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I wore the Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro for a month, and at half the price of an Apple Watch Ultra 3, it gets top marks for value

4:17 pm | February 9, 2026

Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro: One minute review

Amazfit has been on a hot streak recently. Fresh off the release of the Bip 6 and Active 2, the company has now released the latest version of its most capable outdoor watch, the Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro. The watch is showcased by the super successful ultrarunner and official commercial partner Ruth Croft, who says that Amazfit “gives her the tools she needs without getting in the way of the run."

The Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro is pitched as a value alternative to premium rugged watches like the Garmin Fenix 8 and Apple Watch Ultra 3. While it costs significantly less, it packs very competitive hardware, making it a compelling option for outdoor athletes and budget-conscious consumers.

With a military-grade (MIL-STD-810H) rating, a titanium bezel, and sapphire crystal glass, the T-Rex 3 Pro is seriously rugged, built to withstand extreme temperatures and is 10 ATM water-resistant, certified for scuba diving up to 45 meters. In addition to its already excellent diving features, the T-Rex 3 Pro has a dedicated dive computer mode like the Garmin Fenix 8 and Apple Watch Ultra 3.

The 1.5-inch AMOLED display is also impressively specced, with 3,000 nits of peak brightness to compete with the latest crop of Apple Watches. Beyond that, the watch offers up to 25 days of typical use on a single charge, a very good feat considering Garmin’s battery lives have been creeping downwards. When tracking outdoor activities, it still delivers up to 38 hours of continuous, high-accuracy dual-band GPS (which connects to six satellite systems). This endurance sets it apart and makes it ideal for multi-day treks or ultra-races.

The main trade-off is the software. It runs on Amazfit's proprietary Zepp OS. While Zepp OS is smooth, fast, and feature-rich for health and fitness tracking, it operates on a closed ecosystem. This means there are no major third-party apps, including Spotify, Google Maps, or Strava. There's a lot to commend the T-Rex 3 Pro, but this lack of integration is its most egregious downside.

Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro: Price and availability

$399 USD / £399 UK / $600 AUS
Incredibly affordable given its rugged qualities
Cellular connectivity will require upgrading to a more expensive smartwatch

At sub-$400 / £400 / $600 AUS, the T-Rex 3 Pro is an incredibly affordable alternative to the more expensive Garmin Fenix 8 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 (the Ultra 3 costs $799 in the US, so the T-Rex 3 Pro is fully half the price). It’s missing a number of features, including ECG support, crash detection, third-party apps and other integrations. If you’re not concerned about this, then the T-Rex 3 Pro delivers an awful lot of smartwatch for not a lot of money.

Value score 5/5

Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro: Design

Rugged and premium build
High-end AMOLED display
Two size options

The Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro is a rugged and outdoors-focused smartwatch that embraces a deliberately chunky and robust aesthetic. You could even call it a delightful homage to the classic digital sports watch, the Casio G-Shock.

The overall design aesthetic is probably more reminiscent of the Garmin Fenix 8 series, with both watches boasting circular, rugged designs and a blend of physical buttons (four on the Amazfit, five on the Garmin) and touchscreen operation. Personally I don't think you can beat the tactile experience of physical buttons.

The fiber-reinforced polymer case is combined with a Grade 5 titanium bezel and buttons for a tough yet lightweight construction. The case contains a high-resolution 1.5-inch AMOLED display that is capable of an impressive 3,000 nits. As a result, I had absolutely no problems using it out in direct sunlight. The display is inset slightly and protected by scratch-resistant sapphire glass.

In addition to everything you'd expect from a typical smartwatch, the T-Rex 3 Pro features a built-in LED flashlight located at the top of the case, just like the best Garmin watches. This offers adjustable brightness and a dual-color mode, with the red light designed to preserve night vision during camping or late-night navigation.

While the T-Rex line used to be one-size-fits-all, and that size was huge, the Pro 3 introduces a second option. As a result, you can now choose from the original 48mm model (tested and photographed) and a more compact alternative 44mm model. The latter retains the rugged titanium/polymer build but fits much better on smaller wrists or under jacket sleeves.

Design Score: 4/5

Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro: Features

180 sports modes including skiing
10ATM water resistance
NFC enabled

The Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro offers an extensive set of features covering over 180 sports but with a distinct leaning towards more adventurous activities, including skiing and snowshoeing. The ski mapping feature enables users to find their nearest ski resort and navigate with detailed maps. According to Amazfit, these maps include "cable cars, color-coded slopes, and clear route guidance for groomed runs as well as off-piste, backcountry, or telemark routes."

While taking part in icy-cold endeavors you'll be glad to know that the T-Rex 3 Pro is resistant to temperatures as low as -40℃ and includes a smart Low Temperature Mode that keeps vital software functions of the watch operational in environments as cold as -30℃.

If you're planning on showing the water who's boss, then the 10 ATM water-resistance capabilities will come in handy. That means the watch is certified for diving to a depth of 45m and therefore ready for all your freediving and scuba diving excursions.

Tracking is taken care of by the new BioTracker sensor that delivers highly accurate heart-rate tracking even in challenging outdoor conditions. For pro-grade precision, the watch can also be paired with an Amazfit Helio Strap.

When you fancy a coffee or high-protein shake while on the slopes or on a long run, the inclusion of Zepp Pay takes advantage of NFC technology so you don't need to go rifling through your stuff in search of your phone or bank card. Up to eight bank cards can be stored with password-protected contactless payment, keeping your transactions secure.

Features Score: 4/5

Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro: Performance

Excellent health and activity tracking
Fantastic battery life
Poorly implemented AI assistant

The T-Rex 3 Pro performs well when it comes to health and fitness tracking. I tested it alongside the more expensive and trusted Huawei Watch Ultimate 2 and found it reported very similar health metrics, including measuring heart rate to within a single beat. It also measured the same 96 percent reading for blood oxygen, which is very impressive considering the Watch Ultimate 2 features a dedicated X-Tap sensor for accurate readings.

I used my normal cycle route to test the GPS accuracy of the T-Rex Pro. This route includes both rural and built-up environments, which makes it an ideal test for GPS performance. GPS locking was almost instant, even when still in my house. GPS lock was maintained throughout the 4km ride, with no dropouts experienced. I compared the distance on both the Huawei Watch Ultimate 2 and onthegomap.com and found that the watch was within an impressive 50m of both, a statistically insignificant 1.25% difference.

The watch also delivers exceptional battery performance, lasting 9 to 10 days in my testing even with the Always-On Display and continuous health tracking active, which would qualify as ‘heavy use’. For those prioritizing longevity, disabling the AOD stretches performance to nearly 3 weeks. During high-accuracy GPS tracking, the battery proves its rugged credentials by draining only about 3% per hour, making it a reliable companion for multi-day adventures.

I’ve tested a few Amazfit watches now but haven’t yet delved deep into the Zepp Flow AI functionality. Getting hold of the T-Rex 3 Pro provided the ideal opportunity to change that. Zepp Flow is a conversational AI assistant and one of the first tools of its kind for smartwatches. I’ve always found navigating through smartwatch menus a bit laborious, and so I was eager to see if Amazfit was able to deliver a more intuitive hands-free experience.

After checking online for some of the commonly accepted commands, I began by saying, “I want to go for a run.” Zepp Flow recognised my words perfectly and immediately launched the run activity. There was no need to select “Go” as the activity began straight away. With my impressed face on, I then asked Zepp Flow if it will rain this afternoon. The watch responded with “I cannot provide weather information for past times” even though it was only 1.30pm.

