Amazon introduces a completely redesigned Kindle lineup

Today Amazon has announced new Kindle devices that are thinner and lighter, with a new display architecture and seamless edge-to-edge colour for the first time in stylish new colours: Ube (a rich purple), Alpine Sky, Seaglass Green, Graphite, and Fig. 

 

 

With shades that echo Pinterest’s 2026 colour palette and a rich purple that nods to the popularity of ube, the new Kindles bring a pop of colour to everyday reading. From cool blue and jade green to deep plum and rich purple, readers can match their Kindle to their manicure, coordinate with their favourite accessories or complement their home décor — carrying this year’s trending shades into their reading routine.

 

The new Kindle 

The all-new 6-inch Kindle is the most pocket-sized Kindle. With 16GB of storage, up to six weeks of battery life, and 30% faster book opening then the previous lineup, it features the new seamless flush-front design. 

 

The all-new Kindle starts at NZ$339 and is available in Ube and Graphite.

 

The 6-inch Kindle is also available for the first time with an aluminium back – same pocket-sized form factor, same flush-front display, but with a premium feel you notice the moment you pick it up. 

 

The aluminium Kindle has 32GB of storage and is available in two colours, Alpine Sky and Seaglass Green at NZ$364. 

 

The new Kindle Paperwhite

The all-new Kindle Paperwhite is thinner and lighter than the previous lineup, waterproof with an adjustable warm light for comfortable reading at any hour, and up to 12 weeks of battery life on a single charge. 

 

The Signature Edition adds aluminium rear housing, 32GB of storage, an auto-adjusting front light, dock charging via pogo pins, and double tap to turn pages. 

 

Available with 16GB of storage, the new Kindle Paperwhite is available in Graphite, starting at NZ$449. Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition is available in Graphite and Seaglass Green at NZ$489. 

 

Kindle Colorsoft delivers richer, paper-like colour 

The new Kindle Colorsoft delivers paper-like colour that’s easy on the eyes without the harsh glare of a tablet.  Whether you’re scrolling through colourful covers in your library or flipping through a travel guide, comic, or graphic novel, the display makes colour reading feel natural. 

 

Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition adds aluminium housing, 32GB of storage, an auto adjusting front light, double tap to turn pages, and dock charging via pogo pins. 

 

Available with 16GB of storage, Kindle Colorsoft is available in Graphite, starting at NZ$549. Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition is available in Graphite and Fig at NZ$609. 

 

New Kindle accessories

Today Amazon has also introduced a lineup of new accessories, including: 

• Kindle Click (NZ$64.95): A compact Bluetooth remote for page turning. Compatible with all new Kindle devices, as well as any Kindle model from 2024 or later.
• Page-Turn Cover (NZ$149.95): A magnetic cover with physical page-turn buttons that preserves the slim form factor, using pogo-pin connectivity. Available for Paperwhite Signature Edition and Colorsoft Signature Edition.
• Charging Dock (NZ$109.95): A stand that keeps Kindle Paperwhite and Colorsoft Signature Edition upright and charged via pogo pins.
• Kindle Covers (Starting at NZ$64.95): Available in knit fabric, plant-based leather, and pebbled premium leather covers that wrap fully around the device for a seamless finish, colour-matched across the lineup. For devices with aluminium housing, slim magnetic-attach covers are also available. 

 

The all new Kindle, Kindle Paperwhite and Kindle Colorsoft devices and covers are available for pre-order from leading New Zealand retailers. 

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered Now Available on Battle.net

The hunt begins on Battle.net! In partnership with CD PROJEKT RED, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered is available now on Battle.net, bringing Geralt’s legendary adventure to the platform with updated visuals, revamped combat, and more. First-time monster slayers and returning witchers alike have plenty to look forward to:

• A more detailed world: Enhanced textures, lighting, and ray tracing, plus Path Tracing on PC and an expanded Photo Mode.
  
  
• Revamped combat and progression: Smoother movement, new finishers, more reactive enemies, and an updated skill tree with greater build flexibility.
  
