I’ve attended my share of professional development sessions as an educator. Too often, I’ve walked away asking the same question: Is this really how we expect teachers to learn?
I still remember one session on trauma-informed teaching held in a school cafeteria. The tables and attached seats were too small for most of us, while the lights hummed overhead. For two and a half hours, the facilitator read from an endless slide deck about the importance of connection and empathy. There was minimal context building, limited discussion and no reflection. By the end, the facilitator smiled and said, “Now you are all trauma-informed teachers!” I think my eyes rolled so far back they almost stayed there.
Sitting and listening to someone talk for 45 to 60 minutes is not learning, let alone two and a half hours. My body knows it before my brain does. I get restless, my mind drifts, I check the time and take a walk to refill my water bottle. In that first hour, disappointment sets in fast. Minimal conditions for adult learning have become the norm. I used to resent that; now I fear it. Because the longer I sat in those breakout rooms, the quieter I became. My curiosity dulled, the topic’s urgency faded and I started doing what was expected: showing up, signing in and leaving seemingly unchanged. That terrified me. I could feel myself becoming the kind of learner I never wanted my students to be. Even the most dedicated teachers can wilt in the wrong conditions.
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And here’s what often goes unspoken: teachers already give so much of their time to these sessions, spending hours after school on professional days and during planning periods. That investment deserves more than compliance-based sessions that leave teachers unchanged or walking away with a checklist of “next steps” that never take root.
After experiences like that, I find myself returning to familiar questions: Why do we accept for ourselves what we would never accept for our students? What if we taught students the way we teach teachers? We’d call it ineffective, parents would complain and administrators would intervene. Yet, the same approach is accepted for teachers’ professional development: lecture-heavy, one-size-fits-all and compliance-driven. I knew better for my students and kept accepting less for myself. That contradiction began to haunt me.
As a high school English teacher, I built lessons around engagement, differentiation and relevance so students could connect learning to their lives. They deserved instruction that met them where they were and balanced support with challenge. When it comes to teaching teachers, we need the same shift — from professional development done to us, to professional learning created by, for and with us.
A Different Way Exists
I remember one of the first times I felt what real professional learning could be. Around 2013, when Edcamp was spreading across schools, my administrators used this format for one of our PD days. These grassroots “unconferences” turned the familiar model upside down. There were no pre-approved presenters or hour-by-hour agendas. Teachers built the schedule on the spot and moved freely between conversations. If one wasn’t helpful, you left and found another. The emphasis was on curiosity and choice.
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I led two sessions that day: one on digital tools for learning and another on equitable grading. I didn’t stand in front of the group; I sat in the circle. We tested tools in real time, pried into long-held grading beliefs and argued about what being fair really means in high school grading. What I remember most wasn’t the content but the energy in the room and the buzz of teachers thinking, building, disagreeing and learning together.
It was the first time I realized how much trust professional learning requires: trust in teachers’ intelligence, instincts and creativity. We talk so much about empowering students, but rarely about empowering teachers. Edcamp, brief as it was, made me wonder what would happen if we trusted educators the way we expect them to trust their students.
That lesson deepened through the Rhode Island Writing Project at Rhode Island College, where “teachers teaching teachers” wasn’t a slogan but a practice. During the summer institute, I joined a community of educators from across the state. We wrote together, shared feedback and listened, really listened, to each other’s classroom stories and the complex and messy overlap between personal and professional life.
That summer changed me. I saw what it meant to honor teacher knowledge, and to treat professional learning as a dialogue, not delivery. It ruined me, in the best way. Once you’ve experienced learning that is alive, reciprocal and demanding, it’s hard to sit quietly again while someone reads from slides.
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But here’s what I know: those moments were rare. Outliers.
Most professional development since that summer has looked more like paperwork than pedagogy. Neatly packaged, disconnected and efficient to a fault. For many educators, PD is still something that happens to them, not with them. I’ve seen what that does. It breeds cynicism and convinces brilliant teachers that their professional growth is optional, even disposable. Novice and veteran teachers alike found ways to get through or get by during especially disconnected sessions. Not out of defiance, but self-preservation.
As a district administrator, I find myself in a very different position where I receive more structured opportunities for professional learning than I ever did in the classroom. I attend multi-day workshops on leadership frameworks, statewide coaching institutes and even regional conferences focused on instructional design. They’re well-planned, reflective, energizing and respectful of participants’ needs. Nothing like the one-off PowerPoints teachers sit through during the school day or after school.
