Penny Simmonds says it is `wholly appropriate` to engage with the primary sector. Read...

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At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Excellent clear, vibrant sound Great amplitude Suitable for multimedia Cons They’re quite big — bowling-ball size A fair bit of setup required RGB lighting could have been more prominent Our Verdict The Creative Pebble Nova is a large, versatile speaker with a clear and vibrant sound. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: Creative Pebble Nova Retailer Price Creative $279 View Deal Check Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Best Prices Today: Check today’s prices Creative’s speaker lineup consists of speakers with very fine sound quality that represent good value for money. We’ve reviewed options like the Pebble and Pebble Pro in the past and had positive things to say about them. At $279.99 the Creative Pebble Nova is a substantially more expensive speaker than its stablemates, but its sound is by far the most superb of the models we’ve tried. It’s also the largest and requires a fair amount of setup, but these are trifles worth putting up with for such superior sound. Read on to learn more, then see our roundup of the best budget computer speakers for comparison. Creative Pebble Nova: Design and build The Creative Pebble Nova comes in a 2.0-speaker configuration. Each speaker has a very round design compared to other Creative speakers like the Pebble Pro. The speakers have a very Sci-Fi look to them, and kind of resemble lawn bowls in size and shape but with a DeathStar feel. Each speaker contains a dual driver array at the front consisting of a 1-inch tweeter and a 3-inch full range driver in coaxial arrangement. They angle upwards at 45 degrees to deliver the sound towards your ears. At the back of the speaker, you’ll find a bass driver that isn’t as angled as the two front drivers. At 5.5-inches in diameter, I found each speaker takes up a lot of space, so you’ll need a fair amount of room around you on your desk to place them. The speakers come elevated on metal stands, so you’ll not want to bump them, or you may have to deal with them crashing down. On the plus side, the stands don’t require any screws and simply lodge into holes in the base of each satellite. Dominic Bayley / Foundry The fact that the speakers are elevated is undoubtedly a good thing. It means I didn’t get desk vibrations, which can hamper the clarity of the sound. The construction is very solid too, the speakers are comprised of hard plastic, and the stands are metal, so you don’t have to worry about breakage. The Pebble Nova has a ring of RGB lighting on the underside, but this is not as prominent as in some bookshelf-style speakers. I would have liked to see another ring of RGB higher up on the speaker body. Creative Pebble Nova: Connectivity and controls The Pebble Nova, being a premium option, comes with three ways to connect to your chosen device. One is via a 3.5mm Aux input, although this option doesn’t let you customize the music via the Creative App like the other two methods: a Bluetooth 5.3 connection, or via USB-C to USB-C. Creative provides you with two 5-foot USB-C cables (one for power and the other for sound) and a 4-foot 3.5mm audio cable for making these connections. The top of the master speaker houses the controls. They consist of power, volume, source, and lighting mode buttons. These are very straightforward to use. However, I would have also liked to see a remote control as another option for controlling, considering the price of the speakers. Dominic Bayley / Foundry Beneath the master speaker is a separate USB-C port for the 65W PD charger. Unlike other Pebble speakers, you can’t power the Pebble Nova via your laptop’s USB-C port, so you’ll need to be close to an AC outlet when setting up. On the side of the main satellite is an inlet with a removable plug that houses two additional 3.5mm audio jacks for you to plug in a headset or a microphone. Creative Pebble Nova: Sound The Nova produces a warm well-balanced sound with no obvious flaws. To test the speakers, I played Pharrell William’s “Happy” followed by “Good Vibrations” by the Beach Boys, and “All About That Bass” by Meghan Trainor. I then played the film score from Lord of the Rings to see how well the speakers could play multimedia. To summarize my thoughts, I found the treble and mids flew over the bass well in “Happy,” so that the instruments sounded clear and defined and not jumbled like I hear in cheaper units. The speakers had very good amplitude, I only needed to turn them up very slightly to get a strong volume. In “Good Vibrations,” there was ample room for the vocals to shine over the guitar. The mids had tremendous range in the Lord of the Rings soundtrack, really dominating the soundscape with warm velvety overtones with plenty of depth. Dominic Bayley / Foundry Playing “All About That Bass” proved there was plenty of bass to be heard too. It was delivered with an authority that was very impressive. It never sounded muddy. I could crank the volume very high and couldn’t hear any kind of distortion, which means I could fill up the room