The Smithsonian Transfers Rare 2,300-Year-Old Silk Manuscripts to China The Zidanku Silk Manuscripts were smuggled into the United States in the 1940s. Scholars say they provide remarkable insights into ancient Chinese philosophy and religion Newly transferred fragments of the Zidanku Silk Manuscripts on view in Beijing on May 18 Fu Tian / China News Service / VCG via Getty Images In the early hours of May 18, an airplane touched down in Beijing carrying precious cargo: fragile fragments of 2,300-year-old philosophical texts, which were making a long-awaited homecoming. The Zidanku Silk Manuscripts arrived from Washington, D.C., where the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art (NMAA) had formally deaccessioned them several days earlier during a ceremony at the Chinese Embassy. The museum transferred the artifacts to China’s National Cultural Heritage Administration, ending their 79-year voyage overseas. “As a museum of Asian art, much of our work engages with cultures around the globe,” Chase F. Robinson, the director of the museum, tells Smithsonian magazine in an email. “We value the work that we do with our international partners. These relationships allow us to serve as a global and national resource for understanding the arts and cultures of Asia and their interaction with America, past and present.” The museum acquired the manuscripts in 1992, when it received fragments known as Volumes II and III in a bamboo basket as a gift from an anonymous donor. Volume I is privately owned and was not included in the recent transfer. Dating to around 300 B.C.E., the Zidanku Manuscripts are the oldest known silk manuscripts found in China and the only ones from the Warring States period. They’re thought to be a divination guide that offers rare insights into ancient Chinese philosophy and religion. Fragments of Volumes II and III of the Zidanku Silk Manuscripts National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution Volume II, also known as “Wuxing Ling,” contains lunar calendar illustrations and accompanying text that explains “seasonal taboos and auspicious practices,” per the Chinese news agency Xinhua. The texts in Volume III, or “Gongshou Zhan,” are arranged in a rare circular pattern and are read clockwise. They may offer guidance for attacking and defending cities. “The Dead Sea Scrolls are foundational to understanding the religious roots of Judaism and Christianity,” Li Ling, a scholar of Chinese studies at Peking University, tells the Chinese broadcaster CCTV, per South China Morning Post’s Luna Sun. “The Zidanku manuscripts are no less vital to Chinese civilization. They speak to our ancient knowledge systems, our understanding of the cosmos and the details of everyday life.” In the 1940s, the manuscript fragments were looted from a tomb near the city of Changsha in China’s Hunan Province. A Chinese collector gave them to John Hadley Cox, an American collector who brought them back to the United States. Arthur M. Sackler, a pharmaceutical marketer and art collector, bought Volume I, the most complete portion of the manuscript, in 1965. Questions surrounding how the other two volumes arrived at the Smithsonian remain largely “unsettled,” Robinson tells the Art Newspaper’s Gabriella Angeleti. “In the case of these particular manuscripts, there are gaps,” he adds. “Our colleagues in China have done an excellent job of piecing together whatever evidence there is.” Museum officials say the transfer resulted from a collaboration with China’s National Cultural Heritage Administration. Because the decision wasn’t based on provenance research, it was processed through the museum’s standard deaccession protocols.While the fragments never went on display at the museum, they have been “documented, researched, diligently preserved and undergone scientific analysis,” according to a statement from the museum. They have also been the subject of scholarship, including Li’s two-volume monograph The Chu Silk Manuscripts from Zidanku, Changsha (Hunan Province), published in 2020 and 2025. Efforts to secure the transfer of the manuscript fragments began in 2022, after the Smithsonian issued a new ethical returns policy that detailed how to handle objects in its collections that it “would not have acquired under present-day ethical and professional standards.” “This transfer reflects a carefully considered decision, grounded in our focus on sound stewardship and the belief that these materials belong in dialogue with their cultural and archaeological context,” Robinson says in the statement. While the physical manuscripts have returned to China and will go on view at the National Museum of China in July, the Smithsonian will retain digital versions of the documents for further research. At last week’s ceremony, Xie Feng, China’s ambassador to the U.S., noted that more than 40 artifacts had been returned to China from the U.S. since the beginning of this year, per the South China Morning Post. “The return of the Zidanku manuscripts reflects a national revival as lost treasures of Chinese civilization make their way home,” he said. Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.

This edition of Bustler's curated picks of noteworthy architecture and design competitions features four calls seeking the best real or theoretical unbuilt projects, exceptional talents in the fields of design from the Middle East and North Africa, outstanding explorations of daylight in architectural design, and sustainable and fire-resilient passive house designs that can inspire rebuilding efforts in Los Angeles.For the complete directory of newly listed competitions, click here.

