The All Blacks will cap their second centurion in as many weeks and 15th of all time, with loose forward Ardie Savea named to play his 100th Test match.
A debut is also likely at halfback, with Kyle Preston being named on the bench for the third round of the Lipovitan-D Rugby Championship against South Africa.
Savea debuted for the All Blacks in 2016 against Wales, having previously represented New Zealand in the Under 20s and Sevens sides. He has played against South Africa on 15 previous occasions, including as All Blacks Captain in the 100th Test against the Springboks in 2021.
Preston is set to become the All Blacks’ eighth debutant this year if he comes off the bench on Saturday night. It has been a rapid rise up the rugby ranks for the 25-year-old halfback, having made his Bunnings Warehouse NPC debut for Wellington in 2023 and becoming their top try scorer in 2024, then his Super Rugby debut for the Crusaders this year, scoring a hattrick of tries on debut.
All Blacks Head Coach Scott Robertson paid tribute to both players and said Savea and Preston are representative of the mix of experience and exciting new talent in the wider 23.
“Ardie embodies everything that makes an All Black. He brings an extraordinary level of passion, leadership, and mana every time he pulls on the jersey. We will honour his milestone with a performance that reflects not just his quality on the field, but the example he sets every day.
“Ardie is one of three centurions in the match day 23 to play South Africa, while Kyle Preston is joined by three other players who have debuted for the All Blacks this year. As with all of our debutants, we know that Kyle will rise to the challenge in the black jersey. He is a skilful player who has proven his ability to drive a game and make smart decisions in pressure moments.”
Preston takes the bench spot vacated by Finlay Christie, who will start at halfback on Saturday night (Cortez Ratima having been ruled out with a rib fracture). Wallace Sititi has also moved to the starting line-up to play at 8, while Simon Parker moves into 6.
Tupou Vaa’i shifts from loose forward to lock, moving Fabian Holland into an impact role. Also adding power to the reserves are Tyrel Lomax and Du’Plessis Kirifi, who re-join the 23 this week.
The only other change in the backs from the line-up that faced Argentina in Buenos Aires is Emoni Narawa coming on to the wing.
MATCH FACTS
This will be the 109th match between the All Blacks and Springboks, with the All Blacks having won 62, lost 42 and drawn 4.
The last three matches between these two sides have been decided by 6 points or less – an average winning margin of 3.7 points. Nine of the last 14 matches between the sides have had a winning margin of 6 points or less.
The last three New Zealand based fixtures have resulted in every outcome possible – an All Blacks win, a draw, a Springboks win.
The Springboks have won their last four matches against the All Blacks, which includes the World Cup final, and have held the All Blacks to 1 try or less in 3 of the last 4 encounters.
The All Blacks are unbeaten in their last 50 test matches at Eden Park – 48 wins and 2 draws (including the Springboks in 1994).
ARDIE SAVEA FACTS
Ardie Savea will become the 15th All Blacks Test centurion and the fourth loose forward to reach the milestone.
He has scored the most Test tries of any All Blacks forward in history, with 30.
Savea has 74 starts and 72 wins in 99 appearances, a 73% win ratio.
He has started 52 times in the 8 jersey, 17 times as a 7, and 5 times as a 6.
Durham University scientists have unveiled a major advance in drone swarm technology that could transform the way unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are used in real-world missions.
Their newly developed system, known as T-STAR, allows swarms of drones to fly faster, safer, and with unprecedented coordination, even in highly complex and obstacle-filled environments.
Drone swarms have long been seen as the future of applications such as search and rescue operations, disaster response, forest fire monitoring, environmental exploration, and parcel delivery.
Yet until now, drones working in groups have struggled to combine speed with safety.
When navigating unpredictable surroundings, traditional systems often force drones to slow down drastically or risk collisions, limiting their effectiveness in urgent or large-scale missions.
The T-STAR system tackles these challenges by enabling drones to communicate and share information in real time, the system allows each drone to adjust its path instantly in response to changing conditions or the movements of nearby drones.
This prevents collisions, keeps formations intact, and ensures the swarm continues towards its goal with minimal delay.
Importantly, the technology achieves this without compromising speed. Tests have shown that swarms guided by T-STAR complete their missions faster and with smoother, more reliable flight paths than existing methods.
Lead author of the study, Dr Junyan Hu of Durham University, said: “T-STAR allows autonomous aerial vehicles to operate as a truly intelligent swarm, combining speed, safety, and coordination in ways that were previously impossible.
“This opens up new possibilities for using cooperative robotic swarms in complex scenarios, where every second counts.”
In practice, this means drones could one day be deployed more effectively to save lives during emergencies such as earthquakes or floods, to track and contain wildfires, or to deliver supplies in hard-to-reach areas.
The researchers also believe the technology has strong potential for everyday applications, from agriculture to logistics, where teams of autonomous flying robots could operate at a scale and efficiency previously thought impossible.
What makes T-STAR especially pioneering is its balance between agility and teamwork.
Each drone operates with a high degree of independence, yet remains part of a coordinated network, much like birds in a flock.
This approach gives the swarm both resilience and flexibility, ensuring it can adapt to challenges on the fly.
Extensive simulations and laboratory experiments have already demonstrated T-STAR’s superiority over existing systems, and the researchers are now looking towards real-world trials in larger outdoor environments.
