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Following his high-profile legal battle with his ex, Amber Heard , controversy has yet to disappear from Johnny Depp 's name. So, what does the future look like for the Hollywood veteran? Ready to make his return to the screen, Deep will first appear in the upcoming Christmas effort Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol , distributed by Paramount Pictures. However, it is his first headline role since the trial that will make most headlines, as Depp stars in Day Drinker , an action thriller which has now moved to a new release date, premiering on March 26, 2027 .

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Nuclear waste may become fuel for decades-long autonomous operations worldwide

DARPA wants batteries delivering power continuously for up to 30 years

Project Omega is converting radiation directly into usable electrical energy efficiently

Scientists working with a United States defense programme are developing compact nuclear batteries intended to supply electricity continuously for several decades.

The effort revolves around radioisotope power systems that convert radiation directly into electricity instead of storing energy through chemical reactions.

Developers believe these lightweight devices could eventually keep drones , satellites, and remote equipment operating without conventional battery replacements for years.

Nuclear waste becomes fuel for decades of uninterrupted power

The programme falls under DARPA's "Rads to Watts" initiative, which seeks compact energy sources delivering high energy density and longevity.

A recent $3.37 million award supports development of a proof-of-concept device producing more than 10 watts per kilogram.

One participant in the programme, Project Omega, is developing the generator that uses isotopes extracted from existing nuclear waste rather than newly produced radioactive material from dedicated facilities.

“Solar cells directly convert sunlight into electricity…Ours directly convert radiation into electricity,” said Stafford Sheehan, CEO and founder of Project Omega.

“We already have some of these small devices running; the ones that are specifically designed to meet the DARPA figure of merit are going to come out early next year.”

Researchers estimate that more than 100,000 metric tons of nuclear waste currently remain stored across 52 reactor locations nationwide.

Sheehan argued that existing stockpiles provide abundant material while unresolved disposal issues continue generating expensive legal disputes for authorities annually.

“At a high level, we take nuclear waste, we recycle it into two products: one is fuel for reactors…the other are power isotopes, so isotopes you can use to power things.”

Unlike conventional rechargeable cells, the proposed units use solid-state isotope blocks layered with semiconductors generating electricity through radiation exposure.

Military planners see obvious advantages for drones and satellites

Radioisotope power systems have powered spacecraft and scientific missions for decades, typically using plutonium-based materials.

Project Omega will now use Strontium-90, which developers describe as less hazardous than Plutonium-238 alternatives currently employed.

The batteries are also expected to function across temperature extremes that frequently create complications for military hardware in difficult environments.

Military interest arrives as demand for unmanned systems grows alongside persistent concerns surrounding charging requirements during extended deployments worldwide.

A drone capable of operating for 30 years with continuous onboard power would alter assumptions surrounding endurance and logistics requirements.

Several organisations are participating in the Rads to Watts programme, including Morgan State University, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Northrop Grumman, ARA, and Widetronix.

Researchers expect a minimally viable prototype to emerge by early 2027 following testing under increasingly realistic operating conditions and scenarios.

However, conversion efficiency, radiation effects, reliability, and safe deployment still require extensive evaluation efforts.

If the technology succeeds, autonomous systems capable of operating for decades could become technically feasible.

Via Defense One

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The BMW iX7 has been spied with slightly less disguise.

Model will have a front end that closely echoes updated i7.

Can expect a roughly 141 kWh battery and around 570 hp.

German automakers have introduced a parade of large crossovers lately as Mercedes unveiled the facelifted GLS in March. The redesigned Audi Q7 arrived earlier this month and will be followed by the Q9 later this year.

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Then it will be BMW’s turn as the redesigned X7 will debut in 2027. It will be joined by an all-new iX7, which was recently caught by spy photographers.

