TechRadar News

• New research claims that global smartwatch shipments declined in 2024
• The 7% decline over 2023 would mark the first time the market has shrunk
• It is claimed that the missing Apple Watch Ultra 3 launch and iterative Series 10 may be partly to blame

A new set of figures into the global smartwatch market claims that the sector shrunk in 2024 year-on-year, the first time the market has ever declined.

The figures from Counterpoint Research indicate that global smartwatch shipments fell in 2024 by 7% over 2023.

While the likes of Samsung and Huawei enjoyed some reported growth (35% for the latter if the figures are correct), Apple saw shipments of its best Apple Watches reportedly decline by some 19% year-on-year, enough to shrink the market as a whole.

Apple drives the seismic shift because it makes up so much of the market. Counterpoint estimates that 25% of smartwatches shipped in 2023 were Apple Watches, with that share shrinking to just 22% last year.

The reason? Counterpoint claims the biggest driver in decline was a waning North American market disappointed by the iterative Apple Watch Series 10 and the missing Apple Watch Ultra 3, which we'd hoped might launch last year.

The figures are unlikely to be spot on. Counterpoint Research figures are based on analyst estimates rather than sales data, which Apple never makes public, and the outlet has been off before about Apple. Still, the notion of a disappointing 2024 for Apple Watch rings true, and is a plausible reason as to why the market might have shrunk last year.

A much better 2025 in store for smartwatches

The Apple Watch Series 10 did actually mark quite a refinement over the previous Series 9. It's decidedly more comfortable to wear and the display is much brighter when viewed from an angle.

In my opinion, the lack of Apple Watch Ultra 3 was definitely more of a disappointment. Apple's Ultra 2 did get a new titanium black colorway, but the lack of any other upgrades was sure to put off prospective new customers, including those looking to upgrade from the original Apple Watch Ultra.

Whether or not these figures truly represent a decline in the smartwatch market, the outlook for 2025 is much better, at least for Apple. The company is planning to unveil three new models, including a new, redesigned Apple Watch SE 3, a long-overdue upgrade that has also likely impacted interest in the market.

The Apple Watch Series 11 might not be a major design change over the Series 10, but it is expected to include high blood pressure detection that will work in a similar vein to its sleep apnea detection, giving alerts for abnormal readings, rather than specific data.

Finally, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 will complete the set, with high blood pressure detection also in tow.

All of these should be unveiled at Apple's customary September event alongside the iPhone 17.

You might also like

• UNA Watch is the sustainable wearable that wants to replace your Apple Watch
• In 10 years, this $99 Amazfit Active 2 is the closest I've come to ditching my Apple Watch
• Wearing an Apple Watch on your ankle is a seriously bad idea: Here are 8 reasons why

• Hitman: World of Assassination launches for PSVR 2 on March 27
• It will cost $9.99 / £8.99 for existing owners to upgrade
• The VR Games Showcase also showed off loads of new Meta Quest games

As part of the recent VR Games Showcase live stream, developer IO Interactive gave us another look at Hitman: World of Assassination on PSVR 2 and confirmed a release date.

This VR (virtual reality) take on Hitman: World of Assassination features all of the content from the original PS5 version of the stealth game, which means more than three complete single player campaigns, countless sandbox levels to explore, and hundreds of weapons to try.

This latest gameplay trailer looks absolutely superb, showing a player pulling off a daring assassination on a target in a moving race car with a compact sniper rifle. We were also told that the game will launch on March 27, 2025, which means that there's really not long to wait if you're keen to dive in.

You can see the full presentation for yourself below.

Although you will need to own a copy of Hitman: World of Assassination on PS5 to play, the PSVR 2 upgrade will not be free. IO Interactive has previously confirmed that it will cost $9.99 / £8.99.

This was far from the only reveal in the showcase, however, which also showed off loads of games coming to Meta Quest and PC VR.

For me, a few highlights include pet simulator Stay Forever Home which lets you interact with an adorable creature named Ember. Releasing for Meta Quest 3, Meta Quest 3S and Meta Quest Pro, it will utilize the headsets' AR (augmented reality) features to put the animal right in your home.

There's also 'roguelite' mech battler Underdogs, which is coming to PSVR 2 on March 25 and looks like a blast with the promise of detailed haptic support to help you feel every blow.

Finally, creepy adventure Ghost Town (announced for Meta Quest 3, Meta Quest 3S, Meta Quest Pro, and Meta Quest 2 in addition to PSVR 2 and PC VR) is pretty intriguing. Coming from the developers of The Room VR: A Dark Matter, I'm expecting a great mystery with plenty of good puzzles to solve.

You might also like...

• Future PlayStation games could have AI-powered characters, if this leaked prototype of Aloy is anything to go by
• MercurySteam CEO discusses upcoming new IP Blades of Fire: 'We love third person action adventure games and we wanted to revisit the genre'
• Atomfall art director breaks down the survival game's condensed Lake District setting: 'It wasn't so much about how far you travel, but how many things you see along the way'

• iRobot scraps all its robot vacuums apart from the Combo 10 Max, replacing them with 5 new models
• The new vacs have LiDAR, rotating mop pads, and introduce a cool new design language
• They're available for pre-sale from March 18 in North America and some European countries

iRobot has pulled out the big guns for 2025, scrapping almost its entire Roomba fleet and replacing it with five new models that look like they could actually trouble the likes of Roborock and Ecovacs.

A few years ago iRobot was the go-to robot vacuum brand – if you were looking for a robovac, you wanted a Roomba. But over the years other brands started to overtake it, and the gap kept widening, with Roombas slipping further and further down our best robot vacuum ranking and threatening to disappear from them entirely – until now.

The biggest update to the new Roomba lineup is the introduction of LiDAR, and it's remarkable that it's taken iRobot this long to get on board with the tech – LiDAR is almost universally considered the best, most reliable form of robot vacuum navigation, and is more or less standard across the rest of the market.

The new Roombas should, as a result, offer faster, more accurate navigation, and they'll be able to find their way around in the dark, too.

iRobot is calling its LiDAR navigation 'ClearView', and it features across all the new models. That includes – interestingly – one that doesn't have the usual central, raised LiDAR puck. (iRobot assures us that this won't compromise navigation accuracy, but it's definitely something we'd like to test out for ourselves.)

(Image credit: iRobot)

Perhaps overdue, too, is the introduction of rotating discs, which can lift, and, in one case, kick out for edge mopping. These tend to deliver a more efficient wet clean than the static pads favored by Roomba thus far. They're paired, on the Roomba Plus 405 Combo and 505 Combo, with more advanced 'AutoWash' docks that can clean and dry the mop pads, in one case with hot air.

Something else that marks this out as a new start for iRobot is the introduction of a new design language, dubbed GRID (Geometric, Rational, Iconic and Dynamic). The new bots have a sort of Mondrian-style geometric grid on top, and introduce matte textures for a friendlier and more style-forward look than most of the competition. It's also distinctive to the brand, and will help Roomba stand out in a sea of rather generic-looking competitor products.

(Image credit: iRobot)

The most interesting introduction to the lineup, for me, is the Roomba 205 DustCompactor Combo robot. Designed for those who don't have space for a giant auto-empty dock in their home (raised hand), this bot does the next-best thing, and compacts the dust in its small onboard bin, making it capable of holding far larger quantities and removing the need for you to constantly empty it. As an aside, this is the same bot that doesn't have the LiDAR puck, which I guess fits with the space-saving, streamlined vibe.

What's in a name?

The fact that the names have been revamped to a clearer system of Roomba (good), Roomba Plus (better), and Roomba Max (best), should be a big help to consumers looking to make sense of the various options.

The only disappointing thing here is that the Max category currently comprises just the Roomba Combo 10 Max. That's the only model not to be scrapped – and given that it only came out in 2024, I can kind of see why. However, it didn't receive the best response, and doesn't make for a great range-topper. In fact, it looks positively decrepit compared to the sleek, capable new fleet, and it's notably lacking in updates like LiDAR. I hope a better 'best' model is on the cards soon.

Another boon for consumers is iRobot's decision to once again share suction specs. The brand had stopped doing this, arguing that cleaning power wasn't all about suction. While that's true, it's a useful indicator of the performance you can expet, and helpful when comparing different models (both from within iRobot's range and outside). The new Roombas all have 7,000Pa of suction, which is less than most premium bots, but is still a decent amount, especially when combined with an efficient design.

You might also like...

