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Plus: Dell debuts affordable QD-OLED gaming monitors, Polaroid upgrades its instant cameras, and Circular has a new smart ring.

Hints and answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, No. 167, for Sunday, March 9.

Hints and answers for Connections for March 9, #637.

Photoshop is in trouble. Attacked on all sides by the best photo editing apps with powerful image editing features – Canva and Instagram chief among them – the pressure has been on to deliver a Photoshop mobile app deserving of the name.

Lest we forget, Photoshop celebrated its 35th birthday earlier this year, making it one of a very small number of brands to have simultaneously become an enduring household name even as the tectonic plates of content production have shifted dramatically beneath it.

And so, finally, the new Photoshop for iPhone is here. A free app – albeit one improved by the presence of a paid-for Creative Cloud account), Adobe makes some big claims. It delivers Photoshop’s core imaging and design tools as well as some surprisingly powerful pro features, layer masking and blending among them, as well as the generative AI features that are making a splash on the desktop version.

So, as someone who opens Photoshop on a near-daily basis for commercial photography, here’s how the new Photoshop for iPhone tickles my fancy after hours of tinkering and prodding...

Photoshop for iPhone: The likes 1. It's easy to learn

(Image credit: Adobe / Future)

I’ll never admit it, but I don’t know everything about Photoshop. And in an app that can’t offer the usual tooltips when you hover over an unfamiliar icon, Photoshop for iPhone has am slight learning curve, even if you understand the core terminology and principles.

Thank goodness, then, for the dozen or so video tutorials you can access when you first open the app. These take the form of talking-head videos describing various actions, such as working with layers, masks and selections, as well as videos provided by creators as they describe their process to building various collages and concepts.

Of these, the latter are particularly useful as they come with the source files, allowing you to see how a final image comes to be – useful if you don’t a file of your own to hand.

2. All the core features are there

(Image credit: Adobe / Future)

Blimey. A quick feel around Photoshop for iPhone’s clean-looking interface reveals a really full set of tools. There are no fire-and-forget filters here – if you want to apply a split-tone look to an image, you’re going to have to get up to your elbows in hue and saturation sliders.

That’s a book of two chapters, of course – on the one hand it takes longer, and more practice, to get the effect you want. On the other, all those years I’ve spent laboriously learning how to do things in Photoshop translate like-to-like.

3. It can handle some surprisingly big files and tasks

(Image credit: Adobe / Future)

Although Adobe is careful not to claim that Photoshop for iPhone has brought over every tool in the Photoshop chest, the app makes it clear – this is for ambitious types.

So, obviously, I fired a 1GB file over AirDrop to try and bring the whole thing to its knees. Just to make sure it didn’t work, and thus give me something to complain about, the file was a high-res, TIFF-format image in the ProPhoto colorspace. To my immense surprise, the file promptly loaded and looked… fine.

As we’ll come to in a bit, not everything makes the journey betwixt Photoshop desktop and Photoshop for iPhone, but if you’ve got big images, captured on modern cameras, you’ll be able to bring work-in-progress onto your iPhone to work on them.

And, not only is it compatible with layers – finally – it’s also compatible with layer groups, which means you can work up some surprisingly complex image constructions using the same device you use to watch TikToks on the toilet.

4. It's got Adobe Camera Raw

(Image credit: Adobe / Future)

This is another big one – import a raw file into the iPhone for Photoshop app and you’ll be greeted with a different-looking-but-still-all-there version of Adobe Camera Raw, allowing you to prepare a file for further editing via a surprisingly full set of options.

Highlights, shadows, whites and blacks all get their own sliders, as does color balance, complete with its own white balance picker. Texture, clarity, dehaze and vignette control are all there, as is a one-tap lens corrections button.

Once you’re finished, you can finish importing your image either as a standard layer or, get this, as a smart object, letting you step back into ACR if you want to fine tune things further.

5. Generative fill has made it, which is… good?

(Image credit: Adobe / Future)

Getting images share-ready just got faster, thanks to Adobe’s much-vaunted Generative AI features that also make an appearance in the new Photoshop app.

Lean on Photoshop for iPhone’s automated features and you’re in for an impressive experience – the app was uncannily good at automatically detecting and selecting foregrounds, backgrounds, people and skies. And with the annoying legwork of making selections turned into a one-tap process, removing and replacing objects from your work is equally quick.

I found generative AI – replacing skies and such, removing the odd person – to work as well on iPhone as it does on the desktop – which is to say, impressive, with occasionally hilarious outtakes.

Photoshop for iPhone: the dislikes 1. A few obvious tools are missing

(Image credit: Adobe / Future)

It strikes me as strange that an app which prides itself on being the fullest-fledged version of Photoshop that Adobe could manage is missing a few tools which, least for this snapper, are part of my daily arsenal.

For example, I think it’s impressive that Photoshop for iPhone can open a multi-layered, 1GB TIFF file with a load of adjustment layers, but less impressive that when some of those adjustment layers are levels adjustments, there’s no way of editing them. It seems strange – curves has made it, so why not levels?

And although Photoshop for iPhone does a generally decent job of automatically selecting objects, things are a bit trickier if you want to make your selections freehand, as there’s no paths tool. Not only no paths tool, but if an image has paths already in it, there’s no way of accessing them within the app.

You could make the very sensible argument that creating a spot-on bezier curve is hard enough with a mouse or trackpad, of course, and that trying to perfect a bendy path with a fingertip would be a surefire track to PTSD, but it would be nice as an inclusion.

While I'm here, Photoshop’s handy collection of filters are also missing, so if you were looking for a chance to learn, for example, frequency separation, you’ll need to stick with your desktop.

