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This week's new releases include a memoir from Amanda Knox reflecting on her murder case and exoneration, a biography of Yoko Ono, new fiction from Column McCann, and the latest Wicked book Elphie.

Some are offering sanctuary to immigrants, others are ministering to families in different ways.

(Image credit: Anna King)

Southern California All-American star JuJu Watkins crashed to the floor Monday night against Mississippi State and grabbed her knee. She had to be carried off the floor at the USC Galen Center.

(Image credit: Ronald Martinez)

How do you extract value from the rapidly growing complexity of today’s cloud computing environments? It’s one of the most pressing questions facing modern enterprises.

While the promise of cloud computing has always been centered on flexibility, scalability, and efficiency, the reality for many businesses paints a more challenging picture – one where unexpected complexities make managing multi-cloud and hybrid environments feel like navigating uncharted waters.

The truth is, cloud value stagnates when businesses take a "cloud-first, ask-questions-later" approach – the challenges often outweigh the return. To succeed, modern IT leaders need a forward-thinking cloud strategy.

The hidden complexity of cloud computing

Cloud technology has transformed how businesses operate, but it is not without complications. The disconnect between the promise of streamlined operations and the burden of diverse IT infrastructure is glaring. Today, 89% of organizations operate using multi-cloud frameworks – but this popularity comes at a cost. Here’s why:

Legacy IT constraints

Many enterprises still rely on legacy systems that weren’t designed to integrate with modern cloud technologies. While the benefits of migrating fully to the cloud are obvious, constraints surrounding outdated architectures often prevent this transition from happening smoothly – or in some cases, from happening at all.

Hyperscaler limitations

Cloud giants like AWS, Azure or Google Cloud provide exceptional tools for managing their own platforms, but they rarely address the needs of multi-cloud operations. This inevitably leads organizations to cobble together fragmented tools (e.g. FinOps) to manage governance, security, and visibility across providers, resulting in inefficiencies.

Lack of visibility & control

Hybrid or multi-cloud environments inherently bring layers of complexity to workload management. Tracking resources, monitoring network performance, and ensuring cost efficiency are monumental tasks without a unified strategy in place.

The result? IT teams across industries find themselves trapped, trying to balance rapid technological innovation with the limitations of their existing infrastructure.

Why "true" multi-cloud thinking is the solution

When a standard “cloud-first” mindset no longer reflects the reality of enterprise cloud strategies, what’s next? Organizations distribute workloads more flexibly, whether on-premises, in the cloud, or across public and private cloud environments. But now, they must deal with disparate tools, governance models, and security frameworks, leading to a fundamentally fragmented system that limits visibility and control – and again, the value they get from their cloud infrastructure.

Different cloud environments have traditionally required multiple tools to govern and optimize operations. Solutions offered by hyperscalers are designed primarily for their environments, and FinOps tools often fail to account for multicloud setups. This creates a major challenge for IT leaders, especially when making strategic and value-focused decisions such as seeking differentiated services their current provider may not be able to deliver.

Without proper optimization, data can go unprotected, workloads could be poorly distributed and managing the entire system becomes an uphill battle. The solution lies in a true multi-cloud thinking. Organizations that fail to adopt such thinking risk falling behind their competitors who can pivot swiftly in today’s dynamic market environments.

So, what are the core pillars?

Unified control

Look for foundational architecture that enables the seamless movement of workloads across cloud providers and environments. This control ensures performance is prioritized alongside cost-efficiency and compliance.

Agility

Vendor lock-in creates bottlenecks. A good multi-cloud approach avoids relying too heavily on any single provider, enabling businesses to scale or pivot as operational challenges arise.

Visibility

Centralized governance frameworks, as opposed to disparate tools, offer transparency across clouds, making it easier to track costs, performance, and data security. Better information equals better decisions.

Unified management

Efficient multi-cloud operations require more than just tools; they need coherent strategies built around real-time resource management and overarching visibility.

How centralized management unlocks new potential

The solution isn’t just about adopting diverse tools; it’s about orchestra-like synchronization under a single conductor, a unified platform. This allows businesses to simplify operations, cut redundancy, and even eliminate the silos that form when multi-cloud environments get out of hand.

Think of it as providing IT teams with bird’s-eye visibility. With clear insights into governance, capacity planning, workloads, and security threats, teams can collaborate more effectively and channel resources where they matter most.

Multi-cloud isn’t the future – it’s already here. The challenge is whether organizations can rise to meet it with confidence.

IT leaders must focus on more than just tools and technology. They need to rethink their approach entirely. For example: Invest in agile frameworks. Deploy centralized governance strategies. Empower IT and non-IT personnel to act decisively with intelligent insights on resource performance and cost.