A little more unsure than I was after launching the run activity, I set about seeing if Zepp Flow could help me access the watch’s smart features. I therefore gave the device access to my contacts and asked it to call my wife. Unfortunately, it kept thinking that I was saying Hutton rather than Hatton. I understand that these misunderstandings can happen, but rather than asking me to say it again or “Did you mean Hutton” it just stopped listening, end of conversation.

I find that if my experience of an AI assistant stutters a few times, then I quickly stop using it, and that was very much the case with Zepp Flow. Alongside a lack of third-party apps, I was left a little disappointed by the limited smartwatch features on offer.

Performance score: 4/5

Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro: Scorecard

Category	Comment	Score
Value	At this price point it doesn’t get much better than this.	5/5
Design	A solid titanium-built case featuring a 3,000-nit display and pro-dive durability.	4/5
Features	A set of impressive features aimed at outdoor enthusiasts and adventurers.	4/5
Performance	Highly accurate health and fitness tracking, but Zepp Flow lets the watch down.	4/5

Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro: Should I buy?

Buy it if...

You want a rugged build and great battery life on a budget

At sub-$400/£400, the T-Rex 3 Pro offers a very impressive set of specs.

Specialized outdoor and safety utilities

With advanced navigation, a built-in speaker and microphone, and an integrated flashlight, you'll have everything you need when you need it most.

Don't buy it if...

You need cellular connectivity (LTE)

For that you’ll need to upgrade to something like the Garmin Fenix 8.

You rely on third-party app integration

As is the case with all Amazfit watches, you won’t find the likes of Spotify, Google Maps, or WhatsApp.

Also consider

Garmin Fenix 8

This is the ultimate watch for adventure enthusiasts, with a smorgasbord of hardware and software features and a battery that lasts for weeks.

Read our full Garmin Fenix 8 reviewView Deal

Apple Watch Ultra 3

A powerhouse of a wearable, adding 5G, satellite connectivity and new screen technology to an already-winning formula. The Low Power Mode can stretch its runtime to a remarkable 72 hours, and its fitness metrics are accurate against a leading chest-mounted heart rate monitor.

Read our full Apple Watch Ultra 3 reviewView Deal

How I tested

During my month-long testing of the T-Rex 3 Pro, I took part in a range of different activities, including cycling, running, football, aerobics, and more. Unfortunately I didn’t have a skiing holiday planned during the testing phase, so I wasn’t able to try out the dedicated skiing features. There were plenty of other features to keep me occupied, though, including health tracking, water resistance, Zepp Flow, messaging, and battery life.

First reviewed: February 2026

Infinix XOS 16 announced with updated looks and more AI

11:32 pm | February 5, 2026

Author: admin | Category: Mobile phones news | Tags: AI | Comments: Off

Infinix introduced its own take on Android 16 with XOS 16. It refines the visual design aspect for future Infinix phones and brings new personalization features alongside a lengthy list of AI features. On the visual front, Infinix is going for a more refined look dubbed Glow-space. It arrives alongside updated liquid motion animations which are faster and smoother than before. Users are also treated to new personalization options with new system app icons, wallpapers, lock screen options and custom themes as well as an optional depth effect for lock screen and home screen. There’s even...

I tested the Notta Memo and ditched handwritten notes for searchable AI transcripts

9:17 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro | Tags: AI | Comments: Off

Notta Memo: 30-second review

The Notta Memo is another AI-enhanced voice recorder that enables you to record voice memos, record meetings and calls for the purpose of AI transcription, though not in real time, but almost. The style of design is slim and compact with MagSafe mounting, so it’s easily attachable to the back of your iPhone. For other manufacturer phones, there’s a magnetic ring in the box, so even if you're using an Android , you can still easily connect the Notta Memo neatly in place.

From the outset, the ease of use of the Notta Memo stands out, with a single button press to start and stop recording. A switch on the left side of the screen lets you switch between voice calls on your mobile and recording meetings or voice memos. That combination of a button press and a physical switch on the device itself is a really nice touch, letting you quickly access options without having to delve into an app or on-device screens.

Throughout the review process, I utilised the Notta Memo in lectures, meetings, and during phone calls, and in different situations, from a crowded and noisy classroom, through to phone calls in a busy café and meetings in a far quieter office. Each time, the Notta Memo impressed me. It was able to isolate all speakers nicely and cleanly. Again, what I really came to like was the physical switch on the device, enabling me to quickly switch between recording phone calls and live meetings, making it intuitive and like an integral part of the phone.

The one thing that was a little bit irritating was that, to utilise the Notta Memo, you need to first register the app and the device. You can use the AI offline, and the audio recording feature lets you record phone calls or meetings with a single tap, but for the AI features, the core of what this device is about, registration, is needed.

Whilst you can perform basic functionality such as audio recording, the device needs to be online to access transcription, AI summary, chat, language translation, and app sync and export of your recordings. Essentially, it becomes no more than a dictaphone without the app or internet connection.

One of the other smaller issues that I had with the Notta Memo is that once again, it uses a magnetic proprietary charging and data cable, which means that if you do leave home without that cable, you can't use a MagSafe charger or a more standard USB option to give it a boost in power. But then, because of the device's slim profile, fitting into a USB socket would be slightly counterintuitive.

As it goes, the Notta Memo is definitely a step up from the already-impressive AI-enhanced voice recorders I've seen. It's just a shame that an internet connection is still required even for the most basic of grip processes.

Notta Memo: Price and availability

How much does it cost? From $149 / £139
When is it out? Available now
Where can you get it? Online retailers such as Amazon

At present, the Notta Memo is available for $149 on Amazon.com and £139 at Amazon.co.uk.

Value: 4 / 5

Notta Memo: Specs

Languages: 58 supported
Microphones: 4 MEMS + 1 bone conduction
Battery: 30 h recording / 28 days standby
Storage: 32 GB
Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
Charging: Magnetic cable
Display: Small status screen
Accessories: Leather MagSafe case, ring adapter, charging cable

Notta Memo: Design

The style of these AI-enhanced voice recorders is quite generic, all being about credit card size and ultra-slim so they can easily attach to the back of your mobile phone through some sort of MagSafe connection. For the Notta Memo, it comes in its own leather magnetic wallet, which it neatly slips into before attaching it to the back of your phone.

If, however, you're using an Android phone that doesn't have MagSafe capabilities, the company has included a magnetic ring in the box that simply sticks to the back of your phone or phone case, enabling easy connectivity.

Before starting the Notta Memo, the device needs a good charge, and here a magnetic charger cable is used. This is proprietary to the system and will only fit one way round, but again keeps the sleek, low-profile design of the Notta Memo. You just need to ensure you take it with you, as you won't be able to use any MagSafe or USB-C charger to top it up if it runs out of power, which, from reviewing a few of these devices now, I would personally have preferred.

When it comes to physical size and design, it measures 86.1 x 55.1 x 3.5 mm, essentially the same size as a credit card, just slightly thicker. Weight-wise, and again given the technology it contains, a weight of 28 g is impressive. On top of that, you do have to think about the leather wallet, but it doesn't add much to the unit and does let you easily attach it to the back of your phone, so it's always there, ready to use.

On the device, it’s very simple. On the front, it has a really beautiful, tactile texture, and, of course, it's extremely thin. At the top, there's a small switch that lets you record phone calls or meetings. Next to this is a 1-inch screen that shows which mode you're in, and to the right is the record-on/off button. So again, very minimalistic and simple.

Aside from the design and build's visual and physical features, there are 4 MEMS microphones and 1 bone-conduction microphone built in, which help the Notta Memo capture some of the clearest audio of any AI recording device I've looked at so far.

