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ZDNET Amid growing concerns over Chinese AI models like DeepSeek, new research suggests that fears may be overblown – at least when it comes to data privacy. In fact, some popular US-based AI chatbots might be collecting even more of your personal information. When DeepSeek debuted its flagship open-source AI model in January, the American tech industry was thrown into hysteria. Some embraced the competition — claiming this is “AI’s Sputnik moment” — but others? Well,…

David Tramontan/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Spotify wants to make it easier than ever for audiobook authors to have their work heard. The audio-streaming platform has a new website for independent authors to submit short-form books.  If Spotify likes what you send, it will publish the audiobook, pay you an advance and royalties, manage book production, and distribute it to major audiobook retailers. Also: Spotify users can ask Gemini AI to find and play their…

ZDNET’s key takeaways The Planck SSD gives your connected device quick access to up to 2TB of storage. It has read and write speeds of up to 1,050 MB/s, giving it support for Apple 4K ProRes recording. It’s not cheap at a starting price of $125, and due diligence is required for any Kickstarter project. We don’t often cover crowdfunded products at ZDNET, as the potential for production issues and undelivered promises far outweigh the…

Nina Raemont/ZDNET During last year’s summer edition of Samsung’s Unpacked hardware event, the company announced the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro with a new yet familiar design. Traditionally, Samsung’s premium earbuds sported a round bud design, but the third generation debuted with a bud-and-stem design. Also: This $399 Samsung Galaxy is the mid-range phone most people should buy According to rumors and insider sources, it appears Samsung is again shaking up its earbud form factor, this…

Intel’s discrete GPU ambitions — especially in enterprise AI — have often appeared reactive rather than part of a clear strategic vision. The company entered the market late, facing Nvidia’s dominant CUDA ecosystem and AMD’s aggressive push into AI GPUs. “Tan’s background suggests he is unlikely to double down on discrete GPUs at all costs,” Singh said. “He understands that the real AI war is not just about GPUs, but about AI-first compute architectures. The…

ZDNET The smartwatch market just experienced its first-ever decline, according to a recent report by Counterpoint. The report says 7% fewer smartwatches were shipped in 2024 than in 2023, and Apple’s dwindling popularity might be to blame.  Also: The Apple Watch Series 10 is on sale for its lowest price ever at every major retailer According to Counterpoint, tighter competition and weaker upgrade cycles fueled a 19% decline in Apple Watch’s shipment rate during that…

Open AI CEO Sam Altman chats with Microsoft CTO Kevin Scott at Microsoft Build 2024. Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNET Since OpenAI launched ChatGPT over two years ago, it has retained its position as one of the frontrunners in the AI race, constantly developing smarter models and spin-off products. The company has no intention of slowing down, with its ultimate goal being to achieve Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) or AI with autonomous, human-level intelligence.   “Our mission is…

ZDNET’s key takeaways The Torras PolarCircle has an active cooler that’s more effective than a standard fan. The best part is that it’s almost silent when operating. Naturally, the accessory consumes more power than most. On Amazon, the Torras PolarCircle Qi2 has received a 17% discount and currently retails for$50. I’ve become a fan of wireless charging because it’s quick, easy, and far more convenient to place my iPhone on a charging pad than to…

Hill Street Studios/Getty Images It’s increasingly difficult to avoid artificial technology (AI) as it becomes more commonplace. A prime example is Google searches showcasing AI responses. AI safety is more important than ever in this age of technological ubiquity. So as an AI user, how can you safely use generative AI (Gen AI)?  Also: Here’s why you should ignore 99% of AI tools – and which four I use every day Carnegie Mellon School of Computer…

Jada Jones/ZDNET Bluetooth Auracast is a Bluetooth feature that allows devices like smartphones, TVs, or public announcement systems to broadcast audio to unlimited audio receivers, such as hearing aids. Also: Turn your AirPods Pro 2 into hearing aids Today, Google announced Android support for Auracast, and users with Auracast-supported smartphones can use them to connect their compatible earbuds or hearing aids to broadcasts via Bluetooth. Android phones that support Auracast In a press release, Google highlighted…