  
• More convenient adventuring: Improved quest tracking, a refreshed interface, and streamlined looting.
  
  
• More ways to make it their own: Weapon and armour transmogrification, cross-platform mod support, and new accessibility features.

More adventures are on the way: Songs of the Past, the game’s third full-fledged expansion, arrives on Battle.net in 2027 and is available to wishlist now.

Bubble Bobble 4 Friends: The Baron is Back! Nintendo Switch version announced

Clear River Games, a video game publisher specialising in classic and retro games, in partnership with TAITO CORPORATION (‘TAITO’) announced today that gaming' s favourite dragons Bub and Bob are back in action, hitting Nintendo® Switch™ 2 with new, exclusive features in Bubble Bobble 4 Friends: The Baron is Back! Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Stardrop Mountain.

 

Beginning life in the arcades of 1986, gamers were instantly taken with Bubble Bobble and the adventures of bubble dragons Bub and Bob, traversing action-puzzle stages in order to progress and beat the game.

 

The latest title in the series from TAITO, with Bubble Bobble 4 Friends: The Baron is Back! Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Stardrop Mountain, there’s twice the fun, as brothers Bub and Bob are joined by Peb and Pab, resulting in exciting couch co-op madness for up to four players!

 

Originally released as Bubble Bobble 4 Friends in 2019, The Baron is Back! expands the game with additional stages and brings the return of Baron von Blubba, the relentless enemy from the original arcade game. New to Nintendo Switch 2, the Stardrop Mountain expansion adds another substantial collection of stages, featuring the classic Bubble Bobble gameplay with incredible new stages from Stardrop Mountain and features fan favourite villain Invaduh hot on your heels, determined to wreck your progress at every turn!

 

Play alone or team up with up to three friends and burst the bullies to oblivion through 200 fiendish levels in an epic quest to defeat the evil magician Bonner and his henchmen. Blow your bubbles to trap the bad guys, or use them to reach higher platforms and traverse the levels. 

The classic E-X-T-E-N-D bubbles return, inviting players to collect them in order to activate and upgrade skills in standard stages of the game, while playing The Baron is Back and Stardrop Mountain content, gamers will be rewarded with extra lives for popping bubbles. No two levels are the same, and gamers must use their cunning to develop the perfect strategies to travel through the worlds and take advantage of air currents.

Adding yet further value, the original iconic Bubble Bobble arcade game from 1986 is also included, playable in its entirety and ready to capture the hearts of players once again with the classic theme tune that promises to stick in your head long after you power down!

 

On Nintendo Switch 2, gamers can enjoy the bubble bursting bombast in crystal-clear HD resolution (1920x1080). The increased definition should come in useful thanks to the Camera Play feature, allowing you to snap a picture of you and your friends, and bring them into the game world, where your selfies are proudly displayed  inside the bubbles as they launch!

 
Bubble Bobble 4 Friends: The Baron is Back! Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Stardrop Mountain, is expected to release digitally on Nintendo Switch 2.

 

For more information on Bubble Bobble 4 Friends: The Baron is Back! + Stardrop Mountain, please visit: clearrivergames.com/games.

The Best of British & Irish Cinema Returns

GREAT STORIES, GREAT CINEMA -
INTREPID BRITISH & IRISH FILM FESTIVAL RETURNS TO AOTEAROA

• Intrepid British and Irish Film Festival runs from 27 October to 18 November 2026.

• Offbeat fantasy Wicker starring Olivia Colman and Alexander Skarsgård will have its New Zealand premiere at the festival. 

• The programme features a strong line-up straight off the back of the autumn festivals including Venice International Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

From Olivia Colman and Alexander Skarsgård in the offbeat fantasy Wicker, to an intimate portrait of legendary British interviewer, Michael Parkinson in documentary Parky, Intrepid British & Irish Film Festival 2026 is bringing a packed programme of British and Irish cinema to audiences across New Zealand later this month. 

