NETWORKING

ZDNET In 2006, Digg, a social networking and bookmarking site, was one of the most popular websites. Today, many of you have probably never even heard of this Reddit-like site. Now, in a surprising turn of events, Digg is attempting a comeback, backed by an unlikely alliance between its founder, Kevin Rose, and former rival Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit. Social networks have become toxic Why? Because, as you may have noticed, social networks have…

ZDNET Tired of sitting through ads while watching your favorite YouTube videos? The popular video-sharing service is bringing its Premium Lite plan as a pilot program to the US. Priced at $7.99 a month, Premium Lite promises to shelve the ads for most, but not all, videos. More affordable alternative YouTube touts its Lite plan as a more affordable alternative to its full Premium subscription, which costs a hefty $13.99 a month. A Premium plan…

Max Buondonno/ZDNET ZDNET’s key takeaways The Nomad Tracking Card uses Apple’s Find My network to help you keep tabs on where your wallet is. It’s priced at $39 and is finally back in stock. It’s a sleek tracker that’s only the width of two credit cards, and the battery lasts for five months. However, be aware that it requires a wireless charger.  If you’re like me, and you still carry around a physical wallet with…

Kerry Wan/ZDNET The Oura RIng 4 may have been ZDNET’s 2024 product of the year, but the market is full of other great fitness and wellness wearables that are perfect investments for those looking for better ways to track their health in 2025. With plenty of options, including smartwatches for Apple and Android users and handy smart rings, you’re sure to find a suitable choice for your lifestyle — but this top tech isn’t cheap. …

Apple Apple just announced upgrades and a release date for the MacBook Air with the M4 processor, including a new Sky Blue colorway and a very attractive $999 starting price for the 13-inch model. Lowering starting price The lower starting price positions the new MacBook Air with Apple’s latest processor technology as a competitive option for the deluge of ultraportable laptops that have been released over the past year, like Asus’ Zenbook A14 and Lenovo’s ThinkPad…

David Gewirtz/ZDNET It’s never a good sign when I start writing an article about a new product announcement and my biggest concern is whether I’ll be able to complete the article with my credit card intact. My daily driver is a well-equipped Mac Studio, but it’s getting a few years old now, and I’ve noticed it running out of steam for some of my complex 3D models and occasionally when doing video production. Also: The new…

imaginima/Getty Images Some of the flashiest achievements in artificial intelligence in the past decade have come from a technique by which the computer acts randomly from a set of choices and is rewarded or punished for each correct or wrong move. It’s the technique most famously employed in AlphaZero, Google DeepMind’s 2016 program that achieved mastery at the games of chess, shogi, and Go in 2018. The same approach helped the AlphaStar program achieve “grandmaster”…

Apple/ZDNET In March 1975, The Eagles’ Best of My Love, was the number one song, the top box office movie was The Godfather Part II, and All in the Family was the most popular TV show. However, I was most excited about the MITS Altair 8800 microcomputer, arguably the first PC. I wasn’t alone. At Gordon French’s garage in Menlo Park, California on March 5, 1975, a small group of electronic enthusiasts gathered to look…

Jason Hiner/ZDNET Apple just announced two new iPad models, an iPad Air with an M3 processor and a new 11th-generation iPad to revamp its base models. With the new iPad Air being the most advanced we’ve seen, you may be wondering how it compares to Apple’s flagship tablet, the iPad Pro.  The iPad Pro comes in 11- and 13-inch sizes come with Tandem OLED displays that get surprisingly bright with better contrast for visual applications. They…