Latest news with #StephenShankland
CNET
11-08-2025
- CNET
Still on the Fence About Getting a Password Manager? Here's Why You Need One and How to Set One Up
Staying secure online and protecting your personal information is sometimes easier said than done. One of the ways you can help to protect your information and accounts is by creating a strong, unique password for each of your online accounts. Ideally, this means at least eight characters, with a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols. While it might be easier to remember a single password, each time you reuse that password, you're making it easier for hackers to access your information. After all, if they figure out your password, and it's being reused, they can theoretically access all of your accounts that share the same login credentials. Research by cybersecurity firm Hive Systems has suggested that a weak password can be cracked instantly by a hacker, making it more important than ever that you have secure and unique passwords for each account. All of that is well and good, but trying to keep track of dozens of passwords can easily lead to forgetting important login information at inopportune times. Password managers are vital tools that are built to help you not only remember passwords but also protect your information and even help to create new random passwords to keep you safe. Even so, four out of five American adults don't use a password manager, according to a study from Additionally, a recent CNET survey revealed that 49% of US adults have risky password habits. Here's why you need a password manager and how to set one up. What is a password manager, and why do I need one? A password manager is an online service that stores your passwords as well as other data like credit card numbers, bank account information and identification documents in a secure, encrypted environment. It takes one of the biggest potential vulnerabilities -- weak or recycled passwords -- and does the hard work for you. Bad password habits are dangerous for your digital security. Using weak passwords makes your accounts easy to crack, and reusing passwords leaves you open to credential stuffing attacks that can compromise accounts that share the same password. But with a password manager, you only have to remember one single master password, and the password manager takes care of the rest -- allowing you to create strong, unique passwords for each of your online accounts. If you're not sure how to create a strong password, or if you don't want to come up with one on your own, your password manager can create one for you. Many password managers also include a feature that analyzes your current passwords and lets you know which ones are weak or reused and need to be changed. Sorry, but Password123 (or any variation of that) isn't a safe password. Stephen Shankland/CNET You can also securely share passwords and sensitive documents with family and friends if you need to. And if you're shopping online, you can easily fill in your credit card information to make purchases without needing to have your physical credit card on hand. Your password manager can also help you fight against phishing scams. Even if a phishing attempt tricks you into clicking on a malicious link, it won't trick the password manager. Your password manager will detect that the URL is different than the site you usually log into -- regardless of how similar it may look to the naked eye. If you're worried about storing all sorts of sensitive information in one place, you don't need to be. The top password managers use a zero-knowledge approach to securing your passwords and other information you store with them -- meaning that even the password manager itself can't access your passwords or other data, because everything is encrypted before it leaves your device. And if your password manager can't access your data, then neither can anyone else. How to set up a password manager The first thing you'll need to do is choose a password manager and set up an account (CNET's list of top password managers is a great place to start). Some password managers have a free tier that usually includes all the basic features you'd need, but you can expect to pay anywhere from $35 to $60 per year for a premium plan that includes things like access across multiple devices, expanded file storage and family sharing. As you set up your account, you'll be asked to create a master password. This is the one password that you have to remember -- make sure it's something you can recall, yet complex enough to make it difficult for others to guess. Also, make sure your master password isn't one of your existing passwords you're already using on other sites. Some password managers, like 1Password, offer a printable "emergency kit" that includes information like your username and digital key and where you can write down your master password. Yes, you can write down your password, just make sure to keep the piece of paper locked in a secure location. We really can't stress this part enough: Don't forget or lose your master password or your emergency kit because, as a security precaution, password managers don't typically offer a way to recover it. If you're locked out, there's no way back in. 1Password made CNET's list of top password managers. 1Password Once you're all set up with your account and master password, you can download the software to your devices. Typically, you'll be prompted to download the app that corresponds to the operating system you're using when you set up your account (iOS, Android, Windows or MacOS). You can also find download links on your password manager's website for any other devices you may want to use your password manager on. If your password manager offers a browser extension, go ahead and install it -- it will make autofilling your passwords on sites much easier. After that, you'll need to add your passwords to the password manager. Most password managers offer easy ways to import your passwords from various locations, whether that's your browser, a spreadsheet or another password manager. You can also input your passwords manually. Once you've got your passwords loaded into your password manager, you're good to go. As long as you're logged into your password manager, it will offer to fill in your login information as you visit the sites and services you use online. It will also offer to save new, secure login credentials on new accounts you create -- ultimately saving you from putting your online security in peril.
