Mesh networking is amazing. It allows you to use multiple nodes to create a wide-reaching wireless network for all devices to get online. Compared to just one router with wireless capabilities, a mesh network can improve your Wi-Fi signal strength tenfold, depending on the location and building. I know wired networking is king in the home local area network (LAN) world, but I wasn't expecting it to be that much better than an existing mesh setup.

I’ve been experimenting with graphics tools for years, and over time, you realize you don’t actually need a massive all-in-one suite. Half of the time, I just need something quick and precise to do one simple task, such as getting the HEX values for a color palette or resizing an image. That’s why I’ve started building a “mini” toolkit of open-source graphics apps that let me take care of smaller tasks without slowing me down. They’re not just freebies; they’re very lean and reliable, and in some cases, surprisingly powerful.

If you have a complicated home entertainment and office setup like me, you've probably been in this situation.

TikTok finally closed a deal meant to bring it into compliance with the law that should have banned it a year ago, and the lawmakers who passed that law still don't seem to know what's going on.The company announced Tuesday that its US service is now part of the separate TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC, with parent company ByteDance holding just a 19.9 percent stake in that new entity. The rest is owned by Oracle and investment firms Silver Lake and MGX, as well as smaller investors including Michael Dell's family investment firm. Oracle will store US data and the joint venture will "retrain, test, and update the content recommendation algor …Read the full story at The Verge.

Since the Intel NUC, I've seen an ever-increasing share of people opt for an all-in-one computer or a mini PC with an assortment of peripherals they prefer. The use cases range from office work to heavy, intensive AI model refinement, and mini PCs today seem adept at handling it all. However, if the mini ITX form factor is any yardstick, a disproportionate increase in pricing typically accompanies a reduction in the PC component size. That's mostly because these small computers and their components aren't exactly flying off the shelves, and it takes considerable engineering effort to shrink mid-tower performance down to palm-sized machines.

A year ago, it seemed like smart glasses were really poised to take over the market. However, it's now the start of 2026 and not much has really changed. People still aren't picking these things up despite them advancing in technology and offering more and more reasons to ditch a traditional monitor.

The concept of a homemade console that supports various systems isn't new, but it's been a few years since I've seen one. Remember Yoshi's Boxx from roughly 2002, a custom-made console that could play the PC, Xbox, PS2, Game Cube, Atari 2600, and NES games?

I'm old enough to remember when TVs weighed half a ton (figuratively) and weren't always in color, and while I love nerding out about OLED and the various permutations of quantum dots that seem to be the next gen of display tech, one thing has soured my TV experience. Okay, two things, because 3D TVs were terrible, but I'm specifically talking about the hostile user experience on almost every smart TV you can buy.

Stream Decks have been increasing in popularity tenfold over the past few years. They're the icon of a modern desk setup and not just used for streaming, but for a variety of other shortcuts too. A Stream Deck is essentially a small LCD and a USB controller. You're paying for the software ecosystem and the logo rather than the hardware and the device itself.

For a long time, it was easy to explain why Linux never broke through on the desktop. Drivers were flaky, Wi-Fi barely worked, GPU acceleration was a dice roll, and installing software felt like trial and error. If you tried Linux ten years ago and bounced off it hard, that reaction makes complete sense. It was good for reviving old systems and servers (and still is), but desktop use was reserved for the hardcore because of its reliance on knowledge.

It's always an exciting time when you're looking to upgrade the hardware for your PC. And while big ticket items like graphics cards and CPUs usually come first, a new gaming monitor can be just as important.

I used to view Docker primarily as a sandbox for web servers and basic home lab experiments. I didn’t think a containerized setup could truly compete with the polished, feature-rich productivity apps I have relied on for years.