The upcoming 12.9-inch iPad Air will reportedly not use standard backlights but will have mini-LED instead. Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The super-size iPad Air supposedly coming in a few weeks could come with a surprise: mini-LED backlights for the screen. This is the same type already in the largest iPad Pro.
It’s another reason for people to look forward to this tablet, which is expected in early May.
Leak of 12.9-inch iPad Air with mini-LED comes out of the blue
mini-LED screens use thousands of tiny LEDs to provide a backlight for the LCD that can illuminate very specific areas. The result is higher contrast, blacker blacks, improved brightness and better power efficiency.
The tech costs more than traditional backlights, so Apple has so far reserved it for high-end “Pro” products. But that’s reportedly about to change.
The upcoming 12.9-inch iPad Air will include mini-LED panels left over from making the current iPad Pro, according to Ross Young. He’s CEO of Display Supply Chain Consultants, and has reliable inside sources at Apple’s component-makers.
If this report is correct, the 2024 iPad Air will join two other existing Apple products with a mini-LED display: the 14-inch MacBook Pro and 16-inch MacBook Pro.
While there’s been no mention connecting the tablet with mini-LED before, this leak has to be taken seriously — Young has an excellent track record. That includes correctly predicting that all iPhone 15 models would include the Dynamic Island a solid year before the handset’s launch.
More about the 2024 iPad Air
Whether the backlights will change or not, the big news about the 2024 iPad Air is that there’ll be a 12.9-inch option. The previous largest version came with a 10.9-inch display.
And that’s not the only change. The current iPad Air 5 from 2022 runs an Apple M1 processor that debuted in 2020. The upcoming version of each tablet reportedly will jump to the M3 that premiered in the latest MacBook Air.
The 2024 iPad Air launch is expected on Monday, May 6. Pricing for the 12.9- and 10.9-inch versions is currently unknown.
Since Google and Samsung merged Wear OS and Tizen, Google has been rapidly improving Wear OS by adding new and useful features to it, such as introducing new applications for the platform, including Google Calendar and Gmail, improving existing apps, including Google Home and Google Maps, introducing new Tiles, and offering new watch face and health data systems to offer a better user experience. Well, the company is now working on offering another improvement to Wear OS that could come to Galaxy Watches.
According to the Google News channel on Telegram, version 2.3.0 on the Google Pixel Watch app for Android contains an option called ‘Sync permission from phone’ which will “Give your watch the same app permissions that you’ve allowed” on your smartphone. In other words, once you enable the option, the app will sync permissions between your Android smartphone and the Pixel Watch for the common apps on the two devices.
For example, if you give Google Maps on your Android smartphone permission to access your location, with the new option enabled, the Google Pixel Watch app will extend the same permission to Google Maps on your Pixel Watch, saving you from the hassle of giving permissions to the app on your smartphone as well as the smartwatch. The option is located inside the ‘Device details’ menu which is currently hidden behind a flag.
At the moment, there’s no information about when Google will make the new option available to the public or if it will offer this feature to other Wear OS smartwatches, such as Samsung’s Galaxy Watch lineup. We hope that the company extends the new feature to other Wear OS smartwatches as it would offer people more convenience and a better user experience. In the meantime, you can check out the all-new Shazam app for Wear OS.
In my mind, GE is a manufacturer of big, boxy appliances. They’re the folks for reliable and relatively affordable stoves and the manufacturers of the monolithic silver Monogram-line fridge that I once carted across town with my brother-in-law. That kind of thing.
I don’t usually think of them as Mr. Coffee’s competitors, yet their new coffee maker is. Part of the company’s artsy, tech-savvy Café line, it’s also one of a small group of coffee makers to have Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) approval, a sort of Good Housekeeping Seal for coffee nerds that fairly guarantees a good cup for consumers. It’s a fairly attractive coffee maker, but for the price, it just doesn’t make a very interesting cup.
Worn Off White
At first glance, the GE Café Specialty Drip Coffee Maker is easy to like. Pop it out of the box and you’ll be able to make a pot without looking at the instructions. The GE Café has an app, and you can connect it to your Wi-Fi network, but all of the key features are accessible on the machine, so you can leave the app in the App Store if you’re not interested.
There are four brew strength options: Light, Medium, Bold, and Gold, the latter being set to SCA specs. The water temperature for the non-Gold settings can be adjusted between 185 and 205 degrees Fahrenheit, allowing you to dial in your brew. (In the GE, the Gold setting is the same as the Medium setting, but the temperature is locked in at 200 degrees.)
It’s good-looking thing, available in stainless, matte black, and what I might call “Tatooine kitchen” white. My review unit was one of the matte white models, and while that finish looks cool, it’s a peculiar option considering coffee’s ability to stain.
Plus, with a rectangular footprint and controls on the long axis, it forces you to position it on your countertop in a way that hogs space, a trap that my personal favorite, the OXO 8-Cup Coffee Maker (9/10, WIRED Recommends) avoids. And while the OXO has dishwasher-safe parts, the GE has none.
Photograph: Amazon
Tinkering With Taste
Good coffee is the result of a host of factors like bean and roast quality, grind size, brew time, water temperature, and water quality, to name a few. Start from a good base and you can tweak your way to perfection, one variable at a time.
In my test kitchen, comparing it to nothing but itself, that base felt solid—the SCA approval at work! The coffee was good, but I wanted to go deeper with my friends from Olympia Coffee in their Seattle lab. I met co-owner Sam Schroeder and retail trainer Reyna Callejo, who had brought her Breville Precision Brewer Thermal coffee maker (7/10, WIRED Review) from home, which was a big help. It’s an excellent machine and direct competition for the GE Café, perfect for head-to-head testing.
Sam and Reyna immediately did the thing coffee nerds do around a new gadget, hovering over it, enthusiastically pressing all the buttons, opening and closing anything that could be open and closed, marveling at the little replaceable water filter, appreciating the nice, wide shower head—the part where the hot water emerges above the grounds—and wondering aloud if it would actually distribute the water evenly. Looking back, it was about here where tiny metaphorical cracks in the matte plastic began to show.
In a darkened room at Nvidia’s ‘Future of Gaming’ showcase at a fancy London hotel earlier this week, I was ushered before a bank of computer screens showing live gameplay from a very exciting game: Valve’s Half-Life 2.
Alright, HL2 isn’t a new game – in fact, it turns 20 this year! – but it’s still a timeless classic that has topped many a list of the best PC games. And while Valve will probably never release Half-Life 3, the mega-hit second game still has plenty of life left in it, thanks to Nvidia’s incredibly clever RTX Remix tool.
Announced way back in September 2022 at Nvidia’s GTC showcase, RTX Remix is an AI-powered tool for remastering old 3D games with updated graphics and fancy modern features like ray tracing. Remix entered open beta earlier this year, and is primarily targeted at modders looking to visually upgrade their favorite games; it’s built on Nvidia’s AI-focused ‘Omniverse’ platform, offering a comprehensive box of tricks for making the remaster process faster and easier than ever before.
Portal with RTX looks fine, but Portal already looked good – Half-Life 2 is a much better showcase for RTX Remix. (Image credit: Valve, Nvidia)
Nvidia worked with official developers to create a showcase for Remix in Portal with RTX, a shiny new remaster of the legendary 2007 puzzle game, but Half-Life 2 RTX is a passion project being produced by modders with Nvidia providing some background support. And can I be honest? It looks f*cking awesome.
Giving new life to Half-Life
The live demo I was shown by Nvidia showcased one of the game’s most iconic locations: the run-down, zombie-infested town of Ravenholm, where protagonist Gordon Freeman ends up after a less-than-fortuitous series of events. Two displays were set up side-by-side to show both the original game and the Remixed work in progress – and the difference was phenomenal. For all its accolades, classic Half-Life 2 does very much look like a game made two decades ago, while the work-in-progress remaster looks great.
RTX Remix allows for modding in real-time – in other words, you can have the game running while also having the dev environment open in a different tab, and changes you make are reflected (after a short delay) in the live game. An Nvidia staffer gave me a brief walkthrough on using the tool, and it’s a remarkably streamlined process. You can generate an asset library by simply walking around in-game and letting Remix capture your surroundings, and use generative AI tools to rapidly produce improved textures and 3D models.
While the ray-traced lighting and reflections are the most immediately noticeable difference, the improved texture detail and remodelled assets are good too. (Image credit: Future / Valve)
One scene displayed during the demo saw me walking through a dimly lit courtyard beset with corpses – including a dismembered pair of legs hanging from a tree. Despite the grisly setting, I couldn’t help but be impressed: the legs swing from a rope and cast realistic dynamic shadows in the Remixed version, while the original features no shadows at all. It also highlighted the improved ground textures, and Nvidia pointed out in a different scene that Remix’s generative AI capabilities can extrapolate the environment to add extra details – in this case, climbing vines and weeds partially covering a ruined wall.
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CONTENT WARNING: You can see the clip below, but please be aware that it contains some 2004 gore as described above, now with added ray tracing! I do wish Nvidia had given me a slightly less gruesome example.
Another standout example (albeit a rather mundane and less gory one) was a simple 3D object asset of a broken engine. I lined up both versions of the game to view the item’s original and Remixed models, and the new model is massively more detailed. And I do mean massively: not only does the ray tracing work wonders to more realistically illuminate the object, but it actually looks like a 3D asset from a 2024 game, not a 2004 one.
The same 3D game asset looks incredibly different in the Remixed version of Half-Life 2. (Image credit: Future / Valve)
A change of heart – and art
I’ll admit, when RTX Remix was first announced, I was pretty cold about it. I liked the look of the (still in development) Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind remaster, but I had fears that Remix would become a blunt implement for major publishers to churn out low-effort remasters that threw the important art direction of classic games in the trash. I wasn’t the only one, either – my colleague Allisa James had some major reservations about Remix too.
But I’m relieved that two years on, Nvidia is putting power in the hands of modders rather than shareholders. When I asked Nvidia GeForce ‘Evangelist’ Jacob Freeman (amusingly appropriate name, I know) about RTX Remix, he explained that the tool would be available for official game dev projects, but had been created with modders – not profits – in mind. It’s certainly a refreshing change of pace, and it helps that some of these Remix projects look pretty fantastic.
Morrowind is another good example of a game that definitely could benefit from an AI-powered remaster using RTX Remix. (Image credit: Nvidia, Bethesda)
I still maintain that some games might suffer from AI-infused remastering. Mirror’s Edge is a good example. For starters, it still looks pretty good today, but more importantly, it’s a game where color and lighting are used very carefully to inform the gameplay – meaning that a Remixed version might impact the delicate intersection between art direction and game mechanics. But for games like Morrowind and Half-Life 2, which have decidedly not aged well from a graphical standpoint, it’s perfect. I can’t wait to see what talented modders create with it.
If you’re interested in RTX Remix, you can download the beta version from Nvidia’s website. Bear in mind that right now, Remix only works with DirectX 9 and some DirectX 8 games – so in other words, you’re currently limited to a pool of games released between 2000 and 2006. Of course, the tool is still in development, and Nvidia has said that it would like Remix to work with a much broader spectrum of PC games, so in other words: watch this space!
Apple today announced that it has cut its greenhouse gas emissions by more than half since 2015, advancing towards its 2030 carbon neutrality goal.
Apple’s latest Environmental Progress Report details the company’s efforts and innovations in clean energy, efficient recycling practices, and sustainable material usage that have contributed to this substantial decrease in emissions. According to the report, the major reduction has been driven by extensive use of clean energy, including the integration of recycled materials across Apple’s product lines and improvements in energy efficiency throughout its global supply chain.
Apple has fostered significant advances in recycling and material recovery as part of its broader environmental strategy for several years. The company has increased the use of recycled cobalt and lithium in its batteries, with last year’s statistics showing that 56% of the cobalt and 24% of the lithium used were sourced from recycled materials. These efforts are part of a larger initiative to transition to 100% recycled and renewable materials across all products.
The report also highlights achievements in energy efficiency and renewable energy sourcing. Over 16.5 gigawatts of clean energy are now being produced as a result of Apple’s Supplier Clean Energy Program, which supports projects around the world. The program has been essential in reducing the carbon footprint Apple and its suppliers, who collectively saved more than two billion kilowatt-hours of electricity last year. The company is also actively removing plastics from its packaging, shifting towards fiber-based alternatives.
Apple also provides financial support to various organizations and programs aimed at improving environmental conditions and promoting sustainability education. In the U.S., for example, Apple supports Justice Outside’s Network for Network Leaders program, which focuses on outdoor and environmental education.
iOS 18 is expected to be the “biggest” update in the iPhone’s history. Below, we recap rumored features and changes for the iPhone. iOS 18 is rumored to include new generative AI features for Siri and many apps, and Apple plans to add RCS support to the Messages app for an improved texting experience between iPhones and Android devices. The update is also expected to introduce a more…
Game emulator apps have come and gone since Apple announced App Store support for them on April 5, but now popular game emulator Delta from developer Riley Testut is available for download. Testut is known as the developer behind GBA4iOS, an open-source emulator that was available for a brief time more than a decade ago. GBA4iOS led to Delta, an emulator that has been available outside of…
The first approved Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) emulator for the iPhone and iPad was made available on the App Store today following Apple’s rule change. The emulator is called Bimmy, and it was developed by Tom Salvo. On the App Store, Bimmy is described as a tool for testing and playing public domain/”homebrew” games created for the NES, but the app allows you to load ROMs for any…
Apple today said it removed Game Boy emulator iGBA from the App Store for violating the company’s App Review Guidelines related to spam (section 4.3) and copyright (section 5.2), but it did not provide any specific details. iGBA was a copycat version of developer Riley Testut’s open-source GBA4iOS app. The emulator rose to the top of the App Store charts following its release this weekend,…
Last September, Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro models debuted with a new customizable Action button, offering faster access to a handful of functions, as well as the ability to assign Shortcuts. Apple is poised to include the feature on all upcoming iPhone 16 models, so we asked iPhone 15 Pro users what their experience has been with the additional button so far. The Action button replaces the switch …
A week after Apple updated its App Review Guidelines to permit retro game console emulators, a Game Boy emulator for the iPhone called iGBA has appeared in the App Store worldwide. The emulator is already one of the top free apps on the App Store charts. It was not entirely clear if Apple would allow emulators to work with all and any games, but iGBA is able to load any Game Boy ROMs that…
Razer just released the , a successor to the popular . It’s filled with improvements, including a larger form factor to accommodate beefier mobile devices like 8-inch tablets and even some foldables . The controller also offers USB-C compatibility, so it should work with just about any device out there, as long as it fits. Remember, even modern Apple products .
Razer says the controller has been “designed to provide an authentic console experience on the iPhone 15 series, iPad Mini, and Android tablets with 8-inch displays.” To that end, it features the company’s proprietary Sensa HD haptics technology, which includes a haptic coil near each hand to increase immersion. The company says this experience will actually surpass what’s found with traditional console controllers. The newly-released Interhaptics SDK will even allow developers to “craft bespoke haptic experiences.”
This immersion is further improved by integration with Razer’s Chroma RGB lighting system. This allows for customizable lighting schemes, which lets players bring “a piece of their gamer room setup with them.” Beyond the lighting and haptics, the controller boasts the company’s proprietary Mecha-Tactile ABXY buttons and 8-way D-pad. There are console-sized hall effect triggers, programmable L4/R4 multifunction buttons and full-sized thumb sticks, complete with anti-friction rings. The expanded form factor also means it should work with most devices without having to remove the case.
Razer
The controller can access Razer’s subscription-free Nexus app, which pulls up custom button-mapping for thousands of compatible games across iOS and Android.. This means that it’ll be a plug and play experience for the vast majority of available content, without having to fiddle with control settings. Additionally, the Nexus app lets users record and share gameplay.
The Razer Kishi Ultra is available right now and costs $150. The controller is joined by an updated version of the Kishi V2, which now connects via USB-C. That one costs $100.
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The new Elgato Neo range of devices — condenser microphone, webcam, LED key light, capture card and stream deck — simplifies video calls, content creation and video streaming for newbies, the company said Thursday. The gear also looks good doing it, with a unified white design across all five devices.
All the Neo products are compatible with iPad, making them an excellent choice for creators who use their tablets for content creation.
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Elgato intends the new Neo lineup to augment and simplify live streaming and video calls. The five products are simpler versions of gear Elgato already makes, having captured a good chunk of the creator and gaming markets. Now, apparently, it wants everyone else — like anyone who might hop on a conference call.
An earlier move in that direction came when Elgato put out an affordable teleprompter that virtually anyone can use. And its Facecam and Stream Deck are also popular for good reason.
These affordable products are designed to be plug-and-play, making them easy to set up and use. The devices also feature compact designs that make them portable and easy to use in smaller spaces or on the go.
Check out the lineup of more accessible, user-friendly gear, below.
All five new Elgato Neo devices appear in this computer-setup shot. Photo: Elgato
Stream Deck Neo
Stream Deck Neo, priced at $99.99, makes for a highlight of the Neo lineup. Like the company’s line of Stream Decks, the device operates as a command center. It features eight LCD keys you can program to automate various tasks, such as adjusting lights or joining video calls. Stream Deck Neo also features a display that functions as a digital clock, making it a versatile tool for streamers and professionals alike.
Facecam Neo, priced at $99.99, is a high-quality webcam that supports 1080p video at 60fps, ensuring clear images. It comes with an integrated privacy shutter. You can easily mount the camera on top of a monitor or laptop. But it’s not out quite yet, though you can get notified about the release date on Elgato’s website.
Wave Neo, priced at $89.99, is a condenser microphone that offers high-quality audio capture with reduced background noise. It features a tap-to-mute function and is designed to integrate seamlessly with Elgato’s advanced Wave Link app.
Maybe it’s time you looked and sounded better on your video calls. Photo: Elgato
Key Light Neo, priced at $89.99, is a compact LED light that pairs perfectly with a webcam. It offers adjustable settings to enhance visual presentations and can be mounted on top of a laptop or monitor, freeing up desk space.
Game Capture Neo, priced at $119.99, is a capture card designed for high-quality game streaming. It supports capture at up to 1080p 60fps, making it ideal for Twitch or YouTube streaming.
In addition to user-friendly design and high-quality performance, the Neo products also feature artificial intelligence. For instance, the new Stream Deck Neo works with an SDK that allows app developers to create profiles for controlling their apps. This makes it possible for the Stream Deck Neo to work with a wide range of applications, providing a versatile tool for streamers and professionals alike.
You can buy all Neo devices now except for Facecam Neo, which comes out in the coming weeks, Elgato said.
Samsung has announced that it worked with Qualcomm to improve data transfer speeds on 5G cellular networks. The companies have used 3GPP Release 17’s new 1024 QAM feature to improve 5G speeds by up to 20%, bringing faster download speeds on smartphones.
Samsung and Qualcomm achieve fastest ever 5G download speeds with 20MHz bandwidth
As a part of this collaboration, the companies used Samsung Network’s 5G vRAN equipment running on 2.1GHz (FDD) and 3.5GHz (TDD) and a test smartphone using Qualcomm’s X75 5G modem. They achieved download speeds of 485Mbps with a 20MHz bandwidth. This is 20% faster than 256 QAM that is usually used on 5G networks. It is near theoretical download speed.
This is the first time these speeds have been achieved on an FDD band. Since this test was done on a single 20MHz band, a lot more speed can be achieved as most modern phones can combine several bands together through CA (Carrier Aggregation). The companies are also testing this technology on a network with traditional RAN equipment.
This technology is expected to be commercially available for network operators by the end of this year. Last year, Qualcomm and Samsung tested 4x downlink and 2x uplink carrier aggregation on FDD spectrum. Samsung Networks is among the world’s biggest cellular network equipment manufacturer, and it develops 5G Core, 5G vRAN, and AI-powered automation tools.
Samsung Networks VP Ji-Yun Seol, said, “We believe enhancing spectral efficiency is essential in developing next-generation solutions. This achievement underscores Samsung’s ongoing commitment to push forward the frontiers of mobile technology. Our collaborative efforts with Qualcomm Technologies have once again yielded impressive results, and we look forward to harnessing our combined expertise to drive network innovation.“
There’s eight gears, five levels of assistance, a twist throttle, and also a zero assist mode. Rad now has a new torque sensor which makes it feel infinitely better and so much more natural to pedal. It’s also much quieter. I previously put Lectric’s bikes in a similar category of affordable direct-to-consumers, but my husband rides a Lectric and became angry when he realized how smoothly and quietly I was pedaling, while he buzzed along.
It also has hydraulic disc brakes, front suspension with 80 millimeters of travel (feels great! feels comfy!), and a ton of features that make it seem way more expensive than it is. For example, you may have noticed I did not mention what class of ebike it is. While it ships as a Class 2 ebike, you can scroll through the menu and change which class it’s in, and thus what the legal top speed is, depending on whether you’re in the city or the country. It is very cool. In the menu, you can also do things like wipe trip data or set a passcode to lock the display.
Photograph: Adrienne So
It also has a bell! And signal buttons! What people I know have reported is that I often turn the signal on and forget to turn it off, or accidentally turn it on when I’m switching the assistance, and then my hand flies up to the point where I’m going automatically because I’ve been signaling with my arms for 30 years. That’s fun. Rather than turn signals, I would’ve preferred a brighter front headlight. Two hundred lumens is brighter than forgetting your front light, but I would really prefer 400 or even 1,000 when biking at night in the rain, which I often do.
A big reason why people often buy direct-to-consumer bikes is the proprietary accessories. Cars don’t ship without lights or storage options, so car substitutes have to have them too. The Radster Road does ship with fenders, a chain guard, and a rear rack with a 55-pound payload. It fit my Po Campo backpack pannier without issue. As compared to other direct-to-consumers, Rad Power Bikes has a whopping array of accessories; I would be remiss if I did not admit that as I was biking around with my children and spouse, I did think about attaching some locking storage and a pet trailer so that my elderly dog could come along too.
I do think $2,000 is the sweet spot for electric commuter bikes. It’s enough to cover some very solid components, but not so expensive that it deters you from biking because you’re worried about it getting stolen or damaged. It slots nicely into regular bike racks, and I can use a regular U-lock on the head tube, although I did feel more comfortable double-locking it on multiple parts of the frame. Unlike the Santa Cruz Skitch (9/10, WIRED Recommends), I did grab the Radster Road and hop on it when I had to run to the Grocery Outlet. Not every ride needs to be so dazzlingly fun that you can’t stop giggling—sometimes you just need to get somewhere, and you hate parking your car, and you’re super late.
I was wary of Rad Power Bikes for many years—it’s hard for a gear tester to set things aside like a bike arcing on you, or multiple lawsuits. However, it is clear that very many lessons have been learned over the past few years. The Radster Road does that well, for miles and miles.
If you’re in the UK and have been waiting for the perfect chance to upgrade to comfortably the best gaming console on the market, then now is the time to strike as the PlayStation 5 Slim Digital Edition is currently available at a new lowest-ever price.
On sale for just £349 (was £389.99) at Amazon, that’s a total saving of £40.99 and the lowest price that we have ever seen this model reach at the retailer. Offering the same performance as the regular PS5 Slim, the Digital Edition ditches the disc drive in favor of a sleeker design geared towards digital games purchased from the PlayStation Store.
It’s perfect if you prefer to buy your games digitally and, if you change your mind down the line, you can purchase a separate disc drive module for £99.99 that simply slots into the side of your console to add all the functionality of the regular version.
Today’s best PS5 Slim Digital Edition deal
The only distinction between the PS5 Slim Digital Edition and the PS5 Slim is the presence of the disc drive, allowing you to play physical PS5 and PS4 games in addition to DVDs and Blu-rays. Luckily, if you pick up a PS5 Slim Digital Edition and want to take advantage of those features, you can buy a separate disc drive module to enable the functionality.
If you’re curious about the console itself, the PS5 Slim packs all of the functionality of the launch PS5 into a much smaller and lighter shell. It also offers more internal SSD, giving you around 850GB of usable space compared to the roughly 660GB of the original. For a complete breakdown of all the differences between the two models, see our comparison of the PS5 vs PS5 Slim.
If you’re currently outside of the UK, be sure to check out some of the best PS5 prices in your region as found by our dedicated deal-finding robots below:
