LaCie claims read/write speeds of up to 6,700 MB/s and 5,300 MB/s, which it says are adequate for real-time editing of 8K and 6K RAW footage. In testing the highest speeds, file transfers were 5,787 MB/s read and 5,188 MB/s write—which, while not quite matching the claim, still make it far and away the fastest drive in this guide. But raw speeds are just numbers for spreadsheets; I was more interested in real-world performance. Since I happened to also be testing the Nikon Z6III (8/10, WIRED Recommends), which can shoot 6K ProRes RAW, I loaded a good bit of footage on the Pro5 and was indeed able to edit using DaVinci Resolve Studio.

The downside here is the price. This started off at $600 for the 4-TB version (which is the minimum you’d want for working with ProRes RAW video files). That was already pricey, but these days that’s climbed to insane heights ($1,600 as of this update), making it a less compelling value. Still, if you need the speed, this is the drive to get.

Best USB4 Drive

Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

If you don’t yet have any devices with Thunderbolt 5 support, this Thunderbolt 4 drive would be my recommendation for anyone obsessed with speed. Corsair’s EX400U is an impressive little drive, consistently delivering speeds of around 3,800 MB/s for sequential read and and 3,550 MB/s write. Again, this is only going to be possible if you have a device that supports USB4/Thunderbolt 4 (including recent MacBooks, Dell XPS, and others—see our guide to the best laptops for more). Technically, just as I was wrapping up this update, LaCie’s new rugged SSD came out, which beat this drive in my tests by about 10 MB/s, but this drive is smaller, lighter, and cheaper.

I also like that Corsair has included a MagSafe connector on the back of the case, which makes it a great option for backing up ProRes video footage from your iPhone. Also, this little drive’s price, so far, hasn’t shot up into the stratosphere.

Best for Photographers

Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

Crucial’s X9 Pro hits the sweet spot of speed, portability, and price to become one of the best drives out there for photographers looking to make backups in the field. These drives are tiny, about half the size of a deck of cards, and weigh a mere 1.3 ounces. They’ll connect to just about anything. I tested the X9 Pro on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS and never hit any issues with any of them. When it comes to speed, the X9 Pro claims symmetrical read and write speeds, at 1,050 MB/s. I actually consistently got higher speeds, up to 1,110 MB/s for read and 1,100 MB/s for write. That puts the X9 Pro at the top of the pack in terms of portable drive speed.

Wildfires and tornadoes destroy thousands of homes across the United States every year. Insurance carriers have begun stepping away from entire regions because the risks keep climbing. Families face the choice of expensive rebuilds or walking away from everything they built. A California company named HiberTec Homes developed a different response. Their houses do not fight the flames or winds at ground level, they simply move out of the way.

From the street, the homes appear to be any typical modern building, with clean lines, large windows, and varied materials that give off a highly contemporary vibe, suitable for a variety of communities. One model opts for a single-story configuration of approximately 1,600 square feet with three bedrooms. The larger variants are two floors tall and around 2,500 or 4,000 square feet. Rather than starting from scratch each time, builders can modify an existing modular home design to operate with this technology.

When danger calls, it all begins with a tap on a smartphone app, as is intended. Part of this patented method is the automatic separation of power, water, and gas lines, ensuring that nothing is left attached when you move the house. Hydraulic columns then step in to support the entire structure and guide it down into the pre-built subsurface vault. Gravity helps with this, and there are some backup power sources as well as a manual winch on standby in case the main power goes out. The journey from street level to safe place takes approximately 15 minutes.

As it descends, a fireproof spray is released around the property, adding to the level of protection. When the house reaches the end of its journey, a large heavy-duty cover emerges, sealing the vault with some highly fire-resistant material. The house and all of its belongings are now safely tucked away below ground level, protected from temperatures that can exceed 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit and last for days.

