Author: Carter

Kyle Kucharski/ZDNETFollow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.Among all the laptops unveiled at Computex 2026, Acer’s Swift Air 14 stood out by adding some welcome flair and budget-friendliness to an onslaught of incredibly powerful—and incredibly pricey—high-end machines. With a starting price of $699, the Swift Air 14 is an affordably priced laptop with competitive specifications that doesn’t feel like a budget device at all.Also: Dell XPS 13 (2026) vs. MacBook Neo: I tested both budget laptops, here’s which one I’d pickExpected to launch later this summer, the Swift Air 14 is just one of several Windows PCs…

NVIDIA’s Nemotron Speech team has launched Nemotron 3.5 ASR, a 600-million-parameter streaming automatic speech recognition model. A single checkpoint enables real-time transcription across 40 language-locales, with built-in punctuation and capitalization. The model is available as open weights on Hugging Face under the OpenMDW-1.1 license. Its architecture is a Cache-Aware FastConformer-RNNT. What is Nemotron 3.5 ASR Nemotron 3.5 ASR builds upon nvidia/nemotron-speech-streaming-en-0.6b to support many languages. It incorporates prompt-based language-ID conditioning into the base model, allowing this one 600M-parameter checkpoint to handle 40 language-locales without needing separate language-specific models or model switching. The model is designed for two primary use cases:…

In brief Researcher Taylor Hornby, aided by Claude Opus 4.8, found a four-year-old vulnerability in Zcash’s Orchard shielded pool that could have allowed unlimited fake ZEC to be minted. Cybersecurity experts say cutting-edge AI models are getting better at uncovering cryptographic and logic flaws that once demanded deep, highly specialized knowledge. Specialists caution that tools rivaling today’s most powerful vulnerability-discovery systems could become broadly accessible within months. With help from Anthropic’s Claude Opus 4.8, a security researcher identified a serious vulnerability in Zcash’s Orchard shielded pool in just days—exposing a flaw that had gone unnoticed for four years despite scrutiny…

Elyse Betters Picaro/ZDNETFollow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.ZDNET’s key takeawaysA brand-new iPhone runs best after adjusting several settings.Some iOS features can be irritating or drain the battery quickly.Hidden iOS tools can enhance your iPhone experience.Setting up a new iPhone is always a mixed experience for me. It’s exciting to unwrap a shiny, scratch-free device and imagine getting everything just right. But the reality of setup can be a real headache. I have to recall which toggles to switch on or off, all before picking a wallpaper and arranging my home screens. It’s quite a process.Also: 12+ iPhone…

Kerry Wan/ZDNETFollow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.ZDNET’s key takeawaysThe top-performing security camera isn’t necessarily the one boasting the sharpest image or the most features.Factors like ideal positioning, data storage, and user-friendliness matter much more.Before you start browsing, consider these essential tips.Security cameras have evolved significantly, moving from costly, closed systems to affordable, do-it-yourself options. For a long time, wired setups were the standard, with battery-operated wireless versions seen as less dependable. Also: I stumbled upon a concealed smart lock as convenient as contactless paymentNowadays, a reliable wireless camera can satisfy most household requirements and is often…

AI Agents are the talk of the spot. We see them all over, also being utilized for the simplest of jobs on our phones. They are convenient, fast, and quite reliable, and assist us browse daily. If you desire a basic explanation of a scientific concept, you ask ChatGPT. You desire a guide for your picky toddler’s dish strategy, so you ask AI. Even the task of planning your complete traveling tour can be delegated to AI. And, this is exactly what we are going to do in this tutorial (keep tuned!). We know about AI Agents, but what if…

Andrei Grachev, a co-founder of DWF Labs, posted on X that Strategy (previously known as MicroStrategy) and BitMine might set off the biggest crash in crypto history. He asked investors to picture Bitcoin dropping to between $10,000 and $20,000. This alert comes at an especially shaky time for both firms. Bitcoin (BTC) Price Performance. Source: BeInCrypto The Liquidity Red Flag Is Blinking A crypto treasury crash occurs when large corporate holders must sell off significant holdings, driving prices lower in a cycle that feeds on itself. Grachev sees MicroStrategy and BitMine as potential catalysts for exactly that kind of event.…

Cybersecurity experts and the FBI are sounding the alarm about a rising tide of FIFA-related scams targeting fans of the 2026 World Cup, even before the tournament kicks off on June 11. Fresh reports reveal thousands of counterfeit FIFA websites, banking malware concealed within pirated streaming applications, and at least one scheme that replicates FIFA’s login portal so convincingly that it can hijack legitimate accounts. The World Cup makes for an easy mark. Over six million fans are anticipated across 16 cities spanning the United States, Canada, and Mexico. FIFA reported receiving upwards of 150 million ticket applications in just…

A new class-action lawsuit claims the Justice Department’s recent policy breaks the Rehabilitation Act. Michele Sandiford June 5, 2026 11:12 am < 1 min read Workers with disabilities at federal agencies are taking the Justice Department to court over rejected telework requests. The class-action suit argues the DOJ’s updated policy breaks the Rehabilitation Act. Two DOJ staff members who filed the case had long-standing telework approvals linked to their disabilities. Following new mandatory office attendance rules, those approvals were revoked. The Defense Department has introduced a new employment program designed to link service members, military spouses, and federal workers with…

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNETFollow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET’s key takeaways CarPlay simplifies the use of iPhone applications while driving.Stay focused on the road—not your phone.Most CarPlay apps are direct counterparts of their iPhone versions.I enjoy driving—fortunate, given that I live in a countryside area. Whether it’s commuting or heading to a remote trailhead to disconnect for a few days (my current hobby is section hiking Hadrian’s Wall), I spend significant hours behind the wheel. Over the last year, I’ve driven more than 25,000 miles. That’s plenty of time to identify the most effective apps that help…