TechRadar News

• Rolls Royce's debut electric vehicle has up to 659hp for short bursts
• Chassis, steering and suspension have been revised for greater control
• 'Vapour Violet' color inspired by neon lights of 1980s club culture

If there was ever a combustion engined car that was primed for a switch to electrification, it would be a Rolls-Royce. Large, wafting and near-silent when sealed inside the cocooned cabin, the brand has found the EV transition easier than others.

Plus, with an increasingly younger audience, buoyed by sales in China and elsewhere, the British marque has been able to play on its image, with Black Badge products representing a more aggressive, street-savvy approach to traditional luxury – as if the brand entered The Upside Down with Skepta chilling in the rear.

It only seems natural, then, that Rolls-Royce has applied this thinking to the Black Badge Spectre Black Badge, its first fully-electric model. The sub-brand has proved surprisingly popular among buyers, with the company stating that the standard Spectre was “the most requested Rolls-Royce model in Europe last year”, according to Inside EVs.

Spectre Black Badge takes things up a notch, with an Illuminated Pantheon Grille, a new Vapour Violet colour inspired by the neon lights of 1980s and 1990s club culture and Illuminated Black Badge Treadplates.

Chrome has been ditched in favor of darker hues, with a painted Ice Black bonnet available for those that want to stand out further. The new 23-inch five-spoke forged aluminum wheel design can be optioned in black, while a carbon weave technical finish to the interior completes the look.

Perhaps more importantly, the company has seen fit to boost power output to 485 kW (659 hp) when drivers press a new infinity button on the steering wheel.

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(Image credit: Rolls-Royce)

The chassis, steering and suspension damping has also been reworked to help improve vehicle dynamics, increasing body control and reducing ‘squatting’ under acceleration or deceleration.

A good thing too, because there’s also a play on launch control, dubbed Spirited Mode, which propels the car from 0-60mph in just 4.1 seconds (down from the 4.4 seconds of the standard Spectre), thanks to a burst of 1075 Nm that’s temporarily made available.

In true fireside-chat style, British marque claims the new bursts of extreme power are a tribute to Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, found in the Supermarine Spitfire, which would allow pilots to obtain a burst of additional power by pushing a switch on the throttle quadrant. Tally ho!

Naturally, there is no word on price, as is the way with all Rolls-Royce models, but the company believes the Black Badge edition will prove popular.

It claims that early client demand prompted creation of a clandestine fleet of Black Badge Spectres, so it felt right to now offer it in a more official manner.

Analysis: EVs usher in a new era of luxury

(Image credit: Rolls-Royce)

Rolls-Royce remains tight-lipped about sales figures, opting to preserve the anonymity of its ultra-wealthy client base. That said, it appears that the company is finding the transition towards electrification much easier than many other automakers that operate in the luxury market.

Having the backing and knowhow of the BMW Group has clearly helped, which has offered up a white label version of its iDrive infotainment system (among other things) to propel the marque’s digital offering into the 21st Century.

Seemingly, because most Rolls-Royce owners don’t have to worry about dealing with charging cables, the Spectre’s relatively meagre 195kW max charge speed of the massive 120kWh battery doesn’t appear to be an issue either. The likelihood is, they have someone else deal with that sort of thing.

While the combustion engine under the bonnet of a Rolls-Royce has always been an engineering marvel, it hasn’t necessarily come to define the vehicles, which have become renowned for one of the most wafting, luxurious rides of anything on sale.

Adding electric motors and an ultra-large battery pack has only added to that feeling of opulence when kicking back in the exquisitely furnished rear seats – or when opting to drive.

Plus, with a younger, more eco-conscious customer demographic, the appeal of a less polluting and more forward-thinking Rolls-Royce appears to be paying off.

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• North Korea is hiding malware in GitHub projects
• The projects are then sent to developers as a coding test
• BeaverTail malware is then used to steal credentials and crypto

Freelance software developers are the latest target of North Korean hackers looking to spread infostealing malware, experts have warned.

The latest campaign, identified by ESET as DeceptiveDevelopment, involves the hackers posing as recruiters on social media to target freelance developers working on cryptocurrency projects.

The main aim of the attacks is to steal cryptocurrency, likely in an effort to supplement North Korea’s income.

Crypto theft and cyber espionage

The attackers copy or create personas of recruiters, and will reach out to developers through job recruitment platforms such as LinkedIn, Upwork, and Freelancer.com, offering them a job opportunity if they complete a coding test.

The test project is usually either a hiring challenge, cryptocurrency project, a game with some form of blockchain functionality, or a gambling project with cryptocurrency or blockchain involvement. The test files are hosted in private repositories on GitHub or a similar platform, and when downloaded and the project executed, BeaverTail malware is deployed.

The hackers will often copy entire projects, making no changes other than adding their malware and re-writing the README file. The hackers will usually try and hide their malicious code somewhere in the project that wouldn’t attract suspicion or be easily spotted, such as within backend code as a single line behind a comment that pushes it off-screen.

The Beavertail malware will target browser databases to steal credentials, and will also download the second stage of the campaign, InvisibleFerret, which acts as a backdoor allowing the attacker to install the AnyDesk remote management software for additional post-compromise activity.

Windows, Mac, and Linux users are all susceptible to the attack, with victims being observed across the globe. The attackers did not discriminate in targeting everyone from junior developers all the way up to experienced professionals. The campaign shares similarities to Operation DreamJob, which targeted aerospace and defense workers to steal classified information.

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• Netflix has reportedly canceled its Australian neo-Western drama Territory after one season
• Netflix has not officially confirmed why the show was canceled, but a statement has been released by the streamer's director of content for Australia and New Zealand
• The Yellowstone-like show follows rival factions fighting for control over the world's largest cattle station

Netflix has reportedly canceled the Australian neo-Western series Territory after one season and it's a shame to see the streamer's best attempt at Yellowstone end so quickly.

Paramount Plus' smash hit Yellowstone became a global sensation, so it's no surprise that some of the best streaming services are trying to emulate its success with shows about ranching families battling for control.

One of these was Netflix's Territory, an Australian epic set in the outback that sees rival factions fight for control of the world's largest livestock farm after it's left without a successor. It was met with huge success when it was released in October 2024, securing the second spot on Netflix's Global Top 10 English TV shows list within the first week of launch, receiving 6.4 million views in its first four days of airing.

With these huge figures, I would have thought this would be enough to warrant a second season of the best Netflix show, but alas, that's not the case as the series has seemingly been canceled.

Why was Territory canceled?

According to C21 Media, sources close to the production were confident that Territory would be renewed for a second season, with the first series ending on a cliffhanger. The publication also added that the ensemble cast was in place and ready for season 2 to be greenlit, but were told a few weeks ago that the show would not be returning.

