Section: Tech:Tech news

CHEATING doesn’t necessarily happen on obvious apps like WhatsApp or Snapchat – as I pretty brutally found out.

In fact, red flags on your partner’s phone could be staring you right in the face without you even realising. But luckily, I know just the places to look – and most of them will surprise you.

5

5

And not all apps are necessarily hiding messages either – some point towards secret spending or unknown locations a love rat has been visiting.

Obviously I’m not advising you to go digging around on your other half’s phone.

Your first port of call should always be to speak with your partner about any concerns.

In my case, I had already done this still spotted countless big signs that something was wrong, which is when I heard about dating apps you can disguise.

One night I noticed an extra calculator app on my ex’s iPhone (pretty telling because who really needs an extra calculator beyond the pre-installed one?).

As I feared, when I tapped the app it wasn’t a calculator at all, but a dating app – filled with countless messages with streams of other men, and not to mention the dreaded d**k pics too.

A determined cheater isn’t going to leave evidence on chat apps like WhatsApp or Instagram (texts can be easily deleted too), so here are some of the less obvious apps which might hide their dirty little secrets.

#1 Notes app

The humble Notes app on iPhone and Android may seem like the last place you expect to find cheating.

Surely that’s just where people jot down the odd password or their shopping list, right?

Well, not quite – little do most people realise, it can actually be used to secretly communicate with others.

You can share Notes with other people and both collaborate on them, meaning cheaters can essentially use it to write back and forth without arousing suspicion.

“Yes, this happened to one of my best friends. Her boyfriend’s Notes app was open on his laptop and that’s how she found out,” one person explained on TikTok.

#2 Storage apps

Apps which store your pics and videos can be used to secretly message too, though it’s a lot more hassle.

However, storage apps are a great place to keep incriminating photos out of sight.

This is another problem I’ve been stung with by my ex, who kept a hidden stash of photos he’d got from secret flings on there.

Photos stored in the cloud are kept in a data centre, so you can easily log out and keep them away from being visible in normal photo gallery apps.

5

#3 Mapping apps

Mapping and navigation apps could also hold clues of cheating.

Whether you use Google Maps or Waze to drive around, all the places you’ve got directions too will be stored in the app.

Unknown places which are visited a lot could be a red flag.

5

#4 Wallet apps

Similar to mapping and navigation apps, the wallet apps on your phone may have signs your partner is up to no good.

Whether you’re using Apple Pay or Google Pay, you can see previous transactions – unlike standard banking apps that are heavily locked down.

This may reveal a fancy dinner out you weren’t aware of or even a big spend in a jewellery shop.

5

WE all like to think that we’d beat the scammers if they came knocking – but are you really that savvy?

After all, the latest Global Anti-Scam Alliance report warns that people in the UK lost £11.4billion to scams in the last year – up £4billion on the year before.

6

And the average loss per victim was £1,400, with just 18% recovering their money.

This is at a time when we hear about how to spot scams more than ever, and we have gadgets laden with scam-busting tools.

We spoke to several security experts who revealed five of the most simple-but-effective scams going – they’re all shockingly common AND easy to spot… but repeatedly catch out Brits.

So, are you STILL so sure you’d spot them coming?

SCAM 1 – EMAIL EXTORTION

One of the most twisted scams being delivered to Brits is email extortion, often with a sexual spin.

Sometimes this might involve genuine blackmail, but often hackers simply fabricate dodgy evidence to scare you.

This is a cheap and easy tactic that Brits do fall for.

“Blackmail scams claim to know damaging information about a victim, demanding payment to keep quiet,” said Chris Hauk, of Pixel Privacy, speaking to The Sun.

“Victims are told they have been recorded doing disgusting things while at their computer or using their mobile device, and that the video will be sent to friends, family, and employers if they do not pay up.”

These claims can be scary, and there’s a sinister trick that crooks pull to make them even more convincing.

They’ll use fake email addresses that look like your own account to hoodwink you.

“Email extortion scams claiming to have compromising pictures of end-users in intimate moments are quite common, and remain some of the most prevalent scams on the internet these days,” said Michael Tigges of Huntress.

“An adversary will often spoof the email addresses in the mail and generate an email that appears as if it was sent from the user’s own email account and claim to have access to all accounts.

“They will ask for money, cryptocurrency, etc., to avoid ‘leaking’ these pictures or videos.”

Staying Safe

It’s important to not give in to the scammer’s demands.

6

In the first place, even if the material that the crook has is legitimate, paying them won’t help. They might just take your money and share it anyway.

But in most cases, the crooks have simply invented the dodgy material – and won’t show any real proof that they have it.

It’s best to just ignore these scam messages. Interacting with the crook shows that your email is active and that you’re willing to engage.

And that could lead to them targeting you with other scams down the line, or trying a different tactic on you.

SCAM 2 – TECH SUPPORT

Next up is the iconic tech support scam, which still successfully hoodwinks unsuspecting Brits.

“Tech support scams are another classic,” Proton’s Patricia Egger told The Sun.

She described it as “a pop-up or call pretending to be from Microsoft or Apple, pushing you to hand over control of your computer or bank details”.

It might sound obvious, but they often come out of the blue and catch you off-guard.

And with years of experience under their belts (and now the power of AI), scammers can generate highly convincing fake alerts.

“Fake tech support scams are also highly common,” Michael Tigges, a security analyst at Huntress, told The Sun.

6

“A website will generate a ‘notification’ prompt in modern browsers which mimics an anti-virus/Microsoft notification and asks the end-user to call a number controlled by the adversary.

“That person will then remotely access the computer and either install malware, or remotely fake a number of ‘tech issues’ that must be fixed for a fee.”

Staying Safe

Be extremely sceptical of any mysterious pop-ups.

Look out for typos, bizarre requests (for passwords or money), aggressive wording, and unusual styling (does it fit how your device normally looks?).

And if you’re unsure, check with your device maker to see if it’s legit.

SCAM 3 – THE URGENT PROBLEM

Another iconic scam that gets Brits is the urgent problem con.

This is extremely simple – and that’s what makes it so effective.

“The scams that catch people out most often are usually the simplest,” Proton’s Patricia Egger told us.

“Fake texts or emails saying you’ve missed a delivery, owe tax, or need to fix a bank problem are still everywhere.

“And they work because they create a sense of urgency that does away with calm and clear thinking.”

Crooks can deliver this kind of scam in bulk – hitting hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of targets.

And they just need a fraction of those targets to bite, allowing them scoop up prized info or cash.

It can take many forms, but the style is always the same: you must act quickly, or you’ll be handed a bill.

“A victim is told they have several outstanding fines or payments that must be paid immediately or they’ll face prosecution,” Chris Hauk told us.

6

“However, if they just go and buy several gift cards amounting to the outstanding sum and provide the information to the scammer, all will be forgiven.

“Emails and text messages claim that sums of money are owed either for a debt, or a fine, or even a toll road fee.

“They may also provide a link to pay that is actually to a malicious site designed to harvest financial information from the victim.”

Staying Safe

Scammers don’t want you to have time to think things over or to check out their story.

Chris HaukPixel Privacy

If you ever receive an urgent alert, pause – don’t act fast.

