The iPhone 16 needs to steal the TCL 50 XL NxtPaper's best feature pronto

Back at CES last month, TCL announced a swath of new phones and tablets touting the latest generation (3.0) of its NxtPaper display technology, and after seeing it in person at MWC 2024, it's the kind of upgrade we hope rivals like Apple consider adopting too.

TCL's NxtPaper tech essentially combines the convenience and readability of E Ink displays – like those you'd find on the best Kindles – with the color, brightness, and super-smooth refresh rates of modern smartphone LCDs. In the case of the TCL 50 XL NxtPaper – launching in Q3 this year – it'll be the first time the company has brought a smartphone with the technology to the US market.

Being able to seamlessly switch between a monochromatic UI and a full-color one (with 'color paper' mode serving as a halfway house) opens up the viewing experience on TCL's smartphones to no end.

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Not a huge leap, but a small step for Apple

Apple already does a great job with its take on the always-on display that we've had on various Android phones for generations now, but add to that Galaxy S24 Ultra-beating levels of low reflectivity and technology that is far better adapted to reading without compromising on high-fidelity full-color visuals at up to 120Hz, and you start to wonder why it's the iPhone 16 that might be playing catch-up here.

While TCL's NxtPaper tech is proprietary and thus would have to be licensed by the likes of Apple, the underpinnings don't appear to be horrendously expensive, when you consider that the latest of TCL's phones boasting NxtPaper 3.0 panels – the TCL 50 XL NxtPaper and TCL 50 XE NxtPaper – will cost less than $229 and $199, respectively.

More from MWC 2024

• Motorola’s bendable concept phone is the biggest, silliest smartwatch I’ve ever seen
• The Nothing Phone 2a was just shown off in person. And we were there
• OnePlus Watch 2 unveiled, with 100-hour battery life and Wear OS 4

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Oscar-darling Poor Things is coming to Hulu next week

The Oscar-nominated movie Poor Things is coming to Hulu in the US on March 7. This means you'll have just enough time to watch it before the Oscars air on March 10. If you're elsewhere in the world, you can already rent or purchase Poor Things via Amazon's Prime Video or Apple TV Plus. It'll also be landing on Disney Plus in other regions, but there's no official confirmation about when that will be.

Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos (The Lobster, The Favourite), Poor Things is based on a  1992 novel by Scottish writer Alasdair Gray. It follows the story of Bella Baxter (played by Emma Stone), a woman who lives in Victorian London who is given a brain transplant by scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe) and later begins a journey of self-discovery with Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo) to assert her independence.

The film has been nominated in 11 categories at the 96th Academy Awards, including best picture, lead actress and director. It already won the Golden Globe for best motion picture – musical or comedy back in January, when Emma Stone also bagged a trophy for best actress in a musical or comedy.

Where can you watch the rest of the Oscar nominees?

If you want to catch up with the rest of the Oscar Best Picture nominees before March 10 rolls around, here are the best streaming services where you can find a few of our favorites right now.

American Fiction is one of our top picks in this year's line-up of Best Picture nominees. It follows the story of a frustrated writer and professor who writes a harsh satire of stereotypically "Black" fiction. However, the stereotypes he creates end up being taken seriously and highly praised. You can currently buy American Fiction on Prime Video and Apple TV Plus in the US and stream it on Prime Video in Australia. Sorry UK viewers, you can't get your hands on it yet.

Barbie is currently streaming on Max in the US and you can rent or buy it elsewhere on Prime Video. Although the Golden Globes snubbed Greta Gerwig's Barbie, it was an incredibly fun movie that sneaked in some smart, barbed observations about our patriarchal culture amongst its entertaining adventure.

You'll find Killers of the Flower Moon on Apple TV Plus. This epic tale from Martin Scorsese follows the story of the brutal murders of Osage Nation members and the subsequent cover-up in a dark and violent movie that's western-meets-crime drama.

For the rest, take a look at our guide: where to watch the Oscar Best Picture nominees.

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Forget Gorilla Glass – E Ink displays could replace the backs of future phones

As much as it’s about smartphones, connectivity and networks, MWC 2024 is also a bounty of weird and wonderful tech, especially from smaller brands, and one such example is the Infinix E-Color Shift phone. 

Just a concept/prototype for now, but with real potential to become a real thing, the E-Color Shift phone makes use of E Ink Prism 3 tech to change the color and pattern of a phone's back, either perpetually or at a user’s request.

Basically, it’s the answer to the question: “How can I constantly customize the back of my phone?” Now that’s not a question I’m sure a lot of people are asking, but it must be something that's on Infinix’s mind. 

And it’s actually pretty cool in real life. Seeing the phone's back cycle through a series of colors and patterns when it’s on charge is oddly hypnotic, and acts to make the phone more of an ornament rather than just a slab of metal and glass. And when it’s disconnected from a power source it’ll settle on the pattern and colors that were last displayed – take a look at the TikTok below to see it in action. 