Netflix hasn't issued an official statement on why Territory was canceled, but Netflix’s director of content for Australia and New Zealand, Que Min Luu, issued a brief statement on the matter, saying: "We are incredibly thankful to have had the chance to work with the wonderful cast and production team to bring Territory and the stunning Australian outback into the homes of millions around the world. Although we won’t be continuing with another season, we eagerly anticipate working with all of them again in the future.”

While Territory is another canceled Netflix show alongside The Sandman, you might be able to fill the Territory-shaped void in your life with Netflix's new western series Ransom Canyon which looks like an exciting mix of Yellowstone and Virgin River.

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• New reports suggest significant stock shortages for Nvidia's RTX 5070 Ti
• There are claims the situation is even worse than the supply issues seen with the RTX 5080
• One UK retailer has put forward a worst-case scenario that it could take (up to) six weeks for restocking the RTX 5070 Ti

Nvidia's RTX 5000 series launch has become a memorable one, but for all the wrong reasons, as scalping, price inflation, and stock shortages continue to cause chaos for the RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 GPUs - and the newly launched RTX 5070 Ti may face a similar, or perhaps even worse, fate.

If you've been considering the idea of buying an RTX 5070 Ti now that these graphics cards have just been released, you've doubtless noticed the scramble for stock, and the GPU selling out across the board.

As noticed by TweakTown, according to sources who spoke to Moore's Law is Dead, a reputable leaker on YouTube, the RTX 5070 Ti is facing even more troublesome supply issues than the RTX 5080.

Indeed, one source from a major US retailer claimed that there were fewer than 10 units of the RTX 5070 Ti in stock on launch day, hinting at a severe supply shortage. Another source at a big online retailer noted that stock levels were worse than the RTX 5080, and closer to the RTX 5090's supply at launch. (Check out the video below for the full details).

It looks like a similar picture in the UK, too. A separate report from Wccftech brings word from a major retailer in that country, Overclockers, which has informed customers that it could take up to six weeks (worst-case scenario) for fresh stock of the RTX 5070 Ti to come in.

It's worth noting that there is no Founders Edition version of the RTX 5070 Ti, but only third-party graphics cards made by Nvidia's partners. While the MSRP is officially $749 in the US, it's a big mission to find one of these new graphics cards at that price at any retailer. Indeed, as already mentioned, it's a mission to find one at all, because as we've already seen with the RTX 5090 and 5080, even though prices are way above MSRP in many cases, these GPUs are still sold out.

If you want more bad news, other recent buzz on the grapevine theorizes that the same shortage of supply could apply to the RTX 5070 and the (still-not-officially-announced) RTX 5060. The former GPU launches on March 5 (having already been slightly delayed by Nvidia), and with AMD's new Radeon RX 9000 series debuting in early March, Team Green has that on its plate to worry about, too.

A prime chance for AMD to get the better of Nvidia

With Nvidia's messy RTX 5000 launch seeming to continually stumble onwards, AMD now has a great opportunity to leap ahead of its fierce GPU rival. Even if Nvidia's new graphics cards end up being dominant in the battle of the best GPUs - and that remains to be seen, of course - it's not much use if you can't find those graphics cards at reasonable prices (or at all, right now).

AMD's initial RDNA 4 GPUs are now very close - rumors point to a launch on March 6, and what looks like a plan to overshadow the release of the RTX 5070 - and if those RX 9070 graphics cards end up with healthy stock levels, this could pose a real threat to Nvidia. Especially if AMD pitches its price tags to attack Team Green.

I find it difficult to believe that gamers will continue to fork out for inflated and overpriced third-party Blackwell GPUs, as we're seeing is the situation with the RTX 5070 Ti right now. So, it's the perfect opportunity for AMD to capitalize on the situation, and take advantage (even if only for a few months, perhaps, while Nvidia's stock woes continue).

Team Red has rather lost momentum coming off the back of CES 2025, where the RDNA 4 reveal was a fizzling disappointment, and we had all sorts of odd rumors flying around in its wake - with Nvidia grabbing the limelight as a result. Now is the time for AMD to really step up.

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• Fiio announces new flagship wired headphones, the FT9
• 106mm planar magnetic drivers and 94dB/mW sensitivity
• Coming later in 2025, for around $800

In the last few years, Fiio has taken a place in the hearts of TechRadar's audio team: excellent, refined, audiophile-class sound from products that usually massively undercut the competition. The brand has taken big spots in our list of the best hi-res audio players as well as our ranking of the best wired headphones – and now, it's got a new product to bother that second list.

I'm really excited by the sound of its new flagship headphones, the Fiio FT7, which are planar magnetic wired cans, which the company says "marks the pinnacle of the lessons learned and technology breakthroughs in all models" of its FT headphones.

Our Fiio FT5 review gave Fiio's previous highest-end headphones the full five stars, and said "They sound great, they’re built to last from tactile and hard-wearing materials, and they have an audiophile specification at a mainstream price."

The new FT7 headphones feature 106mm planar driver, with a 1μm diaphragm and 18 magnets on each side for a well-controlled magnetic field.

With a sensitivity of 94dB/mW, you're going to want to pair them with a headphone amp, but you probably already assumed that, given the general vibe here.

The grille is zebrawood, with the characteristic stripes of that particular material. You have the option to use lambskin or suede ear pads, depending on your sound profile and animal product preferences.

They weigh 427g, which is optimistically described as "lightweight" in the press release I received, though Fiio's good getting the weight distribution right on its headphones, so I expect them to be comfortable enough to settle into.

You get a storage case made from "YauLi linen" with them as well. What price for all this? Well, they're not due out until later in 2025, with a predicted price of around $800 (about £630 / AU$1,250) – the exact amount won't be confirmed until closer to launch, it appears.

(Image credit: Fiio)

As I said in the headline, $800 is definitely pushing beyond most definitions of affordable, but it's all relative – in the hi-fi headphones world, a pair of flagship planar headphones can easily cost $2,000, so if Fiio's headphones are even close to being that level of quality, they're a bargain, of sorts.

That's been the case with products such as as the Fiio M11S and Fiio M23 audio players, which rival high-end and expensive players from the likes of Astell & Kern for quality and specs for much less – the M11S is so good, we use it as our standard source device for testing wired headphones and earbuds.

So I'm excited to see if Fiio can step its headphones up another level successfully, especially since I've been a huge planar magnetic fan since the launch of the Oppo PM-1 years ago, which I still have in a cupboard.

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• Garmin just released a massive Fenix 8 update
• It adds a ton of new features for the premium smartwatch
• They include Passcode support, QWERTY keyboard, and more

Unless you're storming compounds and dropping behind enemy lines with the new tactix 8, the Garmin Fenix 8 is the best Garmin watch on the market, and it just got a huge update with new features.

