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• Minisforum AI X1 excels in AI tasks with 38 TOPS of machine learning processing power
• Supports four 8K monitors via HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 2.0, and USB4 ports
• Offers fast connectivity with dual 2.5G Ethernet, Wi-Fi 7, and Bluetooth 5.4

Minisforum has introduced the AI X1, a compact mini PC powered by the AMD Ryzen 7 260 APU, capable of supporting four 8K displays.

The AI X1 features the AMD Ryzen 7 260, an 8-core, 16-thread processor with a maximum clock speed of 5.1GHz, integrated with the Radeon 780M GPU running at 2700MHz, delivering strong performance for gaming and creative workloads.

This business computer also boasts a peak AI processing capability of 38 TOPS, making it well-suited for machine learning and AI-driven tasks.

High-performance processing with Ryzen 7 260 CPU

The AI X1 supports up to 96GB of DDR5 RAM at 5600MHz, ensuring smooth multitasking even with demanding applications. Storage options include two M.2 NVMe SSD slots, allowing for a total capacity of up to 16TB.

The standout feature is its ability to drive four 8K monitors simultaneously through HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 2.0, and two USB4 ports, supporting data transfer speeds of up to 40 Gbps, making it one of the best workstation options available.

The AI X1 features two USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A ports, a USB 2.0 Type-A port, an OCuLink port, a 3.5mm combo jack, a Copilot button, and dual microphones (DMIC), ensuring compatibility with a wide range of peripherals.

There are dual 2.5G RJ45 Ethernet ports with link aggregation, delivering up to 10 Gbps speeds, along with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 for fast and stable wireless connectivity.

Despite its powerful capabilities, the AI X1 remains portable, weighing just 0.6kg and measuring 128×126×52mm. It also incorporates an advanced cooling system with phase-change materials, a large fan, and copper heat pipes for efficient heat dissipation, maintaining optimal performance during intensive workloads.

The Minisforum AI X1 starts at $439, down from its original price of $549, offering a $110 discount. Shipments are expected to commence from April 8.

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Capable of holding over 300 crew members and larger than any Coast Guard vessel, the USS Gravely has been assigned to help tighten border security, operating on both domestic and international waters.

(Image credit: Michal Fludra)

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle No. 380 for Tuesday, March 18.

Hints and answers for the Connections puzzle for Tuesday, March 18.

Hints and answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, No. 176, for March 18.

Here are hints and the answer for today's Wordle No. 1,368 for March 18.

There's no need to brave the outdoors: These indoor bike trainers help you build up and tone your muscles at home.

• Aoostar G-FLIP mini PC sports a 5.5-inch 1920×1080 touchscreen display
• OCulink’s 64 Gbps bandwidth enables seamless external GPU connectivity
• Expandable memory up to 96GB RAM and 8TB SSD storage

Aoostar has introduced the G-FLIP, a mini PC featuring a 5.5-inch Full HD touchscreen with a 1920×1080 resolution, a 60Hz refresh rate, and a hinged design that tilts between 0 and 65 degrees for system monitoring, quick controls, and secondary tasks.

Per Aoostar (via Androidpc, originally in Spanish), the G-FLIP is powered by AMD’s Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, a high-end Zen 5 processor built on a 4nm process with 12 cores, 16 threads, and a 5.1GHz boost clock, delivering smooth performance for tasks from office work to demanding creative applications like 3D modeling and video editing software.

A major advantage of this chip is its 80 TOPS AI engine, which enhances AI-driven workloads and automation, while the Radeon 890M GPU, running at 2.9GHz with RDNA 3.5 architecture, delivers strong gaming and graphical performance, allowing the G-FLIP to handle modern AAA games at 1080p with solid frame rates, rivaling entry-level discrete GPUs.

Expanding storage and memory options

This business computer supports up to 96GB of DDR5 RAM via dual SODIMM slots and includes two M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 slots with a total capacity of up to 8TB, delivering fast read and write speeds and positioning it as a capable workstation for professionals.

