A blow-up chair? Ikea has been here before. It attempted to make inflatable furniture in the mid-1990s, when designer Jan Dranger came to the Swedish company with a revolutionary idea to solve one of its biggest challenges: how to squish sofas into its preferred flat-pack format, simplifying transport and cutting costs.

It sounded like the perfect solution. Made from durable and recyclable polyolefin plastic, the chair and sofa designs could be inflated at home using only a hair dryer. Transport volumes would be cut by as much as 90 percent. Sadly, only after the “a.i.r” collection launched in the 2000 catalogue did Ikea’s ambitions become deflated.

Staff in stores said that the easy chairs and sofas looked like groups of “swollen hippos” in the furniture displays. Customers forgot to set their hair dryers to cold before inflating. Hot air takes up more space than cold air, so inevitably the sofas deflated as the air inside cooled. Even worse, the valves leaked, so after sitting down, an unglamorous farting noise issued from your general direction. By 2013, Ikea killed the a.i.r collection, but it had crucially learned many lessons.

Fast-forward to the present day and now Mikael Axelsson is the intrepid Ikea designer who has decided to give blow-up furniture another try for the brand’s latest PS collection launching on May 13. However, his $200 inflatable armchair, called (somewhat uninspiringly) the “PS 2026 Easy Chair,” has had a stranger birth than any other of the 2,000 products Ikea releases each year. To start, he’s been sitting on this particular idea for 12 long years after he initially fashioned a Barbie-sized mock-up from foam and wire in 2014—just one year after the original a.i.r collection burst.

Axelsson’s first model of the PS 2026 Easy Chair.

Courtesy of IKEA

The tubular chrome frame prototyping.

Courtesy of IKEA

At the time, the trouble was not merely that Axelsson struggled to figure out how to make an inflatable cushion feel more like foam and less like a beach ball; Ikea was also wary of returning so soon to the flatulent debacle that was its inflatable furniture failure. So his model was shelved, literally, in his office. Then, in 2023, Axelsson and the rest of the in-house team were summoned to drum up innovative designs for an upcoming PS collection, and he saw a chance to breathe life back into his inflatable easy chair concept.

Deciding to stick with his original tubular chrome frame idea, Axelsson hand-welded 20 prototypes himself, a skill acquired from growing up around his father’s metal workshop, but the beach ball problem remained.

“I remember when Mikael met with this guy who repairs tractor tires, and he came with the inner tube of a tractor,” Johan Ejdemo, Ikea’s global design manager, tells me. They put that in a concept chair. Better, but not perfect. Eventually, they struck upon the idea of a dual-chamber seat. “It’s one outer air section, and then one central air section,” Ejdemo says. “And you can regulate the comfort yourself, depending on how much you pump it up.”

It’s been three weeks since the Artemis II crew returned to Earth, and while the mission might be over for Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Hammock Koch, and Jeremy Hansen, the work is only just beginning for engineers back at NASA. In a blog post earlier this week, the space agency went over the preliminary post-mission assessments of the spacecraft and its ground support equipment, and detailed some of the work that’s currently taking place as preparations begin for Artemis III.

During Artemis I, higher than expected damage was noted on both the Orion’s heat shield and the Space Launch System (SLS) launch pad. But according to NASA, the changes implemented after that first mission seem to have prevented similar issues this time around. The post also explains that reusable components of the Orion spacecraft, such as the avionics and the crew seats, are already in the process of being removed from Integrity so they can be installed in the next capsule on the production line.

While watching the live stream of the Artemis mission is the closest most of us will ever get to experiencing spaceflight, that doesn’t mean you can’t explore the solar system from the comfort of your own home — or more specifically, your browser. [Sani Huttunen] has created an incredible web-based solar system simulator that lets you explore our celestial neighborhood throughout different periods of time. You can tour the moons of Jupiter, see how the planets aligned on the date of your birth, and even check in on the Voyager probes. There are some very valid reasons to be skeptical about software moving to the web, but we’ve got to admit, this is a very slick demonstration of just how far modern browsers have come.

