Eliana Willis

ZDNETEarlier this year, Perplexity rolled out an Android app that gave you the ability to make it your default voice assistant over Gemini. You now have that option with ChatGPT, too.ChatGPT’s Android app isn’t new itself, but the latest update to the app (v1.2025.070 beta) lets you replace Gemini with OpenAI’s chatbot. Launch ChatGPT however you wantIf you do this, you’ll be able to launch ChatGPT by whatever method you use now — long-pressing the home button, swiping up from the corner of the screen, or long-pressing the power button. You can’t trigger it by voice like you can with Gemini, and even if ChatGPT is your default, saying “Hey, Google” still brings up Gemini. Also: Google Gemini just made two of its best features available for freeChatGPT will launch in voice mode, which many users say is not quite as robust as text mode, but still has plenty of value.What you’re giving upYou should know, though, that if you opt for ChatGPT over Gemini, you will be giving up a few things. You won’t be able to control Google Home devices, change any settings, control music playback, or add things to your Google Calendar. You can still do some tasks, like setting timers or reminders, but those will be handled from the ChatGPT app instead of your built-in Google apps. More

ZDNETOh, Siri, why have you forsaken me? Yes, I’ve become increasingly frustrated with Apple’s voice assistant. There are just too many times when Siri fails to respond properly to my request, misunderstands my question, admits defeat right off the bat, or gives me the wrong answer. My impatience has grown as Apple’s plans to enhance Siri have been postponed yet again.On the flip side, I’ve become fond of Google’s Gemini AI, which has proven more capable and helpful. I’m also a Gemini Advanced subscriber, a perk that costs me only $10 monthly with my mobile plan. As such, I can use the AI’s newest features and enhancements.Also: Google launches Gemini with Personalization, beating Apple to personal AIBy default, triggering Gemini on an iPhone isn’t as quick and easy as calling on Siri. But with the latest updates, the Gemini app is now more versatile. With the right tricks, you can launch Gemini in whatever mode you want. With that in mind, I recently tried to see if I could replace Siri with Gemini. Here’s how it went. More

ZDNETChoice is one of the greatest things about Linux. You get to choose which version of the open-source operating system you use, what desktop environment you want, how secure you want it to be, and so much more. Linux is rife with choice, and that ideal permeates the platform.Also: The 4 most Windows-like Linux distros to try because change is hardOne choice is whether or not to go with a traditional release or a rolling release. So, what’s a rolling release? Let me take a step back and explain.What is a rolling release?When you download and install a traditional distribution, it might be on, for example, version 10. You use the distro and it works well. A few months later, the team behind that distro releases 10.1, so you upgrade to that version. Next, they release 10.2. Both these “point” releases include bug fixes, security patches, and more. A year later, the team releases version 11, a major release with fixes and new features. Should you upgrade from 10.2 to 11 or run a fresh installation? From my experience, most Linux distributions are good at upgrading from major to major or point to major updates. That doesn’t mean the upgrade is 100% guaranteed to be flawless. I remember that things went sideways during one particular upgrade from a point to a major Ubuntu release, and I wound up doing a fresh install anyway.Also: What’s the best tiling window manager for a Linux beginner?A rolling release does away with point releases. Instead, you’d install version 10 of the rolling release and updates would be available as they are released. Over time, thanks to those frequent updates, you’d move from version 10 to 11 without having to do anything. The update happens and it’s a spiffy experience. In short, rolling releases do away with major version upgrades because everything occurs incrementally.The rolling release model allows for rapid deployment of new features and security patches. I’ve used rolling release distributions and never experienced a problem with the upgrade process; it’s as seamless and painless as you can imagine.Also: This Linux distro I recommend to power users takes a unique approach to OS designIn the end, the benefits of using a rolling release distribution include:Immediate access to new features and enhancementsSimpler, more frequent updatesRapid bug fixes and security patchesGreater customizabilityOf course, nothing is without its challenges and rolling release distributions can suffer from:Stability issues from less thorough testingIncreased maintenanceCompatibility issues with third-party softwareWith that said, let’s look at my five favorite rolling release distributions. More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The Cosmo JrTrack 4 is a relatively inexpensive kids’ smartwatch at $130. This device has reliable functionality that you can count on to keep track of your kids, along with no social media or distractions. The Cosmo JrTrack 4 kids’ smartwatch is best for the 6 to 9-year-old crowd, but its […] More