Instead, reach out directly to the company that the alert claims to be from.

Use the official phone number or email on the website, and not the one you’ve been sent with the alert.

And if the fine or charge comes from a suspicious company you’ve never heard of, do your research. Is it a real company? Does it have an online presence or reviews? Is it registered on Companies House? Who runs it?

Ask these questions before handing over any cash.

Chris added: “Scammers don’t want you to have time to think things over or to check out their story.”

SCAM 4 – THE FAKE JOB

The fake job scam is one of the most nefarious cons out there.

It’s almost unimaginable to think that you’d fall for such a wheeze. Surely you’d spot a fake job a mile off?

But it’s easy to forget that when you’re hunting for a new role, you might be feeling particularly desperate.

And as the cost of living goes up, Brits can be tempted by easy money or a more relaxed working environment.

Crooks know this, and capitalise on it.

6

“Fake job offers are also becoming increasingly common, these often sound appealing at first, promising easy money, work-from-home roles, or a big windfall,” Proton’s Patricia Egger told us.

“They hook people with the promise of good news, then demand ‘processing fees’ or bank details.”

She continued: “These tricks work because scammers know how people act in response to emotions, both good and bad.

“And with increasing quantities of data about us online, ‘I’d never fall for that’ is just one data leak away from being untrue.”

Staying Safe

Patricia’s best advice is to watch out for red flags like:

• Unexpected links or attachments in a chat about a job
• Pressure to act immediately
• Being asked to move money for a job or pay fees upfront
• Any perk of the job that seems too good to be true

She added that you should always make sure to “slow down and stay sceptical”.

SCAMS IN 2025 – THE EXPERT VIEW

Here’s what Sean Keach, The Sun’s resident tech expert, thinks…

It’s never been easier to carry out scams.

Cybercriminals have the world’s arsenal of tech at their disposal.

And with AI, they can supercharge their efforts by crafting convincing scam materials in seconds – and then dispensing it to victims just as quickly.

It sounds terrifying, and in many ways, it is.

But there is some good news.

Although scammers can carry out scams more convincingly and at greater speed, they’re still the same classic cons at their core.

And that means the age-old rules you need to follow stay the same too.

Avoiding scams really is as simple as being as cautious as you can be.

If something seems too urgent or too good to be true, don’t be afraid to take a step back and give it a good think.

Ask your friends and family for advice. Do research online.

Money can disappear in the blink of an eye, and you’ll struggle to get it back. And the same is true for info, which can be used to defraud you or hoodwink those close to you.

So be extremely careful before you ever hand anything over online.

If something seems off, it probably is.

Picture Credit: Sean Keach

SCAM 5 – FRIEND IN NEED

There are lots of variations of this con, but it’s commonly known as the “friend in need” – or lately, the “hi mum, it’s me” scam.

This is when a crook pretends to be someone you know to hoodwink you.

It works because so often we expect scams to come from people we don’t know – or criminals posing as businesses.

“It’s not just strangers,” said Patricia Egger, of Proton.

“Criminals often pretend to be friends, colleagues or family by hacking accounts or stealing personal details.

“If you get an urgent request from someone you know that feels unusual, check with them through another channel before doing anything.”

These crooks might message you from a strange WhatsApp account, and say, “Hi mum, it’s me your daughter, I’m texting from a friend’s phone.”

And they’ll say that they’re in trouble and need money fast.

They might give the excuse that they’re in legal trouble, need cash for a taxi home, or have some other urgent money worry.

Many parents or pals will dismiss these texts out of hand.

But it only takes a little absent-mindedness and some luck on the part of the crook and you can easily fall for the con.

It’s increasingly common in the UK because so many Brits fall for it.

Worse still, some crooks will actually text you from your own family member’s phone number.

“Accounts can be taken over, and regularly are, by bad actors,” said Erich Kron, of KnowBe4.

“It can email, social media, or any number of other mediums, and attackers know that communications from known associates carry a lot of inherent trust.

“They can even hijack previous conversations, making it look even more legitimate.”

6

Staying Safe

With this scam, your best defence is communication.

Be cautious whenever anyone asks you for money urgently – even a family member.

If they do, reach out to them by some other method, like calling them on the phone, to verify that it’s actually them asking for money.

Another good trick is to create a safe word or phrase that your family uses to verify that they’re really asking for cash.

“It’s important to establish an understanding between peers and family,” said Huntress’s Michael Tigges.

“Consider establishing ‘safe words’ or phrases that can be utilised when calling family members or peers from an untrusted number to confirm identity.

“And encourage family members, especially the elderly, to be highly sceptical of phone calls from untrusted numbers.”

Your safe word could be anything – even a silly phrase like “purple banana”.

It just needs to be something that you and your loved ones can remember, but that a criminal could never guess.

Don’t save it anywhere on your phone. Keep it as secret as possible.

It could mean the difference between avoiding a scam or losing thousands to a criminal – and then never getting it back.

A HUGE tech upgrade that allows phones to “think with you in real time” is coming from some of the world’s biggest mobile makers.

The latest kit claims to not only enable highly intelligent AI tools, but also lightning-fast multitasking and better battery.

2

2

Snapdragon, the tech brand millions will be familiar with as the front-of-shirt sponsor for Manchester United, has just announced some mega improvements.

The chips – made by US firm Qualcomm – are already among the most powerful around, used in phones by Samsung, OnePlus, Xiaomi and more.

These are essential for the smooth running of devices and power consumption among other things.

Every year, Qualcomm announces start-of-the-art chip enhancements at a huge Snapdragon Summit event in Hawaii.

We were invited along to see what’s in store and for 2025 bosses revealed the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.

Qualcomm says it is the fastest mobile system on-a-chip.

It means users can expect “lightning-fast” multitasking and seamless app switching so you can have loads open at once without causing major sluggish performance.

The upgrade is also good news for gamers, with “incredible performance and power efficiency”.

And in a mobile landscape increasingly filled with AI apps and tools, the new chip can better understand and learn from your habits to provide more useful personalised recommendations – and better still, it’s all handled on the device, so no data is sent off.

Qualcomm claims the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 boosts performance by 20 per cent compared to its last Snapdragon 8 Elite chip.

“With Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, you are at the center of your mobile experience,” said Chris Patrick, senior vice president and general manager of mobile handset, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

“It enables personalized AI agents to see what you see, hear what you hear and think with you in real time.

“Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 pushes the boundaries of personal AI, allowing you to experience the future of mobile technology today.”

The new chip is expected to appear on flagship smartphones from a number of huge names, including:

• Honor
• iQOO
• Nubia
• OnePlus
• OPPO
• POCO
• Realme
• REDMI
• RedMagic
• ROG
• Samsung
• Sony
• Vivo
• Xiaomi
• ZTE

Qualcomm teased that new devices will be launched with the chip in the coming days.

Must-know Android tips to boost your phone

Get the most out of your Android smartphone with these little-known hacks:

LOVE a freebie? Don’t we all – but the best giveaways rarely last forever.

We’ve rounded up the very best offers and promotions that are due to run out before the end of 2025. Don’t ignore them: you could miss out on free Apple AirPods, a £400 laptop, cheap theatre tickets, and more video games than you could ever hope to play.

6

6

FREE SAMSUNG LAPTOP

A tempting offer to claim a free £400 laptop from Samsung is due to expire this year.

Samsung launched the promotion back in August.

It gets you either a £399 14-inch Chromebook Go or a Samsung Galaxy Watch7 worth £239.

You can claim it if you’ve recently bought an eligible Samsung smartphone.

For a free laptop, you’d need to have bought:

• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7
• Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7
• Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge
• Samsung Galaxy S25+
• Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

And for a free smartwatch, you’d need to have snapped up one of the following:

• Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE
• Samsung Galaxy S25
• Samsung Galaxy S25 FE

The promotion is due to close down on October 2 this year.

And you need to submit your claim for the freebie within 30 days of making your purchase.

To claim the offer, just follow our guide here: Samsung free laptop promotion.

THREE+ FREEBIES

Earlier this year, Three revealed a generous batch of freebies along with the dates that they would expire.

They’re part of the Three+ rewards scheme, which is free to join. You just claim the freebies through the dedicated app.

And many of them are currently due to cut off at the end of the year.

6

That includes 10% off theatre tickets, a cut-price English Heritage membership, and cheap airport parking.

They’re all decent perks, so don’t miss out on claiming them.

Here’s the full list of Three perks with a current expiry date of December 31, 2025:

• LOVEtheatre – 10% off tickets
• English Heritage – 25% off annual membership for 2x adults and up to 12 children = £36
• Tiqets – Get up to 45% off museums, theme parks, zoos and more, plus an extra 10% off with Three+
• Airparks – Up to 30% off airport parking
• Go Henry – two months free on financial education app for kids, plus £15 pocket money
• Banjo Robinson – free activity pack

It’s always possible that some of these perks could be extended, but there’s no guarantee.

FREE APPLE AIRPODS

Yes, really.

Apple is running a back-to-school promotion that expires next month.

And the offer nets you a free pair of Apple AirPods if you’ve bought a qualifying gadget.

6

You just need to be a teacher, staff, student or parent.

And students are anyone who has gone on to college, university, or any other public or private tertiary education institution.

But beware: the deal runs out on October 21, 2025.

If you’ve bought a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro then you can claim:

• Apple AirPods Pro 3 (with £50 fee) – saving £169
• Apple AirPods 4 with ANC (free) – saving £169

If you’ve snapped up an iPad Air or iPad Pro, you can get:

• Apple AirPods 4 (free) – saving £119
• Apple AirPods Pro 3 (with £100 fee) – saving £119

And if you’ve bagged an iMac, the options are:

• Apple AirPods 4 with ANC (free) – saving £169
• Apple AirPods Pro 3 (with £50 fee) – saving £169

The main catch is that you can only do this once for the promotion period. Just don’t miss the offer window.

It’s also worth noting that Apple’s AirPods Pro 3 are brand new, so they’re a good buy.

BONUS £100 FROM O2

If you’re planning to buy one of the new iPhone models recently announced by Apple, take a look at this O2 offer.

6

It comes with a bonus £100 – but only until October 8, 2025.

If you buy the new iPhone 17, iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, or iPhone 17 Pro Max on a pay-monthly plan, you’ll get an extra £100 if you recycle your existing mobile.

That’s in addition to the regular trade-in value of your phone.

It’s a special promotion on the O2 Recycle scheme, and you can only claim the deal once.

You don’t get the money in cash – but it’ll be credited to your plan.

So effectively, it’s a £100 discount on the amount you would’ve plaid.

You can check out the full terms for the offer here.

AMAZON PRIME GAMES

There are loads of Amazon Prime freebies that will vanish before the year is out.

6

Amazon runs a special scheme for Prime members called Prime Gaming.

Every month, Amazon will dish out a selection of free games that you can keep forever.

Usually the monthly haul is worth hundreds of pounds, so it’s not bad at all.

The games drop in waves every single Thursday, and by the end of the month, the full batch is available.

But the games are only available for a month before they vanish from Amazon’s freebie list.

So you need to claim them before they disappear.

If you’re savvy, you’ll collect them all. You can bag September’s lot, and then get the October, November, and December offerings too.

You’ll probably end up with more than £1,000 in games from a four-month run.

But if you miss any of them then you’ll be too late – they’re then gone for good.

So make sure you’re hot on checking for the freebies each month. You can find them here at the Prime Gaming website.

Just note that you’ll need to have an active Amazon Prime membership to claim the games.

All prices in this article were correct at the time of writing, but may have since changed.

Always do your own research before making any purchase.

OFCOM has launched an investigation into at least 22 porn websites over concerns about the age checks they have in place.

Adult platforms have been forced to adopt stricter age verification rules in the UK since the end of July, which require users to share their ID or a selfie to access them.

1

Sites that fail to comply with the Online Safety Act risk being slapped with hefty fines and could even be blocked from the UK.

The communications regulator is responsible for checking companies abide by the law, which is designed to protect children from easily stumbling across inappropriate content online.

Today Ofcom bosses announced an investigation into five companies that are known to collectively run at least 22 porn sites.

It’s estimated that the group receive some eight million visitors from the UK every month.

The watchdog said the sites face a “prioritised” probe because of the risk of harm they pose and their user huge numbers.

“We are now gathering and analysing evidence to determine whether any contraventions have occurred,” Ofcom said.

“If our assessment indicates compliance failures, we will issue provisional notices of contravention to providers, who can then make representations on our findings, before we make our final decisions.”

The companies include Cyberitic, LLC, Web Prime Inc, Youngtek Solutions Ltd and ZD Media s.r.o.

Some 47 sites are already being investigated by Ofcom over similar concerns.

Bosses have also revealed that they’re expanding their probe into two companies, 8579 LLC and Itai Tech, over whether they have failed to respond adequately to Ofcom’s requests for information.

The new law triggered a surge in VPN downloads as some try to get around the block.

VPNs – which are used as legal privacy tools to disguise a person’s location – are still in the top download charts.

The regulator has admitted that there’s no way to stop people from using VPNs.

THE SHOCKING STATS

Latest figures show the scale of adult content consumption online…

Ofcom stats:

• Around 8% children aged 8-14 in the UK visited an online porn site or app in a month.
• 15% of 13–14-year-olds accessed online porn in a month.
• Boys aged 13-14 are the most likely to visit a porn service, significantly more than girls the same age (19% vs 11%).
• Our research tells us that around three in ten (29%) or 13.8m UK adults use porn online.
• Pornhub is the most used site in the UK – Ofcom research says 18% (8.4m) visited it in one month.

Children’s Commissioner stats:

Of the 64% who said that they had ever seen online pornography:

• The average age at which children first see pornography is 13. By age nine, 10% had seen pornography, 27% had seen it by age 11 and half of children who had seen pornography had seen it by age 13.
• We also find that young people are frequently exposed to violent pornography, depicting coercive, degrading or pain-inducing sex acts; 79% had encountered violent pornography before the age of 18.
• Pornography is not confined to dedicated adult sites. We found that Twitter was the online platform where young people were most likely to have seen pornography.

Image credit: Getty / The Sun

MORE changes are coming to Sky TV tomorrow, set to affect four favourite channels for millions of viewers.

The premium TV giant is known to regularly switch-up their channels to keep things fresh for customers.

