving up monthly expenses. ### **Enterprise Scale Platforms** Some tools were built for large brands with dedicated engineering resources that need real-time, cross-channel messaging at massive scale. They are powerful, but often more complex than necessary for most online sellers. ### **CRM Driven Marketing Suites** A few platforms are built around a full customer relationship management system first, with email marketing layered on top. They are more likely to be the right fit for businesses that focus on ecommerce and lead generation, or have salespeople. These are better suited to businesses that are ecommerce and have a lead generation component, or have salespeople. The right choice is not the one that is most well known, but rather the one that is best suited to your business needs, one that maps your business needs against each platform. ## **Making the Switch Without the Headache** It's perfectly fine to be a little bit nervous about making the switch to this system. It's not a thing you can throw away, so it's difficult to get out of the habit of sending it at the same frequency as you've been doing. This isn't something you can just stop doing, and it's difficult not to fall out of the habit of sending it at the same rate as you normally do. ### **Audit Before You Switch** - Take a close look at your actual Klaviyo usage and figure out where your budget is really going. - Many businesses pay for advanced features like predictive analytics or complex segments that end up going unused. - When it lacks features such as loyalty integration or personalization in the locations, it's typically a dead giveaway that it's time to move on. ### **Test Before You Commit** - Reliable competitors will normally offer migration assistance, list cleaning, and, in some cases, even free onboarding to facilitate the transition process. - Do a comparison of your past months of email charges to your actual engagement numbers before you decide. - If you are shifting your audience list to a new platform, run a small test segment to get used to the new platform first. - Don't just take brands' marketing claims; ask for real case studies that are similar to your business. ### **What to Watch For During a Trial** - Assess the responsiveness of support to a genuine query, as opposed to a scripted reply from a chatbot. - Develop a single real automation flow from start to finish; know the effortlessness of the setup! - Develop a single real automation flow from start to finish; know the effortlessness of the setup! - Confirm if onboarding and migration are a part of the price or billed as a separate service. ## **Conclusion** There's no one "best" alternative to Klaviyo; it depends on where you're at, how much you're spending, and what your needs are. A low-budget shop may want something less advanced, with fewer bells and whistles, that gets the job done without breaking the bank. A business that requires more advanced automation may opt for a platform that is based on a robust CRM. A full-funnel solution that solves issues that Klaviyo wasn't meant to solve in the first place may be perfect for a growing e-commerce brand that desires to combine email, SMS, loyalty, and on-site personalization into a single system. The choice of an alternative to Klaviyo should not be taken lightly and is a business decision. Your marketing platform should scale with your business, and if you have a platform that you're not able to expand on, then it's worth exploring further what else is out there before signing a new contract that costs you more. ### Why a UK Sponsor Licence Doesn’t Guarantee a Sponsored Job URL: https://www.techloy.com/uk-sponsor-licence-sponsored-job/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T12:59:59.000Z More than 127,000 organisations in the UK hold a [sponsor licence](https://sponsorlist.co.uk/). For an international professional looking for a way into the UK workforce, that sounds like a lot of potential employers. But a sponsor licence doesn't mean an organisation is actively hiring from overseas, that every role it advertises can be sponsored, or that an applicant automatically meets the requirements. At the same time, the UK work visa market has become more competitive. The [Home Office](https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-system-statistics-year-ending-june-2026/summary-of-latest-statistics) recorded 234,841 work visas, including dependants, in the year ending June 2026, an 18% drop from the previous year and 62% below the December 2023 peak. So for professionals trying to move to the UK, knowing which companies hold a sponsor licence is only the starting point. The harder part is working out which opportunities are actually realistic. [UK Tech Careers: Techloy and Your Diaspora Hub PartnershipA new partnership will bring practical guides, career stories, and events for tech professionals navigating jobs, visas and life in the UK.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-175f59b3-4572-4e7b-8112-4a6f45ffc863.png)TechloyTechloy![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/YDH-x-Techloy-1-17ae4539-cfa5-48c2-8848-7dddcae19084.png)](https://www.techloy.com/techloy-your-diaspora-hub-uk-tech-careers/) ## Why sponsorship is harder to navigate One of the first things international applicants have to contend with is salary. The standard salary threshold for a Skilled Worker visa is currently [£41,700 a year](https://www.nhsemployers.org/articles/skilled-worker-route), although the amount that applies can vary depending on the route and the applicant's circumstances. The occupation's going rate can also matter, meaning the salary listed in a job advert doesn't always tell the whole story. Then there is the cost to the employer. From April 2026, a [Worker sponsor licence](https://www.gov.uk/uk-visa-sponsorship-employers/apply-for-your-licence) costs £611 for small organisations and charities and £1,682 for medium and large organisations. A Certificate of Sponsorship costs £525, while employers can also be liable for the Immigration Skills Charge of £480 per year for smaller organisations and £1,320 for larger ones. Those costs don't make sponsorship impossible, but they can make an overseas hire a more involved proposition than hiring someone who already has the right to work in the UK. And even when an employer is willing to sponsor, not every role qualifies. Changes to the Skilled Worker route [increased](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/temporary-shortage-list-stage-1-report/temporary-shortage-list-stage-1-report-accessible) the general skill threshold to RQF level 6 in 2025, while some lower-skilled occupations can qualify only where specific exceptions apply. That has narrowed the pool of roles available to many international workers. Put together, the process creates several questions before an applicant even submits a CV: - Is the employer licensed? - Is this particular role eligible? - Does the salary work? - Will the employer actually sponsor it? ## Where Techloy and Your Diaspora Hub come in For many professionals, the challenge isn't a lack of information. It's knowing how to connect all of these pieces when you're actually looking for a job. That's the gap Techloy and Your Diaspora Hub (YDH) are looking to address through the upcoming partnership event, *Breaking into the UK Job Market: How International Professionals Are Landing Sponsored Roles.* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/Partnership-Annoucement--4-.png) The live virtual event takes place on Saturday, 26 September 2026, from 9 am - 12 pm BST, bringing together professionals with different experiences of building careers in the UK. The conversation will go beyond job listings to look at the practical realities of finding opportunities from abroad, positioning your experience for a new market, understanding visa routes, and navigating what happens after the move. ## Six professionals, practical conversations The event will feature professionals from different parts of the career ecosystem, including: [Nike Baker](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikebaker/), Lead Consultant at A Baker Consult, who has more than 15 years of experience across consulting, financial services, healthcare, and digital transformation. Originally from Nigeria and now based in the UK, she also coaches professionals transitioning into tech. [Wale Ogunjobi](https://www.linkedin.com/in/waleogunjobi/), a venture builder whose work spans marketing, sales, product, and business growth, bringing a founder and growth perspective to navigating competitive professional markets. [Arinze Ibekwe](https://www.linkedin.com/in/arinzeibekwe), Senior Backend Engineer at Monzo, who has built products at scale and previously worked across companies including Deliveroo and KPMG, alongside teaching and mentoring software engineers. More speakers will be announced ahead of the event. The three-hour session will include an expert panel, workshop, breakout rooms and live Q&A. Breakout discussions will cover jobs and CVs, visa routes, settling in and career growth, giving attendees room to ask more specific questions and hear from people with first-hand experience. ## Start with the UK Diaspora Career Playbook You don't have to wait until the event to start figuring things out. The [UK Diaspora Career Playbook](https://00670e70.sibforms.com/serve/MUIFAEA-j3CFa5om2P68x%5FnuY9u6BqFonnHcXA0KqECBozt1%5FfUjusgq6QRfy8dMXJMACuinXKfKmwcCbNazRKsax-FSUL0WE7ccIrytSyd35FyJU4poGIufCBR7v5vEWJryKIXkTC9SMuEPq3Gkny3cXfcX4sN-VVWLwTJI-k4BjtmXp81pzCrjTWTBU9QVNk-GPJDbR%5FCKQ1E4OQ==) is a free five-page guide covering visas, housing, banking, and the first job search for professionals planning a move to the UK. It's designed to help you start answering some of the questions that come before the application itself, while the September event will take those conversations further. 🎟️ Tickets are now live Join ****Techloy × Your Diaspora Hub** for **Breaking into the UK Job Market: How to Land Sponsored Jobs*, a live virtual session for international professionals looking to build their careers in the UK. - Saturday, 26 September 2026 · 9 am–12 pm BST - Tickets: £5 [GET YOUR TICKETS ](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/breaking-into-the-uk-job-market-how-to-land-sponsored-jobs-tickets-1998734125574?msockid=21cb8018f85b679e360f94fcf9e266f4) ### Why Ted Lasso Season 4 Was Filmed Inside a Real UK Hospice URL: https://www.techloy.com/ted-lasso-season-4-filmed-real-hospice/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T12:00:03.000Z The fourth season of Ted Lasso brings the series into a real-world setting, with part of the season filmed inside Thames Hospice’s Otter Wing in Maidenhead, Berkshire. An unused section of the hospice was temporarily transformed into a television set for filming in September 2025, and the location now appears in the new season. The decision gave the production an authentic clinical setting while also creating a new source of income for the hospice. [Thames Hospice](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn74mjzzddmo) chief executive Rachael de Caux said hiring out unused space for filming is an important revenue stream for the organisation, which needs around £44,000 every day to provide its services. [The 9 Best Movies and TV Shows About Building the Next Big Thing in TechThe movies and shows remain relevant in 2026.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-434b97f6-f361-4994-8e16-ec49b897f7c1.png)TechloyDavid Adubiina![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/Brody-Ready-Player-One-cb86391d-c404-4e9b-be68-fb855ef19bb3.webp)](https://www.techloy.com/the-9-best-movies-and-tv-shows-about-building-the-next-big-thing-in-tech/) ## Why Was Ted Lasso Filmed Inside a Hospice? The production used the Otter Wing because part of the building was not being used for clinical care at the time. Rather than constructing an entirely fictional hospital environment in a studio, the crew could adapt an existing healthcare space for the scenes. That required a significant transformation. De Caux said the production team dressed the wing in about a day and a half, making the familiar clinical space almost impossible to recognise. The hospice was also able to isolate the area being used, limiting disruption to staff and patients. The arrangement reflects a wider part of television production that viewers rarely see. Real locations can provide a level of detail and atmosphere that is difficult to recreate on a set, while filming agreements can give organisations another way to generate income from spaces that would otherwise remain unused. ## What Did the Hospice Say About the Cast? _This post is for subscribers only._ ### I Asked 6 AI Models to Build a Business Website. Only One Really Came Close URL: https://www.techloy.com/ai-models-build-business-website-test/ Last updated: 2026-10-11T13:44:44.000Z I would by no means call myself a [developer](https://www.techloy.com/tag/software-developer/). I tried learning how to code back in 2023, or maybe 2022; I honestly can’t remember, but my knowledge is still pretty basic. I can put together a few things with HTML and CSS, and that’s about where my coding journey currently ends. And I’m probably not alone. Plenty of people own businesses but have never written a line of code. They may want a website but don’t have the money to hire a developer or simply don’t know where to start. With AI coding tools becoming increasingly capable, I wanted to find out whether they could fill that gap. Could someone with almost no coding knowledge use an AI model to create a functional website for their business without spending a fortune? For the experiment, I gave six AI models the same prompt: *build a website for a local Nigerian thrift clothing store.