[Michigan Rocks] says he avoided making rock spheres for a long time on account of the time and cost he imagined was involved. Well, all that is in the past in light of the fabulous results from his self-built Rock Sphere Machine! Turns out that it’s neither costly to make such a machine, nor particularly time-consuming to create the spheres once things are dialed in. The video is a journey of the very first run of the machine, and it’s a great tour.
The resulting sphere? Super satisfying to hold and handle. The surface is beyond smooth, with an oil-like glossy shine that is utterly dry to the touch.
The basic concept — that of three cordless drills in tension — is adapted from existing designs, but the implementation is all his own. First a rough-cut rock is held between three diamond bits. The drills turn at 100 RPM while a simple water reservoir drips from above. After two hours, there’s a fair bit of slurry and the rock has definitely changed.
[Michigan Rocks] moves on to polishing, which uses the same setup but with progressively-finer grinding pads in place of the cutting bits. This part is also really clever, because the DIY polishing pads are great hacks in and of themselves. They’re made from little more than PVC pipe end caps with hex bolts as shafts. The end caps are filled with epoxy and topped with a slightly concave surface of hook-and-loop fastener. By doing this, he can cut up larger fuzzy-backed polishing pads and stick the pieces to his drill-mounted holders as needed, all the way down to 6000 grit. He shows everything about the pads at the 11:55 mark, and it’s an approach worth keeping in mind.
What is the end result like? See for yourself, but we think [Michigan Rocks] sums it up when he says “I wish you could feel this thing, it feels so smooth. It’s so satisfying to roll around in your hands. I’m so happy I made this machine. This is awesome.”
We’ve seen machines for making wooden spheres but this one makes fantastic use of repurposed stuff like inexpensive cordless drills, and the sort of wood structures anyone with access to hand tools can make.
Recent research into artificial intelligence’s emotional capabilities indicates that AI chatbots – long dismissed as rule-based and mechanical – may be better at recognizing empathetic patterns in text-based communication than many humans. This shift is emerging as large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT, Gemini and other generative systems are increasingly used in everyday interactions, from customer service to mental-health support.
A study published in Nature Machine Intelligence found that AI models can evaluate the subtleties of empathic communication nearly as well as human experts and significantly better than non-expert people. Researchers analysed hundreds of real text conversations involving emotional support and discovered that AI could detect nuances of empathy consistently across a variety of contexts, suggesting these systems have ‘learned’ patterns of compassionate language that many humans struggle to apply reliably.
Empathy is a plus for AI chatbots
This matters because empathy – the ability to understand and reflect someone else’s emotional experience – has traditionally been viewed as a uniquely human skill rooted in personal experience and emotional resonance. In AI development, empathy has often been treated as an afterthought or superficial add-on, rather than a core communicative function. But as people interact with conversational agents in more emotionally charged situations, such as seeking health advice or discussing personal struggles, the ability of AI to generate responses that feel understanding and validating has real-world impact.
AI ChatbotGoogle Gemini
For users, this means that in text-only environments like chat windows or support forums, AI can offer a level of responsiveness that feels comforting and relevant. In some comparative assessments, AI systems have even been rated more compassionate than human respondents, especially when humans lack training in supportive communication. That said, empathy isn’t a single unitary trait: while AI can be adept at mimicking the form of empathetic language, it does not experience emotions as humans do and may still fall short in contexts requiring deep emotional insight or personal connection.
The shift toward empathic AI has broad implications
In healthcare, for example, accessible AI tools could offer emotional validation when clinicians are unavailable, but researchers caution that such tools should complement, not replace, human care because relational nuance and ethical judgement remain crucial. There are also ethical concerns about users misinterpreting AI responsiveness as genuine understanding, highlighting the need for transparency about what AI can and cannot provide.
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AI ChatbotAI Chatbot
Looking ahead, AI developers and psychologists are exploring how to refine these systems so they can better support human needs while avoiding overreliance on simulated empathy. While AI’s performance in recognizing emotional language is growing stronger, the next challenge will be ensuring that these models enhance human connection without undermining the value of authentic human empathy in social and clinical contexts.
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DeWalt is one of the biggest tool brands out there, so it’s no surprise that there are multiple places one can buy from its catalogue. While you should think twice about buying DeWalt from Amazon, other large and accessible places to build a DeWalt collection like Home Depot and Lowe’s are worth a browse, at least. If you decide to buy and only want to stick with one of these stores, though, you surely want to know if one store is better than the other. In reality, this is a pretty subjective matter that only individual customers can decide the answer to.
