TechRadar News

In our list of the best streaming services we crowned Paramount+ as the best platform for classic movies, and it still is – however, it's broadening its library of 21st century features in its list of new titles for June 2025.

With over 80 new movies landing on June 1, among the list of new Paramount+ movies lies modern titles that over time have earned modern classic status, starting with No Country for Old Men (2007) – a western thriller from the Coen brothers starring Javier Bardem and Josh Brolin.

But that's not all and, if anything, the drama never ends. Joining the Coens' thriller is Steve McQueen's Best Picture winner 12 Years a Slave (2013), Tarantino's Pulp Fiction (1994), and four movies from the Indiana Jones franchise. The thrills are endless.

Everything new on Paramount+ in June 2025

Arriving on June 1

3:10 to Yuma (movie)
12 Years a Slave (movie)
Bad News Bears (movie)
BlacKkKlansman (movie)
Boogie Nights (movie)
But I'm a Cheerleader (movie)
Call Me By Your Name (movie)
Carol (movie)
Carriers (movie)
Center Stage (movie)
Changing Lanes (movie)
Chasing Amy (movie)
Cloverfield (movie)
Crawlspace (movie)
Daddy Day Camp (movie)
Dance Flick (movie)
Dog Day Afternoon (movie)
Double Jeopardy (movie)
Eagle Eye (movie)
Elf (movie)
Enemy at the Gates (movie)
EuroTrip (movie)
Everybody's Fine (movie)
Extract (movie)
First Blood (movie)
Heatwave (movie)
How She Move (movie)
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (movie)
Imagine That (movie)
In & Out (movie)
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (movie)
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (movie)
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (movie)
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (movie)
Jawbreaker (movie)
Kinky Boots (movie)
Law of Desire (movie)
Layer Cake (movie)
Light of My Life (movie)
Like a Boss (movie)
Marathon Man (movie)
Masterminds (movie)
Military Wives (movie)
Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult (movie)
No Country for Old Men (movie)
Orange County (movie)
Overdrive (movie)
Pretty In Pink (movie)
Pulp Fiction (movie)
Racing with the Moon (movie)
Rambo III (movie)
Rambo: First Blood Part II (movie)
RED (movie)
Reservoir Dogs (movie)
Risky Business (movie)
Road Trip (movie)
Run & Gun (movie)
Saturday Night Fever (movie)
Save the Last Dance (movie)
School Ties (movie)
Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse (movie)
She's All That (movie)
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (movie)
Stand By Me (movie)
Teen Titans GO! To the Movies (movie)
The Autopsy of Jane Doe (movie)
The Crossing Guard (movie)
The Dictator (movie)
The Fighting Temptations (movie)
The Gambler (movie)
The General's Daughter (movie)
The Girl Next Door (movie)
The Godfather (movie)
The Godfather Part II (movie)
The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone (movie)
The Hunt for Red October (movie)
The Ides Of March (movie)
The Kings of Summer (movie)
The Last Samurai (movie)
The Lovely Bones (movie)
The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear (movie)
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (movie)
The Nice Guys (movie)
The Other Woman (movie)
The People vs. Larry Flynt (movie)
The Running Man (movie)
The Shootist (movie)
The Space Between Us (movie)
The Untouchables (movie)
Tigerland (movie)
Tommy Boy (movie)
Tootsie (movie)
Total Recall (movie)
True Grit (movie)
Whiplash (movie)
Without a Paddle (movie)
xXx (movie)
Zola (movie)

Arriving on June 4

SpongeBob SquarePants season 14 (TV show)

Arriving on June 5

Lions for Lambs (movie)

Arriving on June 8

The 78th Annual Tony Awards (TV show)

Arriving on June 11

The Really Loud House season 2 (TV show)

Arriving on June 15

In Bloom: Everybody’s Fight (TV show)

Arriving on June 22

Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards (TV show)

Arriving on June 25

The Patrick Star Show season 3 (TV show)
Ice Airport Alaska season 5 (TV show)
The Last Cowboy season 5 (TV show)

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• Seagate quietly ships 40TB HAMR drives, setting the pace for the next storage next
• Mozaic HAMR tech crams 4TB per platter, promising massive boosts in storage efficiency
• Data center expansion will dictate how fast these record-breaking 40TB drives hit the mainstream

At the recent Seagate’s Investor and Analyst Conference, the company revealed it has delivered limited units of its new 40TB hard drives based on its Mozaic HAMR platform.

These 40TB drives use Heat-Assisted Magnetic Recording (HAMR) to achieve 4TB per platter across ten platters, marking a shift toward Seagate’s Mozaic 4+ platform.

While these are not yet broadly available, full-scale production is slated to begin in the first half of 2026 following extensive customer qualification testing.

Full-scale production to commence next year

“We have shipped limited 40 terabyte engineering samples to our customer already. We do plan to initiate quals next quarter, and we'll continue quals into 2026, where we'll be bringing over a wide portion of our customer base to the Mozaic 4 platform,” said Dr. John Morris, Seagate’s CTO.

Volume readiness will depend on how data centers integrate and validate the drives. However, the goal is to move a significant share of Seagate’s exabyte shipments to HAMR-based drives, which promise higher capacity and data center efficiency.

As CEO, Dr. Dave Mosley explained, “10 disks would get you to 40 terabytes... this gives better efficiencies in the data center. At the fleet level, this is how our customers think.”

Seagate's long-term plan involves rolling out even larger capacities, including 44TB drives by 2027 and 50TB drives by 2028.

The delay from its original 2017 projection for 50TB drives by 2026 underscores the complexities of scaling HAMR technology. Yet, the 40TB development still positions Seagate in the race to offer the largest HDD on the market.

Rival companies are following different strategies. Western Digital (WD) continues to expand capacity through ePMR and OptiNAND, reserving HAMR for its own 40TB launch expected in late 2026.

“Other companies have started adopting HAMR with 30TB HDDs, but we believe HAMR’s true potential begins at 40TB. Until then, we'll continue using technologies like OptiNAND and UltraSMR to increase the capacity of existing HDDs up to 40TB,” said Kimihiko Nishio, WD's sales manager in Japan.

Toshiba, another key player, has been developing its technologies, such as Microwave-Assisted Magnetic Recording (MAMR).

The company aims to release its first 35TB HDD based on HAMR before 2026. Toshiba's strategy involves combining MAMR with future HAMR implementations to achieve these capacities.

These drives won’t appeal to average consumers looking for the fastest HDD or even the best HDD for home use, their development is closely tied to the AI-driven cybersecurity arms race.

Seagate’s early shipments of 40TB drives suggest technical leadership in the race to develop the largest HDD, but the path to commercial reality is winding, and the cautious stance of competitors implies the challenges are considerable.

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• Security experts say traditional identity checks fail because they treat each verification as an isolated event
• Deepfake variations let fraudsters bypass biometric and liveness detection systems with ease
• Consortium validation shares data across organizations to detect subtle, repeated fraud attempts in real time

In a digital world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, identity fraud is evolving in scale and sophistication.

Experts from AU10TIX have flagged a new threat tactic known as “Repeaters” which is reshaping the way fraudsters infiltrate digital systems.

Unlike traditional attacks, these aren’t designed for instant damage - instead, Repeaters quietly test the defenses of banks, crypto platforms, and other services by using slightly varied synthetic identities.

Deepfakes as reconnaissance tools

Once weak points are identified, those same assets are redeployed across multiple platforms in large-scale, coordinated fraud campaigns.

At the heart of this strategy are deepfake-enhanced identities, slightly modified versions of a core digital asset.

These changes may include tweaks to facial features, background images, or document numbers.

When examined individually, each variation appears legitimate, often bypassing traditional Know Your Customer (KYC) processes and biometric checks.

AU10TIX’s CEO, Yair Tal, describes them as “the fingerprint of a new class of fraud: automated, AI-enhanced attacks that reuse synthetic identities and digital assets at scale.”

What makes Repeaters particularly dangerous is how they exploit gaps in current fraud detection systems.

Most traditional defenses rely on static validation, evaluating each identity as an isolated event. Techniques like biometric scans, liveness detection, and ID checks often miss the broader picture.

Because these synthetic identities are only submitted a few times per platform and appear unique, conventional tools struggle to detect the repetition.

To counter this threat, AU10TIX therefore introduces “consortium validation”. Unlike siloed systems, this method allows multiple organizations to share identity signals across a real-time network, just like the best endpoint protection platforms.

If an identity, or even a slightly modified version, appears at more than one member organization, the system flags it immediately.

It’s a collaborative defense strategy aimed at connecting the dots between otherwise isolated incidents.

“We’re proud to be at the forefront of detecting and blocking these attacks through advanced pattern recognition and real-time consortium validation,” Tal added

AU10TIX recommends organizations also audit for vulnerabilities to deepfakes and synthetic identities that can bypass traditional KYC defenses.