The standout feature of the G-FLIP is its OCulink interface, a 64Gbps high-speed connection for external GPUs, offering superior performance and stability over USB4’s 40Gbps bandwidth, particularly for gaming and content creation.

It features dual 2.5G Ethernet ports, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, USB4, four USB-A 3.2 ports, a 3.5mm audio jack, HDMI 2.1, and DisplayPort 2.1 with 8K HDR at 60Hz, supporting three external displays alongside its built-in screen.

Despite its compact size, the G-FLIP features a large vapor chamber cooling system and a bottom-mounted fan, ensuring optimal thermal management for sustained high performance.

While the G-FLIP pushes the boundaries of an all-in-one PC, its reliance on external peripherals and lack of an integrated battery, keyboard, or trackpad keep it desktop-bound rather than a fully portable solution.

The Aoostar G-FLIP will be available soon through AliExpress and Amazon, with pricing yet to be revealed.

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President Trump will speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, as the U.S. pursues a ceasefire deal in Ukraine.

(Image credit: Aurelien Morissard and Pavel Bednyakov)

Trump blames Iran for Houthi attacks on international shipping

(Image credit: Osamah Abdulrahman)

• Western Digital unveils 26TB Red Pro NAS drive, priced at $569.99
• Built for RAID-optimized systems it promises 6Gb/s and 287MB/s transfer speeds
• Supports 550TB/year workloads and has a 5-year warranty

Although some companies believe the end is nigh for hard disk drives, makers like Seagate and Western Digital disagree. In February 2025, we reported on WD’s roadmap to the future of HDD technology which includes targeting over 100TB capacities in the not-so distant future.

Western Digital says that by 2026, its HDD capacity will reach 36TB–44TB thanks to HAMR, but before we see those drives arriving, the company has launched a new 26TB model at a surprisingly affordable price.

Designed to address the growing storage demands of NAS environments, the 26TB WD Red Pro HDD promises improved performance, scalability, and reliability in multi-bay RAID-optimized systems. The company is pricing the new NAS drive at $569.99 - for context, the same as it's charging for the 26TB WD Gold Enterprise Class model.

Capacity and reliability

“At Western Digital, we are constantly redefining what’s possible to meet the evolving storage demands of creatives and professionals, from 4K and 8K video production to AI analytics and critical workload storage,” said Nitin Kachhwaha, Director of Product Management at Western Digital.

“With the introduction of our expanded 26TB-based Professional lineup and WD Red Pro HDDs, we’re offering the capacity and reliability that today’s consumers and businesses need to stay ahead in an increasingly data-driven world. These solutions represent our ongoing commitment to delivering innovative storage solutions that empower creativity and drive digital transformation.”

The 26TB WD Red Pro HDD (WD260KFGX) helium-based CMR drive is designed specifically for NAS environments and promises a maximum interface transfer rate of 6Gb/s and an internal transfer rate of 287MB/s. It’s rated for up to 550TB/year workloads and boasts 2.5 million hours MTBF.

The drive comes with OptiNAND technology (which uses integrated iNAND embedded flash to perform key housekeeping functions) for improved data tracking and efficiency, and WD says the new model is built for 24/7 multi-user environments, supporting everything from creative workflows to enterprise-level NAS systems.

It comes with a whopping five-year warranty, but still no free data recovery, unfortunately.

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Trump claims without evidence that Biden's Jan. 6 panel pardons are void because he allegedly used an autopen. Autopens have been popular with presidents for decades. Here's what to know about them.

(Image credit: Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Amazon is killing its “Do Not Send Voice Recordings” privacy feature on March 28 as the company aims to bolster Alexa+, its new subscription assistant.

Since its inception in 2020, YouTube Shorts has been TikTok’s fierce competitor in the short-form content sector, but as of recently YouTube has been having a bit of run-in with issues that many users have picked up on. As reported by people on Reddit (see below), a new bug auto-plays the Shorts tab as soon as you open the YouTube app.

