Before the Internet, there was a certain value to knowing how to find out about things. Reference librarians could help you locate specialized data like the Thomas Register, the EE and IC Masters for electronics, or even an encyclopedia or CRC handbook. But if you wanted up-to-date info on any country of the world, you’d often turn to the CIA. The originally classified document was what the CIA knew about every country in the world. Well, at least what they’d admit to knowing, anyway. But now, the Factbook is gone.
The publication started in 1962 as the classified “The National Basic Intelligence Factbook,” it went public in 1971 and became “The World Factbook” in the 1980s. While it is gone, you can rewind it, including a snapshot taken just before it went dark on Archive.org.
Browsing the archives, it looks like the last update was in September of 2025. It would be interesting to see a project like Wikipedia take the dataset, house it, and update it, although you can presume the CIA was better equipped. The data is public domain, after all.
Want to know things about Croatia? Unfortunately, the archive seems to have missed some parts of some pages. However, there are other mirrors, including some that have snapshots of the data in one form or another. Of course, these are not always the absolute latest (the link has data from 2023). But we would guess the main languages (Croatian and Serbian) haven’t changed. You can also find the internet country suffix (.hr) and rankings (for example, in 2020, Croatia ranked 29th in the world for the number of broadband internet subscribers scaled for population and 75th in total broadband usage.
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We are sorry to see such a useful reference go, but reference books are definitely an endangered species these days.
The TV technology arms race is accelerating in 2026, and RGB MiniLED has quickly emerged as one of the key battlegrounds. Hisense is stepping directly into that fight with its newly announced UR9 RGB MiniLED TV lineup, offered in 65, 75, 85, and 100-inch screen sizes. The move puts it alongside Samsung, TCL, and LG, all of whom are pushing next-generation backlighting systems aimed at improving brightness, color accuracy, and contrast control, right as consumers continue to gravitate toward much larger displays.
That shift in demand is impossible to ignore. Screens that once felt excessive now look like the new normal, especially as prices fall and living rooms evolve into full-time viewing spaces. Hisense is clearly leaning into that trend with the UR9 series, positioning RGB MiniLED as a practical upgrade for buyers who want bigger screens and better performance without stepping into ultra-premium territory.
“The living room has become the social centerpiece of the home, with your screen starring at the center of it all,” said James Fishler, Chief Commercial Officer at Hisense USA. “Nearly 90% of Americans say bold, vibrant color makes them more interested in what they’re watching — and that’s exactly why we built the UR9. As the first to bring RGB MiniLED to market, we’re setting a new standard for color performance in home viewing experiences.”
RGB MiniLED Explained: Why This New Backlight Tech Matters
An RGB MiniLED TV is still an LCD-based display, but it takes miniLED backlighting a step further by using individual red, green, and blue LEDs instead of the traditional white or blue-only LEDs found in most LED and MiniLED TVs. This tri-color backlight structure allows for far more precise control over both brightness and color, rather than relying on filters to shape the image after the fact.
The result is a wider color range, up to full BT.2020 coverage, along with improved contrast and more accurate detail rendering. With Pantone Validated RGB MiniLED color support, the technology is designed to deliver more lifelike images with better separation between light and dark areas, exposing details that conventional LED backlit displays often miss.
Hisense was first to bring RGB MiniLED technology to market, getting out ahead of rivals with a consumer-ready implementation. The UR9 Series represents the next phase of that strategy, expanding the lineup with a broader range of screen sizes aimed at meeting growing demand for larger displays.
Hisense UR9 RGB MiniLED TVs: Key Features, Screen Sizes, and What Sets Them Apart
RGB MiniLED: This is the foundation of the UR9 series. Available in 65, 75, 85, and 100-inch screen sizes, it uses independent red, green, and blue MiniLED light sources to generate color directly, rather than relying on a white backlight and filters. The payoff is more accurate color reproduction, improved contrast, deeper blacks with better shadow detail, and brighter, more controlled highlights.
Hi-View AI Engine RGB: To support the RGB MiniLED backlight system, the UR9 series integrates Hisense’s Hi View AI Engine, which analyzes content in real time and adjusts brightness, contrast, and color temperature on the fly. It can recognize different types of content such as sports, movies, streaming, and gaming and optimize the picture accordingly, reducing the need for constant manual adjustments.
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The 65/75/85-inch Hisense UR9 models all share the same stand.
Obsidian Panel: Hisense’s low reflection screen surface is designed to reduce glare from windows and room lighting while maintaining strong contrast. Dark scenes hold onto their detail and depth even in bright environments, making daytime viewing far less of a compromise.