@techradar ♬ Aglow (Intro) - Slowed Down Version - Karamel Kel

Yet there’s more to the E-Color Shift phone’s capabilities than just some flashy patterns. Things like notifications and a clock can be displayed, turning the back of the phone into a form of basic always-on screen. But as E Ink is being used, this is likely to be more power-efficient than even the latest LTPO panels found in the screens of some of the best phones, notably, the iPhone 15 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. 

Now I don’t think having an E Ink rear panel is going to be a fixture on future phones, especially as I reckon more brands will adopt titanium and glass designs. But it could pave the way for more interesting charging cases, for example, and the E-Color Shift phone is at least trying to inject some creativity into a mobile tech segment that feels like it's starting to plateau in terms of innovation and intriguing design. 

More from MWC 2024

• Motorola’s bendable concept phone is the biggest, silliest smartwatch I’ve ever seen
• The Nothing Phone 2a was just shown off in person. And we were there
• OnePlus Watch 2 unveiled, with 100-hour battery life and Wear OS 4

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Beats Solo 4 headphones leak shows they're on the way at last, with new AirPods-like features (and 1 that AirPods Max don't have)

A new leak claims to show images of the Beats Solo 4, the next generation of Apple's very old headphones: the Beats Solo 3 have been around since 2016 with only a few minor color changes since. 

At the time, we liked the Beats Solo 3 a lot, but an awful lot has changed in the world of the best wireless headphones since they were launched in the same year as the first-generation AirPods. We've had two more generations of AirPods, two lots of AirPods Pro, and the AirPods Max since then, and AirPods 4 and AirPods Max 2 are expected to arrive soon. So it's fair to say that this Beats Solo upgrade is somewhat overdue.

Although full specifications haven't emerged yet, one feature we hope to see in the new version is the same high battery life as the Beats Solo 3: up to 40 hours.

Beats Solo 4: what to expect

According to code in the latest iOS release candidate and reported by MacRumors, the new Beats Solo 4 will have a nearly identical design to the current model but will introduce Dolby Atmos spatial audio, lossless USB-C audio (something the AirPods Max notably fail to offer currently), and other improvements including better sound quality and the same Personalized Spatial Audio as the current AirPods Pro 2. 

On-ear controls will be the same as the ones in the Beats Studio Pro, which means pressing the B symbol to play, pause or to answer calls; double-pressing to skip tracks; and long-pressing to activate Siri. 

There's also a video on X/Twitter, although it doesn't really show much: it's just a short clip of a spinning pair of black Beats headphones. But images inside the iOS package appear to confirm black, pink and blue models.

As yet there's no indication of when these headphones will ship or what they'll cost, although their presence in iOS suggests that a launch isn't too far away. The current Beats Studio 3 have an RRP of $349.95, and if you still fancy a pair you should absolutely not pay anything close to that: they're regular sights among the best headphone deals from multiple retailers, and you can expect even more discounting when the new version ships. Though we'd probably suggest sticking with the newer model at this point.

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Fiat reveals pop art Panda concepts that could spawn a pick-up, SUV and camper van

The Renault 5 E-Tech may have stolen the limelight at the Geneva Motor Show 2024, but Fiat is refusing to be outdone – the Italian brand has revealed a quintet of new concepts and says it will launch a new Panda-based vehicle every year until 2027, with the first arriving this summer.

According to Fiat, all of its new saccharine concept cars will share the same philosophy that "functionality should never exist without fun". Everything you see below will be based on a "unique multi-energy platform" that will afford Fiat the flexibility to work with electric, hybrid and internal combustion engines in the future.

The first car to arrive off the back of these slightly madcap design studies is the City Car, which Fiat describes as "bigger than the current Panda" - a Mega Panda, if you will. There is little information on what will power it and overall specification, but the Italian marque says the styling has been inspired by Fiat's old Lingotto factory – the one of Italian Job fame, complete with rooftop-track. 

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You can see it in the oval shape on the roof, right? You know, the bit that looks just like the famous La Pista 500 track. No, we can’t either. But we do know that lots of recycled and sustainable materials have been used inside, including recycled plastics and bamboo fabrics.

In addition to this, the high riding position is classic SUV/crossover, while a 'self-winding' charging cable makes it easier to plug it in and then top up batteries, as well as stow, according to Fiat. It's highly likely we will see a production version of 'MegaPanda' at some point this year. 

If that’s not large enough, Fiat also offers its Panda SUV, which it describes as a sort of 'Giga-Panda'. A Panda City Car on steroids, if you will. 

Panda power

(Image credit: Fiat)

Following on from the more believable high-riding Panda City Car are a handful of other concepts that range from the sublime (the Pick-Up) to the ridiculous (the Camper). 

