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Payday should be a moment of relief. A time to settle bills and breathe easy, but for customers on February's payday, it was anything but relaxing. Widespread mobile app crashes left millions unable to access their online banking, causing frustration and chaos when they needed their money the most.

For customers relying on these apps to access their salaries, pay bills, and manage finances, the disruption was more than an inconvenience, but a crisis. With only 23% of Brits trusting finance apps, incidents like this only deepen the skepticism. But why did this happen, and how can banks ensure it doesn’t happen again?

Out-of-date legacy systems under pressure

As banking shifts from branches to mobile and internet banking, legacy systems face mounting pressure to interact seamlessly with third-party services, and support a wide range of devices and software versions, from cloud services and APIs to mobile platforms. This intricate web of dependencies massively increases the risk of failure, especially during peak periods like payday. Without a structured approach to change, even minor updates can trigger outages.

To reduce these risks, banks need to introduce changes progressively and in a controlled manner. Uncontrolled deployments can cause widespread outages and damage customer trust which is something no bank can afford to lose. The solution? A DevOps approach designed to stabilize the system and protect the customer experience.

DevOps for banking stability

To prevent major disruptions, and strengthen the resilience of banking applications, DevOps best practices must be integrated into the development and deployment process.

1. Progressive rollouts prevent widespread failure

Deploying new features or updates to all users simultaneously can be a recipe for disaster. Instead, progressive rollouts ensure a controlled, phased introduction of changes, starting with a small segment—perhaps 1%, then increase to 5%, and 10%—moving to the next group only when confident in the stability of the code.

By gradually introducing changes, banks can check performance and detect potential issues before they impact the entire customer base. Controlled rollouts means fewer surprises and happier customers.

2. Automated monitoring and instant rollbacks for reliability

You can’t fix what you can’t see. Automated monitoring tools can track key performance indicators (KPIs), such as response times, error rates, and system load in real time, providing immediate alerts when something goes wrong.

The ability to instantly rollback to a previous version is critical, ideally within 200 milliseconds or less. This keeps banking apps reliable, even during high traffic periods.

3. Rapid adjustments without downtime

Not all changes require a full-scale code deployment. Runtime configuration management allows developers to make real-time adjustments without redeploying the entire application.

This means if an issue arises with a new feature, banks can instantly disable it without taking down the entire application. Such flexibility is crucial for maintaining uptime and ensuring a seamless customer experience, even in unpredictable situations.

4. Targeted segments for customized experience

A one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work in banking. Customers use different devices, operating systems, and network environments, so why treat them all the same.

By segmenting users based on key attributes, banks can tailor updates to specific groups. This allows them to optimize the user experience, mitigate risk, and enhance security, without disrupting the entire customer base.

The future of resilient banking apps

Payday is a crucial, recurring event worldwide, and banking apps have become essential gateway for consumers to manage their finances. In fact in the UK alone, 37% of UK residents check their current account balance daily. This is proof that reliable digital banking is no longer a convenience, but an exception.

Banks cannot afford another payday failure. By embracing DevOps best practices—progressive rollouts, automated monitoring, and real-time configuration management—they can ensure the events of February’s payday aren’t repeated.

DevOps best practices from progressive rollouts to automated monitoring, runtime configuration management, and targeted segmentation, can guide banks through the innovation process without compromising the reliability of their platforms. Reliable apps build confident customers and it’s time for banks to deliver on that promise.

We list the best mobile payment app.

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

By the title alone, I know some of you are questioning my technical knowledge and gaming prowess. But hear me out: wireless peripherals aren't what they used to be. They're much better.

Wireless keyboards, mice, and other accessories like gaming headsets have come a very long way in the last few years. Despite a massive market share in favor of wired hardware, wireless is slowly but surely creeping up to become king of the PC accessory hill.

I used to swear by the benefits of a wired mouse and keyboard - what about the battery life? And that awful latency? But the more I used them, the more I see wireless peripherals for their upsides.

Here's why I trust them to get the job done, and why you should too.

Battery life really isn't that big of a deal

Most peripherals will warn you before they run out of juice nowadays. (Image credit: Future)

Whenever this debate comes up, there are a few main drawbacks of wireless peripherals people tend to point to. Chief among them is usually battery life - and it makes sense, because wired peripherals have literally infinite battery life.

But what if I told you wireless peripherals today have essentially the same thing?

First off, the vast majority of wireless mice and keyboards sync up with customization software like Razer Synapse and Logitech G HUB. These apps have built-in reminder notifications that alert you when it's time to charge up.

And on top of that, many peripherals that have RGB will also give you a visual indication, like red flashing lights, when you're running low on juice. Going one step further, most of the best wireless gaming mice have auto-off functions, which power the mouse down after a certain period of inactivity.

The Logitech PowerPlay mouse pad charges your wireless mouse while you play.

Here's the real kicker though: almost all wireless mice today can also be used in a 'wired' configuration, because you can simply continue using them while you work or play.

That "battery anxiety" I felt right around the time I switched pretty much disappeared completely once I came to this realization.

If my mouse battery is running low, I take a few seconds to plug it in and keep it pushing. Once the battery is full, I unplug and enjoy the freedom of a wireless setup.

No cable drag making my setup feel "off," no worrying about the wire being the right length or turning into cable cobwebs, just my wireless companion and the task at hand.

Plus, nowadays you can even get a fancy mouse pad that charges your wireless mouse as you use it (like the Logitech PowerPlay), which is honestly just as much of a flex as it is a brilliant idea.

Is wireless latency still a problem in 2025?

You're more likely to feel other types of latency, like render latency, before you'll ever feel input lag from switching to wireless accessories. (Image credit: ASUS)

I would argue that for the vast majority of gamers, and for nearly every productivity user, the latency of modern-day wireless peripherals isn't noticeable.

You won't jump from the bottom of the leaderboard to the top because you went from a 1ms response time on a wired keyboard to 2ms response time on a wireless board.

To put it in perspective, it takes a single frame just under 7ms to render on a 144Hz monitor.

I thought the latency would be a total nonstarter for wireless peripherals, but as I kept testing them, I honestly can't say I felt any hint of difference between mice like the Logitech G Pro X Superlight 2 Lightspeed and wired competitors like the Razer Viper Ultralight (which, while a few years older, was my daily go-to wired option) while playing competitive online titles like Counter-Strike 2.

