News

Apple has released almost all of its latest software for iPhone, iPad, and other devicesWe were also expecting watchOS 11.4 with a couple of new updatesHowever, the Apple Watch software hasn't been released

While Apple's WWDC 2025 event and the unveiling of watchOS 12 are just a few weeks away, Apple continues to support watchOS 11 for the best Apple Watch models. However, the latest version of the software, watchOS 11.4 has failed to materialize alongside the rest of Apple's latest software.As spotted by numerous software watchers on X, Apple released iOS 18.4 for all the best iPhones on March 31, alongside iPadOS 18.4, macOS 15.4, and updates for tvOS and the Apple Vision Pro.At first glance, everyone assumed that the latest Apple Watch software would appear alongside the other OS updates. However, shortly after the customary 1pm ET rollout time it became clear that watchOS 11.4 hadn't actually been released, despite Apple listing it on its website.

Where is watchOS 11.4?

Just an fyi. It looks like Apple never released watchOS 11.4 despite listing it on their website. It has since been removed.March 31, 2025

It does indeed seem strange that Apple would list watchOS 11.4 for release alongside all of its other software before choosing not to roll it out.As it stands, there doesn't seem to be any sign of the latest software, which could suggest any number of things. It's possible that Apple hadn't planned to release watchOS 11.4 on March 31, and that its listing was a mistake. Reasons for this could include server or download issues, or simply the software being not ready.WatchOS 11.4 was due to bring us some new emojis, a couple of bug fixes, an update for Matter-compatible robot vacuum cleaners, and a great new feature that can force Sleep Wake Up alarms to break through Silent Mode on your watch.Sadly, these features aren't available as yet. We don't have a clear indication as to why watchOS 11.4 didn't launch this week and no idea when it might come out; it could be today, or it might still be days or even weeks away.We've reached out to Apple for confirmation, and we'll report back with any developments.

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Editor's noteWe've updated this guide with reference to the iPhone 16e, new iPad models, and newer versions of iOS 18.

Both iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 are now available to download, but which iPhone and iPad models are supported by Apple's latest updates?Helpfully, Apple has confirmed the device requirements for iOS 18 and iPadOS 18, so below, we’ve listed every supported iPhone and iPad. If your device supports the software, it will be compatible with all subsequent versions of iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 (e.g. iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4), too.We also have details on which iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 features aren't available on every device, since Apple is restricting certain tools to newer Apple chipsets.

iOS 18 compatibility

Even the iPhone 12 mini (above) is compatible with iOS 18 (Image credit: TechRadar)

Apple has confirmed that all iPhone models including and newer than the iPhone XS (i.e. any iPhone with the A12 Bionic chipset or better) are compatible with iOS 18. Incidentally, that’s the same eligibility criteria as iOS 17, so if you’re currently running Apple’s last-generation flagship software, you’ll be able to download iOS 18, too.The full list of iOS 18-compatible iPhones is as follows:

iPhone 16eiPhone 16iPhone 16 PlusiPhone 16 ProiPhone 16 Pro MaxiPhone 15iPhone 15 PlusiPhone 15 ProiPhone 15 Pro MaxiPhone 14iPhone 14 PlusiPhone 14 ProiPhone 14 Pro MaxiPhone 13iPhone 13 miniiPhone 13 ProiPhone 13 Pro MaxiPhone 12iPhone 12 miniiPhone 12 ProiPhone 12 Pro MaxiPhone 11iPhone 11 ProiPhone 11 Pro MaxiPhone XSiPhone XS MaxiPhone XRiPhone SE (2020)iPhone SE (2022)

iPadOS 18 compatibility

(Image credit: Future)

Almost all iPad models are available in multiple sizes, as well as Wi-Fi-only and Wi-Fi + Cellular configurations, so in the interest of readability, we’ve grouped the below list of iPadOS 18-compatible models into dated categories:

iPad Pro models from 2018 and later (3rd generation onwards)iPad Air models from 2019 and later (3rd generation onwards)iPad models from 2020 and later (8th generation onwards)iPad mini models from 2019 and later (5th generation onwards)

Unlike with iOS 17, not every iPad that runs iPadOS 17 is compatible with iPadOS 18. Specifically, Apple has dropped support for the iPad Pro 10.5-inch (2017), the iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2017), and the iPad 9.7-inch (2018).

Feature compatibility

The Messages via Satellite feature is limited to the iPhone 14 series and upwards (Image credit: Apple)

Not every iOS 18 and iPadOS 18-compatible iPhone and iPad can benefit from every iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 feature.Apple Intelligence features, for instance, are exclusive to devices running Apple’s M-series, A18, A18 Pro, and A17 Pro chipsets, while the Messages via Satellite tool is limited to the iPhone 14 series and newer.Below, we’ve detailed a list of exclusive iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 features, alongside their respective device requirements. Apple Intelligence features notwithstanding, we’ve only been able to track down information relating to iPhone compatibility, but we’ll be updating the list with iPad compatibility once we've been able to confirm that information with Apple.

Apple Intelligence features – iPhone 16 series, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max and M1-equipped iPad and Mac models (or newer)Messages via Satellite – iPhone 14 or newerAudio transcription in Notes – iPhone 12 or newerEye tracking – iPhone 12 or newerMusic Haptics – iPhone 12 or newerWireless smart lock opening – iPhone 11 or newerEnhance Dialogue feature in Apple TV – iPhone 11 or newer

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Take-Two won't reveal the GTA 6 launch date until we're 'relatively' close to its releaseTake-Two boss Strauss Zelnick says the publisher wants to "maintain the anticipation and the excitement"GTA 6 is still scheduled to launch in Fall 2025

Take-Two has confirmed that it won't be announcing the release date for Grand Theft Auto 6 until we're "relatively" close to launch.Speaking in a recent interview with Bloomberg TV's Wall St. Week, Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick was asked about the highly-anticipated release of Rockstar Games' upcoming GTA title and why the publisher is being so secretive about its release date (via GameSpot).Zelnick explained that Take-Two likes to hold back from revealing the date too soon in favor of sharing marketing materials closer to release to maintain excitement around the game."The anticipation for [GTA 6] may be the greatest anticipation I've ever seen for an entertainment property, and I've been around the block a few times. And I've been in every entertainment business there is," Zelnick said."We want to maintain the anticipation and the excitement. We have competitors who will describe their release schedule for years in advance. We've found the better thing to do is to provide marketing materials relatively close to the release window in order to create that excitement, and balance the excitement with unmet expectation. We don't always get it right. But that's what we're trying to do."

Zelnick went on to discuss why it's taken Rockstar over a decade to make the follow-up to its massively successful GTA 5, saying that Take-Two's team's "set an intention" of letting some franchises rest to build hype and that it simply "takes a long time" to make a game as big as GTA 6."Rockstar Games seeks perfection in what they do. Perfection is a pretty high bar. It takes a long time," he added.Grand Theft Auto 6 was finally announced in December 2023 alongside the first trailer teasing the game's Vice City setting and dual protagonists Lucia and Jason.It's slated to release in Fall 2025 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S, and despite the lack of updates throughout 2024, Take-Two has reaffirmed that the game will be launching on time.

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CinemaCon 2025 is underway, bringing together all the biggest movie theater owners, Hollywood studios and industry execs for a four-day showcase of presentations and screenings, and we're here to roundup the most important entertainment announcements in one place for you.The event kicked off yesterday (March 31) in the sunny city of Las Vegas with Sony taking the stage to unveil a packed lineup of new movies. But there's a lot more in store over the next few days, as we're still yet to hear from Warners Bros. Discovery, Lionsgate, Universal, DreamWorks Animation, Focus Features, Amazon MGM Studios, Paramount Pictures and Walt Disney Studios.Hollywood's biggest studios have been working on some huge movies, so it's exciting to get an update on where each film is at in development, with some far enough in production that there's been some sneak peeks of what to expect. So, sit back and grab the popcorn – here's everything that's been announced so far at CinemaCon 2025.

Leaked renders show the possible design of the Google Pixel 10 Pro FoldIt appears identical to the Pixel 9 Pro FoldThe rumored dimensions and specs are also mostly identical, just with a new chipset

It’s not just Samsung launching foldable phones this year, we’re also expecting new models from various other brands, with the most high-profile alternative to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 likely to be the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold, and we’ve now seen how this phone might look.But going by the renders – shared by Android Headlines in collaboration with @OnLeaks – you might as well just stick with the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold.The phone shown here looks identical to the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold, right down to the size of the lenses in the camera module, suggesting that there will be few if any changes to the cameras. That would probably mean we’re getting a 48MP main, 10.5MP ultra-wide, and 10.8MP telephoto (with 5x optical zoom) on the back.

Image 1 of 2(Image credit: Android Headlines / @OnLeaks)Image 2 of 2(Image credit: Android Headlines / @OnLeaks)

The dimensions are also roughly the same – this source claims the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is 155.2 x 150.4 x 5.3mm when unfolded, while the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is 155.2 x 150.2 x 5.1mm. That would make the new model marginally wider and thicker, but there’s apparently a 0.1-0.3mm margin of error in the leaked dimensions, with Android Headlines predicting that the actual dimensions will be identical to those of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold.In any case, Android Headlines also expects the storage and RAM configurations to remain the same as last year, meaning 16GB of RAM and a choice of 256GB or 512GB of storage.So in short, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold might have the same design, dimensions, cameras, storage, and RAM as the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, and given the dimensions are seemingly around the same it probably has the same screen sizes too – meaning an 8.0-inch foldable display and a 6.3-inch cover screen.That all assumes this leak is right, but it comes from a reputable source, so it could well be. In which case, what is actually changing for this new model? Well, the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold is expected to have a new Tensor G5 chipset, but that alone is unlikely to make it worth upgrading to.

A promising price

Its secret weapon – if it has one at all – could be its price, with Android Headlines claiming the Pixel 10 Pro Fold might have a “modest price reduction” compared to the $1,799 / £1,799 / AU $2,699 Pixel 9 Pro Fold.That would make sense given how little of an upgrade it apparently is, but then the Pixel 9 Pro Fold will probably be available for far less by the time this phone launches, and if the chipset is the only major difference, the new phone might still have a tough time tempting buyers.Hopefully then this leak is wrong, or at least missing some important pieces of the puzzle. With the Pixel 10 Pro Fold probably not landing until August, we might not know exactly how tempting this phone will be for a while yet.

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The Nintendo Today app has provided another Switch 2 hintThis time it's a video that hints at Joy-Con mouse functionalityThe Switch 2 Direct is happening tomorrow on April 2

While Nintendo hasn't outright confirmed the Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Con controllers have mouse functionality, the company sure isn't shy about teasing it.The latest hint was spotted by VGC, and it comes via the recently launched Nintendo Today app. The app featured a short teaser video today (April 1) that displays the Nintendo Switch 2 console in a variety of setups including docked, handheld and tabletop modes.The tabletop mode setup off to the right is what we're focusing on. It shows the Joy-Con controllers detached from the console, with one of them placed on its side like it was in the initial Switch 2 announcement video.

(Image credit: Nintendo)

While VGC originally spotted the video via its Japanese Nintendo account, it can now be viewed on the Nintendo Today app globally. You'll just need to download the app via Google Play or the Apple Store and log in with your own Nintendo account.Now again, it's important to note that this is just a teaser video and it doesn't outright confirm mouse functionality is enabled for Switch 2's Joy-Con. However, you have to think that placing the Joy-Con on its side like that is a pretty deliberate choice, and it's not likely to be the default way to place them down after you've finished using them.Of course, we'll likely know for sure at tomorrow's big Nintendo Switch 2 Direct, which is airing on April 2 at 6am PDT / 9am EST / 2pm GMT / 3pm CEST.We'll be covering the presentation live here at TechRadar Gaming, so be sure to stay tuned!

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Amazon has reached a multi-year agreement with EACertain EA games will now come to the Amazon Luna cloud gaming serviceThis starts with Star War Jedi: Survivor, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, and Dead Space available now

Amazon has reached a multi-year agreement with publisher Electronic Arts (EA) that will see many of its best games added to the Amazon Luna cloud gaming service.This starts with Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, and Dead Space, which are all available right now. Although a limited version of Amazon Luna can be accessed at no additional cost for Amazon Prime members, these games are part of the Luna+ subscription service - a $9.99 / £8.99 per month add-on.More EA titles are on the way too, including a number from its popular EA Sports franchises. I'm personally really hoping for an Amazon Luna version of The Sims 4 though, as it just seems like the perfect fit for a cloud gaming service that you can play almost anywhere.I would love to be able to check in with my sims from my TV when I'm sprawled on the sofa at home, spend a few hours playing from my phone the next time I go on a big trip.David Tinson, EVP and chief experiences officer at EA said that the company is "focused on building experiences that entertain and engage EA’s massive online communities.""We’re excited to partner with Amazon to make those games available to even more people,” he continued. “We look forward to a selection of EA games joining Amazon Luna, offering new ways for players and fans to come together across a variety of devices they already own, wherever they are.”You can try Amazon Luna on a plethora of devices, including PC, mobile, and select smart TVs.

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The Shark FlexBreeze HydroGo is a portable fan with misting functionIt's a shrunk-down version of the FlexBreeze, available in six colorsIt's currently only available in the US, and costs $129.99

Shark has added a new model to its fan range: the Shark FlexBreeze HydroGo is a portable version of the ultra-popular FlexBreeze, and comes with the same misting functionality, so not only does it blast you with cool air, it also sprays you with a fine mist of water to help bring some chill to hot days.In our Shark FlexBreeze review, we were blown away (pun intended) by the full-size version, rating it one of the best fans you can buy. The shrunk-down version has many of the same benefits – it can be used corded or cordless, indoors or out. Shark has gone a step further by making this one available in a variety of colors: a couple of shades of grey alongside four more summery candy tones.

(Image credit: Shark )

It has a carry handle to make it easier to tote around, so you need never be without your own personal wind machine. That's particularly useful because I'd say that this portable fan isn't especially small – think desktop rather than handheld. That's probably good news for the power though (Shark claims it has a blowing radius of up to 70 feet, although we'll get back to you on that once we've tested it.)The misting – once you've got used to the idea of a fan that spits on you – is actually a very smart addition. Fans don't actually lower the temperature, they just make you feel cooler by moving the air around and speeding up the evaporation of sweat from your skin. A mister can lower the temperature of a room, as well as intensifying that cooling feeling created by the fan.

(Image credit: Shark )

Shark has form when it comes to innovative fans – we've just reviewed the Shark TurboBlade, which can blast out concentrated blades of air in any direction from its pivotable arms.Currently, the FlexBreeze HydroGo is only available in the US, and costs $129.99 when purchased directly from Shark. The brand also has a big presence in the UK and Australia, so we're hoping it might make its way to other territories soon.

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Nova Act AI agent is designed to control a web browser with simple functionsIt scored 94% on ScreenSpot Web Text, outperforming OpenAI and AnthropicIt comprises five models – Nova Micro, Lite, Pro, Canvas and Reel

Amazon has launched a new AI agent designed to control a web browser and perform simple browsing tasks autonomously.Currently available in research preview, Amazon says Nova Act is part of its efforts to deliver “real-world value” for all types of customers, including shoppers, sellers and advertisers – not just enterprises.US-based customers with an Amazon account can start using the platform immediately, even though it’s not a full release, by visiting nova.amazon.com, where it can automate simple tasks like ordering food, making reservations, filling out forms or selecting calendar dates.

