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Meet Mori, a Cute Robot Mushroom That Doesn’t Really Say (or Do) Anything
Step one in convincing people to live with robots with cameras on their faces? Disguise them as cute home decor.
Hugging Face’s New AI Biology Model Lets You Chat With DNA
The new open-source model speaks the language of DNA and can help researchers understand the effects of any changes on gene activity and health.
AMD is bringing FSR 4.1 to Xbox consoles and handhelds
AMD’s latest upscaling tech is also coming to laptops, 6000-series GPUs, and handhelds.
One of three Jensen Huang-signed RTX Spark laptops won at NVIDIA launch event is already listed for $17,150
An ASUS ProArt RTX Spark laptop bearing Jensen Huang's signature is reportedly being offered for $17,150. The asking price exceeds regular Turkish retail pricing by more than two times.
The first thing I did on my new Windows PC was run this PowerShell command
This PowerShell script does a few things your PC manufacturer or Microsoft doesn't want to be done!
Walmart’s AI-enabled 2-in-1 laptop and tablet is on sale for $100
"Worth more than what I paid for it."
Intel Nova Lake Reportedly Ditches The Expected Core Ultra 400 Name For Laptop H And U Chips, As All Five Families Adopt Core Ultra 4000
Intel's upcoming Nova Lake processors will adopt a unified Core Ultra 4000 naming convention across all families, launching in Q1 2027.
HP Googlebook 14 Review: Great laptop, shame about the OS
HP’s first crack at a Googlebook laptop is a winner, or at least as much of one as the platform...
Nvidia's RTX Spark Event in San Francisco Attracts Long Lines, But Few Buyers
Dozens lined up to check out the first RTX Spark laptops on launch day, but actual purchases were few and far between, with curious Nvidia fans citing the machines' high cost.
ASUS ProArt P16 "RTX Spark" Laptop Review - NVIDIA's First Full PC Platform Brings Powerful AI & Gaming Capabilities
NVIDIA RTX Spark launches with ASUS ProArt P16, featuring N1X SoC, 6144 CUDA cores, & up to 128 GB memory for impressive gaming and AI.
Windows 11 Is Finally Becoming the OS It Should Have Been From the Start
Microsoft is completely redesigning parts of its OS so it doesn't hog all the resources of lower-end PCs with 8GB of RAM.
Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra Review: Complicated, yet So Damn Worth Getting Stuck In
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra isn't just a MacBook Pro for PCs. It's a strong sign that local compute power is what we actually need in the so-called "AI era."
The Surface Laptop Ultra delivers on most of Microsoft's promises
Microsoft promises one machine for dev, AI, and gaming, and mostly gets there.
I've lived with Microsoft's $6,000 Surface Laptop Ultra, and it's so close to being the best MacBook Pro alternative you can buy
Microsoft's top of the line Windows 11 PC is finally here, and it's giving the MacBook Pro a real good run for its money.
Nvidia is no longer a PC gaming company. Get used to it
The disappearance of the GeForce RTX 5090 graphics card shouldn't come as a surprise, because PC game fans are no longer Nvidia's audience—AI companies are.
Googlebook review: Android on a laptop is still Android
Android laptops are here, but Google has a lot of work ahead to make them good.
KDE turns 30 with Plasma 6.8, remote upgrades, and an X11 farewell
KDE celebrates 30 years with a new Plasma release, a farewell to X11, and a movie.
The best reason to care about Nvidia’s RTX Spark: ‘everything’ will run on Arm
Nvidia’s new laptops will run all your apps and games, the company claims.
How Windows is being optimized for Nvidia’s RTX Spark laptops
Microsoft has focused on local AI models, gaming, and memory management.
Nvidia’s RTX Spark PCs Aren’t a Revolution, but They May Change Laptops Forever
Get ready for the MacBook Pro-ification of PCs. The real test will be how they perform with all the emulation and AI running inside.
Redditor runs FurMark on NVIDIA RTX Spark laptop at a store, nearly gets kicked out
A Redditor installed FurMark on an ASUS ProArt P16 RTX Spark display laptop in France. The 1080p benchmark ran before the user was nearly kicked out of the store.
