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A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Sunday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Sunday, June 15 (game #469).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #470) - hint #1 - today's themeWhat is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Key notes

NYT Strands today (game #470) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• REPEAT
• NEEDS
• LICE 
• SAUCE
• PLATE
• CLUE

NYT Strands today (game #470) - hint #3 - spangram lettersHow many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 11 letters

NYT Strands today (game #470) - hint #4 - spangram positionWhat are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: top, 3rd column

Last side: bottom, 3rd column

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #470) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #470, are…

• ETUDE
• SUITE
• MINUET
• NOCTURNE
• SONATA
• PRELUDE
• SPANGRAM: PIANO PIECES

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: 1 hint

I desperately needed a hint to start me off today and the word that I was given – ETUDE – is one that I’m only familiar with from playing Wordle spinoff Quordle, where it has appeared several times this year.

It’s a piece of music that’s used as practice for students and is intended to stretch and test their abilities. 

Once I had this prompt I managed to find the other words without any further assistance.

All of these words for PIANO PIECES are familiar, but I was uncertain what they all meant. MINUET, for example, I had assumed meant a very short piece but is actually a slow, stately dance in triple time. Everyday’s a school day with Strands.

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday, June 15, game #469)

• CHALUPA
• CRAWDAD
• POPCORN
• PAPARAZZI
• POPSICLE
• SPANGRAM: FATHERS DAY

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

The German giant takes on Oceania's only representative in the tournament.

Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster is a weird Nintendo Switch 2 launch title, something of a time capsule in every manner the phrase could imply. As a game, it’s stubbornly unchanged, and yet by being so familiar, it remains just as enjoyable as it was on its initial Nintendo 3DS release.

Review info

Platform reviewed: Nintendo Switch 2
Available on: Nintendo Switch 2
Release date: June 5, 2025

As the game’s producer Tomoya Asano noted ahead of this remaster’s release, Bravely Default was designed as a throwback to the classic 2D and 16-bit era of RPGs.

Its success both at home and abroad inspired the company to develop its HD-2D titles, such as Octopath Traveler and the Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake. It emulates classic Final Fantasy with a grand globe-trotting adventure to save the world, wonderfully representative of the Nintendo Entertainment System and Super Nintendo Entertainment System eras of the storied franchise.

One day, a great chasm suddenly opens in the earth underneath the village of Norende, with Tiz the sole survivor. The four crystals driving the natural balance of the world have been plunged into darkness. When he runs into one of the Vestals (priestesses of the crystals), Agnes Oblige, he is inspired to protect her and seek a way to reawaken them. Over time, you are joined in your travels by Edea Lee and Ringabel, and these four warriors of light set out to rejuvenate the world.

This is a turn-based RPG, enhanced by a deep job system and much more. The result evolves this basic framework into something highly engaging and, even all these years later, wholly unique. The titular Brave and Default mechanics bring a fascinating risk-reward thrill to difficult combat: you begin with 0 BP in each battle, with any action consuming one point. You can act multiple times in a single term by using Brave, consuming extra BP, but you’ll be unable to act again until you recover to at least zero.

Default is this game’s term for defending: you won’t act, but you’ll gain an extra BP and take less damage, allowing you to act twice next time without skipping a turn. By building up BP across multiple characters and tying it to special moves it allows for some intense all-out attacks if you strategize correctly.

Fairy-ly Strategic

(Image credit: Square Enix)

And strategize you must. Success against bosses hinges on correctly utilizing this system, as well as the jobs. These are the various classes you may already be familiar with, such as mages, thieves, and knights, alongside more exotic jobs like merchants.

Mastery of these classes allows you to inherit some of their abilities to other classes, essentially allowing a character to embody the best of two jobs at once. Battles require not just good strategy but knowing your limits, all while taking advantage of this job system to craft a mage with the speed of a thief, and so on.

One typical frustration when it comes to turn-based RPGs is that combat can soon feel slow or repetitive. These systems combine to avoid that. If you do feel the need to grind to increase your level, earn money, or improve a character’s class proficiency, you can assign actions for characters to take in auto-battles or change encounter rates and battle speed.

Best bit

(Image credit: Square Enix)

After first struggling to beat a boss, stepping back to adjust your jobs and equipment before tackling it with the right balance of offense and defense takes advantage of every aspect of the battle system, and makes victory feel oh-so sweet.

