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Tech

SpaceX launches new V3 Starlink satellites but suffers another booster failure

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SpaceX successfully deployed the first third-generation Starlink satellites on Friday using an upgraded version of its prototype Starship — the 13th test flight of its mega-rocket to date. But the company suffered another failure with its Super Heavy booster during a planned simulated landing in the Gulf of Mexico.

It’s the second time the company has had an issue with the Super Heavy booster on this V3 version of Starship. In May, on the first Starship V3 flight, SpaceX encountered a failure of the Starship’s Super Heavy booster as it separated from the upper stage of the rocket. SpaceX was able to perform a simulated landing of the upper stage of Starship during Friday’s launch after it deployed the Starlink satellites.

The launch came a little more than a week after SpaceX tried to conduct the 13th Starship launch. That attempt had to abort immediately after ignition due to a number of rocket engine failures. SpaceX said it replaced six engines ahead of Friday’s flight to fix the problem.

During Friday’s launch, the booster made it farther into its planned flight but wasn’t able to properly fire up all of the engines required for its simulated landing burn. The booster exploded after a faster-than-expected impact with the water.

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This was the first launch of Starship since SpaceX went public in June in the largest IPO in history. In a test of SpaceX’s “fly, fail, fix” approach to Starship development, the company saw its stock decline last week in the day following the launch abort. The dip is part of a larger downward trend since the IPO that has seen the company’s stock drop from a peak of more than $200 per share to $115 at the close of trading on Friday. In after-hours trading, SpaceX shares fell another 2% following the booster failure, before paring some of those losses.

SpaceX had better luck with the Starship V3 upper stage during Friday’s launch. The upper stage lost a rocket engine during the first V3 launch in May. That didn’t happen this time around, as Starship encountered no issues on its way to deploying the new Starlinks. The Ship, as the company calls it, was able to survive the harsh forces of atmospheric reentry and perform a simulated landing in the Indian Ocean roughly one hour after liftoff.

Unlike previous Starship missions, the Ship didn’t explode when it tipped over into the water. The Ship instead floated around in the water, giving SpaceX a chance to use a drone to closely examine the heat shield tiles on its belly.

The new Starlink satellites burned up in the atmosphere roughly 20 minutes after deployment, as Starship still isn’t capable of reaching Earth orbit. SpaceX was able to communicate with all of them while they were in space, marking a step forward for that program, which is the only profitable part of the company’s business.

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The ability to deploy the more capable V3 Starlink satellites improves the economics of the company’s capital-hungry space internet network. SpaceX has said launching 60 of the new satellites on Starship is a “potential twenty-fold increase” in downlink capacity deployed versus those flown by a single Falcon 9.

However, it’s not clear if SpaceX can realize those gains if Starship expends the Super Heavy booster rather than reusing it. SpaceX’s S-1 said that without a fully-reusable Starship, progress on Starlink “would be at a slower pace and higher cost.”

With assistance from Tim Fernholz.

When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

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15 Of The Top Lowe’s Summer Items You Can Buy

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Summer ushers in sweltering temperatures, long nights full of backyard parties, cookouts, and campfires, and a desire to clean and organize your vehicle, lawn, and garage, which is arguably odd considering how hot the days can get. That said, to get your home looking ready for hangouts with friends and family, a little bit of cleaning and organizing is necessary, so we see the connection.

For gadgets to beat the heat (and bugs), foldable finds that stash easily in your garage, and great practical items to get your home party-ready, head to Lowe’s. The retailer has great summer savings on offer across multiple categories, from must-have DIY gadgets to adorable mini tools everyone can appreciate and top-tier power tools and equipment. We’ve gathered up some of the best items you can grab at Lowe’s for the summer. (Note that while prices are accurate at the time of writing, pricing as well as availability can vary by location.)

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Kobalt 7-Inch Personal Fan

Even those who declare summer their favorite season can’t deny that some summer days are simply too hot. If you can’t ditch your DIY projects at home to head to the pool or the beach to cool off, this Kobalt 7-Inch Personal Fan will serve you well. It delivers air flow up to 600 cubic feet per minute (CFM) at max speed, though you can adjust the fan’s speed lower as needed with five different speeds in total. At its lowest speed setting, this little fan can last up to 60 hours on a single charge using a Kobalt 24-volt max battery (sold separately).