In the 13.31 software update issued this week, Garmin has added a plethora of new software updates and changes that will vastly improve the user experience on the Fenix 8.

Naturally, the update includes a lot of fixes and patches for existing features. Notably, Garmin has fixed an issue where disabling the touchscreen for activities wasn't available, as well as an issue that saw emergency tones being suppressed. But it's the new features we're excited about, here's everything coming to your Fenix 8 in this update.

Garmin Fenix 8 update: Every new feature

(Image credit: Future)

The headline new features for the Garmin Fenix 8 include passcode support and Body Battery TrueUp. The former has been a mainstay on the likes of the best Apple Watch models for years. Now, when you take your watch off, you'll be prompted to enter a PIN to regain access to your watch for security.

The latter adds Body Battery data syncing for users who own multiple devices, so if you've got a dedicated Garmin for running or swimming, your Body Battery data will now encompass metrics from all your devices, not just your main one.

Garmin Run Coach and Garmin Cycling coach plans now support Strength workouts, so you can supplement your training with some lifting, there's also support for QWERTY keyboard layout and text prediction support in English, French, Italian, German, and Spanish.

Ocean-goers can look forward to a new Sail Race Activity, Advanced Snorkel Support, plus Trolling Motor app and sensor support.

While Garmin users might be upset about a lack of support for older models like the Fenix 7, there's no denying that this is a massive delivery of new features for the latest and greatest Garmin. The company will be keen to get its year back on track after a global outage rendered most of its devices useless for more than 24 hours last month.

See full release notes

• Garmin 13.31 Fenix 8 update
• Added Passcode Support: when enabled for extra security, you will be prompted to enter your PIN to regain access to your watch after it was taken off your wrist.
• Added Body Battery TrueUp: improvements to Body Battery data syncing across watches when users own multiple devices.
• Added support for Strength workouts within Garmin Run Coach and Garmin Cycling Coach plans.
• Added QWERTY Keyboard Layout.
• Added Text Prediction Support to the QWERTY Keyboard; currently available for English, French, Italian, German, and Spanish.
• Added Trolling Motor App and sensor support.
• Added Sail Race Activity.
• Added Jumpmaster Activity.
• Added CIQ System 8: Supports the latest Connect IQ apps, watch faces, and data fields.
• Added connection type information for paired sensors.
• Improvements to Training Readiness.
• Improvements to the icons that display with notifications.
• Added Respiration Graph to Meditation Activity Summary.
• Added Advanced Snorkel Support.
• Added Font Scaling Support to Workout Structure Card.
• Added Hint Button to Training Load Ratio Page.
• Added Insight Hint to Health and Fitness Apps.
• Added Layout Selection Menu to Keyboard.
• Added missing Map option in Mountaineering activity.
• Added Progress Bar on Music Selection List.
• Added Proximity Alert Option to All GPS Activities.
• Added Segments to Training Menu.
• Added Solar Intensity and Accumulation Data Fields (Solar models only).
• Added Stress Card to Gaming Activity Summary.
• Added Support for HRM as Speed and Distance Monitor for BLE Sensors.
• Added Support for Nautical Units.
• Added Support to Set Wind Speed and Direction in Jumpmaster.
• Added Temperature Data Fields to Skate Activity.
• Added Transparency to Pan/Zoom Bar on the Map.
• Added Trolling Motor App Nautical Units.
• Added Trolling Motor Datascreen Update.
• Fixed a possible issue where touchscreen input could not be disabled in activities.
• Fixed Apps that were Inaccessible from the Recents Menu.
• Fixed Auto Climb Data Screen Selection.
• Fixed Blank Calendar Card in Morning Report.
• Fixed Blank Map for Power Guide Preview.
• Fixed Breathwork activity not following selected technique.
• Fixed Broken 'Delete' Option to Delete Custom Activity Profiles.
• Fixed charging banner not clearing correctly.
• Fixed crash on map search results.
• Fixed Crash when Changing Bike Trainer Resistance.
• Fixed Current Time Indicator on the Tides Graph.
• Fixed Dive Tissue Load on surface not reflecting Conservatism changes.
• Fixed Do Not Disturb Smart Notification Setting.
• Fixed Duplicate iOS Notification Bug.
• Fixed Emergency Tones Being Suppressed.
• Fixed Emojis Getting Cropped.
• Fixed Errors Saving Wi-Fi Network.
• Fixed Event Countdown Page Not Correctly Including Location.
• Fixed Glance Folder Creation via Garmin Connect.
• Fixed Golf Green View Map Getting Stuck in Move Flag Mode.
• Fixed HIIT Activity Not Using the Correct Timer.
• Fixed Incorrect Weekdays Displayed on Training Readiness Graph.
• Fixed Invalid First-Time Tip for Weather Map Page.
• Fixed Map App to Allow Round-Trip Course Navigation.
• Fixed Meditation activity auto-saving at end of timer.
• Fixed Meditation setup menu layout.
• Fixed Morning Report Showing Stale HRV Data.
• Fixed Pool Swim Interval Details Page Layout.
• Fixed Potential Crash after Deleting Activities from the list.
• Fixed Potential Crash during Meditation Setup.
• Fixed Potential Crash on Body Battery Glance Folder View.
• Fixed Potential Crash on Fitness Age Page.
• Fixed Potential Crash when Dismissing Notifications.
• Fixed Potential Crash when Enabling Broadcast HR.
• Fixed Potential Crash when Holding the Down Key in a Water Activity.
• Fixed Potential Crash when Leaving Meditation Activity.
• Fixed potential crash when setting Heart Rate Zones.
• Fixed Potential Crash when Viewing Breathwork Preview.
• Fixed Potential Position Enhancement Crash.
• Fixed Power Control menu reordering through Garmin Connect.
• Fixed Power Save Activating in Dive Activities.
• Fixed Race Calendar Countdown Timer.
• Fixed Round Trip Routing Not Calculating Full Distance.
• Fixed Ski Difficulty Data Screen Only Showing Data From Last Run.
• Fixed Sleep History Graph after Traveling.
• Fixed Sleep Window Setup Sometimes Getting Skipped on Initial Setup.
• Fixed Swipe-to-Exit When Panning Charts.
• Fixed Turn Guidance Alerts Being Unintentionally Disabled.
• Fixed Weather App Accidentally Returning to Watch Face.
• Fixed Weight Not Being Displayed on Strength Workout Next Step Page.
• Fixed Weight Not Displaying on Workout Rest Page.
• Improved Countdown Glance Folder Info Text.
• Improved GPS Progress Bar Presentation when Beginning Search.
• Increased the Maximum Speed of Virtual Partner to 48.95 kph.
• Removed "Connect to Existing Smart Trainer" Message on Indoor Bike App.
• Removed Extraneous Power Controls (Enduro 3 & Fenix E Only).
• Updated Recent Sleep Scores Page.

