Watch Aston Villa vs Nottm Forest live streams to see who will advance to the 2025/26 Europa League final. Forest hold a narrow one-goal advantage thanks to Chris Wood’s second-half penalty in the first leg, but the Villans have won their last nine European fixtures at Villa Park and won the corresponding Premier League fixture 3-1.

Unai Emery was clearly prioritizing this fixture at the weekend when he named a weakened side that went on to lose to relegation-threatened Tottenham. The decision may have caused some controversy but reaching a first major European final since 1982 would be a remarkable achievement for the Spaniard. The four-time Europa League-winning manager, a record, knows what it takes to succeed and will believe his first-choice XI featuring Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers can turn this tie around.

This one is for some of our long-time readers. Atari, yes, that Atari, has bought the rights to early “Wizardry” games.

I get asked a lot how I got started using Apple products. Specifically, it was an Apple II in the late seventies, no plus, e, C, or GS. Amongst the early titles gifted to young me was the original Wizardry.

That was in eighth grade, for graduation. I’m sure some high school grades suffered from having it.

It didn’t always boot on my single-drive DOS 3.3 system. But the disks were portable, and I’d lug them over to my friends’ houses, who later in that high school period had Apple IIc and Laser 128 compatibles.

Thanks, Luke and John. Also, thanks to a reset key on the keyboard, which, if you hit either it alone on my Apple II keyboard or control-open Apple-reset on the others before the drive updated the characters as dead, would allow you to recover them easily.

Anyway, for years, emulation, sketchy acquisition methods, and more recently classic game vendors were the only way to play the first few games in the series, despite the franchise flourishing in Japan. Flash forward to 2026, and the modern incarnation of Atari has purchased the “complete and exclusive rights” to the first five games and their intellectual property.

Starting with Breakout developed by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, Atari has had a tough time across the decades in an evolving industry. Without delving into the various sagas, the most recent major shift was a leadership shift in 2021, including a strange blockchain and NFT period.

In 2026, the present Ship of Theseus Atari has a big focus on releasing modernized versions of classic titles, and Wizardry is one of them already.

“Wizardry is such an influential RPG franchise, yet many of the games have been unavailable for more than two decades,” said Wade Rosen, CEO and Chairman of Atari. “We are excited to have this rare opportunity to republish, remaster and bring console ports and physical releases of these early games to market.”

The acquisition, announced on May 7, comes two years after a Wizardry “remake.” The remake essentially layers modern graphics over the old Apple II interface, similar to how Halo, the Master Chief Collection layers 2012 graphics over the 2000 Xbox original.

Unfortunately, it’s not great. I’ve been playing it off and on, on my gaming PC, and it has some show-stopping character-deleting bugs.

Atari managed to talk to Robert Woodhead, one of the co-creators of the franchise.

“When Andrew Greenberg and I created Wizardry back in the 1980s, the video game industry was still in its infancy, and the original games were some of the first to bring the role-playing experience to PCs and consoles,” said Woodhead. “As Atari continues to reintroduce the games on new platforms and to new audiences, I’ll definitely be paying attention to the reactions of gamers who decide to take on a real old-school challenge.”

Andrew Greenberg, the other co-founder, passed away at age 67 in August of 2024.

So far, I’m not encouraged by the state of the first remake, which was made by one of Atari’s in-house studios. We’ll see if things improve after this announcement.

The titles included in the deal are:

• Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord (1981)
• Wizardry II: The Knight of Diamonds (1982)
• Wizardry III: Legacy of Llylgamyn (1983)
• Wizardry IV: The Return of Werdna (1987)
• Wizardry V: Heart of the Maelstrom (1988)

All of them had Apple II versions. The first two had Macintosh versions in the US, and a third was released in Japan, covering the first three installments. There are other titles past V, but they are owned by a different company, not covered under this deal, and considered an alternate universe.

The acquisition also includes many other Wizardry related video games, contract rights, and other related intellectual property. Presumably, this also includes WizEdit and other character editors that I used back in the day to make my characters younger.

In case you were wondering, I managed to beat the first two titles back in the day.

The Air is not meant to stand on its own so much as serve as a data collector within Google’s expanding health software ecosystem. (The company also rebranded the Fitbit app to “Google Health.”) Built on Gemini, Health Coach is the brains of the system, promising personalized guidance based on your habits, goals, and biometric data. Rather than simply displaying stats, Google Health Coach translates them into actionable recommendations. It can generate workout plans, suggest recovery windows based on strain and readiness, and analyze sleep disruptions. It’s meant to provide ongoing coaching that evolves alongside your routine.

Despite its stripped-back exterior, the Air retains the same breadth of tracking capabilities as the Charge 6. That includes baseline metrics like steps, distance, and calories burned, alongside more advanced features such as weekly Cardio Load and Daily Readiness scoring. It also continues to offer 24/7 heart rate tracking, including irregular heart rhythm notifications that can flag potential signs of atrial fibrillation (AFib), alerts for high or low heart rate readings, and heart rate variability (HRV) insights.

Sleep tracking gets a modest upgrade. The Air still delivers Fitbit’s personalized Sleep Score, but Google says the system—now powered by Google’s Gemini—is 15 percent more accurate than the previous model at capturing interruptions, naps, and transitions between sleep stages. It also includes Smart Wake alarms, which aim to wake users at the optimal point in their sleep cycle for an easier start to the day.

It’s worth noting here that while Health Coach is at the heart of Google’s health software ecosystem, it’s also a subscriber-only feature. Anyone can use the Google Health app for free, and if you have a Fitbit device or Pixel Watch, you can continue to see your activity, sleep, and health-tracking data. (Google also intends to offer support to a wider array of devices later in the year.) If you want access to Health Coach or features like adaptive fitness plans, it will cost $10 per month ($100 per year) for Google Health Premium. You get three free months with the purchase of the Air, and it’s also included for anyone subscribed to Google One’s AI Pro and AI Ultra subscription plans.

If you’re already in the Google wearables ecosystem, the Air is designed to slot into your routine without friction. Both the Air and the Pixel Watch pair with the Google Health app, meaning you can wear them simultaneously or switch between them. Health data syncs automatically, and the app lets you filter metrics by device. It’s a small but telling detail that reflects Google’s broader attempt to unify its lineup and build interchangeable inputs for a singular health platform.

The new Google Health app rolls out May 19 for Android and iOS. The Fitbit Air is available for preorder today and launches on May 26.

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Following last year’s triple-header of new Apple Watches (Series 11, Ultra 3 and SE 3), 2026 is looking a lot less crowded. Early rumors point to the Apple Watch Series 12 carrying the lineup on its own this fall, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to be a boring one.

We’re not expecting a dramatic new look (based on rumors and Apple Watch history), but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to get excited about. Rumors point to at least one major shakeup under the surface, including hints of a long-removed iPhone feature finally making its way to the wrist.

As always, nothing is confirmed until Apple says so, but here’s everything we know, think we know and are crossing our fingers for. 

Watch this: I Ran 30 Miles and THIS Is the Most Accurate Smartwatch

07:42

Apple Watch Series 12 launch date

If there’s one thing Apple tends to keep consistent, it’s the timing of its fall hardware event, where it typically unveils its newest flagship iPhones and Apple Watch models.

Apple typically holds this event on the second Tuesday of September (usually the week after Labor Day). By that logic, Sept. 15 seems like the most likely candidate for Apple’s 2026 fall event. Because it lands a bit later in the month than in previous years, there’s also a slim chance Apple moves it up to Sept. 9 (Labor Day week), as it has before.

As in previous years, preorders would likely open on the Friday after the event, with availability following a week or so later (assuming no production delays).

Pricing and availability

Expect pricing for the new watches to stay roughly in line with the current Series 11 lineup, which starts at about $400 (42mm Wi-Fi model). Though price hikes aren’t completely off the table, with lingering tariff increases and the potential for supply chain issues.

How many Apple Watch models will we get?  

A Series 12 is all but guaranteed — we’ve had a new Apple Watch model arrive every year since its launch. What’s less certain is whether Apple will refresh the entire lineup again this year. The Apple Watch SE and Ultra models don’t follow the same annual update cycle, and because both the SE 3 and Ultra 3 were refreshed in 2025, it’s less likely that Apple will update both again this year.

If Apple does add another model alongside the Series 12, the Ultra would be the more plausible candidate. Apple isn’t one to hold out on new features for its high-end models when warranted. Or if it follows the pattern set with the Ultra 2, the company might just roll out a new color model for the Ultra 3.

Familiar design on the Apple Watch Series 12

Don’t hold your breath for a circular Apple Watch, or a major makeover (at least not for this year). Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said during a live Q&A on March 26 that no major design changes are expected for this year’s Apple Watch lineup, according to MacRumors. That aligns with how sparse the redesign chatter has been overall, so expect the same silhouette with similar colors and materials.

What could change: screen technology. A more energy-efficient display — potentially an improved LTPO panel with better brightness, as seen on the Series 10 — could help claw back some battery life without adding bulk.

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Battery life and processor

The Series 11 and Ultra 3 got a significant battery bump over their predecessors: at least 6 hours more by Apple’s numbers and roughly an extra half day (or more) in my real-world testing. And the Ultra 3 also got charging speed worthy of its name, like its newer siblings. But there’s still a lot of room for improvement on both battery life and charging speed. 

With no major clues hinting at bigger batteries yet, I’d bet we see more incremental gains (if any) on the Series 12. Improvements could come from better screen technology, software optimizations, and more efficient processors. 

In theory, the processor name usually matches the watch number, suggesting an S12 chip this year. But since the Series 11 and Ultra 3 are still running on the previous year’s S10 chip, the next upgrade could technically be an S11, making this year’s naming a bit awkward.

Watch this: The Biggest Battles Ahead for Apple’s Next CEO, John Ternus

05:03

New health features on the horizon

Apple has already dipped its toes into blood pressure monitoring with hypertension notifications on the Apple Watch (Series 10, Series 11 and Ultra 3). The feature alerts owners when it detects signs of abnormally high blood pressure, but it stops short of providing an on-the-spot read. This could be on the table for the fall of 2026.

Other wearable health companies like Omron and Med-Watch have proven that wrist-based blood pressure measurement is possible, though it’s not as reliable as a traditional cuff and may require new (bulkier) hardware to bring to the Apple Watch. 

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple has been testing the feature internally but has encountered accuracy issues. And even if Apple pulls it off for this year, it might measure only baseline trends similar to Samsung’s blood pressure feature on the Galaxy Watch 7 and Ultra (not supported in the US). 

Glucose monitoring is another long-running rumor that’s on the table, but according to Gurman, it’s even further from a finished product than blood pressure and realistically wouldn’t appear before 2027.

Biometric authentication: Touch ID or Face ID?

Rumors of a camera on the Apple Watch have been around for a few years — not for selfies, but potentially for Face ID or AI-based image recognition. 

Apple Intelligence on the iPhone introduced a visual search tool that uses the camera to identify objects and places in real time, and it might be a matter of time before this feature eventually makes its way to the wrist. Meanwhile, wearable-focused processors like Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chips already support cameras and even livestreaming. Apple is known to use its proprietary chips, so it’s unlikely this would impact Apple’s timeline, but it shows the technology is there, and we may see it down the line on the Apple Watch. Just not this year, according to Bloomberg.

A more feasible near-term option could be Touch ID. Macworld recently spotted lines of internal code suggesting Apple has been experimenting with biometric authentication for the 2026 Apple Watch lineup. According to the report, the code references “AppleMesa,” which is Apple’s internal code name for a watch-based Touch ID. It’s still unclear whether the sensor would be integrated under the display, like we see on Android phones, or built into the side button or the Digital Crown. 

Watch OS 27 wishlist 

Now that Apple has standardized its operating system names to match the year ahead, you don’t need to be a rocket scientist to figure out that the next big update for the Apple Watch will be WatchOS 27. 

With a major redesign already in the books (5 New Apple Watch Features Coming With WatchOS 26), we’re not expecting a dramatic visual change this time around, but there’s plenty on the wishlist, including better battery management tools and more customizable gesture controls. Apple could also expand Workout Buddy from metric-driven encouragement into more concrete training territory. This could bring it closer to what Samsung is trying with its AI-powered Running Coach.

Lastly, I’d welcome a more robust symptom tracker tied into the Vitals app similar to Oura Ring’s Symptom Radar that can flag early signs of illness. 

Other Health app updates 

The next version of WatchOS 27 could also bring changes to the Health app. According to a report from Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, Apple has been working on a top-secret initiative code-named Project Mulberry, aimed at revamping the Health app with an AI-powered health concierge that could unify your health, fitness, and medical data in one place.

However, the project has recently run into some obstacles. Bloomberg’s latest report suggests Apple has put the effort on hold (at least for this year). That still leaves room for improvement on the Health app front with a potential redesign to the main dashboard that would make spotting trends easier. 

Watch this: Apple Watch Series 11 Review: Is It Worth the Upgrade?

06:18

Two U.S. nationals were sentenced to 18 months in prison each for operating so-called laptop farms that helped North Korean IT workers fraudulently obtain remote employment at nearly 70 American companies.

Matthew Isaac Knoot and Erick Ntekereze Prince are the seventh and eighth U.S.-based “laptop farmers” sent to prison since the start of the year as part of a federal initiative targeting North Korea’s illicit revenue generation schemes.

“These sentences hold accountable U.S nationals who enabled North Korea’s illicit efforts to infiltrate U.S. networks and profit on the back of U.S. companies,” said Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg on Wednesday. “These defendants helped North Korean’ IT workers’ masquerade as legitimate employees, compromising U.S. corporate networks and helping generate revenue for a heavily sanctioned and rogue regime.

