Skip to main content

Happy 10th Birthday To The Weblog

If you’re a blogger, hopefully you ate a birthday cake yesterday to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the word “weblog.”   It was coined December 17, 1997 by Jorn Barger as a word that described his activities on his Robot Wisdom page – logging curious web sites on his online journal, which he updated regularly.   Of course, the word stuck, although it’s become shorted to simply “blog.” These days, according to some reports, there are over 70 million blogs posted regularly.   That’s a far cry from 1998, when some believed there were a total of 23 weblogs. A year after that, however, new tools made the sites much easier to work, and the shorter term blog started to become part of the lexicon, according to the BBC.   Technorati estimates 120,000 new blogs are created daily, with overall posts added at the stunning and scary rate of 17 per second.   So happy birthday to the blog – and how long before social networks turn ten?

Digital Trends Staff
Digital Trends has a simple mission: to help readers easily understand how tech affects the way they live. We are your…
The iRobot Roomba Combo 10 Max might be the best robot vacuum for carpet
The Roomba Combo 10 Max lifting its mop.

iRobot is gearing up to launch a new robot vacuum, with the Roomba Combo 10 Max arriving in August. The robot makes big upgrades to its docking station, as it can automatically refill, wash, and dry the mopping pad -- making this the first multifunctional dock from iRobot. Best of all, it keeps its predecessors' swinging mop arm design, making it ideal for homes with both carpet and hard floors.

While much of the competition has offered self-cleaning docks for years (including Ecovacs and Roborock), this is a first for Roomba. After a cleaning cycle, the robot vacuum will return to its dock to refill its water tank and recharge its battery. It'll also get its mopping pad washed with water and dried with circulated air, preventing the buildup of mold and odors. You'll even have the option to run a manual self-clean and receive notifications if a deeper clean (or maintenance) is required.

Read more
Echo Spot vs. Echo Dot (5th Gen): which is the better smart home companion?
The Echo Spot on a nightstand.

Amazon has officially revived the Echo Spot for 2024, with the device getting a new design and features to modernize the iconic smart alarm. It joins an ever-growing list of Amazon devices built around Alexa, the most notable of which is the popular Echo Dot (5th Gen). But what exactly is the difference between these two smart devices, and which is better for your home?

From pricing and design to sound quality and more, here's what you need to know about the Echo Spot and Echo Dot before making a purchase.
Pricing and design

Read more
This Arlo security camera bundle is on sale for 4th of July
Arlo Pro 4 Spotlight Camera

Security camera deals are offered by just about every smart security company, but you can also find some terrific bundles on hardware if you know where to look. Fortunately, our eyes are always peeled for multi-item packages, and we found this awesome Best Buy bundle on a few Arlo gadgets.

Billed as the Arlo Pro 5S 2K Security Bundle, this bundle includes three Arlo Pro 4 cameras with built-in spotlights, four rechargeable batteries, a dual battery charging station, anti-theft mounts, and Arlo signage for your front yard. And you get all of this for $350! As far as Best Buy 4th of July sales go, it doesn’t get much better than this.

Read more