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World Password Day: Why Haven't We Ditched This Crackable Tech?

CNET News - Thu, 05/01/2025 - 06:30
There's new and better technology out there, but passwords just won't go away.
Categories: Technology

Freedom of speech 'at stake' in Columbia student Mohsen Mahdawi's case, lawyer says

NPR News Headlines - Thu, 05/01/2025 - 06:07

Columbia University student Mohsen Mahdawi left federal prison, but his case isn't over. His lawyer says the Trump administration's case against him is "laughable" and "unconstitutional."

(Image credit: Amanda Swinhart)

Categories: News

Mohsen Mahdawi's lawyer speaks out after his release from detention center

NPR News Headlines - Thu, 05/01/2025 - 06:07

NPR's Leila Fadel speaks with one of Mohsen Mahdawi's lawyers. The Palestinian Columbia University student and lawful permanent resident was released Wednesday after two weeks in detention.

Categories: News

Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3 launch: our live coverage in the build-up to the new Star Wars-themed season

TechRadar News - Thu, 05/01/2025 - 06:03

Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3 is imminent, set to arrive following a period of scheduled downtime on May 2, 2025, at 2am ET / / 11pm PT (May 1) / 7am BST.

It'll be a Star Wars-focused affair called Galactic Battle, bringing a whole new Battle Pass to work through, and new map locations to visit. In the build-up to launch, I'll be covering things live, providing up-to-date details on scheduled downtime, the highlights set to arrive next season, and my initial impressions of things once it's all gone live.

Fortnite Galactic Battle - Key Info

Start date and time
Map changes
Battle Pass Skins
Update Schedule
Jump to Live Coverage

Epic Games has been busy teasing the next season of Fortnite over the last week or so, and we now know that it's entirely centered around Star Wars. So far, there's been a teaser trailer showing off some of the upcoming Battle Pass skins, a look at how the map is set to change as part of Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3, as well as the announcement of an in-game event that'll air shortly after the new season launches.

If early signs are anything to go on, the upcoming Star Wars updates to Fortnite could be a real high point for Chapter 6 so far. Hopefully, we'll get to fly some X-Wings, battle Samurai variants of iconic Star Wars villains, and even get to see Darth Jar-Jar in action.

Personally, I've found this Chapter a little bit lacking, so I'm excited to see how Epic Games delivers on the most involved Star Wars season yet. I'll be dropping in on launch day, checking out the new Battle Pass skins and testing the new weapon loot pool, seeing if the changes are good enough to keep Fortnite in TechRadar's best free games list.

Join me as I keep you up to date with the launch of Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3, including live coverage of the scheduled downtime, and my live impressions once I drop into my first few matches. As new info on the latest season drops, this page will be updated. Here's what you need to know about Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3, now that we're on the eve of launch day..

Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3 - cut to the chase

Only have time for the basics? Here are the most important things to know about Fortnite Galactic Battle:

  • Start time: May 2 at 2am ET / 11pm PT (May 1) / 7am GMT
  • New skins: Darth Sidious, Rebel Evie, Poe Dameron, General Grievous, Chewbacca mask
  • New map locations: Vader Samurai's Solitude, Resistance Base, Outpost Enclave, First Order Base
  • Events: Tales of the Underworld episode screening, Live event finale
Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3 start date

(Image credit: Epic Games)

Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3 will start on May 2 at 2am ET / 11pm PT (May 1) / 7am BST. Well, sort of. This is when downtime will start, so it'll likely be a few hours before we're all able to jump back in.

Once we know more about how long downtime is set to last, we'll be able to make a prediction as to when the new season is going live. For now, assume downtime to be at least two or three hours, as has been the case for the last couple of seasons.

Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3 map changes

(Image credit: Epic Games)

As you can see from the image above, there are four new major POIs (points of interest) set to be added alongside the new Fortnite Season. The first is Outpost Enclave, which is a rebel base looking similar in structure to Tatooine.

Then there's the First Order Base, which is set to be populated by Stormtroopers. Then, there's Vader Samurai's Solitude, which hints at a potential Vader mini-boss. Finally, the Resistance Base is set amongst the forest, and features the Millennium Falcon.

Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3 Battle Pass skins

(Image credit: Epic Games)

There are five main skins on offer as part of the Fortnite Galactic Battle Pass. These include a new Emperor skin, General Grievous, Poe Dameron, a Resistance Fighter-variant of Evie, and a Wookie Team Leader outfit.

It's likely that we'll see alternate colors for these skins, included in the Battle Pass. What's unclear at present is what the Bonus Skin will be. I'm betting on Darth Jar-Jar, who has been shown off in the trailers so far.

