Perforce Software launches Perforce Intelligence, an AI-driven tool to boost DevOps efficiency, security and testing, promising 50% time savings and 20% more coverage. Read...

CENTREL Solutions launches XIA Configuration Express, a plug-and-play tool simplifying IT documentation with quick install and automated branding features. Read...

The competition features 102 crews and offers $22,000 in prize money. Read...

The Dinosaur Discovery Track features 25 animatronic dinosaurs. Read...

For years, the URL bar in your browser has done double duty: you can enter a web address, sure, but you can also use it to enter search requests. Now Norton has a new “free” browser, Neo, which adds a third function: AI prompting. Norton—most famous for its antimalware solutions like Norton 360 Deluxe—is entering the browser market with Norton Neo, an AI-first browser that you can sign up for and join the waitlist. Norton already ships a browser, the Norton Private Browser, which is similar but lacks AI. Neo replaces the search/URL bar with what it calls the “magic box,” where you can “search, generate, and take action,” according to Norton. It’s not immediately clear whose AI solution you’ll be able to use or whether it will run in the cloud or locally on your PC. When you do search, however, Norton promises that you’ll be able to “peek” at a search result to get an AI-powered summary—and yes, it appears to be a list of links, rather than Norton’s own take on Google’s AI Mode. The Magic Bar will also enable you to perform AI-powered writing tasks, such as drafting an email, directly from it. There’s another tweak that Norton is making, although I can’t tell how it’s going to work out: tables browsing. “No more tab chaos—Neo organizes everything, so you don’t have to,” Norton promises. Rather than remove tabs entirely from the AI, Neo will just use AI to auto-group them, according to a related FAQ. Opera One’s Tabs Islands already does this, as does Microsoft Edge, using the “Tab groups” feature. And yes, there’s an integrated ad blocker, which more and more browsers are integrating natively. Norton says that it will not sell your browsing data, leaving room to use “minimal, anonymized data” itself; it also will block “intrusive ads” and trackers by default. Norton does explicitly say that it will not use your data to train AI. Norton doesn’t explicitly say that it’s built on Chromium, the open-source underpinnings of Chrome and Edge, though you can use Chrome plugins, Norton says. Most browsers are free, though Norton waffles a bit in this regard as well. “Yes, Neo is free to download and use with an invitation code for Alpha testing,” Norton says. “We may introduce optional premium features later, but the core experience will always remain accessible.” Although most users still use either Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge, there’s a small collection of third-party browsers, including Brave, Opera, Vivaldi, and more, that promise to do more than the mainstream browsers do. Soon, you can add Neo to the list. Read...

Te Rapa has the full range of racing options from juveniles to jumps racing on Saturday. Read...

Sonos is one of the better audio brands out there, but we rarely see significant deals on their products. That’s why today is a special day. Right now, the Sonos Roam 2 portable Bluetooth speaker just got its largest discount to date, bringing it down to $134 (25% off). This kind of discount is notable for just about any Bluetooth speaker, but particularly noteworthy for Sonos speakers. The Roam 2 is gorgeous with its sleek design and elegant build, while being compact and lightweight so it can join you outdoors with ease. It’s perfect whether you’re spending a day by the pool, at the beach, or in your backyard. It’s not just durable, but also comes with an IP67 waterproof and dustproof rating so it can survive your adventures in inclement weather. When we reviewed the original Sonos Roam, we gave it a 4.5-star rating and loved how small and lightweight it was along with the awesome features it brought to the table. The fact that it worked with Alexa was the cherry on top, allowing it to be used as a smart speaker. The newer Roam 2 has the same audio quality but better design and battery life, with a single charge able to keep the party going for up to 10 hours—a decent amount of time considering the speaker’s tiny size. With this being the best price we’ve ever seen for the Sonos Roam 2, there’s never been a better time to get one. Snag it now on Amazon for just $134 to level up your parties and adventures! Or check out some of our other favorite smart speakers for smart homes. The Sonos Roam 2 has never had a discount like this beforeBuy now at Amazon Read...