Up to 5000 Nits Peak Brightness: Combined with the low reflection properties of the Hisense Obsidian Panel, the UR9 series can deliver up to 5000 nits of peak brightness, depending on the model and screen size. This level of light output helps maintain image clarity and impact in bright rooms and daytime viewing conditions.
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AI RGB Light Sensor: This feature automatically adjusts brightness and color temperature based on the lighting in your room, helping the picture stay balanced and natural whether you are watching during the day or at night. It works hand in hand with the UR9’s high light output to keep the image consistent without constant manual adjustment.
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IMAX Enhanced and Filmmaker Mode:IMAX Enhanced support allows the UR9 to deliver optimized picture and DTS audio performance for compatible content, including the correct aspect ratio used in IMAX presentations. Filmmaker Mode takes a different approach by preserving the original aspect ratio, color, frame rate, and sound, ensuring content is presented as the director intended without added processing.
Native 180Hz Game Mode: For gamers, the UR9 series supports a native 180Hz refresh rate, delivering fast, responsive performance with reduced motion blur and input lag. Rapid camera movement, competitive gameplay, and live sports all benefit from sharper detail and smoother motion.
Enhanced Game Bar: Hisense’s Advanced Game Bar provides real time access to key settings such as FPS, VRR, and HDR. It allows for quick adjustments without interrupting gameplay, which is exactly how it should work.
AI Smooth Motion with MEMC: The UR9 also includes AI Smooth Motion along with standard motion estimation and motion compensation processing to reduce blur, judder, and stutter. It can improve clarity across sports, movies, and games, but there is a trade off. For films, it is best to turn it off if you want to preserve a more natural look. Filmmaker Mode handles that automatically and saves you from digging through menus.
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Total HDR Solution: The Hisense UR9 is compatible with advanced HDR formats (Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+ Adaptive), preserving creative detail and dynamically adjusting brightness based on both content and room lighting.
4K UltraHD Resolution & AI 4K Upscaler: The UR9 Series TVs support 4K UHD native resolution and also support AI 4K upscaling for the best possible image display from lower resolution content.
3x HDMI 2.1: The Hisense UR9 TVs support HDMI 2.1 on all three of their HDMI inputs. For details on what HDMI 2.1 supports, refer to our reference article: WTF is HDMI 2.1?
Wi-Fi 6E: The UR9 Series is equipped with the latest WiFi 6E connectivity, provided you have high-speed broadband access. This provides support for high-resolution streaming, cloud gaming, and multi-device households.
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4.1.2 Multi-Channel Surround & Tuned by Devialet: To provide a good foundation for TV listening, the UR9 incorporates precision-tuned speakers tuned by Devialet that provide layered, multidirectional room-filling audio. Clear Dialogue is supported while effects move naturally around and above you, providing a more natural listening experience. The UR9 series is also Dolby Atmos compatible.
Hi-Concerto: In addition to Devialet tuning, UR9 TVs include Hisense Hi-Concerto. This allows the TV to work in tandem with compatible Hisense soundbars, or the HT Saturn Audio system enables the speakers in both the TV and external audio system to work together. This is similar to Samsung’s Q-Symphony, offering users a more integrated audio setup without needing to disable their TV’s own speakers.
Google TV with Gemini: The UR9 series runs Google TV, bringing together movies, shows, and live TV from your streaming services into a single interface with access to over 10,000 apps. Gemini adds a more conversational layer, allowing users to ask more natural questions and get useful responses, while also helping with voice control and basic automation.
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Backlit Remote: Hisense includes a backlit voice remote with practical touches like a customizable favorite key for quick app access and a Find My Remote function. The backlighting adjusts automatically based on room conditions, making it easier to use in both bright and dark environments.
Minimalist Design: The UR9 features a clean, understated chassis with a slim profile that keeps the focus on the screen. It integrates easily into a range of setups, whether wall mounted or placed on a stand or media console.
Left to right: Hisense UR9 65/75-inch, 85-inch, and 100-inch side views
The Bottom Line
The Hisense UR9 series is one of the first serious attempts to bring RGB MiniLED into a full consumer lineup, not just a limited run of oversized flagship screens. That alone makes it notable. Hisense moved quickly, beating Samsung to market with a broader range of sizes from 65 to 100 inches, and positioned RGB MiniLED as a practical step forward in backlight precision, color performance, and brightness for real world viewing.
