Obsidian is a very feature-packed app, but it can get messy if you’re not careful when setting up your first vault. This can happen when you read about its best features and rush the setup, so you end up with a huge set of notes to try Graph View. Without a few simple habits, you may waste valuable time cleaning things up later.

If your family is anything like mine, you probably have sticky notes stuck all over your fridge, a WhatsApp chat dedicated to shopping lists, and chores that are barely tracked. It's a mess, and it only gets worse as more people are added to the mix. I've tried integrating apps and shared to-do lists, but they never stuck. The apps were, largely, too complicated for what should be everyday needs and tasks.

Breaking up Google's ad tech monopoly is, apparently, like going to Mars or trying to replace Michael Jordan - dubiously possible and a huge amount of work.Those were some of the analogies witnesses testifying in Google's defense told a federal judge this week as the company mounts its second attempt to stave off a break up. After successfully beating that fate in the Justice Department's Search case, Google made its case to Virginia-based District Court Judge Leonie Brinkema to let it keep its ad tech business intact too. Along the way, Google witnesses argued it need not give up monopoly power to restore the competition it damaged, and t …Read the full story at The Verge.

Spotify has found itself the target of artists' ire for many reasons over the years: poor audio quality, terrible payouts, giving Joe Rogan millions of dollars… the list goes on. But recently it's been CEO and founder Daniel Ek's extracurricular activities that have been cause for consternation. Over the past few months his funding of German defense company Helsing through his investment firm Prima Materia has been the final straw for many acts, including Hotline TNT, Massive Attack, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Deerhoof, and more. Then, on Tuesday, Ek announced that he would be stepping down as CEO. Neither Ek nor Spotify gave any indicat …Read the full story at The Verge.

Last week at the Zurich Film Festival, Eline Van der Velden - founder and CEO of AI production house Particle6 and its subsidiary talent studio Xicoia - said that a number of talent agents had expressed interest in working with Tilly Norwood, an AI-generated "actress" created by the companies. Van der Velden has not gone into detail about which agencies might be contemplating whether they should bring Norwood (and by extension, Xicoia) on as clients. But simply saying that agents have come knocking was enough to get the entertainment industry trades buzzing and posting stories about how Norwood came to be.Norwood is the first of many lifel …Read the full story at The Verge.

There's a lot of math in diet culture. It's all numbers - calories in, calories burned - and a constant tally running in one's head. In some ways, disordered eating can be considered a disturbed sort of strategy game, which is precisely why Jenny Jiao Hsia and AP Thomson's Consume Me works so well. The autobiographical game detailing Hsia's teenage years is a darkly funny, honest peek into the desire to shape one's life and body through food.Food in Consume Me - tomatoes, kale, and pasta rendered as Tetris blocks - are assigned "bites," a stand-in for calories. Jenny's (the character, not the developer, who we'll refer to using her last na …Read the full story at The Verge.

There are a few things in tech more depressing than a cheap Windows laptop. Between sluggish performance, application timeouts, dim displays, and poor battery life, you sacrifice a great deal to buy a sub-$600 Windows machine.

Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days may bring some great Kindle deals, but if you can’t wait, you don’t have to. Right now, the Kindle Kids (Amazon, Best Buy, and Target) and Kindle Colorsoft Kids (Amazon, Best Buy, and Target) are down to their lowest prices ever, but my favorite deal is on the Kindle Paperwhite Kids, which sits nicely between the two. Normally $179.99, right now it’s on sale for $134.99 ($45 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target.Although marketed as a kid-friendly e-reader, the Paperwhite Kids is actually a great value for adults, too. The 7-inch slate is nearly identical to the standard model, which is our favorite Amazon e-reader, with all the features we loved, like an IPX8 waterproof design and sharp 300ppi display. It’s got an adjustable warm white frontlight, which makes reading at night easier, too, along with a battery life that should last you a few months on a single charge.The only real difference is the addition of kid-oriented features like parental controls, which you can turn off. Unlike the standard model, each bundle also includes a cover, a two-year warranty, and no lockscreen ads. That’s a great value considering the regular Kindle Paperwhite costs $179.99 without ads — and still doesn’t include extras like a cover or extended warranty. On top of that, Amazon even throws in a six-month subscription to Amazon Kids Plus, which offers thousands of child-friendly books and audiobooks — including classics like Harry Potter and The Chronicles of Narnia.Read our Kindle Paperwhite review.Kindle Paperwhite Kids (2024)Amazon’s kid-friendly Paperwhite is the same as the standard Paperwhite, but it’s ad-free and comes with the added benefits of a two-year hardware protection plan, six months of Amazon Kids Plus, and a choice of three kid-friendly covers. Where to Buy: $179.99 $134.99 at Amazon $179.99 $134.99 at Best Buy $179.99 $134.99 at TargetNow through October 6th, Sonos is taking up to 25 percent off a wide range of refurbished devices. As we dove into earlier in the week, the sale includes everything from a refurbished Sonos Ace to the Sonos Move 2, but one of the best deals is the refurbished Sonos Era 100. Normally $219 in new condition, the smart speaker is currently down to $134, which is nearly as low as the $119 discount we saw on the refurbished model over the summer.The Sonos Era 100 delivers impressive sound for its small size, offering more bass and richer sound than its predecessor, the Sonos One. Along with more intuitive physical controls, it also adds new features like stereo playback and support for line-in via an optional 3.5mm-to-USB-C adapter. At the same time, the smart speaker retains support for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, along with other conveniences, like Apple’s AirPlay 2 and Amazon Alexa support.Read our Sonos Era 100 review.Sonos Era 100 (Refurbished)Sonos’ Era 100 smart speaker is a replacement for the older Sonos One, utilizing two tweeters (left and right) and one larger woofer. In addition to Wi-Fi, the Era 100 also supports Bluetooth audio and line-in playback via an optional 3.5mm to USB-C adapter. Read our review.Where to Buy: $179 $134 at SonosIf you’re looking for a new Switch 2 controller, the 8BitDo Ultimate 2 wireless gamepad is one of the best on the market — and it’s currently receiving a rare discount. Originally $69.99, right now you can buy it in white for $59.98 and in black for $62.99 at checkout.Along with being compatible with the new Switch 2, the gamepad also works with the original Switch and PC. It introduces a number of improvements over its predecessor, replacing its Hall effect joysticks with tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) ones, which are just as drift-resistant but more power-efficient. It also adds trigger stops along with LED-equipped joystick rings and an extra pair of shoulder buttons for added control.8BitDo Ultimate 2 wireless controllerFor something cheaper — and in some ways better — than Nintendo’s official Pro controller, there’s 8BitDo’s Ultimate 2, which works with the original Switch and Switch 2. It features TMR joysticks with trigger switches for adjusting the feel, as well as vibration and motion-control support.Where to Buy: $69.99 $59.98 at Amazon (white) $69.99 $62.99 at Amazon (black)More of our favorite deals from this weekOkay, this one isn’t technically a deal, but it’s worth noting: Microsoft recently announced price hikes for several Xbox Game Pass tiers, including Ultimate and PC Game Pass. The Ultimate tier is jumping from $19.99 per month to $29.99, while PC Game Pass is rising from $11.99 to $16.49 per month if you pay through Microsoft. That said, you can still save by buying through third-party retailers offering the old rates. You can get a month of Game Pass Ultimate for $19.99 at Amazon, GameStop, or Best Buy, or a three-month subscription for $59.99 (Amazon, GameStop, Best Buy, and Walmart), which is like getting one month free at the current rate. For PC Game Pass, Amazon, GameStop, and Best Buy have a three-month bundle for $35.99.The Echo Spot is down to $44.99 ($35 off) at Amazon, which matches its best price to date. The Spot makes for a great bedside alarm clock, gently waking you with music if you choose, while its customizable 2.83-inch screen can show helpful info like the weather so you’re ready for the day. It also supports Amazon Alexa, so you can not only play music but also control other smart devices — like lights, thermostats, and more — hands-free. Plus, it doesn’t come with a bunch of on-screen ads or a camera, making it a relatively privacy-friendly option compared to Amazon’s larger smart displays. Read our Echo Spot review.JBL’s Tour 3 earbuds are on sale for $249.95 ($80 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target, which is their best price yet. They deliver excellent sound with support for lossless audio and noise cancellation, while their standout charging case features a built-in touchscreen. That lets you quickly change songs, tweak settings like EQ, and check battery life without reaching for your phone.

The robovac comes with a dock that can refill itself using its built-in water tank. Robot vacuums that mop well rarely come cheap, but thankfully, some of our favorite models are receiving a significant discount ahead of Amazon’s next Prime Day event next week. Right now, the Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni and the newer Deebot X9 Pro Omni are on sale at Amazon for Prime members for $799.99 ($300 off) and $899.99 ($400 off), respectively, which is the lowest price we’ve seen on either model.The Deebot X8 Pro Omni is an excellent robot vacuum and mop hybrid, with an extendable roller mop that can apply up to 4,000Pa of pressure and reach into tricky spots, including corners. The nifty roller mop can also clean itself while tidying up your home, and the vac comes with a compact multifunction dock, one that can refill the robovac using an integrated water tank and move dirty water into a separate waste tank to prevent it from dragging stains across your home.As for vacuuming, the X8 Pro Omni boasts a powerful 18,000Pa of suction, along with a great anti-tangle brush that’s less prone to getting stuck in clutter. The hefty vac also relies on lidar and a 3D camera for mapping, allowing it to detect and avoid obstacles, adapt to various edges and baseboards, and navigate corners rather effectively. It supports Matter, too, meaning it’s compatible with voice assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant for hands-free voice control.Deebot X8 Pro OmniWhere to Buy: $1399.99 $799.99 at Amazon (with Prime) $1399.99 $839.99 at Evovacs $1399.99 $839.99 at Best BuyThe newer Ecovacs Deebot X9 Pro Omni, meanwhile, is nearly identical to the X8 Pro, except it comes with some minor improvements that render it an even better cleaning machine. Although it offers slightly less powerful suction at 16,600Pa, it introduces Boosted Large-Airflow Suction Technology, which optimizes the airflow path from intake to exhaust instead of relying solely on suction power. This allows more air — and therefore more dust and debris — to move through the system, resulting in a deeper clean if you’re willing to pay $100 more.Ecovacs Deebot X9 Pro OmniWhere to Buy: $1299.99 $899.99 at Amazon (with Prime) $1299.99 $944.99 at Ecovacs $1299.99 $944.99 at Best Buy

I often talk about switching to Linux as an alternative to Windows 11, something I've done myself on many of my machines. But while it's common to put Linux on the same playing field as Windows, it bears repeating that Linux itself isn't an operating system, and as a kernel, it's an extremely versatile piece of software that can be used for a lot of things.

Of all the exciting things about getting a new internet connection, the router is probably the least thrilling. It's the beige box of networking, the unglamorous gatekeeper to the digital world. Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) is aware of this. They make setup and maintenance incredibly simple. Most providers offer or bundle a router with your new connection. If you agree, a technician shows up, plugs it in, and hands you a small card with a Wi-Fi password that resembles a cat walking across a keyboard. The accompanying documentation, and often the technicians themselves, strongly imply that this piece of hardware is a non-negotiable part of the deal.

Why just post a photo when you can encourage all your friends and followers to engage with it? Have you tried simply uploading a photo to Instagram lately? It's a minefield. Is that a Story, a Post, or a Reel? Do you want to add music? A caption? A prompt, which is… different than a caption, somehow? How about a poll? A fundraiser? More text, but this time on top of the image? Share it to Facebook? On and on and on. I have a simple request to anyone at Meta who is listening: please, just give us our photo sharing app back.The current Instagram app is more like three or four apps in a trenchcoat. There's the grid, which is probably what anyone over the age of 35 thinks of as Instagram. Then there's Stories - shamelessly copied from S …Read the full story at The Verge.