We tried the new Googlebook OS - What can it do and what not?
The new Googlebook models featuring Google's new operating system for laptops have been on the market since last week. We take a closer look at Googlebook OS and explain what it can do and where it (still) has limitations.
Asus’ new business laptop will have 8GB of RAM and be aimed at less business-y types.
Asus is announcing the ExpertBook A7: a 14-inch laptop with a 120Hz OLED display and an Intel Core 5 320 chip. It’s available today, starting at $1,299.99 with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. But coming in the new year is an 8GB / 256GB version for a more affordable $899. 8GB felt workable in the XPS 13, and it didn’t have a fancy OLED, but it cost $200 less. [Image: https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/A7406CMA_Standard_06_Silver_20260813_whitebg.jpg?quality=90&strip=all] [Image: https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/A7406CMA_Standard_04_Black_20260813_whitebg.jpg?quality=90&strip=all] [Image: https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/A7406CMA_Standard_09_Black_20260813_whitebg.jpg?quality=90&strip=all]
Framework Laptop 12 (2026 upgrade) review: Intel's Core Series 3 fixes a key flaw
Framework’s Laptop 12 was conceived as a Chromebook killer, but now it has a flagship chip inside. Does it work as a grown-up machine?
M5 Pro MacBook Pro vs Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra: Compared
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra uses Nvidia graphics in a bid to take over from the 14-inch MacBook Pro with M5 Pro as a productivity favorite. Here's how the two powerful notebooks compare.
Apple MacBook Pro 16 vs Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra: Poll shows clear winner
With the launch of the newest Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra, many people are comparing the laptop to the Apple MacBook Pro 16 with the M5 Pro. This comparison is quite apt, as both machines target the same audience. A poll run by Hardware Canucks has now revealed which laptop users prefer more.
I dumped Microsoft Phone Link for this free open source app that does everything better
It does everything I need and more
NVIDIA’s CUDA Moat Is Accelerating RTX Spark Laptop Sales, Higher 128GB Unified Memory Options Belonging To Surface Laptop Ultra Already Out Of Stock
NVIDIA’s CUDA platform is speeding up RTX Spark laptop sales, with the higher 128GB unified memory options of the Surface Laptop Ultra already out of stock
Microsoft offers MacBook Pro owners up to $1,000 to switch to Surface Laptop Ultra
Microsoft is offering MacBook Pro owners up to $1,000 in extra cash back when they trade in their Apple laptop and preorder the new Surface Laptop Ultra. The bonus is paid in addition to the device’s normal trade-in value, as Microsoft tries to lure Apple users to its $2,599.99 RTX Spark-powered flagship.
Microsoft wants you to "break up with your MacBook" for a Surface Laptop Ultra, and it's paying big bucks to make it happen
You can get up to $1,000 cash back on top of trade-in value if you send Microsoft a MacBook Pro and buy a Surface Laptop Ultra.
Dell launches Nvidia RTX Spark laptop with 18-core CPU, 3.2K 120Hz OLED display and 99 Wh battery
Dell has launched its first XPS laptop powered by Nvidia’s RTX Spark platform. The XPS 16 combines an 18-core N1X chip, 5,120 GPU cores, 32 GB of unified memory and a 16-inch 3.2K Tandem OLED touchscreen.
Amazon is phasing out Fire Tablets because they weren’t ‘giving customers what they were asking for’
Panos Panay says there are more hardware announcements coming, but don’t expect an Amazon laptop.
Microsoft Launches $2,599 Surface Laptop Ultra to Take on MacBook Pro
Microsoft today announced launch timing and pricing for the Surface Laptop Ultra that it unveiled earlier this year. The 15-inch Surface Laptop Ultra is priced starting at $2,599, undercutting Apple's $2,999 16-inch MacBook Pro, and it targets the same creator and developer market. Microsoft says it is built for "demanding creative, software development, AI, engineering, and 3D workloads".
