We've all been there. You're either playing a game online with others or on a call on Discord and the latency spikes. If you're encountering this more often than not, it's time to do something about it. Luckily, you have a few options, ranging from moving where you're currently stationed to swapping the wireless connection for wires. Here's a short list of ways you can improve the latency of your game or call.

There has always been a lot of speculation about whether pre-built PCs are worth it. Yes, it is probably easier for the general user or office worker to buy a pre-built system. However, once you start needing a bit more from your PC, whether it be for gaming or audio/video editing, a pre-built may not be the best option for you.

Custom liquid cooling was in its heyday around 10 years ago, as every enthusiast wanted to craft the next best watercooling loop. It might not be as prevalent anymore, thanks to more advanced AIOs and factory-overclocked CPUs, but enthusiasts still swear by the merits of a well-thought-out custom loop. The bragging rights alone make custom liquid cooling worth it, at least among a niche set of users.

Nintendo revealed the Switch 2 as Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Bowser, Donkey Kong, and many more raced across a new never-before-seen map. While it has not been confirmed, many took this as a sign that Mario Kart 9 will be released alongside Nintendo's next handheld console. Of course, due to how popular the previous game in the series is, there are many expectations for Mario Kart 9.

Protestors gathered outside a Tesla showroom in New York on Saturday. | Photo: Stephanie Keith / Bloomberg via Getty Images<br>Today marked a second weekend of scattered protests at Tesla showrooms, following a “TeslaTakeover” hashtag that has been trending on Twitter alternative Bluesky this week. Protestors’ messages largely focused on the divisive efforts of Tesla CEO Elon Musk as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency since the start of Donald Trump’s Presidency.The protests don’t appear to be especially large, but they are numerous, ranging from places like New York to lesser-known locales like Minneapolis, Minnesota suburb Golden Valley. A section of Action Network’s site for organizing protests shows rallies planned for cities in Ohio, Florida, Washington, New Mexico, and Alberta, Canada. Rise and Resist went back to Tesla today, to defend democracy and the Constitution against Musk’s criminal enterprise. #StopTheCoup #TeslaTakedown #EndOligarchy— Rise and Resist (@riseandresist.bsky.social) 2025-02-15T18:59:17.149ZTesla investors have expressed concern that Musk’s activities are negatively impacting the company, which saw its stock price plummet by 21 percent since Trump’s inauguration according to an ABC story this week. Inside the company, employees and senior staff said in a recent meeting that “the company would be better off if Musk resigned,” The Washington Post reported. One of the larger rallies today was outside of Tesla’s Manhattan showroom, where a previous protest took place on February 9th. In the videos below, people can be heard chanting, “Don’t buy swasticars” and “Elon Musk can go to Mars; we don’t need your Nazi cars,” perhaps referencing Musk’s support for far-right groups like Germany’s AfD party or his suspicious salute on Inauguration Day.Protest today at Tesla in NYC #TeslaTakeover #video #StopElon #ImpeachMusk— MsBellaF (@msbellaf.bsky.social) 2025-02-15T17:20:29.624Z View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rise and Resist (@risenresistnyc)Other posts showed what protests looked like today in Berkeley, California:Tesla Berkeley— (@jdras.bsky.social) 2025-02-15T20:36:09.632ZSan Francisco, California:Just went to the #teslatakeover in SF. Crowd of about 60, many of whom had never been to any kind of protest before. Will have some video later— Clara Jeffery (@clarajeffery.bsky.social) 2025-02-15T20:32:21.646ZMinneapolis, Minnesota:Happening now: Protesters at the Tesla service center just outside of Minneapolis. Signs reading “Unplug Mad King Musk”, “This car runs on facsism”, “Who buys cars from a nazi?”, “Say no to doge”, “Don’t buy swasticars, BAD DOGE!”.— daviss (@daviss.bsky.social) 2025-02-15T17:34:06.172ZAnd Kansas City, Missouri: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jordan Bond (@aerojb)Similar gatherings occurred in Austin, Texas; Seattle, Washington; and Boston, Massachusetts. Meanwhile, few appear to have shown up today in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania:HAPPENING NOWA handful of protestors rally against Elon Musk outside of Pittsburgh-area Tesla dealership. They are criticizing CEO Musk’s new role in the White House.@KDKA pic.twitter.com/uBAxwTlxbl— Jennifer Borrasso (@JenBorrasso) February 15, 2025Or Baltimore, Maryland, where a single person held a sign outside a Tesla showroom:#teslatakedown #teslatakeover #Baltimore #Maryland— wh00sh (@wh00sh.bsky.social) 2025-02-15T17:06:01.080ZActor, director, and progressive activist Alex Winter, who heavily promoted this weekend’s protests over the last few days, posted an image of himself holding a sign urging people to sell their Teslas at a protest in Pasadena, California:Amazing day out here and across the country! We have over 70 people at this store in Pasadena. Won't post shots of the crowd, up to others if they want to. This is just the beginning!#TeslaTakedownTeslatakedown.com— Alex Winter (@alexwinter.com) 2025-02-15T21:10:53.396ZWinter re-shared posts from protests at Tesla showrooms in the California cities Corte Madera, San Jose, and Los Angeles, along with others from people who’d posted about rallies in Rockville, Maryland; Tucscon, Arizona; and Golden Valley, Minnesota.There are many posts on Bluesky with the #TeslaTakeover hashtag, but far fewer show up when searching X, Instagram, or Threads. Outside of picketing, others protested Musk in different ways. Musician Sheryl Crow posted a video of a Tesla being driven away on a flatbed truck, along with a message saying “There comes a time when you have to decide who you are willing to align with. So long Tesla,” and noting that she had donated the money to NPR, which is currently threatened by an FCC investigation into public media. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sheryl Crow (@sherylcrow)More protests are expected, including during the President’s Day holiday on Monday, with one set for Lowell, Maine and at least one other in Richmond, Virginia. Those are in addition to numerous demonstrations planned this weekend that don’t target Tesla showrooms but still relate to the actions of Musk, DOGE, and President Trump more broadly.

