Eliana Willis

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    in Robotics

    Mesh routers vs. Wi-Fi routers: I tested both at home, and the winner is not so obvious

    Maria Diaz/ZDNETWith the adoption of remote and hybrid working, having a reliable internet connection at home is imperative — not just for one device, but for several. If you have a family, maybe even dozens. So what’s better, one single access point, or a mesh network spread about the home?The answer depends on how your home and office are set up and what kind of connection you need. Wi-Fi routers are so good these days that a single access point is often the most straightforward solution. But if you have a larger home or your office is located far away from your router, a mesh network could be a game-changer, boosting the signal no matter where you are.  Also: The best VPN routers of 2025If you’re not sure of the difference, that’s okay, too. Let’s examine both types of connection and consider their pros and cons to determine which one is best for you. What is a traditional Wi-Fi router?A traditional router acts as a central hub for internet connectivity. The router acquires the connection from your internet service provider (ISP), and then allows other devices around the home to connect to it, either via Wi-Fi, or by simply plugging in an Ethernet cable. Typically, routers are password-protected so only your household can connect to it.  You should buy a traditional Wi-Fi router if… More

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    in Robotics

    My 4 favorite image editing apps on Linux – and two are free Photoshop alternatives

    GIMP / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNETI’ve been using image editors for a very long time. I’ve used them for article images, book covers, promos, flyers, and just about everything in between. Some might expect I’d be turning to an operating system like MacOS or Windows for image editing. But they’d be wrong. Linux has plenty of image editing tools, and although not all of them are created equal, each serves a worthwhile purpose. From my perspective, four image editors available for Linux are worth your time and effort. Also: 10 Linux apps I install on every new machine (and why you should, too)Let’s dive in and see what there is to see.1. GIMPGIMP is the obvious first choice here because it’s as close to Photoshop as you’ll find on Linux. GIMP includes all the tools you need to create stunning images from scratch or from existing photos. With the latest release (v3.0), the developers added non-destructive editing, which enables you to make changes to an image without overwriting the original image data. This was a huge step forward for the editor. There are plenty of filters to be found (and you can even install the G’MIC plugin for more). GIMP reads most file formats, and can export to nearly as many. There are also plugins, brushes, a configurable workspace, and all the tools you’ll need.Also: How to create a gradient transparency in GIMPSome of my favorite GIMP features include layers, layer masks, gradients, the fuzzy select tool, smart guides, snapping, and the many filters (and those are just scratching the surface). I’d go so far as to say that GIMP offers more tweaks and configurable options than Photoshop. The only caveat to GIMP is getting used to the interface. If you’ve used Photoshop for years, you’ll have to take some time to get up to speed with the GIMP UI. GIMP can be installed from the standard repositories or via Flatpak. 2. KritaKrita is another Photoshop alternative for Linux that takes image editing a bit further than GIMP with the help of AI plugins. For the longest time, Krita wasn’t taken nearly as seriously as GIMP, but with the latest updates (Krita development moves much faster than GIMP’s), it’s closed the gap quite a bit. Krita is targeted primarily at digital painters and illustrators, and I would say that it’s more user-friendly than GIMP.  More

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    in Robotics

    5 ways business leaders can transform workplace culture – and it starts by listening

    Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET ZDNET’s key takeaways The best business leaders ensure people have a platform to air views.Employees need to feel their opinions are heard and valued.Reach out to customers and partners for their sentiments.Great managers don’t just talk a good game; they also deliver results — and great outcomes are often tied to an ability to listen to people effectively.Harvard Business Review suggests that leaders who listen well create company cultures where people feel heard, valued, and engaged. HBR also reports that employees who experience high-quality listening have higher levels of job satisfaction. Also: How AI-enabled autonomous business will change the way you work foreverHere are five techniques you can use to ensure people feel like you’re listening to them effectively. 1. Practice active listening Tim Chilton, managing consultant at Ordnance Survey, the UK’s national mapping service, said he’s chatty but practices active listening every day. He told ZDNET about how some of his earlier workplace experiences, including as a product manager and business analyst, have shaped his current approach to leadership. “You talk to people, but the whole point is, you also let them talk, so you can find out what their requirements are, and then you play those objectives back,” he said. “The whole idea of active listening is that you listen, you learn, and then you say, ‘Here’s my understanding. Is that correct?'” Also: 5 ways to ensure your team gets the credit it deserves, according to business leadersChilton has used that technique for many years. The strategy helps people feel they’ve been listened to because they hear their suggestions played back. “It gives them a chance to refine and comment, and you build a relationship that way, because it’s an interactive conversation,” he said. Chilton said the key to listening actively is spending time with the people you interact with. “Before you go in with your PowerPoint slides saying, ‘This is what you need,’ you do a large round of coffees to find out what’s going on in their world,” he said. “And that initial phase must be a little bit slower than going in all guns blazing. So, success is about active listening and taking your time in that initial relationship-building phase.” More

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    in Information Technology

    The best smartphones without AI features in 2025: Expert tested and recommended

    These days, it feels like AI and machine learning algorithms are being stuffed into every device, whether it makes sense to do so or not. And with almost every major brand announcing that AI will be a standard feature in new releases going forward, you may be looking for a way to opt out or avoid it entirely. Thankfully, there are still plenty of options on the market for phones that don’t force AI as an integral feature; you can even find a few “dumb” phones if you’re thinking of a total digital detox.Also: The best phones we’ve tested this yearWhat is the best phone without AI features right now?Almost every major brand still offers older phones that either allow you to opt out of or remove AI features, or that simply don’t support AI at all. The Apple iPhone 15 More

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    in Information Technology

    Why I ditched Google Chrome for Firefox Focus within 10 minutes of using the mobile browser

    Jack Wallen / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET ZDNET’s key takeaways Firefox Focus is a security and privacy-focused mobile browser.This browser offers a minimal UI and maximum privacy features.Firefox Focus is available for both Android and iOS.I’ve run the gamut of web browsers on Android, and every time I think I’ve found “the one,” I discover a reason not to use it. That reason might be a cluttered UI, a lack of options, or not enough security.Recently, however, I came across a browser that checked all the boxes… especially within the realm of privacy and security. No, it’s not Tor or Brave, it’s Firefox Focus, which is ironic given I’d only recently sworn off Firefox browsers. However, Firefox Focus is good enough to make me overlook that claim. Firefox Focus has been around for a bit and is a mobile-only browser that aims to be a simple and private web browser. It delivers on that promise. Also: The Firefox I loved is gone – how to protect your privacy on it nowImagine stripping a browser to its bare bones and leaving just the features necessary to render pages properly (and quickly) and remain private and secure. That’s what Firefox Focus is. The UI doesn’t include all the finery found in other browsers (the start page offers a URL bar, a menu button, and the keyboard once you tap the URL bar). That’s it. There are no bookmarks, suggested sites, news, or any other bloated features you might find on other browsers. Firefox Focus is lean and ready to do the one thing browsers should do… render pages securely and privately.Firefox Focus is free and can be found in both the Google App Store and the Apple App Store. What makes Firefox Focus so special? As you’ve most likely surmised, Firefox Focus is all about privacy. Also: 5 reasons why Firefox is still my favorite browser – and deserves more respectIf you open the Settings page, you’ll find only five sections: General, Privacy and Security, Search, Advanced, and Mozilla. Tap the General section, and you’ll see only three options: Theme, Language, and Make Firefox Focus default browser. It’s not until you tap the Privacy and Security section that you finally see what this browser is really all about. More

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    in Information Technology

    I took 500 photos with the two best Android camera phones – here’s the clear winner

