TechRadar News

• Transparent Micro LED screen displays different content on either side simultaneously
• Ultra-thin 17.3-inch design blends futuristic aesthetics with real-world functionality
• Maker AUO hints at aviation, retail, and interior uses for dual display

Transparent screens on devices like smartphones and tablets have long been a staple of sci-fi films and TV shows because they look good, even if they aren’t always practical. Now, though, they’re starting to become a reality.

Taiwanese display manufacturer AUO (AU Optronics Corporation), which was formed in 2001 through the merger of Acer Display Technology and Unipac Optoelectronics Corporation, has demonstrated a dual-sided transparent Micro LED display at Touch Taiwan 2025.

This first of its kind display is a thin 17.3-inch screen that offers a transparent experience on both sides, and can present different content depending on the viewing angle.

For use on planes and in homes and stores

The screen can show separate images or data on each side, and AUO suggests one possible use case would be in first-class airline cabins, where passengers and flight attendants can each see their own interfaces.

AUO’s demo included a translation interface, presenting seamless multilingual communication through the display itself. Commercial scenarios such as store windows, museum exhibits, and digital signage are also seen as natural fits for the technology.

The ultra-thin design, combined with transparent Micro LED technology, represents a shift from traditional display use toward something closer to ambient computing.

Unlike single-sided transparent OLEDs, which often struggle with brightness and image clarity in direct light, AUO’s Micro LED tech offers higher brightness and color performance - potentially overcoming many of those limitations.

AUO has not revealed when it expects the display to go into production, nor has it given any hint at pricing, although it’s fair to say the screens won’t be cheap.

A video posted on YouTube shows the screen in use at the 50-second mark.

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Even though reviews of Bad Thoughts haven't ranked highly enough to earn it a place on our best Netflix shows roundup, the streamer's new anthology series does come highly recommended from me.

I'm a huge fan of darkly funny stories and anthologies, and I do place Black Mirror season 7 into that category, even if many of the tales in Charlie Brooker's series are downright bleak with no comedic relief.

In Bad Thoughts, however, the disturbing nature of the stories is offset by some gross-out, cringe comedy and usually I'm not a huge fan of that, but it really worked for me here.

Check out the trailer for the six-part series, now playing on one of the best streaming services.

Why I love Netflix's Bad Thoughts

(Image credit: Netflix)

The series is Tom Segura’s first go at sketch comedy. It sees him play various different roles including an incompetent assassin, a country singer who kidnaps his fans, and a difficult customer at a coffee shop. You never quite know what you're going to get as you jump between episodes, and it's guaranteed to shock you.

And seriously it's very shocking. The first episode alone made me think "oh, this is how dark we're getting, okay!", and even though you can kind of predict what's coming, it still fills you with this nervous sense of dread. You'll also laugh too, which is a strange sensation indeed.

There's some really great guest stars in this series too including Jurassic Park’s Daniella Pineda, The Sopranos’ Robert Iler and Boardwalk Empire’s Shea Whigham, accompanying Segura on this totally wild adventure.

The show is rated R for "crude humor" and "injury detail" and seriously, you will cringe in places. This is definitely an adults-only show and covers some topics that are not family friendly at all, so be warned! I wouldn't be surprised if you watch some of this behind your eyes, quite honestly.

Segura has got the balance between humour and horrifying stuff right here, in my opinion. He plays on stereotypes, parodies things like action flicks, disaster movies, and A24 movies, and isn't afraid to just go there.

The same as any anthology series, some episodes are stronger than others and people will have their own thoughts about each one, whether that's positive or not.

Bad Thoughts has a 55% Rotten Tomatoes critical rating, not high enough to be considered 'Fresh' by the review aggregrate site's standards, so it's become this weekend's 'Marmite' watch. It's going to delight some people and completely disgust others, and perhaps that's enough to convince you to give it a go!

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• Titanium is tipped for the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and tri-fold
• The foldable phones may launch at the same time
• It should mean lighter and more durable foldables

We might see both the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and a new Samsung tri-fold phone this coming July, and the latest rumors from the supply chain are that both foldables might come with a titanium backplate that connects the hinge and display panels.

