Technology

Even without a new game on the immediate horizon, 2026 feels like a big year for Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda franchise.

There's been a larger-than-normal amount of chatter on social media and other parts of the internet about Zelda lately. Nostalgia-filled gamers are reminiscing about their favorite titles, characters, and moments from the series, while speculating about what is coming next. Heck, even I've been bouncing back and forth between older games in the series this past week.

Let's dig into why classic Zelda is having such a moment, even in an off-year, and how you can get in on the action.

SEE ALSO: Nintendo confirms live-action 'Legend of Zelda' movie arrives in 2027 Why are people talking about The Legend of Zelda in 2026? 'Breath of the Wild' on Switch 2 is amazing. Credit: Nintendo

As I mentioned, Nintendo has not announced a new Zelda game for 2026, and it's very unlikely that we'll get one. Tears of the Kingdom launched in 2023 and Echoes of Wisdom followed in 2024, and given how long it takes to make these games, we can safely assume it'll be at least a couple of years before either of the teams behind those two titles have anything new to show.

So, why has Zelda been a trendy topic online in recent weeks?

The simplest explanation is that 2026 marks the 40th anniversary of the original game's launch, so even without the appearance of a new game, a lot of us have Link on the brain. Then there's the fact that an official live-action Hollywood movie adaptation is currently being filmed with a tentative 2027 release date. Given the absurd financial success of Nintendo's recent Mario-fueled Hollywood forays, one has to imagine Nintendo foresees a similar fate for Zelda, a series that has sold exceptionally well over the past decade or so.

Beyond that, Nintendo has done a lot to keep Zelda in the discourse. Tears of the Kingdom and Breath of the Wild got serious upgrades for Nintendo Switch 2 when that console launched last year, making them almost feel like new games. Nintendo also gave Switch 2 owners the ability to play The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, a GameCube classic, via Nintendo Switch Online on Switch 2 last year. I've been playing through that one on my own time, and I can confirm it's still absolutely incredible.

Artwork from the Nintendo 64 classic 'Ocarina of Time.' Credit: Nintendo

Fans are keeping older games alive, too. An extremely unofficial and not-at-all-sanctioned-by-Nintendo fan remake of Link's Awakening for Game Boy just hit the finish line, for example. PC fan ports and upgrades of older Zelda games are always happening, but especially so in the past year or two.

Having said all of that, easily the biggest reason why Zelda has been on people's minds in the last week or two is that a full-scale Switch 2 remake of the Nintendo 64 classic Ocarina of Time is rumored to launch during this holiday season. Nintendo hasn't officially confirmed this news, and we have no way of knowing if it's real, but that would be absolutely massive, if true. Ocarina is frequently cited as one of the greatest video games ever made, and a remake would put it in front of a whole new audience.

What's the best way to join the Zelda zeitgeist? Credit: Nintendo

Aside from just going on social media and yapping about how cool Zelda is, I would recommend firing up your Nintendo Switch 1 or 2 (provided you have a Switch Online) and just playing a bunch of classic Zelda titles until the cows come home.

Many of the classic 2D Zeldas are available via Switch Online, as are several of the later 3D titles. In fact, the only 3D Zelda you can't currently play on a Switch 2 is 2006's Twilight Princess, though one has to imagine that's coming at some point.

But seriously, every single game in the series is worth checking out on some level. The very first game, celebrating its 40th birthday this year, is far more open-ended than most games in the series. Zelda II is a fascinating, extremely difficult experiment. A Link to the Past is an all-time classic. Most of the handheld titles, such as Link's Awakening and Minish Cap, are also available on Switch, and are great in their own right.

You really can't go wrong. Whether you're a Zelda obsessive or someone with a more casual appreciation of the series, I highly recommend stepping into Link's shoes in the near future.

Network Attached Storage (NAS) has really changed how we handle storage. It's moved from being just a specialized tool for big businesses to a key part of a home that you can build from a laptop. However, a lot of people treat these advanced machines like any other appliance you just set up and then forget about. They tuck them away in closets or under desks without really thinking about the physics that make them operate. Since mechanical hard drives are high-precision instruments that work with tiny tolerances, how long they last completely depends on how stable their environment is and how specific their hardware setup is.

This weekend on Prime Video, we’re diving into three shows that are flat-out alluring. Their deeply developed, relatable characters combine with engaging emotional storylines built around a unique premise, with unpredictable twists and strong, morally challenging worlds to foster something truly special and completely enticing.

California just launched the largest public broadband network in the country — and its serving Indigenous communities first.