Speaking of how far things have come, are you ready for a car without a rear window? Polestar certainly hopes so, as their latest model does away with such quaint concepts. The glass panel in the roof ends right around the back headrests, and while the rear of the vehicle does open up for storage, the hatch is completely solid. In place of the traditional mirror, there’s a “high resolution” 1480 x 320 display that shows the feed from a rear-mounted camera.

No, that’s not a typo. At a time when smartphones are shipping with 2K displays, should the driver want to see what’s going on behind their $70,000+ USD electric vehicle, they’re limited to seeing it at a vertical resolution below that of VGA. We’d make a joke about Polestar offering up a “Rearview+” upgrade down the line that would give the driver a higher resolution view, but honestly, it’s getting a little too close to reality to be funny.

If that last one has you wishing for a reminder of simpler times, how about some new software for using the iconic Wii Remote as an input device? The Wii and its revolutionary controllers may be turning 20 later this year, but that hasn’t stopped the dedicated fans. This new wrapper provides accelerometer calibration, infrared tracking, and the ability to remap the Wii Remote’s buttons and create key combos. If you do something cool with it, we’d love to hear about it.

Finally, on the other end of the input spectrum, some details leaked out this weekend about Valve’s upcoming Steam controller — namely, the fact that it will cost players $99 at release. As reported by VICE, a hands-on review of the controller by TechyTalk was accidentally published early on YouTube, providing the public with pricing info ahead of an official announcement.

At first blush, this might seem like a lot of money to pay for a game controller, but it’s actually within striking distance of the sticker price on the standard controllers on the Xbox and PlayStation consoles. Perhaps more critically, it’s around half the price of the official “premium” controller offerings available for the aforementioned systems. Is it really any wonder that we’ve got cars without rearview mirrors when folks are putting down 200 bucks for a fancy PlayStation controller?

See something interesting that you think would be a good fit for our weekly Links column? Drop us a line, we’d love to hear about it.

Truecaller is one of the world’s most widely used caller identification platforms, with more than 500 million users. Now it’s entering a more challenging phase as growth slows in its largest market and competition intensifies across telecom networks and smartphone platforms.

Much of Truecaller’s growth has been driven by India, which accounts for over 350 million users, or about 70% of its global base. The volume of spam and unwanted calls has turned the app from a simple caller ID service into a more embedded layer of everyday communication.

That position is now shaping its next phase. The company has introduced features such as AI Assistant and Family Protection to drive monetization, alongside tools like Community Suggestions to stay relevant as competition intensifies. This comes as telecom-led solutions such as Calling Name Presentation (CNAP), dedicated number series for verified business calls, and AI-based spam protection gain traction in India. Meanwhile, smartphone makers including Apple and Google continue to build caller identification and spam-blocking capabilities into their operating systems.

As competition increases, Truecaller’s growth is starting to slow. Data shared with TechCrunch from Sensor Tower shows downloads from India fell 16% year-over-year in 2025, while global downloads declined 5%, marking a reversal after several years of growth. Separate data from Appfigures shows downloads peaked at 175 million in 2021, dropped sharply in 2022 and have since hovered around 120 million annually.

India remains Truecaller’s largest market, but its share of downloads has declined from over 70% at its peak to the mid-50s in recent years, pointing to a gradual shift in new user growth toward other markets.

Truecaller’s shift in growth dynamics is being closely watched by investors. The company’s shares have fallen about 78% since its 2021 IPO and are down around 37% so far this year, underscoring investor concerns about its growth outlook and business model. Chief Executive Rishit Jhunjhunwala told TechCrunch that one of the key questions from investors has been around the impact of CNAP in India. He also acknowledged recent headwinds in parts of the business, without elaborating further.

