Vodafone and Three merger edges closer, is your Air Fryer spying on you?
The regulator says a merger between Vodafone and Three could go ahead – if both companies make price promises for consumers and commit to boosting the UK’s 5G rollout. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) had previously said that creating what would be the country’s biggest mobile network could drive up prices and harm competition. But it has now provisionally concluded, external those concerns could be addressed – and the merger could proceed – if the firms agree to its proposed remedies. BBC
The world’s first wooden satellite has been launched into space. The satellite, designed by Japanese researchers, was launched on Tuesday. Experts hope to test how timber can be used in the exploration of the moon and Mars. LignoSat will be flown to the International Space Station (ISS) on a SpaceX mission before it’s released into Earth’s orbit. Takao Doi, an astronaut who studies human space activities at Kyoto University, said using renewable materials would allow humans to “build houses, live and work in space forever”. Sky News
Air fryers that gather your personal data and audio speakers “stuffed with trackers” are among examples of smart devices engaged in “excessive” surveillance, according to the consumer group Which? The organisation tested three air fryers, increasingly a staple of British kitchens, each of which requested permission to record audio on the user’s phone through a connected app. Smart air fryers allow cooks to schedule their meal to start cooking before they get home. Not all air fryers have such functionality but those that do often use an app installed on a smartphone. The Guardian
We know the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is going to be powerful – that almost goes without saying – but exactly how powerful is less clear. Now though, we have a slightly better idea, thanks to an early benchmark. A screenshot of a Geekbench result for what’s apparently a US model of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra has been shared by leaker @Jukanlosreve, and it shows 12GB of RAM along with impressively high scores, with a single-core result of 3,148 and a multi-core score of 10,236. To put that in perspective, the average single-core score achieved by the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is 2,137. Tech Radar
Electric vehicles (EVs) were the only type of car to post an increase in sales last month amid “huge manufacturer discounting”. Sales of EVs bucked a downturn across the wider market to grow by 24.5pc in October on a year earlier, according to the Society for Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). It compares with a 6pc drop in new car sales overall, costing manufacturers £530m in sales, the SMMT said. Among the biggest losers last month were petrol vehicles, with a 14pc drop in sales, and diesels, which fell 20.5pc. Telegraph
Macs have long played second fiddle to PCs when it comes to gaming for primary reasons. On the one hand, Intel-based models offered comparatively poor in-game performance. On the other hand, the limited selection of games still persists into the Apple M series era. Potentially though, these factors could finally change with the Mac Mini. Apple is actively promoting its new mini-PC as a dedicated gaming device through game showcases like Control, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, Myst, and Layers of Fear on its product pages. Notebook Check
