Eliana Willis

When is Black Friday? This year, Black Friday is happening on Friday, Nov. 28, while Cyber Monday will be on Monday, Dec. 1. Black Friday is always the day after Thanksgiving in the US, a holiday that is celebrated on the last Thursday in November. Many employers have historically given workers the Friday after Thanksgiving as a day off, so retailers started featuring discounts to encourage people to do their holiday shopping. Are robot vacuums really cheaper during Black Friday? Yes, robot vacuums really are cheaper during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Cyber Week is the last big shopping event before the holidays and also the last one of the year, so many retailers offer steep discounts on their stock to prepare for the new products that will launch in the new year.How did we choose these early Black Friday deals?I constantly monitor robot vacuum deals as part of my work, so I’m always looking for the best discounts that offer the best combination of features and value. As a robot vacuum reviewer, I’ve tested dozens of models across different brands and every price range — so I’ve become very well acquainted with robot vacuums, their features, and their worth. Through this experience, I’ve realized that the robot vacuum market is currently saturated, and many brands attempt to outcompete one another with significant discounts during shopping events. At ZDNET, we use our expertise and deal-tracking tools to identify the offers that are truly worth your attention — and only highlight those. More

Roku Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source<!–> on Google. ZDNET’s key takeaways A Roku beta test may rearrange your home screen apps. This beta test is not opt-in. The redesign will prioritize the apps you use the most. Thanks to beta testing that’s now rolling out to more users, your Roku home screen […] More

Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNETI use Apple’s iMessage to send and receive texts on my iPhone. But if I’m already in front of my PC, writing and answering texts is often easier using a keyboard, mouse, and monitor. For this, I turn to a handy and free Microsoft utility that helps me access iMessages while using Windows.Accessible in both Windows 10 and 11, Microsoft’s Phone Link app lets you view your recent texts, create new messages, and respond to existing texts. Any texts you send and receive automatically sync between your PC and iPhone, so you can pick up an ongoing conversation on either device. You’re also able to manually enter a name, phone number, or email address to send a text to one of your contacts or someone else.Also: Your Apple Messages app is also a calculator – how use it for complex mathHow to send and receive iMessages in WindowsPhone Link works the same in Windows 10 and Windows 11. Here’s how to use it to view, send, and receive texts.Using Microsoft Phone LinkBefore you can use Phone Link, you’ll need to complete a few steps on your phone and your PC.Your iPhone must be running iOS 16 or later. To check this, go to Settings, select General, and tap Software Update. You’ll be told that iOS is up to date or prompted to install the latest update. Next, go to Settings, select Bluetooth, and confirm that Bluetooth is turned on. More

picture alliance/Contributor/picture alliance via Getty Images Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET’s key takeaways Microsoft Azure experienced a global outage on October 29. Microsoft customer-facing services were affected. Recovery came later that same day, but some problems linger. Last week, Amazon Web Services (AWS) went down, and many of us were miserable. […] More

Kevin Jordan/Photodisc/Getty Images Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source<!–> on Google. ZDNET’s key takeaways  AI is transforming customer experience across the enterprise. CX excellence requires seamless coordination across operations. The workforce includes agentic AIs that augment human capabilities. Last week, I spent several days in Vienna, Austria, attending the NiCE Analyst Summit 2025. The summit […] More

dem10/iStock/Getty Images Plus via Getty Images Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source<!–> on Google. ZDNET’s key takeaways Canva unveiled its Creative Operating System on Thursday. It includes a video editing tool, an email generator, and more. The company also launched a new Business subscription tier. Canva wants to be your one-stop shop for creativity in […] More

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When is Black Friday 2025? Black Friday takes place on Nov. 28 this year. During the sale, retailers, including Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, and Target cut prices on thousands of products (and many products from brands Amazon owns, like Kindle, Alexa, Ring, and more). Unlike Prime Days, which mainly discounts Amazon products, Black Friday is the universal deals day. Since more retailers participate, there’s more competition (and sometimes better deals). Are Apple Watches really cheaper on Black Friday? I’ve been following deals during events like Black Friday, Cyber Week, and Amazon Prime Day for several years. During these events, there are steeper deals on all sorts of merchandise, whether that’s a fitness tracker or a household good. (I do lots of my cleaning supply shopping during these events.) Retailers know Black Friday commences the holiday shopping season, so they will cut prices on all sorts of goods, whether that’s household necessities or brand-new gadgets. Of course, the best deals on gadgets will be the ones that are a year or two older than the newest model. For example, we’ll see a steeper deal on Apple’s Series 10 Apple Watch that debuted last year, and maybe $10 or $30 off Apple’s latest Series 11. How did we choose these Black Friday deals?ZDNET only writes about deals we want to buy — devices and products we desire, need, or would recommend. Our experts looked for deals that were at least 20% off (or are hardly ever on sale), using established price comparison tools and trackers to determine whether the deal is actually on sale and how frequently it drops. We also looked over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the deals we’re recommending. Our recommendations may also be based on our own testing — in addition to extensive research and comparison shopping. The goal is to deliver the most accurate advice to help you shop smarter.  More