When deciding what to use for your Network-Attached Storage (NAS) device, there's an array of options available. You can use an old PC, a dedicated server, a turnkey NAS, or even a mini PC. Mini PCs may not be the first choice for most simply because of their compact nature and how limiting their storage options are, but there are some good reasons why a mini PC would make for a good NAS, particularly if you don't mind using an external enclosure or Direct-Attached Storage (DAS) to increase its capacity.

Is it bad that one of the most exciting features coming to Windows 11 (for me, at least) is an improved battery indicator? I didn't know I needed one until Microsoft stated that they were working on it in the beta builds.

Convertible laptops provide the best of both worlds for those looking for power and portability. While there are a lot of great options like the Surface Pro, the price of these devices can get pretty expensive when you start to add in the cost of all the accessories.

Microsoft ended support for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 over a year ago, but it seems like customers as well as some software vendors are not ready to give up on it just yet. In the past few months, we have seen users utilize third-party applications to run modern software on Windows 7, and even witnessed a modding enthusiast boot up the operating system on less than 100MB of disk space. Now, another vendor has announced an extension of support for the old, but still popular, operating system.

PC upgrades are often called out for being largely unnecessary and overpriced, unless you're an enthusiast who has to have the latest and greatest always. Let's be honest — 95% of us don't even need the latest mid-range GPU, 8-core processor, or ultra-fast DDR5 RAM for our gaming PCs. Still, many of us spend countless hours daydreaming about expensive upgrades instead of focusing on the most important ones.

SSDs have replaced hard drives as the de facto standard for most use cases, but they're not perfect. Unlike hard drives, SSDs have a fixed lifespan due to the nature of flash storage. This lifespan is often communicated to the consumer using various ratings by the manufacturer, or you can use third-party tools to get a rough idea of your SSD health.

Google Photos and Dropbox are good cloud-based options for photo and file storage and management, but using an open-source management toollike DigiKam is a better choice. Not only is DigiKam totally free — unlike the upgrades you’ll undoubtedly need with proprietary options — but its open-source development means you’ve got more control, privacy, and security options, too. Available on many platforms with many customization options, DigiKam should be your new photo manager of choice.

If you've finished up Baldur's Gate 3 and you're on the hunt for something else, why not give Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader a try? This CRPG tells a story in the thick of Games Workshop's famous sci-fi world and is well worth a look if you're a fan of either the genre or Warhammer in general. Fortunately, if you have an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription, you can give it a shot at no extra cost very soon.

Microsoft Excel is an extremely powerful spreadsheet tool that you can use for data crunching, as well as crafting lovely Valentine's messages. In the past few months, Redmond has added support for the Python programming language in Excel, along with tons of other capabilities. Now, the company is going one step ahead by adding advanced data ingestion and analysis techniques in Excel.

Any device needs continuous maintenance and proper care to last longer. Sometimes we ignore many things that may endanger the lifespan of our PCs and we don’t even realize it. This guide will hopefully help you pay more attention to the small or big things you do to harm your PC and prolong its life.

US Associate Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas attends inauguration ceremonies in the Rotunda of the US Capitol on January 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. Donald Trump takes office for his second term as the 47th president of the United States.Newly appointed Federal Trade Commission Chair Andrew Ferguson praised his former boss, the conservative Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, as “the most important judge of the last 100 years,” in a memo to agency staff honoring Black History Month. The message, obtained by The Verge and confirmed by the FTC, sheds light on how Ferguson may align himself with Thomas — one of the court’s foremost critics of tech’s legal liability shield Section 230 and a skeptic of diversity measures — especially as the FTC chair is tasked with taking on consumer protection cases, which in the past have included considering the role of racial bias in technology.In the February 7th email, Ferguson took the opportunity to share his thoughts on Thomas, whom he clerked for and calls a friend. Thomas overcame “a difficult upbringing” and later had his views on the law “pilloried by American elites,” according to Ferguson. Rather than “hold grudges against America” for his experience of poverty and segregation, Ferguson says, Thomas pulled himself up by his bootstraps and proved that “any American can overcome the hardships of the past and achieve greatness.” More recentl …Read the full story at The Verge.

Are you tired of subscription fees draining your wallet? I have been there. While there is no shortage of excellent productivity apps on Mac, most of them run on a freemium model. However, I believe that productivity doesn’t have to come with a price tag. That’s why I have ditched paid apps and built a powerful, efficient workflow using entirely open source tools.