IT General

While people think of Linux as a modern operating system, it embodies ideas that are more than 50 years old. Here are some of the oldest ideas and why they stick around in modern Linux distros.

Even the sportiest of EVs have struggled to really garner the praise of driving enthusiasts. Creating an electric car that feels fun to drive has proven to be one of the biggest challenges that modern automakers have had to face. One slightly surprising brand has, however, seemingly cracked the code. The Ioniq 5 N is undoubtedly one of the most entertaining cars on the market, electric or not.

When I first installed a local LLM, I expected to use it the same way that I'd been using ChatGPT. It soon became apparent that on my modest hardware, this wasn't going to work. By changing the way I use my local LLMs, they've become much more useful.

Awards don't always mean a great movie or a streaming session worth sitting through, but they do make narrowing down Netflix's extensive catalog a little easier, especially when you are getting overwhelmed by new releases that flood your home page recommendations.

Apple sued OpenAI, accusing the company of stealing its trade secrets. But what now? CNET’s Bridget Carey breaks down what to expect next — and how it might impact OpenAI’s hardware plans.

Samsung recently confirmed it will share news about its latest foldable phones at the July 22 Galaxy Unpacked event in London, where the tech world expects the company to release three new devices: the Galaxy Z Flip 8, the Galaxy Z Fold 8, and the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra.

However, the Korean tech company hasn't confirmed the existence of these devices, which is why it's so weird to see the unreleased flagship Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra listed for sale online. What's even weirder? The foldable phone listed for sale features football legend Lionel Messi's face emblazoned on the case with 24-karat gold plating, and it carries a $13,130 price tag.

The product first appeared in a July 15 press release in which a company called Caviar announced a new limited-edition "Legends" collection. Caviar makes custom and bespoke designs on iPhones, Samsung Galaxy smartphones, and other gadgets. A promo for the collection states, "The portrait of the Argentine captain is integrated into the back panel of the Samsung Fold 8 folding flagship, whose complex engineering mirrors the multi-faceted genius of Messi’s play."

The Legends collection features a Cristiano Ronaldo-themed iPhone and a Messi-themed Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, and the press release and product listing include pictures of the custom design. Under the "Warranty" section of its site, the company writes, "Caviar guarantees the authenticity and quality of all products purchased through Caviar."

Credit: Caviar Credit: Caviar

"The launch of this unique collection coincides with the upcoming FIFA World Cup final and the release of the new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra. The tournament holds special significance as it marks the final World Cup where both of these legendary players will compete," the press release states. "The collection is strictly limited, with only 19 pieces available worldwide."

Typically, Samsung devices leak heavily ahead of their official launches, but Samsung has yet to release any official images of the rumored smartphones. Beyond an announcement about a new Flex Titanium display, Samsung has kept quiet about the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra's release, price, and specifications.

At this time, it's unclear if Caviar based on the design on official photos of the unreleased smartphone, or if the images are purely concepts based on rumored details about the phone. The launch could also be a calculated marketing strategy, piggybacking off Galaxy Unpacked anticipation to promote a little-known design brand.

SEE ALSO: Samsung Galaxy Unpacked is almost here: Everything we expect from the July 22 event

Mashable reached out to both Samsung and Caviar with questions about the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra product listing on Caviar's website, and we'll update this story if we receive additional information.

Credit: Caviar

Finding the right SUV can feel impossible. There are fuel-efficient hybrids, massive family haulers, and serious off-roaders, but most buyers want something that can handle everyday life and still escape the pavement when needed.

Home Assistant is, in my opinion, the best smart home software available. It's free, open-source, privacy-focused, works with a huge number of devices, and can make your smart home do almost anything you can think of. Despite all that, Home Assistant definitely has its faor share of problems.

With most of Amazon Prime Video’s July TV show highlights having already dropped, aside from the new season of Batman: Caped Crusader, now is the perfect time to indulge in series that will bring on some summertime thrills. Whether they're psychological, science fiction, or full of action, the streamer has plenty to offer in that vein.

A NAS is a great way to host a few services and back up your files, but you shouldn't rely on one device to protect you against file loss. I have two separate NASes on my network that do two very different things: One serves as a daily driver, the other is "cold storage" that only receives periodic backups.

Back in the day, Android phones were a lot more daring. Companies experimented with all kinds of wild designs, features, and even pricing. Among all the phones that tried to stand out over the past decade, one captured the enthusiast fanbase like no other: the coveted OnePlus One.

Apple’s MacBook Neo certainly shook up the entry-level laptop market when it arrived in March, but Dell already had plans to do the same with its budget-friendly XPS 13. Here’s how these two match up and which you should get.

Former Apple employees who now work at OpenAI have been put on notice.

According to a new report from Financial Times, Apple has sent legal preservation letters to roughly 40 former employees, which request that they save any documents or communication that could be relevant to their prior employer.

Last week, Apple filed a lawsuit against OpenAI alleging that two former employees who went on to work for the AI giant shared Apple's trade secrets. Apple believes that this confidential information was used by OpenAI to develop the consumer hardware products that the AI company is currently working on.

OpenAI has denied the allegations, of course. However, in its lawsuit, Apple said that it believes this is "just the tip of the iceberg."

So, what do these new legal letters mean? It appears that Apple believes that there may be more former employees who misused confidential company information besides Tang Yew Tan and Chang Liu, the two employees whom Apple is currently suing. The legal letters could also serve as a warning from Apple, putting former employees on notice that Apple is watching their work closely. Based on the Financial Times report, the employees could also be subject to discovery requests as the lawsuit unfolds.