It’s hard to find much to complain about when it comes to Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster. It was praised in its time for being one of the best RPGs, and that remains true today. The script and characters charm, the battles thrill, just as they did before. Next to nothing has changed.

The character models and world are the same low-polygon 3D models as the 3DS release, bar a few upgraded textures, a fact only more apparent in the models for minor characters or the stiff, limited animations in cutscenes. It’s a testament to the timeless art style of the original game that the towns and select areas remain at times stunning and never feel garish when blown up on a larger screen.

A lingering legacy

(Image credit: Square Enix)

The only real differences in Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster are more of a necessity than anything else: the old game made heavy use of the network features of the 3DS, encouraging players to send combat support to other players while walking out in the world via StreetPass, or linking the abilities of your party with friends. These have been adapted to the Nintendo Switch Online ecosystem somewhat awkwardly, the joy of encountering strangers while walking outside replaced with much less interesting ghosts in towns.

There are two new minigames, but these feel like they exist primarily as an excuse to justify Nintendo Switch 2 exclusivity. They each use mouse controls, but not very effectively. Luxencheer Rhythm Catch is a rhythm game timed to a few iconic songs from the game’s soundtrack while a character of your choice dances along. It’s serviceable, but doesn't feel as natural as a proper rhythm game should.

Ringabel’s Panic Cruise is easily the more involved and interesting of the pair, putting you behind the controls of an airship as you steer around a course and react to commands by pulling switches and knobs or blowing whistles. I could imagine myself enjoying a full game with this concept and controls, but here it feels like little more than a tech demo. With both hidden in submenus, these will be forgotten almost immediately.

(Image credit: Square Enix)

Take these minimal bonus features away, and this is almost exactly the same game as it was before. Excluding a few quality of life changes and an adaptation from a two-screen handheld to a single-screen hybrid console, this is identical to the original release. Often, titles like Bravely Default may receive a new translation ahead of a new release, but even that remains unchanged here.

This, at least for me, is fine. In retaining as much of this 3DS experience as possible, Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster stands apart from its contemporaries as something unlike other RPGs on the market right now, faithfully making a classic of the genre accessible to a new generation.

While it’s a tough sell to those who played the original game upon its release due to the unchanged nature of this story and gameplay, I’ve personally enjoyed the excuse to revisit it, exactly as I remember.

For all it isn’t pushing the new hardware to the limits while the limited new features are more of an excuse and obligation to test new hardware than enhance the experience, it’s hard to complain when you have one of the best RPGs of the last 15 years on the largest or smallest screen you could desire.

Should I play Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster?

(Image credit: Square Enix)Play it if...

You never tried the original game
An adventure inspired by the classics but updated into something singular, Bravely Default is still not only timeless, it’s one of the best RPGs of the past 15 years

You love to strategize
No matter your level or job, an overly offensive or poorly strategized boss fight can leave you vulnerable to defeat in any fight. You’re always on your toes in your journey to save the world.

Characters and story drive your play
Bravely Default has such a charming core cast of characters whose chemistry will leave you laughing from the moment you meet. Their jokes and spirit alone can keep the adventure going.

Don't play it if...

You’re a returning player wanting something new
There’s nothing here you haven’t seen before if you played the original game. While Bravely Default is an enjoyable enough experience worth replaying, don’t come expecting a new perspective on this classic.

You want to push your new Switch 2 to the limits
This is a Nintendo 3DS game at its core, and the title has been given minimal visual upgrades. New content is limited to two minigames. This won’t test the power of the device or push all the new features of Nintendo Switch 2.

Accessibility features

While it’s possible to adjust language and subtitle options in Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster, and there is hardware-level limited button remapping for those using the Switch 2 Charging Grip or Pro Controller, there are no other accessibility features for those needing features such as colorblind mode.

How I reviewed Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster

I played 20 hours of Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster and tried all features, including town rebuilding and bonus minigames.

This brought me partway into the second chapter of the game, although I did complete the game upon its initial release on Nintendo 3DS and compared the experience between the two titles.

Much of the game was played on a Nintendo Switch 2 in handheld or tabletop mode, as well as on an ASUS VG27AQL1A gaming monitor. Audio was utilized in a mix of the system’s internal speakers, Apple AirPods Max connected wirelessly to the device, as well as Denon speakers connected to the monitor via a Yamaha A-S301 Amplifier.

