If you were looking to save money on an iPad Pro with an OLED display, you can go ahead and invest in the M4 iPad Pro because the M5 iPad Pro might not have any new features to set it apart from its predecessor.Details from the research firm, Meritz Securities suggest that upgrades for the upcoming professional-tier iPad may primarily come down to the M5 chip, with Apple expected to save bigger feature overhauls for subsequent generations of the tablet series.Recommended VideosLeaker @Jukanlosreve broke down the firms research note on X, which explains its observations of Apples current business timeline. The brand introduced its OLED display on the M4 iPad last year as a highlight feature, which reduced the weight and thickness of the tablet but subsequently increased the price. The coming M5 chip, based on the 3nm N3P node is expected to give the tablet only a minimal improvement over the previous model. With other aspects, such as design expected to remain relatively the same, Apple may also have modest outlooks on its production of OLED displays for the iPad Pro. Working with Samsung Display and LG Display to produce OLED panels for the tablet, the sources originally projected a need for over 9 million OLED panels to supply 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models combined. The manufacturers ended up shipping approximately 5.7 million units to Apple.Wccftech noted that Apple may delay the launch of the M5 iPad Pro until after it announces the M5 MacBook Pro. If accurate the M5 iPad Pro may not see a launch until 2026. However, this could be a benefit as the Pro-level devices would be priced similarly and could easily cannibalize one another. Notably, Apple unveiled the tablet ahead of the laptop in 2024 to showcase the then-new technology.Analysts have indicated that the M5 MacBook Pro may also be a lackluster upgrade until Apple introduces an OLED display to the Pro laptop line in future generations. However, other reports suggest that Apple may use the M5 line as an opportunity to bring in a complete software refresh across all its platforms, including macOS, iPadOS, and iOS that is practical and consistent in terms of look and function. The overhaul is expected to be inspired by the VisionOSsoftware that powers the Vision Pro headset.Editors Recommendations

If you cant decide between laptop deals and tablet deals for your next device, you can actually get the best of both worlds with the Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 laptop. Its an even more attractive option right now because its $450 off as part of a clearance sale from Dell, which nearly halves its price from $950 to just $500. Were not sure how long stocks will remain available for this versatile machine, so if you want to take advantage of this offer, we highly recommend completing your transaction as soon as you can.The Dell Inspiron 14 7440 is the Intel-powered version of the Dell Inspiron 14 7445, with this 2-in-1 laptop running on the Intel Core 7 150U processor, integrated Intel Graphics, and 16GB of RAM thats on the level of top-tier machines, according to our guide on how much RAM do you need. With these specifications, you wont have any trouble handling all of your daily tasks for work or school, such as doing online research, building reports, and creating presentations. With Windows 11 Home pre-installed in its 512GB SSD, you can start using the Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 laptop right after unboxing it, and it comes with a fingerprint reader for security.The versatility of the Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 laptop comes from the 360-degree hinges that attach its 14-inch Full HD+ touchscreen to its body. From laptop mode, you can transform it into tablet mode by folding the display all the way back to below the keyboard. You also have other options tent mode for presenting to other people, and media mode for watching streaming content without any distractions.RelatedIf youre interested in 2-in-1 laptop deals, you should definitely check out this offer from Dell a $450 discount on the Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 laptop, which brings its price down to only $500 from $950 originally. This is a clearance sale, so were not sure if youll get another chance at it once it sells out, and that may happen at any moment. If you want to get the Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 laptop for nearly half-price, you need to proceed with your purchase right now.Editors Recommendations

Philanthropists Arnie and Lauren Bellini donate what is the largest gift in the schools history, hoping to turn the Tampa Bay area into Cyber Bay.

Stephen Graham plays the father of a boy accused of murder in a four-part serieseach episode made of one long shotthat he created with Jack Thorne.

