If you have just obtained your 3D printer and have an idea of something to print, you need some essential software tools for 3D printing to bring that idea to life. You might not always create your files from scratch, but you can download them from 3D printing websites like Thingiverse, Myminifactory, Printables, Makerworld, and many others. However, you need to be familiar with a 3D modeling program to create or adjust the files you downloaded.

There's no end to the number of note-taking software applications available to users today, but Joplin is among the best. It's an open-source alternative to tools like Evernote or Notion, with cross-platform support between Mac, Windows, and even Linux, secure encryption, and complete offline functionality. You can even access notes on the go through iOS and Android. Joplin has numerous community-made extensions that make it even better and enhance the overall user experience. These are some of the best Joplin plugins you can get your hands on right now. Many Joplin plugins can be installed from within the application just by going to the Settings menu, while others can be downloaded from GitHub.

There’s a famous two-decade-old Paris Review interview with Haruki Murakami in which he, one of the world’s most celebrated novelists, details his daily routine. He wakes up at 4AM, works for five hours, goes for a run, reads, goes to bed, and then repeats it all over again. The rigor and repetition are the point.I am not Haruki Murakami.In addition to my work at The Verge, I write novels — my second one is out this week — and while I admire Murakami’s commitment to an immovable schedule, I’ve found that I produce my best work when I’m constantly rethinking routines, processes, and, mostly, how I’m writing. In the modern age, that means what software I’m using.What I am about to describe will be a nightmare to anyone who likes all of their tools to work harmoniously. All of these apps are disconnected and do not interoperate with each other in any way. Many of the things they do are redundant and overlap. I suppose this process is quite the opposite of frictionless — but that’s precisely the point. I’m not sure I believe that ambitious creative work is borne from a perfectly efficient workflow.This is, instead, a journey of moving the work through d …Read the full story at The Verge.

Microsoft Excel is a treasure trove of features. There are so many functions tucked away into different corners of the spreadsheet app that you may be using the software for decades, but still won't be acquainted with all the possibilities. One such feature that recently caught my attention is the Camera tool. The name is slightly deceptive, since it may indicate that activating the feature will use your computer's camera to capture an image. But the reality is far from that. The Camera tool is more like an exclusive screenshot tool inside Excel, but on steroids!

Microsoft unveiled its Xbox AI era earlier this year with a new Muse AI model that can generate gameplay. While it looked like Muse was still an early Microsoft Research project, the Xbox maker is now allowing Copilot users to try out Muse through an AI-generated version of Quake II.The tech demo is part of Microsoft’s Copilot for Gaming push, and features an AI-generated replica of Quake II that is playable in a browser. The Quake II level is very basic and includes blurry enemies and interactions, and Microsoft is limiting the amount of time you can even play this tech demo. View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Verge (@verge)While Microsoft originally demonstrated its Muse AI model at 10fps and a 300 x 180 resolution, this latest demo runs at a playable frame rate and at a slightly higher resolution of 640 x 360. It’s still a very limited experience though, and more of hint at what might be possible in the future.Microsoft is still positioning Muse as an AI model that can help game developers prototype games. When Muse was unveiled in February, Microsoft also mentioned it was exploring how this AI model could help improve classic games, just like Quake II, and bring them to modern hardware. “You could imagine a world where from gameplay data and video that a model could learn old games and really make them portable to any platform where these models could run,” said Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer in February. “We’ve talked about game preservation as an activity for us, and these models and their ability to learn completely how a game plays without the necessity of the original engine running on the original hardware opens up a ton of opportunity.”It’s clear that Microsoft is now training Muse on more games than just Bleeding Edge, and it’s likely we’ll see more short interactive AI game experiences in Copilot Labs soon. Microsoft is also working on turning Copilot into a coach for games, allowing the AI assistant to see what you’re playing and help with tips and guides. Part of that experience will be available to Windows Insiders through Copilot Vision soon.

Disasters can strike at any time, whether caused by hardware failure, malware, or human error. On Windows 11, proactive preparation ensures your data remains safe, and your system can recover quickly. Here are the most efficient ways to prepare for disaster recovery, and always be one step ahead.

Lately, Docker has become a valuable tool for developers and tech enthusiasts. But beyond deployment, Docker containers can be powerful allies in streamlining workflows and boosting personal output. These isolated environments offer a fantastic way to tackle tasks and focus on what truly matters. Here are the Docker containers I use regularly to boost my efficiency and get more done.

“Hands Off” protesters in Manhattan.People are gathering in cities all over the United States and globally to protest an “illegal, billionaire power grab” by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk. They’re being put on by over 150 different organizations, including civil rights groups, labor unions, and LGBTQ+ advocates, and span more than 1,200 locations.Last weekend, “Tesla Takedown” protests targeted Tesla showrooms around the country to show disapproval for Musk, its CEO, who has spearheaded an effort to carry out mass federal workforce layoffs and hollow out government agencies. As Tesla’s sales have plummeted this quarter, Musk has threatened to “go after” the company’s critics, while the FBI has created a task force to investigate individual acts of vandalism and other actions aimed at the company.Rain or shine (mostly rain)— Mia Sato (@miasato.bsky.social) 2025-04-05T18:21:40.575ZThe scope of these protests is much broader, targeting both Trump and Musk, who the Hands Off website accuses (accurately) of “shuttering Social Security offices, firing essential workers, eliminating consumer protections, and gutting Medicaid.” The Verge’s Mia Sato is in Manhattan’s Bryant Park in New York City, where she took the above video. She told me it wasn’t clear how many people are there, but that it’s “wall to wall everywhere” despite the fact that it’s “raining here and really nasty.”Hands off rally in Washington, DC today— Lauren Feiner (@laurenfeiner.bsky.social) 2025-04-05T19:58:28.578ZMy colleague Lauren Feiner, who attended the protest in Washington, DC, said the protest there “is very big, thousands here around the Washington monument.” She described it as “very peaceful and orderly,” with attendees listening quietly to the speakers, occasionally chanting in response. Jessica Toman, who went to the protest in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, texted the above image to me. A person posting images of the same protest on Bluesky guessed that protesters numbered in the thousands. It looks like a similar story in Boston, where “thousands” are seen in this video from today:WOW: Thousands are currently protesting in Boston. This is just one of more than 1200 'Hands Off' protests underway today across the nation as people rise up against the Trump-Musk regime. (via Rob Way)— MeidasTouch (@meidastouch.com) 2025-04-05T16:06:41.143ZFox 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul posted aerial footage of a massive crowd gathered at the State Capitol building in St. Paul, Minnesota:Demonstrators gathered in massive numbers in Daley Plaza in Chicago, Illinois, too, where a CBS Chicago livestream showed what looked like many thousands of people streaming from one side of the street to another for many blocks while this story was being written. Protests are also taking place overseas, in cities like Berlin, Germany and London, England.It’s not just major cities. Hundreds appear to have shown up to protest in cities like St. Augustine, Florida, which the US Census Bureau estimates has less than 16,000 people, and Riverhead, New York, where only about 36,000 people live. Cars honked in apparent support of a protest in Manhattan, Kansas (under 54,000 residents), according to the Bluesky user who posted this video:4/5/25 Manhattan, KS-a college town & home of NBAF, in Sen Marshall’s district, 5 min after it was to begin & they’re still coming!😁✊🏻💜 Proud of my Blue Dot in a red state! #manhattankansas #handsoff— M (@snflwr6684.bsky.social) 2025-04-05T16:43:22.728ZA similar scene plays out in this video, apparently taken in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, a town of fewer than 4,000 people, today:Here’s a gallery with some more images taken by Sato, Toman, and The Verge’s Chris Welch:

There's a good chance you're using a router from your internet service provider (ISP), but did you know it's easy to build your own firewall? Attach a switch and access point, and you'll have a powerful DIY networking solution that provides you maximum control over every aspect. The only question is: which firewall should you use? I've passed through a few, and I kept bouncing between them until I discovered OPNsense — I've not looked back since.

Cosplay has been transformed by 3D printing, giving fans the ability to create and share jaw-dropping costumes and props that look like they came straight from the screen. This tech allows for precise detailing, wearable durability, and customization, bringing characters to life like never before. From screen-accurate armor to working gadgets, these pieces aren’t just convincing — they’re often nearly indistinguishable from the real thing. Here are a few 3D-printed cosplay pieces that seriously raise the bar.

Get ready for slick light strips and futuristic lightcycles.Disney just released the first trailer for Tron: Ares, the long-planned Tron: Legacy sequel. The minute-and-a-half trailer doesn’t say much about the story but shows plenty of the movie’s visuals, which look dark, moody, and filled with the series’ signature light trails.The trailer opens in the physical world at night, as Jared Leto’s Ares, a Program made physical, flees from police on a light cycle, slicing one in half using his light trail as a weapon. The shots that follow show a massive airship hovering over the real-world city, visible only by the red light strips on its outside. The rest has people looking on in horror at the airship, dogfights between human aircraft and fighters from the Tron digital world, and what looks like a clip of Ares being given his physical body. All of that is set to the music of Nine Inch Nails, which is handling the soundtrack this time around. It ends with a voiceover from Jeff Bridges, reprising his role as Kevin Flynn and saying, “Ready? There’s no going back.” The movie hits theaters on October 10th.Disney included the poster above in an email to The Verge announcing the trailer’s release. In a YouTube video from Thursday’s CinemaCon presentation about Ares, Leto said his character is “a highly advanced program” who has entered the real world on a “do-or-die mission to fulfill his directive,” and promised that the movie “will hit you right in the grid … wherever that is.” In addition to Leto and Bridges, Tron: Ares is directed by Joachim Rønning and its stars include Gillian Anderson, Greta Lee, Evan Peters, Hasan Minhaj, Jodie Turner-Smith, Arturo Castro, and Cameron Monaghan.

Most PC products that hit the market are under some level of scrutiny, but most of the time, a lot of them come and go without a terrible amount of discussion. When a product does strike a chord with consumers though, it sticks like old thermal paste, especially if the response is negative. All publicity isn't necessarily good publicity with regard to PC products, and these five designs were so controversial, they'll forever live in the minds of enthusiasts.