News

Nvidia lost around $5.5 billion in costs and $15 billion in revenue due to H20 export bansCEO Jensen Huang celebrates Trump's decision to reverse some restrictionsThe AI market in China could reach $50 billion this year

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has criticized the US AI chip export controls to China, calling them a "failure" that ultimately ended up costing American businesses billions.Speaking at this year's Computex event, the leader praised Trump's move to modify the Biden-era export curbs (via Reuters), stating that "President Trump realizes it's exactly the wrong goal."In April, the world's most valuable chipmaker declared it would accrue an estimated $5.5 billion in costs solely relating to the export of H20 chips to China and other restricted nations.

Nvidia praises chip export ban reversal

Huang said the original export assumptions were flawed, and didn't stop AI research in China, which continues with heavy local investment. However, while the country continues virtually unaffected, Nvidia's market share in China dropped from 95% to 50% in the period after Biden's export restrictions were introduced.Intense competition from domestic firms, like Huawei, has already filled the gaps left by US suppliers.The CEO explained that China's AI market could reach a staggering $50 billion this year, marking a major opportunity for Nvidia if access to the nation is restored via lifted restrictions. Apart from the $5.5 billion in estimated costs, Nvidia expected $15 billion in lost revenues due to export restrictions on its H20 chips.Nvidia is also developing a compliant version of its Blackwell AI chip with downgraded memory to meet US restrictions.Despite reversing some Biden-era bans, the Trump administration is considering replacing the tiered export system with a global licensing regime for better leverage in trade talks. Earlier this week, China responded to US actions by demanding an end to "discriminatory" policies."AI is advancing at light speed as agentic AI and physical AI set the stage for the next wave of AI to revolutionize the largest industries," Huang said in the company's most recent earnings report, when it revealed a 78% year-over-year increase in quarterly revenue.

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I spent yesterday walking the floor of Computex 2025, checking out the latest and greatest computing tech of the year, and I got to spend a lot of time at the MSI booth.As one of the biggest PC component makers in the world, MSI had a lot to show off on the components front, from cases to power supplies to graphics cards to motherboards, and all of it was either what I expected from MSI (their components are great), or even better, some limited edition and concept products that anyone would want to include in their own PC build.

Image 1 of 3(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)Image 2 of 3(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)Image 3 of 3(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

Starting on the premium build side of things, the MSI MEG Maestro 900L is a real showpiece of a PC case with a three-sided curved glass enclosure with diamond chamfer edges and support for a custom liquid cooling loop. It's more or less a perfect case for a high-end build that isn't a completely custom design.

Image 1 of 4(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)Image 2 of 4(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)Image 3 of 4(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)Image 4 of 4(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

Next, the IRONMOUSE VTuber-themed PC build with IRONMOUSE-branded components looked fantastic, and is the kind of build and component design that should inspire a lot of builders out there to go for a similar look.

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

Obviously, graphics cards were a big part of MSI's booth this year, and that makes sense, seeing as it consistently makes some of the best graphics cards on the market, especially on the higher end of the stack, like the MSI GeForce RTX 5090 Suprim Liquid SOC, but also smaller form factor cards on the lower end of the stack like the new MSI GeForce RTX 5060 Ti Inspire 2X OC.

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

Of course, with so many components, you could build a whole PC out of just MSI parts, and MSI went out of its way to showcase some of its DIY innovations that aim to make PC building easier and less intimidating for first-time builders.

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

In addition to its mainstream graphics card lineup, MSI also showed off new MSI GeForce RTX 5080 Expert OC and RTX 4080 Super Expert OC cards with a cool-looking grill design built into their shrouds.

Image 1 of 4(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)Image 2 of 4(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)Image 3 of 4(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)Image 4 of 4(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

There were also some awesome special edition cards being shown off, like the MSI GeForce RTX 5070 Cyclone Visual OC, which is a single, large-fan design that has an LCD display in the center.

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

Of course, there was also the MSI GeForce RTX 5090 Suprim Titanium Edition SOC card with a lux golden-colored finish. How much this card would set you back I can't say, but I can't imagine it's cheap even by RTX 5090 standards.

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

But the component that really stole my heart at the MSI booth yesterday was a simple bracket, one that I'm not even sure you'd be able to buy on its own, but which would come with the MSI MPG Coreliquid P13 360 AIO cooler.

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

See, here's the thing. I test a lot of processors for my reviews and features, and this often involves me swapping out motherboards with different chipsets. But in order to keep results comparable between Intel and AMD processors, I really need everything else on the testbench to stay the same, including the AIO cooler.The problem, though, is that the mounting for CPU coolers between AMD and Intel isn't standardized. Instead, both chipmakers have their mounting screws oriented differently. Intel's CPU cooler mountings form a square, while AMD's form a rectangle with uneven length and height.This means that I have to swap out the mounting bracket for the AIO cooler every time I switch between the two chip brands, and losing one of those brackets is an absolute nightmare that could wreck days of testing. I know this because it's happened to me more than once.

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

Enter the MSI Unibracket. A single bracket that works with both Intel LGA 1700/1851 and AMD AM4/AM5 motherboard mountings.As soon as I saw the Unibracket, I wanted to scream, because the solution to the problem is so blindingly obvious, I don't understand how this part isn't standardized across every CPU cooler manufacturer.Their loss is MSI's gain, however, as once I get a Coreliquid P13 360 AIO cooler in the lab, it's all but guaranteed to be my go-to CPU cooler for the testbench for the foreseeable future.

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Dell's unified private cloud manages multiple cloud stacks on Dell hardwareThe Dell Automation Platform can save customers 90% of stepsNew environments can be set up in 2.5 hours

Dell has introduced a new platform that allows customers to create private clouds using VMware, Natanix or Red Hat stacks, but instead of being a single private cloud, it acts as a unified system to manage multiple cloud stacks across Dell hardware.Centralized management allows customers to take care of diverse deployments, and while different private clouds can't share a single node, they can co-exist across a shared fleet of servers and storage.The company noted that customers deploying private clouds using its Dell Automation Platform could now be subject to 90% fewer steps, marking considerable efficiency improvements.

Dell unveils unified private cloud platform

The Dell Automation Platform is described as a "software platform designed to simplify how customers deploy and operate disaggregated solutions with secure, zero touch onboarding and centralized management."Dell claims that new environments can be set up in just 2.5 hours, with the company supporting both bring-your-own-license and its own licensing.Only VMware vSphere (not Cloud Foundation) will be supported to begin with, but more templates are said to be coming later this year.The company said in an announcement: "Organizations can protect their investment with reusable infrastructure, simplify operations with full lifecycle management and support customer choice with a catalog of validated blueprints."Referring to early adopter Nature Fresh Farms, Dell cited its VP for IT and Security, Keith Bradley: “The flexibility to transition between cloud ecosystems and the ability to repurpose hardware is a game-changer for us by providing investment protection and enabling us to respond to evolving business needs quickly."“Our disaggregated infrastructure approach helps customers build secure, efficient modern data centers that turn data into intelligence and complexity into clarity," Dell's President for Infrastructure Solutions Group Arthur Lewis said.

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Before augmented reality was ever a thing, there was Google Glass: a much hyped experiment that was ultimately a failure over issues like privacy (and just looking like a dork). At an I/O session yesterday with Deepmind CEO Demis Hassabis, Google co-founder Sergey Brin admitted that he made "mistakes" with Google Glass in several areas.

"I just didn't know anything about consumer electronic supply chain chains, really, and how hard it would be to build that and have it it at a reasonable price point and managing all the manufacturing and so forth," he said during the session.

Brin said that he's still a believer in the form factor, though, adding that Xreal's latest device looks like "normal glasses" without "that thing in front." He noted that rather than going it alone as before, Google now has "great partners" in Samsung (the Project Moohan headset) and Xreal (Project Aura glasses) as part of the Android XR extended reality program.