More: BMW’s New Flagship SUV Is Split Between Old Design And New Direction

The model will follow in the footsteps of the new iX5, but adopt a design that closely mirrors the facelifted i7 . As a result, the crossover will have a prominent twin kidney grille that is flanked by split lighting units. Minimalist daytime running lights reside up top and are joined by mid-mounted headlights.

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Moving down the sides, we can see the door handles have been replaced by so-called BMW Winglets. They require the “lightest of touches to open the electrically powered doors.”

BMW i7

Elsewhere, there are sizable wheels and a gently sloping roof. Designers also gave the model long rear doors, which should aid entry and egress from the third-row.

The rear end appears to mimic the iX5 , but the flagship crossover has unique taillights. The bumper is also more curvaceous and conventional.

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The interior will embrace Panoramic iDrive and this means the model will have a nearly full-width screen at the base of the windshield. It will likely be joined by a 17.9-inch infotainment system and an available 14.6-inch front passenger display.

The latter can be used for everything from playing games to watching streaming videos. Users can also listen to music or conduct video calls using the vehicle’s interior camera.

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BMW iX5

Powertrain details are more mysterious, but the iX5 60 xDrive gives us a pretty good idea about what to expect. The five-seat crossover has a 141 kWh battery pack that feeds a dual-motor all-wheel drive system developing 570 hp (425 kW / 578 PS) and 594 lb-ft (805 Nm) of torque.

This enables the model to accelerate from 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) in 4.6 seconds, hit a limited top speed of 130 mph (210 km/h), and have an estimated EPA range of 435 miles (700 km). The crossover also has a 460 kW DC fast charging capability, which can take the battery from 10-80% in as little as 23 minutes.

We can also expect more powerful electric variants as well as an assortment of engines in the regular X7.

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I've reviewed a few robot vacuums in the last year sister site Tom's Guide, but I'd yet to try one from powerhouse brand Ecovacs Robotics. With several excellent reviews already on TechRadar, including those by my colleague Sharmishta, who swears by the brand and rated the Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni very highly, I was eager to get stuck into my own assessment of the Deebot T90 Pro Omni, which launched in March this year.

On paper, it came across as the perfect pet-friendly robot vacuum. It touted an impressive 30,000Pa suction power across hardwood and carpeted floors, and as a mum to two Border Collies, cleaning up fur every day was my #1 priority.

It also didn't help that I fell pretty hard for The T90's looks (more on that below), but I was anxious about its price — $899.99 / £899 / AU$2,299 seemed rather steep, especially in Australia where I'm based, for a T-series Deebot that's typically been the more mid-range option to Ecovacs' X-series flagships. But then you get what you pay for, right? Or so I thought.

After using it for three months, I was left with an expensive robot vacuum that still looks lovely in its corner but doesn't quite fulfil the rest of its promises.

It's a looker

If you’ve often considered a robot vacuum, but have been put off by the large, rather unsightly docking stations, then you’ll be pleased to learn that the Deebot T90 Pro arrives with the newly enhanced Ecovacs station. The dock and station's combined footprint is slim, and it can easily be placed under a counter or table if you want to store it away. But given its Nordic-inspired, fabric-like design, Ecovacs clearly didn't intend for the T90 to be hidden, especially in homes with minimalist aesthetic settings. Personally, I quite liked the new off-white color as it complemented my apartment decor.

TechRadar / Lucy Scotting TechRadar / Lucy Scotting TechRadar / Lucy Scotting Unlike some other Ecovacs' robot vacuums, the T90 Pro Omni's bot neglects a turret completely, opting for a LiDAR sensor at the front of the machine, so it can get under furniture without issues. In place of a turret sits a loosely placed fabric-like lid that can, sadly, get dislodged when bumped into with some force.

However, the fact that both water tanks are fully concealed within the dock is a big tick for me, as it means I never once had to catch sight of dirty water throughout the day. The trade-off to this is that you can't see if either tank is full or empty. If you set the robot vacuum to clean everyday, then you’ll need to regularly check the tanks to see if they need filling or emptying.

