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Shark TurboBlade: two-minute review

My 105-year-old house lacks insulation and has a sub-par air-conditioning system, so often I suffer from a stuffy hot home – which is why I was excited to test the Shark TurboBlade. Launched in January 2025, the Shark TurboBlade improves on the tower fan design thanks to two multi-directional blades with vents that can be adjusted in height, direction and angle to push air in all directions for complete cooling coverage.

On test, I found it very effective. It could cool a room in no time at at all, with the blades of air shooting up to around 28ft from the fan (a little short of Shark's 30ft claims, but very respectable nonetheless). There are 10 speeds, a timer, and the option to oscillate airflow, but I was most enamored by the speciality modes.

Sleep Mode kept me at the perfect temperature overnight, with the quieter operation mimicking soothing white noise. Natural Breeze Mode was my favorite though – the gently fluctuating airflow felt a cool breeze, outside in the fresh air, rather than the blast of a fan.

While I was surprised – given the premium price – that the Shark TurboBlade doesn't come with app control. It does, at least, come with a remote, even if you're slightly limited by what you can adjust remotely.

The Shark TurboBlade is without a doubt a pricey fan but it's stylish, somewhat compact, and does an exceptional job at cooling thanks to its versatile and innovative design. It's well worth the price in that regard. Keep reading to see exactly how the Shark TurboBlade performed during testing and whether or not it might be the best fan for you.

(Image credit: Future) Shark TurboBlade review: price & availability

• List price: $249.99
• Launch date: January 2025
• Availability: Currently only available in the US and Canada

The Shark TurboBlade launched in January 2025 with a $249.99 price tag. As of now, it's only available in the US, to buy direct from Shark. No word as to if / when the TurboBlade will become available in the UK or Australia, but Shark has a presence in both of those territories, so we're hopeful. It may also come to third-party retailers like Amazon.

There's not really another fan on the market similar to this one. However, the best comparison are tower fans which can cost as little as $40 and as much as $370.

While $249.99 seems like a high price for a fan, its ingenious design, which allows customers to adjust the angle of the fan and push air up to 80 feet at 360-degrees, is well worth the premium price. You get far more coverage with this fan and a lot more customization in terms of the speed, air bursts, and air flow angle. Shark is also no stranger to sales, so if you buy at the right time you could avoid paying full price.

• Value for money score: 3.5 out of 5

Shark TurboBlade specs Shark TurboBlade fan review: design

• Multidirectional blades pivot and twist for 360-degree coverage
• Tower oscillates 180 degrees on adjustable telescopic pole
• Remote control can only adjust speeds and modes

Upon removing it from its packaging, I found the Shark TurboBlade was a bit larger than I expected (it's worth scrolling through the press photos to ones with people in to get a feel for the size of this fan – it's easy to assume it's more compact than it really is). That said, its adjustable and versatile design can make it feel more compact in your home. Specifically, you can turn it into one tall tower, which can sit in a corner, with a relatively small footprint.

It took me about five minutes to set it up. I really didn't need to use the instructions to assemble it, though I was thankful that everything was clearly labeled, and an instruction pamphlet was provided in case of confusion.

(Image credit: Future)

The Shark TurboBlade is similar to tower fans in that it has a base and a vertical design (here's more on tower fans vs pedestal fans, if you're not sure). This is in fact a bladeless fan – there's no visible, spinning section, but the 'Blade' in the name refers to the blades of air emitted by the two pivoting arms.

These arms sit atop the main pole, which is telescopic, so it can be raised or lowered. You can move the blades to the right or left, until they lie horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. Both vents can be directed in the same direction, or you can move one of the vents in the opposite direction.

(Image credit: Future)

That means you can direct blasts of air in specific directions, and they can be focused on two different areas at once. It's an especially clever design when you consider that fans don't actually lower the temperature in a room; it's the feel of the moving air that makes you feel cooler.

You'll have to plug the Shark TurboBlade into a power outlet for the fan to work. The base is designed to oscillate 180 degrees. This can be done with the remote control. Shark provides two batteries so you can use the remote immediately.

(Image credit: Future)

The remote control is compact and can be stored on the top of the fan, with a magnet to hold it in place. Instructions are printed there as well, so that you don't need to have the manual to hand at all times.

With the remote, you can adjust the fan speeds, oscillation, set a timer, change the horizontal angle of the base, and choose one of the three specialty modes – Sleep Mode, BreezeBoost, and Natural Breeze Mode. On the front of the base, there are five blinking lights that indicate the fan speed. One of the biggest drawbacks to the design is that you can't adjust the vents or the blades with the remote.

At 15lbs, it's easy enough to move the Shark TurboBlade between rooms. As of now, there are no Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connectivity options, though I hope to see Shark offer that option in the future. I'd much prefer to control the fan with my phone than a remote.

• Design score: 4 out of 5

Shark TurboBlade fan review: performance

• Airflow detectable from around 28ft, but best at <20ft away
• Fast and efficient at cooling a room, thanks for adjustable vents
• Natural Breeze mode is a revelation – brings the outdoors in

After running a variety of tests, I can say that the Shark TurboBlade is very easy to use and will keep you cool on hot days. Most of the time, I used the remote control to adjust the settings of the fan. However, for the sake of testing, there is a button on the front of the base. I could use it to turn the fan on or off and adjust the fan speeds by holding down the button. The fan speed is indicated by a chime and five flashing lights above the power button. (I preferred disabling the chime.)

Unfortunately, there were a few things I could not adjust with the remote control. If I wanted the blades to be vertical, horizontal, or diagonal, I had to move them by hand. I also could not adjust the direction of the vents with the remote.

(Image credit: Future)

I was able to turn the fan on and off and adjust the settings with the remote from about 30 feet away. Shark advertises that the fan can push air up to 80 feet, however, when I set the TurboBlade on the highest fan speed of 10 (the speed can be adjusted between 1-10), I could barely feel the airflow at 30 feet. The airflow was more noticeable at 28 feet. If you want to feel the breeze of the fan on your skin, it's better to be 0-20 feet from the Shark TurboBlade.

Though my house was a bit warm during testing, I didn't usually need to adjust the fan speed any higher than five. Most of the time, I set it at 3 as I found this level quite sufficient in circulating the air and blowing a cool breeze on me. The lowest fan level has a 39 dB sound rating, while the highest fan level comes in at 65 dB.

(Image credit: Future)

The fan can oscillate at 45, 90, or 180 degrees. It's also possible to use the remote to adjust the direction of the blades by small degrees. So if I moved from one side of the room to the other side, I could use the remote to 'move' the fan to face my new position in the room. Be mindful that when the blades are placed in the horizontal position, they can hit the wall or furniture. There aren't sensors in this product that will stop the blades from hitting an object.

Most of the time, I had the vents facing the same way so I could maximize the airflow toward me when I was sitting in a room. However, my kitchen can warm up quickly when I'm using the oven and the stove, so when I placed the Shark TurboBlade in there, I adjusted the blades vertically or diagonally and then moved the vents so they were facing opposite directions. From there I would oscillate the fan 180 degrees, which allowed the air to flow in all directions at the same time. The kitchen stayed exceptionally cool when I did this. No more sweating over the stove for me!

(Image credit: Future)

I should mention that if the blades are horizontal, you can adjust one of the vents toward the ceiling and keep the other facing forward. I'm not sure in what situations such angles would be beneficial, but at least you have the option. It would be nice to be able to place the vents in opposite directions (forward and backwards) in the horizontal position, but unfortunately, you can't.

With the timer, I was able to set the fan to run for 1, 2, 4, 8, and/or 12 hours. Sometimes I would set the timer so that it would cool the room down and then turn off around the time I planned to go to the gym so I could save some energy when I was out of the house.

