Like most fans of self-hosted services, better photo hosting is something that excites me. So, obviously, I've spent enough time with Immich to know why it's the default recommendation in self-hosted photo circles. The app is fast, polished, and does a great job of organizing large photo libraries with minimal effort. Generally speaking, that's a good enough reason to consider switching to Immich from something like Google Photos or iCloud. But Immich isn't the only game in town. I've been keeping a close eye on Ente. The more I dig into it, the more appealing it gets because the app appears to approach the same problem from a very different angle, one that prioritizes configurability and control over convenience.

Automation comes in many shapes and forms, and for the longest time, it's been considered something that only power users dabble in. Developers, sysadmins, or prosumer users who know how to work with scripts tend to be the ones who build out these scripts to assist everyday computer usage. It's also why I have stayed away from it. While I dabble in code, I just don't trust myself with writing scripts that will interact with irreplaceable files on my computer. But turns out, there's a better way.

So here's the thing: when it comes to singing KDE Plasma's praises, I'll be one of the first in line to do so. It was a significant factor in my transition from Windows to Linux, and I truly appreciate what the KDE team does and what they have planned for the future. However, I will also admit that, while KDE Plasma is fantastic, it's not perfect. It's dang close, but it's not.

When we think about PC maintenance, the first things that come to mind are usually the obvious ones, like cleaning the fans, dust filters, and reapplying thermal paste. Those are the tasks that feel tangible and necessary because we see their impact almost immediately in the form of lower temperatures and quieter operation. However, one part of PC maintenance that rarely gets the same level of attention is storage, even though it plays a big role in how responsive your PC feels day to day.

Most home servers begin their lives using whatever storage connectivity happens to be built into a consumer motherboard. You plug drives into the onboard SATA ports, maybe enable a BIOS RAID option if you're feeling spicy, and for a while everything works well enough. With only a few disks and lighter workloads, you can get by just fine with what your hardware gives you. The trouble is that home servers and home labs almost never stay that simple. They accumulate more drives, start running continuously, and slowly become responsible for data you actually care about.

Once a joke in the gaming scene, Linux distros have made leaps and bounds over the past few years. It has gotten to the point where we're seeing entire gaming-oriented distros appear, including, but not exclusive to, the Steam Deck's operating system, SteamOS.

Sometimes you need extra ports to get your work done. And that's especially true for products like laptops, tablets, PC gaming handhelds and even smartphones. And while you can go with something like a USB hub, we think a docking station is going to be a more powerful and robust solution.

For something that's vital for my PC to boot properly, I don't give the GRUB menu much of my attention. I usually hit the power button and wander off to make a hot drink or perform a chore, then return to my OS all booted up and ready to go.

Does your internet feel slow? Are you struggling to load specific websites or some apps timeout on your smartphone? There may be grounds to immediately assume it's an issue with the device, Internet Service Provider (ISP), or Wi-Fi signal. Routers may be rebooted, cables reinserted, but nothing will change a thing if your Domain Name System (DNS) isn't working. Try as you might, you'll be at square one if you don't check DNS.

Marvel fans are going to have a crazy year with the release of Avengers: Doomsday happening towards the end of 2026. At the same time, while the Marvel Cinematic Universe is set to explode, new Marvel video games are on the way. One major group that is going to be featured in many of the upcoming releases across different mediums is the X-Men. After having been in exile for so long, due to a lot of things happening with Disney over the years, the mutants are primed to make a massive comeback for audiences who love Marvel Comics.

When it comes to Docker, we often focus on the big containers — the massive clusters and complex microservices. But some of the highest ROI I have found comes from the smallest images in my library. By leveraging lightweight, set-it-and-forget-it Docker utilities, I have automated several tasks and eliminated repetitive workflows.

Server-grade hardware may be ideal for home lab projects, but you don’t need to spend an exorbitant amount of money on the rigs (and electricity prices) to get your experimentation hub up and running. Depending on the scope of your DIY projects, you can go for cheap N100 mini-PCs and x86 Single-Board Computers, and still expect reasonable performance. Better yet, you can even repurpose old, worn-out systems into solid server nodes.