David Gewirtz/ZDNETAs a fan of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, I’ve always loved the episode Little Green Men, in which Quark, Rom, and Nog are accidentally transported back to 20th-century Earth. In one interesting scene, we learn that the Ferengi insert tiny universal translators into their large ears so they can converse with people in different languages. Though I’m not a Ferengi, I’m looking forward to a similar feature that reportedly will reach Apple AirPods later this year.Also: Apple reveals the secret to updating every AirPods model – and it’s easier than you thinkIn a Bloomberg story published Thursday, tech reporter Mark Gurman said that Apple plans to update its AirPods with a live translation feature that would let you hear other languages translated into your own. Citing information from “people with knowledge of the matter,” Gurman said that the new feature will be tied to iOS 19 and arrive as part of an AirPods software upgrade due later this year. The latter comment implies that you won’t need special AirPods and that the translation will work with existing models. Apple is late to the partyIf true, this sounds like a major score for AirPods users. But Apple is actually late to the party. For the past few years, Google has included live translation through its Pixel Buds and Pixel Buds Pro earbuds. Several third-party companies also sell earbuds with translation capabilities. Also: I’ve used my AirPods Pro 2 since they first launched. Here’s my buying advice for 2025Apple, Google, and others also have long offered translation apps for mobile devices. The Apple Translate app that comes with iOS and iPadOS is able to translate between a host of different languages. But hearing the translations directly through your earbuds promises to provide a more, shall we say, Ferengi-like experience. More

Constantine Johnny/Getty Images As a kid, I was inspired by the decorative lighting in my grandparents’ finished basement. They had festooned the place with multicolored C9 string lights (aka old-school Christmas lights) from wall to wall, beneath the built-in wet bar, around hanging mirrors, and anywhere else they could add an ambient accent for the […] More

ZDNETAmid growing concerns over Chinese AI models like DeepSeek, new research suggests that fears may be overblown – at least when it comes to data privacy. In fact, some popular US-based AI chatbots might be collecting even more of your personal information.When DeepSeek debuted its flagship open-source AI model in January, the American tech industry was thrown into hysteria. Some embraced the competition — claiming this is “AI’s Sputnik moment” — but others? Well, not so much. Still, about 12 million users worldwide downloaded the AI chatbot two days after its launch. Numerous privacy and security concerns quickly surfaced about it, prompting private and government organizations to ban DeepSeek’s use in the US and abroad.Also: 5 ways to use generative AI more safely – and effectivelyBut here’s the twist – despite all the frenzy, DeepSeek isn’t the biggest data offender out there. Curious to know how your favorite AI chatbot stacks up when it comes to privacy? Let’s look at what Surfshark’s researchers have found.AI chatbots collect and track user dataRecent data from Surfshark, a well-known VPN provider, uncovered that Google Gemini is the most data-intensive AI chatbot app. DeepSeek, however, comes in fifth out of the 10 most popular applications. The researchers analyzed the privacy details of the following chatbots that are the most popular on the Apple App Store: ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, Perplexity, DeepSeek, Grok, Jasper, Poe, Claude and Pi. Then, they compared the types of data each application collects, whether it collects any data linked to its users, and whether the app includes third-party advertisers.Also: Google claims Gemma 3 reaches 98% of DeepSeek’s accuracy using only one GPUThe investigation led the researchers to determine that Google Gemini collects significantly more personal data than its competitors. The app gathers 22 out of 35 user data types, including highly sensitive data like location data, user content, the device’s contacts list, and browsing history. Ultimately, it far outpaces the data collected by the other popular chatbots included in the study. Only Gemini, Copilot, and Perplexity were found to collect precise location data, but about 30% of the chatbots were found to share sensitive user data, like location data and browsing history, with third parties such as data brokers. Thirty percent of these chatbots also track user data. In particular, Copilot, Poe, and Jasper collect data to track their users, which means that the user data collected from the app is linked with third-party data for the purpose of targeted advertising or ad measurement metrics. More