Security teams log 54% of successful attacks and alert on just 14%. The rest move through your environment unseen.
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Tech
Hackers breached a small Polish energy plant via private APN last year
Hackers used a dedicated mobile gateway to compromise a second facility during the destructive cyberattacks that hit Poland’s energy sector last year.
The second target was a small combined heat-and-power (CHP) plant that supplies heat to around 50,000 residents, resulting in the steam turbine and the water treatment system being shut down.
The Polish Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) disclosed this second incident in a follow-up report over the weekend, saying that the attacker used a private Access Point Name (APN) to access the operational technology network.
“The attack was made possible, among other factors, by a misconfiguration that allowed arbitrary devices within the private APN network to communicate with one another.”
On December 29, 2025, an attacker believed to be linked to the Russian Electrum threat group targeted 30 wind and solar power installations and a large CHP plant in Poland, destroying key equipment beyond repair.
The threat actor hit distributed energy resource (DER) sites across the country, disabled communications equipment, corrupted operational technology (OT) devices, and wiped Windows systems. Despite this effort to destabilize the grid, energy generation and distribution were not disrupted.
In the newly disclosed attack at a second, smaller CHP plant, the threat actor switched off the programmable logic controllers (PLC) and protected access with a password, thus deactivating a steam turbine and the plant’s process-water treatment system and interrupting cogeneration operations.
The staff at the plant managed to restore impacted systems quickly, so the outage was short-lived and had no impact on the population.
Novel attack path
Upon investigating the incident, the Polish CERT determined that the attacker initially compromised a FortiGate VPN/firewall at a wind farm and used a Teltonika cellular router on its network to tunnel into a private APN managed by the distribution system operator.
The APN lacked client isolation, allowing the attacker to scan for and communicate with devices at other facilities.
Beginning on December 18, the attacker found a WAGO PFC200 PLC at the CHP plant whose web interface was exposed on the APN and protected with default administrator credentials.
After compromising the controller, the attacker enabled SSH and used it as a bridge into the plant’s OT network.
Over the following week, they scanned the network for SCADA systems and industrial devices, and on December 25 they connected to three Siemens PLCs, likely in preparation for the attack.
At approximately 5:30 a.m. on December 29, the attacker accessed the SCADA interface and Siemens PLCs, switching them into STOP mode, activating password protection, and shutting down the steam turbine and process-water treatment system.
Source: CERT Polska
The attacker also reset and reconfigured several Moxa devices to impede recovery, destroyed logs, and hindered forensic analysis by corrupting or resetting the WAGO controller, Teltonika router, and FortiGate firewall used throughout the intrusion.
The Polish CERT believes this to be the first known real-world cyberattack in which an attacker entered an OT network by moving laterally through a private APN.
“To the best of our knowledge, the incident described in this report, which involved gaining access to an OT network through a private APN, was the first observed instance of this attack vector being used in a real-world cyberattack,” commented CERT Polska.
The surveys that followed the investigation determined that this configuration was common in Poland at the time, and the country’s CERT estimates that it’s likely similar arrangements are widely used internationally.
It is recommended to treat private APNs as untrusted external networks, enable isolation between connected clients, use allowlists for essential traffic between APN gateways and OT systems, and disable exposed SSH and Telnet administration services.
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Heading back to college in 2026 means bringing a lot more than a laptop, phone and whatever survived last semester at the bottom of your backpack. The best back to school tech for college students needs to solve real problems: keeping devices charged through a long day on campus, blocking out a roommate who believes 2 a.m. is an appropriate time for FaceTime, making a cramped dorm room more functional, and helping you study, stream, listen and stay connected without spending the semester’s food budget before classes even begin.
That’s the problem with most back to school tech guides. They’re stuffed with products because somebody has to fill the shopping cart. We’ve taken a different approach. Our 2026 college tech essentials focus on products we think students will actually use, from headphones, wireless speakers and chargers to computer accessories, portable gear and dorm room upgrades that can make campus life easier. Some are inexpensive. Others are worth spending more on because they should survive well beyond freshman year.
Audioengine D1P
Give your college student better sound for the school year. The D1P connects to their laptop and makes even cheap headphones sound world-class, bringing out cleaner sound and deeper bass, allowing them to hear their music the way the artist intended. Compact enough for a dorm desk or backpack, it’s an easy upgrade for studying, gaming, or listening between classes.
Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2 Wireless Headphones
The ATH-M50xBT2 combines Audio-Technica’s acclaimed studio sound with wireless convenience. Enjoy up to 50 hours of battery life, multipoint pairing, and low-latency mode. Customize your sound with the A-T Connect app or plug in using the included cable. A smart back-to-school upgrade for students without compromising performance.