First reviewed June 2025

• Denmark wants out of Microsoft's grip, turning to Linux and LibreOffice for independence
• The Danish government is choosing open source over vendor lock-in and foreign tech control
• LibreOffice might be free, but can it match Microsoft Office’s compatibility?

Denmark is embarking on an ambitious effort to reduce its reliance on proprietary software from foreign tech giants by transitioning its government systems away from Microsoft offerings Windows and Office 365.

The Danish Ministry of Digitalization reportedly plans a phased migration to Linux operating systems and LibreOffice for office productivity.

The initiative is driven by concerns over digital sovereignty and the strategic risks of depending on foreign providers, particularly those based in the United States.

Open-source tools as a strategy for independence

Danish officials cite widely used open-source office suite LibreOffice as the best alternative to Microsoft Office for their needs.

The ministry aims to gain greater control over software updates, data storage, and security while avoiding vendor lock-in.

This effort is not solely about cutting costs, although reduced licensing fees are expected to yield financial benefits.

The core objective, according to Minister Caroline Stage, is strategic: to safeguard Denmark’s digital infrastructure from the uncertainties of geopolitical tensions and the risk of disrupted access to US-based services.

The move aligns with a broader trend across Europe, where governments are increasingly cautious about the long-term implications of depending on foreign tech companies.

Denmark’s initiative is not without precedent. More than a decade ago, Germany, most notably the city of Munich, attempted to replace Microsoft products with Linux and LibreOffice.

Despite initial enthusiasm, the project was eventually reversed due to compatibility issues, user dissatisfaction, and challenges in maintaining productivity.

Given this history, observers may question whether Denmark’s approach can yield different results.

The Danish government, however, appears to be proceeding with greater caution. The rollout will be gradual, and the ministry has stated that it will temporarily revert to Microsoft tools if serious disruptions arise.

This pragmatic stance indicates a willingness to prioritize operational continuity over strict adherence to the transition timeline.

While LibreOffice is often described as the leading alternative to Microsoft Word, its real-world performance in government settings remains a subject of debate.

Compatibility with Microsoft Office documents and user adaptation to a new interface may pose significant challenges.

Likewise, while Linux is frequently praised as a powerful and secure operating system, its stability and support can vary depending on the chosen distribution.

Ultimately, Denmark’s initiative represents a broader political and technological experiment, one that raises important questions about control, resilience, and the future of national digital infrastructure.

Whether it will succeed where others have stumbled remains to be seen, but what is clear is that the move is less about software preference and more about who holds the keys to government technology.

Via Guru3D

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On Father's Day, Esther Ngumbi thinks of the sacrifices her Kenyan dad made to ensure that not only his son but his four daughters got an education. He'd say, "I choose to educate you, my girls."

(Image credit: Family photo)

The U.S. Army celebrated its 250th anniversary on Saturday with a massive military parade in Washington, D.C., against a backdrop of political division and protests savaging President Trump.

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• A well-known analyst predicts a 2026 launch for the AirPods Pro 3
• Some tipsters had previously suggested they'd appear this year
• New gesture-recognizing cameras are among the rumored upgrades

Apple launched the AirPods Pro 2 back in September 2022, and is still pushing out new features for them – but it seems we may have to wait until next year before the Apple AirPods Pro 3 see the light of day.

According to industry analyst Jeff Pu (via @Jukanlosreve), the AirPods Pro 3 are slated for a 2026 release. That would mean a full four years between launches, after a three year gap between the original AirPods Pro and the AirPods Pro 2.

We don't get much more information beyond that for this particular leak, but it means you may have a little more time to save up to get Apple's next pair of premium earbuds. The 4th-gen version of the standard AirPods were launched last September.

We had got our hopes up for a 2025 launch for the Apple AirPods Pro 3 after code mentioning the earbuds was spotted in iOS 26. Nothing is certain either way, but a launch this year is now looking less likely.

What we think we know so far

Apple Product Timeline by Jeff Pu, GF Securities Hong Kong pic.twitter.com/jEIGMi7TwvJune 15, 2025

There have certainly been plenty of leaks and rumors around the AirPods Pro 3 since 2022, so we've got a pretty good idea of what's coming – even if we have to wait a little longer for the grand unveiling of these upgraded earbuds.

