• Fans think they’ve uncovered The Elder Scrolls 6‘s eight-letter subtitle
• Redditor ‘starfieldnovember’ suggests the subtitle is “Sentinel”
• The clue comes from Starfield‘s character creator and employee number, which, translated via the alphabet, spells “Sentinel”

The Elder Scrolls 6 fans believe they’ve uncovered the game’s secret subtitle, and it may have been under our noses the entire time.

Earlier this week, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma shared an X post that blew up, which read, “Live playthrough of The Elder Scrolls 6: ******** this morning. The scale and grandeur are incredible. The story is even greater.”

Reducing downtime in industrial boiler systems requires combining ASME- and NBIC-compliant pressure vessel inspections, automated water chemistry control, precise feed pump sizing, and continuous oxygen-trim combustion tuning to eliminate root causes of unscheduled outages. Implementing a proactive spare parts buffer and structured operator warning protocols further prevents minor mechanical deviations from escalating into plant-wide shutdowns.

When an industrial steam or hot water boiler fails unexpectedly, loss of thermal energy halts production lines, compromises product quality, and imposes expensive emergency repair bills. Facilities that achieve high operational availability do not rely on reactive fixes; they manage their boilers through rigorous condition monitoring, proactive component replacement, and precise fluid dynamics.

Evaluation Criteria for Boiler Downtime Reduction

To eliminate unscheduled outages, boiler maintenance strategies must address the primary mechanisms of mechanical, chemical, and operational degradation. A robust reliability framework prioritizes interventions based on three main criteria:

• Structural Safety & Code Compliance: Interventions that prevent catastrophic pressure shell or tube failure, adhering to jurisdictional standards.
• Thermodynamic Efficiency & Fuel Stability: Measures that stop heat exchanger degradation, soot accumulation, and burner instability.
• Operational Continuity & Fluid Delivery: Protections that maintain uninterrupted feedwater flow, correct steam header pressure, and proper chemical balance.

Quick Take: Core Downtime Reduction Strategies

Preventing industrial boiler downtime relies on eliminating scale accumulation, mechanical wear, and fluid imbalances before they force a safety trip. Maintaining strict water chemistry controls and executing periodic combustion tuning prevents up to 80% of premature tube failures and burner outages. Pairing these daily operational habits with strategic spare parts management and calibrated pressure vessel inspections ensures continuous thermal delivery even under heavy production loads.

7 Proven Ways to Reduce Industrial Boiler Downtime

1. Schedule Regular Inspections of Pressure Vessels

Because pressure vessels degrade over time from cyclic thermal stress, chemical corrosion, and mechanical fatigue, undetected micro-cracks or localized wall thinning can trigger emergency shutdowns or catastrophic pressure boundary breaches. Operating under constant pressure expansion and contraction weakens shell welds, steam drum nozzles, and firetube sheet turnarounds.

Relying solely on annual jurisdictional pass/fail inspections is insufficient for high-demand facilities. Plant engineers should establish a supplementary internal non-destructive examination (NDE) schedule—utilizing ultrasonic wall thickness testing, magnetic particle testing on high-stress welds, and dye penetrant inspection on tube sheets. Documenting these measurements in an ongoing log allows maintenance teams to plot metal loss rates over time rather than treating each inspection as an isolated event. When repairs or alterations become necessary, perform all welding in accordance with National Board Inspection Code (NBIC) Part RC standards using an R-stamp certified contractor to maintain structural integrity and regulatory compliance.

2. Calculate Boiler Feed Pump Duty and NPSH Margins

A boiler feedwater pump running outside its designed operating curve creates continuous mechanical stress that leads to seal failure, bearing destruction, and low-water boiler trips. Undersized feed pumps fail to deliver sufficient water volume against peak steam drum pressure, triggering low-water safety cutoffs. Conversely, oversized pumps force feed valves to operate near fully closed positions, causing excessive throttling wear and pump recirculation overheating.

Executing an accurate boiler feed pump calculation ensures the pump is matched to actual system hydraulics. The sizing calculation must account for maximum steam generation capacity, required operating pressure, piping friction head loss, static elevation, and an additional 5% to 10% flow allowance for blowdown losses. Furthermore, engineers must verify that the Net Positive Suction Head Available (NPSHA) from the deaerator or condensate tank exceeds the Net Positive Suction Head (NPSH) required by the pump under peak temperature conditions. Insufficient NPSH causes hot condensate to flash into steam at the impeller inlet, creating destructive cavitation that can destroy a feed pump impeller in weeks.

