I've always loved the idea of a self-hosted surveillance system at home and have tried everything from Synology's surveillance camera solution to Ubiquiti's cameras and NVR. Unlike cloud-connected cameras, I like knowing that my cameras and data are entirely under my control, and that I don't need to pay subscription fees or worry about the provider discontinuing service. Now, the go-to app of choice for almost everyone self-hosting their apps tends to be Frigate. And that's for a good reason. Frigate's excellent AI-based motion detection has made it a fantastic option for almost everyone. The problem for me was that Frigate requires a lot of time, effort, and suitable hardware to get right. It is an incredibly powerful piece of software with equally high demands from users. While my NVR handles all my recording needs, I needed an easy-to-access dashboard that would make viewing feeds easy without endless setup. So, with a bit of research, I ended up with Nightwatcher. This small self-hosted app isn't a Frigate alternative, but a surprisingly practical addition for anyone running their own surveillance systems.

Single-Board Computers continue to receive performance upgrades with each passing year, with modern SBCs being versatile enough to run a handful of projects. This includes the uber-popular Raspberry Pi family that, despite featuring the Arm design, can bring cool, practical, and downright quirky ideas into existence.

It's not quite October yet, and there are still plenty of video games set to be released before the end of the year. Even still, I'm pretty convinced that Blippo Plus will go down as the strangest release of 2025.Calling it a game might be a bit of a misnomer; it's more of an alien television simulator. The idea is that, for reasons that aren't immediately clear, you're able to tune into a TV network from another world, the titular Blippo Plus. You don't really "play" the game, but rather flip around the channels - there are FMV shows with human actors, covering everything from dramas to cooking - to better understand the alien culture. (I …Read the full story at The Verge.

Nintendo’s first-party Switch 2 Pro Controller can’t be beaten when it comes to its breadth of features and comfort. But at $89.99, let’s be real, it’s way too expensive for most people. Thankfully, a controller I’ve been testing recently, which is nearly as good despite lacking a 3.5mm audio jack, is currently on sale for $40 less. The EasySMX S10, as it’s called, is available for $50.39 from EasySMX with code GETS10.The S10 is comfortable to use for long gaming sessions, and it has features that aren’t commonly built into third-party gamepads, including amiibo support and rumble that feels like it’s in the same ballpark as Nintendo’s HD rumble. It can also remotely wake the Nintendo Switch 2, not just the original Switch, from standby.The S10 would be easier to recommend than Nintendo’s Switch 2 Pro Controller even if they were the same price, since EasySMX’s model features accurate, power-efficient TMR joysticks, plus some satisfyingly clicky buttons and triggers (note: these are divisive, you might not like them as much as I do). But at $40 less, you don’t need to feel bad about getting this instead of Nintendo’s official gamepad. Take that leftover money and treat yourself to something nice instead.EasySMX S10 Gaming Controller for Switch 2Where to Buy: $59.99 at Amazon $59.99 $50.39 at EasySMX (with code GETS10)If you’re an Android user looking for an unobtrusive Bluetooth tracker for your wallet, Ugreen just launched the FineTrack Slim Smart G. It’s just 1.7mm thick (approximately the thickness of two credit cards), letting it to sit next to your other cards without sticking out, and its built-in battery can last for up to five years. For its launch, Ugreen has knocked $2 off the $25.99 tracker, dropping it to $23.99 at Amazon.The downside is that it can’t be charged, so you’ll need to dispose of it and buy a new tracker once those five years are up. That stinks, but its specs mean it should provide a pretty good five years of service. It features a built-in 80db alarm to help you find it via Google’s Find Hub network, after all, along with IP68 protection against dust and water. Just keep in mind that, if it’s submerged, you won’t be able to track it.Ugreen FineTrack Slim Smart G Bluetooth trackerWhere to Buy: $25.99 $23.99 at AmazonNow through October 5th, OnePlus has a few back-to-college deals up its sleeve that everyone can enjoy, whether you’re a student or not. The one that caught my eye is the 43mm OnePlus Watch 3, which is available for $269.99 ($30 off) from Amazon and OnePlus (with coupon code HARVEST). The Wear OS 5-equipped smartwatch has gone on sale before, but after a nearly month-long period when it wasn’t discounted, it’s returned to its second-best price to date.If you’re shopping for an Android watch, we recommend including OnePlus’ latest wearable on your shortlist. Outside of Samsung’s recent Galaxy Watch 8 series, the OnePlus Watch 3 is one of the newest models available. It offers a better value than its predecessor, the OnePlus Watch 2, with updated software, a rotating crown, an enhanced GPS antenna, and a suite of new health features.Read our hands-on impressions.OnePlus Watch 3 (43mm)Where to Buy: $299.99 $269.99 at OnePlus (with code HARVEST) $299.99 $269.99 at AmazonOther deals we loved from this weekNintendo’s tappable amiibos are an expensive hobby, as most figures for the Switch and Switch 2 usually cost between $15 and $40 each. However, GameStop recently did collectors and trinket enjoyers a favor by slashing prices on a handful of models, which start at just $5.99 a pop. Not just that, some of the newer ones that debuted alongside the Switch 2 (including ones from The Legend of Zelda series and Street Fighter 6) are down to $15.99 at GameStop and Amazon — over half off their original price.We highlighted the Prime-exclusive deal on Kindle Unlimited last weekend, but it’s worth sharing again in case you missed it. If you sign into your Prime account ahead of Amazon’s October Prime Day event, which starts on October 7th, you’ll be able to sign up for a free three-month trial of Kindle Unlimited. After your free trial period ends, you’ll be charged $11.99 a month unless you cancel the service. Kindle Unlimited is filled with many, many titles you can read for no extra charge, so if you’re a voracious reader, this is a fabulous deal that costs nothing to redeem.If you’re a PC gamer with a taste for spooky games, you might have already dipped into several titles from Remedy Entertainment’s catalog, including Alan Wake 2, Control, and others. But if you haven’t yet tried them, there’s an affordable way to go all-in, as Humble is offering a nine-game bundle for just $27. Getting Alan Wake 2 (redeemable via the Epic Games Store) at that price would be a steal on its own, but you also get Control Ultimate Edition, Quantum Break, Alan Wake Remastered, Max Payne, Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne, and more. The step-up tier of the bundle also includes a 25 percent off coupon for FBC: Firebreak, Remedy’s cooperative first-person shooter set in the Control universe.

It's not every day you can score a generous 90% discount on a Steam game, and it's even rarer that the title in question is a triple-A title. Fortunately, although it doesn't happen often, it does come around once in a while.

The Raleigh One electric bike. Two good things have come from the 2023 bankruptcy of VanMoof. The first is the all-new VanMoof S6 e-bike that recently launched under new ownership. The second is a new commuter e-bike developed for Raleigh by VanMoof's departed founders, Ties and Taco Carlier. Like a VanMoof, the Raleigh One e-bike comes with anti-theft features like GPS tracking and an alarm, cables routed through the aluminum frame, wide tires, mudguards, integrated lighting, and hauling options needed for daily commutes across a city. It also comes packed with lessons learned about reduced complexity and serviceability, including a bevy of off-the-shelf parts and a si …Read the full story at The Verge.

I've tried all kinds of ESP32-powered displays at this point, from ones that can function as a voice assistant to tiny displays I can mount on my NAS. However, the one that started it all was arguably the XIAO 7.5-inch ePaper Panel, a cost effective ESP32-based display that you can program to your heart's content. However, it's admittedly quite barebones, and that's where the reTerminal E1002 comes in.

AMD's current AM5 platform seems so well-established today that we sometimes forget that the 9-year-old AM4 is still alive and kicking. Nearly a decade after its introduction in 2016, the AM4 platform is still getting new CPU launches in 2025. If AMD keeps this up, AM4 might be on the heels of overtaking Apple's PowerPC, the era of which lasted around 12 years. AM4 still has a ways to go to do that, but AMD has shown us that it's far from impossible.

Amazon is hosting its 2025 fall hardware event on Tuesday, September 30th, and it could be a packed show. The company’s invite has a few not-so-subtle hints about new Echos and a new Kindle. It will also be Amazon’s next big product event for Panos Panay, who joined Amazon in 2023 to head up its devices and services teams after a long career at Microsoft helping launch products like the Surface lineup. Amazon has taken some big swings under Panay’s leadership, launching a suite of new Kindle products last year — including the first color Kindle — and announcing its AI-powered Alexa Plus assistant. What’s coming up next, then? Here’s what we think you can expect.At least one new Echo productAmazon’s invitation appears to tease two products with the company’s iconic blue Echo ring, so it looks like we’ll get new Echo smart speakers of some kind during the show. Which ones, though?A new standard Echo seems like a safe bet, as the company hasn’t released one since 2020. Perhaps that’s the one in the top left of Amazon’s event teaser. The shape on the top right looks a little bit like an Echo Studio, which is also due for an upgrade. It was last refreshed in 2023.I might be totally off-base with my guesses, but if you’re shopping for new smart speakers and are already invested in Amazon’s Alexa and Echo ecosystem, you might want to wait to see what Amazon reveals at this event before you buy anything new.A color Kindle ScribeThis one is easier to tease out from Amazon’s event invite: one of the pictures is a color version of the Kindle logo. But hidden in the corner of the image is a clue that Amazon might announce a color version of the Kindle Scribe: tiny text in the corner includes the words “with the” and “stroke of a pen.” Amazon announced the first Scribe, a tablet-sized E Ink device that pairs with a stylus, in 2022, and it released a second-generation version last year. But both were missing a color screen, which seems like the next natural upgrade.A smaller color KindleA Reddit user recently shared images of a prototype Kindle that’s apparently a bit smaller than the 11th-generation Kindle and has “Kindle Petit Color” branding. The prototype has colors that are better than last year’s Colorsoft, too, the user says. The first Colorsoft had a rocky launch due to a discoloration issue affecting some units that Amazon had to address. I have lower confidence in this one, though, since Amazon very recently launched a cheaper Kindle Colorsoft without some of the features of the Colorsoft Signature Edition, like wireless charging. New TV hardware and potentially a new TV OSThe bottom-left corner of the invitation features a picture that resembles a TV, suggesting that Amazon will announce new TV hardware of some kind. But the bigger TV-focused news might be Vega OS, a replacement operating system for its Fire TVs that isn’t based on Android, and the OS could launch as soon as this week, according to Lowpass’ Janko Roettgers.Vega OS is a bit of an open secret already; Amazon job listings have directly mentioned it, and the company already uses the operating system on the Echo Show 5, Echo Hub smart displays, and the Echo Spot smart clock. If Amazon uses this event to share more about Vega OS on TVs, it would mark a big public reveal for the operating system.Alexa Plus announcements or upgradesAlexa Plus is a major initiative for Amazon as it looks to compete with other popular AI assistants, such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini. While the revamped Alexa is still technically rolling out in early access, Amazon could use this event as an opportunity to give an update on that rollout and announce new features coming to the assistant. Other unexpected hardwareWhen David Limp, now the CEO of Jeff Bezos’ rocket company Blue Origin, led Amazon’s devices and services, the company’s hardware events were often packed with a dizzying number of new and unexpected products that worked with Alexa, including things like Echo Buttons, the Echo Wall Clock, and even an Alexa-enabled microwave. All three of those are now in the Echo graveyard, but Amazon could have another surprise product up its sleeves again. With Meta all-in on smart AI glasses, maybe Amazon will upgrade its Echo Frames?

Many people are rightly worried about Microsoft's Recall, with some even calling it "spyware.” It's a valid concern, as it's designed to record nearly all activity on your PC, creating a database of sensitive information that could be targeted by malware. To Microsoft's credit, the company re-evaluated its approach to Recall and then re-launched it with security improvements and overall tweaks. But come to think of it, if you were one of those who worried about Microsoft Recall, you probably should be just as concerned with a clipboard manager.

Cristian Fleming paid around $70,000 for his dream car, a Fisker Ocean. He was drawn to the new EV's 350-mile range, eco-friendly image, and quirky features like "California Modes," which rolls down nearly every window at once."I've always bought my cars because I love the way they look," Fleming says. "That's probably my first mistake."But his joy soon turned sour. In June 2024, seven months after Fleming's purchase, Fisker collapsed into bankruptcy, having only delivered 11,000 vehicles. Early adopters were left with cars plagued by battery failures, glitchy software, inconsistent key fobs, and door handles that did not always open. …Read the full story at The Verge.

On day three of the two-week remedies trial in the Justice Department's ad tech case against Google, Judge Leonie Brinkema boiled down the argument to one key issue: trust. Brinkema interrupted testimony from a DOJ expert with a hypothetical: should she issue a strict order modifying Google's behavior, could it resolve the issues at hand if "you had confidence that Google would actually act in complete good faith?"The question felt particularly pointed, given how the Google trial Brinkema presided over last year unfolded. Over three weeks, the DOJ repeatedly presented examples of Google employees allegedly using chat messages to avoid leav …Read the full story at The Verge.