Network-attached storage (NAS) can be expensive, especially when shopping for a pre-built enclosure. An old PC can create a NAS and you don't have to swap the operating system. If you're familiar with Windows and prefer to stick with Microsoft's software, it's entirely possible to create a NAS using Windows 11. This guide will show you what you need and how to configure Windows so it's better suited to storing lots of data, running services, and having multiple clients connect through the local area network (LAN).

Microsoft has had a rough time with its new AI-powered Recall feature for Copilot+. Ever since the public learned that Copilot can only do its job if it takes a screenshot of your desktop every so often, people haven't been keen on having the service running on their PC. Add to the fact that someone discovered that Recall saves plain text logs of your activity, which caused the Redmond giant to recall Recall until later. However, that hasn't stopped Microsoft from adding new features to Recall, one of which has made its way onto the Insider build.

Got a broken arm? Just play Toss-Up! | Screenshot: YouTube Nintendo is a gaming juggernaut today, but it wasn’t really on anyone’s radar in the United States in 1980. And what was possibly the first US commercial for hardware produced by the company — a handheld called Toss-Up, from its “Game & Watch” series — certainly didn’t help, as a newly-restored copy shows. That’s because there’s no mention of Nintendo at all, or even Game & Watch.Game & Watch games were simplistic standalone handheld LCD games not unlike the cheap licensed Tiger Electronics games seemingly every kid had in the 1990s. And in the US, those games were initially licensed to a company called Mego (pronounced “mee-go”), and sold as a series called “Time-Out” instead, according to The Video Game History Foundation in a blog... Continue reading…

Despite all the controversies and quality control issues that have affected Asus ROG Ally owners, I've had a fantastic experience using the device through about half a year of ownership. For me, it's the best PC gaming handheld on the market. That's true even though it certainly has flaws, like a seemingly-defective microSD card reader and Windows-related annoyances. After a whirlwind of leaks and rumors over the last few weeks, Asus debuted the new ROG Ally X at Computex 2024. It's similar to the original ROG Ally for the most part, but it's different in all the right ways.

Insta360 is best known for its popular X series of 360 cameras, but the Shenzhen-based tech firm is looking to conquer the more competitive action camera field too. Just six months after launching its large-sensored Ace Pro action camera, Insta360 has just announced the Go 3S, a modular action camera in which the camera part can detach from its body. It's a clever little gadget that offers a wide range of shooting options. Those who like to document their daily life in creative ways with a highly portable camera will find plenty to like here, but if you are shooting just conventional videos, then there are plenty of other action cameras that are either cheaper or capture even better footage, like the company's own Ace Pro.

The Philips Hue Twilight lamp. | Image: Smartlights.de Philips Hue’s next smart bedside lamp will reportedly be called the “Twilight.” The lamp will feature two buttons on top for power, scene selection, and sleep automation, and it also has LEDs in the back that will feature a sunrise or sunset effect, according to HueBlog.com.The rear LED and main light, like the Hue Dymera’s top and bottom lights, will apparently be individually controllable, and when triggering its sleep automation, the site says it will simulate a sunset before turning off. It’s not clear yet when — or for how much — Philips will release the Twilight. Image: HueBlog.com HueBlog published leaked images earlier this week that show the lamp’s odd, fixed lampshade. It will apparently come in black or... Continue reading…

There was plenty of speculation about Apple potentially collaborating with OpenAI or Google to provide an artificial intelligence chatbot on its next-generation platforms. Some thought that Apple would never do it, and to be fair, it has been quite a while since we've seen a partnership as big as the one Apple and OpenAI enjoined. As the companies announced at WWDC 2024, ChatGPT will be integrated into iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia. Interestingly enough, no money is exchanging hands, at least for now. Bloomberg reports that Apple is "paying" OpenAI through exposure. But this is far from the first time Apple struck a blockbuster deal to outsource a feature on one of its products.

There are many 67W chargers out there, but few are as adorable as Sharge’s travel-friendly Retro 67. Earlier this week, we published a guide rounding up an assortment of last-minute Father’s Day gifts for those who celebrate. However, if you need a Hail Mary and your dad is the nostalgic type with a penchant for all things Apple, the Sharge Retro 67 is currently on sale for an all-time low of $39 ($30 off) at Amazon and direct from Sharge.In February, my colleague Sean Hollister penned a personal ode to the Sharge’s three-port USB-C PD and PPS charger (and for good reason). The palm-sized Retro 67 measures 2.2 x 1.5 x 1.5 inches — which is relatively small for what it offers — and can output 67 watts from a single UL-certified port or 45 watts via the primary port while supplying 20 watts across the remaining two. That’s enough juice... Continue reading…

Among computer vocabulary words, bit is certainly one of the most well-known. Whole generations of video game consoles and their pixelated art styles are defined by bits (such as 8-bit and 16-bit), and many applications offer both 32-bit and 64-bit versions.

The central processing unit (CPU) produces waste heat due to the amount of power drawn from the motherboard. To allow the chip to run as designed by AMD and Intel, we need to facilitate the transfer of heat between the integrated heat spreader (IHS) and the base plate of a heatsink or water block. Thermal paste helps with this by filling in gaps between the two surfaces, which can be caused by manufacturing defects or damage. The choice of thermal paste doesn't matter much, but here are our favorites, depending on the application.

This should fold in half. It just should. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge Folding an iPad in half is a very bad idea if you want to keep using your iPad. But hear me out: it should fold in half. Why? Because it would make an absolute banger of a folding phone.First of all, what’s even going on here anyway? The Pro iPhones have more processing power than they know what to do with. The iPad Pro is an incredible computer that nobody can use as a computer. The iPad Mini still exists (TIL airplane pilots love the iPad Mini), the iPad Air is heavier than the iPad Pro, and Apple can’t figure out what to do with the non-standard-sized iPhone. There are entirely too many SKUs, and I think Apple can condense, like, four of them down into one category-straddling product.I’m thinking of something like an iPad Mini that... Continue reading…

PC building is rarely an exercise in solitude. Nearly every PC builder is influenced by the builds they've seen in the community, picking up something or the other as inspiration for their own project. While this is undoubtedly great for getting visual and performance ideas, there are some downsides as well.