Robotics

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The OnePlus Pad 2 is the company’s latest Android tablet with a premium design and flagship specs for $550. It’s compatible with a keyboard and pen that OnePlus sells separately, so you can turn it into an Android-powered laptop. While the multitasking features are excellent, and the Pad 2 checks all […] More

ZDNETIn 2006, Digg, a social networking and bookmarking site, was one of the most popular websites. Today, many of you have probably never even heard of this Reddit-like site. Now, in a surprising turn of events, Digg is attempting a comeback, backed by an unlikely alliance between its founder, Kevin Rose, and former rival Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit.Social networks have become toxicWhy? Because, as you may have noticed, social networks have become increasingly unpleasant. Meta, like X (Twitter) before it, has rolled back its fact-checking program on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. As a result, all these networks have become more toxic. Digg’s new team sees this. They declared, “The current social media landscape, community discourse has grown increasingly combative, cluttered, and exhausting. Users are bogged down by misinformation, spam, and the emotional toll of navigating hostile interactions.” Also: This social media shift could be the opportunity you’ve been waiting forIronically, it is just such failures that brought Digg down in the first place. Digg’s disgrace began in 2010 when it was revealed that the so-called Digg Patriots were engaged in a widespread censorship campaign against liberals. Using multiple accounts, up-vote padding, and ban campaigns, they muzzled liberal conversation on the site for months. In response, Rose removed the power of users to up-vote and down-vote stories. This failed. The Digg community hated this change. The users saw Digg was no longer a “site built by the community, for the community” and left. Digg never recovered, and Reddit largely took its place. More

ZDNETTired of sitting through ads while watching your favorite YouTube videos? The popular video-sharing service is bringing its Premium Lite plan as a pilot program to the US. Priced at $7.99 a month, Premium Lite promises to shelve the ads for most, but not all, videos.More affordable alternativeYouTube touts its Lite plan as a more affordable alternative to its full Premium subscription, which costs a hefty $13.99 a month. A Premium plan removes the ads for all content, including music and music videos, and offers other perks, such as offline viewing, background playing, and 1080p quality. Also: How to download YouTube videos for free – 2 waysIn contrast, the Lite plan promises to curtail the ads for gaming, fashion, beauty, news, and other videos. But you’ll still have to sit through them for music and other videos not considered core creator content. Plus, Premium Lite offers none of the other perks of the full Premium experience. More

Max Buondonno/ZDNETZDNET’s key takeawaysThe Nomad Tracking Card More

Kerry Wan/ZDNETThe Oura RIng 4 may have been ZDNET’s 2024 product of the year, but the market is full of other great fitness and wellness wearables that are perfect investments for those looking for better ways to track their health in 2025. With plenty of options, including smartwatches for Apple and Android users and handy smart rings, you’re sure to find a suitable choice for your lifestyle — but this top tech isn’t cheap. Also: The best Discover Samsung Spring sale deals: Shop Galaxy S25 phones, TVs, and moreThese insightful wellness trackers are notoriously pricey. That’s why when there’s a great deal, ZDNET is here to bring it your way. Right now, Samsung’s Discover Spring Sale can help you save up to $250 off a new Samsung Galaxy Ring More

Apple Apple just announced upgrades and a release date for the MacBook Air<!–> with the M4 processor, including a new Sky Blue colorway and a very attractive $999 starting price for the 13-inch model. Lowering starting price The lower starting price positions the new MacBook Air with Apple’s latest processor technology as a competitive option for […] More

Philips | Aleksandra Konoplia/Getty Images Roku and Philips are partnering up for the first time to create the Philips OLED Roku TV<!–>, a new smart television now arriving in stores. This first Philips Roku TV features an OLED panel with over eight million individually dimming pixels and up to 4K resolution, all paired with Dolby […] More

ZDNETWith the release of iOS 18.2, Apple overhauled the look and layout of its Mail app for the iPhone. By default, the latest version lumps all your messages into different categories based on the sender and content. Another new option groups all emails by the same sender. A third feature puts “priority” emails at the top of your inbox. A fourth one displays a contact photo or image next to each email. Also: How to clear your iPhone cache for a fresh (and faster) start in 2025Those don’t sound too bad. What’s the problem? Well, a lot of people aren’t happy with these changes, complaining that they clutter the app or make it difficult to find specific messages. Of course, no one likes change, so folks may just need to get used to these new features. Or not. If you’re an Apple Mail user bothered and bewildered by these changes, there are ways to combat them. In most cases, you can simply turn them off. But for that, you need to know where to go and what to do. And that’s where I’m happy to pave the way. Also: How to turn on Siri’s new glow effect on iOS 18 – and other settings you should tweakNow, let’s look at each feature to see how to disable it.How to disable Apple Mail’s new design on your deviceWhat you’ll need: Apple Mail’s redesign is currently limited to iOS. Apple plans to add the new features to Mail with iPadOS and MacOS. But you should be able to use the same tactics to disable them on your iPad and Mac as well as your iPhone. More