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Irishwoman Kearns lauded for pulling off illegal double Gaelic ‘solo’ AFLW boss says league to look at changing rules after 2026 finals The AFL will look at rule changes in its women’s competition to make it easier for Irish players to add their own flair, in a nod to the almost 50 former Gaelic footballers in the AFLW. One of the main differences between the sister sports, apart from the shape of the ball and field, is the bounce explicitly required for players in Australian rules running more than 15 metres. Continue reading...

After Apple raised iPhone prices earlier this year, a new rumor claims it plans to launch the base iPhone 18 with a higher price, too. A Weibo post from leaker Digital Chat Station, spotted by 9to5Mac, says the base iPhone 18 is getting a couple upgrades with the price hike, including a larger battery and […]

Dyson’s first electric toothbrush watches you brush and flosses for you, but there are far cheaper ways to get an effective clean • The best electric toothbrushes for every budget When Dyson announced it was entering the toothbrush market, the world responded almost as one: “Four hundred and twenty pounds? For a toothbrush!?” No, it wasn’t a stray decimal point – or if it was, Dyson is doubling down and leaning into the mistake. Unlike high-end brushes from Oral-B or Philips Sonicare, where the “recommended” in “recommended retail price” is doing a heroic amount of heavy lifting given the frequent discounts, the Dyson CameraJet will actually set you back £419.99. Continue reading...

Sonos is rolling out a big app update that includes new Presets and early access to its AI voice assistant. You can create a preset to play music at a specific volume in a certain room, which will appear directly on the homescreen so you can quickly start playback. If you're in the US, you […]

People, including on this staff, keep asking me with varying degrees of excitement or trepidation when the AI bubble will burst. I'll tell you what I tell them: If I knew that, I would make a life-changing bet on the market, levered up as far as I could, and then, after I made my money, […]

Imran Perretta discusses his feature debut, which has traveled the festival circuit over the past year and attracted attention amid the riots in France: "It sparks a conversation."

Hot Springs, Arkansas is known for many things – as the childhood home of Bill Clinton, as the former site of Major League Baseball’s spring training (in the era of Babe Ruth), for its beautiful national park, and for its mineral springs and the splendid early 20th century bathhouses built to accommodate legions of spa-goers. […]

It's Monday, March 31st, which means that World Backup Day has officially started! In this blog we will be bringing you live coverage of all the news, updates and advice from the cloud and data experts on World Backup Day 2025.Keeping your important files and precious memories backed-up securely using a backup strategy might sound like overkill, but if your drive fails or your data is encrypted by a malicious program, you'll be kicking yourself for not backing up sooner.Making sure your data is safe and protected has never been so important as we continue our way in the wild world of digital transformation, but with so much to do these days, it can sometimes go forgotten. Don't worry though, we've rounded up

advice from our experts to make sure your data is protected.horror tales from our team and elsewhere to remind you of what can happenexclusive deals from our backup partners to keep your data safebackup content from our extensive archivedata backup stories around the worldAnd much more!

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What is World Backup Day anyway

World Backup Day was founded by Ismail Jadun on a subreddit back on the 30th of March 2011, the day before April's fool. That date was not chosen randomly as it gave birth to the event's tagline, Don't be an April Fool. Backup your data. World Backup Day is now an annual fixture in the global tech calendar with tens of thousands of articles and mentions every year and a multi-lingual website(ed: Unfortunately, we couldn't find the original Reddit post).

The World Backup Day Pledge

Back in the days, backup was solely mostly on shiny discs because they were so cheap (Image credit: sattahipbeach / Shutterstock)

It's almost the start of World Backup Day in New Zealand where it is 1 minute past midnight on Monday 31st of March, the last day of the first quarter of 2025. WBD even have a semi-official pledge: “I solemnly swear to backup my important documents and precious memories on March 31st. #WorldBackupDay”. Backup, of course, applies both to consumers and businesses as well and in large enterprises, falls under the remit of the CDO or Chief Data officer. Maybe someone should write such a pledge for businesses after all.

How big is World Backup Day?

LTO tape is a popular medium in enterprise setup because of its capacity and price (Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

Google Trends shows a big spike for World Backup Day every year since it launched, towards the end of March. There is a weird one, bigger than all of them, recorded in July 2005, 6 years before the debut of the happening. A quick search on Google didn't bring up anything relevant. We know that citizens from Singapore and Slovenia have been searching the most about World Backup Day over the years. Not so much for other countries of the Western world.

Wait, what is backup?

(Image credit: Deemerwha studio / Shutterstock)

A backup, in tech terms, is a bunch of files that have been copied over to a service (like a cloud backup provider), a local device (like a USB flash drive) or to a remote device (e.g. NAS located next door). That's the simplest way of looking at it. Remember though that this is only a snapshot. Some files change all the time and you may need to adopt a regular backup process, either manual or automated, in order to make sure your data is always safe. Why not download one of these free backup software and try your hands at your first backup?

The ultimate playlist for your World Backup Day

(Image credit: Yamaha )

We asked Google's Gemini to come up with a list of songs that best embody data backup and storage. We got quite an eclectic one, which may raise an eyebrow or two when should you play it in your office. Here it is

"Don't Delete the Kisses" - French Kisses: (Literal, suggesting saving precious moments)"Cloudbusting" - Kate Bush: (Cloud storage metaphor, and a feeling of being saved/rescued)"Safe and Sound" - Capital Cities: (Feeling secure, like your data is protected)"Keep Your Head Up" - Andy Grammer: (Resilience, backing up your strength)"Fix You" - Coldplay: (Recovery and restoration, like recovering lost data)"The Backup Plan" - Jennifer Lopez: (Directly related, even if it's about relationships)"Locked Out of Heaven" - Bruno Mars: (The feeling of losing access, needing a backup)"Digital Love" - Daft Punk: (Digital connection, the importance of preserving it)"Shelter" - Porter Robinson & Madeon: (Finding a safe space, like a secure backup)"Every Breath You Take" - The Police: (Constant monitoring, like vigilant data security)"Under Pressure" - Queen & David Bowie: (The stress of data loss, and the need for backup)"Save Tonight" - Eagle-Eye Cherry: (Saving something valuable before it's gone)"With a Little Help from My Friends" - The Beatles: (Community backup, support systems)"I Will Survive" - Gloria Gaynor: (Data resilience and recovery)"The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades" - Timbuk 3: (Looking forward with confidence, knowing you're prepared with backups)

Why should I have a regular backup?

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Having a regular data backup can help protect your important files from being lost in a number of situations. For example, your regular storage could suffer a hardware failure rendering your files unrecoverable, or you could be the victim of a ransomware attack that encrypts all of your data unless you pay a substantial fee. By having a regular backup in place, you can avoid losing your files in these situations saving you from the mental anguish of being unable to recover precious memories and important work files.

What is the difference between Cloud Storage and Cloud Backup anyway?

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

I'm sure this is a question that is often asked on World Backup Day. Cloud Storage is used just like the regular storage on your phone or computer, providing an online drive to store your files on. An internet connection is required to access your cloud drive unless you mark a file as 'available offline'. Cloud storage will also allow you to synchronize and share files.Cloud Backup on the other hand is more for protecting important data. Cloud backups can be scheduled to automatically store and encrypt specific files and folders to keep them available if your local version is lost or corrupted.

What online backup service do you currently use?

(Image credit: Shutterstock / nikkimeel)

We polled over 2,500 TechRadar Pro readers through our WhatsApp channel, and it might interest you to hear which cloud storage options were most popular. Between Google Drive, OneDrive, IDrive, Apple Cloud, Dropbox, and ‘other’, we asked our readers which online storage options they’re using, and we’ve listed all of our recommendations for best photo backup cloud services, so don’t forget to let us know in the comments what you recommend and why! Check out our full findings here.

How much backup storage do I need?

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

When choosing a backup strategy, one of the biggest factors you need to consider is the amount of backup space you need. The most important thing to remember is that a backup is for important files, not for all your files. Most people will have between 500GB and a couple of terabytes worth of storage space on their computer, but if you download a lot of films from streaming services to watch offline, or have your entire Steam library downloaded, you won't need to store them in your backup.Most of the best cloud backup plans offer between 1TB and 5TB of storage at a variety of price points, with highly customizable options and extra features to suit your backup requirements.

How often should I backup my files?

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

This really depends on your chosen mode of storage. For cloud backup services, you can often set up a backup schedule that suites you. This can often range from one a week, to as often as every 15 minutes for highly important files that are subject to frequent changes. As for physical storage, you may have to manually save your important files to you chosen media as often as you need, but luckily you can use the best backup software to schedule automatic backups for your physical drives and even sync them with your cloud backups in line with the 3-2-1 backup strategy.

What role does AI have in data security?

AI is a tool that can be used both by the criminals and the cybersecurity defend teams (Image credit: Shutterstock)

Since the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022, AI has been at the forefront of conversations everywhere, from boardrooms to school yards. Simon Jelley, Vice President and General Manager, Data Protection, Arctera told us his thoughts about ambivalent role AI plays in data security.“AI enhances data security, monitoring and productivity but also increases risk of data loss and cyber threats. Automated scanning and sophisticated phishing attacks from this technology also introduces new challenges, namely the enhanced ability to identify and exploit vulnerabilities. Organisations need to stay on the front foot against these evolving threats. This World Backup Day serves as a reminder that data protection must be a shared responsibility. It’s not just for data protection experts, but for all IT professionals, including newer players such as cloud and cyber security specialists."

Data backup is more than just hard drives and tape, it's also about connectivity

Hard drives are also a popular medium for warm storage but they are costly and need more power (Image credit: bohed/Pixabay )

When we think of data backup, we usually conjure pictures of hard drives, tapes and optical media like Blu-ray. But backup is more than that especially when you think about remote backup. Dr. Thomas King, the CTO of global internet exchange operator DE-CIX, makes the point below that scalable data backup doesn't work without resilient connectivity.World Backup Day has traditionally carried a very simple yet powerful message for businesses: backup your data. A large part of this is “data redundancy” – the idea that storing multiple copies of data in separate locations will offer greater resilience in the event of an outage or network security breach. Yet, as workloads have moved into the cloud, and AI and SaaS applications have become dominant vehicles for productivity, the concept of “redundancy” has started to expand. Businesses not only need contingency plans for their data, but contingency plans for their connectivity. Relying on a single-lane, vendor-locked connectivity pathway is a bit like only backing your data up in one place – once that solution fails, it’s game over.

"Backup is just the beginning"

Disaster recovery and business resilience should be an intrinsic part of any backup plans (Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

Powerful words from Frank DeBenedetto, General Manager of GTM, MSP Suite at IT SaaS company Kaseya about Backup and how it is just the beginning on what is a journey fraught with dangers. He added "disaster recovery is what ensures business resilience. Organisations must go beyond simple data storage and embrace a comprehensive recovery strategy to minimise downtime, mitigate cyber risks, and ensure business continuity. With modern threats on the rise and emerging technologies shaping the landscape, a proactive and well-defined disaster recovery approach is more critical than ever".

What is the 3-2-1 backup concept?

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

The 3-2-1 backup concept is an expert-recommended strategy for keeping your files as safe and secure as possible. The basic concept revolves around having three copies of your data (one of which being the original), stored on at least two different types of media (a hard drive and a cloud sever, for example), with at least one of the copies being stored off-site and preferably in an 'air-gapped' environment. This means that there is no external connection to the storage medium, so if you store your backed-up data on a hard drive in a box under your bed you have effectively air-gapped your backup.

Apple has released a second release candidate for iOS 18.4The latest rumors suggest the update could be released on April 1Official release notes list Apple Intelligence upgrades and other new features

Apple has released the second release candidate for iOS 18.4, and though we still don’t have a release date for iOS 18.4 proper, it seems likely that the next mid-year iOS update is right around the corner.Indeed, we expect iOS 18.4 to land as soon as this week (MacRumors predicts April 1), and this pre-release version of the update gives us an official idea of what to expect.It seems that iOS 18.4 is a fairly substantial update by mid-year standards – Apple Intelligence continues its shaky rollout, the Photos app gets some new features, Apple News+ gets some tasty new recipes, and ambient music enjoyers are in for a surprise.As for compatibility, all iPhone models that currently support iOS 18.3 – that's the iPhone Xs to the current-generation iPhone 16 lineup – will almost certainly support iOS 18.4.

New Apple Intelligence features

(Image credit: Apple)

iOS 18.4 sees Apple continue the rollout of Apple Intelligence for compatible devices, with a handful of features first announced in 2024 finally making their way to users.The big ticket item this time around is Priority Notifications, which uses AI to identify important notifications and pin them to your lock screen.Image playground also gets an overdue feature in the form of the Sketch style, which allows users to create images inspired by hand-drawn sketches using AI.Another minor addition is review summaries in the app store; that's AI-generated overviews of user-generated app reviews.Apple Intelligence also gets support for eight new languages: Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese (Brazil), French (France, Canada), Italian, Japanese, Korean, and German, as well as two local dialects of English, for Singapore and India.Siri is conspicuously missing from these release notes: we had originally hoped to see Siri get its long-awaited Apple Intelligence update with iOS 18.4, but it looks like we'll be waiting even longer for this (hopefully) game-changing upgrade.It now seems more likely that Siri will get its AI upgrade with iOS 19, which will likely release in September alongside the rumored iPhone 17 lineup.

Photos app updates

(Image credit: Future)

iOS 18.4 brings a selection of new features to the Photos app, making it easier to organize and rearrange your photos and videos.All collections get a selection of filtering options, such as including or excluding photos from a particular album or sorting by either the oldest or newest photos first.Users also gain the ability to sort their media by date modified, rather than date created, which is helpful for keeping recently cropped or edited photos together.It’s also now possible to disable the automatically created Recently Shared and Recently Viewed albums, and hidden photos will no longer be imported to Mac or PC if the user has enabled the Use Face ID security option.

