Eric 'ConcernedApe' Barone's farming and lifestyle simulation Stardew Valley is the game that keeps on giving and today marks the release of another free update for the Nintendo Switch.This week happens to mark the ninth anniversary of the game and Barone has released the latest update Version 1.6.15.1 on the Switch, containing performance optimisations, a lot of fixes and even some new Easter eggs.You can get the full rundown in the official patch notes below:Stardew Valley 1.6.15.1 Changelog (Consoles): Performance optimizations. Added the Junimo bundle button to fridge and mini-fridge UIs. Fixed debris able to spread under giant crops. Legendary fish ponds now produce roe much more often and have a higher average daily value. Fixed Krobus shop not accessible on Fridays for Japanese players. Fixed some things being less random than intended. Fixed some older items in the lost & found not correctly retrieveable. Fixed crash when collecting empty crab pots. Fixed crash when farm animals somehow end up in multiple locations. Fixed crash when failing to play/resume/pause/stop sound effects. Fixed crash in raccoon menu if you have a base flavored item in your inventory. Fixed crash if a shop somehow has a null item from a player to sell. Fixed rare crash in Calico Jack minigame. Fixed error loading pre-1.6 saves with case-sensitive stat key conflicts; conflicting stats are now merged. Fixed selected tool lost in some cases when obtaining a stardrop. Fixed some mail getting re-sent to farmhands every day. Fixed crash when a farmhand passes out while warping between locations. Fixed co-op menu scroll not reset when switching tab. Improved Hungarian and Japanese translations. Fixed a missing period in the shears description. Fixed some item tooltips on the collection tab in some languages showing a raw {1} token. Fixed gray box behind Russian railroad sign. Fixed Robins start-construction message showing the general building name inconsistently. Fixed a few translated dialogues with broken dialogue commands. Fixed Alexs hand in one of his portraits. Fixed butterflies spawned by statue of blessings glitching out in summer. Added a few extra spouse reactions when interacting with them without dialogue. You no longer lose a fish if you pass out while holding it, or pass out while fishing into a fish pond. Fixed animal products always harvesting with base quality. Fixed chimney duplication when creating a new save. Fixed players inside farm buildings mis-positioned on the world map. Fixed spouses sometimes facing the wrong direction after an interaction. Fixed rare crash when obtaining stardrops with stowed tools. Fixed rare crash when updating Robins construction animation. Fixed roommates requiring two house upgrades instead of one (like marriage candidates). Fixed spouses being warped to 0,0 for farmhands. Fixed crash when homeless farmhands remain after deleting cabins. Fixed legendary fish in fish ponds being more profitable than intended. Signs placed on legendary fish ponds no longer show a 1 under the fish. Fixed NPCs not being able to walk over the beach bridge. Fixed controller rumble being disabled. Fixed secret gift recipient hint no longer showing up on the skills tab. Fixed rare crash when making a call using the telephone. Fixed some minor visual issues with Cyrillic characters. Fixed NPCs not responding the first time you talk to them. Fixed being unable to grab furniture from walls. Improved some French and Russian translations. Fixed crash when the lost items shop sells Pennys 14-heart event items. Fixed chickens disappearing on newly created Meadowlands farms. Fixed rare crash when transitioning between mine locations in multiplayer. Fixed bug where you could harvest unusual quantities of items from crab pots. If you lost an item that cant be found again, a new friend appears in the secret woods who can get it back (for a price). Added new Easter eggs.Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube797kWatch on YouTube Timed in with all of this is also the release of a stunning new physical edition of the game for the Nintendo Switch. It's available at Fangamer with options to choose from both standard and deluxe editions. This physical release even comes with items like a poster and comic book!As for the future of Stardew Valley, Barone mentioned not long ago how he doesn't want to close the book on the game's development and could easily add more to the game at any point in the future. Includes comic, poster, art cards, and more"Maybe even 50 years from now, I might add something""I feel like I could work on it for the rest of my life"Will you be checking out this latest update for Stardew Valley on Switch? Let us know in the comments.[source stardewvalley.net]Related GamesSee AlsoShare:40 Liam is a news writer and reviewer for Nintendo Life and Pure Xbox. He's been writing about games for more than 15 years and is a lifelong fan of Mario and Master Chief. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related ArticlesNintendo Is Discontinuing Gold Points, One Of The Switch's Best IncentivesNoooo, don't do it!Nintendo Highlights Four Brand New Games "Coming Soon" To SwitchMarch is going to be an exciting monthHands On: Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition - A Decade On, Mira's Still Got ItA Skell of a good time

Googles trying to make waves with Gemini, its flagship suite of generative AI models, apps, and services. But whats Gemini? How can you use it? And how does itstack up to other generative AI tools such as OpenAIs ChatGPT, Metas Llama, and Microsofts Copilot?To make it easier to keep up with the latest Gemini developments, weve put together this handy guide, which well keep updated as new Gemini models, features, and news about Googles plans for Gemini are released.What is Gemini?Gemini is Googleslong-promised, next-gen generative AI model family. Developed by Googles AI research labs DeepMind and Google Research, it comes in four flavors:Gemini Ultra, a very large model.Gemini Pro, a large model though smaller than Ultra. The latest version, Gemini 2.0 Pro Experimental, is Googles flagship.Gemini Flash, a speedier, distilled version of Pro. It also comes in a slightly smaller and faster version, called Gemini Flash-Lite, and a version with reasoning capabilities, called Gemini Flash Thinking Experimental.Gemini Nano, two small models:Nano-1and the slightly more capableNano-2, which is meant to run offlineAll Gemini models were trained to be natively multimodal that is, able to work with and analyze more than just text. Google says they were pre-trained and fine-tuned on a variety of public, proprietary, and licensed audio, images, and videos; a set of codebases; and text in different languages.This sets Gemini apart from models such asGoogles own LaMDA, which was trained exclusively on text data. LaMDA cant understand or generate anything beyond text (e.g., essays, emails, and so on), but that isnt necessarily the case with Gemini models.Well note here that theethics and legalityof training models on public data, in some cases without the data owners knowledge or consent, are murky. Google has anAI indemnification policyto shield certain Google Cloud customers from lawsuits should they face them, but this policy contains carve-outs. Proceed with caution particularly if youre intending on using Gemini commercially.Whats the difference between the Gemini apps and Gemini models?Gemini is separate and distinct from the Gemini apps on the web and mobile (formerly Bard).The Gemini apps are clients that connect to various Gemini models and layer a chatbot-like interface on top. Think of them as front ends for Googles generative AI, analogous toChatGPTand AnthropicsClaude family of apps.Image Credits:GoogleGemini on the web liveshere. On Android, theGemini appreplaces the existing Google Assistant app. And on iOS, theGoogle and Google Search appsserve as that platforms Gemini clients.On