IT General

Gaming routers are everywhere these days, and they're sold with all the subtlety of a neon-lit race car. Big antennas, aggressive fonts, tri-band this, Wi-Fi 7 that, and a very simple pitch: buy this, and your games will run faster.

Everyone dunks on Ubuntu for being bloated, and honestly, they're not wrong. There are far more powerful Linux distros that offer more features while consuming less resources than Ubuntu. In fact, at the time of writing, Ubuntu now demands higher system requirements than Windows 11. So I ran both to find out if that weight actually matters.

Pixel phones aren't exactly known for being adventurous. Google mainly sticks with clean designs and simple features—that’s part of the appeal. However, it did once experiment with nifty touch-less gestures. Now you can bring them back to any Android phone.

Voice typing on desktop computers usually promises efficiency but rarely delivers, despite many wanting to ditch the keyboard for voice typing. Dictation is meant to save time and lower keyboard use, but you constantly have to correct errors, manage software crashes, and fight incompatible interfaces. The primary problem is not that you lack choices, but that these applications do not fit your workflow, vocabulary, or environment. I spent several weeks testing seven different applications on Windows, ranging from free system defaults to expensive enterprise software. I think I've found the one you've been looking for, since it works well for me.

Despite coming from competing companies, Android and Windows are two platforms that are quite compatible and capable of interaction. Here, I'll show you several ways to connect and run Android apps on your Windows PC.

Everyone who uses i3—or any Linux window manager—has some version of the same story: excited going in, and confused right after installing it. People on the internet will show you what’s possible with i3, but very few talk about what it actually takes to get there. I pushed through, figured it out, and now I’m sharing the three things I wish I knew before I started.

A local library of music is almost always cheaper than paying for a subscription, which is why home media servers have become so popular. In a weird way, Google Play Music was the first taste of this concept for many people. Despite what you may think, it still lives on today.

Raspberry Pi-based Plex servers look like a DIY-friendly, low-power way to build a compact Plex server. They're readily available, easy to work with, and have fantastic community support. Unfortunately, the builds you see on YouTube and social media only look good because they avoid one of the Raspberry Pi's greatest weaknesses.

Luxury is often associated with premium badges, but the badge itself doesn’t always guarantee the best ownership experience. In the used market especially, some overlooked mainstream models deliver the same refinement, comfort, and road presence as traditional luxury cars, often for far less money. One German liftback proves that stepping outside the usual premium brands can be a surprisingly smart move.

Choosing the right tool for multiple jobs can be tough, especially with so many brands to choose from. Then, once you decide on a brand and start stocking up, you'll realize you forgot something important. Earlier this year, I finally bought a RIDGID 4 Gallon wet/dry shop vac, and not only is it a tool I sorely needed, but it's something everyone should own.

TL;DR: Score a free iPhone 17e when signing up for a T-Mobile plan with no trade-in required. The iPhone 17 is also available for free from T-Mobile when signing up for an Experience More plan and trading in an eligible device.

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March was massive for Apple. After months of anticipation, new iPhones, MacBooks, and iPads were finally released to the public.

So what now?

Is the expectation that we all just sit around and wait for the next announcement from Apple? No, this is the time for finding the best deals on this fresh lineup. And there's a special offer available right now for anyone interested in upgrading to the new iPhone 17.

For a limited time, you can switch to almost any T-Mobile plan and get a free iPhone 17e (no trade in required). Alternatively, you can claim the iPhone 17 for free when signing on for 24 months of an Experience More plan and trading in an eligible phone. It's important to note that T-Mobile will charge taxes on these deals and a $35 device connection fee, but that's pretty much always the case with these "free" deals.

SEE ALSO: How the iPhone Fold and the Galaxy Z Fold 8 differ, according to leaks

The Experience More plan is designed for power users who want 4K streaming, huge hotspot data, and international roaming that can keep up with even the most frequent flyers. You're therefore faced with a higher monthly bill than more limited plans. The Experience More plan does include perks like Apple TV+ and Netflix, which helps to offset some of that cost.

The iPhone 17 is the first base model built to handle Apple’s most advanced AI features. Mashable's Stan Schroeder said it's an "excellent phone that matches the iPhone Pro models in many ways that matter." Content creators should note that the camera is "almost as good as the one on the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max."

Score the Apple iPhone 17 for free this weekend with T-Mobile.

When it comes to the most popular streaming websites, one we can all agree on is Netflix. Sure, the Netflix prices have gone up, and sometimes, you wonder if there are better alternatives out there, but at the end of the day, the platform has a ridiculous amount of content on it that gives you plenty of options.

A couple years ago, I purchased a pair of AR glasses and wore them as a replacement for my computer monitor. I worked in them. I played games with them. I loved them, briefly and passionately, before eventually allowing them to disappear onto a shelf. Despite delivering on their promise, I grew tired of them after only a few months.

For a long time, the standard for digital writing was consistent. Whether you wrote a short memo, an academic paper, or a novel, you probably used the same word processor and typed into a blank white page, and that was usually Microsoft Word, even with hidden features. However, relying on a single app limits you, and there are better apps out there to use. Instead of forcing work into a rigid format, you should use a group of specialized tools where each program serves a specific purpose.

I've owned the same Kindle since 2011, and it's still going strong. While I much prefer reading real books, it's hard to beat the portability that a Kindle can offer; you can take an entire library on vacation, and it only takes up the same space as a slice of bread.

Every mini PC I've ever owned, be it for myself or for reviewing purposes, was mine and mine alone. It's not that I don't like to share: I just didn't see the point when everyone else already has their own hardware. If the person I live with has their own PC, what's the point in sharing a spare, third, portable computer?

When you buy a Samsung Galaxy phone, you're getting a lot more than just an Android phone. You're also getting a device packed with advanced features seamlessly integrated into One UI, Samsung's version of Android. And while there's plenty of overlap, several Samsung Galaxy exclusive features make the experience even better.

The biggest hit on the internet right now isn’t a scripted sitcom or a big-budget movie. It’s a group of friends sitting around a table, rolling dice, and creating fantastic worlds for four hours at a time. Shows like Critical Role and Dimension 20 have conquered both the internet and live audiences across the world with their imaginations and hysterical banter.

But cultural phenomenons like these aren’t forged overnight. It takes years worth of Initiative, Charisma checks and Nat 20s for these campaigns to get to where they are today. And we are going to break down why Actual Play sorcerers like Critical Role and Dimension 20 succeeded and how they hit.

There's a good chance that if you own a Raspberry Pi or two, you're probably also the owner of a 3D printer, or know how to get access to one through a local print farm or a friend.

Setting up a NAS is easy—they're usually plug-and-play. Picking out the right one for you can be harder. There are hundreds of models across at least a dozen brands, and they all have different hardware specs. I became a bit obsessed with finding the "ideal" NAS before purchasing one, only to realize that most of the time, the hardware specs don't really matter much at all.