Robotics

Jean-Luc Ichard/Getty Images I know you’ve heard of gamification, but have you ever heard of festification? That’s what Microsoft will be doing in April and May, with the Microsoft AI Skills Fest. It’s a little odd, but it also looks like it might be a heck of a lot of fun. Also: Microsoft at 50: […] More

Just_Super/Getty Images Nearly 80 years ago, in July 1945, MH Hasham Premji founded Western India Vegetable Products Limited in Amalner, a town in the Jalgaon district of Maharashtra, India, located on the banks of the Bori River. The company began as a manufacturer of cooking oils. In the 1970s, the company pivoted to IT and […] More

Kerry Wan/ZDNETIn the age of smart TVs, convenience is king. With just a few clicks, we can dive into endless entertainment — but that ease comes with a downside: the buildup of cache data.Also: 5 easy ways to instantly improve your soundbar’s audio (without spending a dime)Just like on your phone or computer, a cluttered TV cache can lead to sluggish performance, app crashes, and even hinder new content from loading properly. That’s why it’s important to clear all that extra cache and make your TV feel like new again. Before I break down the steps for how to do it, let’s address the big elephant in the room first.What is a cache?A cache is a temporary storage area where data is kept for quick access. On your smart TV, the cache stores information from apps, websites, and system processes to help them load faster every time you turn it on. Think of it as a bunch of temporary files intended to speed up loading times for frequently accessed information. Also: The best TVs of 2025: Expert tested and reviewedFor instance, when you open a streaming app, the cache might store thumbnails, login details, or recently watched shows. Caches are designed to help your TV load this content more quickly. Over time, however, the cache can become overloaded with outdated or unnecessary data, which can consequently slow down your TV’s performance. More

Kerry Wan/ZDNETOne reason why the Pixel phones are so popular is the camera. There’s a depth, a level of clarity, and brilliant/accurate colors that most phone cameras cannot match.Also: If you’re planning to upgrade your electronics, you might want to buy them now – here’s whyGoogle is always trying to one-up itself by improving the Pixel camera with every iteration. Back with the Pixel 8, Google introduced the P3 wide gamut capture feature that came along with the Ultra HDR format of Android 14. The Display P3 wide gamut capture makes photos seriously come alive with color.What is Display P3?Display P3 is a color space that combines the following:DCI-P3 color gamutD65 white pointsRGB gamma curveFor those who didn’t sit at the popular photography club table at lunch, Gamma is a nonlinear operation used to encode and decode luminance in photos and videos. An even easier-to-understand definition is that gamma defines the relationship between a pixel’s numerical value and its luminance. Without gamma, your photos wouldn’t capture color as your eyes see it.Also: I changed these 12 settings on my Android phone to instantly improve battery lifeWhite point (aka white balance) helps a camera avoid tint in colors and light. Think of it in terms of color temperature. Are you filming in daylight or warm indoor light? With an incorrect white point, your photos could come out with a blue or amber cast.Color gamut is a range of colors within a color space that can be reproduced by a device. More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways At $130, the Blink Outdoor 4 Floodlight Camera is a practical, battery-powered solution for darker areas around your house that lack wiring and outlets. The AA batteries allow the floodlights to beam at 700 nits of brightness, which is not the most powerful on the market but good enough to see […] More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways KeySmart’s SmartCard is available on Best Buy for $40 (3-pack for $90). It’s super thin, works with both Android and Apple iOS, has a wireless rechargeable battery, and is IPX7-rated. It needs to be recharged every 5 months or so. –> Apple AirTags<!–> have changed my life, saving me countless hours […] More

Beats Solo Buds <!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The Beats Solo Buds are budget earbuds at $80 (and currently on sale for $35 less) Their compact size, fun colors, and 18-hour battery life make them earbuds appealing to Beats devotees Other earbuds offer features these earbuds lack – like active noise cancellation and Bluetooth multipoint – […] More

Kerry Wan/ZDNETZDNET’s key takeawaysThe Google Pixel 9 Pro XL More