(Image credit: Epic Games) Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3 schedule

(Image credit: Epic Games)

Epic Games has revealed that Fortnite Galactic Battle will receive weekly updates that add new weapons, and other content into the game. Here's the full schedule:

  • Imperial Takeover – May 2, 2025
  • Tales of the Underworld (watch first two episodes in Fortnite) - May 2, 2025
  • The Pull of the Force – May 8, 2025
  • Mandalorian Rising – May 22, 2025
  • Star Destroyer Bombardment – May 29, 2025
  • Death Star Sabotage – June 7, 2025
Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3 live coverage And we're live!

(Image credit: Epic Games)

Hello and welcome to my live coverage of the Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3 launch. We’re now on the eve of release day, and there’s still plenty we don’t know about the imminent Star Wars-centric season. First off, let’s cover what we do know.

When does the current season end?

(Image credit: Epic Games)

The current season of Fortnite is set to end tomorrow (May 2) at 2AM ET / 7AM BST, and 11 PM for PT (May 1). At this point, the game will move offline for scheduled downtime. At present, there’s no info on how long downtime will be, but it's worth noting that last season's switch over took five hours. Hopefully it'll be a little shorter this time.

So, Fortnite Galactic Battle?

✔️ Star Wars Themed Battle Pass ✔️ Weekly Gameplay Content ✔️ Culminating in a Live End of Season Narrative Event ➡️ Fortnite Galactic Battle arrives May 2, 2025 pic.twitter.com/JmRStRA2UmApril 20, 2025

Fortnite Galactic Battle is the next season of Fortnite, and it's entirely themed around Star Wars. From the looks of things, this will be a shorter season, with weekly narrative updates that culminate in a live finale.

The new Battle Pass skins have been shown off

(Image credit: Epic Games)

So far, Epic Games has shown off five confirmed Battle Pass skins for Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3. Poe Dameron, Wookie Team Leader, Resistance Evie, Emperor Palpatine, and General Grievous will all be up for grabs. As in previous seasons, I'm betting on there being variants for each too, perhaps a Clone Wars-style for Grievous? One can hope.

Grab a free Star Wars skin before the new Season begins

(Image credit: Epic Games)

You can now connect your Epic and MyDisney accounts to earn a First Order Stormtrooper outfit to use in Fortnite. Follow these steps to do so:

That's no moon

(Image credit: Epic Games)

If you drop into Fortnite now, as I just did, you'll spot a new addition to the skyline. The Death Star can be seen in the distance, signaling the arrival of the Empire and First Order.

Mace Windu finally joins Fortnite

(Image credit: Epic Games)

Despite Fortnite having featured Mace's lightsaber before as a mythic weapon, the character has never actually been added as a skin. He'll be available in the store at some point during Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3, hopefully alongside his purple lightsaber as a harvesting tool (we'll see).

What about Darth Jar-Jar?

(Image credit: Epic Games)

Finally, Darth Jar Jar is officially canon, well... in terms of Fortnite canon, I suppose. He's seemingly not included in the Battle Pass, so I'm betting he'll be the bonus skin for this season. We'll have to wait and see.

There's still time

(Image credit: Epic Games)

With less than a day left of Fortnite Lawless, you might want to make the most of the remaining hours and collect any Battle Pass skins you've yet to redeem. Tier 100 features Mortal Kombat's Sub-Zero, though honestly, I'm happy with having just earned Big Dill.

Grab The Vaultbrella

(Image credit: Epic Games)

Speaking of making the most of Season 2 while it's still live, you can still pick up The Vaultbrella by getting a Victory Royale. Easier said than done, but worth giving a go while you wait for the Star Wars events to kick off.

Catch the first two episodes of Tales of the Underworld early

(Image credit: Disney)

Be among the first to view the first two episodes of the new Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld animated series, exclusive to the Star Wars Watch Party island in Fortnite for the first 48 hours before it hits Disney+! The island goes live on May 2 at 10AM ET / 3PM BST / 7AM PT.

There's set to be five weekly updates to enjoy

(Image credit: Epic Games)

Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3 will run through until early June, making it a condensed season when compared to the last two. Each week, there's going to be an update that'll kick off new narrative elements, and shift the focus of the season. Here's the update schedule:

  • Imperial Takeover – May 2, 2025
  • The Pull of the Force – May 8, 2025
  • Mandalorian Rising – May 22, 2025
  • Star Destroyer Bombardment – May 29, 2025
  • Death Star Sabotage – June 7, 2025
Signing off for a short break

(Image credit: Epic Games)

I'll be taking a short break now, but I'll be back at 12PM ET / 5PM BST / 9AM PT to resume my live coverage of Fortnite Galactic Battle. There's still plenty to dive into, including the new map changes which tease the return of Vader Samurai.

