The Industrial IoT (IIoT) systems play a vital role in delivering data across various machines, systems, and other industrial devices. Data is gathered via sensor readings, machine logs, performance signals, etc. As data is in a constant state of flux, companies can benefit from it by using valuable insights derived from it. However, the way we interpret data decides the productivity of companies. IIoT platforms make use of this data and turn them into actionable insights that eventually help in predicting outcomes and fastening operations in companies. Moreover, these platforms act as a connecting bridge between factory floors and IT systems.
But how do we make the best use of data gathered from these devices? This is where AI and Machine Learning (ML) help reshape the industrial landscape. IIoT platforms with the help of analytics gained from AI and ML fosters decision-making. They can highlight risks by keeping a watch on real-time operational data. With this data, companies can undertake strategies that boost efficiency.
As manufacturing industries need to function efficiently, due to various business reasons, there’s pressure amongst them to reduce downtime and optimize performance so that they stay competitive in the market. Artificial intelligence and Machine learning in IIoT platforms when coupled together, it helps businesses in deriving key data insights, equipping humans to work smarter and faster. They are proficient in providing analytics not on what happened but how to avoid anomalies or what to do next. In short, they help us get ready for the future.
They support IIoT platforms in the following ways:
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Identify anomalies and other discrepancies hidden within massive datasets.
Help forecast failures before they occur.
Optimize processes without requiring human assistance.
Provides improvised decisions backed by data insights.
The result? Delivering a smarter, faster, industrial environment using data-driven insights.
Features Strengthening IIoT Platforms Using AI and ML
1. Predictive Maintenance
As we know, in manufacturing units, there exist high level machines, and a mal- functioning of a single unit hampers the entire production flow when things come to a standstill. When a machine breaks down, repairs and maintenance can be expensive. With the emergence of IIoT platforms, we can predict the health of machines and equipment failures much before its occurrence. These platforms can analyze data at various levels about fluctuations in temperature, pressure, vibrating sound etc. In this way, companies can initiate actions for resolving anomalies and bottlenecks, thereby saving time with costly repairs and unexpected downtime.
Benefits:
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Reduced downtime
Lower maintenance costs
Longer equipment lifespan
Scheduling maintenance of repairs
2. Real-Time Anomaly Detection
Anomaly detection is one of the core functionalities of IIoT platforms. As IoT sensors are constantly generating enormous data, it helps in detecting anomalies using data points that deviate from the usual pattern of functioning.
In the case of industrial environments, a minor defect in a machine can escalate into major production issues. All these AI algorithms continuously monitor and scan equipment data using sensors. This helps in identifying abnormalities in equipment functioning be it in the form of a temperature variation or unusual motor behavior; this can enable companies to take proactive decisions.
Benefits:
Prediction of risks with immediate alerts signaling abnormalities
Faster troubleshooting
Better quality control
Reducing downtime and maintenance costs
Reducing wastage
Intelligent Process Optimization
AI and ML capabilities in industrial IoT platforms can equip factories with greater operational efficiency. Moreover, they can carefully monitor production cycles, resource usage, and machine performance. This helps in providing useful information on identifying the cause of inefficiencies that affect their proper functioning. Previously, traditional manufacturing processes relied heavily on manual inputs that eventually turned out to be more time-consuming. Now humans need to interfere less with the operational workflow. To achieve optimal results, there should be a collaborative set up where humans and AI-driven processes work together.
With the implementation of AI/ML, they can recommend:
Optimal time for planning production schedules
Energy-saving opportunities
Ideal machine configurations
Automated process adjustments
With the passage of time, the system learns from historical data, and it analyzes contexts. This significantly improves operational efficiency without manual intervention.
Quality Assurance with Computer Vision
AI-driven vision systems inspect products in real time, detecting defects impossible to catch manually. They can even spot minor defects like dents and surface scratches which could be overlooked by the human eye. This enables swift corrective measures without waiting for manual checks. Along with IIoT data, they create a closed-loop feedback mechanism for automated corrections.
Applications include:
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Assembly line inspection: Ensuring that each part in the production line is assembled correctly.
Packaging quality checks: Checks whether seals and labels are properly formatted, avoiding any sort of damage.
Surface and texture analysis: Analyzing whether dents and uneven surfaces on products are analyzed.
Material defect detection: Thoroughly verifies impurities and deformities once they are pushed in for production.
This eventually helps with driving consistency, speed, and accuracy across quality control processes.
Supply Chain Visibility and Optimization
IIoT can be utilized in the best way to track assets, inventory, and shipments. Using IoT, several operations are automated such as warehouse operations, optimizing resources, and space utilization. With ML, this data becomes actionable, and it helps in:
Predicting delays
Recommend alternate routes
Optimize stocking levels
Forecast demand more accurately
Track packages and estimated delivery time.
AI/ML ensures supply chains stay resilient with improved oversight and reduced costs.
Key Technologies Powering AI in IIoT
Digital Twins: Using this technology, industries can simulate the functioning of equipment in their respective factories at a convenient location, thereby monitoring data in real-time. This saves them time to travel to their respective geographical location for monitoring. It paves the way for smarter forecasting and proactive problem–solving.
Edge Computing: Allows data to be analyzed close to where it is needed as opposed to traditional systems where it used to be sent to a cloud for processing. Since AI is directly placed on the sensors, machines or other near-by devices, it can monitor information without any delays.
