Cloudflare has become the latest web infrastructure giant to collapse in the span of a month, replacing entire sites, including X, ChatGPT, Spotify, Canva, and even the outage-tracking DownDetector, with an error message for hours this morning. It's the latest in a string of outages that Mehdi Daoudi, CEO and co-founder of the internet performance monitoring platform Catchpoint, says should be a "wake-up call" for companies."Everybody's putting all their eggs in one basket, and then they're surprised when there is a problem," Daoudi says. "It's on the company's side to make sure that they have redundancy and resiliency."The outage comes …Read the full story at The Verge.

Apple’s handy location trackers are cheaper than ever right now. Black Friday often brings the best Apple deals of the year, but not everyone wants to spend their Thanksgiving weekend shopping online (or in person). Thankfully, if you want to get a head start, you don’t have to wait. As is typical, the early Black Friday deals are already beginning to trickle in, including some of the best deals we’ve seen all year on Apple devices like the latest entry-level AirPods and new M5-powered MacBook Pro. Other Apple gadgets aren’t quite as steeply discounted, but some are discounted enough to be worth considering.If you want to avoid the holiday rush, we’ve gathered the best Apple deals you can get in the run-up to the main event. We’ve also included recent price history and our expectations for Black Friday proper, so you can decide whether to make your purchase now or hold out for a potentially better deal.What to expect on Black FridayThe best wireless earbud and headphone dealsThe best Apple Watch dealsThe best iPad dealsThe best MacBook dealsAirTags and other miscellaneous dealsWhat to expect on Black FridayAlthough we’re currently seeing a number of Apple products sitting at their lowest price to date, several of these deals could drop even lower as we get closer to Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Past deal history gives us a few clues about what to expect. Apple Watches: Apple’s latest-gen Apple Watches often hit their best prices to date during Black Friday. Last year, for instance, the Series 10 dropped to $329, while the second-gen SE fell to a mere $149 in its entry-level configuration. We anticipate that some of the last-gen models will be heavily discounted come the 28th, especially as retailers aim to offload remaining stock.AirPods: Historically, the newest AirPods receive their most significant discounts around Black Friday and Cyber Monday, so it’s likely that we’ll see a deal on the newer AirPods Pro 3, which have only received a modest $10 discount thus far. Last-gen models like second-gen AirPods Pro with USB-C are also likely to receive steep discounts, though we don’t anticipate them dropping much further than their current low of $139. Current-gen models — including the AirPods 4 — could dip again, too, especially given they recently hit a new low of $84.99 ($45 off) before climbing back up.iPads and MacBooks: New iPad models, including the new M5 iPad Pro, may dip a little further in price next week, especially since they’ve recently been hovering just above their lowest prices to date. Previous sales indicate the current-gen base iPad could drop to as low as $279 on Black Friday, which would match its best price to date. As for laptops, both the latest MacBook Air and MacBook Pro are already sitting at a record low price, so there’s no telling whether we’ll see additional discounts.AirTags: Last year, you could pick up an individual AirTag for $19 or a four-pack for $69.99. However, Apple’s location trackers are already available for less than that, and there’s no indication they will drop further in price, given many Black Friday promos have already kicked off.The best wireless earbud and headphone dealsApple AirPods Pro (second-gen) with USB-CThe second-gen AirPods Pro improve upon Apple’s original pair with better noise cancellation, improved sound quality, and onboard volume controls. They also now ship with a USB-C charging case, as opposed to