The underground vault is designed to withstand conditions that would be too extreme for standard fireproof construction. Some surface materials may be able to withstand brief exposure to temperatures as high as 850 degrees, but this technology ensures that the house never has to encounter such temperatures in the first place. Tornado-force winds and their accompanying debris lose their objective the moment the house is underground. Homeowners continue to follow evacuation orders because the vault is designed to protect the property, not the people inside, and they may return later to find everything completely intact.

The starting price for this system is roughly $1,200 per square foot, before you even consider the excavation and site preparation charges, which will be slightly more. Even the smallest model will cost over $2 million or more, depending on your location and soil conditions. As production scales up, the company intends to reduce the cost to around $500 per square foot. To get this system to work, you need stable ground and a water table that is not too high. Unfortunately, most existing homes are unsuitable since the vault and associated hydraulics must be incorporated into the foundation from the beginning.

There are three utility patents that cover the basic ideas: one for moving the structure, one for the retractable cover system, and one for safely disconnecting and reconnecting utilities. The entire creation process took over 5 years, with a team of engineers and architects on board. Later on, they intend to build a full-scale prototype near Los Angeles to demonstrate the entire system in operation under real-world conditions.
[Source]

The best way to celebrate AI Appreciation Day is to not.

Walk through a laptop aisle in 2026 and the Copilot+ PC branding is highlight for most Windows laptops. From Microsoft’s own surface to other PC makers like Samsung, HP, and Dell, you can find notebooks that carry this badge to convey that they are AI-ready. At a glance, the name sounds like it refers to a computer with a better version of the Copilot chatbot, which only explains a small part of it.

A Copilot+ PC is a Windows 11 computer that meets Microsoft’s hardware standard for advanced on-device AI features like a compatible processor with a dedicated NPU. You also need a certain amount of RAM and storage, all of which brings access to Windows features such as Recall, Click to Do, and much more. Many of these experiences use the NPU to process information locally, reducing their reliance on cloud servers and helping them run more efficiently in the background.

The badge has expanded considerably since the first Copilot+ laptops arrived in June 2024. Snapdragon X processors were initially the only option. Current models can also use qualifying AMD Ryzen AI and Intel Core Ultra chips, giving buyers a choice between Arm and conventional x86 Windows systems. So here’s everything you need to know.

What is a Copilot+ PC?

Copilot+ is Microsoft’s certification for a class of Windows 11 AI PCs. A qualifying computer combines a sufficiently powerful NPU with Microsoft’s minimum memory and storage requirements. The Copilot app itself does not require this hardware. A regular Windows 11 PC can still access Microsoft Copilot since it relies on an internet connection. On the other hand, Copilot+ systems gain a separate set of Windows features designed around local AI processing.

It is also worth noting that buying a Copilot+ PC also does not automatically include a premium Copilot or Microsoft 365 subscription. Most built-in Windows experiences are part of the operating system, however, certain actions and connected services may require an account, internet access, or an additional subscription.

Copilot+ PC hardware requirements

As of right now, Microsoft has currently named these processor familiar as compatible:

• AMD Ryzen AI 300 and 400 series
• Intel Core Ultra 200 and 300 series
• Qualcomm Snapdragon X series

A processor carrying one of those broader family names does not guarantee that every configuration supports every feature. Buyers should still look for the actual Copilot+ PC badge and check the manufacturer’s specifications.

What are TOPS, and why do you need an NPU?

Copilot+ PCs are all about AI. However, this was one of the biggest problems with previous-gen AI PCs. They had NPUs, yes, but little to do with them.The NPU is a dedicated part of the processor built to handle AI workloads efficiently. CPUs and GPUs can also run AI models, but the NPU is designed for sustained jobs such as background effects, image analysis, speech processing, and semantic search without placing the same load on the main processor or graphics hardware.

Microsoft measures the minimum NPU requirement in TOPS, short for trillion operations per second. A Copilot+ system needs at least 40 TOPS of NPU performance. This number only describes one part of the computer. It does not tell you how fast the CPU is, or how well it can run games. So two systems carrying the same Copilot+ badge can deliver very different everyday performance.

