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AI is guzzling energy. Scientists estimate North American data centers' power requirements increased nearly 100% from 2022 to 2023, largely driven by generative AI (GenAI). By 2026, they anticipate data centers to become the fifth largest electricity consumers in the world, exceeding the usage of most countries.However, speculation about AI's detrimental effects on the environment might be overblown. For many corporations, particularly those that produce or sell physical goods, AI technology makes up only a small portion of their overall emissions. Oversimplifying AI as “carbon-intensive” diverts attention from its impactful sustainability opportunities. When used wisely, AI has the potential to offset its own footprint and actively contribute to a greener future.What is AI's emissions trajectory?AI's carbon output is primarily measured through data center energy consumption. These algorithms, especially GenAI, require significant computational power for training and operation. As usage grows, so does the electricity drain.These impacts are significant. However, the belief that AI will remain an exponential data hog ignores the rapid pace of innovation in model design, hardware, deployment and the transition to renewable energy.Today's algorithms are likely the most inefficient they will ever be. Techniques like model distillation are becoming more prevalent, creating smaller, more energy-conscious models, and manufacturers are designing more energy-efficient AI chips.Additionally, the energy grid is getting greener, translating to fewer emissions from data centers. Consider these factors: According to the World Resources Institute, renewables outpaced other energy generation sources, accounting for 90% of the United States' new installed capacity in 2024.The International Renewable Energy Agency states that more than 80% of renewable capacity additions produce cheaper electricity than fossil fuel alternatives.BloombergNEF reported that more than 40% of the world's electricity came from zero-carbon sources in 2023. Major companies, including Google, Microsoft and Amazon, are investing in clean energy to power their growing data centers.Experts predict that economics alone could drive renewables to account for 50% of electricity by the end of the decade. Meaningful government policies could accelerate that transition. This momentum makes me optimistic that we can mitigate the environmental impacts of AI use.AI emissions also attract significant attention because they are easy to track. Unlike the complex, fragmented emissions from manufacturing and global supply chains, AI's carbon footprint stems primarily from data centers, which are fixed physical locations with measurable electricity consumption. This creates clear accountability, as we can directly attribute these emissions to specific technology providers and data center operators.AI's traceability can skew public and corporate attention toward it over other potentially more significant sources of emissions that are harder to quantify. For many companies, addressing only AI emissions is a drop in the bucket. To make meaningful progress on climate goals, organizations must work to reduce carbon emissions across all business operations, including their value chain.AI as a sustainability enablerFocusing solely on AI's carbon footprint misses the opportunity to unlock new reduction and efficiency opportunities.Efficiency improvements, often the first step in corporate decarbonization, can be amplified through AI. For example, predictive maintenance prevents energy-wasting malfunctions and extends equipment's life span. Optimizing logistics and supply chains reduces transportation distances and fuel consumption. Intelligently adjusting energy consumption, distribution and storage can maximize efficiency and resource utilization — all while minimizing costs as well.AI is also a powerful enabler for sustainability professionals. AI can support routine tasks like data collection, reporting and drafting communications so teams with limited resources can focus on impactful strategic efforts.These benefits extend to more complex sustainability initiatives, like supply chain decarbonization. AI-powered solutions can inform business planning by aggregating and analyzing supplier data at scale. Teams can quickly detect trends, highlight emissions hotspots and track progress to prioritize action on the most urgent and impactful reduction