Eliana Willis

David Gewirtz/ZDNETDeepSeek exploded into the world’s consciousness this past weekend. It stands out for three powerful reasons: It’s an AI chatbot from China, rather than the USIt’s open source.It uses vastly less infrastructure than the big AI tools we’ve been looking at.Also: Apple researchers reveal the secret sauce behind DeepSeek AIGiven the US government’s concerns over TikTok and possible Chinese government involvement in that code, a new AI emerging from China is bound to generate attention. ZDNET’s Radhika Rajkumar did a deep dive into those issues in her article Why China’s DeepSeek could burst our AI bubble.In this article, we’re avoiding politics. Instead, I’m putting both DeepSeek V3 and DeekSeek R1 through the same set of AI coding tests I’ve thrown at 10 other large language models. According to DeepSeek itself:Choose V3 for tasks requiring depth and accuracy (e.g., solving advanced math problems, generating complex code).Choose R1 for latency-sensitive, high-volume applications (e.g., customer support automation, basic text processing).You can choose between R1 and V3 by clicking the little button in the chat interface. If the button is blue, you’re using R1. More

The 3rd generation Amazon Echo Show is a great smart display and speaker combination for most smart home users, whether experienced or just getting started. Amazon’s newest Echo Show 8 boasts a sleeker design with edge-to-edge glass, a centrally placed camera for video calls, and spatial audio from the smaller speaker enclosure.I’ve been using the Echo Show 8 daily for almost a year, and this generation’s improved processor delivers faster performance than older models. It’s become my kitchen companion for running smart home routines, interacting with Alexa, and streaming music and video content on the 8-inch HD screen while cooking.Review: Amazon Echo Show 8 (3rd gen)This is the first Echo Show 8 to feature the camera in a central location rather than off to one side, which aids in better visual experiences during video calls. The camera also works for Visual ID personalization and Adaptive Content. Visual ID lets the Echo Show 8 recognize the household member approaching it to personalize content, while Adaptive Content adjusts the screen’s content based on a person’s proximity.It’s a highly rated smart speaker, with one buyer saying, “I purchased this a few months ago, and it has exceeded my expectations in every way. The Spatial Audio feature provides a rich and immersive sound experience, perfect for listening to music, podcasts, and even video calls. The smart home hub integration is seamless, allowing me to easily control all my smart devices. Alexa’s responsiveness and sharp display make this device a pleasure to use daily. “Amazon Echo Show 8 features: Price: $150 | Compatibility: Amazon Alexa | Connectivity: Wi-fi, Bluetooth, and is a hub for Matter, Thread, Zigbee | Specs: 8-inch HD touchscreen, 13MP video call camera, Alexa voice assistant  More

Since its debut in 2014, Amazon’s Alexa has become America’s leading voice assistant and smart home automation system. Alexa is built into millions of smart home devices, aiding users with everything from locking doors, dimming lights, playing songs, and even calling for help, all with a simple voice command. Also: I used Amazon’s Echo Show 21 as my smart home hub – and it’s almost perfectAlexa is integrated into smart home devices like smart hubs, Amazon Echo speakers, smart thermostats, smart lightbulbs, and home security cameras. What is the best Alexa device right now?After testing almost all of the Amazon Echo devices featured on the e-commerce site at this time and dozens of Alexa-compatible devices, the best Alexa device is the third-generation Amazon Echo Show 8 More

ZDNETThe web is filled with resources, which makes it possible to find all the answers you need in one place, but this can also make finding exactly what you need a long and overwhelming process. Google’s Deep Research offering aims to help you manage that process — and it’s now rolling out on Android. In December, Google announced several AI advancements and releases. One of the biggest standouts for everyday users is Deep Research, an agentic feature for Gemini Advanced that can conduct thorough research on your behalf. Also: Apple researchers reveal the secret sauce behind DeepSeek AISince launch, the experience has been live for all Gemini Advanced users on the desktop and mobile web. As of this week, Deep Research is also rolling out to the free Gemini Android app. To use the AI agent, select “1.5 pro with Deep Research” from the drop-down menu in the app.🧠 Deep Research is starting to roll out on Android 📲Generate comprehensive research reports on the go, right from the Gemini Android App. Dive into anything from product recs to quantum computing, anytime, anywhere.Tap Deep Research in the Gemini Advanced drop-down menu to… https://t.co/nzwUWhyVxs— Google Gemini App (@GeminiApp) January 27, 2025

