Improved bounds for Stein's square functions

We prove a weighted norm inequality for the maximal Bochner--Riesz operator and the associated square-function. This yields new $L^p(R^d)$ bounds on classes of radial Fourier multipliers for $p\ge 2+4/d$ with $d\ge 2$, as well as space-time regularity results for the wave and Schr\"odinger equations.