opportunities. For example, rather than focusing on broad procurement policies, organizations can directly engage suppliers responsible for a disproportionate amount of emissions, resulting in more impactful reductions.Predictive modeling enables companies to forecast emissions trends, identify future risks and calculate the impacts of different decarbonization strategies for proactive, long-term business planning and supply chain resilience.As sustainability becomes more integrated across different business functions, AI will help organizations efficiently incorporate these initiatives into their everyday work.A word of caution about AIAI will not solve climate issues on its own; it's a tool to amplify human efforts. Algorithms are only as good as the data they use. Emissions data — especially from value chains — can be sparse, inconsistent or incomplete. AI won't meaningfully fill the gaps, but it will guide teams in their decarbonization strategy.In addition, many AI models are black boxes. This lack of transparency poses a serious problem for emissions reporting, where audibility and traceability are essential. Auditors, investors and regulators need to see the underlying methodology. AI's conclusion may be accurate, but it can't be the foundation of reporting if companies can't explain it.However, we can't let perfection be the enemy of good. If AI helps you do your job more effectively, and your job is helping decarbonize the planet, then use it.We can't discount AI entirely based on its carbon emissions. Every technology has tradeoffs; anyone in sustainability knows this fact all too well. Sustainability professionals should leverage AI's decarbonization potential while understanding the adverse effects. In the broader context of climate action, AI's energy demands are a challenge — but not the biggest one we face.We've featured the best green web hosting.This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

The Marshall Kilburn III launches globally on May 27 2025It’s considerably pricier than its predecessor at $379 / £299 / AU$599It offers 50+ hours' battery life, IP54 waterproofing, and true stereophonic soundMarshall has revealed the newest model in its line of mid-sized Bluetooth speakers, the Marshall Kilburn III, launching globally on May 27 2025.In order to compete with the best Bluetooth speakers around, the Marshall Kilburn III has made some drastic improvements over its predecessor. The new model boasts more than 50 hours of playtime, IP54 dust- and waterproofing, as well as a more luxurious design.But with these improvements comes an inflated price. The Marshall Kilburn III has a list price of $379 / £299 / AU$599, which is $80 / £50 / AU$100 more than the Kilburn II cost at launch. That said, there are a lot of upgrades and additions to explore on Marshall’s latest speaker, as I discovered when I got to try it at Marshall’s HQ in Stockholm, Sweden.Here are my initial thoughts about the flashy new Kilburn III.A taste of the Kilburn III(Image credit: Marshall)So, I’ll put my cards on the table – I didn’t get tons of time to listen to the Kilburn III. The main reason for my journey to Stockholm was to see Marshall’s very first attempt at a soundbar with the Marshall Heston 120. But I did get a good few minutes of listening across a selection of tracks from varying genres, in a space that essentially mimicked a living room.To cut to the chase, the Kilburn III made a good first impression on me. Marshall’s audio team has placed a lot of emphasis on the speaker’s enhanced "true" 360-degree stereophonic sound, intended to provide clear, powerful audio, no matter where you’re standing. And that seemed to be effective for me as I paced around the space, with pleasing, distortion-free sound coming through at all times.In addition, the Kilburn III is designed to dish up a rounded, “harmonious” sound signature. I was struck by the impressive balance across the frequencies, even at louder volumes. And that’s unsurprising given the speaker’s dynamic loudness tech, which automatically adjusts bass, mids and treble depending on the volume at which you’re playing tracks.(Image credit: Marshall)Indeed, the Kilburn III has fully reengineered acoustics to take the step up from its predecessor, which impressed us overall, although we did feel there was room for improvement at the low-end. But sound isn’t the only thing that’s been refined; the build and look of the speaker has also been taken up a notch, too.A lot of customers, Marshall told me, preferred the overall aesthetic of the original Kilburn, which launched 10 years ago. As a result, the company opted to base the newest Kilburn model on its original, and I really liked the look of it.Having previously lived in Kilburn myself, I have to say that this Bluetooth speaker is far prettier than the London district after which it's named. It has a retro-looking amp-inspired look with a pin to turn power on or off, tactile knobs for volume and playback control, and an "M" button to access presets. The Kilburn III is available in Black & Brass or Cream, with both colorways playing to the speaker's premium feel.Tuning into the details(Image credit: Marshall)After running through some of the tech specs for the Kilburn III, I really am expecting this to be a significant step up over its predecessor.It has a wider frequency range, now going way down to 45Hz, up to the typical 20kHz. That should mean it’s even more capable of hitting those deep dark bass notes than the Kilburn II. New, mightier drivers should also mean you get plenty of power out of this speaker, but you’ll have to wait for my full review to see if that really is the case.Something we can say for sure, though, is that the Marshall Kilburn III is far more fit for bathroom use or taking outside on a rainy day. That’s because it now comes with a IP54 dust- and waterproof rating – a significant step up from the Kilburn II’s IPX2 protection.Marshall told me that this model is meant to be more of an “interior statement piece”, due to models such as the IP67-rated Marshall Emberton III and Marshall Middleton occupying the rugged space. But still, having that improved durability is a definite nice-to-have.Perhaps the biggest change to the Kilburn III, however, is its battery life. The Kilburn II offered 20+ hours of playtime, which is solid, but nothing particularly standout. However, the Kilburn III really takes things to the next level, supplying more than 50 hours of play – really phenomenal stuff. For reference, that’s the longest battery life of any Marshall speaker to date – not bad, eh?I could go on: you're able to adjust EQ via the revamped Marshall app; use the speaker to charge external devices; access Auracast connectivity; and even detach its classy carrying strap. But that’s all for now. I’ll be back soon to give my full, unfiltered thoughts on the Kilburn III. That is, after I’ve spent a bit of time testing it here at Future Labs.If you’re already sold, though, you can grab the Marshall Kilburn III now via Marshall’s own website. It will also be available to purchase through select retailers from June 10.(Image credit: Marshall)You might also likeI tried Marshall’s first soundbar, which rivals the Sonos Arc Ultra with an amp-inspired design and huge Dolby Atmos soundNeed a speaker that can tackle any environment from the beach to the shower? The check out our guide to the best waterproof speakers

Looking for a different day?A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Tuesday, May 27 (game #450).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 #451) - hint #1 - today's themeWhat is the theme of today's NYT Strands?• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Top contendersNYT Strands today (game #451) - hint #2 - clue wordsPlay any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.TILETHENFILESAILWINESHINENYT Strands today (game #451) - hint #3 - spangram lettersHow many letters are in today's spangram?• Spangram has 12 lettersNYT Strands today (game #451) - hint #4 - spangram positionWhat are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?First side: left, 3rd rowLast side: bottom, 5th columnRight, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.NYT Strands today (game #451) - the answers(Image credit: New York Times)The answers to today's Strands, game #451, are…WINNERCHAMPTITLEHOLDERVICTORMEDALISTSPANGRAM: FINISH STRONGMy rating: EasyMy score: PerfectI got off to a great start today, finding the word DINNER – which immediately led to WINNER. From there it was a fairly straightforward race to victory. I was convinced TITLEHOLDER was going to be the spangram as I was tapping it out, but that went to the marginally longer FINISH STRONG, which I’m not entirely sure works. You can finish strong and be a loser if you didn’t start well in a race, championship or game and equally if you finish badly but started well you can still be a CHAMP.The reality of becoming a MEDALIST is that the quality that a competitor or team needs the most is consistency, which is why serial winners are often compared to machines.Before that though, it’s important to lose a lot and almost win things, otherwise people will compare you to a robot and no one wants to cheer for a robot.How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Tuesday, May 27, game #450)FARMGAMESANIMALTALEHUNGERHANDMAIDSSPANGRAM: DYSTOPIAN NOVELWhat is NYT Strands?Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

Looking for a different day?A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Tuesday, May 27 (game #1219).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 #1220) - hint #1 - VowelsHow many different vowels are in Quordle today?• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 5*.* 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 #1220) - hint #2 - repeated lettersDo any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 3.Quordle today (game #1220) - 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 #1220) - 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 #1220) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?• H• B• V• PRight, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.Quordle today (game #1220) - the answers(Image credit: New York Times)The answers to today's Quordle, game #1220, are…HELLOBEADYVIGILPURERA huge slice of luck got me over the line today, with a wild guess of BEADY coming off. HELLO took me a while to see – but I tripped up with PURER, going with PUREE instead, while VIGIL is one of those words that seems more common in Quordle world than it does in the real world. How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.Daily Sequence today (game #1220) - the answers(Image credit: New York Times)The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1220, are…OPERAULCERASIDEFROSTQuordle answers: The past 20Quordle #1219, Tuesday, 27 May: TWEET, RANGE, POPPY, RADARQuordle #1218, Monday, 26 May: BLEAT, HOWDY, ASIDE, SCOOPQuordle #1217, Sunday, 25 May: OCEAN, AMBER, PIPER, GLEANQuordle #1216, Saturday, 24 May: HUSKY, HEIST, FOGGY, POLARQuordle #1215, Friday, 23 May: SHIRE, GIANT, AWAIT, CAPERQuordle #1214, Thursday, 22 May: LOSE, GLOVE, STINT, EXCELQuordle #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, ELITE

Looking for a different day?A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Tuesday, May 27 (game #716).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 #717) - today's words(Image credit: New York Times)Today's NYT Connections words are…CHICAGOPOPEMOONLIGHTBRIDGEWHEELROCKYCHAINLINKBLUESTUNITEGLADIATORPEDALJOINSADDLESKATCRASHNYT Connections today (game #717) - hint #1 - group hintsWhat are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?YELLOW: Ways to attachGREEN: Bicycle bitsBLUE: 21st century movies PURPLE: Add a letter to see the sceneNeed 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 #717) - hint #2 - group answersWhat are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?YELLOW: CONNECT GREEN: PARTS OF A BIKEBLUE: BEST PICTURE WINNERS SINCE 2000 PURPLE: MUSIC GENRES PLUS A LETTERRight, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.NYT Connections today (game #717) - the answers(Image credit: New York Times)The answers to today's Connections, game #717, are…YELLOW: CONNECT BRIDGE, JOIN, LINK, UNITEGREEN: PARTS OF A BIKE CHAIN, PEDAL, SADDLE, WHEELBLUE: BEST PICTURE WINNERS SINCE 2000 CHICAGO, CRASH, GLADIATOR, MOONLIGHTPURPLE: MUSIC GENRES PLUS A LETTER BLUEST, POPE, ROCKY, SKATMy rating: ModerateMy score: 2 mistakesI fell into two very obvious traps today. First I had CHAIN instead of UNITE in the CONNECT group. I was thinking of mechanical connections, like train compartments coupled together.How stupid I felt when the next group I got was PARTS OF A BIKE.My next mistake came in thinking that we were just looking for a general movie connection, without really knowing what the link was. With that in mind I had ROCKY instead of CRASH – although had the category been BEST PICTURE WINNERS SINCE 1977, then ROCKY would have been correct.How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Tuesday, May 27, game #716)YELLOW: ROUND FLAT THINGS COASTER, FRISBEE, PANCAKE, RECORDGREEN: AIRPORT FEATURES CAROUSEL, FOOD COURT, GATE, LOUNGEBLUE: GUITAR PLAYING TECHNIQUES BEND, PICK, SLIDE, STRUMPURPLE: WHAT CHARACTERS WERE TRANSFORMED INTO IN "BEAUTY AND THE BEAST" BEAST, CANDELABRA, CLOCK, TEACUPWhat 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.