Time-series forecasting models: A time-series data AI model help with forecasting data on key factors related to temperature, pressure, energy consumption. This helps with forecasting the outcome. By analyzing past trends, patterns, and changes, it can forecast future values.
Reinforcement learning: This technology nables continuous process improvement and improvising decision-making capabilities. They do not continuously rely on historical data but learn from context and improvise the output each time.
Natural Language Interface (NLI): Makes exchange of information much easier in the same manner as we talk to humans. Therefore, it is easily accessible to even non-technical users to get insights and generate reports with an absolutely no-coding background.
Challenges to Consider
There are several challenges with AI and ML powered analytics in IIoT platforms, although it has immense benefits in manufacturing workflows by way of enhancing production efficiency. Although they have the potential to revolutionize the way we live, we need to be prepared for its challenges too. The first and foremost challenge is to manage the humungous data generated from these IoT devices. Moreover, these AI/ML needs to be trained with data in order to produce the best output. Another concern is dealing with data security issues. IoT devices that are deployed in insecure environments are prone to cyber- attacks. One should safeguard the data generated from these devices against attacks. The third concern is about integration complexity. It may not be always feasible to connect sensors, machines, and software inside a factory set up. These could be legacy systems that were not built for connectivity. Different machines would be using varied communication protocols and hence setting up this connection requires technical expertise. This erupts as a challenge as it takes time and effort to merge the data from various sources.
Business Impact: Why It Matters
Implementing AI and ML-powered analytics in IIoT platforms paves the way for analyzing large data sets for improved decision-making. The data gathered using AI/ML analytics helps prevent bottlenecks in production and devise certain strategies that optimize cost. By carefully assessing data, production schedules can be planned in a sustainable way. Moreover, they enhance quality through various technologies such as predictive analytics, asset monitoring, edge computing, etc. The use of AI/ML fosters decision-making with automated insights. In short, such technologies make the industries future ready.
Conclusion
The role of AI and ML in IIoT platforms paves the way for intelligent command centers that help in not just understanding situations or contexts, but predictions and acts based on real-time data. We see a shift from manual data processes to AI-driven insights. This helps companies reduce their downtime, optimize processes, enhance quality, and enable smarter operational decisions. For businesses aiming at adopting these technologies, software development services that are AI-powered help transform your software into intelligent systems that evolve with ecosystems. The world of today is data-driven, and embedding these insights into the operational workflow can transform operations, giving a significant competitive edge to these companies.
Winter testing has been completed for the VW ID.EVERY1, the first vehicle under a joint venture between Rivian and Volkswagen Group to be equipped with the EV maker’s software and electrical architecture. That’s not just progress toward getting this vehicle into customers’ hands; it also unlocks another $1 billion investment from Volkswagen Group into Rivian.
About $750 million is coming in the form of an equity investment. The other $250 million is either equity or convertible debt, depending on which prototypes Volkswagen Group provided to Rivian for testing. (The companies did not make this immediately clear.)
The German automotive giant has already invested a little more than $3 billion in Rivian as part of the joint venture. And there’s more to come. Rivian will be able to borrow up to $1 billion from Volkswagen Group starting in October. Rivian also gets another $460 million equity investment from Volkswagen after the first vehicle goes on sale using the joint venture’s tech. All told, the deal could be worth as much as $5.8 billion to Rivian.
The winter testing milestone payment has been delivered just months before Rivian starts selling the R2 SUV, which founder and CEO RJ Scaringe has said is “maybe the most important thing we’ve launched to date.” Rivian is banking on a very fast scaling of R2 production and sales.
Apple’s MacBook Neo brings the A18 Pro chip from the iPhone 16 to an entry level laptop priced to compete at the accessible end of the market. To keep it slim and completely silent, Apple ditched fans entirely in favor of a graphene thermal pad sandwiched between the processor and the chassis to dissipate heat. It is an elegant solution for everyday tasks, but it puts a ceiling on how hard the chip can push when the workload gets demanding.
ETA Prime saw room for improvement and immediately took the MacBook Neo apart to find out how much. He fashioned a custom copper sheet shaped to sit around the CPU, cleaned the chip with isopropyl alcohol, applied fresh thermal paste, and topped it with a thermal pad to help the copper pull heat away from the chip and into the chassis. No permanent modifications, no adhesive, just a few screws and careful hands.
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The results were immediate, as frame rates in No Man’s Sky climbed from around 30 per second to a smooth 58, and processor temperatures dropped from 105 degrees Celsius down into the mid-eighties. Geekbench 6 scores followed suit, with multi-core performance up by around 10 percent and single-core gains exceeding 15 percent. With the chip staying cooler for longer, sustained performance improved noticeably across everyday tasks as well, and through all of it the MacBook Neo remained completely silent.
The first modification made it clear that the processor had significantly more headroom than Apple was allowing it to use. ETA Prime pushed things further by adding a small magnetic Peltier cooler powered through a USB-C cable drawing 50 watts. The device uses electricity to generate a cold side capable of dropping below freezing, cold enough to form ice on the surface during testing, while liquid channels carry the heat away on the other side. A simple adapter clamped the whole thing firmly against the copper plate already in place.
Temperatures dropped again, settling into the mid-seventies under the same gaming load and returning to just above room temperature at idle. The benchmarks told a compelling story. Geekbench 6 single core scores were up 17.5 percent over stock and multi core climbed 18.5 percent, while Cinebench showed similar gains of around 24 percent single core and 19 percent multi core. No Man’s Sky held a steady 80 frames per second over a 30 minute session, and Fallout 4 ran at a smooth 60 frames per second on just 8GB of RAM with the help of compatibility software and storage swap support.
