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A smart speaker is supposed to connect everything easily and let you control your house without effort. We gave up some privacy for the convenience of setting timers, controlling lights, and getting quick answers just by speaking a command. As these speakers get smarter, it feels like they've become a little too human.

I finally got tired of using Gigabit networking with my NAS, so I upgraded to 2.5GbE. The upgrade was actually cheaper than I expected, and the results were better than I expected. Moving to 2.5GbE completely changed how my NAS works in my homelab, and I think it will for you, too.

More people are looking for alternatives to proprietary apps every day—even hugely popular apps like Google Maps. OpenStreetMap is the backbone of many open-source map apps, but it relies on volunteers to keep it updated. StreetComplete makes it easy and fun to participate.

The Adaptive Lighting custom component in Home Assistant can change the brightness and color temperature of the lights in your smart home throughout the day to mimic the natural light of the sun. This can help make lighting feel more comfortable throughout the day and may help support better sleep habits.

I've tried vibe coding for fun mostly. But I realized that when done right, it can make some quality software products, especially if you're a vibe coder with programming knowledge. That's why I've been testing different techniques and found some that work really well.

Electric vehicles often face the range wall, a common concern for car buyers when trying to decide whether to go full-electric or stick with a gasoline vehicle. If a person is taking frequent cross-country road trips, this range wall becomes a major factor in their buying decision.

Network issues can be frustratingly difficult to troubleshoot, especially if they're intermittent. Sometimes it is a hardware problem, sometimes it is the layout of your home, and yet other times, it comes down to a software issue.

"Our main story tonight concerns AI: It saves significant time writing emails, and all it costs us is everything else on Earth."

That's how John Oliver launches his latest Last Week Tonight segment on AI chatbots, taking half an hour to break down the darker side of artificial intelligence apps — from chatbots becoming sexually explicit with young users to the dangerous lack of safeguards in place when people use them to talk about suicide.

Oliver ends by advising parents to speak with their children about what chatbots they're using, and "treat these apps with extreme caution" if you're pre-disposed to mental health issues.

"In general, it is good to remember that however much an app may sound like a friend, what it is is a machine. And behind that machine is a corporation trying to extract a monthly fee from you. And that kind of sums up for me what is so dystopian about all this, because while that guy you saw earlier said that selling AI friends is low risk because they're just entertainment, that's not actually how friends work. Friends can be the most important figures in your life," says Oliver. "True friends know when to listen, when to push back, and when to worry about you."

If you're feeling suicidal or experiencing a mental health crisis, please talk to somebody. You can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org. You can reach the Trans Lifeline by calling 877-565-8860 or the Trevor Project at 866-488-7386. Text "START" to Crisis Text Line at 741-741. Contact the NAMI HelpLine at 1-800-950-NAMI, Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. ET, or email info@nami.org. If you don't like the phone, consider using the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Chat. Here is a list of international resources.

SAVE $20: As of April 27, the Lego Botanicals Mini Bonsai Trees are on sale for $44.99 at Amazon, a return to their lowest-ever price at the retailer.

Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Botanicals Mini Bonsai Trees (10373) $44.99 at Amazon
$64.99 Save $20.00   Get Deal

Lego's Botanicals sets are perfect builds for spring and summer, thanks to their bright colors and blooms that are beautiful on display. If you've been searching for a new set to piece together, the Lego Botanicals Mini Bonsai Trees (10373) are a terrific little trio. They're even discounted right now at Amazon, so there's no better time to grab them.

As of April 27, the Lego Botanicals Mini Bonsai Trees have dropped to $44.99 at Amazon, marking a return to their lowest-ever price. Usually they're listed for $64.99, so this is your chance to save $20. It's currently marked as a limited time deal, so this set may not stay on sale for long.

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The Lego Botanicals Mini Bonsai Trees is a delightful display, coming with 709 pieces in total that create three trees: a ginkgo bonsai tree with vibrant yellow leaves, a black pine bonsai tree with green needles, and a wisteria bonsai tree that features lovely lilac flowers.

Since it's a display piece, it's a set that's recommended for adults of ages 18 and over. However, if you know someone younger who wants to tackle this set, just have an adult help them out with the building process.

