UK orgs are failing to deliver projects or losing clients and contracts due to a lack of skills
97% have adopted AI to some degree, but only 6% report workforce-wide AI literacy
The solution is a combination of recruitment and training opportunities
More than one in three (35%) UK tech execs believe that the ongoing skills gap could be costing them at least £380,000 per year – a figure that's even more pronounced when Pluralsight asked cybersecurity professionals, 41% of whom agreed with that estimate.
One of the most commonly cited factors leading to higher costs is that 40% have had to unexpectedly outsource work because they lacked the necessary skills within the organization, leading to budget overruns for 30% of the survey's respondents.
Many have even failed to deliver key projects (39%) or lost clients or contracts altogether (27%) as a result of not having enough skills internally.
UK businesses are struggling to operate without outside help
Pluralsight also revealed that many UK organizations have likely rushed into AI without an appropriate strategy, causing spend to skyrocket without the tangible benefits. Nearly all (94%) have invested in at least some AI tools, but only 6% report AI literacy across the entire workforce.
Still, it's good news for job applicants because recruitment doesn't seem to have gone anywhere. More than four in five (85%) say they hired the same number (or more) junior tech professionals this year as before, and 10% have even significantly increased hiring. The biggest concern, shared by 88% of the survey's respondents, is that there's simply not enough junior talent entering the workforce.
"This means that businesses cannot rely on recruitment alone, but must invest in clear development pathways that prepare new talent and help existing employees continually build relevant skills," Pluralsight Author Fellow Faye Ellis explained.
However, more than half (53%) of senior leaders are still unsure how to solve their skills gaps. Looking forward, the research paints a picture of the need to not overlook training existing workers for future skills, the importance of AI literacy as the way we work undergoes an evolution, and a continued investment in junior recruitment.
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Every time there’s an Amazon Prime Day sale, the ...
Every time there’s an Amazon Prime Day sale, the first product category I check for discounts is TV and home cinema. I’m my own worst enemy, really, because rarely does Amazon Australia actually deliver any worthwhile discounts. Part of the reason is the fact that the retail giant isn’t exactly overflowing with TVs, soundbars or other home theatre systems.
Thankfully, many of Australia’s biggest retailers have stepped up to the plate with a number of tempting deals on soundbars that all promise huge boosts to your TV’s audio, and that will bring the cinema experience into your living room.
The Good Guys and JB Hi-Fi have even revived an offer that nabs you a 20% saving on the total price of a TV and soundbar package when you buy the same brand. For example, you can get a 65-inch LG G6 OLED, add the budget-friendly S60T soundbar for a total of AU$3,551.20 — that’s a total saving of over AU$820.
I’m mainly here to talk about soundbars, though, so if your home setup could use a sonic boost, the models below all promise major improvements. Whether it’s a single-bar model or a complete surround-sound package with Dolby Atmos support, each soundbar I’ve picked gets my expert seal of approval.
The Sonos Arc Ultra is one of the best one-box Dolby Atmos soundbars you can buy. It offers a raft of improvements over its predecessor, including some clever speaker driver technology, resulting in spectacular sound. We do wish for more HDMI inputs and DTS:X support, but otherwise, it's fantastic.
The Sonos Beam Gen 2 is a fantastic, compact soundbar that delivers a sound that belies its size. It produces convincing virtual Dolby Atmos surround effects, and, being a Sonos product, works wonderfully with music. View Deal
HW-Q990H: was $1999 now $1486 This Samsung soundbar package is the real bee’s knees. The company has been at the top of its game for the last few years, and this latest iteration produces stunningly effective Atmos height and surround effects, married with crystal-clear dialogue. You’ll be wanting to rewatch all your favourites all over again. Enter code SAVENOW for the full saving.View Deal
HW-Q930H: was $1699 now $699 We’ve not reviewed this Samsung soundbar, but it’s essentially a slight step-down compared to the Q990H above, but it gets a huge discount. By that, I mean the channel count drops from 11.1.4 to 9.1.4 — so you’re still getting genuine Dolby Atmos channels — and it loses out on full 4K/120Hz passthrough. Otherwise, this is a similar speaker package that’s sure to have your living room rumbling. Enter code SAVENOW for the best price.View Deal
Bar 1300MK2: was $2299.95 now $1998 Yes, this one is on Amazon, but it’s not technically a Prime Day deal, so I’m allowed to include it. This uber-powerful JBL Dolby Atmos soundbar can be set up as a single bar and subwoofer, or you can remove the speakers on either end and position them as rear surrounds. It’s rather genius, and it works incredibly well. Plus, they can also be used independently as Bluetooth speakers. Also available from JBL AU for AU$1,999.95.View Deal
Bravia Theatre System 6: was $1199 now $885 This Sony soundbar package also features dedicated rear surrounds. It’s a little different in its design, in that all connections are found on the subwoofer. You do need to connect the soundbar to the sub, but the rear surrounds only need power and will receive audio information wirelessly. Our colleagues at What Hi-Fi? loved it in their review, claiming it to be “a huge, deep, room-filling performer” that “combines that scale with control and nuance”. Hit the Price Beat button for the best deal. Also available at Amazon for AU$899.View Deal
This budget-friendly 2.1 soundbar is ideal for anyone looking to upgrade their TV or computer audio without spending much money. We were pleasantly surprised by how it performed in our Creative Stage Pro review, finding it delivered impressive bass and excellent volume. Given its size and price, expectations should be tempered, but for a cost-effective audio upgrade, it's ace.View Deal
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With video streaming services seemingly on a cons...
With video streaming services seemingly on a constant mission to increase monthly prices in the name of ‘better content’, it’s perhaps no surprise that the idea of collecting physical media is becoming more popular.