It also recommends the close monitoring of behaviors across devices, sessions and onboarding events because it can reveal coordinated activities before they scale.

The best chance at early detection of such fraudulent activity is a connected and behaviorally aware security infrastructure because no single solution can claim to be the best antivirus or the best malware protection against this new generation of fraud.

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Max is about to go through another big change, and I'm not talking about its rebrand back to HBO Max. Now that all the new Max movies and shows have been announced for June 2025, another library reshuffle is on the way.

After being renewed for a new installment right off the back of season two, HBO original show The Gilded Age season three premieres on June 22 with the return of stars Christine Baranski and Cynthia Nixon. This will be shortly followed by two new original documentary features Enigma and My Mom Jayne on June 24 and 27 respectively.

But it wouldn't be a classic Max list without a flurry of new movies and, in true Max style, it's packed with titles going back as far as Hollywood's Golden Age as well as modern favorites like Fight Club (1999) and Best Picture winner Parasite (2019), which packs a punch with each watch. With that said, we'd better start making some room in our list of best Max movies for the new arrivals.

Everything new on Max in June 2025

Arriving on June 1

A Hologram for the King (movie)
A Nightmare on Elm Street (movie)
A Perfect Getaway (movie)
Backtrack (movie)
Batman and Superman: Battle of the Super Sons (movie)
Black Patch (movie)
Blues in the Night (movie)
Casino (movie)
Fight Club (movie)
Gentleman Jim (movie)
Hellboy (movie)
I Am Not Your Negro (movie)
Igor (movie)
Illegal (movie)
In the Good Old Summertime (movie)
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (movie)
Kid Glove Killer (movie)
Meet Me in St. Louis (movie)
My Scientology Movie (movie)
Numbered Men (movie)
One Foot in Heaven (movie)
Parasite (movie)
Presenting Lily Mars (movie)
Pride & Prejudice (movie)
Public Enemies (movie)
Reign of the Supermen (movie)
Serenade (movie)
Silver River (movie)
Spaceballs (movie)
Split (movie)
Strike Up the Band (movie)
Summer Stock (movie)
Superman: Man of Tomorrow (movie)
Superman: Red Son (movie)
Superman: Unbound (movie)
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies (movie)
Thank Your Lucky Stars (movie)
The Death of Superman (movie)
The Fighting 69th (movie)
The Harvey Girls (movie)
The Hunger Games (movie)
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (movie)
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 (movie)
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 (movie)
The Man Who Invented Christmas (movie)
The Match King (movie)
The Mayor of Hell (movie)
The Mortician (movie)
The Nitwits (movie)
The Prince and the Pauper (movie)
The Sea Chase (movie)
The Sea Hawk (movie)
The Sunlit Night (movie)
The Verdict (movie)
They Made Me a Criminal (movie)
This Side of the Law (movie)
Three Faces East (movie)
Three Strangers (movie)
Total Drama Island season 2 (TV show)
Wagons West (movie)
Words and Music (movie)
You'll Find Out (movie)
Ziegfeld Follies (movie)

Arriving on June 2

BBQ Brawl season 6 (TV show)

Arriving on June 3

Bullet Train (movie)
Ugliest House in America season 6 (TV show)

Arriving on June 4

1000-lb Roomies season 1 (TV show)
Fatal Destination season 1 (TV show)

Arriving on June 5

Bea's Block season 1 (TV show)
Chespirito: Not Really on Purpose season 1 (TV show)

Arriving on June 6

House Hunters International volume 9 season 201 (TV show)
Parthenope (movie)

Arriving on June 10

Virgins season 1 (TV show)

Arriving on June 11

Guy's Grocery Games season 38 (TV show)

Arriving on June 12

Bitchin' Rides season 11 (TV show)
Mini Beat Power Rockers: A Superheroic Night (TV show)

Arriving on June 13

Cleaner (movie)
House Hunters volume 10 season 240 (TV show)
Maine Cabin Masters season 10 (TV show)
Super Sara (TV show)
Toad & Friends season 1 (TV show)

Arriving on June 16

Hero Ball season 3 (TV show)

Arriving on June 17

Dr. Sanjay Gupta Reports: Animal Pharm (TV show)
Super Mega Cakes season 1 (TV show)

Arriving on June 19

Expedition Unknown season 15 (TV show)
Mystery At Blind Frog Ranch season 5 (TV show)

Arriving on June 20

House Hunters volume 10 season 241 (TV show)
Lu & The Bally Bunch season 1 (TV show)
Now or Never: FC Montfermeil (TV show)
Teen Titans Go! season 9 (TV show)

Arriving on June 21

The Kitchen season 38 (TV show)
The Never Ever Mets season 2 (TV show)

Arriving on June 22

The Gilded Age season 3 (TV show)

Arriving on June 23

Match Me Abroad season 2 (TV show)

Arriving on June 24

Enigma (documentary)
Mean Girl Murders season 3 (TV show)
The Invitation (movie)

Arriving on June 25

Rehab Addict season 10 (TV show)

Arriving on June 27

House Hunters volume 10 season 242 (TV show)
My Mom Jayne (documentary)
Pati seasons 1 & 2 (TV show)
The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie (movie)

Arriving on June 29

#Somebody's Son season 1 (TV show)
Family or Fiancé season 4 (TV show)

Arriving on June 30

90 Day Fiancé: Pillow Talk season 11 (TV show)
Truck U season 21 (TV show)

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Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Saturday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Saturday, May 31 (game #720).

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #721) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• DIVE
• SLUSH
• FENCE
• LOCK
• SWIM
• HEDGE
• ICE
• HAUNT
• MUTUAL
• GUARANTEE
• JOINT
• RIDE
• CINCH
• SHOOT
• TRUST
• ESTABLISHMENT

NYT Connections today (game #721) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: A bar you know 
• GREEN: Multi-sport
• BLUE: In the bag 
• PURPLE: A pool of money

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #721) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: LOCAL WATERING HOLE 
• GREEN: COMPETE IN A MODERN PENTATHLON 
• BLUE: ENSURE, AS A VICTORY 
• PURPLE: ___ FUND 

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #721) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #721, are…

• YELLOW: LOCAL WATERING HOLE DIVE, ESTABLISHMENT, HAUNT, JOINT
• GREEN: COMPETE IN A MODERN PENTATHLON FENCE, RIDE, SHOOT, SWIM
• BLUE: ENSURE, AS A VICTORY CINCH, GUARANTEE, ICE, LOCK
• PURPLE: ___ FUND HEDGE, MUTUAL, SLUSH, TRUST

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: Perfect

As a big fan of multi-sport competitions I got COMPETE IN A MODERN PENTATHLON quickly, as these are all events in that particular Olympic sport.

It’s called the modern pentathlon to distinguish it from the ancient pentathlon, but in truth it’s not very modern anymore. It’s a bit like someone calling a typewriter a modern pencil. 

In my opinion there should be more of these tests of sporting ability – I remember a brief attempt at marketing a chessboxing hybrid a while back and there is of course the triathlon, but why stop there?

Combining table games, athletics and martial arts creates hundreds of watchable possibilities; who wouldn’t want to watch Jenga-Pole Vault-Judo? 

Getting the hardest group, comprising of four funds, early was a thrill for me today, tempered slightly by the fact that I don’t understand the blue group ENSURE, AS A VICTORY at all – just like I didn’t understand it a year ago when the exact same group appeared in Connections #340.

Back then, in May 2024, it was a green group so I don’t think I’m alone in struggling to see where ICE fits in.

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Saturday, May 31, game #720)

• YELLOW: ALCOVE CAVITY, HOLLOW, NOOK, RECESS
• GREEN: WAYS TO RECOGNIZE ACHIEVEMENT CERTIFICATE, MEDAL, PLAQUE, TROPHY
• BLUE: VERBS IN BREADMAKING FERMENT, PROOF, REST, RISE
• PURPLE: THINGS YOU CAN BLOW BUBBLE, FUSE, KISS, RASPBERRY

What is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.

On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.

It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.

It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

Looking for a different day?

A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Saturday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Saturday, May 31 (game #1223).

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,100 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1224) - hint #1 - VowelsHow many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 4*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1224) - hint #2 - repeated lettersDo any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 1.

Quordle today (game #1224) - hint #3 - uncommon lettersDo the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appears among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1224) - hint #4 - starting letters (1)Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 0.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1224) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• P

• M

• W

• A

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #1224) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1224, are…

• POINT
• MERIT
• WHOOP
• APHID

On the surface WHOOP may look like a tricky word to get, but there are two reasons behind why I saw it immediately.

Firstly, with an H, O, and P all with limited places to go, a word ending  H-O-O-P seemed the most likely possibility. Secondly, when you play Quordle and its many variants for a while, a few words recur more than others and WHOOP is one of them. 