Microsoft releases new Nvidia-chip AI PCs with revamped Windows 11
Microsoft revealed the specs and price for its Surface Laptop Ultra, AI PCs that run on Nvidia chips that are designed to run AI models and agents.
The first Nvidia RTX Spark laptops cost up to $7,000
Prices start much lower, but 128GB of unified memory is going to really cost you.
Microsoft debuts Nvidia-powered Surface Laptop Ultra, as it aims for AI market
Microsoft debuted its Surface Laptop Ultra, powered by Nvidia's RTX chip on Wednesday.
Everything announced at Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Ultra event
Check out our coverage of the show.
The Surface Laptop Ultra finally has a release date — and a starting price of $2,599
The Surface Ultra is designed to handle creative workloads, gaming, and AI.
Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Ultra has built-in magnetic USB-C charging
The charger snaps into place when you bring it close to the port.
Nvidia Takes Aim at Intel’s $32 Billion PC Business With Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Ultra
Microsoft (MSFT:NASDAQ) and Nvidia (NVDA:NASDAQ) are set to unveil the Surface Laptop Ultra in San Francisco on Wednesday, October 7, with Satya Nadella and Jensen Huang taking the stage together. The laptop runs on Nvidia’s RTX Spark chips, announced in June, and it’s built to run AI agents on the PC itself instead of in the cloud.
Beaten-Down Flutter Entertainment Stock Upgraded
Flutter Entertainment (FLUT) stock struggles near six-year lows despite a Citigroup upgrade
Microsoft Surface and Windows Event 2026: All the Announcements and Analysis Live From San Francisco
Today's the day! We hope to learn fresh details about the Surface Laptop Ultra, the next chapter for Windows, and the future of Copilot at Microsoft's fall event. Follow along with all of our expert commentary and on-the-ground updates, and tune in to the livestream later this afternoon.
Microsoft, Nvidia CEOs to unveil new AI laptop at San Francisco event
Microsoft will unveil on Wednesday a new laptop powered by Nvidia's chips, seeking to turn Windows into a platform for AI agents to handle tasks such as writing code without having to access the cloud, analysts said.
Nvidia RTX Spark for $2,999.99: HP leak reveals RTX Spark laptop pricing ahead of launch
HP is gearing up to launch its new OmniBook Ultra 16 and OmniBook X 14 laptops with Nvidia's new RTX Spark super chip. Ahead of launch, the two models have briefly appeared on the company's US store, revealing a higher starting price than anticipated.
I found the 20 best Prime Day laptop and computer deals based on 13 years of testing
We found the best Prime Day savings on MacBooks, Windows laptops and more based on years of extensive testing and price tracking.
Leak Tips NVIDIA RTX Spark-Powered Microsoft Surface Laptop Specs
Following what appears to have been a series of unfortunate events that led to a roadside laptop find resulting in confirmation that Microsoft will be launching a 20-core NVIDIA RTX Spark Surface Laptop, we now appear to have confirmation that Microsoft will also be launching a Surface Laptop...
Our first five impressions of Googlebooks
Google’s new laptop OS shows lots of promise for Android phone owners, but there’s a long road ahead.
Microsoft’s MacBook Pro Rival Is Looking Even More Ridiculous
We thought Microsoft was preparing a wild laptop. Turns out it's preparing two.
Windows 11 26H2 isn’t exciting, but it does fix one real problem
Windows 11 26H2 doesn't bring much new, but it cuts RAM usage by up to 2GB on some PCs and makes older PCs run smoother.
Entertainment, work, study: 6 reasons the Dell XPS 13 is an everyday laptop worth looking at
The XPS 13 is a smart choice of notebook to cover all your daily needs
Windows malware uses Grok AI to help stay hidden, researchers say
x47.c Windows malware uses xAI's Grok to maintain persistence on infected PCs while stealing passwords, browser cookies and API keys from victims.
Poole College Broadens Access to Graduate Business Leadership Certificate
Graduate students from any discipline, as well as prospective learners from outside NC State, may now pursue the certificate.
The Upcoming Touchscreen OLED MacBook Pro Is Reportedly 'Significantly Lighter'
The high-end laptop is still expected to make its debut by next month.
