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There’s a new AI image fad spreading on the internet, one that could bring new life to those dusty shoeboxes and family albums. ChatGPT users have discovered that the AI assistant can take old photos and mimic a restored, colorized version.I first saw it discussed on a Reddit thread, one that was initially skeptical of ChatGPT's restoration ability for good reason.The AI was far more likely to take an old headshot and 'restore' it by making a headshot of someone who might be the cousin of the person in the original photo. Thanks to tips shared by others on Reddit and Instagram on how to make it work properly, I cobbled together a prompt that does a pretty good job of it.The prompt I settled on is: “Please upscale and colorize this photo while keeping it faithful to the time period. Do not change the arrangement, expressions, background, or attire; only add period-accurate color and details. The new photo should overlay the original exactly."It's not actually restoring the image, but you might think of it as a recreation by an art forager with a modernist streak. The results are in color, with better resolution, any damage repaired, and even some lost details reimaged.Again, it's important to remember this isn't the same thing as enhancing the actual photo, but it's amusing, and certainly feels less problematic than swiping Studio Ghibli's style.To test out the trend, I pulled some public domain photos from the Library of Congress, which is truly an amazing resource. Check out some of the results below.

Rough Rider Restoration

(Image credit: Library of Congress/ChatGPT-generated image)

First up is President Theodore Roosevelt. The photo catches Teddy in the middle of a writing session at his desk. The desk has a large plaque and, a very of the time, liquor decanter with glasses. After ChatGPT does its work, you can see some fine details and colors.Now, not all of those details are right. Hand positions, chair arm shape, a radio replaced with what looks like a large candle, and plenty more. It managed to capture a lot of the man himself pretty well, though.

Bike to the future

(Image credit: Library of Congress/ChatGPT-generated image)

Next came the bicycle delivery boy. Again, the person looked amazingly like the original. The original photo was already lively, with puddles on a street that is clearly filthy. The colorized version decided that meant the street had a nice hardwood floor for some reason.Even so, the sign on the building behind the bicyclist, along with the crowd in the background, all really pop. It even managed to get the reflection of the bicycle on the ground.

Soda jerk

(Image credit: Library of Congress/ChatGPT-generated image)

Moving ahead in time a bit is this soda jerk. A happy fellow smiling while handing over what I can only assume is an egg cream or a root beer float with the flair of a Broadway actor playing “guy who loves seltzer.”ChatGPT delivered a restored version that nailed his face and expression, not to mention the bow tie. Sure, the hair is a little off, and I'm not sure how appetizing the modern drink looks, but it seems like he enjoys his job in the black void behind the counter.

Iterate, iterate, iterate

(Image credit: Library of Congress/ChatGPT)

Then came the two policemen in their long coats and tall hats. I assume the serious mustaches were part of the uniform. The colorized version brought their uniforms to life with deep navy blue tones and brass buttons that practically gleam.The officers are a little taller than their black and white counterparts, with somewhat better tailoring, but it's a photo that belongs in the same law enforcement portraits.

Mr. Mustache

(Image credit: Library of Congress/ChatGPT-generated image)

Speaking of mustaches, that's the real star of the last photo. You almost don't even notice the gentleman behind it. It's not just facial hair, it's architecture. The restored version very slightly cleaned up the stray hairs, but otherwise, this was the most impressive result.The face, haircut, coat, and even the crease in the shirt are there. Every bristle is crisp, and wherever he's headed, I'd love to see the rest of the barbershop quartet.

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This week, we celebrated Earth Day with a suite of sustainability-focused pieces, saw our LG TVs morph into Xboxes, and got to experience the new Insta360 X5.To catch up on all that and more from the world of tech, scroll down for recaps of the week's seven biggest tech news stories.When you're done, be sure to check out our picks for the seven new movies and TV shows to watch this weekend (April 25).

7. We hosted Sustainability Week 2025

(Image credit: Shutterstock / Troyan)

To celebrate Earth Day this year, we've put together a suite of stories from across the tech industry to celebrate, challenge, and highlight all things sustainable.With deep dives into sustainability champions like Fairphone, exciting details on breakthroughs in sustainable tech – like how extreme heat could be the answer to our lithium ion battery woes – and guides on how to best shop for secondhand tech, we have you covered with articles that are well worth your time if you’re keen to go green.We’ve also published new video content on our TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube channels, so make sure you're subscribed on those platforms if you want to see all of our sustainability coverage from this past week.

Read more: Check out all of our Sustainability Week 2025 content.