good news! Despite everything, US EV sales are up 28% this year In US, customers are buying while there are still incentives, no extra tariffs. Jonathan M. Gitlin Mar 11, 2025 8:01 pm | 5 Credit: Getty Images Credit: Getty Images Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreWith all the announcements from automakers planning for more gasoline and hybrid cars in their future lineups, you'd think that electric vehicles had stopped selling. While that might be increasingly true for Tesla, everyone else is more than picking up the slack. According to analysts at Rho Motion, global EV sales are up 30 percent this year already. Even here in the US, EV sales were still up 28 percent compared to 2024, despite particularly EV-unfriendly headwinds.Getting ahead of those unfriendly winds may actually be driving the sales bump in the US, where EV sales only grew by less than 8 percent last year, for contrast. "American drivers bought 30 percent more electric vehicles than they had by this time last year, making use of the final months of IRA tax breaks before the incentives are expected to be pulled later this year," said Charles Lester, Rho Motion data manager.With the expected loss of government incentives and the prospect of new tariffs that will add tens of thousands of dollars to new car prices, now is probably a good time to buy an EV if you think you're going to want or need one.Perhaps surprisingly, growth in the much more EV-tolerant European Union was barely higher, at 29 percent for the year to date, helped by a new tax on plug-in hybrid weight in France, Rho Motion says. Both Germany and the UK EV markets have grown by 40 percent this year.China is speeding past the rest of the world in terms of electrifying its transportation, and unsurprisingly it comes out on top in Rho Motion's data, with 35 percent growth for the year to date compared to 2024. Looking month by month shows an even more impressive 73 percent increase year over year, thanks to where the lunar new year fell in 2024 and 2025.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. 5 Comments

The move from hunting and gathering to farming happened around the same time everywhereLUIS & MARTA MONTANYA/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARYThis is an extract from Our Human Story, our newsletter about the revolution in archaeology.Sign up to receive it in your inbox every month.Lets talk about the biggest coincidence in human evolution. To fully appreciate this coincidence, you need to see it in context. The oldest known hominins lived 7 million years ago, so we have been evolving separately from apes for at least that long. Our own species, Homo sapiens, seems to be about 300,000 years

