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ZDNET’s key takeaways The Vizio 5.1 Soundbar SE system is available now for only $199. It has immersive surround sound at an affordable price thanks to customizable EQ settings and sound modes. The Bluetooth connection can sometimes be spotty, and be prepared to hide lots of wires. One of the easiest ways to upgrade your movie- or TV-viewing experience is by upgrading your TV’s sound with a soundbar. However, not all soundbars are created equal….

ZDNET’s key takeaways At $130, the Blink Outdoor 4 Floodlight Camera is a practical, battery-powered solution for darker areas around your house that lack wiring and outlets. The AA batteries allow the floodlights to beam at 700 nits of brightness, which is not the most powerful on the market but good enough to see your surroundings. The Blink app is feature-rich, with plenty of camera settings to customize for the best surveillance, but you’ll need…

oxygen/Getty Images What does it mean for a writer, such as a novelist, to have a unique “voice”? And does artificial intelligence (AI) help or hurt that voice?  Microsoft researchers set out to answer that question with a small study using 19 fiction writers, 30 readers, and short passages written with the help of OpenAI’s GPT-4. The research takes its title from a comment by one of the writers — “it was 80% me, 20% AI.” …

Lance Whitney/ZDNET Scammers who prey on Apple iMessage users via phishing (or smishing) messages are doubling down on a novel tactic that tricks their victims into disabling built-in security. Spotted by BleepingComputer, a series of such phishing attacks have surged since last summer, especially over the past few months, putting unsuspecting users at greater risk of being scammed. Here’s how the tactic works. By default, Apple’s built-in security disables any links in a text message…

Adam Breeden/ZDNET What’s the deal? Multiple models of the Sony Bravia X90L are on sale at Amazon. The 55-inch display received a 25% discount, bringing it down to $898. On Best Buy, the massive 98-inch model had its price slashed by nearly 38%, going from $8,000 to $5,000. And the 65-inch Bravia X90L, which I recommend to most people, is on sale for about $990. Why this deal is ZDNET recommended What the Sony Bravia…

As we step into 2025, the cyberthreat landscape is once again more dynamic and challenging than the year before. In 2024, we witnessed a remarkable acceleration in cyberattacks of all types, many fueled by advancements in generative AI. For security leaders, the stakes are higher than ever. In this post, I’ll explore cyberthreat projections and cybersecurity priorities for 2025. These predictions are not just forecasts—they’re calls to action to prepare for the challenges ahead and…

What is the best VPN for the Apple TV right now? The best VPN for Apple TV is NordVPN. NordVPN offers a native Apple TV app, removing the hassle of installing a VPN directly on your router. Furthermore, this VPN provides excellent speeds, performance, and an expansive server network. Also: Best free VPNs of 2025 The ZDNET team has decades of combined experience in testing VPN services, and we strive to provide you with the best…

ZDNET One reason why the Pixel phones are so popular is the camera. There’s a depth, a level of clarity, and brilliant/accurate colors that most phone cameras cannot match. Also: How to clear your Android phone’s cache and make it feel like new Google is always trying to one-up itself by improving the Pixel camera with every iteration. Back with the Pixel 8, Google introduced the P3 wide gamut capture feature that came along with the…

Considering that Samsung’s Unpacked invitation reads, “The new Galaxy S series is about to set the bar once again for mobile AI experiences now and into the future,” it’s nearly certain that the S25 lineup will launch at the event.  When Qualcomm launched the Snapdragon 8 Elite in October, the company shared that Samsung would be one of the leading manufacturers to adopt the mobile platform. With this event being Samsung’s first release since the Snapdragon 8…

Motorola Moto G Power in Slate Grey and Leaf Green. Motorola Motorola starts 2025 by revealing two mid-range smartphones: the Moto G and its big brother, the Moto G Power. The company says these devices are “entertainment powerhouses”, delivering both “exceptional photography [plus] immersive” media at a low price. Also: The best Motorola phones: Expert tested The entertainment-rich capability starts with the display. Each phone has a bright 1,000-nit screen running at a 120Hz refresh…