6. Alexa+ early adopters told us their first thoughts

(Image credit: Amazon)

Almost two months after it was announced, Alexa+ still hasn’t appeared on our Echo Show devices. We’re getting impatient, but thankfully, a member of Amazon’s early adopter program has taken to Reddit to share their experiences with the new voice assistant while we wait.It sounds like there are still a few quirks to be worked out (Alexa+ tries to direct users to Amazon Music when they want to play from Spotify), but overall, they were pretty impressed – particularly when it came to interpreting complex questions and synthesizing speech. "Old Alexa was hot garbage, but this new one was a pleasant surprise,” the tester concluded.High praise indeed.

Read more: Alexa+ early adopter gives their thoughts

5. Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders went live in the US

(Image credit: Future)

Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders finally went live on April 24 in the US after the unexpected delay that came during the US tariff uncertainty earlier this month. And there were mixed results with how it went, to say the least.Away from Nintendo’s own invite-based pre-order system, three big retailers in Walmart, Target, and Best Buy, all launched their pre-orders at midnight on April 24. There was huge clamour for the product, and while some offered only the standard console and Mario Kart World bundle, others (Best Buy) crafted a whole heap of bespoke bundles.GameStop opted for going later in the day, releasing in-store pre-orders when shops opened, and choosing to put its online stock live at 11am. However, this method was - from our learned experience, at least - a huge disappointment. The interest was so high that GameStop’s website fully stopped working for large periods of time.Across the board, it was a familiar story in terms of a sought-after hardware launch: some folks were lucky, and some folks were not. Here’s hoping it all levels out soon enough. The UK’s Switch 2 pre-order status is now less hectic, but readily available stock remains hard to come by.

Read more: Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders live – all the latest updates in the US and UK

4. LG TVs became Xboxes

(Image credit: Xbox)

This week Microsoft continued its mission to turn everything into an Xbox, with its latest efforts transforming your LG TV into an Xbox through its cloud gaming service.If you have a WebOS 24 or WebOS 25-compatible TV (i.e. if your LG TV launched in 2022 or after, or if it’s a 2021 StanbyME display) you can install a beta version of the XBox app. All you’ll need then is an Xbox controller and a Game Pass Ultimate subscription.Just remember that because it’s all happening in the cloud the quality of your experience will be determined by the quality of your internet connection, so if your connection isn’t the most stable your LG Xbox gaming might be a little choppy.

Read more: LG displays can now cloud stream Game Pass games without a console

3. We got our hands on the new Motorola Razr Ultra

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

The 2025 Motorola Razr family is here, including the new flagship Motorola Razr Ultra, and Motorola is tripling down on its commitment to unique CMF - color, materials, and finish. Besides the unique color options – all straight from Pantone’s color catalog – Motorola is making phones with unique materials like real wood and Italian Alcantara, and offering finish options that make the phones feel like nylon, Acetate, or faux leather.This Razr is truly the antidote for boring phone design, and I had fun flipping through the different looks to decide which I liked best. Spoiler: it’s the Alcantara, which has a luxurious and soft feel; though it’s a toss-up between that Scarab color and the new Mountain Trail wood option.The Razr Ultra is no slouch in the spec department either, and Motorola is finally offering flagship performance in its high-end model. Sadly, that comes with a higher price tag this year, but it could be worth the extra cost if the cameras and battery deliver on their promise.

Read more: Hands-on with the new Moto Razr Ultra – I love that it brings back one unique phone feature I missed out on

2. Insta360’s new X5 360 camera dropped

(Image credit: Insta360)

Just over a year ago, we declared the Insta360 X4 is the best 360 camera out there – and this week got a sequel with the inventively named Insta360 X5.This new and improved model can record 8K 360-degree at 30 frames per second or 5.7K at 60fps – like its predecessor – though with a bigger image sensor it should deliver much better low-light image quality than the X4, and should boast better dynamic range at all resolutions to make the color of your shots appear more vibrant.You’ll also appreciate the bigger battery capacity, efficiencies, and heat dissipation that Insta360 says result in the X5 boasting a 37% longer battery life and the device running less hot – an issue we know some had with the X4 before it. This means you should be able to rely on the X5 to record more of your adventures between charges.The Insta360 X5 Standard Version costs $549.99 / £519.99 / AU$929.99, while the Essentials Bundle costs $659.99 / £609.99 / AU$1,109.99 and includes an extra battery, fast charge case, 114cm invisible selfie stick, standard lens guards, lens cap, and carry case.

