A little while ago, Microsoft teased a new feature for Windows which allowed people to control the operating system using their voice. Some people weren't so excited about this announcement (including me), but the truth was, the jury was out on how good this feature was until we got to see it in action. Microsoft has tried several times in the past to add proper voice commands to Windows, and the introduction of LLMs that can parse English requests seemed like the perfect time to try again.

Considering that a Network-Attached Storage system is essentially a low-power device whose only purpose is to transfer files and archive backups, it may seem like an unassuming little node for newcomers to the home lab ecosystem. But as your server projects pile up, you’re bound to end up requiring more mileage out of your NAS – both in terms of storage capacity and performance.

A Raspberry Pi 5 can do far more than power a novelty gadget. It offers enough performance to replace small appliances, automate daily tasks, and serve as the backbone of a smarter home. Many people underestimate how capable it is, especially when paired with modern software tools and good storage. These projects show where the Pi 5 can step in and deliver real value, without feeling like something you built just for fun.

You wouldn't be blamed for getting caught up in the hype of a new generation of graphics cards. Once the marketing machine ramps up and the release comes ever closer, it can feel like that's the only upgrade that matters for your system. This year, the RTX 5000 series was no different, especially with the optimistic claims of "4090 performance for $499" that we heard in reference to the RTX 5070.

We've all been there at some point in our home lab journey. The decision to run a stack of Docker containers on our NAS, maybe because we didn't want to run experiments on our desktop PC, or perhaps because we thought that using the NAS as a mini server was a good idea. But the longer I had this setup, the more I got the nagging feeling that I shouldn't be continuing, and that a dedicated machine for container experiments was a better idea.

If you're trying to wrangle even a moderate number of personal projects, you've probably stumbled into the world of Kanban boards. I run a few boards myself, and benefit immensely from this beautiful system of visual management. Instead of plastering Post-Its all over my fridge and monitor's edges, I run the digital equivalent on a Kanban board. Mine typically include columns for stuff to do, what's in progress, and what's done already. Each column is populated with cards for individual tasks, and the expanded view gives me all the details I need for each task. I've grown habituated to the small, satisfying dopamine hit of dragging a card from one column to the next, watching my life progress.

If you've ever wanted to keep an eye on your surroundings without sending data to third-party servers, you've probably heard of Frigate. The open-source is a popular choice as an NVR that runs locally and taps into the power of AI to detect people, cars, and more. But Frigate isn't the only game in town. There's another contender worth looking at. It's called Viseron, and it's a self-hosted camera monitoring platform that offers a polished interface, widespread hardware support, and, most importantly, it works on your local network.

As a software engineer turned tech blogger, I live and breathe digital control. I’m constantly tinkering with servers and open-source tools to manage my data. For many in the tech community, the goal is often to cut the corporate cord entirely and run everything locally. I used to chase that ideal, believing total self-sufficiency was the only way.

On November 18, November's batch of new PlayStation Plus Premium and Extra catalog additions will arrive. Every month, Sony updates its subscription service with new AAA, indie, and retro games for its subscribers to try on PS4 or PS5. Some months are better than others, and it seems like we have a pretty good month on our hands.

If you've ever used the search tool in OneNote, you may have noticed that it has a nasty tendency to get in the way of your text. This goes double if you're using the Horizontal Tabs layout, where all of your notes gets buried under the search box. Not ideal if you want to search for something related to said notes, and you just want to double-check something first.

Microsoft recently stated that it wants to make Windows an agentic OS. If you're unsure as to what that means, "agentic" is what tech people call an AI system that can do stuff on its own without much input from the user. Some browsers are becoming agentic, although not everyone will recommend you use them. In terms of Windows, Microsoft wants to make its OS agentic by "connecting devices, cloud, and AI to unlock intelligent productivity and secure work anywhere."

If you’ve ever used ChatGPT to help with your research or studies, you’ve probably noticed the limits creeping in. It’s brilliant at conversation and brainstorming, but when it comes to finding precise sources or verifying facts, it’s a bit constrained. It will cite sources sometimes, but the references aren’t always reliable. ChatGPT is better suited for general knowledge queries or conceptual explanations.