For sharing large files at home, I look no further than using the SMB (Server Message Block) protocol on my machines. I was okay with transferring GBs worth of several ISOs of operating systems, specific drivers for legacy peripherals, and media files. Over the years, this simple SMB setup just worked. Swapping SSDs for HDDs and using CAT 7 patch cables were the only upgrades I made.

After what seemed like forever, PC cases in the last few years finally saw a growing trend toward smaller form factors. SFF cases had started to become more popular, and case models had some much-needed variety. However, of late, PC cases have begun a bit of a reversal toward larger sizes, and it's not surprising. The needs and preferences of the modern PC builder have inevitably forced manufacturers to prioritize large cases again, taking us back to a time many of us thought we'd never see again.

PlayStation has a history of releasing accessories for their consoles that are based on various game series. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the God of War series, fans will be able to get a PlayStation 5 DualSense controller with a God of War theme to it. The controller will have colors and a design that looks like Kratos himself in celebration of the series reaching its milestone. Other game franchises have seen similar DualSense variations, like the release of Sucker Punch's Ghost of Yotei on PS5. But while many are excited about these recent releases getting DualSense controller variations, there are many other PlayStation franchises that could be a good basis for a unique controller design.

Like everyone else, I've always relied on the built-in management interface of my Synology NAS. It only makes sense since that's how Synology intended you to use it. It performed the basics well enough, featuring an easy-to-use desktop-style design, the ability to spin up Docker containers, manage shared folders, and monitor storage health. Basically, it could do everything I expect from a NAS interface. However, lately, nearly all my apps and services are accessed via Docker containers running on the NAS.

AMD is partnering with OpenAI to provide six gigawatts worth of processors for AI data centers, a move that challenges Nvidia’s AI chip market dominance. The five-year agreement aims to help OpenAI bolster its infrastructure to meet growing computational demands for AI applications like ChatGPT, starting with a gigawatt deployment of AMD Instinct MI450 GPUs in the second half of 2026, according to AMD’s press release.The financials of the deal have not been disclosed, but AMD said it expects the agreement to deliver “tens of billions of dollars in revenue” for the company. AMD’s stock price is up by 24 percent in pre-market trading following the partnership announcement on Monday.“We are thrilled to partner with OpenAI to deliver AI compute at massive scale,” AMD CEO Lisa Su said in the announcement. “This partnership brings the best of AMD and OpenAI together to create a true win-win enabling the world’s most ambitious AI buildout and advancing the entire AI ecosystem.”The agreement follows OpenAI announcing a “strategic partnership” with Nvidia last month that would enable the ChatGPT-maker to deploy at least 10 gigawatts of AI datacenters with Nvidia GPUs. The two companies have signed a letter of intent, but the deal isn’t finalized, and would also include Nvidia investing “up to $100 billion in OpenAI.” With Nvidia already leading the AI semiconductor industry, AMD’s deal with OpenAI will help it disrupt its rival’s market dominance.OpenAI previously said that Nvidia will be a “preferred strategic compute and networking partner” for building new AI datacenters, with AMD comparatively described as a “core strategic compute partner” in today’s announcement. AMD’s deal gives OpenAI the option to receive up to 160 million AMD shares, a roughly ten percent stake in the company, at a cent per share, “as specific milestones are achieved.”“This partnership is a major step in building the compute capacity needed to realize AI’s full potential,” said OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. “AMD’s leadership in high-performance chips will enable us to accelerate progress and bring the benefits of advanced AI to everyone faster.”This story is developing….

I started using n8n only a few months ago, and it’s safe to say it’s one of the most promising pieces of software I’ve used this year. I don’t know how to code and only have a working knowledge of Python, which has always limited the extent to which I can automate tasks. However, n8n, being a no-code automation platform, allows me to experiment and build workflows without writing a single line of code. The way it works is simple. You connect different platforms (called nodes) in a flow diagram, and once everything is set up, your workflow is ready to run. I’ve managed to automate quite a few things so far, and some of them have had a noticeable impact on my daily life.

Feeling overproductive at work? Google Japan’s new concept keyboard gives you a chance to slow down. | Image: YouTube / Google Japan Following an April Fools’ Day prank in 2021 that had a delayed reveal as a result of the pandemic, Google Japan has been cooking up weird and wonderful keyboard concepts year after year. Its latest creation seems straight out of an alternate dimension where touch-tone technology never replaced rotary phones, and that functionality eventually found its way into other devices.Instead of keys, the Gboard Dial Version keyboard features various alphanumeric characters and functions laid out beneath a series of nine dials of various sizes, including one just for the return key. To type a specific character, you stick your finger in its corresponding hole and then rotate the dial until you reach its limit. When you release it, the dial rotates back.Rotary phones used a technique called pulse dialing, where a spring-loaded dial generated a series of electrical pulses as it rotated back to its home position. The phone company would decode those pulses to determine what number was being dialed. Google Japan’s Gboard Dial Version trades pulse dialing for modern sensors that translate each dial’s rotational movements into USB signals.And similar to the phones of yesteryear that ended a call when you physically hung them up, the dial keyboard’s designers created an accompanying stand that turns off your webcam during a video call when you place your mouse atop it.As with Google Japan’s past creations that have included a cylindrical keyboard in the shape of a Japanese Yunomi tea cup and a 65-inch-long monstrosity with all the keys of a QWERTY keyboard arranged in one long strip, the Dial Version isn’t available for sale. But if you really want to obliterate your typing speed, you’re welcome to build your own. Google has open-sourced its design, and you can find all the files needed to DIY one, including 3D printer models, PCB designs, and a parts list, available for download on GitHub.

On Monday, Google launched a new reward program dedicated specifically to finding bugs in AI products. Google’s list of qualifying bugs includes examples of the kind of rogue actions it’s looking for, like indirectly injecting an AI prompt that causes Google Home to unlock a door, or a data exfiltration prompt injection that summarizes all of someone’s email and sends the summary to the attacker’s own account.The new program clarifies what constitutes an AI bug, breaking them down as issues that use a large language model or a generative AI system to cause harm or take advantage of a security loophole, with rogue actions at the top of the list. This includes modifying someone’s account or data to impede their security or do something unwanted, like one flaw exposed previously that could open smart shutters and turn off the lights using a poisoned Google Calendar event. Bug hunters have already raked in over $430,000 during the two years since the company officially started inviting AI researchers to root out potential avenues to abuse AI features in its products. Simply getting Gemini to hallucinate will not cut it. The company says that issues related to content produced by AI products — such as generating hate speech or copyright-infringing content — should be reported to the feedback channel within the product itself. According to Google, that way its AI safety teams can “diagnose the model’s behavior and implement the necessary long-term, model-wide safety training.”Along with the new AI reward program, Google also announced on Monday an AI agent that patches vulnerable code called CodeMender. The company says it has used to patch “72 security fixes to open source projects” after vetting by a human researcher.  The $20,000 prize is awarded for rooting out rogue actions on Google’s “flagship” products Search, Gemini Apps, and core Workspace applications like Gmail and Drive. Multipliers for report quality and a novelty bonus are also available, which could bring the total amount up to $30,000. The price drops for bugs found on Google’s other products, like Jules or NotebookLM, and for lower-tier abuses, such as stealing secret model parameters.

If your workflow has ever been slowed down or disrupted by Windows File Explorer's inability to organize your files adequately, then you might have considered replacing it. It is also possible that you've had to contend with its slow search function or have had difficulty renaming a large batch of files. The list of frustrations can seem endless. But what if you didn't have to ditch it entirely? Well, I have found a better solution using specialized add-ons. These small tools integrate with File Explorer, making it possible to add advanced features and turn it into a hub perfectly suited for your needs. Here are some of the tools that have helped me improve my workflow and actually enjoy using File Explorer.

I seldom pay attention to basic file explorer actions, such as copying and moving files or folders. As long as the transfer completes without errors, I'm content with the results. Back in 2013, I used to install TeraCopy on every new Windows 7 or 8 installation. Still, I gradually stopped doing so as file transfers became more graphical and reliable with the newer Windows OS versions. However, Windows has had a built-in advanced copy tool for nearly three decades, which I’ve surprisingly overlooked in my last fifteen years of interaction with Windows computers.

A frame from a Sora 2-generated video. Sora now lets you rein in your AI doubles, giving you more say on how and where deepfake versions of you make an appearance on the app. The update lands as OpenAI hurries to show it actually cares about its users’ concerns as an all-too-predictable tsunami of AI slop threatens to take over the internet. The new controls are part of a broader batch of weekend updates meant to stabilize Sora and manage the chaos brewing in its feed. Sora is essentially “a TikTok for deepfakes,” a place to make 10-second videos of pretty much anything, including AI-generated versions of yourself or others (voice included). OpenAI calls these virtual appearances “cameos.” Critics call them a looming misinformation disaster. Bill Peebles, who heads the Sora team at OpenAI, said users can now restrict how AI-generated versions of themselves can be used in the app. For example, you could prevent your AI self from appearing in videos involving politics, stop it from saying certain words, or — if you hate mustard — stop it from showing up anywhere near the hellish condiment. OpenAI staffer Thomas Dimson said users can also add preferences for their virtual doubles, such as, for example, making them “wear a “#1 Ketchup Fan” ball cap in every video.”   The safeguards are welcome, but history of AI-powered bots like ChatGPT and Claude offering up tips on explosives, cybercrime, or bioweapons suggests someone, somewhere will probably figure out a way around them. People already have skirted one of Sora’s other safety features, a feeble watermark. Peebles said the company is also “working on” improving that. Peebles said Sora will continue “to hillclimb on making restrictions even more robust,” and “will add new ways for you to stay in control” in the future. In the week since the app launched, Sora has been complicit in filling the internet with AI-generated slop. The loose cameo controls — pretty much a yes or no to groups like mutuals, people you approve, or “everyone” — were a particular problem. The unwitting star of the platform, none other than OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, illustrated the danger, appearing in a variety of mocking videos that show him stealing, rapping, or even grilling a dead Pikachu. 

Time tracking has always been one of those things that I’ve been meaning to get around to, but never end up doing. Even with dedicated time tracking apps like Toggl Track, I’d open the app, play around with the features, get distracted, then forget about it. The result is a messy trail of half-complete logs that don’t actually help me understand where my time is going. I knew the potential with this app was there, but I just wasn’t doing much with it.