 

Running from 27 October to 18 November, the festival will screen films at 34 cinemas from Kerikeri to Dunedin, giving audiences around the motu the chance to experience a little slice of British and Irish storytelling. 
 

The highly anticipated Wicker will have its New Zealand premiere, a wonderfully strange romantic fantasy about an ostracised fisherwoman who commissions a husband made from wicker, only for their unconventional romance to cause outrage, jealousy and chaos in her small village.
 

Other highlights include Danny Boyle’s Ink, starring Guy Pearce and Jack O’Connell in the story of Rupert Murdoch’s takeover of The Sun; The Three Urns, a darkly comic road trip starring Ciarán Hinds; Helen Mirren stars in thriller A Talent For Murder directed by Anton Corbijn; Audience award winner from TIFF, Elsinore is a biographical drama that follows Ian Charleson during the final year of his life; Hill, the documentary tracing Formula 1 champion Damon Hill’s journey from personal loss to World Championship glory; and Parky, an intimate portrait of legendary British interviewer Sir Michael Parkinson, told largely through his own words. New Zealander Thomasin McKenzie stars with Andrew Garfield in historical drama, The Uprising.
 

Alongside these headline titles, the festival programme features a broad selection of films spanning comedy, drama, documentary, thriller, romance and more, with something for film lovers of all kinds.
 

Festival Director Fergus Grady commented: “British and Irish cinema has such a distinctive voice, and this year’s programme reflects just how varied that can be. We have a stellar line-up, including films that have made an impact at the autumn film festivals, alongside big names and fascinating stories from across the UK and Ireland. There are films that will make audiences laugh, films that will surprise them and plenty that are simply made to be enjoyed on the big screen. Most importantly, we’re delighted to be taking the festival to so many places around New Zealand.”
 

INTREPID BRITISH & IRISH FILM FESTIVAL RUNS FROM 27 OCTOBER TO 18 NOVEMBER 2026. 

Tickets on sale now with more information here: www.britishfilmfestival.co.nz

GUNNAR announces all-new Ojai Vision Recovery Device

GUNNAR Optiks Introduces Ojai Vision Recovery System, Expanding Its Mission From Digital Eye Protection to Post-Screen Recovery

New Vision Recovery System introduces a 10-minute post-screen ritual combining air compression, soothing heat, blackout recovery, vibration and Bluetooth® audio - supported by encouraging findings from GUNNAR’s real-world pilot user study

Gunnar Optiks, the pioneer in digital eye protection and patented computer eyewear, today announced the Ojai Vision Recovery System, a new recovery device created for people who spend their lives working, gaming, creating and connecting in front of screens.

For two decades, GUNNAR has focused on addressing the demands that prolonged screen use places on the eyes. Founded in 2006 following three years of research and development, the company pioneered computer eyewear and later secured patented lens technology designed to address digital eye strain.

With Ojai, GUNNAR is expanding that mission beyond what happens during screen time to what happens afterward.

“When we started GUNNAR, our mission was based on a simple idea: the world was becoming increasingly digital, but our eyes weren't designed for the amount of screen time that was coming,” said Joe Croft, Co-Founder and CEO of GUNNAR Optiks. “For 20 years, we've focused on helping people protect their eyes and perform while they're in front of screens. Ojai is the natural next evolution of that mission. We're now thinking about the entire digital journey—not just how you perform during screen time, but how you recover afterward.”

That evolution builds on a mission GUNNAR has described as being bigger than eyewear: creating solutions for different stages of increasingly digital lives.

The Missing 10 Minutes

Ojai introduces a new GUNNAR brand platform: The Missing 10 Minutes. Today’s high performers optimize nearly every element of their routines, from their computers and workspaces to training, productivity tools and sleep, but recovery from prolonged screen time can remain an overlooked part of the equation. Ojai is designed to change that by creating a simple post-screen ritual: approximately 10 intentional minutes to step away from visual demands, disconnect from digital distractions and reset.

The campaign is anchored by a simple idea: PERFORM HARD. RECOVER SMART.

