Technology

This is a wacky, wild superhero game at its core -- and superheroes aren't perfectly balanced.

Enterprises find themselves at a pivotal moment in communication technology, facing a difficult decision: embrace modern technology or protect their investments in existing systems. This has created a divide between all-new cloud solutions and approaches that work with the infrastructure organizations already have in place. Avaya's new Infinity platform solves this dilemma by offering a way to do both.

Bridging Technological Divides

The enterprise communication technology landscape has fragmented into distinct camps. On one side stand cloud-native solutions promising flexibility and innovation but requiring complete system replacement. On the other hand, traditional vendors offer incremental improvements to on-premise systems without fundamentally reimagining their architecture.

Our approach with Avaya Infinity platform targets the substantial middle ground with a hybrid solution for enterprises seeking modernization without abandoning functional infrastructure investments. This hybrid model acknowledges a fundamental reality: most large organizations operate complex technology ecosystems built over decades, making complete replacements impractical regardless of the benefits.

Differentiated Architecture

What differentiates Avaya Infinity platform is its architectural approach. It’s a secure platform that ensures compliance, deployment flexibility, and top-tier performance — a single code base across on-prem, cloud, and hybrid environments. Rather than forcing customers into two distinct choices, Avaya Infinity platform offers:

• Modern, Secure, Ready-to-Use Architecture: The unified platform with a single code base delivers the flexibility, security, and control that large enterprises expect. This approach ensures data privacy, regulatory compliance, and unmatched scalability. The modular design enables organizations to activate specific capabilities without implementing the entire platform—essential for phased adoption strategies.
• Layered, Intelligent Orchestration: AI capabilities function as an enhancement layer across both cloud and on-premises components, end-to-end, allowing intelligence to flow throughout the platform regardless of where components physically reside. It unifies AI, native applications, and disparate systems, whether they’re from Avaya, our partners, or enterprises’ existing own infrastructures. This empowers enterprises with a seamless, single-source approach to business agility and desired outcomes.
• Data-Driven Customization: Enterprises can customize experiences for their customers, contact center agents, and employees by leveraging rich data insights. With intelligent engagement tools, this platform enables hyper personalization at every touchpoint, driving satisfaction and loyalty.

This architecture addresses the realities enterprises face in the contact center. The vast majority of organizations simply cannot afford operational disruption during technological transformation, yet they’re also unable to ignore competitive pressure to implement AI-powered experiences.

The Strategic Benefits

Avaya Infinity platform offers a hybrid solution that enables organizations to:

• Extend the value of existing investments while incrementally introducing new capabilities
• Deploy AI capabilities selectively based on specific business needs and readiness
• Scale cloud adoption at a pace aligned with organizational change capacity
• Maintain operational stability throughout transformation processes

For those managing customer experience strategies, this approach transforms the contact center into a connection center ─ connecting channels (voice and digital), connecting insights (data and behavior), connecting technologies (unifying AI, applications and disparate systems), and connecting workflows (delivering hyper personalized experiences). When customer interactions generate not just service outcomes but actionable intelligence, every conversation becomes a source of competitive advantage.

Balancing Innovation and Stability

The enterprise technology landscape has historically swung between innovation cycles and stability periods. Today's environment is unique in demanding both simultaneously—rapid innovation in customer experience alongside operational stability in core systems.

Avaya Infinity platform embraces this hybrid reality offer a compelling vision: transformation without operational upheaval. Its architecture is enabled by existing investments while enabling future capabilities, indicating that for most enterprises, technology evolution occurs on a continuum rather than through discrete revolutions.

The Path Forward

Avaya Infinity platform supports sustainable transformation strategies using on-premise investments while systematically introducing AI-powered innovations. It delivers what enterprises need today and expect tomorrow.

Watch this video to learn more about Avaya Infinity platform and contact an Avaya expert to request a demo here.

No details or release date, but boy will it be cool to see Malenia wipe the floor with someone else for a change.

Google's unveiling of a new line of AI-fueled smart glasses built on the Android XR platform was only one of dozens of announcements at Google I/O this year. Even so, one facet in particular caught my eye as more important than it might have seemed to a casual viewer.