We’ve seen it with the post-Covid resurgence of vinyl records, and more recently, CDs have been slowly but surely coming back. It’s not just music where physical media can offer a better experience though – the same can be said of movies. Naturally, we here at TechRadar value the best-possible picture and sound when watching films, so we’d consider a 4K Blu-ray player an essential part of any true movie buff’s setup.
DP-UB820: was $929 now $699.86 This Panasonic 4K Blu-ray player delivers on multiple fronts. It includes support for all major HDR formats, and serves up a hugely immersive and impactful picture, backed up with a strong audio performance.View Deal
While it is possible to spend less on a 4K Blu-ray player, doing so often can potentially involve some compromises, such as missing out on what many could consider essential features — support for all the major HDR formats, for example.
That’s not the case with the Panasonic DP-UB820. In our review of the 4K Blu-ray player, we said it “offers fantastic 4K image reproduction with vivid colours, deep black levels and stunning contrast, particularly when it comes to Dolby Vision”, and even its 4K upscaling is effective.
It’s a similar story for audio, which we said is “superb, with Dolby Atmos effects coming through clear and adding that extra layer of immersion to any movie”.
So while its price may seem like quite the investment, if you’re a serious film lover you’ll be well rewarded with a cinema-like experience from the comfort of your home.
Still, it’s worth mentioning that the DP-UB820 is significantly more expensive than Panasonic’s next model down, even at its discounted price — especially as some users may have little use for features such as analogue audio outputs for older receivers and slightly more advanced upscaling.
The UB150 supports basic HDR10 and HLG, but lacks Dolby Vision and HDR10+, and misses out on Wi-Fi connectivity. The UB450 adds Dolby Vision and HDR10+ support, along with Dolby Atmos audio. It also misses out on Wi-Fi connectivity.
Of course, with any 4K Blu-ray player, you’ll need to consider the cost of building your physical disc collection. The upside is you’ll get better quality compared to streaming via a video-on-demand service, and that you’ll actually own your movies and shows — something which sounds increasingly appealing on the back of the news that Sony recently remotely deleted over 500 ‘purchased’ movies from their owners’ digital libraries.
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Today, October 1, is International Coffee Day, ar...
Today, October 1, is International Coffee Day, arguably the most important day of the year for many of us. And while that may just mean you have a little extra pep in your step as you head to your local cafe, if you do have a takeaway-coffee habit, we think it can also serve as a healthy reminder that adding a quality coffee machine to your kitchen doesn't need to be expensive – and even can save you money in the long run.
If you're looking for a new espresso machine, De’Longhi is a brand that should be on your list. It lives and breathes coffee via an extensive range of fully automatic and manual espresso machines — and better yet, right now TechRadar readers can save 15% on the purchase of any machine with our exclusive De’Longhi coupon code.
Just head to our dedicated De'Longhi coupon code page, click on the very first green 'Get Code' button and copy the resulting code to your clipboard. Then, head to the De'Longhi website, shop for what you'd like, and paste the code into the field at checkout.
Now, we have one quick word of advice before you pull the trigger on your purchase: De’Longhi also has a specific code of its own — SPRING20 — which can be used to save 20% on three specific machines that are exclusive to its online store: the Eletta Explore (ECAM450.65.S), Magnifica Start (ECAM22061W) and Magnifica Evo (ECAM29083TB).
Also note that right now, every De'Longhi coffee machine purchase comes with a free essentials pack valued up to AU$140, depending on which specific the machine you buy.
With such a huge range of bean-to-cup coffee machines available to shop, you'd be forgiven if you didn't know where to start. As the resident coffee expert for TechRadar Australia, I’ve picked out a selection of my favourites that have my stamp of approval.
Fully automatic coffee machines
Rivelia (EXAM44055W): was $1144 now $972.40 This compact bean-to-cup coffee machine is nothing short of outstanding. Not only does it look the part, but it serves up consistently delicious coffee. There's plenty of customisation on offer, so you can tweak the various preset recipes and it uses De'Longhi's LatteCrema technology for expertly frothed milk.View Deal
Magnifica Evo Next (ECAM31080TB): was $1399 now $1189.15 Excellent espresso and a variety of coffee- and milk-based drinks is what you'll get from this automatic bean-to-cup machine. It is a little fiddly to use for the first time, but once you've got your preferred settings saved, you'll be churning them out like a true barista.View Deal
Eletta Explore (ECAM45065S): was $1599 now $1279.20 This flagship coffee machine can, quite literally, do it all. It can make over 50 coffee-based drink recipes across hot, cold and even takeaway. Two LatteCrema carafes are supplied to take care of hot and cold milk foam, while Wi-Fi connectivity allows for fine-tuning drinks via an app. And with Bean Adapt technology automatically adjusting the grind, dose and temperature, you’ll have a perfect cuppa each time. Note that this machine is eligible for a 20% discount with code SPRING20.View Deal
Manual coffee machines
Dedica Duo (EC890WI): was $279 now $237.15 The Dedica Duo is a stunning espresso machine that earned five stars in our review. A perfect model for novices, the Duo delivers a consistently well-extracted espresso, and it even has an effective cold brew mode — a feature not often found on more expensive machines. There’s no built-in grinder, so you’ll need to add your own ground coffee, but otherwise this is a machine you’ll be proud to display in your kitchen. View Deal
La Specialista Touch (EC9455MEX2): was $1099 now $934.15 The La Specialista Touch is the De’Longhi machine I wish I owned. While it’s a manual machine, it can guide you through the entire process to ensure you’re left with a perfect cuppa. I also love its compact compact dimensions, great looks and its touchscreen display. View Deal
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The next basic Amazon Kindle has seemingly leaked...
