LG is returning to the UK microwave market after a 10-year break, unveiling a new eight-model lineup set to roll out through 2026.

The move marks a renewed push into small kitchen appliances, as the company looks to expand its smart home portfolio beyond its traditional stronghold in TVs and large white goods.

The refreshed range covers everything from entry-level 20L models to a premium 39L convection microwave, with prices starting at £84 and rising to £299 (MSRP).

Microsoft is preparing to bring another change to the humble Notepad app. According to Windows Latest, internal testing on Windows 11 shows that the classic text editor is gaining full image support.

Notepad was once just a simple tool for typing plain text, but that simplicity has steadily evolved over multiple updates. Microsoft has modernized Notepad with autosave, undo history, and Markdown formatting. You can now apply basic styling, such as bold text, italics, and links.

WordPad, the older rich text editor that could handle images, has been removed from Windows, leaving Notepad to fill the gap. With WordPad gone, Microsoft appears to be expanding Notepad’s capabilities to cover more use cases.

The new image support will be part of Notepad’s extended formatting features. Microsoft sources told Windows Latest that image support is being tested in internal versions of Notepad. You’d be able to turn the feature off in Settings if you prefer the classic text-only experience.

How Notepad has been quietly changing

Image support in Notepad can be seen as a natural step toward a more capable note-taking tool, similar to Apple’s Notes or other built-in apps that support text formatting and images.

Microsoft has also added major features to Notepad, including artificial intelligence to automatically summarize notes and built-in spell check and autocorrect support.

However, adding too many features could dilute what made Notepad appealing to users in the first place. Adding visual elements risks blurring the line between Notepad and more complex apps like OneNote.

Notepad’s evolution reflects broader changes in how people use built-in apps. If image support rolls out widely, the simple editor could become a more flexible space for jotting down ideas, links, and pictures all in one place.

TCS’s Gavin McPaul discusses how he got his start in cyber and the benefits of working out of picturesque Donegal.

“From an early age, I’ve always been fascinated by technology: phones, laptops, any new gadgets really,” says Gavin McPaul, the head of enterprise vulnerability management at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS).

His family soon noticed his skill in the area of IT and at home he became the go-to person for all things tech related. “And I still am, unfortunately,” he jokes. “Towards the end of secondary school, I knew I wanted to pursue a career in IT.”

But like many young people at that stage of their lives, he was unsure of the educational direction he wanted to take, especially as his research showed him just how vast the IT sector was, indicated by the sheer volume of courses available at his chosen college, ATU Letterkenny. 

He explains: “One course immediately jumped out at me because of its title, Computing with Computer Security and Digital Forensics. It sounded incredibly interesting, and I’m certainly glad I made that choice. It was towards the end of my degree that I realised I wanted to specialise in penetration testing.”

How have you progressed in your career as quickly as you have?

I believe my quick progression comes down to curiosity. I’ve always been driven to learn new things, take on more responsibility, question the status quo to find better ways of working, and I’m always interested in helping other people.

When I first started at TCS, we had a large team, but much of the work was individual projects. I made an effort to speak to everyone, understanding how they approached their tasks. I quickly realised everyone had their own methods. This led me to create a central collaboration space where ideas could be shared, benefiting the entire team and new joiners alike.

My curiosity and fresh perspective straight out of college meant that within my first five months, I identified an opportunity for improvement with one of our applications. This was a significant career boost, demonstrating my ability and knowledge. It got me noticed by senior leadership and opened doors to new projects.

What aspects of the TCS culture do you believe make it an attractive place to begin a career?

What I truly appreciate about TCS is the incredible team environment. An office space with genuine collaboration and where you can learn from team members is invaluable, especially early in your career. Nobody at TCS wants to see you fail. There’s a robust support system ready to guide you in the right direction.

As a large consultancy, our core goal at TCS is to support clients through their technology transformation journeys. Working with numerous clients across diverse sectors means there are always opportunities to explore and specialise in areas of interest. Our clients are often undergoing significant transformations, actively seeking fresh ideas and innovative solutions, and they truly value the insights and solutions we bring.

What does a typical day look like for you?

The most exciting aspect of cybersecurity and penetration testing is that no two days are the same; you truly never know what challenges might arise. I’m fortunate to work with one of our financial services clients in the US, collaborating with an excellent team spread across the US, Ireland and India. As a lead within their offensive security team, I’m currently helping them transform their entire penetration testing programme.

As the technical lead for our teams in Ireland and India, I provide advice, guidance and support on all aspects of penetration testing. Our core goal for the client is to secure their applications and data from external threats.

Beyond that, my work is diverse and includes meeting potential new clients, building out new capabilities, developing internal training programmes, interviewing and onboarding new resources, and helping manage our team of 10 people, which we’re looking to expand by another six.

What do you enjoy most about living and working in the north-west?

