Blogroll

Spring cleaning is the time to get rid of the old and bring in the new. But when you start getting rid of said older decorations, you might find some hidden dust bunnies or stir some dust around. It's not pleasant, but it doesn't mean you need to add another step to your annual refresh.

Apple's next big-ish iOS update is purportedly just days away, and we finally have a good idea of what it will contain.

The update, officially called iOS 26.4, is expected to launch next week, per 9to5mac. Accordingly, Apple has released the latest beta with a list of new features you can expect. A lot of them are small and not particularly exciting, but here are the three that stood out to us the most.

SEE ALSO: iOS 27 update: Liquid Glass haters should prepare for disappointment New emoji Distorted face is really good. Credit: Unicode

Easily the most exciting new part of iOS 26.4 is the addition of several new emoji. These include a trombone, a funny distorted face that I'm sure will get used a lot online, a ballet dancer, an orca, and a sasquatch. I'm a big fan of the sasquatch, personally, but all of them are very good and will be welcome additions to the emoji portfolio.

SEE ALSO: Apple iOS 26.4 update: No Gemini-powered Siri yet, report suggests Apple Music enhancements

Apple made some enticing changes to Apple Music for iOS 26.4. First off, a new Concerts feature will help you find nearby shows for artists you listen to on a regular basis. Sure, you could also just Google that, but hey, might as well cut out the middleman.

There are also new automatically generated playlists based on user descriptions, as well as new full screen backgrounds for album and playlist pages. This isn't a massive overhaul for Apple Music by any means, but it should make the app better overall.

SEE ALSO: Here's how the MacBook Neo compares to older MacBook Airs Another change to Liquid Glass

Lastly, there's a small but hopefully helpful setting for Liquid Glass called "Reduce Motion." This will, naturally, reduce the intensity of UI animations for people who are sensitive to that sort of thing. This isn't a revolutionary change, but considering how many people still don't like Liquid Glass for a variety of reasons, this should hopefully give them some peace of mind.

Many people treat a completed PivotTable as the finish line, but it's actually just the first step. In fact, pro-level Excel spreadsheets let users navigate the data primarily through Slicers and Timelines, minimizing the need to interact directly with the PivotTable grid. In minutes, you can turn static datasets into dynamic, app-like dashboards.

It’s that time of the week again—the time when the week ends and the weekend begins! That means you’ll have a few days to tinker with that Raspberry Pi that’s been sitting in a drawer for far too long, so why not give HomeBox, ntfy, or ChangeDetection.io a try?

Your internet service provider (ISP) can be great, but somehow, you're still more likely to hear horror stories than words of praise. I can relate—I've had a lot of bad experiences with incompetent ISPs, and that made me even more wary when dealing with such companies going forward.

Android Auto is surprisingly customizable, yet most people never touch the settings once they connect their phone to their car. However, even though most of us never use Android Auto for anything other than Google Maps and Spotify, you should still tweak some settings to enhance your driving experience.

The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro is an aggressively mid-range Android phone. So much so that its flashy design, Glyph notification screen, and fun software make it tempting enough for someone to ditch a Samsung or Google flagship in favor of joining the Nothing bandwagon and saving some money in the process.

Today, we look back on Windows XP with rose-tinted glasses and a half-wish that Windows 11 could be that great. But we've forgotten that Windows XP didn't launch in its final state. Far from it—Windows XP was actually a nightmare when it first appeared.

TL;DR: Get a Grade A/B refurbished Apple MacBook Air (2017) for $199.97 (reg. $999).

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Air 2017 (Refurbished) $199.97
$999 Save $799.03   Get Deal

If you’ve ever wished you had a second laptop for travel, coffee shops, or everyday browsing, you’re not alone. Carrying your primary computer everywhere can feel risky — and buying a brand-new MacBook just to have a backup isn’t exactly budget-friendly.

That’s why refurbished models like this Apple MacBook Air (2017) can be a smart option. It’s available for just $199.97 (reg. $999) for a limited time with free shipping.

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The MacBook Air has long been known for its thin, lightweight design, which makes it especially convenient for working on the go. This model features a 13.3-inch display with a 1440×900 resolution, giving you plenty of space for documents, browsing, and streaming.

It runs on a 1.8GHz Intel Core i5 processor with 128GB SSD storage, which is well-suited for everyday tasks like email, writing, spreadsheets, video streaming, and web browsing. The SSD storage keeps things running smoothly, while Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity make it easy to stay connected and transfer files. You’ll also get up to 12 hours of battery life, which is helpful for flights, long workdays, or study sessions.

This refurbished model carries a Grade A/B rating, meaning it may show light cosmetic wear but remains fully functional.

At this price, it’s a practical way to add a portable extra computer to your home, travel bag, or workspace. Get this Grade A/B refurbished Apple MacBook Air while it’s $199.97 (reg. $999) for a limited time with free shipping.