The MacBook Air M5 is $200 off for the first time in months
Save some cash on Apple’s midrange laptop.
The forgotten Chromebook that started it all
On Version History: Marques Brownlee and Nilay Patel relive the release of the Cr-48, Google’s prototype laptop.
A tale of two AAA games: Control Resonant shows what gaming can be, Marvel’s Wolverine shows what it is becoming
News, Reviews and other Informations about Laptops
Layoffs, Closures Planned at Newport Healthcare, Clarvida, Comprehensive Life Resources
A slew of youth behavioral health programs are closing, resulting in a wave of layoffs. Comprehensive Life Resources, Newport Healthcare and
What To Expect At Microsoft's Windows, Surface And AI Event On October 7
We'll definitely hear about the NVIDIA RTX Spark-powered Surface Laptop Ultra, but what else?
NVIDIA and Microsoft tease RTX Spark announcements for October 7 Windows event
RTX Spark will be a key focus of Microsoft’s October 7 Windows event with Jensen Huang in attendance. The first systems appear aimed at premium laptops and workstations rather than gaming PCs.
HP’s MacBook Neo competitor is $699 with an OLED display and plenty of catches
The PC market was caught flat-footed by Apple’s MacBook Neo launch earlier this year, and while that laptop’s aggressive pricing...
Google Partners With Known Nerd Henry Cavill On A Video Game To Showcase Googlebooks
The final result will be published in November.
7 Budget Laptops That Are Perfect For Work And Entertainment
Key laptops ideal for basic multitasking and entertainment include the Dell XPS 13, the Acer Aspire 16 AI, the MacBook Neo, and even some Chromebooks.
Titan Business EDGE: Building career readiness from the first year to the first job
By Daniel Coats Career prep is most effective when it begins long before graduation. For Cal State Fullerton College of Business and Economics(opens in a new tab) students, knowing how to build professional skills, gain meaningful experience and ultimately launch a career requires intentional development over time. The new Titan Business EDGE program provides that pathway […]
There's Something Strange About Googlebook Prices
Not even Google seems certain about how much customers are willing to spend on a laptop in 2026.
I wasn't sure about Googlebooks, but after playing with two Snapdragon-powered laptops, I'm actually considering switching
The best of Android and ChromeOS, together.
I thought I'd never pay $1,000 for a Googlebook, but Google convinced me otherwise
An Android laptop at that price sounds ridiculous until it doesn't.
Google ads caught delivering convincing scareware ads to unsuspecting users
Ads appearing all over the Internet are trying to scam people.
Microsoft stops insisting you need a "Copilot+ PC"
Microsoft's new Surface laptops forgo Copilot+ PC branding.
Microsoft Copilot+ Branding Disappears from Latest Surface PCs
Microsoft's recent Snapdragon-powered Surface Laptop and Surface Pro launch was surprisingly absent the usual Copilot+ branding, aside from as a callout to the inclusion of the actual AI assistant on the devices. Apparently, this was an intentional branding change, according to Surface Corporate...
Google just gave Android users the widget customization trick they've been asking for
It's the start of something new
Googlebook laptops are already selling out just days after pre-orders opened
Google's online store has already sold out of Googlebook pre-order stock in the US, but you can still order through Best Buy.
Microsoft’s New Surface Laptops Embody the PC-Phone Marriage Snapdragon Promised Years Ago
Qualcomm's PC chips were developed with the company's phone DNA. Two generations in, we're seeing payoffs.
Microsoft unveils Surface Pro 12" tablet and Surface Laptop 13" with Snapdragon X2 Plus
The new chipset has 60% faster graphics and a 95% faster NPU compared to the X Plus that powered the previous Surface Pro 12" and Surface Laptop 13".
Googlebooks will get full GeForce Now support ‘later this year’
Nvidia says Google’s new Gemini-infused laptops are slated to get GeForce Now support before the year is up, which is...
Microsoft launches 12-inch Surface Pro with Snapdragon X2 Plus & 5G, 13-inch Surface Laptop too
Microsoft is rolling out refreshes to its smaller Surface Laptop and Surface Pro machines powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 Plus...
