Eliana Willis

Tech prices are getting harder and harder to stomach, but there are times you can catch a break. Luckily, Best Buy More

Apple will launch iOS 26 in three phases: the developer beta, public beta, and finally, the official “general” release.Developer betaThe first developer beta of iOS 26 was released on June 9 during WWDC 2025. Following this, subsequent developer betas, including beta 3, were released.Public betaThe public beta is expected to start in mid-July.Apple typically opens its public beta program a few weeks after WWDC. For instance, last year’s iOS 18 public beta went live in mid-July. This program lets anyone — not just registered developers — test early software, helping Apple identify and fix bugs or performance issues before the final release.General releaseApple officially released iOS 18 out of beta on Sept. 16, just one week after its “Glowtime” event. Likewise, once iOS 26 completes its developer and public beta testing this summer, Apple is expected to roll out the final version to everyone this fall. More

The Amazon Prime Day sale has come and gone, but don’t worry — there are still lots of excellent deals on laptops available now, including major price cuts on the latest MacBooks, Chromebooks, and Windows PCs from Lenovo, Dell, HP, and more. If you need a new computer ahead of back-to-school season, now’s still the time to shop. Get daily deals straight to your inbox during Prime Day when you sign up for ZDNET Recommends, your one-stop newsletter for the sale.Also: The 100+ best Prime Day deals still liveWe’ve gone hands-on with dozens of the best laptops of this year, and only highlight sales on laptops we’ve tested and can personally vouch for. That means significant discounts, solid value relative to price, good portability, and respectable performance. Read on to explore some of the best laptop deals Amazon (and competing retailers) still have to offer. Our favorite Prime Day laptop deals still live More

Tharon Green/ZDNET When is Amazon Prime Day 2025?  Amazon Prime Day 2025 was July 8-11, 2025. The annual sale event was extended by two days this year.  When does Amazon Prime Day end?  Amazon Prime Day ended Friday, July 11, at 11:59 p.m. PT (that’s 2:59 a.m. ET on Saturday, July 12). Prime Day kicked […] More

When is Amazon Prime Day 2025? Amazon Prime Day began on July 8, 2025, and ends on July 11, 2025. During Amazon’s sale event, many other retailers will activate their own sales to compete for your business.Is tech really cheaper on Prime Day? Yes, you can find lots of tech for cheaper prices during Amazon Prime Day. Sometimes, you can find tech for cheaper at other retailers, since they’re all competing with one another. During this sale, some companies will offer bundles, freebies, or lower prices to entice you to buy directly from them instead of Amazon.We’re monitoring everyone’s sale prices leading up to the sale to update you on the most worthwhile ones.How did we choose these Sam’s Club deals?ZDNET only writes about deals we want to buy — devices and products we desire, need, or would recommend. We scour the sale offerings from Sam’s Club but also Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, and more to let you decide where you’d rather purchase from.We also keep an eye on deals from brands and manufacturers of our favorite products, as sometimes they offer free gifts and bundle sales during Amazon’s sale event. We also looked over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the deals we’re recommending. Our recommendations may also be based on our own testing — in addition to extensive research and comparison shopping. The goal is to deliver the most accurate advice to help you shop smarter. What are the best Prime Day deals still live? ZDNET’s experts have been searching through Prime Day and other sales to find the best discounts by category. These are the best deals still live:You can also find the best deals from other retailers competing with Prime Day sales: More

Tharon Green/ZDNET When does Prime Day end? This year, Amazon Prime Day ends on Friday, July 11, at 11:59 p.m. PT.  When is Amazon Prime Day?  Amazon Prime Day runs from Tuesday, July 8, to Friday, July 11, 2025. The annual two-day sale was extended to four days in 2025.  How long will Prime Day […] More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The Baseus Nomos NU1 Air Spacemate is on sale for $79. It’s a compact docking station that’s ideal for both Windows or macOS users on the go. Unlike its predecessor, however, it only supports two monitors at 4K resolution instead of three. more buying choices Sometimes the best updates are incremental, […] More

Maria Diaz/ZDNETExtension cords are generally a safe solution for running power to electronics that are too far from the nearest wall outlet. But the operative word here is “electronics,” which is not as all-encompassing as some people might think.Appliances (like refrigerators and toaster ovens) are obviously electronic devices, but they’re in a different class from most electronics because of the amperage demands they need to function. Why you shouldn’t plug everything into an extension cordExtension cords are manufactured with a maximum capacity to handle electrical current, which is determined by the size or gauge of the wire used in the cord. For instance, a 16-gauge extension cord can handle a maximum of 13 amps, while a 14-gauge cord can handle up to 15 amps (or 1,800 watts), the same as a standard wall outlet in the US. Also: Are portable AC units viable at home? My verdict after testing one during a heat waveWhen an appliance demands more power than the extension cord can handle, it results in an overload, which could lead to overheating. You really don’t want your cord’s insulation to melt, exposing the live wires and potentially sparking a fire.Any appliance requiring more than 1,800 watts should be on a dedicated circuit — never connected by an extension cord. And the following are seven household devices you’ll definitely want to connect directly to an outlet. More