Technology

• SteelSeries has revealed a limited-edition 'Glorange' variant of its Arctis Gamebuds
• They come in a bright, translucent orange
• They will launch on May 13, 2025, and cost $159.99 / £159.99 and will only be available directly from SteelSeries while supplies last

Gaming accessory brand SteelSeries has unveiled an 'ultra-limited-edition' of one of its very best products: the Arctis Gamebuds.

The new 'Glorange' variant comes in a, well, 'Glorange' colorway - a translucent, almost glowing orange shade. It's bright and attractive and definitely stands out compared to the existing white and black variants.

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(Image credit: SteelSeries)Image 2 of 3

(Image credit: SteelSeries)Image 3 of 3

(Image credit: SteelSeries)

I'm a big fan of translucent audio gear, relying on a 'Transparent Red' pair of Beats Solo Buds for most of my portable audio needs, which I mainly picked up because of the small size and cool translucent case.

In terms of features, the 'Glorange' SteelSeries Arctis Gamebuds seem to be identical to the existing PlayStation version. They're compatible with PS5, Nintendo Switch, PC, and mobile, with an expansive selection of adjustable EQ presets selectable via the compatible Arctis app.

This includes more than 200 game-specific presets tailored towards a wide range of titles. This is on top of full spatial audio support (including Tempest 3D audio on PS5) and active noise cancellation.

The buds offer a battery life of more than 10 hours, plus an additional 30 hours via the charging case, plus fast-charging for three hours of play from just fifteen minutes of charge.

We rated these earbuds extremely highly in our SteelSeries Arctis Gamebuds review, where they scored a formidable four and a half out of five stars. We praised the model's superb audio quality, ergonomic design, premium build, and excellent companion app.

They currently rank as the very best gaming earbuds overall in our eyes, so they are definitely the model to pick if you're after a pair.

There is a bit of a catch if you're a fan of 'Glorange', however, as this limited-edition version could be quite hard to get your hands on. They will launch on May 13, 2025, and cost $159.99 / £159.99, but will apparently only be available in very, very limited quantities via the SteelSeries website - when they're gone, they're gone.

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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 Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Tuesday, May 13 (game #436).

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

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Boogie woogie woogie

NYT Strands today (game #437) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• MACE
• NOSE
• FOES
• MOON
• TIDES
• FEUD

NYT Strands today (game #437) - hint #3 - spangram letters How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 9 letters

NYT Strands today (game #437) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: top, 4th column

Last side: bottom, 4th column

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

NYT Strands today (game #437) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #437, are…

• HUSTLE
• MACARENA
• FOOTLOOSE
• WOBBLE
• LOCOMOTION
• SPANGRAM: LINE DANCE

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: 1 hint

There was no doubt that today’s theme was dance-based, with the spangram narrowing the search down even further – not that I have heard of WOBBLE.

As someone with appalling co-ordination, I live in fear of the LINE DANCE. They are much easier to avoid these days. But when I was younger any kind of family event would involve everyone being corralled onto the dancefloor to perform the Cha-Cha Slide or Superman.

My favorite group dance was to The Gap Band’s Oops Upside Your Head and if memory serves it included everyone crouching down and pretending to row a canoe.

None of this horror can compare to 1990s Spanish language hit MACARENA, a terrifying ear worm that was popular with children who years later realized they were performing a fun dance to a song about adultery.

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

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Tuesday, May 13, game #436)

• LAST
• ENDURE
• SURVIVE
• ABIDE
• PERSIST
• PERSEVERE
• SPANGRAM: STAY STRONG

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 Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Tuesday, May 13 (game #702).

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 #703) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• BABE
• PSYCHE
• DRAW
• NEO
• MNEMONIC
• BOLT
• KNEE
• WICK
• TED
• HYPER
• PULL
• GNOME
• KILO
• DUMBO
• META
• SUCK

NYT Connections today (game #703) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Soak it in 
• GREEN: Start of words in ancient language
• BLUE: Anthropomorphic movie stars
• PURPLE: Can’t hear the first letter

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 #703) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: ABSORB USING CAPILLARY ACTION 
• GREEN: GREEK PREFIXES 
• BLUE: TITULAR TALKING ANIMALS OF FILM 
• PURPLE: STARTING WITH SILENT LETTERS 

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

NYT Connections today (game #703) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #703, are…

• YELLOW: ABSORB USING CAPILLARY ACTION DRAW, PULL, SUCK, WICK
• GREEN: GREEK PREFIXES HYPER, KILO, META, NEO
• BLUE: TITULAR TALKING ANIMALS OF FILM BABE, BOLT, DUMBO, TED
• PURPLE: STARTING WITH SILENT LETTERS GNOME, KNEE, MNEMONIC, PSYCHE

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: Perfect

Despite making no mistakes I was unsure about every group today.

With TITULAR TALKING ANIMALS OF FILM I thought that NEO sounded like that could be a character too and was uncertain if potty-mouthed TED belonged in such child-friendly company.

For ABSORB USING CAPILLARY ACTION it was suction I had in mind and picked WICK as a total guess. And for GREEK PREFIXES, I thought we were looking for tech companies but still managed to get it right somehow.

I may have got the group STARTING WITH SILENT LETTERS, but I wasn’t looking for verbal commonalities – maybe I should think of a MNEMONIC to help me to remember to look for wordplay next time.

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

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Tuesday, May 13, game #702)

• YELLOW: PLACES TO SHOP BAZAAR, FAIR, MARKET, OUTLET
• GREEN: KINDS OF PIZZA HAWAIIAN, PLAIN, SUPREME, VEGGIE
• BLUE: ENDING WITH COLORS EVERGREEN, INFRARED, MARIGOLD, QUICKSILVER
• PURPLE: ____ CLEANER BATHROOM, DRY, PIPE, VACUUM

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.

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 Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Tuesday, May 13 (game #1205).

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 #1206) - 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 #1206) - 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 #1206) - hint #3 - uncommon letters Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1206 - 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 2.

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 #1206) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• F

• M

• P

• M

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

Quordle today (game #1206) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1206, are…

• FAVOR
• METER
• PICKY
• MAKER

Today’s Quordle posed an extra challenge for players who use British English rather than American English, with a word that's spelled differently depending on where you’re based in the world – FAVOR, which is FAVOUR in the UK.

Sometimes trying to think American can trip you up, but today it was a wild gamble, rather than second-guessing US spelling, that led to my error of entering RAZOR instead of FAVOR. Sometimes hunches about rare letters pay off, some days it’s better to go for the more obvious choice.

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

Daily Sequence today (game #1206) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1206, are…

• ROBOT
• LABEL
• GREAT
• LEVER

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1205, Tuesday, 13 May: SCENT, AGAPE, POLAR, YEARN
• Quordle #1204, Monday, 12 May: ROYAL, ARGUE, BUNCH, READY
• Quordle #1203, Sunday, 11 May: QUASH, MUNCH, ALTER, UNDUE
• Quordle #1202, Saturday, 10 May: RELIC, BADGE, CHAMP, SATIN
• Quordle #1201, Friday, 9 May: MINUS, CRIME, NOSEY, SLAIN
• Quordle #1200, Thursday, 8 May: ELUDE, GREET, POPPY, ELITE
• Quordle #1199, Wednesday, 7 May: QUOTH, TRUNK, BESET, NAIVE
• Quordle #1198, Tuesday, 6 May: UNITE, SOGGY, FILET, PORCH
• Quordle #1197, Monday, 5 May: WREAK, COWER, STEAD, QUEUE
• Quordle #1196, Sunday, 4 May: PINCH, SMOKE, SCARY, CANNY
• Quordle #1195, Saturday, 3 May: PLUSH, VERGE, WROTE, CONDO
• Quordle #1194, Friday, 2 May: CAUSE, RISEN, MACAW, SMELT
• Quordle #1193, Thursday, 1 May: IDIOM, EXILE, SPOOF, DRAPE
• Quordle #1192, Wednesday, 30 April: BATON, TORSO, ANNEX, DROWN
• Quordle #1191, Tuesday, 29 April: HOVER, HENCE, OCTAL, COPSE
• Quordle #1190, Monday, 28 April: JAUNT, ALLOW, FRUIT, BURNT
• 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

