Robotics

The Nintendo Switch is one of the most popular modern gaming consoles, and one of the most popular consoles, period. And coupled with Nintendo’s reluctance to run regular discounts and sales, even on digital games, that means the holiday shopping season is your best bet for upgrading your Switch setup with a new OLED console or snagging a few new games for your library or replacement Joy-Con controllers.Also: The best Black Friday deals live nowRetailers like Amazon More

zorandimzr/Getty Images AI search engines combine the conversational capabilities of chatbots with the web, creating a new, optimized search experience. Despite their proficiency in research, AI search engines fall short in certain areas, such as online shopping. However, Perplexity hopes to change that with this new feature.  Also: The best AI chatbots of 2024: ChatGPT, […] More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The Ring Spotlight Cam Pro Battery is available for $230 but is currently on sale for $170 This Pro-level Ring camera has a removable rechargeable battery pack, top-of-the-line audio performance, and supports dual-band Wi-Fi, 2.4 and 5.0 GHz Unfortunately, the Ring Spotlight Cam Pro falls short on image quality, topping out […] More

Maria Diaz/ZDNETWhat’s the deal?The Deebot T30S Combo More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The M4 MacBook Pro starts at $1,599 and features improvements in the most subtle places. Upgrades to graphical performance, battery life, and transfer speeds are the most notable. Be prepared to overpay for almost every spec bump. more buying choices I’ve been using the M4 MacBook Pro–> for a little less […] More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The Onyx Boox Page has a seven-inch E Ink display and sells for a discounted $219 across major retailers. It runs on a simplified version of Android 11, so you can download any app you want, including Kindle, TikTok, Google Docs, and more. Don’t expect the tablet to receive the latest […] More

Screenshot by ZDNETIf you’ve ever left a store empty-handed because you weren’t sure if a product was reliable or if you’re getting a good deal, a new feature from Google Lens will help your in-store shopping experience. Also: The 55+ best Black Friday deals 2024: Early sales live nowGoogle says people use Lens for nearly 20 billion visual searches every month, and 20% of those searches are related to shopping. Now, Google is updating Lens to be more useful for real-world shopping. Here’s how the new feature works. When you snap a photo of a product with Lens in the Google app for iOS or Android, you’ll see more information about it, prices from other stores to see how competitive your store is, and shopper reviews to help with your buying decision. More

Charlie Osborne/ZDNETHere at ZDNET, we extensively cover the virtual private network (VPN) market and keep an eye out for any worthwhile deals.  Over at Stack Social, we’ve spotted an interesting promotion for anyone who wants to use VPN software to mask their online activity from prying eyes, including ISPs, marketers, and other groups that may track what websites you visit and what online services you use.  Also: The best VPN servicesThe VPN in question is from AdGuard, a company well-known for its ad and tracker-blocking technologies. Now, you also have the option to try out their standalone VPN, which could provide an additional layer of privacy to protect your browsing.  What I like about this deal is the price. For $50 (86% off), you can sign up for a five-year plan, which gives you access to a VPN for the equivalent of around $0.83 per month. The subscription includes 10 simultaneous device connections, and AdGuard operates a no-logging policy. One- and three-year subscription AdGuard VPN deals are also available for $30 and $40, respectively, and while inexpensive, they are more in line with typical promotions offered by other VPN providers. Also: The best VPN for streamingThe mobile iOS and Android versions of this VPN are easy to set up, with a clean layout and a simple menu bar. You can opt for the default “smart” location just by clicking a button, or you can wander through the server and country list (over 60 locations) to find your preferred location. Its speeds are fine, and I didn’t notice any real difference in my browsing or app usage. There is a caveat, though: I can’t recommend this VPN for purely MacOS usage. During my testing, I found it a challenge to even sign in, and it is extremely slow. In short, the mobile user experience is what you would expect from a decent VPN, but the MacOS app needs a lot of work. (We do have a list of VPNs that are great for Mac, if you need one.) A free option is available, but keep in mind that VPN traffic, connection speed, and server locations are very limited.  More