But there are tradeoffs. Pricing is aggressive, with the 65 inch model starting at $3,499, and there is no support for HDMI 2.2, which some expected to see at this level. That makes the UR9 feel a bit early adopter focused. Hisense is clearly aware of that, which is why the pre-order promotion matters. Offering a free 55-inch TV alongside the purchase could take some of the sting out of the price and give buyers a reason to jump in sooner rather than later.
The bigger picture is where things get interesting. This puts immediate pressure on Samsung, which has talked up Micro RGB LED but has yet to deliver a full lineup, and leaves the door open for TCL and Sony to respond with their own approaches. The UR9 is not a safe play, but it is a strategic one. If RGB MiniLED delivers on its promise, Hisense just bought itself a head start in what is shaping up to be the next major TV technology fight.
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Availability & Pricing
Pre-orders for the Hisense UR9 RGB MiniLED TV have begun at Hisense and Best Buy as follows:
Pro Tip: Customers who register for pre-order a UR9 Series RGB MiniLED TV between March 26 and April 22 will receive a unique redemption code for a 55-inch Hisense CanvasTV ($687.99 at Amazon) on Hisense with a qualifying purchase. Additional terms and conditions apply.
Hisense Out Host
“Out Host with Hisense” Campaign: Alongside the UR9 pre order launch, Hisense is rolling out its “Out Host with Hisense” campaign, timed with the FIFA World Cup 2026 coming to the United States this summer, where the brand is serving as an official sponsor. The campaign leans into a familiar message for Hisense, focusing on how TVs bring people together at home and anchor shared viewing experiences.
“Out Host with Hisense” highlights different hosting styles and ties them to the brand’s 2026 TV lineup, positioning its products as part of how people gather, watch, and share major moments. As part of the campaign, users can visit the official Hisense site to take a Hosting Style Quiz, identify their hosting persona, and get matched with a recommended TV setup.
Like many others, I first used Instacart during the early days of the pandemic when it was a lifesaver. Literally. As the primary caretaker of my immunocompromised grandmother, I was at a loss for how to do something as simple as feed her without risking dangerous exposure. And although I love delivery from a restaurant, it’s expensive and unhealthy. With Instacart, I was able to get her healthy groceries and favorite comfort foods delivered to us right at home without having to risk exposure.
Even now, post-COVID, Instacart still saves the day for me. I live in Brooklyn, and there are many heavy things I need from the grocery store that I physically can’t haul up and down the subway stairs and throughout the streets. With Instacart, I can have any grocery store of my choosing come to me. Welcome to the future. If you’ve been curious about this grocery delivery service, now is a great time to check it out and save big. If you’re an old stan like me, fear not, we have an Instacart promo code and various deals to slash those grocery bills.
Find the Best Instacart Promo Code for Massive Savings in March 2026
Here’s the best place to find the latest Instacart savings and Instacart discount codes, as we are constantly scouring the web to find things like savings for first-time users, deals on specific items or brands, discounts on Instacart+ memberships, and more. Make sure you check back often, we update these Instacart coupons when we find great new deals and add more when new seasonal deals pop up.
Get Free Delivery on Your First 3 Orders
This deal is so good that I wish I were a new customer. If you’ve never used Instacart, now is a fantastic time to try it out and save massively. Right now, when you sign up for Instacart, you’ll get $0 delivery fees on the first three orders. Depending on your order size and location, that can amount to some serious cash savings. Like other delivery services, you are paying for convenience, and delivery fees can add up fast. To sign up, you’ll just need to enter your email address, set up a profile, and get to shopping! Get free delivery on your first 3 orders today, just make sure you hit that $10 order minimum, and know that some service fees may still apply.
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Claim a $50 Instacart Credit by Applying for the Instacart Mastercard
If you use Instacart as the primary way you get groceries, getting an Instacart Mastercard might be a good idea to help you save even more on the purchases you were already going to make. And right now, you’ll get a $50 Instacart credit, which will be automatically loaded to your account once the card has been approved. With your eligible Mastercard, you’ll get three free months of Instacart+, along with $10 off your second order placed each month.
Snag $10 Off Petco Orders for Your Pets
If you’re already an Instacart member, you can still save. Right now, pet parents don’t have to haul heavy bags of kibble or litter to-and-fro. With this Instacart coupon, you’ll get a $10 discount on orders over $50 from Petco through Instacart. So whether you want to save a trip or save your back, Petco on Instacart can help you get everything from chew toys to treats and litter, delivered to your door with a $10 Instacart discount.