YouTube app opens to shorts from r/youtube

This issue has been quite on and off for YouTube and has somehow resurfaced for more and more people over the past few weeks. For many users, the app will automatically open to show its Shorts tab if it was the last thing viewed/ used, as opposed to opening the YouTube homepage as it usually would.

However, according to 9to5Google, it’s noticed a growing trend where YouTube automatically launches Shorts no matter what was previously viewed - and this is the case for both free users and paying subscribers of YouTube Premium. As it stands, it’s not certain if this issue is cropping up for iOS users, however 9to5Google has noticed that Android devices - notably the Nothing Phone (3a) and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold - have fallen victim to this annoying bug.

There’s no doubt that YouTube has contributed a substantial amount of attention to launching its answer to TikTok’s popular short video feed, and even gained an edge over it with a music video remix feature last year. But it’s hard to tell if this bug is a minor fault in the system, or a tactic to get more users to ride the YouTube Shorts train.

How you can fix the YouTube Shorts bug

If you’re an Android user who’s having issues with YouTube playing you Shorts as soon as you launch the app, then there’s a way you can change this. As recommended in 9to5Google’s report, opening and force-stopping the app won’t be enough to solve the issue, but clearing your storage/ cache will help.

Though this is the trick to getting YouTube to stop auto-playing the Shorts tab when you open the app, 9to5Google says that the issue will return when Shorts are opened again. YouTube has yet to comment on its efforts to fix the issue, but we’ll update this story if any new information surfaces.

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Sage Oracle Jet: two-minute review

The Sage Oracle Jet is a serious contender in the world of high-end espresso machines, offering an impressive mix of automation and precision. Designed to cater to both beginners and seasoned coffee enthusiasts, this high-tech machine helps simplify the often-fiddly process of making high-quality espresso, offering consistent results with minimal effort.

One of the Oracle Jet’s standout features is its high-precision burr grinder. With 45 settings, it allows for ultra-fine adjustments to the grind size so that you can get the consistency you need from your coffee beans. This is a really valuable feature, especially since I’ve found many of the best espresso machines require a lot of trial and error to get this right, which wastes time (and coffee). Sage’s latest model really doubles down on this, providing real-time feedback on extraction, and guiding you in getting the perfect shot every time.

(Image credit: Lee Bell)

While the automatic tamping system serves up a uniform coffee puck time and time again, I did find that the grinder could be a little messy, occasionally leaving stray grounds on the portafilter and even on the worktop around the machine, but nothing a quick wipe won’t sort out.

The machine makes up for this minor inconvenience with its sizeable, intuitive touchscreen, which makes the entire brewing process not only feel super premium, but truly effortless. It walks you through drink selection, grinding, extraction and milk frothing in a really fluid and enjoyable way, making it almost impossible to get a bad coffee. And the Auto MilQ steam wand automatically textures milk to the right consistency for your drink of choice, even adjusting settings based on whether you're using dairy or plant-based alternatives – a rare but certainly welcome feature in the world of home espresso makers.

(Image credit: Lee Bell)

Despite its many conveniences, Sage’s impressive machine does have some drawbacks. It’s quite bulky and heavy, so you’ll need ample kitchen worktop space. And the lack of simultaneous brewing and milk steaming can slow things down a bit, especially when making multiple drinks. And, of course, the £1,699.95 / $1,999.95 / AU$3,199 price tag makes it a serious investment.

Still, for those who want top-tier espresso without the hassle, the Sage Oracle Jet delivers. It offers barista-level quality at the touch of a button, making it what I believe to be one of the most advanced and user-friendly coffee machines on the market today.

Sage Oracle Jet: price and availability

• Available to buy now, priced at £1,699.95 / $1,999.95 / AU$3,199
• Sold as Breville outside Europe
• More expensive than most competitors

Sold under the name Breville outside of Europe and Sage in the UK, the Oracle Jet launched in October 2024, priced at £1,699.95 / $1,999.95 / AU$3,199. Available from the brand's official web store as well as John Lewis and other major retailers, it comes in Truffle Black and Stainless Steel in the UK, while buyers in the US and Australia get an additional Sea Salt White option.

Compared to Sage’s other high-end models, the Oracle Jet sits between the Barista Touch Impress (£1,199 / $1,499 / AU$2,299) and the flagship Oracle Touch (£2,099 / $2,799.95 / AU$3,699), making it a solid high-range option.

When stacked up against rival machines, the Oracle Jet holds its ground well. There’s the Ninja Luxe Café ($499 / £400 / AU$750), which offers a semi-automatic espresso setup with some smart features at a fraction of the price, but lacks the same precision and customization.

Meanwhile, the ProCook Barista Elite Bean to Cup Espresso Coffee Machine (£599 / $775 / AU$1,225) is another alternative, offering a very similar experience at a much lower cost, but it doesn’t feature the same level of automation, grind adjustment or cold brew functionality as the Oracle Jet.

• Value score: 4/5

Sage Oracle Jet: specs Sage The Oracle Jet: design

• High-end build with sleek finish
• Intuitive touchscreen for easy navigation
• Clever built-in features like hidden wheels

The Sage Oracle Jet is a serious piece of kit. Right out of the box, everything about it screams premium, and just shy of £2,000, you’d like to think so, too. With a brushed stainless steel finish, it has a sleek, pro feel that will certainly look the part in any kitchen, given it’s got the space for it. That’s the thing – this isn’t some compact coffee maker you can tuck away in the corner of your kitchen. It’s just under 50cm wide and 40cm deep, so you’ll need plenty of free worktop space to fit this beast in comfortably. It's also pretty weighty, weighing in at over 12kg, so you might even need someone to help you lift it out of the box.

Once you've got it set up and pride of place, it’ll be hard not to immediately fall in love with the 5-inch touchscreen, which dominates the front of the machine, and for good reason – it’s your guide through the entire coffee-making process. Whether you’re brewing a classic espresso or frothing milk for a cappuccino, the Oracle Jet serves clear, easy-to-follow instructions through text and images. It even has light and dark modes, which is a nice touch depending on your kitchen lighting. The interface is smooth and responsive, which is a relief since the screen on Sage’s last machine, the Barista Touch Impress, was frustratingly sluggish. It now works as expected, making swiping between different drinks options a dream.

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(Image credit: Lee Bell)

One of the Oracle Jet’s most, let’s say, thoughtful features is the front-fillable 2.3L water tank. If you’ve ever had to awkwardly shuffle a big ol’ espresso machine around just to access and refill the tank, you’ll definitely appreciate this design feature, as it means you can just fill it up via the access point on the top with a jug straight from the tap. There’s also a window just above the tray so you can peek at the water level, which is always welcome.

Another handy feature is the addition of hidden wheels. Given its size and weight, you might expect the Oracle Jet to be a hassle to move, but a simple swipe of the lever under the drip tray lifts the machine onto its 360-degree wheels, making it incredibly easy to reposition. It’s a small detail, but one that shows Sage has really considered its usability for its customers.

The grinder and portafilter system also boast brilliant build quality, with automatic grinding and tamping, which take the guesswork (and the effort) out of making espresso, but I’ll talk more about that in the performance section. The 58mm portafilter is barista-standard for even extraction, but it also feels well-built and weighty in the hand, like it should.

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(Image credit: Lee Bell)

The Auto MilQ steam wand is another standout. It automatically textures milk to the consistency required for whichever type of drink you’re making – and the neat thing here is that you can input which type of milk you’re frothing, whether that’s your standard dairy or plant-based alternatives like soya, oat or almond. Coffee-brewing control freaks will be pleased to hear they still have the option to steam manually, too.