Microsoft unveils new Surface Pro 12-inch and Surface Laptop 13-inch with Snapdragon X2 Plus, brighter screens, and 5G options
The company is launching its new "entry premium" Surface Pro and Surface Laptop, both starting at over $1,000.
Microsoft's New Surface Pro 12 And Surface Laptop 13 Feature Snapdragon X2 Plus Chips
Microsoft's smaller Surface Pro 12 and Surface Laptop 13 are getting a much-needed chip upgrade.
Microsoft refreshes its smaller Surface Pro and Laptop with Qualcomm’s X2 Plus
Microsoft’s smaller Surface devices keep the same design with upgraded internals
Google's official Googlebook demo looks a lot like Mac wearing a Chrome hoodie
Google's official Googlebook demo shows a laptop desktop that borrows ideas from rival platforms, with macOS the most obvious influence.
Googlebook Reactions: Who Are These $899+ Laptops For?
Google unveiled its first wave of Googlebook laptops this week. The pricing surprised a few people, with the laptops starting at $899 and quickly jumping over $1,000 for some models. We have full Googlebook details here if you missed it, but essentially, they are designed to be perfect pairings with your Android phone. If you’re...
HP reveals $7,449 price for Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 495 laptop with 192GB
HP has exposed ZBook Ultra G3a pricing ahead of its October release. The Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 495 model reaches $7,449 with 192GB of unified memory.
How lip-syncing to AI let Forced Entertainment ‘play the game of theatre’
Today we have a fascinating piece by long-time Forced Entertainment fan Ben Kulvichit, speaking to Tim Etchells about their latest show Cold Sweat, how they are integrating lip-sync and AI voices into their work, the question of ‘authenticity’ on stage, and how lip-sync has even opened the door for them to make “something a little bit like drama”. This piece is a paid partnership with the Southbank Centre, where you can see Cold Sweat next month – we’re very grateful to the Southbank Centre for their ongoing support for Exeunt. Holly Williams ‘It was immediately interesting and uncanny’ **By Ben Kulvichit** “Is the microphone on?” So goes one of the opening lines of Signal to Noise, delivered by a human performer lip-syncing to an AI-generated voice. The voice is American, cheery but sluggish, slowed down into a gelatinous drawl. It repeats ad infinitum in a farce of stuckness; an answer never materialises. I find myself asking the same question as I hop on a Google Meet call with Tim Etchells, the artistic director of Forced Entertainment. We spend five or ten minutes frowning at each other, muting and unmuting, me gesticulating in semaphore into my webcam, checking if I am coming through now, restarting the laptop. To Etchells, I appear exaggeratedly mouthing words, my voice missing. In this gloopy purgatory of broken communication, life imitates art imitates life imitates art. We try a Zoom instead. Forced Entertainment, the pioneering British theatre company who have been at the avant-garde of performance since the 1980s, turned an interesting artistic corner with Signal to Noise, created on the occasion of their 40th anniversary. The whole performance employed this lip-sync technique to AI voices; on the face of it a left-field move from a company whose identity has long been grounded in the earthy, immediate presences of its performers and its unassuming, low-tech approach to theatricality. The technique, however, turned out to provide the company with a “rich new seam” of artistic enquiry, and has now spawned a trilogy of works. The second instalment, Cold Sweat, plays at Sheffield Theatres, Southbank Centre, and Lancaster Arts in October, while the third part, Everything Must Go, has been touring in Europe and is slated to come to the UK in 2027. As is often the case with Forced Entertainment shows, the main conceit for this work didn’t arrive until quite late. They were “four or five weeks into rehearsals for Signal to Noise,” Etchells recalls, and getting nowhere. Away from rehearsals, he had been playing around with feeding “weird texts” to AI voices to see how they would cope with them – “basically for my own amusement” – and was compelled by the uniformly “serviceable, benign, good-natured” tone they would read in, no matter how poetic, fractured or experimental the writing. On a hunch, he brought some examples into rehearsals and the performers gave lip-syncing a go. “It was immediately interesting and uncanny,” he recalls, with the performers having to deal in the moment with the problem of mapping themselves onto another artificial ‘performer,’ which itself was dealing with the problem of a very human text. “Almost all the writing for these projects would be useless to us unless it was done in this way,” says