Eliana Willis

The GE Cync is an excellent alternative to the Philips Hue strip lights, offering similar features for a lower price. It’s available in 8- and 16-foot lengths that can be connected and shaped into almost any configuration you can imagine. You can use Alexa, Hey Google, or the GE Cync app to control power, color, and lighting patterns. Review: GE CyncFZDNET expert Maria Diaz set up some GE Cync strip lights for a hands-on test of the reactive lighting feature. This feature uses a tiny, in-line microphone to listen for music, sound effects, or dialogue to trigger flashing lights. She warns that the in-line mic is pretty sensitive and picks up footsteps crossing a hardwood floor, so it may not be a great option to enable it in noisy, high-traffic areas. Verified reviews on Amazon and GE’s website confirm that the adhesive is relatively strong, so you won’t have to worry about them falling in the middle of the night. However, if you want to create custom shapes, you may want to consider using Velcro or something similar.GE Cync strip light features – Wattage: Not specified | Max brightness: 1600 Lumens | Color temperature range: 2000-7000K | RGB: Yes | Wireless: Yes | Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth  More

Kyle Kucharski/ZDNETLast month at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Apple unveiled the latest AI innovations and updates to iOS, iPadOS, MacOS, and the rest of its software ensemble. Right now, Best Buy is offering a sneaky trade-in deal that might allow you to nab a new MacBook Air M3 More

Maria Diaz/ZDNETZDNET’s key takeawaysThe Lorex 2K Wi-Fi video doorbell More

Amazon/ZDNETThe Amazon Fire TV Omni More

Beth Mauder/ZDNETZDNET’s key takeawaysThe Husqvarna Automower 430X More

Download a lifetime license to Microsoft Office at a deep discount with this deal. Stack Social If you need access to Microsoft Office but don’t want to pay the yearly fee to access Office 365, you’re in luck: Stack Social is offering a lifetime license for Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows or Mac, starting […] More

SynthesiaDon’t have time to record a message, but think it would be better coming from your face? Generative AI video startup Synthesia has a solution.Following last month’s release of Synthesia 2.0, an end-to-end video creation platform for enterprises, the startup announced on Wednesday that it is making Personal Avatars, its lifelike AI digital twin feature, available for all users. Also: I’ve tested dozens of AI chatbots since ChatGPT’s debut. Here’s my new top pick”Whether you’re a content creator, educator, business professional, or simply someone who loves to connect with others online, Personal Avatars offer a new and dynamic way to enhance how you communicate and collaborate,” the company’s blog post states.Synthesia users can generate their Personal Avatar using two minutes of video footage taken on a phone or webcam. To create more engaging, realistic content, the company’s AI feature focuses on accurate lip-syncing and provides natural-looking backgrounds. More

Jason Hiner/ZDNETOne cool feature Apple’s M3 MacBook Air offers is support for dual monitors. With the lid closed on the 13-inch or the 15-inch M3 Air, you can view the screen on two external monitors at the same time. One external monitor can display the screen with a resolution as high as 6K at 60Hz, while the second monitor’s resolution can go as high as 5K at 60Hz. If you bought the M3 MacBook Pro that launched in October 2023, you can now enjoy the same feature. Thanks to a recent software update, the dual monitor feature will work the same way on the M3 MacBook Pro as it does on the M3 Air. Also: I recommend this 4K portable monitor to just about every type of user (including gamers)In a support page updated on Tuesday, Apple explained how to use a dual monitor setup with either M3-based MacBook. More