Tan is Apple's former Vice President of Product Design and currently works at OpenAI as the company's Chief Hardware Officer. Liu was formerly an iPhone engineer at Apple and left the company to join OpenAI at the beginning of the year. 

According to Apple, more than 400 former employees now work at OpenAI. As more details emerge, it'll be interesting to find out Apple's reasoning in targeting these specific OpenAI employees, who make up about 10 percent of its former workers who jumped to the AI company.

If you've already binged your way through Paramount+'s fantastic new docuseries The Real Wolf of Wall Street that we included in last week's roundup, then now is the perfect time to take a dive into the streamer's vault as we unearth some juicy and controversial shows from not too long ago that still make for compelling weekend viewing.

Still seeking proof of life outside our solar system? Buckle up, because we're one step closer.

A new paper, published today in Science, outlines the discovery of a potentially Earth-like atmosphere surrounding a nearby exoplanet that may provide clearer proof that other rocky masses can sustain the building blocks of life.

"This is the first time that we're seeing a rocky, Earth-like planet that could still have an atmosphere," said study co-author and University of Florida assistant professor of astronomy Jason Dittmann in a recent press release.

SEE ALSO: Webb telescope found the missing architect of another star system

Dittman was part of the team that discovered the exoplanet, LHS 1140b, in 2016. LHS 1140b resides in the habitable zone of a nearby red-dwarf star and can only be observed during brief periods of the year due to its orbit. LHS 1140b is also quite old, which typically means most of the planet's atmosphere would have already been lost to space.

But using X-ray data from Chile's Magellan Clay telescope during two observation periods in 2024 and 2025, scientists pinpointed helium gas escaping the planet, indicating that the planet may have an atmosphere replenishing its gases. The composition of the planet's inner atmosphere is still unknown to scientists.

The confirmation of atmospheres that regulate climate on rocky planets has been a white whale for astronomers, who have so far observed only airlessness or faint atmospheric remnants.

"Because there’s helium there, and because the helium is escaping, the question is: Is it a bare rock with no atmosphere that sometimes burps up some gas that then immediately escapes, or is there a steady-state atmosphere there that will leak out stuff like the Earth does from time to time?" Dittmann said.

Should the findings be confirmed in further studies, LHS 1140b will check off at least two of the three life-sustaining boxes (an atmosphere and a rocky surface) that scientists look for in non-Earth planets. All that's left is that liquid gold: water.

Save up to $20: DoorDash e-gift cards in values of $50, $100, and $200 are on sale for $5, $10, and $20 off respectively at Best Buy as of July 17. Pay $180 and get $200 to spend on takeout and delivery.

Opens in a new window Credit: DoorDash DoorDash gift cards Save $5, $10, or $20 off DoorDash gift cards Get Deal

Food delivery is undeniably convenient, especially when it's too hot to turn on the stove.

However, with taxes, delivery, and service fees, a $15 meal can easily shoot up to double its cost. While you might be lucky enough to grab a promo code, another way to guarantee yourself a discount is by picking up a gift card on sale. And as of July 17, Best Buy has deals on DoorDash gift cards in values of $50, $100, and $200.

You can buy the $50 gift card for $45, the $100 gift card for $90, and the $200 gift card for $180. In order to get the deal from Best Buy, you simply purchase the e-gift card, which will then be delivered via email straight to your inbox. Once you have it, you can input the activation code into your DoorDash account and start enjoying your gift card balance right away.

If you're looking for more food discounts this Friday, you can also check out Krispy Kreme's BOGO deal in honor of its 89th birthday.

It's time for more Raspberry Pi projects! This weekend, however, I'm going to be showing you three unique ways to use your Raspberry Pi with Home Assistant.

TL;DR: Cadence makes trendy travel containers for pills, beauty products, supplements, and other daily necessities. The brand's World Cup-inspired travel capsules not only let you rep your team ahead of this weekend's final, but they're also currently on sale for $34.20.

Opens in a new window Credit: Cadence The World Capsules $34.20 at Cadence
$38 Save $3.80   Get Deal

We're officially counting down the hours to the big World Cup final this weekend, and if you want to show some spirit without painting your face or wearing a giant, clunky jersey, here you go. Cadence just dropped a limited-edition line of team-inspired capsule color combos so you can match your daily routine to your favorite country's colors.

SEE ALSO: How to watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup online for free

These travel pod containers are leakproof, TSA-approved, and just look way cooler than a plastic bottle from Walgreens or Dollar Tree. The entire World Cup collection is available exclusively in the Large Capsule size (which holds 2.75 fluid ounces), making them the perfect grab if you're going on a longer trip or need to pack full-size essentials like sunscreen and hair care.

If you want to check out the range ahead of the final this weekend, you can find all the team-inspired color combinations over at keepyourcadence.com. The capsules are currently marked down 10% to $34.20 (normally $38), so grab your favorite team's colors while they're still in stock.

There are a lot of different mesh router brands, models, and designs. So much so, that it can be daunting to step into the world of mesh routers for the first time.

There's no denying that Android 17 is light on new features, with the biggest one—the ability to create your own widgets—not even being present at launch. While I'm disappointed that I can't create custom widgets for the time being (the feature should arrive in a future update), there's another Android 17 feature that caught my eye.