I spend hours a day on my Windows 11 laptop, and optimizing my settings helps me to work faster and more efficiently. Making a few changes reduces the number of steps to access certain features and creates one-click shortcuts to others. I would also like to change the appearance of my operating system to make it more user-friendly and increase the visibility of certain windows and tabs.

Jony Ive onstage at the Code Conference in 2022. Thanks to a related trademark lawsuit, we know what OpenAI and Jony Ive's first AI device won't be.In court filings submitted this month, leaders from io - the consumer hardware team OpenAI recently acquired from Jony Ive's design studio for $6.5 billion - testified that the first device they plan to release won't be an "in-ear device" or a "wearable." They also say the AI device won't ship until "at least" 2026. "The prototype Sam Altman referenced in the video is at least a year away from being offered for sale," Tang Tan, io's chief hardware officer and a former Apple design leader, said in a June 16th declaration. "Its design is not yet finalized, but it is not an in-ear device, nor a wearable device."Over the weekend, OpenAI was forced to remove public references to the io brand (which stands for "input/output") due to a temporary restraining order that was granted on behalf of an audio device startup called Iyo. To support its case that OpenAI willfully infringed on its trademark, Iyo provides emails showing that leaders from io and OpenAI, including CEO Sam Altman, knew about its existence and even asked to demo the product - a yet-to-be-released, in-ear headphone bil …Read the full story at The Verge.

If you want to relive the retro days of the 80s and 90s computing scene, but you don't feel like buying authentic hardware that looks the part, why not 3D print one instead? Okay, maybe 3D printing an entire fully-sized PC is a bad idea, but you can compromise and instead create a tiny replica of your favorite PCs. That way, you can get a miniature blast from the past that doesn't take much to make, sits on your desk, and makes for an excellent talking point.

I've used almost any reverse proxy solution you could name, from Nginx Proxy Manager to Caddy, various WireGuard-based options, and single-shot fixes like Tailscale Funnel and Cloudflare Tunnel. They've all got their pros and cons, some with advanced features baked in, others needing a slew of plugins to build the tool you need, but even though I've used them for a while now, the knowledge of how they work slides out of my brain as soon as I stop configuring them.

The hardware indicator pop-ups can now appear in the top-left of a screen. Microsoft is testing a new feature in Windows 11 that will let you move hardware indicators pop-ups like volume and screen brightness to the top-left and top-center positions of a display. The customization feature is part of a new Dev Channel build of Windows 11 that also includes a new Recall homepage that lists the top three apps and websites you’ve used in a 24-hour period.Currently, Windows 11 shows the volume, brightness, and airplane mode indicators in the bottom center of a screen. In the latest Dev Channel build you can now choose the position of these on-screen indicators so they’re less in the way of apps you’re using. You won’t be able to pick the top right position though, presumably because that would place the indicator too close to the minimize, maximize, and close buttons for apps.Alongside the indicator changes, Microsoft is also testing a new Recall homepage. “The new homepage brings your recent activity and top-used content front and center, enabling you to easily get back to your previous tasks,” says Microsoft’s Windows Insider team. The homepage shows recent snapshots as well as top apps or websites that have been used in the past 24 hours.Recall is also getting a new navigation bar on the left side, which lets you quickly switch between this new home interface and the Timeline feature to scroll through all your snapshots. Microsoft is currently testing these changes with Windows Insiders, so expect to see them appear more broadly in Windows 11 in the coming months.

I have been self-hosting several apps in Docker containers on my home server out of sheer convenience. Taking a leaf from the books of my XDA colleagues who use Docker in their home labs for productivity or streaming media, I started experimenting with containers months ago. I gather that many people may want to or have just started using Docker containers to self-host different apps. Like many, I started off with Docker CLI to test out some of the apps. However, after weeks, I found myself using an alternative method — Docker Compose — to install containers on my home server. Here are the reasons why I prefer using Docker Compose to deploy and manage containers.

Xbox Game Pass is arguably a pretty good deal for consumers, assuming you are someone who plays a large variety of games. It adds recent game of the year winners in addition to potential future winners like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, sometimes on launch day. But for developers, especially small indie developers where every dollar matters, the subscription service isn't as clearly a good or bad deal. In fact, for every indie success story from the platform, there always seems to be a developer unhappy with its Game Pass launch deal. So, exactly how risky is it to launch on Game Pass, and should developers think a little harder about joining the service?

I really like it when people use their time, effort, and knowledge of electronics to recreate really teeny-tiny versions of real-world devices. There's just something really cute about a miniature replica of a PC, console, or other computing device that jmakes me really happy.

It's that time of year again when Samsung starts teasing a new event, with promises of announcing some of the most exciting tech that we'll see this year. And while the brand's not giving up much in terms of information, we know from various leaks and rumors that we've seen over the past few months that new foldables are on the way.

The Raleigh One commuter e-bike in white. The Raleigh One e-bike is now official after The Verge first published details of it last week. It was developed for the Accell Group’s Raleigh brand with help from VanMoof’s cofounders, Ties and Taco Carlier, according to my sources. The announcement never mentions their involvement, which could be viewed as good or bad — good if you view the brothers as innovators, bad if you got burned during the VanMoof bankruptcy or the turmoil that preceded it.I think everyone can agree, however, that the decision to put several functions behind monthly subscription tiers that start at £6.99 / €7.99 (around $9) per month is annoying, especially for a list price of £2,399 / €2,699 (around $3,000 USD) when Raleigh One sales begin next month in the UK, Germany, and the Netherlands. That’s expensive for a Raleigh, but it’s still close to the €2,681 average for European e-bikes.The Raleigh One looks very VanMoof-ish but with several features that fans and critics alike have asked for: the 360Wh battery can be removed for easy charging, and it’s fitted with a single-speed belt drive paired to a motor housed in the hub of the rear wheel. If you squint, it could be easily mistaken for a Tenways CGO009.When asked about the Carlier brothers’ involvement with the e-bike, Ertu Bilgin, Accell Group brand lead, confirmed that “some former VanMoof team members have brought their experience” to the Raleigh One, but it’s “very much a product of the Accell Group.“The urban commuter comes with beefy tires to soak up bumps and a few mounts to help haul your gear around the city (with more to come). The integrated lighting adapts to conditions with a “dual-front” light that can be moved off the frame and onto the optional front rack. There’s a simple controller on the bike to adjust power, which can also be set in the Raleigh app. The app lets riders tap into additional features like an integrated alarm system and GPS tracking.The bike weighs 21kg (46.3 pounds) and is only available in a single step-over frame model. It ships with a 5A brick that can charge the e-bike to 50 percent in one hour or to full in a fast 2 hours and 20 minutes. Range is estimated at 80km (50 miles) in eco mode or at 50km (31 miles) when adding more pedal-assisted power. This is Europe so there’s no throttle here, and there’s no button to provide a temporary boost.Unlike VanMoofs, the Raleigh One uses a lot of off-the-shelf parts. I’m seeing hydraulic disc brakes from Tektro, a Gates Carbon belt, a 250W Mivice motor, and bike mount from SP Connect. “Built to last and easy to maintain, the Raleigh One delivers on reliability, with high-quality and low maintenance parts, backed up by a comprehensive dealer network,” the announcement promises. Those are important claims given the historical context.VanMoof’s downfall under the Carliers’ leadership can be directly attributed to bikes that shipped before they were ready, using custom parts of their own design that were assembled without enough emphasis on durability and serviceability. Concerns that VanMoof’s new owner — McLaren Applied — has addressed with its new S6 e-bikes. Now, about those subscriptions, or “memberships” in Raleigh vernacular. The Basic tier provides a rider dashboard, basic security, a stolen mode, and updates over Bluetooth for free. You can then pay £6.99 / €7.99 (around $9) per month, or £84 / €96 ($110) per year, to become a Core member, which adds automatic stolen mode activation and smart maintenance alerts. And for a limited time, you’ll also get over-the-air updates, some kind of bike-sharing feature for up to four people, “touch-and-go” functionality, and remote arming — but only until those features are moved to a new, more expensive “Icon” tier sometime in 2026.Subscriptions have become an unfortunate norm for just about everything we used to own outright, and e-bikes are no different. VanMoof is developing its own €4.99 (about $6) per month or €49 ($57) per year subscription offering, and even industry heavyweight Bosch can’t resist the lure of that recurring revenue stream as the industry continues to grapple with too much inventory and declining demand.Raleigh’s parent company, Accell — the bicycle giant responsible for brands like Batavus, Sparta, Carqon, and Babboe — has suffered financial troubles of its own in recent years, including a pair of recalls. But unlike VanMoof, Cake, and many other mobility companies that have gone bust since the COVID-19 pandemic boom, Accell had the resources to survive the “Bikeaggedon” created by a sudden collapse of the supply chain followed by a period of massive oversupply. The Carlier brothers are undeniably trailblazers. They introduced sleek, desirable e-bikes to a category of transportation once dominated by bolt-on batteries and septuagenarians. But can they be trusted, even under Accell’s tutelage, after bankrupting the company they founded 16 years ago?Raleigh has also seen better days since its founding in 1887, its brand sullied by an embrace of mass-market retailers that push its lower-end bicycles. That’s probably why the Raleigh One is launching on a new website — to set it apart from its siblings and mark a new beginning for everyone involved.Images provided by Raleigh

Yale’s new Matter-over-Thread smart lock is designed for Google Home. The Yale Smart Lock with Matter is launching tomorrow, June 24th, for $189.99 — $20 more than when it was first announced in March. Yale tells The Verge the price increase is due to the impact of tariffs. The lock will be available on Amazon and Yale’s website.According to Yale, the new smart lock was built for Google Home and Matter and designed specifically to complement Google Home’s Nest video doorbells. However, thanks to its Matter-over-Thread connectivity, it can work with multiple smart home platforms, including Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings, and Home Assistant.In a briefing, Catelyn Herman, senior product manager at Yale, told The Verge that “tariff costs and overall product costs led us to have to increase the price slightly.” All the other features are the same as when it was first announced, which is also when Yale confirmed it had discontinued the two companies’ previous collab: the Next x Yale lock. The new Yale Smart Lock with Matter comes in white, black, and, this fall, gray.  It has a promised 12 months of battery life on 4 AAs, thanks to Matter-over-Thread connectivity, which should also provide faster response times compared to Wi-Fi or Bluetooth locks. It’s one of a growing number of full-deadbolt replacement locks that use the new protocol; others include Kwikset’s Halo Select, Level Lock Plus, Eufy E30, U-tec’s Matter lock, and Yale’s Assure SL.Several control methods are available, including inputting a code on its backlit push-button keypad and using a key. You can lock and unlock it remotely using the Google Home app (as well as other Matter-apps) and with your voice control via Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, and Apple’s Siri. Jesse Stroh, product manager at Google Home and Nest, confirmed that you can now unlock Matter locks using a voice PIN code via Google Assistant. Unlike the Nest x Yale lock that could disarm Google’s Nest Secure security system, the new lock won’t integrate with any security system at launch, which is surprising considering both Yale and Google’s close relationship with home security company ADT. Unlike Yale’s other locks – including the Yale Assure 2 line – the Yale Smart Lock doesn’t have an auto-unlock function, just auto-lock. The lock also features a keyway, which the Nest x Yale didn’t. Herman says Yale’s research shows that a push button and a keyed option are what most people prefer. I’m on board with the push buttons, but I think these locks would look much sleeker without the keyhole.The lock can work with any platform that supports Matter, but Stroh said it has a “best in class integration with the Google Home platform.” He said it’s able to take “full advantage of the Matter features Google Home supports.” These currently include creating and editing codes for the lock, including guest codes with set schedules. You can also view lock activity in the Home app’s activity feed and get lock and unlock notifications, said Stroh, adding that current Google Nest doorbells will integrate with the lock so you can control it while viewing a live feed from the doorbell.Based on my experience using Matter-enabled locks in Apple Home and Samsung SmartThings, you should get these same features on those platforms as well. But, while it will work with other platforms, it’s clearly designed to appeal to Google Home users. Although those who are looking to upgrade from the Nest x Yale lock may not be thrilled with the new look. The white and gray may match the Google Nest doorbells, but without the options of rubbed bronze or satin nickel that the Nest had, it’s not going to match your existing door hardware.One benefit of the new lock is that you can set it up directly in the Google Home app (or other Matter app) without needing to use the Yale app. However, as a Matter-over-Thread device, it does require a Matter controller and a Thread border router; the Matter hub needs to be a Google one if you want to use it in the Google Home app. Without these, you can control the lock using the Yale Home app over Bluetooth, something Yale’s other Matter-over-Thread lock, the Yale Assure SL, didn’t offer. But this only works when you’re in range, i.e., at home, as there’s no built-in Wi-Fi.The lock can work over Wi-Fi with Yale’s $90 Wi-Fi Connect bridge, but I wouldn’t buy that just to use this lock. You’re better off picking up something like the Google TV Streamer for $95 to get the Thread connectivity, Google Home Matter hub, and a good streaming box. I plan to review the Yale Smart Lock soon.

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