Once I started discovering what all my NAS is capable of, I wanted to move all my existing tasks to it, from backups and media streaming to file syncing and even storing surveillance footage. It was the benefit of having everything in one place, turning the NAS into a pro-level machine that I’ve always wanted it to be.

The sheer convenience of using it makes many pick smart devices and sensors off the shelf. When the cost starts compounding, most folks hit the brakes on their dream smart home project. Also, I realized that I was locked into a smart home ecosystem. If you’re willing to build a smart home from scratch or a few devices, I recommend using ESPHome and Home Assistant together.

Pre-built NAS models are the default choice for a lot of people just getting into the NAS world. Popular brands like Synology and Terramaster offer a good starting point with great hardware and software combo that is ready to go. You just have to pop in a couple of drives, and you’d be good to go. You are greeted with an easy-to-use interface that holds your hand every step of the way. It feels more like setting up a Windows laptop than putting together your own desktop from scratch.

The more I dive into the world of home labs and self-hosting, the more I realize one thing. Far too many of my secrets are stored in plaintext in Dockerfiles, k8s, virtual machines, and the other programs I'm using. I don't like this, even if it's on hardware that's inside my home, so I went looking for a secrets manager that I could use instead. The problem is that most are focused on the enterprise environment, which means subscription pricing.

If you work in DevOps or systems engineering, you have probably noticed the slow and steady shift away from GUI dashboards. The industry spent a decade pushing you toward Electron apps for everything from Docker to Kubernetes, convincing you that heavy graphical interfaces were the only way to monitor modern infrastructure.

With 2025 coming to a close and 2026 on the horizon, fans of Star Wars are still waiting for the next major video game release. At the moment, there are a number of projects in the works at various studios, but only a handful of them are known to have made any real progress. Unfortunately, some of them have since been canceled or faded far into the background, with little to nothing known about them. Luckily for Star Wars fans, there are still things to look forward to as we go into 2026 and beyond.

You know, third-party modifications for Windows 11 have been looking pretty good right about now. The operating system has had its fair share of weird issues over the past few weeks, including the File Explorer dark mode flashbanging people without warning. And while I'll always be the first to recommend that people migrate to the one OS that sends dread down every Windows user's spine, some people don't have the choice. So, the next best thing is to tweak Windows 11 to behave.

The MyQ garage door controller is an accessory that can connect Chamberlain Group garage door openers to the MyQ app. The MyQ platform used to support more smart home integrations, but has increasingly become focused on those that require subscriptions. Garage door opener manufacturer The Chamberlain Group has launched a new version of the communication platform that powers its connected garage door openers - and it's bad news for smart home users. The new Security+ 3.0 platform, launching alongside Chamberlain's latest openers, shuts down the workarounds that third-party accessory makers such as Tailwind, Meross, and Ratgdo developed to let you integrate your garage door with Apple Home, Home Assistant, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and others. Instead, you're pushed into Chamberlain's ad-stuffed MyQ app and a short list of partners and integrations, nearly all of which require paid subsc …Read the full story at The Verge.

If you want your PC ready to go as soon as you come back to use it, you probably put it to sleep rather than shutting it down. Sometimes, though, putting your computer to sleep doesn't work like you want it to. This usually means going to sleep or waking up from sleep when you didn't want it to. The behavior is usually caused by Windows tasks, drivers, or devices that can prevent (or wake your PC up from) sleep.

Disney is bringing a “newly restored version” of the original, 1977 theatrical cut of Star Wars back to theaters on February 19th, 2027. It will only be available in theaters for “a limited time,” Disney says, and it’s being released as part of “Lucasfilm’s yearlong 50th anniversary celebration” for the franchise. Tickets aren’t on sale yet, but Disney says it will share details on when and where to buy tickets on StarWars.com.Disney initially revealed earlier this year that it would be bringing Star Wars back to theaters. Star Wars creator George Lucas has famously tinkered with what’s now called A New Hope, but a few lucky fans have already been able to recently see the first theatrical cut; The British Film Institute showed an original, 35mm release print of the movie in June at an event that featured an introduction from Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, who confirmed that it was “in fact, the first print.”Ahead of the re-release of the first Star Wars, Disney is bringing The Mandalorian and Grogu to theaters on May 22nd, 2026. Another film, Star Wars: Starfighter, starring Ryan Gosling, is coming to theaters on May 28th, 2027.

Warner Bros. has an infamous history of being bought by other companies and then quickly ending up back on the market after its new owners realize how difficult it is to capitalize on a legacy production studio's assets. Those challenges are part of what doomed WB's mergers with AOL and AT&T, who bought the studio in attempts to reinvent themselves. But WB's latest acquisition deal - this time with Netflix for $83 billion - feels like it has the potential to turn out differently because of how much of a major player within the entertainment industry the streamer has become. It also signals just how far Netflix has come: in less than two deca …Read the full story at The Verge.

The holidays have a way of sneaking up on us. One minute you're trick-or-treating with your kids, and the next you're panic shopping in a Buc-ee's gift aisle. But it doesn't have to be that way. With the right cheat sheet, you can keep the holiday spirit high and stress levels low.Fortunately, we did some planning on your behalf. As much as we love playing with the latest gadgets and gizmos here at The Verge, we also love recommending them. That's why, after consulting with our expert team of writers and editors, we've compiled a medley of gift ideas that won't be regifted come this time next year - from noise-canceling earbuds and e-reade …Read the full story at The Verge.