Enjoy $10 Off Walgreens Essentials Delivered Fast
In complete honesty, these days I use Instacart mostly when I’m sick or hungover. Instacart has partnered with Walgreens to deliver essentials like Gatorade, Advil, soup, and whatever else your ailments might call for. Plus, you’ll get a $10 discount on orders over $40 placed at Walgreens through Instacart. Go ahead, stay in bed and let the goodies come to you.
Refer a Friend to Shop & Get a $10 Bonus
If you know someone who hasn’t tried Instacart, now’s a great time to spread the love. When an Instacart customer makes a referral, they can get up to $40 in credits to use across their first two orders, and you’ll get a $10 credit for referring them once their delivery is complete. That’s big savings, and it’s easier than ever to refer. You can refer through text, email, or social media using your personalized referral code or link. Plus, there is no limit to the number of users you can refer to Instacart. To start in-app, tap the Account icon in the upper right corner of the app, tap Refer a friend, and share your referral link via contacts, text, email, social media, or other channels. If you do this on the web, you’ll click the horizontal lines, tap “Invite friends,” and share your referral link or code via contacts, text, email, social media, or other channels to secure the Instacart discount.
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Activate Unlimited Free Delivery With Instacart+ Membership
Having an Instacart+ membership has tons of benefits, including free delivery on orders over $10, $0 delivery fees on eligible restaurant orders over $25, a free Peacock subscription, and access to New York Times Cooking. You can unlock all of these benefits with Instacart+, for $99 per year or $10 per month for unlimited free delivery and other Instacart+ membership perks.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Rivian “just won a yearslong battle with car dealers in Washington state that threatens the model of how cars are sold.”
After fighting to sell its vehicles directly to buyers, Rivian threatened to take its case to voters with a ballot measure to permit direct sales. The dealers blinked. The state’s dealer lobby not only dropped its opposition to a sales loophole for Rivian and rival EV-maker Lucid, but also encouraged lawmakers to approve one. The measure became law this month…
New auto entrants like Rivian, and Tesla before it, have spent years contending with long-established U.S. state laws that require new cars to be sold through independent franchised dealers. The auto startups — typically makers of EVs — argue that they can offer a better experience by selling directly to consumers, much as Apple sells iPhones through its own stores and online. Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe has said the company is committed to direct-only sales because it’s more profitable and gives the company control over how its vehicles are sold, marketed and maintained. The Washington compromise riled traditional automakers, including General Motors, Ford and Toyota, which lobbied against it, arguing it unfairly advantages startups. A trade group representing the automakers called it discriminatory and argued the exception could one day open the door to Chinese EV makers…
German automaker Volkswagen is currently facing several lawsuits from dealers over its plan to sell new Scout vehicles directly to consumers. Dealers say independent franchises are vital to the car-buying process, creating competition between dealerships that keeps prices affordable for consumers, while providing valuable services such as repairs, warranty work and financing… Yet for Washington’s dealers, the prospect of putting franchise laws up for a popular vote laid bare a tough reality: given the choice, many car buyers want the freedom to avoid dealerships. Rivian’s polling, which the company shared with lawmakers, showed nearly 70% of respondents favored allowing direct sales when asked whether they would support manufacturers selling cars directly to consumers…
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The fight comes at a critical time for Rivian, which is launching a new, more affordable SUV in a bid to make consistent profits amid a downturn in U.S. EV sales… Rivian is able to directly sell cars in roughly half of U.S. states, but a number of them limit how many locations the company can operate. They can’t disclose the price, though. For that, customers must go online. The article notes that “Following the win, Rivian executives are eyeing other states that, like Washington, ban direct sales but also allow ballot initiatives: Arkansas, Ohio, Oklahoma, Montana, Nebraska and South Dakota…” It adds that lawmakers (from both parties) in the state of Washington had said “they have long felt pulled between giving consumers more car-buying freedom and protecting dealers, essentially small-business owners who are vital to local economies — and politically powerful.”
But an executive at the Washington State Auto Dealers Association said dealers supported this new law partly because it protects them by barring future automakers from selling directly in the state, and by requiring Rivian and Lucid to adhere to the same regulations that govern how dealers operate.
The garage occupies a weird spot when it comes to a home. Not fully outside and not fully inside, it’s an area that often gets neglected when it comes to cleanliness and organization. We all have visions of our garages as neatly organized spaces where we park our vehicles, keep tools, and work on projects — but reality often gets in the way.
In daily life, garages tend to become a place where random things just pile up, and it doesn’t take long to get to a point where their functionality starts being limited — including situations where a vehicle doesn’t even fit inside anymore. Fortunately, there are many ways to address the garage clutter problem, including purchasable upgrades that can make the workspace more functional. But sometimes decluttering your garage into a functional work and storage space doesn’t require buying anything at all — it simply requires a different mindset. This is where the so-called “Two-Foot Rule” comes in.