3. Control Water Chemistry and Enforce Consistent Blowdown Protocols

Improper boiler feedwater treatment is the single largest cause of unscheduled tube failures, scale accumulation, and dissolved gas corrosion. Dissolved calcium, magnesium, and silica precipitate out of solution under high heat, forming an insulating scale layer on heat transfer surfaces. A scale deposit as thin as 1/16th of an inch insulates boiler tubes, reducing thermal efficiency and forcing metal temperatures to rise until the tube wall softens, bulges, and ruptures.

Maintaining water quality requires a dual approach: operating external pretreatment equipment such as water softeners and deaerators, alongside dosing internal chemical treatments (phosphate treatment, oxygen scavengers, and alkalinity builders). To prevent dissolved solids from reaching critical concentration thresholds, operators must follow blowdown procedures systematically. Implementing automated continuous surface blowdown controls total dissolved solids (TDS) and conductivity levels at the water surface, while periodic manual bottom blowdown removes accumulated sludge from the lower drum or shell legs. Combining these controls with a external water treatment equipment testing routine prevents carryover, foaming, and scale-induced overheating.

4. Implement Predictive Replacement for Critical Control and Safety Valves

Control valves, blowdown valves, feed check valves, and safety relief valves operate under extreme pressure drops, high temperatures, and erosive fluid conditions. A sticking feedwater control valve can trigger a low-water shutdown within seconds, while a leaking blowdown valve steadily drains boiler water and thermal energy. Waiting for a critical valve to fail completely mid-production turns a simple maintenance task into an emergency outage.

Establish a predictive replacement program based on valve duty cycles, seat material wear rates, and operational history. Inspect control valve stems for packing leaks, actuator diaphragm cracking, and seat scoring during scheduled outages. Test safety relief valves in compliance with safety valve testing standards, performing manual lift tests or bench testing to confirm set pressures and re-seating capability. Replacing internal packing, trim, or entire valve assemblies during planned maintenance prevents minor internal leakage from escalating into total valve seizure during heavy plant operation.

5. Optimize Combustion Efficiency via Continuous O2-Trim Tuning

Inconsistent combustion forced by improper air-to-fuel ratios wastes fuel and accelerates mechanical wear on burner components, combustion chambers, and heat transfer surfaces. Running with too little air results in incomplete combustion, generating toxic carbon monoxide and heavy soot deposits that coat firetubes and act as an insulating blanket. Running with excess air pulls heat out of the combustion zone and sends unburned energy up the stack, overworking the forced draft fan and burner linkage.

While performing a routine flue gas combustion analysis with a portable analyzer calibrates seasonal burner response, ambient air temperature and barometric pressure fluctuate constantly. Installing an automated oxygen trim system continuously measures flue gas oxygen content and adjusts the air damper or variable speed fan in real time. Maintaining optimal excess air levels (typically 15% excess air or roughly 3% O2 in flue gas for natural gas) stabilizes combustion temperatures, reduces thermal fatigue on burner cones, and prevents unburned fuel accumulation.

6. Train Operators on Early Mechanical Deviation and Acoustic Warning Signs

Boiler operators on the plant floor are the primary line of defense against compounding mechanical failures. Minor mechanical deviations—such as a subtle change in feed pump vibration, a high-pitched hiss from a packing gland, or small pressure swings on the steam header—precede complete system failures. Without structured training, operators may overlook early indicators until automated safety limit controls trip the boiler offline.

Formalize daily shift routines around a standardized checklist rather than relying on informal walk-throughs. Operators should record daily logbook entries capturing flue gas temperatures, steam drum pressure, feedwater temperature, chemical dosing rates, and stack draft pressure. Establish clear escalation thresholds: if stack gas temperature rises 20°F above baseline at a given firing rate, operators should immediately flag potential tube soot accumulation or fireside baffle bypass to the maintenance team for investigation before efficiency drops further.

7. Maintain a Strategic On-Site Critical Spare Parts Buffer

Extended boiler downtime often stems not from the complexity of a repair, but from waiting for long-lead replacement components to arrive. High-spec items—such as flame safeguard control modules, flame scanners, high-pressure feed pump seals, level control probes, and boiler-specific valve rebuild kits—frequently carry multi-week lead times from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

Conduct a spare parts criticality audit by analyzing past maintenance logs and component lead times. Maintain an organized, climate-controlled on-site inventory containing high-wear components, including replacement gaskets, sight glass sets, igniters, safety valve spares, and burner nozzles. Pair this physical inventory with a formal agreement for a emergency temporary steam header piping connections setup to ensure rapid deployment if an unexpected pressure vessel failure occurs.