Design: 4.5 / 5

Notta Memo: Features

Notta Memo is an AI-enhanced voice recorder that records audio in real time, transcribes it into text, and lets it be saved, interrogated, or summarised in a multitude of formats. This obviously gives you a quicker way to cover meeting notes than traditional data, and you can type simple human questions into the search box after a meeting to ask and clarify what was said. It's an extremely useful tool for anyone in business who often takes phone calls or meetings and needs a transcription to check over later.

Obviously, this in itself is impressive, but the Notta Memo, like many others, goes a step further. It has a companion app with templates to help you create summaries, identify and differentiate between speakers, and create action lists you can utilise later.

These AI voice recorders are improving rapidly, and Notta Memo can transcribe live audio and translate it simultaneously. So if you do find yourself in a multilingual conversation, you can record the audio, translate it almost live, and converse with people in different languages, although you can't just use your Notta Memo alone, and you will need the companion mobile app. While this sounds great, it isn’t quite the live transcription and translation, but it is handy.

That app ties the Notta Memo features together, not only enabling all the advanced AI voice recorder options but also letting you create summaries from a list of templates or export the audio, transcription, or translation so you can send it to other parties.

One of the big features of this AI voice recorder is that it has four highly tuned MEMS microphones, which are very good at picking out the voice from background noise, including busy conversations, even in a crowded café. This means that it picks up not only the vocals but who is talking and is able to differentiate and label voice one and voice two (or more), so once you're looking through the note, you can tell who has said what.

Like many AI voice recorders, there’s a physical switch on the front so that you can switch between the microphone modes. This switches the pickup from being used to pick up people talking in the same room (say, in a meeting), and then, if a call comes through, you can quickly switch to a bone-conduction microphone to pick up the audio from the phone conversation.

The hardware is impressive, though very minimalistic, but it's the app where all the processing happens, enabling real-time transcription and translation, as well as an AI summary and AI chat, so you can ask the app about the conversations you have recorded. These AI features are impressive and, alongside the chat, transcription and translation, there are also 30+ smart templates that you can use to summarise meetings, create sales pitches and far more.

However, it is worth noting that for many advanced features, you will need to pay an additional subscription fee in addition to the device's cost. However, unlike some others, the starter plan is free, offering 300 minutes of AI transcription per month, a good number of reusable AI templates, and AI chat and real-time transcription speaker identification.

Features: 4 / 5

Notta Memo: Performance

My first introduction to one of these AI recorders was about a year ago, and at the time, the potential was obvious; the ability to record meeting audio that you can then listen back to for reference has been common place for years, but these AI audio recorders take it a step further.

A transcription of what was said by who is only the surface of the abilities, but then the transcription can be formatted so that you can search, summarise and reformat for different purposes. The fact that you can have it as a document or a PDF just adds to its usability. The fact that you can now use a chatbot to discuss and question the meeting transcription afterwards is an invaluable business asset.

From this point of view, the Notta Memo makes a lot of sense. Before I go into how it was to use it, it’s worth pointing out that Notta already has quite a substantial presence in the AI voice recording market, with a standalone app for your mobile phone. So, initially, you might think: why spend almost £200/$200 on a dedicated piece of hardware if you can just get by with your mobile phone?

The simple answer to this is pure convenience. Firstly, having a hardware device with 32 GB of internal storage means you won't fill up your phone's storage with voice recordings. Once you use these AI apps, you realise how useful they are and how quickly they fill up your phone with multiple recordings, especially since a few meetings last only half an hour.

The other point is that with the Notta Memo attached to the back of your phone, it’s always there, ready to use. Whilst it's normally just a quick swipe up on your phone, you still need to launch the app. Here, with the Notta Memo, if you make a call, you simply slide the switch to the call position and press the button. It's all a very natural movement, and you know that you're going to capture everything that was said. Likewise, if you're in a meeting, you can place your phone screen down, tap the button again (making sure the switch is in the right place), and the meeting will be recorded, ready for transcription later.

So really think of the hardware as convenience, firstly for the storage it provides, and then for the quick access to the buttons and of course battery life. It’s just quick and easy to use, making it far more intuitive than digging through your phone for that app. I also found that when I tried to use the app in a meeting, I was always asked what it was and what it would do. Whereas with the piece of hardware on the back doing exactly the same thing, you can simply say it’s a digital recorder, and everyone seems perfectly happy with it, especially when they see the consolidated notes at the end and the easily organised action points that would usually take a while to type up after a meeting has finished.

During the test, I used the Memo in three main areas. The first was during a photography evening class, where I taught black-and-white photography. Whilst the students already had PDF slide notes, additional information often comes up through the night, most importantly, questions about the process of film or print development that arise as the evening progresses. Whilst they do try to make a note of these in a notebook, there are often one or two points that slip through.

But here, with Notta Memo, at the end of the evening, I was able to save the transcription and ask it to pull out a series of Q&As, and it listed them out perfectly. I was able to copy and paste these into an email and send them to all the participants of the evening as a handy addition to the lecture. What impressed me here was that it cut out all the additional chitchat that happened through the night. I was able to use the AI to pull out all the relevant information for the evening and summarise it so I could easily pass it on.

In the next test, I had a small editorial meeting. I needed to speak to a couple of writers and the editor about a few projects I have going on, as well as the logistics of moving certain cameras from one location to another. Here, Notta Memo really came into its own, able to separate the individual speakers and create action points for each. This saved us time while we were taking notes. Having a unified summary made all the difference, so we were all looking at the same interpretation of the meeting rather than walking away with slightly different thoughts. Essentially, the action points were clear and assigned to each individual.

The final test was the phone pickup, again, a simple, straightforward conversation with a colleague about a new 3D printer and a few issues I was having, which they had already sorted out with the manufacturer. Through that conversation, they walked me through the network connectivity step by step. Whilst I was furiously writing notes, just knowing I had that conversation recorded and could ask it questions later on was a huge help, especially as there was so much information to take on board.

What’s even more impressive is that I had to do this conversation in a busy café in Salisbury. Whilst the noise wasn’t drowning out the call, there were a few times when I found it difficult to fully make out what was being said. However, with the live transcription also happening, I could read what was being said, although I will say there was a good five-second delay between the speaker telling me a procedure and those words appearing on the screen.

This time delay varies depending on the strength of your mobile phone's connection, and at all times, all transcription, translation, and templates require a good network connection to work. Later on, I was taking some memo notes whilst on a dog walk using the Notta Memo. I wanted to quickly summarise those notes so that I could send them on to a colleague. However, because there was no internet connection, all I could do at that time was voice record, then translate it once the connection came back in.

Throughout the test, I attempted to use the Memo for a couple of days in between charges. The battery life seemed exceptional. However, once again, it has a proprietary charger, and I always find this can be a bit of an issue, especially when you forget to take that charger with you. Although it might add a little bulk to part of the device, I'm sure it could have been designed so that a USB cable could be inserted rather than the magnetic connection at the back. It might not be quite as convenient for the design, but it would certainly be more handy and usable for anyone who travels frequently.

32GB might not sound like a lot of storage, but when it comes to transcription and audio voice recording, that’s actually quite a great deal. Through the course of this review, I must’ve recorded some 20 hours’ worth of audio, which all sat perfectly happily within the Notta Memo. What I like here is that you can sync that audio with the Notta Cloud, so if you need to access that note and you don’t have the Notta Memo with you, you can log in online and find everything there.

