Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra: Review 

With Apple finally deciding to get in on the Foldables market, it seems like that's proof positive that the work Samsung's been doing in that arena for years has rattled them.

And given that market includes the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, it's easy to see why.

With its polished foldable design and quick processing power, the latest foldable from Samsung continues to pack the punch you'd expect - as well as doubling down on the minor niggles of previous releases (raised back side camera being the most egregious of these).

But with a sleek design that's no larger than a passport, Samsung's not really reinvented the wheel, choosing instead to tinker under the hood to ensure that the phone does what it needs to and innovates when and where it can.

While the foldable itself doesn't become a full square when opened up, the rectangle nature of the screen and the fact the crease isn't obvious makes for a good strong first impression. And while the camera lens sits off to the centre of the crease, there's no noticeable indentation that makes viewing more of a chore as some of the screen's eaten up by the tech.

In terms of the display, while the Fold8 Ultra is very capable, with the 7.6 inch screen offering a nice mini tablet experience, as well as a side-by-side companion piece for split screen messaging and scrolling the internet. The ability to split the screen off into doing other things is a major benefit of these foldables and it has to be said, working on dual mini-screens doesn't even compromise the display quality of what you can see.

(This review version of the phone didn't come with a S-pen, so any possible integration on that front isn't possible to discuss here.)

When folded, the phone's 5.5 inch AMOLED display front screen is more than adequate for making calls, taking and sending messages and does so with ease. 

With a smooth UI and apps opening quickly and easily, the phone's simple raison d'etre is also a successful one - there's no lag and no need to feel like you have to wait to get going with what you want to do. And the fact multiple apps can be opened on different screens means the phone has a chance to be everything to different people.

Video playback is high quality and with no noticeable crease in the phone's tablet view when it's unfolded, the viewing experience is a pleasant one that proves to provide quality, no matter how long you're looking at it.

Once again, the raised cameras on the back of the phone prove to be a bone of contention. The raised cameras on the back mean the phone doesn't sit flat and once again, flipping it over onto its front causes more heartache if the screen's become scratched accidentally. It's a minor thing, and even though the camera delivers quality imagery at extraordinarily high rates, it continues to be something that just seems to rankle - especially given how sleek the designs on these Samsung phones can be.

And the pricepoint for the phone is exceptionally high too. Granted, this is top of the range fare and not out of step with the market and its competitors, but it feels a shame that a quality phone like this may leave it out of reach of the masses - certainly, as cost-of-living crises continue and the RAM shortage continues to bite into the market, there's no sign of that ending any time soon sadly.

If you're not a fan of foldables, it has to be said that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra may just entice you in. It's a superior addition to the 2026 range of phones on offer and given there are at least 7 years of support promised for it, it's perhaps best seen as an investment, rather than a luxury. - and while the camera's solid and battery is an improvement on the Fold 7, maybe now is the time to absorb that cost and join the Foldable revolution.

After all, Apple's finally given into what Samsung's been providing so brilliantly for years.

Olivia Dean: Live Review

As Olivia Dean wrapped up her massive global jaunt to promote The Art of Loving with her biggest ever stadium show in Auckland at a venue which was getting its debut, there were two ways it could go.

But on a cold and chilly night in Auckland under the stars, it perhaps wasn't the one that the 27-year-old London megastar wouldn't have wanted after technical issues three songs in saw her pause the show for what she promised would be two minutes, and ended up being somewhere near to 40.

Massive demand for her single Auckland date had seen the show which was originally scheduled to play downtown at Spark Arena relocate to Auckland's Western Springs Bowl, a redeveloped speedway track that is the city's new hope for outdoor live events.

In truth, it seems like the venue itself has a fair few kinks to work out before things are close to perfection. From over-zealous security guards taking chewing gum and lollies from punters and ordering people in the newly refurbished embankment section of the grounds to stand up or else to bottle necks of people trying to leave at the end, there are some niggles which may not make for great reading for the owners.

Let alone the 40-minute technical issue that saw sensation Dean coast by on the fact her brand of soulful simple pop is adored by her fanbase.

It all started so well, with the giant pink-shrouded stage, which appeared to be dressed like a half-open clam, housing both her infectious energy and her mightily impressive band.

Kicking off the show with mega-hit Nice To Each Other, and dressed in old-school Hollywood glamour in a red-dress that a flamenco dancer wouldn't turn their nose up at, the crowd was ready to lap it all up - and even non-fans could see why her success has come. There's an earnest energy and honesty that she extols on stage which is hard to deny - no matter how far from the front you wear. Before So Easy (To Fall In Love) started up, she greeted the crowd, and made note of the fact she'd played Auckland previously to just 900 people and was now doing it for 45,000.