Since general AI agent Manus was launched last week, it has spread online like wildfire. And not just in China either, where it was developed by Wuhan-based startup Butterfly Effect. Its made its way into the global conversation, with influential voices in tech, including Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey and Hugging Face product lead Victor Mustar, praising its performance. Some have even dubbed it the second DeepSeek, drawing comparisons to the earlier AI model that took the industry by surpriseboth for its unexpected capabilities and its origin. Manus claims to be the world's first general AI agentleveraging multiple AI models (such as Anthropic's Claude 3.5 Sonnet and fine-tuned versions of Alibaba's open-source Qwen), and various independently operating agents to act autonomously on a wide range of tasks. (This is different from AI chatbots, including DeepSeek, that are based on a single large language model family and are primarily designed for conversational interactions.) Despite all the hype, very few people have had a chance to use it. Currently, under 1% of the users on the waitlist have received an invite code. (Its unclear how many people are on this waitlist, but for a sense of how much interest there is, Manuss Discord channel has more than 186,000 members.) MIT Technology Review was able to obtain access to Manus, and when I gave it a test drive, I found that using it feels like collaborating with a highly intelligent and efficient intern: While it occasionally lacks understanding of what its being asked to do, makes incorrect assumptions, or cuts corners to expedite tasks, it explains its reasoning clearly, is remarkably adaptable, and can improve substantially when provided with detailed instructions or feedback. Ultimately, its promising but not perfect. Just like its parent companys previous product, an AI assistant called Monica that was released in 2023, Manus is intended for a global audience. English is set as the default language, and its design is clean and minimalist. To get in, a user has to enter a valid invite code. Then the system directs users to a landing page that closely resembles those of ChatGPT or DeepSeek, with historical sessions displayed in a left-hand column and a chat input box in the center. The landing page also features sample tasks curated by the companyranging from business strategy development to interactive learning to customized audio meditation sessions. Like other reasoning-based agentic AI tools, such as ChatGPT DeepResearch, Manus is capable of breaking tasks down into steps and autonomously navigating the web to get the information it needs to complete tasks. What sets it apart is the Manus's Computer window, which allows users not only to observe what the agent is doing, but also intervene at any point. To put it to the test, I tasked Manus with three assignments: (1) compile a list of notable reporters covering China tech, (2) search for two-bedroom property listings in New York City, and (3) nominate potential candidates for Innovators Under 35, a list created by MIT Technology Review every year. Heres how it did: Task 1: The first list of reporters that Manus gave me contained only five names, with five honorable mentions below them. I noticed that it listed some journalists notable work while not others. I asked Manus why it did this. The reason it offered was hilariously simple: It got lazy. It was partly due to time constraints as I tried to expedite the research process, the agent told me. When I insisted on consistency and thoroughness, Manus responded with a comprehensive list of 30 journalists, noting their current outlet and listing notable work. (I was glad to see I made the cut, along with many of my beloved peers.) I was impressed that I was able to make top-level suggestions for changes, much as someone would with a real-life intern or assistant, and that it responded in kind. And while it initially overlooked some journalists employer status changes, when I asked it to revisit some results, it quickly corrected them. Another nice feature: the output was downloadable as a Word or Excel file, making it easy to edit or share with others. Manus hit a snag, though, when accessing journalists news articles behind paywalls; it frequently encountered CAPTCHA blocks. Since I was able to follow along step by step, I could easily take over to complete these, though many media sites still blocked the tool due to suspicious activity. I see potential for major improvements hereand it would be useful if a future version of Manus could proactively ask for help when it encounters these sorts of restrictions. Task 2: For the apartment search, I gave Manus a complex set of criteria, including a budget, and parameters for a spacious kitchen, outdoor space, access to downtown Manhattan, and a major train station within a seven-minute walk. Manus initially interpreted vague requirements like some kind of outdoor access too literally, completely excluding properties without a private terrace or balcony access. However, after more guidance and clarification, it was able to compile a broader and more helpful list, giving recommendations in tiers and neat bullet points. The final output felt straight from Wirecutter, containing subtitles like best overall, best value, and luxury option. This task (including the back and forth) took less than half an houra lot faster than compiling the list of journalists (which took a little over an hour), likely because property listings are more openly available and well-structured online. Task 3: This was the largest in scope: I asked Manus to nominate 50 people for this years Innovators Under 35 list. Producing this list is an enormous undertaking and we typically get hundreds of nominations every year. So I was curious to see how well Manus could do. It broke the task into steps, including reviewing past lists to understand selection criteria, creating a search strategy for identifying candidates, compiling names, and ensuring a diverse selection of candidates from all over the world. Developing a search strategy was the most time-consuming part for Manus. While it didnt explicitly outline its approach, the Manuss Computer window revealed the agent rapidly scrolling through websites of prestigious research universities, announcements of tech awards, and news articles. However, it again encountered obstacles when trying to access academic papers and paywalled media content. After three hours of scouring the internetduring which Manus (understandably) asked me multiple times whether I could narrow the searchit was only able to give me three candidates with full background profiles. When I pressed it again to provide a complete list of 50 names, it eventually generated one, but certain academic institutions and fields were heavily overrepresented, reflecting an incomplete research process. After I pointed out the issue and asked it to find five candidates from China, it managed to compile a solid five-name list, though the results skewed toward Chinese media darlings. Ultimately, I had to give up after the system warned that Manuss performance might decline if I kept inputting too much text. My assessment: Overall, Still, its not all smooth sailing. Manus can suffer from frequent crashes and system instability, and can struggle when asked to process large chunks of text. The message Due to the current high service load, tasks cannot be created. Please try again in a few minutes flashed on my screen a few times when starting new requests, and occasionally Manuss Computer froze on a certain page for a long period of time. It has a higher failure rate than ChatGPT DeepResearcha problem the team is addressing, according to Manuss chief scientist Peak Ji. That said, Chinese media outlet 36Kr reports that Manuss per-task cost is about $2, which is just one-tenth of DeepResearchs cost. If the Manus team strengthens its server infrastructure, I can see the tool becoming a preferred choice for individual users, particularly white-collar professionals, independent developers, and small teams. Finally, I think its really valuable that Manuss working process feels more transparent and collaborative. It actively asks questions along the way and retains key instructions as knowledge in its memory for future use, allowing for an easily customizable agentic experience. Its also really nice that each session is replayable and shareable. I expect I will keep using Manus for all sorts of tasks, both in my personal and professional lives. While I'm not sure the comparisons to DeepSeek are quite right, it serves as further evidence that Chinese AI companies are not just following in the footsteps of their Western counterparts. They are not just innovating on base models, but actively shaping the adoption of autonomous AI agents in their own way.