Whilst I have used quite a few of these AI voice recorders, I will say that the depth of the Notta app and its online presence are greater. My one issue with this, as with some of the other recent AI-enhanced devices and applications that I've used, is the overuse of emojis and cartoon characters, such as waving cats, which just doesn’t seem very professional or businesslike in a business-focused device.

Performance: 4.5 / 5

Notta Memo: Final verdict

The Notta Memo is an exceptionally impressive AI voice recorder, and if you're looking for a dedicated device to complement your mobile phone so you're not filling it up with voice recordings and can also access it quickly whenever a call or meeting happens, then it's a superb option.

I like that you can either use it live, connected via Bluetooth to the app, or, if you're not with your phone and just want to take the recorder, record the vocals and have the transcription applied to those recordings later.

The app is one of the most comprehensive that I've seen. The transcription speed is superb. My only quibble with the app and the online presence is that some of the light-hearted aspects, such as clapping cats and caricatures that randomly appear at different points, just don't feel very professional compared with some other options.

However, that's in stark contrast to the power it actually has, and compared with many of the other AI transcription and, for that matter, translation options, it is extremely powerful. What also gives it the edge is not only the pure accuracy of that transcription, but the fact that you get a decent amount of transcription for free. Obviously, you need to pay for the hardware, but unlike other devices, you can get by for most general use without paying an additional monthly subscription.

AI voice recorders are in their infancy, and whilst many people will see the benefits, it isn't until you start to use one in your day-to-day life that you realise just how useful they are. Just having one in a meeting to record the audio so you can quickly summarise it afterwards is invaluable. And when you're making phone calls, especially to colleagues, having that recording firstly to listen back to, but also to quickly type into a chat and ask to summarise that phone call, is again extremely useful.

At present, I don't really know anyone other than myself who has started using one of these AI voice recorders, but every time I show someone one of these iterations, they need very little explanation as to why they're so useful. Soon, I'm sure they'll become commonplace, attached to the backs of people's mobile phones, ready to aid people in their busy lives alongside AI-enhanced apps we have yet to imagine.

Should I buy a Notta Memo?

Value	Under £200/$200 for a slimline device that essentially does what your mobile phone can do with an app may sound expensive — until you start using it. Then its convenience becomes apparent.	4/5
Design	The slimline design and MagSafe connection let it sit on the back of your phone, ready for use whenever you need it. Just a shame it uses a proprietary charger.	4/5
Features	The ease of recording with the switch, screen, and button makes it extremely easy to interact with, and the fully featured app, which includes templates, makes it one of the most feature-packed AI recorders yet.	4.5/5
Performance	Transcription accuracy across the test — in the lecture theatre, café, and a quieter meeting room — was almost 100%.	5/5
Overall	Slim, stylish, and easy to use with superb accuracy. Once you start to use one of these devices, there really is no going back.	4.5/5

Buy it if...

You need meeting notes.
If you're in a meeting and need to take the minutes, this audio recorder will quickly summarise everything that's been said, who said it, and create action points.

You need to quickly translate.
If you're off to a trade show anywhere in the world, and you know you're going to be in situations where you'll be talking to people in a variety of languages, even if the translation isn't live, it is certainly fast.

Don't buy it if...

You only take notes occasionally.
While the idea of a dedicated hardware device might be appealing, most of the features can be found through the standard Notta app, which is a software download with a subscription for both iOS and Android devices.

You're worried about privacy.
You can make audio recordings offline and take notes, but to use all features, you must be logged in to the ecosystem to enable online transcription, translation, and other features.

For more note-taking tools, we reviewed the best speech-to-text apps around.

I tested the Notta Memo and ditched handwritten notes for searchable AI transcripts

9:17 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro | Tags: AI | Comments: Off

Notta Memo: 30-second review

Notta Memo: Price and availability

How much does it cost? From $149 / £139
When is it out? Available now
Where can you get it? Online retailers such as Amazon

At present, the Notta Memo is available for $149 on Amazon.com and £139 at Amazon.co.uk.

Value: 4 / 5

Notta Memo: Specs

Notta Memo: Design

Design: 4.5 / 5

Notta Memo: Features

Features: 4 / 5

Notta Memo: Performance

Performance: 4.5 / 5

Notta Memo: Final verdict

Should I buy a Notta Memo?

Value	Under £200/$200 for a slimline device that essentially does what your mobile phone can do with an app may sound expensive — until you start using it. Then its convenience becomes apparent.	4/5
Design	The slimline design and MagSafe connection let it sit on the back of your phone, ready for use whenever you need it. Just a shame it uses a proprietary charger.	4/5
Features	The ease of recording with the switch, screen, and button makes it extremely easy to interact with, and the fully featured app, which includes templates, makes it one of the most feature-packed AI recorders yet.	4.5/5
Performance	Transcription accuracy across the test — in the lecture theatre, café, and a quieter meeting room — was almost 100%.	5/5
Overall	Slim, stylish, and easy to use with superb accuracy. Once you start to use one of these devices, there really is no going back.	4.5/5

Buy it if...

You need meeting notes.
If you're in a meeting and need to take the minutes, this audio recorder will quickly summarise everything that's been said, who said it, and create action points.

Don't buy it if...

For more note-taking tools, we reviewed the best speech-to-text apps around.

SpaceX buys xAI, Elon Musk promises AI in space

8:31 pm | February 3, 2026

Author: admin | Category: Mobile phones news | Tags: AI, Elon Musk | Comments: Off

Elon Musk's SpaceX has just bought Elon Musk's xAI (which owns the Grok chatbot and the X social network previously known as Twitter), in a stock-only reshuffling of Elon Musk's companies that aren't Tesla. Unfortunately, the opportunity to rename the combined entity SpaceXai hasn't been taken advantage of, at least not yet. Musk says the deal was done "to form the most ambitious, vertically-integrated innovation engine on (and off) Earth, with AI, rockets, space-based internet, direct-to-mobile device communications and the world's foremost real-time information and free speech...

Apple buys secretive audio AI startup Q.ai

9:05 am | January 30, 2026

Author: admin | Category: Mobile phones news | Tags: AI | Comments: Off

Apple has bought the secretive Israeli audio AI startup Q.ai, in a transaction that's valued at around $2 billion. That would make it Apple's second most expensive purchase in history, outdone only by its acquisition of Beats. Q.ai is working on AI technology for audio, specifically applications of machine learning to help devices understand whispered speech and to enhance audio quality in challenging environments. Last year, Q.ai filed a patent application for using "facial skin micromovements" to detect mouthed or spoken words, identify a person, and assess their emotions and...

I spent days testing Acer’s new 16-inch laptop — and sadly AI remains just a gimmick

12:50 pm | January 27, 2026

Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets Laptops Windows Laptops | Tags: AI, Battery Life | Comments: Off

Acer Aspire 16 AI: Two-minute review

The Acer Aspire 16 AI is a large laptop promising powerful AI features in an elegant body. It certainly looks the part, thanks to the premium materials and finish, as well as the impressively thin chassis. It’s also surprisingly light for a laptop of this size, which further improves its portability.

However, the price paid for this litheness is the somewhat flimsy build quality, falling below the standards of the best laptop constructions. There’s a fair amount of flex to the chassis, while the lid hinge doesn’t offer the greatest stability – although it at least managed to stay planted while I typed.

There are a good number of ports on the Aspire 16 AI, including two USB-C and two USB-A ports. However, the former are located closest to you, a choice I usually lament since it means your power adapter has to cross over with any cable you have plugged in to the USB-A port. It’s also a shame that the card reader is only fit for microSDs.