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• A Metal benchmark for the M4 MacBook Air has just leaked
• It’s in line with the M4 chip in the iPad Pro, which makes a lot of sense
• The laptop is anticipated to launch within the next few weeks

The M4 MacBook Air is widely expected to launch imminently, with the new chip touted to bring performance and efficiency improvements to one of Apple’s best MacBooks. And it looks like we won’t even have to wait until its release to find out its performance.

That’s because a benchmark has just leaked on the Geekbench website. The test results were published on February 19 and show a device running macOS 15.2 and bearing a ten-core M4 chip and 24GB of memory.

In terms of performance, the M4 chip in this MacBook scored 54,806 in the Metal graphics benchmark. Compare that to the 13-inch iPad Pro with M4 chip, which scored a very similar 54,064. Considering both devices are known for their thinness and fanless cooling, the slim margins between them make sense.

Labelled as “Mac16,12,” the mysterious MacBook is thought to be Apple’s upcoming M4 MacBook Air because it doesn’t match any existing Mac codenames. It does, however, line up with a Mac identifier that Apple itself accidentally leaked – one that was attributed to an M4 MacBook Air.

A believable benchmark

(Image credit: Future)

It’s possible that this benchmark was faked to give the appearance of belonging to an unannounced piece of Apple hardware. That seems unlikely, though, as it’s broadly in line with what we’ve come to expect from the M4 chip.

We mentioned the iPad Pro score above as a comparison point, but we can also see how this leaked benchmark does against the M4 MacBook Pro. On Geekbench, a sample Metal test scored 57,596, an improved result versus the MacBook Air that shouldn’t come as a surprise given that the MacBook Pro has active cooling that can help boost its performance.

So, all things point towards this leak being a believable, perhaps genuine result for the upcoming M4 MacBook Air.

Aside from the new M4 chip, the next MacBook Air could get an improved LCD display (sadly an OLED panel is still a few years away), a better webcam, and stronger support for connecting multiple monitors.

It’s widely expected to launch this Spring (sometime between now and June), with Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman claiming it will be on sale “by March at the latest.”

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• Spotify is partnering with ElevenLabs
• ElevenLabs offers human-like AI audio that can seamlessly narrate audiobooks
• Can we expect more AI-generated content on Spotify in the future?

Spotify audiobooks narrated by AI are set to increase as the streaming company enters into a new partnership with ElevenLabs, a company responsible for one of the best AI voice generators.

The expansion means that audiobooks on Spotify can now be narrated in 29 languages thanks to ElevenLabs' excellent natural-sounding speech technology. The AI software will give authors tools to control the voice and intonation of the narrator to create the best-sounding non-human audio possible.

AI-narrated audiobooks are nothing new for Spotify, the company has collaborated with Google Play Books to use similar software to that of NotebookLM for authors wanting to create audiobooks without hiring a narrator or doing it themselves. This partnership will increase the choice for authors and expand the amount of AI-narrated content on the platform for consumers.

In the partnership announcement statement Spotify said, "For authors looking for a cost-effective way to create high-quality audiobooks, digital voice narration by ElevenLabs is a great option."

The statement goes on to confirm that listeners will be able to differentiate between human voices and those generated by AI thanks to metadata information that will be visible on Spotify and all other retailers that use the platform. The description will also state, "This audiobook is narrated by a digital voice.”

ElevenLabs audio on Spotify has begun rolling out, so keep an eye on your audiobook descriptions to check if your narrator is human or not.

Is this good for the listener?

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

When CEO Daniel Ek said Spotify would 'double down' on music in 2025, there was concern as to what that exactly could mean. With an expected Spotify HiFi release and AI's looming impact on all tech companies, 2025 is going to be a huge year for the streaming service, and this partnership with ElevenLabs is the first taster of what to expect.

AI-generated audio is getting seriously impressive, so much so that I bet you've probably listened to an audiobook or a podcast voiced by artificial intelligence and not even noticed. There are obviously huge benefits to AI narration, allowing authors to get their books to a wider audience without the need for extra resources, but do we, as listeners, really want to start listening to voice software?

Could AI narration be the first step towards that 'double down' on music, with an end goal of AI-generated audio in your Spotify playlist to help expand the music offering on the platform? After all, many of us may already listen to AI-generated lo-fi beats and other background noise without even noticing.

AI audio is still in its infancy but it's rapidly evolving, and Spotify's push to increase its audiobook offering by partnering with a major AI voice generation company could just be the beginning.

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• Fitbit recently issued a vital software update to stop batteries overheating
• The Versa 3 and Fitbit Sense were reportedly a risk to their users
• The new update is cutting battery life from five or six days down to less than one.

Just a few weeks after Fitbit issued a battery overheating update for two of its most popular smartwatches, users of the Fitbit Sense and Fitbit Versa 3, two of the best Fitbits on the market, are complaining that the fix is causing catastrophic reductions in battery life.

Google said the overheating problem could pose a risk to users and required an immediate firmware update. The company confirmed that the update would reduce the risk of overheating, but at the cost of some reduction in battery life, and even offered customers $50 if they were affected, however, that compensation figure appears to pale in comparison to just how much battery life users are actually losing now the update is complete.

Fitbit's battery life crisis goes from bad to worse

(Image credit: Future)

"Before doing the update my battery would last about 5 -6 days (depending on how much exercise I did)," one user told the Fitbit community forums, "Now since doing the update it lasts less than a day. That's with everything turned off too (eg. Notifications, snore detection, vibrations, etc)."

"The firmware update has caused an extreme battery reduction," another added, noting their device was also lasting less than a day, where previously it would deliver a week of charge.

Elsewhere on Reddit, users are reporting similar issues. "For a very long time, my Sense battery has lasted a very long time. I leave the screen off so I don't usually need to charge it but once a week," one poster wrote. "However, since about a week ago, the battery has started dying rapidly. Tonight it went from 46% to 22% in 3 hours. That used to take about 2 days."

"I’ve started experiencing the same thing since the firmware update they pushed through," said another.

All signs, then, point to Fitbit's recent planned firmware upgrade causing a catastrophic reduction in battery life. User outrage is widespread, and while Google confirmed that the overheating issue could be a safety risk to users, the trade-off in battery life following the firmware update appears to render devices almost unusable. "I had to charge mine twice in one day," one user in the forum said.

As noted, this should only affect the Versa 3 and Sense, the two models identified by Google as presenting an overheating risk. If you've been affected, drop us a line at stephen.warwick@futurenet.com. We've also reached out to Google for comment and will update this piece accordingly with any response.

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• Some IBM workers were told to return to the office three days per week in 2024
• All of the organization’s workers are now being given similar notices
• Unfair expectations for relocation have earned it the ‘stealth layoff’ title

IBM’s recently enforced return-to-office policy is disproportionately targeting older and long-term remote workers who are less likely to relocate.