There was also a "technology gap" when Google Glass came along in 2013 that no longer exists, according to Brin. "Now in the AI world, the things that these glasses can do to help you out without constantly distracting you, that capability is much higher," he said

Google Glass wasn't a complete flop. It's easy to forget that the product soldiered on for many years after its debut, largely as an enterprise device, and was only fully discontinued in 2023. It also paved a path for future VR and AR wearables like the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Meta Quest and Apple Vision Pro. Come to think of it, though, none of those projects have exactly set the world on fire, either. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/google-co-founder-sergey-brin-admits-to-mistakes-over-google-glass-110659349.html?src=rss

Marvel Rivals Chrono Shield Cards were just added to the game alongside the Galacta's Gift event. They're extremely useful, allowing you to charge up your Chrono Shield and prevent a point loss while playing ranked mode. This will make climbing to Platinum ranks faster and give you a safety net when things aren't quite going your way.To use Chrono Shield Cards in Marvel Rivals, you'll need to unlock them. From there, it's just a case of jumping into Marvel Rivals Competitive Mode as usual, though you'll need to know how they activate to prevent yourself from losing points. So far, these new tokens are available to players Gold and below, in a change that should help make Marvel Rivals' ranked mode a bit more approachable to new players.With changes like these, it's easy to see why I've ranked Marvel Rivals highly in our best free games to play in 2025 list. I've been playing since launch, and after putting together my very own Marvel Rivals tier list, I've been busy climbing the ranks in what is undoubtedly the most difficult season yet. Chrono Shield Cards will help ease things significantly for some, so here's everything you need to know.

How to use Chrono Shield Cards in Marvel Rivals

(Image credit: NetEase)

To use Chrono Shield Cards in Marvel Rivals, you'll need to be in Gold Rank or below. They will not activate in higher-ranked tiers. Upon losing a game, Chrono Shield Cards will automatically activate, preventing a point loss. If you already have a fully charged Chrono Shield, a card will not be used.

How to get Chrono Shield Cards in Marvel Rivals

Hey Rivals, Both Chrono Shield Tokens from ranked matches and Chrono Shield Cards from events will not be for sale and are only usable for Gold rank and below. The purpose is to allow lower-ranked players to enter ranked mode with even less pressure through this mechanism. https://t.co/vfqQo1NMgnMay 15, 2025

To get Chrono Shield Cards in Marvel Rivals, you will need to unlock them in the Galacta's Gift pass by playing games. This pass is available to all players, and you'll get four Chrono Shield Cards as part of the second and fourth rewards. This means you'll earn four after playing six games, and another four after finishing your twelfth. Make sure to redeem them from the pass, and they'll be added to your inventory ready to use.In an X/Twitter post that I've embedded above, NetEase explains that Chrono Shield Cards won't be sold in the store, and are only available to those in Gold rank and below.

Marvel Rivals Chrono Shield Cards FAQ

(Image credit: NetEase)

How do I activate Chrono Shield Cards in Marvel Rivals?You don't need to activate Chrono Shield Cards for them to work. Once you've redeemed them from the Galacta's Gift event screen, they'll be placed in your inventory. As long as you're in Gold rank or below, the cards will automatically activate when you're about to lose points.

Can you buy Chrono Shield Cards?No, Chrono Shield Cards are not for sale in Marvel Rivals. They can only be earned as part of the Galacta's Gift event, and aren't available in store or as an exchange of Units or Lattice.

How many Chrono Shield Cards can you have in Marvel Rivals?You can hold 20 Chrono Shield Cards in Marvel Rivals at any one time. You'll need to hop into Competitive and spend them before you can earn more.

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Fortnite has returned to the App Store in the US after a 5-year absenceiPhone and iPad users can now download the massively popular battle royale shooter once again The legal dispute between Epic Games and Apple is still ongoing

Fortnite has returned to the App Store in the US after a five-year absence, bringing one of the world’s most popular games back to iPhone and iPad.As of right now, iPhone and iPad users can head to the iOS or iPadOS App Store and find Epic Games’ battle royale shooter and virtual experience platform available for free download.As mentioned, Fortnite is one of the world's most-played games. Its most popular mode is a third-person shooter, which pits up to 100 players against each other on an island filled with unique locations and quirky weaponry.Fortnite was first added to the App Store in 2018, but just two years later, Epic Games and Apple would begin a legal dispute that continues to this day.Fortnite’s return to iPhone and iPad is a major milestone in said dispute, which revolves around the commission Apple charges on apps and in-app purchases.In general, Epic has accused Apple of trying to form a monopoly through the App Store, while Apple has sought to protect its right to charge commission on in-app transactions. Apple charges a 30% commission on purchases made through the App Store, which extends to in-app purchases that use Apple's payment system.The official Fortnite X account shared news of the game's return in a post that reads “Fortnite is BACK on the App Store in the U.S. on iPhones and iPads”.

Fortnite is BACK on the App Store in the U.S. on iPhones and iPads... and on the Epic Games Store and AltStore in the E.U! It’ll show up in Search soon! Get Fortnite on the App Store in the U.S. ➡️ https://t.co/HQu3pYCXFm pic.twitter.com/w74QPFFkOSMay 20, 2025

According to ActivePlayer, Fortnite had been downloaded from the App Store 133 million times before it was removed – and with an estimated 500 million downloads across all platforms, it’s likely to rank amongst the most popular games of all time.A lot has changed since Fortnite was last available on the App Store – the game has grown from a battle royale only to a Roblox-style platform for official and user-generated experiences, including tie-ins with Lego and Rocket League.Fortnite has been available on iPhone and iPad in the EU since August 2024, but that’s because the EU's Digital Markets Act forces phone makers to support third-party storefronts – including the Epic Games Store.And in other regions, such as Australia where Epic Games and Apple are engaged in a separate legal dispute for similar reasons, the game hasn't returned to the App Store yet.

A new chapter?

(Image credit: Epic Games)

As we previously covered, Fortnite was originally removed from the App Store following a dispute between Epic Games and Apple over the way in-app purchases are handled.Fortnite’s in-app purchases, consisting of subscriptions and the iconic V-Bucks virtual currency, are how the free game makes money from users.In 2020, Epic Games added its own payment system to the app to circumvent the commission Apple charges on these in-app purchases – between 15% and 30% according to the Associated Press.Apple responded by removing Fortnite from the App Store, and Epic Games suspended support for the iOS and iPadOS versions of the game soon after, and after further legal battles eventually allowed alternative payment systems to operate at a 27% commission.After an appeal from Epic Games, Apple was ordered to stop collecting commission on alternative payment systems, and on May 19 US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers asked Apple why it was still blocking Fortnite without authorization from the court.While Fortnite is now officially back on the App Store, the dispute between these tech titans isn’t over just yet – another hearing is scheduled to take place on May 27. We'll have the latest updates via our mobile gaming coverage.Still, this is major news for Fortnite fans across the US, who can now get back to looting and shooting from their iPhone or iPad. Let us know if you’ll be dropping in in the comments below.

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Netflix support for first-gen Fire TV is ending in JuneOlder Fire TV devices can't play more modern video codecsTry Amazon Trade-In to get money off a newer model

After a decade, Netflix is ending support for first-generation Fire TV streaming devices. From June 3, 2025, first generation versions of the following models will no longer be Netflix-compatible:

Fire TV (2014)Fire TV Stick (2014)Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote (2016)

The announcement, which Netflix has emailed its customers about, isn't a huge surprise: Amazon hasn't updated them for some time now, and the early Fire TV devices don't support the most modern video and audio formats.Even in 2023, some users on the FireTV subreddit were advising against buying them new.

Need a new TV stick? The Fire TV Stick 4K Max would be our choice, but don't pay full price (Image credit: Amazon)

Why is Netflix stopping support for the Fire TV models?

Netflix hasn't said specifically, but the most likely explanation is that the devices don't support the audio and video codecs Netflix is using. As PC World, whose sister title PC-WELT broke the news, reported: "It could have something to do with Netflix using newer standards – such as the AV1 codec – to stream with better picture quality, particularly for customers who are on the Premium plan." The now-discontinued devices can't be upgraded to support newer codecs.If you're the owner of one of the affected models and want to keep streaming Netflix, you'll need to buy one of the current range instead. And as ever with Amazon devices, try not to pay full price for it: Amazon discounts its Fire TV devices constantly throughout the year, and I wouldn't be surprised if the retailer reacts to the Netflix news by discounting them accordingly. At the time of writing, my preferred upgrade is 33% off in the US among the Memorial Day deals.If I were upgrading from an old Fire TV device I'd skip the 2023 Fire TV Stick 4K and go for the Fire TV Stick 4K Max. There's not a huge price difference – the non-Max version has an official price of $49.99 / £59.99 / AU$79 while the Max is $59.99 / £69.99 / AU$119. For a little more, you get more storage, a faster processor, better Wi-Fi and Amazon's Ambient experience.In the US, that model gone down to $39.99 four times this year – including today, May 21st. For UK customers, the Max has been discounted to £50 or below three times this year so far.

