A little-known device maker is looking to address the growing concerns about smartphone surveillance as modern devices collect and share extensive user data to build digital profiles.
BraX is working to launch BraX3, a business smartphone designed for those who value their privacy above all else - it runs iodéOS, a de-Googled, open source Android 14-based alternative operating system that blocks ads, trackers, and unwanted data sharing.
Instead, the BraX3 uses dedicated privacy-focused servers for essential services, providing safe browsing with privacy-first search engines like Qwant, Brave, and Ecosia.
The most privacy-friendly smartphone yet?The BraX3 also employs Lunar Network for geolocation, blending GPS for outdoor navigation and a secure indoor network-based location service. With no Google identity required, users can enjoy complete anonymity.
It also includes an internet traffic analysis tool, which visualizes who is accessing your data, how much is being collected, and where it is sent. By restricting intrusive applications and ensuring only privacy-compliant apps are used, BraX3 minimizes data exposure without sacrificing functionality.
As for hardware, the BraX3's modular design allows users to replace parts using standard tools, with spare parts available for six years post-launch.
It offers a 6.56-inch HD+ display which supports 90Hz refresh rate, and a pixel density of 280 xhdpi. Under the hood, it boasts the Dimensity 6300 processor (Octa-core, 2.4GHz, 6nm), paired with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. A 5,000mAh battery with 10W charging ensures lasting performance.
It comes with a 50MP camera on the rear as well as a 5MP front camera for selfies. This device features a fingerprint sensor, NFC, Bluetooth 5.2 and multiple 4G and 5G bands.
Crucially, it also supports an eSIM for international travel, dual SIM, and a MicroSD slot.
While the porting process may face delays, BraX hopes that power users will have the option to run Ubuntu Touch, offering an independent app store and Terminal access.
The BraX3 is available for pre-order for $299.00 via crowdfunding platform Indiegogo. With 2,792 backers at press time, this alternative business smartphone signals a rising demand for tech that prioritizes privacy and the right-to-repair.
You might also likeAlthough the likes of Pure Storage, IBM, and Meta believe the writing is on the wall for hard drives, the technology doesn’t look like it will be going away any time soon.
Seagate and its main rival Western Digital are working on magnetic recording methods that will allow the drives to continue increasing in capacity, helping them maintain a clear advantage over SSDs when it comes to storage density.
The main technology leading this charge is HAMR, or heat-assisted magnetic recording, which could see HDDs hitting incredible 100TB capacities. HAMR works by briefly heating the disk surface with a laser to make it easier to write data at higher densities. HDMR - short for heated dot magnetic recording - is HAMR’s likely successor and could lead to even larger drives by focusing the heat and magnetic energy into smaller, more precise areas for even denser data storage.
Not an unreasonable outlayIn a recent The Wall Street Journal article, John Keilman wrote an article covering Seagate’s “fight to store the world’s data”, and mentioned something which caught my attention. “Seagate said two large cloud-computing customers have each ordered one exabyte’s worth of HAMR storage, which works out to tens of thousands of hard drives.”
Keilman didn’t name names - Seagate wouldn’t have told him who the buyers were - but we can narrow the list of suspects down to the usual big US hyperscalers, including Apple, Oracle, Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and Meta. It’s possible that Chinese hyperscalers could have come shopping for the drives, but that seems unlikely to me.
Keilman doesn’t say what capacity drives were sold, but we can assume they will have been Seagate’s highest commercial HDD, the Exos M, which ranges from 30TB (CMR) to 36TB (SMR), with a breakthrough 3TB-per-platter density. Based on timing, it’s likely we’re talking about the 30TB models, as the 32TB drive was only added to the range in December 2024, followed by the 36TB model just a month later.
Assuming the hyperscalers in question paid bulk pricing of around $500 per drive (refurbished models of Seagate's Exos 28TB HDD can currently be purchased for as low as $365), their combined bill likely came to somewhere between $33 and $35 million. For a full exabyte of cutting-edge, high-capacity storage, $16 billion or so isn't an unreasonable outlay.
