Eliana Willis

ma_rish/Getty Images AI is permeating nearly every industry, and, as a result, it is a powerful skill for working professionals or those soon entering the workforce to master. To help more people learn AI skills and technologies, Nvidia established the Deep Learning Institute University Ambassador Program, which equips educators with resources to teach state-of-the-art AI […] More

Maria Diaz/ZDNETSince I discovered that Amazon had plans to (and now has) discontinued the ability to download Kindle files to your computer, I’ve been writing a lot about the Kindle ecosystem.I talked about how to sideload ebook files onto your Kindle, how to convert formats so the Kindle can read them, where to get free ebooks, and even how to get deals so you can upgrade an old Kindle and save some cash.Also: Want free ebooks? These 10 sites offer thousands of optionsBut readers keep asking me one question, and I have yet to answer it: Is it still okay to buy a Kindle?Some readers and commenters assert the answer is a hard no. Amazon controls its ecosystem, and supporting a service that can change the rules at any time means you no longer control your book collection.Other readers are less hard-line. They simply want to know if the Kindle experience is worthwhile and whether the new file lock-in should lock them out of buying a Kindle. After all, there are other options, including Kobo and Boox.In addition to our stack of Kindles, first purchased back in 2008, my wife and I have a Kobo Libra Colour More

Meta/ZDNETIf you’ve been holding off on the Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses because they just weren’t fancy enough, your time is here.Meta unveiled its “first-ever fashion-branded collaboration” yesterday, launching the limited-edition Ray-Ban Meta x Coperni glasses More

Kerry Wan/ZDNETIn the age of smart TVs, convenience is king. With just a few clicks, we can dive into endless entertainment — but that ease comes with a downside: the buildup of cache data.Also: The best TVs of 2025: Expert tested and reviewedJust like on your phone or computer, a cluttered TV cache can lead to sluggish performance, app crashes, and even hinder new content from loading properly. That’s why it’s important to clear all that extra cache and make your TV feel like new again. Before I break down the steps for how to do it, let’s address the big elephant in the room first.What is a cache?A cache is a temporary storage area where data is kept for quick access. On your smart TV, the cache stores information from apps, websites, and system processes to help them load faster every time you turn it on. Think of it as a bunch of temporary files intended to speed up loading times for frequently accessed information. Also: I lowered my electric bill by changing these 5 TV settings. Here’s why they workFor instance, when you open a streaming app, the cache might store thumbnails, login details, or recently watched shows. Caches are designed to help your TV load this content more quickly. Over time, however, the cache can become overloaded with outdated or unnecessary data, which can consequently slow down your TV’s performance. More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The Bird Buddy Smart Hummingbird Feeder Pro has an intuitive app experience, and the 2K camera takes high-quality images and video. With the solar roof add-on, you rarely have to charge the camera. It’s a bit expensive at $189, but it’s worth the price for hobbyists like myself. –> I never […] More

ZDNETGoogle has officially implemented a new platform for Chrome extensions, and it brings both good and bad news. On the positive side, Manifest V3 promises greater safety and security within Chrome. On the negative side, extensions that are unsupported are now being actively disabled or blocked.Also: The best secure browsers for privacyIn development for the past several years, Google’s Manifest V3 extension platform replaces version 2 with tighter controls over the behavior of extensions. Malicious or suspicious extensions are a problem for any browser, including Chrome. To address this issue, Google claims the new platform will better ensure that extensions offered in the Chrome Web Store are safe and reliable. If you’ve ever installed a buggy or even malicious extension in Chrome, Manifest V3 sounds like a positive step. We all want safe and secure extensions that run properly in the browser. But because many extensions can’t or won’t support the new platform, the burden is now on Chrome users to figure out what to do. uBlock Origin’s Chrome warningLet’s start with uBlock Origin, a popular ad blocker that’s been available as a Chrome extension for years. Head to its page at the Chrome Web Store, and you’ll now be blocked from installing it with a message that reads: “This extension is no longer available because it doesn’t follow best practices for Chrome extensions.” If you had previously installed uBlock Origin, the next time you open Chrome, you’ll be informed that the extension has been turned off. Check out the Manage Extensions screen, and Google will tell you that the extension was turned off because it’s no longer supported. Also: 5 ways to improve your Chrome browser’s security”Starting with Google Chrome 127, there will be a warning for uBlock Origin (uBO) in your Chrome extensions page,” the developer said last November on GitHub. “This is the result of Manifest V2 support being deprecated in favor of Manifest V3. uBO is a Manifest V2 extension, hence the warning in your Google Chrome browser. There is no Manifest V3 version of uBO, hence the browser will suggest alternative extensions as a replacement for uBO.” For people who want to keep using uBlock Origin, the only option in Chrome is to use uBO Lite (uBOL), a pared-down version that’s compliant with Manifest V3 but lacks all the unsupported features found in the full program. More extensions disabledOf course, this clean sweep affects many more extensions than just uBlock Origin. ZDNET editor Aly Windsor discovered that three of her Chrome extensions — Image Downloader, Publisher Extension, and Word Counter Plus — have been disabled and will no longer work. On my end, I relied on an extension called XBrowserSync for syncing bookmarks across different browsers. That’s been disabled and is no longer accessible in the Chrome Web Store. Also: 3 ways Google just supercharged your Chrome browser with AIScouring the Web Store, I found a host of other disabled extensions, including the following: 360 Ads BlockerAdblock FastAwesome Bookmarks ButtonBlock AdsBookmark AllBookmark ItBookmark LockBookmark Manager Speed DialBookmark My TabsComodo Ad BlockerComodo Online Security ProContent BlockerDelicious Bookmark Bar SyncDomain BlockerEthical AdBlock — Ad BlockerFast BookmarkGhostery Private Search for ChromeGoogle Ad BlockerGoogle Privacy ShadeHover Zoom+Little Bookmark BoxLocation GuardMalwareAI Browser SecurityPinboard Bookmark Bar SyncPopup FixerPrivacy CleanerPrivacy ExtensionPrivate BookmarkerPrivate BookmarksSimple Site BlockerTouch VPNTrump BlockerTunnelBear BlockerWebsite BlockerWikipedia PopupYouTube Anywhere RemoteSome of these extensions may be legitimately unsafe. In that case, Google is doing Chrome users a favor by blocking or disabling them. But I’d wager that many are still safe and usable; they just don’t fit the guidelines that Google has dictated with Manifest V3. Is Google stifling ad blockers?With the rollout of the new platform, critics have complained that Manifest V3 is a way for Google to stifle ad blockers. This is because certain extensions depend on remotely hosted code that wouldn’t be supported in V3. Both the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Mozilla have charged that Google’s move to Manifest V3 helps advertisers more than users. But ad blockers are only a small part of the picture. Many other types of extensions are now blocked because they don’t work with the new platform. Like some ad blockers, most of these use remotely hosted code, which Google has forbidden because such code is unreviewed and presents a potential security risk. More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways A premium quality pocket tool with a good selection of tools for under $30. All the tools are nice and sharp when new, and retain their sharpness even after extended use. Because this is a pocket tool, don’t expect pliers or a lifetime warranty. more buying choices I’ve been a big […] More