That contrast is hard to ignore. It reminds me just how uneven our systems can be. The higher up you go, the more development you’re offered; the closer you are to students, the less you get.
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I carry that discomfort with me every day. I think about the teachers in sessions I once led or attended who expressed their skepticism and tiredness of being told what to value or what new requirement to add to their already stacked list of classroom responsibilities. My job now is to make sure the professional learning I help design never repeats that pattern — that it respects their time, their expertise and their humanity. I don’t want them to feel the quiet resignation I once did.
This problem runs deeper than any one district or leader. A recent report from the Annenberg Institute at Brown University affirmed Rhode Island’s commitment to investing in professional learning. The report highlights state-level efforts such as expanding instructional coaching, building in common planning time and fostering cross-district collaboration. These are the supports I wish I’d had years ago.
The report also reminded me of what I’ve seen firsthand: resources and structures only work when the design honors teachers’ time and trust.
How We Teach Teachers
How we design professional learning makes visible the value we place on teachers. When PD is treated as a formality, the message is that teacher growth is optional. But when it’s treated as authentic learning, the message is clear: adult learning matters, and investing in teachers is investing in students.
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If we want professional learning that serves educators and the students they teach, we must move beyond seat time and toward structures that honor teacher expertise and foster continuous improvement. The elements of strong professional learning aren’t mysteries; they mirror the same principles of good teaching.
A few approaches that work include teacher-led inquiry cycles that invite educators to identify problems of practice and design solutions together; offering choice and voice in sessions that make learning relevant and personalized; building in time for application and reflection; and creating job-embedded opportunities where teachers can learn in context alongside their colleagues and students.
The future of our profession will be defined by what we choose right now and whether we can model the kind of learning we say we want for our students.
There used to be a very easy way to deal with smartphone bloatware: you’d set up the device, find the folder of pre-installed games or apps you never asked for, and spend about 10 minutes deleting them. It was a bit of a tax on your time, but it was achievable.
However, in the age of the AI-powered phone, bloatware now has a much smarter face. It’s being sold as the headline feature, and while a lot of it is technically impressive, we’re fast reaching a point where the sheer volume of ‘help’ is starting to feel like the very clutter we used to try so hard to avoid.
That thought really hit home this week after using the slimline Motorola Signature. The hardware is better than ever, with an impressive thin design, a top-notch screen, great camera performance and solid battery life, but the software is starting to feel like it’s suffering from an identity crisis.
Motorola used to be the king of the near-stock Android experience, surpassed only by Google itself, but now it feels like they’re trying to do everything at once in this new AI arms race – and there’s no way to get rid of it.
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Motorola’s throwing everything at the wall and seeing what sticks
The most obvious sign of the more-is-more approach Motorola is taking is that it’s baked into not just the software but also the Signature’s hardware.
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On the right, you’ve got the same dual power/Gemini button found on most Android smartphones – but there’s also a button on the left for Motorola’s competing Moto AI. It’s a bold move, but it also highlights the central problem: the company isn’t sure which AI you should actually be using.
Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)
It’s not just buttons though; the interface is now home to a lot of competing ideas. You go to check your notifications and find ‘Catch me up’ summaries and daily briefings competing for space with your actual messages.
You’ve also got a standalone Moto AI interface where you can ask Motorola’s assistant questions and tasks – but it’s not just Moto AI. There are also built-in hooks for Microsoft Copilot and Perplexity.
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Individually, these are great AI tools, but when they’re stacked on top of each other and bundled within the Moto AI interface, the experience just starts to feel busy and overwhelming, especially if you’re new to the world of AI.
Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)
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All the while, Gemini is still sitting there as the default Android assistant, ready to answer questions or get you somewhere using Google Maps – and in a very similar UI.
Instead of the stock approach to Android that made Motorola such a fan favourite, we’re now getting a phone that feels like it’s constantly trying to show off new tricks – and, for the most part, they’re not that helpful.
If this were 10 years ago, each of those features would likely be a dedicated app – an app that we could uninstall if we wanted to. These AI features, though, are hard-baked into the system, and they’re not going anywhere anytime soon.
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Far from an isolated case
Of course, Motorola isn’t the only brand to try and insert AI-powered smarts into every crevice of the smartphone experience.