* I deliberately kept the prompt relatively simple and used the free versions of each model, since someone working on a tight budget would probably do the same. I also didn’t give the models follow-up prompts to fix their mistakes. I wanted to see what they could produce from that first attempt. But I wasn’t simply looking for the prettiest website. I wanted to know whether the result could actually work for a real business. So I tested each website across five main areas: functionality, business readiness, user experience and navigation, design, and content and product presentation. I clicked the buttons, tested forms and shopping carts, checked navigation, looked at the product information and images, and considered whether a small business owner could realistically publish the site after fixing the obvious problems. That distinction turned out to matter a lot because several of the websites looked finished at first glance. Once I started clicking around, however, some of them began to fall apart. [I Tested 5 AI Coding Tools, and Only Two Didn’t FailOne of these five tools let me publish a page that leaked every guest’s name and email: Lovable, Replit, Antigravity, Cursor, and Claude Code.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-d7f2cb8a-6c07-44fb-b951-320d23003b44.png)TechloyDamilare Odedina![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1604090898152-3003bd1ae6df-cceee9be-c524-41a5-abc1-0ae583b733b5)](https://www.techloy.com/ai-coding-tools-hands-on-review/) ## /1\. ChatGPT ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/08/Screenshot-2026-08-31-at-8.25.00---AM-1.png) **ChatGPT creating a website (screenshot: Chivumnovu Ogbonda / Techloy.com)* [ChatGPT](https://www.techloy.com/tag/chatgpt/) was one of the first sites that actually felt like a real business website rather than just a design mock-up. The design was simple but interesting, and it generated actual products with prices in Nigerian naira. It also understood that the business was based in Nigeria, adding Nigerian contact details and a country code. More importantly, some of the buttons actually worked. Clicking “Shop Now” brought up an enquiry form where visitors could enter their name, phone number, and what they were looking for. The site also had an FAQ section with useful questions and answers, alongside familiar sections such as Shop, About Us, How It Works, FAQs, and Contact. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### A Repeatable Due Diligence Framework for Buy-and-Build Acquisition Strategies URL: https://www.techloy.com/a-repeatable-due-diligence-framework-for-buy-and-build-acquisition-strategies/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T10:57:56.000Z Buy-and-build strategies reshape the role of due diligence. A single large acquisition can absorb a custom-built review; a steady pipeline of bolt-on deals cannot. Each add-on must close on a compressed timeline, often within weeks rather than months, without loosening the standards applied to the platform's first deal. Bain & Company's *2024 Global Private Equity Report* found that add-on deals tied to a platform's fourth or later acquisition now account for close to half of all add-on activity, up from roughly 30 percent five years earlier. That is evidence that the buy-and-build strategy activity is concentrating around firms running multiple deals in sequence. Firms that treat every bolt-on as a bespoke deal end up with inconsistent documentation, slower closes, and integration problems that compound as the platform grows. The alternative is a framework built to scale with deal volume rather than strain under it. ## **Why Buy-and-Build Strategies Need a Different Due Diligence Approach** Speed and deal volume set buy-and-build diligence apart from a single-deal review. Because a platform may evaluate several targets simultaneously, it requires a repeatable process rather than a bespoke review rebuilt for every acquisition. - Bolt-on deals often close in weeks, not months, leaving little room for ad hoc scoping. - Inconsistent diligence approaches across deals create integration friction later, since each acquired company ends up structured differently by the time it joins the platform. - A repeatable framework reduces cost and time per deal as the acquisition count grows, instead of adding overhead with each new target. An active M&A pipeline management process makes this concurrency manageable, since several targets are moving through diligence at once, each at a different stage. ## **Standardizing the Due Diligence Checklist Across Bolt-On Acquisitions** A standardized checklist is the foundation of bolt-on acquisition due diligence at scale. Build one core template covering financial, legal, and operational categories that applies across most targets in the sector, then adapt only the deal-specific sections rather than rebuilding the framework each time. Assigning standard workstream owners matters as much as the checklist itself. Baker McKenzie M&A partners writing in Bloomberg Law observed that acquirers who dedicate headcount to a corporate development playbook retain institutional knowledge that speeds up every subsequent transaction. The same reviewers, applying the same categories, catch inconsistencies faster than a team assembled fresh each time. ## **Managing Multiple Deals in Parallel Without Losing Consistency** Running several bolt-ons at once means tracking the pipeline stage across every active target, not just the deal closest to signing. Diligence resourcing has to be planned across concurrent transactions, or the newest deal quietly pulls attention from ones further along. A shared library of standard document requests and past findings compounds over time: each completed bolt-on adds to the reference set that the next review draws on, so a mature M&A playbook gets faster with each cycle rather than staying static. The common trap is prioritizing whichever deal feels most urgent this week rather than treating the pipeline as a whole. ## **Building Integration Requirements Into the Diligence Process** Integration planning should begin during diligence, not after signing. Because bolt-on acquisitions are often moved into the platform’s systems and reporting structure within weeks of closing, the deal team needs to identify compatibility issues early. | Area to review | What to confirm during diligence | | ----------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Systems | Whether the target’s software can connect with or migrate to the platform’s systems | | Contracts | Assignment restrictions, termination rights, and change-of-control clauses | | Vendors | Lock-in periods, renewal dates, and switching costs | | Data | Migration scope, data quality, ownership, and transfer timelines | | Pricing and tools | Whether one platform can support pipeline tracking, diligence, and integration | This review should also cover the tools used to manage the acquisition process. Teams