‘It was so satisfying when I threw a rock through the screen’: the people sick of being spied on by their smart TV - The Guardian

When Dan had had enough of his television, he threw a rock straight through the screen. The offence? His smart TV was downloading its third update in three days. “It drove me crazy with what seemed like daily software updates that never fixed anything and ‘features’ that never seemed to work,” says the 71-year-old from Illinois. “And of course, constantly trying to push me to subscribe to paid-for services when all I wanted to do was watch over-the-air TV, play a DVD or stream something from my computer.”Some may accuse Dan of being a luddite, but his master’s degree in computer science and decades of experience in telecommunications would suggest otherwise. “The tech is not intimidating,” he explains, “just increasingly enshittified.”The first smart TVs entered the market in the late 2000s, when companies introduced operating systems, media players and apps to screens that were becoming wider and thinner. In recent years, the luxury status of smart TVs has waned and increasingly affordable options are widely available. Tom Parsons, TV and audiovisual editor at the electronics magazine What Hi-Fi?, explains that these cheaper models can struggle under more advanced features.

BMW gave us the first ever X5 EV this year when it dropped the 2027 iX5, but these new spy pictures prove the automaker's electric luxury SUV ambitions don't end there. While this camouflaged prototype looks about the same as it did in spy shots taken earlier this year, the fact that this one was spied at the Germany's famed Nürburgring proves that development for this massive, three-row EV continues. Spy photographers snapped the iX7 strutting its near-silent stuff at Germany's Nürburgring, which might be about the only time you'll ever see one taking on laps of the 12.9-mile (20.8 km) forest track. The three-row EV isn't intended for track work, but automakers use the Ring for durability tests as much as they do dynamic assessments, and every BMW, whether it's a little X1 SUV or 7 Series luxury sedan needs to go through a similar assessment.

Now 14% OffCredit: Sheilah VillariProsNo pressure washer requiredSmooth adjustable foam densityThick blanketed sudsConsSome users reported leaks around the fittingThe Chemical Guys TORQ Foam Blaster 6 is the gateway for anyone who's ever watched a foam cannon video and thought, "I want that, but I don't own a pressure washer. " Designed to work with your everyday garden hose, this foam gun brings thick-lathered bubbles without requiring pro-level gear. Out of the box, it looks like it means business, with solid brass fittings and a hefty plastic bottle that doesn't tip when filled. It's sturdy but not too heavy, easing the strain on your wrists during long washing sessions. The foam-dilution dial smoothly transitioned and was, in fact, easy to adjust. Within seconds, a satisfyingly soapy blanket coated the Tiguan. For a quick hose hookup, this delivered a whole lot of bubbles and soap. It was fast in distribution and pretty consistent. For anyone looking to upgrade their bucket wash system with minimal effort, the TORQ Foam Blaster delivers. It's simple, it's effective, and it makes washing in the driveway headache-free.

Tania Kendrick is a civil servant in the UK’s Cabinet Office, working on relations between the UK and the European Union Analyse this Tania Kendrick has moved from physics into policy, working within the UK government’s Cabinet Office. (Courtesy: Tania Kendrick)

Spoiler Alert if you haven’t watched the full series. If you’re a fan of Mike Flanagan and how he’s brought Stephen King’s stories to life on screen, you won’t be disappointed by his take on Carrie. For the sake of this review, I have to point out that I’ve read the book, revisited the movie, and watched the whole series.

What: Amélie Where: Native Earth’s Aki Studio, 585 Dundas St. E. When: Now, until Sat., Oct. 10 Highlight: Cameos from Elton John and a garden gnome Rating: NNN (out of 5) Why you should go: To be transported to a fantastical, colourful and musical ParisI was first introduced to the bizarre world of Amélie through my French culture class in high school. Though the 2001 film festival darling became an international hit, it unsurprisingly was not as popular with bored 16-year-olds who perhaps didn’t speak enough French to understand the finer points. I, however, appreciated the weird girl with an iconic bob twirling through Parisian life, touching others’ lives along the way. The film’s unusual visual effects charm the audience, pulling them into Amélie’s reality. Though it seems as if this is the perfect candidate for musical transformation — and in many ways it is — some of that charm remains stuck in the cinema. Speaking of indie darlings, Shifting Ground Collective begins its 2026-27 season with a new production of Amélie’s 2017 musical stage adaptation, directed by Catie Thorne.