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This small fan measures 18 inches high and 14 inches wide, has a 7-inch fan diameter, and weighs only 5.5 pounds, all of which make it ideal for carrying around between your garage, the backyard, and even out to soccer games or jobsites. Its ability to switch between standing on its own and being hung paired with its multi-position, 180-degree fan head rotation make it a great add anywhere. It retails for $119, but because it’s a hot summer item at Lowe’s, it’s often discounted or attached to some type of deal, like a free battery and charger with your purchase.

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Weber Spirit E-325 Gas Grill

It just doesn’t feel like summer without at least a few nights spent cooking up good food in the backyard, and that’s why a new grill is always going to be one of the top summer items you can buy. Whether your old grill is hanging on by a thread and needs replacing, or you’re adding one to your backyard setup for the first time, the Weber Spirit E-325 Gas Grill is could be a great option. At full price, it’s a $549 investment, but if you’re able to wait for a sale, you can snag it for less.

This gas grill features porcelain-enameled cast iron grates that leave meat and veggies with appetizing sear marks, Snap-Jet Ignition that allows you to ignite individual burners by simply turning the appropriate knob with one hand, and scratch-resistant Hammertone metal side tables that can fold down when not needed. There are also a slew of optional snap-on accessories made for Weber grills, sold separately, that can attach to the side tables to make grilling easier, including tool hooks, a bottle holder, flexible lighting, and a condiment holder.

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Harbor Breeze Indoor/Outdoor String Light

One of the easiest ways to jazz up your backyard and get it ready for summer parties is adding string lights, but you have to make sure they’re properly rated for outdoor use, like this $49.98 Harbor Breeze String Light at Lowe’s. With shatter-resistant plastic bulbs and an IP65 rating, these lights are dust-tight and protected against water jets from any direction, meaning they’ll withstand light rain, snow, heavy thunderstorms, and extremely windy and dusty conditions. Just in case there is any damage to the bulbs or the fuses, this set includes two replacement bulbs and one replacement fuse.

Depending on the size of your backyard and where exactly you want to hang outdoor string lights, you might be good with one 48-foot String Light from Harbor Breeze or you might need to budget for two or three. Across the 48-foot string, there are 18 Edison-style LED bulbs producing warm white light that adds a nice ambience to summer dinners and parties. Or if you’d rather invest in a permanent solution, check out these highly rated permanent outdoor lights.

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Orbit 7-Pattern Rear Trigger Nozzle

With hotter summer temperatures, your garden generally needs more water to stay happy and healthy. If you don’t have a sprinkler system set up, or you simply prefer watering all your plants by hand, adding a nozzle to your water hose can make the chore easier and faster. And luckily, most nozzles aren’t that expensive. This Orbit Nozzle at Lowe’s retails for only $7.98 and it offers quite a few quality-of-life features for that single-digit price.

This hose nozzle allows for seven different spray patterns, which are described as shower, flat, center, cone, full, mist, and jet. You can use gentle watering, like shower or mist, for some plants, a powerful jet stream for dirty plant pots, and play around with other spray patterns to find their best use. The nozzle has a rear trigger that’s comfortable to engage, and there’s a simple trigger lock feature that lets you sustain whichever spray pattern you selected without having to constantly hold down the trigger. The handle is also insulated, so you don’t have to worry about it being too hot in the summer or too cold in the fall or winter when you want to use it.

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Project Source five-tier Utility Shelving Unit

A lot of us don’t necessarily have extra time in the summer, but because we want to be outside more soaking up the sun, the urge to sort through and organize the garage can be quite strong. One of the best Lowe’s finds to help organize your garage is this five-tier Utility Shelving Unit by Project Source. It retails for $104.98, but if you’re lucky, you can lower your out-of-pocket costs with summer savings at Lowe’s.

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The whole unit is made with hard plastic that’s easy to keep clean, resistant to mold, and sturdy. The shelves are ventilated to prevent moisture buildup, measure 20 inches deep by 48 inches wide, and can hold up to 200 pounds. With five shelves in total, this entire unit can hold up to 1,000 pounds of power tools, holiday decorations, childhood memorabilia, and more. Aside from the top shelf that has unlimited vertical space, there’s 14.5 inches between each shelf, giving plenty of space to store common tote bin sizes.

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Thermacell Charcoal Mosquito Repeller

Summer nights can be magical, full of bonfires, cookouts, and pool parties, but one thing can always ruin the night: mosquitos. Rather than cover up with long sleeves and pants or cover yourself in sticky (and stinky) bug spray, Lowe’s has this Thermacell Charcoal Mosquito Repeller. Just place it on a surface central to your get together, press a button to activate it, and then enjoy protection against mosquitos within 20 feet of the device.