comparing a single platform with separate point solutions may use resources such as [Dealroom pricing insights](https://datarooms.org/vdr-blog/dealroom-pricing/) to assess pricing and scope before committing. Most importantly, early review turns potential integration problems into deal inputs. Contract restrictions, vendor dependencies, and migration delays can then shape valuation, negotiations, and the integration plan before signing rather than becoming post-close surprises. ## **Common Mistakes That Undermine Repeatability** Three recurring mistakes prevent buy-and-build diligence from scaling. Each may seem minor on a single deal, but the impact grows as acquisition volume increases: - Treating every bolt-on as a bespoke deal. Without a standardized framework, each review starts from scratch, slowing the process and producing inconsistent findings. - Underinvesting in process and tooling. As several deals move forward at once, teams lose visibility and start relying on memory, spreadsheets, or disconnected updates. - Allowing documentation standards to vary. When each seller provides information in a different format, comparing targets and integrating acquired companies becomes harder. Across a dozen bolt-ons, these shortcuts compound. The result is a platform where acquisitions are reviewed, documented, and integrated each time differently. ## **Measuring Whether the Process Is Actually Scaling** A repeatable due diligence process should improve results, not just produce more documentation. Three indicators show whether it is working: - Time to close stays flat or decreases. Deal timelines should not lengthen as acquisition volume grows. - Diligence cost per deal falls. As the framework matures, reviewers should complete the same checks more efficiently. - Post-close integration issues decline. More problems should be identified before signing rather than after closing. These metrics should be tracked together. If none improve after several bolt-ons, the framework may exist on paper without being applied consistently from one deal to the next. ## **Conclusion** Buy-and-build strategies succeed or stall largely on whether due diligence can repeat cleanly across deals rather than being reinvented for each one. Standardizing the checklist, coordinating multiple deals in parallel and building integration planning into diligence itself separate firms that scale a roll-up strategy efficiently from those that get bogged down deal by deal. None of this requires elaborate systems on day one. It requires treating the framework itself as the asset: one checklist that gets reused, one set of workstream owners who carry institutional knowledge forward, and one view of the pipeline that spans every active target instead of whichever deal is loudest this week. As buy-and-build activity continues across sectors, a repeatable due diligence process has become less of a nice-to-have and more of an operating requirement for any firm running a sustained acquisition pipeline. ### Claude Fable 5.1 vs Fable 5: 7 Things That Changed URL: https://www.techloy.com/claude-fable-5-1-vs-fable-5-what-changed/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T10:00:51.000Z On September 1, Anthropic [rolled out ](https://www.anthropic.com/claude-fable-and-mythos-5-1)Claude Fable 5.1 and claims it is up to 45% less costly to run than [Fable 5](https://www.techloy.com/claude-fable-5-vs-gpt-5-5/), despite no changes in token pricing. The whole discount stems from billing for reused context, one of the lines in the pricing table named "cache reads." The 45% figure is valid only for context-intensive agentic tasks. For everyday use cases, Anthropic gives its own estimate of 25%. The model launched alongside Claude Mythos 5.1, a restricted variant of the model built for vetted cybersecurity and biology researchers. Fable 5.1 outperformed Fable 5 on Terminal-Bench-Science, Anthropic's test of AI-enabled scientific research, scoring 52.6% against 24.7%. Price per million tokens for input and output stays the same as Fable 5, at $10 and $50\. Anthropic's other model, [Claude Opus 5](https://www.techloy.com/claude-opus-5-vs-sonnet-5/), is priced at $5 and $25, and lags behind Fable 5.1 by three points on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index, a composite score across major AI benchmarks, 63 to 66. You can make use of Fable 5.1 using usage credits on the Pro plan, just like Fable 5, and at no extra cost on the Max plan. ![Fable 5.1 rollout to claude desktop app](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/Screenshot-2026-09-02-031924.png) Screenshot Claude ## /1\. Fable 5.1's cache reads got 75% cheaper, and no other price moved Cache reads are what Fable 5.1 charges each time it reuses context it has already processed: a system prompt, a tool result, a file- rather than processing that context again from scratch. The rate dropped from $1 per million tokens under Fable 5 to $0.25 per million under Fable 5.1, a 75% cut. [Anthropic](https://www.techloy.com/tag/anthropic/) attributes almost all of its up-to-45% savings claim to this change alone, specifically the work that relies heavily on context and tools. If your task is a single short prompt with no context to reuse, you won't see much of a discount. For an average, mixed workload, it's closer to 25%. The model is only as cheap as the workload you use it for. ## /2\. The new model performed over twice as well on Anthropic's own scientific exam On Terminal-Bench-Science, a benchmark that measures AI-driven scientific research, Fable 5.1 scored 52.6% compared to Fable 5's 24.7%. Opus 5 scored 29.0%, and OpenAI's GPT-5.6 Sol lagged behind all of them at 22.4%. Anthropic also claims the model achieves a nearly 50% hit rate designing molecular binders, another task related to protein research. It also charted Venus's elevation map at a higher resolution than before. Almost nobody building on the API will ever touch either feature. They're the clearest sign this version was built for research labs first. ## /3\. Fable 5.1 codes more effectively than Fable 5 Fable 5.1 scored 55.8% on Terminal-Bench 4.0, Anthropic's agentic coding benchmark, compared to 42.0% for Fable 5, 52.3% for Opus 5, and 37.3% for GPT-5.6 Sol. On CursorBench, a separate benchmark run through the Cursor editor, it climbed from Fable 5's 70.5% to 73.4%, narrowly surpassing Opus 5's 70.0%. Fable 5.1 clearly outperforms Fable 5, Opus 5, and GPT-5.6 Sol on both coding benchmarks Anthropic published. Coding is the one category where the newer model wins outright, no caveats. ## /4\. The new model is okay at using a computer, but not great _This post is for subscribers only._ ### You Can Sell Your Face to AI. But What Happens When You Want It Back? URL: https://www.techloy.com/selling-your-face-to-ai-what-to-know/ Last updated: 2026-10-11T13:45:17.000Z For £1,500, \*Lucy, a 23-year-old in the UK, agreed to let an AI company use her