Read more: Insta360’s new X5 improves on the X4 where it matters most

1. Adobe gave us a new AI-powered mood board

(Image credit: Future)

One of AI’s most useful tricks is acting as a brainstorming sidekick – and Adobe has just launched a new tool that looks ideal for visual creativity sessions.Firefly Boards (which is the new name for ‘Project Concept’) is available to try now in beta and is an infinite canvas for moodboarding where you can use both AI-generated images and your own reference photos to come up with fresh ideas. It’s built for designers, but could also level up your birthday party invitations in a big way.There’s a free version with limited credits, and you can join the waitlist now. We can see this one being a massive (and fun) weekend timesink.

Read more: Adobe Max London 2025 live – all the new features coming to Photoshop, Firefly, Premiere Pro and more

The YouTube experience on TVs has always felt like an afterthought compared to watching it on phones or the web. But with TV recently becoming more popular than mobile for watching YouTube in the US, the television experience is finally going to get a redesign soon – and that's great news, as long as some annoying issues are fixed in the process.Nearly all of my YouTube watching takes place on my TV via the Apple TV app. I thought this made me a streaming dinosaur, but the 2025 stats say different, and that's why YouTube has promised to prioritize the big screen this year in a way that it never has before.This week, to tie in with YouTube's 20th birthday, we heard that the home of short-form video is getting a "TV viewing upgrade" that will roll out "this summer".Precise details of what that means are scarce, but a teaser image (above) gives us an idea of what to expect, along with a few promised improvements.These include "easier navigation" (let's hope that includes an improved search experience), plus some "quality tweaks" and a better playback experience. YouTube is also promising "streamlined access to comments, channel info, and subscribing."That last point caught my eye, because a relatively recent change to subscriptions in YouTube's Apple TV app has become a serious pain – and according to Reddit threads, I'm not alone in feeling that way.Rather than listing your subscriptions in alphabetical order, the TV app on most services (Google TV, Fire TV, and more) now jumbles them up confusingly in order of mysterious "relevance" – even though that isn't the case in the mobile app. And it frustrates me almost every time I watch YouTube on the big screen.

A more TV-like experience

The YouTube app on TV platforms like Apple TV (above) now effectively puts your subscriptions in shuffle mode – which isn't a great experience if you're looking for something specific. (Image credit: Future)

Granted, there are bigger complaints about the YouTube experience on TVs – most notably, an increasingly painful ad experience that is making YouTube Premium mandatory, unless you enjoy pressing the mute button every few minutes.But I'm hoping YouTube's promised navigation improvements include bringing back alphabetical subscription lists, or a better way to experience them. I previously used the subscriptions list like an EPG, which helped me quickly find the latest series I was enjoying (my latest obsession being Trash Theory's excellent music essays).Now, the channels are ordered by what YouTube considers "most relevant", which is usually different from what I think is relevant – because YouTube can't (yet) read my mind. This is something you can change when watching in a browser (by going to Subscriptions > Manage > then choosing A-Z from the drop-down menu), but no longer in the many TV apps.There are workarounds like casting from your phone to your TV instead, but I'm a TV native when it comes to YouTube – so I hope the big redesign that's en route also restores some of the functionality that was recently removed in classic Google fashion.There is a danger that these new features will be accompanied by 'upgrades' like "pause ads", which is something YouTube has been testing while drumming its fingers together like Mr Burns. Another feature that has been promised is a "second screen experience that lets you use your phone to interact with the video you're watching on TV".I'm realistic – Google and YouTube rarely give us new features without finding ways to simultaneously print more ad money from the one billion hours we spend watching YouTube content on TVs every day (yes, really). But as long as the TV experience finally feels as polished and user-friendly as the mobile app, I'll likely continue to spend more time on YouTube than the best streaming services.

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MasterClass is a good platform to learn a new skill and transfer that doom-scrolling energy into something more productive — and probably more fun, too. Now, you can sign up for MasterClass at a discount: plans are 40 percent off at the moment as part of a "spring forward" sale. Tiers start at $6 per month, which comes out to $72 in total when billed annually.

We reckon the mid-tier Plus plan likely offers the best value here. That includes the ability to watch MasterClass videos on two devices simultaneously. Perhaps more importantly, this tier includes offline viewing, which might come in handy if no in-flight entertainment options grab your interest the next time you're traveling. The Plus plan is available for the equivalent of $9 per month when billed annually ($108 total), down from $15 per month.

There are more than 200 classes available on MasterClass, including lessons from some of the top names in each relevant industry. You might learn about how to have a winning mentality from Lewis Hamilton, creative writing from Margaret Atwood, shooting and scoring from Steph Curry, comedy from Steve Martin or home cooking from Alice Waters. The categories of classes include film and TV, health and wellness, science and technology, music, and business.