This comes from The Elec (via SamMobile), and should mean both a lighter and a tougher phone overall. While the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 (launched in July 2024) uses a carbon fiber backplate, titanium was used in the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition (launched in October 2024).

There's definitely been a trend towards more titanium in smartphones in recent years, including the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra – although that phone uses titanium in its frame rather than its backplate, as it doesn't have a hinge.

The material brings with it a number of appealing properties, including lightness and durability, but it is harder and more expensive to make than the alternatives. That might be reflected in the prices of Samsung's upcoming foldables.

Thinner and thinner

Titanium was previously used in the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition (Image credit: Samsung)

Another tidbit from the report from The Elec is that Samsung might do away with the digitizer part of the Galaxy Z Fold 7 display that would enable it to support S Pen inputs – and which would enable the handset to be thinner than ever.

Thin phones are having a moment, with the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge now unveiled, the iPhone 17 Air on the way from Apple later this year, and the Oppo Find N5 recently claiming the honor of being the thinnest foldable phone in the market. It sounds as though this is a trend that Samsung's next foldables will follow.

There have been lots of leaks and rumors along the way already with these phones. The tri-fold (which may be called the Galaxy G Fold) is expected to share the same hinges and speakers as the Galaxy Z Fold 7, for example.

The two phones could also be announced at the same time, alongside the Galaxy Z Flip 7 – which will most probably be at some point during July, although the tri-fold model might not go on sale at the same time as the other two foldables.

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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, May 18 (game #1210).

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 #1211) - 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 #1211) - 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 #1211) - 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 #1211 - 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 #1211) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• C

• H

• D

• W

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

Quordle today (game #1211) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1211, are…

• CLINK
• HANDY
• DITCH
• WAIVE

Sometimes Quordle feels as if you are performing a magic trick when the first word that pops into your head ends up being correct.

Of course, the reality is often that there is only one possible answer – as was the case for me today with CLINK – and the only magic taking place is that I have remembered it.

WAIVE was the only word I hesitated over, but I’ll put that down to my blindness around the letter V.

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

Daily Sequence today (game #1211) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1211, are…

• STALE
• PALER
• SIGMA
• ANNEX

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1210, Sunday, 18 May: QUACK, ROACH, PURGE, DOWNY
• Quordle #1209, Saturday, 17 May: STRIP, RANGE, UNITE, GEESE
• Quordle #1208, Friday, 16 May: SHEEP, SNUCK, DRIFT, BREAK
• Quordle #1207, Thursday, 15 May: PAINT, CROUP, PEDAL, FLUKE
• Quordle #1206, Wednesday, 14 May: FAVOR, METER, PICKY, MAKER
• Quordle #1205, Tuesday, 13 May: SCENT, AGAPE, POLAR, YEARN
• Quordle #1204, Monday, 12 May: ROYAL, ARGUE, BUNCH, READY
• Quordle #1203, Sunday, 11 May: QUASH, MUNCH, ALTER, UNDUE
• Quordle #1202, Saturday, 10 May: RELIC, BADGE, CHAMP, SATIN
• Quordle #1201, Friday, 9 May: MINUS, CRIME, NOSEY, SLAIN
• Quordle #1200, Thursday, 8 May: ELUDE, GREET, POPPY, ELITE
• Quordle #1199, Wednesday, 7 May: QUOTH, TRUNK, BESET, NAIVE
• Quordle #1198, Tuesday, 6 May: UNITE, SOGGY, FILET, PORCH
• Quordle #1197, Monday, 5 May: WREAK, COWER, STEAD, QUEUE
• Quordle #1196, Sunday, 4 May: PINCH, SMOKE, SCARY, CANNY
• Quordle #1195, Saturday, 3 May: PLUSH, VERGE, WROTE, CONDO
• Quordle #1194, Friday, 2 May: CAUSE, RISEN, MACAW, SMELT
• Quordle #1193, Thursday, 1 May: IDIOM, EXILE, SPOOF, DRAPE
• Quordle #1192, Wednesday, 30 April: BATON, TORSO, ANNEX, DROWN
• Quordle #1191, Tuesday, 29 April: HOVER, HENCE, OCTAL, COPSE

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, May 18 (game #707).

