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• Compal Infinite Laptop offers a horizontally expanding screen, from 14-inch to 18-inch
• Rollable business laptops could emerge as the future of multitasking
• Infinite Laptop also includes LED notification grids

The world's first rollable laptop, the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable, was unveiled at CES 2025 after years of development, featuring a 14-inch display which expands vertically to 16.7 inches with the press of a button.

While Lenovo’s approach focuses on increasing vertical space, Taiwanese manufacturer Compal's Infinite Laptop concept (via iFDesign) expands horizontally to create an ultrawide business laptop.

The Compal Infinite Laptop features a 14-inch display which extends from both sides to form an 18-inch screen, which could make it an ideal laptop for trading and multitasking.

A rollable screen designed for productivity

Compal’s Infinite Laptop is still a concept, but its bold design has already earned an iF Design Award.

This rollable mechanism ensures a seamless transition between compact and expanded modes while maintaining a lightweight build.

Similar to the ClinkCaim laptop, another 2025 iF Design Award-winning concept, the Infinite Laptop lacks a distinct touchpad.

Instead, a dimly glowing light indicates the touchpad area, which could make it a more intuitive laptop for programming.

The laptop appears to feature an LED notification array embedded in its lid for system alerts and notifications.

The laptop’s expansion mechanism looks impressive, and it's certainly made waves —the 2025 iF Design Awards featured nearly 11,000 entries from 66 countries, with 131 jurors selecting the most innovative designs, solidifying the Compal Infinite Laptop’s place among groundbreaking concepts.

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• And these are the best AI writing tools available

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has called for the return of the Venezuelan migrants sent by the U.S. to El Salvador, where President Nayib Bukele said they were transferred to a mega-prison.

(Image credit: Javier Campos)

• Silicon Motion 128TB SSD RDK optimizes AI pipelines with enhanced data management
• PerformaShape technology boosts SSD efficiency for AI-driven workloads
• MonTitan SSD’s PCIe Gen 5 speeds enhance enterprise data throughput

Silicon Motion, a leading NAND flash controller designer, has begun supplying its 128TB SSD Reference Design Kit (RDK), to select partners after nearly three years of testing since its initial announcement in 2022.

This large SSD kit, utilizes the latest 2 TB die QLC NAND, is built on the MonTitan PCIe Gen 5 platform, and features advanced firmware to maximize performance and efficiency in AI tool workloads, making it one of the best external SSD designs available.

The MonTitan RDK, designed for enterprise and data center use, delivers sequential read speeds exceeding 14 GB/s, ranking among the fastest external SSDs, with random read performance of over 3.3 million IOPS for efficient data thoroughput. The kit utilizes the PCIe Dual Ported enterprise-grade SM8366 controller with support for PCIe Gen 5 x4 NVMe 2.0 and OCP 2.5 data center specifications.

High-speed storage that could shake up the enterprise market

The RDK's high-speed performance provides a 25% improvement in random read efficiency over other Gen 5 solutions, making it particularly well-suited for AI applications such as large language model (LLM) training and graph neural network (GNN) computations.

Additionally, the drive design utilizes NVMe 2.0 FDP (Flexible Data Placement) to enhance write efficiency and endurance, extending the lifespan of the QLC NAND.

"Silicon Motion's MonTitan SSD RDK offers a comprehensive solution for our customers, enabling them to rapidly develop and deploy enterprise-class SSDs tailored for AI data center and edge server applications." said Alex Chou, Senior VP of Enterprise Storage and Display Interface Solution Business.

"By providing this fully integrated platform that supports up to 128 TB SSD with QLC NAND, we empower our customers and solution partners to accelerate the development and commercialization of AI solution's growing demands of high-capacity, high-performance storage."

Silicon Motion’s proprietary PerformaShape technology optimizes SSD performance based on user-defined quality-of-service (QoS) parameters, reducing latency. The new RDK could play a crucial role in AI storage and data center infrastructure, optimizing multi-tenant environments by efficiently handling AI data pipeline stages such as ingestion, preparation, training, and inference.

"We are delighted to collaborate with Silicon Motion in developing our latest enterprise SSD for AI servers and data centers. With Silicon Motion's MonTitan Enterprise SSD development platform, we have the flexibility to design enterprise SSDs that deliver industry-leading performance," said CC Wu, VP of Innodisk.

Frank Chen, the CEO of Exascend said, "In the era of AI explosion, data storage is more critical than ever. Through this collaboration with Silicon Motion, we have developed a PCIe Gen 5 SSD tailored for AI servers, ensuring stable read and write speeds with efficient data management, perfectly meeting the storage demands of the AI era."

Via TechPowerUp

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Here are hints and the answer for today's Wordle No. 1,374 for March 24.