Each class has around 20 video lessons that typically last around 10 minutes long each. You'll get access to a workbook as well to help you absorb the information and understand how to act on it through various exercises. But even if you're not necessarily interested in acquiring new skills, you might simply use MasterClass as you would with any other streaming service, which is one reason why it's among our favorite subscriptions to gift someone.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/masterclass-deal-save-40-percent-on-an-annual-subscription-154524213.html?src=rss

Another Samsung tri-fold leak has emergedThe main screen size is said to be 9.9 inchesIt seems the phone will be launching this year

Samsung has confirmed that it's working on a tri-fold foldable phone, and while we don't have too many details about it yet, the latest leak around the handset gives us some more information about the screen size.This tip comes from well-known leaker Digital Chat Station (via Notebookcheck), who says that we're looking at a main screen size of around 9.9 inches. That's a little smaller than the 10.2-inch display sported by the Huawei Mate XT tri-fold.It also lines up rather neatly with previous rumors around this Samsung device: those rumors have predicted a main screen size of 9.96 inches and an outer screen size of 6.49 inches, which also indicates a key difference from the Huawei Mate XT.Whereas the three panels of the Mate XT fold back on each other, leaving a third of the screen visible when it's closed, the Samsung tri-fold is expected to fold inwards – so all of the main display gets covered up when it's shut, and a second display is needed.

More leaks and rumors

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 should get a successor this year (Image credit: Future)

This same leak suggests that the Samsung tri-fold will be launching this year. It may show up sometime in July, which is when the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 are expected to be unveiled.Other whispers we've heard around this Samsung tri-fold are that it'll offer 2,600 nits of brightness on its screens, which is a very decent figure and matches up with what's already offered by the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6.There's also been talk that the tri-fold might end up being called the Samsung Galaxy G Fold. That's by no means official yet, but that moniker would fit in neatly with the other foldable phones that Samsung already manufactures.It's going to be interesting to see how Samsung prices this phone. Obviously, it's going to have to cost a lot because of the tech, but we're hoping that it's not prohibitively expensive – and that it goes on sale worldwide.

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DoorDash is asking the court to dismiss the lawsuit filed by Uber in February, calling it meritless and a "cynical and calculated scare tactic." Uber sued the biggest food delivery provider in the US earlier this year, accusing it of putting pressure on restaurants to exclusively use its services. At the time, Uber said that it heard from "restaurants across the country" that DoorDash was charging higher commission rates from restaurants that also sell their food on Uber Eats. It also accused DoorDash of threatening to demote restaurants in its listings if they're also available on the Uber Eats app. But in its motion for dismissal, DoorDash said Uber's lawsuit isn't about protecting competition but avoiding it.

The food delivery provider asserted that Uber "has been unable to offer merchants, consumers, and couriers the high-quality services" that it provides, so Uber "resorted to asserting baseless legal claims" instead of competing on its own merits. It wrote in its motion that Uber's complaint is "rooted in the misguided notion" that it has to change its business practices, which it argued are pro-competitive, to give way to Uber's business. The company explained, however, that the law is "concerned with the protection of competition, not competitors."

Meanwhile, Uber told TechCrunch that DoorDash was "having a hard time understanding" its complaint. "When restaurants are forced to choose between unfair terms or retaliation, that’s not competition — it’s coercion," its spokesperson said. The Superior Court of San Francisco County, California is scheduled to hear Uber's lawsuit on July 11. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/doordash-calls-ubers-lawsuit-accusing-it-of-anti-competitive-practices-a-scare-tactic-130040299.html?src=rss

New devices are still hitting our desks at Engadget at a rapid pace. Over the last two weeks, we've offered up in-depth analysis of cameras, earbuds, GPUs and a portable display. Plus, there are follow-ups on two of this spring's biggest TV shows and a little something for the gamers. Read on to catch up on everything you might've missed in the last fortnight.

Panasonic S1R II

If you're looking for a camera that excels at both photos and video that's more affordable than what Sony, Nikon and Canon offer, contributing reporter Steve Dent recommends the S1R II. "The S1R II is Panasonic’s best hybrid mirrorless camera to date, offering a great balance of photography and video powers," he said. "It’s also the cheapest new camera in the high-resolution hybrid full-frame category, undercutting rivals like Canon’s R5 II and the Nikon Z8."

NVIDIA RTX 5060 Ti (16GB)

Devindra is back with another GPU review, and this time he put the NVIDIA RTX 5060 Ti through its paces. Price hikes are the biggest concern here amidst the current retail market (even before potential tariffs kick in). "On paper, NVIDIA has done a lot right with the 16GB GeForce RTX 5060 Ti," he explained. "It’ll be more than enough for demanding games in 1080p and 1440p, even if you let loose a bit with ray tracing. But it’s also relying on DLSS 4 upscaling for much of that performance, which may make some wary about the 5060 Ti’s actual power."