For day-to-day use, the Aspire 16 AI is very capable. It can handle light productivity and 4K streaming without missing a beat. However, the included AI features are disappointing: they’re either too basic in their functionality or fail to work altogether.

Gaming also proved to be a lackluster experience. Its shared memory GPU can just about handle AAA titles on the lowest settings, and even then you won’t exactly be treated to the smoothest frame rates.

Close-up of camera on Acer Aspire 16 AI on pink background — (Image credit: Future)

Under these kinds of intensive workloads, the Aspire 16 AI can generate a fair amount of heat, but thankfully it’s concentrated underneath, towards the back. Coupled with the hushed fans, the Aspire 16 AI remains comfortable to use in such scenarios.

The display in my review unit, with its OLED technology and 2048 x 1280 resolution, provided a crystal-clear image, rendering colors vividly and delivering high brightness levels. This latter aspect is especially useful for combating reflections, which can be quite prominent.

Thanks to the spacing and satisfying feel of its keys, the keyboard on the Aspire 16 AI is easy to use. However, the number pad keys are too small for my liking, and I wished there was a right Control key, as I find this useful for productivity purposes.

The touchpad is smooth and large, which helps with navigation, but it can get in the way when typing. Also, the one in my review unit felt loose and rattled when clicking, making it awkward to use and suggests signs of poor quality control.

Battery life is somewhat disappointing, and isn’t a patch on that of the smaller 14 AI. In fact, many of its key rivals can outlast it. I only managed to get roughly nine hours from it when playing a movie on a continuous loop.

On the face of it, the Aspire 16 AI might look like good value, but it doesn’t deliver enough to justify its cost. Its slender form and mostly great display aren’t enough to make up for its drawbacks, while other laptops at this price point offer more complete packages.

Acer Aspire 16 AI review: Price & Availability

$649.99 / £799.99 / AU$1,499
Available now in various configurations
Better value rivals exist

The Aspire 16 AI starts from $649.99 / £799.99 / AU$1,499 and is available now. It can be configured with various processors, including Intel and Qualcomm (ARM) chips, with a couple of storage and RAM options to choose from.

Unfortunately, there are better value laptops out there with more power and performance, better suited to heavier workloads. The Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M4) is one such example. Starting prices aren’t as low, but they’re similar to the higher spec models of the Aspire 16 AI. They also have excellent build quality, making them a better value proposition all things considered.

If you want to stick with Windows, the Asus TUF Gaming A16 Advantage Edition is another alternative. Again, it’s similarly priced to the higher-spec variants of the Aspire 16 AI, but offers much better gaming performance, chiefly thanks to its AMD Radeon RX 7600S GPU. It’s no surprise we think it’s one of the best cheap gaming laptops around right now.

Value: 3 / 5

Acer Aspire 16 AI review: Specs

Acer Aspire 16 AI Specs
	Acer Aspire 16 AI Base Config	Acer Aspire 16 AI Review Config
Price	$649.99 / £799.99 / AU$1,499	£949 (about $1,280, AU$1,960)
CPU	Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100 (8 cores), 3GHz	AMD Ryzen AI 7 350, 2.0GHz (8 cores)
GPU	Qualcomm Adreno GPU (shared memory)	AMD Radeon 860M (shared memory)
RAM	16GB LPDDR5X	16GB LPDDR5X
Storage	512GB PCI Express NVMe 4.0 (M.2)	1TB PCI Express NVMe 4.0 (M.2)
Display	16-inch WUXGA (1920 x 1200) 16:10 ComfyView (Matte) 120Hz, IPS	16-inch WUXGA+ (2048 x 1280) OLED, 16:10, 120Hz
Ports and Connectivity	2x USB-C (Thunderbolt 4), 2x USB-A, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x headset jack, 1x microSD, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4	2x USB-C (Thunderbolt 4), 2x USB-A, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x headset jack, 1x microSD, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
Battery	65Wh	65Wh
Dimensions	14 x 9.8 x 0.6 inch / 355 x 250 x 16mm	14 x 9.8 x 0.6 inch / 355 x 250 x 16mm
Weight	3.4lbs / 1.55kg	3.4lbs / 1.55kg

Acer Aspire 16 AI review: Design

Close-up of keyboard on Acer Aspire 16 AI — (Image credit: Future)

Brilliantly thin and light
Not the sturdiest
Touchpad issues

Thanks to its minimal design, the Aspire 16 AI has sleek looks. The low-shine metallic lid also adds to its elegance, befitting its premium price tag.

It’s pleasingly light and slender, too, making it more portable than you might expect for a 16-inch laptop. The bezel for the display is minuscule as well, which helps to maximize its full potential.

There’s a satisfying click when you close the lid on the Aspire 16 AI, something I haven’t encountered on any other laptop before. The hinge also allows for the screen to recline all the back by 180 degrees, something I’m always happy to see.

However, lid stability isn’t the best, as it’s prone to wobbling, although, thankfully, it remains stable while typing on the keyboard. The overall construction of the Aspire 16 AI isn’t especially impressive, either, with the chassis having a fair amount of flex.

Close-up of touchpad on Acer Aspire 16 AI — (Image credit: Future)

Worse still, the touchpad in my review unit had a horrible rattle, as if some part was loose at the bottom section. It’s possible this issue is confined to my review unit alone – perhaps it had been passed around several journalists before it got to me – but the issue still doesn’t speak highly of its build quality or Acer's quality control.

There’s a varied selection of ports on the Aspire 16 AI, spread evenly across both sides. On the left are two USB-C ports, one USB-A port, and an HDMI port. However, I found it inconvenient that the USB-C ports are placed nearest to you, since one has to be used for the power adapter; I much prefer the thick cable for this to trail from the back of the laptop, rather than from the middle, as it does with the Aspire 16 AI.

On the right you’ll find another USB-A port, followed by a combo audio jack and a microSD card reader. It’s a shame the latter can’t accommodate standard SD card sizes, but this is a small grievance.

Design: 3.5 / 5

Acer Aspire 16 AI review: Performance

Close-up of left-side ports on Acer Aspire 16 AI, on desk with pink background — (Image credit: Future)

Good productivity and streaming performance
Poor for gaming
Useless AI features

The Aspire 16 AI offers great general performance. It takes light productivity in its stride, from word processing to spreadsheet creation, and multiple browser tabs didn’t cause a problem for me, thanks to the 16GB of RAM in my review unit. Streaming 4K content is well within its grasp, too. I experienced little buffering or slow down, providing a seamless viewing experience in the main.

However, despite what Acer claims, the gaming performance of the Aspire 16 AI is quite poor. With its shared memory, the AMD Radeon GPU didn’t handle AAA titles very well. When I played Cyberpunk 2077 with the default Ray Tracing: Low preset and resolution scaling set to Performance mode, I was getting 20fps on average – not what you’d call playable.

The best I could achieve with the game was about 38fps, but that was at the lowest possible graphics preset and the resolution dropped to 1080p. This at least made it playable, but if you’re expecting to get even moderately close to the performance of the best gaming laptops, you’ll be sorely disappointed.

During my playtime, the Aspire 16 AI generated a fair amount of heat. Fortunately, this was heavily concentrated underneath and at the back, thus steering clear of any parts you might actually touch. Fan noise is also pleasantly subdued.

As when I tested the 14 AI, the AI features the Aspire 16 AI sports are disappointing. The centerpiece appears to be Acer LiveSense, a photo editing and webcam suite with very basic functionality, not to mention a poor UI and frequent glitches.

