Google Labs is probably one of the most underrated spots for finding cool experimental tools, and it doesn't get talked about nearly as much as it should. NotebookLM is technically still a Google Labs experiment, which is wild considering how mainstream it's become. Stitch is another one I covered recently, it's a vibe design tool I stumbled on while poking around the suite.

Windows 11 ballooned to nearly 30GB of install space in recent years. While 30GB is not huge, considering 1TB of storage is the default on most mid-level laptops and computers, it's hard to ignore the waste of storage space. Microsoft includes multiple OS features and elements that you won't ever launch or use, and it creates a need for more storage space with each version update. Tiny11 is a project by NTDEV, a developer who tries to shrink Windows to a more modest size by discarding less-used features, Windows components, and bloatware.

In the face of widespread backlash to the AI data center buildout throughout the US, Google is touting its efforts to minimize the environmental impact by actually increasing water for local communities. The company laid out five commitments around water use in a new blog post published Wednesday, including a goal to replenish more water than it uses at its data centers by 2030. Google also said it will invest in local water infrastructure, identify alternative water sources to power its facilities, and be transparent about its water use overall. "We're just one of dozens of players in the space," Google's global head of infrastructure a …Read the full story at The Verge.

Nanoleaf has made a name for itself by developing smart color-changing LED lighting products, including wall panels, TV mirroring, and display cases. | Image: Nanoleaf Smart lighting company Nanoleaf has been acquired by OneRobotics, the parent company of SwitchBot. In an exclusive interview with The Verge, Nanoleaf CEO Gimmy Chu says the company will remain independent and that he and his cofounder and COO, Christian Yan, will continue to run it. "Nothing is changing operationally," says Chu, adding that there are plans for product integrations between the two smart home companies. The sale, which Chu characterized as "more of a merger," will provide Nanoleaf with significant resources, including a cash infusion that will, among other things, help the company grow its team at its Toronto headquarters. I …Read the full story at The Verge.

Usually, when we hear about a new piece of hardware, it begs the question: when will we actually see it arrive in devices? Any tech company can stand on a stage and announce a new chip, but if no manufacturers decide to actually use it, then it's pretty much dead on arrival.

Considering that AI tools can tackle mind-numbingly bogus tasks, there’s no denying that they’re a godsend for productivity. But with almost every cloud-based platform charging regular subscription fees for their clanker-powered services, we’re starting to get to a point where you could end up paying hundreds of bucks to avoid hitting rate limits on coding platforms.

Online publishers are getting more control over whether their websites appear in Google's AI Search features, thanks to a UK regulatory ruling. The new conduct rule imposed by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) requires Google to let website owners keep their content out of features like AI Overviews and prevent it from being used for the "fine-tuning" of Google's AI models. "In a world first, publishers will now have effective tools to prevent their content being used to power AI features in search, such as AI Overviews," the CMA announced. "This will put publishers, like news organizations, in a stronger position to negotiate co …Read the full story at The Verge.

Unlike a lot of people, I was never into playing video games. Sure, I’ve played a bunch of Minecraft (who hasn’t), but I never sunk that much time into any other titles. Whenever people ask what games I play, I always respond with the same “Oh, I’m not really into video games” and change the subject.

By the time the Children's Hospital closed its doors to trans patients, Sage had already stopped taking testosterone. A nonbinary high school student, they originally received treatment for the rapid onset of puberty. The changes their body experienced felt frightening and sudden. They developed PMOS, a relatively common hormonal disorder that can lead to hair growth and irregular periods. The pandemic didn't help. Too much time to focus on scrutinizing the person in the mirror while doomscrolling. Their doctor first prescribed puberty blockers to help with their PMOS symptoms - not explicitly for trans-related reasons - and eventually recom …Read the full story at The Verge.

Big tech companies love raising their cloud subscription prices, but the amount of free space they give us has been frozen in time for years. Now, according to reports from Android Authority, Google is planning to reduce storage for new unverified accounts to just 5GB. You must provide a phone number to get 15GB free data. This makes it harder to rely on free Google accounts as a long-term storage solution.

Sony ended its big State of Play showcase with a major reveal: the next God of War. The new title is called God of War Laufey, and is once again developed by Sony's Santa Monica Studio. Currently, the game doesn't have a date, but it's coming to the PS5 whenever it does launch.This time, instead of perpetually furious dad Kratos, players will take control of Faye / Laufey, as the title implies. That means that while the tone of the game seems somewhat similar to past God of War titles, the gameplay looks quite different, with much more aerobatic action punctuated by magic instead of Kratos' heavy violence. Also, there's a giant, six-legged …Read the full story at The Verge.

For years, I treated Ethernet cables as an important part of my network upgrades. Whenever I bought a new router, added a switch to my setup, or reorganized my home lab, I often found myself browsing for premium networking cables. The marketing made it seem like the logical thing to do. After all, if I'm investing in good networking hardware, why not connect everything using the best cables available?