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    I thought the budget phone market was in shambles – then I held Google’s latest Pixel

    Kerry Wan/ZDNETWe’ve reached the point in the mobile industry where every new upgrade is a game of “Find the differences.” Whether it’s the iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, or Google Pixel, consumers need to dig a little deeper to uncover what’s actually new among buzzwords that have existed for years. Also: There’s one new Pixel ‘upgrade’ you might not love – here’s how to fix itThis is especially true with the new Google Pixel 9a More

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    Verizon is giving these Android phones satellite texting for free – Google and Samsung models included

    mahiruysal/Getty Images After introducing satellite texting last fall, Verizon is expanding the service again. In an announcement today, Verizon says its customers will be the first in the US to send text messages to any other Verizon customer’s device using satellite texting — starting with the Samsung Galaxy S25 and Google Pixel 9 series smartphones.  […] More

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    You have 2 days to update Firefox before everything breaks

    ZDNETOn March 14, 2025, a root certificate used to verify signed content and add-ons for Firefox and other Mozilla projects expired (note that Thunderbird does not do content verification, so that app will be unaffected). The expiration of this certificate will cause problems for Firefox users unless they update to version 128 (or ESR 115.13+). This includes versions for Linux, MacOS, Windows, Android, and iOS — in other words, all platforms.Also: I’ve tried nearly every browser out there and these are my top 6 (none are Chrome)Without updating, all features that rely on remote updates will cease to function, all add-ons will be automatically disabled, and DRM-protected content will stop playing. In addition, all systems dependent on content verification could stop functioning as expected.The web browser will continue to work, but much of what you do with it will be broken. Also: The Firefox I loved is gone – how to protect your privacy on it nowThis means every Firefox user around the world must update to the latest version; otherwise, they’ll find out the hard way that this upgrade isn’t optional. What is a root certificate? A root certificate is used to verify the authenticity of websites, add-ons, and software updates. Without a root certificate in place, your browser cannot verify these items, and you could wind up with malicious software on your hands.Root certificates are crucial for the following reasons: Top-level validation: When a website or application requests a digital certificate from an intermediate certificate authority, it can be validated by checking the signature against the root certificate.Trusted certificates: When you visit a website, your browser checks that each certificate in the chain is signed by a trusted root certificate.Security chain: Every certificate has an issuer that points to a certificate higher in the hierarchy, which forms a chain of trust from the website back to the root certificate. More

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    The 20+ best early anti-Amazon Spring Sale deals 2025: Walmart, Best Buy, Costco, and more

    When is Amazon’s Spring Sale 2025? Amazon’s Big Spring Sale returns Tuesday, March 25, and ends Monday, March 31.Also: Everything you need to know about Amazon’s Big Spring Sale 2025Are deals really better during Amazon sales? Deals on flagship Amazon products are typically the best during Amazon’s own sales. These sales are also a great opportunity to scoop up decent savings across dozens of categories. Keep in mind that you’ll be able to shop at plenty of other retailers during the same period as Amazon’s sale as retailers look to compete. Will other retailers offer spring savings? Yes, other major retailers will likely offer their discounts via competing sales. Often, retailers like Walmart, Best Buy, Target, and more directly match (or sometimes outdo) Amazon’s pricing during sale events. It’s not unusual to see the same products on sale for the same price across many retailers. I expect many competing sale events to precede, overlap, or follow Amazon’s spring sale. How did we choose these anti-Amazon Spring Sale 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 on sale and how frequently it drops. We also reviewed customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the deals we recommend. Our recommendations may also be based on our testing — in addition to extensive research and comparison shopping. The goal is to deliver the most accurate advice to help you shop smarter. Looking for the next best product? Get expert reviews and editor favorites with ZDNET Recommends. More

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    The best free web hosting services of 2025: Expert tested

    Let’s be real. Free hosting comes with its own set of challenges, like limited storage, slow speeds, and/or intrusive ads that the service places on your site. If you’re starting a blog, testing a small project, or tackling something else, finding the best free web hosting service can be tricky.Also: The best free VPNs: Expert testedOur goal is to cut through the noise. We’ve researched and tested several free hosting services to identify which ones are actually worth your time.What is the best free web hosting service right now?After researching and testing several services, we’ve chosen InfinityFree More