Scientists at UChicago PME develop a new atomic-scale data storage method
Their approach uses crystal defects to store data as ones and zeroes
Research combines quantum science, optical storage, and radiation dosimetry
All digital systems use bits, represented as ones and zeroes, to store, compute, and manage data. Storage device size has long been restricted by the physical scale of the binary data units, but scientists at the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (UChicago PME) have come up with an intriguing solution.
Their new method for data storage manipulates atomic-scale crystal defects - microscopic gaps where atoms are missing - so they can hold an electrical charge, allowing them to be designated as “ones” and “zeroes,” much like in binary data storage.
“It’s impossible to find crystals - in nature or artificial crystals - that don’t have defects,” explained Leonardo França, the study's first author. “So what we are doing is we are taking advantage of these defects.”
Terabytes of bits in a 1mm cube
A paper detailing the breakthrough has been published in the journal Nanophotonics, as to develop the memory storage system, researchers used crystals of Yttrium oxide and added ions of praseodymium, a rare-earth element.
“When the crystal absorbs sufficient energy, it releases electrons and holes. And these charges are captured by the defects,” França said. “We can read that information. You can release the electrons, and we can read the information by optical means.”
This advancement draws on interdisciplinary research, combining principles from quantum science and optical storage. The work stems from earlier studies on radiation dosimeters - devices used to monitor radiation exposure levels in environments like hospitals and particle accelerators.
“We found a way to integrate solid-state physics applied to radiation dosimetry with a research group that works strongly in quantum, although our work is not exactly quantum,” said França.
“There is a demand for people who are doing research on quantum systems, but at the same time, there is a demand for improving the storage capacity of classical non-volatile memories. And it’s on this interface between quantum and optical data storage where our work is grounded.”
“Each memory cell is a single missing atom - a single defect,” explained Assistant Professor Tian Zhong from UChicago PME. “Now you can pack terabytes of bits within a small cube of material that’s only a millimeter in size.”
Oscar Nuñez will reprise his belovedThe Officerole in Peacock's new series
The series doesn't have a name yet
It is believed that producers wanted to keep Nuñez's appearance a surprise, but it was leaked
The Office was an absolute masterclass of comedy, and I consider it one of my favorite shows. I'll admit, I did feel a little apprehensive when I found out it was getting a Peacock spin-off show, but then again, it can't be as bad as the disastrous Prime Video attempt at The Office, right? Anyway, my interest in the new series has been piqued because it has just been revealed that Oscar Nuñez will be reprising his role as Oscar Martinez, and I'm so excited to see that character back again.
When it comes to Oscar's return, we know that he won't be the central character, so don't expect any Michael Scott style antics, we'll be seeing someone new in that role. Sadly, if you were hoping to see the likes of Pam, Jim, and Dwight, it seems Oscar is the only one returning to the office, and he'll be joining a new line-up of actors. As we understand it, this spin-off is set in the Office universe, but it's not a direct sequel.
According to Variety, producer Greg Daniels felt he "told a complete story for most of the characters — but if there was one character he’d like to revisit and explore, it would be Oscar.
Variety added: "It’s believed that producers were hoping to keep Nuñez’s involvement a surprise, but the news first leaked Wednesday via newsletter The Insneider."
What do we know about Peacock's The Office spin-off?
Right now, we don't know much! It doesn't even have a name and is currently known as the 'Untitled Daniels/Korman Project' (referencing the two producers Greg Daniels and Michael Korman). Hopefully we'll start to see some more details over the coming months though, as I am curious about this one.
We do have a loose plot, however, which is that we'll follow the staff of a dying Midwestern newspaper whose publisher is trying to revive it with volunteer reporters. So while it's not Dunder Mifflin, we've still got the paper connection, and it's going to be set up like a documentary using the same crew who filmed The Office. So this could explain why Oscar has found himself here, whether he's working for the new company or he's simply got experience being a documentary subject.
Since Monolith is now shuttered, this also means that the developer's Wonder Woman game, which was announced back in 2021, is also canceled.
The DC superhero game was set to see the return of the studio's genius Nemesis system, a gameplay mechanic first featured in Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor that generates stronger and more intelligent enemies after they're defeated with knowledge of the player's past actions.
However, now that Monolith no longer exists, the fate of the Nemesis system is seemingly in limbo, and can't be used by any other studio as Warner Bros. holds its patent until 2036.
According to the official patent, the company applied in 2016, gained the rights in 2021, and has an expiration date of August 11, 3036, meaning it will remain Warner Bros' property for another 11 years.
It's unconfirmed if any future Warner Bros. titles will utilize the mechanic, so many fans currently suspect this means the end of the Nemesis system.
"Cancelling the Wonder Woman game is already bad enough but shutting down the studio that created something as good as THE Nemesis system (that WB patented) is evil," one user said on X / Twitter.
Not much was known about Wonder Woman during its development, however following its cancellation comic book writer Gail Simone revealed in an X / Twitter thread that she consulted on the game and that it was "gorgeous and expansive".
We also know that it would have been a single-player action-adventure game, and seemingly have been set on Wonder Woman's island homeland of Themyscira, feature other DC heroes, as well as elements of Greek mythology, according to a leaked synopsis.
So, it's finally here – just over 10 years since Amazon's Alexa voice assistant sparked a new (and ultimately underwhelming) age of voice assistants, it's just been given a major AI brain transplant.
The new Alexa Plus is rolling out soon in the US, with international availability still unknown. But what exactly can Amazon's new voice assistant do, and will it actually be worth the monthly subscription (or signing up to Amazon Prime) to get early access?