“We live in a culture obsessed with performance and optimization,” Croft said. “We optimize our computers, our desks, our workouts, our schedules and almost every other part of our lives. But we rarely think about recovery from the hours we spend looking at screens. Ojai is designed to become that missing piece, a simple recovery ritual for people who want to perform at a high level and be ready to do it again tomorrow.”

Relax. Restore. Reset.

Designed as a premium addition to the modern digital-performance toolkit, Ojai combines multiple technologies into one portable recovery system, including:

• Air Compression Massage Technology — rhythmic compression around the eye area designed to create an immersive, relaxing massage experience.

• Soothing Heat Therapy — comforting warmth at approximately 43°C / 109°F designed to support relaxation after prolonged screen sessions.

• Multi-Mode Smart Recovery System — five recovery modes that allow users to personalize the experience across compression, heat and vibration.

• Integrated Bluetooth® Audio — wireless connectivity for music, meditation, podcasts, ambient sound or guided relaxation.

• Full Blackout Recovery Design — blocks ambient light and visual distractions to create a true screen-off environment and more immersive visual reset experience.

• Foldable, Travel-Ready Design — adjustable, rechargeable and designed for recovery at home, at work or while traveling.

Whether someone has spent the day gaming, coding, designing, streaming, studying or moving between meetings, Ojai is designed to create a clear transition between digital performance and recovery.

“GUNNAR eyewear has always been about the hours you're on,” Croft added. “Ojai is about the minutes you're off. Together, they represent where we believe digital wellness is headed: protection and performance during the digital experience, followed by intentional recovery afterward. This isn't GUNNAR moving away from our core mission. It's us expanding that mission.”

Pilot Study Shows Strong Relaxation and Recovery Signals

Ahead of launch, GUNNAR conducted a structured real-world pilot user study to better understand how Ojai fits into the daily routines of screen-intensive users and how participants perceived their experience before and after using the system.

The study evaluated self-reported measures including eye fatigue, dryness and irritation, pressure and tension, temple discomfort, blurry or tired vision, physical relaxation, mental refreshment and readiness to return to screens.

Several findings stood out:

• 94% Reported a High Level of Physical Relaxation

• Participants reported a strong relaxation response after using Ojai, with 94% reporting a high level of physical relaxation following an Ojai session.

• 89% Said Their Eyes Felt More Relaxed

• 89% of participants said their eyes felt more relaxed, reinforcing one of the central benefits Ojai was designed to deliver: a distinct transition away from prolonged visual demands.

• Approximately 56% Lower Average Discomfort Ratings

• Immediately following an Ojai session, participants reported approximately 56% lower average discomfort ratings across five measured eye and vision discomfort dimensions, including eye fatigue, dryness or irritation, pressure or tension, temple discomfort and blurry or tired vision.

These results reflect the personal perceptions of study participants regarding how they felt directly before and after an Ojai session, and they should not be viewed as clinical or medical efficacy data.

Furthermore, the pilot research provided crucial behavioral evidence supporting GUNNAR’s “Missing 10 Minutes” initiative. Among Day 30 respondents, 87% utilized Ojai for precisely 10 minutes, with post-work and pre-bedtime sessions naturally becoming standard times for incorporating the device into their everyday routines. 

Participant comments frequently centered on disconnecting, closing their eyes and creating a defined period of relaxation. One participant described Ojai as becoming a “daily fixture.”

“What’s especially encouraging is that participants didn’t simply tell us they liked individual features,” Croft said. “They began incorporating Ojai into their routines. That’s really the vision behind the product. We want those 10 minutes to become as intentional as the time people already spend optimizing the rest of their performance.”

The pilot also reinforced the importance of Ojai’s multi-sensory approach. Heat, compression and vibration were repeatedly highlighted by participants, while combination modes emerged as a particularly compelling part of the experience. All pilot study findings are self-reported user experiences and are not medical efficacy claims. Ojai is not a medical device and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or medical condition.

A New Chapter for GUNNAR

The introduction of Ojai marks an important expansion for a company historically identified with gaming and computer eyewear.

