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Court documents say Razer knew the mask wasn't certified to offer N95 protection but sold it that way anyway.

Confirmation hearings for Trump's cabinet picks are in full swing on Capitol Hill with a number of them appearing before the Senate this week.

Nominees including Pam Bondi, Trump's pick to run the Justice Department, John Ratcliffe, his pick to run the CIA, and Florida Senator Marco Rubio Trump's nominee for Secretary of State have all answered questions about what they'll do and what they won't do if confirmed.

Rubio and Ratcliffe will play key foreign policy roles under the 47th president.

Those are the people, but what do they tell us about the policy?

For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org

Email us at considerthis@npr.org

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A ceasefire deal has been announced that would end more than 15 months of war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. We learn about the details, how the agreement was reached and hear reaction from Israelis and Palestinians. We also look at what the war has meant for both sides and for the Middle East region.

For more coverage of this conflict and the latest developments, please come back to this feed. You can also go to npr.org/mideastupdates

(Image credit: Dawoud Abo Alkas)

Get multi-gig speed, cable service and more in this Florida city.

The Washington Post has endured subscriber cancellations, newsroom departures and mounting internal frustration in the first year of CEO and Publisher Will Lewis.'/>

Subscribers and star journalists have fled the Post in its first year under CEO and Publisher Will Lewis. Now staff have signed a petition asking owner Jeff Bezos to intervene.

(Image credit: Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

• Qualcomm currently sells AI accelerator processors but has the CPU market in its sights
• Sailesh Kottapalli's expertise is in x86 architecture, not Arm
• But that didn't stop Qualcomm from bringing him onboard to lead its data center team

Qualcomm, renowned for its Snapdragon processors powering business smartphones and laptops around the world, has made a potentially key hire as it looks to challenge the likes of AMD and Intel in the processor market.

The company’s latest coup is hiring Sailesh Kottapalli, a former chief architect for Xeon processors and a 28-year Intel veteran.

Kottapalli joined Qualcomm as senior vice president in early January 2025, bringing extensive expertise in designing high-performance x86 server chips.

Kottapalli's move to Arm

Kottapalli wrote on LinkedIn that “the opportunity to innovate and grow while helping to scale new frontiers was immensely compelling to me—a once-in-a-career opportunity that I could not pass on.”

What makes the move significant, given Qualcomm’s reliance on Arm-based designs, is Kottapalli’s expertise in x86 architecture. His leadership could help bridge the gap between Qualcomm’s existing technology and the demanding requirements of data center CPUs.

A renewed push for the data center

Qualcomm had retreated from server CPU development back in 2018, but the company has now revealed plans to develop high-performance, energy-efficient server solutions tailored for data center applications.

This journey began with its Snapdragon X series for PCs, featuring custom Arm-based cores derived from its $1.4 billion acquisition of the startup Nuvia back in 2021, that built to a legal crescendo in a Delaware court in December 2024 when Arm alleged that Qualcomm's acquisition breached its licencing terms. Though a federal jury sided with Qualcomm, Arm is seeking a retrial.

For now, though, Qualcomm has been expanding its presence in the data center sector, with AI accelerator chips under the Qualcomm Cloud AI brand supported by industry leaders like AWS, HPE, and Lenovo.

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• We've also listed the best AI tools right now
• Spending on data centers hit a high in 2024, but it won't last

I tried Atomic's Hawx Ultra 130 S Dual BOA boots, which feature two dials instead of buckles, and was impressed with how the upper dial has been implemented.

• GMKTec is yet another vendor jumping on the NAS + Mini PC combo craze
• Unlike rivals like Ugreen, it's announced a cost-effective, entry-level system
• GMKtec describes it as 'a dual-system NAS', suggesting dual boot functionality

GMKTec has announced its G9 NAS mini PC, a 4-bay device targeting entry-level users.

The G9 is marketed as a "dual-system" NAS and, though specific details are thin on the ground, this does imply being able to switch between NAS and mini PC-oriented operating systems.

An official teaser for the product does confirm this device will come with 12GB of RAM, but just 64GB of storage - likely eMMC.

An entry-level device for low spenders

The G9 will be also powered by the Intel N150 processor combined with LPDDR5 4800MHz memory. According to GMKTec, that makes the RAM in the system 80% faster than the previous DDR4 standard.

The GMKTec G9 also comes with dual 2.5G Ethernet ports as well as two USB Type-A ports, a high-speed USB Type-C port and dual HDMI ports.

GMKTec lists the device as “coming soon", with no information about the price.

Considering the specs, especially the eMMC storage, I expect it to be very affordable, but power users will probably want to look elsewhere.

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• These are the best hard drives right now
• Is Framebook getting some competition? Chinese vendor demos modular mini PC for DIY enthusiasts and I think it looks great

President Biden had once hoped to be giving a second inaugural address. Instead, he'll be saying farewell to public life, and trying to frame his legacy one last time.

The president-elect had expressed concern that Democrats seemed happy to see the flag lowered during the inauguration ceremony despite the tradition of lowering flags after a president's death.

(Image credit: Allison Robbert-Pool)

After years of complaints about “unlawful” repairability policies, the FTC is suing tractor manufacturer Deere & Company. Repairability advocates are calling it a milestone for consumer rights.

Optoma UHZ66 4K laser projector: one-minute review

The Optoma UHZ66 is a rather staid update to the company’s projector lineup. It offers a bright 4K picture with solid contrast and the useful ability to drop down to 1080p and run at 240Hz for smooth gaming, but it’s not breaking the mold in any particular way. It may have good color, but it does not match competitors like the JMGO N1S Ultra.

HDR viewing on the Optoma UHZ66 leaves plenty to be desired, and its bland design isn’t offset by helpful utilitarian features you find on the best 4K projectors like vertical lens shift — something the BenQ X3100i includes. Factor in the lack of an onboard smart TV system for streaming, the bottom-of-the-barrel remote control, and the weak built-in speaker, and you get a system that’s not offering much value on top of the picture quality.

The Optoma UHZ66 really needed to do more to win our hearts. It’s got a good picture, but the picture is just about all it has, and even at its recent price of about $2,000, a good picture simply isn’t enough.

Optoma UHZ66 4K laser projector review: price and release date

• Release date: October 2023
• Price: $1,999 (around £1,637 / AU$3,230)
  

The Optoma UHZ66 has been on the market for a little while now, launching in late 2023. When it arrived, it had a retail price of $2,999 (about £2,935, AU$4,460), but street pricing has come down considerably since then. It’s readily available for $1,999 (around £1,637 / AU$3,230) at the time of writing and has wavered between about $1,800 and $2,300 for much of the past year. At $2,999, it would be an immediate pass for us, but at $1,999, it offers a slightly more competitive value.

The UHZ66 control buttons are located on the projector's top (Image credit: Future) Optoma UHZ66 4K laser projector review: Specs

Connections include 2 HDMI 2.0 ports (1 with eARC) (Image credit: Future) Optoma UHZ66 4K laser projector review: design and features

• Bland design next to recent competitors
• Limited optical adjustments
• Requires additional home theater equipment

The Optoma UHZ66 is not one of those projectors that's gotten a recent glow-up, like the JMGO N1S Ultimate or any from Xgimi. Instead, it's your classic white plastic brick that would look just as at home in an office as it would in a home theater. The front of the projector is a flat piece of white plastic with a large lens protruding out of it. The sides are fully vented with grilles and the rear has an additional grille for even more airflow.

On the top of the Optoma UHZ66, you can find a handful of buttons that allow you to navigate the controls in case you misplace the remote control, which will be easy to do given how tiny it is. The top also includes a little slot with access to the zoom dial. That dial gives the UHZ66 an adjustable throw ratio, though no matter what you’re not getting a fairly long throw. The minimum is a 1.4:1 ratio. While optical zoom is useful, the Optoma UHZ66 unfortunately lacks vertical lens shift. I found placing it on a mantle at the back of a room too high to use it at all and also too low to use flipped upside-down. The most ideal setup is likely mounted to the ceiling with a long throw.

The Optoma UHZ66 sits on three small rubber feet allowing for some angle and tilt adjustments to help you align the projection with your wall. There are also mounting holes to set the UHZ66 up with a ceiling mount.

On the back of the projector, you’ll find a small selection of ports. You get two HDMI 2.0 inputs, including one with eARC, a USB port, a 3.5mm audio output, and RJ-45 and RS-232 ports. Given the projector only has a single speaker, an optical audio output would have also been good to see for more options and compatibility with different home theater setups given that HDMI eARC has a length limit and a 3.5mm port won’t carry a surround signal.

The remote included with the UHZ66 is not meant for much. It's a flat little thing about the size of a few stacked credit cards. It has three columns of buttons with no way to physically discern between them, which makes navigating it a pain. It also lacks backlighting, so it's hard to see in the dark conditions of a home theater. It does the job, but it has a long way to go to be user-friendly. It at least provides quick access to a few of the more important settings, such as input selection, picture mode, and keystone controls.

