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Screenshot by David Grober/ZDNET With the holiday season upon us, many companies are finding ways to take advantage through deals, promotions, or other campaigns. OpenAI has found a way to participate with its “12 days of OpenAI.”  On Wednesday, OpenAI announced via an X post that starting on Dec. 5, the company would host 12 days of live streams and release “a bunch of new things, big and small,” according to the post.  Also: I…

wildpixel/Getty Images OpenAI just released the full version of its new o1 model — and it’s dangerously committed to lying.  Apollo Research tested six frontier models for “in-context scheming” — a model’s ability to take action they haven’t been given directly and then lie about it. After being told to achieve a certain goal “at all costs,” evaluators introduce contradictory information to see if the model will remove any restrictions in its path and deceive developers.  Also:…

Sign up for Costco and get a $45 gift card — cutting down your membership price to just $20 for the year. Stack Social Thinking about joining Costco to save ahead of the holidays? Or, have you been sharing a membership card with your parents or friends? Now that Costco is starting to crack down on membership sharing (stores now scan cards at the entrance and require the member to be present), it’s a good…

Bunson Labs Linux is as beautiful as it is easy to use. Jack Wallen/ZDNET Every so often, I’m surprised by a Linux distribution. After working with and reviewing these things for the past few decades, you’d think there aren’t any surprises left. That’s why it’s always a special experience when I do come across a distribution, unlike anything I’ve seen to date. Also: Want to save your old computer? Try these 5 Linux distributions That’s what…

ZDNET’s key takeaways The Woburn 3 is the most expensive home audio speaker from Marshall. It has fantastic sound quality, strong bass, and clear mids. However, the system only supports the SBC codec. What’s the deal? The Marshall Woburn 3 is still on sale at Amazon for $499, saving you $80. It might not be a massive discount, but this is its lowest price yet. The Marshall Woburn 3 is expensive and not the best…

Maria Diaz/ZDNET What’s the deal? The Amazon Echo Hub is a surprisingly dependable smart home panel with Alexa. You can get it for $125, a $55 discount (31%) for the perfect gift for a smart home enthusiast. ZDNET’s key takeaways Amazon typically sells the Echo Hub for $180, but it’s on sale for $125.  The Echo Hub gives Alexa the place it has earned in the smart home market: A control panel to easily access smart…

Matthew Miller/ZDNET Amazon just released its newest Kindle Scribe last week, but I’ve been using the older Scribe model for two years now, and I don’t plan on upgrading any time soon. Sure, it’s tempting to spring for a new device, but Amazon released a handful of hardware and software updates for the first-generation Kindle Scribe that significantly improve its functionality.  I updated my original Kindle Scribe to the 5.17.2 software and am very pleased…

Adam Breeden/ZDNET I’m not usually a fan of LG TVs, but I’ve tested the LG G4 OLED TV this year, and I have to admit that it has the most impressive picture quality of any TV I’ve ever bought, used, or tested.  Though Cyber Monday is over, you can still find the 65-inch LG G4 on sale for over $800 off its retail price of $3,399 at both Amazon and Best Buy as retailers amp up…

Maxiphoto/Getty Images Ever shopped online for a holiday present for someone in your household? Then you’re probably familiar with the stress of monitoring your front door for a delivery to arrive — or the awkward surprise of a package showing up unexpectedly and easily identifiable in its original box. Also: Drowning in spam? Stop giving out your email address – do this instead Fortunately for Gmail users, Google is offering some help by letting you…

Jason Hiner/ZDNET Apple first announced its AI offering, Apple Intelligence, at WWDC in May, and since the technology has been doled out in dribs and drabs with each new update. iOS 18.1 has already added a few AI tidbits to the iPhone, but the consensus is that they were a bit underwhelming. iOS 18.2, however, is set to deliver more AI capabilities as soon as today.  Also: I tried a free AI clothing search tool, and…