Eliana Willis

ZDNETWith the release of iOS 18.2, Apple overhauled the look and layout of its Mail app for the iPhone. By default, the latest version lumps all your messages into different categories based on the sender and content. Another new option groups all emails by the same sender. A third feature puts “priority” emails at the top of your inbox. A fourth one displays a contact photo or image next to each email. Also: How to clear your iPhone cache for a fresh (and faster) start in 2025Those don’t sound too bad. What’s the problem? Well, a lot of people aren’t happy with these changes, complaining that they clutter the app or make it difficult to find specific messages. Of course, no one likes change, so folks may just need to get used to these new features. Or not. If you’re an Apple Mail user bothered and bewildered by these changes, there are ways to combat them. In most cases, you can simply turn them off. But for that, you need to know where to go and what to do. And that’s where I’m happy to pave the way. Also: How to turn on Siri’s new glow effect on iOS 18 – and other settings you should tweakNow, let’s look at each feature to see how to disable it.How to disable Apple Mail’s new design on your deviceWhat you’ll need: Apple Mail’s redesign is currently limited to iOS. Apple plans to add the new features to Mail with iPadOS and MacOS. But you should be able to use the same tactics to disable them on your iPad and Mac as well as your iPhone. More

ZDNETBuying stuff online can be a risky proposition. Sure, the big vendors do their best to make you feel safe, but what if you have to give up your credit card digits to a vendor you don’t know?As it turns out, there’s a type of financial instrument — called a virtual card — that can help. A virtual debit card can be turned on and off, spending limits can be set, and create unique card numbers created.  Also: 10 common dangers VPNs won’t protect you from online – and how to avoid themNot only will a virtual card come in handy when shopping at unfamiliar online merchants, but you can also use it for those free trials that renew automatically — and can be difficult to cancel. Use a virtual card, allow it to have one charge, and then it shuts down. No unfair renewals. Similarly, you can use it to prevent overcharges on subscriptions. Set a maximum limit, and you won’t suddenly find yourself with a huge bill you must dispute.I use a service that enables me to limit how my card is charged without my express permission. Privacy.com lets me limit the amount that can be spent on any card I create, limit how many times a card can be used, and more. Let’s discuss how to get started, how the process works, and the benefits you get from Privacy.com. Getting started with Privacy.com To get started, point your browser to Privacy.com.  Note: Privacy asks you for some personal information, including your name, residential address, date of birth, and possibly a copy of your driver’s license. They may also request other documents.Why? The company explains its reasoning for these fairly intrusive requests:To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, federal law requires all financial institutions to obtain, verify and record information that identifies each person who opens a Privacy Account. You’ll also need to set up a funding source. This is the account from which Privacy will pull your money in order to pay it out to the vendor you’re paying. Remember that although Privacy will issue you credit card numbers, it does not provide credit. Everything you pay using Privacy will be removed from your bank account directly or via a debit card linked to your bank account.Those are your two funding source possibilities: a personal bank account or its associated debit card. Privacy — at least the free version — will not work with a business bank account. You’ll be asked for a funding source when you first create your Privacy account. If you later want to change sources, go to the Account menu item under the little head icon in the upper-right corner of the page.You can have multiple bank accounts as funding sources, but you can’t have multiple debit cards, and you can’t have both a bank account and a debit card.It’s been a while, but I recall it taking a few days after I signed up for Privacy to fully enable my account. So, if you plan on using this service, don’t wait until the last minute when you really need it. More

Getty Images / SOPA Images / Contributor AI agents are revolutionizing the workplace by performing actions autonomously for workers and, in turn, streamlining operations. Microsoft has sprinkled agents throughout its offerings to help workers across different industries, and the newest addition includes sales.  Sales Agent and Sales Chat On Wednesday, Microsoft unveiled Sales Agent, which […] More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways Smashometer’s wearable cycling strap is available now for $55, and includes a three-month subscription. The indoor cycling experience lets you stick to your fitness goals during nasty weather, and it works with a host of indoor trainers. There’s no mobile app; the device connects to your computer and requires an internet […] More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The CaseUp Combo includes ProtoArc’s wireless keyboard, mouse, and laptop stand is available for $79 on Amazon. The ease of use and transport make this a solid option for improving your hybrid and remote work setup. The mouse, while comfrortable, might be too small for some people. –> There is no […] More

Getty Images/Eugene Mymrin Data is at the heart of most organizations, fueling everyday business functions. To help digital leaders better prepare their data and analytics (D&A) strategies, Gartner has identified the top D&A trends for 2025.  “D&A is going from the domain of the few, to ubiquity. At the same time D&A leaders are under […] More

Jada Jones/ZDNETIf you’re an Android user wanting a pair of premium earbuds, look no further than the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2. Google’s second-generation flagship earbuds debuted last fall with improved noise-canceling capabilities, a smaller bud shape, enhanced sound quality, and Google Gemini integration. Also: The most innovative products at MWC 2025 aren’t phones – these wearables get my voteThe Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 normally retail for $229, but they’re currently on sale at Amazon for $199 More

Jorg Greuel/Getty Images Last October, Google began phasing out uBlock Origin, the popular content-filtering and ad-blocking extension, because it doesn’t adhere to Manifest V3, the search giant’s new extensions platform. Now, Reddit and X users report that their instances of Chrome have started removing extensions that don’t adhere to the new specification. In another Reddit thread, users report that […] More