Eliana Willis

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  • 188 Shares199 Views

    in Information Technology

    Is a refurbished MacBook worth it? I did the math, and here’s my buying advice

    Kyle Kucharski/ZDNETI remember when people used to scoff at refurbished tech. Buying a used phone or computer was like rolling the dice: you never knew exactly what you were getting. Well, the times certainly have changed. And, in this economy, the prices on refurbished tech are looking more and more tempting. Consumers are challenging this idea that we’re all supposed to buy brand new phones and laptops every few years, and in the process, the market for refurbished tech has blown up. Also: Should you buy a refurbished iPad? I tried one from Back Market and here’s my verdictHaving never purchased a refurbished product myself, I was very curious as to how the experience would go with a new (used) laptop. So, I connected with the folks at Back Market and acquired a $950 MacBook Pro M1 More

  • 138 Shares179 Views

    in Information Technology

    Watch AI models compete right now in Google’s new Game Arena

    Google ZDNET’s key takeaways: Google’s new Game Arena will allow models to compete in games head-to-head. You can tune in to the Game Arena at 12:30 p.m. ET Tuesday.  The effort could open the door to new business applications. As artificial intelligence evolves, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to accurately measure the performance of individual models.  To that […] More

  • 188 Shares169 Views

    in Robotics

    Knowing these 7 rules helped me optimize my home security camera for the best footage

    Maria Diaz/ZDNETIf you’re a subscriber to the Nextdoor app, you’ve seen plenty of footage of prowling ne’er-do-wells caught in the eye of a video doorbell or home security camera. Hopefully, you don’t have your own first-hand experience with suspicious characters milling around your front porch, or far worse.Also: Unplugging these 7 common household devices helped reduce my electricity billsFor good reason, security cameras continue to grow in popularity, and we can expect them to become even more reliable and affordable this year. While we don’t necessarily require super high-res imagery from these discrete little devices, you can get the most out of them by being mindful of a few factors — especially where you position your camera(s). 1. Avoid obstructions (even future obstructions)Obviously, you won’t be putting a lens behind anything that blocks its view. Sometimes, though, that can include objects that change in size or shape over time, like trees and shrubs. During wintertime, a clear view of your yard may become a different story when branches bloom with new foliage in the spring.The same can apply to interior views, at least with objects that come and go. Will shutting a door somewhere within your camera’s line of sight block out a good percentage of its field of vision? Will your pet cat find a favorite spot to curl up in for hours at a time, right in front of the device? More

  • 150 Shares129 Views

    in Robotics

    Why I recommend this $2,000 mirrorless camera to both beginners and professionals

    <!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways Sigma’s BF is a $2,200, 35mm full-frame, mirrorless digital camera that radically changes the mode of operation by replacing the gaggle of buttons with an elegant click-wheel. It’s a great first camera but also has tons of pro features A future upgrade to a higher-resolution 60-megapixel sensor would be a welcome […] More

  • 200 Shares179 Views

    in Robotics

    Google is building a Linux terminal app for native Android development – here’s why that’s huge

    Jack Wallen/ZDNET ZDNET’s key takeaways Google is developing another Linux terminal app.The app runs a full Debian environment.Developers will be able to build Android apps on device.For some time, Android has had access to a terminal app that ran a full-blown, text-only Linux environment. This app is enabled via Android’s developer options feature and makes it possible for users to run Linux commands (even SSH).From Google’s perspective, that wasn’t enough. Also: 5 Linux terminal apps better than your defaultBut it seemed a bit odd when they went mum on the Linux Terminal app at the annual I/O developer conference. Even with that silence, a bit of new news has surfaced that points to Google releasing a new take on the Linux terminal app, one that targets developers. Build directly on Android devicesThis new Linux terminal app will allow developers to build Android apps directly on Android devices. That’s a huge change from having to build on emulators running on top of a desktop OS. Also: 5 surprisingly productive things you can do with the Linux terminalThe new Linux terminal app uses the Android Virtualization Framework to boot into a Debian image running on a virtual machine. This new terminal app provides a full-blown Linux development environment that allows developers to leverage the tools they need to build native apps. That includes Android Studio. More