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Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for March 30.

AI-powered dishwasher, fridge, oven, washer and vacuum may sound cool but after comparing the cost to non-AI appliances, I'm not sure you're getting more value.

No Other Land, is released from a police station in the West Bank settlement of Kiryat Arba a day after being detained by the Israeli army following an attack by Jewish settlers, on Tuesday.'/>

The apology appeared after a wave of online protest against the Academy — first for not responding to Ballal's attack, and then for not naming him and his film directly in its initial statement.

(Image credit: Leo Correa)

Welcome to our live coverage of World Backup Day, which starts early on Sunday, the 30th (midnight GMT, but there is already 1300 in Auckland, New Zealand). We will update this live blog a few times today, with our real-time coverage of the day starting at 0830 UK time with regular updates throughout Monday, March 31st.

Making sure your data is safe and protected has never been so important as we continue our way in the wild world of digital transformation, but with so much to do these days, it can sometimes go forgotten. Don't worry though, we've rounded up

• advice from our experts to make sure your data is protected.
• horror tales from our team and elsewhere to remind you of what can happen
• exclusive deals from our backup partners to keep your data safe
• backup content from our extensive archive
• data backup stories around the world
• And much more!

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What is World Backup Day anyway

World Backup Day was founded by Ismail Jadun on a subreddit back on the 30th of March 2011, the day before April's fool. That date was not chosen randomly as it gave birth to the event's tagline, Don't be an April Fool. Backup your data. World Backup Day is now an annual fixture in the global tech calendar with tens of thousands of articles and mentions every year and a multi-lingual website(ed: Unfortunately, we couldn't find the original Reddit post).

Back in the days, backup was solely mostly on shiny discs because they were so cheap (Image credit: sattahipbeach / Shutterstock) The World Backup Day Pledge

It's almost the start of World Backup Day in New Zealand where it is 1 minute past midnight on Monday 31st of March, the last day of the first quarter of 2025. WBD even have a semi-official pledge: “I solemnly swear to backup my important documents and precious memories on March 31st. #WorldBackupDay”. Backup, of course, applies both to consumers and businesses as well and in large enterprises, falls under the remit of the CDO or Chief Data officer. Maybe someone should write such a pledge for businesses after all.

Amber Ruffin had been scheduled to perform at the prestigious gathering of political journalists on April 26 in Washington, D.C.

(Image credit: Richard Shotwell)

FCC chair Brendan Carr said he wants a review all of Disney's DEI practices — both past and present — to determine whether the company has ever violated any FCC regulations.

(Image credit: Richard Drew)

• Chinese company DapuStor builds high capacity ultra-fast enterprise SSDs
• Its 1-DWPD Roealsen6 R6101 7.68TB SSD seriously impressed in a new review
• An "engineering masterpiece," the SSD delivered record read speeds

DapuStor is a Chinese start-up specializing in the development and manufacturing of enterprise-grade SSDs - and although you’ve possibly never heard of it, it makes very large - and very fast - storage products.

At the start of 2025, TweakTown tested DapuStor’s J5060 61.44TB SSD against a number of enterprise SSDs, including Solidigm's same size beast, and came away impressed with the drive’s superior read performance, declaring it to be “the most efficient SSD of its capacity point currently in circulation”. A new 122.88TB version of that SSD has been spotted online, and we look forward to seeing how it compares.

Before that, however, TweakTown managed to get its hands on another DapuStor product, the Roealsen6 R6101 7.68TB Enterprise SSD. It may not be anywhere near as big as the J5060, but – spoiler alert – it is incredibly fast.

An engineering masterpiece

Introducing the new drive, TweakTown says, “The new SSD is built on DapuStor's in-house developed DP800 controller and firmware. The new series features a PCIe 5.0 interface and 3D eTLC NAND Flash. Supporting the NVMe 2.0 protocol, it delivers twice the performance of PCIe 4.0 SSDs.”

The 1-DWPD (1 Drive Write Per Day) SSD proved to offer blistering performance in the tests that TweakTown put it through, leading the site to declare the Roealsen6 R6101 7.68TB PCIe Gen5 x4 U.2 SSD to be an “engineering masterpiece”, scoring it 100% for performance, quality, features and overall.

In summing up his findings, TweakTown’s Senior Hardware Editor Jon Coulter gushed, “The drive delivers a record breaking 3.62 million 4K random read IOPS at QD512. This is a whopping 10% more than anything we've encountered previously. Additionally, its 14,600 MB/s sequential read throughput is right up there with the best of them, as is its over 11,000 MB/s sequential write throughput.”