At the end of the day, Home Depot and Lowe’s do cover a lot of the same ground for all DeWalt shoppers. Home Depot and Lowe’s both routinely run DeWalt sales, you can shop from both either online or in-store, they carry a wide assortment of tools, and they’re trusted, authentic DeWalt retailers, so the risk of getting a counterfeit tool is basically nonexistent.
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Not to mention, DeWalt tool warranties are available through both Home Depot and Lowe’s alike in case of faults. However, digging a bit deeper into the aforementioned selection, tool price points, and promotions, among other aspects, their differences become apparent. Despite some similarities between them, shopping for DeWalt at Home Depot and Lowe’s are two different experiences. Here are the major areas where they diverge so you can determine which store is the best for you.
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Where buying DeWalt at Home Depot and Lowe’s differs
PJ McDonnell/Shutterstock
The big way Home Depot stands out from Lowe’s is the tool and battery catalogue. More specifically, Home Depot carries the DeWalt FlexVolt line of tools and batteries while Lowe’s doesn’t. Also, Home Depot has a significantly wider and varied selection of DeWalt tool kits compared to what Lowe’s has to offer. Home Depot is also the place between the two to shop for larger or heavier-duty items, like lawn mowers or DeWalt chainsaws, which aren’t available through Lowe’s. Home Depot also has more locations, at roughly 2,330 to Lowe’s 1,740, so odds are you’re closer to the former than the latter.
Of course, this discussion is incomplete without covering the non-sale price point of each tool. In some cases, like with the 20V MAX XR cordless drill, Lowe’s is cheaper at $239 compared to the $259 price at Home Depot. Meanwhile, the tables turn with the 20V MAX XR battery and charger kit, which is a $289 Home Depot buy, versus $299 at Lowe’s, so one store isn’t decisively cheaper to shop at than the other. With that said, sometimes Lowe’s will include gifts with purchase on specific DeWalt tools that Home Depot doesn’t for the same price, though these are typically limited-time promotions.
So, with all of that in mind, which is the superior DeWalt store? To some, it might be Home Depot, with its wider selection and better brick and mortar accessibility. Others might prefer the simplicity of the Lowe’s DeWalt selection and the potential for free gifts. So long as you’re getting what you need, paying what you’re comfortable with, and getting your DeWalt tools hassle-free online or in-store, though, you’ve made the right choice.
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How we got here
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
Reaching this conclusion about whether one should buy their DeWalt tools from Home Depot or Lowe’s started with finding the areas where the two stores offer similar experiences and set them aside. While their overlap is needed to paint a full picture of each, in this context, it’s more important to focus on how the stores are different for DeWalt buyers and what they each do or don’t offer.
From there, we dug into each store’s DeWalt offerings. Tool selection and price are the two biggest areas where they diverge, and given their importance to shoppers, both were explored thoroughly. It was key to know what tools and kits each store sells, how their prices compare, and what buyer perks one might find. As stated, though, at the end of the day, the matter of which is the right choice comes down to one’s individual wants and needs from their DeWalt shopping experience.
Smart home devices give us a glimpse into the future, letting you do simple things like opening the curtains, adjusting the temperatures or controlling the music with less hassle than usual. Apple’s smart home platform, HomeKit, is particularly popular amoung smart home users, especially because it works well with your existing Apple tech. Plus, many of the best HomeKit smart home devices are on sale now for the holiday shopping period and they make great holiday gifts, too.
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The Apple HomeKit ecosystem has grown recently and the addition of Matter support will only make it grow more.
HomeKit comes built into every iPhone and iPad the electronics giant sells. Even better, HomeKit integration is a breeze. Whether it’s pairing smart products to your HomeKit-compatible devices or setting up automations, it’s all at your fingertips.
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The range of products compatible with HomeKit is vast. You have a lot of options, including door locks, lights, plugs, cameras, a thermostat, motion sensors, window shades, you name it, and the Home app can handle all of it in one place.
If you want a hands-off approach to controlling your budding smart home, Apple’s voice assistant Siri, will be happy to lock the door, dim the lights, adjust the air conditioning, run a smart home scene or whatever else you desire.
The real question is which of these smart home devices deserve your money — because a lot of them don’t come cheap. The list of options is ever-growing, but we’re here to help you pick the best HomeKit devices for your smart home. Here are our top picks for Apple HomeKit products, many of which you can snag on sale now.
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Pros
It sounds great
It’s small
It’s under $100
Cons
Siri still isn’t the best assistant
HomeKit needs more compatible accessories
Other small smart speakers are $50 or less
The long-awaited HomePod Mini bridges a strange gap between smart speakers, costing $99 like the Nest Audio and Amazon Echo, but in a small package like the cheaper Nest Mini and Echo Dot.
