NETWORKING

ZDNET’s key takeaways The RingConn Gen 2 is a subscription-free smart ring that retails for $300. It monitors your sleep, activity, stress, and vitals, and it’s got a marathon battery life. The only downside is the user interface feels underdeveloped. more buying choices Most smart rings these days claim to offer marathon battery lives, but often fall short of their promise. Many smart rings claim to last a week’s worth of battery, but only make…

ZDNET’s key takeaways The Sandmarc Telephoto 2x lens is available now for $155. The lens attaches to your iPhone and makes images more vivid, adding a professional quality to your shots (and is cheaper than a DSLR). It is not available for Android and occasionally warps close-up images. Since I could hold a camera, I’ve been working on improving my photography skills. Now that I need to take product photos for work, I’ve dedicated more…

ZDNET’s key takeaways The Aurzen Zip is currently available for $339 on Amazon. Its design and construction give it a premium feel, and the ability to project at various angles. Connection issues and limitations on what you can view with it are areas of improvement. When Aurzen sent me its new Zip Tri-fold Projector, it arrived in a dense, well-designed 5″ x 6.5″ x 1.75″ box. I said aloud to no one, “Wow, this is the…

Lance Whitney/ZDNET I like to read in bed before I nod off to sleep. Though I enjoy the feel and texture of a good, old-fashioned printed book, I typically turn to ebooks because they’re easier on the eyes. And what do I use as a reader? No, not a Kindle, but my trusty iPad mini. I’ve tried a couple of Kindles in the past but didn’t quite take to them. For me, the iPad mini…

My perfect day ends with me being in bed by 9:30 and falling asleep right around 10 p.m. That’s easier said than done, but I try to get as close to a consistent bedtime routine as I can. After a good night’s rest, I am a better, nicer, smarter, quicker, healthier person.  For those having trouble catching proper Zs, I’ve rounded up some of my favorite products I use ahead of bedtime while walking you…

Jose A. Bernat Bacete/Getty Images Artificial intelligence (AI) always delivers surprises. But as adoption matures, we may be in for the biggest surprise of all. More so than the latest-and-greatest technology, reliable data, and thorough training, philosophy may matter more than anything in developing AI systems, according to MIT researchers. Also: 68% of tech vendor customer support to be handled by AI by 2028, says Cisco report “Software is eating the world, AI is eating software,…

ZDNET’s key takeaways The magnetic USB-C connector now supports a 180-degree swivel, and it’s only $8 at Amazon. It can pump out as much as 240W of power. I just wish it was suitable for data transferring or powering monitors. These handy 240W USB-C magnetic adapters are on sale for just $8 (with the added coupon) for one on Amazon. A hill I’m always willing to fight on — and maybe even die on — is that…

If you need to access login information, credit card numbers, or other personal data on your Android, you need a password manager.  With a password manager, you can generate and save strong, unique credentials (rather than repeatedly reusing the same ones) and protect them in an encrypted vault behind a master password and two-factor authentication.  While no mobile software is completely attack-proof, a password manager drastically improves the security of your online services. But finding…

ZDNET’s key takeaways The Acefast AceFit Pro open-ear LED headphones are available now for $125. The volume is loud, audio is crisp, and the headphones are light and comfortable. I wish you could select different color LEDs on the headphones, the case is glossy and slippery, and the USB-C charging port is awkwardly positioned on the bottom. Most of the time I run with bone conduction headsets, but open-ear headphones are also good for keeping…

Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNET ZDNET’s key takeaways  Anker’s Nano Power Bank is small, portable, and perfect for taking on the go.  It is available for around $30 in USB-C or Lightning configurations.  It may not be enough battery juice for some people, though it’s only designed for a slight boost.  I was able to get my hands on Anker’s Nano 22.5W Power Bank over a year ago, and I still regularly use it to this day. For…