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SOMETIMES the best tech is just the stuff that’s easiest to use.

That’s always been Apple’s style – and Amazon has managed the same feat with its top-notch Ring Battery Video Doorbell Plus.

Sean Keach

The Ring Battery Video Doorbell Plus is an easy way to upgrade your home security[/caption]

Sean Keach

I’ve been using it for two months and it’s a real treat[/caption]

It’s not the catchiest name, but this is one of the best smart home gadgets on the market.

Ring video doorbells hardly need an introduction.

They sit next to your front door, waiting for motion and then filming it for your smartphone viewing pleasure.

More of my neighbours have them than not.

It sounds a bit 1984, but they let you dodge people selling solar panels – and there’s a speaker for telling delivery drivers not to leave your package upside down in the rain.

And naturally we all hope that they’ll put off trespassers and even burglars from trying their luck too.

But one thing has always turned me off Ring doorbells: drilling.

Hate it. It’s faff. What if you don’t have a drill? What if you don’t want to drill? It’s a layer of annoyance I just don’t need in my life.

Enter: the Ring Battery Video Doorbell Plus. My hero. My £129.99 hero.

• Ring Battery Video Doorbell Plus at Amazon for £129.99 – buy here

I’ve been trying it out for weeks now, and I’m convinced it’s one of the best products I’ve ever owned.

STICK TO IT

Normally a Ring doorbell connects to your house in two ways, neither of which I love.

The first is through the wires that would connect a regular doorbell, giving it power.

And the second is through screws, which turn into holes that you’ve drilled in your wall.

They’re both layers of friction that I don’t love, which is why I do love the Battery Video Doorbell Plus.

Sean Keach

The gadget snaps the view from the front of your house with a built-in camera[/caption]

For a start, it doesn’t need any wiring. It has a built-in battery that needs a recharge every four to eight months.

I’ve been using mine for nearly two months, and the battery has dropped by about 30%. So that feels about right.

This doorbell can be drilled to the wall, but I picked up Ring’s sticky mount for £17 (buy here). It slaps straight onto the wall (though you do have to press it down for five minutes), and then you’re sorted.

Now if I ever want to remove my doorbell setup, I don’t have to disconnect wires or fill any holes. I just yank it off the wall and away I go.

Set up is easy. The doorbell connects to the Ring app on your phone and away you go.

EASY VIEWING

So what else does it do, besides attaching to my wall in a simple and effective way?

At its most basic, you can get it to notify you when someone presses the doorbell or comes onto your property.

Motion Zones make it easy to avoid detecting movement on the street – you can just draw on the app’s video feed to block out areas you don’t want monitored.

Sean Keach

And you can set up Privacy Zones to shut out your neighbouring properties too (or your own windows, if your front door is set back).

Two-way audio lets you chat to visitors.

And it the doorbell can even detect whether it’s seeing a person – or an animal, or car.

Automated replies work like an “out of office” for your home, telling couriers that you’re away and to leave the post at the door.

And you can have different settings depending on whether you’re at home or away using a “geofencing” feature.

It’s got night vision. Even colour night vision.

And Smart Video Search lets you type in phrases (like “red car”) to spot specific moments. You might even find crooks with a search like “person in garden last night”.

It’ll find basically anything you’re looking for in seconds. Very clever.

The video quality is very sharp. It’s officially 1536p HD. But a more useful description is: you can easily see details even at a distance, and it’s effective even in poor lighting.

Sean Keach

The Ring doorbell will tell you when it has detected a person – even before they push the button[/caption]

It has a broad field of view, so you shouldn’t miss a thing. You can always mount it with a slight tilt too, if needed for awkward porch/garden layouts.

The other accessory that I snapped up to improve my Ring experience was a Chime.

It’s basically a speaker for your doorbell, if you want something more traditional than just phone notifications.

You plug it into the mains, and leave it there. They cost between £20 and £30 (buy here), and they’re decent – but by no means necessary.

Sean Keach

You can easily mount the doorbell without connect it to any wiring[/caption]

A-DOOR IT

The doorbell’s main benefit is peace of mind.

Your house has all of your stuff. Your precious belongings. Your front door is the gateway to that treasure trove.

Knowing who is at your door – no matter where you are in the world – in some ways feels priceless.