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Acer kicked off its IFA announcements with four new Iconia tablets. Iconia X12 and X14 feature 12.6-inch AMOLED (2,560 x 1,600px) and 14-inch OLED (1,920 x 1,200px) displays, 8,000 mAh batteries and quad speakers. Iconia A14 and A16 come in 14-inch and 16-inch sizes with both sporting IPS LCDs, built-in kickstands and 8,000 mAh batteries.
Acer Iconia X12
X12 is the only one out of the bunch to support stylus input and it also gets an optional keyboard case. X14, A14 and A16 are powered by the Allwinner A733 chipset, while the X12 gets MediaTek’s Helio G99. You get 8GB RAM and 256GB storage as standard across the range with the X12 and X14 also bringing microSD card slots for storage expansion.
Acer Iconia X14
All four tablets boot Android 15 and come with dedicated AI features like AI Super Resolution for video upscaling and AI Smart Sensing gesture controls.
Acer Iconia A14 and A16
In terms of connectivity, X12 gets Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.2, while X14 features Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.4. A14, A16 and X14 bring 5MP front and 8MP rear cameras while the X12 gets a 13MP rear shooter.
Acer Iconia X12 starts at $320/€280 while Iconia X14 will go for $350/€260. Both will be available from November.
Acer Iconia A14 starts at $300/€260 while Iconia A16 will go for $340/€300. Both will be available from January 2026.
It’s been a few weeks since the Osmo 360 was released, and many creators have released video reviews already. Since those original videos, the camera firmware has been updated, as has the desktop software, and the product has matured.
This camera gets a lot right, and gives you many great ways to record an image from a unique perspective. I’ve been using the camera since soon after launch, and while I’ve enjoyed using it a lot, I didn’t expect to like the single-lens modes as much as I do.
Compared to previous 360 cameras, it’s got a larger sensor, higher resolution, and it does a few things differently — can it improve on the Insta360 options? Time to dig in.
The Osmo 360, on the end of a 2.5m Extended Carbon Fiber Selfie Stick with the tilting magnetic adapter
The basics
Rather than the tall form factor that most Insta360 cameras use, the Osmo 360 returns to a more squat shape with a wide screen rather than a tall one. A squarer form factor was used on the GoPro Max, and on my first 360 camera, the Xiaomi Mijia Mi Sphere, but Insta360’s cameras have always been vertical, and they’ve been dominant for some time — so it’s nostalgic to see a return to this shape. If you prefer landscape delivery to portrait, being able to see a more accurate widescreen preview of the finished image is a clear win, and a major difference from the taller screen that Insta360 cameras have used.
While there’s a microSD slot in the battery compartment, it’s effectively optional, as there’s just over 100GB of free space built in to the camera. This is enough for a day of occasional shooting, and a great safety net should you leave the microSD card back at the office.
With lenses on both sides, more adventurous shooters sometimes worry about scratches, but I haven’t had any problems yet with damaged lenses. Two protective options come with the camera: the neoprene storage bag, or a harder rubber lens cover. Either seems to do the job, but I prefer the bag myself.
Since you’ll sometimes put down the camera and walk away, it’s handy to be able to control it in a few different ways. For stills, you can set a delay before the photo is taken. For video, you can use the DJI Mimo mobile app to control the camera, or use gesture control (an open palm to stop or start recording) or use voice control, simply saying “start recording” or “stop recording”. A firmware update just introduced another option: Twist Shot, where you twist the selfie stick twice to start recording. At time of writing, it’s not possible to control the camera using a connected Apple Watch, but the other options have been good enough.
The screen uses a tapping and swiping-from-the-edges interface which will feel familiar if you’ve used any DJI or Insta360 camera in the last several years. The camera’s UI is snappy, it’s quick to start up, and it’s easy to switch between settings.
If you tap on the icon showing the active mode in the lower left you can choose another mode, and if you tap in the lower center you can change settings in the current mode. The 360° options include several special shooting modes, including timelapse, still image, video, and slow motion, while the single-lens modes include still images (at a lower resolution), Video, and a wide-angle Boost Video mode. I would love to see a Timelapse/Hyperlapse mode added to the single-lens side of things, as well as a high-resolution single-lens still option.
Each of these modes has several resolution and frame rate combinations to choose from, topping out at 8K 50fps in 360° video mode, 5K 60fps in single lens video mode, or 120MP (a colossal 15520x7760px) for 360° stills. Resolution has always been an issue for 360° cameras, because you’re spreading a limited pixel budget across a wider field of view than regular cameras do, but this camera has better specs than anything else near its price.
The fact that a tiny consumer camera can capture 15.5K across is pretty great, and viewing it in my Apple Vision Pro (in a third party app like Kandao XR) shows off more detail than any 360° shots I’ve seen before.Even better: the camera stitches these shots in-camera, so there’s no need to post-process them before viewing. Affinity Photo can open equirectangular shots (Layer > Live Projection > Equirectangular Projection) and correct them, so it’s easy to view these shots on a Mac or PC too.
Want to peep some pixels? Click for the full size 120MP JPEG, straight out of the camera
Unfortunately, JPEG is the only option for 120MP stills; no RAW and no bracketing — a problem for virtual tours. In tests against my older Insta360 RS 1-inch 360 edition camera, the dynamic range was very similar, but the Osmo clearly won on detail.
Insta360 RS 1-inch 360 edition on the left in RAW, Osmo 360 on the right in JPEG, both set to 120° FOV in a 4K timeline in FCP (click for full size)
This 360°/single-lens switch is at the heart of the camera, and this transition can only be made through the touch screen. While the power button can be held to power or or off, or tapped briefly to switch between different modes, you can’t switch between 360° or single lens modes this way. In some ways it’s a shame that the options aren’t more unified, because my favorite ways to use this camera are for 360° stills and single-lens regular video, but I’m probably not a typical user.
