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    Google just gave the Pixel Watch its most important update yet – how US users can opt in

    Matthew Miller/ZDNETThe Pixel Watch 3 is getting a first-of-its-kind, potentially life-saving feature, and users will see it starting this week. The FDA-cleared Loss of Pulse Detection feature works by tracking your heartbeat. If your heart stops beating — due to cardiac arrest, respiratory or circulatory failure, overdose, or poisoning — your watch will automatically turn on more accurate infrared LEDs and look for motion data. To use the feature, watch users must manually opt-in to the feature through the Google Pixel Watch App, then select Safety and Emergency and hit Loss of Pulse Detection to enable. Also: My new favorite Android smartwatch outperforms Google and Samsung in a crucial wayIf the watch determines you’re not responsive, it will start a countdown and audio alarm. If you still don’t respond, the watch will place a call to emergency services using your LTE or phone connection, inform them that you don’t have a pulse, and share your location. More

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    Microsoft previews Spanish voice features for its Copilot Voice AI assistant

    Micorosft AI voice assistants like Copilot Voice make it easier to get help with everyday tasks by resembling a conversation with a human. However, these experiences are often limited to English speakers. Microsoft is changing that soon. On Tuesday, Microsoft announced it is adding two native Spanish voices to Copilot Voice, allowing Spanish speakers to […] More

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    5 simple ways to regain your data privacy online – starting today

    Andrew Brookes/Getty Images Are you worried that giant corporations and government agencies are indiscriminately collecting your personal data and then using it inappropriately? You’re not alone. Also: 9 ways to delete yourself from the internet In a report released today, security firm Malwarebytes published the results from a survey of 1500 readers of its newsletter. Here’s […] More

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    The easiest way to try out Ubuntu Linux

    Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNETAs a longtime user of Linux, I’ve reached the point where I can practically install the operating system in my sleep. OK, not literally, because, well… that would be impossible. But you know what I mean.Shall I continue?I know many people who would love to try Linux but won’t because they either don’t have a spare computer or are afraid the installation will be too difficult. Allow me to allay those fears. First, a Linux installation doesn’t require a spare machine. Second, Linux (especially a distro like Ubuntu) has become so easy to install that just about anyone can do it.Also: I’m a Linux power user, and the latest Ubuntu update put a smile on my faceHowever, if you’re still unsure, I want to show you a way to test Ubuntu Desktop that is so easy that you’ll wonder why you didn’t try it before.Are you ready for this?It’s all about VirtualBox.What is VirtualBox?VirtualBox is an application that allows you to install “guest” operating systems on your “host.” The host is the operating system on which you’ve installed VirtualBox, and the guest OS is the operating system that is installed as a virtual machine. The guest does not interfere with the host, so even if something goes wrong with the guest, it won’t affect the host.  More

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    AI will change the trades too – and field service technicians can’t wait

    SrdjanPav/Getty Images Tradespeople and technicians estimate they waste nearly a full day’s worth of work every week on paperwork, according to a new Salesforce survey. Data was sourced from a double-anonymous survey of full-time tradespeople and technicians in the US.  Also: Employers want workers with AI skills, but what exactly does that mean? Respondents included professionals […] More

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    Lost in translation? Amazon Q Developer now speaks more languages

    Tomasz Śmigla/Getty Images Programming is an increasingly global profession, and developer tools are finally catching up. On Wednesday, Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced<!–> new language supports in Q Developer, its coding assistant, to better serve its global user base. Amazon says the assistant can now deliver feedback accurately in multiple languages, creating a familiar work environment […] More

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    Lenovo ditched tradition by redesigning the latest ThinkPad – and I’m glad it did

    <!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways Lenovo’s first-edition ThinkPad X9 Aura Edition 14-inch is available now, starting at $1,239 for the lowest-tier configuration. It’s an experimental evolution of the ThinkPad line, exchanging some of the most defining features for a new sleek form factor and bold design. The entry configuration only comes with 256GB of storage, which […] More