While the idea of wearing AI-powered lenses that can whisper directions into your ears while projecting your to-do list onto a mountain vista is exciting, it's how you'll look while you use them that grabbed my attention. Specifically, Google's partnership with Warby Parker and Gentle Monster to design their new smart glasses.

The spectre of Google Glass and the shadow cast by the so-called Glassholes weraring them went unmentioned, but it's not hard to see the partnerships as part of a deliberate strategy to avoid repeating the mistakes made a decade ago. Wearing Google Glass might have said, “I’m wearing the future,” but it also hinted, “I might be filming you without your consent.” No one will think that Google didn't consider the fashion aspect of smart glasses this time. Meta’s Ray-Ban collaboration is based on a similar impulse.

If you want people to wear computers on their faces, you have to make them look good. Warby Parker and Gentle Monster are known for creating glasses that appeal to millennials and Gen Z, both in look and price.

"Warby Parker is an incredible brand, and they've been really innovative not only with the designs that they have but also with their consumer retail experience. So we're thrilled to be partnered with them," said Sameer Samat, president of Google’s Android Ecosystem, in an interview with Bloomberg. "I think between Gentle Monster and Warby Parker, they're going to be great designs. First and foremost, people want to wear these and feel proud to wear them."

Smart fashion

Wearables are not mini smartphones, and treating them that way has proven to be a mistake. Just because you want to scroll through AR-enhanced dog videos doesn't mean you don't want to look good simultaneously.

Plus, smart glasses may be the best way to integrate generative AI like Google Gemini into hardware. Compared to the struggles of the Humane AI Pin, the Rabbit R1, and the Plaud.ai NotePin, smart glasses feel like a much safer bet.

We already live in a world saturated with wearable tech. Smartwatches are ubiquitous, and wireless earbuds also have microphones and biometric sensors. Glasses occupy a lot of your face's real estate, though. They're a way people identify you far more than your watch. Augmented reality devices sitting on your nose need to be appealing, no matter which side of the lenses you look at.

Combine that with what the smart glasses offer wearers, and you have a much stronger product. They don't have to do everything, just enough to justify wearing them. The better they look, the less justification you need for the tech features.

Teaming up with two companies that actually understand design shows that Google understands that. Google isn’t pretending to be a fashion house. They’re outsourcing style strategies to people who know what they're doing. Google seems to have learned that if smart glasses are going to work as a product, they need to blend in with other glasses, not proclaim to the world that someone is wearing them.

How much they cost will matter, as setting smart glasses prices to match high-end smartphones will slow adoption. But if Google leverages Warby Parker and Gentle Monster’s direct-to-consumer experience to keep prices reasonable, they might entice a lot more people, and possibly undercut their rivals. People are used to spending a few hundred dollars on prescription glasses a reasonably sized extra charge for AI will be just another perk, like polarized prescription sunglasses.

Success here might also ripple out to smaller, but fashionable eyewear brands. Your favorite boutique frame designer might eventually offer 'smart' as a category, like they do with transition lenses today. Google is making a bet that people will choose to wear technology if it looks like something they would choose to wear anyway, and a bet on people wanting to look good is about as safe a bet I can imagine.

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The iPhone and Vision Pro maker is playing catchup with Meta and Google.

Move over Teamfight Tactics. Marvel Rivals' new limited-time mode is the perfect addition to the auto battler genre.

• Anthropic has debuted two new Claude AI models named Claude Opus 4 and Claude Sonnet 4
• Claude Opus 4 claims to be the best coding AI in the world
• Claude Sonnet 4 is a smaller, streamlined model with major upgrades from Sonnet 3.7 version.

Anthropic has unveiled Claude 4, the latest generation of its AI models. The company boasts that the new Claude Opus 4 and Claude Sonnet 4 models are at the top of the game for AI assistants with unmatched coding skills and the ability to function independently for long periods of time.

Claude Sonnet 4 is the smaller model, but it's still a major upgrade in power from the earlier Sonnet 3.7. Anthropic claims Sonnet 4 is much better at following instructions and coding. It's even been adopted by GitHub to power a new Copilot coding agent. It's likely to be much more widely used simply because it is the default model on the free tier for the Claude chatbot.

