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An NPR investigation uncovered 40,000 vets facing foreclosure due to a VA mistake. A rescue program is helping many of them, but others fear being left out if Congress cuts this new lifeline

(Image credit: Cindy Schultz for NPR)

The Department of Homeland Security's new policy, revoking legal protections for hundreds of thousands, impacts people who are already in the U.S. and who came under a humanitarian parole program.

(Image credit: Alex Brandon)

• Nvidia’s DGX Spark, once called Project Digits, is a tiny AI supercomputer
• Built on GB10, is delivers 1000 TOPS and 200B parameter support
• Dell, HPE, and Asus will offer GB10-based alternatives with similar performance

Nvidia has announced DGX Spark, a Mac Mini-sized AI supercomputer designed to bring advanced model development and inferencing directly to desktops.

The mini machine was originally called Project Digits and expected to be priced at $3000, but the change of name has caused the figure to skyrocket as it's now priced at $3999, according to Nvidia’s reservation page.

Built around the GB10 Grace Blackwell Superchip, DGX Spark features a Blackwell GPU with fifth-generation Tensor Cores, FP4 support, and NVLink-C2C, which enables high-bandwidth memory sharing between the GPU and Grace CPU.

(Image credit: Nvidia) OEM alternatives

The system offers up to 1,000 trillion operations per second of AI compute power and supports models with up to 200 billion parameters. It is designed to handle demanding AI workflows such as fine-tuning, inference, and prototyping without relying entirely on external infrastructure.

DGX Spark includes 128GB of LPDDR5x unified memory and up to 4TB of NVMe SSD storage, and delivers performance previously limited to data centers. It's aimed at developers, researchers, data scientists, and students working with increasingly complex AI models locally, so it’s not something most people will need.

“AI has transformed every layer of the computing stack. It stands to reason a new class of computers would emerge - designed for AI-native developers and to run AI-native applications,” said Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of Nvidia.

“With these new DGX personal AI computers, AI can span from cloud services to desktop and edge applications.”

Some of Nvidia’s OEM partners are debuting desktop AI systems based on the same GB10 architecture.

Dell’s Pro Max with GB10 fits into the company’s broader AI workstation portfolio, connecting with the Dell AI Factory with Nvidia to give developers an easy path from deskside development to deployment.

HP’s ZGX Nano AI Station is another entry, offering comparable capabilities for developers who want performance and scalability without full server infrastructure.

Asus has also introduced its GB10 AI super computer, the Ascent GX10. Pricing details have not yet been confirmed, but Nvidia lists it on its DGX Spark pre-order page where it says the GX10 will cost $2999 and come with 1TB of storage.

You might also like

• These are the best mobile workstations you can buy right now
• I am thrilled by Nvidia’s cute petaflop mini PC wonder
• Nvidia’s DGX Station is a powerful supercomputer-class workstation PC

The worlds youngest country teetering on the brink of another conflict and the possibility of regional war.

(Image credit: Jerome Delay)

TCL QM6K: Two-minute review

Affordable Premium is the modus operandi of the TCL QM6K TV, and it fits that bill quite well. It offers a handful of features that you won’t find on budget TVs like Dolby Vision IQ and Dolby Atmos support. And the company’s own Halo Control technology does a great job of minimizing backlight blooming in pictures.

Combined with its affordable price, it should rank among the best TVs for those wanting to thread the needle between premium performance and value.

This TCL does have some shortcomings that may paint other, slightly more expensive TVs as worth the extra cash. The speakers aren’t all that great, though very few TVs have mastered this and you should get one of the best soundbars regardless. More concerning is the fact that the screen has some minor vignetting in the corners.

That said, those issues are very small ones that you probably won’t even notice if you’re not doing a head-to-head comparison. It mostly does everything right, especially from an end-user point of view. Its picture is vibrant and sharp. It has a speedy 144Hz refresh rate. And it’s easy to use.

The TCL QM6K's remote control is sturdy and serviceable, but lacks a play/pause button for streaming (Image credit: Future) TCL QM6K review: Price and release date

• Release date: February 2025
• 50-inch: $749.99
• 55-inch: $799.99
• 65-inch: $999.99
• 75-inch: $1,299.99
• 85-inch: $1,999.99
• 98-inch: $2,999.99

The TCL QM6K series is TCL’s first TV release of 2025 and is only available in the US. The series ranges in size from 50 to 98 inches.

The 65-inch version I tested retails for $999.99, while the other models range from $749.99 to $2,999.99. At those prices, the value of the QM6K series is good, but all sizes are already seeing discounts, with the 65-inch model I tested now selling for around $800.