Lightning. Read our original review.Where to Buy: $249 $139 at Walmart $249.99 $189.99 at Best BuyThe cream-colored Beats Solo Buds are at Walmart for $39 ($40 off), which is the best price we’ve seen on the entry-level wireless earbuds to date. They lack noise cancellation but deliver balanced, clean sound and an impressive 18 hours of battery life. They also include four sets of ear tips and work well with both iOS and Android, though bear in mind you’ll need to drop them into the case and recharge them over USB-C. Read our hands-on impressions.Apple EarPods (USB-C)Apple’s wired earbuds are comfortable, offer great microphone quality for the price, and feature a built-in remote for controlling audio playback.Where to Buy: $19 $16.99 at Amazon $19 $16.99 at WalmartThe best Apple Watch dealsApple Watch Series 11 (42mm, GPS)Although the Apple Watch Series 11 is the same size as its predecessor, it features a 5G cellular modem, a display that’s twice as durable, and slightly improved battery life. Read our review.Where to Buy: $399 $349.99 at Amazon $399 $349.99 at Walmart $399 at Best BuyApple Watch SE 3The Apple Watch SE 3 offers some big upgrades over its predecessor, including an always-on display, allowing you to glance at the time or unread notifications. It also has Apple’s powerful S10 chip, which enables on-device Siri requests. Read our review.Where to Buy: $249 $199.99 at Amazon (40mm, GPS) $279 $229.99 at Amazon (44mm, GPS) $249 $239 at Costco (40mm, GPS)The 42mm Apple Watch Series 10 with GPS is on sale at Walmart starting at $249 ($150 off), which is its best price to date. While the Series 11 offers slightly longer battery life, a more efficient 5G modem, and a more scratch-resistant display, the Series 10 remains an excellent smartwatch. It features a large, wide-angle OLED display and the same S10 SiP chip found in the Series 11. It also supports FDA-cleared sleep apnea detection and offers the same hypertension notifications, courtesy of the recent watchOS 26 update. Read our review.You can buy the 40mm Apple Watch SE (second-gen) with GPS at Amazon starting at $159.99 ($90 off), which is $10 shy of the all-time low we saw during Black Friday last year. If you’re on a tight budget, the last-gen Apple Watch SE is still worth considering. It lacks some of Apple’s newer sensors and doesn’t offer an always-on display, but it remains relatively fast, given that it uses the same chipset as the Apple Watch Series 8. It also provides all the essentials, including daily activity and sleep tracking, heart-rate monitoring, fall and crash detection, and access to the newer Vitals app in watchOS 26.The best iPad deals11-inch iPad Pro (M5, 2025)Apple’s newest iPad Pros have an M5 processor, an N1 chip, and a C1X chip for cellular versions. They’re faster, support Wi-Fi 7, charge more quickly, and start with 12GB of RAM. Read our review.Where to Buy: $999 $927 at Amazon (256GB, Wi-Fi) $1199 $1150 at Amazon (512GB, Wi-Fi) $1599 $1516 at Amazon (1TB, Wi-Fi)The latest 13-inch iPad Pro is also on sale at Amazon in its 256GB base configuration for $1,240 ($58 off), which is just $5 shy of its all-time low. If you need more storage, the 1TB model is down to $1,794 ($105 off) at Amazon, while the 2TB version is going for $2,164 ($135 off). The heavier 13-incher is nearly identical to the 11-inch model, but it offers more screen real estate and higher resolution.11-inch iPad Air M3The latest 11-inch iPad Air features Apple’s fast M3 chip with GPU upgrades like dynamic caching for smoother performance in demanding apps. It also supports the Apple Pencil Pro and the newest Magic Keyboard, which features a larger build and a 14-key function row. Read our review.Where to Buy: $599 $499.99 at Amazon (128GB, Wi-Fi) $599 at Best Buy (128GB, Wi-Fi)If you want a larger display, the 13-inch version of the M3-powered iPad Air with 128GB of storage is also on sale at Amazon, where you can buy it for $699.99 ($100 off), $50 shy of its record low price.13-inch iPad Pro M4The last-gen iPad Pro comes in either an 11- or 13-inch configuration with Apple’s M4 processor. Both feature an