The race to find the next big thing in TV tech just passed two big milestones: TCL CSOT – TCL's display-making subsidiary – has demonstrated its inkjet-printed OLED tech at a TV size with panels up to 65 inches, and Samsung Display has demonstrated the potentially OLED-beating EL-QD in a new and brighter version.
IJP OLED and EL-QD are vying to be the next tech that replaces current OLED production, and both are self-emissive technologies like current OLED.
Both are very exciting, but neither's coming to your front room any time soon – and of the two, printed OLEDs are likely to arrive long before EL-QD. But they could both prove to be revolutionary.
Why we're a bit excited about printed OLED and EL-QDInkjet-printed OLED panels are the most immediately exciting, because they can be used in a wide range of applications: phones, tablets, laptops, PC monitors, TVs, car dashboards... pretty much anywhere you might want to put a display.
TCL has showed inket-printed 65-inch panels before: an early prototype in 2021, and a curved prototype in 2023. But this one is much closer to production than before, and some of the smaller panels TCL showed off included a new oxide backplane that apparently delivers faster response times and lower power consumption.
Although TCL CSOT says that it has become "the first manufacturer to commercialise a complete family bucket of IJP [inkjet printed] OLED products", we're not pausing our new-TV plans just yet: any new panel technology starts off eye-wateringly expensive until yields improve and costs come down.
IJP OLED is still very much an OLED tech in that it uses organic material to create self-emissive pixels, but structure of the panel is totally different because of the manufacturing process, so it's very much a next-gen OLED rather than just tweaking the current tech.
It has the potential to be more power efficient and cheaper long-term – but it's not quite ready to go.
TCL has told TechRadar directly that it will likely be several years before IJP OLED will be affordable in TVs – but it's landing in smaller screens already.
(Image credit: FlatpanelsHD.com) Is the future bright for EL-QD?EL-QD sounds like it should be the name of a bullfighter, and Samsung Display is bullish about its prospects: it uses quantum dots as light-emitting diodes and could deliver wider color gamuts, faster response times and lower power consumption than other display technologies.
Like TCL CSOT, Samsung Display was showing off its tech at the SID show in the USA. It brought some printed OLEDs and some bendable ones, but the most technically interesting was EL-QD because Samsung seems to have solved that tech's biggest problem.
So far, EL-QD displays have suffered from a lack of longevity: early versions used cadmium, and that's banned in many countries; without it, the longevity of the blue materials essential to EL-QD wasn't great. But Samsung Display says it has "dramatically increased" the lifespan with its latest cadmium-free prototypes.
That enabled Samsung to make the brightest EL-QD prototype to date, but it still falls far short of the brightness you'd want in your front room: the latest EL-QD panel has 400 nits; many of the best OLEDs deliver over 1,000 nits while my mini-LED TV appears to put out ninety billion nits.
It's also quite a bit smaller than your TV: 18.2 inches with 3,200 x 1,800 pixels.
EL-QD is a long way from production, then – assuming it ever makes it into mass production at all. The future's bright, but it needs to get a lot brighter before it can be an HDR TV.
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(Image credit: Faiz Abubakr for NPR)
Acer has announced the Acer FreeSense Ring, a new health-tracking smart ring offering 'AI enhanced' wellness insights.
It was unveiled at this year's Computex conference in Taipei, and we don't yet know how much the Ring will cost, or when it will go on sale – but we do know that it won't come with any additional subscription fees.
With two color options, Rose Gold (a matte finish) or Black (gloss finish), the Ring will be available in sizes 7-13. It'll weigh between 2-3g, and Acer says it's "crafted from ultra-light titanium alloy."
Even the best smart rings have a plastic interior to better accommodate the sensor array, and we imagine that will also be the case here. It's waterproof-rated at 5ATM, which means it's shower- and swim-safe, but likely not suitable for diving.
The Acer FreeSense sounds a lot like other smart rings from Oura and Samsung, specifically in terms of the data it collects. A press release from Acer states that "the ring tracks vital physiological metrics such as heart rate, heart rate variability, blood oxygen levels, and sleep quality.
"The data points are analyzed through a companion mobile app, which generates personalized wellness insights and provides suggestions. With features such as sleep stage analysis and continuous tracking, the Acer FreeSense Ring helps encourage proactive health management and lifestyle awareness."