Connectivity may be more of an issue

Spotty Bluetooth connectivity remains an issue with some peripherals. (Image credit: Pixabay)

OK, if you're looking for a "gotcha," this is where you could get one over on me. Some wireless peripherals are just plain bad in the connectivity department.

Getting a spotty mouse or keyboard can certainly leave a bad first impression. It's no fun dealing with random connection drops while you're trying your best to win.

I find this usually crops up when dealing with Bluetooth or shoddy software (and is sometimes fixed with a simple firmware update, but we shouldn't have to wait around on that after spending our hard-earned money.)

This is almost never a problem with wired mice, and it is something to consider. But if you go with one of our wireless picks for the best gaming keyboards, which we've gone hands-on with and can attest to each of their connectivity reliability, you won't have that problem. Check out our other roundups too, like the best wireless gaming headsets for more ideas.

And where possible, I would use a 2.4GHz receiver over Bluetooth for the best connection. That said, a solid suite of Bluetooth accessories can free up a ton of USB ports, which are stretched thin nowadays on even the best gaming laptops.

The benefits of going wireless

Whether you're after a spiffy setup or better consistency hitting your shots, going cordless can help. (Image credit: Future)

As I've touched on throughout this article, there's a number of upsides to going wireless. Here are the main benefits I've seen:

• A cleaner desk setup (no cable clutter)
• Better freedom of movement
• No cable drag
• Easy portability
• Bluetooth Multipoint functionality
• Access to the latest sensors and switches
• More free USB ports

And there are even a few more niche benefits like long-range capabilities if you like to connect a mouse or keyboard to your console for easy browsing.

The biggest upsides I've seen are definitely the cleaner desk aesthetics and eliminating cable drag (which also goes hand in hand with better freedom of movement). I don't have to tug on my mouse cord to get it to the right length or take my headphones off when I get up to grab a drink.

It's also pretty convenient to just toss your wireless gear straight into a backpack without having to worry about spooling up wires and fretting about the USB connection getting damaged in transit.

Plus, as more companies focus on making wireless gear, the latest sensors, switches, and software are centered around this form factor, meaning some wireless gear is actually more efficient than wired counterparts in the latency and durability departments.

Now, I'm not saying you have to throw your entire setup in the dumpster just because it has a few wires hanging off of it. But if you've been avoiding the switch because "wireless is worse," I think it's time to reevaluate.

The benefits outweigh the few downsides for me, and since making the switch to a cordless cleaner setup, I haven't looked back.

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• DeepSeek is just one of the many reasons China's AI growth simply didn't materialize
• Up to 80% of new data center capacity hasn't been used according to local sources
• Should this capacity hit the wider market, it could cause a major headache to data center developers

China’s AI infrastructure boom is faltering, as according to a report in MIT Technology Review, the country built hundreds of data centers to support its AI ambitions, but many are now sitting unused.

Billions were invested by both state and private entities in 2023 and 2024, with the expectation that demand for GPU rentals would keep growing, but uptake has in fact dropped off, and as a result many operators are now struggling to survive.

Much of the early momentum was driven by hype. The government, keen for China to become a global leader in AI, encouraged local officials to fast-track data center construction with the result that more than 500 projects were announced nationwide, and at least 150 were completed by the end of 2024, according to state-affiliated sources. However, MIT Technology Review says local publications are reporting that up to 80% of this new computing capacity remains idle.

Selling off GPUs

Location is also a problem, MIT Technology Review notes. Facilities built in central and western China, where electricity is cheap, now face issues meeting latency requirements. In cities like Zhengzhou, operators are reportedly even giving away free compute vouchers in an attempt to lure users.

In some regions, developers began selling off GPUs after failing to secure long-term clients.

Xiao Li, a data center project manager who spoke with MIT Technology Review, said many WeChat groups that once boasted about Nvidia chip deals have gone quiet. “It seems like everyone is selling, but few are buying,” he noted.

Should this capacity hit the wider market, it could cause a major headache to data center developers, flooding an already soft sector with even more supply and pushing prices down further.

One reason for the drop in demand is the rise of DeepSeek, which upended the global tech economy when it launched in January 2025.

Its open source reasoning model, R1, matches the performance of ChatGPT o1 but at a lower cost, shifting interest away from model training and toward inference - the real-time use of AI models, which requires different infrastructure.

Many of the data centers built during the rush were designed for large-scale training, not the low-latency demands of real-time reasoning.

Despite the oversupply, the Chinese government reportedly remains committed. Central authorities held an AI symposium in early 2025, and firms like Alibaba and TikTok owner ByteDance have announced major investments.

For many early data center investors however, expectations have collapsed. The infrastructure was built, but the demand it was meant to supply simply hasn’t arrived.

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• Here's another leaked look at the iPhone 17 Air
• It could be significantly thinner than the iPhone 17 Pro Max
• Four iPhones are expected in September

If you're counting down the days, you'll know we're about 150 days or so away from the launch of the iPhone 17 series, and a freshly leaked image of two dummy units gives us an idea of the difference in thickness between two of these phones.

Dummy units are non-working mock-ups of handsets based on schematics sourced from the supply chain, and well-known tipster @MajinBuOfficial has posted a picture of two of them: the iPhone 17 Air next to the iPhone 17 Pro Max.

If you've been following the rumors to date, you'll know the iPhone 17 Air is set to replace the iPhone 16 Plus in Apple's flagship line-up. It's said to measure a mere 5.84 mm front to back, if the leaks we've seen are accurate.

And you can really see that thinness on show here. If the iPhone 17 Pro Max is the same thickness as the iPhone 16 Pro Max, then it'll measure 8.3 mm front to back, which makes the Pro Max some 42% thicker than the Air.

Here's what's coming

iPhone 17 Air and iPhone 17 Pro Max in comparison pic.twitter.com/KrGlUXDuUYApril 5, 2025

These dummy units don't really tell us too much more about what's coming, but it's an interesting visual comparison. Indeed, we've already seen quite a few dummy unit leaks showing off the designs of the 2025 iPhone series.

Alongside the two phones featured in this image, it's also very likely that we'll get a standard iPhone 17 and the iPhone 17 Pro. The Pro and the Pro Max are apparently in line for a RAM bump as well as other upgrades.

In a reply to the original dummy unit image post, industry analyst Ross Young reiterated his prediction that the iPhone 17 Air is going to come with a 6.55-inch screen, along with the standard iPhone features such as MagSafe.

If Apple sticks to its usual schedule, all these phones should be showing up sometime in September. Before that, we've got the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June, where we're likely to hear more about iOS 19.