Seagate previously revealed that a 60TB drive was on its way, and the firm recently announced plans to acquire Intevac, a HAMR specialist, which could help it achieve that 100TB capacity goal faster, as well as ramp up HAMR drive production.
You might also likeIf you've read my previous articles, you should know that PC is my preferred option for gaming. Whether it's with handheld gaming PCs or a full-fledged desktop setup, I believe it offers the best gaming experiences possible with better performance and advanced graphics options.
There's also a much greater level of freedom PC players have over console players: lower game prices thanks to digital marketplaces, free multiplayer online access (which shouldn't even be a debate), and modding capabilities all play an integral part. I can't deny that PC gaming isn't cheap, but there also isn't much of an argument when looking at the likes of the PS5 Pro and its $699.99 / £699.99 / AU$1,199 price - as I've said before, you may as well start saving for a PC build at that price point.
However, my stance on that has changed at least for the time being - not because I think consoles are more powerful than most PCs, no - but because the current landscape of the GPU market is an absolute mess. Nvidia and AMD both launched new GPUs: the Blackwell RTX 5000 series and Radeon RX 9000 series respectively, and getting your hands on any of these graphics cards at MSRP (or even at all) is one heck of a mission.
From scalpers to retailers, you'll more than likely find yourself overpaying for a new mid-range or high-end GPU. Now it's worth mentioning that Intel is also in the mix with its Battlemage Arc B570 and B580 GPUs, but it's got some catching up to do against Team Green and Team Red in terms of performance capabilities and its XeSS upscaling method.
Ultimately, it means that if there was any opportunity for a large amount of console-only gamers (or even new gamers entirely) to join the PC platform, that chance is nearly dead in the water - and I don't see it getting better anytime soon.
GPUs are far too expensive and it's completely unreasonable (Image credit: Andrew Derr / Shutterstock)It's important I note that I absolutely don't expect powerful graphics cards to be cheap, especially considering the advancement of tech and power capabilities we've seen over the years from Nvidia and AMD. Game developers are now able to provide exceptional and immersive gaming experiences with hyper-realistic visuals, thanks to the power provided by GPUs like the RTX 5090.
This is even possible with midrange cards at high resolutions, with the help of upscaling tools like DLSS and FSR. What I do expect, however, is for hardware to be affordable, especially with less powerful products - and unfortunately, that's the complete opposite of what we're seeing.
Examples of this are evident with the RTX 5090 and RTX 5080: both of these Blackwell GPUs are high-end offerings, priced at $1,999 / £1,939 / AU$4,039 and $999 / £999 / AU$2,019 respectively, and will give gamers the best performance possible this generation. Those prices are arguably too high, particularly when the leap from the previous flagship GPU, the RTX 4090, is significant but perhaps not enough to pay another $400 above its $1,599 MSRP.
When you add scalpers, low stock, and hardware issues into the equation, it makes matters worse - and we've seen this occur since board partners are selling the GPUs at inflated prices. It means either you won't find a GPU to buy at all, or if you do, you'll more than likely be overpaying.
You might be thinking it's best to just buy a midrange GPU, but the exact same thing is happening there too. AMD's Radeon RX 9070 series GPU prices have seen a sudden hike - so instead of paying $599 / £569 / around AU$944 for the RX 9070 XT, you'll be paying much more.
It's also worth noting that PC games are released with bad optimization - so even if you do manage to find a powerhouse GPU without overpaying, you'll have to deal with bad performance and game-breaking bugs.
If I was a console-only player, I would stay away too... (Image credit: Mohsen Vaziri / Shutterstock.com)As a gamer who is on both PC and console, I can totally understand why most console players are hesitant when advised to build gaming PCs. Yes, I still think PC is the better platform and there's plenty of freedom to be had with your gaming experience - but if you can't even acquire the right hardware at affordable prices, what choice do you have but to stick with a console?