    Prakhar Khanna/ZDNETZDNET’s key takeawaysOppo Find X8 Ultra performs better than its Samsung rival in almost every scenario.The Galaxy S25 Ultra comes close in ultrawide camera comparison.Oppo’s flagship has unique features like XPAN mode, Hasselblad color science, and Master mode.The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra houses one of the most versatile camera systems on a mainstream phone, thanks to its two telephoto cameras and an ultrawide sensor coupled with a 200MP primary camera.Also: Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs. OnePlus 13: I compared the best Android phones, and it was very closeBut the Oppo Find X8 Ultra is equally, if not more, versatile. It has bigger sensors on the four 50MP cameras on its back. Plus, the Oppo flagship is paired with a renewed Hasselblad partnership — for extra features like XPAN mode, better Portraits, and Hasselblad Natural Color Solution, re-engineered for mobile. I was confused about which phone to take on my trip to Sweden, so I took both and compared the results, which are… interesting.Comparing the camera specsCategoryOppo Find X8 UltraSamsung Galaxy S25 UltraMain Camera50 MP, f/1.8, 23mm (wide), 1.0″-type sensor, 1.6µm, OIS200 MP, f/1.7, 24mm (wide), 1/1.3″, 0.6µm, OISTelephoto 150 MP, f/2.1, 70mm (periscope), 1/1.56″, 1.0µm, 3x optical zoom, OIS10 MP, f/2.4, 67mm, 1/3.52″, 1.12µm, 3x optical zoom, OISTelephoto 250 MP, f/3.1, 135mm (periscope), 1/1.95″, 0.8µm, 6x optical zoom, OIS50 MP, f/3.4, 111mm (periscope), 1/2.52″, 0.7µm, 5x optical zoom, OISUltrawide Camera50 MP, f/2.0, 15mm, 120˚ FoV, 1/2.75″, 0.64µm50 MP, f/1.9, 120˚ FoV, 1/2.5″, 0.7µm,Oppo and Samsung flagships are some of the best phones of 2025. Both sport four rear cameras, but the Find X8 Ultra houses bigger sensors on three of those. It is led by a 1-inch-type 50MP main sensor, which snaps better quality photos than Samsung’s 200MP primary camera. But it’s the rest of the sensors that help it take the lead. The 10MP 3x optical zoom Samsung telephoto camera stands no chance against Oppo’s 50MP 3x optical zoom supported periscope camera, while it competes closely in ultrawide shots and 50MP secondary 5x (6x on Oppo) periscope zoom photos.Also: Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs. OnePlus 13: I compared the best Android phones, and it was very closeThere’s no doubt that the Find X8 Ultra has a better camera package than the Galaxy S25 Ultra, thanks to its bigger sensors and Hasselblad color science. But it can also be inconsistent at times, giving the edge to Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Ultra. Here’s how the two compare in my vacation photos.It’s all about the color science More

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    in Information Technology

    Mesh routers vs. Wi-Fi routers: What is best for your home office?

    ZDNETWith the adoption of remote and hybrid working, having a reliable internet connection at home is imperative — not just for one device, but for several. If you have a family, maybe even dozens. So what’s better, one single access point, or a mesh network spread about the home?The answer depends on how your home and office is set up, and what kind of connection you need. Wi-Fi routers are so good these days, that a single access point is often the most straightforward solution. But if you have a larger home or your office is located far away from your router, a mesh network could be a game-changer, boosting the signal no matter where you are.  Also: The best VPN routers of 2025If you’re not sure of the difference, that’s ok, too. Let’s take a look at both types of connection and break down the pros and cons for both to figure out which one is best for you. What is a traditional Wi-Fi router?A traditional router acts as a central hub for internet connectivity. The router acquires the connection from your internet service provider (ISP), and then allows other devices around the home to connect to it, either via Wi-Fi, or by simply plugging in an Ethernet cable. Typically, routers are password-protected so only your household can connect to it.  You should buy a traditional Wi-Fi router if… More