It resolves the issue of not being able to contact delivery drivers while you’re away, or the fear that suspicious antics are going on while you’re on holiday.

Sean Keach

There’s a built-in button so it works just like a regular doorbell – but alerts are beamed straight to your phone[/caption]

And I think it gives your neighbourhood a more general feeling of safety. It’s neighbourhood watch in the literal sense.

And maybe it’s not technically a feature, but I love seeing surprise clips of my wife pulling funny faces at the camera for me to watch later.

It turns a boring part of our lives – opening and closing the door – into a fun scrapbook of easily-missed memories.

It’s also had some tangible perks.

I couldn’t for the life of me find my cap the other day.

It was only be reviewing Ring footage that I could see I’d left home with it earlier in the week – and came back without it.

I never did find that cap. But I knew I’d lost it in a place I’d never get it back.

So it gave me the peace of mind to buy a new cap, rather than going through the cupboards and drawers again for the sixteenth time.

Sean Keach

The Chime lets you hear a doorbell noise inside your home if you want[/caption]

CASHING ON

The main downside is that some of the best perks are locked behind a subscription.

The £129.99 fee for the doorbell only gets you the gadget itself, plus basic benefits like notifications for a doorbell press.

If you pay £4.99 a month, you get 180 days of Video Event History and package alerts.

Then there’s Standard, which is £7.99 a month and adds in doorbell calling, extended live views, cover for all of your devices, and all of the Basic perks too.

Sean Keach

I used the Ring adhesive mount to attach the doorbell to my wall – rather than drilling any holes[/caption]

There’s a Premium plan for £15.99 a month that wraps in 24/7 recording, continuous live view, and Smart Video Search.

The one you pick comes down to your own needs, but you can probably get by with Basic. Anything less and I think you’re missing out, personally.

RING IT UP?

This is a brilliant device.

It’s not the cheapest Ring doorbell (or even video doorbell generally), but it’s easy to use, very effective, and has no-nonsense set up.

Sean Keach

The Ring app is very comprehensive with no end of settings to customise your doorbell experience[/caption]

Now I’ve got it, I can’t imagine not having one. And I suppose that’s one of the best endorsements a gadget can get.

The Sun says: Easily worth the £130 fee – but you’ll need the monthly subscription to get the best value from it. A genuinely life-improving gadget that I’d struggle to give up. 4.5/5

• Ring Battery Video Doorbell Plus at Amazon for £129.99 – buy here

All prices in this article were correct at the time of writing, but may have since changed.

Always do your own research before making any purchase.

Sean Keach

The Battery Video Doorbell Plus is a great option for first-time Ring customers[/caption]

A HUGE mobile major brand is bowing out after 15 years.

It’s the last chance for existing users to update their phones – though they may want to consider buying a new handset entirely before sinister hacks start to emerge.

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LG has been a staple in the mobile scene for 15 yearsh[/caption]

LG was once the world’s third-bestselling mobile brand.

But the firm announced in 2021 that its mobile division was closing down due to poor sales.

The South Korean tech giant has continued to offer important software updates for its most recent handsets.

But those are coming to an end on Monday, putting the final nail in the coffin of LG’s mobile business.

LG’s last phone release was the LG Wing 5G, which features a unique design with two displays – one of which swivels.

After June 30, Android software updates for LG phones will no longer be available.

This means hackers could be on the lookout for vulnerabilities to exploit – and with no further updates to fix them.

If you want to continue using your LG smartphone, it’s at least best to get the last update while you still can.

“We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude towards our customers who have loved and supported LG Electronics mobile products,” LG said.

“After the termination date, you will no longer be able to use the software upgrade services.

“If you wish to use the services, we strongly recommend upgrading your software before June 30, 2025.

“Furthermore, as we will no longer provide application updates, you will not be able to download default applications deleted upon initialization.”

The move also marks the end for the LG Bridge software for PCs which allowed mobile users to update too.

MANILA, Philippines — House of Representatives prosecution team spokesperson Atty. Antonio Bucoy challenged Vice President Sara Duterte to show evidence of her innocence in an impeachment trial if she truly “had the numbers” to be acquitted. Bucoy said this at the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City, a day after the House panel submitted its

VP Sara Duterte Defends Trips Abroad, Accuses Marcos Admin of Political Scapegoating SARA DUTERTE – Amid growing scrutiny over her frequent travels, Vice President Sara Duterte maintained that personal trips made without government funding are not the public’s concern. Sara Duterte reaffirmed her position that she is not obligated to reveal information about her private ... Read more

The post “Bobo Talaga”: VP Sara Duterte Slams Criticism Over Australia Trip appeared first on PhilNews.

