Technology

Get up to speed on the rapidly evolving world of AI with our roundup of the week's developments.

If you've ever wanted to see a shooting star, you'll have ample opportunities in 2025.

The music studio that made the Beatles famous hits the road in Volvo's new electric SUV. I visited Abbey Road Studios in London to check Volvo and Bowers & Wilkins' Abbey Road Studio Mode.

Here's how next-generation "agentic AI" will change your smartphone life.

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CenturyLink might be cheaper, but Xfinity boasts faster speeds and overall long-term value. Here’s the full run-down on CenturyLink and Xfinity.

• Nvidia RTX 5090 has been rumored to guzzle 600W in the past
• A leaker on X has suggested it might use ‘slightly’ less power
• This comes alongside assurances that RTX 5070 Ti won’t be a power hog

Nvidia’s RTX 5090 might not be quite as much of a power hog as some PC gamers fear based on the latest nugget from the GPU grapevine.

As you may recall, the rumor mill has previously insisted that the Blackwell flagship graphics card might tip the scales at a weighty 600W of power use.

According to some fresh info from regular leaker on X, Kopite7kimi, we can at least be somewhat hopeful that the RTX 5090 may not make quite so heavy a demand on your PC’s power supply.

This info popped up in a thread on X which was discussing the purported RTX 5070 Ti – a GPU that could be launched third by Nvidia, after the RTX 5090 and 5080 – and specifically that graphics card’s power requirements of 350W.

Kopite7kimi noted that while 350W is a possible configuration Nvidia is exploring, the latest the leaker has heard is that it’ll be 285W, so considerably less – which prompted an X user to question whether the RTX 5090 might’ve had its power use revised downwards (from 600W), too.

The leaker replied to indicate that yes, this “may” be the case, although it might only be a “slight decrease” in the power chugged by the next-gen flagship.

There may be a slight decrease.December 14, 2024

(Image credit: Gigabyte) Analysis: You’ll still need a mighty power supply

Clearly, take all this with plenty of seasoning, but doubtless PC enthusiasts looking at this mighty next-gen flagship will take anything that sounds like remotely good news for the power consumption of the RTX 5090.

The catch is that the leaker sounds uncertain, and if there’s some downward movement, it’s not likely to be a great deal. So, are we looking at 570W or 580W maybe? Or something more towards 550W if we’re lucky, perhaps? Obviously it’s guesswork at this point, and Nvidia may not have finalized the exact spec itself (or more likely has just done so, maybe – and the rumor mill is yet to catch up).

With the RTX 5090 about to launch, in theory, inside a few weeks at CES 2025, everything about the board is likely nailed down right about now, and we could hear some more definitive sounding leaks in the next week or so. While the flagship is expected to be a seriously powerful graphics card, aside from the power usage worries, the other main concern is pricing – and how far Nvidia might push that.

We can believe a 550W power usage a lot more readily than Nvidia sticking with the same MSRP as the RTX 4090, and not hiking it at all, put it this way.

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Whether your travels take you deep into the wilderness or just to the part of your city that doesn't have cell service, you can stay connected by using your iPhone to text from orbit.

• RCS encryption is still months away following a major US telecomms breach
• Global mobile industry body GSMA is spearheading work on this security update
• The FBI recommends using encrypted messaging apps like WhatsApp and Telegram

The developers of the Rich Communication Services (RCS) messaging standard has warned that bringing encryption to the standard could take months, after the FBI warned users to switch to encrypted messaging services.

The GSMA, the world’s leading mobile networks industry organization and developers of RCS, is reportedly spearheading work to bring encryption to the universal standard following a major telecommunications breach in the US at the beginning of December.

A spokesperson for the organization told CNBC: “Work with key industry stakeholders is progressing well and we look forward to updating the market in the coming months.”

That’s a positive outlook, but the fact we’re looking at months rather than weeks may worry some given the scale of the breach reported in early December. As Android Authority notes, no specific timeline has been given

As we previously covered, hacking group known as Salt Typhoon was able to gain broad access to US mobile networks including those operated by Verizon and AT&T, which enabled the group to spy on user activity.