The entire project remained reversible at every stage, with the copper sheet and external cooler leaving no permanent mark on the hardware. The only real cost was the extra power draw from the Peltier unit, and the performance gains made that a very easy trade to justify. A laptop that was never intended for gaming suddenly becomes a surprisingly capable one. [Source]
Tempted by the cheaper iPhone 17e but aren’t sure how it really compares to the iPhone 17? You’ve come to the right place.
As we’ve reviewed both the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17e, we’ve compared our experiences with the two handsets below. We’ve assessed everything from their design differences to how they perform on a day-to-day basis, to help you decide which iPhone will suit you best.
Keep reading to see how the iPhone 17e compares to the iPhone 17, and which one is likely to earn a space on our best smartphones guide.
Otherwise, check out our iPhone 17e vs iPhone 16e comparison to see what’s new with Apple’s affordable model, while iPhone 17 Pro vs iPhone 17 explains whether you need to splurge on the top-end iteration instead.
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Price and Availability
When it first launched back in 2025, the iPhone 17 was actually Apple’s most affordable handset, with a starting price of £799/$799 for its 256GB iteration.
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However, the more recently launched iPhone 17e has since taken the iPhone 17’s title of being Apple’s most affordable phone. With a starting price of £599/$599 for the 256GB model, you can save a hefty £200/$200 opting for the iPhone 17e.
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Design
iPhone 17 includes the Action Button and Camera Control button, while the iPhone 17e only sports the former
Both have an IP68 rating and Ceramic Shield 2 protection
iPhone 17e is slightly thinner with a smaller display
Both the sport similar designs as their respective predecessors, and are fitted with flat edges and rounded corners.
Even the cheaper iPhone 17e is packed with many of the same durability features as the iPhone 17 including Ceramic Shield 2 at the front and an IP68 rating too. Now, although you may have seen many of the best Android phones boasting ratings of IP69 and even IP69K, we would argue this is more of a marketing ploy than traits that are genuinely useful. Unless, of course, you plan on pressure washing your smartphone.
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Camera Control on iPhone 17. Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)
Both also sport the Action Button, which is a customisable button that has replaced the old ringer switch. However, the iPhone 17 benefits from the Camera Control button too which acts as a shortcut to the Camera app and customising the shot.
iPhone 17e. Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)
Otherwise, the iPhone 17 is slightly thicker than the iPhone 17e although the difference is negligible, so you won’t really notice it.
Winner: iPhone 17
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Screen
The iPhone 17 has a 6.3-inch display, although housed in the same physical footprint as its 6.1-inch predecessor
iPhone 17 finally includes ProMotion technology, while the iPhone 17e caps out at 60Hz
iPhone 17e has a 6.1-inch OLED display
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Put simply, we think the iPhone 17 has the best screen that we’ve seen on an entry-level iPhone. In comparison, the iPhone 17e just hasn’t quite got the oomph to match it.
Firstly, the headline feature of the iPhone 17 is that it finally includes Apple’s ProMotion technology, meaning it has an LTPO-enabled 1-120Hz display. The difference is staggering, and makes scrolling and animations feel smoother than the iPhone 17e’s 60Hz maximum.
iPhone 17e display
iPhone 17 display
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Not only that, but the iPhone 17 has a slightly larger 6.3-inch display compared to the iPhone 17e’s 6.1-inches. In fact, the iPhone 17 houses its screen in the same physical footprint as its predecessor, thanks to the slimmer bezels which helps make the handset look more premium than others. That’s not to say the bezels on the iPhone 17e are large or distracting, it’s just that the iPhone 17’s are slimmer.
The iPhone 17 also benefits from a higher peak brightness of 3000 nits, whereas we measured the iPhone 17e as having a maximum 750 nits instead. That’s a huge difference, and means the iPhone 17e is trickier to use when outdoors in bright sunlight.
Winner: iPhone 17
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Camera
iPhone 17 has 48MP main and 48MP ultrawide rear sensors
iPhone 17 also boasts an 18MP square front camera for better selfies
iPhone 17e only has one rear sensor, making it much less versatile
One of the biggest reasons to opt for the iPhone 17 is due to its camera. While it may not be quite as slick as the iPhone 17 Pro, its dual set-up is likely enough for most users.
iPhone 17e camera
iPhone 17 cameras
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The standout feature of the iPhone 17 is its 48MP main lens which we found delivers a consistently sharp and colour-accurate image, however the 48MP ultrawide does an admirable job too. It won’t match the main lens in dark conditions though.
While of course we’d like a telephoto lens here, the main camera’s 2x in-sensor zoom delivers good quality shots when you need them.
Flip the iPhone 17 over and you’ll find its 18MP selfie camera, which now sports a square sensor. This allows you to short full-res portrait and landscape shots without needing to rotate your phone.
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iPhone 17e camera at night. Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)
In comparison, the iPhone 17e isn’t quite as impressive. Not only is its front camera just 12MP and doesn’t share the same square sensor, but at its rear is just one 48MP “Fusion” lens. While you can capture detailed shots, with accurate yet vibrant colours even at night, if you’re used to playing around with different lenses then you’ll be disappointed with the iPhone 17e.
Winner: iPhone 17
Performance
Both run on Apple’s A19 chip, although the iPhone 17e’s has a slightly downgraded GPU
Even so, in daily use the iPhone 17e feels just like the iPhone 17
The iPhone 17 does benefit from ProMotion which makes gaming feel smoother
Both the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17e run on Apple’s A19 chipset, although it’s worth noting that the iPhone 17e’s version has a slightly downgraded GPU. What this should mean is that gaming might not be as smooth as otherwise, however we didn’t report any differences there.
Generally, both iPhones open apps instantly, allowing you to scroll through social media and even game without any stutter. However, as the iPhone 17 sports ProMotion, gaming does have a slight edge here.
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iPhone 17. Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)
So, while we’ll give the win here to the iPhone 17, it’s worth noting that the iPhone 17e’s performance isn’t far behind.
Winner: iPhone 17
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Software
Both run on iOS 26
Both support Apple Intelligence, although it’s a pretty underwhelming toolkit at present
There aren’t many differences between the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17e’s software, as both run on Apple’s iOS 26, have the Liquid Glass finish and support Apple Intelligence.
The Liquid Glass design is somewhat divisive, however we think it looks great as everything feels more fluid and responsive than before. Even so, you can turn its intensity down via your device settings.
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iPhone 17e. Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)
Otherwise, both iPhones also support Apple Intelligence, Apple’s AI-toolkit that hasn’t really taken off. While some of its features are useful, such as Live Translation and call summaries, Siri remains dated while Image Playground falters in comparison to Google’s Nano Banana. Hopefully, Apple Intelligence will see improvements in the future, but for now it shouldn’t be the reason you choose an iPhone.
iPhone 17e supports 25W and MagSafe 15W wireless charging
Although neither the iPhone 17 nor iPhone 17e boasts the same capacity as the likes of the OnePlus 15, both are still solid all-day handsets. We found both could last for around four hours of screen time before needing a top-up.
Charging speeds, however, remain somewhat uninspiring here, especially when compared to the best Android phones. However, with the iPhone 17 supporting 40W wired and 25W wireless, it’s faster than the iPhone 17e’s speeds of 25W and 15W respectively.
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Winner: iPhone 17
Verdict
We would recommend that, so long as your budget can swing it, you opt for the iPhone 17. Not only does it boast a brilliant screen, but its cameras are more versatile and it performs brilliantly in most tasks.
That’s not to say the iPhone 17e isn’t a decent iPhone, it’s just harder to recommend due to its single camera and standard display. Having said that, we found that it does perform most tasks as well as the iPhone 17.
Caviar created an extremely limited run of this Steve Jobs edition iPhone 17 Pro, only 9 copies. Each has a genuine piece of Steve Jobs’ iconic black Issey Miyake turtleneck, neatly tucked within the phone. The turtleneck piece is casually tucked away in the center of the back panel, but it’s still visible, shielded by a raised titanium Apple logo that serves as both a seal and a prominent focus point.
The main body is black titanium with carbon fiber woven in for texture and silver accents around the edges that quietly reference the original 2007 iPhone. The Apple logo sits slightly off center, and the understated engraving keeps things minimal, striking a balance between a clear nod to the past and something that still feels unmistakably current.
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Steve Jobs’ signature is engraved into the frame alongside the words ’50th Anniversary Edition,’ giving the whole thing an unexpectedly personal quality. The accompanying certificate confirms that the fragment of turtleneck fabric worked into the design came from one of Jobs’ own jackets. In hand the phone feels exactly as considered as it looks, the titanium balanced and substantial, and the carbon fiber shifting in appearance as the light catches it from different angles.
The back panel draws the eye straight to the Apple logo, with the turtleneck fragment subtle enough that you almost miss it until you know it is there. Flip it over and the signature engraving comes into view, a quiet nod to the anniversary that inspired the whole project. Only nine units were made, and they are available now through Caviar’s website. Each one comes fully authenticated, so buyers can be confident the turtleneck fragment is exactly what it claims to be. [Source]
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.
Sometimes, a screwdriver won’t get the job done. This is where a solid power drill with a set of drill bits can save the day, plowing through and inserting fasteners into a range of materials with ease. Unfortunately, it’s not always so easy to walk into a hardware store and get a strong set of bits. Some of the bits from specific brands aren’t great quality, failing to work well at all, losing their edge within a few uses, or breaking entirely. Naturally, this amounts to a waste of money that customers are more than willing to talk about online, hopefully preventing their fellow tool-users from suffering disaster.
This all boils down to being educated and using common sense when buying drill bits. On the price front, drill bits are often a get-what-you-pay-for kind of tool. If the price seems too low for all you supposedly get and the marketing claims seem too good to be true, these are likely bits to avoid. Buyers should also be mindful of the materials they’re said to be made from and what kind of durability such materials typically provide. While it’s possible to use a bench grinder to sharpen drill bits, sharpening is not something that should have to be done often, especially if you only use your bits sparingly.
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On top of the specifics of the bits themselves, it’s worth digging into the reputation of drill bit brands behind them before you buy. These are just a few of the many brands that users feel offer the worst sets on the market.
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Warrior
Harbor Freight has numerous brands under its purview, with Warrior being one of the most prominent. Still, this doesn’t mean all of its products are worth purchasing. Just as there are Warrior tools Harbor Freight customers recommend steering clear of, the brand’s drill bits haven’t received universal customer praise. There’s plenty of negativity surrounding the brand’s bits online, such as a YouTube review from MZ’s Garage. According to their experience, Warrior’s brad point drill bit set is a big miss. The shanks on their bits were crooked, preventing them from effectively drilling a clean, straight hole through material. Missing etched bit labels were also a problem, so they recommended against the set.
Meanwhile, there are several written forum threads on the subject of Warrior’s low-quality drill bits. On Reddit, u/rynil2000 made a thread on their poor Warrior experience, recalling bits snapping and dulling without much effort. In the comments, others shared the sentiment that Warrior’s bits are no good, with it mentioned a few times that the brand’s smaller offerings like drill bits and sandpaper are rough across the board. u/Hard_Head also had a bad experience with Warrior, with commenters in their thread expressing no surprise that cheaper-priced bits broke so easily. Those in u/jayste4‘s thread didn’t have high praise for Warrior either, calling them cheap, disposable, and ineffective.
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Bad Dog Tools
While not sold at large brick-and-mortar retailers, Bad Dog Tools’ drill bits have managed to make the rounds in tool circles all the same. Unfortunately, the brand hasn’t made a great impression on many of its customers with its bit selection. Case in Point, YouTuber TylerTube, who put a Bad Dog drill bit set through its paces in their video and wasn’t happy with the result. The bits lacked in durability right out of the box, and they struggled to make clean holes without moving all around on the material. JimboFive0 on YouTube found their Bad Dog bits to be poor quality, almost immediately breaking, with the company’s customer service failing to help them out as hoped.
Over on Amazon, there are many negative reviews on Bad Dog drill bits. The Bad Dog seven-piece multipurpose drill bit set has 30% one-star reviews, where customers warned others of off-kilter drill bits, breakage after drilling only a few holes, and failure to cut through materials like concrete effectively, despite advertised as being able to handle such jobs. Most in a thread by u/Additional_Cat5490 about Bad Dog spoke negatively on its drill bits as well. Several commenters corroborated the claim that the bits fail to live up to the brand’s marketing, which heavily touts their ability to handle numerous material types and last longer than other bits.
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Ryobi
Ryobi has more than made a name for itself in the power tool space. At this point, there are multiple Ryobi cordless drills at different price points to consider. According to customers, though, Ryobi’s bits aren’t worth the money. For instance, in a thread by u/murmur333 on Reddit, they and others spoke to the brand’s bits disappoint in durability and are effectively disposable. It’s even recommended by one user to use bits from brand like DeWalt in a Ryobi drill for better results than going Ryobi for both. Fellow Redditor u/PaidByMicrosoft and others in their thread reported their Ryobi bits breaking after only a few uses.
Going beyond Reddit, the lack of support for Ryobi’s drill bits resumes. Looking to the Home Depot website, many Ryobi bit kits have taken on negative reviews. Looking at the Ryobi black oxide round shank bit set, it has a 3.9 out of five star rating with numerous one-star reviews. These over 70 reviews speak of their bits being bent right out of the box, breaking after only a few holes, and quickly dulling with use. The Ryobi black oxide hex shank twist drill bit set also took some criticism at 3.7 out of five stars. The almost 200 one-star reviews share similar instances of sudden breakage and dulling with minimal or even one-time use.
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Milwaukee
Much like Ryobi, Milwaukee has made itself a fixture in the power tool world. Many tool enthusiasts love Milwaukee for a range of reasons, but it does have some areas to improve on. According to many users, the brand’s drill bits can leave a lot to be desired. While some vouch for Milwaukee or feel its bits are just fine, several folks in Reddit threads by u/Charlesinrichmond and u/NoOlive1039 recalled instances of breakage and highlighted a general lack in quality. u/thebeansimulator also expressed firsthand disappointment in Milwaukee bits failing after just a few holes, with those in the comments recommending what they’ve found are superior brands.
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Digging into Home Depot reviews, there are multiple Milwaukee drill bit sets that didn’t perform the best with everyone. The Milwaukee black oxide step drill bit set has taken some flak, with negative reviews mentioning one or multiple bits breaking with little use and failing to effectively drill into material as advertised. The Milwaukee Shockwave carbide multi-material masonry bit set didn’t fare much better with a large number of Home Depot customers. Bit tip wear after just a few holes, complete breakage, or total inability to drill into certain materials made this set a disappointment for many who tried it out — especially given the Shockwave line prides itself on increased durability and efficiency.
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How these drill bit brands were selected
KravchenkoPictures/Shutterstock
These specific drill bit brands were selected as users’ least favorites through extensive research. The first thing to do was go to various home improvement stores such as Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Harbor Freight to look over the sentiment toward the most prominent drill bit brands. This included star ratings and the number of customer reviews under bits and full kits. From here, it was possible to whittle down that list to those that had received some of the least support among customers.
With the brands chosen, digging into reviews was the next step. It needed to be determined where exactly these bits went wrong for customers, and ensure their less-than-stellar reputation wasn’t based on user error. This entailed looking through reviews on product listings, forums like Reddit, and media platforms like YouTube to find commonalities in negative user experiences. This made it clear that these bits’ inability to deliver was somewhat universal and the claims of these brands being bad wasn’t based on one-off anecdotes.
I first noticed it when, a few months ago, I opened an email from Ian, my literary agent. Before I’d had a chance to read anything he’d written, Gmail was recommending a full, fleshed-out, AI-generated reply, ventriloquizing ideas for a book and even my feelings about the job transition I’d recently made. It had mined my inbox to infer why Ian was writing to me and ingested bits of my style, even signing off with the lowercase “m” that I use with people with whom I have an easy familiarity.
For around a decade, Google had been suggesting very generic, sometimes monosyllabic “smart replies” — things like “Okay” or “Thanks!” or “Any thoughts?” I’ve used these to send quick acknowledgements to emails I’d have otherwise forgotten about. But in the last couple years, Gmail has begun to offer fully formed draft replies that presume to impersonate my own, individual reactions to my interlocutors’ questions, ideas, and emotions.
This felt like a striking turn. I reflected with some sadness on the idea of sending one of these to someone who matters to me — how dehumanizing to both me and Ian it would feel to make him read a counterfeit subjectivity pretending to be my own.
You might say this is no big deal; maybe it gives you time back for deeper work or more meaningful parts of your life (I wouldn’t begrudge that at all — AI saves me time, too!). We’re all drowning in too much email, much of it pointless or lacking any great meaning. Isn’t that exactly the kind of day-to-day tedium that we should happily invite AI to liberate us from?
But I think that this machine-generated personal correspondence, which is only likely to spread further into other forms of communication, has preoccupied me because there’s something deeper going on here. A lot of ink has been spilled in the last few years about AI-generated writing and its social consequences — how it will deskill millions of workers, outsource our thinking, confuse kids growing up in the AI age about the difference between real and synthetic friends, and so on. We already know that AI language is unnervingly good at sounding like it’s the product of a fellow consciousness. But the particular creepiness of elaborate email autocomplete is that it’s training on and simulating your consciousness. And as it does so, it also gives you a little less reason to actually be conscious.
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AI writing and “cognitive surrender”
Like many knowledge workerswho derive their living and their identities from cognitive capacities now being at least partially replicated in silicon, I have a complicated and ambivalent relationship with generative AI. I now depend on it to research almost every story I work on, a purpose for which it’s obviously very useful (despite those who still insist it can never be useful for anything).
I am, though, deeply skeptical of using it for writing, because, as many writers smarter than me have already noted, writing is inextricable from thinking, and short-circuiting it can diminish our capacity for deep thought. The friction of writing is not dead weight but is part of how you decide what you mean and give coherence to ideas. For that reason, my former Vox colleague, the brilliant Kelsey Piper, who is generally positive about AI’s potential to make us more productive and improve human life, said on a recent podcast episode, “I would never use it to write.”
In a recent paper, a pair of University of Pennsylvania scholars described the wholesale outsourcing of cognitively complex tasks to AI as “cognitive surrender.” “An abdication of critical evaluation,” they write, “where the user relinquishes cognitive control and adopts the AI’s judgment as their own.” This is one reason why it felt especially inappropriate to have AI generate thoughts for me in reply to someone with whom I’m brainstorming about writing a book, likely one of the most cognitively demanding things I’ll ever do. Email, for all of its annoyances, is also relational. And letting a machine generate your side of the exchange diminishes the authenticity of your connection to another person.
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Sometimes the AI drafts, of course, are plainly wrong. An AI-suggested email might, for example, say you’ve read a book that you haven’t, perhaps making it more likely that you go along with the false claim. But what unsettles me the most is not the mere hallucination, it is when the AI is right, or right enough. My email’s AI is pulling from its knowledge of everything I’ve written before, so it can often make a reasonable guess of what I’d want to say anyway. The system is not wholly failing to reproduce my mind, but is actually producing a close-to plausible substitute for it.
It feels like the beginnings of what Silicon Valley has prophesized for decades as a coming merge (sometimes called the “singularity”) between human and machine minds. I used to consider this a totally improbable idea, but I hadn’t been open-minded enough. It might turn out to be dispiritingly easy for an advanced AI to train on a sample of your past thoughts and write future ones for you.
Still, it seems unlikely that we will simply acclimate to the idea that all the written communication we encounter and generate every day may be AI-generated. So much, if not most, of our interpersonal communication now takes place in writing. However vulnerable we may be to cognitive surrender, humans also have a deep countervailing need to experience language as coming from another conscious mind — to feel seen and known, and to assert our own distinctness in return.
And anyway, Gmail isn’t yet that good at imitating my conscious voice. I would never write, “Lots of interesting stuff coming up at Vox!” (Which isn’t, of course, to say that there isn’t a lot of interesting stuff going on at Vox.) That still leaves me, for now, with the pleasure of figuring out what I want to say.
When right wing billionaire Larry Ellison (and his nepobaby kid David) hired trolling blogger Bari Weiss to run CBS News, Weiss arrived with the promise of “balanced, fact-based news,” “independent, principled journalism,” and a unique “entrepreneurial drive and editorial vision” that would completely modernize the network and reach the “everyday Americans” traditionally ignored by mainstream media.
As we noted at the time, that was all bullshit code for turning CBS into yet another outlet that panders to global autocrats, normalizes far right wing extremism, coddles corporate power, and generally shits all over progressive societal reforms.
Weiss wasn’t a journalist, had no serious journalism experience, isn’t good at journalism, and wasn’t hired to do journalism. She was hired specifically to do ratings-grabbing, viral, right wing friendly agitprop which the Ellisons mistakenly seemed to think there was a massive market for. But unfortunately for Weiss, she’s not good at that either.
And it’s just observationally true that nobody actually wants what CBS’ new ownership is selling.
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Broadcast TV was already in trouble (just 20% of all TV viewing is now broadcast). The conspiratorial right wing MAGA movement already has countless propaganda outlets to choose from. And the folks who used to find CBS News semi useful aren’t sticking around. “CBS Evening News” ratings keep dipping below 4 million viewers; the kind of ratings that caused CBS to revamp things in the first place.
“Demo figures are perhaps even more alarming. “CBS Evening News” lost about 15% of its viewership in the adults 25 to 54 bracket for the first quarter of 2026. ABC is also off by around 4%, while “Nightly” is up 8%.”
“Viewers are smart. They understand that under Ellison’s ownership, and with Weiss at the helm, CBS News has charted a new course … one that is friendlier to Donald Trump and the MAGA movement he leads.”
It’s just not clear who Weiss thinks she’s appealing to. There’s no shortage of weird, timid, corporatist, center-right blandness across journalism. Countless outlets are making such a pivot the under Trump in an industry that’s being increasingly consolidated under the ownership of terrible rich assholes with increasingly extreme, anti-democratic ideals. And fewer and fewer people watch broadcast TV anyway.
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It’s clear Larry Ellison and other right wingers envy and want to emulate the control of media Victor Orban enjoys in Hungary. Under most autocratic models, party-loyal oligarchs buy up all the major companies, pummel the country with propaganda, and the government sues, harasses, and strangles real journalism just out of frame. As it progresses and gets worse, journalists often wind up dead.
But America is much bigger and much more diverse than Hungary. People are also increasingly consuming media and news in short form snippets from a massive and expanding assortment of influencers (credible or not), independent outlets, and direct-to-consumer journalists. “Flooding the zone with shit,” (to use a Steve Bannon term) impacts everybody, and makes it hard for any one player to dominate modern media.
The folks who’ll rise above the noise in this fractured, new, badly automated, modern media landscape have to be either extremely clever, inherently gifted at pandering to the lowest common denominator, or undeniably authentic.
Bari Weiss is none of those.
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Bari came into her job insisting she had the secret sauce to modernize CBS in the viral social media era, and by every indication there’s no evidence that’s actually true. Much of the stuff she’s introduced is just foundationally boring cack of interest to nobody.
As a result, I suspect Weiss’ tenure won’t last past the end of the summer.
I don’t want to give Larry Ellison any ideas, but you could see a future where he hires someone who actually is the modern hustlebro manfluencer version of Roger Ailes; somebody who can leverage CBS and Ellison’s new co-ownership of TikTok to create a truly modern, even uglier version of Fox News that seeds social media with inflammatory, pseudo-journalistic bullshit peppered with sports betting ads.
The thing is there’s just absolutely no evidence anybody at this new Paramount is remotely competent for good or ill, whether we’re talking about Weiss or Paramount President Jeff Shell (who was fired from Comcast for allegations of sexual harassment, and is now going through weird legal tangles at CBS).
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Unfortunately, if all Larry Ellison accomplishes is the destruction of another cornerstone of U.S. journalism, he’s still broadly made the world a worse place in a way that benefits him personally. Though even then, you’d like to think there’s potential for people who actually have something ethical or authentic to say to build something useful from the ashes.
Judge Jane Boyle of the US District Court for the Northern District of Texas ruled Thursday that X failed to show any “antitrust injury,” such as a measurable benefit to rival social media companies. “The very nature of the alleged conspiracy does not state an antitrust claim, and the court… Read Entire Article Source link
BGIS Grand Finals have just started, and it was exhilarating. We expected top performance from teams like Soul and GodLike, and we got them. On top of that, we also got GENS putting on an absolute show of domination in terms of finishes. Here’s everything that happened on the first day of BGIS Grand Finals 2026.
Match 2 & 3: Soul Flip the Script Against Team Tamilas
Team Tamilas looked like the clear favorites for most of the match. They had control, positioning, and momentum going their way until the final circles.
Getting into the playzone turned out to be their biggest problem, and that’s exactly where Team Soul stepped in and completely wiped them out.
Soul went on to take the chicken dinner in dominant fashion. Goblin led the charge with 5 finishes, while Nakul backed him up with 4. RGE tried to keep up and secured second place, but there was just no stopping Soul in this one.
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The third match kicked off with a bit of a shocker. Home team Tamilas took an unnecessary fight against LEFP—something that could’ve easily been avoided—and paid the price for it.
This match ended up being one for the underdogs. Nebula showed promise for a while, but their push into Pochinki didn’t go as planned, and things fell apart quickly.
Match 4: Slow Start, Explosive Finish
Match 4 started off slow, almost too quiet, with barely any action in the early zones. But once things picked up, chaos followed.
Ninz were the first to go after getting caught in a bridge camp by Reckoning. Nebula’s rough day continued as they were eliminated soon after. Then came the big surprises—table toppers Soul were knocked out early, followed by WF.
Genesis eSports, however, stole the spotlight. Even without winning, they racked up 17 points purely from finishes, including taking down GodLike. In the end, it came down to VE, WELT, and RGE. VE looked like the strongest team throughout the final moments, and it played out exactly that way as they secured the chicken dinner.
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Match 5 & 6: GodLike Enter the Chat
Match 5 saw Xspark being eliminated early, thanks to a quick play from Jonathan. K9 and OG continued their poor run, while even VE, the previous match winners, had a rough start, managing just 2 points.