2. It's free, but only just

(Image credit: Adobe / Future)

Real talk: getting an app with the power that Photoshop for iPhone has and then grousing that it costs money is like getting breakfast cooked for you by a Michelin starred chef and then complaining about the language – this is an incredibly powerful app that produces near-desktop results from a device that fits in your pocket.

If you’re a high-end content creator, or want to tip-tap away at an image before transferring it seamlessly to your desktop, Photoshop for iPhone just set a new standard.

Still, if you want the full version – which includes omissions from the free version including generative fill (the free version gives you 10 free generative credits, the paid-for one 100), object select, the magic wand tool and a few others, you’ll need to stump up $69.99 / £69.99 a year.

Don’t sniff – that’s cheaper than Canva, and while Canva is undoubtedly the better tool for whizzing up social media templates, for photographers there’s no contest. And bear in mind – if you already have a Creative Cloud subscription, this is included for free.

3. It's not on Android yet

I’ll be honest, I don’t actually care about this one as I'm on iPhone, but if you’re in the 70% of the smartphone market that uses Android, you might.

While it’s (probably) more efficient to develop an app for Apple’s closed system of app stores and hardware, there will be plenty of content creators out there screaming for a decent image editor, and Adobe hasn’t done them a favor here.

Still, Adobe has promised that an Android version is coming "later this year", so Android fans shouldn't have to wait too much longer for it.

You might also like...

• Photoshop gets its most powerful free iPhone app so far – with a mix of classic tools and Firefly AI
• Photoshop gets the next big thing in AI photography – a tool that makes your unwanted reflections vanish
• Adobe Photoshop CC (2024) review: the best photo editor gets even better

As Tesla faces a global sales slump, and with shares down for the seventh consecutive week, could Elon Musk's antics really be to blame?

The federal government is preparing to shed up to a quarter of its 360 million square feet of real estate, an NPR analysis finds. The agency in charge of federal real estate is also slashing staff.

(Image credit: Al Drago)

Whether you're thinking about starting a new career or moving to a different city, these exercises can help you make hard decisions with more confidence and clarity.

(Image credit: Beck Harlan/NPR)

It's a key fixture at the City Ground in the battle for a top-four place.

• Google’s AI co-scientist, built on Gemini 2.0, collaborates with researchers for discoveries
• It uses specialized agents to generate, evaluate, and refine scientific hypotheses
• Scientists can interact naturally, providing ideas or feedback to guide AI research

Artificial intelligence has already had a major impact on scientific research by accelerating discoveries, improving accuracy, and handling vast datasets that would be near-impossible for humans to analyze efficiently. AI-powered algorithms can assist in the discovery of new drugs, optimize materials for energy storage, and aid in modeling climate change.

A number of projects have been set up to make AI more useful and more reliable in a scientific setting. We’ve previously written about the concept of the “exocortex,” which aims to provide a bridge between the human mind and a network of AI agents, and more recently, an Australian research team developed a generative AI tool called LLM4SD (Large Language Model for Scientific Discovery), designed to speed up scientific breakthroughs.

Now, Google is also launching a similar initiative, which aims to turn AI into a co-scientist that can accelerate scientific discoveries. The tech giant explains, “The AI co-scientist is a multi-agent AI system that is intended to function as a collaborative tool for scientists.”

Deploying specialized scientific agents

The AI co-scientist is built on Google’s Gemini 2.0 and is the result of collaboration between Google Research, Google DeepMind, and Google Cloud AI teams. It is designed to “mirror the reasoning process underpinning the scientific method.” Google says that its system is intended to “uncover new, original knowledge and to formulate demonstrably novel research hypotheses and proposals, building upon prior evidence and tailored to specific research objectives.”

The system will use a number of specialized agents - Generation, Reflection, Ranking, Evolution, Proximity, and Meta-review - that can iteratively generate, evaluate, and refine hypotheses. Google says that scientists will be able to interact with the system in whatever way best suits their needs. This will include providing their own seed ideas or feedback on generated outputs in natural language.

“The AI co-scientist also uses tools, like web search and specialized AI models, to enhance the grounding and quality of generated hypotheses,” Google says.

Not wishing to rush its deployment, the company plans to offer access to the system for research organizations through a trusted tester program.

You might also like

• Researchers want to grow lasers, yes lasers, on material commonly found in sand
• Data stored in rare-earth crystal could one day delivery terabyte-class storage
• 'An extension of a scientist's brain': Researchers explore AI to augment inspiration

Cricut Maker 4 review: One-minute review

Cricut Maker 4 is an excellent addition to the impressive lineup of crafting machines from Cricut. If you want to craft at home and produce professional-level results, the Maker 4 can help you create decorations, gifts, jewelry, clothing, keepsakes, and much more. It isn’t the easiest tool to use – Maker 4 will help your crafting reach new heights, but it won’t make things for you – yet with some patience and practice, the results can be truly astonishing.

Cricut Maker 4 is the most capable Cricut machine you can buy. There is a larger, commercial-strength Cricut Venture machine, but the Maker 4 can cut a wider variety of materials. Every Cricut cutting machine can cut paper, cardstock, vinyl, and similar materials, but only the Cricut Maker series can cut thick materials like wood and leather. It’s strong enough to engrave aluminum sheets, but delicate enough to cut fine details into felt.

You don’t need to upgrade to the new Cricut Maker 4 if you have an earlier Cricut Maker machine, unless you are turning out huge volumes of projects and you want a machine that is much faster. Maker 4 is up to twice as fast as Cricut Maker 3, but that’s the key difference. Otherwise, the capabilities and even the design are essentially unchanged.

