Apple is reportedly planning a major overhaul for its virtual voice assistant Siri that will make it more conversational. The Cupertino-based tech giant has already released the new interface for the voice assistant, and other features are expected to be added early next year that will make it capable of handling app-related tasks and develop a better contextual understanding of user commands. But as per a report, the iPhone maker is now planning to elevate Siri to the level of ChatGPT with better natural language conversations and other capabilities.

Apple Reportedly Working On Improving Siri With AI

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that while the announced upgrades for Siri make it more capable, Apple is aiming to take on ChatGPT and Gemini by further upgrading the voice assistant. Citing unnamed people familiar with the matter, the report claimed that the tech giant is planning to use more advanced large language models (LLMs), all developed in-house, to make Siri more conversational.

With this upgrade, Siri is said to be capable of handling back-and-forth conversations and “more sophisticated requests in a quicker fashion”. Gurman claimed that the new version of Siri is internally being called LLM Siri. This AI-powered Siri will also be able to generate texts and carry out other AI chatbot functions, the report claimed.

Apple is said to be planning to announce the new Siri as part of iOS 19 and macOS 16 updates, which will be in the third quarter of 2025. However, the features will reportedly not be shipped till early 2026.

Interestingly, the tech giant has also posted new job listings that relate to the reported functionality. Earlier this month, the company opened a Senior Machine Learning Engineer, Audio Generation, Siri and Information Intelligence position where the job description highlights, “You will join a team that is redefining computing, creating groundbreaking conversational assistant technologies for both large scale systems and new client devices, and with the people who built the intelligent assistants.”

Notably, for now, compatible Apple device users can look forward to Siri’s integration with first-party and third-party apps using a feature dubbed Apple Intents. It will let the virtual assistant carry out app-specific tasks. Part of Apple Intelligence, the expected update will also allow Siri to draw upon user data to become more contextually aware and fulfil even vague requests made by users. This update is expected to arrive early next year.

Four Microsoft first-party games will launch on Sony’s PlayStation 5 and the Nintendo Switch, the company confirmed late Thursday after weeks of speculation over its exclusive titles releasing on rival platforms. The announcement came on the Official Xbox Podcast from Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer, who also shed further light on the reasons behind Xbox’s business decision and confirmed that the next generation of Xbox consoles were in development. Microsoft has not yet revealed the four Xbox exclusives coming to PS5 and Nintendo Switch, but The Verge reported that said games would be Hi-Fi Rush, Pentiment, Sea of Thieves and Grounded.

Spencer addressed the rumours about Microsoft first-party titles and the future of Xbox exclusivity head on, confirming that contrary to reports, Triple-A Bethesda releases like Starfield and the upcoming Indiana Jones and the Great Circle will remain as Xbox and PC exclusives. “We’ve made the decision that we’re going to take four games to the other consoles, just four games,” the Xbox chief on the podcast. He confirmed that Xbox won’t be fundamentally changing its exclusives strategy, explaining the decision to port the four unnamed games over to rival consoles. “We think this is an interesting point in time for us to use what some of the other platforms have right now to help grow our franchises,” he said.

While Spencer refrained from naming the four Xbox exclusive titles slated for launch on PS5 and Nintendo Switch, a report from The Verge, citing sources privy to Microsoft’s plans, claimed that these would be Hi-Fi Rush, Pentiment, Sea of the Thieves and Grounded. The first three of these were previously reported to be coming to Sony and Nintendo’s platforms, too. There are no specific release dates or launch windows for these games, but Spencer said that their respective developers have plans for announcements that are “not too far away.”

Hi-Fi Rush has been rumoured to come to PS5 and Nintendo Switch
Photo Credit: Bethesda

The Xbox chief, however, did elaborate on the process of picking the four yet confirmed games for multi-platform transition. The company considered games released over a year ago that have been on Xbox and PC for a while. Two of the selected games are community-driven games, Spencer said, while the other two are smaller games that weren’t built to be platform exclusives. “As they’ve realised their potential on Xbox and PC, we see an opportunity to utilise the other platforms as a place to just drive more business value out of those games, allowing us to maybe invest in future iterations of those, or sequels to those, or just other games like that in our portfolio,” Spencer said. “And we don’t damage Xbox and we can grow our business using what other platforms have to help us with that. We’re gonna do that.”

