Tech
Astell&Kern PD20 Is the First DAP That Tunes Music to Your Hearing with Audiodo Personal Sound
Astell&Kern’s PD20 arrives as the clearest signal yet that the Korean manufacturer still sets the standard in the high end DAP category. For more than a decade, Astell&Kern has defined what a reference portable player should look like, feel like, and most importantly, sound like. With the PD20, the company is not chasing trends. It is extending its lead.
What makes the PD20 different is its integrated Personal Sound system developed with Audiodo, allowing the player to create a listening profile based on the user’s individual hearing characteristics. Personalized audio is not new. Wireless headphones have offered hearing compensation for years. But bringing true left and right ear analysis and correction to a dedicated digital audio player is new territory. Instead of delivering a fixed house sound, the PD20 reshapes the presentation around the listener, raising the bar for what a flagship DAP can do.

Personal Sound System Brings True Hearing Calibration
The PD20 features a Personal Sound system developed in collaboration with Audiodo. The player analyzes the listener’s hearing characteristics and applies independent compensation for the left and right ears, creating a personalized listening profile based on measurable data rather than preset EQ curves.
To enable accurate calibration, Astell&Kern includes dedicated earphones with the PD20 that work in tandem with an integrated hearing test. The process evaluates sensitivity across frequencies and builds a correction profile tailored to the individual user. The result is a sound signature optimized specifically for that listener’s hearing response.

For additional control, the PD20 incorporates a Sound Master Wheel that provides 160 step adjustment from -8.0 dB to +8.0 dB across Bass, Mid, and Treble bands. This allows for precise real time tonal refinement without interrupting playback, giving users both automated personalization and manual tuning flexibility.
Advanced Amplification Architecture
The PD20 features a Triple AMP architecture with real time switching between three distinct amplification modes Class A, Class A/B, and Hybrid, allowing users to select the presentation that best matches their headphones and listening preferences. Each mode alters bias operation and output behavior to prioritize tonal richness, efficiency, or a balance of both, as outlined in the accompanying image.

- Class A Mode: Delivers a rich, high density presentation with minimal distortion, emphasizing tonal weight and a smooth, analog like character.
- Class A/B Mode: Prioritizes balance and efficiency, offering strong dynamic stability with clean, articulate detail across the frequency range.
- Hybrid Mode: Blends the tonal refinement of Class A with the efficiency and output capability of Class A/B, aiming for a balanced presentation that combines texture, control, and usable power.
Precision Bias Control for Class A and Hybrid Amplification Modes
A dedicated physical slide switch allows instant mode changes without diving into menus. In Class A and Hybrid modes, users can further adjust amplifier current across three selectable levels to better match headphone load and listening preference.
High: Maximizes output current for greater headroom and dynamic impact. This setting is designed to better control high impedance headphones, delivering a broader soundstage with strong drive and stability.
Mid: Strikes a balance between current output and efficiency, maintaining tonal density while preserving clarity and resolution. It is positioned as the most versatile setting for a wide range of full size headphones.
Low: Reduces output current to lower the noise floor and improve control with high sensitivity earphones. This setting is optimized for IEMs, helping reveal low level detail without introducing unwanted background noise.

Sound Lab Control
The PD20 is conceived as a true sound lab. Built around what Astell&Kern calls Sound Lab Control, the player draws inspiration from professional studio gear in both layout and operation. Dual top mounted wheels separate sound tuning from volume control, while dedicated slide switches manage amplifier mode and current selection. LED lighting provides real time indication of track bit depth and active operating modes, offering clear visual feedback during playback.
DAC: The PD20 is built around the ESS ES9027PRO in a Quad DAC configuration, with four DACs operating independently to reduce inter channel interference and improve signal separation. This architecture is designed to maximize channel balance, resolution, and overall dynamic performance. The PD20 can also function as a USB DAC when connected to a Mac or Windows based PC, extending its use beyond portable playback.
ESA Enhanced Signal Alignment: The PD20 incorporates Astell&Kern’s proprietary ESA technology, which focuses on minimizing group delay by precisely aligning frequency signals across the spectrum. The goal is lower distortion and improved clarity through more accurate time domain performance.