This smaller, more affordable Apple smart speaker sounds great. Siri is on board for HomeKit control and general voice assistance. The HomePod Mini can serve as the output for your Apple TV, and you can pair two HomePod Minis for stereo. Features like Intercom and Handoff make living with the Mini a little bit more fun.
In short, if you like Apple, you’re going to love this smart speaker. If you’re already living with an iPhone, Apple TV or original HomePod, the Mini makes sense as your next small smart speaker.
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Pros
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Responsive touchscreen
Excellent integration with major smart home platforms
Easy to use smart features
Compatible with Ecobee smart sensors
Cons
No built-in tracking sensors
You’ve got lots of interesting options if you’re in the market for a smart thermostat, including a couple of thermostats that support Siri control via Apple’s HomeKit. Of these, we like Ecobee’s thermostats the best. At $250, the Ecobee4 thermostat is the newest, but it really only adds in a built-in Amazon Alexa speaker to the experience. That’s not the biggest draw if you’re anchoring your smart home to Apple HomeKit and centering it on Siri for voice control.
That’s why I think it’s a smarter move to stick with one of Ecobee’s previous-generation, less expensive thermostats. They all work just as well with Apple HomeKit and they support Ecobee’s nifty temperature sensors, too. The Ecobee3 thermostat is listed as sold out on the Ecobee website, but the Ecobee3 Lite thermostat is still available. That’s the right price for HomeKit-compatible climate control.
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Pros
Stylish design
Plenty of voice assistant support
Options for codes, fingerprints and more
Works with Airbnb app to send guests codes
Cons
Pricey
Not the best choice if you want to avoid keypads
Yale is a legacy brand that has been making locks for over 180 years, and it has used that experience in the Yale Asure Lock 2. Looking anything but dated this touchscreen, fingerprint sensor-packed smart lock is an excellent choice for your Apple HomeKit setup.
It comes loaded with smart features like Auto-unlock, unlimited passes to share with family and friends, app control and more. While it isn’t a budget pick, Yale wraps all the smart and secure features in three different finishes to match any decor.
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As a trusted lock maker, Yale is a direct partner of Airbnb. This means that managing access is smooth and simple to use if you are an Airbnb host or are visiting a property with this smart lock.
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Pros
Very budget-friendly
Easy to set up
Local storage via microSD card
Cons
Bland design
Indoor use only
Eufy’s Indoor Cam 2K is one of the first products to work with HomeKit Secure Video. Secure Video is Apple’s suite of security camera features in the Home app. At around $50, the Eufy Indoor Cam 2K is affordable and comes with several useful features like optional local storage and motion detection zones.
The Eufy Indoor Cam 2K is a solid competitor to other low-priced indoor models like the Wyze Cam Indoor and the Blink Mini. Its 2K video recording in particular separates it from those competing models.
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Smart switches are another good option if you’re looking to automate the lights in your home — particularly for spots where a single switch controls several bulbs at once. You’ve got several options that work with HomeKit, but our favorite by far is the Lutron Caseta In-Wall Dimmer Switch.
Why Lutron? For starters, Lutron’s been in the business of dimmer switches for decades, and it’s a smart home stalwart, too. Its switches have a good set of features and work with everything, they support three-way setups and they look appropriately distinctive without being gaudy. Along with a wide variety of light switches, the Caseta platform also offers specialty switches for things like ceiling fans and Sonos speakers. All of it communicates with the Lutron Bridge using Lutron’s proprietary Clear Connect wireless standard, which is one of the speediest and most reliable standards we’ve tested at the CNET Smart Home.
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That’s a long-winded way of saying these are really, really good smart light switches.
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It’s counterintuitive, maybe, but Philips Hue is best when you skip the colors and focus on the Hue White bulbs, which put out smart, dimmable light at a yellowy 2,700 K. That’s because the best thing about Hue bulbs isn’t the colors at all, but rather, the strength of their best-in-class platform, which works with everything, pairs extremely well with Apple HomeKit and comes packed with useful features.
To take advantage, you’ll need to get a Philips Hue starter kit that comes with the essential Hue Bridge — and the two-bulb Hue White starter kit, is an affordable way in. And yes, you can always add color-changing bulbs to your HomeKit setup later.
