IT General

I’ve been using Evernote since 2016, when I was a junior in high school. It’s been a reliable place to store notes, ideas, and journal entries. It handled most of what I needed, but it was never a perfect fit.

All ESP32 (and some ESP8266) devices can make use of at least one type of mesh network to communicate, peer-to-peer, without the need for a centralized “router.” Others can be used to interface with existing smart homes, communicate over long distances, or take advantage of low-latency data transfer in useful projects that are fun to make.

Fans of Ryobi and its bright 18V ONE+ power tools know that the company offers a little bit of everything, from drills to lawn mowers. And while most people own a drill or two, an impact, and other basics, there are several lesser-known Ryobi tools that, once you buy, you'll absolutely love.

I recently bought a new accessory for my Raspberry Pi on a whim, with no real idea of what to use it for. When I finally came up with an idea, I had no clue how to make it a reality. Using Claude, I was able to get it working incredibly quickly.

Are you ready for another lineup of fun Raspberry Pi projects to try this weekend? Today I’m showing you how to cut monthly subscriptions by self-hosting your own network video recorder, speech-to-text platform, and even how to organize your fridge like never before.

I made a mistake. I didn’t set up proper backups in my homelab, and it caused me to lose multiple virtual machines and Docker containers. I put off setting up a simple backup system because I had never needed it before, and didn’t think it was that important. Boy was I wrong.

If you're setting up a smart home, you might look online for tips and advice. Not every suggestion you find is worth following, however. Here are some common smart home tips that you'd be better off ignoring.

VS Code is a fantastic editor until you realize that some of the default settings aren't optimized for most of us coders. I've been tweaking VS Code settings to see how I could turn this favorite code editor of ours into a more refined version that causes less annoyance while coding. These changes take about 10 minutes to set up. But once you do, VS Code feels faster, calmer, and much easier to trust.

Paramount+ may have abruptly cancelled its newest Star Trek spinoff, Starfleet Academy, with little warning, but the streamer seems to be making up for it by locking down the rights to another major sci-fi space franchise that it has released in all its glory, starting May 1st. And if that wasn't enough, aside from the pending Warner Bros. merger closing, P+ has earmarked a reported $1.5 billion for new content this year, which is sure to make its formidable library even harder to sift through.

The "open-source is better" argument for everyday users is usually convincing on paper: free software, full control, no subscriptions. But I've spent long enough in both worlds to know that what looks simple in theory often behaves very differently in practice. There's a gap between how these tools are described and how they feel day to day, and that's why I still choose Microsoft 365.

For a long time, a Raspberry Pi was a common suggestion for people looking to set up their first Home Assistant server. While it wasn't perfect, it was good enough for many setups. Sadly, the Raspberry Pi is no longer the bargain that it once was.

TL;DR: Amazon has the Magic: The Gathering Secrets of Strixhaven Play Booster Box on sale for $139.99, down from its $164.70 list price. That saves you $24.71 on a 30-pack box, bringing each booster down to under $5.

Opens in a new window Credit: Magic: The Gathering Magic: The Gathering Secrets of Strixhaven Play Booster Box $139.99 at Amazon
$164.70 Save $24.71 Get Deal

As of May 1, Amazon has the Magic: The Gathering Secrets of Strixhaven Play Booster Box listed for $139.99, down from its usual $164.70 price. That's the best price this box has been with the retailer so far (confirmed via camelcamelcamel). It'd also a 15% discount, saving you $24.71 on the full Play Booster display. 

Better yet, Amazon’s main listing is actually shipped and sold by Amazon, with free delivery as early as May 6 — or May 4 for Prime members.

Amazon is not the only place worth checking out. TCGplayer’s market price is currently sitting lower at around $134.58, with a listed median of $143.97. Walmart has also been listing the box at $141.99, putting Amazon somewhere in the middle for price, but ahead if you prefer Amazon as your go-to trading card retailer.

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Inside the box, you’re getting 30 Secrets of Strixhaven Play Boosters, with each pack containing 14 Magic cards. Each booster includes one to five rares or higher, three to six uncommons, five to eight commons, and one land card. Every pack also comes with at least one Traditional Foil card of any rarity, while 20% of packs swap in a Traditional Foil Land.

The latest Strixhaven expansion’s big hook is the Mystical Archive card included in every pack, giving you one instant or sorcery spell with special art and a showcase frame. That makes the set an easy pick for drafting with friends, cracking packs for fun, or heading back to Magic’s mage-school plane of Arcavios without paying full list price.

Among boxes for other popular MTG expansions, you can also buy the 30-pack Magic: The Gathering Lorwyn Eclipsed Play Booster Box on sale for $125. Meanwhile, Avatar fans can score 24 packs of Magic: The Gathering Avatar The Last Airbender packs for just under $95. 