TCL QM6K review: Specs TCL QM6K review: Benchmark results

The QM6K's connections include two HDMI 2.1 ports with 4K 144Hz support (Image credit: Future) TCL QM6K review: Features

• Dolby Vision IQ helps in bright rooms
• IMAX Enhanced for IMAX content
• Hands-free Google voice assistant

There’s quite a handful of features on offer here. I’ll touch on things like HDR, hands-free voice support, Halo Control, and the game accelerator in other sections, but there’s still plenty to talk about.

Dolby Vision IQ is something I always appreciate, but especially with this TCL since the only logical place for me to set it up was in a room that gets a lot of ambient light. What Dolby Vision IQ does is adjust the brightness of the TV according to the level of ambient light in your room so you can still see what’s on the screen when it’s bright, and then dim the picture for a more pleasurable viewing experience at night.

Along with the ‘Adaptive Brightness,’ as Dolby Vision IQ is called in the menu, you can toggle a blue light filter to minimize eye strain.

In the same vein as Dolby Vision IQ is the non-IQ version which adapts the brightness according to the content on the screen, whether it’s sports, a movie, or a video game. The QM6K also supports the HDR10+ high dynamic range format.

While there are the usual picture mode suspects including Filmmaker mode, there’s also an IMAX Enhanced mode to support IMAX content on 4K Blu-rays and streaming services such as Disney Plus.

• Features Score: 4.5/5

The QM6K's Halo Control technology is great at eliminating blooming effects in high-contrast pictures (Image credit: Future) TCL QM6K review: Picture quality

• Good color and contrast
• Very good at eliminating blooming
• Some minor vignetting in the corners

Our TCL QM6K benchmarks cite HDR peak brightness at 559.8 nits (Filmmaker mode) and 695.5 nits (Standard mode). For HDR fullscreen brightness, it measured 476.8 nits (Filmmaker mode) and 594.4 nits (Standard mode). Both of those results are about average for a budget mini-LED TV. For color gamut coverage, the QM6K benchmarked at 94.7% for UHDA P3 and 71.2% for BT.2020, both of which are average results.

In use, the results are more impressive, especially for those upgrading to mini-LED from an older standard LED TV. The QM6K’s brightness can’t quite outmatch the sun in a brightly lit room, and there are screen reflections, so be aware of that when figuring out the TV placement. However, it’s bright enough for most applications and the contrast with or without HDR (this TV supports Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+, HDR10, and HLG) not only allows colors to pop but also reveals shadow details in dimly lit scenes. I used the Disney movie Coco as a touchstone for colors and found that they were clear, distinct, and vibrant.

The QM6K’s 500 local dimming zones allow the backlight to turn off completely enough that deep blacks blend into the TV’s bezel. On a more budget TV, black might appear as more of a dark gray, but here it came across as a true, deep black.

On top of that, the QM6K utilizes TCL’s Halo Control technology so that bright objects on the screen won’t bleed into dark backgrounds, an effect referred to as halos or blooming. Sometimes, I find proprietary tech to be a gimmick or something that makes just a subtle difference. That’s not the case here. Halo Control technology performs exactly as advertised.

The QM6K has a native 120Hz refresh rate with up to 144Hz VRR (Variable Refresh Rate). Between this and the motion blur-related settings in the menu, programs were consistently pretty smooth looking. For instance, the testing of this TV started with a Super Bowl party via YouTube TV. The action on the field was clear and solid the entire time. I also did a little gaming and will discuss that below.

About the only issue I have with this TV’s picture quality is that there is some very minor vignetting in the corners of the screen. Now, if I’m looking at it head on, I can’t see it, but go off axis just a little bit and it’s fairly visible. It is millimeters of vignetting so you’ll barely notice it, but it’s there.

• Picture quality score: 4/5

The back-mounted speakers in the QM6K's built-in 2.1-channel Onkyo speaker system (Image credit: Future) TCL QM6K review: Sound quality

• Built-in 2.1-channel Onkyo speaker system
• Audio is boxy-sounding
• Virtual spatial audio support

The sound quality on the TCL QM6K unfortunately doesn’t buck the trend slim modern TVs have with poor audio. Its 2.1-channel, 40W Onkyo speaker system is mostly good, but its limitations are also noticeable.

Highs are clear and have plenty of resolution and detail. If you’re watching a live performance like a Tiny Desks Concert on PBS, sounds like cymbals and flutes are properly reproduced. Also, dialogue is very easily understood, even without the dialogue boost available in the settings, as there’s a little bit of a mid-range boost. The mid-range is fairly rich and full, though a very noticeable frequency dip makes everything sound boxy and a bit cheap.

The bass is there but is fairly muted. Even though there’s a built-in subwoofer, you get just a little bit of low-end rumble. The soundstage is not exceptionally wide, being confined to the size of the TV’s screen, though the trajectory of sounds is accurately tracked.