Signal has become a go-to chat and communications platform for users who want the peace of mind of secure, end-to-end encryption. It’s recently gotten a lot of free publicity thanks to some questionable applications of its tech, but the company has never wavered in its dedication to privacy. Following that mantra, Signal is blocking functionality for the new Windows Recall. Windows Recall is one of the most visible and divisive features of Windows on enhanced “Copilot+” PCs, taking screenshots every few seconds and allowing the user to search through a history of their own activity. It’s certainly interesting tech, but it’s also a privacy nightmare, which is part of the reason Microsoft delayed its rollout for the better part of a year. Initially intrigued, PCWorld’s Mark Hachman now recommends that you turn Recall off as Microsoft rolls out the full version to millions of users. The developers of Signal appear to agree with Mark. The latest version of the Windows app will simply appear as a blank black window if you try to record its activity with Windows Recall. It’s similar to the implementation of DRM in streaming services — you might have tried to take a screenshot of a Netflix show, only to get a blank black screen. Signal is using built-in functionality in Windows and Recall, working as intended. Any developer can flip that DRM switch and keep Recall from recording its activity by default. “Apps like Signal have essentially no control over what content Recall is able to capture, and implementing ‘DRM’ that works for you (not against you) is the best choice that we had,” explains Signal developer Joshua Lund. This isn’t without complications. Accessibility tools, such as magnifiers or text-to-speech readers, rely on the same sort of automatic screenshot functionality to help visually impaired users. With this in mind, the Signal app has an option to turn the screen security feature off (Settings>Privacy>Screen security). Users will have to click a verification when turning the setting off, but disabling that should allow Windows Recall to record Signal just like any other Windows app. Lund didn’t pull any punches in the announcement post, with harsh words for Microsoft. In fact his criticisms are so good I’m just going to let him close out this article: “Take a screenshot every few seconds” legitimately sounds like a suggestion from a low-parameter LLM that was given a prompt like “How do I add an arbitrary AI feature to my operating system as quickly as possible in order to make investors happy?” — but more sophisticated threats are on the horizon…It’s ultimately up to companies like Microsoft to ensure that their platforms remain a suitable foundation for privacy-preserving applications like Signal. If that ever stops being the case, we’ll have to stop supporting those platforms.” Read...

Just a few years ago, getting a security camera to keep an eye on your kids or pets while you aren’t home would’ve been pretty expensive. These days, you can snag a solid one for just $30—like this Arlo camera that’s a massive 63% off. Need a security cam? Now’s your chance! This tiny little thing can be placed anywhere inside your home, as long as it’s close enough to an outlet for plugging in. Whether you’re placing it on a bookcase shelf, near your TV, or on a nightstand, the Arlo Essential camera can capture most of any room thanks to its large 130-degree field of view and high-def 2560×1440 resolution. Even during the night, this camera will capture great-quality video, making it ideal for keeping an eye on your sleeping baby or watching out for burglars. Since it works with Alexa, Google Home, Apple Home, and IFTTT, you can integrate the camera with your local smart home setup and do things like pull up the video feed on your smart screen. The Arlo Essential features motion detection and can send alerts when it senses something, plus two-way audio so you can chat remotely. Some of its other features are tied to the Arlo Security Plan, which you get to try out for free for one month with this purchase. Another cool thing is that you don’t have to worry about privacy as it features a physical shield that will block out the camera when you don’t need it. It’s hard to find indoor security cameras with 1440p resolutions and smart features at this price, so don’t miss this opportunity to grab an Arlo Essential 2K security cam for $30. If you don’t think this is the right one for you, check out our favorite budget security cameras. Get a 1440p indoor security camera for only $30Buy now at Amazon Read...