One of the major changes rumored to be coming is the introduction of tiny infrared cameras on the AirPods Pro. The purpose of these cameras, apparently, would be to capture gestures for controlling the earbuds.

There will of course be some audio quality improvements – which we would certainly expect after a four year gap between models – and there's also been talk that we'll see a number of health tracking enhancements as well.

Let's hope the price is something that doesn't change: both previous models of the AirPods Pro had a starting price of $249 / £249 / AU$399, and we're hoping that Apple won't have to hike up that price next time around.

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At least ten people were killed in Israel overnight, after multiple Iranian missiles evaded the country's advanced defense systems. Explosions rocked Tehran, but casualties weren't immediately clear.

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At Summer Game Fest, we tried a goth farming simulator inspired by Dredge and Cult of the Lamb.

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• MonTitan SSD shows impressive specs but may have missed timing window
• Silicon Motion faces tough competition from vertically integrated NAND manufacturers
• Strong controller performance may not be enough in today’s AI market

Silicon Motion’s MonTitan SSD platform is finally getting a full performance breakdown after years of trade show previews, and while the results impress on paper, the question is whether it’s too late to matter.

A review from TweakTown claims the 7.68TB MonTitan SSD is “a masterpiece of enterprise storage design,” powered by Silicon Motion’s SM8366 PCIe Gen5 controller and built to compete in the highest tiers of data center performance.

The MonTitan platform targets both TLC and QLC configurations and is optimized for AI, edge computing, and HPC environments.

Delivers more than most

With support for NVMe 2.0b, OCP Data Center specs, and multiple standard form factors, 7.68TB MonTitan SSD is aimed at modern, high-demand workloads. The reviewed unit, a U.2 form factor TLC-based SSD, supports 3.4 million IOPS and sequential speeds up to 14.2GB/s.

It also boasts tight latency control, low idle power (under 5W), and a 1 DWPD endurance rating that allows the drive to be rewritten nearly 2000 times over its lifespan.

The SM8366 controller itself is the cornerstone of the platform, offering advanced features like PerformaShape, a firmware-based algorithm for shaping performance by user-defined quality of service (QoS) requirements.

Combined with hardware-level isolation, this design aims to deliver consistent, application-tuned throughput across workloads.

Summing it up, TweakTown said: “We like what Silicon Motion has developed in its SM8366 controller as delivered by its MonTitan platform. Our test subject demonstrated clearly that it can deliver more than most of its competitors. We especially appreciate its tight, consistent and predictable IO delivery along with its ability to dominate most, if not all, of those in its class or even above at low queue depths.”

Despite the technical strengths, Silicon Motion’s position is more complicated. It, like Phison and other controller vendors, is now competing against former partners.

NAND makers such as Samsung and SK Hynix are vertically integrated, building their own controllers and keeping more of the value chain in-house. In that landscape, offering a platform, however capable, is a much harder sell.

With AI workloads now pushing queue depths far beyond what was typical just a few years ago, controller quality matters more than ever. But with full commercialization of platforms like MonTitan coming years after the AI infrastructure race began, Silicon Motion may simply be too late to carve out meaningful space against entrenched competitors.

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Vienna has a way to make affordable housing and combat climate change all at the same time. Now U.S. cities want in, and they're building their own green housing.

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Beef season 2: key information

- Filming reportedly wrapped in May
- Carey Mulligan, Oscar Isaac, Charles Melton and more to star
- No official trailer released yet
- An entirely new plot for season 2
- Lee Sung Jin continues as creator and showrunner
- No word yet on future seasons

Beef season 2 reportedly wrapped filming in May, which means we're one step closer to more chaotic comedy and unapologetic rage.

Though, this time, with a whole new cast and whole new plot. Beef season 1 followed Amy (Ali Wong) and Danny (Steven Yeun) as two strangers brought together by a road rage incident. And in light of its great success on one of the best streaming services, it won a multitude of awards and a season 2 renewal.

After Amy and Danny's feud consumes every fiber of their beings, it all concluded dramatically in the season 1 finale. This time round, new characters join the anthology series with their own serving of beef to address – and we're certainly hungry for more.

Here's everything we know so far about the Beef season 2 release date, trailer, confirmed cast, plot and more.

Beef season 2: is there a release date?

Filming on Beef season 2 reportedly wrapped in May (Image credit: Netflix)

There's no Beef season 2 release date, just yet, but all the signs are pointing in the right direction.

