NETWORKING

Pulse/Getty Images I’m both a Linux and Android user, and although there are apps to make syncing those two platforms fairly seamless, there are times when I’d rather just run an Android app on my desktop. Fortunately, there’s an app called Waydroid that allows you to run Android apps within a virtual environment. The process for getting this up and running isn’t the easiest, but once it’s working, you’ll have full access to the Google…

Hakan Nural/Anadolu via Getty Images Every time I think social media is done evolving, something shakes things up. Twitter was the go-to for years, with algorithms steering what we saw. But Bluesky has arrived, offering something different — an open-source, decentralized network that puts control back into users’ hands.  Now that it’s open to all, I’ve spent time exploring how it works, and it’s a breath of fresh air for those of us looking to…

LastPass Passwords are so last century, and passkeys are the future. Passkeys replace the traditional strings of random — or not-so-random –characters with a more secure method of authentication.  A passkey consists of a public key that is registered with an online service or application, and a private key that is securely stored on a device, such as a smartphone or computer. This private key is protected by biometric security measures, including fingerprint recognition or…

Kubernetes Explorer integrates with Observe’s AI Investigator to speed root-cause analysis and problem resolution by analyzing every component of a distributed platform, including the Kubernetes platform. It builds custom, incident-specific visualizations and offers suggestions to IT teams to accelerate troubleshooting and reduce mean time to repair (MTTR). Kubernetes Explorer can also provide visibility into the historical state of Kubernetes components, enabling IT professionals to better understand performance issues and resolve them. The add-on provides an…

Maria Diaz/ZDNET The Google smart home is getting one of its biggest upgrades in years. In addition to the recent launch of a new Google TV Streamer and Nest Learning Thermostat, the company is bringing Gemini, its set of artificial intelligence (AI) large language models (LLMs), to its smart home experience with new AI-generated summaries, automations, and a Gemini-powered search feature. Also: I tested the new Eero Outdoor 7, and it’s a smart home system…

The Power11 On the processor side, the next generation IBM Power11 system features processor, system, and stack-level innovations to help enterprises propel digital transformation initiatives for their mission-critical infrastructure, Balakrishnan stated. “IBM Power also continues to support emerging enterprise AI use cases with the MMA (Matrix-Math Assist) architecture,” wrote Balakrishnan. MMA is a feature of Power10-based servers that handles matrix multiplication operations in hardware, rather than relying solely on software routines. It offers four-times better…

NurPhoto/Getty Images Apple appears committed to the smart home market, with sources saying the company plans to launch a smart display next year and a security camera the year after. We’ve heard rumors of an Apple smart home panel for years, but new reports now make a 2025 product launch sound more likely.  Sources told Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman that Apple plans to announce the smart home hub as early as March 2025. Also: Amazon’s Echo…

Jack Wallen/ZDNET I’ve been a fan of Firefox for a long time. However, a few years ago, I dropped it as my default browser because I found its tab management lacking. On top of that, the browser was missing some other UI customizations.  Plus, it’s been nearly four years since the Firefox developers implemented a major tweak to the UI, which means Firefox is getting a bit stale. That’s why, when the developers of Zen…

I’ve been reviewing earbuds, headphones, and speakers for a long time. One thing I’ve noticed over the years is that headphones tend to follow trends with sound. Back when Beats first came into being, the sound was bass-heavy to the point of being over-driven and unnatural. That tendency still holds true today, and finding a more neutral-sounding pair of earbuds is becoming harder and harder. Why would you want a neutral sound from your earbuds?…