• How to choose a robot vacuum – here's what to look for
• Roborock's new robovacs are determined to get under your sofa – here's how
• Browse the best robot vacuums for pet hair

You season 5: key information

- Coming to Netflix on April 24
- Teaser trailer released in January, ahead of a full trailer
- Huge cast announcements revealed
- Joe Goldberg returns to New York
- Season 5 will be the show's final outing

"Hello, you." The two simple words that Joe Goldberg utters have haunted us for the past seven years, but we’re still desperately awaiting the return of You season 5, the twisted finale and one of the best Netflix shows, to hear them just one more time. Fortunately, we don’t have to wait much longer as You season 5 will premiere on Netflix, one of the world’s best streaming services, on April 24.

Based on the novels by Caroline Kepnes, You follows Joe, a hopeless romantic with a twisted mind. Time and time again, he'll meet a new woman and quickly become smitten to the point of obsession, that eventually and most likely leads to him killing them, or at least trying to, and anyone else that gets in the way in the process. Yikes. In true Joe fashion, every morsel of information we’ve been fed so far about You season 5 is issued in the foreboding narration from the man himself - from teasers to reveals. So, where is he luring us to next? Well, it’s a return to where it all began for You season 5, as teased in the season 4 finale, as he’s back in New York with Kate by his side.

There’s plenty more to know about Joe’s ominous and looming return though, so as we prepare for the thriller to suitably chill our spines once again, here’s everything we know so far from release date, to cast announcements, to story synopsis, news, rumors and more.

You season 5 release date

On January 16, Netflix revealed that all ten episodes of You season 5 will be released on April 24. This news was guided by Joe's voice, speaking over clips from the past four seasons of You showcasing the different women he's loved and different places he's been. Hauntingly saying: "Hello, you. Do you remember me? 'Cause I remember you."

And yet, while he's travelled the world, it's all led him back to where it all began - New York and the cage in Mooney's bookstore. Fortunately, we don't have to wait much longer to discover what his return to the Big Apple means for the 'perfect' life he has seemingly created with his partner, Kate.

You season 5: has Netflix released a trailer?

Netflix released the official trailer for You season 5 on March 10, which teased "the killer finale you never saw coming". In the trailer, we see Joe with his You season 4 love interest Kate Lockwood (Charlotte Ritchie), who's now the head of her father's company.

Before the trailer was dropped, we had a short teaser trailer for You season 5 that was released on January 30, mere months away from the show's official release date. It’s only 20 seconds long, but it's enticingly filled with eerie shots of Joe trapped inside the empty cage of Mooney's basement.

Similarly to the release date announcement, there's a lot of intense staring and ominous utterances, such as: "Let's get to know each other better before we bid each other one last farewell. Goodbye, you." With those parting words, once we have a full trailer, we'll be sure to update it here.

You season 5: new and returning cast

Joe's return to New York hints at new and returning characters (Image credit: Netflix)

Spoilers follow for You season 4.

For You season 5, there's been plenty of announcements for returning and new cast members. Here's who we can expect to see in the show's final season:

• Penn Badgley as Joe Goldberg
• Charlotte Ritchie as Kate Lockwood
• Madeline Brewer as Bronte
• Griffin Matthews as Teddy Lockwood
• Anna Camp as Reagan/Maddie Lockwood
• Natasha Behnam as Dominique
• b as Phoenix
• Peter Ploszek as Harrison
• Tom Francis as Clayton
• Nava Mau as Detective Marquez

As mentioned, there's been abundance of new cast reveals to mark Joe’s return to New York and the conclusion of his story in season 5. We'll delve into this more in the story synopsis below, but Joe meets someone new to be intrigued by (no surprise) in season 5 - Bronte (Madeline Brewer), described in Tudum as: “an enigmatic and free-spirited playwright who gets a job at Joe’s new bookstore.”

Then, there’s Kate’s siblings; Teddy (Griffin Matthews), Reagan and Maddie (twins played by Anna Camp) and by marriage, Reagan’s husband Harrison (Peter Ploszek) who will all pose new hurdles to Joe and his unpredictable actions.

And there’s certainly more names to add to the cast that are yet to be revealed. One of which is a familiar face from Joe’s past, as Badgley teased during the Tudum: A Global Fan Event. Shown in the video above, he says: “Though I can’t say who just yet, we all know there are many loose ends from Joe’s past. The question is, who are you?”

Then followed a montage of clips, teasing victims of his past that could make a return including Ellie (Jenna Ortega), Dr. Nicky (John Stamos), Marienne (Tati Gabrielle) and Sherry Conrad (Shalita Grant) amongst others. It’s not clear yet who will return, but whoever it is will certainly not be happy to see Joe again.

You season 5: what can we speculate so far about the story?

You season 5 sees the unwelcome return of the Mooney's bookstore cage (Image credit: Netflix)

Full spoilers follow for You seasons 1-4.

You season 5 marks the end of the show, but there’s still a lot to unpack as killer Casanova Joe returns to New York – the place where it all began.

In conversation with Tudum, executive producer Michael Foley spoke on their plans for Joe: “We always said that we would stop after five and [that], in a perfect world, we would bring Joe back home to New York. We loved the idea of things coming full circle for him. We’re excited by the fact that Joe came home as such a different person than [who] we saw in Season 1. At the core of our final story for Joe is this dichotomy of the old and the new.”

And returning to a place where he’s committed unforgivable acts, it’s no surprise that Joe will reportedly become, as the official logline for You season 5 so perfectly puts it: “threatened by the ghosts of his past and his own dark desires.” It wouldn’t be Joe if he wasn’t tempted to implode his own happy ending, would it?

We know he has Kate (Charlotte Ritchie) now, but when it comes to You season 5, it’s about as plain sailing as the rest of the seasons have been (wink, wink) as he’ll reportedly cross paths with a new young woman on the scene, Bronte (Madeline Brewer). In Tudum, the role her character will play is expanded on: "As the two connect over literature and loss, Bronte stokes in Joe a nostalgia for his former self, causing him to question everything his life has become."

He's also got Kate's siblings to contend with, as announced in the cast list above, there's Teddy, Reagan and Maddie who all have the same power and influence now afforded by Kate and, in turn, Joe.

Will Kate's love be enough to right Joe's wrongs? (Image credit: Netflix)

We also know from You season 4's tumultuous finale that Joe has finally accepted that he is categorically not a good person. A realization he came to during his time in London when he came up against the Eat the Rich Killer – and spoiler alert, in a Fight Club-esque twist, it got him looking really closely at himself. And seemingly, a Joe fueled by self-actualization is even more dangerous than the Joe that came before it.

Though stepping down as showrunner for season 5, co-creator Sera Gamble spoke of plans for Joe's ending with The Hollywood Reporter following season 4: "The conversation we have among the writers, between Greg and I, and a lot with Penn is about the fact that it would be nice to end his arc with some form of justice. Guys like this don't usually see a lot of justice from the world. That's challenging to plot."

Adding: "How does Joe Goldberg go down in a world where he's been branding people with bricks in broad daylight for years? And he's cute. And he gets away with it. The deeper question that we frequently pitch in the writers' room is, what's real justice? What would hurt him the most?"

So, whether Joe's ghosts return to haunt him, or the real physical victims he didn't manage to actually kill do it, there's seemingly plans for Joe to meet some comeuppance for his crimes - though whether that's actually attainable is another story.

There's always Nadia, who discovered Joe's crimes in season 4, though he successfully framed her for murder, there's always an opportunity to return. Or, Marienne, who cunningly cheated death, but may still want to serve revenge. But, for now, their return to the show is unknown. What we do know is there's a lot of loose ends.

Will You return after season 5?

Closing the book on You (Image credit: Netflix)

No, You season 5 is the show's final outing after seven spectacular years. Speaking to Tudum, Netflix's vice president of scripted series, Peter Friedlander, said: "We're proud to see how You has captivated audiences around the world, becoming an instant sensation on Netflix with a resounding cultural impact that has grown season over season. We're excited - and a bit terrified - to see how it all ends for Joe Goldberg, but one thing is for sure: You are in for an unforgettable ending."

For more Netflix-focused coverage, read our guides on Stranger Things season 5, 3 Body Problem season 2, Arcane season 2, and The Witcher season 4.

• Two in three UK workers are more overwhelmed at work than before
• We spend nearly half our days doing ‘busy work’
• Workers call for clearer processes and more AI

New research from Atlassian has revealed that Britain’s workers are spending an average of nine hours per week tracking down information, which equates to more than an entire typical working day.

