Eliana Willis

The Kindle Scribe is perhaps the perfect example of part e-reader, part tablet to satisfy your reading and note-taking needs. It has the same functions you’ve come to know and love in a Kindle, like 300 ppi glare-free screen, weeks of battery life, and adjustable warm light. It’s also compatible with Amazon’s Basic or Premium Pen, so you can take handwritten notes or underline important quotations within the book you’re reading. Your notes are automatically organized in one place for every book, so you can browse, review, and export them via email. The Kindle Scribe also comes with preset templates to help you create notebooks, journals, and lists, and you can can create sticky notes in Microsoft Word and other compatible Word documents. Review: Amazon Kindle ScribeZDNET contributing writer, Matthew Miller, went hands-on with the Kindle Scribe and called it “close to perfect.” “I use my Kindle Scribe daily as my primary note-taking device, and the habit of carrying it has also resulted in me reading more books than I have in years,” Miller wrote. “It’s an excellent ebook device while also serving as a capable working tablet.”The Kindle Scribe comes with the Basic pen, but for the more advanced features like a dedicated eraser and the shortcut button, you’ll need the Premium pen, which costs $30 extra. However, Amazon customers who have reviewed the Kindle Scribe say that the premium pen is worth paying extra for, especially since it has an eraser and a button that lets you switch the nib from writing to highlighting.Kindle Scribe specs: Display: 10.2-inch 300 ppi Paperwhite display| Battery life: Up to 12 weeks (at 30 minutes per day) | Weight: 15.3 ounces | Storage: 16 GB, 32 GB, or 64 GB More

Artie Beaty/ZDNETIf you’re a Google One subscriber, you probably know that one of the benefits included with your subscription is dark web monitoring (along with additional storage, access to Magic Editor, AI Premium, and more). The dark web monitoring feature keeps track of the dark web — sites not indexed by search engines and only accessible via specialized browsers — for personal information such as your Social Security number, address, email, phone number, and birthday. If Google finds your information, you’ll receive an alert and advice on what to do next.Also: 5 ways to improve your Chrome browser’s security (and why you should)Since the service’s debut, Google has limited dark web monitoring to customers who pay between $2 and $20 a month depending on their plan. But Google is soon rolling out the service to all its consumer accounts.First spotted by 9to5Google, subscribers who log in to their Google One accounts have started seeing a message that dark web monitoring is going away in late July with a link to learn more. Clicking the link leads to an explanation from Google that says, “Dark web report will no longer require a Google One membership. All users signed into their Google Accounts can use the feature as it’s made available.” More

The problem with Apple products, such as MacBooks, iPads, and the Apple Watch range, is that they usually carry a hefty price tag and are rarely on sale. But there are deals and discounts, even outside of sales events including Prime Day and Black Friday, if you know where to look. Also: Everything Apple unveiled at its ‘Let Loose’ iPad eventApple frequently refreshes its product ranges — one of the latest being the iPad lineup — and this can open the path to discounts in the form of new, promotional deals for the latest gadgets alongside price reductions for older designs as companies seek to move old stock. Typically, third-party retailers, such as Walmart, Best Buy, Newegg, or Amazon, are the places to find a discount on your new MacBook, iPad, and other Apple products. This month, Best Buy is offering a three-day sale on Apple products, including smartwatches, AirPods, Apple TV, iPads, and more, starting June 7.Also: The best iPhone dealsBelow, you will find the best sales and discounts on Apple products, including MacBooks, Apple Watch, AirPods, and accessories, for the month of June.Best Buy Apple Sales Event dealsApple MacBook Air 13.6-inch laptop More

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNETSIM swapping is an infamous type of scam in which a cybercriminal takes over your mobile phone account to port your number to another phone or carrier. Now Google Fi is offering its customers an extra level of protection to guard against such account takeovers.Describing its Number Lock feature in a new support page spotted by 9to5Google, Google called it an additional layer of protection against illegal SIM swaps and an option offered to Google Fi customers at no extra cost. With Number Lock enabled, no one can transfer your number to another phone or port it to another carrier.Also: Multi-factor authentication: How to enable 2FA and boost your securityTo enable Number Lock, sign into your account at the Google Fi website. Go to “Phone settings” and select “Privacy & security.” Under the setting for “Number lock,” select the option for “Sign in to manage Number lock.” Enter your username and password again and then turn on the switch for “Number lock.” To disable it, simply follow the same steps and turn the Number lock switch back to Off.With the prevalence of mobile phones, SIM swapping has become a popular tactic used by scammers who can target any user. As described on another Google support page:”SIM swapping happens when someone is able to steal your phone number by convincing your carrier to port your phone number over to a SIM card they own. For example, someone may call your carrier, pretend to be you, and convince your carrier that you have lost your phone and need to move your number to a new phone.”To protect a Google Fi account or any mobile account from SIM swapping, your best bet is to set up two-factor authentication. In that event, the scammer shouldn’t be able to access your account without that second form of verification. However, the type of 2FA you choose makes a big difference. More

Kerry Wan/ZDNETSamsung just unveiled its first-ever smart ring, the Galaxy Ring More