Android, it also recently became possible to bring up the Gemini overlay on top of any app to ask questions about whats on the screen (e.g., a YouTube video). Just press and hold a supported smartphones power button or say, Hey Google; youll see the overlay pop up. Gemini apps can accept images as well as voice commands and text including files like PDFs and soon videos, either uploaded or imported from Google Drive and generate images. As youd expect, conversations with Gemini apps on mobile carry over to Gemini on the web and vice versa if youre signed in to the same Google Account in both places.Gemini AdvancedThe Gemini apps arent the only means of recruiting Gemini models assistance with tasks. Slowly but surely, Gemini-imbued features aremaking their wayinto staple Google apps and services like Gmail and Google Docs.To take advantage of most of these, youll need the Google One AI Premium Plan. Technically a part ofGoogle One, the AI Premium Plan costs $20 and provides access to Gemini in Google Workspace apps like Docs, Maps, Slides, Sheets, Drive, and Meet. It also enables what Google calls Gemini Advanced, which brings the companys more sophisticated Gemini models to the Gemini apps.Gemini Advanced users get extras here and there, too, like priority access to new features, the ability to run and edit Python code directly in Gemini, and a larger context window. Gemini Advanced can remember the content of and reason across roughly 750,000 words in a conversation (or 1,500 pages of documents). Thats compared to the 24,000 words (or 48 pages) the vanilla Gemini app can handle.Image Credits:GoogleGemini Advanced also gives users access to Googles Deep Research feature, which uses advanced reasoning and long context capabilities to generate research briefs. After you prompt the chatbot, it creates a multi-step research plan, asks you to approve it, and then Gemini takes a few minutes to search the web and generate an extensive report based on your query. Its meant to answer more complex questions such as, Can you help me redesign my kitchen?Google also offers Gemini Advanced users a memory feature, that allows the chatbot to use your old conversations with Gemini as context for your current conversation. Gemini Advanced users also get increased usage for NotebookLM, the companys product that turns PDFs into AI-generated podcasts.Gemini Advanced users also get access to Googles experimental version of Gemini 2.0 Pro, the companys flagship model thats optimized for difficult coding and math problems.Another Gemini Advanced exclusive is trip planning in Google Search, which creates custom travel itineraries from prompts.Taking into account things like flight times (from emails in a users Gmail inbox), meal preferences, and information about local attractions (from Google Search and Maps data), as well as the distances between those attractions, Gemini will generate an itinerary that updates automatically to reflect any changes.Gemini across Google services is also available to corporate customers through two plans, Gemini Business (an add-on for Google Workspace) and Gemini Enterprise. Gemini Business costs as low as $6 per user per month, while Gemini Enterprise which adds meeting note-taking and translated captions as well as document classification and labeling is generally more expensive, but is priced based on a businesss needs. (Both plans require an annual commitment.)In Gmail, Gemini lives in a side panel that can write emails and summarize message threads. Youll find the same panel in Docs, where it helps you write and refine your content and brainstorm new ideas. Gemini in Slides generates slides and custom images. And Gemini in Google Sheets tracks and organizes data, creating tables and formulas.Googles AI chatbot recently came to Maps, where Gemini can summarize reviews about coffee shops or offer recommendations about how to spend a day visiting a foreign city.Geminis reach extends to Drive as well, where it can summarize files and folders and give quick facts about a project. In Meet, meanwhile, Gemini translates captions into additional languages.Image Credits:GoogleGemini recently came to Googles Chrome browserin the form of an AI writing tool. You can use it to write something completely new or rewrite existing text; Google says itll consider the web page youre on to make recommendations.Elsewhere, youll find hints of Gemini in Googlesdatabase products,cloud security tools,and app development platforms(includingFirebaseandProject IDX), as well as in apps likeGoogle Photos(where Gemini handles natural language search queries), YouTube (where it helps brainstorm video ideas), and theNotebookLM note-taking assistant.Code Assist(formerlyDuet AI for Developers), Googles suite of AI-powered assistance tools for code completion and generation, is offloading heavy computational lifting to Gemini. So are Googlessecurity products underpinned by Gemini, likeGemini in Threat Intelligence, which can analyze large portions of potentially malicious code and let users perform natural language searches for ongoing threats or indicators of compromise.Gemini extensions and GemsAnnounced at Google I/O 2024,Gemini Advanced users can create Gems, custom chatbots powered by Gemini models. Gems can be generated from natural language descriptions for example, Youre my running coach. Give me a daily running plan and shared with others or kept private.Gems are available on desktop and mobile in 150 countries and most languages. Eventually, theyll be able to tap an expanded set of integrations with Google services, including Google Calendar, Tasks, Keep, and YouTube Music, to complete custom tasks.Image Credits:GoogleSpeaking of integrations, the Gemini apps on the web and mobile can tap into Google services via what Google calls Gemini extensions. Gemini today integrates with Google Drive, Gmail, and YouTube to respond to queries such as Could you summarize my last three emails? Later this year, Gemini will be able to take additional actions with Google Calendar, Keep, Tasks, YouTube Music and Utilities, the Android-exclusive apps that control on-device features like timers and alarms, media controls, the flashlight, volume, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and so on.Gemini Live in-depth voice chatsAn experience called Gemini Live allows users to have in-depth voice chats with Gemini. Its available in the Gemini apps on mobile and the Pixel Buds Pro 2, where it can be accessed even when your phones locked.With Gemini Live enabled, you can interrupt Gemini while the chatbots speaking (in one of several new voices) to ask a clarifying question, and itll adapt to your speech patterns in real time. At some point, Gemini is supposed to gain visual understanding, allowing it to see and respond to your surroundings, either via photos or video captured by your smartphones cameras.Image Credits:GoogleLive is also designed to serve as a virtual coach of sorts, helping you rehearse for events, brainstorm ideas, and so on. For instance, Live can suggest which skills to highlight in an upcoming job or internship interview, and it can give public speaking advice.You can read our review of Gemini Live here. Spoiler alert: We think the feature has a ways to go before its super useful but its early days, admittedly.Image generation via Imagen 3Gemini users can generate artwork and images using Googles built-in Imagen 3 model. Google says that Imagen 3 can more accurately understand the text prompts that it translates into images versus its predecessor,Imagen 2, and is more creative and detailed in its generations. In addition, the model produces fewer artifacts and visual errors (at least according to Google), and is the best Imagen model yet for rendering text.A sample from Imagen 3.Image Credits:GoogleBack in February 2024, Googlewas forced to pauseGeminis ability to generate images of people after users complained ofhistoricalinaccuracies. But