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Whether you’re after speed or savings, these are the top internet options in St. George.

The letter, written by first-class passenger Archibald Gracie, sold for five times its expected price at auction. It was written aboard the ship five days before it sank.

(Image credit: Henry Aldridge & Son)

Hints and answers for Connections for April 28, #687.

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle No. 421 for April 28.

Here are hints and the answer for today's Wordle No. 1,409 for April 28.

The best internet providers in Madison, from budget plans to the fastest speeds available -- according to CNET experts.

The iPhone's incognito mode is ideal for sensitive searches and avoiding targeted ads. But there are time when you may want to turn it off.

The Drug Enforcement Administration said the arrests occurred as part of a raid at an underground nightclub in Colorado Springs.

• A massive DDoS attack was recently detected during a major NHL event
• Attack grew from 67Gbps to nearly 1Tbps in twenty minutes
• Multivector strike used UDP, SYN, IP, and TCP flood techniques

Cybersecurity firm Qrator Labs has claimed it successfully mitigated the largest DDoS attack so far recorded in 2025.

The April 3 attack targeted an unnamed online betting organization, lasting around 90 minutes, starting at 11:15 with a surge of 67Gbps, before escalating sharply to 217Gbps by 11:23, and peaked just short of 1Tbps at 965Gbps by 11:36.

Activity then slowly decreased to 549Gbps by 12:41, with the attack ending shortly afterwards. The DDoS attack was multivector in nature, featuring a peak of 965Gbps in UDP flood, 229Gbps in SYN flood, 214Gbps in IP flood, and 169Gbps in TCP flood.

Sporting events are major targets

Qrator notes that the attack happened on the same day that NHL star Alexander Ovechkin scored his 892nd goal, tying Wayne Gretzky's long-standing record. Ovechkin’s achievement was likely the trigger for the attack as the online betting sector is especially vulnerable during major sporting events.

A similar attack pattern was spotted during the 2024 UEFA European Football Championship, held in Germany, where spikes in DDoS activity also targeted online betting sites.

“This new incident is a clear reminder that major industry-specific events can be exploited by malicious actors. Companies that work with them, such as online betting platforms, must prepare in advance to defend their digital infrastructure when attention is at its peak,” said Andrey Leskin, Chief Technology Officer at Qrator Labs.

With major sporting moments drawing massive audiences online, betting platforms continue to be a prime target for coordinated attacks such as this one.

Other noteworthy sporting events set to take place this year, which could prove to be a target for similar DDoS strikes, include the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States and the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.

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• Google says UWB for Find My Device is coming soon
• There's been a 4x speed increase since last year
• Testing by The Verge shows some problems with coverage

Google gave the Android Find My Device network a significant upgrade last year, with improved support for third-party trackers and offline location access, and it sounds like another important update is almost here.

Speaking to The Verge, Android product manager Angela Hsiao said that support for ultra wide-band (UWB) technology would be coming "very soon" to Find My Device, which essentially enables a much more precise form of tracking.

If you're using a UWB-enabled device to locate another UWB-enabled device – so searching for an AirTag with an iPhone, in the Apple ecosystem – you get guided almost exactly to the right spot. You'll know the lost gadget is behind the sofa, not just somewhere inside your house, for example.

Earlier this month, signs hidden in the code for Find My Device suggested that UWB might soon be supported, and it seems that a launch is now imminent. We know Google I/O 2025 gets underway on May 20, and we may hear more about UWB then.

The need for speed

Google hasn't yet launched its own AirTag equivalent (Image credit: Future)

The Verge also ran some pretty comprehensive tests of the current state of the Find My Device network. Google's tech seems to perform as well as the Apple equivalent now, but only in busy areas with a lot of activity (and passing gadgets to locate lost items).

In more remote areas, the coverage and tracking time seems less than optimal, though it varies depending on the tracker used and the specific scenario. Bear in mind that Google doesn't yet have its own-brand version of the Apple AirTags, though the rumors are that some might be in the works.

Based on Google's internal testing, Hsiao says, the network is able to locate items around four times faster than it could when the major 2024 upgrade was rolled out – so it's getting better, even if it's not quite caught up to Apple yet.

For UWB to work, you also need a phone with the technology when you're looking for something, but a lot of the best Android phones now come with the technology on board (including the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and the Google Pixel 9 Pro).

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Tillamook residents don't have a wide range of internet service providers to choose from but these are the most reliable options.