I found I was consistently emptying and refilling the water tanks after every other clean despite its 4L capacity and the mopping area in my apartment is the living, dining and kitchen (my bedrooms are carpeted). I'm also a little surprised that the dirty-water capacity is so much lower, I was expecting it to be around 3L. What that means is, if you live in a large family home, you'll likely need to clean out the dirty mop water between each session too — beats the purpose I think.

Looks can be deceiving

It's lovely design aside, the T90 Pro struggled from day one, starting with its initial floor mapping. As I've already mentioned, my single-storey apartment has a mixture of carpeted and hardwood floors and a relatively straightforward floor plan, which most robovacs I've tried can get right the first time. Nevertheless, it took six mapping sessions to finally achieve an accurate map of my home.

I'll take some of the blame here, as the one map error was my fault after leaving my built-in wardrobe open, but I wanted to believe that after considerable daily use, the bot would update the floorplan on its own — I suppose I was expecting too much from Ecovacs' software there.

Even after the T90 had mapped my home accurately, I still had to make significant edits in the app to get all the rooms marked out correctly, something I've not had to do with other brands.

(Image credit: TechRadar / Lucy Scotting) I made sure all carpet areas were marked out and, despite that, the T90 Pro Omni repeatedly mopped the bedrooms when in Auto mode to do a full-house clean. The only way to avoid this was to start setting up Room or Zone cleans every single time. In other words, the Auto Mode, for me, was redundant.

Aside from the copious amounts of remapping and wrong floor recognition, the T90 faltered when it came to vacuuming up pet hair. Despite its high suction power, I found that the T90 consistently left pet hair on even my hard floors (struggling even more on carpets), and I had to do a follow-up clean with my Dreame U20 which, even as affordable cordless option without a lot of suction, does so much better.

This really was my biggest disappointment because Ecovacs' Blast suction promises improved airflow for the best clean and I saw no evidence of that here. Moreover, a lot of the pet hair got entangled in the central bar brush and its wheels, meaning the bot itself required constant maintenance.

TechRadar / Lucy Scotting TechRadar / Lucy Scotting TechRadar / Lucy Scotting Mopping was a rather unfortunate experience too, especially after all those trips to and from the tap. My wood floors were left streaky and some spills were ignored by the AI stain recognition. My colleague Sharm much prefers the roller mops to the rotating discs on robovacs, but I'm not convinced... yet.

Random starts was another issue I had to face with the T90 Pro Omni — it would just start cleaning on its own, even when there was no voice command or a schedule set up.

There was a silver lining in all this, though: despite being a little basic compared to other robot vacuum apps I've used, the Ecovacs Home app was fairly easy to use (after the remapping shenanigans of course) to set up custom cleaning routines, schedules, suction and waterflow rates.

The easy-to-use app doesn't make up for everything else that went wrong though.

So, what now?

(Image credit: TechRadar / Lucy Scotting) Look, I'll be honest — I was hard-pressed to find something positive to say about the Ecovacs Deebot T90 Pro Omni. A nice design and a decent app will only take my over user experience so far.

I wasn't looking for perfection; I just needed a robot vacuum that do the daily cleanup so I didn't have to and, in that one task, the T90 failed as I had to vacuum again anyway.

And this isn't the first time a Deebot has disappointed — my colleague Sharm wasn't particularly enthused by the older Ecovacs Deebot T50 Max Pro Omni either. TechRadar's recently published Ecovacs Deebot X12 Omnicyclone review also doesn't look very encouraging.

So what's going on at Ecovacs Robotics, one of the pioneering robovac brands? The company's been pumping out new models in quick succession over the last few years, with three alone announced at CES 2026, but it just feels like software and performance issues aren't being fully tested before release to market. Maybe it's time for Ecovacs to slow down, take a beat, and perhaps learn from its mistakes before releasing another suite of subpar products.

I'm still keeping faith that the brand will impress me one day, it's just not going to be with the T90 Pro Omni.