Macworld At a glanceExpert's Rating Pros Outstanding performance Good display Useful battery life Bright display with anti-reflective coating Excellent build quality Cons High price for 5G No OLED No camera flash Few innovations since 2022 Our Verdict While we’d have liked to see the inclusion of an M4 chip instead of the M3, Apple’s new iPad Air is well worth a recommendation, offering an excellent display and strong performance for years to come. Paired with a good keyboard case, it could even replace your MacBook. Our only caveat is that the previous model with the M2 chip, which you can find at a lower price, might be an even better buy. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: iPad Air 11 Zoll (M3, 2025) New Refurbished Retailer Price €648 View Deal €669 View Deal €669 View Deal €673 View Deal €630.2 View Deal 629,00 € View Deal 634,60 € View Deal 638,90 € View Deal 644,00 € View Deal 648,00 € View Deal 648,00 € View Deal 660,05 € View Deal 679,99 € View Deal €680.38 View Deal 699,00 € View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price iPad Air M3 11 (2025) 7. Generation 128 GB – WLAN – Blau €649 View Deal Price comparison from Backmarket The iPad Air has consistently been the best choice for most users, and this remains true of the new version, which offers the best balance of price and features among Apple’s tablets. Thanks to its new M3 chip, it has become significantly more powerful than the previous M2 model. However, this is otherwise quite a minor update. Surely you would expect a new iPad to boast the very latest chip (the M4 is currently available on the iPad Pro), a new design and some cool new features? Regardless of expectations, the iPad Air has remained visually unchanged for three years; this one looks exactly the same as the models from last year and 2022. Apple hasn’t even given the Air any new colors for 2025. The iPad Pro, by contrast, was given a more innovative, thinner design last year, higher performance and an impressive OLED display. The Pro models bring in the most money, which might suggest deliberate neglect of the Air models. Still, the iPad Air could be back next year with a new design. For now, let’s see if the new M3 Air is the right tablet for you. Design and build quality: Superb The iPad Air is an elegant device with first-class workmanship. The tried-and-tested aluminum frame makes the tablet solid and attractive, and iPads can generally be relied upon to remain presentable even after several years of intensive use. Externally, you won’t notice any difference from the previous model. Even the dimensions are exactly the same, down to a tenth of a millimeter; only the weight of the 11-inch model has fallen by 2g. The color options are again Space Gray, Starlight, blue, and purple. The colors are significantly less gaudy than those of the 11th-gen iPad and struck us as very subtle: even blue and purple look “grown-up” and the Starlight finish is barely distinguishable from silver. The 11-inch model in particular feels light and sturdy at the same time. With a weight of 460g, this can be used with one hand, while the 13-inch model is significantly heavier at 616g. However, even the large model is just half the weight of a MacBook Air. The Air has an appealing and successful design.Eugen Wegmann Benefits of the M3 chip The most important new feature of the iPad Air is the M3 chip, but you shouldn’t expect too much. On its website, Apple promises a significant increase in performance. The new Air, it says, is “nearly 2x faster than the iPad Air with M1 chip.” That’s not wrong, but it’s also a little misleading; the M1 model came out back in spring 2022. The comparison with the M2 model from last year, by contrast, is less flattering: in our tests the performance leap was rarely noticeable in everyday use. So we should think of this as a small refresh for the iPad Air, a kind of “speed bump.” For a proper speed boost, Apple would have needed to install the M4, and it’s pretty obvious why the company didn’t. The performance gap between the Air and the expensive top model has to be maintained. Still, while it doesn’t represent a startling improvement on the M2, don’t entirely write off the benefits of the new chip. Not only does it have a higher clock rate, it also offers new features such as support for hardware ray tracing–an important consideration for certain high-end games. The new media engine of the M3 supports higher resolutions and can now play HEVC videos up to 8K and H264 videos up to 4K, as well as using the ProRes and ProRES RAW formats. AV1 decoding is also supported, which could be very useful if you want to edit videos on the iPad. Performance: Moderate improvements The iPad doesn’t feature the same M3 chip that Apple used in the MacBook Air, and which was available in two versions (8-core CPU and 8-core GPU, and 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU). Instead, the iPad Air gets a third version of the M3 with an 8-core CPU and a 9-core GPU. Graphics performance therefore sits between the two earlier versions. The M3 brings a solid performance leap in single-core performance, since the M3 chip is clocked significantly higher than the M2. In the Geekbench 6 benchmark the M3 iPad scored 3,019 points to the M2 iPad’s 2,584 points. That’s almost 15 per cent more performance, which is available for tasks such as web surfing or Apple Intelligence. In the multi-core test, the M3 scored 11,749 points to the M2’s 10,074, an improvement of around 17 percent. This higher multiprocessor performance is helpful for more complex apps, such as image and video editing. The Geekbench 5 benchmark illustrates the current models’ improved performance.Foundry But when it comes to GPU performance the new chip offers far less improvement. In the 3D Mark Wildlife Extreme test, the M2 scored 6,443 points and the M3 managed just three points more at 6,446. In the Geekbench GPU test, things were a little better, at 46,007 points vs 41,902, but still below a 10 percent increase. However, the performance remains excellent in comparison with other iPads. The iPad (A16), which was launched at the same time, is less than half as quick in terms of graphics performance and scored just 20,123 points in Geekbench’s graphics benchmark. We also test how long a CPU can sustain top performance. (Performance levels often drop rapidly when the device heats up, as iPads have to cope without a fan.) According to our APSI test running 20 minutes of full load, the Air’s throttling remains within acceptable limits at 86.57 percent. Note that the new iPad Pro is better at 90.62 percent, and the 11th-gen iPad, with its far less powerful A16 CPU, heats up even less and performs even better with 93.94 percent. The Air supports the fast new Wi-Fi 6E standard, whereas the iPad A16 still has to make do with Wi-Fi 6. If you pay extra for cellular connectivity, which adds $150 to the price, then you can enjoy 5G support via eSIM. Storage performance: Nowhere near the iPad Pro The M3 gets the headlines, but don’t underestimate the importance of the iPad’s internal SSD when it comes to performance. Our 1TB model in the test delivered what we’d regard as adequate performance, achieving 1,646 MB/s when reading and 1,380 MB/s when writing. But this doesn’t come close to the performance of an iPad Pro M4, where we measured 3,362 MB/s and 2,017 MB/s for reading and writing respectively. It’s also possible to connect an external SSD via USB-C. As an experiment, we transferred some large video files between the iPad Air and a Lacie Thunderbolt SSD. We saw speeds of up to 700 MB/s via the Files app, which puts the Air somewhere in the iPad midfield: the 11th-gen iPad managed only 37 MB/s in the same test, but the iPad Pro M4 achieved 2,200 MB/s. Display: Lacking some Pro features As usual, the biggest difference between the iPad, iPad Air and iPad Pro product lines is the screen. With the iPad Air, you get a good 11- or 13-inch panel with IPS