The itch to try out Linux is universal. Almost everyone who is into technology has heard of it, and having another operating system option besides Windows and macOS sounds pretty appealing. However, there are many ways to run Linux and so many different distributions that it can be super overwhelming.

I have tried enough productivity apps to know how quickly their differences disappear. One may offer better databases, another may have prettier dashboards, but most of them eventually force me into a specific way of organizing my work.

Farewell, Google Assistant art, we hardly knew ye. | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Google Assistant's days have been numbered ever since Gemini arrived on the scene, and its time is now up. Google has announced that it will be removing access to Assistant on Android phones and tablets, along with paired devices like smartwatches or headphones, from September 4th.The announcement came in an email apparently sent to some users, as reported by 9to5Google and shared in full on Reddit. The Verge has asked Google for confirmation that the email is accurate, and will update this story once we have it. "We will begin removing access to Google Assistant starting on 4 September," Google states in the email, "and expect that this …Read the full story at The Verge.

One of the biggest things I love about Linux is that it's very customizable. There's no need to install third-party apps and use workarounds to get the look and feel you want; most of the time, the OS itself comes with all the support you'd need to do what you want. Such is the case with this delightful icon pack you can download and install onto KDE right now.

Whenever I've switched to a Samsung phone in the past, I never gave its preinstalled apps much of a chance. I'd spend the first few minutes replacing them with Google's alternatives because I was already familiar with them, especially since I use many of them on my PC and iPhone. For instance, Samsung Browser was usually the first to go, since it was the first app I saw sitting in the dock. But recently, I wanted to give Samsung's native apps a fair shot on my Z Flip 5.

SpaceX is preparing to build a terrestrial mobile network to "acquire quite a few" of the customers now subscribed to T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon. The message to compete head-to-head with the US carriers was delivered by SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell and CEO Elon Musk during the Q&A section of the company's first earnings call."The spectrum that we purchased from EchoStar does have terrestrial components, so we definitely intend to build out the terrestrial component," said Shotwell. "You will have not only the capacity from the satellites themselves, but you will have a buildout of the terrestrial, basically the hardware and systems ne …Read the full story at The Verge.

The Trump administration's framework for assessing potential cybersecurity risks posed by advanced AI reportedly has no interest in testing open models. Axios reports that not only do the voluntary guidelines outright exclude open models - meaning anyone can download them and inspect their core components - but the framework explicitly says it can't be used to restrict open models after they've been released.The AI testing framework was created after President Trump signed an executive order in June, requesting that AI companies share their frontier models with the federal government prior to release to address cybersecurity concerns. AI c …Read the full story at The Verge.

We don't often see people creating instruments with their ESP32s, but they are out there. Such is the case with this polyphonic synthesizer, which uses copper strips to register your touch and plays musical notes in response. And while the creator hasn't made the code public just yet, they are looking for people to register their interest.

If you want to get the most value from your graphics card, you might use it for various productivity tasks when not gaming. That's one way to get more out of your flagship GPU if you're lucky enough to have one, but midrange GPUs are just as capable when you don't need lots of VRAM. But all of those require you to be actively using your PC.

Disney is introducing fan-created TikTok content to its Disney Plus app in its latest attempt to break into short-form creator videos. The Walt Disney Company announced today that it's partnering with TikTok to bring "an expansive collection of thoughtfully curated Disney-centric fan-created content" to the Verts video feed it launched on Disney Plus earlier this year, providing creators with access to assets from "hundreds" of movies and TV shows.The partnership will be piloted in the US "in the coming months," according to Disney, with plans to launch in other markets later. Videos from TikTok creators who opt-in to the program will be h …Read the full story at The Verge.

2026 is shaping up to be an excellent year for Apple TV. Apple's streaming service has built out an impressive slate that spans returning favorites like Silo and Sugar to all-new hits including OnlyFans-inspired dramedies, terrifying comedies, and paranoid tech thrillers. But the most important release might be a feel-good sports sitcom. After what seemed like a definitive finale, Ted Lasso is back with a fourth season that doubles as a soft reboot for the show, mixing up familiar characters with a substantially new cast. And as Apple TV continues its push for a bigger piece of the streaming market, the return of its most culturally impactfu …Read the full story at The Verge.

How much would you pay for a joke Steam game? One developer released a title hoping that people would drop $200 on it. As it turns out, people did come out in droves to give the game a try, racking up $1.3 million in game revenue. Unfortunately for them, they never got to see that money as owners refunded the game and left the dev with a fraction of what was paid.