OLED display and a thinner build than previous models, as well as horizontal placement for the front camera and support for the Apple Pencil Pro. Read our review.Where to Buy: $1299 $1049.99 at Amazon (256GB, Wi-Fi) $1499 $1399 at Amazon (512GB, Wi-Fi) $1899 at Amazon (1TB, Wi-Fi)Apple’s latest entry-level iPad is on sale at Amazon, Walmart, and Target with Wi-Fi and 128GB of storage starting at $299 ($50 off), which is $20 more than its best price to date. If you just need a tablet for play and light work, the latest iPad is a great choice. It offers twice the base storage of its predecessor and runs on Apple’s A16 Bionic chip, which provides it with enough oomph for most basic tasks. That said, it doesn’t support Apple Intelligence and works with fewer accessories than Apple’s higher-end tablets. Read our review.The best MacBook deals13-inch MacBook Air (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD)Powered by the M4 chip, Apple’s latest 13-inch MacBook Air is faster than its predecessor and offers double the base RAM. It can also connect to two external displays with the lid open, unlike prior models, and features an improved 12-megapixel Center Stage webcam. Read our review.Where to Buy: $999 $749.99 at Amazon $999 $749.99 at Costco $999 at AppleMacBook Pro 14-inch (M5, 2025)Apple’s 14-inch M5 MacBook Pro takes everything we loved about the M4 model — including all-day battery life and a 12-megapixel webcam — and improves upon it with an M5 chip. It also offers faster storage and a 10-core CPU / 10-core GPU that’s up to 3.5x faster at AI tasks. Read our review.Where to Buy: $1599 $1472 at Amazon (16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) $1799 $1648 at Amazon (16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) $1999 $1985 at Amazon (24GB RAM, 1TB SSD)The last-gen 16-inch MacBook Pro is still a powerhouse even if it runs on the older M4 Pro chip, and right now you can buy it with 24GB of RAM and 512GB of storage $2,199 (about $300 off) at Amazon, which is just a few dollars shy of its all-time low. Compared to the 14-inch last-gen model, it adds faster Thunderbolt 5 ports and a sharper 12-megapixel Center Stage webcam. The new M5-powered MacBook Pros don’t yet come in a 16-inch size, so if you want a larger display, this is your best bet. Read our review of the 14-inch M4-powered MacBook Pro.If you’re in the market for a desktop and don’t mind supplying your own keyboard and mouse, you can buy the M4 Mac Mini with an M4 processor, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage for $499 ($100 off) at Amazon, which is one of its best prices to date. The desktop can handle everyday tasks with ease, along with some light gaming and 4K video editing. It can also run up to three displays simultaneously and offers a great port selection that includes three Thunderbolt 4 (USB4) ports, gigabit ethernet, HDMI, two 10Gbps USB-C (USB 3) ports, and a front-facing 3.5mm audio jack. Read our review.AirTags and other miscellaneous dealsApple AirTagApple’s AirTags can help you find your lost items with their UWB technology. You’ll get the best compatibility with an iPhone, though Apple released an Android app to detect an AirTag’s location if one seems to be following you. Read our original review.Where to Buy: $29 $17.97 at Amazon $29 $17.97 at Walmart $99 $64.98 at Amazon (four-pack)You can buy the Apple Pencil Pro for $99 ($30 off) at Amazon, Walmart, and Target, which is $10 more than its record low price. If you own the latest iPad Pro, iPad Mini, or an M2- or M3-based iPad Air, this is a fantastic stylus that offers several features not found on the entry-level Apple Pencil with USB-C. In addition to wireless charging, you get Find My support, pressure sensitivity, and a “Barrel Roll” gyroscope that allows you to easily adjust the angle of your pen with a twist.Anker MagGo Qi2 Certified 15W Wireless ChargerThe latest version of Anker’s magnetic MagGo charging pads supports 15W Qi2 and has a five-foot USB-C cable.Where to Buy: $29.99 $19.99 at Amazon (without adapter, Prime only) $35.99 $23.99 at Amazon (with adapter, Prime only)