Amazon Nova Act models and online service

Nova Act is accompanied by Nova Act SDK, which enables developers to build their own browser-based AI agents using the same technology.“nova.amazon.com puts the power of Amazon’s frontier intelligence into the hands of every developer and tech enthusiast, making it easier than ever to explore the capabilities of Amazon Nova,” said Rohit Prasad, SVP of Amazon Artificial General Intelligence.Three separate models have been launched to support the tool and SDK with text generation capabilities – Nova Micro, Lite, and Pro – as well as a fourth for image generation (Nova Canvas) and a fifth for video generation (Nova Reel).The company noted agents are still in their “early stage[s]” and that their usefulness will only grow as developments continue to roll out.Moreover, Amazon’s internal tests demonstrate how Nova Act outperformed key rivals, including Anthropic’s Claude 3.7 Sonnet (90%) and OpenAI’s CUA (88%) on the ScreenSpot Web Text benchmark, designed to test how the models interact with text on screen. Nova Act scored an impressive 94%.It’s also possible that Nova Act could play a key role in the company’s upcoming Alexa+ upgrade, which improves the utility of the company’s popular voice assistant with AI.We tried to access the site from the UK, but were greeted with the following message: “Thank you for your interest in Amazon Nova. At this time, we are only accepting customers in the US.”It’s unclear when Amazon will roll the online service out more broadly.

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Apple debuted iOS 18 at WWDC 2024, and the feature-packed software update is now available to download on all iOS 18-compatible devices.Now in its fifth iteration (known officially as iOS 18.4), iOS 18 brings Apple Intelligence to the best iPhones (i.e. the iPhone 16 Pro Max, iPhone 16 Pro, and some iPhone 15 models), and for everyone else, significant upgrades to core iPhone apps including Mail, Messages, Photos, and Maps.Below, we've detailed the iOS 18 release date(s), key iOS 18 features, and a list of iOS-compatible devices. Here's how to download iOS 18 if you haven't already.

Latest newsiOS 18.4 is now rolling out to compatible devices, bringing upgrades to Apple Intelligence, Apple Music, and the Photos app.

Cut to the chase

What is it? The latest major iOS releaseWhen did it come out? September 16, 2024How much does it cost? It's a free upgrade

iOS 18: release date

Apple announced iOS 18 at WWDC 2024 (Image credit: Apple)

iOS 18 began rolling out to compatible devices on September 16, 2024, though the software update was actually announced way back at WWDC 2024 on June 10, 2024.Between June and September, Apple released a steady stream of iOS 18 betas, giving both developers and users the chance to try out some of the best iOS 18 features well in advance of their arrival.In the months since its initial release, Apple has rolled out four iterative iOS 18 updates: iOS 18.1 (on October 28), iOS 18.2 (on December 11), iOS 18.3 (on January 28), and iOS 18.4 (on March 31).

iOS 18: features

Below, we've detailed the biggest and best iOS 18 features. For the full list of confirmed features, check out as Apple's dedicated iOS 18 features PDF.

Apple Intelligence

A selection of things Apple Intelligence can do (Image credit: Apple)

Rather than debuting with iOS 18 proper, Apple Intelligence came to the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and iPhone 16 line as part of iOS 18.1, which didn't arrive (in the US, at least) until October 28. The AI-packed toolset then debuted on UK devices in iOS 18.2, and in iOS 18.3, Apple removed the need to manually enable Apple Intelligence on compatible devices (i.e. it's now available by default).You'll find a full list of Apple Intelligence features in our dedicated Apple Intelligence hub, but as a general rundown, the toolset includes a smarter Siri, text summarization, writing assistance, and generative image creation.

Redesigned Photos app

(Image credit: Apple)

iOS 18 brings the "biggest-ever redesign" to the iPhone's Photos app. Essentially, it's been unified into a single view, comprising a photo grid and a dates grid, to better help you find the photo you're looking for. You're able to filter photos by categories, too, like screenshots and groups.There's also a new 'Recovered' album feature in iOS 18, which houses any photos or videos that aren't in your main photo gallery. According to Apple, this reduces the risk of database corruption or issues with third-party apps.

Advanced Home Screen customization

(Image credit: Apple)

iOS 18 grants users the ability to rearrange app icons and widgets. For the first time, you're able to position apps at the bottom or side of the screen, freeing up real estate for the wallpaper behind them. You're also able to trigger a new dark mode for app icons in iOS 18, as well as add color tints.

Control Center upgrades

(Image credit: Apple)

Like the Home Screen, Control Center has also been upgraded in iOS 18. You're now able to separate the Control Center into distinct function groups, like Media and Home, and you can resize Control Center widgets, too.For the first time on iPhone, iOS 18 also allows you to edit which Control Center widgets appear on the Lock Screen.

Messages upgrades

Image 1 of 2iOS 18 introduces the ability to schedule messages (Image credit: Apple)Image 2 of 2You'll be able to send messages via satellite in iOS 18 (Image credit: Apple)

iOS 18 lets you react to messages using any emoji, and you're also able to schedule messages to send at a convenient time in the future. Apple has added new text formatting to the Messages app, too, so you're able to underline, strikethrough and bold your messages, as well as add new text formatting like ripple effects.The Messages app also supports the RCS standard in iOS 18. This should facilitate a richer messaging experience when you're communicating with someone who doesn't own an Apple device.Oh, and Apple has also expanded the satellite capabilities of compatible iPhones to let you send messages via satellite when cellular and Wi-Fi connections aren’t available. Neat!

A new Passwords app

The new Passwords app in action on macOS Sequoia (Image credit: Apple)

iOS 18 brings with it a new, default iPhone app: Passwords. As the name suggests, Passwords acts as a one-stop shop for all your precious passwords, passkeys, and verification codes. As well as being a digital storage vault, the app will also alert you if you're using weak passwords, or if your details have been involved in a data breach.Naturally, all of the information inside the Passwords app is protected by end-to-end encryption, and, of course, you're able to lock it behind Touch or Face ID authentication.

Mail categorization

(Image credit: Shutterstock / sdx15)

iOS 18.2 leveraged the power of Apple's new-and-improved on-device processing to categorize emails into four folders: Primary, Transactions, Updates, and Promotions. In this version of iOS 18, the Mail app can provide easy-to-read digests, too, helping you to quickly scan for what’s important in the moment.For a rundown of the new system, read our guide on how to turn off Mail categories on iPhone, or customize them to your needs.

Wallet upgrades

iOS 18 adds a new 'tap to cash' feature to the Wallet app (Image credit: Apple)

The Wallet app has been upgraded with a new 'tap to cash' feature in iOS 18, which should help make paying friends easier. Certain event tickets will also now feature a more dynamic design.

Apple News+ recipes

(Image credit: Apple)

iOS 18.4 added a new Food section to Apple News+, which features content on healthy eating, restaurants, and recipes.The Recipe Catalog allows users to save recipes for later, and a follow-along Cooking mode makes putting them into practice a piece of cake.

A dedicated Vision Pro app

(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

iOS 18.4 also brought a dedicated Vision Pro app to iPhone, giving Vision Pro users the ability to check for new spatial content and get quick information about their headset. The app will automatically install for those with a Vision Pro headset registered to their Apple Account.

Ambient Music from the Control Center

(Image credit: Future)

iOS 18.4 introduced a dedicated Ambient Music feature to iPhone, and oddly, it's part of the Control Center, not Apple Music.Users can access four different ambient music playlists from their iPhone's drop-down menu, specifically Sleep, Chill, Productivity, and Wellbeing.For those not in the know, ambient music is a form of relaxed, slow music that aims to be enjoyable to listen to without focus – think woodwinds, strings, synthesizers, and a lack of percussion.

ID-authenticated app locks

iOS 18 introduces optional Face ID authentication for all iPhone apps – not just Notes and banking apps. You're also able to hide apps in a new Hidden Apps folder.

An upgrade for Power Reserve

Although not announced by Apple, the first iOS 18 beta revealed that the iPhone 15's Power Reserve feature (which lets you access cards and locate your iPhone when the battery is otherwise out of juice) also now displays the time, so we can only assume that this upgrade has made it to the final iOS 18 build, too.

Math in any text field

You might not ever need to use a calculator with iOS 18, because if you enter a math problem in any text field, the operating system will solve it for you.

Choose your Home hub

If you have multiple devices that could serve as a Home hub, then one iOS 18 feature you'll likely really appreciate is the ability to select which you want to use as your Home hub, so you can make sure the best, fastest option is selected.

Shoot videos without pausing audio

Previously, if you used the video camera mode on an iPhone, it would pause any music, podcasts, or other audio that was playing. But with iOS 18, you can record video without pausing your audio. This is a small change, but a welcome one.

iOS 18: Compatibility

Apple Intelligence features will be limited to the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Apple has confirmed that any iPhone newer than the iPhone XS is compatible with iOS 18 and its subsequent iterations (in other words, any iPhone with the A12 Bionic chipset or newer). Incidentally, that’s also the same device requirements as iOS 17.It's worth noting, though, that Apple Intelligence features are limited to the iPhone 16 line, along with the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.Below, we've detailed the full list of iOS 18-compatible iPhones. For more information, including confirmed iPadOS 18 compatibility, check out our dedicated iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 compatibility explainer.

iPhone 16eiPhone 16iPhone 16 PlusiPhone 16 ProiPhone 16 Pro MaxiPhone 15iPhone 15 PlusiPhone 15 ProiPhone 15 Pro MaxiPhone 14iPhone 14 PlusiPhone 14 ProiPhone 14 Pro MaxiPhone 13iPhone 13 miniiPhone 13 ProiPhone 13 Pro MaxiPhone 12iPhone 12 miniiPhone 12 ProiPhone 12 Pro MaxiPhone 11iPhone 11 ProiPhone 11 Pro MaxiPhone XSiPhone XS MaxiPhone XRiPhone SE (2nd generation)iPhone SE (3rd generation)

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For World Backup Day 2025, TechRadar Pro wanted to know the most popular backup methods amongst our readers, so we sent out a poll on our WhatsApp channel (which you can find here if you want to vote in any future polls).We asked ‘How do you keep your files safe?’ and the results might surprise you.The most popular response amongst our 2,000 voters was an online backup option, with over 1,100 respondents (65%) choosing to secure their files digitally. This could mean Apple Cloud, Microsoft OneDrive, IDrive, Google Photos, or any of the many digital options available.Only 20% of respondents (340 people) choose to backup their files using physical storage like hard drives, USB drives, or memory cards. Worryingly though, 15% of our readers don’t backup their files -that's over 250 people whose files are unprotected. If that’s you, check out our recommendations for the best ways to backup photos so you can make sure your memories are safe.

Which is best for you?

Considering physical storage gives you the utmost privacy, these results are a little surprising. SD cards don’t require a third party to handle your files, and don’t incur subscription fees, or even require an internet connection, so for any privacy conscious users out there, this is probably your best option.Cloud storage is perhaps the most hassle-free option, as you can access your files from anywhere, and can share your files easily, and collaboration systems are built in, so you can edit documents in real time alongside colleagues.Perhaps most importantly, many cloud storage solutions come with end-to-end encryption, making them super secure, and can be backed up across multiple servers - meaning you can recover them if anything goes wrong.However, if you’re keeping up with Apple’s privacy row with the UK Government, then you’ll know that end-to-end encryption isn’t guaranteed for cloud storage, so choose your platform wisely.Everyone has precious memories and photos that they want to keep safe, and World Backup Day is a great chance to make sure your pictures are secure.There are plenty of options, and whether you use Cloud storage solutions, USB flash drives, external hard drives, SD cards, or you print out your photos directly, backing up your files is always important.

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Sony has finally revealed Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse's release dateThe highly-anticipated movie will arrive in theaters worldwide in June 2027Five first-look images were also unveiled at CinemaCon 2025

It's finally happened. Over four months after we thought we'd get an exciting release update on Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, our wish has been granted.During its CinemaCon 2025 presentation last night (March 31), Sony Pictures announced the third and final entry in Miles Morales' animated film trilogy will be released on June 4, 2027. The confirmation was later revealed on numerous social media channels, including the official Spider-Verse X/Twitter account.

Spider-Man: Beyond the #SpiderVerse is coming exclusively to theatres June 4, 2027. 🕸️ pic.twitter.com/JE1XKqZYqPApril 1, 2025

The aforementioned tweet also revealed a first-look image at the film series' new Prowler. Indeed, the Spider-Man villain, who'll be an alternate reality's version of Miles in this movie, will be a secondary antagonist in Beyond the Spider-Verse, with The Spot taking on chief villain duties as he did last time.Prowler 2.0 was introduced in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse's final few minutes and, as mentioned, is a multiversal variant of this film series' protagonist. If you need to remind yourself what happened in that film – and seeing as it's been almost two years since that movie came out, I wouldn't blame you if you did – be sure to read my Across the Spider-Verse ending explained piece.But I digress. Sony also revealed four other official stills from the Marvel-adjacent movie at CinemaCon 2025. That quartet, which you can see below, shows Miles battling Prowler 2.0 and, in what's sure to be a highly emotional moment, reuniting with Gwen Stacey/Spider-Gwen.

Spider-Man: Beyond the #SpiderVerse is coming exclusively to theatres June 4, 2027. 🕸️ pic.twitter.com/X4Y96n6dauApril 1, 2025

Speaking on stage during Sony's presentation, producer Phil Lord suggested (per Variety) that fans will want to prepare themselves for a potentially devastating end to the highly-rated animated movie trilogy, too.After a behind-doors video teaser was shown to attendees, Lord revealed Miles will be on the run at the start of the flick, which immediately picks up after the previous movie's final scene, before adding: "Gwen and his other friends may or may not be enough to help him save [his] family."

Feeding fans a web of lies

Across the Spider-Verse's sequel was supposed to arrive last March (Image credit: Sony Pictures)

Though I am reassured that Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse will eventually be released in theaters, there's no denying that we were seemingly told more than a little white lie about its development and original launch plan.When Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse was first announced, Lord and fellow producer Chris Miller informed us that it would effectively be a two-part movie event.The wait for Beyond the Spider-Verse, i.e. the new title bestowed on the previously named Across the Spider-Verse Part II, wouldn't be a long one, either. In fact, the trilogy's final installment was initially penciled in to make its theatrical debut in March 2024 – just nine months after its predecessor had swung into cinemas worldwide.

Spider-Gwen will return alongside Miles Morales in Beyond the Spider-Verse (Image credit: Sony Pictures)

As the months passed, though, it became clear that Beyond the Spider-Verse wouldn't meet its original release date.A damning report from Vulture suggested that the film's art and animation departments had been subjected to poor working conditions during Across the Spider-Verse's development, with many forced to work long hours and weekends to finish it. Speculation that Lord and Miller were difficult to work with also circulated online. The 2023 Hollywood strikes impacted the flick's seemingly near-ending development cycle, too, but not before Beyond the Spider-Verse was removed from Sony's forthcoming film slate in mid-2023, which suggested its development wasn't going entirely to plan.With Sony confirming who would direct Beyond the Spider-Verse last December, it finally seemed like there was light at the end of the tunnel. With the threequel now on track to arrive in mid-2027, I'm crossing my fingers that its production issues are a thing of the past.I'm also hoping, though, that the film series' chief creative team isn't working its employees to the bone. Four years is a long time to wait for the conclusion to one of the best animated trilogies of all time, but I'd be prepared to wait even longer if it means nobody is forced to crunch to get it out of the door.

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Marvel Unlimited monthly subscription: was $9.99 per month now $4.99 at MarvelThe ultimate digital comics subscription for Marvel fans is offering new and returning customers 50% off their first month, which is much cheaper than a streaming subscription to watch all the best superhero movies. To gain access to a library of more than 30,000 comics, use the code 'SPIDEY50' at checkout. You're able to use the Marvel Unlimited app on all iOS and Android devices, including the web, too. But, be quick – the deal expires on May 5!View Deal

A launch date for the Galaxy S25 Edge may have been revealedApril 15 could be the date the phone goes on saleWe saw a glimpse of the handset at the Unpacked event in January

Three months ago, Samsung first teased us with a glimpse of the super-thin Galaxy S25 Edge phone, and it seems that in the coming days we're going to get all the details on this phone – and get the opportunity to actually go out and buy it.According to tipster @chunvn8888 (via GSMArena), the phone will indeed be officially released sometime in April. The other Samsung Galaxy S25 phones all went on sale shortly after their grand unveiling back in January of course.A separate report in NieuweMobiel.NL (via SamMobile) goes even further, identifying Tuesday, April 15 as the big day – either the day when Samsung reveals everything about the handset, or the day it goes on sale, or both.We could be just a couple of weeks away from getting our hands on this intriguing new device then, but is it going to be worth the wait? Here are five reasons we think it will be.

1. It'll be very thin

In case you haven't heard, thin phones are having a moment, with the Oppo Find N5 the thinnest foldable to date and the iPhone 17 Air due before the end of the year. The Galaxy S25 Edge is rumored to measure just 5.84 mm front to back, so considerably thinner in relative terms than the 7.2 mm thickness of the standard Galaxy S25 handset.

2. Durability will be a priority

Worried about this ultra-slender smartphone bending and breaking while you're using it? Let us assuage your fears: in our exclusive chat with Samsung's Mobile Experience (MX) VP of Product and Marketing in the UK, Annika Bizon, we were told that durability was a "really important" consideration for the engineers who put this device together.

The Galaxy S25 Edge on show (Image credit: Future)

3. It's going to be packed with power

Thin phones can mean compromised phones when it comes to performance, as there's less room for powerful components and the cooling that goes with them – but based on the leaked benchmarks we've seen, and the recent rumors about a high-end cooling solution, we're confident that the Galaxy S25 Edge will keep up with other 2025 flagships.

4. Premium materials are rumored

Another rumor we've come across regarding the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge is that it's going to make use of a titanium frame and a 2K display. Those are both signs that Samsung isn't going to be skimping when it comes to the materials used to make this phone – and it could even rival the Galaxy S25 Ultra in terms of its premium feel.

5. It'll have plenty of AI on board

No surprises here, and nothing different to the rest of the Samsung Galaxy S25 series, but the Galaxy S25 Edge model is going to come running the full suite of Galaxy AI tools. We've also heard it's going to match the other phones in the series with six months of free access to Gemini Advanced, giving you access to the best AI models and features from Google.

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Microsoft has delivered a clutch of new AI features to Copilot+ PCsMany of these are gracing AMD and Intel-powered laptops for the first timeThey include live captions and image generation capabilities for both the Paint and Photos apps

Microsoft has just brought in a bunch of new features for Copilot+ PCs, many of which are coming to laptops with AMD and Intel processors for the first time.Of course, Copilot+ PCs with Snapdragon (Arm-based) chips have been around for a good deal longer, and are usually first in line to get new AI features, but they come to all devices eventually.And The Verge noticed that Microsoft has announced this is now the case with system-wide live captions, which are debuting with both AMD Ryzen AI 300 CPUs and Intel Core Ultra 200V (Lunar Lake) processors.Live captioning provides subtitled translations in English in real time for audio or video playing via any medium on your Copilot+ PC. Over 40 languages are now supported for live captions in English. On top of that, Snapdragon X Copilot+ PCs are getting support for Simplified Chinese (with 27 languages), and that will eventually come to AMD and Intel machines, too.Owners of Copilot+ PCs with AMD and Intel CPUs have also witnessed the arrival of Cocreator in Paint. This is an AI assistant within the app that you can give instructions to – using either text prompts, rough sketches, or a combination of both – in order for it to generate images.In addition to that, the Photos app is getting Image Creator, a trick in a similar vein that allows for, well, creating images based purely on text prompts in this case. Photos is also being graced with a Restyle Image feature which lets you alter an existing image and turn it into, say, an oil painting or pencil sketch.While there’s not much new for Snapdragon Copilot+ PCs here, save for the addition of the Chinese language support with live captions, there is one fresh ability, and that’s an improvement for Voice Access.Microsoft says that users will be able to “communicate with their PCs using more descriptive and flexible language,” meaning you can issue voice commands in natural language, and Windows 11 will (hopefully) understand them. As opposed to having to stick to strict keywords and syntax, which has been the case with these voice commands so far.Eventually, that functionality will also come to AMD and Intel-powered Copilot+ PCs as well, and Microsoft notes that this will be later this year.

(Image credit: Future)

Analysis: Arrival timeframes – and lack of Recall

If you want access to these features now, you may still have to be a little patient. In some cases, there may be a gradual rollout of the capabilities, so not everyone will get them at the same time.If you’ve already grabbed the Windows 11 preview update for March, you may have some of this new stuff right out of the gate – or it’ll be delivered in the April update, the full cumulative update due in a week (or at least some of it will – depending on the exact rollout progress of each ability).In short, hang tight, grab the next Windows update, and then keep your fingers crossed. Do also bear in mind that with the AI features for Paint and Photos, you’ll also need to ensure you have the latest versions of those apps from the Microsoft Store.If you’re really keen to get these in super-quick fashion, you can always turn on the slider to ‘Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available,’ which is found in Windows Updates (in the Settings app).However, bear in mind that this will pipe through preview updates to your PC, and I wouldn’t recommend doing so. Officially, the preview (optional) updates that arrive at the end of the month are still in testing, so things are more likely to go awry with any update like this. For that reason, I’d advise applying the finished updates and being patient as the best course of action to take.Clearly, though, if you want to get AI features first on Copilot+ PCs, it’s a Snapdragon device that you want to own – the wait can be substantially longer for devices with AMD or Intel CPUs.Of course, there’s a notable AI feature that’s still missing from release versions of Windows 11 on any Copilot+ PC, one which remains seemingly stuck in testing. Namely Recall, the supercharged version of Windows search that relies on leveraging regularly taken screenshots of the activity on your PC.This has long been a controversial feature, of course, in terms of privacy and security worries. Microsoft launched Recall last year, and then pulled it, evidently surprised by the backlash. Recall went back into testing, finally, at the tail end of last year, but continued to hit problems.We’ve seen some fine-tuning of Recall in testing last month, so it’s not like there’s no activity around the feature – but the lack of any mention of it in this latest ‘Copilot+ PC experiences’ update from Microsoft doesn’t exactly bode well about the ability arriving anytime soon.Could it eventually end up being canned? Well, given the weighty level of importance Microsoft has attached to it, that seems unlikely – but it’s easy to start to have doubts about whether it will ever launch, at least in its current incarnation.To be fair to Microsoft, though, if ever there was a feature that needed time and care to get it right, this is it. Although there appeared to be little understanding of that when Recall was first revealed.

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Users report VMware Workstation automatic updates are brokenThe error was caused by a URL redirectWe don’t know if it was intentional, but users should be on their guard

VMware Workstation’s automatic update feature is reportedly broken due to Broadcom’s redirection of the download URL to a generic support page.A Bleeping Computer report notes the program attempts to connect to softwareupdate.broadcom.com/cds for updates, but the URL is redirecting to support.broadcom.com, causing certification errors.For now, users are just receiving an error message, and it’s unclear whether Broadcom is working on a fix for its VMware Workstation product.

Broadcom has redirected an automatic update URL

“A certificate error occurred while connecting to the update server. Check your Internet settings or contact your system administrator,” the error reads.Although the VMware Workstation automatic update mechanism no longer works, users can still manually download and install updates from Broadcom’s website, however the change has frustrated users who received no prior warning. It’s unclear if the change is intentional.Moreover, VMware Workstation continues to function, but users who fail to manually install updates could expose themselves to bugs and other vulnerabilities.One user noted that the issue started on March 24, and also affects VMware Fusion Pro. Another user replied: “A post from a Broadcom employee over in the Fusion community indicates that they have changed the software update infrastructure for their products.”Another wrote: “Broadcom, which now manages VMware products, has reportedly discontinued the in-product update feature for VMware Workstation Pro.”In the months and years following its acquisition of VMware, Broadcom has built itself a history of upsetting customers with major changes to the product portfolio and pricing strategy.TechRadar Pro has asked the company whether it intended to end automatic updates, but we did not receive an immediate response. Any updates will be posted here.

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AI has emerged as the priority for executives globally, with a staggering 97% of CEO's pursuing investment in AI tools. This shows no signs of slowing down, as PwC projects that AI-related spending will inject $15.7 trillion into the global economy by 2030. This has sparked a push for operational efficiency as organizations - driven by competitive pressure - look to implement AI across all possible applications.However, in network operations, the current approach to AI adoption has fallen short of expectations. This has led to growing skepticism, entering what Gartner calls a "trough of disillusionment" where technical, operational and ethical challenges are raising concerns about its long-term effectiveness.

The networking challenge for AI

Although traditional network management systems, enhanced by AI, handle tasks like intelligent traffic routing well, broader AI adoption in networking is hampered by significant challenges. For the typical operator, the network operations landscape tends to be a maze of legacy systems and fragmented data sources requiring consolidating and rationalizing, so inheriting an environment where AI solutions struggle to gain meaningful traction.Despite AI's impressive capacity to analyze large amounts of data, its difficulty in seamlessly integrating with existing network architectures limits its reliability for mission-critical operations. For example, in telecommunications, simple misconfigurations can take down vast networks and hit critical customer services particularly hard. In a sector that had a lot of growth when nascent operational solutions were being developed and data quality wasn’t always implemented, there is a lot of pause on the use of Broad AI solutions.This mismatch suggests that conventional networking approaches and human oversight will remain essential components of network management for the foreseeable future.

Navigating operational roadblocks

Among the technical difficulties of AI adoption, organizations looking to develop their own applications continue to face significant operational and financial barriers to effective deployment. One bottleneck is talent, particularly in specialized development roles. This shortage has reached peak levels, with 60% of IT decision-makers identifying AI expertise as their most severe skills deficit – a gap that continues to widen as demand outpaces the available talent pool.While larger organizations have more immediate access to the capital and in-house skills to build and train AI applications, smaller ones often lack the resources to invest in the necessary IT infrastructure, software and specialized skills, making AI adoption a considerable challenge.Furthermore, many of the tangible gains AI will deliver, are largely internal. This means it’s increasingly difficult for organizations to get around the overhead that comes with deploying AI since they cannot reasonably pass this on to customers. Additionally, current use cases are not at the stage where they are delivering the widespread transformations people have come to associate with AI and typically deal with narrow AI applications solving backend processes like optimizing controlled automation routines and data flow efficiency.As such, businesses need to carefully set their expectations as to whether AI will provide a measurable return on investment (ROI) before committing to widespread adoption.

The value of AI in network operations

It's important to highlight that AI has demonstrated value in network operations, moving beyond basic network monitoring to become a tool for operators. By sifting through vast amounts of network data, AI systems uncover hidden patterns and potential trouble spots before they impact service. This helps teams shift from reactive to proactive optimization, ultimately delivering more reliable performance.AI automation also plays an important role in taking on the heavy lifting of day-to-day operations. For example, intelligently optimizing data flow by ensuring efficient bandwidth allocation and traffic routing. Additionally, detecting anomalies and triggering predefined responses, reducing the need for manual intervention. By strategically deploying AI for specific tasks that complement current workflows, organizations can boost their network performance while maintaining human oversight of critical decisions.Looking to the future, AI will be vital in shaping next-generation networks. As networking and cybersecurity become more closely linked, we are likely to see a market shift towards single-vendor frameworks. This is important because as we undergo this shift, AI’s natural ability to automate responses and provide predictive analysis will help converge network management under a single pane of glass.As more adaptive networks become a necessity, this will help systems keep up with demand, predict failures before they occur and coordinate resources with minimal human oversight.

One step at a time

AI presents promising opportunities for network operations. While it excels at automating intricate processes, enhancing efficiency and anticipating issues, its real value lies in transforming the networks of the future.However, Broad AI solutions utilizing full autonomy remains impractical due to AI’s current limitations in managing complex, high-risk scenarios from multiple disparate data sets. Additionally, the significant costs associated with delivering the right environment for AI to flourish calls for a carefully planned strategy.The conversation shouldn’t be about AI replacing humans, it should be about giving them sophisticated tools that enhance their current capabilities. Therefore, we should see AI adoption as a gradual, long-term endeavor solving clear use cases rather than a rapid transformation.There are some strong use cases now, but patience and intelligent planning will pave the way to broader transformation later down the line. Exercise patience, think practically and reap the benefits.

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This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

Code in a Google app teardown points to an "inactivity reboot" featureThis sounds very similar to a security tool available on iPhonesIt's not active yet but will likely launch as part of Android 16

Late last year, Apple added a security feature to iPhones that should make it harder for thieves to use stolen phones – and which also caused issues for law enforcement, and now the same feature could be coming to Android.The feature in question is known as “inactivity reboot”, and on iPhone it means the device will automatically reboot after three days of inactivity.On Android, it could be exactly the same, with Android Authority having found a reference to “inactivity reboot” in a teardown of the Google Play Services app. As well as sharing a name with Apple’s feature, it seemingly functions the same, with the code string mentioning that this would restart a device if it remains locked for three days.

The Google Pixel 9 could soon be harder for thieves to unlock (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Blocking biometrics

The reason for doing this is that both iPhones and Androids are more secure after a reboot, as biometrics (like face and fingerprint scanners) are inactive, and instead you need to enter your PIN or password to unlock the phone.The assumption – presumably – is that a device that is switched on but hasn’t been unlocked in several days may be in the hands of a thief, who has so far failed to unlock it. So if they don’t manage within three days, it will suddenly get a lot harder for them to do so.This feature isn’t active on Android yet, and while it’s clearly something Google is exploring it’s always possible this won’t make it to public release, but there’s a good chance we’ll see it in Android 16.More specifically, through its digging, Android Authority has found that this is probably part of Advanced Protection Mode, which is a more wide-ranging security feature that we already know is likely coming to Android 16.As well as probably including inactivity reboot, this mode can do things like blocking sideloading, disabling 2G connections, and enabling Memory Tagging Extension (MTE) for apps, which is a feature that protects against memory safety bugs.So it seems Google could be putting a major focus on security with its next Android release, and you shouldn’t have to wait too long to get these features, as Android 16 is expected to land in the second quarter of this year – meaning sometime between now and the end of June.

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AI will enhance low-code and no-code solutions, not replace them, report claimsApp Builder report says most leaders have seen cost and time savings with low-/no-codeCompanies should continue to support developer upskilling

Low-code and no-code tools remain crucial and will continue to live on in an AI-enhanced era, new research has claimed.Despite artificial intelligence’s promise to boost coding efficiency and accessibility, tech leaders see AI as enhancing low- and no-code tools, rather than replacing them.A report from App Builder revealed nearly all (95%) companies have used low- and no-code tools in the past year for software development, highlighting their prevalence for firms everywhere.