Cloud-based innovation is just the starting line – it’s those who manage that innovation best who will win.

Bold leadership is necessary

Those at the helm of enterprises hold the key to managing complexity to get value from their cloud investments. IT infrastructure choices today won't just dictate cost-savings; they’ll define your competitive edge for years to come.

Your next business breakthrough lies in cutting through the complexity of cloud systems. It’s about replacing fragmented tools with centralized intelligence. Find ways to simplify operations and maximize potential.

If that sounds daunting, remember – you don’t have to go it alone. Partner with experts who know the nuances of enterprise IT, or invest in intelligent platforms that can deliver clarity amidst complexity.

We rate the best business cloud storage.

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

Depardieu's long and storied career has turned the trial into a post- #MeToo test of the willingness of France and its movie industry to confront sexual violence and hold influential men accountable.

(Image credit: Aurelien Morissard)

That is what I found after collecting data across 24 AMD CPUs I could get prices and availability for and crunched the numbers at the time of writing.

The 9900X is AMD’s fourth fastest desktop processor on CPUBenchmark but also the one that got the bigger price cut - nearly 25% - after the launch of the 9900X3D on March 12th.

A price reduction of almost a quarter is nothing to be sniffed at for a CPU near the top performers.

This model is popular with anyone looking for high performance, without a premium price tag, across various workloads like video editing or game development, like in Scan’s 3XS GWP A1-R24 workstation PC.

It sold at Amazon at the time of writing for $374.72 down from $499, its lowest price ever

This Zen 5 part, launched in August 2024, has 12 cores, a base speed of 4.4GHz, 12MB L3 cache as well as a 120W TDP.

It reached 54,836 on CPUBenchmark, my default benchmark for processors.

That’s a jaw-dropping 146 marks per dollar, almost 10x better than the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7995WX (15) and 26% better than its bigger sibling, the 9950X.

It also has the cheapest cost per core at just $31.23, the third fastest maximum speed (5.6GHz) and, as for all Ryzen CPUs, it has 1MB of L3 cache per core (in this case, 12MB for 12 cores).

This is the third of several articles based on data I’ve compiled on 41 AMD Zen 4 and Zen 5 CPUs (socketed, OEM). In the rest of the series, I will be looking at the cost per core, performance per core, AMD CPUs that are getting more expensive, all this with the new Ryzen 9 9900/9950 X3D CPUs in the backdrop.

In other words, no processor from AMD delivers more performance per unit dollar than the Ryzen 9 9900X.

The Ryzen 5 9600X is the second model in the pecking order on the value-for-money-meter at 131 marks per dollar or 5000 marks per core, the highest of any AMD processors ever tested on CPUBenchmark - there are still 19 that haven’t been benchmarked on it yet.

The mysterious Ryzen 5 9600

Check out my previous articles in this series

> Surprise, surprise! Ryzen 9 9950X and 9900X offer, by far, the best value for money when it comes to AMD Zen 5 cores

> I don’t understand why AMD's 192-core monster CPU ever is selling at almost 50% discount, just 4 months after it launched

Keep an eye on the Ryzen 5 9600, a CPU that has been released recently and didn’t get as much attention as the bigger models.

It has a slightly lower base speed but I expect it to be the cheapest socketed Zen 5 CPU in AMD’s roster.

A sub $200 retail price and a slightly lower CPUBenchmark score than the 9600X would allow it to breeze past the Ryzen 9 9900X to the top of the leaderboard.

Surprisingly though, neither the Ryzen 9900X nor the Ryzen 9600X have cracked the top 10 best-selling CPU leaderboard on Amazon.com.

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Brazil's government on Monday apologized to families of victims of the country's military dictatorship whose remains could be among those found in a clandestine mass grave 35 years ago.

(Image credit: Andre Penner)

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for March 25.

No Other Land, is detained by the Israeli military from his home in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Monday.'/>

Israeli settlers beat up Hamdan Ballal, one of the Palestinian co-directors of the documentary film No Other Land, in the occupied West Bank, according to witnesses. He was then detained by the Israeli military.

(Image credit: Raviv Rose)

• Ugreen has announced a new line of Genshin Impact charging products
• They're themed around the character Kinich and his companion Ajaw
• It includes a co-branded power bank, wireless charging stand, charging plug, and cable

Mobile accessory maker Ugreen has announced a new partnership with Genshin Impact to launch an exclusive collection of co-branded charging products inspired by the hugely popular playable character Kinich.

