Rega has been on a quiet tear lately. First it shocked its traditionally sensible customer base with a flagship preamplifier and power amplifier combo that wanders deep into five-figure territory. Now it pivots back toward vinyl loyalists with something far more on brand, but still firmly premium. Enter the new Aos MC, a moving coil only phono stage derived directly from the company’s reference Aura.

First shown at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2026, the Aos MC borrows heavily from the £4620 Aura MC stage in both circuit topology and layout, with the stated goal of bringing listeners closer to that reference level performance without crossing into cost-no-object insanity. U.S. pricing has not been finalized, but expectations place it in the $2300 to $2500 range when it lands stateside; a bracket packed with serious competition from MOON by Simaudio, Pro-Ject, Musical Fidelity, EAT, EAR, MoFi Electronics and others.

Rega promises exceptional definition and greater realism, and the Aos MC is designed to partner with a wide range of moving coil cartridges thanks to flexible gain and loading options. The question is not whether Rega knows how to build a phono stage — it clearly does. The question is whether Aura-inspired circuitry at roughly one third the price can dominate one of the most competitive segments in high performance analog right now.

Aura Inspired Circuitry Targets $3,000 High End Market

The Rega Aos MC is a two stage, all analogue moving coil phono preamplifier with no digital control circuitry in the signal path. The layout is deliberately simple and tightly organized to avoid unnecessary components that could compromise performance. At its core is a symmetrical, complementary Class A amplifier using parallel low noise FETs configured as compound pairs.

That choice is not cosmetic. FET devices ensure that no bias current flows into the cartridge coil, which protects the cartridge’s magnetic geometry and avoids altering its behavior. The input circuit also minimizes coupling components between the cartridge and the first gain stage, further reducing opportunities for signal degradation.

Loading and gain flexibility are handled in a straightforward, hardware based way. Users can select resistive loading at 70, 100, 150, or 400 ohms, and capacitive loading at 1000 or 4300 pF, allowing the Aos MC to accommodate a broad range of moving coil cartridges.

Gain can be switched between 69.3 dB and 63.5 dB, a 6 dB difference accessible from the rear panel, where you will also find RCA inputs and outputs. RIAA equalization accuracy is rated at better than ±0.2 dB from 65 Hz to 70 kHz, with a frequency response extending from 17.5 Hz to 100 kHz. THD is specified at 0.03 percent.

The half width aluminum enclosure is not just about aesthetics. It provides shielding against stray RFI while keeping the footprint compact at 220 x 80 x 330 mm and 2.9 kg. A self adjusting servo control compensates for temperature variations to maintain stable operation, and an automatic standby mode reduces power consumption to 0.4 W when idle, though it can be disabled via rear panel dip switches. In short, the Aos MC focuses on careful analogue execution, sensible adjustability, and measured performance rather than feature creep.

The Bottom Line

The Aos MC stands out because it keeps the signal path strictly analogue, uses parallel low noise FETs to avoid bias current in the cartridge coil, and offers meaningful loading and gain flexibility without drifting into feature overload. It is clearly aimed at serious moving coil users who care about circuit integrity, RIAA precision, and long term cartridge compatibility rather than app control or digital displays.

At an expected $2,300 to $2,500 in the U.S., it walks straight into competition from the MoFi UltraPhono Pro, EAT E-Glo 2, and Cyrus Audio 40 PPA — three fully featured and well engineered options in the same performance bracket.

If you are running a quality MC cartridge and want something derived from Rega’s Aura platform without stepping into five figure territory, the Aos MC makes a clear case for itself. And for MM users feeling left out, relax. An Aos MM version is on the way.

For more information: rega.co.uk

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Stripe has hit a $159bn valuation, according to a recent letter from company founders.

Irish fintech giant Stripe is considering acquiring some or all of PayPal, reports Bloomberg, citing insiders.

According to the publication, Stripe has already expressed preliminary interest in a potential acquisition of the US payments company or some of its assets. Stripe declined to respond to queries put forth by SiliconRepublic.com. PayPal has not yet responded.

PayPal share prices shot up by around 6.74pc since Bloomberg first reported the story yesterday (24 February).

The US company, which went public in 2002, has a market capitalisation of $43.2bn. The 2010-founded Stripe was valued at $159bn earlier this week. Stripe’s co-founders are seemingly in no rush to take the company public.

Founded in the late 1990s, PayPal has struggled to modernise against emerging rivals in the payments space such as Apple and Google.

Earlier this month, PayPal snatched HP’s CEO Enrique Lores to replace Alex Chriss, who struggled to revitalise the company after being hired during the post-pandemic period when faced with low trading volume and newer fintech rivals.

However, the executive switch-up did not sway investor confidence after the company missed revenue expectations in the quarter past, sending share prices down by 20pc. Company shares have dropped more than 80pc over the last five years.

Stripe, however, has remained “robustly profitable”, according to a letter from the founding brother-duo Patrick and John Collison. The company is investing heavily in product development and making strategic acquisitions that include programmable wallet company Privy, stablecoin orchestration platform Bridge and Metronome, which “powers the intricate usage-based billing models used by companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, Confluent and Nvidia”.

In September, Stripe launched a joint crypto venture called Tempo, which reportedly raised $500m at a $5bn valuation just weeks after coming out from stealth. In November, Swedish fintech giant Klarna become the first bank to launch a stablecoin on Tempo with KlarnaUSD. The coin is set to launch this year.

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• Sam Altman describes current proposals for orbiting data centers as entirely unrealistic for this decade
• Modern AI chips cannot survive space radiation, making orbital data centers currently unfeasible
• Radiation-hardened semiconductor nodes lag behind advanced fabrication processes required for AI workloads

Sam Altman has publicly dismissed proposals to place large-scale data centers in orbit, describing the idea as unrealistic under current technological and economic conditions.

The OpenAI chief executive argued space-based computing infrastructure will not operate at a meaningful scale within this decade.

There has never been a “casual” way into Nagra. The Swiss manufacturer’s components are engineered like laboratory instruments and priced accordingly, which has historically placed the brand well beyond the reach of anyone not prepared to treat audio as a long term capital investment. Even so called entry level and mid-tier offerings such as the Compact Phono and PREAMP II-S demand serious financial commitment.

With the $7,500 Compact Player, Audio Technology Switzerland SA is addressing a long standing reality: for many listeners, Nagra has been admired from a distance. This model appears designed to narrow that gap without diluting the formula.

It is also important not to confuse it with the Compact Streamer. That unit relies on an external DAC, while the Compact Player is a complete digital front-end with its own internal conversion stage and analog output section. In practical terms, this makes it a far more self contained solution for systems that are not already built around a separate Nagra DAC.

What the Compact range does not yet include is a dedicated Compact preamplifier or power amplifier. Whether those arrive later remains to be seen. For now, the direction seems clear: these components function as a gateway. They allow owners to introduce a more attainable slice of Nagra into an existing system rather than requiring a full top to bottom commitment from day one.

But make no mistake, should a complete Nagra Compact Series emerge, the final system price is likely to be in the $25,000 to $30,000 range and that’s before adding loudspeakers, cables, and a turntable or CD player.

The Compact Player, however, is not positioned as a compromise piece. It is a deliberate entry point into the ecosystem, and from personal experience, Nagra components tend to reward those who keep things in the family; which is unlikely to make your accountant very happy.

Lower Barrier to Entry, Full Swiss Engineering Inside

The Nagra Compact Player is a fully integrated network player and DAC built around the company’s established engineering priorities rather than feature chasing. It combines a modern streaming platform with a dedicated D/A conversion stage and a true dual mono analog output section, with separate circuitry for each channel to improve separation and reduce crosstalk.

The digital architecture centers on a high performance DAC followed by a carefully implemented analog stage. Nagra has paid close attention to clock design, power supply regulation, and PCB layout to keep jitter and noise low and preserve signal integrity through the entire conversion path. This is not unusual for the brand, but it matters in a product designed to serve as a primary source.

Format support is comprehensive. The Compact Player handles PCM up to 384 kHz 32 bit and DSD256, whether streaming from supported services or playing locally stored files via UPnP DLNA or USB storage. Measured performance includes a noise floor of -140 dB A weighted and a 14 ohm output impedance, which makes it easy to integrate with a wide range of preamplifiers and integrated amplifiers. It can also be connected directly to a power amplifier or active loudspeakers if system design calls for it.

Control is handled through the free mConnect app, available for iOS and Android phones and tablets. The app manages local file playback, network streaming, and firmware updates, keeping day to day operation centralized in a single interface.

Streaming support is comprehensive and current. The Compact Player supports Qobuz Connect, TIDAL Connect, and Spotify Connect for direct in app control, along with AirPlay 2 for Apple devices. It is both Roon Ready and Roon Tested, integrates with Audirvana, and provides access to thousands of internet radio stations via vTuner. Local music libraries can be accessed over UPnP DLNA or through attached USB storage.

It connects to your network via Ethernet and can also access music stored on a USB hard drive or memory stick. Analog output is via standard RCA connectors, so it will work with most preamplifiers and integrated amplifiers without any special requirements.

Power draw is modest. It runs on an external 12V DC supply and consumes about 10 watts, which is low enough for continuous operation without concern. That figure can rise slightly if a USB hard drive is attached, but not in a way that materially affects ownership.