technology, which is still common among tablets and laptops. The resolution is 2360 x 1640 pixels (11 inches) or 2732 x 2048 (13 inches). At 600 nits, the 13-inch model is brighter than the 11-inch model, which only reaches a maximum of 500 nits. However, both displays are bright enough to work with outdoors. Compared to the cheaper 11th-gen iPad, the display scores points with a useful anti-glare coating, which means it reflects significantly less than the basic iPad. More advanced technologies such as OLED (and previously mini-LED) are unfortunately reserved for the Pro models, which support HDR content better as a result. An OLED display can also be considerably more frugal in terms of battery consumption. In addition to the sRGB color standard, the iPad Air supports the larger P3 color space, which is primarily used in the video sector. A matte display is only available as an option for the iPad Pro, and ProMotion is a Pro exclusive too. Gamers would certainly appreciate a faster display, but will have to make do with 60Hz on the Air. For most users, however, the lack of ProMotion is not a big deal. Size: Should you get the 11-inch or 13-inch model? For a long time, if you wanted a big 13-inch screen, you had to go for the iPad Pro. But since last year, the Air has also been available with a 13-inch screen too, and buyers are spoilt for choice. Ultimately, every buyer has to decide for themselves which form factor is better for them. Bigger doesn’t always mean better: the 11-inch model is easier to handle, especially if you’re using it on the move. It’s also significantly lighter. In my opinion, there are two main arguments in favour of the 13-inch Air. If you often use the device with an external keyboard, you’ll probably be more productive with the larger model. Managing several apps with Split View or Stage Manager is also more practical at this size. In my opinion, Stage Manager only really makes sense with these larger displays. On a 13-inch model, a single Safari window in full-screen mode is simply too large. With Stage Manager, you can have several apps open and work with Word, Mail, and Safari at the same time, just like on a Mac. In addition, an iPad with a 13-inch display is ideal as an external Mac display. If you use a small iMac as your main device, you can integrate the iPad as an additional display if required. While an 11-inch iPad is a little too small for this role, a 13-incher is really useful. My take is that the 11-inch model is better for consumption, and the 13-inch model is better for work. Battery life: Solid Battery life has hardly changed compared to the previous model. According to Coconut Battery, the battery of our (13-inch) test unit had a capacity of 9782 mAh, and this offers enough power for a day of office work and web surfing. Apple promises up to 10 hours of web browsing over Wi-Fi or video playback, but bear in mind that the company bases that figure on testing with a screen brightness of just 50 percent. In our tests we use maximum brightness, which is a lot more demanding. In our video test, where we let a current movie run in a continuous loop, the 13-inch Air lasted six and a half hours, which is a good result. In our second test, where a website is called up at rapid intervals, the Air lasted almost eight hours. This is all fine, but the unflattering comparison with the iPad Pro illustrates the drawbacks of an IPS screen: thanks to its efficient OLED display, the iPad Pro M4 lasted three hours longer in the surfing test and twice as long in the video test. The M3 chip can consume a lot of battery power when it’s at maximum load, for example when gaming or using 3D apps. This is a clear difference from iPads with a slow CPU such as the 10th-gen iPad. Having a slow CPU has plenty of drawbacks, but it reduces battery consumption. Keyboards, cases, and other accessories Apple has introduced a new keyboard alongside the new iPad Air, and this has led to a somewhat confusing range of accessories to choose from. Apple still sells a version of the Magic Keyboard for the iPad Air M2 (from $299 for the 11-inch version), in either black or white. But now there’s a new Magic Keyboard for the iPad Air M3, which is only available in white. The price for the 11-inch version is $269/£269, while the 13-inch version costs $319/£299. Apple has improved the keyboard compared to the previous version in a number of ways. For example, there’s a set of function keys, while the trackpad is larger. And it’s important to note that, rather confusingly and contrary to what its branding might suggest, this new accessory is compatible with the iPad Air M2 (and indeed the 4th- and 5th-gen Airs) as well as the iPad Air M3. However, there are a few compromises compared with the iPad Pro’s Magic Keyboard; only the Pro version offers a glass trackpad and backlit buttons. It’s rather annoying that if you ever switch from the iPad Air to the iPad Pro, you’ll also have to factor in the (not inconsiderable) cost of a new keyboard if you want to get the full benefit of the upgrade. This keyboard is missing a few features from the Pro Magic Keyboard.IDG There are no new Smart Folios, but Apple has dropped their prices. Most third-party cases for the previous iPad Air models will also be suitable for the new model, such as the Logitech Combo Touch. Finally, like its predecessor, the iPad supports both the USB-C Apple Pencil and the more advanced Pencil Pro. Older Pencils can no longer be used. External display: A handy option The M3 Air offers support for an external display with a resolution of up to 6K at 60Hz, compared to a maximum of 4K on the 11th-gen iPad. Don’t underestimate the value of this option. If you connect your iPad to an external display via USB-C with a mouse and keyboard connected, the Stage Manager display option is automatically activated. You can then also use the mouse and keyboard and more efficiently edit long texts or videos. Photo and video: Better at video chats than stills photography The iPad isn’t an obvious choice as a photographic companion, but the new Air, as usual, is equipped with cameras on the front and back. These don’t compare with current iPhone cameras, especially when taking photos indoors: images quickly become noisy. And unfortunately you have to do without a flash, which would have been useful when taking photos of documents. The front-facing camera is positioned on the long edge as has become standard practice for Apple, which is the ideal position for video conferencing. Plus the Center Stage feature allows you to choose between auto-zoom or a wide-angle image. The Air is well equipped for video chats. Video recordings with the main camera are still possible at up to 4K and 60fps, and the Air gets video image stabilisation. Finally, here’s one area where the Air outperforms the iPad Pro: its rear camera module barely protrudes, which is more practical in everyday use. Audio setup: Impressive quality I was impressed by the sound quality of the two speakers located on the sides, which remains strong even at higher volumes. This is not only useful for music and videos, but also for presentations and video calls. In most situations there’s no need to add external Bluetooth speakers. Two integrated microphones ensure good recording quality during video conferences. The iPad Pro offers even better sound quality thanks to its four speakers and five microphones, but the Air is already at a high level in this area. Summary: The sweet spot Overall, the iPad Air is convincing. The iPad Pro is even better, but far too expensive. The iPad A16, on the other hand, is significantly slower and has a poorer display. This feels like a sweet spot. For most users, in fact, the iPad Air is the ideal choice: fast, ergonomic, and equipped with a good display. Our only caveat is that there’s hardly any reason to buy this model rather than the cheaper previous model with an M2 chip, which is barely less powerful; what’s more, there are some