Why those two modes? Because neither of these modes require any kind of post-processing. While all the 360° video modes require a pass through DJI Studio, the 360° stills don’t, and the single-lens video modes don’t either. It’s really important to realize that this isn’t only a 360° camera, but could easily replace (or better) an action camera like the DJI Action or Insta360 Ace Pro. If you do want this camera to potentially be used as an action camera, think carefully about which bundle you go for, and what accessories you choose to go with it.
Bundles and Accessories
The base camera is available in the Standard Combo or the Adventure Combo. Both include a basic selfie stick and a battery, while the Adventure Combo also includes a tilting adapter mount, two extra batteries and a charging case. To use the Osmo 360 as an action camera, you’ll want the tilting mount.
The Battery Case 2, part of the Adventure Bundle, showing quickly which batteries are fully charged and which one needs a charge
A simple switch below the camera on the opposite side allows movement between straight up (good for 360° use) and a single tilted angle (68°) that makes hand-holding much more comfortable for selfie shoots or looking out — depending on which lens you’re using. Though it may initially seem that a single tilt angle isn’t enough, in fact it’s just fine, and impossible to position incorrectly. You can’t even put the camera on backwards, because the magnets will stop you. Be sure to set the angle straight for 360° use or the selfie stick will become visible.
The button on the back of the adapter switches between 0° and 68°; release the camera by pressing both side latches
Importantly, if selfie mode is your main focus, you should consider the Battery Extension Rod, which is excellent. Including a built-in tilting adapter, three control buttons and a large internal battery, if you buy this you may not need to purchase the Adventure Combo.
Osmo 360 with the Battery Extension Rod
Through electronic connections on the mount which interface with the camera, the buttons can start and stop recording or take stills, switch between different modes, and switch between the two lenses in single lens mode. It’s also possible to add a tripod below with the built-in 1/4-20 socket. If you want to document your travels, it’s a great option, but if your focus is more on 360° shooting, there’s another selfie stick to consider.
The DJI Osmo 2.5m Extended Carbon Fiber Selfie Stick doesn’t include a long battery or a tilting adapter, but its huge reach does let you put the camera in otherwise unreachable places. If you’ve ever seen a 360° camera used like a drone, but in a place where a drone would be unsafe or illegal, it was probably a very long selfie stick like this. You’ll probably want to use this mostly in 360° mode, so the tilting aspect of the adapter is less critical, but it’s still useful to be able to magnetically attach the camera. Here’s a 360° shot I took with this monster selfie stick:
Battery life in the camera alone is good, but if you want to be able to film all day, I’d recommend grab the Adventure Combo or the Battery Extension Rod. To tempt you further, if you’re already in the DJI ecosystem, the batteries are compatible with other DJI cameras, the magnetic tilting mounts are compatible with DJI Action cameras, and DJI Mics work throughout the range too. As anyone with a range of Apple gear knows, ecosystems can be powerful.
OK. Let’s dive into some details.
Specs
Several features will be attractive to post-production professionals. First, all the modes here are 10-bit, so you won’t see banding in skies even after correction, and grading is more forgiving. Second, D-Log M is available to help you retain more dynamic range — important with wide shots outdoors. Third, in “Pro” mode, which you’ll surely switch to almost straight away, you can control the Texture (aka sharpening) and Noise Reduction for each mode, and importantly, each mode remembers its own setting.
If you turn Texture down to -2 for single-lens video but prefer 0 for 360° video, that’s totally fine, and up to you. I prefer the look with Texture at -1 or -2, and Noise Reduction at -2, but run your own tests to discover where your preferences sit. In general, it’s better to sharpen less at capture time and more in post production, but you may prefer to sharpen in camera for a quicker workflow.
When working in 360° mode, you can turn the resolution down to shoot at higher frame rates, but 50fps at 8K hits a sweet spot for most, enabling some slow motion without compromising image quality.
While you’re obviously recording everything around the camera in the 360° modes, In the single-lens modes, you’ll helpfully be told the approximate equivalent field of view of each mode as you choose it.
Use Boost Video mode for the highest frame rates (up to 120fps) and largest field of view (6mm equivalent) with the warped edges of a traditional action camera. Regular Video mode offers higher resolutions (up to 5K) with lower frame rates (up to 60fps) and a narrower view. In Video mode, you have three field of view options. Use the “Standard (Dewarp)” option for a fully rectilinear view (15mm equivalent) or use Wide or Ultra Wide (12mm equivalent) if you’re happy with slightly warped edges.
North Gorge at Point Lookout, North Stradbroke Island, Queensland, Australia. A sample frame from 5K 16:9 video, with the D-Log M LUT applied and nothing else (click for full size)
Note that the dewarping does bring a little softness to the edges of the frame, but it’s not too objectionable, and the 5K resolution means you have room to zoom in if you want to. Both Boost Video and Video modes give you control over stabilization, but you’ll want it on unless you’re mounted on something solid. You’ll notice a slightly increased field of view if you turn stabilization off.