According to one employee speaking with The Register, the scheme aims to reduce expenses by requiring employees to work from specific locations – or resign.

IBM is one of many now mandating that workers be in the office more frequently after the pandemic-induced rise in remote working, but its policies aren’t as tight as many of its rivals.

IBM’s RTO disproportionately affects older workers

As of 2024, IBM has required managers, executives and various other types of employees across the US to work from its offices at least three days per week, requiring them to relocate nearer to one of its eight sites across New York, Illinois, Texas and North Carolina.

The company is now rolling out in-person working policies for all of its workers.

Despite pushing the in-person agenda, IBM did not offer any relocation support, such as covering expenses associated with moving for work purposes, even though previous relocations (which earned it the 'I've Been Moved' acronym alternative meaning) did come with some support.

Speaking about the RTO policy, The Register’s unnamed source said: “This included all employees who started working from home during COVID as well as those who have been working from home for 15-plus years.”

IBM had already been sued in 2024 for discriminating against its older workers, but the company is facing similar allegations one year later as it intensifies its office-working efforts.

Workers affected by the changes are referring to the RTO as a stealth layoff – the company has already cut around 5,000 jobs across at least five different rounds (tracked by layoffs.fyi) in the past two years alone.

All being said, IBM isn’t the only company being accused of unfairly targeting certain worker demographics during its RTO calls. Other tech titans have found themselves in similar situations, including Amazon, whose workers are among the most vocal.

TechRadar Pro has offered IBM an opportunity to share its thoughts on the policy, but the company did not immediately respond.

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• Windows 11’s Snipping Tool looks to be getting an improved OCR feature
• New OCR option can more easily copy text from anything on the monitor screen
• It's still in testing but will hopefully come to the finished version of Windows 11 soon

Windows 11’s Snipping Tool could soon be powered up with an impressively easy new way to extract the text from anything on the screen.

This ability was uncovered in testing by regular contributor to Windows 11-related leaks on X, PhantomOfEarth. However, we aren’t told what build it came from, so presumably it was the latest preview release, or a recent one.

Snipping Tool is getting a fullscreen OCR text extractor that's essentially the PowerToys tool, inbox - making use of the better OCR models used by Snipping Tool! Here's a demo.Lets you copy text without having to take a screenshot to do so, Win+Shift+T will also be available. pic.twitter.com/zWteElK725February 20, 2025

You can see how it works to extract text (via OCR tech, or Optical Character Recognition) courtesy of a video of the feature in action in the above post on X.

To sum it up, the user invokes Windows 11’s Snipping Tool and then chooses the ‘Text Extractor’ function, drawing a box around the area of the screen that they want to pull text from.

Snipping Tool then highlights all the text inside the box and offers an option to copy it to the clipboard, and from there, it can be pasted to a document (or anywhere else).

It’s true that Snipping Tool already has an OCR ability, but it only works with a screenshot you’ve taken. This new approach is a much more streamlined and convenient way of working, as you can simply use the feature directly on whatever’s currently displayed on the monitor screen.

(Image credit: Getty Images) Analysis: A useful recruit from PowerToys

This gives Snipping Tool a lot of flexibility so you can, as shown in the above example, strip out all the text from a Windows 11 menu (should you want to). It’ll work for anything on the screen, and as you don’t need to take a screenshot anymore, this makes the OCR feature all the more convenient as noted.

This is something Microsoft has been working on for a while now, as PhantomOfEarth first observed the tool a few months back in November 2024. It has been considerably honed since then, and as the leaker points out, it’s now basically equivalent to the same functionality in Microsoft’s PowerToys suite of utilities.

With any luck, this slicker form of OCR for Snipping Tool could be arriving in the finished version of Windows 11 before too long.

Via XDA Developers

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• Software that appears to be for the Galaxy Z Fold 7 has been spotted
• The foldable could launch in July
• Expect a thinner body and better cameras

We're expecting the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 to make an appearance in the next few months (though Samsung hasn't said anything officially about it), and we just got another big clue about the existence of this book-style foldable.

As per tipster @tarunvast33 (via 9to5Google), a new build of One UI 7 has appeared on Samsung's servers – and it seems to be specifically for a new device with a model number that lines up with numbers used for previous Samsung foldables.

It's not the most comprehensive of leaks, but we'll take it. One UI 7 is Samsung's take on Android 15 and is already available on the Samsung Galaxy S25 phones, and it should be rolling out to older Galaxy handsets before too long.

Considering that the current Z Fold model launched in July 2024 – see our Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 review for details – the Galaxy Z Fold 7 should be landing in July 2025, most probably alongside the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 (and maybe a tri-fold model too).

What we think we know so far

Exclusive ‼️ Galaxy Z Fold7: The first One UI test build spotted on the server today! Build Version: F966USQU0AYB3/F966UOYN0AYB3/F966USQU0AYB3 It may be One UI 7.0.1, as early rumors say. pic.twitter.com/5uoLUdhQ55February 19, 2025

We've already heard quite a bit from the rumor mill when it comes to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, but don't get your hopes up, as it seems as though the next edition of the foldable might not bump up the internal specs too much.

On the plus side, better battery life is something that's been talked about. Both the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and the Galaxy Z Flip 7 have been tipped to come with more efficient screens, which should mean longer times between recharges.

The Galaxy Z Fold 7 also seems to be in line for a camera upgrade, borrowing from the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition that's only available in Asia: specifically, the 200MP primary camera is rumored to be heading to the Galaxy Z Fold 7.

There have also been hints that the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is going to be significantly thinner than the Z Folds that came before it – though it's unlikely to beat the thinnest foldable to date, the Oppo Find N5, which is a mere 4.21 mm front to back when unfolded.

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• All Gemini app users can now upload documents for analysis
• Documents only for now, but this may soon change
• Google adds Deep Research to Workspace, but only on certain tiers

Taking your workload to the next level could soon get even more intelligent thanks to a new update from Google and its Gemini AI platform.

The company has announced all Gemini users will now be able to upload documents to the platform and receive AI-powered improvements and customization options.

But that's not all - it also revealed its Gemini Deep Research platform is arriving on certain Google Workspace tiers, giving users deeper and smarter insights to complex topics.

Gemini document upload

In a post on X, Google Gemini outlined what users can expect from the new feature. To upload a file, users should tap the plus sign when asking Gemini a question, and select "files". Anyone signed up will be able to upload multiple files, including Google Docs, PDFs, and Microsoft Word word processor documents, whether stored on Google Drive or on your device.

Once uploaded, users will be able to benefit from a number of features, including getting summaries, giving personalized feedback, and gaining actionable insights, all of which Google says can streamline your workflows and save you time.

The feature is limited to documents for now, however users with a Gemini Advanced subscription can still upload spreadsheets or code files.