CNAP, an initiative pushed by India’s telecom regulator and is being implemented by telecom operators, displays caller names based on KYC records at the network level without requiring third-party apps. This overlaps with part of Truecaller’s core offering, but is more limited in scope.

Truecaller’s Jhunjhunwala said the company does not see CNAP as a disruption but as validation of the problem.

“Truecaller operates as a global platform with a much richer and dynamic intelligence layer — spanning spam detection, fraud prevention, business identity, and user context across calls and messages,” he said. “This allows us to go significantly beyond basic caller ID.”

Bharath Nagaraj, director of equity research at Cantor Fitzgerald, said CNAP could slow user growth but is unlikely to materially disrupt Truecaller’s core business in the near term. Instead, he pointed to pressure in the company’s advertising segment — driven in part by changes from Google — as the more immediate challenge.

“If you look at the earnings for the company, 65%–70% of it now comes from ad revenue. And that impacted recently,” Nagaraj told TechCrunch.

In its last earnings call (PDF), Truecaller said that it lost roughly one-third of ad traffic from its largest partner in August 2025 — a partner analysts on the call identified as Google. Jhunjhunwala attributed the drop to an unresolved “algorithm issue,” while CFO Odd Bolin said the partner still accounts for more than a third of total revenue. The company is now adding new partners and building its own ad exchange to reduce dependence on any single platform.

But even moving to an in-house ad exchange may not fully address the challenge. Advertising remains highly competitive, with brands able to spend across multiple digital platforms, said Nagaraj. “You can show your ads on Truecaller, but you can also show them on Facebook,” he said.

In-app revenue continues to grow

The pressure on advertising comes even as other parts of Truecaller’s business are on a different trajectory. Data from Appfigures shows that while downloads have plateaued in recent years, gross in-app revenue has risen sharply — from $600,000 in 2017 to $39.3 million in 2025. It has already reached $13.4 million this year as of April 20.

Monthly revenue generated by in-app purchases on Truecaller is now consistently above $2 million and still climbing, per Appfigures.

Truecaller’s presence on iOS has also grown from less than 5% of its total downloads in 2020–2021 to around 11–12% in recent years, per Appfigures, highlighting a shift toward higher-value markets. The company has stepped up efforts on Apple’s platform, including launching real-time caller ID for iPhone in early 2025 and rolling out feature updates to improve parity with its Android app.

Nonetheless, Apple recently expanded its call-screening capabilities, which could reduce the need for third-party apps among iPhone users.

Another key pillar of Truecaller’s monetization strategy is its enterprise offering, Truecaller for Business, which enables companies to verify their identities and communicate with customers via calls and messaging. The segment has been growing steadily, with revenue rising 39% in constant currency in 2025. Truecaller’s Jhunjhunwala said the company is expanding the platform globally by opening its chat services to partners and offering tools such as verified business caller ID to help enterprises verify identity and reach customers.

Alongside its enterprise push, Truecaller has also been expanding its consumer subscription business, which has over 4 million paid subscribers globally, as more users opt for features such as advanced spam protection, AI-based call screening, and an ad-free experience.

In the past, Truecaller has been criticized over how it builds and maintains its vast database of phone identities. An investigation by The Caravan raised questions about consent and data collection practices, particularly in India, where data protection laws have so far been less stringent. Truecaller has denied wrongdoing and maintains that it complies with applicable regulations, but the debate underlines the broader challenge of balancing utility, scale, and user privacy.

Despite all these challenges, Truecaller sees significant room for growth. The company is focused on addressing the rising complexity of communication, Jhunjhunwala said, as spam and scam calls become more sophisticated with advances in AI. Similarly, it plans to expand across all three revenue streams — advertising, enterprise services, and premium subscriptions — as it looks to sustain growth across markets. Whether that will be enough, however, may depend on how quickly it can adapt as caller identification shifts from standalone apps to the network, and to the phone itself.