If you’re a business of any size considering increased deployment of Apple products, perhaps for the first time, you don’t have to go it alone. Apple has a hidden army of experts ready to help you reach the right decision. They won’t force you to do anything, but they will try to help you identify the right solutions for your business. And their advice is completely free. What the team does is scale. They can help explain how Apple’s solutions can be used in any business, but they also offer personalized sessions in which they go in deep to figure out what you need. In the sessions I’ve sat through, there is of course a slant toward Apple, but the intention is to deliver valuable advice rather than maximize sales. If all your business needs is MacBook Airs, they’ll tell you so, even if you aspire to MacBook Pros. The team can also help you identify the right mobile device management system for your business, and they offer in-person group sessions if you choose. Those group sessions are intended to help you get you and your teams on board with new Apple deployments, but they can be scoped out differently to help you handle specific challenges.  Free advice or fee advice? Apple draws on skills from across the company to empower these sessions. You may get an in-depth look at what Macs can do from one of the product marketing team, or a really informative guide to using specific applications from Apple’s in-store creatives — usually people who have worked or still do work professionally in the creative arts. Apple’s business team can explain things like Apple Business Manager, Configurator, and zero-touch deployments. Security experts can be provided to help you understand if your top team should be using Lockdown Mode. The reason I’m mentioning this is because I don’t believe enough businesses considering making the move to widen their Apple deployments are accessing this free service — and they should, because what is available is solid integration advice to help you make better deployment decisions. I think it’s important to mention the availability of Apple’s business teams, given the sheer number of enterprises currently in the process or considering making the move from Windows to Mac. If you are a company making that move, Apple has teams to help. What can you expect? The sessions I’ve sat through follow what has become Apple’s established approach to any presentation.  You get four or five strands within one session. The most recent tutorial I attended looked at Apple’s general offer to business, a series of Mac and iPhone tips for business, an in-depth exploration of applications and how they can be used for business, and Apple Intelligence tools.  It was very much a whistle-stop tour, full of useful pointers. I particularly liked being reminded that you can use the camera on your iPhone to scan a document directly into an email you are writing on your Mac, so long as you are on the same Apple ID. I was also impressed by a tangible swoon that went through the attending crowd when one Apple trainer showed us how you could use the voice recording tools to automatically transcribe what is being discussed, and then tap the Summary tool in Apple Intelligence to build a highly accurate summary of the conversation. This built-in tech will massively improve the life of minute-takers in meetings everywhere, once people begin to use it — which I think they will once they understand that it all takes place on the device. Why this matters I remember when Apple opened its first US retail store. When it did, there was an overwhelming opinion the attempt would fail. It did not fail. Instead, these stores opened globally and became among the biggest revenue-creating stores on the planet. Crowds continue to flock to them to this day. People turn up because they like the free Wi-Fi and because they can learn more about the tech they own and aspire to. They also turn up to get help at the Genius Bar.  Opening the London Regent Street store in 2004, Apple’s then retail chief Ron Johnson told me, “We believe in doing well by doing good. We don’t talk about revenue, we talk about pleasing our customers.” The Regent Street store was designed by Peter Bohlin of Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, who had flown into London to launch the store. He told me his perspective on the space: “This is really about people more than things,” he said. “Steve [Jobs] has always said he sees himself as at the nexus of technology and art, and I would add, people. We are at the point where technology, art and people meet.” But back when those stores first opened, things were different. There were no iPhones, and Apple’s Mac market share stood at just under 4%. Today, the iPhone is the best-selling consumer electronics product in history, and in some sectors, Mac market share stands at over 20%. Apple’s stores supported this growth by being designed to become places where customers can get good help and support without feeling intolerably marketed at, and without feeling forced to sale up. The principle is that if you treat people with respect, you will generate respect — respect that helps build customer loyalty, which is the most valuable commodity to any business. It’s also the most valuable commodity inside a business.  Choice and respect If you think about it, respect for others is an argument for employee choice when it comes to technology tools. It’s also why Apple’s approach to business users in its stores reflects the same qualities. It means that if you are interested in exploring your options for wider Apple deployment in your business, you can book a free appointment with the business team to gain valuable insights to help your decision, and guidance to put it into effect. When I’ve spoken to members of Apple’s business teams, they’ve always been resolute in saying that they aren’t interested in just selling you an Apple product, they want to help you identify the most appropriate solution for your needs. That means if it really makes sense for your company to stick with its existing legacy tech supplier (despite forced upgrades and CrowdStrike), they’ll tell you so. Though I don’t think they need to tell you that very often. The bottom line?  If you or your business is considering widening Apple adoption in your business, or if you are in the process of such a deployment and want to book a group session to help get your teams on board, or even if you just want advice to help you respond to growing demand from your staff for an employee choice scheme, then an experienced support team is available to you at a local store. That’s got to be a whole lot easier to budget for than employing a third-party IT consultant to advise you, who probably has a vested interest in keeping you on Windows anyway. The truth is that in today’s business environment, there is an alternative. It’s easy to explore, and excellent advice is available for free. You can follow me on social media! Join me on BlueSky,  LinkedIn, and Mastodon.