Advanced DAR: Astell&Kern’s second-generation Digital Audio Remaster technology, first introduced on the flagship SP4000, is engineered to produce a more natural and refined presentation. Instead of routing the signal directly to the DAR engine, audio first passes through VSE (Virtual Sound Extender), where missing harmonics are algorithmically reconstructed to enhance tonal completeness. After this stage, DAR processing applies up-sampling for more comprehensive signal refinement. The combined process is designed to improve depth and immersion while preserving the integrity of the original recording.
Atmosphere Technology: The PD20 incorporates Atmosphere processing that expands beyond traditional 2-channel stereo. It creates a virtual 3-dimensional sound field from standard stereo content and offers four selectable presets: Subtle, Balanced, Immersive, and Echoic. Depending on the material and listener preference, users can tailor spatial presentation for music, orchestral works, or audio/video content.

Memory and Networking: The PD20 includes 256GB of internal storage and supports microSD cards up to 2TB. Connectivity features include dual-band 2.4GHz/5GHz Wi-Fi (a/b/g/n/ac), DLNA networking, USB digital-audio output, and USB-C for data transfer and charging.
PCM and DSD: The PD20 supports native playback of high-res PCM music up to 32-bit, 768kHz, and DSD512.
ReplayGain and AK File Drop: Replay Gain keeps playback levels consistent across tracks, while AK File Drop enables seamless, wireless file transfers from devices on the same network with no cables required.
Bluetooth Support: The PD20 incorporates Bluetooth with support for aptX HD, LDAC, and BT Sink mode. BT Sink allows the PD20 to receive audio from an external device over Bluetooth and operate as a Bluetooth DAC. This enables music streamed from a smartphone, tablet, or other source to benefit from the PD20’s internal DAC architecture and amplification stage.
Analog Outputs: The PD20 provides both 3.5mm single ended and 4.4mm balanced headphone outputs, ensuring compatibility with a wide range of headphones, earphones, and in-ear monitors.
Fast Charging: USB PD 3.0 fast-charging support allows the PD20 to reach a full charge in approximately 3.5 hours when used with its included charging cradle and a compatible USB-C power adapter.
Crossfeed: In headphone listening, where left and right channels are fully isolated, long sessions can increase listening fatigue. The PD20’s Crossfeed function blends a controlled portion of each channel into the other with a slight time delay, helping to center the sound image and simulate a more speaker-like presentation. Adjustable parameters include Shelf Cutoff, Shelf Gain, and Mixer Level, allowing users to fine tune the degree of crossfeed to match their listening preferences.
Display: The PD20 features a 6-inch FHD+ display that presents playback status and operational controls with clear visibility and responsive touch interaction.
Pro Tip: The PD20 will be Roon Ready, pending Roon testing and certification.
The Bottom Line
The Astell&Kern PD20 strengthens the brand’s position at the top of the DAP category by introducing something genuinely new for dedicated players: integrated hearing based personalization. While custom sound profiles have existed in wireless headphones, bringing left and right ear analysis into a Quad DAC, multi mode amplification platform is a first for a reference grade DAP.
Add selectable Class A, Class A/B, and Hybrid amplification, adjustable bias current, second generation DAR processing, and extensive manual tuning, and the PD20 becomes a highly configurable portable source built for serious listening.

Priced just under $2000, it undercuts the SP4000 while offering a feature the flagship does not. The PD20 is for experienced headphone users who want reference performance with flexibility and control, and who understand that hearing is not universal. If the idea of a DAP that adapts to you makes sense, the PD20 is one of the most forward thinking players currently available.
For those wondering about the fate of the PD10, the PD20 is not a replacement. The PD10 remains a current model and continues in production alongside the new player.
The key difference between the two centers on DAC architecture. The PD10 is built around dual AKM4191EQ modulators paired with four AKM4498EX DAC chips in a dual DAC configuration, reflecting AKM’s separated digital and analog design philosophy. The PD20, by contrast, adopts four ESS ES9027PRO DACs in a Quad DAC layout, representing a different technical approach within the lineup rather than a generational shift.
Price & Availability
The Astell&Kern PD20 DAP will be available in late March 2026 through Astell & Kern Authorized Dealers, with a suggested retail price of $1,970 (£1799).
