<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways This ruggedized smartphone has a huge battery, a massive 800-lumen flashlight, and a night vision camera. The massive battery does make the handset weigh a hefty 2 pounds. The display can be a bit washed out in bright sunlight. –> At Amazon, the Blackview BV7300<!–> is on sale for $230, a […] More
Kerry Wan/ZDNETSoundbars are gaining in popularity because of their sleek design and ability to provide an ample boost in audio quality compared to built-in TV speakers. Even with their plug-and-play nature, you can make a few modifications to help unleash the best possible sound quality.Also: Your Roku TV is getting 5 useful updates for free – including a Roku City shortcutWhether you’re new to soundbar setups or a self-proclaimed audiophile, familiarizing yourself with some key settings can take your viewing and listening experience to new heights. Read on for five pointers on how to optimize your soundbar’s performance. More
<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways Vonmählen’s Evergreen Mag is currently only available in Europe for €70. It’s ultra-thin and light with a premium metal finish, USB-C port, and Qi2 charging pad. Unfortunately it’s not available in North America yet. –> The tech explosion has vastly outstripped our ability to recycle that tech once it hits the […] More
<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The Eufy E15 Robot Mower for yards up to 0.2 acres is available for $1,600, while the Eufy E18 covers up to 0.3 acres and costs $2,000 This robot mower doesn’t require boundary wires or an RTK antenna for setup, instead using visual recognition, AI algorithms, and 3D sensors to distinguish […] More
Just one of the 230 million iPhones that Apple makes every year. Kerry Wan/ZDNETCould your next iPhone have “Made in America” laser-engraved on the back? Don’t hold your breath.President Donald Trump’s administration has again raised the idea that iPhone production could shift from China and India to the US.”Remember the army of millions and millions of human beings screwing in little screws to make iPhones?” US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick said last April. “That kind of thing is going to come to America.”Also: Are tariffs about to make your next iPhone way more expensive? It’s complicatedBut is it really?When you have a device that consists of thousands of parts made by suppliers from all around the globe, and the final product is assembled by hand in countries where wages are low, any hope of that idea quickly evaporates.Complex supply and assembly chainThe Financial Times has carried out an analysis of just how complex the iPhone’s supply and assembly chain is. A modern iPhone is made up of around 2,700 component parts sourced from 187 suppliers in 28 countries.The bulk of those components comes from China and Japan, and there is a reason for that: the closer the components are to where the iPhone is assembled, the quicker and easier it is to source them, and the cheaper everything becomes.But it is not just about components. Take the aluminum frame used as the chassis for every iPhone. Each one of these is cut from a block of aluminum by high-precision computer numerical control (CNC) machines — machines of a type and quantity, along with the expertise to run them, that currently only exist in China.Also: Worried about a $2,300 iPhone? How US tariffs are causing tech buyers to scrambleThen there are the rare earth minerals, such as yttrium, lanthanum, neodymium, dysprosium, and terbium. These are vital for an array of components, from magnets and displays to batteries. Without these rare earth minerals, everything stops. As the name suggests, these minerals are rare, with the bulk of them coming from China. This is yet another obstacle to the idea of a “Made in America” iPhone, with shipping, tariffs, and now China imposing export restrictions on many of these essential rare earth minerals, further complicating an already complicated and chaotic time for tech companies.But let’s say Apple could wave a magic wand and solve all the component and rare earth minerals issues, and build enough CNC machines to handle the aluminum machining required for iPhone production. What about assembly?iPhones are very labor-intensive to assemble, with a lot of screwing in little screws (little precision screws that are currently made in China and India), and that is because paying people to do the work in China and India is much cheaper than building automated plants. The assembly plants are massive, housing some 300,000 people who live and work on-site. The scale of the factories alone is enormous, and that is before you try to get people to work in such mega factories and accept a very different way of working.Also: Tariff exemptions for electronics offer a break for tech – but not for longFor example, assemblers like Foxconn, the company that handles the bulk of iPhone assembly, routinely bring on board tens of thousands of additional workers in the run-up to a new iPhone launch, and then let them go once the first push of orders has gone out. These are practices that just do not happen in the US on anything close to this scale.And even if Apple were to invest in such an assembly plant in the US, we then need to factor into the equation that the base pay in China starts at around $214 per month, compared to some $3,500 for a factory worker in the US.This is the scale of assembly that it takes to keep the iPhone — along with pretty much every other bit of tech you buy — at its current price point. Any shifts, tweaks, or changes to this system will instantly drive prices up. More