The first speaker that works with Dolby Atmos FlexConnect, the TCL Z100, has finally been unveiled – though as with most announcements in these days of regularly changing tariffs, there's no exact price or release date yet.Announced back in 2023, the idea with Dolby Atmos FlexConnect is that you don't need to think about where you're placing the speakers to get home theater sound – you don't even need to have pairs of them placed symmetrically.Put one next to the TV, one on the shelf to your right, one directly behind you – whatever's convenient for your space is fine. The system will then map the placement acoustically and will adjust the speaker output to give the best version of Dolby Atmos-powered surround sound that it can from those positions.You can have up to four of the TCL Z100 speakers in one configuration, and each speaker is a 1.1.1 audio configuration on its own (a forward-facing driver, a bass driver, and an upfiring driver) – though when combined, they can produce something akin to virtual 7.1.2 audio, according to TCL. That includes a compatible TV providing two channels, including the center channel.Speaking of which, the speakers must be connected to a suitable Dolby Atmos FlexConnect hub, which can handle the mapping and processing. Right now, that means getting one of TCL's 2025 mini-LED TVs.TCL and Dolby have an exclusivity agreement for the launch of the FlexConnect, so don't expect to see more speakers or compatibility with other TVs in the short term, but it should happen eventually, and it should also be possible for one of the best soundbars to be the FlexConnect hub in the future.They also support playing music over Bluetooth – two can work in a stereo pair to play music from your phone.As you might expect for a Dolby-specific product, there's no built-in DTS support. However, the TCL TVs that are necessary to make the system work all support DTS:X, and the idea is that they'll decode the DTS sound (including DTS:X), process it in 7.1.2 channels, and then convert it for the virtual surround system for your configuration, so you should get something close to full-fat DTS.The speakers appear to come in white/gray and black options. And while you probably won't place them on the floor, you could. (Image credit: Future)Although there's no price, we've been told by TCL's European arm to expect a price approaching €300 – and usually Euro and US Dollar prices convert very closely, though the final amount will depend on the latest tariffs. UK prices will be close to the Euro price.What's so great about Dolby Atmos FlexConnect?I've seen this technology in action a few times since its announcement in 2023, and it's very impressive – though the speakers I saw it demoed with were more elaborate than the TCL Z100 have turned out to be. @techradar ♬ Powerful songs like action movie music - Tansa Those had side-firing drivers as well as forward and up-firing drivers, potentially giving them more control over the steering of virtual sound. It was amazing in my demos how two speakers – one at the front to the right of the TV, and one behind and to the left of me – could create a broadly immersive sound with steering of sounds in basically all directions.Whether the Z100 can do this as well remains to be seen, and either way, the system isn't going to match just having speakers in all the right places – but that's just not possible for everyone.I think there's real value in having speakers that can be placed not just imperfectly, but in totally odd places, and still get something more immersive than TV sound alone from them.The one other thing missing from this announcement, though, is bass. I've been told that the FlexConnect system can support a subwoofer, but there's no sign of one here – hopefully that will come before too long.You might also likeLoewe unveils a wireless Dolby Atmos TV speaker system that's half the price of Sony's Bravia Quad, and I'm temptedDali’s mega-powerful 16-inch ported subwoofer wants to shake your home theater to bits, in a good wayI've been watching the latest 4K Blu-rays with a flagship OLED TV and soundbar setup for six months – here are my 7 favorites so far

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the on-going bane of Apple's secrecy policies, Apple is not only planning to redesign iOS, iPadOS and macOS to more closely resemble the 'spatial computing' platform of the Apple Vision Pro – it's also planning to bring this new look to tvOS 19, the software that runs on the Apple TV 4K.We don't know exactly what this will look like, but I actually love this idea – at least, in the version that I'm imagining. There are two things I'd expect that I think would be big improvements; one practical, and one aesthetic.There is also, however, one huge potential pitfall – one that I broadly trust Apple to avoid, but that I still wouldn't bet money against.First, the practical improvement. I think it's faintly ridiculous that tvOS still doesn't support picture-in-picture, so you can keep an eye on two sports games at the same time from different apps, or keep your eye on a Twitch marathon or live rolling