Robotics

Kerry Wan/ZDNETDid you know that whenever you turn on your smart TV, you invite an unseen guest to watch it with you? These days, most popular TV models utilize automatic content recognition (ACR), a form of ad surveillance technology that gathers information about everything you watch and transmits it to a centralized database. Manufacturers then use your data to identify your viewing preferences, enabling them to deliver highly targeted ads.Also: I changed these 6 TV settings to drastically speed up its performance (and why they work)What’s the incentive behind this invasive technology? According to market research firm eMarketer, in 2022, advertisers spent an estimated $18.6 billion on smart TV ads, and those numbers are only going up.To understand how ACR works, imagine a constant, real-time Shazam-like service running in the background while your TV is on. It identifies content displayed on your screen, including programs from cable TV boxes, streaming services, or gaming consoles. ACR does this by capturing continuous screenshots and cross-referencing them with a vast database of media content and advertisements. More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The Cuktech 30 is a compact yet powerful power bank that can output a maximum of 300W. It can recharge in under 2.5 hours thanks to 140W USB-C charging At 40,000mAh/144Wh, it’s too big to take on an airplane. –> Power banks come in all shapes and sizes. Some are small […] More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The JBL Charge 6 will be available for purchase on April 6 for $199 in Black, Blue, White, Red, Camo, and Purple. The Charge 6 offers great sound, durability, battery life, and in-app features. However, its waterproof rating doesn’t account for exposure to salt or chlorinated water, so exposing it to […] More

IncrediVFX/Getty Images I use a VPN. I don’t use a VPN every second of every day. Over the years, I’ve found that using a VPN all the time can cause various issues to pop up. Because of that, I’ve become rather selective about when I make use of the VPN installed on my system. Also: You […] More

MacBook Air M4 in Sky Blue Kyle Kucharski/ZDNETWhen Apple announced the MacBook Air M4 More

Adam Breeden/ZDNETIf your Pixel phone screen is acting strange, it’s not just your device. Also: 4 Pixel phone tricks every user should know – including my favoriteGoogle just released its Pixel update for March, and while it introduced some new features, it may have also introduced new bugs that are frustrating users. Brightness randomly dropsIn addition to a strange change in the haptic feedback, some users are experiencing a problem with their phone’s brightness. While watching Netflix, Prime Video, YouTube, or other streaming content, users say the brightness will randomly drop to a low level for a few seconds before returning to normal. Also: 12 Android phone settings you should change to dramatically increase battery lifeThe issue occurs about every 10 seconds for some users and every few minutes for others, usually while watching full-screen video. It is being reported on phones from the Pixel 6 series through the Pixel 9 series (but not on any Pixel Fold devices). Some users have found that turning on subtitles triggers the problem, while others experience it consistently, regardless of the content. More

Adobe/ZDNETAdobe is updating its Adobe Stock service with an AI-powered feature called “Customize.” It allows anyone to “refine and tailor” stock images without ever needing to leave the Adobe Stock platform. In other words, you can make quick, easy adjustments to images, including AI-generated image variations, rather than spend hours editing in a separate app like Photoshop.Also: The best photo editing softwareFor those unfamiliar, Adobe Stock is a paid service that gives you access to millions of assets to use in projects — including photos, videos, illustrations, vector graphics, 3D assets, templates, and more. It’s aimed at designers, marketers, business owners, etc. The service lets you search, preview, and license any asset in its library directly from its website or within Adobe Creative Cloud apps, such as Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, and After Effects. This integration is handy for those who like to add and manipulate assets right from the Adobe tools they’re already using. But what about people who don’t use Adobe’s other apps? That’s where Customize steps in to help.AI-powered edits in Adobe StockThe new Customize feature is all about giving you more creative control over Adobe Stock assets. It includes AI image creation and edits, all powered by Adobe Firefly. With this tool, you can now make edits and quick adjustments to images directly in Adobe Stock. You can expand images, apply styles, and make other adjustments, but these require generative credits.Also: Forget Sora: Adobe launches ‘commercially safe’ AI video generator. How to try itKeep in mind Adobe already offered its Firefly AI technology More

Cesar Cadenas/ZDNETI’ve never really been an Apple guy. Most of the tech I have owned has either been Windows- or Android-related. I’ve never had an iPhone, and outside of a few instances, I never used a Mac for an extended period of time. However, writing for ZDNET has given me opportunities to try out hardware I may never have touched. And after trying out Apple’s new M4 Max Mac Studio More