Eliana Willis

Max Buondonno/ZDNETGoogle has launched the first Android 16 beta to developers and early adopters, providing insight into what the OS will bring later this year. A post on the official Android Developers Blog reveals multiple quality-of-life changes, such as ending screen orientation and resizability restrictions for apps “on large screens.”Also: I may finally switch from Google Pixel to Samsung Galaxy in 2025 – and hardware has little to do with itMany mobile apps on the Android ecosystem are developed primarily for traditional smartphones and not for foldable devices like the OnePlus Open. Unoptimized apps will keep their orientation on a foldable, which has the side effect of leaving blank spaces around the sides. This change allows apps to scale appropriately to run on “any window size [or] aspect ratio.”Next, a “new class of notifications” called Live Updates is being added to Android 16. This lets users monitor and quickly access important ongoing activities as they occur — similar to how Live Activities work on the lock screen of iPhones. For example, Uber Eats could utilize this to provide more detailed progress tracking. Custom icons for the start, specific segments, and the end of a food delivery can be added to the app. More

bymuratdeniz/Getty Images One of the big trends in artificial intelligence in the past year has been the employment of various tricks during inference — the act of making predictions — to dramatically improve the accuracy of those predictions.  For example, chain-of-thought — having a large language model (LLM) spell out the logic of an answer […] More

Kerry Wan and Jason Hiner/ZDNETCheck out ZDNET’s list of the best smartphones, and two names usually top the list — Samsung and Apple. That’s no exception with our most recent picks, as the Galaxy S24 Ultra and the iPhone 16 Pro Max take the top two spots. That list will likely be changing soon though, as the Galaxy S25 Ultra More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways Jmgo’s N1S Ultimate 4K projector is available now for $2,099 at Amazon. It features astounding color and brightness, and is particularly portable. The case won’t win any durability awards, and it needs a soundbar to really sound cinematic. more buying choices Last September, laser TV manufacturer Jmgo released its 2024 flagship […] More

Yuichiro Chino/Getty Images This week US President Donald Trump announced a joint venture between OpenAI, Japanese conglomerate SoftBank Group, and Abu Dhabi’s AI-focused sovereign wealth fund MGX, to put as much as $500 billion over multiple years into US data centers dedicated to artificial intelligence.   Trump appeared at the White House with OpenAI CEO […] More

It’s high time to ditch the traditional upright vacuum, even if you have dogs, cats, or both. As a robot vacuum reviewer, pet hair is one of my pet peeves, so evaluating how a robot vacuum performs against it is one of the main characteristics I look for when testing these robots. With a very hairy dog and three young kids, the only thing that keeps my floors clean without manually vacuuming daily is a great robot vacuum that tackles the task for me.Also: The best robot vacuum mops you can buyWhen shopping for the best robot vacuum options to control the pet hair on your floors, there are quite a few features to consider. Look for robot vacuums with strong suction to pick up each strand of hair, obstacle avoidance to avoid larger items your pet may leave behind, ability to avoid hair tangles, capable navigation features you can trust, and any extra features important to you. Budget and floor types are also key factors when shopping for any robot vacuum. What is the best robot vacuum for pet hair right now?Since there are so many robot vacuums, you may wonder which is best for your home. We’ve tested dozens of robot vacuums at home and in everyday life, and our top choice to tackle pet hair is the iRobot Roomba Combo 10 Max More

There is nothing more terrifying than the thought of losing track of a child, and it can be even more difficult when your child is too young for a smartphone. Thankfully, expert-tested and parent-reviewed GPS trackers can ensure you know where your child is at all times, no matter how frequently they wander off. I would balance the need for safety with respecting [my child’s] privacy and autonomy, using the tracker as a tool for peace of mind rather than for constant surveillance.”
Dr. Kaitlyn Siu, CEO of Tech Your Kids Code
Also: The best parental control apps to keep your kids safe”As a mother, ensuring the safety and well-being of my child is of utmost importance,” Dr. Kaitlyn Siu, a child neurologist and founder and CEO of Teach Your Kids Code, told ZDNET. “However, I would balance the need for safety with respecting [my child’s] privacy and autonomy, using the tracker as a tool for peace of mind rather than for constant surveillance.”What is the best GPS tracker for kids right now?ZDNET spoke to parents and professionals like Dr. Siu to determine the best GPS trackers and devices to stay aware of your child’s location. Our pick for the best GPS tracker for kids overall is the Apple AirTag More

Getty Images/yucelyilmaz Slowly but surely, Starlink is growing into a leading broadband internet alternative. Its network of low Earth orbit satellites ensures its users high-speed internet access, even in areas where traditional infrastructure such as cell towers can’t reach. Soon, that technology can provide service to your T-Mobile mobile device.  Last week, several T-Mobile users […] More