We've broken down everything you need to know about Alexa Plus below, from its pricing to new features and what this all means for classic Alexa. Strangely, Amazon didn't announce any new Echo speakers at its big reveal today, but there was more than enough Alexa news for us to chew on – so let's dive into Alexa's biggest update since it first landed a decade ago...
1. It's Alexa's biggest ever upgrade
Since Alexa landed in 2014, we've seen the voice assistant get dozens of upgrades – from improvements to its listening powers to an ability to recognize individual voices. But it's no overstatement to say that Alexa Plus is its biggest overhaul by far – it really is a reinvention of the voice assistant.
Powered by models from Anthropic (the maker of Claude) and Amazon's own Nova, Alexa Plus has an ability to remember personal information and context. Broadly speaking, Amazon said we should think of the new Alexa as an orchestra conductor for our favorite services and devices – well, one that can play a mean tune using our private data, at least.
(Image credit: Amazon)
As Amazon SVP of devices and services Panos Panay said: "The new Alexa knows almost every instrument in your life, your schedule, smart home, devices, and people you're connected to, and brings them together into what is an incredible symphony."
We'll be the judges of that when we get to try it in the real world, but that won't be too long a wait (in the US, at least)...
2. It works on (nearly) every Echo device
Judging by the early Alexa Plus demos, the best experience for the AI assistant will be on Amazon's latest smart displays. That's why the early access will be coming to the Echo Show 8, 10, 15 or 21 (whether you already own one, or buy one now).
But it is fortunately also backwards compatible with most Echos from the last decade, except the very early ones. The only devices Alexa Plus doesn't work on are the Echo Dot 1st Gen, Echo 1st Gen, Echo Plus 1st Gen, Echo Tap, Echo Show 1st Gen, Echo Show 2nd Gen, and Echo Spot 1st Gen.
(Image credit: Amazon)
You can also test-drive Alexa Plus in a web browser, the Alexa app and compatible Fire TV devices and Fire tablets. Unfortunately, Alexa Plus isn't available on devices that are branded "Alexa Built-in" (like headphones and smartwatches), but Amazon said it's hoping to bring the assistant to more devices "in the future".
3. Alexa Plus is pricey, unless you're on Prime
Alexa Plus will get an initial rollout in the US over the "next few weeks" and will cost $19.99 per month – or will be free if you have a Prime subscription. Considering Prime currently costs $14.99 a month (or $139 annually) in the US, that means there's no reason not to get Prime. Which is clearly Amazon's plan.
While Alexa Plus will apparently work on almost every Alexa device so far, the initial rollout will be on the Echo Show 8, 10, 15, and 21 from next month. If you buy one of those smart displays now, you'll get early access to Alexa Plus. Amazon sure does know how to trigger our impulse buy finger.
Sadly, there's no news yet about an international rollout for Alexa Plus, but we'll update this page as soon as we hear anything official.
4. It works with Ring cameras – and could upgrade your smart home
Amazon wants Alexa Plus to be the glue that gets you using more of its devices –particularly the ones built for your smart home.
If you have a Ring doorbell or security camera (plus a subscription), Alexa Plus can provide summaries of detected camera events and show you footage (for example, a package being delivered) on compatible Echo Show displays.
(Image credit: Amazon)
It also integrates with Ring's Smart Video Search, letting you ask natural questions like "did someone take out the garbage bins?" or "when was the last time the dog went out for a walk"? Hopefully, the answer won't be "last week".
But even if you only have an Echo Show or smart speaker, Alexa Plus promises to be a helpful (and much more conversational) voice assistant. You can move music from room to room (for example, "play the music upstairs") or create new smart home Routines by voice without delving into an app.
If you have a Fire TV device, Alexa Plus will also play nicely with Prime Video – for example, letting you quickly jump to a particular scene that you've described.
5. Alexa Plus wants to run your home life
If you're prepared to share private information with Alexa Plus, like calendars and documents, then it can also act a bit like a family assistant.
The calendar functionality certainly looks helpful – in a demo (below), Alexa was asked to recall the the dates of the presenter's daughter's soccer practices (from a previously shared document) and add the events to her calendar.
There's seemingly no limit to the types of things you can upload, although it isn't yet clear what the ceiling is on the amount of uploads (or info on where this is stored). Amazon says you can share emails, manuals, family recipes, study materials and more.
Clearly, the more you share, the more you'll get out of Alexa Plus – and that's going to be a personal decision for many. Some examples included asking how much oil you need for your grandma’s favorite zucchini bread, or simply "do I need to bring anything to the school fundraiser?” based on some emails you've shared.
6. It's an upgrade for Kids Plus subscribers too
Amazon Echo speakers have become family favorites for many, so Amazon's used Alexa Plus to upgrade its Kids Plus subscription offerings – the latter costs $5.99 / £4.99 a month separately, but you'll get a one month free trial with Alexa Plus early access.
(Image credit: Amazon)
Two features called "Stories with Alexa" and "Explore with Alexa" are designed to entertain your younglings and spark their creativity. A video showed a child chatting to Alexa and asking it questions – this was already possible on old-school Alexa, but the Plus version takes things up a notch with generative AI visuals and more.
Naturally, it'll help if you have an Echo Show device with a screen, which is something that Amazon is using Alexa Plus to push us towards – if you buy a new Echo Show 8, 10, 15, or 21, you'll get early access to its new voice assistant.
7. Alexa Plus remembers your preferences
One of the biggest upgrades with Alexa Plus – and something that could push more people towards a Prime subscription – is its ability to remember information and personalize its responses.
For example, it'll be able to offer personalized news briefings based on your specific interests (gadgets, obviously). Its ability to understand and remember your family’s dietary preferences and allergies also sounds particularly handy if you like to use it for recipe suggestions and shopping.
