Tech
Ramp buys Stockholm fintech Billhop
The $32 billion US spend management platform acquires a licensed payments provider to launch corporate cards and finance tools in the UK and EU this summer.
The corporate spend management market just shifted its centre of gravity. On 13 March 2026, Ramp, the New York-based financial operations platform valued at $32 billion, announced the acquisition of Billhop, a Stockholm and London payments firm licensed to operate across the European Economic Area and the UK.
The deal gives Ramp the regulatory infrastructure it needs to onboard European and British businesses directly, something it plans to begin doing this summer.
The timing is not subtle. In January, Capital One announced a $5.15 billion deal to acquire Brex, Ramp’s long-time US rival and once the defining name in startup corporate cards.
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That deal is expected to close in the second quarter of 2026. Ramp’s move into Europe lands while Brex is navigating an acquisition by a traditional bank, and while the question of what happens to Brex’s product roadmap and founder-friendly positioning under Capital One remains unanswered.
The acquisition of Billhop is primarily a licensing and infrastructure play. Billhop, founded in 2012 and headquartered in Stockholm, is a payments infrastructure provider that enables businesses to pay invoices by credit card, even to suppliers that do not ordinarily accept card payments.
It holds a Swedish Payment Institution licence from Finansinspektionen, Sweden’s financial regulator, and is separately authorised and regulated by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority.
Those licences give Ramp what it could not quickly build itself: the regulatory standing to process payments across EEA member states and the UK as two distinct jurisdictions.
As part of the acquisition, Ramp will open its first international offices in London and Stockholm. The company currently serves nearly half its customers with some form of international payment capability, it supports transactions in over 180 countries and offers local currency cards in Canada, Australia, Japan, Mexico, and Singapore, but all of those customers are US-headquartered businesses.
The Billhop acquisition makes it possible, for the first time, to sign up companies based in the UK and EU as primary customers.
“We’ve spent years building Ramp into something the most ambitious US companies rely on. This summer, for the first time, companies headquartered in the UK and EU will be able to use Ramp directly. In their first year, the median Ramp customer saves 5% and grows revenue 16%. Europe is home to extraordinary companies. We can’t wait to get to work.”
That was Eric Glyman, Ramp’s co-founder and CEO, in the company’s announcement.
Niklas Bothén, CEO of Billhop, who was appointed to the role in a planned leadership transition in late 2024, having joined the company as COO in 2020, framed the deal as a scale-up of Billhop’s core mission.
“Our mission at Billhop has always been to remove friction from B2B payments and make it easier for businesses to manage their spend. Joining Ramp allows us to realise that vision at a much larger scale.”
Ramp’s broader platform, which combines corporate cards, expense management, vendor payments, procurement, travel booking, and automated bookkeeping, processes over $100 billion in purchases annually and is used by more than 50,000 customers.
The company says its customers have collectively saved over $10 billion and 27.5 million hours since its founding in 2019. It raised a $312 million Series E round in November 2025, which brought its valuation to $32 billion.
The context for all of this is a market in transition. Brex, which was valued at $12.3 billion in 2022, agreed to sell to Capital One for $5.15 billion, less than half its peak valuation, in January 2026.
The markdown reflects a period in which Brex’s core customer base of venture-backed startups sharply reduced spending as funding dried up, while Ramp, with a broader customer mix and a stronger focus on cost savings and efficiency tools, continued to grow.
Ramp surpassed $1 billion in annualised recurring revenue in October 2025. Brex’s exit leaves Ramp as effectively the dominant independent spend management platform in the US market.
The European market Ramp is entering is materially different from the one it has built its US business on. Corporate card penetration in Europe is lower, B2B payment infrastructure is more fragmented across national markets, and the regulatory requirements for operating as a payment institution vary significantly by jurisdiction.
Billhop’s model, specifically designed to bridge the gap between card-paying buyers and non-card-accepting suppliers across European markets, addresses exactly the structural friction that has historically made it difficult for US-centric spend management platforms to gain traction in the region.
Financial terms of the Billhop acquisition were not disclosed. No acquisition price has been published by either party.
Video Friday is your weekly selection of awesome robotics videos, collected by your friends at IEEE Spectrum robotics. We also post a weekly calendar of upcoming robotics events for the next few months. Please send us your events for inclusion.
ICRA 2026: 1–5 June 2026, VIENNA
Enjoy today’s videos!
All legged robots deployed “in the wild” to date were given a body plan that was predefined by human designers and could not be redefined in situ. The manual and permanent nature of this process has resulted in very few species of agile terrestrial robots beyond familiar four-limbed forms. Here, we introduce highly athletic modular building blocks and show how they enable the automatic design and rapid assembly of novel agile robots that can “hit the ground running” in unstructured outdoor environments.
[ Northwestern UniversityCenter for Robotics and Biosystems ] [ Paper ] via [ Gizmodo ]
If you were going to develop the ideal urban delivery robot more or less from scratch, it would be this.
[ RIVR ]
Don’t get me wrong, there are some clever things going on here, but I’m still having a lot of trouble seeing where the unique, sustainable value is for a humanoid robot performing these sorts of tasks.
[ Figure ]
One of those things that you don’t really think about as a human, but is actually pretty important.
[ Paper ] via [ ETH Zurich ]
We propose TRIP-Bag (Teleoperation, Recording, Intelligence in a Portable Bag), a portable, puppeteer-style teleoperation system fully contained within a commercial suitcase, as a practical solution for collecting high-fidelity manipulation data across varied settings.
[ KIMLAB ]
We propose an open-vocabulary semantic exploration system that enables robots to maintain consistent maps and efficiently locate (unseen) objects in semi-static real-world environments using LLM-guided reasoning.
[ TUM ]
That’s it folks, we have no need for real pandas anymore—if we ever did in the first place. Be honest, what has a panda done for you lately?
[ MagicLab ]
RoboGuard is a general-purpose guardrail for ensuring the safety of LLM-enabled robots. RoboGuard is configured offline with high-level safety rules and a robot description, reasons about how these safety rules are best applied in robot’s context, then synthesizes a plan that maximally follows user preferences while ensuring safety.
[ RoboGuard ]
In this demonstration, a small team responds to a (simulated) radiation contamination leak at a real nuclear reactor facility. The team deploys their reconfigurable robot to accompany them through the facility. As the station is suddenly plunged into darkness, the robot’s camera is hot-swapped to thermal so that it can continue on. Upon reaching the approximate location of the contamination, the team installs a Compton gamma-ray camera and pan-tilt illuminating device. The robot autonomously steps forward, locates the radiation source, and points it out with the illuminator.
[ Paper ]
On March 6th, 2025, the Robomechanics Lab at CMU was flooded with 4 feet of black water (i.e. mixed with sewage). We lost most of the robots in the lab, and as a tribute my students put together this “In Memoriam” video. It includes some previously unreleased robots and video clips.
[ Carnegie Mellon University Robomechanics Lab ]
There haven’t been a lot of successful education robots, but here’s one of them.
[ Sphero ]
The opening keynote from the 2025 Silicon Valley Humanoids Summit: “Insights Into Disney’s Robotic Character Platform,” by Moritz Baecher, Director, Zurich Lab, Disney Research.
[ Humanoids Summit ]
From Your Site Articles
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Verdict
If what you really want is an inexpensive set of earbuds with the novelty of a screen, the Groov-e Neos are some of your only options with this functionality. They’re decently comfortable, have some ANC, and the screen serves some purpose. However, you can do a lot better in terms of audio performance, even at this cheaper end of the market.
-
Screen has some interesting functions -
Solid comfort for extended listening -
Decent battery life
-
Very bassy audio by default -
Poor ANC
Key Features
-
Screen
Touchscreen LCD with built-in apps for EQ, volume, and even a game. -
Lightweight
The Neo’s buds weigh just 6g, making them especially light. -
Battery life
6 hours from buds, up to 22 hours with charging case.
Introduction
The world of cheap earbuds can be a bit of a gimmick-filled one, although when I saw this set of earbuds with a screen in the case – the Groov-e Neo – I just had to take a look. Okay, I’m a sucker.
Apple had been rumoured to make a set of AirPods with a screen in the case for Apple Music once upon a time, and JBL had a go a few years ago with the JBL Tour Pro 2 and JBL Tour Pro 3 models.
I think this marks the first time I’ve seen a screen in any guise on a set of earbuds that are this affordable, though. The Neo Buds are just £39.99, although you can pick them up closer to £30. That’s very inexpensive for a set of noise-cancelling buds, too, with close rivals such as the Final Audio ZE300 providing a similar feature set, sans screen, for a similar price tag.
Whether these screentastic Groov-e buds can do enough to earn a place in our ranking of the best cheap earbuds remains to be seen – I’ve been putting them through their paces to find out.
Design
- There’s a large screen on the front
- Reasonable build quality
- Comfortable, if slightly unsecure fit
In spite of the novelty screen on the front, the Neo doesn’t differ too much in design from a lot of modern earbuds. We’ve got a rounded case that’s a little squatter and wider than JBL’s screen-based buds, and as with a lot of more affordable choices, it’s giving some major AirPods energy.
As you might expect, the build quality isn’t the last word in premium, but it’s more than fine for the asking price. The case and the earbuds themselves have a lightweight feel in hand, although I am impressed with the heavier weight of the case’s hinge and soft-close action.
Colour choices for the Neo are either black or a sand-type beige. My sample came in the latter, which I think looks better, and make these different in look to some of their rivals. The case here even comes with an integrated wrist strap if you want to sling the buds around your wrist.
The earbuds themselves weigh in at just six grams each, making them especially light, and they take the AirPods-style form factor with a fit that means the end piece dangles out of your ears, rather than the twist-and-push fit of others.
With the default tips on, they’re reasonably comfortable and non-fatiguing for a couple of hours, although I don’t think the fitment is as secure as it could be, nor is the seal provided that brilliant.
There isn’t an IP rating for the Neo Buds listed, so I wouldn’t necessarily use them for any workouts or anywhere you might be near water.
Features
- Screen feels like a novelty
- Noise cancellation is just okay
- Reasonable battery life for the price
The big thing with the Neo Buds (let’s face it, it’s hard to ignore) is the screen that adorns the front of the case. As with the dearer alternative from JBL, it provides a means of controlling music and even the earbuds’ functions without needing to dig out your phone.
It’s a touchscreen display that’s okay in terms of responsiveness, that provides access to features such as music playback, EQ settings, Bluetooth pairing, ANC control, a ‘find’ mode and even more novelty elements such as use as a ‘flashlight’ (it turns the screen white), a Calendar and a stopwatch. There’s even a fake Flappy Bird game you can play if you want to.
Barring the music controls and such, I’m not entirely convinced of its utility. It’s quite a dim screen, and some of the functions didn’t work as intended.
For instance, the camera control turned my volume down, and the screen itself has a black triangle in the bottom left corner that makes some text difficult to read. For some reason, the Neo Buds also started randomly whistling or making noises when I took them out of the case, and the loud noise when swiping on the screen can get annoying very quickly.
For a cheap set of buds, the active noise cancellation is a bonus, although that’s about as good as I can describe it. It isn’t enabled by default, so you’ll need to swipe your way through the screen to enable it. When you do, it dampens more than envelopes me in silence, and things such as my mechanical keyboard and nearby chatter on a train into London were still audible, even if I had my music turned up a smidgen louder than I should.
Connectivity is handled by Bluetooth 6.0, although I didn’t find they supported any form of multipoint Bluetooth if you wanted to listen on more than one device at the same time. Pairing them with my Honor Magic V3 was at least reasonably easy – flip open the case and hold down on the pairing button on the case until they hook up to your device.
Battery life is rated up to 22 hours total from the buds and case, which is perfectly cromulent for a set of affordable buds. It’s in and around the same as Final’s choice, and means you’ll get a couple of full days of listening before needing to recharge. For reference, it’s six hours from the buds and a further 16 from the charging case.
Sound Quality
- Very heavy-handed with the bass by default
- Lacking in detail and width
- EQ presets make things somewhat better
If the likes of the Final Audio ZE300 are more reference-style earbuds at this price, then the Neos are the musical equivalent of somebody hitting you over the head with a sledgehammer. By default, I found them to be very bass-heavy to the point that it encroached too much on the rest of any tracks I listened to.
For instance, even in spinning up mellower, acoustic-driven tracks such as Down The Road from Mac McAnally, there seemed quite the imbalance between the pounding low-end frequencies and his lighter vocal, and the track’s inflexions of acoustic guitar.
Granted, it works better for my rotation of heavier rock tracks, such as Rush’s YYZ, although the song’s bass runs still overtook most of the other substance that was here. With a narrower soundstage, I also found that a lot of the sound to meld together into one, making it a less enjoyable listen.
To boot, vocals from the likes of James Taylor’s October Road felt very much pushed back in the mix against the bass, leaving a fair amount of clarity, depth and detail on the table. The song’s top-end percussion elements also lacked a certain sparkle and attack, feeling too smoothed over; it was a similar story with Steely Dan’s Do It Again.
You’ll get better mileage out of the Neos if you enable the ‘Popular’ EQ setting from the screen. This seems to even things out a smidgen, bringing vocals and the associated mid-range a little more into play, and lessening the looming threat of the low end. If you decide to use the Neo Buds, make changing the EQ preset a matter of urgency.
Should you buy it?
The novelty of the Neo Buds is the screen, and if you want the fun of it on an inexpensive set of noise-cancelling earbuds, then these hit the spot.
The default sound signature of the Neo is far too bass-heavy to make it an enjoyable listen, and EQ presets can only do so much to help out.