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Google used news from its I/O developer conference this year to show what NotebookLM can do. The AI-powered research and note-taking tool has been around for years, but the company has infused it with more and more features as its AI tech improved. To demonstrate those features, Google created a notebook filled with news from I/O 2025, including a YouTube video of the keynote (complete with a transcript of the whole event), press releases, blog posts and even product demonstrations. You can visit all of those one by one, since the company uploaded them as sources to the notebook, but you can also use the AI tool to digest all the information for you.

You can ask NotebookLM anything you want about the event in the chat box, so that you can quickly find details for whatever it is you want to know. When I asked it what is NotebookLM, for instance, it gave me a response that aligned with what was announced during the event. "According to Google's announcements at I/O," the tool responded, "...NotebookLM becomes an 'expert' by grounding its responses in the provided material and offering creative ways to transform information."

Under the Studio section of its interface, you'll be able to generate audio overviews that can give you a quick or a more comprehensive spoken summary of the information you've uploaded. You can also create a Mind Map, which visually summarizes uploaded sources, showing one main topic branching towards several smaller topics and relevant ideas. Mind Maps are meant to structure information in a way that's easier to understand and remember. Google added a reminder to its announcement, however, that "like all AI, NotebookLM can generate inaccuracies," which is something to keep in mind while using the tool.

Google has released an official app for the tool in time for I/O 2025, which you can now download on Android or iOS. To see the company's I/O 2025 notebook, you'll have to be signed into a Google account. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-talks-up-notebooklm-upgrades-by-making-it-talk-up-google-io-2025-114240186.html?src=rss

The Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 are available for pre-order right nowThey're actually shipping from 10th June 2025The US price is $449 – we gave them 5 stars in our review

In the battle for the best headphones, Sony and Bowers & Wilkins are high on our list – and of the two pairs, we think the B&W headphones sound better than the Sonys. And now they're available for US customers to order, having already launched elsewhere in the world.The Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 headphones are available to order from today, and will start shipping in a few weeks time on June 10th. We think they're the best premium headphones you can buy right now – you can read our five-star Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 review to go in-depth on why.Sony's price hike on the new Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones compared to the previous model means the B&W pair are the same price as them – but the B&W have a clear edge on sound quality.

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

What's so great about the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3?

To be fair to Sony, the XM6's active noise cancellation is better – although the B&W's ANC is very good. But if you're serious about sound, then the B&W cans are the better buy.The B&W Px7 S3 headphones deliver truly exceptional sound, and as we said in our review the only thing we can imagine being improved in future versions is wind noise suppression. It's testament to how good the B&W PX7 S3 sound that we had to go that deep to find something to complain about.In our review, we praised the unity and singularity to the presentation in all genres, whether we were listening to Aphex Twin or Aretha Franklin. As my colleague Simon Lucas explained: "As well as the impeccable tonal balance, the Px7 S3 retrieve and contextualize a huge amount of fine detail, which contributes no end to the sensation of a complete and unexpurgated account of recordings."Tech-wise you're looking at Bluetooth 5.3 with aptX Adaptive and aptX Lossless, 40mm biocellulose drivers with discrete amplification, and up to 30 hours of battery life with ANC switched on. Bluetooth LE Audio and Auracast are promised to arrive soon in a free firmware update, as is spatial audio.The Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 are available to order now from bowerswilkins.com for $449. In the UK, the Px7 S3 are usually £399 but we've spotted some deals taking them down to £365 already.

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While the AirPods Max 2 were strongly tipped to be arriving at Apple’s 2024 “It’s Glowtime” event, it came and went without a new version of Apple's over-ears being announced. While the rumor mill suggested that we'd be seeing a surprise launch of the AirPods Max 2 at Apple's event, in the end we got some much more modest quality of life updates to the existing AirPods Max. The biggest change that's been made to the current AirPods Max is that its Lightning port has been replaced with a USB-C port to bring it in line with the rest of Apple's product. On top of this, Apple has added some vibrant new colorways, including Midnight, Orange, Starlight, Blue and Purple. But it does seem like we'll have to wait a while longer to see a proper upgrade to Apple’s most premium AirPods - maybe until 2027.Understandably, the AirPods Max 2 still have a lot of buzz around them. The current AirPods Max are, without a doubt, the best AirPods to date – not only are they the only Apple-branded over-ears on the market, but they offer truly fantastic audio quality, deeply immersive spatial audio and excellent noise-canceling tech. And while the AirPods’ stablemates, Beats, offer plenty of great over-ears, the best Beats headphones still can’t rival the AirPods Max for sheer audio quality, comfort or features.But the AirPods Max are still long overdue a more substantial upgrade, this being the first update they've seen since their launch back in December 2020. In contrast, the AirPods Pro got an significant upgrade with the AirPods Pro 2, offering multiple new features that the Max lack, including more powerful U1 and H2 chips, Adaptive Transparency, and weatherproofing. Meanwhile, the newly launched AirPods 4 have both active noise-cancelling and Spatial Audio, making the AirPods Max seem like less of a premium product in comparison.It was predicted that Apple’s 2024 “It’s Glowtime” event would mark the announcement of the next AirPod Max upgrade, but alas, nothing came of it. Rumors also abounded that they’d arrive at WWDC 2024 back on June 10, alongside the predicted AirPods Pro 3, AirPods 4, and the AirPods Lite. But we didn’t see any new headphone hardware at all: instead the launch of iOS 18 saw 5 free upgrades come to AirPods Pro 2, while the AirPods 4 were instead launched this September.

We've heard some whispers of changes that might be coming to the AirPods Max 2, and you'll find all these rumors below.Plus, as much as we loved the original AirPods Max, there's always room for improvement, so we've also come up with a list of six things we think would make the Apple AirPods Max 2 a must-buy and ensure they enter right at the top of our best headphones guide, not just our best Apple headphones guide, and you'll find this list below too.

AirPods Max 2: Release date and price rumors

Initially, we had hopes that Apple was going to announce them at the "It's Glowtime" event in September 2024, and rumors sprung from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo who guessed that the AirPods Max 2 wouldn't land until the end of 2024 or even 2025. Shortly after, Mark Gurman (who has a similarly solid track record) said in a Bloomberg report that the AirPods Max 2 will "be coming later" than September 9 2024.Still, we've heard nothing since, until Kuo's recent report that a real AirPods Max upgrade is finally on the way. In a post shared on X, Kuo states that a significant redesign of the AirPods Max is on the way, and will most likely land in 2027. While this is all we can base our guesses on, Kuo also shared that a "lighter version" of the AirPods Max was planned for release. Currently, the AirPods Max weighs 386g / 13.6oz, which compared to the newly released Sony WH-1000XM6 model at 250g / 8.96oz, is quite hefty.That said, the first generation of the Apple AirPods Max launched in December 2020, and while there's no specific pattern to follow here, we know that Apple updated its AirPods Pro with the AirPods Pro 2 three years after the originals were launched.What kind of price to expect from future AirPods Max models? It will depend on how Apple feels sales of the current model have gone, which the brand doesn't like to share… but don't expect us to announce them alongside words such as "affordable" or "entry level". It's worth noting that the price of the current AirPods Max are often discounted by about $100-$150 today. It seems likely that the market has deemed that to be a better price than the AirPods Max's $549 / £549 / AU$899 launch price. There aren't many rumors about the AirPods Max 2 price, but based on the prices of the new Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones ($449 / £399 / AU$699), it's more likely the price of the AirPods Max 2 will match this.

AirPods Max 2: What we want to see

1. A proper carrying case

If you asked me to describe the current AirPods Max case in a single phrase, it would be “a stupid stupid headphone bra”. That’s not exactly poetic, but it is accurate. In my opinion, the AirPods Max carrying case is hopeless, horrible and whenever I take it out in public I feel I have to apologize: I didn’t choose it! It came with the headphones, honest!But my main beef with it isn’t its form, but its function. There’s no protection for the headband, which means this is quite literally a case of style over substance.I could pay lots more for a nice hard case, but I already paid quite a lot for the actual headphones. Other brands manage to include a real case – surely Apple can too with the AirPods Max 2.