It looks to have some small design changes from the previous model
But it's a shame there's no sign of a new smaller size
It looks like Amazon is gearing up to launch a new Kindle, as images of a new model — which you can see above and below — have been leaked by WinFuture. This is the Amazon Kindle 12th Gen, so it’s the basic model — not a Kindle Paperwhite or Kindle Colorsoft.
From the shared images, it seems this new device will have more rounded corners than the Amazon Kindle (2024), and the power button will be moved from the bottom to the top. The site has also shared that we can expect this Kindle to come in black, green, light blue, and purple shades, and that, interestingly, there might be two versions — one with a recessed screen and one where the display is flush.
Alongside this, Amazon is apparently planning a new Kindle for Kids, though no major changes are expected here, with it apparently being essentially the same as the current device, just shipping with a different cover included.
A leaked image of the Amazon Kindle 2026 (Image credit: WinFuture)
A smaller device could be a big hit
It remains to be seen whether the new 12th-generation Kindle will bring many spec upgrades, but regardless, it’s not the device I want. Lately I’ve fallen in love with compact ereaders like the ViWoods AiPaper Reader and the even smaller Xteink X4 Pro, and I'm spending more time reading on them than my Kindle Colorsoft — but Amazon doesn’t offer anything in these sizes.
So, that’s what I really want to see — especially something truly tiny like the Xteink devices, since one of their main issues is the difficulty in getting books onto them, which presumably isn’t a problem you’d have with a tiny Kindle.
And I’m not alone in this desire — a Reddit thread about this new Kindle leak included comments like “I was kind of hoping for a mini Kindle announcement,” and “I thought I would want a bigger size… until I got a smaller one and practically never touched my Paperwhite again.”
And while these tiny ereaders seem like they should be niche devices, they’re presumably selling well, given that an increasing number of brands like Onyx Boox and Honor have started getting in on them too.
So, hopefully we’ll see a tiny Kindle eventually, but for now, it seems you’ll have to make do with the standard sizes.
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You can now order the first Wi-Fi 8 router TP-Lin...
TP-Link's Archer 8 Ultra is available to buy in the UK and Australia, along with some other countries
In the UK it's priced at £899.99 (around AU$1,700), but you can get the router for £669.99 (around AU$1,200) currently if you pre-order
TP-Link is now selling the first Wi-Fi 8 router to come onto the market, although the very latest wireless tech won't come cheap as you might expect.
The TP-Link Archer 8 Ultra is available to buy in the UK and Australia, as well as Germany and some other countries (not yet specified by the router manufacturer).
Pricing will naturally vary by region, but the cost in the UK is £669.99 (around AU$1,200) if you place a pre-order now, although that price tag will be bumped up to £899.99 (around AU$1,700) later on.
The key advantages for Wi-Fi 8 over Wi-Fi 7 are that it deals more capably with interference in crowded signal-dense environments, and it's more reliable with a greater number of client devices connected. Wi-Fi 8 also ensures that there's a better signal at the extremities of the network.
TP-Link has told us a bit more about what its Wi-Fi 8 StabilityEngine tech achieves in the Archer 8 Ultra, noting the presence of features such as UEQM, MCS, and 2×LDPC. These are designed to "hold throughput steady in a noisy home, delivering up to 33% more consistent throughput at mid-to-long ranges and up to 24% more consistent throughput than Wi-Fi 7 under interference."
You don't really need to know the ins-and-outs of the various acronyms involved, save to say that they help the Wi-Fi signal drop off less sharply as you move further away from the router, and they cut down on dropped network packets (helping to keep a more stable connection).
TP-Link also boasts about its Multi-Floor Mode feature, which reshapes the Wi-Fi signal to take into account where devices are actually present. The firm says that this directs coverage to multiple floors when devices are spread over different levels, but it flattens to a "wide single-floor pattern" when they're not.
(Image credit: TP-Link)
TP-Link further observes that as the Wi-Fi 8 standard matures – it's still in its draft form right now – firmware updates will be applied to the Archer 8 Ultra to keep it up to speed.
The Archer 8 Ultra also comes with the Aireal AI Assistant which allows less technically inclined users to employ natural language queries to understand and tweak their Wi-Fi coverage. This AI also keeps a constant eye on how the router is performing and continuously optimizes and prioritizes wireless traffic, with other benefits such as an Eco mode to bring power usage right down at night when everyone's asleep.
(Image credit: TP-Link)
On the security front, this router has an integrated VPN at the hardware level encrypting the traffic of selected devices (it works with third-party VPNs too, if you already have one). Smart gadgets (Internet of Things devices), with their greater levels of potential security risks, are kept on their own network away from the main network (and the guest network is separate too, as you'd imagine).
There's also an optional TP-Link HomeShield service which offers real-time protection for your devices as well as parental controls.
Analysis: is it worth getting on board with the future of Wi-Fi today?
The price tag is predictably high with the Archer 8 Ultra, though, albeit pre-ordering does get you a pretty chunky discount. (The same will doubtless be true of the Deco 8 Ultra when it pitches up – the price of that will also depend on how many units you need based on the size of your home).
At any rate, now the Archer 8 Ultra can be yours, should you rush to pre-order to benefit from all the mentioned Wi-Fi 8 goodies? Well, no, because there isn't any consumer hardware (phones, tablets, laptops) that supports Wi-Fi 8 yet, and you need those client devices as well as the actual router. They won't arrive until next year, and they'll be thin on the ground even then.
