My self-hosting home lab setup has evolved into a pretty major part of my home, but it's interesting to me to look back and realize how it all started and how quickly it evolved. I got into this whole idea last year when I had to set up Home Assistant for the very first time, but then this year, after seeing so many of my colleagues talk about what they can do with a NAS and what self-hosting can be used for, I wanted to level up my setup.

Every time the internet goes down, I always spend some time with Google Chrome's Dinosaur Game. In case you've never heard of it, it's a very simple but amusing platformer that only appears if you get a network connectivity issue in Chrome.

There's no doubt that Nvidia currently leads the GPU market with almost no competition in the high-end segment, but fans often exaggerate how far behind AMD really is. As someone who has always preferred Nvidia cards, I'd say AMD's offerings deserve more credit than they usually get. Nvidia has earned its reputation over the years because of ray tracing, AI-powered features, and top-tier halo products like the RTX 4090 and 5090. However, AMD has its own strengths despite the lack of a high-end GPU to match.

Apple has announced the changes it's making to the iOS App Store in Japan in order to comply with recent legislation in the country. It will allow third-party app stores and payment processing options, though is introducing new commission fees for those transactions.Developers in Japan will now be able to distribute apps on alternative app stores, much like in the EU, with AltStore PAL already expecting to launch in the country before the year's end. As in Europe, Apple will collect a 5 percent commission for in-app purchases made in third-party stores.App Store apps will also now be permitted to use alternative payment options alongside …Read the full story at The Verge.

For the longest time, GIMP felt like the obvious choice when you wanted a powerful image editor that’s also free. I’ve been using it on and off for some time now, and while I appreciate the flexibility and depth it offers, it comes with a lot of user friction. It still doesn’t have fully-integrated non-destructive editing for all features, and the modal dialogs can make the UI feel quite scattered.

I really enjoy learning about different materials that you can 3D print with. Sure, we're all familiar with resin and filament, but would you eat a steak that was created with a 3D meat printer? That's the kind of stuff I'm really interested in, especially if they have the potential to change how we live and how things get made.

If you thought that high-end PC gaming is an all-exclusive club with passes issued only to those with a flagship GPU and a top-of-the-line processor, you would've been quite right 5 years ago.

The way PC hardware prices are increasing every year, building a PC can quickly get out of hand. Adding a few pre-owned components to your build is a tried and tested way to keep costs under control. However, many builders are apprehensive about shopping on the used market, worried about authenticity and reliability. While buyer protection can protect you against fake or non-functioning components, some faults take time to rear their head. However, if you do your due diligence before buying used hardware, many components are safe and worth buying used. And while we're at it, I'll also list the parts that you should always buy new, if possible.

Another independent rides off into the sunset. | Image: Cowboy The Brussels-based electric bike company has officially closed its deal to be acquired by ReBirth Group Holding, which also owns cycling brands Peugeot, Gitane, and Solex. The transaction includes new, undisclosed funding from ReBirth as well as €15 million ($17.6 million) from existing shareholders. The funding will be used to restart production and deal with a backlog of spare parts, the companies say.Rebirth is the parent of Re-cycles, the French manufacturer of traditional bicycles that took over responsibility for Cowboy's e-bike assembly operations earlier this year. Cowboy was plagued by issues in 2025, including delayed deliveries …Read the full story at The Verge.

The Steam Winter Sale has returned. For well over a decade now, Valve's PC gaming storefront has offered massive discounts on games around the holiday. If you've been saving money this year and waiting for the right time to buy some PC games, now is the best time to do so. For some of the sale's best deals, you'll want to look at Steam's Featured Deep Discounts page.

The Kuxiu S3 simultaneously charging an iPhone wirelessly and an older Android phone via the integrated USB-C cable. Kuxiu is back with a new S3 portable battery that addresses most of the issues I had during my review of the S2, aka the "world's first" semi-solid state power bank. It also introduces a few new ones, while adding useful features like a kickstand and integrated USB-C cable.As a reminder, these are not true "solid state power banks" despite the marketing hype. The 10,000mAh Kuxiu S3 uses the same solid-liquid mixed electrolyte found in the S2, making it less prone to thermal runaway than the all-liquid Lithium-ion batteries found in most power banks. Kuxiu says its unique semi-solid state chemistry also lasts twice as long, making it good f …Read the full story at The Verge.

Few things are as satisfying as arming your home lab with cool virtual machines and containers. However, once your arsenal of virtual guests goes past a certain point, you’ll want to grab a couple of tools to make your management tasks a lot easier. A dashboard, ideally one with built-in monitoring provisions, is one such utility, as it not only helps you access your services from a centralized UI, but also keeps track of essential system metrics. And of course, a sleek interface for showing off your home lab is a part of the charm.