The former feels more likely to arrive, seeing as Fiat claims that it is the market leader in South America and the Strada pick-up is the bestselling vehicle on the Brazilian market.

It's a neat looking concept that is more akin to a small SUV with an equally tiny rear bed for transporting kit, and a double cab for transporting people. "Fun and practicality will spread throughout the world with this model," Fiat claims.

Further down the list of Panda concepts is a Fastback, with stylishly retro, squared-off bodywork and absolutely gigantic wheels at each corner. Again, it looks like it is going to be aimed at the Latin America, the Middle East and Africa.

The aim of the game here is for Fiat to improve its sustainability commitment without giving up on performance. We assume that means it will boast a punchy electric powertrain and some funky recycled interiors.

Carry on camping

(Image credit: Fiat)

Finally, Fiat goes all-out with a Camper concept that's about as far removed from Panda as things get. Apparently, this design study is a nod to the Panda of the 80s – a vehicle that Fiat claims was made for the city but had the features of an SUV and "the soul of a trusty companion".

Again, it looks fantastic, complete with handy roof box, monster wheels, minimal overhangs and an aggressively futuristic shape that pulls in inspiration from classic 4x4s, such as those from Land Rover and Jeep, but retains a recognizable modern SUV silhouette.

Will all of this ever come to light? Who knows, but Fiat looks committed to the cause, stating that the common global platform underpinning the concepts will ensure cars are available to customers all over the world.

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Thinking of buying an SSD? Drives could soon get a lot pricier, so don’t hang around

The chatter about SSD prices going up has become a chorus of voices in recent times – and here’s another report chiming in, underlining the likelihood that solid-state drives will become more expensive soon enough.

German tech site Computerbase (via PC Gamer) highlighted a report from The Chosun Daily, a South Korean newspaper, claiming that Samsung has made a massive cut to production levels for its NAND chips.

Those are the modules which are the actual storage on-board SSDs, and production levels have supposedly been cut in half.

With a 50% drop in production, the inventory of chips from Samsung will obviously be a lot leaner going forward. This means SSD makers will pay more for that NAND, and naturally, pass those costs on to the consumer in drive prices.

Samsung is the biggest presence in the NAND market, representing some 30% of the total sales volume, so this could have wider impact, without a doubt.

On top of that, Computerbase observes that the second largest NAND producer, SK Hynix, has plans to follow in Samsung’s footsteps and cut production in a similar way. (We aren’t given any exact quantification in this case, though).

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Analysis: Rocketing prices

(Image credit: Shutterstock/Tester128)

So, is this bad news for consumers? Yes, clearly, with the caveat that we must take any individual report with a whole lot of seasoning. 

The South Korean source may have crossed wires somewhere, or the mentioned 50% cut might be off the mark (even if pulling back production does indeed happen, maybe it won’t be to this extent).

What makes this seem more likely is that, as we mentioned at the outset, there’s a whole weight of rumors and predictions from analyst firms that SSD price hikes are coming.

Only last month we heard that higher capacity SSDs (2TB and 4TB models) are going to skyrocket – and that exact term was used by an industry insider in the report which was aired. This comes on top of a whole lot of previous spillage around SSDs getting pricier.

At this point, it’d be a surprise if the price of solid-state drives, particularly some of the best SSDs out there, didn’t increase substantially as 2024 rolls onwards. As with any market, there are peaks and troughs, and we can only hope that the pricing incline we appear to be ascending currently flattens out before too long, and hopefully turns in the other direction. It will eventually, of course – it’s just a question of timing, as always.

Whatever the case, if you’re looking to buy one of the best SSDs, it seems to be increasingly likely that the best move is to purchase now rather than wait.

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Will your iPhone support iOS 18? The latest rumors could bring good news

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• iOS 18 tipped to be compatible with the same models as iOS 17
• That would mean support for iPhones from the XR onwards
• Major software update expected to be announced in June

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With iOS 18 expected to be one of the biggest updates in iPhone history, the obvious follow-up question is – which models will support it? Well, we now have a good idea thanks to a new rumor from a credible source.

A now-deleted post on X (formerly Twitter) from MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris says that iOS 18 will be compatible with models from the iPhone XR onwards. The XR was released in 2018 and has an A12 bionic chip, which means the rumor suggests that the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max will also be compatible.

If true, that means the iOS 18 compatibility list would match the one for last year's iOS 17 update. And that'd be good news, as Apple usually drops support for older devices with each new iteration of iOS. For example, iOS 17 dropped support for the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X.

iOS 18 and iPadOS 18: rumored compatibility

(Image credit: Apple)

iOS 18
iPhone XR, XS and XS Max or later

iPadOS 18
iPad Pro (2018 or later)
iPad Air (2019 or later)
iPad mini (2019 or later)
iPad (2020 or later)

The three latter phones all ran on the A11 Bionic chip, but it seems that the A12 has a longer shelf life for software updates. If the rumor is correct, then Apple will have given the iPhone XR, XS and XS Max six years of software updates (and counting).