• Toshiba's new European HDD Innovation Lab can improve storage tech
• Lab offers architecture testing, proof-of-concept setups, and benchmarking
• Toshiba claims combining dozens of HDDs can boost overall performance

Toshiba Electronics Europe has opened a new HDD Innovation Lab at its Düsseldorf site, expanding its storage evaluation services across Europe and the Middle East.

The new facility (it already has a smaller one in Dubai) is designed to support customers and partners in optimizing hard disk drive configurations for a range of applications, including cloud storage, surveillance systems, and NAS environments.

Toshiba’s lab will focus on assessing HDD setups for broader IT systems such as storage area networks (SAN), providing a space where hardware configurations can be tested and refined. It will be able to evaluate customer-specific architectures and offer a platform for proof-of-concept testing and performance benchmarking.

Combining hard drives

“This new HDD Innovation Lab represents a significant leap forward in providing bespoke solutions and advancing HDD technology,” said Rainer Kaese, senior manager for HDD business development.

“It demonstrates Toshiba’s commitment to drive the industry forward and support customers and partners with technical expertise and resources. We look forward to strengthening existing collaborations and exploring the future business opportunities the new facility will bring."

To carry out these evaluations, the lab brings together servers, JBoDs, chassis, controllers, cables, and a variety of software tools. It also includes equipment to accurately measure energy consumption.

While SSDs have a clear speed advantage over HDDs, they are expensive and, according to Kaese via Blocks & Files, “The flash industry is not be able to manufacture enough capacity to satisfy the growing demand, and still will not be for a significant while.”

The solution to that problem, Kaese suggested, is to bunch HDDS together.

“We have demonstrated that 60 HDDs in ZFS software defined storage can fill the entire speed of a 100GbE network,” he said, adding, “[We] found that a typical configuration of four HDDs (ie. in small Soho NAS) can fill the 10GbE networks. 12 HDDs match the 25GbE of Enterprise networks, and 60 HDDs would require high end 100GbE network speed to unleash the full performance of the many combined HDDs.”

Beyond technical testing, the HDD Innovation Lab aims to support knowledge sharing. Insights from evaluations will be passed directly to customers, and Toshiba says it will conduct its own internal assessments of its HDD product lines, publishing the findings as whitepapers and lab reports.

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Here are hints and answers for NYT Strands puzzle No. 386, for March 24.

Hints and answers for Connections for March 24, No. 652.

In Trump v. United States, the Supreme Court held that the president has "absolute immunity from criminal prosecution" for official acts.

To reach that conclusion, the High Court grappled with this question: how much power a president should have?

And some legal scholars say the ruling draws on the unitary executive theory — which, in its most extreme interpretation, gives the president sole authority over the executive branch.

But did it pave the way for Trump's second term and the constitutional questions it's raised: From the dismantling of federal agencies established by Congress to the deportation migrants to third party countries without due process?

For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.

Email us at considerthis@npr.org.

(Image credit: MANDEL NGAN)

• Asus' new Ascent GX10 brings AI supercomputing power directly to developers
• Promises 1000 TOPS of AI processing and can handle models up to 200 billion parameters
• It's cheaper than Nvidia DGX Spark, with less storage but similar performance

AI development is getting ever more demanding, and Asus wants to bring high-performance computing straight to the desks of developers, researchers, and data scientists with the Ascent GX10, a compact AI supercomputer powered by Nvidia’s Grace Blackwell GB10 Superchip.

Asus’s rival to Nvidia’s DGX Spark (previously Project Digits) is designed to handle local AI workloads, making it easier to prototype, fine-tune, and run impressively large models without relying entirely on cloud or data center resources.

The Ascent GX10 comes with 128GB of unified memory, and the Blackwell GPU with fifth-generation Tensor Cores and FP4 precision support means it can deliver up to 1000 TOPS of AI processing power. It also includes a 20-core Grace Arm CPU, which speeds up data processing and orchestration for AI inferencing and model tuning. Asus says it will allow developers to work with AI models of up to 200 billion parameters without running into major bottlenecks.

Powerful yet compact

“AI is transforming every industry, and the Asus Ascent GX10 is designed to bring this transformative power to every developer’s fingertips,” said KuoWei Chao, General Manager of Asus IoT and NUC Business Group.

“By integrating the Nvidia Grace Blackwell Superchip, we are providing a powerful yet compact tool that enables developers, data scientists, and AI researchers to innovate and push the boundaries of AI right from their desks.”

Asus has built the GX10 with NVLink-C2C, which provides more than five times the bandwidth of PCIe 5.0, allowing the CPU and GPU to share memory efficiently, improving performance across AI workloads.

The system also comes with an integrated ConnectX network interface, so two GX10 units can be linked together to handle even larger models, such as Llama 3.1 with 405 billion parameters.

Asus says the Ascent GX10 will be available for pre-order in Q2 2025. Pricing details have not yet been confirmed by Asus, but Nvidia says it will cost $2999 and come with 1TB of storage.

In comparison, Nvidia’s own DGX Spark is a thousand dollars more ($3999) and comes with 4TB of storage.

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Trump's frequent attacks on Canada's sovereignty have infuriated Canadians and led to a surge in Canadian nationalism that has bolstered Liberal poll numbers.

(Image credit: Sean Kilpatrick)

The upgraded Apple Watches could hit the market in the next two years, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

• A pair of Samsung smart specs are on the way
• They could launch before the end of 2025
• Samsung is also developing a bigger XR headset

We know that Samsung is busy working with Google on an Android XR (extended reality) headset known as Project Moohan, but it seems that some AR (augmented reality) smart specs are also in the pipeline – and could be launching before the end of the year.

A new report from South Korean outlet ET News (via @Jukanlosreve) suggests that these smart glasses are being developed under the codename Haean, and that features and specs are currently being finalized.

One of Samsung's priorities, according to the report, is on producing a design that fits every face shape and structure. Meanwhile, gesture support is said to be included with the specs, to reduce the number of buttons needed on the device itself.

There aren't any more details in this particular report, but it does say that the Samsung smart glasses could well be unveiled alongside the Android XR headset – which Samsung has told us much more about so far.

Specs and pricing

Report: Samsung Developing Smart Glasses Aimed for Year-End RevealAccording to reports from South Korean media, Samsung is currently developing smart glasses with a target of unveiling them by the end of the year. The company has launched a project codenamed “HAEAN” and is…March 23, 2025

After a few false starts – Google Glass, anyone? – it feels as though there's now some momentum behind the idea of smart glasses as a product, with the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses currently leading the way.

It would seem Samsung wants a part of this smart specs action with a product of its own. Rumors around such a device have been floating around for years at this point, with the name Samsung Glasses mentioned in a trademark filed in 2023.

These upcoming smart glasses are most likely going to be powered by a Qualcomm chip, and come with an integrated camera. We've seen rumors suggesting Samsung is aiming for an affordable price point, which would of course be welcome.

There had been suggestions that the specs would make an appearance alongside the Samsung Galaxy S25 at the Unpacked event in January. That obviously didn't happen, but it seems we will see them sometime in the next nine months.

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But the chances of someone being affected by this bug are relatively low.

Looking for a different day?

A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Sunday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Sunday, March 23 (game #1154).

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

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

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

Quordle today (game #1155) - hint #1 - Vowels How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 3*.

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

Quordle today (game #1155) - hint #2 - repeated letters Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 2.

Quordle today (game #1155) - hint #3 - uncommon letters Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• Yes. One of Q, Z, X or J appears among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1155) - hint #4 - starting letters (1) Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 2.

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

Quordle today (game #1155) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• F

• S

• R

• S

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

Quordle today (game #1155) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1155, are…

• FLOUT
• SMASH
• RAZOR
• SMALL

Down to the wire today, as I struggled to get RAZOR before the final guess. In the end there was no other possible word, but I’m never confident using a rare letter.

Before my struggles, I made a great start with SMALL and SMASH but got unlucky guessing clout instead of FLOUT.

A close shave.

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

Daily Sequence today (game #1155) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1155, are…

• RAPID
• CYNIC
• FLOAT
• DAILY

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1154, Sunday 23 March: ALLEY, GAMUT, GEESE, RADII
• Quordle #1153, Saturday 22 March: PICKY, BRACE, BOOZE, SURLY
• Quordle #1152, Friday 21 March: DITTY, VALOR, TOWER, AMISS
• Quordle #1151, Thursday 20 March: RIPER, STILL, WAFER, NOTCH
• Quordle #1150, Wednesday 19 March: FLAME, CARAT, SPAWN, TUNIC
• Quordle #1149, Tuesday 18 March: NAVEL, TREAT, COPSE, SLINK
• Quordle #1148, Monday 17 March: INFER, FLINT, CHUMP, SHEER
• Quordle #1147, Sunday 16 March: INPUT, RUMBA, ELUDE, BLANK
• Quordle #1146, Saturday 15 March: SPEED, CLASH, RISKY, GRATE
• Quordle #1145, Friday 14 March: BELIE, SPEAR, GROWL, ADOBE
• Quordle #1144, Thursday 13 March: AMISS, METAL, TEARY, SHORT
• Quordle #1143, Wednesday 12 March: AWASH, PUSHY, RALPH, PROOF
• Quordle #1142, Tuesday 11 March: LINGO, JUICE, SHARP, REVEL
• Quordle #1141, Monday 10 March: AVAIL, THESE, TITAN, GAUGE
• Quordle #1140, Sunday 9 March: SKILL, IDEAL, WHERE, REHAB
• Quordle #1139, Saturday 8 March: WATCH, LAPSE, WREST, HEFTY
• Quordle #1138, Friday 7 March: GLEAN, SHINY, DECRY, MANGA
• Quordle #1137, Thursday 6 March: TRICE, EIGHT, BELCH, RIPER
• Quordle #1136, Wednesday 5 March: PLEAD, TWANG, MAJOR, RISKY
• Quordle #1135, Tuesday 4 March: FLOWN, ETUDE, TOPAZ, JOKER

