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  • Netflix Buys Danny Boyle’s Rupert Murdoch Movie and Venice Opener ‘Ink’

    Netflix Buys Danny Boyle’s Rupert Murdoch Movie and Venice Opener ‘Ink’

    Having just been announced as the Venice Film Festival curtain raiser, Danny Boyle‘s “Ink” has found a new nome.

    Netflix has acquired the U.S. and Latin American rights to the film — about the early years of Rupert Murdoch’s media empire as he planted a flag in the U.K. and starring Jack O’Connell, Guy Pearce and Claire Foy. The film will world premiere in the Venice competition on Sep 2, opening the 83rd edition of the festival.

    Based on the Tony-nominated stage play by James Graham (“Dear England,” “Sherwood”), who wrote the screenplay, “Ink” was produced by Studiocanal, Media Res and House Productions, reuniting Academy Award winner Boyle with his “Slumdog Millionaire” exec producer Tessa Ross.

    Set in 1969, the film charts the story of how Murdoch and tabloid editor Larry Lamb launched “The Sun,” newspaper. O’Connell stars as “The Sun” editor Lamb with Pearce as Murdoch. Foy plays Jules Davies.

    “Long before Fox News, click bait, and Truth Social; decades before Twitter, Facebook, Google & Only Fans, these two men created a new tabloid which against all the odds became the biggest selling newspaper in the world,” said Boyle. “Cheeky, Irreverent, daring: The super soaraway Sun challenged the establishment and remade our world for the modern era.”

    As the official logline further details, “Ink” is as “an explosive cinematic rollercoaster about a group of visionaries and misfits who had an idea for a new kind of news — one that would give the people what they want and would change the face of the world we live in today.”

    Boyle produces with Ross (“Conclave,” “Zone of Interest”) and Michael Ellenberg (“The Morning Show,” “Pachinko”). Tracey Seaward (“The Two Popes,” “Philomena”) also produces. Anna Marsh, Ron Halpern, Joe Naftalin of Studiocanal are exec producers alongside Tonia Davis, Zoe Edwards, Graham and Sudie Smyth. Media Res optioned Graham’s play, which was directed by Rupert Goold.

    The Netflix deal was handled by WME Independent and StudioCanal.

    Studiocanal handled worldwide sales and will release the film theatrically in their territories of the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Benelux, Australia and NZ. With Netflix now on board, “Ink” has sold in all territories worldwide.

  • Netflix Paid $587 Million for Ben Affleck’s AI Startup InterPositive

    Netflix Paid $587 Million for Ben Affleck’s AI Startup InterPositive

    Netflix paid $587 million in cash when it purchased Ben Affleck‘s AI startup InterPositive, the company disclosed in a federal filing.

    As part of the company’s Form 10-Q report with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Netflix confirmed that it completed an acquisition in March “for a total purchase price of approximately $587 million. The disclosure came months after a Bloomberg report indicated Netflix’s March acquisition could amount to up to $600 million for Affleck and InterPositive’s investors, even if the total price for the company was less than that amount.

    The remainder would be made up through “certain performance targets,” according to the Bloomberg report. Netflix did not respond to an immediate request for comment.

    Netflix purchased Affleck’s startup, which he founded in 2022 and operated in stealth mode, in a bid to develop AI tools that kept “filmmakers at the center of the process.” The purchase brought aboard InterPositive’s 16-person team of engineers, researchers and creatives, while Affleck joined Netflix as a senior adviser. The company’s tools allow filmmakers to build an AI model using production dailies to help enhance post-production work such as mixing, relighting shots and adding visual effects, forgoing typical visual generative efforts.

    “From the invention of the moving image to the transition to digital, from motion capture to virtual production, technology has evolved alongside the artists who use it,” Affleck said as part of the merger announcement. “Our shared commitment to continuing this legacy makes joining together a natural next step, in addition to Netflix’s decades of experience applying and scaling technology responsibly.”

    Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos highlighted the company’s integration of generative AI tools and its work with InterPositive during its second-quarter earnings call on Thursday, where it revealed that roughly 300 of its titles have used some form of generative AI this year. Sarandos said that while the InterPositive deal was still in its “early days,” Netflix has seen its impact on productions alongside some of its other in-house tools.

