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Wet by Aurora Real de Asua in September, 2024. The New Harmony Project has received multiple NEA grants over the years.

 
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The NEA will no longer fund arts programs that promote DEI or "gender ideology." The federal agency has cancelled grants that have funded programs for underserved communities for more than 20 years.

(Image credit: Indy Ghost Light)

Here are some hints — and the answers — for today's Strands puzzle, No. 346, for Feb. 12.

Powell was also asked about the high cost of home ownership and President Trump's trade policies, but as usual, the Fed chair tried to steer clear of politics.

(Image credit: Chip Somodevilla)

Here are some hints — and the answers — for Connections: Sports Edition No. 142 for Feb. 12.

President Trump has made clear his desire for the U.S. to take Greenland saying the territory is vital to U.S. economic security. Greenland is an autonomous territory of U.S. ally Denmark. And as we hear, Danes have had a variety of reactions to Trumps words.

The "cease work" order at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau won’t just affect lawsuits and enforcement actions. It will stall regulation that could govern tech companies like Apple and Google.

A coalition of news organizations said in a court filing that video exhibits from a Jan. 6 riot case had "disappeared" from a government platform that provided access to evidence used in court.

Reactions to the changes in USAID run the gamut. Some leading voices — like Mexico's president — are in favor. Others fear that lives will be lost as health care programs are cut.

(Image credit: Scott Peterson/Getty Images)

The Electronic Frontier Foundation filed the complaint on behalf of US federal workers, arguing that DOGE’s data access is illegal and should be cut off.

Google is among the first companies to change the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America on its maps. Other sources for online maps have not yet followed Donald Trump's executive order.

Here are some hints — and the answers — for Connections No. 612 for Feb. 12.

• Apple set to launch a new digitized system for easy collaboration with partners
• Apple partners will be trained to become trusted advisors
• Apple partners hail new program as a game-changer

Apple is setting its sights on small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and enterprises looking to invest in technology such as the best business Macs as its next major revenue stream.

Reprots from CRN suggest Apple is set to launch a revamped partner program designed to strengthen its presence in the business world with a renewed focus on selling more devices through its channel.

The strategic move comes as the company seeks to capitalize on its growing install base of devices, which reached a record high of 2.3 billion products worldwide in late 2024.

A new era for Apple’s partner ecosystem?

Set to launch in Fall 2025, the partner program introduces new ways for resellers and service providers to collaborate with Apple, which claims this program is tailored to meet the needs of enterprise, SMB, and education sectors, offering four distinct partner categories.

The Apple Business Partner category targets resellers with a product-heavy model, while the Apple Premium Business Partner category is designed for partners with a strong services-led approach.

Additionally, the Apple Premium Education Partner category focuses on delivering the best laptops for students in K-12 and higher education institutions, while the Apple Consultants Network now features Apple Technical Partner and Apple Premium Technical Partner designations, focusing purely on customer support and advisory services.

Apple is hoping this segmentation will ensure that businesses and educational organizations can find the solutions tailored to their unique needs across the range of Mac desktops and laptops.

To support its partners, the company has introduced the Apple Professional Academy, an online training platform offering self-paced videos, skills training, and technical resources.

The initiative aims to equip partners with the tools they need to become trusted advisors on the Apple platform. The company has also rolled out a partner discovery tool, enabling customers to easily find solution providers based on their capabilities, reviews, and contact information.

One of Apple’s long-standing partners, TD Synnex, which made about $7 billion from collaborating with Apple in 2024, is particularly excited about the new program.

“As a longtime Apple partner, we’re excited about the new Apple Partner Network,” TD Synnex's President of North America Reyna Thompson said in a statement.

“We believe this program, supported by our creative financing, deployment support, and trade-in services, will empower partners to drive growth and enhance capabilities to deliver exceptional value.”

Apple also plans to grow its partners via a new digitized partner gateway which will enable collaborators to directly engage with Apple, access business planning tools, and leverage sales and marketing resources.

Apple’s PC lineup, including its Macs, continues to be a significant revenue driver, generating $8.9 billion in sales last quarter, a 16% year-over-year increase.

The company’s installed base of Macs has also reached an all-time high, with double-digit growth in upgrades and new customers. In the U.S., customer satisfaction with Macs stands at an impressive 94%.

