The Same Microsoft Surface I Bought 4 Months Ago Is 69% More Expensive Now - Here's Why
Rising demand for AI‑driven cloud services is pushing DRAM and SSD prices up 130% through 2026, according to Gartner. The surge in component costs has forced Microsoft to raise Surface prices by as much as 69% in just four months, with entry‑level models also seeing 30‑plus percent hikes. Gartner also predicts average PC prices will climb 17% and shipments will fall double‑digit by 2026, threatening low‑margin laptops. Apple’s MacBook Neo sidesteps the memory squeeze by using integrated RAM, giving it a pricing edge.
Microsoft's Windows 11 Laptop Deal for Students Comes with a $500 Bonus - What's Included
Microsoft is offering U.S. college students a free bundle worth over $500 when they purchase a qualifying Windows 11 laptop from major retailers. The package includes a year of Microsoft 365 Premium with AI‑driven Co‑Pilot, a year of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, and a customizable...
Microsoft's Latest Windows Update Now Confirms if Your PC Is Secure Boot-Protected - How It Works
Microsoft’s April 2026 Patch Tuesday adds a visual Secure Boot status indicator to Windows 10 and Windows 11, showing green, yellow, or red icons that reflect the health of the boot‑chain certificates. The update also replaces aging Secure Boot certificates that will expire in...
Why the Apple Watch's 20-Minute Calibration Test Is Worth Your Time - Especially if You're Data Curious
Apple Watch users can boost workout accuracy by completing a 20‑minute outdoor calibration walk or run. The process involves enabling Motion Calibration & Distance in iPhone privacy settings and exercising in a GPS‑strong area, allowing the watch to learn personal...
How My Smart Home Became My Best Defense Against Brutal Spring Allergies - and Pollen
Maria Diaz details how she turned her smart home into a frontline defense against spring pollen. She relies on a HEPA‑rated smart air purifier that auto‑starts when indoor AQI rises, and uses Alexa routines to receive daily pollen and air‑quality...
I'm Ready for a Foldable iPhone, but only if Apple Does This Right
Apple is rumored to unveil its first foldable iPhone in 2026, marking the company’s most significant hardware redesign in years. The device would feature a wide‑screen form factor that minimizes video letterboxing and aims to blend productivity with media consumption....
After Using These JBL Headphones, I'm Wondering if We're All Too Distracted by Sony and Bose
JBL’s new Live 780NC headphones aim at the $250 mid‑range segment, offering hi‑res wired audio, LDAC and LC3 wireless codecs, and a suite of software features like adaptive noise cancellation and Auracast. Sound quality is bass‑forward with a wider soundstage than...
The Best Zoom Alternatives in 2026: Expert Tested and Reviewed
Video‑conferencing remains a competitive space in 2026, and the article ranks the most viable Zoom alternatives. Google Meet tops the list for its seamless Google Workspace integration and AI‑driven meeting summaries, while Microsoft Teams leads enterprise deployments with deep Office...
Surprise: Not Every Lenovo Laptop Is Worth Recommending in 2026 - the Yoga 7i Is Proof
Lenovo’s Yoga 7a 2‑in‑1 positions itself as a mid‑range convertible with a premium 2K OLED screen and an improved magnetic stylus sleeve, but its performance and pricing lag behind newer rivals. Powered by an AMD Ryzen AI 7 445 CPU, up to 24 GB RAM and...
You Can Read PDFs and Articles on Your Kindle: How to Send All Kinds of Files to Your Device
Amazon’s Send to Kindle suite lets users push PDFs, Word docs, images and other formats to their e‑ink readers without a cable. Files can be uploaded via the web portal, a Chrome extension, a dedicated Kindle email address, or the...
Your Kindle's Not Obsolete, It Just Needs a Jailbreak - and I'll Show You How It's Done
Amazon will block all Kindle models released before 2013 from accessing the Kindle Store after May 20 2026, effectively ending official support for those devices. A detailed guide shows how owners can jailbreak these Kindles using MobileRead bin files and the “Update...
How to Add EPUB, MOBI, and PDF Files to Your Kindle - Follow My Easy Step-by-Step
Amazon will block all Kindle devices released before 2013 from the Kindle Store starting May 20, 2026, preventing purchases, borrowing, and downloads. The article shows how owners can keep these legacy devices functional by sideloading EPUB, MOBI, PDF and other...
