Technology

Linux has a reputation for being difficult or tedious to work with because it involves using a command-line interface all the time. Today, that reputation doesn't hold up. While some modern Linux distros are still very terminal heavy, many are every bit as approachable as Windows or macOS—you only really use the terminal when you want to use it.

Windows 11’s right-click menu has been cluttered for a long time now. There are delays when opening a file menu and an overload of options added by Windows and installed applications. Now, Microsoft is finally fixing this by rolling out a redesigned context menu and giving users greater control over which commands appear. The update also brings layout choices that make the menu adaptable to individual preferences.

Of all the AI-powered video editing tools out there, Adobe Firefly might be the mightiest and the most convenient of the bunch. It's packed with features that smoothly integrate into your workflow when you need them. If you're starting from the beginning and want to generate material from a prompt, you can use Firefly. Not just for video, either. It lets you add stock images and even audio. Or if you have your media already and need to tweak it closer to perfection, there's an extensive set of editing tools that offer studio-level quality and control over everything from lighting to sound effects.

3D printing may not be the most expensive hobby, but it's certainly not cheap. The more you print, the more filament you need to buy — and there are different colors, finishes, and materials to consider. That's why some people are using plastic water bottles.

Switching your DNS server to 1.1.1.1 is common advice, and for good reason: it is reliable, fast, and theoretically, better for your privacy.

I love a good thriller, but finding one I haven’t already watched (or had the ending spoiled for me) is another matter. Netflix has plenty of thrillers to choose from, although it’s easy to keep coming across the same familiar titles when you’re deciding what to watch.

TL;DR: The Magic: The Gathering Marvel's Spider-Man Play Booster Box is on sale for $124.99 at Amazon, down from its $139.99 typical price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Magic: The Gathering Magic: The Gathering Marvel's Spider-Man - Play Booster Box (30 Packs) $124.99 at Amazon
$139.99 Save $15.00   Get Deal at Amazon

Another Marvel MTG expansion may be getting all the attention with Darkhold Destiny preorders going live, but there’s still plenty of mileage left in Magic: The Gathering’s Spider-Man crossover if you’re looking for an alternative superhero fix in the trading card game — now with a new $15 price drop hitting Amazon. 

As of Oct. 29, the Magic: The Gathering Marvel's Spider-Man Play Booster Box is available for just $124.99 on Amazon, down from its usual $139.99. That comes to an 11% discount, or approximately $4.17 per pack. 

For comparison, that’s $1.05 lower than what you can buy individual MTG Spider-Man Play Boosters for on TCGplayer (currently $5.22 at the lowest). With Amazon also handling the sale and shipping directly for this one, without a third-party seller, you can get quick delivery for as soon as Oct. 30 at the time of writing — if you’re a Prime member.

SEE ALSO: Magic: The Gathering's The Hobbit Play Booster Box is down to a new all-time low price — save nearly $70

Walmart is selling the same box for $111.99 via third-party seller Flipside Gaming. TCGplayer has listings as low as $116 after shipping, though that’s still $1.33 below the box’s estimated market price of $117.33. 

As for what's packed inside the Spider-Man Play Booster Box, you're getting 420 Magic cards altogether, split between 30 boosters containing 14 cards each. Every pack includes at least one Rare or higher-rarity card alongside a guaranteed Traditional Foil, while approximately one in five packs also features a foil Land.

Marvel fans can also look out for special Web-slinger frames and Borderless Panel cards that showcase Spider-Man's comic-book roots through alternative artwork. There's enough here to host a drafting session with friends, rather than simply opening everything for your collection.

TL;DR: The Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box is available for $59.99 at Amazon. That's way under market price.

Opens in a new window Credit: The Pokémon Company Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box $59.99 at Amazon
  Shop Now at Amazon

For a brief period, Amazon's wild $59.99 deal on the Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box ceased to exist. At the start of the week, we were seeing prices hovering around $175. The "request invite" had gone, but we were looking at paying well over market price. This was a tough time for everyone involved, but we're glad to see Amazon's generous offer has made a triumphant return.

For a limited time, the Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box is on sale for just $59.99 on Amazon. Shipping and sales are handled directly by Amazon, but Amazon is still routing orders through its "request invite" system. These are selling fast, so collectors are clearly getting through.

Amazon’s price is way under TCGplayer’s $1117 market price. That's rare to see nowadays, so you know shoppers will jump on this.

The 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box contains nine 30th Celebration booster packs, an exclusive full-art foil Nidorina promo card, 16 foil Basic Energy cards, 65 custom card sleeves, damage-counter dice, a condition marker, card dividers, a collector’s player guide, and a code card for Pokémon TCG Live.

Shop the Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration ETB for under $60 at Amazon.

TL;DR: The Magic: The Gathering Star Trek Play Booster Box is on sale for $134.89 at Amazon, down from its $209.70 list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Magic: The Gathering Magic: The Gathering Star Trek Play Booster Box $134.89 at Amazon
$209.70 Save $74.81 Preorder at Amazon

Amazon isn't letting up on its discounts for Magic: The Gathering's upcoming Star Trek expansion. After bringing the 30-pack Play Booster Box below $140 earlier this month, the retailer has unexpectedly knocked its preorder price down once again. 

