The cool thing about Linux is that, if another distro has a really cool desktop layout that you like the look of, there's a good chance you can download it on your own PC, too. It's not like, say, Windows versus iOS, where you need third-party apps to emulate what the other OS is using; if a Linux distro has a cool desktop environment you like, just grab it.

SpaceXAI's Grok Build AI coding tool was spotted uploading users' entire codebases to Google Cloud before it was reported, and the company turned it off. The Register reports that Cereblab published findings on Monday showing how the Grok Build CLI was packaging and uploading entire code repositories, "including files it was told not to open and secrets deleted from history," significantly more data retention than similar tools like Claude Code.The researchers say that as of Monday, their tests show SpaceXAI's servers returning a "disable_codebase_upload: true" flag, and the codebase upload "no longer fires." Elon Musk responded to the i …Read the full story at The Verge.

When first setting up your smart home, it can be easy to fall into the habit of treating your smartphone as the primary dashboard for your living space. Your smartphone isn't a domestic infrastructure tool. Forcing your home's lighting, climate, and security nodes to route through a handheld mobile OS creates a high-friction environment that can alienate guests. By demoting my Google Pixel to a passive backend tool and replacing it with deterministic physical edge controls, I eliminated the fatigue of constantly having to pick up my phone to control the lights. Instead, I've created an absolutely seamless and responsive set of automations.

For as long as I can remember, gaming has been my favorite hobby. However, somewhere along the way, I realized I was spending more time trying to enjoy games than actually enjoying them. I'd install something new, play for an hour or two, close it, and wonder why in the world nothing was clicking for me anymore. For a while, I'd even entertained the dangerously defeatist thought that I'd outgrown gaming.

Plex services experienced some major issues on Tuesday, with multiple users reporting problems on Plex's forums and on Reddit. Many people use Plex as a way to stream shows and movies they host locally, but users are upset because today's problems were reportedly affecting their ability to do that."Basically all Plex is down unless you can play locally over LAN and even that takes ages and doesn't always work," said one user. Others reported problems with matching content on their servers. For me, the Plex TV website was loading slowly, though while initially writing this story, it started to load more reliably.Plex had confirmed issues, …Read the full story at The Verge.

Self-hosting has changed the way I think about productivity software. Instead of adjusting my workflow around whatever a big tech company decides to offer, I can pick tools that solve a specific problem and run them on my own terms. That freedom is probably my favorite part of maintaining a home server.

You can buy four bulbs and a Hue Bridge for just $80. | Image: Philips Hue Although most of Prime Day’s unusually good Philips Hue deals have ended, a few remain, and some, including the black Philips Hue Twilight Sleep and Wake-Up Light, are even cheaper. None, however, have fallen to a new all-time low price like Philips Hue’s Essential starter kit. Right now, you can buy a bundle containing four white and color E26 bulbs and a Hue Bridge for $79.99 ($40 off) at Amazon. Since that’s the same price as the two-bulb Essential starter kit, it’s like getting two bulbs for free.Philips Hue Essential starter kit,Where to Buy: $119.99 $79.99 at Amazon (four-pack) $119.99 at Philips Hue (four-pack)Each of the color-changing bulbs can display millions of colors or tunable white light ranging from a warm 2200K to a cooler 6500K, while producing up to 800 lumens of brightness. The Hue app also offers a preset lighting scenes for everything from movie nights to the holidays, though you can also create your own. Meanwhile, the included Hue Bridge lets you control the lights when you’re away from home, create schedules, connect up to 50 lights throughout your home, and set automations so they can, for instance, turn on automatically when you arrive home. It also allows you to control the lights through all the major smart home platforms, thanks to Matter compatibility.As Philips Hue budget-friendly kits, there are a few premium features they lack that are worth mentioning. Most notably, the bulbs only dim to two percent instead of 0.2 percent. Philips Hue also doesn’t guarantee they’ll match the color accuracy of its flagship bulbs across generations. If you’re simply looking to fill your home with colorful smart lighting at a reasonable price, though, those differences may not matter much to you.

When I finally upgraded to an OLED monitor with native HDR10 support, I expected to be blown away from the moment I powered it on. After years of hearing people rave about perfect blacks, dazzling highlights, and a level of image quality that my previous LED just couldn't have matched. So, the first thing I did was enable Windows HDR and launch my games. Apart from Windows immediately becoming washed out, I was still met with an experience that felt surprisingly (and disappointingly) inconsistent.

OpenAI's first device is set to be a smart speaker that lets you talk with ChatGPT, according to a report from Bloomberg. The device apparently won't have a screen, but will use a camera and additional sensors to "understand" your environment.The report comes just days after Apple filed a lawsuit against OpenAI that accused the AI company of stealing hardware secrets. OpenAI, in a new statement on Tuesday, said that it is "not aware of any evidence that this complaint has merit."Sources tell Bloomberg that OpenAI's device will also feature a rechargeable battery that will allow users to carry it with them. It will offer smart home contro …Read the full story at The Verge.

As we deal with countless relentless summer heat waves, the reality of working through them can be grueling and claustrophobic, especially when your indoor workspace has limited airflow and feels like a literal sauna. I realized almost immediately that my home office is significantly warmer than any other room in my home, and this is because my PC is chugging away at full tilt, dumping massive sheets of extremely hot exhaust directly all over my legs. The consequence is physical dehydration, low-grade tension headaches, and an intolerable working environment.

According to posts on Plex's official forums and on Reddit, the self-hosted streaming platform is down right now. Users state that they're unable to stream the TV shows and movies they're hosting locally on the platform.

Discounts on the Nintendo Switch 2 are rare, but they do happen on occasion. There’s one happening now, actually, on the company’s $499.99 console bundle that includes a digital game (Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananza, or Pokémon Pokopia). Usually, the bundle saves you $20 or $30, depending on the game you choose, but for $449.99 at Amazon (discount reflected at checkout), Nintendo is effectively giving you a game for free.Nintendo Switch 2 “Choose Your Game” bundleWhere to Buy: $529.99 $449.99 at AmazonIf you’re considering grabbing a Switch 2, I highly recommend doing so now. The biggest motivator (aside from its great selection of new games and near-complete compatibility with original Switch games) is that the console will get a price hike in September, going from $449.99 to $499.99. Also, it’s not clear if it will continue to include a discounted game with purchase at that point. So, you’re getting more value at $449.99 here than ever before.