with sound without affecting the audio. All in all, I was very impressed with the very clear, vibrant sound of these speakers and with their versatility. Surely these are speakers that apply themselves just as well to desktop computing as they do to watching a movie on TV or gaming on your PS4 or Xbox consoles. Creative Pebble Nova: Software Two separate apps handle the audio for the Pebble Nova. The iOS and Android app is fairly limited in the kind of options available. You can only swap channels, adjust the lighting, and adjust the EQ. The Creative App handles things from your PC. It lets you adjust the EQ as well as RGB lighting, but you can also access Acoustic Engine, Surround, and Crystal Voice+ to enhance the audio clarity and tonal range and adjust the sound for an immersive surround sound experience. One interesting thing you can do in the Pebble Nova is swap the direction of the left and right audio channels. It means you can place the master speaker on any side, without the audio being affected. That’s very useful if you have cabling issues or like to create a cleaner desk environment. Conclusion In summary, the Pebble Nova, excels as a PC speaker system but also as a speaker for multimedia. It consistently produces a clear, vibrant sound, especially in the mid tones. It’s also quite big and costs a fair amount more than other options in Creative’s lineup. But for those wanting the versatility of a bookshelf speaker that can do it all, that’s par for the course. Read...

When you’re a gamer, life gets expensive fast. Between your gaming rig and peripherals, console and controllers, games and subscriptions, it’s easy to quickly blow your entire budget and then some – and things are only getting more expensive. G2A.COM is a great place to look for discounts on everything digital, offering to save you money on more than 90,000 games, online subscriptions, e-learning courses, gift cards, PC software, and more. But it seems almost too good to be true, so is G2A.COM safe to use? Trusted by 35 million users in 180 countries G2A.COM isn’t an online shop, it’s a marketplace where buyers and sellers can trade digital items. From game keys to gift cards, and from streaming subscriptions to software licences , you can find pretty much anything and everything digital on the platform. G2A.COM doesn’t buy or sell these digital keys, it simply provides the platform, infrastructure, and payment processing to streamline sales and purchases. Such a marketplace could be littered with would-be scammers, but G2A.COM creates an environment of trust by demanding its sellers undergo strict verification processes before they can sell their digital goods. Payment methods are multiple – with more than 400 global and local methods – and secure, so you’ll find a way to get your in-game gold or whatever else you need without any trouble. Providing a secure platform is a top priority for G2A.COM. It has a cyber defense team that is tasked with continually improving its AI-supported security solutions, providing all sorts of tools to protect users from the moment they enter the site until they are back in their chair, blowing up worlds and decimating their digital enemies, streaming a movie or learning online. Your safe, reliable gateway to digital entertainmentVisit G2A.com G2A.COM Your best gate to play, connecting gamers, developers, and creators G2A.COM does more than facilitate sales, it provides a direct link between developers, publishers, and players, making sure everyone gets a good deal. The company invests in content creators, too, running campaigns that give up-and-coming Twitch personalities more visibility and rewarding viewers. Ultimately, variety and choice is what keeps gamers coming back to G2A.COM, which is the world’s largest online marketplace of its sort. If you’re into Minecraft and want some coins, you can find multiple offers for less than you’d pay elsewhere. Robux for the kids? Available! If you want LoL Riot points, Platinum for Diablo, or Fortnite V-bucks, you’re covered. You can find keys for tens of thousands of titles across all categories, from action to adventure, RPGs to MMOs to sports. You’ll even find keys for the very latest titles, such as Borderlands 4. G2A.COM has more to offer than simply games, it boasts more than 90,000 of digital offerings. You’ll also find online subscriptions, from Spotify to YouTube Premium, Canva to ChatGPT Plus, Duolingo, and even DoorDash DashPass. Computer software is available, too – whether you want a Windows 11 Pro key, Adobe Creative Cloud, or Bitdefender, there’s something for everyone. Got a birthday coming up? Gift cards for Apple, Netflix, PayPal, Amazon and more are all available at G2A.COM – often with some crazy discounts! G2A.COM Exclusive perks with G2A Plus Make G2A.COM your one-stop destination for digital entertainment. Sign up to the free G2A Plus loyalty program to earn points with your purchases and convert them to savings or subscribe to the $2.99/month G2A Plus Premium scheme to unlock monthly rewards, discounts on top titles, exclusive member promotions, plus faster assistance from tech support when you need it. Game more for less with G2A PlusView Offer Read...

