Windows’ problems are often discussed as if they’re the result of bad decisions layered on top of an otherwise sound foundation, but I'd argue that a lot of what plagues Windows actually comes from its legacy roots. Microsoft keeps trying to stabilize Windows by refining update processes, adding safeguards, ways to "backup" data, and offering rollback options, but the underlying model hasn’t changed in decades. The operating system is still mutable at its core, which I think is the primary issue.

Raspberry Pi 5 is the most powerful board on the brand's roster, but its most expensive option is now rivaling mini PCs. Storage and RAM prices have doubled (to say the least), and if you're planning to spend that much on a small single-board computer, you should be aware of the options. A mini PC has much more room for upgrade with versatile connection options that put most single-board computers, including the Raspberry Pi 5, to shame.

Down the street from the Los Angeles Angels' stadium in Anaheim, a crowd gathers to watch two homes burn. In less than 30 minutes, one structure is reduced to its smoldering, blackened wood frame, while the other, thanks to simple changes to its design, is remarkably unscathed. Of course, this was the point of the demonstration, which was held last June by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) at a firefighting training center.The heat from the burning demo home is fierce as we stand outside under a bright, cloudless sky. The plume of thick, black smoke is what eventually pushes me back from the front of the audience. …Read the full story at The Verge.

We've all chased lower CPU temperatures at some point. After all, who wouldn't want a CPU that runs cooler, quieter, and sustains higher boost clocks? In fact, I used to panic every time my CPU exceeded 80 degrees while gaming and try every method to lower it because I always felt like that was affecting my performance in some way. I'd start second-guessing my cooler, thermal paste, and airflow, assuming that if I could just shave off a few degrees, my games would feel smoother and more responsive.

This is Lowpass by Janko Roettgers, a newsletter on the ever-evolving intersection of tech and entertainment, syndicated just for The Verge subscribers once a week.Last month, Netflix made the surprising decision to kill off a key feature: With no prior warning, the company removed the ability to cast videos from its mobile apps to a wide range of smart TVs and streaming devices. Casting is now only supported on older Chromecast streaming adapters that didn't ship with a remote, Nest Hub smart displays, and select Vizio and Compal smart TVs.That's a stunning departure for the company. Prior to those changes, Netflix allowed casting to a …Read the full story at The Verge.

Luckily, monitors aren't going up in price like other computing products as of late, which means you can still purchase one for a good price if you're looking for something new. While everyone would love to get their hands on a QD-OLED monitor, sometimes, it's just not in the budget.

Finding that one specific email or the final version of a project proposal shouldn’t feel like a hunt across different browser tabs. For a long time, I used Microsoft Copilot as a standalone assistant, but I was still manually digging through Outlook and OneDrive every time I needed actual data.

It looks like Sony could have plans to release an upgraded PlayStation Portal.

It has been a long time since I've really tried to manage the storage on my PC. I have several drives connected to my build, including a 1TB SSD dedicated to my games, and another 1TB SSD dedicated to my OS, downloads, and apps. But there are some older storage drives that feel more like digital clutter than a useful addition.

Overclocking a Raspberry Pi is one of those projects that feels like a rite of passage. It is cheap, reversible, and gives you a tangible sense that you are getting more out of the hardware you already own. Even better, the results can appear immediately in areas you actually notice, such as UI responsiveness and light compile time. That’s the hook that keeps people trying it again every time a new Pi generation lands.

As someone who tests and writes about productivity tools for a living, NotebookLM is hands-down the tool I find myself using most. It’s packed with just the right features that don’t feel like AI purely for the sake of AI, and it’s clear that it’s designed to solve a specific problem — retrieving information with minimal (close to none) hallucinations.

Windows desktop has always felt like a curated showroom for Microsoft’s latest services. After all, the company’s defaults are baked into every corner of the OS. But what happens when you strip away Edge, Outlook, OneDrive, and more to make room for a purely open-source workflow?