• Design and features score: 2.5/5

The UHZ66's included remote isn't particularly user-friendly (Image credit: Future) Optoma UHZ66 4K laser projector review: picture quality

• Bright, high-contrast 4K picture
• Low latency, especially in 240Hz mode
• System stutters during setting adjustments and signal switches

Let’s start with the good. The Optoma UHZ66 offers a respectably bright image and is easy to get exceptionally sharp with the focus dial. The 4K picture goes a long way at the sizes the projector is ready to display at. The contrast achieved by the projector is also commendable. Many projectors struggle with elevated black levels, but the UHZ66 can dim down quite low for blacks.

As bright as the UHZ66 may get, it doesn't appear to want to get as bright as it's rated for. Instead of hitting its rated 4,000 lumens, it comes closer to 2200 lumens, and even that requires a cooler color temperature setting to achieve. With the default warmer color, it falls toward 2100 lumens. I fiddled with a bunch of settings to see if I couldn’t figure out which might achieve Optoma’s lofty 4,000-lumen mark, but none quite got there.

Running the projector at its brightest settings requires opting for a cooler color temperature which makes the fans kick in. They can be fairly noisy if you're close to them, though they're not shrill or very loud in a larger room. Different settings also don't require the fans to run as hard, such as the dimmer Reference mode.

The color output of the UHZ66 is impressive. ALPD laser projectors haven’t always had the most impressive color gamut coverage in my experience testing, but the UHZ66 blasts out impactful color for something like the opening credits of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. One catch, though: it doesn’t seem to want to display its full color gamut when HDR is enabled. Everything turns rather mellow when HDR comes on. This is pretty much the opposite of what you’d expect from HDR content, so if you prefer a vibrant look, you’re better off setting your source devices to SDR output. Now, movies and TV don’t look bad in this condition, but they just lack some of the pop that they could have.

Trying to find ideal settings on the Optoma UHZ66 can be a real headache. The projector offers plenty of settings for tweaking the image, but navigating the menus is tedious thanks to the remote. And even just changing the volume on the Optoma UHZ66 is enough demand for the processor to actually cause the image to stutter. Switching picture modes or major settings can see blips where the projector goes out and comes back after a couple of seconds. And this happens not only when you’re changing settings yourself but also when you’re watching content and then back out to a menu.

A boon for gamers is the Optoma UHZ66’s ability to switch between 4K 60Hz and 1080p 240Hz modes. In its gaming mode, latency is minimal. It’s hard to detect input lag at 60Hz on the UHZ66 and it's practically imperceptible at the 240Hz mode. DLP projection systems are rather fast as well, providing quick pixel response times to avoid ghosting.

The UHZ66’s single speaker sounds boxed in and rather awful. It's nowhere near loud enough to match the kind of picture you can get from the UHZ66, and really shouldn't be relied on for anything.

• Picture quality score: 3.5/5

The UHZ66 has manual zoom and focus controls, but no lens shift (Image credit: Future) Optoma UHZ66 4K laser projector review: value

• Limited utility for the price
• Calls for streaming devices and external speakers

The Optoma UHZ66 is just one piece of a home theater setup. While it does include a speaker, it’s poorly matched for the theater capabilities of the projector. The lack of an onboard smart TV system also means you’ll need a source device no matter what setup you go for. While there are certainly some nice extras, like the 240Hz mode, it’s still largely filling just one role. If it came with more flexibility, such as an adjustable lens offset or hardware keystone, it would offer more value. But as it is, it’s fairly expensive to leave so much out, especially when competing projectors don’t make such omissions.

• Value score: 2.5/5

Should I buy the Optoma UHZ66 4K laser projector?

(Image credit: Future) Buy it if...

You’ve got a good ceiling mount already: Between its longer throw and vertical offset, the Optoma UHZ66 will serve well mounted to a ceiling at the back of a room and wired into an existing home theater setup.

You’re looking for responsive gaming: The gaming mode on the UHZ66 offers minimal input lag, and that lag drops to imperceptible levels in the 1080p 240Hz mode.

Don’t buy it if… 

You want the best picture: The Optoma UHZ66 is good, but not amazing. The color from the JMGO N1S Ultra is more impressive and less finicky with HDR content.

You want an all-in-one package: Though the UHZ66 includes a speaker, it’s not up to the task for home theater audio. And the lack of a smart TV interface means you’ll need at least a streaming stick to get going.

You have aesthetic concerns: Not many projectors have what I’d call stunning aesthetics, but the UHZ66 makes little attempt at being pretty or subtle. The bland white hunk of plastic isn’t going to lend much to your decor.

Also consider...