Decision Framework: Customizing Your Maintenance Priority Matrix

Not all industrial boilers face identical failure modes. Operating profile, feedwater source, fuel type, and system design dictate which downtime prevention measures yield the highest return on effort. Use the matrix below to prioritize maintenance resources based on your facility’s operational reality:

Key Takeaways

• Combine Code Inspections with NDE: Supplementary ultrasonic wall testing and NBIC Part RC compliant repairs catch pressure vessel thinning long before mandatory inspections force an emergency shutdown.
• Solve Feed Pump Hydraulic Deficits: Accurate boiler feed pump sizing must account for drum pressure, head losses, blowdown margins, and strict NPSH requirements to prevent pump cavitation.
• Automate Chemistry and Blowdown Controls: Scale accumulation insulates tubes and causes rapid thermal failure; daily testing and automated blowdown maintain optimal heat transfer.
• Implement Continuous Combustion Tuning: Installing automated O2 trim systems prevents thermal fatigue, reduces soot buildup, and stabilizes burner output across fluctuating ambient conditions.
• Bridge Hardware Gaps with Inventory and Planning: Stocking long-lead control modules and maintaining a temporary rental boiler plan eliminates logistics delays when repairs are required.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Nightmare Eclipse discloses ShieldBreak, a new Windows privilege‑escalation zero‑day
• Flaw bypasses a recent patch and works on fully updated Windows 11 systems
• Researcher’s ongoing exploit spree leaves multiple Windows vulnerabilities still unpatched

Nightmare Eclipse has struck again! The notorious zero-day researcher with a Microsoft grudge disclosed its latest vulnerability, and just as in previous instances, they picked their timing and released their research hours after Microsoft published its August Patch Tuesday cumulative update in order to maximize the hurt.

The newest flaw is called ShieldBreak, and is described as a local escalation of privilege vulnerability that allows threat actors to gain SYSTEM-level privileges on vulnerable systems. Speaking of vulnerable systems, the list is rather long because it includes all versions of Windows 11, including those with the latest security patches.

Color has a funny way of grabbing my attention. It could be a bright bunch of flowers, a colorful bottle sitting on a shelf, a funky piece of home decor, or even something as small as a pair of earbuds. And when it comes to phones, I’m the same. Give me an interesting color, and I’m probably going to notice it before anything else.

Phone makers clearly know this, too. Apple has been playing with colorful iPhones for years, with the iPhone 5c being one of the earliest and most obvious examples. Google has embraced color with its Pixel lineup as well, especially since the Pixel 5 era. But over the years, I’ve started to feel that Google does phone colors better than almost anyone else. It doesn’t just slap a bright shade on the back and call it a day. Its colors tend to have personality. That feeling became even stronger when Google unveiled the Pixel 11 series at its Made by Google event. The moment I saw the new lineup, the colors were among the first things that caught my eye. And once again, Google reminded me why Pixel colors are some of my favorites in the business.

The Pixels are anything but shy

Google has given us four Pixel phones this year: the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro XL, and Pixel 11 Pro Fold. But what I love is that Google hasn’t treated color like an afterthought. There’s actually a decent amount of personality spread across the lineup, whether you want something that blends in or a phone that practically announces itself when you pull it out of your pocket. The Pixel 11 is easily the most playful of the bunch. You can get it in Frost, Hibiscus, Obsidian, or Pistachio, while the Pixel 11 Pro and Pixel 11 Pro XL come in the slightly more grown-up Canyon, Olive, Fog, and Obsidian shades. The Pixel 11 Pro Fold keeps things much simpler, with just Olive and Obsidian to choose from. So, yes, Google still saves some of its more adventurous colors for the regular Pixel, but at least the Pro models aren’t stuck with four different interpretations of gray.

And then there’s Hibiscus. Oh, Hibiscus. That’s easily the color I’d pick this year. It immediately reminds me of the iPhone 17 Pro’s Cosmic Orange, because they have the same unapologetically vibrant energy. These are phones that don’t want to disappear inside a black case or quietly sit on a table. They want you to notice them. Hibiscus, in particular, is the kind of color I can imagine spotting from across a room and immediately knowing exactly which phone it is. Judge my taste all you want, subtle has never really been my thing.

That’s also why I appreciate what Google is doing here. Look around the Android world, and you’ll find plenty of beautiful phones, but so many manufacturers still play it incredibly safe with black, white, silver, gray, and the occasional dark blue. They look premium, sure, but after a while, they can also start looking a little too similar. Pixels rarely have that problem. Even the softer shades have a little character, while colors like Hibiscus and Pistachio genuinely pop. They’re bright, fun, and instantly recognizable without making the phones feel cheap. In a sea of increasingly serious-looking smartphones, Google seems perfectly happy to let its Pixels shine a little brighter. And I’m absolutely here for it.

