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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?…

Artie Beaty/ZDNET If you’ve seen all the hype about Temu and Shein (here’s our primer on Temu) but are a little leery about diving in, Amazon just made another alternative available. Also: How to use Bluesky: Everything to know about the popular X alternative Called “Amazon Haul,” the store features clothing, electronics, beauty items, jewelry, gadgets, household goods, and more — all for under $20 an item. A quick browse around the site showed things like…

Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNET More people around the world take photos with an iPhone than any other camera — 3 trillion per year, according to Apple’s internal data. And every time Apple announces the latest iPhone, the new camera features on the Pro model are one of the most anticipated parts of the whole spectacle — and one of the things Apple usually saves for the end of the event.  The cameras in this year’s iPhone 16…

So, what are the areas where enterprises think a network startup could win their business today? That depends on how enterprises view risk and reward. The space where enterprises today are least satisfied with incumbent vendors is security. Of the 321 enterprises, 295 said they’d examine a strong security offering from a network startup, by far the highest level of acceptance. But that group stressed the point that “strong” here meant compelling, because enterprises have…

Earbuds are everywhere and come in every configuration, feature set, price point, color, and shape. You’ll find inexpensive earbuds as cheap as $20 and as expensive as $11,000. Most people aren’t going to opt for a pair of earbuds with a price tag that includes three zeros, but when you hit the $100 to $200 range, you’re looking at the sweet spot. Also: One of the best budget earbuds I’ve tested can make everything sound good…