If you wish to make the most out of your smart home device, Home Assistant is certainly the best platform out there. Unlike proprietary apps from OEMs, Home Assistant can connect to pretty much any smart home device — irrespective of what protocol it's based on. Owing to this, I recently migrated my entire smart home to Home Assistant. As I started to connect all my devices and set up automations and a dashboard to control my devices, I figured that the platform also has several integrations I can take advantage of. These Home Assistant integrations are intended to get the best out of your smart home experience by curating smart routines that save time.

Nintendo’s financial year is off to a bumper start thanks to explosive sales of its Switch 2 console. Following its launch in June, the Switch 2 console has now sold 5.82 million units according to Nintendo’s Q1 earnings report, more than double the 2.7 million unit sales achieved by the original Switch in its first month.“Currently, demand for Nintendo Switch 2 is exceeding supply in many countries, and we regret the inconvenience this is causing our consumers,” Nintendo said in its report, pledging to strengthen production. While Switch 2 preorders sold out across major retailers in the US ahead of the launch, some limited stock was still available on launch day, likely because Nintendo had built up enough inventory to meet initial demand.That success is driving a 132 percent surge in quarterly revenue, which increased to ¥572.3 billion (around $3.8 billion) between April-June, compared to ¥246.6 billion (around $1.6 billion) for the same period last year. Nintendo says it’s still forecasting to hit 15 million Switch 2 sales by the end of its 2026 financial year, despite uncertainties like Trump’s tariffs. Yesterday, the White House announced that a 20 percent tariff on goods from Vietnam — where Nintendo produces its Switch 2 consoles — will begin next week. That’s double the 10 percent baseline tariff introduced in April that Nintendo used to forecast earnings for the current fiscal year.“While there have been changes in the market environment since we announced our initial forecast for the fiscal year, such as the US tariff measures, at this time there is no significant impact on our earnings forecast for this fiscal year,” Nintendo said.The Switch 2’s popularity at launch has made it the fastest-selling game console of all time. Meanwhile, people are still purchasing the first Switch console, which has now hit 153.1 million units in lifetime sales — inching closer to dethroning the DS as Nintendo’s most successful console, which sold 154.02 million units. The Wii U sold just 13.7 million units over its entire lifetime.

The many characters within the Star Wars galaxy often find themselves on crazy adventures that take them to different planets. But in the middle of those crazy times, you might find them taking a break to engage with some of the local entertainment, which might involve some form of game and hard-earned credits on the line. These kinds of things are often included in different Star Wars games as mini-games for players to check out and enjoy, even though they're not as important as the main story or quest line. In the movies and other media outside of games, there are even more side games that characters will reference or engage with that draw out our curiosity about them.

So your home lab is starting to look more like a home data center, with a stack of network equipment tying it all together. But while you're thinking about hardware and the effect it will have on your Jellyfin streaming capacity, don't forget that some of the best networking tools are software-based, like running your own DNS server.

Bose headphones are some of the most comfortable around. | Image: The Verge Finding peace among the chaos on campus can be more challenging than a midterm. But a quality pair of over-ear headphones can block out distractions when it’s time to lock in. If that sounds like you, we’ve found a deal on the Bose QuietComfort Headphones, which are currently down to $229 ($130 off) at Amazon, Bose, and Best Buy. That’s within $30 of the lowest price we’ve seen all year.Bose QuietComfort HeadphonesWhere to Buy: $359 $229 at Amazon $359 $229 at Best Buy $359 $229 at BoseThe Bose QuietComfort Headphones are part of the company’s revamped lineup of headphones and earbuds, which also includes the pricier QC Ultra Headphones, QC Ultra Earbuds, and entry-level QC Earbuds, the last of which is down to $149 ($30 off) at Amazon, Bose, and Best Buy. The QC Headphones preserve the comfortable design of the QC45s and include Bose’s excellent noise cancellation. Although we haven’t reviewed this specific model, the upgraded QC Headphones Ultra is our favorite noise-canceling headphones for travel, and we’re generally fans of the line’s comfortable earcup cushions.There are two listening modes — Quiet and Aware — that let you quickly toggle between blocking the outside world and letting ambient noise in. Additionally, Bose says the QC headphones offer up to 24 hours of battery life, so you should be able to get through a full day without needing to recharge. The headphones also support multipoint connectivity, making it possible to pair them with two devices simultaneously. And when you’re finally done writing that last-minute term paper, the QC headphones can neatly fold up to make it easier to store them in your bag.More deals to check outThe Bose TV Speaker is currently matching its Prime Day discount of $199 ($80 off) at Amazon, Bose, and Best Buy. The small but mighty soundbar makes it easy to instantly upgrade from your TV’s built-in speakers, featuring two angled full-range drivers and a dialogue mode for clearer speech. It also has Bluetooth, letting you stream your favorite music and podcasts. Meanwhile, the compact design (it’s about two inches tall and 23 inches wide) is easy to integrate into smaller setups, making it a good fit for bedrooms.Planning a trip before school starts? I’ve taken the Patagonia Black Hole Duffel (70L) on a few trips, and found it an excellent companion for weekend getaways. Right now, it’s down to $158.99 at Patagonia. The hefty duffel is made from ripstop polyester and features a number of nooks and crannies to pack your clothes and other essentials. It has removable shoulder straps, a padded base, and reinforced exterior daisy chains to connect extra gear you need accessible at a moment’s notice.The Anker Nano Power Bank (5K, MagGo, Slim) is new to the market, but it’s already down to $46.74 (around $8 off) at Amazon and Anker (with an on-page coupon). The ultra-slim power bank has a 5,000mAh capacity and Qi2 support, allowing it to magnetically attach to your iPhone 12 or newer and provide charging speeds of up to 15W. These types of power banks are typically thick, but Anker’s latest model is roughly the same thickness as an Apple Pencil, making it easy to fit into your pocket.

Samsung smart TVs appear to be functioning normally again after experiencing a global outage yesterday. Users across Reddit and Samsung’s community forum started reporting issues with their TVs at around 5PM ET on Thursday, finding themselves unable to open apps like YouTube, Apple TV, Hulu, and Prime Video.While apps were still visible on the Samsung TV menu, attempting to open them would display a variety of error messages, such as those related to server maintenance, certification errors, and lost connectivity. Many users found that Netflix was unaffected by the outages, which uses its own content delivery network — suggesting that the issues were connected to the servers used by other streaming apps.The cause of the outage is currently unclear, however, and Samsung has not publicly acknowledged the issues on its website or social channels. We have reached out to Samsung for more information. One Redditor claimed to get a response from Samsung support, saying the company was “aware of a potential disruption of service on your Samsung TV,” and that its engineers were attempting to restore service “as soon as possible.” The issues appeared to be widespread, with Samsung TV users across multiple countries reporting that they were locked out of their apps.Whatever caused it, several users are now seeing a return to normal operation. For anyone still experiencing issues, some users have reportedly managed to regain access to their apps by pressing the power button on their Samsung TV remote until the device restarts.

Windows 11 is a fine operating system with a lot of new and modern features that make it, in many ways, better than every version that came before it. But there's always some nostalgia at play when it comes to older versions of Windows, plus they had legitimate benefits. If you miss the golden days of Windows 7, there are a few things you can do to make your Windows 11 PC feel just a little more like it.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella wanted to make Google dance two years ago, with an AI overhaul of Bing that was designed to steal Google's all-important search market share. Now, there are plenty of signs that Microsoft has successfully taken search share off Google, both in the US and worldwide.Earlier this week Microsoft reported that its search and news advertising revenue had grown by $1.6 billion, or 13 percent, over the last fiscal year. Excluding traffic acquisition costs, revenue had increased by 20 percent thanks to "higher search volume and higher revenue per search."That higher search volume has been persistent for more than a yea …Read the full story at The Verge.

Whether you prefer the convenience of Wi-Fi or the stability of a wired connection, Ethernet is the foundational technology behind our advanced networking capabilities today. Often conflated with the physical cables or hardware that it runs on, Ethernet is closer to a driver's ed rulebook for how packets of data can be transmitted across the network so that they don't collide with each other and get to the intended destination safely.

Fujifilm has raised prices on cameras and lenses across its lineup, with price hikes reaching into the hundreds of dollars. Among the hikes is an increase to the price of Fuji’s ultra-popular X100VI from $1,599 to $1,799. The capable X-T5 has gone from $1,699 to $1,899. And the already very expensive GFX100 II has gone from $7,499 to $8,299 — an $800 increase. Increases to lens prices appear to be somewhat more modest, with bumps in the $50 to $150 range.The price hikes come as President Donald Trump threatens to finally, actually implement his sweeping new round of tariffs on August 7th. Nintendo announced today that it was raising the price on older Switch models, and Apple has said it’s burning well over $1 billion on added costs.“These price increases seem to be here to stay.”For Fuji, the tariffs have been a bit of a disaster. In 2024, the company shifted its supply chain for the X100VI over to China ostensibly to help meet the overwhelming demand it expected after the camera’s predecessor, the X100V, blew up on TikTok and was being resold at huge markups for much of its lifespan. Following the initial round of tariffs on China going into effect, Fuji moved some of the X100VI’s production back to Japan. But even after cutting a deal with the Trump administration, most imports from Japan are still being hit with an additional 15 percent tariff.The new prices are reflected at retailers like B&H and Adorama. Moment, which sells Fuji cameras, writes in a blog post that it’s “no surprise that Fujifilm needed to increase prices this year” as a result of Trump’s tariffs. They don’t appear to be temporary, either. “At this time, these price increases seem to be here to stay,” the company writes. Fuji didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.A number of other camera companies have raised prices at this point, including Leica and Canon. PetaPixel reports that Fuji’s price hikes were actually set before the new tariff rates were announced, which could put the company in a precarious position if the actual rates are higher than expected. Given the ongoing mystery of when Trump’s tariffs will be applied, to whom, at what rate, and for what length of time, this is likely only the start of the price revisions.

Performance rules the roost when it comes to a gaming PC, despite the fact that it only contributes to one part of your overall gaming experience. Performance is extremely important, no doubt, but you can still level-up your gaming experience overall with a few upgrades under $100, even if they don't increase your frame rate in games.

Everyone has different needs when it comes to a computer. But if you've been looking for a compact, powerful, and low-power solution, then this mini PC is going to be a great fit. Not only are you getting a powerful Intel N150 processor, but you're also getting plenty of RAM and storage as well. The best part is that the price is now pretty low, with Amazon slashing nearly 40% off, dropping it down to just $142 for a limited time.