Special modes

There are three specialty modes – Sleep Mode, BreezeBoost, and Natural Breeze Mode. BreezeBoost is the highest fan setting you can choose and has a dB rating of 66 dB. The amount of cool air that blows through on this setting is significant. I don't think I'll need BreezeBoost except during triple-digit (Fahrenheit) temperatures in summers.

My favorite setting is the Natural Breeze Mode. The fan randomizes the airflow to simulate natural winds. As someone who loves to sit outside and enjoy a breeze, it was really amazing to have this wind simulation indoors. I don't particularly love air blowing directly on me but appreciate the natural ability of a breeze to cool me down, which is why Natural Breeze Mode is my favorite mode.

(Image credit: Future)

Sleep Mode is, as the name implies, best used at night while you're sleeping. In Sleep Mode, the chime is muted, the lights on the front of the machine are dimmed, and the fan speed is lowered. The lower speed was perfect for me: I don't like to be cold at night, but I also appreciate some air circulation. While I could hear the fan, it's not very loud in Sleep Mode (about 49 dB), and almost sounds like comforting white noise. It's no louder than my ceiling fan.

The Shark TurboBlade can be tucked away into a corner when the blades are positioned vertically. The charcoal color is fine, though the white color option that is expected to drop next would definitely look better with my house's color palette. There really isn't much maintenance required except occasionally dusting the dust defense panel that covers the motor.

(Image credit: Future)

My only real complaint with the design is that I found the cord a little short. It's six-foot long, and I wish it was closer to 10 feet. My outlets in my historic home are in odd places, like halfway up a wall, so a six-foot cord isn't as long as I need it to be to move the fan into the best position.

Overall, the Shark TurboBlade is a really fantastic fan, one that will keep you cool thanks to all the ways in which you can adjust the direction and speed of the airflow. I hope in the future Shark might release a new version that can be controlled via an app, but as a first iteration, the TurboBlade is excellent.

• Performance score: 4.5 out of 5

Should you buy the Shark TurboBlade fan? Buy it if...

You want to cool a large space

You can not only adjust the direction of the vents but also the direction of the blades, so that you can actually feel the airflow without having to stand two feet in front of the fan.

You want a fan for nighttime

Set the Shark TurboBlade on Sleep Mode, and you'll barely hear the fan as you fall asleep at night. Best yet – it'll keep you cool as you sleep. You might even opt for the Natural Breeze Mode which simulates natural breezes, making it feel like you're sleeping outside.

You struggle with overheating

With the remote, you can turn the Shark TurboBlade on and off, change the speeds, set specialty modes, and make the fan oscillate. This allows users to move around their house and adjust the fan at far distances.

Don't buy it if...

You want app control

The Shark TurboBlade is not a smart fan that can be controlled via an app on your phone. Considering its versatile design and the price, you might expect it to have some Bluetooth or Wi-Fi capabilities, but alas, it does not.

You want to do everything remotely

The remote can control a lot of things – the speed, modes, oscillation, timer, and even the angle of the airflow. Unfortunately, it can't adjust the directions of the vents or the angle of the blade (in terms of being horizontal, vertical, or diagonal). This is something you have to do by hand.

You're on a budget

The Shark TurboBlade is one of the most expensive fans on the market with a price tag of nearly $250. If you don't want the innovative features, you could probably find a cheaper alternative that keeps your space equally as cool and comfortable.

How I tested the Shark TurboBlade

I tested the Shark TurboBlade for one week in my 105-year-old home in Texas. Testing occurred in March, that in-between time when my heater and air-conditioning weren't being used. On particularly warm days, my historic home became pretty warm (about 75 degrees F / 24 degrees C). I tested the Shark TurboBlade mostly in my living room, kitchen, and bedroom. This included using the Sleep Mode overnight, to get a sense of how well the fan circulated air and kept me cool as I slept.