IsoAcoustics ISO-Stand
Upgrade any dorm, bedroom, or study setup with the IsoAcoustics ISO-Stand Series. With 14 height and tilt configurations, ISO-Stands help position bookshelf speakers at the ideal listening angle while reducing unwanted vibrations for cleaner sound, improved clarity, and better focus at the desk.
Polk Audio Signature Elite ES15
Ideal for small spaces, the Polk Audio Signature Elite ES15 compact bookshelf speakers offer an audiophile upgrade without breaking the bank. Connect to any amp or receiver you already have, or combine with Denon Home Amp (below) for a powerful 200-watt speaker system that doesn’t take up much space.
Denon Home Amp
The Denon Home Amp is a compact, yet versatile box that combines a 100-watt x 2 amplifier, built-in wireless music streaming with Bluetooth and multi-room HEOS, plus HDMI eARC to seamlessly connect with any TV. And there’s an option to add a subwoofer. Just connect to any speakers.
Samsung Smart Monitor
Samsung’s top-of-the-line 32-inch Smart Monitor M90SF is a triple threat on your desktop, offering pixel-perfect QD-OLED 4K technology for watching movies or TV shows, playing games, or handling schoolwork. Plus its glare-free screen means it will be easier on your eyes in any lighting condition.
$1,599 $1,199 at Amazon | Best Buy
Anker Nano 10-in-1 Power Strip
Anker’s 10-in-1 power strip ensures roommates never need to ask where the charger is. Access 2 x USB-C ports, 2 x USB-A ports, and 6 x AC outlets, right from your desktop.
Need more gift giving ideas?
Disclosure: The products listed above are approved by our Editors, but may be requested by our sponsors. When links to buy are provided, we’ll direct you to the lowest price at time of publication. In doing so, eCoustics may earn a small commission from the associated retailer if purchased.
Valve has emailed European customers who ordered a Steam Machine or a Steam Controller. A cyberattack on CEVA Logistics, the firm that ships Valve hardware across Europe, took their delivery details.
CNET’s Tyler Graham reported the warning on Monday. CEVA told Valve about the breach on 7 August, and Valve spent the following days working out who to contact.
A Valve spokesperson told CNET that CEVA is still investigating. The company decided to write to everyone it could reasonably assume was affected, based on what it knows now.
Valve makes hardware as well as running the store. The Steam Machine and the Steam Controller follow the Steam Deck, and it moves all of them into Europe through a logistics contractor.
What went, and what did not
The exposed data covers names, countries, street addresses, phone numbers and email addresses. BleepingComputer adds the product type and the price paid to that list.
One line in the notice does more work than the rest. The email address on the order is the same one the Steam account uses, so a scammer now knows the exact inbox that matters.
Payment details, passwords and Steam Guard codes are not on it. Valve says CEVA never had access to them.
Valve also says the shipping information sat with CEVA for 90 days after each order. That window decides who got caught.
The warning is the useful part
Valve’s email tells customers to expect fake messages about their order, and recipients have posted it on Reddit. Those may arrive by email, text or phone, and may appear to come from Steam, Valve or a courier.
Then it makes the point that matters. The messages may quote the customer’s own address back to them to prove they are genuine, and they may ask for a small customs or redelivery fee.
“Treat all of them as fake,” the email says.
Valve adds that Steam support handles problems only on its official help page, never over email, Steam chat or Discord. Its staff never ask for a password or a Steam Guard code. Neither, the email notes, will a courier.
The accounts themselves need no action. Nobody has to change a Steam password or touch their settings, because the breach never reached either.
Eight warehouses and a widening list
TechCrunch’s Zack Whittaker traced the attack back to 29 July. Valve’s notice dates the intrusion between then and 1 August. CEVA confirmed it that day, six days before it told Valve.
Valve is one name on a longer list. Whittaker names the Dutch retailers Bol and De Bijenkorf, the bank ING, the eyewear firm Ace & Tate and the football club Ajax.
The logistics side has its own damage. FreightWaves reported disruption at eight European warehouses, with orders, returns and refunds all running late.
Bol and De Bijenkorf suspended data exchanges with CEVA as a precaution, according to Eric Kulisch’s reporting. Products at the affected sites went offline.
The supplier is the surface
CEVA is not a small vendor. It runs more than 1,000 warehouses, handles roughly 15 million shipments a year and reported $18.3bn of revenue in 2025, as a subsidiary of the shipping group CMA CGM.
That scale is the point. One intrusion at a contract logistics provider reaches a games company, a bank and a football club in the same week, which is what people mean by a digital supply chain.
The pattern is familiar. LastPass customers lost data through a supplier rather than through LastPass.