Most laptops come equipped with fans to help keep the device cool. These fans have variable speeds and only turn on when needed. Depending on the type of laptop you’re using, the fans may run silently or loudly (quieter fans are usually more expensive). Beyond fan quality, your laptop could be making noise because it’s being pushed to its limits (such as by playing demanding games) or due to underlying issues such as clogged vents, hardware problems, or outdated software. Here are six ways to make your laptop run more quietly.

A NAS, or Network-Attached Storage device, lets you centralize storage and services for your devices. It is a worthy addition to any computing setup. NASs are designed to be fairly easy to use and can handle many different computing needs. Depending on which subscription services you're using, that means having a NAS could save you money and enable you to self-host instead.

Earlier this year, we saw Nvidia begin the GPU wars with the release of the RTX 5090. People had a lot to say about it; some were positive, while others weren't so much. Well, now AMD is bringing its own card to the market, and if a leaked release date is to be believed, it seems that it's going to come quite soon.

From an outsider's perspective, the world of 3D printers looks weird. We buy a new printer, set up the filament or resin, and then immediately print a small tugboat. Not just any tugboat, but the exact same tugboat we've printed before. And people worldwide are doing the exact same thing.

Graphics cards are expensive, and none are more expensive than Nvidia's RTX 50 series. With that expense comes a rise in the counterfeit GPU market, a market designed to prey on those who may be looking for a bargain on a shiny new piece of hardware. Fakes range from ridiculously simple to incredibly sophisticated, and from the outside, it can be hard to tell if you have a legitimate or a fake.

It isn't a great time to upgrade your PC right now. Nvidia's RTX 50 series GPUs are one of the worst ever, AMD's RX 90 series has gone missing, and the latest CPUs from Intel or AMD are barely faster than the previous-gen models. Plus, you can barely find anything available at its promised MSRP anywhere, and PC hardware is set to get even more expensive as the weeks and months go by.

While Microsoft Paint isn't as powerful as CorelDRAW, Procreate, or Photoshop, it has plenty of unexpected uses. Many people dismiss Paint as a simple doodling program, but if you dig a little deeper, you'll find that it can be used for much more than just basic drawing. From creating pixel art to resizing images and making glitch effects, here are some surprising and creative things you can do with MS Paint.