Adobe Illustrator is the industry standard for vector graphics for a reason. However, with a monthly cost of $23 (or $60 for Creative Cloud), many peopleparticularly hobbyists, students, or beginnersmay find they neither require nor can afford such a comprehensive solution. If you are looking to explore your design options, there is a whole world of powerful, free alternatives out there. That said, not every tool is capable enough to replace Adobe Illustrator.

The cloud storage market is huge, and Dropbox is right near the top of the heap, with only Google Drive having more market share. While Dropbox's ease of use can't really be argued against, it is lacking in some areas, and the paltry 2GB of free storage without paying ever-increasing monthly premiums lags behind the competition. Even if you were a paying customer, the company has ended its unlimited tier after a few users abused their goodwill, and you might be looking for an alternative. To tide you over while you save for your own NAS to wean off cloud storage, here are a few other file-sharing services that give a more generous level of storage capacity for free.

Willem Dafoe in Nosferatu. | Screenshot: YouTube Can you feel it? There’s a slight chill in the air, the Sun is retiring earlier, and the leaves are beginning to change (at least in my Midwestern city). We’re wading right into the time of year when everyone starts posting the vampire Kermit the Frog meme to show how ready they are for Halloween. I’m even starting to eye that Shudder re-subscribe button.October has its own vibe at the cinema, and theatrical releases this month include Operation Blood Hunt, a movie about 1944 special forces fighting werewolves in the Pacific theater, and Seven Cemeteries, a Danny Trejo-starring film about a guy who hires a witch to resurrect his posse to save a woman’s ranch. And let’s not forget Rumours, which I’m very excited for. So I’ve got a... Continue reading…

If you are still using an HDD in 2024, then I have some bad news and good news for you. The bad news is, that it's time to upgrade, because if you want a smooth gaming experience in today's age, you really need a new SSD for your gaming PC.

The GPU is often the most prized component of any gaming setup. However, the situation gets flipped on its head when youre planning to build a home lab or a storage server. In this case, the CPU and RAM become the most essential parts of your home server, rather than the graphics card.

Microsoft Excel is more than just a spreadsheet toolits a productivity powerhouse. Whether you're crunching numbers, organizing data, or creating financial models, there are plenty of features and shortcuts to help streamline your workflow. Here are nine ways to supercharge your productivity in Excel and make the most of its capabilities.

Despite Apple's enhancements to Spotlight search on Mac over the years, it still seems restricted and basic in certain aspects. If you're looking for a tool that goes beyond simple search functions and greatly improves your Mac workflow, Raycast is the perfect solution. It basically puts everything you need at your fingertips and transforms your Mac into a streamlined, efficient machine.

When Windows 11 was released, it set an ultimatum for people wanting to upgrade; have a CPU that supports TPM 2.0, or don't upgrade at all. Since then, the company has seen Windows 10 users holding onto their systems and people finding ways to dodge Windows 11's system requirements and run it on unsupported hardware. And with Windows 10's end-of-support date in a year's time, the Redmond giant would really prefer you chuck out all that perfectly good hardware and just purchase a new PC already.

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge The Federal Communications Commission has given SpaceX and T-Mobile temporary approval for direct-to-cell service using Starlink satellites in areas affected by Hurricane Helene, SpaceX:The satellites have already been enabled and started broadcasting emergency alerts to cell phones on all networks in North Carolina. In addition, we may test basic texting (SMS) capabilities for most cell phones on the T-Mobile network in North Carolina. SpaceX’s direct-to-cell constellation has not been fully deployed, so all services will be delivered on a best-effort basis.The massive flooding from Hurricane Helene created swaths of “blackout zones,” particularly in North Carolina, and communications continue to be heavily impacted throughout the... Continue reading…

The old Mac Mini design may finally be on its way out after more than a decade. | Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge Apple is planning to announce in late October that new Macs, including a rumored Mac Mini that’s about the size of an Apple TV, will be available to buy starting on November 1st. That’s according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who also writes in his Power On newsletter today that the iPad Mini is getting an overdue refresh — its first since 2021.The Mac Mini may be the most exciting of the updates, given the rumored significant physical revamp coming along with a new M4 chip. Despite its shrunken size, the M4 Pro version might have a healthy connectivity spread (albeit without any USB-A ports).Gurman writes that Apple will also announce M4 versions of the base model 14-inch MacBook Pro, as well as the high-end 14- and- 16-inch MacBook... Continue reading…

While there is no shortage of task management apps out there, sometimes they create a mess of forgotten deadlines and misplaced priorities. Whether you're handling a big event, a project, a home renovation, or everyday chores, Microsoft Excel can help you make a tailored to-do list. Yes, you read that right! Aside from databases and complicated formulas, you can use Excel to prioritize, organize, and manage your tasks like a pro.

Garmin makes some of the best fitness trackers and smartwatches on the market. Not only do they offer wearables with rugged designs, but you also get plenty of great health and wellness tracking features. Furthermore, the real highlight of most of Garmin's products is going to be all about the long battery life. While times can vary, many of Garmin's products can easily outlast wearables from Apple and Samsung.