After the U.S. took military action against three nuclear sites in Iran, reaction across the political spectrum was swift with many Democrats decrying the president's "unilateral" strikes.
(Image credit: Andrew Harnik)
Israel said Sunday that it has recovered the bodies of three more hostages taken in Hamas' Oct. 7 attack that ignited the ongoing 20-month war in the Gaza Strip.
(Image credit: Ohad Zwigenberg)
So far, any chemical and radioactive contamination seems confined to the nuclear sites hit by U.S. bombs
Popular AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude are increasingly replacing traditional search engines in how people discover content and make purchasing decisions.
Adobe is attempting to stay ahead of the curve by launching LLM Optimizer, which it claims can help businesses improve visibility across generative AI interfaces by monitoring how brand content is used and providing actionable recommendations.
The tool even claims to assign a monetary value to potential traffic gains, allowing users to prioritize optimizations.
Shift from search engines to AI interfaces(Image credit: Adobe)With a reported 3,500% increase in generative AI-driven traffic to U.S. retail sites and a 3,200% spike to travel sites between July 2024 and May 2025, Adobe argues that conversational interfaces are no longer a trend but a transformation in consumer behavior.
“Generative AI interfaces are becoming go-to tools for how customers discover, engage and make purchase decisions, across every stage of their journey,” said Loni Stark, vice president of strategy and product at Adobe Experience Cloud.
The core of Adobe LLM Optimizer lies in its monitoring and benchmarking capabilities, as it claims to give businesses a “real-time pulse on how their brand is showing up across browsers and chat services.”
The tool can help teams identify the most relevant queries for their sector and understand how their offerings are presented, as well as enabling comparison with competitors for high-value keywords and uses this data to refine content strategies.
A recommendation engine detects gaps in brand visibility across websites, FAQs, and even external platforms like Wikipedia.
It suggests both technical fixes and content improvements based on attributes that LLMs prioritize, such as accuracy, authority, and informativeness.
These changes can be implemented “with a single click,” including code or content updates, which suggests an effort to reduce dependency on lengthy development cycles.
It is clear the best SEO tool tactics may need to adapt, especially as AI chat interfaces do not operate with the same crawling and ranking logic as standard web browsers.
For users who already rely on the best browser for private browsing or privacy tools to avoid data profiling, the idea that businesses are now optimizing to appear inside chatbots could raise questions about how content is sourced and attributed.
Adobe insists that the tool supports “enterprise-ready frameworks” and has integration pathways for agencies and third-party systems, though the wider implications for transparency and digital content ethics remain to be seen.
You might also likeForeign Minister Abbas Araghchi called the American operation an "outrageous, grave and unprecedented violation" of the United Nations Charter and international law.
(Image credit: Ozan Kose)
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, June 22 (game #742).
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 #743) - today's words(Image credit: New York Times)Today's NYT Connections words are…
What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?
Need more clues?
We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…
NYT Connections today (game #743) - hint #2 - group answersWhat are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
NYT Connections today (game #743) - the answers(Image credit: New York Times)The answers to today's Connections, game #743, are…
The first thing I thought when I saw today's Connections was 'alcoholic drinks' – not because I'm obsessed (I'm not a big drinker), but because OLD FASHIONED and COLLINS could both be types of COCKTAIL. But the presence of COCKTAIL itself suggested that was misdirection, so I looked elsewhere.
HISTORICAL, LITERARY, SPECULATIVE and YOUNG ADULT all seemed like examples of FICTION CATEGORIES and indeed my hunch was correct, giving me green.
Next, I thought FLARE, SKINNY and BELL might all be related to jeans, or types of trouser style – but didn't know what the fourth would be, so kept looking.
And I kept looking. And looking.
With nothing else suggesting itself I returned to that potential group and tried a succession of words – MOM, OLD FASHIONED and OLD MAN – but got it wrong each time. Turns out BELL was wrong, and what I should have had was BOYFRIEND, FLARE, MOM and SKINNY – but I've never heard the term BOYFRIEND JEANS and so lost my fledgling streak.