Not everything is built around voice interactions either. If you have an Echo Show smart display, you'll also be able to track topics like deal alerts or a fresh drop of tickets for your favorite artists.
Inevitably, the more you share, the more functionality you'll unlock – so it could be a case of finding that sweet spot between helpful features and privacy.
8. It'll connect to a lot more services soon
This is clearly just the start of Amazon's Alexa Plus ambitions – and the demos showed how much the tech giant wants it to plug into third-party services to make it your one-stop, conversational voice assistant.
For starters, the connectivity will be fairly simple, like plugging into OpenTable to make a dinner reservation or booking an Uber for you while texting your friend to let them know your ETA.
(Image credit: Amazon)
But looking ahead, Amazon wants Alexa Plus to let you create and tweak grocery lists on the fly with natural conversation, have those lists automatically edited based on your dietary requirements, and integrate closely with the likes of Grubhub and Whole Foods.
In the not-too-distant future, Alexa Plus will also apparently work with specialized AI agents to help you life run smoothly in the background. We'll see how that all works in practice, but Alexa Plus could clearly become a big player in the world of AI voice assistants.
9. It won't replace classic Alexa (yet)
(Image credit: Amazon)
Not everyone wants their voice assistant to get an AI brain transplant – and if all of this sounds a bit much, then the earlier version of Alexa will still be available on your older devices (for now, at least).
Amazon would rather you upgraded to Alexa Plus, of course. It says "we're positive you'll love all that Alexa+ has to offer", but that "if you prefer using the original Alexa, it will remain available on your devices".
That's good news if you prefer the current version's simpler functionality, but we'd say the clock is now ticking on that old-school version of Alexa...
Lonestar plans to offer disaster recovery services from the Moon
It successfully tested a lunar software-defined data center in 2024
Its next mission, launching soon, will test a physical data center (kind of)
We all know how important it is to back up our personal data in case of a disaster - I certainly learned that lesson the hard way years ago when a hard drive malfunctioned and fried my desktop PC. As devastating as that was for me personally, for businesses, the loss of data can be catastrophic, as while files and folders can be backed up in many ways, including to the cloud, offsite data centers, tape storage, and NAS, some solutions take the idea to the extreme.
One such example is the Arctic World Archive (AWA), which stores data-filled containers inside a sealed chamber within a decommissioned coal mine in Svalbard, between mainland Norway and the North Pole. If that isn’t safe and remote enough for you, well, there’s always space.
Florida-based Lonestar Data Holdings was founded by Chris Stott in 2021 to provide data services such as Disaster Recovery and Resilience-as-a-Service from Earth’s ultimate backup location - the Moon.
A RISC-V venture
Lonestar successfully tested the world’s first software-defined data center on the International Space Station (ISS) in 2021 and 2022, then conducted a full data storage test from the Moon's surface last year.
Working with its lunar access provider, Intuitive Machines, Lonestar completed its first mission to the Moon (called "Independence") with a proof-of-concept demonstration after the IM-1 Odysseus Nova-C lander touched down on the lunar south pole last February. It wasn’t a complete success, as the vehicle ended up on its side.
Lonestar’s next mission, again with Intuitive Machines (this one called "Freedom"), will be a test of its first physical “data center” (a RISC-V processor with a Phison SSD running Ubuntu) sent off-planet. That mission is set to launch on February 26.
Writing about Lonestar, Blocks and Files says, “The Freedom IT unit has a 3D-printed casing designed by BiG, an architecture and design group led by Danish architect Bjarke Ingels. The exterior is said to ‘reflect the silhouettes of NASA astronauts Charlie Duke (Apollo Moonwalker) and Nicole Stott (Space Station Space Walker).’
It is somewhat unexpected that a small computer system in a lunar landing vehicle would have resources devoted to a casing that, once enclosed in the Athena vehicle and loaded into the SpaceX launch rocket, will never be seen again. Presumably, Lonestar wants to capture people’s imagination with the idea.” As far as marketing stunts go, it’s a good one.
Assuming everything goes to plan, Lonestar hopes to begin continuous commercial services in 2026.
New renders for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 tip a slimmer design
The next-gen foldable could also have larger displays
Meanwhile, the Galaxy Flip 7 is tipped to get a powerful Snapdragon chip
The rumored Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 could sport a tweaked design that makes it slimmer, potentially measuring 4.5mm thick when unfolded.
This rumor comes courtesy of tipster OnLeaks working with Android Headlines to produce renders of the Galaxy Z Fold 7 based on what seems to be insider information. If this information is on point, then that's a decent trimming down of thickness in smartphone terms, given the Galaxy Z Fold 6 when unfolded measured 5.6mm. It would also put the Fold 7 a mere 0.3mm thicker than the world's thinnest foldable phone, which is currently the Oppo Find N5 measuring 4.35mm when unfolded.
Aside from looking a little slimmer, and perhaps having sharper corners to the display and maybe slightly narrower bezels, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 looks much like the foldable phone that came before it and not dramatically different from the Galaxy Z Fold 5; such is Samsung’s current approach to iterating on phone designs.
However, what’s not easily noticed in the renders is that the main display will apparently hit 8.2 inches when unfolded, which is a decent size bump, phone-screen-wise, over the 7.6-inch display of the Fold 6. The cover display is also tipped to measure 6.5 inches, which is a little bigger than the 6.3-inch display on the Fold 6.
Overall, the Fold 7’s dimensions are tipped to be 158.4 x 143.1 x 4.5mm, which paves the way for the cover display to get its size boost by being wider than the one on the Fold 6. That could be a blessing or a curse, depending on how well you fared with the cover display on older Fold phones. On the early models it was too narrow to comfortably use, but one could argue that going wider than the Fold 6’s cover display could make it harder to navigate for people with small hands.
