The Kaoss Pad has seen many different iterations, but the mainline effect unit and sampler hasn't received an update since the launch of the KP3+ in 2013. Korg has finally given it the attention it deserves with the release of the Kaoss Pad V. Rather than a dramatic reimagining of what a Kaoss Pad is, the V takes the core idea - an effect unit with an X / Y pad for controlling parameters in a natural, performance-focused way.The big innovation on the Kaoss Pad V is that it can recognize two fingers simultaneously to control two distinct sets of parameters, or even two entirely different effects. It also has a dedicated voice effects engine …Read the full story at The Verge.

I love 3D printing and the possibilities it affords, both for interesting in-place gadgets that would be difficult to manufacture any other way and for practical improvements to my home and workspace. I've got four 3D printers right now, but that's just the ones I kept after passing older models to friends. I've got them set up on a standing desk because that makes it easier to get things to the correct height for maintenance, but it left me with a tricky situation: keeping the chaos of tools and other tech on my desk in check. The problem was also the solution in this case, and after a lot of trial and error with various organizational systems, I've found the ones that work best for me.

The "RAMpocalypse" of 2026 needs no introduction. A quick scroll through hardware news reveals the desperate ways consumers are coping. From users salvaging laptop modules to create DIY kits, to the rise of RAM theft—the story of consumer memory is now equal parts ingenuity and equal parts desperation. Upgrade plans have been shattered, data centers have hoarded every available gigabyte, and retail prices have skyrocketed by over 150%.

When I first upgraded to my RX 9070 XT last year, I wasn't necessarily underwhelmed by the performance uplift, but I did want just a little bit more from my card. Coming from an RTX 3080, I saw a pretty significant increase, but once I applied an undervolt to my new card, it finally felt like a true generational leap. Temperatures were lower, frametimes were more consistent, and everything was pretty much just as stable as it was before.

It's no secret that ESP32 devices, an e-ink display, and a weather API make for a perfect pairing. In fact, we've covered ESP32 weather forecasting setpieces plenty of times in the past. But what if you wanted something more than just a simple temperature measurement and a general weather forecast? What if you want something a lot cuter instead?

There are times when my single research session turns into a 50-tab monster, my laptop fan kicks in, and Chrome’s tab strip shrinks so small I can’t even see the favicons anymore. I had accepted this tab situation as the price of productivity. But then I found Zen browser.

Brian Armstrong, chief executive officer of Coinbase Global Inc., speaks to members of the media on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. | Aaron Schwartz/Bloomberg via Getty Images. January was going to be a landmark month for the crypto industry. The Senate would start negotiating the finer details of the CLARITY Act, a major law that would finally enshrine the fundamental structure of how the crypto market could legally operate in the United States: what digital assets counted as a security versus a commodity, what regulatory responsibilities companies had to abide by, what legal protections consumers could have. The House had already passed their version months ago. The White House was ready to sign it. Democrats and Republicans seemed to agree on the bill's fundamentals. And crypto, which had spent decades navigat …Read the full story at The Verge.

This is The Stepback, a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more on dystopian developments in AI, follow Hayden Field. The Stepback arrives in our subscribers' inboxes at 8AM ET. Opt in for The Stepback here.How it started You could say it all started with Elon Musk's AI FOMO - and his crusade against "wokeness." When his AI company, xAI, announced Grok in November 2023, it was described as a chatbot with "a rebellious streak" and the ability to "answer spicy questions that are rejected by most other AI systems." The chatbot debuted after a few months of development and just two months of training …Read the full story at The Verge.

Moving from one workspace to another can be a massive chore. There are all the new features you need to get accustomed to, the brand new workflow you need to adjust to, and worst of all, a schism between all the information you had stored on the old service versus the new data you're getting in the new one. You have to go back and forth for the first few weeks just to make sure everything has been carried over to its new home.

I never thought an AI tool would help me understand my own week better, but this setup felt like having a personal editor. NotebookLM, Google's experimental AI note-taking tool, isn't marketed as a newsletter generator, but that's exactly what I've turned it into.

As much as I love using Linux over Windows, I will admit that you do have to make a few sacrifices when making the switch over to the world of FOSS. For instance, some apps don't have a Linux version, neither official nor a third-party workaround, and you have to find an alternate app that does something similar, albeit not perfectly.

I know, I know. You read the title, likely rolled your eyes, and have already formed an opinion. Fair enough. I probably would’ve done the same if I were you. Just know I didn’t see it coming either, and I’m still processing it too. It’s 2026, the economy is clearly struggling right now, and everything already costs more than it should.