Espresso 15 Pro

Espresso Displays is an Engadget favorite as far as portable monitors are concerned, but senior reviews reporter Sam Rutherford argues the company needed to bridge the gap between its more affordable options and its priciest. The Espresso 15 Pro isn't cheap, but it does offer almost everything you'd want. "It features well above average brightness, a sleek but sturdy design and super simple setup," he said. "It also comes with a few special features like Glide and added touch support for Macs that help you get more out of the devices you already own. And thanks to a wealth of accessories, it can adapt to almost any use case."

Audio-Technica ATH-CKS50TW2

The idea of wireless earbuds with 25 hours of battery life seems impossible, but Audio-Technica made it happen. The company's ATH-CKS50TW2 lasts twice as long as more premium competition with active noise cancellation (ANC) on, but it blows them away with that mode disabled. A-T's trademark warm, inviting sound profile is on display here too. "More specifically, the stock audio isn’t overly tuned, so bass remains pleasantly thumpy when needed and dialed down when it’s not," I wrote.

The Last of Us, Andor and Clair Obscur Expedition 33

Nathan has been keeping up with season two of The Last of Us on an episode-by-episode basis and Devindra penned a full review of the new season of Andor. UK bureau chief Mat Smith spent some time playing Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, noting that the game "does a great job setting up its world in a way that allows everyone to get on board."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/engadget-review-recap-panasonic-s1r-ii-nvidia-rtx-5060-ti-and-more-130005749.html?src=rss

Acorn’s ARM1 chip kicked off a 40-year computing legacyArm chips now power over 300 billion devices worldwide and counting99% of smartphones run on Arm and there's growing adoption in IoT, cloud, and AI workloads

In April 1985, a small team at Acorn Computers in Cambridge, UK, set out to rethink what a processor could be. Engineers Sophie Wilson and Steve Furber developed the ARM1 (it originally stood for Advanced RISC Machines), an unassuming chip with just 25,000 transistors, to power the BBC Micro, crafting a 32-bit processor that emphasized reduced instruction sets for faster, more efficient computation.The design's low power consumption was partially driven by practical constraints, namely the need to run in cheaper plastic packaging. ARM2 soon followed, incorporated into the Acorn Archimedes, the first RISC-based home computer. ARM3 introduced a 4KB cache and further improved performance.After the spin-off from Acorn in 1990, ARM Ltd. was founded as a joint venture between Acorn, Apple, and VLSI. One early commercial success was the Apple Newton, followed by widespread adoption in mobile phones like the Nokia 6110, which featured the ARM7TDMI.

(Image credit: Arm)

Looking to the future

ARM6, introduced in 1991, brought full 32-bit processing and an MMU, key to powering GSM mobile phones. In 2005, Armv7 architecture debuted with the Cortex-A8 processor, which brought SIMD (NEON) support and powered many early smartphones.In 2011, Armv8 introduced 64-bit support and became the foundation for cloud, data center, mobile, and automotive computing. Features like SVE and Helium pushed performance and AI capabilities further.The 2021 launch of Armv9 marked the architecture's shift into AI-centric workloads. It introduced Scalable Vector Extension 2 (SVE2), Scalable Matrix Extension (SME), and Confidential Compute Architecture (CCA).These features made it suitable for everything from smartphones with advanced image processing to AI servers handling generative workloads. SME accelerates generative AI and MoE models, while SVE2 brings enhanced AI capability to general-purpose compute.Arm's compute subsystems (CSS), based on Armv9, now serve client, infrastructure, and automotive markets. By integrating CPUs, interconnects, and memory interfaces, these CSS platforms support rapid development of specialized silicon.From the original ARM1 with just 25,000 transistors to today’s Armv9 CPUs packing 100 million gates, the architecture has consistently driven computing forward for four decades. Arm-based chips now power over 300 billion devices worldwide, from tiny embedded sensors to full-scale data centers.With 99% of smartphones running on Arm and growing adoption in IoT, cloud, and AI workloads, the architecture continues to scale thanks to its energy-efficient design and flexible licensing model.Looking ahead, there have been growing rumors that Arm could move beyond licensing and into chip production, something that would put it in competition with its biggest customers. This speculation intensified recently following the acquisition of Ampere Computing, Arm’s only independent server chip vendor, by SoftBank, Arm’s Japanese owner.

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