What you consider beautiful is very subjective, so you might not agree with my observations about BlueStar. After all, Linux users haven’t traditionally been exposed to beautiful interfaces. Linux distributions range from command-line-only setups to functioning works of art.

One of the only AI tools I use daily, and one that has completely changed my workflow (for the better) is NotebookLM. If you aren't familiar with it, NotebookLM is Google's AI-powered personalized research assistant, essentially designed to help you better interact with information from sources you already have.

In today's episode of "Why your ISP router is junk," we're going to replace that locked-down, cheaply made router with a custom OPNsense box. I'm not going to go into why we don't want to use the ISP router. That's been debated to death, and really we should all move on and use that energy for a more positive outcome. Well, except for calling the rent-a-router a big piece of junk (a few times), to get it out of my system.

When it comes to canceled games, there's something irresistible about them. Haunting, even. I'm not talking about the shovelware or half-baked pitches, but the real ones. The ones that were actually being built, building hype through magazines and interviews, showcased behind closed doors... and then vanished.

It would've been lights out for the Steam Deck the moment the ROG Ally was released. It would've been, but it wasn't, and that's largely due to Windows. As capable and comfortable as the ROG Ally is, the handheld has always been held back by its software. Today, you don't need to settle for what the device ships with.

With many creative users considering a step away from Adobe products, it can feel overwhelming to decide which creative software to use next. There are many reasons people might avoid Adobe, but price is typically at the top of the list, along with concerns about too many AI features or privacy issues, among others. I’ve extensively reviewed many Adobe alternatives, from paid tools to ad-based options and open-source projects, but there are some that I just don’t think are worth using just in a bid to avoid Adobe products.

Obsidian isn't the first app that comes to mind for the Steam Deck. The independent note-taking app is undoubtedly one of the most powerful productivity tools around, but it's not exactly designed for use on a handheld like the Steam Deck. But, if you're a madman like me, you can install Obsidian on the Steam Deck and sync your notes.

For years, Adobe comprised the majority of my creative world. Most of the tutorials I watched revolved around Adobe software when I first got into editing, and naturally, everything else followed suit. Most of the templates I downloaded were made by or for Adobe software. I memorized the shortcuts and got used to the layouts and features.

The B-tree file system (Btrfs) is a type of file system with a copy-on-write principle and a logical volume manager. Originally developed to address the lack of snapshots, integrity checking, data scrubbing, and other features within existing Linux file systems, Btrfs differs from other file systems, particularly with its ability to create subvolumes. ZFS does have something similar with datasets and snapshots, though this is an interesting implementation that makes Btrfs fairly versatile. Let's look at how subvolumes differ from conventional partitions.

Intel is a newcomer to the discrete GPU game. The Arc B570 is a Battlemage graphics card and was released late 2024, taking on AMD and Nvidia in the low-end segment. This GPU offers butter-smooth 1080p gaming and can even handle 1440p gaming with settings conservatively configured. What makes the B570 particularly noteworthy is its impressive support for AV1 transcoding, following the first-gen A series cards. This makes the GPU great for gaming and transcoding through Jellyfin.

If you're already using Home Assistant to automate your lights, sensors, climate, and routines, adding music to the mix just makes sense. Music Assistant is a powerful add-on that turns your Home Assistant setup into a multi-room audio controller, complete with source management and smart playback features. It's free, open source, and surprisingly easy to integrate with everything from local files to Spotify. Once it’s running, it feels like a native part of your smart home.

Before I picked the 8-core Ryzen 7 5700X for my current build, I had never used any CPU with more than 6 cores. And after three years, I can confidently say that wasting money on an 8-core chip was an impulsive, expensive mistake. Not only did I gain nothing in gaming performance, but I also reduced my budget for the rest of the build, which could have been spent on a better CPU cooler, a second SSD, or even a slightly beefier PSU. I've learned my lesson, and I'm limiting myself to 6-core CPUs for my next PC.