JAKE PAUL has no hesitation in admitting he ENJOYS fans wanting him to be knocked out.

After all, that is what has made him $100MILLION (£73m) in the ring – closing in on becoming the highest-paid boxer on Forbes’ list.

AP

Jake Paul admits he enjoys fans wanting him to be knocked out[/caption]

The YouTuber-turned prizefighter gave up on trying to be liked the moment he first laced up the gloves – and has profited from being boxing’s bad guy.

Paul told SunSport: “I don’t think they’ll ever show me love, to be honest. To conduct the orchestra, you must turn your back on the audience.

“So I know what I’m doing, I’m just playing a game. People want to tune in to see me lose or the doubters, all of this stuff.

“But, at the end of the day, there’s just as much love that, and that’s what I focus on.”

Paul this year ranked third in Forbes’ list of highest-earning content creators.

He banked $50m (£36m) with $40m (£30m) of that made in his last fight against Mike Tyson – who controversially made a comeback aged 58.

Paul also earned $30m (£20m) in defeat to Tommy Fury in 2023 – his first and so far only loss a boxer.

And after earning $30m (£20m) for his three fights in 2021 alone – the former prankster-gone-prizefighter has cleared over $100m as a boxer.

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And he reckons surpassing Canelo Alvarez – who he was in talks to fight this May – is on the cards.

Paul boasted: “I think it could happen for sure. I definitely think it can happen in the next 12-24 months.

“It would be a cool thing to check off in a great accomplishment, so we’ll see what happens.”

Paul, 28, returns to the ring TONIGHT against former middleweight world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, 39, back down at cruiserweight.

A shock ranking to fight for the WBC world title could be at stake for Paul – while he is always a loss away from his career being derailed.

And it is that threat of being knocked out, embarrassed and proven wrong that motivates him to succeed.

Paul said: “I think definitely I use a bit of like fear and what people say as motivation, inspiration.

“But mostly I try to focus on the love and proving myself right and challenging myself at this point.

“I’ve already exceeded my expectations of what I was going to do in this sport and so everything else here is is a win, right?

“Like, I’ve built my whole entire dream life, businesses, companies, so really I’m just playing with house money now.”

Getty

Jake Paul returns against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr[/caption]

Thai Airways stepped up to support a high-profile charity walk-run in Oslo, Norway, combining fitness, friendship, and fundraising in a celebration of diplomatic history. On Sunday, June 22, the streets of Oslo came alive as Thai Airways joined the Royal Thai Embassy in Oslo and the Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital to mark 120 years …

The story Thai Airways takes off for charity in Oslo celebration as seen on Thaiger News.

Drunk Passenger Pees Inside Plane in Front of Flight Attendants  A drunk passenger makes an embarrassing scene inside a plane after urinating in front of the flight attendants.  The Instagram account z25team shared a video of a heavily drunk male passenger who urinated inside the aircraft. The post quickly spread like wildfire on social media ... Read more

The post Drunk Passenger Pees Inside Plane in Front of Flight Attendants  appeared first on PhilNews.

DEAR DEIDRE: MY husband of 22 years left me for a younger model and so I did what any other self respecting single woman in her late 40s would do – I hit the dating scene hard and what I discovered has truly shocked and thrilled me.

I’ve learned more in the past 20 weeks about sex and fun than I did in two decades of marriage.

And there are plenty of men, most of whom are A LOT younger than me, who like the fact I’m older and more self assured.

I’ve learned to expect questions about my sexual preferences within the first message or two, understand that sending nudes is this generation’s version of flirting and the biggest difference – that everyone expects you to keep your options open while dating.

So far I’ve been out with ten men and I don’t regret a single date.

So while my ex made me feel washed up and undesirable these men have reignited something in me.

After discovering our marriage had become a cliché – he was having an affair with his secretary – he moved out and set up home with her within one month. 

I was still unravelling when weeks later he told me he was going to be a dad to their unborn child. 