BenQ X3100i
The BenQ X3100i offers several upgrades over the UHZ66. It may not be as bright, but it’s geared up for gaming, is flexible, and offers an Android TV streaming stick for the money.

Here's our full BenQ X3100i review

BenQ X300G
The BenQ X300G is cheaper, but still reasonably bright and ready to shine a 4K 60Hz picture or 1080p 240Hz picture. It’s competent competition and a little better looking, too.

Here's our full BenQ X300G review

JMGO N1S Ultra
The JMGO N1S Ultra is an all-in-one package with stunning visuals, excellent color, Google TV built-in, impactful speakers, and easy projection adjustments (even if many of them are digital).

Here's our full JMGO N1S Ultra review.

How I tested the Optoma UHZ66 4K laser projector

• Tested at home in multiple, real-world viewing conditions
• Presented the display with a variety of media and formats
• I have tested numerous projectors and displays over the last half-decade

I tested the Optoma UHZ66 at home, in real-world conditions. This saw it faced with ambient light coming in from numerous windows, in-room lighting, as well as ambient noise that both the projector and speaker systems had to overcome. The projector was tested both against a bare, white wall and an Akia Screens CineWhite screen. It was presented with streamed content, HDR and non-HDR, and PC gameplay.

My testing evaluates the projector’s performance with respect to its price and competition from other models I and colleagues at TechRadar have tested.

I have been testing projectors since 2021 and displays for even longer.

First reviewed: January, 2024

• Read TechRadar's review guarantee

• Viewsonic VP2788-5K has a 27-inch diagonal and an integrated KVM
• It should be available by March 2025 but Viewsonic hasn't disclosed the price
• Viewsonic launched an 8K monitor at CES 2021 but it never hit the market

Viewsonic is set to unveil its latest monitor, the VP2788-5K, at the upcoming Pepcom Digital Experience in January 2025.

Designed for desktops, the 27-inch display (via TechPowerUp) is set to make it the smallest 5K (5120 x 2880) resolution monitor on the market.

ViewSonic is launching several other displays at the event, including the VG2748N, a 27-inch 1080p monitor that offers wireless casting capabilities, and the XG275D-4K gaming monitor, which brings 4K resolution with switchable refresh rates.

ViewSonic high-resolution monitors

ViewSonic’s VP2788-5K is a compact device with a 99% DCI-P3 color gamut and robust connectivity options, including Thunderbolt 4, HDMI 2.1, USB-C and A, and DisplayPort.

The monitor is expected to be available in the first quarter of 2025, possibly before the end of March.

Personally, I'm cautious about getting too excited about the VP2788-5K given that ViewSonic's previous 8K offering, the VP3286-8K, never hit the market.

Nevertheless, Jeff Muto, the company's Business Line Director, said, "ViewSonic is excited about its new line of product offerings in 2025."

"Our new desktop monitors, along with our current slate of portable display devices," he went on, "showcase how ViewSonic continues to expand its display solutions to offer more choices, features, and functionality to any type of work or play lifestyle."

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Wolf Man is the latest Blumhouse horror movie to grace our screens, with horror director Leigh Whannell returning to showcase his take on the classic Universal monster movie. He's done it before with The Invisible Man, spinning it as a tale of gaslighting and domestic abuse, and his vision for Wolf Man tells a similar, emotionally devastating tale, making it a great entry into this year's new movies.

Speaking to TechRadar, lead actor Christopher Abbott spoke about why Blake's transformation into the horrifying titular character means the horror is as much a tragedy as anything else, as the theme of loss runs throughout the narrative.

When asked if any other performances influenced his, he told us: "Yeah, I would say The Fly, Elephant Man, there's a little David Lynch in there. I guess there's sort of like a tragic element with both of those monster creatures, you know, and I think this has that."

This was one of my most anticipated horror movies of 2025, and it really did deliver. While, yes, it was scary and the jumpy moments were effective I did find myself more disturbed by the psychological torment and the emotional moments, especially when it came to the breakdown and total loss of communication between Blake and his wife and daughter (played by Julia Garner and Matilda Firth, respectively).

(Image credit: Blumhouse)

It's a big reason why I wanted to do the movie because when I first saw the designs, I just thought there was something very tragic about the monster.

Christopher Abbott, actor

Wolf Man features some brilliant scenes where the POV shifts from the wolves to the humans, so we get to see both sides of the situation. Their inability to communicate and understand each other makes Blake's transformation deeply sad, as he's morphed into something completely unrecognizable, mirroring the ways we can't communicate with any species except our own. That sense of isolation and the primal animal instinct taking over is the real horror at the heart of Wolf Man. The audience already knows Blake and his wife Charlotte's marriage is strained, and now they've had the ability to talk it out ripped away.