Everything is color-coordinated for you

Google has carried that same colorful energy over to its official cases, and this is one of those small decisions I appreciate more than I expected. Say you fall for the Hibiscus Pixel 11, as I clearly have. You don’t have to cover that personality with a boring black or gray case. Google also sells a matching Hibiscus case, so you can protect the phone without completely changing the look you bought it for in the first place.

Whenever a smartphone brand launches a particularly bright or unusual color, finding a case that actually complements it can be a pain. You might get ten different case options, but somehow they’re all black, gray, navy blue, or a shade that doesn’t quite match the phone. And if you really want that beautiful color underneath to remain visible, the easiest answer is usually the good old transparent case.

I’ve gone down that road plenty of times, and I’m not a huge fan. A clear case looks fantastic on day one because you get protection without hiding the phone. Give it a little time, though, and dirt starts collecting around the edges, fingerprints become more noticeable, and some transparent cases eventually begin looking yellow and tired. Suddenly, that gorgeous phone you wanted to show off doesn’t look nearly as gorgeous anymore. Then you buy another clear case, and the whole cycle starts again.

That’s why I like Google’s approach here. If I’m buying the Hibiscus Pixel 11, I can get the matching case and keep that same bright look going. And Google hasn’t stopped with cases, either. Even the Pixel Ring Stand gets a little color this year, with Canyon, Olive, and Black options. That means you can actually mix and match the accessories with your phone and case rather than having a bright Pixel attached to a sea of boring accessories. It’s a small detail, sure, but that’s what makes the whole lineup feel more considered. Google isn’t just giving you a colorful phone and leaving you to figure out the rest. It’s building that personality into the accessories around it, too.

Olive from head to toe

I also really like how Google has leaned into the whole matching-ecosystem idea this year. If you pick up the Pixel 11 Pro or Pixel 11 Pro XL in Olive, your phone doesn’t have to be the only device wearing that color. You can pair it with a Pixel Watch 5 in a complementary Olive shade and even grab the Pixel Buds Pro 2 in Olive to complete the look.

And I’m a sucker for this kind of coordination. Most of us already carry a phone, wear a smartwatch, and throw a pair of earbuds into our bag every day, so there’s something satisfying about having all three look like they actually belong together. The Olive shade works particularly well for this because it has personality without screaming for attention. Put the phone, watch, and earbuds next to each other, and there’s a visual consistency that makes the entire ecosystem feel a little more intentional and, dare I say, more premium. Apple has long understood the appeal of making its devices and accessories feel like part of the same family, and I’m glad Google is pushing further in that direction, too. 

Keep the colors coming

For me, Google remains one of the best in the business when it comes to smartphone colors, and the Pixel 11 series is another great example of why. There’s something for almost everyone, whether you want to stand out with Hibiscus or keep things a little more understated with Olive. More importantly, Google isn’t afraid to have some fun. When so many smartphones are starting to look and feel increasingly similar, a great color can give a device its own identity and make it feel more personal. I’m loving what Google has done this year, and I hope it keeps taking these little risks with future Pixels. After all, phones are serious enough already; their colors don’t have to be.

In a nutshell: A Steam Deck mod built inside a Game Boy-sized case is nearing a key milestone: adding its internal display. The project, called SteamBoy, already has a working Steam Deck motherboard, battery, speakers and controls inside a custom case modeled after Nintendo’s original handheld. However, the SteamBoy is still a work in progress, with the display remaining the largest unfinished component.

Fitting the AMOLED panel, completing the adapter board and applying the BIOS modification will determine whether the device can function as a self-contained handheld.

As the next step, creator PhyFawkes plans to install a 1,200 x 1,080 AMOLED panel with a 90 Hz refresh rate. The panel was originally designed for VR use, so it cannot connect directly to the Steam Deck’s hardware. A custom adapter PCB is being designed to connect the Deck’s display ribbon cable to the new screen.

The mod will also require a BIOS modification. PhyFawkes said the firmware work will be similar to modifications used in the DeckHD and Deck Sight projects. Until the display is installed and working, the SteamBoy can only be used with an external monitor.

“Hopefully it won’t be too long before that’s working as well,” PhyFawkes wrote in a comment on a video showing the device running.