Look at this. It's protection against some scratches, on some sides of the aluminum. That's it! (Image credit: TechRadar)

2. Lossless wireless audio

The AirPods Max are more expensive than many audiophile-grade headphones but they don’t support lossless audio: they only use Apple’s compressed AAC codec over Bluetooth.When you’re paying this much for a pair of headphones, no matter how nice, there really needs to be the option to step it up so you can listen to Apple's Music's Lossless or Hi-Res tiers in all their glory.We've written about how lossless AirPods might be possible using current Bluetooth tech, but regardless of whether Apple uses these exact tricks or not, I want the highest-quality headphones to play the highest-quality music.Of course, even if it can't be done wireless, there's always the wired option. Speaking of…

3. A standard cable connection that's included

Yes, really: like everybody else’s, my AirPods Max didn’t include an audio cable for wired listening. Instead, you have to give Apple an extra $35 / £35 / AU$35 for its USB-C to 3.5mm cable. And this doesn't even enable lossless audio, because it's a digital cable! The worst of both worlds.For headphones this pricey, not including the cable was a cut corner too far. And then the connector wasn't even a plain old 3.5mm headphone port, which would have added utility and been a less cash-grabby option.

Less of this, please. (Image credit: TechRadar)

4. Real multi-point Bluetooth

As it stands, AirPods can auto-switch between Apple devices, however they lack standard Bluetooth multi-point pairing which is common in Sony and Bose models.If the AirPods Max 2 adopted this same approach, it would make it a lot easier to switch between different devices, especially for people who have an iPhone but a Windows laptop, which we know is the case for tons of people. Is this a long-shot? Yes, sure, however it would make a huge difference.

5. L/R ear detection

If I had a penny for every time I’ve put my AirPods Max on the wrong way round I’d have enough money to buy the AirPods Max 2. I can never remember which side the controls are supposed to be on, and while I understand why Apple wanted to go with an Apple Watch-style Digital Crown I think it should also have implemented the Apple Watch’s reversibility: every Apple Watch can be used on the right or left side and its controls reversed accordingly.However, the same doesn’t apply to the AirPods Max: you can have the controls on the right, or you can have them on the right. But the earpads are very uniform, so the ability to put them on either way round and for the headphones to automatically adjust would be perfect.

Swappable earpads for funky color mixing? We'd love it. (Image credit: TechRadar)

6. Swappable components

The AirPods Max were long rumored to be modular, with interchangeable headbands and ear cups so you could make yours truly personal (and Apple could sell you more stuff) in the same way you can change the bands on your Apple Watch.Apparently Apple couldn’t make that work, at least with the headband (the earpads can technically be swapped pretty easily), so it binned the whole idea. But the AirPods Max are actually quite easy to dismantle, especially if you just want to take the ear cups off, so it’s not far-fetched to imagine swappable ear cups in a range of funky colors and design at the very least.If I'm going to pay lots for one of the best wireless headphones, it'd be great if I can make them feel totally like my own.

AirPods Max 2: Rumors so far

(Image credit: Apple)

If the AirPods Max 2 are in development, then Apple has done a phenomenal job of keeping details and leaks to an absolute minimum. As such, there aren't many rumors to divulge at present. That said, here are all the early rumblings we've been able to find about the AirPods Max 2 so far.

At a glance:

Touch controlsNo Digital Crown this timeNo Adaptive AudioBetter battery lifeUSB-C instead of lightning portNew colors

USB-CUnsurprisingly it has been reported by Mark Gurman (writing for Bloomberg) that the AirPods Max 2 will have USB-C rather than a Lightning port.Thanks to new EU laws, Apple has moved most of its products over to USB-C, so it's fully expected that the AirPods Max 2 will follow suit.

New colorsAt the same time as mentioning a move to USB-C, Gurman also claimed that the AirPods Max 2 will be available in new colors, though he didn't specify what shades those might be.

The same chipset and no Adaptive AudioAccording to a leak on Chinese social media (via MacRumors), the AirPods Max 2 will have the same H1 chipset at the original model. That unfortunately means they apparently won't get the Adaptive Audio feature offered by the AirPods Pro 2, as this requires a new chipset (such as the H2 used by the Pro 2).

Touch controlsA patent discovered by Patently Apple suggests that Apple is working on touch control functionality for the AirPods Max. The patent, published in early February, 2022, shows that touch controls could be present on future devices, though it's not clear if this pertains to a potential AirPods Max 2 or an updated AirPods Max model.The patent mentions the act of "processing gestures on a touch-sensitive surface," displaying a diagram of an example of this tech. Furthermore, the digital crown featured on the AirPods Max appears to be absent in the patent's diagrams, potentially hinting that a future AirPods Max model could eschew it entirely in favor of bespoke touch controls.

Lossless audioAnother patent spotted by Patently Apple suggests that Apple could be working on new high-quality optical audio transmission technology for AirPods, though this unlikely to be the main transmission tech – Bluetooth would still be the main way people use these devices.While this isn't a guaranteed feature for the AirPods Max 2, we have to imagine that a potential follow-up model could feature this same tech. After all, if the AirPods Pro 2 can manage to include this tech, there's no reason why a pair of over-ear headphones couldn't feature the same lossless audio support.

Amazon’s Prime Air drones can now deliver more items to its early adoptersThat includes smartphones, AirTags, video doorbells, and moreCustomers also no longer need a QR code to tell the drone where to go

Amazon’s Prime Air drone delivery service has been available for a few years now, but it’s been limited in several key ways. Things are changing now, though, as the company has just gained approval to ferry new categories of items to customers in the US, including Apple AirTags and some of the best smartphones.Announcing the news, Amazon said that its Prime Air service has received FAA approval to handle devices like “Apple iPhones, Samsung Galaxy cellphones, Apple AirTags, Apple AirPods, Ring doorbells, and Alpha Grillers Instant Read Food Thermometers.”That should give you a lot more choice when it comes to ordering these items. Amazon says that it aims to get them into your hands within 60 minutes of checkout, making it a tempting option if you really urgently need one of the best iPhones on your doorstep (an unlikely scenario, but anyway) or you just can’t wait.There are a few caveats to the recent changes. For one thing, the item due for delivery must weigh five pounds or less. For another, you need to be in one of the locations covered by Amazon’s drone service, which includes College Station in Texas and the West Valley area of Phoenix, Arizona.As well as that, the weather must be suitable for the drone to fly in, and you must choose from one of the 60,000 items available for delivery via drone.

How the Prime Air ordering process works

(Image credit: Amazon)

Amazon also revealed how Prime Air deliveries look in its Shopping app. If you live in an eligible area and are ordering something that weighs under five pounds, you'll see a drone delivery option in the check out section. You then choose a delivery spot at your address, which can be set as your default (just like a typical 'safe space').Amazon also says it has improved its delivery estimates so that it can provide a more accurate delivery window to you – typically accurate to within five minutes. The company will also let you know if your package can’t be delivered, and the accompanying reason.If the process can go ahead, the drone identifies suitable delivery areas that are free of obstacles like buildings, trees and cars. Then, once it’s found a spot close to where you live, it will descend to about 13 feet, which Amazon says is “low enough to deliver an item safety and securely.” Unlike before, you no longer need to place a QR code on your delivery location, as the drone will automatically know where to stop.So, if you live in the right area and are desperate for a new phone, smart doorbell, or set of AirPods, Amazon’s Prime Air service could be what you need – if just walking to the shops isn’t an option, of course.

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New research points to flaws used in targets against cloud instancesThe flaws were previously found in on-prem attacksIvanti released a patch so apply it now

Two bugs affecting Ivanti’s Endpoint Manager Mobile (EPMM), which were discovered and patched in mid-May, are still being abused in real-life attacks. In fact, they are now targeting cloud instances, as well.This is according to cybersecurity researchers Wiz, who published a new report recently, detailing the new findings.“Wiz Research has observed ongoing exploitation of these vulnerabilities in-the-wild targeting exposed and vulnerable EPMM instances in cloud environments since May 16th, 2025, coinciding with the publication of POCs by several sources including watchTowr and ProjectDiscovery,” the researchers said in their report.

