Eliana Willis

More stories

  • 225 Shares189 Views

    in Information Technology

    The default TV setting you should turn off ASAP – and why it makes such a big difference

    Kerry Wan/ZDNETI love March Madness, at least when my team is invited to the Big Dance. I even enjoy watching other teams play their hearts out like everything is on the line — because it is. While NCAA basketball continues to be broadcast in standard HD, the games can look clear, bright, and beautiful on most modern TVs. Part of that appeal, though, is owed to your TV’s motion-smoothing capabilities. Also: How to watch March Madness 2025: The best streaming optionsFor many people, motion smoothing is only appropriate for gaming and watching live sports; enthusiasts typically prefer turning off the feature to watch anything else because it can detract from the filmmaker’s original intent, making on-screen images seem artificial or hyper-realistic. This is what’s called the “soap opera effect.” It’s a perfectly descriptive metaphor that probably requires no explanation. You can see it all too well: the cinematic film should not look like a daytime soap; you shouldn’t feel like you’re on the set with the actors. But it is appealing to feel like you’re in the stadium watching your team with thousands of fans. The soap opera effect makes sense for live sporting event broadcasts. More

  • 125 Shares99 Views

    in Robotics

    The 15 best early Amazon Spring Sale laptop deals 2025

    When is Amazon’s Spring Sale 2025? Amazon’s Spring Sale will be returning this year on Tuesday, March 25 and ending March, 31. Amazon confirmed its second annual Big Spring Sale event on March 18. Are laptops really cheaper during Amazon sales? Absolutely. Retailers and manufacturers have plenty of reasons to discount their laptops: new models coming out, overstock in a particular configuration, etc. Now, many of these discounted events align with Amazon’s sales, allowing retailers to clear inventory as part of the deals events. How did we choose these Spring Sale deals?ZDNET only writes about deals we want to buy — laptops we actually have tested and would recommend. Our experts looked for deals that were at least 20% off (or are hardly ever on sale), using established price comparison tools and trackers to determine whether the deal is actually on sale and how frequently it drops. We also looked over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the deals we’re recommending. Our recommendations may also be based on our own testing — in addition to extensive research and comparison shopping. The goal is to deliver the most accurate advice to help you shop smarter. Looking for the next best product? Get expert reviews and editor favorites with ZDNET Recommends. More

  • 113 Shares149 Views

    in Robotics

    The 25+ best early Amazon Spring Sale headphone deals

    When is Amazon’s Spring Sale 2025? This year, Amazon’s Big Spring Sale begins on March 25 and ends on March 31.Are headphones and earbuds really cheaper during Amazon sales? Yes, you can find many headphones and earbuds at cheaper prices during Amazon’s sales. However, the spring sale typically offers smaller discounts than Amazon’s fall and holiday sales later in the year. During Amazon’s sales, headphone and earbud brands also slash prices on their sites to compete for your dollars. Sometimes, prices are lower at other retailers, so you should compare factors like prices, return policies, and free items included with your purchase before buying. If you want all-time low prices on the latest headphones and earbuds, wait until later in the year.How did we choose these Spring Sale deals?I spend most of my time testing the latest headphones and earbuds and revisiting headphones and earbuds released in past years to provide our readers with the most sound buying advice. I also notice products’ retail prices and when the lowest prices were offered, typically later in the year.Additionally, by retesting products, I can determine if they’re still worth hundreds of dollars a year or two later. If they are, I will still recommend them during significant sales. Another factor I consider is when newly-released products are on sale; if a product I recommended was released six months ago and is already on sale, I’ll notify our readers to take advantage of the sale price. Looking for the next best product? Get expert reviews and editor favorites with ZDNET Recommends More

  • 175 Shares169 Views

    in Robotics

    Nvidia plans to make DeepSeek’s AI 30 times faster – CEO Huang explains how

    Nvidia Dynamo Nvidia In January, the emergence of DeepSeek’s R1 artificial intelligence program prompted a stock market selloff. Seven weeks later, chip giant Nvidia, the dominant force in AI processing, seeks to place itself squarely in the middle of the dramatic economics of cheaper AI that DeepSeek represents.   On Tuesday, at the SAP Center […] More

  • 163 Shares199 Views

    in Information Technology

    How a researcher with no malware-coding skills tricked AI into creating Chrome infostealers

    ZDNETGenerative AI has stirred up as many conflicts as it has innovations — especially when it comes to security infrastructure.Enterprise security provider Cato Networks says it has discovered a new way to manipulate AI chatbots. On Tuesday, the company published its 2025 Cato CTRL Threat Report, which showed how a researcher — who Cato clarifies had “no prior malware coding experience” — was able to trick models, including DeepSeek R1 and V3, Microsoft Copilot, and OpenAI’s GPT-4o, into creating “fully functional” Chrome infostealers, or malware that steals saved login information from Chrome. This can include passwords, financial information, and other sensitive details. Also: This new tool lets you see how much of your data is exposed online – and it’s free”The researcher created a detailed fictional world where each gen AI tool played roles — with assigned tasks and challenges,” Cato’s accompanying release explains. “Through this narrative engineering, the researcher bypassed the security controls and effectively normalized restricted operations.” More