On April 2, Governor Gavin Newsom officially "turned on" California’s new Middle-Mile Broadband Network (MMBN), part of the state's Middle-Mile Broadband Initiative and Broadband for All pledge. One of several projects funded by the $3.2 billion initiative, California's Department of Technology (CDT) repurposed dormant fiber infrastructure in the Eastern Sierra Nevada mountain region and created a full-fledged, high-capacity broadband backbone for use by nearby rural communities. The effort joins other nationwide projects aimed at filling out the country's "missing miles" of internet by providing fiber-optic cables, a gap that predominantly affects rural and indigenous communities.

The state also unveiled its first customer: The Bishop Paiute Tribe, located at the base of the Sierra Nevada in Bishop, California.

"Today marks a historic first as a California tribal nation enthusiastically leads the way to provide increased access and reliability to their local community," said Tribal Affairs Secretary Christina Snider-Ashtari in a press release.

SEE ALSO: The Earth is glowing in new Artemis II pictures of home

Through the partnership, the Bishop Paiute Tribe will act as its own Internet Service Provider (ISP), independently managing and operating its broadband service, including setting pricing and service offerings for households on and off the reservation.

"A lot of work has gone into this project," Emma Williams, chairwoman of the Bishop Paiute Tribe. "We’re so happy to have this portion of the state’s middle-mile network turned on so the people in our community who desperately need a reliable and affordable internet connection can access everything from schoolwork to telehealth appointments."

It's especially significant that the state's first live project is connecting a federal tribe. Much like other rural areas across the country, Indigenous communities are still grossly underserved by ISPs, reporting lower broadband subscription rates, slower download speeds, and a higher reliance on smartphones for internet usage when compared to the general population. In early federal funding allotments for rural broadband projects, tribal lands and organizations made up less than 3 percent.

The Biden-Harris administration significantly ramped up investment in such projects, but connecting these areas takes time. To fill the gap, many tribal nations have funded their own community internet projects or turned to communication giants, like AT&T, to secure reliable internet connectivity.

While California has continued investing in projects to connect communities via last mile projects, the federal government has waned in its commitment to rural broadband connectivity under the Trump administration. Zeroing out rural broadband funding and rebranding the existing Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, the Trump administration has instead placed its focus on private satellite internet providers, including Elon Musk-owned Starlink.

"This is a meaningful step in the Middle Mile Broadband Initiative, as it signifies the first active connection, but also the commitment to Tribal communities," Matthew Rantanen explained in a statement to Mashable. A connectivity veteran, Rantanen has consulted on California's Tribal Advisory Group, serves as director of technology at the Southern California Tribal Chairmen's Association, and is the vice president of tribal relations for GoldenStateNet, the third-party administrator to CDT and MMBN. "It is particularly relevant for the Bishop Paiute Tribe, as it is a key ingredient to the success of their next phase, building fiber to the home and establishing their own ISP."

Speaking to Mashable last year, Rantanen explained that the Trump administration's new internet priorities could pose a risk to existing Middle Mile and tribal connectivity projects, many of which were already allocated federal dollars. State governments are filling in gaps, but many face additional pressure from Trump and his appointees, including FCC chair Brendan Carr.

A quick look at the April 2026 Samsung TV releases Samsung The Frame Pro TV (LS03HW) starting at $1,999.99 (65 through 85 inches) Shop Now Samsung S95H OLED TV starting at $2,499.99 (55 through 83 inches) Shop Now Samsung S90H OLED TV starting at $1,399.99 (42 through 83 inches) Shop Now Samsung S85H OLED TV starting at $1,199.99 (48 through 83 inches) Shop Now

We're finally getting some new Samsung TVs that aren't the $29,999.99 115-inch Micro RGB TV. At the end of March, Samsung announced the release of its new Neo QLED (mini LED) TVs. And on April 2, the TV tour continued as Samsung launched its full 2026 OLED TV lineup, plus a light refresh to The Frame Pro. But for all intents and purposes, it's safe to count the new flagship Samsung OLED as an honorary The Frame TV. You'll see why.

The 2026 Samsung OLED line and 2026 The Frame and The Frame Pro line are available for purchase at Samsung.com. Let's discuss the details.

SEE ALSO: How to get a free 55-inch Hisense Canvas TV: Preorder Hisense's cool new RGB TV Not much is new with the new The Frame Pro The 2026 Samsung Frame Pro. Credit: Samsung

The original Frame Pro just came out in April 2025, and Samsung didn't make a big deal about an update to the Frame lineup at CES — so we knew not to expect anything revolutionary on this front. The 2026 Frame Pro's only real technical update is a Micro HDMI port that supports eARC. Samsung also bumped The Frame Pro's smallest size to 55 inches, but it's not available to purchase yet.