It’s the final of a world sporting competition. A lot is at stake, including the need for highly reliable and scalable connectivity to provide the most enjoyable experience for attendees and viewers watching on televisions and other devices.

How do you ensure that you can deliver on that? Digital twins.

As a real-time virtual replica of a physical environment, digital twins can provide the ultimate testing ground to iron out connectivity issues long before any actual event gets underway.

Pre-event network planning and simulation, including crowd behavior, test connectivity scenarios, issue detection, and identifying ‘dead’ zones where no data can be up or downloaded, is possible by harnessing a digital twin that is connected to real data streams from sensors, networks, and devices.

With such utility, digital twins are emerging as a key decision support system to guide autonomous networks, reduce the risk of failures and improve outcomes in service operations. As the industry group, TM Forum, said recently: “Digital twin networks can help CSPs better understand the timeframes, processes and resources required for autonomous network implementation, risk of service interruption and reduce much of the uncertainty about the impact of AN use cases on the network.” (TM Forum, 2025)

Introducing the service digital twin

Though network digital twins at the domain level have been around for a while, emerging standards are ushering in the exploration of service digital twins.

These are cross-domain and provide holistic models for understanding impacts on service performance, identifying potential issues due to changes in network behavior, and optimizing efficiency in operations. They offer a simulation environment for planning and operating networks while having a comprehensive view of network entities and their states, traffic, and interactions.

Digital twins also boost business agility and enhance customer engagement by enabling operators to be more agile in responding to market demands. They can also be used to optimize operational processes, thereby lowering costs and managing risk.

Increasing autonomy in operations – is there a catch?

Automation as a concept is not new in operations, but the evolution towards autonomous networks takes automation and AI to the next level.

AI in operations is about learning by leveraging data from different sources, analyzing what happened in the past to predict what might happen in the future, and using this in a preventative way to ensure that services never fail. While AI can predict the network behavior, it doesn’t predict the impact it will have on operations.

Another key element for autonomy is the use of GenAI, which brings in the capabilities to drive more system-led operations, like copilots and assistants, to make it easier to manage networks, auto-generating recommendations to aid decision-making and autonomously deriving resolution actions to fix issues.

While these enable higher levels of autonomy, some big questions still need to be answered around the control of autonomous network operations.

While humans are taken out of the loop to minimize errors, what is the risk of adding AI and GenAI into the loop? More reliance on intelligence coming from GenAI-powered agents carries the risk of potentially biased decisions, erroneous recommendations, or inconsistent outcomes.

Another big issue is AI maturity and how to ensure that the AI recommendations do not trigger adverse impacts on the network. With all these questions still open, there is a need to have a validation, or “watchdog” element, for autonomous networks.

Digital twins offer the solution

The simple answer lies in finding a mechanism to check the validity of recommendations, assessing the impact of actions on the network without directly impacting the network itself, and understanding the “what if” when services are created or fail, new actions are performed, or certain changes take place.

This is where digital twins come in by offering a simulation platform to accurately mimic the network, using intelligent models to assess the impact of network behavior, identify more efficient alternatives, and validate recommendations to achieve higher accuracy in network actions.

The digital twin can simulate various situations, derive the impact, and analyze what might happen to complement the capabilities brought by AI and GenAI. It can help to assess network resilience in different scenarios to identify capacity bottlenecks and manage dynamic service level agreement (SLA) definitions by considering the network behavior patterns to improve efficiency and optimize service delivery.