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 #708) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• MELON
• BALL
• CHANCE
• BAWL
• SOUL
• BLUBBER
• FUNCTION
• FLUKE
• UTILITY
• TOW
• AVENUE
• BENEFIT
• FLIPPER
• RAILROAD
• GALA
• HEAL

NYT Connections today (game #708) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Big bash
• GREEN: Do not pass Go 
• BLUE: Parts of a marine mammal 
• PURPLE: Sound like body parts

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 #708) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: FUNDRAISING EVENT 
• GREEN: SPACES ON A MONOPOLY BOARD 
• BLUE: FEATURES OF A TOOTHED WHALE 
• PURPLE: HOMOPHONES OF PARTS OF THE FOOT 

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

NYT Connections today (game #708) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #708, are…

• YELLOW: FUNDRAISING EVENT BALL, BENEFIT, FUNCTION, GALA
• GREEN: SPACES ON A MONOPOLY BOARD AVENUE, CHANCE, RAILROAD, UTILITY
• BLUE: FEATURES OF A TOOTHED WHALE BLUBBER, FLIPPER, FLUKE, MELON
• PURPLE: HOMOPHONES OF PARTS OF THE FOOT BAWL, HEAL, SOUL, TOW

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: 1 mistake

After getting FUNDRAISING EVENT quite quickly I struggled to move forward and started shuffling the 12 remaining words. First, I thought that there was a group where luck was the connection – but I couldn’t get beyond FLUKE and CHANCE.

Then I guessed that BLUBBER and FLIPPER must be part of a group to do with marine biology. Out of sheer luck I added FLUKE and BAWL and got “one away”, so swapped the latter for MELON – which I now know is the name given for the tissue found in the foreheads of toothed whales. Every day’s a school day.

I am of course kicking myself with my heel, sole and toes that I didn’t get the relatively straightforward HOMOPHONES OF PARTS OF THE FOOT.

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

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Sunday, May 18, game #707)

• YELLOW: TASKS FOR A STUDENT ASSIGNMENT, DRILL, EXERCISE, LESSON
• GREEN: ENCOURAGING RESPONSES IN A GUESSING GAME ALMOST, CLOSE, NOT QUITE, WARM
• BLUE: UP FOR ANYTHING EASY, FLEXIBLE, GAME, OPEN
• PURPLE: WHAT "A" MIGHT MEAN AREA, ATHLETIC, EXCELLENT, ONE

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, May 18 (game #441).

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

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Taking the bait

NYT Strands today (game #442) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• TURN
• SOFA
• TOUR
• PEST
• NIGHTS
• SMOKE

NYT Strands today (game #442) - hint #3 - spangram letters How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 15 letters

NYT Strands today (game #442) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: top, 5th column

Last side: bottom, 3rd column

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

NYT Strands today (game #442) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #442, are…

• MACKEREL
• TROUT
• SALMON
• SNAPPER
• HALIBUT
• SPANGRAM: SOMETHINGS FISHY

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

About a quarter way through today’s search I thought to myself “there’s no way Strands would have a spangram as long as SOMETHINGS FISHY is there?”

But, oh how wrong I was and there it is taking up a third of the grid when we could be fishing for fishy words.

I also find it hard to look at without the apostrophe – as in 'something’s fishy' – even though that would not work in a word search, but maybe I’m alone with that.

MACKEREL was the easiest word to find thanks to the CK in its name, while SNAPPER proved the hardest to tap out as there were several variants to the order of the letters.

Other than that, today’s search was about as easy as shooting fish in a bucket, but in fairness it was limited to a tasty and fancy selection – none of these fine sources of omega 3 are likely to find themselves as an ingredient in a stick or a burger.

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

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday, May 18, game #441)

• HELM
• MAST
• RIGGING
• KEEL
• TILLER
• HULL
• RUDDER
• STERN
• SPANGRAM: SAILBOAT

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.

