Kerry Wan/ZDNETBuy One, Get One offers on TVs are rare — especially on a Sony TV we expect to gain high marks later this year. But for a limited time, Sony is giving out free TVs with select purchases. If you buy a 65-inch Bravia 8 II QD-OLED More
What is cache?Cache — or browser cache — is the temporary storage of website files. So, things like images, scripts, and cookies that your browser saves on your phone to make pages load faster the next time you visit. Also: How to clear your Android phone’s cache and make it feel like newOver time, though, those files can add up, taking a large bite out of your device storage and slowing things down. That’s why it’s smart to clear your browser cache regularly. In this article, I focused on clearing Safari and Chrome’s cache on an iPhone, but keep in mind that apps and even your phone’s processor have their own caches, too.How to clear your app cache on iPhoneYou can clear an app’s cache by deleting and reinstalling it — or, when available, using an in-app “Clear Cache” option. Since iOS doesn’t offer a universal cache-clearing tool, each app handles it differently. TikTok and CapCut include a built-in cache-clear button, Amazon lets you erase your browsing history, and Reddit offers a way to wipe local history. It depends on an app’s features.Is ‘clear cache’ the same as offloading? Not quite. Offloading an app via your iPhone’s settings can boost performance when your storage is tight by uninstalling the app and keeping its documents and data intact. Just go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage, tap the app you want, and choose Offload App. This removes the app and its cache but leaves your data in place, so when you reinstall it, you’ll pick up right where youAre cookies and cache the same thing?Cache and cookies are not the same. Cache stores copies of images, scripts, and other page elements so sites load faster on your next visit, while cookies are small data files that remember specific information about you — like login credentials, site preferences, or items in your shopping cart. Also: Cookie pop-ups don’t have to be a fact of life online – how I block them and whyClearing your cache removes those saved page files but won’t log you out of sites, whereas deleting cookies will wipe your saved logins and settings, forcing you to sign in again and reset any preferences.Can you block cookies on an iPhone?You can block cookies in Safari. Turning them off stops sites from tracking you, but it can also break some websites or limit features. So, you’ll need to weigh privacy against usability. If you’d like to block cookies in Safari, follow these steps:Go to Settings and select Safari.Tap on the toggle next to Block All Cookies.There are also third-party extensions — such as Ghostery More
<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The Motorola Edge is on sale right now for $550. As another solid midrange phone, the Edge delivers an impressive pOLED screen and has a long-lasting battery. Don’t expect too much from its mid-tier hardware, and the borderless display can cause wrong inputs. –> Just when I thought I was out, […] More
MacBook Air M4 in Sky Blue Kyle Kucharski/ZDNETThe MacBook Air M4 (13-inch) More
I don’t mind the hum of an air purifier by my bed — it serves as a source of white noise to lull me to sleep with clean, fresh air. But I don’t always want to hear the fan when I’m working and need to focus while my dog is in the office, triggering my allergies, so I know I need a quiet one in that room.There are a lot of whisper-quiet air purifiers on the market, ranging from 24 to 30 decibels. For reference, the hum of a refrigerator is around 40 dB, and a vacuum cleaner ranges from about 60 to 70 dB.Also: Don’t ignore this troubling metric that your smart air purifier tracks – here’s whyThe noise level is typically listed on the air purifier’s specifications chart, so look at it if you’re sensitive to noise or looking for a quiet device. More
JuSun/Getty Images Hackers on the dark web are hawking a database of 86 million customer records that they claim were stolen in an AT&T breach last year. The data in question was posted on a Russian cybercrime forum on May 15 and then uploaded again on June 3, apparently garnering attention from other cybercriminals and […] More
Oscar Wong/Getty Images Therapy can feel like a finite resource, especially lately. Many therapists are burnt out and overscheduled, and patchy insurance coverage often makes them inaccessible to anyone on a budget. Naturally, the tech industry has attempted to fill those gaps with messaging platforms like BetterHelp, which links human therapists with people in need. […] More
Ultrahuman/ZDNETSmart ring maker Ultrahuman is diving into the world of smart home health. The brand announced today that it’s launching Ultrahuman Home, its home health monitoring system, which assesses the environmental health of living spaces to optimize air quality, sleep, UV, and more. Also: I found a subscription-free smart ring that rivals OuraUltrahuman said indoor air quality, temperature, humidity, noise, and light have long been underestimated as contributors to overall health, and its device, which retails for $550, aims to quantify these factors for “comprehensive data and intervention,” according to the press release. Ultrahuman Home is equipped with a sensing system that continuously monitors and detects particulate matter flow, chemical pollutants, and air quality concentrations. It tracks volatile organic compounds typically released by paints, cleaning supplies, building materials, or formaldehyde, a cancer-causing substance found in a wide variety of household materials and cleaners. This information is monitored in real-time on the Ultrahuman app. Also: Two popular smart rings just got caught copying OuraIn addition to air quality, Ultrahuman Home also tracks room temperature, humidity, and noise to provide additional insights into factors that impact sleep. When a user wears the Ultrahuman Ring Air to bed and is woken by a loud siren outside, the Ultrahuman Home detects the disturbance and notes that the user has woken up on the smart ring. This integration, known as UltraSync, connects the internal aspects of health, such as resting heart rate and sleep quality, with the external environment. “Ultrahuman Home is our step towards integrating environmental awareness into personal health. By continuously monitoring factors like air quality, light, and noise, we’re enabling individuals to make informed decisions about their living spaces, leading to improved well-being and recovery,” said Ultrahuman founder and CEO Mohit Kumar in the press release. More