Created by organization experts who praise the importance of focusing on the two feet of space that are used most in a given room, the rule can be used in all rooms or areas of a home — and not just for initial decluttering, but for keeping it that way. The Two-Foot Rule can be applied everywhere from kitchen counters to bedroom nightstands, but a cluttered, disorganized garage might just be the best place to use it.
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What is the Two-Foot Rule?
In Green/Shutterstock
Decluttering and organizing can be a daunting task, especially in the garage, where things can pile up for months before you get around to it. When you want to clean up, there are some helpful garage lifehacks to clear up space, but the Two-Foot Rule takes a more universal, repeatable approach to organization.
Rather than going for a massive decluttering or organization project, the Two-Foot Rule is about starting small, setting aside the two-foot space that you use most, and starting there. By limiting the focus to one highly used area, the idea is that it’s much more manageable to organize and easier to maintain that organization going forward.
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Experts say this two-foot zone is something that can be double-checked every single day, and if something is out of place, it can be easily put back where it belongs. This hopefully eliminates the possibility of the clutter piling up until it reaches an unmanageable level. While the Two-Foot Rule won’t make every corner of your garage spotless and perfectly organized at once, it could very much improve the areas you use the most.
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The perfect workbench solution?
K-FK/Shutterstock
Focusing on a specific two-foot zone allows you to determine exactly what you use that area for and focus your efforts on that specific place. Inside a garage, the workbench — or just a small section of the workbench — could be the perfect place to start with the Two-Foot Rule.
It’s easy for tools and other junk to pile up on a workbench after you use them, but with the Two-Foot Rule, you could implement specific solutions for reducing clutter, like workbench-mounted pegboard that easily turns empty wall space into an organized storage space. Working vertically is a key part of the Two-Foot Rule, with the emphasis on using walls or shelving to permanently clear up the surface space you want to use.
Keeping common tools organized ties into another related de-cluttering concept called the Two-Touch Rule, which states that when you use an item, you should only touch it twice — once to use it, and once to put it back. Otherwise, tools and other items are likely to pile up on the workbench until you get around to putting them back, which can be days or weeks later — if ever. If they are stored within easy reach, the easier it is to put them back. The basic premise of the Two-Foot Rule is that it’s manageable and easy to stick with. Plus, if you have good results, there’s no reason it couldn’t be expanded from the workbench to other areas in the garage.
Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.
Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is a tough one. You’ll need to know a little about four very different sports in order to solve it. If you’re struggling with today’s puzzle, read on for hints and the answers.
Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t appear in the NYT Games app, but it does in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.
Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups
Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.
Yellow group hint: Make a racket.
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Green group hint: Goooooal!
Blue group hint: Baseball stars.
Purple group hint: Toss the pigskin.
Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups
Amazon’s bet on “Project Hail Mary” has paid off handsomely, with the film recently surpassing “Creed III” to become the company’s highest grossing movie ever.
And it was a big bet, with a reported budget of around $200 million. That’s a big price tag for any film, but especially one that’s not a sequel or part of an existing franchise. Instead, it’s based on a bestselling science fiction novel by Andy Weir, whose book “The Martian” was adapted into a successful film a decade ago.
And that’s not the only thing that makes “Project Hail Mary” feel unconventional. For long stretches of the film, Ryan Gosling is the only human actor on screen, as the scientist he plays works with a rock-like alien to solve the mystery of of why multiple stars — including our own — seem to be dimming.
But after 10 days in theaters, “Project Hail Mary” has brought in an estimated $164.3 million in North America, as well as $136.2 million overseas, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Domestically, it only fell 32% in its second weekend, to $54.5 million, so its final box office numbers should be significantly higher when it leaves theaters.
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That makes “Project Hail Mary” the biggest hit of 2026 (so far), as well as one of the most successful non-franchise, non-sequel films of the past decade.
Until “Hail Mary,” those movies — including “After the Hunt,” “Mercy,” and the controversial “Melania” documentary — seemed to be falling flat with audiences.
Techcrunch event
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San Francisco, CA | October 13-15, 2026
Amazon’s head of film Courtenay Valenti told The New York Times that “Project Hail Mary”‘s big opening weekend validated the company’s strategy of making “big, bold entertaining commercial films.” And it has more movies coming to theaters soon, including “The Sheep Detectives” starring Hugh Jackman in May, then a “Masters of the Universe” reboot in June.
