Week in Review: The top stories in phones, computing, AI and more

Shooting the eclipse, our podcast is back, and Prime Video's Fallout reviewed Created for {EMAIL} | [Web Version]( April 12, 2024 CONNECT WITH TECH RADAR  [Facebook]( [X]( [Instagram]( [Youtube]( [Tech Radar]( [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [WEBSITE]( [] Welcome to the Week in Review [] Welcome If there was a theme to this week, I think it was what brings people together and what pulls them apart. The solar eclipse (totality was visible across a wide swath of North America country) united us in a way nothing else has in recent years, and provided a great opportunity for us to put our favorite smartphones and cameras to the test. Yes, of course, I got in on the action – and I found out that people have a lot of opinions about my methods. You know what else brings people together? Podcasts. And not just those who listen to them, but the teams that create them. Case in point, TechRadar’s all-new podcast, which took the combined efforts of a whole bunch of our experts and leaders to pull together. Listen, and subscribe if you can – it’s a deep dive on the season’s most fascinating and confounding tech. A global apocalypse is something else that might bring people together, while also keeping them apart (or at odds). That’s the theme of the new Amazon Prime Video series based on the wildly popular Fallout game series, and our full review of the show is live, along with a whole heap of supporting content. AI tends to unite people in holy terror about a future they can scarcely imagine. I know, not all AI is bad or scary, far from it, but when you hear that Meta is close to releasing an AI that can think like us, well, we unite in our shared interest and concern. Finally, we’re getting very close to the season of developer conferences, which brings together app and content producers and other interested parties to learn about the new features coming to platforms from Microsoft, Google, and Apple. Google is up first, and is already teasing us with Android 15 updates – we’ll unite to learn more next month. Okay, that’s enough unity for now – let’s stop staring at our eclipse pics and check out the biggest stories of the week. Lance Ulanoff, Editor-at-Large [] The week in phones [] [The TechRadar smartphone camera eclipse challenge]( We've been busy snapping the eclipse (Future) [The TechRadar smartphone camera eclipse challenge]( Monday's total solar eclipse was quite something, and TechRadar's Editor-at-large Lance Ulanoff tried snapping the spectacular celestial event using an iPhone 15 Pro Max, a Google Pixel 8 Pro, and a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra – find out which phone did best. [Read the full story]( [] - [Android phones finally get their first AirTag-style trackers]( [] - [These 5 Google Magic Editor AI features are coming to all users]( [] - [The first Android 15 public beta is out – here's how to download it]( [] The TechRadar Podcast [] [Tune in to the all-new TechRadar podcast]( Catch up with the TechRadar team on Spotify and YouTube (Future) [Tune in to the all-new TechRadar podcast]( TechRadar is back in the podcast game, with the imaginatively titled TechRadar Podcast. You can listen right now on Spotify or watch on YouTube, and in the first episode the team get eyes-on with the Apple Vision Pro, look back at the highlights from Mobile World Congress, and chat about AI, the Samsung Galaxy Ring and more. [Read the full story]( [] The week in Apple [] [Are iPhones actually a rip-off?]( How much should the iPhone 15 Pro Max be? (Future) [Are iPhones actually a rip-off?]( You'll pay a significant amount of money for one of the high-end, premium iPhones, but are those prices justified for the hardware and software you're getting in return? We take a detailed look at the question – and the answer really depends on which model you get. [Read the full story]( [] - [The iPhone SE 4 could be an odd mix of several different existing iPhones]( [] - [5 AI features the iPhone 16 could have to challenge Samsung and Google]( [] - [The iPhone 15 (and future models) just got a big repairability boost]( [] The week in AI [] [Meta says 'human-level' AI cognition is almost here]( AI is getting smarter than ever (Shutterstock) [Meta says 'human-level' AI cognition is almost here]( It's getting hard to keep up with the pace of advances in AI, and it doesn't look like the momentum is going to slow anytime soon: with its Llama 3 model arriving soon Meta says it's hard at work getting AI to manage human-like thinking and reasoning. [Read the full story]( [] - [Microsoft continues to shove Copilot down our throats]( [] - [ChatGPT's newest GPT-4 upgrade makes it smarter and more conversational]( [] - [Best Buy is giving its customer assistance an AI boost]( [] This week's top deals picked by TechRadar's experts [] - [Shop the 14 best tech deals in Best Buy's huge weekend sale]( [] - [The Cooler Master RTX 4060 gaming PC is down to just $845 at Amazon]( [] - [Save over $100 on the Turtle Beach Stealth Pro gaming headsest]( [] - [One of the best OLED TVs you can buy drops to $996 at Amazon]( [] The week in computing [] [The top 5 features in the big new Windows 11 update]( Another big Windows update just dropped [The top 5 features in the big new Windows 11 update]( Windows 11 Moment 5 is here, and there's quite a bit to explore in the latest major update courtesy of Microsoft. We'll walk you through the new AI-powered photo editing tools, improvements to accessibility, faster file sharing between devices, and more. [Read the full story]( [] - [Windows 11 users are getting fed up with its performance]( [] - [Intel says Lunar Lake laptops will be AI powerhouses]( [] - [Here are 3 great reasons to switch from Windows to Mac]( [] The week in entertainment [] [The best new movies and shows to stream this weekend]( Fallout is now streaming on Prime Video (Prime Video) [The best new movies and shows to stream this weekend]( Looking for something to watch this weekend? This week’s streaming picks include Fallout on Prime Video – a big-budget adaptation of the popular video game – while The Sympathizer and Franklin begin streaming on Max and Apple TV Plus, respectively. [Read the full story]( [] - [Fallout is a fine addition to the golden age of video game adaptations]( [] - [Arcane star claims season 2 of the show will emotionally devastate fans]( [] - [Fallout's cast reveal the hardest scenes they filmed for the show]( [] More of this week's top stories [] - [I swapped my Apple Watch for a vintage Casio Chronograph]( [] - [Fallout 4 is getting a major update – perfect for when you finish the TV show]( [] - [DJI Avata 2 review – FPV flight has never felt more immersive]( [] - [Fairphone's Fairbuds could be a huge moment in earbuds sustainability]( [] - [Nothing set to unveil something in April: two new pairs of earbuds]( Sharing TechRadar with your network keeps the quality of content high and these newsletters free. Help Spread the Word [SHARE]( Or copy and share your personalized link: smartbrief.com/techradar/?referrerId=mvfLmxwvzC [Sign Up]( | [Update Profile]( | [Unsubscribe]( [Privacy Policy]( | [Cookies Policy]( | [Terms and Conditions]( CONTACT US: [FEEDBACK](mailto:techradar@smartbrief.com) | [ADVERTISE]( [Future]( © Future Publishing Limited. Reg No. 2008885 England. Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA.