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    Should you buy an electronic turntable? I ditched my Bluetooth speaker for one and didn’t regret it

    Victrola Harmony <!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The Victrola Harmony turntable system is available for $299 in the colors Natural, Walnut, and Black. This system includes a full-size turntable, two bookshelf speakers, and an A-T ATN3600L cartridge, all great components for beginners. At its $300 price point ($100 up from its debut in Jan.), people willing […] More

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    What if your passkey device is stolen? How to manage risk in our passwordless future

    Yuliya Taba/Getty Images Part of the “passkeys are more secure than passwords” story is derived from the fact that passkeys are non-human-readable secrets — stored somewhere on your device — that even you have very limited access to.  OK, so what happens to those passkeys if your device is stolen? Over on Spiceworks.com, ZDNET’s sister site […] More

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    First look at the iPhone 17 Pro? These public images confirm big design and camera upgrades

    Kerry Wan/ZDNETIn a series of rare events, the iPhone 17 Pro has seemingly appeared publicly ahead of its expected September launch. Late Monday, X user @Skyfops shared two images of what can be assumed to be an Apple employee handling a test development iPhone.Also: You can download iOS 26 public beta right now – how to install (and which iPhones support it)While the iPhone is encased in a security cover, typically used to hide the device’s final design, there’s a dead giveaway that the model in question is the unreleased iPhone 17 Pro: the right-aligned LiDAR sensor and flash. Even Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman thinks the images look legit.Leaks and rumors have long pointed to the upcoming series of iPhones featuring a redesigned camera bar, with the same arrangement of cameras on the upper-left corner as previous models, flanked by additional sensors on the right side — all upheld by a protruding module. For phone enthusiasts, think Poco M4 Pro design. More

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    The remote-controlled mower that’s changed the way I cut grass is $400 off right now

    Mowrator S1 <!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The Mowrator S1 remote-controlled lawnmower costs $3,999. This mower makes fun work of yard maintenance; perfect for someone with mobility issues, has a long-lasting battery, and fast RC response. Unfortunately, it is an expensive device, at $3,999, and it’s not meant to perform completely hands-free cleaning like a robot […] More

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    Verizon will give you a free Samsung Z Flip 7 phone right now – how the deal works

    Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNETAs they say, fashion is cyclical. It turns out that phones are, too, because flip phones are so back. Gone are the days of clunky phones that don’t fit in tiny pockets. Samsung has just released its brand new Z Flip 7, an AI-full upgrade to one of its most unique smartphone models. Also: T-Mobile will give you the iPhone 16e for free with no trade-in – here’s how to get yoursHowever, Verizon is now offering the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 More

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    Are AR glasses for swimming legit? This pair I tested helped me ‘hack’ my workouts

    Form Smart Swim 2 Pro <!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The Form Smart Swim 2 Pro is available for $329, with the premium subscription for $119/year or $15/month. The included solution keeps the goggles fog free, and the annual subscription provides extensive training and analysis features. Peripheral visibility is limited, the glasses are rather expensive, and […] More

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    This $90 network KVM solves one of my biggest server room hassles – and it’s travel-friendly

    GL.iNet Comet KVM <!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The GL.iNet Comet KVM lets you replace keyboard, mouse, and monitor with an Ethernet connection It works well, with good performance, a nice web interface, and specialty options for custom needs At $90, it’s fairly pricey, especially when adding to a bunch of PCs, but it does the […] More

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    Control your computer with your mind? Meta’s working on that

    Hand gestures on the Project Moohan headset demoed by ZDNET’s Kerry Wan at Google I/O.  Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNETSince the onset of the command line, the way humans have interacted with their computers has been restricted to a keyboard. Meta’s new wristband seeks to change that.Last week, Reality Labs at Meta, the team responsible for developing the company’s AR and VR offerings, published a paper in Nature detailing plans for a noninvasive wristband that uses electrical signals from the user’s body for human-computer interactions. How it worksThe wristband, meant to be wireless and comfortable, allows users to navigate the world around them in different neuromotor ways. These include 1D continuous navigation, similar to pointing a laser pointer based on their wrist posture; gesture detection, such as finger pinches; and handwriting recognition options, which allow users to draw using gestures with their neuromuscular signals, according to the paper. Also: Can Amazon finally make AI wearables happen? This buzzy new device could be its best betUnlike other gesture-based tech, these gestures aren’t read by a camera system or other sensors. Rather, it predicts the user’s intent from their neuromuscular signals using a measure of muscle activation via electrical signals sent from their brain when they make certain movements. This process is known as surface electromyography (sEMG), and is also used for prosthetic control. Meta VP of research Thomas Reardon told The New York Times that with practice, just the intent of moving is enough to produce the motion necessary to make the action happen on the computer. Why it mattersZDNET’s Managing Reviews Editor Kerry Wan has tested many XR/VR headsets and finds that the type of wristband Meta is working on would move the space forward significantly. “A wristband accessory capable of processing muscle movement at such a granular level would greatly enhance VR/XR applications,” said Wan. “These include more commercial use cases like gaming and interacting with virtual characters online, but they also expand to professional work like graphics design and content creation.” More