There’s no denying that Linux distros are perfect for self-hosting and containerization workloads. But once you’ve completed the grueling task of setting up WSL2 and Docker Desktop, you’ll be rewarded with the ability to run containers on your Windows 11 machine. While most Linux containers will work just fine on Microsoft’s flagship OS, there are a handful of services that you must try out on your Windows 11 workstation.

Framework’s double SSD caddy for its Framework 16 expansion bay. | Image: Framework The most ambitious laptop ever made just got a long-promised modular upgrade. Starting today, you can pay $39 to add two extra M.2 slots to the Framework Laptop 16 — letting you potentially carry around an AI accelerator, an eGPU adapter, or a grand total of four solid state storage sticks for ludicrous capacity. As Framework’s blog post points out, the new “Dual M.2 Adapter” is Framework’s first new modular component since launch that takes advantage of the Laptop 16’s big expansion bay around back. At launch, you only had two options: a Radeon RX 7700S discrete graphics card for extra money, or a mostly empty bay that only contained fans. But now, you can add the Dual M.2 Adapter to that mostly empty bay to fit an additional pair of M.2 2280, 2260, 2240 or 2230 modules, with four lanes of PCIe 4.0 each, on top of the twin SSD slots (M.2 2280 and M.2 2230) that come with the laptop to begin with. With current stick SSD capacities topping out at around 8TB (2280) and 2TB (2230) respectively, that means you can theoretically cart around 26TB of storage at once... not counting any 1TB Framework Expansion Cards you stick into the sides of the laptop, or any giant SD cards you plug into the $25 full-size SD card modules that Framework finally released this fall. (With 2TB SD cards on the market and six expansion slots for them on the Laptop 16, I guess the actual maximum capacity of Framework’s laptop is now 38TB.)And while those who bought the Radeon discrete GPU won’t be able to take advantage without swapping out that module, swaps are thankfully quick and easy: View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Verge (@verge)In addition to the adapter, Framework has swapped out the Framework Laptop 16’s liquid metal cooling for Honeywell PTM7958 thermal paste, and will help provide that for any customer who asks; while Framework characterizes this as a change to fix possible “performance degradation over time,” I definitely encountered uncomfortable levels of heat and fan noise right away in my review and long-term tests. Find more about Framework’s recent updates in its full blog post — like the new “Framework Mystery Boxes” tinkerers can buy to try out an assortment of random, possibly non-functional parts that users have returned to the company.

A NAS system is a useful addition to any home or office. There are a ton of uses for a NAS, like media streaming, photo and video backup, security cameras, or just as a general storage system that you can access from anywhere.

Considering the sheer amount of space required to store high-resolution photos, Google Photos and other image management platforms seem perfect for backing up your precious shots. However, privacy – or rather, the lack thereof – is always an issue when storing your private data on external servers. There’s also the problem of constant subscription fees once your image and video collection hits a certain size.

If you thought gaming was an expensive hobby, you’d be surprised by all the cool (and expensive) products you can add to your home lab. From low-power, budget-friendly SBCs and mini-PCs to server rigs, enterprise-grade switches, and NAS enclosures, there’s a battalion of useful devices in the tinkering landscape.

A keyboard might be just another input device for many, but a highly personal and valued part of their PC setup for others. While many parts come together to determine how good a keyboard sounds and feels, the switch is perhaps one of the most important. Users typically have three kinds of keyboards to choose from, depending on the switch type: mechanical, magnetic (Hall effect), and optical.

A Starlink terminal in the wild. | Photo by Thomas Ricker / The Verge The EU has signed a deal for its IRIS² constellation of 290 communication satellites that will operate in both medium and low Earth orbit. The Starlink rival will provide secure connectivity to governmental users as well as private companies and European citizens, and bring high-speed internet to dead-zones. The public-private deal valued at €10.6 billion (about $11 billion), according to The Financial Times, is expected to come online by 2030. According to the European Space Agency (ESA), the interlinked satellites placed into different orbits will “enable the constellation to communicate securely and quickly and remain constantly connected without needing thousands of satellites.” SpaceX, by comparison, has already launched some 7,000 low Earth satellites since 2018 to ensure Starlink’s global coverage and low latencies. The IRIS² constellation will consist of 264 spacecraft in low Earth orbit and 18 in medium Earth orbit. SpaceRISE — a consortium led by European satellite network operators SES, Eutelsat, and Hispasat, and supported by European satcom subcontractors like Airbus and Deutsche Telekom — has been given a 12-year concession contract to develop, deploy, and operate the IRIS² constellation. IRIS² is an acronym for Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite.“This cutting-edge constellation will protect our critical infrastructures, connect our most remote areas and increase Europe’s strategic autonomy. By partnering with the SpaceRISE consortium, we are demonstrating the power of public-private collaboration to drive innovation and deliver tangible benefits to all Europeans,” said Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy.In September, FCC chair Jessica Rosenworcel said she wanted to see more competition to Elon Musk’s Starlink. “Our economy doesn’t benefit from monopolies... every communications market that has competition is strong, we see lower prices and more innovation, and honestly, space should be no exception.”Update, December 17th: Added details on the numbers of satellites in the constellation.