To start you off, there’s 12 hours of mosquito repellent included with your $39.98 purchase of the device. After that, a two-count refill pack currently costs $38.98 and gets you a total of 72 hours worth of mosquito repellent. The repellant uses Thermacell’s proprietary formula that’s been proven to repel mosquitos, even those carrying EEE and West Nile Virus, from within 20 feet of the device. To activate heat and start repelling mosquitos, all you have to do is make sure the device has enough charge to last through your event and push a button. On a full charge, the battery can last up to 5.5 hours.

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Z-Shade Pop-Up Canopy

Whether you’re in an area that gets dry or humid heat, you’ll feel even hotter in direct sunlight with no shade. If you don’t have a huge tree, an covered patio, or anything else in your backyard that can provide you with shade in the summer heat, you might consider buying this Pop-Up Canopy from Z-Shade. It’s surprisingly affordable at $98 full price and it’s a convenient addition to your yard for summer, especially if you plan on hosting any daytime parties with friends and family.

The 10-foot by 10-foot slant leg steel frame is a single piece with adjustable and extendable legs, which makes it super easy to set up with zero tools, and it’s been white powder-coated for resistance to rust and overall durability. Attaching to the steel frame is the blue, 150-denier canopy that features a silver undercoating and provides 50+ UV protection. With the canopy set up on the frame, it delivers 64 square feet of shade coverage. When you’re ready to take it down and head inside, there’s a zippered carry bag with wheels that neatly fits all the components.

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Origin Portable Fire Pit

Summer bonfires can be legendary, but not everyone has the space to safely set one up in their backyard, and many cities might have burn bans in place during high temperatures. A good alternative to the traditional bonfire is the Origin Portable Fire Pit, which retails for only $94 at Lowe’s right now. That said, some cities also restrict open burning altogether, which would include this fire pit, so be sure to check your local laws to see what’s allowed in your area.

This Origin Fire Pit features a 28-inch deep fire bowl with a powder-coated finish that’s made for high temperatures, a poker so you can safely stoke the fire from afar, and a mesh screen cover to help contain the fire and prevent items from accidentally falling inside the bowl. In addition to stoking the flames, the poker can hook around the ring on top of the mesh screen and lower it into place if the fire is already roaring when you’re ready to cover it.

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Craftsman String Trimmer and Leaf Blower Combo

Lawn work isn’t the most exciting summer chore, but someone has to do it, and you might as well make the task as easy as possible for yourself. Enter: this handy combination of a Craftsman String Trimmer and Leaf Blower. Together, these two power tools retail for $169, but Lowe’s is usually running some kind of deal on them to bring that price down to a more manageable number.

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Both lawn tools use a 4Ah battery, and there’s one included (along with a charger for the battery) with this bundle, so you can swap between them as needed. The string trimmer is equipped with a turn-to-edge feature, an integrated wheeled edge guide, a wide 10-inch cutting swath, and an automatic feed spool for convenience. Then, the blower provides up to 200 CFM (and up to 90 mph) of air flow, more than enough to clear your sidewalks, driveway, and garage of leaves, grass, dirt, and other small debris. This Craftsman blower model also comes with an integrated nozzle scraper to help remove stuck-on debris.

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Greenworks 3,000 PSI Pressure Washer

To get your driveway, sidewalks, and home looking all spick and span for your next summer bash, you need a pressure washer. The Greenworks 3,000 PSI Pressure Washer retails for $449, and if that’s too steep a price even with potential summer discounts, you could look into Lowe’s Lease to Own program to bring down the upfront cost. Or, consider Greenworks’ 2,000 PSI Pressure Washer instead for a slightly less powerful, more affordable option in the long run.

With the help of a continuous-run brushless motor and pump that function like gas-powered pressure washers, the Greenworks 3,000 PSI pressure washer can push out a max water flow of 2 gallons per minute (GPM). Depending on which included nozzle you opt for, this max could dip to 1.1 GPM. This model comes with five different spray nozzles (Turbo, Soap, 15 degrees, 25 degrees, and 40 degrees), a metal spray gun, a 25-foot kink-resistant hose, and a 1-gallon, built-in soap tank. It’s easy to maneuver from place to place, thanks to 10-inch, never-flat wheels, and you can store it vertically in your garage so it doesn’t take up much space.