excellent deals out there. The M2 Air is, therefore my personal recommendation. Whether you choose the 11- or 13-inch model is up to you. Tech specs iPad Air (M3, 2025)11 inches13 inchesPrice (base model, Wi-Fi)$599$799Price (base model, cellular)$749$949Display11-inch Liquid Retina13-inch Liquid RetinaResolution2360 x 1640, 264ppi2732 x 2048, 264ppiDisplay technologyLED, fully laminated, anti-reflective coatingLED, fully laminated, anti-reflective coatingColor spaceWide color gamut (P3), True ToneWide color gamut (P3), True ToneBrightness500 nits600 nitsChipApple M3Apple M3CPU8-core CPU: 4 performance and 4 efficiency8-core CPU: 4 performance and 4 efficiencyGraphics9-core GPU9-core GPUNeural Engine16-core16-coreMedia EngineHardware accelerated H.264 and HEVC, AV1 decodingHardware accelerated H.264 and HEVC, AV1 decodingMemory8GB8GBStorage capacity128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB128GB/256GB/512GB/1TBCameras12MP wide-angle, f/1.812MP wide angle, f/1.8Front camera12MP landscape format, Center Stage, f/2.012MP landscape format, Center Stage, f/2.0Speaker, microphoneStereo speakers in landscape format, 2 microphonesStereo speakers in landscape format, 2 microphonesSensorsTouch ID in the power buttonTouch ID in the power buttonConnectionsUSB 3 (up to 10 Gbit/s), Smart ConnectorUSB 3 (up to 10 Gbit/s), Smart ConnectorPencil (optional)Apple Pencil Pro, Apple Pencil (USB-C)Apple Pencil Pro, Apple Pencil (USB-C)Wi-FiWLAN 6E (802.11ax) with 2×2 MIMOWi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) with 2×2 MIMOBluetooth5.35.3Mobile data5G/LTE/UMTS/HSDPA5G/LTE/UMTS/HSDPASIM cardeSIMeSIMColorsSpace Gray, Starlight, purple, blueSpace Gray, Starlight, purple, blueBatteryLithium polymer, 28.93 WhLithium polymer, 36.59 WhSurfing Wi-Fi10 hours10 hoursMobile surfing9 hours9 hoursDimensions (W/H/D)178.5 x 247.6 x 6.1mm214.9 x 280.6 x 6.1mmWeight460g (Wi-Fi); 460g (cellular)616g (Wi-Fi); 617g (cellular)Table: Thomas Armbrüster

Amazon recently unveiled a new warehouse robot that can “feel,” according to the company.  Called the Vulcan robot, the two-armed beast is already working in Amazon fulfillment centers in Spokane, WA, and Hamburg, Germany, where it’s handled more than half a million orders. The Vulcan’s sense of touch comes from force-sensitive grippers and sensors on its joints, which provide data to its AI about the edges, contours, and resistance of the items it picks up, moves, and places in a new location. With this faculty, Vulcan can grip a soft bag of candy gently, but a heavy coffee table book more firmly without crushing the candy or dropping the book.  One way to look at the benefit of a robot that can detect what it’s gripping is that it provides flexibility, enabling a wider range of products to be handled. According to Amazon, Vulcan can handle about 75% of the million or so products in a typical Amazon warehouse. Aaron Parness and his roughly 250-person robotics team at Amazon created the Vulcan robot. The company revealed it to the world on May 7 at its “Delivering the Future” event in Dortmund, Germany.  Mixed feelings about tactile robots Vulcan is the first Amazon robot with what the company calls a “genuine sense of touch,” thanks to force feedback sensors and AI-powered software that lets it “feel” items, not just see them (cameras are the main sensors on most Amazon robots).  If you’re familiar with my views on anthropomorphicization (i.e., “humanizing”) of robots and AI, you might guess what I’m about to say. Amazon says its Vulcan robot can feel (without quotation marks). This isn’t true.  When a robot like Vulcan “feels” something, it uses sensors that measure force, pressure, and sometimes texture or shape, turning these signals into data that AI can interpret. Vulcan’s sensors are built into its gripper and joints, so when it touches or grasps an object, it detects how much force it’s applying and the contours it’s encountering. Machine learning algorithms then help Vulcan decide how to adjust its grip or movement based on this feedback. By contrast, a person feels with a network of millions of nerve endings in the skin, especially in the fingertips. These nerves send detailed, real-time information to the brain about pressure, temperature, texture, pain, and even the direction of force. The human sense of touch is deeply connected to memory, emotion, judgment, and consciousness. Robots like Vulcan can now match or even exceed humans in detecting pressure or identifying textures, but their “feeling” is purely mechanical and digital. They don’t experience sensation or emotion, and they only know what their sensors can measure and their software can interpret. Humans, on the other hand, feel in a way that’s physical, emotional, and conscious. With that caveat out of the way, it has to be said that Vulcan is pretty amazing.  Giving warehouse workers a hand Parness says Vulcan’s sense of touch is a breakthrough because it brings “physical intelligence” to robots, and that’s the categorical breakthrough here. The main advance robots will undergo over the next decade or two will involve sensors increasingly being able to detect and adapt to real conditions in the real world and being trained in virtual physical AI environments.  Despite the advanced state of Vulcan’s technology, its main job is actually limited:  to pick products from bulk storage and pack them into movable shelves, a task that used to require human dexterity.  Vulcan is neither a humanoid robot nor is its hand modeled after human hands. I’ve weighed in before about how modeling factory robots after human body parts makes no sense.  Vulcan’s “hand” combines a conveyor belt gripper with a spatula-like tool, both of which are fitted with sensors that constantly measure pressure and torque. A ruler-like tool attached between the paddles acts as a spatial guide, nudging existing items in storage bins to create space for the new items it is laying into place.  The robot’s AI, trained on thousands of hours of physical interaction data, calculates the right amount of force for each object in real time. Vulcan can work up to 20 hours a day without ever taking a coffee break or using the bathroom, moving at speeds comparable to a human worker, but always behind a safety fence in case it suddenly goes bananas like that Chinese robot in the TikTok video people have been talking about and misinterpreting. (It just malfunctioned. It didn’t try to “attack” people.)  The Vulcan robot has real limitations. For example, it’s too weak to lift anything heavier than 8 pounds and can only move products from one place to another. If the robot encounters an unfamiliar item or something that exceeds its 8-pound weight limit, it flags a human worker for help. Grasping the importance of tactile robots Vulcan isn’t the only robot with a sense of touch. RoboTact and RoboTouch sensors, developed over decades and now used in everything from humanoid robots to service bots, give machines the ability to sense contact, pressure, and even the shape of objects, allowing for delicate and precise handling.  Sanctuary AI enhanced its Phoenix robot with tactile sensors that let it handle complex, touch-driven jobs. Their technology means Phoenix can detect things like slippage or excessive force, even when it can’t see what it’s doing.  Meta created its Digit 360 sensor, a fingertip-shaped device that can register forces as tiny as one millinewton and pick up details down to seven microns. The sensor is still in the lab, but Meta’s partnership with GelSight and Wonik Robotics is helping to eventually bring these sensors into real-world use.  Eventually, robots with a sense of touch will revolutionize robotics and enable them to perform a wide range of tasks that robots currently cannot do, like picking strawberries, performing surgery, and defusing bombs. But for now, Amazon is using some of the most advanced tactile robots on the planet to help ship bathrobes, books, and batteries to customers.

