Google Overhauls Its AI Plans - Which One Should You Now Choose?
Google announced a revamped Gemini AI subscription lineup at I/O 2026, introducing a lower‑cost Ultra tier at $100 per month and cutting the full Ultra price to $200. Both Ultra options now deliver dramatically higher usage limits—five‑times and twenty‑times the Pro plan, respectively—and include perks such as priority Antigravity access, Gemini 3.5 Flash, 20 TB cloud storage, and YouTube Premium. New features like the Gemini Spark AI agent and the video‑centric Gemini Omni model roll out across all plans, while a compute‑based usage meter replaces the old prompt‑count system. Existing Plus and Pro tiers remain, with Pro users gaining free YouTube Premium Lite in select markets.
Why Business Architects Are Poised to Lead the Corporate AI Revolution
Business architects, combining tech know‑how with business insight, are being positioned to steer AI adoption at Siemens, a global conglomerate of 250,000 employees. Senior VP Andrew Allan says the role requires at least a decade of planning experience, deep domain...
Microsoft PowerToys Now Lets You Control Your Monitor From the Taskbar - Here's How
Microsoft released PowerToys version 0.99.1, introducing Power Display—a task‑bar tool that lets users adjust monitor brightness, contrast, color temperature and other settings without leaving Windows. The update also adds Grab And Move, enabling users to relocate or resize any window by holding Alt...
Don't Connect Your Smart Plug to These 5 Household Devices - an Expert Warns
Smart plugs offer convenient remote control for low‑power devices, but most are limited to a 15‑amp (≈1,800 W) rating. Connecting heavy‑duty appliances, medical life‑support equipment, power strips, heating tools, or continuously cycling devices can overload the plug, cause overheating, or interrupt...
Windows Rivals to MacBook Neo Are Arriving - but Can You Handle Their Shortcomings?
Apple introduced the $599 MacBook Neo, the cheapest MacBook ever, delivering high‑end specs such as a 2408×1506 Retina display, 8 GB RAM and 512 GB SSD. The device’s premium build and seamless ecosystem have quickly outpaced typical budget Windows laptops, creating a...
Flying Soon? American Airlines Has New Portable Battery Rules - What to Know Before You Go
American Airlines has tightened its in‑flight portable‑charger policy effective May 1, limiting passengers to two power banks no larger than 100 Wh. The devices must remain visible or within reach while in use and cannot be recharged aboard the aircraft. The rule...
Whoop Vs. Fitbit Air: I Compared Google's New Fitness Band to the Industry Favorite
Google unveiled the Fitbit Air, a $100 screenless fitness band that eliminates the mandatory subscription model common to premium trackers. The Air offers basic activity, sleep, recovery and stress monitoring, with an optional Google Health Premium service at $100 per...
The Future of IT Service Delivery Is Built on AI and Automation
The IT services market is confronting a costly wave of tool sprawl, where fragmented platforms force technicians into manual, duplicate work. A Freshworks report estimates this inefficiency wastes $2.38 trillion annually in the United States. Vendors such as Kaseya argue that...
This 4TB WD Black SSD for 50% Off at Best Buy Is a Deal I Can Seriously Recommend
Best Buy is offering a 53% discount on the 4 TB WD Black SN850X, slashing the price to $800—about $900 off the regular retail cost. The drive delivers up to 7,300 MB/s sequential reads and 6,600 MB/s writes, with an endurance rating of 2,400 TB. The...
How This Travel Company's AI Rollout Drove a 73% Satisfaction Boost: A 5-Step Playbook for Your Business
Booking.com transformed its partner‑to‑guest communication with an agentic AI system called Smart Messenger, cutting response times from minutes to seconds. By building a Snowflake‑based data platform that incorporates ThoughtSpot, Airflow, Immuta, Arize and open‑source LangGraph, the company staged a two‑phase...
Building an Agentic AI Strategy that Pays Off - without Risking Business Failure
Agentic AI promises up to $3 trillion in annual productivity gains, yet Gartner predicts over 40% of projects will be canceled by 2027 because of cost overruns and unclear value. Only about 13% of vendors truly deliver autonomous agents, and token‑based...