Here's how much The Frame Pro 2026 will cost:

• 65-inch The Frame Pro — $1,999.99

• 75-inch The Frame Pro — $2,799.99

• 85-inch The Frame Pro — $3,999.99

Upgraded non-Pro Frame models from 55 to 85 inches are also on the way. As a refresher, the main difference between the two frame models is that The Frame is LED and The Frame Pro is QLED.

The new Samsung OLEDs are more exciting — and artsy The Samsung S95H has a metal bezel and lays flush to the wall. Credit: Samsung The Samsung S90H has a 165Hz refresh rate. Credit: Samsung

Oddly enough, it's Samsung's latest flagship OLED TV that has gotten a creative overhaul. The new Samsung S95H isn't officially an OLED version of The Frame, but it certainly has Frame-like tendencies. First up: The S95H doesn't have the classic black TV frame. Its new steel-colored metal bezel mounts the TV flush to the wall for a "gallery-like" floating aesthetic — sound familiar?

The S95H (and the mid-range S90H) also marks the first time that the Samsung Art Store will be accessible on an OLED TV. Complete with Wireless One Connect Ready compatibility, gaming features like Motion Xcelerator 165Hz, and improved Glare Free technology, the Samsung S95H could quickly become the best Samsung TV you can buy right now.

SEE ALSO: Sony hands TV business to TCL. What it means for you.

The mid-range Samsung S90H steals several of the same impressive upgrades from the S95H, including upgraded reflection handling and the Ultimate Gaming Pack. Both the S95H and S90H see higher peak brightness, thanks to improved HDR formats (OLED HDR Pro and OLED HDR+, respectively). Brighter than last year's Samsung S95F, which was already possibly the brightest OLED TV on the market? This is huge news for anyone whose TV time is truly split between bright and dark rooms.

The entry-level Samsung S85H should easily make our "best 65-inch TVs" list as the best budget OLED TV. (Not that there are a ton of those to begin with, but still.) It's armed with the NQ4 AI Gen2 processor (the same as Samsung's mid-range QN80F Neo QLED TV from 2025), a 120 Hz refresh rate, and Dolby Atmos sound. It'll even be compatible with the upcoming 2026 Q-Series Soundbars and Music Studio speakers.

Here's how much the 2026 Samsung OLED lineup will cost:

Samsung S95H

• 55-inch Samsung S95H — $2,499.99

• 65-inch Samsung S95H — $3,399.99

• 77-inch Samsung S95H — $4,499.99

• 83-inch Samsung S95H — $6,499.99

Samsung S90H

• 42-inch Samsung S90H — $1,399.99

• 48-inch Samsung S90H — $1,599.99

• 55-inch Samsung S90H — $1,999.99

• 65-inch Samsung S90H — $2,699.99

• 77-inch Samsung S90H — $3,699.99

• 83-inch Samsung S90H — $5,299.99

Samsung S85H

• 55-inch Samsung S95H — $2,499.99

• 65-inch Samsung S95H — $3,399.99

• 77-inch Samsung S95H — $4,499.99

• 83-inch Samsung S95H — $6,499.99

Next on the docket: The smaller, more practically-priced Samsung Micro RGB TVs that we were promised at CES.

Android Auto is essential if you want to access your phone from your car's infotainment system without ever having to glance at the screen. But as convenient as it is, all those notifications that keep popping up while you're driving are more than a little annoying—they can also be a dangerous distraction.

Seeing your real-time location on a map isn’t very useful if the map doesn’t show you where to go. This is especially true when it comes to walking and hiking trails, which aren’t usually visible in Google Maps. Matchy Maps fixes this by bringing physical maps into the digital world.

What's better than a fresh watch list for your upcoming long weekend? How about a watch list filled with Oscar-winning films across the years? I love finding new and old award-winning films, which has led me to niche winners that fly under the Big Five radar.

In space, no one can hear you scream in frustration at your computer.

With Artemis II on its way to the moon for a historic lunar mission, many of us are glued to the ongoing NASA livestream of the mission to make sure everything is OK. So far, so good on the important moon mission side of things, but when it comes to email management, the crew ran into a bit of a snag on Thursday.

