Each week we prefer to showcase the largest tales on the TechRadar web site over the earlier seven days in our ‘In Case You Missed It’ (ICYMI) round-up — each that will help you meet up with the information, and in addition as a result of we’re happy with our work.
As soon as once more, it has been a very busy week in expertise: we have got tales right here masking new telephones from Motorola, electrical helicopters, Taylor Swift taking up AI, robots enjoying desk tennis, the brand new Steam Controller, and extra apart from.
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8. We had been terrified by the primary Resident Evil trailer
Resident Evil is returning to the large display (Picture credit score: Sony Footage Releasing)
Weapons director Zach Cregger is popping his consideration to the Resident Evil film franchise, describing his upcoming flick (premiering on September 18) as a “reinvention” of the sequence — one which is not tied to any of the video video games or online game characters (a tactic that has labored properly sufficient for the Prime Video TV present based mostly on Fallout).
The primary trailer for the movie has now arrived — and it is a fairly terrifying affair. We can’t spoil any of the beats for you, however you’ll be able to watch the teaser your self by way of the hyperlink under, and we’re extra looking forward to the way forward for Resident Evil on the large display than we’ve been shortly (the least stated about Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon Metropolis, the higher actually).
7. New York Metropolis’s first electrical air taxi took off
An air taxi taking to the skies (Picture credit score: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
Is it a hen? Is it a aircraft? No, it is the brand new all-electric Joby Air Taxi, which is at present being examined within the skies of NY city — and TechRadar was there to observe the primary demo. With its eVTOL (electrical vertical take-off and touchdown) expertise, the flying machine has the potential to remodel the best way that New Yorkers get round their city setting.
In a position to climb and land like helicopters, and change to a extra airplane-like mode in between, these air taxis have been a very long time coming (an early prototype was examined three years in the past). With regulatory clearance now on the best way and pilots in place, we have got a transportation system that is a lot quieter and eco-friendly than current choices.
6. A helpful YouTube Premium characteristic got here to free customers
Non-paying YouTube customers exterior the US have a brand new characteristic to take pleasure in (Picture credit score: Getty Pictures / NurPhoto)
YouTube has rolled out a deal with without spending a dime customers who aren’t but on a premium subscription: anybody can now activate picture-in-picture mode for YouTube on their cellphone, wherever on the earth (this was beforehand accessible for US customers, nevertheless it’s now accessible globally). Simply begin a video, then head again to your cellphone’s dwelling display to decide on one other app.
It means you’ll be able to hold your DIY tutorial movies, lo-fi chill-out mixes or movie star interviews rolling whilst you get different stuff executed in your cellphone. It is a fine addition for YouTubers on the free tier, as Google has been pushing YouTube Premium and Premium Lite fairly a bit currently — not least by means of an extreme variety of adverts enjoying round movies.
5. Sony’s desk tennis robotic blew our minds
The robots are getting higher at desk tennis (Picture credit score: Sony AI)
Robotics expertise continues to enhance and impress, and the thoughts boggles relating to what these machines will be capable of do in 10 or 20 years. For now, the AI-powered robots which might be a part of the Sony Venture Ace scheme have been beating a few of the finest gamers on the earth at desk tennis — a sport that requires a variety of velocity and dexterity.
What to learn subsequent
These bots had been proven mastering ball speeds of as much as 70mph (plus loads of spin), in a brand new video, and there are implications manner past competing at sports activities. The methods put in place to trace ball and bat actions right here will likely be helpful in lots of different areas too — serving to robots to regulate on the fly every time they’re met with unpredictable eventualities.
4. Taylor Swift took on the AI deepfakes
Taylor Swift is taking a stand in opposition to AI (Picture credit score: Disney)
AI-made music is on the rise, and Taylor Swift is among the flesh-and-blood artists taking a stand: she’s filed three trademark purposes to guard her identification, and to verify AI fashions cannot produce deepfakes based mostly on her likeness or her tunes. If the purposes are authorised, it offers Swift some helpful authorized safety in opposition to any AI-based mimicry.
Given Taylor Swift’s profile, it is tough to think about any AI prompter would get away with making an attempt to tear off her artistic output, however smaller artists aren’t as properly protected. We all know that AI music is flooding the music streaming platforms in the meanwhile, and people platforms are nonetheless enjoying catch-up relating to figuring out how one can cope with it.
3. Android followers began a Google protest
The Galaxy S26 Extremely (Picture credit score: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
Modifications are coming to Android, and lots of customers aren’t blissful: Google is pushing forward with plans to get builders to confirm their identities, which does not sit proper for individuals who select Android due to its claims to be an open platform. It means Google will be capable of extra successfully block apps on the Play Retailer from builders who aren’t verified.
Disgruntled customers have now arrange a ‘Preserve Android Open’ marketing campaign on-line, arguing that the modifications give Google the ability to dam apps it merely does not like (or that governments inform them to not embody). One privateness advocate has gone so far as labeling Google’s cell OS ‘Darth Android’ due to the restrictions being utilized within the coming months.
2. We examined the Valve Steam Controller
The brand new Steam Controller (Picture credit score: Future)
We have given the shiny new 2026 refresh of the Steam Controller a radical testing, and the excellent news is that the enhancements are actual and noticeable: this can be a considerably extra polished and user-friendly gadget than its fairly lackluster predecessor was. Should you’re available in the market for a gamepad improve, this might be the controller you are in search of.
Accessible for $99 / £85 / AU$149 from Could 4, the Steam Controller (2026) is obtainable direct from Steam, and is designed to work with video games for PC, Mac, and cell — both from the Steam Retailer or in any other case. With nice battery life and a strong really feel, it is nearly nice sufficient to make us overlook concerning the very long time we have been ready for the Steam Deck 2.
1. Motorola gave us some spectacular new foldables
Shiny new Motorola telephones (Picture credit score: Future)
We acquired information on no fewer than 5 new merchandise from Motorola this week: three clamshell foldables, plus US availability updates on the Razr Fold and Moto Buds 2 Plus. The spotlight is probably the Motorola Razr Extremely 2026, providing a 7-inch foldable display, three 50MP cameras, and a Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset operating every part very capably.
Observe the hyperlink under for all the main points on all of those devices, together with the brand new silicon-carbon battery expertise getting used within the Razr Fold and the Razr Extremely 2026. The tech permits larger capability batteries to suit into the identical bodily area, and because it rolls out to extra producers it has the potential to make a considerable distinction to battery life.
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