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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 6 (game #1168).

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 #1169) - hint #1 - Vowels How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 5*.

* 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 #1169) - 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 0.

Quordle today (game #1169) - 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 #1169) - 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 #1169) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• B

• S

• B

• C

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

Quordle today (game #1169) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1169, are…

• BROTH
• SHOUT
• BRUTE
• CABIN

I tweaked my start words a little today in the belief that the perfect calibration of letters is out there somewhere.

It made no difference whatsoever. I was still caught out by a 50/50 choice, but as often happens one wrong word leads to a correct one.

Meanwhile, I continue to fall to pieces doing the Daily Sequence. I'm convinced it's getting harder.

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

Daily Sequence today (game #1169) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1169, are…

• TEMPO
• DOUGH
• TEARY
• TABBY

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1168, Sunday 6 April: AMBER, GAUZE, STORE, SLICK
• Quordle #1167, Saturday 5 April: GUSTY, VAULT, WHINE, BEGAT
• Quordle #1166, Friday 4 April: OAKEN, LOOPY, CURIO, BUTTE
• Quordle #1165, Thursday 3 April: ASCOT, JETTY, DRUNK, JOLLY
• Quordle #1164, Wednesday 2 April: INDEX, QUEEN, INCUR, STOLE
• Quordle #1163, Tuesday 1 April: HUMUS, BALMY, WORRY, ERECT
• Quordle #1162, Monday 31 March: RECUT, MOODY, WHERE, BRACE
• Quordle #1161, Sunday 30 March: CRIME, DRINK, CLOVE, TRUER
• Quordle #1160, Saturday 29 March: LATER, ODDLY, CUMIN, AGREE
• Quordle #1159, Friday 28 March: TERSE, MUSHY, PROVE, FROND
• Quordle #1158, Thursday 27 March: CRONE, APNEA, LIGHT, AWOKE
• Quordle #1157, Wednesday 26 March: LEFTY, NOOSE, NOISE, TRIAD
• Quordle #1156, Tuesday 25 March: SNEER, WATCH, FLORA, STAIN
• Quordle #1155, Monday 24 March: FLOUT, SMASH, RAZOR, SMALL
• Quordle #1154, Sunday 23 March: ALLEY, GAMUT, GEESE, RADII
• Quordle #1153, Saturday 22 March: PICKY, BRACE, BOOZE, SURLY
• Quordle #1152, Friday 21 March: DITTY, VALOR, TOWER, AMISS
• Quordle #1151, Thursday 20 March: RIPER, STILL, WAFER, NOTCH
• Quordle #1150, Wednesday 19 March: FLAME, CARAT, SPAWN, TUNIC
• Quordle #1149, Tuesday 18 March: NAVEL, TREAT, COPSE, SLINK

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 6 (game #665).

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 #666) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• POUND
• LOCKER
• LEVEL
• CRATER
• NAIL
• HILLS
• САРЕ
• HANGER
• PULSE
• HAMMER
• BEAT
• GORGE
• BALL
• RIDGE
• PRINT
• THUMP

NYT Connections today (game #666) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Palpitate
• GREEN: Geography
• BLUE: Putting art on the wall
• PURPLE: Begin with a body part

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 #666) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: THROB 
• GREEN: LANDFORMS 
• BLUE: PICTURE HANGING NEEDS 
• PURPLE: FOOT__ 

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

NYT Connections today (game #666) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #666, are…

• YELLOW: THROB BEAT, POUND, PULSE, THUMP
• GREEN: LANDFORMS CAPE, CRATER, GORGE, RIDGE
• BLUE: PICTURE HANGING NEEDS HAMMER, HANGER, LEVEL, NAIL
• PURPLE: FOOT__ BALL, HILLS, LOCKER, PRINT

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 2 mistakes

A very frustrating round of Connections for me. I got LANDFORMS easily enough, managing to avoid including HILLS, but then fell for all the traps.

I put together HAMMER, POUND, BEAT, and THUMP thinking we were looking for words that describe being hit. With “one away” I switched to PULSE. Annoyingly HAMMER still would have worked, as it could also describe a heart throbbing quickly.

With just two groups left I thought I was on safe ground, but even though I realized that we were looking for words that describe hanging a picture, I had PRINT instead of LEVEL.

I should have known when I saw that this was puzzle number 666 that I was in for hellish time. I hope it was better for you.

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

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Sunday, 6 April, game #665)

• YELLOW: ALOOF COOL, DISTANT, REMOTE, RESERVED
• GREEN: UTILITIES CABLE, GAS, TRASH, WATER
• BLUE: WHAT AN ELECTROMETER MEASURES CHARGE, CURRENT, RESISTANCE, VOLTAGE
• PURPLE: __ JOINT DOVETAIL, HIP, PIZZA, SPIKE LEE

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 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 6 (game #399).

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

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Half-and-half

NYT Strands today (game #400) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• CRATE
• TRIM
• MICE
• HERD
• CRACK
• PEAK

NYT Strands today (game #400) - hint #3 - spangram letters How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 14 letters

NYT Strands today (game #400) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: top, 1st column

Last side: bottom, 6th column

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

NYT Strands today (game #400) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #400, are…

• SATYR
• MERMAN
• GRIFFIN
• CENTAUR
• JACKALOPE
• SPANGRAM: HYBRID CREATURE

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 2 hints

I found it tricky to get going today and wasn’t helped much when my first Hint gave me SATYR – a mythical beast I had never heard of before.

It wasn’t until the second word that I knew what we were looking for and completed the search after landing the lengthy Spangram.

To save you Googling – and you really may not want to if you value a clean search history – a Satyr is a “comically hideous” man who has the ears of a horse or goat (depending on whether you’re Greek or Roman) and a prominent magical body part he enjoys balancing a wine cup on.

A JACKALOPE, meanwhile, is a horned rabbit-like creature, a MERMAN is the male equivalent of a mermaid, a CENTAUR has the torso and head of a man and the body of a horse; and a GRIFFIN is a mythical combination of a lion and an eagle – but it tastes like chicken.

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

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday, 6 April, game #399)

• CLICK
• RELATE
• MESH
• CONNECT
• VIBE
• HARMONIZE
• AGREE
• SPANGRAM: GET ALONG

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.