“This incredible performance was broad-based with double-digit growth in every geographic segment,” said Kevan Parekh, Apple’s Senior Vice President and CFO.

“With our latest advances in Apple silicon, and our fastest Neural Engine ever customers are able to take advantage of the full capabilities of AI and Mac,” he added.

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The pages that are set to be revived include information for patients about HIV testing and HIV prevention medication, guidance on contraceptives and data on adolescent and youth mental health.

(Image credit: Jessica McGowan)

• Google I/O 2025 is set for May 20 - May 21
• I/O generally covers a lot of ground, but we expect big updates on Gemini
• I/O 2024 brought us Gemini, Project Astra, a Sora competitor, and more

Well, Google’s continuing its trend of setting event dates months in advance. And if you’ve been keen to learn more about Project Astra, maybe a future Pixel device, or just more and more about Gemini, Google I/O 2025 is set for May 20 and May 21. Where? Well, of course, it’s in Mountainview, California at the Shoreline Amphitheater.

We can expect the main keynote to happen on day one – May 20, 2025 – and one of the best parts of Google’s annual developer conference is that you never really know what you might see. Last year we were treated to hours on Google Gemini, AI, a little bit about the Android platform, and a tease at the end for Project Astra. We even went hands-on with that and later in 2024 we got Google Gemini Live.

(Image credit: Google)

The good thing is that Google will livestream the keynote, and smaller developer fireside chats, and – the best part – TechRadar will be on the ground to provide you with the latest as it happens. It also just so happens that Google’s event is in the middle of Microsoft's Build Conference, which is set for May 19 to May 22 in Seattle, Washington.

Since this invite just hit our inbox, and this story is developing, here’s a short list of what we could see make its debut at I/O 2025.

• The next version of Google Gemini
• An update on Project Astra
• The debut of Android 16
• A look at future Pixel devices
• Potentially a next-generation drop of Veo, Google’s generative video creator
• New features for Google Photos and all of G-Suite

And that’s really just the tip of the iceberg as Google generally treats I/O’s keynote as a chance to show off the latest tech, and sometimes tech that really is there just to get a crowd reaction. One thing for sure, though, is that AI will be the center of attention and will get a lot of airtime during the keynote.

We saw Google usher in the Gemini era last year, and it’s likely that the company is teeing up even more updates for its main AI suite. It’s also been releasing a steady stream of updates for Gemini since, with 2.0 and a few subsequent models like Gemini 2.0 Flash dropping earlier this month. It’s likely that Google needs to keep up with steep competition from the likes of OpenAI, Microsoft, and even newcomer DeepSeek.

Sure enough before May 20 rolls around – and the main Google I/O keynote – Google will roll out even more updates for Gemini, Android, and its various other products. Who knows, we might even see the Google Pixel 9a debut before then.

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• Google Maps and Apple Maps can't agree on the name of the Gulf of America, and I am so confused

President Trump has signed an executive order decrying the "irrational campaign against plastic straws" and directing federal agencies to stop buying paper straws.

(Image credit: Justin Sullivan)

Canned tuna sold at Walmart, Trader Joe's and other retailers may be contaminated with the bacteria that cause botulism, the FDA announced.

Altman's response to Musk? "No thank you, but we will buy Twitter ... if you want."

Here are some hints and the answer for Wordle No. 1,334 for Feb. 12.

AOC Agon Pro AG276FK: Two-minute review

(Image credit: Future / Jeremy Laird)

If you're serious about competitive gaming, you want the highest refresh rate possible. It's pretty much that simple. Which is where the new AOC Agon Pro AG276FK comes in. Running at 520Hz, it's up there among the very fastest gaming monitors you can currently buy.

If there's a catch, it's that the native resolution is just 1080p. Purely for playing online shooters, that actually makes sense in terms of minimizing GPU load and maximizing frame rates. However, for other types of gaming and especially for all-rounding computing, the low pixel density of 1080p on a fairly large 27-inch monitor like this isn't ideal.

Needless to say, that lofty refresh rate makes for a very pricey panel for a mere 1080p model, too. So, the question the AOC Agon Pro AG276FK poses is just how dedicated to the cause of esports you really are. This monitor is never going to be a great all-rounder.

But if high refresh rates and low latency are your absolute priorities, this monitor looks like a strong package on paper. It sports an IPS panel with 0.5ms GTG response, HDR400 certification and dual DisplayPort inputs, plus a whole host of gaming-centric additional features.

