Latest news with #ZDNET
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
This 2-in-1 Laptop Is a Dream for Creatives and Prime Day Has It Slashed by Up to $450
For creative professionals, a versatile laptop that supports the right software and technology is essential. But not all laptops are created equal, nor do they rise to the occasion. The great news is that with Prime Day dropping prices left and right, tons of laptops are on sale. Among them is one that Cesar Cadenas, a writer for our sibling site ZDNET, called "ultraportable" and " a dream for creative professionals" in his review. The 16-inch LG Gram Pro 2-in-1 16GB/1TB is currently just $1,697 on Amazon right now. With an original list price of $2,100, that's $403 off. And if you want the 32GB/2TB version, it's currently $2,100, which is $450 off. 16-inch LG Gram Pro 2-in-1 laptop 16GB: $1,697 (Original price: $2,100) See at Amazon Designed to be used as either a tablet or laptop, it weighs in at just over 3 pounds and, when closed, is only about half an inch thick. That makes this an excellent laptop for travel, commute, remote work and in-person meetings and presentations. It also has a flexible hinge that allows you to configure it depending on how you want to use it. Essentially, the hinge takes the generous 16-inch display back so it can be used like a tablet, or it can be propped up. The laptop has an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor and hybrid AI solutions. Though both models come with quite a bit of storage, you also get an excellent experience with cloud-based software, including advanced AI performance. The battery boasts up to 19 hours on a single charge, giving iPads and MacBook Airs a run for their money. A stylus is also included with your purchase. Cardenas writes, "It doesn't require Bluetooth. All you have to do is attach it to the hidden magnet on the right side, give it a few seconds, and the pen will connect to the LG Gram." That's also how you charge the stylus. Unless you're dead set on an M4 MacBook Pro, the LG Gram Pro makes a great, lightweight and incredibly versatile laptop solution. It has big storage capability and a generously sized screen, and it's pretty much brand new this year. Finding a laptop like this discounted is rare, and whether you opt to save $400 or $450, you're getting a great deal.
Mint
4 days ago
- Mint
Gemini AI app now gets access to third-party app data on Android- How to disable?
Google has reportedly rolled out a new update that lets the Gemini AI app on Android devices access data from third-party apps installed on the phone. This may come as a major privacy concern to Android users. However, users can disable the Gemini AI activity from accessing data from other apps on the devices. This update has been rolled out from July 7 as per the ZDNET report, and many users may also have received an email regarding the major change. Therefore, if you want to maintain privacy, here's how you can disable Gemini AI from accessing data from other apps on Android phones. Android users can easily disable Gemini Apps Activity and the app's Gemini extension; however, it should be noted that the app will store activity for 72 hours. However, if the activity is not disabled, the app will store the activity for about 18 months. Follow the steps below to disable Gemini Apps Activity: Step 1: Go to the Gemini app on your Android phone. Step 2: Now, click on your profile icon in the top-right corner, and select Gemini Apps Activity from the drop-down menu. Step 3: Just alongside Gemini Apps Activity, you'll find a drop-down menu from which you can turn off the feature. Step 4: Now, head back to the profile's menu and click on 'Apps'. Step 5: Within the Apps tab, you'll see several third-party apps and a toggle switch. Make sure the toggle is disabled to make sure Gemini do not access data from the listed apps. Doing so will enable users to maintain privacy, and an AI tool to access personal data from other apps installed on their Android device. As far as iOS users are concerned, we checked the Gemini app, and users can follow similar steps to disable the Gemini App's Activity. However, for third-party app support, we did not find any third-party app list on the 'Apps' tab of the Gemini AI app. Additionally, users also have options to disable Gemini and switch to using Google Assistant on Android.