Lastly, there is virtual processing for Dolby Atmos and DTS: X. It’s nice having these features on hand as it gives a sense of space to any supported content. But as is typically the case, the sound is limited by the physical confines of the speakers and their placement.

• Sound quality score: 3.5/5

The QM6K's support feet (Image credit: Future) TCL QM6K review: Design

• Relatively thin
• Ports including two HDMI 2.1 with 144Hz support
• No dedicated remote play/pause button

The TCL QM6K series comes in a wide range of screen sizes, so whether you want something for a smaller(ish) setup or a home theater, there are options.

From the front, there’s not a whole lot that sets it apart from the competition. The bezels are thin enough to disappear during viewing, except on the bottom where it’s a little thicker. It’s a little more interesting in the back where it has a slightly sloped shape that not only keeps it fairly thin but allows the two raised speaker ports situated near the top room to breathe. More importantly, its ports are situated so they face directly to the side for easy access.

As far as the ports go, there are four HDMI inputs (two HDMI 2.1 with one supporting eARC), an optical digital audio output, Ethernet and RF inputs, as well as USB 3.0 and USB 2.0.

Navigating the TV is mostly done through the remote. Most of the usual suspects (in terms of buttons) are here, from a directional wheel with a button in the center to settings, input source, and sponsored buttons (Netflix, etc.). There’s also a voice button for hands-free usage that in my testing mostly went well, though I apparently don’t always enunciate as clearly as it wants me to. The only thing I don’t like about the remote is that there’s no dedicated play/pause button for streaming.

• Design score: 4/5

The QM6K's Google TV smart interface (Image credit: Future) TCL QM6K review: Smart TV and menus

• Nice mix of recommended content on home page
• Menu diving is easy
• Hands-free voice control

The TCL QM6K uses Google TV for a Smart TV interface, and it’s a treat to use. While I’m used to the Roku or Apple TV way of interfacing – namely, a grid of app tiles – the Google TV Smart OS gives a nice variety of information, and is a less ad-filled OS than one would get with an Amazon Fire TV stick. The menu options are For You (you need to sign in with your Google Account to get tailored content recommendations here), Apps, TCL ( free content) plus a few other selections on the left side while the more utilitarian selections such as Settings are on the right.

Below that and taking up the upper half of the screen is a rotating carousel of featured content. Continuing below are various rows of content such as “previously watched,” installed apps, “continue watching,” genre groupings, and several other suggestions. The interesting thing is that most of the selections on the screen link to the actual content instead of the apps to get to the content, making things just a bit more convenient.

Of course, not everything is going to pop up on this main page, so you’ll still want to go digging if you’re like me and like more esoteric content. I subscribe to the Criterion Channel, for instance, and have yet to see any suggestions from that service pop up.

The settings menu, which is integrated into the Google TV Smart OS, is intuitive. So, despite there being a bunch of different settings to play with, from different modes, and contrast options, to presets like Gamma, I never got lost when I was in the menu settings.

Being a Google TV, hands-free voice control is available. Just say “Hey Google” to interact with the far-field mic array built into the TV if you don’t feel like messing with the remote.

• Smart TV & menus score: 4/5

Gaming is smooth and responsive on the TCL QM6K (Image credit: Future) TCL QM6K review: Gaming

• Fast refresh rate that benefits even more from a game accelerator
• Ation always looks smooth and clear
• Has a dedicated settings menu when gaming

Gaming on the TCL QM6K TV is a treat. It not only has a 120Hz native refresh rate, but supports up to 4K 144Hz VRR (with Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync) and 288Hz at 1080p resolution. Our benchmarks show an input lag (Game mode) of 13.1ms, which is not the best we’ve seen, but in practice didn’t affect the gaming experience.

When testing the TV, I connected a PlayStation 5 and played several games including Uncharted Legacy of Thieves Collection (the only PS5 game I have been able to get to run at 120 fps), Ride 5, and Dead Island 2. As I discussed earlier, the colors are vibrant and the contrast lets images pop off the screen. No matter how fast the action, the gameplay was smooth and clear no matter if I was turning the corner on a course or trying to fight off an overwhelming horde of zombies.

It helped that when I turned on the PS5, the TV automatically changed to a Game Mode that also allowed me to mess with the refresh rate as well as turn on higher contrast settings. There’s also a dedicated ‘Game Master’ menu overlay that you can pull up using the remote to change settings without exiting the game. It’s a nice feature.

• Gaming score: 4.5/5

The QM6K with included accessories (Image credit: Future) TCL QM6K review: Value

• Punches above its weight in terms of value
• Some comparable models with similar features
• Better at eliminating blooming than other budget mini-LED TVs

The TCL QM6K punches above its weight in terms of value. And that’s even before considering the price has already dropped from the current $999 for the 65-inch size to around $800.