There's a simplicity to Dean's music that's seen her become the queen of radio airplay and tracks from The Art of Loving may not be the most complicated in terms of both lyrics and arrangements, but Dean's pure stage charisma and bounding energy certainly caught the crowd in her sights, leaving everyone in a gleeful mood early on.

But that's when the jolt came as a technical issue meant the band needed to reset - and as the moments dragged on and ominously the promoter came on stage to promise it would be back, things didn't look good.

It has to be said that at this point, Dean could have potentially showed her star prowess as an entertainer. She could have come back out and either spoken to them, wowed them with some acoustic moments (as she did a little later after the 40-minute interlude with the likes of UFO and Touching Toes) or just worked the crowd who were already eating out of her hand. It may seem trite to note, given Handsome Tours who promoted the show had revealed little of what happened, but for a final show, this major hiccup could have been the making of something stellar and unique for her.

Alas, it was not to be - and while after a delay the audience made sure to welcome her back and Dean promised she'd play right up till curfew and none of the 23-strong song set would be cut, much to the joy of those around her.

Three outfit changes, not one hint of a loss of energy and some very innocent and almost-naive stage lessons later about what love can do (which the audience lapped up), Dean showed no signs of losing what makes her a consummate performer in the eyes of many. Along with an extremely strong brass section and backing vocalists, the set, when it resumed, was tight, deft and sonically impressive.

Baby Steps saw the stage turned into a giant glitterball, her 2024 song Time showed a side of funk and soul that was undeniable, a cover of Curtis Mayfield's Moving on Up got the crowd almost euphoric and closing with Man I Need, complete with audience singalong at the end proved the hiccup was forgotten (even if some higher ups won't forgive it).

Perhaps the technical issue and some of the foibles of the Auckland venue may overshadow Olivia Dean's biggest show yet - but for those who experienced it and adored her, this was a magical night where innocence and decency reigned true - and even cynics couldn't help but admire the sentiment.

Naza: Movie Review

Director: Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor

It's hard to know where exactly to start with Naza, a documentary so urgent in its themes but yet so morally depressing.

This Guardian-produced documentary follows a series of interviews with 24 Israeli military and intelligence officers about their part in the war on Gaza, how they were recruited, their use of AI, surveillance, and targeted strikes in Gaza that have claimed thousands of innocent civilian lives.

Shot on rooftops around Tel Aviv and with ordinary people nearby in tower blocks going on with their lives, the shrouded figures espouse their detached views on being part of the intelligence sector, their missions and the joy they deride from them and the way whole families or tower blocks were selected to simply take out one possible operative.

It's beyond chilling to hear human lives being discussed as if they were in video games, targets to be picked off as part of a military campaign that shows no end in sight and which becomes a political football between leaders, the populace stuck in the middle.

Naza refers to collateral damage in the war, essentially human lives, and to hear the officers say their strikes involved 100 or 200 Naza at a time with a sense of emotionless detachment and devoid of any kind of sentiment is likely to leave you disturbed. Whether it's the story of asa boy injured in an attack and who's seen by the officers before they order another strike to take him out, the candid nature with which these officers speak is both eye-opening and deeply troubling.

With sombre edges and little fanfare, both Szor and Abraham stack their case against the officers, even offering them chances to regret their actions, but Naza shows the IDF for what they are and it's horrifying to behold. There's no sensationalism here, and with historical clips showing parts of the past, the frankness with which the doco tells its story becomes its own weapon.

Whether Naza goes on to become one of the most compelling pieces of evidence in the war between Israel and Palestine remains yet to be seen, but as a piece of film that exposes humanity for the inhumanity it harbours, it's a sickening piece of film that should compel many to change - but depressingly, likely will not.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S12+: Review

You could easily be mistaken for thinking all tablets are the same.

They offer similar services from viewing videos to capturing images to doing bits and bobs of work on - they're never quite going to replace the conventional laptop, but their portability sees them scoring a few more points.

Well, Samsung's latest tablet, the Galaxy Tab S12+ takes a real stab at taking on the laptop and surprisingly comes very close to toppling it, thanks to some design choices and its size and compact nature.

The first most noticeable thing about the Samsung Galaxy Tab S12+ is just how incredibly thin and compact it is. Side-on, if you're not careful, you could lose this, because its slim nature and polished feel makes it one of the most compact tablets on the market.

At just 5.3mm thick, the Tab S12+ can slot in anywhere - into bags when you're on the go, on a bookshelf if you're so inclined or nestling happy on a coffee table to be picked up and used as when you want. Given tablets through the years have been chunky and hefty, this design choice from Samsung immediately elevates the Tab S12+ into the realms of something you need to own if you're a minimalist.

But the thin nature of it doesn't mean the power's been compromised (about which, more later.)