For more AI features, you’ll have to download Acer Intelligence Space, the brand’s hub. Contrary to when I tested the 14 AI, I managed to install it successfully. However, it didn’t get off to an auspicious start, as a dialog box warned me that I had insufficient memory resources, explaining that it needed 6.5GB free and a total of at least 16GB to execute smoothly.

Close-up of right-hand ports on Acer Aspire 16 AI on table — (Image credit: Future)

I proceeded anyway and was greeted with a clear user interface that revealed the various AI apps I could install. However, a large portion of them seem to be incompatible with the Aspire 16 AI, and those that are were once more very limited in their functionality.

On a more positive note, the 2K OLED display in my review unit was as clear and as vibrant as you might expect. The very shiny coating can cause prominent reflections, but these can be mitigated by the screen’s brightness values (especially if you disable the ‘change brightness based on content’ setting).

The keyboard feels premium, too, thanks to the subtle texture and tight fit of the keys themselves. They’re also light, tactile, and reasonably spaced, although perhaps not to the extent of other laptop keyboards. I didn’t find this aspect to be a problem when typing, but I did while gaming, as it made adopting the WASD more uncomfortable for me.

At least the number pad doesn’t eat into the layout space. However, contrary to many full-sized laptop keyboards I’ve experienced, it’s the number pad itself that feels cramped, with its keys being too narrow to be used easily. Another small but notable gripe I have with the keyboard is the absence of a right Control key, which can be frustrating when performing productivity tasks.

The touchpad performs well enough, with its large and smooth surface making for easy navigation. However, thanks to the aforementioned rattle in its bottom portion, clicks felt unpleasant. It can also get in the way while typing: on occasion, the palm of my thumbs would activate the cursor, although thankfully not clicks or taps.

Performance: 3.5 / 5

Acer Aspire 16 AI review: Battery Life

Back of Acer Aspire 16 AI open on table with pink background — (Image credit: Future)

Average battery life
14 AI battery life much better
Other rivals are better, too

The battery life of the Aspire 16 AI isn’t particularly impressive. It lasted just over nine hours in our movie playback test, which is a middling result. This is a far cry from the time achieved by the 14 AI, which lasted over twice as long, making the Aspire 16 AI even more disappointing by comparison.

What’s more, plenty of its rivals can beat this score, including the Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch, which managed over 17 hours, and the Asus TUF Gaming A16 Advantage Edition, which lasted 11 hours.

Battery Life: 3.5 / 5

Should I buy the Acer Aspire 16 AI?

Acer Aspire 16 AI Scorecard
Attributes	Notes	Rating
Value	Starting prices are low, but climb up the specs and the value starts to diminish.	3 / 5
Design	Build quality isn’t the best, but it’s impressively thin and light. It looks good, too.	3.5 / 5
Performance	Everyday tasks are dispatched without a hitch, but it can’t cope well with heavier demands, such as gaming. The display is very good, though.	3.5 / 5
Battery Life	Only average, and the smaller 14 AI absolutely obliterates it on this front.	3 / 5
Total	The Aspire 16 AI is a capable workhorse, but its poor GPU, underwhelming AI features, and suspect build quality result in a middling machine.	3 / 5

Buy the Acer Aspire 16 AI if...

You want a large and bright display
The 16-inch OLED on my model looked great, its powerful backlight can overcome its reflective nature.

You want something portable
Despite its large size, the Aspire 16 AI is impressively light and thin, making it easy to carry around.

Don't buy it if...

You’ll be running graphics-intensive apps
The Aspire 16 AI could barely handle AAA gaming at modest settings, saddled as it is with a shared memory GPU.

You want a super-sturdy machine
There’s plenty of flex in the body, and the seemingly broken touchpad on my particular unit was disconcerting.

Acer Aspire 16 AI review: Also Consider

Asus TUF Gaming A16 Advantage Edition
If you’re after more graphical power but don’t want to spend more for it, the TUF Gaming A16 Advantage Edition might be the solution. It comes equipped with an AMD Radeon RX 7600S GPU, which is capable of handling AAA titles smoothly, although you may have to forgo Ray Tracing. Read our full Asus TUF Gaming A16 Advantage Edition review.

Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M4)
Unusually for an Apple product, this MacBook Air is actually a great budget pick if you’re after a powerful machine, being among the best laptops for video editing for this reason. Its sumptuous design and display are additional feathers in its creative cap. Read our full Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M4) review.

How I tested the Acer Aspire 16 AI

Tested for several days
Used for various tasks
Plentiful laptop reviewing experience

I tested the Aspire 16 AI for several days, during which time I used it for various tasks, from productivity and browsing to streaming and gaming.

I also ran our series of benchmark tests to assess its all-round performance more concretely, and played a movie on a continuous loop while unplugged to see how long its battery lasted.

I have been using laptops for decades, and have reviewed a large and varied selection of them too, ranging in their form factors, price points, and intended purposes.

First reviewed: January 2026
Read more about how we test

My hands-on experience of the Asus Ascent GX10 was a radical one that is only relevant to those actively engaged in AI development

4:05 am |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets | Tags: AI, ARM | Comments: Off

Rather than a review, this is a ‘hands-on’ in which I’ve explored what the Asus Ascent GX10 offers, providing information that might be critical to those considering purchasing one.

The first important piece of information about this hardware is that this isn’t a PC, or rather, it's not an Intel, AMD or X86-compliant platform that can run Windows.

It’s built around ARM technology, much like modern phones and tablets, although its ARM technology has been scaled up to work with massively powerful Nvidia Blackwell technology that is capable of 1 petaFLOP of AI performance using FP4.

This has all been shoehorned into a gorgeously engineered 150mm-square, 51mm-high form factor that resembles an oversized NUC.

The system can be used directly by attaching a mouse, keyboard, and screen, but it’s also intended to be used in a headless mode from another system, which might explain why it comes with relatively modest onboard storage.

What this system doesn’t allow for is much expansion, at least internally. The inclusion of a special networking connection, the Nvidia ConnectX-7 port, does allow another Ascent GX10 node to be stacked on top, doubling the amount of processing power and the price.

The platform that runs the integrated AI software stack is Ubuntu Linux, so familiarity with that might be useful for those wanting to work directly on it.

As anyone working in AI can already attest, nothing to do with this type of development is cheap, and the Asus Ascent GX10 is more than $3000 for a single node.

But given the expertise needed to use this hardware and the associated developer costs, this AI-focused hardware might be the least expensive part of any project. And, with memory costs rising dramatically, a system with 128GB of LPDDR5X onboard it might be significantly more expensive by the end of 2026 than it is at the start of it.

Asus Ascent GX10: Price and availability

How much does it cost? From $3090, £2800
When is it out? Available now
Where can you get it? From online retailers.

The ASUS Ascent GX10 isn’t available directly from Asus, but it's easy to find at many online retailers, including Amazon.

For US readers, the price on Amazon.com is $3099.99 for the 1TB storage SKU (GX10-GG0015BN), and $4,149.99 for the 4TB storage model (GX10-GG0016BN).

Given that a 4TB Gen 5 SSD is about $500, that is a remarkable price hike for the extra storage capacity.

For UK readers, on Amazon.co.uk the 1TB model price is £3769, but I found it via online retailer SCAN for a more palatable £2799.98. SCAN also carries a 2TB option for $3199.99 and the 4TB model for £3638.99.

The important details of this platform are that the hardware inside the GX10 isn’t exclusive to Asus, as Nvidia GPUs are (in theory) available across a number of brands, and Nvidia has its own model.

