Blogroll

The first 3D printer I ever encountered had to be assembled from parts that arrived in a box. This was more than a decade ago, and things have certainly changed. The last two 3D printers I acquired worked right out of the box after plugging them in and removing the packing material—there's never been a more beginner-friendly time to get into the hobby.

If you’ve ever complained about running out of storage around a group of geeks, you’ve probably been told you need a NAS. With promises of 24/7 access and fancy backup solutions, it sounds more appealing than it actually is. I’m going to go against the grain today: most people don’t actually need a NAS—they just think they need one.

Capitalizing on the massive success of the hit Canadian Crave/HBO Max series Heated Rivalry, audio erotica app Quinn has been teasing the show’s leads, Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, as its newest star collaborators.

SEE ALSO: The glorious, easy-to-miss moments in Heated Rivalry's finale

The rollout began on Friday with a series of cryptic teasers. The first featured hockey gear laid out in a recording studio, soundtracked by the instantly recognizable t.A.T.u. hit "All the Things She Said." A follow-up clip leaned further into the mystery, showing confused production staff questioning why the only food on set was tuna melts, followed by blurred shots, quick cuts, and what appeared to be cue cards — all but confirming the involvement of the Heated Rivalry stars.

Taken together, the clues strongly suggest Quinn is preparing to have Williams and Storrie record audio content drawn from Heated Rivalry, the Rachel Reid novel that inspired the series and the second book in her Game Changers hockey romance universe.

For those not in the know, Quinn is one of the biggest names in audio erotica, an app that allows listeners to experience immersive, self-insertion storytelling. In recent years, the app has elevated its profile by partnering with some of the internet’s most beloved crushes, including Andrew Scott and Jesse Williams, to lend their voices to original and adapted erotic stories.

And for those unfamiliar with Heated Rivalry: it’s a gay enemies-to-lovers story turned breakout TV hit, centered on the combustible relationship between Canadian hockey star Shane Hollander and his cocky Russian rival, Illya Rozanov. The show premiered on Crave in Canada before landing on HBO Max weeks later in the U.S. and Australia — and it promptly exploded in popularity. Beyond sharp writing and undeniable chemistry between the leads, the sex scenes are, frankly, very hot.

So, yes, it would make perfect sense for the two stars to lend their voices to the very book that has been taking the internet by storm.

There’s no official announcement from Quinn just yet, so fans will have to wait until Dec. 30 to find out who’s involved — and whether Williams and Storrie will, in fact, be reading from Heated Rivalry or diving into other erotica altogether.

Registry cleaners have been available for decades, and once upon a time, there might have been an argument for using them. However, these days, they present almost no benefit and could mess up your PC.

S you just got a Kindle and are mulling over whether to slap a screen protector on it. Let’s find out if you really need one.

Luxury sedans have traditionally forced buyers to choose between comfort, performance, and fuel efficiency. Most deliver refinement and power, but efficiency usually takes a back seat—especially in gas-powered models. That’s why this particular luxury sedan stands out. It achieves fuel economy figures that rival some entry-level hybrids, all while maintaining the smooth ride, premium materials, and quiet cabin buyers expect from the segment. For drivers who want luxury without frequent fuel stops, it’s in a class of its own.

No one ever teaches you how to hold a phone, yet we’ve all adopted the same awkward grip. There are little tricks that can make it easier to reach things on the screen, but that doesn’t address the comfort of holding the phone. A very simple accessory can fix that.

One of the first commands new Linux users learn is echo. Need to print some text or debug a script? Add an echo statement. However, from my usage, I've found printf to be far more powerful. Once you understand its basics, it becomes a safer default for printing output in scripts.

As more applications have been released, it feels like the fight for screen space is filled with unnecessary clutter. We often have status bars, background processes, or media players running, but really don't need to look at them. What's cool is that a lot of software we rely on daily can run completely without a GUI.