This comes as nearly two in three (64%) UK workers feel more overwhelmed than before, with poor collaboration practices contributing to widespread workplace burnout and stress.

The research reveals exactly how much time is wasted on non-productive tasks, highlighting the immense scope for improvement that could dig the UK and other nations out of their productivity crises.

This is how much time we’re spending on meaningless tasks

According to the stats, nearly half (48%) of our time is spent on so-called ‘busy work’, which includes sharing information and tracking people down. Assuming a typical 40-hour working week, that’s more than 19 hours every single week spent being unproductive.

The problem stems from poor collaboration setups in workplaces – 55% agreed that their work is blocked while waiting for information from other teams, and 44% find it hard to coordinate with other teams. One in three (34%) feel that cross-team collaborations slow down work.

This breakdown in communication is causing further inefficiencies, with more than half unknowingly working on the same task as other teams, resulting in unnecessary duplication.

On the flip side, Atlassian says that teams with clear collaboration processes can meet tight deadlines, with the report revealing how artificial intelligence can plug some of the gaps that exist today.

Workers believe AI can make them a better teammate (43%), improve work speed and quality (59%) and help them more effectively manage information (67%), but AI isn’t a silver bullet. Many also call for clearer goals and strategy (69%), consistent processes across teams (40%) and standardized collaboration tools (30%).

“This research highlights a critical issue in the modern workplace: the systems designed to support employees are not keeping pace with the increasing demands of work… This 'digital hide-and-seek' not only wastes time but also stifles creativity and innovation, as employees are forced to focus on administrative tasks rather than high-impact Work,” concluded Dr Molly Sands, Head of Teamwork Labs at Atlassian.

You might also like

• Check out the best AI tools and best AI writers
• Give your workers a boost with the best productivity apps
• Salesforce gives AI agents the power to be proactive and autonomous like never before

Towards the end of 2024, there was one word that dominated conversations more than any other. Growth. It’s an ambition that has featured as frequently in boardroom discussions across the country as it has done in the new UK Cabinet Office. It comes as the economy has found itself trapped in a cycle of marginal gains, matched by similar losses, and collectively there’s now a deep ambition to see the trend reversed and the UK’s economic course corrected.

The UK’s scale-ups are taking on their fair share of the burden too. Emerging from our high-growth industries, like life sciences or technology, these organizations are intent on accelerating innovation with skilled talent. The likes of Faith in Nature and Touchlight Genetics have become proof points for their industry, and so as businesses seek to replicate this success, it’s no surprise that, according to SAP’s recent research, as many as 86% of scale-ups have indicated growth is a priority for the year ahead.

But connecting aspiration to reality is no straightforward task. They need to be digitally equipped to navigate a plethora of internal and external business challenges, like supply chain disruption or productivity decline, and be ready to embrace the benefits of emerging AI tools. This will not just aid their own growth journey but will support the wider UK economy as well.

In the way of progress

Just as with the country’s largest enterprises, the UK’s high-growth organizations acutely feel the effects of global economic disruption, with supply chain challenges, skills shortages and inflation all impacting growth. While these pressure points are not necessarily new, as businesses have faced a notable rise in costs, battle for talent, and trade disruption since the onset of the pandemic, they have become exacerbated in the last 12 months by cost-of-living and geopolitical crises.

Globalization, often the fuel for growth, has been rocked by conflict in the Red Sea, trade tariffs, slow exports and high transport costs. When asked, 15% of the UK’s scale-ups ranked supply chain weaknesses and disruption as their most significant barrier to growth. This was followed by a lack of talent and skills (13%), siloed operations (13%) and low-quality data (10%).

With UK productivity flatlining, and behind the economies of its peers, like France and Germany, the growth agenda is at real risk of never getting off the ground. The UK’s scale-ups need to be productive and operate efficiently, unencumbered by legacy processes and backed by the right IT infrastructure, grounded in AI.

Unlocking the freedom to scale

To begin with, the UK’s high-growth leaders need to realize that AI transformation can be tailored to their needs. Understandably, the conversation can feel alienating when a quick search will find the world’s largest enterprises are steering investment or driving deployments. It’s a consequence of the ‘mass hype’ that has emerged as applications like Generative AI have directed VC investment, product launches and the ‘future of work’ debate.

But the hype is cooling and AI with real utility has emerged as critical to future-proofing organizations, of all sizes and growth ambitions, and addressing the biggest challenges to resiliency and scale. For instance, the UK’s high-growth businesses have outlined the development of skills and talent (40%), automation (39%) and improved supplier and partner networks (38%), as critical to growth plans, and AI can directly lend itself to these ambitions.

As a starting point, AI can augment roles to relieve employees of routine or administrative tasks so resources can be allocated effectively and to more pressing or sensitive work. This means that talent is not under-utilized in roles that do not influence growth and can be deployed across the business to offset skills shortages and drive productivity.

But where AI is arguably most valuable is in unblocking siloed data to drive high-quality business insights across functions like supplier and partner relations. Over the last 12 months, AI co-pilots have emerged as a strategic business partner, providing comprehensive and real-time insights from across different units to allow decisions to be taken with the right context in mind.

Backed with the right, and reliable information, the UK’s high-growth organizations can confidently navigate the most pressing challenges to scale and productivity. For instance, in the context of further geopolitical disruption, businesses can use AI to strengthen their grip on their supply chains; delivering smart contingency plans, increasing their supplier options to better suit their needs, and improving visibility into the availability of their goods and services.

In a similar context, AI can also automate and adjust financial insights based on new trade tariffs and international compliance or regulatory requirements. On the path to growth, this helps scale-ups ensure they are not caught out by unexpected disruption and costs. In turn, this ensures a constant level of service availability, boosting customer experience and providing a competitive advantage.

Powering the ‘Growth Agenda’

As the UK has its sights set on the growth agenda, it can appear a near insurmountable task given current levels of productivity, fluctuating business output and a challenging global operating environment. But putting too much energy into these concerns alone can stifle progress, and so the UK’s high-growth sector needs to focus on the variables it can control. These organizations need to consider how they can operate efficiently and best utilize resources in the face of skills shortages and supply chain disruptions to unlock growth.

As many have indicated that barriers to growth revolve around data availability, weak supply chains and talent acquisition, they need the right digital infrastructure to offset these pressure points. This begins with AI adoption, not to just buy into the hype, but to drive real value throughout the business with improved visibility, decision making and resource allocation. That’s how they’ll scale faster, and more sustainably, and boost the UK economy in turn.

We've created a list of the best Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software.

This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

• Orange is offering free ChatGPT Plus for a year with its 5G+ plan in Europe
• The Special Series 180 Go 5G+ plan also includes 180GB data, calls, and Netflix
• It costs €41 a month, but younger customers get reduced pricing

ChatGPT gives users free access to OpenAI for general conversations, answering questions, generating content, and the like, but if you need more, there’s the premium version, offering access to GPT-4 alongside benefits like priority access and faster performance during peak usage periods, which can be useful for those who use the service a lot.

ChatGPT Plus costs $20/€23 per month, but mobile users in Europe can now get it free for a year. As you’d expect, this isn’t something that everyone can benefit from.

The 12 months of free ChatGPT Plus – worth nearly €280 – comes as part of Orange France’s 5G+ consumer plan, and is the first such promotion in Europe.

New ChatGPT Plus users only

Orange’s Special Series 180 Go 5G+ plan costs €41 per month with no commitment.

As well as the free ChatGPT Plus it also includes 180GB of mobile data, unlimited calls, SMS, and MMS in mainland France, and dedicated bandwidth to help maintain service quality during periods of high usage. Six months of Netflix Standard with ads is also included.

Younger users aged 18 to 26 benefit from reduced pricing – Orange charges them just €25 per month – as well as stronger data protection features.

There is another catch for anyone interested in making use of the year’s worth of free ChatGPT Plus, and that’s you need to be a new ChatGPT Plus user. You'll also need to activate the offer within three months of subscribing, so don't forget. After the first year, standard ChatGPT Plus billing applies unless you cancel, which is standard practice for this kind of offer.

“With its 5G+ launch, Orange France’s key go-to-market message is the promise of ‘dedicated access’ in busy coverage areas," noted Emma Mohr-McClune, Chief Analyst – Telecoms Practice, Technology at GlobalData.

"The wireless market has operated on a 'best effort' basis for decades, and real customer education is required here to help end-users understand the benefits. They need to understand precisely how and when these benefits will materialize to effectively capitalize on the monetization opportunities available. It’s not clear that Orange France has done enough in this respect.”

