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I'm an ardent supporter of archiving things. The Internet Archive and Wayback Machine are two of my most frequented places online. As I was researching something earlier this year, I stumbled upon something I (surprisingly) hadn't heard of before: the WARC format. These things are one of the most fascinating files/formats I've come across since Ogg Vorbis. And I wanted to learn more about what they are and how to use them.

Google Lens quickly became a favorite app when it launched. Over the years, it's changed quite a bit — getting new features like "Circle to Search" and, of course, AI. Some would say it hasn't changed for the better, but there are alternatives.

I drew flak for saying the Apple TV 4K fills the shoes of Nvidia's Shield TV, and not without some merit. If you love Android or simply prefer the Shield's flexibility, no amount of apps or hardware brawn will make you switch. It's a good media streaming device—its age and the modern app landscape just work against it.

Linux on phones has spent years as a hobbyist curiosity. One project has quietly matured into something you can actually install and use. Ubuntu Touch isn’t perfect, but it balances polish, hardware support and a steady update path better than any rival.

For the budget-conscious DIY enjoyer who occasionally needs to cut wood and drill holes, Ryobi tools are perfect. Like any power tool manufacturer, Ryobi isn’t infallible, and there are some tools that I’ve learned to stay away from.

Despite its critical praise, Alex Gibney's Musk documentary about the world's richest man is ending its theatrical run after just two weeks, according to entertainment news site Showbiz411.

Upon its release on Oct. 9th, Musk was shown in just four theatres in two cities nationwide, but that number rose to over 450 by the second (and ultimately final) week of its theatrical run, though the total take, according to Gizmodo, was a paltry $571,902, making it "an unmitigated flop."

But could there be something else at play here other than simple box office math? 

Musk director, Gibney, is no stranger to tackling the rich and powerful in film, with previous credits including 2005's Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room — about one of the largest corporate fraud cases in American history. Gibney then released Citizen K in 2019, exploring the alliance between Vladimir Putin and a Russian expat billionaire. 

And prior to the film's release, SpaceXAI CEO Elon Musk himself publicly attacked both Gibney and the film, calling the director a "horrible human" after dismissing the documentary as an assembly of people with "an axe to grind." In the meantime, Musk's attorney Alex Spiro sent the production team a threatening legal letter, putting them "on formal legal notice" before the film had even been released. 

Meanwhile, on Reddit, users are speculating about abrupt screening cancellations: "I hate to say it's a conspiracy, but what is it?" Inexplicably, TikTok also opted to disable the documentary's advertising account, allegedly for "political content" contrary to their use policies, but access was restored 48 hours later.   

If you missed the abbreviated theatrical run and want to watch Musk yourself, it's now available for streaming on both Prime Video and Fandango.

Most people hang onto an old laptop out of guilt, or because they're not sure what to do with it. It feels wasteful to recycle it, but a second laptop doesn't have to be a backup device or an emergency spare. It can make your main machine better by taking over the background tasks that would otherwise slow you down or eat your battery.

Wired earpods have become quite trendy right now. The shift back to this somewhat retro technology is fueled by celebrities being spotted ditching wireless AirPods for wired earphones. They've become pretty fashionable, with stars like Harry Styles, Zendaya, and Bella Hadid turning them into cool accessories that the masses want to copy.

My homelab started with a single service, and before I knew it, I had a few dozen services running. In reality, I only use a handful of services every day—most of them sit idle or even offline.

The NBA season has only just begun, but the New York Knicks are already embroiled in a PR nightmare after an email to staff to get a championship ring turned out to be an IT phishing test.

On Tuesday, the defending champion Knicks played their first home game at Madison Square Garden since beating the San Antonio Spurs for their first NBA Finals win since the 1970s. As is custom, the first home game after a championship is when the team and fans get to watch the banner raised to the rafters and the presentation of their brand-new championship rings.

According to reporting from The Athletic, based on conversations with seven league sources who spoke on condition of anonymity, many of the ring boxes handed out to coaching staff were empty. In fact, The Athletic could not even confirm whether head coach Mike Brown received his ring, receiving only this brief reply from a MSG Sports spokesperson: "We are not disclosing anything about the rings."

SEE ALSO: Social media reacts to Knicks' storybook NBA Finals win

It's possible, of course, that delays in the crafting of the rings or in the fitting of them necessitated the empty box move. Plus, there is precedent for coaching staff and front-office personnel having to wait longer for their rings.

However, "many longtime employees at Madison Square Garden, including some who work in the Knicks’ business operations, will not receive rings at all," according to the insider sources who agreed to speak with The Athletic. Which is unusual, as the majority of team employees typically receive some form of ring in commemoration of the team's winning season.

What's made the internet upset is a controversial IT trick played on the Madison Square Garden employees expecting a ring. According to The Athletic, in September, MSG staff received an email with the opening line "Congratulations, your Employee Championship Ring is here," followed by a prompt to choose their preferred style: Championship Gold or Garden Classic. Clicking through that link, however, did not bring employees to a jeweler's website.