Read more about how we test

• First reviewed March 2025

• Nintendo Music' library has expanded with songs from Tetris, Dr. Mario, and Kirby and the Forgotten Land
• It's a significant expansion for the music service, which comes with a Switch Online Membership
• The drop comes before the April 2, 2025 Nintendo Direct

We’re just days away from the next Nintendo Direct – taking place on April 2, 2025 – which is highly anticipated as it will be entirely focused on the Nintendo Switch 2. Hopefully, it will shed light on price, the full feature set, and the all-important launch titles.

In the lead-up, Nintendo’s dropped some new tracks for its Nintendo Music app and, as first reported by NintendoLife, has updated a support page teasing a larger update to the standalone app arriving in October 2025.

Nintendo included tracks from classics Tetris and – a personal favorite – Dr. Mario in the March 25, 2025 drop. It also included some tracks from Kirby and the Forgotten Land, a Nintendo Switch title. It’s not the full soundtrack from Kirby, though, hinting that we could get another drop.

Even though it's not every song from Kirby, a more substantial drop for the service is appreciated. Nintendo Music is essentially an Apple Music- or Spotify-like music streaming service dedicated to music from the Nintendo universe.

All your favorite tracks from Mario Kart, Animal Crossing, and countless other titles are easily accessible for your listening pleasure via an app for Android and iOS – if you have a Nintendo Switch Online membership.

Now, on the updated support page, Nintendo clearly states an update is arriving in October 2025:

“Your data, such as your playlists, will be saved even after you cancel your Nintendo Switch Online membership. We are planning an update around October 2025 that will allow you to use some Nintendo Music functions, such as the ability to edit, share, or delete your playlists, even after you cancel your Nintendo Switch Online membership.”

Considering the update promises more social and management features even if you’re not a subscriber, Nintendo might be changing the requirement of a Switch Online Membership to access the music streaming service. It is nice to see that all your content – think playlists – will be saved if you discontinue your membership.

It might be setting the stage for some changes to accessing Nintendo Music or even a relocation of accessing and streaming the songs. Time will tell, but who knows, Nintendo might even better integrate the service with a larger update to its online offering or with the forthcoming Nintendo Switch 2.

Time will tell, but for now, you can enjoy some sweet tunes from Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Dr. Mario, or countless other titles via the Nintendo Music app if you’re a Switch Online subscriber.

If you’re curious about the Nintendo Music app, you can check out our initial thoughts here.

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The former far-right populist president, Jair Bolsonaro, will face trial for allegedly attempting to overturn his 2022 reelection loss and stage a violent coup.

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• The iPhone 17 Pro is again rumored to be getting 8K video recording
• A number of Android phones already offer the feature
• It's likely to have niche appeal compared to other video upgrades

With the iPhone 17 Pro launch now likely about six months away, the rumor mill is in overdrive. But while recent speculation has focused on an unsubtle redesign for the flagship phone, the more interesting rumors are predicting camera upgrades – including 8K video recording.

As spotted by BGR, the Chinese leaker Fixed Focus Digital – who has a reasonably strong track record of Apple leaks on Weibo – has predicted that the next Pro iPhones will get the ability to shoot 8K video.

That isn't exactly an outlandish or unrealistic prediction. A number of Android phones, from the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra to the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, can already shoot in 8K/30fps. The ability to shoot in 8K also landed on Samsung Galaxy S20 way back in 2020.

The rumor also aligns with the latest iPhone 17 Pro camera rumors, which predict a new 48MP sensor for its telephoto camera. That would mean all three of its cameras would have the resolution needed to shoot 8K (which typically means 7680 x 4320 frames).

But even if the iPhone 17 Pro did get an 8K video upgrade, it would likely be a very niche feature. While that resolution may occasionally prove useful if you need to crop in on a scene during editing, other factors like bit-rate and lens quality (always a limitation on smartphones) will throttle the overall image quality – and likely make shooting in 4K modes the more sensible option.

