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    Best early Prime Day phone deals to shop in October 2024

    While Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days sale doesn’t start for another week or so, the commerce giant is making it clear this year that early shoppers will be rewarded. If you’re in the market for a new phone, now may just be the best time to pull the trigger, with most manufacturers running Amazon promotions on their latest handsets.A scan through the A-to-Z catalog finds several deals on phones we’ve thoroughly tested and recommended at ZDNET. Considering Prime Day officially starts on Oct. 8, I wouldn’t stress about the prices dropping any lower. (When in doubt, take advantage of Amazon’s 30-day return policy or contact customer service for a price adjustment.) Here are the best early Prime Day phone deals we’ve found so far.Our favorite early Amazon October Prime Day phone dealsSamsung Galaxy S24 Ultra for $1,049 (save $250) More

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    73% of AI pros are looking to change jobs over the next year

    MicroStockHub/Getty Images The past year has been a relatively tough one for the tech sector and job stability, especially hiring prospects, but there’s more to the story within this forever-churning market. A new survey of 910 technology professionals and employers, published by Dice, finds strong undercurrents of both short-term pessimism and long-term optimism for the […] More

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    Do you really own the digital content you buy?

    Vertigo3d/Getty Images The debate of whether or not you really “own” digital content like games, movies, and books has been on full display in recent weeks, but in a win for consumers, residents in one state will soon get a better picture of what they’re really buying. California law AB 2426, which would take effect […] More

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    Gmail’s smart replies get smarter, but only for some users

    Sjoerd van der Wal/Getty Images Gmail’s Smart Reply feature is getting a lot smarter — with a lot of help from Google’s AI model. For years, Smart Reply utilized machine learning to suggest three stock responses based on the content of an email. Now Google is turning the feature into Contextual Smart Replies. With the […] More

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    Eufy’s new security camera takes full-color, daylight-looking footage at night

    Eufy If you use an outdoor security camera to keep an eye on a very dark area, a new option from Eufy promises to provide some of the best results ever.  Most security cameras have low-light options that rely on IR (infrared radiation). Unfortunately, IR footage has that black-and-white ghostly feel (like the kind that might […] More

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    Learn a new language with Babbel, now 69% off

    Get a Babbel lifetime language subscription at a big discount right now.  StackSocial Learning a new language can be daunting. But right now, you can buy a lifetime subscription to Babbel Language Learning from Stack Social that lets you choose from 14 languages and access more than 10,000 hours of online language education for just $180 […] More

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    Google shuts down WearOS update that was soft-bricking Pixel watches

    Matthew Miller/ZDNETIf you’ve been eagerly awaiting the latest WearOS update for your Pixel Watch or Pixel Watch 2, you may have to wait a little longer. After trying to install Wear OS 5, many Pixel Watch and Pixel Watch 2 users saw a blank screen and no option to navigate away or restart. The update promises several additions, including improved camera controls, the Recorder app (with AI transcription) that was originally a Pixel Watch 3 exclusive, improved performance, new workout metrics like ground contact time and stride length for runners, several enhanced faces, and a redesigned app launcher.Also: The best smartwatches: Expert tested and reviewedFastbooting the watch remedied the issue in most cases, but doing so requires the user to set the watch up again, with the update still not installed. Most users could install the update just fine (I had no issues when I tried it on my Pixel Watch 2), but with enough people encountering a problem, Google addressed it.Google has halted the automatic update for all users. (You can still install it manually if you have the technical know-how.) Attempting to install Wear OS 5 through the usual method doesn’t work. If you go to Settings, System, and then System updates, you can see that one is available, but tapping it doesn’t yield anything more. More

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    Microsoft announces sweeping changes to controversial Recall feature for Windows 11 Copilot+ PCs

    rob dobi/Getty Images Microsoft’s Recall was supposed to be the marquee feature for the new Copilot+ PCs Microsoft announced in May 2024. Its stated goal was to give Windows 11 users an AI-powered “photographic memory” to help them instantly find something they’d previously seen on their PC. In theory, Recall offers a clever solution to […] More