Spencer, however, cautioned players on rival platforms that the change in Microsoft’s strategy did not mean that all or several Xbox exclusives going forward would arrive on PS5 and Nintendo Switch. No other games besides the four already confirmed titles are currently being considered for a multi-platform launch.

In the wide-ranging podcast, Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty also reiterated that Game Pass would only be available on Xbox on PC. Additionally, Xbox president Sarah Bond also announced that Activision-Blizzard games would soon arrive on Xbox Game Pass, starting with Diablo IV on March 28. Microsoft acquired Call of Duty maker Activision-Blizzard late last year in $69 billion deal after a long running regulatory battle with the US’ Federal Trade Commission and the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority. Bond also confirmed that Xbox Game Pass had reached 34 million subscribers.

Reports from earlier this month about Microsoft first-party games making their way to PS5 and Nintendo Switch had left the Xbox community unsettled, with many questioning the future of the platform. Major exclusives like Bethesda RPG Starfield and the recently announced Indiana Jones game were reported to be under consideration for a PS5 launch.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra — the successor to the Galaxy S24 Ultra that was launched earlier this year — has been spotted again on a benchmarking website. The handset, which is expected to arrive with Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, has been listed on Geekbench with higher scores compared to previous benchmark tests. Samsung has yet to confirm the arrival of the Galaxy S25 series, but the company recently confirmed that it would launch handsets with Qualcomm’s flagship processor.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra Benchmark Results

The purported Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra was previously spotted on Geekbench in September with an unannounced processor that was previously believed to be the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 — Qualcomm has since unveiled the Snapdragon 8 Elite as its latest flagship chipset. At the time, the smartphone with the model number SM-S938U scored 3,069 points in the single-core test and 9,080 points in the multi-core test.

However, a recent benchmark result for the purported Galaxy S25 Ultra suggests that the handset could offer better performance than previously expected. The entry for the handset on Geekbench reveals that it scored 3,148 points on the single-core test, and 10,236 points on the multi-core test.

The first benchmark for the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra (blue) vs the latest one
Photo Credit: Screenshot/ Geekbench

This is a significant increase in performance compared to the listing that appeared on Geekbench two months ago. According to the entry for the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, the smartphone will be equipped with 12GB of RAM and run on Android 15 out-of-the-box, along with Samsung’s revamped One UI 7 interface, which is not expected to release until early 2025.

The latest scores are also considerably higher than the Geekbench scores from our Galaxy S24 Ultra review unit. In our tests, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra achieved 2,236 points and 6,813 points in the single-core and multi-core tests, respectively.

Last month, a tipster claimed that all three models expected to debut as part of the Galaxy S25 series would be equipped with a Snapdragon 8 Elite chip. However, a recent Geekbench listing for the purported Galaxy S25+ model suggests that the handset could be equipped with an unreleased processor from Samsung — this could be the company’s Exynos 2500. It is currently unclear whether Samsung will equip all models with a Snapdragon chipset like the Galaxy S23 series, or offer Exynos variants in some markets. 

Western Digital has expanded its WD, WD Black, and SanDisk product lineup in India. The California-based computer drive manufacturer has introduced the WD My Passport portable hard disk drives (HDDs) line and SanDisk G-Drive ArmorATD in 6TB capacities in the country. These are advertised to be the first 2.5-inch portable HDDs ever offered in a 6TB capacity globally. The WD My Passport hard drive lineup offers password protection with 256-bit AES hardware encryption. The SanDisk G-Drive ArmorATD drive has IP54-rated dust and water resistance build. With the latest offering, the brand aims to provide robust and tailored storage solutions for users.

