Blogroll

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.

Somehow it's 2026, and Little House on the Prairie is the most-watched show in America, adding a whole lotta wholesome to Netflix’s summer. But its documentary side just got a shot of adrenaline.

Getting to your next summer event can be economical, fun, and more affordable — and Ausom proves that with some unbeatable deals on its top e-scooters. And right now, along with the best discounts of the year, you’ll get an extra $50 off with code: HTG50. There are multiple models available to fit a wide range of budgets and needs.

The Prius arrived in the United States in 2000, a tiny fuel-sipping Toyota amid an SUV onslaught that included Dodge Durangos, Ford Explorers, and Chevy Suburbans. Although “everyone” had an SUV, the Prius was the first hybrid most Americans ever really gravitated toward, its name forever attached to the idea of environmental stewardship and frugality.

Most people think of PowerPoint only as a tool for creating slide decks, but it's capable of much more. If you have some free time this weekend, these three hands-on projects will help you build more polished, interactive presentations while teaching you useful features along the way.

TL;DR: You can score a free pair of Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones (worth $450) when you purchase an eligible Microsoft Surface Laptop or Surface Pro through July 31.

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Surface and Sony Headphone Bundle   Get Deal

Back-to-school shopping season is officially kicking into high gear (it's literally still July, but here we are), which means tech bundles are popping up all over the place. So if you're looking for a deal that'll save you some cash on a much-needed upgrade, you should definitely check out Microsoft's Back-to-School Sale.

SEE ALSO: The 12 best headphones of 2026 — we tested the top contenders from Sony, Apple, Bose, and Beats

Now through July 31, Microsoft's giving any customer who buys an eligible 12th-edition Surface Pro or 8th-edition Surface Laptop (from the Microsoft Store) a pair of the Mashable Choice Award-winning Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones on the house. That's a $459.99 value.

Here's how it works:

• Step 1: Purchase an eligible Surface Pro (starts at $1,499.99) or Surface Laptop (starts at $1,599.99) from the Microsoft Store by July 31.

• Step 2: Microsoft will email you a Sony redemption code within seven business days of your purchase.

• Step 3: Head over to Sony's site and plug in your code by December 31, 2026, and they'll ship the headphones straight to your door.

Just keep in mind that there's a limit of one redemption code per household, and your shipping address must be a physical address within the contiguous U.S. (this promotion unfortunately excludes Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. territories, and PO boxes).

SAVE $130: As of July 17, my favorite headphones, the Bose QuietComfort, are on sale for just $229. That saves you $130 off its list price of $359.

Opens in a new window Credit: Bose Bose QuietComfort Headphones $229 at Amazon
$359 Save $130   Get Deal

When people find out I review products, their next question is always "What do you recommend?"

Quickly, I spitball through the list of my most used and loved products and the headphones that are always on it are the Bose QuietComfort. I've convinced more than one friend to pick up these headphones for their combination of stellar sound and comfort. I'd tell you to buy them when they're full price, but on sale? Run to grab these headphones.

As of July 17, the Bose QuietComfort headphones are just $229. That saves you $130 off its $359 list price for 36% savings.

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Comfort is in the name of these headphones, and it lives up to it. The Bose QuietComfort come with me whenever I travel. On a trip to Greece, they blocked out the busy bustle of travel whether that be on planes or ferries. Plus, they helped me catch some sleep on my 11 hour flight. My only complaint with these headphones is that they loosen slightly over time, however, the noise cancellation remains just as strong.

Shop my favorite headphones, the Bose QuietComfort, for just $229 at Amazon.