Personally, I’m all for more screen space, as it makes sense for foldable phones and helps them pull double duty as a compact tablet, which in my experience helps make them better for productivity on the move.
Aside from these tweaks, we’re expecting the Galaxy Z Fold to follow in the Galaxy S25’s footsteps and get a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset, with its main cameras getting a bump to 200 megapixels, up from 50MP. But the biggest upgrades are likely to be on the software side, with AI-centric tools and features sure to be given the limelight by Samsung.
Flipping the power on
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 is tipped to get a neat power boost over the Flip 6.(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
In another foldable rumor, Korean-language website The Bell reports that yields on Samsung’s Exynos 2500 chip were lower than needed for the Galaxy S25 range, which is why we saw the Snapdragon chipset across all the phones in all regions.
That low yield is apparently still in effect, and so it’s predicted that the rumored Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 will get a Qualcomm chip instead, leaving the Samsung Z Flip FE to use the Exynos 2500; this would make sense, as that phone is tipped to be a cheaper take on the Galaxy Z Flip.
Giving the Galaxy Z Flip 7 a Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chip will see it sport flagship-grade power, which would be welcome for powering AI features but also means the price of the flip-style foldable is unlikely to go down compared to last year.
The Bell also reports that Samsung may look to put a new Exynos 2600 chip in Galaxy S26 phones, which are sure to arrive next year as part of Samsung’s yearly flagship refresh. Given that Samsung often puts Exynos chips in its standard and Plus S-series models in markets outside the US and China, I wouldn't be surprised to see this happen with the Galaxy S26. I’d prefer that Samsung adopt Snapdragon chips across the board given the power they offer.
Either way, we can expect to see new foldables from Samsung around June or July time. Head to the comments to let me know if you’re excited about these phones, or what you’d like to see Samsung do in the foldables realm.
Following a truly mind-bending finale to You season 4, Joe leaves another fake identity behind and goes back to where his killer story began: New York City. Having finally come to terms with who and what he is, there's no knowing what deadly extremes he'll go to in his obsessive pursuit of love.
In the teaser (see below), Joe has the chutzpah to declare that he's "the luckiest guy in New York" now that he's settled down with his new wife Kate (Charlotte Ritchie), who has opened doors for him due to her wealthy background. But is his luck about to run out? I certainly hope so.
What can we expect in You season 5?
After masquerading as an English professor in London, the murderous bookstore manager heads to the Big Apple with Kate to, he hopes, enjoy his happily ever after. However, his perfect life is soon threatened by the ghosts of his past and his own dark desires.
In the fifth and final season of one of the best Netflix shows, Joe's new obsession arrives in the form of Bronte (Madeline Brewer), an enigmatic young playwright who comes to work at his bookstore and makes him reconsider his wealthy lifestyle (he's also not having the best of times having to contend with Kate's siblings.)
Joe's search for love has seen him embark on a globe-trotting journey over the show's four seasons – and from Los Angeles to London, the book-loving killer has has made himself a whole lot of enemies who are now out to get him.
Now, one of them is set to come back and haunt him in the Big Apple – but who could it be? There's Joe's love rival Dr. Nicky (John Stamos) from season 1, orphaned Ellie (Jenna Ortega) from season 2, and Joe's former love interest Marienne (Tati Gabrielle) in season 3 just to name a few. Not only has Joe being pursued by the living, but his victims including ex-girlfriend Beck (Elizabeth Lail) and wife Love (Victoria Pedretti) have also returned from the grave to torment him.
We'll have to see if Joe's past catches up with him when You season 5 premieres on the best streaming service on April 24.
Amazon's next big Alexa event is imminent, and it's set to be a major one for all things Echo and smart home. The device-focused event, which will take place on February 26 at 10AM ET in New York City, marks the company's first Alexa announcement since September 2023. That was when the Echo Pop Kids smart speaker and its second-gen Echo Show 8 were unveiled. This time, Amazon is likely focused on the Alexa voice and could announce a big change for its smart assistant.
While Amazon hasn't officially revealed what's in store for its Alexa event, it hasn't been afraid to drop little hints here and there in the build-up to the next device launch. So far, we can venture a safe guess that the Alexa voice assistant will be the prime focus of the event, which is said to receive a significant AI upgrade, followed by the announcement of a new Echo smart speaker and possible Fire TV updates.
Therefore, we have a solid idea of what we expect next from the tech giant, but as we've said, nothing has been set in stone. We won't know for sure until Amazon makes it official during its event, so you can bet our eyes will be peeled for all the latest announcements during our live blog, which we'll update regularly throughout the event. Still, before that, these are the announcements we're expecting to see at tomorrow.
A next-gen Alexa
(Image credit: Getty Images)
At Amazon's last device event in September 2023, the company teased us with a brief look at Alexa AI, an AI-powered version of the voice assistant with ChatGPT-style functions. This could include an advanced ability to interpret context and distinguish natural speech, conducting multiple requests in a single voice command, and a possible monthly subscription fee.
There's no doubt that Alexa AI will be the star of the show at Amazon's event. However, as recent leaks have pointed out, the AI revamp may be slightly delayed before access is granted.
We've recently reported that an anonymous source informed The Washington Post ($/£) that the AI-revamped Alexa voice had been experiencing inaccuracies when asked questions. As a result, its release date could now be pushed back to March 31, but it will still be announced at Amazon's Alexa event tomorrow.