An AI tool aims to wade through mountains of government feedback and understand what the public is trying to say.UK Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said: “No one should be wasting time on something AI can do quicker and better, let alone wasting millions of taxpayer pounds on outsourcing such work to contractors.This digital assistant, aptly named ‘Consult’, just aced its first big test with the Scottish Government.The Scottish Gov threw Consult in at the deep end, asking it to make sense of public opinion on regulating non-surgical cosmetic procedures such as lip fillers and laser hair removal. Consult came back with findings almost identical to what human officials had pieced together.Now, the plan is to roll this tech out across various government departments. The current way of doing things is expensive and slow. Millions of pounds often go to outside contractors just to analyse what the public thinks.Consult is part of a bigger push to build a leaner, more responsive UK government—one that can deliver on its ‘Plan for Change’ without breaking the bank or taking an age to do it.So, how did it fare in Scotland? Consult chewed through responses from over 2,000 people. Using generative AI, it picked out the main themes and concerns bubbling up from the feedback across six key questions.Of course, Consult wasn’t left completely to its own devices. Experts in the Scottish Government double-checked and fine-tuned these initial themes. Then, the AI got back to work to sort individual responses into these categories. Officials ended up with more precious time to consider what people were saying and what it meant for policy.Because this was Consult’s first live outing, the Scottish Government went through every single response by hand too—just to be sure. Figuring out exactly what someone means in a written comment and then deciding which ‘theme’ it fits under can be a bit subjective. Even humans don’t always agree.When the government compared Consult’s handiwork to human analysis, the AI was right most of the time. Where there were differences, they were so minor they didn’t change the overall picture of what mattered most to people.Consult is part of a bigger AI toolkit called ‘Humphrey’—a suite of digital helpers designed to free up civil servants from admin and cut down on those contractor bills. It’s all part of a grander vision to use technology to sharpen up public services, aiming to find £45 billion in productivity savings. The goal is a more nimble government that is better at delivering that ‘Plan for Change’ we keep hearing about.“After demonstrating such promising results, Humphrey will help us cut the costs of governing and make it easier to collect and comprehensively review what experts and the public are telling us on a range of crucial issues,” added Kyle.“The Scottish Government has taken a bold first step. Very soon, I’ll be using Consult, within Humphrey, in my own department and others in Whitehall will be using it too – speeding up our work to deliver the Plan for Change.”Over in Scotland, Public Health Minister Jenni Minto said: “Using the tool was very beneficial in helping the Scottish Government understand more quickly what people wanted us to hear and our respondents’ range of views.“Using this tool has allowed the Scottish Government to move more quickly to a focus on the policy questions and dive into the detail of the evidence we’ve been presented with, while remaining confident that we have heard the strong views expressed by respondents.”Of course, like many AI deployments in government, it’s still early days, and Consult is officially still in the trial phase. More number-crunching and testing are on the cards to make sure it’s working just as it should before any big decisions about a full rollout are made.But the potential here is huge. The government runs about 500 consultations every year. If Consult lives up to its promise, it could save officials a staggering 75,000 days of analysis annually.And what did the civil servants who first worked with Consult think? They were reportedly “pleasantly surprised,” finding the AI’s initial analysis a “useful starting point.” Others raved that it “saved [them] a heck of a lot of time” and let them “get to the analysis and draw out what’s needed next” much faster.Interestingly, they also felt Consult brought a new level of fairness to the table. As one official put it, its use “takes away the bias and makes it more consistent,” preventing individual analysts from, perhaps unconsciously, letting their “own preconceived ideas” colour the findings.Some consultations receive tens, even hundreds of thousands of responses. Given how well Consult has performed in these early tests, it won’t be long before it’s used on these massive consultations.It’s worth noting that humans aren’t being kicked out of the loop. Consult has been built to keep the experts involved every step of the way. Officials will always review the themes the AI suggests and how it sorts the responses. They’ll have an interactive dashboard to play with, letting them filter and search for specific insights. It’s about AI doing the heavy lifting, so the humans can do the smart thinking.This move towards AI in government isn’t happening in a vacuum, and experts are watching closely.Stuart Harvey, CEO of Datactics, commented: “Using AI to speed up public consultations is a great example of how technology can improve efficiency and save money. But AI is only as good as the data behind it. For tools like this to work well and fairly, government departments need to make sure their data is accurate, up-to-date, and properly managed.“People need to trust the decisions made with AI. That means making sure the process is clear, well-governed, and ethical. If the data is messy or poorly handled, it can lead to biased or unreliable outcomes.“As the government expands its use of AI in public services, it’s vital to invest in strong data practices. That includes building clear and consistent data systems, making data accessible for review, and keeping humans involved in key decisions—especially when it comes to hearing from the public.”This sentiment is echoed by academics. Professor Michael Rovatsos from the University of Edinburgh, for instance, acknowledges the benefits but also wisely cautions about the risks of AI biases and even the potential for these tools to be manipulated. He’s calling for tough safeguards and ongoing investment to make sure any AI tool used by the government remains reliable and fair.Stuart Munton, Chief for Group Operations at AND Digital, added: “The government’s use of AI to speed up public consultations is a welcome step toward smarter, more efficient public services. However, as AI adoption grows, we must ensure that people – not just technology – are at the heart of this transformation.”“Tools like this will only reach their full potential if we invest in equipping public sector teams with the right skills and training. Empowering diverse talent to work with AI will not only improve how these tools perform but also ensure that innovation is inclusive to real-world needs.”If done right, with these expert caveats in mind, AI tools like Consult have the potential to improve how governments listen, learn, and make policy based on public opinion. The UK government isn’t hanging about; the plan is to get Consult working across various departments by the end of 2025.(Photo by Scott Rodgerson)Want to learn more about AI and big data from industry leaders? Check out AI & Big Data Expo taking place in Amsterdam, California, and London. The comprehensive event is co-located with other leading events including Intelligent Automation Conference, BlockX, Digital Transformation Week, and Cyber Security & Cloud Expo.Explore other upcoming enterprise technology events and webinars powered by TechForge here.

resistance is futile A peer’s promise can help kids pass the marshmallow test Younger children were slightly more likely to successfully delay gratification than older children. Jennifer Ouellette – May 15, 2025 9:46 am | 0 For decades, Walter Mischel's "marshmallow test" was viewed as a key predictor for children's future success, but reality is a bit more nuanced. Credit: Igniter Media For decades, Walter Mischel's "marshmallow test" was viewed as a key predictor for children's future success, but reality is a bit more nuanced. Credit: Igniter Media Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only   Learn more You've probably heard of the infamous "marshmallow test," in which young children are asked to wait to eat a yummy marshmallow placed in front of them while left alone in a room for 10 to 15 minutes. If they successfully do so, they get a second marshmallow; if not, they don't. The test has become a useful paradigm for scientists interested in studying the various factors that might influence one's ability to delay gratification, thereby promoting social cooperation. According to a paper published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, one factor is trust: If children are paired in a marshmallow test and one promises not to eat their treat for the specified time, the other is much more likely to also refrain from eating it. As previously reported, psychologist Walter Mischel's landmark behavioral study involved 600 kids between the ages of four and six, all culled from Stanford University's Bing Nursery School. He would give each child a marshmallow and give them the option of eating it immediately if they chose. But if they could wait 15 minutes, they would get a second marshmallow as a reward. Then Mischel would leave the room, and a hidden video camera would tape what happened next. Some kids just ate the marshmallow right away. Others found a handy distraction: covering their eyes, kicking the desk, or poking at