For comparison’s sake, the 65-inch version of the Hisense U7N is priced similarly at $999 and has many of the same features. It has higher peak and fullscreen brightness but also suffers from some backlight blooming – something TCL has managed to minimize with the TCL QM6K.

The Roku Pro Series TV fits into a similar value category but was released at a slightly higher price of $1,199 for the 65-inch. Of course, we’re seeing $400 off at the time of writing, which lets the Pro Series directly compete with the TCL. This TV also comes with some of the most important features like Dolby Vision IQ and has better sound thanks to a shadow box design that also allows for it to sit flush on the wall when mounted. However, the TCL again has that Halo Control tech and more extensive gaming support.

• Value score: 4.5/5

(Image credit: Future) Should I buy the TCL QM6K? Buy it if...

You want premium but at a value price
The TCL QM6K offers much more than cheaper TVs, and is a great upgrade for those who don’t want to spring for the price of a flagship TV.

You want an easy-to-use TV
Google TV and the settings menus are straightforward to navigate. Most people will find this TV easy to interact with.

You’re a gamer
Not only is there a 144Hz refresh rate but a gaming accelerator that upscales to double the refresh rate along with support for Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync

Don't buy it if…

You’re very fussy about picture quality
While the picture looks good, the slight vignetting and less-than-average brightness will be irksome if you’re used to looking at top-of-the-line TVs

You want a TV with great sound
The QM6K has good overall sound, but a slightly boxy quality makes it best paired with an external soundbar.

Also consider...

Roku Pro Series
The Roku Pro Series falls into a similar almost premium but reasonably priced category. While it has limited HDMI ports and the brightness is nothing to write home about, it has a wonderfully intuitive remote with hands-free voice control and a shadowbox design that not only allows for better sound but flat positioning when mounted.

Read our full Roku Pro Series review

Hisense U7N
The Hisense U7N might have some backlight blooming, unlike the TCL QM6K, and also suffers from poor audio quality. But it has quite a bit more brightness, not to mention many of the same features such as Dolby Vision IQ, 4K 144Hz support, and Google TV.

Read our full Hisense U7N review

Samsung Q60D
Samsung's budget QLED TV is cheaper than the TCL QM6K and delivers good overall picture quality, but lower brightness. This TV's Tizen smart interface is more sophisticated than the TCL's Google TV, and it also provides built-in cloud-gaming, which is a feature the TCL lacks.

Read our full Samsung Q60D review

(Image credit: Future) How I tested the TCL QM6K

• I used the TCL QM6K TV for a month
• Tested with both TV, movies, music, and games
• Benchmark measurements conducted by Future US testing lab

I used the TCL QM6K TV regularly for a month, testing it with movies, TV shows, sports events and games. I tested the various features, such as Dolby Vision IQ, to see if they work as advertised. I also spent time listening to the audio as well as paying attention to the picture quality.

After spending some time with this TV, it’s clear that it is meant for more budget-minded consumers looking to upgrade to a premium experience but don’t want to spend quite what most flagship TVs go for.

I’ve tested a lot of tech gear over the years from laptops to keyboards and speakers, and so have been able to use my expertise towards giving an honest and fair opinion, not to mention a critical eye, to any product I test.

You can read an in-depth overview of how we test TVs at TechRadar at that link.

• First reviewed: March 2024
• Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

In this episode of Tech Therapy, we cope with companies changing voice assistants and feeding us AI slop. Theme parks might be the only escape.

When it comes to staying on top of your health, there’s a wealth of technology out there that can give you a boost. The best fitness trackers can help you keep on top of your step count and exercise, while the best smart scales can help you monitor metrics like body composition.

But can you use AI to stay fit and healthy, lose weight, or build muscle? As an experienced health and fitness writer with over a decade using fitness tech like the Apple Watch, I’ve been putting ChatGPT to use as part of my health and fitness regime.

While the usual caveats about AI apply (double-check for hallucinations, etc), I have to say I’ve come away mightily impressed with it as a fitness tool. A lot of the “logistics” of fitness can often involve a lot of minutiae and data, such as calculating macros (proteins, carbs, fat) for your diet. AI is perfect for this sort of work.

So whether you want AI help developing massive workout plans for the weeks and months ahead, a full week’s worth of eating, or more granular help with day-to-day fitness needs, here’s how you can use ChatGPT to help supplement your health and fitness.

Coming up with the right prompts

Fitness and ChatGPT are a lot alike in one key aspect. You really only get out as much as you put in. If you’re half-hearted with your workouts or lax with your diet, your results will reflect that. Likewise, the more precise you are with ChatGPT, and the more effort you put into your prompts, the better the information you’ll get in return.