New Echo smart speakers
(Image credit: Future)
There's a chance we could see a brand new Echo speaker join Amazon's seemingly never-ending lineup of smart home devices that make up some of the best smart speakers. The last time the company unveiled a new Alexa speaker was the Amazon Echo 4th Gen in 2020.
Despite skipping its Alexa event last year, Amazon didn't starve us of some fresh Echo devices in its other smart home device ranges. Most notably, the Echo Show 21, which reigns as its largest Echo device, and its Echo Spot smart alarm speaker both made their debuts.
Given the near five-year time gap since Amazon's last Echo speaker hardware update, an announcement isn't completely unrealistic. A new smart speaker would also be handy for pairing with the AI-integrated Alexa voice.
Alexa subscription tiers
(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
As we know, Alexa AI is likely to appear during Amazon's big Alexa event. However, we believe that the revamped voice assistant will offer limited free use before introducing a monthly subscription fee. Thankfully, though, this will likely not impact the classic Alexa we all know and love.
We've been aware that Amazon has been toying with the idea of implementing a fee for its new Alexa voice which could cost you between $5 to $10 a month. Considering that Amazon has fallen behind its AI competitors ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Apple Intelligence and has yet to ride the AI train, from a business perspective, charging a monthly fee makes sense. However, from a consumer perspective, we're still not entirely convinced that this will be worth splurging on, given its numerous delays and reported inaccurate responses.
Updates for Fire TV, and maybe a new device
(Image credit: Amazon)
While its Alexa voice assistant will be the main focus, it's likely that Amazon speak about its Fire TV device range. Amazon's 2023 device event revealed features for its Fire TV devices, including an improved Alexa voice search function and AI screensavers. Following Amazon's Android TV update, we believe the company could introduce new Fire TV devices alongside updates to the abovementioned features during its event.
Mentions of new Fire TV hardware were spotted on one of Amazon's developer pages, stating the following; “Android 14-based Fire TV is based on API level 34. The following sections explain some of [the] important changes that you should consider when you build apps for Android 14-based Fire TV". This gives a strong indication that new Fire TV devices will be one of the star announcements at tomorrow's event.
This leak has come at an awfully convenient time with the Alexa event due to happen tomorrow, adding to our suspicions that Amazon could expand its Fire TV line. With the lack of mentions of specific hardware models, we're unable to pinpoint what exactly this will entail, but we'd expect it to be the announcement of a new smart TV or streaming stick.
Disney and Lucasfilm have finally released the first trailer forAndorseason 2
The critically-acclaimed series will return for its second and final season on April 22
Its confident first teaser is packed with action, drama, humor, and even an apparent dance number
The first trailer for Andor season 2 has finally been released online – and it's an incredibly confident teaser that suggests we're in for a wild ride with the Star Wars show's second and final season.
Released today (February 24) on Star Wars' YouTube channel and social channels, the 90-second long teaser is absolutely packed with enthralling footage. Before I wax lyrical about everything it shows, though, just wrap your eyeballs around it below. Major spoilers follow for Andor's first season from this point on, so proceed at your own risk!
Aside from the self-congratulatory snippets from a variety of season 1 reviews (I'm not bitter that my Andor season 1 review isn't quoted in it, honest!), the trailer is stuffed with crowd-pleasing character reveals, and lots of explosive action and melodrama.
Indeed, we already knew that Ben Mendelsohn's Orson Krennic would be part of Andor season 2's cast – Mendelsohn previously playing the character in the Disney+ show's movie sequel – one that actually preceded the series' release – Star Wars: Rogue One. It wasn't a secret that Cassian Andor's (played by Diego Luna) android bestie K-2SO (voiced by Alan Tudyk) would feature, either, but it's nonetheless pleasing to see both characters appear as part of season 2's first-look footage.
Cassian's journey continues. The second season of #Andor streams April 22, only on @DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/lrUJDwlCG3February 24, 2025
There's plenty more to unpack from the teaser. There are a few shots of the Death Star being built, the titular individual carrying out numerous covert missions for the nascent Rebel Alliance, and more returning characters from season 1 including Adria Arjona's Bix Caleen, Forrest Whittaker's Saw Gerrera, Denise Gough's Dedra Meero, Kyle Soller's Syril Karn, Stellan Skarsgard's Luthen Rael, and Genevieve O'Reilly's Mon Mothma. The latter's appearance is particularly interesting, too, as she seems to be enjoying and/or throwing a lavish party. Are we about to see the first musical or dance number in Lucasfilm's iconic galaxy far, far away? It would be a brave move on Disney and Lucasfilm's part but, hey, I wouldn't be against it!
There'll be plenty more information dropping about Andor season 2 in the weeks leading up to its confirmed April 22 debut. For now, here's its plot synopsis: "Season 2 carries [on] the story of Cassian Andor and the emerging rebel alliance over the climactic four years that lead to the discovery of The Death Star and the events of Rogue One... season two will see relationships intensify as the horizon of galactic war draws near. Everyone will be tested and, as the stakes rise, the betrayals, sacrifices and conflicting agendas will become profound."
Want even more details on the hit show's return? My dedicated Andor season 2 guide is full of other intel (I definitely didn't enlist the aid of some Bothan spies to acquire it), including its confirmed cast, other story specifics, and why one of the best Disney+ shows won't be getting a third season.
Qualcomm last week announced the launch of its first-ever Snapdragon Experience Zone in India in partnership with Croma, a leading consumer electronics retail chain. Located at Croma Store in Juhu, Mumbai, it is part of the company’s wider plans of introducing more Snapdragon Experience Zones across the country. With this collaboration, visitors can experience showc...
The Samsung Galaxy S25 is a great upgrade and should win hearts with its compact form factor, while the S25+ is again a fantastic option for those who need a big screen. Here's our review of the all-new Samsung Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25+.