Get ready, folks: Nvidia's ever-charismatic CEO Jensen Huang is soon to return to the stage (and screen, if you're not lucky enough to be in Taiwan this week), no doubt preparing to don his trademark leather jacket to deliver Team Green's Computex keynote address.

What can we expect? Well, AI is likely to be at the forefront of this year's presentation - just like last year - with a high probability that the focus will be on the professional use cases of AI, as well as a bit of gaming scattered in there too (after all, Nvidia doesn't want us to forget its roots).

When is the Nvidia Computex 2024 keynote?

The Nvidia Computex keynote starts at 11AM Taipei time on May 19, which is 8PM PT/11PM EDT on May 18 for the US, and 4AM BST, on May 19 in the UK (sorry, Brits). The event will take place at the Taipei Music Center in Taiwan.

Last year's Nvidia keynote was a pre-Computex presentation delivered on the Sunday evening in local time, which made the viewing hours a lot more lenient for viewers in the UK and the eastern US - not so this time around, though.

How to watch the Nvidia Computex 2025 keynote

You'll be able to watch the Nvidia Computex 2025 keynote directly on Nvidia's website, as well as on the Nvidia YouTube page. We've also embedded the live stream below to make it easier to follow along with the keynote as it happens.

If you're not able to tune in directly, you can also follow our live blog of the event, which will start shortly before the keynote begins and include all of the juicy details from Jensen's presentation - so be sure to check back in with TechRadar to make sure you don't miss a thing.

Nvidia Computex 2025 keynote: what to expect

Much like last year, AI is expected to be the watchword of this keynote, with Nvidia once again making big strides in the commercial and consumer AI spaces since Computex 2024.

This will probably be mostly focused on professional use cases for artificial intelligence; we can expect to hear about some big, sweeping initiatives where AI is helping to run public transport systems, predict the weather, and fix global warming. No doubt there will also be some more focused examples; how AI can benefit professionals in scientific and creative industries, for example.

RTX 5000 is also likely to make an appearance, with the long-awaited RTX 5060 officially dropping on May 19, so there will no doubt be a section of the presentation dedicated to gaming.

• SZBOX M1 MINI Plus is part NAS, part soft router, part media center, possibly doing too much at once
• With 4 removable NVMes and 32TB storage, this tiny box punches far above its size
• Four 2.5GbE ports sound great, but can a $249 NAS deliver enterprise-level speed?

In the expanding market of compact network-attached storage (NAS) devices, the SZBOX M1 MINI Plus has emerged with an unusual combination of features that blur the line between a storage solution and a desktop PC.

The SZBOX M1 MINI Plus is available in two configurations: one powered by the energy-efficient Intel N100, and the other by the more powerful Intel Core i3-N305, which features an octa-core design and turbo speeds of up to 3.8 GHz.

This external unit supports up to four removable NVMe drives via front-facing PCIe 3.0 bays, offering up to 20TB of external storage, plus an additional internal NVMe slot. The i3 model allows users to scale storage further, up to 32TB using SSDs.

DisplayPort on a NAS: added value or overreach?

Equipped with four 2.5GbE LAN ports, the device signals a nod to enterprise-grade networking. This setup supports soft router functionality through Linux distributions like OpenWRT or iKuai, indicating SZBOX is targeting a technically savvy user base.

It also includes USB 3.0 and 3.2 ports for external drives and peripherals, an SD card slot, and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for wireless connectivity.

Still, this level of network hardware is typically found in larger, more expensive systems. Whether the M1 MINI Plus can deliver performance on par with those systems, or simply overpromises, remains to be seen.

Its media-handling ambitions also warrant attention. On the rear panel are HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 1.4 connectors, both capable of 4K at 60 fps with HDR support.

This setup would make sense for a compact media center or light desktop PC. However, in the context of a NAS device, the inclusion of a DisplayPort feels somewhat out of place.

One might ask: Who’s actually plugging a NAS directly into a monitor, and for what purpose?

But SZBOX seems to enjoy unconventional combinations; its SZBOX S9, for instance, similarly blurs the line between tablet and mini PC.

On the software front, the SZBOX M1 MINI Plus ships with Windows 11, unless purchased as a barebones unit. Linux distributions are also supported, expanding its versatility.

As a result, the M1 MINI Plus can function as more than just a NAS, it could also serve as a basic workstation or multimedia hub, running Kodi, IPTV, or even retro gaming emulators.

That said, this hybrid identity might confuse more than it clarifies, raising questions about what the device is truly optimized for.

The SZBOX M1 MINI Plus is currently available for purchase on AliExpress for $249.

Via Androidpctv

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• Google will launch Wear OS 6 this year
• It'll update the OS' visuals, bring Gemini to non-Google hardware, and more
• The update was revealed this week at Android Show

As we covered earlier this week, Google held its Android Show as a precursor to the main event of Google I/O next week, and it's clear the tech giant has big plans for Wear OS 6.

While we're expecting the company to add more meat on the bones of what it showed this week with its flagship event in the coming days, there are already plenty of reasons to be excited.

From the rollout of Gemini features to the best Samsung watches and beyond to a huge visual update, here's everything we know about that's coming to the platform soon.

1. Gemini on non-Google devices

(Image credit: Shutterstock/mundissima)

Gemini will roll out to Google's devices, but also to devices like the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 and Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra.

From retaining small pieces of information like which locker you're using at the gym, to creating a bespoke playlist with a quick request or tapping into personal context, Gemini on your wrist could be super helpful in a bunch of small ways.

Better still, it'll run on your current device as long as your wearable supports Google Assistant, which means you won't need to splurge on a new model unless you really want to.

2. A visual revamp

(Image credit: Google)

Android 16's new 'Material 3 Expressive' look is expected to modernize Google's OS on phones, and that's extending to Wear OS, too.

Users can expect a change to more rounded UI elements, reducing the boxiness of the interface and updating animations to make better use of the space available.

Examples such as the above have shown the UI shrinking as it leaves the view of the user, focusing more closely on what's in the center of the screen.

3. Information at a glance

(Image credit: Google)

That updated UI ties into a new set of buttons that can display key information.

These are intended to be glanceable, so they'll grow to fill the available space on display to allow users to read things like calendar appointments and messages more clearly in a split second.

With all these changes, it certainly feels like Google is honing in on its circular display, and it's definitely something that helps it offer something a little different to the squircle offered by the best Apple watches.

4. Better battery life

(Image credit: Future/Lance Ulanoff)

One of our biggest concerns with all these slick new animations and AI features was having Wear OS 6 eat into the battery life of our devices, particularly since we're not necessarily having to buy a new one.

Thankfully, it sounds as though Google heard our prayers.

"With Wear OS 6, we’re continuing to improve performance and optimize power — in fact, this update delivers up to 10% more battery life," it said.

It might sound like a small margin, but in practice, that's an extra 2.4 hours of wear for a device like the Google Pixel Watch 3, which has a 24-hour battery life.

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• Silicon-batteries are arriving from TDK this year
• Apple is one of TDK's biggest customers
• The improved batteries could power the iPhone 17 Air

We're expecting the iPhone 17 Air to replace the iPhone 16 Plus this year, and it's expected to be super-slim – which has raised some questions about battery life. Now a new leak suggests those questions could be answered using next-gen silicon battery technology.

According to a report from Bloomberg, battery maker TDK is ahead of schedule with a significant upgrade, where silicon is used for the battery anode rather than the conventional graphite. This means 15% more energy can be packed into the same space.

Shipping for these batteries will begin by the end of June, which may just give Apple enough time to incorporate the batteries into its iPhone 17 series – including the iPhone 17 Air, which will have less space for a battery than the other models in the range.

Now we're being pretty speculative about joining up these particular dots, but we know that TDK supplies both Apple and Samsung. Samsung has of course just unveiled its own ultra-slim handset in the form of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge.

