We're only a few days away from the end of another month, and this is usually when Microsoft releases a list of everything it added to some of its popular software and services throughout the month. Excel is the first major one for which Microsoft has released a feature roundup for November.

Open your Task Manager right now, and sort it by memory usage. If your PC looks anything like mine, you'll likely see a familiar set of rogue applications towards the top, mostly comprised of chat apps, note-taking tools, and password managers. Chances are, your most RAM-hungry applications situated at the top are Electron-based applications. Or applications based on another, similar, framework, such as Tauri.

Qualcomm still sees this as a flagship chipset, just not an “Elite” one. When Qualcomm announced its high-end Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset in November, it mentioned that a non-Elite version was on the way, designed to power a more affordable tier of flagship phones. Now, that chip has finally arrived, with some drops in performance but the same core feature set.Qualcomm compares the 8 Gen 5 to 2023’s 8 Gen 3, boasting a 36 percent improvement in CPU performance and 11 percent improvement in GPU performance compared to that chip, along with efficiency improvements. But since the 8 Gen 3 is two years old, and Qualcomm has changed CPU architecture in the meantime, the recent 8 Elite Gen 5 is a more useful comparison.The 8 Gen 5 has a similar Oryon CPU structure to the Elite, but at slower clock speeds — its six performance cores cap at 3.32GHz, with its two prime cores at 3.8GHz, compared to 3.62GHz and 4.6GHz respectively in the Elite. On paper, that also sets its performance below last year’s Snapdragon 8 Elite, though we’ll have to wait to see how actual smartphones compare in practice.There are a few other downgrades from the new Elite. The regular Gen 5’s X80 modem has slightly slower peak 5G speeds, though Bluetooth and Wi-Fi performance should be the same, and both satellite and ultra wideband (UWB) are supported. It also has slightly downgraded specs on its Adreno GPU and Hexagon AI NPU, though Qualcomm has gone into less detail on the exact comparisons there, and it can’t use the latest UFS 4.1 storage. But other specs are identical across the two chipsets, including charging capabilities, display support, and the vast majority of the camera hardware options.Qualcomm says that several manufacturers, including Motorola, OnePlus, and Vivo, have already agreed to use the chip in new phones, with the first devices due to appear “in the coming weeks.” That might mean we’ll see it in the OnePlus 15R, now confirmed to launch in the US on December 17th.

When people talk about the FPS games they grew up with, it doesn't take long for the topic to move across all of the classics. Halo, Call of Duty, maybe even Goldeneye on the N64. But one that I haven't seen people talk a lot about is the TimeSplitters series, which is a huge shame, because I adored those games as a kid.

Poco is at pains to admit that this “denim blue” version of the F8 Ultra includes no actual denim fabric. Xiaomi spin-off brand Poco has partnered with Bose to help its new F8 phones stand out in an increasingly crowded market. Both the F8 Pro and F8 Ultra feature stereo speakers designed collaboratively with the audio company, and the Ultra goes one step further by including a subwoofer too.Both new F8 phones feature the same dual stereo speakers tuned by Bose, though you’ll have to buy the Ultra if you want the benefits of the subwoofer as well, which Poco says delivers “deeper, more impactful bass.” Additionally, there are two sound profiles tuned by Bose engineers: a Dynamic mode that delivers extra bass, and a Balanced option that emphasizes vocals and a more even soundstage.“By combining Bose’s expertise in acoustic engineering with Poco’s innovation in design and technology, Poco F8 Series achieves a level of clarity and depth that redefines what’s possible in mobile sound,” said Nick Smith, president of audio technology and chief strategy officer at Bose.The two phones are otherwise fairly typical affordable flagships. The F8 Ultra has a more powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, with a large 6.9-inch OLED display, triple 50-megapixel rear camera, and wireless charging. The F8 Pro uses last year’s Snapdragon 8 Elite, a smaller 6.59-inch screen, and downgrades to each of the three rear lenses. Both have IP68 ratings though, plus batteries bigger than 6,000mAh, which should deliver decent longevity.The F8 Pro starts from $579, while the Ultra is available from $729, though a $50 early bird discount is available at launch. The two phones were announced alongside a pair of sub-$400 tablets, the Pad X1 and Pad M1, both of which lean on high resolution displays and Dolby Atmos speakers to serve as good value entertainment options.

When upgrading your PC, it's easy to focus on the more exciting components, such as a faster CPU, a more powerful GPU, or even new RAM sticks. However, I'm here to tell you that nothing quite hits as hard as having 4TB of lightning-fast SSD space and realising you pretty much never have to do the SSD/HDD balancing act again.

Hoto exists because someone got bored.CEO Lidan Liu, the company's founder and a notable industrial designer, tells The Verge she was tired of advising from her consultancy Designaffairs China. I have to build something on my own, she thought. And back then, she was spending a lot of time in her workshop surrounded by the same old tools."The tool industry, it never changes, the products are boring, very masculine and very much designed for professional users," Liu thought. "We can start something new." So she founded iMonkey Technology, which later became Hoto, short for "Home Tools." She didn't have to build it alone. She knew a cofou …Read the full story at The Verge.