Physically, it lives up to its name. Measuring 185 x 166 x 41 mm (7.2 x 6.5 x 1.6 inches) and weighing 1.9 kg (4.1 lbs), it is compact enough to fit easily on a standard shelf or rack without demanding extra space.

The chassis is CNC machined from solid aluminum, providing the rigidity and mechanical stability expected at this level. It is compact by Nagra standards, which makes it easier to integrate into real world systems without sacrificing build quality.

For those who want to take it further, the optional Compact PSU offers improved regulation and current delivery. Nagra also supports additional mechanical isolation and vibration control accessories aimed at refining resolution and spatial precision.

The Bottom Line

The Compact Player is for listeners who want an integrated network player and DAC built to Nagra’s standards, but who may not be ready to commit to a full reference stack. It makes the most sense for existing Nagra owners, or for serious two channel listeners looking to anchor a high performance system with a compact, all in one digital front end.

That said, context matters. Below $1,000, brands like WiiM, Bluesound, Eversolo, and Cambridge Audio offer network players and DACs with extensive feature sets and strong measured performance at a fraction of the cost. On the other end, companies such as Aurender and Innuos sit closer to this price tier with more elaborate server based solutions.

The Compact Player does not try to win on price or feature count. It competes on execution, integration, and long term system building within the Nagra ecosystem. For buyers who value that approach and are comfortable with the investment, it is a deliberate and logical entry point.

For more information: nagraaudio.com

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Samsung’s Galaxy S26 Ultra is here, packing a wealth of upgrades from the design to its fancy new Privacy Display, which aims to keep people from spying on whatever shady things you’re up to on your commute. But the Ultra range has always been where Samsung has unleashed its latest, greatest camera technology, so let’s take a closer look at what’s new for the photographers among you. 

In terms of hardware, not a lot has changed. The main camera has a 200-megapixel resolution, a 50-megapixel ultrawide-angle camera, and 10-megapixel 3x telephoto and 50-megapixel 5x telephoto cameras. Those specs are the same as the previous S25 Ultra, so those of you hoping for a wild overhaul of the cameras to keep pace with Xiaomi’s upcoming 17 Ultra may be disappointed. 

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But there have been some tweaks. The main and ultrawide cameras now have wider apertures, which should help capture more light and be especially useful in low-light situations. In fact, Samsung especially highlighted the improved performance of night mode imagery for both stills and video, with the night video mode employing more advanced software processing for noise reduction and improved colors. 

Speaking of video, it’ll still shoot in 8K and supports Log codecs with built-in LUTs (which is what cinema pros call filters, essentially), which should make the phones more appealing to serious video creators. To show the phone means business, Samsung took a leaf out of Apple’s playbook and filmed and livestreamed its San Francisco launch event using the S26 Ultra.

There’s also a feature called Horizon Lock, which aims to keep the horizon level while shooting video, no matter how you twist and turn your phone. This kind of stabilization exists in action cameras already, and it can be helpful for filming intense action, like if you’re running to keep up as you’re filming your friend skateboarding. 

But because it’s 2026 and AI is the word on every tech company’s lips, many of the major updates come in the form of generative AI. It’s built deep into the camera experience, allowing you to use natural language prompts to edit images, including compositing one element of an image onto another, or even changing the outfit someone in your image is wearing. 

During its Unpacked event, Samsung demoed the features, showing how its AI tools can take a picture of a dog and place it in the arms of a girl in another image. The company also showed how the phone can instantly change a woman’s outfit from a simple shirt to a cosy sweater, and then to a more grungy skater aesthetic.

To be fair, the images looked photo-realistic — at least as far as I could see on the YouTube livestream — though how these tools actually work in everyday use remains to be seen until we spend some time with them. The bigger question is whether you actually need them. I won’t answer that for you, but I will say that I’m disappointed that Samsung is following the trend of using AI gimmicks as the main upgrades for its cameras rather than focusing on taking better pictures in the real world. 

I’ll reserve judgment until I’ve had some time to take images around my beautiful home city of Edinburgh, Scotland. There, I’ll focus on finding out how well the phone can capture photographs I’d want to share with family and friends, not just how easily I can put on a fake sweater. 

Tecno just unveiled a rather intriguing at MWC 2026. The standout feature here is likely the size. Most modular smartphone concepts start bulky and only get bulkier once attaching accessories. Tecno’s base smartphone is just 4.9mm thin, which is significantly thinner than a pencil .

Of course, the size increases with each attached module. However, snapping on the power bank module makes the thickness comparable to a standard modern smartphone. Another key feature here is how these various modular components stick together. Tecno has developed new interconnection technology that uses both magnets and pin connectors. This should make it easy to both attach and remove components.