Most importantly, they offer a ‘production-network replica’ to validate insights, recommendations, and impacts on the network without having to use the network as the object of a trial-and-error experiment.

Real-world use cases of service digital twins

The service digital twin has several real-world applications, all of which contribute to achieving autonomous networks.

The first is service planning. A significant challenge in delivering cross-domain services is checking the availability of diverse resources across multiple domains and technologies. What makes it more complex is that failure in one area can lead to having to roll back the entire service operations, which can be costly, in terms of effort and financially.

Digital twins help predict service feasibility based on anticipated network behavior by leveraging AI-enabled prediction and service modeling capabilities.

Digital twins can also assist with service maintenance. By testing the twin with different data inputs and simulating varying network states and conditions, an environment identical to the real network is formed. This environment can be used to assess the impacts of network changes and maintenance actions on network services and even the end-user experience.

Finally, they can also assist with service operations.

As service digital twins model the service itself and hold a real-time replica of the service state and performance, they can be tested with various inputs to optimize service delivery and performance. This also means that AI-driven recommendations can be validated first on the digital twin before being applied to the network to check for adverse impacts. This is referred to as a “twin-first” approach.

Solving the autonomous networks puzzle

Digital twins are a key piece of the jigsaw puzzle of autonomous networks, which aims to drive network monetization, optimize customer experience, and enhance efficiency while controlling costs.

A “twin-first” approach allows operators to perform impact analysis and validate AI-driven actions before implementation, enhancing reliability and efficiency, and enabling zero-touch, zero-failure operations shaping the future of next-generation networks.

We've featured the best business smartphone.

This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

A standard for brain implants that would allow disabled people to control devices such as iPhones and the Apple Vision Pro could be available for developers this year.

• The Paper is expected to arrive on Peacock in September
• A first-look image of Domhnall Gleeson has also been released
• Oscar Nunez appears to be the only returning cast member from the original series

The Paper is Peacock's follow-up series to The Office, and we now known it's expected to arrive on one of the best streaming services in September 2025.

Considering The Office is such a comedy staple, this new series has some seriously big shoes to fill. That's not to say it won't work, but considering the disastrous Prime Video series The Office Australia, I am feeling a little nervous about what's to come.

While we don't have a trailer or a concrete release date, we do have the first look at Domhnall Gleeson (see above) standing on a desk with a very familiar face behind him. I recently reported that my favorite character from The Office was returning, and now we can see Oscar Nunez lurking in the background.

What do we know about The Paper?

The Paper is set in the same universe as The Office, and will once again be filmed in a mockumentary style. What connects the two shows is that it's the same documentary crew who followed Dunder Mifflin in the original series which, admittedly, is a fun way to go about it.

This documentary crew is hungry for more, and this time, they're focusing on a historic Toledo newspaper, The Truth Teller, and the publisher trying to revive it, so they've gone from a paper company to a newspaper – another nice connection.

In terms of casting, it appears Oscar Nunez is the only returning cast member. He'll be reprising his role as Oscar Sanchez, who has clearly changed jobs since we last saw him!

Joining him are Gleeson, Sabrina Impacciatore, Chelsea Frei, Melvin Gregg, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Alex Edelman, Ramona Young, and Tim Key, with an array of upcoming guest stars too.

I'll definitely be giving this one a go, I just hope it can reach the great heights of The Office, which I love dearly.

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Publishers will be able to choose from more than 100 voices across multiple languages to read their books.

• A security researcher discovered a major flaw in ASUS DriverHub
• The flaw allows users to run malicious code remotely
• A patch was already released

DriverHub, ASUS’ official driver management tool, was carrying a critical vulnerability that allowed threat actors to execute malicious code on affected devices, remotely. It was recently discovered, and a patch was released, so users are urged to apply it as soon as possible to mitigate potential risks.

ASUS DriverHub is a piece of software that automatically downloads and installs the latest drivers for ASUS devices including laptops, motherboards, and peripherals. Its goal is to keep the devices updated at all times, without needing too much manual intervention. According to BleepingComputer, DriverHub comes preinstalled on some devices, and constantly runs in the background (which makes sense if it is to keep software updated at all times).

