Like many developers, I used to think of VS Code primarily as a slick code editor – great for writing, debugging, and managing projects. It’s a fantastic tool, no doubt, but my perspective shifted when I started digging into its vast ecosystem of extensions. These aren’t your everyday syntax highlighters or linters; these are powerful tools that transform VS Code into something far more versatile. Here are the hidden gems that prove VS Code is capable of so much more than just an Integrated Development Environment.

It's not often that I go away from home for extended periods, but one thing that always worries me is keeping an eye on the property. I've got a VPS set up so that I can connect to my NAS services when I do, and some cameras set up outside, but I didn't think I needed one for inside until it was too late to get one installed.

We've seen the Mac Mini go on sale before, with the price dropping to $499 in one of its most recent deals. However, we're now seeing an even steeper discount, knocking $130 off its usual price, coming in at just $469 for a very limited time. If you've been thinking about purchasing this mini PC, now's going to be the ideal time thanks to this excellent discount from B&H Photo Video.

Back in the early 2000s, first-person shooters were raw, ambitious, and constantly experimenting with the genre itself. This was the era when cover systems were optional, objectives weren't hand-held, and healing was done through medkits instead of just standing still.

As an avid reader and book collector, quantifying my collection is essential to me. And as the biggest reading-tracking platform around, Goodreads has been my go-to for about a decade. But it's clear that the platform is far from perfect. The site has barely evolved in a decade, still has a clunky interface despite overhauls, and packs a recommendation engine that barely understands my taste in books. Amazon’s ownership further adds to the feeling that the sole purpose here is to ensure that my reading data is used for everything but to improve the reading experience.

No one wants their GPU performing below its potential. You don't want your CPU bottlenecking your GPU, or some other component holding it back. Many users still overclock their GPUs to extract some extra performance, but there are some lesser-known settings you can tweak to improve your FPS and the overall quality of your gaming experience. I always use these settings to ensure I'm not leaving performance on the table. Most of what I share here will be relevant to Nvidia GPUs, but you can easily find counterparts for everything for your AMD or Intel GPU.

Things are going very well for gaming in 2025, especially for those who managed to pick up a Nintendo Switch 2 around its launch window. Not only was there a bundle that included Mario Kart World as a launch title, but more games on the way for Nintendo's newest console. However, a large portion of the Switch 2 library includes many games that were previously on the original Nintendo Switch. Some games are getting updates and new versions for the Switch 2, but they aren't necessarily new games for it. Most people that pick up a brand-new console want to play brand-new games to take advantage of what the console is capable of. Luckily for all of us, the Nintendo Switch 2 will still have some new games dropping in 2025.

OPNsense isn't just one of the best options for your home network, with the ability to handle routing and firewall duties to secure your network from the wider internet. It's also easily extendable for new functionality, as it offers a wide selection of plugins to utilize. These add new security features, valuable tools, monitoring software, and other handy things, and they're all easily installed with a few clicks.

Ever since I got my ASUS ROG Ally, it's become one of my favorite devices, hands down. As someone who doesn’t own a gaming desktop or console, it’s been my primary (and only) gaming machine, and for the most part, it’s served that role incredibly well.

Just because my Intel-based MacBook won’t get the latest version of macOS after Tahoe doesn't mean it's time to retire it. These machines still have plenty of life left in them, especially with a little creativity and the right software. Whether you want to breathe new life into your laptop or dedicate it to a specific purpose, there are many ways I’ve found to keep my older MacBook functional long after official support ends.

At this point, it's becoming easier to say which AI startups Mark Zuckerberg hasn't looked at acquiring.In addition to Ilya Sutskever's Safe Superintelligence (SSI), sources tell me the Meta CEO recently discussed buying ex-OpenAI CTO Mira Murati's Thinking Machines Lab and Perplexity, the AI-native Google rival. None of these talks progressed to the formal offer stage for various reasons, including disagreements over deal prices and strategy, but together they illustrate how aggressively Zuckerberg has been canvassing the industry to reboot his AI efforts. Now, details about the team Zuckerberg is assembling are starting to come into view: SSI co-founder and CEO Daniel Gross, along with ex-Github CEO Nat Friedman, are poised to co-lead the Meta AI assistant. Both men will report to Alexandr Wang, the former Scale CEO Zuckerberg just paid over $14 billion to quickly hire. Wang told his Scale team goodbye last Friday and was in the Meta office on Monday. This week, he has been meeting with top Meta leaders (more on that below) and continuing to recruit for the new AI team Zuckerberg has tasked him with building. I expect the team to be unveiled as soon as next week. Rather th …Read the full story at The Verge.

The internet is not permanent. That's something most of us forget until a favorite blog goes offline, a forum shuts down or a decade-old article you'd bookmarked for research is no longer available. Or perhaps, your favorite piece of writing gets tucked behind a paywall. Over the last few years, I've come to realize how fragile the internet is with pages breaking and hosts vanishing, and you can never assume that your favorite piece of content will be available in perpetuity.