SAVE $200: As of May 1, the ASUS V16 gaming laptop (Intel Core 7 Processor 240H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) has been marked down to $1,099.99 at Amazon. This is $200 off its list price of $1,299.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: ASUS ASUS V16 Gaming Laptop $1,099.99 at Amazon
$1,299.99 Save $200   Get Deal

Have you been thinking about dropping some serious cash on a gaming laptop? Well, now's a great time to have a look around, as Amazon has a selection of portable builds on sale right now.

This includes the ASUS V16 gaming laptop (Intel Core 7 Processor 240H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD), which is down to $1,099.99 at Amazon.

Since the ASUS V16 gaming laptop is usually listed for $1,299.99, this deal ultimately saves you $200. It's worth keeping in mind that it may not last for long, as Amazon has this listed as a limited time deal. Be quick to take advantage of this discount.

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The ASUS V16 is a solid portable gaming option. Featuring a sleek, slim design, it's not as bulky as some other gaming laptops, and packs in a blue backlit keyboard for a little extra flare.

It's fitted with an RTX 5060 mobile graphics card so your favorite titles should look great on its 16-inch display — the 1920x1200 resolution and a 144Hz refresh rate will ensure the games you play look nice and run smooth. This particular model is also fitted with 16GB of RAM, more than enough for great gaming performance, and a 512GB SSD for storage.

If this has caught your eye, now is the time to grab the ASUS V16 gaming laptop at Amazon.

If you're curious what other gaming laptops we'd recommend, it's worth checking out our roundup of the best gaming laptops of 2026 to see some of our top recommendations.

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We finally made it to May, and things are looking fresh and new and exciting—and I'm not even talking about the weather outside. It may be that awkward changeover period before Netflix's slate of hot new titles for the month make their way to the streaming service over the coming weeks, but for Netflix's U.S. subscribers, it still has some new blood left in it that have hit recently, and they're making fantastic weekend binges.

It's the ultimate AI delusion: the idea that a chatbot can untangle years of disorganized Excel data in seconds. In reality, messy data creates ambiguous prompts and unreliable output. Automation won't fix broken logic; it just helps you make mistakes faster.

The U.S. Supreme Court continued its attack on the Voting Rights Act (VRA) on Wednesday, with a ruling on the 1965 civil rights law that will have major implications for racial discrimination. Specifically, the court's conservative majority ruled that Louisiana's congressional map, which has two Black-majority districts, was an "an unconstitutional racial gerrymander" and will be redrawn. The 60-year-old act, as the Guardian describes it, "has acted as a central shield for minority voters in largely southern states that have relentlessly resisted granting them equal political influence," and has worked for Black voters' rights to "proportionate electoral power." After Wednesday's ruling, this shield is gone.

The Daily Show's Josh Johnson responded to the ruling in a segment on Thursday night's show, and it's a must-watch.

"Obviously, the Supreme Court didn't come right out and say that states can be racist. Justice Palpatine isn't that dumb, alright? They played it much smoother," he said, noting that Justice Samuel Alito said that states only violate the VRA when "evidence supports a strong inference that the State intentionally drew its districts to afford minority voters less opportunity because of their race."

"So just to be clear, for Alito, the map is not racist unless the guy drawing it finishes it and goes, 'Man, I'm racist.'" Johnson said.

"It almost feels like we're going in reverse, because the people from the '60s in black and white TV were like, 'Wow, this country is being pretty racist. We should pass some legislation.' And the people crippling that legislation are from now, in 4K," he continued.

"We don't have to pretend here," Johnson concluded. "At the end of the day, we all know that this decision was not about moving on from race. This is a Supreme Court majority handing a win to Republicans. I know that. You know that, and the Republicans definitely know that because their leader said it out loud."

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TL;DR: Amazon has the Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Chaos Rising Build and Battle Box up for preorder at $59.99 with free shipping. TCGplayer’s unopened listings start at $64.66 shipped.

Opens in a new window Credit: The Pokémon Company Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Chaos Rising Build and Battle Box $59.99 at Amazon
  Pre-order Here

If you’re the type of Pokémon TCG collector who loves playing the trading card game, as well as filling their binders with chase cards, you can get the Chaos Rising’s upcoming Build and Battle Box for under market value. 

On May 1, Amazon has the Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Chaos Rising Build & Battle Box listed for preorder at $59.99. The listing is shipped and sold by MVP Marketplace.

By comparison, over at TCGplayer, unopened presale listings for the same Chaos Rising Build and Battle Box start at $64.32 with shipping included. With the market price sitting at $64.45, that makes Amazon around $4.33 cheaper than the lowest shipped TCGplayer listing, and $4.46 below market price. Walmart is also matching Amazon’s $59.99 preorder price with free shipping, sold and shipped by Cataclysm Games. However, the Walmart listing is marked as final sale and nonreturnable, while Amazon’s page currently shows a 30-day refund or replacement policy. 