Low-code and no-code tools are here to stay

Three in four (76%) tech leaders envision AI making their existing tools more efficient, with even more (84%) confirming that AI will not replace their reliance on low-code and no-code solutions.“As AI converges with low-code and no-code, we’ll see an entirely new paradigm emerge that will change how apps are built, who can build them and how fast it can happen,” said Jason Beres, SVP of Developer Tools at Infragistics, the company behind App Builder.Almost every (98%) tech leader has reported development time savings with low- and no-code solutions, with almost four in five (78%) companies saving up to 50% of development time. A further two in three (67%) say they’ve reduced their costs by up to 30%, with one in ten more than halving their costs thanks to simpler tools.The report noted that companies are increasingly focused on building custom apps – a lack of resources and a global skills shortage make low- and no-code solutions particularly useful in this realm.Beres added companies should not only focus on automating app development to improve efficiency, productivity and collaboration, but they should also continue to invest in upskilling to ensure their workers are prepared to handle emerging technologies and shifting demands.

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There have been more than 100 reports of AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D chips dying since launchThe majority of failures have occurred on ASRock motherboardsThe cause of the issue has yet to be diagnosed

Despite being one of the best processors on the market for PC gamers, AMD's Ryzen 7 9800X3D has been having a rough time since its launch in November last year. Reports of chip-killing burnouts have been steadily mounting, with more than 100 cases now reported.Thanks to the heroic work of Reddit user natty_overlord, a detailed compilation of CPU failure reports is available for all to peruse, and currently shows a total of 108 reports of dead 9800X3Ds. Most reports show the chip dying after only a few weeks or even days of use, with no apparent issues showing up before the moment of demise.Luckily, most affected users have been able to RMA their CPUs for either a refund or a replacement without issue, and considering the thousands of Ryzen 9000 chips that have been sold, it's not a serious problem. Still, that many failed chips is a bit concerning, especially when we still have essentially zero idea what's causing these premature deaths.

Mysterious origins

Okay, there might be some clues to be gleaned from natty_overlord's report, so we're not totally in the dark here. Of the 108 currently-reported cases of Ryzen 9800X3D failure, a whopping 86 of them involved ASRock motherboards. 13 reports were from users with Asus boards, five from MSI, and one from Gigabyte.So, is ASRock responsible? It's possible that the Taiwanese motherboard maker bears part of the blame here; natty_overlord also documented 10 other Ryzen 9000 chip failures (including the 9900X and 9600X), all of which occurred on ASRock mobos. Still, multiple failures on Asus and MSI motherboards would appear to indicate that ASRock isn't solely at fault.There doesn't seem to be any one chipset that's suffering from these issues, either. The majority of 9800X3D failures were split between X870 and B850 motherboards, with a smaller (but not insignificant) number on X670 and B650 models. In short, there's no way of knowing what's causing these failures, although AMD is no doubt investigating.

What you should do

Unfortunately, there isn't much you can do to protect yourself from this mysterious chip-killing bug, short of simply not having an ASRock motherboard, perhaps, given the heavy weighting of failure reports for ASRock hardware. If you've been considering buying a Ryzen 7 9800X3D, it might be worth holding off for the time being.The good news is that if your PC is affected, most reports seem to have been satisfactorily resolved via an RMA process, either directly to AMD or to the retailer in cases involving pre-built PCs.Naturally, I'll continue to monitor this story and will follow up with any fresh details that emerge. I've reached out to AMD for comment, but I suspect I won't get any meaty info there; 108 isn't a small number of dead chips, but it's not such a large amount that Team Red really needs to worry that something is seriously amiss.

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Square Enix has launched a new Final Fantasy 9 websiteThe website has been made to commemorate the game's 25th anniversaryFans are now wondering if we'll see a remake announcement soon

Final Fantasy 9 fans are now hoping for a Nintendo Switch 2 remake as the PS1 classic gets a 25th-anniversary website.The Squaresoft-developed RPG (role-playing game) was initially released on the original PlayStation on July 7, 2000, meaning its 25th anniversary is just a few short months away. As a result, an official website has been prepared to commemorate the occasion.The website, translated from Japanese by IGN, states that "various projects, including merchandise and collaborations to commemorate the 25th anniversary" are on the way.A news section on the website shows that several plushies, books, soundtracks, and memorabilia are being prepared for Final Fantasy 9's 25th anniversary. There is no hard confirmation of a commemorative game or remake as of yet, but that hasn't stopped fans of the RPG from speculating on sites like Reddit.Plus, the big Nintendo Switch 2 Direct presentation is happening tomorrow (April 2), leading folks to believe a confirmation of a Final Fantasy 9 remake for the upcoming console could be a real possibility.Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail, the popular MMORPG's (massively multiplayer online role-playing game) latest expansion, also has a main story that's heavily inspired by Final Fantasy 9. In a vacuum, that admittedly doesn't mean much, as FF14 has routinely paid homage to the series' legacy through various pieces of content. But it does at least show that Square Enix and developer Creative Studio 3 both have Final Fantasy 9 on the brain.

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Samsung Galaxy Watch users are complaining of resetting issuesGalaxy Watch 7 and Ultra users appear to be affectedUsers say their watches go through a forced reset that requires setting up the watch again

A slew of Samsung Galaxy Watch users are reporting that their Galaxy Watch 7 and Galaxy Watch Ultra models keep encountering a forced-reset issue that requires them to setup their devices again.I was first alerted to the issue by reader Spike, who reached out to me about a problem with their Samsung Galaxy Watch 7. Since the last update, they and other users have noticed the Watch 7 randomly disconnecting from the phone it's paired with, such that the Samsung Galaxy Wearable app won't recognize the watch, requiring a factory reset to re-pair."For me this happens about once a week," Spike told me. "I contacted Samsung who wanted me to send my watch in, but I'm pretty certain it's a software issue since a lot of people on the forum are having the same issue."

Samsung Galaxy Watch reset issue

A Samsung Community forum scoured by TechRadar does indeed reveal an extensive thread of users who seem to be suffering from this issue."For no apparent reason, my watch keeps doing a forced reset," the original poster said. "I then have to go through the whole process of setting it up again," they added, even mentioning that the latest hiccup completely changed some watch settings.Other users chimed in to say that they've been experiencing the same issue. "Me too. 3 times now in under 2 weeks," one user replied.The thread is titled '"Galaxy Watch 7/Ultra resetting', which seems to indicate that this problem is affecting Samsung's two best Android smartwatches; it's unclear if it extends to any other models.The precise nature of the issue and its extent are little murky, but users are definitely reporting persistent forced resets on their Galaxy Watches, often multiple times a week. At least some of the time, this requires users to go through the setup process to reconnect the watch.We've reached out to Samsung regarding the problem, but this is definitely a developing issue, and one that appears to be fairly prevalent.The Samsung forum post has 24 likes and over 300 replies from similarly affected users. Samsung also recently confirmed that some of its watches were not tracking sleep properly, and recommended a fix to users.

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I’m sidestepping the desperate attempts at April 1 shenanigans and focusing on the imminent Nintendo Direct broadcast, which is likely to confirm rumors and sink others.

The last few Switch 1 games have been revealed, meaning tomorrow’s Nintendo Direct: Switch 2 presentation, kicking off at 9AM ET / 6AM PT will be all about the new console — no distractions. (Although, I’d be cool with a Silksong release date, finally.)

We already know the Switch 2 will be a bigger console, with a bigger screen and Joy-Cons. There also may be some sort-of-mouse functionality baked into the controllers this time, but Nintendo’s focus is on tech specs — and the games. What does the company have cooking?

— Mat Smith

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The Light Phone III doesn’t have apps or internet, but still costs $799

$599 if you pre-order.

Light Phone

The company behind several minimalist handsets has just released the Light Phone III. It may be the perfect device for folks who brag about giving up smartphones and have the money to experiment with stripped-down phones that are the ultimate step back from modern convenience. Whoops, sorry, I let my mask slip there. Hey, at least there’s no AI nonsense.

There is a cool, crisp B&W OLED display, new for this third iteration, instead of e-ink paper. There’s still no internet, no apps, no email. There is, however, a place for your podcasts and a simple camera with a physical button. There’s also a Maps app, powered by Here, but it’s private, so there’s no info shared on where you’re trying to get to. Privacy like that, however, costs a heady $799, unless you can get the pre-order price of $599 at launch, with estimated delivery in July.

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xAI, Elon Musk’s AI company, just purchased X, Elon Musk’s social media company

Confused? You should be.

Yes, xAI has purchased X, according to a post shared by Musk. Besides their owner and similar names, the companies are already connected through xAI’s chatbot, Grok, so it makes some sense. The biggest surprise may be that X is still valued at $33 billion — according to Musk and his companies, at least. X, once Twitter, was acquired by Musk in 2022 for $43 billion. xAI, like many leading AI companies, has been raising money as often and as quickly as possible. Combining the two companies may ease some of the debt Musk took on.

The companies’ futures are “intertwined,” according to Musk. Financially, now, that’s very true.

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iOS 18.4 is available now

It adds new emoji, Apple News+ Food and priority notifications.

iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4 and macOS 15.4 include a new Apple News+ Food section in the News app that collects recipes and food-oriented articles, including exclusive recipes for Apple News+ subscribers. The updates also introduce new emoji, AI-sorted Priority Notifications in the Notification Center and a new Ambient Music tool in the Control Center.

After a bit of a delay, Apple Intelligence will be available in the European Union for the first time on iPhone and iPad. The suite of AI features will now also work in several new languages “including French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, Japanese, Korean and Chinese (simplified) — as well as localized English for Singapore and India.”

Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-111414827.html?src=rss

Amazon has launched early access to Alexa+ for selected users, but a few features are missing Not all the features showcased at its February launch event will be available straight away, and will instead be rolled out in parts over the next few monthsWhile Alexa+ is only available on Echo Show 8, 10, 15 and 21, we expect it to come to more Echo devices as more features become available

When Amazon announced its new AI-enhanced Alexa+ voice assistant, we were beyond excited to finally see Amazon’s answer to ChatGPT and Apple Intelligence come to life. In our live blog we speculated a March 31 roll, and it seems as though we were correct as Alexa+ has started rolling out to selected users in the US on certain Echo devices, but it wouldn’t be a major launch without a few catches.During Amazon’s devices event in February, the company took pride in boasting Alexa+’s revamped voice and AI capabilities, but a report from The Washington Post has identified that Alexa+ is missing a number of handy features. They’ll be unveiled in waves over the next few months, but it does feel like a broken promise in some ways.

During Amazon's devices event in February, Panos Panay demonstrated a handful of new features but not all of them are available in Alexa+'s early access. (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

What’s missing from Alexa+?

Amazon promised an array of new features for Alexa+ that provided a more interactive and personal experience with the voice assistant, most notably its ability to offer food recommendations and place orders through Grubhub based on what you’re craving. This feature has the potential to be a saving grace for indecisive foodies out there, but it has been delayed until further notice.Other useful generative features have gone missing from Alexa+’s early access, including its ability to brainstorm gift ideas when the pressures of gift-buying get too intense, and its storytime mode feature for kids has also been pushed back. The Post has also spotted that Alexa+ lacks the ability to visually identify family members around your home - both of which were demonstrated at its launch event - and the web version for Alexa+ is also unavailable for now.As per The Post’s initial report, Amazon has declared that these features are missing from Alexa+ simply because they “don’t yet meet Amazon’s standards for public release”. It’s reassuring to know that Amazon has plans to bulk up Alexa+’s features, but you’ll just have to remain patient for a few more months.

So, what can Alexa+ do at the moment?

Despite the missing features, Alexa+’s early launch isn’t totally lackluster. Since it started rolling out yesterday (March 31) Alexa+ can order you an Uber, search for particular products, and draft emails. While you’ll have to wait a little longer for Grubhub integration with Alexa+, you can still use the voice assistant to give you advice on what to cook.Alexa+ can be accessed for a monthly subscription fee of $19.99, but Amazon Prime members will have full access for free.

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Now Brief has been found on the latest One UI 7 betaThere's no user interface so the fetaure can't be used properlyIts presence suggetss it may come to older phones with One UI 7

For many, the best new Samsung Galaxy S25 feature is Now Brief, but for a while it appeared the feature would remain exclusive to only Samsung’s latest phone release even as One UI 1 rolls out to other phones. Thankfully, it seems like a few older phones will get Now Brief after all.Now Brief is a handy AI tool that gets you prepped for the day ahead with useful info like what events you have today, what journey times are like so you can avoid being late, how well rested you are based on data from your smartwatch, and if coupons in your digital wallet are close to expiring.It’ll even give you different briefings based on when you check (with morning, afternoon and evening briefings focusing on different information), and our own Senior Writer AI John-Anthony Disotto calling Now Brief “precisely the kind of first-party functionality that I think will make a real difference to users’ lives and, in turn, showcase the true power of AI.”

Unfortunately the feature has been absent from the One UI 7 software betas currently available for older devices such as the Samsung Galaxy S24, Galaxy S23, Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 phones.This has led many to believe it wouldn’t be unlocked for these phones, but it turns out Now Brief is hidden in the One UI beta after all.That’s according to @MEMETCAN88 who managed to access the hidden function on an S24 running the latest One UI 7 beta (via SamMobile, who confirmed it’s also available on other devices).

Breaking. Now brief feature is available in s24 series. Oneui 7 beta 6 is also hidden but I've uncovered with activity launcher.@tarunvats33 @SamMobiles @theonecid @UniverseIce pic.twitter.com/uvLoHZOJAuMarch 31, 2025

It didn’t work completely however, with the hidden Now Brief lacking the necessary user interface to function properly.So, what does this mean? Well the optimistic amongst us are hoping it means that Now Brief will make it to older devices. However, given the full release is set to begin on April 7, it may be a feature that isn’t released for a few update cycles.The more pessimistic look is that Samsung has hidden this feature because it may have thought about releasing Now Brief but ultimately decided to keep it exclusive to its new phones – and it was easier to hide Now Brief than completely remove it from One UI 7.We’ll have to wait and see what’s announced as One UI 7 arrives on older phones and in following updates, but there’s still a chance the best Samsung Galaxy S25 feature will make its way to older phones – and we're seriously hoping it does.

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A Nintendo Switch 2 trade-in deal at GameStop has seemingly leakedThe deal is offering buyers up to $175 toward the new consoleBuyers can trade in the original Switch, Switch Lite, and Switch OLED for money off

GameStop's Nintendo Switch 2 trade-in deal has seemingly leaked, offering big discounts for buyers who already own a Switch.The Nintendo Switch 2 Direct Showcase airs tomorrow on April 2 and is expected to finally unveil a new in-depth look at the console, along with the long-awaited release date, pricing, and pre-orders details.However, it seems that another leak has broken ahead of the event, and this time, it's a big money-saving offer at GameStop.As spotted by X / Twitter user MikeOdysseyYT (via 9meters) GameStop's trade-in deal reveals that it will be offering three different discounts when buyers exchange their original Switch, Switch Lite, or Switch OLED for the Switch 2.Trading in the OLED will get you $175 toward your Switch 2 reservation, the original Switch (V1 or V2) $125, and the Switch Lite $100.

Here is @gamestop's Switch 2 trade in deal. What you get as credit when you trade in your console. Let's say Switch 2 is $399.00, plus 6.5% tax(FL) Comes out to $424.93. If you trade in an OLED, you would pay $249.93 for your new Switch 2. Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/hUIXNc94BXMarch 31, 2025

We don't know how much the Switch 2 will cost just yet, but these offers are brilliant if you're looking to save money on the upcoming console.According to Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa, the company is aware of rising inflation but has said the console will be in line with the "affordable prices customers expect".TechRadar Gaming predicts that the Switch 2 will cost around $399.99 / £349.99 / AU$699.95, which is more expensive than the original Switch that launched in 2017 and started at $259.99 / £259.99 / AUD$435.

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Creatives in the UK are once again speaking out against AI developers accessing copyrighted material. The Society of Authors have published an open letter calling for UK Secretary of State Lisa Nandy to hold Meta accountable for possible copyright infringement regarding its LLM, Llama 3. Signatories of the letter include successful British authors Richard Osman, Kazuo Ishiguro, Val McDermid and Sarah Waters.

A March 20 article in The Atlantic served as the letter's impetus. It reported that Meta had used LibGen, a pirated collection of over 7.5 million books, to train its AI models. Anyone on the internet over the last few weeks has likely seen videos of distraught authors learning that their work is available on the database (and potentially used by Meta without their permission). A lawsuit in the US alleges Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg approved the use of LibGen's data to train its AI. The lawsuit's plaintiffs include writers Sarah Silverman and Ta-Nehisi Coates.

"These cases are shining a light on the unscrupulous behaviour exhibited by global tech companies which seemingly exploit copyright-protected material, safe in the knowledge that they will not be held to account," the Society of Authors' letter stated. "This must change, and global tech companies must now be held accountable and pay for the use they make of authors’ works."

The authors implore Nandy to bring Meta senior executives before Parliament and make them commit to respecting copyrights and compensating authors for any previous infringements.

"Authors are almost powerless given the enormous cost and complexities of pursuing litigation against corporate defendants with such deep pockets," the letter continued. "We call upon you and the UK Government to take all action available to ensure that the rights, interests and livelihoods of authors are adequately protected. Failure to act without further delay will unquestionably have a catastrophic and irreversible impact on all UK authors given that from development through to output, creators’ rights are being systematically and repeatedly ignored."

Artists across the creative industries have also recently protested the UK government's December 2024 proposal to change copyright law. The shift would provide AI developers with a copyright exemption and require creatives to "opt out" or allow access to their materials.

In February, over 1,000 musicians released an album called Is This What We Want?, with 12 songs spelling out, "The British government must not legalise music theft to benefit AI companies." It coincided with the UK News Media Association's Make It Fair campaign calling on the government to support creative industries and compensate those individuals if allowing AI to train on their work.

That same week creatives, from Paul McCartney to Helen Fielding, also shared an open letter against the proposal. Published in The Times, it stated, "There is no moral or economic argument for stealing our copyright. Taking it away will devastate the industry and steal the future of the next generation."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/british-authors-want-meta-to-answer-for-alleged-copyright-infringement-114501800.html?src=rss

ChatGPT 4o's impressive image generation is now available for freeIt's fantastic for editing images as well as generating new onesThere's a daily limit for free users which can be quite infuriating

ChatGPT's viral 4o image generation features are now available to everyone for free, albeit with some limits that can make the new AI tool a little infuriating.Announced by OpenAI CEO, Sam Altman, on X, the new native image generation has taken the world by storm thanks to its impressive ability to create images far better than Dall-E (the previous model used by ChatGPT) ever could.You might've seen the controversy surrounding the image generation tool's blatant copy of Studio Ghibli-style anime over the last week, but if not we've covered the drama at length here.In this article, I'm going to show you three ways to use ChatGPT 4o's image generation that aren't following the anime recreation trend.Why only three you might ask? Well, unfortunately, the daily limit for free users is only three image generations, so it only felt fitting to limit the ideas just like OpenAI has limited the use of the tool.

chatgpt image gen now rolled out to all free users!April 1, 2025

1. Change the background

Image 1 of 2(Image credit: Future / ChatGPT)Image 2 of 2(Image credit: Future / ChatGPT)

ChatGPT's image generation is very impressive when it comes to replacing the background of your images. In the first example above, I uploaded an image of my French Bulldog, Kermit, and asked 4o to "change the background to the beach."Like magic, Kermit was now on the beach, although you can tell there have been slight modifications to his likeness. For example, in the original photo, he had a pimple under his mouth, which is now completely removed.ChatGPT 4o's image generation is very good at determining the outline of a subject and creating a realistic background to match. While I've not yet tried Galaxy AI's version of background editing, from my testing with ChatGPT I can't imagine a better AI background editor is available for free on the market.After taking Kermit to the beach, I thought I'd try recreating his namesake's iconic opening scene of the 1979 Muppet Movie. In the movie, Kermit the Frog sits on a log in a swamp playing the banjo.While Kermit the Dog can't play the banjo, ChatGPT managed to take the source material and edit the background so Kermit was indeed on a log in a swamp. Pretty cool!

2. Use a reference to generate a new image

(Image credit: Future / ChatGPT)

ChatGPT 4o's image generation is also very good at using a source image to create anything you can imagine.After feeding the AI tool multiple images of my dog, I asked "Can you imagine a french bulldog riding a skateboard while dressed as a frog?"After waiting about 20 seconds, yes the image generation can be pretty slow, I had an excellent image of a French Bulldog that looks like my boy Kermit, in a frog costume riding a skateboard.Eagle-eyed readers will notice his back paws only have three digits, but I guess ChatGPT thought the dog costume should mimic an amphibian rather than have enough space to be comfortable for the mammal inside.Unfortunately for ChatGPT, a frog has 18 toes altogether... 10 at the back and eight at the front.

3. Change the mood

(Image credit: Future / ChatGPT)

Last but not least, I decided to upload an image of Kermit in a cow costume. Why is he wearing a cow costume? You might ask. Well, for the purpose of this article I needed an image where he's clearly a bit miffed.You see I live in Scotland so Kermit needs a fleece to keep himself warm in the winter. Unfortunately for him, he hates wearing a fleece. That said, ChatGPT's new image generation tools can help with that, so I asked AI to "Make this dog happy."The result here is bizarre because it takes everything from the previous image and recreates it perfectly, just with a smiling dog with its tongue out.I would argue a French Bulldog always looks miserable, and a tongue sticking out like this would actually imply it's thirsty. But AI deems this a happy dog, and to be fair, it has doesn't a very good job a recreating the image with the mood tweaks I asked for.

Try ChatGPT image generation yourself

So there you have it, ChatGPT's image generation is now free for everyone to try and it's capable of some fantastic photo editing.The image limitations are pretty annoying, however, as I was only able to generate three images without loading up my paid ChatGPT Plus work account.I also experienced upload limitations, where ChatGPT stopped allowing me to add source material to edit after providing two images.So it's worth noting ChatGPT image generation is very powerful, but on the free tier you'll need to be patient as you'll quickly reach a daily limit.

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The Garmin Vivoactive 6 has been officially revealedIt looks very similar to the Vivoactive 5, but some specs changes offer improvementsIt comes after heavy criticism by Garmin users over the new Conenct+ premium tier

Garmin has revealed the Garmin Vivoactive 6, an affordable smartwatch with a new smart alarm functionality and access to features from more premium Garmin watches, such as Running Dynamics – priced at £279.99 (around $360 / AU$580).Garmin’s Vivoactive line is full of sporty, value-orientated watches pitched at the Apple Watch crowd, and the Garmin Vivoactive 5 sits pretty as our current ‘best value’ pick on our list of the best Garmin watches available right now. The Vivoactive 6 watch looks very similar to the Garmin Vivoactive 5, with a plastic casing, aluminum bezel, two buttons instead of the usual five-button configuration found on more premium Garmins, AMOLED screen and silicon strap.Just like the Vivoactive 5, the Vivoactive 6 sports up to 11 days of battery life. It shares the dimensions and 1.2-inch screen with the Vivoactive 5, although it has made some changes.A ‘smart alarm’ that can wake you up at the optimum time for a sleep phase (a feature we have wanted on Garmins for years) has been included, a feature all new to Garmin, along with daily suggested walking workouts, just like its running ones. As mentioned above, the Vivoactive 6 also has access to Garmin’s advanced Running Dynamics metrics, which the Vivoactive 5 didn't have.According to a Garmin press release, users 'can also download a robust selection of step-by-step workouts for strength, HIIT, yoga, Pilates, mobility and more through Garmin Connect.'They can also access Garmin Coach running and strength training plans—several of which adapt daily based on performance, recovery and health metrics to help users prepare for their next race, train for a milestone or improve overall fitness.'A wheelchair mode that tracks pushes has also been included, one of the best modes introduced on the Vivoactive 5. It's available in four admittedly snappy-looking color combos: Black/Slate, Bone/Lunar Gold, Jasper Green and Pink Dawn.

Analysis: Garmin is moving the news cycle on

The Garmin Vivoactive 5 (Image credit: Future)

The Garmin Vivoactive 6 seems like a great watch, especially for one cheaper than many of its contemporaries from Apple and Samsung. After all, we loved the Vivoactive 5, and there's no indication this is anything other than an improvement, albeit an iterative one.However, I can't help feeling the timeline for this launch has been pushed up. Until now, the news cycle has been dominated by the backlash against Garmin for releasing Garmin Connect+, a premium tier with AI features on top of the already-free Garmin Connect app.Users have taken to social media and flooded it with complaints, begrudging paying for a very expensive watch only to have new features locked behind an additional subscription. Justifiably or not, they fear new features being introduced to Connect+ at the expense of the app’s free version, until subscription becomes almost mandatory to get the most out of your watch.A well-reviewed new budget device from Garmin would move the news cycle on a bit, although user ire is likely to remain.

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AirPods Max USB-C's lossless update is available nowYou'll need iOS 18.4 to get the update to your MaxInstructions for checking the update are below

Apple has announced that the lossless audio update to AirPods Max with USB-C launches today, alongside the release of iOS 18.4 for iPhone.Apple revealed that the AirPods Max update with lossless and latency-free Personalized Spatial Audio was coming previously, but without an exact date – and here it is.This is the first totally lossless audio support ever for a pair of AirPods, and it provides 24-bit 48 kHz lossless support over USB-C, with a promise that this also brings the latency down to effectively zero, making it great for audio production or gaming.(The original AirPods Max were lossless-ish, with support for cabled connections, but via an active cable that took analog signal, converted it to digital, then converted it back to analog in the headphones, so too much conversion to be truly lossless.)Apple says you can connect to a Mac, iPhone or iPad to get lossless audio, but we'll check whether it works with all other USB-C sources too.Apple has also finally launched its own 3.5mm to USB-C cable, too, to enable the AirPods Max with USB-C to work with analogue audio output (making them work with airplane entertainment systems at last).

(Image credit: Future)

How to make sure you've got the update

AirPods updates should be automatic, though Apple recently explained for the first time how to kick AirPods updates into gear if you need to.You'll need iOS 18.4 on your iPhone, and then follow these steps:

Put your AirPods Max in Bluetooth range of your iPhone, iPad or Mac, which must be connected to Wi-FiPut your AirPods Max on to chargeWait 30 minutesCheck if you have the new update

To check if you have the update, put your AirPods on, open the Settings app, tap on your AirPods Max, then scroll to the bottom and check to see if Version reads '7E99'.AirPods Max with USB-C still rank among the best wireless headphones despite their age, thanks to strong sound quality (even at their high price) and tons of unique features for Apple users, including Personalized Spatial Audio, auto-switching between Apple devices, and Find My support.We actually had to remove them from our list of the best travel headphones since the USB-C version arrived, though, due to their lack of wired input for airplane journeys. This update means we might finally add them back in.

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ChatGPT's built-in image generation feature is now available to everyone. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said last week that the company is delaying its rollout to free tier "for a while," because the tool was way more popular than they had expected. But the company made the feature available to free users over the weekend, allowing them to generate images from within ChatGPT and without having to switch to OpenAI's DALL-E generator. Prior to its rollout to the free tier, the tool was only available to Plus, Pro and Team subscribers.

Altman previously said that free users will get a limit of three images per day. Based on our experience trying it out, some accounts are limited to just one a day. Those who find themselves able to generate more than one will still have to wait anywhere between a few minutes and a few hours. One of the tool's most popular uses that we've seen so far is the creation of Ghibli-style images using real-life photos. Users simply have to upload the photo they want to use and then instruct ChatGPT in natural language to create a Ghibli-style version of it. The trend had raised concerns, yet again, about the legality of using copyrighted work as training data for artificial intelligence. It also resurfaced the reaction of Hayao Miyazaki, Studio Ghibli's founder, upon being shown AI-generated animation years ago. "I strongly feel that this is an insult to life itself," the director said.

In a tweet, Altman said that the tool could still exhibit erratic behavior and could refuse some generations that should be allowed. OpenAI is still fixing the issue. The company also told TechCrunch that it "takes action" if a generated image violates company guidelines, though it didn't exactly detail about what those actions are.

Creating and customizing images is as simple as chatting using GPT‑4o—just describe what you need, including any specifics like aspect ratio, exact colors using hex codes, or a transparent background. pic.twitter.com/fnen1aDjNZ— OpenAI (@OpenAI) March 25, 2025

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/openais-built-in-image-generator-for-chatgpt-is-now-available-to-free-users-120003146.html?src=rss

Apple may not bring iOS 19 to the iPhone XR, XS or XS MaxThis leak contradicts previous reports on the software updateThe 7th-gen iPad apparently also isn't getting iPadOS 19

Back in December, a leak promised that owners of the iPhone XR, iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max would be getting iOS 19 alongside the rest of the iPhone range. But a new leak from a pretty reliable source now says that isn't true.This leak comes via 9to5Mac, whose source – an anonymous, private account on X with a good track record in breaking Apple software stories – says that the XR, XS and XS Max won't be invited to the iOS 19 party.The new leak also appears to confirm that the seventh-generation iPad, launched in 2019, won't be able to get an iPadOS 19 upgrade either.

What iPhones are getting the iOS 19 upgrade?

The iPhone XS Max may be left behind by the iOS 19 update (Image credit: TechRadar)

Nothing's official until Apple announces it at WWDC 2025, which we now know will start on June 9. But if the latest leak is correct, then the oldest iPhone that iOS 19 will support is the iPhone 11. Of the iPhone SE phones, both the second and generation versions will get the upgrade.If Apple sticks to its usual timeframe we should see a developer beta of iOS 19 in June, with various public betas before a final release alongside the iPhone 17 in September 2025.Details of the iOS 19 upgrades haven't been released yet, but of course the leaks have already started. We're expecting to see a visual redesign that allies iOS and iPadOS more closely with visionOS, a new camera app, and maybe even a version of Siri that works more reliably.It's an important update for Apple: iOS 18 was launched with heavy emphasis on Apple Intelligence, and some of the most talked-about features have been delayed significantly. That means iOS 19 needs to do more than make promises of future fun; it needs to actually deliver.

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Microsoft used Security Copilot to scan open source bootloaders for vulnerabilitiesIt discovered 20 new flaws in just a short timeMicrosoft says the AI tool saved the company at least a week of work

Microsoft has revealed more on how its latest AI tools are proving useful spotting code vulnerabilities and more.The company has published a new blog post detailing how it used Security Copilot (its AI-powered cybersecurity tool) to find almost two dozen vulnerabilities in different open-source bootloaders.In total, Microsoft found 11 flaws in GRUB2, and nine more in U-Boot and Barebox.