For example, if you ask ChatGPT, “How do I grow muscle?”, you’ll get some helpful but largely generic advice about progressive overload, reps and sets, and nutrition. None of this is wrong, and if you’re a beginner, ChatGPT can be a handy place to start collating some basic principles of health, exercise, and more.

But I’m here to tell you that ChatGPT is way more powerful than that, and it’s all about going deeper, being more specific, and really stretching the LLM’s legs. As I’ve already hinted at, ChatGPT is useful for large, comprehensive fitness and health tasks, but also for granular day-to-day stuff. Here are some of the prompts I’ve used.

1. Generate a workout plan

(Image credit: OpenAI / Future)

Can you generate an 8-week workout plan that will help me build muscle? I work out in a local gym, so can use most standard equipment, but I only have about 60 minutes a day to exercise.

ChatGPT can be used to generate a full workout plan that can last weeks or even months. This is a great example of the broader, more comprehensive approach to prompts I’m talking about. ChatGPT designed me a six-day workout plan that lasts eight weeks, with an outline of the weekly schedule and a workout breakdown by day.

There are several key components that make the prompt useful. I’ve specified the length of the plan and the goal (eight weeks, build muscle). Crucially, I’ve also specified the level of equipment I have access to, and the length of time I’d like to spend working out.

Each of these is a parameter you can tweak to your own liking, for instance, you could ask for shorter workouts, or specify that you have no equipment so you’ll need to do bodyweight exercises only.

Bonus follow-up: ChatGPT didn’t specify how much rest I should take between exercises, so this is a great follow-up question to ask.

2. Exercise help and lifting form

(Image credit: OpenAI / Future)

Can you tell me about the correct technique for doing a Romanian Deadlift?

Perhaps this is your first time lifting weights, and you’ve spotted an exercise you don’t recognize. You can ask ChatGPT for information and advice about lifting technique, specifying the correct technique to avoid any confusion. A lot of lifting technique is common sense, and I’ve not seen ChatGPT give out shoddy advice in this regard, but ChatGPT even offered me advice on several reputable fitness sources I could check out for video advice if I wanted to get a proper look.

3. Weight and progressive overload

With this workout plan - what sort of weight should I start with, and how do I lift heavier?

If you’re doing any kind of weightlifting or workout plan, especially for the first time, it’s important to know how much weight you should be lifting (and how much you shouldn’t). This is crucial to avoiding injury, but also to ensuring you’re going to make progress over time.

ChatGPT can use a prompt like this to give you general guidelines about progressive overload, but can also be used for specific examples. For instance, you could ask it to give you a progressive overload plan for bench press over a number of weeks.

4. Impromptu training

(Image credit: Future)

I'm on holiday and there's a gym in my hotel, can you generate a quick 30-minute workout for my whole body?

Perhaps you’re not looking for a comprehensive workout plan, but you’re on holiday or a work trip and want to get a quick blast in. A prompt like this can generate a full-body workout in just seconds for you to follow. All you have to specify is your time limits, the target muscle group, and the level of equipment you have access to.

5. Set your diet and nutrient benchmarks

I'm 6 feet tall and weigh 107kg, can you calculate a rough BMR for me, as well as an ideal macronutrient split for fat loss?

If you want to lose weight, pack on muscle, or maintain your physique, knowing your basal metabolic rate (how many calories your body needs each day) is crucial. With just my height and weight, ChatGPT provided a comprehensive picture of my BMR, including estimates of total daily energy expenditure based on activity levels.

Then, it suggested a calorie deficit, and a macronutrient split of protein, carbs, and fats. You can use this information to come up with your own nutrition plan or use this next prompt to get ChatGPT to do it for you.

6. Take the guesswork out of nutrition

(Image credit: Future)

I'd like you to generate a one-week meal plan targeting 2,500 kcal a day. I'd like to eat three times a day, getting 40% of my calories from protein.

If you need a diet or nutrition plan to complement your exercise, you can ask ChatGPT for a nutrition plan specifically tailored to your calorific needs. Just be sure to specify your target calories, how often you’d like to eat, and a general idea of your macronutrient split. You can be more precise too, adding in percentages for carbs and fats.

Bonus followup: ChatGPT can turn the meal plan it has generated for you into a shopping list, organized by food type to make shopping easier.

7. Day-to-day meals

I only have 600 calories left in my intake today, but need to consume around 50 grams of protein. Can you think of a good meal?

If you prefer to eyeball your nutrition or don’t want to follow a daily nutrition plan, you can also ask ChatGPT for on-the-fly meal ideas. I find it helpful to specify the number of calories left that I need, as well as any macronutrient requirements. For this prompt and the previous one, you can also specify any dietary restrictions, intolerances, or just general preferences, too.