(Image credit: Google Workspace)

Elsewhere, following a wider consumer rollout earlier in February 2025, Google has made its Gemini Deep Research service available on select Google Workspace tiers.

Users with Gemini Advanced, which is available for Google Workspace Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, and Enterprise Plus tiers, will be able to access the service, which offers a range of analysis and recommendation options.

"Deep Research explores complex topics on your behalf and presents its findings in a comprehensive, easy-to-read report," a Google Workspace Updates blog post read, highlighting how the service, "brings hours of research to your fingertips in mere minutes."

This includes tasks such as industry research, helping understand emerging trends to inform market analysis, competitive research around other firms, customer research on prospective leads, and helping educators with grant writing, lesson planning, class projects, or presentations.

"Thorough research can take a lot of time between planning, searching, browsing, analyzing, and reporting. It can be tedious work and often difficult to even know where to start. Deep Research can save hours of work by browsing the web on your behalf, analyzing information in real-time, and developing comprehensive research reports in minutes to get you up to speed on just about anything."

Users will also be able to choose from several models depending on what version of the Gemini app you have, with 1.5 Pro with Deep Research now available alongside the existing 2.0 Flash, as well as newly-added 2.0 Pro Flash Thinking Experimental, and 2.0 Pro Experimental.

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• Shuhei Yoshida has discussed PlayStation PC ports in a new interview
• He said that they can help reach a new audience, especially where consoles are not popular
• They also generate money that can be invested in future games

Former Sony Interactive Entertainment president Shuhei Yoshida has discussed the rise of PlayStation PC ports in a new interview.

Speaking on gaming podcast Sacred Symbols (spotted by Push Square), he said that "releasing on PC does many things, it reaches a new audience who do not own consoles - especially in regions where consoles are not as popular."

He went on to highlight the market in China as an important factor: "China is a huge PC game market [...] and China is a growing but very small console market. In order to reach the audience in countries like China then it’s crucial to release on PC."

On top of this, he argued that reaching a new audience may create new long-term PlayStation fans. "The idea is that those people may become fans of a particular franchise, and when a new game in that series comes out, they may be convinced to purchase a PlayStation," he said.

He also claimed that there were simple economic reasons behind it. “It also adds additional income, because porting to PC is way cheaper than creating an original title," he remarked. "So, it’s almost like printing money and that helps us to invest in new titles now that the cost of games has increased"

Right now you can buy (take a deep breath) Until Dawn, God of War Ragnarok, Helldivers 2, Ghost of Tsushima, Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered, Horizon Forbidden West Complete Edition, The Last of Us Part 1, Returnal, Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection, Sackboy: A Big Adventure, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, God of War, Days Gone, and Horizon Zero Dawn on PC.

That's an awful lot of PS5 games and there's no sign that this trend will be slowing down any time soon, at least if this interview is anything to go by.

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• Strava has rolled out upgrades to its platform
• Tweaks include improvements to Leaderboard Integrity and Flyover sharing
• Its AI feature is also leaving beta thanks to positive feedback, with some new features in tow

Strava, the best fitness app for runners and cyclists, has rolled out a series of updates to its platform that bring improvements to its AI-powered coach, as well as leaderboard integrity and Flyover sharing tweaks.

Starting with AI, last year the company introduced Athlete Intelligence, a new AI-powered health coach that gives you insights into your progress. It delivers unique readouts for that activity and analysis based on your performance to give you a more instant sense of progress.

Strava has added virtual run and ride data, as well as power insights and segment analysis to Athlete Intelligence, and, excitingly, the feature is now out of beta. The company says this is based on positive feedback from both runners and riders, who reported more accurate insights with fewer mistakes.

Strava clamps down on leaderboard anomalies

If you've ever seen a Strava leaderboard score that was obviously clocked in a car or on an e-bike, we've got good news. Strava is now using machine learning to automatically analyze activities on Strava. It can identify unrealistic speeds, GPS errors, and other anomalies to stop skewed leaderboard results and remove "outliers and potential rule violations."

Strava says the next step will be to prevent bike rides from appearing on run leaderboards, and ride leaderboards from being plagued by scores achieved using the best electric bikes.

Strava is also upgrading Flyover off-platform sharing, so subscribers can now upload their Flyover directly to Instagram Stories or via a shareable link to other platforms.

Finally, subscribers can now compare their past efforts side-by-side to track improvements and progress. Your progress summary chart will include a comparison mode to contrast recent activities with past time ranges of training.

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• A new Nintendo Switch OLED bundle is coming very soon
• It features Super Mario Bros. Wonder and a Nintendo Switch Online subscription
• It's expected to launch in early March, ahead of Mario Day

The Switch 2 might be out this year, but did you think that'd stop Nintendo from releasing yet another Switch OLED bundle? Not likely.

Spotted by Nintendo Life, the new Nintendo Switch OLED bundle packs in a digital copy of Super Mario Bros. Wonder as well as three months' worth of Nintendo Switch Online subscription time. Nothing out of the ordinary for a Switch OLED bundle, then, and it's available to pre-order at Best Buy for $349.99.

It appears that this Nintendo Switch OLED bundle is set to launch on March 1, but the Best Buy store page is currently saying it'll ship as early as February 26. Of course, this may differ depending on which part of the US or Canada you find yourself in.

You might also wonder (hehe) why a new Nintendo Switch OLED bundle is launching, especially as the Nintendo Switch 2 is likely just a few months away? Well, it's not an uncommon practice for console makers to create new bundles to shift leftover stock. Plus, with Nintendo recently passing the 150 million units mark for the entire Switch family, it seems there's plenty of lemon still left to squeeze.

If you've yet to jump aboard the Switch train and don't really feel like waiting for the next console, this is still an excellent bundle to grab. Super Mario Bros. Wonder is easily one of the best Nintendo Switch games. A beautiful and creative side-scroller, its multiplayer support also benefits from the two Joy-Con controllers you're getting in the box.

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There's been a recent flurry of AI tools that can go online and do things on your behalf. OpenAI's Operator is a powerful and expensive AI Agent. At the same time, the more makeshift Browser Use offers a thriftier option for those who want AI to automate their online errands. The latest example drawing attention is Proxy 1.0, created by Convergence AI. Proxy boasted of being able to multitask online and handling everything except final approval for you.

I wanted to try it out, but you only get five sessions a day for free, so I decided to mimic the test I did with Browser Use. After linking it to my Google account, I was presented with the Proxy interface and started my test run. Unlike Browser Use, though, I could submit the prompts quickly as I didn't have to wait for one to finish before sending the next.

Purchase Proxy

(Image credit: Screenshot of Proxy 1.0)

As with Browser Use, I started with a shopping advice request: "Navigate to Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart and search for 'MacBook Air M2'. Extract the product name, price, and stock availability from the first five results on each site. Compare the prices and identify the lowest one. If discounts or coupons are present, record them. Provide a final summary with the best deal and where to buy it."