AOC Agon Pro AG276FK: Price and availability

• How much does it cost? $550 (estimated) / £499 / AU$999 (estimated)
• When is it available? Available now
• Where can you get it? Available in the UK with other markets to follow

At £499 in the UK and a likely $550 in the US, the AOC Agon Pro AG276FK lines up right next to the likes of the ASRock Phantom Gaming PG27FFX2A. That monitor actually has superior HDMI 2.1 connectivity, but is otherwise very similar on paper.

Of course, this is a heck of a lot of money for a mere 1080p 27-inch monitor. But then the 520Hz refresh rate is an extreme specification and comes at a cost. For most gamers, we'd recommend a high-refresh 27-inch 1440p panel as better not just for all-round computing but also for a broad range of gaming.

However, if you're into esports and you want the very lowest latency thanks to super high refresh rates, well, the 520Hz offered here really delivers.

AOC Agon Pro AG276FK: Specs AOC Agon Pro AG276FK: Design and features

(Image credit: Future / Jeremy Laird)

As 1080p 27-inch monitors go, the AOC Agon Pro AG276FK is not exactly cheap. Mostly, that's thanks to the eye-watering 520Hz refresh rate. But it does have other attractions.

The 27-inch panel is an IPS item with claimed 0.5ms GTG and 0.3ms MPRT pixel response. In the context of LCD as opposed to OLED monitors, those are very impressive numbers. You also get HDR400 certification, which won't guarantee true HDR capability, but does mean this monitor will hit a punchy 400 nits.

The relatively elevated pricing also translates into a high quality stand with a full range of adjustment including height, tilt, pivot and swivel. It's well built, the materials feel high quality and the design includes some quirky asymmetric features that make this monitor stand out ever so slightly from the crowd. The slim bezels on three sides of the 27-inch IPS panel also ensure it looks current and up-to-date.

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(Image credit: Future / Jeremy Laird)

As for connectivity, you get two DisplayPort 1.4 connections capable of the full 520Hz. The two HDMI 2.0 sockets only go to 240Hz, but then they're aimed at console connectivity, and that really only requires 120Hz at most. The ports are all located on the bottom of the chassis, while a slide-out headphone hanger is situated on the right-hand bezel.

Beyond all that, there's a smattering of RGB lighting, plus various gamer-centric options in the comprehensive OSD menu including overdrive controls, low latency modes, and adaptive sync, plus AOC's GMENU app that enables access to much of the functionality within Windows.

AOC Agon Pro AG276FK: Performance

(Image credit: Future / Jeremy Laird)

If speed is what the AOC Agon Pro AG276FK is all about, it definitely delivers. Undoubtedly the highlight is that 520Hz refresh. Many games have performance bottlenecks on the CPU, GPU or somewhere else in the system preventing them from hitting those kinds of frame rates.

The exception, of course, tends to be online shooters, which are optimized for maximum frames rates and are indeed the main target for this monitor. Up around 500fps, then, this monitor absolutely flies. Obviously the gains are marginal as you increase refresh rates. But you can certainly feel the reduction in latency and see the increase in motion clarity compared to, say, a 144Hz panel.

Put it next to a 360Hz monitor, and the gains will inevitably be more marginal. Ultimately, the extent to which you notice and benefit from 520Hz will always be subjective. But if ultra-low latency is something you think you're particularly sensitive to, well, this AOC gets the job done and then some.

It's also very fast for an LCD panel when it comes to pixel response. You can choose between the four levels of pixel overdrive in the OSD menu. A touch of overshoot can be detected in the fastest mode when jiggling an app window around on the Windows desktop. But actually in-game, there's little evidence of the kind of color shift that can be so distracting when monitors suffer from really bad overshoot.

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(Image credit: Future / Jeremy Laird)

Anyway, this monitor is about as LCD tech currently gets when it comes to pixel response. You'll need to make the jump to an OLED panel to get something clearly faster.

Another strong point, relatively speaking, is the calibration. It's all really nicely set up in SDR mode, with punchy and accurate colors. In HDR mode, it's nicely executed, too, and that includes accurate SDR colors in HDR. That's handy because it means you can just leave this panel in HDR mode all the time and get great colors and accuracy for all content types.

Of course, this isn't a true HDR monitor. It has HDR400 calibration, but there's no local dimming. So, it's a case of correctly rendering HDR color mapping as opposed to really being capable of high dynamic range images. But that's par for the course for this class of display.

If all that sounds good, the major downside involves pixel density. 1080p stretched across a 27-inch panel like this makes for a lowly density of just 82DPI. That translates into blocky image quality and rough looking fonts on the desktop. For general computing, web browsing or content creation, this is not a great display. But that is not its remit.

Arguably the bigger problem is the slight lack of image detail in-game versus, say, a 270-inch 1440p panel. For gaming across a wide range of genres, a 240Hz 1440p panel can actually be had for less money and would be a better fit. But as a pure esports panel, this AOC delivers, you just have to be sure that's exactly what you're after.

Should I buy the AOC Agon Pro AG276FK? Buy it if...

You want ultra low latency

The 520Hz refresh makes for seriously low latency while the IPS panel also delivers excellent response times for an LCD panel. Only an OLED monitor will be quicker.

You like good color calibration

The AOC Agon Pro AG276FK isn't just fast. It's also very nicely calibrated with good color balance in both SDR and HDR modes

Don't buy it if...

You're an all-round gamer

If you like playing all kinds of games, not just online shooter, you'd be better off with a 1440p panel or maybe a 34-inch ultrawide, both of which can be had for the same money or less.

You want true HDR capability

The AOC Agon Pro AG276FK offers HD400 certification. But it doesn't have local dimming and it's not truly capable of high dynamic range rendering.

Also consider

Gigabyte Aorus FO32U2P

If you want to join the high-refresh OLED revolution, give the Gigabyte Aorus FO32U2P a try. It's a 4K 240Hz model, so not quite as high refresh. But the pixel response is ultra low and the 4K OLED image quality is to die for.

Read our full Gigabyte Aorus FO32U2P review

Samsung Odyssey G7

If you fancy 1440p gaming, consider the Samsung Odyssey G7. It's the same 27-inch size, but offers 1440p at 240Hz for a reasonable price, albeit more than the AOC Gaming C27G4ZXE.

Read our full Samsung Odyssey G7 review

How I tested the AOC Agon Pro AG276FK

I used the AOC Agon Pro AG276FK for literally everything for around a week. For sure, it's a monitor aimed squarely at esports as opposed to getting work stuff done or browsing the web. But full immersion tends to provide fuller insights.

The core task was to assess the impact of that lofty 520Hz frame rates in a slew of online shooters, including my favorite Counter-Strike 2. Would the huge Hz number translate into noticeably lower latency?

Comparing the pixel response to the best IPS panels and also the latest OLED screens is also intriguing. Beyond that, checking out the overall color performance and HDR calibration, along with connectivity, ergonomics and build are all in the mix.

First reviewed February 2025

• Leaked images of the Google Pixel 9a have been aired
• They show four colors matching an earlier leak of cases for the smartphone
• The purported leaked pics also show the camera bar (shown above on the Pixel 8a) is no more

It’s been a big day for spillage around the Google Pixel 9a, as earlier on, we saw leaked images of cases for the incoming Android smartphone, and now the colors shown off in those pics have been theoretically confirmed by further leaked shots; this time of the phones themselves.

Android Headlines showed off the purported renders of the Google Pixel 9a in four colors matching the shots of the cases mentioned: Porcelain (white), Obsidian (black), Peony (pink), and Iris (purple).

Additionally, these also confirm something else about the Pixel 9a that has been rumored for some time – that Google is changing the camera design.

We can see in the leaked renders that the camera bar (running across the chassis, as seen in other Pixel 9 phones) has been vanquished and is replaced by a flat camera bump, just as previous leaks indicated.

This move seems to have provoked rather mixed reactions, although it’s fair to say a number of folks aren’t overly keen on the refreshed design here.

(Image credit: Android Headlines) Beefing up the battery

Other rumored moves with the design of the Pixel 9a include the smartphone being made a bit larger, to the tune of 154 x 73 x 8.9mm, facilitating the inclusion of a bigger battery. Indeed, this could be a 5,000mAh battery if the rumors are correct (outgunning the Pixel 8a and Pixel 9).

In theory, we don’t have too long to wait before Google unleashes the Pixel 9a and we find out how accurate the rumor mill has been. March 19 – just over a month away – is the rumored announcement and pre-order date to bear in mind, ahead of a supposed release date of a week later.

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