    Still, even as he highlighted the use of AI in the docuseries “The American Experiment” to produce sequences “twice as fast and at half the cost of previous options,” he said the company wasn‘t eager to replace human-made work with generative technology.

    “We believe it takes great artists to make something great, and AI is not changing that,” Sarandos said. “Movies are being made by people who make movies. AI provides them with better tools to make them even better.”

  • ECB Warns Stablecoins May Drain Bank Deposits—Here’s What That Means

    ECB Warns Stablecoins May Drain Bank Deposits—Here’s What That Means

    In brief

    • ECB board member Cipollone warned Friday that stablecoin growth could strip European banks of retail deposits, on top of the fees and transaction data they’re already losing to mobile payment platforms.
    • Two-thirds of card payments in the euro area route through non-European schemes, and 13 of 21 eurozone countries have no national card scheme of their own.
    • The ECB named 36 payment service providers for a digital euro pilot starting in the second half of 2027, days after the European Parliament voted 416 to 169 to begin formal legislative negotiations.

    European banks are losing the payments war in installments. First came mobile apps, which took their fees and transaction data, then digital payments and startups took even more control. Now the ECB is warning that stablecoins could take the thing that really hurts: their deposits.

    Piero Cipollone, an executive board member of the European Central Bank, delivered that message Friday at a banking conference in Rome, and framed the digital euro as the structural answer.

    “Even traditional debit card payments are becoming less popular. In fact, mobile payments are on the rise and they already exceed one in ten point-of-sale transactions in Ireland, the Netherlands and Finland,” he said.

    “When their customers use mobile payments, banks typically pay higher fees than those associated with debit cards and often do not receive any information about the payment, so they lose both fees and data,” Cipollone added. “If the use of stablecoins increases in the future, banks will also lose retail deposits.”

    He was speaking to Italian cooperative bank executives who have their own reasons to be nervous: Half of Italy’s cooperative bank branches serve towns with fewer than 10,000 people, where the loss of payment data could hollow out the local lending business.

    Stablecoins add a new layer to that problem. They’re privately issued crypto tokens pegged 1:1 to a fiat currency—almost always the dollar—that let users hold and move money entirely outside the banking system. Think of them as a digital dollar you keep in an app rather than a bank account. Even fintechs like PayPal, Stripe, and others rely on the traditional banking system one way or another.

    The global stablecoin market sits at roughly $300 billion, per DefiLlama data, and is almost entirely dollar-denominated.

    Cipollone is worried that the massification of stablecoin adoption may render cash deposits irrelevant. Mobile payments cost banks fees and data; stablecoins could cost them the deposit base they rely on to make loans.

    Deposits aren’t just a number in a ledger. They’re the raw material banks use to extend credit to businesses and homebuyers. Fewer deposits means less lending—and for small cooperative banks with thin margins and local customer bases, that’s an existential problem, not a spreadsheet one.

    The ECB’s proposed fix is, ironically, a digital euro: a government-issued, electronic form of cash distributed through—not instead of—commercial banks. Under the current design, banks keep customer accounts, earn interchange fees, and retain transaction data. The ECB has already named 36 payment providers—including Deutsche Bank, UniCredit, and Revolut—for a 12-month pilot starting in the second half of 2027.

    The obvious objection is that a risk-free, government-backed digital wallet could drain deposits just as surely as a stablecoin. The ECB has guardrails in mind: the digital euro will pay no interest, removing the incentive to park large sums in it, and holding limits will cap how much anyone can keep in a digital euro account. The bank’s own financial stability analysis concluded the design poses no material risk to bank liquidity.

    Critics haven’t been fully convinced, and the ECB’s repeated stablecoin warnings haven’t visibly slowed the market. But the legislative machinery is now moving.

    Per Cipollone, negotiations on the digital euro are already underway being approved on July 9, with the first session held four days later. Lawmakers are targeting a deal by the end of 2026. First issuance is eyed for 2029.

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  • Early Uber Investor: Bitcoin Has Strategy Problem

    Early Uber Investor: Bitcoin Has Strategy Problem

    Prominent angel investor and early Uber backer Jason Calacanis has argued that Bitcoin’s biggest challenge is no longer the asset itself, but the growing influence of Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy) and its outspoken co-founder Michael Saylor.