That level of throughput alone would be impressive, but it’s only part of the story.

“Then there is its mixed workload prowess where our 1-DWPD test subject delivers more than anything in its class at queue depths of up to 64. Its mixed workload performance is so good that it can hang in with 3-DWPD SSDs at queue depths of up to 16. And finally, as perfectly illustrated by our preconditioning charts, the R6101 7.68TB delivers QOS that is as good as we've ever seen,” Coulter concluded.

You might also like

• These are the fastest SSDs that you can buy right now
• And these are the largest SSDs and HDDs on the market
• Is this the faster 61.44TB SSD out there? DapuStor J5060 is a speed freak

• Chinese company DapuStor builds high capacity ultra-fast enterprise SSDs
• Its 1-DWPD Roealsen6 R6101 7.68TB SSD seriously impressed in a new review
• An "engineering masterpiece," the SSD delivered record read speeds

DapuStor is a Chinese start-up specializing in the development and manufacturing of enterprise-grade SSDs - and although you’ve possibly never heard of it, it makes very large - and very fast - storage products.

At the start of 2025, TweakTown tested DapuStor’s J5060 61.44TB SSD against a number of enterprise SSDs, including Solidigm's same size beast, and came away impressed with the drive’s superior read performance, declaring it to be “the most efficient SSD of its capacity point currently in circulation”. A new 122.88TB version of that SSD has been spotted online, and we look forward to seeing how it compares.

Before that, however, TweakTown managed to get its hands on another DapuStor product, the Roealsen6 R6101 7.68TB Enterprise SSD. It may not be anywhere near as big as the J5060, but – spoiler alert – it is incredibly fast.

An engineering masterpiece

Introducing the new drive, TweakTown says, “The new SSD is built on DapuStor's in-house developed DP800 controller and firmware. The new series features a PCIe 5.0 interface and 3D eTLC NAND Flash. Supporting the NVMe 2.0 protocol, it delivers twice the performance of PCIe 4.0 SSDs.”

The 1-DWPD (1 Drive Write Per Day) SSD proved to offer blistering performance in the tests that TweakTown put it through, leading the site to declare the Roealsen6 R6101 7.68TB PCIe Gen5 x4 U.2 SSD to be an “engineering masterpiece”, scoring it 100% for performance, quality, features and overall.

In summing up his findings, TweakTown’s Senior Hardware Editor Jon Coulter gushed, “The drive delivers a record breaking 3.62 million 4K random read IOPS at QD512. This is a whopping 10% more than anything we've encountered previously. Additionally, its 14,600 MB/s sequential read throughput is right up there with the best of them, as is its over 11,000 MB/s sequential write throughput.”

That level of throughput alone would be impressive, but it’s only part of the story.

“Then there is its mixed workload prowess where our 1-DWPD test subject delivers more than anything in its class at queue depths of up to 64. Its mixed workload performance is so good that it can hang in with 3-DWPD SSDs at queue depths of up to 16. And finally, as perfectly illustrated by our preconditioning charts, the R6101 7.68TB delivers QOS that is as good as we've ever seen,” Coulter concluded.

You might also like

• These are the fastest SSDs that you can buy right now
• And these are the largest SSDs and HDDs on the market
• Is this the faster 61.44TB SSD out there? DapuStor J5060 is a speed freak

ITX has had a hell of a battle over the years.

It's a form factor that naturally draws quite a bit of ire depending on which side of the great PC gaming form-factor debate you sit. For those that love it, ITX and SFF machines are the stuff of legends. Intricately complex builds, ungodly power, and a real David-vs-Goliath kinda gaming rig.

For the full-tower fans, they're pointless, overly hot, and lack the full connectivity that you'd find in a more robust, balanced chassis and form factor.

For me, I 100% live life in that first category. In fact, I wouldn't have a career in hardware journalism if it weren't for building a machine inside of Bitfenix's now legendary Prodigy ITX gaming chassis from way back when in 2013 and showing it off to PC Format's editor back in the day.

It's not all been glamorous, of course. Motherboards have often been lacking, case design has been pretty terrible at times, and there are all manner of cooling and cabling problems that have needed to be overcome. But I honestly feel like we're in a position now that, technologically at least, ITX is in a place where for the vast majority of power users, there's no major difference between it and a big boy build.

The challenges of building in compact cases

That's the big thing too: a lot of the problems that ITX initially faced, even less than a decade ago, stemmed from how we managed hardware.

