ICYMI: the 7 biggest tech stories of the week, from the best gadgets of IFA 2026 to GPT-6 Astra and 'the AGI era'

At TechRadar this weekend we've got one eye on the best Labor Day sales that you can pick up — with big discounts on offer on tech and so much more — and another eye on the week that just finished, which was as hectic as most weeks in technology tend to be.

We had a host of new products on show at the IFA 2026 tech event in Berlin, OpenAI dropping its best ChatGPT model yet and declaring the age of AGI (Artificial General Intelligence), and Dyson bringing out its first toothbrush. Oh, and we also made time to review the Pixel 11 Pro and have an exclusive chat with Sonos CEO Tom Conrad.

You'll find all that and more in our ICYMI (In Case You Missed It) round-up below — our pick of the best tech headlines on our pages over the past week. Enjoy catching up!

7. The 'Lake America' saga hit Google and Apple

The Trump administration has decided that Lake Ontario on the US-Canada border should be called Lake America, after some 400 years or so (and a few trade spats with Canada). Google Maps and eventually Apple Maps went along with the change, stressing that it was just their policy to use government data — but MapQuest has been standing firm so far.

While Canadians still see 'Lake Ontario' on their maps, and international maps users see both names together, the acquiescence of the mapping companies hasn't gone down well with commenters online. "Beyond ridiculous" and "braindead" are just a couple of the comments left in a Reddit thread on the name change rolled out in Google Maps.

• Read the full story: 'Beyond ridiculous': if you're seeing Lake Ontario renamed as Lake America on Google Maps, here's why

6. IKEA revealed its first smart radiator thermostat

IKEA has made a concerted effort to push out simple, affordable, reliable smart home gear in recent months, and the Liljebagge is the latest in the series to appear. It fastens to your radiator and can be used to control its temperature independently, either through a connected phone app or via the buttons placed on the actual thermostat itself.

With Matter and Thread support, this looks like another appealing gadget from IKEA, though we don't yet know about international availability and pricing. Hopefully this device goes on sale worldwide before too long — and we'd like to see IKEA continue to compete with the big names in tech when it comes to sensibly priced smart home kit.

• Read the full story: IKEA launches its first smart radiator thermostat, with Matter support and an impressively affordable price

5. We reviewed the Google Pixel 11 Pro

TechRadar's Jason Cipriani has spent a week testing out the new Pixel 11 Pro from Google, and he's ready to share his thoughts: his in-depth review covers the core specs and pricing of the phone, and its design, display quality, performance, software, cameras, and battery life. You'll be hard pushed to find a more thorough review anywhere else on the web.

You'll have to click through to get the final verdict, but phrases like "enticing to potential iPhone converts" and "truly magical" (in regard to one specific AI feature) give you an idea of the way the review leans. It's now been a decade since Google switched the Nexus branding for the Pixel branding, and all of that experience is starting to really show.

• Read the full story: I spent a week with the Google Pixel 11 Pro, and I think Google has perfected the Pixel formula

4. Sonos exclusively talked to us about its new Ultra products

Sonos CEO Tom Conrad is the man in charge of trying to turn the company's fortunes around after the software debacles of the last couple of years, and he was kind enough to give his time to TechRadar for an exclusive chat about new hardware and a new AI-infused 'operating system' that runs seamlessly across all the products in the Sonos portfolio.

There are new Ace Ultra headphones and a new Beam Ultra soundbar to talk about, and based on early impressions, it seems as though Sonos is getting back to what it does best — making high-end audio equipment that's as good as anything else you'll find on the premium market. Find out what Conrad has to say about his first year in charge below.

• Read the full story: Exclusive: Sonos CEO Tom Conrad explains why the new Sonos Ace Ultra headphones can achieve what fans wanted the first Ace to do, why its new Ultra soundbar is small, and the AI features of the company's new 'operating system'

3. We reviewed Dyson’s 'game-changing' toothbrush

Dyson just entered the smart toothbrush category, and it's not messing about: the Dyson CameraJet offers deep teeth cleaning, liquid flossing, and oral hygiene guidance in a complete package. There's even a camera on board this toothbrush, so you can get feedback on how well (or otherwise) you're managing to clear the grime from your mouth.

We've already given the Dyson CameraJet toothbrush the in-depth TechRadar review treatment, so we can tell you honestly whether it's worth your while picking up this (rather expensive) gadget and sticking it in your mouth — read on to find out why we described it as a "a unique and effective solution" for keeping your precious teeth in top shape.

• Read the full story: Dyson CameraJet review: This game-changing toothbrush offers liquid flossing, precision-brushing and a camera that doubles as a dental endoscope — I tried it for a week

2. We went to IFA 2026 and picked our favorite gadgets

There's always so much great tech to see at the IFA 2026 tech show that takes place every year in Berlin. To help cut through the thousands of brands and products being exhibited to the very best gadgets, we've put together a list of our favorite reveals. You'll find projectors, exoskeletons, e-readers, AI recorders, laptops, tablets, and more listed here.

While a lot of these listed products won't be available to buy for a month or three, they give us plenty to look forward to for the rest of the year, and act as indicators of where the technology industry is going next. In summary, everything is getting smarter, thinner, and lighter, and there's never been a better time to be a fan of cutting-edge technology.

• Read the full story: IFA 2026 'Best in Show' awards: our 25 favorite reveals at the Berlin tech expo, from somersaulting robots to modular solar batteries for renters

1. OpenAI launched GPT-6 Astra and said 'welcome to the AGI era'

OpenAI has announced the new GPT-6 Astra model for ChatGPT, and it comes with a lot of hype attached. According to the company, this is a "significant step forward" for AI, which is now reaching an "extremely capable" stage that apparently can't be fully understood. At the same time, OpenAI's president Greg Brockman is saying "welcome to the AGI era".

AGI is a reference to Artificial General Intelligence, a point at which AI gets smarter than humans and can do just about everything better than we can — although there's plenty of debate around the definition. Our take? We perhaps need to be more cautious about developing these AI models if it means a high risk of them escaping our control.

• Read the full story: GPT-6 is here, but what if we just said 'no thanks' to Astra, a model so powerful that we may never fully understand it

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