Now, a security researcher with the alias MrBruh said that DriverHub suffered from poor validation of commands. This allowed him to chain together two vulnerabilities, now tracked as CVE-2025-3462, and CVE-2025-3463, and get the tool to run malicious software.

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Releasing the patch

He reported his findings on April 8, and ASUS came back with a patch ten days later, on April 18. Although, the company says the disruptive potential of the flaw is somewhat limited: "This issue is limited to motherboards and does not affect laptops, desktop computers, or other endpoints," ASUS said, describing the CVE.

It still “strongly recommended” users apply the patch. "This update includes important security updates and ASUS strongly recommends that users update their ASUS DriverHub installation to the latest version," the company said in a security advisory.

"The latest Software Update can be accessed by opening ASUS DriverHub, then clicking the "Update Now" button." Ironically enough, the tool that handles all driver installs automatically needs to be patched - manually.

According to CyberInsider, the vulnerability window has been open for “an indeterminate period” but since there are no reports of abuse in the wild, it’s safe to assume that MrBruh was the first one to spot the bug.

Via BleepingComputer

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These unconventional blades supplement my chef knife for specialized slicing, dicing and chopping.

• YouTuber and leaker Moore’s Law Is Dead claims the next PSSR update is "substantial" and will offer improvements to resolution scaling
• It's said the next iteration of PSSR will offer 4K at 120 FPS and 8K at 60 FPS
• Support for wider resolutions, like 1440p and 1080p, will also be added

Sony is reportedly developing the next major PSSR (PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution) update for the PS5 Pro that will offer major improvements to resolution scaling.

That's according to YouTuber 'Moore’s Law Is Dead', known for his accurate PS5 Pro and spec leaks, who claims that Sony is currently working on the next iteration of the console's AI-powered upscaling tech.

Even though PlayStation lead system architect Mark Cerny has confirmed that a new PSSR update is coming in 2026, Moore's doesn't know if it will be called a new version, but is classifying it as "PSSR 2" due to how "substantial" it is.

"I don't know if Sony will brand it, I don't know if they'll say anything," the leaker said, "In fact, to my memory, from what I've seen, there's been at least three or more versions of PSSR updated behind the scenes."

As for what this PSSR 2 update will feature, he claims that Sony is aiming to offer 4K at 120 FPS and 8K at 60 FPS, as well as support for wider resolutions, including 1440p and 1080p locked at 120 FPS.

Additionally, the update could also have the capability of upscaling from lower resolutions, including 720p, 540p, and 360p, which would allow developers to target higher performance.

"Sony has determined that the image quality they can achieve with PSSR looks pretty bad if you're upscaling from a base resolution lower than 864p, and so they want to improve that."

Moore's Law is Dead also claimed that he saw evidence that Sony is working on MFSR, which was the internal acronym for PSSR, to upscale for higher frame rates and make it an alternative to TAA to offer better image quality.

"They're also working to make this an alternative to TAA for pretty much any game enhanced for PS5 Pro, meaning even if you don't want to turn on, for higher frame-rates, PSSR, they want the image quality to be higher in any game that uses TAA," the YouTube explained.

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• Ecovacs has unveiled the new Deebot X9 Pro Omni robot vacuum
• It features self-cleaning Ozmo roller mop and lifting brush rolls
• It also introduces an innovative 'Blast' suction system

Ecovacs' new Deebot X9 Pro Omni is a hybrid robot vacuum and mop that looks like it could solve my hard-floor cleaning woes for good – I regularly test robovacs in my role as Homes Editor at TechRadar, and I've yet to find one that does a good job of scrubbing my hard floors.

A big issue with traditional robovac mopping systems is that because the mops are only cleaned at the end of the job (either by the dock or by hand) they tend to spread spillages around the floor rather than clearing them away.