The Nvidia DGX Spark Personal AI Supercomputer, as the originator modestly calls it, costs £3699.98 in the UK, for a system with 128GB of RAM and 4TB of storage.

Acer offers the Veriton AI GN100, which bears an uncanny visual resemblance to the Asus but comes with 4TB of storage, like the Nvidia option. This is £3999.99 direct from Acer in the UK, but only $2999.99 from Acer in the US.

Another choice is the Gigabyte AI TOP ATOM Desktop Supercomputer, a 4TB storage model that sells for £3479.99 from SCAN in the UK, and can be found on Amazon.com for $3999.

And the final model with the same spec as most is the MSI EdgeXpert Desktop AI Supercomputer, selling for £3,598.99 from SCAN in the UK, and $3999 on Amazon.com for US customers.

Overall, the prices of all these products are roughly in the same ballpark, but the Asus in its 1TB configuration is one of the cheaper choices, especially for those in Europe.

Asus Ascent GX10 AI Supercomputer — (Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

Asus Ascent GX10: Specs

Item	Spec
CPU:	ARM v9.2-A CPU (GB10) (20 ARM cores, 10 Cortex-X925, 10 Corex-A725)
GPU:	NVIDIA Blackwell GPU (GB10, integrated)
RAM:	128 GB LPDDR5x, unified system memory
Storage:	1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD storage
Expansion:	N/A
Ports:	3x USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type-C, 20Gbps, alternate mode (DisplayPort 2.1) 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type-C,with PD in(180W EPR PD3.1 SPEC) 1x HDMI 2.1 1x NVIDIA ConnectX-7 SmartNIC
Networking:	10GbE LAN, AW-EM637 Wi-Fi 7 (Gig+) , Bluetooth 5.4
OS:	Nvidia DGX OS (Ubuntu Linux)
PSU:	48V 5A 240W
Dimensions:	150 x 150 x 51 mm (5.91 x 5.91 x 2.01 inch)
Weight:	1.48kg

Asus Ascent GX10: Design

Uber NUC
Connect-7 scalability
Limited internal access

While the GX10 looks like an oversized NUC mini PC, at 1.48kg it's heavier than any I’ve previously encountered. And that doesn’t include the substantial 240W PSU.

The front is an elegant grill with only the power button for company, and all the ports are on the rear. These include four USB-C ports, one of which is required for the PSU to connect, a single 10GbE LAN port and a single HDMI 2.1 video out.

You can connect more than one monitor by using the USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 ports in DP Alt mode, if you have the adapters to convert those into DisplayPort.

What seems mildly odd is that Asus went with three USB 3.2 Gen 2x2, a standard that was an effective dead end in USB development, and not USB4. And, there are no Type-A USB ports at all, forcing the buyer to use an adapter or hub to attach a mouse and keyboard to this system.

As mice and keyboards are still mostly USB-A, that’s slightly irritating.

But what makes this system truly interesting is the inclusion of a ConnectX-7 Smart NIC alongside the more conventional 10GbE Ethernet port.

The best the 10GbE LAN port can offer is a data transfer of around 840MB/s, which is technically slower than the USB ports, even if it's quick by networking technology.

The ConnectX-7 port is a technology developed by Mellanox Technologies Ltd, an Israeli-American multinational supplier of computer networking products based on InfiniBand and Ethernet technology that was acquired by Nvidia in 2019.

In this context, ConnectX-7 provides a means to link a second GX10 directly over a 200 Gbit/s (25 GB/s) InfiniBand network, enabling performance scaling across the two systems.

There are certainly parallels with this type of technology to the time when Nvidia enabled two GPUs to work in unison using a dedicated interconnect, but the ConnectX-7 interface is a much more sophisticated option where both processing and memory can be used in collective exercise, enabling the handling of large-scale models with over 400 billion parameters. That's double the 200 billion that a single unit can cope with.

Mellanox does make ConnectX switches, but I’m not sure if it is possible to connect more than two GX10 via one of those. Being realistic, each system is still only capable of 200 Gbit/s communication, so adding additional nodes beyond two might offer diminishing returns. But this technology is utilised in switched fabrics for enterprise data centres and high-performance computing, and in these scenarios, the Mellanox Quantum family of InfiniBand switches supports up to 40 ports running at HDR 200 Gbit/s.

It may be that products like the GX10 will be the vanguard for the wider use and application of ConnectX technology, and a blueprint for easily expandable clusters.

However, the last aspect I looked at on the GX10 was a disappointment, and it was the only nod to upgradability that this system has, beyond adding a second machine.

On the underside of the GX10 is a small panel that can be removed to provide access to the one M.2 NVMe drive that this system supports.

In our review, the hardware was occupied by a single 2242 M.2 PCIe 4.0 1TB drive, although you can also get this system with 4TB. The fact that there wasn’t room for a 2280 drive is a shock, because that effectively limits the maximum internal storage to 4TB.

But conversely, the only other of these types of systems I’ve seen, the Acer GN100 AI Mini Workstation, has no access to the internal storage at all. So perhaps Asus Ascent GX10 owners should be thankful for small mercies.

Asus Ascent GX10: Features

ARM 20-core CPU
Grace Blackwell GB10
AI platforms compared

The Nvidia GB10 Grace Blackwell Superchip represents a significant leap in AI hardware, emerging from a collaborative effort between Nvidia and ARM. Its origins lie in the growing demand for specialised computing platforms capable of supporting the rapid development and deployment of artificial intelligence models. Unlike traditional x86-based systems, the GB10 is built around ARM v9.2-A architecture, featuring a combination of 20 ARM cores—specifically, 10 Cortex-X925 and 10 Cortex-A725 cores. This design choice reflects a broader industry trend towards ARM-based solutions, which offer improved efficiency and scalability for AI workloads.

The GB10’s capabilities are nothing short of remarkable. It integrates a powerful Nvidia Blackwell GPU paired with the ARM CPU, delivering up to a petaFLOP of AI performance using FP4 precision. This level of computational power is particularly suited to the training and inference of large language models (LLMs) and diffusion models, which underpin much of today’s generative AI. The system is further enhanced by 128GB of unified LPDDR5x memory, ensuring that even the most demanding AI tasks can be handled efficiently.

The GB10’s operating environment is based on Ubuntu Linux, specifically tailored with NVIDIA’s DGX OS, making it an ideal platform for developers familiar with open-source AI tools and workflows.

There is an exceptionally fine irony to this OS choice, since Nvidia’s hardly been a friend to Linux over the past three decades, and has actively obstructed its attempts to compete more widely with Microsoft Windows. If anyone doubts my opinion on the relationship between Linux and Nvidia, then search for “Linus Torvalds” and “Nvidia”. Recently, Linus has warmed to the company, but much less to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. And, he’s not a fan of the AI industry, which he described as "90% marketing and 10% reality".

Looking to the future, the evolution of the GB10 and similar superchips will likely be shaped by the ongoing arms race in AI hardware. As models grow ever larger and more complex, the need for even greater memory bandwidth, faster interconnects, and more efficient processing architectures will drive innovation. The modularity offered by technologies like ConnectX-7 hints at a future where AI systems can be scaled seamlessly by linking multiple nodes, enabling the handling of models with hundreds of billions of parameters.

In terms of raw AI performance, the GB10 delivers up to 1 petaFLOP at FP4 precision, which is heavily optimised for quantised AI workloads. While this is less than the multi-petaFLOP performance of NVIDIA’s flagship data centre chips (such as the Blackwell B200 or GB200), the GB10’s power efficiency is a standout. It operates at around 140W TDP, far lower than the 250W or more seen in GPUs like the RTX 5070, yet offers vastly more memory (128GB vs 12GB on the 5070). This makes the GB10 especially suitable for developers and researchers who need to work with large models locally, without the need for a full server rack.