For instance, ATX builds once used to be able to house multiple graphics cards running in SLI or Crossfire, but over time that was whittled down to just two cards, until finally, with Nvidia's 30 series, support was removed entirely.

There's no major difference between running an RTX 5090 in an ITX build than there is in a full E-ATX setup, and in fact, you'll notice that pretty much every motherboard now only comes with a single (usually reinforced by some "armor" or gimmick) PCIe x16 slot up top for the graphics card. But just one.

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

Then there's the M.2 conundrum, and again, ITX used to be massively disadvantaged here as well.

Yet similarly, as NAND density has increased and cost decreased, along with some clever and quite intuitive raised PCBs and M.2 slot designs, it's quite easy to find ITX motherboards with two or even three M.2 slots.

Combine that with one of the best SSD you can get your hands on for your OS drive and a nice chunky backup SSD for your secondary storage, and once again, you're already well-equipped to compete with larger mid-tower cases for the vast majority of people.

I could go on, but the fact is that ITX today, from cases to coolers to the hardware we use, is really nowhere near as limited as it used to be. Even processor performance, with auto-turbo galore, isn't exactly held back anymore. But the question remains: Why bother? What's the point? Why do I care so much?

Power in small packages

It matters because ITX represents that defining principle of modern-day technology of the last 30 years. In my lifetime, I've seen tech shrink and become more powerful time and time again. It might be because I'm a short(ish) fellow, but there's something quite admirable I find about a tiny but mighty build.

That Moore's Law-esque power creep, or the sleeper build housing ungodly performance in a form factor that could fit in an entertainment center in a living room. It's like rocking up to a drag race with a seemingly clapped-out VW Caddy Mk1, only to know you've got a 500-horsepower engine under the hood. It has that vibe, and I love it.

(Image credit: Geekom)

Over the years, I've built countless PCs and published hundreds of build logs, pursuing all manner of hardware launches and gimmicky headlines designed to entice the reader in pushing the limit of what's possible with off-the-shelf hardware. And time and time again, the builds that stick with me aren't the crazy $10,000 dream machines or the full-fledged RTX 5090 E-ATX monsters; no, it's the ITX ones.

Don't get me wrong, I'm screaming at them each and every time I build them as I struggle with cable management or liquid-cooling runs, but deep down, I love that form factor more than anything else. And if you haven't given it a shot and are looking for a PC building challenge, and a rig that not only delivers on the performance but also takes up a fraction of the space, I highly recommend giving it a go.

You might also like...

• I’m suddenly really excited about Nvidia’s new RTX 5090 – but probably not for the reason you’re expecting
• PC case sizes explained: all form factors available in 2025
• The Asus ROG NUC carries the torch for Intel's mini gaming PC dreams, but the cost of entry is still too steep

ITX has had a hell of a battle over the years.

It's a form factor that naturally draws quite a bit of ire depending on which side of the great PC gaming form-factor debate you sit. For those that love it, ITX and SFF machines are the stuff of legends. Intricately complex builds, ungodly power, and a real David-vs-Goliath kinda gaming rig.

For the full-tower fans, they're pointless, overly hot, and lack the full connectivity that you'd find in a more robust, balanced chassis and form factor.

For me, I 100% live life in that first category. In fact, I wouldn't have a career in hardware journalism if it weren't for building a machine inside of Bitfenix's now legendary Prodigy ITX gaming chassis from way back when in 2013 and showing it off to PC Format's editor back in the day.

It's not all been glamorous, of course. Motherboards have often been lacking, case design has been pretty terrible at times, and there are all manner of cooling and cabling problems that have needed to be overcome. But I honestly feel like we're in a position now that, technologically at least, ITX is in a place where for the vast majority of power users, there's no major difference between it and a big boy build.

The challenges of building in compact cases

That's the big thing too: a lot of the problems that ITX initially faced, even less than a decade ago, stemmed from how we managed hardware.

For instance, ATX builds once used to be able to house multiple graphics cards running in SLI or Crossfire, but over time that was whittled down to just two cards, until finally, with Nvidia's 30 series, support was removed entirely.

There's no major difference between running an RTX 5090 in an ITX build than there is in a full E-ATX setup, and in fact, you'll notice that pretty much every motherboard now only comes with a single (usually reinforced by some "armor" or gimmick) PCIe x16 slot up top for the graphics card. But just one.

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

Then there's the M.2 conundrum, and again, ITX used to be massively disadvantaged here as well.

Yet similarly, as NAND density has increased and cost decreased, along with some clever and quite intuitive raised PCBs and M.2 slot designs, it's quite easy to find ITX motherboards with two or even three M.2 slots.

