I replaced over $1,000 in cloud subscriptions with one small home server

Everything seems to be on a subscription model these days, from the tools we use to the places where we store the documents we create. Maybe that’s not surprising since the U.S. market was prepared for this by decades of cable TV pricing, but the drain on the average household’s finances is real.

Austin Walker
New Zealand

Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y can be a backup battery for your house

Some Tesla Model 3 and Model Y owners can use their EV battery to keep the lights on longer during a power outage, now that Tesla's expanding the Powershare Home Backup feature. It was previously only available on the Cybertruck, and also requires owning Tesla's Powerwall 3. However, support for...

Josefine Sørensen
Denmark

Apple and LG team up on new smart home gear, starting with a lock, doorbell, and thermostat

Apple is collaborating with LG on a new lineup of smart home devices, including a video doorbell, thermostat, indoor camera, and more, according to a report from Bloomberg. The products will reportedly feature LG branding but integrate with the company's rumored smart home hub that's expected to launch during an...

Şebnem Bukkems
Netherlands

I stopped fighting anti-cheat on Linux and started using Steam Remote Play, and I don’t miss dual-booting

Linux runs nearly everything I need now, and for that reason, it's my daily driver OS. There are exceptions, and they're almost exclusively games that require an anti-cheat client that doesn't play well with Linux. These are games like EA Sports FC 27, Escape From Tarkov, Battlefield 6, and most...

Tatiana Smiljanić
Serbia

I replaced my aging Shield TV with Onn’s budget box, and it handles Plex better than Nvidia’s streamer

I love my Nvidia Shield TV Pro, but I recently decided it was time to replace my seven-year-old streaming box. The only thing currently on the market that comes close to its performance is the Onn 4K Android TV budget box. It has newer hardware than the Google TV Streamer,...

Samuel Claire
Canada

Google’s power-hungry data centers crave nuclear energy

Google announced a new agreement to update six nuclear power plant sites across the US as the tech giant seeks to generate more electricity for its power-hungry data centers. Google signed the 20-year deal with Constellation, the leading nuclear power plant operator in the US. The power purchase agreement is...

Riley Clarke
New Zealand

Xbox has secured exclusive GTA 6 streaming rights

Xbox CEO Asha Sharma told employees that Microsoft is getting ready to do something around Grand Theft Auto VI that "no other platform holder is doing" during an employee all-hands this morning. According to sources familiar with Microsoft's plans, Xbox has managed to land a deal for the exclusive game...

Christa Berger
Switzerland

I dropped 900GB of duplicate files across my home server, and the tool that found them was free

I have close to 10TB of data on my NAS, including backups and a large movie library for Jellyfin. Some of that storage is used to keep multiple copies of the same files, and I’m responsible for a fair bit of it. I sometimes download a movie in 1080p, add...

Olivia Miller
Seattle

I let Codex take over a project Claude Code couldn’t finish, and it caught issues Claude missed

Whenever Claude Code finishes a build, it will let you know, and the file usually opens and will mostly work. What it doesn't tell you is what's off with the first look, and if you don't actually write code, like me, then there isn't much to check it against. Reading...

Marlice Fogaça
Brazil

I replaced Microsoft 365 with free open-source apps, but this one app is hard to leave behind

I’ve used Microsoft 365 for years, so moving away from it felt like a bigger experiment than simply uninstalling a few apps. I wanted to see how far I could go with free, open-source software without making my daily workflow harder. Instead of looking for one package to replace everything,...

Julio Corrales
Mexico

OpenAI drops another batch of mathematical breakthroughs

OpenAI has revealed solutions to a number of long-standing mathematics problems produced by an unreleased frontier model in a batch of 722 manuscripts, covering 372 result families that group related papers. It extends a run of breakthroughs that have both impressed and unsettled parts of the mathematical community while raising...

Emily Brown
Houston

Sebastian Maniscalco’s SiriusXM channel is hurting up-and-coming talent, comics say

Comedian Sebastian Maniscalco is facing backlash from fellow comics who claim his takeover of SiriusXM's Raw Comedy channel is harming up-and-coming talent, as reported earlier by Deadline. Many established comics, including Patton Oswalt and Margaret Cho, have posted videos online calling on Maniscalco to carry on Raw Comedy's legacy by...