in August, the company reintroduced people generation for certain users, specifically English-language users signed up for one of Googles paid Gemini plans (e.g., Gemini Advanced) as part of a pilot program.Gemini for teensIn June, Google introduced a teen-focused Gemini experience, allowing students to sign up via their Google Workspace for Education school accounts.The teen-focused Gemini has additional policies and safeguards, including a tailored onboarding process and an AI literacy guide to (as Google phrases it) help teens use AI responsibly. Otherwise, its nearly identical to the standard Gemini experience, down to the double check feature that looks across the web to see if Geminis responses are accurate.Gemini in smart home devicesA growing number of Google-made devices tap Gemini for enhanced functionality, from the Google TV Streamer to the Pixel 9 and 9 Pro to the newest Nest Learning Thermostat.On the Google TV Streamer, Gemini uses your preferences to curate content suggestions across your subscriptions and summarize reviews and even whole seasons of TV.Image Credits:GoogleOn the latest Nest thermostat (as well as Nest speakers, cameras, and smart displays), Gemini will soon bolster Google Assistants conversational and analytic capabilities.Subscribers to Googles Nest Aware plan later this year will get a preview of new Gemini-powered experiences like AI descriptions for Nest camera footage, natural language video search and recommended automations. Nest cameras will understand whats happening in real-time video feeds (e.g., when a dogs digging in the garden), while the companion Google Home app will surface videos and create device automations given a description (e.g., Did the kids leave their bikes in the driveway?, Have my Nest thermostat turn on the heating when I get home from work every Tuesday).Gemini will soon be able to summarize security camera footage from Nest devices.Image Credits:GoogleAlso later this year, Google Assistant will get a few upgrades on Nest-branded and other smart home devices to make conversations feel more natural. Improved voices are on the way, in addition to the ability to ask follow-up questions and [more] easily go back and forth.What can the Gemini models do?Because Gemini models are multimodal, they can perform a range of multimodal tasks, from transcribing speech to captioning images and videos in real time. Many of these capabilities have reached the product stage (as alluded to in the previous section), and Google is promising much more in the not-too-distant future.Of course, its a bit hard to take the company at its word. Googleseriously underdeliveredwith the original Bard launch. More recently, it ruffled featherswith a video purporting to show Geminis capabilitiesthat was more or less aspirational not live.Also, Google offers no fix for some of theunderlying problemswith generative AI tech today, like itsencodedbiasesand tendency to make things up (i.e.,hallucinate). Neither do its rivals, but its something to keep in mind when considering using or paying for Gemini.Assuming for the purposes of this article that Google is being truthful with its recent claims, heres what the different tiers of Gemini can do now and what theyll be able to do once they reach their full potential:What you can do with Gemini UltraGoogle says thatGemini Ultra thanks to its multimodality can be used to help with things like physics homework, solving problems step-by-step on a worksheet, and pointing out possible mistakes in already filled-in answers.However, we havent seen much of Gemini Ultra in recent months. The model does not appear in the Gemini app, and isnt listed on Google Geminis API pricing page. However, that doesnt mean Google wont bring Gemini Ultra back to the forefront of its offerings in the future.Ultra can also be applied to tasks such as identifying scientific papers relevant to a problem, Google says. The model can extract information from several papers, for instance, and update a chart from one by generating the formulas necessary to re-create the chart with more timely data.Gemini Ultra technically supports image generation. But that capability hasnt made its way into the productized version of the model yet perhaps because the mechanism is more complex than how apps such as ChatGPT generate images. Rather than feed prompts to an image generator (likeDALL-E 3, in ChatGPTs case), Gemini outputs images natively, without an intermediary step.Ultra is available as an API through Vertex AI, Googles fully managed AI dev platform, and AI Studio, Googles web-based tool for app and platform developers.Gemini Pros capabilitiesGoogle says that its latest Pro model, Gemini 2.0 Pro, is its best model yet for coding performance and complex prompts. Its currently available as an experimental version, meaning it can have unexpected issues.Gemini 2.0 Pro outperforms its predecessor, Gemini 1.5 Pro, in benchmarks measuring coding, reasoning, math, and factual accuracy. The model can take in up to 1.4 million words, two hours of video, or 22 hours of audio and can reason across or answer questions about that data (more or less).However, Gemini 1.5 Pro still powers Googles Deep Research feature.Gemini 2.0 Pro works alongside a feature called code execution, released in June alongside Gemini 1.5 Pro, which aims to reduce bugs in code that the model generates by iteratively refining that code over several steps. (Code execution also supports Gemini Flash.)Within Vertex AI, developers can customize Gemini Pro to specific contexts and use cases via a fine-tuning or grounding process. For example, Pro (along with other Gemini models) can be instructed to use data from third-party providers like Moodys, Thomson Reuters, ZoomInfo and MSCI, or source information from corporate datasets or Google Search instead of its wider knowledge bank. Gemini Pro can also be connected to external, third-party APIs to perform particular actions, like automating a back-office workflow.AI Studio offers templates for creating structured chat prompts with Pro. Developers can control the models creative range and provide examples to give tone and style instructions and also tune Pros safety settings.Vertex AI Agent Builderlets people build Gemini-powered agents within Vertex AI. For example, a company could create an agent that analyzes previous marketing campaigns to understand a brand style and then apply that knowledge to help generate new ideas consistent with the style.Gemini Flash is lighter but packs a punchGoogle calls Gemini 2.0 Flash its AI model for the agentic era. The model can natively generate images and audio, in addition to text, and can use tools like Google Search and interact with external APIs.The 2.0 Flash model is faster than Geminis previous generation of models and even outperforms some of the larger Gemini 1.5 models on benchmarks measuring coding and image analysis. You can try Gemini 2.0 Flash in the Gemini web or mobile app, and through Googles AI developer platforms.In December, Google released a thinking version of Gemini 2.0 Flash thats capable of reasoning, in which the AI model takes a few seconds to work backwards through a problem before it gives an answer. In February, Google made Gemini 2.0 Flash thinking available in the Gemini app. The same month, Google also released a smaller version called Gemini 2.0 Flash-Lite. The company says this model outperforms its Gemini 1.5 Flash model, but runs at the same price and speed.An offshoot of Gemini Pro thats small and efficient, built for narrow, high-frequency generative AI workloads, Flash is multimodal like Gemini Pro, meaning it can analyze audio, video, images, and text (but it can only generate text). Google says that Flash is particularly well-suited for tasks like summarization and chat apps, plus image and video captioning and data extraction from long documents and tables.Devs using Flash and Pro can optionally leverage