Robotics

Artie Beaty/ZDNETYou’re probably used to sending a Venmo payment to cover lunch or coffee, but what about using it to hop on a flight? In an announcement last week, JetBlue says it’s the first airline to accept payment for a plane ticket through Venmo. Many airlines already let you use PayPal (which owns Venmo), but this is the first airline partnership with the popular peer-to-peer payment platform.Also: Gemini Live is expanding and can now talk about what’s on your screenYou can pay for your JetBlue flights with a linked credit or debit card, a bank account, or your Venmo balance. For now, the feature is available only on jetblue.com, but the company says it will be rolling out in app in the coming months. You also can’t Venmo a payment for in-flight purchases. More

ZDNETLaggy internet might be a thing of the past, at least for Comcast customers.In a press release today, the company introduced what it calls a first in the nation — ultra-low-latency internet designed for gaming, videoconferencing, and virtual reality. The technology has been in testing since 2023.Drastically reduced latency With this launch, Comcast explains, latency for FaceTime on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Vision Pro, apps for Meta’s mixed reality headsets like the Quest 3, many Steam games, and NVIDIA’s GeForce NOW, will be drastically reduced. In the future, “other applications that choose to leverage this open standard technology” will be supported as well.Also: Slow home internet? 3 simple things I always check first for faster Wi-FiThe company offered a surprise speed boost to customers about a year ago, but this change will make your current internet feel faster without actually increasing bandwidth. Just because it’s available to customers, though, that doesn’t mean everyone will see the benefit. The device or application you’re using will need to support low-latency connectivity.Xfinity offers up to 2,000Mbps connectivity across a wide part of the nation, but speed isn’t everything. If data has a delay, or latency, as it transfers from one point to another (especially for latency-sensitive applications like those listed above), you’re going to have a slow experience. Comcast’s new venture focuses on ensuring each bit of information travels more quickly. If there’s a slowdown, the devices can adjust to either lessen the blockage or even eliminate it entirely. More

The humble MP3 player is making a comeback as people get burned out from all the streaming subscriptions. An MP3 player offers some fresh features your phone does not. For starters, you don’t need a data connection to use it. Many come with a DAC built right in, so you can go beyond MP3 and enjoy hi-res FLAC files. And finally, why not own your own music collection, rather than rent it from someone else?Also: The best speakers for vinylWhat is the best MP3 player right now?We rounded up the top MP3 players you can buy by evaluating storage, battery life, media type, and price to deliver this curated list of picks. My top choice for best MP3 player overall is the Sony NW-A306 Walkman More

Maria Diaz/ZDNETRight now, you can get a Ring Stick Up Cam Pro More

Kerry Wan/ZDNETWhether you’re an iOS or Android user, Google Photos is an excellent photo storage and sharing service, with features such as Magic Editor and Ask Photos. However, one very basic capability was missing until this week: the option to flip photos.On Wednesday, Google shared that users can now flip or mirror their photos from the Google Photos app. Although that may sound like a fundamental feature, the previous edit functions only allowed users to crop, rotate, or adjust a picture’s aspect ratio before. You couldn’t actually flip an image within the app.Also: I’ve used every Samsung Galaxy S25 model – and the one I love most isn’t the UltraTo access the new feature, you can open the Google Photos app, tap Edit, Crop, and then the flip icon to mirror your photo. There is one catch: the feature is only available in the Google Photos for Android app. Luckily for iOS users, the native Photos app includes a flip button, which you can use to adjust your photo before you upload it to your Google Photos library.  More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The OnePlus 12 typically sells for a starting price of $799. It was the company’s most complete handset in 2024, with the fastest charging speeds on the market (both wired and wireless), a flagship camera system, premium build quality, and reliable performance. The lack of generative AI features is felt, but […] More

Technology has always been expensive, but a great tablet doesn’t have to be. Our experts have thoroughly tested and reviewed the best affordable tablets on the market right now. These can handle everything you need for work, entertainment, and productivity without breaking the bank. From the 9th generation iPad to the Lenovo Tab P11 Plus, there’s an affordable tablet for you. Also: Best drawing tabletsWhat is the best cheap tablet right now?Whether you need a new tablet for school or work or are looking to upgrade without spending a fortune, we’ve rounded up the best cheap tablets based on our hands-on experience and testing. Our top pick is the Apple iPad (9th generation) More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The Anker Solix C300 DC is available from Amazon for $199. This fantastic portable power station can charge pretty much everything you have, and you can recharge it quickly using both the 140W USB-C ports. I wish the 12V port had a rubber cover to prevent dirt and metallic items from […] More