Eliana Willis

These headphones are crazy comfortable but slightly frustrating for Pixel phone users. Full Name/ZDNETZDNET’s key takeawaysThe Creative Zen Hybrid SXFI headphones are available now on Amazon for $99With clear/clean sound, amazing comfort, and an outstanding battery life, these headphones are a great option, so long as you’re not looking for audiophile-quality sound.Until Creative fixes their apps not functioning on Pixel phones, we can’t say these headphones work for all users.The last time I reviewed a pair of Creative Headphones (earbuds, actually), I was blown away by the sound, feeling as if the company was onto something special. The earbuds in question were the Aurvana Ace 2. That was another instance where I wondered if a new technology (xMEMS) was a gimmick. Turns out it very much wasn’t.So, when Creative’s PR sent me a pair of headphones with what could be yet another gimmick, I was excited to see what was what.Also: The best headphones you can buy: Expert testedThe “gimmick” in question is Spatial Holography. According to Creative, the idea is to “Recreate the same expansive depth, details, and soundstage of an immersive multi-speaker system on headphones.”Intriguing.As you might expect, I had my doubts, especially given these headphones run for only $99 on Amazon. Even with those doubts, I was sure Creative would deliver on some level.Let’s find out how the Zen Hybrid SXFI fared.View at Amazon More

Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images The ChatGPT mobile surge is still in full effect. Back in May, we reported how users were flocking to the mobile app version of ChatGPT, primarily because of the introduction of a new model, GPT-4o, that introduces faster performance, multimodal capabilities, and a new voice mode. People are still flocking […] More

These $89 earbuds will blow you away with their sound. Full Name/ZDNETZDNET’s key takeawaysThe EarFun Air Pro 4 More

Pavlo Gonchar/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images If you’re an Uber One subscriber<!–>, here’s a deal you’ll want to know about. Subscribing to Uber One for $9.99 per month gets you several benefits: no delivery fees for grocery and food orders, 6% Uber cash on eligible rides, restaurant discounts, and more. Now, there’s one more benefit […] More

J Studios/Getty Images A few weeks ago, I ran my standard suite of programming tests against the free version of the Perplexity.ai chatbot. At the end of the article, I offered to run tests against the $20/mo Pro version<!–> if enough of you were interested. I did get some requests, so that’s what we’re doing […] More

Maria Diaz/ZDNETA robot vacuum is one of the best investments you can make in a smart home to delegate cleaning tasks. Like the Jetsons’ Rosie the Robot, these devices require care to extend their lives and boost efficiency, so you should protect their batteries and practice good maintenance habits.Also: The best robot vacuums for 2024: Expert tested and reviewedFirst, you must understand the underlying tech: lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries, which are widely used in consumer electronics, including smartphones, laptops, and, you guessed it, robot vacuums. These rechargeable batteries have a long life cycle, making them ideal for devices that require frequent charging, and can store a significant amount of energy relative to their size and weight, making them perfect for portable devices. To ensure Li-ion batteries perform at their best, proper care is essential. Factors such as charging and discharging habits, the storage environment, handling, and temperature can impact a Li-ion battery’s performance and lifespan. Here are some tips to keep your robot vacuum’s battery in top shape. More

The default Rhino Linux desktop makes Xfce look great. Jack Wallen/ZDNETZDNET’s key takeawaysRhino Linux is a rolling release Linux distribution based on Ubuntu that is available now and ready to impress.It’s beautiful and offers one of more useful command-line package managers on the market.There’s no GUI for installing software.If you’re looking for a Linux operating system that has a unique (and cool) point of view, I suggest checking out Rhino Linux. It’s a Ubuntu-based, rolling-release Linux distribution, meaning all software is updated as soon as the developers roll out the new version. In other words, your desktop will always be up to date. And because of the way rolling releases work, you don’t have to worry about doing major upgrades from version 1 to 2 or 10 to 11, or whatever would come next in a traditional approach.Also: The best Linux laptopsRhino uses a modern take on the highly efficient and customizable Xfce desktop (dubbed “Unicorn”) to help make the interface immediately familiar to anyone who logs in. You’ll find a dock on the left edge of the screen that contains launchers for common applications, access to the Application Grid (where you can find all of your installed software), and a handy Search Bar (Ulauncher) that allows you to quickly search for and launch any installed app (or even the app settings) you need.Normally I’m not a big fan of recommending the Xfce desktop to users without plenty of experience on either the Linux desktop or with enough know-how to learn a new interface quickly. Thanks to myriad configuration options, Xfce can be a bit daunting. At the same time, the array of settings makes Xfce highly customizable, which is exactly what the Rhino developers did when they designed this desktop.For those who want a desktop that makes short work of accessing files, the Rhino developers have added a really nifty tool to the top bar. You’ll find a listing of some folders you have in your Home directory (Files, Documents, Music, Pictures, Video). If you click on one of those entries, you’ll see a list of the most recently accessed files within the directory. Click on the file you want to open with the default, associated application. More

Flipper Zero reading an NFC security key. Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNETAfter over a year of use, I love my Flipper Zero, and I’m still finding cool things to do with it.Am I using it to steal cars, clone credit cards, or change prices shown of gas station displays? Of course not! That’s just fake trash stuff people upload to TikTok to try to look cool, and you can’t do anything like that. But that doesn’t mean the Flipper Zero can’t do some very cool and useful things. Over the past year, I’ve been exploring the suite of tools built into the Flipper Zero, as well as extending its capabilities by installing custom firmware. It’s been a game-changer in so many ways! View at Flipper Zero store More