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Feinstein was comfortable writing fiction and nonfiction, and took on an array of sports, including golf and tennis, but he was known most for his connection to college basketball

(Image credit: CALEB JONES)

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for March 14.

The FDA tested 95 products containing benzoyl peroxide, an ingredient widely used to treat acne that can form benzene as a byproduct. It found that six products could have more benzene than usual.

(Image credit: Andrew Harnik)

House Democrats were gathered in Virginia for their annual issues conference when they received the news that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer was planning to vote to advance a GOP-spending bill.

(Image credit: Anna Moneymaker)

A federal judge in Maryland found the Trump administration acted unlawfully in firing thousands of federal employees by not first notifying states.

(Image credit: Kent Nishimura)

Konami shared more details on the first mainline Silent Hill game in over a decade. Check out the new trailer.

Google's competing earbuds already have it, but now Apple is entering the world of instant language translation.

"Smishing" scams aim to compromise your data and pilfer money. And if you think the problem is getting worse, you're right.

(Image credit: Sean Rayford)

The team working at the Social Security Administration appears to be among the largest DOGE units deployed to any government agency.

AI art generation has been evolving at a wild pace, and Google just threw another big contender into the mix through its Gemini Flash 2.0. You can play with the new image creation tool in Google's AI Studio.

Gemini Flash is, as the name suggests, very fast, notably faster than DALL-E 3 and other image creators. That speed might mean lower quality images, but that's not the case here, especially because all of the changes and upgrades to the model's image production ability. Still, if you want really good results, you must know how to talk to the AI. After plenty of trial and error, I've put together five tips for getting the absolute best art out of Gemini Flash 2.0. Some of these may seem similar to advice about other AI art creators, because they are, but that doesn't make them less useful in this context.

Tell a story

(Image credit: Created with Google Gemini)

The most interesting new feature for Gemini Flash's image creation is that it isn’t just good for one-off illustrations, it can actually help you create a visual story by generating a series of related images with consistent style, settings, and moods.

To get started, you just have to ask it to tell you a story and how often you want an illustration to go with the action. The result will include those images accompanying the text.

For my project, I asked the AI to "Generate a story of a heroic baby dragon who protected a fairy queen from an evil wizard in a 3d cartoon animation style. For each scene, generate an image." I saw the above start to appear. And, if there's an issue, you can rewrite any of the bits of the story and the model will regenerate the image accordingly.

Be super specific

(Image credit: Created with Google Gemini)

If you tell Gemini to make “a dog in a park,” you might get a blurry golden retriever sitting somewhere vaguely green. But if you say, “A fluffy golden retriever sitting on a wooden bench in Central Park during autumn, with red and orange leaves scattered on the ground”—you get exactly what you’re picturing.

AI models thrive on detail. The more you provide, the better your image will be. So for the image above, instead of just asking for a futuristic looking city, I requested "A retro-futuristic cityscape at sunset, with neon signs glowing in pink and blue, flying cars in the sky, and people walking in retro-future style outfits." Seven seconds later, the result came in.

Get conversational

(Image credit: Google Gemini Flash 2.0)

One of my favorite things about the new Gemini Flash is that you can get conversational with it without losing much of the speed. That means you don’t have to get everything right in one go. After generating an image, you can literally chat with the AI to make edits. Want to change the colors? Add a character? Make the lighting moodier? Just ask.

In the image set above, I started by asking for "A cozy reading nook with a fireplace, bookshelves filled with novels, and a big comfy armchair." I then refined it by asking it to "Make it nighttime with soft, warm lighting," then followed up by asking it to "Add a sleeping cat on the armchair," and finished by requesting the AI "Give the room a vintage, Victorian aesthetic." The final result on the left looks almost exactly like what I imagined, and makes Gemini feel like an art assistant, one capable of adjusting to what I want without starting over from scratch every time.