However, the machine’s biggest drawback is perhaps that you can’t brew and steam at the same time. If you’re making multiple milk-based coffee drinks, you’ll have to wait for one process to finish before starting the other, which can seriously slow things down. This is due to the machine’s single ThermoJet heating system. Unlike dual-boiler machines, which have separate boilers for brewing and steaming, the Oracle Jet uses one heating element for both tasks. If it’s a dealbreaker for you, Sage’s slightly pricier (but not quote as smart) Oracle and Oracle Touch machines are the firm’s only espresso makers that feature a dual heating system, so it might be worth considering those.

• Design score: 4.5/5

Sage The Oracle Jet: performance

• Automatic grind and tamping give top results, time and time again
• Fast heating and smooth espresso extraction
• Cold brew and iced coffee options

The Sage Oracle Jet is built to take the hassle out of home espresso, and after using it for just over a month, replacing my usual espresso maker, I can confidently say it delivers on that promise. From grinding to milk frothing, almost everything is automated, making it ideal for anyone who wants great coffee without the faff.

Let’s start with the grinder. It has 45 settings, which means you can seriously fine-tune your grind size to whatever beans you're using. The smart thing about this is that the machine even tells you if your shot is under- or over-extracted, so you know whether to adjust the grind next time. This is a game-changer if you’ve ever struggled with dialling in a manual espresso machine and haven’t been able to nail the extraction.

The automatic tamping system also works really well here as it means you don’t have to worry about pressing too hard or too soft – you can just let the machine do the work. That said, it does have a habit of leaving a few stray coffee grounds behind, which isn’t a huge deal but does mean a bit of extra clean-up.

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(Image credit: Lee Bell)

When it comes to pulling a shot, the dual ThermoJet system heats up almost instantly, so there’s no waiting around like with cheaper machines. I found espresso extraction to be smooth and consistent, with rich, balanced flavours – whether you’re using high-end beans or just grabbing something from the supermarket. I used Lidl’s Deluxe range Colombian Supremo beans at one point (costly just over £2 per bag) and these proved equally satisfying in my morning coffee, offering a lovely full-bodied and smooth taste. I suspect this was down to the machine making the most of how they were brewed.

The real-time shot timer on the touchscreen is also worth a mention. It’s probably one of my favourite features on this machine—turning green if your shot is timed perfectly and red if something’s off, giving you immediate feedback. It’s so impressive!

The Auto MilQ steam wand also adds to the top performance experience of the Oracle Jet. The milk textures it produces are always silky smooth, and ideal for making latte art if you’re into that (not that I could produce anything worth looking at, but that’s certainly down to my lack of skills). While manual milk frothing is an option, most people will probably prefer the automatic setting and it will produce great results.

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(Image credit: Lee Bell)

One of the more unique features on the Oracle Jet is its cold brew and cold espresso modes. Cold espresso is perfect for iced lattes, keeping the flavours bold without melting the ice too quickly. The cold brew function isn’t quite the same as traditional overnight steeping, but it still produces a smoother, less acidic coffee in a fraction of the time.

Cleaning is another area where the Oracle Jet makes life easy. Despite the mess the grinder can make, it has automatic cleaning cycles for the steam wand and internal components, so there’s not much hands-on maintenance. You’ll still need to rinse the portafilter and wipe down the drip tray, but overall, it’s much lower effort than most espresso machines, I’ve found.

• Performance score: 4.5/5

Should you buy the Sage Oracle Jet? Buy it if

You want barista-quality coffee without the effort

The Oracle Jet automates most of the process, ensuring consistent results every time

You’re happy to pay extra for a top quality appliance

If you’re one for appreciating the finer things in life and don’t mind paying extra for the privilege of a well-built and stylish machine, then you’ll be right at home with the Oracle Jet.

You love cold coffee
The cold brew and cold espresso functions are rare on machines of this type.