Our son and daughter are young adults now but it still hurt that he was moving on so quickly.

Feeling low and rejected, I decided I needed to pick myself up and start having some fun myself.

One night I asked a good girlfriend around and together we tentatively made a profile for me.

Within ten minutes of uploading I was getting matches and a significant number of them were in their 20s. 

I’m 47 and thought it was a joke but my friend encouraged me to respond to a couple of them who looked fun.

Since then I have been on the wildest ride and have discovered that dating has changed an awful lot since I was in my 20s.

I’ve gone from, boring stay-at-home wife, to having a huge sexual re-awakening and the time of my life.

The first time I went on a date was with a 28-year-old electrician.

Suspicious, I asked if he was taking the mick. He convinced me he genuinely thought I was gorgeous and wanted to see an older woman ‘because we aren’t as needy’.

And since then the young men keep on coming. I can’t believe it and my married girlfriends are so jealous.

The only time I felt out of my depth was when one man started squeezing my throat during sex. I was so shocked I demanded to know what he was doing.

Surprised, he replied that he thought women liked it. He stopped straight away but that rattled me.

I’m currently seeing three different men and they all bring different things to the party. But there is one guy in particular who I really like and he’s started to make sounds that he’d like to settle with me. 

But how can I settle with a 29 year old? That’s nearly two decades difference!

DEIDRE SAYS: It is good that you have built your confidence back up and you’re having fun.

You are right to be wary of hurtling head first into a relationship with a much younger man. 

There is lots to consider – first and foremost how your children will react. 

And just as importantly; do you both want the same things from life? The biggie is the question of children of course. You’ve had your kids, do you realistically want the responsibility of a tiny newborn again?

There is no two ways about it, two decades is significant but he is an adult, so you could of course both make it work.

But you need to be realistic and society, your social network and family may not be so accepting.

It sounds like the time has come to have an honest conversation about what you are both looking for. 

And as hard as it will be to end it with him, better to do that now before your lives become further entwined, if there is realistically no future.

If you are ready to settle down (and the fact you have started to fall for this one man, suggests you are) but things don’t work out with him, perhaps it’s time to slow down and make sure you are seeing men with the same outlook as you.

My support pack Age Gaps gives more advice. 

Dear Deidre’s Age Gap Files

Deidre’s mailbag is stashed full with age gap relationship problems. One reader struggled to move on after her younger lover dropped her after sex, a different subscriber wrote in because he fell head over heels for the older woman who uses him as a booty call, while one woman couldn’t move on after her toyboy dumped her for his ex.

THIS 90s movie star appeared in one of the biggest cult classic films of that time.

Now 51, the actress looks unrecognisable after ditching fame for very different career – but can you guess who it is?

Instagram/fairuza

Can you guess who the 90s actress is?[/caption]

Instagram/fairuza

Now 51, the star appeared in a VERY famous teen movie[/caption]

Rex

This actress starred in The Craft alongside Robin Tunney, Rachel True and Neve Campbell[/caption]

Alamy

The actress in question is Fairuza Balk best known for playing Nancy in The Craft[/caption]

Did you guess it was Fairuza Balk who played Nancy in teen classic film, The Craft?

Following her huge career in the 90s, the actress now has taken a very different path in life, making jewellery.

She promotes her pieces on her popular Instagram grid, where she showcases everything from rings to necklaces to bracelets.

The multi-talented star is also lead singer of the band Armed Love Militia and, in 2011, she began to exhibit her own art in LA and New York.

Fairuza also continues to act, and over the years has appeared in the films American History X and The Island of Dr. Moreau and the TV series Ray Donovan.

THE CRAFT FAME

Without a doubt, Fairuza is best known for her leading role in The Craft.

When the movie hit cinemas in May 1996, it cast a spell on film lovers everywhere and proved a surprise smash at the box office.

The teen horror follows a trio of schoolgirl witches who invite newcomer Sarah to join their coven.

The new addition strengthens their powers and the four teenagers, all viewed as outcasts and bullied by classmates, begin to use their witchcraft to get revenge on those who have wronged them.

In the film, Fairuza’s character Nancy is one of the most powerful of the group.

She leaves a trail of death and destruction with her spells,.

In a spooky twist, Fairuza was so taken with the occult shop in Los Angeles where she researched her role, she bought it.

