The ATH-TWX7 earbuds from Audio-Technica offer high-quality audio in a premium package, but competition in the earbud market is fierce right now.

The Eufy Familock S3 Max is one of the best smart locks I've tested, with a twist that makes it more family-friendly.

TOPSHOT - A Blue Origin New Shepard rocket launches from Launch Site One in West Texas north of Van ... [+] Horn on March 31, 2022. (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)AFP via Getty ImagesBlue Origin has announced the six-member crew set to fly on its upcoming NS-30 mission, marking the 10th human spaceflight for the New Shepard program and its 30th mission overall. Among the selected astronauts is Lane Bess, making his second journey aboard the suborbital spacecraft. The full crew list includes Lane Bess, Jess Calleja, Elaine Chia Hyde, Dr. Richard Scott, Tushar Shah, and a yet-to-be-revealed sixth crew member.With this flight, New Shepard will have carried a total of 47 people beyond the Krmn line, the internationally recognized boundary of space. The mission represents another milestone in Blue Origins ongoing effort to expand access to commercial spaceflight.Meet the CrewThe group of passengers scheduled to fly on NS-30 brings together expertise from fields as varied as cybersecurity, adventure journalism, physics, reproductive medicine, and finance. Each astronaut has a unique story that underscores the growing accessibility of commercial spaceflight, reflecting Blue Origin's mission to enable people from all walks of life to experience the wonders of space.Lane BessLane Bess is the Principal and Founder of Bess Ventures and Advisory, a family office fund that invests in disruptive technology firms across various industries. A key figure in the cybersecurity sector, Bess played a pivotal role in leading Palo Alto Networks and Zscaler to successful IPOs. Bess first flew to space on NS-19 on December 11, 2021, and will now become the fourth person to fly on New Shepard twice.Jess CallejaJess Calleja is a Spanish television host, mountaineer, and seasoned adventurer. Best known for his shows Calleja Planet, Volando Voy, and Planeta Calleja on Mediaset Spain, his expeditions have taken him to some of the most extreme environments on Earth, including the Seven Summits, the North and South Poles, active volcanoes, and deep sinkholes. Calleja is also a passionate motorsports enthusiast, having competed in multiple international racing events, including four editions of the Dakar Rally and a grueling 3,400-mile trek from the French Pyrenees to Dakar, Senegal.Elaine Chia HydeEntrepreneur, physicist, and pilot Elaine Chia Hyde is the founder of Chicago Star, a news and media company, and Eastside Enterprises, a research and development firm specializing in AI-assisted media products. Born in Singapore and raised in Australia, Hydes lifelong fascination with space led her to study business and physics at the University of Melbourne. She later moved to the U.S. for research roles, including an internship at the University of Pennsylvania. Today, Hyde resides in Florida with her husband, a fellow physicist, and their five children.Dr. Richard ScottA leader in reproductive medicine, Dr. Richard Scott is a reproductive endocrinologist, embryologist, and research scientist with a distinguished career in fertility care. As a founding partner and former CEO of IVIRMA Global, the worlds largest fertility care group, Dr. Scott has been at the forefront of advancements in reproductive technology. He is an adjunct professor at both Yale University and the University of South Carolina School of Medicine in Greenville.In addition to his clinical and academic contributions, he founded The Foundation for Embryonic Competence, a nonprofit dedicated to research in reproductive medicine. He has served on the national boards of Directors of RESOLVE and the American Fertility Association, the two largest patient advocacy organizations for fertility care. Married for 45 years, he and his wife have four children.Tushar ShahTushar Shah is a partner and co-head of research at a quantitative hedge fund based in New York City. With a background in physics, he earned both his undergraduate and PhD degrees at MIT, specializing in high-energy experimental particle physics. Alongside his wife, Sara, Shah is actively involved in philanthropy, focusing on poverty alleviation, healthcare, and education initiatives. They have two children.The Future of Commercial SpaceflightA Blue Origin New Shepard rocket launches from Launch Site One in West Texas north of Van Horn on ... [+] March 31, 2022. (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)AFP via Getty ImagesThe NS-30 mission underscores Blue Origins commitment to advancing commercial space travel and broadening access to space exploration. As the company continues to push the boundaries of human spaceflight, the participation of industry leaders, scientists, and adventurers highlights the growing intersection of technology, research, and private enterprise in the space industry.Stay tuned for further updates as Blue Origin prepares for another historic mission, including an announcement of the flight window.

