Windows 11 may be the "latest and greatest" operating system from Microsoft, and truth be told, it is a great OS. However, as Windows evolves many of its included tools change, and in many people's eyes, they don't always change for the better.

Waiting for Nvidia to release the price of the GeForce RTX 5090 is kind of like getting an injection. You know it's going to sting, but all you can do is wait with your teeth clenched and your eyes closed. While Nvidia won't dare reveal the price point until CES 2025 at the very earliest, there have been hints of how much it may cost. Now, a Chinese retailer has leaked a price point, and even though I know it would be quite costly, I'm still grimacing at the sound of it.

Building your own custom Windows ISO is a great project for anyone who wants a clean, easily repeatable Windows PC setup. You can tweak your ISO for everything from minimal telemetry and improving privacy settings, to preinstalling your favorite apps, setting up network connections, making user profiles, and more. It's a truly personal experience, and you can put as much or as little of your normal Windows setup process into your ISO image as you'd like. Having your own image is also a good thing to store on your emergency USB with multiple ISO images, allowing you to set up your own personal flavor of Windows anywhere (or when helping family and friends set up their machines).

It's always a great idea to recycle your plastic bottles, but how about using them for your own needs? If you go through PET bottles like crazy and your recycling heap is a mountain of plastic, you may be interested in this cool project that can turn them into 3D printer filament. And while it's still at the crowdfunding stage, it's already shaping up to be something amazing.

Windows 11 is awful in many ways. There is no denying it, and one of the main reasons is all the ads. Microsoft seems completely focused on stuffing Windows 11 with features designed to steal your attention or trick you into using their products instead of what you actually want. From the moment you boot up a new Windows laptop and open Edge to download Chrome, you are met with ads urging you to choose Microsoft’s offerings.

I switched to a MacBook Pro from one of the best Windows laptops a couple of years ago and haven't looked back since. The overall user experience, thanks to the synergy of both the hardware and software working together, convinced me to switch to the other side. I was using an iPhone at that time, so the seamless ecosystem also worked in my favor. However, my work involves using and reviewing multiple smartphones. So, I can't always keep using an iPhone all the time. When I recently switched to the Vivo X200 Pro, which is one of the best phones out there currently, I figured out that a lot of the things I love about macOS are linked to the ecosystem.

A Meta Quest 3 on a charging dock. | Photo by David Pierce / The Verge Meta updated a note on the top of its Quest support site to say that a “software update issue” has been bricking Quest 2, Quest 3, and Quest 3S headsets. The company writes that while “most” people can now use their headsets normally, it’s “actively working on resolving the issue for all users.” That Meta is now saying it’s working on a fix “for all users” may be good news for Quest 2 and 3 owners who’ve reported that Meta wouldn’t fix or replace their headsets because they were out of warranty. Some Reddit users say the company has emailed a confirmation that they were getting out-of-warranty service for the issue, and a Meta support forum community manager wrote in an update yesterday that Meta’s customer support “should have new directions on how to support users now.” We're aware that some new Meta Quest 3S devices are having trouble with the initial software update. Our team is working on a solution but in the meantime, please use our software update tool (https://t.co/bgR14KPfvv) to resolve this issue. We appreciate your patience while we…— Meta Quest Help (@MetaQuestHelp) December 6, 2024Meta posted on December 6th that there were software update issues affecting “some new Quest 3S devices,” but didn’t mention Quest 2 or 3 headsets or what software version was involved, either then or in an earlier version of the new support site message that UploadVR reported this week. The company announced on December 9th that it was rolling out its most recent update, Meta Quest v71, adding features like a revamped virtual desktop display connection method and keyboard passthrough support in virtual environments.

The convenience of Wi-Fi can't be understated, but even the best routers sometimes struggle to cover our homes with signal. When that happens, we get what's known as a dead zone, where wireless devices have low signals or can't even connect to the network. Imagine how annoying it would be if you lost signal partway through a video call or couldn't connect to your video doorbell to see who's at the door.

Ryzen Master is a helpful utility for those with AMD Ryzen CPUs, allowing users various overclocking, undervolting, and other performance optimization tools within the Windows environment. You can essentially leverage one-click CPU performance boosts, enable EXPO without entering the BIOS/UEFI, and monitor CPU and RAM parameters like temperature, power, voltage, frequency, and timings.

While PowerPoint is the de facto choice for creating presentations, it goes far beyond endless bullet points and dull meetings. It’s a secret weapon for unleashing your creativity. In this post, I will show you the creative side of PowerPoint, where slides transform into canvases for visual storytelling and design.

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge The US Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is proposing new cybersecurity requirements for healthcare organizations aimed at protecting patients’ private data in the event of cyberattacks, reports Reuters. The rules come after major cyberattacks like one that leaked the private information of more than 100 million UnitedHealth patients earlier this year.The OCR’s proposal includes requiring that healthcare organizations make multifactor authentication mandatory in most situations, that they segment their networks to reduce risks of intrusions spreading from one system to another, and that they encrypt patient data so that even if it’s stolen, it can’t be accessed. It would also direct regulated groups to undertake certain risk analysis practices, keep compliance documentation, and more. The rule is part of the cybersecurity strategy that the Biden administration announced last year. Once finalized, it would update the Security Rule of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), which regulates doctors, nursing homes, health insurance companies, and more, and was last updated in 2013.US deputy national security advisor Anne Neuberger put the cost of implementing the requirements at “an estimated $9 billion in the first year, and $6 billion in years two through five,” writes Reuters. The proposal is due to be published in the Federal Register on January 6th, which will kick off the 60-day public comment period before the final rule is set.

The Venn diagram of people who are interested in Raspberry Pis and people who like 3D printing is basically a circle. Both are really handy tools for people who are into DIY, so it's only natural that there are plenty of projects out there that combine the two. So, if you have a Raspberry Pi and a ton of resin to burn, here are some ways to put two and two together.