It doesn’t look like anything special, but it is. The world of Chromebooks has its MacBook Air. Lenovo's latest Chromebook Plus 14 is an Arm-based thin-and-light with good specs, excellent battery life, a great keyboard, all-around solid build, and a fantastic OLED screen. But the best part is that its bright and punchy 14-inch panel comes standard on the base $649 configuration or as a touchscreen for $749. That's cheaper than both the OLED-equipped Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus and Acer Chromebook Plus Spin with an IPS screen. It's also faster than either with more RAM.The new Chromebook Plus 14 could be a go-to laptop for just about anyone - if you're okay living with ChromeOS in …Read the full story at The Verge.

When I built my first Network-Attached Storage rig using TrueNAS Core ages ago, I figured I’d occasionally use it for data archival and file transfers over the Samba protocol. After all, I had cobbled together a makeshift NAS from old PC parts and spare drives without planning out the storage, RAID, and other provisions.

Files are a funny thing; they're essentially just a collection of data all inside of one container, and that data is organized into a single-dimensional array of bytes. Many modern operating systems will use a file extension to determine what the file is, and this, in turn, specifies rules of how the data is organized so that it can be interpreted in a meaningful way. However, when it comes to a "file" being a collection of data, it isn't anything too special. You don't need a file type on any file. You can save a JPG as a .zip file if you want, and if you force your photo editor to open it, chances are it will just... open anyway.

Ask any computing enthusiast about their motive for running self-hosted services, and you’ll hear a bunch of reasons. Some folks run apps on local hardware to stop large corporations from spying on their data, while others prefer the superior customization features offered by these services. Likewise, you may also encounter FOSS lovers who don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars on monthly subscription fees.

Even with the TikTok divest-or-ban law officially in effect since January, the app has only shut down service in the US for one day. Now, The Information reports that an agreement for a sale satisfying the law’s requirements is close and would come with a new, separate version of the app. Any deal, however, would need approval from the Chinese government, which is also still wrangling with the Trump administration over tariffs.The outlet reports that the Trump administration says it’s close to working out a sale to a group of “non-Chinese” investors, including Oracle, with current majority owner ByteDance maintaining a minority stake that would satisfy the terms of the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act.Earlier today, the Wall Street Journal reported that the General Services Administration says Oracle has reached a new agreement with the federal government that “is the first of its kind that provides the entire government with a discount on cloud infrastructure,” with a 75 percent discount on licensed software.TikTok’s staff is reportedly working on a new version of the app — dubbed M2, to the current app’s internal M designation — for release in app stores on September 5th. Trump issued a third legally questionable extension of the deadline to ban TikTok from US app stores last month, which is set to expire in mid-September. According to The Information’s unnamed source, under the current timeline, the original TikTok app would leave app stores as the new one launches and then stop working entirely in March 2026.

The Nintendo Switch 2 has been out for nearly a month, and the console has proven to be a massive improvement over its predecessor when it comes to technical performance. While it doesn't compare to the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S in terms of power, it's got more than enough for the games Nintendo makes. It's also made old games run better with free and paid upgrades, most of which provide free upgrades to old games, improving resolution and FPS. It's done wonders for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, and with the console able to handle up to 120 FPS, there are a few indie games that would benefit from the extra frames. For this list, I went with more action-focused titles, since those are the types of games that benefit the most. I've also avoided games that aren't totally suited for it, like Cuphead, which has a unique animation system that doesn't get the performance punch up from the extra power.

Switching to a new operating system can feel like a daunting task, especially when you have to learn a whole new paradigm for how to use your computer. However, things really aren't as dire as they might seem before you start, and there are tools you can use to make your transition easier. I've used Windows all my life, but after recently spending time with Ubuntu, I also wanted something that would make window management as easy as FancyZones does on Windows 11.

It's easy to complain about Windows 11 feeling stagnant or only forcing customers to use features they don't care about, and it's fairly clear why we do that. There isn't a whole lot of exciting stuff happening with Windows itself these days, but that doesn't mean Microsoft is incapable of making genuinely useful tools. In fact, PowerToys is a perfect example of that.

2025 is halfway over, making now a great time to look back at the best-reviewed games of the year so far. While the final list at the end of 2025 will likely look quite different, with more Switch 2 games and PlayStation exclusives like Ghost of Yotei still coming in 2025. Potential heavy hitters on the Switch 2 include Donkey Kong Bananza and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, but the list so far does include a couple of games available on the Switch 2. For this list, I'm using the Metacritic list of best-reviewed games so far in 2025, and I've bundled two games into a single list item, but that will make sense once we get there.

I'm a tech hoarder, and by that, I mean I hoard accessories and small gizmos that help me extend the functionality of my gadgets. For instance, I carry a ton of dongles with me that help plug in external SSDs, SD cards, or various types of cables into laptops that have limited ports. Similarly, I have a MagSafe attachment for my phone that helps me grip it better when clicking photos and adds a ring light for better luminance. Owing to this, I end up spending more money than I would like on accessories. So, I decided to curb the expenditure without really putting an end to my accessory obsession — all thanks to my 3D printer. I found several useful laptop accessories that I could easily 3D print instead of buying — thus saving me a good chunk of money.

After the launch of the current-gen GPU lineups, especially AMD's RX 90 series, it feels like the old definitions of high-end and mid-range GPUs have become blurred more than ever. It used to be that high-end gaming was confined to high-end GPUs, but with cards like the RX 9070 XT, mid-range GPUs suddenly feel like all I need for enjoying top-tier gaming. Even 4K gaming is no longer the domain of $1,000 GPUs. Plus, a mid-range GPU doesn't require an overkill power supply, or lock you out of frequent upgrades.

As someone who practically lives in Notion, constantly managing notes, projects, and an ever-growing mountain of research, I thought my productivity setup was optimized. I mean, Notion handles pretty much everything, right? Well, that was until NotebookLM entered the picture. I started experimenting my Notion pages in NotebookLM, and it turned out to be a game-changer in how I interact with and make sense of my information.