The film, which also stars Neve Campbell, Robin Tunney, and Rachel True, raked in £40m worldwide – four times its budget – and became a cult hit.

Fairuza also made an appearance in The Craft: Legacy, the 2020 sequel.

Getty

Fairuza has enjoyed an incredible career in the spotlight[/caption]

CHILD STAR

The Craft wasn’t Fairuza’s first taste of fame, as she actually grew up as a child star.

In 1985, aged just 11, she took the leading role of Dorothy in Return To Oz.

The film was a sequel to the much-loved classic film, The Wizard of Oz.

This role led to the lead role in another classic film The Worst Witch (1986), where she played Mildred Hubble.

Alamy

At just 11-years-old Fairuza took the lead role as Dorothy in Return To Oz[/caption]

THE UFC resumes pay-per-view action this weekend with a title doubleheader.

Mixed martial arts’ premier promotion returns to action with UFC 317 from its historical home of Las Vegas.

GETTY

Ilia Topuria headlines the UFC’s annual International Fight Week card in Las Vegas this[/caption]

GETTY

GETTY

Topuria could join an elite club with victory over Oliveira[/caption]

And they’ve put together a mammoth card for their annual International Fight Week event.

Topping the bill is the eagerly anticipated vacant lightweight title fight between former champions Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira.

Topuria, 28, will bid to become the promotion’s TENTH two-division champion 15 months after claiming the featherweight title, which he’s since relinquished.

Oliveira, meanwhile, has the chance to become a two-time king of the lightweights just over three years after he lost the belt on the scales before his clash with Justin Gaethje.

A tasty men’s flyweight bout between champion Alexandre Pantoja and surging Kiwi Kai Kara-France serves as the co-main event of the evening.

UFC 317 promises to be an entertaining night of fights, and SunSport is on hand with everything you need to know about the Sin City card.

When is UFC 317 – Topuria vs Oliveira?

UFC 317 will take place on Saturday, June 28, 2025.

The early prelims will begin at 11pm BST, with the main card set to start at 3am on Sunday morning in the UK.

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GETTY

Ilia Topuria knocked out Max Holloway in his sole defence of the lightweight title[/caption]

The main event between Topuria and Oliveira will get underway at approximately 5am BST.

UFC 317 will take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas

How to watch UFC 317 – Topuria vs Oliveira

UFC 317 will be aired live on TNT Sports 1, with the broadcaster commencing coverage of the card at 1am BST on Sunday, June 28.

TNT Sports subscribers will be able to live stream the card via the Discovery+ app and website.

UFC 317 will be available to stream on ESPN+ and the UFC’s Fight Pass in the United States.

GETTY

Alexandre Pantoja will defend his men’s flyweight title against Alejandre Pantoja[/caption]

UFC 317 fight card

Main card

• Ilia Topuria vs Charles Oliveira – (lightweight title fight)
• Alexandre Pantoja vs Kai Kara-France – (men’s flyweight bout)
• Beneil Darish vs Renato Moicano – (lightweight bout)
• Brandon Royval vs Joshua Van – (men’s flyweight bout)
• Peyton Talbott vs Felipe Lima – (men’s bantamweight bout)

Prelims

• Jack Hermansson vs Gregory Rodrigues – (middleweight bout)
• Hyder Mill vs Jose Miguel Delgado – (men’s featherweight bout)
• Vivane Araujo vs Tracy Cortez – (women’s flyweight bout)
• Terrance McKinney vs Viacheslav Borschehev – (lightweight bout)

Early Prelims

• Niko Price vs Jacobe Smith – (welterweight bout)
• Jhonta Diniz vs Alvin Hines – (heavyweight bout)

GETTY

Ilia Topuria has vowed to dominate Charles Oliveira[/caption]

What’s been said?

Speaking to Joe Rogan at the ceremonial weigh-ins, Topuria vowed: “You’re going to see one of the greatest performances of all-time tomorrow.

“Another domination. Another finish. We are going to make history once again, so tune in.”

Fan favourite Oliveira said: “The lord’s word has always spoken to me and I felt the lord’s word all throughout the week.

“Everything has been perfect, and everything has been working.

“Let me tell you something: I’m ready for him. It’s going to be a great fight, great show tomorrow night. I’m ready for this.”