Claude Opus 4 is the flagship model for Anthropic and supposedly the best coding AI around. It can also handle sustained, multi-hour tasks, breaking them into thousands of steps to fulfill. Opus 4 also includes the "extended thinking" feature Anthropic tested on earlier models. Extended thinking allows the model to pause in the middle of responding to a prompt and use search engines and other tools until it has more data and can resume right where it left off.

That means a lot more than just longer answers. Developers can train Opus 4 to use all kinds of third-party tools. Opus 4 can even play video games pretty well, with Anthropic showing off how the AI performs during a game of Pokémon Red when given file access and permission to build its own navigation guide.

(Image credit: Anthropic)Claude 4 power

Both Claude 4 models boast enhanced features centered around tool use and memory. Opus 4 and Sonnet 4 can use tools in parallel and switch between reasoning and searching. And their memory system can save and extract key facts over time when provided access to external files. You won't have to re-explain what you want on every third prompt.

To make sure the AI is doing what you want, but not overwhelm you with every detail, Claude 4's models also offer what it calls “thinking summaries.” Instead of a wall of text detailing each of the potentially thousands of steps taken to complete a prompt, Claude employs a smaller, secondary AI model to condense the train of thought into something digestible.

A side benefit of the way the new models work is that they're less likely to cheat to save time and processing power. Anthropic said they’ve reduced shortcut-seeking behavior in tasks that tempt AIs to fake their way to a solution (or just make something up).

The bigger picture? Anthropic is clearly gunning for the lead in AI utility, particularly in coding and agentic, independent tasks. ChatGPT and Google Gemini have bigger user bases, but Anthropic has the means to entice at least some AI chatbot users away to Claude. With Sonnet 4 available to free users and Opus 4 bundled into Claude Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise plans, Anthropic is trying to appeal to both the budget-friendly and premium AI fans.

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Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle No. 446 for May 23.

Hints and answers for Connections for May 23, #712.

The midseason update adds a new strategist to the roster and brings an experimental autobattler mode to Rivals.

• Samsung's Frame, Neo QLED, and QLED TVs can all display art or photos when off
• The Art Store is expanding again, this time with a Disney collection
• Pieces of art themed after Disney, Pixar, Star Wars, and National Geographic are now available

Samsung already doubled down on its Art Mode and Art Store earlier in 2025 by expanding it to nearly its entire TV lineup, well beyond the Frame TV or Frame Pro. And if you’ve ever wished you could pick an iconic piece of art from the Star Wars universe – maybe an AT-AT on Hoth or an X-Wing – or something from the world of Disney like Snow White, Samsung’s answering the call.

Beyond the thousands of art pieces already available on the Art Store, Samsung has now dropped a collection of pieces in partnership with Disney. The collection goes beyond the iconic classic Disney animated films to include Star Wars, Pixar, and National Geographic. All of the pieces, be they animated or a wild shot of nature, are in 4K quality to ensure they’ll look their best on your Samsung TV.

Now, it’s not a free drop – you’ll need to be subscribed to Samsung’s Art Store and have an eligible TV. That membership is either $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year in the United States and lets you access all the pieces, including future drops.

While Art Mode and these works of art will look their best on a Samsung Frame TV or Frame Pro, thanks to the special reflection-blocking, matte finish, you’re not limited to that specific family of TVs.

(Image credit: Samsung)

Samsung’s expanded Art Mode support to QLED, Neo QLED 4K, and Neo QLED 8K TVs within the 2025 lineup means you don’t need to opt for a Frame TV or Frame Pro. And that also means you might be able to save a bit, as Samsung’s lifestyle TVs do cost a bit more in some cases.

This also isn’t the first time Disney, Star Wars, Pixar, and National Geographic pieces of art have been available on Samsung’s TVs. In 2023, timed for the Disney 100 anniversary, Samsung dropped the limited-edition The Frame-Disney100 Edition in 55-inch, 65-inch, and 75-inch sizes. It was a standard 4K QLED Frame TV with a special, platinum metal bezel, but the real appeal was that it came with 100 pieces of Disney art ready to go out of the box.

No extra subscription needed as you could look through the collections and pick your favorites, and then set them to your Art Mode.

It remains to be seen how many pieces are included in the Art Store and whether they’re the same as what was previously collaborated on. We’ve reached out to Samsung to ask, but for fans of Pixar – Toy Story, anyone? – Star Wars, National Geographic, and Disney at large, it’s certainly a fun addition.