However, the news could be less positive for owners of older iPads. According to the same MacRumors source, iPadOS 18 could drop support for iPads running on the A10X and A10 Fusion chips. 

If so, these incompatible models would include the iPad Pros launched in 2017 (including the iPad Pro 10.5 2017 and iPad Pro 12.9 2017), plus the standard iPad 9.7 (2018) and iPad 10.2 (2019). iPadOS 18 is likely to arrive at WWDC 2024, which typically runs every June – although we're yet to get a confirmed date for the event.

Which phones will get AI features?

(Image credit: Apple)

While it's good news that iOS 18 potentially won't see Apple drop software support for older models, that doesn't mean the iPhone XR will get exactly the same experience as the iPhone 15.

As we've seen before, older iPhones can hit a performance ceiling when running the latest versions of iOS, even if they technically support all of the latest features. And given that some of the biggest iOS 18 changes are expected to be AI-powered, some new tricks may still be restricted to more recent models (in reality).

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple's senior management has called its next operating system "ambitious and compelling" with some "major new features and designs".

What kind of features? Reliable leaker Revegnus has suggested that Apple is using a proprietary LLM (large language model) to “completely revamp Siri into the ultimate virtual assistant", while Messages, Apple Music and Pages are also expected to get major AI upgrades.

The question is how many of these new features will run on-device or via the cloud. Given Apple's privacy-focused stance, it seems likely that it'll err towards the former, but we'll likely find out for sure in June. For now at least, your iPhone XR, iPhone XS or iPhone XS Max will live on to see another year, it seems.

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The world's most iconic police force has been hit by a cyberattack that took its website offline

The iconic Canadian national police force, also known as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), suffered a recent data breach which temporarily knocked its website offline - but its operations, as well as citizens, should not be affected by the incident, it said.

CBC says the RCMP sent a breach notification letter to its employees following the attack, explaining what had happened, with a spokesperson for the law enforcement organization confirming the news to media shortly afterwards.

"The situation is evolving quickly but at this time, there is no impact on RCMP operations and no known threat to the safety and security of Canadians," the RCMP spokesperson said.

Missing details

"While a breach of this magnitude is alarming, the quick work and mitigation strategies put in place demonstrate the significant steps the RCMP has taken to detect and prevent these types of threats."

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC) was reportedly notified of the attack, which knocked the RCMP website offline, but was already up and running again by press time.

Other details are not known at this time, but this could very well be a ransomware attack - possibly even LockBit, given that the group promised retaliation against law enforcement, for the disruption it experienced last week. 

More than two dozen servers, plenty of stolen data, and a number of encryptors were seized recently during an international effort against LockBit, dubbed Operation Cronos.

Initial reports state that data on police investigations, as well as on Canadian citizens, is secure. However, data on RCMP employees could still have been compromised, and later used for blackmail or advanced spear-phishing attacks.

Usually, ransomware operators refrain from targeting critical infrastructure organizations, healthcare firms, or law enforcement, as this allows them to remain undetected for longer and avoid becoming a target themselves.

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Quordle today – hints and answers for Monday, February 26 (game #763)

It's time for your daily dose of Quordle hints, plus the answers for both the main game and the Daily Sequence spin off. 

Quordle is the only one of the many Wordle clones that I'm still playing now, around two years after the daily-word-game craze hit the internet, and with good reason: it's fun, but also difficult.

What's more, its makers (now the online dictionary Merriam-Webster) are also keeping it fresh in the form of a variant called the Daily Sequence, which sees you complete four puzzles consecutively, rather than concurrently. 

But Quordle is tough, so if you already find yourself searching for today's Wordle answer, you'll probably need some hints for this game too. 

I'm a Quordle and Wordle fanatic who's been playing since December 2021, so I can definitely help you solve Quordle today and improve your game for tomorrow. Read on for my Quordle hints to game #763 and the answers to the main game and Daily Sequence.

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 #763) - 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 #763) - hint #2 - total vowels

What is the total number of vowels in Quordle today?

• The total number of vowels across today's Quordle answers is 8.

Quordle today (game #763) - hint #3 - repeated letters

Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 2.

Quordle today (game #763) - hint #4 - total letters

How many different letters are used in Quordle today?

• The total number of different letters used in Quordle today is 12.