Gemini Flash matches ChatGPT

(Image credit: Created with Google Gemini)

Google has boasted that Gemini is full of real-world knowledge, which means you can get historical accuracy, realistic cultural details, and true-to-life imagery if you ask for it. Of course, that requires being specific. For example, if you prompt it for “a Viking warrior,” you might get something that looks more like a Game of Thrones character. But if you say, “A historically accurate Viking warrior from the 9th century, wearing detailed chainmail armor, a round wooden shield, and a traditional Norse helmet”—you’ll get something much more precise.

As a test I asked the AI to make "An ancient Mayan city at sunrise, with towering stone pyramids, lush jungle surroundings, and people dressed in traditional Mayan garments." It's not perfect, but it looks a lot more like the real thing than previous versions, which would sometimes come back with almost an Egyptian pyramid.

Write fast

(Image credit: Created with Google Gemini)

Most AI image models have long struggled with rendering text, turning words into illegible scribbles. Even the better models today that can do so take a bit to do it and getting it right can take a few tries. But, Gemini Flash is shockingly good at integrating text into images quickly and legibly. Being very specific can help though.

That's how I generated the image above by asking the AI to "Make a vintage-style travel poster that says 'Visit London’ in bold, retro typography, featuring a stylized illustration of the city."

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Democratic U.S. Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva of Arizona, who championed environmental protection during his 12 terms in Congress, died Thursday of complications from cancer treatments, his office said.

(Image credit: J. Scott Applewhite)

NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with Mahmoud Khalil's attorney, Amy Greer, about her client's recent arrest. Khalil, a green card holder, is currently being detained by ICE officers.

(Image credit: Spencer Platt)

High-end gaming and workstation laptop specialist Eurocom has just released a refresh of its flagship mobile supercomputer, the Raptor X18.

It is one of the fastest laptops ever built and will probably earn a well-deserved spot in our best mobile workstation buying guide.

Its base configuration runs on a Core Ultra 9 275HX, the fastest laptop processor from Intel and the top of the range model will set you back more than $15,000.

For that outlay, you get a mobile Nvidia Geforce RTX5090 GPU with 24GB GDDR7, 256GB of DDR5 RAM - the only one I know that can take that much memory - as well as four WD_Black 8TB PCIe Gen4 SSD configured in RAID-0.

As for previous mobile supercomputers, Eurocom has entrusted an ODM - most probably Clevo - with the design and manufacturing of what is, as of now, the most powerful laptop in the world.

The result is a practical, if underwhelming, finish with its true origins betrayed by the presence of an RGB Keyboard with individual key illumination, N-Key Rollover & anti-ghosting.

A mobile supercomputer can also be one of the best gaming laptops.

The 18-inch screen that completes its setup can be specced up to a UHD+ resolution (that's 3240 x 2400 pixels with a 16:10 aspect ratio).

Its 200Hz refresh rate shows that it can also be a decent gaming panel.

Where this laptop will be sorely lacking is battery life; even with a 99Whr battery, I don't expect users to be able to utilize this laptop, under load, for more than 60 minutes; consider the battery as an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) instead.

That’s down to the presence of a power-hungry GPU and CPU (that demand up to 175W and 55W respectively) as well as four memory modules, a large screen and four SSDs.

You may also find its weight (7.9 lbs/3.6kg) and its dimensions (400 x 320 x 33mm) to be slightly overwhelming but then again it is more of a desktop replacement rather than a true laptop.

Raptor X18 vs 16-inch MacBook Pro

(Image credit: Future)

In comparison, the most powerful Apple laptop, the 16-inch MacBook Pro, one of the best laptops ever built, has a maximum selling price of $7,199 when configured with 128GB of RAM and 8TB SSD.

The 1TB SSD version retails for a mere $4,999 or a third of the price of the X18.

The 275HX is the most powerful laptop CPU available right now reaching, on popular benchmark software Passmar, a CPU Mark of just over 61,000.

The 16-core M4 Max, Apple’s most powerful laptop CPU, delivers about 43,700 points, a 40% speed delta.

When compared to desktop counterparts, the 275HX comes ahead of the EPYC 74F3, a 3-year old server CPU from AMD that has the same number of cores but a TDP 4x higher.

Raptor X18 vs Workstation PC

A stock picture of the Dell Precision mid-tower workstation (Image credit: Dell)

There are other Core 9 Ultra 275HX laptops scheduled for release in the coming weeks but Eurocom’s laptop is the only one with four SODIMM slots.

I configured a popular workstation PC, the Precision 5860 to match the Raptor X18.

With a slower Intel Xeon W7-2495X CPU, a less capable Nvidia RTX 4500 Ada Generation professional GPU and four 4TB SSDs, Dell’s alter-ego came out with a shocking $15,700 price tag, without a 4K monitor.

The only saving grace for the desktop workstation is the 3-year basic onsite service with remote diagnosis Dell provides.

I love the fact that the X18 has not one but two 2.5GbE Ethernet ports, the first time I’ve seen this combination in a laptop, that’s in addition to Wi-Fi 7.

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The Russo Brothers return to sci-fi for this retro-futuristic robot flick starring Millie Bobby Brown.

Effective models could unlock some of what is still unknown in biology and help your doctor find the right treatment.

An Israeli airstrike targeted a building in an upscale neighborhood, destroying an apartment that neighbors said had been vacant for years.

(Image credit: Emily Garthwaite for NPR)

Struggling with dry eyes and allergies? We consulted with ophthalmologists and optometrists to find the best over-the-counter eye drops to help relieve eye dryness, itching and more.

• A hefty price tag might put some users off the new Dell Pro 75 Plus
• ViewSonic's ViewBoard could take the wind out Dell's sails
• The display features an impressive array of ports

One of Dell’s latest monitors comes with a hefty price tag, but it’s a behemoth of a display.

The Dell Pro 75 Plus is, as the name suggests, a massive 75-inch 4k touchscreen display designed for more professional settings, such as an office space or meeting room. You probably could fit it into a home office space, but that might be overkill.

The new Pro 75 Plus is equipped with 20-point touch technology, and boasts 20W speakers alongside USB-C, HDMI, DisplayPort, and Ethernet capabilities. Similarly, the display includes exclusive access to Dell’s Screen Drop features and Dell Pro Micro integration, making it the “ultimate solution for enhancing productivity and engagement”, according to the company.

Looking for a cheaper option? We’ve got you covered

The Pro 75 Plus also comes equipped with Crestron Connect and Crestron XiO Cloud options, Dell revealed, allowing for remote management and greater control via office network systems.

It certainly will be appealing to enterprises overhauling their in-house tech, but the price might be a major stumbling block, coming in at $ 3,999.

The Pro 75 Plus is by no means the priciest touchscreen display we’ve come across in recent years. TechRadarPro was impressed with the ViewSonic IFP9850 4K Ultra HD Display in 2020, for example.

The whopping 98-inch display still retails at $8,490, more than double the Dell monitor.

If you’re in the market for something cheaper, however, the ViewSonic ViewBoard IFP75G1 is a great option. Also measuring in at 75 inches, the interactive display will set you back half the price at $1,999, but this is part of a limited-time promotion.

The 4K UHD display has a few distinct advantages compared to its Dell counterpart, boasting a 40-point touch display, two 10W internal speakers, three HDMI ports, and a whopping nine USB ports.

Notably, the display also gives users the choice of a slot-in PC to really kick things up a notch, with Android and Windows options available.

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• Looking for a remote work productivity boost? Check out these home monitors
• We've rounded up the best 5k and 8k monitors right now
• Looking for an ultrawide monitor? Check out these deals

Hints and answers for Connections for March 14, No. 642.

Hints and answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, No. 172, for March 14.