Categories: Technology

I'm Good With 3 Streaming Services in May, but You Might Want to Cancel These

CNET News - Thu, 05/01/2025 - 06:00
After Andor, ditch that Disney Plus.
Categories: Technology

Student Loan Noise Is Creating a Perfect Storm for Scammers. Don't Fall for It

CNET News - Thu, 05/01/2025 - 06:00
This student loan policy expert urges borrowers not to trust offers that seem too good to be true.
Categories: Technology

Best Internet Deals for May 2025

CNET News - Thu, 05/01/2025 - 06:00
Save money on your internet bill and cash in on some perks with these limited-time offers.
Categories: Technology

U.S. economy shrinks in the 1st quarter. And, Ukraine and the U.S. sign minerals deal

NPR News Headlines - Thu, 05/01/2025 - 05:46

The U.S. economy shrank during the first three months of the year and consumer confidence has plummeted. And, Ukraine and the U.S. have signed a minerals deal that both sides say is a win.

(Image credit: Jeff Kowalsky)

Categories: News

I tested Wachete found this web content monitoring tool was a great budget option

TechRadar Reviews - Thu, 05/01/2025 - 05:40

Monitoring websites can come in handy in various cases, such as when you want to keep track of an online job application or monitor your business rival’s website to see what they are up to.

Wachete is one such website monitoring tool that allows you to monitor an entire website, a simple page, or even text documents. It will track every change that happens on that page and notify you through a daily or weekly report.

The plans are affordable and diverse. There’s a free plan for small businesses and a slightly more expensive “Ultimate” plan for big companies that lets you track up to 3,000 pages at once. If you're wondering whether Wachete is the best online content monitoring software, this article is for you.

Wachete: Plans and pricing

The best part about Wachete is that it offers as many as 5 plans, which means you’ve got plenty of choices. You can get started for free, though, thanks to its free-forever plan. It allows you to monitor 5 pages every 24 hours. There’s also no limit on the number of times you can check.

The first paid plan is the Starter plan at $5.40 /month – this is among the cheapest plans in the industry. Here, you can monitor 50 pages at once, check for updates every 60 minutes, and even monitor a dynamic page. You can select multiple parts of the page for monitoring and access 12 months of history.

(Image credit: Wachete)

If you want to scale up, the Standard plan priced at $10.90/month allows you to monitor 100 pages, check for updates every 10 minutes, and monitor 2 dynamic pages. This is the first plan where you can monitor pages locked behind a login screen.

Next up is the Premium plan, priced at $54.90/month. With this, you can monitor 500 pages and 10 dynamic pages and look for updates every 5 minutes. This is ideal for large businesses that need constant monitoring.

Lastly, there’s the Ultimate plan priced at $329.90/month. It allows you to monitor 3,000 pages at once along with 60 dynamic pages and check for updates every 5 minutes. The rest of the features are the same as the Premium plan.

Note that all the prices mentioned above are on a monthly billing. If you're paying annually, you’ll save one month's worth of money - and that's true for every plan. Plus, each paid plan comes with a 7-day free trial, so you can try it out risk-free before committing.

Wachete: Features

Wachete is a simple website monitoring tool you can use to track a website and see what changes are happening to it. Depending on the plan you choose, you can also track password-protected pages and text documents such as PDFs and .doc files.

Also, if you feel that a page has different content for different locations, you can monitor it from all those different locations using proxy servers.

Once the tracking is turned on, Wachete will send you weekly or daily summaries of all the changes that have taken place. This way you won't have to go through the trouble of manually looking for changes.

If you want to be notified immediately, you can also set up SMS or mobile notifications. You’ll get an email whenever any changes happen to the webpage. All removed parts are highlighted in red, and the content added is marked in green. Another way to view the data is to download it as an Excel sheet.

(Image credit: Wachete)

The monitoring itself is customizable: you can choose which parts of a page you want to monitor and which parts you want to skip.

You can even track password-protected pages. Plus, if there’s a page with different versions for different locations, you can track each of those versions from a proxy server.

Another thing we liked about Wachete is that it integrates with Zapier, which in turn lets you connect the platform with over 7,000 other apps. This way, you won’t have to keep logging in to Wachete to monitor your changes. With predesigned workflows, you can get alerts on WhatsApp, email, Slack, Trello, Google Sheets, and Discord - you get the idea.

Other noteworthy features include a graphical representation of numeric data, the ability to collect history, changes, and web content for up to 12 months, and the option to create an RSS feed from the monitored content.

Wachete: Interface and in use

Wachete's interface is pretty straightforward. Once you create an account, which only takes a minute, you’ll be led to a simple dashboard that looks empty initially. However, on the top right, you’ll see an option to create your watchlist. Once you enter a page URL to be tracked, all the updates will be reflected in the same dashboard. There’s even a tutorial video if you need more help.

(Image credit: Wachete)

At the bottom, there’s the live chat option that connects you to the Watchet team, where you can directly ask your queries.

Overall, based on my firsthand testing experience, I'd say Wachete is pretty easy to use with a straightforward user interface.

There’s also the option to add Wachete as a browser extension. Supported browsers include Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. Just scroll to the bottom of the home page and click on the browser you want; it will open the add-on page for respective browsers where you can download and install it.