likeness. But the deal became more complicated when she realised the agreement could give the company broad rights over how her image was used commercially. Lucy’s experience points to a growing business around AI-generated likenesses. In China, new platforms are paying people between $15 and $700 to license their faces for adverts, games, and [microdramas](https://www.techloy.com/how-to-maintain-character-consistency-across-an-ai-microdrama-series/). With people now able to put a price on their faces and voices, what exactly are they selling, how long can companies use them, and what happens when they change their minds? Techloy spoke to cybersecurity strategist [Matthew Rosenquist](https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewrosenquist/) and lawyer [Daniel Akobe](https://www.linkedin.com/in/akobe-tomide-0b3276419/) about the risks, rights, and trade-offs involved. [What Are Scam Compounds? Everything We Know About the Forced-Labour Cybercrime FactoriesLeaks from the Boshang scam compound revealed WhatsApp chats blending pep talks with threats, and showed workers stealing about $2.2 million in just 11 weeks.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-ab906243-88e1-4d6f-9400-3fb92aee9904.png)TechloyOgbonda Chivumnovu![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1674049405160-9b800f5645f5-fa4f0ea2-8eb0-4cb0-9eaf-632ebab2588f.jpeg)](https://www.techloy.com/what-are-scam-compounds-everything-we-know-about-the-forced-labour-cybercrime-factories/) ## AI is turning faces and voices into assets people can license This is the idea: a person provides images, video, or voice recordings, and a company gets permission to use that material to create or train AI-generated content. China provides one of the major examples of how this market is developing. [Rest of World](https://restofworld.org/2026/china-ai-microdramas-face-licensing/) reported that platforms such as ActID and New Claw were building marketplaces where people could license their likenesses for AI productions. Users can choose where their faces may appear and set prices based on factors such as permitted use and the number of productions involved. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Every Xbox Game Coming in September 2026 URL: https://www.techloy.com/xbox-games-releasing-september-2026/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T09:00:25.000Z [Xbox](https://www.techloy.com/tag/microsoft-xbox/) is heading into September with a packed release schedule, ranging from major AAA launches and returning franchises to indie adventures, simulators, and several new Xbox Game Pass additions. Some of the month's biggest releases include The Blood of Dawnwalker, NBA 2K27, Onimusha: Way of the Sword, Mewgenics, Control Resonant, EA Sports FC 27, Minecraft Dungeons 2, and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Remastered. There are also plenty of smaller releases spread throughout the month, so whether you're looking for a new RPG, sports game, strategy title or something completely different, September has a lot to offer. [Xbox 25th Anniversary Collection: Price & Pre-Order DetailsMicrosoft is leaning into Xbox nostalgia with a translucent green Series X, a matching controller and a Halo remake, but there’s no new hardware inside.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-07da3f2a-36b1-4291-be0f-94ab652b7a04.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1600861194942-f883de0dfe96-1ac92688-042b-435b-b85f-8587aca8addf)](https://www.techloy.com/xbox-25th-anniversary-collection-price-preorder/) ## The Biggest Xbox Games Coming in September 2026 ### The Blood of Dawnwalker — September 3 The highly anticipated dark fantasy RPG from Rebel Wolves arrives on September 3\. The Blood of Dawnwalker puts players in the role of Coen, a man who becomes a vampire and must use his supernatural abilities to save his family in 14th-century Europe. ### NBA 2K27 — September 4 Basketball fans get their annual dose of NBA action with NBA 2K27 on September 4\. The latest entry brings updates across MyCAREER, MyTEAM, and MyNBA, with new systems and features designed to make the basketball experience deeper than ever. ### Onimusha: Way of the Sword — September 4 Capcom's legendary samurai series returns with Onimusha: Way of the Sword. Set in Kyoto, the game follows an Oni Gauntlet-wielding samurai as he battles the Genma in brutal, fast-paced combat. ### Halloween — September 8 Michael Myers returns in Halloween, arriving on September 8\. The game is built around the iconic 1978 horror film, giving players the chance to either become the Boogeyman or try to survive him. ### Mewgenics — September 8 From the creators of *The Binding of Isaac* comes Mewgenics, a turn-based roguelike tactics game where players breed and build an army of cats before sending them into dangerous adventures. ### Control Resonant — September 24 Remedy's Control Resonant takes players into a warped version of Manhattan as Dylan Faden battles a reality-bending threat. The action-adventure RPG builds on the supernatural world established by the original *Control*. ### EA Sports FC 27 — September 25 EA Sports FC 27 arrives on September 25 with new gameplay improvements and The Grounds, a new football playground that blends street football with the stadium experience. ### The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Remastered — September 29 One of the month's biggest releases is actually a major upgrade. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Remastered brings visual, performance and gameplay enhancements to CD Projekt Red's acclaimed RPG, including both *Hearts of Stone* and *Blood and Wine* expansions. ### Minecraft Dungeons 2 — September 29 The month closes with Minecraft Dungeons 2, a new action-packed adventure that expands the Minecraft spin-off with more exploration, combat, and loot. ## Every New Xbox Game Releasing in September 2026 Here is the full September release schedule currently listed: _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The New Street Fighter Movie Looks Ridiculously Fun URL: https://www.techloy.com/new-street-fighter-movie-trailer-2026/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T08:30:26.000Z I’ve been unreasonably excited for the new Street Fighter movie ever since its first teaser appeared during [The Game Awards](https://www.techloy.com/everything-announced-at-the-game-awards-2025/). Set to the infectious “Punk Tactics,” the teaser offered a colorful live-action take on Street Fighter II, packed with familiar faces, ridiculous fights, and just enough chaos to make the whole thing feel promising. Now, the latest Street Fighter trailer has made one thing very clear: this movie has absolutely no interest in being subtle. Want to see a real-life Hadouken? You’re getting one. Chun-Li is bringing the kicks, Blanka is apparently going full CGI, and the entire movie looks like it was designed to turn the absurdity of the games into live-action spectacle. And honestly? I’m here for it. [Street Fighter Movie Clip: Momoa’s Blanka vs. RyuBlanka’s first real fight scene shows a darker side of the character the games never did.