Robotics

Adobe / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNETJust a year and a half ago, the latest and greatest of Adobe’s Firefly generative AI offerings involved producing high-quality images from text with customization options, such as reference images. Since then, Adobe has pivoted into text-to-video generation and is now adding a slew of features to make it even more competitive.Also: Forget Sora: Adobe launches ‘commercially safe’ AI video generator. How to try itOn Thursday, Adobe released a series of upgrades to its video capabilities that give users more control over the final generation, more options to create the video, and even more modalities to create. Even though creating realistic AI-generated videos is an impressive feat that shows how far AI generation has come, one crucial aspect of video generation has been missing: sound. Adobe’s new release seeks to give creative professionals the ability to use AI to create audio, too. Generate sound effects The new Generate Sound Effects (beta) allows users to create custom sounds by inserting a text description of what they’d like generated. If users want even more control over what is generated, they can also use their voice to demonstrate the cadence or timing, and the intensity they’d like the generated sound to follow. For example, if you want to generate the sound of a lion roar, but want it to match when the subject of your video is opening and closing its mouth, you can watch the video, record a clip of you making the noise to match the character’s movement, and then accompany it with a text prompt that describes the sound you’d like created. You’ll then be given multiple options to choose from and can pick the one that best matches the project’s vibe you were going for. Also: Adobe Firefly now generates AI images with OpenAI, Google, and Flux models – how to access themWhile other video-generating models like Veo 3 can generate video with audio from text, what really stood out about this feature is the amount of control users have when inputting their own audio. Before launch, I had the opportunity to watch a live demo of the feature in action. It was truly impressive to see how well the generated audio matched the input audio’s flow, while also incorporating the text prompt to create a sound that actually sounded like the intended output — no shade to the lovely demoer who did his best to sound like a lion roaring into the mic. Generate visual avatars Another feature launching in beta is Text to Avatar, which, as the name implies, allows users to turn scripts into avatar-led videos, or videos that look like a live person reading the script. When picking an avatar, you can browse through the library of avatars, pick a custom background and accents, and then Firefly creates the final output. More

When did Google Maps Street View add See More Dates?Google introduced the “See More Dates” feature for Street View on desktop in 2014, allowing users to access historical imagery of various locations. In May 2022, to commemorate Street View’s 15th anniversary, Google expanded this feature to its mobile apps, enabling users to view past imagery on both Android and iOS devices. How far back does Google Maps Street View go in time?Google Street View imagery dates back to May 2007, when the service was first introduced in select US cities. Also: Ready to ditch Google Maps? My new favorite map app won’t track you or drain your battery – and it’s freeCan’t see your home in Google Maps Street View’s history?The availability of historical imagery varies by location, depending on when Google captured images in that area. In some places, you can view imagery spanning over a decade, while in others, the available history may be shorter.Historical Street View imagery of your house may be unavailable due to limited data collection in your area, privacy requests leading to image removal or blurring, technical issues causing missing images, or location on private roads restricting access. Why is this Google Maps Street View feature trending?While Google’s “See More Dates” feature has been around for years, TikTok appears to have given it new life. You can see an example here. This trend of “going back in time” on Google Maps is as heartwarming as it is nostalgic. Thanks to Google’s Street View timeline, you can see how your home and neighborhood have changed over the years. If you’re lucky, you might even spot a familiar face waving back at you — frozen in time but forever remembered.Editor’s note: This article was originally published in December 2024. It was thoroughly updated, fact-checked, and republished on July 17, 2025.Get the morning’s top stories in your inbox each day with our Tech Today newsletter. More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways Dashlane is a premium password manager that costs $60 annually for an individual, or $90/year for a family subscription up to 10 users. It offers seamless credential storage with privacy- and security-focused extras like dark web monitoring and a premium subscription to Hotspot Shield’s VPN The platform is pricey for password […] More

iOS 26 camera Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNETApple Worldwide Developers’ Conference (WWDC) was a little over a month ago — meaning the iOS 26 public beta should be released any day now.  Even though Apple has not yet launched the highly anticipated Siri upgrade — the company said we will hear more about it in the coming year — at WWDC, Apple unveiled a slew of AI features across its devices and operating systems, including iOS, MacOS, WatchOS, and iPadOS.  Also: Apple’s iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 public betas will release any minute now: What to expectWhile the features aren’t the flashiest, many of them address issues that Apple users have long had with their devices or in their everyday workflows, while others are downright fun.  I gathered the AI features announced and ranked them according to what I am most excited to use and what people on the web have been buzzing about. 1. Visual Intelligence More

Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNETA quick Google search will surface article after article claiming that Waze is far better than Google Maps. But is that actually true? I’m a longtime Google Maps (and Google Earth) user. I swear by the app, and I regularly side-eye anyone who says otherwise — especially, god forbid, Apple Maps users.  Also: Google Maps can identify and save places in your screenshots – here’s howI’m also a tech editor, though, which means I do my best to set aside personal bias in the name of journalism. Every now and then, I force myself to try alternative navigation apps — and that includes Waze, which, in case you didn’t know, Google acquired in 2013. So, if you’re looking for a true feature-by-feature breakdown of how Waze compares to Google Maps, you’ve come to the right place. I’ve tried both, and I’m here to tell you which one really gets you where you need to go faster, smarter, and better.  Is Waze or Google Maps better? Let’s break down all the major features to find a clear winner. Will the final scorecard surprise us both? Maybe. More

ferrantraite/Getty Images Technology standardization has been something of an elusive holy grail, with new tech emerging faster than standards groups can keep up. Yet, somehow, things eventually come together — at least for mature systems — and achieve interoperability, be it email networks or developer tools.  Now, a new race against time has come to […] More

Drew Angerer/Getty Images Last week, Bloomberg reported that Microsoft shared internally that it had saved $500 million in call center costs, thanks to AI — shortly after the company laid 9,000 people off, the third round in a series of layoffs totaling 15,000.  What does this mean for the tech industry — and job security […] More

Jada Jones/ZDNETFrom now until July 24, Bose is offering a special sale on its refurbished products. By using the SUMMER25 coupon code at checkout, you can get an extra 25% off refurbished Bose products. The products in Bose’s refurbished catalog include the QuietComfort Ultra headphones, Ultra Open earbuds, SoundLink Flex speaker, and Bose Smart Soundbar. We’ve tested and recommended all of these products, and recommend them the most when they’re on sale.Bose is already running a sale on its refurbished catalog, and the extra 25% off makes a dent in their price. For example, the refurbished QuietComfort Ultra headphones (one of our top picks for noise-canceling headphones) are $70 off their $379 price. Take an additional 25% off, and their new price puts them right under $300.Also: Why these headphones are still the best from Bose – even though they’re a year oldAccording to Bose, every refurbished product undergoes a “thorough internal and external cleaning, and is fitted where needed with Bose replacement parts,” like earcups or carrying straps. Refurbished products still receive Bose’s one-year warranty, 90-day return window, and free shipping and returns.Alongside the QuietComfort Ultra, Bose’s refurbished Ultra Open earbuds are on sale. These are some of our favorite open-ear earbuds for their style, comfort, and great sound. Another perk of buying refurbished products directly from Bose is that you can find some products in Bose-exclusive colorways. The midrange QuietComfort Headphones, which we love for their simplicity and high performance, are available refurbished in the discontinued Cypress Green color. You can also find the refurbished Ultra Open in Sandstone, a color that Bose frequently sells out of.Also: Here’s why these simple midrange Bose headphones remain my daily driversAccording to Bose’s product warranty, refurbished products are protected for one year from their date of purchase. If your refurbished Bose product is defective while your product warranty is active, Bose will either “repair the product using new or refurbished parts; replace the product with an equivalent new or refurbished product; or provide a partial or full refund of the original purchase price to you in exchange for return of the product.”How I rated this dealBased on ZDNET’s deal rating system, these deals received a 3 out of 5 rating because they’re great products we have tested and recommended with a valuable discount. Additionally, Bose’s consumer perks, like a one-year warranty, free shipping, and 90-day return policy, can give you peace of mind when purchasing a gently used product. Although I haven’t tested Bose’s refurbished products, I’ve seen users attest to their quality online. Remember, “refurbished” doesn’t always mean a defective or broken product was resold. It usually means someone bought a product, used it for a few days, decided they didn’t like it, and returned it without the product having an issue. More