After season 2 was confirmed by Netflix in October 2024, filming reportedly commenced in January before wrapping in early May, according to a post by the Film & Television Industry Alliance.

FTIA also posted on season 1's filming, which took place in January to April 2022, with the show eventually releasing on Netflix in April 2023. So, if I take a shot at predicting the Beef season 2 release date, I'd say early to mid 2026.

Beef season 2: has a trailer been released?

No Beef season 2 trailer just yet (Image credit: Netflix)

There's no official Beef season 2 trailer to share, but I'll be sure to update here when there is. Considering filming only reportedly wrapped in May, I'd say with confidence that there won't be a trailer anytime soon.

Beef season 2: confirmed and predicted cast

Song Kang-Ho will join Carey Mulligan, Oscar Isaac, Yuh-Jung Youn, Charles Melton, and Cailee Spaeny as a guest star in the next installment of BEEF! pic.twitter.com/88QmAYurfYDecember 19, 2024

Potential spoilers follow for Beef season 2.

The Beef season 2 cast is entirely new, and as such, there will be no returning characters from season 1. Here's the actors we can expect to star this time round:

• Oscar Isaac as TBC
• Carey Mulligan as TBC
• Charles Melton as TBC
• Cailee Spaeny as TBC
• Song Kang-ho as TBC

While their roles haven't been officially confirmed, Beef season 2 follows a young couple and their boss and his wife. We would say then that those four characters make up Isaac, Mulligan, Melton and Spaeny's casting.

For Parasite's Song Kang-ho, it has been revealed that he will be a guest star in season 2 and the official logline (seen below) references a Korean billionaire of which Song will most likely be playing.

Beef season 2: story synopsis and rumors

Beef season 2 steps away from Danny and Amy's story (Image credit: Netflix)

Full spoilers follow for Beef season 1 and potential spoilers for Beef season 2.

While Beef season 1 followed two people brought together by a road rage incident, season 2 is going to be completely different.

And we know that thanks to Netflix Tudum's official logline: "This season's inciting incident? A young couple witnesses an alarming fight between their boss and his wife, triggering chess moves of favors and coercion in the elitist world of a country club and its Korean billionaire owner."

We also know that Beef season 2 will be a little shorter, running for eight 30-minute episodes, as opposed to season 1's ten. And if the FTIA production post is anything to go by, it's also been filmed in both Los Angeles and Korea.

But, while the tale of this season of the anthology series is not at all like the previous, creator and showrunner Lee Sung Jim is still the man behind it.

During the Beef SXSW panel in March 2023, Lee in fact revealed that season 1 was inspired by his own experience, though in a BMW, not a white SUV like Amy: "It honked at me, cursed at me and drove away. And for some reason on that day, I was like, "I'm going to follow you."

The similarities end there though as his personal road rage didn't end the same way as Beef does. But, he did also say it made him think how we "live in such subjective realities and we project so much onto people that we don't know all the time."

Aside from the logline then, it appears the Beef season 2 plot is being kept firmly under wraps. But, with Lee once again behind it, we can hope it's just as darkly comedic and full of rage as the first.

And speaking to Variety, Carey Mulligan said of season 2: "Almost everything [is different]. But it's still [creator Lee Sung Jin] being brilliant. It's a completely new story and if I say anything else then a laser beam will appear on my head. But it's very exciting."

Will there be more seasons of Beef?

Beef season 2 offers an entirely new path for the show (Image credit: Netflix)

There's been no word on Beef season 3, which is not surprising since season 2 hasn't launched on Netflix yet.

In 2023, creator Lee told Elle: "Cards on the table, we did pitch this show as a limited anthology, so there is sort of a close-ended-ness to the story [of Danny and Amy]. But, if given the opportunity, of course, I'd love to explore them further, because Danny and Amy, I love those characters. But yeah, by design, though, this is a close-ended narrative."

Lee said this before Beef season 2 was even confirmed and so, we know now, that in true anthology fashion, there's an entirely different story to tell this time round - away from Danny and Amy (for now).

But, we also know that a second season means it's no longer a limited series. So, the potential for more seasons to come is very possible.

For more Netflix-based coverage, read our guides on Nobody Wants This season 2, Stranger Things season 5, Wednesday season 2, and One Piece season 2.

