I love adventure watches, from analog Casio G-Shocks to the Apple Watch Ultra and Garmin’s Instinct and Fenix ranges. But there hasn’t really been any of the best Android smartwatches in that space: the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra and Galaxy Watch 5 Pro are there, but they use Wear OS filtered through Samsung’s One UI Watch 6 interface.

Now, Mobvoi’s latest TicWatch, the Mobvoi TicWatch Atlas, looks like a rugged adventure watch designed to challenge Garmin and the Ultras, and it runs on Wear OS. This means it could be a natural choice for users of the best Android phones looking for a tough, durable watch to see them through hikes, trail runs, and all manner of other outdoor adventures.

Popular streamer Zach Hoyt, better known as Asmongold, has been suspended from Twitch after saying in a video Palestinians come from an “inferior culture”.

Asmongold, who has over five million followers over two Twitch channels, has apologised in a post on X, writing “I’ll do better”.

The account on which he made the remarks has been replaced with a message stating it is “temporarily unavailable” for violating community guidelines.

Twitch and representatives for Asmongold have been contacted for comment.

In clips widely circulated online, Asmongold made comments suggesting he was not sympathetic to Palestinians who had been killed in the Israel-Gaza war.

On Monday, the UN condemned the “large number of civilian casualties” caused by Israeli strikes on northern Gaza.

More than 42,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war since 7 October 2023, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

Asmongold later posted on X saying “my bad”.

“Of course no one deserves to have their life destroyed even if they do things or have views I find regressive,” he wrote.

“I don’t mind apologising if it’s something I think I’m actually wrong about.”

Twitch’s community guidelines state the streaming platform does not allow behaviour “that promotes or encourages discrimination”.

It also bars streamers from making content which “expresses inferiority based on a protected characteristic”.

Asmongold has faced a backlash from his fellow Twitch streamers, with BrookeAB, who has 1.3m followers on the platform, calling his comments “straight up racism”.

And Hasan Piker, who streams as HasanAbi, spoke to Asmongold on a stream before the ban – but he did not back down from his original comments.

In the same conversation, he said he did not support Israel.

Asmongold was streaming on his Zachrawrr channel, where he often talks about news stories or trending topics, and has 1.9 million followers.

His other channel has 3.5 million followers but is used far less often.

However, Twitch community guidelines do not allow suspended users to use their other accounts while they are banned.

Asmongold has not commented on the suspension.

Apple surprised everyone yesterday by introducing an updated iPad mini. What was less surprising was the package itself. It has the same look and feel, but it’s doused in a few new colors and riding atop the might of A17 Pro silicon to enable Apple Intelligence.

“Built for Apple Intelligence,” says the company in its press headline. The tablet’s 8.3-inch screen has been blessed with support for Apple Pencil Pro, which bestows tricks like pressure recognition for strokes, hover, barrel roll, haptic feedback, and Find My support.

The asking price is still $500 for the Wi-Fi variant, while the cellular version will have you spending $649. Thankfully, the base storage capacity is now 128GB, not 64GB. That’s the end of the story for upgrades, and it leaves me awfully confused about what the point of the new iPad mini is — and who should buy it.

The new iPad mini doesn’t fix anything

In hindsight, that also means the iPad mini doesn’t improve on any meaningful aspects that also held back its predecessor. Ever since Apple introduced the sixth-generation iPad mini with its flashy redesign, I’ve often asked myself a question: “Just how fast do I want my small tablet to be, and how deep should I dig into my wallet for it?” Yes, it’s small. A darn near perfect size for reading e-books. Maybe a bit of video watching and some casual games. The build quality is astonishingly great, too.

In Apple’s ad and some really well-shot independent videos, it looks like a fantastic device to put on the desk or shelf. Maybe as a secondary screen for controlling music playback or smart home devices, too. But spending half a grand for that kind of utility has never made sense to me.

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Some would say it’s a perfect little device for sketching and note-taking. Once again, that’s too much to pay for a digital notebook, especially when you pay dearly for that white pen. Or, in this case, $129 for the Apple Pencil Pro.

Or you could get one of Boox’s fantastic e-ink (color or monochrome) tablets, that are nearly half as slim, feel fantastic to write upon, and cost much less. Or get the Remarkable Pro, if you’re that serious about note-taking, and nab a free pen while you’re at it.