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Sunday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Sunday, March 23 (game #651).

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

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

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

NYT Connections today (game #652) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• MATURE
• EARTH
• UNIFORM
• RANK
• LEVEL
• RIPE
• PHOTOSHOP
• EVERYONE
• HENHOUSE
• STABLE
• TEEN
• ONION
• FOUL
• ADULTS ONLY
• CONSTANT
• SOUR

NYT Connections today (game #652) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: It’s off
• GREEN: Stays the same 
• BLUE: Who can play 
• PURPLE: The common word is a synonym for sheets

Need more clues?

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

NYT Connections today (game #652) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: BAD-SMELLING 
• GREEN: UNFLUCTUATING 
• BLUE: WHO VIDEO GAMES ARE FOR, PER ESRB RATINGS 
• PURPLE: THINGS WITH LAYERS 

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

NYT Connections today (game #652) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #652, are…

• YELLOW: BAD-SMELLING FOUL, RANK, RIPE, SOUR
• GREEN: UNFLUCTUATING CONSTANT, LEVEL, STABLE, UNIFORM
• BLUE: WHO VIDEO GAMES ARE FOR, PER ESRB RATINGS ADULTS ONLY, EVERYONE, MATURE, TEEN
• PURPLE: THINGS WITH LAYERS EARTH, HENHOUSE, ONION, PHOTOSHOP

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 2 mistakes

I used up a Mistake today thinking MATURE, RIPE, SOUR, RANK described the shelf life of cheese, but I wasn’t far away from BAD-SMELLING – which, in the case of some cheeses, can be a good thing.

Next I thought that CONSTANT was the start of a group dealing with temperature before seeing the obvious link of UNFLUCTUATING. I dream of being unfluctuating.

Finally, there was a classic Connections joke in the final group, with HENHOUSE being one of the THINGS WITH LAYERS. If only I was sharp enough to see it before the end. The flaw of Connections is that you don’t need to ever get this final group, but for me at least that’s a constant blessing.

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

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Sunday, 23 March, game #651)

• YELLOW: CAPTIVATE ABSORB, ENTRANCE, GRAB, RIVET
• GREEN: THINGS WITH WINGS AIRPLANE, FAIRY, FLY, HOSPITAL
• BLUE: WORDS THAT MODIFY "WATCH" POCKET, SMART, STOP, WRIST
• PURPLE: WORDS REPEATED IN "MISS MARY MACK" BACK, BLACK, BUTTONS, MACK

What is NYT Connections?

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

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

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

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

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Sunday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Sunday, March 23 (game #385).

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

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

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

NYT Strands today (game #386) - hint #1 - today's theme What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Yes, Queen …

NYT Strands today (game #386) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• THINK
• DOLE
• HUGE
• CAGE
• HACK
• BANNED

NYT Strands today (game #386) - hint #3 - spangram letters How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 8 letters

NYT Strands today (game #386) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: right, 4th row

Last side: left, 6th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #386) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #386, are…

• EAGLES
• KISS
• RUSH
• GENESIS
• JOURNEY
• HEART
• BLONDIE
• SPANGRAM: ROCK BAND

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

In my past life as a music journalist I was paid to be a music snob. It’s not really a job that exists anymore, outside of Rolling Stone and a couple of niche magazines, as music publications and websites have discovered that you don’t have to pay people to be a music snob – they’ll do it for free.

Alas, despite no longer being paid to be one, I can’t help but deploy the arbitrary science of snobbery and still divide artists into two camps – cool and not cool.

From this list only BLONDIE make the cut, with EAGLES wavering between the two, but that’s just me – you might think top golfer Gene Simmons of KISS is cool or perhaps you’ve never stopped believing in JOURNEY (the puzzle compilers at NYT certainly haven’t).

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

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday, 23 March, game #385)

• DARN
• KNIT
• CROCHET
• EMBROIDER
• MEND
• BASTE
• PATCH
• SPANGRAM: NEEDLEWORK

What is NYT Strands?