<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The Canon EOS R100 mirrorless camera is a great starter for aspiring photographers. It features a 24-megapixel sensor for great image quality and color and can capture 4K (UHD) video at 24 frames per second. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have a flip-out preview screen. more buying choices Over on Canon’s official website, […] More
Jack Wallen / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNETI regularly need quick access to one of the Linux machines on my local area network, but sometimes I do not have a laptop. If I have my Android phone handy, I do not have to worry about grabbing my laptop or standing at my desk so I can run an SSH command.Also: These 6 Linux apps are the secret sauce to my creative processSo, how do you connect via SSH from an Android device? Fortunately, there are a few apps in the Google Play Store that make this process easy. Each app can be installed and used for free, so you can test each one and decide which you prefer. Some apps have free and paid plans, but all can be used for free (with basic features).Let us get to the clients. 1. JuiceSSHJuiceSSH is one of the best SSH clients for Android. This free client offers just the right features to make accessing remote machines a snap. One of my favorite features of JuiceSSH is the ability to quickly enlarge the font using the Volume Up key on your phone. This trick is handy because the text can be small — and that is important for older eyes like mine. Also: How to make SSH even easier to use with config filesJuiceSSH also features identity management, automatic script run on login, plugins, themes, external keyboard support, SSH agent forwarding, and easy access to commands like Ctrl, Alt, Esc, Tab, and more. The Pro version of JuiceSSH adds snippets, Amazon EC2 access, and a security lock. The Pro version is a one-time cost of $9.99, and the license is purchased in-app. The available plugins include a performance monitor, OpenSSH Importer, Cluster Snippets, Tasker, Port Knocker, and a Plugin Audit Log. More
Jack Wallen / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNETYou have probably heard Windows users around the globe bemoaning the fact that their operating system of choice will soon no longer be supported. There are ways to extend that support, but they can be complicated and/or costly.If you think the same thing holds true for aging Ubuntu installations, think again. Unlike Windows, extending the support for Ubuntu 20.04 is actually quite simple, thanks to a service called Ubuntu Pro. Also: The easiest way to try out Ubuntu LinuxBefore you think it, home users can do this for free, thanks to Extended Support Maintenance (ESM). With ESM, you get 10 total years of vulnerability management for critical, high, and (some) medium security issues for every piece of software that ships with Ubuntu. That 10 years means that, with Ubuntu 20.04, you would still have 5 years left (since 20.04 was released in 2020). Of course, a simple question comes to mind: Why are you using a release of Ubuntu that is five years old? It might be running perfectly, and you either do not have the time or inclination to upgrade. Before I continue, I will say this: You should upgrade. I have run countless Ubuntu upgrades over the years and have never had an issue. So, if you are using Ubuntu on a desktop, I would highly recommend you stay up to date with the latest releases, or at least migrate from Long Term Support (LTS) release to LTS release (such as 20.04 to 22.04 to 24.04).Also: I’m a Linux power user, and the latest Ubuntu update put a smile on my faceWhat is really surprising about the ESM feature is that it is free for personal usage. That is right — if you use Ubuntu only for yourself, you can attach a desktop machine to your Ubuntu Pro account, and it will enjoy vulnerability updates for 10 years. But how do you do it? It is actually quite simple.Sign up for a Ubuntu Pro account The first thing you must do is sign up for a Ubuntu Pro account. Also: How to install Ubuntu Server in under 30 minutesTo do that, head over to the official Ubuntu Pro site and create a new account (remember, it is free). Once you have created your new account, you are ready to connect your aging operating system to ESM. Add ESM to Ubuntu While on your Ubuntu Pro account, click on Your Subscriptions. Also: How I turned traditional Ubuntu Mate into a modern, minimal desktop – and you can tooIn that tab, you will see a token that is specific to your account and the command required to attach a machine. The command will be in the form sudo pro attach TOKEN (where TOKEN is the token assigned to your account). More