    “The challenge for $BTC is that one person is causing chaos ($MSTR), while retail is more interested in bets on world-changing products (SpaceX, OpenAI, Anthropic),” Calacanis wrote on X.

    A major problem

    Calacanis has become one of the most vocal critics of Strategy’s Bitcoin-centric corporate model. His argument is not that Bitcoin itself is fundamentally flawed, but that Strategy has become so dominant that it distorts the market narrative.

    The company has transformed itself into what it calls a “Bitcoin treasury company,” financing ever-larger $BTC purchases through repeated equity offerings, convertible debt, and preferred stock issuance. As a result, Strategy has become the world’s largest corporate Bitcoin holder, and its stock is widely viewed as a leveraged proxy for Bitcoin.

    Strategy increasingly dominates institutional discussions about Bitcoin. Meanwhile, MSTR often attracts speculative capital that might otherwise flow directly into spot $BTC or Bitcoin ETFs.

    Calacanis has long been skeptical

    Calacanis has expressed doubts about Bitcoin for years, despite investing early in numerous technology companies.

    In 2022, following the collapse of FTX, he argued that much of the crypto industry had become dominated by speculation and poor governance, calling for stronger regulation while distinguishing between blockchain technology and speculative tokens.

    More recently, he has repeatedly criticized Strategy’s financing model. During previous market selloffs, he urged investors to “sell MSTR and buy bitcoin directly,” describing the company’s structure as resembling a “stunning pyramid scheme.”

  • The Best 4K TVs to Turn Your Home into a Mini Movie Theater in 2026

    The Best 4K TVs to Turn Your Home into a Mini Movie Theater in 2026

    If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission.

    Not all 4K TVs are made equally. There are plenty of 4K TVs that are colorful, large and sharp, but not all of them have the same features and settings or have the same picture and audio quality. With so many to pick, it may be tough to find the best one for your home and your pocketbook.

    Variety rounded up the best 4K TVs of various shapes and sizes for all sorts of users and situations. We picked from trusted TV manufacturers, like Sony, Samsung, Hisnese, LG and others for their reliability, premium picture quality and overall use.

    Sony

    RGB

    Sony 85-Inch BRAVIA 9 II ‘True RGB’ 4K TV

    Best Overall

    With prices starting at $3,599.99 at Best Buy, the Sony BRAVIA 9 II 4K TV has Sony’s latest “True RGB” display technology (red, green and blue light) for premium picture quality with more vivid and brighter colors, as well as darker and deeper black levels.

    And with sizes up to 85 inches, the 4K TV features accurate colors that comes alive. It’s great for watching action movies and live sports with more immersive picture quality as high-paced action shifts from moment-to-moment.

    Samsung

    Samsung Vision AI

    Samsung 77-Inch OLED S90H 4K Smart TV

    Best OLED

    The Samsung 77-Inch OLED S90H 4K Smart TV is one of the best OLED TVs to buy in 2026 — thanks to its large display that minimizes blooming and haloing around bright images, Dolby Atmos for premium audio quality and built-in smart home features for streaming movies and TV shows from Netflix, YouTube, Prime Video, Disney+ and other apps.

    The 4K TV supports HDR (High Dynamic Range) for 4K videos with accurate and vivid color contrast and deep black levels. It even has a high refresh rate of up to 165Hz for buttery smooth motion for fast action during live sports, gaming and movies.

    LG

    HDR10 Support

    LG 77-Inch LG OLED evo AI G6 4K Smart TV

    Best for Wide Viewing Angles

    The LG 77-Inch LG OLED evo AI G6 4K Smart TV is ideal if you have a large family because it offers very wide viewing angles. This means no matter where someone sits in the living room, everyone is going to have a great view of what’s on TV — thanks to its impressive OLED 4K Ultra HD display. The 4K TV offers brightness, as well as enhanced rich and vibrant colors and inky black levels.

    In addition, the 4K TV supports Dolby Vision, HDR10 and HLG 4K picture formats, while it comes with the webOS 26 with Google Gemini operating system out-of-the-box for video and music app streaming — including Netflix, Paramount+, Peacock, Prime Video, Spotify and much more.

