Technology
- The best cheap portable power stations of 2024: Expert tested and reviewed December 22, 2024I tested the best cheap portable power stations that are great for camping, workshops, and power outages. Here's how to pick an excellent system without spending thousands of dollars.
- If your AI-generated code becomes faulty, who faces the most liability exposure? December 22, 2024Who is liable: the product maker, the library coder, or the company that chose the product? Our Part 2 analysis examines this sticky issue if a catastrophic outcome occurs.
- The best speakers for vinyl in 2024: Expert recommended December 22, 2024We found the best speakers for vinyl, based on our testing and recommendations from music industry experts, to help you choose the right option.
- These discounted earbuds deliver audio so high quality, you'll forget they're mid-range December 22, 2024The Sennheiser Accentum True Wireless earbuds have an audiophile-grade sound that sounds lush and premium but at a mid-range price point. Plus, they're actually comfortable to wear.
- This Galaxy Watch is one of my top smartwatches for 2024 and it's received a huge discount December 22, 2024It's been a big year in the smartwatch market, but Samsung's Galaxy Watch Ultra has risen to the top thanks to its perfect size and features. And the best is it's on sale.
- One of my favorite Android smartwatches isn't from Google or OnePlus (and it's on sale) December 22, 2024The Galaxy Watch FE makes it easier for everyone to get in on the smartwatch action, plus the LTE support lets you use the watch without your phone. It's also been recently discounted on Samsung's website.
- The best power banks you can buy in 2024: Expert tested and reviewed December 21, 2024We tested the best portable power banks from Anker, Ugreen, Baseus, and more to help you find the ultimate solution for reviving your drained devices.
- If ChatGPT produces AI-generated code for your app, who does it really belong to? December 21, 2024The answer is complicated, so in Part I of a two-article analysis, we consulted legal experts to obtain some definitive answers.
- The best iPhone power banks of 2024: Expert tested and reviewed December 21, 2024We went hands-on with some of the top iPhone power banks that will keep your devices powered up and ready to go.
- The best NAS devices of 2024: Expert tested December 21, 2024We tested the top NAS storage devices that provide seamless storage solutions for personal and professional use.
- The best external hard drives of 2024: Expert tested December 21, 2024I've meticulously tested the leading external hard drives on the market to help you find the most dependable and budget-friendly backup storage solutions.
- The best iPads for college: Expert tested and reviewed December 21, 2024From taking notes and Zoom calls to completing a graphic design project, we went hands-on with the top iPads for college students.
- I converted this Windows 11 Mini PC into a Linux workstation – and didn't regret it December 21, 2024The Herk Orion is a capable Ryzen-powered Mini PC in its own right, but ditching Windows for a Linux OS has opened up a whole new level of performance.
- I found one of the fastest-charging portable batteries for home backups – and it's on sale December 21, 2024The Andes 1500 portable power station is strong enough to power essential appliances during a power outage or as a camping or RV companion.
- I tested the viral 'tangle-free' USB-C cable, and it's my new travel essential December 21, 2024I didn't expect the Magtame USB-C cable to be as useful as it is. Even its thermal test results look promising.
- I tried an ultra-thin iPhone case, and here's how my daunting experience went December 21, 2024Latercase's Thin Case puts an ultra-slim layer of protection around your phone, and it's surprisingly functional.
- ZDNET's product of the year: Why Oura Ring 4 bested Samsung, Apple, and others in 2024 December 21, 2024By blending precision health tracking with an elegant design, the Oura Ring 4 underscores the growing importance of health tech in our daily lives.
- This LG Bluetooth speaker impressed me with a design feature I've yet to see on competitors December 20, 2024The LG XBoom 360 XO2 features booming sound in a portable form factor, but one unique aspect sets it apart from the competition.
- Amazon's AI Shopping Guides helps you research less and shop more. Here's how it works December 20, 2024The sheer abundance of deals during the holiday season can get overwhelming. Amazon's guides help US customers navigate more than 100 product types.
- This Roku Ultra streaming device gave my TV 4K superpowers – and it's on sale right now December 20, 2024Looking for a fast, reliable streaming device that's easy to use with any smartphone? The Roku Ultra is as good as these gadgets get.
Technology
- Google and OpenAI's AI product announcements over the past month have transformed the state of AI and show the breadth and pace of change (Ethan Mollick/One Useful Thing) December 23, 2024Ethan Mollick / One Useful Thing: Google and OpenAI's AI product announcements over the past month have transformed the state of AI and show the breadth and pace of change — The last month has transformed the state of AI, with the pace picking up dramatically in just the last week. AI labs have unleashed […]
- A look at new tech-based mental health treatments like the Tetris method and Avatar therapy that are offering promising early results and possibilities (Michael Peel/Financial Times) December 23, 2024Michael Peel / Financial Times: A look at new tech-based mental health treatments like the Tetris method and Avatar therapy that are offering promising early results and possibilities — From video games to personal avatars, researchers are looking to develop a new generation of digital tools that do not involve taking a drug or therapy
- OpenAI details "deliberative alignment", a new method it used to make o1 and o3 "think" about its safety policy before responding, to improve overall alignment (Maxwell Zeff/TechCrunch) December 23, 2024Maxwell Zeff / TechCrunch: OpenAI details “deliberative alignment”, a new method it used to make o1 and o3 “think” about its safety policy before responding, to improve overall alignment — OpenAI announced a new family of AI reasoning models on Friday, o3, which the startup claims to be more advanced …
- Sources: SoftBank's Masayoshi Son has recently become singularly obsessed with how to build the next Nvidia and wants competitive AI chips ready to ship by 2026 (Bloomberg) December 22, 2024Bloomberg: Sources: SoftBank's Masayoshi Son has recently become singularly obsessed with how to build the next Nvidia and wants competitive AI chips ready to ship by 2026 — The billionaire SoftBank founder promises to invest $100 billion in the US as part of a sweeping redemption plan.
