NETWORKING

When network traffic is heavy, it is most efficient, and delivers the best performance, to disable interrupts and run in polling mode. But when network traffic is light, interrupt-driven processing works best, he noted. “An implementation using only polling would waste a lot of resources/energy during times of light traffic. An implementation using only interrupts becomes inefficient during times of heavy traffic. … So the biggest energy savings arise when comparing to a high-performance always-polling…

Years ago, we were lucky to have one or two Linux laptop options. Now, you’d be surprised at how many laptops are sold with Linux installed, making it an excellent time for programmers to use the open-source alternative to Windows and MacOS. Linux-based laptops are also great for high school and college students looking to expand their knowledge and skillsets. Linux can also run on many Windows laptops, which is great for beginners who may…

ZDNET’s key takeaways The Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam is available for $80 in five colors: Black, Blush, Charcoal, Starlight, and White. This indoor camera pans 360 degrees and tilts up and down to cover the entire area it’s set up in, letting you watch over your home, business, or pets. The Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam has a manual privacy cover that cannot be closed remotely and the camera doesn’t follow/track movement in real-time. more buying…

marian/Getty Images Chinese AI startup DeepSeek isn’t squandering its momentum anytime soon.  Just moments after knocking ChatGPT out of the top spot in the App Store for most downloaded free apps, the company released Janus-Pro’s multimodal text-to-image AI model on Monday. Like R1, DeepSeek’s flagship model, Janus-Pro is open source under an MIT license (making it commercially viable) and downloadable via HuggingFace and GitHub.  Also: I tested DeepSeek’s R1 and V3 coding skills – and we’re not all…

A new laptop is an investment, and making it last is essential to maximizing its value. To care for your new laptop, you’ll want to minimize the amount of bumps and vibrations it’s exposed to and keep it closed when not in use to protect the keys and screen, which can be fragile.  Maximizing your laptop’s battery life is also part of its longevity, as it’s best to keep it between 30% and 80% to…

ZDNET’s key takeaways The Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 6 is available now starting at $839. It’s a solid budget business laptop with a wide range of configurations. The display and webcam might not be good enough for most users, and opting for higher-end hardware can nearly double the price more buying choices On the surface, Lenovo’s sixth-generation ThinkPad E14 doesn’t look much different from the previous model; it’s a quintessential ThinkPad with the familiar red…

Kerry Wan/ZDNET I’ve always heard sayings about the “middle child,” but they’re almost always never positive. The new Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus, which sits right between the smaller S25 and more-capable S25 Ultra, flips the script, as it’s quickly become my favorite after only a few days of use. Also: I replaced my iPhone 16 Pro with the Galaxy S25 Ultra – and there’s a clear winner Part of the reason has less to do…

ZDNET’s key takeaways The H2O Audio RIPT Ultra headphones are available on the H2O Audio page for $249 With outstanding battery life, 100% sweatproof, and smooth sound, the RIPT Ultra headphones are a great buy To get the best sound from these headphones, you really need to have ANC turned on. ANC stands for Active Noise Cancellation and is used mostly to keep you focused on your music (or other audio/video content) by blocking external…

ZDNET Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about pulling away from the cloud. The idea of a third party having all my information, data, content, images, and just about anything digital makes my spine shrink. There’s no way of knowing if or when one of those third parties might share my information with the wrong person or have it stolen from under their eyes. Something has to give. Also: The best cloud storage services That something…

Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNET Apple Sports is making it easier to catch your favorite team on television. Also: How to watch Super Bowl LIX for free online – and is Tubi legit? The free sports app, which debuted last spring, offers a simple way to keep track of your favorite teams. The main screen shows daily matchups and results, and you can swipe to see box scores, upcoming games, play-by-play results, and more. Last fall, it even added the…