Eliana Willis

Cesar Cadenas/ZDNETNearly every part of modern life depends on our connection to the internet. When my provider experiences an outage, everything grinds to a halt — working remotely via VPN, streaming music on Spotify, and even using smart home devices. It’s a stark reminder of how much we rely on the invisible network that keeps us connected. Almost every aspect of modern life is affected by our connectivity to the Web. Also: Is your Roku TV spying on you? Probably, but here’s how to put an end to itA total outage feels completely unacceptable. But a sketchy connection afflicted by lag and buffering can be even more frustrating. If you’re sure that your signal is strong but you’re still experiencing issues, the problem might be the location of your router.1. Location is key, but reach mattersIt’s always true that location is key. But your router’s efficacy is also impacted by the size of your home and how far the router’s signals can reach. A single wireless access point should be adequate for most apartments and smaller homes (1,500 square feet or less). Larger, multistory homes present a different challenge that can best be met by upgrading to a mesh network. Mesh networks consist of a main access point and additional nodes that can be placed throughout your space to ensure consistent coverage. More

Maria Diaz/ZDNETI’m no stranger to refurbished products. While buying refurbished or renewed isn’t always my first go-to, I did purchase a refurbished 2019 Apple iMac in 2020 that still gets daily use. Buying refurbished, especially with a warranty, is a great way to save money. It’s like buying a used car or secondhand furniture; you may not know the whole history, but whether it’s worth the risk depends on the buyer. I swapped my iPad Air for a refurbished 10th-generation iPad More

DaryaDanik/Getty I use Linux for both desktop and server. My preference for a server OS is one without a GUI, which means I have to turn to a lot of command-line tools. In some cases, I prefer to use the same command-line tools for both desktop and server, because it simplifies everything. After all, I […] More

Microsoft / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNETMicrosoft’s on a relentless quest to embed its Copilot AI into every software product it owns. That campaign takes another big step forward today with the addition of some new generative AI features in the company’s Edge browser.Today’s release beefs up the capabilities of Copilot Mode, the chat-based search interface for Edge, on Windows PCs and Macs. You can use natural voice commands to navigate pages, and the chatbot can see all the open tabs in the current browser window instead of being limited to whatever’s on the current page. Also: Microsoft gives Copilot a face – here’s how to try your new Appearance chat buddyIf that sounds appealing, you can go to the Copilot Mode sign-in page and flip a switch that lets you enable Copilot Mode in Edge Settings. That replaces the old search box with a Copilot chat input box that’s designed to handle search, chat, and web navigation. It also gives you the option to open Copilot Mode in a sidebar, where you can ask it questions about the current set of open tabs. More

The Moft Tripod accessory.  Kayla Solino/ZDNETEveryone loves affordable upgrades. And MagSafe accessories are the easiest way to elevate your phone’s design and function. At ZDNET, I test dozens of MagSafe accessories, from battery packs to wallets, phone cases, tripods, and more. And as a mobile accessory expert, there are genuinely a few that I reach for nearly every day that stand out from the mountains of MagSafe gear I’ve tried. The Moft MagSafe Tripod More

Google/ZDNETA little more than a month after Google released an update to prevent the Pixel 6a from overheating and possibly catching fire, a Reddit user reports that it’s happened again.Last month, Google issued a software update that purposefully limited the 6a’s charging capacity and performance. Over the weekend, a Reddit user posted a somewhat harrowing account of how they were woken up that morning by a horrible smell and loud noise. Their Pixel 6a, less than two feet from their face, was on fire. The fire spread to their sheets, the user said, and damaged their AC unit. The user also complained about their throat hurting the rest of the day because they had inhaled toxic smoke. They also shared photos of the badly charred device.Also: The latest Google Pixel 6a update may limit your battery – but you’ll be glad to know whyThe phone was on a third-party 45W fast charger.According to later updates, the user did have the update to prevent overheating but did not have their battery replaced (they weren’t close to a walk-in repair shop). They also explained that the email from Google wasn’t urgent enough and only encouraged them to “consider” a battery replacement for a “performance update.” In that same post, another user reported their Pixel getting very hot when charging after the update when it didn’t before. It’s not just the Pixel 6a that’s having battery issues. The Pixel 4a had battery performance problems that were so bad Google offered financial compensation to affected customers, and the 7a had so many battery swelling problems that the company instituted a special extended repair program. More