Polymarket users lost funds the same way. That was a third-party breach of much the same shape.
What nobody knows yet
The count is missing. Neither Valve nor CEVA has said how many customers are affected, how much data left, or how the attackers got in.
Attribution is missing too. No group has claimed the intrusion, and nothing published so far names one.
CEVA has said little. It told TechCrunch the incident touched part of its European contract logistics operations, and that other operations continue without incident.
Valve fills in a little more. It says CEVA has isolated the affected systems, pulled them offline and brought in outside investigators, and that Valve is still pressing the contractor for the full scope.
The regulators come next. Valve is notifying the data protection authority in every affected country, and it has named Artana Digital GmbH in Hamburg as its contact point for questions about the incident.
The Dutch regulator is already investigating. Dutch police took down 800 servers in a separate operation earlier this year.
Everything else is a wait. The people who ordered a Steam Machine now have a home address sitting in someone else’s file, and the only defence Valve can offer is the instruction to disbelieve the next convincing message about their parcel.
You’ve seen fiber-reinforced-plastic before, no doubt, but perhaps never quite like in this video by [Whitburn Studio]: it’s still got the usual resin, but instead of glass or carbon fibers, he’s using printed Japanese cotton to create strong, lightweight and good looking parts for the interior of his RV– specifically the countertops.
The technique is very similar to the sort of moldless composite work Burt Rutan pioneered in aircraft use. The fiber-reinforced plastic is formed around a positive ‘buck’ that remains inside the final part, adding stiffness and some backing. Unlike Rutan’s designs, which used pure Styrofoam inside, [Whitburn] is using a sandwhich of two layers of thin ply (3.6 mm) with XPS foam in between. Adding plywood means you don’t need many layers of fiber– again, that’s a decorative cotton, here– to get a surface that won’t dent into the styrofoam when you drop a coffee cup on it.
Indeed, with the plywood providing much of the strength, he’s only using a single layer of cotton and a second of fiberglass– though the glass fibers are really there to protect the pretty print from oopsies while sanding, rather than for their mechanical properties, by the sounds of it. Everything is held together with clear epoxy resin, which also fills the weave of the fabrics. Multiple coats of that are required to get the smooth, shiny surface he shows off at the end, but all that sanding and buffing really pays off. That’s also where you have to be really careful to avoid oopsies– go through the cotton and you have to start over.
Aside from the aesthetics, since this is going in a vehicle the weight is an important consideration– the bigger of the two counters he makes, pictured here, weighs in at only 2.4 kg or 5.2 lb including the cutout covering the sink. That’s pretty good all things considered– a lot lighter than a cement countertop, or even one made of DIY resin tiles.
Even the best circular saws on the market are only as effective as their blades. As such, consistently getting ideal performance from your circular saw requires knowing when the blade needs to be sharpened or replaced. Learning about common problems with circular saw blades can also help you better determine how to potentially guard against such problems in the future.
What is the lifespan of a circular saw blade? Unfortunately, there’s no clear and universal answer to this question. Many factors can influence how long a circular saw’s blade lasts before it starts to deliver diminishing returns. These factors include the materials a blade is being used to cut, the blade’s manufacturer, whether an owner has prioritized maintenance, and even the technique and experience of an individual user.
In other words, a circular saw blade’s age may not tell you enough to help you confidently determine if you need a new one. Instead, you should monitor your saw and blade for red flags indicating the blade is no longer in top condition. If you’re new to using a circular saw, keep in mind that familiarizing yourself with circular saw beginner tips can also help you better understand how to use your saw in a way that maximizes the blade’s lifespan.
How to tell when you should replace your circular saw blade
Monitoring a blade’s performance is perhaps the best way to determine if a circular saw blade needs to be replaced, or at least sharpened. Common warning signs that a circular saw blade is no longer performing optimally include slower-than-normal cutting speeds, a blade creating more tears or chipping than it used to, and a blade leaving behind burn marks on the wood it’s cutting.
The signs of a circular saw blade that needs replacing can also depend on the specific type of blade. For instance, slower cutting is a red flag that any type of circular saw blade is in poor condition and may no longer serve its purpose. However, if you have a diamond-edged blade, you should also keep an eye out for signs like an overall smooth appearance. This indicates the diamonds are worn off.
A similar cosmetic warning sign is the presence of rust spots on a circular saw blade. Although the quality of a circular saw blade can vary from one manufacturer and model to another, it’s common for these blades to be rust-resistant. The presence of rust thus indicates the blade may be quite old.
