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Hisense/ZDNET If you’re looking to upgrade your home entertainment system this holiday season (or shopping for someone who is) and you have a tight budget, this $89 Hisense 5.1 Ch 510W soundbar and subwoofer combo may be the most accessible deal that I’ve seen so far.  For less than a Benjamin, you get a relatively powerful soundbar, a wireless subwoofer for enhanced bass and depth, and two rear surround speakers. The system typically sells for $180,…

Cheng Xin/Getty Images Two screens. Two worlds.  On one screen, an urban professional in Oslo taps through ultra-secure banking apps, relies on an AI-powered personal assistant, and streams media seamlessly over high-speed 5G using their iPhone.  On the other screen, a farmer in Malawi scrolls through a modest Android phone — likely costing less than a week’s wages — just to read the news, check tomorrow’s weather, and send WhatsApp messages over a patchy mobile…

Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET One of the many wonderful things about Linux is that you can make it look how you want. If you want to go crazy and create a desktop that looks and feels unlike any other, you can. But there are also distributions for people who’d rather have a user-friendly and instantly familiar desktop environment. Wubuntu is one such distribution, and I’m sure you can figure out what operating system it mimics….

Water-based cooling is not the only cooling option for data centers, however. Many also use air cooling systems. While evaporative cooling consumes less energy, but significantly more water, air cooling consumes no water, but significantly more energy. One factor companies can consider when placing data centers is to “pick a cooling technology that is symbiotic to the local environmental conditions,” according to a blog post by Andrew Higgins, global head of masterplanning and sustainability at…

ZDNET’s key takeaways Lenovo’s Tab Plus is a mid-range tablet currently selling for $330 on Best Buy. Contrary to its small size, the model houses a booming eight-speaker system and a long-lasting battery. The MediaTek Helio chipset and dim display won’t be winning any awards. more buying choices What’s the deal? Even though the Lenovo Tab Plus is new, it’s already been discounted. The tablet has dropped down $250 on Best Buy and Lenovo’sdigital store….

ZDNET’s key takeaways The Garmin Enduro 3 is available now in a single 51mm size for $900 The battery life is stunning, data captured by the watch is accurate and comprehensive, the LED flashlight is essential, and the price is $200 less than its successor The MIP display is not as brilliant as an AMOLED display, and the 51mm size is too large for smaller wrists. more buying choices What’s the deal? Amazon has discounted…

ZDNET’s key takeaways The Ring Spotlight Cam Pro Battery is available for $230 but is currently on sale for $170 This Pro-level Ring camera has a removable rechargeable battery pack, top-of-the-line audio performance, and supports dual-band Wi-Fi, 2.4 and 5.0 GHz Unfortunately, the Ring Spotlight Cam Pro falls short on image quality, topping out at 1080p, the spotlights only reach 300 lumens in brightness, and the Pro features are only available with a subscription. more…

Maria Diaz/ZDNET Blink is an affordable smart home security brand from Amazon that offers big discounts during yearly sales events. For a limited time, Blink is selling its Blink Mini 2 indoor/outdoor cameras and the Blink Outdoor 4 camera for discounted prices. But one of the best deals you can find right now is the 40% off Blink Video Doorbell for only $36. Also: Skip the iPad: This tablet is redefining what a kids tablet can do…

Adam Breeden/ZDNET ZDNET’s key takeaways The LG G4 OLED is on sale at Amazon and Best Buy for $2,597. LG has come a long way with its OLED picture quality, and this model is truly exceptional. The regular price might be a turn-off since you can buy great TVs for half the price. But $800 off really sweetens the deal.  I’m not usually a fan of LG TVs, but I’ve tested the LG G4 OLED…

Westend61/Getty Images The creator economy is now estimated to be worth $250 billion, and creator-driven social media sites, specifically TikTok, have played a huge role in propelling content creation into the big business category. Rival platforms are eyeing new ways to attract and house creators on their sites. Specifically, Instagram has been launching new features geared toward professionalizing the app for small businesses and creators and changing how the site recommends content.  Today, Instagram announced the global…