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Armor All 2-in-1 Foam Cannon

When you feel like simultaneously cooling off in water and being productive, a solid option is cleaning your car. This 2-in-1 Foam Cannon from Armor All is one of the best car accessories you can pick up at Lowe’s, and all you need to set it up for the first time is a garden hose or a pressure washer. For the best clean, Armor All recommends a pressure washer, which can be gas or electric and offer a pressure range between 500 and 3,500 PSI. However, if a garden hose is all you have, it’ll get the job done.

The $41.58 kit comes with an adapter each for a garden hose and a pressure washer and a foam cannon featuring a wide non-tip bottle, a non-slip grip, and a 40-ounce reservoir for water and car wash soap with marked lines to make measuring easier. For particularly dirty spots, you can apply some extra car wash soap before foam spraying the entire car.

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Blackstone Stainless Steel Tool Set

If you already have a grill you love, Lowe’s has plenty of great grilling accessories you can shop this summer. We’re fond of this $59.99 Blackstone Six-Piece Tool Set that could be perfect for cooking a variety of foods, including pancakes and eggs, burgers, steaks, vegetables, and more. The set includes two spatulas, an angled griddle scraper, one pair of scraper tongs, and two 16-ounce squeeze bottles. The squeeze bottles are made with plastic and the other tools are formed from stainless steel, and every piece in this set is dishwasher safe for easy cleanup.

These scraper tongs allow you to handle hot food without hurting yourself, and the angled scraper is designed to help you remove any grease buildup, stuck-on food, or other tough messes. There are two potential uses for the squeeze bottles; you can use one or both to hold sauces or cooking oil, or keep water in one and use it for cleaning the grill while it’s still hot. Then, the two spatulas can be used for flipping, of course, or breaking up foods while cooking.

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Kobalt Four-Drawer Rolling Tool Cabinet

This Kobalt Four-Drawer Rolling Tool Cabinet could be a solid buy if you need a way to both organize your tool collection and conveniently cart it around the garage with you. It’s a pricey investment at $269, but its ample storage capacity, helpful built-in features, and well-built design make it compelling and potentially a great product to have on hand in the garage.

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With four locking drawers and a top compartment, this rolling cart offers 12,600 cubic inches of storage space. The two small drawers on top can support up to 22 pounds each, the two large drawers can hold up to 77 pounds each, and the top compartment supports 88 pounds. And even if you have it loaded to max capacity, it’ll still move around smoothly, thanks to four 5-inch caster wheels. All four wheels can swivel, and two can be locked to hold the cabinet in place.

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RTIC 32-Quart Hard Insulated Cooler

An insulated hard cooler is handy in the summer for camping, sports games, backyard parties, and even grilling sessions with just your immediate family. At $159, this RTIC 32-Quart Hard Insulated Cooler is steep, but RTIC is a cooler brand known for delivering high-quality products that last and keep food and drinks super cold. This 32-Quart cooler in particular is equipped with up to 2.5 inches of closed-cell foam insulation, which is designed to keep the cooler’s contents cold for up to five days — at least when following RTIC’s cooling recommendations.

As part of RTIC’s Ultra-Light lineup, the company estimates it to be about 30% lighter than other similarly sized, rotomolded coolers, weighing in at just under 15 pounds with no contents inside. The cooler can hold up to 48 cans at once and comes with comfortable rope handles, non-skid rubber feet, molded tie-down slots, dual drain holes, a silicone cargo net, and a built-in stainless steel bottle opener.

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Mr. Bar-B-Q and Scrub Daddy Steam Clean BBQ Brush

This XL Steam Clean BBQ Brush could be a great accessory for anyone who already has a grill they love, and it’s affordable, retailing for just $19.98. Created in partnership by Mr. Bar-B-Q and Scrub Daddy, this brush is equipped with a heavy duty scraper for grease buildup and, attached to the back of the scraper, a bristle-free, stainless steel Armortec mesh sponge for every other kind of mess imaginable.

The brush doesn’t require any specific cleaning agents to help it clean. Instead, it uses only water, or more specifically, steam. After the grill has been preheated to 300 degrees Fahrenheit, you dunk the brush’s scrubbing head into ice cold water and then start cleaning away. According to its listing, the brush can tackle burnt-on food and stuck-on grease without shedding, but this could depend on just how dirty your grill grates are, as some customers report shedding or peeling after only a few uses.

