Eliana Willis

The Asus Zenbook A14 redefines the ultraportable category. Kyle Kucharski/ZDNETIt’s time to go back to school, and if you’re looking for a new (or refurbished) laptop, we’ve got you covered with some of the best deals live right now. We’ve personally tested all five of these laptops and singled them out as solid options for students for various reasons. Also: The best laptops of 2025: I’ve tested dozens of laptops and these are the best onesWe’re talking light and portable, great battery life, solid performance, and most of all: fantastic value. The Asus Zenbook A14 More

Kerry Wan/ZDNETZDNET’s key takeaways:An upgraded version of App Intents could make Siri the true hands-free iPhone companion.Apple is currently testing these Siri App Intents with a handful of third-party apps.The revamped Siri could ship in the spring of 2026, reports Bloomberg.When Apple first announced an upgraded and more capable Siri, every one of its users was reasonably excited. Unfortunately, that promise never happened, and the new Siri continues to be delayed. However, ahead of the upcoming Apple event, new details have emerged that may make antsy users a little more patient. And if the rumors are true, I’m anticipating the big Siri rollout to finally get me to switch from Gemini to Apple’s voice assistant.Also: This iOS 26 update ruined the iPhone camera app for me – then Apple saved the dayAccording to a report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, App Intents could “finally make Siri the true hands-free controller of your iPhone.” He explains, “App Intents will mean: With nothing but your voice, you’ll be able to tell Siri to find a specific photo, edit it, and send it off. Or comment on an Instagram post…. Siri could operate your apps like you would — with precision, inside their own interfaces.” More

imaginima ZDNET’s key takeaways: Employee trust in AI agents is growing, but only for some tasks. Research found that trust increases the more people use agents. The rapid embrace of agents is rewriting some workplace norms. AI agents are becoming a common fixture in the workplace as businesses look to automate a variety of routine, […] More

Nina Raemont/ZDNETZDNET’s key takeaways Oura launched features for pregnant and perimenopausal users on Tuesday. The science-backed features provide further context during periods of drastic biological change. The features are personalized, and the brand stressed data protection and privacy. Pregnant and perimenopausal women are getting more ways to track and understand their health, thanks to several new features Oura announced on Tuesday. The smart ring brand launched a redesigned Pregnancy Insights experience on the app alongside Perimenopause Check-In, available within the Cycle Insights tab. The new features provide clarity and further context during two periods of drastic biological change in a person’s body and illuminate the normalities and abnormalities of each.  More

Google / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET ZDNET’s takeawaysGoogle adds new features to give you more ways to pay online.See reward details for 100+ cards to find your best option.More “buy now, pay later” options, including Affirm and more.The next time you check out online with Chrome or Google Wallet, you might notice things look a little different. Google has announced several upgrades, each one designed to give you more flexibility and convenience when you shop online.1. Support for more ‘buy now, pay later’ servicesGoogle Pay is expanding popular pay-over-time options, the company says, letting you choose to use services like Affirm and Zip through Chrome in a few clicks. Google adds that support for Klarna, Afterpay, and other services is coming soon. 2. More credit card reward infoUtilized properly, credit card rewards can be a great way to save money. You’ll now see reward details for more than 100 cards automatically in autofill on Chrome when you check out, helping you decide which card gets you the best deal. 3. Easier international transfersGoogle is also helping make international money transfers a little easier by showing straightforward exchange rates and transfer fees for popular services like Ria, Xe, and Wise in Google Wallet. In addition, you can use these services in Wallet to send money from the US to India, Brazil, Mexico, and the Philippines (Google says that more countries are on the way). Also: 5 great Chrome browser alternatives that put your privacy firstYou’ll soon be able to access this feature through Wallet online by searching for any currency exchange rate. More

AOL / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET ZDNET’s key takeaways Generation X says goodbye to the past.Old technology can linger long after you thought it was dead and done.AOL, once a technology giant, is now little more than a footnote.For millions of people who first heard “You’ve got mail” over crackling phone lines, an iconic chapter in digital history is coming to a close. AOL, also known as America Online, has announced it will shut down its dial-up internet service on Sept. 30, 2025, effectively retiring a technology that was once synonymous with getting online.You’ve got mailEven if you’ve never used it, AOL became synonymous with the early days of the popular internet, thanks to the rom-com “You’ve Got Mail,” starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. The movie was a cultural touchstone. Also: Should you upgrade to mesh? I compared it with a traditional Wi-Fi router, and here’s my adviceAOL is the last of the services, such as CompuServe, GEnie, and Prodigy, which enabled people to go online before the Commercial Internet Exchange and the web started us on our way to the online experience we know today. AOL, however, unlike its rivals, embraced the internet rather than trying to fight it. The result was that AOL’s dial-up network introduced the internet to households across the country in the 1990s. From 1995’s million users, AOL grew to over 34 million subscribers by 1997. The distinctive sounds of a modem connecting were as well-known as the company’s ubiquitous CDs, which promised hours of free internet when tossed into millions of mailboxes. Also: The best VPN services (and how to choose the right one for you)The company dreamed then that, after its merger with Time-Warner, it would be worth billions more. At the time, the integration of the firms was the largest corporate merger in the US. In January 2000, AOL was the US’s biggest Internet Service Provider (ISP) and was worth billions. In March of that year, the dot-com crash helped turn dreams into nightmares. More

JuSun/Getty Images ZDNET’s key takeaways AI-powered narrative attacks, or misinformation campaigns, are on the rise.  These can create real business, brand, personal, and financial harm.  Here are expert tips on how to spot and protect yourself against them.  Last month, an old friend forwarded me a video that made my stomach drop. In it, what […] More