    TCL

    144Hz

    TCL 75-Inch QM7L Series SQD-Mini-LED QLED Smart TV

    Best Value

    Priced at $1,498 on Amazon, the TCL 75-Inch QM7L Series SQD-Mini-LED QLED Smart TV is our pick for the best wallet-friendly 4K TV. It’s no slouch when it comes to offering stellar picture quality with thin bezels, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision 4K support, vibrant color reproduction and expanded brightness levels.

    This is a simple and clean smart TV with a very wide selection of apps, including Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, Prime Video and others, thanks to Google TV. If you’re on a tight budget, then the TCL QM7L is a great choice to get brilliant picture quality, impressive Bang & Olufsen audio quality and built-in streaming options at an affordable price.

    Hisense

    IMAX Enhanced

    Hisense 75-Inch U7 Mini-LED ULED 4K Smart TV

    Best for Versatility

    If you’re looking for a 4K TV that supports multiple picture and audio formats, then the Hisense 75-Inch U7 Mini-LED ULED 4K Smart TV is for you. For picture quality, it has Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+ Adaptive, HDR10 and HLG support for high quality 4K images that are crisp and clear with bright colors and deep black levels with IMAX Enhanced performance, while this TV can support Dolby Atmos and DTS:X audio formats.

    It even has Google TV built-in for streaming videos and music, while the TV has a high refresh rate of up to 165Hz for smooth motion for gaming and live sports. The Hisense U7 is one of the most versatile 4K TVs for home theaters or basement “man-caves” with impressive picture quality and a wide selection of audio formats.

    Samsung

    Wireless One Connect

    Samsung 85-Inch ‘The Frame Pro’ LS03HW Neo QLED 4K Smart TV

    Best for Style

    Let’s face it, most 4K TVs look unattractive and very plain. If you hang one up, then it just looks like a black slab on your wall. However, not all 4K TVs are ugly. Enter the Samsung 85-Inch “The Frame Pro” LS03HW Neo QLED 4K Smart TV, a sleek and stylish TV that’s designed to look like a framed piece of artwork. It features a matte QLED 4K display with an antireflection layer that’s not glossy, while the TV comes with a special “Art Mode” to display pieces, like “Mona Lisa,” “Girl with a Pearl Earring,” “Irises” and others.

    Meanwhile, all of the cables, power supply, inputs and other components are encased in a separate Wireless One Connect control box that connects to the TV wirelessly. Now the Samsung Frame Pro TV can always look clean as the centerpiece of your living room.

    Samsung

    VRR Support

    Samsung 77-Inch OLED S95H 4K Smart TV

    Best for Gaming

    If gaming is most important for your home, then the Samsung 77-Inch OLED S95H 4K Smart TV is the one for you. For next-gen gaming for Xbox Series X/S, Sony PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2, all four of its built-in HDMI ports support Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) for virtually zero game controller lag, Dynamic Metadata (HDR 10+) for impressive 4K picture quality with incredible color contrast and Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) with up to 165Hz for smooth motion.

    Who needs a console at all? The Samsung S95H 4K TV also supports cloud gaming apps, like Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and NVIDIA GeForce Now.

  • Why Ethereum’s $76B Staked Value Matters for Investors in 2026

    Why Ethereum’s $76B Staked Value Matters for Investors in 2026

    In a recent tweet, the Ethereum Foundation highlighted that the network is secured by $76 billion worth of $ETH staked. This substantial amount significantly outstrips the staking values of other layer 1 networks reviewed in the OpenZeppelin Report. This level of economic security is crucial as it reflects both the confidence in Ethereum’s infrastructure and its position in the broader cryptocurrency landscape.

    The Latest

    Ethereum’s staking dynamics present a compelling narrative in the current market context. With $76 billion staked, Ethereum demonstrates robust economic security, which could enhance investor confidence during a period of volatility in the crypto market. The recent focus on staking ratios indicates that market participants are increasingly aware of how these figures can influence Ethereum’s price action and overall market sentiment. Observers note that Ethereum’s strong staking position may play a pivotal role in supporting the network’s price stability amidst ongoing fluctuations across major assets.

    Quick Take

    • Ethereum Foundation, highlighted economic security, $76B worth of $ETH staked, significantly larger than other layer 1s.

