The app also includes access to two scheduled operational modes for those who would like to leave the robot in the pool, including a calendar-based mode with three frequency levels—90 minutes x 2, 60 minutes x 3, or 45 minutes x 4. The other mode is a bit of a letdown: The so-called AI Navium mode sounds like it uses the AI camera to periodically survey the pool over the course of a week and perform a routine cleaning only when required—but in reality, this mode merely performs a quick analysis of your previous runs and then uses AI to create a schedule for the next few days, based on how you’ve used the robot in the past.

Hungry for Gunk

The Scuba V3 made fairly quick work of debris in my pool during test runs, rarely needing more than a couple of hours to scoop up all visible detritus on the pool floor while also scrubbing the walls and waterline. The AI camera system does seem to work as advertised, even locating small pebbles I tossed into the pool and dutifully routing itself to collect them. With organic debris, the pool looked fully clean after each run (ending between 170 and 190 minutes each time), and with synthetic debris, the Scuba V3 achieved a 96 percent cleanliness rating, with just a few test leaves remaining in some difficult corners. That’s especially good performance given that three hours is not a lot of operating time. And note there’s no way to adjust the running time outside of the scheduled modes; on-demand modes always run the battery until it’s nearly dead. Fortunately, Aiper does seem to make the most of this time, formally specifying a maximum coverage area of a significant 1,600 square feet.

I unfortunately didn’t have much success with the AI schedule mode. After running the analyzer, the app suggested a baffling five-day schedule comprising two floor runs, two floor-plus-waterline runs, and a final floor run. It then ignored the schedule and promptly ran a three-hour floor run, which drained the battery completely. I tried again the next day, and the robot missed its schedule, then ran randomly late in the night. I wasn’t a big fan of leave-it-in-the-pool scheduling before testing the Scuba V3, and this showing didn’t improve that opinion.

When finished with a run, the Scuba climbs to the waterline and sends a push notification to the app, alerting you that it’s ready to be collected and cleaned. Note that you only have 10 minutes to reach it: The Scuba can’t float, so it has to use the last of its juice to run a motor to tread water and hold itself in place. After that 10 minutes is up, the spent Scuba sinks to the floor of the pool and must be retrieved with a pool and hook. My best advice is to set a 175-minute timer each time you launch a run to remind you to watch for the completion notification.

Cleanup can be somewhat involved. The filter basket design features a large lid that makes it easy to access the inner filter, and hosing down both of these filters clean is straightforward. The removable mesh on the interior basket is another story, though. While it’s very effective at capturing dirt and other very fine debris, it’s quite difficult to clean, and if you don’t remove it from the basket, lots of debris gets caught between the mesh and the basket itself. Removing and replacing the mesh is difficult, especially when it’s wet, so I usually just left it in place and cleaned it the best I could after each run, accepting that it would never be perfect. I expect most users will do the same.

If you thought Apple accessories were getting expensive, Hermès has just taken things to a completely different level.

The luxury fashion house is now selling a range of MagSafe-compatible chargers priced from $1250, with some models going well beyond that price.

At the entry point, the Paddock Solo Charger is a single-device magnetic charger priced at $1250. If you step up to the Paddock Duo at $1750, you can charge both an iPhone and an Apple Watch at the same time. Furthermore, there’s also the Paddock Yoyo, also $1750, which adds a wraparound USB-C cable designed for travel.

Google has announced a new mechanism in Android called Advanced Flow, which will allow sideloading APKs from unverified developers for power users in a more secure manner.

The new system, scheduled to roll out this August, aims to allow installing Android apps from unverified developers while minimizing the risk of malware infections and scams, which caused an estimated $442 billion in losses last year, according to the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA).

Power users who want to install APKs on their devices will have to go through a one-time process involving the following steps:

1. Turn on Developer Mode from system settings
2. Confirm they are not being coached by threat actors
3. Restart the phone and reauthenticate
4. Wait one day and then confirm that the modifications are legitimate

Then users can install apps from unverified developers and enable them for a week or indefinitely. Android will display a warning that the app is from an unverified developer.

The process is designed to add friction and disrupt typical scamming tactics that trick people into installing unsafe apps on their devices by playing on the urgency of the operation.

“This flow is a one-time process for power users – it was designed carefully to prevent those in the midst of a scam attempt from being coerced by high-pressure tactics to install malicious software,” explains Google.