So buying this TP-Link router right now is more about being future-proofed than anything else (though you will get some slight benefits from the Archer 8 Ultra with current Wi-Fi 7 or earlier devices). The thing is that if you're prepared to wait, the hefty early adopter premium on the Archer 8 Ultra (or other Wi-Fi 8 routers) will lessen, and really, that's your best bet as I've previously discussed at length.
If you do fancy grabbing the Archer 8 Ultra, though, definitely make sure you get that cheaper pre-order price.
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For the past several years, the enterprise AI con...
For the past several years, the enterprise AI conversation has been dominated by models. Every week has seemed to bring a new benchmark, a new leader board, or a new debate about which model is smartest. Organizations often made technology decisions based on incremental improvements in model performance, assuming that the model itself was the primary source of competitive advantage, but that assumption is rapidly becoming outdated.
As foundation models continue to improve, they are also converging in capability. At the same time, the cost of deploying AI at scale is becoming a more pressing concern for enterprises than squeezing out marginal gains in benchmark performance.
As a result, the focus is shifting from the model itself to everything surrounding it: the systems that make AI useful, governable, and economically viable in real-world business environments.
The question enterprises are increasingly asking is not, "Which model should we use?" Instead, they are asking, "How do we turn AI into reliable work?"
The rise of the AI harness
The answer begins with what can be described as the harness. An AI model on its own is powerful, but incomplete. To deliver business value, it needs context, access to enterprise tools and data, memory, controls, and guardrails. Together, these elements form the scaffolding that transforms a general-purpose model into a system capable of performing useful work, determining how effective an AI system becomes.
Two organizations might deploy the same underlying model yet achieve dramatically different results. One may struggle with inconsistency, high costs, and poor outcomes. The other may produce reliable, measurable business value. The difference often lies in the quality of the harness surrounding the model rather than the model itself.
That reality becomes more significant as models continue to commoditize. In many cases, organizations will have access to the same leading AI capabilities. What will differentiate them will be their ability to operationalize those capabilities efficiently and safely, and move from intelligence creation to intelligence application.
Why loops matter more than prompts
A related concept is what might be called the loop. Many organizations still approach AI interactions as isolated prompts and responses. But enterprise work rarely operates that way. Real business processes involve objectives, verification, correction, and completion criteria. A loop defines a governed unit of work.
Rather than simply generating an answer, the system performs a task, validates progress against the objective, corrects mistakes when necessary, and stops when the outcome is achieved. This seemingly subtle distinction has enormous implications.
When AI systems operate through loops instead of one-off prompts, they generate operational traces and performance records. Those traces can be used to evaluate outcomes, improve workflows, and refine future execution. Over time, this creates a learning system that grows more effective through use rather than requiring constant manual intervention.
In practice, this means enterprises are no longer deploying isolated AI tools. They are building repeatable learning systems — ones that improve the more they do the work.
The orchestration challenge
As AI adoption expands, organizations encounter another reality: there is rarely a single harness. Most enterprises operate across multiple functions, business units, and regulatory environments. Each domain may require different tools, data sources, workflows, and governance requirements.
A harness optimized for software development is unlikely to be the same one used for finance, healthcare, customer service, or compliance. This creates a new challenge: orchestration.
The orchestration layer acts as the traffic controller for enterprise AI. It routes tasks to the right harness, determines when human oversight is required, and coordinates work across multiple systems. Rather than treating AI as a standalone capability, orchestration allows organizations to manage AI as an enterprise-wide operational platform.
This capability becomes particularly important in regulated industries, where workflows often cross organizational boundaries and require strong accountability. As AI moves deeper into critical operations, orchestration will become a defining architectural requirement rather than a technical afterthought.
Governance and assurance as strategic differentiator
If orchestration determines where work goes, governance determines whether that work can happen safely and assurance determines whether we can trust it was done as intended. Many organizations initially viewed AI governance and assurance as a compliance exercise rather than a core operational requirement.
Effective governance and assurance encompasses policy enforcement, authorization controls, asset management, cost monitoring, evaluation and audit services, observability, guardrails, and risk management. These capabilities must function consistently whether work occurs within a single AI system or across multiple interconnected workflows.
The need is especially acute as enterprises deploy autonomous and semi-autonomous systems. A model generating an inaccurate answer may be inconvenient. An AI agent taking action in a regulated business process without adequate oversight can be more problematic. Organizations that treat governance and assurance as an integral component of their AI architecture rather than a bolt-on feature will be better positioned to scale adoption while maintaining trust.
Thinking in ecosystems, not products
Collectively, the harness, orchestration capabilities, and governance and assurance layers form what can be viewed as a governed operating environment for AI. Combined with models, data, and compute infrastructure, they become an ecosystem that functions as a single accountable system.
This shift in perspective is important because no single vendor currently delivers every component of that ecosystem. The future of enterprise AI is therefore unlikely to be dominated by one model provider or one platform vendor. Instead, success will depend on how effectively organizations integrate and operate a diverse collection of technologies.
For enterprises, particularly those operating under regulatory, security, or sovereignty requirements, this integration challenge is not optional. AI must operate within boundaries defined by business policy and organizational control. The ability to combine frontier models with protected enterprise data while maintaining accountability will become a critical capability.
The next AI battleground
The model layer will continue to improve. It will also become increasingly interchangeable, but that does not diminish the importance of AI innovation. Instead, it changes where value is created.
The next battleground is the layer surrounding the model: the harnesses that make work reliable, the loops that make systems learn, the orchestration platforms that coordinate activity, and the governance and assurance frameworks that make scale enterprise ready. Together, they will determine whether AI remains an impressive technology demonstration or becomes a sustainable enterprise capability.
In the years ahead, the organizations that gain lasting advantage are likely to be those that stop asking which model is best and start focusing on how to integrate, govern, and operate AI as an accountable business system. The future of enterprise AI belongs not just to the model alone, but to everything around it.