While AI continues to transform industries, trust remains a persistent challenge.

In brief: Bill Gates has an ominous warning for young people: there are four or five "very scary" things that they should be afraid of. In addition to the persistent fear of nuclear war, the Microsoft founder says unchecked AI is also a threat. In an interview with Patrick Collinson, Gates said the only thing he really worried about a lot when he was younger was nuclear war.While that particular concern hasn't disappeared, Gates says younger generations now have extra threats to society that they must live with: climate change, bioterrorism or another pandemic, and maintaining control of advanced AI.There have been plenty of previous warnings about AI advancing too quickly, reaching a point where it becomes smarter than humans and decides the world would be better off without us in it.A survey in 2023 found that two-thirds of Americans believed AI could threaten civilization, and Professor Geoffrey Hinton, one of the godfathers of AI, believes there could be an AI that presents an extinction-level event in five to twenty years. Hinton left Google in 2023 due to concerns that AI was advancing faster than expected and could become uncontrollable.Gates isn't anti-AI, though. He believes that the technology could be used for good, such as filling skill gaps. // Related Stories"We don't have as many medical experts, you know, people who can stay on top of everything, or people who can do math tutoring in the inner city," Gates said. "And we have a shortage of intelligence, and so we use this market system to kind of allocate it. AI, over time and people can argue about the time frames will make intelligence essentially free."It might sound as if Gates is painting a pessimistic view for young people, but provided the highlighted risks are avoided, he thinks their future is going to be bright. The billionaire believes obesity, Alzheimer's, HIV, polio, measles, and malaria will all be addressed or wiped out completely. "The pace of innovation is greater today than ever," Gates said.Gates also believes the fear of the world-ending threats he named will spur the younger generation into making sure they never happen."They'll actually, to some degree, exaggerate the likelihood and maybe the impact of some of those things in order to activate people to make sure we steer clear of those things," he said.Gates has given his opinion on some non-existential threats this month. He recently said that Intel had lost its way and fallen behind in chip design and fabrication, though he had some good things to say about former CEO Pat Gelsinger.H/t: Business Insider

A hot potato: In yet another demonstration of the RTX 5080's scarcity, a Taiwanese buyer faced an unexpected dilemma when a retailer temporarily refused to release his purchased graphics card unless he paid an additional sum. This shouldn't come as a surprise: the extreme shortage of RTX 50 series graphics cards resulted in multi-day queues for raffle entries, rampant scalping, and retailers bundling cards with other products at inflated prices. The incident, which unfolded in early February, began when a customer purchased an Aorus RTX 5080 Master 16G graphics card from Cool PC, a well-known computer hardware retailer in Taiwan, for NT$42,990 (approximately $1,312), including sales tax. The transaction was part of a larger order of computer components, according to an account on the Chinese tech publication MyDrivers/Fast Technology.As the days passed, the customer received all the ordered parts except for the highly anticipated RTX 5080. Upon inquiring about the missing item, the buyer was confronted with a demand: pay an additional sum or return the graphics card upon delivery. This unusual request came despite the fact that the card had already been paid for and was supposedly in transit.The customer, understandably distressed by this turn of events, took to local tech forums to seek advice and share his experience. The post quickly gained traction, igniting a firestorm of criticism against Cool PC's practices.As the controversy grew, Cool PC eventually relented, honoring the original price and delivering the graphics card to the customer. The retailer also requested that the customer remove their original forum post, which they did. However, the discussion continued on other platforms, with some speculating that the incident might have been the work of a rogue salesperson rather than a company-wide policy.The severe scarcity of RTX 50 series GPUs has sparked a wave of questionable tactics in the marketplace. Long lines have also been endemic // Related StoriesOne example is Central Computers, which held a raffle for 20 RTX 5080 GPUs, with entries accepted from February 5 through February 13. This extended entry period required customers to visit stores in person, leading to long queues. Micro Center stores also experienced lines stretching outside their locations, with many customers leaving empty-handed due to extremely limited stock.Meanwhile, scalpers have sought to capitalize on the situation, purchasing GPUs and reselling them at inflated prices. On eBay, sold listings of the RTX 5090 have reached over $6,000, which is a 200 percent increase over the $1,999 MSRP.In response to the high demand and limited supply, some retailers and manufacturers have implemented their own pricing strategies. Third-party manufacturers have increased their selling prices for the RTX 5090, with the Asus ROG Astral reaching $2,799, a 40 percent increase over the MSRP.