Etchells. “We wouldn’t know what to do with it. It’s too poetic. It’s too fictional. It’s too tangled.” But exploring lip-syncing along to the text has opened “an enormous reservoir of ways of thinking about writing and performing.” Subscribe to Exeunt, and get two in-depth pieces on theatre a week, direct to your inbox Subscribe Forced Entertainment have long been sifting through the detritus of popular culture, from daytime TV to end-of-the-pier vaudeville, magic acts and clown shows, to find frameworks for their own unusual entertainments. Lip-syncing, then, makes sense for them to experiment with. As a mode of performance, it’s wired into popular consciousness through pop stars trying to convince stadium audiences of their liveness, or those same voices as channeled through the made-up lips of contestants on RuPaul’s Drag Race, or movie dialogue spreading virally through the host bodies of TikTok users. For Etchells, lip-syncing is often about “approaching real voices and trying to take on their aura,” subsuming that original human presence into yours. “There’s a very basic, elemental sort of theatre magic to it, produced in this very easy way.” This broad approach resonates with instances of lip-syncing within contemporary performance, too. In works like Re-Member Me and Showmanism, performance artist Dickie Beau acts as a kind of spirit medium for archival recordings (this process of re-membering – as in, giving corporeal form to voices – relies on his masterfully precise actor’s technique), while Frankie Thompson is similarly possessed by a host of characters ranging from a nine-year-old Jacob Rees-Mogg to Cliff Richards, all of whom she finds compellingly nauseating, in the exorcism ritual that is her latest show, Horrible Things. What’s different about Forced Entertainment’s use of lip-syncing is that here, there is no original presence to be channeled. The performers are instead taking on what Etchells describes as “the voices of nobody,” or rather the “phantasmic, aggregated echoes” of the many many voices on whose data the AI has been trained, and which are now conjuring into existence words they never actually said. There is a sort of mournful, empty quality to these voices, having “washed up” far away from the people they originally belonged to, to find themselves in stranger’s mouths listing objects, wondering if anyone can hear them and glitching in interminable loops. There is a cold, sad anonymity to it all. Etchells remarks that occasionally the software company he used has notified him that particular people are withdrawing their voices from the platform, instructing him to cease use of those voices. Using these technologies in performance certainly brings up ethical questions around digital rights, consent, identity and ownership, although in the grand scheme of things, Etchells is fairly blasé about it: of all the purposes someone’s voice might be put to without their knowledge, “an avant-garde performance is probably the least of their worries.” [ ](https://exeuntmagazine.substack.com/p/frankie-thompson-horrible-things-essay-mental-health-compulsive-behaviours-pleasance-courtyard-soho-theatre) [ Frankie Thompson: How I manage my own ‘horrible things’ at the Edinburgh Fringe ](https://exeuntmagazine.substack.com/p/frankie-thompson-horrible-things-essay-mental-health-compulsive-behaviours-pleasance-courtyard-soho-theatre) Exeunt · Aug 25 [ Read full story ](https://exeuntmagazine.substack.com/p/frankie-thompson-horrible-things-essay-mental-health-compulsive-behaviours-pleasance-courtyard-soho-theatre) For the performers, though, lip-syncing to these strange, artificial voices is an odd task, requiring them to bend their live, human presence into the shapes produced by machines. Politically, it mirrors processes that are already at play in the continued computational automation of human life. Etchells brings up James Bridle’s writings on new technologies as a reference point: one example Bridle gives is of “chaotic storage”, a logistics technique employed by Amazon fulfilment centres whereby items are stored not according to traditional methods of categorisation or alphabetisation, but in a way that an algorithm determines to produce the most efficient routes for ‘picking’ based on customer purchase patterns. This appears completely random and incomprehensible to humans, with paddling pools sitting next to USB sticks sitting next to blowtorches, and so for the warehouse workers, the process of picking items becomes completely reliant on technology which tells them where to go. Our world is increasingly being designed not with humans in mind, but rather machines. As Etchells puts it, “technology malforms the space, and then you end up having to live in it.” Initially, Forced Entertainment tried their best to live