Exercise ChatGPT

Each of these prompts is specific and useful, but can also serve as grounding for your one inspiration. For example, just as ChatGPT can create an eight-week lifting program, it can also create a running training schedule, or a plan to help you get better a cycling.

I’ve asked ChatGPT for lifting advice and techniques, but this can also be applied to other disciplines. Likewise, my nutritional goals are largely built around protein and building muscle, but you can tailor your requests to suit your needs, for instance with a focus on fat loss, or on fuelling up properly for endurance work.

Like I said, the key is to apply the principles of fitness to using ChatGPT, the more precise you are and the more effort you make with AI, the more you’ll get out of it.

You might also like...

• We asked AI chatbots Gemini and ChatGPT to design our workouts – then we tried them out
• Personal training is losing its appeal, according to research – and AI apps could be to blame
• I used this AI-powered workout app for an entire year – here’s 5 things I learned

• Here's another sign the Pixel 10 is coming
• It could be the fastest booting Pixel yet
• Expect it to appear sometime in mid-2025

The Google Pixel 9a was made official earlier this week, but we're already well into rumor season for the Pixel 10 due later this year – and the handset just popped up in Android's codebase, with a hint of a useful speed upgrade.

As spotted by Android Authority, the Pixel 10 has been namechecked in the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) code. That's the code on which all the various Android flavors are based, including the Pixel software and Samsung's One UI.

What's more, changes to the boot up process on the Pixel 10 are apparently leading to the handset starting up more quickly, according to a Google engineer – though of course the device will only be in the very early stages of testing right now.

It seems that's down to something called Parallel Module Loading, which basically loads up different bits of Android alongside each other, rather than one at a time – as you might have guessed from the name. The Pixel 10 is showing a 30% speed improvement in this particular part of the boot process, according to code comments.

Camera upgrades rumored

The Pixel 9a ditched the usual Pixel camera bar (Image credit: Google)

This won't be exclusive to the Pixel 10, either: Parallel Module Loading improvements should be rolling out to other recent Android handsets as well. It may well be included as part of Android 16, which is due sometime in the middle of 2025.

As for the Pixel 10, that may well make an appearance in August – which would be a neat 12 months after the launch of the Google Pixel 9 series. To date though, we haven't heard too much in the way of leaks and rumors.

We have seen some leaks in terms of model numbers and internal codenames, but they're not particularly exciting. Of more interest are rumors that the Pixel 10 could come with some camera upgrades, including an extra rear camera.

While the Pixel 9a ditched the iconic rear camera bar that we've grown accustomed to on the Pixel series, it's most probably going to make a return to the Pixel 10 phones. We can expect several different models to make an appearance again, including – perhaps – a successor to the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold.

You might also like

• Here's why Google is delaying the Pixel 9a
• Older Pixels just got a big performance boost
• The Google Pixel 9a's AI has a RAM problem

Rounding up the big interviews you might have missed, from gardening tips with Martha Stewart to a conversation with a former astronaut about what happens to our bodies after that much time in space.

(Image credit: Spencer Platt)

Rounding up the big interviews you might have missed, from gardening tips with Martha Stewart to a conversation with a former astronaut about what happens to our bodies after that much time in space.

The populist message of Sen. Bernie Sanders' "Fighting Oligarchy" tour has resonated with voters frustrated by President Trump's agenda — and the Democratic Party's muddled response.

(Image credit: Ross D. Franklin)

• SoftBank confirms $6.5 billion deal to acquire Arm-based chipmaker Ampere
• The deal could align Ampere with Arm and previously acquired Graphcore
• The acquisition could put Arm in direct competition with its chip partners

We previously reported that Arm is considering making its own silicon, and that the British firm’s Japanese owner, SoftBank, was considering acquiring Ampere Computing, Arm's only independent server chip vendor, to make this a reality.

Ampere, based in Santa Clara, California and backed by Oracle, designs high-performance, energy-efficient processors optimized for AI and cloud workloads using the Arm compute platform.

An acquisition by SoftBank could shift Arm from simply licensing chip designs to manufacturing its own chips - putting it in direct competition with existing customers and expanding Arm’s footprint in the growing data center space.

Complementing Arm's design strengths

Up until now, the acquisition had only been a strong rumor, but it’s now finally confirmed that SoftBank will be buying Ampere Computing for $6.5 billion (approximately ¥973.0 billion).

The deal, announced on March 19, 2025, will make Ampere a wholly owned subsidiary through SoftBank’s investment arm, Silver Bands 6.

SoftBank Group already owns a majority stake in Arm, and an affiliated company, Arm Technology Investment Ltd, also holds an 8.08% stake in Ampere.