It still feels like magic when you get strange words like “whoop” correct, though. Worthy of a small “whoop!” at least.

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Daily Sequence today (game #1224) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1224, are…

• GLOAT
• LADLE
• ALIKE
• VOUCH

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1223, Saturday, 31 May: CRUMB, ELFIN, DRIER, QUITE
• Quordle #1222, Friday, 30 May: RAJAH, CAUSE, BLACK, ETUDE
• Quordle #1221, Thursday, 29 May: CRIER, DRAPE, STRUT, NEIGH
• Quordle #1220, Wednesday, 28 May: HELLO, BEADY, VIGIL, PURER
• Quordle #1219, Tuesday, 27 May: TWEET, RANGE, POPPY, RADAR
• Quordle #1218, Monday, 26 May: BLEAT, HOWDY, ASIDE, SCOOP
• Quordle #1217, Sunday, 25 May: OCEAN, AMBER, PIPER, GLEAN
• Quordle #1216, Saturday, 24 May: HUSKY, HEIST, FOGGY, POLAR
• Quordle #1215, Friday, 23 May: SHIRE, GIANT, AWAIT, CAPER
• Quordle #1214, Thursday, 22 May: LOSE, GLOVE, STINT, EXCEL
• Quordle #1213, Wednesday, 21 May: NOVEL, CHOSE, DIRTY, DONUT
• Quordle #1212, Tuesday, 20 May: DECOY, SHAKE, MAPLE, PURER
• Quordle #1211, Monday, 19 May: LINK, HANDY, DITCH, WAIVE
• Quordle #1210, Sunday, 18 May: QUACK, ROACH, PURGE, DOWNY
• Quordle #1209, Saturday, 17 May: STRIP, RANGE, UNITE, GEESE
• Quordle #1208, Friday, 16 May: SHEEP, SNUCK, DRIFT, BREAK
• Quordle #1207, Thursday, 15 May: PAINT, CROUP, PEDAL, FLUKE
• Quordle #1206, Wednesday, 14 May: FAVOR, METER, PICKY, MAKER
• Quordle #1205, Tuesday, 13 May: SCENT, AGAPE, POLAR, YEARN
• Quordle #1204, Monday, 12 May: ROYAL, ARGUE, BUNCH, READY

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Saturday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Saturday, May 31 (game #454).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #455) - hint #1 - today's themeWhat is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… All rise

NYT Strands today (game #455) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• RATION
• THIN
• YOUR
• ATOM
• COIN
• BROOM

NYT Strands today (game #455) - hint #3 - spangram lettersHow many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 9 letters

NYT Strands today (game #455) - hint #4 - spangram positionWhat are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: left, 4th row

Last side: right, 5th row

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #455) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #455, are…

• BAIL
• COURTROOM
• ALIBI
• MOTION
• OBJECTION
• SPANGRAM: YOUR HONOR

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: 1 hint

The theme “All rise” immediately had me thinking we were searching for terms connected to judges, juries and trials. I couldn’t see any search words, so I used a hint to begin the hunt. BAIL didn’t exactly open up the board – but seeing COURTROOM did.

After a few easy editions, this Strands was much more of a challenge – OBJECTION was my final word, but it took a while to unpick the anagram and then connect the letters.

Today’s spangram – YOUR HONOR – is also the title of a TV show that has an excellent opening episode about a crime, a compromised judge, and the manufacture of an ALIBI. The jury is out on the rest of the series.

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday, May 31, game #454)

• SCRUNCHIE
• CLAW
• CLIP
• BARRETTE
• HEADBAND
• SPANGRAM: HAIR ACCESSORIES

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

• Haptic buttons are predicted for Apple devices
• They're more durable and more customizable
• It's unlikely we'll see them on the iPhone 17

Haptic buttons (also known as solid-state buttons) don't physically move – they just give your fingers feedback in the form of vibrations to simulate a click. Apple uses them for its MacBook trackpads, and it seems they'll be coming to many other devices soon.

As per well-known tipster Instant Digital (via MacRumors), Apple is exploring the idea of using haptic buttons for the iPhone, the iPad, and the Apple Watch – though the indications are that this isn't something we'll be seeing in this year's refreshes.

This isn't the first time this rumor has appeared – we thought we might get haptic buttons back with the iPhone 15 series, if you remember – but it appears that they're back on the agenda for Apple, and this time not just for the iPhone.

We don't get much more information than that, but the benefits of these haptic buttons are that they last longer (because they're not actually moving), and offer more customization options (because the force of the feedback can be adjusted as needed).

Buttoned down

We might see haptic buttons on the Apple Watch too (Image credit: Apple)

Based on this rumor at least, it seems unlikely that haptic buttons are going to be ready for the iPhone 17, or indeed the Apple Watch Series 11. Both of those devices will now be in the latter stages of their development ahead of an expected September launch.

Looking further down the line though, some of this technology might appear in Apple's 2026 devices (by which time, Apple's launch schedule could be more staggered). It could show up slowly too, on some buttons but not on others.

The iPhone 16 handsets do feature a Camera Control button that's partially haptic, but it uses tech that's actually a solid-state and physical mechanism hybrid. It possibly shows Apple experimenting ahead of going all in on haptics.

Other leaks have suggested that Apple is working towards an all-screen iPhone in the coming years (without any notches or islands), while rumors of a portless iPhone have been swirling for years. Haptic buttons could be another part of that grand plan.

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Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow – key information

- Set to be released in June 2026
- Filming wrapped in early May
- No trailer revealed yet
- Milly Alcock will play the titular character
- Other cast members reportedly unveiled
- Based on Tom King and Bilquis Evely's comic book namesake
- Should directly adapt the story from the aforementioned graphic novel
- Unclear how it'll impact the wider DCU

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, due to fly into theaters in June 2026, will introduce the titular hero to a whole new audience.

Over 40 years have passed since Kara Zor-El's only big-screen adventure. And, while she's appeared in numerous TV shows, it's high time that Kal-El's jaded but similarly powerful cousin returned to the silver screen spotlight.

With Supergirl's long-overdue sophomore movie outing set to be the DC Universe's (DCU) second film release, you'll want to learn more about it. Below, I've rounded up the latest information on the superhero flick, including its confirmed release date and cast, story details, and more. Potential spoilers follow for Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow and the graphic novel it's based on.

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow release date

Today we celebrate #Supergirl and all her various incarnations. Can’t wait for you to see the latest version, portrayed by the indomitable @millyalcock, in June 2026.Photo by Parisa Taghizadeh. pic.twitter.com/3sXwAFfxJbMarch 31, 2025

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow will land in theaters worldwide on June 26, 2026. That means Supergirl will make her DCU debut almost one year after James Gunn's Superman movie officially kicks off the DCU. Well, if you discount Creature Commandos' first season.

But I digress. Although he's not directing it, Gunn, one of DC Studios' co-heads, confirmed (via Threads) that principal photography wrapped in early May. With over 12 months to complete its post-production phase, there's no reason why the DCU Chapter One movie won't make its current release date.

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow trailer: is there one?

The first image from the Woman of Tomorrow set was shared by James Gunn in March (Image credit: James Gunn/Instagram)

Nope. A teaser could be shown at San Diego Comic-Con 2025 in late July, if DC Studios is in attendance and one has been edited in time. Right now, though, no footage is publicly available.

Once a trailer is released, I'll update this section.

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow cast: confirmed and rumored

Kara Zor-El is the lead character in this DCU Chapter One film (Image credit: DC Comics)

Potential spoilers follow for Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow.

Here's who I expect to see in Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow:

• Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El/Supergirl
• Jason Momoa as Lobo
• Matthias Schoenaerts as Krem
• Eve Ridley as Ruthye Marye Knoll
• David Krumholtz as Zor-El
• Emily Beecham as Alura In-Ze

So far, Alcock and Momoa are the only actors who are officially confirmed to appear.

Alcock, who you might recognize from House of the Dragon and Sirens, was picked to play Supergirl in January 2024. Alcock made it to the final two alongside Meg Donnelly last January, and was then selected by Gunn and his studio co-chief Peter Safran to play a character previously portrayed by the likes of Helen Slater, Melissa Benoist, and Summer Glau in a live-action capacity.

Real name Kara Zor-El, she hails from Krypton, aka the destroyed planet that was also home to Kal-El/Clark Kent/Superman. In fact, she's Superman's cousin, so you won't be surprised to learn that she possesses identical powers to the only other surviving Kryptonian. Expect to see her use her superhuman physical abilities, heat vision, X-ray vision, invulnerability, and flight-based skills in Woman of Tomorrow.

I wonder if Kara and company will try to enlist Lobo's help to track down Krem... (Image credit: DC Comics)

As for Momoa, who played Aquaman in the now-defunct DC Extended Universe (DCEU), he'll cameo as Lobo.

The sole survivor of another alien race that lived on the utopian world known as Czarnia, Lobo travels the cosmos as a bounty hunter/mercenary. He's got the skillset for the job, too, with super strength, speed, and agility, plus immortality, self-healing powers, and expert marksmanship, ensuring that few foes can best him in short- and long-range combat.

Interestingly, Lobo doesn't appear in Woman of Tomorrow's comic book namesake (more on the story later), so I'm keen to learn why writer Ana Nogueira and director Craig Gillespie included him in the movie adaptation.

A post shared by Jason Momoa (@prideofgypsies)

A photo posted by on

Where the rest of the cast is concerned, Ridley, who appeared in 3 Body Problem on Netflix, will play Ruthye (per Deadline). A young and noble warrior who enlists the eponymous hero's help to track down the individual who murdered her dad, Ruthye will play an integral role in the story.

Meanwhile, Krumholtz and Beecham are on board (per The Hollywood Reporter) as Kara's parents, Zor-El and Alura, so expect to see some flashbacks to Kara's childhood and, potentially, Krypton's demise. According to the aforementioned Deadline article, Schoenaerts is tackling the role of Krem, aka the primary villain of the piece, who's responsible for killing Ruthye's father.

Lastly, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow will feature everyone's favorite boisterous pooch, Krypto. Inspired by Gunn's own rescue dog Ouzo, Krypto will make his DCU debut in Gunn's Superman movie before he traverses the galaxy with Kara and Ruthye.

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow story speculation

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow takes its title from its comic book namesake (Image credit: DC Comics/Warner Bros. Discovery)

Possible spoilers follow for Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow.

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow doesn't have a story synopsis yet. However, it's already possible to draw some conclusions about its plot because it'll draw heavily from its graphic novel series namesake.

Indeed, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow is the same title bestowed upon an eight-issue series written by Tom King and drawn by Bilquis Eveley, which ran from June 2021 to February 2022.

In it, Kara Zor-El crosses paths with Ruthye and is asked to help the latter find the man (i.e. Krem) responsible for killing her dad. A reluctant Supergirl agrees to help, thus kicking off the literary work's events.

I won't spoil much else because, well, spoilers. However, Woman of Tomorrow is a unique comic book series in that it doesn't tell the story from the perspective of the titular hero. Indeed, we witness events play out through Ruthye's eyes, so I'm curious to see if this'll be the case in its movie adaptation, or if Kara will be our eyes and ears instead.

Regardless, it seems like Supergirl's first solo DCU outing will be incredibly faithful to its graphic novel counterpart. In January, Gunn revealed Woman of Tomorrow's first behind-the-scenes image, and it showed Alcock's Kara in a place that'll be very familiar to DC fans. Sure, this is just a single picture, but I'd be amazed if the forthcoming flick isn't a near-identical retelling of the plot that plays out in DC Comics literature.

Of equal intrigue will be the movie's age rating.

By all accounts, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow is a pretty dark story from a thematic standpoint, so its live-action interpretation could push the boundaries of what's considered to be a PG-13 movie in the US and a 12-plus film in the UK. I suspect these are the age ratings it'll eventually earn, as Gunn, Safran, and company won't want to make a 16-plus or even R-rated film that fewer people will be able to see.

How will Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow impact the DCU?

Woman of Tomorrow will be the second DCU movie after Superman, which arrives this July (Image credit: DC Studios/Warner Bros. Pictures)

The short answer is: I don't know. Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow will be the fourth DCU project released after Creature Commandos season 1, Superman, and Lanterns. The last of that trio is the next HBO TV Original that'll also air on Max (US and Australia) and Sky/Now TV (UK). It's expected to launch in early 2026.

Post-Woman of Tomorrow, the only other DCU production confirmed to be in active development, is Clayface. A small-budget horror flick from Mike Flanagan, it's currently penciled in to arrive in September 2026 and, based on what's been publicly revealed, it's highly unlikely to have ties to Woman of Tomorrow.

Until the Daughter of Krypton's next standalone adventure is out, then, nobody can say what the future holds for Kara Zor-El or how her first DCU solo movie will impact Gunn and Safran's cinematic universe.

What we do know is Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) is positioning Supergirl as the fourth superhero that the DCU will be built around. In May, WBD CEO David Zaslav told investors that Superman, Supergirl, Wonder Woman, and Batman are the DCU's "big asset builders" (per Yahoo). So, this isn't the last we'll see of Kara in the DCU.

For more DCU based coverage, read our guides on Creature Commandos season 2, the best Batman movies, and how to watch the DC movies in order.

• Kopernica AI platform tracks over 790 body points
• Combines vision, voice, and psychology to “understand” complex human emotions
• Continuously learns users' emotional patterns to personalize its responses with empathy

In recent years, artificial intelligence has rapidly advanced in understanding human language and behavior, yet the challenge of truly grasping human emotions remains a frontier.

However Neurologyca says its new AI system can “understand” human emotions, sense stress and anxiety, and adapt accordingly.

Kopernica integrates multiple sensory inputs and, unlike traditional AI which relies primarily on text or speech, uses a combination of computer vision, natural language processing, and personality modeling.

Multi-Modal Sensing

The system monitors over 790 points of reference on the human body, seven times more than comparable market solutions.

By using 3D pattern recognition, it can record subtle body language and facial expressions.

In order to find emotional clues that go beyond words, it also examines vocal tone and rhythmic patterns.

Furthermore, Kopernica continuously learns an individual’s emotional trends and interaction preferences.

This enables the system to personalize and be more empathetic in engagement over time.

Such multi-modal signal fusion is touted as the first technology to combine visual, auditory, and psychological signals to infer complex states like motivation, cognitive load, stress, and attention.

"Today’s AI systems understand what we say, but they can’t understand how we feel," said Juan Graña, Co-founder and CEO of Neurologyca.

"With Kopernica, we’ve created the human context layer that will empower these systems to not only capture nuanced human emotions but respond with empathy, adapt their behavior, and genuinely enhance the human-machine relationship.”

The promise of an emotionally smart AI is attractive, but the huge question remains: Can AI really understand human emotions in any meaningful sense?

The human capacity is very complex. It is shaped by history, context, individual nuance and cultural dimensions that even the most advanced AI system will overlook.

It goes beyond simply detecting anxiety or stress markers from micro-expressions and vocal patterns. The interpretation of what caused these expressions and the appropriate response is an issue that most likely requires human judgment.

There is also the issue of privacy. Neurologyca claims Kopernica performs real-time processing locally on devices, anonymizing data and ensuring no identifiable information is stored or shared without explicit consent.

Yet, any system that claims to consistently monitor human physiological and psychological signals, especially in public settings, will always have privacy issues to deal with.

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• A new Pixel superfan event has been spotted
• It could offer a sneak preview of the Pixel 10
• That would point to a launch before August

We know that Android 16 is going to be launching significantly earlier in the year than Android 15 did, and now the signs are that the Google Pixel 10 could break cover earlier this year than the Pixel 9 did in 2024.

According to Android Police, Pixel superfans in the UK – so Pixel owners who've signed up for access to a community of people who really, really like Pixels – have been invited to an exclusive Pixel 10 preview event on June 27.

Yes, that's June 27, 2025 – a mere 27 days from today (May 31). Now the Pixel 10 isn't mentioned by name on the invitation, but it does refer to "pre-release Pixel devices", which most probably means the upcoming flagship phone.

We're speculating a bit here, but the Google Pixel 9 launched on August 13, 2024. If Google is going to demo the Pixel 10 to superfans near the end of June, then we might be looking at a launch for the device sometime in July.

Speeding up

The Pixel 9 Pro is due a successor soon (Image credit: Blue Pixl Media)

An earlier Pixel 10 launch would fit with a recent Google trend too: the Google Pixel 8 was unveiled on October 12, 2023, so these launches are getting earlier and earlier with each passing year – perhaps to get way ahead of the traditional September iPhone launch.

And Android is launching early this year, too: Android 16 is expected to leave beta sometime in June, whereas Android 15 wasn't officially finished until September 2024. Google is speeding up its hardware and software development, it seems.

Thanks to the Android 16 beta program and Google I/O 2025, we already know a lot about what the software upgrade is bringing with it, of course. One of the most significant updates is a visual overhaul called Material 3 Expressive.

We don't know quite as much about the Pixel 10, though a few leaks and rumors have emerged in recent months. It is apparently going to bring with it a pretty underwhelming camera upgrade, and improved display technology.

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I’ve spent the last two weeks with Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, and when showing the all-new Galaxy S device to my friends and family, the same two comments would always be made. The first: ‘wow, that’s thin’. The second: ‘why?’.