If you don’t have a Cricut machine yet, the good news is that the new Cricut Maker 4 starts at a lower price than before, and bundles are available that give you everything you need to jump into crafting on day one.

Cricut Maker 4 has space for a blade (right) and a pen (left) (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

If you’re totally new to Cricut, your first question will be what exactly is a Cricut machine? Cricut hates when people call its machines a printer, and it’s closer to a laser cutter than a printer. So imagine a printer, but instead of spraying ink on paper, it uses a blade (or a variety of blades) to cut.

You can cut designs into permanent stickers made of vinyl, and then apply the design to your favorite mug, your walls, even your car. You can buy iron-on material or heat-transferable ink that will stick to a shirt or hat and make your own souvenirs. And I’m just getting started, this is only the tip of the Cricut iceberg.

As a long-time Cricut user I’ve made t-shirts and hats, mugs and travel tumblers, and decorations for my house and my classroom back when I was a high school teacher. I’ve made simple labels for spice jars and tea containers, and I’ve made complex, multi-layered shadowbox designs with paper, felt, and faux leather that I hang on my wall.

My years of Cricut experience have been with a Cricut Explore and recently a Cricut Joy Xtra that I got from Cricut when that smaller machine launched. Those machines are great for my decorative needs, but Cricut Maker 4 can handle thicker materials like wood, leather, and aluminum. However, significant caveats apply.

I was very excited to try cutting new materials. Cricut Explore can use special tools, like the scoring wheel to create precise folds in cardstock, but it can’t cut wood or leather.

Cricut was nice enough to send me samples of felt, basswood, faux leather, and aluminum to try, along with a selection of cutting blades and cutting tips, like the embossing tip for aluminum and the rotary cutting tool that slices up fabric like a fishing line through water.

The results were mostly spectacular, with one sad exception. Cricut Maker 4 easily cut through faux leather, creating an intricate and detailed design, then it handled a sheet of soft felt with the same finesse. It took some time, but it’s cool to watch the machine chug along.

Cricut Maker 4 slices into basswood over and over (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Sadly, things came to a halt when I cut the basswood layer for my project. While Maker 4 can cut through wood, it requires 14 separate passes with the blade to cut all the way through. My Maker 4 failed during every attempt. It didn’t ruin the wood, it simply stopped cutting and gave me an error message. Cricut says there is a firmware fix coming that will fix the problem, and I’m excited to put Maker 4 to the test with tougher materials.

This brings me to my biggest complaint about Cricut Maker 4, and all of Cricut’s cutting machines. To use a Cricut machine, you must use Cricut Design Space on your desktop, phone or tablet. It works on Mac and PC, iPhone and Android. Unfortunately, it’s a bad piece of software, being buggy and difficult to use. The performance is so sluggish that I often wondered if it had registered my input at all. Options would appear and disappear, and it is hard to figure out how to make things work properly.

If you’ve used real design software like Photoshop or Illustrator, or even more basic layout tools like Apple Pages or Google Slides, you’ll be confounded by Cricut Design Space. Most of the problems I had in the month I’ve spent with Cricut Maker 4 came down to fighting the software and figuring out how to make it actually do what I assumed I’d asked it to do.

I’ve asked Cricut on numerous occasions if there is any major update coming and they have no plans for any big fix.

The cool design on the Cricut Maker 4 lid (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

The good news is that it is easy to get help. There is a huge community of crafty people who share tips and offer advice. If you buy a Cricut machine, or if you’re even considering a Cricut, I would start watching YouTube video tutorials now. Read the Reddit subgroups, or join a group for Cricut beginners on Facebook. You’ll find help, and you’ll find people meeting the same obstacles.

Because Cricut Maker 4 is an amazing tool, and it makes precise and delicate cuts at an astonishing speed, resulting in a final product that looks professionally produced – if you know what you are doing. Maker 4 won’t make the projects for you.

This isn’t a turnkey solution where you insert materials at one end and out pops a completed project. This is a tool that will get you from point A through points B, C, and D with more precision than you imagined. But there is still plenty of work for you to do.

Cricut Maker 4 review: price and bundles

• Starts at $399 / £399 / AU$699 with basic materials and tools
• Cricut's bundle is better when you buy a month of Cricut Access

Cricut Maker 4 looks a lot like a printer, but it's totally not a printer (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Cricut Maker 4 starts at $399.99 in the US, which is a bit less than the Maker 3’s $429.99 starting price; in Britain you'll pay £399 and AU$699 in Australia.

The Maker 4 comes with more accessories and tools than before, enough to actually start crafting a few projects and get the hang of the machine, but you’ll need a lot more once you really get into crafting with Cricut. There is an Everything bundle that includes many more necessary tools for $459 / £469.99, currently discounted for the launch of Maker 4.

Another cost to consider is Cricut Access, a monthly subscription service through the Cricut Design Space app. Cricut Access provides a massive supply of stock images and patterns that you can use, as well as a library of fonts. If you don’t subscribe, you can use your own system fonts, which are not designed to look good on crafts, and you can supply your own images.

When I’m feeling crafty, I usually subscribe for a couple of months and then cancel until I want to make stuff again. Cricut Access costs $9.99 per month or $95.88 for a full year (scroll down for UK and Australia bundle prices). With the subscription, you also get a discount on Cricut supplies and machines, and a discount if you buy licensed images and fonts from Cricut Design Space, like Star Wars characters or recognizable Disney-branded fonts.