Listen to what a circular saw blade tells you
It can’t be reiterated enough: The warning signs of a circular saw blade that’s getting dull will typically be most apparent when you’re actually using the blade. For example, if you’re operating a circular saw properly, you shouldn’t encounter much resistance when cutting with it. Increased resistance is almost definitely a sign the blade has seen better days.
What you hear when operating your circular saw could also potentially be just as valuable as what you feel. When a circular saw blade no longer cuts as efficiently as it once did, the motor might need to work harder. This can result in the motor generating loud or unfamiliar noises.
Keep in mind that these warning signs don’t always indicate a blade needs to be completely replaced. You could try cleaning or sharpening a blade first before concluding a replacement is necessary. Just make sure you know how to do so safely. For more information on this topic, you can also brush up on basic circular saw safety tips.
AI AND ML
30-billion parameter LLM, Meta’s first in more than a year, signals Meta’s return to the open weights arena. Open version of Muse Spark to follow
After seemingly abandoning its open source AI roots this spring, Meta offered enterprises a glimmer of hope on Monday with the launch of its first open weights model in more than a year.
Unveiled on Monday, Muse Glimmer is a 30 billion-parameter LLM distilled from the Social network’s larger, and for now proprietary, Muse Spark model.
Glimmer arrives as American tech companies grapple with a crisis over the proliferation of Chinese open weights models and a call for domestically-created alternatives.
Meta built its reputation on the back of open weights model development beginning with the Llama herd back in 2023. But after Llama 4 flopped and the company restructured its AI group, critics questioned CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s commitment to open source AI.
With Muse Glimmer, Meta has returned to the open weights arena. The company describes the model as being ideally suited to local AI inference workloads, including local agents, code assistants, and applications requiring robust multi-modal tool use and function calling.
Released under a highly permissive Apache 2.0 license, enterprises are also free to deploy, use, and modify the model however they see fit. We imagine it won’t be long before Nous Research — one of the original Llama fine-tuners — emits another Hermes model based on Glimmer.
Early support has begun to hit popular local AI inference platforms like Llama.cpp, Ollama, and Unsloth, with optimized implementations expected to hit over the next few weeks.
But at 30 billion parameters, Muse Glimmer doesn’t exactly move the needle much on reclaiming American open weights superiority. It’s too small to compete with Moonshot AI’s Kimi K3, Alibaba’s Qwen 3.8-Max, DeepSeek V4 Flash, or any of the other Chinese models which have dominated the AI news cycle over the past few months.
Instead, Muse Glimmer is positioned as a model for small-to-medium sized enterprises or enthusiasts, competing with similarly-sized LLMs from Alibaba and Google. This is reflected in Meta’s benchmark figures, which pit the model against Alibaba’s Qwen 3.6-27B and Google Gemma 4 31B.
As usual, take these claims with a grain of salt, but Glimmer does appear to best Google’s Gemma in most scenarios, and trades blows with Alibaba’s equivalently sized model.
Unfortunately for Meta, the comparison probably won’t age well, with Qwen 3.8-27B due to be released any day now.
Open and local
Glimmer’s relatively small parameter count means that its hardware requirements are rather modest compared to larger frontier-class models, like DeepSeek V4. At its native BF16 precision, the model should fit comfortably into a single Nvidia RTX Pro 6000 or AMD MI350P.
Quantized to 4-bit precision and model’s weights shrink from around 60 GB to just under 16 GB — small enough to fit in a 20 to 24 GB consumer graphics card, like an RTX 30/4090 or RX 7900 XT/XTX. Unfortunately for those with 16 GB cards, a lack of adequate working memory means dropping down to a smaller, less accurate 3-bit quant.
Even if you can get the model to fit, it won’t be as fast as some other recent models, like Qwen 3.6-35B-A3B or Gemma 4 26B-A4B, as Glimmer uses all 30 billion parameters to generate each token where the others use just 3 to 4 billion.
Glimmer benefits heavily from memory bandwidth. On cards like the RTX 5090, which has 1.8 TB/s of it, Meta says users can expect between 75 and 233 tok/s. The higher end of that relies on a technique called speculative decoding.
As a quick refresher, speculative decoding uses a small draft model, in this case one modeled after DeepSeek’s DSpark drafter, to speed up inference by predicting the outputs of a larger model. If you’re interested, we explore the concept in greater depth in this hands-on here.
While 233 tok/s is plenty fast for most agentic workloads, most users won’t see performance nearly that high. On an M5 Max MacBook Pro, Meta estimates that the systems’ up to 614 GB/s of bandwidth will deliver a still-meaningful 26.2 to 57.8 tok/s, but it’s also worth pointing out the M5 Max delivers 4x the memory bandwidth of the typical Windows notebook today.