    What the Data Shows

    The current market environment shows mixed signals, with Ethereum’s strong staking ratio being a vital point of focus for traders. As the crypto market grapples with uncertainty, Ethereum’s substantial staking amount may act as a stabilizing factor. Analysts are closely monitoring Ethereum’s staking dynamics as they assess potential price movements and market confidence.

    Ethereum, as a leading smart contract platform, has seen significant growth and adoption since its inception. Its staking mechanism, particularly after the transition to Ethereum 2.0, has attracted a large amount of capital, making it a critical player in the decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem. The $76 billion staked not only enhances its economic security but also positions it favorably against competing networks.

    Eyes on These Levels

    Traders are now watching how Ethereum’s staking dynamics will influence its price trajectory in the coming weeks. The strong staking support could act as a buffer against selling pressure, especially as market participants assess key levels of support and resistance. Analysts suggest that Ethereum’s ability to maintain its staking numbers may be indicative of its resilience in a challenging market environment.

    Cryptocurrency investments are subject to high market risks. Readers should conduct their own research before making investment decisions.

  • Lipreader reveals what really went down during World Cup couple’s viral argument

    Lipreader reveals what really went down during World Cup couple’s viral argument

    The couple were filmed during their country’s World Cup match against South Korea (Picture: TikTok)

    A viral clip of a couple having a bust-up in the stands at the World Cup has sparked countless theories online, with viewers convinced they were witnessing the beginning of a spectacular relationship meltdown.

    Now a professional lipreader believes she has worked out what was actually being said.

    The two South African fans were filmed during their country’s match against South Korea earlier in the tournament in Monterrey.

    What began as enthusiastic flag-waving quickly appeared to descend into a tense exchange after the man was seen looking at his phone.

    The footage spread from TikTok right across all social media, where thousands of viewers happily filled in the blanks themselves.

    ‘How can I file a divorce for someone else?’ one person joked on X. Another quipped: ‘The divorce came out of nowhere.’

    Others were convinced the man had been caught looking at another woman, while some guessed he was secretly placing bets on the match.

    The exchange appeared to begin after the man looked at something on his phone (Picture: TikTok)

    Professional lipreader Nicola Hickling believes the conversation actually started for a very different reason, however.

    Hickling told the Daily Mail the woman accidentally hit a young boy sitting next to her with the flag she was waving. She then apologised and moved the flag away from him.

    According to Hickling’s analysis, the woman then noticed her partner looking at his phone before he showed her what was on the screen.

    ‘There is nothing to see. The lads took pictures and sent them,’ he appeared to say.

    Professional lipreader Nicola Hickling believes she has worked out what the couple said to each other (Picture: TikTok)

    The woman then asked: ‘Why are you looking?’ He replied: ‘I’m not looking at other women.’

    The disagreement continued, with the pair apparently going back and forth while the match carried on around them. At one stage the woman sat down, seemingly attempting to end the conversation.

    The man repeatedly turned to continue speaking to her, appearing increasingly frustrated as the exchange went on. Much to the amusement of many people online.

    The clip quickly spread across social media and prompted plenty of theories over what was going on (Picture: TikTok)

    According to Hickling, he then said: ‘Maybe this is why I don’t mention things.’ The woman responded: ‘That’s enough.’

    Moments later, the man appeared to tell her: ‘Shut up.’ She then replied: ‘I am sick of you always arguing.’

    Neither member of the couple has publicly commented on the clip, meaning Hickling’s interpretation remains the best clue we have as to what went down between them.

    Viewers also questioned why the camera remained focused on the arguing pair (Picture: TikTok)

    Not everyone was focused on the couple themselves, though. Plenty of viewers thought the real villain of the piece was the person operating the camera.

    A number of commenters branded the camera operator ‘nosy’ for keeping the lens trained on the pair instead of the football.

    Others admitted they were grateful they did, given the clip ended up becoming one of the tournament’s most talked-about off-pitch moments.

    Whatever really went on and was sent, here’s hoping they’ve patched things up now. And put down the flag and phone.

  • The 5 Best Tech Deals for Your July Weekend

    The 5 Best Tech Deals for Your July Weekend

    The hunt for electronics deals is a constantly changing one, as retailers and brands raise and lower prices in response to all sorts of factors. At the core, though, are the detailed reviews that PCMag’s experts write daily. I refuse to recommend a product that hasn’t been extensively tested by my co-workers, because I know that they are thorough, unbiased, and have decades of experience. It’s my job to take those high-quality items and find the deepest discounts, and that’s what we have here: five great products at price cuts of up to 50% off.