Sadly I’ve been unable to provide a quick answer to the latter. The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge doesn’t trim the fat when it comes to being an epic handset – it features the same great user interface that Samsung refined with the S25 launch and, indeed, it looks and feels especially premium. But the feature that justifies its ‘Edge’ namesake hasn’t been demonstrated as particularly useful.

Despite being more expensive than the Galaxy S25 Plus (the edge starts at $1,099.99 / £1,099 / AU$1,849, while the Plus starts at $999 / £999 / AU$1,699), it features a lot of the same specs – and where it doesn't, it's often made sacrifices, including with the camera and battery.

There’s a nice mix of features here that, on the whole, are probably attractive to a user after a particular spec. That being said, the S25 Plus remains the better phone, and if you’re gravitating towards more expensive phones, I’d recommend the S25 Ultra over the Edge.

I don’t really have a lot to say about the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, but if you’re someone who has been craving a thin phone, pay attention to this device. I don’t recommend paying full price but, once Black Friday sales roll around, I’d be more inclined to purchase the Edge at a discount. At full price, however, with the Galaxy S25 Plus now seeing price drops, it's a tough sell.

What are these features?

A Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge lockscreen. (Image credit: Zachariah Kelly / TechRadar)

Ask yourself what you’re willing to sacrifice for a thin phone. Battery size? A camera lens? A stylus? To achieve what is likely the thinnest phone on the market right now, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge has sacrificed all of these things but, at the same time, it has received an interesting mishmash of features from both the S25 Plus and S25 Ultra, along with some features of its own.

The 200MP lens on the Edge, which it carries over from the Ultra, is great in use and captures a lot of color and detail, though the 12MP ultrawide camera from the Plus is also featured, rather than the much more capable 50MP lens on the Ultra. The telephoto lens is nowhere to be seen, removed to achieve the thinness, meaning that zoom capabilities are severely limited.

The battery is only a 3,900mAh capacity pack – smaller than the 4,900mAh battery found in the Plus and the 5,000mAh in the Ultra. This is again due to the thinness. I can confirm that it’s not as devastating as it may read on paper – I’ve been able to yield full-day batteries from the S25 Edge successfully during my time with it; however, I’m left yearning for the gigantic battery in the S25 Ultra, which I could rely on to last me into a second day if I forgot a charge.

My 9-5 workday with the S25 Edge saw the phone run down to about 51% once I got home, and using it casually one morning, the phone dropped from 100% to 87% in just under two hours. No doubt it’d be struggling if I forgot to charge it overnight, or when I got home after work.

A phone of this price might be unconscionable with a battery like this, but I kind of see it as a non-issue. It’s not really intended to be the same exceptionally capable device as the Ultra, after all – this phone is realistically closer to the Z range, as it’s more niche and experimental (albeit no fold).

Left: the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge. Right: The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5. (Image credit: Zachariah Kelly / TechRadar)

The display is also fairly nice, though it’s identical to the 6.7-inch, 3,440 x 1,440 resolution screen featured on the Plus – apart from the new Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2 protective layer. I would have liked the screen to have similar squared dimensions to the Ultra, along with the flagship phone’s premium anti-glare glass to make it a more competitive handset (and more different to the Plus), but that’s just me.

The Snapdragon 8 Elite processor is the exact same as the one that’s in the Plus and Ultra, and the AI feature set (which Samsung still hasn’t indicated the future pricing of) remains identical.

And that naturally leads up to the thinness – yeah, it’s thin. I don’t really know what to say: Samsung made a thin phone. Cool. It’s still as thick as a standard phone when you put a case on it, something that I would highly recommend as, although it looks quite nice, I was not confident in holding the phone without a case by the side of the road or when on a balcony. The camera housing also adds a bit of chunkiness, protruding far from the phone's back.

What was I expecting?

A Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge lying on its face. (Image credit: Zachariah Kelly / TechRadar)

The Galaxy S25 Edge feels like a stumble more than anything else, which is a shame considering Samsung’s recent track record: the hugely impressive Galaxy Ring, the epic Galaxy S25 Ultra refresh and awesome-value Galaxy A56 are all brilliant examples of the Korean tech giant’s ability to read the room and understand what its customers actually want.

While I don’t deny the existence of folks looking for a thin phone, the S25 Edge fails to carve out a unique niche among the Galaxy S family of devices. Simultaneously, the Edge feels too close to the S25 Plus to feel unique on its own, and too feature-stripped to justify buying at full price.

There are places that Samsung could take the Edge idea to make it more appealing. As I alluded earlier, bringing it closer in spec and aesthetic to the Ultra, offering its anti-glare layer and more squared shape while also being thinner, smaller and cheaper is one place where the Edge might be justifiable.

Another is the opposite: reckoning with the fact that it’s going to be feature-limited to begin with, instead positioning it closer to the base-model Galaxy S25, offering a similar set of cameras and size, along with the incredible thinness with a slightly higher price.

It’s close to the issues encountered by the Galaxy Z Flip. That phone has similar battery and camera limitations as the Edge, along with a high price, but the Flip gets a pass as it’s really cool to treat your phone like a classic flip phone and it has an additional screen. The Edge is just thin.

For now, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge feels just a little too niche for mass-market appeal, which explains why the company has only chosen three color options (one being exclusive to Samsung’s online store). It’s a good phone and I recommend purchasing it – just not over the other phones in the S25 range and certainly not for the full price.

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Practical Magic 2: key information

- Set for release on Sept 18, 2026
- Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman reprising their iconic roles
- Plot will follow Alice Hoffman's The Book of Magic novel
- No official trailer released yet
- Expected to stream on HBO Max after theatrical release
- Joey King "in talks" to play Sally's daughter

Practical Magic 2 is on its way and considering it's been nearly 30 years since we enjoyed the 1998 original, it's practically magical news – especially because Warner Bros. has already confirmed the release date as September 18, 2026.

Will Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman be reprising their iconic roles? Yes, they certainly will. The sequel is set to bring back at least that much of the original's spellbinding magic, with both Sally and Gillian Owens played by the original actors.

Marked as a theatrical release at first, it will almost certainly arrive on HBO Max after that, as a Warner movie – the original Practical Magic has found its home there.

And who knows, Practical Magic 2 may well find itself among the best Max movies to watch on one of the best streaming services. Here's everything we know so far about Practical Magic 2 from release date, to cast, to plot and so much more.

Practical Magic 2: release date?

The spell is cast. The date is set. Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman return. Only In Theaters September 18, 2026. Rewatch the original #PracticalMagic now streaming on MAX. pic.twitter.com/SfPT1DduLXMay 6, 2025

Practical Magic 2 will arrive in theaters on September 18, 2026. The news was confirmed by an official post on X in May by Warner Bros, accompanied by some magic words from the movie's stars, Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman.

They can be heard reciting a spell: "Tooth of wolf and morning dew. Something old and something new. Let the spell begin to mix. September 18, 2026."

While it says "only in theaters", it's all-but-certain to come to HBO Max after that, since that's Warner Bros. Discovery's official streaming platform. It's where the original 1998 Practical Magic just dropped too, if you want to remind yourself of the magic.

Practical Magic 2: has a trailer been released?

Will Aunt Franny and Aunt Jet return? (Image credit: Warner Bros.)

There's no official Practical Magic 2 trailer yet, which is not surprising considering the cast and crew haven't announced any notice of filming.

During an interview with Variety in February though, Kidman revealed that the sequel is "moving ahead rapidly", before shutting down any further questions. I'll be sure to update here when an official trailer drops.

Practical Magic 2: confirmed cast

Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman will reprise their iconic roles (Image credit: Warner Bros.)

As far as the Practical Magic 2 cast list goes, it's pretty sparse. But, there's two crucial actors who will be reprising their role, as reported by Variety:

• Sandra Bullock as Sally Owens
• Nicole Kidman as Gillian Owens

It feels as though Practical Magic 2 wouldn't be possible without the return of Bullock and Kidman as the Owens' sisters, so this casting announcement coming hand-in-hand with revealing the movie's existence makes total sense (and is a huge relief).

To tie the cast together perfectly, we're wondering if Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest will also reprise their iconic roles as Aunt Franny and Aunt Jet respectively. Both women are still acting, despite being 81 and 77 years old, respectively.

There is an important crew member returning, though, and that's Akiva Goldsman who co-wrote the original Practical Magic. And he's officially back on board for writing Practical Magic 2.

Finally, though yet to be confirmed, Joey King is reportedly "in talks" to play Sally's daughter (as per Variety) and we'll delve more into the importance of this role in the plot section below.

Practical Magic 2: story synopsis and rumors

Practical Magic 2 will be based on Alice Hoffman's The Book of Magic (Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Full spoilers for Practical Magic to follow. Plus, potential spoilers for Practical Magic 2.

The original Practical Magic movie in 1998 is based on the first novel in the famed series by author, Alice Hoffman. It followed Sally and Gillian, two reluctant witch sisters, who are raised by their aunts in a small town tackling a curse that could stop them from ever finding love.

And, as they grow up, they use their gift of practical magic to try to break the wretched curse for good.

So, when it comes to the plot of Practical Magic 2, it marks a return to the books. Hoffman's series consists of four novels; Practical Magic (1995), The Rules of Magic (2017), Magic Lessons (2020) and The Book of Magic (2021). And Entertainment Weekly exclusively revealed in July 2024 that The Book of Magic would be the basis of the sequel's plot.

Speaking to EW, producer Denise Di Novi said: "I think [fans are] going to be very pleased. We're going to be very faithful. We're cognizant to how important those characters and that movie are to so many people. We're not going to reinvent the wheel."

We know from the official book synopsis that this, the fourth in Hoffman's series, follows "three generations of the Owens women, and one long-lost brother", as well as the "younger generation" including Kylie Owens, the daughter of Sally.

And, of course, there's already talks about casting Sally's daughter, but I won't delve into the synopsis of this book any further for fear of revealing too much. I don't want the same generational curse that haunts the Owens family coming down on me.

Will there be more Practical Magic movies?

Will a Practical Magic prequel be revisited? (Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Never say never. While there's no suggestion that any more Practical Magic movies are on the way, I can't say for certain that this marks the end. That said, given that Practical Magic 2 is based around Alice Hoffman's conclusive novel of her series, then for Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman's story at least, it feels... well, conclusive.

But, while another movie might be out of the question, how about a TV show? The two prequel novels that came between Practical Magic and The Book of Magic have been a focus of previous, though failed, attempts to bring Practical Magic back to life.

The most recent by HBO Max as it hoped to create a TV series in 2019. Set to focus on the aunts, Franny and Jet, it failed to get the green light, but perhaps Practical Magic 2 can bring the magic back to life?

I imagine it will all depend on the success of the movie – if it's a big hit, spin-offs could be worked out pretty quickly.

For more Max TV show-based coverage, check out our guides on House of the Dragon season 3, Peacemaker season 2, Creature Commandos season 2, and The White Lotus season 4.

The Sony WH-1000XM6 are here, and it’s safe to say that we’re big fans of Sony’s new flagship cans, awarding them our Recommended badge in our Sony WH-1000XM6 review – if you're buying new, they're clearly some of the best headphones you can buy right now. But what if you already own a pair of the legendary Sony WH-1000XM4? Is it really worth the upgrade considering the gap in price between each model?

Well, I’ll give it to you straight: yes, yes it is. I’ve spent weeks using the brand new Sony WH-1000XM6, during which time I’ve been able to test them side-by-side with the Sony WH-1000XM4. And Sony really has got it spot on this time, levelling up every part of the package without making any design decisions the feel like a step back (*ahem* Sony WH-1000XM5, looking at you).

The improvements are clear and make a big difference throughout the Sony WH-1000XM6, but I’ve selected the three most impactful factors that may convince you XM4 owners out there to upgrade. So, let’s dive straight into things.

(Image credit: Future)1. Sony has taken noise cancelling to new heights

It’s undeniable. These are the best Sony headphones ever for noise cancelling. When pitting the XM6 against the XM4 in an ANC test, it wasn’t even a contest. And that says a lot given that the XM4 still put up a strong performance as far as noise cancellation is concerned.

Look, the XM4 do well to dispel low-end sounds, and are great if you want to dull harsh noise. When using them, I rarely found it difficult to remain focused on my favorite tracks or TV shows. But the XM6 are a real cut above.

It doesn’t matter where I am or what I’m doing, these headphones almost always deliver silence, or at the least, near-silence. In busy, traffic-filled areas, I was totally detached from the world around me. When vacuuming my apartment, disruptive whirring sounds were utterly crushed. And on public transport, it was as if I was traveling alone.

The XM6 are kitted out to supply this class-leading ANC. That’s thanks to a new, drastically stronger QN3 HD noise-cancelling processor that channels the abilities of 12 microphones to phase out all ambient sounds.

The XM4, meanwhile, have seven fewer mics and a significantly weaker processor. Sure, they had wonderful ANC at the point of launch, but now, they’ve been outclassed by a wide array of rivals – of course the XM6, but also Sony’s own XM5 model and the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, to name just a couple. We rate these as the best noise cancelling headphones when it comes to pure noise stopping power, and you absolutely will hear the difference if you choose to upgrade.

The Sony WH-1000XM6's class-leading ANC provides a true escape from the outside world (Image credit: Future)2. You get the sleekness of the XM5 with the XM4’s foldability

As I mentioned in my Sony WH-1000XM6 review, these headphones marry the very best design elements of their two predecessors to perfection. I’m sure a lot of XM4 owners love the foldability of their cans, which is ideal for throwing them in a bag when you’re on the go.

And I’m also sure that Sony is under no illusions that removing that feature from the XM5 model put off a lot of XM4 owners who might've considered an upgrade.

Thankfully for those people, Sony has listened to its critics and brought folding back from the dead – and improved it. The Sony WH-1000XM6 use fortified metal hinges that are more durable and enduring than those on the XM4.

That means you’ll have less to worry about around breakage or damage over the coming years. On top of that, there’s a new magnetic case for you to put the folded-up XM6 into – in my opinion, that’s more practical than the XM4’s zip-up one.

But not only do the XM6 fold, they look pretty cool while doing so. Sony’s new cans have largely maintained the slimmer, seamless, rounded design of the XM5 – which already had a more premium look than the XM4 in my view.

The headband is greatly improved from that of the XM4, with a less plasticky appearance, a smoother feel, and luxurious levels of comfort thanks to being wider. There’s also a neat paper-like matte consistency to the XM6’s exterior, which looks extremely clean. They feel like a real physical upgrade.

Foldability is back and better than ever (Image credit: Future)3. Upgraded audio, forged alongside leading mastering engineers

Let’s conclude by discussing what matters most on any pair of the best wireless headphones: sound quality. When we reviewed the Sony WH-1000XM4, we lauded their clean, expressive sound, punchy bass and impressive attention to detail.

Their 40mm dynamic drivers – similar to those used in the Sony WH-1000XM3 before them – are more than capable of handling heavy beats or delicate vocal ballads, with overall audio quality still satisfying me half a decade after launch.

But, as you’d hope, the Sony WH-1000XM6 do all of this and then some. In my comparison testing, I found the XM6 produced a more balanced sound, right out of the box. Sony’s new cans were developed alongside a number of well-renowned mastering engineers, and perhaps unsurprisingly, that means there’s a more even sound across all frequencies.

The end result is a combination of pumping yet disciplined bass, rich mids, and energetic highs. That new and improved sonic cocktail really makes the XM6 worth the step up in my view.

There’s also a ‘noise shaper’ in the XM6, which enhances digital to analog conversion and removes distortion from sudden sound changes, capping off a fantastically controlled listening experience.

Another crucial improvement from the XM4 is the XM6’s more nuanced, wider soundstage. Every instrumental element is given plenty of room to breathe, forging open, layered, and hypnotic listening experiences. Yes, the XM6 really are great at immersing you in the music… but also in movies too.

That’s thanks to a new feature called 360 Reality Audio Upmix. Just flick Cinema mode on in the Sony Sound Connect app, and the headphones will convert a basic stereo signal into a more expansive format, helping to create a three-dimensional spatial impression.

Finally, you’ve still got all the great sound-related features from the XM4. Whether that’s DSEE Extreme upscaling for lower-quality music files, LDAC for ‘hi-res’ Bluetooth listening, or EQ adjustment, you’ll be in for an absolute treat.

The XM6 do still have an advantage here, with a 10-band equalizer giving you elevated levels of control, and that improved ANC I mentioned will keep you even more engrossed in the music.

You get the picture – the XM6 really do have all bases covered, and you will immediately feel a clear difference moving from the old model to the new.

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• AI is fueling a huge increase in cyberattacks
• The US is the primary target for ransomware attacks
• Threat actors are turning to vulnerable assets

It won’t come as a surprise to many cybersecurity professionals, but AI is behind a drastic rise in the number of cyberattacks, with new research from Fortinet revealing the apparenty scale of the problem.

The study found that year-on-year, automated scanning activity has seen a 16.7% increase, with 36,000 scans per second recorded globally - with the research describing threat actors as “shifting left” towards vulnerable digital assets “earlier in the attack lifecycle”, in particular, Remote Desktop Protocol, IoT systems, and Session Initiation Protocols.

Infostealers have been threatening organizations for a long time, but this research has unveiled a staggering 500% increase in available logs from compromised systems - meaning over 1.7 billion stolen credentials are circulating on the dark web, noting, “this flood of stolen data has led to a sharp increase in targeted cyberattacks against businesses and individuals."

A call to action

The report warns cybercriminals are taking advantage of these login details too, with a 42% increase in compromised credentials observed for sale.