Still, while iPhone are already impressive video cameras, there are a few new features that I think would be more useful than 8K on the iPhone 17 Pro.

iPhone 17 Pro: 3 video features I want to see 1. Open gate video recording

(Image credit: Apple)

While iPhones have historically had sensors with 4:3 aspect ratios, they've typically used a 16:9 crop for video recording. So-called 'open gate' video recording means being able to use the full width and height of the sensor, so you're not throwing away any detail –and it'd be great to see this as an option on the iPhone 17 Pro.

This would let you choose different aspect ratios – for example, shooting square video – while using the whole sensor. It would be more processor-intensive, but I'm sure an A19 Pro could handle it. Even relatively affordable cameras like the Fujifilm X-M5 are now offering open gate recording as an option for social content creators.

This is already possible on some iPhones with apps like Pearla, but it'd be nice to see it come to the default camera app or Final Cut Camera without a subscription.

2. A larger telephoto sensor

(Image credit: Apple)

Most iPhone video shooters stick to the main 24mm lens, because it's the only one with that's good enough for anything beyond cat or family videos. That's mostly due to its relatively large 1/1.29-inch sensor, so I hope the 17 Pro gets a much bigger telephoto sensor than its current (and aging) 1/3-inch offering.

Right now, the latest rumors are predicting that the 17 Pro's telephoto camera will get a boosted 48MP resolution, but the sensor size is less clear. It wouldn't need to match the main camera, but the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra's 50MP telephoto has a 1/2.52-inch sensor – so something in that ballpark would make a big difference for both video and stills. It could even make the telephoto a handy kind of b-cam for cut scenes.

3. A nano-texture screen option

(Image credit: Future / Axel Metz)

Okay, this one's not strictly a video feature, but it would be a nice option for video shooters. Apple now gives you a nano-texture screen option on everything from the iPad Pro M4 to the MacBook Pro M4 to help reduce glare and reflections – so why not offer a similar option for its Pro iPhones?

Given the iPhone's only viewfinder is its screen, and video is often shot outside in the glare of the sun, it would offer benefits for both recording and playback. Granted, you can already get halfway there with a matte screen protector, but Apple could go far beyond that with a new kind of display tech.

We've seen patents and rumors suggesting Apple's been working on display tech with an “ambient light rejection element” before, so perhaps it could be ready in time for the iPhone 17 Pro. If Apple wants to tout it as the ultimate phone for video creators, that would be a more useful quality-of-life upgrade than 8K resolution.

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This could be my recession-era reality check.

• Jeffrey Emanuel called Nvidia overvalued and warned of DeepSeek's rise
• His essay went viral, triggering record market losses and investor panic
• Now he's targeting CoreWeave, calling it a turkey and the “WeWork of AI”

Towards the end of January 2025, Jeffrey Emanuel, Founder and CEO of Pastel Network, wrote an interesting and insightful essay about Nvidia.

More specifically, he discussed what he saw as its overvaluation and the threat it faced from a small Chinese startup called DeepSeek. noting, “history shows that markets eventually find a way around artificial bottlenecks that generate super-normal profits,” and that, “Nvidia faces a much rockier path to maintaining its current growth trajectory and margins than its valuation implies.”

That article, which went viral, helped cause the largest-ever single-day drop in the stock market, wiping $2 trillion off global markets and slashing Nvidia’s market capitalization by $600 billion.

An overpriced turkey

The latest target of Emanuel’s observations is Roseland, New Jersey-based CoreWeave, which offers cloud infrastructure optimized for Nvidia GPUs and is expected to go public in the coming weeks in what will be a closely watched IPO.

In his takedown of the company, Emanuel described it as the “WeWork of AI,” referring to the infamous flexible office space startup that was once valued at $47 billion but overexpanded, mismanaged funds, and collapsed after a failed IPO.

