Robotics

ZDNET”See for yourself.” It’s now clear what Apple+ was teasing with its three-word social media posts. For one weekend, Jan. 4 and 5, you can try the streaming service totally free.  Save the date In an X post last week, the streaming service shared two words — “Stay tuned” — along with an image from an Apple TV+ show and the phrase “See for yourself.” The dates for next weekend appear at the bottom. A similar post shared on Christmas Day read “Save the date” and also included the words “See for yourself.” Also: Apple TV vs. Roku: Which streaming device should you buy? A free weekend? While some people thought this might just be Apple promoting its upcoming content, later posts revealed the truth — an all-access weekend at no charge.  The company does offer a free trial week when you sign up and three free months if you purchase certain Apple devices, but this will be the first completely free weekend. It seems like Apple will make the entire catalog available too, as the company’s press release didn’t mention any restrictions.  More

OpenMandriva defaults to a dark them that’s easily changed within System Settings. Jack Wallen/ZDNETIt’s rare to find a Linux distribution that’s not based on Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian, or Arch. That’s not to say they don’t exist, but they are hard to find. One such distribution is OpenMandriva (officially, OpenMandriva Lx), which is a community version of the once-heralded Mandriva (which was based on the long-since-dead Mandrake Linux). Mandrake was a very special take on Linux because it had one very important goal: make Linux easy to use for all.Also: 6 reasons why Google should switch Chromebooks from Android to LinuxThat ethos was passed down to Mandriva and then to OpenMandriva, and it shows. More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The Woburn 3 is the most expensive home audio speaker from Marshall. It has fantastic sound quality, strong bass, and clear mids. However, the system only supports the SBC codec. –> What’s the deal? The Marshall Woburn 3<!–> is still on sale at Amazon for $499, saving you $80. It might […] More

Kyle Kucharski/ZDNETWhat’s the deal?The LG Gram Pro 16 More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The Xiaomi Smart Band 9 is available now for $50 on Amazon. It’s a solid fitness tracker with great battery life that covers the basics in a slim form factor. It might not fit everyone, and the entry-level tracking data lacks the deep, personalized insights you’ll find on more expensive devices. […] More

MirageC/Getty Images Earlier this month, Google’s quantum computing scientists demonstrated a breakthrough that indicates quantum computing is for real — and will be able to find its place among other kinds of computers as a valuable resource. But much remains to be done.  Google’s latest quantum chip, which is called Willow and fabricated in the company’s […] More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The Asus ProArt P16 is available now, starting at $1,900. It pairs powerful hardware with a suite of customizable options designed for creatives. The deep personalization requires engagement from the user, the huge trackpad won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, and the ultra-glossy display tends to glare. –> Asus’ ProArt series […] More

ZDNETAlt text has been around for a long, long time. If you’ve never heard of it, the explanation is simple: Hover your cursor over an image. Essentially, alt text is what appears on a web page if an image fails to load.With well-crafted alt text, even those with vision impairments will have the necessary context for the images. This is an important feature that everyone should be using. It’s simple, doesn’t add much time to posting, and makes a vast difference for those who require such features.Also: 7 things to know about Bluesky before you join – and why you shouldSocial media sites haven’t been all that big on alt text. Facebook and X allow you to add alt text, but it’s kind of cumbersome, and most people neglect to do so. Bluesky, on the other hand, makes it very easy to add alt text, and I’ve found that more people use the feature than both Facebook and X combined. Bluesky even informs you why alt text is important. When you upload an image, you’ll see a bit of information that reads: “Alt text describes images for blind and low-vision users, and helps give context to everyone.”Also: How to delete your X/Twitter account for good (and protect your data)Let me show you how easy it is to add alt text to your Bluesky images so you can be certain those users with vision impairments know the contents of your image.How to add alt text to an image in BlueskyWhat you’ll need: To make this work, you’ll need a valid Bluesky account and an image to post. I’ll demonstrate this process on the web version of Bluesky. Fortunately, the process is the same on the mobile app. More