As of Oct. 29, the Magic: The Gathering Star Trek Play Booster Box is available to preorder for only $134.89 at Amazon. With 36% off, that means you’re pocketing $74.81 in savings compared to its usual $209.70 price. For its 30 packs, the new record-low price (confirmed with price tracker camelcamelcamel) means you’re only paying around $4.50 per booster from the upcoming sci-fi crossover. 

With Amazon handling both the sale and shipping directly, the preorder price guarantee applies, meaning you'll automatically get its lowest eligible price between the time you order and the Nov. 13 release day. However, keep in mind that actual delivery is estimated for Nov. 16, and sales are final with no returns accepted. 

SEE ALSO: Magic: The Gathering's Marvel Darkhold Destiny Arcanum Bundle is way below market price on Amazon

If this deal goes out of stock, Walmart has also lowered its price to $134.89, courtesy of third-party seller Cataclysm Games, with free shipping estimated for Nov. 21.

As is usually the case, dedicated trading card marketplace TCGplayer has prices as low as $128.73. That’s $6.19 cheaper than Amazon’s deal and only 38 cents above the Star Trek Play Booster Box’s estimated $128.35 market price.

The Star Trek Play Booster Box contains 30 packs of 14 Magic cards, featuring familiar captains, spacecraft, and other characters from across the franchise's 60-year history. Each booster guarantees a Traditional Foil and between one and four rare or higher-rarity cards, with alternate-art and special-border versions also up for grabs.

If you're a student looking to purchase the most affordable laptop from Apple, the MacBook Neo, unfortunately things just got a little…less affordable.

The price of the base MacBook Neo model in the Apple Education Store just went up by $50, as first noticed by Macworld. The price of a base model MacBook Neo with education pricing is now $649.

While a $50 increase may or may not sound that significant depending on your financial situation, it's actually the second time Apple slashed the discounted price of the MacBook Neo for students.

The MacBook Neo launched in March with a $599 price tag, making it the most affordable MacBook on the market. However, it was the education pricing that really made the MacBook Neo appealing. As Mashable reported at the time, Apple's student discount slashed the price by $100, bringing the brand-new MacBook Neo down to $499.

The MacBook Neo was a hit for Apple, and the incredible $499 education pricing, which technically anyone could take advantage of, may have played a role.

In May, just months after the MacBook Neo's release, however, Apple closed the loophole that provided the education discount to non-students. Then in June, Apple raised the prices for a slew of its products, bringing the retail price of the MacBook Neo to $699. While the education discount remained $100, the student price was now the same as the old retail price of $599.

With this latest $50 increase, the same base MacBook Neo model is now going for $150 more with education pricing than it did when it first came out almost eight months ago.

With that said, Mashable still thinks the MacBook Neo is worth it, even with the price increases.

TL;DR: Starting Nov. 10, the Pokémon Happy Meal returns to participating McDonald’s restaurants nationwide with 15 collectible toys and 15 collectible trading cards.

We cover a lot of collabs, because there's something special in seeing two of your favorite brands come together to create something fun. And you clearly feel the same, because fans go wild for the limited-edition merch that drops.

Of course, there are levels to this game. The Burger King x Hello Kitty collab was popular. The Starbucks x Winnie the Pooh collab went down well. But when we talk about McDonald's x Pokemon, you know it's going to be absolute chaos.

McDonald’s and Pokémon are reuniting this November. Starting Nov. 10, the Pokémon Happy Meal is returning to participating McDonald’s restaurants nationwide with 15 toys and 15 trading cards to collect. Fans and trainers can also scan the QR code on their Happy Meal box to access a digital game where they can look for the 15 Pokémon Happy Meal toys hidden around a virtual classroom and playground.

Credit: McDonald's

This 2026 rollout will mark the first time since 2018 that customers get a genuine 3D collectible toy with playable cards. The mini-boxes are designed to resemble iconic McDonald's cartons shaped around fan-favorite Pokémon. Here's the predicted roster of 15 collectible character boxes:

• Bulbasaur

• Charmander

• Chikorita

• Eevee

• Espeon

• Espurr

• Minccino

• Munchlax

• Pikachu

• Piplup

• Rowlett

• Sobble

• Squirtle

• Sprigatito

• Weedle

Inside each meal, you will also find two randomized cards drawn from a specialized 15-card McDonald's reprint set. PokéBeach reports that Metagross from Temporal Forces, Palafin from Obsidian Flames, and Hawlucha from Scarlet & Violet are already confirmed.

Chrome is constantly eating up at least 2GB of my computer's memory, and that's when I'm not doing anything particularly demanding.

On Jan. 25, 2024, Dune: Part Two changed the world of moviegoing snacks forever.

That's the day that AMC Theatres released the first look at its sandworm-themed popcorn bucket, which immediately went viral for its intriguing appearance. The bucket spawned countless memes, a Saturday Night Live love song, and an arms race to create even more elaborate, upsetting popcorn buckets. (Looking at you, Deadpool and Wolverine.)