    Garmin Venu Sq Smartwatch

    1.41-inch AMOLED display, Android, iOS, 8 days battery life


    $149.99
    at Amazon

    $249.99
    Save $100.00


    Get Deal

    There are plenty of smartwatch brands on the market, but one that often runs under the radar is Garmin, which made its name in GPS before venturing into wearables. We gave the Venu Sq an Editors’ Choice award in our review, with watch expert Angela Moscaritolo saying it easily lapped the similarly-priced Apple Watch SE and Galaxy Watch 5, with better battery life, tons of fitness tracking tools, and a big, bright display. Geolocation is a big part of the feature set, with over 25 built-in indoor and GPS sports apps to track a wide variety of exercises, as well as preloaded and customizable workout routines. Even if you’re not a health nut, cool features like mobile payments, weather forecasts, and other stuff make it worth the cash.

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    *Deals are selected by our commerce team

    TCL QM8L 65-inch 4K SQD-Mini LED Smart TV

    65-inch display, 4K, 144Hz refresh rate, Google TV


    $1,747.82
    at Best Buy

    $2,499.99
    Save $752.17


    Get Deal

    One of the most important metrics we evaluate in our TV reviews is brightness. Without a potent enough backlight, your screen can be washed out or even unusable when the sun is out. That’s why we were so dazzled by the TCL QM8L in our review that we gave it an Editors’ Choice award and a first-ever Lab Test Winner award. This is the brightest TV we’ve ever tested, with color quality and contrast to match, even when viewing from the diagonal. It’s a powerhouse that excels for streaming, gaming, and sports. We even praised the remote control, which has backlighting, a customizable shortcut button, and a rocker switch that adjusts brightness without opening a menu. Best Buy has it on sale for 30% off.

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    *Deals are selected by our commerce team

    Nothing Phone (3)


    $599.00
    at Amazon

    $799.00
    Save $200.00


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    There’s no mobile device that looks like the Nothing Phone (3), and it packs enough cool functionality to match its design. Made by a British company looking to stand out as an alternative to the big brands, it’s made from 100% recycled aluminum with Gorilla Glass 7i protecting the 6.67-inch AMOLED display. Peak brightness of 4,500 nits is outrageously good. On the back, there are solid cameras and the unique Glyph Matrix, an array of 489 micro-LEDs that display text and visualizations. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 processor is powerful enough for high-end mobile gaming, and both battery life and charging time also impressed us. You can read our full review for all the details.

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    Roborock Saros Z70 Robot Vacuum

    Vacuum / mop, 111 minutes battery life,


    $999.99
    at Best Buy

    $1,999.99
    Save $1,000.00


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    We love it when companies take big swings, and the Saros Z70 is an absolutely wild take on the traditional robot vacuum, with a five-axis robotic arm protruding from the top. That mechanical limb is used for all kinds of things while it cleans your floor. It can pick up objects as heavy as 10.58 ounces and deposit them in pre-selected areas, so if you leave your socks everywhere, it’ll take them back to the bin. You can also manually control the robot arm while it’s cleaning, using the onboard camera with an app on your phone to target items. In our review, we were impressed by how well it navigated, never getting stuck in all of our tests, as well as having good battery life.

    Recommended by Our Editors

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    Turtle Beach Stealth Pro Gaming Headset

    USB, Bluetooth, active noise cancellation, 12 hours battery life


    $169.94
    at Amazon

    $329.99
    Save $160.05


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    If audio quality is just as important as visuals in your gaming life, you should really pick up a high-quality headset. Luckily for you, the excellent Turtle Beach Stealth Pro is on sale for 49% off right now at Amazon. That’s the lowest price we’ve seen it. We have a detailed review of this model, with high praise for its exceptional active noise cancellation, which effectively blots out the world to give you peak concentration. We also liked the dual swappable batteries, letting you charge and play at the same time, and the microphone was clear and responsive. At almost half off, you can’t go wrong with this one.

