 | | Created for techradar.com@quicklydone.com | Web Version | | | | | |  | Some weeks in tech feel like digestion: you get a wave of big news, and then you spend the next week with a stomachful of implications. Apple dumped a huge number of products last week, and followed up this week with the after-dinner mint in the form of upgraded AirPods Max — all while the company kicked off celebrations for its 50th anniversary, and Tim Cook talked about its legacy. Following Samsung’s release of the Galaxy S26 Ultra, we’ve been trying to figure out if a small screen tech difference is a big deal, and trying to decipher conflicting reports about the possible demise of its Galaxy Z TriFold, which only launched three months ago. On the dessert front (yes, returning to our meal metaphor), we finally have the eagerly anticipated release of a Spider-Man: Brand New Day trailer, and the theatrical release of Project Hail Mary, which is based on one of my favorite sci-fi books. And if you’re looking for inspiration this weekend I suggest you try the oddly uplifting 'future self' AI prompt — it might just light a fire under you. Lance Ulanoff, Editor at Large | | | | What happened – this week's biggest stories | |  | | You may have to sacrifice a little brightness in return for extra privacy (Future) | What happened? It was quite the week for Samsung. First, it had to admit that, yes, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra’s quite cool Privacy Display technology has one small drawback: when on, it reduces screen brightness just a smidge, even for direct viewers. Redditors are complaining about adverse effects, but our reviewer, who actually confirmed the issue, still stands by his call that the S26 Ultra is the best Android phone yet. And that's not all… Then there’s the Schrödinger's Cat of smartphones: the Galaxy TriFold. This twice-unfolding handset is super pricy, in limited quantities, and now we're hearing that it might be discontinued. Samsung even told one outlet that was the case, but then Samsung told us that it was still available in the US (and it’s currently sold out stateside), and we also have it on good authority that the Trifold will be restocked in short order. Like we said: no one knows if the TriFold still exists or not. | |  | | The difference is subtle, but nothing escapes the gamers' gaze (Nvidia / Capcom) | What happened? Nvidia's reveal of DLSS 5 didn't go as planned, and that's putting it very mildly. The tech giant hosted its GTC (GPU Technology Conference) in San Jose, and while it might have been hoping for a week positive coverage of its plans for the future of AI, gaming, and more, it ended up being a week to forget, with a large and vocal backlash against its next-gen upscaling tech.
Previous versions of DLSS have focused on boosting frame rates and improving upscaling with the help of AI, and have been broadly popular with PC gamers. But with DLSS 5, Nvidia is instead using AI to make fundamental changes to the overall look of the games, and the examples it showed at GTC didn’t go down well, with a lot of people complaining that it looked more like an AI filter used to make game characters more conventionally attractive. Huang responded to the controversy — but by blaming gamers for not understanding DLSS 5, he only succeeded in fanning the flames. This is a story that could run and run — and you can have your say in this week's poll at the end of this newsletter. | | | | Get caught up: the rest of this week's news in 30 seconds | Amazon's AI-powered virtual assistant, Alexa+, has been available to everyone in the US for a while now, and this week it finally rolled out for early access users with compatible devices in the UK. Our Homes Editor Cat Ellis attended a demo event in London, and found that Alexa+ can exchange soccer banter with the best of them — she's got the lowdown on how you can sign up to be one of the first to try the new, smarter Alexa in the UK. Josephine Watson sat down with Daniel Rausch, Amazon's VP of Alexa and Echo, to discuss the road ahead for Alexa+ — check out the video above. And whichever side of the pond you're on you'll want to read our 9 things you need to know about Alexa+ explainer, and get answers to your burning Alexa+ questions from one of the people who built it. Elsewhere, Apple unveiled the long-awaited AirPods Max 2, filling in a few gaps on the spec sheet and promising "better Active Noise Cancellation, elevated sound quality". They'll be available to order from March 25 for $549 / £499. Apple also insisted that Liquid Glass "isn’t going anywhere," and says it will remain a key feature of iOS 27, and finally fixed an infuriating autocorrect bug that's been plaguing iPhone users. Also this week… Garmin could be about to launch a screenless fitness tracker to take on Whoop.
Spotify could be coming to your smart glasses with a fun tool that’s perfect for solo karaoke.
A claimant in a court case was accused of using smart glasses to cheat — and blamed ChatGPT | | |  | | Tim Cook enlisted Alicia Keys to help Apple celebrate its 50th anniversary (Future) | As Apple's official 50th birthday nears, the company is increasingly taking stock, celebrating, and even opening up. Apple CEO Tim Cook told me that Apple had to develop a new muscle just to figure out how to celebrate and discuss the past. And part of that has been making Cook available for a bunch of interviews where he's being pressed on topics he'd perhaps rather not address, like tariffs, retirement, and that chummy relationship with Donald Trump.
It's like we're seeing, at least for these few weeks, a different Cook and, by extension, Apple. And, yes, we're here for it.
We're also talking about… The iPhone Air — Axel Metz has been living with it for six months, and he's conflicted. The Gateway 2000 PC — if I close my eyes I can still see it. ChatGPT's future self prompt — it offers surprisingly personal advice. Robots playing tennis — you have to see this to believe it. | | |  | | Putting the fun into phones: the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro (Future) | | | | | What's on – the week in entertainment | | "The Prime Video show at its delightfully darkest and blockbuster best” — that’s what Tom Power thought of Invincible season 4, which debuted with a three-episode premiere on March 18. Set immediately after last season’s finale, it finds the titular hero at his lowest ebb yet, so make sure you stream it ASAP to avoid those pesky online spoilers. Elsewhere, it’s been another great week for fans of Marvel’s iconic webslinger, because the first trailer for Spider-Man: Brand New Day has finally been released — be sure to read our full breakdown of the MCU movie’s teaser. On the new movies and TV shows front, there’s lots to check out in our weekend streaming round-up. Alongside the aforementioned Invincible 4, Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man — a movie sequel to the hit period crime drama — and Wicked: For Good lead this week’s recommendations. | | | This week on TikTok we shared our MacBook Neo first impressions, saw Disney's incredible snow-bot (AKA Olaf from Frozen) and tried a super-affordable Game Boy-inspired mobile gaming controller. Follow TechRadar on TikTok! | | | | What to try: tips, hacks and our favorite new products | |  | | Need to catch 40 winks? Your Garmin can help you catch 'em all (Future) | | Up your content game, get better sleep with Bulbasaur, and become a pasta master | | | | | What you think – this week's poll | | | What do you think of Nvidia's new DLSS 5 AI upscaling? | | | | | | | | | When you purchase through links in our content, we may earn an affiliate commission.
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