Genesis eSports once again came in hot with over five early finishes, but this time they had serious competition—GodLike. The final circle featured GodLike, WF, and VS. What followed was an absolute thriller, with GodLike coming out on top and announcing itself as a serious contender.
The last match of the day was nothing short of madness. It started with early eliminations, including Ninz and even Genesis eSports. GodLike found themselves in a tricky position outside the zone and were eventually taken down by Soul, who were on a roll.
Soul also eliminated OG without losing a single player. The final zone was insane—five teams alive in a semi-urban, rocky area. K9 was the first to fall, followed by Soul. It all came down to VS, VE, and WF. In the end, VS held their nerve and secured the final chicken dinner of the day.
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Soul ended the day topping the standings, followed closely by Godlike. For the full standings, click here.
Cambridge Audio is giving its CX Series a darker look, but the bigger story sits behind the rack. The UK-based brand has introduced Black Edition versions of the CXA81 Mk II integrated amplifier and CXC CD transport, alongside the new CXN100 SE network streamer, which is the only actual addition to the lineup. All three arrive in a refined matte black finish, with no changes to the core circuitry or performance compared to the standard Lunar Grey models.
What matters more, however, is where Cambridge Audio is headed in North America. Distribution has shifted to Fidelity Imports in the U.S. and True North Distribution in Canada (a new joint venture with Playback Distribution), a move that could have far greater impact on availability, dealer support, and long-term brand visibility than a fresh coat of paint. The hardware may look different, but the strategy behind it is doing the real work.
CXA81 MKII Integrated Amplifier
The anchor of Cambridge Audio’s CX range, the CXA81 Mk II, released in 2024, is an integrated amplifier rated at 80 watts per channel. It’s designed to deliver a clean, controlled presentation across both digital and analog sources, whether you’re streaming high resolution audio or spinning vinyl through an external phono stage.
The CXA81 Mk II balances output and refinement with the neutral, open character the CX Series is known for, making it a flexible centerpiece for a wide range of two channel systems without leaning too warm or overly analytical.
CXA81 MK II Feature Highlights
Amplifier Type:Class A/B design for a balance of efficiency and linear performance
Power Output: 80 watts per channel, providing sufficient current for a wide range of loudspeakers
DAC: ESS ES9018K2M SABRE32 for high-resolution digital-to-analog conversion
Digital Inputs: TOSLINK (optical), coaxial, and USB Audio
Analog Inputs: Single-ended RCA and balanced XLR connections
Bluetooth: Version 4.2 with A2DP/AVRCP support, including aptX HD (up to 24-bit/48 kHz)
The current version of the CXC was released in 2023. It’s designed for listeners who still value their CD collections and want to extract the best possible performance from those 5-inch discs. By focusing strictly on digital transport duties, Cambridge Audio has stripped away anything that doesn’t serve accurate data retrieval and timing.
The result is a purpose-built CD transport engineered for precise disc reading and low-jitter digital output, delivering a cleaner, more consistent signal to an external DAC without unnecessary processing getting in the way.
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CXC Feature Highlights
Custom S3 Servo Drive: Designed for accurate disc tracking and data retrieval with reduced read errors.
Disc Compatibility: Supports Red Book CD (CD-DA), CD-R, and CD-RW formats.
Digital Outputs: Includes both coaxial and optical outputs for connection to an external DAC.
Gapless Playback: Enables seamless transitions between tracks, ideal for live recordings and continuous mixes without added silence.
Acoustically Dampened Chassis: Helps reduce vibration and isolate internal components for more consistent performance.
Completing the system is the new CXN100 SE, available in both the matching Limited Edition Black finish and standard Lunar Grey. An evolution of the CXN100, it runs on Cambridge Audio’s StreamMagic Gen 4 platform (iOS and Android) and adds HDMI eARC for direct TV integration.
The CXN100 SE is designed to handle both high resolution music streaming and TV audio within the same system, bringing broader connectivity into the CX ecosystem without changing the core signal path or overall sonic character.
CXN100 SE Feature Highlights
HDMI eARC (and ARC): Enables the CXN100 SE to receive digital audio directly from a TV, including sound from built-in apps and connected devices. Audio is then routed through the system just like any other source.
StreamMagic Platform: Uses Cambridge Audio’s 4th generation StreamMagic system for app control, settings, and access to streaming services on iOS and Android.
Streaming Support: Includes Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect, Qobuz Connect, Amazon Music, Deezer, and internet radio. Also supports Roon Ready, AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Bluetooth, and MQA playback.
Wired Connectivity: Offers USB, coaxial, and TOSLINK digital inputs, along with balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA outputs, in addition to HDMI.
DAC:ESS ES9028Q2M SABRE32 Reference DAC for low distortion, wide dynamic range, and accurate timing.
Front Panel Display: 4.76-inch high-resolution color display showing album artwork, playback data, and optional VU-style meters for at-a-glance system feedback.
The CXA81 MK II and CXC arrive in a new matte black finish with no changes under the hood, while the CXN100 SE adds HDMI eARC and expands system flexibility for both music and TV audio. That’s the only real hardware development here.
The more meaningful shift is behind the scenes, with new North American distribution that could improve availability and dealer support. As for the hardware, it remains solid and unchanged—still no built-in phono stage, and still aimed at listeners who prefer a clean, modular system over an all-in-one solution. The black finish just makes it easier to justify leaving it out in the open.
Price & Availability
Cambridge Audio CX Black series will be available from April 2026, but can be ordered now at the following prices:
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