Brands like Apple, Samsung, Google, Oppo and Xiaomi are all actively doing the same thing, essentially trying to one-up each other to offer the widest range of tools available. But, in true Jurassic Park style, they were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should.
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Image Credit (Trusted Reviews)
Don’t get me wrong, there’s a lot of genuine innovation happening in the smartphone AI space – features like real-time transcription, effective object removal, notification summaries and multi-agent AI chats are fantastic tools for the right person – but by making them mandatory, permanent fixtures of the interface, they stop feeling like tools and more like obstacles.
We’re reaching a tipping point where AI smarts are becoming the new bloatware, the stuff that gets in the way of us using our phones how we want. If manufacturers want the next generation of flagship phones to truly feel like a step forward, they need to learn that the most intelligent thing a phone can do is know when to stay out of the way.
While 81% of workers in Singapore believe that workplace happiness is achievable, only 56% actually experience it. This “aspiration gap” places Singapore second to last on APAC happiness rankings, just above Hong Kong’s 47%, and below neighbours Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia.
Here’s what Vulcan Post found, and what employers can do to close the happiness gap.
The “Happy but burnt out” paradox
Though “happy” employees still experience burnout, “unhappy” employees are more prone to it. / Statistics credit: Jobstreet
Even in Singapore’s high-pressure environment, a “good” job can take a serious mental and physical toll, even on workers who consider themselves ‘happy’.
Almost half of the workers surveyed reported feeling burnt out or exhausted by their work, with 41% in that category describing themselves as “happy”. Similarly, among the 39% who often dread going to work, 34% still describe themselves as happy: a clear illustration of conflicting emotions at work.
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The survey has suggestions for employers. Leaders can bridge this gap by investing in employee well-being beyond routine check-ins. Benefits could include subsidised gym memberships, monthly wellness allowances, or confidential counselling services.
Money is not the answer to happiness; autonomy does
Overall happiness and burnout by monthly salaries / Statistics credit: Jobstreet
While money is the most common demand, with 64% ranking salary among their top five happiness drivers, money alone rarely guarantees satisfaction.
Happiness peaks at 72% for those earning above S$10,000 per month, but half of these high earners still experience significant burnout. This suggests that higher salaries often come at the cost of work-life balance, diminishing the perks of earning more.
Age and life pressures also shape workplace happiness. Millennials, the so-called Sandwich Generation, reported the lowest happiness (52%) and highest stress-related dissatisfaction (31%), often due to caregiving responsibilities. In contrast, baby boomers were the happiest (71%), likely benefiting from greater autonomy and meaningful freelance roles.
Salaries aren’t the key to lasting happiness: purpose is, and only 50% of Singaporeans find it in their roles. Employers can help by offering projects aligned with employees’ interests and strengths, and career development plans that support individual goals, also make a difference.
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Why should employers care?
How happiness determines how much effort they put in, and retention / Statistics credit: Jobstreet
Jobstreet’s report showed that happy employees deliver ROI: they’re five times more likely to go the extra mile and 37% less likely to job-hop. 87% of unhappy workers often consider leaving, compared with 50% of happy employees, showing that happiness still boosts loyalty and eases recruitment and training pressures.
Workplace happiness is also a two-way street: 85% of employees see it as a shared responsibility, signalling that traditional perks alone aren’t enough. By actively addressing employees’ needs and fostering transparency, employers empower staff.
The result? More resilient, successful operations that benefit everyone.
New Yorker state lawmakers have introduced a bill that would impose a moratorium of at least three years on permits tied to the construction and operation of new data centers. While the bill’s prospects are uncertain, Wired reports that New York is at least the sixth state to consider pausing construction of new data centers.
As tech companies plan to spend ever-increasing amounts of money to build AI infrastructure, both Democrats and Republicans have expressed concerns about the impact those data centers might have on surrounding communities. Studies have also linked data centers to increased home electricity bills.
Critics include progressive Senator Bernie Sanders, who has called for a national moratorium, as well as conservative Florida Governor Ron De Santis, who said data centers will lead to “higher energy bills just so some chatbot can corrupt some 13 year old kid online.”
More than 230 environmental groups including Food & Water Watch, Friends of the Earth, and Greenpeace recently signed an open letter to Congress calling for a national moratorium on the construction of new data centers.