Frankly, buying a Cricut machine opens a Pandora's box of buying. If you want to make hats, you’ll want a Cricut Hat Press. If you want to make mugs, the Cricut Mug Press is essential. If you are simply making shirts and or pressing vinyl only fabric, you’ll want a good hot press to use instead of a clothes iron. I’ve used all of these accessories from Cricut and they all work remarkably well, making the crafting process as easy as possible with app controls and timers.

You’ll also need materials like permanent vinyl sheets and iron-ons. I’ve purchased cheap brands from Amazon and also the good stuff from Cricut. Both options work, but Cricut-brand materials have a much higher success rate for me – and thankfully you can always find some Cricut material on sale either at Cricut.com or at stores like Michael’s in the States.

What comes with the Cricut Maker 4?

• Cricut Maker 4 machine
• Fine-Point Blade
• Light Grip Mat (12 in x 12 in)
• Fine Point Pen (0.4mm)
• Mini Weeder tool
• Materials for practice crafting

What more do you get with the Cricut Everything Bundle?

• Card Mart (13 in x 16.25 in)
• 24 insert cards
• Scoring Stylus
• Scraper
• Spatula
• Weeder tool
• Portable Trimmer
• Fine Point Pen in Magenta
• 2 rolls + 6 sheets Smart Iron-On
• 2 rolls + 6 sheets Smart Vinyl - permanent
• 12 sheets printable vinyl
• 24 sheets cardstock
• 1 roll + 5 sheets transfer tape (for vinyl projects)
• 1 Tote Bag
• Subscription to Cricut Access Standard (1 month included)

Cricut Maker 4 review: What can you make? Image 1 of 6

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

A mug created with heat-infusible ink and a drawing of my dog

Image 2 of 6

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

A shadowbox using layers of cardstock paper cut precisely

Image 3 of 6

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Faux leather cut into a pattern that still needs bits weeded away

Image 4 of 6

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

A layer of felt on top of a layer of faux leather

Image 5 of 6

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

A birthday card cut-out

Image 6 of 6

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

The basswood project is still going...

Cricut Maker 4 starts with a small blade attachment, so you can make anything that starts with cutting. You can also insert a pen to draw on your projects with the same precision. You can cut paper, vinyl stickers, iron-on vinyl (heat transfer vinyl), cardstock, and other thin materials to make interior decorations, small crafts, cards, and clothing decorations.

There are many different blades and attachments available separately for Cricut Maker 4 that extend its capabilities significantly. There are deep cutting blades for thicker materials, or rolling blades for soft materials and fine, continuous cuts. There are tools that score cardstock and paper for perfect folds and creases, tools for engraving in metal and debossing leather, and tools to create perforations to tear later. There are also a wide variety of pens you can use alongside the blades.

The variety of blades and tools available is what sets Cricut Maker 4 apart from Cricut Explore 4 and the other Cricut machines. For instance, you can use the rotary blade with Cricut Maker 4, but not with Explore. I tried cutting felt with the add-on rotary blade and with the included fine blade and the results were much better with the rotary blade. The pattern was cut perfectly and much easier to lift from the mat without tearing or weeding too much excess.

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

The real time you spend crafting will come after Cricut Maker 4 finishes its work. A Cricut machine almost never leaves you with the finished project. You’ll need to weed out all the scraps and bits you don’t want, and attach different pieces together. This requires time and patience, as well as proper tools for weeding and dealing with lots of sticky trash. Cricut Maker 4 comes with a very simple weeding tool – you’ll want to buy more tools before your first project.

The Cricut Design Space software offers a rotating set of suggested projects, with new ideas popping up as the seasons change. There is a community of contributors who post new ideas almost daily - from home decorations to drinkware to clothing to container labels and much more.

You could definitely use Cricut Maker 4 as the foundation for a small crafting business, like a souvenir shop or an Etsy store. My favorite use for my Cricut so far has been making t-shirts for inside jokes. When somebody makes a good joke one day, I’ll put it on a shirt that night and come to work the next day wearing what they said. I also love the quality of Cricut Mugs, but my cabinet is full so I’ll need to accidentally break some before I can make more.

Cricut Maker 4 review: Design

• Wider than a printer and needs space in front and behind
• Convenient storage for tools, pens, and blades

Cricut Maker 4 needs room in front and behind to move the mat around (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Cricut Maker 4 looks a lot like a very wide printer. It is a squat box that opens to reveal a headliner and a tray for your materials or a cutting mat. If you don’t use Cricut Smart Material rolls, you’ll need a cutting mat to hold your material while the Cricut blade slices. The machine comes with a light grip mat that is appropriate for paper and vinyl, but you’ll need a stronger grip for thicker materials.

Cricut Maker 4 needs plenty of room in front and behind when it's working, but it closes up to be much more compact. The machine can handle cutting mats up to 12 inches wide, and it can cut projects that are very long if it uses Smart Materials.

The machine has convenient storage space for some Cricut tools built in. I was able to store a number of extra cutting blades, as well as my weeding tools, all inside the Cricut’s storage compartment. It couldn’t hold everything – the brayer tool for pushing materials flat is too large, for instance – but it’s a convenient use of device space.

My Cricut Maker 4 sample came in the seashell color, which is a lovely, light pink. However, I was jealous to learn that Michael’s has an exclusive sage color available. The capabilities are the same, I just like exclusives.

Cricut Maker 4 can connect to your computer via Bluetooth, but it will need to connect via USB at least once for a firmware update and initial setup. It comes with a very long USB-C to USB-B cable, as well as a power adapter.

Cricut Maker 4 review: Setup and ease of use

• Setup requires a USB connection (cable included)
• Use requires Cricut Design Space app for desktop or mobile

The blade engaged on Cricut Maker 4 (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Cricut Maker 4 is easy to set up with Cricut Design Space. It won’t work with any other software, but there is a Cricut app available for MacOS, Windows, Android and iOS, so whatever device you use, you’ll be covered, with the exception of Chromebooks. There is no web-based setup option.

For basic projects, Cricut Maker 4 can be very easy to use, but not without frustration or effort. Once your project is cut, weeding the scraps takes precision and patience, and this is where most of my projects failed when I accidentally ripped out something I wanted to keep. Having a good, bright light helps, as well as sharp eyesight. Cricut crafting is how I realized I needed to start wearing reading glasses.

The worst part of Cricut crafting by far is Cricut Design Space. The more I use the software, the more I hope that Cricut takes a sledgehammer to the current build and starts from scratch. It is simply a difficult, buggy, poorly designed piece of software, and unfortunately it's the gatekeeper for all Cricut crafting. You must use Design Space to use Cricut Maker 4.

Fear not, because help is available from the community. I have joined Cricut fans on Reddit and Facebook and found plenty of friendly help, and there are tons of YouTubers and bloggers who are crafting with Cricut and ready to offer instructions and advice.

Still, this isn't a do-it-all-for-you crafting machine. This is a precise tool that will elevate your crafts to a new level of precision and refinement. You’ll be able to create items that look as good as products you’d buy in a store, but you’ll need to spend more time than you expect getting it right. I failed many times on my complex crafting projects, and I’ve put some even more advanced projects aside while I practice my technique on easier crafts.

Cricut Maker 4 review: Should I buy Cricut Maker 4?

If you are patient, craft-centric and interested in making incredible projects that will impress, go ahead and buy Cricut Maker 4. The results are stunning, and once you get the hang of your favorite type of projects, you’ll be able to crank out new items with ease. After a dozen t-shirts or so, I could easily whip up a fresh design and have it ready to wear in a couple of hours or less.

If you’re a teacher, what are you waiting for?! Buy this now! or have your school buy one, or tell your friends on Facebook that they need to support their local teacher with a Cricut Maker 4. It’s an invaluable tool for educators – I was able to decorate every inch of my room, from the walls to the windows to the desks, at a tiny fraction of the normal cost.

Actually, forget the normal cost because I never decorated as thoroughly before I had my own Cricut machine. I redecorated for every new lesson unit. Once you get the hang of basic decorations, you’ll start using Cricut to create useful class materials, and then it will really prove its worth.

Do you need Cricut Maker 4 over Cricut Explore 4? Most people will probably be able to create everything they want with an Explore 4, though the flexibility and precision of Maker 4 is nice if you may someday want to incorporate felt or leather into your crafts. Cricut’s faux leather is an awesome material and it cuts beautifully into complex shapes.

On the other hand, if wood is your thing, I’d look elsewhere. Cricut hasn’t fixed the firmware issue that caused my basswood projects to fail, and besides, it takes hours and hours to cut a wood project. Woodcrafters might want to consider a laser cutter, even though they are twice as expensive as Cricut Maker 4 for even a basic machine.

I’d strongly recommend getting a Cricut bundle as well. The larger weeding tools and scraping tools are essential, and it’s nice to have a selection of materials on hand when you first get the new machine to try some projects before you settle into your creative groove.

Buy it if...

You’re a teacher who decorates often
You could spend hundreds every year on letters and shapes, holiday designs and more, or buy a Cricut and make it yourself for a fraction of the cost with exponentially more creativity.

You want to craft precisely but lack a steady hand
I can’t cut straight lines or draw neat figures, but Cricut Maker 4 produces laser-sharp results that make my crafts look artistic and professional.

Don't buy it if...

You want to cut complex materials like wood and metal
Cricut Maker 4 can cut wood and some metal, but if you craft with those materials often, a laser cutter will get the job done much faster and more reliably.

You don’t want to cut anything besides paper and decorations
Most of what I make is paper and vinyl, so a Cricut Explore or even a Cricut Joy Xtra would get the job done for most of my projects… until I decide to get fancy.

[First reviewed March 2025]

Not only did MWC excite us with a host of excellent tech launches and innovative concept designs, but Apple gave us new iPads and MacBooks, and AMD wowed us with an affordable GPU.

To catch up on all this and more scroll down for the week's seven biggest news stories for the week of March 8, 2025.

When you're finished, check out our picks for the 7 new movies and TV shows to stream this weekend (March 7).

7. We found the best tech of MWC 2025

(Image credit: Future)

This year’s Mobile World Conference (MWC 2025) was host to a lot of smartphone, computing, audio, and health tech – and we know because we attended the show to check it all out. But among the crowds were a few diamonds that we decided were the best gadgets of the event.

The Xiaomi 15 Ultra was the Best Phone launch with our Xiaomi 15 Ultra review calling it one of the best camera phones ever made thanks to its 50-megapixel wide-angle, 50-megapixel ultrawide, 70-megapixel 3x telephoto and 200-megapixel 4x telephoto lenses; meanwhile the Lenovo Yoga Solar PC won Best Laptop because of its built-in solar panel innovation.

We also awarded prizes to smart contact lenses from Xpanceo, Honor’s Earbuds Open, Honor’s Watch 5 Ultra, and the ZTE Nubia Flip 2 5G to name just a few more of our 10 total award winners.

• Read more: Best of MWC 2025 – the 10 top tech launches we tried on the show floor

6. Apple treated us to a cheaper MacBook Air

(Image credit: Apple)

The arrival of a new MacBook Air M4 this week wasn’t exactly a surprise, given the weeks of leaks – but its pricing certainly was. Yes, despite getting a processor upgrade, two new Thunderbolt 4 ports and some new Center Stage camera tricks, Apple cut $100 / £100 off its price tag in a distinctly un-Apple move.