AMDs RX 9000 series is almost here, ready to battle it out against some of the best graphics cards. Not a day goes by without some new leaks about the cards performance or price. Today, we got some scoop on the former from a reliable leaker on X (formerly Twitter). While pretty vague as these things often are the leak implies that some of the predictions weve already heard about the RX 9070 may have been wrong.The latest update on RDNA 4 comes from momomo_us on X. This is a reliable leaker with a good track record for GPU and CPU news, but as always, take the following with some skepticism.Recommended VideosThe leaker shed some light on the expected clock speeds for AMDs next-gen GPU. They didnt clarify which card they were talking about, though, but based on these frequencies, Im thinking that this is the RX 9070 non-XT and not the flagship RX 9070 XT. The clocks are a subtle upgrade over the RX 7700 XT, which tracks.Get your weekly teardown of the tech behind PC gaming base 1440game 2210boost 2700 188 (@momomo_us) February 19, 2025According to momomo_us, the mysterious AMD GPU will come with a base clock of 1,440MHz; a game clock of 2,210MHz, and a boost clock of 2,700GHz. For comparisons sake, the RX 7700 XT came with a 1,435MHz base clock, a 2,171MHz game clock, and a 2,544MHz boost clock. Surprisingly, the RX 7800 XT (while overall an excellent card) had lower clocks all around.As the RX 9070 XT is likely to be the equivalent of the RX 7900 XT, this supports my theory of this being the non-XT version.Leakers have long been saying that AMDs new GPUs would offer clock speeds of up to 3GHz. Todays update shows that they may have been wrong, although it is possible for both the previous predictions and this one to be right: The RX 9070 XT might still hit 3GHz and up, while the non-XT model maxes out at around 2.7GHz as seen above.Weve seen a bunch of leaks about the performance and the specs of both the RX 9070 XT and the non-XT version. Leakers predicted 3GHz and up for RDNA 3, and that never happened, so Im approaching this with some caution, but it wont be long until we find out. AMD is set to announce the card on February 28 during a special event.Editors Recommendations

Apple is going to reveal at least one new product today, February 19. All rumors currently point to today being the iPhone SE 4 launch, and while highly likely its not 100% guaranteed to be the new, affordable iPhone.On February 13 Tim Cook, Apples CEO, sent out a message on the X social network revealing the mystery launch date, but stopped short of saying exactly what the focus of the announcement would be. The note simply said, Get ready to meet the newest member of the family, with an animated, shimmering Apple logo attached to it.Recommended VideosGet ready to meet the newest member of the family.Wednesday, February 19. #AppleLaunch pic.twitter.com/0ML0NfMedu Tim Cook (@tim_cook) February 13, 2025Please enable Javascript to view this contentNo save the date event invitations have been seen since then, meaning its unlikely this will rival the companys iPhone reveal event held last year, and the news may only be conveyed through a press release. However, its also possible there will be a short pre-recorded announcement to show off the new product, or products. Theres no time attached to the X message, but traditionally Apple sends out major press releases in the morning, Pacific Time.While Cooks note doesnt share more than the date, theres plenty of speculation around what Apple has for us on February 19. Top of the list is the Apple iPhone SE 4, or SE (2025), or iPhone 16E. The replacement to the Apple iPhone SE (2022) has been rumored for more than a year, and there has been a steady stream of information about it in 2025. It all points to an imminent announcement. The use of the singular member of the family in Cooks message also indicates its one product, and that it would fit in with an existing line.Apple iPhone SE 4 mockups Majin BuThat said, a new iPhone SE model is a product prime for the full launch event treatment, rather than relegating it to a written press release, making the lack of invitations to one slightly surprising. When Apple announced the iPhone SE (2022) in March 2022, it did so on stage at a pre-recorded event and also showed off new iPhone colors, and the Mac Studio and Studio Display, at the same time. Theres still a chance Apple may stream a pre-recorded event on February 19, and use it to throw some other new products our way too.New iPhone colors are a possibility, given