Quordle today (game #763) - hint #5 - 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 #763) - hint #6 - starting letters (1)

Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 2.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #763) - hint #7 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• M

• M

• S

• G

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

Quordle today (game #763) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #763, are…

• MOSSY
• MOVIE
• SCOPE
• GENRE

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

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Daily Sequence today (game #763) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #763, are…

• GRIND
• BRASS
• GEESE
• FLASK

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Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #762, Sunday 25 February: RANGE, THIGH, TRUNK, MANLY
• Quordle #761, Saturday 24 February: SCALE, BLAST, FLUNG, FUZZY
• Quordle #760, Friday 23 February: SHACK, BORNE, MINOR, STORE
• Quordle #759, Thursday 22 February: BRICK, METER, GNOME, ASHEN
• Quordle #758, Wednesday 21 February: RADAR, FOAMY, ELATE, STEAK
• Quordle #757, Tuesday 20 February: BEGUN, DEBAR, CLINK, KAYAK
• Quordle #756, Monday 19 February: FILMY, NADIR, BELLY, FULLY
• Quordle #755, Sunday 18 February: TODAY, OMBRE, WEDGE, MECCA
• Quordle #754, Saturday 17 February: KOALA, GROAN, AGING, DRIFT
• Quordle #753, Friday 16 February: SNAKY, WEEDY, HAUTE, TALON
• Quordle #752, Thursday 15 February: SPILL, VIGIL, BLIND, RAISE
• Quordle #751, Wednesday 14 February: WATCH, SALVE, FLOWN, GRAPH
• Quordle #750, Tuesday 13 February: RATTY, VAPID, FRAIL, DRAPE
• Quordle #749, Monday 12 February: TRAIT, FLASH, PLAZA, STORK
• Quordle #748, Sunday 11 February: GRAVY, COUCH, GUARD, SLATE
• Quordle #747, Saturday 10 February: SPURN, MOCHA, LAUGH, OMEGA
• Quordle #746, Friday 9 February: TRACK, PRICE, LUPUS, WRING
• Quordle #745, Thursday 8 February: NURSE, MECCA, HAUTE, TRUCK
• Quordle #744, Wednesday 7 February: WRACK, KAPPA, SOOTY, VALVE
• Quordle #743, Tuesday 6 February: VIRUS, WATCH, KNOWN, FLUME

Quordle FAQs: Everything you need to know

What is Quordle?

Where Wordle challenges you to guess a new five-letter word each day, Quordle presents you with four puzzles to solve. And rather than complete them in turn, you do so simultaneously. You get nine guesses, rather than the six for Wordle, but the rules are otherwise very similar. 

It's played online via the Quordle website and you can also get to it via the Merriam-Webster site, after the dictionary purchased Quordle last year. 

As with Wordle, the answers are the same for every player each day, meaning that you're competing against the rest of the world. And also as with Wordle, the puzzle resets at midnight so you have a fresh challenge each day.

The website also includes a practice mode - which I definitely recommend using before attempting the game proper! - and there are daily stats including a streak count. You also get Quordle Achievements - specific badges for winning a game in a certain number of turns, playing lots of times, or guessing particularly hard words.

Oh, and it's difficult. Really difficult.

What are the Quordle rules?

The rules of Quordle are almost identical to those of Wordle.

1. Letters that are in the answer and in the right place turn green.

2. Letters that are in the answer but in the wrong place turn yellow. 

3. Letters that are not in the answer turn gray…

4. …BUT the word you guess appears in all quadrants of the puzzle at the same time, so an A could turn green in one square, yellow in another and gray in the final two. 

5. Answers are never plural.

6. Letters can appear more than once. So if your guess includes two of one letter, they may both turn yellow, both turn green, or one could be yellow and the other green.

7. Each guess must be a valid word in Quordle's dictionary. You can't guess ABCDE, for instance.

8. You do not have to include correct letters in subsequent guesses and there is no equivalent of Wordle's Hard mode.

9. You have nine guesses to find the Quordle answers.

10. You must complete the daily Quordle before midnight in your timezone.

What is a good Quordle strategy?

Quordle needs to be approached in a different way to Wordle. With four puzzles to solve in nine guesses, you can't blindly throw letters at it and expect to win - you'll stand a far better chance if you think strategically.

That's the case in Wordle too, of course, but it's even more important in Quordle.

There are two key things to remember. 

1. Use several starting words

Firstly, you won't want just a single starting word, but almost certainly two or three starting words. 

The first of these should probably be one of the best Wordle starting words, because the same things that make them work well will apply here too. But after that, you should select another word or possibly two that use up lots more of the most common consonants and that include any remaining vowels.

For instance, I currently use STARE > DOILY > PUNCH. Between them, these three words use 15 of the 26 letters in the alphabet including all five vowels, Y, and nine of the most common consonants (S, T, R, D, L, P, N, C and H). There are plenty of other options - you might want to get an M, B, F or G in there instead of the H, maybe - but something like that should do the trick.

If all goes well, that will give you a good lead on what one or sometimes two of the answers might be. If not, well good luck!