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Remote code execution risks

GRUB2 (GRand Unified Bootloader version 2) is a bootloader used in Linux and other Unix-like operating systems to manage the boot process and load the operating system.U-Boot (Das U-Boot) and Barebox, on the other hand, are bootloaders primarily used in embedded systems. U-Boot is a widely adopted bootloader supporting various architectures, while Barebox is an alternative designed for faster boot times and easier maintenance.The vulnerabilities span from integer and buffer overflows, to side-channel attacks and out-of-bounds read vulnerabilities.Some of the flaws could be used to execute arbitrary code, Microsoft said, whereas others would need physical access to the vulnerable device, or would need the device to be infected with malware beforehand."While threat actors would likely require physical device access to exploit the U-boot or Barebox vulnerabilities, in the case of GRUB2, the vulnerabilities could further be exploited to bypass Secure Boot and install stealthy bootkits or potentially bypass other security mechanisms, such as BitLocker," Microsoft said."The implications of installing such bootkits are significant, as this can grant threat actors complete control over the device, allowing them to control the boot process and operating system, compromise additional devices on the network, and pursue other malicious activities.""Furthermore, it could result in persistent malware that remains intact even after an operating system reinstallation or a hard drive replacement."All of the flaws now have a CVE assigned, and their severity is mostly “medium”, with one being rated “high” - 7.8/10.

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Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan discusses the company’s future at its Vision conferenceSpinning off non-core assets and adding more engineers are a priorityTan wants to listen to customers, but “it won’t happen overnight”

Intel's new CEO and successor to Pat Gelsinger, Lip-Bu Tan, has announced plans to spin off non-core units to address the company’s recent struggles.Tan emphasized there would be no quick fix, adding that his first week as CEO meeting with customers uncovered that Intel had fallen short of their expectations.“Please be brutally honest with us,” he said at the chipmaker’s Vision event in Las Vegas.

Lip-Bu Tan announces long-term plans for Intel

Tan also revealed how Intel could become leaner, with more direct involvement from engineers after it lost its once dominant market position to rivals like Nvidia and AMD.On the AI chip front, the company severely lags behind Nvidia, which has spent some time as the world’s most valuable company with a market cap of more than $3 trillion.“We lost quite a bit of talent,” Tan said as he discussed plans to recruit more engineers and give them the “freedom to innovate from within” (via Reuters).The CEO also wants to be more responsive to customer needs – creating custom semiconductors tailored to client specifications will be one such way.At the event, Tan also indicated plans to spin off Intel’s non-core assets to focus on core operational strategies – there are no current plans to split Intel’s product and manufacturing units.Intel stock rose in the days between the announcement and Tan’s appointment but has gradually faded again. Shares also fell 1.2% after he made these remarks at this week’s Vision conference, spelling out further uncertainty and a potential drop in confidence.“It won't happen overnight, but I know we can get there,” he added.

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SpaceX has successfully launched the Fram2 private crewed mission on March 31 at 9:46 PM Eastern time on top of a Falcon 9 rocket. Fram2 is the first human spaceflight to explore the Earth's polar regions, which are not visible to the astronauts aboard the International Space Station. The crew will observe the Earth's poles through a panoramic cupola attachment from an altitude of 430 km (267 miles). SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule can fly from the North to the South Pole in around 46 minutes and Fram2 is a three-to-five day mission, so it's expected to provide scientists with a healthy amount of footage capturing the polar regions. In fact, SpaceX has already released the mission's first views of the Earth's poles from space.

First views of Earth's polar regions from Dragon pic.twitter.com/3taP34zCeN— SpaceX (@SpaceX) April 1, 2025

The crew will observe unusual light emissions resembling auroras in the regions, including STEVEs, which appear as purple and green light ribbons in the night sky. They will also conduct 22 experiments designed to better understand human health in space for the sake of long-duration missions in the future. The crew will capture the first human X-rays in space, study exercises meant to preserve muscle and bone mass, explore sleep and stress patterns using wearable tech, monitor their glucose and observe the female crew members' hormonal health. They also won't get the typical medical and mobility assistance upon landing to see how they re-acclimate to gravity on their own, and they will get an MRI immediately after they arrive. NASA called Fram2's launch a "significant step" in humanity's understanding of how our bodies will fare in outer space.

pic.twitter.com/SYngaLWghI— NASA (@NASA) April 1, 2025

Chun Wang, a Chinese-born cryptocurrency investor who now lives in Norway, paid for the trip and is one of the astronauts currently on board. Jannicke Mikkelsen, a filmmaker working on technology for movies shot in remote and hazardous environments, serves as the mission's vehicle commander. Rabea Rogge, a robotics researcher from Norway, is the pilot. Finally, Eric Philips, a professional polar adventurer and guide, is the mission's medical officer. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/spacex-launches-fram2-the-first-crewed-spaceflight-to-explore-earths-polar-regions-130006166.html?src=rss

One of The Last of Us games is reportedly getting a PS5 special edition release soonIt'll cost $109.99 or €119.99 and be available as a physical editionThe special edition could be a bundle containing both The Last of Us Part 1 and The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered

A new physical edition of The Last of Us is reportedly being released for the PlayStation 5.That's according to reliable leaker 'Billbil-kun' at Dealabs, who reports that a "PS5 special edition" will be announced soon, but there's no indication as to what game it will be (via Eurogamer).It's said that the special edition will cost $109.99 or €119.99 and will be "available in physical form on PS5 very soon".There are no more details other than pricing, and Billbil-kun asks, "Could it be for Part 1, Part 2, or something entirely new?"Following the release of The Last of Us Part 1 and The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered on the PS5 - the latter of which is getting a PC launch this week - it would make sense for this new special edition to be a bundle containing both games, especially considering the pricing - especially given season 2 of the HBO series is starting this month too."Everything seems to indicate that the officialisation of this edition, as well as the opening of pre-orders, would take place very soon, in a time window that we estimate within two months," said Billbil-kun.We can cast any ideas about a Last of Us Part 3 aside for now since Naughty Dog is currently developing its new game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.Described as a new sci-fi franchise, the game was announced last year and is set to launch on PS5. There's no release date just yet, but according to a recent report, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet won't launch until after 2026.It could release in 2027 at the earliest, which means that a cross-gen launch for the PS5 and PS6 is a possibility.

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Upcoming games 2025 for console and PCBest PS5 games 2025 - top PlayStation 5 titles to play right nowNeil Druckmann reveals new details about Naughty Dog's Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, says it's 'a game about faith and religion' and wants players to be 'lost' and 'confused'

When we reviewed the iPhone 16 Pro last year, Apple Intelligence was barely available. Since then, the iPhone 16 series has benefitted from several new features, apps and improvements. Some (or most) of them were Apple Intelligence features that were teased back at WWDC 2024, months before the iPhone 16 Pro launched.

AI features weren't the only changes this time around, with the iPhone 16 getting an entirely new button. The so-called Camera Control wasn’t just a simple app shortcut, but an elaborate multifunction button that offered a haptic half-press and the ability to swipe across to adjust camera settings and options.

Managing Editor Cherlynn Low said we were still ”waiting on Apple Intelligence” in our initial review. Now, as we hit iOS 18.4, was it worth the wait?

iOS 18 and Apple Intelligence so far

Mat Smith for Engadget

Apple Intelligence was late, arriving as part of iOS 18.1 back in October 2024. Initial generative AI features included writing tools like proofreading and rewriting, as well as text summaries and live transcription for phone calls and voice notes in the Notes app. A few months later, iOS 18.2 gave us the Apple Intelligence features that made most of the headlines when first announced at WWDC. That included ChatGPT integration, AI image generation in Image Playgrounds and Genmoji.

Starting with iOS 18.1, one of the most controversial Apple Intelligence features is actually my favorite: Notification Summaries. It’s a good attempt at taming the wild west of countless group chats across multiple messaging apps, calendar reminders, Substack pings and everything else.

You don't need to update every individual app for Notification Summaries to kick in. As soon as iOS 18.1 landed, my messy WhatsApp chats were streamlined. I thought it cute when my iPhone told me a friend had laughed at my comment, and suggested where we could meet and a date. That was distilled from a ten-message barrage they’d sent.

Mat Smith for Engadget

It’s not perfect, though. Apple had to clarify that notification summaries are AI-generated, and make that clearer beyond a small Apple Intelligence icon. This was after the BBC complained about multiple summaries that twisted the content of some of its headlines. I’ve also had notification summaries that incorrectly guessed the subject of a sentence or entire topic of a thread, but on the whole, it’s a useful utilization of AI smarts.

There are more natural language hooks across most of iOS 18, too. You can now search for images in the Photos app with descriptions, dates, location and more. Those natural-language smarts take on a different function with writing tools, courtesy of Apple Intelligence. Even though I’m not a particularly clean writer (hey, Cher), these writing tools are not all that useful. I haven’t used them much beyond quick email responses to work requests and events, but the ability to proofread, rewrite or check tone may prove useful to some.

The writing tools also work inside the Voice Memos app, which can now transcribe conversations, meetings and more. Here, it helps make things more concise, with options to turn transcripts into summaries, key points, lists and even tables. If the recording is clear enough and they’re not too long, iOS 18 does well on these transcriptions. Several times, the iPhone 16 Pro straight-up declined to summarize a transcript. Why? All I got was a notification that the tools “aren’t designed to work with this type of content.”

Elsewhere, Apple struggles to catch up with AI innovations on rival devices. Like Google Pixel’s Magic Eraser (and all the other Android riffs), Clean Up now allows you to scrub out distracting elements and photo bombers from your pics. However, the results aren’t quite up to the standard of the competition. Sometimes, however, it nails it.

Some Apple Intelligence features have faded into the background after an initial buzz. Image Playground offers the ability to AI-generate your own images and had plenty of users itching to get off the beta waitlist to play around with the app. After a bit of testing, however, I haven’t used it in the months since it launched.

There might be a future for Playgrounds within iOS, though. For instance, Apple’s Invites app lets you embed Image Playground results within your events, which is helpful if you don’t have a photo to illustrate the invitation. As a standalone app, however, it doesn’t quite deliver enough to live on my home screen. It’s gone the way of GarageBand, Pages and Apple Maps on my iPhone.

Genmoji, on the other hand, is easier to use, and I use it often. With it, you can create your own emoji reactions with specific people, objects and backgrounds. I already have several established favorites, like me eating cereal and a chronically late friend with clocks in the background, and I’ll probably continue to make emoji as life demands it. For example, a passenger behind me on a flight to Barcelona last month had three cats with her. So, I made a cats-on-a-plane Genmoji. Exactly what Tim Cook intended.

Mat Smith for Engadget

Some software features are also specific to the iPhone 16 Pro series (and the 15 Pro). Camera Control aside, the new button also offers access to Visual Intelligence with a long press. Visual Intelligence is Apple’s take on Google Lens, tapping visual AI smarts to analyze what your iPhone is pointing at. It can recognize text, like words on menus, and even translate for you. If you get lucky, it’ll even identify the outside of a restaurant and (with some ChatGPT power) tell you the opening hours and what kind of cuisine it offers. It’s particularly effective in identifying landmarks, but busy scenes can quickly derail it. Unfortunately, you can’t tap on a particular object in the frame to clarify specifics. However, the ability to create calendar events from a poster is pretty cool — even if I usually forget to use it.

That’s Apple Intelligence, for now. There are a lot of smart touches, but so far, it isn’t remarkable. I credit Apple’s attempts to make most of its AI features either processed on device, or connected to the company’s Private Cloud Compute, which uses larger server-based models. Apple has reiterated that your data is never stored during these requests. Even with ChatGPT integration, if you don’t use an account with OpenAI, only your request and attachments are sent to ChatGPT. Your Apple Account and IP address are not shared with OpenAI. Apple’s deal with OpenAI means the latter can’t use your request to improve or train its models, either.

The patchy arrival of iOS features, especially Apple Intelligence, isn’t a good look for the company.

However, the rest of iOS 18 continues to deliver valuable new features and upgrades to the iPhone experience, like the aforementioned Invites app, additional content (and games) for News+ subscribers and my favorite feature since the AirPods introduced noise-cancellation, the ability to nod or shake your head to halt Siri announcements, Fitness prompts and even decline calls. I’m a busy guy!

Cameras and Camera Control

Mat Smith for Engadget

With Camera Control, Apple has introduced its most intriguing interface change since the short-lived 3D Touch.” That tech, if you forgot, offered haptic feedback on your screen tapping during the iPhone 6 era. Camera Control acts like a proper manual camera button, even when I know it combines a physical button with elaborate touch sensors. This enables deeper controls by swiping across it or semi-pressing.

Instantly, it works as a basic camera app launcher, just like the iPhone’s Action button has done in recent years. Already, it’s better placed, though, lower on the right edge of the phone, ready for your thumb if held vertically, or index finger when held horizontally. It goes beyond being a launcher, though. Swiping across it lets you adjust zoom, exposure and even toggle the new Photographic Style options. Then, a half-press works as a way to confirm your settings.

Depending on how you use the iPhone’s camera, a lot of the settings might not deserve their place within the Camera Control’s menus. While I often tinkered with Exposure and Zoom, Photographic styles are easier to adjust from the iPhone in the normal touchscreen way. I’m also not going to meddle with simulated f-stops when taking candid shots of my friends and family.

Like Apple Intelligence, Camera Control launched incomplete. When the iPhone 16 Pro first went on sale, it lacked a half-press focus like ye olde traditional cameras, and it took till January 2025 for an AF-AE lock to arrive through iOS 18.3. The feature, however, remains buried in settings and has to be toggled on.

It works well though. You tap on an object you’d like the iPhone to focus on, hold the button halfway, and it’ll lock exposure and focus for as long as you keep your finger down – like a camera. It’s frustrating that we had to wait this long for what seems like a core function of Camera Control.

To be devil’s advocate – and it’s an argument regularly leveled at AI features, both Apple Intelligence and elsewhere – did you need Camera Control? Given how much I use my phone’s cameras, I'd argue that a camera launcher is worth factoring into the hardware. But the Action Button covered that.

Camera Control also seemed like a ‘pro’ iPhone feature, so it’s surprising to see it across the entire device lineup, barring the more recent iPhone 16e.

Another change worth noting is that the iPhone 16 Pro got camera parity with the larger Pro Max this year, with a 5x optical zoom I use most of the time. Of course, this isn't a remarkable feature if you were already using an iPhone 15 Pro Max. But if you prefer the smaller of the two Pro options, aside from battery life, there’s no reason to stop you getting the cheaper iPhone 16 Pro.

Repairability and longevity

I haven’t had to repair my iPhone 16 Pro so far, and there are no pronounced scratches on the 6.3-inch screen or body. While I am also a case dweeb, I don’t use screen protectors — I haven’t needed to. The latest iPhones do come with even more repair-friendly hardware and policies if the worst were to happen. Anecdotally, according to my experience the titanium body and Apple's Ceramic Shield treatment on the display do seem to make this generation of 'pro' iPhones tougher than its predecessors

Apple’s new Repair Assistant, designed to address parts pairing issues, lets both you and repair professionals configure new and used Apple parts directly on the device, with no need to contact Apple personnel on the phone to ensure iOS plays with new parts.