Again, you may end up building your desired gaming PC and then still be met with frustrating performance problems. While performance may not be as good on console, it's a manageable experience with stable frame rates that come without the need to tinker or mess around with settings.
I believe it's a big part of why handheld gaming options like the Steam Deck are so popular: gamers can simply select a game they want to play (with the help of Deck Verified) and dive in. It's not like that isn't the case on Windows PCs, but it's annoying dealing with regular performance drops due to bad optimization, along with Windows 11 and its game incompatibility problems.
Gamers just want to be able to purchase the right hardware and get their money's worth while gaming - and if PCs can't provide that right now because of GPU price inflation, then I can't blame anyone for sticking with a PS5 or Xbox Series X|S.
You may also like...If the rumors we've heard so far turn out to be accurate, we could be seeing the official launch of the Google Pixel 9a as early as next week – and fresh benchmarks that have appeared online give us some idea of the kind of performance we can expect from it.
These benchmarks come from tipster @KaroulSahil (via Notebookcheck), and are presumably from a device that's being tested somewhere, ahead of the full reveal. The stats include an AnTuTu score of 1,049,844, and Geekbench scores of 1,530 (single-core) and 3,344 (multi-core).
While that AnTuTu score is along the same lines as the existing Google Pixel 9 phones – which you would expect, given that the Pixel 9a is predicted to be running the same Tensor G4 processor inside – the Geekbench scores are some way short of the flagship phones that Google unveiled last August.
There could be a few reasons for this, with the primary one most likely to be that this is a Pixel 9a running pre-launch software that hasn't been properly optimized yet. There might be a few hardware tweaks that still need to be made too.
The price is right?Google Pixel 9a Benchmark result#Google #GooglePixel9a pic.twitter.com/3lZBobYt6gMarch 15, 2025
Given the history of this mid-range phone series – see our Google Pixel 8a review, for example – it's unlikely that we're going to be too surprised by what the Pixel 9a has to offer in terms of performance, when it finally shows up.
Typically with these phones, the internal specs have been comparable to the flagship models that came before them, while cost savings have been made in the design and materials. That makes them a more affordable choice if you don't want the most expensive Pixel phones Google has to offer.
As always, pricing is going to be crucial. The Pixel 8a launched for a starting price of $499 / £499 / AU$849, and it looks as though the 128GB model of the Google Pixel 9a is going to match that. However, we have also heard that the variant with 256GB of storage is going to cost a little more than its predecessor.
It seems there's a surprising design decision on the way that we're going to have to come to terms with: Google is apparently getting rid of the classic Pixel camera bump, so it will have a flatter back than the phones that came before it.
You might also likeA 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, March 16 (game #644).
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 #645) - today's words (Image credit: New York Times)Today's NYT Connections words are…
What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?
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 #645) - hint #2 - group answersWhat are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
NYT Connections today (game #645) - the answers (Image credit: New York Times)The answers to today's Connections, game #645, are…
Seeing the name BEN FOLDS in Connections was a nice buzz – a good human, excellent songwriter, and of course forever associated with the number five, making BANDS MINUS THE NUMBER FIVE the most gettable purple group (for me at least) for a month. JACKSON and MAROON were also easy to find, but I took a guess on MC before remembering that they’re a heavy rock band.
Here’s a good game to play if you’re bored and with a friend – take it in turns to name artists with numbers in their names and see how far you can count. If you forget 15 and 18 you should be able to get to Matchbox 20.
Meanwhile, seeing MONSTER and PICKUP in close proximity made the Green group equally easy and it probably says a lot about my own lack of SPONTANEITY that I got UNINHIBITEDNESS last.
How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.
Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Sunday, 16 March, game #644)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.
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, March 16 (game #1147).
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 #1148) - hint #1 - Vowels How many different vowels are in Quordle today?• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 3*.