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-853b4dd2-3298-40e4-b697-0385e46e5f05.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1566577134770-3d85bb3a9cc4-69cf0368-aa80-4d86-85aa-56c8f9342f4a)](https://www.techloy.com/street-fighter-movie-blanka-clip-jason-momoa/) ## The Street Fighter Movie Doesn’t Need to Take Itself Seriously At this point, I couldn’t care less about whether Street Fighter has the most complicated plot in the world. The more interesting question is whether director Kitao Sakurai can capture the ridiculous energy that has always made the games so much fun. Judging from the trailer, the answer might be yes. Everything is turned up to eleven: the colors, the costumes, the sweat, the martial arts and, of course, the special moves. It looks less interested in making Street Fighter feel grounded and more interested in making the world of the games feel like it has exploded onto a movie screen. That approach makes sense. Street Fighter has never been a particularly restrained franchise. Its fighters have outrageous personalities, impossible abilities, and moves that were always going to look ridiculous when translated into live action. So why fight it? ## The New Street Fighter Trailer Is Leaning Into the Chaos What really caught my attention, though, is the action. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### PlayStation Is Hosting Two State of Play Back-to-Back This Week URL: https://www.techloy.com/playstation-state-of-play-september-2026-date-time/ Last updated: 2026-09-01T15:04:12.000Z [PlayStation](https://www.techloy.com/tag/sony-playstation/) is doubling up on its showcase schedule this week. Sony has announced that State of Play and State of Play Japan will return on Thursday, September 3, with the two broadcasts airing back-to-back. The first presentation will focus on announcements and updates from PlayStation Studios and third-party partners, while State of Play Japan will shift the spotlight toward upcoming games from developers across Japan and Asia. There's already one major title confirmed for the first show, with Square Enix set to provide an extended look at Final Fantasy VII Revelation. Here's everything you need to know about when to watch both presentations and what to expect. [Sony PlayStation $7.85M Settlement: Who Qualifies?Eligible PlayStation customers could receive a share of Sony’s $7.85 million settlement over alleged digital game overcharging.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-a2e5c1be-9d9d-424f-8887-b8d6aae0c618.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1638431755905-631694da8921-cbef7088-c047-4349-a352-3cb69ba0e4ac)](https://www.techloy.com/sony-playstation-settlement-7-85-million/) ## When Is the PlayStation State of Play? The first State of Play will take place on Thursday, September 3, followed immediately by State of Play Japan. Both broadcasts begin at: - 6:00 AM PT - 9:00 AM ET - 3:00 PM CEST - 9:00 PM WAT (Nigeria) - 10:00 PM JST The two presentations will air consecutively, meaning viewers can tune in once and watch both showcases without having to come back later. ## How to Watch State of Play and State of Play Japan Both broadcasts will be streamed live on PlayStation's official [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/user/PlayStation) and [Twitch](https://www.twitch.tv/playstation) channels. The first State of Play will be presented in English, with Japanese subtitles available. State of Play Japan will then be presented in Japanese, with English subtitles available. That makes the double feature particularly interesting for international viewers looking to discover games that may not otherwise receive as much attention outside Asia. ## What to Expect From State of Play The first presentation will feature updates and announcements from PlayStation Studios and Sony's third-party partners. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Redmi Note 17 Pro 5G vs Redmi Note 17 Pro Max 5G URL: https://www.techloy.com/redmi-note-17-pro-vs-pro-max/ Last updated: 2026-09-01T14:48:41.000Z The Redmi Note 17 Pro 5G and Note 17 Pro Max 5G are built around the same idea, but Redmi has given the more expensive model several upgrades that could make the two phones feel quite different in everyday use. Both devices feature a 6.83-inch 1.5K AMOLED display, Gorilla Glass Victus 2, Redmi's Titan Structure, HyperOS 3, and Qualcomm Snapdragon processors. However, the Pro Max steps things up with a Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 chip, LPDDR5X RAM, faster UFS 4.1 storage on select configurations, a larger battery, faster charging, and a more capable front camera. With both phones targeting buyers who want strong hardware without moving into flagship pricing, the key question is whether the Pro Max's additional features are worth paying more for. [Pixel 11 Pro XL vs Galaxy S26 Ultra: Which Should You Buy?Which premium Android phone should you buy?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-f99026d8-851e-4414-90f0-22acc4b73d9f.png)TechloyOgbonda Chivumnovu![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/Galaxy-S26-Ultra-vs.-Pixel-11-Pro-XL-Comparison-8340a84a-9412-419e-9470-c58a9f914629.png)](https://www.techloy.com/pixel-11-pro-xl-vs-galaxy-s26-ultra/) ## /1\. Performance The Redmi Note 17 Pro 5G uses [Qualcomm’s Snapdragon](https://www.mi.com/global/product/redmi-note-17-pro-5g/) 6s Gen 4, a 4nm chip with an octa-core CPU that reaches up to 2.4 GHz. The Pro Max moves to the Snapdragon 6 Gen 5, also built on 4nm technology, with CPU speeds reaching 2.6GHz. The difference goes beyond clock speed. The Pro Max pairs its processor with LPDDR5X RAM, while the Pro uses LPDDR4X. Xiaomi also gives the Pro Max UFS 4.1 storage on its 256GB and 512GB configurations, compared with UFS 3.1 on the Pro’s higher-capacity models. This makes the Pro Max better suited to demanding games, heavier multitasking and large file transfers. 💡 ****Winner:** Redmi Note 17 Pro Max 5G ## /2\. Display Both phones use a 6.83-inch 1.5K AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, 12-bit colour depth, 240Hz touch sampling and a peak brightness of 3,500 nits. Both also use Gorilla Glass Victus 2. The Pro Max adds something the Pro does not, which is support for HDR10+ and Dolby Vision. Its display can also reach 2,000 nits in high-brightness mode, while the Pro lists 1,060 nits of typical brightness alongside its 3,500-nit UHBM figure. The Pro already has a sharp, smooth panel, so the upgrade is more about refinement than size or resolution. 