The downsides of a small slate

As far as creative work goes, I am not sure how many people go for the iPad mini as a serious work machine. Maybe, as an on-the-go, stop-gap slate. Or maybe an enthusiast hoping to get a feel for tools like Procreate before jumping to something like the iPad Air or Pro.

Earlier this year, while testing a Wacom tablet with a 13-inch OLED screen, I asked architects and fashion designers about their take on the thin slate. They loved the sleek machine but said it’s still not the best size for serious sketching or illustration work.

The iPad mini offers a considerably smaller 8.3-inch screen and a far less appealing LCD panel. The panel is identical to its predecessor, which itself was not really a benchmark in the category. To its credit, the screen was sharp and contrasty but not particularly bright.

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“I constantly have to run the iPad mini at max or near-max brightness just to work with it on a daily basis, and I’m sure that adversely affects battery life,” said Digital Trends’ review of the 2021 iPad mini. Apple hasn’t made any changes in that department for the seventh-gen iteration. I won’t unearth the jelly-scroll demons from 2021.

Battery life is purely subjective as far as the mini tablet goes. For me, I regularly went past a whole day on the 2021 model. But my use-case scenario was “conditional” at best. A bit of reading, a couple of short OSINT lessons, and checking emails.

I won’t call it demanding by any stretch of the imagination. I tried working on the sixth-gen iPad mini. And by work, I mean my daily routine that I would otherwise ask my $500 OnePlus Pad 2 to handle. It wasn’t great.

I started by hunting for a keyboard accessory because Apple doesn’t make one for the iPad mini. I got the well-received HOU keyboard folio for a sweet $50, but I sorely missed the convenience of a trackpad. Despite my best attempts, the keyboard layout proved too cramped to race past a draft.

I’ve seen some folks editing videos on the iPad mini. I tried it, but I couldn’t handle the constant squinting at the screen. I just can’t imagine handling a timeline with even half a dozen audiovisual effects interspersed across the length of an 8-inch panel.

Casual tools like Capcut? Maybe. Something like LumaFusion? Hell no! It’s just funny that the processor can handle short videos with ease. With the 2024 iPad mini, I don’t see the story changing.

Once again, you get a processor that would smoke the benchmark charts but is dramatically held back by the screen size. And while you’re pushing it, the battery will trickle down a little too fast for your liking.

I can confidently predict that fate after spending a few months with DaVinci Resolve and LumaFusion on the 13-inch iPad Pro with M4 silicon. And yeah, it definitely hurt handing over the 2021 iPad mini to my sister, less because I was feeling generous and more out of sheer frustration.

Reaching for the future, with past demons

I don’t see how the 2024 iPad mini will change any of that. The silicon is fast. I reckon it goes toe-to-toe with the best that Android has to offer. I am just unsure what I will get out of all that firepower. Future-proofing? Certainly.

Then comes the question of Apple Intelligence, which many see as the Trojan Horse that would redefine the iOS and iPadOS experience. So far, that hasn’t happened in whatever little capacity Apple Intelligence has arrived.

In 2025, the AI toolkit is predicted to take its final form, with all the fancy bells and whistles such as ChatGPT integration. So, you’re essentially buying into the promise of features well into the future, but getting the payment slip before Christmas comes this year.

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Functionally, however, I don’t see how Apple Intelligence will make a practical impact. Priority and summarized notifications, voice transcription in Notes, and smart reply? Well, how impactful they are depends on how many “work” apps you’ve got running on the tiny tablet.

Image Playground and text-to-image Genmojis? Not exactly intelligent features, I’d say. Also, I don’t know many people who are psyched about a more conversational Siri and enthusiastically look forward to using it more frequently because it’s now a bit more chatty.

It’s a divisive concept

Interestingly, despite all its pitfalls, there’s an audience ready to lap up the iPad mini. It has a legion of ardent fans. Most of them adore its small form factor, and this tiny tablet just works for them for whatever utility it delivers.

I am just not sure the 2024 iPad mini offers anything meaningful to that audience — or to those still sticking to the older version with bezels as thick as a cocktail sausage. Why run to the nearest Apple Store for the new one when the old horse is still kicking and galloping?

Given the choice, I’d rather splurge on a used or refurbished sixth-gen iPad mini and save some cash to spend on an Apple Pencil to accompany it. The 2024 version doesn’t solve any problems associated with its predecessor.