• Managers say AI boosts output, but they are still worried it could spark unrest among anxious workers
• More bosses think humans are irreplaceable, but AI might still change their pay
• Fear of AI hasn’t faded, even as daily use of the tech slightly declines

AI has shifted from a novelty to a mainstay in many workplaces, but its rise continues to stir concern among employees, new research has claimed.

A survey of 3,000 managers by Beautiful.ai revealed while managers generally see AI tools as a useful asset, most workers remain uneasy about their implications.

According to the survey, nearly two-thirds (64%) of managers believe their employees fear AI will make them less valuable, and 58% say staff are worried these tools could eventually cost them their jobs.

Human jobs appear secure, but only to an extent

Despite these concerns, workers may take some comfort in knowing that managers are becoming more cautious about replacing people with machines. Compared to last year, 15% more managers (now at 54%) oppose the idea of using AI to replace workers.

Only 23% believe that replacing workers with AI would benefit their company, while 63% feel their teams wouldn't function properly without human roles.

However, the tension around AI goes beyond potential job loss. Managers cited “fear of the unknown” and employee resistance as key challenges when introducing AI tools.

There is still cause for concern, as AI continues to evolve. 71% of managers said AI performs on par with, or better than, a novice manager. Even so, most believe AI excels at tedious or repetitive tasks but still falls short when it comes to high-level decision-making.

Managers primarily use AI to boost productivity and improve efficiency. For example, many of the best HR software and recruitment platforms now integrate AI features to help streamline hiring and internal processes, without fully replacing human judgment.

That said, salary remains a sensitive issue. While fears of AI-driven pay cuts have eased slightly, 41% of managers still see AI as a threat to wages. Increased efficiency could mean fewer roles or broader responsibilities for individuals, potentially lowering pay for others. In some cases, AI-assisted tasks may also be valued less.

While most human roles appear safe for now, the nature of work may change as AI becomes more embedded in daily operations.

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Finding a good outdoor projector for summer parties can be challenging. Bright sunlight can really hamper picture quality when viewing outdoors during the day, and while some projectors can handle the outdoors in the evening, the picture can still look a little washed out as it’s never truly pitch black outside.

What can help with this? Super-high brightness, of course. So, when Anker announced its new 3,500 ANSI lumens Nebula X1 portable 4K projector, which it touts as an ‘outdoor projector’, it caught my interest. Not only because Anker has produced some of the best portable projectors, but because its predecessor, the Anker Nebula Mars 3, is a solid outdoor projector, though comparatively dim with its 1,000 lumens rated brightness.

Another thing that caught my attention was the Nebula X1’s bespoke, wireless speakers (part of its optional accessory kit), which promise a more immersive audio experience than what we’re used to getting from the best projectors. With summer approaching here in the UK, I was glad to get a chance to see the Nebula X1 in person.

A bold, bright image

The Anker Nebula X1 displayed a bright image throughout my demo. (Image credit: Future)

I caught a demo of the Nebula X1 in a screening room in London’s Soho Hotel. While the demo itself was short, it was clear that the projector’s 3,500 ANSI lumens made a difference in the demo video, primarily showing forests, natural landscapes and animals.

The greens of the trees and forest looked punchy and vivid, and the contrast was surprisingly powerful, giving the trees greater perceived depth. The balance of light and dark between a leopard’s yellow fur and black spots created the same sense of depth. The picture was crisp with the right level of sharpness, making textures look mostly natural.

Although we didn’t get to see the Nebula X1 outside or with Dolby Vision HDR content (which the Nebula X1 supports), it was still clear that the projector would do a decent job in brighter viewing conditions.

Wireless speakers add more

Despite their small size, the Nebula X1's wireless speakers sounded clear and immersive. (Image credit: Future)

While the Nebula X1 can be used with the best soundbars, the company developed wireless speakers to pair with it. The speakers, each of which contains a 40W amp plus up and side-firing drivers powered by 2 x 20W, create a 4.1.2-channel surround sound system with the X1 itself serving as a subwoofer. This was demoed at the event with a Dolby Atmos video.

The sound was immediately surprising. I was sitting a few rows up and back from the projector and speakers, and even then, surround effects such as a chirping bird in a jungle and heavy rainfall seemed to come from behind and above me. There was a solid sense of bass in the soundtrack’s rumbling thunder as well. Finally, the system sounded clear regardless of what was played through it, adding another layer to the Nebula X1 experience.