💡 ****Winner:** Redmi Note 17 Pro Max 5G. ## /3\. Battery Life Battery capacity is where Redmi has created the biggest gap. The Note 17 Pro carries an 8,340mAh silicon-carbon battery with [67W HyperCharge](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBFSQnhkIUY). Xiaomi says it can deliver more than two days of battery life under its testing conditions. The Pro Max raises that to 10,000mAh and adds 100W HyperCharge. Xiaomi rates it for up to three days of use, with up to 40 hours of video playback, although actual endurance will depend on how the phone is used. The Pro Max supports up to 27W wired reverse charging, compared with 22.5W on the Pro, allowing it to act more effectively as a power source for accessories or another phone. 💡 ****Winner:** Redmi Note 17 Pro Max 5G. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/Redmi-Note-17-Pro-5G-vs-Redmi-Note-17-Pro-Max-5G-Comparison-Infographic.png) ## /4\. Cameras _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 5 Best Websites to Buy Real Instagram Likes URL: https://www.techloy.com/5-best-websites-to-buy-real-instagram-likes/ Last updated: 2026-09-01T14:33:54.000Z Buying Instagram likes sounds simple until you compare the sites selling them. Almost every page promises real people, quick delivery, and safe checkout. The harder part is working out what those words mean beyond the headline. For this list, I focused on details that can be checked before an order: password requirements, delivery, Reel support, refill terms, and whether there is a trial. Bought likes are not a substitute for good content. They can lift the visible number on a post, but they cannot make a weak photo interesting or turn a forgettable Reel into something people want to share. ## What Real Likes Should Look Like The phrase “real Instagram likes” is used so often that I would not take it at face value. A normal likes order should only need the URL of a public post or Reel. If a site wants your Instagram password, I would leave. I also want to see a written refund or refund policy. Likes can drop, so the useful question is what the seller will do if that happens. Delivery matters too. Fast is fine, but some control over pace is better when the order is large. ## 1\. Famoid ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/2026/09/data-src-image-7bfe0fb0-3cfc-495c-b8c9-f534de395db5.png) Famoid comes first because its likes service is specific about how an order is handled. The company says a post link or Reel link is enough, no Instagram password is required, and likes are sent in waves instead of forcing every order through at the same speed. It also publishes a 30-day refill policy for eligible drops. The part I found more interesting is Famoid’s explanation of where the engagement comes from. According to the company, it promotes content through ad placements, and real Instagram users choose whether to interact. Famoid also says its likes work on photos, carousels, and Reels, and one order can be split across several posts. That makes[ **Famoid**](https://famoid.com/insta/) the first service I would check if I wanted to buy Instagram likes without handing over account access. It also offers automatic likes for future posts, which can suit creators who publish regularly. ## 2\. Twicsy Twicsy keeps its likes offer easy to understand. Its site says the likes come from real Instagram users and that customers never need to provide an account password. Orders are advertised as starting within minutes, with delivery promised within 24 hours or less. There are a couple of practical extras. Twicsy says buyers can split a likes package between several posts, and its free trial currently gives 10 likes to a public Instagram post without asking for a credit card or email address. I like the trial more than any sales claim here. If you have never used Twicsy, ten free likes give you a quick look at delivery before money is involved. ## 3\. Buzzoid Buzzoid is another Instagram-focused provider with a free likes trial. Its trial page asks for the URL of a public Instagram post and currently offers 10 likes without requiring card details. The company describes those trial likes as real Instagram likes. Buzzoid’s FAQ is useful for one other reason: it puts limits in writing. Customers can place repeat likes orders, but Buzzoid says the total should not exceed 100,000 likes within a 30-day period. I would still start with the trial or a small paid order. There is little benefit in buying a huge block of likes before seeing how the first batch lands on your own post. ## 4\. Media Mister Media Mister is the broadest service in this group. It sells social signals across many platforms, and its Instagram offering sits inside that larger catalog. The company says its likes, followers, and views come from real people with active accounts. It also says those services carry a retention warranty, with problems during the warranty period corrected without an extra charge. Media Mister’s FAQ recommends waiting for one order on the same post or account to finish before placing another. That is a small detail, but useful if you are trying to track what was actually delivered. I would look at Media Mister when I wanted more choice rather than the fastest checkout. ## 5\. Blastup Blastup gives buyers several ways to test or control a likes order. The company says its likes come from real, active accounts, no password is needed, and delivery speed can be customized. It also advertises a refill if purchased likes drop. There is a free option too. Blastup currently offers 10 free Instagram likes per day. You enter a username, choose the post, and the likes are sent without payment information or a signup. The useful feature here is not simply speed. It is the chance to test first and then decide how quickly a paid order should arrive. ## Use Bought Likes Where They Make Sense I would not spread paid likes across every post just because packages are cheap. Pick content that already represents the account well. Open the post and ask what a new visitor sees after noticing the like count. Is the image sharp? Does the Reel hold attention? Is the caption worth reading? If somebody taps through to the profile, are there other recent posts waiting? Those questions matter because bought likes stop at the number. Saves, shares, comments, repeat viewers, and actual followers still have to come from the content and audience around it. It is also worth keeping the order proportional to the account. A modest bump on a healthy post can look believable. A massive like count on an otherwise quiet profile can create the opposite impression. ## Conclusion Famoid is my first pick because it combines no-password ordering, ad-based engagement claims, paced delivery, and a clear refill window. Twicsy and Buzzoid are easy to test with free likes, Media Mister offers a broader catalog, and Blastup gives buyers more control over delivery. Whichever service you try, begin with one post and a sensible amount. See what arrives before deciding whether a larger order is worth it. ### Onimusha Is Back, and