Linux is the inevitable choice if you're transitioning from a Windows 10 PC. A key reason could be that the system is incapable of handling the latest version of the operating system due to high hardware requirements. Whatever the case may be, picking a Linux distro is a chore, and it's not easy to get past the popular options. Ubuntu can revive your laptop, but for a ten-year-old or older model, it's gruesome.

If you've caught the self-hosting bug, one of the questions you soon run into is: How do I enable secure remote access to my self-hosted apps? If you haven't had this thought yet, it's time to start thinking it through, because your home network is ripe for exploitation, and you want as much security as you can get. It's also infrastructure-agnostic: whether you're using Kubernetes, Docker, or running a server with more traditional programs, the problem of encrypted remote access (preferably with authentication) is never far away.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 just came out, and while I was really not looking forward to playing the campaign, the open beta back in October had, at the very least, kept me excited about the multiplayer. It's nothing groundbreaking, and really more of the same, but there's nothing to complain about the multiplayer, at least. All that aside, however, another thing that had me excited to play the game at release was to benchmark it against a few of the GPUs I've got handy, just to see how modern and aging hardware handle the latest Call of Duty game.

Black Friday will be upon us shortly! November 28 is just around the corner, and we're already seeing a few deals go live ahead of the promotion weekend. If you're holding out to see what this annual sales event brings or still need to purchase a present or two ahead of the festive holidays, Black Friday (and Cyber Monday) can prove worthwhile for hunting down some enticing discounts and saving a little on the side. We're all about getting the most out of technology, and we also believe you should only purchase what you need, at reasonable (or better) prices.

When I built my gaming PC back in 2020, I opted for the LG 27GN950 4K/160Hz gaming monitor. Since I had the RTX 3090, I wanted to experience AAA gaming at 4K resolution for the first time. As I expected, everything looked sharp and incredibly detailed, but the honeymoon phase didn't last as long as I thought it would. That's what pushed me to get the Alienware AW3423DW ultrawide when I upgraded to the RTX 4090 in 2022, and since it was OLED, I had no reason to question the switch.

It's no secret that I love Obsidian; the number of articles I've written about its utility is proof enough of that. Even out of the box, it's an amazing bit of software, but Obsidian becomes so much better when you start to utilize plugins. One of my favorite things to do to kill time is searching for lesser-known plugins, and I've stumbled across several options that add a ridiculous amount of utility to my setup, despite several of these plugins having fewer than 20,000 downloads. When you consider that the most popular plugins (Excalidraw, Dataview, Templater, etc.) have upwards of four million downloads each, that's practically unknown.

When we reviewed the Alienware AW3425DW monitor back in May, we thought it was a fantastic piece of hardware and even deemed it to be a "legend reborn". Not only does it come with a beautiful panel, but it also features impressive performance as well, with a 240Hz refresh rate and 0.03ms response time. And at $800, it's not all that bad a price either. Don't get me wrong, it is expensive, but you're getting an excellent experience for the money. Which is why when this monitor went on sale on Amazon, dropping to its lowest price ever at $150 off, we knew we had to call some attention to the promotion.

I’m always on the lookout for better note apps to try. And a few weeks ago, I discovered Reflect, a sleek AI-powered notes app that handles things a bit differently than what I’m used to. It’s minimal, fast, structured, and surprisingly smart. So of course, I had to implement it into my workflow, and I don’t really have any complaints. It focuses on clean writing, easy linking and organization, and has a comprehensive AI assistant. Here’s what it does and why I’ve been loving it…

House Republicans are looking to renew an effort to override state AI laws after a previous version came to a screeching halt earlier this year.House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) told Punchbowl News he’s considering adding language to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) effectively banning state AI regulations. Later on Tuesday, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social urging Congress to standardize AI regulations. “We MUST have one Federal Standard instead of a patchwork of 50 State Regulatory Regimes,” he wrote. “If we don’t, then China will easily catch us in the AI race. Put it in the NDAA, or pass a separate Bill, and nobody will ever be able to compete with America.”Tacking amendments onto the NDAA, which lawmakers consider a must-pass bill, is a common strategy to get legislation across the finish line at the end of the year. It’s not totally clear what the new language would look like considering 99 out of 100 senators ultimately turned against the version of a five-year moratorium on state AI laws that was put to a vote this summer. When the issue came up earlier this year, many lawmakers expressed concern about the initial 10-year term proposed for the moratorium, and the potential that language could be so broad as to cover  a host of other tech regulations, including kids’ online safety laws. Both red and blue states have adopted AI-related laws that could be effectively nullified if Congress were to vote to preempt or pause them.Proponents of the moratorium, including tech industry associations like NetChoice, argued that a complicated patchwork of state regulations for an early-stage industry like AI could hamper innovation and threaten US competitiveness with China. More details on the NDAA’s language are expected before the Thanksgiving holiday, with a vote on track for December, according to Politico.

Valve's newly announced Steam Frame is already getting a ton of attention, as is the rest of the hardware they recently unveiled. This attention is fully deserved, and aside from the Steam Machine and Steam Controller, the Steam Frame stands out, as it is the company's first major VR headset iteration since the Index.