• KTC's H27P3 monitor offers 5K resolution and dual refresh rate modes
• Pro-level color support makes it a good choice for creative users and gamers
• Its spindly stand supports tilt, swivel, pivot, and height adjustments

KTC, headquartered in Shenzhen, China, has been making monitors and TVs since 1995, often as an OEM supplier, with its devices rebranded by better-known international firms - however in recent years, the company has been promoting its own brand more actively, and its latest offering, the H27P3, is a 27-inch 5K display aimed at both creative professionals and gamers.

The H27P3 features a 5120x2880 display with support for both 5K at 60Hz and 2K at 120Hz, giving users the choice between image clarity or higher refresh rates.

The monitor features an IPS panel and claims full coverage of the sRGB color space, along with 99% DCI-P3 and 99% Adobe RGB. A peak brightness of 500 nits and HDR400 certification suggests decent handling of HDR content. The static contrast ratio is listed at 2000:1. For those concerned about accuracy, KTC says it supports 1.07 billion colors (8-bit + FRC) with a Delta E below 1. Response time is 7ms.

Competitively priced

Physically, the screen - which KTC says consumes less than 168W at peak draw - measures 613mm wide, 453mm high (including stand), and is a svelte 77mm thick.

The monitor weighs 3.75kg and its ergonomic stand supports tilt, swivel, pivot, and height adjustments.

I’m personally not a huge fan of the stand if I'm honest - it looks a bit spindly for my tastes, takes up more desk space than it needs to, and doesn’t offer much in terms of style or (I'd imagine) stability - but you may disagree.

Ports include a 65W USB-C for display and charging, DisplayPort, HDMI, and two USB-A ports. Included in the box are a power cable, a USB-C cable, DisplayPort cable, a power adapter, and a screwdriver.

Priced at around 3,599 yuan in Asia (roughly $565), the H27P3 undercuts several high-resolution alternatives while still promising pro-level color accuracy and refresh flexibility. For daily creative work and a spot of gaming on the side, it looks to be a reasonable choice.

(Image credit: IT Home)

Via IT Home

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Fruity coffees are having a bit of a moment – not just beans with a hint of cherry or blackcurrant brought out by careful roasting, but coffee with actual fruit added in some way. One particularly interesting example I tried recently was a double-fermented coffee, where the coffee cherries (the fruit that contains the coffee bean) have been allowed to mature along with passionfruit before being processed.

The flavor of the passionfruit is infused into the beans, and the result is delicious – particularly when brewed cold overnight and served over ice. Some people call it cheating, but I call it tasty.

Nespresso has also got in on the act with a new Vertuo pod packed full of ground arabica beans, with added flavors of strawberry and white chocolate. I'd typically think of coffee as fruity (lending itself well to being drunk black) or chocolatey (which tends to work well with milk), so I was very curious to see how this unusual mix would work.

The coffee has white chocolate and strawberry flavors added after roasting (Image credit: Future)

The launch follows Nespresso's debut of energy-boosting 'functional' coffees, with extras like added caffeine (derived from coffee beans that have been decaffeinated) and B-vitamins. Those turned out to be quite delicious, and I'm a particular fan of the caramel-scented Ginseng Delight, so I was hoping for another pleasant surprise.

I've also been turned onto sweetened coffee by the Jura J10 espresso machine, which has an attachment that infuses syrup into milk as it's dispensed, and has earned itself a place in our guide to the best coffee makers.

Strawberries and cream... and coffee

With that in mind, I dropped one of the candy-striped strawberry and white chocolate pods into my trusty Nespresso Vertuo Pop (which ranks highly in our roundup of the best Nespresso machines thanks to its compact design and budget-friendly price) and hit the button to start brewing.

The white chocolate and strawberry capsules are Nespresso's 230ml 'mug' size (Image credit: Future)

The resulting coffee – a blend of arabica beans from Brazil and Colombia with extra flavors added after roasting – was a surprise, but a pleasant one. The added aromas don't overpower the taste of the coffee, but complement it.

I found that the strawberry was the more noticeable of the two, and it adds a freshness to the drink's flavor before the creamier base notes of sweet vanilla become apparent.

These capsules are Nespresso's 'mug' size, which means they create 230ml of coffee – enough to completely fill my glass cups – so I had to take a few sips before I could experiment with stirring in a little milk. I was a bit worried that the fruit might clash with dairy, but if anything it was even better.

The flavor works well alone, or with milk (unlike a typical fruity coffee) (Image credit: Future)

Next time I'll use a larger mug and add some steamed milk to make a giant strawberry latte. I think, like my dual-fermented passionfruit coffee, it will also work well chilled over ice. I've got some experimenting to do.

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• One UI 8 (based on Android 16) could launch early
• It may make its debut on Samsung's next foldables
• One UI 7 is rolling out more widely this week

The One UI 7 (Android 15) update made its proper debut on the Samsung Galaxy S25 phones in January, and is set to roll out to other devices from next week – but it seems One UI 8 (Android 16) will soon be ready to go as well, as it's being tipped to show up on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7.

Those two foldables are expected to arrive around July time, and sources speaking to SamMobile say they're going to come with One UI 8 on board rather than One UI 7. It's a surprisingly speedy turnaround for Samsung's next software upgrade.

It does fit in with the expected release schedule of Android 16, however: we know Google is keen to get this year's big software update pushed out to phones sometime in June, and we've already had several months of beta testing for the next version of the mobile operating system.

For comparison, Android 15 began appearing on Pixel phones in October 2024, but now that Google has shifted to launching its flagship handsets in August – most recently the Pixel 9 series – needs to get Android ready earlier too, ideally.

What we've heard so far

Android 16 is also coming later this year (Image credit: Google / Future)

We haven't heard much about One UI 8 to date, but presumably Samsung will follow the lead set by Android 16. The next big update for Google's mobile OS is said to be improving support for desktop mode and upgrading the health features available on your handset, as well as adding features to put off phone thieves.

We've heard quite a bit about Samsung's upcoming foldables too. The Galaxy Z Fold 7, for instance, is apparently going to be thinner than its predecessor, and should get the usual under the hood speed improvements – and maybe even better cameras.

As for the Galaxy Z Flip 7, the rumors suggest it'll come with a full-sized cover screen for the first time, though otherwise the design may stay the same (as could the RAM and storage options). Both the Galaxy Z Flip 7 and the Galaxy Z Fold 7 are apparently getting better battery life, due to more efficient displays.

There's also been talk of a Samsung Galaxy Z Flip SE and perhaps a tri-fold Samsung foldable too, which could all launch at the same time as the other handsets – and at the same time as the One UI 8 upgrade.