• Manage VPS servers using natural language commands
• Works in over 50+ languages
• Supported across the entire Hostinger ecosystem

It always puzzled me why Hostinger, one of the best web hosting providers, didn't offer managed VPS hosting.

I rank Hostinger as a top web hosting provider across many categories including best VPS hosting, best WordPress hosting, and best cloud hosting - clearly, Hostinger knows how to put together excellent hosting packages.

So, why not offer managed VPS hosting to beginners stepping up from shared hosting into VPS?

Hostinger has been planning something better

Meet VPS Kodee, an AI assistant powered by the Model Context Protocol (MCP).

While this isn't a complete replacement of some requirements of managed servers it does bridge that gap between beginner shared hosting and more complex VPS hosting.

"Our vision is to make VPS self-management radically simpler for everyone," Valentinas Čirba, Head of VPS at Hostinger told TechRadar Pro in an exclusive comment.

"With Kodee powered by MCP, users no longer need to learn complex commands – just chat naturally, and the AI takes care of the rest.”

(Image credit: Hostinger)

Kodee can handle complex server tasks 24/7 in multiple languages, and can be using for over 200 operations including setting up firewalls, creating snapshots, troubleshooting SSH, and scanning for malware.

Kodee is integrated directed into hPanel, and throughout Hostinger's infrastructure by using MCP, an open source standard that provides context to AI.

No need to worry

There is a lot of fear over the integration of AI into workflows but Hostinger says Kodee cannot and will not execute risky actions like a complete reinstall, changing OS templates, or restoring templates. If you need to do something like that, Kodee will guide you through the steps.

While the biggest benefits can be seen with VPS hosting, Kodee can also also help with website building, managed hosting for WordPress, and support in general.

Before this upgrade to Kodee, I spent one hour with Hostinger and found Kodee really helpful - and Hostinger data claims the tool resolved over half of issues via live chat, with that amount expected to grow as it rolls out further.

AI is central to Hostinger’s business

Kodee is not the only AI tool recently launched by Hostinger - other new releases include Hostinger Reach, an AI marketing tool, and Hostinger Horizons a no-code AI web app builder.

Hostinger continue to develop the AI website builder that creates professional websites, writes content, creates images, and helps with SEO tasks. Plus, Hostinger's AI WordPress builder.

More product and service support will be released for Kodee in the coming months, so stay tuned for more updates as we see them.

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Garmin seems as though it's in the midst of a major course correction, and 2025 is a pivotal year. As someone who's been reviewing fitness technology, including the best Garmin watches, for many years, there's certainly been an increase in dramatic shifts in direction for the company in the past few months.

That's not to say 'change' means 'bad': the recently announced Garmin Venu X1 looks like a great watch, but it's a pivot from the way Garmin has been designing watches up until this point.

At two inches, the Venu X1 features Garmin's biggest screen. The Venu series has always represented Garmin's foray into lifestyle watch territory, with AMOLED screens replacing the duller, battery-saving memory-in-pixel (MIP) ones used in many of Garmin's other series and offering communication features, such as the ability to take calls on-wrist and interface with smart devices like the best video doorbells. Essentially, the Venu series was Garmin's answer to the best Apple Watches.

The Garmin Venu X1 is Garmin's Apple Watch Ultra in every way. A square shape instead of Garmin's usual round face and no longer chunky to incorporate bigger batteries, the Venu X1 is described as 'ultrathin', and packs a reduced maximum of eight days of battery life.

It's still leagues more life than you get out of your standard Apple Watch, but that powerful AMOLED screen, coupled with other features like an LED torch, means you'll get much less than the Garmin Venu 3, which used to offer up to 14 days.

(Image credit: Garmin)

Venu X1 eschews the way old watches used to be made for the company's truest smartwatch-esque design yet.

All other watches, such as Garmin's Forerunner, Instinct, and Fenix ranges, which used to be released with power-saving MIP screens, are now being released as power-sucking AMOLED ones. Where MIP options do exist, they're packing Garmin's Power Glass solar battery-extending technology, because this can't yet be implemented on a watch with an AMOLED screen. I have no doubt that once Garmin cracks Power Glass for AMOLED, we'll never see a MIP option again.