In other words, unless you’ve got a dedicated graphics card with enough memory to run the model, the best you can expect is around 6 to 14 tok/s. Testing on a DGX Spark in Unsloth Studio, we were getting around 12.2 tok/s, though DSpark support doesn’t appear to have been implemented just yet.
If you’d like to try the model out for yourself, its weights are currently available for download on Hugging Face as well as through local inference platforms like Ollama and LM Studio.
Sparking joy
Meta’s return to the open weights arena doesn’t stop with Glimmer. In an X post Monday, Meta’s Superintelligence chief Alexandr Wang committed to releasing an open weights version of Muse Spark 1.2 “soon.”
Muse Spark 1.2 is Meta’s most capable model, its first to compete in a meaningful way with rivals OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google. However, even this release won’t close the gap with Chinese models.
Both Kimi K3 and Qwen 3.8-Max outperform Spark, according to Artificial Analysis’ intelligence index. Having said that, we still don’t know how big Spark actually is. If Meta’s next open weights model ends up delivering similar performance using fewer weights, this may end up being more competitive from a cost per token standpoint. ®
In brief: GeForce Now is a cloud gaming service that lets users stream games over the internet in limited sessions. As a pair of modders recently discovered, however, a bit of tinkering can turn it into a formidable system for offloading demanding computing tasks.
GeForce Now can apparently do much more than simply stream a selection of supported games using the AV1 codec. Two modders known as “Zortos” and “dpadGuy” have uncovered a trick to gain full desktop access to the streaming service, allowing them to run custom games and software directly on Nvidia’s hardware. Granted, Nvidia will probably patch this loophole eventually, but in the meantime the workaround remains fully functional for anyone willing to follow the modders’ steps.
The modders explained how they achieved this unprecedented result in a video tutorial. The clip essentially provides a step-by-step guide on how to access the remote desktop, although they warn that the method only works with a paid GeForce Now subscription. Free-tier users and GeForce Now Alliance Partner services remain limited to AV1 game streaming.
The tutorial is based on the free-to-play game Trove and GeForce Now’s ability to expose the Steam client’s full interface. From within the current Steam session, users need to access the client’s browser and locate a specific executable file in Trove’s installation folder. They then need to replace the file with a special version provided by the modders and launch it to finally access the remote desktop.
GeForce Now machines can provide some hefty hardware specifications. Zortos said he was able to access an “Ultimate”-tier machine equipped with an AMD Epyc 9375F 32-core CPU and a GeForce RTX 5080 GPU. The system has 48GB of VRAM and 56GB of total system RAM.
– Zortos (@Zortosdev) August 7, 2026
The tutorial demonstrates how the newly discovered desktop access could be used to install Wallpaper Engine from Steam or customize the Windows taskbar. More generally, it could provide broader access to Nvidia’s hardware resources, raising significant security and trust concerns. Later, Zortos used the powerful remote machines to install custom AI models, promising that more “juicy” demonstrations are on the way.
It’s worth noting that this kind of access sits well outside GeForce Now’s terms of service, so anyone attempting this risks having their account suspended or banned.
In any case, the Trove-based method for breaking into Nvidia’s cloud gaming service does not appear to be foolproof. Some users who tried the same trick experienced a few unexpected issues, including Windows sessions closing automatically or being unable to download the custom executable file to Trove’s folder. Some said the Trove method no longer works, although Zortos reiterated that this is not the case.
A routine security assessment found that cameras aboard Royal Navy Kraken unmanned surface vessels were sending “heartbeat” signals to an IP address in China. “A thorough investigation found no evidence of MoD data or systems being accessed, compromised or transmitted externally,” said a Ministry of Defense spokesperson. “Our assurance and testing processes are designed to identify and address potential vulnerabilities early, and we continue to undertake routine security activity across our systems and equipment.” The Register reports: According to reports, the talkative components were cameras sourced by Kraken from a third-party supplier. The incident raises questions about supply chains, audits, and cybersecurity in the British armed forces. The spokesperson said: “The first duty of government is national security, and we take the security of our equipment, networks, and data extremely seriously.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Sounding off: Microsoft’s push to bake AI into every product and service it sells is understandably facing some backlash. Even Office is turning into a vessel for Redmond’s chatbots, which may be why one developer decided to go back in time instead, releasing a wild modern port of an early Word release.
Developer Justin Marshall recently ported Word for Windows 1.1a to modern Windows systems. The open-source conversion draws on the source code of the original program, which Microsoft shared with the community in 2014.
Marshall’s port brings the original WfW experience to Windows x64, replacing non-working 16-bit code with modern programming conventions. The coder explains there’s no emulation, virtualization, or reimplementation trick involved: the original Word application runs with its original resources and UI elements intact.