Back in the health & fitness ringAcer has released smartwatches and fitness trackers in the past with its Acer Leap range, but none of those devices ranked among the best fitness trackers of the era, and never really caught on. With smart rings now a rapidly growing category of health device, this could prove to be a second chance for Acer in the health space.
Acer is also the latest of several smart-ring manufacturer to make a point of the fact that its device doesn't require an additional subscription, as a key selling point to differentiate it from the likes of the Oura Ring 4. With so many health and fitness services now requiring a subscription, it's refreshing to see more companies embracing the one-time-purchase philosophy.
Acer is already busy at Computex this year – in addition to the FreeSense Ring it's also announced a pair of earbuds specifically for translation, a new range of electric bikes, and computing equipment.
You might also like...With Computex 2025 now just a few days away, we can expect a whole host of new PC hardware announcements soon – and fortunately, Acer has already made a start on that, with its new Swift and Aspire laptops ready to hit the market for consumers as early as June and, in the case of the ones below, July.
While there are plenty of new Acer devices coming your way, we've cherry-picked a few in particular that stand out the most; the Acer Swift X 14, Swift X 14 AI, the Swift Go 16 AI, and the Acer Aspire 16 AI (Intel).
All of these new laptops share similar specifications, such as processors that are built to provide great performance in a number of scenarios including gaming – most importantly for AI workloads as Copilot+ PCs. But here are the four main things you need to know about Acer's new laptops...
1. Acer's Swift X 14 AI, Swift Go 16 AI, and Aspire's 16 AI laptops will all have OLED displays (Image credit: Acer)Yet again, OLED is getting the attention it deserves, and Acer is using OLED panels across a wide range of its new laptops – fortunately, all of these cherry-picked laptops are among them.
The Acer Swift X 14 AI will feature an OLED 14.5 WQXGA+ (2880 x 1800) touchscreen display, which will also take advantage of the VESA DisplayHDR True Black 500 certification. It's ideal for accurate image quality with deep blacks, with a minimum of 500 nits in brightness.
The Acer Swift Go 16 AI will fare slightly differently, with a 16-inch OLED WUXGA+ (2048 x 1280) display. It uses a lower-resolution panel, but to compensate for the difference in graphics capabilities (which I'll get into soon).
With the Acer Aspire 16 AI, only one of the configurations features an OLED (2048 x 1200) display; unlike the Swift X 14 AI, it won't be touchscreen but its IPS configuration will.
2. All of them will be powerful gaming machines, especially the Swift X 14 AI (Image credit: Acer)I must note that these aren't gaming laptops, as they're made for creators using tools like Copilot+. However, both processors and GPUs (including iGPUs) are powerful enough to yield great gaming performance.
The Acer Swift X 14 AI will be the most powerful among the group; configurations up to Nvidia's RTX 5070 (the laptop GPU, including Nvidia Studio Drivers) and AMD's Ryzen AI 9 365 processor will be available, which are both capable of great performance in demanding creative AI workloads, or gaming. Its non-AI counterpart (Swift X 14) will feature up to Intel's Core Ultra 9 285H processor.
While the Swift Go 16 AI and Aspire 16 AI won't feature any discrete GPUs, they'll both be powered by (depending on the configuration) Intel's Core Ultra 7 258V – the same processor and Arc 140V iGPU featured in the MSI Claw 8 AI+ handheld gaming PC, known for its great gaming performance.
3. The Swift Go AI models are among the thinnest and lightest Acer laptops Acer Swift X 14 (Image credit: Acer)While it packs a powerful processor, fast Wi-Fi 7 connectivity, and an OLED display, Acer claims the Swift Go (its 14-inch model in particular) is "as light as 15.9mm and as light as 1.39kg". To put it simply, this means it will be one of Acer thinnest and lightest laptops, easy for travel and packing – even with its 14-inch screen size.
It's a similar story with the Swift Go 16 AI. While it's not exactly as thin or light as its counterpart, it only weighs 1.6kg, which shouldn't be enough of a noticeable jump in weight.
They will both also take advantage of an "all-day battery life", ensuring you don't miss a beat during productive and creative workflows, and will have a 64Wh battery that should last a claimed 16 hours (likely with adjusted brightness levels or settings).
