Music making is always better with hardware. Native Instruments and Ableton have had incredible success with their custom MIDI controllers that integrate with their DAWs (digital audio workstations), Maschine and Live, respectively. Native Instruments' Maschine (yes, it's the name of the hardware and the software) and Ableton's Push are pretty much the gold standard for integration between music-making software and hardware. Serato is hoping it can capture even a sliver of that magic with its pairing of Slab and Serato Studio.Plenty of others have tried their hand at building (or having others build for them) custom controllers for their DAWs - FL Studio, Studio One, and the MPC desk …Read the full story at The Verge.

A keyboard perfect for barside writing. As a writer, I take the tools of my trade relatively seriously. I’m not crazy enough to drop $3,600 on a keyboard, but I also find typing on a MacBook for extended periods of time deeply unsatisfying — and distracting. So this spring, I started looking into distraction-free writing setups, which included an e-reader / writer and a mechanical keyboard. I started with the Boox Palma 2 because its E Ink screen and limited connectivity could make it a solid distraction-free solution if paired with a good keyboard. After a lot of research, the keyboard I settled on was the NuPhy Air60 V2, with the company’s heaviest tactile Moss switches and the gorgeous NuFolio case in “nostalgic tan,” which is really more of a bold yellow. Now, I am no connoisseur of mechanical keyboards, but I find the Air60 V2 to be delightful to type on. Its low-profile keys don’t have the same travel and feedback as my regular keyboard or my vintage IBM Model M, but it is still an enormous improvement over my MacBook’s scissor switch keyboard. The Moss switches offer decent-enough thock, but they’re not so loud that I would avoid using the keyboard in public. It might be a bit much for a quiet cafe, but I’ve sat and worked on articles and short stories while seated at a bar and definitely didn’t feel self-conscious about it.The ability to pair it with three devices means I can move the NuPhy between my personal laptop, my work laptop, and the Boox with ease. It also comes with a 2.4GHz wireless dongle, but I’ve had little need for it.I frequently bring the Air60 with me to get some writing done on quiet nights when I’m bartending. (Come see me at Flagship Brewery Tuesdays and Thursdays.) If I need to use my laptop, the Air60 is designed to fit perfectly over a MacBook keyboard while leaving easy access to the trackpad. But more often I’ll bring the Palma 2. The NuFolio acts as a stand as well as a keyboard cover, and the Palma’s flip case hangs perfectly over the top, creating a nice little self-contained writing setup that is ideal when I don’t want (or need) access to the internet. I even turn to it at home sometimes. When I decided to start writing fiction again for the first time in nearly 20 years, I installed Obsidian on the Palma and, paired with the Air60, it became my go-to. As someone who frequently relies on timers to stay on task, I found the NuPhy and Palma a panacea for my attention struggles. Part of that is because I actually look forward to typing on the Air60. The feel, the sound, even the color scheme are all deeply satisfying in a way that no laptop keyboard could ever be.It’s not a perfect solution. The 64-key layout is great for portability, but it can be a bit cramped — I make a few more errors typing on the Air60 than I do on a more generous keyboard. And its shallow angle can be a bit uncomfortable for extended periods of sitting at a desk. But it’s actually perfect with a standing desk (or a bar) or even while resting in your lap.I wasn’t sure that the NuPhy was going to be a wise use of my limited funds when I bought it earlier this year (I was just over a year deep into unemployment and relying on diminishing freelance assignments). But nine months later, it’s become an indispensable part of my writing routine.NuPhy Air60 V2Where to Buy: $119.95 at NuPhy (Moss) $148.95 at NuPhy (Moss with cover) $129.99 $107.95 at Amazon (Cowberry – with coupon)

The Nex Playground is a compact, cube-shaped console that’s currently on sale for $50 off. | Image: The Verge The Nex Playground is apparently one of the hottest consoles this holiday season thanks to its kid-friendly games and fun, motion-controlled gameplay. And now through December 14th, the cube-shaped console is on sale for its Black Friday low of around $199 ($50 off) at Amazon. There are some other great deals still available you might have missed this week, too, including a sizable discount on the new Google Pixel Buds 2A and Genki’s Moonbase Charging Station, which looks straight out of Star Wars.Nex PlaygroundWhere to Buy: $250 $199 at AmazonThe Nex Playground easily connects to your TV and provides a clever interactive solution that encourages you and your family to move around. A built-in camera and AI software track your movements with precision, so you are the controller. The cube-shaped console comes with five games (Fruit Ninja, Starri, Party Fowl, Go Keeper, and Whack-a-Mole Deluxe), but there are a ton of others you can download; however, a three-month subscription ($49) or an annual Play Pass ($89) is required to enjoy the full catalog and seasonal drops.Genki Moonbase Charging StationWhere to Buy: $139.99 at Genki $139.99 $89.99 at AmazonGenki’s Moonbase features a sleek retro-futuristic design, and it’s currently down to an all-time low of $89.99 ($50 off) at Amazon. The power strip features three AC plugs (1,250W max power) and four USB-C ports that can deliver up to 240W of total power; a single USB-C port, meanwhile, can go up to 140W with the right cable, though one isn’t included with your purchase. The strip also features a non-removable, 1.5-meter braided cable, making it easy to reach the nearest outlet.Each AC plug is spaced far enough apart to accommodate larger power adapters, but the main selling point here is a touch-sensitive button that lets you cycle through colors and toggle the charging station’s lights on and off. All in all, the Moonbase is a powerful power strip that looks cool and lets you charge up to seven devices simultaneously.Pixel Buds 2aWhere to Buy: $129 $99 at Amazon $129 $99 at Best Buy $129 $99 at TargetGoogle recently launched a holiday sale that runs through December 24th, with many items matching the pricing we saw during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. One of the standout deals is the Pixel Buds 2A, which have returned to their all-time low of $99 ($30 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and the Google Store.The Pixel Buds 2A are Google’s latest, most affordable pair of wireless earbuds, but they don’t skimp on features. They offer active noise cancellation and a natural-sounding transparency mode, along with excellent sound for the price. They also provide hands-free Gemini support, allowing you to quickly get directions, brainstorm ideas, and summarize messages. The earbuds offer up to 10 hours of listening time with ANC disabled and carry an IP54 rating, too, which isn’t great but should provide at least some protection against rain and sweat.A few more deals to check outApple’s M4-powered MacBook Air 13 is on sale at Amazon and Best Buy starting at $749 ($250 off), which is just a few dollars shy of its Black Friday low. However, if you purchase it at Best Buy, you’ll also get a free $25 gift card. The slim laptop offers an impressive combination of performance and battery life, with double the base RAM of its predecessor (16GB versus 8GB) and two Thunderbolt 4 / USB-C ports. It’s still relatively limited with 256GB of base storage, but it remains one of the best laptops available, especially with the current discount. Read our review.Hoto’s new PixelDrive electric screwdriver is on sale for the first time at Amazon, where you can snag it for $59.99 ($20 off). The cordless PixelDrive is great for small- to medium-sized projects, whether you’re assembling electronics or putting together furniture. It features up to 6Nm of torque, along with a single multi-function button that allows you to change the screwdriver’s direction, switch to an 80RPM precision mode for delicate tasks, or boost up to 200RPM with one finger. It also has a built-in pixelated display, so you can quickly check the battery life and see which of the six torque levels you’re using.The Lego Super Mario Goombas’ Playground set is as adorable as it sounds, and it’s currently down to $8.99 ($6 off) at Amazon and Best Buy. The set comes in at a relatively light 171 pieces, which you can use to build three Goomba figurines, a tree trunk, and a seesaw. Each Goomba has its own evil (but cute) expression, and they can stack on top of each other to make a small Goomba tower. There’s even a lever on the back of the tree trunk that can make a Goomba pop out, so you can play a round of peekaboo before placing the set on a desk or bookshelf.

In case you haven't seen or heard the news, Netflix is in the process of buying Warner Bros. Discovery in a major purchase that will shake up the entertainment industry. While the sale of the media conglomerate will definitely affect movies and television, it will also have influence on video games as well. Warner Bros. has been involved with video games for a long time, with various developers at studios that have made some of the biggest game releases with some of the biggest franchises of all-time. Now that Netflix is looking to buy them, this could mean major shifts to what happens to them in the near future.

We are living in a post-wire world. Look around any modern coffee shop or open-plan office, and you’ll see a sea of AirPods and wireless noise-canceling headsets. The audio industry has spent the last decade convincing us that cutting the cord is the ultimate upgrade. For my phone, I agree, but for all other applications I respectfully beg to differ, and that includes my desk setup. It is my primary station for professional work, movies, and weekend gaming sessions, and I am happily, stubbornly stuck in the wired world of the audiophile past.

The Posha robot chef can autonomously cook a meal from scratch. As I'm sitting in my office writing this review, delicious, cheesy, garlicky scents are wafting up the stairs. I can hear whizzing and whirring, and the occasional clunk, as a robot chef in my kitchen is making macaroni and cheese. Its app tells me there are three minutes left in the process, and based on the snapshot it's showing, the dish looks like a creamy pile of cheesy goodness. I'll be heading out the door shortly to pick up my daughter from the school bus, and when we're back, the robot-cooked mac and cheese will be waiting for her to dive into, staying fresh thanks to a "copilot" mode that keeps it warm and stirs it occasionally u …Read the full story at The Verge.

It's a small sample size, likely driven by Black Friday discounts and temporary virality, but the Nex Playground has gone from little-known console curiosity to best-seller. It's now on track to quadruple its sales from last year. According to research firm Circana, the Playground was the second best-selling console in the US for the week ending November 22nd, and third for the week ending November 28th. In October, it wasn't even mentioned by Circana's video game analyst, Mat Piscatella. The colorful cube got a steep discount for Black Friday, from $249 to $199, which is likely part of what drove sales, especially since Microsoft didn't d …Read the full story at The Verge.

Say what you want about Windows 11, but it’s still one of the most popular operating systems on the planet. According to Statcounter, Windows users accounted for around 70 percent of the global desktop OS market share in November 2025. Of that slice, around 53 percent are on Windows 11. As bloated (and at times frustrating) as it may be, Windows 11’s ubiquity means most people will have to work with it to some degree at some point, so we might as well make it behave. Here are five settings that are helpful for not only speeding up your workflow, but also making it a little more comfortable, too.

Windows File Explorer as we know it today has been around for decades, and while Microsoft has made an effort to modernize it with subtle UI tweaks, it still feels like the same old tool underneath. That can be a pro or a con, depending on your point of view, but to me, File Explorer leaves a lot to be desired. It works, but it gets in my way a bit more than I'd like.

Microsoft OneNote doesn’t need any introduction. It has been the default choice for millions, a powerful workhorse for capturing everything from meeting notes to late-night ideas. Yet, the price of its power – reliance on OneDrive, vendor lock-in, and occasional sync headaches – began to feel too high.

You probably know you should have proper backups. You have important data spread across home servers, NAS boxes, VPSes, and maybe a few cloud buckets. You also know the options usually fall into two painful extremes. Either you wrestle with fragile scripts and cron jobs, or you pay for heavyweight tools that feel like they belong in a corporate data center, not your homelab or small business. Zerobyte is trying to sit in the middle. It gives you an easy web interface, but under the hood, it uses Restic, one of the most respected open source backup engines. That mix of a modern UI, strong encryption, and support for almost any storage you already use is what makes it interesting if you care about data resilience.

Sektori is an old-school twin-stick shooter. Created by a former developer at Returnal studio Housemarque, it puts you in the role of a little ship that blasts through swarms of enemies, and you have to weave through them to get upgrades to help you survive. Often, my runs end after less than a couple minutes, like a retro arcade game. But creator Kimmo Lahtinen brilliantly weaves modern ideas from roguelikes with pulsing visuals and music that make Sektori a mesmerizing experience.A key part of what makes Sektori good is how it puts you into a flow state. "Sektori is a place, a form of being, a method of transformation," reads the descrip …Read the full story at The Verge.