GUNNAR’s patented optical approach combines lens and frame technologies intended to address multiple contributors to digital eye strain, and the company says its technology reflects roughly two decades of optical research. Ojai takes that experience into a new product category while retaining GUNNAR’s focus on people with screen-intensive lifestyles.

The result is a broader ecosystem:

• GUNNAR Eyewear for the hours you’re on.

• Ojai Vision Recovery System for the 10 minutes you’re off.

“The future of GUNNAR is bigger than eyewear,” Croft said. “Our goal is to become the company people turn to for the entire digital visual experience. Ojai is an important step toward that future, and it’s one of the most exciting products we’ve developed since we first introduced GUNNAR eyewear.”

Perform Hard. Recover Smart.

To support the launch, GUNNAR is introducing The Missing 10 Minutes, a campaign built around gamers, creators, designers, developers, athletes, streamers and professionals who share a common high-performance mindset. Rather than treating recovery as time away from performance, the campaign presents it as part of the process required to sustain it: 10 minutes. No screens. No notifications. No demands.

Relax. Restore. Reset.

The campaign will span digital video, social media, creator partnerships, retail, ecommerce and experiential activations, encouraging consumers to “Take 10” and make intentional post-screen recovery part of their daily routines.

The GUNNAR Ojai Vision Recovery System will be available beginning September 30, 2026, for MSRP $99 at GUNNAR.com and select retail partners.

Verity: Movie Review

Cast: Dakota Johnson, Anne Hathaway, Josh Hartnett, Ismael Cruz Córdova
Director: John Showalter

In the 1990s, the lurid, pulpy erotic thriller was a mainstay of straight-to-video releases and low-rent cinemas.

But for every Basic Instinct, there was a Jade, thrillers with potential, big names, lascivious moments and yet offering so little vicarious pleasure to those willing to endure their 90 minutes run time.

The latest one - which to be disrespectful to Jade - is quite frankly, a waste of everyone's time - both talent and audiences.

Based on Colleen Hoover's novel of the same name, Verity stars Anne Hathaway as ferociously successful writer Verity Crawford, an author who's made her fortune on pulpy novels from the villain's point of view. In contrast to Verity's stella success, a somewhat limp Johnson is struggling writer Lowen Ashleigh, who's giving book readings to a handful of people without joy. 

When she's asked to go to the Crawfords to write for a newly paralysed Verity, she's unsure of whether she has the talent to do so. But egged on by the enthusiasm of Verity's husband Jeremy (Hartnett, out to show Brandon Sklenar who came first), Lowen reluctantly moves to remote Vermont to take up the position. 

However, she soon discovers another side to the paradise she's elected to be part of.

Clearly aiming for trashy edges, and with some darkness hinting throughout (infanticide, murder, lust), Verity wants to be a great addition to the pantheon of pulp but in truth, this turgid, slow-moving trainwreck of a thriller is derailed early on by crucially forgetting to be a thriller first and foremost.

With the most obvious of twists signposted at the start and with a back third loaded with sudden revelatory exposition that will elicit a yawn rather than a gasp, Verity stumbles towards mediocrity with arms wide open.

Copious voiceovers as Hathaway reads from a discovered manuscript doesn't make for a compelling film and there's little chemistry between Hartnett and Johnson to cling onto either. With soundtrack-led jump scares, weird product placement for Call Her Daddy podcast and Hot Ones, the film's an odd mix of nothing seriously substantial, thrown together by a director whose TV work drips with suspense and drama.

Hathaway's largely confined to looking like a 1940s femme fatale with red lipstick and dress to match early on in flashbacks, before the endgame narrative thrusts her character into the spotlight. But by then, it's all too late to make anyone care at all.

At one point, Hartnett's Jeremy asks Johnson's Lowen if she's having fun. To which she replies, "Yes, but I have resting bored face." After nearly two hours of plodding tedium, most of the audience may disagree with the first part of that sentiment, but wholeheartedly will embrace the second half.