With Deep Research, you can pose a question about the topic you want to learn more about. The agentic feature will create a multi-step research plan, which you can approve or disapprove. If the plan is approved, it will browse the web for you for a few minutes. The Deep Research process mimics what humans do when engaging in research processes, such as browsing the web, making new searches with their findings, and continuing the process multiple times until it has collected sufficient information to answer your question.  More

ZDNETFacebook has not been making friends lately with its policy changes. While some people have left, others find it hard to leave. It’s where their friends and social groups — from old co-workers to church members to fellow sufferers of obscure diseases — are. Also: The best data removal services in 2025: Delete yourself from the internetIn addition, Meta, Facebook’s parent company, tracks your activity not just on Facebook, but across the internet with Meta’s tracking pixel. If you’d rather not have Big Zucker looking over your shoulder, here’s what you can do to limit how much Meta can track you.Facebook has been collecting data on you for yearsBefore getting into protecting your privacy, you should know what data Facebook has already been collecting data on you for years. Besides the obvious — your name and that you liked Aunt Jodie’s funny cat picture — companies that use Facebook Business Tools, such as Facebook Pixel, the Facebook Software Development Kit (SDK), and Facebook Login and Account Kit, also share what they know about you with Facebook. Specifically, Meta tracks when you’re:Opening an appLogging into an app with FacebookViewing contentSearching for an itemAdding an item to a shopping cartMaking a purchaseMaking a donationWhen you’ve been naughty or niceOK, I made up the last one, but when you use Facebook, you really are giving up your privacy in ways that would make Santa Claus envious. Don’t believe it? According to the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), Facebook tracks you on 30% of the top 10,000 websites. On my own account, I see that Facebook and its partners have data on me from 955 apps and websites that I’ve used or visited in the last 180 days. That includes every time I checked my Ring doorbell, the time I checked StubHub for WVU-Kansas basketball tickets, and how often I checked into Zillow when searching for a new home. And, of course, what sites I visit daily.Also: What is DuckDuckGo? If you’re into online privacy, try this popular Google alternativeAlso keep in mind that things that sound like they help, such as clearing your Facebook history, may not help at all. Clearing your history, for example, doesn’t delete anything. Instead, all it does is disconnect your activity history from your account. Meta will continue to receive your activity from the businesses and organizations you visit in the future.The only real way out is to delete your Facebook account. But even then, Facebook says it will take up to 90 days to remove all your data. It may take longer. Much longer. In any case, Meta doesn’t spell out what it does with your activity history.What doesn’t work You can turn off, sort of, the data Facebook and its partners share about you. But, even then, Facebook says: “We’ll still receive activity from whatever site. It may be used to measure and improve their ads, but it will be disconnected from your account.” (You can believe Facebook if you like, but I’m inclined to doubt it.)Next, simply putting a post on your page that claims to be a legal notice forbidding Meta from using your personal data and photos won’t help you a bit. No, I don’t care who told you that this would work. It doesn’t. Never has, never will.Also: Stop exposing your Venmo activity – by changing this privacy setting. Here’s whySo, what can you do? Well, first things first. Facebook has a bad habit of changing its menus. If the specific suggestions below don’t work for you, use the Facebook search function to find the settings you’re looking for.Don’t share public posts – it’s dangerous More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The Govee Neon Rope Light 2 is available in white or black and in two lengths: 10 feet for $70 and 16.4 feet for $100. More pliable than other neon light strips on the market, the Govee Neon Rope Light 2 is easy to install and comes with bend clips to […] More