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In late 2020, Nanoleaf launched the latest set of novelty wall panels: Nanoleaf Shapes – Hexagons. These six-sided LED light panels are sold in a seven-panel starter kit for $150, though they’re currently on sale for $135 for the holidays
With vivid colors, easier mounting, a great design, and the same impressive list of features and integrations as its predecessors — including the excellent, music-syncing rhythm mode, touch sensitivity, and voice control via Alexa, Siri or Google Assistant — the latest Hexagons are the best Nanoleaf has to offer.
If you’re putting together a high-tech game room, dorm room or decorating a kids room, then Nanoleaf’s color-changing wall panels will be right for you. But outside of that, the flashy lights are perhaps a bit too futuresque for most households.
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Pros
Clean design
Built-in energy monitoring
Matter support
Easy-to-use app
Cons
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Pricey
Limited features when using Matter
At $40, the Eve Energy smart plug isn’t the most affordable, but it offers seamless integration with Apple’s HomeKit with useful insights into the energy usage of devices plugged into it.
While Eve was once a HomeKit-only smart device brand, the company opened the doors to other platforms like Google Home and Amazon Alexa compatibility via Matter. It fits inside the frame of most wall outlets and has a physical button built into the LED indicator light.
The Eve app is clean and simple to navigate. Setting up timers and schedules for the smart plug is a cinch. This smart plug’s space-saving design and solid HomeKit compatibility make it easy to recommend to users in Apple’s ecosystem.
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Smart devices make excellent gifts for the holiday season. These HomeKit devices are particularly good gifting options for the Apple enthusiasts in your life who may already have iPhones or iPads to pair HomeKit devices with.
Holiday sales offer an excellent opportunity to snag some of best Apple HomeKit devices at steep discounts. Smart home products tend to see some of the deepest discounts, and several of our top Apple HomeKit picks are on sale now, so it’s a good idea to get your holiday shopping done early to snag the best offers.
An anonymous reader shares a report: Israel has arrested several people, including army reservists, for allegedly using classified information to place bets on Israeli military operations on Polymarket. Shin Bet, the country’s internal security agency, said Thursday the suspects used information they had come across during their military service to inform their bets.
One of the reservists and a civilian were indicted on a charge of committing serious security offenses, bribery and obstruction of justice, Shin Bet said, without naming the people who were arrested. Polymarket is what is called a prediction market that lets people place bets to forecast the direction of events. Users wager on everything from the size of any interest-rate cut by the Federal Reserve in March to the winner of League of Legends videogame tournaments to the number of times Elon Musk will tweet in the third week of February.
The arrests followed reports in Israeli media that Shin Bet was investigating a series of Polymarket bets last year related to when Israel would launch an attack on Iran, including which day or month the attack would take place and when Israel would declare the operation over. Last year, a user who went by the name ricosuave666 correctly predicted the timeline around the 12-day war between Israel and Iran. The bets drew attention from other traders who suspected the account holder had access to nonpublic information. The account in question raked in more than $150,000 in winnings before going dormant for six months. It resumed trading last month, betting on when Israel would strike Iran, Polymarket data shows.
Back in 2019, Jaguar Land Rover won a landmark court case in Beijing that prevented the Evoque-mimicking Landwind X7 from being sold. The almost-laughable copycat behavior was mocked mercilessly – but times have changed, and China is now the very epicenter of EV technology.
It has the most advanced battery systems, with the likes of CATL and BYD tipped to be the first to mass-produce game-changing solid-state packs, while its lead in both rapid-charging and autonomous driving systems is undeniable.
With that in mind, it seems strange to me that many of those Chinese brands making waves in Europe and beyond continue to base their models on established and instantly-recognizable designs.
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The Jaecoo 7, for example, was quickly labelled the ‘Temu Range Rover’ by the social media sect, given that it essentially mashes design cues from the Range Rover Evoque and Velar into a package that costs half of Jaguar Land Rover’s vehicles.
(Image credit: Jaecoo)
A more recent unveiling form Xpeng proved that Jaecoo’s decision to be influenced by one of the leading names in luxury SUVs wasn’t a fluke accident, as the upcoming Xpeng GX (see the image at the top of this article) looks so much like a Range Rover that the majority of the general public would find it difficult to tell them apart.
Although not available outside of China just yet, the Geely Galaxy Cruiser, which is slated to reach the UK in 2028, borrows certain design elements from the Land Rover Defender wholesale, including the side gear carriers, the rear-mounted spare wheel cover and, well, almost every exterior panel for that matter.
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BYD’s premium arm YangWang is also partial to copying some of Land Rover’s homework, as the massive U8 borrows a number of body panel designs from both JLR and Rolls-Royce to create a sort of Chinese take on luxury SUVs – one that’s both eerily similar and uniquely gauche at the same time.