Interestingly, zero-day attacks only account for a “small percentage” of threats, and cybercriminals are increasingly using “live of the land” vulnerabilities to remain undetected.

The Ransomware-as-a-Service landscape is expanding, with new groups emerging and old players solidifying their gains. Ransomhub was the most active group in 2024, claiming 13% of victims, with LockBit 3.0 (12%), Play (8%) and Medusa (4%) all following close behind.

Such ransomware attacks are targeting one country in particular, with the United States taking 61% of incidents, followed by the UK at 6%, and Canada at 5% - a strong indication of the trend against American organizations.

“Our 2025 Global Threat Landscape Report makes it clear: cybercriminals are scaling faster than ever, using AI and automation to gain the upper hand,” said Derek Manky, Chief Security Strategist and Global Vice President of Threat Intelligence at FortiGuard Labs.

“Defenders must abandon outdated security playbooks and transition to proactive, intelligence-driven strategies that incorporate AI, zero trust architectures, and continuous threat exposure management.”

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The rate of progress in the tech world has shown no signs of slowing down over the last seven days. Whether it's advances in the capabilities of AI video generators or a long-serving messaging app finally appearing on Apple's tablets, it's been quite a week.

As good as we try and make our journalism here on TechRadar, we know that not everyone has time to sit down and digest every story that we put up across the week – and so we present to you this In Case You Missed It recap so you can get yourself caught up.

We'll be back with another ICYMI for you at the same time next week, but for now let's dive into some of the stories that have been causing the biggest ripples in the tech pond over the last few days – there's a lot to get through, and a lot of topics to cover.

If you need more reading material, check out the best new movies and shows to stream this weekend.

8. Garmin’s Whoop-style ‘sleep band’ edged closer to reality

Could another Garmin product be on the way? (Image credit: Mike Sawh)

Garmin is already one of the biggest and most well-respected names in fitness wearables, and it seems a brand-new device is on the way: well-placed sources say they've seen signs of a screenless, sleep-tracking band that Garmin is planning to introduce soon.

It sounds a bit like a Whoop band, from the few details that have emerged so far, which would undoubtedly make it a more comfortable option for wearing in bed than a chunky smartwatch. As yet, however, we haven't heard anything official from Garmin.

• Read more: Garmin's long-rumored Whoop-style screenless 'sleep band' will reportedly break cover soon

7. A streaming login leak got us updating our Netflix passwords

You might want to change your Netflix password (Image credit: Shutterstock)

If you're signed up for a Netflix account, be sure to reset your password at your earliest opportunity, as millions of login credentials have been leaked online. It's not just Netflix, either: accounts across Prime Video, Disney+, and other services are also affected.

The silver lining is that financial information related to these accounts seems to be safe, but there's no room for complacency, especially if you're using your streaming logins for other accounts as well.

It's best to assume you've been exposed and change your details.

• Read more: Time to change your Netflix password? Millions of login details have leaked, according to a cybersecurity report – and it's not just Netflix

6. Anker gave us earbuds that double as a phone battery pack

Meet the Anker Soundcore P41i (Image credit: Soundcore)

We're always keen to see tech that's a little bit different here at TechRadar, and that's the case with the Anker Soundcore P41i wireless earbuds. These little buds last up to 12 hours, which rises to a huge 192 hours if you include the charging case.

That's because the compact charging case doubles up as a general-purpose power bank that'll charge your phone too, if needed – it features a 3,000mAh capacity battery inside, so it may mean there's one less gadget or charging plug you need to carry around with you.

• Read more: Anker's new earbuds have a case that doubles as a phone battery pack – and, unsurprisingly, giant battery life for the buds

5. Sony handed indie filmmakers a new compact video camera

The new Sony FX2 camera (Image credit: Sony)

The Sony FX2 video camera was officially announced this week, bringing with it a tiltable EVF and a 33MP full-frame sensor. It's capable of filming in 4K at up to 60fps, and it's going to be available from July 2025, priced at $2,700 / £2,700 / AU$ 5,299 for the body only.

We still need to get our hands on the Sony FX2 and put it through some tests, but from what we can see, it looks ideal for anyone making movies on a small, low-budget scale. There are some limitations, though, including a lack of 32-bit float audio recording.

• Read more: Sony's new compact video camera is official – and it looks ideal for YouTubers and indie filmmakers

4. We tested Google’s mind-blowing AI video maker

Veo 3 can create all kinds of weird and wonderful clips (Image credit: Future)

AI video making has made a huge step forward with the arrival of the Veo 3 model from Google. Clips made by Veo 3 have been flooding onto the web and across social media, and it's now just about impossible to tell what's real and what's fake with these videos.

We've been able to run a few prompts through the Google Veo 3 engine, creating clips of dinosaurs painting and dramatic set pieces on the surface of Mars. It can take some work to get a result you'll be happy with, though, and we've also got some Veo 3 tips to share.

• Read more: I created these wild AI videos in Veo 3 and here's how you can do it too

3. Samsung launched the One UI 8 beta for early adopters

The Galaxy S25 Ultra is one of the phones first in line for One UI 8 (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

Samsung's next big update is One UI 8, based on Android 16, and you can test it out now if you have a Galaxy S25 phone and live in the US, the UK, Germany, or South Korea. Find out how you can sign up now, and the headline features you can expect from the update.

More upgrades and tweaks will no doubt be added as the beta progresses. Samsung also told us that One UI 8 will launch in full in the coming months, alongside some brand-new foldables, which we expect to be the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and the Galaxy Z Flip 7.

• Read more: Samsung launches the One UI 8 beta for Galaxy S25 phones – here's how you can get it

2. The first Dolby Atmos FlexConnect speaker landed

The TCL Z100 offers some clever surround sound tricks (Image credit: Dolby / TCL)

The TCL Z100 has the distinction of being the first speaker to be announced that works with Dolby Atmos FlexConnect. That's the audio tech that can create dynamic surround sound in a room, no matter how many speakers you've got or how they're arranged.

Up to four TCL Z100 speakers can be combined in a single configuration, and while we've yet to hear pricing and release date details on this unit, it's great to see the dynamic technology making its way into speakers, two years after it was announced.

• Read more: Dolby Atmos FlexConnect is one of the coolest bits of tech I've seen in years, and it's finally coming in a speaker you can buy

1. WhatsApp finally got an iPad app

WhatsApp, now on the iPad (Image credit: Shutterstock)

It's been a long time coming, but WhatsApp is finally available on the Apple iPad – so your chats can spread themselves out across a bigger screen. As well as sending and receiving messages, you'll be able to share your screen and video chat with up to 32 people at once.

You'll be able to sync conversations across from your other devices in just a few seconds, and WhatsApp promises there's more to come with WhatsApp on Apple's tablets. Is it too much to ask Meta to get around to making an iPad app for Instagram next?

• Read more: WhatsApp just finally launched its much anticipated iPad app

• Sphotonix’s 5D optical storage media has appeared on the latest installment of Mission Impossible
• A rare feat for a new product, its appearance is central to the movie plot
• Like Microsoft Silica, it uses silica based material to store up to 360TB per glass platter

Storage startup Sphotonix has landed itself a money-can’t-buy starring role in the big-budget Hollywood movie "Mission Impossible, The Final Reckoning," where it ended up being part of the actual scenario rather than a disposable, forgettable prop.

(No spoiler alerts) In it, its core product, a 5D optical storage media is used to store a critical element of the movie plot, potentially for billions of years.

Having been used to back up the full human genome in January 2025, we know that it can store up to 360TB on a 5-inch rectangular glass platter and uses a proprietary laser-based nano etching technology called FemtoEtch.

That's far more than the largest SSD (the 122.88TB Solidigm P5-5336) or HDD (36TB models from Seagate or WD) currently on the market – more about how the technology works is in the promotional video below.

Other exotic storage competitors that want to rival cold storage, archiving media such as LTO tape, include ceramic (Cerabyte), Silicium (Microsoft Silica), DNA (Biomemory, Catalog), optical disc (Folio photonics, Optera Data).

This is a tough market as witnessed through the demise of Sony's legacy 5.5TB ODA media, but experts agree: the rapacious appetite of AI for bytes, at rest or on the move, has changed the dynamics of the ecosystem.

The worldwide enterprise information archiving market will balloon to more than $17 billion by 2031, according to research published by Verified Market Research in 2024.

SPhotonix expects that by 2028, the world will produce almost 400 Zettabytes of data, with thousands of data centres globally gobbling more than 1000TWh of power.

The storage startup was founded upon over 30 years of research by its Chief Science Officer, Prof. Kazansky, at the University of Southampton’s Optoelectronics Research Center.

I reached out to SPhotonix to find out more about the performance and other related specs of the media, as well as any meaningful time frames and prices.

