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Drug deaths are declining but the Trump administration's intelligence team has issued a new report describing street fentanyl as a top threat to the U.S.

(Image credit: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

• Michael Bloomberg argues screens distract students from proven learning methods
• Students take 20 minutes to refocus after digital distractions
• True education happens through direct teacher-student engagement, not screens

Laptops are now common in American classrooms, with nearly 90% of schools providing devices to modernize education and prepare students for a digital future.

However, Michael R. Bloomberg, one of the world's wealthiest and most influential figures as the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP, has argued the billions spent on these laptops for students have failed to improve academics, shifting focus from traditional learning and raising concerns about declining outcomes.

“As someone who built a company by developing a computer at the dawn of the digital age, I never believed that computers in the classroom were the cure to what ails schools," said Bloomberg.

‘Picking up books and pens’—A call to rethink laptop use in classrooms

"Some of the most powerful educational interactions occur when a caring, well-trained teacher can look into a student’s eyes and help them see and understand new ideas," he went on. "Machines often don’t have that power."

Bloomberg argues instead of increasing reliance on screens, schools should encourage students to spend more time reading, writing, and engaging in direct interactions with teachers and peers.

Laptops for teachers can enhance instruction, but Bloomberg acknowledges that, while student laptops can be useful tools, they cannot replace the value of a well-trained educator guiding students through meaningful learning experiences.

Studies show excessive laptop use in classrooms leads to distraction, with students often taking up to 20 minutes to refocus after engaging in non-academic activities.

Despite widespread laptop use, only 28% of eighth graders and 24% of 12th graders are proficient in math, while reading scores remain low, and US students continue to lag behind their international peers, raising doubts about the effectiveness of widespread laptop adoption in schools.

While the best laptop for engineering students can support advanced computations and specialized software, excessive screen time in general education has not translated into improved academic performance.

A post-pandemic survey found over 25% of students spend at least five hours of classroom time daily on screens, often engaging in educational games that fail to build mastery. In contrast, time-tested methods like reading physical books and writing by hand have been shown to improve retention and comprehension.

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The South American archrivals face off at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires.

• A new Superhubs site in the UK can charge 44 EVs at once
• Solar panels and massive battery packs help reduce strain on the grid
• Superhubs are catching on across the globe

Data released this week shows that EV sales are on the rise for the second consecutive month in Europe, as the market continues to grow in the US. But as more customers opt to go electric, the demand naturally increases on the public charging network – and that's where increasingly popular Superhubs come in.

A growing number of fast-charging providers (with help from local governments) are developing these purpose-built ‘Superhubs’ that not only aim to cram in as many battery-powered vehicles as possible, but also harness the power of solar and battery storage in order to reduce the strain on the grid and reduce the cost of charging.

One such site has just been opened by InstaVolt near Winchester in the UK. There are specially-designed bays for electric heavy goods vehicles, as well as smaller vehicles that are towing trailers, plus dedicated accessible charging spots for those with disabilities and extra-long spaces for electric vans.

(Image credit: InstaVolt)

The site can host 44 electric vehicles, all of which can top-up in rapid fashion thanks to 160 kW DC fast chargers. During peak times, InstaVolt charges 85p per kilowatt (around $1.10), but it also offers an off-peak tariff at 54p per kilowatt (around $0.70).

Conveniently-sized charging bays aside, the site also benefits from a massive 870-panel solar array that is paired with an equally gargantuan 960kW/4MWh battery storage system, which reduces the reliance on the grid during peak hours.

Unlike current charging destinations in a typical European service station, InstaVolt’s new Superhub is located just off the main highway, where there is more space and, perhaps more importantly, land is slightly cheaper.

This has allowed the company to add things like 24/7 toilets, a Starbucks, a children’s playground area and a spot to walk the dog. Customers also benefit from air and water provisions, in order to keep those road trips rolling.

Analysis: Superhubs are going global

(Image credit: Tesla)

Earlier this month, the largest EV charging hub opened in South Korea, with charging network operator Water unveiling a mammoth 46-strong hub at the Korea International Exhibition Center (KINTEX) in Goyang.

Catering for everything from tiny city cars to the largest electric trucks, the site offers both 200kW and 100kW charging facilities, while opting for a wooden structure reduced the overall construction carbon footprint compared to concrete or steel structures, according to Electrek.

While not quite on the same scale as those found in Korea or in the UK, a number of slick charging hubs are beginning to appear in the US too, with companies like Mercedes-Benz showcasing what its branded locations look like with the opening of its swanky venue at its US HQ in Sandy Springs, Georgia last year.

Tesla also opened its largest Supercharger site back in 2023, with a staggering 98 charging stalls operational in Coalinga, California, which benefits from solar canopies and Tesla’s own Megapack battery storage system to help ease the reliance on the grid.

(Image credit: Mercedes-Benz USA)

The company also revealed that it plans to open a mammoth 30-acre site in Lost Hills, California, which it says will play host to 168 charging stalls, making it by far the largest EV charging site in operation in the US.

According to Not a Tesla App, the proposed site in Lost Hills, which has been nicknamed ‘Oasis’, could be capable of charging 4,896 vehicles in a 12-hour period.

That said, China takes the top honors, with a staggering 637-stall charging hub located in Shenzhen, which delivers approximately 160 Megawatt-hours (MWh) of power daily and charges more than 4,000 taxis in any given 24-hour period.

But scale isn’t the only thing that electric vehicle owners are looking for, because the convenience factor is lost if you have to drive to a purpose-built hub that might be well away from a chosen route.

Instead, sites like InstaVolt’s Superhub aim to serve those using the busiest and most commonly used travel corridors, negating the need to fight over the limited number of charging stalls tacked on to service areas or gas stations.

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Following court decisions restricting the Trump administration's policies on immigration enforcement and cuts to federal agencies GOP lawmakers are pushing back. But they're split on how to respond.

(Image credit: Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)

Notability review

Notability is a note-taking app from Ginger Labs that was launched back in 2010. It’s available for iOS but not on Android. Upon installing the app, a seven-day free trial is offered, so I was able to test out the premium features for free. Some other note-taking apps offer longer trial periods, so seven days felt a little short for me, as I like to make sure that an app is compatible with the way I work before committing to pay a subscription, but it may well be plenty of time for others.

Notability plans and pricing

Notability Starter
Without a paid subscription, you can create multi-media notes with a limited number of edits, import and annotate PDF documents, sync audio recordings to your notes, access the Gallery and its templates, scan documents, make use of presentation mode, view notes side by side, plus access free stickers, themes, and other content.

Price: Free

Notability Lite
For those who don't need the full suite of features, a Lite subscription provides everything in Notability Starter, along with unlimited edits, iCloud syncing across devices, and auto-backup.

Price: $17.99 / £12.99 per year

Notability Plus
Includes all of the benefits of Notability Starter, but notes and edits are unlimited, you can convert handwriting and math equations into text, use search to locate specific entries in written notes, sync to iCloud, plus your notes can be automatically backed up.

Price: $24.99 / £17.99 per year

A limited version of Notability is available for free, offering only a set number of edits, but more features can be accessed with a subscription to Notability Lite, and full access to all features with a subscription to Notability Plus. Prices vary depending on region, but in the US and the UK, a subscription to Notability Lite costs around $17.99 / £12.99 per year, and a Notability Plus subscription costs $24.99 / £17.99 per year, a similar price to many of the apps listed in our selection of the best note-taking apps, at the time of writing.

When it came to features, there were no complicated tools or settings menus. The handwriting-to-text and math equation features worked really well, even when tasked with converting my untidy scrawlings. There were two handy notes available to me detailing how to get started and the tools available to me.

It was easy to sync my notes between my Apple devices by popping into settings and enabling iCloud Syncing, so I could view, edit, or delete my notes from any of my devices effortlessly. In order to share my notes with others, I had to go into Manage Accounts via the settings and log in to my Notability account. Doing this also meant that I could have my notes in the gallery – for example if I’d made a template that others might want to use – and meant I could follow other publishers too.

(Image credit: Notability)

The app could be used by professionals, but only for note-taking and to share work with others, as it’s not the ideal app for collaboration. It’s a pretty nifty app for personal use, however, with plenty of free planner and to-do list templates that helped me get organized, not to mention the huge variety of colorful stickers available that made it super easy to jazz up my pages or help to add a visual cue next to certain entries.

This plethora of free stickers plus the easy-to-use tools made it easy for me to create bullet journals and planner spreads from scratch. One tool that worked well but proved frustrating was the eraser, which, for some reason, is set to revert to the previous tool I used once I'd lifted my Apple Pencil from the screen.

Although the large variety of templates supplied by Notability was a big plus, it was a shame that the templates I tried were applied to all pages within my note, so if I found I couldn’t swipe through the pages and apply a different template to each page. This would be fine if I wanted several pages of to-do lists or shopping lists, but was disappointing when my aim was to create a planner for my week with notes, lists, and goals.

(Image credit: Notability)

It only took a couple of taps to share notes as a PDF document via channels like email, and social media messaging, by clicking on the options button from within my note. There was also another option to select allowing me to customize the format, including PDF, Note, JPEG, and PNG file types. I could also decide which pages I wanted to send, as well as if I wanted to include the background paper, add page margins, attach my audio recordings, or password-protect the document.

Sharing documents with colleagues or family members is easy to do: within the note options there are buttons to create and share a link, or stop sharing. If your intended recipient has the Notability app, it can be downloaded as a note and, if not, they can open up the document as a PDF in their browser.

As there's a button in the app to update the linked note from the source account, I assumed real-time collaboration would be possible. As it happened, however, any changes made did not sync to the downloaded note in the Notability app, but would instead update the PDF, which would need to be redownloaded to have the up-to-date note available. This way of working still has its uses, of course, but real-time collaboration would have been more efficient.

In summary, this isn't an appropriate app for streamlined collaborating. But it's very simple to get started with Notability, and there are enough tools and free content to help organize and keep track of projects or personal goals, making this a good option for students, or anyone working solo or on personal projects.

Should I buy Notability Buy it if…

You want simplicity
If you want a straightforward note-taking app that's not boring, then Notability would be a good fit. The tools and settings are easy to master, and every element is satisfyingly uncomplicated.

You want to share documents easily
It only takes a couple of taps to share a PDF of your notes, and just a couple more to adjust the file type, page range, and more if required.

Don't buy it if…

You want to collaborate in real-time
The process to share a link to some of my notes was simple, but the linked content only updates in an uneditable document, as syncing stops when the file is downloaded, even as a Notability note. As a result, this means collaborating with colleagues would be a long-winded process.

You want to create all-in-one planners
It was very useful to have access to a broad range of templates, but it's frustrating that the template applies to every page within the note, rather than individually.

Notability review: Also consider

Evernote
At the time of writing, Evernote is rated as the best dedicated option in our selection of the best note-taking apps. You can create up to fifty notes and one notebook on one device for free, or a subscription can be paid to get access to more features, such as unlimited devices, Adobe Acrobat, 20GB of uploads per month, and features tailored specifically for team working.

How I tested the Notability app

• I used Notability for a week
• I used it to write notes, plan, and create a bullet journal
• I tested out note sharing and all of the features available

I spent a week using Notability as my main format for note-taking and for planning out my week. I also used it to create my own bullet journal.

I reviewed how straightforward it was to get started on the app, and how user-friendly and easy to navigate the interface was. I experimented with the different tools, exploring their different settings and assessing how well they performed. Finally, I tested how easy it was to share files, and how easy it would be to work collaboratively using Notability.

• First reviewed: March 2025
• Read more about how we test

It's time to clinch out your last few battle pass tiers. This Friday, developer Treyarch is adding the "quad feed" double XP bonus back to Black Ops 6.

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For three years El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele has proudly shown the world the terrible treatment given to the country's prisoners. The president and his defenders say barbaric treatment is necessary to combat a pervasive gang problem in the country. And now the U.S. is endorsing this view, sending hundreds of people removed from the U.S. to those same prisons. We hear about the triumph of Bukele's style of rule in El Salvador.

(Image credit: El Salvador Presidency)

Here are hints and the answer for today's Wordle No. 1,376 for Wednesday, March 26.

Hints and answers for Connections for March 26, #654.

• New data suggests Tesla's sales in Europe have almost halved in 2025
• BYD, Xpeng and Leapmotor have all seen an increase in sales
• The overall European EV market is up 25% with VW at the top

Tesla’s current sales woes show no sign of slowing, as new data from Jato Dynamics suggests the company’s sales in Europe fell by 45% last month, resulting in its lowest market share in five years.

The issue can be partly attributed to Tesla’s aging model line-up, as customers sit tight for the more accomplished updated Model Y to appear. But many analysts have also cited a more general cooling of demand thanks to Elon Musk’s divisive foray into politics.

Earlier this year, the Financial Times reported on the Volkswagen Group’s slashing of EV production at some of its biggest manufacturing plants, owing to slow uptake of its battery electric vehicles, many early examples of which received middling reviews from the press.

However, the German marque’s BEV sales were up 180% to under 20,000 cars in February, according to Reuters, while the BMW brand and BMW-owned Mini sold almost 19,000 BEVs in February.

Comparatively, Tesla managed to sell fewer than 16,000 cars in key European markets, including the UK, Norway and Switzerland during the same period, despite overall battery electric vehicle registrations being up by 25% in February compared to the previous month.

Although still much smaller in number, BYD also recorded an 94% rise in sales in February, with over 4,000 electric vehicles sold. Similarly, Polestar also celebrated an 84% increase and newcomers, such as Xpeng and Leapmotor, have also started registering sales.

"Brands like Tesla, which have a relatively limited model lineup, are particularly vulnerable to registration declines when undertaking a model changeover," Felipe Munoz, Global Analyst at JATO Dynamics, explained.

But many other industry experts also point to the fact that the Tesla CEO's recent behavior has triggered a backlash from buyers, due to his affiliation with a number of right-wing political parties - particularly those in Germany.

Ahmad Assiri, research strategist at the brokerage Pepperstone, told Sky News that Musk’s political endeavors were “negatively impacting Tesla's reputation among substantial segments of consumers and investors,” adding that BYD’s continued rapid growth was “increasingly attractive to consumers and investors alike”.

Analysis: Everything rides on new Model Y

(Image credit: Tesla UK)

As I have repeatedly stated, Tesla’s latest crop of vehicles is by far its finest yet, with the updated Model 3 and Model Y easily among the best electric vehicles money can buy for most people right now.

During back-to-back testing of the previous generation Model Y and the latest Model 3, the gulf in build quality, refinement, comfort and interior quality is tangible, while gains in efficiency and an increased amount of standard technology is will be welcomed by buyers.

However, the Launch Edition version of the long-awaited Tesla Model Y update is now comparatively expensive, costing a whopping £60,990 in the UK and $52,490 in the US, with many customers likely not only holding for the updated car, but also more affordable variants, which aren’t due to arrive until the summer.

This will naturally skew sales figures, while Tesla has a reputation for cyclical peaks and troughs in its quarterly sales results due to the variations in its pricing and discounting strategy.

The true test of the 'Elon effect' will be later this year, when customers will be presented with a full Model Y line-up. If sales remain slow at that point, perhaps it’ll then be time for Tesla to start panicking.

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• Asus NUC 15 Pro+ boosts performance by 18%, but lacks Strix Halo
• Compact 0.7-liter design offers tool-free RAM and storage upgrades
• Ultra-quiet cooling reduces noise by 1.2X under heavy workloads

Asus has introduced the NUC 15 Pro+, its most advanced mini PC yet, featuring Intel’s latest 15th-generation Core Ultra 9 processors and Intel Arc graphics.

This compact system is designed for professional workloads and content creation, positioning itself as one of the most powerful computers in its category.

It delivers an 18% performance boost over previous-generation NUC models with AI-enhanced processing and improved thermal efficiency, but the absence of AMD’s Strix Halo APU raises doubts about its ability to compete with high-performance mini PCs from smaller brands.

Meet the NUC 15 Pro+, Asus's fastest mini PC ever

With support for up to four 4K displays, the NUC 15 Pro+ is designed for multitasking, photo editors, and high-resolution workflows, featuring two HDMI 2.1 supporting 4K at 60Hz and two Thunderbolt 4 ports.

It also supports a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port, three USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports, a USB 2.0 Type-A port, an RJ45 LAN port for wired networking, and a Kensington lock for security.

This workstation features Intel Wi-Fi 7 with speeds of up to 46 Gbps, and Bluetooth 5.4, enabling data transfer at up to 2 Mbps with a connection range of 240 meters.

It features a proximity sensor that locks or wakes the system based on user presence, an advanced cooling system that reduces noise by 1.2X compared to previous models and its US MIL-STD-810H certification guarantees 24/7 reliability in extreme conditions.

Asus is positioning the NUC 15 Pro+ as a direct competitor to Apple’s Mac Mini M4, combining a compact 0.7-liter chassis with premium build quality as well as an easy-access design for quick RAM and storage upgrades without tools.

Via TechPowerUp

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Belkin BoostCharge Pro GaN Dual Wall Charger 45W review

OK, let me take a deep breath… the Belkin BoostCharge Pro GaN Dual Wall Charger 45W… whew… is a two-port model that can get your phone and a second device back to life in no time. That is if they’re not too power hungry.