Battery lives are getting shorter, screens are getting brighter, and feature lists are getting longer, as Garmin positions itself further alongside Apple and Samsung and further away from its best running watch contemporaries, Polar and Coros. Apple is the biggest seller of smartwatches by a huge margin, so it's clear there's a market there, and one Garmin probably believes is worth pivoting to tap into.

On the fitness side, the introduction of a premium tier aligns more closely with Garmin's competitors, such as Fitbit and Google, and some of the best fitness apps like Strava and AllTrails.

Garmin has been one of the few holdouts for a long time as its competitors offered premium subscription services – even Apple has Apple Fitness Plus – and fans appreciated the company's stubbornness. However, it finally buckled in March, seeing the revenue streams it was leaving on the table and arriving with the controversial Garmin Connect Plus.

Garmin fans can feel it in the air: their brand of choice is undergoing a change of direction, a sort of metamorphosis. The next six months will tell us more about that change and what the next few years of Garmin will look like.

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The London-bound plane struck a medical college hostel in a residential area of the northwestern city of Ahmedabad minutes after takeoff Thursday, killing 241 on board and at least 29 on the ground.

(Image credit: Rafiq Maqbool)

I’m happy to see Brother boarding the bulk tank bandwagon at last. Given the outrageous profit margins to be had from inkjet cartridges, its reluctance is understandable, but Brother is expecting to catch up with the launch of this compact and competitively priced supertanker.

The Brother DCP-T580DW is the more affordable model in a new refillable range that’s aimed at the home office or micro business. It’s a basic color A4 all-in-one with key features such as auto-duplex printing, hi-res scanning and Wi-Fi with AirPrint compatibility built in. There’s no automatic document feed (ADF), rear paper tray or color display, which are reserved for the slightly more expensive Brother DCP-T780DW, which also performed better on test.

But what puts this modest multifunction printer ahead of the cartridge-bound competition are its four ink tanks and four bundled bottles of ink, enabling you to print up to 7,500 black and white pages and 5,000 color. For comparison, the HP Envy 6530e comes with cartridges containing enough ink for 120 back pages and 75 in color. You can see why consumers are choosing tank printers. But how does this entry-level model from Brother compare to the best ink tank printers? I tested it to find out.

Brother DCP-T580DW: Design and buildImage 1 of 4

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(Image credit: Brother // Future)Specs

Type: color tank inkjet printer

Functions: Print, copy, scan

Connectivity: Ethernet, USB, Wi-Fi

Data storage slots: none

Max print speed: 16ipm (mono)

Max paper size: A4/legal

Print quality: 1,200 x 600 dpi

Apple AirPrint: yes

Consumables included: 4 bottles (7,500 black, 5,000 color pages)

Dimensions/Weight: 15.35 x 13.50 x 5.87in (WxDxH) / 17.42lb - 390 x 343 x 149 mm (WxDxH)/7.9kg

The Brother DCP-T580DW is really a second generation tank printer, following the odd-looking Brother DCP-T525W, which was sold exclusively through Amazon. This version sees Brother take its tank printers to the UK for the first time and it looks much more refined, with the four tanks integrated into a commendably compact design that looks no bigger than a cartridge printer.

To achieve this neat form factor, instead than having the ink reservoirs bulging out at the side as before, their capacity has been reduced. At 48.8 milliliters, these tanks are smaller than Epson’s 65ml EcoTanks, or HP’s 70ml Smart Tanks.

In fact, it’s slightly less than some of Brother’s high-capacity INKvestment Tank cartridges. However, it’s still way more than your average cartridge and it allows this printer to be small enough to sit on your desk without stealing too much space.

There’s only one paper input and its cassette, which holds up to 150 sheets of letter, legal or A4 paper, protrudes slightly from the front. There’s a flatbed scanner on top, but no ADF and the display is a very basic single-line affair surrounded by the usual array of buttons on a tilting panel. The two ports for connecting power and USB cables are at the left side, rather than the rear, which might suit your setup, or it might not.

Brother DCP-T580DW: Features & specifications Image 1 of 3

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(Image credit: Brother // Future)

For an entry-level business inkjet, the Brother DCP-T580DW has a sensible specification. The print speed is quite fast for an inkjet at 16imp in black and white pages or 9ipm in color, while the Wi-Fi is 5GHz with AirPrint compatibility. The print resolution is given as 1,200 x 600dpi, with ink droplets delivered through 420 nozzles. That’s 70 nozzles for each color and 120 for black.