Wachete: Support

There’s a detailed FAQ section on Wachete's website that covers almost every issue you might have, starting from how to use the features to managing your Wachete subscription.

If you want to contact the Wachete customer support team, you can reach out to them by email or use the live chat option from your dashboard.

Other than that, there isn't much information (such as the hours of availability) available about Wachete’s customer support. Also, support is prioritized for paying customers.

Wachete: The competition

Wachete is a wonderful, beginner-friendly, and affordable website monitoring tool. But if it doesn't fit your needs, here are a couple of alternatives.

Versionista’s customer support team guarantees to respond within 12 hours. Plus, the response comes directly from their senior engineers, which means you're getting the best possible help for your queries. Another good thing about Versionista is that you can customize the time and location of crawling as well as the frequency of reporting.

Visualping is another solid option. It's one of the few platforms that use AI to simplify your work. From summarizing your reports to setting up your account and filtering your notifications, Visualping’s AI helps you with everything. It even understands the context of the page being monitored and avoids content shifts to generate alerts only for contextual changes.

Wachete: Final verdict

Wachete is a great tool if you're looking for a pocket-friendly option. In addition to the paid plans that start for as low as $5.40/month, there’s also a completely free plan you can use for as long as you want.

It's also pretty easy to use. Simply put, you don't need to be a tech wizard to set up your account and monitor the pages. Setup takes less than a minute, and then you get led to the all-in-one dashboard from where you can add new pages to be tracked, organize them, and also contact the support team.

However, Wachete’s customer support isn't as great as the competition. There’s an email and a chat widget, which is only visible once you log in. However, there's no clear-cut information on the availability of support. That said, there are a lot of FAQs and helpful guides on Wachete's website to solve any queries you might have.

FAQs What is a website monitoring tool?

A website monitoring tool tracks a page online and looks out for any changes that might happen to it. The change might be related to the content, the code of the website, or any other element. The main purpose of such a tool is to help you keep up with the latest information without going through the trouble of manually spotting the updates.

How to use Wachete?

The best thing about Wachete is that it's very user-friendly. Setting up an account takes less than a minute: just click on sign up, enter your email, click on the confirmation mail link, and set your password.

Once that's done, you’ll be automatically led to the dashboard where you can add pages to be tracked and organize them. There’s also a detailed tutorial video available on the dashboard if you need more help.

We feature the best website defacement monitoring services.

Categories: Reviews

iPhone 16 Plus vs. iPhone 16 Pro Max: How the Latest Big iPhones Compare

CNET News - Thu, 05/01/2025 - 05:30
Apple's most advanced phones include the largest iPhones yet -- here's how their specs and features compare in the iPhone 16 era.
Categories: Technology

I tried Sken.io and found it to be a competent and basic web content monitoring platform for beginners

TechRadar Reviews - Thu, 05/01/2025 - 05:24

Perhaps you're looking for the best deals on your favorite product, or you're hunting for a job. Or, you may just be on the lookout for fresh news and updates or need to monitor websites for academic/business purposes.

All this requires easy-to-use and effective website change monitoring software. Enter Sken.io. It's a basic website monitoring tool that tracks website content and updates you on these changes. Although pretty barebones, Sken.io gets the job done, especially for personal uses. You can easily track changes with its handy comparison mode.

Plus, Sken.io offers you a 14-day free trial to help you get started, besides being one of the most affordable monitors out there. This article will explore in detail the features, pricing, and in-use experience of Sken.

Sken.io: Plans and pricing

Sken.io has three straightforward plans, in addition to a 14-day free trial. The trial lets you run 140 checks, which is enough to gauge if the platform fits your needs. The first paid plan, the Basic Plan, starts at €30.00/year ($31), which boils down to around $2.5/month. This makes it one of the cheapest website monitoring plans out there. The basic plan lets you run 500 checks per month.

If that’s not enough, you can upgrade to the Standard plan at €120/year ($125), with 3,000 checks per month. The Enterprise plan, at €450/year ($467), allows up to 15,000 checks per month. These plans are ideal for small and mid-sized businesses. However, if you’re a large business, you can even tailor a plan as per your needs with custom check limits.

One thing that we liked about Sken.io is that each paid plan supports a monitoring frequency of up to 1 minute. This is not something you get with other providers, where a low interval of 1 minute can only be found with higher-tier plans.

Another impressive thing about Sken.io is that if you are not satisfied with their services, you can request a full refund within 48 hours of payment. This is also something not many providers offer.

Sken.io: Features

Sken.io is pretty barebones when it comes to features. However, given the low price of $2.50/month, it still manages to deliver excellent value for money.

We liked Sken’s comparison mode, where you can use a virtual slider to view the changes side by side. The right side of the screen shows the previous version, whereas the current version is on the left. Simply move the slider from left to right to see all the changes highlighted in green.

