DietPi is my easy pick whenever I need an operating system for my Raspberry Pi. It's full of features that other SBC operating systems lack, and doesn't require too many system resources to work. But what if there were a DietPi version for laptops and desktops? I never thought of DietPi making a version for x86 systems, but it exists, and I was eager to try it on my old laptop. I previously installed AntiX on the laptop and liked the experience, but I didn't expect the same from DietPi’s x86 version.

Managing a smart home with individual apps and cloud platforms for each smart device can quickly become tedious and frustrating. Instead, you can bring everything under one roof using MQTT, a lightweight messaging protocol designed for centralized message-based communication and control.

When I first started 3D printing smart home enclosures, I thought it would be as simple as designing a box, hitting print, and placing my electronics inside. But I quickly realized there’s a lot more to it. Everything from material choice and ventilation to tolerances and mounting options can make or break a project. Looking back, there are many things I wish I had known before I started 3D printing, and more specifically, before I began creating enclosures for smart home devices. Over time, I’ve learned a lot through trial and error, as well as from resources I found online, and I am here to share those lessons with you. If you’re planning to do the same, these insights will save you both time and material in the long run.

When you think of sci-fi first-person shooters, your mind may immediately go to titles such as Halo or Destiny. However, before they saw the light of day, there was System Shock 2. The game set a huge bar for FPS titles and even set the foundation for its spiritual sequel series that would become what we know as BioShock.

If you’ve finished Hollow Knight: Silksong and want more adventures in the same spirit, you’re in luck. The platforming/Metroidvania genre is filled with games that have atmospheric worlds, tough battles, and rewarding exploration. Here are five great games that capture what made Silksong feel so special.

Every once in a blue moon, we come across a game on Steam that's brand new, highly rated, and available at a pretty decent introductory offer. It doesn't happen often, but when the holy trifecta aligns, it's absolutely worth checking out.

It's always nice when Microsoft officially adds a feature previously exclusive to third-party apps. It's not common, and it usually takes Microsoft a few years to catch up; however, sometimes it surprises us. I can't remember how long it took for the Redmond giant to finally add tabs in File Explorer, long after third-party apps had added them.

Although your life doesn't necessarily depend on it, the M.2 slot roulette is real, and you need to take note of all the available slots, ensuring you make the most of your expensive NVMe SSD. This standard has become the norm for connecting super-fast storage to your PC, be it a range-topping desktop system, portable laptop, or compact mini PC. Depending on which PCI generation you have available on the motherboard — this all boils down to your CPU and motherboard chipset — you could experience speeds up to 15,000 MB/s. The issue is that not all PCIe M.2 slots are the same, and you could end up hampering your PC's performance.

If you're anything like me, you've probably already burned through Hollow Knight: Silksong once, and maybe even twice. The game is phenomenal and there's no denying it, but once the credits rolled, I was staring at the screen, wondering what to do with my hands. I could've gone into another Metroidvania, since there's just so many amazing ones out there, but you can't blame me for wanting to dive back into the comfort food that is the original Hollow Knight.

Google Keep has been my go-to notes app for years, and I'd wager a guess that it's been a popular choice for many others, too. It's simple, quick, built into the Google ecosystem, and comes pre-installed on my Android phones. What's not to like? Moreover, it seamlessly syncs across devices without needing much user intervention. But as someone getting increasingly deeper into the self-hosted ecosystem, the lack of data ownership was bearing on me, not to mention the simplistic feature set of Google Keep. Notes get lost in the clutter, the labels are too basic to manage complex projects, and there isn't much of a structure. Keep is convenient, but it was time for a replacement. So, I tried out Trillium, a self-hosted, open-source note app. This might just be the self-hosted notes app that will make me ditch Google Keep.

Since I started self-hosting, Home Assistant was at the top of my list of services to try out. The main reason I delayed implementing it is due to my lack of always-on hardware that could host a VM with Home Assistant. Home Assistant OS is my preferred method to host the service, since it supports add-ons.

The mid-2000s were incredible for local area network (LAN) gaming experiences. We had the absolute magic that was Halo 2, which essentially kicked everything off with excellent local multiplayer support. I recall gaming into the early hours of the next morning with a bunch of friends playing through Halo and even running events to see which team could smash through the campaign on legendary first. It was a different time from how gaming is handled today, with everything usually carried out online. Even if you get together, there's a good chance your actual game will still pass through your router to the outside world.