Apple News+ gets recipes

(Image credit: Apple)

With iOS 18.4, Apple News+ gains a new Food section full of stories about healthy eating, restaurants, and recipes.It’s a fairly sizeable addition to the already fairly comprehensive Apple News+ service, and gives users plenty of new articles to dig into.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.Keep in mind that this is a new feature for the Apple News+ service, which costs $12.99 / £12.99 / AU$19.99 per month, and not for the free Apple News app.

Vision Pro get its own iPhone app

(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

iOS 18.4 adds the Vision Pro app to iPhone, giving Vision Pro users the ability to check for new spatial content and get quick information about their headset.By the sounds of things, 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)

This is a weird one. Apple is adding a dedicated Ambient Music feature to iPhone with iOS 18.4 – but it’s not its own app, or even a part of the Apple Music app.Instead, users have to add the Ambient Music control to their control center, in a similar manner to the way Shazam is currently implemented.Users then get access to four playlists of ambient music, titled Sleep, Chill, Productivity, and Wellbeing.For those who haven’t come across ambient music before, it’s a form of relaxed, slow music that aims to be enjoyable to listen to without focus – typically we’re talking woodwinds, strings, synthesizers, and a lack of percussion.The release notes don’t suggest that users will need an Apple Music subscription to use the new Ambient Music feature.

Other new features

As well as the new features listed above, iOS 18.4 also comes with a handful of smaller updates and bug fixes.For example, screen time limits now remain in place when an app is uninstalled and reinstalled, and it's easier to add child-safe settings during device setup. Safari also gets recent search suggestions.Additionally, 10 new system languages have been added to iOS: Bangla, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu.Full release notes can be found on Apple’s developer blog. Be sure to let us know what you’re looking forward to most in the comments below.

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Five kink and LGBT apps exposed sensitive user imagesThe images were stored on a server without password protectionThe apps' developer left the issue unfixed for months

Five dating apps exposed over 1.5 million private and explicit images after storing the images in cloud storage buckets without any password protection.Cybersecurity researchers found the image servers of BDSM People, Chica, Pink, Brish and Translove to be highly vulnerable to hackers, putting between 800,000 and 900,000 people at risk of blackmail and extortion.The five sites are all from developer M.A.D Mobile, who was notified of the exposed servers on January 20 but did not remediate the issue until March 28, after the cybersecurity researchers published a report on the exposed servers.

Explicit images exposed

Cybernews researcher Aras Nazarovas discovered the exposed private image servers while conducting analysis on the code that powers the BDSM People app.“The first image in the folder was a naked man in his thirties. As soon as I saw it I realised that this folder should not have been public," Nazarovas told the BBC.On the servers, Nazarovas found several hundred gigabytes of photos, including images from profiles, images sent in direct messages, images that were supposedly removed from the app by moderators, photos from public posts, profile verification photos, and photos included in comments.While the issue has now been remediated, there is no way of knowing how long the servers were exposed, or if Nazarovas was the only person to discover the trove of explicit images.A M.A.D Mobile spokesperson said, “We appreciate their work and have already taken the necessary steps to address the issue. An additional update for the apps will be released on the App Store in the coming days.”Outside of the risk of extortion posed by the unprotected cloud storage buckets, users of the apps in countries with hostile attitudes to LGBT peoples were also put at risk.Dating apps and sites are lucrative targets for hackers due to the highly sensitive personally identifiable information they store. If hit by a ransomware attack, the attackers could not only extort the company for money, but also threaten individuals with the exposure of their data if they don’t pay a fee.

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Oura Ring is moving 'Oura Advisor' out of betaThe AI-powered wellness advisor launched in beta in July of 2024It works alongside the classic Oura tracking experience by letting you ask about data points and get more context

I’ve worn an Oura Ring daily for well over three years at this point, and one of the best parts of the experience that keeps me coming back is excellent, accurate data that’s always contextualized.Thanks to my sleep score, I know how well I slept the night before, how I’m looking forward to the day ahead, and how I can track my activity throughout the day. It’s quite handy and helps to make the whole health and activity tracking experience a bit more actionable.That’s why I was so intrigued when Oura announced a beta AI-powered wellness chatbot, Oura Advisor, in July 2024. I’ve used it plenty since it launched in beta, and evidently, many other Oura users have too. It’s now ready for primetime, as the wellness brand is making it a full-fledged feature in the app for paying members.I’ve used it quite a bit during its beta testing period – the company has dubbed its beta program Oura Labs – and I like how it can complement the regular Oura experience. Do you have a question about your readiness score, or want to provide more context for why you were a little less active? The AI Advisor can tell you.

You can chat with Oura Advisor by typing things out, and it can even make recommendations for activities to help. Though, of course, with any software or AI-powered health feature, it’s not a doctor.It is designed, however, to be a conversation, controlled at your directive, about your health – combining the data tracked within Oura and the company's scientific models with generative AI.

(Image credit: Oura)

In the full release, Oura’s upping the experience, which makes me more excited to give it even more of a try. For one, rather than just referring to a trend it might have picked up on – more active on a given day – it can also pull up visuals and provide them as answers. Beyond just pulling up a chart, Oura says that Advisor now has ‘Trend Detection,’ allowing it to quickly pull data and access metric baselines or learned detected trends.Oura’s expanding Advisor's memory function promises that beyond remembering something, you expressly tell it, say that you’re recovering from an injury, and it will better weave in information from previous chats into the current one. While echoing a film or a Disney theme park ride, Oura promises it will be a more coherent storyline or conversation.When you set up Oura Advisor, you will still have three styles to choose from – supportive, mentoring, or goal-oriented – but it’s now dynamic, allowing the generated responses to be more empathetic, joyous, or even determined on the fly. It will be interesting to see how much improvement this offers to the service I tested in beta.Just like during the Oura Labs testing period, you can set notifications to remind you to interact with Advisor or pull it up on-demand when in the Oura app for iOS or Android. In its full-launch mode, Advisor is available globally in English.While the feature was in beta under Oura Labs, the company says that 60% of folks who enrolled in Advisor used it several times a week, and 20% used it daily. I’m in the former of that group, but these changes could have me calling on the Advisor for a conversation more.

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YouTube is testing a new feature that stops sending you notifications from channels you no longer watch The aim of the feature is to stop users from turning off push notifications altogether, instead adjusting certain alert settings for them.It could be a blessing for subscribers who are bombarded with unwanted notifications but not so much for YouTube creators

Clearing your YouTube notifications is a chore in itself, and it’s not the easiest, especially when you’re subscribed to channels that upload constantly - but YouTube is working on fixing that. In a new test, YouTube is turning off notifications from channels you no longer engage with, and the days of overwhelming push notifications are almost behind us.YouTube made the announcement a few days ago, and it's aimed specifically at subscribers who have their notifications set to ‘All’, but don’t open these alerts. Notifications will still appear in your notification box in the YouTube app, but the platform will turn off push alerts so that you’re not bombarded with unwanted updates. YouTube has gone into detail about how this will pan out, stating the following in its announcement;“Viewers who haven’t recently engaged with a channel despite having been sent recent push notifications will not receive push notifications in the experiment. Notifications will still be available via the notification inbox in the YouTube app. Channels that upload infrequently will not have their notifications affected”. It’s not certain if users will be notified if they’re missing these alerts, nor the duration of this experiment.When creators upload content to YouTube, one of the main ways for them to boost views and subscriber count is to encourage viewers to turn on notifications so that they can be informed when a new video has been uploaded. If you’re a frequent YouTube user and serial video watcher like me, then you’ve probably found yourself turning on notifications for every channel possible, which, in retrospect, results in an overwhelming wave of alerts - but the aim of YouTube’s test is more than simply diluting excessive notifications.

YouTube is going through many changes right now, the biggest one is the addition of its new YouTube Premium Lite subscription plan. (Image credit: Future)

Another time-saving perk, but one that could cost creators

There’s no arguing that having a platform take control of your notification settings is unorthodox and crosses the line into an invasion of personal settings. But this test could result in another time-saving perk from YouTube following its recent playback queue experiments.Although it’s easy to amend your notification settings to avoid an avalanche of alerts, it’s common for YouTube subscribers to disable these altogether instead of adjusting the settings per channel - I'd know, I’m guilty of this. With this latest experiment, YouTube aims to sway viewers from disabling notifications entirely just because their notifications inboxes are stacking up, which is a helpful feature and one that I’m certain to be thankful for in the long run, but I can see how this can be damaging to creators.Push notifications are one of the main things YouTube creators rely on to get their views up and keep their audience engaged as they directly alert their subscribers when videos go live, so YouTube making the executive decision for viewers to no longer receive alerts from channels is a bold move.The platform is going through a lot of changes right now, having just launched its YouTube Premium Lite subscription tier, but let's hope it pays equal attention to the needs of those who rely on their YouTube channel to make a living.

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Samsung Display unveils modular OLED wall-mounted screenThe key tech change is 60% reduction in bezels on OLED displaysIt's very similar to Samsung's The Wall micro-LED product, but OLED

Samsung Display has unveiled a new modular OLED screen concept, in which a screen of a particular size or shape can be built using a series of smaller OLED displays tiled together (via Tom's Guide).If the idea sounds familiar, that's because it's a very similar idea to Samsung's The Wall micro-LED screen – but this is the first time we've seen the idea applied to OLED.The key tech change that's made this possible is that Samsung says it can reduce the bezel space needed on OLED and QD-OLED panels by 40%, bringing them down to 0.6mm. Now, each panel has that bezel, so actually there's a 1.2mm border between the screens, which will be enough of a black line to be noticeable, which is probably part of why this remains a concept for now.But let's assume that Samsung can keep improving the tech and can make the bezel even smaller, in which case I think that makes this tech extremely interesting for creating giant projector-matching OLED TV screens. But I'm not necessarily interested in the square modular concept shown above – the same tech could be applied in other, similar ways.I immediately started thinking about how the prices of the best OLED TVs rise exponentially as the sets get larger, because of particular quirks of OLED production, and how combining smaller screens could make them much more cost effective.

It's a 97-inch OLED! And it's real expensive. (Image credit: LG)

Four 55-inch TVs in a trenchcoat

To illustrate what I mean, I'm going to use LG's OLED TVs rather than Samsung's, because of the sizes involved. The LG G5 (the company's flagship) range includes a 97-inch model, and it costs $24,999 / £24,999.That's literally 10 times the price of the 55-inch LG G5 model, which costs $2,499 / £2,399. And the 97-inch model actually has an inferior panel – it's a couple of generations behind, and will be nowhere near as bright as the 55-inch model's Primary RGB Tandem four-stack panel.The reason for this is that it's incredibly hard to make large-scale OLED TV panels in a cost-effective way. OLED screens are produced on huge sheets called 'mother glass' that are then cut down to smaller sizes; so you can produce nearly four times as many 55-inch screens per mother-glass sheet as you can 97-inch screens.But also, OLED production still has yield problems, meaning that a lot of screens are produced imperfectly, and this wastage is factored in to the cost of the displays. If you're producing a lot of panels per mother glass (if you're making phone screens for example), then the wastage doesn't matter too much – losing a panel only wastes a tiny amount of your material and time.But if you're making 97-inch panels and there's a problem, you've lost a huge amount of material and time, and those costs are factored into the pricing of the good panels, effectively.So the modular concept is immediately interesting because it solves that issue: combine smaller screens into one larger display and reduce the wastage problem massively.

Could Samsung combine multiple Samsung S95F QD-OLED TVs, like the one here, into (Image credit: Future)

So what I'm thinking is this: if the bezels can be reduced further, could we have a 110-inch OLED TV in the future that's actually four 55-inch TVs combined in one unit? That's even larger than the 97-inch model, and yet could cost a (relatively) mere $10,000, based on the cost of four 55-inch LG G5 TVs.And I've used LG as my example because of the easy size comparison to existing TVs, but this new tech is coming from Samsung to potentially use in its QD-OLED TVs – and that's even better, because these panels don't go any larger than 77 inches currently, so doing this would enable it to offer a giant OLED for the first time.It's not as simple as all that, of course. Combining four 4K OLED panels means we're talking about an 8K TV, though Samsung has plenty of experience with 8K processing.And additionally, a lot of purists – i.e., the people most likely to want this TV – would reject any sign of a seam between the panels, so unless the bezels can be totally removed I'm probably talking about something of a pipe dream.But it wouldn't be the first time that a secret dual-screen setup has been used to make cutting-edge tech more realistically priced – the first 5K display on an Apple iMac was literally two 1280 x 1440 displays powered by a custom display processor to treat them as one unit, with no seam down the middle.Obviously, building a TV out of small squares also solves the screen size problem, but there's a simplicity to fixing four 4K TVs together that solves problems such as dealing with a non-standard resolution.I don't think we're going to see a 110-inch OLED built in this way competing with the best TVs any time soon – but if this bezel-reducing tech keeps improving, it could make possible the home theater screen of your dreams, especially with micro-LED not looking like it'll become affordable in the near future.

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Report claims data centers and the aviation industry both account for 3% each of global carbon emissionsBy 2026, the world’s data centers will use as much electricity as JapanGermany is mandating highly efficient data centers from 2026

Increased artificial intelligence activity has led to skyrocketing demand for data centers, with new SPhotonix research claiming the facilities now account for the same amount of emissions as the global aviation industry.Now accounting for 3% of global carbon emissions, the concern is AI and IoT will continue to drive data centers’ environmental impact up, and by 2030, they could consume as much as 13% of the world’s electricity.SPhotonix says 149 zettabytes (ZB) of data was created in 2024 – after just four years, this annual figure could stand at 394ZB, around 2.6x more.

