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Pixel 11 review: Google sets the bar for standard flagship phones
The Guardian’s review of Google’s Pixel 11 finds it continues to set the benchmark for standard flagship smartphones, offering long battery life, a faster chip, useful AI features and strong cameras that keep it ahead of Android rivals. The base model retains the design and build quality of its predecessors while improving on performance and…
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Hundreds of Bathla staff sacked amid desperate negotiations to keep property developer afloat
Around 200 staff at Australian property developer Bathla Group have been stood down as administrators race to secure emergency funding to keep the firm operating. The company, which entered voluntary administration in late August owing a reported $3.3 billion, is at risk of being wound up if lenders do not agree to a rescue deal,…
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SAS is facing battle with developers ‘who are planning hundreds of houses near its headquarters’
The Ministry of Defence is opposing plans to build up to 250 homes next to Stirling Lines, the Herefordshire base of the SAS, over fears the development could enable espionage or sabotage. Officials argue that housing so close to the site’s high-security perimeter would create new opportunities for visual intelligence gathering and trespass, while also…
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Richard Osman Teases ‘We Solve Murders’ Series Adaptation In Works At Netflix
Author Richard Osman has hinted that his 2024 crime novel We Solve Murders is being developed as a television series at Netflix, a year after the streamer adapted his earlier bestseller The Thursday Murder Club. Speaking on BBC’s The One Show, Osman was coy but confirmed work was under way, saying “that’s what we’re up…
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Woman laid to rest in coffin made from mushrooms in Australian first
A woman in her 70s has become the first person in Australia to be buried in a coffin grown from mushrooms, in a bid to reduce the environmental impact of her funeral. Carolyn was laid to rest on Friday at Springwood Cemetery in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales, using a casket made by Dutch…
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It took two years, but Civilization 7 is finally reaching the Atomic Age with a free update
Firaxis Games is finally bringing an “Atomic Age” to Civilization 7, covering the 1950s to the mid-21st century, in a free update that will let players build nuclear weapons and see their civilisations take on modern-day appearances. The addition addresses a long-standing complaint about the 2025 strategy sequel, which launched without this staple era despite…
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GSC Game World says there’s a reason it didn’t give Stalker 2 more time in the oven: ‘To make something better, you need to receive feedback, and this feedback should be fresh’
GSC Game World has explained why it chose not to delay Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl any further before release, saying that feedback from players needed to be gathered while it was still fresh and relevant to ongoing development. The Ukrainian studio’s comments speak to the wider pressures developers face when weighing extra polish time…
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Boox’s tiny Picco e-reader should land in November
Boox has revealed further details of its Picco e-reader at IFA, a compact device positioned as a rival to the popular Xteink X4, though pricing remains unannounced. The device is notable for departing from Boox’s usual Android-based approach in favour of a stripped-down Linux OS, and for lacking onboard storage, relying instead on a microSD…
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Final Fantasy 7 Revelation Devs Say Ending Is Best ‘Not Explained To You By Someone Else’
At a PAX West panel, developers of Final Fantasy 7 Revelation urged fans to experience the trilogy’s ending for themselves rather than seek out explanations from others, with game director Naoki Hamaguchi and battle director Teruki Endo stressing that the conclusion should feel like a personal experience rather than one spoiled or interpreted by outsiders.…