Eliana Willis

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    in Robotics

    The best robot vacuums for 2024: Expert tested and reviewed

    The Dreame X30 Ultra is the best two-in-one machine money can buy, and you’ll need a lot of money to score this latest and greatest machine. It sits at $1,700 and is regularly priced, but let me tell you why you need this machine if you have kids, pets, or both. The X30 Ultra can do it all — vacuum, mop, avoid obstacles, self-empty, self-refill, self-clean (both the mop heads and the washboard), self-dispense the cleaning solution, and self-dry. The robot can even determine how dirty your floors are and will automatically go over them a second time (if this feature is enabled). As someone who only walks around her home barefoot, I mean it when I tell you the dual oscillating mop heads truly scrub my floors. They look fantastic after a cleaning run. Are you convinced yet? Review: Dreame X30 UltraThe mopping is superb, but the vacuuming also does a great job. At 8,300Pa suction, the X30 Ultra easily handles my carpet and rugs, suctioning up my pet hair and dirt while leaving pretty vacuuming lines behind. The auto-empty feature is also incredibly quiet, and I never wake my son up after he’s gone to bed and I run the machine. It features a built-in light and impressively cleans well at night with only a lamp or two in my house. This is my favorite two-in-one machine and a must-have if you can justify the price.Amazon reviewers also feel overwhelmingly positive about the X30 Ultra, one saying, “The most impressive part is how well it cleans. I love coming home to a house that [is] swept daily and mopped twice a week (my settings).” Waking up every morning and starting with freshly vacuumed and mopped floors helps give me the best start to my day possible. I love this machine and think you will, too.Dreame X30 Ultra features: MopExtend cleaning capability | 8300Pa suction power | Multi-functional base station | Price: $1300 More

  • 138 Shares129 Views

    in Information Technology

    Security researchers say this scary exploit could render all VPNs useless

    JuSun/Getty Images Security researchers have revealed a method for rendering any virtual private network (VPN) useless. And they suspect that their exploit may have been in the wild for years — and malicious actors may already know about it. Researchers at the Leviathan Security Group have uncovered a method for exposing a user’s traffic when […] More

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    in Information Technology

    BigID announces new AI data security features for Microsoft Copilot

    Boris SV/Getty Images As more companies use generative artificial intelligence (AI) in their workflows, how they oversee training data is becoming increasingly important.  On Tuesday, data security provider BigID announced new capabilities geared towards Microsoft Copilot that tailor training data, strengthen AI security, and streamline compliance efforts. The features help organizations “scan for, classify, label, curate, […] More

  • 200 Shares189 Views

    in Robotics

    Shopping for Mother’s Day? This robot vacuum is a steal at $400 with an Amazon deal

    Beth Mauder/ZDNETWhat’s the deal? Currently, Amazon is offering the Eufy X8 Pro for 38% off its regular price, dropping the robot vacuum to $400. ZDNET’s key takeaways The Eufy X8 Pro is a two-in-one robot vacuum and mop in the midrange market. It’s the industry’s first vacuum to feature dual TurboCyclone Suction units to clean different surface types effectively.Eufy’s Pro-Detangle feature was less effective in my house, which is full of dogs and cats.Cleaning pet hair is something I struggle with in my home. It’s on my floors, my couches, my clothes, and even my dining room table. And the only way I’ve found even remotely to keep up with it is by running a robot vacuum every day because who has the time to run a handheld vacuum daily? If you do, you have my respect. Truly. That’s to say, when the Eufy X8 Pro More

  • 175 Shares129 Views

    in Networking

    Microsoft Edge update patches two security flaws and adds a handy speed test tool

