Technology

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for April 2.

I review the best camera phones, but I recently bought myself a dedicated camera. I carry a Galaxy S25 Ultra and an iPhone 16 Pro daily, yet I just bought a camera that's intentionally simpler.

My phones boast optical zoom up to 5X and digital reach well beyond that. I chose a camera with a fixed lens and a field of view slightly wider than my natural vision.

I'm continually impressed by what the best camera phones achieve, but Samsung, Apple, and every phone maker could learn a lot from a camera like the Fujifilm X100VI and today’s best point-and-shoot cameras.

An iPhone 16 Pro (left) with a Galaxy S25 Ultra (right) (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

My Galaxy S25 Ultra has five cameras, and the iPhone 16 Pro has four. Their largest sensors barely top three-quarters of an inch diagonally. The smallest, for the periscope zoom, are minuscule: 0.4 inches (Samsung) and 0.33 inches (iPhone).

My Fujifilm X-T5 uses an APS-C sensor – smaller than a full-frame (35mm film size) but still around 1.12-inches diagonally. That dwarfs any smartphone sensor.

The largest smartphone sensors currently are the one-inch sensors used by makers like Oppo and Xiaomi. Curiously, these aren't found in models you can buy in the US.

Camera phones do the opposite of what they should

Orchids at the New York Botanical Garden, shot with my Fujifilm X-T5 (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Why this focus on sensor size? Because it's the spec that really counts, especially on phones where the difference between the smallest and largest sensors is vast, not marginal.

So why don't Samsung or Apple use a full frame sensor? They demand power and physical space – luxuries smartphones lack.

Unfortunately, smartphones often make the opposite error. Instead of one great sensor, they cram in so many tiny sensors that none produce genuinely memorable images.

It’s ambitious what smartphones attempt. Today’s best range from wide-angle (near 18mm) to telephoto (200mm+), with a wide f/1.6 aperture and macro focus. You can buy an 18-200mm camera lens, but not a lens that is this fast (even f/2.8) without spending thousands.

Every smartphone chases the holy grail: an ultra-wide to super-telephoto zoom with microscopic focus. It's unrealistic. To chase it, makers cut corners, yielding phones technically capable but often failing to capture keepers – photos worth saving, printing, and cherishing – real photos.

Apple and Samsung, meet my new friend Fujifilm

Fine details and soft bokeh, shot with my Fujifilm X-T5 (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Fujifilm gets it. The camera world is buzzing about the Fujifilm X100VI – it's the blueprint smartphones should follow. It uses a large APS-C sensor and a fixed 23mm lens (a 35mm equivalent). It captures phenomenal photos.

No magic here. Fujifilm pairs a great sensor with a versatile prime lens. A fixed lens often means fewer elements, yielding sharper, brighter images. With its 40MP, you can crop digitally and still have a print-worthy resolution.

Image 1 of 3

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)Shot with my Fujifilm X-T5Image 2 of 3

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)Shot with my iPhone 16 ProImage 3 of 3

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)Shot with my Galaxy S25 Ultra

I crave this from camera phones: one large sensor, not five tiny ones. One superb lens, not a jumble of folded glass and pinholes. Use the space saved from extra sensors for one real camera with a resolution for digital zoom.

The big problem with the Fujifilm X100VI is that you can't buy one. Every reputable retailer has the camera back ordered for months, and the aftermarket is rife with shady scams or folks selling the camera at a 25% markup.

Taking smartphone photography to the edge

Like this, but make the camera really good (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

That leaves an amazing opportunity for the smartphone market to step in with a stylish phone that focuses on high-quality photography instead of winning a spec war with megapixels and zoom.

Ironically, the rumored thin smartphones might nudge things this way. We've seen Samsung's teased Galaxy S25 Edge with only two rear lenses. The latest iPhone 16e uses just one, with a wide f/1.6 aperture, but its sensor remains small. Still, closer.

Give me an iPhone 17 with a massive sensor and a single wide lens – I’d be ecstatic. Forget the megapixel race and the lens count. Just give me light, captured beautifully through one great eye.