CNET
29-06-2025
- CNET
My Favorite Tips for Decluttering Your Phone and Dealing With All Those Smart Home Apps
Smart home devices like video doorbells and smart locks are awesome upgrades, but the more you add to your house or rental, the more apps you have to juggle. That's annoying -- and the clutter those apps bring could even keep you from using handy device features. I've tested smart home tech for years, and my devices are overflowing with home apps. Here are the tricks I've found to declutter, consolidate into single app platforms, and avoid having to jump back and forth between apps to get things done. I highly suggest that as your smart home grows, you adopt these techniques for your own phone. Read more: Password Check: Make Sure Your Smart Home Stays Safe Convert to Matter-supporting devices Matter is the best bet for smart home convergence, but it's a slow creep. Illustration by Stephen Shankland/CNET Matter is the universal smart home standard that major companies including Google, Amazon and Apple created so that all home devices could be controlled on the platform of your choice, like Apple Home or Google Home. There's a small problem: It's been very slow to roll out, and many key devices still aren't supported. However, Matter remains one of the best options to consolidate your apps into a single option. Whenever you buy any new smart home tech, always look for Matter support and Matter's triforce-like logo. You'll find it most often on smart locks and basic home appliances, although it's slowly coming for home cameras and similar devices. Use a third-party automation app Third-party platforms like Home Assistant are complex, but allowing you to combine smart home controls in one place. Home Assistant While Matter may be the "official" solution to too many smart home apps, other attempts at combining home automations in one place exist -- and some are good. Our favorites are the Home Assistant app and IFTTT (If This, Then That), and if you don't mind buying an expensive ($400) smart home hub the Homey app is also a strong option, as is a system like Hubitat. If your existing devices support third-party apps like these, you can combine your home routines and device controls without jumping through multiple apps to get things done. It can take a little tinkering (even some basic coding work) to get everything working, but it's a great option for those who don't mind diving into the details -- and have a certain amount of patience. Buy for a single platform The Echo Spot (2nd-Generation) in blue. David Carnoy/CNET Even though Matter has its limitations, you can still look for smart home devices that support your preferred app, regardless of Matter. For example, Matter hasn't quite made it to home security cameras yet, but if you look at our best 4K home security cameras list, you'll see we include info about app and voice assistant support. That means you can pick up devices that are guaranteed to work with Amazon Alexa and the Alexa app, or Google Assistant and the Google Home app, and control everything from there instead of jumping back and forth between individual brand apps. Buy from a single brand A Ring video doorbell. Ring When building your smart home system, you can make apps very user friendly by sticking with a single brand -- and therefore, a single app to control everything. Take the brand Ring for example: Ring offers video doorbells, smart lighting, security cameras, alarms, DIY security systems and support for a number of thermostats and switches. Stay within the Ring ecosystem and you can control all your devices on a single app. Since Ring is an Amazon company, they'll also all work with the Alexa app if you prefer. This isn't just a Ring bonus, either: Many home security companies offer similar ecosystems, from Google Nest and Arlo to SimpliSafe and Eufy. If you find a brand you really like, it's a good idea to stick with it. Use a password manager 1Password app showing login options on tablet and phone. 1Password Even if you need to juggle multiple apps to control your smart home, there are still tricks to make that management easier. A password manager is especially useful. It enables instant logins and saved passwords for any app, and works with phone features like Face ID and fingerprints so you don't have to worry about remembering or typing anything. If you do end up with multiple apps, it's an easy way to make them easier and safer. Now that you're ready to cut down on apps, review our home security overview guide for more tips, check out how to cut down on annoying app alerts and see the best home security cameras without subscriptions.