Since Intel integrated a dedicated Neural Processing Unit (NPU) into modern notebooks with the Core Ultra processors and AMD with the Ryzen AI series, the software landscape has visibly changed. Applications from various fields, such as image processing, video production, communication and document processing, are increasingly using this specialized hardware to execute AI functions locally, becoming faster and more energy-efficient. Frameworks help developers to program applications that also offer NPU support. This is no longer just about computing power, but about an entirely different user experience. Programs start more quickly, AI functions respond without waiting times, and offline operation enables users to work with AI services even without an internet connection. For users, this means uncomplicated access to professional tools. New automation options open up in everyday office life, and professionals benefit from time savings and greater reliability. Intel Image editing and visual creativity Adobe Photoshop integrates the NPU in functions such as “Generative Fill”, intelligent selection or automatic retouching. Whereas it used to take several seconds to remove an object from a high-resolution image, often at the expense of system performance, this process now runs in the background without delay. If you want to edit a group photo and remove distracting passers-by, you can see the result as you move the mouse. Fine selections such as hair or transparent fabrics can also be intuitively masked with AI support. For amateur users, this means agency-level results without GPU load. For companies, this means scalable editing even on mobile devices that are used on the move. Adobe Lightroom Classic and Lightroom CC use the NPU for AI-supported noise reduction in RAW files, among other things. Anyone who takes photos while travelling and wants to present the results on location can denoise, color-optimize and export dozens of images in just a few minutes. The masking functions, for example for separating the sky or people, also work in real time. Instead of an exported filter on series photos, editing is individualized and precise without the computer reaching its limits. Capture One also benefits from the NPU, especially with the automatic cropping functions (“AI Crop”) and look equalization (“Match Look”). A typical example: a wedding photographer loads 500 images into the library, selects a reference image with a particularly atmospheric lighting mood and the software transfers this aesthetic to all other motifs. Instead of hours of reworking, a consistent set is created in minutes. In the case of Affinity Photo 2, it’s clear that even smaller providers are using the NPU to significantly speed up their filters. Functions such as “live relight”, clipping by AI or automatic color adjustment run so smoothly that they’re no longer perceived as workflows, but as creative tools. The system remains responsive even with multiple images open. Adobe Luminar Neo demonstrates the possibilities of NPUs particularly clearly with functions such as “Supersharp AI” and “Upscale AI”. Anyone who wants to improve blurred animal photos or upscale old mobile phone photos to print size can now do this without the cloud or waiting time. A series of photos can be optimized in one go without blocking other processes in the system. Visual effects and video editing In Adobe Premiere Pro, editing functions such as automatic subtitling, scene recognition and audio transcription benefit from NPU acceleration. A video producer who creates content for social media on a daily basis can drag their recording into the timeline and the program will analyze voices, make cuts, and add subtitles during playback. In combination with the GPU, this leaves enough resources for color grading and export. Adobe DaVinci Resolve Studio utilizes the NPU via its Neural Engine. Face recognition, object tracking or smart masking no longer require a separate rendering phase. You can color-correct a fashion shot and directly generate several alternatives and compare them immediately. The program remains responsive even with 4K video material. This is particularly useful for mobile workstations with limited cooling capacity. CapCut, a widely used editing software in the creator sector, reacts immediately to hardware changes. Background removal at the click of a mouse, automatic adjustment to music rhythms or face tracking in a vlog—all this runs in real time on an NPU-based system. Anyone who produces several videos a day for TikTok, YouTube Shorts, or Instagram saves time and at the same time reduces the effort required for manual corrections. Camo Studio users can also benefit. The software transforms simple webcams into studio equipment with background blurring, color adjustment, or automatic brightness control. It delivers a clear, professional image without external hardware, particularly in a corporate environment for hybrid meetings or customer discussions. Music and audio analysis Djay Pro uses the NPU to split tracks into individual audio tracks. To spontaneously remove a vocal or isolate the bass at a live gig, all you need to do is work directly in the running track in real time. The performance remains stable without the