For more information: astellnkern.com
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Tech
5 Of The Best Soldering Irons For Electronics
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Electronics pose such a unique and interesting problem for DIY’ers itching to fix things. Most of your household electronics equipment won’t experience major faults or damage regularly, but every once in a while, the need to repair one of these surprisingly sophisticated elements comes into focus. You might have a chewed lamp wire that needs replacing, or a child’s toy may have been thrown one too many times, jarring loose an integral component. Breaking the lid off these electronic products and seeing what the guts inside look like is the dream of many tinkerers and home improvers. These kinds of operations become even more routine for people who like to customize their equipment after the fact or DIY their entire PC build. Guitarists represent yet another subset of the gearhead world where integrated electronics and the occasional soldering need meet an entirely separate hobby area.
Getting your first soldering iron can seem like a daunting task because of the amount of options in size and scale to consider. Experts generally suggest veering toward a unit that produces at least 30 watts to ensure consistent and even heating, but many have had great experiences with smaller, weaker soldering systems, too. Your ideal soldering tool will be heavily dependent on the tasks you anticipate facing. I’ve frequently dabbled in the process myself, and used both station setups and basic plug-in irons before.
These five soldering tools run the gamut of what’s out there, and represent some of the best options in their categories.
X-Tronic 3020-XTS 75W Soldering Station
The X-Tronic 3020-XTS 75-Watt Soldering Station is a full-service station-style option. The tool goes far beyond the basic layout you might expect from a simple soldering unit, but it’s available at Amazon for $55, making it a tool that remains firmly in the camp of cost-effectiveness. The unit comes with some required soldering accessories and two grabber arms to hold a workpiece in place while you solder. This means buyers can get started on their repair projects with the tool right away, without requiring any additional purchases for basic soldering tasks. The unit has an average rating of 4.5 stars from 4,464 buyers.
The X-Tronic features a 75-watt total output with 60 watts of power directed to the soldering iron itself. It features a wide temperature range from 194 degrees Fahrenheit to 896 degrees Fahrenheit and can reach its maximum temperature from around 400 degrees in less than 30 seconds for fast augmentation to the output when needed. It includes an LED digital display with a central control panel that makes dialing in settings easy. The station also features a 55-inch power cord and a 40-inch tether for the iron. Solderers who plan to remain in place while working on electronic repair tasks can gain significant value from a solution like this.
Weller 60W Soldering Iron
Soldering iron users demanding mobility should use a tool like the Weller 60-Watt Soldering Iron. It’s a 60-watt iron that comes without the added heft and stationary nature of soldering stations. You simply plug the tool in and wait for it to achieve operating temperature. This makes it incredibly mobile and allows users to achieve their goals in a wide range of usage conditions. There’s no need to maintain a dedicated soldering space with a unit like this, instead you’ll bring your soldering iron to the application demanded of it.
This is a straightforward implementation, but it features some important integrations that make for an experience going beyond the basics. It doesn’t appear to provide a temperature range, but instead simply heats up to 880 degrees Fahrenheit when engaged. It comes with a range of soldering tips and features a quick tip change capability that makes swapping them out simple. The tool also utilizes an integrated safety rest and an LED halo ring around the front end of its ergonomic body.
The tool is available from Amazon for $33, and it has received a 4.2-star average rating from 422 buyers. It’s also listed at Home Depot for $44, and here buyers have given it a similar rating, with a 4.1-star average across 559 reviews. You can also find the tool on Weller’s website, listed for $41.
Ryobi ONE+ 18V Hybrid Power Soldering Station
Ryobi is a brand with plenty of value for users of all backgrounds. Ryobi makes a USB Lithium soldering pen that stands among its small-scale cordless tools that rival the full-sized 18-volt catalog. However, the Ryobi ONE+ 18-Volt Hybrid Power Soldering Station offers something that isn’t typically built into the platform of a station layout. This sets it apart as a dynamic solution that can serve numerous functions. The tool features a hybrid power model that allows it to be plugged into the wall or operated for over four hours of continuous runtime with a ONE+ 18-volt battery pack for cordless soldering production. The tool features an integrated temperature control that ranges from 300 to 900 degrees Fahrenheit. The iron comes with a three-foot cord for maximum mobility and includes a range of tips and other accessories.
The tool is available at Ryobi’s website for $63, and here it has received 166 reviews with a 4.8-star average rating. It’s also available at Home Depot ($63) and Amazon ($57), and at these outlets, it has garnered 4.7 stars from 455 reviewers and 4.6 stars from 427, respectively. The tool delivers 45 watts of power and utilizes a neatly arranged onboard storage design for sponges, tips, and other key accessories and materials.