Ecovacs' answer is the Ozmo roller mop. Most of today's best robot vacuums have either a fixed, D-shaped mop pad or two spinning discs, but the newest Deebot robovacs use a mop-wrapped roller.

The roller applies pressure as it rotates, and is able to extend out to the side to clean close to the edges of rooms. The really ingenious part is that there's a scraper that constantly siphons off the dirty water and any debris as the roller rotates, and the roller is then fed with clean water ready to continue mopping.

(Image credit: Ecovacs)

It's a relatively simple idea – inspired by today's best wet and dry vacuums – but it could make a massive difference to how effectively this robot vacuum can deal with spillages. The system was introduced in the Deebot X8 Pro Omni, which was launched at the start of 2025, and appears in the newly unveiled Deebot X9 Pro Omni and another new sister model, the T80 Omni.

While the idea of roller mops is still very new, Ecovacs isn't the only brand to explore this design – it also appears in the Eureka J20 and Narwal Flow. Where the X9 Pro Omni takes things a step further is that it combines the Ozmo mop with a brush roll that can lift up, solving another of my bug-bears with hybrid robovacs.

Having the brush roll down while the bot mops means the bristles quickly get damp and gunked up – dust and grime plus water is not a pleasant combination. Here, the roller is tucked up and out of the way, meaning I won't need to worry about mop mess finding its way onto my carpets next time I set the bot on a vacuuming run.

3, 2, 1, blast off

Another interesting addition with the X9 Pro Omni is a new 'BLAST' ('Boosted Large-Airflow Suction Technology') system, designed to offer better suction with less outright power.

“With the BLAST system, we didn’t just boost suction – we redesigned the entire airflow from the ground up," Michelle Jones, US associate brand marketing director at Ecovacs told TechRadar.

"Most robot vacuums rely on increasing motor wattage alone to improve suction, which can create more noise and drain battery life. BLAST takes a smarter, more efficient approach – starting with our new SuperBoost battery, continuing through a larger air inlet, optimized air ducts, and newly engineered fan blades. This system moves more air with less resistance, delivering consistently strong suction with less noise."

She added that BLAST could represent "a major step forward in both performance and everyday usability – especially for homes with pets, rugs, or heavy foot traffic.” The proof will be in the testing, and we'll report back once we've had a chance to review this model properly.

(Image credit: Ecovacs)

The Deebot X9 Pro Omni is available to buy now, at a list price of $1,599 but with an early bird deal that takes it down to $1,299.99. You can purchase it directly from Ecovacs or pick one up via Amazon. Ecovacs hasn't confirmed if or when Deebot X9 Pro Omni will be available outside the US.

It has been launched alongside another new robot vacuum – the T80 Omni, which still has the Ozmo roller mop, but doesn't feature lifting brushroll or the new Blast suction system. That model is a little cheaper (although still firmly in the premium price bracket) at $1,199.99 down to $1,079.99 at Ecovacs or Amazon.

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• Spotify AI DJ just got a huge upgrade, and now it can take your requests just by listening to your voice
• This new feature is designed for users to have more of a say in their listening experiences, while interacting more with their personal AI DJ
• The feature is being rolled out today in over 60 markets for Premium users

Spotify’s AI DJ tool has divided users since it was introduced in 2023, and now the platform’s resident maestro has just received its first major upgrade. As of today, your AI DJ will be able to take your requests in English, launching in more than 60 markets for Premium users.

That’s right, as well as curating a personalized listening experience based on your music habits, you can feed AI DJ voice prompts, and from there, it will use your request to update your listening session based on the music you want to hear at that moment.

For example, you can use the prompt 'Surprise me with some indie tracks I’ve never heard before' to discover new indie artists, or even “Play me some electronic beats for a midday run” so that DJ can motivate you during times of hard work.

(Image credit: Spotify)

For a while, Spotify users have been asking for more ways to interact with their AI DJs and have more say in what they play during their listening sessions. The DJ tool’s new ability to take requests from users is definitely a much-needed upgrade for the feature.

