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18 Jun 2025

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Writing new Bond book 'daunting responsibility'
Award-winning crime writer Mike Craven is writing a new James Bond series aimed at young readers.

Should Kiwis pay the high price for NZ dairy that overseas buyers will?
New Zealanders are paying high prices for milk, butter and cheese because of what people are willing to pay offshore, Fonterra's boss says - but is that fair?

Government to give itself power to override councils on housing in RMA changes
The government will take back power from local councils if their decisions are going to negatively impact growth, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says.

Unlock pro-level development tools for just $27.97 — while codes last
TL;DR: Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2022 is down to just $27.97 (reg. $499), giving you access to premium development tools without the premium price tag. Whether you’re building your first app or managing large-scale software projects, having the right tools makes all the difference. Visual Studio Professional 2022 gives developers a powerful, flexible environment for writing, debugging, testing, and deploying code across multiple platforms, and right now, it’s available for a one-time price of just $27.97. This isn’t a trial or a watered-down version. It’s the full suite of Microsoft’s flagship IDE, ready to support Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and web development. You can work with .NET MAUI to create cross-platform apps, use Blazor to build interactive UIs with C#, and even run and debug C++ or .NET code on Linux. Speed up your workflow with modern features: Hot reload: apply code changes without restarting. IntelliCode: offers AI-assisted code suggestions and autocompletions. CodeLens: insights on references, changes, and test results without leaving your code. Live Share: collaborate with teammates in real time with no screen sharing required. If you’re looking to level up your development stack or need a reliable platform for professional coding projects, this deal is a no-brainer. Just don’t wait too long—licenses are limited, and once they’re gone, they’re gone. Get Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2022 now for just $27.97 (reg. $499) while these codes last. Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2022 for WindowsSee Deal StackSocial prices subject to change.

Concerns for teen missing from Auckland's North Shore
Mya was last seen in the Takapuna area at around 1.45am Tuesday.

Investigators probe cause of Auckland supermarket blaze
Fire crews remain on site the morning after a huge fire ripped through the supermarket.

Have you seen Mya? Police search for missing 17-year-old
Teen last seen at 1.45am on Tuesday on Auckland’s North Shore.

Philips Hue’s latest light can bathe your walls in color
A splash of color? Think bigger. With its latest light, Signify-owned Philips Hue is looking to wash your walls with a multicolored glow. Also: The promised Hue AI chatbot is making its debut in a handful of countries. Available now, the $220 Philips Hue Play wall washer is a squat cylindrical module with a “transparent projection window” in back that reveals a trio of rectangular lighting elements. Positioned near a wall, the Play wall washer–leaked earlier this month–does just that, washing any nearby surface with up to 1,035 lumens of multicolored light. Philips Hue Measuring 6.2 x 3.6 inches (HxD) and arriving with an aluminum finish, the Play wall washer boasts Hue’s ColorCast technology, a lighting feature we originally saw in the brand’s Twilight bedside lamp. With ColorCast, the Play wall washer can deliver “an even wider spread of rich, deeply saturated gradients of color,” Hue says. As with Hue’s other Play-style lights, the Play wall washer’s lighting effects can be customized in the Hue app, which allows for precise arrangement with other Hue Play products within a drag-and-drop 3D interface. Used in conjunction with the Hue Play HDMI Sync Box or the Hue sync app, the Hue Play wall washer can sync up with the images on a TV, or it can pulse in time to your Spotify tunes with assistance from the Hue app; it can also be grouped with more traditional Hue light bulbs and lamps. Available in black and white finishes, the Philips Hue Play wall washer is on sale now at Amazon and the Philips Hue online store, although it’s listed as “temporarily out of stock” on the former. Meanwhile, Philips Hue is starting to roll out the AI chatbot that it first announced at CES back in January. Now live in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg, the Hue AI assistant is designed to deliver “personalized lighting scenes based on mood, occasion, or style.” For example, you’ll be able to submit prompts like, “Give me a scene for a garden party,” and the chatbot might say, “Give me a sec… Here are some scene suggestions for you.” This news story is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best smart lights. Besides merely suggesting existing lighting scenes, the Hue AI chatbot will also be able to generate new scenes, a Hue rep previously told me. The Hue AI assistant is slated to arrive in the United Kingdom next month, with a global rollout set for August.