Smart glasses were already under fire for privacy concerns. But now, there’s a new problem brewing. Cheating. And it’s surprisingly easy.
Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends
A recent report by Rest of World highlights how AI-powered smart glasses are being used to scan exam questions and display answers directly on the lens, essentially turning them into a real-time cheating tool. In some cases, students are even renting these glasses for as little as $6 a day, using them not just for navigation or translation, but specifically to gain an unfair advantage in exams.
How does this even work?
It’s a mix of hardware and AI catching up. Modern smart glasses come equipped with cameras, microphones, and AI assistants that can analyze what you’re looking at and respond in real time. That means a question on paper can be scanned, processed by an AI model, and fed back as an answer. All without pulling out a phone. And because these devices look like regular glasses, they’re much harder to detect compared to traditional cheating methods.
Phil Nickinson / Digital Trends
Adding fuel to the fire, devices like the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses have already sparked concerns around covert recording and privacy, with critics pointing out how easy it is to capture photos or videos without people noticing. Now, with cheating entering the picture, the concerns aren’t just about being watched but also about fairness, trust, and how institutions even enforce rules anymore.
When smart gets… a little too smart
This goes way beyond just exam cheating; it challenges the entire system. Experts warn that devices like AI-powered smart glasses could break traditional ways of detecting misconduct, since they’re subtle, always-on, and hard to track. Some regions have already started taking drastic steps, like temporarily disabling AI tools during exams, just to stay ahead.
At the same time, we’re stepping into an era of “invisible tech,” where these devices are genuinely useful but also easy to misuse. And that’s the real dilemma: when technology becomes this seamless, the line between helping and cheating starts to disappear.
Sky TV has now been a broadcasting powerhouse in the UK for nearly 40 years, offering a premium alternative to the country’s traditional channels and delivering some of the best dramas, films, sport, comedy and factual TV of the past four decades.
While Sky has been the go-to destination for prestige television such as Game of Thrones, Succession and The Last of Us, and biggest film releases on its Sky Cinema suite, it’s the provider’s domination of the live sport landscape that has sustained its success. Sky Sports is almost a byword for Premier League soccer coverage, and has carried dozens of the biggest tournaments and events across tennis, golf, cricket, NFL, rugby, boxing, darts and more.
Thanks to the broadcaster’s Sky Go app that launched in 2011, all those shows, movies and live sports have been available to subscribers across a multitude of mobile platforms and devices.
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And although Sky’s content is restricted only to people located in the UK, there is a simple, low-cost way of getting around the frustrations of having your Sky Go access blocked when traveling out of the country. Below we explain how using one of the best VPN services will keep Sky Go active when you want to watch it while on vacation or away on business.
How to watch Sky TV subscriptions
Signing up to Sky TV for the first time can be quite a dizzying experience – there seems to be an endless array of options to consider.
The entry-level plan is Sky Essential TV, which costs £15 per month (at the time of writing) and includes 100+ channels as well as access to Netflix and Discovery+. Pay an extra £7 a month and upgrade to Sky Ultimate TV to add Disney Plus, HBO Max, Hayu and another 30-odd channels.
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Once you’ve chosen your base plan, you then get to decide what additional premium channels you want. This is where Sky Sports (from £35 per month) and Sky Movies (from £25 per month) come in.
But it doesn’t stop there. If you’re also on the lookout for a new television, you can choose a Sky Glass package that bundles in a 43-, 55- or 65-inch 4K TV.
And you can further tailor you plan best suit you and your family, with options to add UHD and Dolby Atmos content, ad skipping, availability on more screens, upgraded Netflix, and even more channels like TNT Sports and Sky Kids.
While we’d never describe Sky TV as cheap (especially to some Brits who still remember when all television was free-to-air), there are ways to reduce your costs.
For starters, Sky frequently has offers and discounts through its official website. So if you’re in no rush to sign up for Sky, it may be worth waiting until it drops the prices. Unsurprisingly, Black Friday and the January sales are prime times to get a great Sky TV deal.
You can also save money if you also choose Sky as your broadband provider and mobile phone network. The company offers lower tariffs on both to existing Sky TV subscribers. Or buy a Sky TV and broadband package off the bat.
Another way to watch Sky content for less is through Now, which offers Entertainment, Sports and Movie memberships on a more flexible basis. Just note that, although owned by Sky, Now is effectively a standalone service and so doesn’t let you watch through the Sky Go app.
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Use a VPN to watch Sky Go from anywhere
Why is a VPN a good option to watch Sky Go from anywhere?