2025-03-12T00:08:01Z Read in app The eight founders of Critical Role started streaming on Twitch in 2015. Now they're rolling out their 10th anniversary road map. Heirlume Photography This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now.Have an account? The nerdworld business Critical Role celebrates its 10th anniversary on March 12.They started off playing "Dungeons & Dragons" on Twitch, but have built a sprawling business from it.CR's cofounders tell BI that in 2025, they're expanding on five fronts.On March 12, Critical Role celebrates its 10th anniversary a capstone for its rise to nerdworld business supremacy.Now, four cofounders Liam O'Brien, Marisha Ray, Sam Riegel, and Travis Willingham told Business Insider their crew is ready to roll out its road map for 2025 and beyond.The business' eight cofounders have come a long way from a group of nerds streaming their home "Dungeons & Dragons" game on Twitch. In 2022, CR raised seed funding of more than $11.3 million to create an animated series a project that's turned into not one, but two Amazon-backed animated series' on Prime Video.The CR business has multiple segments, including Darrington Press, its game publishing arm; Metapigeon, its production wing; and the Critical Role Foundation, its charity initiative. And CR and its peers are now selling out arenas and hitting the road for global tours."We have been planning and planting and nurturing the earth for so long I think we're just looking forward to watching the garden grow," O'Brien said.In 2025, the team is expanding in five areas.1. A Critical Role video gameWillingham, CR's CEO, said that the crew is "hard at work" on a video game a new area for CR. He won't tell BI the name yet, but plans to announce it "any day."For now, he's calling this gaming venture the "interactive slate." He says it'll expand on Exandria, the gaming world that Matthew Mercer, the crew's longtime game master and chief creative officer, created over a decade ago."They'll actually be getting their hand on the stick and controlling the outcome of the story, changing what might be possible from not just some of their favorite characters, but new offerings in the world of Exandria," Willingham said.2. Back to streaming and more live shows Critical Role wrapped its third long-running campaign in February. Critical Role The company's 10th anniversary dovetails with the February finale of the third "Critical Role" campaign.But the cofounders will be back on stream soon. In the interim, Ray says Riegel will take over Mercer's seat as game master for a new program.CR is also hitting multiple cities in the US and two arenas in Australia for live shows this year. Riegel told BI the crew is now scouting some dream locations and they'd love to play in venues in Canada, Europe, and South America.Lauding CR's peers at "Dimension 20" who just performed in front of a sold-out Madison Square Garden Ray said what they do isn't niche anymore."It honestly doesn't make sense that 'D&D' shows are selling out arenas that Taylor Swift has played," Ray said. "This medium has grown, and it doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon."The company plans to announce its 2026 live show slate in the spring, Ray said.3. Daggerheart's official release The Critical Role cast in 2024 used their Twitch stream to promote a beta version of "Daggerheart," the tabletop game their company made. Screengrab/Twitch The cofounders said "Daggerheart," a tabletop game more than two years in the making, is scheduled to launch on May 20, accompanied by a slate of CR programs and "new offerings."Gameplay-wise, "Daggerheart" is structured like an answer to "D&D" the game that made the team famous.Ray told BI that Mercer and Spenser Starke, one of "Daggerheart's" designers, already have "years" worth of ideas for game content and expansions that are in the works.Willingham says the company's Darrington Press division is also collaborating with game developers to make more products."We've been gamers our entire lives," O'Brien said. "My hope for Darrington is that it becomes synonymous with great games and that it's attractive for the best game makers."4. Books and TV O'Brien fronts Critical Role's publishing push and wrote the foreword for the team's short story collection, "Vox Machina Stories Untold." Critical Role; Cheryl Teh O'Brien, who fronts CR's publishing push, told BI he's excited about the slate of books the team's rolling out, including "Der Katzenprinz," a children's book he wrote. In collaboration with Penguin Random House, CR also released its "Vox Machina Stories Untold" short story collection this month.Riegel told BI that CR's expansion means ideas outside their wheelhouse land "somewhere within our octopus of a company" and for him, that division is TV and film projects.Riegel said O'Brien is developing an idea for a TV show, and that Ray is developing an idea for a TV show and graphic novel."They're already in active development in various stages," Riegel said, hinting that the new projects will have "nothing to do with Exandria."5. More animation The Critical Role cast voices their own characters on their Amazon-backed animated series, "The Legend of Vox Machina." Anna Webber/Getty Images for Prime Video Riegel a two-time Emmy Award-winning voice director told BI the cast is in the thick of recording two seasons of animation in partnership with Prime Video. That's the fourth season of "The Legend of Vox Machina" and the first season of "Mighty Nein" both based on the crew's "D&D" campaigns.The eight cofounders, who got their start as voice actors, are playing their own characters."Sometimes in the same session, we'll go into the studio and record some for one animated series and some for the other, and it's a bit of a mind freak to keep it straight in our heads," Riegel said.In the works: 'experiential offerings'A long-running inside joke among the cofounders and their fandom is the idea of a "Critical Role Land" theme park, similar to Disney World. The crew has taken this idea so far that they have made theme-park T-shirts with the name on them."We say it's the most dangerous thing in the world to say stuff out loud at CR because it might come true," Willingham said.But Willingham said the crew is exploring the possibility of having "experiential offerings" down the road.Now, they just need "the right partners" and good timing, he said.