• SpaceX apparently wants to block Globalstar's access to some satellite frequencies
• Globalstar receives Apple funding to help expand iPhone's satellite features
• Apple and SpaceX may have previously failed to make a deal over a collaboration

Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Apple are reportedly in a spat that could ultimately lead to spotty signals for services like Starlink and iPhone satellite communications or a homogenous monopolistic satellite service – neither of which would be great for anyone.

The report comes from The Wall Street Journal (behind a paywall) who say sources familiar with the matter claim SpaceX is pushing US federal regulators to not allow Apple-funded satellite service Globalstar to expand its usage of limited satellite radio frequencies.

This comes after SpaceX and Apple have reportedly been in conversations to more closely collaborate on Apple’s growing satellite communication service, but with talks ending with no direct deal – instead SpaceX and T-Mobile will be able to offer their alternative to Apple’s satellite service on iPhones (with the service due to debut this summer).

Apple instead wants to rely on non-SpaceX networks to support its own satellite communication features – but if Musk’s company gets its way, Apple may struggle to expand without SpaceX’s backing.

Reach for the stars

A Starlink dish allowing internet access in a remote place (Image credit: Starlink)

As a quick and simple explanation: all satellites send signals to Earth using radio frequencies, and so to ensure service reliability, many parts of the world will license specific frequencies within the radio spectrum on a regional basis. This is to ensure two companies with satellites operating in the same place don’t get their signals all muddled together because they’re trying to use the same frequency.

SpaceX (or any other satellite company) would want to try and control as many of these frequencies as possible because it allows it to send more data, or send data more quickly – which ultimately leads to a better service for its customers.

But one company locking down too many frequencies in a region stops other companies from being able to offer satellite services there – leading to frustrating dead zones – or forces them to offer a worse service there because they can only use a limited band of frequencies. For consumers it also could lead to price gouging, as the service with the most (or total) satellite signal control can charge what it wants.

This latest contest over satellite frequencies likely won’t be the last, but it highlights an issue with this important communication frontier.

Getting reliable internet and signal service to remote services can only be a good thing – as we’ve already seen from people using their iPhone’s Emergency SOS via satellite tool to call for help when they had no other option – but if it isn’t handled with care we could end up with an overly fractured network or one that’s controlled by a lucky few that got there first.

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• A hacker claims to be selling data stolen from Check Point
• Security firm says data is from an old breach that has been dealt with
• But some security experts aren't convinced by this explanation

A hacker is claiming to have stolen a “highly sensitive” dataset from Check Point - but the company is looking to play down any concerns users might have.

The cybercriminal, going by the name of CoreInjection, posted about the dataset of compromised Check Point files on a cybercrime forum - and alleges that the information contains user credentials, employee contract information, and internal network maps, among other things.

A spokesperson from Check Point told TechRadar Pro that they “really wouldn’t call it a breach”, and added that this was “one account with limited access on a portal”. The firm’s statement assures that this is an “old, known and very pinpointed event,” that only involved a few organizations, and “ does not include customers’ systems , production or security architecture.”

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“If this is completely fake, I’d be surprised”

However, concerns have been raised in the cybersecurity industry, with Hudson Rock CTO, Alon Gal saying that there is a “high certainty” that Check Point has been hacked, with a threat actor appearing to have “gained access to an administrator account with serious privileges.”

Whilst the researcher argues he would be surprised, he also explains that the breach is “not yet officially confirmed”.

In Check Point’s official response, it confirmed a breach did occur, but that this was a long time ago, and that the hacker is just recycling old information which “falsely implies exaggerated claims which never happened.”

“This was handled months ago, and didn’t include the description detailed on this message. These organisations were updated and handled at that time, and this is not more than the regular recycling of old information. We believe that at no point was there a security risk to Check Point , its customers or employees,” the spokesperson told us.

In 2024, Check Point VPN software was targeted by hackers in order to gain access to corporate networks, although these attempts were largely unsuccessful, and Check Point outlined a simple and easy fix.

Via The Register

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• 3 points

In the wake of the Salt Typhoon attacks that compromised most of the major telecommunications providers in the US, many in the upper echelons of power are pushing for offensive cyber operations against China.

The move would model a tit-for-tat strategy, in that China has struck the US, so the US should strike China, and vice-versa until they stop.

The difficulty with that strategy, as legendary threat intelligence analyst Marcus Hutchins explains, is that the US is woefully under regulated and underprepared for any escalation of cyber warfare with China.

No scope for cyber war

Despite China’s claims that Volt Typhoon is actually a CIA asset, there is fairly reliable evidence to suggest that all of the ‘typhoon’ groups are Chinese state-sponsored actors, and it was Salt Typhoon that breached the US telecommunications networks by targeting and exploiting systems put in place under the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act, (or CALEA for short).

This act, introduced in 1994, saw all major communications networks have ‘backdoors’ installed to monitor the communications of criminals.

However, as John Ackerly, CEO and co-founder of Virtru told me, “It's the same doors that the good guys use, that the bad guys can walk through,” - and walk through they did.

Hutchins writes that while the US certainly has the capability to launch offensive cyber operations on China, and would likely see success, the US is not prepared for the retaliation-in-turn that would come next.

For example, US critical infrastructure is woefully underequipped to protect against cyber attacks and relies heavily on outdated tech that in some cases hasn’t received an update in over a decade.

China and its Typhoons have been mapping this infrastructure for years, probing the defences and checking responses and recovery plans with small scale attacks in preparation for a much bigger strike that could be used should a hot conflict erupt between the two super powers.

But equally, Hutchins argues, this large scale attack would be just as effective as a response to US cyber offensives in China, and it can’t be patched any time soon.

Thanks to a lack of federal regulations governing cybersecurity in the US, the private sector has been largely left to its own devices to protect itself from cyber attacks, and Hutchins duly notes that its often cheaper for a company to ignore a cyber intrusion than it is to chase them down and evict them from the network.

It's also cheaper to continue using outdated tech to run systems than to spend billions of dollars replacing everything and training your staff to operate new systems. Who could’ve guessed that the private sector wouldn’t regulate itself?

Now throw into the mix a smattering of federal bodies that, because they are modelled on the US separation of powers, must rely on each other to get anything done.

As Hutchins puts it, “Ultimately, cybersecurity in the United States feels like trying to put together a puzzle; except, there’s no picture on the box, each piece has been distributed to a random entity, half of the entities aren’t even willing to disclose that they have any puzzle pieces, and nobody is sure who’s actually supposed to be the one building the puzzle.”

What’s more, China’s own regulations for cybersecurity at both the state and private sector levels are fairly robust, and have been for many years more than the US can hope to catch up to.

Convincing an administration to establish a body with complete cyber-regulatory oversight in the age of DOGE is one thing, convincing the private sector to spend the ever increasing billions to give their networks even a fighting chance at being resilient is another.

"Personally, I think that trying to deter China through offensive cyber operations would not only be unsuccessful, but also a huge mistake," Hutchins concludes. "I am not arguing that the US should bow down to China, or that it should not be able to defend itself, only that increasing offense[ive] cyber operations without the defencive capabilities to back them up, is a horrible idea.”

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• GL.iNet Slate 7 dual external antennas boost range for stable & extended coverage
• Quad-core 1.1GHz CPU with 1GB RAM ensures smooth operation
• USB-C power supports up to 12V/2.5A for efficiency

GL.iNet has introduced the Slate 7 (GL-BE3600), the first mobile Wi-Fi 7 router, offering high-speed wireless and wired networking for demanding applications like 4K and 8K streaming and video conferencing software.

The Slate 7 delivers Wi-Fi 7 speeds of up to 688 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band and 2882 Mbps on the 5 GHz band, providing stable, high-speed performance even in crowded areas

The Slate 7 features a Qualcomm quad-core CPU running at 1.1GHz with 1GB of DDR4 RAM and 512MB of NAND Flash storage, while the two foldable external antennas enhance signal coverage, making it one of the best small business routers for both mobility and home networking

Powerful wired connectivity and flexible power options

Weighing 295g, this mobile router includes a 2.5Gbps WAN port and a 1Gbps LAN port for stable wired performance in bandwidth-intensive tasks while also featuring a USB 3.0 port for connecting external storage or a modem to expand its functionality.

With its dual Ethernet ports, the Slate 7 can also function as a best network switch solution for users needing reliable wired connections alongside its advanced wireless capabilities.

This device supports OpenVPN at up to 100 Mbps and WireGuard at up to 540 Mbps, offering secure and fast connections for remote work or private browsing while integrating compatibility with over 30 VPN services for extensive security options.

It also features an interactive touchscreen for managing settings, toggling VPN connections, and monitoring real-time network performance.

The device is powered through a USB-C port, supporting inputs of 5V/3A, 9V/3A, and 12V/2.5A, and is compatible with multiple power sources, including laptops, power banks, or smartphones, while maintaining power consumption under 18W (excluding USB usage) for efficiency even under heavy workloads.

The Slate 7 supports the installation of plugins via OpenWrt 23.05 with Kernel 5.4.213 for enhanced network management, including traffic monitoring and firewall customization.

It also features WPA3 encryption for protection against cyber threats and operates at temperatures between 0–40°C, with storage capability from -20°C to 70°C.

The Slate 7 is available for pre-order at $120, with the standard retail price set at $149.90, and the earliest deliveries expected in May 2025.

Via TechPowerUp

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Hints and answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, No. 191, for April 2.

Hints and answers for Connections for April 2, #661.

Here are hints and the answer for today's Wordle No. 1,383 for April 2.

• Apple's ushered in a new continuity feature with iOS 18.4 and macOS Sequoia 15.4
• You can now use an iPhone or iPad to help set up your Mac
• While relatively small, this could be a huge time-saver

Part of what makes the Apple ecosystem so good – and appealing to newcomers or folks just buying new devices – is the continuity between them, even including set-up. For instance, to set up an Apple Watch or AirPods, just hold the device near your iPhone.

Setting up an iPad? Hold it near your iPhone, follow the steps, and scan the glowing blue orb. Setting up a new iPhone? Hold it near your old iPhone. This takes a lot of the manual nature out of a new device setup and even helps authenticate your account.

While iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, and macOS Sequoia 15.4 didn’t bring with them the next major set of Apple Intelligence features, they did bring with them something awesome. And if you are getting a new Mac, planning to get one, or frequently reset your old ones, you’re in for a treat.

As long as you’re up to date – meaning your Mac has the latest version of Sequoia and your iPhone or iPad is running iOS or iPadOS 18.4, you can now set up that new Mac with your other Apple device. Really neat, and it could save you time. As with the speedy setup, you’ll need Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled for these two devices to connect.

So, what does this quick setup speed up? All-important Wi-Fi credentials, design choices like dark mode or icon size, accessibility features, and more are included. Plus, since you’re authenticating and signing in with your Apple Account (formerly Apple ID), you can elect to turn on iCloud features like a shared desktop, your photo library, Messages in the Cloud, your long list of passwords, notes, and other items.

How setting up your Mac with an iPhone or iPad works

(Image credit: Apple)

Now, the good news is that this whole process really speeds up the setup process for your Mac – and that goes for whether it’s a desktop, like the Mac mini, Mac Studio, or iMac, or a laptop, like the MacBook Air or MacBook Pro.

You’ll still boot up the Mac and select your language, but then, under the familiar screen that asks “Transfer Your Data to this Mac,” you’ll find a new option:

• From a Mac, Time Machine, or startup disk
• From a Windows PC
• Set up with iPhone or iPad
• Set up as new

(Image credit: Apple)

That third option – Set up with iPhone or iPad – is what you’ll need to select to do just that. From there, your Mac will then start looking for a nearby device, and you’ll want to unlock your iPhone or iPad and bring it close by.

Then just like when setting up a new iPhone or an iPad, a splash screen will appear on the bottom asking if you want to use your Apple Account to “Set Up New Mac.” Simply hit continue and then you’ll scan a pattern displayed on your Mac with your iPhone. That’s the final step for authentication here.

After that, you’ll be asked if you want to enable any accessibility settings and then create your Mac account. The last step is a bit of a waiting game as your Apple Account syncs up with your Mac, and then you can wrap up the setup.

(Image credit: Apple)

Basically, you’re speeding through the authentication process and getting some of the previously customized settings associated with your new Mac.

It’s nice to have, and if you’ve ever dreaded setting up your new Mac, you might question how you’ve lived without it.