While Sky Go has brought the enormous mass of the broadcaster’s content to mobile phones, laptops and other streaming devices, it simply won’t work if you try to use it when outside the UK. The app will load, but you’ll be faced with an error message the second you try to watch something live or on demand.
Thankfully, you can overcome this hurdle by using one of the best streaming VPNs. The cybersecurity software doubles up as a way to watch online content when overseas and they work a treat with Sky Go.
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What devices and platforms are supported by Sky Go and NordVPN?
Amazon Fire TV Android (7.0 and up) Android TV (5.1 and up) Apple TV (tvOS 13 and up) Desktop app (Windows, Mac, Chromebook) iOS (13 and up)
Although you can’t run NordVPN directly on other devices, such as PlayStation and Xbox consoles, an easy workaround is running NordVPN on your smartphone or computer and setting up a hotspot.
(Image credit: Future / Harry Padoan)
What shows can you watch on Sky Go?
Everything you’d normally be able to watch with your Sky TV subscription can be watched online thanks to Sky Go.
Essential hosts more than 100 channels in all, meaning Sky Go also features 24-hour rolling headlines from Sky News and Sky Sports News, handpicked favorites from Sky Mix, stations such as TLC, Quest, and the Food Network, and traditional linear channels ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5. Note that no BBC content is available on Sky Go, so you’ll need BBC iPlayer to stream that online.
Upgraded plans make more channels available, with Sky Ultimate TV adding shows from the likes of Sky One, Sky Docs, Sky Comedy, National Geographic and MTV to the Sky Go catalog. Sky One is a relatively recent reintroduction to the service, and is set to be the home of new Sky Originals such as Saturday Night Live UK and The Dyers’ Caravan Park.
Got Sky Movies as part of your subscription? That opens up a library of more than 1,000 films you can watch on demand, and has been the first place to watch the likes of Jurassic World Rebirth, The Materialists and Oscar-winning One Battle After Another outside of the cinema in the UK.
Are there any live sports on Sky Go?
Just a few! Again, everything that goes out across the provider’s 12 Sky Sports channels are available to stream on Sky Go, too.
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For starters, that means an enviable 215 Premier League games over the course of each season as per its current deal. Sky also has an astonishing quantity of other football, including coverage from the Football Leagu, EFL Cup, Women’s Super League, Scottish Premiership and Bundesliga.
Outside of soccer, you’ll find hours and hours of other top sport on Sky Go. Cricket, for example, has found a regular home on Sky Sports, with England’s home internationals, World Cups, The Hundred, T20 Blast and India Premier League (IPL) all present.
Live coverage of all golf’s majors, PGA Tour events and Ryder Cup is the exclusive domain of Sky, while it also shows every F1 Grand Prix, British and Irish Lions rugby union, Super League rugby league, and all the biggest PDC darts tournaments. Tennis fans can watch the US Open and ATP/WTA tour events.
Various NFL and NBA coverage from across the Atlantic goes out on Sky Sports, too, together with other selected boxing, MMA and motorsport events.
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(Image credit: ichael Regan/Getty Images)
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Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.
I’m unfamiliar with “wax apples,” so 2-Down was a mystery to me until the other answers filled in. Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? Read on for all the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.
If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.
The Samsung Galaxy A57 is a distinctly mid-range smartphone – and I don’t mean that as an insult.
The Galaxy A57 separates itself from much of the mid-range competition with a particularly premium glass and aluminium build that’s both thinner and lighter this year, along with Samsung’s polished One UI 8.5 software, a smattering of new AI features and a much longer OS upgrade promise, making the £529 price tag for the entry-level 256GB model much easier to swallow.
However, it’s not exactly the perfect phone – the focus on a premium build has meant sacrifices in other areas.
The 6.7-inch Super AMOLED screen, for example, has slimmer bezels, but they’re still not symmetrical like those on the cheaper Honor 400, while the camera setup leaves much to be desired.
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The 50MP main camera is fairly well-specced for the price, but the accompanying 12MP ultrawide and 5MP macro lenses have all but been outshone by the competition, particularly the Nothing Phone 4a Pro, which is both cheaper and boasts higher-res, more advanced lenses. Really, you’d expect to find those secondary lenses on something in the sub-£300 market from any other brand.
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Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)
It’s also not exactly a performance beast, featuring Samsung’s distinctly mid-range Exynos 1680 chipset and 8GB of RAM. It’s fine for day-to-day use in early testing, but it can’t hold a candle to the flagship-level A19 chipset in the iPhone 17e, nor to the Snapdragon 8 Elite in the Poco F8 Pro.
