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    I tested a $139 Chromebook for a week, and I’ve yet to find a better laptop deal out there

    Asus CX15 Chromebook <!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways Asus’ CX15 Chromebook is available now for $139. It’s one of the most affordable 15-inch laptops released this year, with a handful of features that make it especially good for students. The modest hardware puts a limit on its performance. –> Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source<!–> on […] More

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    The best free AI courses and certificates in 2025 – and I’ve tried them all

    I’ve been working with AI for a very long time. I conducted one of the first-ever academic studies of AI ethics as a thesis project way back in the day. I created and launched an expert system development environment before the first link was connected on the World Wide Web.I did some of the first research on AI on RISC-based computing architectures (the chips in your phone) when RISC processors were the size of refrigerators.I also wrote and deployed the AI Editor, a generative AI tool that built news and content dynamically. That may not seem like much today, but I did it way back in 2010, when I had to create a generative AI engine from scratch. At that point, to work, it had to be distributed across five individual servers, each running one agent of a team of clustered AI agents.I just finished coding a free AI defense product available to all WordPress users that enables them to defend against AI training and scraping, plus an advanced version (which folks pay for) that enables active countermeasures against AI scraping for training.Also: Six skills you need to become an AI prompt engineerI also have a master’s degree in education, focusing on learning and technology. My specialty is adult online learning, so this kind of stuff is right up my alley.When it comes to the courses and programs I’m spotlighting here, there’s no way I could take all of them. But I have taken at least one course from each vendor to test them out and report back to you. And, given my long background in the world of AI, this is a topic that has fascinated and enthralled me for most of my academic and professional career.With all that, I will say that the absolute high point was when I could get an AI to talk like a pirate. More

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    My perfect MacBook Pro replacement is the Windows laptop you least expect

    Razer Blade 14 <!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The Razer Blade 14 (2025) is on sale now starting at $2,000. It’s a gorgeous laptop that redefines portability for gaming machines. However, the ultraportable form factor results in trade-offs when it comes to performance and upgradability. –> Get more in-depth ZDNET tech coverage: Add us as a preferred […] More