The Yamaha True X Bar 50A is a low-profile, elegant soundbar that’ll look good under any TV. Jack Wallen/ZDNETZDNET’s key takeawaysThe Yamaha True X Bar 50A More
Save big on this lifetime Microsoft Office Pro 2021 and Windows 11 Pro bundle. Kerry Wan/ZDNETIt doesn’t matter if you’re upgrading to a new laptop or just upgrading your existing system — access to Microsoft Office and Windows is a necessity for getting things done on your computer these days. And right now, you can buy a bundled lifetime license to Microsoft Office Pro 2021 and Windows 11 Pro from Stack Social for $50 — that’s 88% off. Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2021 includes all of the classic and essential Microsoft offerings, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Publisher, Access, and Teams. If you don’t need all the bells and whistles, check out this deal for Microsoft Office 2019, which offers all the same features except for Teams. Microsoft Windows 11 Pro is an operating system perfect for working professionals or at-home users. Get an easy-to-navigate interface, biometrics login, Smart App Control, Windows Studio Effects, DirectX 12 Ultimate, and top features like snap layouts, desktops, seamless redocking, improved voice typing, and a powerful search experience. You’ll also get access to Microsoft Copilot, an AI platform designed to upgrade your workflow experience. Also: How to use Copilot (formerly known as Bing Chat)There’s one caveat, though. While Stack Social is an authorized Microsoft partner and offers “lifetime” access to Office, it is possible that Microsoft could end the license. But the site has been running these Microsoft deals for years now, and ZDNET’s Alison DeNisco Rayome can personally vouch for them — she purchased an Office license from Stack Social about two years ago, and it’s still working on her personal MacBook today. While this bundle deal offers a lot, you won’t get the benefits of the latest Microsoft Office 365 subscription, so if you’re looking for Microsoft 365, this deal may not be for you (though Stack Social does have a discount on Office 365, too.) Windows users must update their OS to Windows 10 or 11 to access these software deals. Get your lifetime license bundles for Microsoft Office Pro 2021 and Windows 11 Pro right now. More
Abscent84/Getty Images I have various folders shared across my network. Some of those folders are for smaller files that need to be accessed from every machine on my LAN (Local Area Network), while others tend to be used for larger files (such as videos). However, for those smaller files (such as backup copies of galleys), […] More
The speed of Redox OS is out of this world. Jack Wallen/ZDNETThis is a bit of a departure for me in the Linux distribution review area because Redox OS isn’t exactly a new Linux distribution. It’s an experimental, UNIX-like, general-purpose, microkernel-based OS is written in Rust. Even after a year or so in development, Redox OS is nowhere near ready for regular (if any) usage. Nevertheless, it certainly impresses me.Also: The Linux file system structure explainedNot with its looks. Redox OS is fairly average-looking.Not with the amount of pre-installed apps. Redox OS only includes a handful of apps.Not because of its stability. Being a pre 1.x release, Redox OS is not stable.What is it about this operating system that has me so intrigued? Speed.In all of my years of testing and using operating systems, I’ve never experienced anything this fast. Click on an app, and it’s instantly open… and I do mean instantly.Also: 5 top Linux text editors that aren’t vi or Emacs (and why they are my favorite)Of course, given the state this OS is in, it shouldn’t surprise you that not all the apps work. For example, the Netsurf app (web browser) opens but doesn’t do anything. After you open Netsurf, you can’t even close it (for whatever reason), nor does it render the default webpage. Redox OS also borrows from System 76’s COSMIC (which will hopefully enjoy a 1.0 release this year), by using some of its apps, such as COSMIC Terminal, COSMIC Text, and COSMIC File Manager.Still, it’s crazy how fast this thing is. I’m used to my OSes working with a certain level of speed. Pop!_OS on my Thelio desktop is a beast, but Redox OS, running as a virtual machine with limited RAM and CPU, runs circles around Pop!_OS in the speed category. More
Jason Hiner/ZDNETApple’s new sleep apnea detection has won official approval from the FDA just ahead of the release of WatchOS 11. The FDA notification, as spotted by TechCrunch, means that the agency has reviewed the safety and effectiveness of the feature and determined that the potential benefits outweigh any potential risks.The approval comes at just the right time. Apple is due to release the new versions of its respective operating systems today, including iOS 18 and WatchOS 11, both of which are required to take advantage of sleep apnea tracking. The feature will be accessible only on the Apple Watch Series 9 More
Score a Microsoft Office license now at a big discount. StackSocial Whether you’re setting up your new laptop or using a machine you’ve had for years, access to Microsoft Office is a necessity for many of us to get things done. Right now, you can buy a lifetime license to the 2019 version of Microsoft Office Professional […] More
Linux now has its own Blue Screen of Death Linux Kernel DevelopersVienna, Austria: Linus Torvalds and I are both in Vienna, which is being blasted by a storm. So, instead of looking at museums, I spent my time writing, and he spent his time releasing the Linux 6.11 kernel. Torvalds wrote, “I’m once again on the road and not in my normal timezone, but it’s Sunday afternoon here in Vienna, and 6.11 is out.” Torvalds doesn’t see this as a major release. Also: The Linux file system structure explainedHe continued, “The short log is below for anybody who wants to look at the details, but there aren’t very many patches, and the patches are all pretty small. Nothing in particular stands out — the biggest patch here is for Hyper-V Confidential Computing documentation.”Small patches, though, can have big results.Arch Linux developers and users should be pleased since The kernel now supports easily building Pacman kernel packages. Pacman — no, not the game — is Arch’s default package management system. Starting with 6.11, the “make pacman-pkg” enables developers to create native packages from the kernel tree. The command will take care of the package correctly, configuring the initramfs generation and bootloader configuration. It will also do a better job of handling uninstalls. The new package also has easy-to-install user-space application programming interfaces (API) headers.Also: I’ve used Linux for 30 years. Here are 5 reasons why I’ll never switch to Windows or MacOSThis latest version introduces several enhancements, particularly for AMD hardware users, while offering broader system improvements and new capabilities. These include: RDNA4 Graphics Support: The kernel now includes baseline support for AMD’s upcoming RDNA4 graphics architecture. This early integration bodes well for future AMD GPU releases, ensuring Linux users have day-one support.Core Performance Boost: The AMD P-State driver now includes handling for AMD Core Performance Boost. This driver gives AMD Core users more granular control over turbo and boost frequency ranges.Fast Collaborative Processor Performance Control (CPPC) Support: Overclockers who want the most power possible from their computers will be happy with this improvement to the AMD P-State driver. This feature enhances power efficiency on recent Ryzen (Zen 4) mobile processors. This can improve performance by 2-6% without increasing power consumption.AES-GCM Crypto Performance: AMD and Intel CPUs benefit from significantly faster AES-GCM encryption and decryption processing, up to 160% faster than previous versions. More
Kerry Wan/ZDNETAt its “Glowtime” iPhone event last week, Apple confirmed that its AI-powered Apple Intelligence won’t be arriving until October. Though some people have been able to test a few upcoming features via the developer betas of iOS/iPadOS 18.1 and MacOS Sequoia 15.1, most Apple users will have to wait a few more weeks.Also: Every iPhone model that can receive Apple’s iOS 18 update (and which ones won’t)Even then, you’ll need the right type of device. On the iPhone side, that means an iPhone 15 Pro More