1

This often involves common favourites vanishing or taking on new names.

There have already been eight changes that were made to Sky TV at the beginning of this month.

And four more are expected to be introduced tomorrow which customers should be aware of.

From Monday, September 8, Back to School (Satellite 306/850 – Sky Glass/Stream 306) is reverting back to the name Sky Family/Sky Family HD after a temporary change.

Sky 90s (Satellite 302 – Sky Glass/Stream 302) is being renamed to Sky 00s/Sky 00s HD for a bit.

Sky Monsters (Satellite 311 – Sky Glass/Stream 311) is also reverting its name back to Sky ScFi/Horror/Sky ScFi/HorHD following a temporary change.

Finally, Sky Hits (Satellite 303 – Sky Glass/Stream 303) is changing its name to Sky Gems/Sky Gems HD temporarily.

There is also another change due to come at the end of the week.

On Friday, September 12, Sky Cinema Action (Satellite 307/851 – Satellite 307) will turn into SkySpider-Man/Spider-Man HD for a short period.

It comes after several rebrands to Sky’s kids channels occurred at the start of the month.

This included Nick Jr. Paw Patrol and Nick Spongebob being replaced by Nick Jr. Peppa and Nicktoons.

Overhauls also came to Sky Cinema channels, such as Sky Lord of the Rings being reverted back to Sky Action.

Several channels turned into Christmas themed to prepare for the festive season.

And Sky Sports Action disappeared to make way for Sky Sport NFL.

A NEW phone uses AI to stop children filming and sending nude content.

The HarmBlock+ tech in Vodafone’s latest handset also prevents them seeing and saving sexual images.

1

A study by the firm found one in five secondary pupils had felt pressured into sharing explicit pictures of themselves.

And of those who had, 63 per cent had them forwarded without consent.

Four in ten teachers reported explicit image-sharing as a growing problem.

Vodafone and Finnish firm HMD’s Fuse handset uses the AI developed by UK-based SafeToNet.

It is embedded into the operating system, including camera, so is impossible to bypass.

Creator Richard Pursey said: “Harmblock analyses what the camera sees, including live streams, every fraction of a second.

“If it detects sexual content it instantly blocks the recording.

“HarmBlock also analyses what’s being rendered to the screen. If harmful sexual content is about to appear, it’s blocked.

“It means children can’t be tricked into filming sexual acts, can’t stumble upon pornography nor be blackmailed.

“It’s ground-breaking.”

A MAJOR UK TV provider is scrapping a popular sports app in just weeks, in a major blow to football fans.

Customers will lose access to the service before the end of the Premier League, with Brits urged to upgrade to avoid missing out.

1

From September 22, a number older of EE TV boxes will stop supporting the Discovery+ app, the streaming home for TNT sports content.

You will still be able to watch shows in real-time, but all on-demand content will be removed from your TV box.

That means customers will no longer be able to access Premier League highlights, catch up on missed Champions League matches, or watch any of their favourite Discovery+ reality or entertainment shows on demand.

The EE TV devices that will lose support for the Discovery+ app are:

• 4K Recordable TV Box
• TV Box
• Recordable TV Box

The newer devices, TV Box Pro, TV Box Mini, and the custom Apple TV 4K EE Box will continue working as normal.

Following the changes, your subscription won’t be cancelled, and you can still watch Discovery+ and TNT Sports on other devices.

If your TV box is affected, then you will need to upgrade, or find an alternative means of watching.

To upgrade to a newer model, all you need to do is call EE.

The device will typically be sent to you for free, however, you will usually need to begin a new 24-month contract to get the upgrade.

However, it is important to note that any recordings on your older device will not be switched over to the new device, so you should make sure to watch them all before making the switch.

If you don’t want to upgrade, you can still watch Discovery+ on your Smart TVs, tablets and laptops and smartphones.

If you’ve got a Smart TV, you can watch TNT sports and Discovery+ using that, and use your EE TV box for everything else.

Alternatively, you could switch to another TV subscription service instead.

EE TV (formerly BT TV) is a service available to BT and EE broadband customers.

It offers various packages ranging from a £20 a month entertainment package to an £80 a month Full Works plan.

ANOTHER popular gadget is destined for the scrapheap after Apple officially designated it “obsolete”.

It joins hundreds of products already on the list that are beyond repair.

2

2

Like any tech company, Apple routinely discontinues older devices and continues to offer software and servicing for a limited period after.

The firm has two key phases: vintage and obsolete.

An Apple gadget is classified as vintage when Apple stopped distributing it for sale more than five and less than seven years ago.

You can still get a repair sorted from authorised service providers during this period but there’s no guarantee as the parts become limited.

But when it steps into the obsolete stage you can’t get any repairs sorted at all.

A device is considered obsolete when Apple stopped distributing them for sale more than seven years ago.

As you would expect, with 49 years in the business, Apple has a lot of discontinued products now.

And there are a sizeable number of iPhones on the list dating back to the very first in 2007.

Of course, it includes other gizmos too, such as the Apple Watch.

And it’s a popular Apple Watch model that’s been bumped down to obsolete this week.

The second-generation Apple Watch Series 1 models released in 2016 have been added.

So if you own one, don’t count on any repairs – you’ll have to upgrade to a newer Apple Watch.

This means the full list of obsolete Apple Watch products is now:

• Apple Watch (1st generation), 38mm
• Apple Watch (1st generation), 42mm
• Apple Watch Edition (1st generation), 38 mm
• Apple Watch Edition (1st generation), 42 mm
• Apple Watch Hermes (1st generation), 38 mm
• Apple Watch Hermes (1st generation), 42 mm
• Apple Watch Series 1, Aluminium (2nd generation), 38 mm
• Apple Watch Series 1, Aluminium (2nd generation), 42 mm
• Apple Watch Series 2, Aluminium (2nd generation), 38 mm
• Apple Watch Series 2, Aluminium (2nd generation), 42 mm
• Apple Watch Series 2, Stainless Steel (2nd generation), 38 mm
• Apple Watch Series 2, Stainless Steel (2nd generation), 42 mm
• Apple Watch Sport (1st generation), 38 mm
• Apple Watch Sport (1st generation), 42 mm
• Apple Watch Stainless Steel (1st generation), 38 mm
• Apple Watch Stainless Steel (1st generation), 42 mm

WHY DO GADGETS GET DISCONTINUED?

Analysis by Jamie Harris, Assistant Technology and Science Editor at The Sun

It’s never good news to hear that your favourite gadget is no longer repairable and you’ll have to buy an expensive new one altogether.

But Apple is fairly good for making tech last as long as possible, providing plenty of software updates for years after a product was released.

However, there comes a point when they have to stop.

For something like a smartwatch it’s simply not financially viable to keep producing parts for items that few people now own.

Given the second-generation Apple Watch Series 1 models were released nine years ago, a lot has changed since then.

If you do still own one, chances are it’s probably quite battered and slow now.

FREEVIEW viewers in more than 160 areas across the UK are being warned that “pixelation or flickering” could affect TV sets this week.

The digital television platform will be carrying out planned engineering works over the next few days, to ensure the service continues to run smoothly for its millions of UK customers.