The build started with a simple question about the Steam Deck’s internals. “The Steam Deck motherboard seems pretty small,” PhyFawkes wrote. “I wonder if you could make a Steam Deck the size of a Game Boy?”

The project shows that much of the hardware can fit inside a much smaller enclosure. “It has a fully functional LCD Steam Deck motherboard, battery, speakers, and all the face buttons you see here. No custom PCBs needed (so far), and all within the dimensions of a Game Boy,” PhyFawkes said.

That is the main technical point of the build. The modder has not needed to replace the Deck’s main hardware or create custom control boards to make the system work in the smaller case. The display is the first component that requires a purpose-built circuit board.

SteamBoy Teardown and Assembly
by u/PhyFawkes in SteamDeckModded

Cooling is another challenge in the tightly packed enclosure. PhyFawkes used a 30 x 7 mm fan and heatsink from AliExpress, mounted with a custom 3D-printed bracket. The system also uses a slight undervolt to reduce heat. During gaming, temperatures have reportedly ranged from 70 to 80 degrees Celsius.

Teardown photos posted on Reddit show the Steam Deck components arranged inside the Game Boy-style shell. The design retains the general shape and control layout of the original handheld, but the system inside is built around Valve’s modern portable PC hardware.

For now, the project demonstrates that a functional Steam Deck can be reduced to a much smaller, retro-style form factor without modifying its core motherboard, battery, speakers or controls.

Smart financial technology automates expense tracking, invoicing, business banking, and tax prep, so founders spend less time on bookkeeping and more time running the business. The right combination of tools can turn hours of manual finance work each week into a few minutes of review.

Quick Take

Startup finance breaks down into four jobs: tracking what you spend, getting paid on time, banking without friction, and staying ready for tax season. Each job now has purpose-built software behind it. You don’t need all of it on day one. Start with the tool that removes your biggest weekly time cost, usually expense tracking or invoicing, then add the rest as your transaction volume grows.

Why Manual Finance Tracking Breaks Down

A shoebox full of receipts feels manageable at first. It stops working once you have real transaction volume. Manual tracking takes hours. It also causes mistakes. A missed receipt or a mistyped number can mean a missed tax deduction or a wrong number in your books.

Founders who track expenses by hand also lose something harder to measure: visibility. You don’t know what you spent this month until you sit down and add it up. By then, it’s too late to change course. Digitizing the process fixes both problems at once. It saves time, and it gives you numbers you can check any day of the week.

Automating Expense Tracking

Modern expense tracking apps replace the shoebox with your phone camera. You take a photo of a receipt. The app uses optical character recognition (OCR), which is software that reads text in a photo, to pull out the vendor name, date, and amount on its own. You don’t have to type any of it in by hand.

The scanned data doesn’t just sit on your phone. These apps pull the vendor, date, and total straight off the receipt image and drop them into a spending record automatically. Many apps go a step further and link directly to your business debit or credit cards. Once connected, transactions import on their own as they happen, so you get a live view of company spending instead of a monthly guess.

This won’t work well if your team still pays for things in cash with no receipt at all. OCR needs something to scan. If cash purchases are common at your company, you’ll still need a manual entry step, even with the best app.

Simplifying Invoicing and Payments

Waiting on a check in the mail can wreck a startup’s cash flow. Building invoices in a word processor or spreadsheet is slow, and it makes it hard to track who has actually paid. Invoicing software fixes both problems.

With a dedicated invoicing tool, you build a professional invoice from a template in minutes instead of starting from scratch each time. You can set up recurring invoices for retainer clients, so the same invoice goes out automatically every month. The software can also send automatic reminders when a payment is late, so you’re not the one chasing it down. Most platforms connect directly to online payment gateways, which lets a client pay by card or bank transfer the moment they open the invoice.

Faster payment cycles come with a trade-off: payment processors take a small cut of each transaction. For most startups, getting paid a week earlier is worth that fee. If your margins are razor-thin, do the math on the fee against the cash-flow benefit before switching every client over.

The Rise of Digital Business Banking

Traditional banking isn’t always a good fit for a fast-moving startup. Opening an account can mean paperwork and an in-person branch visit. Once it’s open, the online banking portal often feels clunky and doesn’t connect to your other software. This gap is why digital-first banking built for entrepreneurs has grown so much.

These platforms run entirely online, with no branch visits required. Many startups now open a dedicated digital business account specifically to get more flexibility and fewer fees than a traditional bank charges. This shift reflects a broader trend: founders are increasingly choosing online-only banking over branch-based banks because it’s faster to set up and easier to manage day to day.