The FBI has advised all users to use end-to-end encryption when messaging, and if possible when making calls. End-to-end encryption scrambles information into code that is decipherable by a key that only the sender and receiver have access to.

Encrypted messaging apps include WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal, all three of which support encryption across different mobile platforms. The default Messages apps found on both iPhone and Android handsets also support encryption, but generally only between phones of the same operating system.

Using default apps, iPhones and Android phones will use RCS to communicate with one another, which as mentioned does not yet support encryption.

My analysis

Growing up, I remember the iPhone-Android rivalry as a bit of fun, one of the great tech feuds of the 21st century next to Xbox versus PlayStation and Mac versus PC – now, though, it seems that rivalry has come back with a nasty payoff.

Apple and Google have substantially improved their collaboration over the years, recognizing each other as essential parts of the wider tech ecosystem by, for example, implementing Apple Music as an Android app, or using Google for various Apple Intelligence features.

That said, there are elements of the two platforms that don’t merge. In this case, Google would have you believe that Apple has at least neglected making texting between iPhone and Android phones easier, with RCS introduced to the iPhone just this year.

It’s hard to say whether the two companies would have been able to implement cross-platform encryption had there been the mutual will to do so, as the GSMA controls and develops RCS. But events like the Salt Typhoon data breach remind us that we live in a world where all devices are increasingly interconnected and inter-reliant, regardless of which logo is printed on the back.

In this sort of world, security needs to come before the exclusivity of any one phone maker’s ecosystem. It’d be great to see some public commitments to inter-platform security from Apple and Google in the near-future.

And though we may still be a way off from RCS encryption, it’s encouraging to know this essential feature is on the way.

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Living in a part of England where the cold-weather vibe is more 'incessant drizzle' than 'winter wonderland', the idea of snow will never not be magical to me. However, I can see that those living in countries where snow is less of a novelty, the process of keeping it clear could quickly become just another chore that you'd rather not have to bother with.

Yarbo has decided to tackle the issue by creating an autonomous snow blower, which can navigate neatly up and down your yard or driveway, blasting fresh flurries out of its way in a style that is both efficient and pleasingly dramatic. The Yarbo Snow Blower can apparently clear dry snow up to 12-inches deep, without the need for a sweaty session with a shovel. And if the snow has gotten to the 'cold grey soup' stage, you can deploy the Plow Blade attachment to gain sight of your lovely asphalt again.

Just like today's best robot vacuums and lawn bots, the Yarbo comes with a charging dock and will return to it automatically if it senses it's running out of juice. This means the Yarbo snowbot (not the official name) can continuously work to prevent snow building up on your drive.

(Image credit: Yarbo)

In fact, the Yarbo bot doesn't just do snow. The company has acknowledged that most of us aren't dealing with snow year-round, so to avoid having another machine gathering dust in the garage for a big chunk of the year, this bot has a few warmer-weather tricks under its sleeve. The modular design means it can also operate as a lawn mower, a leaf blower module, or a towing robot, depending on which attachment you add on.

(Image credit: Yarbo)

Whatever yardcare task you're tackling, the Yarbo bot is designed to operate largely autonomously. Like most robovacs and lawnbots it uses smart route planning, obstacle avoidance and navigation technology to make its way about and ensure it clears where it needs to clear and doesn't, for example, mulch up your prize roses (here's more on how lawn mower bots work, if you're interested). It can be controlled via an app or remote control.

Right now, you can buy just the Core Module for $3,799 direct from Yarbo, and that includes the main bot, battery, dock, remote control and 'Smart Assist module'. Alternatively, you can pick one of a number of bundles – such as the '4-in-1' bundle, which includes the Core, Snow Blower, Lawn Mower and leaf Blower modules and costs $6,999 – or put together a custom bundle of just the bot bits you need.

What's coming next?

The Yarbo bot made its debut at the last CES, and will be returning to Vegas to showcase the next-gen version at CES 2025 in January. Most of the modules will sport a "sleeker and more functional design", and there's plenty of new functionality on the cards too. There's a new data center than promises a more stable and wide-ranging connection, the Towing module will be able to handle bigger loads, and tracks will be easier to swap over, enabling you to change between mowing, blowing or cleaning in five minutes. Yarbo has now added a 'follow me' mode, where the bot uses visual tracking technology to tail its owner wherever they go.