1

“Sometimes engineering work is required on transmitters so that they can keep reliably broadcasting your favourite free-to-air programmes”, Freeview bosses said.

Customers affected by the engineering works have been urged not to try and retune their televisions.

“Reception will be restored as soon as the engineering work is completed”, Freeview said.

160 Areas To Be Affected

A total of 160 areas will be affected by the engineering works, which will be carried out on the areas’ transmitters.

To check what transmitter you are predicted to get your signal from, you can put your postcode into Freeview’s Detailed Transmitter Information tool to check.

Freeview has warned that areas affected by the engineering works may possible see “pixelation or flickering on some or all channels”.

Earlier this month, over 100 areas were affected by Freeview engineering works, with some viewers left with black screens.

How To Watch Freeview Online

If you don’t want to miss out on your favourite TV shows, whilst the engineering works are taking place, you can also watch Freeview on a connected TV via Freeview Play, on mobile phones and tablets through the mobile app and on the Freeview website.

The easiest way to way to access on-demand players such as BBC iPlayer and ITVX on your Freeview Play TV is simply to push Channel 100.

You can download the Freeview app on the App Store or Google Play Store.

This will give you access on your phone or tablet to an abundance of channels, such as BBC One and Channel 4.

To watch TV via the website, simply head to the TV Guide and click on a channel.

Recent Freeview Updates

This comes after Freeview viewers were urged to re-scan their TV boxes, following a huge channel change.

Channel 4 has boosted Freeview coverage for one of its channels in June, meaning if you haven’t already, you’ll need to retune to continue watching.

As part of Freeview’s monthly channel update, 4seven transitioned to a new frequency as of Wednesday 18 June, 2025.

This is because of an important technical change to the way the Channel 4 offshoot channel is broadcast on Freeview.

It will give more Freeview users access to the channel at a time when 4seven is increasingly used as an overspill for live events.

A popular Freeview box also received a key upgrade last month which fixed a bug affecting a slew of features.

Manhattan released the software update for its T4-R and T4 Freeview boxes.

The latest version – 2.06 – will finally fix a long-standing standby mode issue that has affected a number of users.

MILLIONS of Brits are set to unlock TWO new TV channels for FREE with no change to their subscription.

Virgin TV customers can expect the freshly added channels to the guides in a major shake-up.

1

They will be FAST channels, Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television, which means they will be available through broadband connection.

This means customers will need to have a Virgin TV 360 box, Virgin Stream or a Virgin V6 box with Wi-Fi or ethernet.

The new channels are British Screen Classics on 450 and wedotv movies on 451.

British Screen Classics offers a 24/7 stream of hits from ITV Studios and Studio Canal.

It features adored titles from every genre, including comedy, horror, war, adventure, drama, and romance.

Meanwhile wedotv boasts over 500 films which are rolled out across Romance Mondays and Sci-fi Wednesdays.

This comes as 33 more FAST channels are also accessible on Virgin TV, including Inside Crime, Homes Under The Hammer, Red Bull TV, Hell’s Kitchen, and many more.

Virgin Media O2 Chief TV and Entertainment Officer, David Bouchier said: “Virgin TV is home to the best in entertainment and more choice for our subscribers. We offer enhanced value with fantastic on demand and channel content at no extra cost, including two brand-new streaming movie channels.

“On top of the existing streaming channels available to Virgin TV customers, they now have even more choice and 24/7 access to exciting movies for free.”

The new channels can be found on the Electronic Programme Guide (EPG) on your Virgin TV box.

This comes as customers have been warned BBC iPlayer will stop working on some of Virgin’s TV boxes in a matter of weeks.

The Sun can exclusively reveal how telecoms giant has been informing affected customers about the changes that are due to take place on July 23.

Those impacted are being offered a free upgrade to a newer Virgin Media box.

The firm says it has written directly to customers who have accessed BBC iPlayer in the last six months.

Only a small portion are expected to be affected due to the TV box’s age.

The boxes affected are the older TiVo models – V6 and Virgin TV 360 boxes will continue to offer access to BBC iPlayer as normal.

And, a much-loved sports channel has disappeared from Virgin Media boxes – but there’s a way to continue enjoying the matches for free.

Channel operator DAZN has made changes that affect all viewers, whether they’re on Virgin Media or watching via other platforms.

But, Virgin Media often has sweetened its TV and broadband deals with free tech to attract new customers.

And right now, you can bag yourself a free 9th Gen iPad when you sign up for its £88.99 MegaVolt bundle.

I’ve covered similar Virgin Media deals like this before, and they consistently deliver great value for money.

One of the most recent included up to £100 bill credit for new TV and broadband customers.

This month, the provider is throwing a free 9th generation Apple iPad exclusively to those opting for the MegaVolt package.

The 18-month contract is £88.99 per month, and gets you Virgin broadband, TV, and an O2 SIM,

It’s packed with top features, including Virgin Media’s fastest Gig1 Fibre broadband with speeds of up to 1130Mbps.

That’s ideal for busy households with lots of devices competing for bandwidth.

Of course, that free iPad is the icing on the cake here, and it’s a fantastic gadget to make the most of the super-fast speeds.

Whether that’s streaming your favourite shows, keeping little ones quiet for an hour, or browning the web. 

MILLIONS of Vodafone and Three customers are set for a huge boost to their mobile signal as the newly-merged mega network reveals its £11billion grand plans.

A major improvement to services will start for more than seven million users of Three and its budget sub-brand SMARTY in just two weeks time.

2

2

Customers will receive a 20 per cent average speed uplift on 4G.

And within a few months, 27million mobile subscribers across both Vodafone and Three will benefit from better signal with shared access across both networks at no extra cost, the new joint VodafoneThree firm claims.

This will eradicate dreaded “not spots” from 16,500 sq/km of the country – the equivalent to 10x the size of London.

VodafoneThree has confirmed that its various brands will remain separate.

This not only includes Vodafone and Three, but also VOXI, SMARTY and Talkmobile which piggyback on their network kit.

However, Vodafone will be the only brand for business customers.

“A new era of connectivity has begun,” said Max Taylor, CEO of VodafoneThree.

“We will connect every nation, every community, in every corner of the UK.

“We will build the UK’s best 5G network with an unprecedented £11bn privately funded infrastructure project, laying the digital foundation for our country’s growth ambitions.”

The network is pledging to bring 99.95 per cent of the population 5G Standalone – the fastest version of 5G speed around – by 2034.

And by this time next year, bosses are planning to launch trials of space-based satellite mobile network coverage too to eliminate even more “not spots”.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves said: “I’m delighted that this huge investment is being made in mobile phone network infrastructure, better connecting people with families, loved ones and work by providing stronger, more widespread 5G coverage.”

BROADBAND SHAKE-UP

Changes are afoot for broadband services too.

Three’s brand will disappear from its mobile broadband over the next 12 months and brought together with Vodafone’s Full Fibre, all under the Vodafone name.

The firm has announced a new partnership with Community Fibre on top of existing deals with CityFibre and Openreach.

Two extra customer care centres are opening in Belfast and Sheffield as well, bringing 400 jobs back to the UK.

Vodafone and Three both operate their own stores across the country but the company says it has “no planned retail redundancies”.