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The imitation game
(Image credit: Xpeng)
But it isn’t just British luxury SUV-makers that fall victim to the imitation game. Xpeng’s G6 also ruffled a few feathers upon launch, seeing as it’s almost impossible to tell it apart from the updated Tesla Model Y. Even the interior feels like a carefully-studied copy.
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While Jaguar Land Rover and car-making goliath Chery Automobile have an ongoing joint venture in China, I still feel that is lazy to simply base designs on what they see.
The Xiaomi YU7, which comes from one of the most cutting-edge tech companies outside of California, proved the company could nail electric performance, but then it looks like an amalgamation of a Porsche and a Ferrari. Why not develop a design that’s truly unique?
While this might seem like an issue for a bit of a car nerd like myself, it doesn’t seem to bother the paying public.
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A transition period?
(Image credit: Xiaomi)
The Jaecoo 7 became an almost instant hit when it was launched in the UK last year, with over 26,048 units registered in 2025, making up the bulk of the company’s sales. It even outsold the once all-conquering Nissan Qashqai.
Owners don’t seem to mind that passers-by are often left scratching their heads. All they really care about is the fact that it starts at just £30,115 (around $41,000 / AU$58,000), which is far less than any Range Rover offering, and that it offers a hefty amount of high-tech kit as standard. Jaecoo’s hybrid systems are also more sophisticated and more efficient.
Some insiders believe that the Chinese automotive industry is going through a transition period right now, where it moves from an imitator to an innovator, with brands like Zeekr, Lynk & Co and NIO already starting to carve out their own design language.
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Javier Garcia-Gallardo, head of Zeekr’s Shanghai design studio, told Car Design News that he thinks that car culture is building in the country and that in 10-20 years’ time, we will see more brand differentiation and “future icons” emerging from China.
But until that point, we will have to witness Jaguar Land Rover’s entire back catalogue performed by your local pub’s cover band.
And of course, you can also follow TechRadar on YouTube and TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp too.
The 62nd Munich Security Conference opened on 13 February 2026 in Munich, Germany, and this year’s gathering feels different from past editions.
For decades, Munich was about jets, troops, and treaties. Today, cyber and AI are no longer peripheral; they are part of the architecture of security itself.
Cyber risks, digital infrastructure, and emerging technologies like AI now sit alongside tanks and treaties on the agenda as European leaders try to make sense of a world where digital threats and geopolitical tensions are deeply intertwined.
Sponsors of the conference, such as the Tech Strategy Initiative, explicitly include technological frontier issues in the program, signalling that debates once confined to tech policy circles have broken into mainstream security discourse.
On day one, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz laid out a blunt message: the post-World War II order is fraying, and Europe can’t take its digital or geopolitical armour for granted.
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In this context, cyber threats and disinformation campaigns sit side-by-side with missiles on the agenda, and delegates acted accordingly.
One of the most striking takeaways from early sessions was the call from Germany’s intelligence leadership for greater latitude to counter hybrid threats, especially cyber attacks and digital sabotage linked to geopolitical rivals.
That marks a clear recognition that state security no longer stops at the network perimeter.
Europe is still wrestling with its identity in this new era. France’s Emmanuel Macron used his keynote to stress that Europe must become a geopolitical power, an assertion that encompasses not just tanks and diplomacy but also domestic tech capabilities and digital resilience.
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Tech is now a strategic front
Behind the diplomatic language lies a subtler shift: technology is being woven into Europe’s strategic autonomy narrative.
For years, EU policy focused on digital sovereignty through regulation, the AI Act, data protection, and competition law. In Munich, those topics are now being discussed in direct relation to security and defence priorities. Officials and experts are framing AI and cyber resilience not just as economic or ethical issues, but as core national security concerns.
Cyber, in particular, has shed its niche status. While not all panels are formal conference sessions, side events and adjacent tracks like the Munich Cyber Security Conference reflect a broader realisation: traditional defence without a digital strategy is obsolete.
Defense analysts note that critical infrastructure, from power grids to military supply chains, is already being targeted with an intensity that demands coordinated public-private responses.
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This shift has real consequences for European tech. If governments treat cyber and AI as strategic assets, they will push industry to meet security standards beyond compliance, incentivise homeland innovation over outsourcing, and push for interoperable defence technologies.
For European startups and tech leaders, that could change investment flows and R&D priorities in the next decade.
Europe between alliances and autonomy
At Munich, the political undercurrents are as telling as the formal speeches. European leaders acknowledge that old alliances, especially with the United States, remain crucial but can’t be the sole guarantor of security.