Knoot (who was arrested and charged in August 2024) ran a laptop farm from his Nashville residences between July 2022 and August 2023.

During the scheme, he received company-issued laptops addressed to a stolen identity (“Andrew M.”), then installed unauthorized remote desktop software that allowed North Korean IT workers to appear as a legitimate U.S.-based employee.

Victim companies paid more than $250,000 to IT workers associated with Knoot’s operation, with the payments falsely reported to the Social Security Administration and the Internal Revenue Service under stolen identities.

Prince (who pleaded guilty to wire-fraud conspiracy in November) enabled at least three North Korean IT workers to obtain remote employment at U.S. companies from approximately June 2020 through August 2024, operating through his company, Taggcar Inc. Victim companies paid the IT workers hired with the help of Prince more than $943,000 in salary, the majority of which was routed overseas.

Knoot also caused more than $500,000 in auditing and remediation costs at victim companies, while Prince’s actions caused more than $1 million in remediation costs. In addition to their 18-month prison sentences, Knoot was ordered to pay $15,100 in restitution and forfeit an additional $15,100, and Prince was ordered to forfeit $89,000.

The FBI has been warning about North Korean IT workers infiltrating U.S. firms since at least 2023 and repeatedly noted that North Korea maintains a large army of thousands of IT workers using identity theft to secure employment at hundreds of American companies each year.

In April, U.S. nationals Kejia Wang and Zhenxing Wang were also sent to prison for helping North Korean remote information technology (IT) workers to pose as U.S. residents.

Last July, a 50-year-old Christina Marie Chapman from Arizona was sentenced to 102 months in prison for running a laptop farm in her own home, as part of a scheme that helped North Korean IT workers get hired by 309 U.S. companies while using stolen identities.

AI chained four zero-days into one exploit that bypassed both renderer and OS sandboxes. A wave of new exploits is coming.

At the Autonomous Validation Summit (May 12 & 14), see how autonomous, context-rich validation finds what’s exploitable, proves controls hold, and closes the remediation loop.

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Photo credit: Home of Architecture | Chris Tate
Piha Beach stretches along New Zealand’s wild west coast where black sand meets pounding surf and sheer cliffs rise without warning. Chris Tate placed Bunker House, a compact two-bedroom home right there next to a public car park and surf lifesaving club. The structure rises as a solid black form that feels carved from the landscape itself.

Chris Tate spent a remarkable 7 years perfecting the design before construction began, and the entire build took 14 years. The foundation is effectively a gigantic X built of concrete, with half of it sinking 3 metres into the sand and the other half supporting the house. The piles of concrete that hold it all together are a true insurance policy against earthquakes that turn the ground into a watery mess, as well as keeping the entire structure stable. You’d never guess it’s only 300mm off the sand, but against all odds, the entire structure holds the full weight of the house without even a hairline fracture showing. The cantilevered sections protrude out slightly, giving the box a ‘hovers-over-the-sand’ appearance while being perfectly balanced.

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The cladding has been coated in sheets manufactured from recyclable cans shipped over from Canada and painted on-site, of course. The finish catches the light in an amazing ballet of patterns, perfectly reflecting the volcanic rock and black sand all around. With a little distance between you and the home, the surface appears to be one large textured skin. When you get close, it becomes easy to see where the material came from, but it all blends in so well that you can’t help but think that this house grew straight out of the sand rather than being thrown down on it.

When people arrive, they are instantly met with darkness. It takes a while for their eyes to pick out the layered blackness that appears to be draped over every inch of the place, but even in the absence of color, there are hints of depth and texture, as evidenced by the subtle changes in tone that suggest the presence of glass, steel, and stone, all fitted together with meticulous care to conceal all the messy bits, such as pipes and wires. It’s a highly efficient space that meets all of the passive house standards, so the temperature stays just right throughout the year.

The kitchen island is a real showpiece, stretching out for four meters and providing a perfect view of the shore. Its raw steel frame is attached directly to the floor, reflecting the house’s foundations. What a view: a long narrow strip of glass frames a beautiful slice of crashing waves, Lion Rock, and a distant cove, and the crowded car lot fades away as you take a few steps back.

Two identical small bedrooms are nestled away at the back of the house, each enclosed by a wall of gold mesh panels that give off a nice gentle glow and provide a bit of metallic sheen to the entire space. The light streaming through makes each area feel quite secluded and calm. It’s a truly fantastic space, as it’s similar to a cave yet can still open up to the ocean anytime the owners desire. When the lights go off at night, all you hear is the waves smashing outside.
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