Combine that with one of the best SSD you can get your hands on for your OS drive and a nice chunky backup SSD for your secondary storage, and once again, you're already well-equipped to compete with larger mid-tower cases for the vast majority of people.

I could go on, but the fact is that ITX today, from cases to coolers to the hardware we use, is really nowhere near as limited as it used to be. Even processor performance, with auto-turbo galore, isn't exactly held back anymore. But the question remains: Why bother? What's the point? Why do I care so much?

Power in small packages

It matters because ITX represents that defining principle of modern-day technology of the last 30 years. In my lifetime, I've seen tech shrink and become more powerful time and time again. It might be because I'm a short(ish) fellow, but there's something quite admirable I find about a tiny but mighty build.

That Moore's Law-esque power creep, or the sleeper build housing ungodly performance in a form factor that could fit in an entertainment center in a living room. It's like rocking up to a drag race with a seemingly clapped-out VW Caddy Mk1, only to know you've got a 500-horsepower engine under the hood. It has that vibe, and I love it.

(Image credit: Geekom)

Over the years, I've built countless PCs and published hundreds of build logs, pursuing all manner of hardware launches and gimmicky headlines designed to entice the reader in pushing the limit of what's possible with off-the-shelf hardware. And time and time again, the builds that stick with me aren't the crazy $10,000 dream machines or the full-fledged RTX 5090 E-ATX monsters; no, it's the ITX ones.

Don't get me wrong, I'm screaming at them each and every time I build them as I struggle with cable management or liquid-cooling runs, but deep down, I love that form factor more than anything else. And if you haven't given it a shot and are looking for a PC building challenge, and a rig that not only delivers on the performance but also takes up a fraction of the space, I highly recommend giving it a go.

You might also like...

• I’m suddenly really excited about Nvidia’s new RTX 5090 – but probably not for the reason you’re expecting
• PC case sizes explained: all form factors available in 2025
• The Asus ROG NUC carries the torch for Intel's mini gaming PC dreams, but the cost of entry is still too steep

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle No. 392 for March 30.

Hints and answers for Connections for March 30, #658.

Here are hints and the answer for today's Wordle No. 1,380 for March 30.

• Rubin Ultra GPUs previewed at Nvidia GTC 2025 with Kyber rack mockups
• Each NVL576 rack may include 576 GPUs across four internal pods
• Projected power draw reaches 600kW with performance targets of 15 EFLOPS

At Nvidia GTC 2025, the company gave a preview of what its future data center hardware could look like, showcasing mockups of its Rubin Ultra GPUs housed in the Kyber-based NVL576 racks.

These systems are expected to launch in the second half of 2027, and while that’s still some way off, Nvidia is already laying the groundwork for what it describes as the next phase of AI infrastructure.

A single NVL576 rack, according to Jensen Huang, co-founder, president, and CEO of Nvidia, could draw up to 600kW. That's five times more than the 120kW used by current Blackwell B200 racks, suggesting a steep rise in power per rack going forward.

Powering the future

Tom’s Hardware reports, "Each Rubin Ultra rack will consist of four 'pods,' each of which will deliver more computational power than an entire Rubin NVL144 rack. Each pod will house 18 blades, and each blade will support up to eight Rubin Ultra GPUs - along with two Vera CPUs, presumably, though that wasn't explicitly stated. That's 176 GPUs per pod, and 576 per rack."

The Kyber rack infrastructure will support these systems, along with upgraded NVLink modules which will have three next-generation NVLink connections each, compared to just two found in existing 1U rack-mount units.

The first Rubin NVL144 systems, launching in 2026, will rely on existing Grace Blackwell infrastructure. Rubin Ultra arrives in 2027 with far more density.

Tom’s Hardware says that the NVL576 racks are planned to deliver “up to 15 EFLOPS of FP4” in 2027, compared to 3.6 EFLOPS from next year's NVL144 racks.

During the GTC 2025 keynote, Jensen Huang said future racks could eventually require full megawatts of power, meaning 600kW may only be a stepping stone.

As power climbs toward the megawatt range, questions are inevitably growing about how future data centers will be powered.

Nuclear energy is one obvious answer - The likes of Amazon, Meta, and Google are part of a consortium that has pledged to triple nuclear output by 2050 (Microsoft and Oracle are notably missing for the moment) and mobile micro nuclear plants are expected to arrive in the 2030s.