Another improvement, while not part of the 16 Pro, is battery removal. On both the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus, the battery can be released from its enclosure by running a low-voltage current through the iPhone’s battery adhesive. However, the iPhone 16 Pro’s battery is now encased in aluminum, making repairs less fraught, and protecting the battery more when exposed to repair tools. I haven’t had to put it to use yet, but the company’s increased willingness to embrace right-to-repair is headed in the right direction, especially after its sluggish response in the past.

Six months on, the 16 Pro’s slightly bigger battery is holding up, with the one I have still showing it’s at full health. I am a heavy phone user, and 256 charge cycles later, iOS says it’s still at 100 percent capacity, which I found impressive. If I need to replace the battery, I’m heartened that it’s easier than ever on an iPhone.

Wrap-up

Mat Smith for Engadget

The iPhone 16 Pro is one of the best smartphones available. But if there’s a particular area where Apple’s phones are lacking compared to the flagship competition, it might be the messaging and the marketing. It took too long for Apple Intelligence to land on devices. If Apple Intelligence hadn’t been so key to Apple’s presentation both at WWDC and the iPhone 16 launch event, the delay wouldn’t look so bad.

Intriguingly, we’re at a time when the likes of the Galaxy and Pixel series have never felt more like iPhones. Or do iPhones feel like Android phones? I’m not sure anymore. Either way, we haven’t seen rival devices mimic the Camera Control button.

I appreciate that a lot of the new features and additions don’t seem to clog up the iPhone experience. Don’t care for camera filters? You’ll rarely see them. Want to swap the Camera Control button for another function? Go ahead. Want to prioritize Messages notifications, but not WhatsApp messages? Go wild.

With a light, strong titanium build, there’s still a tangible premium feel to the iPhone 16 Pro, compared to the aluminum iPhone 16. The same can be said about the cameras, with a 48-megapixel ultrawide sensor and 5x optical zoom, which the base iPhone cannot match. Functionality-twise, the base iPhone 16 now delivers the Dynamic Island and Camera Control, which makes a ‘pro’ iPhone a little harder to define. For the iPhone 16 series, it boils down to more premium materials and a powerful zoom camera.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/iphone-16-pro-longterm-review-apple-intelligence-134517480.html?src=rss

Looking for a different day?A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Tuesday, April 1 (game #1163).

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,100 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1164) - hint #1 - Vowels

How many different vowels are in Quordle today?• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 4*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1164) - hint #2 - repeated letters

Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 1.

Quordle today (game #1164) - hint #3 - uncommon letters

Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?• Yes. Two of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1164) - hint #4 - starting letters (1)

Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 2.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1164) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?• I• Q• I• S

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #1164) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1164, are…

INDEXQUEENINCURSTOLE

Oh my gosh this was a tricky round of Quordle, with two rare letters and not much joy from my start words.Although I managed to complete it in seven guesses I don’t think I have ever spent as long taping out possible words before eventually arriving at the correct one.Getting QUEEN was a royal pain. I hope you found it easier.How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Daily Sequence today (game #1164) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1164, are…

MYRRHFRANKNADIRCHOKE

Quordle answers: The past 20

Quordle #1163, Tuesday 1 April: HUMUS, BALMY, WORRY, ERECTQuordle #1162, Monday 31 March: RECUT, MOODY, WHERE, BRACEQuordle #1161, Sunday 30 March: CRIME, DRINK, CLOVE, TRUERQuordle #1160, Saturday 29 March: LATER, ODDLY, CUMIN, AGREEQuordle #1159, Friday 28 March: TERSE, MUSHY, PROVE, FRONDQuordle #1158, Thursday 27 March: CRONE, APNEA, LIGHT, AWOKEQuordle #1157, Wednesday 26 March: LEFTY, NOOSE, NOISE, TRIADQuordle #1156, Tuesday 25 March: SNEER, WATCH, FLORA, STAINQuordle #1155, Monday 24 March: FLOUT, SMASH, RAZOR, SMALLQuordle #1154, Sunday 23 March: ALLEY, GAMUT, GEESE, RADIIQuordle #1153, Saturday 22 March: PICKY, BRACE, BOOZE, SURLYQuordle #1152, Friday 21 March: DITTY, VALOR, TOWER, AMISSQuordle #1151, Thursday 20 March: RIPER, STILL, WAFER, NOTCHQuordle #1150, Wednesday 19 March: FLAME, CARAT, SPAWN, TUNICQuordle #1149, Tuesday 18 March: NAVEL, TREAT, COPSE, SLINKQuordle #1148, Monday 17 March: INFER, FLINT, CHUMP, SHEERQuordle #1147, Sunday 16 March: INPUT, RUMBA, ELUDE, BLANKQuordle #1146, Saturday 15 March: SPEED, CLASH, RISKY, GRATEQuordle #1145, Friday 14 March: BELIE, SPEAR, GROWL, ADOBEQuordle #1144, Thursday 13 March: AMISS, METAL, TEARY, SHORT

Looking for a different day?A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Tuesday, April 1 (game #394).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #395) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Shine on

NYT Strands today (game #395) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

DARTKITEMARSRATESDATASHIP

NYT Strands today (game #395) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?• Spangram has 9 letters

NYT Strands today (game #395) - hint #4 - spangram position

What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?First side: top, 4th columnLast side: bottom, 3rd column

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #395) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #395, are…

DAZZLETWINKLESHIMMERSPARKLEGLEAMRADIATESPANGRAM: STAR POWER

My rating: EasyMy score: 1 hint

The double-Z of DAZZLE set me on my way today as I ticked off these shine synonyms.To anyone who is or was a parent the word TWINKLE will have added meaning as a key component of a nursery rhyme intended to lull tiny tots to sleep and also one of the first things learned during music lessons — for these reasons it’s equally nostalgic and irksome.I’ve always struggled with fact that light from our nearest star system takes over four years to reach us, but then if you knew me this wouldn’t really surprise you, as when the clocks go forward or back I’m in a state of confusion for the rest of the week and constantly ask myself “yes, but what time is it really?”The fact that the SPARKLE I’m seeing in the night sky is from 2021 hurts my brain almost as much as yesterday’s Connections.How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Tuesday, 1 April, game #394)

SHOWERSBUDSROBINSPOLLENPUDDLESBLOSSOMSSPANGRAM: SPRINGTIME

What is NYT Strands?Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

Looking for a different day?A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Tuesday, April 1 (game #660).

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #661) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

FANCYREADINGNICEIMPULSEJOBTYPELIKEVENUSKINDHERBROBINLARKTENNESSEEWHIMSORTHANK

NYT Connections today (game #661) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

YELLOW: Chance encounterGREEN: Stuff that is all very similarBLUE: A famous surname sharedPURPLE: Grammatically speaking

Need more clues?We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #661) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

YELLOW: CAPRICEGREEN: ILK BLUE: WILLIAMSES PURPLE: WORDS PRONOUNCED DIFFERENTLY AS PROPER NOUNS

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #661) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #661, are…

YELLOW: CAPRICE FANCY, IMPULSE, LARK, WHIMGREEN: ILK KIND, LIKE, SORT, TYPEBLUE: WILLIAMSES HANK, ROBIN, TENNESSEE, VENUSPURPLE: WORDS PRONOUNCED DIFFERENTLY AS PROPER NOUNS HERB, JOB, NICE, READING

My rating: HardMy score: 2 mistakes

After yesterday’s headache-inducing letters and symbols, it was a relief to see a more regular collection of words. Not that it was much easier.I had FANCY, NICE, SORT and KIND in a group together thinking they were all pleasant attributes, although in hindsight “sort” is a bit 1970s British comedy slang and unlikely to make it into Connections.My next mistake was coupling LARK, JOB, VENUS and NICE, my thinking being we were looking for key parts of popular sayings (up with the lark, if a job’s worth doing…, men are from Mars, it’s nice to be nice,) but after going up that blind alley I regrouped.I’m kicking myself that I didn’t get WILLIAMSES quicker and probably would have done if the list had included Serena.How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Tuesday, 1 April, game #660)

YELLOW: CURRENCY SYMBOLS $, £, 7, €GREEN: AND/TOGETHER WITH &, +, N, XBLUE: EMOTICON MOUTHS (,), 0, РPURPLE: "RIGHT" R, →, ⊾, V

What is NYT Connections?NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

Today is the big day gamers! The Nintendo Switch 2 Direct is under 24 hours away and we're expecting to learn all about the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 console.From a potential breakdown of its unique hardware features to our first confirmation of some of its launch games, this is likely to be the most interesting and exciting Nintendo broadcasts in years.So what do you we know for sure about the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct? Not a lot beyond its start time, length, and how to watch it, but that's exactly what makes it so intriguing.Join me as I keep you up to date with all the latest news and rumors as they come in throughout the build up to the event. I'll also be sharing my own personal predictions, plus the occasional tip on how best to prepare.

Nintendo Switch 2 Direct start time

The Nintendo Switch 2 Direct takes place on April 2, 2025. It starts at 9AM ET / 6AM PT / 2PM BST.Nintendo has now confirmed via a social media post that the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct will be "approximately 60 minutes long" - which is about what we expected.

Nintendo Switch 2 Direct live countdown

Nintendo Switch 2 Direct how to watch

The most reliable place to watch the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct is the official Nintendo YouTube channel. It will also be streaming via Twitch.The broadcast is currently not live, so I'd recommend bookmarking the page for easy access. When you are able to tune in, I'll let you know straight away so keep checking back here for updates.

Good afternoon everyone and welcome to the beginning of our live Nintendo Switch 2 Nintendo Direct coverage!With the highly anticipated event under 24 hours away, there's still plenty of time to get excited before our first in-depth look at Nintendo's next console.Whether you're a more recent fan or a long time Nintendo gamer like me, nothing quite compares to the excitement of learning more about a new piece of hardware from the company.Tomorrow's event is undoubtedly going to be an important part of gaming, so this isn't one that you'll want to miss!I'm going to be guiding you through the build up to the broadcast, so let's begin...

The Amazon Spring Sale might be over, but there are still lots of great deals to shop. For instance, there's a 33 percent discount on one of our favorite portable Bluetooth speakers for 2025. The Beats Pill is down to $100 from $150 — a record-low price for the speaker.

Let's be honest, that first glimpse of warm weather is here and it's making us dream of sitting by the beach or picnics with friends. The Beats Pill is a solid option to provide the soundtrack to your summer. We gave it in 83 in our review thanks, in part, to its durability. The speaker has an IP67 waterproof rating, so you shouldn't have to worry at all if it gets a bit wet.

The Beats Pill also offers 24-hour battery life and improved sound quality from its predecessor. However, we have found that the audio does hurt a bit when at loud volumes and it can have an inconsistent bass tone.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/pick-up-the-beats-pill-speaker-while-its-on-sale-for-a-record-low-price-140306981.html?src=rss

CISA is warning of new malware targeting vulnerable Ivanti productsMultiple products, vulnerable to a 2024 flaw, are being targetedThe malware can create web shells, harvest credentials, and more

Multiple Ivanti products are being targeted by a piece of malware called RESURGE, a new security advisory published by the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has said, detailing both the malware and the vulnerability being exploited to deploy it.Resurge is a variant of SPAWNCHIMERA, a piece of malware targeting Ivanti Connect Secure appliances, enabling unauthorized access and persistent control over vulnerable endpoints.While RESURGE can also survive reboots, the malware can also create web shells, manipulate integrity checks, modify files, and use the web shells to harvest credentials, create accounts, reset passwords, and escalate permissions.

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Remote code execution risks

Furthermore, RESURGE can copy the web shell to the Ivanti running boot disk and manipulate the running coreboot image.To infect the devices with RESURGE, threat actors are abusing CVE-2025-0282, a critical stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability in Ivanti Connect Secure, Policy Secure, and Neurons for ZTA gateways. It allows remote unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary code, and has been exploited in the wild since mid-December 2024.CISA added the threat to its KEV catalog in early January 2025, noting the vulnerable software includes Ivanti Connect Secure (before version 22.7R2.5), Ivanti Policy Secure (before version 22.7R1.2), and Ivanti Neurons for ZTA gateways (before version 22.7R2.3).There are a number of things companies could do to mitigate the risk, CISA says.“For the highest level of confidence, conduct a factory reset,” the advisory says. “For Cloud and Virtual systems, conduct a factory reset using an external known clean image of the device.”Furthermore, users should reset credentials of privileged and non-privileged accounts, reset passwords for all domain users and all local accounts, review access policies to temporarily revoke privileges/access for affected devices, reset the relevant account credentials or access keys, and monitor related accounts, especially administrative accounts.Via The Register

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This year’s Amazon Spring Sale has ended, but there are still some deals floating around that you can take advantage of. While this shopping event focused the discounts on household, outdoor and fashion gear, a number of our favorite gadgets made it into the sale. In line with the "spring" theme, we found great discounts on cordless vacuums, robot vacuums, air purifiers and other smart home tech, along with solid deals on headphones, streaming devices, mesh Wi-Fi systems and more. Here, we've collected the best Amazon Spring Sale deals you can still get today even after the event has ended.

Best Amazon Spring Sale deals you can still get

Amazon Fire TV Stick HD for $20 ($15 off): Our top pick for the best budget streaming device can play content at 1080p/60fps and now its remote can also control your TV's power and volume. There's also Alexa support built into the remote, so you can use voice commands to search for content.

Sonos Ray for $179 ($100 off): This is our favorite midrange soundbar thanks to its compact, attractive design and easy setup. It's best for those who have a smaller living room or den they want to outfit with better TV sound. Also available at Sonos in their March Madness sale.

Bose QuietComfort headphones for $249 ($100 off): These Bose over-ear headphones provide excellent noise cancellation, a comfortable fit and up to 24 hours of listening time on a single charge. A quick-charge feature will net you 2.5 hours of battery life in just 15 minutes of charging, so you'll rarely have to go without them, too.

Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones for $329 ($100 off): These hold the top spot in our best wireless headphones guide for excellent noise cancellation. These cans will give you a step up in ANC, blocking out most noise and chatter of those around you. General audio quality has been improved as well, and they have a comfy fit.

Beats Fit Pro for $169 (15 percent off): These are the best wireless earbuds for working out thanks to their comfortable, secure fit, good sound quality with thumping bass and handful of convenient features provided by Apple's H1 chipset. It provides quick-pairing and switching between Apple devices (and quick pairing with Android phones), Find My compatibility and hands-free Siri.

Dyson AM09 heater and fan for $408 (13 percent off): The AM09 has been around for ages, and for good reason. It's an excellent heater during cold months and fan during warm months, so you can use it all year round. Jet Focus control lets you choose from Focused or Diffused for personal or whole-room heating or cooling, and the handy sleep timer lets you set when the device turns off in intervals from 15 minutes up to nine hours.

Levoit Core 400S air purifier for $187 ($33 off): Our top pick for the best air purifier for most people, the Core 400S has easy-to-use onboard controls, powerful filtering technology that isn't too loud and relatively affordable replacement filters. It reliably improved air quality in our testing, and even though its mobile app is a little overstuffed, it gives you another way to control and monitor the device.

Chipolo One for $20 ($5 off): The Chipolo One is the top overall pick in our guide to the best Bluetooth trackers. While Apple’s AirTag can tap into a substantially larger crowd-sourcing network, we’ve found the One to send separation alerts faster when you’ve left an item behind and ring louder when you’re back in its vicinity.

