Information Technology

Kyle Kucharski/ZDNETI’ve had it happen before. Back when drives consisted of spinning, magnetic platters, that dreaded “tick” was a sure sign a hard drive was failing. Once upon a nightmare scenario, I waited too late and wound up losing everything on my drive. Sure, I could have recovered that data, but at a pretty high monetary cost.Also: The first 5 Linux commands every new user should learnSince then, I’ve always been vigilant about checking for bad blocks and sectors on hard drives.What is a bad block?Simply put, a bad block is one that cannot be read or written to. This can happen because of physical damage to the drive or failing transistors on flash memory (think SSDs). When a block goes bad, it’s not usable. Too many bad blocks, and the drive will fail. You don’t want that. Also: Thinking about switching to Linux? 10 things you need to knowBefore the bad blocks take you down, you should check for them. If you don’t, you could lose out. Let’s check. More

What about Focus Modes – do they help battery life? Yes. Focus Modes help by letting you whitelist specific apps and contacts; during “Work” or “Sleep,” only critical alerts light up your display. That means fewer wake-ups and less background processing. I already mentioned disabling notifications above, but you can take it a step further with Focus Modes. Also: The best Apple deals right now: Save on MacBooks, iPhones, and moreHow to set up a Focus Mode:Open Settings > Focus > tap + to create a profile.Under Allowed Notifications, choose People and Apps.Optionally schedule it by time, location, or app. How do I identify the biggest battery hogs on iPhone? To see what might be draining your iPhone’s battery, go to Settings > Battery. There, you’ll see usage by app and how much time each spent on screen or in background. Also: How to fix an iPhone alarm that’s not going off – and why it might be happening Can removing my case while charging help? Possibly — mainly if your device gets hot while charging. Removing the case can improve heat dissipation, which might speed up charging and protect your iPhone’s battery health. Should I try a battery pack or a power bank? Yes! I always travel with one. All the settings tweaks in the world won’t help if you’re stranded somewhere, staring at a red battery icon, far from an outlet. Here are the top picks ZDNET’s editors recommend: Get the morning’s top stories in your inbox each day with our Tech Today newsletter. More

Maria Diaz/ZDNETZDNET’s key takeawaysUnplug at 100%, keep battery between 20% and 80%.Avoid draining to 0%; store unused tablets at 50%.Use certified chargers to prevent stress and overheating.As someone who uses a tablet daily, I’m constantly looking for ways to make its battery last longer. However, some habits you don’t think twice about could actually be hurting your battery over time. There are ways to extend your tablet’s battery life, and there are some things you should avoid that do the opposite.Also: These 7 common household items were draining power all day – until I pulled the plugMost tablets offer six to eight hours of use on a single charge, though battery life diminishes with age and continued use. While there are many things you can do to conserve battery life, here are the ones you should avoid to ensure your battery’s longevity. 1. Leaving your tablet plugged in overnight This isn’t always a problem with newer tablets, but most tablets on the market will suffer from being left plugged in overnight. Tablets typically charge to 100% and stop using electricity. However, leaving your tablet plugged in can cause it to continue trickle-charging to keep the battery full, which can stress the battery over time and diminish its lifespan. Instead, unplug your tablet when its battery reaches 100%. As a rule of thumb, it’s best to keep your battery charged between 20% and 80%. Also: Why I recommend this Samsung tablet over pricier models – especially the UltraLike all the common charging mistakes we make with our tablets, leaving it plugged in overnight once or twice won’t permanently damage it. Battery damage happens when these incorrect practices become a habit and are followed often. 2. Letting the battery drain to 0% (and forgetting it) More

timyee/Getty ZDNET’s key takeaways Seventy-four percent of households expect their electric bill to go up  Lack of backup power is the top energy frustration  Two-thirds are considering solar or storage investments Neighborhood solar panels blend into the background of the everyday commute. Home batteries might enter our minds during an outage, but then fade when […] More

Highlight streaming features Faster speeds, obfuscated servers, SmartPlay, extensive global network, Threat Protection (ad blocker)Automatic obfuscation, MediaStreamer (smart DNS), router app, Threat Manager (ad blocker)Camouflage/NoBorders modes, static IPs, unlimited connections, Cleanweb (ad blocker)Data compression for faster speeds, servers in 50 US states, dedicated IP option, MACE (ad blocker)Optimized YouTube TV servers, intuitive app interface, free trial, Content Blocker (ad blocker)Compatible platformsAndroid, iOS, Windows, macOS, Linux, browser extensions, Amazon Fire TV/Stick, Apple TV (tvOS), Android TV, consolesAndroid, iOS, Windows, macOS, Linux, routers, browser extensions, Fire TV/Stick, Apple TV, Android TV, consolesAndroid, iOS, Windows, macOS, Linux, browser extensions, Apple/Android smart TVs, consoles, and moreAndroid, iOS, Windows, macOS, Linux, browser extensions, smart TVs, and moreAndroid, iOS, Windows, macOS, Linux, browser extensions, smart TVs, and more More

Kerry Wan/ZDNETGoogle’s non-Pro Pixel phone has always been the “safe pick.” It’s the model I recommend to most users, so long as they can live without the Pro features — whether that’s an extra telephoto camera, more RAM, or better hardware.Also: This rumored Pixel 10 feature puts Google above Samsung and OnePlus for me – here’s whyWhile there’s little left to the imagination as far as what the upcoming Google Pixel 10 phones will look like, if the leaks and rumors are true, there will be a notable shift in dynamics this year. I’ll say it now: The Pixel 10, not the Pixel 10 Pro, will be both the safe pick and the best pick in 2025. I’m not alone in that belief, and here’s why. More

Kerry Wan/ZDNETDid you know that whenever you turn on your smart TV, you invite an unseen guest to watch it with you? These days, most popular TV models utilize automatic content recognition (ACR), a form of ad surveillance technology that gathers information about everything you watch and transmits it to a centralized database. Manufacturers then use your data to identify your viewing preferences, enabling them to deliver highly targeted ads.Also: Your TV’s USB port is seriously underutilized: 5 features you’re not taking advantage ofWhat’s the incentive behind this invasive technology? According to market research firm eMarketer, in 2022, advertisers spent an estimated $18.6 billion on smart TV ads, and those numbers are only going up.To understand how ACR works, imagine a constant, real-time Shazam-like service running in the background while your TV is on. It identifies content displayed on your screen, including programs from cable TV boxes, streaming services, or gaming consoles. ACR does this by capturing continuous screenshots and cross-referencing them with a vast database of media content and advertisements. More

The Sony WH-CH520 wireless headphones aren’t as jam-packed with cutting-edge technology as the CH720 cans but are still ideal for casual listening. They are great for everyday use, thanks to their light design and comfortable on-ear fit. Plus, they’re now down to $38, which is an unbeatable value for Sony’s sound.These are best for students who want to enjoy their music and still be aware of their surroundings. Due to their on-ear design, more ambient noise can be heard, as opposed to over-ear headphones. You’ll get up to 50 hours of battery life on a single charge, and when low on power, they can top up within five minutes for 90 minutes of playback. More