“In these scenarios, scammers exploit fear – using threats of financial ruin, legal trouble, or harm to a loved one – to create a sense of extreme urgency.”

“They stay on the phone with victims, coaching them to bypass security warnings and disable security settings before the victim has a chance to think or seek help.”

Google frames the Advanced Flow system as a safe compromise between Android’s openness and user protection, needed for a smooth transition to the new developer verification requirements scheme, first announced last August.

Developer verification is meant as an anti-malware measure, requiring all Android app publishers, regardless of the distribution method they use, to have their identity verified by Google; otherwise, the installation of their software on certified Android devices will be blocked.

Although Google retracted the original timeline for applying the new rule after backlash from the community, it didn’t abandon plans to implement the identity verification system.

This is still coming in August 2026, according to the latest announcement, and app developers are urged to visit this webpage for more information.

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Hachette Book Group said it will not be publishing a novel called “Shy Girl” over concerns that artificial intelligence was used to generate the text.

The novel was scheduled to be published in the United States this spring. Hachette said it will also discontinue the book in the United Kingdom, where it’s already available. 

Although the publisher claimed the decision came after a thorough review of the text, reviewers on GoodReads and YouTube had been speculating that the book was likely AI-generated. And The New York Times said it asked Hachette about the “Shy Girl” concerns the day before the announcement.

In an email to the NYT, author Mia Ballard denied using AI to write her novel, instead blaming an acquaintance she’d hired to edit the original, self-published version of “Shy Girl.” Ballard said she’s pursuing legal action, and that as a result of the controversy “my mental health is at an all time low and my name is ruined for something I didn’t even personally do.”

Writer Lincoln Michel and other industry observers have noted that U.S. publishers rarely do extensive editing when they acquire titles that have already been published in other forms.

Apple may be preparing a major upgrade for the iPhone’s camera, and this time, it’s not just about hardware. According to The Information, Apple explored acquiring Lux Optics, the studio behind the popular Halide camera app, as part of its efforts to improve the iPhone 18 Pro’s camera experience.

The talks reportedly took place in 2025 but didn’t result in a deal. Still, the intent is clear: Apple wants its default Camera app to catch up with pro-level tools, especially as its hardware continues to improve.

Why is Apple suddenly focusing on camera software?

Let’s be real, hardware alone isn’t enough anymore. Apple’s upcoming iPhone 18 Pro is expected to push closer to professional-grade camera hardware, but that also raises the bar for software. Right now, many advanced users rely on third-party apps like Halide to unlock manual controls, RAW shooting, and deeper exposure adjustments.

Halide, in particular, is known for offering precise manual control over iPhone camera hardware, something Apple’s default app still lacks. By potentially integrating similar features directly into iOS, Apple could eliminate the need for third-party apps and make pro-level photography more accessible to everyday users.

What does this mean for iPhone users?

Apple hasn’t confirmed anything yet, but the direction is pretty obvious. If Halide’s influence kicks in, the iPhone could get manual focus, exposure controls, advanced RAW capture, long-exposure shots, and pro-level video tools. Basically, turning the Camera app from “tap and pray” to “dial it in like a pro.”

What makes this more interesting is that Halide co-founder Sebastiaan de With is now at Apple, which feels less like a coincidence and more like a soft rollout of ideas. The iPhone camera might soon think a little less like Apple… and a little more like a photographer. For users, this could be a big shift. Instead of jumping to third-party apps for serious shooting, the default Camera app might finally do it all. And if Apple gets the balance right, the iPhone 18 Pro could stop playing catch-up and start setting the pace again.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

For today’s Connections: Sports Edition, the purple category came to me right away, and it’s usually the toughest. I also got a kick out of the green category. If you’re struggling with today’s puzzle but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t appear in the NYT Games app, but it does in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Same-same.

Green group hint: Otto, Anna.

Blue group hint: He ain’t heavy…

Purple group hint: The DMZ is one.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: All square.

Green group: Palindromes.

Blue group: NBA brothers, past and present.

Purple group: ____ zone.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is all square. The four answers are deadlocked, even, level and tied.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is palindromes. The four answers are kayak, pop, radar and stats.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is NBA brothers, past and present. The four answers are Antetokounmpo, Ball, Curry and Gasol.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is ____ zone. The four answers are 2-3, neutral, red and strike.