LLMs have finally settled in after many years of turbulent but rapid progress. Now, AI companies are focusing on allowing an AI to take control of your PC so it can perform tasks for you. We've seen Microsoft try something similar with Copilot, and we've seen the rise of AI browsers that take the reins and do all the browsing, research, and shopping for you.

If you open almost any app right now, there’s usually some kind of AI baked into it by default, and it’s not always easy to find the opt-out function. I’m pretty deep into AI tools and use them almost every day, but note-taking is one place where I don’t think it’s always necessary. And more importantly, I like having the option to use AI on my own terms. So when I keep being met with buttons that light up with the AI sparkle icon everywhere I turn, I’m more likely to close the app and go elsewhere, especially if it’s just to note something down.

It feels like it's several years overdue at this point, but Apple's long-rumored Apple TV 4K refresh could be released very soon, according to a recent report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, a reliable source of leaks.

If you’ve ever stared at a wall of server logs trying to find one useful line, you already know how painful it gets. You end up endlessly scrolling, dealing with timestamps that don’t line up, while important errors stay buried in noise, which makes the whole process harder than it should be. The problem isn’t just the logs themselves; it’s how you’re forced to read them.

As the US tries to bring its tech manufacturing onto its own soil, the country has also deployed a strong stance against importing hardware from other countries. We first saw this when the tariffs hit soon after Trump's inauguration, with the prices for hardware produced overseas skyrocketing in advance. Now, the US government has taken a step further and banned any new consumer routers built outside of America from receiving the FCC authorization required to be sold in the US, but your current hardware is safe.

As PC builders, we consume tons of information before picking components for a new build. Still, mistakes can happen. When I put together a budget gaming PC back in 2017, my focus was on minimizing every expense possible. Of course, I wanted a build that was ready for future upgrades, but a handful of mistakes forced me to compromise on certain upgrade choices. Then, in 2022, some component choices were out of my hands, and I picked parts that I shouldn't have. These choices either made it impossible to upgrade to the components I wanted a few years later, or forced me to stick with ones for longer than I would have liked. It's been over three years since I built a PC, but next time I do it, I'll do my best to avoid similar blunders. I hope I get the opportunity sooner rather than later, considering the DRAM crisis and skyrocketing hardware prices.

Even with 32GB of RAM and a high-end CPU, your Start menu might still have a half-second delay, and overall your PC could feel quite sluggish. The culprit is Windows 11 using a surprising amount of resources just to stand by for AI prompts and background indexing. By flipping these six lesser-known switches, we can strip away the 2026 chafe and return Windows to its most responsive state.

If you're limited on space, this 43-inch monitor might just be the thing. Not only can it handle your daily work, but it can also become the center of your entertainment hub. The best part is that it's not all that expensive right now, coming in with a steep discount that knocks $140 off its usual retail price of $500. So, if you've been thinking about buying something new and need a monitor that can do it all, Samsung's M7 4K smart monitor is going to be the one.

I remember a time when setting aside 10–20% of your SSD felt less like a suggestion and was more of a survival tactic. It's the one piece of advice I gave everyone in school and in college, ending with an "if you know, you know" shrug. This was a suggestion I followed after reading about it buried deep in forums, and it was passed around like sacred knowledge among early SSD adopters trying to make an expensive and fragile storage option a little more reliable.

The XIAO range of ESP32 chips recently got a new addition, with the ESP32-C5 entering the fray. It's the first to support dual-band 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi 6, along with Bluetooth 5 LE, Zigbee, and Thread. It's a very "typical" XIAO ESP32 chip in the sense that it's compact, has integrated battery management, and supports low power operation. Seeed Studio sent me one for review, alongside a selection of Grove sensors and an expansion board, so I built my own personal desk buddy just to see what it's capable of.

In December, the Federal Communications Commission banned all future drones made in foreign countries from being imported into the United States, unless or until their maker gets an exemption. Now, the FCC has done the exact same for consumer networking gear, citing "an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States and to the safety and security of U.S. persons."If you already have a Wi-Fi or wired router, you can keep on using it - and companies that have already gotten FCC radio authorization for a specific foreign-made product can continue to import that product.But since the vast majority - if not all - consumer rou …Read the full story at The Verge.

The Fitbit Ace LTE turns exercise into a game for kids, and it’s on sale at multiple retailers. | Image: Fitbit If you’re trying to figure out how to keep your kids occupied this spring break, the Fitbit Ace LTE is an easy way to get them outdoors and off their phones. The kid-friendly smartwatch encourages movement with trackable games, and it’s back to an all-time low price of $99.95 ($80 off) at Amazon ahead of the retailer’s Big Spring Sale. Best Buy and Target are also matching that price. Fitbit Ace LTEThe Ace LTE sports some of the same hardware found on the Google Pixel Watch 2 and a variety of step-activated games, which can help motivate your child to keep moving. It also offers calling, messaging, and location sharing when you sign up for a monthly or annual data plan. Read our hands-on impressions.Where to Buy: $179.99 $99.95 at Amazon $179.99 $99.99 at Best Buy $179.99 $99.99 at GoogleBuilt with kids ages 7 to 11 in mind, the wearable features step-activated games and a digital companion called Eejie. As they play more, kids can earn points that can be used to buy items like outfits, rooms, and other accessories for Eejie. The built-in activities are simple and fun, and include a fishing challenge where kids cast their arm and pull it back to catch fish and a Mario Kart-styled game where kids race by tilting their arm. Fitbit also includes useful safety and communication features.  There are no ads or third-party app stores to worry about, and parental controls let you manage contacts and tweak other settings. You can also monitor your child’s progress on activity goals and disable games during school hours. What’s really helpful is that it can double as a smartphone replacement; the Ace supports Tap to Pay via Google Pay, so kids can make purchases on their own. With a $9.99 monthly subscription, kids can also call or text preapproved contacts and share their location through Google Maps, all without requiring a separate smartphone.Read our Fitbit Ace LTE hands-on impressions.