Macworld Apple’s AirPods 2025 plans: In summary New AirPods Pro could launch featuring heart‑rate and temperature tracking and better ANC sound Some AirPods to get live translation feature via software update  AirPods Max could gain H2 chip, Adaptive Audio, Conversation awareness, Voice Isolation, Bluetooth 5.3 and more In September 2024, Apple introduced the AirPods 4. At the same time the company announced that hearing aid features would be coming to the 2nd generation AirPods Pro and the AirPods Max got a minor update (Lightning switched for USB-C and a color refresh). Those hoping that the AirPods Pro 3 and the AirPods Max 2 would launch were disappointed. It is now almost three years since the AirPods Pro 2 were introduced in September 2022, and more than four years since the AirPods Max introduction in December 2020. Updates are long overdue. In this article we are tracking all the rumors about the launch date, new features and specs and any other changes coming to the AirPods Pro and AirPods Max. Read on for the latest news about the 2025 AirPods. We’ll look first at the rumours and leaks relating to the AirPods Pro 3 before moving on to the AirPods Max 2 below (click here to jump to the AirPods Max section).  AirPods Pro 3 release date: When will the AirPods Pro 3 be released? In summary September 2025 launch of AirPods Pro 3 likely… …But launch could be delayed until 2026 Production delays indicated It would be typical to expect a September launch for AirPods Pro, alongside iPhone 17. The original AirPods Pro were introduced in October 2019, the AirPods 2nd-gen launched in September 2022, and those were updated with USB-C in September 2023. In a February 2025, Bloomberg report Mark Gurman suggested that the AirPods Pro 3 were “Still many months away”. That could still line up with a September (or October) launch though. Also in February an unverified leaker claimed in a tweet that there would be an AirPods Pro launch in May or June. Twitter However, in May 2025 analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggested that we might not see an update to the AirPods until 2026. This could relate to production delays due to a new infra-red camera Apple is said to be equipping the AirPods with (more on that below). Twitter AirPods Pro 3 price: How much will the AirPods Pro 3 cost? In summary Price hike not expected… …But prices may rise due to economic factors We don’t expect the price to change, although it may increase in certain parts of the world and remain the same in others.  For example, when Apple launched the AirPods Pro in the U.K. the price was £249, that price was later reduced to £229, so it might go back up to £249. The price in the U.S. hasn’t changed since launch. Other factors may affect pricing. Pricing for the AirPods range starts at $129/£129 for the AirPods 4, and rises to $499/£549 for the AirPods Max:  Apple Earbuds: $19/£19 AirPods 4: $129/£129 AirPoids 4 with ANC: $179/£179 AirPods Pro 2nd-gen $249/£229 AirPods Max $549/£499 Ignoring the $300 premium for the AirPods Max, that’s an extra $70 between the AirPods 4 with ANC and the AirPods Pro. It would be feasible for Apple to increase the price of the AirPods Pro if the new features made the upgrade worthwhile.  We have a round-up of the Best wireless earbuds for iPhones and the best wired headphones if you’d like to consider alternatives to AirPods. Also read AirPods Pro vs AirPods to find out how the models compare. AirPods Pro 3 features: What specs and features will the AirPods Pro 3 have? In summary Heart rate monitoring Temperature monitoring Translation Better active noise cancellation It’s fairly easy to make predictions about the new features coming to AirPods Pro 3 just by looking at the AirPods 4 and the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 (Beats is an Apple-owned subsidiary). For example, Powerbeats Pro 2, which launched in February 2025, includes heart rate monitoring. Read our review of the Powerbeats Pro 2 and our AirPods 4 review. As for the features rumored to be coming to the AirPods Pro 3, here’s what we’ve heard: Heart Rate monitoring: In December 2024, Gurman said Apple is working on in-ear heart rate monitoring. This will enable users to track heart rate while exercising without having to wear an Apple Watch.  The inclusion of heart rate monitoring in the Powerbeats Pro 2 certainly indicates that the same feature will be available on the AirPods Pro 3, but you can expect it to be superior. One issue with the Powerbeats Pro 2 is that they can’t steam music and capture heart data simultaneously. Another issue is with the interplay between the heart rate monitoring on the Apple Watch and the Powerbeats.  Temperature monitoring: Mark Gurman has also said Apple was researching in-ear temperature sensors, https://www.macworld.com/article/1978329/new-airpods-details-major-leak.html and Apple has a patent on such technology. In-ear temperature sensing could also be faster and more reliable than those via the Apple Watch. https://www.patentlyapple.com/2025/01/apple-reveals-an-all-new-temperature-sensor-that-could-be-used-with-apple-watch-airpods-and-more.html#:~:text=Apple Reveals an all-new,Electronic Devices With Temperature Sensors Translation: As part of the iOS 19 update Apple is said to be adding a live translation feature to AirPods. It’s unknown which AirPods will be compatible, but the AirPods Pro 3 are sure to be. https://www.macworld.com/article/2636989/airpods-to-get-live-translation-feature-as-part-of-ios-19-update.html We expect to hear more at WWDC. https://www.macworld.com/article/678333/wwdc-ios-macos-watchos-hardware-keynote.html Better active noise cancellation: According to Mark Gurman (in October 2023) the AirPods Pro 3 will feature a new H3 chip, which could lead to better active noise cancellation. Crash detection: An Apple patent describes a way that motion sensors inside AirPods could aid Crash Detection. AirPods Pro 3 design: Will Apple update the AirPods Pro design? In summary Changes to the charging case possible Slimmer design suggested Touch controls may work with gloves Mahmoud Itani / Foundry As mentioned above, we can look to the AirPods 4 for some clues about changes that may come to the AirPods Pro. One such change related to the charging case. The AirPod 4 charging case lacks a physical setup button, instead featuring a sensor under the status light on the front that lights up when active. There may be more changes coming. According to Mark Gurman (back in October 2023) the AirPods Pro will get a new design. We don’t expect new colors, but the buds may slim down further. The changes may be less visible, more tactile: A number of Apple patents indicate that Apple is looking to improve the way that the touch controls work on the earbuds work when the user is wearing gloves. For example in February 2025 a patent was granted to Apple that could enable this. AirPods Max 2 release date: When will the AirPods Max be updated? In summary Update long overdue Could be waiting until 2027 Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman wrote of the AirPods Max in a December 2023 newsletter, saying that “The cans don’t sell well enough for the company to invest in entirely new hardware or software features”. However, it’s now more than four years since the AirPods Max were introduced and with such a premium price Apple owes it to customers to bring the AirPods Max into line with their competition and other AirPods Apple sells.  In 2024 Mark Gurman predicted that the AirPods Max would get an updated at the iPhone event. Sadly, the update included only a color change and a switch from Lightning for USB-C connectivity.  I expect Apple to launch new AirPods Max headphones tomorrow with better noise cancellation, adaptive audio & USB-C. They’ll launch with the low-end AirPods 4. This is line with my reporting for months but runs counter to lack of low inventory in stores. https://t.co/KIJQEwywcp— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) September 9, 2024 Even worse, the change meant that the AirPods Max could no longer be used as wired headphones (a feature of the Lightning-based model). This was the case until a software update in March 2025 added this ability along with lossless and ultra low latency audio. As a result of that software update, users are now able to play lossless audio and ultra-low-latency audio through a wired connection. Lossless audio is a key feature for audio producers, while ultra‑low latency audio is key for gaming and live streams. Both very important features for the AirPods Mac. Despite these ‘updates’ the over four year old headphones are lagging behind the competition and an update is long over due. The bad news is that, if analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is correct, we could be waiting until 2027 for the second generation of AirPods Max. Twitter AirPods Max 2 price: How much will the AirPods Max 2 cost? In summary Price unlikely to change… …Although Apple could unify the U.S. and U.K. prices At $549/£499 the AirPods Max are an expensive purchase. The fact that they are now more than four years old makes that price look incredibly inflated. It’s no wonder they are frequently discounted at Amazon and elsewhere. When the new models launch we don’t expect a price change though. These are designed to fit at the premium headphones end of the market, and their competition has solar prices. That said, the price in the U.S. and U.K. may come in to line, with Apple choosing to ‘match’ the price as it usually does (many Apple products share an, e.g. $499/£499 price point) which Apple calculated based on exchange rates and local taxes. AirPods Max 2 specs: What specs and features will the AirPods Max 2 have In summary Necessary updates to bring into line with rest of the AirPods lineup New chip  Removal of ‘audio howl’ There is so much lacking from he AirPods Max compared to the AirPods Pro that it is easy to assume that the following will be included:  H1 chip upgraded to H2 (or H3)  Adaptive Audio (which combines transparency mode and ANC) Conversation Awareness  Conversation Boost Voice Isolation  Personalized Volume Option to activate with ‘Siri’ voice command (not just ‘Hey Siri’) Custom high dynamic range amplifier Bluetooth 5.3 (up from Bluetooth 5.0)  Find My  Also expect better battery life.  One patent identified in 2022 indicates Apple is looking at detecting “audio howl”, which is described as distracting audio feedback. AirPods Max 2 design: Will Apple update the AirPods Max design? In summary More protective carry case Removable ear cushions  Waterproofing  Jason Cross/IDG Improvements to gesture controls which are currently via the Digital Crown. Could Apple forgo the Digital Crown in favor of touch controls on the ear cups?  We could see changes to the carry case. Ideally it should cover the whole product and be more protective. A patent from 2022 suggested that Apple was developing a better case with magnetic clasps. The Audio Howl patent mentioned above also refers to removable ear cushions which could be reattached using magnets.  We’d also like to see a foldable design and better waterproofing. If you’re keen to hear the latest rumors about Apple’s plans, the best place to start is our roundup of New Apple products. Those interested in the current range should take a look at our roundup of the best AirPods deals for the latest bargains.

If you're a pro, this is perfect for ideation or concept designs, or for design hobbyists.