Battery capacity and battery life

The Galaxy S25 Edge from Samsung (Image credit: Future)

If the most recent leak is accurate, then the iPhone 17 Air is going to come with a battery capacity of 2,800 mAh. That's some way short of the 3,651 mAh battery you'll find in the current iPhone 16 model, for example.

And previous rumors about the iPhone 17 Air battery life have contradicted each other. One recent report suggested that all-day battery life isn't guaranteed for the new phone, and that Apple might offer a battery case accessory for it.

However, back in March, a well-placed source said that battery life would be comparable to current iPhone 16 models. Bear in mind that the device will still be in testing at this point, which may explain the conflicting accounts.

We have previously heard that the iPhone 17 Air might use next-gen battery tech of some description, and that the upcoming iOS 19 is also going to deliver an AI-powered battery optimization tool that should boost battery life further.

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Slasher fans rejoice! The next installment in the Scream franchise recently wrapped filming and is slated to hit theaters worldwide February 2026.

This sequel follows the series timeline, albeit in a slightly-tweaked fashion. Scream (2022) and Scream 6 directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett stepped down and were temporarily replaced by Happy Death Day helmer Christopher Landon. He then exited the project along with Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega, making way for original screenwriter Kevin Williamson to take residence in the director's chair.

While the path from Scream 6 to 7 has been tumultuous to say the least, some steadiness is ensured: franchise stalwarts Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox return as Sidney Prescott and Gale Weathers respectively and a swathe of recognisable cast members poised to reprise their roles.

With this fresh stab, ahem, heading to theaters in ten months, that gives us plenty of time to embark on speculation galore amid our own desires for the new movie and the future of the series. Here's what I want to see:

1. Innovative ways to bring back the returning cast

(Image credit: Dimension Films / IMDb )

In an ideal world, Scream 7 would see us finally deliver a New Nightmare-inspired take on the franchise. After initial set photos hit the web from Scream 5, I was convinced that's what was in store for us back in 2022. (The jock wearing the letterman jacket on the porch at Stu's house? Could have been a screenshot from the 1996 original!)

Alas, from what we've seen of Scream 7 this isn't the case.

So now we know they're probably not playing versions of themselves in "the real world", how does Williamson plan to bring back characters who are very much dead? David Arquette, Matthew Lillard, and Scott Foley are confirmed but Dewey, Stu, and Roman all died on screen.

Roman engineered a voice changer that allowed him to sound like any person, living or dead, so there's the chance they could all have voice cameos. I wouldn't be opposed to that brand of twist.

(Image credit: Miramax)

With the Scream series' continued push into tech, it makes sense that we might even see AI versions of past characters. The idea of AI deepfakes hitting the web to imply that Stu didn't die or something, to toy with Sidney's sanity, makes sense.

Matthew Lillard's elation at being able to return was captured at a recent con event, where he confirmed he's back and jokingly referenced coming back as 'a fairy godmother'. He went on to discuss working on set with both Williamson and Campbell– which would suggest he does have scenes with Sidney.

Likewise, Foley appeared on Kelly and Mark Live and confirmed he IS playing Roman.

So this suggests that they are playing their original characters (no sneaky little cameos in the background like Lillard did in Scream 2?) . I wasn't the biggest fan of the spectre of Billy Loomis appearing to his daughter – for many reasons – so I'd rather not have a de-aged Skeet Ulrich situation again.

What if instead, the ghosts of Sidney's past are literally haunting her? Speaking of…

2. Let's get supernatural

(Image credit: Miramax)

Alright, hear me out. Am I the only person who liked Sid's mom returning from the grave in Scream 3? I get it; it was Sid's mind playing tricks on her combined with her brother's shenanigans. So, not exactly a return from the grave. But still, it hinted at the idea of an otherworldly element.

We're entering the late-stages of a slasher franchise– if there's ever a time to push the boat out, it's now. Jason literally pushed the boat out when he went to Manhattan. Freddy's backstory grew out of control in the latter portions by incorporating dream demons into his whole schtick. Michael Myers turned out to be… well there was a cult and a summoning ritual involved.