You might also like

• This is the best dedicated server hosting you can choose right now
• And this is how small businesses can choose the right server
• Nvidia is dreaming of trillion-dollar datacentres with millions of GPUs

• Rubin Ultra GPUs previewed at Nvidia GTC 2025 with Kyber rack mockups
• Each NVL576 rack may include 576 GPUs across four internal pods
• Projected power draw reaches 600kW with performance targets of 15 EFLOPS

At Nvidia GTC 2025, the company gave a preview of what its future data center hardware could look like, showcasing mockups of its Rubin Ultra GPUs housed in the Kyber-based NVL576 racks.

These systems are expected to launch in the second half of 2027, and while that’s still some way off, Nvidia is already laying the groundwork for what it describes as the next phase of AI infrastructure.

A single NVL576 rack, according to Jensen Huang, co-founder, president, and CEO of Nvidia, could draw up to 600kW. That's five times more than the 120kW used by current Blackwell B200 racks, suggesting a steep rise in power per rack going forward.

Powering the future

Tom’s Hardware reports, "Each Rubin Ultra rack will consist of four 'pods,' each of which will deliver more computational power than an entire Rubin NVL144 rack. Each pod will house 18 blades, and each blade will support up to eight Rubin Ultra GPUs - along with two Vera CPUs, presumably, though that wasn't explicitly stated. That's 176 GPUs per pod, and 576 per rack."

The Kyber rack infrastructure will support these systems, along with upgraded NVLink modules which will have three next-generation NVLink connections each, compared to just two found in existing 1U rack-mount units.

The first Rubin NVL144 systems, launching in 2026, will rely on existing Grace Blackwell infrastructure. Rubin Ultra arrives in 2027 with far more density.

Tom’s Hardware says that the NVL576 racks are planned to deliver “up to 15 EFLOPS of FP4” in 2027, compared to 3.6 EFLOPS from next year's NVL144 racks.

During the GTC 2025 keynote, Jensen Huang said future racks could eventually require full megawatts of power, meaning 600kW may only be a stepping stone.

As power climbs toward the megawatt range, questions are inevitably growing about how future data centers will be powered.

Nuclear energy is one obvious answer - The likes of Amazon, Meta, and Google are part of a consortium that has pledged to triple nuclear output by 2050 (Microsoft and Oracle are notably missing for the moment) and mobile micro nuclear plants are expected to arrive in the 2030s.

You might also like

• This is the best dedicated server hosting you can choose right now
• And this is how small businesses can choose the right server
• Nvidia is dreaming of trillion-dollar datacentres with millions of GPUs

One of the oft-touted benefits of buying Apple products is their seamless compatibility with other Apple products. Thanks to iCloud, it’s possible to synchronize your data, apps, photos, and contacts across iPhone, iPad, and other Apple devices.

However, some of these settings can be easy to miss, and it’s nice to know how to manually sync different apps and data as and when you want to.

This guide focuses on how to sync iPhone with iPad, specifically, since you'll likely be keen to have each device mirror the other when it comes to files and settings.

Tools & requirements

• iPhone
• iPad
• Apple Account
• Internet connection

Steps for how to sync iPhone to iPad

• Sign into your Apple Account on both devices
• Head to the iCloud menu in the settings app of each device
• Toggle which apps and services you'd like to sync over iCloud
• Check that iCloud sync is working

Step-by-step guide for how to sync iPhone and iPad 1. Log in to your Apple Account

(Image: © Jamie Richards / Future)

The first step to syncing your iPhone with your iPad is making sure you’re signed into the same Apple Account on both devices.

On both iPhone and iPad, you can sign into your Apple Account by heading to the Settings app and tapping the Apple Account tab.

You’ll then have the option of signing in manually, with your email address and password, or by bringing another signed-in device nearby.

2. Head to iCloud settings

(Image: © John-Anthony Disotto / Future)

Once you’re signed in to the same Apple Account, head back to the Settings app. You should see your name at the top of the list of Settings. Head for the iCloud menu found within this tab.

Within the iCloud menu, you should see a box named Saved to iCloud.

Tapping this box takes you to a list of toggleable options to synchronize things like your Calendar, Photos, and Notes apps. Switching the toggle to the on position allows that particular app or function to connect to iCloud.

This means that, to sync an app between your iPhone and iPad, you need to set the toggle to the on position on both devices.

Keep in mind that iCloud storage is limited to 5GB by default, with more space purchasable via Apple’s iCloud+ subscription plans. Photos and videos, especially, can eat up that free 5GB very quickly.

3. Check iCloud sync is working

(Image: © Jamie Richards / Future)

After setting your desired apps to sync across your iPhone and iPad, it’s wise to check that iCloud is working properly.

If all goes to plan, you should see photos, calendar events, notes, and contacts appear on both devices – subject to the apps you selected to sync, of course.

Once sync is turned on, data will automatically synchronize across each device as it’s created, so there’s no need to manually sync again.

If you want to stop syncing, it’s as easy as heading back into iCloud settings and deselecting the app or function in question – though this will cause synced data to disappear from all but its original device.

Keep in mind that it may take a little while for each device to catch up, so don’t worry if your data doesn’t appear immediately. If, after a few hours, things still aren’t working, it could be worth getting in touch with Apple customer support.

If you’re still thinking about picking up an iPhone or iPad, be sure to check out our lists of the best iPhones and best iPads.

You might also like

• How to turn off an iPad
• How to check iPad battery health
• How to screenshot on iPad

One of the oft-touted benefits of buying Apple products is their seamless compatibility with other Apple products. Thanks to iCloud, it’s possible to synchronize your data, apps, photos, and contacts across iPhone, iPad, and other Apple devices.

However, some of these settings can be easy to miss, and it’s nice to know how to manually sync different apps and data as and when you want to.

This guide focuses on how to sync iPhone with iPad, specifically, since you'll likely be keen to have each device mirror the other when it comes to files and settings.

Tools & requirements

• iPhone
• iPad
• Apple Account
• Internet connection

Steps for how to sync iPhone to iPad

• Sign into your Apple Account on both devices
• Head to the iCloud menu in the settings app of each device
• Toggle which apps and services you'd like to sync over iCloud
• Check that iCloud sync is working

Step-by-step guide for how to sync iPhone and iPad 1. Log in to your Apple Account

(Image: © Jamie Richards / Future)

The first step to syncing your iPhone with your iPad is making sure you’re signed into the same Apple Account on both devices.

On both iPhone and iPad, you can sign into your Apple Account by heading to the Settings app and tapping the Apple Account tab.

You’ll then have the option of signing in manually, with your email address and password, or by bringing another signed-in device nearby.

2. Head to iCloud settings

(Image: © John-Anthony Disotto / Future)

Once you’re signed in to the same Apple Account, head back to the Settings app. You should see your name at the top of the list of Settings. Head for the iCloud menu found within this tab.

Within the iCloud menu, you should see a box named Saved to iCloud.

Tapping this box takes you to a list of toggleable options to synchronize things like your Calendar, Photos, and Notes apps. Switching the toggle to the on position allows that particular app or function to connect to iCloud.

This means that, to sync an app between your iPhone and iPad, you need to set the toggle to the on position on both devices.

Keep in mind that iCloud storage is limited to 5GB by default, with more space purchasable via Apple’s iCloud+ subscription plans. Photos and videos, especially, can eat up that free 5GB very quickly.

3. Check iCloud sync is working

(Image: © Jamie Richards / Future)

After setting your desired apps to sync across your iPhone and iPad, it’s wise to check that iCloud is working properly.

If all goes to plan, you should see photos, calendar events, notes, and contacts appear on both devices – subject to the apps you selected to sync, of course.

Once sync is turned on, data will automatically synchronize across each device as it’s created, so there’s no need to manually sync again.

If you want to stop syncing, it’s as easy as heading back into iCloud settings and deselecting the app or function in question – though this will cause synced data to disappear from all but its original device.

Keep in mind that it may take a little while for each device to catch up, so don’t worry if your data doesn’t appear immediately. If, after a few hours, things still aren’t working, it could be worth getting in touch with Apple customer support.

If you’re still thinking about picking up an iPhone or iPad, be sure to check out our lists of the best iPhones and best iPads.

You might also like

• How to turn off an iPad
• How to check iPad battery health
• How to screenshot on iPad

SwitchBot Blind Tilt: one-minute review

Smart blinds can be set to open and close remotely on a regular schedule, or when triggered by an event, via an app or using voice controls. However, they’re pretty expensive – which is where the SwitchBot Blind Tilt comes in. Like many of SwitchBot’s products, it’s designed to be retrofitted, and means you can make your existing blinds "smart" rather than replace them. It offers the ideal solution for renters or homeowners on a budget.

The Blind Tilt works with venetian blinds, using a motor to twist the wand to open and close the slats completely, or open them partly to control the amount of light allowed into the room. It’s a very simple idea, but one that SwitchBot has executed well. Having installed a unit to one set of blinds, I found myself wanting to fit the Blind Tilt to every window in my home.