Data rate can be set to Standard or High, and you’ll probably want to choose High to avoid potential compression artifacts. Interestingly, the 5K 16:9 mode has a higher bit rate (5120×2880 @ ~120Mbps) than the higher resolution 5K 4:3 mode (5120x 3840 @ ~100Mbps). These data rates are still on the lower side for professional production, so you may prefer to shoot 16:9 over 4:3 to minimize any potential quality loss. On the other hand, that 4:3 aspect ratio is spectacularly useful if you need to deliver to landscape and portrait from a single shot, simplifying workflows considerably.
Speaking of post-production, let’s take a look at the software.
Software
DJI Mimo is a mobile app which lets you monitor the camera’s view, see details like the current ISO, shutter speed and exposure, and it can also process clips for quick sharing — like a tiny planet-style photo. Most video pros will end up using DJI Studio (the desktop app) that’s similar to the very good Insta360 Studio, with a few features missing.
One feature not current present is the ability to simply batch transcode all clips to equirectangular. The only way to convert is to make a project, with a timeline, then add the original clips and choose the output format you want, but that involves setting a new name for the timeline and getting a single clip out. If you want a simple 1:1 mapping between source clips and equirectangular clips, because you want to choose your angles and field of view in your NLE, or because you’re delivering in 360°, you simply can’t do it. There’s a plug-in for Premiere Pro which does let you work with the native clips, but you’ll need to pre-process your clips for FCP or Resolve.
DJI Studio with several keyframes on a clip
Most users shooting 360° will therefore be spending a bit of time in DJI Studio, pre-editing, sorting out transitions, cutting and framing for eventual 2D delivery, and for that it works well. DJI Studio offers a variety of projection modes, tracking, and the ability to smoothly transition between various views — but I’d really like to see a batch processing option for those pursuing a full 360° workflow. Faster processing would also be welcome, but given the speed and frequency of updates — firmware and DJI Studio have both been updated more than once since releaase — I’m pretty hopeful.
If you do want to work with 360° footage in regular rectangular projects in Final Cut Pro, here’s a sneaky trick for you. Add your equirectanglar clips to a regular timeline, but rather than using a Normal projection, choose Tiny Planet. Reduce the Field of View, then set tilt to 90°, and you’ll be able to achieve a wider view than is normally possible. Of course, the wider the field of view, the more source pixels you’ll be using, and the higher your image quality will be.
A sneaky Tiny Planet trick in FCP which works well on outdoor shots
Quality
Does the image look good? Yes. I’ve shot a lot of footage with the Osmo 360, spanning many different modes, aspect ratios and frame rates, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how “normal” the footage looks — it’s not over-sharpened. Most smaller cameras and phones compensate for a lack of pixels with over-processing and excessive noise reduction, but this camera allows you to turn all those options down. There does seem to be some auto-exposure correction around skylines, but in general, the image is clean and pleasant.
From comparisons online, the Insta360 X5 looks a little more processed, but there’s not a huge amount in it unless you pixel peep. Still, if you have an older 360° camera and are looking to update, the Osmo is probably the better choice if you’re fussy about image quality. All the single-lens options are very good for an action camera, where 10-bit Log is far from common, and the stabilization is great too. Audio is surprisingly clear, with multiple wind cancellation options, and you can connect a DJI Mic directly to the camera without needing a receiver if you want to. Happily, you can lock down ISO ranges and white balance for more predictable results.
Curtis Falls walk at Mt Tamborine, Queensland, Australia. A 5K 4:3 sample frame, with the D-Log M LUT applied and nothing else (click for full size)
Now that I’ve been able to quickly switch between front-facing and selfie cameras with a camera on a pole, I don’t really want to see the world through a phone screen, and an action camera doesn’t have the same flexibility. Note that in higher bitrate modes (which you’ll want to use) you can’t switch from front to back lenses seamlessly, and you also can’t record a dewarped image with both lenses at the same time. Instead, you’ll have to stop and restart recording with a brief pause between. Still, with dedicated hardware buttons to swap lenses and to start or stop recording (on the camera and the Battery Extension Rod) that’s a compromise I can live with.
The main reason to use a 360° camera is usually because you can’t be sure where the action will be, or you know it’s all around you. That’s when a long selfie stick shines. But since single-lens mode is so capable, this camera can getthe job done even when you do know where to point it, and because it’s light and small, you can pop it in action-camera-sized spaces. You won’t, of course, get mirrorless camera quality from an action cam, but we’re getting closer, and 5K gives you room to zoom even when delivering 4K.
Conclusion
This camera lets you capture unique perspectives with fewer compromises than other action cameras or 360° cameras. If you want a regular view, you can record in single-lens mode, monitor your image or not, and you’ll be able to capture a good image that can take a bit of manipulation. If you want to capture everything, shoot in 360° mode, then process it. The Insta360 X5 is the closest competitor, but it can’t match the resolutions available in single-lens mode, nor the 50fps frame rate available in 360° video mode, nor the 120MP 360° still resolution.
The Osmo 360, on the Battery Extension Rod, ready for single lens recording
The Osmo 360 with a Battery Extension Rod is my new favorite travel camera. Quality in single lens mode is very good, stability is great, and I can capture what I’m seeing without staring at a screen all day. If I want to capture a detailed snap of everything around the camera, I’ll shoot a 360° still for viewing on my Apple Vision Pro. If I want to quickly capture video in either direction, I’ll use the single lens mode for stable 5K video from a low or high perspective. And if I want to capture the action all around, of course I’ll switch into 360° video mode and process it later.