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CISA added the flaws to KEV

The bugs in question are an authentication bypass flaw, and a post-authentication remote code execution (RCE) flaw. They are tracked as CVE-2025-4427, and CVE-2025-4428, and neither was given a critical severity score. “While neither of these vulnerabilities have been assigned critical severity, in combination they should certainly be treated as critical,” Wiz added.Ivanti addressed the vulnerabilities in a patch released in mid-May this year and warned, in a security advisory, of ongoing attacks.“We are aware of a very limited number of customers whose solution has been exploited at the time of disclosure,” the company said at the time. To address the issue, users should install Ivanti Endpoint Manager Mobile 11.12.0.5, 12.3.0.2, 12.4.0.2, or 12.5.0.1.Initially, Ivanti thought the issue only affected on-prem EPMM products. “It is not present in Ivanti Neurons for MDM, Ivanti's cloud-based unified endpoint management solution, Ivanti Sentry, or any other Ivanti products," the company explained. "We urge all customers using the on-prem EPMM product to promptly install the patch."In the meantime, CISA added the two bugs to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV), giving Federal Civilian Executive Branch (FCEB) agencies a deadline to patch up. No threat actors claimed responsibility for any of the attacks so far.Via The Register

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Windows 11 is getting a new Cross Device Resume featureIt’s like Apple’s Handoff ability for using apps across a phone and PCIn this case, it’ll hook up a Windows 11 PC and Android phone, with Microsoft showing off the feature at Build 2025

Here’s some good news for Windows 11 users who are jealous of the convenience of Apple’s Handoff feature that lets you seamlessly resume what you were last doing in apps when you switch between iOS and Mac devices.Microsoft has this functionality inbound, allowing for a similar way of working across Windows 11 and Android smartphones, as evidenced by a session from Build 2025 that was uploaded to YouTube.As Windows Central reports, the demonstration of ‘Cross Device Resume’ in Windows 11 has been removed from the YouTube clip, with Microsoft editing the video to strip it out.Luckily, well-known leaker on X, PhantomOfEarth, managed to grab a screenshot of the deleted demo which you can see below.

Taskbar hover card UI used for the upcoming taskbar recommendations feature + Resume on taskbar, w/ Spotify support, in Windows 11 (taken from a pre-recorded Build session*) pic.twitter.com/C8eUTyjTanMay 20, 2025

It showed how Cross Device Resume works with Spotify, kicking off with a song playing on an Android smartphone, and then moving to a Windows 11 PC.After having switched over to the Windows 11 desktop, the Spotify app is flagged with a phone icon in the taskbar, and when hovered over, it offers a Resume option to continue playing the track that the user was listening to on their Android device.It’ll resume from the exact spot where you left off on your mobile, as you might expect.

(Image credit: Image by Karolina Grabowska from Pixabay)

Analysis: Project Resume

So, Microsoft is apparently working on giving software developers the ability to include this Cross Device Resume functionality with their apps (for those who make both Android and Windows versions of their products, of course). From the info gleaned here, it looks like Spotify will use this feature, and apparently WhatsApp might, too.That is assuming this Handoff doppelganger ever makes the cut for Windows 11. Clearly, it’s not quite ready to be publicly aired yet, given Microsoft yanked down the part of the video which showed the way Cross Device Resume works. However, it seems like a sensible idea to bring this functionality to Microsoft’s desktop OS – indeed, you might wonder why this hasn’t been done before.That’s a good question, especially considering that it’s a very useful feature, and one that Apple has provided to Mac users for a decade now, so Microsoft looks very behind the times. Although as Windows Central pointed out, cross-device continuity is something Microsoft has been toying with for a long time, ever since Project Rome first came to light in 2016 – although that was a much grander vision of working across different devices.One obvious element that needs improving is the name. I’m hoping Cross Device Resume is a placeholder for now, as it’s lacking a good deal in snappiness when compared to Handoff. Although it may just be shortened to Resume if the screenshot of the feature in action provided on X is anything to go by.Interestingly, some keen-eyed Windows 11 watchers have previously flagged up a Cross Device Resume process running in the background of the operating system. This is seemingly a way of working on OneDrive files across devices, so it looks like Microsoft’s plan is to expand this groundwork to cover a range of apps, not just its cloud storage service.

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Memorial Day brings the unofficial start of summer in addition to tons of deals across the internet. It's a decent time to shop for tech, believe it or not, from big purchases like laptops and tablets down to more affordable devices like tech accessories.

In the latter category, you'll find the Apple Magic Mouse with a USB-C port down to $68 for Memorial Day. That's a 14-percent discount and only $5 more than its record-low price. Notably, this deal is only for the white model with a USB-C port.

The Apple Magic Mouse is a solid wireless and rechargeable option to go with any of your Macs. It should pair automatically with the computer. Plus, one charge should last about a month and you can recharge it with an included woven USB-C Charge Cable.

In addition to the Magic Mouse, there are a handful of other Apple accessories on sale for Memorial Day. Key among them are the Apple Pencil Pro for $99 and a four-pack of AirTags for $75.

Check out our coverage of the best Apple 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/memorial-day-apple-deals-include-the-usb-c-magic-mouse-for-68-143823657.html?src=rss

Oura has updated its smart ring with improved health-tracking featuresThere are tweaked algorithms, new features, and fresh integrationsThe changes are available todayThe Oura Ring is one of the best smart rings around, giving you a slate of in-depth insights into your health, all from a high-tech ring on your finger. Now, its maker has announced a slew of updates to make activity and movement tracking more accurate and useful.Oura says these changes, which it describes as “a suite of algorithm improvements and product updates”, have been prompted by the idea that “all movement counts.” To that end, you can expect a range of different adjustments and new features across a variety of activity types.For instance, Oura’s step-counting algorithm has been updated to no longer estimate steps and instead work more like a pedometer, making it more accurate, while measurement of active calories has been improved to consider the intensity of the movement (gauged using your heart rate). Heart rate info from Oura’s partners (like Google Health Connect and Apple HealthKit) will now be included in activities you import from these partners’ apps and platforms.(Image credit: Oura)Elsewhere, Oura’s Automatic Activity Detection now works at any time of the day or night, including in the early hours. If you want to add an activity or workout from the last seven days manually, you can now do that too, and your Readiness and Activity scores will be tweaked accordingly.There are also new views and metrics to be found in Automatic Activity Detection, such as running splits. Oura will use your phone’s data to add more detail to runs and walks, and there’s a new trend view for active minutes, which should give you more insight into your workouts.While these changes all impact Oura’s own platform, there are also new integrations with third-party providers including CorePower Yoga, The Sculpt Society, Technogym, and Open. In each case, Oura users will be able to see data gathered from their wearable ring in each platform’s own app. Discounts are also being offered to Oura members.Whether you want to stick to Oura’s own service or use one of these integrations, these updates should bring some intriguing new features to one of the best fitness trackers you can buy. Oura says all the new features are rolling out to users today, May 21, so be sure to check them out if they sound like they’re of interest.You might also likeOura Ring 4 review: a future-proof smart ring with a subscription attachedBest smart ring 2025: Every discreet fitness tracker testedI tried wearing an Oura smart ring and I might never go back – but it can’t replace my Apple Watch

CSE-protected Word documents are to be supported in Google Docs (currently in beta)Some features may not be fully functioning to begin withAdmins must apply for beta accessGoogle has announced a handy new update coming to its online productivity suite, allowing users to view and edit client-side encrypted Microsoft Word (.docx) files from within the Google Docs interface.The benefit for users is that edits will continue to be saved in the original Word format, enabling the use of Google Workspace with all the familiar Word tools and formats.Google's updated feature also maintains data confidentiality by keeping the client-side encryption (CSE) active, however there are some restrictions in place.Edit CSE-protected Word docs in Google Docs"This update makes it easy for you to leverage Google Workspace with the tools and formats you already use while preserving confidentiality of your sensitive data with client-side encryption," Google's announcement reads.While the feature remains in beta, users will need to work within the feature's limitations. For example, it only supports .docx files (not other Word file types), and a maximum file size of 20MB applies. Some feature incompatibles may also occur – some Word features may be view-only or non-editable in Docs, and others may be lost or altered after editing.Google confirmed: "As we continue to improve Office editing in encrypted Google Docs, you may encounter incompatibilities for certain features." The company said that notifications will appear if edits are expected to cause feature loss.Google Workspace Enterprise Plus, Education Standard, Enterprise Plus and Frontline Plus will get access to the feature, however it requires admins to request access via a form. Once accepted, they'll get immediate access to the beta feature."Eligible Google Workspace admins can use this form to request access to the beta. We’ll share more specific instructions once you’re accepted into the beta," Google said.You might also likeListen up, your Google Docs and Sheets are about to get a lot louder and more interactiveConsider saving some cash with the best free office softwareWe've rounded up the best online collaboration tools

Oura has rolled out activity updates to its smart ring, including a new trend view for active minutes so that users can get a better look at how active they are for the day, the week or even the whole month. They'll also be able to add their max heart rate to the activity setting, and Oura will adjust heart rate zones accordingly. Oura now allows users to add or edit activities for the past seven days manually, instead of just for that particular day, and it now displays heart rate data from activities imported from partner integrations via Apple HealthKit and Health Connect by Android. Its Automatic Activity Detection feature has also been updated to work all hours to track movements, even for activities between midnight and 4AM.

