Eliana Willis

Kerry Wan/ZDNETGoogle is hosting its annual “Made by Google” event this Tuesday, with a run-down that’s expected to feature the latest Pixel hardware, including the Pixel 9 series, Pixel Buds Pro 2, and Pixel Watch 3. If the company’s feeling generous, there may even be one more thing.Also: Google Pixel 9, Pro, Pro XL, and Pro Fold: Specs, features, and everything else we know so farBesides the hardware, Google has also hinted that artificial intelligence (AI) will be a big focus throughout the keynote, with new Gemini capabilities coming as part of Android 15.The Made by Google event is scheduled to take place on August 13 at 10 a.m. PST (1 p.m. EST) at the search giant’s Mountain View campus, with press, developers, and staff in attendance. A livestream will also be available across Google’s main website and YouTube channel, with a replay broadcast following the event. Until then, here’s a breakdown of all the products and services we expect to learn more about on Tuesday. More

COSMIC desktop might look like the Pop!_OS of old but it’s a very different beast. Jack WallenZDNETZDNET’s key takeawaysCOSMIC desktop is currently in alpha stage but can be installed and tested for free.COSMIC desktop fixes all of the problems I had with previous incarnations of Pop!_OS and vastly improves on the performance and reliability.COSMIC desktop is way too early for regular usage.Linux distributions come and go. We’ve seen every take imaginable for the open-source operating system and often they’re a twist on an old approach. However, at the heart of every Linux distribution is a passion and dedication to creating something special, an operating system that can be used by anyone, without cost, and with a high level of reliability.Most Linux distributions rise well above the challenge, so when System76 announced it was creating a new desktop environment to sit atop its Pop!_OS distribution, I knew the company would produce something that could challenge every current desktop on the market.Also: 5 reasons why Pop!_OS is this Linux pro’s favorite distroI also knew it wouldn’t attempt to fix what wasn’t broken. The GNOME-based Pop!_OS desktop worked and worked well. System76 took what was already great about GNOME and tweaked it just enough to make it highly useful. So, even before I downloaded the ISO and spun up a virtual machine for COSMIC desktop, I knew what to expect.  More

alice-photo/Getty Images Artificial intelligence (AI) has yet to transform the drug development process, but some efforts seem more promising than others.  On Monday, cancer research giant Memorial Sloan Kettering and life sciences AI pioneer Absci announced a first-of-its kind partnership to discover six novel therapies for cancer using generative AI, promising to bring new drugs […] More

There’s no doubt that 2024 has been a huge year for Windows. With groundbreaking new processors in AI-infused Copilot+ PCs, slick new form factors, and leaps forward in battery life, it’s an exciting time to check out the newest models on the market.Also: The best laptops of 2024: Expert tested and reviewedThat said, it can be daunting if you’re looking for a new machine. If you feel overwhelmed with all the new features and tech jargon, don’t worry — we have you covered. Our experts have gone hands-on with dozens of new Windows laptops and broken down our top picks based on catego. The best Windows laptop depends on what you’re using it for, but the following categories apply to most folks. Here are our top picks. What is the best Windows laptop right now?We at ZDNET have tested many of the best Windows laptops available, including some of the latest models from Dell, Lenovo, Microsoft, and more. Our pick for the best Windows laptop overall right now is the Dell XPS 16 More

1994’s WordStar 7 running on 2024’s Mint Linux. Screenshot by Steven Vaughan-Nichols/ZDNETMy first text processor was vi, but my first word processor was WordStar, which I started using in 1981 on an Osborne 1. It changed my world. I’d always been a writer, but up until then, I used my prized IBM Selectric II typewriter. With WordStar, my writing speed went from 25 words per minute to 70, and I never looked back. I wasn’t alone. Hugo Award-winning science fiction writer Robert Sawyer was a huge WordStar fan, and now he’s revived the iconic word processor. I don’t think anyone saw this revival coming. In an unexpected twist of technological nostalgia, WordStar has been rediscovered and is making a surprising comeback on modern computers. Originally developed by MicroPro International, WordStar was the first commercially successful word-processing software for PCs. Before it appeared, word processors were dedicated programs on special-purpose office computers.  Also: 81% of workers using AI are more productive. Here’s how to implement itWordStar was quickly followed by XyWrite, EasyWriter, and a host of other programs. Most of them are now long forgotten. However, WordPerfect lives on largely in law offices, and a handful of writers have stayed loyal to WorStar.  If A&T and MicroPro had managed to port WordStar to Unix in the early 1980s, I expect I’d still be using it today. These days, I use LibreOffice and Google Docs, even though I still have the WordStar command set embedded in my fingers.  More

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Vladimir Sukhachev/Getty Images I’ve had the same email address for more than two decades. I use it for just about everything I do. That’s really convenient, but it also means my inbox is inundated with advertising, newsletters, social media updates, and other ephemera. Left unchecked, that firehose of trivial correspondence can overwhelm the useful and […] More