If that five-year-old laptop that keeps freezing during class is killing your back-to-school mood, it’s time for an upgrade. Students have many options for laptops that are great for studying, but lightweight and speedy Chromebooks are some of the best. They typically cost far less than Windows PCs or Apple MacBooks, and are streamlined with ChromeOS, a lightweight operating system.  ChromeOS makes it easy to navigate to popular apps like Google Docs, Google Drive, and Gmail so…

Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNET The latest numbers are in, and Apple still reigns supreme in terms of cellphone sales, but there has been a bit of a shakeup.  Counterpoint Research has released its Global Handset Model Sales Tracker for the first quarter of 2025, highlighting the 10 most popular cellphone models by global sales.  Also: I test dozens of phones every year: Here’s how Apple and Samsung stack up As no surprise, an iPhone leads the way….

Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNET Apple finally entered the AI race at last year’s Worldwide Developer Conference when it revealed Apple Intelligence. However, some of the biggest updates announced at WWDC 2024 — such as a new and improved Siri and an AI that’s aware of your personal context from your daily phone use — have yet to deploy, leaving users frustrated. Still, I think there is hope.  Apple has done a lot well with the limited features it has shipped…

Prakhar Khanna/ZDNET Samsung has officially launched its One UI 8 beta program, and you can sign up to be among the first to test it out — if you have a compatible device. In an announcement today, Samsung said the new platform, which is based on Android 16, would bring “a new era of software intelligence” to Galaxy devices along with several other upgrades. Here’s a look at what’s new and how you can join….

Craftsman/ZDNET Whether you’re looking to start your DIY home toolkit or add to your existing tool collection, you can’t go wrong with a solid set of versatile hand tools like crescent and ratchet wrenches. Right now at Lowe’s, you can grab the 230-piece Craftsman VersaStack toolkit for $100 off, bringing the price to just $99. Also: I finally found a pocketable multitool for less than $30 that isn’t junk  This toolkit includes three ratchet handles with…

Jason Hiner/ZDNET Upgrading both your TV and home audio setup can be an expensive venture. But right now at Samsung, you can snag a bundle that includes an 85-inch QLED TV and a 3.1CH, Dolby Atmos-enabled soundbar with subwoofer for just $2,400. That’s a savings of almost 50%, which means you can upgrade your entire home theater for about the same price as a mid-size OLED TV. This bundle offer is also available with a…

QVC There have been countless times I’ve been stuck out in the blistering heat, whether it’s at a baseball game, a music festival, or just hanging out outside in the yard, when a portable fan would have been extremely helpful. QVC is offering a great deal on just that — the Cascade set of 2 portable rechargeable 10-inch fans is on sale for $45.  Also: Sony will give you a free 55-inch 4K TV right now, and there…