The £16.5billion tie-up makes VodafoneThree the UK’s biggest mobile network.

WILL PRICES RISE?

Analysis by Jamie Harris, Assistant Technology and Science Editor at The Sun

All these changes sound pretty exciting – but most customers will be wondering if it will cost them more.

VodafoneThree says its mobile network boost comes at “no extra cost”.

And bosses have insisted as much to get the deal over the line for months.

Vodafone’s CEO Margherita Della Valle told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme in December that the merger would cause “no extra costs from public funding and no extra cost for our customers”.

The company has had to agree to a number of legally binding commitments to win the approval of the competition regulator CMA.

One of those was a cap on “selected mobile tariffs and data plans” for three years.

As things stand Vodafone, Three and sub-brands VOXI, SMARTY and Talkmobile, will continue to sell their own mobile products, so it shouldn’t result in less choice or competition.

FREEVIEW’S successor will appear on even more screens after landing a deal with one of the world’s biggest TV brands.

Freely, made from the same company as Freeview, is encouraging viewers away from the humble TV aerial to using Wi-Fi instead.

2

This means you don’t need to worry about pesky signal issues – nor having to place your telly near the aerial port in the wall.

For the moment, the service is hybrid so it can take Freeview channels the traditional way as well as via broadband.

Just recently, more than a dozen channels you can’t get with an aerial were added.

This includes a channel for game show favourite The Chase, all Channel 4’s best property shows on 4Homes, plus 5 Cops for all ofmi 5‘s real crime hits.

Freely – which is run by BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and 5’s Everyone TV – has been adding a number of device partners since bursting onto the scene over a year ago.

Fire TV was a big newcomer but now Roku is getting on board too.

Freely will be available on the next generation of smart TVs powered by the Roku operating system.

Roku can be found on a number of major TV models, such as Sharp, Polaroid, and METZ.

“Offering Freely on the Roku operating system is a major milestone for us, as we continue to expand reach for the free streaming platform,” said Jonathan Thompson, CEO of Everyone TV.

Just last month, Freely announced some new features to rival premium services like Sky’s own streamed TV alternative Sky Glass.

A new backward TV guide was introduced, allowing people to scroll back on the screen and instantly see what’s been on recently, with a quick link directly to a catch up stream if one is available.

You can scroll back a full seven days.

A Never Miss feature was also added, which highlight programmes coming up, on now, and those you just missed, alongside the biggest and best shows available on demand.

And My List will let you save up to 50 of your favourite shows from the UK’s biggest free-to-air broadcasters all in one place so you can keep track of them.

RECENT CHANNEL ADDITIONS ON FREELY

• The Chase
• Saturday Night Every Night
• 4Reality
• 4Homes
• 4Life
• 5 GPs Behind Closed Doors
• 5 Bargain
• 5 The Yorkshire Vet
• 5 History
• 5 Crime
• Milkshake!
• 5 Police Interceptors
• 5 Cops
• 5 Trucking Hell
• 5 A&E
• 5 Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly

Image credit: Everyone TV

FREELY ON A STICK?

So far, Freely has only been made available on new smart TVs for sale.

But BBC boss Tim Davie recently hinted that a Fire Stick-like device with Freely on it could come in the future.

“We have been working hard to build digital platforms and content to meet changing audience needs, enriching our offer and welcoming the possibilities of a post broadcast world,” he said during a speech at Salford’s Lowry Theatre.

“We want to double down on Freely as a universal free service to deliver live TV over broadband.

“And we are considering a streaming media device with Freely capabilities built in, with a radically simplified user interface specifically designed to help those yet to benefit from IP services.”

WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE BEFORE WE REPLACE FREEVIEW

Analysis by Jamie Harris, Assistant Technology and Science Editor at The Sun

DTT – digital terrestrial television – is the system used for Freeview broadcasts today.

About 18million homes still use it as their main way of watching TV.

Before we even begin to think about switching it off, we have to make sure no one is left behind.

So any internet-based alternative – Freely or otherwise – needs to be just as easy to install and use.

Then there’s the matter of broadband.

The UK needs to have reliable broadband everywhere so everyone has access.

Emphasis on reliable – no one wants buffering mid-way through a live football match.

So not only will broadband need to be pretty much everywhere it will need to be fast enough to handle demand all the time.

2

A TEAM of scientists claims to have debunked one of Jesus Christ’s most famous miracles — saying the Son of God may not have fed 5,000 people with just five loaves and two fish after all.

Instead, researchers believe it could have been a freak natural event in Israel’s Lake Kinneret — known in the Bible as the Sea of Galilee — that brought a massive haul of fish to the surface for easy collection.

4

4

The story of the “Feeding of the 5,000” is told in all four Gospels, where Jesus is said to have blessed a small amount of food and miraculously distributed it to feed a vast crowd.

But in a 2024 study published in Water Resources Research, scientists monitored oxygen levels, water temperature, and wind speed across Lake Kinneret — and say they discovered evidence of sudden mass fish die-offs caused by unusual weather patterns.

Strong winds sweeping across the lake, they say, can churn the water and cause an “upwelling” of cold, low-oxygen water from the bottom, which kills fish and sends them floating to the surface.

According to the researchers, to anyone watching from the shore, it would look like fish were suddenly appearing by the thousands — creating the illusion of a miracle and allowing them to “be easily collected by a hungry populace”.

The team believes this could explain the Gospel passage where Jesus tells his disciples — after a fruitless night of fishing — to cast their nets on the other side of the boat, suddenly hauling in a bounty.

However, Biblical scholars aren’t buying it.

Critics slammed the theory for missing the point entirely, pointing out that no fish were caught during the miracle of the loaves and fishes.

The article on AnsweringGenesis.org hit back, saying: “Jesus simply took the five loaves and two fish, thanked God, broke the loaves, handed everything to his disciples, and the disciples handed the food out. No fish were caught!”

According to Matthew 14:13–21, Jesus “saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.”

When his disciples told him to send the people away to find food, he replied: “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.”

After blessing the five loaves and two fish, the Bible says: “they all ate and were satisfied.

“And they took up 12 baskets full of the broken pieces left over.”

Despite the backlash, the researchers argue that understanding how fish may have mysteriously appeared in huge quantities doesn’t take away from the spiritual message of the event — which many see as symbolic of generosity and faith.

Still, religious sceptics say the study adds weight to theories that Jesus’ wonders may have had natural explanations — while believers insist some things just can’t be explained away by science.

It comes after a stunning AI-generated video claims to reveal the true face of Jesus Christ — using images based on the mysterious Turin Shroud.

Believers say the Shroud of Turin was the burial cloth wrapped around Jesus after his crucifixion.

4

4

Now, photos of the ancient linen have been processed through Midjourney, an AI image generator, to create a realistic image and video of Christ.

The video shows Jesus blinking, smiling, and praying — potentially as he did before his crucifixion around 33AD.

He appears with shoulder-length brown hair, a beard, brown eyes, a straight nose, and high cheekbones.

His skin tone is pale, which has sparked debate among academics and online.

Last year, The Sun also used AI to recreate the Son of God’s appearance.

The Gencraft tool was fed the prompt “face of Jesus based on the Shroud of Turin” and returned images of a man with hazel eyes, a gentle expression, a neat beard, clean eyebrows, and long brown hair.

