Eliana Willis

Adam Breeden/ZDNETThese days, internet and Wi-Fi connectivity seem to be virtually ubiquitous. In the US, at least, there is a societal expectation that you can connect your devices to the web wherever you go. After all, connectivity is essential for many devices to function. But sometimes that connectivity fails — and what can you do if you want to watch TV without the internet?Here’s what you can do: use a USB flash drive.Also: Change these 5 settings on your TV for a quick and easy way to improve its picture qualityMost modern smart TVs have built-in media players that read content from USB devices. The range of benefits for using a USB drive is abundant. You can play your selected media files without streaming or connecting with multiple devices. Using a drive is cost-effective; you can store a large library of content on a USB stick and avoid monthly streaming subscriptionsn. And you have increased flexibility because you can use the USB stick to play content on pretty much any TV manufactured since 2001. More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways As part of its Zeno Series, Lockly released a new Visage smart lock, available for $349. The Lockly Visage comes with facial ID support, automatic unlocking when you’re near, and Apple Home Kit compatibility. The Lockly app can be more user-friendly, as it’s difficult to find certain settings, and it’s pricier […] More

Writing NFC tags with a smartphone. Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNETOne of my favorite technologies is NFC. I’m blown away that I can write data to a little chip and then access that using a smartphone or tablet. I’ve embedded NFC tags into all sorts of things, from documents to business cards to 3D-printed objects. Also: I gave my Android phone thermal vision superpowers with this accessoryAnd it’s easy! What you needYou need two things: NFC tags: These come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, from stickers More

Google / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNETGoogle is about to make it a lot easier to do research on the go. On May 20, it will officially launch native NotebookLM apps on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, and you can register now to have them automatically downloaded to your device.What’s NotebookLM?NotebookLM is Google’s AI “research assistant” that debuted as a web browser-based service last year. It’s often described as a smart notebook — one where you can dump PDFs, articles, YouTube links, plain text, Google Docs or Slides, and so on, and then ask the AI to summarize key points, answer questions, or even turn your source material into a mini podcast. Also: Google’s viral AI podcast tool can chat in over 50 languages now and it aced my Spanish testNotebookLM is powered by the latest Gemini models. Everything you ask comes with clear citations, so you can see exactly which sentences the AI pulled from your sources. That makes it great for students, professionals, and anyone who needs to do research. More

Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images It’s getting a little easier to use Reddit as a search engine. Last year, Reddit rolled out a new feature called Reddit Answers. Since so many people use Reddit as a Google replacement to tap into the community’s immense knowledge, the site introduced AI-curated answers related to the topic you […] More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The Moto G Stylus is currently on sale for $400 It is the best of Motorola’s 2025 series sporting a Super HD display and the most powerful chipset of the bunch You’ll hardly ever use its namesake feature, the stylus. more buying choices They say good things come in threes, and […] More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The AAWireless Two costs $65 and gives you wireless Android Auto support when plugged in. A new built-in button lets you quickly swap between paired devices. The companion app is almost too robust, but that’s a good problem to have. –> <!–> apr / 2025 Since I bought my first car […] More

Makhbubakhon Ismatova/Getty Images Final exams are stressful for students, requiring intense studying and long nights. However, AI can help ease the load.  Since generative AI first surged in popularity, the technology has typically received a bad rap in the education sector, with many believing it threatens academic standards and integrity. However, AI can also be a great […] More