Eliana Willis

Kerry Wan/ZDNETLast week, deep in the heart of Mobile World Congress, in a remarkably refined, albeit temporary, meeting space, I couldn’t help but reflect on how far Google’s Android ecosystem had come. Five short years ago, Android’s mission was focused on personalized privacy controls and smart home integration. Also: Best of MWC 2025: 10 most impressive products that you might’ve missedNow, amid towering Android statues, Gemini balloons, and miniature figures rappelling from bookshelves, the narrative had shifted decisively toward integrating AI-powered experiences into almost every aspect of the mobile experience.At the center of this evolution sits Sameer Samat, Google’s Head of Android, who graciously carved out time during the conference chaos to discuss Gemini Live’s new real-time video and screen-sharing capabilities — features powered by DeepMind’s Project Astra — and what they reveal about Android’s AI-driven future.   More

Hill Street Studios/Getty Images By the time you finish this sentence, at least two new AI thingies have been announced. Big tech will have made some ridiculous promise that either makes you question your livelihood or makes you go, “Cool story, bro.” Not gonna lie; this ish is exhausting. Trying to keep up makes my […] More

Adam Breeden/ZDNETAmazon has had a busy last few weeks. After a smashing Devices and Services event last month, at which the company unveiled new Alexa upgrades and teased Alexa+ companion devices on the horizon soon, the retail giant is looking to get back to its roots: e-commerce.  Also: Amazon just gave Alexa its most significant upgrade in a decade – and old Echo devices will support it.With President’s Day behind us, ZDNET’s team of experts is gearing up for the second annual Amazon Big Spring Sale. Last year, the retail giant announced its first-ever Big Spring Sale event, which ran from March 20-25. Amazon slashed prices and offered near-holiday-priced deals on tablets, TVs, headphones, robot vacuums, home goods, as well as popular flagship Amazon products. I expect the sale to return this year with many similar deals. As ZDNET’s deal connoisseur, I’m using my extensive hands-on tech experience and seasoned commerce skills to cover all-things sales and deals. I break down everything you need to know to shop like a pro any time of the year — plus all of the currently unconfirmed details about Amazon’s first major sale event of 2025. Also: Here’s how to use Alexa+ for free – especially if you’re an Amazon Prime memberAmazon has not officially confirmed a spring sale for 2025, nor has the brand publicized specific sale dates or verbiage. However, my research points to a second Big Spring Sale in bloom soon. Towards the end of February, moderators of Amazon’s Seller Central (a public forum for third-party merchants) announced More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways Xgimi’s Horizon S Max offers sharp and vibrant picture quality that’s well above its price tag. The new gimbal design is convenient and easy to set up. Minimal port selection might be a problem for some more buying choices The Xgimi Horizon S Max–> is one of the brightest projectors I’ve […] More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The TCL Tab 10 Nxtpaper 5G is a full-color, color paper, and ink paper tablet available at Verizon for $239. It’s a great entertainment tablet for daily use that also functions very well as an e-reader. Although the screen is versatile, don’t expect the graphics to compare to those on an […] More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways This is a great value tablet, with a 12-inch display and running Android 15. While performance is on the lower end of the spectrum, this is still more tablet than most people need. The tri-fold case leaves a little to be desired, and there’s nowhere to store the stylus. –> The […] More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways This super-thin, super-durable tool has a myriad of uses. These are priced well, with cheaper copies on the market, but you should avoid them because they’re not a patch on the originals. The only downside I’ve found is that I can’t seem to find the Mini Spudgers for sale on their […] More

Getty Images/J Studios It’s increasingly difficult to avoid artificial technology (AI) as it becomes more commonplace. A prime example is Google searches showcasing AI responses. AI safety is more important than ever in this age of technological ubiquity. So as an AI user, how can you safely use generative AI (Gen AI)?  Also: Gemini might […] More