But despite this big change, Spotify has made it clear that it will continue to honor AI DJ’s original ethos of bringing you closer to new music, as well as reacquainting you with old favorites with "insights from (its) global editorial experts".

It’s no secret that Spotify’s AI DJ hasn’t been able to grab my attention, and that’s down to my preference for its Daylist feature, however, its new requests function is really tempting me to dip my toe back into AI DJ. I just hope I can get past its slightly jarring commentary this time.

How to use AI DJ’s request function

(Image credit: Spotify)

As of today AI DJ will be able to take your voice requests and vamp up your listening session in ways it hasn’t before, and one of the greatest things about it is that it’s very simple to use.

1. Go to Spotify's search tab and search for 'DJ'

Press to start a standard AI DJ- curated listening session.

2. Press and hold the DJ button to ask a request

In the right-hand corner, you'll find the DJ button. Press and hold until you hear a beep, and that means DJ is ready to take your request. From there, you can use your voice to ask DJ to play a specific kind of music, for example, 'Play me some music to soundtrack my life as a movie', or 'Play modern country songs for my cowboy era'.

3. Experiment to your heart's content

You can mix things up by holding the DJ button and asking it to switch up the vibe of your listening session and make new requests. If you don’t have a specific request but want to change the vibe, you can tap the DJ button to quickly skip to the next section.

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Just two days before United Airlines is set to offer its first Starlink-equipped flight, which will deliver internet speeds up to 50 times faster and offer a ‘living room in the sky’ experience, the airline is making more waves by unveiling its next-generation cabin experience.

United Airlines' Polaris seat offering is already impressive, with a large, bright screen, plenty of ports, and a full lie-flat seat. But the airline has put years of work into its next product, stretching beyond the flagship seat.

Arriving first on the new Boeing 787-9, which United expects to land before the end of 2025, is the next-generation of Polaris seat and the entirely new Polaris Studio, along with upgrades to Premium Plus, Economy Plus, and even Economy – yes, those who travel in standard extra legroom will also get some significant enhancements.

Polaris gets more ways to recharge, a larger screen, and a door for privacy

(Image credit: United Airlines)

Leading the enhancements with United’s core Polaris Business class seat are four ways to recharge your device, likely your phone, within your pod. You’ll still get a standard outlet, but United is promising three others, including a wireless charging pad supporting the Qi-standard baked into your counter space, meaning you could just lay your iPhone 16 or Galaxy S25 Edge on the surface and let it recharge without bringing out a wire.

In addition to the standard outlet, you also get USB-C and USB-A ports. Basically, it affords you plenty of power, which is handy if you’re hoping to work while at 35,000 feet.

The entertainment screen is again touch-enabled, and gives you access to a wide array of movies and TV shows, as well as a flight map if you’re an aviation geek like myself, but it’s now stretching to a full 19 inches diagonally and is a 4K OLED panel. This should mean that if you’re by a window the screen can get bright enough to compete with the sun, and it can also be angled or pulled out.

Bluetooth is of course supported, so you can connect your favorite Bluetooth headphones or some of the best true wireless earbuds directly to the infotainment system. You’ll also get a pair of Polaris-branded over-ear headphones in the amenity kit.

With the press of a button you’ll get a seat that can be transitioned to a bed for a lie-flat experience or various other positions. It’s now a wool-blend covered seat, with United promising that the new material is more breathable, and to top it all off there's now a door on the Polaris seat to afford you more privacy.

The Polaris seating configuration will also be in a 1-2-1 setup on the Boeing 787-9 when it arrives later this year, with 56 seats spread across 14 rows.

(Image credit: United Airlines)

United's brand-new Polaris Studio is larger-than-life if you’re looking for the best seating in the sky and are willing to pay for it. As United Airlines teased when it first announced Starlink, it’s our best look at the living room sky vision. You get the classic Polaris lie-flat seat, but you’re facing a massive 27-inch 4K OLED screen that should be excellent to watch. It also supports Bluetooth connectivity to listen with your own cans.