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Methodology

To create this collection of top Lowe’s finds, we followed a set of simple guidelines. Most importantly, each item needed to fit the summer theme we’re going for, whether it was an item for summer fun like a grill or a fire pit, or something practical like lawn tools or storage solutions for your garage. Then, to ensure an item has built up a solid reputation for being one of the best Lowe’s has to offer, it needed to have a minimum of 150 total reviews and at least a 4-star average rating.

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After four generations of camera stagnation, the Galaxy S27 might finally get a new main sensor

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Samsung might finally be ready to stop recycling the same main camera hardware on its standard Galaxy S phones, which it introduced with the Galaxy S22. GalaxyClub reports that some Galaxy S27 and Galaxy S27+ prototypes are being tested with a new 50MP Sony sensor for the main camera.

Such a move would break Samsung’s long-running preference for its own ISOCELL hardware in the primary cameras of Galaxy S phones, even if the resolution remains unchanged.

What could change with the main camera?

The Galaxy S27 and S27+ are still expected to use a 50MP main camera, but megapixels only tell part of the story. A newer Sony sensor could capture more light, improve dynamic range, reduce noise, and give Samsung’s image processing better raw data to work with.

Samsung has managed to improve photo quality across several generations through better software, newer processors, and more advanced computational photography. Still, there is only so much processing can do when the underlying sensor barely changes. A new main sensor would therefore be a welcome upgrade, especially after an earlier report suggested the standard Galaxy S27 could reuse much of the same camera hardware again.

There is still no guarantee that the Sony sensor will make it into the final phones. The S27 series is also still early in development, leaving plenty of time for these plans to change.

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What about the rest of the cameras?

The main camera may be changing, but the ultrawide appears far less exciting. GalaxyClub says the Galaxy S27 and S27+ are expected to keep a 12MP ultrawide camera. Samsung may be saving the larger upgrades for the more expensive models. Previous reports suggest the Galaxy S27 Pro and S27 Ultra could feature 50MP ultrawide and telephoto cameras, along with a new 16MP selfie camera.

If these reports hold up, the standard Galaxy S27 models could finally get a better main camera while their secondary hardware stays familiar. I will believe the Sony switch when Samsung makes it official, but it is at least a more encouraging rumor than another year of unchanged sensors.

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How Many Outlets Can You Put On A 20 Amp Circuit?

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There are some electrical mistakes you don’t want to make in your home and if you’re unfamiliar with how circuits work, it’s helpful to know the basics. For example, a 20-amp circuit can typically handle around 10 standard outlets, though there isn’t a specific number that automatically causes the circuit to become unsafe. The real concern is the devices that will be plugged into those outlets and how much power they will actually use.

Everyday devices like computers, TVs, gaming consoles, smartphone chargers, fans, and other small electronics typically don’t place a heavy demand on a 20-amp circuit. This is especially true when they’re used individually, as they draw a relatively small amount of power overall. But when multiple high-power devices like coffee makers, hair dryers, microwaves, and toasters are used at the same time, problems could potentially occur. That’s because fewer of these items can safely operate on the same circuit, whether they’re plugged into the same outlet or different outlets on that circuit.

Some appliances require their own 20-amp circuit, which means the circuit isn’t shared with other household outlets. That’s because they draw considerably more power or operate for longer periods of time. This can include appliances like dishwashers, garbage disposals, washing machines, large window air conditioners, and portable heaters, among others. This is why the specific amount of electricity required for connected devices is just as important as the number of outlets a circuit can handle.

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Inside circuit limits and outlet ratings

If too many outlets are put on a circuit, it can lead to some serious problems. It could be something as annoying as tripped breakers, which must be reset before electrical outlets can work again. You could also notice that something is off about your affected appliances or devices, which may not perform as they normally do. But things can get much worse, as too many outlets or high-power items can put stress on the electrical wiring and possibly cause a fire.

A circuit’s amp rating helps determine just how much electrical demand it can safely support. For example, a circuit rated at 20 amps is designed to carry that specific number, but using full capacity continuously is not recommended. This is why it’s good to follow the 80% rule for circuit breakers when a device or combination of devices will run over extended periods of time. That means keeping longer-lasting loads around 16 amps on a 20-amp circuit.