This article was produced as part of TechRadar Pro Perspectives, our channel to feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today.
The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/pro/perspectives-how-to-submit
If you're under the age of 30 and think of the name Celia Imrie, you likely think of the woman who farted in a log cabin during an episode of The Celebrity Traitors season 1.
Obviously you'd be factually correct, but this doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of just how iconic Imrie actually is. From Acorn Antiques and Dinnerladies to Calendar Girls and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, if there's been a worthwhile British drama, she's been there to improve it.
Now, the same can be said for War on HBO Max (international) and Sky TV (UK). Following two legal firms as they represent a spouse in a high-profile divorce trial, Imrie plays Budgie, a freelance barrister working for the newly established Taylor & Byrne.
From watching the trailer below, you might have assumed, like me, that Imrie was to play the High Court Judge overseeing the trial. According to Taylor and Byrne themselves, James McArdle and Phoebe Fox, Imrie had those onset so fooled by her power, that their opening scene in episode 1 had to be entirely reshot.
'She has such inherent power'
"She is such an incredibly charismatic woman and has such an inherent power," Fox tells me. "Originally, she just turns up and is in the office with us having a scene — but they actually had to reshoot her entering the office because everyone who watched it thought that she ran the company.
"We're the bosses, but that wasn't clear, apparently. She's a dream woman to work with."
And water is wet. This news doesn't surprise me in the slightest... but what I didn't realise is that Celebrity Traitors was airing at the same time as War was being filmed, which must have been like striking gold for any other cast members with a penchant for reality TV.
"While we were filming, Traitors was on," McArdle adds. "It was really hard for the director to get me to concentrate because I just kept trying to get spoilers out of Celia and Nick (Mohammed). Celia and I knew each other from way before, so I thought she would tell me... but she never did."
Oh, didn't I mention that there's also a Celebrity Traitors reunion within the cast too? More on that later this week. For now, set your clocks ready to watch War this Friday (October 2).
That's according to the ever-reliable WhenToStream website, whose sources have indicated that the record-breaking Marvel movie will be available to rent or buy on October 6, 2026.
Currently, digital stores, such as Amazon, Fandango, and Apple TV, have placeholder webpages for the latest Spider-Man film, but they make no mention of an impending release date, or simply say that its digital launch is "coming soon".
Nonetheless, WhenToStream has a fantastic track record when it comes to movie-based PVOD launch date announcements, so there's no reason to doubt the aforementioned at-home release date for Brand New Day.
I've approached Marvel and Sony Pictures for comment on what WhenToStream has reported, and I'll update this article if I receive a response.
SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY (2026)Streaming: October 6, 2026PVOD (Apple, Amazon, Fandango, etc.)#SpiderManBrandNewDaywhentostream.com/spider-man-b...
Whenever Spider-Man 4 makes its PVOD debut, every rental or permanent purchase will only add to the eye-watering amount of money it's already made.
At the time of writing, the Marvel Phase 6 flick has made a staggering $2.495 billion at the global box office. $950 million of that figure has been in the US alone, which is enough to make it that nation's highest-grossing movie of all-time. Star Wars: The Force Awakens had been the holder of that particular mantle, with the seventh Star Wars film making $936.6 million in the US between December 2015 and early 2016.
How long will that record last? It's hard to say. The iconic webslinger's latest big-screen adventure, which sees A-listers (and married couple) Tom Holland and Zendaya star in their fourth Spidey movie, has been lauded by pretty much everyone.
I wasn't as big on it as many others were — read my Spider-Man: Brand New Day review to find out why. Nevertheless, there's no denying that the aforementioned pair's star power, plus Spider-Man's enduring popularity, helped it to swing to unprecedented new heights.
Still, with the Marvel Cinematic Universe's (MCU) highly-anticipated next team-up film in Avengers: Doomsday set to hit theaters on December 17, it'll be fascinating to see if Spider-Man 4 can hold of its fellow comic book-inspired flick and retain its position as the biggest money-spinning movie in US history.
When might Spider-Man: Brand New Day be released on Netflix?
Spider-Man 4 won't swing onto Netflix and other SVOD platforms for a while yet (Image credit: Sony Pictures/Marvel Entertainment)
Currently, Sony-developed movies typically premiere on one of the world's best streaming services around four months after their initial theatrical release. Using that as a barometer, Brand New Day wouldn't come out on Netflix until late November, which would be an incredibly timely, well, time to arrive, as it coincides with Thanksgiving in the US.
However, things are more complicated than that. For one thing, Sony has various licensing agreements with numerous streamers that means its films have different streaming homes in different parts of the world.
For instance, Spider-Man: No Way Home, aka Brand New Day's predecessor, has regularly been available on Starz in the US. Overseas, the Spider-Man movies have come to Sky and Prime Video in the UK, and Stan and Binge in Australia. Further complicating matters is that the live-action Spidey flicks have occasionally joined Disney+ in multiple territories.
Things won't be that way for much longer, mind you. As I mentioned above, a new 'Pay-1' deal between Netflix and Sony means the latter's films will exclusively stream worldwide on Netflix following their theatrical and digital releases.
Per Netflix's blog announcing the agreement, the streaming titan said that "the new global Pay-1 arrangement will roll out gradually starting later this year as individual territory rights become available, with full global availability on Netflix in early 2029."
What does that mean for Spider-Man: Brand New Day? Theoretically, it could make its Netflix debut in the US and other countries before the end of the year.
Sure, much will depend on when Sony's current licensing deals with other streamers expires in certain parts of the world. Given Netflix's wording above, though, I wouldn't be surprised if Netflix users in multiple nations suddenly see Spider-Man 4 appear on their home page before 2026 is over, whenever that date will be.
The Voice AI Agents market is growing exponentially. The industry is projected to grow from $2.4 billion in 2024 to $47.5 billion by 2034, while Gartner predicts that by 2028, 70% of customer service journeys will begin with a conversational AI interface.
For global brands, the appeal is obvious. Voice AI offers the potential to deliver consistent, scalable customer support across markets, languages and time zones.
But there is a risk that voice AI will face the same issue faced by outsourced customer service centers, where differences in language and culture create a disconnect and frustration between the brand and customer.
As voice AI advances, language may become less of a barrier. But speaking the same language is not the same as understanding someone.
It’s just one part of the puzzle. Customers bring accents, habits and cultural expectations to every interaction, and they expect support to reflect their reality.
For that reason, localization needs to become a core test of voice AI performance, rather than a translation exercise that happens at the end of development.
What does it mean for voice AI to be ‘local’?
Accents, dialects, terminology and cultural norms can vary considerable even when speaking the same language. In Scotland, for example, a customer might say “aye”, rather than “yes”, refer to something small as “wee”, or talk about “getting the messages” when they mean going shopping. The language is English but understanding the interaction requires familiarity with how that language is used locally.
Cultures also differ in their expectations around directness or politeness. Even something as simple as how a customer is addressed can matter. In some cultures, using titles and surnames is an important sign of respect, while in others, addressing someone by their first name is the norm. A voice agent that is too informal could come across overly familiar, while one that is too formal might feel distant or unnatural.
All this to say that just because an AI might sound like me, it doesn’t necessarily mean it understands me or is equipped to serve someone in my market.
These aren't cosmetic details. They shape an AI agent’s ability to understand intent and respond appropriately and, ultimately, determine whether customers trust the experience it provides.
It doesn’t sound like a robot anymore
This isn’t to say there haven’t been huge advances in AI. There’s a reason why so many brands are investing in voice AI for CX, and that’s because it's becoming so convincing. Just look at ElevenLabs, for example.
The organization has built its success on AI-generated voices that can reproduce not just speech, but the pacing, intonation and emotion that make a voice sound human. Its technology not only spans voice cloning, multilingual speech and conversational agents, helping take synthetic voice from a novelty to something businesses can realistically deploy at scale.
The days when synthetic speech was instantly recognizable as robotic are fading. Early digital voices such as ‘Microsoft Sam’ left little doubt that you were listening to a machine. Today, the line is becoming much harder to distinguish. As voice AI becomes more convincing, our interactions with it can start to feel less like using a piece of technology and more like engaging with another person.
The technology's ability to create a sense of social presence is already apparent beyond customer service. Even actors such as Matthew McConaughey are getting behind AI voice technology, where it can match their performance without requiring them to change the way they sound, demonstrating just how powerful voice and conversational cues can be in shaping our perception.
But the most advanced experiences aren’t universally available, meaning many people may still be exposed to underdeveloped AI voices. What’s more, humans are remarkably good at noticing when something is slightly off. This is what creates the uncanny valley effect.
An unnatural pause, misplaced emphasis or strangely enthusiastic response can quickly break the illusion. Local context adds another layer to that challenge. A voice can sound perfectly human while still sounding culturally out of place. That said, the closer AI gets to human speech, the more conspicuous those moments can become.
Global brands can’t rely on one global answer
This is where global brands need to resist the temptation to treat voice AI as a single product that can be rolled out everywhere.
A frontier model might provide the foundation, but its performance needs to be tested against local data and real customer interactions so it can capture what ‘good’ looks like in terms of:
- The empathy that de-escalates a frustrated customer
- The specific terminology a market actually uses
- The intonation that reads as natural
All of these can't be inferred by a frontier model; it has to be learned market by market, brand by brand. Successful voice AI models will have an ongoing feedback loop which monitors interactions within individual markets, identifies where misunderstanding or friction occurs, refines the experience and tests again.
Local teams can play an active role in this process as well, bringing market expertise into development rather than simply receiving the “finished product”.
It can’t be treated as a job that is ever truly finished. Language and slang changes, customer expectations shift and new trends introduce expressions and behaviors that may not have appeared in the original training data.
Final summary
Getting this wrong can have an impact on a brand’s reputation. As voice AI becomes more human, customers will naturally expect more from it.
Derby City Council recently experienced this with its AI assistant, Darcie, which struggled to understand a presenter with a strong Derbyshire accent who used local expressions such as “mardy” and “duck,” despite having been upgraded to support nine additional languages.
It is a useful reminder that multilingual does not necessarily mean localized. If a system repeatedly misunderstands an accent or fails to recognize local expressions and expectations, customers will not experience it as a technology problem.
Instead, it will shape their perception of the organization behind it. The brands that get real value out of the voice AI boom won’t be the ones whose technology can speak all 7,170 languages in existence today. They will be those whose customers feel the most understood.
This article was produced as part of TechRadar Pro Perspectives, our channel to feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today.
The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/pro/perspectives-how-to-submit
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INNOCN E49M1R: 30-second review The 49-inch ultra...
The 49-inch ultrawide market has always demanded a compromise. Curve the panel, and you gain immersion but lose straight lines along your windows' edges. Keep it flat, and those two features simply swap places. Innocn has decided that trade-off is no longer guaranteed, and the E49M1R is the result.
By the maker's own description, this is the world's first 49-inch flat Mini LED ultrawide monitor. That single design choice sets it apart from almost every other super ultrawide currently on sale, since curved panels have dominated this size class for years. Traders, video editors, developers and anyone who values straight lines over cinematic curvature now have a genuine flat alternative at this scale.