Attendees at the 2026 Beijing Auto Show strolled inside the main hall and were greeted by BYD’s Denza Z series convertible, a four-seater with a soft top that neatly folds up into the rear deck. Much of the automobile, including body panels, seats, and structural components, is made of carbon fiber, which helps to reduce weight and improve handling. When things get really fast, a tiny air vent on the bonnet helps to increase airflow and give the car a little extra downforce.

This car’s design was penned by a team directed by Wolfgang Egger, Audi’s former head of styling, who has a keen sense of style. Smooth curves and exquisite features combine to make the car look attractive without going overboard. The doors are beautiful and long, with no handles visible, but the large wheels and brilliant brake calipers provide a good idea about the beast of a car hiding underneath. We noticed one car painted in a wonderful sheen blue-green that looked amazing in the hall.

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Under the hood, or rather, beneath the floor, is a trio of electric motors that work together to drive all four wheels using Denza’s E3 system. And what a power bump, with well over 1,000 horsepower. It can accelerate from zero to sixty-two miles per hour in less than two seconds flat! They used the DiSus-M magnetorheological suspension from the Yangwang U9 and added features such as predictive road scanning and full chassis control, allowing the car to corner like a dream even while the roof was down. The steering is also steer-by-wire, which keeps things feeling quite sharp and responsive.

The car is powered by BYD’s latest Blade Battery, which rests low on the floor and supports Flash Charging 2.0. That means a full charge can be achieved in as little as five minutes at the appropriate charging station. The same battery pack is used in a few different models, providing ample range while remaining smooth on the inside. They also have several advanced driving aids, all gathered under the Eye of the God suite, which supports in day-to-day tasks while also adding some extra safety measures for longer journeys.

The four seats inside the automobile are placed in a way that makes the back row feel functional rather than crowded. A large screen dominates the center of the dashboard, flanked by a digital instrument panel and a wireless charging station. The central console has a neat and easy button layout for climate control and drive mode. The materials seem high-quality while remaining nice and utilitarian, and the tri-color accents on the display model provide a wonderful touch of flair.

Denza plans to ship the convertible to Europe first this summer. Following that, it will make a complete global debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July. In case you’re wondering, the car will also perform some demonstration laps there. They’re still doing track testing at the Nürburgring, and they anticipate to have proper lap times shortly. Chinese buyers will have to wait till after the worldwide deployment is complete. The car will be available in three versions: normal, open top, and dedicated track edition.

In terms of price, it will be significantly less expensive than its competitors. Early estimates in China range between 400,000 and 500,000 yuan, or $59,000 to $73,000. That places the Denza Z in the same category as the Maserati GranCabrio, but with more power and faster charge, making it a really fantastic offer all around. Prices in Europe will be published closer to the time the automobile goes on sale.
[Source]

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

See those circles in the grid of today’s Mini Crossword? All of them will contain the same letter, when you’re done. Read on for all the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Word for “dad” in Spanish, Italian, Russian and Hindi
Answer: PAPA

5A clue: Go crazy, as a crowd
Answer: ERUPT

7A clue: Drink with a red, white and blue logo
Answer: PEPSI

8A clue: Philadelphia M.L.S. team
Answer: UNION

9A clue: Buddy
Answer: PAL

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Make more exciting
Answer: PEPUP

2D clue: Madison Square Garden, e.g.
Answer: ARENA

3D clue: Center of the eye
Answer: PUPIL

4D clue: Lhasa ___ (dog breed)
Answer: APSO

5D clue: Element #50
Answer: TIN

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

Today’s Wordle puzzle is kind of crazy. The same letter shows up three times. If you need a new starter word, check out our list of which letters show up the most in English words. If you need hints and the answer, read on.

Read more: New Study Reveals Wordle’s Top 10 Toughest Words of 2025

Today’s Wordle hints

Before we show you today’s Wordle answer, we’ll give you some hints. If you don’t want a spoiler, look away now.

Wordle hint No. 1: Repeats

Today’s Wordle answer has one repeated letter, which appears three times.