You want smart guidance

The real-time extraction feedback and grind adjustment tips help you master espresso-making and makes you feel like a pro with very minimal effort.

Don't buy it if

You’re on a budget

At nearly £1,700, the Oracle Jet is certainly not a casual purchase. It’s an investment that will last you years to come, so definitely more aimed at those who are serious about creating a barista-quality coffee at home.

You need a compact machine

It’s large and it’s pretty heavy, so not ideal for smaller kitchens or those tight on space.

You want to brew and steam at the same time

The single ThermoJet system means you have to wait between brewing and milk steaming, so not ideal for those who want to make a swift cup of coffee before dashing off to work.

Sage The Oracle Jet: also consider

Ninja Luxe Café

Price: £400 / $499 / AU$750

A more affordable bean-to-cup option that still offers some automation, including guided espresso pulls and an automatic frother. However, it lacks the fine-tuned grind settings and high-end build of the Oracle Jet.

Read our full Ninja Luxe Café review

Sage (Breville) Barista Touch Impress

Price: £1,199 / $1,499 / AU$2,299

A slightly less expensive alternative from Sage with many of the same automation features, including Auto MilQ milk frothing and guided espresso adjustments. However, it lacks the cold brew and cold espresso options and the digital display just isn’t quite as swift as that on the Oracle Jet.

Read our full Sage (Breville) Touch Impress review

De’Longhi Eletta Explore

Price: £999.99 / $1,899.99 / AU$1,799

An accomplished bean-to-cup coffee machine that’s perfect for coffee lovers who don’t have the time to maintain an espresso machine. Plus, it can make both hot and cold beverages and comes with everything you might need for a fully operational caffeination station.

Read our full De’Longhi Eletta Explore review

How I tested the Sage The Oracle Jet

I used the Sage Oracle Jet for just over a month at home, making two coffee drinks per day using a mixture of high quality Lavazza decaf and fully caffeinated coffee beans. During testing, I noted flavors, consistency, temperature, time to brew, and noise levels. Beyond drinking the espresso and coffee black, I tried the different milk frother presets with both dairy and plant-based milk, observing the foam levels and differences between settings. In the end, I tested almost every setting on the machine and observed how it performed during every step.

First reviewed: March 2025

Once a formidable fast-fashion mall staple, Forever 21 has filed for bankruptcy. The retailer has been a shell of its former self since it first filed for bankruptcy in 2019.

(Image credit: Mark Lennihan)

This weekend was one of the first days of sunshine I'd experienced in 2025 so far – after all, living in Scotland doesn't lead to many days of sun in the winter and spring takes a long while to come.

So for me to pass up on Edinburgh's first day of sunshine in maybe five months, there had to be a good reason, and that reason was Netflix's brand new drama Adolescence, which was one of seven new movies and shows released this past weekend.

Staying inside and binge-watching four hours of deeply emotional and harrowing television instead of sitting in the sunshine is the best compliment I can give for a TV show or movie, and while it might sound like I'm exaggerating, anyone who's experienced a Scottish winter will know exactly what I mean.

You see, I'm a huge fan of the 2021 movie, Boiling Point, directed by Philip Barantini, and starring Stephen Graham. It's a one-shot anxiety-inducing kitchen drama that showcases the stress of hospitality throughout one eventful evening based on a short film of the same name.

The pair collaborated again in 2023 with a four-part mini-series titled, you guessed it, Boiling Point, which is set after the events of the movie. Adolescence is the pair's fourth collaboration (fifth if you include both as actors in Band of Brothers), and the new Netflix drama might be the best use of the one-shot production yet.

Adolescence is one of the best shows of 2025

(Image credit: Netflix)

Adolescence is a four-part limited series with each episode filmed as one single shot. It's an incredibly impressive filming technique that highlights the outstanding acting from the ensemble cast as well as inducing anxiety due to the sheer pace of the show.

Following a 13-year-old who is accused of murder, Adolescence highlights the impact of crime on a whole family and the wider community, with its frantic pace meaning you don't have a second to take a breath or check your phone.