A digital-only account can include features like virtual debit cards you can issue instantly, direct sync with your accounting software, and controls that let you cap how much an employee card can spend. Being able to open and manage the account entirely online gives founders more room to move quickly without waiting on a bank’s schedule.

Digital banking isn’t right for every situation. If your business handles a lot of physical cash, or if you need a banker relationship for a complex loan application, a traditional bank with branch access may still serve you better.

Tax season stresses out most business owners. Scrambling to gather a year of financial records at the last minute leads to mistakes and missed deductions. The right technology keeps you ready throughout the year instead of just in April.

Most small businesses that expect to owe tax also need to make estimated tax payments four times a year, not just once. Tax management tools help you estimate what each quarterly payment should be and set aside enough cash so the payment doesn’t catch you short. They also flag tax-deductible expenses as they happen, instead of forcing you to reconstruct the year later.

When tax time arrives, you can generate the reports you need with a few clicks, or give your accountant direct, read-only access to your books instead of exporting spreadsheets by hand.

Each of these tools solves one job well on its own. The real gain comes when they talk to each other. If your expense app doesn’t sync with your accounting software, you’re back to manual data entry, just in a different app. The table below shows what to check for each category before you commit to a tool.

When you’re picking tools, ask one question before anything else: does this connect to what I already use? An accounting platform is usually the hub everything else should plug into. There’s a lot of solid accounting tech for startups out there, so start with the essentials and layer in more specialized tools as your business grows.

Common Misconceptions

A few beliefs trip founders up here. First, “automated” doesn’t mean “unsupervised.” Automation software is very good at capturing data and very bad at judgment calls, like deciding whether a purchase should count as a business expense. You still need to review flagged items.

Second, more tools isn’t automatically better. Adding a fifth app to save ten minutes a week isn’t worth the setup time and the risk of duplicate or conflicting records. Pick tools that replace real pain points, not ones that just look impressive.

Third, switching your financial tool stack later isn’t as painless as vendors imply. Most tools let you export your data, but re-mapping categories and reconnecting bank feeds in a new tool still takes real hours. Choose with some intention rather than picking whatever’s cheapest this month.

Where This Approach Has Limits

Smart financial tools reduce manual work, but they don’t remove the need for financial judgment. If your cash flow is genuinely tight, no app will tell you which bill to delay and which to pay on time. That’s a business decision, not a software feature.

These tools also assume a baseline of clean, consistent data entry. If your team is inconsistent about scanning receipts or categorizing transactions, automation just processes messy data faster. It doesn’t fix the underlying habit problem.

Finally, most of these platforms are built for straightforward business structures. If you have complex situations, multiple entities, foreign currency, equity compensation, software alone usually isn’t enough. You’ll still want an accountant or bookkeeper who understands your specific setup.

Key Takeaways

• Manual expense tracking costs real time and causes real errors; OCR-based apps remove most of the manual entry.
• Invoicing software shortens payment cycles mainly through automated reminders and built-in online payment collection.
• Digital-first business banking trades branch access for speed, lower fees, and better software integration.
• Tax tools work best when they track deductions and estimate quarterly payments continuously, not just once a year.
• The biggest gains come from integration between tools, not from any single app on its own.

FAQ

In brief: While the computer mouse has undergone plenty of redesigns over the years, most models are still made to remain firmly on a desk. But the DS21 is a little different. Its central section detaches from the body and becomes a handheld motion controller, presentation clicker, and touchpad.

Created by MBox, the DS21 is described as a three-in-one control hub aimed at people who regularly move between a desk, conference room, and living room.

When fully assembled, it resembles a standard right-handed ergonomic mouse with a contoured shape, thumb rest, and full palm support.

The complete mouse weighs 85 grams. Its 35-gram core is held inside the outer shell using a magnetic docking mechanism and can be removed whenever users need to control something from a distance.

Once detached, a six-axis gyroscope translates hand movements into cursor movements on the screen, similar to the air remotes included with some smart TVs such as LG’s.

Users can navigate presentation slides, highlight content, scroll through pages, control media, or operate a projector from up to 15 meters away.

A multi-touch surface positioned beneath the thumb handles allows actions such as clicking, dragging, scrolling, and adjusting the volume. The remote can also operate a smart TV or tablet and act as a wireless camera shutter for a connected phone.

The DS21 supports low-latency connections through a 2.4GHz USB receiver, while Bluetooth 5.3 provides compatibility with mobile hardware. MBox lists support for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, iPadOS, smart TVs, and projectors.