SanDisk unveils High Bandwidth Flash (HBF), a NAND-based alternative to HBM
HBF matches HBM bandwidth, offering 8–16x capacity at a lower cost
SanDisk is planning to establish a technical advisory board of industry experts
It certainly seems as if splitting from Western Digital has lit a fire under Sandisk. At its recent investors day, the flash memory specialist look the wraps off super large SSDs, with the promise of even larger ones to come, and unveiled a new, cheaper DRAM alternative called 3D Memory Matrix.
At the same event, Sandisk also unveiled its High Bandwidth Flash (HBF) concept which is taking aim at HBM by augmenting it with NAND flash to cater to AI inference workloads. Sandisk’s key objectives with HBF seems to be to match HBM bandwidth while providing 8–16 times the capacity at a similar cost.
According to a slide that Sandisk shared, HBF combines BiCS technology with CBA wafer bonding, allowing for efficient high-density stacking. The company has developed a proprietary stacking technology that reportedly delivers ultra-low die warpage, making it possible to achieve 16-die stacking without major structural issues.
(Image credit: Sandisk)
Scaling up to 4TB
The architecture of HBF has been developed over the past year, with Sandisk incorporating input from "major AI players" (it doesn’t name names, sadly).
The diagram in the slide shows an HBF stack, which consists of multiple HBF core dies connected via TSV (Through-Silicon Via) and micro bumps, interfacing with a logic die and PHY, which then connects to a GPU, CPU, TPU, or SoC die. The entire stack sits on an interposer atop a package substrate, similar to the packaging design used in HBM.
HBF isn’t a straight drop-in replacement for HBM, but it does share the same electrical interface, so will only require minor protocol adjustments, according to Sandisk.
In another slide, a GPU with HBM providing 192GB of total memory, is compared with an alternative version combining HBF and HBM that increases the memory capacity to 3TB. A fully optimized setup with only HBF (which you can see at the top of the page) can scale up to an impressive 4TB.
Sandisk's HBF roadmap (below) shows how the company sees the technology advancing across multiple generations, focusing on capacity, read bandwidth, and energy efficiency. In the first generation, HBF establishes a baseline for these metrics. By the second generation, capacity is expected to increase by 1.5x, while read bandwidth sees a 1.45x improvement, and energy efficiency slightly decreases to 0.8x. By the third generation (there's no indication of when Sandisk expects to arrive at this point), HBF is projected to double in capacity and read bandwidth compared to its initial version, with energy efficiency dropping further to 0.64x.
HBF is likely to receive some push back from rivals like Samsung and SK Hynix who are heavily invested in the $100 billion HBM market. Painfully aware of this, Sandisk is looking to establish an open standard ecosystem, and also a technical advisory board made up of industry experts and key partners.
Dell is close to securing a $5 billion AI server deal with Elon Musk’s xAI
The servers, featuring Nvidia GB200 chips, may support xAI’s supercomputer
Analysts predict Dell’s AI server revenue could hit $14 billion by 2026
We recently reported HPE had beaten Supermicro and Dell Technologies to win a $1 billion contract to supply servers optimized for AI work to Elon Musk’s X, potentially to power Grok, the social network’s AI chatbot.
At the end of 2024, X announced it was rolling out Grok-2 to all users for free, and losing out to HPE would have been a big blow to Dell, which, along with Supermicro, did bid to supply the equipment but was ultimately unsuccessful.
However, if a new report from Bloomberg is accurate, the iconic computer maker could be on the verge of winning an even bigger contract from one of Musk’s other ventures, xAI.
Memphis bound?
The report says that Dell is close to finalizing a deal worth over $5 billion to supply AI-focused servers equipped with Nvidia GB200 chips. Some aspects are still being worked out, sources familiar with the discussions told the news site, but if all goes ahead – and it surely will - the servers are set to be delivered later in 2025.
Elon Musk previously said, “The table stakes for being competitive in AI are at least several billion dollars per year at this point,” and he's obviously paying to play.
Quite what the servers are for isn’t reported, but it’s very likely that most, if not all of them, will be for xAI’s supercomputer project, known as "Colossus," which is being built in Memphis using a mix of Dell and Supermicro servers. By all accounts, Dell has been very keen to supply the rest of the servers to finish the job.
This deal with xAI will “firmly establish the company as a leading AI-server provider and boost sales, though the impact on profitability is less clear,” Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Woo Jin Ho noted.
“Analysts expect Dell will have shipped more than $10 billion of AI servers in the fiscal year ending last month and project that value will jump to $14 billion in the fiscal year ending in January 2026,” Bloomberg added, noting Dell is set to to report its fiscal fourth-quarter earnings on February 27.
New range of TCO Certified monitors will minimize waste, enhance efficiency, and facilitate repairs
The first model, 34B2U3600C, features SmartKVM, allowing seamless switching between sources via shortcuts
Warranty available across Europe, except Russia and Belarus
Philips has announced a five-year warranty included as standard for its new range of TCO Certified, generation 10 business monitors, covering defects in materials and workmanship, though excluding accidental damage or misuse.
As reported by TechPowerUp, the 34B2U3600C is the first in the range, which, per Phillips itself, hopes to leverage the TCO certification to combine premium technology with a sustainable manufacturing process.
The company is also providing free security and functionality updates for five years from the date of sale, or the final manufacturing date for applicable products. The warranty is available in all European regions except Russia and Belarus.
A greener approach with TCO Certified monitors
TCO is a global certification highlighting electronics manufacturers that maintain high environmental and social responsibility standards.