need for a separate server or a powerful interface. The workflow also works smoothly in the home studio. For content creators and podcasts with multiple speakers, local voice separation enables subsequent editing of volume, EQ, and compressor, separately for each track, without prior manual assignment. Productivity and office applications Microsoft Copilot utilizes the NPU in Office applications such as Word, Excel and Outlook. In Word, complete text drafts can be created with just a few key points—including style suggestions. In Excel, Copilot analyzes data sets, identifies outliers, and recommends suitable chart types. In Outlook, Copilot helps to manage the daily flood of information by automatically summarizing incoming emails. All of this is done locally without sending data to the cloud. This is a clear security advantage, especially for companies with sensitive content or public authorities. IDG / Mark Hachman Windows Recall uses the NPU to semantically analyze work processes. If you want to search through several files, chats, and browser windows at a later date, you can reconstruct the exact work situation later using a search term or visual representation. Content can also be found weeks later, which is a huge step forward for knowledge workers, lawyers, or technical editors. Recall creates screenshots of the screen for this purpose. Paint Cocreator creates illustrations based on text or simple sketches. A team leader who wants to visualize a new campaign idea can create a preview with two lines of text without having to start Illustrator or Photoshop. The results are created locally, in seconds. LiquidText uses AI to analyze the content of long documents. The software extracts key statements from specialized texts, studies or reports, creates links and allows structured notes. This makes work much easier for students, lawyers, or analysts. And thanks to the NPU, it even works on light devices without waiting times. Security and system tools Studio Effects improves the presentation in video calls. Eye contact correction, background blur, and image centering are calculated in real time via NPU, even with a weak webcam and without GPU load. This significantly increases professionalism, especially in professional meetings or in the home office. Rob Schultz McAfee uses the NPU in its Deepfake Detector. Audio and video material is analyzed locally without the need to upload recordings. Manipulations or synthetic content can be recognized directly, a function that is becoming relevant for financial companies, media, or law firms. BufferZone analyzes websites, attachments and links in real time. Phishing attempts, spoofing, or suspicious scripts are recognized as soon as they’re opened. As the analysis takes place locally on the NPU, it’s also effective without a network connection. Cephable relies on multimodal control. People with motor impairments can operate their PC using head movements, voice, or facial expressions. The NPU ensures that these signals are recognized and interpreted without delay, even when software is running in parallel in the background. AI frameworks and development environments The ONNX Runtime allows developers to execute their own AI models specifically on the NPU. It does not matter whether the model was trained with PyTorch or TensorFlow, it’s converted into an optimized format using conversion tools. IDG With its NPU Acceleration Library, Intel offers targeted optimization of AI operations on Core Ultra processors. Developers who write applications for image analysis, classification, or language can adapt them directly to the hardware. The Olive toolkit from Microsoft supports model conversion, optimization, and compilation. Applications such as “Generate by Iterate.ai” or “NITRO” are based on this infrastructure and show that even language models such as GPT can run locally without a permanent online connection. Gaming and real-time processing OBS Studio uses the NPU for background removal and noise suppression during streaming. Even an indie streamer with standard equipment can stream gameplay in 1080p and use the face camera at the same time—without any loss of FPS or annoying background noise. Topaz Video AI reconstructs old recordings, increases the resolution and removes artefacts. On modern laptops with an NPU, these processes run in a fraction of the time it used to take—a decisive advantage for video archives, YouTubers, and content editors. The first game producers are also experimenting with locally running AI for NPC behavior, dynamic dialogues or procedural animations. Thanks to the NPU, these elements can be realized in real time without a server connection, which opens up a new dimension for immersive gameplay. Conclusion NPUs are more than just a hardware trend —they’re changing the way software works. Creative, office, development, and security applications are all using NPUs to reduce response times, enable offline functions, and distribute resources more efficiently. Anyone using an NPU-enabled notebook benefits not only from individual features, but also from a fundamental change in the system architecture. The number of supported applications is growing continuously, as is the potential for new, intelligent workflows. Read...