what happened at the last SE event, plus there are rumors of a new Apple AirTag too. Furthermore, theres the possibility of new Mac products like a MacBook Air with the M4 processor, or the long-awaited 11th generation iPad model. Theres also talk of Apple bringing Apple Intelligence to the Vision Pro headset, which is another contender of news to be announced today.We doubt Apple will want to show all its new hardware off only a few months from its annual Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) event though, so expectations should be kept in check. More likely is a deep dive into the latest version of iOS iOS 18.4 and Apple Intelligence, to keep us up to date with its software.Well make sure to give you all the news, however its conveyed, from the iPhone SE 4 launch later today. In the meantime, catch up on all the iPhone SE 4 news, and see why were going to miss the old 12-megapixel camera on the iPhone SE (2022).Editors Recommendations

get it dirty Our favorite EV goes Mad Max: The 2025 Ioniq 5 XRT Tougher cladding, all-terrain tires, and a can-do attitude. Jonathan M. Gitlin Feb 19, 2025 6:00 am | 9 Hyundai has added a third variant to the Ioniq 5 lineupthis is the off-roady XRT. Credit: Jonathan Gitlin Hyundai has added a third variant to the Ioniq 5 lineupthis is the off-roady XRT. Credit: Jonathan Gitlin Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreHyundai provided flights from Washington, DC to Palm Springs and accommodation so Ars could drive the new Ioniq 5. Ars does not accept paid editorial content.PALM SPRINGS, Calif.After a very pleasant morning getting acquainted with the model year 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5, it was time to meet the new addition to the range: the $55,400 Ioniq 5 XRT. It's the latest example of an automotive trend that's been bubbling away in the background for years before getting a lot bolder where a carmaker takes something that's normally meant to be driven on the road and makes it a bit more... rugged.No, it's not a new ideaAudi Allroads and Volvo Cross Countries have played this game for years and years. More recently, it's been the turn of companies like Porsche and Lamborghini have gotten into the act, creating supercars with six-figure price tags that aren't fazed by a little sand or snow.But the Ioniq 5 isn't a supercarit's just a super car. The XRT treatment was done by Hyundai's California design team, and it involves new, more protective cladding at the front and rear. The black plastic looks at first glance like it might be forged carbonin fact it's a pixelated camo pattern that calls out to the "Parametric Pixel" design language that underpins the Ioniq 5's blocky look. The twin red-accented tow hooks are almost whimsical.There are also new wheels and all-terrain tires. Along with the bodywork additions, this means the XRT won't go quite as far on a full charge as the more pedestrian versions, but it will travel 259 miles (417 km) between charges. Wheee! Sam Abuelsamid Wheee! Sam Abuelsamid This was as fun as it looks. Sam Abuelsamid This was as fun as it looks. Sam Abuelsamid The XRT has a darker interior. Hyundai The XRT has a darker interior. Hyundai This was as fun as it looks. Sam Abuelsamid The XRT has a darker interior. Hyundai Towhook! JONATHAN GITLIN All-terrain tires will probably be noisy and they will sap range, but I don't think buyers will care. Jonathan Gitlin Cladding protects the charge port. Hyundai Metallic blue and red paints will be available for the XRT shortly. Jonathan Gitlin Push this button for more drive modes. Hyundai More pixel camo. Hyundai I suspect those tires might prove a little noisy on the road, but we weren't able to drive the XRT on paved roads. On dirt, it was a bit of a hoot and threw some rooster tails through the soft sandy bit. Listening to small stones ping off the battery's protective case (the same as on all other Ioniq 5s) made me want to giggle, and I found myself going back for another go before I knew it.There's a new button on the XRT's steering wheel marked "Terrain"this is where Snow mode has moved to, along with the new Sand and Mud. Despite the ample rain over the previous day, there was no quicksand to be found, and I did not try either Mud or Snow modes. Sand didn't feel much different to Sport, although Sand keeps the torque split at 50:50 throughout the speed envelope.There are better approach (19.8 degrees) and departure (30 degrees) angles than the standard Ioniq 5, and the ride height has been raised by