4. They will be available starting from July going into AugustThese new Acer laptops in particular will arrive as early as July; the Acer Swift X 14 AI (and Swift X 14) will be available in Europe in July, starting at €1,799 – prices in North America and Australia are yet to be announced, but that converts to around $2,015 / £1,515 / AU$3,140.
Unlike the Swift X 14 AI, the Acer Swift Go 16 AI will be available in Europe in August, starting at €1,299 – again, prices in North America and Australia have not been announced, but that converts to about $1,455 / £1,095 / AU$2,270)
In similar fashion, the Aspire 16 AI (Intel) will be available in Europe in August, starting at €1,099 as the cheapest of the group – there is again currently no word on prices in North America and Australia, but that equates to around $1,230 / £925 / AU$1,920.
It's worth noting that each laptop's price will vary depending on the chosen configuration, which ranges in processors, GPU, RAM, storage, and display.
You may also like...The best Marvel Rivals graphics settings can really make the difference in battle, allowing you to make use of higher frame rates, spot enemies more easily, and more. Depending on which console you're playing on, you'll have different options to work with. There are extra bells and whistles for some, allowing for a best-of-both-worlds balance between performance and resolution.
Now that I've played hundreds of hours of Marvel Rivals at this point, I'm in a good position to offer my advice on which graphics setting to pick. I've been playing since Season 0, and have been busy keeping my Marvel Rivals Tier List up to date as Season 2 continues on. After the time spent on my Marvel Rivals review back at launch, I'm impressed that it has managed to evolve with each seasonal update, something that's kept it firmly on my list of the best crossplay games to play in 2025.
Here's my recommendations for the Marvel Rivals best graphics settings, including which mode to pick on PS5 Pro. I'll give some info on each of the three modes, and some additional advice on settings to change to make the game clearer and easier to read.
Marvel Rivals best graphics settings for PS5, PS5 Pro, and Xbox (Image credit: NetEase)Here's an overview of the best graphics settings to use depending on the platform you're playing on. I'll then go into detail for each and offer some additional advice.
It's worth noting that additional graphics options have been added since launch, like the Pro Mode for the PS5 Pro. Keep an eye on updates via our Marvel Rivals Patch Notes page.
Marvel Rivals best graphics settings for PS5 (Image credit: NetEase)On PS5, you have two options to choose from: Standard Mode and HFR Mode (High Frame Rate). The former achieves 1440p resolution while hitting a consistent 60fps (frames per second), and HFR Mode boosts things up to 120fps while reducing resolution somewhat. I'd recommend HFR Mode if it's available to you.
You'll need a monitor capable of 120fps or higher, and you will get the best possible advantage over your opponents. You'll be able to react faster and generally have more control over your Hero.
Marvel Rivals best graphics settings for PS5 Pro (Image credit: NetEase)Once again, there are two modes to choose from for the PS5 Pro. One of them is exclusive to Sony's most powerful console, however, and it's a great option for those looking for a balance between graphical fidelity and performance.
Pro Mode targets a stable 60fps and delivers higher 4K resolutions. In addition to Lumen Global Illumination, it also features support Lumen Reflections, offering more immersive and dynamic lighting effects for an enhanced visual experience. PS5 Pro also offers higher resolutions in 120fps High Frame Rate Mode.
Personally, I recommend going with High Frame Rate Mode here, as extra frames per second can be crucial to improving your performance in a Competitive game like Marvel Rivals.
Marvel Rivals best graphics settings for Xbox (Image credit: NetEase)On Xbox Series X, you have two modes to choose from: Standard Mode and HFR Mode. As with PS5, and especially if you plan on playing Competitive Mode, you'll want to go with HFR Mode. Of course, you'll need a display capable of 120fps and above.
If you're playing on Xbox Series S, you unfortunately only have access to Standard Mode. This still hits 60fps, so you'll be on par with the majority of other players anyway.
Marvel Rivals best graphics settings - enemy outline colors (Image credit: NetEase)I also think that there are some extra changes you can make in an effort to make Marvel Rivals a little bit easier to read when you're in battle.
