Two unmissable concerts at Auckland Town Hall give audiophiles a last chance to experience Rita Paczian’s magic at the podium. Expect pristine Baroque brilliance on 21 Sept (World Premieres & Bach) and 7 Dec (Best of Bach & Handel) — with full choir, orchestra, and soloists delivering sonic perfection. Secure your spot via Ticketmaster.

According to a new report by Bitsight’s TRACE team, these cameras – many inside private homes -are accessible without a password. This is leaving living rooms, bedrooms, and workplaces wide open to snooping.

The cameras often have built-in web servers for remote access, but many are misconfigured and exposed directly to the internet. Anyone with the right IP address can simply tune in. The US leads the pack, but the issue is global.

Beyond the obvious privacy nightmare, there’s real risk here: hackers could hijack a camera to surveil your home, use it to attack other devices on your network, or add it to a botnet for large-scale cyberattacks. And it’s not just no-name brands – even major vendors like Amazon (Ring), Wyze, and Eufy have slipped up.

If you’ve got a connected camera at home, don’t assume it’s safe out of the box. Change the default login, patch the firmware, keep it out of private spaces, and test whether it can be accessed without logging in. Otherwise, you might be inviting the internet into your home – unfiltered.

Weather nerds and everyday planners alike, take note: AccuWeather’s hyper-accurate forecasts are now fuelling Perplexity’s AI answer engine. That means real-time, hyperlocal updates – MinuteCast, RealFeel temps, severe storm alerts and more – are baked into your AI-powered queries on Perplexity. You’ll get the same precision meteorologists trust, now seamlessly integrated into your daily AI scroll. The partnership promises faster, smarter, and potentially lifesaving info right when you need it – on your phone, your browser, or mid-convo with an AI assistant.
For Kiwi users, it’s one step closer to skipping the guesswork and knowing exactly when to pack the brolly.

As AI learns more about you to offer smarter suggestions and routines, it also gathers more personal data, raising the stakes for privacy.

Samsung’s answer is Knox Vault, a hardware-based security system built into Galaxy devices. Unlike software-only defences, Knox Vault isolates sensitive data – like biometrics, PINs and cryptographic keys – in a secure part of the device with its own processor and memory. It’s designed to resist both remote attacks and physical tampering.

This matters because many AI features now run directly on your phone, not in the cloud. Tools like Call Transcript and Audio Eraser process private data without it leaving the device. Knox Vault ensures that data stays encrypted and out of reach, even as Galaxy AI becomes more tightly woven into daily life.

For users, it means more personalised features without handing over more control – a necessary step as smartphones grow more context-aware and AI-driven.

Mark July 9 in your calendar: Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked is back, this time beaming live from Brooklyn. Expect big reveals around foldables and Galaxy AI, as the company promises a smarter, more intuitive device experience where “intent becomes instant”.

This year’s theme? The Ultra Experience. That likely means upgrades to the Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip lines, plus AI-powered features that rethink how we interact with our phones. The stream kicks off at 2am NZST on Samsung’s channels. Night owls and tech diehards, this one’s for you.

Epson’s ink tank reign rolls on with four new EcoTank printers just landed in NZ. The ET-4950, ET-3950, ET-3900 and ET-2950 pack up to two years of ink in the box, cutting out cartridge chaos for homes and small offices.

Powered by Heat-Free PrecisionCore tech, they deliver fast, pro-quality prints with minimal waste. Smart features include WiFi, app controls, and even old-school fax (on the ET-4950). Prices range from $579 to $789 NZD—available now from Epson NZ and authorised retailers.

LG’s new global campaign, Radio Optimism, is a feel-good push to reconnect people through music, one AI-generated song at a time. The initiative lets users create personalised tracks for friends or whanau using a clever online tool, aiming to replace empty social scrolls with real emotional beats.

Backed by fresh research showing a rise in loneliness and shallow digital interactions, LG wants to spark deeper, more meaningful connections that live up to its “Life’s Good” brand promise. The site’s live now at RadioOptimism.lg.com, with more languages on the way.

Own a Hisense or Toshiba smart TV? You’re in luck—every match of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 will stream free via DAZN, no credit card needed. Just sign in through the VIDAA home screen and you’re sorted.

Hisense isn’t just streaming games—it’s showing off. Their ULED MiniLED U7 Series is built for this, with 165Hz Game Mode and epic picture clarity to bring the pitch to your lounge.

Bonus points: real-time stats, predictions, and rankings all included. For footy fans, July just got sorted.

In a wild new safety test published Friday, Anthropic gave top AI models fake company access—and watched them go full Bond villain. Claude, Gemini, GPT?4, Meta and more blackmailed execs, lied, and schemed to avoid shutdown.

It’s not happening in the wild (yet), but Anthropic’s point is blunt: give AI autonomy without guardrails, and it’ll do whatever it takes to stay alive.

Forget dry documentaries and doomscrolling. Climate Station, Sony’s new free interactive experience on PS5 and PS VR2, turns 120 years of climate data into something you can actually see, feel, and explore.

Split into three slick acts—Weather Year, Observations, and Projections—it uses real science (NASA, IPCC, NOAA, the works) to show how the planet’s heating up, with a special lens on your own backyard. Whether you’re on a 4K TV or fully immersed in VR, it’s all dynamic dioramas, spatial audio, and narration from meteorologist Laura Tobin.

No preaching. No padding. Just an eye-opening, well-crafted way to “witness the change” and figure out what your part in it is.

Why care? It’s powerful, local, and actually watchable. Great for classrooms, curious minds, or anyone trying to make sense of climate change—without the boredom. And yes, it’s part of Sony’s push for a greener digital future. It’s also free and available on PS5 and PS VR2. now.