Despite Windows 10 losing support in October of this year, it's still the most popular version of Microsoft's operating system. Granted, the gap between the user bases of Windows 10 and Windows 11 is rapidly narrowing, with Statcounter claiming that 54.2% of Windows machines use Windows 10, compared to 42.69% for Windows 11; however, it's still large enough to be worth analyzing.

Have you seen how many PowerToys tools there are? There's an absolute ton. I mean, it makes sense; it started its life during Windows 95, and even then, it still had a generous 15 tools you could play with. In its 30-year lifespan, it has seen a lot of cool additions. As such, here are some of the tools that were added in the past year and probably slipped your radar.

I don't care if you call this a PSA, an explainer, or even a hot take. If you leave this article and decide it's time to update your BIOS, I've done my job. Despite how useful new BIOS releases can be for your system overall, there's still a reluctance to update unless something has gone seriously wrong with your system. That's outdated advice, and it's high time to address it.

For far too long, I've been navigating the ever-growing mountain of research notes and documents in a somewhat disorganized and inefficient way. I did hear about AI note-taking tools, but for one reason or another, I hesitated. That all changed when I finally decided to explore NotebookLM. The immediate clarity and efficiency that Google’s AI note-taking tool has brought to my research workflow has left me with one thought: I should have tried this sooner.

Last year, Microsoft announced that the classic Teams app, which is the original version of Microsoft Teams, would reach the end of support on July 1, 2024, and the end of availability this year, on July 1, 2025. Ever since, the company has made it its mission to encourage customers to switch over to the new Teams app.

Adding a 3D printer to your home opens a world of possibilities, from toys to tinkering to fixing broken things you'd normally throw away. If you're only printing models that someone else created, you don't need a very powerful computer at all. In many cases, you can get away with printing from a tablet or a Raspberry Pi. But once you get deeper into the hobby and start creating your own 3D models, those computing requirements change.

A few weeks ago, I decided to set up a WireGuard VPN on my Raspberry Pi 5. I wanted a fastand lightweight way to securely access my home network whiletraveling, without relying on third-party VPN services. Since I already had the Pi set up and running 24/7, it just made sense to let it handle the job. What surprised me most was how quick and painless the whole process was — under 30 minutes from start to finish.

Adobe’s web design and development tools are dying software. Adobe XD — a UX/UI design tool — is only in maintenance mode, and Dreamweaver, Adobe’s web development tool, famed in the past, faces no more development, but still has support from Adobe. These two apps join a list of great Adobe tools that have been discontinued, but the modern day brings a ton of better web design and development tools to use instead. Although Adobe XD never took off in success, Dreamweaver has been considered a solid tool in the past. There are still plenty of others to choose from.

Capable of controlling a myriad of smart devices and IoT gizmos, Home Assistant is one of the best services you can self-host on your workstation. If you’re as much of a fan of Proxmox as I am, you may already have configured a HASS virtual machine on top of your PVE host.