The speakers themselves are small and extremely portable, which made the sound they produced during the demo all the more surprising. These could be a game-changer for those looking to up the quality level of their outdoor movie nights.

The party projector to beat, but at a cost

The Anker Nebula X1 comes with microphones aimed at karaoke. (Image credit: Future)

A pair of wireless microphones is included in the X1’s accessory bundle, one of which was used to give the presentation I attended. Their real purpose, however, is for karaoke, adding to the projector’s summer party vibe.

Of course, the X1 is not just all about outdoors and summer parties (which come later in the year for our Australian readers). From what I briefly saw and from what I’ve come to expect from Anker’s projectors, it will still make a great addition to a home theater setup.

(Image credit: Future)

Cost is something to consider here, however. The Nebula X1 is by no means cheap for a portable projector, launching at $2,999 / £2,199 (roughly AU$4,695) for the projector itself and $999 / £499 (roughly AU$1,564) for the accessory bundle, meaning you’ll be paying $3,998 / £2,698 (roughly AU$6,260) in total for the full package. (There is a package offer for $3,298 in the US until June 20th, one month after the X1’s May 20th launch date.)

That makes the X1 a pricey ‘portable’ projector, one that’s in line with the Hisense PX3 Pro ultra-short-throw (UST) projector, and even a top-end OLED TV in a 65-inch screen size. But the X1’s optional speakers, and features such as Dolby Vision HDR support, almost put it in its own category.

While we haven’t fully reviewed the X1, based on my first impressions, it could be an excellent all-around projector for outdoor parties and indoor movie nights. We’ll have to see how it fares when we get one in and put it through our usual tests.

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Looking for a different day?

A new Quordle 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: Quordle hints and answers for Sunday, April 27 (game #1189).

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,100 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

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

Quordle today (game #1190) - hint #1 - Vowels How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 4*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1190) - hint #2 - repeated letters Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 1.

Quordle today (game #1190) - hint #3 - uncommon letters Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• Yes. One of Q, Z, X or J appears among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1190) - hint #4 - starting letters (1) Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 0.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1190) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• J

• A

• F

• B

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

Quordle today (game #1190) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1190, are…

• JAUNT
• ALLOW
• FRUIT
• BURNT

I gambled that today’s first word began with a rare appearance by the letter J for JAUNT rather than a common or garden letter T for TAUNT. From here, R-U letter combinations speeded me up, leading to FRUIT and BURNT.

The final word came to me by sounding out the letters I had (A-L-O) – resulting in ALLOW. No errors after my start words, but far from easy.

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

Daily Sequence today (game #1190) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1190, are…

• MOURN
• WHINY
• PUPAL
• TAMER

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1189, Sunday, 27 April: PRIOR, YOUTH, CREDO, CHIDE
• Quordle #1188, Saturday, 26 April: LINGO, LOCUS, THROW, CLICK
• Quordle #1187, Friday, 25 April: SHALT, WRATH, MAMBO, HUMPH
• Quordle #1186, Thursday, 24 April: CHOKE, COLOR, FRAME, CAIRN
• Quordle #1185, Wednesday, 23 April: VALET, PUPAL, CREEP, DRIFT
• Quordle #1184, Tuesday, 22 April: POUTY, CHEST, BROOM, TEPEE
• Quordle #1183, Monday, 21 April: SHARD, PRINT, SUMAC, LEACH
• Quordle #1182, Sunday, 20 April: DINER, HORDE, SHONE, FUGUE
• Quordle #1181, Saturday, 19 April: GRADE, LAUGH, RAINY, EXULT
• Quordle #1180, Friday, 18 April: DEBUT, GLADE, BASTE, PESTO
• Quordle #1179, Thursday, 17 April: SPRAY, RAMEN, SHELF, COURT
• Quordle #1178, Wednesday 16 April: STUMP, GRAFT, CHORD, INPUT
• Quordle #1177, Tuesday 15 April: SLEET, MERIT, HARSH, FORAY
• Quordle #1176, Monday 14 April: DRAWL, CROOK, ACTOR, LANCE
• Quordle #1175, Sunday 13 April: SHALE, KINKY, SHORN, WHOOP
• Quordle #1174, Saturday 12 April: BLIND, OVOID, CACHE, THING
• Quordle #1173, Friday 11 April: FOLLY, PITHY, SCOWL, CURLY
• Quordle #1172, Thursday 10 April: LEAST, SEWER, UNTIE, NOOSE
• Quordle #1171, Wednesday 9 April: LITHE, LEFTY, KNOLL, MULCH
• Quordle #1170, Tuesday 8 April: WIDTH, VISOR, MEDAL, BROOK

Looking for a different day?