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Eric Weltman of Food & Water Watch told Wired that the New York bill — sponsored by state senator Liz Krueger and assemblymember Anna Kelles, both Democrats — was “our idea.” Data center pauses have also been proposed by Democrats in Georgia, Vermont, and Virginia, while Republicans sponsored similar bills in Maryland and Oklahoma.
According to Politico, Krueger described her state as “completely unprepared” for the “massive data centers” that are “gunning for New York.”
“It’s time to hit the pause button, give ourselves some breathing room to adopt strong policies on data centers, and avoid getting caught in a bubble that will burst and leave New York utility customers footing a huge bill,” she said.
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Boston, MA | June 23, 2026
Last month, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced a new initiative called Energize NY Development, which her office said would both modernize the way large energy users (i.e., data centers) would connect to the grid while also requiring them to “pay their fair share.”
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Home renovations can feel intimidating, especially if you don’t have the right tools for the job. I spent most of my adult life renting, doing small projects around the house, but leaving the big repairs to my landlord. That all changed when I bought my house. The place was built in 1980, and just about everything inside it was old and either outdated or falling apart. Suffice to say, it needed a fair bit more than a fresh coat of paint.
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In the years since, I’ve replaced roofing, plumbing, lighting, flooring, drywall, trim, and crown molding. I’ve also installed and tiled a new shower and tub, built a shed, and converted a room into a home library with custom-built shelves. And with each new project, my tool collection grew a little bit larger.
There are certainly projects that require specialty equipment, but I’ve found that there are a handful of tools that I reach for at some point in just about every job that I do. Of course, there are a few obvious ones. You probably don’t need anyone to tell you that a hammer and a screwdriver set will come in handy during home repairs. There are plenty of other tools you likely already have in your junk drawer that will come up all the time as well. A reliable level, a quality ratchet set, some hex wrenches, and some needlenose pliers are also sterling additions to any collection that deserve an honorable mention, but there are five tools that I find come in handy more often than any others.
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Drill and impact driver
This is technically two tools, but drills and impact drivers are often sold together in kits, and it’s definitely worth getting both if you’re going to take on a lot of big projects. The drill is probably the most important power tool for home renovations that you can own. Not only do you need a drill for making pilot holes for fasteners, but it’s also useful for other tasks.
I’ve used a drill with hole saw attachments to cut holes for plumbing and other utilities, for example, while cylindrical sander and burr grinding bits have helped me open up narrow channels in wooden doors when installing new knobs and locks. Brush attachments can be used to clean out vents, while mixing attachments can blend paint, mortar, and grout. The ability to use a drill with so many different attachments that have nothing to do with drilling makes it absolutely vital for almost every kind of maintenance and renovation.
Having a dedicated impact driver expedites many tasks for a couple of reasons. The first is simply that having your drilling and driving bits on separate tools makes it quicker to swap between them. The second is that impact drivers are different from drills. They have more power, with a mechanism that creates a hammer-like motion. This gives the driver mechanical downward force in addition to high-speed rotation. This is particularly useful for framing, roof sheathing, and underfloor installation. It helps get that initial bite in the wood, drives fasteners quickly, and sinks them. I have this DeWalt 20V Max Cordless Drill and Impact Driver kit that has yet to let me down.
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Utility knife
A quality utility knife is going to be your best friend in all kinds of different renovation tasks. I’ve used mine for scoring drywall and cement backerboard, cutting lengths of insulation, removing old caulk, cutting roofing shingles, scraping off excess mortar, and running the blade along dried paint lines to prevent accidental peeling. But that’s really just the tip of the iceberg. There are a million different uses for a utility knife that come up in every renovation, and once you own one, you’ll find yourself reaching for it every few minutes.
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To be clear, I’m not talking about bargain-bin box cutters with flimsy, plastic cases and blades that dull after the first cut. I personally have two that I use all the time. The first is the OLFA 18mm Heavy-Duty Utility Knife, which uses snap-off blades that are excellent for fine cuts. This utility knife has a sturdy handle and a strong ratcheting lock that doesn’t slip like cheaper ones do. Pair this with a pack of OLFA blades, and you’ll always have a sharp razor that’s ready to go at a moment’s notice. Just break off the dull blade with a pair of pliers, and you have a fresh tip that’s good to go.
For more heavy-duty tasks, I use the Milwaukee Fastback Press and Flip Utility Knife. It uses thicker, stronger blades, and its all-metal construction makes it a strong choice for tasks that require a lot of pressure. It also has tool-free blade changing, which makes it easy to maintain.