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It also helps to know that outlets installed on a 20-amp circuit do not necessarily need to match that amp number. For example, 15-amp outlets can be put on a 20-amp circuit as long as the circuit itself is properly wired and meets all electrical requirements. The difference is that the circuit rating refers to the amount of current the circuit can safely carry, while the actual outlet rating represents the type of outlet being used.



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‘The government has all but forgotten that most data centres require water to cool their systems’: Industry trade board warns UK government over data center thirst for resources

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  • UK plans include trebling data center capacity (and likely, water consumption) by 2030
  • Daily average consumption doesn’t reflect peak demand during times of stress
  • Water UK sets out three considerations to prepare for increased demand

Despite the nation wanting to treble its data center capacity by 2030, a key trade body has warned British government policies have not considered the rising demand for water.

At the moment, England’s water resources forecasts, for example, exclude the likes of data centers and gigafactories.

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Leak details Ryzen 7 9800HX3D, AMD’s first affordable 3D V-cache laptop CPU

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Rumor mill: AMD’s well-regarded 3D V-Cache tech has so far been almost exclusive to socketed desktop CPUs. But if a new leak proves accurate, shoppers hunting for a high-end gaming laptop next year could get a genuine new alternative to Intel.

Prominent tipster Golden Pig Upgrade claims that AMD is developing a new Zen 5 laptop CPU equipped with 3D V-cache. The chip’s tentative naming suggests it could land in relatively affordable mid-to-high-end gaming laptops.

Ryzen desktop CPUs equipped with 3D V-Cache, distinguished by the “X3D” moniker, pack massive L3 cache reserves that often significantly boost gaming performance. So far, though, the only laptop X3D chip is the flagship Ryzen 9 9955HX3D. Its 16-core, 32-thread configuration, 5.4GHz clock speed, and 128MB of L3 cache are likely overkill for even many high-end games. The chip typically shows up in pricey gaming laptops such as the $2,000+ Asus ROG Strix G16.

According to the leaker, AMD initially planned to call the upcoming chip the Ryzen 7 9755HX3D but will instead launch it as the 9800HX3D. Either way, it’s expected to be the lowest-tier option among Ryzen 9000 laptop chips.

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Its 8-core, 16-thread configuration and 5.1GHz clock speed put it below even the 12-core 9850HX, but its 96MB of L3 cache should give it an edge in certain gaming workloads over the 9850HX’s 64MB – all while potentially landing in lower-priced laptops.

The leaker claims AMD plans to begin mass production of the Ryzen 7 9800HX3D in the fourth quarter of 2026. The company could launch the chip before year’s end, but a CES 2027 unveiling looks more likely.

Bigger L3 caches have helped AMD steadily chip away at Intel’s dominance in desktop gaming CPUs ever since the original 5800X3D launched in 2022. AMD recently re-issued that chip to mark the AM4 socket’s 10th anniversary and give shoppers a relatively affordable option as the ongoing RAM shortage keeps inflating prices across the industry.

TechSpot’s review found that, while its $350 price tag isn’t ideal, the 5800X3D 10th Anniversary Edition remains the best option for AM4 owners who can’t afford the DDR5 memory needed to move to AM5.

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Intel has yet to answer 3D V-Cache in the desktop space, and it still dominates the laptop gaming CPU market overall. The 9800HX3D alone probably won’t turn the tide there, but it could still stand as a significant statement of intent from AMD.

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Iran-linked group caught hiding surveillance tools in fake apps

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  • Recorded Future found an Iran-linked group spreading spyware
  • The malware is delivered through fake VPN and media player apps
  • Researchers assess that most targets are Iranian users

A new report from Recorded Future’s Insikt Group describes a campaign that inverts the whole point of a privacy tool: fake VPN apps built specifically to spy on the people who install them.

Researchers have linked fresh infrastructure to an Iran-nexus threat cluster they track as TAG-182, which is using fake VPN and media player downloads to allegedly deliver a surveillance tool called MarkiRAT. The group is “highly likely” to be targeting Iranians living inside and outside the country, the report says.

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New Jersey Bans Surveillance Pricing, Puts the Brakes on Electronic Shelf Labels

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A new law set to go into effect next year bars grocery stores in New Jersey from setting prices based on any given shopper’s personal data.

The Fair Price Protection Act seeks to outlaw surveillance pricing that discriminates against individual customers by using personal information like their purchasing history or online activity.