Proxy eventually offered a couple of the best options at each outlet and its own reccommendations. It took a little bit longer than Browser Use and certainly slower than doing it manually, but it was nice to have it running without me having to keep an eye on it.

AI travel agent

(Image credit: Screenshot of Proxy 1.0)

I next asked Proxy for help with travel planning with the prompt: "Search for a round-trip flight between New York and London leaving Dec 15, 2025, and returning December 21, 2025. Select the cheapest option and extract details, including price, airline, and departure time.

This was a bit of a mixed bag. While Proxy did find a shockingly cheap flight of about $430, it put it in British Pounds for some reason. Still, the small airport flight with a stop in Iceland at that price is not bad.

Meteorologist AI

(Image credit: Screenshot of Proxy 1.0)

I went back to the always helpful test of finding and explaining the weather forecast and what I should wear by asking Poxy to: “Check the 7-day weather forecast for New York City on weather.com and summarize temperature trends, rain chances, and any severe weather warnings and then suggest how to dress for it.”

The AI did fine pulling up the forecast and extracting details about what to expect. The AI went somewhat bland in its suggestions about what to wear, recommending an umbrella on a rainy day and warm clothing most days to deal with the cold. But, it doesn't have to be exciting to be useful when it's the weather.

Meteor

(Image credit: Screenshot of Proxy 1.0)

On its own, Proxy 1.0 is amazing. It doesn't have to dazzle you to convince you of its usefulness. The AI doesn’t pretend to be human and make conversation. It just gets things done. It's not perfect, and I had to experiment with wording my prompts to get the best answers, but not enough to be overly frustrating. I can see it being very appealing if I were someone's personal assistant or had to juggle a complex home life. For busy people who don’t want to waste time navigating to and through websites, it's valuable.

Browser Use felt more like an open-source science project. It’s powerful, but it requires a fair bit of setup and tinkering, making it more high-maintenance, though you get great results if you're willing to put in the effort. That DIY flexibility is excellent if your interests and skills trend that way, especially if you want a more conversational interaction, but I prefer the streamlined Proxy.

OpenAI’s Operator is supposed to be the ultimate hands-free, natural-language-powered web assistant. But at $200 a month, it's not for anyone who casually plays with AI tools. There are reports that it also frequently asks for help when it hits an obstacle, which sort of defeats the purpose of having an AI do the work for you.

Proxy 1.0 sits somewhere in the middle of both those alternatives. Compared to how you can almost see Browser Use's scaffolding, you get a complete product without breaking the bank like Operator. I also like how it's more proactive in overcoming obstacles rather than immediately asking for help. The pace at which Proxy completes tasks can be a little annoying. I found I could complete the prompts quite a bit faster than Proxy, but the point is with the AI, I didn't have to.

Anything that lets me offload my least favorite online chores is worth keeping around, especially as it's likely to keep getting better. If Convergence AI keeps improving Proxy, I might even start trusting the AI agent with my most sacred digital task: remembering to cancel free trials before I get charged.

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• A clinical research organization's dataset has been discovered online
• The documents include Personally Identifiable Information (PII)
• It's not clear whether criminals have accessed the information

A dataset belonging to a clinical research firm has been discovered publicly exposed online without an encryption or password-protection.

Security researcher Jeremiah Fowler discovered the DM Clinical Research database containing 1,674,218 records, totaling 2TB, including names, medical information, phone numbers, email addresses, medications, and health conditions - along with other data which would put anyone exposed at risk of fraud, identity theft, or social engineering attacks.

Although the name of the dataset indicates the details belong to DM Clinical Research, it's not clear if this was owned and managed by them directly or by a third-party - but here’s what we know so far.

Valuable information

It’s unclear how long the database was exposed before the researcher sent a disclosure notice, but it was no longer accessible ‘within hours’ of the notice being sent. There’s a chance that threat actors may have accessed the information, but only an internal forensic audit could determine this.

“Our team is currently reviewing the details of your findings to ensure a swift and comprehensive resolution," DM Clinical Research replied to the disclosure. "Protecting sensitive data is a cornerstone of our organization’s operations, and we are committed to addressing any vulnerabilities in alignment with best practices and applicable laws & regulations”.

Healthcare information is extremely sensitive and highly valuable for threat actors. Because of this, healthcare organizations are being hit hard by cyberattacks - especially by ransomware and data breaches - which is why data protection is so important in industries that hold personal information.

In 2024, a cyberattack led to the compromise of 190 million American, forcing some applications offline and UnitedHealth also suffered a ransomware attack which resulted in customer information leaked onto the dark web - highlighting just how attractive the industry is for criminals.

Serious consequences

This could be really damaging for patients, especially those with serious medical conditions that may come with stigma, like psychiatric conditions, HIV, or cancer. If criminals access your medical information, they can construct social engineering attacks pretending to be a doctor, health insurance company, or medical professional.

“Any public exposure of health-related information could have potentially serious implications. While things like financial data and some PII can change over time, personal health histories do not,” Fowler points out.

For companies, there are steps you can take to protect your data so that your organization is protected. Security breaches can cost an organization millions, not just in direct costs, but in reputational damage for customers and business partners.

To ensure you’re storing customer data safely, encryption software is incredibly important. Businesses have a legal responsibility to protect their customer records, which means un-encrypted datasets could result in legal action and financial loss.

Using real-time threat and intrusion detection can be a vital tool too, like endpoint detection software, which works by scanning for intrusions and suspicious activity, and alerting security admins if anything is found.

After a breach, it’s important for firms to be transparent to mitigate the damage. This will ensure lasting consumer confidence and trust between your organization and its partners.

For individuals affected by a data breach, it's crucial to monitor financial accounts, bank statements, and transactions to look for anything out of place.

Especially important is being on the lookout for social engineering attacks like phishing - with medical information, criminals may pose as trusted professionals or, in the US where healthcare can compromise your financial situation, take advantage of patients who may desperately need money.

Be wary of unexpected communications, any unrecognised emails or phone calls, and don’t open any attachments that aren’t from 100% trusted sources. Make sure you create a strong and secure password, and don’t reuse it, especially for financial and health organizations.

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• Shortly after HP acquired Humane AI, Rabbit is launching Android app
• Much like other AI agents the idea is that this Rabbit app is an agent to carry out tasks for you
• It's currently being tested for Android ahead of a teased release

Rabbit is showing off a new AI agent that can automatically carry out tasks for you on Android devices. This might be because Rabbit is is keen to show that it has another trick after Humane's sale to HP renewed focus and questions about the company's Rabbit R1 hardware. Perhaps aware that the hardware approach wasn't selling as well as anticipated, Rabbit has hopped away from hardware to smartphones, where far more people are likely to experiment with AI tools.