CNET
07-07-2025
- Business
- CNET
This 2-in-1 Laptop Is a Dream for Creatives and Prime Day Has It Slashed By Up to $450
For creative professionals, a versatile laptop that supports the right software and technology is essential. But not all laptops are created equal, nor do they rise to the occasion. The great news is that with Prime Day dropping prices left and right, tons of laptops are on sale. Among them is one that Cesar Cadenas, a writer for our sibling site ZDNET, called "ultraportable" and " a dream for creative professionals" in his review. The 16-inch LG Gram Pro 2-in-1 16GB/1TB is currently just $1,697 on Amazon right now. With an original list price of $2,100, that's $403 off. And if you want the 32GB/2TB version, it's currently $2,100, which is $450 off. Designed to be used as either a tablet or laptop, it weighs in at just over 3 pounds and, when closed, is only about half an inch thick. That makes this an excellent laptop for travel, commute, remote work and in-person meetings and presentations. It also has a flexible hinge that allows you to configure it depending on how you wish to use it. Essentially the hinge takes the generous 16-inch display back so it can be used like a tablet, or it can be propped up. The laptop has an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor and hybrid AI solutions. Though both models come with quite a bit of storage, you also get an excellent experience with cloud-based software including advanced AI performance. And the battery boasts up to 19 hours on a single charge, giving iPads and MacBook Airs a run for their money. A stylus is also included with your purchase. Cardenas writes, "It doesn't require Bluetooth. All you have to do is attach it to the hidden magnet on the right side, give it a few seconds, and the pen will connect to the LG Gram." Plus this is how you charge the stylus. Best Prime Day Laptops Deals It's never too early to start shopping for an upgrade to your laptop, and our favorite Prime Day laptop deals are guaranteed to save you time and money. Check out the best savings here. See Now Why this deal matters Unless you're dead set on an M4 MacBook Pro, the LG Gram Pro makes a great, lightweight and incredibly versatile laptop solution. It has big storage capability and a generously sized screen, and it's pretty much brand new this year. Finding a laptop like this already discounted is rare. Whether you opt to save $400 or $450, you're getting a great deal.
CNET
03-07-2025
- CNET
If Apple Intelligence Is Getting in Your Way, Here's How to Turn It Off Right Now
Following this year's Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple is full-speed ahead on iOS 26 and especially the new Liquid Glass user experience that will be shared on all of its devices. Curiously missing, though, are significant updates to Apple Intelligence, which fell short of the company's expectations this year. I won't go so far as to say Apple Intelligence is useless -- in fact, I've found several features I'm using every day. But some people understandably want nothing to do with AI. A new ZDNET/Aberdeen survey reveals that the majority of US adults say they will not use most AI features, and just 8% would consider paying extra for them. Some AI features are more welcome than others, with 58% of respondents saying using AI for photo editing would be valuable. The good news is that it's easy to turn it off entirely or selectively switch off individual features. See also: Did a well-meaning friend send you a message about Apple Intelligence possibly reading your private information? I explain what's actually going on. Why turn off Apple Intelligence in the first place? Since the first Apple Intelligence features rolled out in iOS 18.1, some people have opted out of the new technology. Tools such as Image Playground, Genmoji and message summaries can use up to 7GB of your device's internal storage -- a sizable chunk, especially if you tend to run against the upper limit of its free space. Even if storage is not an issue, you just may not be interested in Apple's set of AI features. According to a new survey by SellCell, 73% of Apple users think AI adds little to no value to the experience. In a separate survey, CNET found that 25% of smartphone owners aren't interested at all. Or, honestly, you may not want to deal with features that are creating inaccurate summaries or that can be replicated without Apple Intelligence. The trainer killed someone? Screenshot by Nelson Aguilar/CNET (Earlier iOS 18 updates re-enabled Apple Intelligence automatically even if you had turned it off, but as of iOS 18.4, the setting is honored.) The good news is that it's easy to turn off Apple Intelligence entirely. Or if you'd prefer to pick and choose, you can selectively disable some of the features. Doing so also lets you reclaim the storage it's using. Is Apple Intelligence really ready to be on by default? I'm not an AI crank -- I appreciate features such as notification summaries and the Clean Up tool in the Photos app. And yet, Apple Intelligence is also a work in progress, an evolving set of features that Apple is heavily hyping while gradually developing. I wouldn't hold it against you if you wanted to not be distracted or feel like you're doing Apple's testing for them (that's what the developer and public betas are for). Remember that Apple Intelligence works only on the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 16, iPhone 16E, iPhone 16 Pro or M-series Macs and iPads, plus the newest iPad mini. Here's what you need to know about disabling it. Watch this: Does Apple Think We're Stupid? Apple Intelligence Ads Say Yes 06:15 How to see the amount of storage Apple Intelligence is using If you're concerned about the storage requirements of Apple Intelligence, you can find out how much the system is using by going to Settings > General > iPhone (or iPad) Storage > iOS (or iPadOS). See how much space Apple Intelligence is using in Settings. Screenshots by Jeff Carlson/CNET Note that even after turning off Apple Intelligence, that storage still shows up in the iOS Storage list. However, I was able to confirm that if the phone's storage fills up and the system needs that now-inactive space, iOS reclaims what it needs. Once I filled my iPhone's storage, the inactive Apple Intelligence data was purged to accommodate the added files, dropping