Robotics

A refurbished laptop, tablet, and Nintendo Switch at Back Market’s NYC lab.  Radhika Rajkumar/ZDNETPresident Donald Trump and his administration’s indecision over implementing tariffs has caused stock market turmoil, panic buying, and price increases across the tech market. While some companies appear to have caught a break from the White House for tariffs on consumer electronics, this situation won’t last forever. Could secondhand tech be a solution to exorbitant prices?Last week, refurbished electronics marketplace Back Market announced a partnership with device repair provider iFixit “to address the culture of fast tech and overconsumption,” the companies said in a press release. iFixit DIY maintenance kits and tutorials will be available on Back Market, which will, in turn, promote its refurbished tech within iFixit communities. Also: Samsung now sells refurbished Galaxy S24 Ultra, S24+, and S24 at discounted pricesI spoke with CEO and co-founder Thibaud Hug de Larauze during the partnership launch event at Back Market’s offices in New York. He noted that while the initiative isn’t tied to the economics of the moment — Back Market has been in operation for 10 years, eight in the US — the company has seen a recent uptick in demand for refurbished tech amidst the tariff turmoil.”What we’ve seen over the past 10 days is a hike in demand — we saw growth multiply by three,” he said.With fears like the possibility of a $2,300 iPhone circulating, discounted, repaired tech looks all the more appealing. Moreover, US customers buying from Back Market receive products already in the country, repaired by US-based refurbishers — meaning the entire process is domestic. There’s no risk of running into unpredictable international trade conditions. More

Prakhar Khanna/ZDNETThe Google Pixel 9a More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE+ is a 13.1-inch tablet for $649. It’s a good iPad Air alternative for Android users, with reliable performance, a larger display than the S10+, and an IP68 rating that the iPad lacks; it also includes the S Pen. The price increased by $50 for the […] More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The LG S95TR soundbar with wireless subwoofer is optimized for the company’s OLED TVs with immersive audio features. The LGS95TR may be expensive, but the high-quality audio is easily worth the price. The soundbar has many features, but some of the best ones require a newer LG TV model. more buying […] More

Getty Images/Wirestock As artificial intelligence (AI) evolves from a tool to a true assistant, its role in the workplace expands, fundamentally transforming how enterprises operate. Microsoft’s latest research identifies a new type of organization known as the Frontier Firm, where on-demand intelligence requirements are managed by hybrid teams of AI agents and humans. CNET: AI essentials: […] More

Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNETGoogle is helping you clear out your inbox by making it easier to unsubscribe from email lists, and Android users are getting the first look.Remove yourself from an email listCurrently, you have a few options for removing yourself from an email list. You can click the unsubscribe button at the bottom, or you can click the unsubscribe shortcut next to the sender’s address at the top. Also: Google says easy email encryption is on the way – for some usersUnfortunately, this means you’ll have to go message by message, which can be time-consuming, or you can use a trick to get 15GB of storage for free and let those messages keep piling up. A new Gmail tool, called Manage Subscriptions, fixes that problem by making a single list of all your subscriptions and providing an easy way to unsubscribe from them. How to manage your subscriptionsYou can find Gmail’s new Manage Subscriptions feature by tapping the overflow menu in the top left — the button you use to access your different inboxes and labels.Also: That Google email look real? Don’t click – it might be scam. Here’s how to tellOnce you open the new tool, you’ll see the name and email address of every list you’re subscribed to, along with how many messages you’ve received recently from each sender. There’s a button to the right of each sender that lets you easily unsubscribe without leaving that screen. Instead of going message by message and clicking the unsubscribe button at the bottom of each one, you can now handle all your opting out on one screen. When you unsubscribe, Google says it may still take senders a few days to stop sending messages. More

Maria Diaz/ZDNETYour Roku TV is getting several updates to make finding something to watch easier — including one for your favorite purple city.At an event in New York City today, Roku introduced its new TVs and streaming devices, smart home products, and TVs, but it also announced some new additions that will be coming to all existing Roku TVs.Also: Your TV’s USB port has an underrated benefit that can revitalize an old system – here’s how it worksHere’s what’s on the way.What’s coming to all Roku TVsRoku understands the struggle of finding something to watch, it says, so it’s rolling out several ways to make content more personal. These include: “Coming Soon to Theaters,” a row that shows you what’s currently in theaters. If you’d rather wait until you can watch it at home, you can add a movie to your saved list and Roku will alert you when it’s available.Short-form content rows are headed to the All Things Food and All Things Home tabs, letting you browse videos like recipes, home cleaning hacks, and more one after the other (essentially TikTok or Reels for your TV). A personalized highlight row in the Sports Zone lets you follow the latest action from your favorite teams and players. You can also get notifications when it’s gametime for your favorite teams.If you want to see the best of the best, watch for Roku’s new badges that will identify award-winning films.Missing your favorite purple-hued cityscape? Instead of having to wait for your set to go idle to visit, you can now head to Roku City with one click with a dedicated tile. This fake city, complete with its own mass transit, homes, restaurants, and even a city hall, has become a fan-favorite over the past few years, and now it’s even easier to pay a visit.Hardware updates On the hardware side, new versions of the Roku Streaming Stick and Roku Streaming Stick Plus are on the way. The new models are so power-efficient, Roku says, that they are powered directly by your TV — meaning no more hanging cables. The new sticks are also getting a sleek redesign that ensures they don’t block neighboring HDMI ports. The classic Roku Streaming Stick is also getting a voice remote. More

ZDNETThe universal translator in later Star Trek series always seemed convenient since it was built directly into the communicator. Now, Meta is officially launching a similar convenience through its smart glasses.Previously limited to early access in certain countries, the live translation on Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses is expanding to all owners. This means you’ll be able to carry on conversations with people in certain languages directly through the glasses. For now, the translation supports English, French, Italian, and Spanish.How live translation worksAssuming you speak English, here’s how this works. First, tell Meta to start the live translation. Now, let’s say someone speaks to you in French, Italian, or Spanish. Your Ray-Ban glasses instantly translate and speak their words into English. You then reply to them in English. Also: Meta’s upcoming $1,000 smart glasses sound like the Ray-Bans successor I’ve been waiting forIf the other person also has Ray-Ban glasses, you can carry on a back-and-forth conversation this way. That scenario may not be likely, though. In that case, they can view your words in their own language through the Meta app on your smartphone and continue the conversation. When done, just tell Meta to stop the live translation. By downloading the languages ahead of time, you don’t need Wi-Fi access or a cellular connection, so this will work even in dead zones. Beyond conversations, you can listen to movies, shows, lectures, instructions, and more in one of the supported languages and hear the translation through your glasses. Also: I tested Meta’s transparent Ray-Ban smart glasses, and they’re a near-perfect accessory for meMy wife and I like to travel to other countries outside the US and would certainly take advantage of a live translator both for conversations and other situations. We once went to a Kabuki show in Japan where all the performers naturally spoke Japanese. Having a live translator as we watched the show would have come in handy. More