With only four episodes you could realistically watch Adolescence in one evening, and that's an amazing selling point for one of the best pieces of television you'll see all year. I'm a huge fan of limited series that don't overstay their welcome and I think due to its originality, Adolescence has a significant chance of picking up awards at the Emmys in November

Graham and Barantini have already showcased they have the secret sauce to one-shot success, and with Netflix’s wild one-take mystery thriller Adolescence I'm completely sold on the format.

I don't want to say much more because spoiling any of the story of one of the best Netflix shows would ruin the experience. Just know episode 3 is one of the best TV episodes I've ever seen, up there with Breaking Bad's fly episode, and Succession's funeral.

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• An over-the-air update has "bricked" many Samsung HW-Q990D soundbars
• The update has been pulled by Samsung
• It's unclear what those affected can do

Owners of Samsung's five-star soundbar, the Samsung HW-Q990D, are having a less than five-star experience right now. In what appears to be a faulty firmware update, many users are reporting huge problems that are effectively turning their Samsung soundbars into little more than long black bricks.

If you have a Samsung soundbar and you're not currently affected by this, it would be wise to turn off its auto-update feature (if it has it) for the time being. According to The Verge, the same issues may be affecting the Samsung HW-Q800D and HW-S801D – albeit in significantly smaller numbers so far.

So far, all a Samsung spokesperson had to say about the issue is: "Samsung is investigating the cause of the issue, and is taking immediate action to resolve the firmware error."

That leaves a lot of unanswered questions, so here's what we know so far.

What's going wrong with Samsung's soundbar firmware?

The firmware update, version 1020.7, has rendered some soundbars completely unresponsive: you can turn them on, but they appear to freeze and cannot be adjusted via Samsung's SmartThings app. Right now there's a 31-page (and growing) thread on the Samsung support site, with unhappy owners also turning to AV forums and Reddit.

Towards the end of that thread there's a screenshot apparently of a UK Samsung moderator, who says that "we have received feedback from our AV product specialists that this issue is a result of an OTN (Over The Network) software update... the OTN is now suspended, and customers that have updated via USB are not affected."

The post continues: "if your issue is the result of an OTN update, then it will be necessary to arrange an engineer's inspection and repair in order to get this resolved." The customer is then asked to contact Samsung support directly.

As yet we don't know if that's the only solution, or if there's a way for Samsung to use an OTN update to fix the last one. We've followed up with Samsung to request instructions for those affected as soon as possible.

Whatever the fix, this is a bad look for Samsung: this is a soundbar with a launch price of $1,799 / £1,699 / AU$1,995, not some cheap buy from a no-name brand. And as we've seen from the Sonos app disaster, if issues aren't resolved quickly they can do serious damage to brands among the early adopters and big spenders they work so hard to attract. Especially with the Samsung HW-Q990F soundbar that replaces the Q990D due for release in a matter of weeks…

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• Intel's Panther Lake lineup won't come to consumers until Q1 2026, according to a leaked presentation slide
• This comes after the expected full launch in late 2025, but that is only for the Early Enablement Program
• Rumors suggest the delay is due to Intel's 18A production process

Intel's Lunar Lake Core Ultra 200 processors are already here, present across powerful laptops (such as the MSI Prestige EVO AI+ lineup) and handhelds (notably the MSI Claw 8 AI+). Now, it's time to look forward to Team Blue's Panther Lake lineup - but it may not come as soon as initially promised.

As reported by VideoCardz, a leaked slide from a special event in China has seemingly revealed that Intel's Panther Lake processors won't launch until Q1 2026, while its EEP (Early Enablement Program) will start later this year in preparation. This is contrary to former interim CEO Michelle Holthaus' previous confirmation of the lineup's launch and availability in the second half of 2025, indicating a delay. Ultimately, it means consumers may have to wait until 2026 to get their hands on Intel Panther Lake-powered products.