in the world of machines: “I was in the it’s-got-to-be-perfect school of lip-sync,” says Etchells. But with their aesthetic being so tied to the failing act, the slipping mask, the shoddy costume, “it’s no surprise really that that didn’t last.” Instead, the performers got to enjoy being late for a line, or playing games with each other, “stealing” each other’s voices. Etchells compares it to the principles of ventriloquism, in which a free-floating voice unattached to a body is fundamentally discomforting and “sort of traumatic”. That discomfort is equally as alluring to Forced Entertainment as the satisfaction of precision, the pretence of authenticity only interesting if shown to be a pretence. Lip-sync has also opened up new avenues for the company. Having been allergic all their lives to Plays-with-a-capital-P, with Cold Sweat Forced Entertainment find themselves approaching something a little bit like drama. Rather than the presentational arena of Signal to Noise’s open white stage, Cold Sweat places us more decisively in a “fictional locale”: what appears to be “the aftermath of some disastrous party or backyard drinking binge” where three figures – family members, or neighbours, perhaps – are the last ones standing. “It’s all quite acrimonious and accusatory, everyone’s talking over each other.” For Etchells, this more fictional mode is “a door that we’ve never been able to open. We’ve just never really gone there.” Perhaps it is the technique of lip-syncing, an extra buffer of mediation, that allows them to venture away from the here-and-now without feeling that they have to commit to the “psychological claptrap” that comes along with acting; to be able to “play the game of theatre, without getting one’s hands too dirty.” As I wonder how else the impulses behind Forced Entertainment’s work have changed over time, it occurs to me that over the last ten years of new creations, with the exception of If All Else Fails, the company’s performers haven’t ever spoken on stage: there were two shows without any language at all, Out of Order and Under Bright Light, and then this trilogy of lip-sync works. Etchells agrees it’s a shift away from earlier productions, that were so often about “the actual voices of the performers and their actual presences. We had a lot of money, in some ways, on an authentic approach to what it might mean to speak on the stage.” But this sense of authentic presence itself had a fakeness to it; these days, Etchells can’t stand that mode of being onstage where performers “are here to be cheeky and witty versions of themselves. I don’t want to be charmed.” Pulling back into a more anonymous space has resulted in works that feel slightly sharper-edged, more brutal in a way. “All of these shows are post-Brexit, post-Trump, post-truth, post-everything,” Etchells notes. Speech, charisma, authenticity – these things feel politically loaded, and perhaps warmth and openness just don’t feel like the right tools to reflect the world we’re living in. “It feels like the space is closing down, and we’re trying to deal with the fact that the system, the structure that you’re in, is more oppressive and more powerful. It probably always was, but I think we’re just more tuned to it now.” Yet even without their voices, the performers’ distinctive presences – ones that many audiences have followed around for years, if not decades – still, inevitably, shine through as they physically navigate whatever unending task the system of the piece has set for them. They’re still trying to keep up with the onslaught of text, still running about, changing costumes, moving stuff around. The human is always stuck in the teeth of the machine, jamming the smooth, frictionless cheeriness of the not-real, gesticulating silently, trying desperately to communicate. Cold Sweat is at Sheffield Theatres, 2 to 3 October; Southbank Centre, London, 9 to 10 October; Lancaster Arts, 14 October [ ](https://exeuntmagazine.substack.com/p/exeunt-recommends-the-best-autumn-theatre-2026-lives-of-others-standard-of-living-our-friends-in-the-north-lanny-) [ Exeunt recommends... the best autumn theatre ](https://exeuntmagazine.substack.com/p/exeunt-recommends-the-best-autumn-theatre-2026-lives-of-others-standard-of-living-our-friends-in-the-north-lanny-) Exeunt · Sep 16 [ Read full story ](https://exeuntmagazine.substack.com/p/exeunt-recommends-the-best-autumn-theatre-2026-lives-of-others-standard-of-living-our-friends-in-the-north-lanny-) This piece was paid for by the Southbank Centre. Such support helps Exeunt to keep publishing the most interesting writing, about the most exciting theatre. Interested in partnering with Exeunt? Visit our Advertise with Exeunt page, where you can get more information, download an advertising pack, and find our contact details.