Again, since it's a limited-time offer, this deal on the Lego Botanicals Mini Bonsai Trees may not be available for long. If you're hoping to have it as part of your Lego collection, now is the time to scoop it up and save.

There's a long-standing myth that the "best" Excel users write the longest formulas. Excel mastery used to be measured by how many functions you could cram into one cell, but that standard no longer holds up. Modern tools have changed the game—what once looked like a genius nested formula is often just technical debt in disguise.

Far too often, I see 3D printing guides skip one of the most important steps of all—prototyping. Making prototype prints is absolutely crucial to getting a quality end product. Just about every time I skip prototyping, I regret it. So, here’s why you should value and pay attention to prototyping way more than 3D printing guides normally let on.

SAVE $40: As of April 27, the Fitbit Charge 6 is on sale at Amazon for $119.95. This is $40 off its list price of $159.95.

Opens in a new window Credit: Fitbit Fitbit Charge 6 $119.95 at Amazon
$159.95 Save $40.00   Get Deal

If this spring weather has you searching for a fitness tracker to join you outside for workouts and activities, Amazon has dropped the price on quite a few different models, including some top picks from Fitbit. Our favorite mid-range fitness tracker, the Fitbit Charge 6, is down to just $119.95.

Overall, this is a $40 discount from the Fitbit Charge 6's list price of $159.95. That's a nice standalone offer, but what makes it even better is every available color is on sale at this price. Take your pick from the black band, white band, or even the vibrant red band if you want a pop of color on your wrist.

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If you're on the hunt for a fitness tracker that's not too over-the-top in terms of stats but also not too simple, the Fitbit Charge 6 is worth a look. In our roundup of the best fitness trackers, we said it's "A shining example of what a mid-budget fitness tracker can be. It offers fantastic value for what you pay, and packs in a lot of the features you'd expect from more high-end fitness trackers like a built-in GPS, 40 exercise modes to choose from, and heart rate connectivity with select exercise machines, just to name a few."

On top of that, its battery life can last up to seven days. That gives you plenty of time before it needs to be recharged.

The Fitbit Charge 6 is marked as a limited time deal right now. So if it sounds like the kind of fitness tracker you've been searching for, this is the time to grab it.

TL;DR: Amazon has the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D 16-Core Processor on sale for $573.99, knocking $125.01 off its $699 list price. That's an 18% discount on a 16-core, 32-thread Zen 5 CPU with second-gen AMD 3D V-Cache, up to 5.7GHz max boost, and AM5 support.

Opens in a new window Credit: AMD AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D 16-Core Processor $573.99 at Amazon
$699 Save $125.01 Get Deal

Upgrading your gaming PC is a simple but expensive idea, but Amazon’s new drop on a premium AMD CPU will certainly help take the edge off. 

As of April 27, the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D 16-Core Processor is on sale for $573.99 at Amazon, down from its $699 list price. Not only does this save you $125.01, but this is also Amazon’s lowest ever price for this particular CPU, as confirmed using price tracker camelcamelcamel.

Taking you far beyond casual gaming, the Ryzen 9 9950X3D is built for more than just a few rounds of Fortnite. It’s been crafted for gamers who love doing a lot at once: playing, streaming, editing, rendering, or switching between heavy workloads — all without having your daily tasks suddenly come to a grinding halt. 

Also packing 32 threads, a 4.3GHz base clock, and up to 5.7GHz max boost, the 9950X3D also uses AMD’s Zen 5 architecture and second-generation 3D V-Cache technology. As a result, you’ll give games and demanding apps more cache to work with. In layman’s terms, it’s built to keep things fast when your PC is being pushed properly, even when you’re playing demanding new gaming titles like Crimson Desert or Pragmata.

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There’s also support for the AM5 platform, DDR5 memory, PCIe 5.0, AMD EXPO memory overclocking, and Precision Boost Overdrive. Overall, that provides a pretty strong upgrade path if you’re building a system that you don’t want to feel outdated in a year.

The one thing to remember is that there’s no cooler included, and AMD recommends a liquid cooler for the best performance. Still, if you’re buying a CPU at this level, that probably isn’t the part of the build where you were planning to cut corners.

To complement your setup with some amazing new visuals, you can also find the 27-inch LG UltraGear OLED monitor for only $499.99 at 44% off. If you’re after something even bigger, the 52-inch LG UltraGear evo (the world's largest 5K2K gaming monitor) is $300 off. 

Vaultwarden is a community-built, open-source server for Bitwarden that you can self-host. It can connect to all official Bitwarden apps and extensions, which means you don't need to replace any of the Bitwarden apps and extensions you've already installed. You can just sign into them with your self-hosted instance of Vaultwarden.

SNL UK's first ever sketch went so hard on prime minister Keir Starmer that Donald Trump shared it, and it doesn't look like the roasting is going to stop anytime soon.

The show's latest cold open above is a parody of the game show Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, which sees a nervous Starmer (played by George Fouracres) struggling to answer the question: "Is it ever a good idea to give Peter Mandelson a job?" (The real Starmer has come under increasing scrutiny for giving the U.S. ambassador role to Mandelson, who is currently under criminal investigation over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein).

In the sketch, despite multiple lifelines narrowing down Starmer's options to "Not in a million years", he still decides to pick "Yes".

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Euphoria Season 3's jaw-dropper of a third episode saw Cassie (Sydney Sweeney) and Nate (Jacob Elordi) getting hitched — and it was just as over-the-top, lavish, and blood-soaked as you'd expect.

HBO released a behind-the-scenes video for "Euphoria's version of the Red Wedding" for fans wanting to know more about every last detail, from those off-the-runway looks to the fake body parts fit for choppin'.

Filmed on the south lawn of the Huntingdon Langham Hotel in Pasadena (as well as on a Warner Bros set), the wedding sequence is drenched in pinks, a colour palette production designer François Audouy described as "inspired by a shrimp cocktail." The production team details everything from the ice sculpture to Cassie and Nate’s first dance, giving you a sense of the sheer scale of the episode.

Euphoria costume designer Natasha Newman-Thomas unpacks the design for Cassie’s dress, which she co-designed with New York designer Jackson Wiederhoeft — it was paired with eight-inch Jimmy Choo heels and half a million dollars’ worth of Cartier jewellery. You'll also get a look at Nate's Bottega Veneta tuxedo, Maddy’s (Alexa Demie's) “gravity-defying” gown with the dangling rosary, Lexi (Maude Apatow) in Nana Jacqueline, and Jules (Hunter Schafer) in an Acne spring 2023 runway sample.

It was nothing short of a TV wedding to remember.

Microsoft has made it easier, but not entirely easy, to pause forced Windows updates forever.

In a blog post on the company's website, Microsoft described several ways in which it gave Window users more control over updating the software.

SEE ALSO: The 12 best Windows laptops for 2026

Perhaps the most notable among these is the ability to pause forced Windows updates indefinitely. The catch, however, is that you can only pause an update for up to 35 days, after which you'll have to pause again. There are no limits on how many times you can reset the pause end date, Microsoft wrote.

Bug me again in 35 days, please. Credit: Microsoft

The company also introduced the ability to skip updates immediately during device setup.

Also, the company separated power actions from update actions; now, you can choose to "restart" or "shutdown" your computer, "update and restart," or "update and shut down" your computer.

Finally, Microsoft is now providing more detail on driver updates, making it easier to understand what, exactly, are you updating.

All of these updates are rolling out to Windows Insider users in the Dev and Experimental Channels, and will probably trickle out to all users soon.

Featured Video For You How prediction markets got people betting on nuclear war

SAVE OVER $1,500: As of April 27, the Jackery HomePower 3600 Plus is on sale for $2,148.99 at Amazon. That's a 42% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Jackery Jackery HomePower 3600 Plus $2,148.99 at Amazon
$3,699 Save $1,550.01   Get Deal

The Jackery HomePower 3600 Plus is back on sale at Amazon. As of April 27, you can save a huge $1,550.01 on the unit with two solar panels. This setup is strong enough to power a three-person household for over two weeks, so if you need something reliable, you can't go wrong with this deal.

