Eliana Willis

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The OnePlus Open is available for $1,300 OnePlus also offers various trade-in deals on a range of existing phones, saving up to $900 This foldable phone has a vibrant large main display, customizable ringer switch, ample RAM and storage, and three powerful rear cameras While the hardware supports a stylus, OnePlus […] More

Maria Diaz/ZDNETWhile 2024 was the year of self-cleaning robot vacuums, 2025 promises to be the year of robotic limbs. At CES 2025, Roborock had spectators doing double and triple takes when it unveiled a new flagship robot vacuum with a mechanical arm that removes obstacles. While the company got the most attention for its innovation, it wasn’t the only one displaying this technology at the show. Also: The best robot vacuum we saw at CES 2025 – and 4 others that impressed usDreame, one of Roborock’s major competitors, also used CES to debut a robot vacuum with a mechanical arm that can do more than the similarly armed Roborock Saros Z70. Dreame’s mechanical arm can lift objects weighing up to 500 grams, or 17.6 ounces, almost twice as much as the Roborock, and also can use different tools to scrub stubborn stains during cleaning and trap dust more efficiently. This Dreame robot with a mechanical arm also features retractable legs to climb small steps and obstacles, similar to the Dreame X50 Ultra, which can climb up to 2.4 inches. It is also designed to autonomously grab each tool and return it to the dock when finished. According to the product demonstrators at the Dreame booth, this robot will get more tools by the time it launches. More

Bing Guan/Bloomberg via Getty Images Red Hat, the IBM-owned open-source software giant, has completed its acquisition of Neural Magic, a pioneering artificial intelligence (AI) optimization startup. Initially announced in November 2024, the deal closed on January 13, 2025, marking a significant step in Red Hat’s strategy to enhance its AI capabilities across hybrid cloud environments. […] 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

Mecha/ZDNETI’ve been around long enough that I remember testing Linux PDAs. I even had one set up to run an Apache server — carrying around a server in my pocket was pretty cool. Other than that neat trick, most of those Linux PDA devices were pretty bad. (That was the early days of handhelds, so they were all bad by today’s standards.)Naturally, I was excited this morning to see an announcement about the Mecha Comet handheld Linux computer. This new device is powered by a Debian-based distribution called Mechanix OS; you not only get the stability of Debian, but you can easily upgrade the OS (unlike a lot of handheld devices). Also: Thanks to Nvidia, there’s a new generation of PCs coming, and they’ll be running LinuxThe really interesting thing about the Mecha Comet is that it’s all about hardware and software modularity. With the help of “snap-in” extensions, you can transform the Comet into a gaming handheld — or a more traditional handheld with the keyboard extension. There are also extensions for GPIO for a serial console over USB-C, which means you can connect the Comet to any sensor or device. Because the Comet is open source, you can build your own extensions. If you dream it, you can make it.The Mecha Comet runs a full-blown version of Linux, so you can turn this device into just about anything that suits your fancy, such as a Linux phone (with the help of an LTE modem), a drone controller, an interface for your car, and more. Mecha claims you could even launch the Comet into orbit as part of a nanosatellite project. More

Prakhar Khanna/ZDNETWith the winter holidays in the rearview and the new year finally here, many retailers like Best Buy More

Leonid Korchenko/Getty Images Meta’s upcoming move to replace its third-party fact checkers with a Community Notes feature isn’t sitting well with everyone. Following CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s announcement last week, a host of users took to Google to search for help on how to delete their Facebook, Instagram, and Threads accounts, according to Google Trends data spotted by […] More