There's no limit to what one can do with a Raspberry Pi. From using it as a laptop to emulating PlayStation 3 games, there are tons of projects on the internet that let you use the SBC in some super-interesting ways. Among them, one of the most popular use cases for a Raspberry Pi is using it for home automation. You can set up the Pi as a hub and connect other devices or nodes to it to create your own smart home ecosystem. If you plan on doing that with your Raspberry Pi, there are a few sensors that you absolutely must use to create the perfect smart home.

Perplexity Chief Business Officer Dmitry Shevelenko said he didn't want to testify in a trial about how to resolve Google's search monopoly because he feared retribution from Google. But after being subpoenaed to appear in court, he seized the moment to pitch a business opportunity for his AI company: buying Chrome.If Judge Amit Mehta sees things the way the Justice Department does, he could force Google to spin out its popular web browser - including the free open source Chromium browser that many other web browsers are built on. Google says this remedy is playing with fire, and could result in a new Chromium owner charging for the product or failing to keep it running in an adequate way, causing ripple effects across the browser industry.But Perplexity would be happy to take on the project, Shevelenko testified. When an attorney asked if Perplexity believes anyone besides Google could run a browser at the scale of Chrome without diminishing its quality or charging for it, Shevelenko responded, "I think we could do it."It's not the first time the AI upstart has put its name in the ring to take over a major technology platform under siege by the US government. The less than …Read the full story at The Verge.

It was really great seeing all the excitement from fans when Oblivion shadow dropped earlier this week. For a lot of people, the fourth installment in the Elder Scrolls series is the game, the experience that either was the impetus for their career in video games, instilled in them an everlasting love for the format, or both. But I never played Oblivion when I was younger. It came out in 2006, when I was a freshman in college and firmly within the iron grip of the PS2. (While you partied on Cyrodiil, I studied the keyblade.) I was first introduced to the Elder Scrolls series via Skyrim, a game that I simply could not get into despite my best efforts and having a partner who loved the game who I wanted to become closer to. When I started Oblivion for the first time I was so hopeful that it would capture me in a way its successor did not. It did - but not for the reasons I expected. My first surprise came within the game's opening minutes when I met Emperor Uriel Septim VII. I was shocked. This was the Patrick Stewart, Captain Picard himself, best friend of Gandalf the Grey. I was surprised yet again when I met Brother Martin; I'd know Sean Bean's voice anywhere. (And because it …Read the full story at The Verge.

Remember the viral cat meme that covers pop songs in only meows while slapping an instrument? Well, that Bongo Cat, created by StrayRogue, has now inspired one of Steam’s most popular idle games of the same name. Released for free on March 5, 2025, Bongo Cat has quickly climbed to the top of the Steam charts, cresting into the top 5 active players by late April 2025. So a lot of people are ‘playing’ Bongo Cat, but why?

A laptop can have the beefiest hardware specs of all time, but if it's chunky and heavy to boot, nobody's going to want to lug it around to the office or to class. Fortunately, Lenovo has been working hard on making their laptops both powerful and lightweight so they can slip nicely into your bag. The new range of Lenovo ThinkPads is here, and one of them is the thinnest and lightest laptop the company has ever produced.

Sony is treating fans with a long-awaited feature that the community has been begging for since the PS5's 2020 release. The tech company issued a statement to their PlayStation blog on Wednesday (April 23rd) announcing a new update for the console that aimed to bring back user interface designs of their iconic array of systems, including the designs from the PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, and the PlayStation 4.

Nearly a year ago, I first got my hands on the Milk-V Duo S, an SBC with two RISC-V cores and an Arm core. You can use a slider to switch between the two modes when booting, though it wasn't possible to boot off the Arm core at first. The company has put out updates and released new bootable images, including an image that can boot from its Arm core. Over time, many community members built their own images based on RISC-V for the Milk-V Duo S as well.

Windows 11 has redesigned many aspects of the user experience, yet the core File Explorer sometimes still feels a bit… well, basic. Over time, I discovered that a handful of third‑party add‑ons can transform this everyday utility into a powerhouse, enabling me to work faster, stay organized, and even enjoy a few pleasant surprises along the way. Here are the File Explorer add‑ons I rely on to make my life easier on Windows 11.

Roomba’s latest robot vacuum can avoid pet waste and has dual rubber roller brushes for digging pet hair out of carpets.iRobot just launched its ninth new robot vacuum of the year. That’s a record number for the company, which is struggling to dig itself out of the giant financial hole it was left in after Amazon’s bid to buy it fell through. The new Roomba Max 705 has the same design and lidar navigation as the rest of the new lineup, and comes with an auto-empty dock and 13,000Pa suction power — the highest advertised on a Roomba. The 705 costs $899.99 (€699) and is available to order now at iRobot.com. Most exciting for pet owners, the 705 brings back Roomba’s excellent dual rubber roller brushes, which are absent from the rest of the new bots. These were a staple of iRobot’s previous range of mid-to-high-end robots, such as the Roomba j9 and the Roomba i5. I have recommended Roombas for pet owners specifically because of these brushes. The nubby rubber rollers, which iRobot claims are anti-tangle and which move in opposite directions, do the best job of any bot I’ve tested at picking up stubborn pet hair from carpet and hard floors. Hopefully, they will be as effective on this redesigned Roomba as they are on the current models.Also good news for pet families: the 705 features iRobot’s excellent AI-powered obstacle detection, which uses an onboard camera to recognize and navigate around objects such as cords and socks, as well as any unfortunate pet accidents. A dirt-detect feature also uses the camera to identify messy areas it should pay more attention to. The 705 doesn’t have a mop, though, so it can’t tackle muddy paw prints in the same way the Combo 10 Max does. However, based on iRobot’s history, it’s likely we’ll see a combo version of the 705 with a mopping element at some point. Whether that will be dual spinning mop pads like those on the new Roomba 405 and 505, or a retractable mop like the Combo Max 10, or maybe even a roller mop (which are starting to appear on higher-end robot combos), we’ll have to wait and see.iRobot says the 705 will work with the new Roomba Home app for scheduling, mapping, and control, including features such as room or zone-specific cleaning, four levels of suction power, and repeated cleaning passes. The company says the robot vacuum will be Matter-certified and compatible with the Apple Home app later this year. It also works with Amazon Alexa and Google Home for voice and smart home control options.