    Jack Wallen/ZDNETMicrosoft has released the latest version of its Chromium-based Edge web browser that could entice users to migrate away from Chome.First off, there aren’t a lot of new features to be found in the latest stable version of Edge (124.0.2478.80). There are, however, two security vulnerabilities patched in this latest version, which are CVE-2024-4331 and CVE-2024-4368, both of which allowed a remote attacker to exploit heap corruption with a malicious HTML page. These two vulnerabilities were marked High, which means it’s important that you update to the latest version to patch these flaws. Also: Arc browser is now available for Windows and it’s so much better than ChromeThe big-ticket item for this new update to Microsoft Edge is a “built-in” speed test tool. I place built-in between quotes because the feature is really just a quick link to the Bing speed test page. Even so, for those who regularly depend on a speed test for troubleshooting network issues, it’s handy to have quick access to such a tool.Speaking of which, accessing the speed test tool isn’t exactly user-friendly. To do so, click + on the right sidebar and type tools in the search field. From the pop-up, click “Tools” (with the toolbox icon) and you’ll see the speed test tool at the top of the sidebar. Click “Start” and a new tab will open to Bing and automatically run the latency, download, and upload speed tests. More

  • 150 Shares149 Views

    in Information Technology

    Code faster with generative AI, but beware the risks when you do

    Yaroslav Kushta/Getty Images Nowadays, developers can turn to generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) to code faster and more efficiently. Nevertheless, they should do so with caution and no less attention than before. While the use of AI in software development may not be new — it’s been around since at least 2019 — GenAI brings significant […] More

  • 75 Shares199 Views

    in Networking

    How we test VPNs in 2024

    Virtual private networks (VPNs) are services that you can use to hide your online activity and obscure your digital footprint to prevent advertisers — and others — from tracking you. VPNs are also useful in bypassing firewalls, accessing content restricted to specific locations, and masking what websites you visit, and when. VPNs have become so popular that the digital marketplace is full of them. All VPN providers are competing for your attention and money (as the majority of VPNs are offered on a subscription basis), and it can be difficult to cut through the noise and find good, reputable VPN services suitable for your needs. This is where ZDNET comes in. Our experts provide hands-on reviews of the top VPNs on the market today, backed by extensive testing and research. This is how we test VPN software to make the right recommendations for you based on your needs. How ZDNET tests VPNs in 2024 Charlie Osborne/ZDNETNowadays, VPNs offer such an extensive list of features that choosing the right VPN can be a daunting and confusing experience. As the majority of reputable VPN services must be paid for, it is essential that you are able to either test out or pick the right VPN from the start. This becomes critical if you need extensive security, if you live somewhere known for censorship, or if you are in a country that frowns upon VPN usage — or bans it entirely outside of state-controlled solutions.This is why ZDNET has developed a comprehensive testing structure that accounts for all of the major features VPN users want today: speed, stability, security, server availability, and flexible plans. We also want to see clear and transparent privacy policies, external security audits, warrant canaries, and a dedication to resolving security issues and vulnerabilities as they are reported.We also consider a VPN’s other selling points, such as whether additional services are on the table — including cloud storage, password managers, and data breach scanners — and just how well these VPNs perform in typical home environments. A thorough ZDNET review of a VPN takes time, and includes multiple tests to ensure reliability, strong connectivity, and reasonable speeds. This independent process is necessary if we are going to give you authentic and genuine assessments of a VPN’s strengths, weaknesses, and how they perform over an extended period of time so that you can make an informed decision before taking the plunge. ZDNET VPN experts include David Gerwirtz, an expert in DIY IT and hardware, a US policy advisor, and a computer scientist. Together with Charlie Osborne, a cybersecurity journalist, and other ZDNET authors, we combine decades of experience using, testing, researching, and reviewing VPN software. We have run hundreds of speed tests on numerous VPNs throughout the years — including over a dozen VPNs more recently — and we have also conducted in-depth research on each VPN, including soliciting customer feedback and speaking to other experts. If a VPN is going to meet our standards as a top recommendation, it must perform well in numerous criteria. See below for the most significant criteria we test for, and how. How we test VPN speeds More