Under his weary eyes, signs of exhaustion were visible.

Many researchers agree that the man wrapped in the Shroud appeared to be between 5ft 7in and 6ft tall, with sunken eyes and a full beard.

The markings on the cloth also show what some believe to be crucifixion wounds — including injuries to the head, shoulders, arms, and back, consistent with a thorn crown and Roman whips.

The Bible recounts that Jesus was scourged by Roman soldiers, crowned with thorns, and forced to carry his cross before dying in agony.

MICROSOFT is warning users that their passwords will disappear soon from a popular free app.

The tech giant is removing the password storage tool within its Microsoft Authenticator app.

1

While many use the platform to verify their identity there is also a useful password autofill capability.

The feature allows users to securely store all their passwords in one place and summon them from any mobile device or computer you’re logged into.

But it’s being phased out, with the first stage commencing in days.

From June, you’ll be blocked from saving any new passwords on the app.

Then in July, the autofill function that automatically adds your login details onto webpage will stop working.

Finally, the entire saved passwords tool will cease in August with any login data stored on the app deleted.

Microsoft has ramped up warnings to users, with a banner now appearing in the app.

“Autofill via Authenticator ends in July 2025,” the app says.

“You can export your saved info (passwords only) from Authenticator until Autofill ends.

“Access your passwords and addresses via Microsoft Edge at any time.

“To keep autofilling your info, turn on Edge or other provider.”

The popular passkeys and two-factor authentication features on Microsoft Authenticator will continue to work as normal.

It all comes as tech firms shift away from the dreaded password which are easily hacked, due to common mistakes like re-used passwords or easily guessed terms.

By comparison, passkeys can’t be guessed and they’re impossible to re-use too.

A number of tech companies such as Google are shifting people from passwords to passkeys.

SHOULD I SWITCH TO PASSKEYS?

Here’s what security expert Chris Hauk, Consumer Privacy Advocate at Pixel Privacy, told The Sun…

“Passwords are both hard to remember and in most cases, easy to guess.

“I would venture to say that most users (especially older users) will reuse passwords, simply because of all of the websites and apps that require sign-ins.

“While password managers do help, they are at best, a stopgap measure and do not offer full-ranging security for your login information.

“Passkeys offer the advantage of eliminating the need to enter an email address and password to log in.

“This is especially handy when users are logging in on an iPhone or Android device.

“Passkeys have multiple advantages over passwords. Passkeys cannot be shared or guessed.

“Passkeys are unique to the website or app they are created for, so they cannot be used to login elsewhere like a reused password can.

“Plus, passkeys cannot be stolen in a data breach, as the passkeys are not stored on the company’s servers.

“But are instead are a private key stored only on your device, where biometric authentication (like face ID or Touch ID) is required to use the passkey.”

Image credit: Getty

SKY customers have just hours left to claim a free gift worth £20.

The freebie was issued as an apology after Sky‘s major TV outage on May 15.

4

4

It saw Sky viewers left without telly for hours due to a technical issue.

And even after the outage, some users still struggled to get their tellies working – with others calling for compensation.

Days after, Sky revealed it was handing out a free Sky Store movie worth £20.

But that offer is due to expire in a matter of hours.

The gift is only available to claim until the end of Saturday, May 31, at which point it will vanish.

To claim it, go to the TV homepage, visit the Sky Store, then click the Your Sky Store Gift On Us tile to choose a movie.

Sky called the free movie a “small gift for your understanding”.

In an email to customers, Sky wrote: “We’re extremely sorry if you experienced disruption to your Sky Q services recently.

“On the evening of 15 May, a technical issue caused some Sky Q boxes to enter standby mode.

“Our teams acted quickly to resolve the issue and restore services.”

CLEAR SKY?

The outage affected a huge number of customers, with tens of thousands of complaints showing up on service tracker Down Detector.

Customers faced blank screens and error messages during the outage, with a smaller number of TV fans having issues days after the event.

Sky sent a text message to customers explaining what to do if you were still experiencing TV issues after the fix.

“These issues have been fixed,” explained Sky.

4

“If you’re still having trouble, please switch off your box at the mains for 30 seconds, then back on.

“For mini box issues, also reboot the main box.”

The issue only affected customers using Sky Q, which works using a satellite dish attached to your home.

It didn’t affect anyone with a Sky Glass television or Sky Stream set-top box, however.

TRY THESE SKY TRICKS!

Got Sky Q? There are some handy tricks worth knowing about…

Find your lost TV remote

If you can’t find your Sky Q remote, don’t panic.

Just press the Sky Q logo on the front of your TV box.

It’s actually a button that will trigger your TV remote’s built-in ringer.

You’ll get 30 seconds of beeping to find where you’ve dropped it. Hint: it’s probably under the sofa cushion.

Search movies by quotes

You might have already used voice search for controlling TV playback – but your remote’s microphone has another clever trick.

It turns out that you can say movie quotes into the remote and Sky will find the film for you.

This is handy if you can’t remember the name of a top movie or show.

Here’s a list of movie quotes to try on Sky.

Save lost recordings

Have you ever deleted something you’d recorded on Sky, only to regret it later?

Or maybe someone in your family removed something without telling you – sparking a massive row.

Don’t panic: you can get them back.

Just go to Recordings > Manage > Deleted and then simply hit Undelete on the item that you want to resurrect.

If you do that, it’ll return to your Recordings section as good as new.

Picture Credit: Sky

That’s because Sky Glass and Sky Stream rely on an internet connection instead of a satellite dish.

STREAM ON

It comes days after millions of Sky customers were warned of four TV channel changes.

Sky customers recently received an upgrade for a popular TV app filled with top movies.

There’s a clever Sky trick to unlock hundreds of extra TV channels and movies for free instantly.

4

And some Sky customers are owed free cinema tickets every single month.

SKY customers can finally take advantage of a streaming perk months after a dreaded downgrade came into force.

Many TV and movie apps have introduced ads now, with an option to pay extra to remove them.

2

2

In January, Sky customers were warned that their Paramount+ access would now be ad-based.

Sky Cinema subscribers get access to Paramount+ at no extra cost.

However, the change strangely didn’t include an option to upgrade for those wanting to avoid the ads.

But thanks to a new update, Sky customers can now choose an ad-free option instead.

What’s more, customers get money off compared to subscribing directly to Paramount+.

“Finally no ads so I can get back to watching South Park and Nobland with no interuptions!” one viewer wrote on Sky’s forum.

“This is good news,” another commented.

Sky customers can subscribe to Paramount+ standard – which has no ads – for £3 extra per month.

Usually, the standard plan costs £7.99 per month.

For those who want 4K quality as well as a screen allowance boost and no ads, it’s £6 extra.

That’s instead of the £10.99 you would have to pay for it directly.

Sky Cinema costs £10 per month and comes with two free cinema tickets for Vue Cinemas each month.

PARAMOUNT+ PRICES AND PERKS

In November, Paramount+ announced a new pricing structure.

Before then, there was just one standard plan costing £7.99.

Since November, there have been three.

The cheapest is £4.99 with ads, the ability to watch on one device at a time and only full HD quality – you also don’t have the privilege to download shows offline.