Data centers linked with growing emissions

Quantifying the concerns, SPhotonix revealed data centers currently consume 460TWh per year, but by just 2026, this could more than double to 1,000TWh, which is roughly the same as Japan’s total energy usage. By the end of the decade, these sites could account for 2.5 billion metric tonnes of CO2.The research delves into different types of storage, and reveals HDD storage used for long-term cold data storage and archiving actually sues more data – in order to keep these HDDs at low temperatures for data preservation and drive health, large amounts of energy are required. Cold storage and archiving account for around three-fifths of all data stored today.HDDs also tend to have a shorter lifespan than SSDs, meaning that they must be copied every seven to 10 years, which comes at the expense of high energy consumption and CO2 emissions.“In an increasingly digital world, the environmental impact of data storage is quickly becoming a pressing concern with respective Governments and Regulatory bodies stepping in to enforce sustainability standards,” said SPhotonix Chief Science Officer Peter Kazansky.Kazansky added that Germany will require new data centers to achieve a power usage efficiency of 1.2 or less from next year.“Reliable data management plays a vital role in addressing energy challenges, enabling efficient resource allocation and long-term planning,” Kazansky concluded.

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Welcome, Garmin fans! After last week's announcement of Garmin Connect+, the new premium tier available in the Garmin Connect app, we've seen a big conversation take place online.Some Garmin users are furious, stating they want to "take a stand" against the company for introducing a paid tier. Even though the existing free features will remain free, user sentiment is generally that this is the beginning of a slippery slope for Garmin, and more and more features will be added to Connect+ instead of being available on the app's free tier.Especially egregious is the price of the best Garmin watches, some of them numbering among the most expensive smartwatches ever, and having to now pay still more on top for the whole package.However, we've also seen some people dismiss it all as hysteria, and there's a few vocal people online going against the grain and signing up to the Connect+ free trial.Want to make your voice heard? Email us at matt.evans@futurenet.com, and we'll feature your reply here as part of this live blog. Stay tuned!

What is Garmin Connect+, anyway?

For those not in the know, Garmin Connect+ is Garmin's new premium tier available for its previously-free Garmin Connect app, costing $6.99 / £6.99 / AU$12 per month or $69.99 / £69.99 / AU$120 annually, with a one-month free trial available.For this privilege, Garmin Connect+ will supply Garmin users with new features on top of their free ones, including AI-powered insights dubbed "Active Intelligence" which puts all your stats into context, a Performance Dashboard that allows you to view historic graphs, and improvements to Garmin’s LiveTrack service, including a text-based alerts system.This isn't the first time it's charged for a service (it also charges for an Outdoor Maps+ subscription plan) but this is a service aimed at all Garmin users, not a specific subsection or service.

Why has this angered Garmin users?

Existing Garmin users are angry, in part, because they feel like their app is going to slowly get taken away. While Garmin has been very careful in its messaging, insisting that everything currently free will remain free, users believe they will eventually have to either leave the platform or resort to paying for a usable version of it.Even if all current features remain free, as new ones are added and older ones are no longer supported, the existence of a Connect+ tier invites the possibility that future features will only be available to premium subscribers, a galling prospect if you bought an expensive smartwatch with the expectation it would be supported for years to come.One of the top comments on the video above reads: "No. Bait and switch. We pay premium prices, like my £800 for my Garmin Descent Mk2s, with the understanding that the extra price is subsidising the Garmin Connect platform and its development. Now with just the existence of this, there's little to no chance we'll see any meaningful updates to the free Connect platform from now on. Class action anyone?"Another commenter puts it more succintly: "Is this the beginning of the end?"

Garmin Reddit is furious

(Image credit: Reddit)

With 7,100 upvotes at the time of writing, this thread has prompted an enormous outcry from the community determined to make their voices heard. Here are a few comments from the 431 and counting:

Comment from r/Garmin

Comment from r/Garmin

Comment from r/Garmin

@techradar

♬ original sound - TechRadar

We took to TikTok to ask Garmin users what they thought about the changes, and got quite a few comments there. One user writes "This is bad news. All new features from now on will be behind a paywall. And in few years, then the initial rage settles, they will move more and more features behind paywall like strava did."Another said: "wow! I love paywalled AI which tells me the most basic of information which I could gather my self easily."However, in the interest of balance, not everyone is irate about it. Another TikTok user writes: "If the current features are to stay free then nonworries, pay for the new stuff if you want them if not, don't."

"A greedy company"

The emails have begun to roll in. Remember, if you want to get in touch, email matt.evans@futurenet.com. This one's from Michelangelo:"I'm writing this email to show Garmin what they are risking by being a greedy company... We have probably around 20 devices from Garmin. We just like the quality and the details you get from a premium device."This is why I'm so vocal right now. If Connect+ goes on, I'm definitely done with Garmin. I'll buy another watch for my SO (I was planning for one in May) and I will start doing the opposite of what I've been doing since receiving my original watch. I'll start discouraging people from buying Garmin and propose a valid, European, alternative."Tread lightly Garmin, people hate subscription models, especially on PREMIUM products!Sincerely, A very, VERY, angry customer."

Garmin's AI-powered insights

(Image credit: Garmin)

What exactly is "Active Intelligence", anyway?Similar to Strava's Athlete Intelligence (also on a premium tier: AI's apparently expensive to run), Garmin's Active Intelligence will offer personalized in-app advice based on your training metrics.The example above is a good indication of the kind of AI-generated advice you can expect: top-line, general, quick-fire tips to guide your training based on past and current performance, rather than anything too granular and concrete like a workout plan. You'll reportedly be able to get these messages multiple times a day as your activity and recovery levels change.It's worth noting a Garmin representative emailed and confirmed that the AI was built with user data security in mind. Garmin's aware how sensitive health data is, and the need to keep it secure – especially after a high-profile cyberattack five years ago.

More messages coming through

An email from Vasil says he'll switch away from Garmin if the decision isn't reversed. "Even though I have been a fan of the brand for over 10 years and always buy the latest Fenix model, if the paid version of the mobile application is introduced, I will change the brand!"Meanwhile, a new comment on TikTok simply says "How do you sign up to it?". Sounds like someone's convinced!

The Garmin subreddit is not taking this well

Garmin is getting rid of what makes it special from r/Garmin

The Reddit post above has some particularly poignant things to say."They were different than smartwatch companies locking you to a specific phone. They were different than smartwatch companies forcing you to pay a monthly fee just to use the watch. Heck, they were even different than gaming companies providing you games on a platform and then being able to ban you or change the rules after the fact."They felt like one of those companies you loved being associated with.... Yet another great company losing track of its identity and tacking on or removing things that just don't speak to its customer base."Below are some more examples of negative, highly-upvoted feedback from the subreddit.

I paid $700 for a fenix to avoid the subscription bullshit from r/Garmin

It’s the beginning of the end for Garmin. from r/Garmin

I mean, you've got to laugh...

Me buying my first Garmin watch 2 days ago and joining this sub from r/Garmin

Is the panic overblown?

If you're a new Garmin owner, don't panic. Garmin users aren't going to suddenly see the bottom fall out of their watches' ecosystem; as of now, pretty much all the features on your watch remain unchanged. You can still create routes, generate plans, get your Fitness Age, Body Battery, Endurance Score, workouts, and all the rest of Garmin's goodies as well as ever, without paying a subscription fee. Garmin was keen to emphasize this in all communications about Connect+.Most of the fear is hypothetical, and based on a term coined by blogger-activist Cory Doctorow called "enshittification". This refers to the process of platform decay, as those in charge of online platforms make things worse for users in order to maximize profit.We see it with social networks, media websites, online stores, gaming and all other rmanner of online platforms. Garmin users are afraid that their free experience will eventually get worse, as the company attempts to move more of its users onto the paid platform. We've seen it happen enough times that these fears are not unfounded.On his Pluralistic blog, Doctorow explains it best: "Here is how platforms die: first, they are good to their users; then they abuse their users to make things better for their business customers; finally, they abuse those business customers to claw back all the value for themselves. Then, they die. I call this enshittification."

Has LiveTrack changed?!

(Image credit: Garmin)

More discourse in our TikTok video, with one user sounding very optimistic: "Probably not for the AI, but I would be interested in the Live Track, I use it anyway as I cycle a lot in the mountains, so would be keen to see what the difference is".The updated Live Tracking service offers a personalized LiveTrack profile to share with followers (useful for cross-posting on Strava, for example) and the ability for family and friends to be notified via text when a workout has begun, along with the usual link to share your current location that you get in the free version.However, our Homes Editor (and former Fitness Editor) Cat Ellis, herself an avid user of the Garmin Fenix 7, uses LiveTrack a lot, and told me her LiveTracking recently changed. The LiveTrack text messages to show auto-starts and finishes used to be part of the free version, but seems to have been removed this week ahead of the GC+ announcement.Check out her screenshot from this Monday, then swipe to check out Tuesday's:

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

While Garmin mentioned that all features currently free will remain so, this may indicate a feature was changed shortly in advance of the announcement, which is very disingenuous if so. TechRadar has reached out to Garmin for comment, but email in and let us know if this has changed for you.

Two very different reactions with the same sentiment there

(Image credit: Reddit)

How much does Garmin Connect+ cost, and what do you get?

Garmin Connect+ will cost $6.99 / £6.99 / AU$12 per month or $69.99 / £69.99 / AU$120 annually, with a one-month free trial available.For the price, you're getting those Active Intelligence AI messages, the LiveTrack texts mentioned below, exclusive badges and challenges not available to free-tier Connect users (something which isn't helping quell the ire of badge-hunters unwilling to subscribe) new social features and a Performance Dashboard which allows you to customize how you view historic data.This is confirmed to be different to the Performance Stats tab in the free version.

(Image credit: Future / Matt Evans)

Our reader Corrie emailed in, voicing her concerns:"I’m a long term Garmin user recently replacing my Enduro 3 with the Fenix 8, both premium watches. Strong advocate of Garmin to anyone who will listen."My concern is that new content will go with the new premium paid service and our current content will be eroded to the point where you have no choice to switch either to a new / alternative provider, or to add the subscription."I'm seeing this sentiment a lot: most people aren't worried about the premium tier as it is now, but what may happen later down the line.

A disappointed reader

(Image credit: Coros Vertix)

Another reader, George, emailed in with this to say:"I feel like this is Garmin really pushing their luck, they're the dominant player amongst runners in particular and I believe most of us were under the impression that you pay a premium for Garmin devices to keep the backend services free and available for everyone."It's especially annoying for those of us, myself included who are well-invested into their ecosystem. I have a Garmin watch along with some of their accessories like the running pod as well as an Edge cycling computer, which allows for integration between the two devices and Connect."I feel like when my watch packs up, which probably isn't too far off as it's 4.5 years old, I will likely move over to Coros. Garmin seems to want to be more like Whoop now and I feel like they've lost their community's trust."While I've always been a Garmin fan, I think Coros make superb watches. The Coros Pace 3 tops our best cheap running watch list thanks to its absurdly long battery life and powerful insights.

In the Garmin subreddit's megathread on the issue, one user had this to say. It really hammers home the argument some users have about the high price of the base watch, then being expected to pay more on top:

Comment from r/Garmin

We rated Fitbit Premium very highly in our review, but it's worth noting the base Fitbit devices are much cheaper than Garmins, and tend to come with a six-month subscription to the service rather than one month. However, this is offset by the fact that Fitbit lock more features behind the paywall than Garmin do, and faced a very similar backlash when the Premium tier was implemented.

We're wrapping up this Liveblog now, but you'll still be able to read all the historic posts below without paying an additional fee.Thanks for joining us as you start your weekend, and keep sharing your thoughts via emails and comments! We want to know if this is the end of the road for you and Garmin, or whether you plan to give the Connect+ a free trial a go, in order to see what all the fuss is really about.

I'm back!

(Image credit: Future / Matt Evans)

Matt here! Over the weekend, we've had an influx of comments and emails giving your thoughts on Connect+. So we thought we'd reopen this Liveblog and post a few of your responses. for example, we had an email from Mike, who was considering picking up a Fenix 8 until the news:"Hi Matt, I just read your article. I have been a Garmin fanboy since I bought my Fenix 6 over 3 years ago. With any tech stuff I always skip a generation and then like to wait for all the initial bugs to get ironed out when I come to a new launch."Anyway, long story short: I was just about to get my hands on a top-end Fenix 8, but I'm certainly not going to bother if an £800+ quid watch, which due to gadgets/tech being what they are is bought with a knowledge of future replacement anyway, if I need to pay a subscription to get its best features. What an absolute scam."My Fenix 6 is still going good, and I'll go elsewhere now when it dies."

The conversation extends to the water cooler in TR Towers: homes editor Cat Ellis' running club suggested getting the free trial of Garmin Connect+, getting the exclusive badges (many reportedly worth a hefty four points) – and then cancelling it!in Garmin Connect, points are earned by completing activities and earning badges, allowing you to climb leaderboards and compete against your Garmin Connect network. Badges can be earned by doing an exercise every day for a prescribed time period, covering a certain distance, completing a milestone race, or exercising at a certain time, such as the Lunar New Year badge below.Most badges are worth one or two points, but Garmin clearly beefed up the points totals for the badges for its new premium tier as an early adopter incentive.

(Image credit: Garmin)

One less incentive to buy

We got an email from Shannon, who told us: "the main thing that swung me over to Garmin was 1) the battery life exceeded most of the popular watch choices, and 2) there was no subscription modelling. I'm really tired of having multiple subscriptions for every lil damn thing."At the end of the day it feels like I've bought a product but it's not really mine, or that it's usefulness is being held hostage. If Garmin really wants to play games then I definitely don't want to be involved in supporting Garmin going into the future."

More TikTok chat

Over the weekend, it's not just emails about this issue we've been receiving: there's also been some more discourse in the comments section of our TikTok video about this, which we've embedded below. Weirdly for an app designed to maximize short-term reactionary engagement, people are quite calm about it.One user said: "I've been using my Garmin forerunner 255 for a year now. never look at anything on Garmin connect, only Strava. So it shouldn't be much of an issue."Another said: "I don't like it, but if the existing features remain, I have no major issues with this. I wasn't expecting new features, so I don't care if they're free or not."They've got a point: at present, the new features are only likely to affect power users. Even if the most reactionary takes turn out to be correct, and all new features end up on Connect+ with fewer updates for the free version of the app, you've still got all the existing tools to use for a long time to come.However, there are a few TikTok Garmin users that are still pretty, ahem, ticked off: Ray said they "worked hard for all the badges for years" and got to level 7 in the app, but "now you can earn the most stupid badges with much points by paying. it suckz!"