2025-03-11T23:32:14Z Read in app President Donald Trump holding a handwritten list of Tesla options. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now.Have an account? President Donald Trump said he plans to buy a Tesla to support Elon Musk.Trump praised Tesla's quality and Musk's dedication at a White House event.A photographer captured an image of a note with Tesla prices.A photo from a White House event Tuesday captured President Donald Trump with a list of prices for Teslas that were parked on the south lawn of the White House.Prior to the event, Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social that he wanted to buy one of the company's electric vehicles as a show of support for Elon Musk. At a media event Tuesday afternoon, Trump saddled up to a red Model S."That's beautiful," he said, later adding that he would write a check for the car. The Model S retails for about $80,000.Trump also said he would gift his 17-year-old granddaughter, Kai, a Cybertruck another Tesla vehicle with a starting price of nearly $80,000.Attached to a copy of Trump's speech was a handwritten note that included prices for the cars, which read like a sales pitch.A photographer captured an image of the note, which read in part, "Teslas can be purchased as low as $299/month or $35K." President Donald Trump holds notes with Tesla prices on them. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images The White House did not respond to a request for comment from BI about the list.Trump has increasingly stepped up his support for Tesla as a show of support to Musk, who is closely tied with the White House's new DOGE office, amid growing protests against the EV company.Protesters across the US and in Europe have demonstrated against Tesla, denouncing Musk's politics, while others vandalized local Tesla showrooms.The company's stock has also taken a beating in recent months amid declining global sales and concerns that its leader is spending too much time focused on his White House role rather than his companies.Tesla stock plunged 55% from record highs in mid-December. Company shares closed Tuesday at $230.58.Trump said at the Tuesday White House event that he's going to buy a Tesla "because, number one it's a great product, as good as it gets, and number two," he said, pointing to Musk, "because this man has devoted his energy and his life to doing this and I think he's been treated very unfairly by a very small group of people."The president said he actually won't be allowed to drive it and "hasn't driven a car in a very long time," but staff at the White House will be able to.Trump has not always been a fan of electric cars. In the summer of 2024, while speaking in Chicago at the National Association of Black Journalists, he said he was "against everybody having an electric car," despite Musk's endorsement.

During our sit-down interview with Looney Tunes voice actor Eric Bauza, who plays Daffy and Porky in The Day the Earth Blew Up, hitting theaters this week thanks to Ketchup EntertainmentBauza talked about how this latest cinematic adventure for those darn Tunes could impact another movie Warner Bros. placed on the shelf: Dave Greens Coyote vs. Acme, starring John Cena and Will Forte alongside Bauza and other seasoned voice vets behind the animation titans. Bauza, who voiced Bugs Bunny in the Warner Bros. Discovery live-action hybrid animation casualty, shared with io9, I got to see [Coyote vs. Acme] in its entirety from start to finish. I went to almost every test screening for that movie here in LA, and it always came back in the mid to high 90s, referring to its high marks from audiences. [Its] pretty remarkable. And [its] another movie just like The Day the Earth Blew Up that gives you more than just laughs. It gives you some pretty emotional scenes. You really do feel bad for the coyote in that film. Last year, Coyote vs. Acme co-lead Will Forte posted about the film on X: When I first heard that our movie was getting deleted, I hadnt seen it yet. So I was thinking what everyone else must have been thinking: this thing must be a hunk of junk. But then I saw it. And its incredible Even when a movie tests very well (like ours), theres no guarantee that its gonna be a hit. And at the end of the day, the people who paid for this movie can obviously do whatever they want with it. Bauza remains optimistic about Coyote vs. Acmes future, however, Whos to say its completely over and done with? The Day the Earth Blew Up might come and do extremely well, and it might make them question their decision. And who knows? Even if we dont get to see it I know were going to get to see more brand new stuff with these these characters. Theyre just too funny to sit on a shelf somewhere. The Day the Earth Blew Up opens this Friday. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, whats next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.