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

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

While AT&T Fiber is the best internet provider in Richardson, we also recommend checking these options out.

Branch is a company I have grown to appreciate over the years. I looked at the Branch Duo Standing Desk in 2023, and elsewhere, we've reviewed the Branch Ergonomic Chair around the same time.

Since then, I've had the Branch Softside Chair in my rotation of personal chairs I keep in my home. Branch may not be the most prominent and flashiest of companies, which may play to their advantage. They have fewer options, yet their quality is fantastic. Little wonder the company's Verve is our pick for best office chair.

The Branch Ergonomic Chair Pro is a premium office chair aimed to take what was loved from the Ergonomic Chair and make an even better offering for remote workers, designers, and anyone needing all-day support, all without breaking the bank. Branch added more adjustability, upgraded the lumbar support, and added the forward tilt feature. In short, they are the cheaper chairs with the same high-end features found in the big-name chair companies.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future) Branch Ergonomic Chair Pro: Price and Availability

The Ergonomic Chair Pro is offered on Branch's website for $599 for the base model and an extra $79 to get the headrest. They can be shipped for free and are provided on Branch's website.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future) Branch Ergonomic Chair Pro: Unboxing & first impressions

The Branch Ergonomic Chair Pro comes in relatively compact packaging, protecting the components well but not too over-zealous with packing material. I could get everything out of the box with minimal effort and zero frustration. The assembly took about 15 minutes, though I used an electric screwdriver to help speed up the process.

One of the things I've noticed right out of the gate - or box - is the quality of the base. The base is made of aluminum, giving it a higher weight capacity and a more durable seat.

Branch Ergonomic Chair Pro: Design & build quality Specs

Material Options: Mesh, Vegan Leather, Leather
Overall Dimensions: 25″W x 24″D x 38″-41.2″H (or 41.5″-45″H with tall cylinder)
Seat Height: 17”-19.9” (or 19.3”-22.9” with tall cylinder)
Seat Depth: 16.7”-19.7”
Armrest Height: 24”-29.8” (or 26.3”-32.8” with tall cylinder)
Tilt Range: 26°
Weight Capacity: 275 lbs
Assembled Weight: 42 lbs
Base: Powder-coated aluminum
Casters: Scratch-proof nylon

Branch has always intentionally chosen to be minimal in what they do and how they look. This chair is a continuation of that. The sleek, professional look with multiple colorways and material options shows they want versatility. Still, the Aluminum base, smooth casters, high-density seat, and quality material choice are what make this chair shine.

The best way I can describe this is to explain that I am now a father of three, and my wife and I want a fourth (in due time). I never wanted a minivan, and I still don't. But, the genius marketing at the newly revitalized Kia caught me. They marketed the Kia Carnival as an MPV -- a Multi-Purpose Vehicle. Do you know what it is? It's an SUV, with sliding doors like a van. Nevertheless, the marketing worked, and now I own a Kia Carnival for my wife and the kids.

So, why do I mention a not-so-minivan vehicle when discussing a chair? This chair's price tag and simplicity may make it look like another run-of-the-mill, simple chair you can get anywhere. But, what's hiding beneath that over-used language of "ergonomics" is a fabulous experience that is precisely what you need it to be, without unnecessary frills. Like how the Kia Carnival disguises its practicality behind sleek marketing, the Branch ergonomic Chair Pro hides its premium ergonomic experience behind an unassuming professional design.

At first glance, it may seem like just another ergonomic office chair, but the details make it stand out. The high-density foam seat provides long-lasting comfort without making your butt sweat or getting too cold (but whose butt is ever too cold?). And, the adjustable lumbar support helps hold frail backs like mine (I'm not that old yet, but boy, do I feel like I am). The 5D armrests allow me to put my arms exactly where I choose. Granted, they wobble a bit, but outside of this slight wobble, the rest of the build quality, choice of materials, and features make this chair feel like something at a much higher price point.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future) Branch Ergonomic Chair Pro: In use

This chair has been a part of my ever-growing fleet of ergonomic chairs for 166 days while writing this review. In that time, I have rotated the chair around through my team to make sure that I am not just fluffing up my thoughts on Branch and making this chair out to be better than it is (like I try to lie to myself that owning an MPV is better than owning a minivan).

However, what we all keep coming back to is that this chair is fantastic. The 14 customization points lend themselves to being comfortable because they are made intentionally and not gimmicky. The forward tilt for active seating is another feature that helps this chair stand out. This allows individuals to maintain a more engaged posture, leaning forward and not just slouching back. This helps your core and your posture, but more importantly, it is usually only found in very high-end chairs, not budget-friendly chairs like this.

