Eliana Willis

ZDNETThe universal translator in later Star Trek series always seemed convenient since it was built directly into the communicator. Now, Meta is officially launching a similar convenience through its smart glasses.Previously limited to early access in certain countries, the live translation on Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses is expanding to all owners. This means you’ll be able to carry on conversations with people in certain languages directly through the glasses. For now, the translation supports English, French, Italian, and Spanish.How live translation worksAssuming you speak English, here’s how this works. First, tell Meta to start the live translation. Now, let’s say someone speaks to you in French, Italian, or Spanish. Your Ray-Ban glasses instantly translate and speak their words into English. You then reply to them in English. Also: Meta’s upcoming $1,000 smart glasses sound like the Ray-Bans successor I’ve been waiting forIf the other person also has Ray-Ban glasses, you can carry on a back-and-forth conversation this way. That scenario may not be likely, though. In that case, they can view your words in their own language through the Meta app on your smartphone and continue the conversation. When done, just tell Meta to stop the live translation. By downloading the languages ahead of time, you don’t need Wi-Fi access or a cellular connection, so this will work even in dead zones. Beyond conversations, you can listen to movies, shows, lectures, instructions, and more in one of the supported languages and hear the translation through your glasses. Also: I tested Meta’s transparent Ray-Ban smart glasses, and they’re a near-perfect accessory for meMy wife and I like to travel to other countries outside the US and would certainly take advantage of a live translator both for conversations and other situations. We once went to a Kabuki show in Japan where all the performers naturally spoke Japanese. Having a live translator as we watched the show would have come in handy. More

Kyle Kucharski/ZDNETWhat’s the deal?The Amazfit BIP 5 More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The Eufy E28 robot vacuum, mop, and spot cleaner combination is available for $999. The mop performs better than more expensive flagships, and the water tank system doubles as a portable spot cleaner with a self-cleaning hose. Unplugging the spot cleaner also unplugs the charging station, and the spot cleaner requires […] More

Kerry Wan/ZDNETYour Roku TV is getting several updates to make finding something to watch easier — including one for your favorite purple city.At an event in New York City today, Roku introduced its new TVs and streaming devices, smart home products, and TVs, but it also announced some new additions that will be coming to all existing Roku TVs.Also: Your TV’s USB port has an underrated benefit that can revitalize an old system – here’s how it worksHere’s what’s on the way.What’s coming to all Roku TVsRoku understands the struggle of finding something to watch, it says, so it’s rolling out several ways to make content more personal. These include: “Coming Soon to Theaters,” a row that shows you what’s currently in theaters. If you’d rather wait until you can watch it at home, you can add a movie to your saved list and Roku will alert you when it’s available.Short-form content rows are headed to the All Things Food and All Things Home tabs, letting you browse videos like recipes, home cleaning hacks, and more one after the other (essentially TikTok or Reels for your TV). A personalized highlight row in the Sports Zone lets you follow the latest action from your favorite teams and players. You can also get notifications when it’s gametime for your favorite teams.If you want to see the best of the best, watch for Roku’s new badges that will identify award-winning films.Missing your favorite purple-hued cityscape? Instead of having to wait for your set to go idle to visit, you can now head to Roku City with one click with a dedicated tile. This fake city, complete with its own mass transit, homes, restaurants, and even a city hall, has become a fan-favorite over the past few years, and now it’s even easier to pay a visit.Hardware updates On the hardware side, new versions of the Roku Streaming Stick and Roku Streaming Stick Plus are on the way. The new models are so power-efficient, Roku says, that they are powered directly by your TV — meaning no more hanging cables. The new sticks are also getting a sleek redesign that ensures they don’t block neighboring HDMI ports. The classic Roku Streaming Stick is also getting a voice remote. More

Jason Howell/ZDNetThe Google Pixel 9a might be the best-value phone of 2025, especially now that it brings flagship-level AI tools, a bright 120Hz display, and a massive battery into a more affordable price tier. But, just like any Pixel phone, the best features often aren’t enabled by default. Also: How to get Google’s new Pixel 9a for freeThese tips are based on a Pixel 9a running Android 15. Depending on which Pixel model and Android version you’re using, the exact menu locations may vary slightly, but the settings themselves are widely available across recent Pixel generations. 1. Enable Smooth Display More

Nvidia Chip giant Nvidia on Wednesday announced the general availability of tools to develop “agentic” artificial intelligence for enterprises. Called NeMo microservices, the software tools, which are part of Nvidia’s AI Enterprise software portfolio, offer several functions that customize and repeatedly optimize the functioning of AI agents for a variety of tasks, including call centers […] More

Nina Raemont/ZDNETWith Amazon’s Spring Sale in the rearview mirror, it’s time to gear up for the e-commerce giant’s next event: the Amazon Book Sale More

Microsoft Microsoft’s 365 suite of productivity applications is the cornerstone of many businesses’ everyday operations. To empower the suite with data-led intelligence, the tech company has infused 365 with its Copilot AI assistant — and the latest release ups the ante on what Copilot can do for working professionals.  Also: 3 clever ChatGPT tricks that […] More