In addition to those new features, Oura has upgraded its system to be able to count steps more accurately. The company uses an advanced machine-learning model to determine whether a movement is an actual step, and it says the technology slashes average daily step count error by 61 percent. It has upgraded its Active Calorie burn feature to be more accurate by taking heart rate into account during exercise, as well. Oura can now also use your phone's GPS data to show your runs and walks in more detail within its app. All these updates are now available on iOS, but the new fitness metrics and new trend view for active minutes won't be out on Android until June. We've also pinged Oura to clarify which models are getting the updates.

Aside from announcing its upgraded features, Oura has revealed its new partnerships with third-party entities. Users can now link their smart ring with CorePower Yoga so that they can track their yoga activities, Sculpt Society, Technogym and Open, which uses a person's biometrics to create personalized recovery rituals for them. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/ouras-smart-ring-gets-better-at-tracking-your-activities-130012859.html?src=rss

Prime Video’s new dramedy has become a hit with viewers and critics alike, and it’s a binge-worthy show you won’t want to miss.Overcompensating has made its way up the Prime Video chart since dropping its full season on May 15th, and currently sits number one in its global chart, giving it a strong case for being one of the best Prime Video shows in the world right now.But if you’re concerned it's just a case of audiences flocking to Prime Video’s latest offering, fear not – critics are loving Overcompensating too, with the show currently sitting at a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.Covering similar ground to Hulu/Channel 4’s outstanding Big Boys , Overcompensating follows closeted former football player Benny (Benito Skinner) as he ventures out into the wide world of college.TikTok star Skinner not only leads the ensemble cast, but created the show, basing the character on one of his most successful viral videos. Not feeling at home with the jocks and frat boys, but not yet ready to publicly be a part of the LGBTQ community, Benny’s struggle to find somewhere to fit in finds him drawn to high-school outsider Carmen (Wallay Baram), and the show portrays the pair’s efforts to find their people in the tribal college landscape.With mentorship from Benny’s older sister Grace (Mary Beth Barone) and her boyfriend, college legend Peter (Adam DiMarco), Benny and Carmen set out on a path to discover, and love, who they really are.Overcompensating is a breezy, funny and at times surprisingly touching trip through college self discovery that puts a refreshing spin on the raucous campus comedy.What are the critics saying about Overcompensating?With the show enjoying such a high Rotten Tomatoes score, it’s no surprise critics are almost unanimous in their praise.The New Yorker commented of the deftness with which the show turns from something akin to an American Pie movie into something more profound, saying “Overcompensating gradually shifts from a straightforward sex comedy into something emotionally richer,” which the The Guardian echoed in its review: “Don’t come to Overcompensating expecting wall-to-wall comedy; this is a thoroughly charming show with a very sensitive soul.”Other reviewers, meanwhile, noted the chemistry between the leads, with Mashable calling Skinner and Baram “wonderfully natural” together.Adam DiMarco as Peter (Image credit: Prime Video)What's the subscriber's verdict?Meanwhile, fans have been showing their love for the show, with the RT Audience Score currently landing at 79%. Reddit users are already calling for more episodes, with one stating: “I just binged all 8 episodes and wanted more,” while another said “I’ll take four more seasons as soon as possible.”Comment from r/televisionIt wasn’t all praise though, with some Redditors criticising the use of older actors to portray college-age characters. “I only made it about 10 minutes because in no world does any of this cast pass for remotely close to the ages they’re playing,” said one post, while a second echoed “it's so distracting I can't tell if it's a parody or just such a vanity project.”Viewers have also drawn comparisons to similar shows, with one post praising Overcompensating, but saying “it’s nowhere close to the first three seasons of Sex Education and the first two seasons of Never Have I Ever and Sex Lives of College Girls.”Either way, Overcompensating looks like the latest must watch show over on Prime Video, with all eight episodes available to binge right now on one of the best streaming services.You might also likeThe 27 best Prime Video movies to stream in May 2025New Prime Video movies: every new film being released in May 2025This John Cena and Idris Elba Prime Video action flick looks completely wild going by the first trailer for Heads of State

On paper, the idea of a PC gaming tablet doesn't really make sense. Anything with a screen larger than eight to ten inches is generally too big to hold for longer sessions. Their thin chassis don't leave much room for big batteries, ports or discrete graphics. But with the second-gen ROG Flow Z13, ASUS is turning that line of thought on its head with a surprisingly powerful system that can do more than just game — as long as you don't mind paying a premium for some niche engineering.

Design and display: Not exactly stealthy

For better or worse, the Z Flow 13 looks like someone tweaked a Surface Pro to accommodate the stereotypical gamer aesthetic. It has cyberpunky graphics littered across its body along with a small window in the back that’s complete with RGB lighting.

Unlike a lot of tablets, ASUS gave the Z13 a thicker-than-normal body (0.6 inches), which left space for a surprising number of ports. Not only do you get two USB 4 Type-C ports, there's also a regular USB-A jack, full-size HDMI 2.1, 3.5mm audio and even a microSD card reader. This instantly elevates the tablet from something strictly meant for playing games into something that can also pull double duty as a portable video editing station.

ASUS' 13.4-inch 2.5 IPS display leans into that even more thanks to a 180Hz refresh rate, strong brightness (around 500 nits) and Pantone validation. Regardless of what you're doing, colors will be both rich and accurate. Rounding out the package are some punchy speakers, so you don't have to suffer from subpar sound. But there are limitations here, as deep bass is always tough to produce on smaller systems like this.

Sam Rutherford for Engadget

Finally, there are some pogo pins along the bottom of its display for connecting its folding keyboard. Sadly, this is one of the system's weak points. Because the Z13 is heavier than a typical tablet PC, its keyboard has to carry a hefty load. On a table, it's fine. But if you try to use this thing on your lap (or any uneven surface), I found that the keyboard can flex so much it can result in accidental mouse clicks. It's a shame because the bounce and travel of the keys generally feels pretty good. Nothing is more of a bummer than playing a game while relaxing on the couch and then having to fight with the tablet to avoid errant clicks.

Performance

Instead of relying on discrete graphics, ASUS opted for AMD's Ryzen AI Max 390 or Max+ 395 APUs, which feature up to 32 cores and a whopping 128GB of unified RAM. However, our review unit came with a more modest, but still ample, 32GB. Unsurprisingly, this makes mincemeat out of basic productivity tasks while having more than enough power to quickly edit videos on the go.

Sam Rutherford for Engadget

But without a proper graphics card, can it actually game? Yes, and rather well, I might add. In Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p and Ultra settings, the Z13 hit an impressive 93 fps. And while numbers weren't quite as high in Control at 1080p on Epic presets, 70 fps is still very playable. The one wrinkle is that when I tested Cyberpunk 2077 a second time on Ultra with ray tracing enabled, the Flow's performance was cut in half to just 45 fps. Unless you're playing a brand new AAA title that requires RT support (of which there are a growing number), the Z13 is a shockingly good portable gaming companion for frequent travelers.

You just have to be careful about how you configure its power settings. That's because if you're out in public or a quiet room, high performance (especially turbo) can result in a fair bit of fan noise, which may draw some unwanted attention. Or in my case, it got much harder to talk to someone sitting next to me on the couch.

Battery life

Sam Rutherford for Engadget

When it comes to longevity, you'll get one of two outcomes. In normal use and on PCMark's Modern Office productivity battery life test, the Z13 fared quite well, finishing with a time of six hours and 54 minutes. That's not quite a full day's worth of work untethered, but it's good enough for most folks. You'll just want to keep its chunky power adapter nearby.

However, if you plan on gaming without plugging this thing into the wall, just be prepared for the Z13 to conk out after two hours at best. When I played League of Legends' Teamfight Tactics, I only made it through two games (about 30 to 40 minutes each) before its battery got dangerously low (around 10 percent). And suffice it to say, TFT isn't a very demanding title.

Wrap-up

The right side of the ROG Flow Z13 features a customizable button that can be programmed to launch an app of your choice.

Sam Rutherford for Engadget

The Flow Z13 is a niche device that's more of an all-rounder than it might seem at first glance. This system fills an interesting gap between ASUS' gaming machines and more creatively-focused PCs from its ProArt family. In a lot of ways, slapping an ROG badge on it doesn't really do this thing justice. It's got more than enough performance to breeze through general productivity or video edits, and its built-in microSD card reader makes transferring footage to the tablet a breeze. Its screen is bright and vibrant, while also offering accurate colors and a decently high refresh rate. And even without a discrete GPU, the Z13 didn't have much trouble rendering games with lots of graphical bells and whistles turned on.

However, this tablet's issues boil down to a couple of major sticking points. Its detachable keyboard is simply too flimsy, to the point where if you use it anywhere besides a table or desk, you risk fighting with it just to ensure your mouse clicks are correct. But the bigger hurdle is price. Starting at $2,100 (or around $2,300 as tested), the Flow Z13 costs the same or more as a comparable ROG Zephyrus G14 with a proper RTX 5070. Not only does it have worse performance, it's less stable too due to its tablet-style design. For people trying to get the most value out of their money, that proposition is a hard sell.

Sam Rutherford for Engadget

Deep down, I want to like the ROG Flow Z13. And I do, to a certain extent. It's got a funky build and unapologetically aggressive styling. But unless you have a very particular set of requirements, it doesn't fit neatly into most people's lives as an equivalent laptop. And that's before you consider how much it costs.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/asus-rog-flow-z13-2025-review-when-a-traditional-gaming-laptop-just-wont-do-133510833.html?src=rss

Nissan resurrects the Micra, which is now in its sixth generationAffordable city car has been given the EV treatmentIt is based on the recent Renault 5 and there’s a lot of crossoverNissan has revealed details of the all-new electric Micra, which will eventually be joined by a heavily-revised Leaf, an electrified version of its Juke SUV and a soon-to-be-announced city car in a refreshed line-up.The Japanese marque, which is feeling the pressure of increased competition and a tentative approach to electric vehicles, hopes that this refreshed model line-up can inject a bit of excitement.The new Micra comes at a time when Nissan has stated that it will cut 20,000 jobs, close seven factories around the world and pause a number of new car developmental programs until it can steady the ship.With over 40 years of history, the Micra certainly has the nameplate recognition to shift a few units and it is also based on same underpinnings that have already garnered multiple awards and accolades — the Renault AmpR Small platform.Yep, that’s the very same one that it's used for the Renault 5 E-Tech and the recently-launched Renault 4 electric reboot. This means the new Micra gets two battery options, with 40kWh and 52kWh up for grabs.In the smaller version, drivers get 121bhp to play with and a claimed range of 195 miles, but the compact Micra weighs in at just 1,400kg… not bad for a modern EV.(Image credit: Nissan)The larger battery option can manage 253 miles of range and packs a more potent 148bhp electric motor that powers the front wheels. That’s slightly heavier at 1,524kg, but recharging is faster, with the 80kW rate allowing for a 15-to-80% top-up in around 30 minutes.Sister company Renault has also offered its suspension system, braking and numerous driving modes, so it should largely feel like the nippy and fantastically fun Renault 5 E-Tech to drive.In fact, there’s a huge amount of Gallic influence here, including inside, where the dual-screen infotainment array, switchgear and dash all look largely similar.(Image credit: Nissan)To differentiate the two cars, Nissan has drawn on its past and added round LED daytime running lights that sort of echo those seen on the 2002 European Micra. However, these modern interpretations now perform a short choreographed “welcome wink” when you unlock the vehicle.The wider wheel arches, massive alloy wheels and a lower lip at the front help give it a more aggressive stance on the road.Oh, and there is what designers are calling the “ice cream scoop” that runs down the side, which is essentially an indent that has been pressed into the surface just under the windows, “reminiscent of the shape a scoop would make if dragged across the surface of untouched ice cream,” according to Nissan.Analysis: Shaking the old-timer image(Image credit: Nissan)The Micra has been a hugely popular model for Nissan in Europe, shifting more than six million units in the 40-odd years it has been on sale, but its image has historically given off elderly driver and budget first-car vibes (in the UK, anyway), rather than ever being something truly desirable.The latest version is the first in its long history to not be sold with a combustion engine and Nissan hopes that this fact, alongside co-development with Renault, will help it appeal to younger buyers.Nissan’s European marketing boss, Arnaud Charpentier, also told Auto Car that the Micra would be more expensive than Renault’s offering, hoping that it would come across as a more premium option.But it is difficult to get away from the many similarities between the new Micra and Renault 5, with the latter feeling more vibrant, funkier and carrying a lot more retro charm… particularly on the inside.Borrowing numerous elements from one of the most successful EV launches in recent years probably isn’t such a bad thing and let’s face it, the all-new Micra certainly looks a lot more appealing than previous generations.You might also likeHarman’s new in-car tech could give you Waze-like alerts – without the need for human helpersAndroid Auto is getting a big Gemini upgrade soon – and also a slightly baffling media controls changeVolkswagen says 'mind-blowing' electric GTI EVs are coming – here's what to expect and what I want to see

For organizations training AI models, access to sufficient volumes of high-quality data is quickly becoming a serious challenge. Privacy and regulatory compliance are among the biggest issues, with increasingly strict rules making accessing the information needed to train robust AI models difficult.Even when data is available, quality is not always guaranteed. Real-world datasets can easily reflect existing inequalities or historic decisions that, left unaddressed, can lead to flawed results that can manifest in customer-facing applications. What’s more, in highly specialized industries or where rare events are involved, the volume of usable data may be too small to draw meaningful insights.Then, there’s the cost. Preparing real-world data for AI training is a labor-intensive process, often involving large-scale collection, tagging and validation. This can be time-consuming and prone to setbacks, particularly when teams are under pressure to deliver quick results. Put all this together, and it’s hardly surprising that some businesses are struggling to get their AI projects off the ground.Diverse use cases To bridge the gap, many are turning to artificially generated or ‘synthetic’ data as an alternative to real-world sources. This comes in various formats, ranging from structured tables and records to unstructured content such as text, images and videos. It’s even possible to create synthetic users or behaviors for more sophisticated training and testing scenarios.Designed to reflect the properties of real data without including any personally identifiable information (PII), it can provide a flexible solution that overcomes many of the challenges associated with live datasets.For regulated industries, synthetic data is already proving valuable. In healthcare, for example, recreating realistic datasets without referencing patient data avoids many of the legal and ethical issues typically associated with these use cases. In practical terms, this means hospitals and research institutions can use AI platforms that replicate the characteristics of medical records without including personal details.Elsewhere, researchers can explore complex questions, such as predicting disease progression or optimizing treatment plans by using synthetic datasets that behave like real patient populations. This means they can train AI models without putting privacy at risk, and because synthetic data maintains the core properties of the original, the output remains valid for modelling and analysis but with zero risk of re-identification.The right datasets at the right timeIn other settings, real-world datasets often reflect the limitations or inequalities present in the systems they were drawn from – whether that’s underrepresentation of certain demographics or skewed outcomes caused by historic decision-making. Left uncorrected, these issues can carry through to the AI models being trained, resulting in flawed or unfair outputs.Synthetic data offers a way to correct that imbalance. Because it’s generated artificially, datasets can be adjusted to better reflect a more diverse or representative sample, such as different age groups, ethnicities or behavioral patterns. It also allows organizations to create realistic simulations of rare scenarios that would otherwise be too rare in real-world data to train against effectively.Lack of data also manifests itself in other situations, such as those encountered by autonomous driving systems. In some countries, weather events such as hailstorms are rare, but when they do occur, can present a real hazard for vehicles and their occupants.Rather than wait for such conditions to happen naturally, AI developers can create synthetic simulations of low-visibility conditions and other unusual scenarios, which are then used to train vehicle systems to respond appropriately in live situations.In a similar way, images of people or objects suddenly appearing in the path of the car can be computer-generated and tested from all angles to ensure all possibilities are addressed. Without this level of training, the model may not recognize a potentially hazardous situation and fail to respond appropriately.Cost and efficiency Compared to the time, effort and budget needed to obtain and prepare large-scale real-world datasets, using synthetic data can offer a faster and more predictable alternative. In financial services, for example, using real customer transaction data typically requires extensive anonymization and compliance checks. In contrast, synthetic datasets that mimic transaction patterns without referencing any real customer data allow for quicker, lower-risk AI model development.Out in the real world, synthetic data has been used by financial institutions to improve fraud detection model development without relying on sensitive customer transaction records. Accessing and using real financial data typically requires costly anonymization, compliance checks and legal reviews – a set of processes that inevitably drive up costs. By generating synthetic datasets replicating real transaction patterns, companies reduce the need for expensive data preparation and minimize regulatory hurdles, making their AI projects more cost-effective.Looking ahead, this kind of work represents the tip of the iceberg, and we can expect to see many more organizations turn to synthetic data to power their AI projects. Indeed, if predictions from Gartner are accurate, by 2030, “synthetic data will completely overshadow real data in AI models.”We've featured the best AI chatbot for business.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

