You've likely seen and heard all the claims that Linux has no software support, and you need to use Microsoft Windows to do anything. That may have held some ground a decade or two ago but it's no longer the case, and even gaming is more than viable on Linux. There are thousands of apps available for Linux, some official ports of those only available on Windows. Better still, Linux has some apps that can't be installed on Windows, at least without some effort, and a few of these make up some reasons why I refuse to switch from Linux back to Windows.

Mesh routers are great if you're looking to get the best wireless connection possible in your home or office. But there's just one problem, which is that a lot of mesh systems can be quite pricey, which can deter you from upgrading your current router setup. Luckily, we've spotted this great deal on an Arris system that provides good speed and also range. Best part, it's just $68 thanks to this steep discount that knocks 41% off its retail price.

This is only a concept art rendering for now, but gives us some idea of what to expect.Universal, having just completed its latest Nintendo- and Harry Potter-filled theme park in the US, is now planning to build a new theme park and resort in the United Kingdom. The multi-billion dollar project will be Universal’s first European theme park, with construction on the 476-acre complex expected to start next year in Bedford, England, located around 60 miles north of London.Set to open in 2031, the UK government says the theme park will be “one of the largest and most advanced in Europe,” projected to generate nearly £50 billion ($64 billion) for the British economy by 2055 and attract 8.5 million visitors in its first year. Rumors about the project have been circling since Comcast NBC Universal acquired the sizable chunk of Bedford land in December 2023, with today’s announcement finally confirming that plans to build the park are going ahead — subject to securing planning approval.“Today we closed the deal on a multi-billion-pound investment that will see Bedford home to one of the biggest entertainment parks in Europe, firmly putting the county on the global stage,” said UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who added that the project is expected to create “28,000 new jobs across sectors such as construction, AI, and tourism.”This announcement comes ahead of Universal opening its third Orlando park, Epic Universe, on May 22nd. The Orlando expansion contains new lands themed around Nintendo, Harry Potter, classic movie monsters, and the How To Train Your Dragon franchise, and showcases some of the entertainment giant’s most advanced ride and animatronics technology to date.It’s too early to say exactly what the new park will entail, but proposals from Universal Destinations & Experiences include a theme park with “several themed lands featuring Universal’s distinct brand of immersive storytelling,” rides, attractions, and other forms of entertainment that utilize “sophisticated and advanced technology.” Plans for the resort include a 500-room hotel with on-site retail, dining, and entertainment options.We will have to wait and see if Universal will be bringing any of its existing land themes or ride experiences to the UK project, or opt for something new entirely. I’d expect the Harry Potter branding to be involved in some way — Universal has already built six lands themed around the franchise across other global parks, and this is its opportunity to fully lean into its native British setting.

Meta’s latest whistleblower, Sarah Wynn-Williams, got a warm reception on Capitol Hill Wednesday, as the Careless People author who the company has fought to silence described the company’s chief executive as someone willing to shapeshift into whatever gets him closest to power.The message was one that lawmakers on the Senate Judiciary subcommittee on crime and counterterrorism were very open to. Their responses underscore that amid CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s latest pivot in cozying up to the right, his perception in Washington has not yet totally changed, even as he reportedly lobbies President Donald Trump to drop the government’s antitrust case against the company. “He’s recently tried a reinvention in which he is now a great advocate of free speech, after being an advocate of censorship in China and in this country for years,” subcommittee Chair Josh Hawley (R-MO) said, pointing to longtime conservative allegations that Meta has suppressed things like vaccine skepticism and the Hunter Biden laptop story. “Now that’s all wiped away. Now he’s on Joe Rogan and says that he is Mr. Free Speech, he is Mr. MAGA, he’s a whole new man, and his company, they’re a whole new company. Do you buy this latest reinvention of Mark Zuckerberg?”“If he is such a fan of freedom of speech, why is he trying to silence me?” Wynn-Williams asked in response. Meta convinced an arbitrator to order her to stop making disparaging statements and halt further publishing and promotion of the book, which details Meta’s alleged dealings with the Chinese government and claims of sexual harassment from a top executive. Meta spokesperson Andy Stone has called Careless People  “defamatory,” but the book’s publisher said it would “continue to support and promote it.” “We don’t know what the next costume’s going to be, but it will be something different”Wynn-Williams also told Hawley that Zuckerberg “is a man who wears many different costumes. When I was there, he wanted the president of China to name his first child, he was learning Mandarin, he was censoring to his heart’s content. Now his new costume is MMA fighting or free speech. We don’t know what the next costume’s going to be, but it will be something different. It’s whatever gets him closest to power.”At the hearing, Wynn-Williams testified that during her time at the company between 2011 and 2017, Meta and Zuckerberg were willing to “undermine American national security” in service of currying favor with the Chinese government. She accused Meta of working on “censorship tools” that the Chinese government could use to silence critics and provided the Chinese Communist Party American user data.In a statement, Meta spokesperson Ryan Daniels called Wynn-Williams’ testimony “divorced from reality and riddled with false claims. While Mark Zuckerberg himself was public about our interest in offering our services in China and details were widely reported beginning over a decade ago, the fact is this: we do not operate our services in China today.”Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) said she found it “ironic” that China was a focus of the hearing, given that when she tried to pass a tech antitrust bill, “one of the things that kept being thrown in my face and in those of others that work on this, is that ‘you’re actually going to destroy us and then China will dominate,’” she said. “Your book actually reveals the extent to which Facebook was willing to put growth over the US national interest to gain favor with the Chinese Communist Party.”  Lawmakers dared Zuckerberg to testify before their committee himself to clear up their issues with her statements. “Stop trying to silence her, stop trying to gag her, stop trying to hide behind your lawyers and millions of dollars in legal fees you’re trying to impose on her,” said Hawley. “Come to this committee, take the oath, sit there, let us question you, and give the American people the truth. We will be waiting for you.”Wynn-Williams told the subcommittee her testimony “may be the last time I’m allowed to speak” given the legal restrictions. “It’s not going to be the last time you’re allowed to speak if we have anything to do with it,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) said. “What I would say to Mark Zuckerberg is, stop gagging Ms. Wynn-Williams, let her speak the truth, and you come here and tell us your version of the truth, if you have the guts to do it.”

