NETWORKING

If you have a gamer on your gift list whose main platform is the PlayStation 5, it’s the perfect time to get them the latest games and accessories as well as consoles bundled with digital downloads of popular titles.  Also: The best Black Friday deals live now While Black Friday and Cyber Monday are two of the biggest shopping days of the year, you can find great PS5 discounts at retailers like Amazon, Best Buy,…

Not only is the Nintendo Switch one of the most popular modern gaming consoles, but it is also one of the most popular consoles ever. For whatever reason, Nintendo is strangely reluctant to offer regular discounts on its consoles and games. So, the holiday shopping season is the best time to upgrade your Switch setup with a new OLED console, snag a few new games for your library, or replace Joy-Con controllers. Also: The 50+…

PM Images/Getty Images OpenAI and Google, two major players in artificial intelligence (AI), continue to fight for model supremacy in the public forum — and the race is rapidly heating up.  Just a day after OpenAI secured the number one chatbot title in the Chatbot Arena with its GPT-4o update, Google released Gemini Exp 1121, an experimental model that quickly rose to tie with ChatGPT for the top spot. The latest development was announced via an X…

Black Friday is one week away. But if you can’t wait until sales officially kick off to upgrade or replace your TV, you can find some incredible early holiday deals at Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart. You’ll find great discounts from brands like Sony, LG, TCL, and Hisense on everything from high-end OLED models to entry-level smart TVs for college dorms and first apartments.  Also: The best Black Friday deals live now I test TVs…

Santiago Urquijo/Getty Images Most AI image generators have guardrails to prevent people from creating harmful images. However, BlackForestLabs’s FLUX.1 platform does not, and — combined with its realistic image generations — has inspired viral image creations. Now, the model is getting a massive upgrade.  Also: The best AI image generators: Tested and reviewed On Thursday, the company announced FLUX.1 Tools, a suite of models that can help users modify images created with its FLUX text-to-image…

The Oukitel C50 is far more impressive than a $180 phone has a right to be. Jack Wallen/ZDNET ZDNET’s key takeaways The Oukitel C50 is available for purchase now, with specs that make it well worth its $180 price tag. With more than enough horsepower, this $180 Android phone performs like a device twice its price. The lack of an App Drawer (by default) was off-putting, but that can be overcome with a configuration change…

Now that the iPhone 16 has arrived with new colors, AI features, and camera controls — and with it, iOS 18 — you may be looking for a new way to improve your online privacy. While all Apple iPhone models and generations tend to have excellent connectivity, we always recommend using a virtual private network (VPN) service to keep your data and browsing safe while on the go. Trustworthy VPNs encrypt your online traffic when you access email, social media, and…

The ESR HaloLock 3-in-1 for MagSafe Charging Station with CryoBoost. Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET What’s the deal? The ESR HaloLock 3-in-1 for MagSafe Charging Station with CryoBoost has 20% off on Amazon for Black Friday, brining the price down to $48. I’ve not had much success with charging stations that are supposed to handle an iPhone, AirPods, and Apple Watch. Having tried many, I’ve always come away feeling that most are poorly made or just inconvenient to…

From the devices we carry and the buildings where we work to the millions of terabytes transmitted around the world every day, our world runs on wireless technology. With the arrival of Wi-Fi 7, a new era of connectivity is upon us, promising unprecedented speed, reliability, and innovation. Choosing the right partner to navigate this new chapter is crucial. Here is where Cisco stands out as your ideal choice. Key features of Wi-Fi 7 and…

Before moving forward with any solution, first gain a strong understanding of your network needs. Assess current network infrastructure, understand challenges and requirements and identify areas where AI might be most beneficial. Gartner suggests starting small and performing proof of concept (PoC) tests before moving tools into production. In sandboxing environments, act on a model’s recommendations and predictions and test their accuracy, then rely on automation as systems prove themselves (or don’t) and human trust…