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Unless you’ve been holding on for a refresh, the 2024 update won’t blow you away. It’s just the same car with a faster engine, with all the flaws of its predecessor still riding with it. If you’re OK in that driver’s seat, cheers to you. For the rest, side with gritty patience or look elsewhere.

Modern smartphones, especially flagships, offer reliable stabilization systems that can meet the needs of most users and even content creators. However, if you want to create even higher-quality content, you can also turn to handheld stabilizers. ZHIYUN, a brand specializing in this type of accessories, has introduced the CQ5 Smartphone Stabilizer, which boasts the integration of AI and voice controls.

There’s a “voice assistant” in the ZHIYUN CQ5 Smartphone Stabilizer

Starting with voice control, the ZHIYUN CQ5 allows you to trigger actions using the command “Hey Cami.” This lets you concentrate on recording rather than tapping or pressing buttons. For example, you can say “Hey Cami, start recording,” “Hey Cami, start tracking,” or “Hey Cami, portrait,” depending on what you want to do.

Regarding tracking, the stabilizer uses AI to offer an advanced and precise tracking system. You can tap a subject on the screen to enable intelligent tracking. This adds an extra touch of professionalism to your videos. The company claims that the system works efficiently even during demanding action shots. It also enables use cases such as recording content while away from the camera.

If you are into wide-angle shots, the ZHIYUN CQ5 has you covered as well. The stabilizer integrates an extendable rod (up to 215mm) specially designed for capturing stunning panoramic landscape images, group selfies, and more. There are plenty of possibilities to unleash your creativity when recording videos and taking photos.

Magnetic lights, advanced anti-shake technology and “pro” editing in the ZY Cami app

The device also integrates magnetic fill lights at both ends of the phone clamp. The absence of cables in the connection to the lights adds versatility and convenience when using the stabilizer. You can take advantage of them to get high-quality videos or selfies in nighttime scenarios. Plus, you can use the voice assistant to turn the lights on by saying “Hey Cami, flash.”

To ensure the greatest smoothness in your recordings, the CQ5 integrates advanced anti-shake technology that allows for detailed images even in demanding scenes, such as action shots. Furthermore, the stabilizer’s design facilitates quick and hassle-free smartphone mounting.

The CQ5 Smartphone Stabilizer provides tools to boost users’ creative capabilities. There’s a ZY Cami app that includes recording presets that can be used by both novices and experts. So, you can get high-quality recordings without having much experience. Plus, features like SmartFollow, Timelapse, and MagicClone mode allow you to add advanced effects without having to resort to more complex editing software.

ZHIYUN boasts that its latest stabilizer is quite compact, making it easy to carry with you wherever you go. Its 11-hour battery life and ability to charge while using it provide even more versatility.

Price and availability

Lastly, the regular price of the ZHIYUN CQ5 is about $135, but you can currently get it for about $111 on Amazon. It is also available on the company’s official website.

Like Professor X and Magneto, Intel and AMD know when to team up and take on a shared adversary. The two companies have formed a new x86 advisory group to stem the platform’s bleeding from Arm’s rapidly growing adoption. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, whose company is also part of the initiative, said the board will “help drive software consistency and standard interfaces.”

Intel and AMD aim to find new ways to expand the x86 ecosystem with greater cross-platform compatibility. Arm, licensed for Apple silicon, Qualcomm chips and some Big Tech data centers, currently has a simpler and more flexible design. Compared to x86, Arm makes it easier for licensing companies to adapt the architecture to their needs.

The new x86 group wants a more unified set of instructions and architectural interfaces. Intel and AMD believe greater predictability and consistency across their products will foster developer innovation and help the platform survive and thrive.

In addition to the pair of chipmaking rivals, the group’s founding members include Microsoft, Google, Meta, HP Inc, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Lenovo, Broadcom, Dell, Oracle and Red Hat. Epic Games’ Tim Sweeney and Linux creator Linus Torvalds are also members.

“We are on the cusp of one of the most significant shifts in the x86 architecture and ecosystem in decades — with new levels of customization, compatibility and scalability needed to meet current and future customer needs,” Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger wrote in a press release. “We proudly stand together with AMD and the founding members of this advisory group, as we ignite the future of compute, and we deeply appreciate the support of so many industry leaders.”