Robotics

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

Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNETWe’ve probably all bumped into boot-up problems when Windows fails to load properly. That’s when a recovery drive can come in handy. But how many of us take the time to set one up? Well, Windows itself offers a recovery feature that you may not even realize exists.Known simply as Recovery Drive, this legacy tool lets you create a recovery environment to store on an external USB drive. If Windows ever has trouble launching, you’ll be able to boot up your PC with the recovery media. The tool works the same in both Windows 10 and 11.Also: Why you need a data backup plan for your Mac or PC – before disaster strikesThere are a couple of conditions to keep in mind. Using Recovery Drive resets Windows back to its initial factory state. Specifically, the recovery stores all built-in Windows files, any updates installed at the time you set up the drive, and any customizations from the PC maker. Your own customizations, your personal files, and any apps you’ve installed are not included, so you’ll want to be sure you have separate backups of those items. I recommend Ed Bott’s step-by-step guide to protecting yourself from data-related catastrophes. More

Ugreen M.2 NVMe Enclosure <!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways Ugreen’s M.2 NVMe Enclosure is on sale on Amazon for $75. It’s an easy to use enclosure that doesn’t rely on minute fasteners, and features USB4 speeds of up to 40Gbps. If you need a device that supports up to 80Gbps, you’ll want to upgrade. –> For […] More

Lance Whitney/ZDNETI like to read in bed before I nod off to sleep. Though I enjoy the feel and texture of a good, old-fashioned printed book, I typically turn to ebooks because they’re easier on the eyes. And what do I use as a reader? No, not a Kindle, but my trusty iPad mini.Also: I finally found a tablet that can easily replace my iPad and Kindle (and is affordably priced)I’ve tried a couple of Kindles in the past, but didn’t quite take to them. For me, the iPad mini is a more versatile device that offers certain advantages over a Kindle. First, though, I’m going to discuss the ways in which the Kindle beats an iPad mini. Yep, I’m playing devil’s advocate to start.4 ways Kindle beats iPad mini for readingTo start, there’s the price. Kindles come in different sizes, formats, and price tags. But even the most expensive Kindle, the 64GB Kindle Scribe More

Dell 14 Premium <!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways Dell’s latest high-performance laptop is currently on sale starting at $1,500. It’s superbly designed, with a sleek, modern build and powerful, but accessible, hardware. It runs warm, and requires power management from the user to get the most out of the battery. –> Dell’s laptop rebrand may have […] More

Jack Wallen / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET ZDNET’s key takeaways Firefox Focus is a security and privacy-focused mobile browser.This browser offers a minimal UI and maximum privacy features.Firefox Focus is available for both Android and iOS.I’ve run the gamut of web browsers on Android, and every time I think I’ve found “the one,” I discover a reason not to use it. That reason might be a cluttered UI, a lack of options, or not enough security.Recently, however, I came across a browser that checked all the boxes… especially within the realm of privacy and security. No, it’s not Tor or Brave, it’s Firefox Focus, which is ironic given I’d only recently sworn off Firefox browsers. However, Firefox Focus is good enough to make me overlook that claim. Firefox Focus has been around for a bit and is a mobile-only browser that aims to be a simple and private web browser. It delivers on that promise. Also: The Firefox I loved is gone – how to protect your privacy on it nowImagine stripping a browser to its bare bones and leaving just the features necessary to render pages properly (and quickly) and remain private and secure. That’s what Firefox Focus is. The UI doesn’t include all the finery found in other browsers (the start page offers a URL bar, a menu button, and the keyboard once you tap the URL bar). That’s it. There are no bookmarks, suggested sites, news, or any other bloated features you might find on other browsers. Firefox Focus is lean and ready to do the one thing browsers should do… render pages securely and privately.Firefox Focus is free and can be found in both the Google App Store and the Apple App Store. What makes Firefox Focus so special? As you’ve most likely surmised, Firefox Focus is all about privacy. Also: 5 reasons why Firefox is still my favorite browser – and deserves more respectIf you open the Settings page, you’ll find only five sections: General, Privacy and Security, Search, Advanced, and Mozilla. Tap the General section, and you’ll see only three options: Theme, Language, and Make Firefox Focus default browser. It’s not until you tap the Privacy and Security section that you finally see what this browser is really all about. More

Lenovo Yoga Tab Plus <!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The Lenovo Yoga Tab Plus is on sale right now for $549. It’s a slam dunk tablet with a brilliant display, great speakers, and comes with a keyboard, case, and stylus. In laptop mode, it’s better for simpler tasks. more buying choices Lenovo’s Yoga Tab Plus–> is […] More

Adam Breeden/ZDNETA modern TV uses significantly less energy than one from a decade ago — which makes sense, given how much more power-efficient today’s display panels have become.According to Perch Energy, the average power consumption of an old TV runs around $54 per year in energy costs. Because LED-backlit TVs and OLEDs consume less power than traditional LCD screens, newer models cost about $32 annually. Also: How to clear your TV cache (and why you shouldn’t wait to do it)In large part, the bigger your screen size, the more power your TV requires. But there are ways to attenuate your TV’s power consumption every time you turn it on. Here are some settings you can change to save more money on your next electricity bill. Even if it’s just tens of dollars that you’re ultimately saving, it’s still a little less money coming out of your pocket, and that’s the goal. More