There are also four ways to charge, including the Qi-standard wireless charger, multiple wall plugs, and a USB-C port to plug right in. The real kicker, though, is that as the Studio nomenclature hints at, there’s an ottoman to have someone else join you in the Studio. You’ll also get more countertop space and more storage.

This one feels exceptional. Just imagine Starlink connectivity plus the ability to kick back and watch a favorite film on a 27-inch screen on an airplane. It’ll likely be costly, but for long trips you might think it's worth it.

More chargers for Premium Plus and Economy

(Image credit: United Airlines)

While Polaris is leading the news, United Airlines isn’t leaving Premium Plus – a step-up class for long-haul domestic and international flights – or Economy hanging. The ‘purple seats’, as they are known on the plane, get bigger, brighter 16-inch 4K OLED touchscreens with the aforementioned Bluetooth support, but more importantly, they give you more ways to charge your devices.

Each Premium Plus seat has a wall plug, a USB port, and a wireless charger – so you can charge how you want. You also have a dedicated spot next to your seat to hold your headphones.

(Image credit: United Airlines)

Passengers in Economy or Economy Plus will get 13-inch 4K OLED screens, but the real win is now six power outlets in each row. That’s way better than the two spread across three seats or three for four seats in some configurations, and should put an end to the dreaded fight over ports.

All in all, the focus on tech and making flying less stressful, at least in terms of the in-flight experience, is a major upgrade. And in addition to the new cabin tech, United has committed to bringing much faster, free for MileagePlus members Starlink internet to all of its regional jets by the end of 2025, and this is due to arrive on its first mainline jet by the end of the year.

Starlink will also be on the Boeing 787-9 when it arrives. The new aircraft will be fitted with 56 Polaris seats, eight Polaris Studios, and 35 Premium Plus, 33 Economy Plus, and 90 Economy seats.

The first of these planes will be delivered by the end of this year, and they'll go into service in 2026, starting with United's San Francisco to Singapore and San Francisco to London routes.

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We had strong indicators for a while that Apple is experimenting with in-ear cameras as inputs for Apple Intelligence. And according to a new report, Apple plans to have cameras in AirPods as soon as 2027. It'll also be adding a tiny camera to the Apple Watch in 2027, and launching its first camera-equipped smart glasses.

That's according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, but another report suggests that the cameras might not be cameras as you might imagine them: last year, respected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that Apple was aiming to put infrared cameras in AirPods by the end of 2026.

Those cameras would be able to see gestures, which could then be used to control app or system features. It’s possible that Gurman and Kuo are describing the same buds.

Which AirPods are going to come with cameras?

Here's a puzzle: if Apple's on track to release AirPods Pro 3 this year, which is what we're expecting and has long been rumored, then 2027 seems too early for another iteration of AirPods Pro: the first-gen ran from 2019 to 2022, and the second generation is expected to have run from 2022 to 2025.

So on that basis, AirPods Pro 4 aren't due until late 2028 – quite some time after Gurman's reported camera timeline.

It's highly unlikely that Apple's going to put a premium new feature like this in less-than-premium AirPods, so if we assume AirPods Pro 4 won't come earlier than usual. that leaves us with two options: AirPods Max 2, or an even more premium kind of AirPods Pro – AirPods Ultra, anyone?

I'm betting against the cameras coming in AirPods Max, because all the reporting on cameras so far has been about camera-equipped earbuds, and they sell way better than AirPods Max.

But adding yet another tier to the AirPods range would set the late Steve Jobs spinning: rather than his preferred lineup of three – good, better, best – it could mean five different flavors of AirPod: standard AirPods, standard AirPods with ANC, AirPods Pro 3, AirPods Max and AirPods Ultra. That doesn't seem very Apple.

But perhaps the 2027 date is off, or there's some other twist coming. In any case, we'll have a while to wait and find out.

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