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    The best robot vacuum mops of 2024: Expert tested and reviewed

    The Dreame X40 Ultra is hands-down the best two-in-one robot vacuum mop I’ve tested. One of its few downsides is that it’s priced steeply at $1,900, so you’ll need a good chunk of change to get it (or you can wait for a sale).  However, for the price, the Dreame X40 features an industry-leading 12,000Pa of suction and dusts the competition. This robot vacuum and mop is so versatile that you can set it up to drop its mop pads at the base station, go off to vacuum rugs and carpets first, and then return to pick up its mop pads and vacuum and mop the remaining hard floors — all with no intervention on your part.Review: I tested a $1,900 robot vacuum and mop for a month. Here’s why it’s worth itIt features a self-emptying dustbin, self-washing mop pads with customizable water temperature, a side-reaching sweeper brush, and an extendable mop pad to reach tight corners. The app has many settings and customizations, from thorough carpet vacuuming to AI-guided cleaning. The Dreame X40 Ultra is so smart that it can detect wet messes and automatically lift its sweeper brush to keep it from getting wet or spreading germs.Other customers love the Dreame X40 Ultra too; one remarks, “As an everyday person, my carpets are looking like that fresh vacuum look as they definitely look very clean. Had glitter everywhere, now gone. Kitchen floor… I didn’t think to take before and after, but before was a hot mess, now WOW.”We’ve also tested this robot’s predecessor, the Dreame X30 Ultra, and it’s almost as impressive as the X40, with slightly lower suction power at 8300Pa, a 180-minute run time, and Mop Extend technology.Dreame X40 Ultra specs: Price: $1,900 | Battery life: 180 mins | Base station dimensions: 13.4 x 17.9 x 23.2 inches | Suction power: 12,000Pa | Dustbin volume: 300 ml | Water tank capacity: 80 ml More

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    OpenAI shares safety updates after whistleblower complaints, lawmaker demands

    Getty Images/Andriy Onufriyenko Safety is one of the biggest worries surrounding the rapid growth of generative artificial intelligence models. A seven-page complaint filed by whistleblowers and obtained by The Washington Post regarding OpenAI’s safety practices has only heightened these concerns. As a result, OpenAI is now sharing an update on its safety initiatives with the public. […] More

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    Study: TikTok Lite is a ‘safety hazard’ for millions of users around the world

    Artie Beaty/ZDNETTikTok was the first social media app to label AI-generated or potentially dangerous content, but not all versions of the app offer this useful information. Two non-profit organizations dedicated to online safety say that’s a big issue.In a 16-page report released today, Mozilla and AI Forensics detail how TikTok Lite, a low-bandwidth version of the app intended for areas around the world with limited internet connectivity, has “alarming discrepancies” when it comes to safety features, several of which contradict TikTok’s own policies.Also: What caused the great CrowdStrike-Windows meltdown of 2024? History has the answerTikTok Lite, which isn’t available in the US or most of Europe, launched earlier this year in France and Spain. The app, which uses less battery, takes up less storage, and consumes less data, already has over 1 billion downloads. It immediately caught the attention of regulators because of a program that awarded users cash for engaging with content, creating an addictive atmosphere. TikTok quickly ended the rewards program, but the app is still facing scrutiny.TikTok Lite sacrifices user protection in two main areas, today’s study found.First, it has no warning labels for potentially harmful videos, like pranks, health-related content, graphic content, political misinformation, and AI-generated content.Also: TikTok is building a US-based version of its algorithm. Here’s what that means for youSecond, it lacks basic user controls to help you block certain content or keywords and set screen time limits, like the main TikTok app does. TikTok lets you set daily screen time limits or schedule breaks if you scroll for a certain amount of time. The Lite version of the app doesn’t have these same options. More

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    Switzerland now requires all government software to be open source

    Bojanikus/Getty Images Several European countries are betting on open-source software for their technology. In the United States, eh, not so much. In the latest news from across the Atlantic, Switzerland has taken a major step forward with its “Federal Law on the Use of Electronic Means for the Fulfillment of Governmental Tasks” (EMBAG). This groundbreaking […] More

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    Google backpedals on plan to eliminate third-party cookies in Chrome

    Google After years of indecision on the issue of third-party cookies, Google has finally made a decision: on Monday, the company revealed that it would no longer pursue its plan to cut off support for third-party cookies in Chrome. Instead, Google played up other options that would hand more control of privacy and tracking to […] More

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    This Firefox extension is a must-have tool for YouTube super users

    Fabian Sommer/picture alliance via Getty Images Enhancer for YouTube is a must-have extension for anyone who wants full control over how videos are played in their browser.  Also: How to download YouTube videos for free, plus two other methods I’ll show you how to use Enhancer for YouTube in Firefox, but the program is available […] More

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    Fight for global AI lead may boil down to governance

    Weiquan Lin/Getty Images Global market players vying for a larger share of the artificial intelligence (AI) space will have to offer customers differentiated business values in key areas such as trustworthiness.  Companies will want to stand out as organizations are projected to increase their spending on AI, specifically as interest in generative AI (Gen AI) […] More

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    How ‘bubbling’ Android messages can simplify your text life

    Kyle Kucharski/ZDNETI have certain contacts whose messages I need to ensure I never miss. There are many ways of doing this but my go-to is to use Android’s text “bubble” feature, which creates a small, movable bubble for the conversation on my phone’s home screen. By doing this, I always know when an important contact has sent me a message and I can simply tap the bubble to open the conversation (without having to first open Messages). I only do this for very important contacts; otherwise, my display would be awash with bubbles. That’s not very efficient.Also: The best Android phones right now: Tested and reviewedThe bubbles feature has been around for some time, so your Android device should have it included with the Google Messages app. One thing to keep in mind is that bubbles is separate from Rich Communication Services (RCS), so just because you’ve enabled that feature doesn’t automatically add bubbling for conversations.With that said, let’s bubble.How to bubble a Google Messages conversationWhat you’ll need: The only things you’ll need are an Android device and a Messages conversation to bubble. That’s it. Let’s make it happen. More