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, April 27 (game #420).

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 #421) - hint #1 - today's theme What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… My bad!

NYT Strands today (game #421) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• BLADE
• NUMB
• DIAL
• POWER
• STEAL
• HOOPS

NYT Strands today (game #421) - hint #3 - spangram letters How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 13 letters

NYT Strands today (game #421) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: right, 4th row

Last side: left, 8th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #421) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #421, are…

• SPILL
• TOPPLE
• SLIP
• FALTER
• BLUNDER
• STUMBLE
• SPANGRAM: WHOOPSIE DAISY

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

I am such a clumsy person that if I enter a store filled with breakable objects I will immediately reverse back out. Once, fearful of my propensity towards calamity, I removed my backpack in a souvenir store and in the process it grazed against a display of lucky china cats, which cascaded to the floor, breaking about six of them.

I did not BLUNDER through today’s search, though. In fact, it was one of the easiest for a while and one of those rare editions of Strands where finding the hint words for this page was tougher than finding the answers.

The Spangram was quite a throwback, the sort of thing an elderly aunt might say. It wasn’t what came out of my mouth when I knocked over those cats and cursed myself for life.

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

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday, April 27, game #420)

• MASK
• EARPLUGS
• MELATONIN
• MEDITATION
• MOUTHGUARD
• SPANGRAM: BEDTIME

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.

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Connections 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 Connections hints and answers for Sunday, April 27 (game #686).

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

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

NYT Connections today (game #687) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• MOUSSE
• DRAIN
• BARE
• TIRE
• HAIR
• BORE
• TIRE MARK
• EXHAUST
• PLAIN
• SPRAY
• SPARE
• FIBER
• WAX
• SIMPLE
• FINGERPRINT
• GEL

NYT Connections today (game #687) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: For styling
• GREEN: Pared back 
• BLUE: Vital evidence
• PURPLE: Pooped

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #687) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: HAIR PRODUCTS 
• GREEN: AUSTERE 
• BLUE: CLUES AT A CRIME SCENE 
• PURPLE: WEARY 

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

NYT Connections today (game #687) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #687, are…

• YELLOW: HAIR PRODUCTS GEL, MOUSSE, SPRAY, WAX
• GREEN: AUSTERE BARE, PLAIN, SIMPLE, SPARE
• BLUE: CLUES AT A CRIME SCENE FIBER, FINGERPRINT, HAIR, TIRE MARK
• PURPLE: WEARY BORE, DRAIN, EXHAUST, TIRE

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

I’m sure I wasn’t alone in thinking car parts could be a common thread today, with EXHAUST and TIRE leading my thinking. Instead, it was the other meaning of both those words that made up a group.

I’m staggered that I got a purple group so early in the game. Usually it’s the quartet that baffles me and that I solve last when there are no other alternatives, but today it seemed rather obvious.

CLUES AT A CRIME SCENE was trickier, but thoughts that they were all things that could identify us led me to connect this group.

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

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Sunday, April 27, game #686)

• YELLOW: CALCULATOR BUTTONS EQUALS, MINUS, PERCENT, TIMES
• GREEN: AMOUNTS OF HAIR LOCK, SHOCK, THATCH, TUFT
• BLUE: SALTY SNACK UNIT COMBO, GOLDFISH, RUFFLE, TAKI
• PURPLE: SWEDISH ____ CHEF, FISH, MASSAGE, MEATBALL

What is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.

On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.

It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.

It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

Ukrainians displaced by Russian occupation are helping the war effort — and longing for the homes they fled and the loved ones they left behind.

(Image credit: Anton Shtuka for NPR)

Astro A50 Gen 5 review: one-minute review

(Image credit: Future)

Logitech’s Astro sub-brand has a sizeable lineage, offering competition-grade audio solutions for years now, and the A50 Gen 5 is able to easily maintain that status quo at a (slightly) lower price point than the Astro A50 X, one of the best wireless gaming headsets we tested last year.

Much of the Astro A50 Gen 5 is built on the same very impressive foundation. It’s packing graphene drivers, which not only sound great but also contribute very little in terms of weight, while the whole design feels well-built without ever feeling uncomfortable for longer periods of use.

