Modern PC builders spend countless hours researching CPUs, GPUs, SSDs, and memory kits, but many overlook one of the most important performance settings hidden inside their motherboard's BIOS. I used to assume that if my hardware was physically installed correctly, it would automatically run at its maximum speed. After all, PCIe standards are designed to negotiate the fastest supported connection between devices and the motherboard.

Backups are one of those home lab chores that can quietly turn into decoration. You set them up, watch the first job complete, and then slowly stop thinking about whether they still work. The Proxmox dashboard may show a task as completed, but that doesn’t always mean the backup is useful, recent, complete, or easy to recover from. That gap is where my trust started to fray.

If I had a nickel for every time I've reported on a cute aquarium app designed to run entirely off an ESP32 CYD, I'd have two nickels. It's not a lot, but unlike how the meme goes, I don't think it's weird that it happened twice; in fact, I love it.

As operating systems move forward as a whole, the system requirements for running them only get bigger and bigger. Windows 11's NPU 2.0 requirement caused quite a stir when it first came to light, and even Ubuntu is asking for better hardware these days.

As I sit and inventory my tech and other electronic equipment around my home, I'm surprised by how many of my devices still require batteries to run. I'm not talking about devices with internal batteries like phones, modern remotes, or flashlights that you can plug in and charge. I am looking at products that need AA, AAA, or 9V batteries. Those types of devices are less common but still around enough that having a decent supply is important, even though the cost adds up. Luckily, Amazon has a solution with its Basics brand.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the export control directive that led to Anthropic cutting off access to Fable 5 and Mythos 5 was triggered in part by cybersecurity research from Amazon and conversations between CEO Andy Jassy and the White House. According to the report, the paper from Amazon claims that, through a series of prompts, it was able to get Fable 5 to serve up information that could be used in cyberattacks. Amazon has yet to respond to a request for comment.Shortly after Jassy shared the company's findings with the government, it made the call to block its use by foreign nationals. Complicating this issue is that many of …Read the full story at The Verge.

I don't think I remember the last time I used a walkie-talkie, and with the introduction of smartphones, I'm not sure when I'll ever need one. However, that doesn't make them useless by any means. If you want to make your own pair of walkie-talkies using an ESP32, this project may just be what you're looking for, and best of all, it manages to avoid the need for radio licensing using a smart trick.

I consume a lot of media and information every day. Between books, articles, research papers, and, of course, videos, it's a lot of information overload. The problem isn't finding all this information; it's turning it into something I can actually use.

Over the last couple of months, I’ve started looking into ways I can repurpose old hardware. PC rigs are the easiest to revitalize, as Proxmox is all they need to turn into functioning LXC (and sometimes, even VM) hosting workstations. Meanwhile, individual components like graphics cards, RAM sticks, and storage drives serve as decent additions to my existing home lab nodes.

Modern PC hardware often has more interlinked elements than the average user can keep track of. Sure, seasoned gamers may know about XMP/EXPO, Resizable BAR, and GPU power limits, but the majority of users are unaware of these settings. I want to highlight some other PC settings that directly impact your gaming performance, thermals, noise levels, stability, and security. You may not know these settings exist, or even if you do, you may not consider them worth the hassle. Some users are also overly cautious about fiddling with the firmware, BIOS settings, and voltage/frequency settings out of fear of lasting damage. Thankfully, the settings on this list are perfectly safe to tweak, and will almost always deliver positive results for your system. The default settings might work, but you're unknowingly leaving performance on the table.

AI coding tools have become one of the biggest topics in software development. Every week, there's a new demo showing how AI can generate features, automate workflows, and dramatically boost developer productivity. Cursor is often part of that conversation, and for good reason; it's a powerful tool with some genuinely impressive capabilities.

Over the past year, I've fallen in love with Linux and everything it has to offer. The immense variety of options in distros, desktops, and software make Linux a very fun space where you never run out of things to talk about. But as fun as it is, the future of Linux may depend on something far more boring: immutability.