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    *Deals are selected by our commerce team

    Want to keep even more money in your pocket? Our deals page saves you tons on top tech.

    About Our Expert

  • Seismic Shifts in Securities: DTCC and Ripple Prime Dive into Tokenization

    Seismic Shifts in Securities: DTCC and Ripple Prime Dive into Tokenization

    The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC), a prominent backbone for managing over $114 trillion in securities, has embarked on a groundbreaking journey to modernize financial markets. As of July 15, DTCC has commenced initial trading operations for tokenized securities, marking a pivotal step in financial evolution. Key participants include the likes of Ripple Prime, which plays a significant role in laying the foundations for this new frontier in trade.

    Is Ripple Prime Leading the Charge?

    Indeed, Ripple Prime has cemented its involvement by joining DTCC’s exclusive Industry Working Group, alongside financial powerhouses such as Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, and BlackRock. With an eye on full-scale deployment by October 2026, this consortium aims to establish robust standards that will redefine the settlement and clearing of tokenized assets.

    What Makes $XRP a Key Player?

    $XRP‘s potential in the rapidly advancing tokenization sector is underscored by advocates within the cryptocurrency community. According to CharuSan, a notable analyst, higher $XRP prices may be pivotal for efficiently managing institutional liquidity demands. A surge in $XRP price could dramatically reduce the number of tokens required for vast financial transfers, optimizing liquidity pools for international settlements.

    The logic behind larger transactions using fewer tokens at higher prices has caught the attention of prominent figures, including Ripple’s CTO Emeritus, advocating for the token‘s widespread capability in sustaining large-scale financial operations.

    • DTCC initiates initial phases of tokenized securities trading, indicating forward momentum in finance.
    • Ripple Prime’s alliance with major financial institutions exemplifies progress in blockchain innovation.
    • The CLARITY Act’s possible passage could be a catalyst for digital assets like $XRP, enhancing regulatory frameworks.

    The impending regulatory discussions on the CLARITY Act mark a pivotal moment for the digital asset landscape. It proposes a stabilized framework that could stimulate broader acceptance and integration of digital currencies like $XRP into mainstream financial systems. With DTCC’s project already in flight and Ripple Prime actively engaged, the political environment holds significant implications for the future of tokenized finance.

  • Elizabeth Warren And Other Democratic Lawmakers Warn Of Antitrust Issues With Fox-Roku Merger

    Elizabeth Warren And Other Democratic Lawmakers Warn Of Antitrust Issues With Fox-Roku Merger

    Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and other congressional Democrats are warning of antitrust implications in Fox Corp.‘s proposed $22 billion acquisition of Roku.

    In the letter to Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward, the Democrats wrote, “Eliminating a significant competitor would reduce consumer choice for free streaming services and could give the combined entity market power to start charging for a previously free service.”

    They also sought Woodward’s commitment that the DOJ review of the transaction “will be conducted free from political interference and in an impartial fashion.”

    In the letter (read it here), they wrote that a “merger between Fox and Roku may also give the combined Fox-Roku entity the incentive to preference and steer viewers to Fox content for the 100 million Roku households, disadvantaging Fox competitors and limiting consumer choice.”

    RELATED: Trump Celebrity Supporters: Famous Folks In Favor Of The 47th President

    Fox Corp. announced in June a $22 billion deal to acquire Roku, giving it a boost in the free, ad-supported streaming space. It acquired Tubi six years ago. In a statement announcing the deal, Fox and Roku said both companies were “committed to continuing to operate Roku as an open, partner-friendly platform and to the continued ubiquitous distribution of Fox content.”

    A Fox spokesperson declined comment. A DOJ spokesperson could not immediately be reached.

    The letter also was signed by Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-FL); Rep. Chuy Garcia (D-IL); Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA); Rep. Summer Lee (D-PA); and Rep. Pat Ryan (D-NY).

    The letter also referred to a Wall Street Journal report that Woodward has told antitrust staff attorneys that he wants to settle cases instead of taking proposed mergers to trial. Democrats also pointed to the DOJ decision to close its case examining Paramount’s proposed merger with Warner Bros. Discovery.

    “We are concerned that settlements invite opportunities for more backroom deals like the ones we have seen during this administration, and will weaken enforcers’ ability to go after antitrust violations in order to lower prices for American families,” they wrote.