The world of gaming handhelds is going through a bit of a renaissance these past few years, and it's in big part thanks to the immense popularity of the Nintendo Switch starting way back in 2017. Of course, a lot of PC-based gaming handhelds have been introduced in recent years with tons of advantages over NIntendo's handheld, particularly in terms of performance, display, and storage.

Nintendo dropped a ton of information with the Switch 2 Nintendo Direct. Though games are always going to be the main focus of any console, the system itself is a serious upgrade over its predecessor. Sporting visual and audio enhancements, as well as a slew of new features, it’s all but guaranteed if you liked the Switch, you’ll love the Switch 2. That being said, some of the console’s improvements stand out more than others.

The Nintendo Direct for the Switch 2 went great, but after the curtains had closed, people were left with one question: how much will this all cost? People were shocked when the prices did appear; we were looking at $449.99 for the console and $80 for a digital game (up to $90 if you wanted it in physical). People really didn't like the price point, and after Switch 2 was delayed in response to new tariffs, they feared the cost would rise even higher. If the Switch 2 is out of your budget, Nintendo has a golden idea: buy the original Switch instead. It's just that easy.

Google has a vast history of launching experimental projects, only for them to fade away before ever getting a proper launch. Unlike many Google Labs experiments that never quite see the light of day, NotebookLM, Google's AI-powered note-taking app, is one of the few that did.

I began playing video games at the age of two, on a state-of-the-art HP desktop, which set my father back by $1000 in the year 2000. Twenty-five years later, there’s a certain language of video games that I consider myself well-versed in. Red or green means health, “M” for map, “I” for inventory, and I can almost always slide by pressing the crouch button while running. These, among a thousand others, are certain “rules” of video gaming that I consider universal.

Soulslikes are some of my favorite games. Since I first got into the genre via Dark Souls 2, I have had that itch to throw myself at the most difficult bosses and emerge victorious. Thanks to Elden Ring Nightreign, I am craving that Soulslike experience more than ever. Thankfully, there are plenty to choose from that are currently on the market. There are even more coming out, and even some DLC is being made.

Hours after Donald Trump’s latest tariffs came into effect, China has announced retaliatory measures: an additional 50 percent tariff on US goods, on top of a planned 34 percent charge, and adding a further 12 US companies to its export control list.“The US’s practice of escalating tariffs on China is a mistake on top of a mistake, which seriously infringes on China’s legitimate rights and interests and seriously damages the rules-based multilateral trading system,” the country’s Tariff Commission said in a statement.Last week China announced a 34 percent tariff on goods imported from the US, matching the rate that the US would impose on Chinese goods. Trump took that badly, adding an additional 50 percent levy, which China is now matching in return. The new US tariffs on China, and other countries around the world, took effect today, with the 84 percent rate added onto existing 20 percent tariffs for a total of 104 percent. China’s 84 percent levy on US goods will come into force tomorrow, April 10th. In addition to the elevated tariffs, China has added 12 US companies to its export control list, joining 16 additions from last week. That move bans the export of dual-use items – anything that can be used for both civilian and military purposes – to those companies.The European Union is expected to confirm its own retaliatory measures soon, with a vote taking place today.

PDFgear is a free alternative to Adobe Acrobat. While it’s not open-source, like many great closed-source Adobe alternatives, it’s an option for anyone who wishes to pivot from Adobe tools. However, PDFgear is still missing some features that would put it at the same level as Adobe Acrobat, preventing many people from making a full switch. These major features of Acrobat aren’t available in PDFgear, but if you don’t need these features, you should consider moving on from Acrobat and using a free resource from a smaller brand. There are many reasons to avoid Adobe software, and PDFgear offers PDF editing and reading without the need for large corporations.