I've become a little obsessed with weekend coding projects ever since I started using Claude Code. It might be a simple Python utility, or a React app that simplifies or streamlines something I can do without ever using AI, but the joy of creating something or solving a problem with just vibe-coding remains unparalleled. Despite how capable Claude Code can be, and how easy it is to lean on for every step of the development process, the problem arises when it starts getting mighty expensive in terms of tokens, even with a paid subscription.

Building a rig is a sizable investment of time, energy, and of late, a lot of money. It requires making the best decisions out of the resources you have, picking out the right platform, choosing the right set of chips that you know and trust, and exercising a fair bit of foresight. In that, you want to know what you want now, but also what you'll need a few years down the line.

When I hop into my vehicle, I connect my phone to one of the available USB ports, and Android Auto fires up after a few seconds on the center display. The default screen is perfectly fine, showing Symfonium on the left and a large Waze pane on the right. This is perfectly suited to shorter journeys, but when we have a planned outing that requires covering a considerable distance (yes, even the UK has longer drives), I take a few moments before setting off to configure Android Auto.

As Europe strives to achieve digital sovereignty from proprietary software, there has been a big rush to move toward open-source software. We're seeing laws passed in some EU countries declaring that governmental PCs should run open-source operating systems and productivity apps, and it's easy to assume that, if an app is open-source, it means it has you in the front of its mind.

When I first got into self-hosting and invested in a NAS that could serve dedicated storage pools to all my devices, I built what I thought was an impressive setup. It's RAIDZ2 across six drives, with automatic ZFS snapshots on a schedule, and a separate drive to which all my most important data is synced every night. I was going for an infallible storage array, but was missing one glaring component.

Floating Bubble windows are among the biggest changes in the OS update. | Image: Google Following its official debut last month, Google is now rolling out Android 17 to compatible Pixel phones, alongside additional exclusive features as part of the June Pixel Drop. Not every feature announced alongside the OS at the pre-I/O Android Show is available today, though.Android 17 itself is arriving on Pixel phones today, and Google says other manufacturers will be issuing the update throughout 2026. The biggest user interface update is the introduction of Bubbles, floating app windows that you can open with a long press - similar floating windows are already found in many Android skins, but are now an official part of 17. Google is …Read the full story at The Verge.

For the past few months, a couple of ARM-based mini PCs have been sitting in my online shopping cart. What really caught my attention was the passively cooled chassis and the low idle power draw, which are suitable for my home lab experiments. Also, the price tag seems good enough not to hurt the wallet.

Budget 3D printers used to fight over speed, auto-leveling, and how little patience they could demand from a new owner. Those things still matter, but they’re no longer enough to make a printer feel meaningfully different. The basic experience has improved so much that a cheap printer can now be fast, tidy, and mostly painless without feeling unusual. That means the next fight has to move somewhere else, and Bambu’s A2L makes the answer pretty obvious.

Being a tech reviewer, I carry an iPhone and a Pixel with me all the time. However, when it comes to the in-car infotainment system, I have always preferred Apple CarPlay over Android Auto for its better design and richer widgets. But a dashboard shouldn’t just run apps; it should intelligently handle your day while your eyes stay on the road. The moment Google integrated Gemini into Android Auto, the game completely changed.

Running Linux on a Windows machine means two things. You either need to create a virtual machine that can share the system resources and run a Linux distribution inside it. Or, you can avoid Type 2 hypervisors and dual-boot Linux alongside Windows. Both of these methods let you learn the Linux way, although dual-booting means direct access to the system kernel and hardware.

Google’s Android 17 update includes highlights like new floating “Bubble” app windows for easier multitasking, a Screen Reaction recording mode, and a 50/50 split gaming mode for foldable phones. Meanwhile, Wear OS 7 brings Live Updates and better battery life for smart watches, and it prepares connections for new Android XR smart glasses that will launch this fall. The update is rolling out to Pixel phones first, then other devices, with some features, like Gemini Intelligence, set to debut later this year.Follow along here for the latest updates. Android 17 arrives on Pixel phones today Android foldables are getting new gamepad controls. Google launches Wear OS 7 with Live Updates and a battery life boost The Google / Xreal Aura XR glasses are now available to preorder Android 17 is getting its own version of Apple’s Handoff Wear OS 7 will keep track of deliveries and sports scores on your wrist A first (and second) look at the Android XR glasses launching this year The 9 biggest new features in Android 17 A new Android 17 beta reveals plans for “Pixel Glow” light animations. Android 17 will let you share one-time location data with apps. The second Android 17 beta is out now for Google Pixel. Google and Xreal extend hardware partnership for Android XR. A first look at Google’s Project Aura glasses built with Xreal Google announces Android XR, a new OS for headsets and smart glasses

Father’s Day is nearly here. Hopefully, you already got a gift for dads you care about, but if not, here’s a quick, easy recommendation for anyone who enjoys a good comic strip. The Complete Calvin and Hobbes contains every one of Bill Watterson’s beloved strips made during the comic’s ten-year run from 1985 through 1995, packed in three deluxe hardcover books, for $89.48 at Amazon when you check the on-page coupon. The set originally sold for $225, but it’s often available for around $130. This is the best price I’ve seen it sell for.The Complete Calvin and HobbesWhere to Buy: $225 $89.48 at Amazon (with on-page coupon) $225 $134.22 at TargetThe lighthearted, kid-friendly comics couldn’t be more different from Watterson’s darker, adult-themed The Mysteries, which brought him out of retirement with its 2023 launch.If you’re thinking of getting dad a book, but aren’t sure Calvin and Hobbes is the right pick, there are some good deals happening on gorgeous hardcover versions of The Lord of the Rings and other tales in the franchise. The deluxe slipcase hardcover version of The Lord of the Rings that includes illustrations by the author J.R.R. Tolkien himself is $105.14 at Amazon, its lowest price in about a year.He can go further back in the lore with Silmarillion, the prequel to The Hobbit and to The Lord of the Rings. It, too, is illustrated, comes in a bold hardcover, and is down to its lowest price in a while. The book costs $30.50 at Amazon, while the slipcase hardcover version of The Hobbit that contains illustrations is $81.41.