Porting WfW to Windows x64 wasn’t exactly a “plug-and-play” affair. Marshall said that while the original C code and resource files are still part of the port, he had to make the 16-bit code behave properly in a modern 64-bit Windows environment. Specific behaviors tied to the Win16 API had to be adapted to modern Win32 APIs, while dialogs, cursors, and bitmap elements had to be rebuilt with native host tools through the CMake build process.
“CMake inventories the legacy assembly tree but does not compile those modules into native targets. This keeps the historical implementation available as a reference while ensuring all shipped code is valid for AMD64,” Marshall explained on the project’s GitHub page.
Word, and Word for Windows 1.1a specifically, hold a special place in Microsoft’s software history. The original Word for Windows debuted in 1989, bringing the DOS-based productivity tool to a new GUI paradigm; version 1.1a followed a year later as the release that added dedicated support for Windows 3.0. Over time, Word became the de facto standard for word processing in lieu of WordPerfect.
Compared to the barebones GUI of Word for Windows 1.1a, today’s Word is a completely different beast. Microsoft now treats its productivity software largely as a means of promoting its AI services. Thanks to chatbots and LLMs, the latest Microsoft 365 version of Word can even write documents and expand drafts on its own. No pesky human intelligence required.
While Microsoft keeps cramming more AI into Office, some developers are trying to fight back by returning to the roots of its software tools. Before the WfW port, Marshall built other projects blending old software with modern tech, including a ray-tracing port of Quake 1 and a merge of the Quake 4 SDK with the Doom 3 graphics engine, among others.
The Mcon controller balances portability and performance in a compact, MagSafe-compatible design for iPhone gamers.
Gaming controllers usually come in two flavors. You’ll find ones that are extremely comfortable and capable, as well as those that are small and portable.
Finding a controller that is both portable and capable is a rarity, to say the least. The OhSnap Mcon is the first one I’ve tested that makes good choices on compromises and uses MagSafe for easy connection to iPhone.
Mcon mobile gaming controller review: Design
Mcon has a very cool design. It’s roughly the size of my iPhone 17 Pro, but a bit thicker.
Mcon mobile gaming controller review: It’s fun to open the Mcon controller
It connects to your iPhone with MagSafe and has a solid hold. When you’re ready to game, you just press the silver button that sits right where your fingers rest.
When the button is pressed, the controller springs open. The Bluetooth is turned on, and the iPhone gets positioned just above the controller buttons.
Mcon mobile gaming controller review: The grips fold flat to the controller
It’s just fun to do and has a satisfying whoosh and click. I also appreciate that the phone doesn’t just slide forward; it angles upward slightly to make it more comfortable.
With the controller open, you can then rotate out two extra palm grips from around the back. This puts you in a natural gaming position with access to the joysticks, triggers, and all the other buttons.
Mcon mobile gaming controller review: The buttons use XYAB labels
Speaking of the buttons, they’re in a bit of an interesting layout. It’s like a combination of a PlayStation controller and an Xbox controller.
It uses the XYAB buttons that Xbox uses, but it uses dual, center-justified joysticks as PlayStation does. The button labels are mostly irrelevant, and I vastly prefer this joystick setup to the Xbox’s.
Mcon mobile gaming controller review: The top comes off to use as a stand
Those joysticks use what OhSnap calls MagRes technology that promises to be ultra-accurate, lag-free, and drift-free. OhSnap even claims it is superior to the well-respected Hall-effect mechanics.
You can use the controller via Bluetooth, or you can use it wired via USB-C. If you go wireless, you can enter “kickback mode” by pressing the eject button and removing the MagSafe module.
Mcon mobile gaming controller review: It’s easy to reassemble and snaps into place
This gives you a magnetic stand for your phone that you can place anywhere you want and then relax with the wireless controller. It’s very clever how the metal arm that works as the stand also doubles as the central guide and stabilizer as it opens and closes.
Mcon mobile gaming controller review: Gaming performance
I wouldn’t consider myself a professional gamer by any means, but I’m certainly an avid one. I’ve long been a proponent of more console-level games making their way to iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
Quickly after launch, I eagerly downloaded Assassin’s Creed Mirage, Hitman World of Assassination, and Red Dead Redemption. Not to mention many more mobile-specific games like PowerWash Simulator, Thronefall, Call of Duty Mobile, or Alto’s Odyssey.
Mcon mobile gaming controller review: Playing Hit Man on iPhone with the Mcon controller
I tested the Mcon controller with most of these games over the course of the last several weeks. While it wasn’t perfect, it’s very reliable to use.