Early reviews dinged the Osmo for not having user-replaceable lenses, but the situation has changed somewhat since launch. Though you can’t order spare lenses in advance and replace them yourself, it’s even cheaper to swap out broken lenses if you can send your camera in to DJI. If you absolutely need instantly replaceable lenses, consider the Insta360 X5 or the upcoming GoPro Max 2.
The only other potential issue with this camera is availability in the US. Though you can pre-order it now, there’s currrently no firm release date. Fingers crossed this is fixed soon, but the rest of the world can enjoy it now. If you already have a recent 360° camera then this may not surpass it quite enough to tempt you, but for anyone else? It’s a great choice. The Osmo 360 is a solid option for anyone looking for a 360° camera or an action camera — recommended.
PS
It’s possible to film with two Osmo 360s side-by-side for excellent stereoscopic 3D video. More on that in a future article.
Acting NASA Administrator Sean P. Duffy has named Amit Kshatriya as the new associate administrator of NASA, the agency’s top civil service role.
A 20-year NASA veteran, Kshatriya was most recently the deputy in charge of the Moon to Mars Program in the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate (ESDMD) at NASA Headquarters in Washington. In this role, Kshatriya was responsible for program planning and implementation for crewed missions to the Moon through the Artemis campaign in preparation for humanity’s first mission to Mars.
Promoting Kshatriya to NASA’s top ranks puts America’s return to the Moon through Artemis at the very core of our agency. The move exemplifies President Donald J. Trump and Duffy’s seriousness about returning Americans to the Moon and before China.
“Amit has spent more than two decades as a dedicated public servant at NASA, working to advance American leadership in space. Under his leadership, the agency will chart a bold vision to return to the Moon during President Trump’s term,” said Duffy. “Amit’s knowledge, integrity, and unwavering commitment to pioneering a new era of exploration make him uniquely qualified to lead our agency as associate administrator. With Amit we’ll continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible.”
Kshatriya’s promotion also signals how the Trump Administration sees the commercial space sector as an American economic engine. By putting a proven leader at the top, NASA is set to partner even more closely with America’s booming space industry, grow the space economy, and ensure the future of exploration is built in the United States.
Born in Wisconsin, educated at California Institute of Technology and the University of Texas at Austin, Kshatriya is one of only about 100 people in history to serve as a mission control flight director. He brings unparalleled operational and strategic experience to NASA’s executive leadership team.
The Exchange Centre, which houses the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX), in Sydney, Australia, on Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025. The S&P/ASX 200 index extended gains to 0.3% after the central bank cut the key cash rate by 25 basis points, a move widely expected by economists and markets. Photographer: Lisa Maree Williams/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Asia-Pacific markets rose Thursday following a tech rally overnight on Wall Street that lifted the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite, even as growing fears around the economy weighed on equities.
Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 0.57% in early trading, while the Topix index increased 0.41%.
Over in Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 benchmark climbed 0.67%.
Futures for Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index stood at 25,332, slightly lower than its last close of 25,343.43.
Australia is set to release its household spending data for July later in the day.
Global bond markets will continue to be in focus with long-dated borrowing costs around the world under pressure. The U.S. 30-year Treasury yield nudged above 5% on Wednesday morning for the first time since July after a court ruled that most of the Trump administration’s tariffs are illegal, raising questions over the future of tariff revenues.
Japan’s 30-year bond yield was at a record high on Wednesday, with a 100 basis point rise this year driven by high inflation, low real rates and political uncertainty.
Overnight stateside, the three major averages closed mixed. The S&P 500 rose Wednesday, boosted by tech shares after a federal court decision in an Alphabet antitrust case fueled optimism that the tech giants would be able to weather regulatory threats.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite gained 1.03% to end the day at 21,497.73, while the S&P 500 climbed 0.51% to finish at 6,448.26. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lagged, falling 24.58 points, or 0.05%, to settle at 45,271.23.
— CNBC’s Jenni Reid, Sean Conlon and Pia Singh contributed to this report.
I always tell myself I’ll stop stockpiling games, but these sales keep proving me a liar. When the discounts are this sharp, it feels less like spending and more like investing in future fun. From family favourites to violent epics, today’s spread has plenty worth pulling the trigger on.
Contents
This Day in Gaming 🎂
In retro news, I’m using a flaming grenade to light a 12-candle cake baked for Killzone: Mercenary, the 2013 FPS that brought the Helghast war to PS Vita. This was no half-hearted spin-off either. At the time, it felt like a full console-grade shooter shrunk down to fit in my hands, complete with weighty weapons, sharp visuals, and a clever mercenary angle (letting you earn cash and upgrade your kit across solo and multi). Underrated and, I daresay, never to be remastered.
Space Nazis. I hate these guys.
Aussie birthdays for notable games.
– Spore (PC) 2008. Get
– Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons (PS3) 2013. Redux
– Killzone: Mercenary (PSV) 2013. Sequel
– The Sims 4 (PC) 2014. Get
– Metro Redux (PS4,XO) 2014. Get
Logitech G Days PC Deals
Starting from today and running ’til Oct 2, Logitech is slinging savings in its annual Logitech G Play Days. This month-long gaming celebration features exclusive offers, fresh product launches, and mad savings on top-notch gaming gear. Check out top retailers, including Amazon AU, Harvey Norman, and JB Hi-Fi, and you can find significantly discounted gaming essentials like mice, keyboards, headsets, and even the odd racing wheel.