“One angle that Orange France is tacitly exploring is the pairing of 5G+’s superior uplink capability with AI experiences," Mohr-McClune added. "Certainly, a faster and stronger wireless uplink is required for satisfactory experiences, and with a theoretical maximum of 200 Mbps upstream, Orange 5G+ promises just that.”

While Orange’s new Special Series 180 Go 5G+ plan will give the telecom provider the edge in Europe for now, it’s not expected to last. As Mohr-McClune noted, “Free Mobile flagged up the launch of its own standalone 5G network last September and Bouygues Telecom is already marketing offers for enterprises.”

You might also like

• Check out our list of the best AI tools around today
• ChatGPT remains the most popular AI tool in offices worldwide, survey finds
• ChatGPT, two years on: The impact on cybersecurity

I spend a lot of time poking, prodding, and generally tormenting AI agents to see what makes them tick, and I've developed a keen eye for what’s genuinely useful and what’s merely shiny tech hype.

Recently, my curiosity led me to test ChatGPT's latest feature, Deep Research, and I have to admit – I’m genuinely impressed. But before we jump into why, let’s briefly unpack what exactly this feature is and how it works.

Deep Research is the brilliant librarian addict you always hoped to be paired up with in school. It can gather, analyze, and repackage huge amounts of information in useful and even fun ways. Unlike a typical quick Q&A session, Deep Research takes its time. That can mean anything from five minutes to, theoretically, a full half hour. It will then deliver detailed, trustworthy insights tailored precisely to your query.

I've spent a lot of time with it and genuinely think it's the best bit of ChatGPT right now. If you're unsure whether it's worth the hype, I've put together a handful of reasons you might want to stick a toe in Deep Research.

The perfect vacation

(Image credit: Pixabay)

I've spent more time than I like to think about scrolling through travel blogs, Reddit threads, and outdated TripAdvisor reviews just to plan a simple getaway. Planning vacations, especially if you want something beyond the standard tourist traps, is something Deep Research is quite good at. For a test, I asked the AI to "Plan a two-week trip to Portugal, emphasizing local culture, hidden gems, authentic cuisine, and avoiding crowds."

Deep Research’s response was genuinely impressive. After about 20 minutes, it came back with a carefully planned itinerary filled with interesting recommendations, like a quiet day exploring the historic fishing villages along Portugal’s Silver Coast and sampling fresh seafood in lesser-known local restaurants. It included thoughtful touches, such as attending a small-town festival celebrating traditional crafts, and practical logistics, such as ideal transport options and lodging suggestions outside major tourist hubs.

I gave it another go with, "What’s the best month to visit Costa Rica for wildlife viewing, especially if you’re hoping to see sea turtles?"

Again, Deep Research produced a thorough report. It neatly summarized the nesting and hatching seasons of various turtle species and described weather conditions and tourist patterns month by month. It provided useful tips about where and when to find volunteer opportunities with conservation projects.

Health help

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Deep Research can be a real boon if you've ever had that middle-of-the-night headache and discovered that, according to WebMD, it's a rare tropical disease.

Reliable online health information sometimes takes more than a little digging to work out which bits apply to your hypochondriac moment. Deep Research can personalize your answers while avoiding the more nonsensical suggestions like combatting viruses with crystals. The same goes for more lifestyle-related health queries. For instance, I asked Deep Research to "Investigate whether intermittent fasting has significant long-term health benefits and if it’s safe for everyone."

Instead of sensational headlines, Deep Research returned an extensive, measured overview of clinical studies and expert opinions. It outlined potential benefits like improved metabolism and weight loss. Still, it balanced it with thoughtful cautions about groups who should avoid fasting, such as pregnant women and people with certain chronic health conditions.

Hobbying

(Image credit: Netflix)

Taking on a new hobby can be exciting until you realize the first steps usually involve wading through conflicting advice on YouTube or outdated instructional articles. Here, Deep Research acts like your patient, knowledgeable guide.

I asked the AI to "Create a beginner’s guide for someone who wants to start baking bread from scratch, including common mistakes to avoid."

It took a while, around 15 minutes, to get the report. I presume this is because there was a massive glut of people writing about their experiences with baking in 2020.

Still, I eventually had an accessible yet comprehensive bread-baking guide that even included troubleshooting tips for issues like overly dense dough or uneven rising. It suggested easy starter recipes, explained the science behind yeast fermentation in simple terms, and even included advice on necessary equipment that wouldn’t cost too much.

Purchase power

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

The infinite ocean of online shopping choices can instantly overwhelm the most decisive person. I love the idea of a personal shopping guru who can show their work on what to buy.

So I started by asking Deep Research to, "Compare the top-rated robot vacuums under $300, considering user reviews, battery life, cleaning ability, and ease of maintenance."

Deep Research dove into the specs, scoured customer experiences, and filtered through the noise to deliver a report that helped. It laid out the differences between leading models with real clarity. Within minutes, I knew exactly which vacuum would keep my floors spotless without emptying my wallet. With Deep Research, you might finally get rid of much of that shopping stress.

Nerding out

(Image credit: Andrew_t8 / Pixabay)

We've all spiraled down internet rabbit holes chasing our curiosity, emerging bleary-eyed but fascinated hours later. Deep Research offers a much more efficient and satisfying way to scratch your intellectual itch. It's probably one of the best parts of ChatGPT.

For instance, I was thinking about early printing compared to today's flood of digital content, so I asked Deep Research to "Give an accessible but detailed overview of how the printing press influenced European society and culture in the 15th century."

After half an hour, Deep Research produced an engaging summary highlighting key historical events across the Renaissance and Reformation. It detailed how printed texts democratized knowledge, spurred literacy, and even reshaped politics and religion, all explained clearly enough to satisfy casual history buffs without overwhelming them.

I decided I wanted another flavor of nerdy fun on an intriguing subject, without totally grasping it. I requested that the AI "Simplify and explain quantum computing and its possible impacts in everyday life over the next decade."

After a surprisingly shorter time than the printing press request, ChatGPT had a report that could help me understand things like quantum bits and entanglement. It thoughtfully speculated on near-future applications like drug discovery, cybersecurity, and even predicting traffic patterns, basically delivering a compact TED Talk tailored just for me.

Now, of course, Deep Research isn’t without limitations. It can occasionally stumble, serving up overly confident but incorrect responses. Deep Research’s dependency on publicly available internet content means controversial or rapidly evolving topics may present challenges. But these shortcomings don’t overshadow the immense practical value and ease of use this feature offers

In a world increasingly overloaded with questionable information and digital noise, having a reliable, thorough, and easy-to-use tool like ChatGPT Deep Research genuinely feels like having a brilliant, ever-ready assistant waiting at your beck and call.

You might also like

• I can get answers from ChatGPT, but Deep Research gives me a whole dissertation I'll almost never need
• I tried Deep Research on ChatGPT, and it’s like a super smart but slightly absent-minded librarian from a children’s book
• OpenAI confirms 400 million weekly ChatGPT users - here's 5 great ways to use the world’s most popular AI chatbot

The latest AI assistant to stir excitement is Manus, Latin for hand. An apropos choice since Manus is pitched as the helpful hand for any sort of complex research or content creation.

Manus allegedly outpaces any rivals in sophistication. The most obvious comparison is to DeepSeek, but, while that matchup would be interesting (and one I will probably perform), I think it's worth ranking Manus against the far more widely used ChatGPT.

Manus is invite-only and requires the company to approve your reasons for wanting to test it out. Happily, they've provided a variety of demonstrations showing what Manus can do. Of course, any demo should be taken with a grain of salt since they'll almost certainly show the only examples that portray the AI in the best light. Even so, the demos show what Manus can do.

In fact, some of the demos go well beyond what ChatGPT can accomplish at the consumer level. With that in mind, I stuck to prompts that both models could respond to productively. I also focused on projects the average person might engage with, regardless of their profession. Neither caveat narrowed the options drastically. In the images below, the Manus result is on the right and ChatGPT's output is on the left.

Fantasy Movie

(Image credit: Manus/OpenAI)

I started with a fun movie screenplay prompt: "Develop a fantasy screenplay exploring a hypothetical interaction between Mayan and ancient Egyptian civilizations. Balance historical accuracy with creative liberty. First, compile relevant reference materials. Then, propose potential narrative directions and creative inspirations. Finally, select the most compelling concept and draft a preliminary script outline."