With hindsight I probably should have given up on that angle sooner, but neither WORDS IN HEMINGWAY TITLES or ___ GLASS GLASSWARE were groups I would ever have got, so it wouldn't have made any difference.
How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.
Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Sunday, June 22, game #742)NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.
On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.
It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.
It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.
A new 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, June 22 (game #476).
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 #477) - hint #1 - today's themeWhat is the theme of today's NYT Strands?• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Breaking up the band
NYT Strands today (game #477) - hint #2 - clue wordsPlay any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.
• Spangram has 10 letters
NYT Strands today (game #477) - hint #4 - spangram positionWhat 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 #477) - the answers(Image credit: New York Times)The answers to today's Strands, game #477, are…
Today's Strands took me to my happy place, given that I was a music journalist for years in the 2000s and spend a lot of time at concerts or on Spotify in my free time.
All three of the 'broken up' bands here have made it on to playlists of mine; I never got to see TALKING HEADS, but have seen David Byrne live, playing their songs, and can recommend that anyone who gets the chance does the same thing.
SMASHING PUMPKINS also play a part in one of the greatest of all Simpsons episodes, Homerpalooza, in which the band's frontman introduces himself with the words 'Billy Corgan, Smashing Pumpkins' and Homer replies 'Homer Simpson, smiling politely.' It works better in context, honest.
How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.
Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday, June 22, game #476)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.
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, June 22 (game #1245).
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 #1246) - hint #1 - VowelsHow many different vowels are in Quordle today?• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 4*.
* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).
Quordle today (game #1246) - hint #2 - repeated lettersDo any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 0.
Quordle today (game #1246) - hint #3 - uncommon lettersDo the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?• Yes. Two of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.
Quordle today (game #1246) - 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 #1246) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?• P
• F
• S
• E
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
Quordle today (game #1246) - the answers(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)The answers to today's Quordle, game #1246, are…
When I solved STEAL early on I thought this might be a simple one, but I couldn't have been more wrong. Over the next three words I had to battle multiple uncommon letters – X twice and J, and an incredibly uncommon combination of FJ at the start of FJORD.
This must have been one of the toughest Quordle puzzles in ages, so I was mightily relieved to eventually solve it.
How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.
Daily Sequence today (game #1246) - the answers(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1246, are…
It’s rare to see almost all Apple fans agree on something simultaneously, but when the Camera Control feature launched alongside the iPhone 16 line in September, hate for the additional button was swift and fierce (just take a look at some of the Reddit threads on the subject).
At the risk of angering the mob, I do not count myself among these Camera Control naysayers. In fact, Camera Control is one of my favorite features of my current iPhone, the iPhone 16 Plus.
Before I explain why I fall on that side of the debate, I will admit that Camera Control is far from perfect. I do agree that its positioning is a tad nonsensical, and it would work a great deal better if it were placed in a more natural spot, similar to a typical shutter button.
Still, I know that I’m not completely alone in my overall love for the photography-first button, with others on TechRadar having noted that it can be helpful at times, or even incredibly useful for a very specific purpose.
So, now that we’re well over half a year into Camera Control's existence, and it looks set to remain part of the iPhone’s toolkit for generations to come, I think it’s worth taking another, closer look at the feature see what it does right, and how Apple might look to improve things on the iPhone 17.
Taking iPhone’s cameras to the next level(Image credit: Apple)I know I’ll never be able to take a picture on my iPhone 16 Plus that could hold a candle to something taken on one of the best cameras, but the simplicity of smartphone photography is what wins over, time and time again.
Being able to quickly whip out your phone and take a snapshot never gets old, especially when those images are saved in the cloud for future reference or instantly available for sharing with friends on social media. Still, I'd be lying if I said that the physical experience of taking those shots feels superior on a phone.
