Latest Tech News

Stay updated with the latest in technology, AI, cybersecurity, and more

Filtered by: eat Clear Filter

You can turn your Google search into a podcast now - here's how

Google / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET Last fall, Google unveiled a new feature for NotebookLM -- an option to turn your research into a fake podcast that helps you easily digest information. Now, your favorite faux podcast hosts are coming to Search. Also: How to remove your personal info from Google Search - it's quick and easy When you search for something in Google, you'll now see an option to make a podcast summarizing the information. It's for more in-depth queries, not straightforward

A handy charger for every Switch Joy-Con you own is just $20

Theis the company’s budget gaming laptop lineup, and it’s usually a great model to look for a deal on. There are numerous configurations, and at least one of them is usually selling at a steep discount. Today’s pick is at Best Buy on a 15.6-inch model that has a 144Hz 1080p screen, AMD’s Ryzen 7 7445HS processor, 16GB of DDR5 RAM, an Nvidia RTX 4050 graphics chip, and a 512GB SSD. Originally $899.99, this laptop is $699.99 right now. That’s a great price for a first gaming laptop. If either the

Now it’s easier than ever to download Spotify playlists to your Apple Watch

If you’ve ever forgotten to download Spotify playlists to your Apple Watch before a walk, run, or cycle ride, a new feature should make life much easier. Instead of having to manually download to the Watch, you can use any Apple device to queue up playlist downloads, which will happen the next time you open Spotify on your Watch. The same feature also allows you to queue downloads for any other Apple device, like an iPad … Spotify lets you download playlists to up to five devices at a time, bu

You can turn your Google Search into a podcast now - here's how

Google / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET Last fall, Google unveiled a new feature for NotebookLM -- an option to turn your research into a fake podcast that helps you easily digest information. Now, your favorite faux podcast hosts are coming to Search. Also: How to remove your personal info from Google Search - it's quick and easy When you search for something in Google, you'll now see an option to make a podcast summarizing the information. It's for more in-depth queries, not straightforward

I often replace my premium headphones with this classic Bose pair - and never regret it

ZDNET's key takeaways The Bose QuietComfort Headphones are available in seven colors for $349, and are often up to $100 off. They are true to the QuietComfort namesake, providing excellent noise cancellation and all-day comfort. However, like all of Bose's over-ear headphones, the QuietComfort have a short, 24-hour battery life. View now at Bose I have an arsenal of premium consumer headphones. The Sony XM6, Apple AirPods Max, Bose QuietComfort Ultra, Beats Studio Pro, Sonos Ace, and more all

How Mixtape reminds us that your mixtapes were your life | Johnny Galvatron interview

It took Johnny Galvatron and his small team of neophytes six years to make The Artful Escape, a musical narrative game that debuted in 2021. With Mixtape, the team has been working on it for about two years. Annapurna Interactive published the game from Galvatron, a former star from the Australian band The Galvatrons, even though it focused on a somewhat cursed genre of music games. It did well enough for Annapurna, despite its recent troubles, to publish Galvatron’s second game. With Mixtape,

Summer Blackout To-Do List: 9 Things to Keep Everyone Cool and Safe

Climate Central reports that from 2014 to 2023, the US experienced 60% more power outages during the summer season than it did from 2000 to 2009. This can be due to the increased use of electricity for air conditioners, wildfires, severe weather and downed power lines. Being prepared for a summer blackout is especially important because, according to the US Energy Information Administration, the average blackout is over 5 hours. That means over 5 hours without air conditioning, which can lead t

I'm a full-time Canon photographer, but this Nikon camera had me reconsidering my choices

ZDNET's key takeaways The Nikon Z50 II is a fantastic camera for beginners and intermediate photographers, with a starting price of $906. The build is sturdy and adaptable to various shooting modes. You'll have to settle with a Micro HDMI port and operation speeds that can be a bit faster. View now at Amazon As the spring months are coming to a close and summer officially begins, many folks are planning time for family to build and capture great memories for years to come. Of course, photogra

Topics: camera great ii nikon z50

A New Obesity Pill May Burn Fat Without Suppressing Appetite

An experimental obesity pill that works in a different way from the wildly popular Ozempic may help people lose weight, according to results from a small, preliminary human trial. Ozempic and other GLP-1 drugs reduce food intake by stimulating a feeling of fullness. They act on the brain to promote satiety and on the gut to slow the movement of food through the stomach, helping people feel full longer. As a result, people on the drugs lose weight because they eat less. But a new drug may be ab

The 6 Best Blow-Dry Brushes (2025): Round, Oval, and More

What About Thermal Brushes? You might have seen two different kinds of brushes while shopping that promise blowout results. In this guide, the term blow-dry brush is exclusively used for devices that blow hot air out of the bristles onto wet hair to dry and style your hair. Meanwhile, devices for dry hair are called infrared or thermal brushes, as they use infrared heat instead of hot air to style your hair in a smooth blowout. Blow-dry brushes are only meant for wet hair, while thermal brushes

Topics: blow brush dry hair heat

Scientists Discover Startling Trick to Defeat Insomnia

Image by Getty / Futurism Studies Insomnia is a curse we wouldn't wish on our worst enemy — and scientists have discovered a startlingly simple lifestyle change that appears to be very statistically effective at preventing it. In a new study published in the journal Sleep Health, researchers from Columbia and the University of Chicago report that eating a full day's serving worth of fruits and vegetables strongly appears to help people sleep more soundly throughout the night. Interrupted slee

These are the subscriptions I actually don’t mind paying for

Andy Walker / Android Authority No one likes paying for something more than once, but subscriptions have become an annoying yet necessary part of life. Some are hard to justify, but others add value to my life. Whether they provide consumable content, weather information, or critical navigation data, these are the subscriptions I don’t mind paying for: How many subscription services and apps are you currently paying for? 281 votes None. 14 % 1-4. 60 % 5-9. 20 % 10 or more. 5 % FlightRadar24

Childhood leukemia: how a deadly cancer became treatable

Childhood leukemia: how a deadly cancer became treatable Before the 1970s, most children affected by leukemia would quickly die from it. Now, most children in rich countries are cured. In the past, when I’d hear the words childhood leukemia, I’d picture a young child who suddenly became seriously ill, and whose parents were told their child had only a few years to live. I’d wonder how a child might grasp the idea of limited time, or how painful it must have been to face the possibility of miss

With 50 Hours of Battery Life, These Beats Headphones Are at a New Record Low on Amazon

Right now, all of those looking to purchase a pair of decent and style-conscious wireless headphones should have the Beats Solo 4 on their radar, especially given that they’re also priced at their all-time low on Amazon. Beats, as part of Apple, is renowned for producing stable sound products that work perfectly with both Apple and Android devices. With the price reduced to only $99, from $200 (50% off), the offer is equivalent to the type of discounts normally experienced on Black Friday. See

Edi Gathegi Hopes Being Mr. Terrific Redeems His Short ‘X-Men’ Role

There’s a lot of superpowered characters in Superman, and one of the most notable is Michael Holt, aka Mr. Terrific. It isn’t just that this is his first time on the big screen, it’s also the matter of who’s playing him: Edi Gathegi, who many likely remember as Darwin from X-Men: First Class, aka the mutant who died despite having the power to evolve and adapt to anything. Sooner or later, conversations about First Class remind you how dumb his death was, and Gathegi seems to agree. Talking to

Would you switch browsers for a chatbot?

is editor-at-large and Vergecast co-host with over a decade of experience covering consumer tech. Previously, at Protocol, The Wall Street Journal, and Wired. Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 87, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you’re new here, welcome, happy It’s Officially Too Hot Now Week, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.) I also have for you a much-awaited new browser, a surprise update to a great photo editor, a neat

Climate Disasters Hit the Brain Before Babies Are Even Born, Study Suggests

When Superstorm Sandy made a beeline for New York City in October 2012, it flooded huge swaths of downtown Manhattan, leaving 2 million people without electricity and heat and damaging tens of thousands of homes. The storm followed a sweltering summer in New York City, with a procession of heat waves nearing 100 degrees. For those who were pregnant at the time, enduring these extreme conditions wasn’t just uncomfortable—it may have left a lasting imprint on their children’s brains. That’s accor

Kitchen Feeling Like a Sauna? 8 Ways to Stay Cool While Cooking This Summer

We're barely into June, but July-like weather has descended on parts of the country, including the Northeast, where 90-plus temperatures are expected. But you've still got to eat -- and cook -- which means hot kitchens that can cause a domino effect, raising the temperature in the entire home. Read more: Best Foods for Staying Hydrated During Hot Weather Using appliances that don't produce as much heat and planning your meals so that cooking doesn't coincide with the hottest part of the day a

How Covid-19 Changed Hideo Kojima’s Vision for ‘Death Stranding 2’

When legendary game designer Hideo Kojima announced to the world that Death Stranding 2 would soon be released, he made it known that Covid-19 had completely changed his idea for this sequel. “We released Death Stranding before the Covid-19 pandemic, when the world was moving toward isolation and division—as with Brexit. The idea behind it was ‘Let's connect. We’ll face disaster if we don’t connect.’ The theme, the story, and the gameplay of the first chapter all revolved around that idea,” Koj

Best Kamado Grill for 2025

Testing kamado grills is an intense experience for a griller. It requires playing with fire (literally) and high temperatures, although in a controlled, responsible way. The most critical element to kamado's performance is heat, specifically temperature control and how well a grill holds to one temperature. To smoke meat low and slow, that magic number is 225℉. Good smokers, kamados or otherwise, will stick to this temp for as long as 12, 15 or 20 hours. This means the temperature gauge is key a

Google Search uses AI-generated podcast hosts to answer your questions

Instead of digging through all the top search results, you can now ask Google Search to give you a comprehensive AI-generated summary with its Audio Overviews feature. The AI feature uses Google Gemini models to create a short audio clip that sounds like a conversational podcast with two hosts. It's not ideal for your basic search queries like finding out when Father's Day is, but it's helpful if you want an in-depth and hands-free response to the history and significance of Flag Day. The Audio

Your Apple Watch is getting a big upgrade. Here are the 8 features I can't wait to use in WatchOS 26

Your iPhone, Apple Watch, and other Apple-owned devices are getting a big overhaul soon. The tech giant recently rolled out all of the newest apps and updates coming to its devices over the next few months. Apple announced several new features coming to WatchOS 26 at its annual software conference, WWDC, on Monday in Cupertino. The features touch everything from Fitness to Messages, and include a major design update across Apple's platforms for a more unified look and naming mechanisms that ref

Texting myself the weather every day

Texting myself the weather every day Opening the Weather app every morning is too much effort, but you know what isn’t? Writing a recurring job to query an API every morning and send you the results in an SMS, delivered right to your doorstep phone! Come with me as we embark on my short, little journey through this very process. Version 1: A Zapier “Zap” Version 1 of this service was simply just a “zap” on Zapier. Very easy to connect together a trigger and an action, and start receiving a te

I replaced my premium headphones with this classic Bose pair - and didn't regret it

ZDNET's key takeaways The Bose QuietComfort Headphones are available in seven colors for $349, and are often up to $100 off. They are true to the QuietComfort namesake, providing excellent noise cancellation and all-day comfort. However, like all of Bose's over-ear headphones, the QuietComfort have a short, 24-hour battery life. View now at Bose The Bose QuietComfort Headphones are on sale for $249, $100 off their retail price. According to Bose, this deal is valid until June 15, 2025. I hav

Alaska, Where Only 2% of Homes Have AC, Just Issued Its First Heat Advisory Ever

Alaska just crossed a first off its bucket list with the first-ever heat advisory for Sunday, June 15. Temperatures in central Alaska are expected to reach 86 degrees Fahrenheit (that's 30 Celsius) through the weekend and into the week of June 16. It's not as if Alaska never gets hot in the summer. However, as Jason Laney, a warning coordination meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Fairbanks, Alaska, told CNET, "The frequency with which the heat is coming up is starting to be a bi

Epic Games sues Fortnite cheat developer for selling wallhack and auto-aim tools

Editor's take: Multiplayer gaming is about fair fights, not shortcuts. But cheaters keep buying their wins, ruining it for everyone else. Epic Games is cracking down hard because cheating isn't just unfair – it's a threat to the whole game. Sorry, losers. Cheating doesn't pay. Epic Games recently announced a new lawsuit targeting developers of Fortnite cheating tools. The company is going after an individual who created software that lets players see through walls and use auto-aim. Epic shared

This stylish Beats speaker is one of my summer must-haves, and it's on sale right now

ZDNET's key takeaways Beats' latest Pill speaker is available for $150 in five colorways: Statement Red, Matte Black, Champagne Gold, Navy Blue, and Blush Pink. An impressive battery life and a subtle, clean design set the Beats Pill apart from its competitors. However, Beats' overemphasized, bass-forward sound can mask the other aspects of a song. $99.99 at B&H Photo-Video The Beats Pill (2024) is currently on sale for $100, $50 off its original price. Beats recently released two new Pill co

Spotify is adding the ability to remotely download playlists to secondary devices

Spotify is rolling out a new feature that lets Premium subscribers remotely download playlists to additional devices. For instance, a user could initiate a download on an iPhone for an iPad or for a backup phone ahead of a trip. That's all fine and good, and useful in limited circumstances. The big news here, however, is that this functionality also works with smartwatches, with integration for Wear OS devices and Apple Watch models. Nothing ruins a good walk or run like forgetting to download

Alaska Just Issued Its First-Ever Heat Advisory—and It Won’t Be the Last

The National Weather Service (NWS) office in Fairbanks, Alaska, issued a heat advisory on Thursday, June 12. It’s never had to do that before. Heat advisories are new to both the Fairbanks and Juneau NWS offices, which implemented the use of these notices on June 2. Until now, Alaska weather officials exclusively issued Special Weather Statements to notify the public of potentially hazardous heat. The change comes as Alaska continues to warm at nearly twice the rate of the lower 48 states, with

This iOS 26 Feature Might Keep Me From Switching Back to Pixel

I switched from a Google Pixel 3 XL in 2021 to Apple's iPhone 12 Pro Max, and in the years since, I've dearly missed Google's Hold For Me. This feature is so useful in saving me from the misery of listening to awful hold music whenever I needed to call up a business, my health insurance provider, my cellphone carrier or any of the other myriad adulting tasks that still require speaking with a representative. Instead, the Google feature would helpfully silence my phone while keeping the call acti