There are no aliens or sentient killing machines menacing the ordinary people going about their lives in Netflix’s new dystopian action drama The Kitchen from co-directors Daniel Kaluuya and Kibwe Tavares. But the film’s arresting story about the monsters of the future and how the most disadvantaged members of society have to stand up to them feels all too real and like a reminder of the ways systemic poverty creates its own dystopia.
Technology
Netflix’s The Kitchen is a stunning parable about the future of housing inequality
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25235033/KITCHEN_Unit_15036_RT.jpeg?ssl=1 "Netflix’s The Kitchen is a stunning parable about the future of housing inequality")
Set in a near-futuristic London where fluorescent hologram ads dance across signs and camera-encrusted police drones loom silently high up in the air, The Kitchen is a chronicle of the goings-on in its titular neighborhood. After years of public housing across the United Kingdom being bought up by private companies and transformed into expensive luxury flats for the wealthy, the Kitchen — a towering, dilapidated apartment complex long-scheduled for demolition — is the only place in London where people like Isaac (rapper Kane “Kano” Robinson) can really afford to live.
The Kitchen is beyond poor, and its residents never know whether their power and water will be shut off by the city. But it’s still a bustling hub of commerce where vendors sling food on streets dense with playing children and old men relax on the doorsteps of barbershops. There’s always an atmosphere of tension as Kitcheners brace themselves for yet another one of the city’s violent police raids meant to expel them from their homes.
But the Kitchen’s air is also constantly filled with the sound of music broadcasting from the Lord Kitchener’s (Ian Wright) pirate radio station along with his calls for the neighborhood’s predominantly Black and brown community to hold fast to the idea that they have a right to exist in a place where their families have survived for decades.
As a Kitchener himself, Isaac — who works with his friend Jase (Demmy Ladipo) for a company that composts the dead whose families can’t afford traditional funerals — knows that the neighborhood is so much more than a block full of people illegally squatting in condemned buildings. But after a lifetime of watching the Kitchen be razed and its residents brutalized by cops in riot gear, all Isaac wants is a shot at getting out and moving into the kind of high-rise where he can shut himself away from the world and his feelings.
The Kitchen makes it easy to recognize the parallels between its vision of futuristic housing inequality and our present-day reality in which renters and would-be homebuyers across the globe are increasingly being priced out of the limited, highly competitive real estate market. But the film’s script from Kaluuya and co-writers Rob Hayes and Joe Murtagh and its focus on young Londoners navigating the complexities of near homelessness makes The Kitchen read like a scathing reflection of the long-term devastating impacts of the UK’s Margaret Thatcher-era right-to-buy policies.
The Kitchen presents its namesake as a cramped Kowloon-like mosaic of barely livable spaces packed with outdated technology that contrasts sharply with the spacious neighborhoods nearby, where gleaming driverless cars idle by luxury boutiques. At all times, Kitcheners like Isaac and Staples (Hope Ikpoku Jr.) — the leader of a biker gang whose robberies provide the Kitchen with its only source of food — are surrounded by reminders of basic comforts they’re denied.
But out of the many ways The Kitchen illustrates how society systemically dehumanizes the poor, few are as profound as its depiction of Isaac going to work every day and convincing his neighbors to buy into a service they all understand as being meant to erase them from the public consciousness. That erasure is part of what scares young orphan Benji (Jedaiah Bannerman) so much about seeing his mother’s remains turned into tree fertilizer at Life After Life, where he first meets Isaac. What really scares Isaac, though, is his unshakable sense that simply by being from the Kitchen, Benji’s mother’s fate was inevitable and a glimpse of what’s in store for Benji if he doesn’t escape the Kitchen himself.
As Isaac and Benji come into each other’s lives, The Kitchen becomes a kind of coming-of-age story as well as a rumination on the power of communal action and found families. Isaac — a stoic character Robinson portrays with a brilliant emotionally-congested quality — wants little to do with Benji when the pair first meet. There’s no room for a kid in Isaac’s plan for the future or really even in his present-day corner of the Kitchen where he has to lock himself in whenever the police show up ready to evict people by beating them to death.
But for all of Benji’s resourcefulness, he’s just a boy Isaac knows will end up running with Staples’ crew or murdered because they live in a world filled with systems designed to leave people like them with no other options. From somewhat different angles, the concepts central to The Kitchen have been explored in other genre films like Attack the Block and They Cloned Tyrone, which both leaned much harder into their respective hard sci-fi elements.