AI PC versus Copilot+ PC

“AI PC” is a flexible industry term. Manufacturers commonly use it for computers with an NPU or other hardware intended to accelerate AI tasks. Copilot+ PC is Microsoft’s more tightly defined category. Every Copilot+ computer is an AI PC, while many systems marketed as AI PCs fall below Microsoft’s 40TOPS requirement or lack access to the complete Copilot+ feature set. A great example of this is an older Intel Core Ultra laptop, which may advertise an NPU and AI features, while missing the Copilot+ badge because its NPU does not meet Microsoft’s threshold.

Are all Copilot+ PCs Arm computers?

No. The first Copilot+ systems used Qualcomm’s Arm-based Snapdragon X processors, which made the category look closely tied to Windows on Arm. Intel and AMD have since added qualifying x86 chips. But compatibility isn’t consistent. While Snapdragon models can offer strong responsiveness and battery efficiency, Windows 11 uses Microsoft’s Prism emulator to run many x86 and x64 applications that do not have native Arm versions.

What AI features do Copilot+ PCs include?

Microsoft’s Copilot+ feature list has grown considerably since launch. Availability can vary by processor, region, language, account type, and Windows update. So here are the highlights:

Recall

Recall creates an optional, searchable timeline using snapshots of activity on your screen. You can describe a document, webpage, image, or app you remember seeing and search through the saved timeline to locate it. Microsoft continues to label Recall as a preview.

Click to Do

Click to Do analyzes selected text and images on the screen, then offers relevant actions. Depending on the content, it may let you copy text, summarize or rewrite it, search the web, remove an image background, blur a background, or open the selection in another app. Some actions require a subscription.

Improved Windows Search

Improved Windows Search uses semantic indexing so you can find supported files and images through natural descriptions. Searching for “team at the conference” can work without knowing the exact filename. It appears in File Explorer, the Windows search box, and supported Settings searches.

Agent in Settings

Agent in Settings lets you describe a Windows problem or setting in ordinary language. It can surface the relevant option and, for supported changes, help apply it. Microsoft expanded the feature’s language support in 2026.

Live Captions with translation

Windows 11 already supports Live Captions. Copilot+ systems add local translation from more than 40 languages into English and from supported languages into Simplified Chinese.

Creative and accessibility tools

Copilot+ PCs also support AI tools across Paint, Photos, Snipping Tool, Voice Access, Narrator, and Windows Studio Effects. These include Cocreator, Restyle Image, Image Creator, Super Resolution, Perfect Screenshot, flexible voice commands, richer image descriptions, background blur, eye contact, automatic framing, and voice focus.

Some tools still have processor restrictions. Automatic Super Resolution, Paint Generative Fill, and Photos Relight currently list Snapdragon X requirements on Microsoft’s feature page.

Is Recall private?

Recall attracted heavy criticism when Microsoft first announced it, which led the company to delay its broad release and redesign the security model. This concern was also reflected in our own experience with the feature. The current version is opt-in and requires Windows Hello Enhanced Sign-in Security with biometric authentication. Snapshots are encrypted, stored locally, and tied to the individual Windows profile. Microsoft says it cannot access them, and other apps cannot retrieve the Recall database.

Sensitive-information filtering is enabled by default to help avoid saving passwords, payment details, and identification numbers. Users can pause snapshots, delete them, limit storage, and exclude specific apps or websites. Recall can also be removed as an optional Windows component.

Storage is another consideration. Microsoft says Recall needs at least 50GB of free space to operate. A 256GB system allocates 25GB to snapshots by default, which Microsoft estimates can retain about three months of activity. Older snapshots are deleted once the allocation fills.

Are Copilot+ PCs faster and more efficient?

Microsoft markets Copilot+ systems as its fastest and longest-lasting Windows PCs. Its commissioned testing has claimed up to 22 hours of local video playback and 15 hours of web browsing on selected devices. Those figures vary with the processor, display, battery size, workload, settings, and manufacturer. But these figures are often seen in marketing material for recent high-end laptops.

