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Max Buondonno/ZDNET In a recent Pixel Feature Drop, Google rolled out the ability to cap your phone’s battery charge at 80%. Recent iPhone models also have a similar feature. While that might seem like something you’d never want to do, it’s actually good for your phone’s battery and will help prolong the battery’s life — if you can afford to turn it on. This feature introduces something called bypass charging for any phone that has it….

Microsoft One of the biggest selling points of the Apple ecosystem is the ability to work seamlessly across different devices — like the handy AirDrop feature for easy file transfer. In an announcement today to Windows Insiders, Microsoft said it’s introducing a way to make it easier to share files between an iPhone and a Windows PC.  Also: Microsoft ramps up pressure on users running Windows 11 on unsupported PCs With two apps and a couple…

ZDNET’s key takeaways The Amazon Omni Mini-LED (2024) delivers a stellar picture and intense audio. Wi-Fi 6E capability and a 144Hz refresh rate help optimize it for gameplay. The remote response and load times seemed a bit sticky. My two foremost considerations for buying a smart TV are price range and performance. Is it within my budget, and how does it stack up to competitors? Assessing those two factors alone can help determine the value…

ZDNET’s key takeaways The Gemtones Infinity Max Bluetooth speaker is available now from the official Speck site. With a beautiful array of lights and a unique “infinity look,” this speaker is certainly a conversation starter. The sound could benefit from a custom EQ option in the Speck app. Bluetooth speakers are everywhere; some offer killer sound, while others sacrifice a bit of aural quality to cut costs or simply because not everyone is an audiophile….

Apple/ZDNET The holiday shopping season is in full swing, and this jolly deal is still live following Cyber Week 2024: a 9th-generation iPad for $200 — a discount of $130, thanks to a holiday offer from Best Buy.  Also: Apple’s iPad 10th-Gen is $70 off at Walmart ahead of the holiday shopping rush At Best Buy, Apple’s 9th-generation iPad with a 10.2-inch screen is down to $200, $130 cheaper than its standard starting price. This deal…

Jaque Silva/NurPhoto via Getty Images The market for artificial intelligence (AI) models is especially hot at the moment, and Anthropic is taking note. On Thursday, several Claude users reported via social media that the company had just made its latest model in that family, 3.5 Haiku, generally available to all users of the chatbot. Also: How does Claude work? Anthropic reveals its secrets Originally announced in October, 3.5 Haiku is, Anthropic says, the company’s fastest model, “ideal for software…

Overall internet traffic continues to grow year after year, with no slowdown in sight. Cloudflare released its annual Cloudflare Radar Year in Review report this week, providing insights into the state of the internet in 2024. The report draws from data across more than 330 cities in 120 countries and provides unique insights from Cloudflare’s network, which processes an average of 63 million HTTPS requests and 42 million DNS requests per second. Key findings from the…

In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, providing access to quality education and workforce readiness is more than a mission—it’s a global responsibility. Since 1997, Cisco Networking Academy has been at the forefront of this mission, equipping tens of millions of students worldwide with essential IT, AI, cybersecurity, and networking skills. But how do we truly measure the impact of this initiative? And how can we ensure it drives sustainable change for those who need it…

“This means that Sweden is among the first countries to implement the European Commission’s concept of AI nodes to drive research and innovation forward and make AI accessible to more users than ever before,” Matts Karlsson, Vice-Rector for Research at Linköping University, said in a comment. “The focus of Mimer will be on things like increased AI expertise in the life sciences, medicine, materials research, autonomous systems and the gaming industry, and the goal is…

Apple/ZDNET If you have an Apple aficionado in your life, consider gifting them the new Apple Watch Series 10 — which is on sale for $349 at Walmart, or $50 off.  Also: Review: Apple Watch Series 10 I’ve been covering Apple Watch sales for the past year, and I don’t recommend waiting to buy any model watch if you’re in the market. Deals have been selling out quick, as are band sizes and color options. If…