As Emanuel wrote two weeks ago, “If it [CoreWeave] really IPOs for $30b+ then it’s a much better short than NVDA ever was. They have absolutely no durable moat and will soon be structurally disadvantaged on the cost curve for inference for specific LLM models versus hyperscalers like AWS, which have their own proprietary silicon (because clearly CoreWeave doesn’t know the first thing about making custom silicon, and won’t anytime soon).”

MarketWatch picked up on this and cautioned investors. The site wrote, “CoreWeave set an estimated price range of $47 to $55 a share for its initial public offering, and an offering size of 49 million shares. Based on the midpoint of the estimated range, CoreWeave’s IPO would raise $2.5 billion for the company. That would make its IPO the fourth since 2022 to raise at least $2.5 billion, after Lineage, Arm Holdings, and Kenvue, according to Renaissance Capital.”

“CoreWeave would have a market cap of about $25 billion based on the midpoint of the estimated pricing range,” the site added. While that’s far less than the $35 billion many market watchers have been predicting, Emanuel says, “that’s still at least $20b too high for this turkey!”

Thanks to Steve Gelsi at @MarketWatch for helping me warn investors about the CoreWeave IPO. Luckily, they've already had to reduce the valuation by $10b from the initial price talk of $35b, but that's still at least $20b too high for this turkey! https://t.co/fnJorj87NkMarch 20, 2025

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• Discord's new update has introduced a new game overlay along with UI color settings
• The new game overlay allows users to view friends' streams and video chat while in-game
• It's a solution for gamers with single-display setups to stay in touch with friends

Since there is a lack of competition in social apps for gamers, Discord is the one platform that most rely on for communicating with friends online, which arguably isn't the best circumstance considering the current negative consensus against its Nitro paywall and recent limitations of features. However, a new update has arrived that might place Discord back in users' good books.

In a new video on YouTube (available below), Discord announced a brand new, significantly overhauled game overlay that will allow users to access a number of the app's features while gaming, without ever needing to leave the open game window. It's a big upgrade from the original overlay (now referred to as the 'Legacy Overlay'), which only featured the name tags of users in an active server in any corner of the screen, along with access to quick text chatting.

Now, Discord has maintained the basic name tag feature while adding innovative features in a new 'action bar' - like soundboard and call controls, a video chat window for users on camera, and the same for streaming, all in one place. This allows you to watch multiple streams and engage with friends via the game overlay. It's important to note that the quick text chat function has seemingly been removed, instead replaced by the notification window (which gives you the option to reply to messages).

Essentially, this is a game-changing feature that could go a long way in helping users keep all their activities on one screen without needing to Alt-Tab between programs. Most importantly, Discord claims the performance impact streaming had on games is now gone, as streaming now uses a new rendering method that utilizes the Discord client to keep the action rolling for friends.

It's not perfect, but it's definitely a fantastic start

For gamers like me, Discord is an essential part of enjoying games while keeping in touch with friends. While it has its ups and downs - notably the random bugs during server calls - this is probably the best update to the platform I've seen in a while.

I no longer need to keep my TV connected to my PC to watch streams from friends while I'm gaming, as I can easily do this on the same screen now. My worry was that streams would be too disruptive to my gameplay, but thankfully, the windows can be resized at will, which is absolutely ideal for intense and competitive gaming sessions.

It certainly isn't perfect right now: the option to reply to texts via the notification window is missing the option for emojis, and it's the new game overlay is only functional in games when it should have an option to choose different applications that aren’t recognized by Discord (I know it's called game overlay, but still).

Regardless, it's a great start to a very much-needed overhaul for the popular PC gaming app, and the great thing is that many of the omissions I've mentioned will likely be added through future updates. I just need one more thing: Discord, allow deafened users in servers to access the soundboard. Please?

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• Switzerland is considering amending its surveillance law to add new types of monitoring and information collection
• The change would widen the reach to VPNs and secure messaging providers
• Consultations are now open until May 6, 2025

Switzerland is considering amending its surveillance law to expand into new types of monitoring and data collection.

