Robotics

My perfect day ends with me being in bed by 9:30 and falling asleep right around 10 p.m. That’s easier said than done, but I try to get as close to a consistent bedtime routine as I can. After a good night’s rest, I am a better, nicer, smarter, quicker, healthier person. For those having trouble catching proper Zs, I’ve rounded up some of my favorite products I use ahead of bedtime while walking you through my nighttime routine. Feel free to copy any or all of these habits for better sleep — they’ve worked wonders on mine. Also: The best smart rings of 2025: I tested and found an obvious winnerOf course, buying these products isn’t going to save your poor sleep (or poor activity patterns, lifestyle choices, stressors, and all the other variables that contribute to healthy rest), but some of them might produce a pattern or a habit that you can implement for greater consistency, and thus, greater sleep. 5 products I use for my perfect bedtime routineI try to wrap up my day’s to-dos by around 7:30 or 8 pm. I’ve eaten dinner, washed my dishes, taken a shower, and am retiring to my room. Before I even begin my wind down (and the subsequent cup of tea I will eventually talk about), I am tidying up my bedroom. Doing so ahead of bedtime is a great way to clear your mind and your space of distractions. I’ll put my dirty clothes that have inevitably ended up on my bed in the hamper or my dresser. I’ll take the coffee mug into the kitchen and wash it. Studies have shown that cleaning your room can reduce stress and improve air quality. “Mess is stress,” Jourdan Travers, Awake Therapy’s psychotherapist and clinical director, tells Discover Magazine. I want to feel as at ease as I possibly can when I go to sleep, and a tidy room I’ve cleaned myself gives me that control.  More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The Brane X Bluetooth speaker is available now on Amazon for $499. It delivers the loudest, clearest bass of any portable speaker I’ve tested. Getting the Brane X connected to the app can be a bit tricky. –> If bass is your jam, then you probably know that most Bluetooth speakers […] More

OsakaWayne Studios/Getty Images Now that Pocket is shutting down, what are those of us who rely on article archiving to do? You could try switching to another cloud archiving service like Raindrop.io, but as nice a service as it is, it’s run by just one dude in Kazakhstan. If a billion-dollar company like Mozilla can’t […] More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The Acefast AceFit Pro open-ear LED headphones are available now for $125. The volume is loud, audio is crisp, and the headphones are light and comfortable. I wish you could select different color LEDs on the headphones, the case is glossy and slippery, and the USB-C charging port is awkwardly positioned […] More

Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNETZDNET’s key takeaways Anker’s Nano Power Bank More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The Sabrent USB SSD 4-bay docking station is available now on Amazon for $89. This docking station makes adding external drives to your system a total plug-and-play affair. The case is plastic, so it feels a bit cheap but that doesn’t get in the way of performance. more buying choices At […] More

Ziga Plahutar/Getty Images OK. Deep breath. This is surreal. I just added an entirely new feature to my software, including UI and functionality, just by typing four paragraphs of instructions. I have screenshots, and I’ll try to make sense of it in this article. I can’t tell if we’re living in the future or we’ve […] More

Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNETIf the rumors are true, Apple is working on its biggest visual overhaul to its mobile operating system since iOS 7 — which famously ditched skeuomorphic features in favor of flat design. It reportedly plans to update the look of icons, menus and windows, system buttons, and even apps. But that’s not all: The company wants to extend this overhaul to all its devices. Also: Apple WWDC 2025: What to expect from iOS 19, VisionOS 3, and moreAccording to Bloomberg, Apple wants a more consistent appearance across its operating systems  — from the iPhone to Vision Pro — and it will use WWDC 2025 to reveal this big update that’s currently being called Solarium.  What is Solarium? Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman first reported in March that iOS 19, iPadOS 19, and MacOS 16 will receive new designs, including more translucency for a glass-like appearance. Now, in May, he’s claiming the codename for this major redesign is known internally at Apple as Solarium. It’s meant to conjure thoughts of bright, glass-walled rooms full of sunlight.  Also: 6 things I did immediately after installing iOS 18.5 on my iPhone – and why you should tooThis leaked codename is seen as evidence that the company wants a translucent, modern look. Gurman also said Solarium is expected to touch every corner of Apple’s software ecosystem — not just the iPhone, iPad, and Mac — and it will be its biggest UI revamp in over a decade. There aren’t many details just yet, but the changes will “go well beyond a new design language and aesthetic tweaks.” How Solarium might change things More