But, again, at £529, you can kind of accept those shortcomings. It’s not a full-fat flagship, after all, and most mid-rangers have a particular ‘focus’, be it camera hardware, design or performance, where other areas take a hit to get to the price point.
However, that metric changes completely when you look at the 512GB/12GB model, which rather inexplicably, costs £699.
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That’s £170 more, for 4GB more RAM and an additional 256GB of storage, the former of which you probably won’t notice all that often in everyday use. £699 isn’t mid-range – that’s premium, almost flagship-level money, and the A57’s shortcomings are much harder to forgive at that price point. What I’m trying to say is, avoid that model at all costs.
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Much better options available at the price
For £699, there are plenty of more capable phones than the Galaxy A57 available to you – case in point, Samsung’s own Galaxy S25 FE. The phone comes in at £649, and while you don’t get the same 512GB of storage as the A57, you do get much more bang for your buck in other areas.
The phone has a 6.7-inch AMOLED screen with an LTPO-enabled 120Hz refresh rate and those all-important symmetrical bezels, along with better performance from the Exynos 2400 chipset and nice extras like wireless charging – all for £50 less than the A57.
It’s even harder to vouch for the Galaxy A57 once you look beyond Camp Samsung at the price point. That’ll net you a phone like the £649 OnePlus 15R with its bigger, faster 6.8-inch 165Hz AMOLED screen, a much more powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 processor, a frankly massive 7400mAh battery and similarly rapid 80W charging.
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There’s also the £699 Motorola Edge 70, and while it doesn’t offer much of an uptick in the performance department, it’s impressively thin and light at 6mm and 159g, making it one of the slimmest options on the market – and complete with a relatively big 4800mAh battery and a gorgeous 6.7-inch 120Hz AMOLED screen.
Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)
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Xiaomi’s 15T Pro is another solid alternative, coming in at £649. It packs not only the flagship-level Dimensity 9400+ chipset but also a premium camera setup comprising a 50MP main with a large 1/1.3-inch sensor, a 50MP 5x periscope, and a 12MP ultrawide, along with a 6.8-inch 144Hz AMOLED display that’ll give some of the best around a run for its money.
Xiaomi 15T Pro Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)
In fact, you can even get proper flagship-level phones for the price. The Nothing Phone 3 cost £799 at release in late 2025, but at the time of writing, it’s available for just £559 at Amazon with 256GB of storage and 12GB of RAM – and you’re getting a much more capable phone than the Galaxy A57, with change to spare.
Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)
You’re getting oodles of power in the form of the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4, along with a proper high-end 6.6-inch screen with an LTPO-enabled 120Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 4500nits, a solid camera combination comprised of triple 50MP main, ultrawide and 3x periscope lenses, and to top it all off, Nothing’s stylish Nothing OS experience.
And that’s not even mentioning the design, with the Phone 3 offering one of the most unique looks of any smartphone around right now.
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Frankly, the Galaxy A57 pales in comparison to any of these phones, and you’d be much better off with those than the overly expensive 512GB model.
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It’s likely down to the spiralling cost of RAM
But why is the 512GB Galaxy A57 so much more expensive than the 256GB model? While Samsung hasn’t confirmed it outright, I’d expect that it all comes down to the rapidly increasing cost of components, particularly storage and RAM.
Since the price of RAM skyrocketed in the second half of 2025, driven mainly by AI data centres hoovering up as much RAM as possible, reports and leaks have suggested that mobile manufacturers would essentially pass that cost on to consumers. And that’s what’s starting to happen. It’s not the first phone we’ve seen with a notable price jump compared to its 2025 equivalent – though the other example is, once again, from Samsung.
Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)
The Samsung Galaxy S26 has jumped to £879, an £80 increase on last year’s Galaxy S25, while the S26 Plus comes in at £1099, a £100 difference compared to the S25 Plus – and with very few upgrades to speak of. The only model that didn’t really see much of a price hike was the already-premium Galaxy S26 Ultra, which costs a similar £1,279 to last year’s S25 Ultra.
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Samsung knows that the S26 Ultra would no doubt be the most popular in the range, so making it more expensive wasn’t really an option. Instead, the less popular models would cover much of that hit, especially for the larger storage options. The 512GB Galaxy S26, for example, costs £1049 – £170 more.
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It’s pretty much the same story here: Samsung has tried its best to keep the entry-level 256GB A57 model as affordable as possible and is trying to recoup additional cash from the 512GB/12GB model to offset any potential losses.
That makes sense for Samsung, but honestly, it makes zero sense for consumers to opt for it at such an inflated price – especially when more capable phones are available at the same price.
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