context caching, which lets them store large amounts of information (e.g., a knowledge base or database of research papers) in a cache that Gemini models can quickly and relatively cheaply access. Context caching is an additional fee on top of other Gemini model usage fees, however.Gemini Nano can run on your phoneGemini Nano is a much smaller version of the Gemini Pro and Ultra models, and its efficient enough to run directly on (some) devices instead of sending the task to a server somewhere. So far, Nano powers a couple of features on thePixel 8 Pro, Pixel 8, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9andSamsung Galaxy S24, including Summarize in Recorder and Smart Reply in Gboard.The Recorder app, which lets users push a button to record and transcribe audio, includes a Gemini-powered summary of recorded conversations, interviews, presentations, and other audio snippets. Users get summaries even if they dont have a signal or Wi-Fi connection and in a nod to privacy, no data leaves their phone in process.Image Credits:GoogleNano is also in Gboard, Googles keyboard replacement. There, it powers a feature called Smart Reply, which helps to suggest the next thing youll want to say when having a conversation in a messaging app such as WhatsApp.In the Google Messages app on supported devices, Nano drives Magic Compose, which can craft messages in styles like excited, formal, and lyrical.Google says that a future version of Android will tap Nano toalert users to potential scams during calls.The new weather app on Pixel phones uses Gemini Nano to generate tailored weather reports. And TalkBack, Googles accessibility service, employs Nano tocreate aural descriptions of objectsfor low-vision and blind users.How much do the Gemini models cost?Gemini 1.5 Pro, 1.5 Flash, 2.0 Flash, and 2.0 Flash-Lite are available through Googles Gemini API for building apps and services all with free options. But the free options impose usage limits and leave out certain features, like context caching and batching.Gemini models are otherwise pay-as-you-go. Heres the base pricing not including add-ons like context caching as of September 2024:Gemini 1.5 Pro:$1.25 per 1 million input tokens (for prompts up to 128K tokens) or $2.50 per 1 million input tokens (for prompts longer than 128K tokens); $5 per 1 million output tokens (for prompts up to 128K tokens) or $10 per 1 million output tokens (for prompts longer than 128K tokens)Gemini 1.5 Flash:7.5 cents per 1 million input tokens (for prompts up to 128K tokens), 15 cents per 1 million input tokens (for prompts longer than 128K tokens), 30 cents per 1 million output tokens (for prompts up to 128K tokens), 60 cents per 1 million output tokens (for prompts longer than 128K tokens)Gemini 2.0 Flash: 10 cents per 1 million input tokens, 40 cents per 1 million output tokens. For audio specifically, it costs 70 center per 1 million input tokens, and also 40 centers per 1 million output tokens.Gemini 2.0 Flash-Lite: 7.5 cents per 1 million input tokens, 30 cents per 1 million output tokens.Tokens are subdivided bits of raw data, like the syllables fan, tas, and tic in the word fantastic; 1 million tokens is equivalent to about 700,000 words. Input refers to tokens fed into the model, while output refers to tokens that the model generates.2.0 Pro pricing has yet to be announced, and Nano is still inearly access.Whats the latest on Project Astra?Project Astra is Google DeepMinds effort to create AI-powered apps and agents for real-time, multimodal understanding. In demos, Google has shown how the AI model can simultaneously process live video and audio. Google released an app version of Project Astra to a small number of trusted testers in December but has no plans for a broader release right now.The company would like to put Project Astra in a pair of smart glasses. Google also gave a prototype of some glasses with Project Astra and augmented reality capabilities to a few trusted testers in December. However, theres not a clear product at this time, and its unclear when Google would actually release something like this.Project Astra is still just that, a project, and not a product. However, the demos of Astra reveal what Google would like its AI products to do in the future.Is Gemini coming to the iPhone?It might.Apple has said that its in talks to put Gemini and other third-party models to usefor a number of features in its Apple Intelligence suite. Following akeynote presentation at WWDC 2024, Apple SVP Craig Federighiconfirmed plans to work with models,including Gemini, but he didnt divulge any additional details.This post was originally published February 16, 2024, and is updated regularly.

Apple delivered its latest budget handset, the $599 iPhone 16e, without pomp. There was no big event in person, nor was there one online. No journalists scrambled through hoards of colleagues to snap photos of the phone. Instead, CEO Tim Cook tweeted out that new hardware was on the way, days before Apple announced the handset via a press release.Accordingly, the 16e isnt an exciting device. Its a safe one. Its an amalgam of earlier iPhones, in a bid to create a product thats reliable, while keeping costs down. The handset most closely resembles the iPhone 13 and 14, both in dimensions and the inclusion of the display notch up top. The iPhone 15s Action button is here, but the 16s Camera Control is absent.From an innovation standpoint, the iPhone 16es most exciting element would have to be its custom C1 modem. Thats not a sentiment you hear too often. Modems are decidedly unsexy. Most consumers only ever acknowledge their existence when theirs goes on the fritz. But its not the technology that makes the component interesting. Its the fact that this is the first time Apple has made one.While the 16e borrows liberally from earlier Apple handsets, there are elements of the companys latest flagship that help justify Apples new naming scheme. The strongest argument in favor of ditching the familiar iPhone SE branding is the inclusion of another component: the A18. Thats the same processor found on the regular iPhone 16.This is important for a couple of reasons. The first is that the 16e is $200 cheaper than the iPhone 16, which was, up to now, the cheapest way to get the chip. The second and more important is future-proofing. Apple will continue supporting the chip longer than it will the iPhone 15s A16 chip.Beyond bug fixes and security updates, future-proofing also includes Apple Intelligence, the nascent generative AI platform the company is banking on as the future of iPhone. Before last week, the existing iPhone 16 line and the most expensive iPhone 15 models were the only iOS devices capable of running the feature. A modern take on a familiar form factorImage Credits:Brian HeaterDont get things tangled, though. The star of this show isnt a particular piece of silicon. Its the price. Pricing, after all, is why analysts have pointed the iPhone 16es potential to help Apple make up for lost ground in key markets like China and India. In the grand scheme of things, a $200 price drop from the entry-level iPhone isnt huge, but every bit counts, particularly in developing markets where true flagships can struggle.But dropping the price point doesnt automatically translate to a deluge of new iPhone users. Apple faces extremely stiff competition from domestic manufacturers in China a phenomenon thats only likely to worsen as trade tensions increase.There are other complicated factors in markets like India, where both the iPhone 14 and 15 will be around to purchase through retail channels for a while. The iPhone 14s discontinuation makes finding a new one far more difficult here in the U.S., but the iPhone 15 is still officially available here, starting at $699.Elements like these obscure the 16es position in the current iPhone lineup. A $100 price difference between it and the 15 isnt insignificant, but its nowhere near the