@techradar

♬ original sound - TechRadar

"Garmin will die, like HTC"

(Image credit: HTC)

Strong words from Jagdeep, who reached out via email: "Everything free will remain free. Yes, true. But this is a very grey, vague and hollow statement. "There will be no improvements, there will be no updates. And the free will eventually become out of date. Also, the free will gradually not be compatible with new software. Garmin will see a massive exodus as users migrate to other platforms. Garmin will die, like HTC." Anyone else miss their old HTC Desire? I know I do.

There is no difference between web hosting and WordPress hosting. This is like asking transport vs cars what’s the difference? Transport is a system or means that carries goods or people from one point to another and a car is a type of transport. Web hosting is a service that stores and makes a website accessible over the internet and WordPress hosting is hosting optimized for WordPress-based websites. WordPress hosting is not a type of hosting. Types of hosting include shared, VPS, dedicated and cloud hosting. Hosting can be optimized for WordPress on all types of hosting (read what the best WordPress hosts have to say about this). Below, I’ll go into the details about hosting in general to help you understand more about WordPress hosting and web hosting.

Advantages of WordPress hosting

As mentioned above WordPress hosting is not a type of hosting like shared hosting or VPS hosting but because WordPress powers over 40% of websites many hosts have hosting packages optimized for WordPress. On top of WordPress being pre-installed (and possibly WooCommerce too), optimizations for WordPress include tailored server environments that boost performance through PHP, caching, and database configurations specifically for WordPress. This results in faster loading time and a better user experience.You also get WordPress-specific support through dedicated WordPress support teams that offer expert assistance with platform-related issues simplifying troubleshooting. Plus, for advanced users WP-CLI integration allows access to the WordPress Command-Line Interface (WP-CLI) which enables WordPress sites to be directly managed from the command line for efficient bulk actions, updates, and troubleshooting.There is often enhanced security too. Pre-installed security features, such as malware scanning and web application firewall (WAF) tailored to WordPress environments, protect websites against WordPress-specific threats.If you already have a WordPress site, WordPress automigration tools simplify the migration processes saving you time and reducing the risk of errors.

The main types of hosting

WordPress hosting can be optimised for all types of hosting and each will have their own pros and cons for a WordPress site.

Shared hosting

On shared hosting multiple sites share the same server resources, including CPU, memory, storage, and bandwidth. It’s very cost-effective and beginner-friendly. It’s Ideal for small businesses and personal websites with low-traffic and basic needs. In most cases web hosts optimize all shared servers for WordPress because WordPress is so popular. You’ll notice this if you switch between the shared and WordPress plans on a site. Often the only difference is that you get directed straight to WordPress dedicated support if you submit a ticket.On a shared server, performance may suffer at times due to high traffic from other websites on the same server or your own high traffic being throttled. It also has the theoretical potential for unauthorized access to data as you share the same server with multiple websites. However, there has never really been a successful attack of this kind. Still, if you hold sensitive data there are regulations on whether you can use a shared server or not so this potential security risk is taken seriously.

VPS hosting

WordPress hosting on a VPS is your own server environment with its own resources. This gives you greater control and customisation with root access meaning you can upload whatever you like (within reason) to your server. It is suitable for websites that have higher resource and security requirements.However, managing a VPS requires more technical knowledge than shared hosting. Unless you opt for managed VPS hosting, you'll be responsible for server maintenance, software updates, and security configurations.

Dedicated hosting

On a dedicated server you get the entire physical server with hardware that’s not shared or accessible by anyone else. It’s one of the most expensive types of hosting but offers full control and the highest uptime. It’s best for high-traffic, complex websites, or those with strict security needs.Dedicated WordPress hosting is the most powerful option – you have exclusive access to all server resources, giving you complete control over the server environment, fastest loading times, and optimal performance. It also allows you to implement advanced security protocols to protect your website from threats.However, all that comes with a high price tag. It also requires significant technical expertise, and you’ll also be responsible for server maintenance – unless you go with a managed dedicated server.

Cloud hosting

In cloud hosting resources are pulled from a pool of resources. WordPress hosting on the cloud provides a blend of scalability, flexibility, and reliability. Multiple copies of your website can be stored in different places so if there is a disaster another copy of your website is ready to go.Sometimes hosts just call their products cloud without any cloud benefits. At other times their infrastructure is based on cloud architecture but servers are packaged as traditional hosting solutions like shared and VPS. WordPress optimised hosting on cloud packages works the same way as shared or VPS hosting but with the added benefit of reliability.

WordPress hosting vs web hosting summary

In summary, WordPress hosting is not a type of hosting but rather hosting optimized for WordPress. Hosting for WordPress can be optimized on all types of web hosting and each has its own pros and cons. For most people hosting a WordPress site on a shared server is fine but for those that have sites that require more resources and reliability like online stores WordPress hosting on a VPS or cloud VPS server might be more suitable.

HP says it could be open to a SteamOS-powered handheld gaming PCSteamOS will soon be available on other handhelds like the Lenovo Legion Go SHP wants to continue working with Microsoft and Windows 11 to provide great gaming experiences on all devices

Author's note - 31 March: This article has been updated with new details following a response to an inquiry from HP

Sales of handheld gaming PCs continue to grow year by year, with a steady stream of new releases from Lenovo, Asus, and MSI, but one PC manufacturer has been missing in action.As reported by Notebookcheck (via an interview with XDA), HP could be open to making a handheld gaming PC powered by Valve's SteamOS or an improved version of Windows 11, as its Senior Vice President and Division President of Gaming Solutions, Josephine Tan, confirmed.Tan suggested that she has struggled with using Windows 11 and further hinted at the difficulty of using the OS for handheld gaming, especially when resuming games — a feature that devices like the Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck take advantage of.HP isn't shunning Microsoft's Windows 11, no. Rather, it's pushing for a more handheld-friendly experience, as it clarified in a statement: "HP is focused on delivering the best personalized gamer experience across our OMEN and HyperX solutions. We remain committed to leveraging the Windows platform while creating a unique gaming experience for all gamers, regardless of the device they use."Now that Valve's SteamOS will be available for other handhelds besides the Steam Deck (like the Lenovo Legion Go S), it opens the door for better handheld gaming experiences. While SteamOS still has some disadvantages, notably its inability to launch games with anti-cheat software baked in, and no official support for features such as frame generation, the user experience is still arguably much better than when using Windows 11 on a handheld.

(Image credit: Future)

Microsoft needs to make Windows 11 handheld friendly...

If it wasn't clear enough already, Windows 11 hasn't been one of Microsoft's best releases in recent years: I'd say it's one of the worst I've seen in terms of bugs and seemingly neverending issues (specifically with its 24H2 update), and for a handheld gaming PC enthusiast, it's just not up to the job.Aside from 24H2's frustrating bugs, Windows 11 pales in comparison to SteamOS for handhelds - and while it's understandable that there’s no 'portable' mode for Windows 11, as Microsoft's focus is on desktop PCs and laptops, it's another reason why many are moving away from the OS.It's gotten so bad that I've considered installing Bazzite (a SteamOS clone) on my main desktop PC - and testing it out on my Asus ROG Ally for months suggests that it might not be a bad idea.Windows 11, besides its current 24H2 issues, just doesn’t work for handhelds, and with the popularity of handheld gaming PCs showing no sign of slowing down, now would be the perfect time for Microsoft to look into making its operating system work better on these devices - otherwise, it could really start to miss out.

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Asana claims two-thirds of UK companies are struggling to scale AI usageBusinesses are more focused on financial ROI than worker satisfactionAI is also seen as a tool for solo use, not for team collaboration

Over two-thirds (67%) of British companies are failing to scale AI tools across their organizations, noting a distinctive ‘leadership bubble’ where the technology doesn’t get disseminated more broadly, new research has claimed.Figures from Asana claim senior leaders are 66% more likely to be early adopters than their employees, with managers 38% more likely to use AI weekly than regular workers.On the flip side, there’s 32% more concern over job security among workers than leaders, with regular employees 39% more sceptical than leaders.

Managers are more likely to use AI than employees

Notably, fewer than one in four (23%) companies track employee satisfaction with artificial intelligence, even though three in five (59%) track financial ROI, highlighting the lack of a holistic approach to the deployment of the technology.According to Asana, those that do track employee satisfaction are 32% more likely to see AI adopted across all job levels.The company likens the technology to a personal assistant, saying that nearly half (49%) of AI workflows are built for individual use, not team collaboration.Among the teams most likely to collaborate better through the use of AI are IT and engineering, IT and HR, finance and legal, marketing and IT, and marketing and finance.The company’s report calls for businesses to assess how their teams work together before considering how they can effectively deploy AI that can be used by team members of all levels.“Teams are operating in silos, workers are more likely to continue using AI for solo use rather than unlock AI use within teams - and crucially, across different team functions, where we are seeing the strongest impact from AI,” said Dr Mark Hoffman, Collaborative Intelligence Lead at Asana’s Work Innovation Lab.By increasing employee dialogue, tracking satisfaction and addressing concerns like job security, Asana says that businesses will be able to shift from solo experiments to collaborative approaches with more ease.

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Microsoft just blocked a popular workaround to install Windows 11 with a local accountSome people like to avoid having a Microsoft account linked to the OS due to privacy (or other) concernsWhile alternative workarounds remain, it’s likely they could be cut off too – and Microsoft is very much going down the wrong path here

Microsoft appears to be moving to block Windows 11 users who want to install the operating system using a local account, meaning that they want to avoid having to use a Microsoft account (and be online) when setting up the OS.Not everyone wants to tie their copy of Windows 11 directly to their Microsoft Account – or they may not even have such an account at all – and those are the folks who want to just use a local account (only tied to the PC itself).While Microsoft officially removed this choice from Windows 11’s setup experience some time ago, there was a commonly-used workaround – but the software giant has just blocked this.As Windows Central makes clear, that method of swerving around the requirement to use a Microsoft account was to fire up the command prompt and enter ‘oobe\bypassnro’ – but in the latest previews of Windows 11, Microsoft has stripped out that ability. Specifically, this is preview build 26200.5516, which is possibly the first step on the path to Windows 11 25H2, this year’s big update.However, it is still possible to use that particular fudge in a different way – by editing the Registry, as Windows Latest shows us. That’s clunky – and possibly dangerous for less tech-savvy users, as the Registry can mess up your system if you put a foot wrong with your editing – but luckily there’s a better workaround.Windows Central noticed that as highlighted on X by WitherOrNot, there’s a different command to achieve this particular trick. It’s ‘ms-cxh:localonly’ and again, this is entered in the command prompt, which is reached by pressing ‘Shift + F10’ during the Windows 11 setup process.Check out how it works in the video clip on X below, but it’s a much easier and more streamlined way of doing this than the old method.

Improved bypass for Windows 11 OOBE:1. Shift-F102. start ms-cxh:localonlyOnly required on Home and Pro editions. pic.twitter.com/ZUa89ZPBI3March 29, 2025

(Image credit: Future / Jasmine Mannan)

Analysis: Expect full roadblocks in place before long – but this shouldn’t be happening at all

To summarize the current situation, there are still two ways (at least) that you can interrupt the Windows 11 setup process, and install without using a Microsoft account, just operating with a local account instead (with no ties on the OS to Microsoft, which some folks prefer purely from a privacy point of view).However – and it’s a big however – I fully expect that Microsoft will block the alternative Registry fudge mentioned above pretty swiftly. And it’s likely that the other solution presented on X will be sent to the great graveyard of Windows 11 workarounds in the sky before long, too – now that it’s become common knowledge. Well, maybe not common knowledge, but a lot better known, anyway.Microsoft is likely to block off all avenues of evading its requirement to have a Microsoft account when installing Windows 11. Clearly, this is an overarching policy which is being put into place, and I’d expect it’ll be followed through. Maybe not all that swiftly, but I’m betting that when Windows 11 25H2 arrives, it’ll have a few more of these blocks in place.For those who really don’t want a Microsoft account with their Windows 11 installation, there’s likely to be only one course of action eventually – simply to create a dummy Microsoft account that’s a blank slate, which you don’t do anything with. You can then create a local account, post-setup of Windows, following Microsoft’s advice on how to do that (a support document that, very controversially, disappeared for a time).Complaining about Microsoft stamping out these workarounds is kind of missing the point, though. There shouldn’t be any need for these fudges in the first place, because Microsoft should be giving us the freedom to choose if we want a local account, or a Microsoft account-linked installation, during Windows setup (as was the case in the past).Of course, Microsoft argues that having an account linked gives you syncing of its services (and your files) across devices, and better security (OneDrive backups and such), but there are other ways of achieving these ends in many cases. And it should fully be the choice of the user – if I want a local account, I should be able to have one. I don’t, as it happens, but the point is there should be a freedom of choice here.By all means, load up that choice screen with caveats warning less tech-savvy users about the benefits they’ll miss out on due to not having a Microsoft account hooked up – but put the choice in, please.On a more serious note, there may also be technical gremlins that interfere with the installation of Windows 11 when linking it to a Microsoft account online. Here at TechRadar we’ve experienced frustrating login fails on review hardware, for example, which meant a local account was necessary to get the OS installed (presumably due to server-side glitches on Microsoft’s part). In those scenarios, a local install option – or workaround – is not just nice to have, but actually of critical importance.

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In AI, yesterday’s breakthrough is today’s baseline, so AI agents that simply retrieve information are no longer enough. The real game-changer lies in creating AI agents that truly understand your business context and can transform raw data into strategic foresight.The key to unlocking this potential lies in the sophisticated interplay between AI agents and semantic layers. This turns data complexity into business opportunities.