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As a 10-year Apple Watch veteran, I've only really taken notice of Garmin in the last six months or so in my role as one of TechRadar's fitness and wearables experts.

Since the turn of the year, there has been an awful lot of negativity around Garmin for a variety of reasons: a global outage that saw devices rendered unusable for well over a day, users upset about older, premium models being left out in the software cold, and more recently the controversial Garmin Connect+ subscription service.

I've seen plenty of despair in Garmin forums like the r/Garmin subreddit, reading countless posts and comments about users who are considering ditching their Garmins or making the switch to Apple, Samsung, and co.

But as a tenured Apple Watch user, I'm here to lend a comforting hand to the Garmin faithful. Life may not be perfect right now, but there are still a myriad of reasons to be thankful for your Garmin and a ton of impressive features and benefits to using one.

It got me thinking about just how many advantages and upsides there are to using a Garmin, and so I thought I'd collate some of them here to bring Garmin users some much-needed joy.

Who knows, if you're in the market for a new smartwatch, maybe this is the push you need to grab one of the best Garmins instead of an Apple Watch Ultra 2. Of course, features and benefits swing both ways, but let me lay out some of the things Garmin does better than the Apple Watch right now.

1. Battery life

(Image credit: Future)

The best Apple Watch will get you at most 72 hours of battery life on a single charge in Low Power mode. When you come to Garmin, battery life specs are measured in days rather than hours. Of course, there are reasons for this, Apple Watches tend to have brighter screens and generally a bit more going on under the hood, but there's no denying that even formidable, powerful models like the Garmin Fenix 8 offer insane longevity. The latter is rated for up to 34 days of typical use, an astonishing figure.

Pound for pound, any equivalent Garmin is going to smash Apple Watch battery life by an order of magnitude, and that's before we even consider Garmin's secret weapon and point number 2...

2. Solar charging

(Image credit: Garmin)

Complementing battery life is solar charging, an option offered on plenty of Garmin models. In exchange for a less impressive display, you get solar charging for potentially limitless battery life in the right conditions. While that's rarely a reality, solar charging pushes the aforementioned 34-day battery life of the Fenix 8 to up to 58 days on solar.

Apple has never once hinted at solar charging on the Apple Watch during its 10 years of existence, and I'd love to see the company give it a try.

3. Running metrics

(Image credit: Garmin)

If you want the best running watch to help you hone your stride, up your pace, and break your marathon record, Garmin is really the only option.

Garmin has a dedicated range of running watches, spearheaded by the impressive Forerunner 965, but the entire lineup boasts a slew of industry-leading running metrics to which Apple can't hold a candle.

At their most advanced, Garmin running metrics and features include running dynamics, vertical oscillation and ratio, ground contact time and balance, stride length, cadence, running power, grade-adjusted pace, performance condition, lactate threshold, PacePro, and even a race time prediction.

Apple Watch does some of these, but there's no denying that Garmin leads the pack when it comes to running.

4. Training plans and Garmin Coach

(Image credit: Garmin)

While your Apple Watch can track a workout, Garmin has an extensive array of training tools. Notably, you can use Garmin Coach training plans to fuel your running or cycling regimen, and you can also use the Garmin Connect app to create step-by-step workouts you can follow right from your wrist.

You'll even get daily suggested workouts based on your previous performance (for running or cycling) and information about how long you should leave for recovery based on your effort.

Apple might have newer Training Load features from watchOS 11, but otherwise, the company has barely scratched the surface in this field.

5. Readiness and Body Battery

(Image credit: Future)

Garmin also features very impressive readiness scores and its own Body Battery technology, which you won't find on any Apple Watch. Now, there's some debate about the efficacy of this kind of tech, and some folks would probably tell you it's a pseudoscience.

However, Garmin takes metrics like your heart rate variability, activity data, and more to generate a score out of 100 to estimate your energy reserves and overall readiness to tackle the day's training.

For some people (myself included), that isn't always helpful – you can often become a slave to the numbers and end up feeling in worse condition than you might actually be – but for those who want it, Garmin's Body Battery and readiness scores are much better than anything Apple offers in the space.

6. Models and pricing

(Image credit: Garmin)

By all accounts, Garmin boasts the richest lineup of models of any smartwatch manufacturer, Apple included. While Cupertino has opted for a simple three-device lineup, Garmin has models within models on top of layers of configurations wrapped around pricing structures.

It's a lot to get your head around, especially if you're a beginner – what's the difference between the Garmin Instinct 3 AMOLED, Solar, and Instinct E, for instance? – but the upshot is that there is a Garmin for everyone. From the cheapest Forerunner 55 to the Tactix 8 replete with ballistics tracking and night vision mode, there's a Garmin in every color and at every price point.

7. Platform agnosticism

Apple Watch is all fun and games until you decide you want an Android phone (Image credit: Future)

One of the best things about buying a Garmin is that it works with both iPhone and Android equally well. Of course, you miss out on some key notification features you'd get from an Apple Watch on iPhone, but generally, buying a Garmin frees you up to move more readily between iPhone and Android if you feel so inclined.

That can be tremendously freeing when it comes to choosing your next smartphone, especially because moving between the two doesn't mean losing all your workout data and training accolades.

8. A real flashlight

(Image credit: Garmin)

Bonus round - Apple Watch does have a flashlight feature, but it just involves turning up the screen to max white brightness. Plenty of Garmins, such as the Instinct 3, come with a full-fledged flashlight for exploration or just fumbling your way to the bathroom at 3 am.

Garmin users take heart

As I've said, this isn't an exhaustive list by any means, but hopefully, Garmin users can take some heart that there are still plenty of reasons to be satisfied with their purchases, and to stick with the brand.

Have I missed anything? If you can think of something else Garmin does better than Apple Watch, drop your thoughts in the comments below!

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• One of A Minecraft Movie's funniest scenes was left out of the final film
• Its director has explained why the sequence didn't get used
• Jared Hess has also revealed what his favorite Easter eggs are in Minecraft's movie adaptation

A Minecraft Movie director Jared Hess has opened up on the "really hilarious" scene he was disappointed to leave out of the film's final cut.

Ahead of the movie's April 4 release, I sat down with Hess to discuss his latest feature film. And, while A Minecraft Movie clocks isn't exactly on the long side for a family-friendly movie – it runs for one hour and 40 minutes, FYI – Hess admitted it would've been a few minutes longer if he'd successfully *ahem* mined it for more material.