Reasons for the delay reportedly stem from difficulties with managing Team Blue's 18A manufacturing process in terms of the original production schedule. It's not exactly clear why this delay is in place, but if the setback is significant enough, it could have an impact on Intel's placement in the market (especially up against AMD).

We know that AMD still has its Ryzen AI 400 series processors set to be announced, and we still don't know if it will launch around the same time as Intel's Panther Lake.

It's also worth noting that Team Red's Ryzen AI 300 series APUs have already made huge leaps in processing power, notably the Ryzen AI 395+ Max - so if its new lineup does arrive in Q1 2026, it will be interesting to see how it fairs against the Panther Lake chips using the Xe3 architecture.

(Image credit: Tester128 / Shutterstock) What does this mean for handheld gaming PCs?

With Intel's Core Ultra 7 258V processor, we've seen the new MSI Claw 8 AI+ (the same chip is also used in Dell's XPS 13 laptop) work wonders at providing huge improvements in gaming - especially in comparison to the previous MSI Claw A1M. Spoiler: it wasn't good.

With Panther Lake processors now on the (somewhat distant) horizon, I'm hopeful that we can get even stronger gaming ultrabooks and handheld gaming PCs based on these new chips. Intel's Technical Marketing Vice President, Robert Hallock, confirmed Team Blue's plans to support gaming handhelds (as reported by LaptopMag) and this could work perfectly for competition.

AMD's Ryzen Z2 Extreme is slated for 'early 2025' as a part of the Ryzen AI 300 series family - it will be used for handhelds like the Lenovo Legion Go 2 (still a prototype), but it's still not clear when that will launch. It also seems as though it will rival the Core Ultra 7 258V processor, which may end up being a good indication of how both Team Red and Team Blue's upcoming lineups could perform against each other.

I hope that both lineups provide drastic leaps in power for handhelds across the board, further placing handheld gaming within the limelight where it belongs - let's just hope that these delays don't make it a long wait...

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• A popular tool for automated software updates was compromised via GitHub
• A piece of malicious code was added, exposing user secrets
• Dozens of organizations were harmed already, researchers said

Tens of thousands of organizations, from SMBs to large enterprises, were at risk of inadvertently exposing internal secrets after a supply-chain attack hit a GitHub account.

A threat actor compromised the GitHub account of the person(s) maintaining tj-actions/changed files, a tool that is part of a larger collection called tj-actions, which helps automate software updates, and is reportedly used by more than 23,000 organizations.

Once in the account, the hacker silently modified the software so that instead of working as intended, it also stole sensitive information from the computers running it. Many developers apparently trusted the tool without checking for changes, executing the malicious code and exposing sensitive credentials. The report claims AWS access keys, GitHub Personal Access Tokens (PATs), npm tokens, private RSA Keys and more, were added to a plaintext log and thus exposed.

Dozens of victims

The stolen credentials could allow attackers to access private systems, steal data, or compromise the services mentioned above, which means that the effects of this attack are yet to be seen in the weeks and months to come.

GitHub addressed the incident, saying that the company and its platform were not compromised in the attack, but it still helped remedy the problem.

"Out of an abundance of caution, we suspended user accounts and removed the content in accordance with GitHub's Acceptable Use Policies," GitHub was cited saying.

"We reinstated the account and restored the content after confirming that all malicious changes have been reverted and the source of compromise has been secured."

Users should "always review GitHub Actions or any other package that they are using in their code before they update to new versions," GitHub concluded.

Ars Technica noted security researchers from Wiz already found “dozens of users” who were harmed in this attack.

“Wiz Threat Research has so far identified dozens of repositories affected by the malicious GitHub action, including repos operated by large enterprise organizations. In these repositories, the malicious payload successfully executed and caused secrets to leak in workflow logs,” they concluded

If your system is using tj-actions, make sure to inspect it thoroughly for any signs of compromise.

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