Hakko FX-888D 70W Soldering Station
The Hakko FX-888D 70-Watt Soldering Station takes the footprint of a soldering station and breaks it into separate components. This enables mobility improvements and additional functionality. The tool comes with a rotary encoder and an improved interface over its previous model. The unit is available on Amazon for $121, and it has an average rating of 4.8 stars from 238 buyers. It delivers a 70-watt power rating and utilizes an ergonomic soldering pen with a detachable cord to make storage simpler when the tool is not in use.
Unlike most soldering stations, the iron holder and accessory elements are separated from the main power source and control unit. This allows you to organize your workspace more flexibly. The tool features a temperature range between 120 degrees and 899 degrees Fahrenheit. It can also achieve a 660-degree output in just 26 seconds. The tool also offers five preset temperature modes, enabling faster switching between the temperatures you frequently use. The tool also maintains an idle temperature within 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit of its setting and is compatible with more than 30 unique tip shapes for versatile soldering across project types.
Milwaukee M12 Cordless Soldering Iron
The Milwaukee M12 Cordless Soldering Iron isn’t the only cordless soldering tool on the market, but it is the only one from a primary tool brand that runs on the same battery platform as its main line. This is a key integration in Milwaukee’s M12 lineup, whereas a kind of gimmicky nature often characterizes the typical cordless soldering pen. The tool weighs less than half a pound and features a maximum temperature of 750 degrees Fahrenheit, underpinned by a 90-watt heater within the tool body. It features a three-stop pivoting head that allows for greater access in tight spaces. The tool also delivers a heat-up time of just 18 seconds, making it lightning fast to transition from the preparation phase to fully functional usage during a project.
Milwaukee’s soldering iron is available from Amazon as a bare tool for $109. It’s listed as an “Amazon’s Choice” product with over 400 bought in the past month. It has received a 4.7-star rating from 1,189 buyers. The tool is also available from Home Depot in a kit variety for $319. Here, it has received a 4.4-star average rating from 612 buyers. The kit includes the same pair of soldering tips that come with the bare tool, along with two batteries and a charger.
Methodology
We selected these soldering irons based on user reviews. Each one has been reviewed by at least 200 buyers, with many racking up over 1,000. The lowest-rated product has a 4.1-star average. These five soldering tools also offer different experiences for the user. They range from small-scale tools and cordless options to a full-sized soldering station. Therefore, these solutions include something that can deliver value to just about any kind of user need.
Tech
Ultrahuman Ring Pro Brings Better Battery Life, More Action and Analysis
Sick of your smart ring’s battery not holding up? Ultrahuman’s new $479 Ring Pro smart ring, unveiled on Friday, offers up to 15 days of battery life on a single charge. The Ring Pro joins the company’s $349 Ring Air, which boosts health tracking, thanks to longer battery life, increased data storage, improved speed and accuracy and a new heart-rate sensing architecture. The ring works in conjunction with the latest Pro charging case.
Ultrahuman also launched its Jade AI, which can act as an agent based on analysis of current and historical health data. Jade can synthesize data from across the company’s products and is compatible with its Rings.
“With industry-leading hardware paired with Jade biointelligence AI, users can now take real-time actionable interventions towards their health than ever before,” said Mohit Kumar, CEO of Ultrahuman.
No US sales
That hardware isn’t available in the US, though, thanks to the ongoing ban on Ultrahuman’s Rings sales here, stemming from a patent dispute with its competitor, Oura Ring. It’s available for preorder now everywhere else and is slated to ship in March. Jade’s available globally.
Ultrahuman says the Ring Pro boosts battery life to about 15 days in Chill mode — up to 12 days in Turbo — compared to a maximum of six days for the Air. The Pro charger’s battery stores enough for another 45 days, which you top off with Qi-compatible wireless charging. In addition, the case incorporates locator technology via the app and a speaker, as well as usability features such as haptic notifications and a power LED.
The ring can also retain up to 250 days of data versus less than a week for the cheaper model. Ultrahuman redesigned the heart-rate sensor for better signal quality. An upgraded processor improves the accuracy of the local machine learning and overall speed.
It’s offered in gold, silver, black and titanium finishes, with available sizes ranging from 5 to 14.
Jade’s Deep Research Mode is the cross-ecosystem analysis feature, which aggregates data from Ring and Blood Vision and the company’s subscription services, Home and M1 CGM, to provide historical trends, offer current recommendations and flag potential issues, as well as trigger activities such as A-fib detection. Ultrahuman plans to expand its capabilities to include health-adjacent activities, such as ordering food.
Some new apps are also available for the company’s PowerPlug add-on platform, including capabilities such as tracking GLP-1 effects, snoring and respiratory analysis and migraine management tools.
Tech
Jack Dorsey says AI is driving Block's massive layoffs as 4,000+ roles are cut
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Block, which Dorsey founded in 2009, is the US market leader in point-of-sale systems. It operates Square, Cash App, and Tidal, boasting over 60 million users.
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Modder builds a CPU cooler powered by "infinite" ice from a hacked ice maker
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The experiment sits halfway between absurdist entertainment and an intriguing case study in thermal engineering. The concept is deceptively simple: use melting ice to absorb the CPU’s heat, then recycle the meltwater to make new ice, forming a closed-loop cooling system.
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Apple’s code hints at new Studio Display models with two key upgrades
Apple’s rumored Studio Display refresh is back in the spotlight. While earlier reports suggested the company had two new models in the pipeline, fresh details (via Macworld) now hint at what could actually change. Newly uncovered code and leaks point toward upgrades to ports and speakers, offering the clearest picture yet of how Apple might evolve its pro-focused monitor lineup.

Just to refresh your memory, Apple introduced the original Studio Display in 2022 as a 27-inch 5K monitor designed to pair with Macs, featuring a built-in camera, speakers, and Thunderbolt connectivity. While the display has remained a popular choice for Mac users, it has seen few hardware changes since launch. That makes the signs of a refresh particularly noteworthy.
A refresh focused on ports and sound
First, the new models are expected to bring upgraded ports. As Macs continue adopting faster Thunderbolt and USB standards, improved connectivity would help the Studio Display better match modern workflows. Faster ports could support higher bandwidth for accessories, external storage, and multi-display setups, making the monitor more capable as a desktop hub.

The second rumored upgrade centers on improved speakers. The current Studio Display already includes a six-speaker sound system, but Apple is reportedly testing enhanced audio hardware for the new models. Better speakers could make the display even more suitable for video editing, music playback, and video calls without requiring external speakers.

As for how the two models might differ, nothing has been confirmed yet. Still, it would be unusual for Apple to release two nearly identical 27-inch displays with only minor changes to ports or speakers, which has led to speculation that one could be a larger 32-inch variant. For now, Apple has not officially acknowledged these displays, so it is best to treat the rumors with caution. That said, if the reports do prove to be accurate, Mac users who have been waiting for a Studio Display refresh may not have to wait much longer.
Tech
US arrests OnlyFake operator accused of selling over 10,000 AI-generated digital fake IDs
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According to the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, 27-year-old Ukrainian national Yurii Nazarenko (also known by several aliases, including “John Wick”) was charged and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud involving identification documents and authentication features.
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Why Not Ask Why: Neuroscientist Urges Educators to Reconsider Technology’s Reach
Several years ago, Jared Cooney Horvath’s interest in teaching took a scientific turn.
He entered teaching during a period he calls “the decade of the brain” — when much of the buzz around education and learning covered new theories about brain activity and information processing. Horvath believed that if he learned more about the brain, he’d become a better teacher.

But the education ideas that captured the popular imagination in the early 2000s had to do with catering to so-called learning styles — right- versus left-brain thinkers or visual versus word learners — and notions about how to hasten cognitive development through certain outside stimuli. Remember those moms-to-be with headphones on their bellies for their babies to experience the “Mozart Effect” in utero?
The gains from these methods proved to be short-lived or difficult to measure accurately.
Yet the science of learning persists. And what Horvath — today a neuroscientist and education consultant — now knows about human cognitive development has spurred him to join a cohort of researchers who are questioning the proliferation of technology and education software in schools.
His new book “The Digital Delusion” feels like a logical progression from Jonathan Haidt’s 2024 bestseller “The Anxious Generation,” which looked at how hours spent in front of screens, especially on social media, with its rapid-fire videos and toxic commentary, has damaged children’s overall mental health and learning.
In “Digital Delusion,” Horvath outlines research showing how digital devices and screen time, at the expense of playtime, interferes with children’s cognitive development. Then he argues how the ubiquitous use in schools of laptops and edtech, at the expense of traditional skills like handwriting and note-taking, alters, for the worse, how kids learn.

Horvath’s book arrives at a pivotal moment, with digital systems facing a cultural reckoning: Social media companies defend themselves in court against accusations that their platforms harm mental health, and lawmakers propose legislation that would severely restrict screen time for kids under 13. Meanwhile, school districts across the United States impose bell-to-bell cellphone bans, and parents push to opt their children out of using digital devices for school.
Horvath takes a pragmatic approach on that score, suggesting arguments parents can use with administrators and at school board meetings. He has chapters that include examples of letters and other tools parents can customize to mobilize action at state and federal levels.
Some educators maintain that schools should emphasize responsible use of technology, including AI, to prepare students for a technology-driven workforce. Horvath isn’t convinced. First, he argues, workforce preparation should not be education’s priority, particularly in younger grades. Second, it’s inefficient: “Teach someone to use a tool and they’ll be able to use that tool,” he writes. “Teach someone how to think and they’ll be able to use any tool.”
Even so, Horvath insists he isn’t anti-tech: “This isn’t a book about resisting devices,” he writes. “It’s a book about reclaiming education as a deeply human endeavor.”
EdSurge spoke with Horvath about “The Digital Delusion” and his work with schools around the globe, including in Australia, which at the end of last year banned social media for anyone under 16.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
EdSurge: You make the point that whenever a new technology is introduced to a culture, early adopters are the enthusiasts. But for any given technology to have broad acceptance, it must pass muster with skeptics. Yet that didn’t really happen with digital technology in schools, did it?
Horvath: If I invented something, I had to convince you. This [product] will get rid of that stain on your shirt. This will keep your iceberg lettuce crisp in the fridge. If you promised something you had to live up to it, because for the few people who adopted it to begin with, if you didn’t clean their stains, they’re not coming back.
Digital technology never made a claim to anything. It just kind of appeared and people just started using it. When AI came out, the developers flat-out said, we don’t know what this does. Why don’t you guys tell us what it does? And for some reason we shoved it into schools and said, instead of me telling you what it does, why don’t I let my kids tell you what it does?
Something very weird happened where they made no claims to efficacy and then we jumped in and started using it. Our job now is to start to pull some of those weeds rather than protect before planting. And unfortunately that means there’s been a lot of victims along the way.
A lot of kids have suffered due to our rush to just put things in their hands, unfortunately.
I think we have this love affair with digital technology. I don’t know if it’s because of sci-fi or “Star Trek” or what. We intuitively think this is going to be helpful.
And now we’re just scrambling back.
You explain that children need to play for optimum cognitive development, but ordinary childhood play and behavior has been disrupted by screens. Is there evidence that if we take the technology away from children whose brains are still forming that they can bounce back?
Yes, absolutely. The good thing about human biology is it is wickedly malleable.
There’s two aspects to keep in mind. One, biology is also wickedly conservative. It changes all the time, but it never forgets anything. So if you have had a habit at one point and you drop that habit, you can move your biology a different way, but if you come back to that habit even once, your biology will have held onto that entire circuit. It’s a survival mechanism. Our genes, our brain, hold everything.
So when it comes to these tech habits, if you’ve already formed them as a kid, they will always kind of be there. If you think, I’m over this, and you pick up your phone, you will move much faster back into that habit than you did before.
The other thing to recognize here is everything we know about learning, and most of what we know about biology, basically starts after the age of 5. That’s when what we call human biological learning mechanisms really kick in.
From birth to about 5, you’re in a totally different world. The brain is basically in input mode. Gimme, gimme, gimme. And I’m going to hold onto everything. This is why if a kid grows up in a house with two languages, they will easily learn two languages because the brain just says gimme, gimme, gimme.
So that’s where I think the super danger zone comes in. If you develop habits or problems before the age of 5, when you hit 5, the brain locks itself down. You won’t be able to consciously remember what happened before the age of 5, but all of that [input] forms the foundation upon which further learning is going to occur.
My fear is if you form a habit before the age of 5 and then your brain locks down, are you now stuck in a spot where it will be very hard to get that out? If you’ve already addicted your kid before age 5, be careful. I don’t know what that’s going to mean when they get older.
There is data that says around 40 percent of 2-year-olds have tablets.
Why? My question is just why? There are a lot of states right now putting forward bills to limit screen time in primary years: K through [grade] 2, 90 minutes; [grades] 2 through 5, two hours a day. To which I always reply, why any hours?
I could easily make a case they don’t need any of this at any moment. It makes no sense for learning and development why [technology] needs to interface with anything they’re doing.
But by banning, aren’t we setting up a mystique around technology — causing a different kind of distraction around the yearning to use it?
That’s what you want. By banning and building a mystique, you give kids aspirations. I think back to my generation, when we turned 16, you couldn’t stop us from driving. Why? Because with our parents, that was the hold: you want to go to your friend’s house? You got a bike, you got feet, I’m not driving you. You want to get to school? There’s a bus, you got feet, I’m not driving you. So by the time we knew we could drive, that’s the first thing we did.
If by banning tech, that makes kids say when I’m 18, I’m using tech — then, good, that means I have 18 years to train you to be ready to use that machine.
Can schools realistically go back to paper? Textbooks, for instance, are expensive and take longer to update than websites, which are dynamic.
It’s funny, this is where you get the clash between different masters. In a good rule of thumb you can only serve one master at a time. So we’ve got issues of, I want my kids to learn, but I have monetary constraints and I have administrative bureaucracy that I’ve got to wend my way through.
When you’ve got multiple masters, eventually you’ve got to settle on one because if you try and serve many, no one’s going to be happy. And I would hope that in education we choose learning as our ultimate master. If that means, look, we have to devote more of our budget to textbooks and that means we won’t be able to do X this year, then so be it.
If that means, look, we’re going to only use the website for the last two years of history, but we’re going to have the book for the rest because it’s better for learning, then so be it.
I don’t know how much more research we need on this. People learn more from hard copy text than they do from digital text. It’s done. That battle is over. So if learning is our outcome, why not go back to what we know works best for that?
Can you explain the findings around taking notes by hand?
Most students think note-taking is something they do while they learn. So [they think] if AI does it for me — cool! But they miss the point. Note-taking is the learning, not something that’s happening in parallel to learning. That is the learning. Because that’s where you’re doing your transformation: Your teacher said it. I now have to analyze it, think about it, organize it, get it out.
That requires friction. Your brain is going much faster. So the handwriting is constraining the speed with which you can think, which in turn is forcing you to focus on ideas, which in turn is transforming those ideas as you’re going along.
That is the definition of learning.
The act of handwriting is arguably the most complex thing we do. When it comes to motor skills, there might be nothing more complex than that.
We talk about the difference between gross- and fine-motor movements. Name one skill we do that is so minutely fine as handwriting and so varied as handwriting. If you’re using a pen versus a pencil versus a crayon versus a marker, you’re doing very subtly different movements.
Those develop so much more awareness and understanding of the body in a way that then translates into other fields in ways we’ve never seen from any other skill before.
If you know how to write, you will become better at reading. If you know how to write, you will become better at recognizing faces. Why? We don’t know. But everything seems to be correlated back to that skill.
So when people debate [whether] handwriting is still worth teaching? Of course. Is cursive still worth teaching? Of course. No one’s going to use cursive as an adult. That’s not why we’re teaching it, baby. It has nothing to do with what you’re going to do as an adult. ’
You were just in Australia. What is the feedback from the social media ban?
The response is overwhelmingly positive. Basically every school I worked at, the kids are fine with it. Teachers are fine with it. All of a sudden, behaviors are getting so much better in school. They said the biggest problem is with parents, oddly enough, who basically have to hang out with their kids and they don’t know what to do. If that’s our biggest problem, we’ll solve that. Hang out with your kid.
Any time you remove something from your kid’s heart, you’re going to have to fill it with something else. You’re going to have to fill it with yourself, which means you’re going to have to take some of your own tech out of your own life to devote more of your time to your kid.