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For those who’ve not bought one of these before, Pokémon Build and Battle Boxes are generally a stronger pick for players vs. collectors. You still get a handful of boosters, but you’ll also be able to build out a playable deck and enjoy playing from the get-go.

Here's what you'll get with a Chaos Rising Build and Battle Box: 

• 40-card ready-to-play deck

• One of four unique foil promo cards

• Four Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Chaos Rising booster packs

• A code card for Pokémon TCG Live

Chaos Rising continues the Mega Evolution series with Mega Floette ex throwing the city into havoc, while Mega Greninja ex gathers other Mega Evolution Pokémon ex, including Mega Pyroar ex and Mega Dragalge ex — among other Pocket Monsters which appeared in the Pokémon Legends: Z-A game.

If you want to buy as many packs as possible, you can also secure the Pokémon TCG Chaos Rising Booster Display Box for a decent price. You can also preorder the Pokémon TCG Chaos Rising Elite Trainer Box at almost $20 off. 

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SAVE $50: As of May 1, the Garmin Forerunner 165 is on sale for $199.99 at Amazon. That's a 20% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Garmin Garmin Forerunner 165 $199.99 at Amazon
$249.99 Save $50   Get Deal

If watching the recent London and Boston marathons has inspired you to take up running, we get it. There’s nothing like watching world records to put a spring in your step. And if you’re looking for a fitness tracker to accompany your training, Amazon has a great deal on the Garmin Forerunner 165 live right now.

Garmin’s Forerunner range is built for runners. You’ll get detailed performance stats and guided training features. And the 165 is an excellent choice, especially now that it's under $200. As of May 1, this smartwatch is down from $249.99 to $199.99, saving you $50.

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This watch has a bright AMOLED display and is controlled both by a touchscreen and traditional buttons. You'll get a whole range of stats for both health and fitness. These include sleep reports, training outlook, menstrual tracking, and HRV status. You'll also get guidance on your training effects (whether you're maintaining, productive, overreaching, etc.) along with recovery time guidance after workouts.

The battery life is reliable too, giving you up to 11 days of battery life in smartwatch mode and up to 19 hours in GPS mode. So if you're aiming for longer runs, the Forerunner 165 will last throughout.

This Garmin deal is available at Amazon now.

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SAVE OVER $100: As of May 1, the Dyson Supersonic Nural is on sale for $349 at Amazon. That's a 22% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Dyson Dyson Supersonic Nural $349 at Amazon
$449.99 Save $100.99   Get Deal

While the Airwrap might be the most well known of Dyson's hair styling products, it's not the only feather in its cap. The brand's styling range is vast and advanced, and if you've been looking for an intelligent hair dryer for drying and styling, there's a new deal on the Dyson Supersonic Nural live right now.

The Dyson Supersonic Nural is a hair dryer designed with intelligent sensors that automatically adjust heat and airflow to optimize styling while helping protect the scalp and hair. Scalp Protect mode adjusts air temperature to maintain a target of 130°F at the scalp for more comfortable close-up drying, while Attachment Learning recognizes each attachment and remembers preferred airflow and heat settings, adjusting automatically when you next use it.

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It has four heat settings along with the Scalp Protect button. There are also three airflow settings: high, medium, and low. The device should be used on clean, wet hair and includes attachments for all hair types, including the Gentle air attachment, Styling concentrator, Flyaway attachment, and Wave+Curl diffuser.

As of May 1, the Dyson Supersonic Nural is on sale at Amazon for $100.99 off. This takes the price down to $349, which is the lowest-ever for this model. Head to Amazon to score the deal now.

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SAVE $40: As of May 1, the Shokz OpenRun headphones are on sale for $89.94 at Amazon. That's a 31% discount on list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Shokz Shokz OpenRun $89.94 at Amazon
$129.95 Save $40.01   Get Deal

If you're looking for a great pair of bone conducting headphones, you'll be pleased to hear the Shokz OpenRun headphones are back on sale at Amazon. These are a less advanced pair compared to the Pro and Pro 2, but you get the benefit of a much lower price. In fact, as of May 1, these are priced at just $89.94 for a limited time.

These are a great choice if you want to start making your runs feeling safer. How, you ask? These headphones use bone conduction technology to transmit sound through your cheekbones, so you can hear your audio while still keeping your ears clear to hear any sounds that are happening around you. So, you stay alert and spatially aware at all times.

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They're also IP67-rated for both sweat and water resistance, with a moisture detection alert for safer charging. So for sweaty or rainy runs, they can survive. This water resistance isn't strong enough for swimming, however.

Battery life is strong, lasting up to eight hours with a 10-minute quick charge giving you up to 1.5 hours of use. They connect via Bluetooth and are compatible with all kinds of devices including Android, iOS, Windows, and other Bluetooth-enabled devices.

This Shokz deal is only around for a limited time, so don't miss out.

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