The main paper tray is your only input option and it can hold up to 150 sheets of plain A4, letter or legal paper and the weight limit is 220gsm. It’s worth noting that the step-up model adds a rear multipurpose paper input which is able to take thicker paper weighing up to 300gsm. The DCP-T780DW also has a larger display with a color screen and a 20-sheet ADF that makes the DCP-T580DW look pretty light on features.

Brother DCP-T580DW: Setup and operationImage 1 of 2

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(Image credit: Brother // Future)

The printed quick start guide is very clear, and you probably won’t need it. Simply load your paper, plug in and turn on. The on-screen prompts will tell you to enter the date and time and when to fill the ink reservoirs. I recommend downloading Brother’s accompanying app called Smart Connect, which will help you get your printer connected to your Wi-Fi network.

This iOS/Android app is also great for printing remotely and checking your printer’s status. With such a small black and white display on the printer, your smartphone offers a much better user interface.

Pouring ink into the tanks is a clean and easy process, or at least it should be. The bottles are the same capacity as the tanks and their necks only fit their corresponding tanks, so you can’t make any catastrophic mix-ups. I didn’t spill a drop, until I made the mistake of only part-filling the tanks and replacing the half empty bottles in the box. What a mess!

Unlike Epson, HP and Canon’s bottles, Brother’s bottles don’t re-seal, even when you think you screwed the lids on tight. To be fair to this printer, it did tell me to ‘fill’ the tanks, so I won’t mark it down for human error.

Brother DCP-T580DW: Performance

(Image credit: Brother // Future)

For me, the Brother DCP-T580DW worked well, starting up promptly and printing as quickly as promised. It makes a slightly annoying wining noise when printing, so it’s less quiet than most inkjets, but there were no instances of jamming, creasing or smudging during the test. The ADF managed to pull in multi-page documents and copy them without any problems and the duplicates were faithful enough.

The print quality is acceptable, but somewhat disappointing at this price point. Starting with black text documents on plain paper, it’s evident that Brother is using a dye-based black ink, which is fine, but the characters look slightly less bold than a pigment black. With office oriented printers you often find dye-based C/M/Y and a pigment BK because text looks sharper and is more scratch and fade resistant, but I wouldn’t necessarily expect it at this budget level.

The colored inks look bright enough, so mixed color documents look fine. It’s when you get to printing images and photos on coated paper that you notice a lack of fine detail resolution. The quoted resolution of 1,200 x 600dpi is the same as the more expensive Brother DCP-T780DW, but it’s achieved using exactly half the number of nozzles. The lower-spec printheads on the Brother DCP-T580DW deliver a very noticeable dip in image quality. The overall print performance is probably good enough for most office documents, homework and handouts, but it’s not great for photos.

Brother DCP-T580DW: Consumables Image 1 of 2

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(Image credit: Brother // Future)

Brother comes with three bottles containing 48.8ml of yellow, cyan and magenta and a 108ml bottle of black. This should yield up to 5,000 color pages and 7,500 black and white and a replacement ink set from Brother costs around US$47 or £35, which is a very low cost-per-page. And there’s nothing to stop you using cheaper third party ink.

Brother DCP-T580DW: Maintenance

Being an inkjet printer, the Brother DCP-T580DW is liable to dry out and print badly or not at all if left unused for a length of time. The problem is ink clogging the nozzles and the solution is flushing them through with more ink. At least bottled ink is affordable enough to do that without getting upset. This printer has unusually versatile maintenance options with a choice of three flushing cycles of varying strength depending on the state of your nozzles.

Brother DCP-T580DW: Final verdict

I found much to admire about the Brother DCP-T580DW, from its compact size and fast duplex printing, to its low TCO (total cost of ownership). The features list is rather thin as there’s no ADF, the display is tiny and there’s only one paper input. But at least it ticks all the key boxes, such as auto-duplex printing, A4 scanning, dual-band Wi-Fi and plenty of bottled ink in the box.

It’s a pity the print performance is below average for this price category, with dull dye-based blacks and photos that lack fine detail. For most purposes, it’s probably good enough, but it’s hard to recommend the Brother DCP-T580DW, when the slightly more expensive Brother DCP-T780DW offers all the missing features, more ink and much better print quality.

For more print solutions, I've tested and reviewed the best home printers you can get right now.

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