price gulf some Android manufacturers put between their mid-tier and flagship devices. Serviceable, cheap Android devices have never been in short demand. The iPhone 16e isnt a budget device, per se, because Apple doesnt make budget devices.Further blurring the lines is the fact that the 16es iPhone 14-inspired design doesnt feel like throwback in the way the last SE did when it was launched in 2022. While the 16e still sports the display notch rather than the Dynamic Island (introduced on the 14 Pro), the overall design of the line hasnt radically changed over the last couple of years. For this reason, the 16e feels like a modern iPhone in a way the last SE didnt.Thats a benefit for most potential buyers, but there will undoubtedly be those who will mourn the end of Touch ID in favor of Face ID. The 16es arrival also heralds the end of the small iPhone. Some will miss the more compact, 4.7-inch display found on the last SE. The 16es arrival means that you can no longer purchase an iPhone with a screen under 6 inches.Image Credits:Brian HeaterThe iPhone 15, iPhone 16e, and iPhone 16 all sport a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display. The screens are largely the same, but there are a few key differences. The 16e has a notch in the place of the Dynamic Island and tops out at 1,200 nits of brightness compared to the maximum 2,000 nits on the other models. The three handsets share nearly identical footprints and weights.All three sport a USB-C port (by law), though the 16e doesnt feature the MagSafe connector on the rear. The handset does charging through the Qi standard, though its speeds top out at 7.5 watts, to the 15s 15 watts and the 16s 25 watts. The 16e sports the longest stated battery life of the three phones, at 26 hours to the 16s 22 hours and the 15s 20 hours. The new C1 modem played an important part in the 16e extended battery life, being both less power hunger than older silicon and smaller in a way that allowed the company to free up space for a larger battery than the iPhone 16. Both the iPhone 16 and 16e sport the latest A18 chip with a six-core CPU and 16-core neural engine. The 16e takes a bit of a hit on the graphics processing side with a four-core GPU to the 16s five cores. All three phones start at 128GB of storage, upgradable to both 256GB or 512GB. The 16 and 16e, meanwhile, sport 8GB of RAM to the 15s 6GB. That little extra boost of RAM should help with some of that on-device Apple Intelligence processing.Intelligent designApple Intelligence currently features text rewrite, summaries, and generative imagery, created through Image Playground. Is the ability to run Apples answer to Google Gemini enough reason to opt for the 16e over the less intelligent iPhone 15? The platforms usefulness will, of course, vary dramatically between individuals in its current form. But these are very much early days.Apple is committed to its generative AI offering, and its set to be the centerpiece of updates for years to come. I cant promise any life-changing features on the horizon, but its entirely possible youll kick yourself in a year or two for deprioritizing the technology. Visual Intelligence Apples answer to Google Lens is also available on the 16e, though the absence of the Camera Control feature means youll have to access it by means of the Action Button. More notable than the absence of Camera Control, however, is the presence of a single camera on the rear of the iPhone 16e.Apple glossed over this fact during the announcement, instead highlighting what it calls a 2-in-1 camera system. Through the magic of computational photography, the iPhone 16e is a single-camera smartphone that feels like a two-camera system. This boils down to the 48-megapixel sensor with integrated telephoto, which means the image will give you a closer, 12-megapixel version of the image, without majorly sacrificing image quality for zoom.You will inevitably lose versatility moving from two image sensors to one, even if said image sensor utilizes fancy fusion technology. For some users, this alone is enough to justify the added $100 to $200 to get the iPhone 15 or 16 instead. That said, the 16e is capable of getting some nice shots for a single-sensor handset and certainly marks a big leap over the last iPhone SE.It comes down to the features you needEvery time the price drops by $100, youre sacrificing something. Thats how profit margins work. Choosing the best entry-level iPhone in the current lineup is less straightforward than it might have been in the past. It comes down to what features you need and what youre willing to do without.The 16e is an exercise in feature prioritization. If you need the latest everything, eat the extra $200 and get the regular iPhone 16. If Apple Intelligence isnt a priority, the iPhone 15 has you covered.In the end, theres surprisingly little daylight between the iPhone 16 and 16e. It prioritizes Apple Intelligence through the inclusion of the A18 and 8GB of RAM. The handset makes sacrifices in the name of affordability, like MagSafe, Dynamic Island, Camera Control, and the dual-camera system. If you can live without all those, by all means, save yourself the $200.

Rug in Living Room | Prydumano Design via UnsplashOne of our favorite ways to dress the stage, so to speak, is by incorporating statement-making pieces such asSerena and Lily rugs. These works of art add dimension and characterand, more importantly, tie your architecture to your style to tell one cohesive story. Heres how!The Power of TextureSay you have a living room perfectly decked out in the latest furniture finds and lighting fixturesbut with fabulous, hard flooring and nothing on the floor to ground the space. Now, picture that same room with a colorful, textural rug that defines the seating area and makes the room feel cozy.The difference a well-placed, plush rug makes is immeasurable; it draws the eye and invites guests to sit down and stay awhile, adding life and vivacity to your space. That dear homeowner is the power of a rug specifically, the power of the texture on a rug. It helps take away the sharpness and sometimes sterileness of the place and give it some warmth and that lived-in experience!They say you set the stage with the architecture, but its the supporting players that steal the show!Color CoordinationThe most powerful way to influence the personality of a space, besides architecture, is color. A rug is a fabulous tool for effectively transferring that color throughout the room, marrying the palette of your walls, furnishings, and art. If your furniture and walls are adorned in earthy colors and sustainable materials, a rug that includes light blues or greens in its weave will help to repeat the notion of nature indoors. If, on the other hand, youve decided on trendy, contemporary accents within and against a neutral framework, a boldly printed rug might be just the thing to bring in and fuel your style.Defining SpacesBedroom Rug | Avi Richards via UnsplashWhite Rug | Josh Hemsley via UnsplashIn open-concept rooms, its not always easy to create well-defined spaces. Enter: rugs. Placing rugs in different areas helps create boundaries for eating, entertaining, or whatever else. A cozy, fluffy rug under the dining table instantly invites your family to happy home meals. In the lounge area, a stylish rug draws everyone in and encourages connection and conversation. Plus, each rug gives a little narrative, helping to direct the traffic and conversation flow in your home.Layering for DepthOne of the most exciting rug trends is all about layering. This quick and easy technique adds depth and interest to your room, creating a look that appears homey and stylized. Pair a larger rug with a smaller, contrasting rug on top for a fun, free-spirited, bohemian vibe. This adds some fun visual dimension and intrigue, as well as mixes and matches patterns and fabrics to help showcase your style. Treat the look as you would fashion for your feet!Accessorizing with IntentionWhile rugs are a great place to start, accessories that complement your architecture arent limited to whats underfoot. Try incorporating pillows, throws, and art in like-minded colors inspired by your Serena and Lily rugs. Pulling all the pieces together helps them work as a team to make your home welcoming and beautiful.Architecture and Rugs: The Unbeatable Home Styling Combo!Whether youre working in a sleek modern space or an adorable cottage, let those accessories like the Serena and Lily rugs work in your home, and have fun watching your architecture work in new and delightful ways! And, of course happy decorating!Interior Design Leave a comment