Want to see more deals? Visit the shop and use code MARCH15 to save an extra 15% sitewide through March 29. Exclusions apply.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

High-performance sedans have redefined what it means to drive a practical car, blending everyday usability with levels of power once reserved for dedicated sports cars. In today’s market, some four-door models are capable of delivering acceleration and top-end performance that rival far more expensive coupes. One American super sedan takes that formula even further, packing nearly 500 horsepower into a package that looks as comfortable on the school run as it does on a racetrack.

It's easy to make yourself believe that you need one of the best graphics cards in order to run all the latest games, AI workloads, and other resource-heavy stuff.

Matter smart home devices are becoming increasingly popular. If your device offers Matter over Thread, you may assume that you need to buy a special hub before you can use it. However, you may already have some devices in your home that can do the job.

Microsoft PowerToys debuted with Windows 95, evolved during the Windows XP era, but was discontinued until Windows 10. In 2019, Microsoft revived it with a modern UI and made it open source. Even after three decades, it remains my go-to tool for improving Windows with extra features.

TL;DR: On March 19, fans can score a free vanilla soft-serve cone at participating Dairy Queen locations nationwide.

The birds are singing, the temperature is climbing, and yes, that is the sun you can see peeping through the clouds. Spring is here, and so is Free Cone Day.

Dairy Queen's Free Cone Day is making a triumphant return in 2026. On March 19, you can celebrate this special occasion by enjoying a free vanilla soft-serve cone at participating Dairy Queen locations. Simply stop by your local DQ restaurant to score this delicious treat — there's really no catch.

SEE ALSO: Lego is giving away an exclusive Steering Wheel for free. Here’s how to get yours on March 9.

We recommend visiting Dairy Queen or downloading the Dairy Queen App to find a local restaurant that's participating. Now that the day is here, you don't want to be messing around looking for a restaurant. You want to be prepared. On Free Cone Day, the focus should be on free ice cream and nothing else.

The promotion runs all day while supplies last and there's a limit of one free cone per person. This free giveaway is not valid on delivery or mobile orders and it's worth noting that U.S. Mall locations require a purchase to qualify.

Celebrate Dairy Queen's Cone Day with a free vanilla soft-serve cone on March 19.

Adobe Lightroom feels like the boss of digital photography workflows, and it is well-earned. However, over time, the company has made questionable decisions. The shift to a mandatory subscription, combined with it needing more powerful computers and you feeling increasingly locked into its file management, has made it less appealing. Luckily, Darktable, a powerful, open-source raw editor, has also grown over time. This app gives you a budget-friendly way to leave the Adobe world. It gives you the technical control over your photos and true ownership of your files that Lightroom's cloud-focused approach has increasingly pushed aside, and it totally convinced me to finally cancel my Adobe subscription for good.

Apple's AppleCare One is perhaps the best way to keep your Apple gadgets insured, especially if you're deeply invested in Apple's product ecosystem. Unfortunately for Europeans, the feature — which launched in the U.S. in July 2025 — wasn't available to them, but this might change soon.

MacRumors noticed that the AppleCare One trademark was registered with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) on Thursday. While this doesn't necessarily indicate that Apple is about to launch the product in the EU, it is the sort of thing that typically precedes a launch overseas.

SEE ALSO: Apple launches AirPods Max 2 with improved noise cancelling and smart features

There's no timeline for the launch, and nothing has been officially announced. Also note that Apple filed a similar application with the EUIPO for Apple Pay Cash (now Apple Cash) back in 2017, and that particular service never launched in Europe.

Still, we have our fingers crossed, because AppleCare One is a very good way to protect your Apple gadgets. In the U.S., it costs $19.99 per month, allowing customers to protect up to three products in one plan, with the option to add additional gadgets for $5.99 per month per device.

The cool thing about this plan — which includes all the benefits that come with AppleCare+, and includes theft and loss protection for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch — is that you can remove and add devices into and out of the plan whenever you want.

Smart displays like the Google Nest Hub sound cool, but they’re extremely limited in real life. Ironically, the display is the weakest part. You can make a much more useful “smart display” with any Android phone or tablet.

When it comes to watching movies and TV shows or listening to music, I’m mostly a streamer these days. That said, I always have a Jellyfin server running on my network just in case the internet fails me.

PowerShell is very intimidating, but it has stood the test of time in Windows 11. The command-line interface seems like an arcane realm reserved for IT professionals and developers. However, the core of the operating system is built on an automation engine that handles data as structured objects, giving everyday users the power to execute complex operations instantly. PowerShell is really a universally accessible productivity engine that Windows 11 hides in plain sight. In fact, it has a leg up over the terminal and command prompt.

Like you, I had to sit through years of those "You wouldn't steal a car" anti-piracy videos on DVDs that I had paid for. Ironically, people who actually pirated their DVDs didn't have to see any of that, but that's a conversation for another day.