Expiring Recent Deals
Or just get a Steam Wallet Card
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Nice Savings for Nintendo Switch
On Switch, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe still reigns supreme as the racer that defined a generation. Nintendo revealed its original prototype ran with two screens in development, a leftover idea from the DS era. Meanwhile, Animal Crossing: New Horizons has hidden character dialogue that only appears if you hack villagers into moving to your island out of sequence. Both are still timeless mood pieces.
Nintendo
Donkey Kong Bananza (-19%) – A$89 This new jungle romp swings with charm, familiar platforming, and a colourful cast. A solid pick for fans of classic Nintendo energy at a rare discount.
Mario Kart 8 Del. (-27%) – A$58 The definitive kart racer with polished tracks, tight controls, and online chaos. Great value considering how rarely Nintendo discounts first-party hits.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons (-27%) – A$58 Chill out with endless crafting, decorating, and seasonal events. A relaxing life-sim that remains a Switch essential.
Persona 5 Tactica (-58%) – A$40 Atlus reimagines its stylish JRPG cast in a tactical strategy spin-off. Bold art, slick combat, and great music make this a bargain.
Pikmin 4 (-27%) – A$58 Strategic exploration with cute critters and surprisingly tense time limits. A whimsical gem from Nintendo that rewards careful play.
Expiring Recent Deals
Or gift a Nintendo eShop Card.
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Exciting Bargains for Xbox
Xbox Series X owners should eye off Grand Theft Auto V, which famously had a full submarine combat system cut before launch. On the flip side, DOOM: The Dark Ages brings back the original composer behind the iconic E1M1 riff for a cheeky Easter egg. I’ve sunk hours in both and can vouch they’re worth every cent.
Split Fiction (-16%) – A$59 A narrative-driven thriller with branching paths and multiple endings. Good choice for fans of choice-heavy storytelling.
PGA Tour 2K25 (-51%) – A$59 Golf sim with career depth, licensed courses, and strong online support. A deep sports package at half price.
Grand Theft Auto V (-60%) – A$24 Rockstar’s sprawling crime epic still shines. With GTA Online updates ongoing, it’s a steal at this price.
Doom: The Dark Ages (-34%) – A$79 Id Software’s latest demon-slaying romp adds brutal medieval flair to the franchise. Perfect for adrenaline junkies who love fast-paced shooters.
Xbox One
Red Dead Redemption 2 (-73%) – A$24 Rockstar’s cowboy epic delivers gripping story, stunning visuals, and endless open-world immersion. One of the best bargains in gaming at this discount.
Borderlands: Handsome Col. (-53%) – A$33.20 Includes Borderlands 2 and The Pre-Sequel with all DLC. Loot-shooting chaos and irreverent humour make this a must for co-op fans.
SpellForce III Reforced (-52%) – A$30.70 A clever RTS-RPG hybrid with strong campaign content and customisation. Appeals to fans of Baldur’s Gate and StarCraft in equal measure.
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Pure Scores for PlayStation
For PS5, Tales of Arise stands out, boasting character animations that were overseen by veterans from the Tekken team. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor also has a fun secret, letting Cal play a vintage LucasArts point-and-click game on an in-universe console if you dig deep enough.
Hitman WoA (-43%) – A$59.90 IO’s assassination sandbox includes years of content. Stealth, improvisation, and replayability at a very sharp price.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (-80%) – A$21.90 Respawn’s cinematic action-adventure mixes lightsabers, exploration, and emotional storytelling. A rare 80 percent off makes this unmissable.
Tales of Arise (-67%) – A$32.60 Bandai Namco’s JRPG dazzles with flashy combat and heartfelt characters. A major series entry at a deep discount.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 (-34%) – A$70.80 Capcom’s cult fantasy RPG sequel with pawn system returns. A sprawling adventure with immense freedom.
RoadCraft (-22%) – A$49 Indie racing sim with solid handling and custom track-building. At this price, it’s a creative option for gearheads.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (-50%) – A$62.40 Insomniac’s dazzling platformer-shooter hybrid shows off PS5 power with instant dimension-hopping. Worth grabbing at half off.
PS4
Red Dead Redemption 2 (-73%) – A$24 Same cowboy masterpiece at an unbeatable price. A PS4 showcase of storytelling and scale.
Dragon Quest XI S (-36%) – A$35 A classic turn-based JRPG with vibrant worlds and charming characters. Definitive edition includes plenty of bonus content.
The Yakuza Rem. Col. (-34%) – A$36.10 Includes Yakuza 3, 4, and 5 with updated visuals. Perfect entry point for fans of crime drama and over-the-top brawling.
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Adam Mathew is a passionate connoisseur, a lifelong game critic, and an Aussie deals wrangler who genuinely wants to hook you up with stuff that’s worth playing (but also cheap). He plays practically everything, sometimes on YouTube.
On Sept. 4, 2025, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is scheduled to testify before the Senate Finance Committee, where he is expected to face questions about his vaccine policies.
A few days prior, on Sept. 1, 2025, President Donald Trump demanded pharmaceutical companies to prove that COVID-19 mRNA vaccines work, saying that the CDC was “being ripped apart over this question.” It was his first public acknowledgment of the chaos roiling the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention amid the firing of CDC Director Susan Monarez and subsequent resignations of four high-level agency officials.
Meanwhile, public health experts and HHS staffers are calling for Kennedy to be fired.
The turmoil comes about a month after HHS announced US$500 million in funding cuts for 22 research contracts on mRNA vaccine technology. The agency said it will instead pour these funds into research on a traditional approach to designing vaccines that was first used more than 200 years ago. With such vaccines, called whole-virus vaccines, a person’s immune system is presented with the whole virus, often in weakened or inactivated form. This switcheroo has puzzled many scientists.