How to solve today's Wordle.SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesLooking for Tuesdays Wordle hints, clues and answer? You can find them here:Welcome back to your daily Wordle guide, oh thou marvelous Wordlers! Today is Thors Day, which means we have the answer to the Wordle Wednesday puzzle before we get into the Wordle itself. This was yesterdays extra puzzle:Four friendsOwl, Robot, Sneaky Bobby, and Tomcatare playing a board game that involves rolling a six-sided die and moving that many spaces forward. The game has the following conditions:Each player rolls the die once per turn and moves forward exactly that number of spaces.There are no extra turns, backward movements, or skipping turns in this game.After four rounds, Owl and Robot are tied on the same space.Sneaky Bobby is exactly 2 spaces ahead of them.Tomcat is exactly 2 spaces behind them.The total of all dice rolls at this point is 52.What spaces does each player occupy?The Answer: Sneaky Bobby is on Space #15, Owl and Robot are on Space #13 and Tomcat is on Space #11. Well done to all of you who messaged me the answer! P.S. If you have a good riddle or brain-teaser or puzzle youd like featured in a Wordle Wednesday feel free to DM me those as well!Now lets solve this Wordle!How To Solve Todays WordleThe Hint: A place you might stay on a skiing trip.The Clue: This Wordle ends with a vowel.Okay, spoilers below!...The Answer:Today's WordleCredit: Erik KainWordle AnalysisEvery day I check Wordle Bot to help analyze my guessing game. You can check your Wordles with Wordle Bot right here. Another pretty lucky day, if Im being honest with myself. I started out strong with TREAD, nabbing two yellow boxes. With just 58 remaining solutions, I guessed GUIDE and moved the E to green. I snagged another yellow box, but with six words left my third guess was very lucky, indeed. LODGE for the win!Competitive Wordle ScoreToday's BotScreenshot: Erik KainI get 1 point for guessing in three and 0 for tying the Bot. Ill take a point!How To Play Competitive WordleGuessing in 1 is worth 3 points; guessing in 2 is worth 2 points; guessing in 3 is worth 1 point; guessing in 4 is worth 0 points; guessing in 5 is -1 points; guessing in 6 is -2 points and missing the Wordle is -3 points.If you beat your opponent you get 1 point. If you tie, you get 0 points. And if you lose to your opponent, you get -1 point. Add it up to get your score. Keep a daily running score or just play for a new score each day.Fridays are 2XP, meaning you double your pointspositive or negative.You can keep a running tally or just play day-by-day. Enjoy!Todays Wordle EtymologyThe word "lodge" comes from Old French "loge", meaning a small shelter or hut, which itself derives from Frankish or Proto-Germanic roots (laubja), referring to a shelter made from foliage or branches. It entered Middle English as "lodge", meaning a temporary dwelling or small house, and later expanded to include meanings like a place for meetings (e.g., Masonic lodge) or a place to stay temporarily (e.g., a hunting lodge or hotel).Let me know how you fared with your Wordle today on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. Also be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel and follow me here on this blog where I write about games, TV shows and movies when Im not writing puzzle guides. Sign up for my newsletter for more reviews and commentary on entertainment and culture.

Kuok Meng Wei, whose grandfather was once called the worlds shrewdest businessman by Forbes, is leading his family into what the 41-year-old describes as the hottest industry in decades.By Jonathan Burgos, Forbes StaffThe roots of Kuok Group, the conglomerate founded by legendary business tycoon Robert Kuok, go back to 1949 in Malaysias Johor state, where he and his brothers started a business trading everyday items such as sugar, rice and flour. More than 75 years later, once-sleepy Johor, cashing in on its plentiful land and proximity to Singapore, has transformed itself into a booming tech hub. There, in a homecoming of sorts, the Kuok Group has latched on to the opportunity of selling a 21st century essential: data storage.Forbes AsiaLast October, the groups privately held unit K2 Strategic, led by the patriarchs 41-year-old grandson Kuok Meng Wei, opened a 60 megawatt (MW) data centercapacity is measured by power consumptionat the 700-acre Sedenak Tech Park, one of a dozen digital hubs multiplying across Johor. Located about 30 kilometers from the century-old causeway connect-ing Singapore and state capital Johor Bahru, it has drawn some of the biggest data center players from around the world.The data center industry is the hottest industry weve seen for decades, says Meng Wei. AI workloads are driving the demand for data centers exponentially.In Johor, K2 Strategic is currently the third-biggest operator, after Bain Capitals Bridge Data Centres, with 126MW, and DayOne (a unit of Chinas GDS) with 115MW, according to London-based property consultancy Knight Frank. Other players include Warburg Pincus-backed Princeton Digital Group and Malaysian tycoon Francis Yeohs YTL Corp., which has partnered with AI chip developer Nvidia. Meng Wei is reluctant to disclose the names of K2s existing clients, saying, We count two of the worlds largest cloud service providers and the worlds fastest-growing social media firm among our list of customers.Fast ClipFueled by the rapid migration of enterprise data onto the cloud and adoption of AI, K2 Strategics revenue has soared in the past six years.Source: K2 StrategicK2s managing director and CEO says the data center boom is similar to the large macro wave the Kuok Group rode when China opened up under Deng Xiaoping in the late 1970s, unleashing demand for necessities like edible oil and other agri-commodities. Confident that riding this new wave will pay off, Meng Wei is doubling down with plans to invest a whopping $9 billion over the next five years on top of the $1 billion hes already spent. The bulk has been earmarked for building data center capacity in Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand.These countries, which are Southeast Asias fastest-growing data storage hubs, according to Knight Frank, have benefited from Singapores 2019 moratorium on building data centers due to constraints on land and electricity supply. The moratorium was lifted in 2022, but new buildouts continued in Malaysia and elsewhere as Singapore imposed more stringent requirements.The data center industry is the hottest industry weve seen for decades.Big money is pouring into the data center boom in the region. Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Oracle are fast-expanding their digital footprint across Southeast Asia, with plans to invest more than a combined $44 billion in the next few years. Just over half of that amount$23 billionis targeted for Malaysia.Despite the rapid buildup, industry players are confident demand is sustainable. The industry is not overbuilding capacity just yet, says Otto Toto Sugiri, billionaire cofounder and CEO of Jakarta-listed DCI Indonesia, that countrys largest data center provider. (At the end of 2024, it operated seven centers with a combined capacity of 83MW.)Meng Wei is scaling up fast. His goal is to increase K2s capacity tenfold to 1,200MW by 2030 from 120MW currently. To achieve this, hes scouting for new sites in Malaysia outside the Sedenak campus, which he expects to be fully occupied within the next two to three years. Simultaneously, hes expanding in Indonesia where K2 Strategic has partnered with the billionaire Widjaja familys Sinar Mas Land. Theyve acquired two sites in Bekasi in eastern Jakarta, covering over 40 acres, where they plan to develop more than 100MW.K2 Strategics data center campus in Dublin.Courtesy of K2 Strategic The K in K2 Strategic doesnt stand for Kuok; the name is from the worlds second-tallest mountain, which is a steeper, more difficult climb than Everest. Its peak at 8,600 meters above sea level is where the clouds touch the ground, Meng Wei says. K2 Strategics revenue has been climbing, touching nearly $100 million in 2024 from $3 million in 2018, when it opened its first data center in Ireland, much before Southeast Asia became a data center hotspot. (The unlisted company doesnt disclose other financial numbers.)Meng Wei started his career in the agribusiness side, the Kuok Groups traditional mainstay. After earning an industrial engineering degree from Stanford University in 2007, he worked at Singapore-listed Wilmar International, the palm oil giant cofounded by Robert Kuoks nephew Kuok Khoon Hong (also a billionaire with a recent net worth of $2.8 billion). Later, as an executive director of a Wilmar subsidiary, Meng Wei shuttled between Singapore and Myanmar, where the commodities giant had invested $1 billion in a portfolio of assets, including the countrys largest sugar refinery by volume and port operations in Thilawa, a special economic zone near Yangon.In 2016, Meng Wei was tasked with setting up the Kuok Groups special projects office to explore new businesses. He suggested investing in critical infrastructurea long gestation business but one with a steady revenue stream that could provide a hedge against the cyclical nature of the groups core activities of commodities and shipping.Hot SpotThanks to the AI boom, demand for data center capacity is expected to increase rapidly in the Asia-Pacific and globally.*FORECAST | All numbers are in gigawatts (1,000 megawatts equals 1 gigawatt.) Data center capacity is measured by electricity consumption.Source: JLL That same year, after a proposed investment in a power plant in Myanmar unraveled, Meng Wei chanced upon a novel opportunity: to convert a warehouse in Dublin into a data center. It was very early days in the development of hyperscale data centers and few banks understood how to finance this asset class, recalls Meng Wei. He presented the investment proposal to his family with a compelling pitch. Data centers will provide strong returns in good times and bad times, almost like a bond, he argued.K2 Strategic spent 150 million ($153 million) to develop an 18MW center in Dublin, completing the project in 2018. The concept was so new that for the longest time my mother-in-law thought I was setting up a call center, recalls Meng Wei. Today, K2 Strategic is one of the biggest data center operators in Dublin, with operational capacity of 60MW across four centers, which have major U.S. tech companies as tenants.The foray into data centers was not an unusual move for the Kuok Group. Patriarch Robert Kuok set the stage for the groups expansion into tech over two decades ago when he invested in Epsilon Telecommunications in 2003. In an early iteration of the data center model, Epsilon provided connectivity and colocation facilities to house computer servers for customers such as banks.The industry is not overbuilding capacity just yet, says the founder and CEO of Indonesias largest data center investor.While Epsilon was eventually sold to Korea Telecom for $145 million in 2021, Meng Weis stint as a director of the company from 2016 until the sale helped him understand the business. Epsilon also provided K2 with data center expertise in the first year of its operations.Meng Weis timing has proved to be fortuitous. Data center capacity in the Asia-Pacific climbed 80% to 18 gigawatts (GW) in 2024, up from 10GW at the height of the pandemic in 2020. It will likely touch 35GW (accounting for 35% of the global total) by 2029, according to Chicago-based JLL.Data center investments are influenced by a compelling global narrative of exponential demand for computing power and data storage, constrained supply due to power scarcity, and attractive financial returns, Glen Duncan, head of Asia-Pacific data center research at JLL in Singapore, says by email.In a bid to keep up with skyrocketing demand, Meng Wei is harnessing the Kuok Groups maritime engineering capabilities to build data centers at a faster pace. In 2023, the group acquired Singapores McPEC, a builder of modular structures for offshore oil-and-gas facilities, that has since started creating lego-like modular structures similar to those installed at Sedenak, which was built in less than a year.Photographs by Munster Cheong for Forbes AsiaSuch technology speeds up the construction of data centers and they can be up and running faster than the typical two-year time frame it usually takes, Meng Wei says. The speed element is very important, confirms Fred Fitzalan Howard, associate director and data center lead at Knight Frank in Singapore. The quicker they can deliver the data center capacity, the better.According to the International Energy Agency, data centers account for around 1% of global electricity consumption, which Goldman Sachs Research estimates could rise to 3-4% by the end of the decade. (In Ireland, data centers use up 20% of the electricity production.) As construction gathers pace, it causes a strain on local power networks, as is happening in Malaysia. Last July, parts of Klang Valley, outside of Kuala Lumpur experienced an outage, seven months after the countrys immigration checkpoint at the Singapore border suffered a 10-hour blackout.Meng Wei is acutely aware of the power-guzzling nature of the business. The Kuok Group, he says, plans to convert some 1,000 acres of its plantation sites in Malaysia into solar farms and other renewable energy projects, potentially building 100MW of solar-generated electricity capacity on half of the land. The sustainability angle is very strong for me, Meng Wei says. Id like to look back and tell my children what I did to make this world a better place. With reporting from Ardian Wibisono in Jakarta.FAMILY TIESForbesKuok Meng Wei belongs to the third generation of an entrepreneurial family thats made its mark in Southeast Asia and China. His grandfather Robert Kuok, a giant in business, who celebrated his 101st birthday in October, started trading commodities after World War II and expanded into logistics and hotels as well as shipping and shipbuilding.In 1997, Robert appeared on the cover of Forbes, where he was called The Worlds Shrewdest Businessman. The fortune he amassed along the way earned him the title of Malaysias richest person, a position he continues to hold. While he was often referred to as Asias sugar king, he also set up the luxury Shangri-La Hotels chain. Today, the Kuok Group has more than 100 hotels and resorts in almost 80 destinations under the Hong Kong-listed company.Robert Kuok, his siblings and a cousin, started Kuok Brothers in 1949 to trade rice, sugar and flour from a shophouse (depicted in this painting) in Johor, Malaysia.Photographs by Munster Cheong for Forbes Asia The patriarchs children have taken the helm at key companies in Singapore and Hong Kong, where Robert has been a long-time resident. His eldest son, Kuok Khoon Chen, also known as Beau, is chairman of Kuok Group. Another son, Khoon Ean, Meng Weis father, is chairman of Kuok Singapore with real estate holdings in the city-state, which also serves as the base for the groups shipping, digital infrastructure and maritime engineering businesses. Roberts youngest son, Kuok Khoon Hua, is chairman and CEO of Hong Kong-listed Kerry Properties, which owns prime office buildings in Hong Kong and mainland China, while daughter Kuok Hui Kwong is chairman of Shangri-La Group.In the third generation, Meng Weis older brother, Meng Xiong, referred to as MX, manages the family-backed private equity firm K3 Ventures, which has invested in more than 50 startups including TikTok parent ByteDance and ride-hailing and food delivery company Grab.Meng Wei says that age has not withered his grandfathers passion for business. He still keeps his energy high and stays on top of developments. After reading media reports about global companies planning data centers in Malaysia, Robert messaged his grandson: Whats going on? Give me an update. J.B.MORE FROM FORBES

