More stories

  • in

    Study: Oura surpasses Apple Watch and Fitbit in sleep tracking accuracy

    Nina Raemont/ZDNETWithout testing consumer wearable tech against medical-grade devices, it can be difficult to tell if that smartwatch around your wrist or smart ring around your finger is truly accurate. To date, there’s been no shortage of chatter about which smart ring is the most accurate at sleep tracking. Now we’re getting more than chatter.A new study in the peer-reviewed publication Sensors finds that, compared to the “gold standard” of sleep assessment (polysomnography or PSG), the Oura Ring Gen 3 More

  • in

    Why Spacedrive is the cross-platform file manager you didn’t know you needed

    Jack Wallen/ZDNETThe file manager — that ubiquitous app everyone takes for granted — is usually the last thing on your device you ever think about, but one of the first things you use. File managers help us keep our files and folders organized, assist in locating documents, and make it easy to open files.Imagine your digital life without a file manager.But here’s the thing: Most people stick with whatever file manager their operating system offers. In some cases, that’s fine. The MacOS Finder, for example, is a pretty good file manager. But what if you could use the same file manager across all your desktop operating systems — one that offers far more features than the file manager you’re using now?Also: 4 Android file manager alternatives (that are better than the default app)That would be out of this world, right?Thanks to Spacedrive, this dream scenario is very much possible. I’ve installed Spacedrive on both Linux and MacOS and found it to be an absolute gem. Spacedrive is also available for Windows 10 and 11, which I have not tried. One thing to keep in mind is that Spacedrive is very much in the alpha release stage (version .4.2 is what I have installed on my machines), so it’s not 100% complete. Certain features are listed as “coming soon” — such as Cloud Drives, key management, backups, and extensions — but what you do get (even in the alpha stage) is quite impressive. More

  • in

    Best October Prime Day Nintendo Switch deals still available: Last chance until Black Friday

    The Nintendo Switch is a popular console, and for good reason. It lets you seamlessly flip between an on-the-go handheld mode to a traditional, TV-connected unit, meaning you don’t have to keep track of multiple consoles and game libraries when you want to keep yourself entertained on the go. Plus, with the OLED version, you’ll get better contrast, color, and detailing in handheld mode to better appreciate your favorite games.Also: The best Prime Day deals right nowNintendo isn’t keen on offering discounts on its consoles and games, but with a little digging, you can still find great deals if you’re willing to be patient. While the Prime Big Deal Days sale may be over, you can still find great discounts on games and accessories, as well as console bundles with digital game codes or Nintendo Online memberships. And with how stingy Nintendo is with discounts in general, this may be your last chance to save until Black Friday.Our favorite Amazon October Prime Day Nintendo Switch deals still available More

  • in

    Best October Prime Day 2024 gaming deals still available: Last chance to save up to $1,000

    Prime Big Deal Days (a.k.a. October Prime Day) might be over, but there are still plenty of great gaming deals available on things like Nindendo Switch games, PlayStation 5 accessories, and even gaming desktops and laptops. You can also find huge discounts on things like portable SSDs for backing up your digital game library and PC components like processors and graphics cards for a quick update to your gaming rig. But you won’t want to wait around if you find a good deal, because it may be your last chance until Black Friday.Also: The best Prime Day deals right nowMajor brands like HP, Samsung, and even Nintendo are offering deals, discounts, and coupons at Amazon More

  • in

    The best Prime Day headphone deals you can still shop

    Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days sale ended yesterday, but it’s still a great time to pick up a new pair of headphones for yourself or music lovers on your upcoming holiday shopping list (it’s never too early to start shopping for the holidays). Also: The best October Prime Day deals live nowI review headphones for a living and combed through Amazon’s headphones catalog, uncovering sizable discounts on the best headphones, many of which we’ve tested and recommended, like the Apple AirPods Max More

  • in

    How to encrypt a file on Linux, MacOS, and Windows – and why

    Malte Mueller/Getty Images You probably have documents on your desktop operating system that contain sensitive information. So what do you do to protect that data? You could hide the document in an obscure folder — but that’s not really safe, because anyone with access to your computer could rummage around and locate the file in […] More

  • in

    Tonight’s solar storm could dazzle lower US with northern lights – and impact satellite tech

    Noppawat Tom Charoensinphon/Getty Images Tonight’s potentially severe geomagnetic storm could bring the dazzling beauty of the northern lights as far south as Alabama and California — but it might also bring communication disruptions to areas where service is already sparse due to recent hurricanes. Also: How to use Android’s emergency satellite texting if you lose […] More