news event while watching something else.The floating windows of Vision Pro are an obvious fit for this in terms of design affordances and could give a really cool 3D look to that kind of layout. In software terms, an 'affordance' is something that lets you know what a piece of software design is supposed to do. So, for example, the faintly 3D look of a phone's keyboard indicates that these are buttons you can press.Perhaps we'll not only get picture-in-picture, but also floating small versions of apps in the same way you get on iPadOS, so you can see sports stats while watching something else.I don't know if we need to go as far as some Vision Pro sports apps go, but we should be able to make stuff like this happen, right? (Image credit: Apple)The aesthetic idea I'm imagining is a home screen that has a 3D layering element, similar to that of visionOS. The app icons float at the front, with an image behind them – and hopefully something more interesting than a plain background.I'd love to have the more gentle options from Apple's screensavers moving in the background here – a slow track through a forest, waves and fish gently washing past the screen – while the app icons shine in front.You could choose your own videos to play in the background, too – but maybe something smart could be done with still images as well. Photos you take on your iPhone have depth data stored, so I wonder if Apple could do something subtle with the image's 3D elements, so they shift slightly at times to make the image look like a diorama within your TV.Apple does this a little with thumbnails in the Apple TV movie and TV store, where some 'posters' for movies have a subtle 3D effect when you hover over them.You can put yourself an all kinds of great ambient environments in visionOS – if the tvOS design is going in this direction, I hope it follows suit for the home screen. (Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)However, this idea of background video is also the part that could become more annoying than delightful. You know how basically all the best TVs and best streaming devices have prominent ads for shows you have no interest in from streaming services? And how the best streaming services often have a nasty habit of auto-playing trailers when you're just browsing?The worst version of this idea would have the trailer for Prime Video's latest mediocre spy thriller autoplaying full screen behind the apps while you're browsing. And in theory, this would then stop when you move to highlight another app instead, but if that other app also starts playing a trailer, that's not going to be any better. Your eyes will start melting in minutes if the background bounces from trailer-start to trailer-start while you're scrolling over to fire up Netflix.I don't think Apple will go this route – it hasn't so far, and a big part of the Apple TV 4K's popularity with the home theater enthusiast community at large outside of Apple fans is because people are happy to pay more for an ad-free home screen.However, with the threat of increased tariffs on Apple products in the US, Apple may find itself wanting to make more money elsewhere to cover any costs it has to eat. So while I don't think it's likely that Apple will allow intrusive trailers on the tvOS home screen, I'm not ruling it out.But in general, I like the idea of a little more depth to my TV screen – and I already really love the nature screensavers on Apple TV, so I'd really love to have them appear even more often, as a window to another place around the world every time I turn my TV on.We'll likely find out more at WWDC 2025, which is coming in early June.You might also like…Apple TV audio not syncing properly? tvOS 18.5 should fix this strange Dolby Atmos bugThe streaming competitor that delivers 4K Blu-ray quality just launched its cheapest ever 4K movie playerNetflix won't work on some Amazon Fire TV devices from June – here are the affected models

The perfect Bluetooth speaker for park hangs is here. Marshall upgraded its portable speaker lineup with the Kilburn III, which notably has an impressive playtime of at least 50 hours. Not only does it double the battery life of Marshall's previous model, the Kilburn III will far outlast the competition, like the Beats Pill or the Bang & Olufsen A1 and their 24-hour playback limits.

Marshall's third iteration of the Kilburn comes roughly seven years after the Kilburn II was introduced. Beyond the massive jump in battery life, the company improved the water and dust resistance to IP54, meaning it can handle some dirt and splashes of water. Marshall preserved the signature guitar amp look of the Bluetooth speaker, while also keeping the tactile control knobs that make adjusting volume, bass and treble much easier.

Marshall

You'll still get Marshall's True Stereophonic sound that makes the music sound the same no matter where you're sitting or standing. Even if you crank the speaker to 10, Marshall promises that the bass, mids and trebles will remain balanced. The Kilburn III weighs 6.7 lbs for an easier time bringing to get-togethers and can even charge your phone.