"Those who did click the link at the bottom of the message did not get to choose any jewelry; instead, they were forced to attend a mandatory cybersecurity class to help satisfy some of Dolan’s growing cybersecurity concerns," reported The Athletic. 

Needless to say, when the internet caught wind of this, the roasting was severe and merciless.

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It seems like the backlash worked. In a statement to the New York Post, an MSG spokesperson acknowledged that using the promise of a ring for an IT test was "a mistake." In addition, the spokesperson revealed that the Knicks' top assistant coaches will get their rings shortly.

"The company is gifting more than 275 championship rings and jewelry to players, coaches, employees, and other members of the Knicks family, worth more than $3.7 million," the spokesperson told the Post.

The number of features packed into Home Assistant is insane. The problem is that there are so many features that it can be easy to overlook some of the best ones. I slept on some of Home Assistant's features for far too long; here are some more of the best features that I wish I'd started using much sooner.

Desktop upgrades are usually either expensive, underwhelming, or both. It’s easy to spend a fortune on some piece of equipment, only to realize later that it’s completely useless. However, with this particular gadget, the opposite is true—it’s both cheap and incredibly effective.

Google wants Android phones to connect seamlessly to Googlebooks. Meanwhile, Samsung and Motorola both offer apps that pair phones with Windows PCs. What about Linux? The tech giants won’t help you make your phone and Linux PC work together smoothly, but other app developers have stepped in to fill the gap.

Gemini is Google’s big bet on AI that has made its way into the company’s search, mobile, and smart home offerings. The only issue is that Google doesn’t seem to have gotten the memo that new technologies are supposed to improve the user experience, not make it worse.

Linux has a reputation for giving people control over their computers, but plenty of commercial products use Linux without giving their owners much control at all. They ship with proprietary software, restrict access to source code, or lock down the hardware so thoroughly that installing a modified operating system becomes impractical.

I've been pretty transparent about the fact that the best PC upgrade is one that costs exactly zero dollars. But aside from that? The next-best thing is using stuff you might already have lying around to give your PC a bit of a boost. If you keep most of your old hardware, chances are you'll have one (or some) of these in a drawer somewhere, and they could come in handy when you least expect it.

I've watched plenty of people (and I've been one of them) navigate a big Excel workbook by scrolling, squinting at tab names, and hoping for the best. It works, but it's slow. Excel has several lesser-known navigation tools that get you to the right sheet, cell, or result much faster.

Every few months, Google rolls out a "Pixel Drop" update with a few little goodies. Last year, "Pixel VIPs" was one of them, but it wasn't particularly useful at the time. The most recent update finally improved things, and you may actually want to use it now.

Milwaukee makes excellent tools across its expansive M12 and M18 lineup, tools that are loved by DIYers and trusted by professionals. The company gets a lot right, and hey, it invented the Sawzall, but that doesn't mean there aren't tools to avoid or that cost way too much for what you get.

Sony and Bose duke it out for the best mid-range headphone. Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable Sony WH-1000XM4C vs. Bose QuietComfort (2nd gen): SpecsSony WH-1000XM4C specs

• Active noise cancellation: Yes

• Processor: QN1 for ANC

• Microphones: Four

• Equalizer: 10-band custom equalizer on companion app

• Spatial audio: Yes, but limited use

• Battery life: 27 hours

• Quick charge: Three-minute quick charge for one hour of playback

• Connection: Bluetooth 6.0

• Multipoint: Connect up to two devices at once

• Weight: 0.61 pounds

• Colors: Black, lavender, platinum silver

Bose QC (2nd gen) specs

• Active noise cancellation: Yes, with manual adjustment available

• Microphones: Six

• Lossless playback: Wired USB-C audio up to 24bit/48kHz

• Equalizer: Three-band custom equalizer

• Spatial audio: Bose TrueSpatial technology with Immersive Audio modes for Still, Motion, and Cinema

• Battery life: 24 hours per charge (18 hours with Immersive Audio)

• Quick charge: 15-minute charge for 2.5 hours of playback

• Connection: Bluetooth 5.4

• Multipoint: Yes

• Weight: 0.5 pounds

• Colors: Black, white smoke, eucalyptus green*, dewdrop mint*, rosewood mauve* (*limited edition colors)

Sony WH-1000XM4C vs. Bose QuietComfort (2nd gen): Sound quality The Bose QuietComfort (Gen 2) headphones come in black, white smoke, eucalyptus green, dewdrop mint, and rosewood mauve. Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable The Sony WH-1000XM4Cs are available in black, lavender, and platinum silver. Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable

Sony headphones are known for their superior quality, and that trend holds true between these two headphones. Without any adjustments to the sound, the XM4C headphones produced a more nuanced and detailed sound profile with noticeably more clarity. The piano and vocals in Fiona Apple's rendition of "Why Try to Change Me Now" put me in a cozy jazz bar, while I found myself bumping the volume up on the Bose headphones to try to capture the same immersion.

