Blogroll
This NFC coffee table trick controls my entire movie night setup
I love a good movie. There’s nothing like settling down in front of the TV for a couple of hours of entertainment. I have a terrible habit of picking up my phone when I should be watching, but I managed to improve things with the help of a cheap NFC tag.
Why the Pixel Launcher is the worst part of the Pixel experience
I've been using a Pixel 10 Pro for almost three months now, and I really like the Pixel experience. Its fluidity is unmatched despite the SoC not being on par with what other flagships are packing, its cameras are very good, I love the breadth of useful features, the screen is fantastic, battery life is not too shabby, and the phone as a whole offers one of the best Android experiences out there.
I saved my favorite parts of the Internet for $0—and it only took me 30 mins
If you've ever had a favorite corner of the internet just disappear on you, you know how quietly devastating that is. Everything online exists at someone else's discretion—their server, their decision, their hosting bill. You can either accept that impermanence or do something about it. I chose to do something about it, especially when I saw it cost me nothing and only took an afternoon to set up.
The first Jellyfin setting I enable gives me a feature that Plex puts behind a paywall
Transcoding is an unavoidable part of both the Plex and Jellyfin experiences. When it's required, converting your videos in real time into a format that your client devices can handle is slow and resource-heavy and is the main cause of buffering and stuttering. But you can speed it up significantly by enabling hardware acceleration on both platforms. The big difference is that on Plex, you have to pay for it. On Jellyfin, it's free.
The 4 best things in my toolbox aren't even tools
Ask any hobbyist or DIYer about the goodies in their toolbox, and they'll happily talk your ear off about Milwaukee drills, DeWalt impact drivers, or that oscillating multitool that changed their life. That’s totally fair, and I have a few of those essential tools, too, for my endless puttering. But the items I reach for most often don't have a motor, a blade, or even a moving part.
An AI startup founder is trying to vibe code his own Grand Theft Auto game
If you're not a gamer, it's difficult to describe just how much anticipation has built up over the upcoming release of Grand Theft Auto 6, some 13 years after the release of GTA V. The prior entry in the series sold more than 230 million copies worldwide, generating over $6 billion in revenue, which makes it the most profitable entertainment product of all time, ahead of every single Star Wars movie or any individual Pokemon game. And while parent company Take-Two Interactive has been tight-lipped about the budget, credible estimates range from $1 billion to over $3 billion, which is comparable to what Marvel spent on the entire MCU.
Knowing all that, startup founder Ziwen Xu is taking on the monumental challenge of vibe coding his own version of Grand Theft Auto 6 using Claude Max 20x, Anthropic's most powerful generative model available to the average person. He began just four days ago, announcing his intentions on X:
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.Since then, he's been posting updates about Claude's progress and even sharing the code on GitHub in case anyone else wants to pick up from where he leaves off. "The goal: beat the real GTA 6 to launch," he wrote on X. "Ambitious, probably stupid, doing it anyway."
Are GTA developers Rockstar Games likely to feel threatened by his efforts? Absolutely not. But from day two to day three, there has been undeniable progress made, with the nondescript oval character from day one gradually morphing into a recognizably human figure and the background gradually taking shape into something vaguely approximating Miami, the inspiration for Grand Theft Auto's fictional Vice City.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.Sure, there are some glaring omissions as well: the slick cars, massive arsenal of weapons, and iconic GTA soundtrack, for starters. But if the November release holds (and that's a big if, if you're at all familiar with the history of Grand Theft Auto history), he's still got months of vibe coding left, which makes Xu's experiment a fantastic showcase of Claude's abilities and a great litmus test for how relevant AI coding currently is in the world of game development.
Stop restarting your PC and change these 5 Windows settings instead
If your PC has been feeling slow lately, you've probably already tried the obvious restart fix. Sometimes that works for a while, but the same slowdown creeps back within days. There are a few things you can do that go beyond random online tips. I have done these, and they work really well.
I ditched "Okay Nabu" after training my own Home Assistant wake word
Home Assistant has its very own voice assistant called Assist. It comes with some pre-trained wake words you can use for voice commands, including "Okay Nabu," "Hey Jarvis," and "Hey Mycroft." I wanted to create my own custom wake word, and doing so was far easier than I expected.
I fed the Toyota Tundra's 640-page manual to Claude and found 3 hidden features
The Tundra has been Toyota's full-size truck offering in the United States since 1999, competing in a segment long dominated by the Detroit Three. The third-generation Tundra arrived in 2022, the beneficiary of a complete redesign that underpins the current 2026 model year truck.
Im watching the Barcelona-Catalunya GP for free this weekend — how to live stream F1 for free
TL;DR: Sign up for a 7-day free trial of Apple TV+ through Prime Video Channels to watch select F1 races for free. Watch the Barcelona-Catalunya GP for free with the Prime Video app.
Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Apple TV Prime Video Channel Watch the Japanese GP for free with a 7-day trial Shop NowThe Monaco GP is obviously a special race weekend, but the actual racing can be lame. I'm glad we're returning to a circuit that actually allows for the occasional overtake.
The big question is whether any team can bridge the gap to Mercedes this season. Could we start to see the tide change at the Barcelona-Catalunya GP? I'm hoping we get some competitive performances from McLaren and Ferrari.
If you want to watch F1 2026 for free from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.
When is the Barcelona-Catalunya GP?The Barcelona-Catalunya GP is the seventh race of the 2026 F1 season. Here's the full schedule from the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya:
Practice 1 — 7:30-8:30 a.m. ET on June 12
Practice 2 — 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET on June 12
Practice 3 — 6:30-7:30 a.m. ET on June 13
Qualifying — 10-11 a.m. ET on June 13
Race — 9 a.m. ET on June 14
Fans can follow all the action from this race weekend without spending anything.
How to watch the Barcelona-Catalunya GP for freeI subscribe to Amazon Prime. I gladly hand over my cash for the fast shipping, exclusive Prime Day deals, and access to Prime Video. The access to Prime Video is not all that important to me. I occasionally watch the Champions League and NBA, but it's not a priority.
That was until I found out about F1 coming to Apple TV.
It is now possible to sign up for a seven-day free trial of Apple TV+ through Prime Video Channels. F1 is exclusive to Apple TV in the U.S., so by accessing this free trial, you can watch select races for free this season. The subscription costs £9.99 per month after the trial ends, but you can cancel this automatic renewal at any time.
By cancelling ahead of the renewal, you can watch the Barcelona-Catalunya GP this weekend without spending anything.
I already pay for Amazon Prime, so I understand the argument that I'm not really watching for free. I get that, but Amazon Prime does offer a 30-day free trial period if you're new to the service. By signing up for this free trial and then gaining access to Apple TV through Prime Video Channels, you can truly watch select races for free this season.
Already used this hack to watch a race this season? It's not your only option right now.
My recommendation is you go direct to Apple TV. This popular steaming service comes with a seven-day free trial for new subscribers. Alternatively, Apple One bundles Apple TV with Apple Music, Apple Arcade, Apple Fitness Plus, Apple News Plus, and 50GB of iCloud Storage for $19.95 per month after a one-month free trial.
The best Apple TV free-trial offer comes with purchases of new Apple devices. New subscribers can get three months of Apple TV for free after purchasing any eligible Apple product. If you're planning on upgrading to something from the Apple lineup in Memorial Day sales, you could gain access to Apple TV for a pretty large chunk of this season. You will obviously need to buy something, but if you were already in the market for an upgrade, this method makes a lot of sense.
How to live stream 2026 F1 for free in 2026 Best Apple TV Deal Apple TV 7-day free trial Shop Now Best Prime Video Deal Apple TV Prime Video Channel 7-day free trial Shop Now Best Apple One Deal Apple One 30-day free trial Shop NowFIFA World Cup schedule today: Games, kickoff times, livestream info for June 14
After the action kicked off on Thursday, June 11, Matchday 4 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup has arrived. Don't worry if you missed the first few days; there are plenty more to go, with 48 teams competing in the largest World Cup tournament in history. Groups A through D have already got the ball rolling, and today will see Groups E and F do the same.
Today, June 14, is another busy day with four matchups in the U.S. and Mexico. The action kicks off at 1 p.m. ET. There's a lot to keep up with, especially if you're new to the World Cup madness, so we've broken down the details for you below. Here's what you need to know to tune in live today.
FIFA World Cup schedule today: June 14Group E: Germany vs. Curaçao (Houston Stadium)— kickoff at 1 p.m. ET
Group F: Netherlands vs. Japan (Dallas Stadium) — kickoff at 4 p.m. ET
Group E: Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador (Philadelphia Stadium) — kickoff at 7 p.m. ET
Group F: Tunisia vs. Sweden (Monterrey Stadium) — kickoff at 10 p.m. ET
Group E kicks things off on Sunday, June 14, with a first-ever meeting between Germany and Curaçao at Houston Stadium. Kickoff is at 1:00 p.m. ET, and live coverage will be on Fox and Fox One. Peacock will carry the live Spanish-language coverage.
Watch Netherlands vs. JapanGroup F's first matchup will see the Netherlands take on Japan at Dallas Stadium on Sunday, June 14. The Netherlands has the edge in the all-time series between the two teams, but both teams bring strong tournament experience. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. ET, and coverage will be on Fox and Fox One, with Spanish-language coverage on Peacock.
Watch Ivory Coast vs. EcuadorA fresh matchup on the global stage, dark horse Ecuador takes on the Ivory Coast at Philadelphia Stadium. The Group E matchup kicks off at 7 p.m. ET and live coverage will be on FS1 and Fox One. Spanish-language coverage will be streaming on Peacock.
Watch Tunisia vs. SwedenGroup F teams Sweden and Tunisia will go head-to-head on Sunday, June 14, at Monterrey Stadium. The two teams have never faced each other at the FIFA World Cup, making this a fresh matchup on the tournament stage. Kickoff is set for 10 p.m ET, and live coverage is on FS1 and Fox One, with Spanish-language coverage on Peacock.
Opens in a new window Credit: Fox One Fox One (3-month subscription) $39.98$59.97 Save $19.99 only for a limited time Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Peacock Peacock (Spanish language coverage only) Starting at $10.99/month Get Deal More live streaming optionsLive TV cable replacement
Rather than a standalone streaming service like Fox One or Peacock, you can sign up for a live TV cable replacement service, like YouTube TV or Hulu + Live TV. These options have a cable-like format, with over 100 live channels, but run off a WiFi connection. You'll get live access to Fox and FS1, plus tons of other popular networks. They can get pretty expensive, but most offer a free trial and a discounted introductory rate. Here are a few options to consider:
YouTube TV — 10-day trial, then $67.99/month for 3 months
Fubo Sports — 1-day trial, then $45.99/month for 1 month
Hulu + Live TV — 3-day trial, then $89.99/month
Don't want to sign up for yet another streaming service? Consider subscribing to a VPN and streaming the World Cup matches for free on international services like ITVX, BBC iPlayer, NOS, or RTÉ. We recommend ExpressVPN — a Mashable-tested service and an Official Tournament Supporter of the FIFA World Cup in the U.S., Canada, and Europe — as our VPN of choice for the sporting event. It offers servers in 105 countries, a user-friendly app available on all major devices, a speedy connection, up to 10 simultaneous connections, and a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you're new to VPNs, our global World Cup watch guide will help you nail down the details.
Opens in a new window Credit: ExpresVPN ExpressVPN (1-month plan) $12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get DealI ditched my Oura Ring's $6 monthly fee for RingConn, and I couldn't be happier
In an attempt to learn more about my sleeping habits, I purchased an Oura Ring at the end of last year. After wearing the ring to bed for nearly half a year, I didn’t feel like the information was worth burning $6 every month. So, I switched to RingConn—a company that doesn’t keep charging you after you buy its product.
Your Galaxy Watch has a hidden developer mode, just like your phone
Even if you’re not the biggest Android fanatic, there’s a good chance you’ve heard of the legendary Developer Options menu. It’s a treasure trove of secret settings, some of which are genuinely useful to anyone. Well, your Galaxy Watch has this hidden menu, too.
Your soundbar placement matters way more than you think, and here's why
Soundbars are not a cheap piece of tech, so why ruin the sound quality of your expensive equipment by hiding it in an entertainment unit or blocking its path with furniture?
My most useful AI project isn't a chatbot, it's this invisible automated tool
I've used AI chatbots for a long time. While standard chatbots can be useful, there are plenty of other useful things that you can use AI for. One of my most useful AI tools works completely in the background.
6 ways to track mail and package deliveries with your Home Assistant smart home
Home Assistant tracks all sorts of useful things, from presence in the home to energy usage. So why not add deliveries to that list and build some useful automations around them?
Community scripts are the secret sauce that make Proxmox the perfect homelab OS
Proxmox is a special operating system designed for server machines. Unlike your standard server OS, Proxmox can spin up virtual servers inside it, each working in isolation just like a regular server operating system. It has a nice web interface to easily manage those virtual machines, but spinning up new machines using that same interface is a lot of busywork. The community around Proxmox builds and maintains free Proxmox scripts that automate all that busywork for you. Allow me to explain.
The new generation of 3D printers is killing the tinkering hobby
3D printing was once the pursuit of the most dedicated nerds on the internet. These people built machines from scratch using off-the-shelf parts and 3D prints, figured out what materials they could repurpose and extrude by experimenting, and improved the process piecemeal by swapping out components.
Claude Fable 5 vs GPT 5.5: Is this why the Trump admin banned one and not the other?
Earlier this week, Anthropic released its most powerful public model yet: Claude Fable 5. This model is the "safe" version of an even more powerful model, Mythos, that Anthropic has yet to release to the public due to potential dangers.
Just days later, the Trump administration issued an export control directive barring the use of Fable 5 from foreign nationals. As a result, Anthropic was forced to disable Fable 5 for all its customers to comply with the order.