Notably, Manus devised the prompt with only a few concepts then had the AI do research, brainstorm, pick an option, and then produce an outline for the actual script. It came through with a selection of research on the two civilizations, then a handful of seed ideas for the movie before picking the one above and writing a pretty competent outline for a whole film. ChatGPT, while not as eloquent in drafting the outline or deep in its research, nonetheless impressed me with what it came up with. While Manus is more thorough, ChatGPT proved it could match its creativity in some ways.

Adobe Bio

(Image credit: Manus/OpenAI)

Next, I selected a more long-form writing prompt, asking for a whole novel on what would normally be a very dry subject. I asked ChatGPT to follow the Manus prompt, "Write a novel-style biography of Adobe Company, approximately 10,000 words in length. While maintaining factual accuracy, go beyond a simple chronological narrative to create a compelling story."

I'm not saying either turned software development into a gripping narrative, but Manus definitely followed the length demand better. And while I didn't spot any errors in the ChatGPT approach, it felt more like a creatively written Wikipedia article rather than a novel. Manus had a full book, with quotes and lots of context. Perhaps ChatGPT's Deep Research feature could match it, but I wanted to stay focused on the more usual ChatGPT model for now.

Business Cards

(Image credit: Manus/OpenAI)

I was curious about Manus' claim around design and image creation, so I picked the business card prompt for the next ChatGPT comparison, asking it to also, "Create a minimalist, elegant business card for me inspired by Apple's design philosophy. I've attached my resume for reference."

Manus made a very nice business card that does exactly what the prompt said and incorporates the relevant details from the included resume. When I used the same resume and prompt with ChatGPT, the results were somewhat messy. The text isn't all clear (or seemingly in human language), the Apple reference has become much more literal, implying a job at the company, and frankly it's less a business card and more what looks like an actual Apple product, perhaps a personalized mini-battery. Not exactly the professional reminder of yourself you'd want to hand out.

Ocean Meditation

(Image credit: Manus/OpenAI)

For the final test, I went with an interesting writing and audio generation prompt from Manus, "Please help me create a five-minute meditation audio. My name is Wayne, and I like the ocean."

Manus, as expected, made a lovely script, edited it, and had a nice voice read it with accompanying ocean sounds. You can listen to the combination on the demo page, which allows you to adjust the relative volume of voice and wave sounds. ChatGPT wrote a script significantly under five minutes long, and while it produced audio, there were no wave sounds despite the claim in the script. And, even when it's just the audio of the script, it's very obvious which voice will help you meditate. The Manus audio is the first file, and the ChatGPT effort is below it.

Manus magic

After running the Manus prompts on ChatGPT, I can see why the new AI assistant has drawn more comparison to DeepSeek. It does seem to execute prompts in impressive ways. If you're a researcher, a designer, or someone who needs deeply researched lesson plans and multimedia integration, Manus makes sense, if you can get an invite.

That said, ChatGPT is still the best AI for everyday users. If you need an AI that’s quick, reliable, and capable of generating high-quality responses in most circumstances, I'd say ChatGPT (and other AI tools of similar power) has everything you'd need. It gives you what you need without making things harder than they should be. In most cases, ChatGPT is more than enough. But if you want an AI that feels like it belongs in a boardroom or research lab, Manus is probably the right call.

You might also like

• I discovered a surprising difference between DeepSeek and ChatGPT search capabilities
• I pitted Gemini 2.0 Flash against DeepSeek R1, and you might be surprised by the winner
• I can get answers from ChatGPT, but Deep Research gives me a whole dissertation I'll almost never need

It was easy to miss in Apple's blast of launches last week – which also included the new MacBook Air M4 – but Apple recently launched a new iPad Air M3.

Alongside a fresh processor, the mid-range tablet was given a new, Pro-level Magic Keyboard companion. For such a powerful tablet, it's pricing also remains at a tempting level, starting at $599 / £599 / AU$999 (for the 11-inch model) and $799 / £799 / AU$1,299 (for the 13-inch version).

But should you buy the iPad Air M3? Or is it a pointless middle ground between the refreshed base iPad and the more powerful, OLED-packing iPad Pro M4?

We've rounded up all the biggest reviews from around the internet below to see if there's a consensus and help you decide the best iPad for you. Starting, of course, with TechRadar's experiences with Apple's latest Air...

The iPad Air M3 reviews TechRadar: "Stretches the value even further with more power for the same price"

(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol) The good

• Power of the M3 chip
• Vibrant screen
• Strong battery life
• Impressive audio

The bad

• No ProMotion display
• Familiar design

Our iPad Air M3 review concludes that it's an even better value option than before – and potentially a reason to skip the iPad Pro (2024). The Air lacks the Pro's best-in-class screen and (ironically) ultra-thin design, but we "really noticed and enjoyed the speed boost" from its M3 chip.

That means, as our review concludes, that the new iPad Air "blurs the line between who this is for and who the iPad Pro is for." It rattled through most tasks we threw at it, from photo and video editing to work apps and gaming. While it isn't far ahead of the M2 chip's performance, we found it "almost impossible" to even slow it down.

In short, the iPad Air M3 is definitely a worthy upgrade "if you have an M1 iPad Air or older, an entry-level iPad, or another tablet" and need more power.

The Verge: "An excellent tablet, and I wish Apple would use iPadOS to make it a more versatile one"

(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol) The good

• Faster M3 chip
• Big Magic Keyboard upgrade

The bad

• No Face ID
• Apple Intelligence is limited
• Much pricier than base iPad

The Verge's iPad Air M3 review chimes with most of our findings – which means it concludes that it's a great option if you want a slightly more future-proofed tablet than the more affordable base iPad.

Unlike us, The Verge reviewed the 13-inch version. The conclusion was, "if you want a larger model, I’d encourage you to consider the 13-inch Pro instead". We thought the same after crunching the numbers on the iPad Air M3's various configuration options.

Another slight point of difference was that The Verge didn't notice any real-world difference from the M3 chip compared to its predecessor. That means it recommends that "2024 Air plus 2025 Magic Keyboard" could be the combo to go for if you can find it on sale.

CNET: "Once again, the Pro iPad for most"

(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol) The good

• Speedy M3 processor
• No price rise
• New Magic Keyboard

The bad

• No OLED display
• Can get expensive

Unlike The Verge, CNET doesn't think the iPad Pro is now worth the upgrade compared to the new Air (unless you're considering a high-end Air like the 1TB model).

What's the difference between the two? The Pro gets you an OLED display, thinner design, Face ID camera, and a Lidar scanner alongside an M4 chip. But as we also concluded, the lines between the Air and Pro are now even more blurred – and it depends on how much you want those extra features.

Similarly, CNET's review concluded that there are two big reasons to get the new Air over the base iPad – its M3 chip and compatibility with the Pencil Pro. It also praises the Magic Keyboard, which it says is "a better option now than it was," and in a running theme, says that the 11-inch model "would be the one I'd consider."

Wired: "Now an option for creatives and gamers, but lacks exciting upgrades"

(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol) The good

• Small performance boost
• New Magic Keyboard case
• 5G connectivity
• Advanced graphics powers

The bad

• Heavier than iPad Pro
• Basic LCD screen
• No new color options
• iPadOS still limited

Wired settled on a middling 7/10 rating for the iPad Air M3, with the main recommendation being to wait for price drops on it if you need the M3 power. "It delivers a great experience, but it doesn't bring anything vital to the table that warrants paying full price," Wireds review concludes.

Its side-by-side comparisons with the M1 and M2 iPad Airs showed that "it was tough to spot a distinction in performance between all three," other than the M3 feeling "a bit snappier" but not noticeably so.

The other main criticisms are the Air's design ("it's comical that the iPad Air is still a few grams heavier and almost a full millimeter thicker than the iPad Pro") plus the lack of battery life and screen improvements. Wired thinks Apple should have replaced its LCD panel with the mini LED one seen on the iPad Pro in 2021 and 2022.

In short, while Wired thinks the Air M3 is still a solid option, it reckons that "we're on the precipice of an even thinner, faster, and better model" in the near future.

Engadget: "A modest update that's still easy to recommend"

(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol) The good

• Affordable big-screen iPad
• Improved, cheaper keyboard
• Powerful M3 chip

The bad

• Aging screen tech
• No face ID
• Colors could be brighter
• Can get expensive quickly

Like most iPad Air M3 reviews here, Engadget didn't notice much of a real-world impact of the new M3 chip (despite Geekbench scores showing a 16% improvement over the M2). However, it does point out that the chip makes the tablet slightly more future-proofed.