The company says this phone has been designed to grow with the user through hardware expansion. To that end, Tecno has developed 10 modules. There are various camera lenses and something that looks like a dedicated gaming controller.

While the magnets are for attaching, the pin connectors assist with power delivery. Data transmission between the phone and the modules is handled wirelessly, with the ability to switch between Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and mmWave depending on where the user is located.

There are two colorways for both the phone and the ecosystem of accessories. There’s a silver-aluminum edition and a nifty-looking grey version. This doesn’t matter to actual consumers because, well, it’s just a concept design. It does look like the company’s magnetic attachment technology could make it to some actual products down the line.

Tecno has always been a company that marched to the beat of its own drummer. It has developed a , a model with a and a foldable with a .

The industry hasn’t quite embraced modular smartphones just yet, even though there have been some nifty concept designs. Google’s goes back more than a decade, and the same can be said of that never saw the light of day.

There have been some modular phones released to the real world, but they weren’t nearly as ambitious as Tecno’s concept. LG launched a semi-modular phone , but it . Moto has also released a , but they didn’t set the world on fire.

The Sea-Scan research team from Trinity College Dublin has been awarded the Defence Innovation Challenge top prize, for its AI-enhanced real-time vessel detection system.

Given the growing threats to subsea communications and energy infrastructure, the need for continuous, reliable monitoring of Ireland’s maritime environment has come to the fore in recent years. This was reflected in the winning project at today’s announcement.

This morning (25 February), Irish Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science James Lawless, TD and Minister for Defence Helen McEntee, TD announced more than €1.8m in prize phase funding under the co-funded Research Ireland – Defence Innovation Challenge, with Trinity College Dublin-based project Sea-Scan winning the top award.

The Sea-Scan research team is working on a next-generation maritime situational awareness project to strengthen Ireland’s naval security. The Mash – Mobile Adaptable Shelter – team, led by Dr Daniel McCrum and Dr Kevin Roche from University College Dublin and Defence Forces liaison Captain Dave McKenna, was awarded runner-up funding.

Ireland’s ability to monitor maritime activity, including the detection of so-called “dark” vessels, has been much in the headlines in recent year, with fears over our ability to adequately protect the subsea cables that are the backbone of our international communications.

Sea-Scan will develop an AI-enhanced real-time vessel detection system to support early warning and improved situational awareness, while it also offers potential applications in environmental monitoring. The Sea-Scan team is led by Prof Marco Ruffini and Dr John Kennedy from Trinity College Dublin and Defence Forces liaison Commander Cathal Power. The prize funding was awarded under the Maritime Situational Awareness Challenge.

“Challenge-based research funding encourages researchers to work directly with those most affected by the problems they seek to address,” said Dr Diarmuid O’Brien, CEO of Research Ireland. “The teams being funded today have developed their solutions through close collaboration with Defence Forces personnel. The Sea-Scan team are developing a high-quality solution to a complex problem that will deliver a transformational capability for the Irish Defence Forces.”

“Maintaining strong awareness of activity in Ireland’s maritime domain is essential, particularly given the country’s role as an island nation and a key Atlantic gateway for digital connectivity,” said Ruffini.

“As subsea communications and energy infrastructure continue to grow in strategic importance, so too does the need for continuous, reliable monitoring of the surrounding maritime environment.”

Ruffini says the Sea-Scan team has demonstrated the potential to detect and characterise vessel activity using existing subsea fibre infrastructure, “showcasing a robust sensing capability embedded within operational communications assets and enabling effective vessel monitoring and subsea infrastructure protection”.

“The prize‑winning projects demonstrate how cutting‑edge research can deliver practical, real‑world solutions that strengthen national security while driving technological innovation,” said Lawless.

“Innovation is critical to ensuring our Defence Forces have the tools they need to operate effectively in an increasingly complex environment,” said McEntee. “This investment reflects our commitment to modernising defence capabilities and embracing innovative solutions for the future.”

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When Alan Cole saw Elon Musk fans eagerly bidding up a contract on the prediction market Kalshi that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) could effectively reduce federal spending in a year, he knew he had to take the bet, according to a story about Cole’s winnings in the Wall Street Journal.

If Cole, an international tax accountant, knew anything in life it was this: federal spending couldn’t be quickly whacked, he told the WSJ. Even if DOGE nixed some federal contracts and laid off workers (which it did), plenty of remaining obligations and the skyrocketing federal debt would remain.

So, he wagered his entire life savings — over $342,000 — to take the counter bet that the U.S. federal budget wouldn’t insta-shrink. He slowly amassed 3% of a Kalshi prediction market that had grown to $12 million (making a few hedging bets along the way), he told the WSJ.

When the government released the 2025 year-end spending report on February 20, showing increases compared to 2024, Cole walked away with $470,300 and a handsome $128,000 profit.