The Ugreen x Genshin Impact line is available now via the Ugreen website and Amazon in a wide range of countries including the US and UK. It features four new special edition products, each with a unique and adorable design.

(Image credit: Ugreen)

First, there's the Ugreen Nexode Power Bank Genshin Impact Edition, which packs a massive 20,000mAh battery into a portable charger with two USB Type-C ports that can be used at the same time on top of a USB-A output. One Type-C port supports 100W fast charging, which tops up compatible devices in impressive times. According to the manufacturer, this can take an iPhone 15 Pro from zero to 55% in just 30 minutes.

It also has a smart display, with a crisp TFT LCD panel that shows the power bank's current battery level and charging status. It's a very practical addition and, in this special edition, even comes with its own exclusive animations starring Kinich's pixel art companion Ajaw.

The front of the power bank is adorned with bright artwork showing Kinich and Ajaw too, while the sides feature a more subtle pattern plus some Ugreen x Genshin Impact branding.

The Ugreen Nexode Power Bank Genshin Impact Edition costs $89.99 / £74.99 - only about $10 / £5 more than the current going price of the standard version which seems like a great deal for fans given the much cooler design here.

(Image credit: Ugreen)

Next is the Ugreen Magflow Wireless Charger Genshin Impact Edition, a folding 2-in-1 wireless charger that might be the perfect fit for your next trip if you're an iPhone user.

It's compact, so can easily be folded and stashed in a bag, and delivers 15W fast charging with Qi2 certification. There's a MagSafe-compatible magnetic charging pad to hold your phone with 75 degrees of adjustment and, when unfolded, a small charging dock for compatible earbuds (such as recent AirPods).

You also get a USB-C port for charging smartwatches or other accessories, conveniently covering all of your devices while occupying just one socket.

This special edition version has a unique black and neon green design that draws on everything from the Yumkasaurus enemies in the Natlan region in Genshin Impact to Kinich's Constellation and Element Skill.

The Ugreen Magflow Wireless Charger Genshin Impact Edition costs $59.99 / £44.99.

(Image credit: Ugreen)

If you're after powerful charging, then the Ugreen Nexode Charger Genshin Impact Edition should have you covered.

It's small, coming in at 2.59 x 1.57 x 1.22in / 66 x 40 x 31mm in its US variant, but boasts 65W fast charging ideal for everything from laptops to mobile phones and tablets.

It has three separate USB ports: two 65W USB Type-C ports and one 22.5W USB Type-A port (though bear in mind that power distribution varies if multiple cables are connected). As a flagship-level charger, it also boasts the company's 'GaNInfinity' chip, which it claims improves efficiency and keeps temperatures cool.

On the design front, you get more artwork featuring Kinich and Ajaw on one side. On the other, you can find a neat pattern inspired by Ajaw. This is on top of the expected Ugreen x Genshin Impact branding.

The Ugreen Nexode Charger Genshin Impact Edition costs $39.99 / £37.99.

(Image credit: Ugreen.)

Last but not least is the Ugreen USB-C to USB-C Cable Genshin Impact Edition. As the name would suggest, this is a simple 3.28ft / 1m long USB cable with some extra Genshin Impact flair.

In addition to sturdy aluminum connectors, it's braided with neon green nylon and even comes equipped with a cute Ajaw cable tidy. It supports up to 100W charging, making it a good fit for any of the other collab products, plus USB 2.0 compatibility for transfer speeds up to 480Mbps.

The Ugreen USB-C to USB-C Cable Genshin Impact Edition is the cheapest item in the collection, coming in at $9.99 / £7.49.

Hands-on impressions

(Image credit: Ugreen)

I've had the chance to go hands-on with the entire collection over the last month thanks to a collectible gift box provided by Ugreen.

I've definitely been most impressed with the Nexode Power Bank thanks to its eye-catching bright print and very strong performance. It feels very robust and charges my Porsche Design Honor Magic 6 RSR phone to almost 80% in just half an hour, which is more than enough juice to play hours of Genshin Impact on the train and leaves previous power banks that I've owned in the dust.

The animations of this special edition are cute too, and demonstrate a high level of attention to detail from Ugreen.

Although I'm less of an Apple user now, having made the leap from an iPhone 15 Plus just a few months ago, the Ugreen Magflow Wireless Charger was good in my testing. It's a tad fiddly to unfold, but once set up doesn't take up much space and would be very convenient to have on a desk or bedside table - especially on a trip.

As for the Nexode Charger and the cable, they're not the most exciting parts of the collection aside from the unique look. Having multiple ports accessible from one socket is very convenient though and I haven't had any issues charging anything from my work laptop to a Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck OLED.