This model supports 45W single-port charging, or up to 25W via Port 1 and 20W through Port 2 in double-charge mode. That’s enough to activate fast charging on devices like the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE, which I personally own, but won’t be enough to charge more demanding alternatives – like the Honor Magic V3 or modern MacBook models, for instance – at their maximum allowed wattage.

But if that 45W is going to be enough for you, then you’ll likely be satisfied by performance here. I tried charging the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE alongside the Anker Soundcore Space One Pro and my phone got back to 100% from 0% in less than 80 minutes – very impressive. That’s the sort of speeds I’d expect from the best iPhone chargers and best Android phone chargers.

Something that’s worth noting, however, is I did have to use my own USB-C cables for testing. There’s nothing in the box – at least for those of you that, like me, reside in the UK. Sure, it’s not always a given to get a cable in the box, but this would have added a lot of value points for this charger. It is still moderately priced overall, in fairness though, coming in at $34.99 / £29.99 (about AU$55).

Something that was more disappointing for me was the lack of foldable prongs on the UK edition of this charger. If you want to slip the charger into your pocket, it’s impractical to have the prongs poking out. But having said that, this is a super-compact, diminutive model that will easily slot into a bag. It should be able to slot into tight spaces as well, although the ports being positioned on the outward-facing side of the charger does mean that USB-C cables will stick out a bit.

Another thing I picked up on during testing was that this model could get fairly warm when pushed to its limits – perhaps unsurprising given its limited size. It wasn’t getting dangerously hot or anything, but some may wish for the added security of more heat-resistant models like the UGreen Nexode Pro 65W.

But that’s enough moaning. This is a decent looking charger with a glossy white finish. But it’s also available in Black if you want to change things up a bit – that optionality is something I welcome, even if it’s two relatively basic-looking variants. Its solid design, minuscule size and solid performance given power restrictions do make this a tempting option. Of course, it's not without flaws and won’t have enough juice for some of you out there, but if 45W sounds about right for you, this model may well be worth your consideration.

(Image credit: Future) Belkin BoostCharge Pro GaN Dual Wall Charger 45W review: Price & specs

(Image credit: Future) Should I buy the Belkin BoostCharge Pro GaN Dual Wall Charger 45W? Buy it if…

You’re short on space
If your power socket is close to, say a bedframe or desk, this tiny Belkin charger could be a neat charging companion. It’s very diminutive, meaning it will likely slot into those tight spaces. It’s worth noting, though, that the ports are positioned on the outside of the charger rather than on its underside – so the USB-C connectors may stick out a little – worth keeping in mind.

You want to charge multiple devices simultaneously
One of the big benefits this model offers is dual-port charging. You can take advantage of both ports at once, with a maximum of 25W in Port 1 and 20W in Port 2, which should be enough to get fast charging on a lot of handsets released in recent years, like the iPhone 15.

Don't buy it if…

You have a more power hungry phone or laptop
One issue this charger faces up to, is that it doesn’t have enough power to enable some modern smartphones and laptops to charge near their maximum levels. For instance, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra can manage 45W wired charging and the OnePlus 13 can go as far as 80W. Of course, you can get 45W out of this model – but only in single-port mode. If you want a bit more power, I’d recommend going for the excellent value UGreen Uno 100W charger.

You want to use your old USB-A cables
In some regions, like my native UK, there’s no USB-C cable included in the box – which is a shame. And you may not have one of these lying around – though I’d expect you have some old USB-A ones kicking about. But unfortunately, you can’t use these here. Having said that, USB-C is more efficient, and if you really want to use your USB-A cables, there are alternatives that support them, like the Anker 323 Charger (33W) or Anker 335 Charger (67W).

Belkin BoostCharge Pro GaN Dual Wall Charger 45W: Also consider

UGreen USB-C 40W
The UGreen USB-C 40W may not be as powerful as this Belkin model, but I prefer it overall. It looks a bit more premium, has foldable prongs on the UK model and didn’t get particularly hot during testing. Again, this model has two USB-C ports and there aren’t any cables included in the box, but it’s cheaper than this Belkin alternative, meaning it's a great value rival. Read our full UGreen USB-C 40W review.

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(Image credit: Anna Moneymaker)

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(Image credit: Mandel Ngan)