The Copilot+ badge itself is not a performance ranking. Qualcomm systems often prioritize efficiency, AMD offers great integrated graphics and strong multi-core performance, while new Intel Core Ultra processors can either focus on battery life or strong raw horsepower. So traditional specifications are still important.

Should you buy a Copilot+ PC?

A Copilot+ PC branding alone isn’t enough to justify a purchase, but if you’re looking for a high-end or upper mid-range model, chances are you’re going to get one anyway. Only the entry level models rely on processors based on older architecture that don’t get the shiny new NPUs. Another limitation currently is with RAM capacities. Owing to the RAMmageddon, 8GB machines are returning, so if you’re on a tight budget, Copilot+ PCs might be a little too expensive.

Regardless, you’re not missing out on much–at least for now that is. AI tools like Recall or Click to Do can be handy, but they won’t radically change the way you use or experience your Windows PC. I have a Copilot+ PC of my own, but I hardly ever found myself using these features.

A decade ago, then-Uber CEO Travis Kalanick said he saw autonomous vehicles as an existential threat to the ride-hail company’s business model.

“What would happen if we weren’t a part of that future? If we weren’t part of the autonomy thing? Then the future passes us by,” Kalanick told Business Insider.

In the years since, Uber has settled on a strategy that, rather than see it build and operate its own self-driving cars, puts it on track to become the place where riders can get connected with any ride, driven by a human or robot. “We think there are going to be many AV players around the world, and we want to be the go-to commercial platform for all of them,” now-CEO Dara Khosrowshahi told investors in 2024. Since then, the company has signed agreements with more than 25 major robotaxi players, with driverless vehicles from Waymo, Nuro, Baidu, and Volkswagen’s MOIA either available or soon to be available on the Uber app in several global cities.

Now, according to documents viewed by WIRED and another obtained through a public records request, Uber’s lobbyists are pushing to build that strategy into law. The company’s representatives have pressed lawmakers to deploy autonomous vehicles on what it calls “hybrid networks,” where human drivers work alongside robots as the new tech grows.

In New Jersey, a lobbyist representing Uber took the strategy a step further, circulating legislative language that would, for a period of three years, require any platform offering driverless ride-hailing services to have human drivers serve 85 percent of its rides.

The language would likely prevent self-driving vehicle developers, including Waymo, Zoox, and Tesla, from operating their own ride-hail apps in the state—effectively forcing them onto another ride-hail app if they hope to enter the market and limiting competition for Uber, the country’s reigning ride-hail leader.

A representative for Uber pitched a version of the proposal to New Jersey state senator Andrew Zwicker, according to his chief of staff, Ayla Rios. Zwicker is the sponsor of a bill currently being considered by the state legislature that would establish New Jersey’s first set of rules governing self-driving cars on public roads. The Uber lobbyists’ proposed language restricting standalone robotaxi-hailing apps is not currently part of the bill, which could come up for a vote this fall.

The New Jersey bill is the first proposed in the nation that would limit the operation of Tesla’s robotaxis, because it requires AV developers to use multiple sensors to power its software, rather than just cameras, as Tesla’s technology does. It would also require vehicles to be operated in emergencies using steering wheels and brake pedals, which purpose-built robotaxis like those from Zoox do not have.

In Washington, DC, where autonomous vehicle developers, including Waymo, are engaged in a pitched, months-long battle to allow robotaxi services to operate in the district, Uber representatives also sought to ensure that “hybrid networks” would be the future of ride-hail.

A bill introduced by city council member Charles Allen in April would allow driverless services on DC’s public roads under certain conditions. In an email sent more than a week before the introduction of the legislation and obtained by WIRED through a public records request, Uber lobbyist LáVita Gardner thanked an Allen staffer for committing to allowing ride-hail companies like Uber to participate in the district’s autonomous vehicle program. “Allowing for hybrid networks will be critical for a smooth transition that supports both technology and human drivers,” Gardner wrote. (The DC bill will be the subject of a hearing on Monday, and has not yet come up for a vote.)

Strands is the NYT’s latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it’s great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc’s Wordle today page for the original viral word game.