Lexus’s mid-sized ES luxury sedan is getting a redesign for its eighth generation that includes some edgier styling and a significant platform change that accommodates both an all-electric drivetrain and a regular hybrid one.Revealed at the Shanghai Auto Show today, the 2026 ES is Lexus’ second electric vehicle after the RZ, which was just refreshed in March. The bolder-looking ES borrows its “spindle” front styling, spicy angles, L-shaped daytime running lights, and swooping rear from the LF-ZC concept revealed in 2023 at the Japan Mobility Show. Lexus says it will present “a comprehensive reimagining” of its brand at the show this October. The ES uses a modified version of Toyota’s EV platform called the TNGA GA-K, which includes reinforcements for better stability for both the hybrid or EV versions. It can accommodate a new, lighter-weight 2.5-liter hybrid system that comes with more battery capacity for the 350h model, which now includes an AWD option.The platform can also house a big EV battery on the floor of the FWD 350e and AWD 500e models without making the interior less comfortable, according to Lexus. The company estimates that the ES 350e has 300 miles of range per charge when equipped with 19-inch wheels.Inside the ES, you get a 12.3-inch instrument display and a 14-inch infotainment touchscreen that supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus the ability to connect to two smartphones via bluetooth simultaneously. The door panels have a bamboo look made from 3D printed materials and the cabin has ambient lights and Mark Levinson surround sound audio.Lexus plans to launch the new ES before March 2026, including in the US. In the same timeframe, it plans to release another EV, which could be based on an upcoming three-row SUV that parent company Toyota has cooking while it works to get more serious about EVs.

WhatsApp is launching a new “Advanced Chat Privacy” feature that aims to prevent people from taking conversations outside the app. When the setting is turned on, you can block others from exporting your chat history and automatically downloading photos and videos sent in the app.The feature will prevent people from using messages for Meta AI as well, which you can currently use to ask questions within a chat and generate images.By default, WhatsApp saves photos and videos in a chat to your phone’s local storage. It also lets you and your recipients export chats (with or without media) to your messages, email, or notes app. The Advanced Chat Privacy setting will prevent this in group and individual chats.This feature still doesn’t stop people from taking screenshots of your messages or manually downloading media from chats, WhatsApp spokesperson Zade Alsawah confirmed to The Verge. However, WhatsApp says this is its “first version” of the feature, and that it plans to add more protections down the line.“We think this feature is best used when talking with groups where you may not know everyone closely but are nevertheless sensitive in nature,” WhatsApp says in its announcement. WABetaInfo first spotted this feature earlier this month, and now it’s rolling out to the latest version of the app. You can turn on the setting by tapping the name of your chat and selecting Advanced Chat Privacy.Update, April 23rd: Added information from WhatsApp.

I find something weirdly captivating about tech products that come with transparent cases that let you see the works inside. We all know that there are all sorts of chips and wires in there that make the product do what it does, but unless we plan to break the thing open (and void the warranty), those items are usually hidden. If you also find this kind of thing fascinating, then Sharge’s charging gear might be right up your alley — and you may want to try out the Shargeek 170 Power Bank, which is currently available from Amazon (for Prime members) and Sharge for $99, a savings of a $100.The Shargeek 170 doesn’t just look good, either. It features a 24,000mAh battery, 170W maximum output, and can charge three devices simultaneously via a pair of 140W USB-C ports and a single USB-A port. Meanwhile, a smart display keeps you up to date on recharging time and percentage, along with the Shargeek’s current output and input. The Verge’s Sean Hollister saw it at CES last year, and thought it looked “pretty sweet.” You might, too.More sales to play and clean withA real classic, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered is now available, and if you’ve always wanted to try out the 20-year-old game — but were reluctant to use an old game on new tech — now is your chance. The remastered version features overhauled graphics optimized for modern hardware and includes both the Knights of the Nine and Shivering Isles expansions. And it’s on sale at Fanatical: you can get the Standard PC version for $41.49 (about $9 off), while the Deluxe edition — which comes with new quests, a digital artbook, and a soundtrack app —  can be had for $49.79 ($10 off).Let me be really honest here: I tend to eat at my desk a lot. That’s why my keyboard — and desktop — is often littered with crumbs, and why I could probably use something like the Hoto Compressed Air Capsule. The handheld vacuum cleaner provides 15,000Pa of suction power and includes five attachments, allowing it to handle crumbs, dust, and other detritus in tight corners. It can even be used to clean your coffee grinder! It’s now on sale at Amazon for $57.99 ($52 off), which, although not as low as its recent price of $31, is still a reasonable drop.If you’re in the market for the latest iPad with Apple’s A16 chip, the 11-inch base configuration is matching its all-time low of $319.99 at Amazon in blue and yellow, down around $29 from its usual price of $349. If color is important to you, you can also get it in silver for $327 and in pink for $339. Read our review.