What makes The Kitchen feel so distinct, though, is the way its subtle touches of speculative futurism work to highlight realities about how at-risk communities are surveilled and how riots end up becoming people’s organic response to state-sponsored violence. Through both the Lord Kitchener’s broadcasts and Isaac’s looming sense of dread, The Kitchen never lets you lose sight of the fact that the Kitcheners are fighting for their lives in a war they’re not likely to win.
But at the core of that fight, there’s an undeniable sense of hope and beauty to the lives of everyone in the Kitchen. The Kitchen’s ability to showcase that beauty in intimate scenes between Isaac and Benji and in larger moments like the movie’s surprising third-act dance sequence, all while telling a story that’s so heartbreaking, is a feat. And it’s precisely what makes the film one of Netflix’s most powerful new releases that you’re all but certain to start hearing more about now that it’s streaming.
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Polymarket has been allowing people to bet on when the US would strike Iran next. Obviously, now that it’s actually happened and people have died, the prediction betting market is feeling some pressure. The site has been at the center of controversy before, including suspicions of insider trading on the Super Bowl halftime show and the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
In a statement posted on its site, Polymarket defended its decision to allow betting on the potential start of a war, saying that it was an “invaluable” source of news and answers, before taking shots at traditional media and Elon Musk’s X. The statement reads:
…
Read the full story at The Verge.
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Google has officially discontinued its Dark Web Report feature, a free tool that once scanned known dark web breach dumps for personal information tied to a user’s Google account. The service delivered notifications when email addresses and other identifiers appeared in leaked datasets.
According to Google’s support page, the system ceased scanning for new dark web data Jan. 15, 2026, and the reporting function was removed entirely on Feb. 16, 2026, meaning users can no longer access the feature.
The company said the decision reflects a shift toward security tools it believes provide clearer guidance after exposure, rather than standalone scan alerts.
If you previously relied on the free dark web scan as an early warning signal for leaked data, this change removes one of your sources.
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Google officially ended its Dark Web Report tool, removing free breach alerts tied to user accounts. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
So what did users really lose?
Google’s Dark Web Report acted as a basic exposure scanner. It checked whether personal information linked to a Google account had surfaced in known breach collections circulating on the dark web.
When a match is found, users receive a notification identifying which type of data appeared in a leak. Depending on the data breach, that could include an email address, phone number, date of birth or other identifying details commonly harvested during large-scale hacks.
The report did not display stolen credentials or provide access to the leaked database itself. It also did not trace the origin of the compromise beyond referencing the breached service when available.
After an alert was issued, the next steps were left to the user. Google recommended actions such as changing passwords, enabling stronger authentication methods and reviewing account security settings. With the tool now removed, that automated breach check tied directly to a Google account is no longer available.
What you still have access to
Google directs users to its Security Checkup, a dashboard that scans your account for weak settings and unusual sign-in activity.
Its built-in Password Manager includes Password Checkup, which scans saved credentials against known breach databases and prompts you to change exposed passwords. Google also supports passkeys and two-factor verification to lock down account access.
The Results About You tool lets users search for personal information in Google Search and submit removal requests for certain publicly indexed details.
149 MILLION PASSWORDS EXPOSED IN MASSIVE CREDENTIAL LEAK
Without the automatic scan, users must now check for leaked data using other security tools. (iStock)
Alerts don’t always mean protection
Once personal information is compromised, it often ends up far beyond the breach itself. Stolen credentials and identity data are regularly trafficked on underground platforms where buyers can search for information tied to real people.
The BidenCash dark web marketplace was taken down by U.S. authorities in June 2025, and the Justice Department confirmed that the platform peddled stolen personal information and credit card data.
These illicit markets operate with a level of organization not unlike legitimate online stores. Search tools and bulk data sets are up for grabs and can be used to target any online account. This makes credential stuffing easier, where attackers test leaked passwords across multiple services in hopes of barreling into your account.
A breach alert tied to a dark web scan points to a leak at one moment in time; it does not follow whether that information has been sold to third parties or used in subsequent fraud attempts. For everyday users, this means that just knowing your data appeared in a leak doesn’t help much.
THINK YOUR NEW YEAR’S PRIVACY RESET WORKED? THINK AGAIN
Stolen personal information can circulate for years, making ongoing monitoring more important than a one-time alert. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
Identity monitoring may be a better option
With Google’s scan gone, some people may consider dedicated identity protection services instead. Many of these services offer continuous monitoring of your personally identifiable information and send alerts about changes to your credit reports from all three major U.S. credit bureaus. That can include notifications about new inquiries, newly opened accounts and monthly credit score updates. Some plans also monitor a broader range of personal identifiers, such as driver’s license numbers, passport numbers and email addresses.