(Image credit: Sken.io)

You get two options when setting up a new monitor: regular interval and custom scheduler. The regular interval option comes in handy when you want to constantly check a website – say every hour or every 30 minutes.

However, there may be websites that do not need a regular check. For instance, if you’re monitoring your university results, you may choose the custom scheduler option. Under this, you’ll be able to select the exact date and time the crawling should take place. Not many content monitors offer this option.

You can also choose to monitor only a specific element on the webpage, say images. Next, there are also options to choose between visual check and content check. This eliminates clutter, ensuring you only get results that matter.

There’s also a unique content removal mode, where you can remove elements on a page you don’t want to track. For instance, if you’re looking for job listings, you may not be interested in tracking the images on that website. This mode helps Sken.io focus on the changes material to your needs and avoid any non-contextual change

Sken.io: Interface and in use

Sken.io’s dashboard, in spite of being basic, is free of clutter. You can check all your active jobs and detected changes at the top of the dashboard. Below this, you’ll find a list of all jobs currently being tracked.

(Image credit: Sken.io)

Simply click the ‘Detail’ button on the right side of each job to view a list of all detected changes. On the left, you can access all exported change files along with your invoices (if you have a paid plan).

Using Sken.io is pretty easy, too. Just paste the link to create a new job, choose the frequency, and start monitoring. It does take a bit of time (around a minute) to load the page once you’ve pasted the link, which isn’t a dealbreaker.

Overall, you won’t require any training to start using Sken.io – everything is pretty self-explanatory.

Sken.io: Support

There aren’t many support options on Sken.io. If you have any queries, you’ll need to fill out a form on their website and input your email address and message. Then, simply wait for Sken’s team to reach out to you. Another option is to send them an email at info@sken.io.

Besides this, we didn’t find any tutorials on the website, not that you’ll need them anyway. There are a few blogs, though, that can help you learn more about Sken’s use cases.

Sken.io: The competition

Sken.io is a good entry-level content change monitoring website. However, it fails to deliver the goods for mid- and large-sized businesses. Here are a couple of alternatives you can consider.

PageCrawl offers a comprehensive free plan where you can track 6 pages each month along with PDF, Excel, and Word files. Plus, you get a lot of integrations, reports, and customized alerts – features you only see on paid plans of other providers.

Even its paid plans offer good value for money. You can track pages in bulk, track password-protected pages, and organize your tracked pages. However, PageCrawl lacks AI features.

Fluxguard is a good option if you’re looking for an AI-backed content monitor. There’s an AI tool that can translate other pages in English. Plus, you can use AI to summarize change reports, allowing you to spot key changes quickly and saving you a lot of time.

Fluxguard also allows you to set up custom AI prompts to look only for specific words during searches. However, it can be a tad expensive.

Sken.io: Final Verdict

Overall, we found Sken.io great for beginners and personal needs. Priced at just $2.50/month, it's one of the cheapest trackers on the market right now. Using it is a cakewalk, too. All you have to do is paste the website link and choose your tracking frequency.

You can also set up a scheduled scan by choosing the exact time and date of the crawl and use its comparison mode for a quick visual snapshot of the recorded changes. Although there’s no free plan, you do get a 14-day free trial, which provides access to all Sken.io features. During this time, you can run a total of 140 checks.

However, during our testing, we found that Sken.io lacks a lot of advanced features, like report summarization, tracking password-protected pages, and integration. If you’re looking for a content monitor for business purposes, you can consider other options.

FAQs Does Sken.io offer a free plan?

Although there’s no free Sken.io plan, you get a 14-day free trial to try out the tool risk-free. The best part is that none of the features are off-limits during this trial, which means you get to try the full paid product during the trial phase. You can run 140 scans during the free trial without even entering your credit card details.

Even if you want to upgrade, the Basic plan starts at just around $2.50/month, making Sken.io one of the most affordable content change monitoring platforms.

Who is Sken.io ideal for?

Sken.io is ideal for individuals and startups looking for a cheap content monitoring platform. Its paid plans start from just $2.50/month and are more than enough for starter-level tasks. Also, Sken.io is one of the easiest platforms to use. So, even if you’re not that quick with tech, you’ll find it a joy to use.

It's worth noting that Sken.io does offer a $125 plan with 3,000 checks per month. However, a lack of advanced features like tracking locked content, PDFs, and Excels makes it a less popular choice among large businesses.

We've listed the best website defacement monitoring services.