At a glance Pros Much simpler installation than previous iterations Still quite affordable Rock-solid operation across most features Cons Auto-unlock feature not yet fully functional in our testing Still a little bulbous You’ll need accessories to unlock the full benefit Our Verdict This retrofit lock fixes nearly all the problems we encountered with SwitchBot’s previous smart lock; what’s more, modest but important upgrades make it a serious contender in the space. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today You can count on SwitchBot to keep the pedal down on innovation. The latest category to get the version 2.0 treatment is its flagship retrofit smart lock. And in nearly every way, the SwitchBot Lock Ultra is an improvement over the original SwitchBot Lock Pro. (The even older SwitchBot Lock has been discontinued.) Specifications The SwitchBot Lock Ultra is a true retrofit lock that replaces only the interior portion of your deadbolt hardware. It feels surprisingly tough, crafted from magnesium aluminum alloy. Your existing exterior escutcheon (including the key mechanism) and deadbolt remain in place. This makes installation a pretty quick affair: You pop off the old interior escutcheon and drop a small, adjustable frame on the inside of the door, along with a simple adapter that aligns with the shape of your existing lock’s tailpiece and connect to the motor. (A selection of common tailpiece shapes is included.) The frame is attached to the exterior escutcheon, either with the existing screws you have or the replacements provided by SwitchBot (both will probably fit). From there, the SwitchBot Ultra’s interior escutcheon simply clips on to the frame. (As a retrofit product with no exterior escutcheon, it carries no ANSI or BHMA ratings, as those would not be meaningful.) The new battery offers a promised running time of 9 months, and a built-in emergency battery and a supercapacitor allow for emergency operations if your juice runs out. The big improvements of the Ultra over the older SwitchBot Lock Pro (the even older SwitchBot Lock having been discontinued) are visible from the start. Where attaching the Pro’s interior escutcheon to the mounting frame previously required screwing in four tiny hex-head bolts, the Ultra requires no screws at all. It just clips onto the mounting frame with two tabs, one on either side of the interior escutcheon. Setups like this aren’t usually easy to wrestle into place, but SwitchBot’s surprised me by clipping on easily the first time I attempted it: The entire lock really does install with just two screws. I said that a redesign was in order in my prior review of the Pro, and SwitchBot clearly listened. New battery design The SwitchBot Lock Ultra now comes with a rechargeable Li-ion battery that the manufacturer says should last for 9 months on a full charge.Christopher Null/Foundry The other big area where SwitchBot has made improvements is in the battery design. The Pro required four AA batteries, inserted lengthwise into the lock, making it comically bulky. The new lock uses a 4200mAh Lithium-ion battery, rechargeable via USB-C cable. The battery is much smaller than four AAs and, as a result, so is the lock, which now juts out from the door less than 3 inches, making it about half-an-inch thinner. Along with a more modern, curvier design, the lock simply looks more elegant because it’s smaller. Even the torque of the motor has been slightly improved over that of the Pro. As with the Pro, a magnetic sensor is also included with the lock that attaches to the frame of your door with a sticker. This tells the lock whether the door is ajar or not, which is useful for SwitchBot’s auto-lock system. The app has been upgraded and now indicates (with a tiny icon) whether the door is open, along with the lock status. Installation and setup As with almost all SwitchBot gear, the lock is Bluetooth-only out of the box, but if you pair it with any SwitchBot hub, it will work over Wi-Fi (and remotely). Setup took no time at all when I tested it with a SwitchBot Hub 2 (look for our review of the SwitchBot Hub 3 soon). The SwitchBot app on my phone discovered the lock immediately, without prompting, and bridged it to my hub and the Wi-Fi network in less than a minute. (Again, all non-Bluetooth connectivity, including Matter, is available only via the hub and not the lock itself.) In practice, the lock is easy to use. The large knob is easy to manually twist and clearly indicates via a small orange notch whether the lock is engaged or not. On-demand lock and unlock operations are readily available on the main screen of the app, and a bevy of extra features await the user in the settings menu. Install the door sensor and the SwitchBot app will inform you if the door is left open (it will also log door-ajar events).Christopher Null/Foundry Auto-locking can be configured to work only if the door is closed or regardless of open/closed status, and alarms can be set to chirp if the door is left open or unlocked (or both) for a user-configured length of time. There’s a curious dual lock feature that lets you control two SwitchBot locks simultaneously, though I only had one lock available for testing. A beta feature lets you change the speed of the lock rotation (which worked fine in my testing). A geofencing auto-unlock feature, on the other hand—also in beta—was haphazard in my testing over the course of a week. It would sometimes trigger on my arrival, but sometimes it didn’t. Apart from that, the app worked flawlessly, never losing its connection and accurately sending push notifications whenever the lock was opened. The new battery offers a promised running time of 9 months, and built-in emergency batteries and a supercapacitor allow for emergency operations if your juice runs out. Sure enough, I was able to operate the lock even when I removed the battery altogether; although I surely wouldn’t have been able to for long. (Alerts and alarms gently encourage you to charge the battery immediately.) An internal rechargeable battery SwitchBot Lock Ultra allowed for the retrofit lock’s much more streamlined industrial design. Christopher Null/Foundry The trouble with all retrofit smart locks is that there’s no “smart” way to access them from outside without your phone, which is why most vendors, including SwitchBot, include optional keypads to extend external access capabilities. New this year, joining the old Keypad Touch ($50, with PIN and fingerprint support) is the SwitchBot Keypad Vision ($100, or $250 as a bundle with the Lock Ultra), which adds NFC and facial recognition to your unlocking method options. Both give you a welcome and much-needed way to access your home via additional means beyond tapping on your phone. This review is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best smart locks. Should you buy the SwitchBot Lock Ultra? The SwitchBot Lock Ultra is still not the smallest or most attractive retrofit lock on the market—the Level Lock Bolt holds that distinction—but SwitchBot’s product is at least competitive. And with a $160 asking price, it represents a good value compared to many alternatives. (The SwitchBot Lock Pro, now $140, can be safely forgotten.) I still recommend complete smart lock kits over retrofit options for most consumers, but if you’re wed to the way the outside of your house looks—or if you’re a renter and your landlord won’t allow you to change the exterior lock—the SwitchBot Lock Ultra is worth a serious look. Read...