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Miter saw
When it comes to big power tools, the miter saw is the one that I’ve found comes in handy most often. I’ve used my table saw, circular saw, jig saw, and reciprocating saw for various projects, but the miter saw is probably the one where I’ve spent the most time with my finger on the trigger.
This tool allows you to make cross, miter, bevel, and compound cuts quickly and easily. That means that you can get reliable 90-degree cuts, as well as the more complex angles you might need for corners and edges. The ability to make all of these different kinds of cuts is what makes the miter saw useful for just about any task that involves cutting a board to length, as long as the board is narrow enough to fit beneath the blade.
I’ve used it to cut 2x4s for framing, as well as flooring boards, shelves, trim, molding, and a wide range of other materials. Your options aren’t limited to just wood, either. You can actually use a miter saw with a good carbide-tipped blade to cut plastics like PVC, ABS, and vinyl, aluminum transition strips, and composite materials like those used in decking.
There are a lot of different kinds of pliers out there, but the type that I reach for most often is tongue-and-groove pliers, also known as channel lock pliers. These have an adjustable slip joint that makes them easy to lock in different widths, allowing you to simply squeeze to get a sturdy grip on whatever it is you’re using them on.
I find these come in handy during plumbing tasks. I’ve used these pliers to tighten and remove threaded pipe, water lines, slip joints, pipe caps, pipe plugs, and various other fixtures. I’ve replaced faucets and toilets, installed tub and shower fixtures, and modified internal plumbing with these guys, and they’ve never let me down. They’re also really good for situations that involve working with large nuts and bolts. Tongue-and-groove pliers are ideal for gripping one side of a connection while you tighten or loosen the other with a ratchet.
The oscillating multi-tool is one of those products that you can get by without for a really long time, but which you’ll question why you didn’t buy sooner once you actually have one. These little tools oscillate blades of various types and shapes, making them great for many different applications. I first purchased mine when I was replacing some old, ratty roll-on flooring with vinyl tile. The old flooring was much thinner than the tile, so I needed to trim the door frames to make the tile fit underneath. An oscillating multi-tool was the perfect tool to get the job done without breaking out a hacksaw or taking the framing off the wall first.
Since I added one to my tool bag, I’ve found myself using it more and more for all kinds of renovation tasks. It’s great for the small, straight drywall cuts needed for things like vents, switches, and outlets, which is why I ended up using it every single day when I replaced the ceiling in my bedroom. I’ve also used it to start plunge cuts in underflooring, to cut threaded screws, and to sand corners and tight spaces that round sanders couldn’t reach. I also purchased some diamond file blades when I replaced my shower to remove large mortar deposits from between the tiles before grouting.
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I use the DeWalt 20V Max XR Oscillating Multi-Tool. It’s strong and reliable, and I’ve yet to encounter any issues with it. That said, there are dozens of more affordable options out there, such as the WEN Oscillating Multi-Tool Kit, if you only need a multi-tool for a single project.
The latest episode of The Leaders’ Room podcast season four features Thomas Parsons, head of Tenable in Ireland and VP of product management. This series is created in partnership with IDA Ireland.
Once again in season four of The Leaders’ Room podcast, we get to know the leaders of some of the most influential multinationals in tech, life sciences and innovation, as well as getting insights into their leadership styles and the high-tech trends they see coming down the line.
In this latest episode, we speak to Thomas Parsons, who heads up threat exposure cybersecurity company Tenable in Ireland as well as serving as VP of product management for the Maryland-based company, about a career that parallels the evolution of the cyber threat landscape since the ’90s, and a style of leadership that spots the best cybersecurity talent sometimes in the least expected places.
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It’s a fascinating listen charting Parsons’ distinguished career in cybersecurity, from Symantec, via Intel to Tenable which he joined shortly after the exposure management company arrived in Ireland in 2016. Parsons was indeed Tenable’s first R&D hire in 2017, and today some 50pc of the 140-strong Irish team work on the R&D side in Dublin, he tells us.
In a series on leadership, Parsons got to work at Symantec at a time when a renowned leader took the reins – John Thompson. A longtime IBM alumnus, Thompson radically changed how Symantec thought about security for organisations, at a time when large-scale cybercrime and nation-state attacks were not yet on the agenda. Under Obama, Thompson was considered for the role of Secretary of Commerce, and Nancy Pelosi appointed him to the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission in 2009.