Audible (three months) for $3 ($42 off): This deal gives you access to Audible Premium Plus, which includes one credit each month that you can spend on any book you'd like, along with listening access to thousands of other books, podcasts and Audible Originals. You also get to take part in Audible's exclusive member sales. Only US customers who are not already subscribed to Audible can take advantage of this deal.

Apple Watch Series 10 for $329 ($70 off): Apple’s flagship wearable is the best smartwatch you can buy, period. While the Series 10 was an iterative update, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It sports a slightly longer battery life, a slimmer design and wide-angle OLED screen for better viewing angles. It tracks workouts accurately and delivers alerts to your wrist efficiently.

Apple Watch SE for $199 (20 percent off): Those on tighter budgets can opt for the Apple Watch SE and know they’re getting the core Apple wearable experience with few compromises. We consider it to be the best smartwatch for newbies.

iPad Air M3 for $549 ($50 off): The latest version of the iPad Air now runs on the M3 chipset, and it continues to hold the top spot in our best iPads guide. It has the best combination of power, design and extra features, so you can use it primarily as a media consumption device if you wish, or you can add iPad accessories like an Apple Pencil or a Magic Keyboard to turn it into a true workhorse.

iRobot Roomba Robot Vacuum and Mop Combo for $149 ($126 off): This "essential" Roomba is relatively no-frills, but it has the added benefit of being a mopping robot in addition to a vacuum. It includes a washable mopping pad and a water reservoir so you can clean hard floors, and it will autonomously vacuum just like all of iRobot's other basic robovacs.

Eufy 3-in-1 E20 robot vacuum for $400 ($200 off): If you can’t decide between a robot vacuum or a lightweight stick vac, you don’t have to. The new Eufy E20 combines a robo vac, cordless upright and handheld vacuum in one machine. Plus the automatically emptying base holds a lot of debris for its size. While we found the robot performance to be better than the stick vac suction, it’s still impressive and convenient for an all-in-one model.

Cosori 9-in-1 air fryer for $90 ($30 off): One of our favorites in our best air fryers guide, this Cosori model has nine preset cooking modes and a spacious cooking basket that can handle more food at once than you might expect. It's not too large, so it can sit on your countertop all the time, and the basket has a safety release button that prevents accidental pulls.

TP-Link Deco XE75 Pro mesh Wi-Fi system for $280 (30 percent off): Our current pick for the best mesh Wi-Fi system you can get, this TP-Link bundle may be no-frills, but it gets the job done nicely. It's easy to set up and provides excellent Wi-Fi 6E performance, plus the three included nodes can cover up to 7,200 square feet.

Samsung Evo Select microSD card (512GB) for $35 ($5 off): A value pick in our best microSD cards guide, this Evo Select card provides respectable read and write speeds, and it comes with a full-sized adapter.

Samsung T7 portable SSD (2TB) for $140 (48 percent off): We're on the T9 series now, but if you're looking to save a bit of cash, the T7 remains a great option for on-the-go storage. It supports read and write speeds up to 1,050/1,000 MB/s and sports a pocket-friendly design.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/amazon-spring-sale-tech-deals-the-best-sales-you-can-still-get-from-apple-bose-irobot-dyson-and-others-130607704.html?src=rss

The first information about the Monster Hunter Wilds roadmap has been revealed. Post-launch, players can expect regular updates, with two large updates having already been announced. Looking at previous games, we can expect new monsters and Event Quests moving forward, spaced out throughout the year.Monster Hunter Wilds is another step forward for the long-running co-op action franchise. For one, its huge open world is more seamless, and more alive than ever before, with distinct seasons that promise to mix up hunts in interesting ways. Now that we've published our Monster Hunter Wilds review, the game has landed on our list of best multiplayer PC games.Here's everything you need to know about Monster Hunter Wilds' roadmap and upcoming DLC updates. We'll detail what's been announced in terms of post-launch support, and as we move through the year, we'll also take a look at the schedule moving forward. It's clear that Capcom intends to support the game for a while, so stay tuned for regular updates to this page.Update (April 1): We've added some new details on the Tempered Monsters arriving as part of the end of May update. These are outlined in a letter from Monster Hunter Wilds director Tokuda, which you can view in full here. Two new Event Quests have been announced as well, and one of them rewards Artian Materials upon completion.

Monster Hunter Wilds roadmap

(Image credit: Capcom)

Monster Hunter Wilds currently has two post-launch title update DLCs planned. You can find these listed below, with some details on each. In addition, we've broken out some of the core content that's planned for the next two months or so.

Monster Hunter Wilds Free DLC 1

(Image credit: Capcom)

First up, we have the Free Update Title 1 DLC. This is the one we know most about, as it's already been revealed that Mizutsune (Hunter Rank 21 or above) will be the main monster added. For those that don't know, Mizutsune is a kind of bubble dragon, that moves around like a dancer, elegantly weaving through the air. It's seriously formidable, secreting bubbles that will give you Bubbleblight, increasing your evasiveness, before making it difficult to move around without slipping. In Monster Hunter Rise, you needed to ensure you were stocked up on Cleansers, to combat this ailment.Alongside Mizutsune is the addition of The Grand Hub. This is a large social space where hunters can hang out, eat meals, plan quests and even go Barrel Bowling. Then there's Arena Quests, as well as the addition of Zoh Shia as a hunt able monster outside of the main campaign (Hunter Rank 50 or above).Shortly after the launch of Title Update 1, there'll be a Seasonal Event called Festival of Accord: Blossom Dance. This runs from April 22 until May 6 and sees The Grand Hub bloom with pink flower blossoms. There will be exclusive gear to earn during this time too.On April 29, a new Event Quest will be added, featuring Arch-Tempered Ray Dau. This will be the strongest foe in the game, and will be available until May 20.Finally, a Capcom collaboration will go live at some point towards the end of May. In the past, we've seen Resident Evil and Mega Man collaborations. This year, we're hoping for Death Stranding 2, and Assassin's Creed Shadows crossovers.

Monster Hunter Wilds Free DLC 2

(Image credit: Capcom)

Capcom has also revealed Free Title Update 2, which, for now at least, has yet to be fully detailed. We know that it'll add a new monster, as well as new Event Quests. We also know that it'll arrive sometime in Summer 2025.During a Monster Hunter Showcase that aired on March 25, 2025, a small tease for Title Update 2 was shown right at the end. A splash of water, then a roar, followed by a scaly talon has led many to believe that Lagiacrus could be returning. This'd mark the first time the monster has made an appearance in a mainline Monster Hunter game since Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate.

Monster Hunter Wilds Event Quests

(Image credit: Capcom)

Capcom has announced that Monster Hunter Wilds will be updated regularly with Event Quests moving forward. Here's what's been revealed so far:

Anguish and Atrocity: April 3 - April 8 (An event quest for earning tons of Hunter Rank Points)King of a Faraway Sky: April 8 - April 15 (Artian materials)When do Quematrice Sing?: April 8 - April 22 (Amstrigian α! headgear)Arch-Tempered Ray Dau - April 29, 2025 (details tbc but only available at Hunter Rank 50 or above)

Monster Hunter Wilds Challenge Quests

(Image credit: Capcom)

Capcom has revealed that Challenge Quests are set to arrive in Monster Hunter Wilds. Only one has been announced so far: Doshaguma of the Hollow. This runs from April 3 all the way up to April 17.A Challenge Quest where you use specific equipment to race the clock! Participate to earn an exclusive pendant. In past games, this has meant having to try out different weapons, with only a few usable during the quest. As such, it's a good idea to get some experience with a wider variety of weapons, maybe give the Hunting Horn a go?

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Filming is officially underway on House of the Dragon season 3The announcement has been overshadowed by a spat between its showrunner and George R.R. MartinIt's unclear what the tit for tat means for Martin's future involvement with the HBO TV show

House of the Dragon (HotD) is renowned for the incendiary fallout that destroys House Targaryen from within, but it appears that life is imitating art as filming gets underway on the hit HBO TV Original's third season.Yesterday (March 31), HBO confirmed that House of the Dragon season 3 has entered full production ahead of its to-be-announced release date on Max (US and Australia) and Sky/Now TV (UK).

The fight for the Throne is far from over. S3 of #HOTD is now in production. pic.twitter.com/NUe4POwIJMMarch 31, 2025

Pleasing as this news is, it's since been overshadowed by an increasingly fraught tit-for-tat between the live-action series' showrunner and George R.R. Martin. The latter, of course, is the fantasy book namesake's author and world-famous creator of Game of Thrones, aka HotD's multi-novel sequel that was also turned into a hugely popular HBO TV show.Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, HotD showrunner Ryan Condal responded to comments made by Martin in a September 2024 blog post that's since been deleted.Writing to fans at the time, Martin failed to hide his disappointment over the creative decisions that were taken for House of the Dragon season 2. Issues that Martin brought to light, as reported by IGN last September, included the absence of Aegon and Helaena's third child Maelor, the latter's importance to the shocking 'Blood and Cheese' storyline, and how this major change sets the stage for even more "toxic" alterations to be made in one of the best Max shows' third and fourth seasons.

There's no official word on whether Martin is still consulting on House of the Dragon's TV adaptation (Image credit: Theo Whitman/HBO)

Seven months on from Martin publicly airing his frustrations, Condal acknowledged that such changes would disappoint Martin the "literary icon... and personal hero of mine", as well as HotD and Thrones' global fanbase. Nevertheless, he sought to defend himself against Martin's remonstrations before politely suggesting that the legendary author became difficult to work with."It [the Targaryen civil war] is this incomplete history and it requires a lot of joining of the dots and a lot of invention as you go along the way," Condal said."I will simply say, I made every effort to include George in the adaptation process. I really did. Over years and years. And we really enjoyed a mutually fruitful, I thought, really strong collaboration for a long time. But, at some point, as we got deeper down the road, he just became unwilling to acknowledge the practical issues at hand in a reasonable way."And, I think as a showrunner, I have to keep my practical producer hat on and my creative writer, lover-of-the-material hat on at the same time," he added. "At the end of the day, I just have to keep marching not only the writing process forward, but also the practical parts of the process forward for the sake of the crew, the cast, and for HBO, because that's my job. So I can only hope that George and I can rediscover that harmony someday."

New details on House of the Dragon season 3 revealed

Matt Smith and company will be joined by at least three new faces next season (Image credit: HBO/Theo Whitman)

Away from the increasingly fiery exchange between the two creatives, Condal and HBO revealed new information on the hit series' forthcoming season.In a press release, HBO announced Tommy Flanagan (Sons of Anarchy) and Dan Fogler (Fantastic Beasts) had signed on to play Ser Roderick Dustin and Ser Torrhen Manderly in season 3. The duo join fellow newcomer James Norton (Happy Valley), who was previously confirmed to have joined the case as Ormund Hightower.Elsewhere, Condal teased the Battle of the Gullet, one of the most important conflicts that comprise the Targaryen civil war, will be adapted in season 3. Lastly, HBO revealed the show's next chapter will, like its forebear, contain eight episodes rather than the 10 that collectively told season 1's story.For more HotD coverage, refresh your memory with what happened last time around by reading my House of the Dragon season 2 ending explained piece. Alternatively, see if you agree with our ranking of the best Game of Thrones seasons.

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As artificial intelligence (AI) evolves, the rise of Agentic AI – systems that can act autonomously and make decisions without constant human oversight – holds immense potential to transform the workforce. These systems can automate complex tasks, boost productivity, and drive operational efficiency.However, as AI gains autonomy, it also introduces new challenges, particularly around accuracy and reliability. Issues like AI hallucinations underscore the need for careful management. And as businesses increasingly rely on AI for customer service, decision-making, and content creation, ensuring these systems are trustworthy becomes crucial.The future of work will be shaped by AI, not by replacing humans but by augmenting their abilities. While some jobs may be displaced, new opportunities will emerge, allowing workers to focus on tasks requiring creativity, strategy, and emotional intelligence. The key to this future lies in establishing strong guardrails to ensure AI’s responsible, effective use.

The Challenge of AI Hallucinations and Their Impact

Despite its capabilities, Agentic AI is far from flawless. One of the most significant challenges AI systems face is the phenomenon of "hallucinations," or instances where the AI generates information that is inaccurate, misleading, or completely false.These hallucinations occur because AI systems, particularly large language models (LLMs), learn from vast amounts of data, but they don’t always have a full understanding of the context or accuracy of that data. When the information fed into these models is incorrect or incomplete, the AI can produce responses that seem plausible but are factually incorrect.Hallucinations are particularly dangerous because they are difficult to detect. Unlike traditional software bugs that result in obvious error messages, AI hallucinations can appear as coherent and confident responses, making it challenging for users to spot errors.This poses significant risks for businesses that deploy AI in customer-facing roles. If an AI chatbot gives customers inaccurate answers, it can damage the company’s reputation, erode trust, and result in lost sales. For instance, a customer relying on an AI-driven customer service bot for urgent information could be misled by a hallucinated response, leading to frustration and dissatisfaction.For organizations, these hallucinations represent more than just a minor annoyance. They can have real financial and reputational costs. Businesses must ensure that their AI systems are both accurate and trustworthy if they are to capitalize on the benefits of automation without jeopardizing customer loyalty or operational efficiency.

The Role of Dynamic Meaning Theory in AI

To mitigate hallucinations and improve AI accuracy, it’s essential to focus on how AI understands and processes meaning. One framework that can help improve AI’s performance is Dynamic Meaning Theory (DMT). According to this theory, the meaning of words and phrases is not fixed but evolves dynamically based on context.In other words, the meaning of a term may shift depending on the surrounding information and the situation in which it is used. This concept is crucial for AI systems that need to generate contextually appropriate and accurate responses. DMT helps AI systems better understand the nuances of language, reducing the likelihood of errors caused by misunderstanding context. With this framework, AI models can become more adept at producing relevant, accurate, and nuanced outputs.

Mitigating Hallucinations and Ensuring Responsible AI Use

The key to preventing hallucinations is ensuring that AI systems are capable of continually learning from new data, feedback, and evolving language trends, so they can adapt to the ever-changing contexts in which they operate. This adaptability is critical in minimizing the occurrence of hallucinations.There are several strategies businesses can use leverage:Quality Data and Robust Training: One of the most effective ways to reduce hallucinations is to ensure that AI systems are trained on high-quality, accurate, and contextually relevant data. Enterprises can combine internal, proprietary data with external sources to provide a more comprehensive and accurate base for AI training.Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG): This approach integrates AI systems with real-time data retrieval mechanisms, ensuring that responses are grounded in the most up-to-date, relevant information available.Fine-Tuning: Regularly fine-tuning AI models with fresh, accurate data is essential to ensure that they remain aligned with the latest knowledge and trends. This process helps reduce bias and ensures AI systems are better prepared to handle complex queries.

Implementing Guardrails for Responsible AI

To navigate the growing power of Agentic AI, businesses must implement ethical guardrails. These include clear guidelines, transparent development practices, and systems for continuous monitoring. Human-in-the-loop systems can ensure that AI remains accountable by allowing for human intervention when necessary. Additionally, businesses should work with regulators to develop standards for AI use that prioritize safety, transparency, and accountability.In this new era of intelligent automation, AI can be a powerful ally, but only if we establish the right safeguards to guide its development and use. The future of work is at the intersection of technology and humanity, and the responsible use of Agentic AI will determine whether we realize its full potential or encounter unforeseen risks.

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This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro