You can have a monitor with excellent picture quality and still be completely underwhelmed the moment you start gaming on it. I've used 1440p and 4K monitors that looked great for watching movies, using productivity apps, and web browsing, but their weaknesses became hard to ignore whenever I played fast-paced games. That's when I realized high resolution and punchy colors don't mean much when the panel can't keep up with your gameplay in real time.

Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 106, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you're new here, welcome, Happy Thanksgiving Week, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.) This week, I've been reading about prediction markets and Hilary Duff and Matt Belloni and yeast, clearing space for a Steam Machine, playing News Tower thanks to Stephen Totilo's recommendation, checking to make sure I remember all the Wicked lyrics (I do, don't worry) before seeing For Good, giving up on my fantasy football team, and recording season two of Version History. It's a fun one.I also have for you a ne …Read the full story at The Verge.

What are thooooose? Well, they're my Vines, the six-second videos that helped mint a generation of famous comedians and also kicked off the era of endlessly looping vertical video that has consumed us all ever since. If you weren't there at the time, most Vines might seem utterly nonsensical. But if you were on the internet when Vine burned brightest - a much briefer moment than you might remember - you probably still find yourself saying "look at all those chickens" more often than you should. For this episode of Version History, we tell the story of Vine from beginning to end. It takes longer than six seconds… but not that much longer. …Read the full story at The Verge.

SSDs have all but replaced hard drives when it comes to primary storage. They're orders of magnitude faster, more convenient, and consume less power than mechanical hard drives. That said, if you're also using SSDs for cold storage, expecting the drives lying in your drawer to work perfectly after years, you might want to rethink your strategy. Your reliable SSD could suffer from corrupted or lost data if left unpowered for extended periods. This is why many users don't consider SSDs a reliable long-term storage medium, and prefer using hard drives, magnetic tape, or M-Disc instead.

If you run a home server, you inevitably fall into one of two camps. You're either like me, falling squarely in the set and forget it category, where you install and then never get around to managing updates. And then there's the crowd that will install a dedicated app like Watchtower, giving it permissions to restart anything it wants and hoping that a breaking change doesn't bring down your entire home server overnight. This group generally tends to avoid automation. Understandably so. Things break. Moreover, we like the idea of manually checking GitHub releases, checking for update logs, pulling images one by one, and restarting containers only when we're sure that nothing is about to stop working.

The current discount takes nearly $200 off the original list price. More than five years after making their debut, Sony’s WH-1000XM4 remain an excellent pair of noise-canceling headphones. And right now, Best Buy is offering a doorbuster deal that drops them to just $159.99 ($190 off) for a limited time, which is the lowest price we’ve seen this year. If you prefer the latest tech, you can also snag the newer XM6 for about $398 ($60 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target.Sony WH-1000XM4Where to Buy: $349.99 $159.99 at Best Buy $349.99 $189.99 at Sony $349.99 $348 at WalmartWe once considered the XM4 to be the best headphones you could buy. We replaced them with the XM5, followed by the XM6 three years later, but the last-last-gen model is still a solid pick in 2025. The XM4 offer great sound quality, up to 30 hours of battery life, and terrific active noise cancellation, even if the ANC can’t quite compete with Sony’s newer models. They support multipoint connectivity, allowing you to pair them with two devices simultaneously, along with great voice call performance. They also feature a handy Speak to Chat feature, which can automatically pause your audio when you start speaking.Additionally, the XM4 support wear detection, meaning they will automatically pause whatever is playing when you remove them from your head and resume playback when you put them back on. And unlike the last-gen XM5, the comfortable headphones fold when not in use, making it relatively easy to slide them into your bag.As for what you miss out on by opting for the XM4 over the XM6, Sony’s latest model offers improved sound quality, more powerful ANC, and even clearer voice calls. You can also charge the XM6 while listening to them, though you’ll need to juggle two cables — a USB-C and a 3.5mm — since they don’t support audio over USB-C.Read our full WH-1000XM4 review.

Solid-state drives have become the default storage choice for modern PCs for their lightning-fast performance, but despite their speed and resilience, they're not invincible. Even the most reliable SSDs still rely on delicate flash memory cells that gradually wear out with use, making longevity a real concern for anyone running read and write intensive software.

If you've ever used your TV as a computer monitor, you know that it's not the best idea in the world. The optimization that's done to the panel for TVs compared to that for close-use monitors often means hard-to-read text, and that's before considering how large the average smart TV is these days. Plus, you're usually limited to HDMI, with USB-C or DisplayPort often absent.

This is The Stepback, a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more on streaming competition, follow Andrew Webster. The Stepback arrives in our subscribers' inboxes at 8AM ET. Opt in for The Stepback here.How it startedIn 2022, Apple won an Oscar. The company behind the Mac and iPhone made a splash by winning Best Picture with the indie darling CODA, a remake of a French-Belgian film about the only hearing member of a family with a struggling fishing business. It was created with a modest budget reported around $10 million, and yet despite its relatively humble beginnings, for a time the movie was …Read the full story at The Verge.

Super Mario Odyssey is on sale for $29.99 for a limited time, which matches the game’s lowest price to date. | Image: Nintendo Nintendo has made some of the most iconic video games of all time, but building a library of the standouts can quickly become expensive, especially given that many titles don’t often go on sale at a significant discount. The good news is that Nintendo is already running a holiday sale in the run-up to Black Friday, allowing you to save on Nintendo Switch games, amiibo, and accessories through November 28th.The biggest news is that Nintendo and select retailers are offering some of the Switch’s best games — including Super Mario Odyssey and The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom — for as little as $29.99, which amounts to a healthy $30 discount. In some cases, these games are at their lowest price ever, and we don’t expect any of them to be this heavily discounted again until “MAR10 Day” rolls around next year.Typically, Nintendo offers a discount on a Switch bundle that includes a digital copy of Mario Kart: 8 Deluxe or some other first-party title, but that doesn’t seem to be happening this year. The company has openly admitted that it’s shifting its focus to the Switch 2 — which isn’t on sale and isn’t expected to be anytime soon — and recently raised the price of the original Switch due to President Trump’s tariff policy.Sadly, no Switch 2 games are part of the promo; however, you can play the discounted OG Switch titles on Nintendo’s latest console. Plus, if you are looking for deals related to the Switch 2, Woot is still running a video game promo through the end of today, November 23rd, giving you a chance to save on newer releases like Mario Kart World and the Switch 2 Edition of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.Super Mario OdysseySuper Mario Odyssey remains one of the crowning achievements of the original Switch thanks to its tight platforming, ingenious level design, and a game mechanic that lets you control certain enemies and parts of the environment. There are still bosses to battle and coins to collect, but Odyssey feels like a breath of fresh air. Read our review.Where to Buy: $59.99 $29.99 at Best Buy $59.99 $29.99 at Target $59.99 $29.99 at AmazonPrincess Peach: Showtime!Princess Peach: Showtime! is the first Nintendo game to star the Mushroom Kingdom royal in nearly 20 years, and it’s a welcome return to form. Peach finds herself having to fight, puzzle, and platform her way through different sets in a community theater. She inhabits a different role — with different abilities — in each stage, which keeps the game engaging. Read our review.Where to Buy: $59.99 $39.99 at Best Buy $59.99 $29.99 at TargetDonkey Kong Country Returns HDDonkey Kong Country HD is the definitive version of the tough-as-nails platformer, which initially launched on the Wii in 2016. Don’t let the game’s cartoonish art, bopping soundtrack, and side-scrolling gameplay fool you, though; it will test your skills. That said, it’s still a blast to work your way through the game’s tougher sections, which require both precision and patience. Read our review.Where to Buy: $59.99 $39.99 at Best Buy $59.99 $29.99 at Target $59.99 $29.99 at AmazonThe Legend of Zelda: Echoes of WisdomEchoes of Wisdom finally lets you play as Nintendo’s titular heroine. The game’s basic premise revolves around trying to save the world using the fabled Tri Rod, an item that allows you to replicate the spirits of items and enemies you encounter along the way. The game mixes the top-down perspective of 2D Zelda games with gameplay from the series’ newer, open-world 3D entries. Read our review.Where to Buy: $59.99 $39.99 at Best Buy $59.99 $29.99 at TargetLuigi’s Mansion 3Luigi’s Mansion 3 is the series’s most ambitious title, even though it retains the Luigi-as-a-Ghostbuster gameplay the series has employed since 2001. It takes place in a haunted hotel overrun with ghosts. To deal with them, you’ll need the help of Gooigi, a doppelgänger made of goop that can help you explore every nook and cranny. The game’s slapstick humor outweighs any spookiness. Read our review.Where to Buy: $59.99 $39.99 at Best Buy $59.99 $39.99 at Target $59.99 $39.99 at AmazonNintendo Switch SportsNintendo Switch Sports didn’t change the world the way Wii Sports did in 2006, but it remains a fun party game. You can choose from six sports, including tennis and bowling, and use a single Switch Joy-Con as a motion controller. There’s an element of “swing the controller and hope the correct action happens on screen,” but it’s still a good time to play with friends. Read our review.Where to Buy: $49.99 $39.99 at Best Buy $49.99 $29.99 at Target $49.99 $29.99 at WalmartPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year DoorPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is generally regarded as the best Mario RPG, and the Switch remake is well worth revisiting. Mario has more paper-like abilities than he did in the original Paper Mario game (including the option to turn into a paper airplane), and Nintendo didn’t feel the need to shake up the battle system or other gameplay elements like they did in subsequent entries. Where to Buy: $59.99 $29.99 at Best Buy $59.99 $29.99 at TargetSplatoon 3Splatoon 3 is the latest entry in Nintendo’s paint-laden shooter franchise, and the hook this time around is a deeper single-player mode. You’ll assume the role of an undercover agent fighting through a city using a mix of shooting and platforming. As you progress, you’ll begin to find artifacts of the pre-apocalypse that shine a light on what happened in the Splatoon universe. Read our review.Where to Buy: $59.99 $29.99 at Best Buy $59.99 $29.99 at Target $59.99 $17.44 at AmazonKirby’s Return to Dream Land DeluxeKirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe is another HD remake of a Wii game, but it introduces additional abilities, mini games, and an entirely new section that’s available once you complete the original story. The game doesn’t shake up the Kirby formula, but it’s still a fun game to play — especially with friends, as it supports four-player local co-op.Where to Buy: $59.99 $39.99 at Best Buy $59.99 $39.99 at Target $59.99 $39.99 at AmazonTulin amiiboTulin is a Rito and the Sage of Wind from The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. His amiibo will grant random items in both The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and its aforementioned sequel.Where to Buy: $29.99 $9.99 at Amazon $29.99 $9.99 at Best Buy $29.99 $19.99 at TargetYunobo amiiboYunobo is a Goron and the Sage of Fire from The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Using his amiibo will drop random items in both that game and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Where to Buy: $29.99 $9.99 at Amazon $28.99 $9.99 at Best Buy $29.99 $19.99 at TargetRiju amiiboRiju is a Gerudo and the Sage of Lightning from The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Using her amiibo will drop random items in both that game and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Where to Buy: $29.99 $9.99 at Amazon $29.99 $9.99 at Best Buy $29.99 $19.99 at TargetSidon amiiboSidon is a Zora and the Sage of Water from The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Using his amiibo will drop random items in both that game and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Where to Buy: $29.99 $9.99 at Amazon $29.99 $9.99 at Best Buy $29.99 $19.99 at TargetJamie amiiboJamie is a character in Street Fighter 6, and using his amiibo lets you save his outfit, color, and your own custom button settings. The amiibo also unlocks in-game rewards, including music and wallpaper.Where to Buy: $39.99 $19.99 at Amazon $39.99 $14.99 at Best Buy $39.99 $29.99 at TargetKimberly amiiboKimberly is a character in Street Fighter 6, and using her amiibo lets you save her outfit, color, and your own custom button settings. The amiibo also unlocks in-game rewards, including music and wallpaper.Where to Buy: $39.99 $14.99 at Best Buy $39.99 $29.99 at Target $39.99 at NintendoLuke amiiboLuke is a character in Street Fighter 6 who made his series debut in Street Fighter V: Champion Edition. Using his amiibo lets you save his outfit, color, and your own custom button settings in Street Fighter 6. The amiibo also unlocks in-game rewards, including music and wallpaper.Where to Buy: $39.99 $14.99 at Amazon $39.99 $14.99 at Best Buy $39.99 $29.99 at Target

Yesterday X started rolling out a new About This Account feature, which included what country the account was created from and what country the account is “based” in (which is different from “connected via”). Head of product at X, Nikita Bier, was quick to say that there were “a few rough edges,” but promised they’d be resolved by Tuesday. There have definitely been complaints about inaccuracies. The company even ended up removing information about where an account was created, saying the data “was not 100 percent,” especially for older accounts. The reaction from users on X was, of course, totally level-headed. They immediately recognized that the data was flawed and definitely didn’t spend the last 24 hours trying to score political points.Just kidding. People on X have done almost nothing but shout that accounts they disagree with are actually foreign operatives. Even users who have publicly complained that the information on their own profile was inaccurate continued on to make bad-faith posts about how their political opponents were running a foreign psyop. The inaccurate data could have several causes. People who travel, or outlets with staff scattered around the globe, might appear to be “based” somewhere other than where they actually are, at least temporarily. If someone uses a VPN, it could affect where X shows their location. Some of it could just be old IP addresses. At the time of this writing, Hank Green’s account is listed as being based in Japan, MusicTech (a sister publication to the UK’s NME) is showing as based in the US, and AVID (Massachusetts-based maker of ProTools) is listed as being in Spain.Of course, there is also a kernel of truth to some of this. Many political rage-bait accounts are not based in the US. We’ve long known that troll farms have been waging a foreign influence campaign on American politics. But some of it is also a financial scheme. Monetization on X is largely driven by engagement, and nothing gets people engaged like riling them up about politics.

Zotero is widely known for its ability to group sources together in one place, making it a godsend for college students, journalists, and researchers alike. That said, the method for adding plugins isn't the easiest in the world; in fact, it can be downright annoying. Zotero has a ton of useful plugins that enhance its functionality, but to access them, you typically have to jump through a few hoops. You have to find the plugin on GitHub (or somewhere else), download the XPI file, then add it to Zotero through the tools menu. It doesn't take that long, but when other applications let you browse plugins directly within the app, it's hard not to make comparisons.