Parson also got to experience first-hand the process of Tenable going public, including being on the ground in New York on the day it did so. His thoughts on how good leaders in his sector need to keep an eye out for talent in places you might least expect are well worth a listen as are his insights on what might be coming down the line.
We’re grateful to all our interviewees again this season, for taking the time out of busy schedules to come into the studio and share their insights and their intelligence with us. And a big thanks as ever to our partners IDA Ireland who make this series possible.
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The Leaders’ Room podcast is released fortnightly and can be found by searching for ‘The Leaders’ Room’ wherever you get your podcasts. For those who prefer their audio with visuals, filmed versions of the podcast interviews are all available here on SiliconRepublic.com.
Check out The Leaders’ Room podcast for in-depth insights from some of Ireland’s top leaders. Listen now on Spotify, on Apple or wherever you get your podcasts.
Somewhere on America’s eastern coast, there’s an economic development agency in Massachusetts promoting green energy solutions. And Monday the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (or MassCEC) announced “a first-of-its-kind” program to see what happens when they provide free electric vehicle chargers to selected residents, school districts, and municipal projects.
The catch? The EV chargers are bi-directional, able “to both draw power from and return power to the grid…” The program hopes to “accelerate the adoption of V2X technologies, which, at scale, can lower energy bills by reducing energy demand during expensive peak periods and limiting the need for new grid infrastructure.”
This functionality enables EVs, including electric buses and trucks, to provide backup power during outages and alleviate pressure on the grid during peak energy demand. These bi-directional chargers will enable EVs to act as mobile energy storage assets, with the program expected to deliver over one megawatt of power back to the grid during a demand response event — enough to offset the electricity use of 300 average American homes for an hour. “Virtual Power Plants are the future of our electrical grid, and I couldn’t be more excited to see this program take off,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper. “We’re putting the power of innovation directly in the hands of Massachusetts residents. Bi-directional charging unlocks new ways to protect communities from outages and lower costs for families and public fleets….”
Additionally, the program will help participants enroll in existing utility programs that offer compensation to EV owners who supply power back to the grid during peak times, helping participants further lower their electricity costs. By leveraging distributed energy resources and reducing grid strain, this program positions Massachusetts as a national leader in clean energy innovation.
This week on the GeekWire Podcast: Andy Jassy tells Wall Street that Amazon is planning $200 billion in capital expenses this year, mostly to build out AI infrastructure, and investors give it a thumbs down.
Microsoft’s financial results beat expectations but the company loses $357 billion in market value in a single day after investors learn the extent of its dependence on OpenAI.
In our featured conversation, recorded at a dinner hosted by Accenture in Bellevue, GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop sits down with computer scientist and entrepreneur Oren Etzioni to talk about AI agents, the startup landscape, the fight against deepfakes, and what good AI leadership looks like.
Etzioni is co-founder of AI agent startup Vercept, founder of the AI2 Incubator, professor emeritus at the UW Allen School, venture partner at Madrona, and the former founding CEO of the Allen Institute for AI.
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“Moltbook is to agent networks as Myspace was to social networks,” he posted on LinkedIn. “It’s a sign of what’s to come, and will soon be supplanted by more secure and more pervasive alternatives.”
Upcoming GeekWire Podcast Live Event: Join us from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb 12 at Fremont Brewing for a live recording of the GeekWire Podcast with Todd Bishop and John Cook. Free for Fremont Chamber members, $15 otherwise. Register here.
Autoflight’s Matrix, which is a game changer in the eVTOL category of the aviation world, is the first of its kind to exceed the 5-ton class, with a maximum takeoff weight of 5,700kg (about 12,566lbs). While the plane’s wingspan of 20 meters, length of 17.1 meters, and short stature of only 3.3 meters may suggest that it is a large craft, once inside, you’ll notice that the cabin itself is surprisingly roomy with its 5.25-meter length, 1.8-meter width, and 1.85-meter height, giving you a comfortable 13.9 cubic meters in which to spread out.
To get off the ground, Autoflight engineers designed a novel solution: a compound wing lift-and-cruise system in triplane style, combined with a six-arm framework that can draw on up to 20 engines, just in case. As a result, the transition from vertical launch to forward flight goes relatively smoothly. Most importantly, the aircraft can maintain flight even if one or both engines fail.
