ICYMI: the week's 7 biggest tech stories from Spotify's suspected AI band to Nothing's first over-ear headphones

Date:
Sat, 05 Jul 2025 07:00:00 +0000

Description:
Here's the biggest tech news stories from Dyson, Xbox, Dyson, Nothing and
more for July 5, 2025.

FULL STORY ======================================================================

It's been another busy week in the tech world although next week, with
Amazon Prime Day and Samsung Galaxy Unpacked , promises to be even bigger.

But that's all still a few days away, so what's been happening this week? Well, we investigated a band which could be entirely AI-generated, tested two new Nothing devices, and checked our Anker power banks to see if they needed to be recalled.

To catch up on all this and more, scroll down for our round-up of the seven biggest tech stories of the past seven days.

And once you're up to speed be sure to read our guide to the 7 new movies and TV shows to watch this weekend (July 4) . 7. We investigated The Velvet Sundown mystery (Image credit: The Velvet Sundown)

It was always only a matter of time before AI-generated music had its first big breakthrough, so we weren't at all surprised when The Velvet Sundown crashed the Spotify and Apple Music party this week.

This 'band' have amassed a staggering 860,000+ monthly Spotify listeners, despite (allegedly) not even existing or do they?

The Velvet Sundowns profile picture certainly appears to be an AI-generated image and the bands music, which is a blend of wistful lyrics and mellow psychedelic rock, definitely sounds as if it could have been created by AI.

Deezer even went as far as to flag it as AI-generated, but Spotify and Apply hadn't followed suit at the time of writing leaving many to wonder why the bigger streaming services weren't doing the same thing.

To add a twist to the story, there appear to be rival spokespersons for the band, each claiming to represent them and each giving quotes to the media. Maybe one day well know the true story behind The Velvet Sundown, but until then, theyll remain Dust on the wind. Read more: Spotifys latest breakout
band The Velvet Sundown appears to be AI-generated 6. Anker recalled several power banks (Image credit: Anker)

If you own an Anker power bank, it might be wise to check its model number this week, the Chinese tech giant recalled no less than five models due to a potential fire risk with their lithium-ion batteries. This followed the
recall of another model, the PowerCore 1000 (A1263), in early June, with the new warning including models from its MagGo and Zolo ranges.

Some of the recalls only affect units manufactured between certain dates and Anker has only issued a voluntary recall notice. But its still well worth checking, as you could be due a free replacement or a gift card.

To find out, check out our guide below, which includes links to all of the recall forms and information you need. Read more: Anker just recalled 5 more power banks heres which ones and how to get a free replacement 5. Xbox hardware was declared dead (Image credit: Future)

Former Microsoft Game Studios executive producer Laura Fryer blasted Xbox in
a video posted to her YouTube channel, arguing that the brands hardware is effectively dead. This comes off the back of the reveal of the ROG Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X last month, which she suggests is indicative of Microsofts reluctance to create its own new hardware going forward.

It's "much easier to slap an Xbox sticker on an existing piece of hardware
and call it a day," she said. "From my perspective, it looks like Xbox has no desire or literally can't ship hardware anymore."

Fryer also drew attention to some of the wider issues plaguing the brand,
such as a lack of compelling exclusive experiences. The protracted
development cycles of upcoming titles such as State of Decay 3 (which was originally announced more than five years ago), Fable , and the
since-canceled Perfect Dark remake, she warned, risk leaving consumers
without a compelling reason to consider any future Xbox systems. Read more: A former Microsoft Game Studios executive producer says Xbox hardware is dead
4. Dyson launched an all-powerful new Airwrap (Image credit: Dyson)

The Dyson Airwrap is already considered the best multi-styler you can buy,
and the next-gen version looks even better.

The Dyson Airwrap Co-anda 2x is smaller and lighter yet more powerful than
its predecessor, so you can style for long periods without needing guns like Arnie. Dyson has also added attachment memory so the dryer will recognize which attachment is clipped on, then automatically switch to your last-used settings.

Perhaps most intriguing is a new AirSmooth2x tool, designed for creating straight styles. The styler clamps your hair between two plates and blasts it with directed air to smooth it out, like a mini Dyson Airstrait . Read more: Dyson's supreme multi-styler just got even better 3. This prompt transformed ChatGPT for us (Image credit: Shutterstock/Alex Photo Stock)

The way you prompt ChatGPT can completely change the way the AI chatbot responds to you, and theres no better example than this excellent learning tool we found on Reddit.

Reddit user u/AzAI-W has engineered an incredibly in-depth learning prompt that can help you get info on everything and anything. Think of it as an AI encyclopaedia, filled with an endless amount of knowledge and the ability to ask the right questions to teach you about any topic.

Click here to reveal the full prompt

The prompt: Simply copy and paste the full block of text into ChatGPT, and then respond with the topic you want to know more about.

# *Information Gathering Prompt* --- ## *Prompt Input* - Enter the prompt topic = [......] - **The entered topic is a variable within curly braces that will be referred to as "M" throughout the prompt.** --- ## *Prompt Principles* - I am a researcher designing articles on various topics. - You are **absolutely not** supposed to help me design the article. (Most
important point) 1. **Never suggest an article about "M" to me.** 2. **Do not provide any tips for designing an article about "M".** - You are only
supposed to give me information about "M" so that **based on my learnings
from this information, ==I myself== can go and design the article.** - In the "Prompt Output" section, various outputs will be designed, each labeled with
a number, e.g., Output 1, Output 2, etc. - **How the outputs work:** 1. **To start, after submitting this prompt, ask which output I need.** 2. I will
type the number of the desired output, e.g., "1" or "2", etc. 3. You will
only provide the output with that specific number. 4. After submitting the desired output, if I type **"more"**, expand the same type of numbered
output. - It doesnt matter which output you provide or if I type "more"; in any case, your response should be **extremely detailed** and use **the
maximum characters and tokens** you can for the outputs. (Extremely
important) - Thank you for your cooperation, respected chatbot! --- ## *Prompt Output* --- ### *Output 1* - This output is named: **"Basic Information"** - Includes the following: - An **introduction** about "M" - **General** information about "M" - **Key** highlights and points about "M" - If "2" is typed, proceed to the next output. - If "more" is typed, expand
this type of output. --- ### *Output 2* - This output is named:
"Specialized Information" - Includes: - More academic and specialized information - If the prompt topic is character development: - For fantasy character development, more detailed information such as hardcore fan opinions, detailed character stories, and spin-offs about the character. -
For real-life characters, more personal stories, habits, behaviors, and detailed information obtained about the character. - How to deliver the output: 1. Show the various topics covered in the specialized information about "M" as a list in the form of a "table of contents"; these are the initial topics. 2. Below it, type: - "Which topic are you interested in?" -
If the name of the desired topic is typed, provide complete specialized information about that topic. - "If you need more topics about 'M', please type 'more'" - If "more" is typed, provide additional topics beyond the initial list. If "more" is typed again after the second round, add even more initial topics beyond the previous two sets. - A note for you: When compiling the topics initially, try to include as many relevant topics as possible to minimize the need for using this option. - "If you need access to subtopics
of any topic, please type 'topics ... (desired topic)'." - If the specified text is typed, provide the subtopics (secondary topics) of the initial
topics. - Even if I type "topics ... (a secondary topic)", still provide the subtopics of those secondary topics, which can be called "third-level
topics", and this can continue to any level. - At any stage of the topics (initial, secondary, third-level, etc.), typing "more" will always expand the topics at that same level. - **Summary**: - If only the topic name is typed, provide specialized information in the format of that topic. - If "topics ... (another topic)" is typed, address the subtopics of that topic. - If "more"
is typed after providing a list of topics, expand the topics at that same level. - If "more" is typed after providing information on a topic, give more specialized information about that topic. 3. At any stage, if "1" is typed, refer to "Output 1". - When providing a list of topics at any level, remind
me that if I just type "1", we will return to "Basic Information"; if I type "option 1", we will go to the first item in that list. --- - ==End== Read more: The best ChatGPT learning prompt we've found so far 2. We tried Nothing's first ever headphones (Image credit: Future)

Nothing launched its first over-ear headphones the Headphone (1) and we had some pretty mixed feelings about them. And Im not even talking about the design, which has proven divisive within the TechRadar office and online.

Theyre crammed with features that all work excellently, from strong customizable noise cancellation, to head-tracking for spatial audio, to a really cool Bass Enhancer feature and a great EQ. The app is also really easy to use, and the build quality and physical controls which include a great rolling button that we absolutely love are excellent. Battery life is above average too.

However, we stumbled on the sound. They dont sound bad at all theyre very well-balanced but they had some hard limits compared to the competition at the same price, and for $299 / 299, we expected more. Read more: Ive tested the Nothing Headphone (1) for 2 weeks, and theyre incredibly impressive except where it counts the most 1. We held Nothings 'first true flagship' (Image credit: Nothing)

Nothings first true flagship, the Nothing Phone 3, was finally unveiled to
the world this week, and our initial reaction to the totally bonkers-looking device was one of both surprise and respect.

Its an outlandish creation with specs to rival some of the best phones and I think it could be the most interesting flagship launch of the year, wrote Phones Editor Axel Metz in his hands-on preview of the Nothing Phone 3 .

The headline new feature is Glyph Matrix: a small dot-matrix display that
sits in the top-right corner of the Phone 3s rear panel. A reimagining of the Glyph Interface from previous Nothing phones, its capable of displaying person-specific notifications, monochromatic Glyph Toys (read: party games), and other helpful functions.

Then theres the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset, the triple-lens 50MP camera setup, and the 5,150mAh silicon-carbon battery, all of which should help the Phone 3 compete against the best Android phones on the market.

Its available to pre-order now from Nothing directly for $799 / 799 / AU$1,509, with open sales set to begin globally on July 15. Were currently putting the new device through its paces, so stay tuned for our full review
in the coming weeks. Read more: Nothing's 'first true flagship' is a
veritable box of tricks



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/tech/icymi-the-weeks-7-biggest-tech-stories-from-spo tifys-suspected-ai-band-to-nothings-first-ever-headphones


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