As a vaccinologist who has studied and developed vaccines for over 35 years, I see that the science behind mRNA vaccine technology is being widely misstated. This incorrect information is shaping long-term health policy in the U.S. – which makes it urgent to correct the record.
Are mRNA vaccines less safe than whole-virus vaccines?
HHS defended its cancellation of mRNA vaccine research based, in part, on a nonpeer-reviewed compilation of selected publications called the COVID-19 mRNA “vaccine” harms research collection. This document lists about 750 articles claimed to describe harms caused by mRNA vaccines against COVID-19. However, the vast majority of these articles aren’t about vaccines but about the harms of getting infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. And notably absent from it is the huge body of data showing mRNA vaccines actually prevent these harms.
Spike proteins on SARS-COV-2 can cause tissue damage – and although mRNA vaccines produce them in small amounts, they prevent the virus from replicating to produce them in large amounts. https://www.scientificanimations.com/wiki-images/, CC BY-SA
For example, the document being used to justify RFK Jr.’s claims about mRNA vaccines highlights 375 studies reporting that the virus’s spike protein alone, which is produced when the virus replicates, can cause excessive inflammation and tissue damage. This is true. But the document marshals this evidence to support the claim that mRNA vaccines, which are designed to produce spike proteins, cause the same harm – which is not accurate.
While viral replication results in uncontrolled production of a large amounts of the protein, the way it’s produced by the mRNA vaccine is very different. The vaccine produces a small, controlled amount of spike protein inside a few cells – just enough to induce an immune response without causing damage. And by blocking the virus’s replication, it reduces the amount of spike protein in circulation, actually having the opposite effect.
What about side effects like myocarditis?
Early reports flagged a type of heart swelling called myocarditis as a rare side effect of the mRNA vaccine, particularly for young men ages 18 to 25 after a booster dose. A 2024 review identified about 20 cases out of 1 million people who received the vaccine. However, that same study found that unvaccinated people had an elevenfold higher risk of getting myocarditis after a COVID-19 infection than vaccinated people.
What’s more, another 2024 study showed that people who developed myocarditis after vaccination had fewer complications than those who developed the condition after getting infected with COVID-19.
Do mRNA vaccines make the SARS-CoV-2 virus resistant?
Another claim from the compilation of supposed mRNA vaccine harms that was cited as a reason for cutting funding for mRNA technology is that mRNA vaccines cause mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 virus that make them resistant or less susceptible to the vaccine.
When a virus replicates in its host, it produces millions of copies of its genetic material. Mutations are copying errors that occur naturally during the replication process. These acquired mutations produce new variants, which is why both the COVID-19 mRNA and the whole-virus flu vaccine get updated annually – to keep up with natural changes in the virus.
Slowing down viral replication decreases the rate at which a virus can acquire new mutations. Since both mRNA and whole-virus vaccines stop or slow the virus from replicating, both types of vaccines help reduce the emergence of resistant viruses.
Viruses can mutate to escape from antibodies, but the mRNA vaccines are not causing the emergence of more virulent strains, likely for at least two reasons. First, mRNA vaccines induce immune responses that can attack the virus at multiple spots, so it would have to come up with many mutations at once to escape the vaccine’s defenses. Second, even if the virus could acquire all these mutations, they would likely weaken it, making it unable to cause or even transmit disease.
mRNA vaccines versus new SARS-CoV-2 variants
Kennedy, in announcing cuts to mRNA vaccine research on Aug. 5, 2025, claimed that mRNA vaccines don’t work against respiratory viruses and that HHS was moving toward “safer, broader vaccine platforms that remain effective even as viruses mutate.”
Both whole-virus vaccines and mRNA vaccines protected against COVID-19 and prevented hospitalization and death for millions of people worldwide between 2020 and 2024, but there’s clear evidence that the mRNA-based vaccines provided significantly better protection than whole-virus vaccines. And for COVID-19, mRNA vaccines are more effective against new variants, which emerge as viruses mutate, than whole-virus vaccines.
mRNA vaccines’ superpower is that they can be updated and manufactured very quickly, unlike traditional whole-virus vaccines.
The COVID-19 mRNA vaccines started with exceptionally high efficacy, exceeding 94%. When the SARS-CoV-2 delta and omicron variants emerged in the spring and fall of 2021, mRNA vaccines became less effective in preventing infections. However, they remained highly effective in preventing severe illness, whereas in unvaccinated people the rates of severe illness and hospitalization remained high.
This is because mRNA vaccines induce the immune system to make both antibodies and specialized immune cells called T cells. These elements can recognize multiple parts of the virus, including ones that don’t change, enabling significant protection against new variants.
What’s more, the mRNA vaccines have a superpower that no other type of vaccine can currently match: They can be quickly updated and manufactured within two to three months. To develop a whole-virus vaccine, researchers must first spend months isolating and propagating the virus. Conversely, making an mRNA vaccine requires just sequencing the virus’s genetic code – a process that today takes just hours.
If a new pandemic began today, mRNA vaccines are currently the only type of vaccine that could be developed quickly enough to disrupt its spread.
The future of mRNA vaccine technologies
Thirty years ago, when scientists first started developing mRNA vaccine technology, they recognized its potential to overcome major limitations of whole-virus vaccines – namely, slow production time and more limited ability to protect from new viral variants. Today, mRNA vaccines are also being developed to prevent or treat diseases including HIV and cancer, as well as autoimmune and genetic diseases.