Audio sounds excellent, with a broad soundstage that packs in plenty of bass without distortion and plenty of high-end without tinniness, and I found myself using it for listening to music almost as much as I did for gaming.

Dolby Atmos and Windows Sonic are included, as well as the option to pipe in Bluetooth audio from an external source — ideal for anyone looking to crank up a podcast or playlist while grinding in their favorite game.

That flexibility is a common theme with the A50 Gen 5, too, since it can be connected to multiple platforms. While its pricier ‘X’ branded sibling can switch HDMI inputs with a button press, the A50 Gen 5 can do the same for audio.

The same mic from the A50 X is here, too, crystal clear in pressurized competitive moments (or as competitive as you can get within my own skill level) and easy to fold up if you’d prefer to just use the headset as a pair of very nice headphones.

Add to that a fantastic 24 hours of battery life, plus the convenience of being able to rest the headset on the docking station so it’s always ready to go and you’ve got a compelling package — and that’s before touching on Logitech’s G Hub software, which features custom equalizers and Blue voice adjustments.

It’s still not exactly affordable, but if you’re looking for a headset that can work across all platforms, it may be cheaper than buying a dedicated one for each.

Astro A50 Gen 5 review: Price and availability

• List price: $299.99 / £299.99
• Cheaper than Astro A50 X by around £70/$80
• Available worldwide

For $300 / £300, you get a solid package here. Aside from the fantastic headset, that base station really is nifty.

It's well constructed, offering a really handy way to keep your headset charged, while it’s hard to find fault with the build quality of the A50 Gen 5 headset itself.

It’s more premium than mid-range headsets that lean on plasticky shells, and similarly priced SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro.

That rival arguably feels more headphone-like in its design, but offers similar versatility from multi-platform and dual-source output. If you want something that looks a little less like a gaming peripheral, that might be the way to go.

(Image credit: Future) Astro A50 Gen 5 review: Specs

(Image credit: Future) Astro A50 Gen 5 review: Design and features

• Lightweight headset with fold-down mic
• Graphene drivers are lightweight but offer big sound
• Fabric ear cups are comfortable and avoid sweat build-up

Sat next to the pricier A50 X, you’d be hard-pressed to spot the differences, although the red cables on the Gen 5s versus the black cables on the A50 X are a bit of a giveaway.

The A50 Gen 5 comes in black or white, with magnetic cushions that can be taken off and swapped if you feel they’re getting to the end of their life (although even after well over a year of the premium version, it’s not ever felt that way to me).

The mic is identical, too, folding down to mouth level, while the side panel on the other side contains all the inputs. There’s chat and audio mixing on the headset itself, as well as Bluetooth functionality for piping your music through.

It’s comfortable for long periods thanks to being lighter than the old Logitech Pro X headsets I’ve used in the past, while the ear cups never feel like they get too hot. In fact, I prefer them to the colder, more leather-like alternatives (although you can buy a leatherette conversion kit from Logitech).

Onto the docking station, then, and while there’s no HDMI connectivity on the back, there are four USB ports. One is reserved for power, so the math enthusiasts will recognize that there are three ports left.

The ports are labeled for PC, PS5, and Xbox, meaning Switch is absent, but you can plug it into any of them.

You may need to provide your own USB-C cables, though — Logitech only provides one for power and a single cable to connect up other consoles.

(Image credit: Future) Astro A50 Gen 5 review: Performance

• 24-hour battery life plus added convenience of docking station
• 24-bit PC audio, 16-bit on consoles but you’re unlikely to hear the difference
• Connects via USB-C to docking station, but no HDMI ports

The Astro Gen 5, at least to my relatively trained ears as a musician, sounds the same as its premium sibling.

Footsteps from enemies in Call of Duty: Warzone and Black Ops 6 are crisp and easy to place, while the direction of gunfire is discernible even with short bursts.

Overwatch Hero callouts sound crisp, while more cinematic titles like Assassin’s Creed Shadows feel particularly impressive, notably when rain is falling on rooftops.

It’s worth noting that there’s no Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), but despite having a relatively large head, I felt the seal around my ears was tight enough where that never felt like a major concern. Your mileage may vary, though.

Perhaps most impressively, the A50 Gen 5s are fantastic for non-gaming audio, too. If you want to kick back with music, the balanced soundstage pairs with the comfortable headset to make everything feel nice and fresh.

I found listening to rock epics was a great experience, with piano and percussion dancing around each other nicely, while there’s plenty of bass when the situation calls for it, but without the distortion you may get from cheaper headsets.

