Linux power users: Here's a distro with a refreshing approach to OS design

Linux power users: Here's a distro with a refreshing approach to OS design

ZDNET’s key takeaways NixOS is an open-source operating system that is available to install and use for free. It offers several desktop environments to choose from, is as rock-solid as any OS on the market, and performs quite well. However, there’s a fairly steep learning curve for installing non-free software. Before we get into this review, I want to offer some information for new Linux users. If you’re uncomfortable using the command line or diving…

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This Linux distro can be used without installation (and it's totally free)

This Linux distro can be used without installation (and it's totally free)

ZDNET’s key takeaways After a 10-year hiatus, Dynebolic is back and can be downloaded and used for free. Dynebolic has everything you need for multimedia creation and runs as a live instance, so it’s portable and doesn’t make any changes to your default operating system. You’ll need an external drive to save your work, since Dynebolic is a live distribution, saved work is lost when you reboot. There are plenty of Linux distributions that are…

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One of my favorite smartwatches has a timeless analog look – and the features I need

One of my favorite smartwatches has a timeless analog look – and the features I need

ZDNET’s key takeaways The Withings Scanwatch Nova is available for pre-order now, starting at $599. It’s an elegant smartwatch with a one-month battery, water resistance up to 10ATM, and various health-tracking metrics. A $10/month subscription is required for some advanced metrics, and the watch is only available in one 42mm diameter. Healthy heart monitoring starts with gathering your metrics, but making sense of all the numbers is a whole different challenge. For the past few…

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Want to make money from Facebook stories? Here's how you can

Want to make money from Facebook stories? Here's how you can

Meta/ZDNET Facebook is rolling out a new stories monetization option that enables creators to earn money for views on public stories. The announcement explains that creators can earn money from the content they’re already sharing by uploading it to their Facebook stories. The new monetization option is now available globally to those participating in the Facebook Content Monetization program. How Facebook story payouts work A Facebook spokesperson told TechCrunch that “story payouts will be driven…

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Sick of internet outages? How I easily set up a backup connection in my home office

Sick of internet outages? How I easily set up a backup connection in my home office

Indie Studios LLC/Getty Images I’ve been a network administrator and work from home, so I should have known better. But there I was — working my rump off on deadline — when my AT&T Internet Fiber connection went down. That was the end of my work for the day. The next day, it was back on again and then down again. The day after that, it returned and stayed on… until the next day. Enough…

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I compared the two best Android smartwatches right now – and it's almost too close to call

I compared the two best Android smartwatches right now – and it's almost too close to call

Matthew Miller/ZDNET I spent a couple of weeks with the OnePlus Watch 3, and it’s clear that OnePlus took customer feedback to heart. The battery life is better, the rotating crown makes navigation easier, and the design caters to fans of larger watches. If size weren’t a factor, this might be my new go-to Wear OS smartwatch.  That said, a few software updates are still needed to iron out some issues. In fact, the launch…

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Finally, a cheap Android tablet that replaces my iPad with no sweat

Finally, a cheap Android tablet that replaces my iPad with no sweat

ZDNET’s key takeaways The Blackview Tab 90 WiFi (2025) is on sale now for $142 on Amazon. It punches above its price point in terms of hardware. Expanded memory does need to be pushed to the max to get the best performance. Blackview, a brand primarily recognized for its rugged smartphones, has also ventured into the tablet market, offering devices that strike an impressive balance between performance and affordability.  Also: I gave away my Kindle…

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Should up upgrade to Wi-Fi 7? This next-gen router made the switch so easy for me

Should up upgrade to Wi-Fi 7? This next-gen router made the switch so easy for me

ZDNET’s key takeaways The Eero 7 Dual Band Router retails for $180 per unit. Users won’t have to wait long to enjoy high-speed connectivity at home as the device is very easy to set up. However, this router model is light on features; it doesn’t offer much beyond its simple package. more buying choices One of the biggest hurdles of any new technology is getting people to adopt it. In my opinion, the best way…

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Why Apple's RCS encryption move is a privacy game-changer for your texts

Why Apple's RCS encryption move is a privacy game-changer for your texts

Maria Diaz/ZDNET Apple joined the RCS bandwagon last year, giving its users the ability to exchange rich text messages with their Android counterparts. The only problem? Those messages are not encrypted, exposing them to security risks. Now, Apple will soon eliminate that obstacle. Also: Google Fi users finally get RCS on iPhone – here’s how to check if it’s activated In a new announcement, Apple said it will add support for encrypted RCS messages in future…

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You can set ChatGPT as your default Android assistant now. Here's how

You can set ChatGPT as your default Android assistant now. Here's how

ZDNET Earlier this year, Perplexity rolled out an Android app that gave you the ability to make it your default voice assistant over Gemini. You now have that option with ChatGPT, too. ChatGPT’s Android app isn’t new itself, but the latest update to the app (v1.2025.070 beta) lets you replace Gemini with OpenAI’s chatbot. Launch ChatGPT however you want If you do this, you’ll be able to launch ChatGPT by whatever method you use now…

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