Underneath that flat glass sits a 5120 x 1440 VA panel, often marketed as DQHD, which is effectively two 27-inch QHD monitors joined without a centre bezel. Add a 165Hz refresh rate and a 2ms overdrive response time, and you have a display built to appeal equally to people juggling financial dashboards, editors scrubbing long timelines, and gamers who want peripheral vision without warped geometry.
Backlighting comes from 1760 local dimming zones, a genuinely high number for a monitor at this size and this price. INNOCN pairs that with HDR1000 certification, a typical brightness of 450 nits, and a claimed peak that reaches four figures in HDR content. On paper, that combination should deliver punchy highlights alongside properly dark shadows, rather than the washed-out grey blacks that cheaper Mini LED panels sometimes produce.
Colour coverage looks strong too, with sRGB essentially maxed out and comfortable coverage claimed of the wider Adobe RGB and DCI-P3 spaces. Either way, the combination suggests this panel was built with more than gaming in mind, rather than for design work.
Connectivity runs to two HDMI 2.1 ports and two DisplayPort 1.4 inputs, a sensible spread for switching between a desktop and a laptop, or a work machine and a console, without reaching for an adapter. You can display all four inputs at once, or use a range of picture-in-picture options.
A USB hub, twin 5W speakers and support for AMD FreeSync round out the feature list.
The stand offers 120mm of height adjustment along with tilt from minus five to plus fifteen degrees and a modest fifteen degrees of swivel. There is no mention of pivot, which is hardly surprising given the sheer width involved. At 13.3kg with the stand attached, this design rewards a permanent spot on a desk rather than regular repositioning.
Pricing in the US sits at $999.99, which places the E49M1R against established 49-inch rivals from Samsung and LG, several of which still rely on curved panels at similar or higher price points.
The core promise here, a genuinely flat super ultrawide with Mini LED backlighting and a proper refresh rate, is compelling enough that INNOCN deserves the benefit of the doubt until testing confirms whether the numbers hold up on a desk rather than on a spec sheet.
INNOCN E49M1R: Price and availability
(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)
How much does it cost? $999
When is it out? Available now in the US and Japan
Where can you get it? Direct from Innocn
Innocn lists the E49M1R at $999.99 on its US store, with free shipping, a 30-day return window and a standard 12-month warranty. Orders placed before 1 October 2026 qualify for an extended three-year warranty as a launch promotion.
The monitor also launched in Japan on 10 September 2026 at 159,999 yen, roughly $1,044, with an introductory price of 135,990 yen, roughly $887, running for a limited period around launch.
Is this a good price? It’s hard to say, since no other monitor brand has anything like this available to compare.
Value: 5 / 5
INNOCN E49M1R: Specs
Specification
Detail
Model
E49M1R
Panel size
49 inches, flat
Panel type
VA, Mini LED backlit
Resolution
5120 x 1440 (5K DQHD)
Aspect ratio
32:9
Refresh rate
165Hz
Response time
8ms GtG, 2ms with overdrive
Local dimming zones
1760
HDR
HDR1000
Brightness
450 nits quoted
Contrast ratio
3000:1
Colour depth
8bit
Colour coverage
100% sRGB claimed, 98% tested
Connectivity
2x HDMI 2.1, 2x DisplayPort 1.4, USB hub, 1x audio out
Adaptive sync
AMD FreeSync
Speakers
2x 5W
Stand adjustment
120mm height, tilt -5 to +15 degrees, 15 degree swivel
VESA mount
100 x 100mm
Power consumption
95W typical, 240W maximum
Weight with stand
13.3kg
Warranty
3-year (launch offer)
INNOCN E49M1R: Design
(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)
Flat panel, not curved
Minimal bezel across a 32:9 frame
Height-adjustable stand but modest rotation
Where most 49-inch ultrawides curve their panel to keep the far edges within easy view, the E49M1R stays flat.
Innocn calls it the first monitor of its kind at this size, and it is a genuine point of difference rather than a marketing flourish. A flat panel keeps straight lines straight, which matters for anyone lining up spreadsheet columns, CAD drawings or video timelines across the full width of the screen.
You can get the same 5120 x 1440 resolution at this scale by combining two 27-inch 1440p displays, and that would be cheaper. But for those who want a single seamless experience, this is the way.
However, that creates an entirely different issue: the sides of the screen are significantly farther from a centrally placed viewer than the middle.
How much further? Well, if you are 75cm from the middle of the panel then the left and right edges are another 20cm away.
Depending on the flexibility of your eyesight, this is either not a problem or a major snag.
You might want to consider a desk you can slide sideways so that, if you are working at one side, you can bring it nearer, then roll your chair to the other when needed. This might seem silly, but if you are using this panel to monitor things, you'll need to make some adjustments.
What’s impressive is how narrow the bezel is on the top and sides, making the display the predominant aspect of this screen.
(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)
The stand provides 120mm of height travel, a tilt range from minus five to fifteen degrees, and also fifteen degrees of swivel. No pivot option is listed, which makes sense given the panel's width. It has a VESA 100 mounting point in the centre, but you need to consider that any support will need to handle the not insignificant weight of the E49M1R.
At 13.3kg with the stand fitted, this is not a monitor you will want to move often, or possibly without some help.
Settings on this monitor are slightly old-school, with five buttons under the central Innocn logo being used to control an on-screen menu.
I’ll be honest and say I hate these menus, because six clicks to make a change when it would be one with a mouse and an app seems bonkers. However, all the interesting features are on this menu, if you can be bothered to click through them.
Overall, there isn’t much that’s revolutionary here in the design; most of that showboating is reserved for the underlying technology.
