No, I'm not talking about a dual-boot setup that you forgot about. Your PC executes a ton of code even before your main OS starts loading. The very first thing that fires up when you press the power button is a secret security processor that has scary levels of access to your machine. And it stays on even if you've turned your PC off, as long as the PSU is connected to the wall.

If you're a modern early adopter and just bought yourself a flagship co-product bus PC or laptop, you might be facing a sudden software reality. Microsoft drops the highly anticipated Windows 11 26H2 feature update, and your brand-new machine isn't even eligible to download it. Meanwhile, a five-year-old Intel 8300 5th Gen desktop is updating flawlessly.

I didn’t buy a Raspberry Pi to save money. I bought it because I wanted a small computer I could leave running, assign a few jobs to, and mostly forget about once everything was working. That’s more or less what happened, except the list of jobs kept growing, and I eventually realized several of them had previously belonged to services I was paying for every month. By the time I added it all up, that little $80 board (at the time of purchase) had quietly become one of the few computers I own that was actually lowering my monthly expenses.

I'll admit something embarrassing for someone who writes about display tech for a living. My last TV ran in its factory picture mode for the better part of a year. I'd taken weeks agonizing over panel types, my budget, and peak brightness numbers, and when it arrived, I plugged it in and ignored any of the settings. Now, to be fair, I use an Apple TV 4K with any display I watch movies on, and it's set to Dolby Vision mode, so I might not have noticed the TV was in a subpar setting.

Reddit is trying out a new way for people to take in content on Reddit: by turning text posts into audio / video content. As part of an experiment, some posts are being adapted into videos that use AI voices to read the text of the main post and some comments. The video highlights the text as it's read by the AI voice, and under the video, a note says that it's a "Real conversation voiced by AI."An old post in r/boardgames from eight years ago with 101 responses to a request for good road trip games that adults will like is an example of Reddit's AI at work. Instead of the usual text thread, it has the main question above a three-minute vi …Read the full story at The Verge.

The Baseus Spacemate 11-port USB-C docking station is exactly what you need if you're looking to expand the capabilities of your laptop. Docking stations like these often come at a price, but the discount on Amazon is pretty steep right now, dropping from the original MSRP of $150, to a new low price of $100.

I've said this countless times before, and I'll say it yet again: Cowork is one of Claude's most underrated products. I use it constantly, and it's one of the features that's been keeping me from canceling my Claude subscription for good. If you haven't used Claude Cowork much, it's essentially Claude Code, but geared toward non-technical users who don't want to deal with an intimidating terminal.

ABC News has officially introduced Searched, a livestreamed show that highlights stories people are discussing on social media and searching on the web, as reported earlier by Variety. Though the network just announced the show now, Searched began airing on the ABC News Live streaming channel in April, which appears on both Disney Plus and Hulu.In the press release, ABC News says Searched "pulls real-time data from the top search engines and social media platforms to provide topical news for the audience." A recent episode of Searched highlighted an Illinois Powerball winner, NBA star Russell Westbrook's retirement, and Tropical Storm Lala …Read the full story at The Verge.

Whenever I feel I’m in the right headspace to start working on my essays and writing scripts, I’m usually away from my PC. I needed something portable, accessible, and nice to type on. I dug through my drawers for inspiration and had a lightbulb moment when I found my old phone, which I've tried to repurpose multiple times. None of those purposes have ever stuck long-term, but I think a distraction-free writing device might finally be the project that will make it thrive in its final years.

Most ATX and micro-ATX motherboards come with more headers than the average builder has uses for. On average, even a really savvy builder will only ever use 6 to 7 headers out of the available 18–20, and that number goes down further if one doesn't care about RGB features or goes for an air cooling solution instead of an AIO.

The discounted GMMK 3 doesn’t include the pictured wrist rest. | Image: Glorious Are you curious about custom mechanical keyboards, but don’t want to spend hundreds just to get started without being sure you’ll enjoy the hobby? You can grab the 65-percent Glorious GMMK 3 mechanical keyboard at Woot for $34.99 (usually $139.99) by entering the coupon code WOOTGAMING at checkout, and first-time Woot customers will get an extra $5 off when using the same code.It’s a well-equipped keyboard out of the box, particularly for this price, and with its support for swappable switches, it’s a great platform for exploring keycap and switch options from different makers. It’s wired only, includes a full set of double-shot PBT keycaps for both Windows and macOS, and comes with linear Glorious Fox switches pre-installed.Glorious GMMK 3 65 PercentWhere to Buy: $139.99 $34.99 at Woot (with coupon code WOOTGAMING)As a 65 percent mechanical keyboard, the layout favors just the essentials to keep a compact footprint. That means dropping the row of dedicated function keys, and limiting the extra buttons to standard modifiers, plus a couple of spare buttons for page up and down. There are still arrow keys for gaming and OS navigation, and a customizable knob for volume or media controls. Under the hood, the aluminum plate and gasket system are modifiable and upgradeable, letting you dial in the typing experience and sound.

Not every app you try works the first time. I have hundreds installed and often find myself stumbling onto an old one that I'd written off too soon, only to realize it's actually fantastic. Sometimes all it takes is a different setup, or perhaps different life circumstances that now require a curated stack. Notes apps fall into this category too, especially Obsidian.