the marshmallow with their fingers. Some smelled it, licked it, or took tiny nibbles around the edges. Roughly one-third of the kids held out long enough to earn a second marshmallow. Several years later, Mischel noticed a strong correlation between the success of some of those kids later in life (better grades, higher self-confidence) and their ability to delay gratification in nursery school. Mischel's follow-up study confirmed the correlation. Mischel himself cautioned against over-interpreting the results, emphasizing that children who simply can't hold out for that second marshmallow are not necessarily doomed to a life of failure. A more nuanced picture was offered in a 2018 study that replicated the marshmallow test with preschoolers. It found the same correlation between later achievement and the ability to resist temptation in preschool, but that correlation was much less significant after the researchers factored in such aspects as family background, home environment, and so forth. Attentiveness might be yet another contributing factor, according to a 2019 paper. There have also been several studies examining the effects of social interdependence and similar social contexts on children's ability to delay gratification, using variations of the marshmallow test paradigm. For instance, in 2020, a team of German researchers adapted the classic experimental setup using Oreos and vanilla cookies with German and Kenyan schoolchildren, respectively. If both children waited to eat their treat, they received a second cookie as a reward; if one did not wait, neither child received a second cookie. They found that the kids were more likely to delay gratification when they depended on each other, compared to the standard marshmallow test. An online paradigm Rebecca Koomen, a psychologist now at the University of Manchester, co-authored the 2020 study as well as this latest one, which sought to build on those findings. Koomen et al. structured their experiments similarly, this time recruiting 66 UK children, ages five to six, as subjects. They focused on how promising a partner not to eat a favorite treat could inspire sufficient trust to delay gratification, compared to the social risk of one or both partners breaking that promise. Any parent could tell you that children of this age are really big on the importance of promises, and science largely concurs; a promise has been shown to enhance interdependent cooperation in this age group. Koomen and her Manchester colleagues added an extra twist: They conducted their version of the marshmallow test online to test the effectiveness compared to lab-based versions of the experiment. (Prior results from similar online studies have been mixed.) "Given face-to-face testing restrictions during the COVID pandemic, this, to our knowledge, represents the first cooperative marshmallow study to be conducted online, thereby adding to the growing body of literature concerning the validity of remote testing methods," they wrote. The type of treat was chosen by each child's parents, ensuring it was a favorite: chocolate, candy, biscuits, and marshmallows, mostly, although three kids loved potato chips, fruit, and nuts, respectively. Parents were asked to set up the experiment in a quiet room with minimal potential distractions, outfitted with a webcam to monitor the experiment. Each child was shown a video of a "confederate child" who either clearly promised not to eat the treat or more ambiguously suggested they might succumb and eat their treat. (The confederate child refrained from eating the treat in both conditions, although the participant child did not know that.) Then the scientist running the experiment would leave the Zoom meeting for an undisclosed period of time, after telling the child that if both of them resisted eating the treat (including licking or nibbling at it), they would each receive a second one; if one of them failed, neither would be rewarded. Children could not see or communicate with their paired confederates for the duration of the experiment. The scientist returned after ten minutes to see if the child had managed to delay gratification. Once the experiment had ended, the team actually did reward the participant child regardless of the outcome, "to end the study on a positive note." The results were controlled for unavoidable accidental distractions, so the paper includes the results from both the full dataset of all 68 participants and a subset of 48 children, excluding those who experienced some type of disruption during the ten-minute experiment. In both cases, children whose confederate clearly promised not to eat their treat waited longer to eat their treat compared to the more ambiguous "social risk" condition. And younger children were slightly more likely to successfully delay gratification than older children, although this result was not statistically significant. The authors suggest this small difference may be due to the fact that older children are more likely to have experienced broken promises, thereby learning "that commitments are not always fulfilled." Of course, there are always caveats. For instance, while specific demographic data was not collected, all the children had predominantly white middle-class backgrounds, so the results reflect how typical children in northern England behave in such situations. The authors would like to see their online experiment repeated cross-culturally in the future. And the limitation of one-way communication "likely prevented partners from establishing common ground, namely their mutual commitment to fulfilling their respective roles, which is thought to be a key principle of interdependence," the authors wrote. DOI: Royal Society Open Science, 2025. 10.1098/rsos.250392  (About DOIs). Jennifer Ouellette Senior Writer Jennifer Ouellette Senior Writer Jennifer is a senior writer at Ars Technica with a particular focus on where science meets culture, covering everything from physics and related interdisciplinary topics to her favorite films and TV series. Jennifer lives in Baltimore with her spouse, physicist Sean M. Carroll, and their two cats, Ariel and Caliban. 0 Comments

Another great streaming deal has hit the internet: one year of Peacock Premium is only $25 right now. Just use the code SPRINGSAVINGS at checkout to get $55 off the standard annual price of the Premium plan. Just note that this tier does include ads, and the deal runs through May 30. Peacock is a decent platform and made our list of the best streaming services. It doesn't get the attention of Netflix or Disney+, but it's home to several nifty original shows. There's the AI-adjacent tomfoolery of Mrs. Davis and the Rian Johnson-made whodunnit Poker Face. It also airs several video game adaptations, like Knuckles and the surprisingly-decent Twisted Metal. The big draw here, however, is likely the long-awaited spinoff of The Office, which is called The Paper. That one premieres in September and is a Peacock exclusive. The platform also signed an 11-year agreement with the NBA and that goes into effect this fall. The mobile app could be getting minigames and short-form vertical videos (like TikTok) in the near future. There's one caveat. This subscription will automatically renew for $80 after the year runs out. Stay on top of scheduling if you want to cancel before then. The Scranton documentary crew is heading to Toledo. #ThePaper arrives this September on Peacock. pic.twitter.com/Mzmbw7TBzF— Peacock (@peacock) May 12, 2025 Check out our coverage of the best streaming deals for more discounts, and follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/one-year-of-peacock-premium-is-on-sale-for-only-25-163231474.html?src=rss

Brace yourself, my fellow Android-appreciating amigos: By this time next week, we’re gonna be positively drowning in all things AI. All right — to be fair, we already are fairly suffocated by the scent of generative AI (genAI) these days. But with Google’s annual I/O developers’ conference kickin’ off this coming Tuesday, a whole new wave of over-the-top promises is about to hit hard. At this point, in fact, signs suggest the conference — which traditionally has featured Android and other associated areas as key parts of its keynote — will revolve mostly around Gemini and (a) breathless hype around feats the generative AI technology can theoretically achieve along with (b) demos of things the system can actually do but with ample factual errors and counterproductive inconsistencies (that conveniently won’t be mentioned as part of the conversation). For those of us still living in a land where accuracy matters — and if you’re using any of this stuff for professional purposes in particular, my goodness, I hope you’re among us — all this genAI gobbledygook should be interesting mostly just from a limited, carefully controlled perspective that doesn’t exactly jibe with how tech companies are fighting to framing it. The real meaningful progress here in the Android arena comes down to two key areas that have nothing to do with Gemini or any of the high-profile generative-AI ballyhoo we’ll be hearing about incessantly in the days ahead. If you’re relying on Android for your professional and/or personal life, these are the areas worth watching. [Get fresh Android insight in your inbox with my free Android Intelligence newsletter. Three new things to know and try each Friday!] 1. Stronger Android security It may not always be the sexiest subject around, but it’s hard to argue with the fact that Android security is one of the most important parts of the platform in front of us. And this year, amidst all the Gemini and genAI jibber-jabber, El Googeroo’s cookin’ up some significant improvements around Android security that’ll bring a big boost to our devices’ defenses. Now, for my standard caveat: Android security is far less scary than most headlines make it out to be. The operating system has long sported numerous layers of built-in protection, and the odds of encountering anything truly troubling in the real world are shockingly slim. (Consider: When’s the last time you or anyone you knew had a run-in with any of that nasty “Android malware” we’re always hearing about?) Generally speaking, you’ve really gotta go out of your way — and/or exhibit a complete lack of common sense — to see a serious problem. Even so, extra security can obviously only be a good thing, for business and casual use alike. And as we speak, Google’s sautéing up a slew o’ new security measures that’ll soon be sliding into our lives — including: A new Advanced Protection Mode that enables the most secure possible settings across the operating system itself as well as system-level apps and even third-party apps with a single simple switch An Android Intrusion Detection system that creates an encrypted, locally stored log of system actions and network activity and allows you to search it for potential weak points if you spot any signs of suspicious activity An elevated in-call scam detection option that seeks out signs of someone trying to trick you into sharing sensitive info (including banking access) and stops you before it’s too late A beefier on-device scam protection setup for sensing and warning you about all sorts of scams within messages, with privately and entirely local on-device processing Stronger protections around the factory reset and remote lock processes as well as one-time password access More extensive ongoing scans of already-installed apps to safeguard against any deceptive behavior A security-minded auto-restart system that automatically restarts a device — thus re-encrypting all of its data and requiring a password to unlock and get into anything — anytime it’s been inactive for three consecutive days And expanded access to an Identity Check option that requires biometric authentication to change any sensitive system security settings Some of these elements may be included in the upcoming Android 16 update, while others could show up separately via smaller subsequent rollouts. (Google sometimes even sends these sorts of improvements out through under-the-hood updates to Play-Store-housed Android system elements, which means they reach every device worldwide at the same time — without any reliance on notoriously unreliable device-makers to do the lifting. That happened just recently, in fact, with a new improvement that automatically revokes permissions for any apps that are deemed to be dangerous.) However and whenever they reach us, though, they’re all actively in the works and headed our way. And they’re all excellent illustrations of why, even outside of any more apparent surface-level considerations, Android system upgrades absolutely do matter and should always be a key consideration in any device-buying decision. 2. Smarter Android efficiency Aside from the important but not exactly visible under-the-hood enhancements, Google’s got a trio of truly tantalizing twists under development for Android — and they’re all things you’ll absolutely notice and almost certainly appreciate. First and most exciting for me, personally, is the advent of a platform-wide dock-style taskbar that could completely reimagine how we multitask and get around our devices. It’s seemingly the same concept introduced with the first Pixel Fold and Pixel Tablet and available in a limited capacity, in certain large-screen environments, already. If you’ve ever used a computer of any kind, it’ll immediately feel familiar. See for yourself: The Android taskbar, as seen on Google’s Pixel 9 Pro Fold phone.JR Raphael, IDG That’s it — the bar at the bottom of the screen. But mundane as it may seem, man alive, lemme tell ya: It makes a world of difference in your day-to-day Android experience. That bar, which in its current form can either be summoned on demand with a special swipe gesture or set to remain visible at all times, makes it as easy as can be to pull up any app, anytime — without having to first galumph back to your home screen and wade around to find it. You can hop instantly to any app you’ve got set as a favorite, swiftly switch to any app you’ve used recently, or access your entire app drawer on demand right then and there, even, with just one more tap. Maybe even more interesting yet is the way the taskbar puts Android’s long-out-of-sight and oft-forgotten screen-splitting system front and center for the first time in — well, ever. Just press and hold any icon in the taskbar and drag it up into the main screen area, and…poof: You’ve got both apps visible together. srcset="https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/google-pixel-9-pro-fold-taskbar.webp?quality=50&strip=all 600w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/google-pixel-9-pro-fold-taskbar.webp?resize=289%2C300&quality=50&strip=all 289w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/google-pixel-9-pro-fold-taskbar.webp?resize=162%2C168&quality=50&strip=all 162w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/google-pixel-9-pro-fold-taskbar.webp?resize=81%2C84&quality=50&strip=all 81w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/google-pixel-9-pro-fold-taskbar.webp?resize=463%2C480&quality=50&strip=all 463w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/google-pixel-9-pro-fold-taskbar.webp?resize=347%2C360&quality=50&strip=all 347w, https://b2b-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/google-pixel-9-pro-fold-taskbar.webp?resize=241%2C250&quality=50&strip=all 241w" width="600" height="622" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px">The Android taskbar lets you start a split screen simply by dragging an icon up.JR Raphael, IDG I’ve been begging Google to bring this same smart setup to all Android environments, regardless of their screen size, since we first saw the thing in action a couple years back. (You can technically force it to happen on any Android device, incidentally, but it requires some crafty configuring and awkward compromises.) Now, it looks like the company’s listening and we’ll likely see this one in front of us everywhere before long, even if the development hasn’t officially been announced just yet. If that isn’t enough, signs suggest Google’s also cookin’ up a new native Android Desktop Mode that’d let you plug a phone into an external monitor — with a keyboard and mouse connected — and use it like an actual computer. You’d see a fully functional desktop-style interface on the monitor while your phone remains in its standard usable state. It’s similar to systems certain Android device-makers are already offering, but as a native feature built into Android itself, it’d be more broadly available, standardized, and also actively (and consistently) developed and supported. Again, this one isn’t yet official, but it’s plainly being developed out in the open and where anyone can see it. Last but not least, a rather bold new design change is now officially comin’ our way — one that brings bulky elements, bright colors, and all sorts of wacky fonts into Android’s exterior. Like any interface evolution, it’s bound to be divisive. (To wit: I asked readers of my Android Intelligence newsletter what they thought about the look last Friday, following an early leak of the info. As of this writing, 17% say they hate it, 14% say they love it, and everyone else falls somewhere in the middle.) Google, for its part, is convinced the updated visuals will result in an easier-to-use, more efficient Android interface — with “time to tap on key actions decrease[d] by seconds” compared to the current approach. Only time will tell if that holds true for all of us, but combined with all the other incoming elements we just went over, it doesn’t seem like a stretch to say that the Android experience we know and love is on the brink of a near-total reinvention. And despite the all-consuming AI focus we’re certain to see at Google I/O next week, none of this has anything to do with Gemini. Want even more Googley knowledge? Join my Android Intelligence newsletter to get practical tips, personal recommendations, and plain-English perspective on the news that matters.

Maybe your gaming laptop doesn’t have enough storage. Or you simply want an easy way to make your game library portable. An external SSD can fix both of these issues (and more) by providing an easy way to expand storage that you can take on the go. But choosing an external SSD means sorting through a dizzying array of options, and making a poor choice can leave you feeling hard done by. Lucky for you, we’ve done the testing and can offer some sure-fire recommendations that are guaranteed to help, and not hinder, your gaming setup. Why you should trust us: We are PCWorld. Our reviewers have been putting computer hardware through its paces for decades. Our external drive evaluations are thorough and rigorous, testing the limits of every product — from performance benchmarks to the practicalities of regular use. As consumers ourselves, we know what makes a product exceptional. For more about our testing process, scroll to the bottom of this article. Scroll below our recommendations to learn about other external SSDs for gaming that did not make our list. Lexar SL600 Blaze – Best 20Gbps external SSD for gaming Pros Good 20Gbps performer Top bang for the buck Five-year warranty Cons 4TB model not yet available The competition is very close in the top tier of 20Gbps external drives, with the big-name contenders trading wins up and down the benchmark charts. But a winner is a winner, and in the end, the Lexar overtook our previous champ, Crucial’s X10 Pro, even if only by a hair. The upshot is that you can expect excellent performance from the Lexar SL600. It also comes in a uniquely shaped form factor, complete with an opening to accommodate a lanyard, for easy toting. Gamers might appreciate that you can even add some bling by opting for the SL660 variant, which features RGB lighting within its miniature handle. The drive comes with the standard five year warranty. When performance is this closely matched among products, the determining factor should be price. And here, too, the SL600 is neck-and-neck with the Crucial X10 Pro, and priced slightly to significantly cheaper than some of its competitors, at least as of this writing — particularly at the 2TB level. Read our full Lexar SL600 20Gbps USB SSD review Teamgroup M200 – Best budget 20Gbps external SSD for gaming Pros Fast everyday performance Available in up to 8TB (eventually) capacity Attractively styled Cons No TBW rating Company will change components if shortages demand Writes slow to 200MBps off cache The Teamgroup M200 provides excellent bang for your buck with 20Gbps transfer rates and up to 4TB of storage for a very reasonable price. It has great everyday performance, too. Its slick military-style design is based on the CheyTac M200 sniper rifle—a perfect fit for those late night frag sessions. Unfortunately, Teamgroup doesn’t provide a TBW rating or official IP rating for the M200 so it’s more difficult to compare it as a whole to its competitors. However the M200 is a fast, extremely well priced external SSD with a gamer-friendly design that will look good and perform well in almost any setup. Read our full Teamgroup T-Force M200 20Gbps USB SSD review PNY RP60 20Gbps USB SSD – Best rugged 20Gbps external SSD for gaming Pros Handsome, IP65-rated design (dust-proof, water-resistant) Good 20Gbps performance Nice flat Type-C USB ribbon cable Cons USB port plug tether is difficult to reinsert. Best Prices Today: Retailer Price PNY $99.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket If you tend to take your gaming drive everywhere, and/or you’re not the most careful person with hardware, a ruggedized external SSD is a practical answer. The PNY RP60 offers more than just a rugged IP65-rated exterior that protects against dust and water droplets; and while very handsome and lightweight to boot; the drive is also an admirable performer, even besting one of the fastest 20Gbps drives we’ve tested — the Crucial X10 Pro — in a couple of our tests. The RP60 is also competitively priced at $100 and $180 for 1TB and 2TB, respectively. Read our full PNY RP60 20Gbps USB SSD review Sabrent Rocket Nano V2 – Most portable 20Gbps external SSD for gaming Pros Extremely small profile Shock-absorbing silicone jacket Top-flight packaging Good overall performance Cons A tad behind the 20Gbps curve performance-wise Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Sabrent $119.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket If you’re after a very small SSD that you can easily fit into a pocket, the Sabrent Rocket Nano V2 is that. This USB 3.2×2 20Gbps drive measures a petite 2.73 inches long, 1.16-inches wide, and 0.44-inches thick. It weighs a dainty 1.7 ounces. Of course, you’ll probably want to slide on its included shock-absorbing silicone jacket (shown in picture), which will add .06 inches to all its dimensions, while giving it a badass look. But looks aside, the Nano V2 is a solid performer. It wasn’t quite at the same level as our top picks in everything, but it traded wins and losses within the pack. For instance it was second only to the Crucial X10 Pro in our 450GB write test. And it took the top spot in CrystalDiskMark 8’s random writes, and was very competitive in random reads. This wee drive also comes in up to 4TB capacities, making it an all-around good choice if you’re looking to get a lot of storage and performance in a tiny package. We’re also fond of its five-year warranty and the nifty metal box it comes in, which can be repurposed for other uses. Read our full Sabrent Rocket Nano V2 review Adata SE920 EX – Best USB 4 external SSD for gaming Pros Fastest external storage we’ve tested (at 40Gbps) Affordable for the ilk Stylish enclosure Available up to 4TB Also fast on the Mac Cons Pricier than USB 3.2×2 (20Gbps) A USB 4 external SSD isn’t for everyone. Not only does your PC need to support the spec in order to take advantage of the 40Gbps transfers, but you’ll also need to be willing to pay a premium for the privilege. If you’re ready to enter the club, however, the Adata SE920 EX will reward you with the fastest USB 4 performance that we’ve experienced, and at a much more affordable price than our previous pick for USB 4, the OWC Express 1M2 — we’re talking $180 for a 1TB Adata SE920 versus $250 for the OWC drive. And if you want a lot of capacity, the Adata SE920 EX comes with up to 4TB, for a reasonable $500 (compared to OWC’s $598.99). In almost every benchmark, the SE920 EX beat the OWC Express 1M2 at 40Gbps performance, albeit by small margins. It also comes with a nifty built-in fan, which is activated by sliding open the enclosure. This kept our drive noticeably free of heat during our benchmark tests. The SE920 EX is also quite portable at 4.13 inches long by 2.52-inches wide by 0.62-inches thick, and weighing 7 ounces — another advantage it has over the bulkier OWC Express 1M2. In the end, the choice for a USB 4 external SSD is clear. Alternative option: You can get record-breaking performance by rolling your own USB 4 external SSD, using Ugreen’s CM642 enclosure. In our tests, the $110 enclosure combined with an NVMe SSD bested the performance of the two external USB 4 SSDs above. Read our full Adata SE920 USB4 SSD review Other external drive reviews: Sandisk Extreme Pro SSD with USB4: There’s a lot to like about this rugged, handsome design and relative affordability. But connection issues and comparably lackluster 40Gbps performance left me unamazed. PNY Pro Elite V3: This 10Gbps, Type-C USB stick is fast, but what really won me over is its clever, retracting physical design and svelte form-factor. Addlink P21: Good 20Gbps performance and a striking design are a winning formula for this external SSD. Seagate Ultra Compact SSD: This 10Gbps USB thumb drive delivers far better performance than generic 5Gbps or 400Mbps types, as well as free data recovery and other software perks. Corsair EX400U: While Corsair’s EX400U is on the slow side for a USB4 external SSD, it’s also less expensive than the competition. Ugreen CM642 USB4: Fast, handsome, rugged, and easy to use, Ugreen’s CM642 USB4 SSD enclosure is a great way to roll your own high-performance external storage. Corsair Flash Survivor: If you’re after an eminently portable USB stick with 10Gbps/NVMe speed that’s also weatherproofed, ruggedized, and looks burly as hell, this is the drive for you. Seagate Game Drive SSD: Targeted at PS4/PS5 owners, the 10Gbps SSD is very fast for its class, and attractively styled, complete with a Playstation logo, but it’s relatively pricey. Lexar Armor 700: Like the PNY RP60 above, the Lexar Armor 700 is a 20Gbps drive that can withstand some abuse — perfect for the gamer on the go, or the accident-prone. Its IP66 weatherized body is attractive, its performance is competitive. It’s also a bit pricey. Teamgroup PD20M: This little 20Gbps drive comes with a handy travel case and is one of the lightest portable drives we’ve tested. The only problem is, its performance slows considerably once its 20GB of cache has been tapped. Best for light-duty chores. Adata SD810: This is a solid 20Gbps drive, as long as you aren’t in the habit of writing very large amounts of data to it on a regular basis, because in our tests, the drive slowed down considerably in that scenario. That being said, the 4TB capacity is a particularly good value at just $300. Lexar SL500: A stablemate of the Lexar SL600 — our pick for best 20Gbps external drive — the SL500 stands out for its very slim and attractive form factor. It has almost identical performance to the SL600, with the exception of performing slower than its sibling in our 48GB file writes. How we test Drive tests currently utilize Windows 11, 64-bit running on an X790 (PCIe 4.0/5.0) motherboard/i5-12400 CPU combo with two Kingston Fury 32GB DDR5 4800MHz modules (64GB of memory total). Both 20Gbps USB and Thunderbolt 4 are integrated to the back panel and Intel CPU/GPU graphics are used. The 48GB transfer tests utilize an ImDisk RAM disk taking up 58GB of the 64GB of total memory. The 450GB file is transferred from a 2TB Samsung 990 Pro which also runs the OS. Each test is performed on a newly formatted and TRIM’d drive so the results are optimal. Note that in normal use, as a drive fills up, performance may decrease due to less NAND for secondary caching, as well as other factors. This can be less of a factor with the current crop of SSDs with far faster late-generation NAND. Caveat: The performance numbers shown apply only to the drive we were shipped and to the capacity tested. SSD performance can and will vary by capacity due to more or fewer chips to shotgun reads/writes across and the amount of NAND available for secondary caching. Vendors also occasionally swap components. If you ever notice a large discrepancy between the performance you experience and that which we report, by all means, let us know. To learn more about our testing methodology see PCWorld’s article on how we test external SSDs. Further reading: How to make your own external SSD and save some cash

