Have you ever tried downloading Google Chrome on a new Windows machine? If you have, you'll be very familiar with all the prompts Microsoft throws at you to stop you. From a little banner ad for Edge after searching for 'Chrome' using Bing to pop-ups appearing as you navigate the 'Download Google Chrome' page, Microsoft wants to make it very clear that it has a browser, and it'd really prefer it if you used it over Chrome.

Betty Boop made her debut as an anthropomorphic dog in Dizzy Dishes. | Image: Fleischer Studios Some years ago, I was writing a science fiction short story in which I wanted to incorporate verses from a 1928 song, "Button Up Your Overcoat." However, when I sold the story, my editor told me that since the song was still copyrighted, it was safer not to include the verses. If I had written the story today, I could have used them - because the song passed into public domain two years ago.If you're looking for songs, books, or movies with content you want to use, you are probably examining which of your favorites are headed for the public domain. This year, copyrighted works created in 1930 (except for sound recordings, where the date …Read the full story at The Verge.

I'm far from the most adept Linux user, but I can handle my way around it through constantly trying out new things. One of those is Wayland. Now, by no means is Wayland something new and shiny. However, I've stuck to X11 because it works just fine for me as an occasional user. But lately I've been feeling the itch to give it a shot. Not because something was wrong with X11, but I should probably get a handle on what is shaping up as the popular choice. As it turns out, before I knew it, I was spending most of my time in Wayland.

You know that feeling you get where you're in a noisy environment for so long, you get used to it? Then you moved somewhere quiet, and you realise just how much noise you've been surrounded by over the past few minutes? That's how I felt when I moved from Windows to Linux a few months ago; once I had an OS that didn't pester me every so often, I realisedjust how spoiled I was using Linux.

Nothing lasts forever, so you can't really expect your PC to stay relevant beyond its realistic lifespan. PC components can become outdated due to performance leaps, new features, and efficiency improvements, among other things. That said, some components can age worse than others, and I don't mean, say, a CPU vs. a GPU. When you're buying parts for your build, you always have the choice to cheap out on some components or invest in quality, capacity, and performance in each department. The latter can drive up your budget, but it's almost always the smarter decision in the long run. Here are 6 components that you should ideally avoid when building a PC.

As usual, 2025 was a year of deep congressional dysfunction in the US. But state legislatures were passing laws that govern everything from AI to social media to the right to repair. Many of these laws, alongside rules passed in past years, take effect in 2026 - either right now or in the coming months.As of January 1st, Americans should have the right to crypto ATM refunds in Colorado, wide-ranging electronics repairs in Colorado and Washington, and AI system transparency in California, among other things. But a last-minute court ruling offered a reprieve from one high-profile state law: Texas' App Store-based age verification rule.For …Read the full story at The Verge.

We spend our days repeating the same keystrokes, whether it's muting and unmuting Zoom, opening specific folders, or typing out "Best Regards" over and over again. Opting for a macro pad can give you the luxury of one-touch to complete all of these tasks. However, macro pads have a premium price barrier. The Stream Deck or other high-end mechanical macro pads can cost you over $100.

A new year is about to start, so the XDA team has been reflecting on the games that we’re looking forward to most next year. The big one, obviously, is Grand Theft Auto VI. Pushed out of 2025 and even further back into 2026 through two separate delays, we’re still eagerly awaiting what Rockstar Games has in store for us next and if it’ll live up to the lofty expectations already hoisted upon it.

LG is adding a karaoke-focused party speaker to its lineup of Xboom devices, which is built in collaboration with Will.i.am. Announced this week, LG says the Stage 501 speaker comes with an "AI Karaoke Master" that can remove or adjust vocals from "virtually any song," similar to the Soundcore Rave 3S.It can also adjust the pitch of the songs to make them more comfortable to sing, and it doesn't require karaoke-specific audio files to do so, according to LG. Like its predecessor, the Stage 501 features a five-sided design but comes equipped with upgraded dual woofers and full-range drivers that LG claims will deliver richer audio. The swap …Read the full story at The Verge.

I self-host a lot of apps with the only goal in my mind: better productivity. My productivity stack is packed with Docker containers for everything from smart home automation to deep-work productivity. But I’ve learned the hard way that "owning your data" doesn’t mean much if the tools are too clunky to use daily.

As a techie, I’ve been self-hosting my tools for a while now, mostly because I like owning my data and keeping my setup simple. The more I write, the more I’ve also realized how much I prefer markdown over heavy editors and complex file formats. It keeps my writing portable, future-proof, and easy to work with anywhere.

If you've ever felt that your once-snappy SSD was suspiciously slow after years of use, you might be on to something. Although SSDs don't have moving parts that can age with time, other factors can contribute to sluggish performance. Due to the way SSDs store data in NAND cells, their performance can degrade over time if you don't bother with drive upkeep. Outdated firmware and insufficient cooling can also prevent your SSD from maintaining peak performance. It's worth checking your SSD and system for the following signs before you start thinking about replacing the drive altogether.