Uber and WeRide are now deploying fully driverless vehicles as part of its robotaxi service in the United Arab Emarites. Customers in Abu Dhabi who request an UberX or Uber Comfort may be matched with a fully autonomous WeRide vehicle if the route is part of the company’s service area. Uber and Chinese autonomous vehicle operator WeRide first launched their robotaxi service with safety drivers back in December 2024. At the time, the companies they anticipated pulling safety drivers out of the vehicles the following year. Initially, the fully autonomous vehicles will only be available in select locations throughout the 12 square miles of Yas Island, a popular tourist destination in Abu Dhabi. Uber and WeRide say they will expand its fully driverless territory in the future. Customers interested in riding in a driverless car can select the “Autonomous” option in the Uber app for a better chance of being matched. The vehicles are WeRide’s GXR equipped with over 20 sensors and cameras, and can seat up to five passengers. The GXR is based on Geely’s Farizon SuperVan, which is also being used as a WeRide robotaxi in Beijing. Similar to Uber’s partnership with Waymo in the US, the ridehailing company oversees fleet operations for WeRide’s robotaxis in collaboration with taxi operator Tawasul Transport. This includes vehicle cleaning, maintenance, inspections, charging, and depot management. WeRide remains responsible for vehicle testing and sensor calibration.In addition to its service in the UAE, Uber and WeRide have said they plan on launching in an additional 15 cities over the next five years, including some cities in Europe. Uber has been on an absolute streak of partnering with new AV companies over the past few years as it seeks to become a one-stop shop for robot cars and robot delivery of any brand (except Tesla, for now).

Uber and WeRide are now deploying fully driverless vehicles as part of its robotaxi service in the United Arab Emarites. Customers in Abu Dhabi who request an UberX or Uber Comfort may be matched with a fully autonomous WeRide vehicle if the route is part of the company’s service area. Uber and Chinese autonomous vehicle operator WeRide first launched their robotaxi service with safety drivers back in December 2024. At the time, the companies they anticipated pulling safety drivers out of the vehicles the following year. Initially, the fully autonomous vehicles will only be available in select locations throughout the 12 square miles of Yas Island, a popular tourist destination in Abu Dhabi. Uber and WeRide say they will expand its fully driverless territory in the future. Customers interested in riding in a driverless car can select the “Autonomous” option in the Uber app for a better chance of being matched. The vehicles are WeRide’s GXR equipped with over 20 sensors and cameras, and can seat up to five passengers. The GXR is based on Geely’s Farizon SuperVan, which is also being used as a WeRide robotaxi in Beijing. Similar to Uber’s partnership with Waymo in the US, the ridehailing company oversees fleet operations for WeRide’s robotaxis in collaboration with taxi operator Tawasul Transport. This includes vehicle cleaning, maintenance, inspections, charging, and depot management. WeRide remains responsible for vehicle testing and sensor calibration.In addition to its service in the UAE, Uber and WeRide have said they plan on launching in an additional 15 cities over the next five years, including some cities in Europe. Uber has been on an absolute streak of partnering with new AV companies over the past few years as it seeks to become a one-stop shop for robot cars and robot delivery of any brand (except Tesla, for now).

Poco is at pains to admit that this “denim blue” version of the F8 Ultra includes no actual denim fabric. Xiaomi spin-off brand Poco has partnered with Bose to help its new F8 phones stand out in an increasingly crowded market. Both the F8 Pro and F8 Ultra feature stereo speakers designed collaboratively with the audio company, and the Ultra goes one step further by including a subwoofer too.Both new F8 phones feature the same dual stereo speakers tuned by Bose, though you’ll have to buy the Ultra if you want the benefits of the subwoofer as well, which Poco says delivers “deeper, more impactful bass.” Additionally, there are two sound profiles tuned by Bose engineers: a Dynamic mode that delivers extra bass, and a Balanced option that emphasizes vocals and a more even soundstage.“By combining Bose’s expertise in acoustic engineering with Poco’s innovation in design and technology, Poco F8 Series achieves a level of clarity and depth that redefines what’s possible in mobile sound,” said Nick Smith, president of audio technology and chief strategy officer at Bose.The two phones are otherwise fairly typical affordable flagships. The F8 Ultra has a more powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, with a large 6.9-inch OLED display, triple 50-megapixel rear camera, and wireless charging. The F8 Pro uses last year’s Snapdragon 8 Elite, a smaller 6.59-inch screen, and downgrades to each of the three rear lenses. Both have IP68 ratings though, plus batteries bigger than 6,000mAh, which should deliver decent longevity.The F8 Pro starts from $579, while the Ultra is available from $729, though a $50 early bird discount is available at launch. The two phones were announced alongside a pair of sub-$400 tablets, the Pad X1 and Pad M1, both of which lean on high resolution displays and Dolby Atmos speakers to serve as good value entertainment options.

Hoto exists because someone got bored.CEO Lidan Liu, the company's founder and a notable industrial designer, tells The Verge she was tired of advising from her consultancy Designaffairs China. I have to build something on my own, she thought. And back then, she was spending a lot of time in her workshop surrounded by the same old tools."The tool industry, it never changes, the products are boring, very masculine and very much designed for professional users," Liu thought. "We can start something new." So she founded iMonkey Technology, which later became Hoto, short for "Home Tools." She didn't have to build it alone. She knew a cofou …Read the full story at The Verge.

Every once in a while, some piece of smart home tech launches that's genuinely different to those that came before it, and one that I came across at this year's Maker Faire in Shenzhen is the Astrion remote by Sanytron. Astrion is a dedicated universal remote built specifically with Home Assistant users in mind. Sanytron is a Chinese company that specialises in human–machine interaction hardware for smart homes and custom install systems, and the Astrion is a remote designed to look like a regular TV remote.