Final Thoughts
If what you really want is an inexpensive set of earbuds with the novelty of a screen, the Groov-e Neo Buds are some of your only options with this functionality. They’re decently comfortable, have ANC, and the screen serves a purpose. However, you can do a lot better in terms of audio performance, even at this end of the market.
For instance, the Final Audio ZE300 carry the same RRP, and have more of a balanced and neutral sound, plus more capable ANC and better build quality. If ANC isn’t too much of a concern, then also consider the Sony WF-C510 with an extensive app and longer battery life. For more choices, check out the list of the best cheap earbuds.
How We Test
We test every pair of headphones we review thoroughly over an extended period of time. We use industry-standard tests to compare features properly. We’ll always tell you what we find. We never, ever, accept money to review a product.
Find out more about how we test in our ethics policy.
- Tested for two weeks
- Tested with real world use
- Battery life test carried out
FAQs
Yes, the Groov-e Neo has ANC, or active noise cancelling.
Full Specs
| Groov-e Neo Buds Review | |
|---|---|
| UK RRP | £39.99 |
| Manufacturer | Groov-e |
| IP rating | Not Disclosed |
| Battery Hours | 22 |
| Weight | 140 G |
| ASIN | B0G585W5P6 |
| Release Date | 2026 |
| First Reviewed Date | 12/03/2026 |
| Driver (s) | 9mm drivers |
| Noise Cancellation? | Yes |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 6.0 |
| Colours | Black, Sand |
| Frequency Range | 20 20000 – Hz |
| Headphone Type | True Wireless |
Tech
The Beats Studio Pro just dropped to $169, and at 51% off this is the noise-canceling deal of the moment
The Beats Studio Pro is down to $169.95 at Amazon right now in a limited-time deal, which is $180 off the $349.99 list price. That’s a 51% cut on a pair of over-ear headphones that offer active noise canceling, 40-hour battery life, and USB-C lossless audio in a package that works equally well with Apple and Android devices. It’s a lot to like at under $170.
What you’re getting
The Studio Pro is the most fully featured headphone Beats has put out, and a lot of that comes down to the USB-C lossless audio capability, which is a genuine differentiator at this price. When wired, you’re bypassing Bluetooth compression entirely and getting a cleaner signal, which matters if you’re connecting to a laptop or a device with a USB-C port and care about audio quality beyond casual listening.
Wireless performance is covered by both Bluetooth 5.3 and Apple’s proprietary one-tap pairing, so switching between an iPhone and an Android device is straightforward rather than a hassle. The active noise canceling handles everyday environments well, and the transparency mode is useful enough to actually use rather than ignore. Battery life sits at 40 hours with ANC off and around 24 hours with it on, either of which is comfortably above average for this category.
The build is comfortable for extended wear, with plush ear cushions and an adjustable headband that doesn’t feel cheap. Beats has cleaned up the design considerably from earlier Studio models, and the result is a headphone that travels well and looks the part.
Why it’s worth it
At $349.99, the Studio Pro has to justify itself against the Sony WH-1000XM5 and Bose QuietComfort 45, and that’s a hard conversation. At $169.95, it’s operating in a different bracket entirely, and nothing else at this price matches the combination of lossless wired audio, solid ANC, and seamless dual-ecosystem compatibility. This is a limited-time price, so it’s worth moving on sooner rather than later.
The bottom line
The Beats Studio Pro at $169.95 is one of the more well-rounded headphone deals available right now. You’re getting ANC, 40-hour battery life, USB-C lossless audio, and broad device compatibility at half the usual asking price, which is the kind of discount that makes this an easy call before the deal expires.
The FBI is asking gamers who installed Steam titles containing malware to provide information as part of an ongoing investigation into eight malicious games uploaded to the gaming platform.
In a notice published today by the FBI’s Seattle Division, the agency said it is attempting to identify individuals who were affected after installing one of the malicious games on Steam between May 2024 and January 2026.
“The FBI’s Seattle Division is seeking to identify potential victims installing Steam games embedded with malware. The FBI believes the threat actor primarily targeted users between the timeframe of May 2024 and January 2026,” reads the notice.
“In the investigation, several games have been identified to include, BlockBlasters, Chemia, Dashverse/DashFPS, Lampy, Lunara, PirateFi, and Tokenova.”
“If you and/or your minor dependent(s) were victimized from installing one of these games or have information relevant to this investigation, please fill out this short form.”
The questionnaire indicates that the FBI is focused on cryptocurrency theft and account hijacks after the installation of the malware, asking questions about cryptocurrency transactions, compromised accounts, and stolen funds.
The form also asks for any screenshots of communications with individuals who promoted the games, which could help investigators track the stolen cryptocurrency and trace it to those who distributed the malware.
“The FBI is legally mandated to identify victims of federal crimes it investigates. Victims may be eligible for certain services, restitution, and rights under federal and/or state law. All identities of victims will be kept confidential,” the FBI told BleepingComputer.
“The website and email listed in the mass notifications sent on March 12, 2026, are official and authorized by the FBI. At this time, the FBI is unable to provide specific details beyond the information referenced on the website in the email notification to customers.”
The FBI is also asking anyone who knows someone who may have been affected to encourage them to submit an inquiry to Steam_Malware@fbi.gov.
BleepingComputer also sent questions to Valve about the investigation, but did not receive a reply to our email.
Malware hidden in Steam games
Multiple malicious games discovered on Steam over the past two years have distributed information-stealing malware designed to harvest credentials, cryptocurrency wallets, and other sensitive data from players’ devices.
One of the most notable cases involved BlockBlasters, a free-to-play 2D platformer available on Steam from July to September 2024. While initially uploaded to Steam as a clean program, cryptodrainer malware was later added to the game.
News that the Steam game was malicious was revealed during a livestream by video game streamer Raivo Plavnieks (RastalandTV), who was raising money for cancer treatment.
After downloading the verified Steam game, the streamer reported losing more than $32,000 from his cryptocurrency wallet.
Blockchain investigator ZachXBT later estimated that attackers stole roughly $150,000 from 261 Steam accounts. Cybersecurity researcher VX-Underground later reported a higher count of 478 victims.
In the malicious Chemia survival crafting game, a threat actor known as EncryptHub added the HijackLoader malware, which downloaded the Vidar information stealer. It was later discovered that the game also installed EncryptHub’s custom Fickle Stealer malware, which steals credentials, browser data, cookies, and cryptocurrency wallets.
The PirateFi game also distributed the Vidar infostealer and was available on Steam for about a week in February 2025. Up to 1,500 users may have downloaded the game before it was removed from Steam.
Steam later warned players who launched the game that malicious files may have been executed on their computers and advised them to run antivirus scans, review installed software, and consider reinstalling their operating system.
Malware is getting smarter. The Red Report 2026 reveals how new threats use math to detect sandboxes and hide in plain sight.
Download our analysis of 1.1 million malicious samples to uncover the top 10 techniques and see if your security stack is blinded.
Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.
Does today’s date seem memorable to you? If so, today’s NYT Strands puzzle might be easy. Some of the answers are difficult to unscramble, so if you need hints and answers, read on.
I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.
If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.
Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far
Hint for today’s Strands puzzle
Today’s Strands theme is: A math teacher’s favorite dessert.
If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: 3.14
Clue words to unlock in-game hints
Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:
- RITE, SPIT, TIPS, STAT, STATE, GIVE, RUST, FINE, LAZE, SURE, PEAL
Answers for today’s Strands puzzle
These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:
- VENT, CRUST, FRUIT, EDGES, GLAZE, FILLING, LATTICE
Today’s Strands spangram
The completed NYT Strands puzzle for March 14, 2026.
Today’s Strands spangram is HAPPYPIDAY. To find it, start with the H that’s six rows down and three to the right from the upper-left corner, and make — well, a pie shape.
sdinfoserv writes: After running a Reddit clone for a couple of months, the Digg beta shut down again. The website is a splash memo from CEO Justin Mezzell, blaming the latest “Hard Reset” on bots. “Building on the internet in 2026 is different,” writes Mezzell. “We learned that the hard way. Today we’re sharing difficult news: we’ve made the decision to significantly downsize the Digg team…”
The decision was made after struggling to gain traction and an overwhelming influx of AI-driven bots and spam. “When the Digg beta launched, we immediately noticed posts from SEO spammers noting that Digg still carried meaningful Google link authority,” says Mezzell. “Within hours, we got a taste of what we’d only heard rumors about. The internet is now populated, in meaningful part, by sophisticated AI agents and automated accounts. We knew bots were part of the landscape, but we didn’t appreciate the scale, sophistication, or speed at which they’d find us.”
“We banned tens of thousands of accounts. We deployed internal tooling and industry-standard external vendors. None of it was enough. When you can’t trust that the votes, the comments, and the engagement you’re seeing are real, you’ve lost the foundation a community platform is built on.”
Despite the setback, Digg plans to rebuild with a smaller team, with founder Kevin Rose returning to work full-time on a new direction for the platform. “Starting the first week of April, Kevin will be putting his focus back on the company he built twenty+ years ago,” writes Mezzell. “He’ll continue as an advisor to True Ventures, but Digg will be his primary focus.”
Slashback: The Rise of Digg.com
“5G” is an umbrella term that encompasses the current fifth-generation cellular wireless network technologies. All the major carriers and phones support 5G connections, which can offer faster data speeds than older technologies such as 4G LTE or 3G.