The changes – which experts argue will put people's anonymity and secure encryption at risk – would widen the net of impacted service providers to virtual private networks (VPNs), messaging apps, and social networks, having previously only impacted mobile networks and internet service providers (ISPs).

Consultations are now public and open until May 6, 2025. Speaking to TechRadar, NymVPN has explained how it's planning to fight against it, alongside encrypted messaging app Threema and Proton, the provider behind one of the best VPN and secure email services on the market.

More data, less security

Authorities' arguments behind the need for accessing more data are always the same – catching criminals and improving security. Yet, according to Nym's co-founder and COO, Alexis Roussel, being forced to leave more data behind would achieve the opposite result.

"Less anonymity online is not going to make things better," he told TechRadar. "For example, enforcing identification of all these small services will eventually push to leaks, more data theft, and more attacks on people."

The amendment aims to expand the number of service providers targeted to include so-called "derived service providers."This categorisation would aim to include any online service with a turnover of $100 million or more than 5,000 active users.

As per the official announcement, "three types of information and two types of monitoring are also being created as a result of this revision." Put simply, the likes of NymVPN and Proton VPN would be forced to modify how they handle their encryption technology and their privacy policies around securing the anonymity of their users.

In Switzerland, the new version of the surveillance law aims to make it impossible for Proton, Threema and@nymproject to operate from Switzerland. We are in the consultation phase. We will fight. https://t.co/BcMBxzIPFCMarch 25, 2025

Considering the pushback against encryption backdoors, Switzerland seems to be taking a different approach. Yet, according to Roussel, this is more of a "play on words."

"It's not about end-to-end encryption. They don't want to force you to reveal what's inside the communication itself, but they want to know where it goes," Roussel explains. "They realize the value is not in what is being said but who you are talking to.".

"The whole point of security and privacy is not being able to link the usage to the person. That's the most critical thing." Roussel told TechRadar.

What's next?

It's important to note that the current amendment is not subject to a parliamentary vote or public referendum under Swiss law. Nonetheless, a public consultation is now ongoing, so everyone can partake.

Nym confirmed to TechRadar that the team has already started to build a strategy to fight against it with Proton and Threema – and they hope more people will follow suit.

The plan focuses on showing the damage these changes will have for citizens' online security and the wider Swiss tech industry.

"Nym is still small, but Proton and Threema are really very prominent companies in Switzerland," said Rousseld, pointing out how the Swiss Army itself is using the latter service exactly for its well-known high level of security.

"I think we have good arguments, and I think the best argument we have is to show them that they would lose in front of a tribunal."

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So good, in fact, that I'm worried now about my little corner of the universe where we try to discern the accuracy of renders, models, and pre-production leaks that might tell us the tale of future Apple products, like the rumored iPhone 17 Air.

For those who don't know, the iPhone 17 Air (or Slim) is the oft-talked-about but never-confirmed ultra-slim iPhone 16 Plus/iPhone 16e/SE hybrid that could be the most exciting iPhone update when Apple likely unveils a whole new iPhone 17 line in September.

While it may not be the most powerful iPhone, it should be the biggest and thinnest of the bunch. Even the single rear camera might not be enough to keep potential buyers away.

Imagining what it could look like, well, that's my job. Or it was until I started working with ChatGPT running the recently updated 4o model, which is capable of generating images out of thin air or based on photos and images you upload into it.

It's a slightly methodical model, taking up to 45 seconds to generate an image that flows in slowly, almost one microscopic, horizontal line of pixels at a time. The results are something to behold.

It's not just the quality but how ChatGPT can maintain the thread and cohesion of images from prompt to prompt. Usually, if you start with image generation in something like OpenAI's Dall-E or, say, X's Grok, it'll do a good job with the first image.

However, when you request changes, elements of the original disappear or end up altered. It's even harder to create a series of images that appear to be part of the same story or theme. There are usually too many differences.

ChatGPT 4o image generation appears different and, possibly, more capable.

