Having left desktop computers behind for laptops, I found myself in need of a permanently-connected computer to act as my local media server. One that looks nice and is not too expensive. The answer I found was a refurbished mini PC, with lots of trial and error along the way.

Let’s face it, no one likes room temperature coffee. | Image: Ember Fall has arrived, bringing cooler temperatures with it. Thankfully, Ember is running a sale through October 21st that takes 20 percent off many of its self-heating vessels — including the Ember Mug 2, a guilty pleasure of ours. The 10-ounce mug is available for about $104 ($27 off) with promo code SEASON20, while the 14-ounce version is down to about $120 ($30 off). The same code is good for the metallic versions of either model, too, as well as the 16-ounce Ember Tumbler (now $143.96) and the ultra-fancy Travel Mug 2 Plus (now $159.96). Each Ember Mug 2 features a built-in battery, which allows the second-gen smart mug to last up to 90 minutes per charge or indefinitely if you set it on the included charging coaster. It pairs with a... Continue reading…

What if I told you the Meta Quest 3S is in some ways just a more powerful Quest 2 with color passthrough? “Yes, of course it is,” someone who’s read our coverage might say, but iFixit shows just how true that is in the teardown video it published today.The first hint of that is the headset’s Fresnel lenses, which iFixit’s Shahram Mokhtari writes in a blog post are “100% compatible” with those used by the Quest 2. The headset has the older headset’s IPD adjustment mechanism, as well; and it shares the same single LCD panel, rather than using one panel per eye, like the Meta Quest 3. Screenshot: YouTube This is what sits behind the faceplate of the Quest 3S. Legacy parts aside, iFixit found that the 3S uses two... Continue reading…

Home labs are perfect when you need an experimentation hub to deploy, test, and tinker with self-hosted services. While Jellyfin/Plex/Emby, Pi-hole, Wireguard, pfSense/OPNsense, and Vaultwarden/Bitwarden are often considered the quintessential apps for any home server, youll find a myriad of useful services once you dive into the self-hosted rabbit hole. So, here are five amazing applications you can try running on your home lab.

I’ve never been so happy to use a computer that meets my state’s legal drinking age. | Photo: Wes Davis / The Verge It’s been 20 years since Apple discontinued the iMac G4, a unique computer with a funky half-globe base and a flatscreen LCD on a fancy hinge and adjustable arm. In its unaltered state, it’s a nice-to-look-at, nostalgic relic that’s unusable in modern contexts. I coveted it and never got to own one at the time, but thanks to Juicy Crumb’s DockLite G4, I’m using this classic iMac every day as an external monitor.The DockLite G4 is a drop-in replacement motherboard for the iMac G4’s board that features an HDMI port, along with three USB-A and a single USB-C port, and 3.5mm ports for audio. Most importantly, it uses the iMac’s existing mounting holes and internal connectors for power and video, so all you need is a couple of screwdrivers... Continue reading…

The DJI Mavic Pro 3 drone. | Image: DJI DJI, the world’s largest drone company, is suing to avoid being seen as a tool of the Chinese government. On Friday, it sued the US Department of Defense to delete its name from a list of “Chinese Military Companies,” claiming it has no such relationship to Chinese authorities and has suffered unfairly as a result of that designation.Since DJI was added to that list in 2022, the company claims, it has “lost business deals, been stigmatized as a national security threat, and been banned from contracting with multiple federal government agencies,” and that its employees “now suffer frequent and pervasive stigmatization” and are “repeatedly harassed and insulted in public places.”It also alleges that the DoD would not offer the company... Continue reading…

Windows 11, version 24H2 is Microsoft's major feature update for Windows users this year. And just like previous major releases, the latest one also includes several known issues you must be aware of before installing the update on your PCs. While Microsoft is hard at work to fix them, a new issue has recently been discovered, and it's so severe that Microsoft has to block the Windows 11 24H2 update for now.

There are quite a few note-taking apps available for PCs, Macs, smartphones, and tablets. Each has its pros and cons, and picking which is best often comes down to personal preference. That's the case with most software, and even though I prefer the Apple ecosystem, I do prefer Microsoft 365 for word processing, spreadsheets, and other office productivity apps. So, I really wanted to enjoy using OneNote, but there are five reasons it simply can't replace Apple Notes for me.

Optimizing your Windows PC can be a tedious process. Fortunately, several companies offer software that can help you do this easily. While not all software is created equal, a few programs are quite decent and will help ensure your PC isn't running sluggishly.

Geekom is no stranger to making great mini PCs, and the GT1 Mega is the first to feature Intel's Core Ultra Series 1 processors. That alone makes this an exciting PC, and that's about it. This is a pretty standard Geekom mini PC, which is to say it's a great one, but it's not doing anything to break the mold.

The Windows Forecast is a look at the future of Windows that comments on the latest news for Windows Insiders, as well as other major announcements in the Windows space each and every week. My name is Joo Carrasqueira, and I've been covering the world of Windows professionally since 2018. If there's something you'd like to see covered, you can reach me at [email protected].

Image: Neon The director of Anora talks about representing sex work onscreen and how sticking the landing of a film means thinking about it first. Continue reading…