Your TV Can Sound a Lot Better: 7 Easy but Unexpected Ways to Improve Audio Quality
Most TV audio problems stem from room acoustics rather than the speakers themselves, and simple, low‑cost tweaks can dramatically improve sound quality. Soft furnishings, acoustic curtains, and inexpensive foam panels absorb reflections and block external noise, creating a cleaner listening...
I Tested ChatGPT and Perplexity AI as My CarPlay Voice Assistants - This Model Was Better
Apple’s CarPlay now supports third‑party AI voice assistants, allowing drivers to interact hands‑free with ChatGPT and Perplexity AI. In a real‑world test, Perplexity handled navigation, calendar and reminder tasks that ChatGPT could not, while ChatGPT delivered richer conversational and creative...
Thousands of Readers Bought These 10 Useful Tools and Gadgets (No. 5 Gets Weird)
ZDNET’s April 2026 roundup highlights the ten gadgets its readers purchased most, ranging from low‑cost Bluetooth trackers to a smart insect‑bite heater. The list showcases affordable, Android‑friendly options like the Chipolo One Point tracker ($21) and the Spigen Tough Armor MagFit...
After Testing This Linux Laptop, I Understand Why MacBooks Are the Superior Choice
The InfinityBook Max 15 from Tuxedo Computers, starting at $1,801, offers a solid aluminum build, a 15.5‑inch 500‑nit 300 Hz display, and optional RTX 5060 or RTX 5070 graphics. Reviewers find its keyboard and screen comparable to a MacBook Pro, and it even outperforms...
Motorola Razr Ultra (2026) Vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7: I Tried Both, and There's a Clear Winner
Motorola unveiled the 2026 Razr Ultra, positioning it as the flagship of its new Razr line and a direct challenger to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 7. The Ultra boasts a Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, 16 GB RAM, a 5,000 mAh battery with 68 W TurboPower charging,...
Health Is Tim Cook's Defining Legacy - and Your Apple Watch Proves It
Tim Cook’s tenure at Apple culminated in the Apple Watch becoming a cornerstone of consumer health technology. Launched in 2014, the watch evolved from a simple activity tracker to a medical‑grade device with FDA‑cleared ECG and atrial‑fibrillation detection, powered by...
These Two Critical Mac Security Features Are Off by Default - How to Turn Them on and Why You Should
Most macOS devices ship with the built‑in firewall turned off, leaving them exposed to network attacks. ZDNet explains how to enable the firewall and its companion Stealth Mode, which blocks ping and connection attempts. The step‑by‑step guide walks users through...
I've Used Android Auto for Years, and These 5 Changes Solved My Biggest Issues
Long‑time Android enthusiast shares five practical Android Auto tweaks that solve common annoyances. He shows how to build Custom Assistant shortcuts that launch navigation, send texts, and adjust the thermostat with a single tap. He also explains disabling the Feedback...
77% of IT Managers Say Their AI Agents Are Out of Control - 5 Ways to Rein in Yours
A Rubrik ZeroLabs survey reveals that only 23% of IT managers feel they have complete control over enterprise AI agents, while 81% report that agents demand more manual auditing than they save. The study shows 86% of respondents expect agent...
Own a Hisense TV? I'd Change These Expert Settings to Noticeably Improve the Picture Quality
ZDNet outlines a step‑by‑step guide for tweaking Hisense TV picture settings, from simple preset selections to granular calibration. It recommends turning on Auto Picture Mode, Active Contrast, and HDR Enhancer for automatic optimization, then provides tailored configurations for live TV,...
Framework Laptop 13 Pro Vs. MacBook Neo: These Windows Rivals Are More Similar than Expected
Framework unveiled its Laptop 13 Pro, branding it as a "MacBook Pro for Linux users" with a $1,199 DIY price tag and a fully modular design. Apple’s recently released 13‑inch MacBook Neo, priced at $599, is being promoted as the most repairable laptop...
Get Spotify's Student Discount and Hulu for Just $6 a Month - Here's How
Spotify is offering a bundled student plan that combines Spotify Premium and Hulu with Ads for $6.99 per month, a steep discount from the regular $12.99 and $7.99 rates. The deal is available to students enrolled at U.S. Title IV‑accredited colleges...
FCC's Router Ban Expands to Portable Hotspots - 4 Things This Means for You
The FCC has broadened its ban on foreign‑made networking gear to cover portable or mobile MiFi hotspots intended for residential use. The move follows a recent prohibition on new routers from brands such as TP‑Link, Linksys and Asus, and it...
The 4 Streaming Services I Swear by - and My Bill Is Just $40 a Month
Jada Jones outlines a personal streaming lineup—Apple Music, YouTube Premium Lite, Peacock, and Netflix’s ad‑supported plan—that keeps her monthly entertainment bill near $40, far below the industry average of $71 for four services and the $122 typical cable bill. She...
The Microsoft Surface Pro Is Nearly 40% Off at Best Buy - and We Highly Recommend It
Microsoft’s 13‑inch Surface Pro, equipped with an OLED display, Snapdragon X Elite processor, 16 GB RAM and 1 TB storage, is now priced at $1,400 after an $800 discount at Best Buy—roughly a 40% markdown. The deal excludes the detachable keyboard, which must be purchased...
The Best Smart TV VPNs of 2026: Expert Tested and Reviewed
ZDNET’s 2026 guide ranks NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Surfshark, IPVanish and Private Internet Access as the top VPNs for smart TVs. NordVPN leads with fast speeds (704 Mbps download), a 126‑country server network and pricing from $3.09 per month. ExpressVPN offers premium performance...
I'm Putting Motorola Above Samsung when It Comes to Flip Phones - and Won't Think Twice
Motorola now commands roughly half of the U.S. foldable smartphone market, a share bolstered by its aggressive pricing, flexible software, and fashion‑forward designs. The 2024 Moto Razr flip starts at about $399, dramatically cheaper than Samsung’s $899 entry‑level Z Flip FE, while still...
Scaling Agentic AI Demands a Strong Data Foundation - 4 Steps to Take First
Agentic AI scaling hinges on a robust, high‑quality data foundation. Gartner projects worldwide AI spending to hit $2.5 trillion in 2026, while Deloitte estimates the agentic AI market will reach $8.5 billion by that year. McKinsey finds that 80% of firms cite...
This Motorola Phone Deal Comes with Free Bluetooth Trackers and Earbuds - How It Works
Motorola is bundling a free Moto Tag 4‑pack and Moto Buds Plus earbuds with its new Moto G 2026 smartphone, priced under $500. The device offers a 6.7‑inch 120 Hz display, 50 MP main camera, and a MediaTek Dimensity 6300 processor with a RAM‑boost feature....
This Free App Makes Journaling so Easy that I've Managed to Do It for 3 Months
ZDNET writer Jack Wallen praises Diarly, a free journaling app for macOS, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch, as the most effortless tool he’s used. After three months with the free version, he highlights its clean UI, mood tags, icons, and...
Samsung Is Ending Messages in July: 5 Replacements I'd Switch to Now
Samsung announced that its native Messages app will be discontinued in July 2026, affecting U.S. users on Android 12 or newer. The move forces those users to adopt a third‑party messaging solution within a short window. Samsung itself recommends Google Messages,...
I Ditched My iPhone's Hotspot for This 5G Travel Router - and I'm Never Going Back
Acer’s Connect M6E mobile hotspot replaces the iPhone’s tethering with a dedicated 5G router. It packs a MediaTek processor, 4 GB RAM, 16 GB storage and an 8,000 mAh battery that can stream video for 28 hours. The device supports nano‑SIM, eSIM and a virtual...
Does Best Buy Price Match? Everything to Know About Matching Prices Online and In-Store
Best Buy’s Price Match Guarantee lets shoppers obtain the lower pre‑tax price of a new, in‑stock item when a listed competitor offers it. The policy applies to 20 approved retailers—including Amazon, Costco and Target—but excludes marketplace, clearance, refurbished, open‑box and member‑only...
Don't Fall for the 'Vivid' TV Trap when Shopping - How I Get the Most Color Accurate Setup
Retail or demo picture modes are engineered to crank up brightness, contrast, and color saturation so TVs look eye‑catching on showroom floors. In a home environment those settings produce oversaturated, unrealistic images, while the default home mode offers a more...
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,...
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...