Like Wired, Engadget thinks Apple should have upgraded the Air's screen tech to the iPad Pro's mini LED panel from a few years ago. The combo of a 120Hz refresh rate and 1,000 nits brightness (1,600 nits for HDR content) would, it says, "be a major improvement" given how popular iPads are for watching video. Then again, it also admits that "the iPad Air’s screen remains quite lovely."

In conclusion, Engadget says, "the Air remains a clear upgrade over the base iPad," thanks to its "improved display, stronger performance, more robust multitasking experience and better accessories." But also that most people who want "just a good iPad" likely wouldn't miss the Air's upgrades.

The iPad Air M3 verdict

(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

Despite some minor differences of opinion, there's a clear consensus in the iPad Air M3 reviews – all reviewers think it's a fine mid-range tablet if a slightly boring, incremental upgrade.

The new Air may also potentially be caught in between two stools. The refreshed base iPad remains better value for those who simply want an Apple tablet (and don't care about Apple Intelligence), while the cost of the iPad Air M3 configurations can mount to the point where the iPad Pro M4 might be the better bet (particularly if you need a 13-inch screen).

The main reasons for picking an iPad Air over the base iPad are its M3 chip and Apple Pencil Pro compatibility. The iPad Pro M3, meanwhile, offers a much better OLED display, an M4 chip, Face ID, a Lidar sensor, and better speakers.

But most reviews also concluded that, if the latter aren't important to you, the new Air remains a fine tablet, with the 11-inch model being the sweet spot for size and price.

You might also like

• Wait, what? The brand-new iPad Air isn't out yet and it's already discounted on Amazon
• The OLED iPad Pro is reportedly less popular than expected – and that could mean these changes to Apple's OLED iPad plans
• Apple's new entry-level iPad ups the performance for the same price, but doesn't support Apple Intelligence

Metallica is coming to Vision Pro. The legendary thrash metal band known for their distinctive melodies and razor-sharp lyrics are now contained within Apple's $3,499 mixed-reality headset.

Vision Pro's latest immersive music experience is Metallica performing hits for a crowd of 65,000 fans in Mexico City. Apple filmed the band last year using 14 "Apple Immersive Video Cameras." While we hoped Apple was referring to the new Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive, a nearly $30,000 dual-lens 8K camera system built specifically to capture Vision Pro content, Apple let us know it was not that high-end system.

In a release on the experience, Apple says the immersive 180-degree video will put you onstage, giving you "unprecedented access" to band members James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett, and Robert Trujillo.

The cameras were also set up backstage and inside the legendary "Snake Pit," a mosh-pit space for super fans in the middle of the concert stage.

(Image credit: Apple)

Positioning all those 180-degree cameras on and around the stage (some were on pulleys over the stage, some were on remote-controlled dolleys) puts you in the action as Metallica reminds you to "sleep with one eye open" in Sandman and encourages you to "Bang your head against the stage like you never did before" in Whiplash.

They also play the hit One, but the Vision Pro footage does not give you access to the full nearly two-hour concert.

For Metallica and Vision Pro fans, the new immersive video is good news. Still, if you happen to be a Metallica fan without a pricey headset, you can, starting March 14, book a Vision Pro demo at your local Apple Store, where you'll get to watch Metallica perform Whiplash.

Fade to black

(Image credit: Apple)

Apple has been steadily building up its immersive content library with short films like the harrowing Submerged and animations/games like Marvel's What If…? An Immersive Story.

These are compelling showcases of Vision Pro's formidable capabilities. Watching a standard movie about a sinking submarine differs from watching an immersive 3D experience where it feels like you're going under with the sub.

It's also quite memorable to stand almost nose-to-nose with a tightrope walker traversing an expanse between two towering rock edifices or go ice diving with some intrepid Arctic explorers.

Each of these experiences is unforgettable in its own way, but one gets the sense that Apple is still struggling to connect with consumers on these devices.

$3,500 is a significant investment for a headset that will mostly cut you off from those around you, not counting the creepy EyeSight when you wear it.

Apple is clearly deeply invested in the Vision Pro content ecosystem. Still, no amount of compelling content or even Apple Intelligence integration will turn Vision Pro into a must-buy for cash-strapped consumers. Apple probably needs to lower the price and hurry up with the lower-cost Vision Pro alternative.

Nearly two years after Apple first unveiled the Vision Pro headset, it's clear that if Apple doesn't do something, the bell may soon toll for its immersive headset.

You might also like

• Vision Pro at one – I love Apple's revolutionary headset, so ...
• Vision Pro – 8 reasons to buy Apple's next-gen mixed ...
• Apple Intelligence finally arrives on Vision Pro, but it's the ...

• Some HP laser printers are being blocked following a firmware update
• Affected models include LaserJet MFP M232-M237
• HP says it is aware of a “limited” issue

Already in trouble for blocking or reducing the performance of third-party ink cartridges, HP has now been accused of blocking legitimate HP-branded toner in some laser printer models.

Firmware version 20250209, released on March 4, now looks to be causing issues for owners of the LaserJet MFP M232-M237 models.

According to Ars Technica, the update was only meant to address “security updates,” a “regulatory requirement update,” “general improvements and bug fixes.”

HP is blocking its own ink?

Users on HP’s support forum have been reporting seeing error code 11 and flashing toner lights after the update, preventing them from being able to print.

One wrote: “I installed this toner cartridge about a month ago, with no issues. But today suddenly an error code 11 popped up which means the printer doesn't accept / recognize the cartridge any more.”

Moreover, basic troubleshooting measures like cleaning the contacts and reinstalling the toner do not seem to resolve the issue.

Although the company has already been tied with dodgy firmware updates that impact printing quality and performance with certain inks, it looks like this might not be a case of intended consequences. The company shared with TechRadar Pro:

“We are aware of a firmware issue affecting a limited number of HP LaserJet 200 Series devices and our team is actively working on a solution. For assistance, affected customers can contact our support team at: https://support.hp.com.”

HP aside, it’s a busy week for printers, with Brother recently being accused of throttling certain devices with firmware updates in a similar manner to HP – something the company has actually denied doing. Brother partially blamed reduced performance on third-party ink quality, but said that firmware throttling claims were “false.”

TechRadar Pro has asked HP for an update on the situation, but we have not received a response.

You might also like

• World’s biggest printer company wants you to stop buying printers — rent them like cars is what HP reckons you should do
• Check out our roundup of the best small business printers
• Need an upgrade? Consider the best all-in-one printers

• Hard drives are getting larger, but performance is a problem in data centers
• Meta sees QLC flash as a solution, bridging the gap between HDDs and TLC
• With 512TB QLC SSDs planned, Meta is shifting away from E1.S and E3

Hard disk drives are still the go-to storage choice for most data centers, mainly because they are cheaper and use less power than TLC flash.

But while HDDs are getting ever larger, their input/output performance hasn’t kept up. As a result, bandwidth per terabyte has been shrinking, forcing data centers to move frequently accessed data to TLC flash or overprovision storage.

In a recent Facebook Engineering blog post, Meta outlined its approach to integrating QLC flash as a solution to these challenges. QLC flash has existed since 2009, but adoption has been slow due to limited capacity, high cost, and lower write endurance.

QLC SSDs are the future

Meta explained it sees QLC as the middle ground between HDDs and TLC SSDs. The technology delivers enough performance for workloads that previously relied on 16TB and 20TB HDDs and supports large batch I/O tasks that need more than HDDs can offer. Since most power consumption in flash storage comes from writes, QLC’s lower write activity makes it a feasible, energy-efficient option.

While QLC is currently cheaper than TLC, it is not yet at a price point for widespread deployment. The power savings make it an attractive option for certain workloads however, and recent advancements are making the flash format more practical. The arrival of the 2Tb QLC NAND die and the widespread use of 32-die stacks are driving higher storage density and QLC SSDs are expected to scale faster than TLC. This will ultimately help to improve server efficiency while lowering costs.

Meta is planning for QLC SSDs to reach capacities as large as 512TB and sees E1.S and E3 form factors as dead on arrival for its needs. Instead, it intends to focus on U.2-15mm and Pure Storage’s DirectFlash Module for scaling QLC in its infrastructure.

Meta is also refining its storage software to handle the high-density nature of QLC. Since QLC SSDs have a large gap between read and write speeds, proper scheduling is needed to maintain performance.

As QLC technology advances, Meta expects its role in data centers to grow, a view that's shared by StorageReview.