All of the buttons were incredibly tactile, providing a solid click each time they are pressed. The bumpers and triggers also felt reliable, though they were skinny, leaving my finger feeling a bit unsupported.
Mcon mobile gaming controller review: The joysticks are very accurate and responsive
To me, the joysticks are the most important control, and OhSnap did a great job with these ones. They’re absolutely on the small side, but there was basically no dead zone in the middle, and they were very reactive when using them.
Mcon mobile gaming controller review: The bumper and trigger buttons feel good, but are somewhat thin
I think all of these buttons are premium in design and performance, but are slightly smaller to accommodate the portable footprint.
Mcon mobile gaming controller review: Should you buy it?
With mobile gaming being as popular as it is, there is no shortage of controllers on the market. We’ve reviewed several here at AppleInsider.
Mcon mobile gaming controller review: There are lots of controllers out there, but none as compact and premium
For standalone controllers, I’m still the biggest fan of the DualSense controller that is MFi certified and even has a streamlined pairing process with iOS 26. The Razer Kishi Ultra is also an excellent option.
Both of them are inarguably more comfortable than the Mcon is. They fit your hand better, and the buttons are bigger.
Neither of those, nor the equally popular Backbone, will fit in your pocket, though. That portability is ultimately what matters most with the Mcon.
Mcon mobile gaming controller review: You can play the Mcon controller anywhere
You can find more comfortable controllers, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a portable one that is as solid as this one is.
Mcon mobile gaming controller review: Pros
- Premium construction with metal parts
- Hall-effect triggers and mag-res joysticks
- Simple MagSafe connection
- Works wired or wireless
Mcon mobile gaming controller review: Cons
- Not the most comfortable controller out there
- Relatively expensive
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Where to buy the OhSnap Mcon controller
Buy the Mcon controller for $129 from OhSnap in either black or white.
Anyone who grew up or was already driving in the 1990s remembers the era of the jellybean car — all smooth lines and soft curves. Today, many modern vehicles, even bulky SUVs, are still mostly comprised of sleek lines. It’s a dramatic shift from the 1970s and 1980s, when most automakers used flat panels and straight lines, producing vehicles that more closely resembled a cardboard box than the aerodynamic designs we see on the road today. You may have noticed another shift in recent years, however, as some automakers are bringing back those boxy blueprints.
SUVs trace their lineage back to the Willys Jeep that was used during World War II. The earliest SUVs mimicked this design, which was easy to manufacture, and offered lots of interior space for families to spread out and carry luggage or cargo. By the 1960s, other manufacturers had joined Jeep with their own boxy SUVs, and the style remained popular until the late 1990s. SUVs soared in popularity, and designs trended to more car-like lines. Stricter rules regarding fuel efficiency also helped soften lines for more aerodynamic designs.
Car design, like almost everything else, however, is cyclical, and boxy SUVs are making a comeback. Modern engineering and advances in engine design mean that those straight lines don’t have as much effect on fuel efficiency as they did in the past, and many Americans are hungering for retro designs in everything from cameras to cars. Here are five car brands that make boxy SUVs engineered for the modern buyer.
Ford
Ford is one the most iconic automakers in American history, so it stands to reason that it has produced vehicles of every shape and size over its more than 100-year history, and one of its most legendary models is the Bronco. First introduced in 1966, the Bronco was designed as an all-purpose vehicle that could easily take you off the road and go head-to-head with vehicles like the Jeep CJ. Ford ended production on the Bronco in 1996, but reintroduced the model with a retro vibe, including the boxy exterior that so many loved, in 2021.
Now a competitor to the Jeep Wrangler, the Bronco’s shape isn’t just an homage to a well-loved vehicle. Those straight lines and the flat hood make it easier for drivers to see where they are on a rocky path or muddy trail. The 2026 model starts at $40,795, and offers a four-cylinder engine and standard four-wheel drive. Buyers can opt for either a two-door or a four-door model.
Ford also sells the Bronco Sport, a more refined option that still offers that retro-inspired, rugged design. It has a lower starting price of $31,845 but comes with standard four-wheel drive. Unlike both the two-door and four-door models of the Bronco, the doors on the Bronco Sport are not removable.
Hyundai Santa Fe
When Hyundai debuted the fully redesigned 2024 Santa Fe, some enthusiasts were shocked at its transformation. The smooth, flowing lines of its predecessor were nowhere to be seen, replaced by a new boxy design that is reminiscent of days long past. The change wasn’t for simple aesthetics, however. Automakers try to stay ahead of emerging trends when it comes to design, hoping to satisfy buyers when these vehicles hit the sales lot.