E-Books Are More Expensive Now, Too - 5 Ways I Find Good Free Kindle Reads in 2026
ZDNet outlines five practical ways to source free or low‑cost e‑books for Kindle readers in 2026. Users can tap Amazon’s rotating free titles, public‑domain libraries like Project Gutenberg, and library services such as OverDrive’s Libby or Hoopla with a library...
I Found Android Auto's Hidden Shortcut that Automates Any Task in Your Car - and It's Brilliant
Android Auto’s Custom Assistant shortcut lets drivers automate multiple phone and smart‑home actions with a single tap, and the recent integration of Google Gemini AI makes the commands more natural and powerful. The feature is hidden in the Android Auto...
Samsung's Latest TV Firmware Update Fixes the Chromecast Issue for Older Models - Finally
Samsung’s Tizen firmware v2115 restores native Google Cast to its older smart‑TV lineup, covering models from 2023 through 2026. The update rolls out in phased batches during 2024‑2026 and also adds Universal Gestures support via the Galaxy Watch. By embedding...
Android's Emergency Alerts Just Got a Major Map Upgrade - but Change This Setting First
Google’s March 2026 Android update adds a map view to Wireless Emergency Alerts, letting users see the exact footprint of weather, AMBER or other public safety alerts and their own location within it. The feature replaces vague text descriptions with...
I Built Two Apps with Just My Voice and a Mouse - Are IDEs Already Obsolete?
Software developer David Gewirtz demonstrates that AI‑driven voice and terminal workflows can replace traditional integrated development environments. By prompting an AI assistant through Wispr Flow and using iTerm2, he built two multi‑platform Apple apps— a filament‑management tool and a sewing‑pattern manager—within...
This Privacy-First Chatbot Is Taking Off - Here's Why and How to Try It
Duck.ai, DuckDuckGo's privacy‑first chatbot, saw a 300% traffic surge to 11.1 million visits in February, according to Similarweb. The service anonymizes queries and routes them through frontier models from Anthropic, OpenAI and Meta, preventing data exposure. Recent feature upgrades—including image generation...
Don't Ignore Your Desktop PC's Empty M.2 Slots - They're More Useful than You Think
Desktop PCs built in the last decade often include one or more unused M.2 slots, which are wired directly to PCIe lanes. These slots can host high‑speed Ethernet adapters, USB‑C/A expansion cards, secondary GPUs, or additional NVMe SSDs, delivering noticeable...
My Favorite Smart Notebook for To-Do Lists Is Currently on Sale
Tech reporter Allison Murray highlights the Boox Note Air 5C e‑ink tablet, now $41 cheaper in Amazon’s Big Spring Sale. The bundle adds an orange folio cover for just $10, bringing the total to $540. The device features a Pen 3 stylus...
No Internet? This 'Survival Computer' Has Everything You Need Offline - Including AI
Project NOMAD is an open‑source, self‑contained platform that delivers a searchable knowledge base and local AI assistant without an internet connection. It installs on any Debian‑based Linux distribution using a single script and runs six Docker containers that power services...
AirPods Pro 3 Vs. Bose QuietComfort Ultra 2: I Listened to Both, and There's a Sonic Difference
Apple’s AirPods Pro 3 and Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra 2nd‑Gen earbuds launched within weeks of each other, prompting a side‑by‑side review. The AirPods Pro 3 cost $249, offer Apple‑centric features like heart‑rate monitoring, Spatial Audio and automatic device switching, and provide eight hours of...
This iPhone Charger From Anker Comes with a Nifty Smart Display - and It's on Sale
Anker’s Nano 45W Smart Display charger is on sale for $28, a 30% discount on the black and white models, with blue and orange versions at $30. The compact charger features a tiny touchscreen that shows real‑time power delivery and battery...
Yes, You Need a Smart Bird Feeder in Your Life - and This One's on Sale
The Birdfy Smart Bird Feeder, an AI‑powered device that records and identifies over 6,000 bird species, is now $60 off (about 30% discount) during Amazon’s Big Spring Sale ending March 31. It streams 1080p video with 8× digital zoom and full‑color...