CNET
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CNET
How To Fix the Most Common AI Image Errors and Hallucinations
One of the best parts of my job is laughing at the truly terrible, deeply flawed, occasionally frightening AI images that pop out while I review different AI image generators. I spend a lot of time playing around with AI in ChatGPT, Midjourney and Adobe, and I've learned that no AI generator is perfect. But there are some common patterns, things that many AIs struggle with. Every image generator is unique, but I've spent enough time with them to recognize some patterns. There are certain things AIs are prone to mess up -- fingers on hands, overlapping elements, extremely fine details, etcetera. Some AI image programs give you tools to edit these mistakes, which is great. But when you can't, these are my tried-and-true tips for tweaking your prompts and settings to fix your images. These are the biggest problems I found and how to fix them. For more, check out the best AI image generators and our guide to effective AI image prompt writing. Human faces and expressions Katelyn Chedraoui via Canva Magic Media AI/CNET Accurate facial expressions continually challenge AI generators. Quirky eyes, teeth and eyebrows are some of the strongest indicators that an image is AI-generated. In this case, the result was extremely funny to me, if also completely unusable. The girls are sporting some Halloween-like vampire teeth, and the dude in the back is having more than a bad hair day. Stephen Shankland via Dall-E 3/CNET Even with cartoon or non-realistic characters, generators struggle to moderate emotion and expressions. This image -- created by our best pick, Dall-E 3 -- over-amplified the prompt, and the end result was too dramatic. I'm a self-identified neat freak, but I can't imagine anyone getting this upset over what looks like hundreds of dollars of cleaning supplies. Even the best programs can fail and produce wonky results. How to fix it: I recommend asking the service to cut down on the number of people it's trying to render -- cut down on the number of chances for error -- and using post-generation editing tools to select specific parts of the image that need regenerated or fixed. Picking a more mild adjective ("angry" rather than "enraged") might help guide the service down the right path. Iconic characters, trademarks and recognizable logos Katelyn Chedraoui via Canva Magic Media AI/CNET For many reasons, AI image generators can rarely produce accurate logos, known trademarks or otherwise recognizable characters. This is usually because there are significant legal concerns about a company allowing its brand materials or intellectual property to be used for AI services. It also could be because the logo or brand you want to include isn't in the generator's training data, so the generator won't understand your request. Two recent exceptions to this are new image generation features on the Google Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 XL, thanks to Gemini AI, which our mobile experts used to create images featuring accurate-looking Mickey Mouse and Pikachu renditions. The other exception is some paying X (formerly Twitter) users reporting that they can use the social media site's Grok chatbot to make realistic-looking Mickeys and human political figures. These images still aren't perfect renderings, but they're pretty close. How to fix it: You can't, but on the plus side, you're a lot more likely to avoid lawsuits for copyright infringement. If you run into this issue, I recommend rethinking your design concept to see if you can get the same point across without using a specific company name or logo. Do you really need the TikTok logo, or do you just need a phone with a vertical video playing, for example. Overlapping, complex elements Katelyn Chedraoui via Leonardo AI/CNET Occasionally, you'll stump a generator if you have too many overlapping or complex elements within an image. The best AI image programs aren't going to run into this issue very often, but even the best programs fail at some point. With this Leonardo image, the library of my dreams is ruined by the rolling ladder that disappears halfway up. Katelyn Chedraoui via Canva Magic Media AI/CNET Similarly, this photorealistic image of a kitchen looks alright from a cursory look, but a second glance or quick zoom-in shows nonsensical characters printed on the cookbook, and the book itself seems to have two spines and three sections. Images like this show how frustrating it can be to create AI images -- even when you think you've got a winner, small flaws make them unusable. How to fix it: Try simplifying your prompt or using post-generation editing tools to single out the problem and fix it. Sometimes changing the aesthetic can help as well; these issues usually pop up when you're trying to make photorealistic or stock images. If your service offers a specific area editing tool, try using that to select the questionable area and ask the generator to remove what's in it. Over-editing and hallucinations Katelyn Chedraoui via Midjourney AI/CNET The sign of a great AI image generator is its ability to produce an image with few errors or hallucinations while giving you the right tools to fix those issues when they inevitably pop up, but not every service does. In this example from Midjourney, I went through several rounds of edits on this image of a soccer team celebrating a victory, and I have no idea what happened to get to this final result -- or any clue what's going on with the blob that's presumably a player in the right-hand side of the picture. Frankly, I don't think Midjourney knew either. How to fix it: With editing AI images, sometimes less is more. Don't be afraid to scrap your current batch of images and start over. You can often preemptively fix big issues by refining your prompt so you only have to worry about fixing minor issues later. AI generators still need human work Katelyn Chedraoui via Leonardo AI/CNET I have no doubt that the companies behind these AI generators are working to eliminate these issues and level up their models. For now, imperfect images show us once again that while this tech is improving, it's not flawless. My hope is that because so many of these services face similar challenges, they will all be chasing solutions for these issues. As a final note, I'll remind you that it's a best practice to credit or acknowledge that an image is AI-generated when you share it. As AI images get better and more realistic-looking, it's more important than ever to distinguish AI-generated art from other kinds of media. For more, check out our advice for writing the best AI image prompt and our best picks for AI image generators.