The Kilburn III's upgrades are going to cost you, though, since it retails for $379.99 now. Marshall kept the black and brass colorway that comes with a velvet-lined carrying strap, but added a cream colorway for the refresh. The Kilburn III is currently available on Marshall's website, but will arrive at its retail partners on June 10.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/speakers/marshalls-latest-bluetooth-speaker-can-play-for-two-days-straight-140059345.html?src=rss

Telecoms in Britain is a growth priority for the UK Government. That’s not my opinion, that’s a stated fact in a new report highlighting the 15 top technologies that will drive growth, improving British society and business in the next ten years. The study claims telecoms could be worth up to £70 billion (around 0.73% of UK GDP growth). That’s great, but as I sit here, we are less than two years from the (already extended) PSTN switch-off and many organizations are panicking about how they are going to fund switching over from 150 year old technology, never mind be part of a glorious future.Let’s start with the positive though. The report, written by PwC and called The Wider Economic Impacts of Emerging Technologies, offers timely insight into how the technologies shaping tomorrow’s economy are already influencing today’s business decisions. Among the 15 technology categories assessed, telecoms plays a unique and yet underappreciated role. It may not be seen as the flashiest innovation on the list, but its transformative potential is significant, particularly for enterprise IT leaders navigating an era of converging platforms, AI-driven customer expectations, and budget constraints.It’s heartening to see the report acknowledging future telecoms will serve as connective tissue across all digital innovation, underpinning everything from AI applications to digital twins to immersive customer experiences. I also suspect that telecoms will contribute far more than £70 billion of UK GDP growth when you consider that telecoms enable productivity enhancements in virtually every sector, from healthcare to finance to retail.It’s not about more tech—it’s about better outcomesToo often, discussions around digital transformation fall into the trap of tech for tech’s sake. Within the telecoms space, the focus must shift from individual technologies to integrated outcomes. As I’ve said before, our customers don’t care whether something is technically labelled as UCaaS, CCaaS, or CPaaS. They care about technology that solves real business problems, such as how to connect with customers more efficiently, how to make their experience more meaningful, or how to ensure regulatory compliance without adding complexity.The future of telecoms makes those outcomes possible through capabilities such as: Ultra-reliable connectivity that supports real-time communication and zero-latency experiences. Infrastructure that’s agile enough to support AI, 5G, edge computing, and increasingly remote workforces. Integrated systems that collapse the silos between contact centers, back-office functions, and field teams.Modernization as a mission-critical imperativeThe report correctly identifies that business adoption will vary depending on cost, feasibility, and workforce readiness, but IT leaders shouldn't see these as barriers; they're an invitation to modernize with purpose. That’s why 8x8 continues to invest in solutions that enable seamless interaction across voice, video, chat, and APIs, all underpinned by analytics and AI.We've already seen the impact of this through projects where healthcare providers are using the 8x8 platform to enable multilingual telehealth services across fragmented networks, and where financial institutions have modernized their infrastructure while remaining compliant. These are not future visions. In a lot of telecoms, we can deliver the future today.That’s if the funding and will is there.The real risk is standing still—or being left behindOne point in the report stood out to me: the true cost of inaction. Delayed adoption of emerging technologies leads to missed productivity gains, talent disengagement, and customer churn. For telecoms, the risk isn’t in adopting new infrastructure - it’s in clinging to legacy systems that were built for a different era, which is what brought us to the reality of the PSTN switch-off.The report notes that 80% of those surveyed around telecoms identified cost as a major factor while 73% felt infrastructure was an issue when it came to considering upgrading. As we move towards January 2027 and, what we are promised, is the final deadline for the copper network being switched off, these are worryingly high numbers.Another stat that is either cause for concern or an opportunity, depending on how you look at it, is that 67% of respondents felt they did not have a relevant supplier relationship to be future-proofed. That means there is massive opportunity for the UK’s tech and partnership network to be picking up the phone and building their networks.And while 65% of those surveyed said they were unsure of the benefits of modernizing, let me tell you, the cost of doing nothing is far more expensive.Looking forwardThe report has a purpose: to inspire individuals and businesses into what could be key drivers for the UK economy over the coming years. It shows where there may be skill gaps, where businesses need to start concentrating, and seeing what their role is in the coming years. It’s a welcome report into a potential future. Still, if we don’t address the legacy of the past and properly transition to the future, as in the case of the PSTN network, then it won’t be a case of being switched off - we’ll be disconnected.We've featured the best business phone system.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