The gift box came packed with exclusive merch, including an adorable acrylic standee showing Kinich and little Ajaw. This was on top of a themed magnetic phone kickstand grip, power bank pouch, fridge magnet, phone lanyard, and transparent photo frame. All in all, it's a lovely little bundle that fans of the character would certainly enjoy.

This gift box is not available to buy, but if you want to get your hands on one there will be opportunities to win it in giveaways via Ugreen's official X / Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram pages.

Not yet tried Genshin Impact? The free-to-play game is available now on PC and mobile in addition to PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S.

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We're getting in on the action at Zendesk's annual convention, Relate 2025, to hear from company execs and global influencers about how AI can revolutionize customer service and sales.

The keynotes kick off on March 25, so be sure to check back here for live coverage as the days go on.

Get ready to join us as we cover Zendesk's exciting updates at Relate 2025. We're expecting plenty of AI announcements over the coming days.

• Google is rolling out new vision features for Gemini Live
• The AI assistant can now "see" your phone screen or camera feed
• These upgrades are powered by Project Astra, Google's AI R&D umbrella

Google's Gemini Live is finally getting the gift of sight. The tech giant has quietly begun rolling out features that transform your humble smartphone into an all-seeing eye for its AI assistant.

The new abilities were uncovered by a Reddit user who later shared a video of the features in action. The upgrade lets Gemini peer through your screen or camera lens and process what it sees. The rollout marks the debut of Google's much-discussed and much-anticipated Project Astra.

Based on the video, Gemini's 'eyes' can analyze your screen in real-time through a "Share screen with Live" button. Gemini has long been able to digest static screenshots, but the update maintains a continuous gaze on your screen, looking at whatever you are on your phone for better or for worse.

The other tool makes your phone's camera Gemini's eye. Google has demonstrated that the AI can precisely discern colors and objects. Whether the final product matches the platonic ideal of the demos isn't clear just yet.

A short demo of Project Astra (Share screen with Live) from r/Bard Astra eyes

The new feature is arriving first for Gemini Advanced subscribers paying $20 a month for the Google One plan with extra AI. The rollout is notably democratic in where the feature appears, though, judging from the Xiaomi phone shown by the Reddit user. Google had previously hinted that Pixel and Galaxy S25 owners would have faster or better access to Project Astra.

Other AI assistants with similar seeing tools exist, but they are mostly tied to third-party apps like Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT, Grok, and even Hugging Face's new HuggingSnap app. Having a real-time screen and camera-connect AI built into Android would certainly help entice users interested in an AI assistant to at least try Gemini.

And Google's timing in releasing the feature is notable as it tries to carve out a lead among AI assistants. Though Amazon has been hyping its new “Alexa Plus” update, it has yet to arrive.

Meanwhile, Apple's upgraded Siri has been delayed multiple times. That leaves Google with a temporary but very real lead in the AI assistant race. Gemini, for all its early hiccups and rebranding drama (RIP Bard), is now doing things that neither Alexa nor Siri can match for the moment.

Google has promised that Project Astra will be the "next-generation assistant" everyone wants to use all day. So keep your (and Gemini's) eyes peeled for new features to arrive in the weeks ahead.

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• iDSD Valkyrie is iFi's most high-end DAC to date
• It is $400 / £400 more expensive than the previous flagship, Diablo 2
• …but it also boasts 44% more power

At this point, you'd be forgiven for thinking iFi Audio, (the excellent sister company to Abbingdon Music Research, headquartered in Southport, UK) has been around for decades.

Actually, iFi was only formed in 2012, but in its short 13-year tenure this likable audio outfit has already brought us some of the best portable headphone DACs we've ever tried. Even a quick glance at our most recent iFi reviews is proof that this plucky specialist firm isn't resting on its laurels.

So what new and affordable piece of hi-res audio excellence has it got for you today? Well, (how to put this?) this newest offering isn't like your sub-$100 iFi Go Link Max.

No, this is a solid step up – towards the heavens, if you will. If the word 'Valkyrie' calls to mind both magic and the idea of rubbing shoulders with gods in the great halls of Valhalla, that's what iFi wants you to think. Because although iFi's iDSD Diablo 2 was, ahem, devilishly expensive, this is far north of that.

iFi iDSD Valkrie: what lifts it up high above the rest?

The chief piece of tech you need to know about in iFi's iDSD Valkyrie is K2HD. This is JVCKENWOOD’s renowned coding solution that aims to restore the warmth and emotion of analog recordings to digital music (often considered a colder, or more clinical listen). The Valkyrie offers this tech in two flavors: ‘K2’ mode and ‘K2HD’ mode, where the former preserves the files’ original resolution.