With monitors like the 34B2U3600C, Phillips hopes to accomplish this by reducing its dependence on hazardous materials, improving energy efficiency, and promoting 'circular economy' principles, such as repairability, durability, and end-of-life management.
The 34-inch curved VA panel, with a suggested retail price of €439.00, supports a WQHD resolution with 1.07 billion colors, while the SmartKVM function allows users to switch between sources using a simple keyboard shortcut.
The display also features Rheinland Eyesafe certification and SoftBlue Technology to help reduce eye strain.
In addition, the monitor supports a USB-C docking station with 90 W power delivery, and its RJ45 port ensures fast charging and a secure network connection. A Compact Ergo Base offers height adjustment, tilt, and swivel for improved ergonomic comfort.
Western Digital plans to produce 100TB+ HDDs within a decade
It will do this using HAMR and HDMR heat assisted technologies
The company is also investigating long-term storage, like ceramics and DNA
Western Digital and Sandisk have begun the process of splitting into separate companies, with the former focused on HDD and platform development, and the latter now all-in on flash products. Both companies recently held investor days, and while Sandisk teased a 1PB SSD and a flash replacement for HBM at its event, WD’s focus was on how it intends to supercharge hard drive capacity within a decade.
The company’s roadmap to the future of HDD technology shows a clear progression from energy-assisted Perpendicular Magnetic Recording (ePMR) to Heat-Assisted Magnetic Recording (HAMR) and ultimately to Heat Dot Magnetic Recording (HDMR), targeting over 100TB capacities.
By 2026, Western Digital says its HDD capacity will reach 36TB-44TB thanks to HAMR technology which uses laser heating to temporarily reduce disk coercivity. This allows for smaller magnetic grains, improving data stability and density while reducing interference, so HDDs can store more data per platter with long-term reliability.
(Image credit: Western Digital)
Enter HDMR technology
Western Digital isn’t the only drive manufacturer banking on HAMR to supercharge the capacities of hard drives.
Its big rival Seagate recently debuted a 36TB drive while revealing a 60TB model is coming, and in especially bad news for WD, it also launched a bid to acquire HAMR specialist Intevac whose sputtering machines are used on over 65% of the world’s hard disks. Although Seagate is Intevac’s main customer, WD also uses the company’s tech.
By the 2030s, Western Digital expects HAMR to be superseded by HDMR (also known as bit-pattern recording), which will lead the push for 100TB+ HDD capacities. The tech, which is reported to be quite costly, uses nano-patterned magnetic media with discrete magnetic "dots" to boost data placement, reduce noise, and improve areal density.
Western Digital isn’t only focusing on traditional hard drives, it’s also exploring new growth opportunities. In AI compute, the company is investigating advanced computational models such as Boltzmann and Ising, as well as neuromorphic computing, which could enable more efficient, brain-like processing architectures for AI workloads.
The company is also looking into long-term DNA and ceramic storage, two emerging technologies that have the potential to offer extremely durable and high-density data preservation for archival needs. In the medtech sector, the company is considering developing magnetic biosensors and nanopore technology, which could have significant applications in biomedical diagnostics and personalized medicine.
Intel is currently without a CEO and its future looks unclear
TSMC and Broadcom are interested in separate areas of the chip maker’s business
Any deal faces big hurdles - government rules, factory retooling, and political pushback
Although it debuted some super-fast AI chips in 2024 in a bid to match its rival AMD, Intel isn’t the powerhouse it used to be.
While Nvidia is the second-largest company in the world (behind Apple) by market cap, worth $3.4 trillion, and AMD is in 80th place, worth $183.27 billion, Intel, currently without a CEO following Pat Gelsinger’s departure in December 2024, is languishing in 173rd place at $102.18 billion - placing it between Rio Tinto and Airbnb.
This has led to all sorts of rumors surrounding Intel's future, including speculation it could merge with AMD's former foundry, GlobalFoundries, in a potential multi-billion-dollar deal. But now, perhaps the saddest news of all comes from a new Wall Street Journal report, which says Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) and Broadcom are separately considering deals that could split the iconic chipmaker in half.
Big hurdles to overcome
The report claims Broadcom has been "closely examining Intel’s chip-design and marketing business", and, according to people familiar with the matter, has, "informally discussed with its advisers making a bid but would likely only do so if it finds a partner for Intel’s manufacturing business, the people said.”
At the same time, TSMC is considering taking control of Intel’s chip plants (either some or all) - a move that was apparently suggested by the Trump administration. However, the WSJ was told by a White House official that the president is “unlikely to support a deal that involved a foreign entity operating Intel’s factories,” so make of that what you will.
The WSJ stresses Broadcom and TSMC haven’t teamed up to carve Intel in two - these are unrelated possibilities - and all of the talks so far are “preliminary and largely informal.”
There are a couple of hurdles standing in the way of such a deal. The 2022 Chips Act created a $53 billion grant program to boost domestic chip production, with Intel receiving the largest share - up to $7.9 billion. As a condition of the funding, the chipmaker must retain a majority stake in its factories if they are ever spun off into a separate entity. The U.S. government would also have to approve any deal involving TSMC or other investors taking control of Intel’s facilities.
The WSJ also notes that any deal faces operational issues, noting Intel’s factories have largely been set up to produce Intel chips, and the company has only started trying to make chips for external customers in the past few years. "Retooling Intel factories to make advanced chips TSMC’s way would be a significant and costly engineering challenge," it adds.
Beterbiev vs Bivol 2 is upon us, and we're here to take you through the big fight night, helping you figure out the best (and cheapest) way to watch the two Russians live on Saturday, February 22 from anywhere with a VPN.