The transaction has already been approved by SBG’s Board of Directors but as always with these things it remains subject to regulatory approvals, including U.S. antitrust clearance and review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).

In a statement, Softbank said, “Through this strategic alignment following the transaction, Ampere’s expertise in developing and taping out Arm-based chips can be integrated, complementing design strengths of Arm Holdings.”

It added that Ampere is expected to collaborate with “group companies, investees, and business partners.”

SoftBank said the purchase will be financed through borrowings from Mizuho Bank and others. The Raine Group is serving as financial adviser, with Morrison & Foerster providing legal counsel.

Ampere will continue operating under its current structure until the deal closes, which is expected to be in the latter half of 2025.

SoftBank previously acquired UK-based chip designer Graphcore for between $400 million and $500 million.

That company was once considered a potential rival to Nvidia and AMD, but fell on hard times after failing to capitalize on the AI boom.

It's not too much of a stretch to think that Softbank could integrate Ampere with Arm and Graphcore to build a more unified AI compute strategy across its portfolio.

You might also like

• Arm's Japanese owner could buy Arm's only independent server chip vendor
• How Ampere Computing plans to ride the AI wave
• Arm may be planning to hike prices, has considered developing its own chips

Heathrow Airport said it was "fully operational" on Saturday, after an almost daylong closure sparked by an electrical substation fire. But airlines warned that severe disruption will last for days.

(Image credit: Kirsty Wigglesworth)

The advisories come after some citizens from European countries and Canada have been detained and deported by immigration officials while traveling to the United States.

(Image credit: John MacDougall)

Newsmax is being sued for defamation by Dominion Voting Systems — the same company that sued Fox News over false 2020 election-fraud claims and walked away with a nearly $800 million settlement.

(Image credit: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

As with Europe, the Trump administration is sending conflicting signals to America's long-standing allies in Asia, with whom the U.S. has deep-rooted security agreements that date back to the 1950s.

(Image credit: Handout by South Korean Defense Ministry)

Choose the internet provider with the best plans and widest coverage across Oregon.

This week was full of major announcements. Google showcased the (potentially) iPhone 16e beating Google Pixel 9a, we reviewed Assassin's Creed Shadow and loved it, and Nvidia showcased an actual Star Wars droid in real life.

To catch up on all that and more you can scroll down to see the week's seven biggest tech news stories that you don't want to have missed.

Once you're all up to speed check out our picks for the 7 new movies and TV shows to stream this weekend (March 22).

1. The Google Pixel 9a broke cover

(Image credit: Google)

Google took the covers off the Pixel 9a this week, finally giving us an official look at its latest budget phone. At a quick glance, you’ll probably not notice a huge amount of difference from the Pixel 8a, but look closer, and there are some neat changes.

For starters, the phone’s design has changed with flatter sides and a larger display - which is also brighter - along with a rear camera setup that eschews the pill-shaped design of the Pixel 9 and goes for modules that sit flusher with the phone’s rear.

Under the hood, you’ll find the Google-designed Tensor G4 chip ready to power many Google Gemini activities and generative AI tools. There’s a bigger battery as well. This all comes at the same price as the Pixel 9a’s predecessor, but there’s a slight caveat in that Google has delayed the release of the phone until sometime in April due to a mystery “component quality issue”.

• Read more: Google just launched the Pixel 9a – and I reckon it embarrasses the iPhone 16e

2. We found the droid we've been looking for

Star Wars’ droids just got one step closer to reality at Nvidia's GTC 2025 keynote as Blue joined Jenson Huang on stage to show off the company’s new Newton engine. The robot bounded onto the stage after attendees watched a simulated version of the droid digitally explore the surface of a sandy planet far, far away.

This virtual landscape is what Newton is all about. Rather than needing to actually build a robot and real environments with a wide range of surface designs and materials to train your robot, with Newton, you can instead construct everything digitally, run the simulation, and the AI will gradually learn how to navigate. Once you’ve trained the model virtually, you can upload that data to a real version of the robot, and like Neo training in The Matrix Blue, other bots instantly become experts.

During the keynote, Huang also showcased a bunch of new hardware for developing AI, more humanoid robots, and autonomous vehicle tech.

• Read more: Nvidia GTC 2025 - all the news you might have missed

3. Pebble returned with two new smartwatches

(Image credit: Core Devices)

It’s a big week for retro gadget fans, as Pebble founder Eric Migicovsky’s new Core Devices company unveiled two new smartwatches running the now open-source Pebble OS. The Core 2 Duo is a low-power smartwatch with four buttons, some basic functionalities, an MIP black-and-white screen, and access to Pebble’s suite of 10,000 third-party apps.

The second watch, the Core Time 2, is an upgraded larger version with a color touchscreen and a heart rate monitor. Crucially, both watches last up to 30 days, an impressive 40 times the battery life of your average Apple Watch.