Of course, this technology can be further improved. New mRNA vaccine technologies are aimed, among other things, at making mRNA vaccines easier to store to allow for faster distribution and reduce their short-term side effects, eliminate the rare risk of myocarditis and more quickly block a respiratory infection.
The National Institutes of Health is funneling money away from new mRNA technologies toward a single project developing universal vaccines based on traditional whole-virus vaccine technology. Universal vaccines are urgently needed to provide broader protection against ever-changing respiratory viruses, such as influenza, that are major pandemic threats.
A 2022 study in mice and ferrets showed that a universal flu vaccine NIH plans to support has promise. However, multiple studies of potential universal flu vaccines based on mRNA technology show even more potential. Such vaccines could induce broader immunity than whole-virus vaccines by eliciting antibody and T-cell responses that target an even wider range of flu viruses.
It’s hard to square those benefits with the fact that HHS and NIH have named the planned new universal vaccine platform “Generation Gold Standard,” insisting that it represents a new standard in science and transparency. The effort seems more akin to eliminating all e-bike technology and telling everyone who seeks one to get by with a single brand of a 10-speed bike: Getting to the intended destination may still be possible, but it will be slower and harder.
And in the case of abandoning mRNA vaccine research, it may lead to lives needlessly lost, whether due to potential medicines untapped or to pandemic unpreparedness.
The United Arab Emirates has warned Israel that annexing the occupied West Bank would cross a “red line” and undermine the spirit of the Abraham Accords that normalised relations between the two countries.
A senior Emirati official, Lana Nusseibeh, said such a move would be the death knell of the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The Palestinian Authority’s foreign ministry said it welcomed the UAE’s position.
The Israeli government has not commented. But Nusseibeh’s remarks came after far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich unveiled a proposal for the annexation of approximately four-fifths of the West Bank.
Israel has built about 160 settlements housing 700,000 Jews since it occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem – land Palestinians want, along with Gaza, for a hoped-for future state – during the 1967 Middle East war. An estimated 3.3 million Palestinians live alongside them.
The settlements are illegal under international law.
The 2020 Abraham Accords, which were brokered by the US, saw the UAE, Bahrain and Morocco establish full diplomatic relations with Israel.
One of the UAE’s key conditions for signing was that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s previous government halt its plans to annex parts of the West Bank, including settlements and the Jordan Valley. Netanyahu said at the time that he had agreed to “suspend” the plans but that they remained “on the table”.
Many ministers in his current right-wing and pro-settler governing coalition have long advocated annexing part or all of the West Bank. But they have reportedly been debating whether to advance such plans in response to recent announcements by the UK, France and a number of other countries that they intend to recognise the State of Palestine this month.
Netanyahu has said recognising statehood in the wake of the Hamas’s attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, which triggered the war in Gaza, would amount to “a reward for terrorism”.
The UAE is one of the 147 UN member states which already recognise the State of Palestine.
“From the very beginning, we viewed the [Abraham] Accords as a way to enable our continued support for the Palestinian people and their legitimate aspiration for an independent state,” said Nusseibeh, the UAE foreign ministry’s assistant minister for political affairs.
She added: “Annexation in the West Bank would constitute a red line for the UAE.
“It would severely undermine the vision and spirit of [the] Accords, end the pursuit of regional integration and would alter the widely shared consensus on what the trajectory of this conflict should be – two states living side by side in peace, prosperity and security.”
Hours earlier, Smotrich – an ultranationalist leader and settler who has control over planning in the West Bank – told a news conference in Jerusalem that “the time has come” for annexation.
“The idea of dividing the country and establishing a terrorist state at its centre must be put off the table once and for all,” he added.
He presented a map that he said showed a proposal from the defence ministry’s settlement administration for “applying Israeli sovereignty” to approximately 82% of the territory, which he said was in line with the principle of “maximum land with minimum Arabs”.
The remaining 18% of the territory was made up of isolated enclaves around six Palestinian cities – Jenin, Tulkarm, Nablus, Ramallah, Jericho and Hebron.
Bethlehem was among the many other Palestinian cities, towns and villages not included, while East Jerusalem was already annexed by Israel in 1980, in a move not recognised by the vast majority of the international community.
Smotrich said Palestinians would “continue to manage their own lives, in the immediate future in the same way that this is done today through the Palestinian Authority, and later through regional civilian management alternatives”.
The PA, which governs areas of the West Bank not under full Israeli control, said Smotrich’s plan constituted a “direct threat” to hopes for a Palestinian state.
Yehuda Shaul of the Ofek Centre, a think tank which campaigns to end Israel’s occupation, reposted Smotrich’s map on X and wrote: “Reminds me of another map in a different continent, from the 20th Century. There is a word in Afrikaans to describe that regime.”
A number of international human rights groups have concluded that Israel is already operating an apartheid system in the West Bank – a characterisation that the Israeli government has rejected.
Last month, there was a wave of international outrage after the Israeli government approved plans unveiled by Smotrich for a major settlement project in the E1 area, which would effectively cut off the West Bank from East Jerusalem and divide the territory in two.
In 2024, the International Court of Justice issued an advisory opinion saying that Israel’s “continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is unlawful” and that the country was “under an obligation to bring to an end its unlawful presence… as rapidly as possible”.
Netanyahu said at the time that the court had made a “decision of lies”.