With this latest drop, Samsung’s Art Store offers over 3,500 pieces of art to pick from, and on TVs with Art Mode, you can set your favorites to be shown when the TV is off and even mat them for a more dramatic effect, if you like.

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• A dual-GPU design returns, but it’s not meant for gamers this time around
• 48GB of memory sounds impressive, but will it actually deliver meaningful AI performance?
• With no benchmarks and specs, this card is more rumor than revolution right now

Intel may be preparing to launch an unusual graphics card featuring two Arc B580 GPU chips and 48GB of memory, reports have claimed.

While this isn’t an official Intel product, it appears to be a custom design developed by one of Intel’s board partners, who remains unnamed due to non-disclosure agreements.

What makes this card notable is the return of a dual-GPU layout using consumer-class chips, something the industry hasn’t seen in several years.

48GB of memory hints at AI potential

This particular model reportedly combines two B580 GPUs, each paired with 24GB of memory, for a total of 48GB on a single card.

The intent doesn't appear to be gaming, which raises questions about the target audience. Given the high memory and compute potential, one possibility is that it’s intended for AI development or other high-throughput workloads.

Although 48GB still falls short of the memory capacity in top-tier professional accelerators, using consumer-grade GPUs could offer a cost-effective alternative for some training scenarios.

Still, without performance benchmarks or detailed architectural information, it’s difficult to determine whether this configuration could compete with even midrange professional GPUs.

For users comparing it against the best GPUs currently available, skepticism is warranted. No other board partners have been linked to similar designs, and it remains unclear whether this is a one-off experiment or part of a broader strategy.

This development may also interest content creators. With such a high memory ceiling, it could appeal to users seeking the best laptops for video editing or for Photoshop, assuming future mobile variants emerge.

But until more technical data is released, this card is best regarded as a curiosity rather than a sure bet.

Via Videocardz

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The models can now use tools like web searches during extended reasoning tasks.

Google I/O events are an often frustrating glimpse of the near future, with a lot of shiny software toys scheduled to land sometime "in the coming months". That often means a long wait of up to a year, so for Google I/O 2025 we've rounded every new announcement that you can actually try today.

Naturally, some of the features below come with restrictions – a few are only available to try now in the US, while some are restricted to subscribers of Google's AI Pro or AI Ultra tiers. But many have also rolled out worldwide, so there are new features to take for a spin even if you don't currently pay Google a cent.

What's missing from the list below and coming at a later date? Quite a bit actually, including some of the more futuristic ideas like Google Beam and Android XR, and it also isn't clear how long we'll have to wait for a worldwide rollout of AI Mode for Search, Veo 3, Flow, Virtual Try On in the Shopping app, and Google's top-tier AI Ultra plan.

Still, there are quite a few things from Google I/O 2025 to keep us amused in the meantime, so here's a list of the ones that are available to try today...

1. AI Mode in Search

• rolling out in the US now (other regions TBC)
• where to try it: in Google Search or in the Google app

(Image credit: Google)

Google completely upended its golden goose, Search, at I/O 2025 this week, announcing several new features to stave off the threat of ChatGPT – and the biggest was arguably the US rollout of AI Mode.

If you're in the US and aren't seeing the new tab in Search (or in the search bar of the Google app), it's likely because Google said it'd be a gradual roll-out "over the coming weeks".

We've been using it for a while, though, and have put together a guide on how to master the new AI mode. It shouldn't be your go-to for everything, but we've concluded that "if you’re researching, planning, comparing, or learning, AI Mode can be a real comfort". Google hasn't yet commented on when it'll get a worldwide launch, but we'd imagine it'll be sometime this year.

• Read more: Google Search just got its biggest-ever upgrade to lure you away from ChatGPT – here are 7 new things to try

2. Veo 3

• available today for Gemini Ultra subscribers in the US
• where to try it: in Google Flow

Arguably the biggest breakthrough moment at Google I/O 2025, Veo 3 is the first AI video generator that can deliver synchronized audio (including speech) alongside its video creations. And it's available to try now for a lucky few, if you're in the US and on the new Gemini Ultra plan.