That doesn’t happen often at launch, and it makes the new Air (which starts at $999 / £999 / AU$1,699) a major contender for the top spot in our guide to the best laptops. Then again, Apple did also discontinue the M3 MacBook Air in the process (and made the M2 MacBook Air harder to find), leaving us short of even cheaper options. First it giveth, then it taketh away…

• Read more: Apple finally unveils the MacBook Air with the M4 chip – but the best news is the new price

5. Apple launched new iPads too

(Image credit: Apple)

Apple’s iPad Air may no longer be the thinnest iPad (see the iPad Pro M4) but it is shifting into performance and productivity mode.

The latest iPad Air (11- and 13-inch) looks almost exactly like the last one (save the removal of the “iPad Air” label from the back) but it has an all-new brain in the powerful M3 chip that’ll support all sort of activities ranging from video editing and art creation to Apple Intelligence tasks.

But Apple has now paired it with a new, optional (and more affordable) Magic Keyboard that includes a function key row and a noticeably larger trackpad. This is a tablet ready for productivity work, and for some it might be, with that keyboard, a decent ultra-portable substitute.

As for the base, 11-inch iPad, it also got a chip update but only to the A16. Now, that’s a great piece of Apple Silicon but it does not support Apple Intelligence. We bet the target market won’t miss it.

• Read more: Apple updates iPad Air with powerful M3 chip

4. Dyson's pro r hair dryer joined the main range

(Image credit: Dyson)

Previously a professional-only hair dryer, the Supersonic r has now been added to Dyson's main consumer range. Sure, it looks a bit weird, but it's 20% smaller and 30% lighter than the original Supersonic, and more powerful too. So if you're seeking speedy styling without the arm-ache (and have suitably deep pockets), it's well worth a look.

The r boasts a wide range of compatible, magnetic styling attachments. These include the intriguing-sounding PowerfulAir and SmoothNozzle, alongside the fan-favorite FlyAway attachment. As with the current range-topper, the Supersonic Nurall, the dryer knows which one is attached, and will automatically switch to your last-used settings for each.

The Dyson Supersonic r is already available in the US, is due in the UK from April 2. This version is identical to the original pro version, save for a shorter cable (home-length, rather than salon-length), and some cool new colorways.

• Read more: Dyson just released a consumer version of its best pro hair dryer, and I can't wait to get my hands on one

3. Meta teased new clear Ray-Ban smart glasses

(Image credit: Meta / Ray-Ban)

If you missed your chance to get last year’s see-through Ray-Ban smart glasses, then you’re in luck – Meta is releasing another limited-edition batch but they’ll be in even shorter supply.

A teaser on Meta’s website says something new is coming straight from the runway, with a promise that limited-time smart specs are launching this month, though the image also highlights a “0001/3600” stamp – suggesting that this new batch will have less than half the availability of last year’s 7,500 limited run.

Beyond the see-through frame, we don’t know anything more about the drop, but based on the runway comment we suspect this might have a connection to the recent Milan Fashion week which is where A$AP Rocky debuted as Ray-Ban’s first-ever creative director. He's already showcased a couple of standard glasses designs, and this announcement could be teasing his first smart glasses.

• Read more: New Meta Ray-Bans will be in frustratingly short supply

2. Xiaomi revealed the first ever Wi-Fi earbuds

(Image credit: Future)

In easily one of the top 3 ground-breaking earbuds innovations we saw at MWC25 this week, Xiaomi unveiled the first earbuds with Wi-Fi, delivering hi-res audio up to 4.2Mbps. You want lossless audio over Wi-Fi without ruining battery life? Xiaomi’s gone and done it, with the new Buds 5 Pro. They launched in Europe, in two variants – a standard (non-Wi-Fi) Buds 5 Pro, and the Buds 5 Pro Wi-Fi. Both models have an imposing spec-sheet, but the Wi-Fi ones are particularly impressive, because they can apparently deliver lossless audio at up to 4.2Mbps using their Wi-Fi connection, which is leaps and bounds ahead of anything you’ll get with Bluetooth.

The Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro Wi-Fi have Qualcomm's S7 Pro chip and Snapdragon Sound Technology Suite, which can support up to 96kHz/24-bit hi-res audio. Of course, there's a ‘but’: it'll only work with certain smartphones. Xiaomi says a list of compatible devices will be posted on its website soon – but right now, the only known supported phones are the Xiaomi 15 and 15 Ultra. (Your iPhone? Don’t get your hopes up.)

• Read more: Xiaomi unveils earbuds with Wi-Fi, delivering hi-res audio up to 4.2Mbps

1. We reviewed AMD’s bargain gaming graphics card

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is AMD’s first RDNA 4 card to hit the market and it’s a banger, nearly matching Nvidia’s pricier GPUs in 4K and 1440p performance for $599. It ranks close to the RTX 4080 and surpasses older AMD cards, with a 304W TGP that remains manageable at this performance level.

While it lacks top-tier ray tracing and AI compute, it excels at raster and gaming workloads, staying more affordable and less prone to price inflation. Ultimately, it’s the best value for gamers looking to upgrade without breaking the bank.

• Read more: The AMD RX 9070 XT delivers exactly what the market needs

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for March 8.

Wiggins died Friday morning after battling bladder cancer for over the past year, according to a statement released by his family on social media.

(Image credit: Terry Wyatt)

A South Carolina man who killed his ex-girlfriend's parents with a baseball bat was executed by firing squad Friday, the first U.S. prisoner in 15 years to die by that method.