Speaking of immersion, Bose does have the advantage in offering spatial audio in the form of its proprietary Immersive Audio. While it's not the best spatial audio I've heard, it does help live performances and more soaring songs shine — Billy Joel's "New York State of Mind" was especially pleasing in this mode.

Sony's equalizer... Credit: Screenshot / Sony versus Bose's. Credit: Screenshot / Bose

Sony technically offers a spatial audio mode in the form of its 360 Reality Audio, but it's only functional with select apps (and none of the major music streaming ones). The lack of spatial audio, however, can be forgiven due to the excellent equalizer found on the companion app, which offers six presets, in addition to three custom settings. Users can also fine-tune their settings with a 10-band equalizer, compared to Bose's three-band equalizer and four presets. Ultimately, Sony provides a much more dynamic listening experience.

SEE ALSO: The 10 best noise-cancelling headphones we use, love, and recommend Sony WH-1000XM4C vs. Bose QuietComfort (2nd gen): Active noise cancellation

Where Sony generally takes the audio cake, Bose is known to be the master of ANC. While Sony's most recent flagship XM6 headphones have reversed that trend, Bose is back to taking the crown between these mid-range headphones.

Sony's headphones use adaptive sound control and a four microphone system, compared to Bose's manually adjustable ANC and six microphone system. The result is slightly better ANC on the Bose headphones, with more flexibility in how much sound actually comes through. That said, Sony does offer an ambient reduction sound. In either case, you probably wouldn't be too mad to have either pair with you on an airplane or commute.

Sony WH-1000XM4C vs. Bose QuietComfort (2nd gen): Design and comfort Bose has a fun party trick Sony can't quite match up to. Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable

The Bose headphones boast comfort in the name, and they live up to the expectations they set. They have a slightly looser fit than the Sonys, which also helps, but ultimately have more plush ear cushions. The cushions are also replaceable, which is useful for future-proofing. Don't get me wrong, the Sony XM4Cs are still plenty comfortable, but if you're a chronic headphones wearer, the Bose headphones may suit your needs better.

The headphones fold up to roughly the same size. Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable Bose relies on tactile controls, however. Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable

Travel-wise, both these headphones fold up to a similar compact position that makes them easy to pop into a bag. The biggest difference in their design is down to preference: the Bose QC rely solely on tactile controls (buttons and a power switch), while the Sony headphones use touch controls predominantly for playback, with the addition of a power button and ANC button.

Sony WH-1000XM4C vs. Bose QuietComfort (2nd gen): Companion app

I'd never recommend buying one pair of headphones over another based on their companion app, but because these headphones are still an investment, it's worth knowing the ins and outs of the experience. Bose's app layout leans more elegant, showing all the customization options on one screen, while Sony requires a scroll.

The Sony companion app requires some scrolling to see all the options. Credit: Screenshot / Sony While Bose's has it all laid out. Credit: Screenshot / Bose

They're relatively equal in terms of customization — where Sony headphones offer much more audio customization, Bose headphones offer more noise cancellation customization.

Sony WH-1000XM4C vs. Bose QuietComfort (2nd gen): Battery life Both headphones have decent battery life. Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable But Sony beats out Bose by three hours. Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable

While I was somewhat disappointed Sony cut the 30-hour battery life from the original XM4s to the 27 hours on the XM4C headphones, the 24-hour battery life on the Bose QuietComfort headphones puts the extra few hours into perspective. It's a decent amount of battery life in both cases, but the three-hour edge from the Sony headphones could be the difference between struggling on the last stretch of a long flight.

Sony WH-1000XM4C vs. Bose QuietComfort (2nd gen): Value

This comparison would be much more difficult without a price difference between these two headphones. The Sony XM4C headphones retail for $299.99 and have already gone on sale a couple of times, dropping as low as $248. The Bose QC 2 headphones are more expensive at $359, with a price drop just below $290. Considering the relatively similar experience between the two headphones, the Sony headphones are undeniably the better value.

Sony WH-1000XM4C vs. Bose QuietComfort (2nd gen): Which is better?

If you struggle to find over-ear headphones that you can comfortably wear for long stretches of time, the Bose QuietComfort headphones are likely your best choice.

For everyone else, the trade-off in slightly worse ANC is worth the price difference, sound quality jump, and better battery life on the Sony XM4C headphones. Though I wish they also had replaceable ear cushions for stretching out more years of use, the immediate advantages of these headphones are too good to ignore.

Where to buy the Sony XM4C and Bose QC 2 headphones Amazon Sony WH-1000XM4C $299.99 Shop Now Amazon Bose QuietComfort (2nd gen) $359 Shop Now Sony Sony WH-1000XM4C $299.99 Shop Now Bose Bose QuietComfort (2nd gen) $359 Shop Now