Nestled on the side of the Tablet are the volume and power buttons, which are sleek and minimal for the user. They're responsive and despite being thinner, can't easily be accidentally turned on and off. In fact, they're further into the side of the tablet than the camera, which like all Samsung cameras, sticks out the back of the device stopping you leaving it permanently flat. Though it has to be said, unlike the cameras, given there's only one lens here, the impact is more minimal than usual.

Also on the side are a micro-SD card slot and the charging port, along with two grilles which are the speakers. Design has been kept to a minimum here and it's paid off as the device is smooth and sturdy without feeling like it has to have edges that are simply there for the sake of it.

While the single megapixel camera on the back works fine, its imagery isn't the sharpest to be frank but it's more than adequate for the casual user - and who goes out taking snaps with a tablet anyway really? It's in the video and landscape mode the camera comes into its own, with the front lens nestling simply and subtly in the outside borders. The sharpness of the video camera is perhaps better than the image-taking side of things and it means that calls to family or video conferences will be the prime directive here and these are excellently served by the device.

It has to be said that while the glare on the beautiful 12.6 inch AMOLED screen is as much an issue as it always is, the display is really where the Samsung Galaxy Tab S12+ shines. 

Watching films, TV shows or even music videos are an absolute delight here with the 1600 nits peak brightness serving up crisp and concise visuals that excel in HD video format. It's a pleasure to watch on this tablet, especially given the generous sound the speakers pass out. Place it on its side and it's a perfect viewing option that excels in the basics and delivers more - especially when you consider how thin the device is; there's not one single feeling that any of the processing power has been compromised here.

Talking of power, the battery life is more than generous too, with charging giving you a generous amount of time to do what you need to and more with this.

Overall this really is a tablet that more delivers what's needed. With a screen you can spend hours staring at and never feeling like your eyes are being overpowered, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S12+ makes a play for being essential - and more than succeeds.

Grand Theft Auto VI launch trailer

The brand-new launch trailer for the upcoming Grand Theft Auto VI, which releases on November 19, is out now.

The trailer, which shows off more of Jason and Lucia's story, has new music from electronic duo Justice, composers behind the original score of Grand Theft Auto VI.

 “Flower in a Hurricane" from Justice feat. Tame Impala, SZA, and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard is also included on Grand Theft Auto VI: The Album, the official soundtrack which is currently available to pre-save on all major music streaming services and up for pre-order on vinyl or CD at gtavi-thealbum.com.

 

For additional updates about the music of Grand Theft Auto VI, visit: https://www.rockstargames.com/VI/music.

Street Fighter: Movie Review

Cast: Noah Centino, Andrew Koji, Joe Anoa'i, David Dastmalchian, Calliana Liang, Orville Peck, 50 Cent, Jason Momoa, Eric Andre
Director: Kitao Sakurai

In a fight, there are always two opposing sides, trying to duke it out and overcome the other.

In many ways, that's exactly how the story (thin as it is) and the tone of the new 2026 Street Fighter movie are represented - constantly at odds with each other, and never quite landing the killer blow.

Set in 1993, giving the film a chance to embrace the slightly camp, slightly camera-leery approach of the era, Street Fighter follows Koji's Ryu and Centino's himbo Ken, a pair of fighters who trained under the same master, became brothers, but then grew estranged.

Lured back to fight one last time in a grand tournament organised by Bison (Dastmalchian, hamming it up at every moment) to discover who the ultimate fighter is, Ken and Ryu find themselves both needing to put aside their differences and to rediscover what it was that made them a formidable combo.

Throw in a side-plot about an Interpol agent (Liang) who's after revenge on Bison for killing her father and the possibility of a series of fight scenes, Street Fighter should be strong enough to deliver a KO.

Unfortunately, even with some incredibly well animated scenes that are scattered throughout and which stretch to cover the entire IMAX screen, Street Fighter somehow misses the mark, delivering a juvenile film that seems to have edited out its tournament fight sequences and after two hours, is no closer to delivering a final blow, preferring instead to tease a future sequel that may not happen.

It's not without its pleasures though.

Whether it's the extremely impressive fight sequences that are splashed throughout (when they're not edited or AWOL) or the occasional bursts of humour that embrace the dumb nature of what's occurring, Street Fighter proves worthy of its mantle and its ambition. And Momoa delivers his most fun role in a long time, finally embracing the macho levels of his persona and the inherent silliness of his premise.

But even the fan service to the game can't escape the need to down 3 or 4 beers before watching this. The tone severely grates after an hour, and the thinness and confusion of what's happening starts to take its toll.

It's amazing that even with a stuffed cast, the Street Fighter movie manages to be both over-stuffed and yet underdone. It's not even a technical victory and while it never lands a killer blow, the possibility there's more to come is enough to make even the most hardened action movie fan want to tap out.