This $399 Samsung Galaxy is the mid-range phone most people should buy
Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNETFollowing the launch of its latest flagship smartphones, Samsung today is introducing the new Galaxy A series lineup, which includes the A36 5G and A26 5G More
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Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNETFollowing the launch of its latest flagship smartphones, Samsung today is introducing the new Galaxy A series lineup, which includes the A36 5G and A26 5G More
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Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNETAmazon’s early-year Devices and Services event took place just days ago, and the company made it clear that AI will continue to be at the center of its hardware universe. Driving the buzzword of the century is Alexa, arguably the most popular virtual assistant in the world. SVP of Devices and Services Panos Panay suggested that millions of new customers use it every day during the event. Also: Everything you need to know about Alexa+, Amazon’s new generative AI assistantAnd that’s likely true: Alexa is at the core of Amazon’s most prominent hardware products, including Echo speakers and Fire TVs. Today, the company showcased what’s next for its virtual assistant, now named Alexa+, as it looks to compete with the likes of Google, OpenAI, and others. The new Alexa will be “something that understands you, that can actually take action,” Panay teased, and it will work with tens of thousands of services from Amazon partners. Here’s a rundown of the best new features coming with Alexa+ and how much it will cost. 1. Multimodal, agentic interactions Powered by LLMs, Alexa+ can now process visual information via your device’s cameras to understand and answer questions. In one instance, Alexa was asked to describe the crowd’s excitement and enthusiasm at the event by leveraging the Echo Show 15’s front-facing camera. While its responses were two to three sentences long, they were descriptive and dictated in a fairly approachable tone.The agentic capabilities of Alexa+ extend to browsing, with the ability to navigate the internet via Alexa.com and complete tasks for you on Amazon-partnered websites. For example, Alexa was asked to book a professional repairman for a damaged appliance. It then searched for a nearby repair service and booked an appointment via Thumbtack. Also: Amazon’s new Alexa+ companion devices coming this fallIn another demo, a presenter worked with Alexa to build out a shopping list, suggesting items to add or remove throughout the conversation. Surprisingly, the feature supported shopping partners beyond Whole Foods and Amazon Fresh. As Alexa responds, a flowing blue animation appears on the bottom of the device screen. This new change reflects Amazon’s more expressive UI. 2. Conversational chain of commands Besides responding more naturally, with sprinkles of humor, another big unveiling showed how Alexa can now fulfill tasks throughout your daily apps and services, including your calendar and emails. It can book a dinner for you and send invitations for that to your closest contacts, too. We’ve seen similar agentic capabilities with Google’s Gemini. In a demo, the virtual assistant was asked to recommend local pizzerias, to which it pulled top-rated storefronts via Yelp. Another example included asking Alexa to remember things, such as “Mary likes Greek and Indian food and is vegetarian but doesn’t like peanut butter.” It did just that without a question. 3. Refreshed home screen on Echo Show Amazon also unveiled a series of new widgets alongside its refreshed Echo Show home screen, including ones that surface recipes, recent apps, weather, shopping lists, and connected smart home devices. Also: 5 Amazon Alexa privacy settings you should change right awayThe adaptive display leverages the larger screen real estate to display relevant information depending on whether you’re far away from the device or closer to it. For example, the Echo Show will display photos and personalized content from afar and switch to a more detailed layout when you approach it. 4. Conducting music with voice For a music demo, Panay asked Alexa, “What’s the song Bradley Cooper sings… it’s like in a duet?” to which it answered, “Shallow with Lady Gaga from the movie *A Star Is Born*.” More impressively, you can now dictate where music is playing from if you have multiple Alexa-enabled speakers in your house. Also: The best Alexa devices of 2025: Expert tested and recommendedFor example, you can ask Alexa to play music on the left or right, with the assumption that speakers are mounted in designated areas. We’ll have to see exactly how reliable this is in real-world tests. And for Amazon’s last trick, Panay asked Alexa to skip to the scene in the movie when “Shallow” is sung, and it did — on the second try. More
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Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNETFollowing the launch of its latest flagship smartphones, Samsung today is introducing the new Galaxy A series lineup, which includes the A36 5G and A26 5G More
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‘ZDNET Recommends’: What exactly does it mean? ZDNET’s recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping. We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing.When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or service, we may earn affiliate commissions. This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay. Neither ZDNET nor the author are compensated for these independent reviews. Indeed, we follow strict guidelines that ensure our editorial content is never influenced by advertisers.ZDNET’s editorial team writes on behalf of you, our reader. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services. Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form. Close More
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While GFCI outlets offer reliable protection compared with standard outlets, they aren’t meant for every type of electrical device. Some items should never be plugged into a GFCI, as they could malfunction or trip the circuit unnecessarily, leading to power disruptions or unsafe situations. Below is a list of devices not suited for GFCIs.1. Devices with a “high inrush” currentAppliances like refrigerators, freezers, air conditioner units, and power tools require a serious initial burst of electricity when powered on. Yes, even though refrigerators are almost always located in kitchens, the counterintuitive truth is that they can cause the GFCI to trip because of the large initial surge of current, even if there is no actual fault. This is known as “nuisance tripping,” and it is aptly named. Don’t risk spoiling a fridge full of foods by plugging it into a GFCI.2. Outdoor equipmentSimilarly, outdoor equipment such as electric lawnmowers or pressure washers should ideally be plugged into a dedicated outdoor outlet. While GFCIs are designed for outdoor use to reduce shock hazards, high-powered equipment can cause the GFCI to trip if it draws too much current at one time. Also: The best home EV chargers of 2025: Expert tested3. High-powered appliancesAppliances that use significant power, such as space heaters, microwave ovens, or vacuum cleaners, can cause a GFCI outlet to trip, especially if they are used on a circuit with high loads. These appliances could create a situation where the GFCI trips frequently (more nuisance tripping).4. Surge protectors or power stripsSome power strips and surge protectors, particularly those with multiple plugs for high-powered devices, could cause the GFCI outlet to trip due to the combined electrical load. A sudden power surge or imbalance could cause the GFCI to trip unexpectedly, defeating the GFCI outlet’s purpose and causing repeated circuit tripping.5. Sump pumpsWhile the National Electrical Code (NEC) specifically mandates that new construction includes GFCIs in basements, there is another ironic exclusion among the list: sump pumps. Sump pumps are designed to prevent flooding, but if the GFCI trips and cuts off its power, your basement might end up under several inches of water.Also: How I used this portable power station to bring electricity to a caveman6. Medical equipmentMedical equipment like CPAP machines and oxygen concentrators require continuous, uninterrupted power, so we advise plugging these vital devices into conventional outlets, not GFCIs. Some medical devices have sensitive circuitry, and the GFCI may trip unnecessarily, causing a loss of power to life-sustaining equipment. More
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<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The YHE BP Doctor Fit is available for just $129. Blood pressure results are within 6-8 mmHG of a blood pressure cuff, the display is vibrant, the battery lasts a week, basic health tracking is available, and the price is low. The band closure is the opposite of other watches; the […] More
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<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The Asus Zenbook Duo is on sale now for $1,499 at Best Buy. This laptop is a creator’s dream machine, with dual-OLED touchscreens, a highly configurable form factor, and a great battery. It takes time and effort to get the most out of this laptop, and you’ll need lots of desk […] More
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<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways Asus’ Zenbook S 16 starts at $1,399 and affirms the brand as an industry leader in laptop design. It’s constructed from a unique material that allows it to be lightweight yet durable, while also housing a 3K display and a solid set of hardware. However, the machine has a somewhat middling […] More
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