Robotics

David Gewirtz/ZDNETIt’s been exactly three years since we bought our last microwave, a now-discontinued Sharp Carousel. Last month, the door latch started to stick. But a few days ago, it started microwaving when we opened the door. Also: Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses for 20% off is my favorite Black Friday deal so farThe only way to turn it off was to unplug it. Plugging the oven back in started the magnetron back up every time the door was opened. It was clear we were going to have to buy a new machine. Our malfunctioning microwave was a fairly normal unit, with the exception of its Alexa integration. I haven’t tapped a microwave’s control screen in three years. Instead, I’ve been saying variations of “Alexa, microwave for 90 seconds,” a few times every day, starting with my morning oatmeal.Also: The newest Echo Show 8 just hit its lowest price ever for Black FridayWe chose the Panasonic NN-SV79MS More

Have you ever Googled your name and realized how many sites out there have collected your address, phone number, and other personal information, and published it for anyone to find? If you want to delete some of that digital footprint, you might consider a subscription to DeleteMe More

Lance Whitney/ZDNETAre you switching from an iPhone to an Android phone and need to transfer your old data? As the saying goes, there’s an app for that. And it will even let you choose when to move everything over, at least if you have the right phone.Available at both Google Play and the App Store, Google’s Android Switch app allows you to transfer photos, videos, contacts, calendar events, and other info from an old phone to a new one. Normally, you would kick off this transfer during the initial setup of your new Android phone. In this respect, the app should work with any model Android device.Also: How Google turns Android into a desktop OS in 5 stepsWith the latest version of Android Switch, you can transfer the data anytime after the setup is complete. You can also use both phones until you’re ready to commit to the new one. However, there’s a catch.According to a blog post published Wednesday, the ability to delay the data transfer is available only with a Pixel 9 More

Our Echo Pop, known as Ziggy, has become a staple in our home. Maria Diaz/ZDNETThe Echo Pop More

bo feng/Getty Images As a freelance writer, filling out PDFs (such as contracts or government documents) is a constant part of my job. My old method for filling out those documents was to print them, fill them out, scan them, save them to my desktop, encrypt the files, and send them on their way.  Eventually, […] More

Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNETA human-like voice assistant that speaks to you sounds like something from a sci-fi movie. However, the technology is already here, with AI-powered voice assistants like Gemini Live easily accessible from your phone. So, how can these assistants help with your everyday life?Although talking to someone is a cathartic experience, chatting with AI doesn’t exactly accomplish the same goal, as you know you are talking with a robot. As a result, despite being fascinated at how good Gemini Live is at understanding what I say, I often wondered about its helpfulness. Also: This absurdly simple trick turns off AI in your Google Search resultsTo help, Google has released a list of five ways Gemini Live can make users’ lives easier, and I tested each one. Below, you can find their list, ranked by the ones I found the most to least helpful, as well as a recap of my experiences.  More

wacomka/Getty Images Small organizations rejoice: Adobe is expanding its discounted Adobe for Nonprofits<!–> offering to include Acrobat. On Thursday, the company announced the addition of Acrobat Pro, which it said is “the product most requested by nonprofit organizations,” to its nonprofit subscription package for just $15 per user per year – which means 94% savings compared […] More

photoman/Getty Images When ChatGPT launched, the generative AI tool immediately faced concerns about atrophying children’s intelligence and education, with some school districts even blocking access. However, many schools soon decided to unblock the technology and began leveraging it within their classrooms. This new course is meant to help teachers make the most of ChatPGT. On Thursday, […] More