Tech
OPPO Find N6 Set to Arrive as Foldable that Finally Makes the Crease Feel Like Yesterday’s Problem

OPPO engineers spent nearly three years methodically tuning every detail of the Find N6’s hinge and display component. They went back and adjusted the alignment tolerances to a very small 0.03 mm gap, resulting in a screen surface that remains flat even after repetitive folding and unfolding. Along with this ultra-precise hinge, a special type of self-healing glass layer works its magic to maintain the display flat over time, even after extensive wear and tear. Everything happens without leaving any permanent scars. In fact, the self-healing glass and titanium alloy hinge work so well together that the panel can be restored to its original flatness despite the strain.
The durability tests, which involved repetitive folding on automated machinery, put one unit through a rigorous 300,000 fold cycles. When you open it up after 170k cycles, it’s still as straight as a pin, with only a slight line along the middle. TÜV Rheinland gave the display a positive assessment, naming it one of the flattest foldables they’d ever seen. When you open the phone, you can see how flawless the inner screen seems; under regular viewing angles and ordinary use, the valley in the middle is practically gone.
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Screen sizes for book-style foldables appear to be fairly standard, with the inner screen, a 2K resolution LTPO panel, measuring 8.12 inches. The outside panel, meanwhile, is a good compact 6.62-inch size for times you only need to quickly peek at anything without having to unfold the entire device. Both panels are made of ultra-thin glass, which not only makes them light but also highly responsive, and the entire device weighs just 225 grams.
Power comes from Qualcomm’s latest 7-core Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 CPU, which is constructed on a 3-nanometer technology. That’s combined with up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, giving you enough of space to run demanding apps and games. Of course, battery life is outrageously amazing, due to a 6000mAh battery and 80w rapid wired charging, as well as 50W wireless charging for speedy recharges.
Camera technology is where this phone truly shines, with a 200MP main sensor on the quad camera array. However, this time around, it has been tuned by the famed Hasselblad brand and is outfitted with some pretty high-end Danxia color lenses to achieve the desired tones. A 50MP periscope telephoto, 50MP ultrawide, and a tiny multispectral (or auxiliary) sensor complete the quad array. Meanwhile, twin 20MP selfie cameras take care of your camera needs, whether the phone is folded up tightly or open wide.
The first country to get its hands on it is China, which will introduce it on March 17, 2026. If you’re in Asia, you should be able to get your hands on it soon. The phone comes in three standard colors: purple, black, and white, all of which will be available at launch.
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Tech
Perplexity Announces ‘Computer,’ an AI Agent That Assigns Work To Other AI Agent
joshuark shares a report from Ars Technica: Perplexity has introduced “Computer,” a new tool that allows users to assign tasks and see them carried out by a system that coordinates multiple agents running various models. The company claims that Computer, currently available to Perplexity Max subscribers, is “a system that creates and executes entire workflows” and “capable of running for hours or even months.”
The idea is that the user describes a specific outcome — something like “plan and execute a local digital marketing campaign for my restaurant” or “build me an Android app that helps me do a specific kind of research for my job.” Computer then ideates subtasks and assigns them to multiple agents as needed, running the models Perplexity deems best for those tasks. The core reasoning engine currently runs Anthropic’s Claude Opus 4.6, while Gemini is used for deep research, Nano Banana for image generation, Veo 3.1 for video production, Grok for lightweight tasks where speed is a consideration, and ChatGPT 5.2 for “long-context recall and wide search.”
This kind of best-model-for-the-task approach differs from some competing products like Claude Cowork, which only uses Anthropic’s models. All this happens in the cloud, with prebuilt integrations. “Every task runs in an isolated compute environment with access to a real filesystem, a real browser, and real tool integrations,” Perplexity says. The idea is partly that this workflow was what some power users were already doing, and this aims to make that possible for a wider range of people who don’t want to deal with all that setup.
People were already using multiple models and tailoring them to specific tasks based on perceived capabilities, while, for example, using MCP (Model Context Protocol) to give those models access to data and applications on their local machines. Perplexity Computer takes a different approach, but the goal is the same: have AI agents running tailor-picked models to perform tasks involving your own files, services, and applications. Then there is OpenClaw, which you could perceive as the immediate predecessor to this concept.
Tech
Microsoft expands Windows 365 Cloud PC thin clients to Asus and Dell hardware
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Microsoft has announced that two new devices are joining its Cloud PC program. Asus and Dell will begin offering systems designed to deliver the cloud-based Windows 365 experience over the coming months, with purpose-built internet clients aimed at streamlining the modern workspace. Naturally, customers must pay a variable monthly subscription…
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