Critics Think the Wait Was Worth It URL: https://www.techloy.com/onimusha-way-of-the-sword-review-roundup/ Last updated: 2026-09-01T13:49:37.000Z After more than 20 years away, Onimusha is back. Capcom’s long-running samurai action series returns with Onimusha: Way of the Sword, putting legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi at the centre of another supernatural battle against the Genma. Now that the review embargo has lifted, we have a much clearer picture of whether the comeback was worth the wait. The answer, based on the current reviews, is largely yes. Onimusha: Way of the Sword is sitting in the mid-80s across the major aggregators, with[ OpenCritic](https://opencritic.com/game/20764/onimusha-way-of-the-sword/reviews) around 86/100 and roughly 94% of critics recommending it. [Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/game/onimusha-way-of-the-sword/) has the PS5 version around 85/100, although these scores can change as more reviews are added. [Mortal Shell II Reviews: Critics Are Loving the SoulslikeMortal Shell 2 is earning rave reviews for expanding its Soulslike formula with deeper combat, greater exploration, and flexible builds.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-b4065686-c581-4efb-a137-52f8e3be6904.png)TechloyEmmanuel Umahi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1636487658568-aa92a87c9dde-1b520765-9e0a-44a9-a0de-7035e5f03f9e)](https://www.techloy.com/mortal-shell-ii-reviews/) ## Critics love the combat, but disagree on the rest IGN is the most enthusiastic of the major outlets, giving Onimusha: Way of the Sword a perfect[ 10/10](https://www.ign.com/articles/onimusha-way-of-the-sword-review). Reviewer Will Borger praises the game's Issen system and the satisfaction that comes from mastering Musashi's defensive abilities. The review also highlights Musashi as a charismatic protagonist and praises his relationships with Shizuka, Takamura, and Okuni. For IGN, those elements come together to make Way of the Sword more than a successful revival. It is an excellent action game in its own right. *Forbes* is almost as positive, awarding the game 9/10 and suggesting it could be the best Onimusha game yet. Ollie Barder particularly praises the visuals, animation, and cinematic presentation, while also noting the influence of Toshiro Mifune and Hiroshi Inagaki's Samurai Trilogy. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Landman Fans Will Have to Wait Until 2027 for Tommy Norris’ Return URL: https://www.techloy.com/landman-season-3-release-date-2027/ Last updated: 2026-09-01T10:35:56.000Z The wait for Tommy Norris to return is turning out to be much longer than Landman fans expected. [Paramount+](https://www.techloy.com/tag/paramount-plus/) has confirmed a third season of Taylor Sheridan’s oil drama, but the production schedule has pushed its return beyond 2026\. James Jordan, who plays Dale Bradley, says filming is expected to begin in September and continue into early 2027, making a 2027 premiere the realistic outcome. Landman previously followed a fairly quick annual release pattern. Season 1 arrived in November 2024, followed by Season 2 in November 2025\. The longer gap gives Sheridan more time to develop the next chapter, but it also leaves viewers waiting after a season finale that significantly changed Tommy's future. [Every Changes PBS Made to Their Shows for 2026-27 SeasonPBS is making several changes ahead of the 2026-27 season, with one show cancelled, two long-running dramas heading into their final seasons and several favourites renewed.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-d902634f-3b03-4859-bd30-bdeb9dff2c4c.png)TechloyTreasure Ayanfe Adetula![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1489599849927-2ee91cede3ba-e7846980-8b2a-4281-ac07-8d4699db5f08)](https://www.techloy.com/pbs-shows-ending-renewed-2027/) ## Why Landman Season 3 Is Taking Longer Landman Season 3 was officially renewed by Paramount+ in December 2025 after the second season delivered record viewing numbers. Its premiere generated more than 9.2 million global streaming views in its first two days, making it the biggest premiere in Paramount+ history at the time and [262% higher](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/paramount-plus/shows/landman/releases) than the first season's opening. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### How to Watch Free Live TV on PS5 in the U.S. URL: https://www.techloy.com/how-to-watch-live-tv-on-ps5/ Last updated: 2026-09-01T10:28:07.000Z Sony is bringing free, ad-supported television to the PlayStation 5 in the U.S. with the launch of Live TV on [PS5](https://www.techloy.com/tag/playstation-5/). The new service, powered by Sony Pictures Television, [gives](https://blog.playstation.com/2026/08/31/live-tv-on-ps5-launches-today-bringing-free-ad-supported-tv-to-ps5-players-in-the-u-s/) PS5 players access to more than 100 live channels alongside a growing selection of on-demand content. The programming covers movies, TV shows, anime, sports, news, weather, gaming, esports, and creator-led entertainment. If you're in the U.S. and want to start watching free TV directly from your PS5, here's how to access Live TV on PS5. [Netflix signs first-of-its-kind deal to host live TV channels in FranceThis makes Netflix the first major global streamer to offer traditional linear TV channels within its app.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/icon/techloy-avatar-1-1c1c5199-d733-4675-9025-d444d2df9bee.png)TechloyOluwaseun Bamisile![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c1/a6/c1a6d111-d951-41ad-a392-c1e841210b93/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1586899028174-e7098604235b-d03574d5-c6ec-4f5f-ae55-41843f443f06)](https://www.techloy.com/netflix-signs-first-of-its-kind-deal-to-host-live-tv-channels-in-france/) ## What is Live TV on PS5? Live TV on PS5 is a free, ad-supported streaming service available directly through the Media section of the PS5 console. At launch, the service includes programming from major entertainment and sports brands, including Amazon MGM Studios, Crunchyroll, FOX, NBCUniversal, NFL Channel, UFC, and others. The service also includes both live channels and on-demand programming, meaning you can watch scheduled programming or explore available entertainment when it suits you. ## How to access Live TV on PS5 Getting started only takes a few steps. ### Step 1: Go to the Media tab From your PS5 home screen, navigate to the Media section. ### Step 2: Select Live TV on PS5 Look for the Live TV on PS5 icon and select it to open the service. ### Step 3: Sign in with your PlayStation account Select “Sign In With My PlayStation Account.” Follow the instructions on screen to connect your PlayStation account and begin watching. _This post is for subscribers only._ _Includes the latest 500 public posts. Use `/sitemap.xml` for the complete archive of public content._