2. Narrow things down

Secondly, if you're faced with a word where the answer might easily be one of several options - for instance -ATCH, where it could be MATCH, BATCH, LATCH, CATCH, WATCH, HATCH or PATCH - you'll definitely want to guess a word that would narrow down those options. 

In Wordle, you can instead try several of those in succession and hope one is right, assuming you have enough guesses left. It's risky, but will sometimes work. Plus, it's the only option in Hard mode. But in Quordle, this will almost certainly result in a failure - you simply don't have enough guesses.

In the scenario above, CLAMP would be a great guess, as it could point the way to four of the seven words in one go.

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Lenovo's Project Crystal transparent laptop may be the coolest computer you'll hardly see this year

Lenovo's Project Crystal may be the world's first transparent laptop, and I could not stop looking at it.

Unveiled at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, Project Crystal is not entirely transparent like Wonder Woman's airplane, but the large ThinkBook does feature a transparent screen and transparent or glass-top keyboard.

Where there would normally be a dark Lenovo ThinkPad-like frame, is just this vast expanse of glass that comes to life when you flip open the laptop. Lenovo explained that it's actually a transparent micro-LED screen sandwiched between two panes of Gorilla Glass, and all of it is held together with some transparent adhesive. The tech reminded me of the transparent microLED display Samsung showed me at CES 2024.

Despite being 55% transparent, the 720p visuals appeared quite sharp and color-rich on the Windows 11 system. I was particularly impressed with the looping video of a goldfish. The large, see-through display sits above a nano-optical glass keyboard (light passing through proprietary nanopatterning makes the keyboard appear). There's also a large trackpad, and when I touched it, the system unlocked and I could use the Project Crystal pretty much as I would a traditional Windows laptop.

The display is not, by the way, a touch-screen.

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Naturally, I had questions. Who would use this laptop, and what benefit might they derive from a screen that shows the reverse of what you're looking at on its back?

Lenovo executives explained that while this laptop is nowhere near productization or commercial availability, they envision a transparent laptop display enhancing collaboration. Instead of constantly flipping your laptop around to show people what you're seeing, they could just stare at the back of the display and get the reverse view, which I guess might still be helpful.

It also adds a level of transparency to working and being with others. No longer does your partner have to ask what you're looking at; they can just look at the back of your computer.

There is a more practical and exciting use, though. Lenovo built a camera into the back of the laptop that lets it look at and analyze what's behind it. The onboard Intel AI can then analyze the object and, if you want, offer up some augmented reality that it can display on the transparent screen. When you look through the screen, the AR and your real world are combined. If, for example, there were some flowers behind the screen, the system could conjure up an AR butterfly to land on them.

Lenovo tried to get that working during my demo, but the Wifi network wouldn't cooperate.

(Image credit: Future)

I asked about some of the other obvious limitations like the screen resolution, privacy, and the total lack of keyboard feedback when you're typing.

On the latter, Lenovo imagines that AI could learn your keystroke style, and even if you don't feel exactly where the "T," or "O," or "E" are, hitting in the proximity of those keys in your inimitable typing style might be enough for the AI to interpret your typing intention.

Lenovo also believes that microLED screen resolution could be raised to 2-to-3K while still maintaining transparency.

Finally, I don't think everyone wants people to see what they're working on at all times. Fortunately, Lenovo is working on a system that adds a user-enabled opacity layer to the back.

There is, for now, virtually nothing practical about Lenovo's Project Crystal ThinkBook. it's big, the transparent glass display is wobbly and it looks as though it would not survive a drop. If it ever became a product, it would likely be insanely expensive.

And still, I couldn't stop looking at it.

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Forget about eSIM, this multi-operator SIM could make swapping mobile networks as easy as ABC — but it is not available for smartphones right now

A new ‘always-on’ intelligent SIM card has been launched in partnership with global operators Deutsche Telekom IoT and Tele2 IoT.

The world's first resilient SIM card, rSIM, is designed to check its own network connectivity and switch providers automatically when disruptions occur, minimizing the chances of the SIM and the device becoming disconnected during outages.

rSIM effectively upgrades a single SIM device to a dual SIM one, by storing two independent mobile operator profiles. In addition to providing seamless roaming outside of a device’s home country, rSIM can be a useful solution for uninterrupted internet access.

Always checking for outages

The new SIM works by verifying the device's internet connection every 60 seconds. Should it begin to receive a series of failed tests it will wait five minutes to see if the problem is real and if it determines that it is, it will seamlessly switch to the second network. When the outage is over, it will switch back to the primary network.

“There were around 2 billion cellular IoT connections in 2023, growing to around 7 billion in 2033," Richard Cunliffe, Director of Product and Innovation at rSIM, explained.

"As more industries become dependent on IoT, mobile network outages are becoming more commonplace, as more devices connect to them. This increased disruption is affecting all industries, but the biggest impact is seen in critical sectors where lives and infrastructure are at risk, for example in Telecare and Critical National Infrastructure (CNI). Working with our best-in-class global partners on the development, build and rollout of rSIM, our innovative dual SIM, dual core approach will provide a solution which both monitors disruptions and reacts to them at speed.”

At the moment, rSIM is only available to mobile operators, device manufacturers/OEMs, and value-added resellers.

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iOS 18 tipped to get a visual redesign this year – with macOS following later

The design elements in iOS don't often change – and when they do, it's not usually by much – but the upcoming iOS 18 software could indeed have a significantly updated look, according to one well-placed source.

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman (via 9to5Mac), Apple "is indeed working to update the design of iOS as early as this year". That doesn't give us much detail to work with, but it does suggest there will be noticeably different visuals.

Gurman – usually reliable when it comes to predicting Apple's moves – was in part responding to rumors that iOS 18 would borrow some design inspiration from visionOS on the Apple Vision Pro. That "total overhaul" isn't happening, says Gurman, though it sounds as though Apple may get part of the way there in 2024.

New versions of iOS are usually unveiled at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June, so we don't have too long to wait to see what Apple's been working on – and how much different in style it is to iOS 17.

An "ambitious and compelling" update

iOS 18 will be coming to the iPhone 15 (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

The biggest visual overhaul we've ever seen for iOS came with iOS 7, launched back in 2013: skeuomorphism (where digital elements are designed like their real world equivalents) was out, and a much more modern look was in.

In the decade since, app icons and menus have been tweaked and adjusted, but there hasn't been what you would describe as a full-scale redesign. We'll have to wait and see what iOS 18 brings when WWDC 2024 gets underway.

Gurman has previously gone on record as saying that iOS 18 is going to be an "ambitious and compelling" upgrade, so it sounds as though there's a lot to look forward to. As with everything else in tech lately, generative AI is likely to play an important role – with Siri and iOS set to be updated with some big new AI-driven capabilities.

According to Gurman, a visual refresh is also coming to macOS, though it'll lag behind iOS: the updates Apple is planning to the macOS design are apparently still in the early stages, and won't be completed until 2025 or 2026.

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The new Dell XPS 14 is good but... the older models start at just $599 right now

If you're a fan of high-end laptops no doubt you've heard that Dell has just released a new line of gorgeous 14-inch and 16-inch XPS models. With a design that's reminiscent of last year's Dell XPS 13 Plus, these models are shaping up to be a fantastic option for those who want a lightweight and stylish Windows machine.

They are pricey, however, with the 14-inch model starting at a hefty $1,499 for the baseline Core Ultra i7 / 512GB SSD configuration. Our hands-on Dell XPS 14 review has been positive so far, but those looking for a cheaper alternative should definitely check out this week's deals at Dell on the older XPS models.

Right now, for example, you can get up to $500 off these exceptional machines with Black Friday-level deals. Sure, they may lack the shiny new trackpad-less design, but some of these models boast some serious specs for the money. The Core i7 Dell XPS 13 sits at just $799 (was $999) currently, and you can even pick up the baseline Core i5 model for an eye-wateringly low $599 (was $799).

You can check out more about these models with our Dell XPS 13 review - and we've also included some more of today's best XPS 13 and XPS 15 deals below. There are some superb options right now, so definitely don't skip out on these models just because they're a little older now.

XPS 13 and 15 deals are super cheap right now

Dell XPS 13 laptop: was $799 now $599 at Dell
Processor: Intel Core i5-1230U
RAM: 8GB
SSD: 256GB

The cheapest Dell XPS 13 you can buy right now is a third of the price of the latest 14-inch model. In fact, at $599, this deal is the cheapest XPS 13 we've ever seen. There are some trade-offs, of course, in the fact that you get a relatively small 256GB SSD and an older 12th gen Intel Core i5, but this machine still features a premium high-end design. If you're just looking for a machine to cover the basics this one is a great choice. View Deal

Dell XPS 13 laptop: was $1,099 now $799 at Dell
Processor: Intel Core i7-1250U
RAM: 16GB
SSD: 512GB

This mid-range Dell XPS 13 might just be one of the best buys out there if you're looking for a reasonably powerful lightweight Windows laptop. At $300 off, this one is a steal considering you get a powerful combination of a Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM and 512GB SSD. While not as cheap as the model above, this one is a better buy if you need a machine to handle more intensive applications - not least because this is a Black Friday-level deal.View Deal

Dell XPS 13 Plus: was $1,499 now $1,099 at Dell
Processor: Intel Core i7-1360P
RAM: 16GB
SSD: 512GB

The Dell XPS 13 Plus is the closest in design and specs to the latest XPS 14, although it doesn't have the option to bundle in a GPU. Still, this laptop is a great performer with its Core i7 chipset - and it looks absolutely gorgeous with its sleek, trackpad-less design. At $1,099, this one is currently a massive $600 cheaper than the new 14-inch model so it could be a good option if you want a stylish lightweight laptop but don't want to completely splurge out. Check out our Dell XPS 13 Plus (2023) review for a full rundown of this model.View Deal

Dell XPS 15: was $1,999 now $1,499 at Dell
Processor: Intel Core i7-13700H
Graphics card: RTX 4050
RAM: 16GB
SSD: 1TB

Finally, if you're looking for some serious power - and a graphics card - then you could consider the Dell XPS 15. At 15-inches, this one is a little bigger than the latest XPS 14 but it's cheaper right now thanks to this massive $500 discount at Dell. Internally, this one features a powerful Core i7 chipset and a 1TB SSD, making it a perfect choice for professionals who want a reliable workhorse for intensive applications.View Deal

Too pricey? Check out our main best laptop deals page for excellent budget options starting at just $149.

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These may be Apple's rejected designs for the notch and Dynamic Island

It's hard to imagine the notch on the iPhone 14 or the Dynamic Island on the iPhone 15 looking any different than they currently do, but of course there will have been a full design and review process behind them – and some unused ideas just leaked out.

According to information obtained by MacRumors, a variety of different designs were explored before the ones that we now have got finalized. Some mockup images have also been put together to show how the rejected ideas would've looked.

One of the ideas apparently under consideration was a pop-up sidebar down the right of the screen, to go alongside the notch – a sidebar that would be used to show the time, signal strength, battery level, and other bits of key information.

Apple also reportedly thought about extending the notch all the way across the top of the screen – so less a notch, more an Android-style status bar – which may have had the added benefit of giving users a little bit more battery life.

A design for life

Dynamic Island ideas that didn't make it (Image credit: MacRumors)

Apple's design team was busy when it came to introducing the Dynamic Island too, which first appeared on the iPhone 14 Pro and the iPhone 14 Pro Max. One of the rejected ideas here was a full row of status icons underneath the selfie camera.

It seems that Apple designers also toyed with the idea of having a Dynamic Island that was permanently elongated – so just an island, in that case – before deciding that it should change shape and size depending on context.

Head over to MacRumors to see the full set of mockups and imagine what might have been. It's possible that some of these ideas might appear again in the future, as Apple continues to tweak the look of its iPhone series.

It's also possible that both the notch and the Dynamic Island will eventually disappear altogether, if Apple can figure out how to get the selfie camera and the sensors next to it to sit under the display somehow (as Samsung has with the Galaxy Z Fold 5).

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China's CPU rival to Intel and AMD is rapidly catching up on a key metric — but don't expect it to be competitive with Ryzens and Cores anytime soon

You might not be too familiar with Loongson, but it has been developing computer processors since 2000, and in China the company is widely viewed as the grandfather of domestic CPUs.

The launch of Loongson 1 in 2002 was China's first independently developed general-purpose CPU, using the MIPS III instruction set. in 2020 Loongson transitioned from the MIPS instruction set to its independent instruction set, LoongArch (which is widely viewed as being a clone of MIPS). The first LoongArch-supported processor, the 3A5000, debuted in 2021, marking the beginning of the Loongson ecosystem's Dragon architecture era.

The 3A6000, a follow-up product of the 3A5000, is the second-generation processor using the LoongArch instruction set. Fabricated on a 12nm process it has four cores and eight threads capable of boosting to 2.5GHz under a 50 watt TDP. It has an L2 cache of 256KB and an L3 cache of 16MB, and is compatible with DDR4-3200 RAM.

Hit and miss performance

In a recent video review by Geekerwan (Geek Bay), Loongson's 3A6000 demonstrated substantial progress in its Instructions Per Cycle (IPC), nearly on par with the latest architectures from Intel and AMD. While it still lags behind the latest x86 and Arm CPUs in raw performance, the high IPC suggests a promising future, provided Loongson can attain higher frequencies.

In SPEC 2017's integer and floating point performance test with all CPUs locked to 2.5GHz, Loongson's chip impressed. It surpassed the Zen 3-based Ryzen 9 5950X and was just slightly behind the Zen 4-powered Ryzen 9 7950X and Raptor Lake Core i9-14900K. Tom’s Hardware has more on the test results.

However, the 3A6000 can't truly harness its impressive IPC due to its low clock speed and its limitations in core count and cache size. The company's next-generation 3A7000, rumored to use a 7nm process, may improve on these points, potentially boosting clock speeds and allowing for more cores and more cache.

While the 3A6000 demonstrates considerable progress, it still falls behind Intel and AMD's performance when operating at silent frequencies above 5GHz. However, the rapid improvement in Loongson's architecture design, coupled with its high IPC, suggests a promising future for China's homespun CPU.

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