an inch, but there is the same amount of wheel travel as beforethink trails rather than rock-hopping up a gully.Almost everything else about the XRT is the same as the normal Ioniq 5it charges really fast, including at Tesla Superchargers now, it's got decent infotainment and it's very spacious inside. As someone who mostly sticks to the blacktop, I can't say I entirely get the point, and I suspect I won't be entirely alone, but it was fun to drive around on the sand, even if I never quite got it going sideways.Jonathan M. GitlinAutomotive EditorJonathan M. GitlinAutomotive Editor Jonathan is the Automotive Editor at Ars Technica. He has a BSc and PhD in Pharmacology. In 2014 he decided to indulge his lifelong passion for the car by leaving the National Human Genome Research Institute and launching Ars Technica's automotive coverage. He lives in Washington, DC. 9 Comments

not a supercar, but a super car The 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5: The best all-around EV just got better Native NACS port, USB-C, and a rear wiper are all new additions for 2025. Jonathan M. Gitlin Feb 19, 2025 6:00 am | 19 You'll need a very keen eye to spot the design changes for model year 2025. But the other tweaks improve an already great car. Credit: Jonathan Gitlin You'll need a very keen eye to spot the design changes for model year 2025. But the other tweaks improve an already great car. Credit: Jonathan Gitlin Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreHyundai provided flights from Washington, DC, to Palm Springs and accommodation so Ars could drive the new Ioniq 5. Ars does not accept paid editorial content.PALM SPRINGS, Calif.Can it really have been four(ish) years since we first drove the Hyundai Ioniq 5? With looks like a scaled-up hatchback from the 1980s, and one of the most advanced electric vehicle powertrains on the market, the Ioniq 5 was an instant hit with Ars and car buyers. Since then, Hyundai has begun building Ioniq 5s at its new plant in Georgia, and for model year 2025, it has made some tweaks that have turned a great EV into an even better one.The Ioniq 5 was the first EV to use Hyundai's new E-GMP platform, designed for mid-to-large EVs with rear- or all-wheel drive. The powertrain uses an 800 V architecture, which endows it with a number of advantages, some obvious, like very fast DC fast charging, some less obvious, such as less mass (and expense) given over to high-voltage cabling. On the road, it proved highly efficient, not to mention stylish and practical.The tweaks for model year 2025 are subtle as far as midlife upgrades go. There's a new wheel design, and some of the details at the front and rear bumper are more pronounced. The idea was to "accentuate the CUVness" of the car, according to Brad Arnold, head of exterior design at Hyundai Designperhaps broadening the appeal to those who have no affection for late '80s hatchback vibes. People are often surprised that the Ioniq 5 is larger in person than they expect. Jonathan Gitlin People are often surprised that the Ioniq 5 is larger in person than they expect. Jonathan Gitlin Ars' Jonathan Gitlin at the wheel. Sam Abuelsamid Ars' Jonathan Gitlin at the wheel. Sam Abuelsamid The rear of the 2025 Ioniq 5. Jonathan Gitlin The rear of the 2025 Ioniq 5. Jonathan Gitlin Ars' Jonathan Gitlin at the wheel. Sam Abuelsamid The rear of the 2025 Ioniq 5. Jonathan Gitlin New batteries, more rangeThe new Ioniq 5 features a pair of new battery packs. The $42,500 SE standard range Ioniq 5 gets a bump from 58 kWh to 63 kWh, which gives it a range of 245 miles (394 km), up from 220 miles (354 km). All other versions now use an 84 kWh pack, up from 77.4 kWh in last year's model. For the most range, you'll want a rear-wheel-drive Ioniq 5 with this battery318 miles (511 km) in either SE ($46,550), SEL ($49,500), or Limited ($54,200) trim.For the all-wheel-drive SE ($50,500) and SEL ($53,000) trimsprobably the ones most people will buyrange increases by a useful 30 miles (48 km) to 290 miles (467 km) on a full charge. The $58,100 AWD Limited gets less of a range boost and is rated at 269 miles (432 km). There's another all-wheel-drive version, the $55,400 Ioniq 5 XRT, but you can read about that one in our companion article.Despite the larger batteries, fast charging is still very fast. With an 800 V-capable DC charger, both small and large batteries will go from 10 to 80 percent in 20 minutes. But as you'll note from the photo, this Ioniq 5 has a new party trickthe charging port is now of the NACS (J3400) style, as used by Tesla Superchargers. Using a CCS1 plug will require an adapter, which comes with the car.Those Superchargers might be more numerous, but they aren't as capable as the 350 kW machines you might find at an Ionna or Rivian charging location, and so they're slower to use24 minutes from 1080 percent for the SE standard range, or 30 minutes from 1080 percent for the larger-batteried cars. Faster charges are suposedly coming with Tesla's version 4 hardware. Jonathan Gitlin Jonathan Gitlin The row of pixels by the side of the charge port quickly tells you what your state of charge is. Hyundai The row of pixels by the side of the charge port quickly tells you what your state of charge is. Hyundai A 350 kW Electrify America charger would be faster. Jonathan Gitlin A 350 kW Electrify America charger would be faster. Jonathan Gitlin The row of pixels by the side of the charge port quickly tells you what your state of charge is. Hyundai A 350 kW Electrify America charger would be faster. Jonathan Gitlin We arrived at a (V3) Supercharger with a preconditioned battery at 45 percent, and the car almost immediately began charging at 126 kW, reporting 16 minutes to 80 percent and 48 minutes to 100 percent.You can now manually precondition the battery for optimum charging, and I'm told that plug-and-charge functionality will come soon via an over-the-air software update. (Whether that applies to older CCS1 cars, too, I am not sure.) Until then, you'll need to download and use apps to initiate a charging session, including at a Tesla location.AC charging is slower, as you might expect. Charging from 10100 percent will take 5 hours 40 minutes for the small battery and 7 hours 20 minutes for the larger one. Hyundai is including a ChargePoint charger when you buy one (or a $400 charging credit).A rear wiper!There's also a new infotainment system with faster processors and more accurate GPS. We didn't encounter any bugs with it during our half-day with the car, and owners will no doubt enjoy the addition of USB-C ports (replacing USB-A) and the presence of wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.Hyundai has also fitted a rear windshield wiperthe aerodynamics over the rear window turned out not to be sufficient to keep that window clear of grime when the weather turns lousy. There is user-configurable LED interior lighting. Hyundai There is user-configurable LED interior lighting. Hyundai The 118-inch wheelbase is longer than a Palisade's and so there's plenty of room here. Hyundai The 118-inch wheelbase is longer than a Palisade's and so there's plenty of room here. Hyundai The wheels remain as disc-like as possible for good aero. Hyundai The wheels remain as disc-like as possible for good aero. Hyundai The 118-inch wheelbase is longer than a Palisade's and so there's plenty of room here. Hyundai The wheels remain as disc-like as possible for good aero. Hyundai Which it did during our test drive. Heavy rain in Palm Springs was tailing off as we left in the morning, although the combination of wet, diamond-cut highway surface and Michelin Primacy tires sounded almost as if the tires were slipping and losing grip. They weren't; it was just the sound being noticeable because the cabin is so quiet when cruising if you're not listening to the sound system.The climb up Highway 74 into the San Bernardino National Forest brought another change of seasons, with conditions that went from damp and foggy to sleet, with some snow and slush on the ground. That provided a chance to switch from Sport to Snow mode, although even in the former the car never felt anything but stable and confidence-inspiring, even in low-grip situations.In fact, it was a very pleasant couple of hours behind the wheel of the Ioniq 5 up to our coffee stop and driver change. It's not a car you want to cane at ten-tenthsthat honor goes to the bonkers Ioniq 5 N we reviewed last summer. But it's enjoyable to steer down a winding road, or even to just drive to the shops.The Korean automaker remains on a hot streak that few other OEMs in the industry have been able to rival. What was already an excellent EV is now that little bit better.Jonathan M. GitlinAutomotive EditorJonathan M. GitlinAutomotive Editor Jonathan is the Automotive Editor at Ars Technica. He has a BSc and PhD in Pharmacology. In 2014 he decided to indulge his lifelong passion for the car by leaving the National Human Genome Research Institute and launching Ars Technica's automotive coverage. He lives in Washington, DC. 19 Comments