That affects tech policy too. A pivot toward autonomy could mean tailoring AI standards to European norms, investing in sovereign semiconductor supply chains, and crafting digital infrastructure less dependent on external cloud and data platforms.
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It also means Europe may push for security cooperation mechanisms akin to intelligence-sharing networks that historically excluded it. For example, European cyber chiefs are openly discussing options like an EU “own Five Eyes” model to coordinate multinational defence.
What the 2026 Munich Security Conference shows most clearly is how Europe is rethinking its place in a world where digital and geopolitical risks can no longer be separated.
Discussions here reinforce a shift in how policymakers, defence chiefs and industry leaders alike view modern threats: not as abstract data problems, but as strategic concerns that shape alliances, domestic policy choices and industrial priorities alike.
From calls for stronger cyber capabilities to renewed emphasis on strategic autonomy and technological resilience, this year’s gathering points to a future where technology is no longer an accessory to security policy but one of its pillars.
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For Europe’s tech ecosystem, that means regulatory agendas, investment flows, and public-private cooperation will be shaped not just by innovation goals but by national and collective security imperatives.
One of the great things about Android is just how much innovation there is. Unlike iPhones, where the hardware and software is tightly controlled by Apple, there are numerous Android device makers and they have complete control over the hardware, as well as being able to put their own twists on the software.
The result is that we get phones with a wide variety of specs and features, but despite this, there are some innovations that we’re yet to see.
So below, I’ve detailed five innovative features that I’d like to see some future Android phones offer.
One of the most exciting things in Android phones right now is the silicon-carbon batteries that some have started using. While this allows for higher capacity batteries than ever before, I’d love to see some even more impressive battery techs get incorporated.
I’ve written before about promising battery technologies that are being developed, some of which could further improve capacity or even remove the need for charging altogether, so if an Android phone could use one of these, it would be seriously innovative, and in a genuinely useful way.
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Of course, most of these technologies are still being researched and developed, so it’s unclear how soon a phone could benefit.
2. True AI phones
The Google Pixel 10 (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Many Android phones now have a lot of AI features, but underneath all that we’re still mostly interacting with them like we did phones from ten years ago.
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What I want to see is an AI that’s able to do anything on my phone that I could, including interacting with all my apps and accounts, so that – if I wanted to – I could fully control my phone just by telling the AI what to do.
Better yet, it should be able to anticipate what I’ll want and make suggestions or even take actions before it’s asked. I wouldn’t really trust current AIs to act without being instructed, but with the rate of improvement we’re seeing, it might not be too long before you could trust an AI to do that.
3. 15x optical zoom
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra has a 5x optical zoom (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
There was a time when some Android phones – most notably certain Samsung Galaxy Ultra models – had cameras with 10x optical zooms. Now, Samsung has taken what feels like a bit of a backwards step by topping out at 5x optical zoom. But I want to see someone in Android land go in the other direction and offer an optical zoom of even more than 10x.
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Sure, digital zooms are getting better, and some phones offer sensor crop zooms that they describe as optical quality, yet neither of these can actually take as good photos as a lens that optically reaches that focal length.
Of course, not everyone needs a 15x zoom or even a 10x one, but if you like taking photos of animals that might run away if you got closer, or of details high up on buildings, then it’s a useful tool to have, and one that could help any phone equipped with such a camera to stand out.
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4. E-paper secondary screens
The Onyx Boox Palma 2 is a phone-sized ereader (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
The idea of a phone with a secondary e-paper screen on the back isn’t actually new, as the Yotaphone 2 for example did this back in 2014, but it’s an idea that never really caught on and hasn’t been done in a long time.
But having used recent phone-sized e-paper devices like the Viwoods AIPaper Reader and Onyx Boox Palma 2, I’d like to see a phone maker give this another try.
E-paper is far gentler on your eyes than an OLED or LCD screen, and it doesn’t use as much battery either, so a phone with a large second display on the back for reading ebooks or just for any other time you want a break from the main display, is something I’d be very interested in.
This second screen could still run a full version of Android, like the devices mentioned above, so it would be a lot more versatile than – for example – the second screen on the Xiaomi 17 Pro.
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But mostly I’d probably just use it for reading – I’ve come to love carrying a phone-sized ereader around with me, but if the screen was part of my phone then I’d only need the one device.
5. Portless designs
The Samsung Galaxy S25 (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
For a while it was rumored that Apple might launch a portless iPhone, and while that hasn’t happened, I’d be interested in seeing an Android manufacturer give this idea a try.
Doing so could free up internal space for other components, such as a larger battery, and should allow for a sleeker design.