Paramount+’s new standard plan is £6.99 per month, allowing up to two concurrent streams in full HD and you can download content to watch on the go.

The premium plan is £10.99 per month, with up to four devices allowed to watch at the same time, as well as 4K UHD, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos on selected titles.

THE luxury Four Seasons hotel franchise is taking on the high seas with a superyacht so glamorous you need an exclusive invitation just to board.

The superyacht cruise ship, dubbed the Four Seasons I, is being kitted out with “sea limousines“, luxury restaurants, a cigar room and even a four-story private penthouse suite.

14

14

14

14

Due to debut in January 2026, the ‘sea hotel’ will go on more than 30 voyages in its inaugural year, from across the Bahamas, Caribbean and the Mediterranean.

Passengers can book stays between five, seven and 14 nights – for a pretty lofty price.

Seven nights along the rivieras of Cassis, France and Portofino, Italy, for example, will cost you north of $25,000 (£18,500).

While reservations for the first voyages opened in January 2024, they are on an invitation-only basis for loyal Four Seasons guests.

The exclusivity is “driven by the need to manage extraordinary demand”, according to the luxury hotel chain.

Earlier this week, Four Seasons Yachts announced it had secured more than €400million (£337million) to fund a second luxury vessel slated to debut in 2028.

“With financing secured for the creation of a second Four Seasons Yacht… we are thrilled to be expanding our fleet to include Four Seasons II,” Donald Mason, chief financial officer of Marc-Henry Cruise Holdings LTD, the joint owner and operator of Four Seasons Yachts, said in a statement.

“This milestone reflects our continued growth and commitment to delivering Four Seasons legendary service at sea.”

14

14

14

Four Seasons I, the franchise’s first sea hotel, is currently under construction at Italian shipyard Fincantieri – which will also be tasked with building the line’s second ship.

The vessel is expected to be fully built and seaworthy in November 2025.

While details about Four Seasons II have not yet been released, it is expected to be just as luxurious – if not more – than its predecessor.

The 190-passenger Four Seasons I is set to feature 14 decks and 95 residential-style cabins with ocean views.

The dazzling superyacht will offer nearly 50 per cent more living space per passenger than other cruise lines’ ships, according to the company, with the majority of cabins measuring over 800 square feet each.

14

14

14

Four-story penthouse suite

But the jewel in this superyacht’s crown is the Funnel Suite – a four-story penthouse with three bedrooms, a private area dedicated to in-suite spa treatments, and a terrace with a splash pool.

The penthouse, which spans almost 10,000 square feet, is the largest suite on board.

It’s located across the ship’s highest decks – where a traditional “funnel” or smokestack would be on a steamship.

The private suite’s showstopping design feature is its wraparound, floor-to-ceiling windows that offer 280-degree views of the sea.

The curved glass is a “one-of-a-kind engineering innovation [that] is nothing short of remarkable, from its steel web frame support structure to its double glass thermal performance,” Four Seasons said in a statement.

The company also claims it is the largest piece of contiguous glass at sea – and cost an eyewatering $4.5million (£3.4million) to build and install.

Luxury dining

There will be 11 luxury restaurants and bars onboard, as well as a cigar room.

Passengers will be able to dine in the “Michelin-calibre” onboard restaurant – although only breakfast will be included in the pricing.

All other meals will come with a la carte fees – as well as alcohol, which should be fine for the average Four Seasons guest.

The Four Seasons tells guests they should budget for roughly an extra $250 (£185) per person, per day, to cover food and drinks.

And if the main on-deck pool – or the private one in the Funnel Suite – isn’t doing it for you, passengers can also swim in the ocean with private sailing, snorkeling, and windsurfing also being offered.

Passengers will be able to rent “custom crafted sea limousines designed for transfers and coastal grand touring,” according to Four Seasons.

There will be dedicated marina crew to tend to guests’ every need, and beach ladders for dips in the ocean when the ship is anchored.

14

14

14

14

AMAZON is now weeks away from shutting down an app that’s been used by hundreds of millions of people.

There are major downsides for affected users – and you might even be owed a big refund.

3

Millions of people using the Amazon Appstore will be cut off in mid-August.

The closure affects anyone using the app on Android phones.

Amazon’s Appstore is a rival to the default Google Play Store, letting you download apps and games. It launched on Android all the way back in March 2011.

But on August 20, the Amazon Appstore will close – and any apps downloaded from it will no longer receive updates.

That means support will end for all apps you’ve downloaded via the Amazon Appstore.

They may become buggy or stop work entirely, and won’t be able to receive any important security fixes either.

In an FAQ, Amazon warned that these apps “will not be guaranteed to operate on Android devices”.

Amazon has already begun killing the Appstore off by blocking developers from uploading new apps to it.

That change kicked in on February 20 this year.

ALL CHANGE

Amazon first revealed the closure earlier this year in a dry statement uploaded to its website.

“In our ongoing effort to streamline and improve our services and programs, we are making some changes to Amazon Appstore for Android devices and Amazon Coins program,” Amazon explained.

“We will be discontinuing support of Amazon Appstore for Android devices on August 20, 2025. As of February 20, 2025, developers will no longer have the option to submit new apps targeting Android devices.

“However, developers will have the option to submit updates to their existing live apps on Amazon Appstore for Android devices until August 20, 2025.”

Amazon added: “All existing apps on Amazon Appstore for Android devices will continue to be available to customers until August 20, 2025. Developers can continue to submit app updates until August 20, 2025.”

3

It’s worth noting that the Amazon Appstore is only shutting down on Android phones.

The Amazon Appstore was never available on iOS for iPhone, so it can’t disappear because it was never there.

And the Amazon Appstore will still be available on Amazon’s own Fire TVs and Fire Tablets.

ACTION STATIONS

One important step you’ll want to take is reviewing your Amazon Appstore subscriptions.

HOW TO CHECK YOUR AMAZON APPSTORE SUBSCRIPTIONS

Here’s the official advice from Amazon…

Manage Your Appstore Subscriptions from the Amazon Appstore App

Change, update, cancel, or turn off auto-renewals for subscriptions purchased from the Amazon Appstore app.

• 1. Open the Amazon Appstore app
• 2. Tap My Apps
• 3. Tap Subscriptions
• 4. Update your subscription as needed

Manage Your Appstore Subscriptions from the Website

Change, update, cancel, or turn off auto-renewals for subscriptions purchased from the Amazon Appstore app.

• 1. Go to Your Account
• 2. Select Your Apps under Digital content and devices.
• 3. Select Your Subscriptions under Manage.
• 4. Update your subscription as needed.

Picture Credit: Amazon

Make sure to cancel them before the Appstore shuts down on your Android phone.

Just go into the Amazon Appstore app, then choose My Apps > Subscriptions and kill off any remaining memberships you have.

Amazon Coins are also being sunsetted.

These were a special currency used to make purchases on certain apps in the Amazon Appstore.

3

You’ll need to use any remaining Amazon Coins by August 20, 2025.

If you have any left over after that date, they’ll be refunded.

Amazon hasn’t said exactly how long this will take, but promised “additional details” at a later date.

You can see your Coins balance by logging into the Amazon Appstore and checking the homepage.