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• Google is adding new customization features to NotebookLM
• A new 'join' feature is rolling out so you can become part of the podcast
• NotebookLM Plus will be launched in early 2025

Google is enhancing its popular AI podcast generator NotebookLM with the addition of a 'join' feature that enables you to join in the chat with the two AI hosts and ask your own questions, which they can respond to. Google has also added more customization features to the free NotebookLM, and is adding a paid-for Plus tier with more features in early 2025.

NotebookLM is really a research tool from Google Labs that's designed to help you absorb complex topics quickly. You feed PDF documents, websites, podcasts and YouTube videos into it and it produces an AI Audio Overview on the topic, which you can listen to and get all the salient points from. The Audio Overview takes the form of a podcast show conducted between two AI hosts, and it sounds so much like a natural conversation that it’s hard to believe it’s been created by AI.

It’s this ability to produce human-like conversations that has set NotebookLM apart from other AI tools. If you want to hear how good it is, check out this Audio Overview of this very article.

New customization tools

(Image credit: Apple/Google)

Google has given NotebookLM a bit of a refresh in recent days, adding more customization options to its interface. There are now three sections to the main interface: a Sources bar on the left, the ‘Notebook guide’ window in the main part of the screen, and a Chat window at the bottom.

The Sources bar is pretty much the same as it always was – you can select which of the sources you want to go into the audio overview mix here, and add more. The ‘Notebook guide’ window is where you create your Audio Overview, and the Chat window is there for you to ask questions and get AI-generated answers based on your sources.

The final new feature worthy of note is a Customize button that appears when you want to generate your Audio Overview. Here you can type in what you’d like the podcast to focus on before it's generated. So, for example, you could type in 'Put more emphasis on Chapter 2 of the document' or 'Focus more on the underlying themes of power and ambition'.

Behind the scenes, NotebookLM is now using the Gemini 2.0 model that Google released on December 11. However, the really interesting new feature is the ability for users to join the AI conversation, which is rolling out now.

Joining a podcast

After you’ve created your Audio Overview you simply tap the ‘Interactive mode’ button, then hit play to start your Audio Overview. At any point you can tap the new 'Join' button to join in. When you do a host will invite you to join the conversation, and you can ask it a question.

Below is a video showing how it works. This feature wasn't available to us when we tried today (December 16), but it's rolling out as we speak.

Finally, as if all that wasn’t enough, in early 2025 Google is bringing out a paid-for tier to NotebookLM subscription tier called NotebookLM Plus. Details are pretty sketchy at the moment, but you'll be able to create 5x more Audio Overviews, plus you'll be able to customize the length and style of your notebook responses.

It looks like 2025 is going to be an exciting year for AI podcasting.

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A common question about house burglaries reveals surprising answers from the studies.

• One in five Millennials and Gen Z shoppers are buying on social media every week
• Around nine in 10 don’t even plan their impulse purchases
• There’s still some hesitation around spending big

Millennials and Gen Z are making more impulse buys than older buyers, and lower-cost items are emerging as their preferences, new research has claimed.

Social media-based shopping and weekly purchases also emerged as common traits, highlighting the scale of ecommerce among younger citizens, however their choice of platforms distinguishes Millennials from Gen Z shoppers, a report from GoDaddy has suggested.

To put it into perspective, one in five (21%) Millennial and Gen Z shoppers make several purchases each week on social media, with more than half of each age group shopping at least monthly.

Younger shoppers are impulse buyers

Alarmingly, only one in 10 (9% of Gen Z and 12% of Millennials) plan their purchases in advance, which shows us how powerful advertising can be and how reactive younger buyers are. Categories like clothing (37%), food (22%) and electronics (10%) were among the most popular.

There is still some hesitation, though. For example, 44% of Gen Z and 38% of Millennials won’t spend more than $50 when buying on social media.

