At Tesla’s We, Robot event at Warner Bros. Discovery’s studio in California, the company finally unveiled its robotaxi. The car is expected to go into production before 2027, but even Musk caveated that, saying he was “highly optimistic with timeframes.”

The Cybercab doesn’t have a steering wheel and, according to Elon Musk (so pinch of salt!), could be very cheap to run. The Tesla boss said the operating cost of the robotaxi would be 20 cents a mile, 30 to 40 cents with taxes. He also confirmed people can buy one and that Tesla expects to sell the Cybercab for below $30,000. He still, predictably, said something weird. Musk said he envisions a future where people own several robotaxis and manage a fleet like shepherds. Huh?

The technology is a little different to most of its robotaxi competitors. Tesla has long dropped radars and sensors that other robotaxis, like Waymo’s, use extensively, instead going for cameras and AI object detection. There’s also no charging port, using inductive charging instead, so a completely different infrastructure is needed to keep these vehicles on the roads.

Not one to waste a big event, Musk also briefly introduced the Robovan — an autonomous van that can carry up to 20 people and transport goods, and he marched out a line of Optimus robots, which ended up serving drinks to attendees during the event.

— Mat Smith

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The biggest stories you might have missed

Mubi plans to release it in early 2025.

Mubi has secured the rights to Grand Theft Hamlet. In this documentary, two out-of-work actors attempt to stage an entire production of William Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet within the game world of Grand Theft Auto Online during the Covid-19 pandemic. The movie comprises more than 300 hours of GTA footage.

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Its Arrow Lake processors are finally here.

Despite competition everywhere, Intel has broadly maintained its lead on gaming performance. The company’s most recent Core 5/7/9 often outperformed their AMD counterparts. However, that has come at the cost of power efficiency. Until now. According to Intel, the goal was to reduce power consumption by 40 percent and internal package temperatures by as much as 10 degrees Celsius with its 15th-gen chips. When the high-spec Intel Core Ultra 9 285K arrives on October 24, it will cost $589, the 14-core Ultra 5 245KF will be $294 and the 20-core Ultra 7 265K will go on for $394.

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We tested 14 USB phone chargers on five devices.

With many devices no longer including a charger in the box, especially the latest smartphones, a fast charger is no longer just a nice-to-have item — it’s arguably a must-have.

We’ve pulled together and tested the best chargers in three power output ranges. We have graphs, we have alternative options, we even tease more powerful chargers coming in the near future. In short, we’ve pulled together everything you need, besides buying one and shipping it to you ourselves.

Continue reading.

There have been plenty of rumors swirling regarding a new iPad Mini for more than a year now, but most indicators point toward a processor bump and little else. We haven’t heard much about a new entry-level iPad, though, which makes it a great time to pick up either the ninth- or 10th-gen model — both of which are still on sale for their best price to date in the wake of Amazon’s October Prime Day sale.

Right now, you can grab Apple’s last-gen iPad at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target with Wi-Fi and 64GB of storage starting at $199 ($130 off). The 10th-gen model, meanwhile, is available from the same three retailers — Amazon, Best Buy, and Target — in the same configuration starting at $299 ($50 off). You can also pick up either with 256GB of storage for $349.99 ($130 off) and $449 ($50 off), respectively.

Both entry-level tablets are well-suited for streaming, browsing the web, and shooting off emails, though the newer model sports a slightly larger 10.9-inch screen and a faster processor in the form of Apple’s A14 Bionic. It also features a USB-C port instead of Apple’s Lightning connector (phew) and cribs some of the modern design language from the pricier iPad Air, resulting in smaller bezels and Touch ID fingerprint scanner in the power button.

I’d argue the 10th-gen model iPad is the better buy given its newer specs and current asking price; however, the ninth-gen model is still great for kids and anyone who wants a basic tablet at an affordable price. Hell, it even offers a 3.5mm headphone jack — a welcome rarity in 2024.

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now nearly 1,000 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my Wordle today, NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles.

Rumors continue to swirl regarding the highly anticipated Samsung Galaxy S25 series. According to reports, there have been multiple changes of mind regarding the chipset for the brand’s upcoming flagship phones. Recent leaks claimed that Samsung would be betting on the Dimensity 9400 for the non-Ultra models. However, an alleged change in negotiations would lead to Samsung not using Dimensity SoCs in the main Galaxy S25 lineup, reserving it for the more affordable FE model.

Currently, Samsung Foundry is struggling with the low yield rate of its 3nm GAA wafers. The most recent reports from South Korea talk about yield rates of between 25-30%, which means only 25-30 out of every 100 chips produced are usable. Therefore, it is not currently commercially viable for Samsung to begin mass producing the Exynos 2500 chipset. Samsung has been reportedly debating whether to use Snapdragon hardware in all Galaxy S25 models or turn to Mediatek for the first time for a flagship phone.

Samsung may use Snapdragon 8 Elite on the main Galaxy S25 series; Dimensity for the FE model

Using the Snapdragon 8 Elite/Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 would be the worst-case scenario financially for Samsung. The expected increase in chip costs would lead the South Korean giant to increase the price of the Galaxy S25 series or reduce the profit margin per unit. This would have led the company to bet on the Mediatek 9400 chip as the heart of the Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25+. On the other hand, only the Galaxy S25 Ultra would boast the new Qualcomm chip.

However, tipster Jukanlosreve said on X that the course of negotiations has changed, and the Mediatek chip will only be present in the flagship killer Galaxy S25 FE. Citing exclusive sources, the tipster claims that, in the end, we will not see Mediatek chips in any model of the main Galaxy S25 series. The Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC would power all of them.

The motivations for the alleged change in the course of negotiations between Samsung and Mediatek are unknown. There is also no way to confirm the certainty of the new leak yet, so take it with a grain of salt for now.

Exynos 2500 could be used on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7

Previously, the same source said that Samsung would delay the Exynos 2500 chip due to the low yield rate issue. At that time, the tipster said that the company would implement it in the Galaxy S25 FE, Galaxy Z Fold 7, and Galaxy Z Flip 7. However, the latest update leaves the Galaxy S25 FE out of that list. Anyway, it remains to be seen how much the potential exclusive use of Qualcomm’s flagship chips impacts the price of the Galaxy S25 lineup.

Starting in November, Xbox players will be able to play and purchase games directly from the Xbox App on Android. Sarah Bond, the president of Xbox at Microsoft, has made the announcement on X, with a comment that the “court’s ruling to open up Google’s mobile store in the US will allow more choice and flexibility.” She’s talking about the ruling on Google’s four-year antitrust battle with Epic Games that was recently handed down by US District Judge James Donato. The judge issued a permanent injunction that would force Google to give third-party app stores access to the Play library and to make Android apps available on alternative storefronts.

As CNBC notes, players can download games to their Xbox consoles through the Android app, and Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can also stream games on their phones. However, they can’t buy games straight from the app. After the court’s ruling, Google won’t be able to require developers to use its billing system and will be not be allowed to prohibit devs from telling people about more affordable payment options. Microsoft will be able to offer titles for purchase without having to pay Google a commission, which was most likely the reason why Xbox didn’t sell games within its Android app.

Epic’s lawsuit against Google has been going on for years. In 2023, a federal jury sided with the plaintiff and found that Google held an illegal monopoly on app distribution and in-app billing services for Android devices. When Judge Donato handed down his ruling, Google told Engadget that it’s going to appeal the decision, because it “fails to take into account that Android is an open platform and developers have always had many options in how to distribute their apps.”