Large Windows updates do a lot more than patching bugs and adding features; they (sometimes) reconfigure system files, unpack and install components, update drivers, and trigger post-update tasks. The resources used by these tasks and processes can often add up and slow down your PC temporarily, and are often the major cause of slowdowns after updates. The effect is more commonly felt by users with older hardware or specific configurations, though bad or buggy updates can affect a large variety of systems. There's usually no major cause for concern, though; most issues with a slower PC after a Windows update can be fixed at their source.

Mobile phone folding technology has come a long way since the humble clamshell design. What used to be a beloved feature has become a major player in the smartphone scene, with tech we couldn't even dream of back in the day. I've only just gotten over the cool dual-screen design that some phones use, and then Samsung revealed its first-ever "TriFold" phone a little while back. And while the company didn't reveal much about the hardware, it wasn't shy about showing off its revolutionary three-screen folding design.

Once you start adding smart products to your home, it can really start to make the space come alive. And while I love simple solutions from brands like Amazon, Google, Hue — a Power over Ethernet network (PoE) is going to be the way to go if you're looking for something that's a bit more versatile and powerful.

It's no secret that the price of RAM has skyrocketed in recent weeks. If you ask an expert why, they'll likely point to the adoption of AI and the demand for hardware as the primary cause, although not everyone will believe it. Regardless of the reason, the truth is that RAM has gotten expensive, and this has put pressure on companies that sell pre-made hardware to either take the financial hit or up their prices.

I exported my Pocket library to my Firefox bookmarks when the service shut down in July. That saved the links, but because I was spoiled by Pocket’s excellent reader and management features, I’ve sought an alternative “bookmark-everything” app to store my favorite articles. After a few months of searching, I found Karakeep (formerly Hoarder), and it has finally filled the void Pocket left behind.

Arch Linux is a curious beast. If installing other operating systems is like purchasing a cake from the store, installing Arch Linux is like learning how to go from nothing to creating a completed cake all by yourself. Well, okay, there are YouTube tutorials and a unique, in-depth Cake Wiki you can consult, but you still have to manually go through the steps of making it.

Ever since the new Outlook app arrived on people's computers, it hasn't received the warmest of welcomes. Even when Microsoft tries to tempt people with new features, people still haven't gelled with it. Reports come in that the performance of the new Outlook isn't great, and it fails to add some features that the old version used to have.

There was a time, just a few years ago, when SSD and RAM chips used to be pretty cheap. You could afford to really max out your system without feeling the strain on your wallet. It felt like something that would last forever, but then things started to change.

While I was proud of my smart home, it was anything but smart. Devices kept failing, and automations failed to trigger, and I spent more time troubleshooting than enjoying their promised convenience. I was on the verge of abandoning my smart home and dismantling everything until I discovered a $10 ESP32 board.

There are two types of people who play video games, normal people who play for fun and speedrunners who play for glory. Unlike other forms of competitive gaming, speedrunning has become an aspect of video games that is both exciting to watch and exceptionally difficult to participate in. Most games, including popular Nintendo releases, that have a big community of speedrunners behind them can spend years searching for new speedrunning tricks long after they come out.

I'm used to keeping my home server strategy simple. For things like media hosting, I usually resort to an old laptop, a few shucked hard drives connected over USB, and an installation of OpenMediaVault. It's the definition of a budget NAS setup and is all about minimalism. After all, what more do you need than a reliable way to store files and access them over the network.

It’s a sacrilege to compare Raspberry Pi 4 to Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W. It’s preposterous even at face value. Both SBCs have their strengths and weaknesses. However, the Pi Zero 2 W has the potential to outshine the Pi 4. Leave the head-to-head specs comparison and hear me out. For processing, the Pi 4 trumps the Pi Zero 2W in raw power. That said, the Pi Zero 2 W has the potential to be power-efficient and appropriate when size and use case matter more. Here are some Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W projects that can outperform a Pi 4 setup in terms of size, cost-efficiency, and performance.