Understanding the Semantic Layer: Translating Complexity into Clarity

Think of a semantic layer as the interpreter for your fitness watch's data. While the watch itself collects raw sensor data, like heart rate, steps, and sleep cycles, the semantic layer organizes this data and defines relationships, calculations, and hierarchies that make it easier for you to understand. It doesn’t generate insights automatically but instead provides a structured framework that allows you to explore and interpret your data meaningfully.In business, a semantic layer acts as an intermediary between raw data and end users. It connects analytics platforms with data sources by organizing facts (data values), dimensions (attributes), and hierarchies (taxonomies). This creates a consistent, business-friendly view of the data, so anyone in your organization can access and analyze it without needing technical expertise.For example, a semantic layer standardizes the relationship between customer satisfaction metrics and operational factors like response times and staffing levels. This framework enables users to connect the dots to derive meaningful insights themselves.By ensuring consistency and accessibility, a semantic layer transforms raw data into a structured, interpretable resource. This makes it possible for your teams to focus on decisions rather than deciphering data.

AI Agents: The Personal Trainers of the Digital World

If the semantic layer is the framework that organizes and structures your data, the AI agent is like having a personal fitness coach who helps you act on that data. While the semantic layer makes information accessible and consistent, the AI agent leverages that data to understand your goals, track progress, and provide recommendations based on patterns and performance.In business terms, an AI agent goes beyond retrieving information, it uses machine learning and contextual understanding to provide strategically aligned recommendations. It interprets data through the lens of your organization’s objectives and adapts its responses based on interactions and evolving patterns.Just as your fitness coach might notice you perform better with afternoon workouts and suggest adjusting your schedule, an AI agent learns from your business’s unique data estate, workflows and preferences. It identifies trends, highlights key insights, and suggests optimal actions to achieve your goals.Unlike the semantic layer, which organizes and connects the data, the AI agent drives action by interpreting that data and delivering insights in a way that aligns with your needs, empowering better decisions across your organization.

The Core Components of Modern Intelligence

1. Ontology (The Foundation)Your fitness watch knows that sleep quality affects recovery time, which influences exercise recommendations. Similarly, a modern ontology maps the relationships between different aspects of your business data. This ensures every insight considers the full context of your business operations.The ontology enables rich data modeling and connections through its core features. It supports:Hierarchical traits (Effectively represents structures such as organizational hierarchies and relationships between entities)Causal relationships (Provides tools to infer or represent relationships where one metric or event may influence another, often via advanced configuration or integration with data models)Temporal traits (Handles data associated with time through traits like temporal, periodic, and sporadic events, allowing nuanced tracking and pattern recognition over time)Domain-specific ontologies (Enable domain-specific modeling, leveraging data enrichment, traits, and linguistic features to capture industry-specific standards and practices, though it may require additional configuration to reflect regulatory or operational nuances)2. Linguistic Models (The Interpreter)Just as your fitness watch understands different types of activities, from "running" to "high-intensity interval training," cutting edge linguistic engines comprehend various ways users might ask for information. This sophistication can be demonstrated by two key benchmarks:Industry standard or above accuracy on the Spider benchmark, a widely recognized and respected test for evaluating Text-to-SQL translation. Spider evaluates an AI's ability to convert natural language questions into accurate SQL queries across complex scenarios involving multiple tables and database relations. This benchmark tests "zero-shot" generalization, meaning the system must handle queries about databases it has never seen before, just as it does in real-world business scenarios.Recent research from 2023 showed that leveraging Knowledge Graphs with LLM-powered question-answering systems boosted SQL query accuracy by an additional 54%, highlighting how semantic understanding enhances these already impressive results.Successful linguistic models excel at:

Understanding industry-specific terminologyRecognizing contextual meaningHandling natural language variationsAdapting to user preferences and patterns

3. Transformational Logic (The Rules Engine)Like the algorithms that determine your fitness zones based on age, activity level, and health goals, transformational logic ensures data is processed consistently according to your business rules and industry standards. This component:

Applies business rules consistentlyEnsures compliance with industry regulationsMaintains data quality standardsEnables personalized insights based on user roles

From Data to Strategic Intelligence

This sophisticated architecture enables transformative platforms of today and into tomorrow to deliver three key capabilities that transform how organizations leverage their data assets:Adaptable Knowledge ArchitectureMuch like a living organism that thrives through interaction with its environment, adaptable knowledge architecture evolves alongside your business with a human-in-the-loop approach. It integrates information and empowers your team to refine and enhance relationships, patterns, and business contexts, ensuring the system continually aligns with your organization’s unique needs.This type of collaborative model creates a progressively more sophisticated understanding of your organization’s ecosystem while keeping human expertise at the core. This creates a unified intelligence layer across your organization that evolves with your business through guided human input and updates, revealing multi-dimensional relationships across data sourcesCognitive AugmentationGoing beyond traditional analytics, cognitive augmentation acts as an intelligent partner in your decision-making process. It combines machine learning capabilities with deep semantic understanding to identify patterns that might be invisible to human analysts, while providing clear explanations of its insights in business terms your team can understand and act upon. This uncovers non-obvious patterns and correlations, provides narrative insights explaining the 'why' behind trends, and suggests optimal actions based on comprehensive analysisReal-time Strategic ValueThe ability to move quickly from insight to action is crucial. Modern technology doesn't just process data faster, it fundamentally transforms how quickly organizations can identify opportunities, understand implications, and take decisive action based on comprehensive understanding of their business context. This accelerates insight-to-action cycles. Enables proactive decision-making and facilitates innovation through pattern recognition

Conclusion

In an era where data availability often exceeds our ability to derive meaningful insights, the combination of sophisticated AI agents and semantic layers provides the key to unlocking true business value. Innovative technology empowering businesses in today’s world can transform this potential into reality, turning your data into a strategic asset that drives business success.The question isn't whether to enhance your AI capabilities, but how quickly you can leverage these advanced tools to gain competitive advantages. Innovations that provide the foundation for this transformation will successfully turn data complexity into strategic opportunity.

We've featured the best business intelligence platform and the best data visualization tool.

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

The radar map has gone missing from Pixel WeatherAll phone models seem to be affectedGoogle hasn't yet said anything about the change

If you've fired up the Weather app on your Pixel phone in recent days and found the radar map strangely absent, you're not alone: it seems to have disappeared across all Pixel phones for all users, and no one is sure why.As noted by Android Authority, this seems to be a server-side change, which means Google has apparently tweaked something on its end – there hasn't been any update to the app that's taken the weather map away.If you're unfamiliar with the Weather app on the Pixel, the radar map shows rainfall across any area for the next few hours – it's a lot like Dark Sky, if you remember the popular iPhone weather app that Apple bought in 2020 and later shut down.The map view was part of a major revamp for the Weather app on Pixels, a revamp that first appeared on the Google Pixel 9 series, before making its way to older devices. There's a lot of other information in the app, but the real time map is a big part of its appeal.We've contacted Google to find out if it has an official answer for the disappearance and will update this story if we hear back.

Where's it gone?

Google Weather app radar is gone. Anyone else? from r/GooglePixel

You can find numerous complaints about the vanishing of the radar map over on Reddit and the official Pixel Phone Help forums. It looks to have disappeared across every Pixel phone, and it seems many users were big fans of its functionality.I've loaded up the Weather app on my own Pixel phone, and can confirm the map widget is nowhere to be found. Everything else seems to be working as normal, but there's no map panel on the interface – and no indication that it was ever there.Google hasn't said anything officially about this, and until it does, we're in the dark about what's gone on here. Is there a bug Google is fixing? Has it decided to remove the radar map for good? Was it pulled by mistake? Right now, we just don't know.Unless this was a genuine error, it seems like bad form for Google to remove such a popular feature in a core Pixel app without any warning. Let's hope Google gets back to us with some official comment in the near future – and the return of the map.

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Britain will spend $650 billion in 2028 on reindustrialization effortsUS execs are more concerned about tariffs than their UK counterpartsSupply chain pressure and the desire to be closer to customers are also at play

UK businesses are preparing to invest in reindustrialization efforts over short-term growth as they look to diversify supply chains to mitigate the impact of the ongoing trade wars and tariffs, new research has claimedAs a result, Britain’s businesses are planning to invest $650 billion in reindustrialization by 2028, up from $430 billion in 2024, new findings from Capgemini report.More than a quarter (28%) are also investing in nearshoring this year, up from 13% in 2024, though UK still lags behind the US, where 37% have invested in nearshoring.

Businesses are diversifying their investments

Capgemini notes supply chain resilience (97%), geopolitical concerns (94%) and the desire to be closer to customers (96%) as key drivers for the increased interest in reindustrialization – something that more than three in five (62%) execs are actively implemented.Apart from the rise in execs citing supply chain pressure as a concern (95% compared with 69% last year), this was the first time that wanting to be closer to customers appeared as a major driver.Furthermore, 48% of UK execs and 59% of US execs have accelerated their organization’s reindustrialization efforts as a result of ongoing tariff changes.“Organizations are intensifying their efforts to de-risk and diversify their manufacturing and supply chains through friendshoring to reinforce proximity to markets,” said Aiman Ezzat, Chief Executive Officer at Capgemini.The study found reindustrialization to be particularly notable within the battery/energy storage manufacturing, automotive and telecommunication industries.Geographically, 82% of the execs surveyed by Capgemini revealed they plan to decrease their supply chain reliance on China – a significant increase over the 58% in 2024. Instead, they’re looking to target reindustrialization in North America, the UK, Mexico, Vietnam, India and North Africa.“In an evolving global landscape, regional collaboration with suppliers, technology providers and policymakers will be key to build a resilient and adaptable manufacturing ecosystem,” Ezzat added.

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Fitbit is overhauling its appHealth Metrics have been revamped to look cleaner and more modernFitbit has also pushed the Google account switch deadline to 2026

After a fairly bleak run, there are two pieces of good news for Fitbit users this week. The company has overhauled its Health Metrics in the app, and users will get to hold onto their Fitbit accounts for a little bit longer.The much-needed app design refresh was spotted by 9to5Google, which reports a series of sweeping changes to the app. There's a new intro page that shows your health metrics compared to your personal range.Fitbit has also ditched the two-tab Today and Trends layout, with the Today page now showing your metrics, personal range indicators, and a sleeker list for breathing rate, blood oxygen, resting heart rate, heart rate variability, and skin temperature variation.If you tap on any of these stats, you'll get the usual trend charts, but with views for week, month, and year instead of seven, 30, and 90 days.

Fitbit account deadline extension

(Image credit: Future)

Fresh app aside, Google has also announced it is extending the deadline for switching to a Google account, pushing it into 2026.In an email seen by TechRadar, Google has written to customers stating, "As we have previously shared, Fitbit is now a part of Google, and Fitbit Account holders will need to transition to Google Accounts to continue using Fitbit. If you want to keep using Fitbit, you must move to a Google Account by February 2, 2026. If you use a Gmail account to sign in to Fitbit, you must also move to a Google Account."Back in 2022, Google confirmed that accounts would be axed by 2025. While we didn't have a specific date previously, this is definitely an extension of that deadline.It's welcome news for Fitbit fans, who have otherwise appeared largely unhappy for some time. Google announced it would sunset Fitbit smartwatches in favor of its Google Pixel Watch line and has ditched Fitbit.com as an online store.More recently, a battery overheating issue with certain Fitbit devices forced a software update that has drastically reduced battery life in some models, with users reporting their devices no longer last a full day on a single charge.The writing's still on the wall for Fitbit, but these latest developments make for some rare light relief.

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A new firmware update is rolling out for Philips Hue Secure battery camerasIt includes tweaks that should let the camera run longer between chargesThis should help resolve battery-life problems reported by some owners

If you own a Philips Hue Secure battery camera, there's good news – it's set to get a major firmware update that should significantly improve its battery life.These fully wireless cameras are particularly popular because they can be installed anywhere, sending alerts to your phone when they detect motion, capturing video during the day or at night, and triggering Philips Hue smart lights. In fact, they long held the top spot in our roundup of the best home security cameras, thanks to their versatility.The downside is that they need to be taken down periodically for charging. That's not too onerous (each camera attaches to a magnetic plate, and can be detached without the need to remove any screws), but it does mean your camera is out of action for around seven or eight hours.Signify (the company behind the Philips Hue brand) says that the cameras should run for around three months "under typical usage at 20C with 10 wake ups per day resulting in 10 clips with an average duration of 10 seconds". However, according to Hueblog.com, many owners have reported that their cameras needed plugging in much more frequently than that.

Keep your camera rolling for longer

Now, however, it looks like Signify has addressed that problem with a firmware update that makes several significant changes. Firmware version 1.2.32.976110 began rolling out last week, and according to the release notes, it makes several tweaks to extend the time between charges. These include:

Optimizing motion snooze settings, leading to better efficiency in busy locations.Reducing instances of unreachable battery cameras failing to enter sleep mode properly.Minimizing unnecessary wake-ups.

The update also fixes a problem where very short clips were sometimes uploaded from cameras and improves automatic day/night switching for battery cameras, allowing them to adjust more accurately for different lighting conditions.

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The Neo S Linkin Park Edition is the latest limited controller from the CRKD brandPre-orders are open now, and the controller is set to release in May 2025It's fully compatible with Fortnite Festival thanks to its five fret buttons

Hardware manufacturer CRKD has just announced its latest limited edition Neo S controller, and it honestly looks kind of awesome.The Neo S Linkin Park Edition is available for pre-order today from CRKD's website - as well as the official website of the band itself - and will cost you $59.99 / £59.99. The controller is a "one-off drop" according to CRKD, meaning it likely won't be sold again, and is expected to ship sometime in May 2025.Much like the Neo S Purple Wave 5-Fret Fortnite Festival Edition, this Linkin Park variant will also be compatible with Fortnite's rhythm game and includes the five fret buttons at the base of the controller. It's compatible with Nintendo Switch, PC, mobile devices and some smart TVs, too.In terms of aesthetics, it rather obviously lifts from the band's contemporary imagery with a bold pink-on-blue pattern. Linkin Park's logo is also emblazoned at the bottom right of the gamepad. Whether you're into the band's recent output or not, it's hard to argue that it's a pretty striking design overall.While primarily designed for Fortnite Festival, the Neo S is still a quality pick for gaming in general. It boasts drift-resistant Hall effect thumbsticks and an option to completely remove the sticks' deadzone, allowing for ultra-precise movement. Gyro aiming is also supported for all you Splatoon 3 players out there.If you're on the fence about the Neo S in general, CRKD does have a fantastic track record when it comes to gaming hardware - at least for us here at TechRadar Gaming. The excellent Nitro Deck, for example, features in our list of the best Nintendo Switch controllers.We test and review most of CRKD's output as it releases, and with models like the Nitro Deck+ and CRKD Atom, we're typically impressed by the brand's kit.