While both are limited runs, Migicovsky said he’ll “make more” if they do well. Available to pre-order now, both devices will be released in July.

• Read more: Pebble founder announces two new smartwatches, and they're basically the opposite of an Apple Watch in every way

4. We reviewed the LG C5 OLED TV

The LG C5 delivers bold, vibrant and dynamic colors, as shown on Disney's Elemental. (Image credit: Future)

We got our hands on one of 2025’s most anticipated TVs, the LG C5 OLED TV. The latest iteration in the ever-popular LG C-series, we spent a week with the C5, and spoiler alert; it’s fantastic.

Earning a full five out of five stars in our review, we loved the LG C5’s stunning picture quality, superb gaming performance, full suite of gaming features, and intuitive smart TV platform with some useful new AI tools. Even its built-in sound was solid!

To address the elephant in the room, no, it’s not that different from its predecessor, the LG C4, and while that’s around, the C5 looks overpriced. But, when the C4’s time is up, the C5 is a fantastic replacement and is already set to be one of the best TVs of 2025.

• Read more: I reviewed the LG C5 OLED TV for over a week, and it's one of the best TVs of the year

5. Deep Research went free to use

(Image credit: Google)

Deep Research is Google Gemini’s AI-powered research assistant. Rather than the usual search and response of the standard chatbot model, using Deep Research, Gemini puts together a full report on whatever you’ve asked it, including citations from sources that it analyzes.

It works best if you throw really meaty questions that need it to consult multiple sources, like “What percentage of dogs in the US are puppies?“, for example. It comes up with a plan for what research it’s going to undertake, which you can edit, and then produces its report. It can take a few minutes for Gemini to assemble a Deep Research report, but when it does, you get a document you can open in Google Docs that covers the subject conclusively.

Best of all, Deep Research is now free to all Gemini users.

• Read more: Gemini Deep Research is now free - here are 4 ways to get the most out of Google’s awesome AI tool

6. Assassin's Creed came out from the Shadows

(Image credit: Ubisoft)

Assassin’s Creed Shadows is out now and is immediately one of our favorites in the entire series. Offering the best open-world role-playing game in that line of Creed games, Shadows gets an awful lot right and not wrong. And I should know, having spent more than 40 hours in the game now.

A major part of the game’s success is the implementation and execution of some of the best combat in the series. Both protagonists, Naoe and Yasuke, offer distinct styles of combat and a unique range of weapons they can use - but each can engage in seriously fluid, chunky, and hard-hitting combat. Whether you’re slashing at enemies with small blades as Naoe, or smashing them about the place with a Kanobo as Yusuke, the combat is Shadows is superb.

Ubisoft Quebec has also rethought world exploration and discovery with Shadows and implemented a much more rewarding and satisfying method of doing so. Instead of viewpoints revealing a sea of known entities in the landscape for you, Shadows only gives you a few points of interest and locations - unmarked, so you have to go and find out what they are. What results is a method of exploring the world that feels rewarding to explore and pulls you on from location to location, landscape to landscape, and region to region.

And while the main story wanes a little, and the Hideout mode that offers cozy base builders a little something can be a drain, there’s just so much to do in Shadows’ Feudal Japan setting that I’m going to be spending dozens more hours in it collecting tea sets, painting wildlife, meditating, learning new combos, carrying out contracts, and assassinating baddies.

• Read more: I’ve played Assassin’s Creed Shadows for more than 40 hours and can’t stop collecting tea sets, painting birds, and assassinating evil schemers

7. Lego and Pokémon broke the internet

(Image credit: Lego / Pokemon)

Lego and Pokémon broke the internet this week when everybody’s favorite plastic bricks announced a partnership with the world’s most valuable media franchise. For years, we’ve hoped for a Pikachu collaboration with Lego, and now our dreams look set to become a reality.

Coming in 2026, perfectly timed with the 30th anniversary of Pokémon, you’ll be able to go on “a real LEGO® Pokémon™ adventure." While we don’t know what LEGO sets will be made available, the teaser trailer showcased Pikachu’s tail, so Pokémon’s mascot is almost a certainty.

We wouldn’t be surprised to see regular releases celebrating the extensive library of Pokémon; after all, there are now over 1,000 species dating back to 1996. With Generation 10 on the horizon and new Nintendo Switch video games set for release this year, it’s definitely an exciting time to be a Pokémon fan.

• Read more: Pokemon and Lego announce the most electrifying collaboration of all time

The Trump administration has announced a flurry of changes at the agency that oversees Social Security. Advocates warn these moves could lead to people having a harder time getting help with benefits.

(Image credit: Kayla Bartkowski)

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for March 22.