Operated via the SwitchBot mobile app, you can set the blinds to open and close remotely, or – even more helpfully – make adjustments to them on a schedule. If you don’t mind the sound of the motor, the Blind Tilt is an affordable alternative to one of the best wake-up lights for rousing you with natural light in the morning.

SwitchBot devices are also compatible with all the main smart home ecosystems, and the Blind Tilt worked almost seamlessly with Google Home in my tests. It wasn’t quite as responsive as a smart light, but integrating it into my smart home was a piece of cake. Best of all, it's a far more affordable solution that having to invest in a whole smart blind, and can be set up in about 10 minutes.

SwitchBot Blind Tilt: price & availability

• Much cheaper than buying a whole smart blind
• Bundle discounts and frequent sales
• Requires an additional Wi-Fi hub

The SwitchBot Blind Tilt launched in 2022, and is available to buy direct from SwitchBot and major retailers including Amazon. It has a list price of $69.99 / £69.99 (about AU$110), with discounts available if you buy a set of two, three, or four units. SwitchBot also runs regular sales, with discount codes on its website that are applied to products in your basket automatically. You'll find all today's best prices below.

Even without discounts applied, the Blind Tilt costs far less than a full motorized smart blind. For comparison, the SwitchBot Adjustable Smart Roller Shade launched in early 2025 comes in at $199.99 / £169.99 (about AU$320) for the smallest size without a solar panel.

To use either the Blind Tilt or the Adjustable Smart Roller Shade, you'll need a SwitchBot hub, whose prices start at $39 / £35 (about AU$60).

• Value score: 5/5

SwitchBot Blind Tilt: design

• Quite chunky, visually unattractive
• Can be fitted in 10 minutes
• Very simple to install and remove

The SwitchBot Blind Tilt doesn’t require any drilling, and can be installed in about 10 minutes using the 3M adhesive pads included in the box. These hold the unit firmly in place (I’ve had one installed for several weeks without any sign of movement), but can be removed easily if necessary.

Replacement pads are available to buy directly from SwitchBot, so you can take the Blind Tilt with you when you move house.

The SwitchBot Blind Tilt comes with all the fittings you need, but you'll need to buy a Wi-Fi hub (shown on the left) separately (Image credit: Future)

The Blind Tilt has several different components that have to be positioned in exactly the right place for the blind wand to rotate correctly, but it comes with templates that make this a piece of cake. There’s no need to use a tape measure or a level – just follow the instructions to the letter (there are printed directions included in the box and videos are available online), and you can have the whole system working in about 10 minutes.

Before installing the Blind Tilt, you’re instructed to make sure your blind header and wand are cleaned using the alcohol wipe included in the pack. With that done, you use a small plastic guide to measure the rough circumference of your blind wand and choose an appropriately sized connector. If your wand is on the cusp of two sizes, choose the larger one to ensure the connector clamps around it fully.

Image 1 of 5

Use the measuring tool included with the SwitchBot Blind Tilt to choose the correct sized adapter (Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 5

The Blind Tilt also comes with a cardboard template that helps you position everything correctly in relation to your blind wand (Image credit: Future)Image 3 of 5

The motor unit slides into a connector that adheres to the blind rail (Image credit: Future)Image 4 of 5

Once you've fitted the small, medium, or large adapter to the blind wand, this gray piece with cogs clips over the top (Image credit: Future)Image 5 of 5

The main motor unit clips onto the cog piece, allowing it to rotate the wand (Image credit: Future)

The main part of the Blind Tilt is a white, cylindrical unit containing the motor and battery, which slides onto a connector stuck onto the header of your blinds. You’re provided with a cardboard guide that helps you position this at the correct distance from the wand, whether you want to fit it on the right or the left. Once that’s done, just clamp the main motor unit onto the wand, and you’re ready to start.

You can recharge the Blind Tilt via USB-C, but if your window gets enough sunlight, it will be far easier to use the solar charger included in the box. This attaches to your windowpane using 3M tape, and plugs into the Blind Tilt using a short cable. It isn't a particularly attractive solution, but it’s effective and will be mostly obscured by your blinds when you’re indoors.

The Blind Tilt is quite large when fully assembled (Image credit: Future)

The Blind Tilt isn't the most elegant solution, but that's the price you pay for retrofit smart home devices. If you want something more discreet, you'll need to part with more cash for a purpose-made motorized blind.

• Design score: 4/5

SwitchBot Blind Tilt: performance

• SwitchBot app works flawlessly and is attractively designed
• Blind Tilt is easy to control using third-party smart home platforms
• Motor is quite noisy, and may be too loud to use as a wake-up light

The SwitchBot Blind Tilt is very easy to use and should be compatible with almost any venetian blind. I attached it to a small blind on a door leading to my balcony without much space to maneuver, and it worked perfectly.