I can see why fans would loathe this approach– it's jumping the shark, it's doing something none of the other movies have done. But at this point? Why not expand Scream into the last frontier it’s yet to explore? We've repeated the same formula over and over for the previous five sequels. If handled right, the idea of a whole slew of Ghostfaces from the past coming to haunt Sidney could really be quite terrifying. Which segues nicely into my next point!

3. More scary set pieces!

(Image credit: Miramax)

Arguably one thing all Scream fans can agree on – because ranking the Scream movies is not one of them – is that the earlier entries knew how to execute truly scary setpieces. Naturally, the opening of the 1996 original is the top shelf example, followed by Cici's death and Gale in the AV room, both superior moments from Scream 2.

The most recent sequels failed to really crank up the tension, and explored the action and gore over genuine fear-building. Granted, I do like some gore – Scream 4 wins the award for nastiest entry – but not at the expense of a damn good nerve-jangling. I want that hold-your-breath, peek-behind-your-hand sort of feeling. Some of these aspects were hinted at, certainly, but never explored in depth.

4. Less of the self-congratulatory barbs, back to incisive genre commentary

(Image credit: Miramax)

To put it plainly – the Scream sequels have a woody for Woodsboro.

Whereas the first film and its immediate successor dealt with eviscerating both innocent teens *and* genre tropes, the subsequent films have careened into the quagmire of their own making. It's the sort of metatextuality that lacks depth and staying power. Scream thrives when it skewers the horror genre and modern cultural mores as a whole; not simply the Scream in-universe of Woodsboro and Stab.

But here's the rub: how do we do that when the horror genre barely has time to evolve between sequels? Well, here's what I'm hoping is in store for Scream 7. What if Williamson and writer Guy Busick dive into the late-stage franchise slashers for inspiration. Yes, sure, Scream 6 kinda did that, with Mindy's "rules speech", but it was the weakest part of the film and not particularly memorable. Let's explore those wacky Chucky, Freddy, Michael and Jason sequels and rip 'em apart. (And yes, this would tie in nicely to my earlier idea to bring in supernatural elements!)

5. Give Sidney a happy ending

While the open back door of Scream 3's closing shots hinted at a perfect ending for Sidney– she's been yanked out of peace and back into the mayhem only a Ghostface can bring over and over again. How can we tell a new story?

From the looks of leaked set footage, this sequel takes place in an entirely new location– the fictional Pine Grove, Indiana. Sidney is married (not to Mark Kincaid, alas) to Joel McHale's character, Mark. We know there's a time jump; Sidney's daughter is at an age where she's played by a 24 year-old, so that suggests she's portraying a teen. This whole setup would hint that Sid's had a while out of the spotlight. Presumably we've had no more killings between 6 and this one.

Scream 5 alluded to the torch being passed in quite a comical moment and it sort of happened? But with Melissa Barerra and Jenna Ortega unfortunately both leaving the franchise, that shot that idea in the foot. This new cast is absolutely stacked – so why not have someone new anchor the series?

I want Sidney to have a happy ending that doesn't involve an armoured fortress a la Laurie Strode in Halloween 2018 or a life on the run like The Terminator's Sarah Connor. She deserves a truly peaceful life, yes, but that doesn't mean it can't be interesting or therapeutic for her.

She's provided counselling services for women experiencing trauma (Scream 3), she wrote a book about her own wranglings (Scream 4), and she flat-out left town (Scream 5 and 6). What if she sticks around and makes peace in a new way?

We'll find out when Scream 7 opens in theaters on February 27, 2026. In the meantime, you can stream the Scream movies on Max in the US, Paramount+ in the UK and Netflix in Australia.

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The world's biggest computing tech show, Computex 2025, is back - and once again we'll be on the ground in Taipei, Taiwan to bring you all the latest news, reviews and opinions on all the coolest gadgets, laptops, components, and more.

Some of the biggest names in computing, including Nvidia, AMD and Qualcomm, will be holding keynote presentations - and in this live blog we'll be reporting direct from the event, so you'll get the very latest updates on what the future holds for laptops, PCs, networking and much more.

A key theme of this year's Computex event is Artificial Intelligence (AI), so we expect a lot of companies will take the opportunity to show how putting AI in their products will help improve our lives. Will it finally convince consumers that AI laptops are worth buying? Hopefully, we'll find out this week.

So, keep this page bookmarked to find out all the latest consumer and B2B news and launches from Computex 2025.

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Matt Hanson reporting in! I've arrived in Taipei and ready to see what Computex 2025 has in store.

(Image credit: Computex / Future)

If you're wondering what I'm looking forward to seeing at Computex 2025, then check out my article on what I expect to see. Spoiler alert: I think there's going to be A LOT of AI.

(Image credit: Future)

First stop is visiting Acer's pre-Computex preview. The company announced all of its new devices a few days ago, and now I get a chance to see them in the flesh.

(Image credit: Future)

I'm currently taking a look at the Acer Swift X 14 - a great looking thin and light laptop with an OLED screen that looks fantastic in real life. It comes with the latest Intel Core Ultra chips (up to an Ultra 9), and can even fit in an Nvidia RTX 5070 GPU.

That's pretty impressive for such a thin laptop - I can easily hold it in one hand. This isn't a gaming laptop, however, and is more aimed at content creators and digital creatives.

(Image credit: Future)

Always good to see a laptop for creatives that comes with a microSD slot.

(Image credit: Future)

There's also the Acer Swift X 14 AI. As far as I can tell, it's pretty much identical to the Swift X 14, but with AMD processors instead - up to an AMD Ryzen AI 9 365.

(Image credit: Future)

Here's the Swift Go 16 AI. Has a 2K OLED display and an Intel Core Ultra CPU capable of 120 TOPS (essentially how good the NPU is at AI tasks). Most Copilot+ PCs at the moment offer around 40 TOPS (trillion operations per second), so this should be quite a bit faster at on-device AI tasks.

Will anyone care though?

(Image credit: Future)

One thing I really like about this laptop is that the touchpad features quick-access icons to launch apps, mute the volume and more. It's a nice touch.

Touch... get it?

(Image credit: Future)

This is the Swift Edge 14 AI. It's main selling point (apart from the AI features, again this comes with an Intel CPU capable of 120 TOPS), is it's ultra-light weight.

It's less than 1KG and feels really light. You'd hardly notice carrying it around with you. This comes at a slight cost, as it feels a bit cheaper than some of the other laptops here. But, as with the LG gram lineup of laptops, the fact you get a powerful laptop that feels so light is really impressive. Definitely one to look out for.

Right, going to move on from the Swift laptops for a while and take a look at Acer's Predator lineup of gaming laptops.

Look at these beauties. We have the Nitro 18 AI (notice a trend?), which comes with up to an AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 processor, up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070Ti GPU, and 2560 x 1600 18-inch screen.

(Image credit: Future)

I played a bit of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on it, as you'd expect with an RTX 5070Ti GPU, it runs brilliantly at 1440p.

(Image credit: Future)

We also have the Nitro 16S AI (above) and the Nitro 16 AI (below). I wonder what the S stands for...

(Image credit: Future)

All of these laptops come with liquid metal thermal grease to keep them cool when gaming. It's a noisy environment here so can't really tell if they are loud. There doesn't seem to be any noticable fan noise.

OK, so figured out the 'S' means 'slim'. The Nitro 16S AI is less than 19.9mm thick. However, I don't see too much difference between that and the standard Nitro 16 AI (on the left).

(Image credit: Future)

It might be quite hard to see but I placed the Nitro 16 AI on top of the 'S' version and you can see there is a slight difference in thickness. Not enough to justify a much higher price, though.

(Image credit: Future)

(Image credit: Future)

Next up is the Nitro V 16S AI. This is a more affordable version of the 16S. It has the same 'slim' design, and is a bit lighter than the 16S. However, the GPU choice tops out at an RTX 5070 - still a very good laptop GPU, but not as powerful as the RTX 5070 Ti that the 16S can come with.