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I don’t think this is necessarily the future of phones, as such a device would rely on wireless charging, which is typically slower than wired charging, but having the option of a portless phone would be nice.
Killing Satoshi, an upcoming biopic about the elusive creator of Bitcoin, will reportedly rely heavily on artificial intelligence to generate locations and adjust actors’ performances, Variety reports. The film was announced in 2025 as being directed by Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity, The Edge of Tomorrow) and starring Casey Affleck and Pete Davidson in undisclosed roles, but its connection to overhyped technology was previously understood to begin and end with cryptocurrency.
According to a UK casting notice viewed by Variety, the producers of Killing Satoshi reserve the right to “change, add to, take from, translate, reformat or reprocess” actors’ performances, using “generative artificial intelligence (GAI) and/or machine learning technologies.” No digital replicas will be created of performers, but it sounds like plenty of other AI-driven tweaks are on the table. The production’s use of AI will also extend to the setting of its shoots, per Variety’s source. Killing Satoshi will be shot on a “markerless performative capture stage” and things like backgrounds and locations will be entirely generated by AI.
You guess is as good as mine as to why a film about blockchain technology needs to be filmed this way, but Doug Liman has been connected with plenty of unusual projects in the past, including a rumored Tom Cruise film that was supposed to film on the International Space Station. Killing Satoshi will be far less practical in comparison, and walking a much finer line of what’s acceptable in the entertainment industry.
A major sticking point in SAG-AFTRA’s 2023 contract negotiations was guaranteeing protections for actors who could be replaced by AI. Equity, the union representing actors in the UK, is currently negotiating protections for members that are concerned that AI could be used to reproduce their likenesses and voices and let studios use them without their consent.
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.
Today’s NYT Strands puzzle is a fun one, and themed to Valentine’s Day. It’s not too tough, but if you need hints and answers, read on.
If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Check today’s calendar!
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:
SNUG, GUNS, KISS, SAND, MEEK, CHECK
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:
SNUGGLE, PECK, SMACK, EMBRACE, CUDDLE, SMOOCH
Today’s Strands spangram
The completed NYT Strands puzzle for Feb. 14, 2026.
NYT/Screenshot by CNET
Today’s Strands spangram is HUGSANDKISSES. To find it, start with the H that’s five letters to the right on the very top row, and wind down.
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Toughest Strands puzzles
Here are some of the Strands topics I’ve found to be the toughest.
#1: Dated slang. Maybe you didn’t even use this lingo when it was cool. Toughest word: PHAT.
#2: Thar she blows! I guess marine biologists might ace this one. Toughest word: BALEEN or RIGHT.
#3: Off the hook. Again, it helps to know a lot about sea creatures. Sorry, Charlie. Toughest word: BIGEYE or SKIPJACK.
Throughout, there’s a Virtual Assistant chatbot if you need to ask questions or get help, which gives me extra peace of mind. Plus, it’s included with the DIY service, which saves me a bunch of money, rather than going with one of the options that includes a real tax expert to look over things.
H&R Block’s service asks lots of questions related to potential tax breaks, looking for savings that can come, for example, from cash and noncash charitable donations, and H&R Block was able to find more tax breaks to maximize my refund.
Health-y Questions
The biggest difference I noticed was in a section about health care, which was filled with helpful information about coverage and its effect on taxes. Most of the other tax services I’ve tested didn’t include health care questions, and didn’t explain this clearly with helpful FAQs.
I had to answer questions about household health insurance statuses in 2025. H&R Block is very thorough in asking questions and providing information about the types of insurance that qualify for tax benefits, and even whether Medicaid coverage for Covid-19 testing and services counts as health insurance. If health-related expenses play a prominent role in your personal finances, I’d opt for H&R Block’s tax service over competitors.
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Pro tip: The early bird gets the worm, and it’s the same with taxes. Generally speaking, the earlier you file, the better price you’ll get for these online filing services. Like H&R Block, most services have a tier system with different plans, and the same goes for when you choose to file. The end of January is the cheapest time to file, and early February is the second cheapest, with prices increasing the closer you get to that April 15 deadline. Oftentimes, H&R Block holds a Presidents’ Day Sale for a week or so, so if you’re planning to go with this already super-affordable service, I’d keep an eye out for sales during that period.
Overall, I found H&R Block’s DIY online self-service to be easy and pretty seamless. The supplemental information helped me understand the process, and the file upload options saved me tons of time. Plus, I loved having the Al Tax Assist for extra help with questions, and Live Tax Pro Support on the ready to give my forms a second look.