PROS: Easy, tool-less RAM and SSD access and replacement Excellent performance and impressive cooling More refined, premium-looking design AniMe Vision matrix display for some gamer flair Stunning matte Mini LED display CONS: Slightly larger and heavier than previous gen Quite pricey RATINGS: AESTHETICSERGONOMICSPERFORMANCESUSTAINABILITY / REPAIRABILITYVALUE FOR MONEYEDITOR'S QUOTE:The ASUS Strix SCAR 18 (2025) delivers a powerhouse of a gaming laptop wrapped in a design that's modern, mature, and premium. Typical gaming laptops come in thick, bulky chassis with flashy lighting. The former is a result of cramming as many high-performance components as possible in such a cramped space, while the latter is a product of boxing gamer aesthetics into a particular stereotype. As more people embrace video gaming, however, the variety of design tastes also grows, with some preferring their gaming gear to be a bit more discreet and subtle. Announced earlier this year, the ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18 (2025) is bringing more than just the latest and greatest in PC gaming technologies. It also arrived with a redesigned appearance, breaking away from its peers to some degree. But does the gaming laptop’s embrace of subdued aesthetics also mean it cuts down on its performance? We give this racing car-inspired powerhouse a spin to see if it manages to strike a balance between power and beauty that will appeal to a wider audience. Designer: ASUS Republic of Gamers Aesthetics You might be surprised by the sight that greets you when you remove the ROG Strix SCAR 18 (2025) from its packaging. You immediately behold a frame that looks premium, eschewing the shiny plastic surfaces and geometric details that deck most gaming laptops. Instead, the soft-touch matte black material on its back gives it a sleeker, more premium personality, a design language that ASUS seems to be adopting across its laptop line. That design continues inside, where the semi-transparent keyboard deck of last year’s model is replaced with an opaque, all-black case that is less distracting and, to be honest, looks more professional. If you turn all the RGB lights off, the ROG Strix SCAR 18 (2025) could easily pass off for a business laptop, though a rather bulky one at that. The one complaint we have with this smoother texture is how it easily smudges, so you’ll find yourself wiping surfaces more often to keep them looking pristine and presentable. Of course, a Republic of Gamers laptop is still designed for gamers, and those who do want some flair will find plenty of sliders and switches to play with. In addition to the lightbar that runs around the bottom of the chassis and the standard keyboard backlighting, the Strix SCAR 18 (2025) brings the AniMe Vision matrix display from the ROG Zephyrus line, providing 810 LEDs shining through 9,152 precision-milled holes that you can control to show off some lo-fi text or images, both static and animated. The ROG logo sitting in the corner also has its own RGB lights, though it might be a little too big for our tastes. The ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18 (2025) delivers a design that successfully pulls off a tough balancing act, providing a sophisticated and premium look that can still flaunt all those bright RGB colors if wanted. It is distinctly gaming-oriented without having to shout it, preferring to let its performance do the talking. Ergonomics There’s no escaping the laws of physics, and until the day we can truly shrink hardware and develop some magical cooling technology, there will always be concessions when it comes to balancing power and portability. Gaming laptops are unsurprisingly the worst offenders in this matter, and this year’s ROG Strix SCAR 18 sadly takes a step back. Although the Strix SCAR 18 (2025) is an upgrade in almost every other aspect, it is also slightly larger and noticeably heavier than its predecessor. The good news is that it isn’t for naught, because the newer model does pack an improved cooling system as well as a more modular design, but it’s still something potential buyers will have to consider to manage their expectations, not to mention prepare their backs or shoulders when lugging it around. The SCAR 18 (2025)’s more streamlined design also has ramifications for its usability, particularly with the ports. Gone are the side exhausts, allowing the connectivity ports to be pushed backward a bit. ASUS also took the opportunity to add a third full-sized USB-A port, probably to the delight of many gamers and computer users whose favorite accessories haven’t yet moved to the age of USB-C. The power connector has also been redesigned with a new rectangular plug instead of a round barrel. Unfortunately, the power cable has also been changed to stick out from the side rather than at a 90-degree angle like last year’s charger. The ergonomics of the keyboard and the large touchpad are quite good, providing comfort and precision despite not having your ideal mechanical switches. One thing that might throw off new users, however, is the non-standard position of the cursor keys and the layout of the numeric keypad. It’s not a complete deal-breaker, but one that will require developing some muscle memory that you can’t carry over to other keyboards or laptops. Performance The ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18 (2025) is an upgrade in every sense of the word, bearing the latest and greatest Intel chip, the Core Ultra 9 275HX. This is paired with a Series 5000 NVIDIA graphics card, which will naturally depend on what model you’ll have. Our review unit, the G835LW, comes with a GeForce RTX 5080, while there are also options for a 5070 (G835LR) and the highest 5090 (G835LX). Out of the box, you get 32GB of RAM and 2TB of SSD storage, but you can easily double that, as we’ll see later. Long story short, this machine is a beast, making short work of modern AAA titles. Of course, don’t expect to get desktop-grade performance that will let you crank up all the settings to 11, but you won’t be far off either. What’s more impressive than the benchmark numbers is how stable that performance is, particularly thanks to an improved cooling system this year. In addition to your typical high-capacity fans, which now number three, the Strix SCAR 18 (2025) features heatsinks that stretch across the whole width of the laptop. Also running from end to end is the vapor chamber sandwiched between these heatsinks. Completely new to this generation, however, is the Conductonaut Extreme liquid metal that replaces your typical thermal paste on the CPU and the GPU. All these work together to keep thermals down to a manageable level and keep the laptop running in peak condition for far longer. While performance is something you’ll only be able to feel when actually pushing the laptop to its limits, the stunning 18-inch Mini LED is a beauty that you’ll be able to immediately see and appreciate. It definitely has a laundry list of features that not only gamers but also designers will love, starting with the 2.5K resolution and 1200 nits of peak brightness. 