SEE ALSO: Anthropic pulls Claude Fable 5, Mythos 5 after Trump admin orderIn a statement, Anthropic said it believed the order was issued by the U.S. government to use a method to "jailbreak" Fable 5 to identify vulnerabilities. Anthropic claimed in its statement that other AI models could do the same without a bypass. The company specifically named GPT 5.5, the latest AI model from its biggest competitor, OpenAI, as one such model.
There are currently too many unknown variables to determine if this is accurate. However, Mashable was preparing a piece comparing Anthropic's Claude Fable 4 and OpenAI's GPT 5.5 prior to the Trump administration's order.
It appears the U.S. government's concerns could be related to just how powerful Claude Fable 5 appears to be, even with its safeguards.
Here's how Fable 5 stacked up against GPT 5.5.
Claude Fable 5 vs GPT 5.5: Feature setAccording to Anthropic, "Fable 5’s capabilities exceed those of any model we’ve ever made generally available."
"It is state-of-the-art on nearly all tested benchmarks of AI capability, showing exceptional performance in software engineering, knowledge work, vision, scientific research, and many other areas," Anthropic says. "The longer and more complex the task, the larger Fable 5’s lead over our other models."
When GPT 5.5 rolled out in late April, OpenAI said that the model had improved on its "agentic coding, computer use, knowledge work, and early scientific research" capabilities.
Both are very similar when it comes to their feature set and stated purpose. These aren't images or videos. generation models. These are large language models used for document analysis, data interpretation, and advanced coding and development. Both are definitely competitors when it comes to use cases.
The difference between the two competing models will be how they perform.
Claude Fable 5 vs GPT 5.5: Leaderboards and benchmarksOn the popular Arena leaderboard, Fable 5 far and away leads all of the other AI models.
Claude Fable 5 currently sits at the top of the Arena leaderboard with Claude Opus 4.7 Thinking and Claude Opus 4.8 Thinking taking the second and third spots. The top three are all Anthropic's models, with OpenAI's GPT 5.5 coming in fourth.
Fable 5 also leads in Artificial Analysis, Simple Bench, and practically every other leaderboard that has ranked the AI model.
Credit: AnthropicAccording to Anthropic's own comparison chart, when it launched Fable 5, the AI model simply blows GPT 5.5 away across multiple benchmarks, from agentic coding and knowledge work to cybersecurity.
While it may be accurate that other models can also identify these alleged vulnerabilities, perhaps the U.S. government calculated that Claude Fable 5 was just too dangerously good at it based on the data.
Claude Fable 5 vs GPT 5.5: Availability and pricingBefore Anthropic pulled Fable 5 due to the U.S. government's order, Fable 5 was available to paid subscribers on Pro, Max, Team, and seat-based Enterprise plans at no additional cost until June 22. Anthropic planned to remove Fable 5 from these plans on June 23 and temporarily move to a usage-based paid add-on model until demand for Fable 5 dissipated.
Fable 5 was priced on its Claude API and consumption-based Enterprise plans at $10 per million input tokens and $50 per million output tokens.
Fable 5 is no longer available for any of Anthropic's users.
OpenAI has made GPT 5.5 available to OpenAI Plus, Pro, Business, and Enterprise users in ChatGPT and Codex. Usage-based API pricing for GPT 5.5 starts at $5 per million input tokens and $30 per million output tokens.
GPT 5.5 is currently available for OpenAI's users.
How to watch Germany vs. Curaçao online for free
TL;DR: Live stream Germany vs. Curaçao in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free on ITVX. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup has kick-started with a number of really interesting matchups. Germany vs. Curaçao doesn't look like the most evenly-matched contest on the schedule, but anything can happen in tournament football. Germany must win to avoid embarrassment in front of the eyes of the world.
If you want to watch Germany vs. Curaçao in the 2026 FIFA World Cup from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
When is Germany vs. Curaçao?Germany vs. Curaçao in the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off at 1 p.m. ET on June 14. This fixture takes place at the NRG Stadium.
How to watch Germany vs. Curaçao for freeGermany vs. Curaçao in the 2026 FIFA World Cup is available to live stream for free on ITVX.
ITVX is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can unblock ITVX to live stream the 2026 World Cup for free from anywhere in the world.
Live stream Germany vs. Curaçao for free by following these simple steps:
Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK
Visit ITVX
Watch Germany vs. Curaçao for free from anywhere in the world
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the 2026 World Cup without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Germany vs. Curaçao (plus more World Cup fixtures) before recovering your investment.
If you want to retain permanent access to the best free streaming services from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.
What is the best VPN for ITVX?ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on ITVX, 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 Germany vs. Curaçao in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free with ExpressVPN.