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• Ayaneo Retro Mini PC AM01S features a 4-inch touchscreen with a 0-90° flip mechanism
• Magnetically attached port covers create a clean and adaptable workstation
• Dual-fan cooling system ensures optimal performance without overheating or throttling

There are plenty of mini PCs on the market, but few feature a 4-inch touchscreen on a hinge, magnetically attached port covers, and a 0-90° flip mechanism that allows them to operate both flat and upright like the Ayaneo Retro Mini PC AM01S.

Unlike many compact systems that rely solely on external monitors, the Ayaneo Retro Mini PC’s flip-up screen functions as a native Windows extended display, similar to the Aoostar G-Flip 370 and the G-Flip mini, providing quick access to performance monitoring, applications, and widgets.

The magnetically attached port covers hide unused ports while keeping them accessible, creating a clean and adaptable workstation.

Dual-fan cooling with heat pipes and SSD fan for optimal performance

This business PC features the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor, a 12-core, 24-thread chip that enhances efficiency and speed while offering storage options, including DDR5 5600MT/s RAM, M.2 PCIe 4.0 SSD slots, and an SDXC card reader.

It also comes with an integrated Radeon 890M GPU, built on RDNA 3.5 architecture with 16 compute units, delivering 20% better performance for smooth 1080p gaming and demanding creative workloads.

To support its performance, the AM01S uses a dual-fan cooling system with heat pipes and a dedicated SSD fan, ensuring it sustains its 65W power output without overheating.

For AI-driven tasks, the AYANEO Retro Mini PC AM01S benefits from the NPU delivering 50 TOPS, providing three times faster responses for large language models.

This device uses a CNC-machined aluminum frame for durability, while its connectivity options include dual 2.5G Ethernet ports and a full-speed USB4 connection, catering to professionals who need high-speed networking and ample storage.

At press time, there's no official confirmations for a price or release date.

Via Ayaneo

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• Google’s Chrome installer for PCs with AMD and Intel CPUs has been broken for the past week
• Detective work suggests that the version for these PCs was accidentally replaced by the Arm installer, which is for very different Snapdragon CPUs
• While the issue has now been fixed, Google took a long time to resolve it

Those trying to install the Chrome browser in Windows 11 or 10 over the course of the past week may well have been flummoxed by an error telling them the app won’t run on their PC – and I can’t quite believe how long it’s taken Google to fix this.

Nonetheless, the good news is that the glitch is fixed, even if it took the company way longer than it should have.

The problem, in case you missed it, was flagged on Reddit and by Windows Latest a week ago.

What happened was that on firing up the Chrome Installer file (ChromeSetup.exe, download from Google’s website), people watched the process come to a screeching halt, with an error message that read: “This app can’t run on your PC: To find a version for your PC, check with the software publisher.”

As to the cause, Windows Latest did some detective work, and theorized that what Google had done here – somehow – was accidentally swap the Arm installer of Chrome with the x86 installer. Meaning that the version of Chrome for Copilot+ PCs with Snapdragon (Arm-based) processors got swapped with the version for AMD or Intel CPUs.

That conclusion was based on digging into the setup file and finding references to ‘Arm’ which surely wouldn’t be there with a non-Arm executable. Furthermore, 9 to 5 Google backs up this theory, as the tech site tried the faulty version of Chrome on a Snapdragon PC, and found it worked fine (as it would do if it was the Arm installer).

9 to 5 Google was also on the ball in terms of noticing that the issue is finally cured, and you can now download the Chrome installer on a Windows PC with an AMD or Intel CPU, and it’ll work just as you’d expect.

(Image credit: Shutterstock / Khosro) Analysis: A bafflingly basic mistake with only one winner (Edge)

Okay, so mistakes can be made. Indeed, they happen all the time in the tech world, or elsewhere for that matter. But for such a basic glitch to be left in place to annoy a bunch of Windows users for the best part of a week is baffling – especially while reports were flying around about the problem.

I can’t imagine this was something that was particularly difficult to resolve, either, as it looks like a simple mix up of files, as noted (unless there’s something I’m missing here). Apparently, the Arm version of Google Chrome wasn’t affected, and the installer still worked for those with a Snapdragon-powered machine.

This could have cost Google some Chrome users potentially, who might have got fed up with the browser failing to install, and maybe even plumped for Microsoft Edge, its main rival, instead. (Incidentally, Edge is the best overall web browser as far as our roundup of the most compelling offerings out there is concerned).

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