The first fight was a classic, so you're not going to want to miss this rematch. Artur Beterbiev beat Dmitry Bivol by the narrowest of margins at this very venue in Saudi Arabia back in October to become the undisputed light-heavyweight world champion. Now, the title is back on the line again.
Supported by an incredible undercard – even if Daniel Dubois' withdrawal has taken some of the gloss off – Beterbiev vs Bivol 2 headlines a fight night that will be watched by millions around the world.
Eager to see the huge box office showdown in Riyadh? We'll have you covered right here with all the latest updates on Beterbiev vs Bivol 2 including the build-up, the undercard, streaming tips, and round-by-round updates.
Traveling outside your home country and can't access your regular streaming service? No problem. A VPN will help unblock your usual service no matter where you are in the world. Sign up, install the app, choose the country of your regular streaming service and watch your usual stream.
Hello there, welcome along, are you ready for a brilliant night of boxing?
Well, it has already begun. It may not quite be the 'card of century' anymore, with the withdrawals of Daniel Dubois and Floyd Schofield stripping off a little of the lustre, but it's still a mouth-watering fight night. Headlining it all will be Beterbiev v Bivol 2, a rematch that comes with a huge amount of hype after the drama, quality, and knife-edge tightness of their first contest back in October.
We'll be covering it all right here, building up through the undercard right the way up to the big event. We'll let you know where you can watch it, the cheapest deals available, and how you can tune in wherever you are in the world.
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Amazon’s most recent quarterly revenue was $8bn higher than Walmart’s
Solid holiday season 2024 performance raises Amazon figures
Walmart continues to battle with the high costs of physical stores
It might be the world’s fourth-most valuable company, with a market cap of $2.36 trillion dollars, but Amazon has never been able to reach Walmart's levels of quarterly revenue - until now.
In the three months ending December 31, 2024, Amazon reported a 10% year-over-year increase in revenue to $187.8 billion, putting it ahead of Walmart ($180.6 billion) for the first time ever.
This is despite the ecommerce platform being around three times larger than Walmart, which has a valuation of $780.92 billion.
Amazon vs Walmart
Despite the historical moment, projections for 2025 suggest that the two companies could be battling it out for months to come. Walmart’s full fiscal year projection stands at $708.7 billion, just a small jump ahead of the $700.8 prediction for Amazon.
Speaking on its earnings release, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy thanked the most successful holiday season yet for strong growth. Cloud developments within AWS also propped up company revenue, acconting for $28.8 billion, or around 15% of the entire revenue.
Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said that “low prices, a growing assortment, and an eCommerce business driven by faster delivery times” were all responsible for strong results.
However, while Walmart may have expanded into third-party marketplaces, fulfillment services and advertising, its core business remains centered around in-person shopping, and maintaining physical stores is costly due to increasing wages and other expenses.
To put the two companies’ revenues into perspective and to highlight what’s at stake, Apple, the world’s most valuable company and one of three with a $3 trillion+ market cap, posted quarterly revenue of $124.3 billion. Nvidia, the second-most valuable company, posted $35.1 billion and Microsoft, in position three, posted $69.6 billion.
The Bapaco is a portable Windows PC disguised as a mechanical keyboard
Its 12.3-inch ultrawide touchscreen tilts 90 degrees, and can function as a second display
Crowdfunding on Kickstarter, it’s powered by a 12th-gen Intel i5 with up to 32GB RAM
The Bapaco (try saying it three times fast - it’s oddly satisfying) is a portable computer that’s unlike anything else on the market. At first glance, it looks like a compact mechanical keyboard, but it actually packs an entire Windows PC into its slim frame.
The device stands out from traditional laptops or compact PCs because instead of being a clamshell, it’s a flat, board-like device with a 12.3-inch ultrawide touchscreen that tilts up to 90 degrees. Its unusual 16:6 (1920x720) aspect ratio reminds me of Toshiba’s widely mocked Satellite U845W ultrabook from 2012, which featured a 21:9 display meant for widescreen movie viewing. It’s also similar in design to the Maxfree K3, a compact 82-key mechanical keyboard which has an integrated 13-inch touch screen.
Currently crowdfunding on Kickstarter, the Bapaco is designed to function as both a standalone Windows 11 computer and also as an external keyboard and display for Windows, Mac, and Android devices.
(Image credit: Bapaco)
Gorgeous mechanical keyboard
Under the hood, Bapaco runs on a 12th-generation Intel Core i5 processor with 10 cores and 12 threads, paired with up to 32GB DDR4 RAM. Storage options include an M.2 NVMe PCIe X4 SSD and an M.2 SATA 3.0 SSD. The attractive 68-key RGB backlit mechanical keyboard is fully customizable, featuring hot-swappable switches and multiple lighting modes. There’s no touchpad though.
The device also includes dual 3W speakers, Bluetooth 5.2, and a range of ports, including USB 3.0, USB 2.0, Type-C DP 1.4, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Its 5000mAh battery provides up to six hours of video playback, long enough for a The Brutalist and Paddington in Peru double-bill.
If you want a Bapaco, there’s still over two weeks to go on its Kickstarter campaign. At the time of writing, it has received $27,248 of pledges, well above its tiny $642 funding goal. For a super early bird pledge of $624 (27% off the $856 MSRP) you can get a model with no RAM and no SSD. Should you wish to have a full working Bapaco you can pledge an additional $79 for 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD, or $249 for 32GB RAM and 2TB SSD.
The creators behind the device say they intend to begin production in March 2025, with the aim to start shipping in May. As always, it’s worth pointing out that crowdfunding comes with risks. While projects like Bapaco can be exciting, backing a campaign is not the same as buying a finished product. Delays, design changes, or even cancellations can happen, so be warned.