However, despite the obvious awkwardness of having a monitor this large, in most respects it works as intended, and for some applications is something of a joy.
The trick I think Innocn missed is that this screen is perfect for controlling multiple systems, since you can display each input simultaneously. What’s required to make this perfect is a KVM, and since Innocn put a USB hub into the monitor, why did they not make this a KVM?
Even if it only supported two computers, splitting the screen for two systems, and tracking a hotkey switch (like a SCRL LOCK double tap) to flip the USB port over for mouse and keyboard, this would be terrific. Yes, you can get the same effect with a separate KVM, as I have, but if it were all in one package, it would be brilliant.
The key weaknesses are the lack of motion on the stand and the lack of a software control panel, which forces you to use tiny buttons to change modes.
But these flaws don’t undermine what is a solid product in most respects.
Design: 4 / 5
(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)
INNOCN E49M1R: Performance
Up to 480 nits
98% sRGB
72% AdobeRGB
Colour Gamut
Percentage
sRGB
98%
AdobeRGB
72%
P3
74%
NTSC
68%
Rec2020
53%
Gamma
1.8
Maximum Brightness
481.5
Maximum Contrast
4180 : 1
This design has a weird dichotomy I’ve never seen before: some of it comes from the design choices, and some from the panel's technology.
But first, let’s talk about what’s good about this screen, because in many respects the positive aspects outweigh the negative ones.
Two aspects are 5/5 in my opinion: color gamut and contrast. Being able to display lots of colours and a decent contrast between the brightest and darkest makes this an extremely readable display, and a punchy chromatic experience. I’m not sure how that fits with the Innocn specification that this is an 8-bit VA panel underneath.
The brightness is also greater than the 450nits that the maker quotes, and typically that number is overstated.
On paper, the E49M1R's performance case rests on three pillars. The first is contrast, delivered by 1760 local dimming zones feeding a VA panel with a quoted 3000:1 native contrast ratio. That is a considerably more granular backlight than the edge-lit arrangements found on cheaper ultrawides, and it should translate into deeper blacks alongside bright highlights in HDR content, rather than the obvious blooming that coarser dimming grids produce.
The second is color. Innocn claims essentially full sRGB coverage, with wide claimed coverage of Adobe RGB and DCI-P3 as well, alongside a Delta E accuracy target below two. Those numbers would put the E49M1R comfortably ahead of most gaming-focused ultrawides for colour-critical work, but it’s more nuanced than that.
While the gamut is great, color accuracy isn’t wonderful, making this design less than ideal for designers working with color. You might be able to tweak settings to improve colour accuracy, but this screen will never compete with an OLED panel.
The third pillar is motion. A 165Hz refresh rate, 2ms overdrive response time, and AMD FreeSync support should keep fast-moving content smooth, though the product page makes no G-Sync compatibility claim, which is worth noting for Nvidia users who rely on that certification.
In conclusion, if you need an ultrawide display for monitoring multiple systems, huge spreadsheets, motion graphics, a flight or racing simulator, then this is an excellent choice.
The lack of accuracy here is an issue for color-critical jobs, but that’s not something most people buy an ultrawide monitor for.
(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)
Performance: 4 / 5
INNOCN E49M1R: Final verdict
On specification alone, the E49M1R makes a compelling case. Innocn has combined a genuinely novel flat panel with a dense Mini LED backlight, a proper 165Hz refresh rate and colour coverage that reaches well beyond sRGB.
For traders, editors, developers and anyone tired of curved screens distorting their straight lines, this looks like the ultrawide the category has been missing.
I do wonder if Innocn has another E49M1 design in development that uses OLED and would address the color accuracy issues I detected, but for now this VA design with Mini LED backlighting is a dramatic improvement over any single-source backlight hardware.
With the hardware available today, the E49M1R could be one of the year's most significant ultrawide launches. And, at less than $1000, this is a huge monitor for a modest asking price. If you don’t need such a high resolution, Innocn also offers the slightly cheaper E49M1G with a 3840 x 1080 resolution and a 144Hz refresh rate.
On a personal note, I’ve been using this panel this week, and having my PC desktop on one side and a mini PC I’m benchmarking on the other makes for a great workflow. Similarly, when I transfer my work from Word to the publishing system, being able to extend my desktop is equally helpful.
While the E49M1R isn’t for everyone, for those who can use its abilities, it's genuinely revolutionary.
(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)
InnoCN GA27S1Q: Report card
Value
When only a company makes something, the price is the price
5 / 5
Design
Massive display with a restrictive stand, but plenty of good features
4 / 5
Performance
Large gamut and incredible contrast, but not color accurate
4 / 5
Total
Easily worth what the maker is asking for an Mini LED this big
4.5 / 5
Should you buy a INNOCN E49M1R?
(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)
Buy it if...
You need screen space Having the equivalent of two 1440p monitors in a single 49-inch wide panel provides plenty of space for multiple apps to share that area comfortably. Yes, you can get the same space or even more with multiple monitors, but this allows you to have them without the separation of a bezel.
You monitor multiple computers Each of the four inputs can be displayed simultaneously, either using PiP or by splitting the screen zonally. This has security and system uses, and you can change the arrangement to give a single or two sources larger displays when needed.
Don’t buy if...
You have limited space A monitor this large needs space to be installed and adjusted for optimal viewing. And not every desk has that much space. If you work with limited space, the E49M1R isn’t for you.
You need colour accuracy While it has a great colour gamut, having plenty of colours doesn’t guarantee that they’re the right ones. And on this design, the colour accuracy isn’t high, so it wouldn’t be suitable for picking the colours for your new spring collection.
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