Beyond credit monitoring, certain services track linked bank, credit card and investment accounts for unusual activity. They may also monitor public records for changes to addresses or property titles and alert you if your information appears in those filings.
Many providers include identity theft insurance to help cover eligible out-of-pocket recovery costs. Coverage limits vary by plan and provider. Additional features often include spam call and message protection, a password manager, a virtual private network (VPN) and antivirus software.
No service can prevent every form of identity theft. However, ongoing monitoring and recovery support can make it easier to respond quickly if your information is misused.
See my tips and best picks on Best Identity Theft Protection at Cyberguy.com.
Kurt’s key takeaways
Google’s decision to drop its Dark Web Report may seem small. But it removes a tool many users relied on. For some, those alerts were the first warning that their data appeared in a breach. That automatic scan is now gone. Google still offers Security Checkup, Password Checkup, passkeys and two-step verification. However, none of them actively scan dark web breach dumps for you. Stolen data does not disappear. Criminals copy, sell and reuse it. One alert shows a single moment. Ongoing identity theft monitoring helps you stay aware over time.
Now that Google has dropped its dark web monitoring feature, will you actively check your data exposure or assume someone else is watching it for you? Let us know your thoughts by writing to us at Cyberguy.com
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Xiaomi has just given a global launch to two of its latest flagship phones, the Xiaomi 17 and 17 Ultra, along with a Leica-branded Leitzphone edition of the Ultra. There’s no sign, however, of the 17 Pro, which launched in China with an additional display mounted next to the rear cameras.
The 17 and 17 Ultra will apparently be available soon in the UK, Europe, and select other markets. The 17 — pitched as a rival to the likes of the iPhone 17 and Samsung Galaxy S26 — will cost £899 / €999 (about $1,200), while the larger and more capable Ultra starts from £1,299 / €1,499 ($1,750). The limited-edition Leitzphone will be substantially more expensive at £1,699 / €1,999 ($2,300), though it includes 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, along with a few extra accessories.
The 17 is an extremely capable small-ish flagship, with a 6.3-inch OLED display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, and large 6,330mAh silicon-carbon battery (though sadly smaller than the 7,000mAh version launched in China). I won’t be writing a full review of the 17, but did spend a week using it as my main phone, and found that the battery cruised past the full-day mark, though wasn’t quite enough for two full days of my typical usage. That’s far better battery life than you’d find in similarly sized phones from Apple, Samsung, or Google.
The cameras impress too, with 50-megapixel sensors behind each of the four lenses, selfie included. Pound for pound, you won’t find many better camera systems in any phone this size.
1/10
The Ultra, unsurprisingly, takes things to another level. It’s much larger, with a 6.9-inch display, and weighs a hefty 218g. Despite that, the 6,000mAh is actually smaller, though I found it delivered pretty similar longevity.
The enormous camera is, as ever for Xiaomi’s Ultra phones, the highlight. There are 50-megapixel sensors for each of the main, ultrawide, and selfie cameras, with a large 1-inch-type sensor behind the primary lens. The periscope telephoto is even more impressive: 200-megapixel resolution, a large 1/1.4-inch sensor, and continuous optical zoom from 3.2x to 4.3x, the equivalent of 75-100mm. Xiaomi isn’t the first to pull off a true zoom phone — Sony’s Xperia 1 IV got there first in 2022 — but the telephoto camera here is far more capable than that phone’s, with natural bokeh and impressive performance even in low light.
The camera capabilities are supported by Xiaomi’s ongoing photography partner Leica, but it’s the pair’s Leitzphone that really emphasizes that. Slightly redesigned from the 17 Ultra Leica Edition that was released in China last December, this includes Leica branding across the hardware and software, a range of Leica filters and shooting styles, and a rotatable rear camera ring that can be used to control the zoom. It’s the first Leica Leitzphone produced by Xiaomi — after a trio of Japan-only Sharp models — and comes with additional branded accessories, including a case with a lens cap and a microfiber cleaning cloth.
Xiaomi has plenty of other announcements alongside the 17 series phones at MWC this year, including a super-slim magnetic power bank, the Pad 8 and Pad 8 Pro tablets, and a smart tag that supports both Google and Apple’s tech-tracking networks.
Photography by Dominic Preston / The Verge
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