Looking for a different day?A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Wednesday, May 21 (game #710).Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.NYT Connections today (game #711) - today's words(Image credit: New York Times)Today's NYT Connections words are…ASTERISKSHREKBRIDGE TROLLPOOLHULKSPHINXCATCHGRINCHRIDDLERELPHABAOBELISKSTRINGSCAPITOLCONDITIONMAD HATTERMALLNYT Connections today (game #711) - hint #1 - group hintsWhat are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?YELLOW: One more thing… GREEN: It’s not easy being…BLUE: As seen in the capitalPURPLE: Presenters of puzzlesNeed more clues?We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…NYT Connections today (game #711) - hint #2 - group answersWhat are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?YELLOW: FINE PRINT GREEN: CHARACTERS WITH GREEN SKIN BLUE: FEATURES OF THE NATIONAL MALL IN D.C. PURPLE: FAMOUS RIDDLE-GIVERSRight, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.NYT Connections today (game #711) - the answers(Image credit: New York Times)The answers to today's Connections, game #711, are…YELLOW: FINE PRINT ASTERISK, CATCH, CONDITION, STRINGSGREEN: CHARACTERS WITH GREEN SKIN ELPHABA, GRINCH, HULK, SHREKBLUE: FEATURES OF THE NATIONAL MALL IN D.C. CAPITOL, MALL, OBELISK, POOLPURPLE: FAMOUS RIDDLE-GIVERS BRIDGE TROLL, MAD HATTER, RIDDLER, SPHINXMy rating: HardMy score: 2 mistakesNot my best day. I immediately thought that we had a group about CHARACTERS WITH GREEN SKIN, but only knew three for sure. Thinking that the category might extend beyond skin I added RIDDLER to GRINCH, HULK and SHREK because of his green suit. Using the tried and trusted technique of picking something that I had never seen or heard of before, I added ELPHABA, whom I now know is a character from Wicked, which I should have known as I’ve paid good money to see the stage musical. My second, on reflection, very dumb mistake was creating the FEATURES OF THE NATIONAL MALL IN D.C. group with the addition of SPHINX.In my defence, Cleopatra’s Needle is a big obelisk in London, so I thought there might be some nod to ancient civilization among the US capital too. Oh well, I got there eventually.How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Wednesday, May 21, game #710)YELLOW: PROHIBIT, AS ENTRY BAR, BLOCK, DENY, REFUSEGREEN: FOLDERS ON A MAC DESKTOP, MUSIC, PICTURES, TRASHBLUE: MEDICINE FORMATS CREAM, PATCH, SPRAY, TABLETPURPLE: THINGS THAT OPEN LIKE A CLAM CLAM, COMPACT, LAPTOP, WAFFLE IRONWhat is NYT Connections?NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

Looking for a different day?A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Wednesday, May 21 (game #1213).Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,100 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.Quordle today (game #1214) - hint #1 - VowelsHow many different vowels are in Quordle today?• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 3*.* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too). Quordle today (game #1214) - hint #2 - repeated lettersDo any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 2.Quordle today (game #1214) - hint #3 - uncommon lettersDo the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.Quordle today (game #1214 - hint #4 - starting letters (1)Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 0.If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:Quordle today (game #1214) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?• C• G• S• ERight, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.Quordle today (game #1214) - the answers(Image credit: New York Times)The answers to today's Quordle, game #1214, are…CLOSEGLOVESTINTEXCELThis felt like a tough one and although getting CLOSE first unlocked the L-O combination in GLOVE I still struggled to get across the line.It took me two goes to get STINT, but I spent the longest trying to fit a word into what became EXCEL.How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.Daily Sequence today (game #1214) - the answers(Image credit: New York Times)The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1214, are…STAIDPLUMECHUCKRUMORQuordle answers: The past 20Quordle #1213, Wednesday, 21 May: NOVEL, CHOSE, DIRTY, DONUTQuordle #1212, Tuesday, 20 May: DECOY, SHAKE, MAPLE, PURERQuordle #1211, Monday, 19 May: LINK, HANDY, DITCH, WAIVEQuordle #1210, Sunday, 18 May: QUACK, ROACH, PURGE, DOWNYQuordle #1209, Saturday, 17 May: STRIP, RANGE, UNITE, GEESEQuordle #1208, Friday, 16 May: SHEEP, SNUCK, DRIFT, BREAKQuordle #1207, Thursday, 15 May: PAINT, CROUP, PEDAL, FLUKEQuordle #1206, Wednesday, 14 May: FAVOR, METER, PICKY, MAKERQuordle #1205, Tuesday, 13 May: SCENT, AGAPE, POLAR, YEARNQuordle #1204, Monday, 12 May: ROYAL, ARGUE, BUNCH, READYQuordle #1203, Sunday, 11 May: QUASH, MUNCH, ALTER, UNDUEQuordle #1202, Saturday, 10 May: RELIC, BADGE, CHAMP, SATINQuordle #1201, Friday, 9 May: MINUS, CRIME, NOSEY, SLAINQuordle #1200, Thursday, 8 May: ELUDE, GREET, POPPY, ELITEQuordle #1199, Wednesday, 7 May: QUOTH, TRUNK, BESET, NAIVEQuordle #1198, Tuesday, 6 May: UNITE, SOGGY, FILET, PORCHQuordle #1197, Monday, 5 May: WREAK, COWER, STEAD, QUEUEQuordle #1196, Sunday, 4 May: PINCH, SMOKE, SCARY, CANNYQuordle #1195, Saturday, 3 May: PLUSH, VERGE, WROTE, CONDOQuordle #1194, Friday, 2 May: CAUSE, RISEN, MACAW, SMELT

Looking for a different day?A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Wednesday, May 21 (game #444).Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.NYT Strands today (game #445) - hint #1 - today's themeWhat is the theme of today's NYT Strands?• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Keeping an eye on thingsNYT Strands today (game #445) - hint #2 - clue wordsPlay any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.STRUTNEEDCRUDECURSEDINETRAPNYT Strands today (game #445) - hint #3 - spangram lettersHow many letters are in today's spangram?• Spangram has 8 lettersNYT Strands today (game #445) - hint #4 - spangram positionWhat are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?First side: top, 2nd columnLast side: bottom, 1st columnRight, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.NYT Strands today (game #445) - the answers(Image credit: New York Times)The answers to today's Strands, game #445, are…STEWARDGUARDIANPROTECTORCUSTODIANTRUSTEESPANGRAM: TAKE CAREMy rating: ModerateMy score: 1 hintThe theme made me think that we were looking for things that watched over us – cameras, drones, spies.After getting STEWARD as a hint word I settled on hunting down professions, although it took me a while to realize that it wasn't guard I was searching for, but GUARDIAN.I got PROTECTOR next, but then got stuck before eventually finding the very twisty-turny CUSTODIAN.All of these words sound very authoritative, law abiding, and solid, which is just as well as we need serious people to save us from the scammers and ne'er-do-wells who are also “keeping an eye on things”.How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Wednesday, May 21, game #444)MATCHPAIRPARTNERSTWINSTWOSOMECOUPLESPANGRAM: DOUBLE TROUBLEWhat is NYT Strands?Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.