I find that heading to the Accessibility settings and switching the enemy outline to yellow makes it much easier to pick out targets. This is generally because maps tend to have dark purple, blue, and black areas. Yellow stands out more than red does for me personally. If you'd like to take things further, consider my guide on changing your Marvel Rivals crosshairs.
You Might Also Like...Coinbase, one of the biggest centralized cryptocurrency exchanges in the world, suffered a cyberattack which might cost it between $180 million and $400 million. This is according to Reuters, citing a regulatory filing submitted by the company earlier this week.
The exchange said that on May 11, it received an email from an unknown threat actor who claimed they obtained internal documents, and sensitive data about certain customer accounts. Coinbase later confirmed these claims, saying that only a “small subset” of customers were affected.
The data stolen doesn’t include login credentials or passwords, but Coinbase did say it would reimburse anyone who gave their money to the attackers. To obtain the files, the criminals allegedly paid “multiple contractors and employees” who were working in support roles outside the US.
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Demanding ransomThe individuals involved were identified and subsequently fired. There is no information on possible legal action against them.
The attackers demanded a ransom of $20 million in exchange for the data, which Coinbase refused to pay. Instead, it is now offering that exact amount of money - $20 million - as a bounty to anyone who comes forward with actionable information regarding the hackers’ identities or whereabouts.
Crypto is in a difficult position right now, trying to establish itself as a legitimate industry, while being surrounded by theft, scams, crime, and regulatory pressure. Just a few months ago, ByBit - another major cryptocurrency exchange - was hacked, with North Korean cybercriminals walking away with $1.5 billion in different tokens.
Earlier this May, Alex Mashinsky, the former CEO of the bankrupt crypto bank, Celsius Network, was sentenced to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to securities fraud and commodities fraud, and recently - in broad daylight - three individuals tried to kidnap the daughter of a crypto exchange CEO.
At the same time, Reuters is reporting that the SEC took the opportunity to investigate if Coinbase misstated user figures and if it has inadequate KYC practices. Coinbase denied the probing, though.
Via Reuters
You might also likeNikon could be working on a video-oriented mirrorless camera incorporating technology from RED – at least that's according to a new rumor.
Nikon Rumors posted a story claiming the next camera to be released by Nikon will be a Z-mount model bristling with cinema-focused RED features and tech. The story suggests it could even be called the Nikon Zr or Nikon ZR – the ‘R’ in the name possibly a nod to the RED tech on board.
Other claims in the story are that the camera will have a ‘brick-shaped’ design, without a pentaprism or an electronic viewfinder, and will look something like a cross between the Sony FX3, Nikon Z30 and the blocky look of existing RED cameras like the Komodo or V-Raptor.
It also states that the camera will have the same sensor as the excellent Nikon Z6 III (a 24.5MP partially-stacked full-frame sensor, then) and a ‘very large’ LCD screen. Most mirrorless cameras have 3-inch screens, so we think this suggests a 4-inch or even 5-inch screen is in the offing.
RED's V-Rapter and Komodo cinema cameras are now available in Z-mount editions. (Image credit: Nikon) Nikon is now firmly in the REDRED, originally founded in the USA in 2007 as RED Digital Cinema, was acquired by Nikon in April 2024 for $85 million. Since then, it has released versions of the Komodo and V-Raptor with the Nikon Z-mount, but it’s long been expected that closer collaborations would emerge from the partnership.
In the wake of the RED purchase, Nikon president Muneaki Tokunari told Nippon.com, “Nikon Corp. aims to expand its market share for cameras by utilizing the video technologies of a U.S. movie camera company acquired in spring.” The rumored Nikon Zr could be the first all-new camera to come with those technologies.
Nikon Rumors believes the camera will be officially announced later in 2025, most likely in the third or fourth quarter. We’ll be keeping our eyes peeled for more hints of what this rumored Nikon Zr might bring to the table.
Filmmakers and cinematographers, what would you like to see from RED-influenced Nikon Z camera? Let us know your dream features in the comments below.
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(Image credit: Ethan Miller)
We've reviewed most of the best bird feeder cameras, and they're the kind of tech we can truly get behind – literally getting you closer to nature by delivering a close-up view of your feathered garden visitors.
Designed to be left in situ for months and even years on end, bird feeder cameras snap into action when they detect motion, providing a live view and capturing videos of your garden birdlife. The novelty of the remote view and bird notifications doesn't wear off.
However, to date there's been one area where most bird feeder cameras come up short, even our favorite options like the Bird Buddy, and that's image quality – but that could be set to change with the new Beako Kiwibit.
Following the Camojojo, which we're yet to test, the Kiwibit records true 4K video and 8MP stills – that's much more detail than is currently possible with our top-rated bird feeder cameras, which max out at half the resolution.
And that's not all. There are some pretty nifty design features that we haven't seen before, and which could make the Kiwibit one of the most versatile bird feeder cameras available.
(Image credit: Beako) Designed for any gardenLike most of today's bird feeder cameras, the weatherproof Kiwibit is armed with AI-powered bird recognition, informing you which birds have visited from a database exceeding 10,000 species, plus it can be paired with a solar panel for continuous power.
It also has pest deterrents, which are especially useful if squirrels frequent your garden. However, those features are nothing new, and the Kiwibit goes one step further than most options, with multiple mounting options.
In addition to a wall and tree mount common in bird feeder cameras, Kiwibit features a pole mount on its underside, meaning it can be placed freestanding anywhere in your garden, without relying on something to attach it to – neat.
But that's not all. The seed tray is removable for easy cleaning, plus the entire 1.5L twin seed compartment can be removed for easy refills, and cleaning. There's also an adjustable flow control to limit the amount of seed in the tray.
Features-wise, it feels like the Beako Kiwibit has left no stone unturned, even if the FeatherSnap Scout's integrated solar panel looks slicker, while Wi-Fi connectivity is just 2.4GHz.
Initially the Kiwibit launches in the US only at Amazon and the product website on May 20, 2025, with an initial $167.99 deal available.
We're yet to complete a review of the Kiwibit – that'll land in the coming months, and hopefully the Kiwibit delivers on its lofty 'unmatched detail' promises.
You might also likeBreville, maker of some of the best coffee makers we've tested here at TechRadar, has launched a new drip coffee machine that helps you get more flavor from your beans, and avoid one of the most common pitfalls when making filter coffee: water spills.
Even the best drip coffee makers tend to have an integrated water tank, so you have to fill it using the carafe (risking spillage) and you can't easily see how clean it is, whether it needs descaling, or how much water is inside.
That's not the case with the new Breville Luxe Brewer, which has a 12-cup water tank with integrated filter that simply lifts off the base, and has an extra-wide top for easy filling.
(Image credit: Breville)Like the Fellow Aiden Precision Coffee Maker I reviewed recently, the Breville Luxe Brewer can make brewing as simple or technical as you like. You can begin brewing a pot of coffee with a single button press, or get technical by customizing the bloom volume (the amount of hot water dispensed to pre-infuse your coffee grounds before brewing), bloom time (how long that water is allowed to sit on the coffee grounds), brewing temperature, and flow rate. Once you've found your preferred settings, you can save them as a preset for next time.
Other features include a programmable timer so you can wake to freshly brewed coffee first thing in the morning, a cold-brew setting that promises to make smooth, full bodied filter coffee in just 30 minutes, and a hot plate to keep your brew warm for up to six hours.
Hot stuffOpinions on hot plates vary. Personally I find them convenient and don't find they affect the taste of my drinks too much, but if you disagree then you'll be pleased to know that it's not the only way to keep your coffee at the right temperature. Like its predecessor, the Breville Precision Brewer, the Breville Luxe Brewer is available in two versions: one with a glass carafe, and one with an insulated double-walled jug to keep your coffee hot for up to four hours.
The machine is supplied with two filter baskets – one cone-shaped and one flat-bottomed – which are intended to help your coffee infuse in different ways, bringing out subtly different flavor profiles.
According to research by the Speciality Coffee Association (SCA) and partners, the cone should create fruitier notes, while the flat-bottomed basket brings out softer chocolatey and floral flavors.
(Image credit: Breville)The Breville Luxe Brewer is on sale now, and costs $319.95 (about £240 / AU$500) with a glass carafe, or $349.95 (about £260 / AU$550) with a thermal pitcher.
The new brewer isn't yet available outside the US, but we'll keep you updated with international launch dates and prices when they are announced, and hope to bring you a full review very soon.
You might also likeTwo highly anticipated Netflix video game movies have received significant updates.