I wish I could end my review here and not mention anything poor about this chair, but there is one weak link. While the 5D armrests provide high levels of flexibility and adjustability, they feel loose and tend to rattle. I've even noticed it when I am midday, foot tapping, leg shaking, moving throughout my day, I've heard the rattle. Now, I'm the kind of guy who straps down the extra length on my children's car seats because hearing any amount of rattling drives me mad. However, with this chair, I heard rattling, and the armrest felt loose, even when I knew it was tightened down during assembly (and checked several times).

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future) Branch Ergonomic Chair Pro: Final verdict

The Branch Ergonomic Chair is a near-perfect sleeper-build-budget ergonomic chair. It's under $500, has fantastic adjustability, forward tilt, excellent materials to choose from, and is comfortable for all-day working. The one downside is some mediocre armrests, but all things considered, this chair is still fantastic.

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De'Longhi La Specialista Touch: two-minute review

The De'Longhi La Specialista Touch is one of the best espresso machines for those taking their first steps into the world of coffee and wanting a guiding hand along the way. It's one of the most affordable models around with a built-in grinder, and is surprisingly compact considering just how many features are on offer. Don't let its small plastic chassis fool you – this is a seriously good coffee machine.

De'Longhi's Smart Bean system helps tailor brew settings to suit your preferred beans, without the need for any specialist knowledge, while the smart dosing and tamping system will see you create a well-measured, even puck without any channelling or cracking, which can lead to poor extraction.

The results are reliably excellent, and tinkering is encouraged once you've built up some confidence, with room for nine custom drinks alongside the extensive menu of customizable options.

The steam wand is another standout feature, with options for manual and automatic milk texturizing. Its integrated temperature probe helps new users avoid overheating their milk when steaming freehand, and the auto frother includes options for both dairy and plant-based milk.

The only real drawbacks I found concerned cleaning and maintenance. After a while, the grinder started to feel a bit sticky when dialling in settings, but De'Longhi's manual and instructional videos don't show how to disassemble and clean it (they only show cleaning the exterior). There also doesn't seem to be an option to flush the group head after brewing an espresso.

The cold brew function is fine, but doesn't produce such a well-rounded and full-bodied drink as the Jura J10 I reviewed recently. However, this machine is a fraction of the price of the J10, and aimed at a very different user. If you're considering investing in your first coffee maker, the La Specialista Touch is definitely worth your consideration.

De'Longhi La Specialista Touch: price and availability

• Launched in March 2025
• Costs £699.99 / $1,099 (about $900)
• Not yet available in the US

The De'Longhi La Specialista Touch launched in March 2025, and has a list price of £699.99 / AU$1,099 (about $900). At the time of writing, it isn't yet available in the US.

The price puts this coffee machine in the middle of the La Specialista range, costing less than the La Specialista Opera and Maestro, but less than the La Specialista Arte, Arte Evo and Arte Compact. As the name suggests, what differentiates this machine from the others is its touchscreen, which makes it super easy to operate and especially well suited to beginners.

The De'Longhi La Specialista Touch is surprisingly small, and won't dominate your kitchen counter (Image credit: Future) De'Longhi La Specialista Touch: specs De'Longhi La Specialista Touch: design

• Compact and lightweight, with a metallic-finish plastic case
• Large touchscreen and user-friendly interface
• Includes tools to assist with dosage and tamping

The De’Longhi La Specialista Touch is compact for such a fully featured semi-automatic coffee machine. In fact, it’s the smallest in the La Specialista range, measuring just 17.5 x 15 x 14.6 inches / 44.5 x 38 x 37cm. I should note that the photos in this review were shot in TechRadar's roomy test kitchen, not my small apartment. Its case is made mostly from plastic with a metallic silver finish, which keeps the weight down considerably compared to stainless steel, and is easy to clean with a damp cloth.

It’s operated via a vivid 3.5in color touchscreen, which is responsive and surprisingly resistant to fingerprints. The interface is well designed, with menus supported by diagrams and illustrations, and additional information available at every stage via a "Help me" button, which gives new users extra guidance without adding visual clutter.

The machine is operated via a bright 3.5in color touchscreen (Image credit: Future)

The water tank slots neatly onto the back of the unit, and the machine is supplied with a testing strip so you can configure it to suit the hardness of water in your area (this is important, because limescale build-up can affect the performance of the probes that detect the water level in the coffee machine’s boiler). The tank is easy to fill and carry thanks to its built-in handle, but you’ll need a long-handled brush to clean inside; it’s too narrow for all but the smallest of hands.

The portafilter handle feels reassuringly weighty in the hand, and I particularly liked the knurled metal at the end. It’s supplied with two non-pressurized, single-walled baskets: one for single shots and another for doubles.