Michael Johnson
Chicago

The best robot vacuum and mop deals during October Prime Day

The Dreame X60 Ultra in action. | Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge Spending too much time constantly sweeping and mopping? If you have the money to delegate those chores to a robot cleaner, you could save a lot of personal time. Thankfully, it’s cheaper than usual to buy a robot vacuum / mop hybrid during Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days, and some of our favorite models are discounted. The deals aren’t just for Amazon Prime members either, with other retailers like Best Buy and manufacturers getting in on the action, as well. That being said, if your floors are already squeaky clean, make sure to check out our roundup of over 100 deals from Amazon’s October sale.Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 FlowRoborock’s first roller-mop robot vacuum, the Curv 2 Flow, features flagship specs at a midrange price, including excellent mopping, a retractable mop cover, 20,000Pa suction, AI-powered obstacle avoidance, and a compact design.Where to Buy: $999.99 $634.99 at Amazon $999.99 $699.99 at Best Buy $999.99 $699.99 at RoborockRoborock Saros 20Roborock’s Saros 20 stands out for its ability to climb tall thresholds, avoid obstacles with impressive accuracy, and clean under low furniture thanks to its slim design. It also combines powerful 36,000Pa suction with great spinning mop pads, which is why we recommend it for homes with multiple floor types and tricky transitions between rooms.Where to Buy: $1599.99 $1179.99 at Amazon $1599.99 $1194.99 at RoborockNarwal Flow 2Our pick for the best robot vacuum-mop if you have all hardwood floors is the Narwal Flow 2. A superb mop with a wide flat roller pad and an excellent vacuum, the Flow 2 also has top-notch navigation and obstacle detection. Its sleek base station is also less of an eyesore than most.Where to Buy: $1499.99 $1099.99 at Amazon (with on-page coupon) $1499.99 $1044.99 at NarwalDreame X60 UltraThe Dreame X60 Ultra leverages a pair of AI-assisted cameras to help it navigate obstacles and ensure a thorough, consistent cleaning. It’s only 3.13 inches tall, so it can sneak under low surfaces that some other robot vacuums can’t.Where to Buy: $1499.99 $1099.99 at Amazon $1499.99 $1199.99 at Best Buy $1499.99 $1114.99 at Dreame (with code RVFD3)Eufy Omni C28The Eufy Omni C28 combines excellent mopping performance with a small self-cleaning dock that’s well suited for apartments and other smaller spaces. It navigates around furniture and into tight areas with ease, while its roller mop does a great job cleaning hard floors.Where to Buy: $799.99 $449.99 at Amazon $799.99 $449.99 at Eufy (with code WS7DV2MUCMGY)Dreame L40 UltraDreame’s budget-friendly L40s Ultra has storage for up to 100 days of dust, and can clean its own mop pads. The auxiliary climbing wheels help it navigate thresholds and rug edges with ease.Where to Buy: $799.99 $399.99 at Amazon $799.99 at DreameRoborock Q10 S5 PlusA budget robot vacuum and mop without a multifunction dock. It has AI-powered obstacle avoidance, sonic mopping, auto mop lifting, and an auto-empty dock.Where to Buy: $549.99 $249.99 at Amazon $549.99 $264.99 at Wellbots (with code NEW10) $549.99 $264.99 at RoborockBest overall: Deebot X8 Pro OmniThe Deebot X8 Pro Omni is an excellent roller mopping bot that extends to clean along backboards and furniture. It’s also a powerful vacuum with great obstacle avoidance, a small dock, and a convenient self-cleaning brush system.Where to Buy: $1399.99 $699.99 at Best BuySwitchbot K11 PlusThe Matter-compatible SwitchBot K11 Plus is ideal for small apartments, bedrooms, and home offices. It can easily navigate around chair and desk legs and into tight spaces that most other bots miss. It also features a commendable 6,000Pa of suction power — which is great for this price point — and works well on both hardwood and carpet.Where to Buy: $399.99 $199.49 at Amazon (black) $399.99 $200 at SwitchBot (with code FSALE50) $399.99 $199.49 at Amazon (white)