You can play around with a mixer in the Logitech G app, too, while the aforementioned earcup controls are ideal for adjusting chat and game audio.

Still, audio output is only one-half of the coin, and while I have tended to keep mics folded up in favor of a desktop option with older setups, the mic here is crystal clear at all times.

The Logitech G app on PC can tap into the company’s Blue mic filtering to adjust to get you sounding sweet as a whistle, but even right out of the box, it feels as though you could be standing right next to a teammate as you work on strategies.

(Image credit: Future/Lloyd Coombes) Should you buy the Astro A50 Gen 5? Buy it if...

You’re a console and PC player
Being able to switch between your console and PC audio at ease is a huge help for multiformat setups.

You want a clear mic
Whether on Discord or console-based party chat, the mic on the Astro A50 Gen 5 is one of the best we’ve tested.

Don't buy it if...

You’re not looking for multiformat functionality
The Astros are great, but there are comparable headsets with a focus on a single platform that will set you back a lot less.

Also consider...

Still not sold on the Astro A50 Gen 5? Here’s how it compares to two similar products.

Astro A50 X
It’s hard not to compare the pricier variant of the Astros with this version. The main draw is those HDMI ports on the base station, which means you can switch between inputs with a button press. If you’re not looking for that functionality, though, you’ll lose very little with the A50 Gen 5s.

For more information, check out our full Astro A50 X review

Razer BlackShark V2 Pro
Less interested in the multiformat chops of the Astro Gen 5s? The BlackShark V2 Pro remains top of our list of the best wireless headset list thanks to fantastic audio, great battery life, and a premium build — but it’s only for PC.

For more information, check out our full Razer BlackShark V2 Pro review

(Image credit: Future/Lloyd Coombes) How I tested the Astro A50 Gen 5

• Tested over multiple weeks
• Used on a gaming PC with an RTX 4070 Ti, PS5 Pro, and Xbox Series X
• Party chat across multiple games used to test the mic, as well as Discord on PC

I spent my time using the Astro A50 Gen 5 across PC and console, switching between Call of Duty Warzone and Black Ops 6, indie multiplayer title The Headliners, and EA FC 25.

For testing the mic, I played some heated games of Overwatch 2, Marvel Rivals, and Destiny 2 to ensure comms were clear.

First reviewed April 2025

Read more about how we test

As he prepares to enter the seclusion of a conclave to elect a new pope, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the Archbishop of Westminster, reflects on diversity and sexual abuse in the Catholic Church.

(Image credit: Alishia Abodunde)

• New DJI Mavic 4 Pro image leaks have appeared
• It looks like two extra sensors could be added
• We also get a preview of the combo accessory packs

Our DJI Mavic 3 Pro review will tell you that we have been hugely impressed with the flagship consumer drone DJI launched in April, 2023 – awarding it five stars out of five – and newly leaked images give us a really good look at its 2024 successor.

These pictures come from well-known tipster @Quadro_News (via Notebookcheck), and there are a lot of them to work through. As well as seeing the drone itself from a variety of angles, we also see some of the accessories that will be available with it.

As far as the design goes, it doesn't look as though much will be changing this year. However, the DJI Mavic 4 Pro is expected to come with a couple of extra sensors to work alongside the LiDAR tech for better obstacle avoidance.

It looks as though the new drone will get Fly More and Creator combos as well, just like the DJI Mavic 3 Pro, and these additional batteries, cellular dongles, propellers and other accessories. The inclusion of ND (Neutral Density) filters suggests this tech won't be built into the drone itself, as had been previously rumored.

Earlier leaks and rumors

The DJI Mavic 3 Pro launched in April 2023 (Image credit: Future)

The DJI Mavic Pro 4 had previously been tipped to launch on April 24, and a quick glance at your calendar will tell you that didn't happen. However, it shouldn't be too long now before all of this is made official.

We've also heard that the new drone is going to be sold for $2,250 when it appears, which is just a touch higher than the $2,199 / £1,879 / AU$3,099 price of the drone it's replacing – though combo packs and accessories will of course cost you extra.

Another earlier leak gave us a good look at the triple-camera module that the DJI Mavic 4 Pro is expected to come with. It also appears that the propellers are going to get some design tweaks to enable quieter operation and a longer flight time.

All in all, this seems like a pretty substantial upgrade from the 2023 version, and these latest image leaks mean we now have a much better idea of what's coming. As soon as anything is made official, we'll let you know.

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