In brief: USB-C to HDMI cables for connecting portable devices to monitors or TVs are nothing new, but Anker's latest product includes a unique array of features at an attractive price. It charges faster than similar adapters and significantly undercuts Apple's digital AV adapter with superior functionality. The new Anker Nano USB-C to HDMI cable adapter supports 4K 60Hz video output from various devices and includes a separate USB-C port that enables fast charging up to 140W. At just $29, it's one of the best deals for connecting phones, tablets, and laptops to external displays.Plugging portable devices into TVs or monitors for extended periods typically requires a separate charging cable. For laptops, this means sacrificing an extra USB port. Meanwhile, phones and tablets often drain their batteries since they lack additional ports.Anker's adapter solves this issue by adding a USB-C charging port, allowing mobile devices to stay powered while outputting video and freeing up an extra port on laptops.The charging port also supports Thunderbolt 4 and 5. While Apple's USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter also includes USB-C and HDMI ports, it costs more than twice as much and does not include an HDMI cable.Anker's adapter is compatible with a wide range of devices, including Apple and non-Apple phones, tablets, laptops, and handheld gaming PCs such as the Steam Deck, Asus ROG Ally, Samsung Galaxy Tab, Lenovo ThinkBook, HP Chromebook, and more. Users can mirror or extend their screens to external displays and close their laptop lids while in use. // Related StoriesHowever, size and placement constraints prevent the adapter from connecting to some displays, including several Samsung and Dell monitors, and the Nintendo Switch (the full list is on the Amazon listing). The most likely reason is the three-foot cable length, though Anker may eventually release longer versions. Additionally, some Samsung and Google phones may not charge at full speed when using PPS (Programmable Power Supply) connections.A similar adapter from Ugreen is available for $25, supporting the Nintendo Switch and featuring a 6.6-inch cable. However, it lacks Thunderbolt 5 support and maxes out at 100W charging. Anker's adapter hasn't yet gathered many Amazon reviews, but Ugreen's alternative has received positive feedback.Those who require a higher-bandwidth HDMI connection may want to consider Cable Matters' HDMI 2.1 adapter, which supports 4K at 240Hz or 8K at 60Hz. However, it only includes Thunderbolt 4 (100W charging) and requires a separate HDMI cable.

Table of ContentsTable of ContentsHow to watch LSU vs. AlabamaWatch LSU vs. Alabama on Sling TVHow to watch LSU vs. Alabama from abroad with a VPNConference play is almost done, but a few regular-season games remain. Aneesah Morrow and the No. 7 LSU Tigers (27-2) hit the road to play Sarah Ashlee Barke and the No. 20 Alabama Crimson Tide (22-6). This will be the only meeting between the two rivals in the regular season.After losing to Texas on February 16, the LSU Tigers have won two consecutive games, including Sundays game against Kentucky. LSUs Morrow, FlauJae Johnson, and Mikaylah Williams might be the best trio in the country. Alabama also has a three-headed monster in Barke, Zaay Green, and Aaliyah Nye. The Crimson Tide enter Thursdays game having won five of their last six games.Recommended VideosLSU and Alabama will be playing in the NCAA Tournament in the next month. Find out how to watch the game between LSU and Alabama, including the start time, channel, and streaming options. Read our NCAA womens basketball March to the Madness guide for more coverage.Related Coleman Coliseum pic.twitter.com/hm7xnLX6Wv LSU Women's Basketball (@LSUwbkb) February 27, 2025The Tigers and the Crimson Tide face off at9 p.m. ET on Thursday, February 27, 2025.SEC Network or WatchESPN. Log in with a TV provider.Watch LSU vs. AlabamaPhil Nickinson / Digital TrendsIf you want to watch LSU versus Alabama without cable, sign up for a live streaming service like . Enjoy womens college basketball with a Sling TV package.Sling TV offers customers two paid plans: Orange at $46 and Blue at $51 per month. Combine Orange and Blue for $66 per month. However, Sling offers the first month at a 50% discount. To access SEC Network, sign up for the Sports Extra add-on for $11 per month.NordVPNThe most advanced VPN on the market isNordVPN. With NordVPN, users receive a tool that protects their connection from cybercriminals. Data is routed through a remote VPN server first. Then, it changes the IP address and virtual location to keep you safer. Plus, VPNs are great to have while traveling abroad. If youre unsatisfied with the service, request a 30-day money-back guaranteeEditors Recommendations

A class action complaint filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York claims that Hisense, through its marketing on both the Hisense website and retailer websites, made false claims that its TVs included quantum dot technology when they actually did not, or not enough to result in an improvement to the performance. (Questions were brought up about TCLs use of quantum dots last fall.) The specific Hisense TV models mentioned in the complaint include, but are not necessarily limited to, the QD5 series, the QD6 series, QD65 series, the QD7 series, the U7 series, and the U7N series. The complaint documents were filed on February 25, 2025.The complaint states that the plaintiff, Robert Macioce, purchased a 43-inch QD5 Hisense in November from Best Buy for $159.99. Based on the advertising for the product, the TV includes QLED Quantum Dot Color technology which dramatically increase[s] the color saturation for everything you watch. The court documents point out that the same terminology is used on the Hisense website. It goes on to say that the primary reason Plaintiff Macioce purchased the television was because it contained QLED technology, including the advertised performance benefits of that technology, such as providing better picture quality and more vivid colors, as compared to a standard LED television.Recommended VideosThe crux of the lawsuit looks to hinge upon the word meaningful, which appears many times throughout the 29-page complaint. Who will decide what meaningful means? Perhaps a jury. The plaintiff and his lawyers have called for a trail by jury for the five causes of action included in the complaint.Please enable Javascript to view this contentNot surprisingly, no evidence is referenced in the document, although it does note that, since quantum dots are produced through a chemical process, the technology leaves known chemical markers. It goes on to say that consumers would be able to tell if quantum dots were used by detecting any residual chemical markers. The complaint does use the term upon information and belief throughout, which means, in legal terms, that the information is based on second-hand knowledge.We have reached out to Hisense for a statement and will update this article if one is provided.Editors Recommendations

Big battery gains, big price jumpand no more home button.