Bluesky user Niki Grayson noticed and clipped a short segment of the livestream involving the crew needing help to deal with Microsoft Outlook problems, just like us regular people back on Earth.

right now the astronauts are calling houston because the computer on the spaceship is running two instances of microsoft outlook and they can't figure out why. nasa is about to remote into the computer

[image or embed]

— niki grayson (@nikigrayson.com) April 2, 2026 at 2:06 AM SEE ALSO: The Earth is glowing in new Artemis II pictures of home

The hilariously mundane problem occurred because Commander Reid Wiseman somehow had two different instances of Outlook open on his personal computing device (or PCD), which in this case is a Microsoft Surface Pro, according to our colleagues at PCMag. That was on top of another problem that prompted Wiseman to request mission control in Houston to actually gain remote access to the device. After an hour or so, mission control had managed to get in, fix the problem, and get out.

Anyone who has ever had to navigate IT problems at work can certainly relate.

The astronaut's email problems aren't the only mishap experienced by the crew in the early days of the mission.

The crew's toilet malfunctioned while the crew was still orbiting the Earth, requiring an emergency fix.

SEE ALSO: What 'home' will look like for the Artemis 2 crew headed to the moon

Subaru expanded its rugged lineup at the 2026 New York International Auto Show with the debut of the 2027 Forester Wilderness Hybrid. This marks the first time Subaru’s rugged Wilderness treatment has been paired with a hybrid powertrain, offering a 25% boost in fuel economy without sacrificing the brand’s signature off-pavement performance.

The weekend is a good time to poke around your Linux setup without any real agenda—and that's exactly how I end up finding apps worth keeping. This week I have three picks that cover very different ground: there's a task manager with a surprisingly deep feature set, a network monitor that shows you exactly which servers your apps are talking to, and a system resource tool that looks like it was ripped straight out of Windows. None of these are brand new, but they're all genuinely impressive and criminally underrated.

Ethernet cables are about as simple as they get. They're the easiest, most reliable way to connect a desktop PC to the internet. In the vast majority of cases, you just have to plug the cable into your PC, and just like that, your computer is connected, no configuration necessary.

A lot of new graphics cards and monitors benefit from DP connections, leaving a vacant HDMI slot on many a motherboard. But it doesn't have to remain unused. There are tons of neat things you can connect to that HDMI slot, including projectors, VR headsets, and second displays.

By no means am I a betting man, but I’d wager most readers haven’t heard of Changan. The brand hails from China and has been making vehicles for 40 years.

What makes a great documentary? Is it just an amalgam of facts and images? Or should they have to use those to pull you into worlds you didn't know existed or cared about? My favorite docs are the ones that make their topics an experience, bring in catharsis, pressure, sometimes anxiety, and joy. And it's all true.

While Linux has long been associated with lightweight performance and breathing life into aging machines, Canonical’s release notes for Ubuntu 26.04 LTS signal a clear evolution towards modern computing workloads. The company is quietly bumping its minimum memory requirements for the Linux distro—a widely-used open-source operating system and a beginner-friendly gateway into the Linux world.

Of all the streaming services, Netflix has built an impressive catalog of documentaries—especially if true crime is your thing. Harking back to the iconic Making a Murderer, the streaming giant knows a compelling crime story when they see one.

TL;DR: Live stream Chelsea vs. Port Vale in the FA Cup for free on BBC iPlayer. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The latest round of FA Cup fixtures includes some really interesting matchups, including Chelsea vs. Port Vale.

Chelsea will be expected to progress into the semi finals without too much trouble, but Port Vale have been the story of this year's competition. They've already beaten Premier League opposition to reach this round, so why couldn't they do it again? All eyes will be on Stamford Bridge for a potential giant killing, and you can follow all the action without spending anything.

If you want to watch Chelsea vs. Port Vale in the FA Cup for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Chelsea vs. Port Vale?

Chelsea vs. Port Vale in the FA Cup kicks off at 12:15 p.m. ET on April 4. This fixture takes place at Stamford Bridge.

How to watch Chelsea vs. Port Vale for free

Chelsea vs. Port Vale in the FA Cup is available to live stream for free on BBC iPlayer.

BBC iPlayer is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can unblock BBC iPlayer from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Chelsea vs. Port Vale for free by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK

4. Visit BBC iPlayer

5. Live stream Chelsea vs. Port Vale for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Chelsea vs. Port Vale without committing with your cash. This isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to live stream select fixtures from the FA Cup before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for BBC iPlayer?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on BBC iPlayer, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including the UK

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream Chelsea vs. Port Vale in the FA Cup for free with ExpressVPN.

Normally, when you see a tool marked as being "for developers," your first instinct is to keep away because it's either too complicated, too niche, or it doesn't really apply to you. It turns out, however, that some of them can genuinely be useful, even if you're not a developer.

I self-host a lot of apps in my homelab. Some are just for fun and I spin up and down as needed, and others are crucial parts of my homelab’s infrastructure that I can’t live without. Here are the seven services I make sure are always running.