Are you working in the Xfce desktop environment, or thinking of switching to an Xfce-powered Linux distribution like Linux Mint? I've spent the past several weeks using Xfce on my main desktop, and I ended up making a few changes you might want to consider too.

2025 has been an incredible year for the horror genre, offering surprising blockbuster juggernauts and beloved franchises making their long-awaited return. One such release was 28 Years Later, the long-awaited sequel to Danny Boyle and Alex Garland's genre-redefining 2002 zombie feature, which returned audiences to a ravaged UK after a virus turns most of its population into bloodthirsty cannibalistic killers.

Is your Windows PC noticeably slower after installing a recent update? It’s common for new patches to affect performance. In other cases, the update doesn’t break Windows—it just breaks something in Windows. The good news is that most of these slowdowns aren’t permanent and are easy to sort out.

The Camry’s rapid rise as Toyota’s best-selling hybrid caught a lot of people off guard—especially with the RAV4 being as popular as it is. Turns out, plenty of buyers still want a good old-fashioned sedan, even with no shortage of shiny SUVs on the lot.

I woke up on Sunday morning to find that I’d left the garage door open all night long and that a bike had been stolen. After wishing great harm on whoever decided to take my partner’s daily ride to work, I started thinking about how I can prevent this happening in future with the help of Home Assistant.

The state of New York has passed new legislation requiring social media platforms like X and TikTok to add warning labels to their services.

Much like the warnings found on cigarette packaging, the new law — signed by Governor Kathy Hochul — targets platforms that rely on features such as infinite scrolling, autoplay, and algorithmic feeds. These services will now be required to display labels cautioning users, particularly young people, about the potential mental health risks associated with prolonged use.

SEE ALSO: Louisiana social media age verification law blocked by federal judge

Under the law, warning labels must appear when a user first interacts with any feature deemed "predatory," and will continue to surface periodically afterward. The requirements apply whenever these platforms are accessed from within New York, regardless of the companies' locations.

The move comes amid a growing body of research linking heavy social media use to negative mental health outcomes among young people. A large, multi-year study published earlier this year found that increased social media use among tweens and teens was associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms over time, while the reverse was not true.

Researchers behind the study said the findings strengthen concerns that certain online behaviors, including excessive scrolling and algorithm-driven engagement, may actively contribute to declining mental well-being rather than simply reflecting it.

At the same time, platforms like TikTok have begun rolling out their own safety and oversight features in response to mounting pressure from lawmakers, parents, and regulators. Earlier this year, TikTok expanded its parental control tools, adding options for screen time blocking, scheduled app access, and increased visibility into teens’ followers and activity.

The company has framed those changes as part of a broader push toward mindfulness and healthier usage habits, particularly for users under 18, even as critics argue that design features like autoplay and infinite feeds continue to encourage prolonged engagement.

I love open-source software, and it's been essential to my needs over the years. I've used GIMP when I couldn't afford Photoshop. Scribus when I needed to design a book for college, and OpenOffice for the Linux netbook that got me through post-grad. I owe open-source software a lot, and it's too important to hold it to a lower standard than the closed-source for-profit stuff.

Were you an avid Google Voice user? I was, and it was an amazing service at one time. These days, however, it seems like a forgotten service. Here’s why I stopped using Google Voice, and also how I think Google could raise its VoIP service from the ashes.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalogue.

Released in August 2025, the Pips puts a unique spin on dominoes, creating a fun single-player experience that could become your next daily gaming habit.

Currently, if you're stuck, the game only offers to reveal the entire puzzle, forcing you to move onto the next difficulty level and start over. However, we have you covered! Below are piecemeal answers that will serve as hints so that you can find your way through each difficulty level.