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Boulies has revealed a new standing deskThe MagVida has an easy assembly process and comes bundled with free magnetic accessoriesIt retails for $799.99 / £679.99, with a discount for those who buy now

Furniture brand Boulies has launched the MagVida, a new standing desk with a simplified assembly process and magnetic accessory system.The desk has a medium density fibreboard (MDF) desktop, with two understated color options: a clean white and a plain black. As a standing desk, it features two motors to raise and lower its height which can be controlled via a simple control panel. There are three customizable heigh pre-sets, plus an anti-collision feature.This all seems very standard, with many of these features shared by the best standing desks and best office desks, but there are some things that set the MagVida apart. For me, the most exciting is its easy assembly process. The desk arrives in two boxes, with many pre-assembled components.Boulies claims that it can be put together in just five minutes, which is pretty appealing given just how frustrating putting together some items of furniture can be. We've requested a unit for review, so I'm keen to learn just how well this construction process holds up against the competition.The desk also comes bundled with some enticing free magnetic accessories, which are part of the product's "expandable magnetic organization" (or EMO) system. This includes a cable tray, which you can attach to the bottom of the desk to hide any aesthetically unappealing wires, and a magnetic hook that can work as a bag or headset holder. You also get three magnetic silicone strap, intended for cable organization.Although it seems like this model is intended for home office use, Boulies is known for making some of the best gaming chairs and it seems safe to assume that this desk could also double as a great gaming desk, especially given that included headset hook.The Boulies MagVida costs $799.99 / £679.99 and is available in both the US and UK via the Boulies website. Those who order now can benefit from a launch discount that takes the price down to $699.99 / £599.99.

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Google announced Gemini 2.5 last weekNow you can access its reasoning model, Gemini 2.5 Pro Experimental, for freeIt tops Humanity's Last Exam, the most difficult AI benchmark

Google's AI strategy continues to impress, as the company announced this weekend that its brand new Gemini 2.5 Pro Experimental would be rolling out to everyone, not just paid subscribers."The team is sprinting, TPUs are running hot, and we want to get our most intelligent model into more people’s hands asap." The company announced on X, confirming its brand-new reasoning model would be made available for free users, just days after its initial launch.Free users will experience some rate limits compared to paid users, and Google has confirmed that Gemini Advanced subscribers will get 'expanded access and a significantly larger context window.'Gemini 2.5 Pro Experimental is a new AI model with amazing reasoning capabilities that sees it sit at the top of Humanity's Last Exam, one of the hardest AI benchmarks in the world, with 18.8% accuracy.When the new AI model was launched on Wednesday last week, it was only available to Gemini Advanced users who pay a monthly subscription to get the best AI tools Google offers.Google's approach to AI has been incredibly refreshing over the last few months, releasing some of its most powerful tools like Deep Research, an AI agent capable of in-depth analysis, for free.The company has also made a concrete effort to update and upgrade its already available tools continuously, and that's a huge win for consumers.Now that Gemini 2.5 Pro Experimental is available for free, here are 3 ways you can get the most from Google's free new reasoning model.

Gemini 2.5 Pro is taking off 🚀🚀🚀The team is sprinting, TPUs are running hot, and we want to get our most intelligent model into more people’s hands asap.Which is why we decided to roll out Gemini 2.5 Pro (experimental) to all Gemini users, beginning today.Try it at no… https://t.co/eqCJwwVhXJMarch 29, 2025

1. Ask it something confusing

(Image credit: Google)

Considering Gemini 2.5 Pro Experimental's impressive result on Humanity's Last Exam, the best place to start with the new reasoning model is by asking it something confusing.Why not try a riddle, or a difficult maths problem to see just how capable Gemini 2.5 Pro Experimental really is?One of my favorite ways to test new reasoning models is by asking it a question without a correct answer. It'll most likely struggle, but it's very interesting to see the thought process to determine just how good the reasoning capabilities actually are.

2. The dad joke visualizer

My colleague and AI expert, Eric Hal Schwartz, pitted Gemini 2.5 Pro against ChatGPT o3-mini to find out which AI reasoning model is best.In his experiment, he asked Gemini 2.5 Pro Experimental to develop a web-based application for visualizing the effectiveness of dad jokes, and the results are pretty impressive.While you don't need to recreate a dad joke visualizer, you can use the same technique and prompt to see Gemini 2.5 Pro Experimental's true capabilities, making alterations depending on what you're trying to achieve.Try: "Develop a web application that visualizes the 'success rate' of dad jokes based on various factors. The interface should let users input joke parameters and see projected audience reactions across different demographics. Include elements with playful animations and the ability to save and share your most successful (or painfully unsuccessful) joke formulas."

3. Ask for a step-by-step guide

Think of a project that requires lots of logic, something like building a garden extension or starting a sandwich shop business. Gemini 2.5 Pro Experimental excels when it comes to using logic to break down tasks into step-by-step guides, offering detailed instructions on how to achieve your goal.I asked Gemini 2.5 Pro Experimental to create a step-by-step guide for building a cake business, and it created a complex plan with all the information I needed to get my brain ticking.No, Gemini 2.5 Pro Experimental isn't going to start a business for you, but it's clever enough to give you enough basic information to help the logistical side.Gemini 2.5 Pro Experimental won't be for everyone, but the great thing about Google's AI is that you can select the model you need for the task at hand. Now, Gemini 2.5 Pro Experimental is available to everyone, you've got an extra option should you require it.

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Whether you’re a casual player or a competitive gamer, finding the right controller can make all the difference when playing Switch games. While the Joy-Con controllers that come with the console are versatile, they’re not always the most comfortable for long sessions — especially if you’re diving into fast-paced action titles or competitive multiplayer matches. With the Switch 2 on the horizon, now’s a great time to pick up one of the best Nintendo Switch controllers to upgrade your current gaming experience.From wireless controllers with Hall effect joysticks to fight sticks and gamepads with customizable RGB lighting, there are plenty of options that go beyond the standard setup. If you prefer precise aiming in shooters or smoother control in racing games, a rechargeable controller with a high-quality analog stick can make a big difference. Some models even come with extra features like motion control for more immersive gameplay or a charging dock to keep everything powered up and ready to go. Whether you’re playing on a Switch OLED, the standard model or planning ahead for Nintendo’s next-gen console, we’ve rounded up the best controllers for every type of player.

Best Switch controllers for 2025

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/best-nintendo-switch-controllers-160034389.html?src=rss

Tablets have become the all-purpose gap-fillers of the gadgets world. If you’re on a plane and you want something portable but slightly bigger than your phone for reading comics or watching movies, there’s nothing better. Alternatively, if you want a shared device for the living room to control smart home stuff, do a bit of shopping or doomscrolling (it’s ok, we’re not judging), having a slim little slate that lives on your coffee table is super convenient. And if you want something sleek to carry around for work or school, tablets can totally replace laptops now, too.That said, one change we’ve made to this guide for 2025 is adjusting some of the categories, because let’s be honest: If you’re an Android person, no amount of browbeating is going to convince you to switch ecosystems and buy an iPad. The same goes for all the Apple people or Windows die-hards out there. And that’s more than OK. So instead of crowning a best overall, we’re simply recommending the most powerful and best tablets for each OS, alongside some additional picks for other use cases.

Table of contents

Best tablets for 2025

Important things to consider before buying a tablet

What size screen do I need?

How we test tablets

Other tablets we tested

Tablet FAQs

Tablet accessories

Best tablets for 2025

Important things to consider before buying a tablet

Before you start looking at specific devices, the number one thing you should do is figure out what you plan to use your new tablet for. That’s because if all you need is something to keep a kid busy, buying a brand new iPad Pro doesn’t make a ton of sense. On the flip side, if you want to use a tablet for video editing or drawing, you’ll need to take things like performance and stylus support more seriously.

You’ll also want to think about stuff like how often you plan on traveling with the device and if it’s more for productivity, or for less demanding stuff like browsing the web or streaming shows. There’s also an important trade-off to consider when it comes to battery life as well. Larger devices tend to have longer runtimes, though an increase in size may make it less portable.

What size screen do I need?

Figuring out the best screen size for you will also be related to the kind of work (or play) you intend to do. Larger displays make it much easier to view two apps side by side, and big screens also deliver a more immersive movie viewing experience. But at the same time, the larger the tablet, the less likely you’re going to want to move it around. That means you’re not only going to want to take stock of your workspace (i.e., if you have a desk or instead plan to work from a couch or even your bed), but you’re also going to want to think about how the device will fit into your everyday routine or commute (if you have one).

How we test tablets

When evaluating different tablets, there are a few important things we look for above all else: solid performance, a good screen and long battery life. For performance, we run a handful of synthetic tests like Geekbench 6, while also performing a number of hands-on, real-world use cases such as editing photos and playing games. And with tablets often serving as hybrid devices, we also consider how easy it is to multitask and switch quickly between various apps. The more responsive a device feels, the better.

Because a tablet’s display is such a critical component, we also view a wide range of content to gauge things like brightness, color gamut and dynamic range. It’s important to take into account the difference between various panel types like OLED, which typically produce richer colors and excellent contrast but may not be as bright as a mini LED display. Recently, refresh rate has become an increasingly important spec as 90Hz and 120Hz screens can make scrolling smoother and graphics appear sharper in games.

We also consider a tablet’s design (including things like size, weight and water resistance), its connectivity (WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC, 5G, et cetera) and special features like stylus support or the ability to serve as a secondary display. That’s because, while tablets were often viewed as content consumption devices in the past, higher-end devices like the Surface Pro and iPad Pro are more than capable of replacing a laptop for a lot of people.

Finally, we test battery life by running our standard local video rundown test, which involves playing a single video on a loop from 100 percent until it runs out of juice. Ideally, a tablet should be able to last an entire working day, but longer runtimes are always welcome.

Other tablets we tested

Apple iPad mini

Apple updated the iPad mini for 2024 with some under-the-hood changes including a new processor and additional RAM to help support Apple Intelligence features. While the iPad mini is one of the best iPads you can buy, its small size makes it a bit niche. Only if you prefer your tablet be the size of an ereader should you consider this one.

Google Pixel Tablet

The Google Pixel Tablet excels as a smart display rather than a simple tablet. As the latter, it's unexciting, but when paired with its speaker/charging dock, it becomes much more useful. It could be a good option for those that already live within the Google ecosystem and use the Google Assistant often, or those who like the idea of a tablet that can be docked and used as a smart display as well.

OnePlus Pad

The solid OnePlus Pad is let down by Android because there aren't many Android apps designed to be used on a large display like this model's 11.6-inch panel. Otherwise, the hardware is well-designed, its companion stylus is comfortable to use and it has an excellent battery life.

Tablet FAQs

What is the best brand for tablets?

The best brand for tablets is really the brand you feel most comfortable with. We recommend taking stock of the gadgets you already have — do you live in the Apple ecosystem already? An iPad might be best for you then. Do you have a Samsung phone? If so, a Galaxy Tab will likely be the most convenient choice. There is no one "best brand" for tablets; you’ll find good options made by companies including Apple, Google, Samsung, Microsoft and Amazon.

Can a tablet replace a laptop?

It’s possible for a tablet to replace a laptop, but you’ll need a few accessories to truly make the experience as close as possible to that of a traditional notebook. A keyboard is a must, be it a keyboard case or a Bluetooth accessory that you keep with you. Some keyboard cases, like apple’s Magic Keyboard for the iPad, have a built-in trackpad, which will be more ergonomic than tapping on your tablet’s screen for input. Additionally, you could go one step further and use a wireless mouse that connects via Bluetooth to your tablet. If you’re primarily looking for a tablet to replace your laptop, consider buying a 2-in-1 laptop since those systems typically consist of high-powered tablets that are designed to work well with (and without) keyboards.

Tablet accessories

Finally, you’ll want to consider any add-ons or accessories you’re planning to use, which can range from detachable keyboards to things like external mics or a stylus. The good news is that many of the best tablets nowadays offer some kind of keyboard accessory, which allows the device to function more like a 2-in-1 instead of simply being a content consumption device. Some tablets also feature things like microSD card slots that support expandable storage, or optional 4G or 5G connectivity, which can be a real boon to frequent travelers. And if you’re planning to use the tablet mainly for work, you might want to grab a USB hub for connecting all your favorite peripherals so your devices don’t have to fight for the charger.

Recent updates

March 2025: Updated to include the latest base iPad in our top picks,

February 2025: Updated to include clarification around our top picks and new buying advice.

October 2024: We updated this list to include information on the new iPad mini 7.

June 2024: We updated our top picks to include the Microsoft Surface Pro Copilot+ edition.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/best-tablets-150026056.html?src=rss

According to Mark Gurman in the Power On newsletter this weekend, we may see at least two devices with Apple’s upcoming M5 chip before the end of the year. Gurman reports that the M5 iPad Pro has reached the late stages of testing, putting it “on track for production in the second half of this year.” And the M5 MacBook Pro should be here sometime in the fall, in line with the timing of the past few years’ releases.

