Robotics

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The LG Xboom Bounce is available for $199. It offers big bass, intuitive smart lighting features, and its durability makes it great for both indoor and outdoor use. Although it has some home speaker features, it might be too rugged-looking for an indoor speaker. –> The weather is getting warmer, which […] More

 A decent drill is still a must-have in my opinion, especially one that can do triple duty — drill into wood and metal, hammer drill into concrete, and also drive screwdriver bits.I prefer cordless tools not only because they are more convenient, but also because I won’t trip and fall over the cord. For the screwdriving job, my brand of choice has got to be Dewalt. Its tools are durable, last years of use and abuse (this drill has been used as a hammer more than once!), and are reasonably priced. This 20V Max Cordless Drill Driver is currently priced at $100 (and discounted by $60). It offers two speeds, a 2.0Ah battery, and comes packed with a charger.  More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The SwitchBot Air Purifier table is available for $258. This large-capacity air purifier has a washable prefilter, a color-changing night light, a wireless charger, and acts a table. While the air purifier works as intended, the table is small, and the smart capabilities are incompatible with Apple Home. –> The SwitchBot […] More

Samsung Galaxy S25 EdgeLinks Kerry Wan/ZDNETMany smartphones have seen significant discounts at Amazon More

Nina Raemont/ZDNETTake a scroll on your favorite news site, and you might believe that a health tracker, like an Apple Watch or Oura Ring, is a paranoia-inducing and life-ruining device that causes more harm than good to its owners. A few weeks ago, The New York Times published a story documenting the anxiety some users experience after wearing an Oura Ring. Earlier this week, Vox’s senior tech correspondent, Adam Clark Estes, wrote about how his quest to monitor every aspect of his health stressed him out. Also: I took these four sleep trackers to bed. Here’s which one I recommend mostHe wrote: “In the six months I spent hooked up to every health tracker I could find, feeding my morbid curiosity, I drove myself slightly crazy.”Whenever a new technology emerges, skepticism ensues. How critical should we be of these health trackers that get a front-row view of our habits? And are we ready to confront our behaviors when we purchase one of these devices? As a health and wearables editor, I’ve spent over a year tracking my health with various smart rings, sleep apps, continuous glucose monitors, and smartwatches. Despite unlimited access to my health data, I have developed a disciplined yet forgiving approach to my health, sleep, exercise, and diet. The argument against these wearables and the anxiety-inducing emotions they stir up is based on several factors: a failure to recognize the target demographic for wearables, a ‘doomer’ approach to emerging technology, and a general inability to take the data as a suggestion instead of gospel. Also: Your next Apple Watch or smart ring could have a feature that transforms healthcareIn the beginning, this data and the novel scores I would receive would stress me out if they weren’t in the high 80s or 90s. At one point I got a 70 Oura readiness score and wondered whether I should cancel plans to stay home. But as I tested more and more wearables, I became less afraid of these poor scores. Here’s how I learned how to take them as suggestions that inform my day instead of final determinations on my health.Who should and shouldn’t buy a wearable? The Times story primarily focused on the experiences of younger women who compulsively check their health metrics and scores, or change their behavior to achieve better scores. One source, who told The Times she was poorly managing her obsessive behavior, was checking her heart rate data “24/7.”  In my opinion, The Times story is more an illustration of health anxiety’s prevalence in younger women than it is a condemnation of wearable technology writ large. Also: I tested smart glasses with built-in hearing aids for a week, and didn’t want to take them offHealth anxiety might have gotten a boost during and after COVID, but its existence dates back to the Middle Ages when some royals and noblemen were convinced their bodies were made of glass. Even King Charles VI experienced this “glass delusion,” as it was called at the time. “To keep himself from ‘shattering,’ Charles would stay motionless for hours, wrapped in piles of thick blankets. When he did have to move, he did so in a special garment, which included iron ribs to protect his glass organs,” explained History’s Hadley Meares.  More

pros and cons Pros Boost is offering the iPhone 16 for free when you enroll in its Infinite Access plan. It’s a great deal if you’re looking for a fresh start or already a Boost Mobile customer. All models are included. Cons The catch is that you’ll have to pay for Boost Mobile’s networking plan, […] More

Milwaukee/ZDNETMemorial Day might be over, but you can still find great deals on hand tools and wrench sets, like this 77-piece Milwaukee SAE/Metric wrench and socket set More

Jason Hiner/ZDNETI, like a lot of other people, waited a few months after launch to grab the new iPhone 16 Pro Max More