Technologies

Meta’s New AI Model Is Reportedly Delayed Again. Is ‘Avocado’ Toast?

Avocado, code name of Meta’s next-generation foundational AI model, might not be released until May.

Meta’s Avocado isn’t ripe quite yet. The company has reportedly delayed the release of its next-generation foundational model until May, according to The New York Times, citing unnamed sources. The model has fallen short «on internal tests for reasoning, coding and writing,» compared with rival models from Google, OpenAI and Anthropic.

Meta has spent billions of dollars overhauling its efforts to build artificial intelligence models and products, including purchasing a stake in Alexandr Wang’s startup for $14.3 billion to make him chief AI officer. The company has poured buckets of cash into hiring top AI engineers last year across its organization. In a January earnings call, Meta confirmed it plans to raise its spending from $72 billion last year to $115 billion to $135 billion, attributing the increase to supporting its AI labs. But all that money hasn’t bought the company the results it hoped for, with Google, OpenAI and Anthropic consistently lapping Meta with their newer models.

A Meta spokesperson told CNET, «As we’ve said publicly, our next model will be good, but more importantly, show the rapid trajectory we’re on, and then we’ll steadily push the frontier over the course of the year as we continue to release new models. We’re excited for people to see what we’ve been cooking very soon.»

That rapid trajectory is key to catch up and keep pace with other AI builders. Google leapfrogged its rivals in November with its Gemini 3 model, showcasing its impressive coding and research abilities. OpenAI was quick to follow with updates to GPT-5. More recently, Claude Code and Cowork from Anthropic have proven to be the most reliable agentic AI available, tools that can handle tasks without human babysitting. However, the biggest AI news from Meta this year is that it’s buying Moltbook, a social media platform designed exclusively for AI bots.

Meta has been in the news for other reasons. A renewed wave of privacy concerns has crested over people using smart glasses, particularly the Meta Ray-Ban glasses, to record others without their knowledge or consent. A lawsuit alleges that human staffers behind Meta’s smart glasses reviewed footage of people who clearly didn’t know they were being recorded, like while they were undressing or having sex. On the social media side of the business, a high-profile trial is debating whether platforms like Meta’s Instagram and Facebook are addictive to teens and pose significant health risks.

Technologies

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 Might Come in 5G and 4G Cellular Models

If the rumor proves true, the 5G Galaxy Watch Ultra would rival the 5G-enabled $799 Apple Watch Ultra 3 that debuted last fall.

Samsung’s next high-end Galaxy Watch could support faster 5G speeds, but if this leak is true, it will depend on where you live. The rumored Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 might come in 5G and 4G cellular models, with availability for each smartwatch depending on the country.

According to the Dutch website Galaxy Club (and spotted by SamMobile), Samsung’s servers may have revealed a series of model numbers that point to 5G, 4G and Wi-Fi-enabled editions of the next Galaxy Watch Ultra, which would succeed the original model that debuted in 2024.

A representative for Samsung did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Galaxy Club website speculates that the 5G edition would be sold in the US and Korean markets, while the 4G edition would sell in the rest of the world. In the US, a 5G version of the Galaxy Watch Ultra would rival the 5G-enabled $799 Apple Watch Ultra 3, which debuted last fall. The 4G edition would have broader compatibility worldwide, since the earlier network is far more established.

It will likely be a few months until we hear anything official about the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2. Samsung typically unveils its new watches in the summer alongside its Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip foldable phones. Last year, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Watch 8 and the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic, but otherwise left the prior 2024 Ultra in the lineup for those looking for a larger 47mm smartwatch.

Technologies

2 Cases Show Supreme Court Isn’t Holding ISPs Responsible for Piracy

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for April 8, #1032

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for April 8, No. 1032.

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s NYT Connections puzzle is kind of tough. The purple category is a fun one, once you see the connection. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: In the group.

Green group hint: Appearance details.

Blue group hint: Often found in gyms.

Purple group hint: They help you see.