The streaming giant's adaptations of Bioshock and Gears of War have been trapped in development hell for years now. But, with new information about both projects emerging, it sounds like there'll be forward momentum on the pair in the near future.
Where Netflix's take on 2K Games' beloved Bioshock game franchise is concerned, director Francis Lawrence recently spoke positively about the development of its script. During a conversation with IGN that took place on May 6 but was only published yesterday (May 15), Lawrence admitted that making progress on the film had been "tricky" of late but, ahead of a meeting with its new screenwriter, he was confident that the bulk of the project's problems were behind it.
"It's a tricky adaptation, so there's lots of things to figure out and to get right," Lawrence, whose previous credits including The Hunger Games film series, said. "There [have beeen] regime changes at Netflix, and so things stall out and get re-energized, and stall out and get re-energized, [but] I think we're in a pretty good place, honestly.
"I just actually just got a [new] draft [of the script]," he added. "[And] we have a meeting with the writer [Justin Rhodes] tomorrow [May 7]."
The streamer's Gears of War film was initially revealed in November 2022 (Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)As for Netflix's similarly long-gestating Gears of War flick, The Hollywood Reporter has claimed that David Leitch is in talks to helm that project.
Leitch, whose most recent movie was 2024's Ryan Gosling-fronted offering The Fall Guy, hasn't officially signed on to make it. However, he's supposedly thrashing out terms with Netflix to board the big-budget adaptation.
If Leitch signs on, his production company 97North will reportedly co-develop the film alongside The Coalition. That's the Xbox-owned studio that took over development of the movie's video game franchise namesake from Epic Games in 2014. Jon Spaihts, who co-wrote the scripts for the first two Dune films, A Minecraft Movie, and Passengers, is said to be penning the Gears of War flick's screenplay.
Gaming the system Netflix has enjoyed success with its TV adaptations of beloved video game franchises, such as Arcane (Image credit: Netflix/Riot Games/Fortiche Production)Netflix has made no secret of its desire to turn its streaming platform into the go-to hub for all things video games-related.
Indeed, the world's best streaming service hasn't just become home to a number of Netflix video game originals and classic third-party titles, such as the Grand Theft Auto franchise, in recent years. It's also looking to make its own mark on the golden age of video game film adaptations.
From money-printing productions like A Minecraft Movie and The Super Mario Bros. Movie, to fan-favorite offerings including the Sonic the Hedgehog film series, the world's leading entertainment companies are going all-in on big-screen video game adaptations.
It's no great surprise, then, that Netflix wants its slice of the pie. The streaming titan has already shown it can produce unmissable video game-inspired TV shows, such as its multi-award-winning and hugely popular League of Legends animated series Arcane, plus its reimagining of Capcom's Devil May Cry and Castlevania franchises. If you've seen any or all of them, it won't shock you to learn that these have appeared on our best Netflix shows list over the last few years.
So, the foundations are in place for the streamer to create similarly great new Netflix movies that are influenced by, or are direct translations of, game series like Gears and Bioshock. Of course, there are those (myself included) who are still trepidatious about both projects – after all, they've languished in development purgatory for years at this point.
However, if Lawrence and – if he signs on – Leitch can get them up and running, and deliver takes on both that honor the tone, vibe, and style of these acclaimed franchises, I'll be the first to suggest that they deserve a spot in our best Netflix movies guide. Now, would you kindly get the development cogs fully turning on these projects please, Netflix?
You might also likeMeta has filed a Rule 52(c) motion for judgement, claiming that the FTC has failed to prove its case relating to an antitrust lawsuit it brought on over Meta's acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp.
According to Meta, no distinct monopoly power evidence has been shown – being that Meta's apps are free to use, traditional pricing-based monopoly indicators don't apply.
The social media giant also noted that the FTC failed to show that it had reduced the quality or output of its services, instead arguing that user engagement has grown and app quality has improved since it took over.
Meta says the FTC has no evidence over its social media monopolyIn its early days, Instagram was a small photo-sharing app with limited features, no revenue, and poor infrastructure. The company proudly proclaims to have massively improved the app's quality, reach, and features post-acquisition - with co-founder Kevin Systrom testifying to the fact that Meta had accelerated the app's growth, allowing Instagram to "thrive."