SEE ALSO: 'Dune: Part Three' final trailer: Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, and Florence Pugh return to Arrakis

But there can only be one king of absurd popcorn buckets, and today, Shai-Hulud reminded all its paltry imitators why it is the god-emperor of theatrical collectibles.

AMC Theatres unveiled its Dune: Part Three collectibles on social media, showcasing not one, but two popcorn buckets. Both are natural evolutions of the OG bucket, continuing the sandworm iconography, rubbery bristles and all.

The first bucket sees the sandworm jutting farther out of the sand than its predecessor, complete with a small thumper planted in the sand. Oh, and did we mention the thumper actually thumps? That's right: Purchase this popcorn bucket, and you, too, could feel your bucket vibrating with rhythmic pulses throughout your Dune: Part Three experience.

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The other sandworm bucket asks, "you know what's better than one sandworm? Two sandworms!" And you know what? It's right!

This bucket has two sandworms jumping out of the sand, making it the perfect popcorn bucket for a date night. You've never experienced romance until you and your partner have brushed hands through Shai-Hulud's maw. Alternatively, you could just double fist it by yourself. We won't judge.

AMC's collection doesn't stop there: They've also introduced a soda cup shaped like a Guild Navigator sarcophagus, perfect for traveling through the galaxy, plotting a coup against Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet), or just sipping a sweet treat. (Spice Melange not included.)

Not to be out-Duned, other theater chains have released collectibles of their own. Regal's popcorn bucket riffs on the Guild Navigator sarcophagus as well, with a door in the back for easy popcorn access.

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Cinemark opted for a sandworm-focused design for its copper bucket. The bucket's base carries a design drawn from a wall carving seen in Dune: Part One, in the palace at Arrakeen. Its topper sees a smaller sandworm bursting from the desert and curving up in the air, making it a perfect alternative for anyone who wants a sandworm-themed bucket without having to jam their hands down its throat.

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But let's be real. Shoving your hands into Shai-Hulud's inviting bristles is part of the fun — and, like it or not, an enduring part of Dune's legacy.

Dune: Part Three hits theaters Dec. 18.

Your Raspberry Pi is actually capable of helping you save money if you put it to use in the right way. If you’re currently paying for cable with a DVR service, your Raspberry Pi can take over that task. Still paying for a password manager? The Raspberry Pi can handle that, too. Need to track prices for Black Friday? Yep, your Pi is fully capable of doing that, as well. So, here are three projects you can do this weekend on your Raspberry Pi—and none of them will take long to set up.

I spent years writing everything in Microsoft Word. But over time, its cluttered interface, messy formatting, and sluggish performance began to distract me from what truly matters—writing. That’s when I tried Markdown. Its clean, distraction-free approach won me over—and I haven’t looked back since.

TL;DR: Apple announced the new MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display. The touchscreen MacBook is available for purchase now, starting at $2,899.

MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display $2,899 at Amazon
Starting at $2,899 for the base configuration Preorder at Amazon Preorder at Best Buy Preorder at Apple.com

During its "Pro and Tell" event on Oct. 28, Apple announced the long-awaited (and long-rumored) touchscreen MacBook Pro. Officially named MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display, the new laptop starts at $2,899 for the 14-inch base configuration and $3,399 for the 16-inch base configuration, and is available to preorder now for Nov. 6 shipping. Apple's education pricing drops those starting prices to $2,749 and $3,199, respectively.

The new MacBook is available in 14-inch and 16-inch models and is equipped with Apple's M5 Pro and M5 Max chips. Configurations start at 24GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, and go up to 128GB of RAM and 16TB of storage.

The MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display is available to order directly from Apple.com, Amazon, Best Buy, and B&H Photo Video. It comes with a free $100 gift card if you order from Best Buy. To learn more about the laptop, read our full breakdown of the MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display.

Inde Navarrette is hosting SNL for the first time this weekend, joining Grace Reiter for a round of promos in the video above — and you probably won't be surprised to learn that Obsession crops up.

The promos above feature some jokes about Halloween and some (fairly impressive) singing, before Navarrette morphs into her infamous character when Reiter tries to tell her that Obsession isn't a rom-com.

"No," says Navarrette through clenched teeth. "No, no, no, don't do that." Eep.

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Running a capable language model entirely offline used to mean owning a powerful desktop. That assumption no longer holds. On my hardware, a phone app from Google runs the same model noticeably faster than Ollama does on my PC, and the reasons are more interesting than you might expect.

It’s probably not your recording equipment that’s stopping your videos from achieving that polished, professional aesthetic. You don’t actually need an expensive production setup to create sophisticated video content. It’s often the editing details – color profile, movement, tracking, animations, layering – that make your footage feel like an entire team spent hours putting it together.

I'm not a huge fan of smart home dashboards; I want my smart home to work as automatically as possible. However, when I had an idea for building a retro game version of my house that I could use to control my smart home, I knew I had to make it happen.