ChatGPT 4o did a nice anime glow up with my picture of a hawk (left). (Image credit: Chat GPT-generated images along with source material)

Having already experimented a bit with the model shortly after Altman and other OpenAI engineers announced it, I quickly found that ChatGPT 4o did its best work when you started with a solid source.

I initially had fun turning images of myself and even photos I took this week of a peregrine hawk into anime. However, I was curious about ChatGPT's photo-realism capabilities, especially as they relate to my work.

Apple announced this week that WWDC 2025's keynote would fall on June 9. It's an event where the tech giant outlines platform updates (iOS, iPadOS, macOS, etc) that inform much of how we think about Apple's upcoming product lineup. With information like this, we can start to map out the future of the anticipated iPhone 17 line. Visualizing what that will look like can be tough, though. So, I decided to let ChatCPT's newest image model show me the way.

A real photo of an iPhone SE on the left and a ChatGPT 4o-generated one on the right. (Image credit: Chat GPT-generated images along with source material)

Since the iPhone 17 Air would conceivably be the newest member of the iPhone family (shoving aside the less-than exciting iPhone 16e), I decided to focus on that.

Initially, I handed ChatGPT an older iPhone SE review image with this prompt:

"Use this photo to imagine what an Apple iPhone 17 Air might look like. Please make it photo-realistic and a nice, bright color."

ChatGPT did a good job of maintaining the settings from the original photo and most of my hand, though I think I lost a finger. It did well updating the finish and even added a second camera, making it part of a raised camera bump.

I followed with this prompt:

"This is good. Since the iPhone 17 Air is supposed to be super-thin, can you show it from the side?"

ChatGPT lost the background and made the image look like an ad for the iPhone 17 Air. It was a nice touch, but the phone didn't look thin enough. I prompted ChatGPT to make it thinner, which it did.

This was progress, but I quickly realized my error. I hadn't based the prompt on available iPhone 17 Air rumors, and maybe I wasn't being prescriptive enough in my prompts.

(Image credit: Chat GPT-generated images along with source material)

Since the iPhone SE is now a fully retired design, I decided to start over with a review image of the iPhone 16 Pro and initially used the same prompt, which delivered an iPhone 16 Pro in a lovely shade of blue.

This time, when I asked to see the thin side of the phone. I told ChatGPT, "Don't change the background."

I was pleased to see that ChatGPT more or less kept my backyard bushes intact and seamlessly inserted the new phone in something that now sort of looked like a more attractive version of my hand.

My original iPhone 16 Pro review image is on the left. ChatGPT 4o's work in on the right. (Image credit: Chat GPT-generated images along with source material)

Some iPhone 17 Air rumors claim the phone might have just one camera, so I told ChatGPT to remove two cameras and rerender.

In previous prompts, I'd told ChatGPT to "make it thinner," but what if I gave the chatbot an exact measurement?

"Now show me the side of the iPhone 17 Air. It should be 5.4mm thick and the same color."

(Image credit: Chat GPT-generated images along with source material)

This was almost perfect. I did notice, though, that there was no discernable camera bump, which seems unlikely in a 5.4mm-thick iPhone. Even the anticipated ultra-thin Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge features a camera bump. There is no way the iPhone 17 Air will get away without one.

Finally, I asked for a render of the screen:

"Now show me the iPhone 17 Air screen. Make sure it shows the Dynamic Island. The screen should be bright and look like an iPhone home screen with apps and widgets."

Once again, ChatGPT did an excellent job, except for an "iOS IAir" label just above the dock. The rest of the App Icon labels are perfect, which is impressive when you consider the difficulty most image generation models have with text.

ChatGPT doesn't produce images with AI watermarks; only the file names tell you these are ChatGPT images. That's concerning, as is the exceptional quality.

I expect the internet will soon be flooded with ChatGPT iPhone and other consumer electronics hardware renders. We won't know what's a leak, what's a hand-made render, or what's direct from the mind of ChatGPT based on prompts from one enterprising tech editor.

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