Microsoft’s support for Windows 10 officially ends on October 14th, 2025, although there are ways to use Windows 10 a little while longer. With extended security updates (ESU), you can receive a year of extra updates that’ll keep you protected while you weigh your options. There are risks to continuing use of your Windows 10 PC after end of support without getting extended updates. For some, the only real option is to upgrade to a newer PC with Windows 11—but that would mean tossing their Windows 10 PC, which isn’t ideal for the environment due to all the e-waste it would create. Fortunately, that seems to be on Microsoft’s mind too. Apparently, some users are receiving offers from Microsoft to trade in their old Windows 10 computers. Windows Latest has reportedly discovered evidence of this trade-in program, but there’s been no official announcement of it. In the ESU Assistant, which currently isn’t available in all countries, there’s a new path for trading in old Windows 10 PCs: Windows Latest The offer apparently exists for both consumer and business devices, and it leads to the Microsoft Store where you can choose whether you want to exchange your computer for money or “recycle for good.” The latter is possible if your PC isn’t accepted for trade-in. Whether your PC is accepted and how much you can get for trade-in value will depend on several factors, presumably including the age of your device and the hardware components in it. Microsoft obviously wants that money to be invested in new Windows 11 PCs. Read...

If one key aim of AI is to replicate the human experience, then perhaps this gives our robot devices the desire not just to excel, but to experience the joy of a holiday – leaving home to explore new places, gain experiences, and enrich their synthetic lives. So, is what I spotted in my home village of Merstham, Surrey – just outside London in the UK – a harbinger of more AI adventure travel to come? In early September, a LawnMaster robot lawnmower had clearly had enough of the daily grind and decided to leave its garden environment for a free-wheeling road trip. After leaving a local property, the escapee mower was spotted by local resident Natalie Hurst while driving her car. “I was turning right out of a side road and there was a car coming towards me very, very slowly – pointing at something in front of them,” she says. This was “the lawnmower proudly driving down the middle of the road.” The passenger in that car captured the “Mown Ranger” on video. #id68cbf57980ae0 .jw-wrapper::before { content: `runaway lawnmower video 1` !important; } Fearing for the robot’s safety amongst traffic, Hurst parked up, caught the mower and turned it off using the large red stop button robots mowers have – I assume – for eventualities just like this, not just in case it’s miscalculated the size of your garden and ended up in the hedge again (though at least they’re smart enough not to run over your toes). PCWorld hasn’t reviewed this particular model, but in all our robot mower reviews, we definitely count “stays within the property lines” and “doesn’t try to escape” as important criteria. The escaped robot lawnmower, safely captured by Natalie HurstNatalie Hurst Hurst took the mower home for safe-keeping and posted her experience to the local Facebook group “Help in the Ham” to track down the owner – and bring some wholesome amusement to others in the village. The owners were aware that the mower was missing and thought it might have been stolen, but didn’t have Facebook accounts – so asked a local family friend to post about it. “She then saw my post and made contact with a photo to confirm it was the right machine,” says Hurst. [How many escaped robot lawnmowers are there on Merstham roads? -Ed.] It turned out the errant mower was closer to home that those who saw it assumed it was some kind of long-distance travelling “Mow Farah,” based on the pace that it was travelling. “It hadn’t gone too far – maybe about four or five houses – but it was making great progress,” notes Hurst. The owner was reunited with their mower and, as yet, it hasn’t been seen on Merstham’s roads again. But Hurst clearly sees this as a story celebrating the village’s community spirit. “The owner literally dragged me into her house and was offering me drinks and gave me a big hug,” says Hurst. “Her and her husband were lovely people. We showed them the video and the Facebook comments and they found it all really funny. The wife dropped a cake round to my house that afternoon to say thank you.” So maybe the idea of our home devices becoming smarter isn’t as scary as the likes of Stephen King and the AI prophets of doom have made out – as long as smart is accompanied by other recognizable human traits, and brings out the warmth of human nature in us. Read...

Canterbury Regional Council, known as Environment Canterbury (ECan), carried a motion to declare a nitrate emergency at its final meeting on Wednesday. Read...

