Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra <!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra is on sale for $650 in four color options. Its display is vibrant and large, the battery lasts through a couple of days, and LTE is provided at no extra cost. It comes in a single 47mm size, gesture support is limited, […] More
Lance Whitney/ZDNETI’ve always had a mixed experience with motion sickness. I don’t suffer from it on a plane or ship, thankfully. But put me in the back seat of a car, and I often get hit by a bad case of it, especially if the ride is twisty and turny. Triggered by mixed signals across your eyes, inner ear, and brain, those feelings of dizziness and queasiness can be extremely uncomfortable. For anyone else who experiences motion sickness, you can turn to your iPhone for help. Also: Installed iOS 18.6 on your iPhone? Change these 11 settings for the best experienceIntroduced with iOS 18 is a helpful option called Vehicle Motion Cues. With this feature turned on, animated dots appear on the edges of the screen to help you better process changes in the movement of the car. Your goal is simply to use and navigate your phone normally. With its built-in accelerometer, your iPhone will sense that you’re traveling in a moving vehicle. When the car turns, the dots move in the opposite direction of the turn. “Research shows that motion sickness is commonly caused by a sensory conflict between what a person sees and what they feel, which can prevent some users from comfortably using iPhone or iPad while riding in a moving vehicle,” Apple said when it unveiled the feature in 2024. “With Vehicle Motion Cues, animated dots on the edges of the screen represent changes in vehicle motion to help reduce sensory conflict without interfering with the main content. Using sensors built into iPhone and iPad, Vehicle Motion Cues recognizes when a user is in a moving vehicle and responds accordingly.” How to use Vehicle Motion Cues on the iPhoneHere’s how I combat my motion sickness with my iPhone and how you can do the same. You can also use Vehicle Motion Cues on an iPad with iPadOS 18 or higher. More
Amazon ZDNET’s key takeaways Amazon will soon offer fresh grocery deliveries in more than 2,300 cities. The current program is available in around 1,000 areas. There’s no delivery charge for orders over $25. Amazon is planning a massive expansion of its fresh grocery delivery business, and it’s coming soon. Right now, subscribers in more than […] More
Kayla Solino/ZDNET ZDNET’s key takeaways Indie Author Central created Stuff Your E-Reader Day.It runs from Aug. 12 -16 and features discounted and free e-books.This year’s theme is Stepping Through Time.If you’re looking for the perfect read to wrap up your summer, “Stuff Your E-Reader Day” is a great place to start. ‘Stepping Through Time’Indie Author Central created Stuff Your E-Reader Day. It runs from Aug.12-16 and features hundreds of e-books made free by authors for a limited time. This event’s theme, “Stepping Through Time,” focuses on historic and contemporary fiction. Also: The base model Kindle is the e-reader most people should buy. Here’s whyIn addition to free books, Stuff Your E-Reader Day includes e-books priced at only $0.99 and titles newly added to Kindle Unlimited and Kobo Plus. The featured e-books are available for Kindle and Kobo, but they can also be read on your Nook or through reading apps on your smartphone or tablet.A searchable catalog of the Stepping Through Time recommendations is available on the Indie Authors Central website More
Asus Zenbook 14 <!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The 2024 Asus Zenbook 14 is available at Best Buy for $799. It’s affordable, sports the solid hardware, and has a long battery life; all packed into a form factor that weighs less than three pounds. As great as it is, this laptop has a tendency to run […] More
Kyle Kucharski/ZDNETWhether you’re looking for a replacement laptop for web browsing and streaming or your high school or college-aged kids need a decent (and affordable) PC for class, the HP OmniBook 5 More
OnePlus Nord N30 Kerry Wan/ZDNETMidrange smartphones like the OnePlus Nord N30 are a nice alternative to high-end devices like the OnePlus 13 or the Galaxy Z Fold 7. They provide a premium experience without the exorbitant cost. And now, thanks to a new Back to School deal, this already affordable phone is now even cheaper.Also: OnePlus has an enticing $350 deal for its latest flagship Android phone – free earbuds includedRight now, the OnePlus Nord N30 More
What about Focus Modes – do they help battery life? Yes. Focus Modes help by letting you whitelist specific apps and contacts; during “Work” or “Sleep,” only critical alerts light up your display. That means fewer wake-ups and less background processing. I already mentioned disabling notifications above, but you can take it a step further with Focus Modes. Also: The best Apple deals right now: Save on MacBooks, iPhones, and moreHow to set up a Focus Mode:Open Settings > Focus > tap + to create a profile.Under Allowed Notifications, choose People and Apps.Optionally schedule it by time, location, or app. How do I identify the biggest battery hogs on iPhone? To see what might be draining your iPhone’s battery, go to Settings > Battery. There, you’ll see usage by app and how much time each spent on screen or in background. Also: How to fix an iPhone alarm that’s not going off – and why it might be happening Can removing my case while charging help? Possibly — mainly if your device gets hot while charging. Removing the case can improve heat dissipation, which might speed up charging and protect your iPhone’s battery health. Should I try a battery pack or a power bank? Yes! I always travel with one. All the settings tweaks in the world won’t help if you’re stranded somewhere, staring at a red battery icon, far from an outlet. Here are the top picks ZDNET’s editors recommend: Get the morning’s top stories in your inbox each day with our Tech Today newsletter. More