It's nearly the New Year, which means making resolutions, putting away the holiday decorations, and preparing for the return of the biggest consumer tech event of the year: CES 2025. The year ahead promises some awesome technology, and not all of it is going to be AI-laden. We're expecting the next generation of GPUs from Nvidia and AMD, and many new and updated technologies that will make the year fantastic if you're a techie. I've gone through the release dates and predictions and rounded up some of my favorites for the year ahead, and I'm excited about these technologies being launched.

How many SSDs are too many SSDs? It's kind of like a "how long is a piece of string" thing; it depends on the person and how much storage they need. Well, if your desired number of SSDs is four or above, you're in luck; the laptop manufacturer Framework has finally released a device that lets you add quadruple storage to your laptop.

If you're looking to make an impression online, having good video and audio during a web call is going to be an absolute must. And while your old webcam or built-in variety may not have what it takes to really push your presentations to new levels, that's okay, because with this Logitech Brio 101 webcam, upgrading is simple and affordable.

Photo by Andrej Sokolow / picture alliance via Getty Images Waymo’s autonomous vehicles are going to Tokyo, marking the first time that the Alphabet company is deploying vehicles on public roads in a foreign market. Waymo is billing the excursion as a simple “road trip” for collecting data about the nuances of Japanese driving, including left-hand traffic and navigating a dense urban environment. The vehicles will be driven manually for the purposes of gathering mapping data and will be managed by a local taxi fleet operator, Nihon Kotsu. About 25 vehicles will be sent, with the first set to arrive in early 2025. And while the tests will undoubtedly be seen as laying the groundwork for a future Tokyo-based robotaxi service, Waymo said it isn’t ready to announce anything quite yet. “While we look forward to bringing the life-saving benefits of the Waymo Driver global, we have no plans to serve riders in Tokyo at this time,” Waymo spokesperson Sandy Karp said. “Rather, we’re bringing our technology to learn and understand how Waymo fits into the existing transportation landscape and learning how to best partner with local officials and communities.”The inclusion of GO, a popular taxi app in Japan, in the strategic partnership could signal Waymo’s intention to put its autonomous vehicles into service through a locally based mobility provider. Waymo is already doing this in the US, making its autonomous vehicles available on Uber’s ridehail app in Austin and Atlanta. “We have no plans to serve riders in Tokyo at this time”Waymo’s robotaxi business in the US is growing, albeit slowly. The company currently has approximately 700 vehicles in operation in several cities, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin, and Phoenix. It also plans to launch a robotaxi service in Atlanta in an exclusive partnership with Uber and is planning to launch in Miami in 2026. Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai recently said that Waymo was providing 175,000 paid trips per week, or about a million miles.In Tokyo, Waymo’s vehicles will be operated by trained autonomous specialists employed by Nihon Kotsu. Once the company feels like it’s ready, it will transition to hands-free autonomous driving with a safety driver behind the wheel. Karp wouldn’t say whether that would eventually progress to fully driverless operations. The vehicles will be geofenced to certain neighborhoods in Tokyo, including Minato, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Chiyoda, Chūō, Shinagawa, and Kōtō.In bringing its vehicles to its first foreign country, Alphabet is trying to project confidence in its technology, especially at a time when companies are pulling back on costly robotaxi projects. General Motors recently announced that it would no longer fund Cruise and would instead pivot to driver-assist technology and personally owned autonomous vehicles. Several companies have tested their autonomous vehicles in Japan, but the country is a bit of a backwater compared to China and the US. Part of the problem seems to be the country’s robust auto industry is focusing its testing in countries other than its native one. Toyota and Nissan are both seeking to deploy robotaxis in China in collaboration with local operators.

Linux was never as user-friendly as macOS and Windows ... for the masses, at least. It was great for those (like myself) who enjoyed messing around for hours but attempting to convince others to give it a go over their favorite OS was a difficult task, largely due to all the annoyances that came with most Linux-based distros, including Ubuntu. It's a completely different story today with many of the leading Linux distros offering far superior experiences than years past. Things are on more of an even playing field with Windows. Although we're not quite there yet, here are some ways Linux is less infuriating.