The COVID-19 pandemic had a huge impact on remote working. Five years on, the masks have gone and some companies are now mandating a return to work policy, but for small businesses remote working remains common practice. According to the Office for National Statistics, in the first quarter of 2025 more than a quarter (28%) of working adults in Great Britain enjoyed a hybrid approach to their office location. Another study conducted in April found that 21.5m Brits (39% of the population) work from home at least some of the time. But hybrid working isn’t a benefit that is evenly distributed across professions. Beaming claims a staggering 81% of UK small businesses support remote working. While the benefits to employees are clear, allowing to staff to work from home can be a security nightmare. So, how can a small business ensure its employees, business data, finances and reputation, stay safe in a world of constantly evolving digital threats? What are the biggest security risks associated with remote working? Traditionally, a small business might have stored sensitive data on a local server that could be accessed only by devices on that network. Now, with employees potentially working at home, in coffee shops, or even abroad, business data can be more easily intercepted and compromised by hackers as it moves around the web. Man-in-the-middle attacks When connecting to public Wi-Fi, users may not realise that the network isn’t all that it seems. Hackers can easily set up a fake connection with a venue-matching name that monitors and records all activity conducted over that network. This includes any sensitive data that is sent or received and, in a worst-case scenario, that might be your business banking data and account details. Phishing attacks One of the most common types of scams employed by hackers is known as phishing. A cybercriminal will target an individual via a text message, email or other method of communication and use familiarity tactics to lull them into a false sense of security, ultimately convincing them to click on a dodgy link or hand over sensitive information. Employees can’t be alert to these scams in every situation, and with AI now making these messages ever more convincing they are increasingly difficult to spot. Malware, viruses and spyware Another potential danger from phishing-style attacks is that the user unknowingly has malware installed on their device. This can then watch and record everything they do, such as logging into company accounts, accessing business banking accounts, communicating with clients, and any other business-related activities. How can a small business protect its remote workers from digital threats? Due to the dispersed nature of remote working, it can be a challenge to enforce the same level of security as you might in the enclosed environment of a workplace. That’s why using a dedicated small business security software suite can be a great way to protect your clients and employees alike, without racking up huge expenses or adding even more stress to your busy day. Norton Small Business is a complete solution that includes a number of purpose-built security tools to help your business avoid falling victim to the kind of attacks outlined above. With the standard package you get always-on antivirus and firewall protection that works to continuously guard against viruses, malware and spyware attacks. There’s also a secure browser that employees can use when working on business documents or accessing online banking. Passwords and sensitive documents can be stored in an encrypted vault to help prevent prying eyes from gaining access, while Norton keeps tabs on the dark web to seek out employee identity or business data that may have been compromised and now presents a threat to the business. There is also an automatic software updater for Windows PCs, making sure employees don’t neglect to update outdated apps that could contain security vulnerabilities, plus 250GB of secure cloud-backup space for any business-critical files. If your security needs are greater, the Norton Small Business Premium plan includes everything in the standard plan, plus some useful extras. You get a VPN service that encrypts all data flowing between a device and the web, helping you protect the business from man-in-the-middle attacks. You also get notified in the event of suspicious financial transactions, or fraudulent social media posts that may threaten the company’s reputation. The premium plan bumps up the secure cloud storage to 500GB, plus you get the peace of mind that comes with 24/7 business tech support should you encounter business IT problems – ideal for small businesses who lack their own IT team. Choose Norton for small business security Running a small business is challenging enough, without needing to worry about IT problems and digital threats as well. The standard plan costs £54.99 for up to three employees, £69.99 for up to five employees, and £99.99 for up to 10 employees. Step up to Norton Small Business Premium to enjoy 24/7 Business Tech Support, Secure VPN, Financial and Social Media Monitoring, Driver Updater and 500GB of secure Cloud Backup online storage; it costs £149.99 for up to five employees, and £199.99 for up to 10 employees. All prices are for the first year. Right now, PCWorld readers can take advantage of a rare 30% discount, unlocking Norton Small Business from just £38.50/first year, and Norton Small Business Premium from just £105/first year. Just enter the code PCWNSBP at checkout to take advantage. Save 30% on Norton Small Business You don’t have to spend any money to see the benefits of the Norton Small Business plans though, as there’s a 30-day trial that lets you try it before you subscribe. With Norton Small Business, keeping your business and its employees safer from digital threats is simple, whether that’s in the office, at home or on the road. Read...