In terms of preferred platform, there’s a clear divide between older and younger buyers, with more than half (52%) of Millennials buying from Facebook in the past three months, compared with 31% of Gen Z. On the flip size, 52% of Gen Z have bought from TikTok, with only 37% of Millennials trusting the platform for their purchases. Instagram was the second-most popular platform for both age groups.

The reason many buyers still choose not to spend their money on social media platforms is a lack of trust about a business’s legitimacy. Shipping concerns, high costs or long delivery times also put buyers off.

“Small businesses that have convenient, shoppable posts directly within a social platform will be a step ahead of the competition," noted GoDaddy Trends Expert Amy Jennette. "Entrepreneurs need more than a social profile, otherwise they're leaving money on the table.”

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Warsaw University Library stylishly connects the past and present.

The best smart rings have gone from bulbous early formats that clearly show some sort of technology at work, to a sleeker, unobtrusive, classic-looking design language. Both the Oura Ring 4 and Samsung Galaxy Ring, the market leaders, have adopted a sort of brushed wedding band style, which doesn’t look out of place on the hand and hides all its advanced technology. They look good, while allowing you to wear an analog watch instead of your best smartwatch and still track all your key health metrics.

Not only does this mean you’re free to express your style as you like, instead of having a black screen on your wrist, but you’re also free from emails, health metrics and notifications being sent to your devices. You’re less connected, which in our busy world is always a good thing.

However, one device aims to change all that with a new smart ring which packs a smartwatch-style display. Rogbid has launched the SR08 Ultra smart ring on its online store, a ring which packs an integrated display showing you the time, your heart rate and step count at a glance. The screen appears to be flat against the surface of the ring, so I would imagine (unless the screen is turned inwards, facing your palm) there’s an element of risk of scratching or damaging the display.

Otherwise, the setup is pretty standard for a lot of smart rings that can be found online these days: blood oxygen and sleep tracking, step counter, five days of battery life, and weighs around 4g. Costing $189.99 (around £150 / AU$300) and currently on offer at just $89.99 (around £71 / AU$141) from the Rogbid website, the smart ring is on sale now.

Shutting off

(Image credit: Future)

The smart ring category is still in its infancy: while smartwatches have settled into a now-familiar form factor that isn’t often drastically innovated on with annual releases, smart rings aren’t yet there. I, for one, hope that future smart rings from market leaders don’t decide to ape Rogbid and start integrating displays into the ring.

I wear a smart ring for several reasons: one is comfort during sleep, but another is that it’s a great way to keep an eye on my metrics without wearing a smartwatch. I get to 'passively' track my activity, checking my app once or twice a day and not keeping one eye on my smartwatch all day. I get enough dystopic connection from my phone, thanks very much - I certainly don’t need push notifications from my Amazon or Uber Eats apps being fed to my smart ring.

A display also ruins that classic, understated look which makes smart rings such a great option for style-conscious fitness fans and biohackers. It could be any ring, not necessarily a smart ring: all the techy bits are hidden. A flashing, garish display telling you to move more undoes all that.

Smart rings are more than tiny watches: they’re a shift from one era of wearables into the next. Adding a display to make them more smartwatchy doesn’t feel high-tech; it feels regressive.

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• A new HDMI standard is coming to CES 2025
• More bandwidth and faster refresh rates are promised
• Backwards compatible with your existing hardware

With only a few weeks to go before CES 2025, the rumors are coming thick and fast. And the thickest, fastest rumor this week is that we'll be treated to brand new TV tech in the form of HDMI 2.2, the latest version of the trusty AV standard.

HDMI – High Definition Multimedia Interface – is one of the key connectivity standards for audio-visual devices. Chances are it's what you use to connect your soundbar or AV receiver to your TV with, and it's in your gaming consoles and other AV kit too.

As ever, new versions promise improved features. So what can we expect this time around?

What HDMI 2.2 means for you

The current version of HDMI, HDMI 2.1b, was released in 2023. It was a big upgrade, with support for higher video resolutions of up to 10K, faster refresh rates of 120Hz, dynamic HDR and up to 48Gbps of data transfer bandwidth over appropriate cabling.

