Jack Wallen

1 day ago | zdnet.com | Jack Wallen

Kerry Wan/ZDNETAndroid 16 is coming, and with it, we'll see a considerable refresh on the UI front. It's been four years since Material You was first released, and the latest iteration (version 3) looks to include some features and improvements that many have been hoping for. Also: Your Android devices are getting a major Gemini upgrade - cars and watches includedFrom animations to notifications, everything in the Android UI looks like it will see serious improvement.

1 day ago | zdnet.com | Jack Wallen

ZDNET's key takeaways SDesk is available now, free of charge, and you can install it on as many computers as you need. It's a fast and dependable Linux distribution with a user interface that anyone will be instantly familiar with. I experienced some minor issues during my setup, which were simple to resolve. I wouldn't normally suggest an Arch-based Linux distribution for new users, but every so often, I come across one that challenges my perceptions.

1 day ago | zdnet.com | Jack Wallen

Kerry Wan/ZDNETOne reason why the Pixel phones are so popular is the camera. There's a depth, a level of clarity, and brilliant/accurate colors that most phone cameras cannot match. Also: I changed 10 settings on my Pixel phone to instantly improve the software experienceGoogle is always trying to one-up itself by improving the Pixel camera with every iteration. Back with the Pixel 8, Google introduced the P3 wide gamut capture feature that came along with the Ultra HDR format of Android 14.

1 day ago | zdnet.com | Jack Wallen

The JBL Clip 5 speaker produces a lot of sound for such a small device. Nina Raemont/ZDNETOn Amazon, the JBL Clip 5 received a $30 discount, going from $80 to $50. This deal applies to every color option, from the simple Black to the more elaborate Squad green. ZDNET's key takeawaysThe JBL Clip 5 is available for $79 on Amazon. This small speaker packs a serious punch and can easily last up to 12 hours on a full charge. Its audio can be a bit compressed, and the lows aren't very deep.

1 day ago | zdnet.com | Jack Wallen

Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNETAndroid 16 is coming, and with it, we'll see a considerable refresh on the UI front. It's been four years since Material You was first released, and the latest iteration (version 3) looks to include some features and improvements that many have been hoping for. Also: 6 rumored Android 16 features that are making this loyal Pixel user ecstaticFrom animations to notifications, everything in the Android UI looks like it will see serious improvement.