The Santa Fe’s boxy look is geared toward outdoor enthusiasts, offering more interior space along with a wide tailgate opening that allows for easy loading and access to cargo. Tail lights are positioned low on the vehicle to enhance that wide space for even better accessibility.
Despite the boxy look, Hyundai carefully designed the Santa Fe to maximize aerodynamics, and it has excellent fuel economy. This three-row SUV also has a lower starting price than many competitors, with the base SE trim available for $36,650 including destination.
Other Hyundai models retain the flowing lines many modern consumers expect, but the Santa Fe isn’t the automaker’s only angular SUV. Its much smaller cousin, the Venue, also has a compact, boxy design to maximize interior space, while the fully electric IONIQ 9 offers a structured look. The Venue starts at $20,550, while the IONIQ 9 has an MSRP of $58,955, showcasing Hyundai’s commitment to providing thoughtfully-designed vehicles at different price points.
Jeep
Jeep has a long history of boxy SUVs, all the way back to the pioneering Willys, but it’s also produced many rounded, sleek models as well. Today, the Wrangler and the brand new Recon are Jeep’s most angular vehicles. The Recon is fully electric and trail-rated, with 650 horsepower and enough torque to easily get you up a rocky path. It’s more than a typical electric SUV, however.
The Recon has removable doors, removable rear-quarter glass, removable swing gate glass, and an available power-folding roof that opens with the touch of a button. The Recon’s retro look isn’t just rugged and cool, it also gives buyers a ton of interior cargo space. This new model has a starting price of $66,995.
Jeep’s iconic Wrangler has always had a boxy shape, even as both consumer preference and technology changed over the years. The 2026 Wrangler is no different. Starting at $36,035, the Wrangler’s shape is intrinsically tied with its history and utility. This much beloved vehicle is made for off-roading fun, and the outcry would likely be enormous if Jeep ever changed its basic design.
The large Grand Wagoneer, priced at $63,995, also has an angular silhouette. The design is a nod to the original Jeep Wagoneer, which was launched in the 1960s. The straight sides and flat roof offer plenty of room for your family to stretch out over three rows of seats.
Mercedes-Benz
Many words come to mind when you think of Mercedes-Benz. Luxurious, timeless, and high-performing, most Mercedes models have smooth, aerodynamic bodies with flowing rooflines. The G-Class is the exception to the rule. Nicknamed the G-Wagon, this SUV has been produced continuously since it first debuted in 1979, and Mercedes never smoothed out those iconic sharp corners.
The automaker originally partnered with an Austrian military vehicle manufacturer called Steyr-Daimler-Puch to design the Geländewagen for both military and civilian use. These roots are still evident in the vehicle’s ladder-frame chassis, tailgated-mounted spare tire, and rugged design. With a starting price of almost $200,000, however, the latest G63 AMG goes beyond your typical off-roading vehicle. It’s highly-capable on the trail, but it can also go from 0 to 60 mph in about four seconds, thanks to a 577 hp twin-turbo V8.
Inside, buyers will find leather seats available in a wide array of patterns and colors, a premium sound system, two 12.3-inch screens under a single pane of glass, and other truly cool features. There’s more than 37 cubic feet of cargo space and a side-hinged tailgate that looks great, but it might be cumbersome at times. Most of Mercedes-Benz’s other vehicles have a more streamlined design, even its wagons, but some of the more affordable SUVs like the GLB and the EQB offer harder edges that lend themselves to more cargo space.
Toyota
The Land Cruiser has been one of Toyota’s boxier SUVs since its launch in the 1950s, but there’s no denying that the automaker softened its lines in the late 1990s and into the 2000s. After discontinuing the model in 2021, the Land Cruiser made a triumphant return in 2024 with a look that harkens back to its original, boxy appearance.
The current model offers only two rows instead of three like its predecessor, and it offers ample cargo space. The retro touches are everywhere, from the TOYOTA heritage grille to the round headlights found on the base “1958” trim. Of course, it’s a different story when it comes to tech and safety features, and there’s also a modern hybrid powertrain with 326 hp and better-than-average fuel economy. It also boasts full-time four-wheel drive and three drive modes. Prices start at $59,675 including destination.
In addition to the Land Cruiser, several of Toyota’s other SUVs have boxy, rugged designs. The massive Sequoia has strong, muscular lines that maximize cabin space for both passengers and cargo. Nothing is small about the Sequoia, which starts at a much higher $67,920 including destination. The rugged, midsize 4Runner is designed to be as capable off-road as it is on the highway, and its square shape gives drivers a clearer line of sight, especially on the trail. The 2026 model starts at $43,865 including destination. Even the popular RAV4 is relatively boxy, with a squared-off roofline and fender arches that give it a distinctly Toyota off-roader shape.
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