In order for the Blind Tilt to work, you need the SwitchBot Hub, which uses Bluetooth to connect the Blind Tilt (and other SwitchBot devices in your home) to your Wi-Fi network. Note that this isn't included in the box; it's a separate purchase. You might get one as part of a bundle if there’s a deal running; but otherwise, you’ll need to pay at least $39 / £35 (about AU$60) for the SwitchBot Hub Mini.

The SwitchBot Hub Mini with Matter compatibility costs a little more, and the SwitchBot Hub 2 is pricier still, but has a screen, physical buttons, and supports more devices than the other two models.

Connecting the SwitchBot Blind Tilt to the SwitchBot app is super simple. Just press the button on the motor unit and the app will locate it within a few seconds (Image credit: Future)

Linking the Blind Tilt to the SwitchBot Hub Mini via the SwitchBot app is straightforward. Just hold down a button on the motor unit to put the Blind Tilt in pairing mode, and the Hub Mini will find it automatically.

The trickiest part of the whole experience is "teaching" the Blind Tilt the degree to which it needs to rotate the wand to open and close your blinds. To do this, rotate the wand manually as prompted and the app will record how far it needs to twist, and in which direction. Just be careful not to turn the wand the wrong way – or you’ll need to restart the calibration from scratch.

The SwitchBot app is attractive and simple to use, with your devices organized into rooms. There are quick access buttons for opening and closing the slats (up or down), or you can use a slider to make minor adjustments. The app also lets you create a schedule (which is very useful) or set the blinds to open or close on a delay (less so).

You can adjust the angle of your blinds using a slider in the SwitchBot app, open or close them fully with a tap of a button, and set schedules (Image credit: Future)

Adding the Blind Tilt to Google Home was straightforward, too. Log into your SwitchBot account through Google Home, and you should be able to see your SwitchBot devices, add them to rooms, and control them using the app or a smart speaker.

The experience of using the Blind Tilt through Google Home didn’t feel quite as polished as operating it through the SwitchBot app (if you use the slider to open and close the blinds, there will be a noticeable delay before the change registers on-screen), but it integrated easily with the rest of my devices and was simple to open and close with spoken commands. You can even link it to a smart bulb so the blinds lower when the light is turned on.

The Blind Tilt is operated the same way as a smart light bulb in Google Home, although it's a little slower to respond (Image credit: Future)

Other than the lack of a hub included in the box, my only real complaint is that the SwitchBot Blind Tilt is rather loud in operation. My husband could hear it in the next room, and having three working in sync to open all the blinds in a room simultaneously creates quite the cacophony. I like the idea of waking to natural light in the morning, but I’d have a hard time sleeping through it.

• Performance score: 4.5/5

Should you buy the SwitchBot Blind Tilt? Buy it if

You're renting

The SwitchBot Blind Tilt doesn't require you to make any permanent changes to existing fittings, plus you can remove it easily and re-use it in your next place.

You're on a budget

The SwitchBot Blind Tilt is much cheaper than investing in a whole motorized blind.

Don't buy it if

You don't have venetian blinds

The Blind Tilt doesn't work with roller blinds, or shades that don't have a vertically hanging wand.

You're picky about aesthetics

This isn't the most attractive device in the world. If you want something clean and neat-looking, you'll need a purpose-made smart blind.

SwitchBot Blind Tilt: also consider

Not sure that the SwitchBot Blind Tilt is the right solution to your window-dressing needs? Here are two other options to consider.

SwitchBot Roller Shade

SwitchBot's smart roller blind comes in a wide variety of sizes, and you can replace the fabric with one of your choice. It's one of the cheapest smart blinds around, and works with Alexa, Google Home, Apple HomeKit, or SwitchBot's own nicely designed app.View Deal

SwitchBot Curtain 3

If you have curtains rather than blinds, this little bot will slide along the rail or pole to open and close them. It's more expensive than the Blind Tilt, but cheaper than a whole motorized curtain rail. View Deal

How I tested the SwitchBot Blind Tilt

I installed the SwitchBot Blind Tilt on the blinds in my bedroom at home, and used it for several weeks. I started out controlling it via the SwitchBot app, then connected it to the Google Home app and operated it via the Google Home app on a Google Pixel Tablet.

I used it with the SwitchBot Hub Mini, which was in the same room about four meters from the Blind Tilt.

First reviewed March 2025

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