Photograph: Molly Higgins
Other Services Available
As mentioned, there are several different options available for filing, as well as expert support provided (if you opt in to this service) tailored to unique tax situations to ensure you’re getting the most money back. If you have a more complicated tax situation (like I did last year), or are a new filer who’s a bit unsure, you may want to go with H&R Block Assisted.
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With this service, you can get done with filing in as little as one hour. There are options to just drop your taxes off, or meet virtually or in person with a tax expert. H&R Block has more than 60,000 tax professionals and 9,000 offices, with locations in every state, within 5 miles of most Americans.
![Heathrow has said passenger numbers were 60% lower in November than before the coronavirus pandemic and there were “high cancellations” among business travellers concerned about being trapped overseas for Christmas as Omicron spreads. The UK’s largest airport said the government’s travel restrictions had dealt a fresh blow to travel confidence and predicted it was likely to take several years for passenger numbers to return to pre-pandemic levels. This week ministers said passengers arriving in the UK would have to take a pre-departure Covid test, as well as a post-flight test, because of fears about the spread of the new variant. “[The] high level of cancellations by business travellers concerned about being trapped overseas because of pre-departure testing shows the potential harm to the economy of travel restrictions,” the airport said in an update. Heathrow said the drop in traveller confidence owing to the new travel restrictions had negated the benefit of reopening the all-important corridor to North America for business and holiday travel last month. Eleven African countries have been added to the government’s red list, requiring travellers to quarantine before reuniting with families. “By allowing Brits to isolate at home, ministers can make sure they are reunited with their loved ones this Christmas,” said John Holland-Kaye, the chief executive of Heathrow. “It would send a strong signal that restrictions on travel will be removed as soon as safely possible to give passengers the confidence to book for 2022, opening up thousands of new jobs for local people at Heathrow. Let’s reunite families for Christmas.” Heathrow said that if the government could safely signal that restrictions would be lifted soon, then employers at Heathrow would have the confidence to hire thousands of staff in anticipation of a boost in business next summer. The airport is expecting a slow start to 2022, finishing next year with about 45 million passengers – just over half of pre-pandemic levels. This week Tui, Europe’s largest package holiday operator, said it expected bookings for next summer to bounce back to 2019 levels. However, Heathrow said on Friday not to expect the aviation industry to recover for several years. “We do not expect that international travel will recover to 2019 levels until at least all travel restrictions (including testing) are removed from all the markets that we serve, at both ends of the route, and there is no risk of new restrictions, such as quarantine, being imposed,” the airport said.](https://wordupnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/shutterstock_1100012546-scaled-400x240.jpg)
![Heathrow has said passenger numbers were 60% lower in November than before the coronavirus pandemic and there were “high cancellations” among business travellers concerned about being trapped overseas for Christmas as Omicron spreads. The UK’s largest airport said the government’s travel restrictions had dealt a fresh blow to travel confidence and predicted it was likely to take several years for passenger numbers to return to pre-pandemic levels. This week ministers said passengers arriving in the UK would have to take a pre-departure Covid test, as well as a post-flight test, because of fears about the spread of the new variant. “[The] high level of cancellations by business travellers concerned about being trapped overseas because of pre-departure testing shows the potential harm to the economy of travel restrictions,” the airport said in an update. Heathrow said the drop in traveller confidence owing to the new travel restrictions had negated the benefit of reopening the all-important corridor to North America for business and holiday travel last month. Eleven African countries have been added to the government’s red list, requiring travellers to quarantine before reuniting with families. “By allowing Brits to isolate at home, ministers can make sure they are reunited with their loved ones this Christmas,” said John Holland-Kaye, the chief executive of Heathrow. “It would send a strong signal that restrictions on travel will be removed as soon as safely possible to give passengers the confidence to book for 2022, opening up thousands of new jobs for local people at Heathrow. Let’s reunite families for Christmas.” Heathrow said that if the government could safely signal that restrictions would be lifted soon, then employers at Heathrow would have the confidence to hire thousands of staff in anticipation of a boost in business next summer. The airport is expecting a slow start to 2022, finishing next year with about 45 million passengers – just over half of pre-pandemic levels. This week Tui, Europe’s largest package holiday operator, said it expected bookings for next summer to bounce back to 2019 levels. However, Heathrow said on Friday not to expect the aviation industry to recover for several years. “We do not expect that international travel will recover to 2019 levels until at least all travel restrictions (including testing) are removed from all the markets that we serve, at both ends of the route, and there is no risk of new restrictions, such as quarantine, being imposed,” the airport said.](https://wordupnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/shutterstock_1100012546-scaled-80x80.jpg)