The site's Brian Beeler writes, “Our testing has reinforced QLC’s role in AI storage. A recent deep dive explored how Solidigm’s D5-P5336 QLC SSD performs in checkpointing workloads for AI model training. These tests showed that while TLC SSDs still lead in write-heavy environments, QLC SSDs hold their own regarding capacity, efficiency, and read performance - making them a strong option for AI pipelines.“

You might also like

• These are the fastest SSDs you can buy right now
• And these are the largest SSDs and hard drives on the market
• 150TB SSD modules are going mainstream and Micron is getting a slice of it

• Mufasa: The Lion King arrives on Disney+ on March 26
• Despite earning a lot at the box office, the movie has a disappointing 57% Rotten Tomatoes score
• It recently joins Moana 2 among the line-up of original Disney movies

Disney+ is expanding its library this month, as Mufasa: The Lion King arrives on one of the best streaming services on March 26, so you can bring the thrill of the Pride Lands to your own home. This follows other new movies, such as Moana 2 which arrives on Disney+ on Wednesday, March 12.

Despite the box office success of the original animated movie, though, Mufasa: The Lion King won't be added to our Best Disney+ movies roundup due to its disappointing 57% Rotten Tomatoes score. Still, if you want to watch the film and decide for yourself, it'll soon be available to stream.

Now is the perfect time to try out Disney+, as there's a great Hulu bundle deal available so you can check out the finest the streaming services have to offer.

Disney+ and Hulu ad-supported bundle: was $10.99 per month now $2.99 at Hulu and Disney+
A bundle normally priced at $10.99 per month, you'll save 72% with this great Disney+-Hulu offer. It's for the ad-supported versions of both services and lasts for four months, after which the price goes up to $10.99 per month if you don't cancel. The offer runs until March 31, though, so be sure to snap it up while you can!View Deal

Is Mufasa: The Lion King a sequel?

(Image credit: Disney / YouTube)

If you're curious where Mufasa: The Lion King falls into the timeline, it's technically classified as a prequel and a sequel. This is because it's set after the events of the 2019 remake, The Lion King, while also exploring Mufasa's formative years, so it covers an extensive timeline.

Once again, there's a huge cast attached to this movie, such as Aaron Pierre as Mufasa, Donald Glover as Simba, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter as Nala, and her daughter Blue Ivy Carter as Kiara.

Additional voices include Mads Mikkelsen and Seth Rogen, the latter of who just snagged a big new comedy at Apple TV+.

You might also like

• Andor is the best Star Wars TV show on Disney+ and leaves Rebels, Clone Wars and Skeleton Crew eating space dust
• Daredevil: Born Again is Disney+'s biggest series of 2025 so far, but another Marvel TV show has performed even better
• 'We take the comprehensive view': Joe and Anthony Russo drop big hint over Marvel heroes from Disney+ shows appearing in Avengers 5 and 6

• Apple has added two new services to its Apple One services subscription bundle
• Its new Invites app has been added, with News+ Food following in April this year
• Despite this bundle saving money on multiple service subscriptions, we're not entirely convinced it's worth it

For the past five years, Apple One has been helpful when it comes to saving you money on Apple’s growing list of services from Apple News+ to Apple Music, bundling them under one subscription umbrella for a lower monthly fee for three different tiers; Individual, Family, and Premier. In a recent update, Apple has added two new perks to its Premier plan, possibly to entice more customers, but is its near $40 monthly fee justifiable?

In the past few weeks, Apple has added its new Apple Invites app to the Apple One Premier bundle and will add Apple News+ Food to the mix in the upcoming iOS and iPadOS updates. Apple One Premier already packs Apple News, Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Fitness, and Apple Arcade with the added bonus of 2TB of iCloud storage, standing at $37.95/ £36.95 a month, while its Individual ($19.95/ £18.95) and Family ($25.95/ £24.95) tiers cost less, but don’t offer Apple News or Apple Fitness.

Apple One price plans start at $19.95 a month for the Individual tier. (Image credit: Apple )

Not only is Invites an Apple One newcomer but it’s one of the latest additions to Apple’s long line of services, providing a space for users to get more organized with event planning. Aside from sending out invites, which is implied in the service's name, you can curate and add descriptions to your events, and even create a guestlist to keep track of your RSVPs.

The second new benefit in the Premier plan is Apple News+ Food, which is due to roll out to Apple One in the upcoming iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 updates in April. As its name implies, this new service will pack all things food and recipes, but what’s more exciting is that the new service will offer content about restaurants, and guides on healthy eating and kitchen essentials all from leading publications including Allrecipes, Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, and more. For those who thrive in the kitchen, this could be a useful app.

How much money are you actually saving?

Bundle services like Apple One have one main aim: to save you money. But outside of that, it’s clear that subscriptions like this one are designed to get you signed up to as many of Apple’s services as possible. There’s also the high chance that you wouldn’t take advantage of all of the services on offer (I know I wouldn’t), which makes bundles like this rather off-putting if you know you won’t use them to the full extent. With that said, here’s a price break-down of individual apps compared to the Apple One Premier tier.

This means that you'd be saving $29/ £27.99 a month if you subscribed to all six of Apple One Premier's services at once, but even so, is there any point in paying for something you know you'll never use, even if you aren't really paying for it?

Is it enough to entice non-subscribers? I’m not entirely convinced

Though Apple One reads as a helpful and money-saving resource bundle on paper, I'm not if all of its services would genuinely be taken advantage of by a single subscriber - especially when many of us rely on alternatives such as Spotify, Strava, and even the BBC Breaking News app to guide us through the day. At least these are the services I use.

As convincing as Apple Premier One sounds, my stubborn-mindedness wouldn't pay for something I know I would never use. I'm talking Apple Arcade, and even Apple News+ for current affairs, which I can easily replace with updates from social media and the web. Even if it will save me money, I'd rather just not pay for it altogether.

The only services I could really see myself using are Apple Fitness+ and the upcoming News+ Food add-on, but even then, that's what I use Strava and TikTok food recipes for.

You might also like

• I tested the 11-inch iPad Air with M3 for five days, and it stretches the value even further with more power for the same price
• Apple officially delays the AI-infused Siri and admits, ‘It’s going to take us longer than we thought’
• Three iPhone 17 model dummy units appear in a hands-on video leak

• Apple will soon end support for its old HomeKit architecture
• A note about the change was spotted in the iOS 18.4 beta source code
• After upgrading, you will no longer be able to use an iPad as a Home Hub

It looks like Apple will soon require all users to upgrade to the latest HomeKit architecture – which is bad news if you're currently using an iPad as a Home Hub.

The source code for the third beta version of iOS 18.4, which was released to developers earlier this week and seen by 9to5Google, contains a string warning users that support for the old version of Apple Home will end soon and that they should upgrade to the new architecture now "to avoid interruptions" to their smart home devices.

The new HomeKit architecture is intended to be faster, more efficient, and more reliable, but until now, it's been voluntary. In fact, some users have deliberately delayed as long as possible because after upgrading, they will no longer be able to use an iPad as a Home Hub to control their smart home devices.

Home is where the hub is

Reactions to the news have been mixed, with some users on the HomeKit subreddit expressing shock that anyone would have held off upgrading this long, while others are left frustrated at the prospect of having to change their hardware.

Comment from r/HomeKit

If you currently use an iPad as your HomeKit Hub, don't panic – you may already have another device you can use instead. Apple HomePod speakers will work as hubs for your smart home system, as will an Apple TV. You can see Apple's guide to setting up a Home Hub here for more details.

You'll probably have some time to plan your next move, too. iOS 18.4 is currently in beta and expected to roll out next month.

Still, it seems likely that the HomeKit upgrade won't become mandatory until the launch of iOS 19, which is expected to arrive in November, along with the rumored Apple HomePod Hub – which could prove to be an ideal iPad alternative for use around the home.

You might also like

• Advantage, Alexa – Apple's smart home hub reportedly 'postponed' due to Siri slowdown
• Apple’s HomePod hub tipped to be its biggest launch of 2025 – here are 3 things it needs to beat Amazon and Google
• New leak may have revealed more details about Apple's first smart display

• Leaked footage from inside Sony Interactive Entertainment showed off an AI-powered character
• Horizon's Aloy was used as the prototype, harnessing OpenAI tech
• This could be an hint at the future use of AI in PlayStation games

Future PlayStation games could have generative AI-powered characters if this leak is anything to go by.

A video posted by X (formerly Twitter) user Oliver Darko shows what appears to be leaked footage of a presentation by Sharwin Raghoebardajal, a director of software engineering at Sony Interactive Entertainment, discussing work on an AI prototype as part of Sony’s PlayStation Studios Advanced Technology Group.