I love the beauty and quiet of living in Donegal. We’re fortunate to have several large organisations here, which is fantastic for our county. These provide great opportunities for people living in the area, especially with a local university like ATU Letterkenny feeding directly into places like TCS.

I feel incredibly fortunate to have found a cybersecurity career in Donegal, working here since college and still being given opportunities to further my career with TCS, even after six years.

What advice would you give someone looking to start a career in cybersecurity or penetration testing?

We all leave college with the same degree after four years, but what truly sets you apart from everyone else? Most students haven’t considered this question, so they often don’t have an immediate answer. When I interview graduates, I’m really looking for passion and genuine interest in cybersecurity. Often, this shines through in what they’ve done outside of their degree. Here are a few things I always recommend to students.

Sign up for any IT or cybersecurity societies at your college. If there isn’t one, take the initiative to start it. Attend conferences like BSides, IRISSCON, or OWASP local chapters. Get involved in ‘capture the flag’ competitions, like Zero Days CTF or the many free online options. These are fantastic for hands-on experience and for networking with other students and industry professionals. You can even prepare for them through your college society.

Create a LinkedIn account. It’s an excellent way to connect with like-minded people, and recruiters are always on the lookout there. During summer, reach out to companies about internship programmes. They offer invaluable insight and hands-on industry experience.

If you can, pursue certifications. In Ireland, anyone can access industry-recognised certs like CompTIA Security+ or Pentest+ for free, funded by the Irish government. Research areas you’re interested in, read blogs, follow specialists, or even start a personal project.

If application penetration testing interests you, get to know OWASP – it will become your best friend in this field.

TCS are currently recruiting for application penetration testing roles. Click here to apply.

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High refresh rate gaming monitors have slowly become more affordable, but Dell’s latest launch takes that trend to a new extreme. The company has introduced two new 27-inch gaming monitors with 240Hz refresh rates starting at roughly $130, a price that would have seemed impossible for this spec just a few years ago.

The two models, the SE2726HG and SE2726HGS, focus on delivering fast, responsive gameplay at a budget-friendly price. Both displays are built around a 27-inch Full HD panel, a combination that prioritizes high frame rates and smooth motion over ultra-high resolution. For competitive gaming, that trade-off makes sense. Lower resolution reduces GPU strain and helps players reach the high frame rates needed to fully take advantage of a 240Hz refresh rate.

Speaking of which, the high refresh rate is also paired with 0.5ms response time, which is designed to minimize motion blur and input delay. For fast shooters and esports titles, this can translate into smoother tracking, clearer movement, and a more responsive feel overall. Add to that, there’s support for AMD FreeSync to help eliminate screen tearing and keep gameplay fluid when frame rates fluctuate.

Dell has also paid attention to everyday usability. The panels cover 99% of the sRGB color space, which means they are capable of delivering reasonably accurate colors for media consumption, casual content creation, and general desktop work. The only difference between the two monitors is mainly in ergonomics and design. The SE2726HGS includes an adjustable stand that allows height and tilt changes. The SE2726HG, meanwhile, sticks with a simpler stand to keep the design straightforward and accessible.

The bigger takeaway from these monitors is how much high-refresh displays have evolved. Not long ago, 240Hz screens were niche products aimed almost exclusively at professional esports players. Now, they are becoming part of the mainstream gaming conversation. Dell’s new models highlight how competitive gaming features are gradually moving into everyday setups. Smooth motion, low latency, and adaptive sync are no longer luxury upgrades but features that more players can realistically consider. For gamers building or upgrading a setup, this release signals a shift in expectations.

from the to-be-fair,-a-coup-is-ALSO-a-way-to-secure-power dept

Trump couldn’t accept the fact that he lost the 2020 election. So he stood idly by (if you believe his narrative) or urged on (if you believe your own eyes and ears) his supporters to raid the Capitol building to seize the election from the electorate. If that meant killing his own vice president, so be it.

Eventually, Trump left office, replaced by Joe Biden for a whole four years of relative sanity. Then Trump returned to office and immediately pardoned nearly every one of his supporters who had been criminally charged with federal crimes for participating in the January 20th insurrection attempt.

Since then, he and his GOP enablers have been doing everything they can to rig the next election, despite claiming to have been victims of similar election-rigging in 2020. Aggressive gerrymandering has now been superseded by seizures of voting records, attempted prosecutions of Trump’s political enemies, threats to send ICE out to engage in election suppression, and more.

The GOP has a very slim majority at the moment. GOP legislators opting to retire are now derailing pro-MAGA legislation. Democratic opposition is finally showing some signs of life. And California has responded with pro-Dem gerrymandering of its own, limiting the effectiveness of GOP members running for congressional seats.

Now that it’s starting to look like a fair fight out there in the electorate with the mid-term elections approaching, the administration is making a push to seize election power from the states in order to give Trump the congressional majority he needs to keep being as awful as he’s been since his return to office.

President Trump doubled down on his extraordinary call for the Republican Party to “nationalize” voting in the United States, even as the White House tried to walk it back and members of his own party criticized the idea.

Mr. Trump said on Tuesday that he believed the federal government should “get involved” in elections that are riddled with “corruption,” reiterating his position that the federal government should usurp state laws by exerting control over local elections.

If states “can’t count the votes legally and honestly, then somebody else should take over,” he said in the Oval Office, accusing several Democratic-run cities of corruption. “Look at some of the places — that horrible corruption on elections — and the federal government should not allow that,” he added. “The federal government should get involved.”

A nationalized election process is just a welcome wagon for autocracy. That’s why it’s never happened before, thanks to the foresight of the founding fathers who definitely weren’t interested in going back to being the subjects of a king, even if the king pretended a captive process was actually a democratic election.

And that’s why it’s being bandied about by this administration — one that clearly doesn’t care what happens to America as long it continues to remain in power. That’s also why Trump isn’t necessarily angling for a full takeover of midterm elections. He just wants to interfere in places where his lackeys have a real chance of losing elections.

During a podcast interview with Dan Bongino, his former deputy F.B.I. director, on Monday, Mr. Trump called for Republican officials to “take over” voting procedures in 15 states, though he did not name them. “The Republicans should say, ‘We want to take over,’” he said. “We should take over the voting, the voting in at least many — 15 places. The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting.”

No sentence should ever begin with “during a podcast interview with Dan Bongino” and end with an actual sitting president stating he should be allowed to “take over” the midterm elections in a select number of areas where his supporters aren’t likely to win.

None of this matters to Trump, however. Blessed with a lack of foresight or hindsight, Trump ventured out into the relative safety of his favorite conflict of interest — Truth Social — to ensure Americans that he hasn’t ruled anything out when it comes to actually stealing an election. (h/t Derek Guy and his preservation efforts)

If you can’t see/read the embed, consider yourself blessed. Consider yourself cursed (and feel free to do as much cursing as you feel is necessary) if you choose to read on. Here’s the entirety of Trump’s “it’s coup time baby!” Truth Social post:

The Democrats refuse to vote for Voter I.D., or Citizenship. The reason is very simple — They want to continue to cheat in Elections. This was not what our Founders desired. I have searched the depths of Legal Arguments not yet articulated or vetted on this subject, and will be presenting an irrefutable one in the very near future. There will be Voter I.D. for the Midterm Elections, whether approved by Congress or not! Also, the People of our Country are insisting on Citizenship, and No Mail-In Ballots, with exceptions for Military, Disability, Illness, or Travel. Thank you for your attention to this matter! PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP

These are not the words of a well person. These are certainly not the words of anyone you’d want to have the driver’s keys to a nation, much less the access code to an apartment pool.

Someone who thinks the answer to his hostile takeover of the American election process can be justified by “Legal Arguments not yet articulated or vetted” is the same sort of person who thinks they’re only days away from perfecting a perpetual motion machine or discovering the secret to eternal life.

But while that part of the post may be comically delusional, it’s the next sentence that’s far more worrying. This is the president claiming he will mandate his version of “Voter I.D.” at the polls, whether it’s legal or not.

And it definitely won’t be legal. Almost every effort the administration has made to disenfranchise voters, alter long-standing election rules, and eliminate voters not likely to side with Trump and the GOP has resulted in lawsuits. Very little of this litigation is settled. And what little of it has been settled has resulted in a loss for Trump.

The GOP’s efforts to codify Trump’s baseless voter fraud conspiracy theories haven’t had much more success. What has managed to move forward is largely redundant, but with the added bonus of allowing Trump’s DOJ to prosecute election officials if the administration believes (hallucinates) local officials didn’t do enough (whatever that means) to dissuade non-citizens from voting.

But this is exactly the sort of thing Trump loves, even if he possibly knows there’s no factual basis for the accusations and insinuations he’s making. If his GOP counterparts lose elections during the midterm, he’ll be the first to start mouthing off about immigrants and “illegal” votes. If his boys win, he’ll take credit for the “fair” election. And the conspiracy theories will return to the slow boil until they’re needed in 2028.

Filed Under: bullshit, donald trump, election interference, gop, losers, trump administration, voter intimidation

The creator economy is evolving fast, and ad revenue alone isn’t cutting it anymore. YouTubers are launching product lines, acquiring startups, and building actual business empires. In fact, MrBeast’s company bought fintech startup Step, and his chocolate business is outearning his media arm. This isn’t just one creator’s strategy. For many, it’s the new playbook. 

On this episode of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, hosts Kirsten Korosec, Anthony Ha, and Rebecca Bellan unpack how creators are diversifying beyond ads, whether their model can scale beyond the top 1%, everything happing at India’s AI Impact Summit, and more of the week’s headlines.

This week, things were a little quieter as we await the reveals of Samsung Unpacked next week, but that’s not to say it was boring.

YouTube went down, Apple teased its next product event, and Discord rivals crashed under the weight of new users fleeing to their platforms.