Subterms
<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The Privacy Hero 2, a $199 router available on FlashRouters, supports NordVPN and Surfshark alongside various VPN protocols. It comes with one year of access to Privacy Hero Wireguard VPN and, with a current promotion, one year of NordVPN. The company should improve the build quality and be more generous with […] More
Kerry Wan/ZDNETAt a time when technology permeates every aspect of our lives, from the smartphones in our pockets to the cloud services powering our businesses, finding the right tech can make all the difference. That’s why ZDNET’s team of subject matter experts, with over 30 years of experience, is committed to providing readers with in-depth, unbiased, and lab-tested reviews of the latest products and services.Also: How we rate deals at ZDNET in 2025Today, ZDNET covers over a dozen product categories, spanning consumer technology to the enterprise, including TVs, tablets, smartwatches, smart rings, laptops and PCs, portable power stations, VPNs, and more. Our reviewers spend upwards of a year testing each product and service to fully grasp its strengths and weaknesses and how it ultimately fares in real-world usage.Every review, product comparison, and best list you read on our website goes through our rigorous testing efforts, which take into account the following:Transparency: Writers and editors evaluate products as they’re released and base buying advice on the state of the product during the review period. We never recommend products based on their promise of future updates, and we’ll always disclose if an external party or brand had any involvement in a story.Expertise: Our team of experts includes industry veterans, analysts, and business professionals who have spent decades testing consumer-facing products. As technology advances, we’re constantly staying on top of trends to best understand the market and how it impacts the products and services you buy.Hands-on testing: Beyond putting products through real-world usage, meaning we go beyond the office space to explore various use cases, ZDNET also has a dedicated testing lab in Louisville, which spans over 10,000 square feet, to test smart home devices, big-screen TVs, projectors, and more.Value: To give the best buying advice, our reviewers always consider whether the product and service they’re testing are worth the asking price, what the extraneous fees are (if any), and how the pricing compares to competitors and previous generations.How ZDNET gets products to review More
Maria Diaz/ZDNETIs your smart TV slow to respond or stuttering during scenes? You’re not alone — many people experience laggy performance and choppy playback. The good news? A few simple fixes can get things running smoothly again. Also: The default TV setting you should turn off ASAP – and why it makes such a big differenceModern TVs have plenty of features and apps (and services that run in the background) that can slow them down over time. Fortunately, some simple actions can rectify your flatscreen’s sketchy performance. More
Kerry Wan/ZDNETSpring has officially arrived, and Verizon is blooming with a sweet deal for new customers. If you sign up for a Verizon 5G Home Plus internet plan More
Paul Chinn/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images There are many stories of how artificial intelligence came to take over the world, but one of the most important developments is the emergence in 2012 of AlexNet, a neural network that, for the first time, demonstrated a huge jump in a computer’s ability to recognize images. […] More
Loti AI / ZDNETWith the rise of AI-generated hyper-realistic visual and audio deepfakes on the internet, prominent public figures and celebrities have raised concerns about how their likenesses are used without their consent to produce content. Loti AI, a deepfake detection firm, entered the scene in 2022 to help safeguard and protect public figures against AI-generated content and has now expanded its services. On Wednesday, Loti AI announced that its “human-first” likeness protection technology will be available to all users. Previously only offered to public figures and celebrities, the company will now provide tools to anyone interested in protecting their digital reputation. Deepfakes are videos, speech, or images in which the actor or action is not real but created by AI, making distinguishing between real and fake content challenging. Also: The best free AI courses and certificates in 2025Loti AI’s platform scans the internet daily for deepfakes, adult content, impersonations, unauthorized content, and even authentic images being misused. The firm’s likeness protection technology uses a custom-built filtering system to safeguard users’ digital identity by removing fake content with “four simple steps”: Step 1: Authorize – Users must complete a quick likeness check to verify their identities to ensure they are the person they claim to be. Step 2: Find – Users must provide scans of their face and voice for matching and identity protection. Step 3: Remove – Users choose what content they’d like removed from the internet, and Loti will conduct automated takedowns.Step 4: Protect – Loti provides 24/7 monitoring, automated likeness protection, and weekly scan updates. Users can also opt to take down the fake content manually. According to the company, users who opted into its auto-takedown functionality saw a 95% takedown rate within 17 hours. Loti AI offers free and paid membership options on a rolling basis. To get started, potential users must sign up for the waitlist at lotiai.com/sign-up or download the Loti AI app on iOS/Android. More
As its name tells you, customer relationship management, or CRM, software provides tools that businesses of any size can use to deal with customer relationships and interactions. Areas covered by CRM packages can include communication management and tracking; marketing assistance; lead and deal tracking; and financial analysis — all of which help businesses grow and optimize their sales channels.Also: The best remote access software: Expert testedIf you run a small business that needs a platform for managing sales leads and growth, investing in CRM software is an excellent idea. CRM suites not only provide a central platform for monitoring customer interactions, sales, and deals, they can also be used to automate some time-consuming processes, freeing you up to focus on your business’ core needs. What is the best small-business CRM software right now?The best CRM software for small businesses is HubSpot More
If you have a business with product inventory or that sells goods and services, Shopify should be on your radar. The platform makes it easy to build a digital storefront for customers, whether they’re buying in person, online, or via social or digital marketplaces. Shopify plans start at $29 per month, billed annually, with additional tiers at $79 and $299 per month. A more expensive plan comes with lower processing fees, greater shipping discounts, and additional staff accounts, so if you have a higher sales volume and more inventory, the savings could easily offset the increased annual fee. There’s also a $5-per-month Starter subscription for users who sell products via social, such as Instagram or WhatsApp. Shopify doesn’t have a fully free tier, but it does offer a three-day free trial followed by one month for $1, so you can try it out before you commit. Also: If you want your Amazon affiliate links to count, don’t do thisShopify’s website builder isn’t as intuitive to use or as easy to customize as some other platforms, and though there are nearly 240 themes to choose from, only a handful are free. There is a guided setup wizard for adding products, designing your storefront, and setting up payments and shipping, as well as basic AI tools for generating text and media for your site. If you need additional support to get up and running, you can hire a professional through Shopify’s partner directory. All plans have unlimited bandwidth and storage, page caching, and an SSL certificate, as well as robust marketing and e-commerce features for both in-person and online sales, such as inventory tracking, point of sale, abandoned cart recovery, and email marketing. Shopify promises 99.99% uptime and 24/7 customer support via live chat if any issues arise. Shopify features: SSL certificate | 99.99% uptime | Basic AI tools | 24/7 customer chat support | Three-day free trial More