“New Jersey families are already feeling the pressure of higher costs,” Gov. Mikie Sherrill said in a statement. “The last thing they need is companies secretly using their personal data to charge them more than someone else for the exact same product.”

Penalties for retailers could include fines of up to $10,000 for a first offense, $20,000 for subsequent violations and the potential for cease and desist orders and the assessment of punitive damages.

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The law also includes a provision that pauses new electronic shelf labels for a year while the state studies their effect on surveillance pricing.

Two other states, Maryland and Connecticut, have recently enacted laws meant to protect consumer privacy, particularly when it comes to grocery prices. Other states including New York and California are considering similar new laws. Last year, the state of New York set rules requiring businesses to disclose to customers when they are setting prices based on algorithms.

What constitutes surveillance pricing

Some state laws have focused on algorithmic pricing, which could include companies using AI to coordinate on price-fixing, which is the subject of a lawsuit in California over gas prices. That’s closer in line to what people know to be surge pricing, where a company such as Uber might raise prices when roadways are busy and demand is high for its services.

Surveillance pricing, however, typically means that a retailer has personal information from its customers, say through a loyalty or discount shopping program, that it uses to set different prices for different shoppers.

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According to the Electronic Privacy Information Center, personal data and market data are being used by retailers to determine the highest price a customer is willing to pay, leading to higher prices.

“This undermines consumer expectations of fairness and can amount to violations of state consumer protection law,” EPIC said on its website. “The price differences may also be discriminatory on the basis of protected characteristics, such as race and gender.”

The Federal Trade Commission has been investigating these types of practices. In a report on surveillance pricing last year, the FTC found that companies may be picking and choosing which customers have access to discounts in order to incentivize infrequent buyers to make purchases.

Separately, Consumer Reports found that AI price experimentation can result in hundreds or thousands of dollars in higher grocery bills for customers using services such as Instacart.

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In a statement about the New Jersey law, EPIC applauded the action but pointed to more that needs to be done, including “expanding the law’s scope beyond the grocery store context, narrowing the law’s exemption for loyalty programs, and clarifying some key definitions.”

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One of NASA’s Most Important Deep Space Observatories Hit by Spanish Wildfires

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Climate change has now become a problem for the whole solar system. On Friday, wildfires in Spain overran one of three observatories the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration uses to connect with spacecraft, including Voyager 1, the James Webb Space Telescope, and the recently completed Artemis mission around the Moon.

Spain declared a wildfire emergency as multiple blazes burned out of control near Madrid, with evacuation orders in place for 60,000 people. The affected area includes Robledo de Chavela, a municipality near the Deep Space Communications Complex run by NASA.

Dramatic images captured by news photographers showed the radio telescopes surrounded by smoke and fire. A NASA spokesperson said in an email to WIRED that the agency successfully evacuated all personnel.

They added that while the fire has now passed through the observatory complex, it remains unclear what impact the flames may have had on the sensitive equipment inside. “Any potential damage will be assessed when it is safe to do so,” the spokesperson said. They add that if conditions allow, a site assessment could happen as soon as Saturday.

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For now, NASA said it has “seamlessly transitioned support for mission operations to the Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex in California, ensuring continuity of service and uninterrupted support for spacecraft communications.”

The facility in Spain, along with the others in Canberra, Australia, and Goldstone, California, make up what NASA calls the “largest and most sensitive scientific telecommunications system in the world.” The network allows NASA to transmit information from Earth to spacecraft, including the most distant human-made object in our solar system, Voyager 1. It’s also used to transfer data from the James Webb Space Telescope and send commands to other space vehicles. Oh, and the sites also contribute to radio astronomy observations. Suffice to say, it’s a very important collection of instruments for understanding the solar system.

Spain is far from the only country facing a wildfire crisis. Blazes are also burning out of control in France, where beachgoers saw skies turn orange and waves of ash washing ashore as firefighters worked to stop flames from spreading into the eponymous capital of the Bordeaux wine region.

“We learned in the middle of the afternoon that, following the wind shift, it had become a large, self-sustaining fire that is extremely difficult to bring under control,” French interior minister Laurent Nunez told national television channel Tf1. “It is now moving east, toward the Bordeaux metropolitan area. We are going to reorganize our response so we can fight it from the ground and prevent it from advancing.”

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Roughly 200,000 people have been told to evacuate across the two countries.