* 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 #1148) - 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 #1148) - 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 #1148) - 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 #1148) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?• I
• F
• C
• S
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
Quordle today (game #1148) - the answers (Image credit: Merriam-Webster)The answers to today's Quordle, game #1148, are…
A slightly more thoughtful three start words (using up 15 letters) got me good results today, with just one wrong guess (NICER instead of INFER).
Talking of start words, FLINT, CHUMP, and SHEER wouldn’t be bad, if not for the repeated H and E. I may try those tomorrow.
How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.
Daily Sequence today (game #1148) - the answers (Image credit: Merriam-Webster)The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1148, are…
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, March 16 (game #378).
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 #379) - hint #1 - today's theme What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Sound switching
NYT Strands today (game #379) - hint #2 - clue wordsPlay any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.
• Spangram has 11 letters
NYT Strands today (game #379) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?First side: left, 5th row
Last side: right, 6th row
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
NYT Strands today (game #379) - the answers (Image credit: New York Times)The answers to today's Strands, game #379, are…
SPOONERISMS are a verbal error where the speaker mixes up the letters of two or more words in a phrase, often with comedic results.
They also make for a very tricky Strands and I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who struggled with the search – not least because if you didn't have the first one you'd find it tough to locate its pair.
Spoonerisms often occur when someone is struggling to find the right words or speaking in a hurry and getting their words muddled – for instance a priest talking about BEDDING WELLS or someone delivering a BLUSHING CROW.
Back in the late 20th century there was a British comedian called Stanley Unwin who became famous after turning Spoonerisms into an artform and creating his own language (Unwinese) out of it.
He’d begin by asking the audience: “Are you all sitty comftybold two-square on your botty?” before launching into his routine of nonsense verse and rambling stories, interspersed with cries of “deep joy”. He was a lovely man.
Anyway, got to go, I’m off to make a chilled STRICKEN CHIPS sandwich for lunch.
How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.
Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday, 16 March, game #378)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.
You may not be massively familiar with Newfold Digital, but the privately held global web and ecommerce giant provides a wide range of digital solutions to help businesses establish and grow their presence online.
In Oracle’s latest earnings call, Chairman and Chief Technology Officer Larry Ellison talked about the gigantic 64,000-GPU, liquid-cooled Nvidia GB200 cluster Oracle is building for AI training, saying: "Our multicloud business at Amazon, Google, and Microsoft grew 200% in the last three months alone. But in addition to these rapidly growing existing businesses, new customers and new businesses are migrating to the Oracle Cloud at an unprecedented rate."
He then went on to reveal that "all four of the leading cloud security companies - CrowdStrike, Cybereason, Newfold Digital, and Palo Alto - they all decided to move to the Oracle Cloud." That’s huge news and highlights the company’s growing influence in the cloud market.
Database available everywhereEllison didn’t go into any specific details, so we don’t know how much business Newfold Digital is moving over to Oracle, or whether it has entirely shifted away from the likes of AWS, Google Cloud Platform, or Microsoft Azure.
He did, however, state, "Customers can get our database everywhere. They can install an Oracle Cloud region on their premises. They can get Oracle from Azure. They can get Oracle from Google. They can get Oracle from AWS. They obviously can get Oracle from OCI. And that Oracle database is becoming more and more capable. It does store most of the world’s valuable data."
Formed in 2021 through the merger of Endurance Web Presence and Web.com Group, it owns and operates a portfolio of well-known brands including Bluehost, HostGator, Network Solutions, and Register.com.
It serves millions of small-to-medium businesses globally and offers services such as domain registration, website hosting, website building tools, email marketing, ecommerce solutions, and digital marketing services.
Bluehost, arguably the best known of Newfold Digital's businesses, powers millions of websites worldwide. It’s also officially recommended by WordPress.org (alongside Pressable and Hostinger), so that’s likely going to mean a lot of WordPress sites will be shifting over to Oracle Cloud in the near future.
You might also like