We're at a point right now with technology where a budget price doesn't necessarily mean that the products are going to be bad. Phones, tablets, audio accessories, and laptops are all becoming more affordable, while also still providing amazing experiences, which is great if you're someone that's on a budget.

In case you haven't been kept up-to-date with the latest in Windows news, Microsoft has added a new transfer tool that makes it easy to migrate from one Windows machine to another. While it may seem like a nice gesture at first, it's likely the company's way of making it easier for people still on Windows 10 to migrate over to Windows 11. Given how Windows 10 will lose support in three months and a lot of people are still using it, Microsoft is trying to give people as many reasons as possible to make the jump.

For an affordable and compact device, my Intel N100 mini PC, running Linux, has proven to be a streaming powerhouse in my setup. Whether I'm watching Plex from my local server, tuning into YouTube, or streaming games over my network, this little system handles it all without breaking a sweat. It's quiet, energy-efficient, and surprisingly capable. If you've been wondering whether a low-powered Linux box can hold its own in the streaming world, here's how mine proves it can.

Upgrading PC components is like a drug that's hard to get rid of. The itch to buy something new for your PC is always there, but we all have to justify the purchase to ourselves. Some of us decide to take the "build new every 5 years" route as we put together a machine from scratch. I fall into the other camp that prefers to upgrade one component at a time whenever it's due for an upgrade. This helps me limit expenses, maximize the lifespan of my components, and avoid being forced to do a full rebuild because my PC is "ancient".

Subnautica was something truly special. The first time you dove into its world, it felt completely alien. No maps, no hand-holding, just you, the ocean, and the weird stuff living in it. Below Zero had its moments, but it missed the mark in a few key areas. With Subnautica 2 on the horizon, here’s what I need to see if it’s going to live up to the original.

Media servers are among the first utilities every computing enthusiast self-hosts at the beginning of their home lab journey – including yours truly. Navidrome and moOde Audio are neat tools for audiophiles looking for a Spotify replacement, while Immich is my top recommendation for folks who want to break free from the cloud-based Google Photos. On the more prominent end of the spectrum, you’ve got Jellyfin, a completely private FOSS service designed to help you manage the TV shows and movies in your digital library.

So, you’re thinking of buying a smart ring. Well, some good news. Picking the best of the lot is incredibly easy right now. The “bad” news is that, as far as trustworthiness and reliability, your choices are somewhat limited, as this is still a niche and emerging gadget category.Smart rings are in the middle of a resurgence. That means a lot of experimental ideas and newcomer tech brands you’ve probably never heard of. Enough competitors have cropped up that I spent the better part of last summer rocking six rings like a high-tech mafia don. While these aren’t necessarily bad products (some are pretty good), many aren’t as polished as what you’d see in more mature categories like smartwatches, headphones, and smartphones. Speaking of which, there are a few things to know about the category. Currently, these devices are primarily health trackers. Their benefit is that they’re more discreet and better suited to sleep tracking than a smartwatch. However, the vast majority don’t include smart alarms or push notifications. This makes them best suited for casual athletes or more wellness-minded people. In most cases, hardcore athletes would be better served by a smartwatch or fitness tracker, with a smart ring serving as a supplementary source of data. (But that’s quite an expensive endeavor.) Smart rings are also ill-suited for weightlifters, as they can easily scratch against equipment. With that in mind, here’s the best smart ring for most people in 2025 — and a handful of runners-up worth highlighting for the more tech-adventurous.Best smart ring for most peopleOura Ring 4The Oura Ring 4 has a new all-titanium design, improved battery life, and better accuracy thanks to a new sensor algorithm. Score: 9ProsConsMore sizesSlimmer designExpanded auto workout detectionRedesigned appBetter battery lifeSubscription required to get all featuresI still wish this had a charging caseWhere to Buy: $349 $342.09 at Amazon $349 at Best Buy $349 at OuraSurprising no one, it’s the Oura Ring 4. I can already hear some of you shouting, “But what about the subscription!” And I agree. Even Oura’s relatively affordable $5.99 monthly fee can feel more like $100 when you consider the sheer number of apps, gadgets, and services asking for a chunk of your monthly paycheck. However, Oura is still the best in terms of hardware, size range, features offered, app, dedication to research, and experience in the field. Many of the smart rings available today follow the example Oura set this past decade. The upgrades from the Oura Ring Gen 3 to the Oura Ring 4 were mostly software-based, with minor hardware refinements. You can read more in my review, but the gist is a more accurate heart rate and blood oxygen algorithm, improved automatic activity detection, and an expanded range that spans size 4 to 15. The app has been redesigned to be less cluttered, and in the last few months, Oura added AI-powered meal logging and glucose tracking, the latter of which requires Oura users to purchase a Dexcom Stelo CGM ($99). It also recently launched an AI chatbot. (Of the AI chatbots in health trackers I’ve tested, this one is among the more polished implementations — though it often feels like Captain Obvious-level insights.) I’ve been long-term testing three iterations of the Oura Ring since 2018. Accuracy, design, and comfort have improved with each generation. The company continues to frequently and clearly communicate research and scientific developments. Third-party retail options have expanded, and I’ve seen investment pour into Oura. In an emerging category, these things matter. A lot. While I believe some of Oura’s newer competitors do some things better or have more creative ideas, Oura is the one I continually recommend for its combination of reliability, accuracy, and experience.Read my full Oura Ring 4 review.Honorable mentionsIf subscriptions are an absolute dealbreaker, you’ll find zero protest here. In that case, here are the best alternatives to the Oura Ring. Samsung Galaxy RingScore: 7ProsConsExcellent hardwareLong battery lifeSlim, lightweight designNo subscriptionAndroid onlyBetter if used with Samsung productsAccuracy is a mixed bagWhere to Buy: $399.99 $285.85 at Amazon $399.99 at Best Buy $399.99 at Samsung (with $100 credit)The $400 Samsung Galaxy Ring nails the hardware. Its charging case is more elegant than the Oura Ring’s, and I prefer the slightly concave design for comfort. It also has the second widest size range. If you’re already all-in on a Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 or Ultra, you get the added benefit of extended battery life. If you have the latest Galaxy Z Flip 6 or Z Fold 6, Samsung also has gesture controls for the ring so you can control the camera.There are a lot of interesting ecosystem-centric ideas that Samsung has for its Galaxy Ring, but while there’s no subscription (yet), it’ll cost you a pretty penny to unlock the ring’s full potential. Without discounts, we’re talking about $1,800 to nearly $3,000 for the phone, watch, and ring. The Galaxy Ring is also a first-gen device with some first-gen quirks, too. Samsung is still catching up with sleep tracking accuracy, and its Galaxy AI-powered health features are rather hit or miss.Ultrahuman Ring AirThe Ultrahuman Ring Air is a subscription-free alternative to the Oura Ring that offers a more fitness-focused experience.Where to Buy: $349 $299 at Amazon $349 $299 at Best Buy $349 at UltrahumanI’m also keen on the $350 Ultrahuman Ring Air. It gave the Oura Ring an honest run for its money when I tested six smart rings at once last year. It’s not quite as good with accuracy, but it’s on par with comfort and design. The app has much more of a fitness focus than wellness. Instead of a subscription, it has “PowerPlugs.” You can think of them as add-on features. Some are free, like smart alarms and cycle tracking. Others will come with an additional fee, like a planned atrial fibrillation detection PowerPlug and a cardio adaptability metric, which currently costs $2.90 a month.RingConn Gen 2 AirA lighter, entry-level version of RingConn’s latest smart ring. It offers roughly 10 days of battery life, AI features, and basic health and sleep tracking.Where to Buy: $199 at Amazon $199 at RingConnLastly, I’ve been testing the RingConn Gen 2 Air, a slimmer, entry-level version of its Gen 2 ring. At $200, it’s the most affordable smart ring I’ve tested but looks and feels a lot nicer than the original RingConn I tested last summer. I had issues with the RingConn’s squarish shape, but it’s much less noticeable this time around and more comfortable. It’s broadly accurate, and the app goes heavy on AI, to middling effect. It has great battery life. I’ve gotten around eight to nine days on a single charge — far better than any other smart ring I’ve tested. Update, July 21st: Updated to reflect current pricing and availability.

Windows 11 is a big and fully-featured operating system that can do a lot out of the box. You may know that much, but even with everything it already enables when you first set it up (for better or worse), there's a lot more it can do by just browsing the Settings app and enabling additional features.

One of the giant screens at the diner. Tesla’s long-in-the-works 1950s-inspired diner and drive-in Supercharger station in Los Angeles is expected to officially open today – and the company may build more of them down the line.The Tesla Diner lets people grab comfort food like burgers and fries (served in boxes shaped like Cybertrucks) and milkshakes while charging their vehicles. The Diner has giant screens so people can watch things like movie clips while charging their cars, though watching from the screens in your Tesla is apparently an option, too. One of Tesla’s Optimus robots was even spotted serving popcorn at a recent soft launch event.Basically, it feels like one giant ad for everything Tesla, and this could be just the first of many. If the diner “turns out well,” Tesla CEO Elon Musk says that the company will establish more of them in major cities and “at Supercharger sites on long distance routes.” The company’s brand has taken a huge hit as of late due to Musk’s now-deteriorating relationship with President Trump and cratering sales. If our retro-futuristic diner turns out well, which I think it will, @Tesla will establish these in major cities around the world, as well as at Supercharger sites on long distance routes. An island of good food, good vibes & entertainment, all while Supercharging! https://t.co/zmbv6GfqKf— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 21, 2025Musk first announced his intention to build “an old school drive-in, roller skates & rock restaurant at one of the new Tesla Supercharger locations in LA” all the way back in January 2018, and Tesla filed a permit for it soon after. Progress slowed considerably since then, and although Musk promised in 2023 that the diner would be open “later this year,” the restaurant’s chef wasn’t revealed until earlier this year.

It's still unfortunate that most education systems fail students by not teaching about financial planning, how money works, and investing capital to unlock growth and stability in years to come. Pensions remain a sore subject and one frequently represented by a can being kicked down the road. Programs are being launched to help everyone out, but responsibility is still on the individual to set up savings, investments, private pensions, and other financial vehicles.

It's no secret that I love e-ink displays. Sure, there's nothing wrong with a regular screen, but there's something about e-ink displays specifically that always gets me excited about making a new project. Fortunately, there is no shortage of uses for e-ink displays in the DIY world, with people often uploading projects that use the special screen as a means to display a smart home hub's current status. It doesn't require a high refresh rate, and the e-ink display keeps the power consumption down.

Mayor Eric Adams announced over the weekend that New York City will send users real-time public safety alerts based on their specific location through the crime-tracking app Citizen. The city also announced that public safety agencies, like the New York City Police Department, Fire Department, and Emergency Management, will have access to a portal to review footage shared by users on Citizen.Citizen’s verified partner program for cities like New York is tied to a partnership with Axon’s (formerly known as Taser) Fusus platform, the “real-time crime center” it acquired last year. Axon announced a partnership with Ring in April that allows law enforcement to request access to video footage from owners’ security cameras in a certain area during a certain time. At the same time, it also announced an integration with Citizen to support sending alerts and pulling in public videos from Citizen’s users. According to Citizen, users who don’t want their videos shared directly can opt out in the app’s settings, but all videos posted are still “viewable and downloadable by the public.”Adams said the new NYC Public Safety account on Citizen will send notifications about public safety, weather emergencies, and major incidents based on a user’s neighborhood, ZIP code, or borough.Citizen lets users report potential safety incidents, share videos, and broadcast live footage from within its app. It also says it can send alerts to nearby mobile devices “within seconds” of a 911 call or a user report, and also offers a premium safety line.Citizen already allows law enforcement to obtain information from its app as long as they have a warrant, but it also offers the ability for police to get data “without delay” in case of emergencies. It originally launched under the name “Vigilante” in 2016, but the app was booted from the App Store for promoting vigilantism, TechCrunch reported at the time. The app later relaunched as Citizen and has faced heavy criticism in the years since, with some arguing it fuels fear in communities. In 2021, Citizen CEO Andrew Frame came under fire for encouraging users to hunt down the wrong person suspected of starting a California wildfire.