Reattaching the core turns the DS21 back into a regular desktop mouse, but its touch and motion controls remain available. The idea behind the design is that it could replace several devices while taking up less room in a travel bag.

The mouse brings to mind Lenovo’s AdaptX prototype, which used interchangeable modules to transform between an ergonomic mouse, compact mouse, travel hub, and other accessories. There’s also the $159 Pixelpaw Phase, a mouse that splits into a Joy-Con-style controller, though the DS21 is less gaming-focused

The DS21 has already surpassed its modest $2,000 Kickstarter goal. Early-bird pledges start at $55, 30% below the planned $79 retail price. MBox expects mass production to begin in September with shipping in November. The company has previously fulfilled four other funded Kickstarter campaigns.

As with any crowdfunded product, those dates and specifications aren’t guaranteed. MBox acknowledges that maintaining precise magnetic tolerances and ensuring consistent gyroscope performance across operating systems are among some of the manufacturing challenges it still needs to address.

When we think about security threats, we generally imagine them coming from far away across the wider internet. But what if the connection between you and your ISP was the target? [Rithwik Jayasimha] and [Rithvik Vibhu] have explored how fiber to the home connections may not be as secure as you would hope.

The hack centers around fiber-to-the-home connections, of which many deployments rely on Gigabit Passive Optical Network (GPON) standards. The key there is the “passive” part—these networks don’t rely on active components to switch signals. ISPs run central trunk lines out to optical line terminals (OLT), with passive splitters installed in neighborhoods to serve a number of downstream subscribers. Each subscriber then has something called an Optical Network Unit (ONU) in their home, which filters out the traffic intended for that specific subscriber.

Therein lies the flaw, though. Light (and thus, data) for many subscribers flows into the home, and it’s only the ONU that is filtering that out. Hack the ONU, or replace it… and you have access to downstream traffic from your neighbors that you shouldn’t be able to access.

The duo were able to hack an ONU to forward every single frame it receives, revealing downstream data intended for other homes in their immediate neighborhood. A great deal of traffic is encrypted these days, which provides a layer of safety, but it is by no means an ideal situation that such a hack is possible at all. They also explored other threats, such as installing splitters in publicly-accessible infrastructure, and compromising an upstream OLT and using it to flash firmware to other subscriber’s ONUs on the network. All this was presented in a talk at DEF CON, too, which can be viewed online.

It’s a concerning look at an often unconsidered link in the network chain. Few of us expect our data to be snooped upon in between us and the ISP, after all.

Here’s the link, we’ll be streaming our talk @ 1PM PT

If this breaks, it’s Track 1 Main Stage on the #DEFCON YT channel https://t.co/nv0lzLkMwZ

— Rithwik Jayasimha (@thel3l) August 8, 2026

On Wednesday, Twitch confirmed reports that the streaming channel was using channel content to train Amazon’s AI models. While we aren’t sure how long the training feature has been active, Twitch has now added an opt-out button to its settings that will allow creators to turn the feature off. However, it is automatically enabled unless its users take action.

AI models, like the ones Amazon uses for Alexa Plus and other projects, require large amounts of content to train them to piece together accurate language or images. The Twitch platform is overflowing with such content, featuring large amounts of video, audio spoken by creators and text in stream chats. However, people who haven’t consented to training may not want their voice, words or video to be analyzed by AI and used in future prompts.

Representatives from Amazon and Twitch did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Twitch’s latest FAQ states, “When you allow training, that means that your content may be used for future Gen AI model improvements. An example of what happens when you allow your content to be used for training a GenAI content model is that your audio might help refine models that create speech to text, which would help improve captions at Twitch but would also help improve captions across Amazon.”

To turn off this feature, you can head to Twitch account settings and toggle off the feature that says Training for Generative AI. Twitch says you can still use other AI-powered features like Automods and campaign optimization even if you opt out of training.

Questions persist on how this AI Twitch training works

It’s unclear what this means for chat on a Twitch channel. You don’t have to be a content creator to participate in a stream, so it’s worth asking whether chats from a streamer’s fans are also being used for this training. Twitch makes no mention of chat or how it’s affected by the training feature, but there could be consent issues around analyzing audience members’ contributions as well as the stream itself.

Many Twitch users also stream other live content, including other creators’ channels. This creates a potential conflict when the original streamer opts out of AI training, but the streamer rebroadcasting their content has AI training enabled. In that case, the AI model could still gain access to the original streamer’s content without their direct consent.

Twitch has also faced legal challenges over copyrighted music in the past, while some content creators have used various methods to circumvent the platform’s music restrictions. Depending on how training data is collected, Amazon could also capture copyrighted music from streaming services for use in its AI models, potentially creating additional legal concerns.