100% DCI-P3 coverage ensures color accuracy, while 240Hz refresh rates mean your content will be able to keep up with the action. Vibrant, colorful, and fluid, this screen is pretty much the mouth-watering icing on top of the cake that is the laptop’s performance. Battery life, on the other hand, isn’t as impressive. It’s still the same 90Wh capacity from last year’s model, so its average expectancy isn’t that much. You’d be lucky to get even an hour of gaming with medium settings, which is quite average among gaming laptops. ASUS did upgrade the charger to 380W from 330W, so you have a shorter charging time. The bonus is that the ROG Strix SCAR 18 (2025) now supports 100W PD (Power Delivery) charging via USB-C, which expands charging options just a bit. Of course, it’s still slower and won’t be able to support heavy gaming compared to the official power brick, but it’s better than completely draining your battery dry in less than an hour. The ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18 (2025) definitely doesn’t hold back when it comes to performance, making it an excellent portable workstation for designers and creators as well. There’s no denying that it offers one of, if not, the best options in the gaming laptop market, but the real question is whether that justifies the price that ASUS is asking for in turn. We’ll get to that in a bit, but first, we make a segue into what is probably the third-best thing about the laptop after its sophisticated beauty and unmatched performance. Sustainability At first glance, the Strix SCAR 18 (2025) is your typical mix of metal and plastic that you’d find in many gaming laptops. In fact, you might even be disappointed to find out that there’s still quite a lot of plastic, especially on the interior deck, rather than the aluminum that premium laptops have begun to flaunt. That said, the plastic does help with keeping things a bit cooler and even a little bit lighter, despite the laptop being quite a heavyweight. ROG added one feature that trumps all that, though. With a simple slide of a latch, you can easily remove the back panel to have instant access to SSD and RAM slots. Even better, ASUS has brought its Q-Latch system to easily remove and replace the SSDs with just a plastic hinge. The fans and battery are also quickly exposed, though those will require a bit more work to take out. The motherboard is also well protected with a special frame but is still just a few screws away. This tool-less access to the most commonly upgraded components ensures that the Strix SCAR 18 (2025) will last you a long, long time. Value Subtly sophisticated, impressively powerful, and easily upgradable, the ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18 (2025) almost has it all. The combination of refined aesthetics and flexibility to show off your gamer DNA positions this laptop as a powerhouse not just for gaming but for any endeavor that requires extensive processing, which usually includes AI these days. It’s almost perfect except for one particularly thorny subject: the price. The G835LW with an RTX 5080 fetches a jaw-dropping $3,399.99, and the highest configuration easily goes for $4,449.99. That puts it close to luxury laptop territory, which isn’t something you might call such a gaming laptop, especially one that still has plenty of plastic to go around. Between these two, this G835LW model we’re reviewing seems to have the best balance, compromising just a little bit on performance for a huge cut in cost. Are there other options in this price range? Definitely. But are there other options in this price range that offer this trifecta of style, power, and longevity? Probably not. Verdict We’re entering an age where gaming laptops are no longer just hulking portable counterparts of their desktop cousins. As user tastes evolve, so too, do laptop designs. Those neon-lit futuristic slabs won’t disappear, but we’ll be getting an infusion of gaming laptops that cast their nets wider to appeal to a more diverse audience, some of which might not want to broadcast their gaming passion 24/7. The ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18 (2025) manages to strike a balance that will probably satisfy a good number of gamers of different aesthetic preferences. It cuts a rather captivating image of a powerful portable machine that can handle any task without breaking a sweat. Yes when you turn the RGB lights on and bring the AniMe Vision display to life, it immediately transforms into a dynamic battle station that will carry you to victory. The price tag is definitely a bitter pill to swallow, but you can rest assured that you’re getting you’re money’s worth, especially in the long term. The post ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18 (2025) Review: Subtly Sophisticated Performance Powerhouse first appeared on Yanko Design.

Iran and the United States prepared for a fifth round of negotiations over Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program Friday in Rome, with enrichment emerging as the key issue.U.S. officials up to President Donald Trump insist Iran cannot continue to enrich uranium at all in any deal that could see sanctions lifted on Tehran’s struggling economy. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi early Friday insisted online that no enrichment would mean “we do NOT have a deal.” “Figuring out the path to a deal is not rocket science,” Araghchi wrote on the social platform X. “Time to decide.”The U.S. will be again represented in the talks by Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff and Michael Anton, the State Department’s policy planning director. Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi is mediating the negotiations as the sultanate on the Arabian Peninsula has been a trusted interlocutor by both Tehran and Washington in the talks.A car carrying Araghchi arrived at the Omani Embassy in Rome’s Camilluccia neighborhood around 12:30 p.m. Witkoff had yet to be seen, but the embassy previously served as the site of another round of talks. Enrichment remains key in negotiations The talks seek to limit Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of some of the crushing economic sanctions the U.S. has imposed on the Islamic Republic, closing in on half a century of enmity.Trump has repeatedly threatened to unleash airstrikes targeting Iran’s program if a deal isn’t reached. Iranian officials increasingly warn they could pursue a nuclear weapon with their stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels.“Iran almost certainly is not producing nuclear weapons, but Iran has undertaken activities in recent years that better position it to produce them, if it chooses to do so,” a new report from the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency said. “These actions reduce the time required to produce sufficient weapons-grade uranium for a first nuclear device to probably less than one week.”However, it likely still would take Iran months to make a working bomb, experts say.Enrichment remains the key point of contention. Witkoff at one point suggested Iran could enrich uranium at 3.67%, then later began saying all Iranian enrichment must stop. That position on the American side has hardened over time.Asked about the negotiations, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said “we believe that we are going to succeed” in the talks and on Washington’s push for no enrichment.“The Iranians are at that table, so they also understand what our position is, and they continue to go,” Bruce said Thursday.One idea floated so far that might allow Iran to stop enrichment in the Islamic Republic but maintain a supply of uranium could be a consortium in the Mideast backed by regional countries and the U.S. There also are multiple countries and the International Atomic Energy Agency offering low-enriched uranium that can be used for peaceful purposes by countries.However, Iran’s Foreign Ministry has maintained enrichment must continue within the country’s borders and a similar fuel-swap proposal failed to gain traction in negotiations in 2010.Meanwhile, Israel has threatened to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities on their own if it feels threatened, further complicating tensions in the Mideast already spiked by the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.Araghchi warned Thursday that Iran would take “special measures” to defend its nuclear facilities if Israel continues to threaten them, while also warning the U.S. it would view it as being complicit in any Israeli attack. Authorities allowed a group of Iranian students to form a human chain Thursday at its underground enrichment site at Fordo, an area with incredibly tight security built into a mountain to defend against possible airstrikes. Talks come as U.S. pressure on Iran increases Yet despite the tough talk from Iran, the Islamic Republic needs a deal. Its internal politics are inflamed over the mandatory hijab, or headscarf, with women still ignoring the law on the streets of Tehran. Rumors also persist over the government potentially increasing the cost of subsidized gasoline in the country, which has sparked nationwide protests in the past.Iran’s rial currency plunged to over one million to a U.S. dollar in April. The currency has improved with the talks, however, something Tehran hopes will continue as a further collapse in the rial could spark further economic unrest.Meanwhile, its self-described “Axis of Resistance” sits in tatters after Iran’s regional allies in the region have faced repeated attacks by Israel during its war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The collapse of Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government during a rebel advance in December also stripped Iran of a key ally.The Trump administration also has continued to levy new sanctions on Iran, including this week, which saw the U.S. specifically target any sale of sodium perchlorate to the Islamic Republic. Iran reportedly received that chemical in shipments from China at its Shahid Rajaei port near Bandar Abbas. A major, unexplained explosion there killed dozens and wounded over 1,000 others in April during one round of the talks. Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press writer Nasser Karimi in Tehran, Iran, contributed to this report. —Jon Gambrell and Giada Zampano, Associated Press

Shopping has always been a battle. Companies work hard to convince you that their product is better, while also trying to ensure you pay the highest possible price for your purchase. That’s fair enough, and most of us are accustomed to researching everything we buy to make sure we’re not being ripped off.But modern technology has changed the game. Companies have been hoovering up information about us for years now, and that means they have a pretty good idea about our shopping habits—including what we’re willing to pay for specific products and services, something called Individualized Consumer Data (ICD). New tools like artificial intelligence are now making it very, very easy for companies to engage in what’s known as surveillance pricing.What is surveillance pricing?As its most basic, surveillance pricing is when companies put together a profile of you and your shopping habits, then adjust prices specifically for you. A basic example would be shopping for a television: Two people go to Amazon to look at the same television. One person sees a price of $499, while the other sees $599—for the exact same television, at the exact same moment. The discrepancy is due to their different spending habits and other information that Amazon has gathered about them—their ICD—that tells the company that one person would be willing to spend that extra $100, and the other wouldn’t.Companies create those profiles by scraping an incredibly large volume of information about you from a wide variety of sources. Internet cookies, your shopping history, your IP address (and the geographic and demographic information it provides), are just the basics—the profiling goes much deeper. Even behaviors like how far you scroll when searching for products or what you leave in your shopping cart and never buy contribute to a detailed picture of who you are as a consumer.You might be thinking that most of your personal and financial information is protected to some extent by privacy laws and policies, and you would be right. A lot of this stuff is anonymized. But the sheer amount of information that you leak when you go online—not just cookies and IP addresses, but the browser you use, the plugins you have installed, your time zone, screen size, devices, even system fonts on your computer—can be collected to create a detailed “fingerprint” of your online life. Combined with data gathered from loyalty apps and other sources, this means that an “anonymous” profile of you can be reliably created and identified. In other words, companies may not know that it’s you shopping for that TV, but they know that a unique consumer with specific habits is shopping for one, and thus they can tweak their pricing as needed very effectively.The signs to look out forWhat’s fun about surveillance pricing is how hard it is to tell it’s happening. After all, you surf to a site to buy something, you see a price, you assume that’s just the price that’s been calculated. How can you know that someone else will see a higher or lower price?It’s not easy. You can look for a few subtle signs and try a few experiments if you suspect you’re running into surveillance pricing:Changed prices. If you go back to a specific website regularly and notice that the price changes, it might be because you’re using a different device or because some other aspect of your online fingerprint has changed. Or it might be because your ICD tells the company that you always visit multiple times looking for a lower price.Inconsistent pricing. If you know someone who is shopping for the same item on the same platform and they’re getting different pricing, that’s a potential clue.Reactive advertising. Even if you haven’t noticed price changes, seeing ads that are narrowly targeted to you can be a sign that ICD is being collected and used on you. For example, if web searches or comments on your social media channels seem to inspire related ads, there’s a good chance that your online fingerprint is specific enough to be used for surveillance pricing.Defending against surveillance pricingSurveillance pricing is harmful to consumers because it means you wind up paying more for items simply because of where you live or other extraneous factors—it’s inherently unfair. Defending against it, however, can be challenging—there are basically four strategies you can employ against surveillance pricing, and none of them are magic bullets.Comparison shopThe simplest way to combat suspected surveillance pricing is to shop around for items at different stores—including physical locations, if possible—to get a clear idea of what the “normal” price should be. This can be time-consuming and not always effective, as different online platforms may all use similar surveillance techniques against you.Another aspect of this is to engage your friends and family who live in different areas and use different devices (Android phones versus iPhones, for example). A news station recently had several people from around the country check the prices of different products online, and found prices swung by several hundred dollars depending on location and other factors. If you can ask people who live in different areas to check prices, you can at least determine if you’re getting an okay deal, comparatively.Use a VPNOne of the most common pieces of advice whenever pricing issues come up is to use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to mask your location—you’ve probably seen this advice in conjunction with finding the lowest airline prices for trips. It seems to make sense: If retailers are charging more for people living in affluent zip codes, changing your reported location should defend against that.I tried this, using a VPN to change my IP address to locations in Mexico, the Netherlands, Japan, and different areas of the U.S., and actually saw no price changes whatsoever. One reason this might not work is because your IP address and associated location are just one piece of your online fingerprint, and companies can still track you when you mask it (your browser gives away a lot of information—you can see just how much at this site). Another reason this might not work as well as you expect is because companies can pretty easily tell that you’re using a VPN because the IP addresses they assign their users are used over and over again, often by several people at the same time. This creates patterns that allow companies to flag those IP addresses as VPNs.However, that doesn’t mean that using a VPN is pointless in the fight against surveillance pricing. If you routinely surf the net behind a VPN and combine that with other steps like incognito browsing, regularly clearing cookies from your browser, and deleting your internet history, you deny trackers a wealth of information about you, which can help cloak your identity, making it harder to create that online fingerprint.Avoid loyalty appsLoyalty apps that offer coupons and discounts to regular shoppers are, of course, data vacuums that make it very easy to create a profile about you and your shopping habits. For a few measly discounts, you’re basically giving companies everything they could possibly need to track and profile you—and they can (and do) sell that information to other retailers. If you want to make it harder for them to use surveillance pricing against you, giving up those little perks is probably necessary.Use different devicesThe final piece of advice for defeating surveillance pricing is the one thing that did actually make a difference when I tested it. I randomly searched Amazon for a 65-inch TV made by TCL. On my desktop browser, it was listed at $469.95. When I switched to my phone, it was suddenly $479.00. Less than $10 isn’t a huge difference, but changing devices was the only strategy that yielded any results at all for me, and indicates that checking prices on different devices is an effective strategy for ensuring you’re getting the best possible price despite what your profile might say about your shopping habits.Of course, all of this checking and device-swapping takes time and effort, so you have to consider whether the money you might save by getting around surveillance pricing is worth the time you put into it. Using a VPN with an incognito browser regularly is probably the best passive strategy you can employ to frustrate attempts to profile you without making it into a second job.Last year the Federal Trade Commission opened an investigation into surveillance pricing, which could lead to new rules and enforcement to end the practice, and several states have some kind of legislation to regulate or ban the practice in the works. But until those become reality, keep your eyes open.

Fortnite players know that lobbies aren’t entirely human. Some enemies have such stilted movement or perish in such deeply silly ways that the only logical conclusion is that you’re fighting a bot. The extent of Fortnite’s bot usage is difficult to discern in the middle of a match, however, which is where data miners come in. AllyJax, a Fortnite leaker with an accurate track record, periodically tests the number of bots generated by a match. And as of late May, anyone playing the OG version of Fortnite might find themselves barely surrounded by real players at all. According to AllyJax, the minimum number of human players OG Fortnite needs before starting a match is just eight. That means there’s a chance you could be in a lobby that has 92 AIs fighting for a chance at a victory royale. This doesn’t necessarily mean every match will be an army of bots, but it does mean that you cannot trust that every single character you kill in Fortnite’s nostalgia mode has another person on the other side of the interaction. To determine the number of bots, AllyJax uses a Discord bot know as The Dub, which, among other things, can be commanded to count the number of real players in any given lobby. Bots are largely identifiable by names retained across different matches. It’s also worth noting that Epic Games appears to adjust bot numbers all the time. Previously, AllyJax found that OG matches could be 25% bots one month and 40% bots the next month. Epic has also reverted course in the past and decreased the number of bots that a lobby might generate. The bot-heavy lobbies are also only present in social play, not ranked modes. Epic Games did not respond to a request for comment. With that said, games like Fortnite rely on bots for a variety of reasons, like ensuring short wait times. As of this writing, the older-season-replicating OG playlist is the fifth most popular Fortnite mode, which means that its player count is a fraction of what you might find in the main battle royale modes. Fortnite also eases new players into its gameplay by introducing them to bot-heavy lobbies at first, after which the game uses skill-based matchmaking to determine the prevalence of AI in any given match. At times, players might intentionally go on a losing streak to force Fortnite to generate a bot lobby. In short, Fortnite might thrust a player into a bot lobby for their enjoyment: It’s hard to have fun if all you do is lose. But does a victory royale feel as sweet if you know that you didn’t make a real person suffer for it? Much to think about.