Lightweight & Portable Design – Weighing just 151g [9] and C0 certified, this compact drone features full-coverage propeller guards for safer,…
Palm Takeoff & Landing [1], Gesture Control [2] – Enjoy easy palm takeoff and landing, plus intuitive gesture controls for hands-free operation and…
Smooth & Reliable Tracking – ActiveTrack [3] keeps your subject in focus, while Apple Watch lets you view live feed, check flight status, or use voice…
There are several Matrix variations to pick from. The totally electric vehicle has a range of 250 kilometers (155 miles) for short journeys. The hybrid-electric variant, as expected, has a longer range of 1,500 kilometers (932 miles). Let’s just say that getting from A to B takes precedence over speed.
As one might expect, it comes with a host of amenities: 10 comfortable business class seats or 6 VIP seats, all with climate control, beautiful ambient lighting, wide windows to enjoy the view from above, and, yeah, a proper bathroom because, you know, priorities. And if you need to carry some luggage, this aircraft can carry up to 1,500kg (3,300lb) via the large forward opening door, which is also beneficial for the hybrid system.
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Autoflight tested the Matrix prototype at its low-altitude test site in Kunshan, China, in February 2026. To establish a fact, the company executed a slick move in which the eVTOL lifted off vertically, transitioned from vertical to cruising mode, and then descended vertically. This makes the Matrix the first 5-ton eVTOL to achieve this feat. Furthermore, the eVTOL operated alongside the company’s smaller, 2-ton carry-all cargo eVTOL design.
So, what does Autoflight’s Matrix offer? Well, the company believes it’s great for regional transit, large freight, and emergency response operations. As Tian Yu, the company’s founder and CEO, says, it will be a game changer, propelling eVTOLs beyond the normal short excursions and light cargoes. He believes that by improving the capabilities of eVTOLs, they will be able to reduce costs per seat or ton, which might be a significant advantage. [Source]
If you’re going to upgrade your TV for the Super Bowl, this is the kind of deal that actually changes the experience, not just the number on the spec sheet. A 77-inch OLED is the “everyone on the couch can see everything clearly” size, and OLED is the tech that makes the biggest difference on broadcast-style content: strong contrast, clean highlights, and better-looking motion in fast action.
Right now, the Samsung 77-inch S90F Series OLED (2025) is $1,999.99, which is $1,500 off the $3,499.99 compared value. The key detail is the deadline: the deal ends February 9, 2026, so this is very much a “plan your setup now” situation.
What you’re getting
This is a 77-inch 4K OLED with Samsung’s Tizen smart platform and SamsungVision AI branding around picture processing and smart features. The practical benefit is simple: OLED’s pixel-level control delivers deep blacks and strong contrast, which helps games look more dimensional, especially in mixed lighting.
For the Super Bowl specifically, a screen this size is great for the details that matter: jersey textures, sideline action, the ball in motion, and those quick camera cuts that can look smeary on older TVs. With a modern OLED panel, the picture tends to look cleaner and more premium without you needing to crank settings to extremes.
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Why it’s worth it
The real story here is value per inch for a premium display. At $1,999.99, you’re getting into “big statement TV” territory while still landing in a price band that’s far more approachable than most 77-inch OLED pricing historically.
It also helps that the timing lines up perfectly with a common buying moment. If you host, even casually, a TV like this does a lot of the heavy lifting. You do not need fancy décor or a full surround system to make the room feel upgraded. A 77-inch OLED becomes the focal point instantly.
The bottom line
At $1,999.99, the Samsung 77-inch S90F OLED is a standout deal for anyone who wants a huge, premium screen ahead of the Super Bowl. The size is legitimately immersive, OLED is a visible upgrade, and saving $1,500 is the kind of discount that justifies moving now instead of “someday.” Just remember the deadline: this deal ends February 9, 2026.
Whether you’re handing off an AirTag or trying to resolve pairing issues, knowing how to properly reset Apple’s item tracker ensures you can set it up on a new iPhone easily.
How to factory reset a second generation AirTag
Every AirTag can be associated with only a single Apple Account. If you want to gift your AirTag to another person, you’ll need to reset it. While this does take a little effort, the whole process can be done in about a minute. Before you get started, we highly recommend that all small children and pets are out of the area while you reset an AirTag. AirTags, for all their usefulness, are choking hazards and can cause internal damage if they pass through the digestive tract. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