HDMI 2.2 is expected to improve on that in several key areas. According to an email from the HDMI Licensing Administrator as reported by German publication ComputerBase, "The new specification, featuring next-generation HDMI technology and higher bandwidth, will enable a variety of higher resolutions and refresh rates and will be supported with a new HDMI cable."

There are no details as yet about what that higher bandwidth will be, or what the boosted resolutions and refresh rates will be. And it's worth noting that the statement doesn't specifically say HDMI 2.2, so name-wise this could turn out to be HDMI 2.1c. But HDMI 2.2 sounds more exciting and will sell more things, including a brand new kind of expensive cable, so the smart money's on that.

What does it mean for you? In the short term, nothing: HDMI 2.1 was launched in 2017 but took several years to become commonplace; the same is likely with HDMI 2.2. And the arrival of a newer version won't change your existing home entertainment kit or make it obsolete, as the standard is backwards compatible. But over time we'll see the newer standard make its way into graphics cards and high-end TVs, before filtering down into more affordable devices.

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They say that a person’s life is defined by their choices, and nowhere is that more evident than in the vast ocean of popular entertainment’s proliferation of the best streaming services, from the titans of the territory Netflix and Prime Video, to mid-sized destinations like Disney Plus, Max, and Hulu, and more compact channels such as Apple TV Plus, Paramount Plus, and Peacock.

Every TV network and studio has entered the crowded arena, but it’s getting convoluted as to where to find your favorite franchises, and with so many options to choose from in our manic digital age, annoying ads popping up like weeds, and subscription prices rising by the minute, getting the most from our streaming buck in these inflationary times is of the utmost importance.

And as many major platforms have shifted toward licensing out their content to other premium services for additional revenue flow, you might find proprietary material vanishing from one platform and unexpectedly hopping to another streaming lily pad to the next.

So as Father Time helps usher out the old year, perhaps it’s wise to consider switching to a smaller boutique service that offers a multitude of bespoke movies, fresh episodic series, original documentaries, and special events you’d be hard pressed to unearth elsewhere.

Why I'm pausing my streaming subscriptions for Shudder

(Image credit: Shudder)

Today’s swap out suggestion is plucking your Peacock and shifting your gaze (and dollars) over to AMC’s scream-centric streaming service, Shudder. This frightfully good channel provides horror hounds everything they crave in the way of spooky erotic thrillers, classic slasher flicks, old-school monster movies, creaky TV shows, international ghost stories, occult sensations, paranormal podcast, demonic delights, and haunting creature features you’ll find nowhere else – take a look at some of the best Shudder movies for a taste.

“What sets Shudder apart is our curatorial focus,” Sam Zimmerman, head of programming for Shudder, tells TechRadar. “We live and breathe horror, offering an adventurous and distinctly diverse catalog of titles within the genre. We explore every corner and sub-genre, from radical reinvention (In a Violent Nature) to classical scares (Oddity), and bring some of the most acclaimed horror films and series of each year in the process. Five of the Top 10 in this year’s Rotten Tomatoes 'Best Horror' are Shudder titles, each with their own unique feel; from the rapturously received Late Night with the Devil, a crowd-pleasing talk show set terror, to the dazzling one-shot French film, MADS.

“At Shudder, we’re driven by filmmakers and our own taste, which we believe will in turn resonate with the members and subscribers who rally around us. We trust and think highly of our audience and believe that approach has been integral to strong brand recognition and growth. We also speak to audiences and what they love, building upon cult fan bases with new hit series The Creep Tapes or reality competition The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula, and talking directly with them via socials and our own Halloween hotline, which I attend to personally.”

Save on a year's subscription to Shudder or try it out for free

MadS is available to stream on Shudder in both the US and UK. (Image credit: Shudder)

With its 'So Good, It’s Scary' tagline, Shudder also specializes in original live-stream seasonal shows like The Last Drive-In with veteran horror host Joe Bob Briggs, anthologies such as Creepshow, absorbing documentaries like Eli Roth’s History of Horror, rare Euro folklore frights, and more uncut indie shockers than you can shake a sharp knife at.