Protesters in Washington, DC on April 5th.More protests against President Donald Trump are taking place today as part of “A National Day of Action” largely spearheaded by the decentralized 50501 movement. Events are scheduled in all 50 states, two weeks after millions of people attended more than 1,300 “Hands Off!” protests across the US and the world. This time, over 700 rallies and community events are planned. A post on the official 50501 website describes some of the other efforts underway today:Yes, there are marches, rallies, and courthouse demonstrations. But there are also diaper drives, skill shares, free community meals, and teach-ins happening all over the country. This is intentional. Because real change doesn’t just come from loud chants — it comes from deep connections.“No one single march wins demands or ends injustice,” Ben Zinevich, an organizer with the ANSWER Coalition, which is participating in the protests, told The Washington Post yesterday, “It’s really about building a sustained movement that can show itself as a political force.”Today’s actions, like those earlier “Hands Off!” demonstrations, are broadly aimed against the actions of President Donald Trump since his inauguration in January. That includes the rapid dismantling of the US administrative state at the hands of Elon Musk’s DOGE, chaotic tariffs, and apparent defiance of court orders, including one from the Supreme Court. Notably, today is the 250th anniversary of the first two major battles at the start of the American Revolutionary War. People are generally posting about the protests under the same “#handsoff” hashtag that was used earlier in the month. Below are scenes from some of the most visible protest actions taking place today, starting with what looks like hundreds preparing for a march from New York City’s Bryant Park:The April 19 NYC March has not even begun yet and there are SO many people gathered!Mass mobilization is the way!#50501 #FightForDemocracy#HandsOff— Postcards for America (@postcards4usa.bsky.social) 2025-04-19T16:21:07.424ZProtesters also gathered in Chicago’s Daley Plaza:#chicago #peotest #handsoff— Liam Hayden (@liamhayden.bsky.social) 2025-04-19T17:00:12.314ZA large crowd showed up early this morning at Piatt Park in Cincinnati, Ohio, where protesters in the video below can be heard chanting “bring him home:”“Bring him home!” (Garcia)Demonstrators are seen as they participate in the  ‘Hands Off!’ national day of protest and march in Cincinnati, Ohio. Saturday, April 19, 2025. #50501movement #50501 #HandsOff pic.twitter.com/IwILVgM6Ku— Jason Whitman (@jason_whitman) April 19, 2025They seem to be referring to Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man who the Trump administration initially admitted was sent to an El Salvador prison by mistake. In the wake of a unanimous Supreme Court order to “facilitate” his return, the administration has been attempting to retroactively justify Abrego Garcia’s deportation while doing “nothing,” as a federal judge said this week, to try to get him back.Nice crowd building in Cincinnati. #handsoff— David Pepper (@davidpepperoh.bsky.social) 2025-04-19T14:00:32.182ZDemonstrators also turned out at Halifax Mall in Raleigh, North Carolina:We out here #50501protest #handsoff #raleigh— Young Democrats of Johnston County (@youngdemsjoconc.bsky.social) 2025-04-19T15:29:29.542ZIn Buffalo, New York’s Niagara Square: Buffalo strong..50501 #handsoff— Bonnie (@bonniefitz.bsky.social) 2025-04-19T15:42:18.758ZAnd Brittlebank Park in Charleston, South Carolina:#SOUTHCAROLINA ! Charleston represented this morning with a THOUSAND people in attendance! Lemme see your pictures from around the state! (Other states welcome too😉)— Madelyne (@madelynerants.bsky.social) 2025-04-19T16:44:22.398Z

A few years ago, 3D scanners were primarily viewed as tools for high-end industries or specialized laboratories. They were expensive and often too complex for the average user. However, with advancements in technology, the process has become easier, thanks to cheaper 3D scanners and user-friendly software. Now, you can even get a good hand-held 3D scanner for less than $1000, and everyone, whether they are tinkerers or not, can use it to create their designs. There are also good 3D scanner apps for smartphones that work incredibly well.

Synology is preparing to roll out new restrictions on third-party hard drives in its future network attached storage (NAS) devices later this year, the company confirmed to Ars Technica. The changes could make it much harder to use third-party drives in Synology’s devices for typical use cases, like backing up household computers or as local media servers. The good news is that if you already own a Synology NAS, the company says the change won’t affect you.Synology says in an EU press release that “starting with Plus Series models released in 2025,” only Synology-branded drives and those the company has certified to meet its specifications will “offer the full range of features and support.” According to Ars, Synology plans to update its compatibility lists to reflect which third-party drives that it has certified. The new restrictions mean that without Synology-approved drives, you might not be able to do things like pool storage between disks or take advantage of drive lifespan analysis offered by the company’s software. The change doesn’t apply to Synology J- and- Value-series devices, and won’t affect consumer-grade Synology Plus devices that were released in 2024 and earlier. Nor will it affect hard drives that are migrated to this year’s devices from its existing NAS systems, according to Synology’s press release.As for why it’s making this change, a Synology spokesperson told Ars, “Extensive internal testing has shown that drives that follow a rigorous validation process when paired with Synology systems are at less risk of drive failure and ongoing compatibility issues.” The company says similar things in its press release, writing that the restrictions will “reduce compatibility issues and increase system reliability and performance.” Synology did not immediately respond to The Verge’s request for comment. Restrictions like this are irritating. To Synology’s credit, it’s introducing them in a way that’s less egregious than something like a printer company blocking third-party ink with a software update. But that doesn’t fix the fact that owners of its future NAS devices will have fewer choices — and therefore fewer chances to save money — when it comes to buying the drives to stick into them.