Eliana Willis

ZDNETLately, I’ve been thinking a lot about pulling away from the cloud. The idea of a third party having all my information, data, content, images, and just about anything digital makes my spine shrink. There’s no way of knowing if or when one of those third parties might share my information with the wrong person or have it stolen from under their eyes.Something has to give.Also: The best cloud storage servicesThat something is migrating away from the cloud in favor of locally installed and run services. By doing this, I can be certain my data doesn’t fall into the wrong hands at the right time.You might be thinking, “That sounds too hard!” Sure, some of the apps I’m going to mention might not be as easy to get up and running as simply installing an app on your phone and connecting it to a service, but they aren’t impossible. In the end, the benefits you receive from these apps and services far outweigh the complexity of getting them up and running.With that said, let’s get to the apps.1. NextcloudIf you’re tired of worrying about what Google is going to do with your data, it’s time to opt for an in-house cloud solution, and there’s no better option than Nextcloud More

Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNETApple Sports is making it easier to catch your favorite team on television.Also: How to watch Super Bowl LIX for free online – and is Tubi legit?The free sports app, which debuted last spring, offers a simple way to keep track of your favorite teams. The main screen shows daily matchups and results, and you can swipe to see box scores, upcoming games, play-by-play results, and more. Last fall, it even added the ability to view live scores on your phone’s lock screen.New Apple Sports features More

David Gewirtz/ZDNETDeepSeek exploded into the world’s consciousness this past weekend. It stands out for three powerful reasons: It’s an AI chatbot from China, rather than the USIt’s open source.It uses vastly less infrastructure than the big AI tools we’ve been looking at.Also: Apple researchers reveal the secret sauce behind DeepSeek AIGiven the US government’s concerns over TikTok and possible Chinese government involvement in that code, a new AI emerging from China is bound to generate attention. ZDNET’s Radhika Rajkumar did a deep dive into those issues in her article Why China’s DeepSeek could burst our AI bubble.In this article, we’re avoiding politics. Instead, I’m putting both DeepSeek V3 and DeekSeek R1 through the same set of AI coding tests I’ve thrown at 10 other large language models. According to DeepSeek itself:Choose V3 for tasks requiring depth and accuracy (e.g., solving advanced math problems, generating complex code).Choose R1 for latency-sensitive, high-volume applications (e.g., customer support automation, basic text processing).You can choose between R1 and V3 by clicking the little button in the chat interface. If the button is blue, you’re using R1. More

The 3rd generation Amazon Echo Show is a great smart display and speaker combination for most smart home users, whether experienced or just getting started. Amazon’s newest Echo Show 8 boasts a sleeker design with edge-to-edge glass, a centrally placed camera for video calls, and spatial audio from the smaller speaker enclosure.I’ve been using the Echo Show 8 daily for almost a year, and this generation’s improved processor delivers faster performance than older models. It’s become my kitchen companion for running smart home routines, interacting with Alexa, and streaming music and video content on the 8-inch HD screen while cooking.Review: Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd gen)This is the first Echo Show 8 to feature the camera in a central location rather than off to one side, which aids in better visual experiences during video calls. The camera also works for Visual ID personalization and Adaptive Content. Visual ID lets the Echo Show 8 recognize the household member approaching it to personalize content, while Adaptive Content adjusts the screen’s content based on a person’s proximity.It’s a highly rated smart speaker, with one buyer saying, “I purchased this a few months ago, and it has exceeded my expectations in every way. The Spatial Audio feature provides a rich and immersive sound experience, perfect for listening to music, podcasts, and even video calls. The smart home hub integration is seamless, allowing me to easily control all my smart devices. Alexa’s responsiveness and sharp display make this device a pleasure to use daily. “Amazon Echo Show 8 features: Price: $150 | Compatibility: Amazon Alexa | Connectivity: Wi-fi, Bluetooth, and is a hub for Matter, Thread, Zigbee | Specs: 8-inch HD touchscreen, 13MP video call camera, Alexa voice assistant  More

Since its debut in 2014, Amazon’s Alexa has become America’s leading voice assistant and smart home automation system. Alexa is built into millions of smart home devices, aiding users with everything from locking doors, dimming lights, playing songs, and even calling for help, all with a simple voice command. Also: I used Amazon’s Echo Show 21 as my smart home hub – and it’s almost perfectAlexa is integrated into smart home devices like smart hubs, Amazon Echo speakers, smart thermostats, smart lightbulbs, and home security cameras. What is the best Alexa device right now?After testing almost all of the Amazon Echo devices featured on the e-commerce site at this time and dozens of Alexa-compatible devices, the best Alexa device is the third-generation Amazon Echo Show 8 More

ZDNETThe web is filled with resources, which makes it possible to find all the answers you need in one place, but this can also make finding exactly what you need a long and overwhelming process. Google’s Deep Research offering aims to help you manage that process — and it’s now rolling out on Android. In December, Google announced several AI advancements and releases. One of the biggest standouts for everyday users is Deep Research, an agentic feature for Gemini Advanced that can conduct thorough research on your behalf. Also: Apple researchers reveal the secret sauce behind DeepSeek AISince launch, the experience has been live for all Gemini Advanced users on the desktop and mobile web. As of this week, Deep Research is also rolling out to the free Gemini Android app. To use the AI agent, select “1.5 pro with Deep Research” from the drop-down menu in the app.🧠 Deep Research is starting to roll out on Android 📲Generate comprehensive research reports on the go, right from the Gemini Android App. Dive into anything from product recs to quantum computing, anytime, anywhere.Tap Deep Research in the Gemini Advanced drop-down menu to… https://t.co/nzwUWhyVxs— Google Gemini App (@GeminiApp) January 27, 2025

With Deep Research, you can pose a question about the topic you want to learn more about. The agentic feature will create a multi-step research plan, which you can approve or disapprove. If the plan is approved, it will browse the web for you for a few minutes. The Deep Research process mimics what humans do when engaging in research processes, such as browsing the web, making new searches with their findings, and continuing the process multiple times until it has collected sufficient information to answer your question.  More