Alekseyliss/Getty Images Picture this: you’re in a peaceful slumber, enveloped in the warmth of your dreams. Gradually, you become aware of a sound — a gentle yet persistent alarm that begins to build in intensity, rising slowly to a dramatic crescendo. You slowly open your eyes, blinking as you transition into a semi-conscious state. But […] More
Kerry Wan/ZDNETLet’s face it: In this always-connected age, we’re forever on our phones checking texts, emails, social media, and more. As a result, we also have a steady appetite for accessories designed to tackle the constant problem of not having enough charge. CES 2025 has a fix.Also: CES 2025: ZDNET’s 25 products that impressed us the mostThe Swippitt, unveiled at CES, resembles a toaster box, except that when you insert your phone into the opening, it comes out in two seconds with a fresh battery. Sound like a CES gimmick? The product was on full display at CES, and we can confirm: It did the thing. Here’s how it works.To use the device, a user needs the Hub as well as the case, which Swippit refers to as the Link. On the case’s back is a battery, which — when inserted into the Hub — gets swapped out for another fully charged 3,500 mAh battery, ready to give you the juice you need for the day. Meanwhile, the depleted battery starts getting charged. More
Kerry Wan/ZDNETDuring the biggest week in tech, we saw CES announcements from giants like Samsung, Google, Nvidia, Asus, Lenovo, LG, and Dell, as well as new and innovative brands with cool concepts. Here’s the stuff that impressed us the most, both in terms of products we think could be worth buying and technologies that will impact the future.Also: We have named the 12 winners for the official Best of CES 2025 awards1. Smart glasses with an invisible display More
Jada Jones/ZDNETAt CES this year, several trends dominate the showcased products, including AI and smart glasses. Despite the fierce competition, Halliday’s smart glasses stood out because of their impressive design and performance, which emphasize comfort. The Halliday smart glasses unveiled at CES have an invisible display; that is, the display is not built into the lens but rather integrated into the frame. This is made possible by using what the company calls the world’s smallest optical module. Despite its 3.6mm size, the display provides users with a field of view similar to that of a 3.5-inch screen. Also: CES 2025: ZDNET’s 25 products that impressed us the mostThe major advantage of such a small display is that the frames are very light, weighing just 35 grams. Compared to the 48-gram Meta Ray-Bans I wore to the event, these felt noticeably lighter. The frames have a classic, sleek design, a battery that lasts up to 12 hours, a microphone, and speakers — and come in three colors: Amber, Black, and Gradient. Enough of the hardware: Here’s the part you’ve been waiting for — the display. More
ZDNETThe start of a new year brings a host of resolutions, including a desire to boost personal knowledge and skills. Evidence suggests continuous learning is a resolution you’ll want to keep.Harvard Business Review suggests that skills-based hiring is increasingly important to corporate recruitment strategies. In an era of constant change, professionals who acquire new knowledge are more likely to ascend the career ladder.Also: 4 ways to be a great digital leader during 2025’s tech revolutionSo, how can you focus on continuous learning? Six business leaders share their top tips.1. Keep your eyes openDave Moyes, partner of information and digital systems at SimpsonHaugh Architects, said the best way to learn new things is to stay inquisitive.”Be that five-year-old kid that wants to stick your finger in a hole,” he said.However, acting like a child as a senior professional is easier said than done. Moyes said the key to success is remaining humble.”You’ve got to look at everything with open eyes,” he said. “Somebody always knows more than you do about something, whatever that is.”Also: 5 ways to tell people what to do at workMoyes told ZDNET that continual learners assume nothing and drop any sense of arrogance.”You know a lot of stuff about what you know, but somebody else knows an awful lot, too,” he said. “Just learn from them. Talk to them. The world’s a big place.” More
Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNETGoogle has been a fierce competitor in the AI space with its Gemini assistant, which powers its chatbot and voice assistant on devices. Now, the company is infusing Gemini into Google TV to level up your home entertainment. I got a demo of the upcoming features, and here’s a break down of the best new tools.1. Google Assistant replacementGoogle’s releases at CES 2025 are focused on improving your Google TV experience. One of the biggest updates is the integration of Gemini capabilities on Google TV. This will replace Google Assistant with a much more capable voice assistant, which will help the assistant better understand your requests and provide better assistance.Also: CES 2025: The 13 most impressive products so farWith the upgrade, you’ll now be able to speak to it more seamlessly, using natural language and conversing with Google TV without needing to say “Hey Google,” and using conversational queries to find what you are looking for. For example, in the demo below, the user asked to see movies like Jurassic Park, but for kids. Gemini was able to understand what they meant and provide options.2. Ask more complex queriesUsers can also now ask more complex queries you typically wouldn’t ask the Google Assistant on Google TV. For example, in a demo, the user asked, “Tell me about the solar system for a third grader,” and “Help me plan a vacation spot with great beaches.” In both instances, Gemini was able to quickly generate the answer and display it on the TV, presented in the same way as the photo above.Also: The Google TV Streamer pleasantly surprised me – and I’m an extreme cord cutterRelated YouTube videos will also accompany Gemini answers, since when looking for something on TV, you are likely looking for visual content over standard web text content. You will also be able to use your voice to create AI-generated screensavers and to control your smart home devices more easily. More
Getty Images Almost every aspect of modern life is affected by our connectivity to the Web. On those rare occasions when my internet provider has an outage, life seems to come to a standstill. Everything from logging onto a VPN for work to streaming Spotify is suddenly out of the question. Even many smart home […] More
Kerry Wan/ZDNETWhile this year was only my fourth time at CES, you don’t need to physically be in Vegas to know just how much vaporware floods the show floor. Also: CES 2025: ZDNET’s 25 products that impressed us the mostAt this point, it’s almost an expectation for the flashiest, most promising products at the show to be ones that will either never go on sale or cease to exist in a matter of years — when companies, small and large, shift their focuses to the next big industry buzzword.But if I put all that doubt aside and looked at CES as if it were weeklong programming of QVC, here are three products that would make me yell, “Take my money!”. 1. Mcon MagSafe phone controller More