The water tank has a capacity of 1.8qt / 1.7 liters, and slots onto the back of the machine (Image credit: Future)

Unlike some other machines in this price band, the La Specialista Touch doesn’t have a pull-down tamper that will add just the right amount of pressure to your coffee grounds. You have to take things into your own hands, but there’s a set of tools to make that less daunting for new users.

These include a dosing and tamping guide that attaches above the basket before grinding to funnel grounds neatly into the basket; a rubber tamping mat that sits on your work surface and keeps the filter handle steady; and an "advanced tamper" that lets you see when you’ve achieved the perfect dosage, and whether you need to add or remove some ground coffee. If you need to remove some, there’s a handy dose adjustment tool that you can place on top of the basket and twist to take a little off the top.

You get a set of accessories to help you dose your coffee consistently without using scales (Image credit: Future)

It’s a smart system that reduces the risk of user error by eliminating the need to weigh anything, although it’s also worth noting that you can’t use the grinder without the guide in place.

The La Specialista Touch is designed to accommodate different-sized cups, with a little platform that you can place on top of the drip tray when using espresso cups. This helps to avoid splashing and preserve the crema as you pull your shot.

On the right-hand side you’ll find the steam wand, which has both manual and automatic settings, and is partnered with a temperature probe to help new users avoid creating custardy, overheated milk. There are automatic settings for both dairy milk and plant-based substitutes, which is a welcome addition. Things are changing, but some machines are still set up exclusively for dairy.

The drip tray is thoughtfully designed and practically impossible to spill when you're carrying it to the sink (Image credit: Future)

The only accessory I'd have appreciated is a knock-box for disposing of used pucks, since new users can easily knock the basket out of the handle and into the bin – but that’s a small wish. Everything supplied here feels solid and dependable.

The drip tray is also particularly well designed. It’s mostly enclosed until you choose to disassemble it for cleaning, with a pouring spout at the back for easy emptying.

• Design score: 5/5

De'Longhi La Specialista Touch: performance

• Guided brewing with auto adjustments for different beans and roasts
• Milk texturizing is excellent (manual and automatic)
• Rinsing and cleaning features could be better

The De’Longhi La Specialista Touch guides you through the process of brewing a perfect shot of espresso one step at a time, helping you achieve the consistent results that are the hallmark of a good coffee maker. The Bean Adapt Technology system automatically recommends ideal grinding and dosing settings to suit your chosen coffee, and takes the mystery out of setting up the optimum brewing process.

After loading your beans into the hopper, you’ll be asked a few basic questions about what you’re using: arabica or robusta, and the roast. The machine then uses this information to adjust the water brewing temperature and pre-infusion length (how long the grounds are allowed to soak before the shot is pulled).

Twist the tamping guide onto the portafilter and push it underneath the grinder to dispense your coffee without mess (Image credit: Future)

Many other machines stop there, but the La Specialista Touch goes further, giving you a hand with dosing your beans as well. When you’re ready to start, twist the tamping guide onto the basket, then push it under the grinder until it hits a button at the back of the machine and hold it still until grinding stops automatically.

Once the dose has been dispensed, you’re prompted to use the "smart tamper" to press down evenly (using the rubber mat for stability) and make a note of where the guide line ends up. If it reads +1 or +2, you have too much coffee and need to use the dosage adjuster to trim a little off the top. This twist-on tool is excellent, and allows you to remove just a few grounds without disturbing the whole coffee bed.

Image 1 of 2

The tamper lets you see whether you have an appropriate dose of coffee, or if you need to add some more or trim a little off the top (Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 2

It's easy to produce a perfectly even bed of coffee (Image credit: Future)

If the smart tamper reads "OK" then you’re ready to proceed to the next step, and if it reads -1 or -2 then you need to top it up a little. Push the handle under the grinder again to dispense some extra coffee, then tamp again. Dosing beans by volume rather than weight seems strange if you’re used to using scales, but it’s a valid method of dosing and the tools supplied with the La Specialista Touch make it pretty foolproof.

When you’re done, just enter the name of your beans using the on-screen keyboard, and you’re all set. Experimenting with different beans is part of the joy of coffee-making, so I appreciate the ability to create multiple profiles for different beans.

The machine’s grinder has 15 settings, and when brewing each drink, you’ll be prompted to dial it in. Your preset options are:

• Espresso
• Cappuccuno
• Cold brew
• Latte macchiato
• Latte
• Flat white
• Hot milk
• Long black
• Americano

The machine can also dispense hot water, and in addition to customizing any of the presets, you can also create profiles for nine personal recipes. You’re not bombarded with options, but you are encouraged to tinker and experiment with brewing times and grind sizes to achieve the taste you prefer.