YouTube Premium Cost Me 30% Extra for Months Until I Noticed - Check Your Plan ASAP
A ZDNET writer discovered they were paying $29.99 per month for YouTube Premium instead of the standard $22.99 because the family plan was billed through Apple’s App Store, which adds a roughly 30% surcharge. The article explains how to verify...
I Can't Stop Talking About the Ninja Creami Swirl - and It's on Sale at Amazon Right Now
ZDNET reviewer tested the Ninja Creami Swirl, a countertop soft‑serve ice‑cream maker. Amazon’s Big Spring Sale offers a 14 % discount, pricing the unit at $299, near its historic low of $279. The appliance includes 13 programs—including a low‑sugar CreamiFit line—and...
Noi Brings All Your Favorite AI Tools Together in One Desktop Interface - No More App Switching
Noi is a free, cross‑platform GUI that consolidates popular AI services such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity into a single desktop interface. The app adds multi‑window management, session isolation, prompt libraries, and a built‑in terminal that can connect to...
Bose's Flagship Headphones Just Dropped to the Lowest Price I've Seen on Amazon
Bose’s second‑generation QuietComfort Ultra headphones have hit Amazon’s Big Spring Sale at a record low of $399, a $50 discount off the launch price. The Ultra 2 model adds a 30‑hour battery, USB‑C audio, and an auto‑low‑power mode while retaining Bose’s...
How High of a Refresh Rate Does Your TV Really Need? An Expert's Buying Advice
Refresh rate is the most marketed TV spec after panel type, but higher numbers don’t automatically guarantee a better picture. A 60 Hz panel meets the needs of most streaming viewers and casual gamers, while 120 Hz delivers smoother motion for sports...
My Personal Data Has Been Leaked Several Times - This Service Helped Clean It All Up
DeleteMe is a subscription‑based data‑removal service that scans the web for personal information and files opt‑out requests on behalf of users. In a ZDNET test, the platform examined 371 listings and successfully removed 44 within five days, with additional takedowns...
This Viral Wireless Dongle Lets You Share Your Audio on a Flight - How It Works
Twelve South’s AirFly Pro 2 is a compact Bluetooth dongle that turns any 3.5 mm audio source—such as an airplane’s entertainment jack—into a wireless feed for personal headphones. The device supports dual‑headphone pairing, features an upgraded Qualcomm chip for clearer sound and...
OpenAI's GPT-5.4 Mini and Nano Launch - with Near Flagship Performance at Much Lower Cost
OpenAI unveiled GPT‑5.4 mini and nano, lightweight models that deliver near‑flagship performance at a fraction of the cost. The mini runs more than twice as fast as GPT‑5 mini and scores 54% on SWE‑bench, approaching the full GPT‑5.4’s accuracy, while...
Amazon Just Slashed the Price on 4K Fire TV Sticks up to 50% Off
Amazon slashed prices on its Fire TV streaming sticks ahead of the Big Spring Sale, offering the Fire TV Stick 4K Plus for $25 (50% off) and the Fire TV Stick 4K Max for $35 (over 40% off). The Max...
This Security Flaw Could Affect 1 in 4 Android Phones - How to Check Yours
Researchers at Ledger’s Donjon team discovered a hardware flaw in MediaTek’s trusted execution environment that affects roughly 25 % of Android smartphones. The vulnerability lets an attacker connect a phone to a laptop via USB and extract cryptographic keys in under...
How to Set up a Smart Switch to Power Your Home (and What to Avoid when You Do)
SwitchBot offers a battery‑powered, adhesive‑mounted robot that mechanically flips existing light and appliance switches, eliminating the need for rewiring or professional installation. Users can control the device via direct Bluetooth for short‑range use or add a SwitchBot Hub to enable...
Whisker Litter-Robot 5 Pro Review: This $900 Litter Box May Be Almost Too High-Tech for Me
Whisker’s new Litter‑Robot 5 Pro, priced at $899, adds a dual‑camera system, LCD screen, larger waste drawer and the Waste ID feature that separates urine from feces using AI and weight sensors. The AI camera can recognize individual cats and record usage, but...