In my efforts to try and bridge that gap, I’ve amassed a small collection of smartphone accessories over the years that try to recreate the traditional shutter button experience. I’ve got the portable ShiftCam SnapGrip, as well as the company's more robust SnapGrip Pro attachment. But as with any accessory, these tools do diminish the compact nature of a smartphone, which is why the introduction of Camera Control felt like the answer to a problem I'd been trying to fix.
No longer would I need to carry these add-ons about my person; now I could just use the wonderfully clicky button that Apple had built into the body of its latest handsets.
The introduction of Camera Control felt like the answer to a problem I'd been trying to fix.
Not only that, but part of the reason why I enjoy using a physical shutter button, as opposed to just poking the touchscreen, is that the delayed resistance between the movement of my finger and the picture being taken forces me to be a bit more considerate in the shots I take.
Holding the phone a bit more tightly in order to frame the shot and account for any movement when pressing Camera Control gives you a moment of pause to assess whether or not you’re actually taking a picture of something that interests you, or you’re simply doing so for the sake of it. With this in mind, Camera Control has helped me not only to take fewer pictures (and save my iPhone’s storage in the process), but also feel happier with the shots that I do take.
Because of the way in which Camera Control lets you jump between the photographic styles on the iPhone 16, it’s also allowed me to experiment a bit more with the types of pictures I take.
For example, an indoor shot that might look a tad mundane in color can actually look a great deal better when taken in black and white. Particularly, the Stark B&W mode is now my go-to option because of how it really saturates the monochrome palette to capture your attention.
How can Apple improve Camera Control?(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)I firmly believe that Camera Control has had a solid first outing, but looking towards how it could be used in the iPhone 17 range, I think that there are some easy wins that Apple could claim to turn around the general consensus.
As I mentioned before, the positioning of Camera Control has to change. If Apple could just move the button closer to the bottom right-hand corner of the iPhone, it would make using the feature so much easier, although I concede that it might require tweaking the resistance to avoid accidental presses.
What would really take Camera Control to the next level, however, is an app, or a set of built-in guides, that can teach folks who don’t know that much about manual photography how to properly adjust aspects like depth and exposure.
As much as I loved having quick access to those components via Camera Control, I haven’t felt confident enough to make use of them, which is why some help for beginners like myself would go a long way towards showing people how they can really maximize Camera Control to their own benefit.
Until such software comes to pass, you can always check out our list of the top five Camera Control tips you need to know, as well as our guide on how to customize Camera Control to better suit your needs.
You might also likeAs the world reacted to news of U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, international officials largely responded with alarm and calls for restraint.
(Image credit: Planet Labs PBC)
Suunto has been working hard in recent years to innovate when it comes to smartwatches, and its latest dive watch carries on that trend with colossal improvements over its predecessor, the Suunto D5 (a watch that I personally own and dive with, so one that I’m pretty au fait with).
Like the outgoing model, the Suunto Ocean has a relatively small 1.43-inch AMOLED display, which works out to be 36mm. That sounds small, but the high-definition, circular display with automatic brightness adjustment makes it feel more similar to my 49mm Apple Watch Ultra 2 in terms of readability, so don’t be put off by this.
All models benefit from strong sapphire crystal glass, but the stainless steel case doesn’t offer as much protection from accidental dings as something like a Garmin Fenix 8, which is available for a similar price with titanium. We’d like to see titanium used in future Suunto models for better longevity, which is clearly an important consideration for the Finnish company Suunto quotes 11.63 CO2e emissions for the Ocean’s production, which are offset via a reforestation project. For reference, Apple claims 12kg of CO2e for the Ultra 2 with the Alpine or Trail Loop bands (not the bands built for scuba diving), so Suunto’s work to reduce emissions here is commendable if we take it at face value.
Among the 95+ activities you can track, in addition to sleep and recovery tracking, the main reason you’ll be considering a Suunto Ocean is for its dive-specific capabilities, including support for air and nitrox all the way up to 100% oxygen. You can configure five different gasses, but if you’re into pushing the limits, you’ll notice a lack of support for more advanced systems like rebreathers or trimix (a blend of oxygen, helium and nitrogen).
(Image credit: Craig Hale)Handily, if you’re upgrading from a Suunto D5, then you’ll be pleased to know that the Ocean works with that same transmitter. If you’re buying new, then the Suunto Tank Pod is sold separately for around half the price of the watch (prices below).
Away from all the technical stuff, the Suunto Ocean is also a great option for freedivers and holidaymakers who just want to track their snorkeling expeditions with one of the best swimming watches. It’ll track you all the way down to 60 meters, which is above recreational limits. That said, the watch itself is physically rated all the way down to 100 meters, so it would be nice just to have that same amount of support for diving activities. After all, why cap it?
Our favorite Suunto Ocean feature is a new one to the industry – sure, if you're an experienced diver, those familiar dive profiles are extremely helpful to help you identify trends, patterns and potential causes for concern throughout your dive, but the watch will also use data from its sensors, like the gyroscope, to map out your dive in 3D.
In our experience, it wasn’t always completely accurate, but you’d expect this from a first-generation product. Even having an idea of where you’ve been on a map throughout your 40-minute dive is nothing short of a game-changer because it helps you to visualize an environment that offers very limited visibility when you’re in it (sometimes centimeters rather than meters).
Even though it handles land-based activity and sleep tracking, the Ocean’s battery life far exceeds the D5’s 6-12 hours of dive tracking. Suunto now claims 40-60 hours of dive tracking, or up to 16 days of regular smartwatch mode. That’s considerably more than the 30 hours’ dive tracking offered by the ultra-high-end Garmin Descent Mk3i.
On that note, the Suunto Ocean ships with an old-school USB-A charger, which doesn’t quite live up to modern standards. We’d like to see it upgraded with a USB-C connection, given that the world is moving that way. Remember that Suunto is all about reducing its carbon footprint, and that should extend to e-waste.
(Image credit: Craig Hale)Our test watch also arrived with a short strap, which wasn’t long enough to go around a drysuit sleeve and might not be so good for wetsuits either. Given that it’s designed for diving, it would be good to have a longer strap included in the box. Still, you’ll want that shorter strap for when you’re not diving.
Just like any other piece of diving equipment I test, the Suunto Ocean had several outings at the dive club where it was inspected (in great detail) by many members. In this case, it led to a sale, with one member choosing to upgrade after witnessing the crisp, color display underwater and hearing about the impressive land activity tracking and battery life.
I think that just about summarizes my experience living with the Suunto Ocean, too – it’s the perfect blend of (relative) affordability, function and design, so it’s a really easy one to recommend to any recreational diver.
Suunto Ocean: SpecificationsComponent
Suunto Ocean
Price
$899 / £725 / AU$1,399
Dimensions
49.9 x 49.9 x 13.2 mm
Weight
99g
Case/bezel
Polyamide/stainless steel
Gas mixes
Up to 5 gases (Oxygen 21 - 100%)
GPS
GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, Beidou, QZSS
Battery life
Up to 16 days (40-60 hours diving mode)
Connection
Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
Water resistant
Yes, 60m depth
Suunto Ocean: Price and availability(Image credit: Craig Hale)Suunto’s flagship dive watch, the Ocean, costs $899, which puts it on the more affordable end of fully fledged smartwatches. It’s more than the Suunto D5 ($649), but it does the work of two separate watches and still manages days of battery life, so you could save some cash versus buying two separate systems.
Suunto Ocean: Scorecard(Image credit: Craig Hale)Category
Comment
Score
Value
There aren’t many watches that can do this much at this price point.
5/5
Design
It looks very smart and clean, but it might not be as durable as titanium-clad rivals.
4/5
Features
You’ll be able to do everything you need, unless your next stage is tech diving with advanced gas mixes.
4/5
Performance
An extremely user-friendly interface with huge battery life improvements.
5/5
Suunto Ocean: Should I buy?(Image credit: Craig Hale)Buy it if...You want something that’s easy to use
You get a few key shortcut buttons and an extremely simple operating system that anyone could learn within minutes.
You want to keep an eye on your spending
Diving is an expensive hobby, but you can cut costs with smart purchases like this Suunto Ocean.
You’ve got an eye on the environment
Suunto makes bold claims about its sustainability – a should-be core value of any diver.
Don't buy it if...You need more advanced features
You’ll need to get a more advanced watch if you want to entertain advanced gas mixes or rebreathers.
You want the last word in premium
There’s no denying this is a very well-designed watch, but its materials are pretty ‘normal’.
Also consider...Garmin Fenix 8
A high-quality all-in-one dive watch for true outdoor enthusiasts.
Read our Garmin Fenix 8 review
Garmin Descent Mk3i
Industry-leading features in an extremely premium package.
Read our Garmin Descent Mk3i review
First reviewed: June 2025
Smith once said he came up with the name Federal Express because he wanted the company to sound big and important when in fact it was a start-up operation with a future far from assured.
(Image credit: Andrew Harnik)
CapCut, widely touted as one the best free video editors by creators and marketers for its powerful editing features, has quietly made a major change to its Terms of Service which should worry users everywhere.
This change means users will be handing over rights, not just to their footage but also to their face, voice, and creative efforts - all without compensation.
This has unsurprisingly triggered concerns, with critics warning the move effectively hands over perpetual control of your content to the platform.
Your content will become their permanent property“CapCut now includes broad language granting them a worldwide, royalty-free, sublicensable, and transferable license to use, reproduce, distribute, modify, adapt, publicly perform, and create derivative works from your content,” Claudia Sandino, Director at Omnivore, says.
The revised terms don’t just apply to public posts; the company also claims rights over user-generated content, including voice, face, and likeness, whether the video is published or not.
“If you upload a video of yourself, or even just a voiceover, they can legally use that in an ad or other media without notifying or compensating you,” Sandino warns.
More troubling is the “perpetual” nature of this license; CapCut retains the rights even after a user deletes their account, as Sandino notes, “CapCut goes further than most by claiming usage rights over content that creators often assume is private or controlled."
For a tool often considered by many as the best video editing app, these terms are out of step with what users expect from creative software.
The legal position of such terms remains unclear for many - although creators technically own their likeness and voice under right of publicity laws, enforcement becomes difficult once a user agrees to these sweeping terms.
“Most creators aren’t aware that uploading a clip, even a draft, could legally waive their rights,” Sandino cautions.
The fact there is no opt-out further complicates the situation for professionals using CapCut for commercial or client work.
CapCut users currently have limited options, and anybody who uses it is agreeing to the updated terms by default, so some may want to switch to more creator-friendly platforms like Adobe Premiere or DaVinci Resolve.
CapCut, owned by ByteDance and often grouped with contenders for the best video editing software, now risks alienating its user base by shifting from a tool to a distribution engine.
Ethically, companies like CapCut should disclose terms in clear language, offer opt-outs, and compensate creators when their content is monetized.
“Using their work without consent or payment isn’t just unethical, it’s exploitative… this affects the future of creative ownership as a whole,” Sandino added.
Via HelloPartner
You might also likeGolf is no stranger to tech. From the best GPS golf watches to launch monitors, the game has embraced innovation. But Robera’s latest invention might be golf’s biggest evolution to date: an autonomous cart that carries your clubs and critiques your swing while trailing you from hole to hole.
Launched on Kickstarter, the Robera Neo has raised more than $300,000 (around £225,000 / AU$470,000) – over 6000% of its original target. First delivery is slated for July 2025 and those numbers suggest plenty of golfers are ready to upgrade their trolleys.
