Eliana Willis

Jason Perlow/ZDNETAt WebexOne 2024, Cisco announced major advancements in AI and XR for its Webex platform, redefining what collaboration can mean for businesses today. Held at the Diplomat Resort in Hollywood, Florida, the third annual WebexOne showcased Cisco’s expansion from a video conferencing platform into a sophisticated suite that supports AI-driven workspaces, immersive customer experience solutions, and cutting-edge XR technologies. Also: XR, digital twins, and spatial computing: An enterprise guideSince its $3.2 billion acquisition of Webex in 2007, Cisco has leveraged the platform as a foundation for redefining business collaboration, evolving far beyond the expectations of Webex Communications, Inc.’s founders.[embedded content]AI-enabled partnership with Nvidia powers Cisco’s evolutionCisco’s commitment to AI began with its long-standing partnership with Nvidia in 2015. Leveraging Nvidia’s high-performance GPUs, Cisco has enhanced video quality, enabled real-time processing, and introduced advanced AI functionalities that facilitate spatial meetings, laying the groundwork for its XR integrations with Apple’s Vision Pro. Cisco’s Cisco’s EVP and Chief Product Officer Jeetu Patel emphasized the importance of this foundational partnership: “We’re focused on providing the infrastructure for AI — low-latency networking, high-performance systems — all of which position us as leaders in AI-driven enterprise solutions.”Also: What is spatial computing and how does it work?Patel explained that Nvidia’s processing capabilities have enabled Cisco to develop intelligent collaboration tools to keep pace with the complex requirements of hybrid and remote work environments. This partnership has fueled the evolution of AI within Webex and positioned Cisco to integrate seamlessly with Apple Vision Pro, opening the door to immersive, spatial collaboration experiences. More

Digital Vision./Getty Images Sitting for hours in one place on long flights without access to some of life’s comforts and conveniences can be dreadful. In those situations, your devices are the only real escape, but that experience is entirely dictated by your internet connection, which is typically weak on flights — until now.  Also: The […] More

Kerry Wan/ZDNETGoogle today announced a new Certified Refurbished Program More

Jason Hiner/ZDNETIt’s often two steps forward and one step back when it comes to Apple products. The tech giant will create something that pushes the envelope of what’s possible with personal computers, but at the same time, it will kneecap its efforts with strange, unpopular design choices.Also: Apple will pay you up to $1 million if you can hack into Apple Intelligence serversRecently, Apple announced it is revamping its iMac and MacBook lines by equipping them with the brand’s new M4 processor, which is said to deliver “next-generation performance.” In addition to the chipset, the company also launched color-matching accessories that, after years of begging, finally have USB-C ports. The series consists of three Magic Keyboards, a refreshed Magic Trackpad, and a new Magic Mouse More

Sony Bravia X90L 4K LED TV Jason Hiner/ZDNETWhat’s the deal?The Sony Bravia X90L More

imaginima/Getty Images AI tools — like people — cannot read minds. As a result, they need effective communication to carry out tasks. When using AI models, that communication is called a prompt, which humans input into a chatbot to get a certain outcome. Productive prompting is a key to successful interaction with AI, and Google’s […] More

ZDNETWe know — Halloween is still a few days away, yet some stores have already begun early Black Friday sales and holiday offers. While you may not be a fan of smushing each holiday closer and closer every year, there is a silver lining you can take advantage of: savings (even earlier than originally scheduled). Also: Google Shopping gets an AI-powered upgrade. Here’s how to access itThat’s right folks, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the weekend of savings in between is only about four weeks away. But that means deals and discounts are on the horizon, and some are even kicking off now. We’ve been covering the best deals across the biggest tech categories since October Prime Day, from tablets, laptops, and phones, to smart home tech, earbuds, and mobile accessories, and we’ll be keeping up our coverage every week through the end of the holiday shopping season. Also: Google expands its shopping tools. Here’s how to use themHere’s everything you need to know before shopping early Black Friday and other seasonal savings offers so far. When is Black Friday? This year in the US, Black Friday is on Nov. 29, 2024, one day after Thanksgiving, which falls on Thursday, Nov. 28. When is Cyber Monday?This year in the US, Cyber Monday falls on Dec. 2, 2024, just a few days after Thanksgiving and Black Friday 2024. What is Cyber Week?A more recent term in the last decade, “Cyber Week” refers to the days of savings in late November and/or early December that occur yearly just after Thanksgiving. During this period, many online and in-store retailers offer significant savings and discounts across nearly every product category. Cyber Week 2024 begins on Black Friday (one day after Thanksgiving in the US), and extends through the end of Cyber Monday of the following week. For 2024, Cyber Week will kick off on Nov. 28 and run through Dec. 2, though we’re already anticipating lots of sales that start even earlier and linger beyond Cyber Monday’s close. What is the Cyber 5?The “Cyber 5” is essentially just another popular name for Cyber Week. These are the five days of seasonal savings that kick off with Black Friday on Nov. 29 this year and end with Cyber Monday on Dec. 2. This Friday to Monday stretch each year falls right after Thanksgiving, and serves as the historic kick off for holiday shopping. When will Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals be live? This year, Black Friday will be on Nov. 29, 2024. That means Cyber Monday will fall on Dec. 2, 2024, and the days in between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday are dubbed “Cyber Week.” That’s when you can expect to see some major holiday sales and discounts, and as always, ZDNET will deliver extensive coverage of the top deals across the shopping extravaganza at multiple retailers. Expect to see the largest amount of deals live likely during this window, from Nov. 29-Dec. 2, but keep in mind that retailers roll out deals early and early every season, so there’s still going to be numerous instances for savings throughout the month of November ahead of Black Friday and through December ahead of the winter holidays. How long will these holiday deals be available?Black Friday savings are already slated to begin earlier in the month of November, and wind down by Cyber Monday on Dec. 2. However, keep in mind that Cyber Week isn’t the only time to save and even if some deals end, it’s likely that others will linger for a few days post Black Friday weekend. Plus, we will certainly see more savings events and sales in December, too. What is the difference between Black Friday and Cyber Monday? Semantics, really. Black Friday is a decades-old shopping extravaganza traditionally associated with in-store savings and discounts following the Thanksgiving holiday in the US. Cyber Monday, like Cyber Week, is a much more modern term that was born as a result of the online shopping boom thanks to the likes of Amazon More