Europe has seen record high temperatures this summer, driven by repeated heat domes camping over the continent and the UK, as well as climate change. Hot weather can dry out vegetation, priming forests to burn when hit by an errant spark. Similar stories have played out in other parts of the world recently, from Ontario, Canada, to the US Pacific Northwest.

Cooler weather is expected to arrive in the Mediterranean over the weekend, which should help firefighters get a handle on the blazes. But the respite will be short: Temperatures are expected to shoot up again on Monday and keep climbing throughout the week, eventually reaching up to 10 degrees Celsius (18 degrees Fahrenheit) above normal. That could worsen any wildfires in Spain or France that may still be burning—or help spark new ones.

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This $10 deal gets you Windows 11 Pro for life

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A lifetime Windows 11 Pro license normally costs $199, and right now it’s down to just $9.97.

That’s a 94% saving on the full Pro edition rather than the stripped-back Home version, and it removes any recurring fee from the equation entirely, swapping a subscription for one single, permanent payment you’ll never see again.

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This $10 deal gets you windows pro for life, no subscription, no catch

With BitLocker encryption and Hyper-V virtualisation included, a lifetime Windows 11 Pro license is down to $9.97 from $199, a 94% saving

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That distinction matters most if you ever touch development work, IT administration or anything at all that leans on enterprise-grade tools alongside the everyday Windows experience most people already know well from their own PC.

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BitLocker device encryption comes standard here, locking down your entire disk so a lost laptop or a stolen drive doesn’t quietly turn into a costly data breach layered on top of an already stressful inconvenience.

Hyper-V and Windows Sandbox let you spin up virtual machines or test unfamiliar apps in a fully isolated environment, keeping anything untrusted well away from the files and programs you actually rely on every day.

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None of that comes at the expense of the everyday Windows 11 experience, since Snap layouts, DirectX 12 Ultimate for gaming, biometric sign-in and Copilot built directly into the taskbar are all included as standard.

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It’s worth checking your PC’s compatibility with Microsoft’s free PC Health Check app before buying, since this license is meant for machines that need a fresh Windows license rather than ones already eligible for a free upgrade.

Redemption is instant, with a code delivered by email straight after purchase, though it only covers a single PC and needs to be claimed within 30 days, so this genuinely isn’t one to sit on.

At $9.97 instead of $199, paying just once for Windows 11 Pro and never having to pay again is about as close to a genuinely no-catch software deal as you’re likely to find right now.

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Two Volkswagen engineers charged with insider trading tied to Rivian joint venture

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DOJ charges two VW engineers with insider trading for buying Rivian stock before the joint venture announcement

Federal prosecutors on Friday arrested two Volkswagen engineers in San Jose, California, and charged them with insider trading for buying Rivian stock before VW’s multibillion-dollar joint venture with the electric vehicle maker was publicly announced. Michael Stamp and Marcus Plank, both based at VW’s US operations, each face one count of federal securities fraud carrying a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison. The indictment, filed by the US Attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York, alleges the two men used confidential knowledge of the partnership, internally codenamed Project Climb, to purchase Rivian shares in the weeks before the deal was revealed on June 25, 2024.

Stamp allegedly made approximately $250,000 in profits from his trades, while Plank netted roughly $50,000, according to the indictment. A family member of Plank also purchased Rivian shares and made about $12,000, prosecutors said. Rivian’s stock rose 23 percent on the day the joint venture was announced, rewarding anyone who had bought shares in advance.

The indictment includes details that suggest the defendants were aware of the legal risks. Stamp allegedly searched “statute of limitations insider trading” on Google eight days before the joint venture was announced, according to prosecutors. A family member of Plank searched the same phrase in German, the indictment states.

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The joint venture at the centre of the case has since grown into one of the most consequential partnerships in the automotive industry. Originally valued at five billion dollars, it has expanded to nearly six billion dollars and is focused on developing software-defined vehicle architecture for VW’s next-generation cars, even as Rivian pushes into the mass market with its R2 SUV. VW overtook Amazon as Rivian’s largest shareholder in May with a stake of nearly 16 percent after a one billion dollar share purchase tied to a software milestone.

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The case is being prosecuted by the same SDNY office that charged a Google engineer with insider trading on Polymarket in May, part of a broader federal push to pursue corporate insiders who exploit non-public information in the technology and automotive sectors. Both defendants were arrested in San Jose and are expected to appear before Judge Katherine Polk Failla in the Southern District of New York. The case was announced by US Attorney Jay Clayton, who has made insider trading enforcement a priority for the office.

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