Technologies
This One Killer Feature Sets the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra Apart From All Other Phones
Commentary: Samsung needed to give us a reason to be excited about its latest flagship. It delivered.
There are so many reasons not to buy a new phone in 2026. For starters, our existing phones last longer than ever if we take care of them. Plus, most new phones are way too similar, not only to each other, but to last year’s batch. Finally, most of us won’t have our heads easily turned by yet another AI sales pitch.
But on Wednesday, at Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event in San Francisco, the company gave us a genuinely compelling reason to consider upgrading to its new top-end flagship, the Galaxy S26 Ultra. Its killer feature has nothing to do with AI (although Samsung is still beating that drum as loudly as every phone-maker out there).
In fact, it has nothing to do with software at all. Instead, it’s an innovation in hardware: Privacy Display, which offers pixel-level privacy that prevents anyone beside you from seeing what’s on your screen.
Privacy Display works in both portrait and landscape, with the pixels dispersing light in a way that will darken parts of the screen if you’re not looking at it straight on. You can choose whether to apply it to specific apps, to notifications or for when you’re inputting PINs or passwords. Access from Quick Settings makes it easy to turn on and off on the go, like when you suspect someone on the bus is reading over your shoulder, for example.
The reason the Privacy Display is such a compelling feature is that it’s simple to demonstrate, and it offers benefits that are easy to understand, said Ben Wood, CMO and chief analyst at CCS Insight. «Unlike a secondary-market privacy screen protector affixed to the phone’s display, it is not an ‘all or nothing’ solution,» he added.
On the surface, privacy doesn’t feel especially sexy as tech features go. But it is important to people. You only need to observe how central Apple has made privacy to its entire brand to see that people place significant value in technology they feel they can trust.
For Samsung, placing privacy front and center may be a winning strategy, giving its latest flagship a genuine edge over competitors that they can’t match simply by pushing out a software update. Privacy Display also elevates the Ultra even within Samsung’s own wide stable of phones, and it goes some way (although perhaps not all the way) toward justifying that $1,300 price tag.
«At face value, the Galaxy S26 Series devices differ little from [Samsung’s] predecessors launched just over a year ago,» Wood said. «Without this capability, the Galaxy S26 Ultra would have been an extremely tough sell.»
But Samsung may want to capitalize on this competitive advantage while it can. «I also expect this to become a benchmark feature over the next few years on all premium smartphones and other products, such as laptops,» Wood said.
That’s something to look forward to if you plan to upgrade in 2027 or beyond, but for now this is an Ultra exclusive, so you’ll need to be feeling flush if you plan to be a Privacy Display early adopter.
Technologies
Stuck in a Coffee Rut? ChatGPT Can Now Plan Your Next Starbucks Order
Don’t be surprised if the chatbot suggests mixing espresso with lemonade.
If you like getting your daily cup of coffee from Starbucks, you’ll now be able to consult with ChatGPT for your next beverage. Starbucks said on Wednesday that a new Starbucks app in ChatGPT, now in beta, will help you figure out your next order based on your mood or craving in the moment.
Although you won’t be able to order your Starbucks coffee directly through the ChatGPT app, it will suggest drinks and menu items you may enjoy, then direct you to the Starbucks app or website to complete your order.
OpenAI has added a host of other apps you can interact with in ChatGPT since announcing the functionality last year. You can do everything from browsing home listings to designing playlists without leaving the chatbot interface.
You’ll be able to use prompts like, «@Starbucks, I want something bright to start my morning,» or upload an image to describe your mood and location. Once the menu suggestion appears in ChatGPT, you can start the order through the chatbot and then complete it in the Starbucks app or online.
Paul Riedel, senior vice president of digital and loyalty at Starbucks, said in a statement that Starbucks noticed customers weren’t always starting off by looking at the menu. «They’re starting with a feeling,» he said. «We wanted to meet customers right in that moment of inspiration and make it easier than ever to find a drink that fits.»
Starbucks said interacting with ChatGPT lets you personalize your order more and discover menu options you never considered before.
(Disclosure: Ziff Davis, CNET’s parent company, in 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.)
When I tried out the new feature, I asked it about the oddest beverage combinations you can get at Starbucks. One interesting combo ChatGPT came up with was espresso with lemonade. The AI described another drink as «basically liquid dessert soup,» if that’s more up your alley.
Technologies
Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for April 16, #570
Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for April 16 No. 570.
Looking for the most recent regular 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 and Strands puzzles.
Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is a fun one, especially if you enjoy unusual team names. If you’re struggling with today’s puzzle but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.
Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t appear in the NYT Games app, but it does in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.
Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta
Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups
Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.
Yellow group hint: Put your glasses on for this.
Green group hint: Hoops home.
Blue group hint: The minors.
Purple group hint: Hidden hoops word.
Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups
Yellow group: Look at.
Green group: Seen at an NBA court.
Blue group: Double-A baseball teams.
Purple group: Starts with a WNBA team.
Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words
What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?
The yellow words in today’s Connections
The theme is look at. The four answers are observe, spectate, view and watch.
The green words in today’s Connections
The theme is seen at an NBA court. The four answers are benches, half-court logo, scorer’s table and shot clock.
The blue words in today’s Connections
The theme is double-A baseball teams. The four answers are Biscuits, Drillers, Trash Pandas and Wind Surge.
The purple words in today’s Connections
The theme is starts with a WNBA team. The four answers are dreamy, firefly, Skype and sundial.
Technologies
Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Thursday, April 16
Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for April 16.
Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.
Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? It’s pretty simple, but 1-Across is a bit tricky. Read on for all the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.
If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.
Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword
Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.
Mini across clues and answers
1A clue: Bow ties and ribbons that you can’t wear?
Answer: PASTA
6A clue: Opposite of lower
Answer: UPPER
7A clue: Flappable origami creation
Answer: CRANE
8A clue: Where the Hangul alphabet is used
Answer: KOREA
9A clue: Apparatus under a trapeze
Answer: NET
Mini down clues and answers
1D clue: Disc dropped on center ice
Answer: PUCK
2D clue: One might read «Kiss the Chef»
Answer: APRON
3D clue: Unlikely outcome after a 7-10 split
Answer: SPARE
4D clue: Fundamental belief
Answer: TENET
5D clue: Bay ___ (part of California)
Answer: AREA
-
Technologies3 года agoTech Companies Need to Be Held Accountable for Security, Experts Say
-
Technologies3 года agoBest Handheld Game Console in 2023
-
Technologies3 года agoTighten Up Your VR Game With the Best Head Straps for Quest 2
-
Technologies4 года agoBlack Friday 2021: The best deals on TVs, headphones, kitchenware, and more
-
Technologies5 лет agoGoogle to require vaccinations as Silicon Valley rethinks return-to-office policies
-
Technologies5 лет agoVerum, Wickr and Threema: next generation secured messengers
-
Technologies4 года agoOlivia Harlan Dekker for Verum Messenger
-
Technologies4 года agoThe number of Сrypto Bank customers increased by 10% in five days