from 5.89GB to 2.87GB. Screenshots by Jeff Carlson/CNET How to turn off Apple Intelligence entirely (iPhone, iPad and Mac) Open Settings (iPhone or iPad) or System Settings (Mac) and choose Apple Intelligence & Siri. Then turn off the Apple Intelligence option. Confirm your choice in the dialog that appears by tapping Turn Off Apple Intelligence. Turn off Apple Intelligence entirely with one switch. Screenshots by Jeff Carlson/CNET Here's what you lose: (Curiously, the Clean Up tool in Photos sticks around even when Apple Intelligence is turned off, perhaps because the first time you use it the app downloads resources for it and holds onto them.) How to turn off individual Apple Intelligence features Maybe you're finding some Apple Intelligence features helpful while others are annoying (or just highly amusing). You can turn off specific features in the settings for apps to which they apply. For example, to disable text summaries in Messages notifications, go to Settings > Apps > Messages and switch off the Summarize Messages option. Turn off Messages summaries while still using other Apple Intelligence features. Screenshot by Jeff Carlson/CNET Some features are not as app-specific. Writing Tools, which use Apple Intelligence to proof or rewrite text, appear as an option when you select text, regardless of the app. To turn that off, you need to disable Apple Intelligence system-wide. Also note that nearly every app includes an Apple Intelligence & Siri option in Settings, with a Learn from this App option (turned on by default). That applies just to whether Apple Intelligence and Siri can monitor how you use it to make suggestions; it doesn't affect any particular Apple Intelligence features. How to turn off Apple Intelligence features in Screen Time settings Another option for restricting what Apple Intelligence can do is buried in the Screen Time settings. Screen Time is designed to control which apps and features can run on another device, such as the iPhone used by a child in your household. But it's also helpful for tracking how much time you're spending on the device and, in this case, turning off some components of Apple Intelligence. Open the Settings app and go to Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions. Turn on the Content & Privacy Restrictions option if it's not already enabled. If this is the first time you're flipping this switch, don't worry -- everything is allowed by default. Tap Intelligence & Siri. Tap on the following three features and decide whether to allow or don't allow their use: Image Creation (such as Image Playground and Genmoji), Writing Tools and the ChatGPT Extension (which uses ChatGPT to process requests that are beyond the built-in Apple Intelligence capabilities). Turn off selected Apple Intelligence features in the Screen Time settings. Screenshots by Jeff Carlson/CNET For more on iOS 18.4, see how the Mail app sorts messages into categories and if you haven't upgraded already, make a good backup first.
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Windows seemingly lost 400 million users in the past three years — official Microsoft statements show hints of a shrinking user base
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Microsoft EVP Yusuf Mehdi said in a blog post last week that Windows powers over a billion active devices globally. This might sound like a healthy number, but according to ZDNET, the Microsoft annual report for 2022 said that more than 1.4 billion devices were running Windows 10 or 11. Given that these documents contain material information and have allegedly been pored over by the tech giant's lawyers, we can safely assume that Windows' user base has been quietly shrinking in the past three years, shedding around 400 million users. This is probably why Microsoft has been aggressively pushing users to upgrade to Windows 11 after the previous version of the OS loses support — so that its users would install the latest version of Windows on their current system (or get a new PC if their system is incapable of running the latest version). Although macOS is a threat to Windows, especially with the launch of Apple Silicon, we cannot say that those 400 million users all went and bought a MacBook. That's because, as far back as 2023, Mac sales have also been dropping, with Statista reporting the computer line, once holding more than 85% of the company revenue, now making up just 7.7%. Instead, people are slowly ditching their computers for smartphones and tablets, especially as they've become more powerful than ever. The only remaining major consumer markets for Windows PCs are gamers and specialized professionals who rely on software that only runs on Windows, ZDNET observed back in 2019. While the pandemic caused a three-year blip in PC sales, it seems that this trend has continued. The looming Windows 10 end-of-support date will likely cause a jump in corporate sales, especially as companies rely on current software to help secure their systems. However, this is not a sure thing with consumers. After all, their Windows 10 PC will still work perfectly well, even if they're not getting updates — they might be a bit more vulnerable to threats, but it seems that the average person does not care about that. Those who are getting a replacement also have attractive alternatives: if you have a budget of around $800 to $1,000, the Apple Silicon MacBook Air is a tempting offer, especially with its amazing battery life. On the other hand, if money is a bit tight, but you still want something decent and new, there are a ton of Chromebook options out there. And with many schools using this system, students — who will eventually become adults and buy their own computers — are so used to them that they might just choose Google over Microsoft when they need a computer. Alternative operating systems weren't a major threat in the past, as the ubiquity of the Microsoft Office suite, various software that is only available for Windows, and the cheaper price of PCs over Macs meant that they were the best options for those who simply needed a computer for basic tasks. But with the prevalence of Google Docs (which is free, by the way) and web-based apps, it seems that many no longer find a reason to choose Microsoft. Follow Tom's Hardware on Google News to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