Tyler Lacoma

Editor / Home Security and Smart Home

Tyler has worked on, lived with and tested all types of smart home and security technology for over a dozen years, explaining the latest features, privacy tricks, and top recommendations.

With degrees in Business Management, Literature and Technical Writing, Tyler takes every opportunity to play with the latest AI technology, push smart devices to their limits and occasionally throw cameras off his roof, all to find the best devices to trust in your life. He always checks with the renters (and pets) in his life to see what smart products can work for everyone, in every living situation.

Living in beautiful Bend, Oregon gives Tyler plenty of opportunities to test the latest tech in every kind of weather and temperature. But when not at work, he can be found hiking the trails, trying out a new food recipe for his loved ones, keeping up on his favorite reading, or gaming with good friends.

See full bio

Advertisement

Water filtration is a booming category, and at-home units come in a range of formats: under-sink attachments, whole-house systems, water filter pitchers and countertop dispensers.

Ever the innovator, Ninja has jumped into the category with the launch of HydraSense, a slim countertop water filter that removes more than 80 contaminants (including forever chemicals, lead, microplastics and pharmaceuticals) and does a few things its competitors don’t.

The Best Countertop Water Filters, Lab-Tested by CNET

Advertisement

I got a firsthand look at the HydraSense at Ninja’s New York headquarters, where the product team walked me through its unique features and also showed off the filter’s pure power by running a batch of Kool-Aid through it. 

Here’s what it does.

Filters out the bad stuff but leaves the good

Reverse osmosis filters are the best for pure filtering power. The knock is that they strip water of minerals, which can leave water tasting bland. HydraSense’s oversized and especially dense activated carbon filter preserves naturally occurring minerals, including calcium, magnesium and potassium, for better-tasting water.

I sipped some fresh from the spout, and it tasted as crisp and clean as any I’ve had from the many filters I’ve tested.

In a demo, the product team filtered a batch of freshly made red Kool-Aid through the HydraSense. What emerged was perfectly clear liquid that tasted like clean water with no residual fruit punch flavor.

Filters 80+ contaminants, with certifications to prove it

If you’re wondering how well the filter works, you don’t have to take Ninja’s word for it. The HydraSense is certified by the National Sanitation Foundation, the most rigorous water filter testing body, to remove chlorine, chloramine, lead, volatile organic compounds, PFAS (forever chemicals) and microplastics. 

Loads of filters on the market claim to reduce or eliminate these contaminants via in-house or third-party testing, but regulatory certifications leave nothing in question. 

Lets you know when the filter needs changing

The bulk of the water filters I’ve tested have no system to let you know when the filter needs changing. It becomes a guessing game, and keeping track of how much water you’ve put through the machine is pretty much impossible.

HydraSense has a built-in monitor that lets you know when the filter is nearing the end of its life so you don’t end up changing it too soon or not soon enough. A single filter is good for 120 gallons, and replacements cost $40.

Filters fast. Like, really fast

When testing countertop water filters for CNET, one downside for most of the machines was slow filtering time — sometimes as much as an hour or more to filter a gallon. The HydraSense uses a unique pressure system to push water through the filter so it dispenses immediately. The feature is especially handy for power hydrators and families that burn through drinking water fast.

While water comes out fast, there’s a handy slow pour setting so you can fill ice trays without making a mess. You can also set the machine to dispense water in pours of 6, 8, 10 and 12 ounces.

The price is right, too

At $200 — currently discounted to $160 for launch — the HydraSense represents one of the best-value water filters I’ve seen. Reverse osmosis systems like the AquaTru Carafe cost nearly twice as much. Gravity filters such as the Rorra and Boroux, which work well but slowly, typically start at around $300 and go up from there.

It’s closest competitor is the $120 Brita Hub. It too is certified to filter roughly 80 contaminants and does so quickly using a similar pressure system. But there’s no filter life monitor or slow pour settings, and the plastic build is notably cheaper.

The HydraSense is available starting today on Ninja’s website.

David Watsky

Managing Editor / Home and Kitchen

David lives in Brooklyn where he’s spent more than a decade covering all things edible, including meal kit services, food subscriptions, kitchen tools and cooking tips.

David earned his BA from Northeastern and has toiled in nearly every aspect of the food business, including as a line cook in Rhode Island where he once made a steak sandwich for Lamar Odom.

Right now he’s likely somewhere stress-testing a blender or tinkering with a toaster. Anything with sesame is his all-time favorite food this week.

See full bio

Advertisement