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• Echo Hunter is a new, fully AI-generated sci-fi short film created using Arcana AI
• The cast is SAG-AFTRA actors led by Breckin Meyer
• The film blends traditional voice performances with AI-rendered visuals

There’s a memorable moment in the new sci-fi short film Echo Hunter where a clone hunter starts questioning his place in a morally bankrupt world with blurred lines between man and machine. It feels particularly pointed since AI models generate all of the footage for Echo Hunter.

Echo Hunter was created by Arcana Labs and written and directed by filmmaker Kavan Cardoza (better known as “Kavan the Kid”). However, unlike any other major AI-produced film, it features a fully unionized cast of SAG-AFTRA actors. You can see a bit of how it came together in the behind-the-scenes video below, but there are a few key things to know about Echo Hunter and its AI origins.

Real film with real actors

Clocking in at under 30 minutes, Echo Hunter isn’t just a tech demo; it's an actual story with a narrative, cohesive visual style, and directorial control. The plot isn't exactly unique; shades of Blade Runner, Ghost in the Shell, and The Matrix are hard to avoid in a story about a clone hunter in a dystopian future who begins to unravel when memories of a forgotten life start surfacing. Existential thrillers with sci-fi flavor and a moody synth score are familiar, but the entire thing being generated using AI models is not.

Arcana Labs developed the eponymous AI model behind the film. The idea was to demonstrate that a high-quality movie could be made without hundreds of millions of dollars and a year in Atlanta. The director and his team fed performance data, audio, and prompts into the system, and Arcana AI did the heavy lifting of designing visuals, rendering scenes, and creating a coherent movie.

Echo Hunter's producers are keen to say they aren't trying to replace actors or sidestep their union. Breckin Meyer leads a fully paid-up group of union performers, including Taylor John Smith, Danielle Bisutti, Gedeon Burkhard, Hanna Balicki, and Xander Bailey. Their voices, performances, and likenesses are central to the experience. Their voices are attached to AI-generated virtual versions of themselves.

Kavan collaboration

If Kavan the Kid rings any bells, you may be familiar with his pioneering experiments with AI-produced short films. He's gone viral with very unauthorized but still impressive-looking shorts like Star Wars: The Ghost Apprentice and Batman: A Face of Clay, each seen by millions of people and propelling him to notoriety for AI-based filmmaking, for better or worse. Echo Hunter fits well with both his style and technical expertise, which makes sense since he both directed and wrote the film.

But it's far from a one-man show this time. Arcana produced Echo Hunter in collaboration with Phantom X, with Arcana co-founder Jonathan Yunger as executive producer. Counting them and the cast, it's still a fraction of the hundreds of people necessary for an equivalent production without AI. Arcana argues this is a positive as it reduces the amount of money and resources that prevent filmmakers from making the kinds of movies they want to make.

But, while it's good that the cast is unionized and paid and treated accordingly, it raises questions about the future of the many other hard-working and talented people who make epic, large-scale films. That's something to consider, even if AI flawlessly executed filmmaking requests every time without plenty of the finessing and fine-tuning that made Echo Hunter look as good as it does.

Future films

And Echo Hunter, flaws and all, shows that this isn't a far-off theoretical question to consider. Studios won't shut down all their productions in favor of AI-created films (with or without human actors) tomorrow or even in the next few years, but there's no way meetings about doing so aren't happening. The ethical implications are real and worth wrestling with, but on the optimistic side, smaller, independent creators now have a lot more options for making films without spending half a million dollars for a five-second shot of a futuristic skyline. And lack of corporate coffers doesn't have to stop a Phoenix-based director from adding rain-slicked streets to their noir film.

Including real actors in the union does show that synthetic productions aren't automatically soulless. The human performances, writing, and direction are what make the film engaging. Some might argue that AI just helps fill in the blanks between the dream and the budget. And no AI could perfectly mimic how one of the stars from Franklin & Bash delivers an emotional monologue about lost identity in a clone apocalypse.

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• Silicon Motion SM2324 9mm chip powers external SSDs with up to 32TB and
• It promises true USB4 speeds of 4,000MB/s
• Built for filmmakers and backup warriors, this chip supports Apple Pro workflows

Silicon Motion has revealed a potentially transformative piece of storage tech at Computex 2025: the SM2324, a single-chip USB4 SSD controller aimed at powering external drives with up to 32TB of storage and read speeds of 4,000MB/s.

The company says the SM2324 combines native USB4 support with an integrated Power Delivery controller, meaning fewer parts, reduced costs for OEMs, and more compact SSD enclosures.

This could, in theory, usher in a new class of ultra-high-capacity portable drives -though affordability and availability are still big questions.

A compact controller built for scale and cross-platform use

Unlike multi-chip designs, it’s built to simplify production without compromising on performance, thanks to sequential write speeds that can reach 3,809MB/s -assuming cooling is adequate.

It also offers full support for 3D TLC and QLC NAND, as well as compatibility with Power Delivery 3.1, and is built using TSMC’s 12nm low-power node to keep power demands reasonable.

With support for up to 32TB and compatibility with Windows, macOS, Linux, and even Apple ProRes workflows on iPhones, the controller clearly targets a wide market -everyone from mobile filmmakers to enterprise backup users.

Whether it ends up in the drives competing for best portable hard drive or best SSD status depends not just on its specs, but on how it's implemented.

Still, there are caveats. While single-chip simplicity lowers BOM costs, there's no promise that 32TB USB4 SSDs based on the SM2324 will be priced for mainstream users.

NAND prices, thermal management requirements, and power delivery constraints could all push the final product into specialist territory.

So while it might eventually sit alongside the best external SSD options in performance, it may not do so in price.

This device comes with security features which include support for AES 128/256-bit encryption, hardware SHA-384, a TRNG, and full TCG Opal 2.0 compliance.

There’s even optional support for fingerprint-based authentication, though integration details are vague.

It also integrates Silicon Motion’s NANDXtend LDPC ECC engine, improving endurance and reliability for both TLC and QLC memory.

In terms of design, the chip is compact, just 9mm by 9mm, and includes an aluminum heat spreader, making it viable for slim external enclosures.

"At Silicon Motion, we're focused on delivering SSD controller solutions that lead in both performance and power efficiency," said Nelson Duann, Senior VP of Client & Automotive Storage Business at Silicon Motion.

"…the SM2324 redefines portable storage with a fully integrated single-chip USB4 solution. These technologies reflect our commitment to helping customers build faster, smaller, and more efficient SSDs for next-generation applications."

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• Dummy loads burn up to 45% of energy just to keep power levels stable
• Skeleton’s GrapheneGPU delivers up to 40% more computing with the same hardware
• AI workloads are killing energy efficiency, GrapheneGPU smooths power draw in real time

As artificial intelligence systems grow more demanding, many data centers have found themselves consuming nearly twice the energy they technically need.

This overuse isn’t due to system flaws or outdated hardware, it’s rooted in how GPUs behave, as their power demand can swing drastically within seconds, from full throttle to idle.

To cope, operators often deploy dummy loads, deliberate energy wasters, to maintain a stable power draw - but these data centers deliberately slow the performance of tens of thousands of GPUs to prevent power outages

Dummy loads mean massive wastage of energy

While this avoids damage and blackouts, it means up to 45% of energy is lost as heat, performing no useful computation.

Skeleton Technologies now claims it may have a more efficient alternative, one that allows GPUs to run at full capacity without overwhelming the grid.

The Estonian company developed GrapheneGPU, a peak-shaving system using proprietary Curved Graphene supercapacitors.

Unlike lithium-based systems, these capacitors can respond in just 10 microseconds, absorbing energy during idle periods and discharging it instantly when GPU loads spike.

The result, according to Skeleton, is the ability to maintain consistent GPU performance without stressing the grid or resorting to throttling.

Their tests suggest the system can deliver up to 40% more FLOPS - floating point operations per second - using the same GPUs, simply by removing the performance penalties associated with thermal de-rating and power instability.

“GrapheneGPU delivers up to 40% more computing with the same energy footprint, while cutting both capital and operating costs by reducing grid upgrade needs, energy waste, and cooling,” said Taavi Madiberk, CEO of Skeleton Technologies.

“Powered by our patented Curved Graphene, this is a fundamental shift in how AI infrastructure can scale - sustainably and economically”.

The company also reports up to a 44% reduction in the power capacity that data centers must reserve from the grid.

The core unit, the GrapheneGPU PCS 50, delivers up to 80 kW of peak power in a standard 1OU form factor, compatible with existing infrastructure and cooled by air or liquid.

Importantly, it avoids lithium entirely, using Skeleton’s patented graphene-based material instead.

According to Skeleton, this technology has been tested under rigorous hyperscaler-grade GPU workloads with positive results. However, it has not been independently tested for real-world performance and durability.

The first shipment of this technology will commence in Germany by June 2025. The company also has a U.S. production site planned for early 2026.

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