The footage (sadly, it's not available to embed) showed Raghoebardajal interacting with an AI-powered Aloy from the Horizon series; it would appear this prototype has been created with the help of developer Guerrilla Games.

Raghoebardajal asks this AI Alyo “How are you?”, and after a pause, she responds, complete with accurate facial moments, that she’s ok but is “dealing with a sore throat”. The interaction feels a tad stifled and a little ‘uncanny valley’ but demonstrates generative AI in action.

The conversation then evolves into Raghoebardajal asking about the premise of the Horizon series and - *spoilers for Horizon Zero Dawn* - how Aloy feels about being a clone. She responds it’s a unique feeling.

The Verge got access to the full video and repeated that the prototype uses OpenAI’s Whisper speech-to-text tech, Sony's own Emotional Voice Synthesis to generate a somewhat realistic voice, and large-language models GPT-4 and Llama 3 to power AI Aloy’s decision-making.

While this is very much a prototype and has some clear obstacles to overcome, like faster responses and less stilted speech, it’s an interesting demonstration of how AI tech could be used in games.

This is just a glimpse of what is possible,” said Raghoebardajal, The Verge reported.

A new horizon for AI in games?

(Image credit: Sony/PlayStation)

The natural reaction to this tech would be a concern that generative AI could be used to potentially replace voice actors and writers in the gaming industry. While I think that’s a legitimate concern worthy of deeper discussion and scrutiny, from this demo it doesn’t seem like generative AI is anywhere near up to the task of replacing the quality of speech and narrative delivered by human development teams, certainly not for AAA games.

However, much like Horizon Call of the Mountain was used as a high-end showcase for all the features of PSVR 2, there’s scope that the same approach could be used to create a spin-out game or virtual experience using AI and the Horizon setting.

I could imagine a short-form experience where you visit a handful of small hubs across both Horizon games and interact with their inhabitants, who use generative AI tech to answer questions and serve up observations.

Equally, given the extensive lore in the Horizon universe, I could see an AI-powered Aloy being used as some form of in-game or app-based companion to serve up information about certain parts of the world or how to tackle some of the robotic enemies.

I know from my experience taking on some of the larger dinosaur-like machines in Horizon Forbidden West I could’ve done with someone or something directing me on what to target instead of me speedily scanning for vulnerable parts while desperately avoiding unnervingly accurate, health bar-deleting attacks.

Of course, Sony appears to be very much at the experimental stage here, and I doubt we’ll see a deluge of AI in PS5 games anytime soon. But I’d also be surprised if AI wasn't used in PlayStation games further down the line, say when the PS6 arrives.

You might also like

• The next Xbox could simply be a PC in a 'TV-friendly shell' per latest rumor
• Upcoming PS5 exclusives - release schedule for confirmed games
• I rode a dragon, sizzled as a sausage, and won a dance-off with a monkey in Split Fiction, and that’s not even the half of it

• President Trump picks Sean Plankey as CISA director
• Plankey also served as part of Trump's previous administration
• CISA faces potential turbulence under Trump

President Trump has announced Sean Plankey as his pick for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Director in Sean Plankey.

Plankey’s nomination will be heard before the Senate Homeland Security Committee, and if confirmed, he will head up the agency following some potentially interesting directional changes. This follows the news that the US is set to pause cyber-offensive operations against Russia, despite CISA reaffirming its commitment to defending against all cyber-threats, “including from Russia”.

Prior to the 2024 election, Plankey predicted a second Trump presidency would bring “more pointed measures at [our] adversaries,” anticipating a landscape with “more delineation between competitive nations versus adversarial ones.”

A supportive President?

Considering President Trump’s appointment of some pretty controversial cabinet members, Plankey does seem a more balanced pick, as he hold qualifications for the role. This includes experience as weapons and tactics branch chief at US Cyber Command, and global head of cybersecurity software for Indigo Vault - a post-quantum encryption document protection platform.

Industry professionals like Brian Harrell have previously praised Plankey’s appointment, calling him a “straight shooter” who will refocus CISA towards risk reduction and protection against adversaries.

In the first Trump administration, Plankey served as Principle Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Cybersecurity, Energy, Security, and Emergency Response (CESER).

President Trump created CISA in 2018 with the aim of protecting government agencies and US infrastructure from cyberattacks and digital threats. Trump was “definitely supportive of cybersecurity issues”, in his previous administration, Plankey confirmed, so the partnership is certainly well established.

“For all the misinformation and disinformation on President Trump’s goals, our cybersecurity positions are not radical,” Plankey said before the election.

“Use cyberspace operations strategically and tactically to achieve U.S. national security goals. This is how you effectively protect the interests of America and if this is radical then the disinformation campaign has won."

You might also like

• CISA says ‘no indication’ other US government agencies affected in Treasury hack
• Check out our recommendations for the best antivirus
• Microsoft warns Trump against ‘strategic misstep’ in AI race

• In 2024, Americans lost $12.5 billion to scams, up $2.5bn year-on-year
• Scams originating online outperformed more traditional methods
• The elderly are no longer the ones losing most money

American citizens lost $12.5 billion to different kinds of fraud in 2024, a new report from the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has claimed, meaning the number is up by $2.5 billion compared to the year before.

Fraud is not getting more frequent, the FTC says, but it is getting more expensive. One in three people who reported fraud in 2024 said they lost money, up from one in four last year.

Of the $12.5 billion, a huge chunk (more than $3 billion) came from scams that originated online, heavily outpacing the roughly $1.9 billion lost to more traditional scams (phone calls, for example). Phone calls, however, led to higher total losses, with victims losing a median of $1,500 per person, and scams going through bank transfers and payments accounted for $2 billion in losses, more than any other payment method. Cryptocurrency scams came in second with $1.4 billion drained.

Investment scams

Investment scams were the real money-makers for fraudsters, FTC further said, with four in five (79%) people who reported an investment scam actually losing money. The median loss was north of $9,000. Total losses from investment scams hit $5.7 billion, a $1 billion increase from last year.

Social media continues to be a major risk factor, as well, with seven in ten people who were contacted by scammers on social platforms losing money. Total losses through these platforms reached $1.9 billion, it was said.

One particular scam format - fake jobs - skyrocketed over the last half a decade. Between 2020 and 2024, reports nearly tripled, and losses ballooned from $90 million to $501 million.

Interestingly enough, the older generation is no longer the one losing most money. Those aged 20-29 reported losing money more often than any other age group. However, the elderly (70+) suffered far worse financial damage than any other demographic.

Via BleepingComputer

You might also like

• Lost & Found tracking site hit by major data breach - over 800,000 could be affected
• We've rounded up the best password managers
• Take a look at our guide to the best authenticator app

• A leaker claims Indiana Jones and the Great Circle will launch on April 17 for PS5
• Preorders open on March 25 and there will be a Standard and Premium Edition to choose from
• Preordering the Premium Edition will allow two days early access

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is reportedly coming to PlayStation 5 next month.

That's according to the reliable leaker Billbil-kun for French outlet Dealabs, who claims that after a few months of Xbox and PC exclusivity, MachineGames' first-person action-adventure game will finally be released for PS5 on April 17, 2025 (via Eurogamer).

The game was recently spotted on the ESRB website and a French user on X / Twitter also spotted a PS5 listing that originally mentioned a May 30 release date before the same user said it was changed to April 17, days later.

Billbil-kun claims that the PS5 version will be up for preorder on March 25, 2025, in Europe and that there will be two versions of the game available at launch, including a Standard and Premium Edition.

The leaker was unable to find any information about a potential PS5 Collector's Edition.

Billbil-kun has a strong previous track record of PlayStation-related leak accuracy so this is definitely one to take notice of.

Just like the Xbox and PC versions, players who preorder the Premium Edition will be able to play Indiana Jones and the Great Circle two days early, on April 15.

It's also said that both the Standard and Premium Editions will be available as physical copies and be priced the same as the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S versions.

So this means the Standard will cost $69.99 / £69.99 / €79.99, while the more expensive Premium Edition will cost $99.99 / £99.99 / €109.99.

You might also like...

• Best PS5 games 2025 - top PlayStation 5 titles to play right now
• The next Xbox console is reportedly now 'fully in production' and targeting a 2027 release
• Doom: The Dark Ages' director confirms DLC is in the works and says the game won't end the way 2016's Doom begins: 'If we took it all the way to that point, then that would mean that we couldn't tell any more medieval stories'