It’s the software that turns that boring little box called network-attached storage (NAS) into something useful — something magical. It happens quite often that people who have just got their first NAS ask me about the apps they should install. While most pre-built NAS models come with a whole software suite built in, you still need a bunch of third-party apps to make the most of it.

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – SEPTEMBER 10, 2024: Laura Loomer arrives at Philadelphia International Airport on The Trump Organization’s Boeing 757. | Photo: Getty Images For all the power she wields with the White House's affairs, Laura Loomer does not have the traditional tools that her rivals in the MAGA influencer industrial complex have - the highest follower count, the most political power, the most internet platforms, etc. But the fact remains that she's the influencer responsible for getting Donald Trump to fire over a dozen members of his administration (and counting) for the hazily-defined crime of being disloyal to MAGA. This is something that none of her peers, individually, have been able to do. But to understand how she operates, look no further than Loomer's latest attempted power play, which, …Read the full story at The Verge.

Home Assistant’s default Lovelace cards are capable, but they can only take your dashboards so far. Third-party cards open the door to highly customized layouts, advanced visualizations, and smarter ways to interact with your smart home data. Many of these add-ons are easy to install in Home Assistant and can make your dashboard more intuitive, attractive, and powerful. Here are some third-party Home Assistant cards you might not be using yet, but that can transform your setup.

Running a private cloud in a home lab is already rewarding, but pairing it with the right Nextcloud apps takes it to another level. Out of the dozens of add-ons available, some stand out because they make everyday workflows easier, improve collaboration, and enhance security. Choosing the right ones can help you get more done without leaving your self-hosted ecosystem.

When you’re as much of a home lab nerd as I am, it's hard to control the temptation to splurge on shiny new hardware. Mini-PCs can be turned into Proxmox workstations or K8s nodes (or even both, via cursed setups involving VMs), while NAS devices can serve as backup solutions. Then you've got network switches, UPS, routers, and a bunch of other gizmos that can enhance your workstations in some way or another.

Selenium has long been a popular browser testing tool, but despite its popularity, it isn't the only game in town. Today, developers have access to faster, more reliable and easier-to-use options that can work across different browsers and platforms. Playwright is one of those. Ironically, this open-source tool used for browser automation and scraping is developed by Microsoft, supports Chromium, Firefox, and WebKit, and works across a broad range of programming languages.

Ever since computing became more modular and standardized, I've loved building PCs. I've built ones with no real upper budget, ones that are as barebones as you can get, and everything in between, and they've all been enjoyable to put together. I've always tried to make a solid core that could be upgraded part by part afterward, usually by getting the best CPU I can and building around that.

The Linux terminal may seem rather daunting when you’re accustomed to Windows' menu-based interface, but its utility is nothing to scoff at. Rather than forcing you to navigate through a barrage of options and menus just to fix an error, the CLI nature of the Linux terminal makes troubleshooting a breeze. Likewise, installing applications and packages from the terminal is a lot easier than using executables. Having used Linux for years, I’ve picked up a couple of ways to elevate my CLI experience, and here’s a compilation of my favorite terminal tricks.

Home Assistant’s new Z-Wave antenna is designed to improve range and reliability for Z-Wave devices I recently installed the biggest smart home antenna I've ever seen, and it helped open up new areas in my smart home, from the attic to the chicken coop. The towering 12-inch-tall Home Assistant Connect ZWA-2, which launched this week for $69, plugs into any Home Assistant system via USB and can connect to any Z-Wave device, including those using the new Long Range (LR) spec.I hooked the ZWA-2 up to my Home Assistant Yellow hub and, within minutes, it was controlling a plug all the way at the bottom of my garden. I've struggled with connectivity issues in my garden for years. An Eero Outdoor 7 has been a good fix for W-Fi devices such as c …Read the full story at The Verge.

Ever since I realized the true potential of NotebookLM, I've been trying to use it for a lot of tasks in everyday life. I recently figured that I could use it to improve my productivity and make my workflow more efficient. A part of my regular workflow also involves working with Excel sheets. I'm a freelancer, and I use Excel to manage my projects, track payments, etc. I also provide marketing services, and some clients expect me to maintain an Excel sheet consisting of the deliverables, research data, etc. Frankly, my Excel skills are quite average, so I used to struggle a bit with some tasks — until I realized how I could improve my Excel workflow using NotebookLM.

Over the past few months, I've tried several open-source programs and apps that are free to use and focus on privacy. I've also self-hosted a bunch of services on my local network in an attempt to keep my data from leaving my computer. In fact, I've tried enough services to replace several paid apps that either have a one-time fee or a monthly subscription. For instance, I got rid of OneDrive and moved all my files to Nextcloud. Similarly, I migrated to Notion Mail for all my emails, hosted my personal CalDAV server in place of Google Calendar, etc. Heck, I even replaced Google Photos with a self-hosted alternative — all for better privacy. I was perfectly on track for a completely Google-free life.

We've seen plenty of deals on software come up throughout the year, but being able to grab Windows 11 Pro for $10 has to be one of the best promotions. The discount from Stack Social knocks 95% off the $199 retail price, which is an absolute steal if you need a copy of Windows 11. There's no physical media here, which means you'll download the software directly from Microsoft and use the activation key you purchase.