Information Technology

If you’re shopping for a lightweight, low-profile silent mouse that gets the job done, try the Logitech Pebble Mouse 2 M350s.The Pebble Mouse 2 M350s improves upon its predecessor by upping the battery life from 18 to 24 months on a single AA battery. Like the prior version, the Pebble Mouse 2 M350s has a slimline, flatter surface than most mice — which makes it ideal if you use a fingertip grip (only using your fingertips to move the mouse) or you find the typical mouse contour too extreme for your hand. Its practical and portable design features Logitech’s SilentTouch technology for quiet operation, even when scrolling. The mouse pairs with up to three Bluetooth devices and works with the extra-cost Logi Bolt USB receiver.ZDNET’s Kayla Solino said she loves using the similarly designed first-gen Pebble Mouse M350 in her everyday work-from-home setup. She said it’s easy to bring the mouse anywhere she wants to work in her house, from her standing desk to the kitchen table, and that the lightweight design makes it great for extended travels. “The Pebble M350 is a great option for traveling or for those without fancy features. It’s comfortable to use, quiet, and I love that I could pick from several colors to fit my office theme.” Logitech Pebble Mouse 2 M350s Tech features: 24-month battery life | Lightweight and compact design | Silent scroll wheel  More

Ventris/Science Photo Library/Getty Images One week ago, OpenAI released GPT-4o mini. In that short time, it has already been updated and climbed the leaderboards of the Large Model Systems Organization (LMSYS) Chatbot Arena, ahead of giants such as Claude 3.5 Sonnet and Gemini Advanced. The LMSYS Chatbot Arena is a crowdsourced platform where users can evaluate large language models […] More

da-kuk/Getty Images OpenAI transformed the artificial intelligence (AI) market by launching ChatGPT in November 2022, unleashing a generative AI era. Now, OpenAI wants to shake up the search engine market, too.  On Thursday, OpenAI unveiled SearchGPT, its AI-powered search engine, which is aware of current events and provides real-time information from the internet. Even though the search experience […] More

You can attach the doorbell with either the flat or angled plate. Jack Wallen/ZDNETZDNET’s key takeawaysThe Arlo Video Doorbell 2K More

Rainer Puster/Getty Images In a move that seems like a tilt back toward basic cable that everyone cut the cord on years ago, three major competing streaming services are joining forces and offering a combined bundle. Starting today, a new bundle of Disney+, Hulu, and Max is on sale. The trio costs $16.99 per month with […] More

EschCollection/Getty Images Business leaders recognize the value of intellectual property (IP) — they go to great lengths to ensure their organization’s best ideas don’t fall into the hands of competitors, using everything from tight data policies to strict access privileges and enforceable patent applications.  However, sometimes professionals benefit from working with people in organizations that might […] More

Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNETMicrosoft wants people to upgrade to Windows 11, but the company certainly doesn’t make it easy. The latest version of Windows imposes strict hardware and security requirements, ruling out older PCs that don’t make the grade. Plus, Microsoft makes it almost impossible to use a local account with a new Windows 11 installation. So, what can you do if you want to jump to Windows 11 but keep bumping into Microsoft’s restrictions?I regularly use Rufus, a handy and free Windows installation tool. Designed to run or install Windows from a USB drive, Rufus can help you sneak past some of Microsoft’s stringent and annoying requirements. You can tell Rufus to sidestep the hardware constraints, bypass the need for a Microsoft account, and choose a name for the local account you want to use.Also: Microsoft is changing how it delivers Windows updates: 4 things you need to knowYou can skirt past the hardware restrictions whether you’re upgrading your existing Windows 10 PC or installing Windows 11 on a clean computer. The account type you use depends on whether you’re upgrading or installing Windows 11 fresh. An upgrade to Windows 11 will preserve whatever type of account you set up in Windows 10 — local or Microsoft. With a fresh install, however, Rufus will let you opt for a local account, which Microsoft doesn’t easily allow.Here’s how this all works.How to install Windows 11 the way you want with RufusWhat you’ll need: Before you can use Rufus, you’ll need an ISO file of the latest version of Windows 11, which you can get from Microsoft’s website. You’ll also need a USB drive with at least 8GB of space. More

Raimund Linke/Getty Images Linux is a powerful operating system that also happens to be the most secure platform on the market. With plenty of security features and sub-systems, anyone using the open-source OS can add even more security and privacy, thanks to groups. Groups make it possible to control what files and folders users have […] More