Categories: Reviews

Best Surge Protectors of 2025, Tested and Reviewed

CNET News - Thu, 05/01/2025 - 05:03
With the right surge protector, you can help protect your expensive devices from damaging power surges.
Categories: Technology

World Password Day Is a Reminder to Change Your Sucky Passwords

CNET News - Thu, 05/01/2025 - 05:00
Don't sleep on revisiting the security of your passwords. It can make all the difference when you're trying to guard against hackers.
Categories: Technology

Slowdown? What slowdown? Microsoft signs huge $544 million data centre deal with UAE's Telco Du

TechRadar News - Thu, 05/01/2025 - 04:03
  • Microsoft and Du join forces on data center to fuel next-gen AI power
  • AI adoption demands scale, and Microsoft and Du’s $544 million project meets the challenge head-on
  • The new hyperscale data center will be built in phases, serving Microsoft’s cloud expansion

With AI adoption growing rapidly, hyperscale data centers are becoming essential to support the workloads of advanced AI tools, including those powering leading AI writing platforms.

At the recent Dubai AI Week, Microsoft and UAE-based telecom provider Du announced plans to build a $544.54 million hyperscale data center in the UAE.

“This marks a significant investment in digital infrastructure, reinforcing Dubai's leadership in adopting the latest technologies, innovations, and digital services,” said Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Defense, in a LinkedIn post celebrating the announcement.

Strengthening UAE AI infrastructure

The new data center will be a core component of Microsoft's ongoing effort to expand its cloud and AI infrastructure in the Middle East. It follows earlier collaborations, including a partnership with the Abu Dhabi government and Core42 to offer AI services and sovereign cloud capabilities within the UAE.

Du CEO Fahad Al Hassawi noted the investment is, “a pivotal leap in our strategic goal to revolutionize the digital ecosystem of the UAE.”

The center’s capacity will be delivered to Microsoft in phases, although specific timelines and technical details have not yet been disclosed.

Du currently operates five data centers across the UAE, and earlier in 2025 signed a deal to extend the Peace subsea cable to the country.

Microsoft has steadily expanded its cloud presence in the Middle East since launching its UAE cloud region in 2019. The company has since announced similar regions in Qatar, Israel, and Saudi Arabia, with additional plans for a new cloud region in Kuwait.

The new UAE-based hyperscale data center will help meet growing demand for low-latency access to cloud platforms that power everything from top web hosting services to next-generation enterprise applications.

Via DataCenterDynamics

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This office was meant to bridge divides in government. Now it's empty

NPR News Headlines - Thu, 05/01/2025 - 04:00

Congress created the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation to unite the expertise of two different agencies that work on electric vehicle charging. Now it seems to have turned into a ghost ship.

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Categories: News

Republicans say they will still push education based on legal status

NPR News Headlines - Thu, 05/01/2025 - 04:00

The Tennessee Legislature aimed to challenge a 1982 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that established a right to education for all students. Republican lawmakers still hope to overturn that.

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Categories: News

New congressional district gives voice to Black voters in Alabama

NPR News Headlines - Thu, 05/01/2025 - 04:00

Two majority Black cities in Alabama now have Black representation in Congress because of court-ordered redistricting. The progress comes as President Trump pulls back federal diversity initiatives.

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Categories: News

Trump's VA strands thousands of veterans by ending a key mortgage program

NPR News Headlines - Thu, 05/01/2025 - 04:00

The VA Servicing Purchase program has helped about 20,000 veterans avoid foreclosure. But Republicans in Congress have been critical of the program, saying it puts too much taxpayer money at risk.

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Categories: News

We’re now almost certain the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge will land on May 13 – and we have a clearer idea of its cameras

TechRadar News - Thu, 05/01/2025 - 03:50
  • A Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge teaser image includes the date May 13, suggesting that's when the phone will launch
  • That's in line with previous leaks, so is likely accurate
  • We've also heard full rumored camera specs for the phone, and while the main sensor could impress, the ultra-wide is a disappointment

We’ve heard from multiple sources that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge will launch on May 13, and now we’ve seen our clearest sign yet that this date is probably correct.

Evan Blass – a leaker with a superb track record – has posted an image on X that appears to show the side of a phone, along with the text “Beyond slim”. It looks very much like an official teaser image for the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, and the image also includes the date May 13.

So, while we’d still take this with a pinch of salt, given that it comes from a reputable source, looks like it could well be an official image, and matches a date that’s already been tipped multiple times, we’re fairly confident that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge will indeed launch on May 13.

FYI pic.twitter.com/Y9frwPeIvmApril 30, 2025

A 200MP main and a 12MP ultra-wide

That’s not the only new Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge news though, as SammyGuru (via GSMArena) has also shared details of the phone’s cameras.

The site claims to have found these details on a regulatory database, and the highlight is the apparent presence of a 200-megapixel main camera. However, that spec isn’t at all surprising, as this is something else that has previously been tipped a number of times.

What we were less clear on is the remaining lenses, which according to SammyGuru include the same 12MP ultra-wide camera as you’ll find on the standard Samsung Galaxy S25, and the same 12MP selfie camera as every other Galaxy S25 model.

It’s no surprise that Samsung would stick with the same selfie camera, but it’s slightly disappointing that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge apparently won’t get the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra’s 50MP ultra-wide camera.

