A rush of new data centers could bring air pollution roaring back to levels not seen since the 2000s in Texas, which has become ground zero for the physical infrastructure behind generative AI.New and proposed data centers are demanding a tremendous amount of electricity. How developers and utilities meet that demand - with gas turbines or renewable energy - will determine just how dirty things will get. So far, though, things are looking grim.Tech companies and data center developers are devising new ways to get enough electricity, including building out their own power sources. But if all planned data center projects were to plug into …Read the full story at The Verge.

Most AI-generated files end up living somewhere completely different from where they were created. A chatbot can draft your task list or spec sheet, then you put it in a Google Doc, owned by a completely different company. Wherever you put the notes, that doc ends up with no idea about the conversation behind it. Then Anthropic launched its own editor inside Claude in September, which completely cuts out the middleman between AI synthesis and note-taking. I've been using it in regular chats and in Claude Code, and I think it might have started replacing Google Docs for me.

A thin client is the least exciting device for a normal user. It's something you only see in college and school labs, or workplaces that need a just-enough usable computer to run a bunch of software. In contrast, a mini PC feels more exciting because it has a fairly diverse use case. You can pick entry-level devices with Intel N100 and N150 chips, or go with something more powerful like a six/eight-core CPU and a discrete GPU. For home servers or just as an additional computer, the entry-level mini PCs are more suitable.

At first, I saw self-hosting as a simple way to cut my monthly expenses. Why pay for software when I could run free, open-source alternatives on my own hardware? It seemed like an easy decision, especially when I wanted more control over my data and the tools I used. But after years of self-hosting, I realized the financial side wasn't as straightforward as I expected. The more I explored, the more I questioned whether I was actually saving money. Here's what changed my perspective and how I approach self-hosting today.

Expanding your laptop's connectivity doesn't have to mean breaking the bank. For years, Anker has dominated the accessories market by offering reliable build quality at prices that actually make sense for everyday people.

Logitech has long held the crown for the best productivity mouse on the market, and the MX Master series is the reason why. It’s the tool that keeps my workflow moving, whether I’m jumping between spreadsheets or editing video.

If you've been eyeing the Logitech Signature Slim MK955 keyboard combo, now is a prime time to pull the trigger. The set has dropped to its lowest price of the year at $100 on Amazon, a reasonable drop from the $120 retail price.

When you set up a high-end router in a suburban neighborhood or apartment building, you might find that your 5GHz network is choking on overlapping channels while half the spectrum sits completely dormant. Out of the box, most consumer routers restrict themselves to the lower non-DFS 5GHz channels to avoid regulatory fines or interference with weather radar and military frequencies. By leaving dynamic frequency selection disabled, you are voluntarily fighting for scraps in a crowded four-channel pool. Unlocking DFS channels opens up a massive interference-free superhighway that gives your Wi-Fi network room to breathe.

For years, Elon Musk has been making big promises to Tesla owners about unsupervised autonomous driving and the ability to add their own vehicles to the company's robotaxi fleet. During today's third-quarter earnings call, the company finally gave itself a deadline. According to Tesla VP for Autonomous Driving Ashok Elluswamy, Tesla owners will be able to add their own vehicles to the company's robotaxi fleet in the second quarter of 2027. Here's his exact quote (emphasis ours):Like I mentioned earlier, the software for Cybercabs and Model Y is the same. And pretty soon we'll be able to release the same software as part of the V15 relea …Read the full story at The Verge.

Game preservation has an uncomfortable problem. Many of the games worth saving are the hardest to access. Either publishers stopped selling them years ago, or the original console is too hard to maintain. With digital storefronts shutting down and games getting delisted on a whim, emulation often remains the most practical way to keep old titles alive.

On Tuesday, I published a story about how YouTube appeared to be testing hiding the dislike button on videos, with at least two users on X sharing screenshots of the dislike button moved into the three-dot menu. But a YouTube spokesperson, in a Wednesday statement to The Verge, confirmed that YouTube is "not testing hiding the dislike button on YouTube for users." However, YouTube is introducing a new UI for creators on their uploaded videos where the dislike button will be moved.Here's the full statement, from spokesperson Kimberly Taylor:We are not testing hiding the dislike button on YouTube for users. We're introducing a new UI for …Read the full story at The Verge.

Meta says it's issuing a new class of shares to fund its AI initiatives. As part of its third-quarter earnings report released on Wednesday, the company says the non-voting stock will also go toward potential acquisitions and employee compensation, with trading beginning in 2027."The scale of investment required to compete, sustain growth, expand infrastructure, and pursue new strategic initiatives amidst the AI transformation taking place in the industry is significant," Meta says in the press release. Susan Li, Meta's chief financial officer, added during an earnings call that the new class of shares will "expand our funding tools and gi …Read the full story at The Verge.