You know, I think I like the concept of sticky notes than I do actually using them. I gotta get the pad, fetch a pen that works, scribble down what I want to remember, stick it somewhere, hope it stays, and then throw it away once I'm done. Fortunately, digital sticky notes don't share those same problems, and if you're on the hunt for something to store them all on, this DIY project is for you.

Let’s say you managed to grab a server PC for your home lab and equip it with the best operating system for your experiments. While the system may surpass your expectations in the beginning, you might realize that it doesn’t hit its full potential after using it for a while. Perhaps it lacks enough ports and connections for your USB passthrough needs. Or maybe the system doesn't possess enough horsepower to transcode your favorite 4K movies without running into performance issues.

I've started using Obsidian quite a lot, as it's a fantastic note-taking utility with a lot of advanced features, plugins, and community support. I know others who use Notion, and while I've been trying to get to grips with it, there are some things I'd like to keep in both services at all times. That's why I wrote a Python script that allows me to synchronize my to-do list from Obsidian to a Notion database.

Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 76, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you’re new here, welcome, sorry if your bracket’s busted, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.)This week, I have been shirking most of my responsibilities to watch March Madness. But I’ve also been reading about Polymarket and the future of social media and Taylor Sheridan, watching the Severance finale and immediately starting a full season two rewatch, listening to Amy Poehler’s delightful new podcast, testing out the new base-model iPad and the Nothing Phone 3A Pro, and cleaning out my Downloads folder for the first time in way too long.I also have for you a new-old gadget I love, a new Assassin’s Creed title, a new mid-range Android phone, a decidedly not mid-range camera you’ll want anyway, a great journaling app, and much more. I want to buy too many things this week. Let’s dive in.(As always, the best part of Installer is your ideas and tips. What are you into right now? What should everyone else be watching / reading / playing / listening to / sticking in their suitcase this week? Tell me everything: installer@theverge …Read the full story at The Verge.

There's just something about ASCII art that looks cool, even today. Perhaps it's how it uses hundreds of tiny little symbols to make one picture that makes it so appealing. Well, if you want to make a real impact in your next Zoom video call, this cool webcam feed ASCII converter is definitely one way to do it.

Windows isn’t the only operating system you can run on your PC. Provided you have space on your local drive, you can use multiple partitions to run different Linux distros, create storage partitions, and more. With storage so cheap these days, most users have multiple drives for managing operating systems and data on their desktops. However, it is still possible to partition your drive, and there are good reasons to use multiple ones.

In recent weeks, airport Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents have drawn public outcry for denying travelers US entry based on searches of their phones. A doctor on an H-1B visa was deported to Lebanon after CBP found “sympathetic photos and videos” of Hezbollah leaders. A French scientist was turned away after a device search unearthed messages criticizing the Trump administration’s cuts to research programs, which officers said “conveyed hatred of Trump” and “could be qualified as terrorism.” As the administration ratchets up pressure to turn away even legal immigrants, its justifications are becoming thinner and thinner — but travelers can still benefit from knowing what are supposed to be their legal rights. Your ability to decline a search depends on your immigration status — and, in some cases, on where and how you’re entering the country. Courts across the country have issued different rulings on device searches at ports of entry. But no matter your situation, there are precautions you can take to safeguard your digital privacy.CBP device searches have historically been relatively rare. During the 2024 fiscal year, less than 0.01 percent of arr …Read the full story at The Verge.

When it comes to PC building, experience teaches you a lot. The choices you made years ago can seem ludicrous today, irrespective of any budget or availability constraints that might have been at play. You might say it's water under the bridge, as my old PCs and components don't matter anymore, but I still regret a few of them to this day, thinking I could have done so much better, saved more money in the long term, and crafted better-looking rigs.

Balatro just won four Game Developers Choice Awards, including Game of the Year, but the person who made the game wasn’t on stage to accept them.Instead, Playstack communications director Wout van Halderen spoke on behalf of Balatro’s developer, who goes by the alias LocalThunk, each time the game won an award. “The team does that to give LocalThunk the freedom to work in the style that he likes, which we respect,” Playstack marketing director Liz Cheng-Moore tells The Verge. “That’s our job,” van Halderen adds. It’s an arrangement that the Playstack team figured out with LocalThunk ahead of other ceremonies like The Game Awards, where Balatro won three awards and was nominated for Game of the Year. LocalThunk didn’t want to be public, but he also didn’t want to be disrespectful to fans and the industry, so now the Playstack team accepts his awards on his behalf.Balatro was one of the biggest hits of 2024, launching after a series of popular demos to wide acclaim. Months after its initial launch, the game launched on iOS and Android, and as of January, it’s sold more than 5 million copies. LocalThunk was at the Game Developers Conference this week meeti …Read the full story at The Verge.

Anyone can use Linux today. Gone are the myths surrounding its steep learning curve (outside of something like Arch) and some excellent distros are available for those who have yet to visit the command-line interface (CLI). If you're considering the switch from Windows or macOS, I've rounded up a few of my favorite beginner-friendly Linux-based operating systems that almost anyone can use. Don't let this list fool you into believing these are basic distros. Once up and running, you'll have the full power (and versatility) of Linux at your fingertips.

Graphics suites like Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator are excellent choices for designers and digital creators because of their free plugins and other powerful features. However, they aren't cheap, and the monthly subscriptions can add up to thousands of dollars over time. Luckily, many free, open-source alternatives to Photoshop are available for users who'd rather try free software and put their cash towards a new laptop or other hardware.

Gaming mice haven't changed a lot in years, so when I came to know about the Lofree Hypace, an ultralight gaming mouse by Lofree (the company's first, by the way), I was intrigued. The mouse boasted a weight of just 47g, a flagship sensor, and an eye-catching design. Although its looks and specs were the main reasons I wanted to review it, the thing that left a lasting impression on me was its weight.