Rabbit's Android agent doesn't just remake the same features of so many AI chatbots, either. Instead of summarizing Wikipedia pages, Rabbit's agent can coordinate tasks across different apps based on your prompts. You could ask it to write and send dinner party invitations on WhatsApp, pick a meal from a recipe app, or assemble a grocery list based on that recipe. It can also find and save a YouTube music playlist for when you eat and even download a game from the Play Store for after the meal.

To really show off Rabbit's AI agent, the demonstration put together by the company showed how the agent could find a business idea you saved in Google Keep and write a revenue plan in Google Docs before sharing it with someone in your contact list.

Rabbit hole

This "doing" AI, as opposed to the "knowing" AI, is usually what people imagine when you describe an AI assistant. But, like any new tech, it’s not perfect yet. Rabbit’s demo shows that while the agent can pull off these tasks, sometimes it stumbles. Some actions take longer than expected, formatting can get weird, and every now and then, it makes a choice that raises an eyebrow.

Rabbit's agent isn't generally available yet. Based on the demonstration, once it is, you'll be able to get the app from the Play Store and link it to Android apps once you give permission. You'll then be able to prompt the AI to complete a task for you, and it will run in the background, which is a nice change from some AI tools that demand you leave the app open while it runs.

(Image credit: Rabbit)

Rabbit will have to contend with more competition with this move. A growing wave of AI tools offers to take control of your devices and automate your tasks.

OpenAI has been developing the app-controlling Operator, and Anthropic is testing a feature called computer use for its Claude AI assistant, which allows an AI to interact with desktop software and the internet. There's also third-party Browser Use, which specializes in navigating the web, filling out forms, and completing requests online. Rabbit isn't imitating any of them precisely, focusing on Android devices and apps. Instead, Rabbit’s agent seems geared chiefly toward everyday use compared to OpenAI and Anthropic’s emphasis on professional activities.

This reimagining of what Rabbit can offer is exactly the sort of reinvention many have suggested could keep Rabbit independent. The standalone R1 didn't have much momentum after it came out and often felt like a limited smartphone with an odd feature set. Now, instead of asking people to buy new hardware, Rabbit is meeting them where they already are: on their phones.

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• Apple's new iPhone – the 16e – is the latest member of the iPhone 16 family
• Even with similar looks, there are some missing features
• A single camera sticks out the most, but it also lacks ultra-wideband, mmWave, and a GPU core

While the iPhone 16e is the latest member of the iPhone 16 family, Apple had to rebalance the feature list and hardware inside to reduce the price to $599 / £599 / AU$999. After all, that’s $200 less than the iPhone 16’s starting price in the United States, so some functionality simply had to go.

That’s not to say it isn’t feature-filled, though. The iPhone 16e still gets an A18 processor for swift performance and the ability to run Apple Intelligence. It also pairs with a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display, a single camera on the rear, Face ID, and a design that makes it compatible with the iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, and 16 Pro Max.

So what’s missing? Well, aside from losing some connectivity, it’s also a tale of cameras and how you charge the iPhone 16e – let’s dive into it.

One less GPU core than the iPhone 16

(Image credit: Apple / Future)

Considering it’s more affordable than the iPhone 16, this small tweak with the Apple-made A18 processor isn’t surprising. The iPhone 16e still comes with the A18 chip, but instead of a 5-core GPU like the iPhone 16, it only gets 4-cores. It still features a 5-core CPU and 16-core Neural Engine, so it’s likely this slightly less powerful graphical processing unit won’t make much of a difference in day-to-day usage.

Apple likely created this slightly less powerful A18 chip to keep it within the family. Alternatively, it could have used the A17 Pro chip, which has a 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, and 16-core Neural Engine, as it did with the iPad mini.

Even so, expect the iPhone 16e to act and perform like an iPhone 16 – meaning that iOS 18 and various apps should run without a hitch.

Last-gen Photographic Styles and one lens

(Image credit: Apple / Future)

The first thing concerning the camera is fairly obvious – the iPhone 16e simply has one lens, just like the iPhone SE that came before it. Without the ultrawide you’ll be a little more limited in the types of photos you can capture, and it rules out the ability for the phone to take macro shots.

Still, you’re left with a significant upgrade over the iPhone SE third-generation as the main lens here is a 48-megapixel fusion camera that can shoot at 1x or 2x. You’ll have access to edit your captures in the Photos app with the ability to use AI to ‘clean up’ your photos. However, if you want to add your own flare or take to how the iPhone shoots, you won’t get the latest and greatest Photographic Styles from Apple.

This isn’t a deal-breaker, but you won’t necessarily be able to finesse and tweak these to your liking. The other missing piece of hardware is the Camera Control – it’s not here. Though, with the arrival of the Action Button, you could set this to open the Camera app.

MagSafe is missing

(Image credit: Apple / Future)

One of my favorite parts of the iPhone, since it was introduced with the iPhone 12, is MagSafe – it makes wireless charging much easier and powers an ever-growing accessory ecosystem. I had high hopes that Apple would have tossed the circular magnetic ring onto its next affordable iPhone, but that’s not the case.

The iPhone 16e simply offers wireless charging using the original Qi standard, just like the iPhone SE’s third-generation predecessor. It can also charge at a maximum of 7.5 watts, which is a bit less than MagSafe or Qi-2.

One potential advantage, though, is with no ring and a slimmer charging coil, Apple might have been able to use a bigger battery cell inside. Apple promises up to 26 hours of video playback, which tops the iPhone 16.

No mmWave or ultra-wideband connectivity

Lastly, regarding the significant things missing, the iPhone 16e only supports 5G Sub-6 Ghz. This means this iPhone can’t connect to the mmWave spectrum for potentially faster speeds. The iPhone 16 supports this, but it’s worth noting that Apple is keeping this commonality with the previous iPhone SE.

A larger missing form of connectivity here though is Apple’s second-generation ultra-wideband chip, which enables things like Precision Finding with AirTags or newer AirPods and is also being used by some forthcoming smart home gadgets like door locks. This a strange omission, though it’s likely done to reduce costs and separate the iPhone 16e from the iPhone 16.

While the iPhone 16e supports Bluetooth 5.3 like the iPhone 16, it only rocked Wi-Fi 6 versus Wi-Fi 7. Thread connectivity is also missing here.

Only two colors

(Image credit: Apple)

One of my, and many others', favorite parts of the iPhone 16 lineup was the standard and Plus colors. Simply put, they were delightful, fun, and vibrant – truly adding some flare to the iPhone and allowing you to pick the one that matched your personal style.

For those who wanted to see an Ultramarine or Pink iPhone 16e, though, that's not happening ... at least at launch. The iPhone 16e only comes in black or white, both matte options.

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