Granted, that is a pretty small group of people, but we had to include it in this list because it is actually available today for those lucky peeps, and US enterprise users on the Vertex AI platform.

The amount of processing power required for Veo 3 could mean a relatively slow rollout elsewhere, and Google has hinted as much by also releasing new features for Veo 2 like the ability to give it reference scenes.

• Read more: Google's Veo 3 marks the end of AI video's 'silent era'

3. Google Flow

• available to AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in the US
• more countries "coming soon"
• where to try it: the Google Flow page in Labs

(Image credit: Google Flow)

Not sure how to weave all of your AI videos together into a cohesive whole? Google also addressed that issue with a new AI video editor called Flow – and like Veo 3, it's out now for AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in the US.

It's a bit like a Premiere Pro that you can operate entirely with natural language, to avoid learning keyboard shortcuts or complex menus. To get an idea of how it works, check out Google's short tutorial.

Impressively, it goes as far as giving you menus of camera moves like 'dolly out' and 'pan right', so you don't even have to describe them. Google has also at least promised that it's "coming soon" to more countries, so we're hopeful of a wider rollout in 2025.

• Read more: Want to be the next Spielberg? Google’s AI-powered Flow could bring your movie ideas to life

4. Gemini Live

• available worldwide now on Android and iOS
• where to try it: in the Gemini app on Android or iOS

(Image credit: Future)

The big smartphone story of Google I/O 2025 was the full rollout of one of the best AI tools around on Android and iOS – Gemini Live.

Like ChatGPT's Advanced Voice Mode, Gemini Live is an AI assistant that you can chat to using your voice. The most useful part, though, is that you can also give it eyes using your phone's camera to get help with whatever's in front of you or on your screen.

To conjure the assistant, open the Gemini app on iOS or Android, tap the Gemini Live icon (on the far right of the text input box), and start chatting away.

• Read more: Gemini Live is now free for everyone on Android and iOS, and you can finally share your screen and camera on iPhone – here's how to try it

5. Imagen 4

• available worldwide in the Gemini app, Whisk, Vertex AI

(Image credit: Google)

Google didn't just level-up its AI-generated video at I/O 2025 – we also got a new Imagen 4 model for whipping up still images in higher resolution (now up to 2K) than before.

The latest Imagen (which is available now in the Gemini app, Whisk, Vertex AI and across Google Workspace) also showed that it's been working hard on one of its main weaknesses – handling text.

This means that scenes involving typography should no longer be a jumbled mess of weird characters and look more realistic. While Imagen 4 is available to use for free, it does come with usage limits – you can expect 10-20 image generations on a free plan, while Gemini subscribers get a more generous 100-150 generations a day.

• Read more: Gemini’s AI images have been updated to Imagen 4 with a ‘huge step forward in quality’ – here’s what you need to know

6. Gemini 2.5 Flash

• available worldwide now in the Gemini app

Okay, Gemini 2.5 Flash isn't brand new, but it was given a big upgrade at Google I/O 2025 – and it's now available to everyone to dabble with in the Gemini app.

In fact, Gemini 2.5 Flash is now the default model in Google's Gemini chatbot, because it's apparently the fastest and more cost-efficient one for daily use. Some of the specific improvements, over its 2.0 Flash predecessor, include a greater ability to understand images and text.

Wondering how it compares to ChatGPT 4o? We've already compared the two to help you see which might be the best for you. Spoiler: it's a close call, but Gemini 2.5 Flash is particularly appealing if you live in Google's world of apps and services.

• Read more: Google Gemini 2.5 Flash promises to be your favorite AI chatbot, but how does it compare to ChatGPT 4o?

7. Jules

• available worldwide in public beta
• where to try it: on the Jules website

Need a coding assistant to speed up your workflow? Google has just given Jules (first introduced as a Labs experiment last December) a wider public beta rollout, with no waiting lists.

Jules is a bit more than a coding copilot – it can autonomously beaver away on fixing bugs, writing tests and building new features without any input from you. It works 'asynchronously', which means it can work on various tasks without waiting for them to finish.

Google says Jules isn't trained on your private code and that your data stays within its private environment. With autonomous agents on the rise, it certainly looks worth dabbling with if you could do with some coding assistance.

