The purpose of our weekly ICYMI (In Case You Missed It) rundown is to give you a chance to catch up on the biggest stories that have appeared on TechRadar over the last seven days — as you might have worked out from the name.
Life is often busy, so we'd readily forgive you if you haven't been able to read every single thing we've published this week (it's been a lot). With our ICYMI recap, you can stay on top of everything that's been going on.
It's been another hectic week of course. We've seen new gadgets from Garmin and Amazon, a serious mobile expansion for Starlink, and a refresh for ChatGPT that changes how its AI's responses appear. Let's get into it.
7. The iPod Classic got a spiritual successor
The iPod Classic — the one with the chunky, tactile clickwheel that revolutionized portable audio player interfaces when it was introduced — was discontinued by Apple in 2014, but it seems there are many people out there wishing it was still with us. Take the makers of the new Sudo player, for example, who have clearly styled their device after Apple's gadget.
There's the clickwheel of course, but also a touchscreen that's giving us distinct Microsoft Zune vibes (another ancient digital music player). We're also pleased to see a 3.5mm headphone jack included, as well as a memory card slot, and the price looks reasonable too. The only downside is that the player isn't expected to go on sale until late next year.
6. We tried ChatGPT's 'Intelligent UI' makeover
OpenAI has given ChatGPT a fresh lick of (digital) paint this week, with its 'Intelligent UI' promising more visuals in the app's responses. So, rather than getting back a wall of text every time you submit a prompt, you'll also see maps, diagrams, pictures, and other visuals. If a graphic seems appropriate for an answer, ChatGPT will slide it into the chat.
This makeover is available now for all users, and we've been giving it a go. Neat interactive elements showed up in a savings calculator, while a prompt around bicycle mechanics resulted in a clear and well-presented diagram. It's a sign of where ChatGPT and the other AIs are heading, with more emphasis on each chat working like its own bespoke mini-app.
5. Garmin revealed its 'longest-lasting GPS watch'
Any new models launched by Garmin will always get our attention, and this week the Enduro 4 and the golf-focused Approach S72 were unveiled. The former brings with it a 1.4-inch MIP display and up to 90 days of battery life — it's apparently the longest-lasting GPS watch ever from the company, a selling point which is likely to appeal to many.
As for the Garmin Approach S72, it replaces the Approach S71, and lets you analyze your heart rate and other biometrics as you play, while also providing access to more than 43,000 course maps right from your wrist. There's also a feature to help you improve your swing consistency. We've got all the details on these devices, including pricing, right here.
4. Some Gemini fans lost access to Google’s best AI models
It seems Google is finding it a bit too costly to keep up with all the queries and commands that users are plugging into Gemini. From this week, unless you're on the most expensive Google AI subscriptions, you're going to start losing access to the most advanced (and most costly to run) Gemini AI models — so it's the free and Plus tiers that are affected.
The actual usage you get from your plan isn't changing — the number of prompts, image requests, and other demands you can make in a certain time frame — but you'll need to pay up or pay more if you want the most sophisticated and fastest AI models on the job. The move also makes Gemini closer to ChatGPT in terms of how AI models are accessed.
3. Sonos fans welcomed a long-requested app update
Sonos appears to be coming out of its rough patch. Following some very well-received new hardware, the company is now improving its software, with the latest 27.1 update bringing several features that users appreciate. The latest app version is rolling out now, for Android and iOS.
One of the changes here is that swapping between functions (like music playback and TV support) won't lose your place in a playlist — a relatively small improvement that's very handy nevertheless. Android users also get a virtual volume knob they can play around with on screen, matching iOS, while searching through your library is now easier as well.
2. Starlink revealed its plan to be ‘the world’s most advanced’ mobile network
Starlink Mobile has picked up some low-band 800MHz spectrum, it's been announced, which is ideal for providing cellular coverage indoors — and means the company is now another step closer to competing with AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile as one of the big players in the carrier market in the US, lofty ambitions that it isn't being shy about.
As per Starlink Mobile's owner SpaceX, the goal is to build "the world's most advanced mobile network", using the newly acquired spectrum alongside existing mid-band spectrum and satellite constellations to get customers connected from anywhere. With another 15,000 satellites due to be launched, the Starlink network is expanding quickly.
1. Amazon gave us a cheap iPad Air rival — and it runs Android
The Amazon Fire tablets have long been considered good picks if you're after a slate that's cheap and cheerful, especially if the kids are going to be using it. Now we have three brand new tablets from Amazon to consider: 'Fire' has been replaced by 'Alexa' in the branding, and there's also a significant and telling shift in the operating system on these models.
For the first time, Amazon is letting a fully-fledged version of Android on its tablets, complete with the Google Play Store, so you're no longer hampered in terms of what you can install (hello YouTube). It means they can compete more directly with the iPad, and as the Vice President of Amazon Devices told us, it also gives them broader appeal.