And of course, with only two rear lenses here there’s no dedicated telephoto camera, though it’s likely the 200MP main sensor will be capable of optical quality 2x zoom, since the 200MP camera on the Galaxy S25 Ultra can achieve that.

In any case, SammyGuru isn’t a big name in leaks, so there’s a chance some of this is incorrect. But with so many other sources pointing to a 200MP main camera, and with all three current S25 models sporting the same 12MP selfie camera, we’d expect that much is accurate, so it’s only really the ultra-wide spec that has much chance of being wrong.

Assuming the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge really does launch on May 13 we’ll know for sure in under two weeks.

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Categories: Technology

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 is too close to the RX 9070 XT to really stand out, but it's a better value given the market

TechRadar Reviews - Thu, 05/01/2025 - 03:09
AMD Radeon RX 9070: Two-minute review

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 is a card that just might be saved by the economic chaos engulfing the GPU market right now.

With 'normal' price inflation pretty much rampant with every current-gen GPU, the price proposition for the RX 9070 might actually make it an appealing pick for gamers who're experiencing sticker shock when looking for the best graphics card for their next GPU upgrade.

That doesn't mean, unfortunately, that the AMD RX 9070 is going to be one of the best cheap graphics cards going, even by comparison with everything else that's launched since the end of 2024. With an MSRP of $549 / £529.99 / AU$1,229, the RX 9070 is still an expensive card, even if it's theoretically in line with your typical 'midrange' offering.

And, with the lack of an AMD reference card that might have helped anchor the RX 9070's price at Team Red's MSRP, you're going to pretty much be at the mercy of third-party manufacturers and retailers who can charge whatever they want for this card.

Comparatively speaking, though, even with price inflation, this is going to be one of the cheaper midrange GPUs of this generation, so if you're looking at a bunch of different GPUs, without question this one is likely to be the cheapest graphics card made by either AMD or Nvidia right now (yes, that's even counting the RTX 5060 Ti, which is already selling for well above 150% of MSRP in many places).

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

Does that make this card worth the purchase? Well, that's going to depend on what you're being asked to pay for it. While it's possible to find RX 9070 cards at MSRP, they are rare, and so you're going to have to make a back-of-the-envelope calculation to see if this card is going to offer you the best value in your particular circumstance.

I'm fairly confident, however, that it will. Had I the time to review this card when it first launched in March, I might have scored it lower based on its performance and price proximity to the beefier AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT.

Looking at both of those cards based on their MSRPs, there's no question that the RX 9070 XT is the much better graphics card, so I'd have recommended you spend the extra cash to get that card instead of this one.

Unfortunately, contrary to my hopes, the RX 9070 XT has been scalped almost as badly as the best Nvidia graphics cards of this generation, so that relatively small price difference on paper can be quite large in practice.

Given that reality, for most gamers, the RX 9070 is the best 1440p graphics card going, and can even get you some solid 4K gaming performance for a lot less than you're likely to find the RX 9070 XT or competing Nvidia card, even from the last generation.

If you're looking at this card and the market has returned to sanity and MSRP pricing, then definitely consider going for the RX 9070 XT instead of this card. But barring that happy contingency, given where everything is right now with the GPU market, the RX 9070 is the best AMD graphics card for 1440p gaming, and offers some of the best bang for your (inflationary) buck as you're likely to find today.

AMD Radeon RX 9070: Price & availability

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
  • How much is it? MSRP is $549 / £529.99 / AU$1,229, but retail price will likely be higher
  • When can you get it? The RX 9070 is available now
  • Where is it available? The RX 9070 is available in the US, UK, and Australia

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 is available now in the US, UK, and Australia for an MSRP of $549 / £529.99 / AU$1,229, respectively, but the price you'll pay for this card from third-party partners and retailers will likely be higher.

Giving credit where it's due, the RX 9070 is the exact same MSRP as the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE, which you can argue the RX 9070 is replacing. It's also coming in at the same price as the RTX 5070's MSRP, and as I'll get into in a bit, for gaming performance, the RX 9070 offers a better value at MSRP.

Given how the RTX 5070 can rarely be found at MSRP, the RX 9070 is in an even stronger position compared to its competition.

  • Value: 4 / 5
AMD Radeon RX 9070: Specs

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
  • PCIe 5.0
  • 16GB VRAM
  • Specs & features: 4 / 5
AMD Radeon RX 9070: Design & features
  • No AMD reference card
  • Will be good for SFF cases

In terms of design, the RX 9070 doesn't have a reference card, so the card I reviewed is the Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 9070.

This card, in particular, is fairly straightforward with few frills, but for those who don't want a whole lot of RGB lighting in their PC, this is more of a positive than a negative. RGB fans, however, will have to look at other AMD partner cards for their fix.

The card is a noticeably shorter dual-fan design compared to the longer triple-fan RX 9070 XT cards. That makes the RX 9070 a great option for small form factor PC cases.

  • Design: 3.5 / 5
AMD Radeon RX 9070: Performance
  • About 13% slower than RX 9070 XT
  • Outstanding 1440p gaming performance
  • Decent 4K performance
A note on my data

The charts shown below offer the most recent data I have for the cards tested for this review. They may change over time as more card results are added and cards are retested. The 'average of all cards tested' includes cards not shown in these charts for readability purposes.

When it comes down to performance, the RX 9070 is a very strong graphics card that is somewhat overshadowed by its beefier 9070 XT sibling, but goes toe-to-toe against the RTX 5070 where it counts for most users, which is gaming.

On the synthetic side, the RTX 9070 puts up some incredibly solid numbers, especially in pure rasterization workloads like 3DMark Steel Nomad, beating out the RTX 5070 by 13%. In ray tracing heavy workloads like 3DMark Speed Way, meanwhile, the RX 9070 manages to comes within 95% of the RTX 5070's performance.

As expected though, the RX 9070's creative performance isn't able to keep up with Nvidia's competing RTX 5070, especially in 3D modeling workloads like Blender. If you're looking for a cheap creative workstation GPU, you're going to want to go for the RTX 5070, no question.

But that's not really what this card is about. AMD cards are gaming cards through and through, and as you can see above, at 1440p, the RX 9070 goes blow for blow with Nvidia's midrange card so that the overall average FPS at 1440p is 114 against Nvidia's 115 FPS average (72 FPS to 76 FPS average minimums/1%, respectively).

Likewise, at 4K, the two cards are effectively tied, with the RX 9070 holding a slight 2 FPS edge over the RTX 5070, on average (50 FPS to 51 FPS minimum/1%, respectively).

Putting it all together, one thing in the Nvidia RTX 5070's favor is that it is able to tie things up with the RX 9070 at about 26 fewer watts under load (284W maximum power draw to the RTX 5070's 258W).

That's not the biggest difference, but even 26W extra power can mean the difference between needing to replace your PSU or sticking with the one you have.

Under normal conditions, I'd argue that this would swing things in favor of Nvidia's GPU, but the GPU market is hardly normal right now, and so what you really need to look at is how much you're being asked to pay for either of these cards. Chances are, you're going to be able to find an RX 9070 for a good bit cheaper than the RTX 5070, and so its value to you in the end is likely going to be higher.

  • Performance: 4.5 / 5
Should you buy the AMD Radeon RX 9070?

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler) Buy the AMD Radeon RX 9070 if...

You want a fantastic 1440p graphics card
The RX 9070 absolutely chews through 1440p gaming with frame rates that can fully saturate most 1440p gaming monitors' refresh rates.

You don't want to spend a fortune on a midrange GPU
While the RX 9070 isn't cheap, necessarily, it's among the cheapest midrange cards you can get, even after factoring in scalping and price inflation.

Don't buy it if...

You want great creative performance
While the RX 9070 is a fantastic gaming graphics card, its creative performance (especially for 3D modeling work) lags behind Nvidia midrange cards.

Also consider

AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT
The RX 9070 XT is an absolute barnburner of a gaming GPU, offering excellent 4K performance and even better 1440p performance, especially if you can get it close to MSRP.

Read the full AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT review

Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070
The RTX 5070 essentially ties the RX 9070 in gaming performance in 1440p and 4K gaming, but has better power efficiency and creative performance.

Read the full Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 review

How I tested the AMD Radeon RX 9070
  • I spent about two weeks with the RX 9070
  • I used my complete GPU testing suite to analyze the card's performance
  • I tested the card in everyday, gaming, creative, and AI workload usage
Test System Specs

Here are the specs on the system I used for testing:

Motherboard: ASRock Z790i Lightning WiFi
CPU: Intel Core i9-14900K
CPU Cooler:
Gigabyte Auros Waterforce II 360 ICE
RAM: Corsair Dominator DDR5-6600 (2 x 16GB)
SSD:
Samsung 9100 Pro 4TB SSD
PSU: Thermaltake Toughpower PF3 1050W Platinum
Case: Praxis Wetbench

I spent about two weeks with the AMD RX 9070, using it as my primary workstation GPU for creative work and gaming after hours.

I used my updated benchmarking process, which includes using built-in benchmarks on the latest PC games like Black Myth: Wukong, Cyberpunk 2077, and Civilization VII. I also used industry-standard benchmark tools like 3DMark for synthetic testing, while using tools like PugetBench for Creators and Blender Benchmark for creative workload testing.

I've reviewed more than three dozen graphics cards for TechRadar over the past three years, which has included hundreds of hours of dedicated GPU testing, so you can trust that I'm giving you the fullest picture of a graphics card's performance in my reviews.

  • Originally reviewed May 2025
Categories: Reviews

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