While there are some other players hidden in the shadows, mostly Chinese, the key AI players are Nvidia, AMD, Google and Apple.

NVIDIA has the Blackwell B200/GB200 products for datacenter flagships, offering up to 20 petaFLOPS of sparse FP4 compute and massive HBM3e memory bandwidth. These are massively expensive enterprise products, and the GB10, by contrast, is a scaled-down, more accessible version for desktop and edge use, trading some peak performance for efficiency and compactness.

AMD's line of AI accelerators is the Instinct MI300/MI350, these are competitive in terms of raw compute and memory bandwidth, with the MI350X offering up to 288GB HBM3e and strong FP4/FP6 performance. But these don’t offer the same level of flexibility as the GB10, even if they’re better suited to interference tasks. And, the same can be said for Google TPU v6/v7, a technology that is highly efficient for large-scale inference and is optimised for Google’s own cloud and AI services.

Whereas Apple M3/M4/M5 and Edge AI Chips are optimised for on-device AI in consumer products, with impressive efficiency and integrated neural engines. However, these chips are not designed for large-scale model training or inference, and their memory and compute capabilities are far below what the GB10 offers for professional AI development.

The NVIDIA GB10 Grace Blackwell Superchip stands out as a bridge between consumer AI hardware and data centre accelerators. It offers a unique blend of high memory capacity, power efficiency, and local accessibility, making it ideal for developers and researchers who need serious AI capability without the scale or cost of a full server. While it cannot match the absolute peak performance of the largest data centre chips, its unified memory, advanced interconnects, and software support make it a compelling choice for cutting-edge AI work at the desktop.

However, that statement does assume that current AI is a path work taking.

Asus Ascent GX10: AI Reality Check

Looking at the specifications of the Asus Ascent GX10, it's easy to be impressed by how much computing power Asus, with the help of Nvidia, has managed to squeeze into a tiny computer, and its ability to scale.

However, there are three practical little pigs living in this AI straw house, and in this story, I’m the wolf.

Those researching AI might think I’m referring to the three AI issues that confront all public implementations. Those being algorithmic bias, lack of transparency (aka explainability), and the significant ethical/societal risks associated with the spread of misinformation. But I’m not, because these are potentially fixable to a degree.

Instead, I’m talking about the three unfixable issues with current models

Almost every AI platform is based on a concept called the Deep Neural Net, and under that are two approaches that are generally classified as LLM (Large Language Models) and Diffusion models, which are the ones that can generate images and video.

What both these sides of the Deep Neural Net coin show is a pattern-matching approach to problems, like the computer is playing a complex version of the children’s card game Snap. The results are coloured by the scale of the data and how quickly the routines and hardware platforms find the patterns.

Before IBM made computers, they sold card files, with the concept that it was quicker to navigate the cards to the information you wanted.

It’s a generalisation, but these models are purely more sophisticated versions of that, because if the pattern they’re looking for doesn’t exist in the data, then the routine can’t inspirationally create it.

To make the results seem less random, model designers have tried to specialise their AI constructs to focus on narrower criteria, but the Nirvana of AGI (Artificial General Intelligence) is that the AI should be generally applicable to almost any problem.

How this issue manifests in AI responses is that when confronted with a pattern that the routine can’t match accurately, it just offers up the partial matches it found that may or may not be related at all.

These ‘hallucinations’, as they’re often called, are a choice the model makers have between the AI admitting it has no idea what the answer is, and delivering a response that’s got a remarkably low possibility of being correct. Given that AI companies don’t like the idea of their models admitting they haven’t a clue what the answer is, hallucinations are deemed preferable.

Perhaps some of the problem here is not AI, but that users aren’t trained to check what the AI is producing, which isn’t entirely spurious.

The next issue is the classic ‘prompt injection’ issue, where you ask a question, and then, often based on the response, you realise you asked the wrong one, and then proceed in an entirely different direction. The AI doesn’t recognise this pivot and tries to apply its previous pattern constructions to the new problem, and becomes entirely confused.

And the final piglet, where current AI entirely falls down, might be classed as original thinking, where what the user wants is a new approach to a problem that hasn’t been documented before. What has defined humans as being especially impressive thinkers is their ability to abstract, and that is something that current AI doesn’t do, even modestly.

While prompt injection can probably be solved, the other two issues regarding generalisation and abstraction are unlikely to be fixed by the Deep Neural Net, these need a radically new approach, and ironically, not one that AI is likely to come up with.

Some of you reading this will be wondering why I’ve inserted this information into this product reveal, but the whole purpose of the Asus Ascent GX10 is to facilitate the design and testing of LLMs and Diffusion models, and at this time, these have significant limitations.

But critically, the development of the whole Deep Neural Net direction doesn’t appear to have resolution to some of the more problematic issues, which suggests it might ultimately be a dead end.

It might turn out to be useful for lots of problems, but it's not the AI we’re looking for, and the likelihood of it evolving into that true artificial intelligence is extremely low.

This is especially relevant to the Asus Ascent GX10, since it doesn’t have a practical purpose beyond the creation of models, as it’s not a PC.

These aren’t all the issues associated with AI, but they’re some of the ones that might directly impact those buying the GX10, at some point or another.

Asus Ascent GX10: Early verdict

It’s exciting to see Asus make something this radical, showing that it truly believes in a post-Windows, post-PC future where hardware is purely specified for a specific task, and in the case of the Asus Ascent GX10, that’s AI model development.

I’ve already covered the caveats regarding that subject, so for the purpose of this conclusion, let's pretend that AI is the solid bet that some think, and not an underachieving dead end that others believe.

For corporations, the cost of this hardware won’t be an issue for their IT people to experience building AI models and evaluating their worth.

The beauty of a system like the GX10 is that it’s a finite cost, unlike buying access to an AI server centre cluster, which will be an ongoing cost, and likely to become more expensive if demand is high. While the data centre still might be needed for the biggest projects, or for deployment, the GX10 does provide a first rung for any proof of concept.

However, if the AI path is not the one that is ultimately taken, this machine becomes mostly a beautifully engineered paperweight.

For more compact computing, see our guide to the best mini PCs you can buy

South Korea passes the first AI regulations

12:22 am | January 23, 2026

Author: admin | Category: Mobile phones news | Tags: AI, South Korea | Comments: Off

South Korea has launched a landmark set of laws to regulate AI before any other country or bloc (the EU's regulations are set to go into effect in stages through next year). Under Korea's AI Basic Act, companies must ensure there is human oversight for "high-impact" AI in fields like nuclear safety, drinking water, transport, healthcare, and financial uses like credit evaluation and loan screening. Companies must also give users advance notice about products or services using high-impact or generative AI, and clearly label AI-generated output that is difficult to distinguish from...

Apple’s next wearable tipped to be an AI pin with cameras

3:07 pm | January 22, 2026

Author: admin | Category: Mobile phones news | Tags: AI | Comments: Off

Fancy an Apple-branded wearable AI pin? A new report suggests Apple is working on a compact AI-powered pin, roughly the size of an AirTag. If it makes it to market, the device would mark Apple’s first product built primarily around AI and could run the revamped Siri chatbot. According to a report from The Information, the wearable is still in development, though the project could face delays or even be shelved altogether. An AI-generated image of the rumored Apple AI pin. The AI pin is reportedly circular in shape, closely resembling the AirTag in both size and design, with an...

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