This year’s iPad Pro likely won’t be the generation that adopts Apple’s in-house modem, though. According to Gurman, that shift is expected to happen in 2027 with the arrival of the M6 models — which he reports that Apple has already begun “early” work on. Apple introduced its first in-house cellular modem, the C1, with the iPhone 16e in February this year, and so far it seems to be performing pretty well.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/apple-is-reportedly-on-track-to-launch-the-m5-ipad-pro-and-macbook-pro-later-this-year-211013731.html?src=rss

An AI overhaul may be on the horizon for Apple’s Health app. In the Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that Apple is working on a much more comprehensive version of its Health app under the code name Project Mulberry, with plans to integrate an AI agent that would somewhat “replicate” a doctor and act as a personal health coach. In addition to making lifestyle recommendations based on users’ health data, the app will reportedly include educational videos from real doctors about an array of health topics.

The Health app will also put a new emphasis on food tracking, and may even offer form correction tips for workouts using the device’s camera, Gurman reports. The service, unofficially being referred to as Health+, could arrive with iOS 19.4, which Gurman says is expected to be released next spring or summer. In the meantime, Apple reportedly has doctors on staff whose data is being used to train the AI agent, and it’s planning to open a studio near Oakland, California where they can film content. Don’t be surprised if Health+ arrives with a celebrity doctor on board, too — according to Gurman, Apple is on the hunt for a “major doctor personality” to be the face of the service.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/apple-is-said-to-be-developing-a-revamped-health-app-with-a-built-in-ai-doctor-170020277.html?src=rss

Non-paying Gemini users can now play around with Google’s newest model, the experimental version of Gemini 2.5 Pro. The company announced this weekend that it’s making Gemini 2.5 Pro (experimental) free for everyone to use, albeit with tighter rate limits for non-subscribers. Google introduced Gemini 2.5 Pro just last week, touting it as its “most intelligent AI model” yet, and rolled it out to Gemini Advanced users first. It’s available now in Google AI Studio and the Gemini app.

While free users can now try it out too, Google added that “Gemini Advanced users have expanded access and a significantly larger context window.” Gemini 2.5 Pro (experimental) is the first of Google’s Gemini 2.5 “thinking” models, which are said to deliver more accurate results through reasoning. In a blog post, the company explained that this “refers to its ability to analyze information, draw logical conclusions, incorporate context and nuance, and make informed decisions.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/googles-new-experimental-ai-model-gemini-25-pro-is-now-available-to-free-users-too-150005863.html?src=rss

The Amazon Spring Sale is here, bringing a slew of discounts on household essentials, fashion, outdoor gear and even furniture. We at Engadget are focused on tech, and while the selection this time around isn’t quite as good as that of Amazon Prime Day in July, there are some decent discounts to be had. Some of our favorite robot vacuums, air purifiers, headphones and storage gear are on sale right now for some of the best prices we’ve seen this year so far.Below, you’ll find all of the best tech deals we could find in the Amazon Spring Sale. The shopping event runs through March 31, so be sure to check back for the latest deals as they become available.

Best Amazon Spring Sale deals

Dyson AM09 heater and fan for $300 (36 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.

Dyson V15s Detect Submarine for $800 ($150 off): This Dyson cordless stick vacuum and mop is a top pick in our best cordless vacuums guide thanks to its sleek design and included mop attachment that easily swap in so you can clean tile, hardwood and other flooring with liquid solution. Yes, it's expensive, but you're essentially getting two cleaning machines in one — plus, when used as a vacuum, it has excellent suction power and great battery life.

Levoit Cordless Vacuum Cleaner (LVAC-200) for $150 ($50 off): The lowest price we’ve tracked on this stick vac is $130 but this matches the lowest price we’ve seen this year. It’s our runner up budget pick for a stick vac in our guide. It doesn’t have a storage base and the bin is smallish, but it’s lightweight and super affordable. It also disassembles easily for storage making its lack of base less of a deal breaker.

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 $349 ($80 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 Studio Pro for $180 (49 percent off): These Beats headphones have improved sound quality, good Transparency mode and USB-C charging, plus decent mic quality for phone calls. They support wired USB-C audio, plus they have solid ANC as well.

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.

Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones for $318 (20 percent off): These top our list of the best wireless headphones you can get right now thanks to their supreme comfort, excellent sound quality and ANC, multipoint connectivity and 30-hour battery life.

Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer for $280 ($70 off): A version of one of our favorite air fryers, this air fryer toaster oven has 11 cooking modes including air fry, broil, bake, roast and more, and it has a large capacity that can fit up to six slices of bread at once or a 13-inch pizza. The Pro model is also on sale, down to $320 from $400.

Spigen Spring Sale deals: Spigen makes some of our favorite tech accessories, and a number of the brand's products have been discounted as part of the Spring Sale. Key among them is one of our favorite iPhone cases, the Spigen Ultra Hybrid MagFit case; Prime members can pick up an iPhone 16 case for only $12.

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.

Mac mini M4 for $529 ($70 off): If you're on the market for a new desktop, the upgraded M4 Mac mini is one that won’t take up too much space, but will provide a ton of power at the same time. Not only does it come with an M4 chipset, but it also includes 16GB of RAM in the base model, plus front-facing USB-C and headphone ports for easier access.

Apple AirPods Pro 2 for $170 ($79 off): The AirPods Pro 2 remain Apple’s best set of wireless earbuds, as they offer the full set of Apple-focused features, strong ANC, onboard volume controls, a (generally) comfy in-ear design and a warm sound profile that most should find agreeable. They can even work as a hearing aid, though their six-hour battery life still isn’t the best, and you should only get them if you’re all-in on Apple hardware. If that’s the case, though, we call them the best choice for iPhone owners in our wireless earbuds buying guide. We saw this pair drop as low as $154 back in December, but this deal comes within a dollar of its best price since then.

AirPods Max (USB-C) for $480 ($70 off): If you’re looking for over-ear headphones with all of the conveniences of in-ear AirPods, the AirPods Max are one of your only options (with the others being Beats devices). The latest models have the same design as the originals, but now charge up via USB-C instead of Lightning.

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.

10th-gen iPad for $279 (20 percent off): The previous version of most affordable iPad gives you an A14 Bionic chip, a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display, TouchID built into the lock button and more. It’s compatible with the first-gen Apple Pencil and the keyboard folio, plus we found it to have solid performance and a matching battery life.

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.

Blink Mini 2 for $20 (50 percent off): Blink's latest wired, indoor security camera is one of our favorites, particularly if you're just starting out building a security camera system. It's easy to set up and use, and it works seamlessly with Amazon's Alexa. Plus, if you want a local storage option, you can buy the Blink Sync Module 2 and a thumb drive to store video clips locally.

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.

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.

Levoit Core 400S air purifier for $190 ($30 off with coupon): 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.

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.

Amazon Spring Sale FAQs

When is the Amazon Spring Sale?

The Amazon Spring Sale 2025 runs from March 25 through March 31.

What is Amazon's Spring Sale?

The Amazon Spring Sale is a multi-day sale event that has taken place at the end of March since 2024.

Do I have to be a Prime Member to shop the Amazon Spring Sale?

No, Amazon Spring Sale deals are available to all, including those who do not subscribe to Prime.

What types of deals can I expect to find during the Amazon Spring Sale?

In the past, we've seen a lot of spring cleaning and fashion items in sale during the Big Spring Sale. We expect this year to be no different. We at Engadget in particular will be on the lookout for discounts on our favorite spring cleaning tech, including robot vacuums, cordless vacuums and air purifiers, along with deals on kitchen and smart home gear.

Are there deals I can shop now ahead of the Amazon Spring Sale?

Yes, check out our list of the best Amazon Spring Sale deals you can get right now above.

How long does the Amazon Spring Sale last?

The Amazon Spring Sale lasts seven days this year, running from March 25 through March 31.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/amazon-spring-sale-tech-deals-the-best-discounts-from-apple-bose-irobot-dyson-and-others-130607879.html?src=rss

Amazon kicked off its latest Spring Sale last week, and while the event mostly focuses on things like apparel and outdoor goods, it still includes a few noteworthy deals on electronics. We’re rounding up the best of those across Engadget, but if you’re on a tighter budget, below we’ve dug up a few decent discounts on gadgets and services that are available for less than $50.This sale isn’t as strong for tech deals as Black Friday or Prime Day, but the offers below bring several accessories we recommend down near their all-time lows. We’ll update this guide as the sale rolls on. As a reminder, the event runs through March 31, and you don’t need to be an Amazon Prime member to see most of the price drops.

Best Amazon Spring Sale deals under $50

Anker PowerConf C200 for $48 ($12 off MSRP): The PowerConf C200 is our favorite webcam for those on a tighter budget due to its crisp video quality, easy setup, solid microphones and built-in privacy cover. Its USB cable is on the shorter side, and it can’t match the overall accuracy of our top pick, but it’s still a clear upgrade over a built-in laptop camera for a much lower price. This is another deal we’ve seen numerous times in the last year, but it’s as low as the camera usually goes. Also at Anker.

Anker 525 Charging Station for $30 ($36 off): We recommend this reliable desktop charging station in our remote worker gift guide. It can’t provide the absolute fastest charge to your smartphone or laptop (topping out at a quick enough 67W), but it packs four USB ports — two USB-C, two USB-A — and three AC outlets in a frame that’s small enough to fit on a crowded desk. This deal ties the lowest price we’ve seen. Also at Anker.

Anker Nano Charger 30W for $13 ($10 off): It’s hard to have too many portable wall chargers on standby. This one from Anker should be particularly useful for traveling: At just over an inch thick, it’s small enough to fit in a pocket, while its 30W USB-C port is enough to top up recent iPhones at full speed. (That’s not enough for some newer Android phones, though.) This discount matches the lowest price we’ve seen. Also at Anker.

Amazon Music Unlimited 3-month trial for free ($24 off): Amazon is offering new subscribers three months of its Music Unlimited streaming service for free. Normally, it gives new users a one-month trial. Though Music Unlimited isn’t a top pick in our guide to the best music services, it still gets you lossless streaming quality and an extensive library of both music and podcasts. You could do worse if you just want to bum a few months of music streaming for no cost. Just note that your subscription will auto-renew once the trial period ends until you cancel.

Amazon Fire TV Stick HD for $20 ($15 off): This is the budget pick in our guide to the best streaming devices. It can only play up to 1080p, so it’s really meant for older or smaller TVs that you want to modernize with streaming apps. It’s a bit more sluggish than Amazon’s higher-end 4K sticks, too, and all Fire TV devices tend to promote Amazon-owned services like Prime Video above all else. Still, it works with nearly all the major streaming apps, and its remote has Alexa built-in, so you can control your TV and certain smart home devices with voice commands. It also supports basic HDR10 — but not Dolby Vision — plus it can pass-through Dolby Atmos audio to a compatible soundbar or receiver. You could do worse if you just want the cheapest streamer possible. This deal is $2 higher than the all-time low we saw during the holidays, but it matches the best price we’ve tracked otherwise. Also at Best Buy.

Blink Mini 2 for $20 ($20 off): This deal ties the lowest price to date for the Blink Mini 2, which is the budget pick in our guide to the best security cameras. This one comes with its share of trade-offs for the low price — its image quality isn’t the best, it locks certain features behind a paywall and it won’t automatically arm when you leave the house — but it still provides functional 1080p video, color night vision, motion alerts and Alexa support in a weather-resistant frame. It’s fairly simple to set up, too, though you’ll need to buy an external module if you want to store clips locally. Also at Best Buy and The Home Depot.

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. Unlike the AirTag, it can also attach directly to a keychain. It probably isn’t the safest choice for long-distance travel, but it’s a convenient security blanket if you, say, leave your keys or wallet behind at a restaurant. This is another discount that’s been available for a few weeks, but it’s just 10 cents more the best price we’ve seen.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/amazon-spring-sale-tech-deals-under-50-the-best-discounts-on-chargers-earbuds-accessories-and-more-091512674.html?src=rss

We might not have personal robot butlers that can clean our entire home, but when it comes to automatically cleaning floors, the future has been delivered. And thanks to Amazon’s Spring Sale, a number of models are currently discounted. We’ve tested dozens of robot vacuums to produce two guides on the subject — one for the best of the best and one for budget models. We’ve also tested out a number of cordless stick vacuum cleaners that make spot-cleaning nearly effortless. Looking at what’s on sale and what we recommend, we came up with this list of the best deals on robot vacuums and cordless vacuums we could find for Amazon’s latest sale.

The best Amazon Spring Sale robot vacuum deals

Shark's Matrix Plus robovac for $400 ($350 off): In our testing, we’ve been consistently impressed with Shark vacuums — but they’re not cheap. This machine can mop in addition to vacuum and is nearly half price at 47 percent off.

Anker Eufy Robot Vacuum 11S MAX for $140 (44 percent off): The “S” in the model name stands for “slim” and it was one of the more low-profile machines we tried. It’s a pick in our guide to budget robot vacuums and has a long battery life and good suction power for its price. The main drawback is the lack of Wi-Fi, so instead of programming it with your phone, you’ll use the included remote.

Anker Eufy Robot Vacuum 3-in-1 E20 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.

Shark Robot PowerDetect NeverTouch vac and mop combo for $500 ($400 off): This is the non-pro model of our runner up pick for the best combo bot. It mops and vacuums, quickly making a map of your home on its first run. The app easily lets you program where your hard and carpeted surfaces are, as well as set schedules. The base empties the dry debris and dirty water, then refills it with new water. The difference between this model and the Pro version is that this one doesn’t clean the mop with each use, so you may need to manually perform that task more often — but the price difference may make up for that lack.

The best cordless vacuum deals

Dyson V15s Detect Submarine for $800 ($150 off): This Dyson cordless stick vacuum and mop is a top pick in our best cordless vacuums guide thanks to its sleek design and included mop attachment that easily swap in so you can clean tile, hardwood and other flooring with liquid solution. Yes, it's expensive, but you're essentially getting two cleaning machines in one — plus, when used as a vacuum, it has excellent suction power and great battery life.

Levoit Cordless Vacuum Cleaner (LVAC-200) for $150 ($50 off): The lowest price we’ve tracked on this stick vac is $130 but this matches the lowest price we’ve seen this year. It’s our runner up budget pick for a stick vac in our guide. It doesn’t have a storage base and the bin is smallish, but it’s lightweight and super affordable. It also disassembles easily for storage making its lack of base less of a deal breaker.

Tineco Pure ONE Station 5 for $349 ($110 off): This vac earned an honorable mention in our tests. The self-emptying base is a big selling point. We also liked the auto-adjusting suction and single-button start feature. The fact that it doesn’t require proprietary bags helps keep down the long-term cost, too.

Tineco Pure ONE S11 cordless vacuum for $200 ($100 off with coupon): Click the coupon to get $95 off our top pick for a budget stick vac. We like that it automatically adjusts suction depending on what it's picking up and is relatively lightweight when you’re pushing it around your floors. The bin is on the small side and the battery life isn’t as good as on other models, but it’s an easy-to-use, no-frills way to clean floors.

Tineco Pure ONE Station FurFree for $400 ($300 off): Of all the stick vacs our reviewer tried for our guide, this is the one she wanted to use the most. It’s super convenient with a dock that charges and empties and cleans all parts of the machine — brush, tube and dustbin — after each use. Plus the suction power is great and the iLoop smart sensor kicks up the suction when needed.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/amazon-spring-sale-robot-vacuum-deals-the-best-sales-from-dyson-shark-irobot-and-others-092652432.html?src=rss

Amazon’s latest Spring Sale has arrived. While the event isn’t as heavy on tech as Black Friday or Prime Day, we’ve still managed to find a few noteworthy discounts on Apple devices. If you’re looking for a new iPad, Apple Watch or set of AirPods, we’ve rounded up the best Apple deals going on right now. Truthfully, most of the offers below aren’t explicitly tied to the Spring Sale, but they still drop a number of Apple (and Beats) gadgets we recommend down to lower prices than usual. As a reminder, Amazon says the sale will run through March 31 and that a few (but not all) of the discounts are exclusive to Prime members.

Best Amazon Spring Sale Apple deals

Apple AirPods 4 with ANC for $149 ($30 off MSRP): This version of the AirPods 4 is nearly identical to the base model, only it supports active noise cancellation and comes with a wireless charging case. It also supports other listening modes like Adaptive Audio, and that case can tap into Apple’s Find My tracking network if you ever misplace it. The ANC isn’t as effective as what you can get with a pair that fully seals off the ear canal, but it makes the earbuds a little more useful in noisy environments all the same. We gave the device a score of 86 in our review. This discount is $11 higher than the best price we’ve seen, but it’s about as low as the earbuds have fallen outside of that.

Apple AirPods Pro 2 for $170 ($79 off): The AirPods Pro 2 remain Apple’s best set of wireless earbuds, as they offer the full set of Apple-focused features, strong ANC, onboard volume controls, a (generally) comfy in-ear design and a warm sound profile that most should find agreeable. They can even work as a hearing aid, though their six-hour battery life still isn’t the best, and you should only get them if you’re all-in on Apple hardware. If that’s the case, though, we call them the best choice for iPhone owners in our wireless earbuds buying guide. We saw this pair drop as low as $154 back in December, but this deal comes within a dollar of its best price since then.

Apple Watch Series 10 for $329 ($70 off): The top pick in our guide to the best smartwatches, the Series 10 is a mostly iterative update, with faster charging, a slightly slimmer profile and a marginally larger display compared to the previous Series 9. That said, it remains a comprehensive fitness tracker, and no other smartwatch can integrate as neatly with iPhones and other Apple devices. It should be a welcome upgrade if you’re looking to upgrade from an older Apple Watch (think pre-Series 7) — just keep in mind a patent dispute has locked it out the blood oxygen detection features found on those older models. This $100 discount matches the lowest price we’ve seen for the non-cellular model with a 42mm case. Also at Best Buy and Walmart.

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.

Apple iPad (A16) for $329 ($20 off): The newest entry-level iPad only arrived three weeks ago, but Amazon is currently selling it for $20 less than Apple direct, which is a decent little savings if you planned on grabbing the tablet early anyway. This one is another small update, but it now comes with a faster A16 chip, more RAM and 128GB of storage as standard. It earned a score of 84 in our review — if you only need an iPad for media consumption and lighter work, it's still a fine value. Also at B&H and Best Buy.

Apple iPad Air 11-inch (M3) for $549 ($50 off): Much like the deal on the base iPad above, this isn’t a huge discount, but it’s a nice chance to save a few bucks compared to buying from Apple directly. The new iPad Air was released on the same day as the iPad (A16) and is a similarly minor update; the only big addition is a more powerful M3 chip. However, we still prefer the Air over the base model if you can swing it: Its display is more color-rich and better at fending off glare, its speakers are more robust, it works with Apple’s best accessories and its performance should hold up better in the years ahead. The older M2-powered model is an even better value if you can find it on sale, but either way the Air is the iPad we recommend to most people. Also at B&H, Best Buy and Walmart.

Apple iPad Air 13-inch (M3) for $738 ($61 off): We gave the 13-inch iPad Air a review score of 89 earlier this month. It has a bigger and slightly brighter display than its 11-inch counterpart; otherwise, the two slates are the same. If you plan to keep your iPad hooked up to a keyboard, the extra screen space is lovely for taking in movies and multitasking for work. This is the lowest price we’ve seen for the 128GB model. Also at Walmart.

Apple iPad Pro 13-inch (M4) for $1,099 ($200 off): The iPad Pro is more tablet than most people need, but it’s the ultimate iPad for those who can stomach its price tag. It’s wonderfully thin, its OLED display is one of the best we’ve seen on a consumer device and its M4 chip can handle virtually anything you’d ever do on an iPad. It’s also the only Apple tablet with Face ID, plus it has a better speaker setup than the iPad Air. We gave it a score of 84 in our review, with the only real drawback being how expensive it all is. This deal on doesn’t truly lessen that — and it’s another deal we’ve seen multiple times in recent months — but it still ties the 13-inch model’s all-time low.

Beats Studio Pro for $180 (49 percent off): These Beats headphones have improved sound quality, good Transparency mode and USB-C charging, plus decent mic quality for phone calls. They support wired USB-C audio, plus they have solid ANC as well.

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.

Expired deals

Apple Mac mini (M4 Pro) for $1,199 ($200 off): It's still not cheap, but here's the lowest price we've seen for this higher-spec configuration of the latest Mac mini, which includes an M4 Pro chip, 24GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. This specific model is overkill for casual users, but it should be a decent buy for those with more professional needs who want a compact Mac but can’t spring for the top-end Mac Studio. We gave the Mac mini a score of 90 in our review last November, praising its performance, pint-sized design and port selection, though it can get noisy under load and it still lacks an SD card reader. Also at B&H.

If you do only need a desktop for basic tasks, the entry-level model with a standard M4 chip, 16GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD has also dropped back to $499. That $100 discount matches the best price we’ve tracked.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/amazon-spring-sale-apple-deals-airpods-ipads-watches-and-more-are-up-to-200-off-092050290.html?src=rss

The Amazon Big Spring Sale isn’t as huge as, say, the company’s (two) Prime Day sales, but there are still plenty of deals to be found — particularly on goods for your home. While Engadget doesn’t test sheets and pillows, we do put our review skills to work on kitchen tech. We’ve combed through what’s on offer and found a good number of deals on the cooking gear we recommend. So if you’re in the market for a discount on a pizza oven, sous vide machine, coffee kettle or an air fryer, this is a good list to check out.

The best Amazon Spring Sale deals on air fryers, Instant Pots and more

Breville Juice Fountain Plus for $140 ($40 off): The powerful Juice Fountain impressed us with its extraction abilities. Plus it’s relatively easy to clean (as long as you do it right after you juice). It takes up a good amount of space, but can extract an impressive amount of juice from even the driest-seeming carrot. This price isn’t as low as the $110 Amazon sold it for back in January, but this is the lowest price we’ve tracked since then.

Cosori 9-in-1 air frier for $90 ($30 off): Cosori’s fryer earned a spot as the runner up for best overall air fryer in our guide. It has nine preset cooking modes and a six-quart capacity. We like that it doesn’t take up too much space, but can still cook up a decent amount of food

Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro for $320 ($80 off): If you want a more traditional toaster oven design with a huge capacity, go for our premium air fryer pick. The fryer-and-oven combo can accommodate a five-quart dutch oven, so it’s almost an auxiliary oven, which could come in handy when you’re cooking for a crowd. This isn't an all-time low — it went for $300 at the end of last year.

Breville the Smart Oven Air Fryer for $280 ($70 off): This is the non-Pro version of the Breville air fryer we recommend. It has a slightly smaller capacity (0.8 cubic feet instead of one cubic foot) and is missing two cooking functions (dehydrate and proof). But if you’re not making your own jerky or baking a ton of bread, this one can toast, broil, air fry and slow cook. You can even get it in cool colors like Red Velvet Cake for the same price.

Ninja DZ401 Foodi 10-quart air fryer for $190 ($40 off): If you need to air fry two different foods at once, go for our recommendation for a dual-zone air fryer. It’s a beast, so we think it’s best for larger kitchens and people who make big meals. It went as low as $130 for Black Friday last year, but this is the cheapest price we’ve seen since then.

Ninja AF150AMZ Air Fryer for $120 (25 percent off): This went as low as $100 for the holidays last year, but this matches the lowest price we’ve seen since then. The fryer gets an honorable mention in our air fryer guide because it makes good use of limited counter space with its taller design. The round cooking basket doesn’t feel as roomy as square ones but it does have a dehydrate option that other cookers don’t come with.

KitchenAid Artisan 5-quart stand mixer for $380 ($80 off): Small wonder that the home cook’s gold standard of mixers made its way onto our kitchen tech guide. Its ton of available attachments can be used to make pasta, grind food, strain or spiralize fruits and veggies and more. This is no unitasker. This is a solid $80 discount off of the MSRP, but we’ll note that Amazon sold it for as low as $330 at the end of last year and for $350 last month.

KitchenAid Go Cordless Hand Blender for $100 ($30 off): The big selling point here is the removable battery that you can use for other KitchenAid Go appliances. In our testing, it had enough power to turn a roasted butternut squash into a smooth, creamy soup. The blender has hit this price a few times over the past few months and the deal isn’t as good as the $77 it sold for at the end of last year.

Instant Pot Pro Plus 9-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker for $133 ($67 off): We also suggest this fancier Pro Plus model in our guide to kitchen tech. It’s a Wi-Fi connected unit with a canning function and you can even release the steam remotely using the companion app — which has over 800 recipes. This isn't an all-time low — it was $125 earlier this week and dipped as low as $99 for Black Friday last year.

Fellow Stagg EKG Pro electric kettle for $165 ($30 off): This exquisitely designed kettle has an LCD panel built into the base so you can choose a specific temperature down to the degree. And the hold feature keeps water hot for up to an hour. This is the pro model of the version we recommend in our tea guide.

Anova Culinary Sous Vide 3.0 for $129 ($70 off): We named this the best overall sous vide machine after testing a number of models for our buyer’s guide. This is about $30 more than the low it hit for the holidays last year, but this is the lowest price we’ve seen in 2025. We appreciate the easy digital controls and found that the high flow rate maintains water temperature better than other machines. Plus, if you’re at a loss for what to cook, you can check out the companion app which is replete with recipes.

Expired deals

Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker Nano for $100 ($50 off): This is the machine that led our editor to dub these machines the “Millennial crockpot.” She uses this one a few times a week to make unfussy meals that keep her alive. The Nano model is a slightly smaller and less expensive version of the top pick in our buyer’s guide. This is about $10 more than the all-time low, but is the cheapest we’ve seen Amazon sell it for over the past couple of months.

Instant Vortex 2QT Mini Air Fryer for $50 ($10 off): The budget pick in our guide doesn’t go on sale often — it’s already pretty cheap at its $60 list price. It’s sold for as little as $48 for Prime Day in July, but this is the cheapest we’ve seen since then. Its two-quart capacity is probably best for small kitchens and can crisp up food for one or two people.

Instant Pot Duo Plus 9-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker for $90 ($40 off): We like this Instant Pot model because it's simple to use and has several quick-cooking modes including beans, cake, sous vide and more. It went as low as $70 earlier this year, but this is still a 30 percent discount off the list price.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-best-amazon-spring-sale-deals-on-kitchen-tech-from-ninja-breville-kitchenaid-and-others-092909576.html?src=rss

You have to be patient if you want to take advantage of the best streaming deals because they don't come around as often as discounts on laptops and smartphones. One of the best deals as of late comes from Disney: new and returning subscribers can get four months of the Disney+ Hulu Duo Basic bundle for only $12. But this deal ends March 30, so you'll have to grab it now if you've been interested in subscribing for less.

You'll pay $3 per month for four months, and that represents a 72-percent discount off the standard $11-per-month price. For the whole period, you'll save a total of $32. Just keep in mind that the Duo Basic plan includes advertisements on both Disney+ and Hulu content.

At a time when it feels like every streaming service, audio and video, is pushing their subscription costs ever-higher, it's a treat to get any amount of entertainment access for a discount. That's why we're big fans of the Disney+ Hulu Duo plans; even at the normal rate, it unites two of our favorite standalone content libraries in a single package that's a solid deal at its normal rates.

Snagging the basic tier for an even lower cost feels like a no-brainer, especially if you're invested in any facet of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, if you're counting the days until the second season of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives or if you just like to hum along with Encanto in the background while you work.

Keep in mind that the ad-free Duo Premium plan isn't covered in this promotion, nor is the option that also bundles ESPN into the package. Access to Duo Premium will still run you $20 a month, while the Trio bundles begin at $17 a month.

Check out our coverage of the best streaming deals for more discounts, and follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/this-disney-and-hulu-deal-ends-soon-get-four-months-of-access-for-only-12-123511829.html?src=rss