Next up is iFi's DSD 1024 remastering algorithm, powered by a custom-coded FPGA (which stands for 'field programmable gate array'). Here, you can choose between the ‘Normal’ setting, in which DSD signals pass directly to the DAC and PCM signals go through a user-selected digital filter, or ‘Remastering’, with options to remaster to DSD512 or DSD1024 – aka seriously hi-res audio.

On to the main digital-to-analog conversion then, and the Valkyrie sports a quad DAC architecture – fewer than four interleaved Burr-Brown DACs. You also get six digital filters to pick from, including Apodising, GTO, Bit Perfect, Standard, Minimum, and Transient Aligned, giving you more ways to explore the nuance in your music

Valkyrie also features processing perks unique to iFi, such as XBassII (to amp up the low end), XPresence, and XSpace. It also houses a 20,000mAh battery for portability, boasting 18 hours of continuous playtime, with fast charging via USB-C in just 2.5 hours.

(Image credit: iFi)

iFi tells us that, unlike other products, Valkyrie uses switchable analog circuitry for its EQ modes, rather than Digital Signal Processing (DSP). Why? It's a further bid to preserve audio quality and allow for more natural frequency adjustment, with less phase shift and distortion.

And arguably the biggest deal here? Power. The iFi iDSD boasts 5,700mW peak output for driving the most power-hungry headphones. And for clarity, that's approximately 44% more power than iFi's aforementioned flagship iDSD Diablo 2.

Oh, and if you're not using wired headphones, the absolute best quality in Bluetooth codecs are all supported, including LDAC, aptX Lossless, and aptX Adaptive.

Pricing? Yes, but brace yourselves. iFi iDSD is available from today (March 25) priced $1,699 / £1,699, so around AU$2,704, taking that US figure as an estimate – and knowing as we do that the Diablo 2 launched with a $1,299 / £1,299 / AU$2,199 asking fee.

How good is the iFi iDSD Valkyrie? We're working on that, we promise you.

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Stock up on a plethora of inexpensive 4K Blu-rays on sale right now.

The California biotech firm said in a statement that it is hoping to find a buyer to address its ongoing financial struggles.

(Image credit: Eric Baradat)

• New Galaxy S25 Edge details have leaked
• A screen with a 2K resolution is predicted
• The frame could be made from titanium

Most rumors are suggesting that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge is going to get a full launch sometime in April, and as we count down the days we're getting more information about what to expect from this phone – including its display and the materials used for its frame.

According to prolific tipster Ice Universe (via Android Authority), the fourth phone in the S25 series is going to offer a 2K display – so at least 2,000 pixels (and probably more) from the top of the screen to the bottom. It may match the 6.7-inch Galaxy S25 Plus model, which has a display resolution of 3,120 x 1,080 pixels.

Another tip we get from the same source is that Samsung will use a titanium alloy for the frame of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge. That would follow the Galaxy S25 Ultra, and bring some extra durability and a premium feel to the phone.

There had been some speculation over the materials Samsung would use on this handset. So far, we've only been able to look at the Galaxy S25 Edge, not touch it – with some talk of a ceramic back (a prediction that now doesn't seem to be accurate).

Form and durability

The phone could be the thinnest Galaxy handset in history (Image credit: Future)

We know the Galaxy S25 Edge is real and on the way, but Samsung has said very little about any of the details that would help us assess its appeal – such as the specs inside it, or how much it's going to cost.

From the brief glimpses we've seen of the phone, we know it's designed to be super-slim, which is its main selling point. Earlier leaks have suggested it might be just 5.84 mm front to back, making it substantially thinner than the standard Galaxy S25, which is 7.2 mm thick.

Samsung's Mobile Experience (MX) VP of Product and Marketing in the UK, Annika Bizon, said in an exclusive chat with TechRadar that this slim and light design isn't going to come at the expense of durability – which is something we'll have to put to the test.

We've also heard rumors about how the phone might manage to keep temperatures down and its internal components running smoothly, despite its thinness. In just a few days or weeks, all should be revealed.

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The head of the U.S. Postal Service is stepping down. Louis DeJoy's exit comes after Trump officials floated controversial ideas for overhauling the agency.

(Image credit: Kevin Dietsch)

This is the lowest price we've seen on Amazon for the 2024 Microsoft Surface Pro.

The decorated skier returned to the sport after six years away due to an injury and has already made a splash.

(Image credit: PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)

This tent is not only super easy to set up, but it also has some low-profile tech to make the outdoors a little more fun.