There's one particular scene that Hess was most upset to leave out, too. Indeed, when I asked if there was anything that was considered off-limits by Minecraft creator Mojang Studios for the film adaptation, Hess said yes. His answer was an unexpected one, though, because it had nothing to do with Mojang telling him what he couldn't use in the Warner Bros-distributed flick.

Spoilers immediately follow for A Minecraft Movie.

The film's crew made sure that everything that appears on the screen could actually be made in Minecraft (Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures/Mojang Studios)

"Yeah, there were a ton of fun sequences we wanted to do," Hess said. "[Popular Minecraft YouTuber] Mumbo Jumbo, who's a Redstone genius, was working on a great scene that we just couldn't do.

"We had a sequence that involved a giant Piglin robot, which was a Trojan horse-type thing that worked via Redstone," Hess continued. "I storyboarded it, we had full animatics of it, and it was a really hilarious scene. But, we just weren't able to do it.

"Everything we designed for the film, we wanted to make sure that you could actually go and make in the game," he added. "So, even Steve's Lava Chicken Shack and all of those things, we'd be like 'Gosh, are we sure we can do this? Does it work? Okay, let's go to the game and build it right now. Right, it checks out. It's bulletproof.'

"It would've been super fun to have that Mumbo Jumbo-designed sequence, but ultimately it didn't work out. He also designed a bunch of crazy booby traps for us as well, but we couldn't make those work in the confines of our movie, too."

'There are some really special Easter eggs in our movie'

There's a seemingly infinite number of Minecraft secrets and references hidden within A Minecraft Movie (Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures/Mojang Studios)

Disappointed though Hess is about that sequence's absence, there are plenty of Minecraft Easter eggs and wider video game references that he was able to include in one of 2025's new movies.

From real in-game physics and genuine item and food crafting recipes, to a whole host of blink and you'll miss them objects, Hess and company made sure to populate the flick with as many gaming Easter eggs as possible. There are so many secrets, in fact, that Minecraft devotees and fanatical gamers will need to watch A Minecraft Movie numerous times to spot them all.

There are a couple of surprise additions above all others, though, that Hess was more proud than most to include.

Did you spot every Easter egg in your screening of A Minecraft Movie? (Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures/Legendary Pictures)

"There are some really special ones," he told me. "We've got some really amazing Minecrafters that have mini cameos like Mumbo Jumbo, DanTDM, and Aphmau.

"There are a bunch of others that I'm missing, but there are some funny Easter eggs that I think die-ahrd Minecrafters and members of the community will notice. There's a really special Easter egg that Sebastian Hansen, who plays Henry, came up with. There's a nod to a really amazing Minecrafter in the film that you'll just have to check out, but I won't say who it is!"

I guess you'll all have to run out to watch the film to try and work out what that secret is, then! Before you do, be sure to read my review of A Minecraft Movie to see if it's worth watching. Then, read my A Minecraft Movie end credits piece to see if there are any and what they tell us about a potential sequel.

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• Sigma rumored to be working on a 200mm f/1.8 telephoto prime
• Full-frame lens could debut in L-mount and Sony E mount
• First of its kind for any mirrorless camera system

Back in 1988, Canon introduced the EF 200mm f/1.8L USM – the world’s fastest 200mm telephoto lens. Made for Canon’s EF-mount DSLR cameras, it was discontinued in 2004. Nothing since then has come close to its unique combination of reach and speed. That might be about to change: according to online rumors, Sigma is working on a spiritual successor for the mirrorless era.

L-rumors, a source for L-mount camera system news, recently ran a story claiming that Sigma is developing a world-first 200mm f/1.8 L-mount lens for Sony E and L-mount (Leica, Sigma and Panasonic) full-frame cameras. It points out that the optical design for such a lens was patented by Sigma back in 2020. Sony Alpha Rumors carried the same story.

Neither site provides any concrete information on performance, pricing or release date, speculating only that the lens will form part of Sigma’s Sports series. Whatever the specifics, the lens – if real – would be unique among modern mirrorless glass.

No other optic offers the same pairing of prime telephoto reach and a fast f/1.8 maximum aperture. It’s a recipe that promises sharp stills with beautiful background blur, giving it appeal for sports, portrait and landscape photographers alike.

Sigma's lens department regularly innovates – its 28-45mm lens (above) was the first F1.8 zoom lens for full-frame. (Image credit: Sigma) Who would a 200mm f/1.8 lens be good for?

A 200mm telephoto prime might sound like a niche lens, but it’s one that has a lot to offer for sports and wildlife photographers. It gives a useful degree of magnification, bringing distant subjects significantly closer, but not so close that you can’t readily pan to follow the action from the sidelines.

It’s also a flattering focal length for portrait photography, creating an attractive compression effect where the background appears larger. That same effect gives it appeal for landscape photographers who want to create compositions which contrast specific details of foreground and background.

Prime optics famously offer faster maximum apertures than zoom lenses. This allows photographers to shoot at faster shutter speeds in low-light conditions. It also comes with the promise of soft bokeh and background blur. Both of those benefits will be maximized at an aperture of f/1.8.

As above, rumors suggest that the Sigma 200mm f/1.8 will be part of Sigma’s Sports line. That makes a lot of sense: at that aperture, sports photographers would be able to work at faster shutter speeds to freeze action indoors or under floodlights. Similarly, both wildlife and landscape photographers would be able to make use of all available light, even when shooting in dim settings.

Portrait photographers would naturally benefit, too. The lens promises to isolate subjects sharply against wonderfully defocused backgrounds. The Sigma 200mm f/1.8 would deliver the shallowest depth of field possible at that focal length for a modern mirrorless camera. That makes it a pretty compelling, if inevitably pricey and physically weighty, proposition.

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• Ajinomoto is best known for MSG but it also makes semiconductor material
• It dominates production of the ABF insulating film used in GPUs and CPUs
• The company plans 50 percent capacity boost with more investment by 2030

Ajinomoto is a Japanese company best known for producing MSG, or monosodium glutamate - the ubiquitous flavor enhancer commonly used in food, especially in Asian cuisine.

As one of the world’s largest MSG manufacturers, the company is often closely associated with the ingredient - the name "Ajinomoto" actually translates to "essence of taste" in Japanese.

Right about now, you’re probably wondering why this is on TechRadar Pro, right? Well, it’s because Ajinomoto is set to massively expand its investment in the semiconductor sector.

Increasing ABF production by 50%

A report from Nikkei Asia claims the Japanese food and biotech company plans to boost production of Ajinomoto Build-up Film (ABF), a key insulating material used in the packaging of advanced CPUs and GPUs, where it helps ensure thermal stability and electrical insulation.

First developed using the company’s expertise in amino acid chemistry (you can read the whole history here), ABF is now essential for high-performance semiconductor substrates and Ajinomoto holds over 95% market share in its category.

Nikkei Asia says Ajinomoto has already spent 25 billion yen over the past two years to expand production at its facilities in Gunma, northwest of Tokyo, and in Kawasaki, but it is now looking to increase ABF production capacity by 50%.

"We will invest the same amount or more by 2030 as demand increases," President Shigeo Nakamura, who took on the role in February 2025, said in an interview with Nikkei Asia.

"We are also exploring establishing new bases," he added, although this expansion is expected to remain within Japan.

Ajinomoto's ramping up of ABF isn’t a surprise, given that Nakamura previously worked in research and played a key role in the development of the company’s electronics materials division.

"We expect sales of electronics materials, mainly ABF, to grow at an annual rate of more than 10% through 2030," Nakamura told the news site.

"We will continue to meet needs by evolving ABF to a more highly functional form that supports high-performance semiconductors in the long term."

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Microsoft followed at least one part of my wishlist for its Copilot event when it announced Copilot Vision will be embedded in Windows 11 and the mobile app.

Copilot Vision will let the AI actually see what’s on your screen and the world around you. Microsoft first toyed with the idea in Edge, where Copilot could peek at the browser and offer help. But now it’s going system-wide, across apps, websites, and even what your smartphone camera shows on your screen.

The idea is to offer a proactive AI assistant that can scan an Excel sheet, summarize a PDF, suggest how to adjust your settings, or identify the wild berry you're not sure is edible or poisonous.

The appeal is obvious, even when compared to tools with similar features like ChatGPT and Gemini. Those tools can be great on a desktop or laptop, but they don’t have the luxury of being built directly into your operating system.

Copilot has a home-field advantage on Windows 11. Vision leverages that advantage. It doesn’t have to wait for a prompt; it can see what you’re doing and offer context-relevant help.

Copilot Vision caution

Microsoft clearly anticipates some trepidation over Copilot Vision's expansion based on how eager the company is to highlight the feature's privacy aspects. Microsoft says Copilot Vision only works when you grant access. Still, there’s no denying the privacy weirdness. The digital equivalent of someone looking over your shoulder sounds creepy out of context.

Of course, it's not like we haven't all been handing over swaths of data to the cloud to get slightly better movie recommendations or similar benefits. But I can understand why letting AI literally read your screen as you do the same might feel intimate in a disconcerting way.

Control and trust might make the difference in Copilot Vision's success. If Microsoft starts making Copilot Vision default-on or hides the permission settings in some deeply buried system menu, more people might turn away from Copilot entirely and turn to another option with the same abilities but with the user controlling it more.

I still think it will be a genuinely useful addition to Copilot, especially on the surprisingly well-designed Copilot mobile app. You'll want to keep track of what permissions you give and when Copilot Vision is active. I'd encourage trying it out, but keep your eyes open when the AI is doing the same.

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• Arm says Neoverse powers nearly half of 2025 hyperscaler compute shipments
• AI growth makes power-efficiency essential for hyperscale data centers
• AWS, Google, Microsoft are leading shift from x86 to Arm infrastructure

Arm says its Neoverse platform is becoming the architecture of choice for the cloud, as the likes of AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure and others drive a broader shift away from x86 in the data center.

Mohamed Awad, SVP and GM of the Infrastructure Business at Arm, says power efficiency and scalability are redefining infrastructure at hyperscale. “Just over six years ago, we launched Arm Neoverse for the next-generation of cloud infrastructure, recognizing a world where delivering new levels of scalable performance on top of Arm’s flexible and power-efficient compute platform could enable a systemic shift in the capabilities and costs of the data center ecosystem,” he explained.

“Fast forward to today, the adoption of Neoverse has reached new heights: close to 50 percent of the compute shipped to top hyperscalers in 2025 will be Arm-based,” he added. Much of this momentum can, inevitably, be attributed to the rise of AI.

AI servers set to grow by 300 percent

AI is reshaping cloud infrastructure, driving explosive growth in compute demand and forcing hyperscalers to prioritize power efficiency at massive scale. Data centers are being designed in gigawatts, not megawatts, making efficiency a requirement rather than a differentiator, something that has been central to Arm's architecture for decades.

That's not the only reason for the architecture's success of course.

"The Arm compute platform is additionally giving our partners the flexibility to create a new generation of customized, differentiated silicon solutions for AI. For example, Nvidia’s Grace Blackwell superchip for AI-based infrastructure combines Nvidia’s Blackwell GPU accelerated computing architecture with the Arm Neoverse-based Grace CPU, integrated with an extraordinarily high bandwidth, coherent mesh network – a system tailor-made to achieve unmatched performance for AI workloads," Awad says.

With ten of the world’s largest hyperscalers developing and deploying Arm-based chips, the future looks bright for the company - but that dynamic could shift if, as rumored, Arm decides to produce its own silicon.

Speculation on that front gained signifcant momentum after Arm’s Japanese owner, SoftBank, acquired Arm-based chipmaker Ampere for $6.5 billion, raising concerns that Arm could end up competing directly with its partners in the fast-growing data center market.

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• This Chinese laptop vendor tried to innovate with a touchpad that can be docked inside the keyboard
• The device also has two screens and uses a more powerful Core i3-1215U CPU unlike a lot of rivals
• It can accommodate up to 32GB of RAM and a 2TB SSD and costs far less than I'd expect

You can find all manner of unusual tech products on AliExpress, including tablets with insane battery capacity and mini workstations with colorful fans - our latest find is an incredibly affordable dual-screen laptop with some brilliant hidden touches.

Produced by Topton (which also made the mini workstation above), this dual-screen laptop features two 10.95-inch IPS touchscreens (1920x1200) that can fold and unfold to create a combined 15.5-inch display area.

The screens can be arranged either side by side in landscape mode or stacked vertically in portrait mode, depending on your preference.

Choice of CPUs

Although there are other laptops with vertically stacked screens - most notably the GPD Duo and the Lenovo ThinkBook Flip - Topton’s model is the most affordable we’ve seen.

It also has something else that really makes it stand out from the competition - a hidden touchpad that pops out from the keyboard. In addition, the laptop’s cover folds into as a stand, which I really like.