Meta also added that WhatsApp was focused on simple messaging before it was bought out, with no plans to add social features or ads, therefore it was not deemed a competitive threat to Facebook.
As a whole, the FTC's evidence has been widely criticized by Meta, with even the FTC's lead expert admitting that much of the competitive harm claim was speculative.
"The FTC has no evidence that Meta has a 60 percent share of any market that includes TikTok or YouTube along with Snapchat," the motion added.
Meta also noted: "Virtually every feature of TikTok exists on Instagram (and Facebook), and virtually every feature of Instagram exists on TikTok."
The social media giant's conclusion is simple: "The Court should enter judgment in Meta’s favor under Rule 52(c)."
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(Image credit: Alex Wong)
Major European retailers and online platforms have urged the European Commission to address high fees charged by Visa and Mastercard, according to a report by Reuters.
Complaints relate to the negative impact of fees on EU competitiveness and the lack of transparency surrounding them, with the two payment network providers dominating about two-thirds of transactions in the euro zone.
Retailers have accused the International Card Schemes (ICS) of unchecked fee increases and complex pricing structures that aren't always so clear.
Visa and Mastercard criticized over fees in EuropeA 2024 report by Brattle Group revealed a 33.9% cumulative rise across ICS fees between 2018 and 2022, despite no corresponding service improvement or justification.
Visa has defended its fees: "This includes extremely high levels of security and fraud prevention, near-perfect operational resilience and reliability, and a wide range of consumer protections and high-quality, innovative products and services that serve consumer and merchant needs."
An extract from the letter addressed to the Commission's antitrust chief Teresa Ribera, financial services commissioner Maria Luís Albuquerque and economy chief Valdis Dombrovskis, seen by Reuters, reads:
"International Card Schemes (ICS) have been able to increase their fees without competitive challenge or regulatory scrutiny. They have also rendered their system of fees and rules so complex and opaque that players are unable to understand, let alone challenge, what they are paying for and why."
Supporters include major trade associations and corporations, such as Aldi, Amazon, Carrefour, H&M, IKEA, and eBay.
They're calling for antitrust action against the two payment network providers, including the introduction of fee regulation, transparency, and further regulatory tools.
The two companies had previously agreed to reduce their multilateral interchange fees for payments in the EEA by an average of around 40%.
You might also likeApple’s AirPods Pro are some of the best earphones you can buy, with fantastic sound and features packaged up into a tiny product. If you’ve been hoping for Apple to release an AirPods Pro 3 update this year, you’re in luck, as it seems the company might be working on just such a device.
Interestingly, this idea didn’t come from a well-connected analyst or a bit of lucky guesswork – it came from Apple itself. It appears that the company might have accidentally leaked the AirPods Pro 3 in its own software code, as spotted by eagle-eyed researcher Aaron Perris.
According to Perris, Apple has updated a text string with info that hints at future AirPods. The text previously read “requires Apple AirPods Pro 2nd Generation” – now, it says “requires Apple AirPods Pro 2 or later.” It’s not clear which app or software this string appears in, though.
You might think that this is a simple update to account for Apple’s AirPods 4, which launched after the AirPods Pro 2. Yet Perris claims that there was already a separate text string for AirPods 4 in the software. That suggests that the information cited may be referring to an as-yet-unreleased set of AirPods Pro, although we can’t be certain.
When might we see AirPods Pro 3? (Image credit: TechRadar)Right now, there’s no solid information on when the AirPods Pro 3 might be announced. Apple hasn’t given any indication of when the launch date might occur, so most information you’ll see at the moment is speculation.
However, the fact that Apple has apparently made the update spotted by Perris could suggest that AirPods Pro 3 will land sooner rather than later – after all, the change might be part of preparations the company is making to release the headphones. While that’s just conjecture at this point, a 2025 release date would make sense, given that it will be three years after the AirPods Pro 2 update.
So far, AirPods Pro 3 have been rumored to come with a new design, an updated chip, and “much better” noise cancelation. We’d also love to see the ability to connect to multiple cross-platform devices (including Android phones), as current AirPods are limited to Apple products.
With Apple’s WWDC 2025 conference less than one month away, the event could be an ideal time for Apple to reveal AirPods Pro 3 to the world. Keep your eyes peeled.
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