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ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable <!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 is available now, starting at $3,300. The 120Hz, OLED, portrait-style 16.7-inch display delivers an expansive workspace, supported by a haptic touchpad. It has limited I/O, has some visible creasing on the rollable display, and has a sky-high price. –> Lenovo unveiled […] More
Kerry Wan/ZDNETAs a person who covers consumer tech for a living, I get to use a few dozen smartphones every year. While I almost always advise on which is the new best smartphone, the majority of consumers don’t upgrade every year. I have friends and family who tell me they don’t want to upgrade and ask, “How can I make my current phone faster?” I finally have an answer.Also: I test dozens of Android phones every year: Here’s how Google, Samsung, and more stack upI don’t get to use review devices for long, but I have picked up tips and tricks from years of experience that can help boost the speed of your old Android phone. Before you ask, it doesn’t involve rooting your device. These tips are easy to implement for both tech-savvy consumers and the average Joe. If your Android phone has started feeling slow, you should primarily focus on clearing its storage. And if you’re unsure about where to begin, here are a few things you can do to make your old Android phone faster.1. Delete unused apps More
Kelvin Tools 36-in-1 Multitool <!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways A strange-looking multitool that looks rather Fisher-Price but is actually very good. It has everything from screwdriver bits to a hammer and tape measure! Looks bulky, but it is actually rather ergonomic in use! more buying choices I have… wait, let me just have a look around […] More
Geekom IT15 Mini PC <!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The Geekcom IT 15 Mini PC is available on Amazon for $1,100. This tiny form-factor PC has plenty of power to spare for everyday tasks. The only downside is that the IT15 doesn’t have a dedicated GPU. –> I’ve always enjoyed a mini PC, and any time […] More
Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET ZDNET’s key takeaways Perplexity makes $34.5B bid to buy Google’s Chrome browser.Deal would give Perplexity a gateway to the AI-driven web.Perplexity’s bid could spark a bidding war.When the Wall Street Journal broke the news that AI company Perplexity made an unsolicited all-cash offer of $34.5 billion to buy Google’s Chrome browser, some people asked me, “Are they serious?” Oh, yes, it is.Also: 5 reasons why I still prefer Perplexity over every other AI chatbot In fact, I predicted Perplexity would try to buy the world’s most popular web browser in May.The evidence was thereIt’s not that I’m a genius. The evidence was already there. Perplexity, the AI-driven search startup, has shown interest in Chrome. Acquiring Chrome would provide Perplexity with a shortcut to user acquisition and enhance data collection for targeted advertising. Even now, Perplexity’s own AI-enabled web browser, Comet, is built — like all web browsers except Firefox — on Chromium, Chrome’s open-source ancestor. It would give Perplexity a leg up on OpenAI, which has its own plans for an AI web browser. Also: I used Perplexity to make a restaurant reservation – now I’m wondering if Google is holding us backPerplexity has also made no secret of its desire to “out-Google” Google when it comes to search. As far as I’m concerned, Perplexity is a better search engine than Google. True, Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas had said earlier that “Chrome should remain within and continue to be run by Google,” but if the Department of Justice and the courts are going to force Google to get rid of Chrome anyway, well, what’s a CEO to do except make the best possible deal? As Srinivas said in the offer letter, the proposal is “designed to satisfy an antitrust remedy in highest public interest by placing Chrome with a capable, independent operator.” Also: Perplexity is the AI tool Gemini wishes it could beThe federal judge handling the case, Amit Mehta, is expected to issue a ruling on remedies in the Google search antitrust case in August. He’s already put Google’s divesting of Chrome on the table. He’s also taken a hard line on Google, stating last year in his ruling that Google “is a monopolist, and it has acted as one to maintain its monopoly.” More
TCL D1 Pro <!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The TCL D1 Pro smart lock is available for $170. This smart lock features some of the most reliable and fastest palm recognition technology I’ve tested, and it has a rechargeable battery instead of the standard replaceable batteries. The TCL D1 Pro’s biggest downfall is the app, which […] More
AlexSecret/Getty Images ZDNET’s key takeaways 34% of global CFOs have adopted an aggressive AI investment strategy. 61% embrace AI agents and digital labor in order to autonomously perform tasks. CFOs are dedicating a quarter of their AI budgets to agentic AI More than 9 out of 10 (96%) of chief financial officers (CFOs) have an […] More
Kerry Wan/ZDNETZDNET’s key takeawaysApple could be developing a new budget-friendly MacBook for around $599. Rumors state it would house an A18 Pro chipset — the processor found in the iPhone 16 Pro. Despite corroboration by industry experts, information is speculative. About a month ago, rumors starting surfacing that Apple was developing a lightweight MacBook that runs on iPhone hardware. Notable Apple insider Ming-Chi Kuo supported the rumors in a post on X in July, claiming the company was currently working on a “more-affordable MacBook” running on the A18 Pro chipset — the same one found in the iPhone 16 Pro — instead of an M-series processor. Also: 5 Apple products you definitely shouldn’t buy this month (and 7 to get instead)Tech news site DigiTimes claims to have recently spoken to an insider with intimate knowledge of this laptop, suggesting the device will cost somewhere between $599 and $699: much cheaper than the M4 MacBook Air’s starting price of $999.Even more notable is the alleged timing of such a product: releasing this fall, just as millions of PC users are looking for a new computer when Microsoft pulls the plug on support for Windows 10. (Even more) lightweight More