8. Virtual Try-On

• rolling out in Search Labs in the US
• where to try it: in Google's Search Labs

Google Shopping has had a 'Try On' feature for clothes since 2023, but it got a big upgrade it got at Google I/O 2025. Rather than using virtual models to show you how your chosen clothes might fit, it now lets you upload a photo of yourself – and uses AI to help you avoid the hassle of changing rooms.

Once you've uploaded a full-length photo of yourself, you'll start to see little "try it on" buttons when you click on outfits that are served up in the Shopping tabs search results. We've taken it for a spin and, while it isn't flawless, it does give you a solid idea of what some clothes will look like on you. And anything that helps us avoid real-world shopping is fine by us.

• Read more: I tried Google's new AI try-on feature, and it's given me some new fashion ideas

9. Deep Research in Gemini

• available now worldwide in Gemini and the Gemini app
• where to try it: in Google Gemini

(Image credit: Google)

Google brought its 'Deep Research' feature to Gemini Advanced subscribers (now Gemini Pro) in late 2024. And now the handy reports tool has given a particularly useful upgrade – the ability to combine its research of public data from the web with any private PDFs or images that you uploads.

Google provided the example of a market researcher uploading their own internal sales figures so they could cross reference them with public trends. Unfortunately, you can't yet pull in docs or data from Google Drive and Gmail, but Google says this is coming "soon".

10. Gemini quizzes

• available worldwide on Gemini desktop and mobile
• college students in the US and UK can also get a free Gemini AI Pro upgrade for the whole school year
• where to try it: on Geminiand the Gemini app on Android or iOS

(Image credit: Google)

Google is particularly keen to get students using its Gemini app – not only did it extend its free access to Google AI Pro for school and university students to new countries including the UK, it also added a new quiz feature to help with revision.

To start a quiz, you can ask Gemini to "create a practice quiz" on your chosen subject. The most useful part is that it'll then make a follow-up quiz based on your weaknesses in the previous test. Not that you have to be studying to make use of this feature – it could also be a handy way to sharpen your pub quiz skills.

If you're a student in the US, Brazil, Indonesia, Japan and the UK, you can get your free year of Gemini AI Pro by signing up on Gemini's students page – the deadline is June 30, 2025 and you will need a valid student email address.

11. Google Meet speech translation

• available to Google AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers
• initially only in English and Spanish, more languages coming soon

We're particularly looking forward to trying out Google Beam this year, with the glasses-free 3D video calls (formerly known as Project Starline) heading to businesses courtesy of HP's new hardware. But a new video calling feature you can try now is Google Meet's near real-time translations.

Available now for AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in beta, the feature will provide an audible translation of your speech (currently in English to Spanish, or vice versa) with a relatively short delay. It isn't seamless, but we imagine the delay will only reduce from here – and Google says more languages are coming "in the next few weeks".

• Read more: Google Beam could change your video calls forever with glasses-free 3D and near real-time translation

12. Google AI Pro and AI Ultra plans

• available now (AI Ultra is currently US-only)

(Image credit: Shutterstock/Sadi Santos)

Google switched up its AI subscription plans at Google I/O 2025, with 'Gemini Advanced' disappearing and being replaced by AI Pro and new 'VIP' tier called AI Ultra.

The latter is currently US-only (more countries are "coming soon") and costs a staggering $250 a month. Still, that figure does give you "the best of Google AI", according to the tech giant, with AI Ultra including access to Veo 3 with native audio generation, Project Mariner, and the highest usage limits across its other AI products. You also get YouTube Premium and 30TB of storage thrown in.

The AI Pro tier ($20 a month) still gets you access to Gemini, Flow, Whisk, NotebookLM and Gemini in Chrome, but with lower usage limits and cloud storage of a mere 2TB.

If you're an AI power user and like the sound of AI Ultra, Google is currently offering it at 50% off for your first three months. Don't tempt us, Google...

• Read more: Gemini AI Ultra is Google's new ultimate 'VIP' plan for AI obsessives – here's what you get for its staggering price tag

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• Phison X200Z writes entire drive every 24 minutes nonstop
• Delivers record-breaking endurance and performance with 60 DWPD capability
• TweakTown calls it the most powerful flash-based SSD ever tested

TweakTown has delivered its first hands-on look at the Phison Pascari X200Z 3.2TB Enterprise SSD, and – spoiler alert – it was blown away.