I was curious to test the cold brew function, particularly after experiencing the impressive results of the Jura J10, which was able to create a drink with a strikingly similar flavor profile to coffee brewed cold the traditional way, overnight.

Before starting the cold brew process, the De’Longhi La Specialista Touch will run cold water through its circuit to bring the temperature down (a sensible choice), then the water is passed slowly through the freshly ground coffee at low pressure. This machine doesn’t use the same "pulsing" brewing method as the J10, as you can see from the steady dripping in the video below.

The resulting cold brew americano (in this case) was smooth, but didn’t display the richness of the same drink made using the J10, with a thinner mouthfeel. It was okay, but not on the same level as traditionally cold-brewed coffee.

However, milk texturizing was excellent, with the Auto LatteArt system preparing your milk according to the drink you’ve chosen from the menu. Simply fill the pitcher to between the "maximum" and "minimum" lines, then select the option for dairy or an alternative. Next place the pitcher under the wand, adjust the wand to the angle marked "A" and you’re ready to begin. The wand will automatically incorporate air into the milk, then heat it to the correct temperature.

The Auto LatteArt system works well to create different milk textures (Image credit: Future)

Achieving different textures for different drinks can be tricky, and I was impressed by how well the Auto LatteArt system managed to create different proportions of foam and steamed milk for various drinks. I’d say that the foam on my latte macchiato was a bit too aerated for my liking, but cappuccinos and caffe lattes turned out consistently well.

I also appreciated the temperature probe for manual steaming. Strictly speaking, it isn't necessary (I usually just use my hand on the side of the pitcher to judge temperature), and there will always be a degree of latency before temperature changes in the pitcher register on the machine’s display. Nevertheless, it’s a thoughtful addition for a machine designed to give new users a helping hand.

The only area where the De’Longhi La Specialista Touch seems to be lacking is maintenance. After some time I found that the grinder was becoming trickier to adjust – a sign that it had started to collect debris and coffee oils, and therefore required cleaning. De’Longhi’s instruction manual and cleaning video only describe cleaning the hopper and outside of the grinder using the brush supplied with the machine, so I’ve contacted the company to find out whether it’s possible to disassemble the grinder to access the burrs. I’ll update this review once I’ve heard back.

Having browsed through all the menus, I also haven't found a setting for rinsing the groupset between brews, and there’s no button to purge old grounds from the grinder if you’re changing the grind size – both of which are surprising.

• Performance score: 4.5/5

Should you buy the De'Longhi La Specialista Touch? Buy it if

You're looking for your first espresso machine

The De'Longhi La Specialista Touch will help you brew great espresso, even if you're a complete beginner. Using it you'll develop your coffee-making skills so you can move to the next level. It's a machine that can grow with you, or let you stay in your comfort zone.

You're a little intimidated by technicalities

It's not fully automated, but the La Specialista Touch doesn't assume prior knowledge and makes brewing espresso a simple process.

You have a small kitchen

A fully manual machine such as the Gaggia Classic will take up even less space, but if you want a semi-automatic espresso maker then this is one of the most compact models available today.

Don't buy it if

You're time-poor

Dosing correctly using the smart tamping tools takes time, so if you want your coffee as quickly as possible then a fully automatic bean-to-cup machine would be a better choice.

You already use a coffee grinder

If you're already happy dialling in, grinding, and dosing your coffee, then you won't need all the features offered by the De'Longhi La Specialista Touch.

De'Longhi La Specialista Touch: also consider

Breville Bambino Plus

You'll need a separate grinder, but this is one of the best small espresso machines around. In fact, it's the one the trainer recommended when I completed my SCA training. Note that Breville products are branded as Sage in the UK.

Read our full Breville Bambino Plus review

Breville The Barista Touch Impress

A more premium semi-automatic espresso machine, the Barista Touch Impress is larger and pricier than the De'Longhi La Specialista Touch, but gives you even more of a helping hand to create the perfect drink thanks to its Impress puck system. One of the best coffee makers around.

Read our full Breville The Barista Touch Impress review

How I tested the De'Longhi La Specialista Touch

I used the De'Longhi La Specialista Touch with my favorite Burundi and Panama Winter Blend from local coffee shop Mokoko, fresh that week. I tested the water in the TechRadar test kitchen (hard) and configured the machine accordingly during the startup process. I used fresh water each time I began using the machine, and emptied the tank at the end of the day.

I used the Bean Adapt Technology system to configure the machine for my coffee, and dialled in the grinder so an espresso shot was extracted in about 28 seconds.

(Image credit: Future)

I tested the milk frother using unhomogenized whole milk, freshly bought the same day and fridge-cold.

First reviewed March 2025