Essentially there are three types of 5G: Millimeter-wave (mmWave), which can be fast but has limited range; low-band 5G, which has slower speeds but works on a broader range; and midband, which is a balance between the two that’s faster than low-band but also covers a larger range than millimeter-wave. Midband also incorporates C-band, a batch of spectrum auctioned off by the Federal Communications Commission in 2021.
Your phone’s 5G connection depends on which type blankets the area you’re in, as well as other factors, such as population density and infrastructure. For instance, mmWave is super fast, but its signals can be thwarted by buildings, glass, leaves, or by being inside of a structure.
When your device is connected to a 5G network, it can show up as several variations such as 5G, 5G Plus, 5G UW or others, depending on the carrier. Here’s a list of icons you see at the top of your phone for the major services:
AT&T: 5GE (which isn’t actually 5G, but rather a sly marketing name for 4G LTE), 5G (low band), 5G Plus (mmWave, midband)
Verizon: 5G (low band, also called “Nationwide 5G”), 5G UW/5G UWB (midband and mmWave, also called “5G Ultra Wideband”)
T-Mobile: 5G (low band), 5G UC (midband and mmWave, also called “Ultra Capacity 5G”)
There’s also 5G Reduced Capacity (5G RedCap), which is a lower-power, smaller-capacity branch of 5G used by devices such as smartwatches and portable health devices; the Apple Watch Ultra 3, for example, connects via 5G RedCap.
Just around the corner is 5G Advanced, promising much faster speeds due to carrier aggregation, or combining multiple spectrums.
Legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg spoke out against the use of AI technology when used in creative endeavors in an interview at the SXSW conference in Austin on Friday. Asked how he viewed AI’s utility as part of the filmmaking process, Spielberg said, “I’ve never used AI on any of my films yet,” to which the audience erupted with cheers and applause.
The director/producer/screenwriter, who became a household name for blockbusters like “Jaws,” “E.T.,” “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” and many others, is not anti-technology, necessarily. His own films have imagined worlds filled with technology, for both good and bad, like “Minority Report,” “Ready Player One,” and, of course, “A.I. Artificial Intelligence,” to name a few.
At SXSW 2026, Spielberg said he didn’t want to go on a rant about A.I., noting that he was for the technology “in many disciplines,” but in his writers’ rooms, even in TV, “there’s not an empty chair with a laptop in front of it.” Meaning, he’s not outsourcing creativity to the machine.
“I am not for AI if it replaces a creative individual,” he said.
Of course, someone like Spielberg may not need an AI assist. AI startups are pitching themselves to resource-constrained indie filmmakers. Elsewhere, big names in streaming are also looking to use AI. Amazon this year said it’s testing tools for AI in film and TV production, and Netflix earlier this month acquired Ben Affleck’s AI filmmaking company for a reported $600 million.
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Ace Hardware might not have the massive selection of some of the bigger home improvement stores, but there are a lot of interesting products tucked away in its inventory. Those who’ve spent any time walking the aisles of their local branch have probably stumbled across at least a couple of products that stand out from the rest, whether for their quality, the novelty of their features and design, or a combination of both.
What’s more, now is a great time to see what Ace has in stock. As we move into spring and our attention turns to the outdoors, we might find ourselves turning to the many tasks that have been accumulating on our to-do list over the long winter months. From products for lawn care and backyard barbecues to spring cleaning and home maintenance, there are a lot of exciting Ace Hardware finds that can help kick off the outdoor season in style, proving that the retailer doesn’t need a massive brick-and-mortar footprint to offer a huge selection of innovative products. There are plenty of must-have Ace Hardware tools that should be in every home garage, but taking a look at the more eclectic items that have made their way into the store might help resolve a problem you didn’t even realize you had.
Weber Traveler liquid propane portable grill
After spending all winter cooking indoors, it’s tempting to get out there and start grilling as soon as you get that first warm, sunny day. That said, not everyone needs a massive grill with four burners taking up a ton of patio space. Some might prefer a portable gas grill that’s great for car camping, something lightweight that’s as easy to take to the beach or a tailgate party as it is to set up in the backyard. That’s where the Weber Traveler liquid propane portable grill comes into the picture.
This is a $449.00 low-profile gas grill with a 23-inch by 44-inch footprint. Under the hood, this grill has a single 13,000 BTU burner that can heat a 320-square-inch cooking area on a cast-iron grate. It has a push-button single-spark ignition, a compact fold-away stand with wheels that allows you to transport the grill upright, and a design that facilitates easy transportation. You would typically use this with a 1-pound propane canister for travel, but it accepts a full 20-pound canister when using an adapter hose if you’d like to set it up at home.
This grill currently has a 4.5 out of 5 rating on the Ace Hardware website over 3,000 reviews, with 88% of customers stating they would recommend it to others. The majority of customers stated that the grill has a surprisingly large cooking surface and that the overall construction is sturdy. They also like its easy transport features, such as the automatic lid lock.
Meater Plus Bluetooth-enabled meat thermometer
If you plan to spend your spring and summer grilling and smoking, then you’re also going to want a good meat thermometer. You could get a cheap, conventional one, but then you’ll have to keep going out to the grill to check on your meat. Alternatively, you could invest in something like the Meater Plus Bluetooth-enabled meat thermometer, available at Ace Hardware.
This stainless steel and ceramic thermometer goes for $99.99, and there are a few reasons it’s so expensive. Its main feature is Bluetooth connectivity, which allows you to wirelessly monitor your food as it cooks from up to 165 feet away. This connects to the Meater app, which monitors temps and helps you to estimate cooking times and plan out the steps involved in preparing your meal. The thermometer can measure internal and ambient temperatures simultaneously, displaying them in both Fahrenheit and Celsius, with accuracy within 0.5 degrees Fahrenheit. It also has a completely waterproof design, making it ideal for deep frying and sous vide, and also allowing you to chuck it in the dishwasher when you’re done.
This little gizmo currently has 4.4 out of 5 stars with a 63% recommendation rate on the Ace Hardware site. People generally like its accuracy and ease of use. That said, there are also several reports claiming that the thermometer tends to drop its connection and that it doesn’t quite offer the promised 165-foot range. That said, there are a lot of things that can interrupt a Bluetooth signal, including the thick shell of a heavy smoker, so it’s difficult to say whether these signal issues are a failing of the device itself.
Solo Stove fire pits
Those who are looking to take full advantage of the softening outdoor weather while still combating the evening chill might be interested in a good fire pit. That said, not everyone can build a massive stone ring out of pavers. There are a lot of fantastic, user-approved smokeless fire pits out there that are both compact and affordable. Solo Stove products, like the Solo Stove Bonfire 2.0, sold at Ace Hardware, are great options.
Solo Stove’s Bonfire 2.0 is part of a series of stainless steel cylindrical pits available in six sizes. There’s a 5.1-inch Mesa model for $99.99, a 7-inch Mesa XL that’s also $99.99, a 15-inch Ranger 2.0 for $229,99, a 19 ½-inch Bonfire 2.0 for $329.99, a 27-inch Yukon 2.0 for $400.99, and a 30-inch Canyon for $699.99. These are also sold in bundles that include a waterproof cover and/or a separate perforated stand to keep the pit off the ground. All of these models are designed to be smoke-free, and they’re multi-fuel pits that can burn either wood logs or pellets. Some models, like the Bonfire 2.0, also have removable ash pans for easy cleaning.
These pits are some of the more highly regarded products on the Ace website. The product range has a 4.9 out of 5-star rating from over 8,000 reviews, and a full 100% of users stated that they would recommend it to others. Many specifically commented on how light and easy they are to move around, how easy they are to light, and their smoke-free burning.
Yeti Hopper Flip
Yeti is considered one of the more premium brands in the world of utilitarian outdoor gear, particularly in regard to thermal retention. While the company’s products tend to be significantly pricier than budget brands, part of what makes Yeti coolers more expensive is the fact that they’re made of premium materials that help seal in the cold.
The Yeti Hopper Flip line is a collection of soft-sided coolers with carrying straps that strongly follow in this tradition. They come in three sizes based on the number of cans they can hold. There’s an 11-can unit for $160, a 24-can one for $200, and a 30-can model for $300. All of these are made from high-density, puncture and UV-resistant, leakproof materials that are treated against mildew inside and out. The Hydrolock zipper is 100% leakproof, so you don’t need to worry about fluids getting in or out. Between the inner and outer layers is a highly insulating closed-cell rubber foam.
This cooler has a 4.7 out of 5 rating on the Ace Hardware site, with 91% of its over 5,500 reviewers stating that they would recommend it to others. The vast majority of these reviews are 5-stars, but there is a smattering of more critical reviews from customers who stated that the zipper is a bit stiff and that the corners of the cooler can start to get crushed over time. Even so, the vast majority of reviews rave about the sturdiness, cold retention, and portability of these coolers.