Doom in your hands Doom: The Dark Ages is surprisingly playable on the Steam Deck "Low" graphics settings and 800p resolution hit 30 to 40 fps on Valve's hardy handheld. Kyle Orland – May 13, 2025 3:16 pm | 3 To get the full effect, be sure to view this image on a roughly 7-inch screen. Credit: Bethesda Game Studios To get the full effect, be sure to view this image on a roughly 7-inch screen. Credit: Bethesda Game Studios Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only   Learn more While working on our review of Doom: The Dark Ages last week, I was unable to test the game on the Steam Deck thanks to a bug that prevented it from launching on SteamOS. I didn't consider this much of a loss at the time, since I figured the Deck's 3-year-old portable hardware was rated way below the minimum PC specs for the game, which call for ray tracing-capable graphics cards at a minimum. Over the weekend, though, Valve released a preview build of a new version of SteamOS that allows Doom: The Dark Ages to actually launch on the Steam Deck. And after a bit of testing, I found the game is surprisingly playable on Valve's portable hardware, provided you're prepared to turn down the graphics settings. With all the graphical quality sliders set to "Low" (and FSR upscaling set to "Performance"), I was able to run Doom: The Dark Ages at the system's native 1280×800 resolution and a reasonably steady 30 to 40 fps. This screenshot (and all others in this piece) were captured on a Steam Deck running at "Low" graphics settings and 1280×800 resolution. Bethesda Game Studios This screenshot (and all others in this piece) were captured on a Steam Deck running at "Low" graphics settings and 1280×800 resolution. Bethesda Game Studios Some impressive fire lighting, even on the Steam Deck. Bethesda Game Studios Some impressive fire lighting, even on the Steam Deck. Bethesda Game Studios This screenshot (and all others in this piece) were captured on a Steam Deck running at "Low" graphics settings and 1280×800 resolution. Bethesda Game Studios Some impressive fire lighting, even on the Steam Deck. Bethesda Game Studios Sure, the lack of fancy lighting effects was definitely a step down after enjoying "High" graphical settings on an Nvidia GTX 2080 TI-powered PC rig last week. And we'd prefer to run a reflex-based shooter at the Steam Deck's maximum 60 Hz frame rate (or even more on the Steam Deck OLED). Still, the fact that a ray tracing-forward game like this runs at all on the relatively underpowered Steam Deck hardware feels like something of a miracle these days. We can only imagine an "Ultra Low" graphics setting designed specifically for the Steam Deck could squeeze an even better frame rate out of the system, if Bethesda decided to make it a priority. While these energy beams would look better at 60 fps, we'll take what we can get on the Steam Deck. Bethesda Game Studios While these energy beams would look better at 60 fps, we'll take what we can get on the Steam Deck. Bethesda Game Studios This kind of motion-blurred shot actually looks quite a bit better in actual motion. Bethesda Game Studios This kind of motion-blurred shot actually looks quite a bit better in actual motion. Bethesda Game Studios While these energy beams would look better at 60 fps, we'll take what we can get on the Steam Deck. Bethesda Game Studios This kind of motion-blurred shot actually looks quite a bit better in actual motion. Bethesda Game Studios Trying to squeeze just a bit more graphical fidelity out of Doom: The Dark Ages quickly overwhelms the aging Steam Deck processor, unfortunately. At "Medium" settings, Steam Deck frame rates dipped consistently below the 30 fps threshold. And at "High" graphical settings, the Steam Deck struggled to get above 20 fps, making the game a slow, stuttering, unplayable mess. Lowering the game's native resolution helped inch up those frame rates; at 768×480 resolution I was able to squeeze out a consistent 45 fps at "Low" settings and nearly 30 fps at "High" settings, for instance. But the extremely grainy and pixellated graphics at that resolution brought to mind the unnervingly low ppi screen on the Nintendo 3DS XL, which was too high a price to pay for a few extra frames per second. Make sure to leave the FSR Frame Generation option off when playing on Steam Deck, too, since turning it on only makes the Steam Deck performance worse. With those caveats in mind, though, Steam Deck owners can count on being able to play a passable game of Doom: The Dark Ages on the Steam Deck. That's a comforting thought as we all continue to wait patiently for the more powerful Steam Deck 2.0 that Valve is no doubt working on. Kyle Orland Senior Gaming Editor Kyle Orland Senior Gaming Editor Kyle Orland has been the Senior Gaming Editor at Ars Technica since 2012, writing primarily about the business, tech, and culture behind video games. He has journalism and computer science degrees from University of Maryland. He once wrote a whole book about Minesweeper. 3 Comments

Google’s recent announcement of an AI Futures Fund shows the company wants to invest in AI startups. It sees itself as providing capital, early access to AI models yet to reach production, and support for startups from experts at the company.This is not Google’s first rodeo. To date, Alphabet (Google’s parent company) has invested in 38 AI companies. Big name acquisitions to date include the UK’s DeepMind, Waymo, the autonomous vehicle intelligence company, and home automation specialist Nest.While such investments signal a broad intent to at least associate Google with startups coming to market with a smart idea (if not necessarily to swallow up smaller companies), the current situation regarding the US courts’ attitude to monopolistic behaviour by Google questions just how far any relationship may go in the longer term.If Google faces increased scrutiny in the next few years on the back of any eventual ruling the US Department of Justice makes, having what might be interpreted as a monopolistic position in AI could bring down the ire of the judiciary.On the other hand, if Google is forced to divest itself of some of its more profitable divisions – the Chrome browser, the Android mobile operating system, some or all of its ad networks – the company may have to double down on its other sources of revenue; and AI could become its favoured métier.If the board at Alphabet decide to bet large stakes on AI, one core aspect of doing so will need clear and definite resolution: the economic viability of continuing AI implementation in the forms that users have become familiar with in the last couple of years. According to some industry commentators, the AI ‘whale’, OpenAI, is struggling to monetise its operations to the extent that will satisfy its investors. Google’s share of the AI market is tiny in comparison with OpenAI’s, but it suffers from the same potential financial issues.Google’s way through may be to continue its original role as provider of information searched for on the internet, and use its models to improve the search results given to online queries, and perhaps monetise around that transaction: either charging end-users for AI-powered search, or having advertisers pay for top spots in AI-generated search results.In that role, Google would be returning to its original function, but with the addition of AI algorithms under the surface – AI that improves a service that’s proven to be in massive demand, rather than AI being the main focus of user activity.Meta’s latest earnings call signalled that Mark Zuckerberg wants to do just that: return to the roots of the Facebook platform as a social connector, but have AI improve users’ experiences.It’s proposed that any acquisitions by Google of AI companies in the future would have to get the approval of the US Department of Justice. The company says such a move would limit investment in future AI technologies, a sentiment echoed by Anthropic representatives during the anti-monopolistic search practices court case brought against Google by the DOJ.If such a government approval edict were in place for Google, it would change the nature of companies that Google might fund via the AI Futures Fund or similar scheme. Rather than risking censure by appearing to add companies to the Alphabet stable that are in line with Google’s AI offerings, those benefiting from the company’s largess would be more likely to be niche players, bringing unique products to sectors of the economy where Google doesn’t already hold sway.Amazon’s acquisitions have been, at first glance, more in line with that seeking out of niche products to snap up. The Ring home smart device company (acquired in 2018 for $1bn) and One Medical (2022, $3.9bn) were purchases well outside of Amazon’s core cloud and retail verticals. Both, however, are prime sources of training data for AI models – consumer behaviour metrics and healthcare information are prime data real-estate.Google’s strategy for investment in smaller companies will need to be similarly canny, given that whatever the outcome of the DOJ case, its activities will be subject to intense scrutiny by the courts, end-users, and the press.No article discussing the activities of US big tech companies would be complete in 2025 without the addition of caveats around the present American leadership’s attitude to competition in the sector. The elephant in the room is the real possibility of executive veto of, or significant amendment to, any judicial ruling. Those potential game-changing elements could affect Google and Alphabet’s investment plans with little notice and less reason.(Image source: “Dallas DA LGBT Task Force visits DOJ FBP” by Dallas County DA is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.)See also: Apple AI stresses privacy with synthetic and anonymised dataWant to learn more about AI and big data from industry leaders? Check out AI & Big Data Expo taking place in Amsterdam, California, and London. The comprehensive event is co-located with other leading events including Intelligent Automation Conference, BlockX, Digital Transformation Week, and Cyber Security & Cloud Expo.Explore other upcoming enterprise technology events and webinars powered by TechForge here.