The twin displays offer 100% sRGB coverage for cinema-quality color, support for 1.07 billion colors, and high brightness. They are also EyeSafe 2.0 certified.

Buyers can choose between two configurations - one powered by an Intel Core i3-1215U with 6 cores and 8 threads, and another using an Intel Alder Lake-N N100 with 4 cores and 4 threads. The Core i3 model includes an 11.55V 3000mAh battery offering 2–4 hours of use, while the N100 variant features a larger 7.7V 5000mAh battery rated for 3–4 hours.

Both versions run Windows 11 and support up to 32GB of DDR4 RAM and up to 2TB of SSD storage.

Pricing ranges from $368 to $721 depending on the specifications. Connectivity options include USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C with DisplayPort and Power Delivery, an additional USB 3.0 Type-C, and a USB 3.0 Type-A port. Wireless connectivity comes in the form of Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2.

The laptops come with a 1.0MP front-facing camera, dual 1W speakers, and a G-sensor for screen orientation. Despite the dual-screen layout, the laptops remain lightweight at 1.2kg and measure just 259x175x23mm.

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• Another Walmart Google TV box has been spotted
• This could be the Walmart Onn 4K Plus
• The device has apparently been part of an early testing program

We know there are no more Google Chromecasts on the way – with the Google TV Streamer acting as the replacement in Google's own smart home line-up – and it looks as though Walmart has another Chromecasting box in the pipeline.

Following on from the Walmart Onn 4K Pro we saw released last year, there are now signs of a Walmart Onn 4K Plus over at Home Tester Club (via 9to5Google). Multiple reviews have been left of the gadget, together with images of the packaging and its contents.

It seems the device may have been released early as part of a limited testing program, before being properly unveiled by Walmart. The feedback on the Walmart Onn 4K Plus seems to be mostly positive, with praise for its simplicity and low price.

That price isn't specifically mentioned, so we'll have to wait for clarity on that. The 2024 Walmart Onn 4K Pro costs $49.88, while the standard Onn box is a mere $19.88, so it should be between those two points (these gadgets aren't available internationally).

Smart specs

Google is now focused on the Google TV Streamer (Image credit: Google)

There are some hints at the specs of the Walmart Onn 4K Plus from the reviews and the images. As well as 4K video output with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos support, we've also got 2GB of RAM and 16GB of built-in storage.

As for the chipset, it's said to be a quad-core chip with a G310 V2 GPU, which the 9to5Google team thinks could be the Amlogic S905X5M – that's a newer chip than the one found in the Onn 4K Pro that Walmart sells.

The Pro box does have 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage though. This new device seems to be more of a replacement for the basic Onn box that launched back in 2023, and is now rather outdated with 2GB of RAM and a mere 8GB of storage on board.

We haven't heard anything officially from Walmart as yet, but given that there's now a month's worth of reviews of the Onn 4K Plus online, it shouldn't be too long before the streaming gadget is out and available to buy with Google TV on board.

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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 Saturday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Saturday, April 5 (game #664).

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 #665) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• TRASH
• PIZZA
• CABLE
• REMOTE
• COOL
• WATER
• HIP
• RESISTANCE
• CURRENT
• SPIKE LEE
• DOVETAIL
• GAS
• RESERVED
• VOLTAGE
• DISTANT
• CHARGE

NYT Connections today (game #665) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Standoffish
• GREEN: Vital services
• BLUE: Power measurements
• PURPLE: Common word rhymes with “point”

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 #665) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: ALOOF
• GREEN: UTILITIES 
• BLUE: WHAT AN ELECTROMETER MEASURES 
• PURPLE: __ JOINT 

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

NYT Connections today (game #665) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #665, are…

• YELLOW: ALOOF COOL, DISTANT, REMOTE, RESERVED
• GREEN: UTILITIES CABLE, GAS, TRASH, WATER
• BLUE: WHAT AN ELECTROMETER MEASURES CHARGE, CURRENT, RESISTANCE, VOLTAGE
• PURPLE: __ JOINT DOVETAIL, HIP, PIZZA, SPIKE LEE

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: 2 mistakes

A solid performance from me today, but I did make two mistakes. They both came in trying to organize what would become WHAT AN ELECTROMETER MEASURES.

I convinced myself we were looking for something to do with charging electric cars, so I had CHARGE, CURRENT, CABLE and VOLTAGE before trying REMOTE too. I eventually decided to abandon it altogether.

Fortunately, the other three groups came together quite easily despite a few US-UK linguistic differences.

This was a rare turn where I saw the purple group first. SPIKE LEE was the giveaway (whose Do The Right Thing movie featured a PIZZA joint), while DOVETAIL is permanently edged in my memory from school and my major life achievement of making a spice rack that lasted about two weeks, collapsing under the pressure of a jar of oregano.

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

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Saturday, 5 April, game #664)

• YELLOW: EMPLOY CONTRACT, ENGAGE, RETAIN, SIGN
• GREEN: PARTS OF A WEBSITE BANNER, HEADER, MENU, SIDEBAR
• BLUE: MAGAZINES BILLBOARD, PEOPLE, STAR, TIME
• PURPLE: ENDING WITH MEDIEVAL WEAPONS CROSSWORD, GRIMACE, RAINBOW, SEMBLANCE

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 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 Saturday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Saturday, April 5 (game #398).

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

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… The feeling is mutual

NYT Strands today (game #399) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• LEMON
• GNOME
• LIKE
• ZERO
• GAMES
• SHAME

NYT Strands today (game #399) - hint #3 - spangram letters How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 8 letters

NYT Strands today (game #399) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: left, 5th row

Last side: right, 5th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #399) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #399, are…

• CLICK
• RELATE
• MESH
• CONNECT
• VIBE
• HARMONIZE
• AGREE
• SPANGRAM: GET ALONG

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

A very easy wordsearch today which fit perfectly with the theme — I was sad not to find simpatico, one of my favorite words which would most definitely HARMONIZE with the others.

When we think about things that GET ALONG we are usually thinking about people – friends and family (well, mainly friends).

But it’s true of animals too, particularly pets. My two cats didn’t get on for about two years, but some truce appears to have been agreed and now they sleep squished up against each other.

It can also be true of technology, of course – for years Macs and Windows did not talk to each other, now the lines between them are blurred and I work seamlessly across both systems. Well, sort of seamlessly.

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

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday, 5 April, game #398)

• SWEEP
• ROUT
• RALLY
• UPSET
• COMEBACK
• THREEPEAT
• SPANGRAM: GAMECHANGERS

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.