For years, I treated my network-attached storage (NAS) exactly as the name implies: as a simple box of hard drives attached to my network. As long as it held my files without failing, I didn’t think much beyond the drive capacity.

While I'm glad that I got started self-hosting using Docker Desktop, there are times I wish that the software were more intuitive. I've considered Docker container management platforms like Portainer, but I have always been a bit intimidated by the tools since I'm still learning a lot about self-hosting.

Linux isn't known for gaming, but that's slowly changing thanks to SteamOS and its Proton translation layer. But even with these recent improvements, game support isn't even close to what Windows 11 offers. That said, now that Nvidia's GeForce Now game streaming platform is officially available on Linux in beta, some of those key game compatibility gaps are getting filled with the help of the cloud.

You know, I love how game demos have come back with a vengeance. There was a time between now and when I got PlayStation 2 demo disks free with a magazine, where the bite-sized versions of games seemingly dried up. However, with game devs rediscovering the power of demos (especially during Steam Next Fests), we're seeing the appetiser-sized games back on the menu, and I couldn't be happier.

Sometimes you just need a good pair of earbuds that doesn't cost a fortune. That's where the Nothing Ear(a) earbuds come in, delivering exceptional performance for the price. While they were good at MSRP, you can now grab them for even less, coming in at just $59. That's 46% off the usual retail price, which makes them an absolute steal.

Vivaldi is already one of the most powerful and versatile browsers you can get, but today, the team has delivered another major update that takes things to another level. Vivaldi has now reached version 7.8, and it comes with big improvements that take multitasking even further.

Microsoft has had some real issues getting people onto Windows 11. Its older brother, Windows 10, held onto its userbase for as long as it possibly could, and recently lost its first-place spot to Windows 11. It's impossible to tell for sure what caused this—it could be people warming to Windows 11, people leaving Windows 10 as it reached the end of non-security support, or a helping of both—but the truth is, Windows 11 is now king.

Take a Message and next-gen Call Screen features are being disabled on Pixel 4 and Pixel 5 devices. Google is disabling some Phone app features on older Pixel devices after acknowledging a bug that inadvertently leaked audio to callers. The issue has specifically been linked to the Take a Message feature released last year, which automatically answers and transcribes voicemails when you miss a call, with a handful of Pixel 4 and 5 owners reporting that their microphones were activating when callers were leaving messages."We've investigated this issue, which we've confirmed affects a very small subset of Pixel 4 and 5 devices under very specific and rare circumstances," said Google community manager Siri Tejaswini on a support page. "Out …Read the full story at The Verge.

Reference cards from Nvidia and AMD are hard to come by, which is why most people buy AIB variants from brands like Asus, MSI, Gigabyte, Zotac, Galax, Innno3D, PNY, Sapphire, XFX, and others. Many of these aftermarket graphics cards sport better thermals, lower noise levels, and slightly higher performance compared to reference editions. Some AIB features are worth paying extra for, but many of them are just there to justify the overpriced variants. These features don't add meaningful performance, and often come in the way of optimal operation. If you're still paying a premium for these useless features, it's high time you reconsidered.

Most people working with RAW images have probably considered getting a Lightroom subscription if they don’t already have one. It’s the standard for handling RAW files and for good reason. Adobe has some of the best editing software on the market, but its products aren’t the most accessible. Luckily, Affinity is now free, and it includes everything from the old graphics trio - Photo, Designer, and Publisher.

SSDs and GPUs are some of the most important parts of every single PC out there, and yet, they can also become some of the most confusing, thanks to their ever-evolving dynamics and generations. Marketing and spec-splitting make PCIe generations sound worlds apart, when they really aren't. It's been nearly five years since PCIe 5.0 entered the mainstream conversation, and yet the truth remains refreshingly boring: PCIe 3.0 — a 16-year-old standard — is still more than enough for around 90% of users today, regardless of use case. That includes gaming, general productivity, and even light creative work.

While I'd love to crow about how 2026 is going to become "the year of Linux," I feel that it won't be the year for some people. Not because Linux is slacking, but because it can't quite check every single tickbox just yet. While I personally find Linux suitable as a replacement for my Windows workflow, others may find Linux lacking in some areas.