This portable power station has a 3,600W output (7,200W in parallel) and a 3,584Wh capacity, so it can comfortably run essential appliances like pumps and heaters. It also has expandability up to 21kWh per unit or 43kWh using multiple units. But despite its capacity, it’s designed to remain portable. It has a wheeled luggage-style build that makes it easy to move around the house, or take with you on a camping vacation.

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Even with such a large discount, this isn't a small purchase. So, you'll be glad to know Jackery built this model to be reliable over many years. It uses high-temperature resistant ceramic membrane battery cells and is designed to prevent overheating and overcharging, so you'll get up to 6,000 charge cycles and an estimated 10-year lifespan. It’s also designed to perform in extreme conditions, making it a reliable choice even in harsh weather.

This is a limited-time deal at Amazon, so don't miss out.

TL;DR: Amazon has the Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Perfect Order Booster Display Box listed for $229, down from its usual $279.99 list price. That saves you $50.99 on a full 36-pack Booster Display Box, working out to about $6.36 per booster pack.

Opens in a new window Credit: The Pokémon Company Pokémon TCG Perfect Order Booster Display Box $229 at Amazon
$279 Save $50   Get Deal

The Perfect Order range has continued to be one of the Pokémon TCG’s most affordable modern expansions, more so now that you can score its display boxes of a few dozen packs for even less.

As of April 27, the Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Perfect Order Booster Display Box is listed for $229 at Amazon, down from its $279.99 list price. That makes it 18% off overall, or $50 cheaper than buying at full retail. Since the box includes 36 booster packs, you’re paying roughly $6.36 per pack before tax.

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This is a solid Amazon price for anyone who prefers buying their boxes through the major retailer. The boxes at these lower price points have been selling quickly, but the next-lowest listing is sitting at $239.95 — which is an also-respectable $40 off.

The Mega Evolution set’s Perfect Order expansion puts Pokémon that appeared in the Pokémon Legends: Z-A game, like (Mega Zygarde ex), front and center, with more than 120 cards to collect across the set. These also include Mega Clefable ex, Mega Starmie ex, and Meowth ex, alongside more new Mega Evolution Pokémon ex cards for collectors and players to chase.

Each Booster Display Box comes with 36 booster packs, and each pack includes 10 random cards. That makes this the clear pick over single-sleeved packs if you’re planning to rip a larger number of Perfect Order at once, build out a set binder, or just give yourself more chances at the expansion’s bigger pulls.

You can also grab the Pokémon TCG Perfect Order Elite Trainer Booster Box for around $70. As for the latest upcoming expansion, you can preorder the Pokémon TCG Chaos Rising Booster Box for just under $240.  

SAVE OVER $20: As of April 27, the Kindle Paperwhite Kids (16GB) is marked down to $154.99 at Amazon. This is $25 off its list price of $179.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Kindle Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Kids (16GB) $154.99 at Amazon
$179.99 Save $25   Get Deal

If you have vacations with your kids coming up this spring and summer, a Kindle is a nice piece of tech to keep them busy with a book on a long plane ride or in those quieter moments of downtime. The Kindle Paperwhite Kids is an option we'd recommend — it's our favorite Kindle pick for kids — and it's even discounted right now at Amazon.

As of April 27, the Kindle Paperwhite Kids (16GB) is on sale for $154.99 at Amazon. Overall, this saves you $25 on its list price of $179.99, though it's a deal that may not last for long. It's marked as a limited time deal, so act fast to grab it at this discounted price.

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If your kid is an active reader, the good news is the Kindle Paperwhite Kids offers 16GB of storage, so there's plenty of space to fill with their favorite books. Reading is nice and easy on the eyes as well thanks to the glare-free, seven-inch Paperwhite display. It even features an adjustable warm light, so they can read in the evening without a bright screen shining in their face.

Mashable's Samantha Mangino had a lot of praise for this Kindle in our roundup of the best Kindles. She highlighted that "It's waterproof, which means it stands up to juice spills and dips in the pool. Plus, it comes with a built-in case." That's not all, though. It's also "a distraction-free device. It doesn't come with ads, notifications, or the temptation of games or video."

If you wait too long, you may miss out on this great deal on the Kindle Paperwhite Kids (16GB) at Amazon.