How to play Pips

If you've ever played dominoes, you'll have a passing familiarity for how Pips is played. As we've shared in our previous hints stories for Pips, the tiles, like dominoes, are placed vertically or horizontally and connect with each other. The main difference between a traditional game of dominoes and Pips is the color-coded conditions you have to address. The touching tiles don't necessarily have to match.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for December 27, 2025

The conditions you have to meet are specific to the color-coded spaces. For example, if it provides a single number, every side of a tile in that space must add up to the number provided. It is possible – and common – for only half a tile to be within a color-coded space.

Here are common examples you'll run into across the difficulty levels:

• Number: All the pips in this space must add up to the number.

• Equal: Every domino half in this space must be the same number of pips.

• Not Equal: Every domino half in this space must have a completely different number of pips.

• Less than: Every domino half in this space must add up to less than the number.

• Greater than: Every domino half in this space must add up to more than the number.

If an area does not have any color coding, it means there are no conditions on the portions of dominoes within those spaces.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for December 27, 2025 Easy difficulty hints, answers for Dec. 27 Pips

Equal (6): Everything in this space must be equal to 6. The answer is 6-6, placed vertically.

Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 5-5, placed horizontally.

Number (6): Everything in this space must add up to 6. The answer is 2-0, placed vertically; 4-0, placed horizontally.

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 4-0, placed horizontally; 5-6, placed vertically.

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 2-0, placed vertically; 4-2, placed horizontally.

Number (8): Everything in this space must add up to 8. The answer is 5-6, placed vertically; 4-2, placed horizontally.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for Dec. 27 Pips

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 1-2, placed vertically; 3-0, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (1): Everything in this space must be greater than 1. The answer is 1-2, placed vertically.

Number (6): Everything in this orange space must add up to 6. The answer is 6-5, placed horizontally.

Number (6): Everything in this red space must add up to 6. The answer is 6-5, placed horizontally; 1-3, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (2): Everything in this space must be greater than 2. The answer is 1-3, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (0): Everything in this space must be greater than 0. The answer is 4-1, placed vertically.

Number (6): Everything in this dark blue space must add up to 6. The answer is 4-1, placed vertically; 2-1, placed horizontally.

Less Than (1): Everything in this space must be less than 1. The answer is 2-1, placed horizontally.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for Dec. 27 Pips

Number (11): Everything in this space must add up to 11. The answer is 6-2, placed vertically; 5-5, placed vertically.

Number (2): Everything in this red space must add up to 4. The answer is 6-2, placed vertically.

Greater Than (3): Everything in this space must be greater than 3. The answer is 5-5, placed vertically.

Equal (3): Everything in this orange space must be equal to 3. The answer is 3-6, placed vertically; 3-5, placed vertically; 3-1, placed vertically; 3-2, placed vertically.

Greater Than (2): Everything in this space must be greater than 2. The answer is 3-5, placed vertically.

Number (12): Everything in this space must add up to 12. The answer is 3-6, placed vertically; 6-0, placed horizontally.

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 2-5, placed horizontally.

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 4-0, placed horizontally.

Number (0): Everything in this space must add up to 0. The answer is 6-0, placed horizontally; 4-0, placed horizontally.

Not Equal: Everything in this space must be different. The answer is 3-1, placed vertically; 2-5, placed horizontally; 4-1, placed horizontally.

Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 4-1, placed horizontally.

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 5-1, placed vertically.

Number (2): Everything in this dark blue space must add up to 4. The answer is 2-1, placed vertically.

Number (2): Everything in this green space must add up to 4. The answer is 5-1, placed vertically; 2-1, placed vertically.

Equal (0): Everything in this green space must be equal to 0. The answer is 0-0, placed vertically; 0-2, placed vertically.

Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 4-4, placed vertically; 0-2, placed vertically.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

For years, I've relied on running totals in Microsoft Excel, but the traditional methods are fragile and unreliable. Since Microsoft introduced the SCAN function, I've switched to a brand-new approach that is flexible, self-healing, and doesn't break when my data grows.

Google Chrome's default settings can hinder your browsing experience, compromise your privacy, and chew through system resources. That's why I always disable the following settings when installing Chrome on a new machine.