Wordle hint No. 2: Vowels

Four out of the five letters are vowels, but one of them shows up three times. There are two different vowels: the threepeat, and another one.

Wordle hint No. 3: First letter

Today’s Wordle answer begins with E.

Wordle hint No. 4: Last letter

Today’s Wordle answer ends with E.

Wordle hint No. 5: Meaning

Today’s Wordle answer refers to something that’s strange or mysterious.

TODAY’S WORDLE ANSWER

Today’s Wordle answer is EERIE.

Yesterday’s Wordle answer

Yesterday’s Wordle answer, April 26, No. 1772, was GLOSS.

Recent Wordle answers

April 22, No. 1768: SNORE

April 23, No. 1769: TWEET

April 24, No. 1770: DRUNK

April 25, No. 1771: WOMEN

I recently wrote about why I chose the Supernote Nomad over other e-ink tablets as my primary reading and writing device. However, while the Supernote handles most of my book reading, it cannot do everything. 

Newsletters pile up, RSS feeds keep rolling, audiobooks need a home, and I need a place to buy ebooks. That means I still depend on a small stack of apps to keep my reading life from falling apart.

Here are the four apps I use every day to stay on top of my reading goals in 2026. 

NetNewsWire: for keeping up with my favorite websites and blogs

If you are not using RSS feeds to follow your favorite websites, you are missing out. Instead of checking five or six sites every morning, or god forbid, creating a news-focused timeline on social media apps, an RSS reader pulls all the new articles into one place. I use NetNewsWire to accomplish this, and the best part is that it is completely free and open source.

It works across all my Apple devices, offers good features, and is fast. There are no ads, no algorithms deciding what I should read, and no social media nonsense. I can subscribe to the feeds I want, and NetNewsWire fetches the articles for me. That is it. I love how simple it is, and I genuinely look forward to opening it every morning with my coffee.

Get NetNewsWire

Readwise Reader: for saving articles and keeping my newsletters organized

If NetNewsWire is where I discover things to read, Readwise Reader is where I actually read them. It is a read-it-later app, but calling it that feels like calling the iPhone “a phone.” It does a lot more.

I save long articles I do not have time to read right away, and Readwise Reader keeps them neatly organized and waiting for me. What I love about this app is keyboard navigation, an easy way to highlight paragraphs, and its integration with Obsidian, my note-taking app. 

It ensures that everything I want to retain is automatically synced to my note-taking app, allowing me to easily take notes on them and flesh out the ideas. 

I also love that Readwise Reader lets me pull newsletters directly into the app. So, instead of piling up in my email inbox and getting buried, they appear in my reader app where I can read them at my leisure.

Get Readwise Reader

BookPlayer: for listening to classic audiobooks

When I am doing chores or traveling, I prefer to listen to audiobooks to keep on top of my reading goals. The app I have been using for almost half a decade to do this is BookPlayer.

It is a free audiobook listening app (with in-app purchases to unlock extra features), and I use it to listen to classic audiobooks that are in the public domain or available for free through services like LibriVox. 

BookPlayer makes listening to those audiobooks genuinely enjoyable. The app is clean, the controls are simple, and it does not ask for a subscription. What more can you want from an app?

Get BookPlayer

Amazon Kindle: for when I have no other choice

I read most of my books on the Supernote Nomad, but not everything is available as a PDF or ePub. A lot of the books I want to read are only available on the Kindle store, so the Kindle app is something I cannot avoid. 

If a book is available anywhere, it is probably on Kindle. Then there are Kindle-exclusive books that I cannot find anywhere else. As much as I want to truly own my e-books, there’s no denying that Kindle’s library is unbeatable, and I still use it to discover and read new books. 

Get Amazon Kindle app

What does your reading setup look like?

These are the four apps keeping my reading life organized in 2026. I am always on the lookout for something better, so if you have a reading app you swear by, don’t forget to share it with us. I would love to know what is working for you.