Ad-free unlimited plans are $6.99 / £4.99 a month and they’re currently offering a free seven-day trial if you dare. Plus Shudder is constantly scouring the planet seeking out talented new filmmakers to showcase their projects. Customers can also bundle Shudder with its parent company, AMC Plus, to add even more macabre viewing options like The Walking Dead Universe for only $4.99 per month in the US.

Shudder subscription: was $6.99 per month now $5.99 at Shudder
Unlock access to over 650 movies and 40 plus series, with this discounted annual subscription to Shudder. This 14–16% discount on the regular monthly price of $6.99 / £4.99 is available both in the US and UK, bringing down the cost to just $5.99 / £4.17 per month instead. You can also take advantage of a seven-day free trial to try the service out before you commit to a 12-month subscription. View Deal

Owned and operated by AMC, Shudder first fully came to life in 2016. The incredible library of vintage and contemporary horror films currently streaming on Shudder has surpassed 700.

It’s best to sign up directly with Shudder rather than as an a la carte service with another provider. This delivers the on-demand site’s excellent native app and easy-to-navigate menu interface.

Plus, if you decide to pay for an annual subscription, that’s the only way to save close to 15% over the monthly rate. For $71.88 / £49.99 (equal to $5.99 / £4.17 per month) for an entire year, that’s a screamin’ deal!

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• The iPhone 17 Air will reportedly cost less than the iPhone 17 Pro
• It will also apparently be "ultrathin" and have "major design" changes
• However, you'll likely be waiting longer for it than the Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim, which is reportedly landing in the second quarter of 2025

If you’re desperate for a new slim smartphone then you might want to consider the Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim, which we've long assumed will be arriving sooner than the iPhone 17 Air. Indeed, we now have an even clearer idea of when Samsung's new svelte model might arrive, though the latest price rumor regarding Apple's super slim equivalent could make it the phone to wait for.

According to a report in ET News (via @Jukanlosreve), the Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim will launch sometime in the second quarter of 2025 (so between April and June). This makes sense, as while a previous leak suggested the S25 Slim could launch alongside the rest of the Samsung Galaxy S25 series in January, we’d expect to have heard more about it by now if that was the case.

So, there’s still probably a little bit of time to wait for the Galaxy S25 Slim – which, according to this report, will have a 6.66-inch screen, making it likely similar in size to the Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus.

But while it probably won’t land as soon as we’d hoped, it should still land much sooner than the iPhone 17 Air, which is expected to launch in September alongside the rest of the iPhone 17 series. Mind you, the rumored price of Apple's super slim handset could give you pause for thought.

The Air could undercut the Pro

The iPhone 17 Slim could have a similar price to the iPhone 16 Plus (Image credit: Future)

Apple’s handset could be well worth the wait, as according to a paywalled report in The Wall Street Journal (via MacRumors), the iPhone 17 Air will cost less than the Pro models, which in the case of the iPhone 16 Pro line start at $999 / £999 / AU$1,799.

So, if this report is right, then the iPhone 17 Air will probably cost less than $999 / £999 / AU$1,799 (though it’s possible, of course, that the iPhone 17 Pro will cost more than the iPhone 16 Pro).

That makes some sense since the iPhone 17 Air is reportedly taking the place of a new Plus model, so it could slot in at the iPhone 16 Plus’ $899 / £899 / AU$1,599 price point. But given that this report also describes the iPhone 17 Air as boasting an “ultrathin” build and “major design” changes, it's always possible that it could cost more, and indeed some early leaks pointed to a high price.

This latest report is therefore reassuring if you were hoping that the iPhone 17 Air would be an affordable proposition – though for the device to be both much slimmer and also cheaper than Pro models it’s inevitable that there will be some compromises. Indeed, this report adds that the camera system has been “simplified.”

Whether the iPhone 17 Air will be cheaper than the Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim is also unclear, but with reports that Samsung’s phone could be equipped with an ‘Ultra’ camera, it’s certainly possible that the iPhone 17 Air will undercut it.

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Staffers at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency tell WIRED they fear the new administration will cut programs that keep the US safe—and “persecution.”