Western Digital 6TB My Passport, 6TB SanDisk G-Drive ArmorATD price, availability

The 6TB WD My Passport is priced at Rs. 15,499 in India. Meanwhile, the 6TB WD My Passport with USB Type-C comes with a price tag of Rs. 15,999. The WD Elements 6TB is priced at Rs. 15,299. All three products are currently available for purchase through Western Digital retailers, retailers and Western Digital Store.

Finally, the 6TB WD SanDisk G-Drive ArmorATD is priced at Rs. 20,999. It will go on sale by the end of July through select Western Digital retailers, retailers and on the Western Digital Store.

Western Digital 6TB My Passport, 6TB SanDisk G-Drive ArmorATD specifications

The 6TB WD My Passport offers a USB 3.2 Gen 1 and USB 2.0 interface, while the 6TB WD My Passport which works with USB Type-C comes with USB 3.2 Gen 1 interface. Both models have a limited warranty of three years. They feature the company’s in-house software to add an extra layer of security with password protection and built-in 256-bit AES encryption. They offer easy backup and defence against ransomware through the included Acronis True Image for Western Digital software. They offer a transfer rate of up to 5Gb/s.

The My Passport Ultra features USB Type-C technology and a metal design with the same 256-bit AES hardware encryption. It has a slim design.

Meanwhile, the 6TB SanDisk G-Drive ArmorATD has a rugged design with an IP54 rain and dust rating and offers crush resistance up to 1000lbs. It has a 2.5-inch form factor and it is advertised as the world’s first 2.5-inch 6TB portable hard drive. It offers a USB 3.2 Gen 1 and Thunderbolt 3 interfaces and supports a transfer rate of up to 5Gb/s through a USB Type-C connector. It also has a three-year limited warranty.

All new models are compatible with devices running on macOS 11+ and Windows 10 and above.

Supercomputing is transforming scientific research at NASA, aiding discoveries that span from our planet to the farthest reaches of space. At the International Conference for High Performance Computing (SC24), NASA is showcasing how this technology supports critical missions, including the Artemis programme, sustainable aviation, and studies of cosmic phenomena. Dr Nicola Fox, Associate Administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, is set to highlight these advances in her keynote, “NASA’s Vision for High Impact Science and Exploration,” on 19 November.

Redesigning Artemis Launch Systems

Supercomputers at NASA Ames have been pivotal in refining the Artemis II launch environment. The report from NASA revealed that simulations of the rocket plume interacting with the sound suppression system revealed how pressure waves from exhaust gases contributed to damage during Artemis I. These findings have informed redesigns of the flame deflector and mobile launcher to ensure astronaut safety for Artemis II, slated for 2025.

Optimising Aircraft for Fuel Efficiency

Efforts at NASA Ames are also addressing the future of aviation. By using computational models to refine aircraft wing and fuselage designs, researchers aim to reduce drag and improve fuel efficiency. These simulations demonstrated a potential 4% reduction in drag on existing designs, contributing to greener aviation goals.

Artificial Intelligence Enhancing Weather Forecasting

AI is playing a key role in weather and climate predictions. A model called Prithvi WxC, developed by NASA and IBM, uses vast datasets to create accurate forecasts. With 2.3 billion parameters, it can simulate complex phenomena like hurricane paths and climate shifts, providing valuable insights into extreme weather events.

Unravelling Neutron Star Mysteries

Simulations at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center are advancing the understanding of neutron stars. By combining supercomputing with data from observatories like NICER, researchers have gained insights into phenomena such as pulsars’ magnetic structures and extreme gravitational environments.

Modelling the Sun’s Activity

Detailed 3D models of solar plasma are helping scientists at NASA Ames study the Sun’s turbulent activity. These simulations explore processes driving solar flares and coronal mass ejections, which impact technologies on Earth.

Visualising Scientific Data for Clarity

NASA’s visualisation tools make complex data accessible. Recent projects include simulations of carbon dioxide emissions and solar events, turning raw data into clear, actionable insights for researchers and the public.

Through high-performance computing, NASA continues to unlock mysteries of the universe and develop solutions to challenges on Earth.