Built with SLC flash and running over a PCIe Gen5 x4 interface, the X200Z boasts a write endurance rating of 60 drive writes per day (DWPD), translating to an astounding full-drive write every 24 minutes.

As Jon Coulter of TweakTown puts it, “Phison's Pascari X200Z 3.2TB SLC caching SSD is simultaneously the highest capacity, lowest latency, and most endurant flash-based SSD of its kind we've ever encountered.”

The best ever seen

The X200Z is built for extreme durability in demanding caching roles, especially in front of QLC arrays.

It buffers random write workloads, reshapes them into sequential data, and directs them to slower, more fragile QLC layers, enhancing speed, reliability, and overall lifespan of the storage system.

Coulter notes, “The 3.2TB model we have in hand is rated at 60 DWPD or a mind-bending 350 Petabytes of endurance. Incredible.”

The drive also shines on performance. In testing, it surpassed its factory specs across the board. Sequential read throughput hit 15,026MB/s - breaking TweakTown lab records - while write performance came in over 10,200MB/s.

In random workloads, the X200Z hit up to 2800K IOPS and showed strong consistency across all queue depths.

Coulter was impressed by the performance curve: “Its low queue depth performance here is stunning.”

He adds, “We knew it would be good, but we didn't anticipate the drive's mixed workload performance would be this fantastic. By far the best we've ever seen.”

Phison positions its Pascari line as enterprise-grade, offering flexibility in U.2 and E3.S form factors and support for dual-port configurations. The Pascari X200 Series already has design wins across data centers, video platforms, and HPC workloads.

Coulter concludes: “Phison's Pascari X200Z 3.2TB SSD is easily the most powerful flash-based SSD we've ever tested.”

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• Twelve South's PowerCord is so simple, with a wall plug on one end and a USB-C on the other
• It's a one-stop solution for charging small to medium-sized devices
• With the cord, you can effectively ditch the power brick as it's integrated

When it comes to charging our devices right now, you generally need a wall plug that goes into an outlet and a cable. For phones – iPhone or Android – that means, say, at least a 20-watt wall plug and then a USB-C to USB-C cable. It doesn’t need to be like this, especially for those who travel.

Twelve South, known for excellent accessories that especially complement Apple devices, just dropped the ‘PowerCord.’ Yes, that’s a product name, not something that comes with the product in the box. It’s a USB-C port cable that ends not with a replica of that port but rather a power adapter.

Thus, it eliminates the need for a wall brick, and if you’re charging a Pixel 9, an iPhone 16 Pro, a Nintendo Switch, an iPad or Galaxy Tab, or even a MacBook Air, you just plug it in to get the charge going.

(Image credit: Twelve South)

It’s fairly genius, right? The 30-watt power supply is integrated into the wall plug, and it comes in two lengths – 4-foot or 10-foot. The cable itself is braided and looks fairly heavy-duty from shared images and comes in a slate black or dune white.

The wall plug is also non-removable. In fact, the whole design is a closed circle on purpose. That way, you can’t leave one part of the equation at home or behind, so when you need to recharge something, it’s all there, whenever you need it.

As of right now, it’s priced at $39.99 for the 4-foot model and $49.99 for the 10-foot model in either color. However, it can only be purchased with a Type-A wall plug. That means it works best in North America, specifically in the United States or Canada. It's up for order now at Amazon or from the brand directly here.

TwelveSouth has said that an EU and UK version is on the horizon and will likely drop in mid to late June. That's excellent news, since for frequent travelers, this is a really nice charger, and I like that you can’t leave any part of it at home.

If it proves to be a success, Twelve South may need to figure out how to put in a larger power supply so it can also handle recharging more power-hungry devices.

(Image credit: Twelve South)

Even so, as it stands, PowerCord can charge phones, tablets, a DJI Osmo Pocket 3, earbuds and headphones, Bluetooth speakers, smart glasses, headsets, and countless other devices. The product page notes that it’s best for small to medium-sized devices but can trickle-charge other products like laptops.

If you’re sold and are in North America, or planning a trip, the PowerCord is up for order and shipping now directly from Twelve South here and on Amazon here.

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