Follow-me carts aren’t a new concept. But unlike traditional electric models, the Neo doesn’t rely on a Bluetooth handset or wireless tether. Instead, it uses an AI-powered vision system to track your position and shadow you as you chip down the fairway. That also means it can steer around hazards, whether that’s a bunker or your golf buddy.
The Neo doesn’t just take the effort out of carrying your clubs: it can also shave strokes off your score. Parked next to the tee, it uses a built-in camera to record your swing. You can then review frame-by-frame analysis on the cart’s detachable tablet, for feedback to rival a human caddy.
Teeing off with autonomyBecause golfers have enough gear to worry about, the Neo majors on hands-free control. The smart follow system supports gesture and voice commands, allowing you to summon or dispatch the cart at a distance. If you’re sure of the shot, you can even send it on ahead. You can also use the remote to hail it from 100 meters away.
With a database of 40,000 courses on-board, the Neo uses GPS mapping to dynamically plan the most power-efficient route forward. It’s not an entirely autonomous experience, though: while the consumer version can find its way along the fairway, traveling from one fairway to the next requires a manual route input. Only the commercial model supports full-course navigation.
Still, the Neo can handle tricky conditions like a pro. An IPX5 rating means it can play in the rain, while treaded wheels help it tackle inclines of up to 25 degrees. A removable 288Wh battery can also see it through a solid 27 holes. And thanks to 100W fast charging, the Neo can go for another round after lunch.
It’s all designed to be clever and convenient. It is heavier than a standard golf trolley at 15kg, but the folding design should make it easy enough to stash in the garage. It’s also significantly more expensive, with the base-level early bird package costing $1,979 (around £1,500 / AU$3,100). The tablet version starts at $2,639 (around £2,000 / AU$4,150).
That’s a lot for a trolley. But it’s cheaper than paying a pro for personalized coaching every time you play. If you want something to carry your clubs and give you feedback, without the need for small talk between swings, the Neo could well be the way forward.
Whether it replaces your caddy or simply gives your game a boost, it certainly promises to upgrade your game. The follow-me mode is nifty, but getting instant feedback without a lesson or launch monitor is what will appeal to many. Plus the fact that a robot won’t roll its eyes when you shank a shot. All of the usual crowd-funding warnings apply, but I'm looking forward to see if it's up to par.
You might also like...The RCS (Rich Communication Services) standard intended as a replacement for the older SMS (Short Message Service) is now available in Google Messages for Android and Messages on the iPhone – and Google is keen for more users to sign up for it.
As it stands, RCS is an opt-in upgrade inside Google Messages, so not everyone has it turned on. The team at Android Authority has spotted hidden text in the latest version of the app that could be used to nag people to turn on RCS.
The text strings include "invite this contact to RCS chat" and "we can share high-quality media and send secure messages when we're both on RCS", so it looks as though you'll be able to encourage your contacts to enable RCS with a couple of taps.
These messages aren't live yet, but they are included in the app code, so Google could enable them in the near future. It looks as though a prompt to invite someone to RCS will appear if Google Messages determines that they don't have it turned on.
Modern messagingHow the invites might look (Image credit: AssembleDebug / Android Authority)If you haven't yet enabled RCS in Google Messages for Android, you can do so by tapping your avatar on the chats list (top right), then Messages settings and RCS chats: There's a Turn on RCS chats toggle switch you can use.
RCS brings with it modern messaging features, like read receipts, proper group chat support, and typing indicators – but everyone inside a chat has to use RCS, otherwise everything will fall back to the old SMS standard.
We're continuing to see upgrades to RCS inside Google Messages too, with the expansion of animated Screen Effects, and media file management, for example. Earlier this month, a snooze feature for chats was rolled out as well.
With Android 16 now out in the world too, it shouldn't be too long before Google Messages gets its Material 3 Expressive update – the revamped look for Google's mobile operating system that adds more color and emotion.
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