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For as long as college football has been around, deciding who the actual national champion was usually consisted of little more than endless bar and sports talk radio arguments. Then, in 1998, the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) appeared to pick out the top two teams battling it out for supremacy. Except, of course, people could never agree on who the top two teams were. Just ask the fans of the undefeated 2004 Auburn Tigers, 2009 Boise…

ZDNET’s key takeaways The Brane X Bluetooth speaker is available now on Amazon for $499. It delivers the loudest, clearest bass of any portable speaker I’ve tested. Getting the Brane X connected to the app can be a bit tricky. If bass is your jam, then you probably know that most Bluetooth speakers don’t always deliver those deep low ends. There’s little “punch” or separation between the kick drum and bass guitar, and things can…

Amplify your dev work with this deal on Visual Studio Pro 2022 right now.  StackSocial Having in-house development is a massive advantage for many businesses. And having software on hand to help streamline workflows, amplify productivity, and keep projects on track is a must — especially when you can get it at a discount. Right now, Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2022 for Windows is on sale for only $28 (reg. $499), saving you 94%. Described…

ZDNET’s key takeaways The Pininfarina Sintesi hybrid watch regularly retails for $329, but right now it’s $50 off. The watch incorporates high-quality materials, has an elegant design, and a sports battery life of more than a week. I just wish there were more than one size, and that the notifications weren’t so limited. While I love wearing a smartwatch to track every detail of my health, I also enjoy wearing a fashionable timepiece that doesn’t…

sankai/Getty Images Google Search is an incredibly valuable resource, to the point that it has effectively defined the modern internet. But as we’ve all experienced, Search doesn’t always get the right results. We’re often left looking for answers, despite the search engine providing many choices to dig deeper into. Sometimes, that outcome is because the search engine has been gamed, and less-than-relevant results are presented because of SEO activities from website operators. Also: Google’s Gemini 2.0…

Eoneren/Getty Images With so many new artificial intelligence (AI) products being released every day, it is difficult to create something that really stands out, but Google’s NotebookLM has become a viral tool. Its Audio Overviews feature, which generates a two-host podcast from any content you have, has been all the rave — and it’s getting even better.  Also: Google’s AI podcast tool transforms your text into stunningly lifelike audio – for free On Friday, Google…

oxygen/Getty Images Happy Holidays! May your coffee be strong and your Wi-Fi signal stronger this season! But the holiday season isn’t just about getting the best wireless signal and loading up on go juice; it’s about family, friends, food, fun, and finances. And, frankly, holidays can be a lot of work. There’s a lot to organize, a ton of spending, careful relationship management that would give a UN ambassador pause, and plenty of planning. Also:…

One of the most common questions we get asked at ZDNET is “what’s the fastest laptop?” It’s tough to answer, because ultimately, it depends. Fastest at what? There are a lot of factors that go into a laptop’s speed (and how it’s measured) but we’ve put together a list of the best-performing laptops for the use cases where speed and performance matter most.  If you’re talking about creative tasks, “fastest” might refer to the speed…

ZDNET’s key takeaways The Goldemate 1000 Pro UPS is available now on Amazon for $199. With a Lithium battery that can last for nearly two hours, this UPS is hard to beat at the price. There’s no means of communicating to a PC for a graceful shutdown, should power go out. For as long as I can remember, I’ve used a UPS — aka, Uninterruptible Power Supply — for various devices: computers, routers, televisions, and…

BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images The TikTok ban could be catastrophic for Americans. This crisis has ripple effects that could disrupt industries and shake the American economy. 💰 Aly (my editor) HATES when I do hot takes… but billions per month are at stake, and American small businesses are on the line so I have to share this one. Also: Is this the end of Google? This new AI tool isn’t just competing, it’s winning…