(Image credit: Chris Carlson)

• Jio Platforms is launching a cloud-based AI PC, accessible on any device
• Users will be able to build and deploy AI apps across India's largest phone network
• Enterprise offering JioBrain will provide machine learning-as-a-service

Reliance Industries’ digital division, Jio Platforms, is reportedly building a cloud-based personal computer designed to bring artificial intelligence computing to the masses.

The new system will not require hardware and can be accessed on any device, giving users the ability to develop and deploy high-compute AI applications.

During Mumbai Tech Week 2025, Jio Infocomm chairman Akash Ambani, the son of India's richest person Mukesh Ambani, described the upcoming cloud PC as a way to democratize AI capabilities.

Machine learning-as-a-service

“We have a consumer application which we will be shortly launching. It’s a cloud PC, which is a complete PC in the cloud, which is accessible in each of your houses but really be device agnostic. No hardware. And you can build high compute AI applications on top of that. And what you can leverage is the reach that Jio is going to have,” Ambani was quoted as saying by Inc42.

Unlike past efforts such as the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) initiative, Jio’s cloud-based AI platform will require users to bring their own devices. Jio’s “platform approach” aims to scale AI services to millions of users across India at lower costs.

One of its upcoming enterprise offerings, JioBrain, will provide machine learning-as-a-service, eliminating the need for businesses to invest in costly infrastructure. “You can just tag on to JioBrain, and we’ll launch that in the coming quarters as we perfect the use cases for that,” Ambani added.

Jio is also targeting 100 million users for JioTele OS, its smart TV operating system. As Ambani said, “One of our biggest growth missions of Jio and where we want to make an impact is connecting each home. But with that, we’ll be opening ourselves up as a platform for developers.”

Calling AI one of the biggest technological revolutions of a lifetime, Ambani predicted it would help India sustain economic growth of 10% or more. He also highlighted the need for infrastructure, research, and talent to position India as a leader in AI. Jio’s parent company, Reliance Group has previously announced plans to build a new 3 gigawatt AI data center in Jamnagar - a small town in Gujarat – which it hopes to have operational by 2027.

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• We’ve listed the best AI tools and best AI writers you can use today
• India's richest person wants to build the world's largest data center
• The tipping point for AI and Managed Cloud

The new version of Starship will be tested again in four to six weeks. A third consecutive failure could indicate fundamental problems with the updated design.

The program forgives the loans of borrowers who work in public service. The executive action would exclude those who work for certain organizations.

(Image credit: Brynn Anderson)

Meta rushed to embed its Meta AI assistant into all of its properties, including WhatsApp. Now, it seems like the tech giant is extending the strategy with a dedicated widget, as first discovered byWABetaInfo. This comes after WhatsApp expanded Meta AI from a floating action button to a search bar integration and then the in-chat tag that lets you add it to the group chat.

The widget will give you one-tap access to its text search, camera for image-based queries, and voice input for hands-free interactions. Whether this is useful or just another thing cluttering your home screen depends on how much you actually want an AI assistant embedded in your messaging app.

The idea is that instead of switching to ChatGPT or Perplexity, you can pull up Meta AI within WhatsApp and fire off a question without having to open the app first, as it's right from a widget. Whether that's convenient or annoying probably depends on your disposition. There have been complaints about Meta AI being too intrusive, so making it more deeply integrated is a questionable decision by Meta.

Meta AI bye

Whether this addition is useful or just another AI experiment in search of a problem will likely depend on how much you really need to talk to Meta AI.

Luckily, if you fall into the “no thanks” camp, you can disable it entirely by going into Settings > Chats and toggling off the Meta AI button. At least for now, opting out is still an option.

As Meta is betting big on AI integration, WhatsApp is a prime target simply because of its massive user base. If even a fraction of its billions of users start casually using Meta AI, that’s a win for Meta in the battle for AI dominance. But if users keep disabling the feature or ignoring it entirely, it might just be another forgotten experiment, like Facebook’s attempt at making the Metaverse a thing.

You might also like

• You can now message ChatGPT on WhatsApp or call it on your landline (if you still have one)
• Grok steps out to mobile with new standalone iOS app
• Meta wants to fill your social media feeds with bots – here's why I think it's wrong

Hazelight's newest game is two-player only. Here's how to find someone to play with.

Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini: two-minute review

The Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini doesn’t contain any new tech, but it does fulfil a sentiment among enthusiasts – what if Asus took its top-end sensors and switches and put them into a smaller pointer?

The company’s latest high-end mouse tech, including its ROG AimPoint Pro optical sensor (capable of an impressive 42,000-dpi) and its ROG 100M Optical Micro Switches, were previously exclusive to the ludicrously expensive Harpe Ace Extreme and the comparatively reasonably priced Keris II Ace – both aimed at competitive gamers with deep pockets.

The Harpe Ace Mini adopts the new tech, making it another top-end mouse in the Asus arsenal, putting it on par with the Ace Extreme at a price that’s not terrible – though still is out of reach of many gamers, even without the 8,000Hz Polling Rate Booster dongle that’s sold separately.

(Image credit: Zachariah Kelly / TechRadar)

Without the additional dongle, the mouse is capable of a standard 1,000Hz polling rate, which is fairly average among performance mice. What’s not average is the low weight – at only 1.72oz (49g), it's a number I’ve only seen bested by a handful of rivals.

The aforementioned AimPoint Pro sensor and Asus' ROG SpeedNova 2.4Ghz tech makes the mouse satisfyingly precise, which the low weight no doubt helps with. Hitting my shots in shooting games and navigating programs with small icons was a breeze, and at no time did I notice it being any less reliable than other high-spec mice that I've reviewed.