Milwaukee M18 Fuel 2-gallon Horizontal Portable Quiet Air Compressor
An air compressor is good for everything from maintaining the tire pressure in your vehicles to powering pneumatic tools. Those looking to buy an air compressor from a top brand should first consider what size they need: There are plenty of large models out there for big projects, but a lightweight, quiet one that can help you tackle basic projects without breaking your back or your eardrums is definitely nice to have on hand. If that’s something you’re looking for at your local Ace Hardware, then you might consider the Milwaukee M18 Fuel 2-gallon Horizontal Portable Quiet Air Compressor.
This is a single-stage, oil-free 2-gallon compressor powered by Milwaukee’s M18 battery system. It’s a bit pricey at $399.00, but it has some compelling specs and features to help justify that price. It can generate up to 135 PSI and promises 1.2 standard cubic feet per minute of air at 90 PSI, making it ideal for a broad range of nailers, staplers, and other pneumatic tools. It weighs 31.25 pounds and has an ergonomic design that makes it easy to transport. Best of all, it promises to keep the volume under 68 dBA.
This compressor currently has 695 reviews on the Ace Hardware site, with an aggregate score of 4.7 out of five and a 94% recommendation rate. The positive reviews generally focused on two factors: the compressor’s portability and the quietness of its motor. While some lament that it doesn’t come in a larger capacity or that it doesn’t generate more air pressure, most agree that it’s a great option for light-to-medium duty tasks.
Amazon is updating its ad-free streaming offering by introducing Prime Video Ultra, a new subscription tier designed for viewers who want to watch content on Prime Video without advertisements. The move formalizes and expands the platform’s ad-free option while also introducing updated pricing and subscription choices for users.
A New Premium Ad-Free Tier
Prime Video Ultra will officially launch on April 10, offering subscribers the ability to remove advertisements from their streaming experience for an additional $4.99 per month. The new plan is not a standalone service; users must already have either a Prime membership or a Prime Video subscription to access it.
Currently, the Prime Video benefit is included within Amazon’s broader Prime membership, which costs $14.99 per month or $139 per year. With the introduction of Prime Video Ultra, customers who want to watch Prime Video without ads will need to add the $4.99 monthly upgrade on top of their existing subscription.
Amazon is also offering a discounted yearly option for customers with an annual Prime membership. These users can choose the Prime Video Ultra annual plan priced at $45.99, which represents approximately a 23 percent discount compared to paying the monthly rate.
The updated structure gives viewers more flexibility in choosing whether they want the standard ad-supported experience or a premium ad-free version.
Why Amazon Is Making The Change
The launch of Prime Video Ultra reflects a growing trend in the streaming industry. Many major platforms have introduced ad-supported tiers in recent years as companies look for new revenue streams while keeping subscription prices relatively stable.
By offering both ad-supported and ad-free options, Amazon can serve a broader range of customers. Viewers who want to keep costs low can continue using the ad-supported version, while those who prefer uninterrupted streaming can pay an additional fee for the premium experience.
For Amazon, the strategy also helps balance rising content production costs while maintaining competitive pricing within the crowded streaming market.
What do you get with Prime Video Ultra?
There are a few differences between the usual Prime Video tier (with ads) and the Amazon Ultra tier. The basic subscription only allows 100 downloads for offline viewing and limits streaming to 4 screens, while the Ultra package enables 100 downloads and five streaming screens. Another crucial difference is that Prime Video Ultra is currently limited to subscribers in the US only.
More importantly, benefits such as 4K/UHD content, and Dolby Atmos audio output are now locked to the Prime Video Ultra tier. Dolby Vision and HDR content output is available across both tiers of Prime Video. Likewise, all the licensed catalog of films and TV shows, as well as originals such as “Fallout,” “Reacher,” and “The Boys,” will be available for all subscribers.
What It Means For Viewers
For Prime members and Prime Video subscribers, the introduction of Prime Video Ultra provides more control over how they watch content. Users who find advertisements disruptive during movies or TV shows now have the option to remove them for a relatively small monthly fee.
The new pricing structure also highlights the value proposition of Amazon’s broader Prime ecosystem. Since Prime Video remains included with a full Prime membership, subscribers still receive additional benefits such as free shipping, gaming perks, and exclusive deals alongside the streaming service.
Those who prefer a yearly payment option may find the $45.99 annual plan attractive, particularly since it offers a 23 percent savings compared to paying monthly.
What Comes Next For Prime Video
The introduction of Prime Video Ultra may signal further changes to Amazon’s streaming strategy as the company continues to compete with services such as Netflix, Disney+, and Max.
As streaming platforms experiment with different subscription models, additional tiers and pricing structures could emerge in the future. Amazon is also expected to continue investing heavily in original programming and exclusive content to attract new subscribers.
For now, Prime Video Ultra gives viewers a clearer choice between a lower-cost ad-supported experience and a premium ad-free option – allowing them to tailor their streaming setup to match their viewing preferences.
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