Abbott added: " They're miscommunicating. They're talking around each other, they're not communicating well. You just need that idea to then help set up the more fantastical thing where, where the communication then gets taken from you. And then how do you, how do you then communicate when you're not even, uh, physically able to?"

Not only was there the breakdown of a bond between husband and wife, but also a father and daughter. Abbott praised his young co-star Matilda Firth, who played his on-screen daughter Ginger, revealing: "She was oddly seasoned. It felt like she was oddly seasoned. I loved her, but it was almost off-putting. She felt too much like a pro. I felt like I was working with like an 80 year old theater vet. But she just takes things in stride. She's there to play. You can throw something at her and she'll do it or try it."

Wolf Man is in theaters from Friday, January 17.

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• Warner Bros drops trailer for sci-fi horror Companion, but it spoils too much of the plot

While some of President-elect Trump's cabinet nominees faced sharp questioning this week, Sean Duffy received a friendly welcome in his confirmation hearing to be secretary of transportation.

(Image credit: Samuel Corum)

Food manufacturers have until 2027 to remove the controversial ingredient from products.

Mark Zuckerberg said content moderation teams in California will relocate to Texas to help reduce bias. In practice, employees aren't expecting many forced relocations.

Find the best iPhone 16 case to keep your iPhone protected and give it a bit of personality too!

Unlike Donald Trump's first inauguration in 2017, which reportedly struggled to book high-profile performers, several well-known artists will partake in this year's inaugural events.

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• The Mind 2 is more than just a mini PC, it’s an on-the-go dev platform
• Additional features and functionalities are a key appeal
• The Mind 2 AI Maker Kit makes this a developers dream

Mini PCs were a booming market in 2024, and 2025 shows no signs of slowing down in this regard - and there’s one particular model that caught my eye.

The Mind 2 mini PC from Khadas, which the firm flaunted at CES 2025, is an impressive bit of hardware for professionals and casual users alike.

This modular device bears more of a resemblance to a bulky SSD than a mini PC, but is powered by the Intel Arrow Lake platform, giving it serious bang for your buck.

Power boost

Boasting an Intel Core Ultra 7 225H processor and built on the new Arrow Lake-H architecture, the Mind 2 marks a significant improvement on Khadas’ previous model.

The Mind 2 includes general performance improvements, but also great energy efficiency, enhanced integrated graphics, and, given the sharpened industry focus on the technology, improved AI processing capabilities.

“Compared to its predecessor, the Mind 2s boasts remarkable improvements in both single-core and multi-core performance, delivering a more efficient computing experience,” Khadas said in its launch announcement.

All told, the Mind 2 is a powerful mini PC that’s flexible enough in its capabilities to span a range of functions - from professional design and video editing to complex AI tasks.

What separates the device from counterparts in the industry, however, is the suite of complementary tools and features that accompany it. Khadas is keen to point out that the Mind devices come with an entire ecosystem of capabilities surrounding them.

An AI developer’s dream

Focused primarily toward AI developers, the mini PC comes with the Mind 2 AI Maker Kit. Powered by the Intel Lunar Lake platform and an Intel Core Ultra 7 258V processor, the Maker Kit boasts up to 115 TOPS of computing power.

This has the potential to significantly enhance AI model efficiency and optimization. The Mind Maker Kit essentially acts as an agile deployment server and edge computing platform, allowing devs to deploy models locally or at the edge.

That means lower latency and better efficiency for real-time applications, as well as better data privacy. Combine this with the fact that it weighs a paltry 435 grams, and this makes it a perfect device for developers on the move or in remote work environments.

The newest addition to the Mind ecosystem is equally tantalizing and could be a game changer for user productivity.

Mind xPlay is focused specifically toward “mobile work and multi-scenario applications”, according to Khadas. This feature allows users to integrate with accessories such as the Mind Dock or Mind Graphics GPU expansion module.

Khadas Mind 2: Pricing and other features

The Khadas Mind 2 comes complete with Thunderbolt 4 and USB4 ports, marking an improvement on the previous model.

Storage capabilities can also be improved via SSD and the device has a built-in 5.55Wh battery.

It doesn’t come cheap, however, with pricing set to start at $799 and can be altered or tuned based on user preferences.

The options include a base-level device boasting an Intel Ultra 5 125H processor, although this version is limited to 16GB memory and 512GB storage.

Opting for the Ultra 7 155H model does offer better flexibility and general performance, but there’s quite a jump in price. Users can select 32GB or 64GB memory with this line and up to 2Tb in storage capacity. These setups will set you back more than $1,000.

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