The maximum acceleration of 50g is less than that of the Razer Deathadder V3 (70g), but it felt sufficiently up to scratch for a casual gamer or PC user who might, at most, want to quickly flick the mouse to hit their shots in a shooting game. Additionally, the mouse can track on almost any surface without the need for a mouse pad – I've used it on wood, plastic, glass and metallic surfaces and had no trouble (though I prefer the feeling of a mouse pad).

The RGB is minimalist, housed entirely within the scroll wheel. The Asus Armory Crate software allows you to tweak its animation, color and brightness to your liking, and the lights will pulse red when it’s at low battery. It’ll also pulse green when charging.

(Image credit: Zachariah Kelly / TechRadar)

The battery life, which maxes out at 139 hours when RGB is disabled and Bluetooth is used, is impressive, as is the neutral design that I prefer my peripherals to have. You’ll likely be using the mouse with the 2.4GHz dongle for its greater performance, bringing maximum mouse battery life to 105 hours with lighting off and 79 hours with lighting on. Don’t get the wrong idea though – that’s still a fairly impressive number among RGB-touting rivals.

Flipping the mouse over, you’ll find a button that changes the DPI among your presets, cycling through them with every click, along with a pairing button. There’s also a slider that switches between wired (also ‘off’), Bluetooth and 2.4GHz dongle options.

There’s genuinely not a lot of bad things to say about the Harpe Ace Mini. It’s comfortable, it glides across a mousepad easily, and the only things I could even say critically about this pointer feel quite tepid.

(Image credit: Zachariah Kelly / TechRadar)

The high price is obviously a drawback, and the small size isn’t for everyone. The scroll wheel is a bit stiff, though this might be preferential for some users. The mouse is designed for right hands with its side buttons aligned on the left, though this would be a non-issue for many. The DPI switch is on the bottom, meaning you can’t quickly switch between presets, but this isn't unique to the Harpe Ace Mini and is the case on many high-end mice.

Asus’ Armory Crate software is a bit difficult to navigate, but is fine if you’re only going to make small tweaks here and there like I did (changing up the DPI, the actions of the side buttons and the mouse RGB).

There’s not much more I would have liked the mouse to have, given that it’s sporting much of the great tech found in the pricey ROG Harpe Extreme – though the carbon fiber shell from the Extreme would have been awesome (but understandably would have raised the price).

The ROG Harpe Ace Mini feels masterful. There’s very little room for improvement here, and it’s certainly a contender among the best gaming mice.

Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini review: price & availability

(Image credit: Zachariah Kelly / TechRadar)

• $129.99/£129.99/AU$229
• Available in white and black
• Polling Rate Booster dongle solder separately

Available now in black and white, the Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini comes with a set of mouse grip tape, replaceable mouse feet and a 2-meter USB-C cord, along with a 2.4GHz dongle and USB-C to USB-A converter. That dongle shouldn’t be confused with the Polling Rate Booster, which takes the report rate from 1,000Hz to a whopping 8,000Hz but is sold separately.

At this price, the ROG Harpe Ace Mini is competing with other high performance but fairly discreet mice, and is punching well above its price point. The now two-year-old Razer Deathadder V3 Pro is a considerable contender, as it launched three years ago and can often be found with attractive discounts. The same can be said for the impressive Logitech G Pro X Superlight 2.

These mice launched at higher prices than the ROG Harpe Ace Mini, which in my mind puts Asus’ tiny gaming mouse on the winning track, especially considering that it’s much smaller than either of these rivals. On size, we’d look to the Razer Cobra Pro as the closest contender, though it has a much lower DPI (30,000) and greater weight (77g).

Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini review: specs Should I buy the Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini? Buy it if…

You like small mice

The ROG Harpe Ace Mini’s bread and butter is high performance in a small package, so you should consider it if you dislike big mice.

You’ve already got a ROG-heavy setup

It’s good to cut down on accessory software on your computer, so you should consider the ROG Harpe Ace Mini if you’ve already got a setup taking advantage of Armory Crate.

Don’t buy it if…

It’s too expensive

The price of the ROG Harpe Ace Mini might be out of reach of many users.

You want more buttons

The ROG Harpe Ace Mini is a discreet mouse, and you’ll only get five programmable buttons included.

Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini: Also consider

Razer Deathadder V3 Pro

One of TechRadar’s highest-rated mice, this is arguably the best gaming mouse you can currently buy.

Read our Razer Deathadder V3 Pro review

Logitech G Pro X2 Superlight

Also notable for being discreet, the G Pro X2 Superlight offers a competitive feeling and is often discounted.

Read our Logitech G Pro X2 Superlight review

Razer Cobra Pro

The closest rival to the ROG Harpe Ace Mini, the Razer Cobra Pro is also notable for its small size, but is heavier with a lower maximum DPI.

Read out Razer Cobra Pro review

How I tested the Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini

• Used primarily on a Windows 11 gaming PC
• Multiple tweaks made in Armory Crate
• Tested alongside other new Asus ROG products

I tested the Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini over the course of a month, mostly using it to play games like Avowed, Marvel Rivals and The Headliners. I also used it regularly when browsing the internet and when writing things up at my home computer.

I made good use of Asus’ Armory Crate software, using it to tweak the RGB color and animation, along with changing my DPI presets and tweaking the actions of the side buttons. I used it primarily with the 2.4GHz dongle, but also over Bluetooth and while wired.

I also used the mouse alongside a slew of new Asus products to get the best unified experience, swapping out my all-Logitech setup for an all Asus arrangement.

Read more about how we test

• First reviewed in March 2025