- Broadcom CEO Hock Tan says AI spending frenzy will continue until the decade's end, and downplays an Intel bid, saying he had his "hands very full" in AI chips (Tim Bradshaw/Financial Times) December 22, 2024Tim Bradshaw / Financial Times: Broadcom CEO Hock Tan says AI spending frenzy will continue until the decade's end, and downplays an Intel bid, saying he had his “hands very full” in AI chips — CEO said Big Tech groups are ‘investing full tilt’ as US chipmaker soars to more than $1tn valuation
- Donald Trump announces that Sriram Krishnan, until recently a general partner at a16z, will serve as senior policy advisor for AI at the White House OSTP (Kyle Wiggers/TechCrunch) December 22, 2024Kyle Wiggers / TechCrunch: Donald Trump announces that Sriram Krishnan, until recently a general partner at a16z, will serve as senior policy advisor for AI at the White House OSTP — Incoming president Donald Trump has confirmed reports that Sriram Krishnan, until recently a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz …
- A survey of 501 organizations globally estimates organizations contribute $7.7B annually to open source software and 86% of contribution value is employee labor (The Linux Foundation) December 22, 2024The Linux Foundation: A survey of 501 organizations globally estimates organizations contribute $7.7B annually to open source software and 86% of contribution value is employee labor — We've long understood that people are the engine that powers open source. Prior research has found different ways to measure the value …
- Sources: Palantir and Anduril are in talks with OpenAI, SpaceX, and more to form a consortium to bid for US defense contracts and plan to announce it in January (Financial Times) December 22, 2024Financial Times: Sources: Palantir and Anduril are in talks with OpenAI, SpaceX, and more to form a consortium to bid for US defense contracts and plan to announce it in January — Consortium likely to include Elon Musk's SpaceX in move to grab a bigger slice of $850bn US defence budget
- A look at Crunchyroll's challenges, including current and former employees saying its management is out of touch, as Disney and Netflix's expand into anime (Bloomberg) December 22, 2024Bloomberg: A look at Crunchyroll's challenges, including current and former employees saying its management is out of touch, as Disney and Netflix's expand into anime — Disney and Netflix are expanding in the popular Japanese cartoon genre — At first glance, Sony Group Corp.'s $1.2 billion acquisition …
- A look at Amazon's revamped drone delivery program near Phoenix, Arizona, where the company's new MK-30 drones deliver dozens of packages per day to customers (Kevin Roose/New York Times) December 22, 2024Kevin Roose / New York Times: A look at Amazon's revamped drone delivery program near Phoenix, Arizona, where the company's new MK-30 drones deliver dozens of packages per day to customers — A recent visit to the company's overhauled drone delivery program in Arizona left me impressed by the drones, but skeptical that the public […]
- Sources: Apple is working on a smart doorbell system with advanced facial recognition that can wirelessly connect and unlock third-party smart locks (Mark Gurman/Bloomberg) December 22, 2024Mark Gurman / Bloomberg: Sources: Apple is working on a smart doorbell system with advanced facial recognition that can wirelessly connect and unlock third-party smart locks — Also: Company ramps up work on turning AirPods into a health device.
- Preqin: Southeast Asia's AI startups raised just $1.7B across 122 deals so far in 2024, out of ~$20B across 1,845 deals for the whole Asia-Pacific region (Bloomberg) December 22, 2024Bloomberg: Preqin: Southeast Asia's AI startups raised just $1.7B across 122 deals so far in 2024, out of ~$20B across 1,845 deals for the whole Asia-Pacific region — – While global tech expands in the region, its startups languish — Its homegrown tech industry risks falling behind in AI
- How Britannica survived the Wikipedia era by changing itself into a maker of education software and AI agents, as it reportedly weighs an IPO at a $1B valuation (Michael J. de la Merced/New York Times) December 22, 2024Michael J. de la Merced / New York Times: How Britannica survived the Wikipedia era by changing itself into a maker of education software and AI agents, as it reportedly weighs an IPO at a $1B valuation — The encyclopedia maker could have become a casualty of the Wikipedia era. But it has remade itself […]
- Tesla's shares are up 73% since Election Day, as several analysts see the Trump administration easing rules for self-driving tech, benefiting Tesla's ambitions (Esha Dey/Bloomberg) December 22, 2024Esha Dey / Bloomberg: Tesla's shares are up 73% since Election Day, as several analysts see the Trump administration easing rules for self-driving tech, benefiting Tesla's ambitions — – Stock was down 2% before election, gains 73% since Trump's win — ‘Hard to imagine an upside’ from here: Wisdomtree's Gannatti
- Gina Raimondo says holding back China in the chips race is a "fool's errand", and investment, more than export controls, will keep US ahead of Beijing (Wall Street Journal) December 22, 2024Wall Street Journal: Gina Raimondo says holding back China in the chips race is a “fool's errand”, and investment, more than export controls, will keep US ahead of Beijing — Investment, more than export controls, will keep the U.S. ahead of Beijing, Commerce secretary says