Once you learn how to build your own gadgets, you rarely need to buy new devices ever again. If you're on the hunt for a cool clock, this awesome ESP32 project is totally DIY-able, including its source code and 3D printable parts. Best of all, it works with Home Assistant, and lets you send messages to it on Instagram.

Until recently, getting a proper Unix shell within Windows meant that I had to reach for a workaround. Windows doesn't come with the best commands I'm used to finding on Linux, such as grep, find, ls, and others. Whenever I wanted to work with these tools, I'd need to run an entire Linux environment for them. WSL eventually became my go-to answer to that problem, but it still required me to use a different OS, even when I just wanted access to a few commands.

When users get a new Windows PC or do a clean install, the first thing they do is install apps and other software — namely, productivity apps. However, they typically overlook the fact that Windows has productivity software built into the OS that does a pretty good job of managing workflows.

Self-hosting is a hot trend of 2026, albeit with a reputation problem. Mention it to a friend, and they picture a rack of servers humming in a basement. Sounds cliché, but it’s true to an extent. Eventually, most folks end up there, but that isn’t necessary to get started. All you need is a computer, which could be a laptop, old desktop, a mini PC, or a single-board computer like a Raspberry Pi. Even without much Linux experience, a spare weekend and a bit of searching are all it takes. There are several projects that fall under the “install it, and forget about it” category. Here are eight low-maintenance self-hosted services worth setting up on a weekend.

When I set up my first home server, I won't lie and say it was Proxmox. It was Ubuntu Server, something I had extensive history and experience using. I eventually ended up on Proxmox, but the journey here could have been skipped entirely if I had started with the Linux-based hypervisor from the get-go. I recently rebuilt my home lab from scratch, and Proxmox was front and center, creating the ultimate home-based data center.

While I don't always stick to Samsung's smartphone apps, this doesn't mean the company's software isn't worth exploring. In fact, there are some apps that are exclusive to Galaxy devices that I wish other companies would learn from.

Thankfully the movie is bonkers enough to live up to the artwork. | Image: Vinegar Syndrome There's something about a movie like The Room, Troll 2, or Fateful Findings that I find irresistible. These sorts of "so bad they're good" films are marvelous curiosities where ambition far outstrips resources, ability, and self-awareness to become something much greater than the sum of their parts. Champagne and Bullets (also released as GetEven and Road to Revenge) is a film on par with those classics of outsider cinema. The movie is almost entirely the work of one man, John De Hart. Hart wrote, directed, and stars as Rick Bode in the film. He even performs a musical number early in the proceedings - The bizarre "Shimmy Slide." During th …Read the full story at The Verge.

One of my favorite uses of hobby hardware is when people revive old tech using a Raspberry Pi. Sometimes that involves adding a Pi to an old shell and having the SBC take over lost functionality, but sometimes, people revamp the classics. Such is the case of this music box that takes notes from the old punch card devices of late and turns it into a more modern, DIY-able version for your Raspberry Pi Pico

Quick Share has always been a convenient way to move files between my devices, but I wanted to see if something better was out there. Instead of relying on feature lists or online recommendations, I decided to test three popular alternatives myself: PairDrop, LocalSend, and Blip. After using each one for everyday file transfers, I quickly realized they all took very different approaches, and one clearly suited my workflow the best.

How many games do you know that update their system requirements 17 years after they came out? Given how long Minecraft has thrived for almost two decades now, it's probably not a surprise that the game requires beefier hardware today than it did on launch. Mojang has updated its aging system requirements for the game, and honestly, the new requirements are very reasonable given how the game has evolved.

I try to keep my Samsung phone as simple as possible. There was once a time when I liked launchers, tweaking tools, installing beta versions of MIUI, and doing other risky stuff. But as my focus shifted more towards computers, I stopped experimenting and settled for the default UI experience. I had never played with phone automation features until recently, and became a fan of how I could build custom modes and routines to simplify my life.

I love a streaming box that allows me to easily stream the movies, shows, and music I like to my TV. Having a streaming box lets me choose the best TV regardless of the OS version it runs. Roku was my choice for years, while I dabbled with Apple TV at times.