Eliana Willis

Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNETI have spent a lot of time writing about how battery wear is a fact of life, and the more a battery is used, the more it will wear. It is a consumable item, and it will wear. Also: The best power banks you can buyBut there are also things that we can do to prevent battery wear. A research paper led by Jihyun Hong at POSTECH and Jongsoon Kim at Sungkyunkwan University on EV (electric vehicle) batteries uncovers a new enemy — too much discharge. Discharging EV batteries harms themWithout getting too deep into the chemistry and physics of battery wear, the study discusses a newly identified mechanism of oxygen loss in layered oxide cathodes used in lithium-ion batteries, specifically during the discharge process at voltages below 3.0V. Because of this additional wear, the study goes on to emphasize the importance of carefully setting DCOVs (discharge cut-off voltages) to slow down degradation and improve battery longevity. Also: 12 Android phone settings you should change to dramatically increase battery lifeBasically, excessively discharging batteries harms them. What about the batteries in our devices?While the study is limited to EV batteries, can we assume that this chemistry applies to the lithium-ion batteries found in smartphones, tablets, laptops, and so on? Also: iOS 18.4 update draining your iPhone’s battery? Try these 6 fixesYes and no. To strike a good balance between battery runtime and battery life, the typical point at which the battery management controller (a circuit that controls the charge and discharge of rechargeable batteries) sets the DCOV cut off is normally around 2.8 to 3.0V. So, there are batteries in all sorts of devices that dip below that 3.0V damaging discharge point mentioned in the study. But not all batteries will go that low, and I have found that higher-end devices and devices built to better handle temperature extremes have more conservative battery management and might cut off at 3.3V. Also: Change these 10 iOS settings right now to instantly get better iPhone battery lifeFor reference, iPhone batteries that I have tested appear to have DCOVs in the range of 3.1 to 3.3V and do not normally go below the 3.0V threshold, so they should not be subject to the damage highlighted by the study. More

Amazon / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNETIf you’re waiting for an alternative to Starlink, Amazon’s answer is finally ready.Also: I turned my Starlink Mini into a near-perfect off-grid internet solution. Here’s howIn a blog post yesterday More

Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNETWhen ChatGPT first launched two years ago, the AI chatbot was met with such high demand that OpenAI introduced a premium plan called ChatGPT Plus. This plan guaranteed access to the chatbot even during blackout periods. The plan’s perks also included access to OpenAI’s most advanced models, which at the time included GPT-4, making the $20 plan almost a no-brainer for superusers. However, as OpenAI’s offerings have continued to grow over the past few years, so have its plans. Also: ChatGPT’s subscribers and revenue soar in 2025 – here’s whyIf you consider yourself an AI superuser, you’re likely wondering which ChatGPT tier you should try. In this guide, we’ll help you decide whether a free plan, ChatGPT Plus, or a $200-per-month ChatGPT Pro subscription is the best fit for you. You should use ChatGPT Plus if… More

After choosing a reliable VPN provider, you’ll typically follow these steps to set up the VPN:-Sign up. Choose a suitable business, team, or enterprise plan, depending on the size and needs of your organization.-Install the VPN software. Follow the provider’s instructions for installing the VPN on cloud servers or local devices.-Set control panel. Sign in and access the main dashboard to manage the VPN and connections.-Add users and permissions. Create accounts and register employees using their company emails or work devices and allow permissions to connect. -Configure built-in security settings. Navigate to the settings sections and configure or enable advanced protection features provided by your VPN service, like static IP servers, kill switch, always-on VPN, split tunneling, MFA, and access controls.-Deploy to network and devices. Set up site-to-site tunnels and gateways, and route traffic accordingly. You can now send installation links or use mobile device management (MDM) tools to install the VPN on company devices. Employees can also download the provider’s app directly on their devices, especially if it’s a remote access VPN. More

Jason Hiner/ZDNETOn Wednesday, April 2, President Donald Trump announced that the United States would impose a new series of tariffs against trade partners. Rates will range from a baseline amount of 10% up to 49% for certain countries. These hikes are slated to go into effect starting April 5. Also: Yes, your internet provider can throttle your speed. Here’s a simple way to stop itA full list of the tariffs can be found on the Rapid Response 47 account on X, which is run by the Trump administration, and it details every single country that’ll affected. It’s nearly eight pages long, with the first two highlighting some of the biggest increases.China, for example, will be hit with a 34% tariff. The European Union is going to see 20%. Vietnam is receiving one of the largest tariffs at 46%, only beaten out by Cambodia at 49% and Laos at 48%. More

Matthew Miller/ZDNETThe main reason I always have a Garmin watch on my wrist is due to the comprehensive ecosystem powered by Garmin Connect. While the service will continue to provide a free, personalized experience via its phone app and website, Garmin recently launched another option, called Garmin Connect Plus, for those who want more from their devices, and it is, understandably, rubbing the community the wrong way. More later.Also: New FDA-cleared blood pressure monitor delivers medical grade results at homeGarmin Connect Plus is an optional subscription service for $6.99 monthly or $69.99 annually. There’s a free 30-day trial to test the service, which includes new tools like Active Intelligence, powered by AI, designed to give you insights personalized to your daily health and activity data collected by various Garmin devices. The more you use it, the more it will be tailored to you and your goals. More

Lance Whitney / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNETGoogle’s NotebookLM is a handy note-taking service, ideal for putting together any type of project that requires extensive research. Normally, you have to gather and add the necessary sources, which NotebookLM then incorporates into your project. Now, the service promises to save you even more time by collecting the right sources on its own.Also: Gemini Pro 2.5 is one of only two AIs to crush all my coding tests – and it’s freeIn a blog post published Wednesday, Google announced a new NotebookLM tool known as Discover. Instead of manually scouring the web for the right sources, just describe the topic you’re researching. NotebookLM surfs the web on its own and automatically creates a curated list of relevant sources. How it worksExplain your topic, and NotebookLM looks at hundreds of possible online sources. After analyzing them all, the AI displays the names and brief summaries for the 10 it considers the most relevant. You can import them all, or deselect any you don’t want to include. The sources are then added as research to your project. Also: Google’s NotebookLM can discuss your notes with you now. How to access itWith the sources added, you can ask NotebookLM to generate a study guide, a briefing document, an FAQ, and even a timeline. Even cooler, you can ask for a podcast that features two AI-generated but human sounding hosts chatting about your topic. You’re also able to request a summary and ask questions about the topic as covered by the sources. More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways A premium quality pocket tool with a good selection of tools for under $30. All the tools are nice and sharp when new, and retain their sharpness even after extended use. Because this is a pocket tool, don’t expect pliers or a lifetime warranty. more buying choices I’ve been a big […] More