MediaTek’s flagship laptop chip is the Dimensity CX C10 Max, debuts in a Lenovo Googlebook
The initial batch of Googlebook laptops that debuted earlier today use either Intel or Qualcomm chipsets, but MediaTek has confirmed...
Google opens pre-orders for $899 Googlebook laptops built around Gemini AI
Alphabet's Google on Monday opened pre-orders for Googlebook, its new premium laptop category for Android users built around the company's Gemini AI tools.
Got an Android Phone? Google Thinks You’ll Probably Want a Googlebook Laptop
Apple lovers have long enjoyed seamless connectivity between their iPhones and Macs. Now, Google’s bringing that experience to Android.
I got to see Google’s wild ideas about the future of laptops
Googlebooks are here, starting at $899.
Philippine Airlines' Manila Lounge & Ground Experience Is Laughably Bad
A long security line, near-invisible lounge signage, and Wi-Fi that won't connect to laptops — here's why Philippine Airlines' Manila transit experience disappoints.
Asus Googlebook shows off a big trackpad and plenty of ports in leaked images [Gallery]
New images of a Googlebook laptop from Asus have surfaced, showing off of selection of ports and a big ol’...
Windows 11 can now rewind your whole PC, including the file you just created
System Restore is good, but this new feature is even better.
The best workplace culture in America is being built by companies you’ve never heard of
As public companies cut jobs to fund AI, small and mid-sized businesses are proving more resilient—and redefining workplace culture.
AMD's first 192GB laptop reaches reviewers with Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 495
HP's new ZBook Ultra G3a combines Ryzen AI Max+ PRO 495 with 192GB of unified memory. Earlier 192GB laptops we found were based on Intel platforms.
Should You Buy PayPal Stock For Its Credit Business?
PayPal (PYPL) has gained 27% over the past three months while the S&P 500 returned 0.7%. Over the trailing twelve months, the stock is still down 18.7%, so the whole gain is recent. A gain that recent still needs an operating reason to hold, and management points to what PayPal lends, not to the checkout button.
Fresh Googlebook leak offers an early glimpse at Acer, ASUS, and Lenovo models
Leaked renders reveal upcoming Googlebooks from Acer, ASUS, and Lenovo featuring slim builds, a bunch of ports, and a retro Glowbar accent.
Mark your calendars: A Googlebook 'celebration' is happening next month
Google is reportedly sending out invites for an event where it will debut "the first laptop designed for Gemini Intelligence"
How Far Can Applied Digital Stock Fall If The Business Keeps Growing?
Applied Digital (APLD) trades near $26, about 47% below its high of the past twelve months, after returning -36.3% over three months. Over twelve months, though, it is still up 55.6%. Nothing in the operation broke: it beat the quarter it reported in July 2026, and management says every project is on time and on budget.
Google finally sets a date for Googlebook pre-orders
Planning on getting a Googlebook? Google has officially revealed when you'll be able to place your pre-order.
Pre-Orders For The Android-Based Googlebook Laptops Open On September 21
Gemini Intelligence is at the heart of the operating system powering Google's upcoming laptops.
HP and Lenovo laptops are the latest victims of a Windows 11 update
Microsoft's August update (KB5121003) is reportedly corrupting BIOS on HP laptops and disabling AC charging on Lenovo laptops.
I'm Calling It: Hims & Hers Health Will Soar 56% by the End of 2026
Hims & Hers Health is still growing rapidly, but whether that growth can translate into better economics could determine how much further the stock can climb.
Amazon is selling a 2-in-1 laptop and tablet for $60 that comes with a 5-piece accessories bundle
It's great for everyday computing tasks.
